John Brooke

“ Rushing upstairs, she startled the invalids by exclaiming tragically as she burst into the room, "Oh, do somebody go down quick! John Brooke is acting dreadfully, and Meg likes it!" ”

“ BROOKE, GEORGE (1568–1603) , conspirator, the fourth and youngest son of William Brooke, lord Cobham, by Frances, daughter of Sir John Newton, was born at Cobham, Kent, on 17 April 1568. He matriculated at King's College, Cambridge, in 1580, and took his M.A. degree in 1586. He obtained a prebend in the church of York, and was later promised the mastership of the hospital of St. Cross, near Winchester, by Queen Elizabeth. The queen, however, died before the vacancy was filled up, and James gave it instead to an agent of his own, James Hudson. This caused Brooke to become disaffected. ”

“ Brooke, Henry, Irish dramatist and novelist, born in co. Cavan; author of the "Fool of Quality," a book commended by John Wesley and much lauded by Charles Kingsley, and the only one of his works that survives; wrote, among other things, a poem called "Universal Beauty," and a play called "Gustavus Vasa" (1703-1783) .
Brooke, Sir James, rajah of Sarawak, born at Benares, educated in England; entered the Indian army; was wounded in the Burmese war, returned in consequence to England; conceived the idea of suppressing piracy and establishing civilisation in the Indian Archipelago ”

“ John Brooke is acting dreadfully, and Meg likes it!" ”

“ He was elected master of Trinity College, Cambridge, 5 Sept. 1629, and on 17 Nov. resigned his Gresham professorship. Prynne, in his 'Canterburie's Doome' p. 157, abuses Brooke as a disciple of Laud, and states that in 1630 Brooke was engaged in 'An Arminian Treatise of Predestination.' Laud encouraged him to complete this book, but afterwards declined to sanction its publication on account of its excessive violence. On 13 May 1631 Brooke was admitted archdeacon of Coventry, and died 16 Sept. 1632. His will (99 St. John) was made 16 Sept. ”

“ Though Brooke could not accept the grant then, as it would have been extracted from the rajah’s deep distress, he agreed to return to the army; and once more the guns were embarked in the boats, and every man who could be spared from the Royalist accompanied Brooke to the front. There he met Budrudin, Muda Hassim’s favourite brother, with whom he soon contracted a friendship which ended only with the Malay prince’s life. He was brave, frank and intelligent; he quickly appreciated the noble character of the white leader of men, and ever after he fully trusted him. ”

“ BROKE or BROOKE, Sir RICHARD (d. 1529) , chief baron of the exchequer, was fourth son of Thomas Broke of Leighton in Cheshire, and his wife, daughter and heiress of John Parker of Copnall. His ancestors had been Brokes of Leighton since the twelfth century, and came of a common stock with the Brookes of Norton. ”

“ It is difficult, even under the most favourable circumstances, to convey to the mind of a reader an exact portrait of the man whose deeds you desire to chronicle; but as I lived for nearly twenty years with James Brooke, I feel I know him well in all his strength and his weakness. ”

“ Brooke had a fine presence and a noble voice, both of which he turned at first to good account. To the influence of these, rather than to the display of any eminent intellectual gifts, his success was attributable. His first appearance as Othello elicited, however, from men of judgment more favourable criticism than has often been passed upon any actor of secondary mark. When last he appeared in London, his tragic acting was little more than rant. ”

“ John’s, at Colchester. He afterwards quitted it privately, and got away to Sir Thomas Broughton’s house in Lancashire, and lurked there for some months, from whence he proceeded to Flanders, to Margaret Duchess of Burgundy; and from thence went with Martin Swartz into Ireland, joined in the insurrection of the Earl of Lincoln, and was slain at the battle of Stoke. (See Dugdale’s Baronage, vol. i. p. 560.) He married Anne, the daughter of Henry Lord Fitzhugh, Baron of Ravenswath (by Alice his wife, daughter of Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury) , but did not leave any issue. ”

“ In relation to 'Jack the Giant-Queller,' Brooke composed a piece in scriptural style under the title of 'The Last Speech of John Good, vulgarly called Jack the Giant-Queller, who was condemned on the first of April 1745, and executed on the third of May following,' The 'Earl of Essex,' a tragedy by Brooke, was in 1749 produced at Dublin, and subsequently at London. The tragedy originally contained the passage,
Who rule o'er freemen should themselves be free,
which elicited Johnson's parody,
Who drives fat oxen should himself be fat. ”

“ The main story and its many episodes are distinguished by simplicity of style, close observation of human nature, high sense of humour, and a profoundly religious and philanthropic temper. The idea of the 'Fool of Quality' was said to have been derived by Brooke from a narrative orally communicated to him by his uncle, Robert Brooke, in the course of a journey on horseback from Kildare to Dublin. In 1772 Brooke published a poem entitled 'Redemption.' His last work was 'Juliet Grenville; or, the History of the Human Heart,' a novel in three volumes, issued in 1774. ”

“ London conferred upon him the freedom of the city, and Oxford the honorary degree of D.C.L. In connection with his visit to Windsor, it is related that the queen, having inquired how he found it so easy to manage so many thousands of wild Borneans, Brooke replied: 'I find it easier to govern thirty thousand Malays and Dayáks than to manage a dozen of your majesty's subjects.' On his return to Borneo he was appointed British commissioner and consul-general in that island, as well as governor of Labuan, which the sultan of Brunei had ceded to the British crown. ”

“ Imagination had done more for him than all his metaphysics. So we give up our days to collating theory with theory, criticising, philosophising, till, one morning, we wake "and find life's summer past."
What remedy? What hope? Why, a brace of rhymes! And then, in life, that miracle takes place which John of Halberstadt did by his magic. We feel like a child; the world is new; every bit of life is run over and enchanted by the wild rose. ”

“ Disease and grief rendered him at times incapable of mental or physical exertion. With a view to his pecuniary advantage, some friends undertook, with his assent, to publish a collection of his poetical and dramatic works. Four volumes of these were issued at London in 1778, but in them, through mismanagement, some of the pieces were printed from unrevised copies, others were omitted, and productions of which Brooke was not the author were included in the collection. ”

“ The attack on the pirate haunts at Marudu, the punishment and the subsequent death of Pangeran Usop, rendered the position of Muda Hassim stronger, and the strict watch kept on the Seribas and Sakarangs during 1845 had prevented any marauding on their part. Whilst peace appeared now to be established both at home and abroad, the Rajah was again troubled by the action of his agent Wise. This clever but unscrupulous [Pg 76] man kept writing that he would make Brooke the richest commoner in England if he would give him a free hand ”

“ The controversy was long and acrimonious, the only good result being that, through the researches of Brooke, Camden, and Vincent, the genealogies of the nobility were closely investigated, and the first attempt at a printed peerage was made. Brooke died 15 Oct. 1625, aged 73, and was buried in the church of Reculver, Kent. ”

“ During her father's life her time was mainly devoted to him. Among the subjects of her study was the Irish language, and the first of her productions which appeared in print was an anonymous translation of a poem ascribed to Carolan, in 'Historical Memoirs of Irish Bards,' published in 1786. Soon after the death of her father Miss Brooke was nearly reduced to indigence through the loss of money invested in the manufactory for cotton established by her cousin, Captain Robert Brooke [q. v.] ”

“ Brooke's administrative reforms were very simple, but thoroughly well suited to the people. One of the causes of the rebellion had been a system of forced trade, under which the inhabitants were compelled to buy at a fixed, and often an exorbitant, price, commodities sold to them by the chiefs. In default of payment their sons and daughters, and often their parents as well, were carried off as slaves. Brooke substituted for the forced trade a simple system of taxation in kind, and did what he could to abolish interference with the personal liberty of the people. ”

“ It is reasonably conjectured that the motive for John Shakespeare’s effort thus to establish his social position came from the poet, and that it reflects the latter’s ambition and worldly prosperity. Other wealthy actors—e.g. Augustine Phillips and Thomas Pope of Shakespeare’s company—assumed arms to which they appear to have had no hereditary right. A contemporary herald, Ralph Brooke, mentions Shakespeare as one of twenty-three persons charged with obtaining coats of arms to which they were not entitled. ”

“ On the other hand it is argued that John Shakespeare’s embarrassed financial condition in 1582 would have rendered him unacceptable as surety for so large a bond as forty pounds, and that the license would not have been issued at all unless the Bishop’s representatives had received satisfactory assurance that he would not make serious complaint about the marriage. ”

“ Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, was the son of Edmund of Hadham, Earl of Richmond, by his wife Margaret, daughter of John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, descended from an illegitimate son of John of Gaunt, and was born at the Castle of Pembroke about 1455. ”

“ Brooke, Captain, John (nephew) , 88; leads light division of boats, 100; visits the Menam, 110; left in charge of Sarawak, 115; commands expedition against Sungei Lang, 127; returns to England, 137; marries, 172; takes over administration, 188; proceeds to Muka, 189; reinforcements, 189; ordered by acting Consul-General Edwardes to suspend attack, 189; thanked by Lord John Russell, 189; installed as Rajah Muda, 192; declares himself rajah, 194; deposed, 195; establishes agricultural settlements, 206. Brooke, Mrs (niece) , 172; Captain Brooke’s wife, 173. ”

“ There appears to have been an informal agreement for recovery of the estate on repayment of the sum; but Edmund and after him his son, John Lambert, refused to acknowledge this. In Michaelmas term (autumn) , 1589, John Shakespeare brought suit against John Lambert, asserting that on Edmund Lambert’s death in 1587, John Lambert contracted to pay twenty pounds on condition that the Shakespeares should not bring suit against him and should confirm him in the possession of the estate. ”

“ John Legh of Booths, p. 27John Done of Wickington, and John Egerton of Egerton, Knights; Richard Done of Croton, and John Dutton [called Duttes by Stow] , Esquires; and many other persons. [27a] The battle was most disastrous to the Cheshire men, the greatest loss having fallen upon persons of that county, who had received the young Prince’s badge of the silver swan, which had been distributed by Queen Margaret amongst the principal partisans of the Lancastrian party. ”

“ Signifying hereby that it shall be lawful for the said John Shakespeare, Gent., and for his children, issue, and posterity at all times convenient to make show of and to bear blazoned the same achievement on their shield or coat of arms, escutcheons, crest, cognizance or seals, rings, signets, pennons, guidons, edifices [?] , utensils, liveries, tombs, or monuments, or otherwise, at all times in all lawful warlike facts or civil use and exercises, according to the laws of arms without let or interruption of any other person or persons. ”

“ One, signed by Shakespeare and two of his trustees (Johnson and Jackson) and intended to be retained by the vendor, is in the Guildhall, London. The other, signed by Walker, and delivered to Shakespeare, was formerly in the possession of Halliwell-Phillipps, and now belongs to Mr. H. C. Folger. The document makes it clear that the property was purchased by Shakespeare and that Johnson, Jackson, and Hemming were merely acting as trustees in his interest. Whether the John Hemming who figures here is identical with the actor-friend of the poet is uncertain. ”

“ Doesn't she see what an intellect that man has? Can't she understand that his abilities are equal to those of any man in Europe?"
"We all know your admiration for Mr. Brooke, dear," said Ethel, saucily. "You had better go and expound your views to Lesley. Perhaps she and her father would get on better then."
Maurice was silent. He sat and looked aghast at the notion thus presented to him. That Caspar Brooke—his friend, his mentor, almost his hero—should not have been able to live with his wife was bad enough! That his daughter should not admire him seemed to Maurice a sort of profanation! ”

“ That doesn't seem much to you perhaps?"—for he thought he saw Lesley's lip curl, and his tone became a little sharp. "I assure you it means a great deal in a world like ours—in the world of London. It means that your father is a man of great ability and of unimpeachable honesty—I mean honesty of thought, honesty of purpose—intellectual honesty. You have no idea how rare that quality is amongst public men—or literary men—or journalists. Indeed it is a wonder that Brooke is so successful as he is, considering that he never wrote or said a word that he did not mean. ”