No More Learning

f well satisfi-

had done, his majesty said again, he was sure theed.
chancellor was entirely of his mind, with reference
to the church ; and that he had satisfied him that
this was not the season, nor the occasion, in which
those arguments which he had used were to be in-
sisted on ; and that he was willing to depart from
his own sense; and was in truth so well pleased,
that he vouchsafed to make some kind of excuse for
the passion he had spoken with : and all the lords
were very well satisfied with the expedient proposed;
and all commended the chancellor : and the answer
was given to the Scottish commissioners accordingly ;
who had too good intelligence not to know all that
had passed : and upon their long discourses with the
king, (who was always forward to enlarge upon that
subject, in which he was so well versed,) expected
such an answer as might give them opportunity to
bring the whole matter of episcopacy upon the stage,
and into public disputation. And so they returned
to London, with manifest dissatisfaction, before the
commissioners of the parliament ; and with avowed
detestation of a person, against whom they were
known always to have an inveterate and an impla-
cable displeasure. B

s an implacable displeasure. ] day was expired that was as-

Thus continued in the MS. : It signed for the treaty. They

appeared quickly that the parlia- who intended nothing but the

ment had refused to enlarge the carrying on of the war, and be-

time of the treaty, and so posi- lieved there could be no security

tively commanded the commis- for them but by an entire vic-

sioners to return before the List tory of the king, and a total

VOL. I. O



194 THE LIFE OF

PART The king was much troubled at the disunion be-
in.

-tween the princes Rupert and Maurice, and the

marquis of Hertford h , after the taking of Bristol;
which he knew must exceedingly disorder and di-
vide that army : for composing whereof, his majesty
resolved, the next day after the news, to go himself
to Bristol ; which was very necessary in many re-
spects. The settlement of the port, which was of
infinite importance to the king in point of trade,
and his customs, and with reference to Ireland, and
the applying the army to some new enterprise, with-
out loss of time, could not be done without his ma-
jesty's presence. But there was nothing more dis-
posed his majesty to that resolution, than to be
absent from his council at Oxford, when he should
settle the differences between the princes * and the
marquis ; for as he was always swayed by his affec-
tion to his nephews k , which he did not think par-
subduing his party, had not made such wonderful haste in
power enough to hinder and recruiting the army, (to which
prevent the treaty, and there- the earl of Essex had contri-
fore satisfied themselves with buted all his endeavours, be-
limiting the commissioners to lieving that he had yet per-
such propositions and by such formed less than had been ex-
instructions as are mentioned pected from him,) that the very
before. But from that time day that the commissioners left
they met with little opposition Oxford, the earl of Essex had a
in the houses ; they who desir- rendezvous of his whole army,
ed peace, and had raised their and marched towards Reading,
hopes upon the treaty, thinking which was about the beginning
it reasonable that all prepara- of April.

tions should be made for the ll at the disunion between
"war, and they who abhorred the princes Rupert and Mau-
the thought of peace, and all rice, and the marquis of Hert-
those who affected it, using all ford] The account of this dis-
imaginable diligence in advanc- union is inserted in Appendix D
ing those preparations ; inso- of the ^. th volume of the History
much as, having by- ordinances of the Rebellion.
and seizures drawn in great ' princes] prince
supplies of money, they had k nephews] nephew



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 195



1643.



tiality; so the lords, towards whom the princes 1 did PART
not" live with any condescension, were very solicitous
that the marquis might receive no injustice or dis-
obligation. And the king, to avoid all counsel in
this particular, resolved to declare no resolution till
he should come himself to Bristol; and so went
from Oxford thither : taking with him, of the coun-
cil, the duke of Richmond, the lord Falkland, the
master of the rolls, and the chancellor of the exche-
quer. The king lodging the first night at Malms-
bury; and the lord Falkland, the master of the rolls,
and some other gentlemen lodging that night with
the chancellor of the exchequer, at his house at Pir-
ton, which lay in the way to Bristol ; where they
were the next day within an hour after the king. m



1 princes] prince

m within an hour after the
king. ] ThuscontinuedintheMS. :
The disorders at Bristol were
greater than could have been
imagined ; the factions and jea-
lousies ran through all kinds
and degrees of men, of the ar-
my, of the city, of the country;
and the loss of many officers
and common men upon the as-
saults had weakened the army
beyond imagination, and the
number of the sick and wound-
ed was very great. The natural
murmurs of the Cornish were
now turned into direct mutiny,
and they declared positively that
they would not march further
southward, but would return to
their own country to look to
their houses, their wives, and
their children, which they said
were infested by the garrison at
Plymouth. There was no mo-
ney to give them, nor were



there any officers left, who had
credit and authority over them ;
and now all men saw the infi-
nite loss the king had sustained
in the death of Greenvil, Slan-
ning, and Trevannion, who go-
verned that people absolutely.
It was evident, that if they were
compelled to march further,many
of them would run away, and
the rest be full of discontent ;
and therefore it was resolved,
that they, and all the rest who
had been officers or soldiers
formerly designed for the west-
ern services under the marquis
and prince Maurice, should re-
turn again to the west, upon a
presumption that they would
be able, with the reputation they
would carry back upon the tak-
ing of Bristol, in a short time
to subdue those maritime places,
which were possessed by small
garrisorts for the parliament; and
being recruited by good winter

o 21



196



THE LIFE OF



PART
III.



The chancellor of the exchequer had undergone
some mortification during the short abode at Bristol,



Ashburn
ham



1643.

The chan- . . . .

ceilor of the quarters, an army would be ready
exchequer's by the next spring to attend his
office invad- majesty; and all the Cornish
ed by Mr. ma( i e so lenin promises that, as
soon as Plymouth should be
reduced, they would with great
alacrity return to any service
they should be required. The
expectation was very reasonable,
and the counsel much advanced
by prince Rupert, that his bro-
ther Maurice might be in the
head of an army; for he had
prevailed with the king to re-
solve that the marquis of Hertz
ford should be no more em-
ployed as general, though it
was not discovered to him, nor
his commission taken from him.
Besides the king's inclination
to his nephew, he found that
work not so difficult, nor the
marquis so popular, as it ap-
peared in the first consultation
at Oxford. The marquis's unac-
tivity in all things relating to
the war, and his too much re-
tirement to his ease, had lost
all the reverence and devotion
of the soldiers ; and prince
Maurice's living with them so-
ciably and familiarly, and going
with them upon all parties and
in all actions, in which he had
received some hurts, had made
both his person and his com-
mand very acceptable to them.
Then the marquis's leaning too
much to the advice of his do-
mestic officers and the stewards
of his lands,. and people of that
condition, (many whereof were
thought very disaffected to the
king's service, as most of his
tenants were,) made the chief



persons of the country less so-
licitous for his command over
them than they had been, where-
of the lord Paulet was the chief,
who was then at Bristol, and
spake with great freedom to the
king of the marquis's unfitness
to exercise that command; which
advice, besides that it was very
grateful, made the more im-
pression, because he was thought
to have good affection for the
marquis, and had little know-
ledge of the prince.

This matter being thus set-
tled in the king's own thoughts
and resolutions, he discovered
it no further than by appoint-
ing those troops to be ready for
their march, and prince Maurice
to conduct them, whilst the
marquis of Hertford attended
his majesty till the business of
Bristol should be settled, and
some other affairs of the coun-
try; the marquis intending, when
those should be settled, (in do-
ing whereof he was willing to
be present,) to make haste to
the army, and his majesty, ac-
cording to his natural custom
of discovering any disobliging
resolution as late as was possi-
ble, did not at all impart his
purpose to him, and being first
to resolve what obligation to
confer upon him at the same
time, to make the other the
better digested ; and to that pur-
pose he was pleased to confer
with freedom and without re-
servation with the chancellor of
the exchequer, and bidding him
inform himself of the opinion
both the army and the country



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 197



which was the only port of trade within the king's PART
which was like to yield a considerable



quarters ;



had of the marquis, and asking
him, whether the lord Paulet
and others had not spoken to
him of the laziness of the mar-
quis, and of the credit and power
Hirton had with him; and of
some actions done by his secre-
tary, who was a fellow of an ill
reputation; and wished him to
think of it, and to dispose the
marquis to decline that employ-
ment, as less agreeable to his
nature and constitution, and to
remain about the person of the
king, in order to which he would
think upon some place, for he
knew he was weary of being
governor to the prince. The
chancellor had great reverence
for the marquis, and knew the
benefit his fidelity had brought
to the king, and the insupport-
able damage that would accrue
from his declared discontent,
and had no other esteem of the
prince's parts and conduct and
discretion, than good manners
obliged him -to ; and yet he had
with much trouble heard the
little credit the marquis had in
the army, and more of his unac-
tivity than he believed he could
have been guilty of; for though
he knew he was naturally lazy,
and did so much love his ease,
he knew too that he had a clear
courage and a very good under-
standing ; and if he had a friend
by him to put him in mind of
any thing that concerned his
honour, he would be very coun-
sellable. Whereupon he told
the king, that though he had
heard many discourses which
he had not expected, and found



1643.



that some persons had changed
their opinions of the marquis,
yet he was so apprehensive of
the ill consequence that might
probably attend his majesty's
inclination to remove him from
the command, and giving the
entire trust to his nephew, that
he could not give his counsel
for the putting it in execution ;
but that when his majesty upon
full thoughts had fixed himself,
he would use the credit he had
with the marquis to dispose him
to conform himself to his ma-
jesty's determination, and that
he could with a much better
conscience dissuade the marquis
from affecting that command,
than he could persuade his ma-
jesty to take it from him.

The other matter concerning
the government of Bristol was
of as nice a nature, but not like
to give the king so much trou-
ble; for sir Ralph Hopton had
neither set his heart upon the
command, nor would embrace
any title that might give any
umbrage to his majesty, but
laid all his pretences at the
king's feet, and himself to be
disposed of by him. By which
unconcernedness and ingenuity
the marquis was sensibly dis-
obliged, having chosen him as
a subject fit to support his au-
thority against the pretences of
the prince; and therefore this un-
warm condescension was look-
ed upon as a forsaking the mar-
quis, who was never thoroughly
reconciled to him afterwards.
But that which gave the king
trouble was, the clear and un-

o 3



198



THE LIFE OF



PART benefit to the king, if it were well managed; and
. the direction thereof belonged entirely to his office :



1643.



questionable credit and reputa-
tion of sir Ralph Hopton, who
was now the only man left, who
had out of nothing, and when
the marquis had given over all
hopes of the west and abandon-
ed it, and fled into Wales, (which
was now remembered with many
reproaches,) raised that force,
and upon the matter reduced
that part of the kingdom to his
majesty's obedience. He was
a person of one of the best
families, and one of the fairest
fortunes, of all the gentlemen
in that large, rich, and populous
county of Somerset, and inferior
to none in the love and affection
of that people. He was of a
very generous nature, a pious
and devout man, and an exact
observer of justice, which made
the city infinitely desire that he
might be their govemor, who
would not suffer them to be
made a prey to the soldier. On
the other side, by being himself
ungrievous to them by any ex-
actions, it was very probable he
would be able to persuade and
induce them cheerfully to sub-
mit to such impositions as were
necessary for their own defence ;
and that such a man should be
rejected by the king upon the
prince's pretence, who could
not reside there himself, and
must leave it to a deputy who
would never be grateful, seemed
unreasonable to the king him-
self in reference to his own
service, and to the envy which
would be increased by it towards
his nephew, prince Rupert, who
was already become very un-



popular ; but on the other side,
the granting it to him would be
generally looked upon as the
triumph of the marquis of Hert-
ford over prince Rupert, which
his majesty could not think of
with any patience. The easy
temper and disposition of sir
Ralph Hopton, and prince Ru-
pert's being willing to come off
from this matter with his honour,
gave the king an expedient to
compose this difficult affair to
his own satisfaction : prince Ru-
pert should have the name of
governor of Bristol, according to
his pretence, by a grant from
the king, and sir Ralph Hopton
should be his lieutenant gover-
nor, which he without scruple
accepted : but the prince pro-
mised to the king that he would
never in the least degree meddle
in the government, but leave it
entirely to sir Ralph Hopton ;
which being all concluded, two
were only satisfied, the king
and sir Ralph Hopton ; the
other two, the prince and the
marquis, were both offended,
the latter thinking himself in-
jured by sir Ralph's declining
his commission to be governor,
and submitting to be lieutenant
under prince Rupert, though he
had it by commission from the
king himself; and prince Ru-
pert being as angry that he had
only the title, and could not
make his own lieutenant ; and
that the same man's having the
place, who was designed to it
by the marquis, as was generally
known, would be believed to be
put in by his authority; and



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 199

but when he sent to the officers of the customs, to PART

be informed of the present state of trade, he found "

that some treaty was made, and order given in it by
Mr. Ashburnham, a groom of the bedchamber; who,
with the assistance and advice of sir John Cole-
pepper, had prevailed with the king to assign that
province to him, as a means to raise a present sum
of money for the supply of the army : which the
chancellor took very heavily; and the lord Falkland,
out of his friendship to him, more tenderly ; and ex-
postulated it with the king with some warmth ; and
more passionately with sir John Colepepper and Mr.
Ashburnham, as a violation of the friendship they
professed to the chancellor, and an invasion of his
office; which no man bears easily.

They were both ashamed of it, and made some
weak excuses, of incogitance and inadvertence ; and
the king himself, who discerned the mischief that
would ensue, if there should be an apparent schism
amongst those he so entirely trusted, was pleased to
take notice of it to the chancellor, with many gra-
cious expressions ; and said, " that Mr. Ashburnham The king
" being treasurer and paymaster of the army, he did
" believe some money might have been raised for the
" present occasion ; and only intended it for the

from that time he never favour- upon several occasions,

ed sir Ralph Hopton, but al- When the king had settled

ways discountenanced him all these particulars, which had very

he could. But the king, to much disquieted him, he consi-

publish to all the world the es- dered what he was to do now

teem he had of him, made him this success at Bristol gave him

at the same time a baron, and great reputation every where ;

created him lord Hopton of and the possessing the second

Witham, a noble seat of his city of the kingdom for trade

own in the county of Somerset, and wealth of the inhabitants

of whom there will be more much enlarged his quarters,
occasion of discourse hereafter

o 4



THE LIFE OF

PART " present, without considering it would be an inva-
" sion of his right ; and therefore directed, that an



1643. account should be given to him of all that had
" been done, and he should do n as he thought fit. "
But when he understood all that had been done, he
would make no alteration in it, that his majesty
might be convinced that his service was not looked
after in the design. And it was discernible enough,
that Mr. Ashburnham, who usually looked very far
before him, had not so much intended to disoblige the
chancellor, as, by introducing himself this way into
the customs, to continue one of the farmers of the
customs, when the war should be at an end; of
which he got a promise from the king at the same
time ; who had great affection for him, and an ex-
traordinary opinion of his managery. If there re-
mained after this any jealousy or coldness between
the chancellor of the exchequer and the other two,
as the disparity between their natures and humours
made some believe there did, it never brake out or
appeared, to the disturbance or prejudice of the
king's service ; but all possible concurrence in the
carrying it on was observed between them.

The march of the earl of Essex from London to

n do] do in it. earl of Essex march out of Lon-
The march of the earl of don with a much better army,
Essex] This part is thus intro- and better provided for, than he
duced in the MS. : They who had yet commanded since the
had judged only of the impro- beginning of the troubles. The
bability of relieving Gloucester, city had supplied him with five
by the slow progress that seem- thousand foot of their train-
ed to be made in the parliament bands, consisting all of citizens
towards it, and the small in- of good account, who were coin-
crease that was made in the manded by their own officers ;
army by new levies, found them- and made it appear, that their
selves deceived ; and, before it city order and discipline very
was imagined possible, saw the well prepared and disposed men



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 201

Gloucester, over as large a campania as any in Eng- PART

land, when the king had an army of above eight !

thousand horse, reputed victorious, without being 16 ^ 3 *
put to strike one stroke ; the circumstances of that
siege, and the raising it ; the earl's march after he
had performed that great work, and when the king's
army watched only to engage him in a battle, and
passing over a large and open campania three days
before the king had notice that he was come out of
Gloucester ; the overtaking the army P, and the
battle by Newbury ; and his retreat afterwards to
London ; contained so many particular actions of
courage and conduct, that they all deserve a very
punctual and just relation ; and are much above the
level of this plain and foreign discourse.

In this battle of Newbury, the chancellor of the
exchequer lost the joy and comfort of his life; which
he lamented so passionately, that he could not in
many days compose himself to any thoughts of bu-
siness. His dear friend the lord Falkland, hurried The death

i 1_ / "i r> i i i f t' le l r d

by nis rate, in the morning of the battle, as he was Falkland.
naturally inquisitive after danger, put himself into
the head of sir John Byron's regiment, which he be-
lieved was like to be in the hottest service, and was
then appointed to charge a body of foot ; and in that
charge was shot with a musket bullet, so that he
fell dead from his horse. The same day that the
news came to Oxford of his death, which was the
next after he was killed, the chancellor received
a letter from him, written at the time when the army
rose from Gloucester ; but the messenger had been
employed in other service, so that he came not to

for the boldest service and en- of Essex, &c.

terprise. The march of the earl P the army] his army



202 THE LIFE OF

PART Oxford till that day. The letter was an answer to
in

. one the chancellor had then sent to him ; in which



1643. h e had told him, how much he suffered in his repu-
tation with all discreet men, by engaging himself
unnecessarily in all places of danger ; and that it
was not the office of a privy counsellor, and a secre-
tary of state, to visit the trenches, as he usually did ;
and conjured~him, out of the conscience of his duty
to the king, and to free his friends from those con-
tinual uneasy apprehensions, not to engage his per-
son to those dangers which were not incumbent to
him. His answer was, that the trenches were now
at an end ; there would be no more danger there :
that his case was different from other men's ; that
he was so much taken notice of for an impatient de-
sire of peace, that it was necessary that he should
likewise make it appear, that it was not out of fear
of the utmost hazard of war : he said some melan-
cholic things of the time ; and concluded, that in
few days they should come to a battle, the issue
whereof, he hoped, would put an end to the misery
of the kingdom.

Much hath been said of this excellent person be-
fore ; but not so much, or so well, as his wonderful
parts and virtues deserved. He died as much of the
time as of the bullet : for, from the very beginning
of the war, he contracted so deep a sadness and me-
lancholy, that his life was not pleasant to him ; and
sure he was too weary of it. Those who did not
know him very well imputed, very unjustly, much
of it to a violent passion he had for a noble lady ;
and it was the more spoken of, because she died the
same day, and, as some computed it, in the same
hour that he was killed : but they who knew either



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 203
the lord or the lady, knew well that neither of them PART



was capable of an ill imagination. She was of the-
most unspotted, unblemished virtue ; never married ;
of an extraordinary talent of mind, but of no alluring
beauty ; nor of a constitution of tolerable health, be-
ing in a deep consumption, and not like to have lived
so long by many months. It is very true, the lord
Falkland had an extraordinary esteem of her, and
exceedingly loved her conversation, as most of the
persons of eminent parts of that time did ; for she
was in her understanding, and discretion, and wit,
and modesty, above most women ; the best of which
had always a friendship with her. But he was
withal so kind to his wife, whom he knew to be an
excellent person, that, though he loved his children
with more affection and fondness than most fathers
used to do, he left by his will all he had to his wife ;
and committed his three sons, who were all the chil-
dren he had, to her sole care and bounty.

He was little more than thirty years of age when
he was killed ; in which time he was very accom-
plished in all those parts of learning and knowledge,
which most men labour to attain till they are very
old ; and in wisdom, and the practice of virtue, to a
wonderful perfection. From his age of twenty years,
he had lived in an entire friendship with the chan-
cellor, who was about six months elder; and who
never spake of him afterwards, but with a love, and
a grief, which still raised some commotion in him.
And he very often used to lament him in the words
of Cicero concerning Hortensius, " Quod magna sa-
" pientium et civium bonorum penuria, vir egregius,
" conjunctissimusque mecum consiliorum omnium
" societate, alienissimo reipublicae tempore extinctus,



FART " et auctoritatis, et prudentia? suae, triste nobis desi-
derium reliquerat. " And without doubt, it was in



1 643. a conjuncture of time, when the death of every honest
and discreet person was a very sensible and terrible
loss in the judgment of all good men.

After the unhappy death of the lord Falkland,
the king much desired that the chancellor of the
exchequer should be secretary of state in his place ;
which the queen did not oppose, though she rather
wished that the lord Digby might have it ; who had
so much kindness and friendship for the chancellor,
(which was at that time, and long after, as sincere as
could receive harbour in his breast,) that he pro-
fessed, he would not have it, if the other would re-
Tbeciian- ceive it: but the chancellor gratified his civilitv,

cellorofthe

exchequer and refused the office the second time, as he had

refuses the in AI-III i

office of once before. And he had so much more reason now,
stat? * f ^ v tne coming of a very specious embassy from
time. France, in the person of the count of Harcourt, who
was already arrived in London ; in which the chan-
cellor knew his own want of ability to act that part
the office of secretary would have obliged him to ;
and for which, as far as the perfection of the French
tongue could qualify him, the Lord Digby was very
proper ; and so he was made secretary of state ; pro-
fessing to every body, that, as he had the office by
the chancellor's refusal of it, so he would wholly ad-
vise with him in all things pertaining to it, which
he always did ; and the confidence and friendship
between them was mutual, and very notorious, until
that lord changed his religion. And he was no
sooner admitted and sworn secretary of state, and
privy counsellor, and consequently made of the junto,
which the king at that time created, consisting of



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 205

the duke of Richmond, the lord Cottington, the two PART
secretaries of state, and sir John Colepepper, but '
the chancellor of the exchequer was likewise added; 1463 -

He is add-
tO the trouble, at least the surprise, of the master of d to the

the rolls; who could have been contented that he
should have been excluded from that near trust,
where all matters were to be consulted before they
should be brought to the council-board. And this
committee was appointed to treat with the count of
Harcourt ; whom the king believed to be sent from
France, to demand any thing from the parliament
in that king's name, as his majesty should direct ;
and therefore they were appointed to consider well
what he should be directed to propose.

But the ambassador no sooner came to the town
in great state and lustre, but he quickly saved them
any further labour, by declaring, that he would treat
with nobody but the king himself; his business be-
ing only to serve the king, with reference to the dif-
ferences between his majesty and the parliament ;
and pretended, that, in his short stay at London, he
had already discovered that his majesty was betray-
ed; and that his most secret counsels were disco-
vered : and so there was never any communication
between him and the king's council ; but all matters
were transacted with the king himself, and queen,
and lord Jermyn, who was not of the council, and
the lord Digby ; the queen promising herself very
much from his negociation ; the ambassador being
then of great reputation, having been general of the
French army in two or three great actions, in which
his success had been very notable ; and the queen
looked upon him as a person particularly devoted to
her service ; and being of the house of Lorrain, (the



206 THE LIFE OF

PART younger son of the duke d'Elboeuf,) he was not
without some alliance to the king : and so he re-



* turned to London with such instructions and advice
as they thought fit to intrust him with, which were
too particular ; and with the privity only of the two
other persons mentioned before.

But it quickly appeared after, that he was not
sent with any purpose to do the king service ; but
that cardinal Mazarin (who was newly entered upon
the ministry, after the death of cardinal Richelieu)
might take such a view of the affairs of England,
as the better to judge what he was to do ; and that
an accommodation there might not break his mea-
sures, with reference to his other designs ; which the
ambassador was easily satisfied it was not like to
do. And so, after three or four months spent be-
tween Oxford and London, he returned to France ;
leaving the king's affairs so much worse than he
found them, by having communicated some instruc-
tions which had been given him at Oxford, with
overmuch confidence, and which less disposed some
persons to peace than they had been at London.
The king The king called the chancellor one day to him,
Suitor and told him, that he thought there was too much
of the ex- honour done to those rebels at Westminster in all

chequer to

prepare a hi s declarations, by his mentioning them as part of

proclama-
tion for d. s- " the parliament ; which as long as they should be

parliament 8 " thought to be, they would have more authority,
SiMtST " by their continuing their sitting in the place whi-
" ther they were first called, than all the other mem-
" bers, though so much more numerous, would have,
" when they should be convened any where else ;
" (there being a thought of convening them to Ox-
" ford :) therefore he knew no reason why he should



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 207

" not positively declare them to be dissolved ; and PART
" so forbid them to sit or meet any more there. " '



He said, " that he knew learned men of an opinion,
" that that act for the continuance of the parliament
" was void from the beginning ; and that it is not
" in the power of the king to bar himself from the
" power of dissolving it ; which is to be deprived of
" an essential part of his sovereignty : but if the act
" were good and valid in law, they had dissolved
" themselves by their force, in driving so many
" members, and even his majesty himself, who was
" their head, from the parliament ; and had forfeited
" their right of sitting there, and all that the act
" had given them, by their treason and rebellion ;
" which the very being a parliament could not sup-
" port : and therefore he wished, that a proclamation
" might be prepared, to declare them actually dis-
" solved ; and expressly forbidding them to meet, or
" any body to own them, or submit to them as a
" parliament. "

The chancellor told him, that " he perceived by His advice

* to the king

" his majesty's discourse, that he had very much n that
" considered the argument, and was well prepared *
" in it ; which for his part he was not. But he be-
" sought him to think it worth a very strict reflec-
" tion ; and to hear the opinion of learned men be-
" fore he resolved upon it. That it was of a very
" nice and delicate nature, at which ^ not only the
" people in general, but those of his own party,
" and even of his council, would take more umbrage,
" than upon any one particular that had happened
" since the beginning of the war. That he could

i at which] in which



208 THE LIFE OF

PART " not imagine that his forbidding them to meet any
_ " more at Westminster would make one man the less



1 G43. to mee t there ; but he might forbid them upon such
" grounds and reasons as might bring more to them :
" and that they who had severed themselves from
" them, upon the guilt of their actions, might return
" and be reconciled to them, upon their unity of
" opinion. That it had been the first powerful re-
" proach they had corrupted the people with to-
" wards his majesty, that he intended to dissolve
" this parliament, notwithstanding the act for con-
" tinuance thereof; and if he had power to do that,
" he might likewise, by the same power, repeal all
" the other acts made this parliament, whereof some
" were very precious to the people : and as his
" majesty had always disclaimed any such thought,
" so such a proclamation, as he now mentioned,
" would confirm all the fears and jealousies which
" had been infused into them, and would trouble
" many of his own true subjects.

" That for the invalidity of the act from the be-
" ginning, he was in his own opinion inclined to hope
" that it might be originally void, for the reasons
" and grounds his majesty had mentioned ; and
'* that the parliament itself, if this rebellion was
" suppressed, might be of the same judgment, and
" declare it accordingly ; which would enable him
" quickly to dissolve it. But till then, he thought
" all the judges together, even those who were in
" his own quarters, and of unquestionable affection
" to his majesty, would not declare any such inva-
" lidity ; and much less, that any private man, how
" learned soever, would avow that judgment : in
" which his majesty might easily satisfy himself, hav-



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 209

" ing so many of the judges, and many other excel- PART

" lent men of the robe then at Oxford. For their '

" having dissolved themselves, or forfeited their right 16 ^ 3 -

" of sitting there, by their treason and rebellion," he

said, " he could less understand it than the other

" argument of invalidity ; for that the treason and

" rebellion could only concern and be penal to the

" persons who committed them : it was possible

" many might sit there, he was sure many had a

" right to sit there, who had always opposed every

" illegal, and every rebellious act ; and therefore the

" faults of the others could never forfeit any right of

" theirs, who had committed no fault : and, upon the

" whole matter, concluded as he had begun, that his

" majesty would very throughly consult it, before

" he did so much as incline in his own wishes. "

His majesty said, he had spoken more reason
against it, than he had thought could have been
alleged : however, he bade him confer with his at-
torney general, who, he believed, was of another
opinion. The chancellor moved his majesty, that
since the ground of what should be resolved on in
this point must be expressed in the proclamation,
the attorney might put his own conceptions in writ-
ing, and then his majesty would the better judge of
them. The king said, it seemed reasonable to him,
and he had proposed it to him, but he had declined
it, and commended the pen his majesty had used to
employ, as very clear and significant; and said, if
he had an hour's conference with that person, the
business would be done. Whereupon the chancellor
went immediately to his lodging, choosing rather to
use that civility towards him, than to send for him ;
VOL. i. p



210 THE LIFE OF

PART who did not love him so well as he had done before
he was his superior officer.



After a long conference together, and many cir-
rcnces with cumlocutions, (which was his natural way of dis-
ncy g"nerai course ) an< l asking questions, Why not this? and,
thereon. \Vhy no t that ? without expressing his own opinion ;
at last he confessed, that there must be no attempt to
dissolve them, " though it might be even that might
" be lawful in many respects," but that it would be
sufficient to declare the force which had been, and
still was upon them, that rendered them not free ;
arid so they ought not to be looked upon as a parlia-
ment ; and that they might be required to adjourn
from time to time, till all the members might with
safety repair to, and sit with them : in all which the
other agreed with him, and so they parted ; the
chancellor promising, that, against the next morn-
ing, he would prepare a proclamation agreeable to
that, which he thought to be their joint meaning ;
for he did not observe any difference to be between
them. The next morning the attorney came to his
lodging, where he found the draught prepared ;
which, as soon as he had read, he said did in no de-
gree express or comprehend the sense that had been
agreed between them : and thereupon he entered
again into the same discourse he had made before,
and more perplexed than before ; being most offend-
ed with the preamble, wherein it was declared, that
the king neither could or . intended to break the par-
liament : which was so contrary to what he had in-
fused into the king, and which the chancellor thought
most necessary, to contradict that reproach which
naturally would be cast upon his majesty. In the



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 211

end, when he had wearied himself with the debate, PART
they came both again to mean the same thing ;
which was no other than was agreed before, though, 1643
as the attorney said, it was not expressed in the
draught before them : whereupon it was agreed be-
tween them, that, against the next morning, either
of them should make a draught apart; and then,
when they came together, it would easily be ad-
justed.

But the next morning they were as far asunder
as before, and the attorney had prepared no paper,
and said, it needed not, the difference being very
small, and would be rectified with changing or leav-
ing out a word or two ; which the chancellor desired
him to do, and to leave out or put in what he
pleased : which when he went about to do, twenty
other things occurred to him ; and so he entered
upon new discourses, without concluding any thing ;
and every day entertained the king with an account,
as if all were agreed ; but upon conference with the
chancellor, his majesty wondered at the delay, and
told him, he wondered at it, for the attorney spake
still as clearly to him as it was possible for any man
to do, and therefore the putting it in writing could
not be hard. The other answered him, that it would
never be done any other way, than that which he
had first proposed to him ; and therefore besought
his majesty, that he would oblige the attorney to
put his own conceptions, which he made so clear to
him, into writing; and then, his majesty having
likewise what the chancellor prepared in his hands,
he would easily conclude which should stand ; and
otherwise there would never be any conclusion.

About two days after, the chancellor came into
? 2



212 THE LIFE OF

PART the garden where the king was walking; and call-
. ing him shortly to him, in some disorder, his majesty



1643. told him, " he was never in that amazement in his
draught of " life ; that he had at last, not without a very posi-
tiontbe ma " ti ve command, obliged the attorney to bring him
king shews tt such a draught in writing, as was agreeable to his

to the chan-
cellor ot the" own sense; and that he had now done it ; but in

exchequer.

" such a manner, that he no more understood what
" the meaning of it was, than if it were in Welch,
" which was the language of the attorney's coun-
" try ; only," he said, " he was very sure it con-
" tained nothing of the sense he had ever expressed to
" him :" and so bade him follow him into a little room
at the end of the garden ; where, as soon as he was
entered, he shut the door, because there were many
people in the garden ; and then pulled a paper out
of his pocket, and bade him read it; which when
he had done, it being all in the attorney's own hand,
he said, " it deserved wonder indeed ;" and it was
so rough, perplexed, and insignificant, that no man
could judge by it, or out of it, what the writer pro-
posed to himself. And it made so great an impres-
sion upon the king, (who had before thought him a
man of a master reason, and that no man had so
clear notions,) that he never after had any esteem of
him.

character The truth is, he was a man very unlike any other
tomey^e- man ' f a verv good natural wit, improved by con-
versation with learned men, but not at all by study
and industry : and then his conversation was most
with men, though much superior to him in parts,
who rather admired than informed him ; of which
his nature (being the proudest man living) made
him not capable, because not desirous. His greatest



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 213

faculty was, and in which he was a master, to make PART
difficult matters more intricate and perplexed ; and



very easy things to seem more hard than they were. I643 -
The king considered the matter and subject of that
proclamation at the council ; where that draught the
chancellor had provided was agreed to ; and the at-
torney seemed to be satisfied in it, and was content
to have it believed that it had been consulted with
him ; though he never forgave the chancellor for
exposing him in that manner ; by which he found
he had lost much ground.

After the treaty of Uxbridge, most of the com- 1645.
missioners had given so good a testimony of the
chancellor's diligence and industry, that the fcing,
shortly after his return, very graciously took notice exchequer's
of it to him; and, above all, of his affection to the in the treaty
church, of which, he said, Dr. Steward had so fully of Uxbridge '
informed him, that he looked upon him as one of
the few who was to be relied upon in that particular :
at which, he said, himself was not at all surprised,
having long known his affection and judgment in
that point ; but confessed he was surprised with the
carriage of some others, from whom he had expected
another kind of behaviour in matters of the church ;
and named sir Orlando Bridgman, upon whom, he
said, he had always looked, being the son of a bishop,
as so firm, that he could not be shaken ; and there-
fore he was the more amazed, to hear what conde-
scensions he had been willing to have made, in what
concerned religion ; and pressed the chancellor to
answer some questions he asked him about that
transaction : to the particulars whereof he excused
himself from answering, by the protestation they had
all taken before the treaty, wfth his majesty's appro-

P 3



214 THE LIFE OF

PART bation : though indeed himself had been very much

surprised with the first discovery of that temper in

1645 * that gentleman, which he had never before suspect-
ed : and ever after said, that " he was a man of ex-
" cellent parts, and honestly inclined ; and would
" choose much rather to do well than ill ; but if it
" were not safe for him to be steady in those reso-
" lutions, he was so much given to find out expedi-
" ents to satisfy unreasonable men, that he would
. " at last be drawn to yield to any thing he should
" be powerfully pressed to do. "

The king at that time having resolved to separate
the prince his son from himself, by sending him into
the west, the chancellor had a great desire to excuse
himself from attending upon the prince in that jour-
ney ; and represented to his majesty, that his office
made it more proper for him to be near his majesty's
person ; and therefore renewed his suit again to him,
that his service might be spared in that employment;
which he was the less inclined to, because he had
discovered, that neither the duke of Richmond or
the earl of Southampton did intend to wait upon
his highness in that expedition : but the king told
him positively, and with some warmth, that if he
would not go, he would not send his son : where-
upon he submitted to do any thing which his majesty
should judge fit for his service.

The chancellor speaking one day with the duke
of Richmond, who was exceedingly kind to him, of
the ill state of the king's affairs, and of the prince's
journey into the west ; the duke asked him, whether
he was well resolved to carry the prince into France,
when he should be required. He answered, that
there had been no such thing mentioned to him, nor



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 215

could he ever be made instrumental in it, but in one PART
case, which was, to prevent his falling into the



hands of the parliament ; and in that case, he did be-
lieve every honest man would rather advise his going
any whither, than being taken r by them : yet even
in that case, he should prefer many places before
France. The duke wished he might stay till then,
implying, that he doubted it was the present design ;
but there was never any thing discovered to make
it believed, that there was a design at that time
formed to such a purpose : yet the lord Digby, who
had all familiarity and confidence with the chan-
cellor, shortly after gave him occasion to apprehend
that there might even then be some such intention.

After a long discourse of the great satisfaction Lord pig-
the king had in his (the chancellor's) service, and coJrse^wit
how much he was pleased with his behaviour in the ce



treaty at Uxbridge. and that he had not a greater ce in F the

prince s

confidence in any man's affection and fidelity : he & oin g to

. . France.

said, his majesty had a great mind to confer with
him upon a point of the last importance ; but that
he was kept from it by an apprehension that he was
of a different judgment from his majesty in that
particular. The other answered, that he was very
sorry . that the king was reserved for such a reason ;
for though he knew the chancellor did never pretend
to think one thing when he did think another, and
so might take the boldness to differ from his majesty
in his judgment ; yet the king could not believe that
he would discover the secret, or refuse to do any
thing that became an honest man, upon his com-
mand, though he did not believe it counsellable.

r being taken] to be taken
p 4



16 THE LIFE OF

PART Whereupon he entered upon a very reasonable con-
sideration of the low condition of the king ; of the



1645. discontent and murmur of the court, and of the
camp ; how very difficult a thing it was like to be,
to raise such an army as would be fit to take the
field ; and how much more unfit it would be for the
king to suffer himself to be enclosed in any garrison ;
which he must be, if there were no army for him to
be in. If the first difficulty should be mastered,
and an army made ready to march, there could be
little doubt, how great soever their distractions were
at London, but that the parliament would be able
to send another more numerous, and much better
supplied than the king's could be ; and then, if the
king's army was beaten, he could have no hope ever
to raise another, his quarters already being very
strait ; and after a defeat, the victorious army would
find no opposition ; nor was there any garrison that
could oppose them any considerable time ; London
would pour out more forces ; that all the west would
be swallowed up in an instant ; and in such a case
he asked him, whether he would not think it fit,
and assist to the carrying the prince out of the
kingdom.
The chan- The chancellor told him, he would deliver his

cellor's

reply. opinion freely to him, and was willing he should let
the king know it. That such a prospect as he had
supposed, might and ought to be prudently con-
sidered ; but that it must be with great secrecy, for
that there were already, to his knowledge, some
whispers of such a purpose ; and that it was the true
end of sending the prince into the west ; which, if it
should be believed, it would never be in their power
to execute, though the occasion should be most



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 217

pressing: therefore desired there might not be the PART

least whisper of any contingency that might make 1_

it fit. For the matter itself, it must never be done 1 645 -
upon any supposition of a necessity; but when the
necessity should be real, and in view, it ought to be
resolved and executed at once ; and he would make
no scruple of carrying him rather into Turkey, than
suffering him to be made a prisoner to the par-
liament.

The lord Digby replied, that though the king
would be very well pleased with this opinion of his,
yet he would not be surprised with it ; since he knew
his affection and wisdom to be such, that in such an
extremity he could not but have that resolution :
therefore that was not the point that the king
doubted he would differ with him in. Then he con-
tinued the discourse, that he hoped there would not
such an occasion fall out, and that the divisions at
London would yet open some door for a good peace
to enter at ; but if they should unite, and should
send out a strong army, and likewise appoint the
Scots to march towards them ; how the king would
do between two such armies, was a terrible prospect :
and then the least blow would raise so general a
consternation, that the king would be more dis-
quieted by his friends and servants, than by the
enemy; that his council was so constituted, that they
would look upon the prince's leaving the kingdom,
as less advisable than giving himself up to the par-
liament ; and that many men were yet so weak a
to believe, that the best way the king could take
for his security, and preservation of his posterity,
was to deliver up both himself and all his children
into the hands of the parliament ; and that they



218 THE LIFE OF

PART would then give him better conditions than they
. had offered in their treaties, having it then in their



1645. power to keep all such persons from him as they
were dissatisfied with.

If this opinion should once spread itself, as upon
any signal defeat it would undoubtedly do, it must
be expected, that the council, and most of the lords,
who looked upon themselves as ruined for their loy-
alty, out of their natural apprehension, would ima-
gine, that the prince being then in the west, and at
liberty to do what should be thought fit, would be
directed by the king to transport himself into parts
beyond the sea ; and the queen his mother being
then in France, most probably thither ; which was
a circumstance that would likewise make his trans-
portation more universally odious. So that upon
this reflection and erroneous animadversion, the
king would be, in the first unfortunate conjuncture,
importuned by all about him to send for the prince ;
or at least to send such orders to those to whose
care he was intrusted, that they should not presume
to transport him beyond the seas, in what exigent
soever. Most men would believe, that they should
merit of the parliament by this advice, and would
prosecute it with the more earnestness and impor-
tunity ; whilst those few who discerned the mischief
and ruin that must flow from it, would not have
the courage to deliver their opinions in public, for
fear of being accused of the counsel ; and by this
means the king might be so wearied and tired with
importunity, that, against his judgment, he might
be prevailed with to sign such a direction and order
as is before mentioned; though his majesty was
clearly satisfied in his understanding, that if both



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 219

himself and the prince were in their hands together, PART
the best that could happen would be murdering him
and crowning his son ; whereas if his son were at
liberty, and out of their reach, they would get no-
thing by his death, and consequently would not at-
tempt it.

This, he said, was the fatal conjuncture the king
apprehended ; and he then asked the chancellor,
what he would do. To which he answered, without
pausing, that he hoped the king had made up a firm
resolution never to depart from his own virtue, upon
which his fate depended; and that if he forsook
himself, he had no reason to depend upon the con-
stancy of any other man, who had nothing to sup-
port that confidence but the conscience of doing
what was just : that no man could doubt the law-
fulness of obeying him, in carrying the prince out
of the kingdom, to avoid his being taken by the re-
bels ; and he was not only ready to obey in that
case, but would confidently advise it, as a thing in
policy and prudence necessary to be done. But if
the king, being at liberty, and with his own coun-
sellors and servants, should under his hand forbid
the prince to transport himself, and forbid all about
him to suffer it to be done, he would never be guilty
of disobeying that express command; though he
should be very sorry to receive it. He wished the
king would speak with him of it, that he might take
the boldness to conjure him never to put an honest
and a faithful servant to that unjust strait, to do
any thing expressly contrary to his plain and posi-
tive command, upon pretence of knowing his secret
pleasure; which is exposing him to public justice
and reproach, which can never be wiped out by the



220 THE LIFE OF

PART conscience of the other; and that the artifice was
not worthy the royal breast of a great monarch.



1645. This, he said, was still Upon the supposition of the
king's liberty; but if he were a prisoner in the
hands of his enemies, (though that should not shake
his resolution, or make him say things he doth not
intend, upon imagination that others will know his -
meaning,) the case would be different; and honest
men would pursue former resolutions, though they
should be countermanded, according to circum-
stances.

The conference ended ; and was never after re-
sumed : nor did the king ever, in the least degree,
enter upon the argument with the chancellor, though
he had many private conferences with him upon all
that occurred to him, with reference to what the
prince should do in the west ; and of all the melan-
cholic contingencies which might fall out in his own
fortune. And it was generally believed, that his ma-
jesty had a much greater confidence in the chancel-
lor than in the other, whose judgment he had no
reverence for ; and this made the chancellor after-
wards believe, that all the other discourse from the
lord Digby proceeded rather from some communi-
cation of counsels he had with the queen, than any
directions from the king. And he did upon concur-
rent circumstances ever think, that the queen did,
from the first minute of the separation of the prince
from the king, intend to draw his highness into
France, that he might be near her, and under her
tuition, before any thing in the declension of the
king's fortune required it, or made it counsellable ;
and therefore had appointed the lord Digby, her
creature, who she knew had great friendship with



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON.

the chancellor, to feel his pulse, and discover, whe- PART

Hi-
ther he (in whom she had never confidence) might



be applicable to her purposes. But he often declared, l645 *
that the king himself never intimated the least
thought of the prince's leaving the kingdom, till
after the battle of Naseby ; and when Fairfax was
marched with his army into the west, and himself
was in despair of being able to raise another army ;
and even then, when he signified his pleasure to that
purpose, he left the time, and the manner, and the
place to them, who were especially trusted by him
about the prince ; as will appear by the particular
papers which are preserved of that affair; and
wherein it will likewise appear, that his majesty re-
ceived infinite satisfaction and content in the whole
management of that affair, and the happy and se-
cure transportation of the prince, in the just and
proper season, and when all the kingdom was right
glad that it was done.

As his majesty was more particularly gracious to
the chancellor from the time of the treaty at Ux-
bridge ; so there was no day passed without his con-
ferring with him in private upon his most secret
considerations and apprehensions, before his depar-
ture with the prince for the west. One day he told
him, he was very glad of what the duke of Rich-
mond had done the day before ; and indeed he had
done somewhat the day before which very much
surprised the chancellor. When his majesty arose
from council, the duke of Richmond whispered
somewhat privately to him, upon which the king
went into his bedchamber ; and the duke called the
chancellor, and told him, the king would speak with
him, and so took him by the hand, and led him into



222 THE LIFE OF

PART the bedchamber ; the privilege and dignity of which
. room was then so punctually preserved, that the



16-45. ting very rarely called any privy counsellor to con-
fer with him there, who was not of the bedcham-
ber : which maintained a just reverence to the place,
and an esteem of those who were admitted to attend
there. ^

The cimn- As soon as he came into the room, before he said
the king's any thing to the king, who was there alone, the
duke spake to the chancellor, and told him, that he
p had been brought up from his childhood by the
duke of crown, and had always paid it the obedience of a

Richmond.

child ; that as he had taken a wife with the appro-
bation and advice of the crown, so he had never
made a friendship, which he took to be a kind of
marriage, without the king's privity and particular
approbation ; that he had long had a kindness for
him, but had taken time to know him well, which
he thought he now did; and therefore had asked
his majesty's consent, that he might make a friend-
ship with him : and then said to the king, " Sir,
" have I not your approbation to this conjunction ? "
to which his majesty said, " Yes, my lord, I am
" very glad of it ; and I will pass my word to you
" for the chancellor, that you will not repent it ;"
with many gracious expressions to them both : and
so the duke led him out of the room again, saying,
f ' Now, Mr. Chancellor, it is in your power to de-
" ceive me. " And to this it was, that his majesty's
discourse related the next day, when he told him he
was glad of what had passed, &c. and said, he hoped
he would give him good counsel ; for he had not of
late lived towards him in the manner he was used
to do ; that he knew well the duke was a very ho-



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 223

nest and worthy man, and had all the kindness, as PART
well as duty for his majesty ; but that he was grown '



sullen, or discontented, and had not the same coun-
tenance he used to have ; for which he could ima-
gine no other reason, but that his man Webb gave
him ill counsel : he said, he was well contented that
he should take notice, that his majesty was not well
satisfied ; and asked him suddenly, when the duke
was at Oriel college with them ; (Oriel college was
the lodging of the lord treasurer, where that com-
mittee for secret affairs, of which the duke was one,
used to meet. ) The chancellor answered, that in-
deed the duke had not been there lately, which he
thought had proceeded from his attendance upon
his majesty, or some other necessary divertisement.
The king said, it proceeded not from thence ; and
that he might take occasion from his absence from
thence, to let himself into that discourse, and after-
wards proceed as he thought fit.

The duke was a person of a very good under- character of
standing ; and of so great perfection and punctuality
in all matters of honesty and honour, that he was
infinitely superior to any kind of temptation.
He
had all the warmth and passions of a subject, and a
servant, and a friend for the king, and for his per-
son ; but he was then a man of a high spirit, and
valued his very fidelity at the rate it was worth ;
and not the less, for that it had almost stood single
for some time. The chancellor was very sorry for
this discovery ; and chose to wait upon the duke
the same day, near the hour when the meeting used
to be at Oriel college : and when he had spent a
short time with him, he said, he thought it was time
to go to Oriel college, and asked his grace, whether



224 THE LIFE OF

PART he would please to go thither ; for which he making
IIL some excuse, the other pressed him with some ear-



1645. nestness, and said, it was observed that he had a
good time declined that meeting, and if he should
not now go thither, he should be doubtful there
was some reason for it.

The duke replied, that he had indeed been absent
from thence for some time, and that he would deal
clearly with him as his friend, but desired it should
not be known ; that he was resolved to be there no
more. Then complained, that the king was not kind
to him ; at least, had not that confidence in him
which he had used to have : and then spake of many
particulars loosely ; and especially, that before the
treaty, he had advised the king to use all the means
he could to draw them to a treaty, for many advan-
tages which were like to be gotten by it ; and to
that purpose produced a letter that he had newly re-
ceived from the countess of Carlisle, and read it to
his majesty, who then seemed not to be moved with
the contents ; but afterwards, in several discourses,
reflected upon it in such a manner, as if he were
jealous that the duke held too much correspondence
with that people : which he looked upon . as such a
point of diffidence, that it was no longer fit for him
to be present when s the secret part of his affairs
was transacted ; and so he had and would forbear to
meet in that place, till iris majesty should entertain a
better opinion of him : yet he concealed the trouble
of rtiind which he sustained ; and wished that no
notice might be taken of it.

The chancellor told him, it was too late for that

* when] where



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON.

caution ; that the lords themselves could not but ob- PART

in.
serve his long absence, who before used to be the



most punctual ; and confessed to him, that the king Whom h ' e
himself had spoken to him of it with a sense of won- endeavour*

to reconcile

der and dislike; which, he said, he was to blame to the king;
himself for; since the honour he had done him to the
king, had likewise disposed his majesty to trust him
so far, as to express some dissatisfaction he had in
his grace's late carriage and behaviour. The duke
seemed not displeased with the communication, but
thereupon entered into a fuller and warmer dis-
course than before ; how much the king had with-
drawn his confidence from him, and trusted others
much more than him. In sum, it was easy to dis-
cern, that the thing that troubled him was the
power and credit that John Ashburnham had with
the king ; which his vanity made him own to that
degree, that he was not content to enjoy the benefit
of it, except he made it public, and to be taken
notice of by all men ; which could not but reflect
upon his honour : and when the chancellor seemed
to think it impossible, that himself could believe
that the king could prefer a man of Mr. Ashburn-
ham's talent before his grace, he proceeded with
many instances, and insisted with most indignation
upon one.

That about a year before, sir John Lucas, who
was well known to his grace, having met him abroad
in his travels, and ever after paid a particular re-
spect to him, had applied himself to him, and de-
sired his favour ; that when there should be any
opportunity offered, he would recommend him to
the king, to whom he was not unknown : that his
affection to his majesty's service was notorious

VOL. i. a



THE LIFE OF

PART enough, and that his sufferings were so likewise, his
house being the first that was plundered in the be-



1 645. ginning of the war ; by which, the loss he sustained in
furniture, plate, money, and stock, was very consider-
able ; so that he might modestly hope, that when his
majesty scattered his favours upon others of his own
rank, his poor service might likewise be remembered :
but he had seen men raised to dignities, who he was
sure had not the advantage over him in their suffer-
ings, whatever they might have in their actings ; and
he desired no more, but (since it was too ^evident
that his majesty's wants were great, and that money
would do him some service) that he might receive
that degree of honour which others had, and he
would make such a present to him as should mani-
fest his gratitude ; and he desired to owe the obli-
gation to his grace, and to receive it only by his me-
diation.

He said, he had moved this matter, with the
relation of all the circumstances, to his majesty,
who spake very graciously of the gentleman, as a
person of merit, but said, he was resolved to make
no more lords ; which he received as a very good an-
swer, and looked upon as a good resolution, and
commended it; desiring only, that if at any time
his majesty found it necessary to vary from that re-
solution, he would remember his proposition, and
gratify that gentleman ; which he promised to do ;
and with all which he acquainted the person con-
cerned ; thinking it could not but well satisfy him.
But he told him, that he was sorry that he could
not receive the honour by his grace's recommenda-
tion ; but for the thing itself, he could have it when
he would ; and shortly after it was despatched by



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 227

Mr. Ashburnham : he asked, whether this was not PART
preferring Mr. Ashburnham very much before him.



1 f* A t\

The chancellor told him, he was preferred as the
better market man ; and that he ought not to be-
lieve that the king's affection swayed him to that
preference, but an opinion that the other would
make the better bargain. He replied, his majesty
was deceived in that, for he had told him what the
other meant to give, without the least thought of re-
serving any thing for himself; whereas his majesty
had now received five hundred pounds less, and his
market man had gotten so much for his pains.

In conclusion, he prevailed so far with him, that
they went that afternoon together to the committee
to Oriel college ; and the next day the chancellor
spake with the king again, and told him, that the
duke had been in the afternoon with the committee,
where many things had been consulted ; and that he And the
found all his trouble proceeded from an apprehen- duke of
sion, that his majesty had withdrawn his affection
from him ; at least, that he, the duke, had not the
same credit with his majesty which he had formerly
had ; and that the sense and fear of that, could not but
make an impression upon a good servant, who loved
his master as well as he did. His majesty said, they
two should not live as well together as they had done,
as long as the duke kept his man Webb ; who made
him believe that the king was wholly governed by
Ashburnham, and cared not for any body else. He
said, nobody who knew him could believe he could
be governed by Ashburnham ; who, though an honest
man, and one that he believed loved him well, no man
thought was of an understanding superior to his ma-
jesty ; and enlarged himself upon this argument so

Q 2



228 THE LIFE OF

PART much, that he seemed as it were glad of the oppor-
tunity to clear himself from that aspersion or impu-



1645 - tation.

It is a very great misfortune for any prince to be
suspected to be governed by any man ; for as the
reproach is of all others the most grievous, so they
think the trusting weak men, who are much short
of their own vigour of wit and understanding, is a
sufficient vindication from that calumny ; and so,
before they are aware of it, they decline wiser men,
who are fit to advise them, and give themselves to
weaker, upon an imagination, that nobody will ever

But with- suspect they can be governed by them. In fine, he
5S> found the work too hard for him ; the king being
so much incensed against Webb, that he expected
the duke should turn him away : and the duke him-
self looked upon the king's prejudice as infused into
him by Ashburnham, upon particular malice ; hav-
ing often desired, that some accuser might charge
Webb, and he be heard to answer for himself;
which the king not being willing to admit, the
other was unwilling to dismiss a servant, his secre-
tary, who had served him long, and was very useful
to him ; and who indeed was never suspected for any
infidelity or want of affection to his master : and so
the chancellor, to his great trouble, was not able to
remove that cloudiness that remained in both their
countenances ; which never produced the least ill
effect in the view or observation of any ; the duke's
duty being never in any degree diminished ; and the
king's kindness to him continuing with many gra-
cious evidences to his death.

The king's The last conference his majesty had with the

last confer-
ence with chancellor was the very day the prince began his



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 229

journey towards the west, and indeed after he had PART
received his blessing ; when his majesty sent for



HI.



him into his bedchamber, and repeated some things I6 i 4o<

v the chan-

he had mentioned before. He told him, " there had ceiior of the
" been many things which had troubled him, with
" reference to his son's absence from him ; for all
" which, but one, he had satisfied himself: the one
" was, the inconvenience which might arise from
" the weakness and folly of his governor ; against
" which he had provided, as well as he could, by
" obliging the prince to follow the advice of his
" council in all things ; which he was well assured
" he would do ; and he had given them as much au-
" thority as they could wish : another was, that
" there was one servant about the prince, who he
" thought had too much credit with him, which was
" Elliot ; who he did not intend should be with him
" in the journey ; and had therefore sent him into
" France to the queen, with direction to her majesty,
" to keep him there ; and if he should return whilst
" the prince remained in the west, that he should be
" sent to his majesty, and not suffered to stay with
" his highness ; and that was all the care he could
" take in those two particulars : but there was a
" third, in which he knew not what to do, and that
" troubled him much more than the other two. "
When the chancellor seemed full of expectation to
know what that might be, the king said, " I have
" observed of late some kind of sharpness, upon
" many occasions, between Colepepper and you ; and
" though you are joined with other honest men, yet
" my great confidence is upon you two : I know not
" that the fault is in you ; nay, I must confess, that
" it is very often in him ; but let it be where it will,

Q3



230 THE LIFE OF

PART " any difference and unkindness between you two
" must be at my charge ; and I must tell you, the



1645. t ( f ear j have o f ft gi ves me much trouble: I have
" spoken very plainly to him my apprehension in
" this point, within this hour ; and he hath made as
" fair promises to me as I can wish ; and upon my
" conscience I think he loves you, though he may
" sometimes provoke you to be angry. "

The king here making a pause, the chancellor,
out of countenance, said, " he was very sorry that he
" had ever given his majesty any occasion for such
" an apprehension, but very glad that he had vouch-
" safed to inform him of it ; because he believed he
" should give his majesty such assurance in that
" particular as would fully satisfy him : he assured
" his majesty, that he had a great esteem of the lord
" Colepepper; and though he might have at some
" times passions which were inconvenient, he was
" so confident of himself, that they should not pro-
" voke or disturb him, that he was well content that
" his majesty should condemn, and think him in the
" fault, if any thing should fall out, of prejudice to
" his service, from a difference between them two. "
With which his majesty appeared abundantly satis-
fied and pleased ; and embracing him, gave him his
hand to kiss ; and he immediately went to horse,
and followed the prince : and this was the last time
the chancellor ever saw that gracious and excellent
king.
The cban- It was upon the fourth of March, in the year

cellor at- - /> . , > . -, 11* i /

tends the lt>44, that the prince parted from the king his ta-
thTwest 1 ; ther. He lodged that night at Farringdon, having
first aLauit- mac ' e ^ s j ournev thither in one continued storm of
ed by the ra j n from the minute he left Oxford ; and from

gout.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 231

thence went the next day to the garrison of the De- FART
vizes ; and the third to the city of Bath ; which be-



ing a safe place, and within seven or eight miles of 1645 -
Bristol, he stayed there two or three days. And in
this journey the chancellor was first assaulted with
the gout, having never had the least apprehension
of it before ; but from his coming to Bath, he was
not able to stand, and so went by coach to Bristol ;
where in few days he recovered that first lameness,
which ever after afflicted him too often. And so the
year 1644 ended, which shall conclude this part.

^ November 6, 1669-



Q 4



THE LIFE

OF

EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON;

FROM HIS BIRTH TO THE RESTORATION OF THE
ROYAL FAMILY IN THE YEAR 1660.



PART IV.



A VERY particular memorial 'of all material af- PART

IV

fairs in the west, during the subsequent year of.



1645, during the prince's residence in the west 1645 -
The state and temper of that country, after the de-
feat of his majesty's army at Naseby The several
plots and devices of the lord Goring, to get the
prince into his power The debauchery of that army
and amongst the officers of it, and the defeats it
suffered from the enemy through that debauchery
Goring's departure out of the kingdom, and the pos-
ture he left his army in The beating up of their
quarters afterwards- The entering of Fairfax into
the west with his army ; and his sudden taking the
towns there The mutinous behaviour of sir Richard
Greenvil, and the quarrels and conflicts between the
troops under his command with those under the
lord Goring The prince's retreat by degrees back-
ward into Cornwall, as Fairfax advanced The seve-
ral messages and orders from the king, for the trans-



234, THE LIFE OF

PART porting the prince out of England, and all the di-
rections and resolutions thereupon; and the several
messages from the queen and the earl of St. Alban's;
with the assurance of a supply of six thousand foot,
under the command of Ruvignie, promised confi-
dently to be landed in Cornwall within- one month,
when there was not any such thing in nature, nor
one company raised, or ship in readiness, or in view

1646. for such an expedition, &c. The king's obliging
the lord Hopton to take charge of those broken and
dissolute troops The commitment of sir Richard
Greenvil, for not submitting to be commanded by
him, and for endeavouring to raise a party in the
country to treat with the enemy for the security
and neutrality of Cornwall, and the routing the lord
Hopton's troops at Torrington The prince's retreat
thereupon to Pendennis; and the factions and con-
spiracies between some of his own servants, and
some gentlemen of the country, to hinder the prince
from going out of the kingdom ; and the departure
of his highness from Pendennis, in the end of that
year 1645 % and his arrival in the island of Scilly, is
contained in papers, orderly and methodically set
down ; which papers and relation are not now
at hand, but are safe, and will be easily found;
together with his highness's stay in the island of
Scilly: from whence, the next day, the lord Cole-
pepper was despatched with letters to the queen to
Paris, to give notice of his highness's being in that
island ; and to desire money, arms, and ammunition
for the defence thereof: and at the same time an-
other vessel was sent into Ireland, to give the mar-

a in the end of that year 1645] Namely, Old Style.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 235

quis of Ormond likewise information of it, and to PART
desire that two companies of foot might be sent thi- '
ther, to increase that garrison, and to defend it, in
case the enemy should attack it His highness's stay
in Scilly near six weeks, until the lords Capel and
Hopton came thither, after they had made condi-
tions for the disbanding their troops with Fairfax ;
which Goring's troops made it necessary to do ; they
not only refusing to obey all orders, but mingling
every day with the troops of the enemy, and re-
maining quietly together in the same quarters,
drinking and making merry with each other The
report of a fleet designed from the parliament for
Scilly, and those lords viewing the island, and not
looking upon it as tenable, caused a new consulta-
tion to be held, whether it were fit for his highness
to remain there, till the return of the lord Colepep-
per, or to remove sooner ; and whither he should
remove ; the frigate which brought the prince from
Pendennis being still kept in readiness at Scilly,
upon the foresight that his remove might come to
be necessary That upon this consultation it was
resolved, that it would not be safe for his highness
to remain there, but that he should transport him-
self from thence into the island of Jersey ; which
was done accordingly And his highness's arrival
there about the beginning of April, 1645 The
prince's reception in Jersey, by sir George Carteret ;
and the universal joy of the island for his arrival ;
with the situation and strength of the island The
lord Digby's arrival in Jersey, with two frigates
from Ireland, and with two hundred soldiers ; hav-
ing been at Scilly, and there heard of his highness's
departure for Jersey His earnest advice for the



236 THE LIFE OF

PART prince's going for Ireland; and when he could not

! obtain his highness's consent, till the return of the

C46 ' lord Colepepper, his going to Paris, to persuade the
queen, and to protest against the prince's going for
France ; against which he inveighed with more pas-
sion than any man The arrival of Mr. Thomas
Jermyn from Paris, with very positive orders for
the prince's repair thither, from the queen And
shortly after, the lord Colepepper's arrival, who
had been despatched from her majesty -to return to
Scilly, before she knew of his highness's remove
from thence; which advertisement overtook the
lord Colepepper at Havre de Grace, after he was
embarked; and so he bent his course thither, and
had the same orders for the prince's going to Paris,
as Mr. Jermyn had likewise brought.

There was none of the council inclined that his
highness, being in a place of unquestionable safety,
should suddenly depart from thence, till the state
and condition in which his majesty was, and his
pleasure might be known : it was then understood
that his majesty had left Oxford, and was with the
Scottish army before Newark ; which he had caused
to be rendered, that the army might retire ; which
it presently did, and the king in it, to Newcastle :
the prince was yet in his father's -dominions ; some
places in England still holding out, as Oxford, Wor-
cester, Pendennis, and other places ; that it would
be easy, in a short time, to understand the king's
pleasure, and that there could be no inconvenience
in expecting it, the prince's person being in no pos-
sible danger; but that the mischief might be very
great, if, without the king's direction, it were done,
whether his majesty should be well or ill treated by



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 237

the Scots; and that the parliament might make it PART
a new matter of reproach against the king, that iie



had sent the heir apparent of the crown out of the
kingdom ; which could be no otherwise excused, at
least by those who attended him, than by evident
and apparent necessity : those reasons appeared of
so much weight to the prince himself, (who had not
a natural inclination to go into France,) and to all
the council, that the lord Capel and the lord Cole-
pepper were desired to go to Paris, to satisfy the
queen why the prince had deferred yielding a pre-
sent obedience to her command.

The treatment they received at Paris, and their
return again to Jersey, together with the lord Jer-
myn and lord Digby, and some other persons of
quality: the lord Digby being to return to Ireland
with eight thousand pistoles, which the cardinal sent
towards the supply of the king's service there ; and
being by it and the cardinal so throughly convinced
of the necessity of the prince's going for France, that
he was more positive for it than any of the rest ; and
had promised the queen that he would convert the
chancellor, and make him consent to it ; with whom
he had a great friendship The debate at Jersey
upon their coming back The lord Capel adhering
to his former opinion, that we might first know the
king's opinion ; towards the receiving of which he
had offered the queen, and now offered again, to go
himself to Newcastle, where the king still was ; no-
body knowing what would be the issue of the con-
troversy between the Scots and the parliament ; and
if the king should direct it, every man would will-
ingly attend his highness, and punctually observe
whatsoever the king commanded ; and because the



238 THE LIFE OF EDWARD &c.

PART objection might be removed, of his being taken pri-
. soner by the parliament, or his being not suffered



1646. by the Scots to speak with the king, he" did offer,
and all who were of his opinion consented to it, that
if he did not return to Jersey within one month,
the prince should pursue the queen's orders, and
every man would attend his highness into France ;
and a month's delay could be of no ill consequence
The prince's resolution to go presently for Paris
and the reasons which moved the lords Capel and
Hopton, and the chancellor, to excuse themselves
and his highness's permission to remain in Jersey ;
from whence they would attend his commands, when
he had any service for them And the sudden re-
servedness and strangeness that grew between those
who advised the going, and those who were for stay-
ing and the prince's embarking himself for France
about July, in the year 1646

All these particulars are so exactly remembered
in those papers, remaining in a cabinet easy to be
found, that they will quickly be put into a method ;
and contain enough to be inserted in the fourth part
of this relation.

Montpelier, November 9, 1669-

N. B. These materials were afterwards made
use of by the author, when he completed the
History of the Rebellion, where these occur-
rences are treated of more at large.



THE LIFE

OF

EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON ;

FROM HIS BIRTH TO THE RESTORATION OF THE
ROYAL FAMILY IN THE YEAR 160.



PART V.



AHE prince having left Jersey about July in the PART
year 1646, the chancellor of the exchequer remained
there about two years after; where he presently be- 164 6.

* . J The chan-

took himself to his study; and enjoyed, as he wasceiiorofthe
wont to say, the greatest tranquillity of mind imagin- residence' at
able. Whilst the lords Capel and Hopton stayed jersey '
there, they lived and kept house together in St.
Hilary's ; which is the chief town of the island :
where, having a chaplain of their own, they had
prayers every day in the church, at eleven of the
clock in the morning ; till which hour they enjoyed
themselves in their chambers, according as they
thought fit ; the chancellor betaking himself to the
continuance of the History, which he had begun at
Scilly, and spending most of his time at that exercise.
The other two walked, or rode abroad, or read, as
they were disposed ; but at the hour of prayers they
always met; and then dined together at the lord
Hopton's lodging, which was the best house ; they



240 THE LIFE OF

being lodged at several houses, with convenience

enough. Their table was maintained at their joint

expense only for dinners ; they never using to sup ;
but met always upon the sands in the evening to
walk, often going to the castle to sir George Carte-
ret ; who treated them with extraordinary kindness
and civility, and spent much time with them ; and,
in truth, the whole island shewed great affection to
them, and all the persons of quality invited them to
their houses, to very good entertainments ; and all
other ways expressed great esteem towards them 3 .
He writes ^ n( jf f rom Ji enc e theu writ a joint letter to the

from thence 9

to the king. & fl^, which they sent to him by Mr. Fanshaw; in
which they made great profession of their duty to
his majesty, and their readiness to proceed in his
service, and to wait upon the prince upon the first
occasion; with such reasons for their not attending
him into France, as they thought could not but be
satisfactory to his majesty; declaring, that they
had only desired that he would stay so long in a
place of his own, of unquestionable security, as
that they might receive the signification of his ma-
jesty's pleasure for his remove ; upon which they
were all resolved to have waited upon him : though
it was evident enough to them, that their advice
would be no longer hearkened unto, after his high-
ness should arrive with the queen.

1647. In England, men's hopes and fears were raised
according to their tempers ; for there was argument
for both affections in the transactions and occur-
rences of every day; it being no easy matter to make

a towards them] MS. adds: against any attempt the parlia-
and appeared very . unanimous ment should make against it
and resolute to defend the island



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 241

a judgment which party would prevail, nor what PART
they would do if they did. The lord Capel received '
advice from his friends in England, to remove from 164 ^-
Jersey into some part of the United Provinces ; that
so, being in a place to which there could be no pre-
judice, his friends might the more hopefully solicit
for liberty for him to return into his own country,
and that he might live in his own house; which
they had reason to hope would not be denied to a
person who had many friends, and could not be con-
ceived to have any enemies, his person being wor-
thily esteemed by all. Whereupon, with the full
concurrence and advice of his two friends, from
whom he had great tenderness to part, and with
whom he renewed his contract of friendship at part-
ing in a particular manner, upon foresight of what
might happen; he went from thence, and first waited
upon the prince at Paris, that he might have his
royal highness's approbation for his return into
England, if he might do it upon honourable condi-
tions : and from thence, with all possible demonstra-
tion of grace from the prince, he transported him-
self to Middleburgh in Zealand ; where he remained
till his friends procured liberty for him to return,
and remain at his own house. The worthy and
noble things he did after, deserve b to be transmitted
to posterity in some more illustrious testimony, that
may be worthy to be recorded.

The lord Capel thus leaving Jersey, the lord
Hopton and the chancellor remained still there, in
the same conjunction, until, some few months after,
the lord Hopton received the news of the death of

b deserve] will be mentioned in order, and deserve
VOL. I. R



242 THE LIFE OF

PART his wife, and of the arrival in France of his uncle,
v ' sir Arthur Hopton ; who, having been ambassador



1647. from the king in Spain, had left that court, and
retired to Paris ; from whence he shortly after re-
moved to Rouen, with a purpose, as soon as he had
at large conferred with his nephew, to go into Eng-
land, for the good and benefit of both their fortunes:
and upon this occasion the lord Hopton likewise left
Jersey, with all possible professions of an entire
friendship to the chancellor, which was never vio-
lated in the least degree to his death. And the
chancellor being thus left alone, he was with great
And re- civility and friendship invited by sir George Carteret

moves to sir /i*iiiiii

George car- to remove from the town, (where he had lived with
his friends till then,) and to live with him in the
castle Elizabeth; whither he went the next day
after the departure of the lord Hopton, and remain-
ed there, to his wonderful contentment, in the very
cheerful society of sir George Carteret and his lady ;
in whose house he received all the liberty and enter-
tainment he could have expected in his own family ;
of which he always retained so just a memory, that
there was never any intermission or decay of that
friendship he then made : and he remained there till
he was sent for again to attend the prince, which
will be mentioned in its time.

He built a lodging in the castle, of two or three
convenient rooms, to the wall of the church, which
sir George Carteret had repaired and beautified ;
and over the door of his lodging he set up his arms,
with this inscription, JSene vixit, qui bene latuit:
and he always took pleasure in relating, with what
great tranquillity of spirit (though deprived of the
joy he took in his wife and children) he spent his



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 243

time here, amongst his books (which he got from PART
Paris) and his papers ; between which he seldom !



spent less than ten hours in the day: and it

* Where he

hardly be believed how much he read and writ wriles the

i . ,. History of

there ; insomuch as he did usually compute, that the Tnm-
during his whole stay in Jersey, which was some
months above two years, he writ daily little less
than one sheet of large paper with his own hand;
most of which are still to be seen amongst his
papers.

From Hampton Court, his majesty writ to the
chancellor of the exchequer with his own hand ; in
which he took notice, that he was writing the His-
tory of the late Troubles; for which he thanked
him, saying, that he knew no man could do it so
well; and that he would not do it the worse, by the Towards
helps that he would very speedily send him : (as his king im-



majesty shortly after did, in two manuscripts very "1"
fairly written, containing all matters of importance ^ s ^^ o
that had passed from the time that the prince of )645and

1646.

Wales went from his majesty into the west, to the
very time that his majesty himself went from Ox-
ford to the Scottish army ; which were all the pas-
sages in the years 1645 and 1646. ) He used many
gracious expressions in that letter to him ; and said,
he looked upon him as one of those who had served
him with most fidelity, and therefore he might be
confident of his kindness ; and that he would bring
him to him with the first ; though, he said, he did
not hold him to be infallible, as he might discern by
what he had commanded Dr. Sheldon, who was then
clerk of his closet, to write to him ; and at the same

c daily] Omitted in MS.
R 2



244 THE LIFE OF

PART time the doctor writ him word, that the king was



sorry that he, the chancellor, stayed at Jersey, and
647 ' did not attend the prince into France ; and that if
he had been there, he would have been able to have
prevented the vexation his majesty had endured at
Newcastle, by messages from Paris.

The doctor likewise sent him word, that great
pains had been taken from Paris to incense the king
against him ; but that it had so little prevailed, that
his majesty had with some sharpness reprehended
those who blamed him, and had justified the chan-
cellor. He made haste to answer his majesty's letter,
and gave him so much satisfaction, that his majesty
said, he was too hard for him. And about the same
time the lord Capel came into England ; and though
he was under security to the parliament for behaving
himself peaceably, he was not -restrained from seeing
the king ; and so gave him a very particular infor-
mation of all that had passed at Jersey ; and many
other things, of which his majesty had never been
informed before ; which put it out of any body's
power to make any ill impressions in him towards
the chancellor.

Upon the king's refusing to give his assent to
the four acts sent to him from the parliament when
he was in the Isle of Wight, they voted, " that no
" more addresses should be made to the king;"
and jmblisked a declaration to that effect, which
contained severe charges against his majesty. Vid.
Hist. Reb. 8vo. vol. v. p. 512. &c.

cnance ll r f tne exchequer no sooner re-



ceiior of ceived a copy of it in Jersey, than he prepared a very

the exche- .

quer writes large and full answer to it ; in which he made the
iShes U an malice and the treason of that libellous declaration



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 245

to appear; and his majesty's innocence in all the PART
particulars charged upon him, with such pathetical _____



applications and insinuations, as were most like to

answer to

work upon the affections of the people : all which the pariia-

i r ** n ment's de-

transmitted (by the care of Mr. Secretary ciaration of



Nicholas, who resided at Caen in Normandy,
held a constant correspondence with the chancellor)
to a trusty hand in London ; who caused it to be
well printed and divulged, and found means to send
it to the king : who, after he had read it, said he
durst swear it was writ by the chancellor, if it
were not that there was more divinity in it than he
expected from him, which made him believe he
had conferred with Dr. Steward. But some months
after, being informed by secretary Nicholas, he sent
the chancellor thanks for it ; and expressed upon all
occasions, that he was much pleased with that vindi-
cation.

The lord Capel had written to the chancellor of
the exchequer, who remained still in Jersey, sig-
nifying the king's commands, that as soon as the
chancellor 'should be required to wait upon the
prince, he should without delay obey the summons.
The king had writ to the queen, that when it should
be necessary for the prince to remove out of France,
the chancellor should have notice oj it, and be re-
quired to attend him. About the beginning of
April, in the year 1648, the lord Capel writ again
to the chancellor, giving him notice, that he would
probably be sent for soon, and desiring him to be
ready. About the middle of May, the queen sent
to the chancellor of the exchequer to Jersey, com-
manding, that he would , wait upon the prince at
Pdris, upon a day that was past before the letter

R 3



246 THE LIFE OF

PART came to his hands ; but as soon as he received the
summons, he immediately transported himself into



1 648. Normandy, and went to Caen ; from thence he hast-
ened to Rouen, where he found the lord Cottington,
the earl of Bristol, and secretary Nicholas, who
had received the same commands. They were in-
formed that the prince was passed by towards
Calais ; and direction was sent, that the chancellor
and the rest should stay at Rouen till they should
receive new orders from Calais. Within few days
they received advice, that the prince had put
himself on board a ship that he found at Calais
bound for Holland, where they were to hear from
him; whereupon they removed from Rouen to
Dieppe ; from whence they might embark for Hol-
land when required. Vid. Hist. Reb. 8vo. vol. vi.
p. 20. &c.

After the lord Cottington, the earl of Bristol,
and the chancellor of the exchequer had stayed at
Dieppe some days, and were confirmed by reports
every day that the prince was in Holland, and
that the fleet wanted some provisions, without which
it could not put out to sea ; they resolved to make
use of the first vessel, of which there were many
then in the harbour, that should be bound for Hol-
land, and to transport themselves thither ; and there
was one which within two or three days would
set out for Flushing. The earl of Bristol had
no mind to venture himself in such a vessel ; and
since the fleet that had declared for the king was
then in Holland, he apprehended that the parlia-
ment might have other vessels abroad, that might
easily seize upon that small bark ; and so, after some
debate with the lord Cottington, (they two being



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 247

seldom of one mind,) the earl resolved to return PART

v.
to his old habitation at Caen, and expect another.



occasion. ] fi48 '

The chancellor, who knew nothing of the sea, nor
understood the hazards thereof, (being always so 'af-
flicted upon that element with sickness, that he con-
sidered nothing about it ; and holding himself obliged
to make what haste he could to the prince,) com-
mitted himself entirely to the lord Cottington : and
when they resolved to embark themselves in the ves-
sel bound for Flushing, a French man of war, which
was called the king's ship, came into the road of
Dieppe, and offered to carry them the next day to
Dunkirk ; which they took to be the safer passage :
and so giving the captain as much money as he de-TFiechan-
manded, they put themselves upon his miserable fri- exchequer e
gate, where they had no accommodations but the
open deck ; and were safely set on shore at Dunkirk,
where marshal Ranzaw was then governor. And
they no sooner landed in the evening, but Carteret,
a servant of the prince's, came to them, and in-
formed them, that the prince was entered the
river of Thames with the fleet; and that he was
sent by his highness to the marshal for a frigate,
which he had offered to lend the prince : and that
he had delivered the letter, and the marshal (who
had been out all the night before upon a design
upon the enemy, and was newly arrived, and gone
to bed) had promised him that the frigate should be
ready the next day. This seemed an extraordinary
good fortune to them, that they might now embark
directly for the fleet without going into Holland,
which they were willing to avoid ; and so resolved
to speak with the marshal as soon as they could,

ll 4



248 THE LIFE OF

PART that they might be confirmed by him, that his fri-
. gate should be ready the next day ; and thereupon



1648. sent a serv ant to wait at the marshal's lodging, that
they might know when he waked, and was to be
spoken with.

The marshal had notice of their arrival before the
servant came to him, and of their desire to go to the
prince ; and sent one of his officers to welcome them
to the town, and to see them well accommodated with
lodging; and to excuse him, that he did not wait
upon them that night, by reason of the fatigue he
had undergone the night before, and that day ; and
to oblige them to dine with him the next day, against
which time the vessel would be made ready to re-
ceive them, and transport them to the prince's fleet ;
with which they were abundantly satisfied ; and be-
took themselves to their rest for that night : and
were early up the next morning to see the marshal ;
but it was late before he rose.

He received them with great civility, being a very
proper man, of a most extraordinary presence and
aspect, and might well be reckoned a very hand-
some man, though he had but one leg, one hand, one
eye, and one ear, the other being cut off with that
side of his face ; besides many other cuts on the
other cheek, and upon his head, with many wounds
in the body ; notwithstanding all which, he stood
very upright, and had a very graceful motion, a
clear voice, and a charming delivery ; and if he had
not, according to the custom of his nation, (for he
was a German,) too much indulged to the excess of
wine, he had been one of the most excellent captains
of that age. He professed great affection to the
prince, and much commended the frigate he in-



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 249

tended to send to him ; which, for the swiftness of it, PART

was called the Hare, and outsailed, as he said, all !

the vessels of that coast: and after he had treated 1648 *

them with a very excellent and a jovial dinner, about

four of the clock in the afternoon he brought them And from

. , i i n thence for

to their boat, that put them on board their frigate ; the prince's
which was but a small vessel of twenty guns, much
inferior to what they expected, by the description
the marshal had made of it. However, it was very
proper for the use they were to make of it, to be de-
livered at the fleet ; and so, the moon shining very
fair, they weighed anchor about sunset, with a very
small gale of wind.

The prince being master at sea, they had no man-
ner of apprehension of an enemy; not knowing or con-
sidering that they were very near Ostend, and so, in
respect of the vessel they were in, liable to be made
a prize by those men of war ; as it fell out : for about
break of day, in a dead calm, they found themselves
pursued by six or seven ships, which, as they drew
nearer, were known by the seamen to be the frigates
of Ostend. There was no hope to escape by the
swiftness of -the vessel, for there was not the least
breath of wind ; and it was to no purpose to resist ;
for, besides that the vessel was not half manned, four
or five of the pursuers were stronger ships ; so that
it was thought best to let the sails fall, that they
might see there was no purpose of resistance ; and
to send Carteret in the boat, to inform the ships who
the persons were that were on board, and that they
had a pass from the archduke : for an authentic
copy of a pass the archduke had sent to the prince,
had been sent to them. All the ships, though they
had the king of Spain's commission, were freebooters,



250 THE LIFE OF

PART belonging to private owners, who observed no rules
! or laws of nations ; but they boarded the vessel with



1 / their swords drawn and pistols cocked, and without

But is taken

by some fri- any distinction plundered all the passengers with

gates of

ostend ; equal rudeness ; save that they stripped some of the
servants to their very shirts : they used not the rest
with that barbarity, being satisfied with taking all
they had in their pockets, and carefully examined
all their valises and trunks, in which they found
good booty.

The lord Cottington lost in money and jewels
above one thousand pounds ; the chancellor, in mo-
ney about two hundred pounds, and all his clothes
and linen ; and sir George Ratcliff and Mr. Wans-
ford, who were in the company, above five hundred

and carried pounds in money and jewels. And having pillaged
iatport 'them in this manner, they carried them all, with the
frigate they had been in, prisoners to Ostend ; where
they arrived about two of the clock in the afternoon ;
all the men and women of the town being gathered
together to behold the prize that was brought in
within so few hours : for intelligence had been sent
from Dunkirk the night before, (according to the
custom and good intelligence observed in those
places,) of the going out of this vessel, which had
such persons on board. When they were on shore,
they were carried through all the spectators to a
common inn ; from whence they sent to the ma-
gistrates, to inform them of what condition they
were, and of the injuries they had received, by hav-
ing been treated as enemies ; and demanded resti-
tution of ship and goods.

The magistrates, who were called the lords of the
admiralty, came presently to them ; and when they



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 251

were fully informed of the whole matter, and had PART
seen the archduke's pass, they seemed very much '



troubled; and with much civility assured them, that
they should not only receive all that had been taken
from them, but that the men should be severely pu-
nished for their transgression. They immediately He is set at
discharged those guards that kept them as prisoners, promised"
and provided the best lodgings in the town for them : satisfaction -
and because it was growing towards the evening,
and the frigates were not yet come in, they excused
themselves that they could do no more that night,
but promised to go themselves on board the ships
the next morning early ; and desired that some of
the gentlemen of their company might go with them,
to the end that they might discover at least some of
those who had been most rude towards them ; who
should be sure to be imprisoned till full satisfaction
were made by the rest.

As soon as the lords of the admiralty were gone,
the governor, an old Spaniard, came to visit them,
with all professions of civility and service, and seemed
to abhor the barbarity with which they had been
treated ; asked very particularly of the manner of
them, and of every particular that had been taken
from them ; and told them, they should be sure to
have it all returned ; for that they did not trouble
themselves in such cases to find out the seamen who
were the plunderers, but resorted always to the
owners of the ships, who lived in the town, and
were substantial men, and bound to answer and sa-
tisfy for all misdemeanours committed by the com-
pany ; and said, he would be with them the next
day, and take care that all should be done that was
just. These professions and assurances made them



252 THE LIFE OF

PART believe that they should receive full reparation for
the damages they had received; and the lord Cot-



1648. tington began to commend the good order and dis-
cipline that was observed under the Spanish govern-
ment, much different from that in other places ; and
in how much better condition they were, after such
usage, to be brought into Ostend, than if they had
been so used by the French, and carried into any of
their ports.

The next morning two of the lords of the admi-
ralty called upon them in their way to the ships,
retaining the same professions they had made the
night before ; and sir George Ratcliff, Mr. Wans-
ford, and some of their servants accompanied them
according to their desire ; and as soon as they were
on board the admiral's vessel, that had brought them
in, and had taken them out of their own, they knew
some of those seamen who had been most busy
about them ; which were immediately seized on and
searched ; and about some of them some pieces of
chains of gold, and other things of value belonging
to the lord Cottington were found ; and some mails,
in which were linen and clothes ; all which were pre-
sently restored and delivered to some of the servants
who were present, and brought them to their mas-
ters. The chancellor was more solicitous for some
papers he had lost, than for his money ; and he was
used to say, that he looked upon it as a singular act
of Providence, that those officers prevailed with a
seaman, who had taken it out of his pocket, to re-
store a little letter which he had lately received from
the king whilst he was in the hands of the army ;
which, for the grace and kindness contained in it,
he did ever exceedingly value.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 253

Those of the admiralty, though they had not yet PART
found out either any. of the jewels or money of which
they had been robbed, thought they had done enough
for the morning, and so returned to dinner ; declar-
ing that they would return in the afternoon ; and
directed the ships to be drawn nearer together, to
the end they might visit them together : and they
did return in the afternoon, accompanied as before,
but their reception by the seamen was not as in the
morning. The captains answered those questions
which were asked of them negligently and scorn-
fully ; and those seamen who had been searched in
the morning, and were appointed to be produced in
the afternoon to be further examined, could not be
found ; and instead of bringing the ships nearer to-
gether, some of them were gone more out to sea;
and the rest declared, that they would go all out to
sea that night : and when the magistrates seemed to
threaten them, they swore they would throw both
them and all who came with them overboard ; and
offered to lay hands upon them in order to it ; so
that they were all glad to get off; and returned to
the town, talking loud what vengeance they would
take upon the captains and seamen when they re-
turned again into port, (for they already stood out
to sea in their sight ;) and in the mean time they
would prosecute the owners of the vessels, who
should satisfy for the damage received: but from
this time the governor nor the lords of the admiralty
cared to come near them ; and they quickly found
that the reason of all the governor's civility the first
night, and the many questions he had asked con-
cerning all the particulars they had lost of any kind,
was only to be the better informed, to demand his



254 THE LIFE OF

PART share from the seamen ; and that the lords of the
v.

admiralty were the owners of the several vessels, or



C48< had shares in them, and in the victualling, and so

were to divide the spoil, which they pretended

But cannot should be restored. So that after they had remained

obtain it.

there four or five days, they were contented to
receive one hundred pistoles for discharging the
debts they had contracted in the town, (for there
was not any money left amongst them,) and to carry
them to the prince ; which those of the admiralty
pretended to have received from some of the own-
ers, and to wait for further justice when the ships
should return, which they doubted not should be
effectually called for by the commands of the arch-
duke, when he should be informed: and so they
prosecuted their journey to the prince, making their
way by Bruges, and from thence by the way of
Sluys to Flushing : and those hundred pistoles were
the only recompense that they ever received for that
affront and damage they had sustained, which in
the whole amounted to two thousand pounds at the
least ; though the king's resident, De Vic, at Brus-
sels prosecuted the pretence with the archduke as
long as there was any hope.

The chancellor was often used to relate an obser-
vation that was generally made and discoursed at
Ostend at that time, that never any man who ad-
ventured in setting out those frigates of rapine,
which are called men of war, or in victualling or
bearing any share in them, died rich, or possessed
of any valuable estate : and that as he walked one
morning about the town and upon the quay with an
English officer, who was a lieutenant in that garri-
son, they saw a poor old man walk by them, whom



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 255

the lieutenant desired the chancellor to observe; PART
and when he was passed by, he told him, that he



had known that man the richest of any man in the 1648 *
town ; that he had been the owner of above ten
ships of war at one time, without any partner or
sharer with him ; that he had had in his ware-
houses in the town as much goods and merchandise
together as amounted to the value of one hundred
thousand pounds, within seven years before the time
he was then speaking ; and after the loss of two or
three frigates, he insensibly decayed so fast, that
having begun to build another frigate, which he
shewed him as they walked, and which lay then not
half finished, he was not able to go through with it ;
and that he was at that time so poor, that he had
not wherewith to maintain him, but received the
charity of those who had known him in a plentiful
estate : and this relation he made in confirmation of
that discourse and observation ; and it made so deep
an impression upon the chancellor, that afterwards,
when the war was between England, and Holland,
and France, and when many gentlemen thought it
good husbandry to adventure in the setting out
such ships of war, he always dissuaded his friends
from that traffic, relating to them this story, of the
truth whereof he had such evidence ; and did in
truth moreover in his own judgment believe, that
all engagements of that kind were contrary to the
rules of justice and a good conscience,

When they came to Flushing, they thought it He goes to
best to stay there, as the most' likely place to have
commerce with the fleet ; and they found there co-
lonel William Vavasour, who had, by the prince's
commission, drawn some companies of foot together,



256 THE LIFE OF

PART and expected some vessel to be sent from the fleet
for their transportation ; and Carteret was already



1648. despatched, to inform the prince of what had be-
fallen the treasurer and chancellor, and that they
waited his commands at Flushing : and because Mid-
dleburgh would be as convenient to receive intelli-
gence, and more convenient for their accommoda-

m thence tion, they removed thither, and took a private lodg-

to Middle- t J

burgh. ing ; where, by having a cook, and other servants,
they might make their own provisions. They had
been at Middleburgh very few days, before the Hind
frigate was sent by the prince to bring them to the
fleet, with direction that they should make as much
haste as was possible ; and they had no occasion to
delay, but the wind was so directly against them for
two or three days, that they could not put them-
selves on board. It was now about the middle of



attend the T . , -i / 11

prince in July, when the wind appeared fair, and they pre-



sently embarked, and weighed anchor, and sailed all
s driven the night; but in the morning the wind changed,
and blew so hard a gale, that they were compelled
to turn about, and came before night again to Flush-
ing; whence they endeavoured three times more to
get into the Downs, from whence they might easily
have got to the fleet; but as often as they put to
sea, so often they were driven back, and once with
so violent a storm that their ship was in danger,
and was driven in under the Ramekins, a fort near
the mouth of the river that goes to Middleburgh ;
whither they again repaired : and the winds were
so long contrary, that they received order from the
prince to repair into Holland ; for that his highness
resolved within very few days, it being now tow'ards
the end of August, to carry the fleet thither ; as he



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 257

shortly after did. And by this means the lord Cot- PART
tington and the chancellor were not able to attend !
the prince whilst he remained with the fleet within IC 48.
the river of Thames ; but were well informed, when
they came to him, of all that had passed there.

The lord Cottington and the chancellor of 'the ex-
chequer, as soon as they received advertisement at
Middleburgh that the prince resolved to return with
the fleet into Holland, made all the haste they could Arrives at

the Hague.

to the Hague ; it being then about the end of Au-
gust; and came thither within one day after the
prince's arrival there.

The next morning after the lord Cottington and
the chancellor of the exchequer came to the Hague,
the prince appointed his council, to meet together,
to receive and deliberate upon a message the lord
Lautherdale had brought from the parliament of
Scotland, earnestly pressing him to repair forth-
with to their army; which was already entered
into England, under the command of the duke of
Hamilton the chancellor reproves the lord Lau-
therdale for his insolent behaviour before the coun-
cil. Vid. Hist, of the Reb. 8vo. vol. vi. p. 83. &c.

The factions in the prince's family, and the
great animosity which prince Rupert had against
the lord Colepepper, infinitely disturbed the coun-
sels, and perplexed the lord Cottington and the
chancellor of the exchequer Colepepper had pas-
sions and infirmities which no friends could re-
strain ; and prince Rupert, though very well in-
clined to the chancellor, >was absolutely governed
by Herbert the attorney general, who industri-
ously cultivated his prejudice to Colepepper. Hist,
of the Reb. 8vo.