44.

THE EARL OF ESSEX.

Robert Devereux, third Earl of Essex.

Born 1591.  Died 1646.

By CLARENDON.

The Earle of Essex hath bene enough mentioned before, his nature and his understandinge have bene described, his former disobligations from the Courte, and then his introduction into it, and afterwards his beinge displaced from the office he held in it, have bene sett forth, and ther will be occasion heareaffter to renew the discource of him, and therfore it shall suffice in this place to say, that a weake judgement, and a little vanity, and as much of pryde, will hurry a man into as unwarrantable and as violent attempts, as the greatest and most unlimited and insaciable ambition will doe.  He had no ambition of title, or office, or praeferment, but only to be kindly looked upon, and kindly spoken to, and quyetly to injoy his owne fortune, and without doubte, no man in his nature more abhorred rebellion then he did, nor could he have bene ledd into it by any open or transparent temptation, but by a thousand disguises and cozinages.  His pryde supplyed his want of ambition, and he was angry to see any other man more respected then himselfe, because he thought he deserved it more, and did better requite it, for he was in his frendshipps just and constante, and would not have practiced fouly against those he tooke to be enimyes:  no man had creditt enough with him to corrupt him in pointe of loyalty to the Kinge, whilst he thought himselfe wise enough to know what treason was.  But the new doctrine and distinction of Allegiance, and of the Kings power in and out of Parliament, and the new notions of Ordinances, were to hard for him and did really intoxicate his understandinge, and made him quitt his owne, to follow thers, who he thought wish’d as well, and judged better then himselfe; His vanity disposed him to be his Excellence, and his weaknesse to believe that he should be the Generall in the Houses, as well as in the Feild, and be able to governe ther councells, and restrayne ther passyons, as well as to fight ther battles, and that by this meanes he should become the praeserver and not the destroyer of the Kinge and Kingdome; and with this ill grounded confidence, he launched out into that Sea, wher he mett with nothinge but rockes, and shelves, and from whence he could never discover any safe Porte to harbour in.

45.

THE EARL OF SALISBURY.

William Cecil, second Earl of Salisbury.

Born 1591.  Died 1668.

By CLARENDON.

The Earle of Salisbury had bene borne and bredd in Courte and had the Advantage of a descent from a Father and a Grandfather, who had bene very wise men, and greate Ministers of State in the eyes of Christendome, whose wisdome and virtues dyed with them, and ther children only inherited ther titles.  He had bene admitted of the Councell to Kinge James, from which tyme he continued so obsequious to the Courte, that