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friends and admirers, he was adorned with

wigs are always hovering in princes courts, hanging in their ears. They take upon them to make princes beholding to their violent wresting of the text, to bestow upon them whatever prerogative the kings of Juda and Israel used or usurped; as if the judicials of Moses were appointed by God for all commonwealths, all kings: as a good bishoprick or living is fit for every priest that can catch it. These men having their best hopes of preferment from princes, make divinity to be but organon politicum, an instrument of government, and harden the hearts of princes, Pharaoh-like: kings delight to be tickled by such venerable warrantable flattery. Sir, you have more means to prefer them than other men, therefore they apply themselves more to you than other men do. Tu facis hunc dominum, te facit ille Deum. The king makes the poor priest a lord, and rather than he will be behind with the king in courtesie, he will flatter him above the condition of a mortal, and make him a god royal. Sir, permit me to give you this antidote against this poison; let an act be passed, that all such divines as either by preaching, writing, or discoursing, shall advance your prerogative and power above the known laws and liberties of the land, forfeit all his ecclesiastical preferments ipso facto, and be incapable ever after, and for ever banished your court. But above all, learn to trust in your judgment. Plus aliis de te quam tu tibi credere noli: God hath enabled you to remember things past, to observe things present, and, by comparing them together, to conjecture things to come: which are the three parts of wisdom that will much honour and advantage you." Pity but princes had more frequently such honest advice given them!-The next authority shall be that

* Walker's History of Independency, part I. printed 1648, 4to.

very many amiable qualities, and was master

of Mr. Whitlock, which I will transcribe at large. "In this treaty, [at Oxford, 1643] the king manifested his great parts and abilities, strength of reason, and quickness of apprehension, with much patience in hearing what was objected against him; wherein he allowed all freedom, and would himself sum up the arguments, and give a most clear judgment upon them. His unhappiness was that he had a better opinion of others' judgments than of his own, though they were weaker than his own; and of this we had experience to our great trouble. We were often waiting on the king, and debating some points of the treaty with him, until midnight, before we could come to a conclusion. Upon one of the most material points we pressed his majesty with our reasons, and best arguments we could use, to grant what we desired. The king said he was ́fully satisfied, and promised to give us his answer in writing, according to our desire; but, because it was then past midnight, and too late to put it into writing, he would have it drawn up the next morning (when he commanded us to wait on him again), and then he would give us his answer in writing, as it was now agreed upon. We went to our lodgings full of joyful hopes to receive this answer the next morning, and which being given, would have much conduced to a happy issue, and success of this treaty, and we had the king's word for it, and we waited on him the next morning at the hour appointed. But instead of that answer, which we expected, and were promised, the king gave us an answer quite contrary to what was concluded the night before, and very much tending to the breach of the treaty. We did humbly expostulate this with his majesty, and pressed him upon his royal word, and the ill consequences which we feared would follow upon this his new paper. But the king told us,

of accomplishments" which are esteemed in the world, and looked on as ornamental.

he had altered his mind, and that this paper which he now gave us was his answer, which he was now resolved to make upon our last debate. And we could obtain no other from him, which occasioned much trouble and sadness to us. Some of his own friends of whom we enquired touching this passage, informed us, that after we were gone from the king, and that his council were also gone away, some of his bedchamber (and they went higher) hearing from him what answer he had promised us, and doubting it would tend to such an issue of the treaty as they did not wish, they being rather for the continuance of the war, never left pressing and persuading of the king, till they prevailed with him to change his former resolutions, and to give order for his answer to be drawn, as it was delivered to us 2." This narrative of Whitlock's, whose authority is beyond all exception, (though engaged on the side of the parliament, and a commissioner in this and other treaties with the king for it) proves not only what I principally intended it for, the good understanding of Charles, but also his liableness to be drawn aside from his resolutions, by those in whom he confided, as well as his disregard to his royal word, and therefore may be looked on as further proof of his want of sincerity, of which we have spoken pretty largely in note 20.

23 If we believe his friends, he was adorned with many amiable qualities, &c.] "He was the worthiest gentleman, the best master, the best friend, the best husband, the best father, and the best christian, that the age in which he lived produced "." And according to Perinchief, he "was religious, just, and clement; possessed of fortitude, patience, and humility; a lover of ▸ Clarendon, vol. V. p. 259.

Whitlock, p. 68.

Every one knows that there goes under his name a very large folio volume inti

his subjects, obliging in his conversation, true to his word, chaste, temperate, and frugal." A fine picture! pity it was not true! But princes, even when dead, have incense offered before their shrines, and their praises high sounded, if they have been the benefactors of those who attempt their characters! Such is the force of interest! It blinds the understanding, warps the affections, and causes even men of sense and virtue to say things, perhaps honestly, which will not bear the scrutiny.

Tis from high life high characters are drawn;

A saint in crape is twice a saint in lawn ;

A judge is just, a chanc❜lor juster still;

A gownman learn'd; a bishop what you will:

Wise if a minister; but if a king,

More wise, more learn'd, more just, more ev'ry thing.

POPE.

I will not, therefore, enter into an examination of these superlative praises bestowed on Charles: the reader by what he has seen, and will further see, will be enabled fully to judge of them.-As to his accomplishments, I will give them from writers who may be supposed to have known them, and who therefore are the fittest to be attended to. "He understood Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, and Italian authors in their original languages, which three last he spake perfectly, no man being better read in histories of all sorts, being also able to discourse in most arts and sciences ".". "With any artist or good mechanic, traveller, or scholar, he would discourse freely; and as he was commonly improved by them, so he often gave light to them in their own art or knowledge. For there were few gentlemen in the world, that knew more of useful or necesDugdale's Short View of the Troubles in England, fol. p. 383. Oxon.

tuled BAZIAIKA. The works of king Charles

a

sary learning than this prince: and yet his proportion of books was but small, having, like Francis I. of France, learnt more by the ear than by study.-His exercises were manly; for he rid the great horse very well; and on the little saddle he was not only adroit, but a laborious hunter or fieldman: and they were wont to say of him, that he failed not to do any of his exercises artificially, but not very gracefully; like some well-proportioned faces, which yet want a pleasant air of countenance "."" He was well skilled in things of antiquity, could judge of medals whether they had the number of years they pretended unto. His libraries and cabinets were full of those things on which length of time put the value of rarities. In painting he had so excellent a fancy, that he would supply the defect of art in the workman, and suddenly draw those lines, give those airs and lights, which experience and practice had not taught the painter. He could judge of fortifications, and censure whether the cannon were mounted to execution or no. He had an excellent skill in guns, knew all that belonged to their making. The exactest arts of building ships for the most necessary uses of strength or good sailing, together with all their furniture, were not unknown to him. He understood and was pleased with the making of clocks and watches. He comprehended the art of printing. There was not any one gentleman of all the three kingdoms, that could compare with him in an universality of knowledge. He encouraged all the parts of learning, and he delighted to talk with all kinds of artists, and with so great a facility did apprehend the mysteries of their professions, that he did sometimes say, he thought he could get his living, if necessitated, by any trade he

a Warwick, p. 65, 66.

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