Isaac Wake
Encyclopedia
Sir Isaac Wake was an English diplomat and political commentator. He served as ambassador to Savoy
for sixteen years, and later as ambassador to France.
, was rector of Great Billing in Northamptonshire until 1573, when he was deprived for nonconformity
; he afterwards lived for many years in Jersey
. Born in 1580 or 1581, Isaac Wake entered Christ Church, Oxford
in 1593, and graduated B.A. in 1597; he was elected fellow of Merton College, Oxford
in 1598, and graduated M.A. in 1603. In 1604 he became a student at the Middle Temple
, and on 14 Dec. 1604 was elected public orator of Oxford University. He took part in the reception of King James
in 1605, delivering an oration "at the Hall-stair's foot in Christ Church." The king seems to have thought his oratory polished, if soporific. In 1607 he delivered a funeral oration on John Rainolds
.
at Venice
. In March 1612 his leave of absence from Merton College was extended for three years; but in the following November he came to England for a few months, during which he pronounced a funeral oration on Sir Thomas Bodley
. He returned to Venice in March 1613, and stayed there, and afterwards at Turin
, as Carleton's secretary until the latter left for England in July 1615. Wake then became British representative at the court of Savoy
, and retained that office for nearly sixteen years. In 1617 he went to Bern, at the request of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy
, to mediate an alliance between Savoy and the Swiss states. At the end of 1618 he came to London, being "much courted" by the French ministers on his way through Paris, and was knighted on 9 April 1619 at Royston, Hertfordshire
, where the king lay ill in bed. Immediately afterwards he was sent back to Turin with an offer of support to the duke in his candidature for the imperial crown, and at the same time with an informal mission to Frederick V, Elector Palatine
, whom he saw at Heidelberg
on his way out. On the death of Sir Henry Savile
, in February 1622, Prince Charles tried to secure Wake's election as warden of Merton; but he was beaten by (Sir) Nathaniel Brent
, the influence of the Abbots, combined perhaps with Wake's constant absence from England, proving too strong.
Wake was in England again in December 1623, when he married Anna, daughter of Edmund Bray of Barrington, and stepdaughter to Sir Edward Conway
, the secretary of state. He was returned M.P. for Oxford University
in January 1624, and attended parliament closely until his departure in May as ambassador to Savoy and Venice, with special instructions to endeavour to gain the assistance of those states for the recovery of the palatinate. Towards the end of 1626 he was employed on a mission to Bern and Zurich on behalf of the Grisons
; and in 1627 he endeavoured to mediate, at the king of Denmark's request, between that monarch and the Duke of Savoy. After narrowly escaping the plague
which ravaged Piedmont
in 1630, he was appointed ambassador to the French court, and had
audience of Louis XIII in May 1631. Wake was spoken of as likely to succeed Dorchester as secretary of state when the latter died in February 1632; but before the appointment was made he died himself, from an attack of fever, at Paris in June 1632. His body was brought to England with the ceremony due to his rank, and buried in the chapel of Dover Castle
. His widow petitioned the king for a pension, and for the payment of about £1,400 due to her husband at the time of his death, representing herself as destitute. The arrears at any rate seem to have been paid ultimately, for in 1633 Lady Wake bought an annuity from her half-brother, Lord Conway, for £1,450.
An epitaph on James I, in English verse, was attributed to him.
Wake's despatches are among the foreign state papers at the record office. His letter-books from 1615 to 1630 are in the British Library
, and so are a few of his letters to Buckingham
, Carlisle
, and others. Some of his despatches are printed in Cabala, and others in Gardiner
's Letters and Documents.
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
for sixteen years, and later as ambassador to France.
Early life
Isaac Wake was the second son of Arthur, son of John Wake of Hartwell, Northamptonshire, a descendant of the lords of Blisworth. His father, a canon of Christ Church and master of St. John's Hospital in NorthamptonNorthampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, was rector of Great Billing in Northamptonshire until 1573, when he was deprived for nonconformity
Nonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
; he afterwards lived for many years in Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
. Born in 1580 or 1581, Isaac Wake entered 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...
in 1593, and graduated B.A. in 1597; he was elected fellow of Merton College, Oxford
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
in 1598, and graduated M.A. in 1603. In 1604 he became a student at the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
, and on 14 Dec. 1604 was elected public orator of Oxford University. He took part in the reception of King James
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...
in 1605, delivering an oration "at the Hall-stair's foot in Christ Church." The king seems to have thought his oratory polished, if soporific. In 1607 he delivered a funeral oration on John Rainolds
John Rainolds
John Rainolds , English divine, was born about Michaelmas 1549 at Pinhoe, near Exeter.He was educated at Merton and Corpus Christi Colleges, Oxford, becoming a fellow of the latter in 1568. In 1572-73 he was appointed reader in Greek, and his lectures on Aristotle's Rhetoric laid the sure basis of...
.
Diplomatic career
In 1609 Wake travelled in France and Italy, and soon afterwards became secretary to Sir Dudley CarletonDudley Carleton, 1st Viscount Dorchester
Dudley Carleton, 1st Viscount Dorchester was an English art collector, diplomat and Secretary of State.-Early life:He was the second son of Antony Carleton of Brightwell Baldwin, Oxfordshire, and of Jocosa, daughter of John Goodwin of Winchendon, Buckinghamshire...
at Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. In March 1612 his leave of absence from Merton College was extended for three years; but in the following November he came to England for a few months, during which he pronounced a funeral oration on Sir Thomas Bodley
Thomas Bodley
Sir Thomas Bodley was an English diplomat and scholar, founder of the Bodleian Library, Oxford.-Biography:...
. He returned to Venice in March 1613, and stayed there, and afterwards at Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, as Carleton's secretary until the latter left for England in July 1615. Wake then became British representative at the court of Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
, and retained that office for nearly sixteen years. In 1617 he went to Bern, at the request of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy
Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy
Charles Emmanuel I , known as the Great, was the Duke of Savoy from 1580 to 1630...
, to mediate an alliance between Savoy and the Swiss states. At the end of 1618 he came to London, being "much courted" by the French ministers on his way through Paris, and was knighted on 9 April 1619 at Royston, Hertfordshire
Royston, Hertfordshire
Royston is a town and civil parish in the District of North Hertfordshire and county of Hertfordshire in England.It is situated on the Greenwich Meridian, which brushes the towns western boundary, and at the northernmost apex of the county on the same latitude of towns such as Milton Keynes and...
, where the king lay ill in bed. Immediately afterwards he was sent back to Turin with an offer of support to the duke in his candidature for the imperial crown, and at the same time with an informal mission to Frederick V, Elector Palatine
Frederick V, Elector Palatine
Frederick V was Elector Palatine , and, as Frederick I , King of Bohemia ....
, whom he saw at Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
on his way out. On the death of Sir Henry Savile
Henry Savile
Henry Savile was an English courtier, diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1673 to 1679.Savile was the third son of Sir William Savile, 3rd Baronet and his wife Anne Coventry. His elder brother was George Savile, 1st Marquess of HalifaxSavile was of Rufford. In 1673 he...
, in February 1622, Prince Charles tried to secure Wake's election as warden of Merton; but he was beaten by (Sir) Nathaniel Brent
Nathaniel Brent
-Life:He was the son of Anchor Brent of Little Wolford, Warwickshire, where he was born about 1573. He became 'portionist,' or postmaster, of Merton College, Oxford, in 1589; proceeded B.A. on 20 June 1593; was admitted probationer fellow there in 1594, and took the degree of M.A. on 31 October 1598...
, the influence of the Abbots, combined perhaps with Wake's constant absence from England, proving too strong.
Wake was in England again in December 1623, when he married Anna, daughter of Edmund Bray of Barrington, and stepdaughter to Sir Edward Conway
Edward Conway, 1st Viscount Conway
Edward Conway, 1st Viscount Conway PC was an English soldier and statesman.-Life:He was the son and heir of Sir John Conway of Arrow, and his wife Ellen or Eleanor, daughter of Sir Fulke Greville of Beauchamp's Court, Warwickshire....
, the secretary of state. He was returned M.P. for Oxford University
Oxford University (UK Parliament constituency)
Oxford University was a university constituency electing two members to the British House of Commons, from 1603 to 1950.-Boundaries, Electorate and Electoral System:...
in January 1624, and attended parliament closely until his departure in May as ambassador to Savoy and Venice, with special instructions to endeavour to gain the assistance of those states for the recovery of the palatinate. Towards the end of 1626 he was employed on a mission to Bern and Zurich on behalf of the Grisons
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
; and in 1627 he endeavoured to mediate, at the king of Denmark's request, between that monarch and the Duke of Savoy. After narrowly escaping the plague
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
which ravaged Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
in 1630, he was appointed ambassador to the French court, and had
audience of Louis XIII in May 1631. Wake was spoken of as likely to succeed Dorchester as secretary of state when the latter died in February 1632; but before the appointment was made he died himself, from an attack of fever, at Paris in June 1632. His body was brought to England with the ceremony due to his rank, and buried in the chapel of Dover Castle
Dover Castle
Dover Castle is a medieval castle in the town of the same name in the English county of Kent. It was founded in the 12th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history...
. His widow petitioned the king for a pension, and for the payment of about £1,400 due to her husband at the time of his death, representing herself as destitute. The arrears at any rate seem to have been paid ultimately, for in 1633 Lady Wake bought an annuity from her half-brother, Lord Conway, for £1,450.
Works
Wake's published works are:- Rex Platonicus, 1607. A description, in Latin, of the king's entertainment at Oxford in 1605. It is referred to by FarmerRichard FarmerDr Richard Farmer was a Shakespearean scholar and Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He is known for his Essay on the Learning of Shakespeare , in which he maintained that Shakespeare's knowledge of the classics was through translations, the errors of which he reproduced.-Life:He was born at...
and later annotators of Shakespeare, because of a performance described in it which perhaps suggested the subject of Macbeth. - Oratio Funebris on John Rainolds, delivered on 25 May 1607
- Oratio Funebris on Sir Thomas Bodley, 1613.
- A Threefold Help to Political Observations, contained in three Discourses, 1655. The discourses are:
- Of the Thirteen Cantons of the Helvetical League (written about 1625)
- Of the State of Italie (written in or soon after 1625)
- Upon the Proceedings of the King of Sweden(written 1631)
An epitaph on James I, in English verse, was attributed to him.
Wake's despatches are among the foreign state papers at the record office. His letter-books from 1615 to 1630 are in the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
, and so are a few of his letters to Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG was the favourite, claimed by some to be the lover, of King James I of England. Despite a very patchy political and military record, he remained at the height of royal favour for the first two years of the reign of Charles I, until he was assassinated...
, Carlisle
James Hay, 1st Earl of Carlisle
James Hay, 1st Earl of Carlisle was a Scottish aristocrat.-Life:He was the son of Sir James Hay of Fingask , and of Margaret Murray, cousin of George Hay, afterwards 1st Earl of Kinnoull.He was knighted and taken into favor by James VI of Scotland, brought into England in 1603, treated as a "prime...
, and others. Some of his despatches are printed in Cabala, and others in Gardiner
Samuel Rawson Gardiner
Samuel Rawson Gardiner was an English historian.The son of Rawson Boddam Gardiner, he was born near Alresford, Hampshire. He was educated at Winchester College and Christ Church, Oxford, where he obtained a first class in literae humaniores. He was subsequently elected to fellowships at All Souls ...
's Letters and Documents.