John Harington the elder [First Baron Barington] son to Sir James Harington, was born at Exton in this county, where their ancient family had long flourished. A bountiful housekeeper, dividing his hospitality between Rutland and Warwickshire, where he had a fair habitation. He was one of the executors to the Lady Frances Sidney, and a grand benefactor to the college of her founding in Cambridge. King James created him baron of Exton; and his lady, a prudent woman, had the Princess Elizabeth committed to her government. When the said princess was married to Frederick Prince Palatine, this lord (with Henry Martin, doctor of the laws) were sent over to the Palatinate, to see her highness settled at Heidelburg, and some formalities about her dowry and jointure performed. (Footnote: The Gunpowder plotters planned to abduct the princess and proclaim her queen, but Harington prevented them by escaping with his charge to Coventry. Through her extravagance he was considerably in debt, and he begged a royal patent to coin brass farthings, known as "Haringtons.") This done (as if God had designed this for his last work) he sickened on the first day of his return, and died at Worms in Germany, on St. Bartholomew's day, Anno Domini 1613. The Lord John his son (of whom in Warwickshire) did not survive him a ytear; both of them signally eminent, the one a pattern for all good fathers, the other for all gracious sons; and pity it is the last had not issue to be a precedent to all grandchildren; but God thought it fit that here the male issue of that honourable family should expire.
John Lord Harington, son to John Lord Harington was born [1592] at Coombe Abbey in this county accruing unto him by his mother, heiress of Kelway) as by a property of that family, lately, or still surviving, I have, on very strict inquiry, been certainly informed. He did not count himself privileged from being good, by being great; and his timely piety rising early, did not soon after go to bed (as some young saints, beheld under another notion) but continued watchful during his life. He was one of the first who began tht epious fashion (since followed by few of his quality) of a diary, wherein he registered, not the injuries of others done unto him (a work of revenge, not devotion) but of his failings and infirmities toward his Master. Thus making even with the God of Heaven, by repentance in Christ at the end of every day, "he had," to use the expression and counsel of the reverend archbishop of Armagh, "but one day to repent of before his death."
He lived out all his days in the appointment of Divince Providence, not half of them according to the course and possibily of Nature, not half a quarter of them according to the hopes and desires of the lovers and honourers of virture in this nation, especially of the society in Sidney College in Cambridge, whereto he was a most bountiful benefactor. [d. 1614]
Sir John Harington, knight; where born [1561] I know not; sure I am he had a fair estate at Kelston near Bath in this county; and is eminent for his Confessor extraction. His father, only for carrying a letter to the Lady (afterwards Queen) Elizabeth, [was] by Bishop Gardiner kept twelve months in the Tower, and made to spend 1000 pounds ere he could get free of that trouble. His mother, servant to the Lady Elizabeth, was, by Gardiner's command, sequestered from her as an heretic, and her husband enjoined not to keep company with her. Queen Elizabeth was godmother to this Sir John; and he was bred in Cambridge, where Doctor Still was his tutor; but whether whilst he was fellow of Christ's or master of Saint John's, is to me unknown.
He afterward proved one of the most ingenious poets of our English nation; witness his translatio of ORLANDO FURIOSO out of the Italian, dedicated to the Lady Elizabeth, since queen of Bohemia, and the several pieces of his own invention. It happened that while the said Sir John reparied often to an ordinary in Bath, a female attendress at the table, neglecting other gentlemen which sat higher, and were of greater estates, applied herself wholly to him, accommodating him with all necessaries, and preventing his asking anything with her officiousness. She, being demanded by him the reason of her so careful waiting on him, "I understand," said she, "you are a very witty man, and if I should displease you in anything, I fear you would make an epigram of me." A posthume book of his is come forth as an addition to Bishop Godwin's Catalogue of Bishops; wherein (besides mistakes) some tart reflections in uxoratos episcopos might well have been spared. In a word, he was a poet in all things save in his wealth, leaving a fair estate to a learned and religious son, and died about the middle of the reign of King James [d. 1612] (Footnote: Harington, i s now best remembered for his Metamorphosis of Ajax, in which he projects the modern privy, and for which Elizabeth banished him from court, not on account of his book's frankness, but because of a supposed innuendo about Leicester. He was deputed by Essex, whom he had accompanied in the ill-starred Irish expedition, to appears Elizabeth's anger, but was ordered, and was very glad, to leave her presence. He charmed by his ready wit, frankness and literary brillance. Elizabeth referred to him as "that saucy poet, my godson."
[Does anyone know what Th. Fuller could mean by "and is eminent for his Confessor extraction"? Surely he doesn't mean descended from King Edward the Confessor (who had no children).]
From: Donald Harington To: BGieber@aol.com I can't imagine why Thomas Fuller would have said that Sir John Harington of Kelston was "eminent for his Confessor extraction." There is mention of Edward the Confessor in Ian Grimble's THE HARINGTON FAMILY.Don Harington