ion. The contention was
thus fomented, till a report prevailed that the Venetians were turned
Protestants, which was believed by many, as the English embassador was
so often in conference with the Senate, and that they had made all
their proceedings known to the King of England, who would support
them, should the Pope presume to exercise any more oppressions. This
circumstance made it appear plain enough to his Holiness, that
he weakened his power by exceeding it; and being alarmed lest a
revolution should happen, offered the Venetians absolution upon very
easy terms, which the Republic still slighting, did at last obtain it,
by that which was scarce so much as a shew of desiring it. For eight
years after Sir Henry Wotton's going into Italy, he stood very high in
the King's esteem, but at last, lost his favour for some time, by an
accident too singular to be here omitted.

When he first went embassador to Italy, as he passed through Germany
he staid some days at Augsburgh, where having been in his former
travels well known by many of the first reputation in learning,
and passing an evening in merriment, he was desired by Christopher
Hecamore to write a sentence in his Album, and consenting to it, took
occasion from some accidental conversation which happened in the
company, to write a pleasant definition of an embassador in these
words. "Legatus est vir bonus, peregre-missus ad mentiendum Republicae
causa;" which he chose should have been thus rendered into English: An
Ambassador is an honest Man, sent to lie abroad for the good of his
Country; but the word lie, upon which the conceit turned, was not
so expressed in Latin, as to admit a double meaning, or so fair a
construction as Sir Henry thought, in English. About eight years
after, this Album fell into the hands of Gaspar Scioppius, a restless
zealot, who published books against King James, and upbraided him
for entertaining such scandalous principles, as his embassador had
expressed by that sentence: This aspersion gained ground, and it
became fashionable in Venice to write this definition in several glass
windows. These incidents reaching the ear of King James, he was much
displeased with the behaviour of his embassador on that occasion, and
from an innocent piece of witticism Sir Henry was like to pay very
dear, by losing his master's favour. Upon this our author wrote two
apologies, one to Velserus, which was dispersed in Germany and Italy,
and another to the K