Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 4.djvu/376

This page needs to be proofread.

370


NOTES AND QUERIES. [11 s. iv. NOV. 4, 1911.


available, but, somehow, " yours frater- nally " and " yours sisterly " do not seem to express a similar sentiment. Is it pos- sible that philologists have missed a word that would have been useful to the feminine sex ? CHAS. KING.

Stratton, Cornwall.

MARLOWES. What is the origin of this name ? It occurs as the name of a house in Berkhamsted, and a road or perhaps district in Hemel Hempstead.

W. B. GEBISH.


JOHN PRESTON, D.D. (11 S. iv. 308.)

A LIST of this writer's books may be found in ' D.N.B.,' where it accompanies a bio- graphy by the Rev. Alexander Gordon ; also in Allib one's * Dictionary of Authors,' in Darling's ' Cyclopaedia Bibliographica,' and in the B.M. Catalogue. Preston preached several sermons before both James I. and Charles I., and one of his volumes is entitled

  • Sermons preached before His Majestie and

upon other Special Occasions.' Your corre- spondent should see

'> " The Life of the RenoAvned Doctor Preston,

writ by his Pupil, Master Thomas Ball, D.D

in the year 1628. Now first published and edited by E. W. Harcourt, Esq., M.P. Oxford, Parker, 1885," 8vo.

This is a most detailed life of Preston, the manuscript of which was discovered at Nuneham, and is still there. This book forms the basis of any study of Preston's life. Extracts had been published earlier, but it was not until 1885 that the book was issued entire.

" John Preston, the son of Thomas & Alice Preston, was borne at Heyford, in Northampton- shire ; a towne divided by a little river into y e Upper and Lower Heyfords, and is in the Maps oft writ in y e plural number. It is a Rectory, and hath a faire church in the Lower Heyford but yet stands in divers parrishes.

"That farme where M r Thomas Preston lived is m Bugbrooke parrish, where they buried & baptized. Heere was John the son of Thomas Preston baptized Octob 27 th 1587. Yet was descended from that family of the Prestons that lived at Preston in Lancashire, from Whence his great grand-father removed, upon occasion of a fatall quarrel w th one Mr. Bradshaw a neigh- bour-gentleman, whom in his owne defence he slew, & satisfied the law, was acquitted for it ; but not the kindred of the person killed, who wayted an opp'tunity of revenge, as the manner of those Northern Countryes then was." Ball's Life, pp. 1-2.


The following is a very picturesque account of Preston's preaching before James I. :

" It came to Mr. Preston's turn to preach before the King at Royston. It fell out that his course came upon a Tewsday, when the King was at Hintchingbrook ; the Court was very thin, the Prince & Duke of Buckingham both abroad, and the King himselfe was for a hunting match that day, and gave order that the sermon should begin at eight aclock. Master Preston had some at court that were solicitous as well as he, & they told him it would give very great content if he would take some occasion in the sermon to shew his judgement, as he had done before, about set formes. Dr. Young, Deane of Winchester (of whom I spake before) did then attend, and when the King came in & sate down in the chaire, he told him who it was that preached, & said he hoped he would give content. I pray God he doth, said the King. His text was Jo" I. 16. ' And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace ' ; w ch he so cleerely opened, & applyed, that the King sate all y e while very quiet, & never stirred or spake to anybody, but by his lookes discovered he was pleased.

" When all was done, he came unto him as the manner was to kisse his hand, when y e King asked him of What Preston he was descended ? he answered of that in Lancashire ; then said the King, you have many of yo r name and kindred very eminent, and Preston the Priest, although a Papist, is a very learned man.

" Great hast was made to bring in dynner, and the King was very pleasant all the tyme, had his eye continually on M r Preston, & spake of divers passadges in the sermon w th much content ; specially that of the Arminians putting God into the same extremity that Darius was put in (Dan. 6.) when he would have saved Daniel but could not. But, as soone as ever M r Preston was retyred, the Marquess Hamilton kneeled downe, and besought the King that he might comend the Preacher to him for his Chaplyn ; protested that he did not know him, but that he was moved by the weight & strength of that he had delivered ; told him that he spake no pen & Inckorne language, but as one that com- prehended what he said, and that he could not but have substance & matter in him. The King acknowledged all, but said it was too early, remembered Newmarket busyness, & was re- served." Ball's ' Life,' pp. 65-6.

As " Newmarket busyness " was on this occasion so important, Preston had to wait for his appointment as chaplain ; but, being a courtier and political intriguer, he found a kinsman, Sir Ralph Freeman, who was married to a relative of the first Duke of Buckingham, and through the latter' s interest he was made chaplain to Charles I. The sermon named above was copied out to show to Prince Charles. (It was afterwards 1640 printed.)

" Both Prince & Duke had bin abroad, & neither of them had heard of y e sermon. When therefore M r Preston was brought unto y e Duke,