This may be truly said, That he valued the Reformation of his own Church, before any in the world; and was as sensible and as knowing of, and severe against, the deviations of Rome from the primitive Church, as any Gentleman in Christendom; and beyond those errors, no way quarrelsom towards it:  for he was willing to give it its due, that it might be brought to be willing to accept, at least to grant, such an union in the Church, as might have brought a free and friendly communion between Dissenters, without the one’s totall quitting his errors, or the other’s being necessitated to partake therein:  and I truly believe this was the utmost both of his and his Archbishop’s inclinations; and if I may not, yet both these Martyrs confessions on the scaffold (God avert the prophecy of the last, Venient Romani) surely may convince the world, that they both dyed true Assertors of the Reformation.  And the great and learned light of this last age, Grotius, soon discern’d this inclination in him:  for in his dedication of his immortal and scarce ever to be parallel’d book, De Jure Belli & Pacis, he recommends it to Lewis XIII, King of France, as the most Royall and Christian design imaginable for his Majestic to become a means to make an union amongst Christians in profession of religion; and therein he tells him, how well-knowing and well-disposed the King of England was thereunto.  In a word, had he had as daring and active a courage to obviate danger; as he had a steddy and undaunted in all hazardous rencounters; or had his active courage equall’d his passive, the rebellious and tumultuous humor of those, who were disloyall to him, probably had been quash’d in their first rise:  for thro’-out the English story it may be observed, that the souldier-like spirit in the Prince hath bin ever much more fortunate and esteem’d, than the pious:  a Prince’s awfull reputation being of much more defence to him, than his Regall (nay Legall) edicts.

17.

THE EARL OF STRAFFORD.

Thomas Wentworth, knighted 1611, second baronet 1614, created Viscount Wentworth 1628, Earl of Strafford 1640.

Born 1593.  Beheaded 1641.

By CLARENDON.

All thinges beinge thus transacted, to conclude the fate of this greate person, he was on the 12. day of May brought from the Tower of London, wher he had bene a prysoner neere six moneths, to the Skaffold on Tower Hill, wher with a composed, undaunted courage, he told the people, he was come thither to satisfy them with his heade, but that he much feared, the reformation which was begunn in bloode, would not proove so fortunate to the kingdom as they exspected, and he wished, and after greate expressyons of his devotion to the Church of Englande, and the Protestant Religion established by Law and professed in that Church, of his loyalty to the Kinge, and affection to the peace and welfare of the Kingdome, with marvellous tranquillity of minde, he deliver’d his Heade