has been faid by many writers, concerning the

fter, with their adherents, rebels; (though 'tis very remarkable that he never would give the wretches, who perpetrated the Irish maffacre, the fame appellation, as we fhall hereafter fhew) but it was great incivility to give the lords and gentlemen who adhered to him at Oxford, and who had ventured their lives and fortunes in his fervice, the opprobrious title of our mun

cabinet

gril parliament here (d);' and to reprefent fome of (d) King's them as too wife, others too foolish, fome too busy, opened, p. others too referved, many fantastick (e).'-On the 9th 13. of March, 1641, both houfes of parliament fent a decla- (e) Id. p. 8. ration to the king, who was then at Newmarket, part of which being read to him by the earl of Holland, his majefty interrupted him in the reading, and faid, that's falfe; which being afterwards touched upon again, his majefty then faid, 'tis a lye.-And on the next day, when his majesty delivered his anfwer, which was read by the earl of Holland to the reft of the committee [of parliament]; and that being done, his lordship endeavoured to perfuade his majesty to come near the parliament: whereunto his majefty anfwered, I would you ⚫ had given me caufe; but, I am fure, this declaration is . not the way to it, and in all Ariftotle's Rhetorics there

is no fuch argument of perfuafion. The earl of Pem• broke thereupon telling him, that the parliament had • humbly befought his majefty to come near them, as aforefaid, his majefty replied, that he had learnt by ← their declaration, that words were not fufficient. His majefty being then again moved, by the faid earl of • Pembroke, to exprefs what he would have, faid, he would whip a boy in Weftminster-fchool, that could not tell that by his anfwer. And farther faid, they were 'much mistaken, if they thought his anfwer of that a ' denial. And being also asked by the faid earl of Pem• broke, whether the militia might not be granted, as was defired by the parliament, for a time; his majefty fwore by God, not for an hour: you have asked that of me in this,

F 3

the honour, probity, and good faith of this prince;

this, was never afkt of any king, and with which I

(f) Rufh-will not truft my wife and children (f);' worth, vol.

iv. P. 532

When the parliament fent commiffioners to Oxford with propofitions for peace, which were read by the earl of Denbigh, the king asked the committee if they had power to treat? They replying, that they had no commiffion to treat, but to receive his majesty's answer in writing, the king replied, Then a letter-carrier ⚫ might have done as much as you. To which the earl • of Denbigh faid, I fuppofe your majesty looks upon us as perfons of another condition than letter-carriers. The king faid again, I know your condition; but I fay • that your commiffion gives you power to do no more than a letter-carrier might have done. And fo we came away from the king with a little kind of diffatisfac(e) Whit- tion (g).' The fame author goes on afterwards, and lock, p.114. tells us, that the committee who carried the propofitions of peace to Oxford, had the king's answer fealed up and fent to them. They, upon advice together, 6 thought it not fit for them to receive an answer in that < manner, not being acquainted with what it was, nor a copy of it (as was ufual in the like cafes) fent with it unto them; and upon this they defired to be excused ⚫ from receiving that anfwer fo fealed, and made an addrefs to his majefty, that they might know what his anfwer was, and have a copy of it. To which his majefty replied, What is that to you, who are but to carry what I fend, and if I will fend the fong of Robin Hood and Little John, you must carry it? To which the commiffioners only faid, that the business about ' which they came, and were to return with his majesty's anfwer, was of fomewhat more confequence than • that fong. And other paffages there were, which fhewed the king to be in no good-humour, and were wondered at, in a bufinefs efpecially of this importance, and where the disobliging the commiffioners could be 6)Id.p.115.6 of no advantage to the king (h).'——— A word, says • Lilly, dropped out of the king's mouth, loft him the

<

6

• love

prince: but if we impartially examine facts,

(by

love of the feamen: fome being in conference with his majefty, acquainted him, that he was loft in the • affection of the feamen; for they intended to petition the house. I wonder, quoth the king, how I have loft the affection of those water-rats (i).'- -I will add a (i) Lilly, paffage or two from Warwick, who was informed by p. 61. Juxon, who attended on his majesty just before his death. We will not talk, faid the king to him, of these rogues (for that was his term) in whofe hands I am : they thirst after my blood, and they will have it, and God's will be done. I thank God, I heartily forgive them, and I will talk of them no more. However, the next day, which was the day of his execution, ⚫ when he had received the eucharift, he rose up from his knees, with a chearful and fteddy countenance : Now, fays he, let the rogues come; I have heartily forgiven them, and am prepared for all I am to undergo (k),'

(k) Memoirs, I will add a paffage or two more on this head.-Lord P. 343. Clarendon, fpeaking of the conclufion of Charles's firft expedition against the Scots, obferves, that he had not • difmiffed his army with fo obliging circumstances as was like to incline them to come willingly together again, if there were occafion to use their fervice. The earl of Effex, who had merited very well throughout the whole affair, and had never made a false step in • action or counfel, was discharged in the crowd, without ordinary ceremony; and an accident happening at the fame time, or very foon after, by the death of the lord Afton, whereby the command of the forest of • Needwood fell into the king's difpofal, which lay at the door of that earl's eftate, and would infinitely have gratified him, was denied to him, and bestowed upon • another (1).'

(1) Vol. i. What follows is contained in a letter written by Robert P. 124. lord Spencer, who died in the royal caufe, to his lady, juft before the fiege of Gloucester. "I never faw the

king look better: he is very chearful, and, by the

bawdy

(m) Sidney's

(by which alone his character can be afcertained) we fhall, perhaps, find good reason to doubt of his truth and fincerity (u).

For papers, vol. bawdy difcourfe, I thought I had been in the drawingii. p. 668. ' room (m).'

I think these paffages abundantly fufficient to justify the affertion in the text, that his majefty had not learned to facrifice to the graces; and confequently, that he was wanting in what would have been not only ornamental, but useful. For the love and good-will of the fubjects are effentially neceffary to the glory and happiness of a prince now these are hardly any ways fo eafily attained, as by a humane and courteous behaviour, which it behoves all to cultivate, in proportion to the rank they bear in life. Men, for the most part, understand words; their pride is flattered by the condescension of their fuperiors, which feldom fails of attaching them to the interest of those who know how to work on it. Whereas a haughty behaviour, a referved manner, an ungracious anfwer, will create averfion in the minds of the byftanders, as well as in those perfons who are immediately concerned, and render them cool at least to their intereft, if not enemies to their perfons. For those who think themselves above all, will be neglected in time by all; nor will they ever be regarded any farther than men find it for their intereft to submit to, or affift them.

(v) If we examine facts, we shall find much reafon to doubt of his truth and fincerity.] Truth is the bond of fociety, productive of many good confequences, and at all times admired and applauded by those who chuse not, on occafion, to adhere to it. Princes, above all men, fhould pay an inviolable regard to it, as highly glorious and falutary but fraud, diffimulation, and deceit, fhould be avoided by them, because these fully their characters, and render them vile, odious, and terrible. If honour and virtue were to be banished the world, faid Charles the Wife, they ought. to find an afylum with princes. And even Machiave. owns, that though it be not neceffary

:

• that

For certain it is, he afferted what was false, with regard to the tranfactions in Spain;

was

⚫ that a prince fhould have all the good qualities, (among which fincerity is reckoned by him) yet it is extremely requifite that he should appear to have them.' This is fpeaking much in their praife. But he adds, I will ' venture to affirm, that his having them, and putting them in practice, would be to his prejudice; whereas the putting on the appearance of them, must be for his intereft. Let him feem, and let him actually be, merciful, true to his word, humane, religious, and fincere ; but at the fame time let him have fo much command of himself, that, if occafion requires, he may be quite the reverfe (n).' And the prince, of whom we are () Machianow writing, being advised, in a certain cafe, to detain a vel's prince, nobleman whom he had called to court, faid, He be

c. 18.

hoved to be a king of his word (o).' Whether and (0) Guthry's how far he did as it behoved him to do, is now our bufi- memoirs, nefs to enquire. When the Spanish match was broken P. 31. off by means of Buckingham, and he had determined to fatiate his revenge, by caufing war against that people to be made, it was thought fit that the whole affair concerning the faid match and the Palatinate, and the behaviour of the Spanish court to the prince, fhould be stated and enlarged upon, in a conference between the two houfes, which his highness and the duke were defired to manage. At the conference, the prince made a fhort introduction to the bufinefs, and faid fome very kind things of the duke, and then referred the whole relation to him. Whereupon Buckingham made a long narration full of falfhoods, and for which, lord Clarendon obferves,

he had not the leaft direction from the king, and a great 'part whereof he knew to be untrue (p).'- -But yet, (p) Clarennotwithstanding the falfhoods contained in Buckingham's don, vol. i. narration, the prince, who was prefent at it, and affifted P. 22. him in it, and certified many particulars thereof, attefted the truth of it on the spot ; and on its being reported ⚫ the fame day to the house, his highnefs approved thereof there alfo:' as did his father foon after, though

againft