[An account of the life of John Williams] / [John Williams].

  • Williams, John, 1582-1650
Date:
[1768?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [An account of the life of John Williams] / [John Williams]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    penent in the divinity deputations per¬ formed for t-he entertainment of his Elec¬ toral Highnefs; in which he executed his part fo well, as to gain thereby the fr end- Ihip and patronage of Dr. James Moun- tague, Bifliop of Bath and Wells, who happened to be prefent; and before the expiration of the year he was admitted into the archdeaconry of Caermarthen, February nth. He had not been long with the Lord Ellefmere before he became his principal favourite, to whom he made him.elf in a manner necefTiry, by an indefatigable in- duftry, conduced with the moft artful addrefs in procuring the belt and earlieft intelligence for his iervrce from the Court, both of the King and alfo of Prince Henry, whofe death happening within four months after Mr. Williams entered upon this office, proved a lof?, which in that view was more fenfibly felt by him ; yet his ready wit fuggefted other ways to fuppiy thel'e ufeful expedients, the fruits of which were feen in the following preferments. December 29, 1613, he was inifalled by proxy Precentor of the cathedral of Lin¬ coln ; and May 14., 1614., was inftituted to the re£lory of Waldgrave, in Northamp¬ ton (hire, at the prefentation of Dr. Richard Neile, Biffiop of Lincoln. The fame year, belore the 3d of January, he re- figned the archdeaconry of Caermarthen, and was collated to a prebend and resi¬ dentiary Ihip in the church of Lincoln, and to a prebend in thofe of Peterborow, Hereford, and St. David’s j and, befides all thefe, had a fine cure in Wales, equal in point of profit to any of his other pre¬ ferments, being the gift of the Lord Chancellor, by whofe munificence in the (pace of five years he likewife raifed him- lelf an ample fortune in cafii. Neither was he wanting to his friends while he lived in this Ration; we are allured by B'fhop Placket, that he procured from the Chan¬ cellor livings for feveral Clergymen of merit in the Univerfity of Cambridge, to whom he likewife opened his purfe freely, if wanted. To thei’e, as alfo to all ethers in general that applied to him, he was al¬ ways ready to give his affiftance in any dif¬ ficulties of law; inlomuoh that many Biffiops and Chapters of cathedral churches employed him to manage their la v lu'ts, being very expert in bringing them to a final termination with the lead expence. Hts fituation gave him an op¬ portunity of informing himfelf in the bufinefs of his mailer’s office, and he improved it by leading hooks upon that fubjeft j in which Rudy he had the afiil- tance of John Walker, afterwards Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer. In the mid It of allthele employments, he Rill kept on his rounds in the Rudy of the fathers, and ecclefiaftical hiftory and anti¬ quities; and, in this lait branch efpecially, he had now the advantage of difeourfing often with three of the mod learned men that England ever bred, Sir Henry Spel- man, Sir Robert Cotton, and Mr. Selden. Toward the latter end of the year 1615, the Lord Chancellor being, through age and infirmities, wholly confined to his houfe, Mr. Williams was intruded by him in carrying mefiages upon bufinefs to the King, who on thefe occafions took notice, that the chaplain was principled by his mailer to be a Statefman and a pillar of the kingdom ; and his Lordffiip, a very little before the day of his death, called Mr. Williams to him, and told him, (i If he wanted money, he would leave him fuch a legacy in his will, as would fur- nifh him to live in the world like a Gentleman. Sir, faid the chaplain, 1 kifs your hands ; you have filled my cap full. I am far from want, unlefs it be of your Lordffiip’s directions how to live in the world if I furvive you. Well, lays his Lordlhip, I know you are an expert work¬ man : Take thefe tools to work with j they are the bed I have So he gave him fome books and papers written all with his own hand. Nor did the chap- lam fall ffiort of the prefage of his noble Lord and patron in the ufe of them. However, when his fucctffbr to the Great Seal, Sir Francis Bacon, who knew Mr. Williams’s merit, made him an offer to continue him in his former Ration at York-houfe, he declined it, but accepted the office of a Jultice of Peace of the quorum in Northamptonfhne, which was given him by the new Keeper. He was preparing for his journey, when his friend Dr. Montague, now Bifliop of Winchelfer, prefented him to his Majeltv, who appoint¬ ed him his chaplain in ordinary, with a command to attend upon him in his north¬ ern progtelV, to begin in April following ; and the King told him pleafantly, ‘ That he might expeCt the labourer’s penny as loon as they who had ferved him longer.’ But the Rilhop obtained of his Majelly tnat Mr. Williams might llav to take his Doctor’? degree, and give entertainment to Marco Antonio de Domini?, Archbdhop of Spalato, who was newly come to Eng¬ land, and defigned to be at Cambridge commpncement the next July, 1617; when Mr Williams accordinglycommeneedD.D. an \ immediately after went to refide at the V T ___