his friends and admirers, he was adorned with noli: God hath enabled you to remember things paft, to obferve things prefent, and, by comparing them together, to conjecture things to come: which are the three parts of wisdom that will much honour and advantage you (t).' • In this cy, part i. printed (t) Walker's Pity but princes had more frequently fuch honeft ad- history of vice given them!--The next authority fhall be that of independenMr. Whitlock, which I will transcribe at large. treaty [at Oxford, 1643] the king manifefted his great 1648, 4to. parts and abilities, ftrength of reafon, and quickness of apprehenfion, with much patience in hearing what ⚫ was objected against him; wherein he allowed all freedom, and would himself fum up the arguments, and give a moft clear judgment upon them. His unhappiness was, that he had a better opinion of others judg⚫ments than of his own, though they were weaker than his own; and of this we had experience to our great 'trouble. We were often waiting on the king, and de'bating fome points of the treaty with him, until midC night, before we could come to a conclufion. Upon one of the most material points we preffed his majefty ⚫ with our reasons, and beft arguments we could ufe, to grant what we defired. The king faid he was fully fatisfied, and promised to give us his anfwer in writing, according to our defire; but, because it was then past midnight, and too late to put it into writing, he would have it drawn up the next morning (when he com• manded us to wait on him again), and then he would give us his answer in writing, as it was now agreed upon. We went to our lodgings full of joyful hopes to receive this anfwer the next morning, and which being given, would have much conduced to a happy iffue, and fuccefs of this treaty, and we had the king's word for it, and we waited on him the next morning at the hour appointed. But instead of that answer, which we expected, and were promifed, the king gave us an answer quite contrary to what was concluded the night before, and very much tending to the breach of (a) Whitlock, p. 68. with very many amiable qualities, and was mafter of accomplishments (Y) which are esteemed in the world, and looked on as ornamental. 6 Every of the treaty. We did humbly expoftulate this with his majefty, and pressed him upon his royal word, and the ill confequences which we feared would follow < upon this his new paper. But the king told us, he had altered his mind, and that this paper which he now gave us was his anfwer, which he was now refolved to make upon our laft debate. And we could obtain no other from him, which occafioned much trouble and ⚫fadness to us. Some of his own friends, of whom we enquired touching this paffage, informed us, that after we were gone from the king, and that his council were alfo gone away, fome of his bedchamber (and they went higher) hearing from him what answer he had promifed us, and doubting it would tend to fuch an iffue of the treaty as they did not wifh, they being ra❝ther for the continuance of the war, never left preffing and perfuading of the king, till they prevailed with him to change his former refolutions, and to give order for his answer to be drawn, as it was delivered to us (u).' This narrative of Whitlock's, whofe authority is beyond all exception, (though engaged on the fide of the parliament, and a commiffioner in this and other treaties with the king for it) proves not only what I principally intended it for, the good understanding of Charles, but alfo his liableness to be drawn afide from his refolutions, by thofe in whom he confided, as well as his difregard to his royal word, and therefore may be looked on as further proof of his want of fincerity, of which we have spoken pretty largely in note (U). (Y) If we believe his friends, he was adorned with many amiable qualities, &c.] He was the worthieft gentleman, the best mafter, the best friend, the beft husband, the best father, and the beft chriftian, that the age in (7) Claren-which he lived produced (w). And according to don, vol. v. Perin 9.259. Every one knows that there goes under his name a very large folio volume, intituled Perinchief, he was religious, juft, and clement; pof- 'Tis from high life high characters are drawn; More wife, more learn'd, more juft, more ev'ry thing. I will not, therefore, enter into an examination of these fuperlative praises bestowed on Charles: the reader, by what he has feen, and will further fee, will be enabled fully to judge of them.-As to his accomplishments, I will give them from writers who may be fupposed to have known them, and who therefore are the fitteft to be attended to. He understood Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, and Italian authors in their original languages, which three laft he fpake perfectly, no man being better read in hiftories of all forts, being also able to difcourfe in most arts and fciences (x).'- • With (x)Dugdale's any artift or good mechanick, traveller, or fcholar, thort view of he would difcourfe freely; and as he was commonly in England, improved by them, fo he often gave light to them in fol. p. 383, ❝ their own art or knowledge. For there were few Oxon. 1681. gen⚫tlemen in the world, that knew more of useful or neceffary learning than this prince: and yet his proportion of books was but small, having, like Francis I. of • France, the troubles tuled ΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΑ. The works of king Charles the France, learnt more by the ear than by ftudy.-His exercises were manly; for he rid the great horfe very 'well; and on the little faddle he was not only adroit, but a laborious hunter or fieldman: and they were < wont to fay of him, that he failed not to do any of his exercifes artificially, but not very gracefully; like fome well-proportioned faces, which yet want a pleasant air ' of countenance (y).'-' He was well skilled in things wick, p. 65, of antiquity, could judge of medals whether they had (y) War 66. . the number of years they pretended unto. His libraries and cabinets were full of thofe things on which "length of time put the value of rarities. In painting ' he had fo excellent a fancy, that he would fupply the defect of art in the workman, and fuddenly draw those lines, give thofe airs and lights, which experience and practice had not taught the painter. He could judge of fortifications, and cenfure whether the cannon were mounted to execution or no. He had an excellent skill in guns, knew all that belonged to their making. The exacteft arts of building fhips for the most neceffary ufes of ftrength or good failing, together with all their furniture, were not unknown to him. He underflood and was pleased with the making of clocks and ' watches. He comprehended the art of printing. There was not any one gentleman of all the three • kingdoms, that could compare with him in an univerfality of knowledge. He encouraged all the parts of learning, and he delighted to talk with all kinds of artifts, and with fo great a facility did apprehend the myfteries of their profeffions, that he did fometimes fay, he thought he could get his living, if neceffitated, by any trade he knew of, but making of hangings: although of thefe he underfod much, and was greatly delighted in them; for he brought fome of the moft curious workmen from foreign parts, to make them • here in England (z).'—I will add what Dr. Welchief, p. 70. wood has faid on this head, that the reader may want nothing to form his judgment on the accomplishments of (z) Perin . Charles. the Martyr, though very little contained therein, 'Charles. He had a good tafte for learning, and a more ⚫ than ordinary skill in the liberal arts, especially painting, sculpture, architecture, and medals; and being a C generous benefactor to the most celebrated mafters in those arts, he acquired the nobleft collection of any prince in his time, and more than all the kings of Eng• land had done before him.-He spoke several languages very well, and with a fingular good grace; though now and then, when he was warm in difcourfe, he was inclinable to ftammer. He writ a tolerable hand for a king; but his sense was strong, and his ftile laconick, and yet he feldom wrote in any language but English. Some of his manifeftoes, declarations, and other public papers, he drew himself, and most of them he corrected. In comparing thofe of the king with the parliament's, one would be eafily inclined to prefer, for the most part, the king's for the ftrength of reafoning and the force of expreffion. I have seen several pieces ⚫ of his own hand, and therefore may the better affirm, that, both for matter and form, they furpafs thofe of his ableft minifters, and come nothing fhort of Strafford < or Falkland, the two moft celebrated pens of that < time (a).' (a) Wel 51. I will add another accomplishment of Charles's, which wood, p. 499 is much to his honour; I mean, his skill and knowledge in the laws of the land over which he bare rule.—' I do not know, fays he on his trial, the forms of law; I do know law and reafon, though I am no lawyer pro Charles's • feffed; but I know as much law as any gentleman in England (b).-I will conclude my citations with Lilly, (b) King though he cannot be placed among the friends and ad- works, P. mirers of this prince. To fpeak truly of him, he had 195. many fingular parts in nature; he was an excellent horfeman, would fhoot well at a mark, had fingular skill in limning and pictures, a good mathematician, not unfkilful in mufick, well read in divinity, excellently in history, and no lefs in the laws and ftatutes of this nation; he had a quick and fharp conception, 3 • would |