A SHORT VIEW OF The Lives Of those Illustrious Princes HENRY DUKE OF GLOVCESTER AND Mary Princess of Orange DECEASED Late Brother and Sister to his Majesty the KING of Great Brittain Collected by T. M. Esq To whome the same will serve a Rule Pattern Ad exemplum totus componitur orbis Plus valent exempla quam praecepta LONDON Printed for a Society of Stationer 1661. TO THE Right Worshipfull SIR Robert Bolles Baronet AS Also to his most vertuous and worthy LADY BOokes have their fate as well as Cities and Kingdoms and want their Patrons as Rome did her Tutelar Gods And if he was such an one as Joseph was to Egypt they will be eternized if not for their owne merit yet by the continued freshnesse of his memory This hath been the motive which induced me to this attempt upon your goodnesse not any supposition in my selfe of knowing or being known to you and such I believe is your Candor that you will account the Authors being unacquainted rather his own than his Bookes unhappinesse and therefore hope you will own it though not for it selfe yet for the subjects sake on which it treateth which yeilds matter both of joy and sorrow to the whole Kingdome wherein there were many overjoyed hearts for such hopefull living Princes and more weeping eyes for their sudden and too immature death I shall say no more but recommend the work to your perusall wherein as I hope you shall receive satisfaction so in behalfe thereof I pray acceptance both to it and Yours to serve you T. M. Feb. 4. 1660. A short view of the lives of those illustrious Princes Henry Duke of Glocester and MARY Princesse of Orange IT hath been a rule commended unto us by antient and foregoing times Non tutum est in illos scribere qui possunt proscribere and the reason may be supposed for that the great ones of the World were for the most part so vitious that it made the old Poet cry out Difficile est satyram non scribere but such and so different is our present condition that we may venture to write since neither our greatest eulogyes can be stiled hyperbolicall nor our highest applauses flattery especially where the subject of the discourse are of the most noble strain as here issuing from the most royal Families of Europe to the greatnesse of which blood they have added a new and extraordinary luster by the most eminent virtues wherewith they were adorned for it may truly be said of our late deceased Princes as Vlisses boasted of himselfe Deus est in utroque Parente there is scarce any Family of the World so highly and nobly allyed for by birth they were the Son and Daughter of Charles the first and Henrietta Maria he by his Father sprang from the antient stock of Scottish Kings and by his Mother allyed to the Danish blood But she of the royal blood of France Daughter of Henry the fourth surnamed great and from him claiming a consanguinious relation both with the Germane Italian and Spanish Scepters From this royal stock I say issued the late illustrious Princesse Mary Princesse of Orange being born into this World on the fourth day of November in the year 1631. The sixth of her Fathers reign Lady Mary born and not long after with much state and solemnity baptized being committed to the ruition of a most honourable and religious Lady who was to take care of the tender infancy of the Princely babe In this unknown retirednesse must we let her passe her childhood although as then it was especially in charge to every hand about her that nothing tending to the disadvantage of the Protestant religion should approach her eares aâ— well knowing the certainty of that rule Quo semel est imbuta recens seruabit odorem Testa diu and so indeed it proved for the so early even with her milk imbibed the same reformed religion that neither the subtilty of temptation nor the power of malice could ever divert her or make her to deviate therefrom Nay so firmly was she fixed and grounded therein that when the Saternall love of her Father began now to cast his eye abroad to find a fitting match for this his Peerlesse Daughter she though the small number of her yeares did exact from her a submission to his will yet in a kind of womanly resolve did in a manner declare her dislike to a contrary religion humbly desired that her religion affection might not countercharge each other Hereupon after many ediligent guests at length the Prince of Orange is propounded and that for severall reasons first as being of the same religion secondly the next adjoyning neighbour by whose conjoyned supply of snipping the English would be the most formidable Masters of the Sea and thirdly because by that meanes both the Spanish and French were would be in their designes countermined hereupon and for divers other unknown reasons of state Suorum corda Britannum Cum socijs Belgis vindo propiore Liganda Treaty of marriage with Orange Firmandumque Vetus potiori pignore soedus A treaty is had about the same and it was concluded that William the onely Son and Heir of the most noble Prince of Orange should entermarry with the Lady Mary eldest Daughter to the King of Great Brittain according to which agreement the young Prince the 20th of February Prince of Orange came to London 1641. arrived at London waited on by a magnificent train of the chiefest Nobles of his own Countrey During this Intervall of time and while these affaires were thus in managing was born the Kings youngest Son entituled the Duke of Gloucester at Oatlands in the month of July 1640. and in September following was baptized and called Henry Duke of Glâ—cester born a Prince who from his birth bore the expresse Image of his Father and not onely as at first in his person but as after appeared in his vertues and for the more orderly proceeding towards his future education he was committed to the care of an honourable Lady Heâ—ven having showr'd down his blessings on the Kings hopefull and numerous Issue from whome nothing might be expected but the future happinesse of our now long continued peace behold on a sudden the Scots in a hot spur'd zeale or rather in a fanatick fury envying so much prosperity to the King and State begin to harbour dangerous thoughts yea and proceed to rebellious actions treacherously possessing themselves of Edenhorough Castle which was delivered to the Generall of the Covenanters without any shot or resistance made by the treacherous Governor What Bulworks SCOTS troubles Fortresses or other defensive fortifications can retain or keep the possession of a Kings right when eminent Trustees for hope fear or reward betray their charge and forfeit their fidelity Dunoritton Fort once reported invincible fell next into their hands being in the custody of a person of worth well fortified and weaponed but through
his words dropping from him in a mellifluous manner both to delight and satisfaction Mente valet juncta est facundis gratia didit Homer de Iliss His insight in humane learning was very great so that he was courted by foreigners as a son of wisdome by whose example the excesse of his followers was abated for they did subire animos magno authori tye their minds to his rule His mode ration to the perfect fulfilling that rule of the Poer Si studia mores populi cognoscere curas Rex facilis vitam Principis inspicias The masters life did surely prove A pattern to the servants love And as he inherited his fathers pourtraiture His fathers imitator so likewise he owned his perfection according to that of Isocrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the roots of vertue were so deeply fixed that they could not be pulled up by any strength nor by any meanes be removed of such force is education that the sweet savour of Vertue first received when the mind is yet tender open and easily seasoned is hardly ever to be extinguished The antient Romans when their voices were demanded at the Election of their Emperour used to cry out with one consent Quis melior quam literatus resting assured that Vertue and Learning were for the most part copartners and insinuating that he that wanted learning could never merit honour This made Licinius that was Collegue in the Empire with Constantine the great be recorded by all writers with Infamy for that being uncapable of learning himself by reason of the slowness and barrennesse of his understanding was wont to call learning the very poyson and publick plague that infected Realmes The Roman Historians wholly applying this vanity of his to want of judgement and not being able to comprehend the benefit of Arts. But our Royal Duke was of the Philosopher Aristippus his mind being wont to affirm that it was better to be a beggar then unlearned because the beggars penury was but want of money but he that was unlearned was void of humanity and therefore saith one if a good man Joach Vag in Anatol. dedic or a learned man would ever wish to live long certainly it would be for no other cause but that they may do something worthy of living This made Scaliger cry out Nothing is better than knowledge nothing more noble than to reach nothing comes so near to true felicity as to learn But we cannot learn but from others we cannot teach unlesse we converse with others and we can learn little or nothing truly but what we learn from others not by a continual poring on the book for that saith Socrates weakneth the memory but by discourse and publick conversing with men This made the Duke of Gloucester when he had thus truly laid the foundation and ground work of his learning in his private study at Leyden to return again to the Court of France there to study men whereby to become more capable of assisting his brother the most incomparable King of Great Britain He had already seen the beauty of many cities known the manners of the people of many countries through whom he had passed and learned the language of those Nations with whom he had been conversant which served him not only for delight but ornament nor rested he here for observing that the greatest ornament is the beauty of the mind he made it his endeavour to attain that which in moral Philosophy is called Cultus animi consonant and agreeing with those of his body namely beauty health and strength The beauty of his mind he shewin gratefull and acceptable formes and sweetnessâ— of behaviour which caused all men that had to do with him alwayes to go from him highly satisfied and contented 2. The health of his mind consisted in an immoveable constancy and freedome from passions which indeed are the sicknesse of the mind 3. The strength of his mind he demonstrated in performing good and great things the even temper of his mind keeping him from evil and base things Now the greatest part of men have none of these some have one and lack the other two some few attain to have two of them but this most Illustrious Prince was the great Master of all three which as it shewed a most deep understanding so the meanes whereby be attained thereunto may well deserve a memorial to be recommended to posterity for great men to imitate The first thing he endeavoured was to attain experience of formes which he did by making his mind expers rerum for behaviour is but a garment and it is easie to make a comely garment for a body that is well proportioned whereas a deformed body can never be helped by Taylors art but the counterfeiting will appear And in the form of the mind it is a true rule that a man may mend his faults with as little labour as cover them The second way he proposed to himself for the aforesaid end was this to wit imitation and to that end he affected the worthiest and did not think them most worthy whom he most affected To obtain the health of the mind he used the same meanes which we do for the health of our bodies that is to make observance what diseases we are aptest to fall into and to provide against them for Physick hath not more remedy against the diseases of the body than Reason hath preservatives against the passions of the mind This made him all the while he did abide in the Court of France where he saw infinite variety and behaviour of men and manners that he alwayes followed and imitated the best not being caught with novelties nor infected with Customes not given to affectation three excellent vertues that are seldome seen concurring in a person of his quality Nor did he think it enough to have been in the court unlesse he visited the camp also which made him go into the Army wherein his brother the most Magnanimous Duke of York had then a command against the Spaniard with this advantage as also for many other strong motives he laid aside the tendernesse of his birth and breeding and conformed his naturall courage to be fit to true fortitude thinking it better at the first to do a great deal too much than any thing too little for he knew it to be an observation infallibly true that a young man especially a strangers first actions are looked upon and Reputation once gotten is easily kept but an evâ—l impression conceived at the first is not easily removed so that in short time his name and actions grew both famous and honoured But now as if fortune had not already done her worst to these Royall Branches of Great Britains Monarthy by a forcible expulsion of them from their Native Country by their unnatural Subjects and setting up an usurping Impostor in the Kingly seat she throwes one stone more as hoping abroad to accomplish that villany which by any meanes at home they
an event from so unhandsome a beginning yet they for the present smothered the same within their Breasts doubting least by shewing their fear they should cause a distrust for as Seneca saith Qui timet a nicum amicum ut timeat docet â—en Sent. Whereas noble and generous spirits strive as much not to be overcome in curtesy as the valiant and couragious not to be overthrown in Battail Hence it is that nothing more obligeth the promiser to an unfeigned and free performance then the free and confident assurance which the promitter professeth to have in the word and offer made him whereas on the contrary many have taught others to deceive while they have appeared too feareful and jealous of being deceived The face of affaires both in England and other parts began now to be altered and that Royal family which had suffered so long and tedious an Ecclipse began again to be worshipped as Sol oriens as the rising Sun in our Hemisphears in so much that on every side it is courted and caressed making good that saying of the poet All things concurr with more then happy chance To rayse the man whome fortune will advance and so indeed they did for the Rebells of England being beaten at their own weapon the immediate finger of God appeared and infused a new spirit of Loyalty into the hearts of the people which occasioned his Majesty accompanied with his brothers the Duke of Yorke and Glocester to come from Brussells in the King of Spaines Country and under his command to Bredah under tuition of his beloved Sister the Princess of Orange where they were recived with that splendor as became such persons on all hands she with joy to see the Sacred Majesty of great Brittain in such hopes of restauration and they with gratitude to heaven for so great and happy a change Here they continued until the English Parliament sent Commissioners to invite the King and his brothers home into England and as a particular testimony of their true obedience and Loyalty they sent to each of them several great presents and particularly to the Duke of Glocester the sume of Ten thousands pounds which was acceptably received and shortly after the said Duke wayting on the King imbarked in the good ship called the Nazby but at that time new Christened and named the Charles in which by the good hands of God assisting he arrived in England and Landed at Dover on the five and twenty day of May and from thence went to Canterbury On the twenty eight he riding on the left hand of the King came to Rochester and on the twenty ninth with a stately and magnificent passage through the famous antient City of London the Metropolis of the Kingdom did arrive at Whitehall in the evening which Crowned the solemnity of the day with incredible demonstrations After a day or two respite and rest â—he Dukes of York and Glocester went â—o the house of Peeres and their took â—heir places adding by their preâ—ence two stars of the first magniâ—ude to that spheare which had of â—ate been wholly overclouded or at â—est taken up by comets meteors The King had not been above a fortnight in London but that he nominated a privy Councel whereof the Duke of Glocester was one of the cheif the King having known by experience that Paâ—vi sunt foris arma nisi sit consilium domi therefore upon his former observaâ—ion of â—is rich endowments of mind and strength of judgement which with happy success he had often made use of he made that choyce being well cautioned of the necessity of such counsellours Salustius in his discourse to Caesar saith ego comperi omnia regna avitates nationes usque eo prosperum imperium habuisse dum vera consiliâ— valuerunt ubi gratia timor voluptas eâ— corrupêre post paulo imminutae opesâ— deinde ademptum imperium postremo serâ— vitus imposita est I have found saitâ— he all Kingdomes Cities Nationâ— so long to have prospered as theâ— made use of sound and wise Counsels but where favour fear or partialitâ— have prevayled they have soon decayed and at last been made tribuâ—aryes to their Enemies Aristotle writing to Alexander useth these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rher ad Alex. Consiliari eorum quae inter â—omines divinissinum est that to give good counsel is a thing more then â—umane And in another place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quiddam sacrum â—st consultatio Good counsel hath â—omething of god in it Heaven having thus propitiously â—etled the affaires of Government in 〈◊〉 good measure lest so great excess â—hould breed supinesse or neglect gives affliction to moderate turgencies by casting that most excellent Prince and Counseller the Duke of Glocester on his sick bed the disease under which he laboured was common to this English Nation and very â—eldom if ever mortal curble for the most part by the attendant care of some knowing Nurse but become mortal to the Duke by the over-nice and too severe rules of the Learned Physitian who contraâ—â— to the nature of the disease diâ—several times let him blood foâ— howsoever Rulandus Botallus anâ— divers other good Phisitians command Phlebotomy as an excellenâ— means to cure many desperate diâ—ease yet in this our Northern Isle or bodies being for the most part moâ— Phlegmatick and gross then theirs tâ— the Southward are by consequencâ— the better holpen by dejectory diureticke and diaphereticall mean then by any effusion of blood but sâ— prevalent was the Physitians credâ—â— that their art was submited unto iâ— all things The Duke as I said twiâ—â— or thrice let blood and by thaâ— meanes unfortunately in the primâ— of his years and beginning of hiâ— strength on the thirteenth day oâ— September 1660. was brought to his death a day for ever to be noted fatal and in the Calender to be nigâ—â— Carbone notatus that all the world may know it be unlucky We may justly lament his loss as â—icero did the death of Sulpitius Tul. Pist lib. 11. ep 9. 6.12 ep 5. â—ervji Sulpitii morte magnum praesiâ—ium amisimus amisso enim eo tanâ—um detrimenti respublica acceperit ut â—unc autoritate prudentia prospicere â—ortet ne inimici nostri consule sublato â—erent se convalescere posse By this â—eath of the Duke we lost one great â—iller of the Commonwealth which â—hereby hath suffered so great daâ—age that it will aske our whole â—isedome and authority to keep our â—nemies in a sure subjection While this sad face of affaires â—egan to appear and cloud the Enâ—ish The Princess Royal desirous 〈◊〉 give a visit to her brother in his â—â—n Kingdome to congratulate with â—â—m in the happiness of his miracuâ—s restoration acquainted the States 〈◊〉 the Low Countryes with such â—er intents who being highly saâ—fied therewith she further then â—mmended to their care love her â—ung Son the present Prince of Orange during the time of
attend their Captains Bas Hom. contra Irascentes They be like water saith St. Basil that sustaineth oyle about it that it may run more purely and not be infected with earth Bas der Viâ—ginâ— They are also compared to Horses which draw a Coach so the passions draw the soule to the fruition of her vertuous objects and indeed the passions of our minds are not unlike the humours of our bodyes Cicero 4. Tusc whereunto Cicero well compareth them for if blood flegm choller or melancholly exceed the due proportion required to the constitution and health of our bodies presently we fall into some disease so if the passions of the mind be not mod learnedly teaeated according to reason and that temperature that vertue requireth immediately the soul is molested with some malady but if the humours be kept in a due proportion they are the preservation of health hereby may be gathered that passions are not wholly to be extinguished as the Stoickes seem to affirme but rather to be sometimes moved and stirred up for the service of vertue as Plutarch learnedly teacheth This hath many excellent Captaines in former ages whome the desire of glory and repute stirred up to many honourable atcheivements and if many rare wits had not been pressed with the same affections we should neither seen Homers poetry Platoes divinity Aristotles Philosophy Plinys History nor Tullies Eloquence It cannot but be granted that shamefacedness retaineth from many offences fear of punishment keepeth from theft and remorse of conscience calleth many sinners to the grace of God Now it cannot be denyed but that the minds of all men are thus charged with passions and that those passions work divers effects for their discovery according to that of the Poet O quam difficile est crimen non prodere vultu And as Pliny also speaketh Plin. l. 11. Frons hominis tristitiae incaritatis clementiae severitatis Index est Q. Curt. l. 2. Alexander the Great as Curtius relates it had experience hereof who after he had wonne the City of Tarson belonging to Darius entring upon a hot Summers day into the River Cidmus and thereby catching so vehement an ague that hindered his journey at present against his Enemies which then began to draw near to him he resolved in himself for avoiding the threatned mischief to take some very strong Medicine that should presently either mend or end him To this purpose Philip an ancient Physitian who had constantly waited on him from his youth was spoken with who promised to prepare him a Potion according to his desire While Philip was making ready the Potion Parmenio a Captain whom Alexander of all other most loved and trusted understanding the King's Determination sent him a Letter advising not to meddle with Philip's potion because he understood he was corrupted by Darius with promise of a thousand Talents and his Sister in Marriage that he should kill him Alexander was much perplexed in his mind at this news while he was debating with himself what to doe his Physitian brought him the Potion when the King saw him he raised himselfe upon his elbow and taking the Letter in the left Hand with his Right tooke the Cup and drank off the Physicke which done he delivered the Letter to Philip to read and looked earnestly into his Face as long as he was reading supposing that if he had been faulty some token would have appeared in his Countenance imagining with himselfe that as the pulse declareth the operations of the heart so the internal cogitations and affections of the mind whether virtuous or vicious no where sooner bewray themselves then through those living windowes wherewith Nature hath compassed the olosets of our fancy when Philip had read the Letter he shewed more tokens of displeasure then fear which together with the protestations of the Physitian of his innocence assured Alexander so of his fidelity he not onely rejected all feare of death but conceived an extraordinary hope of amendment as indeed not long after it proved If it be so then that the face may be called mentis speculum the minds looking-glasse which discovereth the heart to be the seat of our passions then hence may be deduced a most certain Conclusion that according to the disposition of the heart humors and body divers sorts of persons be subject to divers sorts of passions and the same passion affecteth divers sorts of persons in divers manners for as we see fire applyed to dry Wood or Iron or Flax or Gun-powder worketh divers wayes for in wood it kindleth with some difficulty and with some difficulties is quenched but in flax is soon kindled and quenched in iron very hardly but in Gun-powder in a moment and can never be quenched till the powder be Consumed so some men you shall see soon angry and soon pleased others hardly offended and with as great difficulty reconciled others are all fire and in a moment with every trifle will be inflamed and till their hearts be consumed almost with Choller will never cease until they be revenged which confirmes that old saying to be true Animi mores corporis temperatum sequuntur As then in Maladies of the body every man feeleth best his own griefe even so in diseases of the soule every man knoweth best his own inclination Neverthelesse as Physitians commonly affirm there be certain General causes which incline our bodyes to several infirmities so there are likewise that move our soules to sundry passions for it cannot be denyed or doubted but that there are some affections in the highest and chiefest part of the soul for to God the Scriptures ascribe Love Hatred Anger c. although he cannot be subject to any sensitive operation But to return the young Duke by a deep judgement having wisely foreseen this did for the better ordering of himself make use of that Golden Rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Believe all this and next these habits gain From wrath and sleep and food and lust refrain And looking at Religion as the chief point of true Nobility according to that in another place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be thou assured their Off-spring is divine To whom things holy through clear nature shine It might truly be said of him which was spoken by Solomon in another cafe Pro. 31.25 that his lips dropped Wisdome when they opened and what Job spoke of himselfe may be truly attributed to him The young men saw him and hid themselves the Aged rose and stood up the Princes refrained talking and laid their Hands on their Mouths the Nobles held their peace when the Ear heard him then it blessed him and when the Eye saw him it gave witnesse to him Job 30.8 9 10 11. To be short his wisdome was great in that he was able to advise and greater in that he was willing to be advised never so wedded to his own resolves but