HARLES, though bleffed with a genius capable of great things, applied himself but little to the affairs of go

vernment (xx), the only proper employ

ment

(xx) Charles, though blessed with a genius — applied himfelf but little to the affairs of government.] Burnet affures us, he had a very good understanding. He

knew well,' adds he, home and abroad.

VOL. II.

the ftate of affairs both at He had a great compafs of

B

'know

ment of a prince: and, with wit and understanding,

(«) Vol.nisters had work for him (a).'

knowledge; though he was never capable of much application or study. He understood the mechanics, and phyfick; and was a good chemist, and much fet on 'feveral preparations of mercury, chiefly the fixing 'it. He understood navigation well: but, above all, he knew the architecture of fhips fo perfectly, that, in that refpect, he was exact rather more than became a prince. His apprehenfion was quick; and his memory good. He hated bufinefs, and could not be eafily brought to mind any: but when it was neceffary, and he was fet to it, he would stay as long as his miThis character is confirmed by those who best knew him. Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham, obferves, that his understanding was quick and lively in little things; and fometimes would 'foar high enough in great ones, but unable to keep it up with any long attention or application. Witty in all forts of converfation; and telling a ftory fo well, that, not out of flattery, but for the pleafure of hearing it, we ufed to feem ignorant of what he had repeated to us ten times before, as a good comedy will "bear the being feen often. Of a wonderful mixture ; lofing all his time, and, till of late, fetting his whole ⚫ heart on the fair fex. In the midft of all his remiffness, fo induftrious and indefatigable on fome particular occafions, that no man would either toil longer, or be able to manage it better (b).' — Sir William Temple, after relating a converfation he had with him, remarks, that he never faw him in bet

ter humour, nor ever knew a more agreeable conver⚫fation when he was fo: and where," continues he,

• he

derstanding, in no common degree, he

was

he was pleased to be familiar, great quickness of conception, great pleasantness of wit, with great variety – of knowledge, more observation and truer judgment of men, than one would have imagined by fo careless and easy a manner as was natural to him in all he faid or did. From his own temper, He defired nothing but to be eafy himself, and that every body elfe fhould be fo; and would have been glad to fee the leaft of his fubjects pleafed, and to refufe no man what he asked. But this foftness of temper made him apt to fall into the perfuafions of whoever had his kindness and confidence for the time, how different foever from the opinions he was of before; and he was very easy to change hands, when those he employed feemed to have engaged him in any difficulties: fo as nothing looked fteady in the conduct of his affairs, nor aimed at any certain end (c). -Lord Halifax [Saville], who who was no ftranger to him, fays, that he had a mechanical head, which appeared in his inclination to shipping and fortification, &c. This would make one conclude, that his thoughts would naturally have been more fixed to business, if his pleafures had not drawn them away from it. He had a very good memory, though he would not always make equal good ufe of it. So that if he had accustomed himself to direct his faculties to his bufinefs, I fee no reason why he might not have been a good deal mafter of it. His chain of memory was longer than his chain of thought: the first could bear any burden, the other B 2

t

" was

(c) Ibid. p.

408. 8ve edition.

was fubject to much weakness and credulity.

was tired by being carried on too long it was fit to ride a heat, but it had not wind enough for a long (d) Chacourfe (d). Lord Clarendon owns, and attempts to acKing Charles count for, the indolence of his mafter, by the unhappy temper and conftitution of the royal party

racter of

II. 8vo. p. 40. Lond. 1750.

and

• other perplexities [foon after the Reftoration], which • did fo break his mind, and had that operation on his fpirits, that, finding he could not propose any fuch method to himself, by which he might extricate himfelf out of the many difficulties and labyrinths in which he was involved, he grew more difpofed to leave all things to their natural course, and God's providence; and, by degrees, unbent his mind from the ** knotty and ungrateful part of his business, grew more remifs in his application to it, and indulged to his youth and appetite, that licence and fatisfaction that it defired, and for which he had opportunity enough, and could not be without minifters abundant for any fuch negotiations; the time itself, and the young peòple thereof, of either fex, having been educated in all the liberty of vice, without reprehenfion or rẻ(e) Conttraint (e). Í fuppofe the reader, by these authorities, nuation, vol. H. p. 38. will be fully fatisfied of the genius, and indolence, of Charles; an indolence, contracted whilft abroad, and confirmed by indulgence from his restoration to his death which damped his understanding, and made it in a manner useless to thofe over whom he bare rule. For when once the averfion to bear uneafiness taketh place in a mans mind, it doth fo check all the paffions, that

• they

they are dampt into a kind of indifference; they grow * faint and languishing, and come to be fubordinate to ⚫ that fundamental maxim, of not purchafing any thing at the price of a difficulty. This made that he had as little eagerness to oblige as he had to hurt men ; the motive of his giving bounties, was, rather to make men lefs uneafy to him, than more eafy to themfelves; and yet no ill-nature all this while. He would flide from an asking face, and could guess very well. It was throwing a man off from his fhoulders, that leaned upon them with his whole weight; fo that the ? party was not gladder to receive, than he was to give. It was a kind of implied bargain; though men feldom kept it, being fo apt to forget the advantage they had received, that they would prefume the king would as little remember the good he had done them, so as 'to make it an argument against their next request. This principle, of making the love of ease exercise an entire fovereignty in his thoughts, would have been lefs cenfured in a private man, than might be in a prince. The confequence of it to the publick, changeth the nature of that quality; or else a philofopher, in his private capacity, might fay a great deal to justify it. The truth is, a king is to be fuch a distinct creature from a man, that their thoughts are to be put in quite a differing fhape; and it is fuch a difquieting task to reconcile them, that princes might rather expect to be lamented than to be envied, for

being in a station that expofeth them, if they do not do more to answer mens expectations than human nature will allow. The love of ease is an opiate; it is pleafing for the time, quieteth the