of ambition, and he was angry to see any other man
more respected then himselfe, because he thought he deserved it more,
and did better requite it, for he was in his frendshipps just and
constante, and would not have practiced fouly against those he tooke
to be enimyes: no man had creditt enough with him to corrupt him in
pointe of loyalty to the Kinge, whilst he thought himselfe wise enough
to know what treason was. But the new doctrine and distinction of
Allegiance, and of the Kings power in and out of Parliament, and
the new notions of Ordinances, were to hard for him and did really
intoxicate his understandinge, and made him quitt his owne, to follow
thers, who he thought wish'd as well, and judged better then himselfe;
His vanity disposed him to be his Excellence, and his weaknesse to
believe that he should be the Generall in the Houses, as well as in
the Feild, and be able to governe ther councells, and restrayne ther
passyons, as well as to fight ther battles, and that by this meanes
he should become the praeserver and not the destroyer of the Kinge and
Kingdome; and with this ill grounded confidence, he launched out into
that Sea, wher he mett with nothinge but rockes, and shelves, and from
whence he could never discover any safe Porte to harbour in.

45.

THE EARL OF SALISBURY.

_William Cecil, second Earl of Salisbury._

_Born 1591. Died 1668._

By CLARENDON.

The Earle of Salisbury had bene borne and bredd in Courte and had
the Advantage of a descent from a Father and a Grandfather, who had
bene very wise men, and greate Ministers of State in the eyes of
Christendome, whose wisdome and virtues dyed with them, and ther
children only inherited ther titles. He had bene admitted of the
Councell to Kinge James, from which tyme he continued so obsequious
to the Courte, that he never fayled in overactinge all that he was
requyred to do; no acte of power was ever proposed, which he did not
advance, and execute his parte, with the utmost rigour, no man so
greate a tyrant in his country, or was lesse swayed by any motives of
justice or honour; he was a man of no words, except in huntinge and
hawkinge in which he only knew how to behave himselfe, in matters
of State and councell he alwayes concurred in what was proposed for
the Kinge, and cancelled and repayred all those transgressions by
concurringe in all that was proposed against him as soone as any
such propositions were made; yett when the Kinge we