Consideringe with my selfe, how much honor is justly due to the memorye of my good father, and how much profitt may arise from this fayre example of his life, I have thought fitt to gather together such peeces thereof, as were within myne owne knowledge, or delivered mee by credible reporte, that his posterity, knowinge somewhate of his vertue and fortune, may peradventure make use of both, to theire owne good.

Sir Martin Barneham was the eldest sonne of Francis Barnham a good merchaunte and an alderman of London, whoe was the eldest sonne of Steven Barnham, Esq., groome of the Privie Chamber to Kinge Henry the Eighth, whose father and grandfather, being men of fayre estates, were killed at Bosworth Field on the side of Richard the Third, and theire estates, or the greatest parte thereof, becominge a prey to the contrary faction ;

Steven Barnham, My great grandfather, being left bare of friends and fortune, was put into the tuition and education of Battell Abbeye in Sussex, to which house his auncestors had beene greate benefactors, and from thence p^rferred to Cardinall Wolsey, and from him to Kinge Henry the Eighth, whoe gave him fayre lands, and other gifts of good value; But his first wife (whoe was of the family of the Blowotts in Hamshire and mother to Francis, and Thomas, and one daughter) being dead, his second wife, whome he maried in his later age meerely for love (which humor had beene all his life p^rdominant in him), beinge without children, did so governe him, and misgoverne his estate, as made him att his death little more than even w^th the world, so that Francis, his eldest sonne, had but a small portion from him where withall to rayse a fortune, and Thomas, his brother, lesse than hee.

Our Name as we have it by tradition, strengthened with probable circumstances, and some good records (which I have heard some of my friends say they have seene) was first gentilized, or at least advanced, by Sir Walter Barnham, a Baron of the Exchequer in the time of Richard the Second, and soe continued in a flowrishinge estate (at a place called Barnham in Suffolke not far from Thetford, where divers descents of them lye now buried) till the time of Henry the Seventh, all which I have received from my grandmother, father, and uncles, whoe spake it with much confidence, as being delivered to them, by theire freinds of the former age, and the truth of it assured by divers records, however it is not that which I will binde on as an infallible truth, because I my self have not seene that which may soe absolutly assure it, and because I for myne owne parte care not to fetch a pedegree farther then from the certaine memory of a grandfather that was rich and honest, and a father that was vertuous and wise; so then to come neerer home, to indubitable truthes, Francis Barnham, My grandfather, when hee grew towards man's age, his fathers estate beinge then in some reasonable condicion, was by him put into the course of the courte in the way of the green cloath, but, findinge his fathers estate to runne apace to ruine, and the houshold service to be a slow way of p^rferment, within lesse than two yeeres hee declined that, and bound himselfe apprentice to a good merchaunte in London, with whome he served out his yeeres, and soe inabled him selfe, in the understandinge of that profession ; as that afterwards, he proved a very good manager for himselfe, and his name had a very extraordinary reputation in those forraigne partes, where he traded, as well as a greate and constante creditt at home. Shortly after he was out of his apprentishippe he married Alice Bradbinge, a gentlewoman decended of auncient and good family in Sussex, but aboute that time extinct in the heires males, and the estate in a maner wholy spent, or transferred to daughters. My grandfather beinge then maried, and possest of all that which hee was to have from his father (who was dead not long before) found himselfe with his owne estate, and his wife's smale pertion, scarce worth 1,000£, but yet goinge honestly, carefully, and cheerefully on in his way, it pleased God so to blesse him, as that at the time of his death, which was in the 1576^th year of our Lord and 61^st of his age, he left behinde him lands to the valew then of 1,000£ a yeare, and a greate personall estate, which yet by some ill fortunes at sea, and bad debtors, was a good deale lessened some yeares before his death : His eldest sonne, my father, was borne in the year 1549, and till he was neere sixteene yeares of age, was brought upp in severall schools in London, and I have heard himself say, was divers times carried by his mother (whoe even in those times of persecution was a constant professor of the true religion) to that reverend man, and blessed martyr, Mr. Bradford, when he lay in prison, from whome he received many pious and proffitable instructions. From London schooles he went to Alban Hall in Oxford, and spent about three yeares there, under the tutorage of Mr. Aurthur Atee ; one that was a wise man, as well as a good scholler, under whose education, hee proffited well in the studies of philosophie and humanitie, and would surely have become a generall good scholler had he continued in that course ; but his father, whoe in his whole life had the ill fortune not to make a true judgment of the worth and vertue of that sonne, beinge maynely carried, by the sway of his affection, to the love and likinge of his second brother, tooke him from Oxford at the time of his best advantage, and put him even almost as a servaunt, to one Mr. Barker, a lawyer (an honest and religious man, but of meane condition in himselfe, and little reputation in his proffession), under him to learne the rudiments of the lawe, and a lowely way of life, wherein my grandfather (takinge as it seemeth a wronge levell of my fathers spiritt) sought to humble him, and to checque those risinge thoughts, which the condition of an elder brother (by this tyme become heire to a reasonable good fortune) might begett in him, and though in some natures this dejection way might peradventure have produced some ill effects, yet in my father, who was all humility and meecknesse, it brought foorth nothinge but an obedient yeeldinge to his fathers will, and a cheerefull applyinge himselfe to the directions and instructions of M^r Barker, though he were neither kinde nor scarse civill to him ; but my grandfather, soone fyndinge that his sonne was soe farre from a stubborne opposinge of his will, as that he submitted himselfe with all dutifullnesse even to this meane course, gatheringe from this experiment a better opinion of him, and beinge seconded in those thoughts by the inclination of his wife (who was always to hir eldest sonne a very lovinge and indulgent mother) after some fewe months he took him out of this course and placed him in Graies Inne; where he continued about five yeeres, and gained in that time soe much knowledge of the lawes of the lande as was afterwards very usefull to him in the defence of his owne estate, and enabled him to doe much good in his country by his advise and effectuall endeavours of peace among his neighboures, in which he labored constantly even to his dying day, and as I have heard him say with soe good successe as that, in all his life time, he never but once fayled to effect the peace he endevored to make. At Graies Inne his conversation and familiarity was with the men of best esteeme, with some of whome he then made a friendshipp that continued duringe their lives, as with old M^r Honiwood, Sir Thomas Peyton, Sir Thomas Bodley, S^r Will^m Wade, and such others, and with the first two his freindshipp, beganne at Graies Inne, begat afterwards a neere aliance ; havinge thus spent some yeeres in Graies Inne, when he was aboute 25 yeeres old, his parents thought fitt to seeke out a wife for him, and my grandfather havinge some few yeeres before bought the two mannors of Bilsington in Kent, he was desirous to match him into that country where the estate lay, which hee meant to assure him, and by the motion of some friends, but principaly by my Lord Wootons meanes (who had beene very familiar with my father at Oxford) there was a treatie of mariage sett one foote betwixt him and the daughter of M^r Rob^t Rudston, cousin germaine to my Lord Wootton,which after some pawses, by reason of the parents disagreeinge about portion, was in the end accomplished, to the great joy of the younge couple, whoe had setled on each other a very deere affection, and to the greate contentment and comfort of theire parents, for though my grandfather Barnham had with his daughter in law but a thousand markes portion, yet her modest and vertuous education and the aliance shee brought, gave him great satisfaction, and my grandfather Rudston joyed so much in the hopefulnesse or rather assured good proofe of his sonne in lawe, as that he prefered him (as I have often heard them both say) before two other husbands then offered his daughter, though both of them were gentlemen of auntient descent in their country, and of farre better estates then could be hoped for with my father. In the year 1572, and the month of August, my father was maried at Boughton Malherb, upon the desire and at the charge of M^r Thomas Wootton, whoe was doubly my mothers uncle, and alwaies most kinde and indulgent to hir, and the mariage was sollemnized with the presence of allmost all the freinds and kindred on both sides, and S^r John Wootton, who was then a younge courtiour, brought a masque thither of gentlemen of qualitie. Within foure dayes after his mariage, my father came to live with my grandfather Rudston, and spent about foure yeares in his house, with greate contentment to all, which could not have beene but that his judgment and temper kept him from interfeeringe with the passionatnesse of his father in lawe, whoe was a brave gentleman, and of a very lovinge disposition, but so furiously chollericke as required a greate deale of discretion to avoyd the incounter of that humor. Havving thus lived happily with his father in lawe some foure yeares, Hollingbourne Parsonage (which was then a lease of neere forty yeeres in beinge) was offered him, which his frugality, during the time he lived without charge in the house of his father in law, and some little helps from his good mother, enabled him to buy at the rate of £1,100, and there shortly after he settled himselfe, and continued in it till his dyinge day, which was 34 yeares after (without any intermission savinge some few months after myne owne mothers death), keepinge all that time a bountifull, and in his latter yeeres a brave house full of his owne children, most of whome were then growen to ripenesse of age, and by his friends often visited, to whome he gave alwayes a very harty and cheerfull welcome, with such entertainment as though it were noble and plentifull, yet was it not streyned to that height of excesse, or curiositie, which might make them unwillinge to come often unto him. Soone after his being setled at Hollingbourn, my grandfather Barnham died, and left him no more estate but both the Bilsingtons, which being then lett at low rates, and charged with 300£^s a yeere to his mother, were for the present but of smale valew. That which made my grandfather deale so hardley with him was partly a partiall indulgence to his younger sonnes, to whome he left great estates, and partly, a confidence that my father would have no children, for at that time my mother had neither child, nor great belly, to give any hope of hir fruitfullnesse ; but within a yeere after, notwithstandinge these p^rsures of his estate he went cheerfully on, and by his owne judgment, and my mothers providence, did so well manage that smale estate as made him able to buy some meadow pasture and woodlands in Hollingbourne, which together with the commodity of the parsonage made his dwellinge very convenient. But whilst he was goinge on in this comfortable course of life it pleased God to lay a very heavy affliction uppon him by the death of my excellent mother, who died in the yeere 1579 in childbed of a sonne, whoe lived but ten days after hir, which, as it brake the comforte, so also the course of his life ; for presently after hir death he gave up house, let out the parsonage of Hollingbourne and his lands there and lived, sometymes with his own mother, and sometymes with his father in lawe ; but fyndinge this but an unsetled lyfe, and beinge then but a younge man, and father but of one child lyving, nature, reason, and the advise of his freindes, perswaded him to a second marriage which, some eight months after my mothers death, he accomplished with the daughter of Alderman Calthorp, afterward Lord Maior of London; whoe was a very loving good natured gentleman, and extracted of an auntient and noble family in Northfolke ; whose wife was an Heath, great aunt to Bob^t Heath, now Attorney Generall to his Majestie. With this second wife my father had a present portion of 800£, assurance of 400£ more at his fathers death, and good hopes of a greater fortune by the advantage of his affection, which made him very indulgent to hir, and by the condition of his sonnes in whome he was eyther not happy, or not well satisfied. But yet those strong motives of complyinge with his second mariage could not so prevaile uppon my fathers goodnesse and justice, as that he would setle any of the lands left him by his father uppon his second issue, but resolvinge to leave them intire to his first sonne, the hopes of his after children rested in the lease and lands which he had in Hollingbourne, and in God his future blessinge, which so multiplied uppon him, as that at his death he left 500£^s a yeare of his owne purchase amonge his younger sonnes, gave fayre portions to foure daughters, and left me bysides both the Bilssingtons, a faire howse newly built at Hollingbourne, and an hundred pounds a yeere lands to it.

Not longe before his second mariage there hapned a passage betweene his mother and him, worth the relatinge, as beinge a lively picture of hir goodnesse to him, and his dutifullnesse to hir. The court-lodge of Bilsington was made in joynture to my grandmother Barnham, and after my grandfather's death leased by hir to my father, at the rent of 300£^s a yeere for the terme of hir life, by which lease some smale benefitt accrued to my father in p^rsent, and after the expiration of some old leases it was like to be of a better valew. There was afterwards a treaty of mariage betweene my grandmother and Sir John Ramsey, a very rich alderman of London, which treaty was almost concluded uppon such termes as were very advantagious to my grandmother. But the old knight, findinge in the pursute of this match that my grandmothers joynture was leased out to hir prejudice, insisted manely uppon the callinge in of that lease, pretendinge that he would make hir house at Bilsington habitable, live in it most part of the sommers, and have hir children and his friends with him. But the truth was that his ayme in getting in of my fathers lease was only to improve my grandmothers joynture to the full valew, though without that shee havinge, besides hir 300£ a year, a very good personall estate. But he, pressinge hard for the takinge in of hir lease, and there beinge a full agreement in all other conditions, my grandmother acquainted my father with Sir John Ramseyes desire and made hir owne to him, that he would surrender his lease and gave some reason to perswade him to it; to which my father made answere in such sort as might have beene full satisfaction had not the importunity of a lovinge mother prevailed against all the reason a dutifull sonne could urge ; so that the conclusion was that my father promise hir, and appointed a day to deliver in his lease, with which she acquainted Sir John Ramsey, and desired him to be present when the lease was to be surrendered to hir. My father kept his time, and the covetous old knight fayled not, and asoone as he saw my grandmother possest of the lease by my fathers deliveringe thereof into hir hands, he told hir that now the mariage between them should with all speed be consumated, and named a speedye day for it. Nay, sayeth my grandmother to him, good Sir John be not soe hasty, except it be to appoint your weddinge day with some other wife, for on mee I assure you you must not reckon, for I shall never thinke my selfe happily bestowed up on a husband that setteth soe smale a valew on mee, as ye have done in making this little improvement of my joynture (for that I knowe was indeede your ayme) a necessary condition of your match with mee. But it hath fallen out well to give me true satisfaction, the one of your nature, which surely is set soe uppon covetousness, as would have given me but smale comfort in you, the other of my sonnes intire and good affection to me, which made him comply with my desires, though to his owne prejudice, for which I blesse him, and in retribution of my love doe here give him backe his lease againe wishinge it were of much better valew then it is, that so it might make a full expression of my love to him, and my just acknowledgment of his lovinge and dutifull carriage to me. And so S^r John Ramsey and shee parted, which true storie, though it relate principally to my grandmothers goodnesse, yet my father hath soe greate a share in it, as maketh it I thinke not unfitt for this discourse.

Beinge thus settled in propertie and present possession for matter of command of both the Bilsingtons, which beinge of those manors that are called lordshipps of Rumney Marshe, did thereby give my father a greate interest in the command of that country, he applied himselfe with so much care and diligence in that businesse, as that within few yeeres he became as it were their oracle, so that the choise of officers, directing of worke for their saftie against the sea, and whatsoever else belonged to the government of that country rested prinsipally in his hands, and was carried with soe much judgment and integretie as even to this day, which is almost twentie yeeres after his death, any opinion or rule that he gave in bussinesse of the Mersh serveth full for a precedent in the like case. His custome was to goe to the Priory of Bilsington almost every Whitsuntide duringe the time that he was owner of those landes and most tymes he called with him my mother in lawe and some of his children, soe that havinge there a fun family of his owne, divers of his friends, the officers of the Mersh, and his tenannts, cominge daily to him, his beinge there was like a summers Christmas in regard of the fullnesse of his company and greatnesse of his expence, which yett was noe great charge to him, because his tenannts never fayled to present him with such good materialls of housekeepinge as that season of the yeere affoorded, which he requited with familiar and kinde usage friendly discourse, and advising them aboute theire owne particular affayres, and above all with a gentle hand in the lettinge of his lands, soe that I thinke never any landlord had more power of free tenants then he had. Shortley after his second mariage he was plunged into the trouble and charge of a greate and dangerous sute, for the Courtlodge of Bilsington, the best of his two manors there, for this mannor beinge purchased by my grandfather of the Lord Cheyney, whoe sold other lands to severall, lords and gentlemen of the valew of at least 20,000£^s a yeere, soe greate an estate hanging by the thread of one title gave an edge to all such as could make the least colour of title to quarell that estate ; theire least hope being to gett some good composition for strengthening by their assurances the title of lands bought (as was pretended) at unvalueable rates, and defective in assurances. The first that apeared in this great sute was Sir John Perrot, then a Privie Counseller, and in greate favour with Queene Elizabeth, whose eldest sonne, Sir Thomas Perrot, was borne of the sister, or aunt, to the Lord Cheyney, and soe made title to that estate as heire generall ; which clayme, though in itselfe it was very weak and unvalidious, yet being countenanced by great persons animated by the hope of havinge great shares either in the recovery of those lands or the composition for them, it was followed with soe great violence, and seconded with soe greate power, as gave the purchasers enough to doe to maynetayne a just, lawfull, and equitable title. Among them that stoode in the breach at this assault my father was one of the most forward; two third parts of his estate restinge upon that title ; and havinge after some little time given such prooff of his judgment and diligence, as made almost all his fellow purchasers cast anchor in his faithfullnesse and abilitie he was reputed the great champion of the side. S^r John Perrot takinge notice thereof, thought it would be a great advantage if he could worke my father off from the assistance of the cause, towards the effectinge whereof he thought a private discourse with him, fitted to the occasion, would be most forcible, and thereupon sent to him in a civill respective manner to intreate his coming to him; my father obeyed his desires by a speedy repayringe unto him ; when he was come, after a very courteous salutation, and respectfull, usage, S^r John began with him on this manner. M^r Barnham, I know well what right my sonne hath to the Lord Cheyneys lands, and I know well how much your judgment and activenesse strengtheneth his adversaries side. I cannot thinke that you are thus earnest against my sonne from any other motive than the care of defendinge your owne estate which (if you will) shall be fortified by the best assurance my sonnes title canne give you, for which nothinge shall be required at your hands but that you will become a looker on in this sute, without contributing any help to either side ; and yf you shall thinke this offer worth your imbracing, advise with your Counsell, and your assurances shall be bettered by my sonne accordinge to the best of their directions. Although this unexpected proposition were such a surprise to my father as might well have distracted his thoughts soe farre as to have kept him from a resent answer to Sir John Perrot, yet recollectinge himseffe, after a little pawse, he gave him this answere. That he held himselfe much bound to his honor for offeringe him that which he thought a favour, but for his owne parte he could not acknowledge it soe, because he was confident that the title he had to those lands which his father had bought of the Lord Cheyney was as good as law and equitie could make it, and should therefore be rather prejudiced then strenghtned by any adition of assurance, soe that beinge thus fully satisfied in his owne title, and consequently in that of all his fellow purchasers in pointe of their legall and consionable right he could not with his judgment make any use of his offered favour, nor with his reputation deserte a side that had trusted him soe much and did still relye soe much on him. Sir John Perrot beinge netled with this answere sayde to him in an angry manner: well then, seeinge you will not be an indifferent man betweene my selfe and sonne and our adversaries, wee will both repute you as our greatest enemy and expect our prosecution accordingly, and so leavinge him suddenly without soe much as a civill farwell theire partinge was as full of unkindnesse as theire first meetinge was of complement and fayre respect ; and suddenly after, Sir John Perrot made good his word, for layinge aside all the other purchasers, as if he made a peace, or at least a truce with them, all the batteries were made against my father alone, and soe continued, till Sir John Perrot's disgrace first, and soone after his death (both which fell out within a short time), gave him a little cessation from those troubles, but it was not long before other men, farre greater and more powerfull than he, undertooke that suite against the whole body of the purchasers, whoe still relyed uppon my father as their cheife champion, and in conclusion though those troubles lasted, duringe the tyme of my father's life and beyond it, yett still the purchasers made good theire titles without any the least appearance of danger, of all which violent and unjust prosecutions, that had theire agitation in his life tyme, my father made a true collection, by way of an historicall narration, in which it appeared that scarce any one of those greate persons, or other that had a hannd in that unjust vexation, scaped the Divine punnisment, by some remarkeable misfortune for soe unlawfull and dishonerable an atempt : and since my fathers death I have made a true and just addition of some great persons to that unfortunate list. But to returne to other particulars of that part of my fathers life in which this greate suite beganne, about that time he was made a justice of the Peace; in which service, so necessary for the good and saftie of the common wealth ! he was as active, as able, takinge greate paynes therein even untill the day of his death, savinge three smale tymes of intermission, wherein he was put out of the comission ; twice by the unjust displeasure of greate lords, whoe meant him a disgrace therein, and last of all by his owne desire to free his life from the trouble of that service, but after his two first puttings out of commission he was putt in againe within a few months, not by his owne, or his freinds suite, but by the meanes of those lords that putt him out ; whoe groweing to beleive better of his merrit, and to be sensible of the wronge they had done him, and in him that parte of the county where he lived, retracted their error and made themselves the meanes of his beinge putt agayne into comission, and when afterwards my father was putt out of the comission of the peace at his owne suite, and yett kept in the comission of the subsidie, my Lord Chanceller Egerton meetinge one day with my Lord of Leichester, whome he knew to be my father's noble freind, told him that it was not fitt that my father should exercise the power that the comission of subsidie gave him, except he, that was every way soe able for it, would take paines in the commission of the peace ; which hee desired my Lord of Leichester to intimate unto him, which my lord did accordingly, and seconded it so stronglie with his owne reasons and perswasions, as made my father willinge to reenter upon that service, in which from that time he continued to his dyinge day ; and executed it all his time with so much moderation and soe peacefull a spirrite, as that I heard him say a little before his death, that of many hundreds, whoe in that longe tyme of his service came to him to require the peace or good behaviour of their neighbours, he bound over but two only, his perswasions of peace prevailing with all the rest against the spirrit of contention which brought them to him uppon that occasion. Neither was he in those dayes lesse fortunate in his owne affayres, then he was to his owne country and neighboures in his care of theire good; for as it pleased God to blesse him with many children, soe alsoe with a dayly groweth of his reputation, and increase of his estate to which hee made a good addition by divers smale purchases.

In the yeere 1598 he was made high Sheriffe of Kent, and was in the bill for it divers yeares before ; but as longe as the suite against the purchasers of the Lord Cheyneys lands was eagerly followed, those greate men that prosecuted that greate suite kept him from beinge sheriff, as fearinge least the power of that office might in his hands have been some disadvantage to theire side. Those duties and directions which are required from an high sheriff, in the substantiall and seremonious parte of his office, were so well performed by him as that they served for precedents to many of those that succeeded him ; soe that the under sheriffe he made choyse of (whoe was one that before that time had not executed that office), by the reputation of his choyse, was made under sheriff by 7 or 8 of the next high sheriffs, and the security which my father required from him was conceived to be taken with so much judgment, and fitt caution, as that the high sheriffes of some other countryes (as well as those of his owne) sent some yeares after to my father for his directions on that behalfe, and made them the precedents by which they secured themselves against the greate danger which did commonly attend the high sheriffs by the negligent ignorance or falsness of their under sheriffs if it were not prevented by a truly wisdome. As for the formall and shewinge part of his office, he carried it in a high line of fitnesse and decency, without any touch of lownesse or vanity ; his entertainement at the Assizes, his number of servants, and his gifts to the judges, being all of them fitly proportioned. That yeare of his shrivalty was acompanied with many good fortunes considerable in his life, for hee then maried his eldest daughter to the eldest sonne of his auntiente and worthey freind, M^r Robert Honywood, which match in regard of the quality of his sonne in lawe, and his fayre hopes of very good estate, was full of comforte and reputation, and shortly after he maried me to the daughter of M^r Samson Lennard and the Lady Dacre, in which match, his goodnesse to me wards, sought rather to give me a wife that might bringe mee a noble alliance, and promise the happinesse of a good wife (as beinge borne of a mother that abounded as much in worth and vertue as in honor) then to enriche himselfe, or his other children by so greate a portion as it is probable he might have had in divers places, if that had beene his cheifest ayme in my mariage. About that time alsoe he bought a purchase of good valew, though his mother whoe kept a good parte of his estate from him was then alive, soe that one yeare gave him the reputation of beinge high sheriffe (which in those dayes sunke not so lowe as since it hath done), of marrying his two eldest children to much comfort and happinesse, and of givinge a good adition to his estate by a great purchase. In those progresses of good fortune his life went hapily on, his estate and reputation groweinge with his age, which may justly be recconed amongst his greatest temporall blessinges, because it brought w^th it cheerefullnesse and comfort to the latter parte of his lyfe ; which to most men is but a malancholly disconted beinge, either through waywordnesse of age, infirmity of body, or deficiency of fortune. Within lesse than two yeares after my marriage I came to live in my fathers house, though I had then by covenant one yeeres beinge more with my father in lawe, whoe though he kept a very honorable house, and lived in all respects in soe grave a fassion as might make the beinge there very delightfull, especially to me, whoe had always from all hands a very lovinge and noble treatment, yett the happinesse I promised myselfe in the daily comfort of my fathers kinde and familiar usage, and in his advise and instructions (which were always given me in a most indulgent manner) made me hasten my cominge to live with him a yeare before my time. My brother and sister Honywood then lived in the howse and spent some yeares there with all possible comfort to all parties, soe that livinge in a full and well agreeinge family, I can reckon noe parte of my life, spent with more contentment then it was, which must be chiefly ascribed to that goodnesse and sweetnesse of my fathers disposition and fashion which, like the operations of fayre and cleere weather, made all that lived with him lively and cherefull.

Aboute this tyme Kinge James came to this crowne, to whom Queene Elizabeth, by hir constantly sparinge hand of all sorts of honor, left greate power of satisfaction and rewards in that kind, of which among others Knighthood was most pursued as beinge that of which soe many men, were then fitly capable. The kinge havinge beene very bountifull of that honor in his journey from Scotland to London, moste parte of the gentlemen of the other parts of England were desirous to dresse themselves in that generall fashion ; and though on some particuler men by the king's favour, or the mediation of some greate men, that honor was freely bestowed, yett generally it was purchased att greate rates, as at three, four, and five hundred pounds, accordinge to the circomstances of recedencye, or grace, with which it was accompanied. Sir John Gray, my noble freind and neere allye, findinge the way of knightinge by favour somewhat slacke, and not alwaies certaine, out of his affection to mee, at the kings first cominge to London, treated with a Scotchman, an acquaintance of his, and drove a bargaine that for 80£ and some courtesyes which he should doe him, my father and my selfe should be knighted, and gave me present knowledg thereof that it might speedily be effected, with which I made my father instantly acquainted, and told him that though I doubted not but to procure both our knighthoods without money by the power of some greater freinds I had in court, yet consideringe the obligation to them and the tyme that would be lost before it could be certainly effected, I thought it would be a better way to make a speedy end of it at so smale a charge rather then to linger it out at uncertainetyes at such a time as every man made haste to crowd at the new play of knighting heere. My father made this answere, that havinge by God's blessinge an estate fitt enough for knighthood, and havinge managed those offices of credite which a country gentleman was capable of, he should not be unwillinge to take that honor upon him, if he might have it in such a fashion as that himselfe might hold it an honor, but said he yf I pay for my knighthood I shall never be called Sir Martin but that I shall blush for shame to thinke how I came by it ; yf therefore it canot be had freely I am resolved to content myselfe with my present condition, and for my wife (saied he merrily) I will buy her a new gowne instead of a ladyshipp, this is my resolution for myselfe, and that which I thinke fittest for you. Findinge him thus resolved, I gave over that way, and made meanes to my noble freind, my Lord of Pembrooke, to procure my father a free knighthoode, which hee redilie undertooke, and apointed him a day to attend for it at Greenwich, but that morninge there came some newes out of Scotland that put the Kinge soe out of humor as made that time unfitt for it, and instantly after it was published that the kinge would make noe more knights till the time of his Crownation as resolvinge to honor that day with a greate proportion of that honor, on which day my father, by the favour of my Lord Pembroocke (sic), had the honor of knighthoode freely bestowed uppon him, and was ranked before three-fourth parts of that days numerous knightinge. Shortly after this my father married his second daughter to M^r Augustaine Steeuard, a gentleman of a fayre descent and good estate, to whome he gave a good portion, and two yeeres diet by way of contract, and some yeeres more out of his bounty and kindnesse, which allwaies exprest itselfe in a most cheerfull wellcome to his children and grandchildren, as beinge that which was beneficiall to them, and comfortable to himselfe, who beinge now freed from the trouble and charge of suits, and his estate greatly increased by the death of his mother, who died in the yeere 1604, enjoyed the quiete of his own howse, the comfort of his children, and the plentifullnesse of his estate with all possible happiness.

And here it shall not be amisse to recite one perticuler that hath relation to that greate and longe continued cause, uppon the purchasers of the Lord Cheyenes lands, because it meeteth with this time and conduceth much to my father's publicke reputation and honor. In the yeere 1608, the Parliment then sittinge, there was a bill brought into the Howse of Commons intituled, an Act for the securing of the Lands bought of the late Lord Cheyney to the severall purchasers thereof, the purporte of this Acte was to give a finall securitie by Acte of Parliment to such of the purchasers as would buy there peace by compoundinge with some that pretended to a title to those lands (whoe were named in the Bill), at the rate (as I remember) of halfe a yeeres valew of their estates. This bill was brought in to the howse of Commons by the directions of the Lord Arundell of Ward[our], in favour of a kinseman of his that pretended a title to those lands, and by his meanes was well befreinded in the Howse, and some of the purchasers, eyther out of want of judgment or weaknesse of feare, or base playinge booty on that side, complied with it, soe that it passed readily to a comittee, which accordinge to the manner of those private bills was chosen of men for the most parte very favourably affected to it. In the meane tyme some other of the purchasers that stoode upright in the cause gave my father notice of those proceedings and desired him with all earnestnesse to take that busines fully & wholy into his owne hands, uppon whose care and judgment they would confidently relye; wherein they proceeded with my father, as the state of Rome was wont to doe when in tyme of greate danger, they made a Dictator to whome alone they gave an absolute power to doe what hee thought best, with these woords in his comission provided, ne quid detrimenti respublica capiat, my father willingly obeyed theire desire by taking that business into his serious consideration but beinge by some important business inforced to be in the country at the time appointed for the sittinge of that comittie, he wrote a letter and directed it to his good freind Sir Richard Smight (who was then a Parliament man), which letter made a large expression of his opinion against the offered Acte of Parliament, and of the reasons that did leade him to that opinion. The committee beinge sett and the business beganne, many speeches were made in favour of the Bill, and many reasons inforced, and this cheefly That it was that which moste of the purchasers desired, which some of them were present confirmed by theire owne avowed consent, and others that were absent were named as willinge consentors to the bill, and amonge them my father for one, yea marry said Sir Francis Bacon (whoe was made for the Bill) his consent will be a greate authority amongst us, beinge a gentleman of soe great wisdome and reputation, &c., and therefore let us be assured that it hath his approbation and noe one thinge will more availe it : which he spake to prepare a reverent opinion of my fathers consent which he did indeed beleeve had beene gotten. Upon this Sir Dudley Digges, whoe had the letter in his hands, and was desired to produce it when he see his time, stoode upp, and bestowinge many woords of honor uppon my father, concluded with Sir Francis Bacon that his opinion might uppon good reason bee of greate esteeme amongst them because he was well knowen to be a wise and a good man, and to understand more of the business of that greate suite for Cheney's lands then any man else did. The generall expectation beinge thus raysed my fathers letter was read, which makinge a summary relation of the goodnesse of theire title, and the violence and injustnesse of theire many vexations, which yett had brought noe manner of danger to the purchasers; delivered in the conclusion his opinion absolute against any adition of strength to a title (though it were by Act of Parliament) which had already the best asurance that law and equitie could give it, and gave some reasons to strengthen that opinion ; which reasons beinge argued at the comittee and found very weightie, the bill beinge put to the question was clerely cast, and soe reported to the Howse, where it ranne the same fortune ; which is a remarkable consideration, that the power of those reasons which his letter conteyned, cominge from soe good an authority, was able to overthrow a business soe well laid, soe farre advanced and strenghtened with soe great freinds, and as thinges sorted to his reputation, soe was his life made happy in other comforts, especially in that of constant health ; not interrupted with any, so much as ordinnari sallies of sicknesse ; for from his age of 14 till hee was above 60 he never had but one sicknesse, and that neither longe nor extreame. But aboute one yeare and halfe before his death, which happened in the 63^rd yeare of his age, he beganne to feele some declination of his former health, which continued till the time of his death, with some little weakness and distempers which by often appearinge and attacking him in such manner only as might well be reckoned amongst the blessings of his life ; for it gave him almost a certaine foreknowledg and faver warning of his death, without any such torment of sicknesse as myght make his life grevious unto him, of which he made a right and true christaine use, by preparinge himselfe for the life to come, to w^ch he was summoned aboute the beginninge of December 1610 by a sicknesse somewhat sharpe at the first, but groweinge every day more violent till the day of his death, which was on the 10th of that month, which sicknesse he bare with a manly courage and christaine patience, and that time which he could make use of by any relaxation of his extreamity he spent in prayers, and in grave fatherly and wise admonitions and perswasions of love and peace to his wife and children ; havinge his memory and speech perfect till very few houres before his death, and soe the happinesse that accompanied his life was crowned with the perfection of all happinesse, in the blessednesse of his death. Presently after his death his will and other disposalls of his estate beinge looked into, there appeared some rocks of danger, like enough to have wreacked the peace of his family, but it pleased God that his effectuall perswasions of peace and unity to his wife and children prevayled soe with them against all reasons of theire perticuler benefitt or advantage, as that, within a short time such a peace was settled amongst all, as hath continued inviolate unto this day. His funerall were performed (accordinge to his owne directions) without any serimonous pompe but with soe greate a confluence of gentlemen of the best and second qualitie, and of all other sorts of people that dwelt neere him, as gave a full expression of the generall respect and love that was borne him; for a more particular testimony whereof his body was carried to the church by six knights and gentlemen of prime quality, who gladly offered themselves to doe that honour to his ashes, and against the day of his buriall his tenannts sent in above 700 fowlles of all sorts as theire last tribute of love and thankfullnesse to his memory and meritt ; and of that parte of his funerall sermon made by Doctor Boyse which represented his worth and vetrue even in a very transcendinge degree, it was yett sayed by some that knewe and could judge him well, that those prayses might fittley be compared to a picture that was like, but not so well as the life, to which censure this weake expression and imperfect collection of myne may justly be more liable.

[While going through and sorting a very considerable number of old deeds, letters and other documents, I came across the above biography, written in a neat clerk's hand in a sort of copy book. Among the above mentioned letters are two dated in 1760 from Sir Thomas Rider to Thomas Barrett Lennard, Lord Dacre. In one of these he mentions that he is giving to the latter a picture of Margaret Fynes, Lady Dacre, who married in the sixteenth century Samson Lennard, one of Lord Dacre's ancestor's, and this letter contains an extract from the above life of Sir Francis Barnham.

There is no doubt that he subsequently had the whole of this biography copied for Lord Dacre.]

T. BARRETT LENNARD.