in any
figure upon an advantagious composition.

36.

By CLARENDON.

He was one of those men, quos vituperare ne inimici quidem possunt,
nisi ut simul laudent, for he could never have done halfe that
mischieve, without greate partes of courage and industry and
judgement, and he must have had a wounderfull understandinge in the
natures and humours of men, and as greate a dexterity in the applyinge
them, who from a private and obscure birth, (though of a good family)
without interest of estate, allyance or frendshipps, could rayse
himselfe to such a height, and compounde and kneade such opposite and
contradictory tempers humour and interests, into a consistence, that
contributed to his designes and to ther owne destruction, whilst
himselfe grew insensibly powerfull enough, to cutt off those by whome
he had climed, in the instant, that they projected to demolish ther
owne buildinge. What Velleius Paterculus sayd of Cinna, may very
justly be sayd of him, Ausum eum quae nemo auderet bonus, perfecisse
quae a nullo nisi fortissimo perfici possunt. Without doubte, no man
with more wickednesse ever attempted any thinge, or brought to passe
what he desyred more wickedly, more in the face and contempt of
religion and morall honesty, yet wickednesse as greate as his could
never have accomplish'd those trophees without the assistance of a
greate spiritt, an admirable circumspection and sagacity, and a most
magnanimous resolution. When he appeared first in the Parliament
he seemed to have a person in no degree gratious, no ornament of
discource, none of those talents which use to reconcile the affections
of the standers by, yett as he grew into place and authority, his
partes seemed to be renew[d], as if he had concealed facultyes till
he had occasion to use them; and when he was to acte the parte of
a greate man, he did it without any indecensy through the wante of
custome....

He was not a man of bloode, and totally declined Machiavells methode,
which prescribes upon any alteration of a goverment, as a thinge
absolutely necessary, to cutt of all the heades of those and extirpate
ther familyes, who are frends to the old, and it was confidently
reported that in the Councell of Officers, it was more then once
proposed, that ther might be a generall massacre of all the royall
party, as the only exspedient to secure the goverment, but Crumwell
would never consent to it, it may be out of to much contempt of his
enimyes; I