as still present, and never
absent in any Battle; in all which he gave Instances of an invincible
courage and fearlessness in danger; in which the exposing himself
notoriously did sometimes change the fortune of the day, when his
Troops begun to give ground. Such Articles of action were no sooner
over, than he retired to his delightfull Company, Musick, or his
softer pleasures, to all which he was so indulgent, and to his ease,
that he would not be interrupted upon what occasion soever; insomuch
as he sometimes denied Admission to the Chiefest Officers of the Army,
even to General King himself, for two days together; from whence many
Inconveniencies fell out.

30.

THE LORD DIGBY.

_George Digby, second Earl of Bristol 1653._

_Born 1612. Died 1677._

By CLARENDON.

By what hath bene sayde before, it appeares that the L'd Digby was
much trusted by the Kinge, and he was of greate familiarity and
frendshipp with the other three, at least with two of them, for he was
not a man of that exactnesse, as to be in the intire confidence of
the L'd Falkeland, who looked upon his infirmityes with more severity,
then the other two did, and he lived with more franknesse towards
those two, then he did towards the other, yett betweene them two ther
was a free conversation and kindnesse to each other. He was a man
of very extraordinary parts, by nature and arte, and had surely
as good and excellent an education as any man of that age in any
country, a gracefull and beautifull person, of greate eloquence
and becommingnesse in his discource (save that sometimes he seemed
a little affected) and of so universall a knowledge, that he never
wanted subjecte for a discource; he was aequall to a very good parte
in the greatest affayre, but the unfittest man alive to conducte it,
havinge an ambition and vanity superiour to all his other parts,
and a confidence peculiar to himselfe, which sometimes intoxicated,
and transported, and exposed him. He had from his youth, by the
disobligations his family had undergone from the Duke of Buckingham
and the greate men who succeeded him, and some sharpe reprehension
himselfe had mett with, which oblieged him to a country life,
contracted a praejudice and ill will to the Courte, and so had in the
beginninge of the Parliament ingaged himselfe with that party which
discover'd most aversion from it, with a passion and animosity aequall
to ther owne, and therfore very acceptable to them. But whe