Sir Christopher Wren: His Family and His Times: With Original Letters and a Discourse on Architecture Hitherto Unpublished. 1585-1723. — John Shaqi
Sir Christopher Wren: His Family and His Times: With Original Letters and a Discourse on Architecture Hitherto Unpublished. 1585-1723.Phillimore, Lucy
History
Sir Christopher Wren: His Family and His Times: With Original Letters and a Discourse on Architecture Hitherto Unpublished. 1585-1723.
Phillimore, Lucy
Great Britain -- History -- Stuarts, 1603-1714 -- Biography; Wren family; Wren, Christopher, Sir, 1632-1723
The sea-voyage, probably a stormy one, made an impression on his mind
and he preached before the Universities on the text 'One deep calleth to
another.' This is said to have been a remarkable sermon, and old Fuller
declares that he became an excellent preacher. The one sermon of his now
extant, preached at a later date, on the text 'Fear God, honour the
King,' shows that he modelled his style greatly on that of Bishop
Andrewes, though without attaining to the same excellence. The sermon is
a bold and outspoken one, and has its striking passages. King James, in
testimony of his approval of Dr. Wren's conduct as his son's chaplain,
bestowed on him the valuable living of Bingham, in Nottinghamshire, to
which he was inducted during the next year, resigning his fellowship of
Pembroke and the living of Feversham.
[_AT WINCHESTER HOUSE._]
Previous to this event, and soon after the Prince's return, a singular
incident occurred. Wren, who had been down to Cambridge, came up, as he
says, 'suddenly' to London, and as it was late, lodged with his sister
in Friday Street, instead of going to Winchester House, where the Bishop
kept 'three rooms near the garden' fitted and reserved for him, and
where he had lodged twice or thrice. He had, however, seen the Bishop
twice, also the Bishops of Durham and S. David's, had taken leave of
them on a Saturday, and was prepared to return to Cambridge on the
Monday morning following. His journey was, however, delayed by an event
which shall be given in his own words:--[9]
'On Monday morne by break of the day there was a great knocking at
the door where I lay. And at last the apprentice (who lay in the
shop) came up to my bedside, and told me there was a messenger from
Winchester House to speak with me. The business was to let me know,
that my Lord, when he came from Court last night, had given his
steward charge to order it so that I might be spoken with, and be
required as from him without fail to dine with him on Monday; but
to be at Winchester House by ten of the clock, which I wondered the
more at, his lordship not using to come from his study till near
twelve. My businesse would hardly permit this, yet because of his
lordship's importunity, I got up presently, and into Holborn I
went, and there used such despatch, that soon after ten of the
clock, I took a boat and went to Winchester House, where I found
the steward at the water gate waiting to let me in the nearest way;
who told me that my lord had called twice to know if I were come. I
asked where his lordship was? He answered, in his great gallery (a
place where I knew his lordship scarce came once in a year), and
thither I going, the door was locked, but upon my lifting a latch,
my lord of St. David's opened the door, and, letting me in, locked
it again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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