Part 11 (1/2)
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 _Yorks.h.i.+re_ 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 praejudice 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 aequally 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 t.i.tle 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 frends.h.i.+pp 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 pa.s.se 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 praevayled with a people, which could not be otherwise praevayled 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 pa.s.se.
[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 gla.s.ses, 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 const.i.tution, 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'