Tobie Matthew
Encyclopedia
Sir
Tobie Matthew (also sometimes spelt Mathew) (3 October 1577 – 13 October 1655), born in Salisbury
, was an English
member of parliament
and courtier who converted to Roman Catholicism and became a priest
. He was sent to Spain
to promote the proposed Spanish Match
between Charles, Prince of Wales
, and the Spanish Infanta, Maria Anna of Spain, for which mission he was knighted.
, then Dean of Christ Church, Oxford
, later Bishop of Durham, and finally Archbishop of York
, by his marriage to Frances, a daughter of William Barlow, Bishop of Chichester
. Matthew matriculated from Christ Church on 13 March 1589/90 and graduated MA
on 5 July 1597. Because of his youthful extravagance, he is said to have been treated harshly by his parents. On 15 May 1599, he was admitted a member of Gray's Inn
, where he began his close friendship with Francis Bacon
. Two years later, Matthew was elected as Member of Parliament
for Newport, in Cornwall
. During this time, he was a frequent visitor to the court of Queen Elizabeth I
. In 1604, shortly after the accession of King James I
, Matthew was elected again to the House of Commons
, this time by St Alban's
, and joined the new king's court. He also received a large grant from the Crown
which provided for his future.
Having always desired to travel, Matthew left England
in November 1604 and travelled through France
to Florence
, even though he had promised his father he would not go to Italy
. In Florence, he met several Roman Catholics and eventually converted to that denomination from Anglicanism
. At that time a new persecution of "Papists" was raging in England, but Matthew was determined to return. When he arrived, he was imprisoned in the Fleet
for six months and every effort was made to make him recant his conversion. In the end, he was allowed to leave England and travelled in Flanders
and Spain
. In 1614, whilst in the entourage of the Earl of Arundel
, he studied for the priesthood at Rome
and was ordained by Cardinal Bellarmine
on 20 May.
In 1617, the king allowed Matthew to return to England and he stayed for some time with Bacon. During this time he translated his friend's Essays
into Italian
. Matthew was exiled again from 1619 to 1622, but was favorably received by the king upon his return. He acted as an agent at court to promote the marriage of Charles, Prince of Wales
with the Spanish Infanta, Maria Anna of Spain. For promoting this cause, the ill-fated "Spanish Match
", James sent Matthew to Madrid
and knighted him upon his return on 20 October 1623. As a member of the immediate circle of the Queen of England, Henrietta Maria
, Matthew enjoyed the same favour at court under Charles I as he had under his father. Under a charming and playful guise — he offered to prepare for the Queen the new Spanish drink of chocolate
, and did so, but absent-mindedly testing it, he tasted it all up — he labored diligently for the Roman Catholic cause there. At the time of Lady Newport
's conversion to his faith, which was considered scandalous, Matthew absented himself from the court.
When the Civil War
broke out in 1640, Matthew, by now in his sixties, took refuge with the English Jesuits
at their house at Ghent
, where he died.
Whether or not Matthew himself ever became a Jesuit remains a matter of controversy to this day.
, Matthew also translated St. Augustine
's Confessions
(1620), the Autobiography of St. Teresa (1623), and Father Arias's Treatise of Patience (1650). Matthew himself authored A Relation of the death of Troilo Severe, Baron of Rome (1620), A Missive of Consolation sent from Flanders to the Catholics of England (1647), A True Historical Relation of the Conversion of Sir Tobie Matthew to the Holie Catholic Faith (first published in 1904), as well as some manuscript works. His letters were edited by Dr John Donne
in 1660.
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Tobie Matthew (also sometimes spelt Mathew) (3 October 1577 – 13 October 1655), born in Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, was an English
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
member of parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and courtier who converted to Roman Catholicism and became a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
. He was sent to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to promote the proposed Spanish Match
Spanish Match
The Spanish Match was a proposed marriage between Prince Charles, the son of King James I of England, and Infanta Maria Anna of Spain, the daughter of Philip III of Spain...
between Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, and the Spanish Infanta, Maria Anna of Spain, for which mission he was knighted.
Life
Matthew was the son of Dr Tobias MatthewTobias Matthew
Tobias Matthew was Archbishop of York.-Life:He was the son of Sir John Matthew of Ross in Herefordshire, England, and of his wife Eleanor Crofton of Ludlow. He was born at Bristol and was educated at Wells, Somerset, and then in succession at University College and Christ Church, Oxford...
, then Dean of Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, later Bishop of Durham, and finally Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
, by his marriage to Frances, a daughter of William Barlow, Bishop of Chichester
Bishop of Chichester
The Bishop of Chichester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the Counties of East and West Sussex. The see is in the City of Chichester where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity...
. Matthew matriculated from Christ Church on 13 March 1589/90 and graduated MA
Master of Arts (Oxbridge)
In the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts of these universities are admitted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university .There is no examination or study required for the degree...
on 5 July 1597. Because of his youthful extravagance, he is said to have been treated harshly by his parents. On 15 May 1599, he was admitted a member of Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
, where he began his close friendship with Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
. Two years later, Matthew was elected as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Newport, in Cornwall
Newport (Cornwall) (UK Parliament constituency)
Newport was a rotten borough situated in Cornwall. It is now within the town of Launceston, which was itself also a parliamentary borough at the same period...
. During this time, he was a frequent visitor to the court of Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. In 1604, shortly after the accession of King James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
, Matthew was elected again to the House of Commons
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
, this time by St Alban's
St Albans (UK Parliament constituency)
St Albans is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Established in 1885, it is a county constituency in Hertfordshire, and elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.From 1554 to 1852 there was a...
, and joined the new king's court. He also received a large grant from the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
which provided for his future.
Having always desired to travel, Matthew left England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in November 1604 and travelled through France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, even though he had promised his father he would not go to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. In Florence, he met several Roman Catholics and eventually converted to that denomination from Anglicanism
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
. At that time a new persecution of "Papists" was raging in England, but Matthew was determined to return. When he arrived, he was imprisoned in the Fleet
Fleet Prison
Fleet Prison was a notorious London prison by the side of the Fleet River in London. The prison was built in 1197 and was in use until 1844. It was demolished in 1846.- History :...
for six months and every effort was made to make him recant his conversion. In the end, he was allowed to leave England and travelled in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. In 1614, whilst in the entourage of the Earl of Arundel
Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel
Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel KG, was a prominent English courtier during the reigns of King James I and King Charles I, but he made his name as a Grand Tourist and art collector rather than as a politician. When he died he possessed 700 paintings, along with large collections of sculpture,...
, he studied for the priesthood at Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and was ordained by Cardinal Bellarmine
Robert Bellarmine
Robert Bellarmine was an Italian Jesuit and a Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was one of the most important figures in the Counter-Reformation...
on 20 May.
In 1617, the king allowed Matthew to return to England and he stayed for some time with Bacon. During this time he translated his friend's Essays
Essays (Francis Bacon)
Essayes: Religious Meditations. Places of Perswasion and Disswasion. Seene and Allowed was the first published book by the philosopher, statesman and jurist Francis Bacon. The Essays are written in a wide range of styles, from the plain and unadorned to the epigrammatic...
into Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
. Matthew was exiled again from 1619 to 1622, but was favorably received by the king upon his return. He acted as an agent at court to promote the marriage of Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
with the Spanish Infanta, Maria Anna of Spain. For promoting this cause, the ill-fated "Spanish Match
Spanish Match
The Spanish Match was a proposed marriage between Prince Charles, the son of King James I of England, and Infanta Maria Anna of Spain, the daughter of Philip III of Spain...
", James sent Matthew to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and knighted him upon his return on 20 October 1623. As a member of the immediate circle of the Queen of England, Henrietta Maria
Henrietta Maria of France
Henrietta Maria of France ; was the Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland as the wife of King Charles I...
, Matthew enjoyed the same favour at court under Charles I as he had under his father. Under a charming and playful guise — he offered to prepare for the Queen the new Spanish drink of chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
, and did so, but absent-mindedly testing it, he tasted it all up — he labored diligently for the Roman Catholic cause there. At the time of Lady Newport
Mountjoy Blount, 1st Earl of Newport
Mountjoy Blount, 1st Earl of Newport , created Baron Mountjoy in the Irish peerage , baron Mountjoy of Thurveston in the English peerage and Earl of Newport was appointed master of ordnance to Charles I of England and played an ambiguous part in the early years of the English Civil War.He was...
's conversion to his faith, which was considered scandalous, Matthew absented himself from the court.
When the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
broke out in 1640, Matthew, by now in his sixties, took refuge with the English Jesuits
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
at their house at Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, where he died.
Whether or not Matthew himself ever became a Jesuit remains a matter of controversy to this day.
Works
Besides his Italian translation of Bacon's EssaysEssays (Francis Bacon)
Essayes: Religious Meditations. Places of Perswasion and Disswasion. Seene and Allowed was the first published book by the philosopher, statesman and jurist Francis Bacon. The Essays are written in a wide range of styles, from the plain and unadorned to the epigrammatic...
, Matthew also translated St. Augustine
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
's Confessions
Confessions (St. Augustine)
Confessions is the name of an autobiographical work, consisting of 13 books, by St. Augustine of Hippo, written between AD 397 and AD 398. Modern English translations of it are sometimes published under the title The Confessions of St...
(1620), the Autobiography of St. Teresa (1623), and Father Arias's Treatise of Patience (1650). Matthew himself authored A Relation of the death of Troilo Severe, Baron of Rome (1620), A Missive of Consolation sent from Flanders to the Catholics of England (1647), A True Historical Relation of the Conversion of Sir Tobie Matthew to the Holie Catholic Faith (first published in 1904), as well as some manuscript works. His letters were edited by Dr John Donne
John Donne
John Donne 31 March 1631), English poet, satirist, lawyer, and priest, is now considered the preeminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are notable for their strong and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs,...
in 1660.