Part 7 (2/2)
By CLARENDON.
With S'r Lucius Cary he had a most intire frends.h.i.+pp without reserve from his age of twenty yeeres to the howre of his death, neere 20.
yeeres after, upon which ther will be occasion to inlarge, when wee come to speake of that tyme, and often before, and therfore wee shall say no more of him in this place, then to shew his condition and qualifications, which were the first ingredients into that frends.h.i.+pp, which was afterwards cultivated and improoved by a constant conversation and familiarity, and by many accidents which contributed therunto. He had the advantage of a n.o.ble extraction, and of beinge borne his fathers eldest Sunn, when ther was a greater fortune in prospecte to be inherited (besydes what he might reasonably exspecte by his Mother) then came afterwards to his possessyon: His education was aequall to his birth, at least in the care, if not in the Climate, for his father beinge Deputy of Irelande, before he was of Age fitt to be sent abroade, his breedinge was in the Courte and in the University of Dublin, but under the care, vigilance and derection of such governours and Tutors, that he learned all those exercizes and languages better then most men do in more celebrated places, insomuch as when he came into Englande, which was when he was aboute the age of 18 yeeres, he was not only master of the Latine tounge, and had reade all the Poetts and other of the best Authors with notable judgement for that age, but he understoode, and spake, and writt French, as if he had spente many yeeres in France. He had another advantage, which was a greate ornament to the rest, that was a good a plentifull estate, of which he had the early possession: His Mother was the sole daughter an[d] Heyre of the L'd Chief Barron Tanfeilde, who havinge given a fayre portion with his daughter in marriage, had kept himselfe free to dispose of his lande and his other estate, in such manner as he should thinke fitt: and he setled it in such manner upon his grandsunn S'r Lucius Cary, without takinge notice of his father or mother, that upon his Grandmothers death, which fell out aboute the tyme that he was 19. yeeres of age, all the lande with his very good houses, very well furnished (worth above 2000_l._ per annum) in a most pleasant country, and the two most pleasant places in that country, with a very plentifull personall estate, fell into his hands and possession, and to his intire disposall.
With these advantages, he had one greate disadvantage, which in the first entrance into the worlde, is attended with to much praejudice: in his person and presence which was in no degree attractive, or promisinge; his stature was low and smaller then most mens, his motion not gracefull, and his aspecte, so farr from invitinge, that it had somewhat in it of simplicity, and his voyce the worst of the three, and so untuned, that insteede of reconcilinge, it offended the eare, that no body would have exspected musique from that tounge, and sure no man was lesse behol[den] to nature, for its recommendation into the world. But then no man sooner or more disappointed this generall and customary praejudice; that little person and small stature was quickly founde to contayne a greate hearte, a courage so keene, and a nature so fearelesse, that no composition of the strongest limbes and most harmonious and proportioned presence and strenght, ever more disposed any man to the greatest enterpryze, it beinge his greatest weakenesse to be to solicitous for such adventures: and that untuned tounge and voyce easily discover'd itselfe to be supplyed and governed by a minde and understandinge so excellent, that the witt and waight of all he sayde, carryed another kinde of l.u.s.tre and admiration in it, and even another kinde of acceptation from the persons present, then any ornament of delivery could reasonably promise itselfe, or is usually attended with: And his disposition and nature was so gentle and oblieginge, so much delighted in courtesy, kindnesse, and generosity, that all mankinde could not but admire and love him. In a shorte tyme after he had possession of the estate his grandfather had left him, and before he was of age, he committed a faulte against his father, in marryinge a younge Lady whome he pa.s.sionately loved, without any considerable portion, which exceedingly offended him, and disappointed all his reasonable hopes and exspectation, of redeeminge and repayringe his owne broken fortune and desperate hopes in courte, by some advantagious marriage of his Sunn, aboute which he had then some probable treaty: S'r Lucius Cary was very conscious to himselfe of his offence and transgression, and the consequence of it, which though he could not repent, havinge marryed a lady of a most extraordinary witt and judgement, and of the most signall virtue and exemplary life, that the age produced, and who brought him many hopefull children, in which he tooke greate delight, yett he confessed it with the most sinceare and dutifull applications to his Father for his pardon, that could be made, and in order to the praejudice he had brought upon his fortune by bringinge no portion to him, he offred to repayre it by resigninge his whole estate to his disposall, and to rely wholy upon his kindnesse for his owne maintenance and supporte, and to that purpose he had caused convayances to be drawne by councell, which he brought ready ingrossed to his father, and was willinge to seale and execute them, that they might be valid: But his fathers pa.s.syon and indignation so farr transported him (though he was a gentleman of excellent parts) that he refused any reconciliation and rejected all the offers which were made of the estate, so that his Sunn remayned still in the possession of his estate against his will, of which he founde greate reason afterwards to rejoyce, but he was for the present so much afflicted with his fathers displeasure, that he transported himselfe and his wife into Hollande, resolvinge to buy some military commaunde, and to spende the remainder of his life in that profession, but beinge disappointed in the treaty he exspected, and findinge no opportunity to accommodate himselfe with such a commaunde, he returned agayne into Englande, resolvinge to retyre to a country life, and to his bookes, that since he was not like to improove himselfe in armes, he might advance in letters.
In this resolution he was so seveare (as he was alwayes naturally very intent upon what he was inclined to) that he declared he would not see London in many yeeres (which was the place he loved of all the world) and that in his studyes, he would first apply himselfe to the Greeke, and pursue it without intermission, till he should attayne to the full understandinge of that tounge, and it is hardly to be credited, what industry he used, and what successe attended that industry, for though his fathers death, by an unhappy accident, made his repayre to London absolutely necessary, in fewer yeeres then he had proposed for his absence, yett he had first made himselfe master of the Greeke tounge (in the Latine he was very well versed before) and had reade not only all the Greeke Historians, but Homer likewise and such of the Poetts, as were worthy to be perused: Though his fathers death brought no other convenience to him, but a t.i.tle to redeeme an estate, morgaged for as much as it was worth, and for which he was compelled to sell a fyner seate of his owne, yett it imposed a burthen upon him of the t.i.tle of a Viscount, and an increase of exspence, in which he was not in his nature to provident or restrayn'd, havinge naturally such a generosity and bounty in him, that he seemed to have his estate in trust, for all worthy persons who stoode in wante of supplyes and encouragement, as Ben. Johnson and[1] many others of that tyme, whose fortunes requyred, and whose spiritts made them superiour to ordinary obligations; which yett they were contented to receave from him, because his bountyes were so generously distributed, and so much without vanity and ostentation, that except from those few persons from whome he sometimes receaved the characters of fitt objectes for his benefitts, or whome he intrusted for the more secrett derivinge it to them, he did all he could that the persons themselves who receaved them, should not know from what fountayne they flow'd; and when that could not be concealed, he sustayned any acknowledgement from the persons oblieged, with so much trouble and bashfulnesse, that they might well perceave that he was even ashamed of the little he had given, and to receave so large a recompence for it.
As soone as he had finished all those transactions, which the death of his father had made necessary to be done, he retyred agayne to his country life, and to his seveare cource of study, which was very delightfull to him, as soone as he was ingaged in it, but he was wont to say, that he never founde reluctancy in any thinge he resolved to do, but in his quittinge London, and departinge from the conversation of those he injoyed ther, which was in some degree praeserved and continued by frequent letters, and often visitts, which were made by his frends from thence, whilst he continued wedded to the country, and which were so gratefull to him, that duringe ther stay with him, he looked upon no booke, except ther very conversation made an appeale to some booke, and truly his whole conversation was one continued convivium philosophic.u.m or convivium theologic.u.m, inlivened and refreshed with all the facetiousnesse of witt and good humour, and pleasantnesse of discource, which made the gravity of the argument itselfe (whatever it was) very delectable. His house wher he usually resyded (Tew or Burforde in Oxfordshyre) beinge within tenn or 12 myles of the University, looked like the University itselfe, by the company that was alwayes founde there. Ther were D'r Sheldon, D'r Morly, D'r Hammon, D'r Earles, M'r Chillingworth, and indeede all men of eminent partes and facultyes in Oxforde, besydes those who resorted thither from London, who all founde ther lodgings ther as ready as in ther Colledges, nor did the L'd of the house know of ther comminge or goinge, nor who were in his house, till he came to dinner or supper, wher all still mett, otherwise ther was no troublesome ceremony or constrainte to forbidd men to come to the house, or to make them weary of stayinge ther; so that many came thither to study in a better ayre, findinge all the bookes they could desyre in his library, and all the persons togither, whose company they could wish, and not finde in any other society. Heare M'r Chillingworth wrote and formed and modelled his excellent booke against the learned Jesuitt, M'r Nott, after frequent debates, upon the most important particulars, in many of which he suffred himselfe to be overruled by the judgement of his frends, though in others he still adhered, to his owne fancy, which was scepticall enough even in the highest pointes. In this happy and delightfull conversation and restrainte he remayned in the country many yeeres, and untill he had made so prodigious a progresse in learninge, that ther were very few cla.s.sique authors in the greeke or Latine tounge, that he had not reade with great exactnesse; He had reade all the greeke and Latine fathers, all the most allowed and authentique Ecclesiasticall writers, and all the Councells, with wounderfull care and observation, for in religion he thought to carefull and to curious an enquiry could not be made, amongst those whose purity was not questioned, and whose authority was constantly and confidently urged, by men who were furthest from beinge of on minde amongst themselves, and for the mutuall supporte of ther severall opinions, in which they most contradicted each other; and in all those contraversyes, he had so dispa.s.sioned a consideration, such a candor in his nature, and so profounde a charity in his conscience, that in those pointes in which he was in his owne judgement most cleere, he never thought the worse, or in any degree declined the familiarity of those who were of another minde, which without question is an excellent temper for the propagation and advancement of Christianity: With these greate advantages of industry, he had a memory retentive of all that he had ever reade, and an understandinge and judgement to apply it, seasonably and appositely, with the most dexterity and addresse, and the least pedantry and affectation, that ever man who knew so much, was possessed with, of what quality soever; it is not a triviall evidence, of his learninge, his witt, and his candour, that may be found in that discource of his, against the Infallabi[li]ty of the Church of Rome, published since his death, and from a copy under his owne hande, though not praepared and digested by him for the presse, and to which he would have given some castigations.
But all his parts, abilityes, and facultyes, by arte an[d] industry, were not to be valewed or mentioned in comparison of his most accomplished minde and manners; his gentlenesse and affability was so transcendant and oblieginge, that it drew reverence and some kinde of complyance from the roughest, and most unpolish'd and stubborne const.i.tutions, and made them of another temper in debate in his presence, then they were in other places. He was in his nature so seueare a lover of justice, and so praecise a lover of truth, that he was superiour to all possible temptations for the violation of ether, indeede so rigid an exacter of perfection in all those things which seemed but to border upon ether of them, and by the common practice of men, were not thought to border upon ether, that many who knew him very well, and loved and admired his virtue (as all who did know him must love and admire it) did believe that he was of a temper and composition fitter to lyve in Republica Platonis then in faece Romuli: but this rigidnesse was only exercised towards himselfe, towards his frends infirmityes no man was more indulgent: In his conversation, which was the most cheerefull and pleasant, that can be imagined, though he was younge (for all I have yett spoken of him, doth not exceede his age of 25. or 26. yeeres, what progresse he made afterwards will be mentioned in its proper season in this discource) and of greate gayty in his humour, with a flowinge delightfulnesse of language, he had so chast a tounge and eare, that ther was never knowne a prophane and loose worde to fall from him, nor in truth in his company, the integrity and cleanelinesse of the witt of that tyme, not exercisinge itselfe in that licence, before persons for whome they had any esteeme.
[Footnote 1: 'as,' MS.]
23.
SIDNEY G.o.dOLPHIN.
_Born 1610. Fell at Chagford 1643._
By CLARENDON.
Sydney G.o.dolphin, was a younger brother of G.o.dolphin, but by the provision left by his father, and by the death of a younger brother, liberally supplyed for a very good education, and for a cheerefull subsistance in any cource of life he proposed to himselfe; Ther was never so great a minde and spirit contayned in so little roome, so large an understandinge and so unrestrayned a fancy in so very small a body, so that the L'd Falkelande used to say merrily, that he thought it was a greate ingredient into his frends.h.i.+pp for M'r G.o.dolphin, that he was pleased to be founde in his company, wher he was the properer man: and it may be the very remarkablenesse of his little person made the sharpnesse of his witt and the composed quicknesse of his judgement and understandinge, the more notable.[1] He had spent some yeeres in France, and the low countryes, and accompanyed the Earle of Leicester, in his Amba.s.sage into Denmarke, before he resolved to be quyett, and attende some promotion in the Courte, wher his excellent disposition and manners, and extraordinary qualifications, made him very aceptable: Though every body loved his company very well, yett he loved very much to be alone, beinge in his const.i.tution inclined somewhat to melancholique, and to retyrement amongst his bookes, and was so farr from beinge active, that he was contented to be reproched by his frendes with lazynesse, and was of so nice and tender a composition, that a little rayne or winde would disorder him, and deverte him from any shorte journy he had most willingly proposed to himselfe: insomuch as when he ridd abroade with those in whose company he most delighted, if the winde chanced to be in his face, he would (after a little pleasant murmuringe) suddaynely turne his horse, and goe home: yett the civill warr no sooner begann, (the first approches towards which he discovered as soone as any man, by the proceedings in Parliament, wher he was a member, and opposed with greate indignation) then he putt himselfe into the first troopes which were raysed in the West, for the Kinge, and bore the uneasinesse and fatigue of winter marches, with an exemplar courage and alacrity, untill by to brave a pursuite of the enimy, into an obscure village in Devonshyre, he was shutt with a musquett, with which (without sayinge any worde more, the[n] oh G.o.d I am hurte) he fell deade from his horse, to the excessive griefe of his frends, who were all that knew him, and the irreparable damage of the publique.
[Footnote 1: 'notorious and' struck out in MS. before 'notable'.]
24.
WILLIAM LAUD.
_Born 1573. President of St. John's College Oxford 1611. Bishop of St.
David's 1621, of Bath and Wells 1626, and of London 1628. Chancellor of the University of Oxford 1629. Archbishop of Canterbury 1633.
Beheaded 1645._
By CLARENDON.
It was within one weeke after the Kings returne from Scotlande that Abbott dyed at his house at Lambeth, and the Kinge tooke very little tyme to consider who should be his successour, but the very next tyme the Bishopp of London (who was longer upon his way home, then the Kinge had bene) came to him, his Majesty entertayned him very cheerefully, with this compellation, My L'ds Grace of Canterbury you are very wellcome, and gave order the same day for the dispatch of all the necessary formes for the translation, so that within a moneth, or therabouts, after the death of the other Arch-Bishopp, he was compleately invested in that high dignity, and setled in his Pallace at Lambeth: This Greate Prelate had bene before in greate favour with the Duke of Buckingham, whose greate confident he was, and by him recommended to the Kinge, as fittest to be trusted in the conferringe all Ecclesiasticall praeferments, when he was but Bishopp of S't Davids, or newly praeferred to Bath and Wells, and from that tyme he intirely governed that Province without a ryvall, so that his promotion to Canterbury was longe foreseene and exspected, nor was it attended with any encrease of envy, or dislike.
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