Characters from 17th Century Histories and Chronicles eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 391 pages of information about Characters from 17th Century Histories and Chronicles.

Characters from 17th Century Histories and Chronicles eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 391 pages of information about Characters from 17th Century Histories and Chronicles.

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 aequall 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 praejudice 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 aequall 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

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Characters from 17th Century Histories and Chronicles from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.