Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A46081
|
An impartial account of some remarkable passages in the life of Arthur Earl of Torrington together with some modest remarks on his tryal and acquitment.
|
|
1691
(1691)
|
Wing I66; ESTC R19182
|
18,966
|
31
|
already Printed in that Language tells us expressing his Dissatisfaction in terms something warm and passionate How the whole Dutch Nation will resent it is not yet known but must be left to time to unravel This is certain that the Dutch Embassader immediately sent an account of the whole to his Masters However it is certain an English Man can only be Tryed by English Laws and though there may be many even of our own Nation as well as theirs who might be so reasonable as to think it fit he should Die whether or no he deserved it and others may be displeased with what has happen'd meerly because they are resolved they will be so with all the Actions of the Government yet we cannot say things have been otherwise than fairly managed when they have been brought on a fair Tryal nor is the Government so weak God be praised as to be put to the sad necessity of making State-Sacrifices of innocent men on account of some politick Maxim contrary perhaps both to Honour Justice and common Reason And for our Forreign Neighbours it is certain the best and wisest of them are not very great favourers of the Dewitting way of Execution nor can we think they would be willing any man especially a person of Honour in so high a Station should be condemn'd when it did not in the least appear by the Evidence that he deserved it But whatever this present resentment may be it is not much question'd but the appearance of His Britanick Majesty among them in that Splender and Glory which is designed at that Illustrious Congress there which already all Europe have their Hearts and Eyes upon but that it will effectually all causeless heats and discontents if any such should there arise from what has happened and that the Presence of such a Prince as has more than once saved their Liberties and whatever they had dear or valuable will break through greater obstacles than these mentioned and cement much more closely than ever the Union both between all the Confederates and particularly between the States and England by whose conjoynt care it s not much to be doubted that early this next Spring we may have a Fleet at Sea more Formidable than ever to regain that Honour which the late unfortunate Summer we may in some measure have seem'd to have lost for really we cann't be said to have done it our unhappy Retreat doing us much more injury than all the French Cannon being the cause of the loss of most if not all the Ships which Perish'd in the late Engagement Nor in the mean time can I see what great reason the French have to boast their own Fortune or Victory since 't was sufficiently visible they could hardly sustain the least part of our Fleet with all their own and besides the Ships they had sunk or disabled lost so many men by their own Confusion in the very Fight and afterwards while upon our Coast so many more by sickness with no greater Atchievements to boast of at home than Conquering half-a-dozen Boats and Hoys with no man to defend 'em and Burning a few Fishers Huts at Tin◠mouth though as their Custom is running away again before our Forces could come to Engage 'em whereof they make so glorious a business in their own Gazettes not carrying home so much as one Man of War nor Merchant from our Channel as Trophies of their Valour nor daring abide us when our Fleet was Re-fitted and would so willingly have spoke with them once more before they parted And 't is as pleasant that their Admiral Tourville should be in Disgrace as well as ours for the same Action it being a long time questioned whether he should have had his Commission continued or taken from him his King being extreamly angry that he did not beat us any more when we our selves fought him with one Hand ty'd behind us And yet he was himself in so fair a way of being soundly beaten To return from this Digression on Thursday the day after the Lord Torrington's Tryal he came up the River again in a Yatcht and passing through Bridge went immediately to his own House and in a few days after took his usual place in the House of Lords but we do not hear that he has yet been at Court or seen His Majesty only his Commission is superseeded and he no longer Admiral And now let every man make what Reflections he pleases on what passages we have there presented him in the Life of this Noble Lord. In the mean time thoughts are free and I know what I 'll think let others think what they will That Fortune 's a Jade if she 's any thing at all that she 's as deceitful as her Sex and as slippery as her Wheel That the most powting Lip she can make is not enough to fright a brave Man and that the very best of her Ogelings and Smiles are not worth whistling after FINIS Books Newly Publish'd ☞ The Triennial Mayor Or the New-Rapparees a Poem sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster Price 6 d. The Anti-Weesils a Poem sold by Randal Taylor Price 6 d. A Treatise of Fornication Written upon an extraordinary occasion to which is added a Sermon Preached before the Guilty Persons upon their doing PENNANCE in the Publick Congregation By WB. M.A.
An Impartial ACCOUNT Of Some REMARKABLE PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OF ARTHUR EARL of TORRINGTON TOGETHER With some Modest REMARKS ON HIS Tryal and Acquitment London Printed for Robert Fowler 1691. THE PREFACE IT is not perhaps very easie to find any one Person beneath the degree of a Sovereign Prince whose Name has for this last Year at least made greater noise in Europe than my Lord Torrington's the subject of this present History We have seen Mercuries and Gazetts publick and private Letters and even some whole Books and Pamphlets fill'd up with little else than his History and censures upon his Actions relating to the late Fight at Sea between the Fleet of the French Dutch and English all which different Nations have given some Accounts thereof and yet they have all been received by the Publick with great satisfaction and greediness It may not therefore 't is hoped be less acceptable to publish a Short and Impartial Account of the entire Life and Actions of that Noble Lord as far as the Memoirs thereof have come to Hand which we promise to perform with as much Decency and Faithfulness as is possible relating only meer matter of Fact grounded for the most part on publick Prints and Authentick Instruments or at least the Attestations of such as have been personally present in the Actions hereafter mentioned Indeed a good Historian ought to be the greatest Trimmer in the World as he must be if Truth and he are together for that is generally divided and one party monopolizes her Accordingly tho' perhaps never was there yet Writer who did not really lean more to one Party than another nor would it look other than ridiculous for him who is engaged in this present Design to pretend an Exemption from that common Fate of all Mankind He 'll yet engage thus much that no Man shall by what he here writes discover what Party he favours he resolving with as much Justice and Calmness as possible according to all Reflections and Refinings on matter of Fact usual with the most of Writers to relate that bare and naked as he has receiv'd it and where the Relators differ truly to represent what is pretended on either hand leaving the Reader upon the whole to make what Judgement he thinks fit of what is here fairly laid before him By His Humble Servant c. THE LIFE of the E. of TORRINGTON The INTRODUCTION NOthing in the whole course of Nature generally speaking can be more uncertain and variable than the Fortunes of great Men. There was reason enough for that ingenious wish of a very good Man God help poor Kings for if ever their subordinate Ministers have such a weight of business on their Shoulders and it's success so doubtful and uncertain and the Prince too must be reflected on for the Misfortunes or Crimes of those he employes he has sure such a weary Life on 't that he rather ought to be Pity'd than Envy'd But the best is supposing Fortune frowns at one time ten to one but from her very natural inconstancy she continues not long in that temper but smiles again as merrily as ever and then those who are her Favorites are so to all the World and whether or no the people think God loves 'em because they love good Fortune as a late Philosopher tells us 't is certain they themselves do so most of Mankind having a touch of the Turkish Religion and Policy if a Man prospers he 's brave and deserves Preferment if he does not he 's all the Rogues in the World and deserves the Bowstring Thus to bring all to the Point a few days since we cou'd never hear a certain great Man's name mention'd but with a Curse or two or at least a hearty wish at the end on 't whereas now he 's found innocent of what he has been charg'd with not a Coffee-house but is full of his Compurgators and Defenders and every one is ready to pay him as much Civility and Compliments as the Ships did in his triumphal return to London Tho' nothing more likely than that had his Fate been otherwise than thus prosperous some of those very Persons wou'd have been as forward as any to have thrown up their Hats when they stood round his Scaffold Much like the pleasant account that Roman-Oldham I mean as Juvinal gives us of that great Favourite Sejanus when he fell all the weight and fury of the people fell after him or rather upon him whereas had he had success in his Enterprise Hac ipsa Sejanum diceret hora Augustum Somewhat like the Reverse of which we have just seen practised in the case before us Tho' after all it must be confest that such mean affections as these only touch at least so strongly the weak and base Vulgar be they the great or small while a Man of true worth stands intrepid and-unmov'd when himself is in danger and after having made a calm and sober judgment of Persons and Things is never alter'd by circumstances foreign to the Essence of the Cause which may afterwards happen Had those thoughts been met with in any other place then the Introduction to my Lord Torrington's Life I yet fancy they are so natural on the Subject any one wou'd have guest 'em design'd for that purpose But we must leave building the Porch and conduct the Reader into the House wherein tho' we shant pretend to shew him what wou'd be neither worth his while nor ours every Closet Cellar and particular Corner yet we 'l endeavour to pass by no considerable or beautiful part of it without his view I mean take care to inform him in all the most remarkable and notable transactions of My Lord Torrington's Life tho' omitting smaller Circumstances not so well worthy notice especially since there is matter enough before us of such a nature as will scarce fail of giving very good direction and entertainment to the curious Reader The Family from whence he there took his Original was Genteel if not Noble and had some Estate belonging to it being related to a Noble Lord of the same name What fortune his other Brothers had is not much to our purpose to enquire nor some unhappy circumstances which concern'd a nearer Relation The actions of his own Life being only our immediate Province Suffice it therefore that the way he pitch'd upon to enlarge his Fortunes and make 'em equal to his mind was Sea-Service which had rais'd so many brave Men to Honours and Estates and to which he it seems had a more particular inclination than any other way of Life In pursuance of which Resolution by the favour of the then Duke of York who profess'd a more than ordinary kindness to him till on the Test business he serv'd him as he did all the rest of his Friends He had his desire and after having pass'd the Rudiments of that Art under experienc'd Teachers obtain'd himself a Commission And the first he had if I am not