other two nations in Christendom."-Ibid. scandal of the church, as I conceive; and

vol. 1, p. 299.

certainly could have been content I had been surprized. But he is so learned a prelate, and so good a man, as I do beseech your grace it may never be imputed unto him. Howbeit I will always write your lordship the truth, whomsoever it concerns.”

"FAR be it from me, my lord," he says to Laud, "ever to take a difference in opinion offensively from the meanest of my friends, much less sure from your grace,-Ibid. vol. 1, p. 343. whom I protest upon my faith, I reverence more than I do any other subject in the whole world, and to whose judgement I shall sooner lean and trust myself than my own; so as if you be not free with me in that kind, upon all occasions, you proceed not with me as with your son, and take from me the glory of that obedience I have set apart for you as my ghostly father."Ibid. vol. 1, p. 299.

"You mention my garden at Woodhouse," he says to Sir Ed. Stanhope, "and I thank you for the visit. And as prosperous as you conceive his Majesty's affairs go here (and indeed unprosperous, I praise God, they have not been hitherto) yet could I possess myself with more satisfaction and repose under that roof, than with all the preferment and power a crown can communicate with her grace and favour. My mind works fast towards a quiet, and to be discharged of the care and importunity of affairs, which, God knows, force me against my will from many of those more excellent duties I owe his goodness and blessings. Nor can I judge any men so entirely and innocently happy as those that have no necessity of business upon them, but such as they may take or leave as they please, without being accountable for any neglect or success to others."—Ibid. vol. 1, p. 305.

the affairs

"I am not ignorant that my stirring herein will be strangely reported and censured on that side; and how I shall be able to sustain myself against your Prynne's, Pim's and Ben's (? Rudyard?) with the rest of that generation of odd names and natures, the Lord knows."-Ibid.

1634. "I FIND well enough I am upon the disadvantage ground, where I am like still to be troublesome to my friends, and seldom in place and season to speak either for myself or for them, which, in good faith, I should the more freely do of the two. I spend more here than I have of entertainment from his Majesty; I suffer extremely in my own private at home; I spend my body and spirits with extreme toil; I sometimes undergo the misconstructions of those I conceived should not, would not have used me so, in such a measure (I know well what I write), as I vow to you, I would absolutely leave all, but that I have the comfort and assurance of my master to be with him accepted, however I be with this absent servant of his, and make me others. God reward that goodness towards

WRITING to Laud, 1634, upon of the Irish church, he says, "it is very true that for all the primate's silence, it was not possible but he knew how near they were to have brought in those articles reign duties I owe him.”—Ibid. vol. 1, of Ireland, to the infinite disturbance and

able to serve him answerable to those sove

354.

p.

STRAFFORD.

CONCERNING the admission of the English Articles in Ireland, he asks for a letter from the King, "that so if a company of Puritans in England may chance in Parliament to have a month's mind a man's ears should be horns, I might be able to shew his Majesty at least approved of the proceedings. There is not any thing that hath passed since my coming to the government I am liker to hear of than this; and therefore I would fence myself as strongly as I could against the mousetraps and other the smaller engines of Mr. Prynne and his associates." -Ibid. vol. 1, p. 381.

167

as long as I possibly can, that so, till the place be again settled, I may be in a land where all things are forgotten. There shall I trust to enjoy my own quiet more to my contentment, and that (as your lordship observes most judiciously) so great a place and high employment will never stoop to him that neither looks after it, nor regards it."-Ibid. vol. 1, p. 411.

"BELIEVE me, I have no ambition, nay no inclination to that place; for it is most certain I have an inward and obstinate aversion from it. I do not serve the king out of the ordinary ends that the servants of great princes attend them with. Great

are already entrusted with me by my master I do not desire: I wish, much rather, abilities to discharge these I have, as becomes me, than any of those I have not. Again, I serve not for reward, having received much more than I shall ever be able to deserve. Besides there should, and I trust in God there shall be, a time for me in stillness and repose to consider myself,

1635. To his brother, Sir George W.-wealth I covet not: greater powers than "If my Lord Treasurer (Weston) be dead, and that you hear me by any nominated to succeed him, I pray you make answer, that upon some former rumours of the like heretofore, you have heard me in private seriously profess it was the place in the whole world the most unfit for me; and that I desire it should be so understood by all that love me. For, you are sure, that I neither follow the service of the crown with so in-and those other more excellent and needful discreet affections, or so far neglect the moderate care of my own contentment and subsistence, as (being a person in my own opinion so uncapable) to accept an employment so much to the disservice of my master, or my own ruin. And therefore in treat all my friends that speak of it, to silence it as much as may be, as a thing not to be entertained by me."-Ibid. vol. 1, p. 391.

duties than these momentary trifles below, which the Treasurer's place admits not, at least to my satisfaction; for this is most certain, that a Treasurer must die so, or be dishonoured, if not altogether ruined. And to be tied to the importunity of affairs all my life, in good faith all the preferments, and what else soever men most esteem in this world, shall, I trust, never so far lay asleep or infatuate, the sense I ought to have of that much better which remains after this life."-Ibid. vol. 1, p. 420.

1635. To the Earl of Newcastle." If I had any design upon it, I confess your lordship's counsel for my repair to court is very sound, and I humbly thank you for it; To Lord Cottington, 1635.-"'Tis true it being indeed very much which a man's I am in a thing they call a progress, but own presence moves in those cases. But yet in no great pleasure for all that. All judging the place unfit for me, and I for the comfort I have is a little Bonneyclabber; it, my purpose is to take a clean contrary upon my faith I am of opinion it would like way for I will be so far from hastening you above measure; would you had your thither, as I will delay all writing to court belly full of it; I will warrant you you

1635. LAUD writes concerning the Earl of Corke-"I find his majesty very careful that the church should have all her own restored to her, and that the Earl be fined answerable to that which upon publication his cause shall merit; and that the ordering of this shall be by your Lordship, and your experience upon the place and of the fact. All that I can perceive is earnestly desired is the declining of a public sentence, and saving of the Earl, for his place and alliance' sake, from the stain which a sentence would leave upon record, both on himself and his posterity, which, when you have taken into serious consideration, I leave to your wisdom.

barking of discontented persons; and God forbid but you should. And yet my Lord, if you could find a way to do all these great services and decline these storms, I think it would be excellent well thought on. I heartily pray your Lordship to pardon me this freedom, which I brought with me into your friendship, and which (though sometimes to my own hurt) I have used with all the friends I have."-Ibid. vol. 1, p. 480.

JUSTIFICATION of his apparent rigour.Ibid. vol. 2, p. 20.

HE represented to the King that "the Londoners were laying out great sums upon the plantation, and that it were not only very strict in their case, but would discourage all other plantations, if the uttermost advantage were taken. Besides it was very considerable the too much discouraging of the City, which in a time thus conditioned (1636) and when they were to be called upon still for those great payments towards the shipping business, might produce sad effects; whereas, in my poor judgement, they were rather to be as tenderly, as possibly might be, dealt with, if not favoured, and kept in life and spirit.".-Ibid. vol. 2,

p. 25.

"My Lord, I am the bolder to write this last line to you upon a late accident which I have very casually discovered in Court. I find that notwithstanding all your great services in Ireland, which are most graciously accepted by the King, you want not them which whisper, and perhaps speak louder where they think they may, against your proceedings in Ireland, as being over- WRITING from Gawthorp, 1636, he says full of personal persecutions against men of to Laud, "I am gotten hither to a poor quality, and they stick not to instance in house I have, having been this last week St. Albans, the Lord Wilmot, and this Earl. almost feasted to death at York. In truth, And this is somewhat loudly spoken by for anything I can find, they were not illsome on the Queen's side. And although pleased to see me. Sure I am it much conI know a great part of this proceeds from tented me to be amongst my old acquaintyour wise and noble proceedings against ance, which I would not leave for any other the Romish party in that kingdom, yet that affection I have, but to that which I both shall never be made the cause in public, profess and owe to the person of his sacred but advantages taken (such as they can) Majesty. Lord! with what quietness in myfrom these and the like particulars to blast self could I live here in comparison of that you and your honour, if they be able to do noise and labour I meet with elsewhere; it. I know you have a great deal more re- and I protest put up more crowns in my solution in you than to decline any service purse at the year's end, too. But we'll let due to the king, State or Church, for the that pass, for I am not like to enjoy that

STRAFFORD.

54.

169

blessed condition upon earth. And there- of his Majesty's, Lowbeit he had no part at fore my resolution is set to endure and all in the counsels; therefore, as well for struggle with it so long as this crazy body our own indemnity as your glory, you may will bear it; and finally drop into the silent be sure of our prayers. '—Ibid. vol. 2, p. grave, where both all these (which I now could, as I think, innocently delight myself in) and myself are to be forgotten; and fare them well. I persuade myself, exuto Lepido, I am able to lay them down very quietly, and yet leave behind me, as a truth not to be forgotten, a perfect and full remembrance of my being your Grace's most humbly to be commanded." WENTWORTH. -Ibid. vol. 2, p. 26.

THERE were some near the King, and so

"If once the season come to that part, Lord deliver me from seeking an alms from the hands of a Puritan! It is a generation of men more apt to begin business than obstinately to pursue and perfect it; and the part they delight most in is to discourse rather than suffer."-Ibid. vol. 2, p. 54.

This is said with reference to the Palatinate.

STRAFFORD tells him, who publicly pro- ing to war with Austria on the Palatine's 1637. THE paper upon the policy of go

fessed his ruin.—Ibid. vol. 2, p. 33.

"As for wit or importunity," says WENTWORTH, "in the former I did never affect other than a single plainness; nor is my nature possibly to be hardened into the latter."-Ibid. vol. 2, p. 33.

He says to the King, "Out of the truth of my heart, and with that liberty your Majesty is pleased to afford me, admit me to say, Reward, well applied, advantages the services of kings extremely much; it being most certain that not one man of very many serve their masters for love, but for their own ends and preferments, and that he is in the rank of the best servants that can be content to serve his master together with himself."—Ibid. vol. 2, p. 41.

UPON the appearance of a breach with Spain, WENTWORTH says, "The servant his Majesty employs here shall be sure to have his hands full; and if we prosper not in our designs upon the House of Austria, there is reason for him to believe he may happen to suffer through the misfortune as soon, and as deeply, as any other minister

quarrel, contains plain indications of a design to render the Crown independent of Parliament.-Ibid. vol. 2, pp. 60-2.

A STRONG passage addressed to Laud, against the desired war for the Palatinate, and the designs of those who were urging the King to it,-with a clear sense of his own danger.-Ibid. vol. 2, p. 66.

This is one of the most considerable pas sages in the Letters.

FAIRFAX'S son left under STRAFFORD'S care by his grandfather. £1200 appointed for his education.-Ibid vol. 2, p. 70.

"PERCHANCE some in my case would bemoan himself, thus still to have the negative singly and severely put upon him by your ministers on that side, by that means to find every hand lift up, and hear every mouth opened wide in his contrary. But in truth this moves me very small; and such are the purposes I have assumed in your service, and so much more earnestly do I seek after it, than after myself, as I am able to bear this and much more with case and contentment."—Ibid. vol. 2, p. 83.

"It is alone your goodness and affection that moves you to consider any trouble of mine, which as I cannot but take most kindly from your Grace (as what had I ever from you other than as from a father?) so in other respects all things of this life are become wondrous indifferent to me, since I am sure the best of it is past already."— Ibid.

To Laud, 1638. "Good and faithful assistance in truth I have here at the Committee of Revenue, but this goes no further than the private; for as for the public envy and malice contracted in the execution, from persons pretending and interested, that I must take to myself-tread that thorny path alone. God help me and sustain me, for assuredly it begins to press and pinch me shrewdly. This testimony I must ever give, To Laud, 1638. "God send them (the that his Majesty is to acknowledge the best Scots) well into their right wits, say I, depart of that great work of the plantations liver the public peace from the ill of them, to the comfort and cheerfulness you have and me out of their fingers. You may pray ever given me in the undertaking and as much if you please, for your share, for if secution of it. By my troth, I had other- truth were known, they wish you no better wise long since sunk under the burthen, so than myself, and that, believe me, is ill much it is against my nature and disposi- enough."-Ibid. p. 196. tion continually to dwell upon contestation in a manner with all men, where nothing is sought by me but quietness, silently and peaceably to pass over this life. I call the Heavenly Power to witness, no other respect but the service of God and his Majesty should longer oblige me unto it.". Ibid. vol. 2, p. 157.

pro

To Laud. "I still beseech you be pleased to settle a peace, if possibly it may be, in

To Windebank, Aug. 1638. "The busiand sits wondrous dark upon the public ness-indeed gathers fearfully and apace, peace; may God be pleased in his mercy to disperse and clear up all again! The skirts of the great rain, if not part of the thundering and lightning I confess, is probable enough will fall upon this kingdom. Believe me this consideration travails my thoughts exceedingly, day and night, and