or deviation from them, and thought no mischieve so intollerable, as the praesumption of ministers of State, to breake positive rules for reason of State, or judges to transgresse knowne Lawes, upon the title of conveniency or necessity, which made him so seveare against the Earle of Straforde, and the L’d Finch, contrary to his naturall gentlenesse and temper; insomuch as they who did not know his composition to be as free from revenge as it was from pryde, thought that the sharpnesse to the former might proceede from the memory of some unkindnesses, not without a mixture of injustice from him towards his father; but without doubte he was free from those temptations, and was only misledd by the authority of those, who he believed understoode the Lawes perfectly, of which himselfe was utterly ignorant, and if the assumption, which was scarce controverted, had bene true, that an endeavour to overthrow the fundamentall Lawes of the kingdome had beene treason, a stricte understandinge might make reasonable conclusions to satisfy his owne judgement, from the exorbitant partes of ther severall charges.

The greate opinion he had of the uprightnesse and integrity of those persons, who appeared most active, especially of Mr. Hambden, kept him longer from suspectinge any designe against the peace of the kingdome, and though he differed commonly from them in conclusyons, he believed longe ther purposes were honest; When he grew better informed what was Law, and discerned a desyre to controle that Law, by a vote of one, or both houses, no man more opposed those attempts, and gave the adverse party more trouble, by reason and argumentation, insomuch as he was by degrees looked upon as an Advocate for the Courte, to which he contributed so little, that he declined those addresses, and even those invitations, which he was oblieged almost by civillity to entertayne:  And he was so jealous of the least imagination that he should inclyne to praeferment, that he affected even a morosity to the Courte, and to the Courtyers, and left nothinge undone which might prevent and deverte the Kings or Queenes favour towards him, but the deservinge it:  for when the Kinge sent for him once or twice, to speake with him, and to give him thankes for his excellent comportment in those Councells, which his Majesty gratiously tearmed doinge him service, his answers were more negligent and lesse satisfactory than might be exspected, as if he cared only that his Actions should be just, not that they should be acceptable, and that his Majesty should thinke that they proceeded only from the impulsyon of conscience, without any sympathy in his affections, which from a Stoicall and sullen nature might not have bene misinterpreted, yet from a person of so perfecte a habitt of generous and obsequious complyance with all good men, might very well have bene interpreted by the Kinge as more then an ordinary aversenesse to his service, so that he tooke more paynes, and more forced his nature to