Characters from the Histories & Memoirs of the Seventeenth Century Part 12

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, praevayled 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 a.s.saulted it, and thought it had greate errors which were necessary to be reformed, and that all meanes are lawfull to compa.s.se 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 pa.s.se. 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 a.s.sistance 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 G.o.d Almighty saw his hearte was not so malicious as the rest, that he praeserved 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 praevayled 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 t.i.tle, or had more ambition to make it greater, and to rayse his fortune, which was but moderate for his t.i.tle. He was of a prowde, morose, and sullen nature, conversed much with bookes, havinge bene bredd a scholar, and (though n.o.bly borne) a fellow of New-Colledge in Oxforde, to which he claymed a right, by the Allyance he praetended 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 praeferment he could compa.s.se, 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 Praerogative 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 aequall 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 praesentinge 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 a.s.sistance 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 Amba.s.sador 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 a.s.sembly, and hath left the best memoriall behinde him, of the ignorance and pa.s.syon 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 const.i.tution, 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 d.a.m.ned: and that no body would conclude another man to be d.a.m.ned, 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 pa.s.syon 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 Irenaeus, 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 praeserve 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 Praebendary of Windsor fallen, and told him the Kinge had given him that praeferment because it lay so convenient to his fellowshipp of Eton, which (though indeede the most convenient praeferment 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._