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Upon his going to this expedition he was
complimented with fine copies of verfes,
both by Mr. Waller and Mr. Cowley.
About a year after he was chofen a
member of the houfe of commons for
Newport in the Isle of Wight, in the par-
lament which began at Westminster the
13th of April, 1640; and from the debates,
which were managed with the greatest
gravity and fobriety, he contracted an ex-
treme reverence to parliaments. From
the unhappy and most untimely diffolu
tion of this parliament he harboured fome
jealoufy and prejudice to the court, to-
wards which he was not immoderately in-
clined before. He was re-elected for the
fame place in the enfuing parliament,
which commenced the 3d of November
following; and in the beginning of it de-
clared himself very fharply and feverely
against thofe exorbitances of the court,
which had been thought most grievous to
the state. For he was fo rigid an obfer-
ver of established laws and rules, that he
could not endure the least breach or devi-
ation from them: and thought no mif-
chief fo intolerable as the prefumption of
minifters of state, to break pofitive rules
for reasons of state; or judges, to tranf-
grefs known laws upon the title of con-
veniency or neceffity. This made him,
contrary to his natural gentleness and tem-
per, fo fevere upon the lord-keeper Finch,
whom he impeached on the 14th of Ja-
nuary, 1640-1, in the name of the Com-
mons of England, of having traiterously
and wickedly endeavoured to fubvert the
fundamental laws, and established govern-
ment of the realm; for being an adviser
and promoter of fhip-money, &c. He
made a long speech, in which he enlarged
upon this affair with great feverity of ar-
gument. After having inftanced in the
particulars of the impeachment, he added,
that "the crimes of the lord Finch were
in the highest degree of parliamentary
treafon...a treafon as well against the king
as against the kingdom; for whatfoever
was against the whole, was undoubtedly
against the head; which took from his
majefty the ground of his rule, the laws:
(for if foundations were deftroyed, the
pinnacles were most endangered ;) which
took from his majesty the principal ho-
nour of his rule, the ruling over freemen
....a noble power; which endeavoured to
take from his majesty the principal fupport
of his rule, the hearts and affections of thofe

over whom he ruled, a better and furer ftrength and wall to the king, than the fea was to the kingdom; and by begetting a mutual distrust, and by that a mutual difaffection between them, to hazard the danger even of the deftruction of both." He had, on the 5th of December before, made another fpeech against the lord Finch and the judges, wherein he obferved, "that the cause of all the miferies the nation had suffered, and the cause of all the jealoufies they had that they fhould yet fuffer, was, that a moft excellent prince had been most infinitely abused, by his judges telling him, that by policy he might do what he pleafed." Against the earl of Strafford he alfo fpoke, tho' but little. He only faid, that they had accused a great perfon of high-treason, for intending to subvert our fundamental laws, and to introduce arbitrary government, "which (adds he) we fuppofe he meant to do." Lord Clarendon obferves, that thofe who did not know his compofition to be as free from revenge as it was from pride, thought that his sharpness against the earl of Strafford, might proceed from the memory of fome unkindness not without a mixture of injuftice from him towards his father in which they were certainly mistaken, for in the whole of his conduct he had no other view than the good of his country. Though he was fevere he was far from being violent against either of the two peers, and, in particular, when it was moved in the House of Commons, that the earl of Strafford, might forthwith (at the time he was first accufed) be impeached of high treason, the lord Falkland modeftly defired the house to confider, whether it would not fuit better with the gra-' vity of their proceedings, firft to digeft many of those particulars which had 'been mentioned, by a committee, be'fore they fent up to the houfe of lords to accufe him?" though he declared himfelf well fatisfied that there was enough to charge him.

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He had contracted a prejudice against archbishop Laud, whom he wifhed to have feen lefs engaged in the business of the ftate, and against some other of the bishops, which so far biassed his judgment, as to make him concur in the first bill to take away the votes of bishops in the Houfe of Lords, though he refused to be one of the committee to draw up reasons for it. The reasons which induced him to Y 2

to give his consent to this first bill were these he did not then understand the original of their right and fuffrage there; and there was at that time fuch a furious combination against the government of the church by bishops, that he thought a lefs compofition than the difpenfing with their intermeddling in fecular affairs, would not preferve the order. However, certain it is he made, on the 9th of February, 1640-1, a very violent fpeech against them; in the first part of which he laid heavy complaints to their charge, and sets forth the evils and mifchiefs they had occafioned; but in the latter part he greatly foftens what he had before faid against then, and speaks as much in favour of that order; enlarging upon the great benefits which had accrued to the world and to Chriftianity from it; and that there were many among them truly deferving of the office, and whofe lives were without blemish or reproach, equally untouched by guilt, envy, or malice. If we confi

der this (adds he), this confideration will arife, that bishops may be good

⚫ men."

From his proceedings in this bufinefs fome concluded that he was no friend to the church, or the established government of it and many in the Houfe of Commons began to imagine and hope, that he might be brought to a further compliance with their designs. Indeed the great opinion he had of the uprightness and integrity of thofe perfons who appeared most active. against the court, kept him for fome time from fufpecting any defign against the peace of the kingdom; and though he di fered from them commonly in conclunon, he believed long their purposes were honest. But when he grew better informed what was law, the study of which he had very little, if at all, attended to, and d.fcerned in them a defire to controul that 1w by a vote of the houfe; when he perceived that the commons, under the fpecious name of reforming the abuses of the government, were endeavouring to extirpate the monarchy, and overthrow the conftitution both in church and state; no man oppofed more thofe attempts, and gave the adverfe party more trouble by reafon and argument. Accordingly, about fix months after paffing the above-mentioned bill, for taking away the bishop's votes, when the fame argument came again into debate, he changed his opinion,

and gave the house all the oppofition he could; nor was he referved in acknowledging, that Mr. Hambden had affured him if that bill might pafs, there would be nothing more attempted against the church. For tho' he thus voted against the bishops, yet we are affured that he had the order itfelf in perfect reverence, and thought too great encouragement could not poffibly be given to learning, nor too great rewards to learned men.

But

He ftill continued averfe to the court, from a jealousy left it should be imagined that his views in thus altering his fentiments were the hopes of preferment, than which nothing was more oppofite to his inclinations. He was fatisfied that the king had fully compensated for the errors of his administration, and therefore confidered that efpoufing the cause of his fovereign was in effect nothing more than being an advocate in the cause of justice, of virtue, of honefty, and of his country, without entertaining the least private views of his own. Nay, fo far did he carry his fears left he should be fufpected of any selfinterested motives, that he even affected a moroseness to the court and courtiers; and left nothing undone which might prevent, or divert the king or queen's favour towards him. Therefore, when he heard that he was to be made a privy-counsellor and fecretary of ftate, he refolved to decline the one, and refuse the other. on the earnest intreaty of the king, feconded by the vigorous remonstrances of Mr. Hyde, afterwards earl of Clarendon, who reprefented to him in the strongest lights the great fervice he might be of to his majefty's affairs; and when he confidered that his refufal might bring fome blemish on them, and that men would think he had refused fo great an honour and truft, because with it he must have been obliged to do somewhat else not juftifiable, he determined to accept of the feals. Befides which reafons he had another, which was, left he might be thought to avoid it out of fear to do an ungracious thing to the Houfe of Commons, (who were very much troubled at the difplacing of Sir Henry Vane) being determined to let them fee that as he was not afraid of the court when he thought an oppofition to its measures was praife-worthy, and had accordingly oppofed it; fo he as little feared to oppofe the parliament when his obfervation and experience had caufed him to difcern

their evil intentions, of which he had formerly not the leaft fufpicion. When the commons heard of his preferments, they were very much offended and enraged.

Whilft he continued in this office of fecretary of state, there were two things he could never bring himself to. The one was, employing of fpies, or giving any countenance or entertainment to them; namely, to fuch perfons, who by communication of guilt or diffimulation of manners, wind themselves into fuch trufts and fecrets, as enable them to make difcoveries. The other, the liberty of opening letters, upon a fufpicion that they might contain matter of dangerous confequence. With regard to fpies, he would fay, fuch inftruments must be void of all ingenuity and common honefty before they could be of ufe, and afterwards they could never be fit to be credited; and that no fingle prefervation could be worth fo general a wound and corruption of human fociery, as the cherishing fuch perfons would carry with it. And, as to opening letters, he thought it fuch a violation of the law of nature, that no qualification by office could justify him in the trefpafs; and though he was convinced by the neceffity and the iniquity of the time, that those advantages of information were not to be declined, and were neceffary to be practifed, he found means to put it off from himself.

He ferved his majefty in the employments he had conferred upon him with great ability, as he was well verfed in. languages, and with the utmost integrity, being above corruption of any kind, the very thought of which he abhorred; tho' he was at first fo little acquainted with bufinefs and the forms of it, that he did not believe he could execute the office with any fufficiency. The king's confidence was fo great in him, that he entrusted to bim, jointly with Sir John Colepepper, then knight of the thire for the county of Kent, and afterwards chancellor of the Exchequer, and Mr. Hyde, the management of his affairs in parliament: about which time his majesty retiring to York, he ordered them to meet conftantly and confult together, and conduct them the best they could, and to give him conftant advice what he was to do, without which the king declared he would take no step in the parliament, all which was done according to his majesty's orders.

The king had commanded the lord

6

keeper Littleton to demand from the earls of Effex and Holland the badges of their offices of lord chamberlain and groom of the ftole; but on that lord's earnest defire to be excufed from fo difagreeable an office, the king wrote a letter immediately, all in his own hand, to lord Falkland; in which, with fome gracious expreffions of excufe for putting that work upon him, he ordered him to require the furrender of the enfigns of their offices from thofe two earls. He was a little troubled at receiving this command: they were perfons from whom he had always received great civilities, and with whom he had much credit; and this harsh office might have been more naturally and as effectually performed by a gentleman-ufher. However, he would make no excufe, and fo went to both, and acquainted them with his orders, and they delivered to him foon after the staff and key. He was likewife ordered to require the great feal from the lord keeper; but by Mr. Hyde's interpofition, his majefty was afterwards reconciled to lord Littleton.

Affairs growing every day worse and worfe, and the two houfes being become a fcene of turbulence and confusion, in which the voice of reafon was difregarded, and moderation, equity, and juftice had given place to violence, oppreffion, and iniquity; in fuch an unhappy juncture it was in vain to attempt any thing for the king's fervice in parliament, and therefore the lord Falkland retired to his majesty at York, as he was fatisfied he could do nothing which might in the leaft benefit his affairs in London. At York it was that he jointly, with Sir John Colepepper, composed an answer to the parliament's nineteen propofitions, which was thortly after printed. On Sir John's being advanced to the place of mafter of the rolls, lord Falkland moved the king to beltow the office of chancellor of the Exchequer on Mr. Hyde, which his majesty immedi ately complied with.

June 15th, 1642, he was one of the lords who figned a declaration, whereia they profeffed, they were fully perfuaded that his majefty had no intention to raise war upon his parliament. Some short time after, he fubfcribed to levy twenty horfe for his majefty's fervice. Upon which and other accounts, he was excepted from the parliament's favour, in the inftructions given by the two houfes to their

general,

general, the earl of Effex. He attended
the king to Bristol, and to the battle of
Edge-hill, where, after the enemy was
routed, he had like to incur great danger
by interpofing to fave those who had
thrown away their arms. He was also,
with his majefty at Oxford
; and at the
hege of Gloucester, where he exposed him
felf to much danger.

From the beginning of the civil war, his natural chearfulness and vivacity grew clouded, and a kind of fadnefs and dejection of spirit ftole upon him, which he had never been used to. After the refolution of the two houfes not to admit any treaty for peace, thofe indifpofitions which had before touched him, grew into a perfect habit of unchearfulness; and he, who had formerly been eafy and affable to all men, became on a fudden lefs communicable, and very fad, pale, and extremely affected with the spleen. In his cloaths and habit, which he had before always minded with great neatness, industry, and expence, he became not only incurious, but too negligent; and in his reception of fuitors, fo quick, sharp, and fevere, that it made him be looked upon as proud and imperious, than which no man was ever lefs. When there was any overture, or

hope of peace, he would be more vigorous, and exceedingly follicitous to prefs any thing which he thought might pro mote it. And fitting among his friends, often after a deep filence, and frequent fighs, he would with a fhrill and fad accent, repeat the word peace, peace! and would passionately profess, that the very agony he endured on account of the war, and the view of the calamities and defolation the kingdom did, and muft endure, took his fleep from him, and would shortly break his heart. This extreme uneafinefs feems to have hurried him on to his deftruction; for, the morning before the firft battle of Newbury, he called for a clean fhirt, and being asked the reafon of it, answered, that "if he were flain in

the battle, they fhould not find his body "in foul linnen." Being diffuaded by his friends to go into the fight, as having no call to it, and being no military officer, he faid, "he was weary of the times, and "forefaw much mifery to his country, " and did believe he should be out of it ere night." Putting himself therefore into the first rank of the lord Byron's regiment, he was fhot with a muskett ball in the lower part of the belly, on the 20th of September, 1643, and in the inftant

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* Dr. Welwood relates in his memoirs, that during their refidence at Oxford, his majefty went one day to fee the public library, where he was fhewed, among other books, a Virgil nobly printed and exquifitely bound. Lord Falkland, to divert the king, would have his majesty make a trial of his fortune by the Sortes Virgiliana, an ufual kind of divination in ages past, made by opening a Virgil, Whereupon, the king opening the book, the period which happened to come up, was that part of Dido's imprecation against Æneas, Æneid, book IV. ver. 615, &c. part of which is thus tranflated by Mr. Dryden.

Opprefs'd with numbers in th' unequal field,
His men discourag'd, and himself expell'd,

Let him for fuccour fue from place to place,
Torn from his subjects and his fon's embrace.

King Charles feeming concerned at this accident, the lord Falkland who obferved it, would likewife try his own fortune in the fame manner; hoping he might fall upon fome paffage that could have no relation to his cafe, and thereby divert the king's thoughts from any impreffion the other might make upon him: but the place lord. Falkland ftumbled upon was yet more fuited to his destiny than the other had been to the king's; being the following expreffions of Evander, upon the untimely death of his fon Pallas, Æneid, book. II. ver. 152, &c. tranflated by Mr. Dryden, as under :

Oh Pallas! thou haft failed thy plighted word,

To fight with caution, not to tempt the fword:
I warn'd thee, but in vain; for well I knew
What perils youthful ardour wou'd pursue:
That boiling blood wou'd carry thee too far ;
Young as thou wert in dangers, raw to war!
O curft effay of arms, difaftrous doom,
Prelude of bloody fields, and fights to come!

fela

fell dead from his horfe. His body was not found till the next morning. 'Till then there were fome

hopes that he was taken prifoner; tho' his nearest friends, who knew his temper, received fmall comfort from that imagination.

Thus fell, in the prime of life, the great, the good Sir Lucius Cary, lord viscount Falkland, fecretary of state, without having lived to complete his four and thirtieth year; having fo much difpatched the true bufinefs of life, that the oldest rarely attain to that immenfe knowledge, and the youngest enter not into the world with more innocency.

A day or two before his death he had received a letter from Mr. Hyde, in which he had told him how much he fuffered in his reputation with all difcreet men by engaging himself unneceffarily in all places of danger: and that it was not the office of a privy-counsellor, and a fecretary of ftate, to vifit the trenches as he ufually did; and conjured him out of the confcience of his duty to the king, and to free his friends from those continual uneafy apprehenfions, not to engage his perfon to those dangers which were not incumbent to him. To this letter lord Falkland immediately wrote an answer, wherein he said, that as the trenches were now at an end, there would be no more danger there: that his cafe was different from other men's; that he was so much taken notice of for an impatient defire of peace, that it was neceffary that he should likewife make it appear, that it was not out of fear of the utmost hazard of war: and, after adding fome melancholly reflections on the times, he concluded that in a few days they should come to a battle, the iffue whereof, he hoped, would put an end to the miferies of the kingdom. This letter Mr. Hyde, by a delay of the mesfenger, did not receive till the very day the news of his death reached Oxford, which was the next after he was killed. Never was any man more lamented, nor with greater reason. With the lord Falkland, lord Clarendon fays, he loft the joy and comfort of his life, which he lamented fo paffionately, that he could not in many days compofe himself to any thoughts of bufinefs. This noble writer feizes every opportunity both in his Hiftory of the Civil Wars, and of his own Life, to speak of him with the higheft expreffions of admiration, reverence, and efteem. They had lived

in the strictest and fincerest friendship for a long courfe of years without the smallest intermiffion; and the chancellor declares, he never in his whole life felt a feverer ftroke of fortune than the death of his dear friend ford Falkland ; which, as he expreffes it himfelf, happened in a conjuncture of time when the death of every honest and difcreet perfon was a very fenfible and terrible lofs, in the judgment of all good men.

Befides the noble hiftorian, all the contemporaties of the lord Falkland bestow the highest commendations imaginable upon him. They all affure us, that he was a man of excellent, nay, of exceeding great and prodigious parts, both natural and acquired; of a wit so sharp, and a nature so fincere, that nothing could be more lovely; of great ingenuity and honour; of the most exemplary manners and fingular good nature; and of the most unblemished integrity; of that inimitable fweetness and delight in converfation; of fo flowing and obliging a humanity and goodness to mankind; and of that primitive fimplicity and innocency of life, as could hardly be equalled. His anfwers were quick and fudden, and though he had great deal of true worth, yet he was very modeft. His familiarity and friendship, for the most part, was with men of the most eminent and fublime parts, and of untouched reputation in point of integrity. He was a great chrisher of wit and fancy, and learning in any man; and if he found any one poffeffed of good parts, clouded with poverty or want, a moft liberal and bountiful patron, even above his fortune: for he had naturally fuch a generofity in him, that, as lord Clarendon obferves, he seemed to have his estate in truft for all worthy perfons who stood in want of fupplies and encouragement; fuch as Ben Johnson, and many others of that time, whofe fortunes required, and whofe spirits were fuperior to ordinary obligations. From him they were content to receive, because his bounties were fo generously distributed, and fo much without vanity and oftentation: for he did all he could that the perfons who received them fhould be ignorant of the fountain from whence they flowed; and when that could not be concealed, no man was ever more troubled and confused at receiving any acknowledgment.

He was of a moft incomparable gentlenefs, and even fubmiffion to good and worthy

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