Chapter VII: Front Matter (7)

When Successes had broken down all considerable opposition, he was then in the face of his Strongest Temptations, which conquered him when he had conquered others: He thought that he had hitherto done well, both as to the _End_ and _Means_, and God by the wonderful Blessing of his Providence had owned his endeavours, and it was none but God that had made him great: He thought that if the War was lawful, the Victory was lawful; and if it were lawful to fight against the King and conquer him, it was lawful to use him as a conquered Enemy, and a foolish thing to trust him when they had so provoked him, (whereas indeed the Parliament professed neither to fight against him, nor to conquer him). He thought that the Heart of the King was deep, and that he resolved upon Revenge, and that if he were King, he would easily at one time or other accomplish it; and that it was a dishonest thing of the Parliament to set men to fight for them against the King, and then to lay their Necks upon the block, and be at his Mercy; and that if that must be their Case, it was better to flatter or please him, than to fight against him. He saw that the _Scots_ and the Presbyterians in the Parliament, did by the Covenant and the Oath of Allegiance, find themselves bound to the Person and Family of the King, and that there was no hope of changing their minds in this: Hereupon he joyned with that Party in the Parliament who were for the Cutting off the King, and trusting him no more. And consequently he joyned with them in raising the Independants to make a Fraction in the Synod at _Westminster_ and in the City; and in strengthening the Sectaries in Army, City and Country, and in rendering the _Scots_ and Ministers as odious as he could, to disable them from hindering the Change of Government. In the doing of all this, (which _Distrust_ and _Ambition_ had perswaded him was well done) he thought it lawful to use his Wits, to choose each Instrument, and suit each means, unto its end; and accordingly he daily imployed himself, and modelled the Army, and disbanded all other Garrisons and Forces and Committees, which were like to have hindered his design. And as he went on, though he yet resolved not what form the New Commonwealth should be molded into, yet he thought it but reasonable, that he should be the Chief Person who had been chief in their Deliverance; (For the Lord _Fairfax_ he knew had but the Name). At last, as he thought it lawful to cut off the King, because he thought he was lawfully conquered, so he thought it lawful to fight against the _Scots_ that would set him up, and to pull down the Presbyterian Majority in the Parliament, which would else by restoring him undo all which had cost them so much Blood and Treasure. And accordingly he conquereth _Scotland_, and pulleth down the Parliament: being the easilier perswaded that all this was lawful, because he had a secret Byas and Eye towards his own Exaltation: For he (and his Officers) thought, that when the King was gone a Government there must be; and that no Man was so fit for it as he himself; as best _deserving_ it, and as having by his _Wit_ and great _Interest_ in the Army, the best sufficiency to manage it: Yea, they thought that _God had called_ them by _Successes_ to _Govern and take Care_ of the Commonwealth, and of the Interest of all his People in the Land; and that if they stood by and suffered the Parliament to do that which they thought was dangerous, it would be required at their hands, whom they thought God had made the Guardians of the Land.

Having thus forced his Conscience to justifie all his Cause, (the Cutting off the King, the setting up himself and his Adherents, the pulling down the Parliament and the _Scots_,) he thinketh that the End being good and necessary, the necessary means cannot be bad: And accordingly he giveth his Interest and Cause leave to tell him, how far Sects shall be tollerated and commended, and how far not; and how far the Ministry shall be owned and supported, and how far not; yea, and how far Professions, Promises, and Vows shall be kept, or broken; and therefore the Covenant he could not away with; nor the Ministers, further than they yielded to his Ends, or did not openly resist them. He seemed exceeding open hearted, by a familiar Rustick affected Carriage, (especially to his Soldiers in sporting with them): but he thought Secrecy a Vertue, and Dissimulation no Vice, and Simulation, that is, in plain English a Lie, or Perfidiousness to be a tollerable Fault in a Case of Necessity: being of the same Opinion with the Lord _Bacon_, (who was not so Precise as Learned) That [_the best Composition and Temperature is, to have openness in Fame and Opinion, Secrecy in habit, Dissimulation in seasonable use; and a power to feign if there be no remedy,_] _Essay_ 6. _pag._ 31. Therefore he kept fair with all, saving his open or unreconcileable Enemies. He carried it with such Dissimulation, that Anabaptists, Independants, and Antinomians did all think that he was one of them: But he never endeavoured to perswade the Presbyterians that he was one of them; but only that he would do them Justice, and Preserve them, and that he honoured their Worth and Piety; for he knew that they were not so easily deceived. In a word, he did as our Prelates have done, begin low and rise higher in his Resolutions as his Condition rose, and the Promises which he made in his lower Condition, he used as the interest of his higher following Condition did require, and kept up as much Honesty and Godliness in the main, as his Cause and Interest would allow.

40.

SIR THOMAS FAIRFAX.

_Born 1612. Died 1671_.

By RICHARD BAXTER.

And these things made the new modelling of the Army to be resolved on. But all the Question was how to effect it, without stirring up the Forces against them which they intended to disband: And all this was notably dispatcht at once, by One Vote, which was called the _Self-denying Vote_, viz. That because Commands in the Army had much pay, and Parliament Men should keep to the Service of the House, therefore no Parliament Men should be Members of the Army....

When this was done, the next Question was, Who should be Lord General, and what new Officers should be put in, or old ones continued? And here the Policy of _Vane_ and _Cromwell_ did its best: For General they chose Sir _Thomas Fairfax_, Son of the Lord _Ferdinando Fairfax_, who had been in the Wars beyond Sea, and had fought valiantly in _Yorkshire_ for the Parliament, though he was over-powered by the Earl of _Newcastle's_, Numbers. This Man was chosen because they supposed to find him a Man of no quickness of Parts, of no Elocution, of no suspicious plotting Wit, and therefore One that _Cromwell_ could make use of at his pleasure. And he was acceptable to sober Men, because he was Religious, Faithful, Valiant, and of a grave, sober, resolved Disposition; very fit for Execution, and neither too Great nor too Cunning to be Commanded by the Parliament.

41.

SIR HENRY VANE, THE YOUNGER.

_Born 1613. Beheaded 1662._

By CLARENDON.

The other, S'r H. Vane, was a man of greate naturall parts, and of very profounde dissimulation, of a quicke conception, and very ready sharpe and weighty exspression. He had an unusuall aspecte, which though it might naturally proceede both from his father and mother, nether of which were beautifull persons, yett made men thinke ther was somewhat in him of extraordinary, and his whole life made good that imagination. Within a very shorte tyme after he returned from his studyes in Magdalen Colledge in Oxforde, wher, though he was under the care of a very worthy Tutour, he lyved not with greate exactnesse, he spent some little tyme in France, and more in Geneva, and after his returne into Englande, contracted a full præjudice and bitternesse against the Church, both against the forme of the goverment and the lyturgy, which was generally in greate reverence, even with many of those, who were not frends to the other. In this giddinesse which then much displeased, or seemed to displease his father, who still appeared highly conformable, and exceedingly sharpe against those who were not, he transported himselfe into New Englande, a Colony within few yeeres before planted by a mixture of all religions, which disposed the professors to dislike the goverment of the church, who were qualifyed by the Kings Charter to chuse ther owne goverment and governors, under the obligation that every man should take the othes of Allegiance and Supremacy, which all the first planters did, when they receaved ther charter, before they transported themselves from hence, nor was ther in many yeeres after the least scruple amongst them of complyinge with those obligations, so farr men were in the infancy of ther schisme, from refusinge to take lawfull othes. He was no sooner landed ther, but his partes made him quickly taken notice of, and very probably his quality, beinge the eldest sunn of a Privy Councellour, might give him some advantage, insomuch that when the next season came for the election of ther Magistrates, he was chosen ther governour, in which place he had so ill fortune, his workinge and unquyett fancy raysinge and infusinge a thousande scruples of conscience which they had not brought over with them, nor hearde of before, that he unsatisfyed with them, and they with him, he retransported himselfe into Englande, havinge sowed such seede of dissention ther, as grew up to prosperously, and miserably devyded the poore Colony into severall factions and devisions and persequtions of each other, which still continue to the greate prejudice of that plantation, insomuch as some of them, upon the grounde of ther first exspedition, liberty of conscience, have withdrawne themselves from ther jurisdiction, and obtayned other Charters from the Kinge, by which in other formes of goverment they have inlarged ther plantations within new limitts, adjacent to the other. He was no sooner returned into Englande, then he seemed to be much reformed in those extravagancyes, and with his fathers approbation and direction marryed a Lady of a good family, and by his fathers creditt with the Earle of Northumberland, who was high Admirall of Englande, was joyned presently and joyntly with S'r William Russell in the office of Treasurer of the Navy, a place of greate trust, and profitt, which he æqually shared with the other, and seemed a man well satisfyed and composed to the goverment. When his father receaved the disobligation from the L'd Straforde, by his beinge created Baron of Raby, the house and lande of Vane, and which title he had promised himselfe, which was unluckily cast upon him, purely out of contempt, they sucked in all the thoughts of revenge imaginable, and from thence he betooke himselfe to the frendshipp of M'r Pimm and all other discontented or seditious persons, and contributed all that intelligence, which will be hereafter mentioned, as he himselfe will often be, that designed the ruine of the Earle, and which grafted him in the intire confidence of those, who promoted the same, so that nothinge was concealed from him, though it is believed that he communicated his owne thoughts to very few.

42.

By CLARENDON.

Ther hath bene scarce any thinge more wounderfull throughout the progresse of these distractions, then that this Covenant did with such extraordinary exspedition passe the two houses, when all the leadinge persons in those Councells were at the same tyme knowne to be as greate enimyes to Presbitery (the establishment wherof was the sole end of this Covenant) as they were to the Kinge or the Church, and he who contributed most to it, and who in truth was the Principle contriver of it, and the man by whome the Committee in Scotlande was intirely and stupidly governed, S'r Harry Vane, the younger, was not afterwards knowne to abhorr the Covenant and the Presbiterians [more] then he was at that very tyme knowne to do, and laughed at them then, as much as ever he did afterwards.

He[1] was indeede a man of extraordinary parts, a pleasant witt, a greate understandinge, which pierced into and decerned the purposes of other men with wounderfull sagacity, whilst he had himselfe vultum clausum, that no man could make a guesse of what he intended; he was of a temper not to be mooved, and of rare dissimulation, and could comply when it was not seasonable to contradicte without loosinge grounde by the condescention, and if he were not superiour to M'r Hambden, he was inferiour to no other man in all misterious artifices. Ther neede no more be sayd of his ability, then that he was chosen to cozen and deceave a whole nation, which excelled in craft and dissemblinge, which he did with notable pregnancy and dexterity, and prævayled with a people, which could not be otherwise prævayled upon, then by advancinge ther Idoll Presbitery, to sacrifice ther peace, ther interest, and ther fayth, to the erectinge a power and authority, that resolved to persequte presbitery to an extirpation, and very neere brought ther purpose to passe.

[Footnote 1: Before 'He was indeede' Clarendon had written 'S'r Harry Vane the yonger, was on of the Commissyoners, and therfore the other neede not be named, since he was All in any businesse wher others were joyned with him.' He cancelled this on adding the preceding paragraph.]

43.

COLONEL JOHN HUTCHINSON,

_Governor of Nottingham._

_Born 1615. Died 1664._

By LUCY HUTCHINSON, his widow.

He was of a middle stature, of a slender and exactly well-proportion'd shape in all parts, his complexion fair, his hayre of a light browne, very thick sett in his youth, softer then the finest silke, curling into loose greate rings att the ends, his eies of a lively grey, well-shaped and full of life and vigour, graced with many becoming motions, his visage thinne, his mouth well made, and his lipps very ruddy and gracefull, allthough the nether chap shut over the upper, yett it was in such a manner as was not unbecoming, his teeth were even and white as the purest ivory, his chin was something long, and the mold of his face, his forehead was not very high, his nose was rays'd and sharpe, but withall he had a most amiable countenance, which carried in it something of magnanimity and majesty mixt with sweetnesse, that at the same time bespoke love and awe in all that saw him; his skin was smooth and white, his legs and feete excellently well made, he was quick in his pace and turnes, nimble and active and gracefull in all his motions, he was apt for any bodily exercise, and any that he did became him, he could dance admirably well, but neither in youth nor riper yeares made any practise of it, he had skill in fencing such as became a gentleman, he had a greate love of musick, and often diverted himselfe with a violl, on which he play'd masterly, he had an exact eare and judgement in other musick, he shott excellently in bowes and gunns, and much us'd them for his exercise, he had greate judgment in paintings, graving, sculpture, and all liberal arts, and had many curiosities of vallue in all kinds, he took greate delight in perspective glasses, and for his other rarities was not so much affected with the antiquity as the merit of the worke--he took much pleasure in emproovement of grounds, in planting groves and walkes, and fruite-trees, in opening springs and making fish-ponds; of country recreations he lov'd none but hawking, and in that was very eager and much delighted for the time he us'd it, but soone left it off; he was wonderful neate, cleanly and gentile in his habitt, and had a very good fancy in it, but he left off very early the wearing of aniething that was costly, yett in his plainest negligent habitt appear'd very much a gentleman; he had more addresse than force of body, yet the courage of his soule so supplied his members that he never wanted strength when he found occasion to employ it; his conversation was very pleasant for he was naturally chearful, had a ready witt and apprehension; he was eager in every thing he did, earnest in dispute, but withall very rationall, so that he was seldome overcome, every thing that it was necessary for him to doe he did with delight, free and unconstrein'd, he hated cerimonious complement, but yett had a naturall civillity and complaisance to all people, he was of a tender constitution, but through the vivacity of his spiritt could undergo labours, watchings and journeyes, as well as any of stronger compositions; he was rheumatick, and had a long sicknesse and distemper occasion'd thereby two or three yeares after the warre ended, but elce for the latter halfe of his life was healthy tho' tender, in his youth and childhood he was sickly, much troubled with weaknesse and tooth akes, but then his spiritts carried him through them; he was very patient under sicknesse or payne or any common accidints, but yet upon occasions, though never without just ones, he would be very angrie, and had even in that such a grace as made him to be fear'd, yet he was never outragious in passion; he had a very good facultie in perswading, and would speake very well pertinently and effectually without premeditation upon the greatest occasions that could be offer'd, for indeed his judgment was so nice, that he could never frame any speech beforehand to please himselfe, but his invention was so ready and wisdome so habituall in all his speeches, that he never had reason to repent himselfe of speaking at any time without ranking the words beforehand, he was not talkative yett free of discourse, of a very spare diett, not much given to sleepe, an early riser when in health, he never was at any time idle, and hated to see any one elce soe, in all his naturall and ordinary inclinations and composure, there was somthing extraordinary and tending to vertue, beyond what I can describe, or can be gather'd from a bare dead description; there was a life of spiritt and power in him that is not to be found in any copie drawne from him: to summe up therefore all that can be sayd of his outward frame and disposition wee must truly conclude, that it was a very handsome and well furnisht lodging prepar'd for the reception of that prince, who in the administration of all excellent vertues reign'd there awhile, till he was called back to the pallace of the universall emperor.

44.

THE EARL OF ESSEX.

_Robert Devereux, third Earl of Essex._

_Born 1591. Died 1646._

By CLARENDON.

The Earle of Essex hath bene enough mentioned before, his nature and his understandinge have bene described, his former disobligations from the Courte, and then his introduction into it, and afterwards his beinge displaced from the office he held in it, have bene sett forth, and ther will be occasion heareaffter to renew the discource of him, and therfore it shall suffice in this place to say, that a weake judgement, and a little vanity, and as much of pryde, will hurry a man into as unwarrantable and as violent attempts, as the greatest and most unlimited and insaciable ambition will doe. He had no ambition of title, or office, or præferment, but only to be kindly looked upon, and kindly spoken to, and quyetly to injoy his owne fortune, and without doubte, no man in his nature more abhorred rebellion then he did, nor could he have bene ledd into it by any open or transparent temptation, but by a thousand disguises and cozinages. His pryde supplyed his want of ambition, and he was angry to see any other man more respected then himselfe, because he thought he deserved it more, and did better requite it, for he was in his frendshipps just and constante, and would not have practiced fouly against those he tooke to be enimyes: no man had creditt enough with him to corrupt him in pointe of loyalty to the Kinge, whilst he thought himselfe wise enough to know what treason was. But the new doctrine and distinction of Allegiance, and of the Kings power in and out of Parliament, and the new notions of Ordinances, were to hard for him and did really intoxicate his understandinge, and made him quitt his owne, to follow thers, who he thought wish'd as well, and judged better then himselfe; His vanity disposed him to be his Excellence, and his weaknesse to believe that he should be the Generall in the Houses, as well as in the Feild, and be able to governe ther councells, and restrayne ther passyons, as well as to fight ther battles, and that by this meanes he should become the præserver and not the destroyer of the Kinge and Kingdome; and with this ill grounded confidence, he launched out into that Sea, wher he mett with nothinge but rockes, and shelves, and from whence he could never discover any safe Porte to harbour in.

45.

THE EARL OF SALISBURY.

_William Cecil, second Earl of Salisbury._

_Born 1591. Died 1668._

By CLARENDON.

The Earle of Salisbury had bene borne and bredd in Courte and had the Advantage of a descent from a Father and a Grandfather, who had bene very wise men, and greate Ministers of State in the eyes of Christendome, whose wisdome and virtues dyed with them, and ther children only inherited ther titles. He had bene admitted of the Councell to Kinge James, from which tyme he continued so obsequious to the Courte, that he never fayled in overactinge all that he was requyred to do; no acte of power was ever proposed, which he did not advance, and execute his parte, with the utmost rigour, no man so greate a tyrant in his country, or was lesse swayed by any motives of justice or honour; he was a man of no words, except in huntinge and hawkinge in which he only knew how to behave himselfe, in matters of State and councell he alwayes concurred in what was proposed for the Kinge, and cancelled and repayred all those transgressions by concurringe in all that was proposed against him as soone as any such propositions were made; yett when the Kinge went to Yorke, he likewise attended upon his Majesty and at that distance seemed to have recover'd some courage, and concurred in all councells which were taken to undeceave the people, and to make the proceedings of the Parliament odious to all the world; but on a suddayne he caused his horses to attend him out of the towne, and havinge placed fresh ons at a distance, he fledd backe to London, with the exspedition such men use when they are most afrayde, and never after denyed to do any thinge that was requyred of him, and when the warr was ended, and Crumwell had putt downe the house of Peeres, he gott himselfe to be chosen a member of the house of Commons, and sate with them as of ther owne body, and was esteemed accordingly; in a worde he became so despicable to all men, that he will hardly ever in joy the ease which Seneca bequeathed to him: Hic egregiis majoribus ortus est, qualiscunque est, sub umbra suorum lateat; Ut loca sordida repercussu solis illustrantur, ita inertes majorum suorum luce resplendeant.

46.

THE EARL OF WARWICK.

_Robert Rich, second Earl of Warwick._

_Born 1587. Died 1658._

By CLARENDON.

The Earle of Warwicke was of the Kings counsell to, but was not woundred at for leavinge the Kinge, whome he had never served, nor did he looke upon himselfe as oblieged by that honour, which he knew was conferred upon him in the crowde of those, whom his Majesty had no esteeme of, or ever purposed to trust, so his businesse was to joyne with those, to whome he owed his promotion; he was a man of a pleasant and companionable witt and conversation, of an universall jollity, and such a licence in his wordes and in his actions, that a man of lesse virtue could not be founde out, so that a man might reasonably have believed, that a man so qualifyed would not have bene able to have contributed much to the overthrow of a nation, and kingdome; but with all these faults, he had greate authority and creditt with that people who in the beginninge of the troubles did all the mischieve; and by openinge his doores, and makinge his house the Randevooze of all the silenced Ministers, in the tyme when ther was authority to silence them, and spendinge a good parte of his estate, of which he was very prodigall, upon them, and by beinge present with them at ther devotions, and makinge himselfe merry with them and at them, which they dispenced with, he became the heade of that party, and gott the style of a godly man. When the Kinge revoked the Earle of Northumberlands Commission of Admirall, he presently accepted the office from the Parliament and never quitted ther service; and when Crumwell disbanded that Parliament, he betooke himselfe to the Protection of the Protectour, marryed his Heyre to his daughter, and lived in so intire a confidence and frendshipp with him, that when he dyed he had the honour to be exceedingly lamented by him: and left his estate, which before was subject to a vast debt, more improved and repayred, then any man, who traffiqued in that desperate commodity of rebellion.

47.

THE EARL OF MANCHESTER.

_Edward Montagu, created Baron Montagu of Kimbolton 1626, second Earl of Manchester 1642._

_Born 1602. Died 1671._

By CLARENDON.

The Earle of Manchester, of the whole Caball, was in a thousand respects most unfitt for the company he kept. He was of a gentle and a generous nature, civilly bredd, had reverence and affection for the person of the Kinge, upon whome he had attended in Spayne, loved his Country with to unskilfull a tendernesse, and was of so excellent a temper and disposition, that the barbarous tymes, and the rough partes he was forced to acte in them, did not wype out or much deface those markes, insomuch as he was never guilty of any rudenesse towards those, he was oblieged to oppresse, but performed always as good offices towards his old frendes, and all other persons, as the iniquity of the tyme, and the nature of the imployment he was in, would permitt him to doe, which kinde of humanity could be imputed to very few; and he was at last dismissed, and remooved from any trust, for no other reason, but because he was not wicked enough.

He marryed first into the family of the Duke of Buckingham, and by his favour and interest was called to the house of Peeres in the life of his father, and made Barron of Kymolton, though he was commonly treated and knowne by the name of the L'd Mandevill: And was as much addicted to the service of the Courte as he ought to be. But the death of his Lady, and the murther of that greate Favorite, his secounde marriage with the daughter of the Earle of Warwicke, and the very narrow and restrayned maintenance which he receaved from his father and which would in no degree defray the exspences of the Courte, forced him to soone to retyre to a Country life, and totally to abandon both the Courte and London, whither he came very seldome in many yeeres; And in this retirement, the discountenance which his father underwent at Courte, the conversation of that family into which he was now marryed, the bewitchinge popularity which flowed upon him with a wounderfull Torrent, with the want of those guardes which a good education should have supplyed him with, by the cleere notion of the foundation of the Ecclesiasticall as well as the Civill goverment, made a greate impression upon his understandinge (for his nature was never corrupted but remayned still in its integrity) and made him believe, that the Courte was inclined to hurte and even to destroy the country, and from particular instances to make generall and daungerous conclusions. They who had bene alwayes enimyes to the Church, prævayled with him to lessen his reverence for it, and havinge not bene well instructed to defende it, [he] yeilded to easily to those who confidently assaulted it, and thought it had greate errors which were necessary to be reformed, and that all meanes are lawfull to compasse that which is necessary, wheras the true Logique is, that the thinge desyred is not necessary, if the wayes are unlawfull which are proposed to bringe it to passe. No man was courted with more application by persons of all conditions and qualityes, and his person was not lesse acceptable to those of steddy and uncorrupted principles, then to those of depraved inclinations; and in the end, even his piety administred some excuse to him, for his fathers infirmityes and transgressions had so farr exposed him to the inquisition of justice, that he found it necessary to procure the assistance and protection of those, who were stronge enough to violate justice itselfe, and so he adhered to those, who were best able to defende his fathers honour, and therby to secure his owne fortune, and concurred with them in ther most violent designes, and gave reputation to them; and the Courte as unskilfully, tooke an occasion to soone to make him desperate, by accusinge him of high Treason, when (though he might be guilty enough,) he was without doubte in his intentions at least as innocent, as any of the leadinge men; and it is some evidence that God Almighty saw his hearte was not so malicious as the rest, that he præserved him to the end of the confusion, when he appeared as gladd of the Kings restoration, and had heartily wished it longe before, and very few who had a hand in the contrivance of the rebellion gave so manifest tokens of repentance as he did; and havinge for many yeeres undergone the jealosy and hatred of Crumwell, as one who abominated the murther of the Kinge, and all the barbarous proceedings against the life of men in cold bloode, the Kinge upon his returne receaved him into grace and favour, which he never forfeited by any undutifull behaviour.

48.

THE LORD SAY.

_William Fiennes, created Viscount Say and Sele 1624._

_Born 1582. Died 1662._

By CLARENDON.

The last of those Councillours, which were made after the faction prævayled in Parliament, who were all made to advance an accommodation, and who adhered to the Parliament, was the L'd Say, a man who had the deepest hande in the originall contrivance of all the calamityes which befell that unhappy kingdome, though he had not the least thought of dissolvinge the Monarchy, and lesse of levellinge the rankes and distinctions of men, for no man valewed himselfe more upon his title, or had more ambition to make it greater, and to rayse his fortune, which was but moderate for his title. He was of a prowde, morose, and sullen nature, conversed much with bookes, havinge bene bredd a scholar, and (though nobly borne) a fellow of New-Colledge in Oxforde, to which he claymed a right, by the Allyance he prætended to have from William of Wickam the Founder, which he made good by such an unreasonable Pedigre through so many hundred yeeres, halfe the tyme wherof extinguishes all relation of kinred, however upon that pretence that Colledge hath bene seldome without one of that L'ds family. His parts were not quicke, but so much above those of his owne ranke, that he had alwayes greate creditt and authority in Parliament, and the more for takinge all opportunityes to oppose the Courte, and had with his milke sucked in an implacable malice against the goverment of the Church. When the Duke of Buckingham proposed to himselfe after his returne with the Prince from Spayne, to make himselfe popular, by breakinge that match, and to be gratious with the Parliament, as for a shorte tyme he was, he resolved to imbrace the frendshipp of the L'd Say, who was as sollicitous to climbe by that ladder, but the Duke quickly founde him of to imperious and pedanticall a spiritt, and to affecte to daungerous mutations, and so cast him off; and from that tyme, he gave over any pursuite in Courte, and lived narrowly and sordidly in the country, havinge conversation with very few, but such who had greate malignity against the church and State, and fomented ther inclinations and gave them instructions how to behave themselfes with caution and to do ther businesse with most security, and was in truth the Pylott that steered all those vessells which were fraighted with sedition to destroy the goverment. He founde alwayes some way to make professions of duty to the Kinge and made severall undertakings to do greate services, which he could not, or would not make good, and made hast to possesse himselfe of any præferment he could compasse, whilst his frends were content to attende a more proper conjuncture, so he gott the Mastershipp of the Wards shortly after the beginninge of the Parliament, and was as sollicitous to be Treasurer, after the death of the Earle of Bedforde, and if he could have satisfyed his rancour in any degree against the Church, he would have bene ready to have carryed the Prærogative as high as ever it was. When he thought ther was mischieve enough done, he would have stopped the current and have deverted farther fury, but he then founde he had only authority and creditt to do hurte, none to heale the wounds he had given; and fell into as much contempt with those whome he had ledde, as he was with those whome he had undone.

49.

JOHN SELDEN.

_Born 1584. Died 1654._

By CLARENDON.

M'r Selden, was a person whome no character can flatter, or transmitt in any exspressions æquall to his meritt and virtue. He was of so stupendious learninge in all kindes, and in all languages, (as may appeare in his excellent and transcendent writings) that a man would have thought, he had bene intirely conversant amongst bookes, and had never spent an howre, but in readinge and writinge, yett his humanity, courtesy and affability was such, that he would have bene thought to have bene bredd in the best courtes, but that his good nature, charity, and delight in doinge good, and in communicatinge all he knew, exceeded that breedinge. His style in all his writings seemes harsh and sometymes obscure, which is not wholy to be imputed to the abstruse subjects, of which he commonly treated, out of the pathes trodd by other men, but to a little undervalewinge the beauty of a style, and to much propensity to the language of antiquity, but in his conversation the most cleere discourcer, and had the best faculty, in makinge hard things, easy, and præsentinge them to the understandinge, of any man, that hath bene knowne. M'r Hyde was wonte to say, that he valewed himselfe upon nothinge more, then upon havinge had M'r Seldence acquaintance, from the tyme he was very young, and held it with greate delight, as longe as they were suffred to continue togither in London, and he was very much troubled alwayes, when he hearde him blamed, censured and reproched, for stayinge in London, and in the Parliament after they were in rebellion, and in the worst tymes, which his age oblieged him to doe; and how wicked soever the actions were which were every day done, he was confident he had not given his consent to them, but would have hindred them if he could, with his owne safety, to which he was alwayes enough indulgent: if he had some infirmityes with other men, they were waighed downe with wounderfull and prodigious abilityes and excellencyes in the other skale.

50.

JOHN EARLE.

_Author of 'Micro-cosmographie' 1628. Bishop of Worcester 1662, and of Salisbury 1663._

_Born 1601. Died 1665._

By CLARENDON.

D'r Earles was at that tyme Chaplyne in the house to the Earle of Pembroke, L'd Chamberlyne of his Majestys household, and had a lodginge in the courte under that relation. He was a person very notable for his elegance in the Greeke and Latine tounges, and beinge fellow of Merton Colledge in Oxforde, and havinge bene Proctour of the University, and some very witty and sharpe discourses beinge published in print without his consent, though knowne to be his, he grew suddaynely into a very generall esteem with all men, being a man of greate piety and devotion, a most eloquent and powerfull preacher, and of a conversation so pleasant and delightfull, so very innocent, and so very facetious, that no mans company was more desyred, and more loved. No man was more negligent in his dresse, and habitt, and meene, no man more wary and cultivated in his behaviour and discourse, insomuch as he had the greater advantage when he was knowne, by promisinge so little before he was knowen. He was an excellent Poett both in Latine, Greeke, and English, as appeares by many pieces yett abroade, though he suppressed many more himselfe, especially of English, incomparably good, out of an austerity to those sallyes of his youth. He was very deere to the L'd Falkelande, with whome he spent as much tyme as he could make his owne, and as that Lord would impute the speedy progresse he made in the Greeke tounge, to the information and assistance he had from M'r Earles, so M'r Earles would frequently professe that he had gott more usefull learninge by his conversation at Tew (the L'd Falkelands house) then he had at Oxforde. In the first setlinge of the Prince his family, he was made on of his Chaplynes, and attended on him when he was forced to leave the kingdome, and therfore we shall often have occasyon to mention him heareafter. He was amongst the few excellent men, who never had, nor ever could have an enimy, but such a one who was an enimy to all learninge and virtue, and therfore would never make himselfe knowne.

51.

JOHN HALES.

'_The Ever Memorable Mr. John Hales, of Eaton-Colledge._'

_Born 1584. Died 1656._

By CLARENDON.

M'r John Hales, had bene Greeke Professor in the University of Oxforde, and had borne all[1] the labour of that excellent edition and impressyon of S't Chrisostomes workes, sett out by S'r Harry Savill, who was then Warden of Merton Colledge, when the other was fellow of that house. He was Chaplyne in the house with S'r Dudly Carleton Ambassador at the Hague in Hollande, at the tyme when the Synod of Dorte was held, and so had liberty to be present at the consultations in that assembly, and hath left the best memoriall behinde him, of the ignorance and passyon and animosity and injustice of that Convention, of which he often made very pleasant relations, though at that tyme it receaved to much countenance from Englande. Beinge a person of the greatest eminency for learninge and other abilityes, from which he might have promised himselfe any preferment in the Church, he withdrew himselfe from all pursuites of that kinde into a private fellowshipp in the Colledge of Eton, wher his frende S'r Harry Savill was Provost, wher he lyved amongst his bookes, and the most separated from the worlde of any man then livinge, though he was not in the least degree inclined to melancholique, but on the contrary of a very open and pleasant conversation, and therfore was very well pleased with the resorte of his frends to him, who were such as he had chosen, and in whose company he delighted, and for whose sake he would sometymes, once in a yeere, resorte to London, only to injoy ther cheerefull conversation.

He would never take any cure of soules, and was so great a contemner of mony, that he was wonte to say that his fellowshipp, and the Bursers place (which for the good of the Colledge he held many yeeres) was worth him fifty poundes a yeere more then he could spende, and yett besydes his beinge very charitable to all poore people, even to liberality, he had made a greater and better collection of bookes, then were to be founde in any other private library, that I have seene, as he had sure reade more, and carryed more about him, in his excellent memory, then any man I ever knew, my L'd Falkelande only excepted, who I thinke syded him. He had, whether from his naturall temper and constitution, or from his longe retyrement from all Crowdes, or from his profounde judgement and decerninge spiritt, contracted some opinions, which were not receaved, nor by him published, except in private discources, and then rather upon occasion of dispute, than of positive opinion; and he would often say, his opinions he was sure did him no harme, but he was farr from beinge confident, that they might not do others harme, who entertained them, and might entertayne other resultes from them then he did, and therfore he was very reserved in communicatinge what he thought himselfe in those points, in which he differed from what was receaved.

Nothinge troubled him more, then the brawles which were growne from religion, and he therfore exceedingly detested the tyranny of the church of Rome, more for ther imposinge uncharitably upon the consciences of other men, then for ther errors in ther owne opinions, and would often say, that he would renounce the religion of the church of Englande tomorrow if it oblieged him to believe that any other Christians should be damned: and that no body would conclude another man to be damned, who did not wish him so: No man more stricte and seveare to himselfe, to other men so charitable as to ther opinions, that he thought that other men were more in faulte, for ther carriage towards them, then the men themselves were who erred: and he thought that pryde and passyon more then conscience were the cause of all separation from each others communion, and he frequently sayd, that that only kept the world from agreeinge upon such a Lyturgy, as might bringe them into one communion, all doctrinall points upon which men differed in ther opinions, beinge to have no place in any Liturgye. Upon an occasionall discource with a frende of the frequent and uncharitable reproches of Heretique and Schismatique to lightly throwne at each other amongst men who differr in ther judgement, he writt a little discource of Schisme, contayned in lesse then two sheetes of paper, which beinge transmitted from frende to frende in writing, was at last without any malice brought to the view of the Arch-Bishopp of Canterbury Dr. Lawde, who was a very rigid survayour of all thinges which never so little bordred upon Schisme, and thought the Church could not be to vigilant against, and jealous of such incursyons. He sent for M'r Hales, whome when they had both lived in the University of Oxforde he had knowne well, and told him that he had in truth believed him to be longe since dead, and chidd him very kindly, for havinge never come to him, havinge bene of his old acquaintance, then asked him whether he had lately writt a shorte discource of Schisme, and whether he was of that opinion which that discource implyed; he told him, that he had for the satisfaction of a private frende (who was not of his minde) a yeere or two before, writt such a small tracte, without any imagination that it would be communicated, and that he believed it did not contayne any thinge that was not agreable to the judgement of the primitive fathers; upon which the Arch-Bishopp debated with him upon some exspressions of Irenæus, and the most auntient fathers, and concluded with sayinge that the tyme was very apt to sett new doctrynes on foote, of which the witts of the Age were to susceptable, and that ther could not be to much care taken to præserve the peace and unity of the Church, and from thence asked him of his condition, and whether he wanted any thinge, and the other answeringe that he had enough, and wanted nor desyred no addition: and so dismissed him with greate courtesy, and shortly after sent for him agayne, when ther was a Præbendary of Windsor fallen, and told him the Kinge had given him that præferment because it lay so convenient to his fellowshipp of Eton, which (though indeede the most convenient præferment that could be thought of for him) the Arch-Bishopp could not without greate difficulty perswade him to accept, and he did accepte it rather to please him, then himselfe, because he really believed he had enough before. He was one of the least men in the kingdome, and one of the greatest schollers in Europe.

[Footnote 1: 'the greatest part of' in place of 'all' in another hand in MS.]

52.

WILLIAM CHILLINGWORTH.

_Author of 'The Religion of Protestants,' 1638._

_Born 1602. Died 1644._

By CLARENDON.

M'r Chillingworth, was of a stature little superiour to M'r Hales (and it was an Age in which ther were many greate and wounderfull men of that size) and a man of so grea[te] a subtlety of understandinge, and so rare a temper in debate, that as it was impossible to provoke him into any passyon, so it was very difficulte to keepe a mans selfe from beinge a little discomposed by his sharpnesse and quicknesse of argument and instances, in which he had a rare facility, and a greate advantage over all the men I ever knew. He had spent all his younger tyme in disputation, and had arryved to so greate a mastery, as he was inferior to no man in those skirmishes: but he had with his notable perfection in this exercise, contracted such an irresolution and habit of doubtinge, that by degrees he grew confident of nothinge, and a schepticke at least in the greatest misteryes of fayth; This made him from first waveringe in religion and indulginge to scruples, to reconcile himselfe to soone and to easily to the Church of Rome, and carryinge still his owne inquisitivenesse aboute him, without any resignation to ther authority (which is the only temper can make that Church sure of its Proselites) havinge made a journy to S't Omers purely to perfecte his conversion by the conversation of those who had the greatest name, he founde as little satisfaction ther, and returned with as much hast from them, with a beliefe that an intire exemption from error was nether inherent in, nor necessary to, any Church; which occasioned that warr which was carryed on by the Jesuitts with so greate asperity and reproches against him, and in which he defended himselfe by such an admirable eloquence of language, and the cleere and incomparable power of reason, that he not only made them appeare unæquall adversaryes, but carryed the warr into ther owne quarters, and made the Popes infallibility to be as much shaken and declyned by ther owne Doctors, and as greate an acrimony amon[g]st themselves upon that subjecte, and to be at least as much doubted as in the schooles of the Reformed or Protestant, and forced them since to defende and maintayne those unhappy contraversyes in religion, with armes and weopons of another nature, then were used or knowne in the Church of Rome when Bellarmyne dyed: and which probably will in tyme undermyne the very foundation that supportes it.

Such a levity and propensity to change, is commonly attended with greate infirmityes in, and no lesse reproch and præjudice to the person, but the sincerity of his hearte was so conspicuous, and without the least temptation of any corrupt end, and the innocence and candour of his nature so evident and without any perversenesse, that all who knew him cleerely decerned, that all those restlesse motions and fluctuation proceeded only from the warmth and jealosy of his owne thoughts, in a to nice inquisition for truth: nether the bookes of the Adversary, nor any of ther persons, though he was acquainted with the best of both, had ever made greate impression upon him, all his doubles grew out of himselfe, when he assisted his scruples with all the strenght of his owne reason, and was then to hard for himselfe; but findinge as little quyett and repose in those victoryes, he quickly recover'd by a new appeale to his owne judgement, so that he was in truth upon the matter in all his Sallyes and retreits his owne converte, though he was not so totally devested of all thoughts of this worlde, but that when he was ready for it he admitted some greate and considerable Churchmen to be sharers with him, in his publique conversion. Whilst he was in perplexity, or rather some passionate disinclination to the religion he had bene educated in, he had the misfortune to have much acquaintance with one M'r Lugar a minister of that church, a man of a competency of learninge in those points most contravened with the Romanists, but of no acute parts of witt or judgement, and wrought so farr upon him, by weakeninge and enervating those arguments by which he founde he was governed (as he had all the logique and all the Rhetorique that was necessary to perswade very powerfully men of the greatest talents) that the poore man, not able to lyve longe in doubte, to hastily deserted his owne church, and betooke himselfe to the Roman, nor could all the arguments and reasons of M'r Chillingworth make him pawse in the exspedition he was usinge, or reduce him from that Church after he had given himselfe to it, but had alwayes a greate animosity against him, for havinge (as he sayd) unkindly betrayed him, and carryed him into another religion, and ther left him: So unfitt are some constitutions to be troubled with doubtes, after they are once fixed.

He did really believe all warr to be unlawfull, and did not thinke that the Parliament (whose proceedings he perfectly abhorred) did intruth intende to involve the nation in a civill warr, till after the battell of Edgehill, and then he thought any exspedient or stratagemm that was like to putt a speedy ende to it, to be the most commendable; and so havinge to mathematically conceaved an Engyne that should moove so lightly, as to be a brest-worke in all incounters and assaultes in the feilde, he carryed it to make the exsperiment into that parte of his Majestys army, which was only in that winter season in the Feilde, under the commaunde of the L'd Hopton in Hampshyre upon the borders of Sussex, wher he was shutt up in the Castle of Arrundell, which was forced after a shorte, sharpe seige, to yeild for want of victuall, and poore M'r Chillingworth with it fallinge into the Rebells hands, and beinge most barbarously treated by them, especially by that Clargy which followed them, and beinge broken with sicknesse contracted by the ill accommadation and wante of meate and fyre duringe the seige, which was in a terrible season of frost and snow, he dyed shortly after in pryson. He was a man of excellent parts, and of a cheerefull disposition, voyde of all kinde of vice, and indewed with many notable virtues, of a very publique hearte, and an indefatigable desyre to do good; his only unhappinesse proceeded from his sleepinge to little, and thinkinge to much, which sometymes threw him into violent feavers.

53.

EDMUND WALLER.

_Born 1606. Died 1687._

By CLARENDON.