Causes by Perfuafion, which the Stubbornness of Mens Humors made dilatory in Courts of Juftice:

He was fearless in his Perfon, but in his riper Years not very enterprizing: He had an excellent Understanding, but was not confident enough of it, which made him oftentimes change his own Opinion for a worse, and follow the Advice of Men that did not judge fo well as himself. This made him more irrefolute than the Conjuncture of his Affairs would admit: If he had been of a rougher and more imperious Nature, he would have found more Refpect and Duty, and his not applying fome fevere Cures to approaching Evils, proceeded from the Lenity of his Nature, and the Tenderness of his Confcience, which in all Cafes of Blood made him chufe the fofter way, and not harken to fevere Councils, how reafonably foever urged. This only restrain'd him from purfuing his Advantage in the firft Scotch Expedition, when, humanly speaking, he might have reduc'd that Nation to the most entire Obedience that could have been with'd; but no Man can fay he had then many that advis'd him to it, but the contrary, by a wonderful Indifpofition all his Council had to the War, or any other Fatigue. He was always a great Lover of the Scotish Nation, having not only been born there, but educated by that People, and befieg'd by them always, having few English about him till he was King; and the major Number of his Servants being still of that Nation, who he thought could never fail him. And among these no Man had fuch an Afcendant over him, by the humbleft Infinuations, as Duke Hamilton had.

As he excell'd in all other Virtues, fo in Temperance he was fo ftrict, that he abhor'd all Debauchery to that degree, that at a great Festival Solemnity, where he once was, when very many of

the

the Nobility of the English and Scotch were enter tain'd; being told by one who withdrew from thence what vaft Draughts of Wine they drank, and that there was one Earl who had drank moft of the reft down, and was not himfelf mov'd or alter'd, the King faid that he deferv'd to be hang'd; and that Earl coming fhortly after inte the Room, where his Majefty was, in fome Gaiety, to fhew how unhurt he was from that Battle, the King fent one to bid him withdraw from his Majelly's Prefence, nor did he in fome Days after appear before him.

So many miraculous Circumftances contributed to this King's Ruin, that Men might well think that Heaven and Earth confpir'd it. Though he was from the firft Declenfion of his Power fo much betray'd by his own Servants, that there were very few who remain'd faithful to him, yet that Treachery proceeded not always from any treasonable Purpofe to do him any Harm, but from particular and perfonal Animofities against other Men. And afterwards the Terror that all Men were under of the Parliament, and the Guilt they were conscious of themselves, made them watch all Opportunities to make themselves Gracious to thofe that could do them good; and fo they became Spies upon their Maßter, and from one piece of Knavery were harden'd and confirm'd to undertake another, till at last they had no hope of Prefervation but by the Destruction of their Mafter, And after all this, when a Man might reasonably believe that lefs than a univerfal Defection of three Nations could not have reduc'd a great King to fo ugly a Fate; it is moft certain, that in that very Hour when he was wickedly Murder'd in the fight of the Sun, he had as great a Share in the Hearts and Affections of his Subjects in general, was as much belov'd, efteem'd

efteem'd and long'd for, by the People in general of the three Nations, as any of his Predeceffors had ever been. To conclude, he was the worthiest Gentleman, the beft Mafter, the best Friend, the beft Husband, the best Father, and the best Christian that the Age, in which he liv'd, produc'd. And if he were ot the greatest King, if he were without fome Parts and Qualities which have made fome Kings great and happy, no other Prince was ever unhappy who was poffefs'd of half his Virtues and Endowments, and fo much without any kind of Vice.

The Execution of Duke HAMILTON, Friday the 9th of March 1649. [Taken from the Right Reverend Bishop Burnet's Memoirs.]

TH

HE eighth of March 1649, the Duke, the Earl of Norwich, the Lord Capel, and Sir John Owen (who had all receiv'd Sentence of Death) were brought into one Room: Having pent great part of that Night in taking leave of their Friends, and in their Devotions. The next Day the Duke made the following Speech to his Friends that attended him, which his Brother publifh'd from the Original he fent him.

I know you that are here to be true and faithful to me, I will therefore, in your hearing, fay fomewhat in order to myfelf and to my prefent Condition, and give you alfo this Copy of it, which, after I am gone, may, perhaps, be thought neceffary to be publifh'd as the laft, Teftimony of my Loyalty to my King, for whom I now die, and of my Affection to my Country, for the purfuance of whofe pious and loyal Commands I am now to fuffer.

That my Religion hath always been, and still is Orthodox, I am confident no Man doubts: I

fhall not therefore need to fay much to that Particular, only that I am of the true reform'd Prote ftant Religion, as it is profefs'd in the Church of Scotland.

"I take God to Witnefs, that I have been conftantly a loyal and faithful Subject and Servant to his late Majefty, in fpight of all Malice and Calumhy I have had the Honour, fince my Childhood, to attend and be near him till now of late; and during all that time, I obferv'd in him as eminent Virtues, and as little Vice as in any Man I ever knew; and I dare fay, he never harbour'd Thought of countenancing Popery in any of his Dominions, otherwise than was allow'd by the Laws of England, and that among all his Subjeas there could not be found a better Proteftant than himself, and furely alfo he was free from having any Intent to exercife any Tyranny, or abfolute Power over his Subjects, and that he hath been fo unfortunate, I rather impute the Caufe of it to the Sins of his People, than to his own: For my own Part, I do proteft never to have fwerv'd from that true Allegiance which was due to him, and that hath conftantly been paid (to my Comfort I fpeak it) to his Progenitors by my Anceffor many Ages, without Spor or Difhonour; and I hope fhall be ftill, by my Succeffors, to his Pofterity.

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I do heartily with well to, and pray for his Royal Iflue, and fhall die a true and loyal Subject to his eldeft Son Charles II. the unqueftion able King by Right of all his Father's Kingdoms. I hope, tho' I do not live to fee it, that God's Juftice and Goodnefs will in his own time eftablith him on the Throne of his Father, which I doubt not fome of you will fee come to pafs; and I am confident till then, and fo long as Men deeply plung'd in Guilt and Self-Intereft ufurp Power

and

and Government, thefe Kingdoms will fall fhort either of Peace, or any other permanent Happinefs.

I fpeak this from my just Affection to the RoyC al Race, and much Compaffion to his Majefty's Subjects; but not from any Malice, Anger, or defire of Revenge against any, for what I have, or am to fuffer, for I forgive all Men.

It is well known what Calumnies and Afperfions have been thrown upon me by Men of several Parties and Interefts, not excepting those who would feem to carry much Affection to his late Majefty, as if I had exprefs'd Differvice or Dif loyalty to him; the which, how malicious and groundless they were, I appeal to God, who, with my own Confcience, clearly beareth Withefs of my Innocency therein, and I fhall beg Mercy from him to whom I am now to give an Account of all my Thoughts and Actions, as I have still had a faithful and loyal Heart to my Mafter.

It hath been a general Complaint that I perfuaded his Majefty to pass the Act of continuing this Parliament. I difpute not whether the doing of it at that time might have been reputed good or bad, but furely it was not I that did perfuade it; neither did I at all deal with his Majefty for his Consent to the Bill of Attainder for taking away the Life of the Earl of Strafford, whofe great Parts and Affection, 'tis known, I highly valued! Yet fome have been pleas'd to attribute to me the Caufe of that Conceffion; but were his Majefty now living, I am confident he would publickly clear me in both thefe, as he hath been pleas'd many times in private formerly to do.

And truly I am not conscious to my self, (tho I have been for many Years a Privy-Counsellor to him) of ever giving him any Advice that tended