Characters from the Histories & Memoirs of the Seventeenth Century Part 9

_William Seymour, second Earl of Hertford 1621, created Marquis of Hertford 1641, and Duke of Somerset 1660._

_Born 1588. Died 1660_.

By CLARENDON.

The Marquis of Hartforde was a man of greate honour, greate interest in fortune and estate, and of a universall esteeme over the kingdome; and though he had receaved many and continued disobligations from the Courte, from the tyme of this Kings comminge to the Crowne as well as duringe the rainge of Kinge James, in both which seasons more then ordinary care had bene taken to discountenance and lessen his interest, yett he had carryed himselfe with notable steddinesse from the beginninge of the Parliament in the supporte and defence of the Kings power and dignity, notwithstandinge all his Allyes, and those with whome he had the greatest familiarity and frends.h.i.+pp were of the opposite party, and never concurred with them against the Earle of Straforde (whome he was knowne not to love) nor in any other extravagancy: and then he was not to be shaken in his affection to the goverment of the church, though it was enough knowne that he was in no degree bya.s.sed by any greate inclination to the person of any Church-man: and with all this, that party carryed themselves towards him with profounde respecte, not praesuminge to venture ther owne creditt in endeavoringe to lessen his.

It is very true, in many respects he wanted those qualityes, which might have bene wished to be in a person to be trusted in the education of a greate and a hopefull Prince, and in the forminge his minde and manners in so tender an age: he was of an age not fitt for much activity and fatigue, and loved and was even wedded so much to his ease, that he loved his booke above all exercizes, and had even contracted such a lazinesse of minde, that he had no delight in an open and liberall conversation, and cared not to discource and argue in those points which he understoode very well, only for the trouble of contendinge, and could never impose upon himselfe the payne that was necessary to be undergone in such a perpetuall attendance. But then those lesser dutyes might be otherwise provided for, and he could well supporte the dignity of a Governour, and exacte that diligence from others, which he could not exercize himselfe, and his honour was so unblemished, that none durst murmure against the designation, and therfore his Majesty thought him very worthy of the high trust, against which ther was no other exception, but that he was not ambitious of it, nor in truth willinge to receave and undergo the charge, so contrary to his naturall const.i.tution; but [in] his pure zeale and affection for the Crowne, and the conscience that in this conjuncture his submission might ad[v]ance the Kings service, and that the refusinge it might proove disadvantagious to his Majesty, he very cheerefully undertooke the Province, to the generall satisfaction and publique joy of the whole kingdome, and to the no little honour and creditt of the Courte, that so important and beloved a person would attacque himselfe to it, under such a relation, when so many who had scarce ever eaten any breade, but the Kings, detached themselves from ther dependance, that they might without him, and against him, praeserve and improove those fortunes which they had procured and gotten under him, and by his bounty.

29.

THE MARQUIS OF NEWCASTLE.

_William Cavendish, created Viscount Mansfield 1620, Earl of Newcastle 1628, Marquis 1643, and Duke 1665._

_Born 1592. Died 1676._

By CLARENDON.

All that can be said for the Marquiss is, that he was so utterly tired with a condition and employment so contrary to his Humour, Nature, and Education, that he did not at all consider the means, or the way that would let him out of it, and free him for ever from having more to do with it. And it was a greater wonder, that he sustained the vexation and fatigue of it so long, than that he broke from it with so little circ.u.mspection. He was a very fine Gentleman, active, and full of Courage, and most accomplish'd in those Qualities of Horsemans.h.i.+p, Dancing, and Fencing, which accompany a good breeding; in which his delight was. Besides that he was amorous in Poetry, and Musick, to which he indulged the greatest part of his time; and nothing could have tempted him out of those paths of pleasure, which he enjoyed in a full and ample fortune, but honour and ambition to serve the King when he saw him in distress, and abandoned by most of those who were in the highest degree obliged to him, and by him. He loved Monarchy, as it was the foundation and support of his own greatness, and the Church, as it was well const.i.tuted for the splendour and security of the Crown, and Religion, as it cherished, and maintained that Order and Obedience that was necessary to both; without any other pa.s.sion for the particular Opinions which were grown up in it, and distinguished it into Parties, than as he detested whatsoever was like to disturb the publick peace.

He had a particular Reverence for the Person of the King, and the more extraordinary Devotion for that of the Prince, as he had had the honour to be trusted with is Education as his Governour; for which office, as he excelled in some, so he wanted other Qualifications.

Though he had retired from his great Trust, and from the Court, to decline the insupportable Envie which the powerfull Faction had contracted against him, yet the King was no sooner necessitated to possess himself of some place of strength, and to raise some force for his defence, but the Earl of Newcastle (he was made Marquiss afterwards) obeyed his first call, and, with great expedition and dexterity, seised upon that Town; when till then there was not one port town in England, that avowed their obedience to the King: and he then presently raised such Regiments of Horse and Foot, as were necessary for the present state of Affairs; all which was done purely by his own Interest, and the concurrence of his numerous Allies in those Northern parts; who with all alacrity obeyed his Commands, without any charge to the King, which he was not able to supply.

And after the Battle of Edge Hill, when the Rebells grew so strong in Yorks.h.i.+re, by the influence their Garrison of Hull had upon both the East and West riding there, that it behoved the King presently to make a General, who might unite all those Northern Counties in his Service, he could not choose any Man so fit for it as the Earl of Newcastle, who was not only possessed of a present force, and of that important Town, but had a greater Reputation and Interest in Yorks.h.i.+re itself, than at that present any other Man had: the Earl of c.u.mberland being at that time, though of entire affection to the King, much decayed in the vigour of his Body, and his mind, and unfit for that Activity which the Season required. And it cannot be denied, that the Earl of Newcastle, by his quick march with his Troops, as soon as he had received his Commission to be General, and in the depth of Winter, redeemed, or rescued the City of York from the Rebells, when they looked upon it as their own, and had it even within their grasp: and as soon as he was Master of it, he raised Men apace, and drew an Army together, with which he fought many Battles, in which he had always (this last only excepted) Success and Victory.

He liked the Pomp, and absolute Authority of a General well, and preserved the dignity of it to the full; and for the discharge of the outward State, and Circ.u.mstances of it, in acts of Courtesy, Affability, Bounty, and Generosity, he abounded; which in the infancie of a war became him, and made him, for some time, very acceptable to Men of all conditions. But the substantial part, and fatigue of a General, he did not in any degree understand (being utterly unacquainted with War) nor could submit to; but referred all matters of that Nature to the discretion of his Lieutenant General King, who, no doubt, was an officer of great experience and ability, yet being a Scotch Man was, in that conjuncture, upon more disadvantage than he would have been, if the General himself had been more intent upon his Command. In all Actions of the feild he was still present, and never absent in any Battle; in all which he gave Instances of an invincible courage and fearlessness in danger; in which the exposing himself notoriously did sometimes change the fortune of the day, when his Troops begun to give ground. Such Articles of action were no sooner over, than he retired to his delightfull Company, Musick, or his softer pleasures, to all which he was so indulgent, and to his ease, that he would not be interrupted upon what occasion soever; insomuch as he sometimes denied Admission to the Chiefest Officers of the Army, even to General King himself, for two days together; from whence many Inconveniencies fell out.

30.

THE LORD DIGBY.

_George Digby, second Earl of Bristol 1653._

_Born 1612. Died 1677._

By CLARENDON.

By what hath bene sayde before, it appeares that the L'd Digby was much trusted by the Kinge, and he was of greate familiarity and frends.h.i.+pp with the other three, at least with two of them, for he was not a man of that exactnesse, as to be in the intire confidence of the L'd Falkeland, who looked upon his infirmityes with more severity, then the other two did, and he lived with more franknesse towards those two, then he did towards the other, yett betweene them two ther was a free conversation and kindnesse to each other. He was a man of very extraordinary parts, by nature and arte, and had surely as good and excellent an education as any man of that age in any country, a gracefull and beautifull person, of greate eloquence and becommingnesse in his discource (save that sometimes he seemed a little affected) and of so universall a knowledge, that he never wanted subjecte for a discource; he was aequall to a very good parte in the greatest affayre, but the unfittest man alive to conducte it, havinge an ambition and vanity superiour to all his other parts, and a confidence peculiar to himselfe, which sometimes intoxicated, and transported, and exposed him. He had from his youth, by the disobligations his family had undergone from the Duke of Buckingham and the greate men who succeeded him, and some sharpe reprehension himselfe had mett with, which oblieged him to a country life, contracted a praejudice and ill will to the Courte, and so had in the beginninge of the Parliament ingaged himselfe with that party which discover'd most aversion from it, with a pa.s.sion and animosity aequall to ther owne, and therfore very acceptable to them. But when he was weary of ther violent councells, and withdrew himselfe from them, with some circ.u.mstances which enough provoked them, and made a reconciliation and mutuall confidence in each other for the future manifestly impossible, he made private and secrett offerrs of his service to the Kinge, to whome in so generall a defection of his servants it could not but be very agreable, and so his Majesty beinge satisfyed both in the discoveryes he made of what had pa.s.sed, and in his professions for the future, remooved him from the house of Commons, wher he had rendred himselfe marvellously ungratious, and called him by writt to the house of Peeres, wher he did visibly advance the Kings service, and quickly rendred himselfe gratefull to all those, who had not thought to well of him before, when he deserved less, and men were not only pleased with the a.s.sistance he gave upon all debates, by his judgement and vivacity, but looked upon him as one who could deryve the Kings pleasure to them, and make a lively representation of ther good demeanour to the Kinge, which he was very luxuriant in promisinge to doe, and officious enough in doinge as much as was just. He had bene instrumentall in promotinge the three persons above mencioned to the Kings favour, and had himselfe in truth so greate an esteeme of them, that he did very frequently upon conference togither departe from his owne inclinations and opinions, and concurred in thers; and very few men of so greate parts are upon all occasyons more councellable then he, so that he would seldome be in daunger of runninge into greate errors, if he would communicate and expose all his owne thoughts and inclinations to such a disquicition, nor is he uninclinable in his nature to such an intire communication in all things which he conceaves to be difficulte; but his fatall infirmity is, that he to often thinkes difficulte things very easy, and doth not consider possible consequences, when the proposition administers somewhat that is delighfull to his fancy, and by pursuinge wherof he imagynes he shall reape some glory to himselfe, of which he is immoderately ambitious, so that if the consultation be upon any action to be done, no man more implicitely enters into that debate, or more cheerefully resignes his owne conceptions to a joynt determination, but when it is once affirmatively resolved, besydes that he may possibly reserve some impertinent circ.u.mstance as he thinkes, the impartinge wherof would change the nature of the thinge, if his fancy suggests to him any particular which himselfe might performe in that action, upon the imagination that every body would approove it, if it were proposed to them, he chooses rather to do it, then to communicate, that he may have some signall parte to himselfe in the transaction, in which no other person can clayme a share; and by this unhappy temper, he did often involve himselfe in very unprosperous attempts. The Kinge himselfe was the unfittest person alive to be served by such a Councellour, beinge to easily inclined to suddayne enterprizes, and as easily amazed when they were entred upon; and from this unhappy composition in the one and the other, a very unhappy councell was entred upon, and resolution taken, without the least communication with ether of the three, which had bene so lately admitted to an intire truste.

31.

THE LORD CAPEL.

_Arthur Capel, created Baron Capel 1641._

_Born 1610. Beheaded 1649._

By CLARENDON.

He was a man, in whome the malice of his enimyes could discover very few faultes, and whome his frends could not wish better accomplished, whome Crumwells owne character well described, and who indeede could never have bene contented to have lived under that government, whose memory all men loved and reverenced, though few followed his example.

He had alwayes lyved in a state of greate plenty and generall estimation, havinge a very n.o.ble fortune of his owne by descent, and a fayre addition to it, by his marriage with an excellent wife, a Lady of a very worthy extraction, of greate virtue and beauty, by whome he had a numerous issue of both s.e.xes, in which he tooke greate joy and comfort, so that no man was more happy in all his domestique affayres, and so much the more happy, in that he thought himselfe most blessed in them, and yett the Kings honour was no sooner violated and his just power invaded, then he threw all those blessings behinde him, and havinge no other obligations to the Crowne, then those which his owne honour and conscience suggested to him, he frankely engaged his person and his fortune from the beginninge of the troubles, as many others did, in all actions and enterpryzes of the greatest hazarde and daunger, and continewed to the end, without ever makinge one false stepp, as few others did, though he had once, by the iniquity of a faction that then praevayled, an indignity putt upon him, that might have excused him, for some remission of his former warmth, but it made no other impressyon upon him, then to be quyett and contented whilst they would lett him alone, and with the same cheerefulnesse to obey the first summons, when he was called out, which was quickly after: in a worde he was a man, that whoever shall after him deserve best in that nation, shall never thinke himselfe undervalewed, when he shall heare that his courage, virtue, and fidelity is layde in the balance with, and compared to that of the Lord Capell.

32.

ROYALIST GENERALS.

PATRICK RUTHVEN, EARL OF BRENTFORD (1573-1651).

PRINCE RUPERT (1619-82).

GEORGE, LORD GORING (1608-57).

HENRY WILMOT, EARL OF ROCHESTER (1612-58).

By CLARENDON.

The Army was lesse united then ever; the old Generall was sett asyde and Prince Rupert putt into the commaunde, which was no popular chaunge, for the other was knowne to be an officer of greate exsperience, and had committed no oversights in his conducte, was willinge to heare every thinge debated, and alwayes concurred with the most reasonable opinion, and though he was not of many wordes, and was not quicke in hearinge, yett upon any action, he was sprightly and commaunded well; The Prince was rough, and pa.s.sionate and loved not debate, liked what was proposed, as he liked the persons who proposed it, and was so greate an enimy to Digby and Culpeper, who were only present in debates of the Warr with the Officers, that he crossed all they proposed. The truth is, all the Army had bene disposed from the first raysinge it, to a neglecte and contempt of the Councell, and the Kinge himselfe had not bene sollicitous enough to praeserve the respecte due to it, in which he lost of his owne dignity. Goringe who was now Generall of the Horse, was no more gratious to Prince Rupert then Wilmott had bene, and had all the others faults, and wanted his regularity and preservinge his respects with the officers; Wilmott loved deboshry, but shutt it out from his businesse, and never neglected that, and rarely miscarryed in it; Goringe had much a better understandinge, and a sharper witt, except in the very exercise of deboshry, and then the other was inspired, a much keener courage, and presentnesse of minde in daunger; Wilmott decerned it farther off, and because he could not behave himselfe so well in it, commonly prevented or warily declined it, and never dranke when he was within distance of an enimy; Goringe was not able to resist the temptation when he was in the middle of them, nor would declyne it to obtayne a victory, and in one of those fitts had suffer'd the Horse to escape out of Cornwall, and the most signall misfortunes of his life in warr, had ther ryse from that uncontrolable licence; nether of them valewed ther promises, professions or frends.h.i.+pps, accordinge to any rules of honour or integrity, but Wilmott violated them the lesse willingly, and never but for some greate benefitt or convenience to himself, Goringe without scruple out of humour or for witt sake, and loved no man so well, but that he would cozen him, and then expose him to publicke mirth, for havinge bene cozened, and therfore he had always fewer frends then the other, but more company, for no man had a witt that pleased the company better: The ambitions of both were unlimited, and so aequally incapable of beinge contented, and both unrestrayned by any respecte to good nature or justice from pursuinge the satisfaction therof, yett Willmott had more scruples from religion to startle him, and would not have attayned his end, by any grosse or fowle acte of wickednesse; Goringe could have pa.s.sed through those pleasantly, and would without hesitation have broken any trust, or done any acte of treachery, to have satisfyed an ordinary pa.s.sion or appet.i.te, and in truth wanted nothinge but industry, for he had witt, and courage and understandinge, and ambition uncontroled by any feare of G.o.d or man, to have bene as eminent and succesfull in the highest attempt in wickednesse of any man in the age he lyved in, or before, and of all his qualifications, dissimulation was his masterpiece, in which he so much excelled, that men were not ordinaryly ashamed or out of countenance with beinge deceaved but twice by him.

33.

JOHN HAMPDEN.

_Born 1594. Mortally wounded at Chalgrove Field_ 1643

By CLARENDON.

Many men observed (as upon signall turnes of greate affayres, as this was, such observations are frequently made) that the Feild in which the late skirmish was, and upon which Mr. Hambden receaved his deaths-wounde, (Chalgrove Feilde) was the same place, in which he had first executed the Ordinance of the Militia, and engaged that County, in which his reputation was very greate, in this rebellion, and it was confessed by the prysoners that were taken that day, and acknowledged by all, that upon the Alarum that morninge, after ther quarters were beaten up, he was exceedingly sollicitous to draw forces togither to pursue the enimy, and beinge himselfe a Collonell of foote putt himselfe amongst those horse as a volunteere who were first ready, and that when the Prince made a stande, all the officers were of opinion to stay till ther body came up, and he alone (beinge secounde to none but the Generall himselfe in the observance and application of all men) perswaded and praevayled with them to advance, so violently did his fate carry him to pay the mulcte in the place, wher he had committed the transgressyon, aboute a yeere before.