6 Oct.

WHO ARE YOU, THAT YOU REQUIRE SCIENCE?, 1584

travel,court_patronage,household_family,letters_books

Friday, mane. Before 7 of the clock 1 thought good rather myself to go to Dr Curtz, than to suffer him to come to me so far, and that for divers causes. So I went to him, and came before he was ready. At his being ready he came forth, but nothing with so cheerful a countenance to welcome me as he did at the first. I conjectured that he suspected that 1 would take his words in evil part, which he had to say to me from the Emperor, which (after 1 had somewhat spoken of the book that I lent him, and some other that had written somewhat of such matter of division of superficies, 10 and he had told me that this my book was the most excellent in that argument, and so made a pause), he began in this sort in two parts to divide his speech, and said that his Cesarean Majesty, as far as his own faults (as condemned by me) were concerned, was accustomed to dealing with his confessor at the appropriate time and place. Meanwhile, as far as I was concerned, his Cesarean Majesty was prepared to gratify me and be my benefactor in whatever matter lay within his authority. I hereupon answered, and said: 'I am sorry that my words have been understood and conceived in another sense by his Imperial Majesty than in the way that they ought to have been understood or conceived. For I did not desire to become his confessor: but I was ordered to inform him that his sins were condemned by heaven, and that is therefore what I did: from which he can derive more consolation than from the counsel of his own confessor. However, as for that favour which his Cesarean Majesty is now offering me, I accept it most humbly, and would like to be given the title of Imperial Philosopher and Mathematician, to prevent the Emperor's courtiers and my fellow Englishmen from thinking that I was involved in trivial matters, and that I was thus a suitable person against whom they might exercise their most maledictory tongues, as they have begun to do already with impunity, &c.' Then he spake of the second letters to the Emperor, the effect whereof he had heard at my hands, and had sent on Michaelmas Even to the Emperor's Majesty, a note and advise of them, as he now said: and did wish that they had been delivered before the Emperor had resolved on the former answer. 'Those letters,' said I, 'are in the Ambassador of Spain's hands; and if he will not deliver them today, I will fetch them for you.' 'If you do,' said he, 'I will deliver them straightway, for at 8 of the clock you shall have me in the Ritter-Stove, or hear of me there.' 'Then,' said I, 'I will straightway go to the Ambassador.' I went unto the Ambassador of Spain, and reported all that had passed between me and Dr Curtz. He said that by reason of his divers affairs he had not good opportunity, never since the receipt of my letters, to go to the Emperor's Majesty: but that this day he determined to deliver my letters with his own hand unto his Majesty. So with thanks given to his Honour I departed. I went to the Ritter- Stove (or chamber of presence), where I found none of the Guard, but very many sitting without. In the Stove were three or four, of which one went straightway into the privy chamber, and by and by Dr Curtz came out from the Emperor unto me. I asked him if he had told the Emperor of my grief conceived of his misunderstanding my words. He said 'Aye', and that the Emperor took it not in evil part: and so of divers other things we had talk, walking up and l 164 <l