the year 1635, this good and judicious man had the white staff put into his hand:  and tho’ he found the revenue low and much anticipated, yet withall meeting with times peaceable and regular, and his Master enclined to be frugall, he held up the dignity and honor of his Majestie’s Houshold, and the splendor of the Court, and all publick expences, and justice in all contracts; so as there were as few dissatisfactions in his time, as perchance in any, and yet he cleared off the anticipations on the revenue, and sett his Master beforehand.  The choice of this good man shewed, how remote it was from this King’s intentions, to be either tyrannicall or arbitrary; for so well he demeaned himselfe thro’ his whole seaven years employment, that neither as Bishop or Treasurer, came there any one accusation against him in that last Parliament 1640, whose eares were opened, nay itching after such complaints.  Nay even after the King’s being driven from London, he remained at his house, belonging to his Bishoprick, in Fulham, and sometimes was visited by some of the Grandees, and found respect from all, and yet walked steddily in his old paths.  And he retained so much of his Master’s favour, that when the King was admitted to any Treaty with the two Houses Commissioners, he alwayes commanded his attendance on him:  for he ever valued his advice.  I remember, that the King, being busy in dispatching some letters with his own pen, commanded me to wait on the Bishop, and to bring him back his opinion in a certaine affaire:  I humbly pray’d his Majestie, that I might rather bring him with me, least I should not expresse his Majestie’s sense fully, nor bring back his so significantly, as he meant it; and because there might be need for him further to explain himselfe, and least he should not speake freely to me:  to which the King replyed, Go, as I bid you, if he will speak freely to any body, he will speak freely to you:  This (the King said) I will say of him, I never gott his opinion freely in my life, but when I had it, I was ever the better for it.  This character of so judicious a Prince I could not omitt, because it carried in it the reason of that confidence, that called him to be his Majestie’s Confessor before his death, and to be his Attendant on the scaffold at his death; so as all Persons concurring thus about this good Prelate, wee may modestly say, he was an eminent man.

28.

THE MARQUIS OF HERTFORD.

William Seymour, second Earl of Hertford 1621, created Marquis of Hertford 1641, and Duke of Somerset 1660.

Born 1588.  Died 1660.

By CLARENDON.