Born 1610. Fell at Chagford 1643.
By CLARENDON.
Sydney Godolphin, was a younger brother of Godolphin, but by the provision left by his father, and by the death of a younger brother, liberally supplyed for a very good education, and for a cheerefull subsistance in any cource of life he proposed to himselfe; Ther was never so great a minde and spirit contayned in so little roome, so large an understandinge and so unrestrayned a fancy in so very small a body, so that the L'd Falkelande used to say merrily, that he thought it was a greate ingredient into his frendshipp for M'r Godolphin, that he was pleased to be founde in his company, wher he was the properer man: and it may be the very remarkablenesse of his little person made the sharpnesse of his witt and the composed quicknesse of his judgement and understandinge, the more notable.[1] He had spent some yeeres in France, and the low countryes, and accompanyed the Earle of Leicester, in his Ambassage into Denmarke, before he resolved to be quyett, and attende some promotion in the Courte, wher his excellent disposition and manners, and extraordinary qualifications, made him very aceptable: Though every body loved his company very well, yett he loved very much to be alone, beinge in his constitution inclined somewhat to melancholique, and to retyrement amongst his bookes, and was so farr from beinge active, that he was contented to be reproched by his frendes with lazynesse, and was of so nice and tender a composition, that a little rayne or winde would disorder him, and deverte him from any shorte journy he had most willingly proposed to himselfe: insomuch as when he ridd abroade with those in whose company he most delighted, if the winde chanced to be in his face, he would (after a little pleasant murmuringe) suddaynely turne his horse, and goe home: yett the civill warr no sooner begann, (the first approches towards which he discovered as soone as any man, by the proceedings in Parliament, wher he was a member, and opposed with greate indignation) then he putt himselfe into the first troopes which were raysed in the West, for the Kinge, and bore the uneasinesse and fatigue of winter marches, with an exemplar courage and alacrity, untill by to brave a pursuite of the enimy, into an obscure village in Devonshyre, he was shutt with a musquett, with which (without sayinge any worde more, the[n] oh god I am hurte) he fell deade from his horse, to the excessive griefe of his frends, who were all that knew him, and the irreparable damage of the publique.
[Footnote 1: 'notorious and' struck out in MS. before 'notable'.]
24.
WILLIAM LAUD.
Born 1573. President of St. John's College Oxford 1611. Bishop of St. David's 1621, of Bath and Wells 1626, and of London 1628. Chancellor of the University of Oxford 1629. Archbishop of Canterbury 1633. Beheaded 1645.
By CLARENDON.
It was within one weeke after the Kings returne from Scotlande that Abbott dyed at his house at Lambeth, and the Kinge tooke very little tyme to consider who should be his successour, but the very next tyme the Bishopp of London (who was longer upon his way home, then the Kinge had bene) came to him, his Majesty entertayned him very cheerefully, with this compellation, My L'ds Grace of Canterbury you are very wellcome, and gave order the same day for the dispatch of all the necessary formes for the translation, so that within a moneth, or therabouts, after the death of the other Arch-Bishopp, he was compleately invested in that high dignity, and setled in his Pallace at Lambeth: This Greate Prelate had bene before in greate favour with the Duke of Buckingham, whose greate confident he was, and by him recommended to the Kinge, as fittest to be trusted in the conferringe all Ecclesiasticall præferments, when he was but Bishopp of S't Davids, or newly præferred to Bath and Wells, and from that tyme he intirely governed that Province without a ryvall, so that his promotion to Canterbury was longe foreseene and exspected, nor was it attended with any encrease of envy, or dislike.
He was a man of greate parts and very exemplar virtues, allayed and discredited by some unpopular[1] naturall infirmityes, the greatest of which was (besydes a hasty sharpe way of exspressinge himselfe) that he believed innocence of hearte, and integrity of manners, was a guarde stronge enough to secure any man, in his voyage through this worlde, in what company soever he travelled, and through what wayes soever he was to passe, and sure never any man was better supplyed with that provisyon. He was borne of honest parents, who were well able to provyde for his education, in the schooles of learninge, from whence they sent him to St. Johns Colledge in Oxforde, the worst indowed at that tyme, of any in that famous university; from a scholar he became a fellow, and then the President of that Colledge, after he had receaved all the graces and degrees, the Proctorshipp and the Doctorshipp, could be obtained ther: He was alwayes maligned and persequted by those who were of the Calvinian faction, which was then very pouerfull, and who accordinge to ther usefull maxime and practice, call every man they do not love, Papist, and under this senselesse appellation they created him many troubles and vexations, and so farr suppressed him, that though he was the Kings Chaplyne, and taken notice of for an excellent preacher, and a scholer of the most sublime parts, he had not any præferment to invite him to leave his poore Colledge, which only gave him breade, till the vigour of his age was passed; and when he was promoted by Kinge James, it was but to a poore Bishopricke in Wales, which was not so good a supporte for a Bishopp as his Colledge was for a pri[v]ate scholler, though a Doctor. Parliaments in that tyme were frequent, and grew very busy, and the party under which he had suffer'd a continuall perseqution appeared very powerfull and full of designe, and they who had the courage to oppose them, begann to be taken notice of with approbation and countenance, and under this style he came to be first cherished by the Duke of Buckingham, after he had made some exsperiments of the temper and spiritt of the other people, nothinge to his satisfaction: from this tyme he prospered at the rate of his owne wishes, and beinge transplanted out of his cold barren Diocesse of S't Davids, into a warmer climate, he was left, as was sayd before, by that omnipotent Favorite, in that greate trust with the Kinge, who was sufficiently indisposed towards the persons or the principles of M'r Calvins disciples.