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 aequally
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.
33.
JOHN HAMPDEN.
Born 1594. Mortally wounded at Chalgrove Field
1643
By CLARENDON.
Many men observed (as upon signall turnes of greate
affayres, as this was, such observations are frequently
made) that the Feild in which the late skirmish was,
and upon which Mr. Hambden receaved his deaths-wounde,
(Chalgrove Feilde) was the same place, in which he
had first executed the Ordinance of the Militia, and
engaged that County, in which his reputation was very
greate, in this rebellion, and it was confessed by
the prysoners that were taken that day, and acknowledged
by all, that upon the Alarum that morninge, after ther
quarters were beaten up, he was exceedingly sollicitous
to draw forces togither to pursue the enimy, and beinge
himselfe a Collonell of foote putt himselfe amongst
those horse as a volunteere who were first ready, and
that when the Prince made a stande, all the officers
were of opinion to stay till ther body came up, and
he alone (beinge secounde to none but the Generall
himselfe in the observance and application of all
men) perswaded and praevayled with them to advance,
so violently did his fate carry him to pay the mulcte
in the place, wher he had committed the transgressyon,
aboute a yeere before.