30.
THE LORD DIGBY.
George Digby, second Earl of Bristol 1653.
Born 1612. Died 1677.
By CLARENDON.
By what hath bene sayde before, it appeares that the L'd Digby was much trusted by the Kinge, and he was of greate familiarity and frendshipp with the other three, at least with two of them, for he was not a man of that exactnesse, as to be in the intire confidence of the L'd Falkeland, who looked upon his infirmityes with more severity, then the other two did, and he lived with more franknesse towards those two, then he did towards the other, yett betweene them two ther was a free conversation and kindnesse to each other. He was a man of very extraordinary parts, by nature and arte, and had surely as good and excellent an education as any man of that age in any country, a gracefull and beautifull person, of greate eloquence and becommingnesse in his discource (save that sometimes he seemed a little affected) and of so universall a knowledge, that he never wanted subjecte for a discource; he was æquall to a very good parte in the greatest affayre, but the unfittest man alive to conducte it, havinge an ambition and vanity superiour to all his other parts, and a confidence peculiar to himselfe, which sometimes intoxicated, and transported, and exposed him. He had from his youth, by the disobligations his family had undergone from the Duke of Buckingham and the greate men who succeeded him, and some sharpe reprehension himselfe had mett with, which oblieged him to a country life, contracted a præjudice and ill will to the Courte, and so had in the beginninge of the Parliament ingaged himselfe with that party which discover'd most aversion from it, with a passion and animosity æquall to ther owne, and therfore very acceptable to them. But when he was weary of ther violent councells, and withdrew himselfe from them, with some circumstances which enough provoked them, and made a reconciliation and mutuall confidence in each other for the future manifestly impossible, he made private and secrett offerrs of his service to the Kinge, to whome in so generall a defection of his servants it could not but be very agreable, and so his Majesty beinge satisfyed both in the discoveryes he made of what had passed, and in his professions for the future, remooved him from the house of Commons, wher he had rendred himselfe marvellously ungratious, and called him by writt to the house of Peeres, wher he did visibly advance the Kings service, and quickly rendred himselfe gratefull to all those, who had not thought to well of him before, when he deserved less, and men were not only pleased with the assistance he gave upon all debates, by his judgement and vivacity, but looked upon him as one who could deryve the Kings pleasure to them, and make a lively representation of ther good demeanour to the Kinge, which he was very luxuriant in promisinge to doe, and officious enough in doinge as much as was just. He had bene instrumentall in promotinge the three persons above mencioned to the Kings favour, and had himselfe in truth so greate an esteeme of them, that he did very frequently upon conference togither departe from his owne inclinations and opinions, and concurred in thers; and very few men of so greate parts are upon all occasyons more councellable then he, so that he would seldome be in daunger of runninge into greate errors, if he would communicate and expose all his owne thoughts and inclinations to such a disquicition, nor is he uninclinable in his nature to such an intire communication in all things which he conceaves to be difficulte; but his fatall infirmity is, that he to often thinkes difficulte things very easy, and doth not consider possible consequences, when the proposition administers somewhat that is delighfull to his fancy, and by pursuinge wherof he imagynes he shall reape some glory to himselfe, of which he is immoderately ambitious, so that if the consultation be upon any action to be done, no man more implicitely enters into that debate, or more cheerefully resignes his owne conceptions to a joynt determination, but when it is once affirmatively resolved, besydes that he may possibly reserve some impertinent circumstance as he thinkes, the impartinge wherof would change the nature of the thinge, if his fancy suggests to him any particular which himselfe might performe in that action, upon the imagination that every body would approove it, if it were proposed to them, he chooses rather to do it, then to communicate, that he may have some signall parte to himselfe in the transaction, in which no other person can clayme a share; and by this unhappy temper, he did often involve himselfe in very unprosperous attempts. The Kinge himselfe was the unfittest person alive to be served by such a Councellour, beinge to easily inclined to suddayne enterprizes, and as easily amazed when they were entred upon; and from this unhappy composition in the one and the other, a very unhappy councell was entred upon, and resolution taken, without the least communication with ether of the three, which had bene so lately admitted to an intire truste.
31.
THE LORD CAPEL.
Arthur Capel, created Baron Capel 1641.
Born 1610. Beheaded 1649.