JAMES HOWEL, Esq;


Was born at Abernant in Carmarthenshire, the place where his father
was minister, in the year 1594[1]. Howel himself, in one of his
familiar epistles, says, that his ascendant was that hot constellation
of Cancer about the middle of the Dog Days. After he was educated in
grammar learning in the free school of Hereford, he was sent to Jesus
College in the beginning of 1610, took a degree in arts, and then
quitted the university. By the help of friends, and a small sum of
money his father assisted him with, he travelled for three years into
several countries, where he improved himself in the various languages;
some years after his return, the reputation of his parts was so great,
that he was made choice of to be sent into Spain, to recover of the
Spanish monarch a rich English ship, seized by the Viceroy of Sardinia
for his master's use, upon some pretence of prohibited goods being
found in it.

During his absence, he was elected Fellow of Jesus College, 1623, and
upon his return, was patronized by Emanuel, lord Scroop, Lord
President of the North, and by him was made his secretary[2]. As he
resided in York, he was, by the Mayor and Aldermen of Richmond, chose
a Burgess for their Corporation to sit in that Parliament, that began
at Westminster in the year 1627. Four years after, he went secretary
to Robert, earl of Leicester, ambassador extraordinary from England to
the King of Denmark, before whom he made several Latin speeches,
shewing the occasion of their embassy, viz. to condole the death of
Sophia, Queen Dowager of Denmark, Grandmother to Charles I. King of