Selected quad for the lemma: prince_n
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A34593
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A discourse of the most illustrious prince, Henry late Prince of Wales written Anno 1626 / by Sir Charles Cornwallis ...
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Cornwallis, Charles, Sir, d. 1629.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing C6329; ESTC R6265
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10,099
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36
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thence and entry into his Highnesse service like motions were made both by Florence and Savoy But those not conforming with what in alliances with Princes of his greatnesse either in encrease or equality of Honour or Utility or for strength and surety of estate was especially to be regarded That of Spaine was upon a new overture made by the Ambassadour of the King there againe entertained and committed by his Majesty here to be treated of by his Ambassadour who in that Court succeeded me But after some protractions used there it was upon the first opening found to have come too late that Princesse for whom the Treaty was intended being the eldest daughter of that King and the onely who in yeares was fit for him being formerly promised to the French King that now is Lastly there grew a proposition for a daughter of France wherein his Highnesse having as in duty it became him submitted and reserved himselfe to the King his Father the same was not proceeded in to any effect In this Noble Prince was to be observed a singular integrity and cleernesse of thoughts hee had a true Kingly disposition and so farre from being induced to piece up the skinne of the Lion with that of the Fox as above all things hee hated flattery and dissimulation A Noble man in those times in the highest favour with the King his Father wrote unto him by the especiall commandement of his Majesty a letter wherein he recommended unto him a matter of very great consequence to bee instantly answered unto and in his subscription used these words Yours before all the world This answer his Highnesse committed unto me who having written it did also set down some words of favour to the Noble man to precede his Highnesse Signature the letter it selfe hee read and having considered it allowed it wholly without alteration Onely in regard of the words of subscription notwithstanding the great haste that he made of the dispatch hee commanded me it should be new written and those left out and notwithstanding all the reasons that I used to the contrary would by no meanes bee perswaded to suffer it so to passe saying that he to whom he wrote had untruly and unfaithfully dealt with him and that his hand should never affirme that his heart thought not This Prince as he was no coverer of his thoughts where he had just cause of dislike so would he also to those he trusted hee acknowne of his love to such as hee affected Of the titular Nobility of this Kingdome upon occasion offered he would expresse himselfe best to love and esteeme such as were most anciently descended and most nobly and honestly disposed when sometimes also he would not forbeare by name to particulate His Highnesse brother our now Soveraigne then Duke of Yorke and his sister since that time Queene of Bohemia he entirely loved yet must I confesse at sometimes by a kinde of rough play and dalliance with the one and a semblance of contradicting the other in what he descerned her to desire he tooke a pleasure in giving both to the one and the other some cause in those their so tender yeares to make proofe of their patiences To say the truth such were both those excellent Princes their owne rare parts and most sweet dispositions as had there beene none other attractive of bloud or nature would to them have enforced his love and best affection He gave also in the administration government of his own particular estate much presage of what hee would have become if he had lived to possesse the Diademe At such times as hee attended the King his father to houses of remove or in progresse hee would not endure that carriages or provisions should bee taken for him without full contentment given to the parties In removes to his owne houses in like manner Nay so carefull he was that none by him or any of his traine should bee either prejudiced or annoyed as whensoever he went a hawking before harvest ended he would take care that none should passe through the corne and to give them example would himselfe ride rather a furlong about truly and judiciously conceiving that to Princes there is no surer fortresse then that of hearts and that those once had and setled the rest of what they possesse is at their commandment Of his disposition to justice hee gave also upon all occasions much proofe and demonstration Hee would never either condemne or censure any man unheard or undefended retaining in his memory that notable example given to Princes by God himselfe whose divine knowledge both of workes and thoughts needing no informers yet after Adams fall would neither censure him nor his Eve without hearing what either of them could say in their own defence This I could demonstrate by divers particulars as also of his being misericordious after offence acknowledged should not a long discourse seem unproportionable to so short a life It is true that he was of an high minde and knew well how to keepe his distance which indeed he did to all neither admitting a neere or full approach either to his power or his secrets Hee oftimes protested that neither fantasie nor flattery should move him to conferre upon any a superlative place in his favour but would to the uttermost of his understanding measure unto all according to the merit of their services as holding it not just to yeeld unto affections or rather second respects that which is onely due to vertue and deservings That remunerative hee was of services and considerative of those that deserved and and needed A most memorable and imitable example hee gave before his death having to divers of his servants who longest had served and in whom hee noted want given by severall Patents sent unto them Pensions during life to the value of eleven or twelve hundred pounds by yeare and that without all mediation and intreaty by others and at a time when themselves did least expect it To conclude of this Prince did hee not all thinges well The fault is rather to bee imputed to those that in yeares so unripe by their advice should have assisted him and lined out his wayes then to any want of will or Religious and Princely disposition in himselfe He was of a comely personage of indifferent stature well and streight limmed and strongly proportioned his countenance and aspect inclining in those his young yeares to gravity and shew of Majesty His judgement so farre beyond what his age could promise as it was truly admirable His speech slow and somewhat impedimented rather as I conceive by custome and a long imitation of some that did first instruct him then by any defect in nature as appeared by much amendment of the same After that he had beene advised to a more often exercise of it by using at home amongst his owne servants first short discourses and after longer as he should finde himselfe inabled Yet would he oftimes say of himselfe that he had the most unserviceable tongue of any man living Towards the latter part of his time so well became forraine Princes by their Ambassadours informed of his rare parts as the adverse to this Kingdome beganne to feare and redoubt him and the well affected and confederated to love and entertaine great hopes of him But God seeing it good to bestow another Crowne upon him excelling all that on earth was to be had or hoped After some five dayes sicknesse endured with patience and as often recognition of his faith his hopes and his appeales to Gods mercy as his infirmity which afflicted him altogether in his head would possibly permit He yeelded up the Ghost at Saint Iames next Westminster and was interred at Westminster where his body now resteth I wish it were in my power to raise such a monument unto his fame as might eternise it unto all posterities FINIS His Highnesse during his abode in that place lay at Mr. Legats house then Clarke of the Chequer
ILLUSTR HENRICUS PRINCEPS UUALLIA HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE Are to be sould by Iohn A DISCOURSE OF The most Illustrious Prince HENRY Late PRINCE of WALES Written Anno 1626 by Sir Charles Cornwallis Knight sometimes Treasurer of his Highnesse House LONDON Printed for Iohn Benson and are to be sold at his shop in Saint Dunstans Church yard 1641. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTIE CHARLES PRINCE OF Great Britaine c. Most gracious Prince BEsides my particular zeale there is a naturall interest in this ensuing Discourse to your Highnesse as being the hopefull heyre of this Kingdome of Great Britaine and the true inheritour of your Noble Vncles vertues Prince Henry as of his fortunes The eyes of all men are upon you in full view of those sweet graces of Nature and ingenuous disposition to goodnesse which all admire If you shall be pleased to adde these examples and precepts to those of your Royall Father taking them hand in hand they wil lead you in your tender yeares in the faire continuance of Honour and Vertue and then his Majesty your Royall Father may for many yeares for which we hope and pray be a living Mirrour unto you of Piety VVisedome and Iustice and all other Regall Indowments fit for so great a Dignity to which you are borne Glad I am that it was my chance to meet with this part of Ireasure truly gathered by that worthy Knight deceased Ireasurer to your Highness Vncle and great cause I have to rejoyce that by this through your gratious acceptance I have the opportunity humbly to tender with this my prayers at your Highnesse feet for your long and happy prosperity So prayes your Highnesse most humbly devoted J. B. A DISCOVERSE OF The life of the most Illustrious PRINCE HENRY late PRINCE of Wales IN this most Illustrious PRINCE may most cleerlybee discerned that Gods judgements are onely knowne to himselfe and his thoughts and determinations unsearchable For having so framed and fashioned him as his most rare parts in youth gave so many presages of his becomming to his divine Majesty from whom he received them an honour and glory to the world a wonder and to the people of these Kingdomes an exceeding happinesse yet was hee pleased in the spring of his yeares and of the hope had of him to take him to himself and to deprive the world of him neither could of his short life so farre as the eyes of man could discerne the reasons grow either out of neglect or want of performance of duties to God or of obedience to his Parents the observance of which Commandement onely hath the enlarging of time upon this earth annexed unto it for in the first it cannot bee denyed but hee was exceedingly observant never failing to sacrifice unto God the first of his actions to continue in them with all demonstration of reverence without any diversion or distraction to cherish such as in whom he found ability to teach and piety to expresse in life the fruits of their doctrine to resolve so far to become immutable in the Religion hee professed as long before his end with solemne protestations he vowed that he would never joine in marriage with a wife of a different faith had besides a determination if longer he had lived to have made choice of a Chapleine of his owne a man in yeares grave in Divinity rarely learned and of great discretion experience and wisdome by whose advice in all matters spirituall and tending to the rectifying of his Soule hee intended to have received a continuall direction Of the second to speake not by heresay but of mine owne knowledge howsoever some moaths and mice of Court in that time not enemies to him in particular but maligners of true vertue and only friends to their own ambitions and desires to possesse the eares opinions of Princes had in that particular traduced him So true and sincere he was both in profession and execution of all duties and obedience and bare so naturall and filiall a reverence and respect to the King his Father as although sometimes out of his owne inclination or the incitation and encouragement of others hee repaired to the Court and moved the King in some things either concerning the Common-wealth his own particular interest or that of others yet with the least word countenance or signe given him of his Majesties disallowance hee would instantly desist from further pursuite of it and returne either with satisfaction in regard that hee understood it to be disagreeing with his Majesties pleasures or with such a resolved patience as he neither in word nor worke gave so much as any semblance of being displeased or discontented Nay which is more sotruly was hee affected to the pleasing and satisfying of the King his Father in all things as some good time before his death hee made unto my selfe a solemne protestation that to the end he might not in any thing â—ee either displeasing or give the least distaste unto his Majesty hee would from thenceforth utterly remove his thoughts from all affaires whatsoever that should not particularly concerne himselfe his owne estate or the government of his houshold In this discourse of that memorable Prince I will for beare to speake of his infancy or youngest yeares although I have heard by such as did then attend him the same did most presage his ensuing vertues My purpose and desire is to deliver to hing but verities knowne to my selfe not things received by tradition from others In the first spring of his yeare of understanding the King his father committed unto him the disposing of the Lands and Revenues assigned to him and the government of his houshold for the administration whereof his Majesty appointed unto him certaine especiall Officers in the number of whom my selfe being not long before returned out of Spaine where I served the King divers yeares as his Ambassadour was constituted Treasurer of his house The place gave me occasion continually to attend him and the especiall favour that I after found with him not onely meanes to observe his actions but to become particularly acquainted with the most of his thoughts My first step into his favour and especiall trust grew out of that which with some other Princes would have cast mee downe either into perpetuall disgrace or at least into a temporary distaste and dislike hardly recoverable I so much admired his judicious parts in so unripe an age and discerned in him so great a will to know and so Noble and rare a disposition to give eare to advertisements as out of the duty of my place and extraordinary affection to himselfe taking hold of some fit occasion and opportunity I adventured to make proofe whether he would endure advice or advertisement reprehensive Young Princes left to their owne wills and great men that are set upon the highest stage of worldly greatnesse and lulled in the lap of fortune doe rarely endure a reproving voice especially from those