most part concluded before they were brought to that publick agitation.

"Though in his nature he had not only a firm gravity, but a severity, and even some morosity; yet it was so happily tempered, and his courtesy and affability towards all men so transcendent and so meek without affectation, that it marvellously recommended him to men of all degrees; and he was looked upon as an excellent courtier, without receding from the native simplicity of his own manners.

"But then this happy temper, and those good faculties, rather preserved him from having many enemies, and supplied him with some well-wishers, than furnished him with any fast and unshaken friends: so that he was a man rather exceedingly liked, than passionately loved; insomuch, that it never appeared that he had any one friend in the court, of quality enough to prevent or divert any disadvantage he might be exposed to. His security consisted very much in his having but little credit with the king; and he died in a season the most opportune, in which a wise man would have prayed to have finished his course, and which in truth crowned his other signal prosperity in the world 7."

Wood has recorded nine different speeches by lord Coventry in the years 1625, 1626, 1627, and 1628. Others occur among the Harl. MSS. In No. 2207 are

"Ordinances made by the Lord-keeper Coventry (with the Advice and Assistance of Sir Julius Cæsar,

Hist. of the Rebellion, vol. i. p. 38.

&c.), for the Redresse of sundry Errours, Defaults, and Abuses in the High Courte of Chancerye."

And in No. 2305 is what bears the title of

"The Lord-keeper's (Sir Thomas Coventree's) Paraphrase of the King's Speech, Mar. 17, 1627," which has the following peroration:

"It behoves all to applie theire thoughts to counsell and consultations, worthie the greatnes and wisdome of this assemblie; to avoyde discontents that maie either distemper or delay; and to attend that unum necessarium, the common cause; propoundinge for the scope and worke of all your debate, the generall good of the kinge and kingdome, whom God hath conjoyned togeather by an indissolveable knott, which none must attempte to cut and untye. And let all by unitie and good accorde indeavour to patterne this parliament by the best that have bene, that it may bee a paterne for future parliaments, and may infuse into parliament a kinde of multiplying power and facultie, whereby their maie bee more frequent, and the kinge our soveraigne may delight to sitt on this throne, and from hence to distribute his graces and favours amongst his people. His majestie hath given you cause to bee confident of this. You have heard it from his royall mouthe, which neverthelesse hee hath given mee express comaunde to redouble. If this parliament, by theire dutifull and wise proceedings, shall but give the occasion, his majestie will bee readie not onlie to manifest his gratious acceptation, but to put out all memorie of those disasters, that have troubled former parliaments,

"I have but one thinge to adde, and that is; as

your consultations should bee serious, soe let them be speedie. The enemie is before-hand with us, and flyes on the wings of successe. Wee maie dallye and play with the hower-glasse that is in our power, but the howers will not stay for us; and an opertunitie once lost cannot bee regained. And therefore to resolve of your supplies, that there maie bee tymelie and sufficient servinge the occasions. Your councell, your aide, and all is but lost, if your aide bee either too litle or too late and his majestie is resolved that his affaires cannot permitt him to expect it over longe.

"And now havinge delivered what his majestie hath commanded mee, concerninge the cause of this assemblie, his majestie willeth that yee of the howse of commons repaire to your owne howse to make choyce of a speaker whome his majestie will expect to bee presented unto him on Wednesday next, at twoe of the clocke."]

THOMAS WENTWORTH,

EARL OF STRAFFORD,

Is not recorded here for his speeches and letters, those chef-d'œuvres of sense, of nervous and pathetic eloquence; but on occasion of an elegy, with some affecting lines, said to have been composed by him the night before his execution 3. It has been republished in the collection of tracts called lord Somers's; but in a subsequent volumes, we are told that it was a fiction, avowed afterwards by another person. Most probably it was not genuine: that hero had other ways of venting his scorn than in sonnets and madrigals. When the lieutenant of the Tower offered him a coach,

["Which he did not write," says the Critical Review, vol. vi. p. 485.]

[The Somers copy says, "a little before his death." This is contradicted, and the verses denied to have been lord Strafford's, in an address to the reader before "Strafforiados, the Lieutenant's Legend;" a poem professing to be published in 1652, according to the original copy, written by his lordship's own hand in the Tower; and reprinted from vol. i. coll. 4, of the Somers Tracts, at the end of this article.]

♦ Second Collect. vol. ii. p. 9.

• Fourth Collect. vol. i. p. 83.