By CLARENDON.
He was a man, in whome the malice of his enimyes could discover very few faultes, and whome his frends could not wish better accomplished, whome Crumwells owne character well described, and who indeede could never have bene contented to have lived under that government, whose memory all men loved and reverenced, though few followed his example. He had alwayes lyved in a state of greate plenty and generall estimation, havinge a very noble fortune of his owne by descent, and a fayre addition to it, by his marriage with an excellent wife, a Lady of a very worthy extraction, of greate virtue and beauty, by whome he had a numerous issue of both sexes, in which he tooke greate joy and comfort, so that no man was more happy in all his domestique affayres, and so much the more happy, in that he thought himselfe most blessed in them, and yett the Kings honour was no sooner violated and his just power invaded, then he threw all those blessings behinde him, and havinge no other obligations to the Crowne, then those which his owne honour and conscience suggested to him, he frankely engaged his person and his fortune from the beginninge of the troubles, as many others did, in all actions and enterpryzes of the greatest hazarde and daunger, and continewed to the end, without ever makinge one false stepp, as few others did, though he had once, by the iniquity of a faction that then prævayled, an indignity putt upon him, that might have excused him, for some remission of his former warmth, but it made no other impressyon upon him, then to be quyett and contented whilst they would lett him alone, and with the same cheerefulnesse to obey the first summons, when he was called out, which was quickly after: in a worde he was a man, that whoever shall after him deserve best in that nation, shall never thinke himselfe undervalewed, when he shall heare that his courage, virtue, and fidelity is layde in the balance with, and compared to that of the Lord Capell.
32.
ROYALIST GENERALS.
PATRICK RUTHVEN, EARL OF BRENTFORD (1573-1651).
PRINCE RUPERT (1619-82).
GEORGE, LORD GORING (1608-57).
HENRY WILMOT, EARL OF ROCHESTER (1612-58).
By CLARENDON.
The Army was lesse united then ever; the old Generall was sett asyde and Prince Rupert putt into the commaunde, which was no popular chaunge, for the other was knowne to be an officer of greate exsperience, and had committed no oversights in his conducte, was willinge to heare every thinge debated, and alwayes concurred with the most reasonable opinion, and though he was not of many wordes, and was not quicke in hearinge, yett upon any action, he was sprightly and commaunded well; The Prince was rough, and passionate and loved not debate, liked what was proposed, as he liked the persons who proposed it, and was so greate an enimy to Digby and Culpeper, who were only present in debates of the Warr with the Officers, that he crossed all they proposed. The truth is, all the Army had bene disposed from the first raysinge it, to a neglecte and contempt of the Councell, and the Kinge himselfe had not bene sollicitous enough to præserve the respecte due to it, in which he lost of his owne dignity. Goringe who was now Generall of the Horse, was no more gratious to Prince Rupert then Wilmott had bene, and had all the others faults, and wanted his regularity and preservinge his respects with the officers; Wilmott loved deboshry, but shutt it out from his businesse, and never neglected that, and rarely miscarryed in it; Goringe had much a better understandinge, and a sharper witt, except in the very exercise of deboshry, and then the other was inspired, a much keener courage, and presentnesse of minde in daunger; Wilmott decerned it farther off, and because he could not behave himselfe so well in it, commonly prevented or warily declined it, and never dranke when he was within distance of an enimy; Goringe was not able to resist the temptation when he was in the middle of them, nor would declyne it to obtayne a victory, and in one of those fitts had suffer'd the Horse to escape out of Cornwall, and the most signall misfortunes of his life in warr, had ther ryse from that uncontrolable licence; nether of them valewed ther promises, professions or frendshipps, accordinge to any rules of honour or integrity, but Wilmott violated them the lesse willingly, and never but for some greate benefitt or convenience to himself, Goringe without scruple out of humour or for witt sake, and loved no man so well, but that he would cozen him, and then expose him to publicke mirth, for havinge bene cozened, and therfore he had always fewer frends then the other, but more company, for no man had a witt that pleased the company better: The ambitions of both were unlimited, and so æqually incapable of beinge contented, and both unrestrayned by any respecte to good nature or justice from pursuinge the satisfaction therof, yett Willmott had more scruples from religion to startle him, and would not have attayned his end, by any grosse or fowle acte of wickednesse; Goringe could have passed through those pleasantly, and would without hesitation have broken any trust, or done any acte of treachery, to have satisfyed an ordinary passion or appetite, and in truth wanted nothinge but industry, for he had witt, and courage and understandinge, and ambition uncontroled by any feare of god or man, to have bene as eminent and succesfull in the highest attempt in wickednesse of any man in the age he lyved in, or before, and of all his qualifications, dissimulation was his masterpiece, in which he so much excelled, that men were not ordinaryly ashamed or out of countenance with beinge deceaved but twice by him.