ON the fourteenth of May, be­twixt the houres of twelve & one, when the night was growing towards the mor­ning, and darknesse did yet incompasse me, my unquiet thoughts did interrupt my sleep, and the terrour of the afflicting place wherein I lodg'd, did possesse my soule: (whether awake, or in a vision I cannot say) but me thought, the reverend shadow of Car­dinall Wolsey did present himselfe unto my view, and with a gracefull and Majesticke gate, accoute­red with those habiliments which did become his honours, he walked thrice by the side of my bed, and waving his left hand to me, hee leaned him­selfe at his third returne, upon his Crosier staffe, [Page] and with a soft voyce hee whispered thrice into my eare, My Lord, my Lord, my Lord.

Though my faith in the great redeemer of the world, my Lord Jesus, to whose Name without superstition I shall ever bow, had prepared and confirmed mee to over-looke all feares and dan­gers which fraile flesh doth stoop unto, I was ama­zed at the presence of the man, and by his proud deportment being not able well to distinguish whether it was the Cardinall Wolsey, who had Kings to his favourites; or whether it was the Cardinall of Richeleau, who had Balzac to his servant; my disputing thoughts made up to my first presumption, that it was indeed Cardinall Wolsey; and the rather, because the honesty of Philosophy doth instruct mee, that no sublunary creature can make an intuitive dispatch, but being bound by the jurisdiction of Nature, to obey her termes of place, cannot move at once in two se­verall places, though oftentimes the abused fancy presents unto it selfe the counterfet and phanta­sticke bodies of absent friends or foes, the fancie being overcome by the dominiering passions of love or hatred. But the Cardinall to cut off all doubtings, began thus to speake unto me: My Lord, the newes of your greatnesse, and the noyse of the falling Episcopacie, hath rouz'd me from the sloath of death, to understand what new am­bition could prompt againe the Miter to aspire un­to [Page] a parity with the Crowne, what policies could support so bold an enterprize, what spirit give warmth unto so dangerous a worke. I gave no answer at all; whereat, either indignation of heart, or in assuming unto himselfe by my silence, a greater liberty of language, he thus proceeded: My Lord, I had thought after my fate, that no man would againe adventure to preferre the pomp of this vaine world to the service of Almighty God, & the cares by him injoyned to his charge. My Lord, you might have read in the example of the right reverend Father in God, Thomas Bec­ket, sometimes Archbishop of Canterbury, and in my sad legend, how dangerous it is for Prelates to nourish ambitious thoughts; and that the high­est glory of the Church is the humility and the harmony of the Priests; but because that men blowne up by Fortune, will swell themselves into any designe, be it never so impossible: what flat­tering conceit did tempt you in your pride of heart to magnifie your Grace with mine, in a time when the English Clergie lived not in that pompe and flourish as in my dayes they did; when their best revenewes lye impropriated to certaine Lay persons, and when it is almost impossible to obtain or to hope for a recovery.

I had a great minde to give him that answer which his cause deserved, but having quite aban­doned this world and anchored my faith on Jesus [Page] Christ, I lay silent while he thus proceeded. My Lord, never dreame to make such parallels per­fect, I must confesse my parentage was as low as yours, my education in the University was in Magdalen Colledge of Oxford, as yours of Saint Iohns; Indeed my growing honours received not that priviledge to bee President of Magdalen Colledge, as you were of the other, my nobler wing did soare to a brave height, and though the Chronicler who for all his name makes more haste then good speed, delivers me to be a School­master; I was in Oxford Tutor to my Lord of Dorsets sonnes, a charge that calleth for the in­dowments of an honest & an able man. Alexander was more obliged to Aristotle for his educat [...]on, then unto Philip for his Kingdomes, as it is a grea­ter honor to be a Christian then to be a man: God elected me to be an Embassadour to his people, & Henry the 7. to be an Embassadour to a most roy­all Prince, besides the honour of the Cardinalls cap, and the broad seale of England. I sate at once in seven Episcopall seas, and the Primat of Eng­land (which is the greatest dignity that ever you arrived at) was content to have his Crosses and his traine to follow the Metropolitans of Yorke: I lived as gracious in the eye of my Soveraigne as your self, though it was your happinesse to meete with a Prince of a more excellent and a more con­stant temper, Earles have beene proud upon their [Page] knees to take the assay of my wine: It is true in­deed, that you have countenanced learning and the muses and have beautified and improved their habitations, but not in my magnificent way: The hatred of the Commons hath beene unto us a­like, and some great men in both our times have griveously accused us: I was condemned as the causer of all heavy impositions, and my Lord how you can purge your selfe from that accusation, you best can speake: what though Sir Amias Paulet was by my meanes for the space of sixe yeares retained a prisoner in the midle Temple, I doubt not but you have made more then one man suffer, and have put them to a harder if not a lon­ger durance. The ruine of us both was indeed in both our times the joy and the voice of the people, and for the many barrells of gold and silver which I extorted from the Commons to release the captive Pope, I doubt not but you have found new waies to raise as great sums, and for what ends (my Lord) your selfe best know. My Lord let not your selfe or succeeding ages, make you my parallel, for though you equall me in my errors, I surmount you in my honours and magnificence: much more I have to say, but this is the third summons of the Cock and to fill the number up, I must returne unto the children of night; I was preparing to make my answer to him, but immediately he vanished from my sight, [Page] but with a louder voice then before as he turned his backe, I heard him to utter these or the like words: My Lord though I depart I must leave you behinde me, wherein your fate hath preven­ted the condition of many your late State delin­quents, who make a common custome, as they say, first to offend, and then to run away.