LITMIR.BIZ

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Year 1555, if we may credit Mr. Wood (b). He was the Son of Thomas Carew by Elizabeth Edgecumb, Daughter to Sir Richard Edgecumb, a Gentleman says our Author (c), in whom Mildness and Stoutness, Diffidence and Wisdom, Deliberateness of Undertaking, and Sufficiency of Effecting, made a more commendable, than blazing mixture of Vertue. He adds, that Sir Richard, at his fine House, call'd to this day Mount-Edgecumb,

      "during Queen Mary's Reign, entertain'd at one time for some good space, the Admirals of the English, Spanish, and Netherland Fleets, with many Noblemen besides.

      But", pursues he, "not too much of this, lest a partial Affection steal, as unawares, into my Commendation, as one, by my Mother, descended from his Loins, and by my Birth a Member of the House (d)."

      But Mr. Carew hath given us an account of his Ancestors, which I shall set down here, that the Reader may see they were no less distinguished by the great Estates in their possession, than by the Noble Families they were allyed to. Speaking of the Lyner, which, with the Tamer, discharges itself into the Sea above Plymouth;

      "A little within this Mouth of Lyner", says he (e), "standeth East-Antonie, the poore home of mine Ancestours, with which in this manner they were invested:

      Sir John Lerchedekne——— of Ashton in Devon.

       Touching our Stock in general", pursues our Author

       (f), "and my Family in particular——————

       our Queen."

      The Pregnancy of his Parts being much above his Age, he was sent to

       Oxford in the Year 1566, being then but eleven Years old, and

      "(g) became a Gentleman Commoner of Christ Church … . …

       but had his Chamber in Broadgate's Hall:"

      And three Years after he was call'd to dispute with the incomparable

       Sir Philip Sidney, who was a Year older than he (h).

      Dr. Fuller and Mr. Wood have taken notice of this memorable Dispute, without mentioning from whence they had that Particular, which, as we have seen already, is related by Mr. Carew himself.

      "He was bred", says Dr. Fuller (i), "a Gentleman- Commoner in Oxford; where, being but fourteen Years old, and yet three Years standing, he was call'd out to dispute ex tempore, before the Earls of Leicester and Warwick, with the matchless Sir Philip Sidney.

      Si quaeritis hujus

       Fortunam pugnae, non est superatus ab illo.

      Ask you the End of this Contest ?

       They neither had the better, both the best."

      Mr. Wood expresses it thus:

      "At fourteen Years of Age", says he (k), "he disputed ex tempore with the matchless Philip Sidney, (while he was a young (l) Man, I suppose) in the presence of the Earls of Leicester, Warwick, and other Nobility, at what time they were lodged in Christ-Church, to receive entertainment from the Muses."

      Mr. Wood says afterwards, that

      "After Mr. Carew had spent three Years in Oxon, he retired

       to the Middle Temple, where he spent 3 Years more" (m) ;

      which may be true, tho' he brings in no Authority for it. But what he adds, that

      "then he was sent with his Uncle (Sir George Carew as it seems) in his Embassage unto the King of Poland; whom when he came to Dantzick, he found that he had been newly gone from thence into Sweden, whither also he went after him :"

      And that

      "After his return, and a short stay made in England, he was sent by his Father into France with Sir Hen. Nevill, who was then Ambassador Leiger unto K. Hen. 4. that he might learn the French Tongue, which by reading and talking, he overcame in three quarters of a Year :"

      All this, I say, cannot hold, if it be true that, tho' he understood

       Italian, French, High-Dutch, and Spanish, he had never been out of

       England ; as his Countryman Charles Fitzgeffry seems to assert in the

       following Compliment to him:

      Quis Deus tibi tam bene invocatus (n),

       Disertissime millium trecentum

       Idemq; optime omnium CARAEE,

       (Seu quis multiplicem eruditionem,

       Seu quis, quo magis emicas elenchum

       Morum ponderet elegantiorum,

       Virtutumq; tot auream coronam)

       Quis (inquam) Deus (o Deus profecto!)

       Tantis te spoliis, tot & trophaeis

       Terrarum locupletat exterarum,

       Domi perpetuo interim morantem

       Et libris patriaeque servientem?

       Quo Graij tibi, quo tibi Latini

       Auri pondera tanta? quove Hetrusci,

       Galli, Teutones, invidiq; Iberi

       Tam assatim te opibus suis bearunt?

       O si tot Deus ora, totq; linguas

       Mihi idulserit, ut tuas referrem

       Laudes, quot dedit ora quotq; linguas

       Tibi uno Deus ore, lingua in una?

      I may add, that Mr. Carew, in his Survey of Cornwall, giving an account of the eminent Men born in that Dutchy, reckons among the Civilians Doctor Carew (o) :

      "In the Civil Law", says he (p), "there lived of late Doctor Kennals, and now (q) doth Doctor Carew, one of the antientest Masters of the Chancery; in which Calling, after his younger Years spent abroad to his benefit, he hath reposed himself."

      He mentions him again among the Persons employed in State Affairs, and therethrough stept to Preferment (r).

      "Master George Carew", says he, "in his younger Years gathered such Fruit as the University, the Inns of Court, and Foreign Travel could yield him. Upon his Return, he was first call'd to the Bar, then supply'd the Place of Secretary to the Lord Chancellor Hatton; and after his Decease, performed the like Office to his two Successors, by special Recommendation from her Majesty, who also gave him the Prothonotaryship of the Chancery; and in anno 1598 sent him Ambassador to the King of Poland, and other Northern Potentates, where through unexpected Accidents, he underwent extraordinary Perils; but God freed him from them, and he performed his Duty in acceptable manner : And at this present the Commonwealth useth his Service, as a Master of the Chancery."

      Had our Author attended this worthy Person in his Embassies, it is hardly possible he should not have taken some notice of it here; being elsewhere so ready to honour himself with the Friendship or Acquaintance of the Great Men of his Time.

      As to what Mr. Wood adds, viz. that Mr. Carew was sent by his Father into France with Sir Henry Nevill … that he might learn the French Tongue, &c. I am afraid he hath mistaken our Author for his Son, who, in effect, went into France with a Nevill, in order to learn the French Tongue ; as it appears by the following Verses of the aforesaid Fitzgeffry, upon his Return.

      Ad (s) RICHARDUM CARAEUM, Ri. Filium,

       e Gallijs reducem.

      Melligo juvenum Caraee, quotquot

       Damnoni occiduis alunt in oris :

       Ecquid Fama sinistimae (t) auricellae

       Veris se insinuat meae susurris,

       Te longae peregrinitates omnes

       Exanclasse (v) molestias, marisq;

       Emensum omnia taedia, ad parentes

       Patremq; unanimum, piamq; matrem,

       Membrorum incolumi statu redisse,

       Onustum omnigenae eruditionis

       Gazis & Spoliis, quot aut Camoenae

      

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