BIOGRAPHICAL ANECDOTES AND CHARACTERS. Various Particulars of the LIFE of Lord DIGBY. [Extracted from his Character, in the Supplement to the Third Volume' of State Papers, collected by the Earl of CLARENDON. “HE E was of a very extraordinary compofition by nature, and if he had not from thence had fome infirmities very prevalent over, him, the advantages he had in his education must have rendered him a perfon of rare perfection; and, in truth, a perfon of rare parts he was. He was born in Spain, in the early growth of his father's greatnefs, who failed for many years with a full gale of fuccefs, till he was grown to a great height both in title and fortune. In which time his fon received all the benefits of all forts, which a liberal fupport, and a well ordered education could bring to him; and though he made a journey or two into his own country, yet his whole breeding upon that matter was in Spain, till he was thirteen years of age; fo that the language might very well be called his own, and no Spaniard fpoke it more naturally than he did ever after. When by the all-difpofing power of the Duke of Buckingham, his father was not only removed from court, but committed to the Tower, he was fent with a petition to the House of Commons on his father's behalf, which he delivered at the bar, with a fhort fpeech of his own, which being delivered with confidence by a youth very young, of delicate features, and a very graceful perfon, made a good impreffion on that body, and caufed him to be looked upon as a young man of great expectation; but the fame cloud of prejudice and disfavour ftill covering his father, though he had his liberty, the whole family retired into the country. His father grew rich, and was esteemed as a very wife man, who had failed very profperoufly, and made a great voyage whilft the wind was with him, and when it raged against him in terrible ftorms and tempefts preferved himself unhurt, and rested in greater fecurity than his enemies; and it may be his reputation and efteem was the greater for having no favourable afpect from the court. In this calm the young gentleman was fent to the univerfity of Oxford, being excellently prepared by his youthful ftudies for that approach, and from thence, after fome years A 2 Spent with notable fuccefs in all kind of learning, he went into France, in the language whereof he was well verfed, and had been carefully inftructed; and after fome time fpent there, in a condition liberally fupported for any virtuous improve ment of himself, but not for riot or impertinence, he returned again to his country, and his father's houfe, the moft accomplished perfon that that nation, or it may be, that any other at that time could prefent to the world, to which the beauty, comeliness, and gracefulnefs of his perfon gave no fmall luftre. "When the disorders of Scotland obliged the king to call a Parliament, he was, by the univerfal election of the populous county where he lived, chofen to ferve as one of their knights, where his perfon, and his parts, and the fame and reputation he had, made him, quickly taken notice of; and the converfation he chofe and wedded himself to, amongst those who were refolved to find fault with every thing that was amifs, and not to be content with any ordinary application of remedies, made it eafily forefeen what counfels he meant to follow; but that stage allowed fo fhort a time for action, that no poffible conclufions could be made. But a few months after, when the difcontents of men were grown higher, and the reverence to the government much impaired, he be ing then returned again by the fame people to ferve in the fame place, it was quickly difcovered that he meant to make himself as comider able as he could. If any thing was fpoken against the government more bluntly and rudely, he took up the argument and polished it, making the edge more fharp to wound than it was before, dreffing the general charge with fome fmart inflauces, which made the enormity more fenfible, and his delivery, and manner of fpeaking, from fo lovely a perfon, and a very lovely aspect he had, was fo graceful (though not altogether without affectation) that it wonderfully reconciled him to his auditors. When any grievances in religion were touched upon, and the government of the church affaulted or reproached, no man improved the difcourfe with more bitternefs and animofity, fpeaking of the things he would be thought to value, gravely and as it feemed, with piety and devotion; and of the perons against whom he found it grateful to inveigh, wittily, and pleafantly, and fcornfully; fo that that party, which had the most mis chievous intentions in religion, and against the church, believed that they had gotten a champion to their own defire, who would be equal to their ftouteft adverfary, even to the bifhops themselves. The greatest combination was, and which was leaft communicated, the defign againft the Earl of Strafford, which was no fooner entered upon, and fome fhort inftances given of his exercife of a very exorbitant power in Ireland, than he entered into the argument, made him the chief author of all that was grievous in England, giving fome inftances of words and expreffions he had ufed in private converfation, of a very unpopular nature, which he took upon himself to prove; which fome very confiderable actors in that tragedy did often proteft afterwards was the principal inducement to their hafty refolution of charging that Earl with high treafon. And from hence he grew into fo entire a confidence with the other cabal, which did not then confift of above seven or eight, that he was immediately received inta the bowels of their defign, and made one |
