[22] The famous Mr. Hampden was his uncle.
[23] That of Secretary of State. The Lord Clarendon tells us it was with the utmost difficulty he persuaded him to accept it. “There were two considerations (says the historian) that made most impression on him; the one, lest the world should believe that his own ambition had procured this promotion, and that he had therefore appeared signally in the house to oppose those proceedings, that he might thereby render himself gracious to the court: The other, lest the king should expect such a submission and resignation of himself and his own reason and judgment to his commands as he should never give or pretend to give; for he was so severe an adorer of truth, that he would as easily have given himself leave to steal as to dissemble,” &c. B. iv.
[24] The noble historian, before cited, gives us two instances of Lord Falkland’s scrupulosity. The one was, “That he could never bring himself to employ spies, or give any countenance or entertainment to them:” The other, “That he could never allow himself the liberty of opening letters, upon a suspicion that they might contain matter of dangerous consequence.” B. viii.
[25] To this purpose my Lord Clarendon. “He [Mr. W.] spoke, upon all occasions, with great sharpness and freedom: which (now there were so few that used it, and there was no danger of being over-voted) was not restrained; and therefore used as an argument against those, who were gone upon pretence, that they were not suffered to declare their opinion freely in the house; which could not be believed, when all men knew what liberty Mr. Waller took, and spoke every day with impunity, against the sense and proceedings of the house.” B. vii.
[26] See Lord Clarendon’s History.
[27] Ἅπλωσον σεαυτόν, lib. iv. § 26, which Dr. More, in l. ii. c. 3. of his Enchiridion Ethicum, translates, simplifica teipsum.
[28] In the year 1654.
[29] Lord Clarendon died in 1674.
[30] The character of Mr. Waller is given at large in the Life of Lord Clarendon, P. I. p. 25.—As for Dr. More, Bishop Burnet tells us, in one word, “That he was an open-hearted and sincere Christian philosopher.” Hist. of his own Time, vol. p. 273. 12mo, Edinb. 1753.
[31] This Dialogue is founded on a short passage in Mr. Sprat’s Life of Mr. Cowley, in which he observes, “That in his long dependence on my Lord St. Albans, there never happened any manner of difference between them; except a little at LAST, because he would leave his service.”