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I Have pitched on this Chara∣cter of King Charles the II. not for his being a King, or my having had the Honour to serve him. The first of these would be too vulgar a consideration, and the
other too particular: but I think it a Theme of Great Variety, and whatever is wanting in the Writer, may, I hope, be Recompenced, in the agreeableness of the Subject, which is sometimes enough to recommend a Picture (tho' ill drawn) and to make a face one likes oftner look'd on, than the best Peice of Ra∣phael.
To begin then according to Cu∣stom with his Religion, which since his death hath made so much noise in the World, I yet dare confident∣ly affirm it to be only that which is Vulgarly (tho' unjustly) counted none at all, I mean Deism. And this uncommon Opinion he owed more to the Liveliness of his parts, and carelessness of his Temper, than either to reading or much consideration;
for his quickness of Apprehension at first View could discern thro' the several Cheats of Pious pretences, and his natural Laziness confirm'd him in an equal mistrust of them all, for fear he should be troubled with Examining which was best.
If in his early Travels, and late designs, he seem'd a little Byassed to one sort of Religion; The first is only to be imputed to a certain easi∣ness of Temper, and a Complaisance for that Company he was then for∣ced to keep; and the last was no more than his being tired (which he soon was in any difficulty) with those bold oppositions in Parliament, which made him almost throw himself into the Arms of a Roman Catholick party, so Remarkable of late for their Loyalty, who imbraced him gladly,
and lull'd him asleep with those En∣chanting Songs of Soveraignty, which the best and wisest of Princes are of∣ten unable to resist.
And tho engaged himself on that side more fully at a time, when 'tis in vain, and too late to dissemble, we ought less to wonder at it, than to consider, that our very Judge∣ments are apt to grow in time as partial as our affections; And thus by accident only, he became of their Opinion in his weakness, who had so much endeavoured always to contribute to his Power.
He loved ease and quiet, to which his unnecessary Wars, are so far from being a Contradiction, that they are rather proof of it, since they were made only to comply with those per∣sons,
whose disaffections would have proved more uneasy to one of his humour, than all that distant noise of Cannon which he would often listen to, with a great deal of Tranquility. Besides the great and almost only pleasure of mind, he appears addicted to, was Shipping and Sea affairs, which seemed to be so much his Ta∣lent both for knowledge, as well as inclination, that a War of that Kind, was rather an Entertainment, than any Disturbance to his thoughts.
If he did not go himself at the head of so magnificent a Fleet, 'tis on∣ly to be imputed to that eagerness of Military Glory, in his Brother, which under the show of a decent care for preserving the Royal person from danger, ingrossed all that sort of honour to himself, with as much
jealousie of any others interposing in it, as a King of another Temper would have had of his. 'Tis certain no Prince was ever more fitted by nature for his Countries interest than he was, in all his Maritime Inclina∣tions, which might have proved of sufficient advantage to this Nation, if he had been as carefull in depres∣sing all such improvements in France, as of advancing and encouraging our own; but it seems he wanted jealousy in all his inclinations; which leads us to consider him in his Plea∣sures.
Where he was rather Abandoned than Luxurious, and like our Fe∣male Libertines, apter to be perswa∣ded into Debauches for the satis∣faction of others, than to seek with choice where most to please himself;
I am of Opinion also, that in his lat∣ter times there was as much of Lazi∣ness, as of Love, in all those hours he passed among his Mistresses, who after all only served to fill up his Seraglio, while a bewitching kind of pleasure called Sauntring, and talk∣ing without any constraint, was the true Sultana Queen he Delight∣ed in.
He was surely inclined to justice, for nothing else would have retained him so fast to the succession of a Brother against a Son he was so fond of. And the humour of a Party which he so much feared, I am willing also to impute to his Justice, whatever seems in some measure to contradict the general Opinion of his Clemen∣cy, as his suffering always the Rigor of the Law, to proceed not only a∣gainst
all Highwaymen, but also several others, in whose Cases the Lawyers, according to their wonted custom, had used some∣times a great deal of Hardship and Severity.
His understanding was quick and lively, in little things, and some∣times would soare high enough in great ones, but unable to keep it up, with any long attention or applica∣tion; witty in all sorts of Conversa∣tion, and telling a story so well, that not out of flattery, (but for the pleasure of hearing it) we used to seem ignorant of what he had re∣peated to us ten times before, as a good Comedy will bear the being often seen.
Of a wonderfull mixture, losing all his time, and setting his whole heart on the Fair Sex, yet neither Angry with Rivals, nor in the least Nice as to the being beloved, and while he sacrificed all things to his Mistresses, he would use to grudge, and be uneasie at their losing a lit∣tle of it again at Play, tho' never so necessary for their diversion, nor would he Venture 5 l. at Tennis to those Servants who might obtain as many thousands, either before he came thither, or as soon as he left of.
Full of Dissimulation, and very adroit at it, yet no man easier to be imposed on, for his great dexterity was in cozening himself, by gaining a little one way, while it cost him ten
times as much another, and by Caressing those persons most, who had deluded him the oftnest, and yet the quickest in the world at Spying such a Ridicule in another.
Easy and good natured to all people in trifles, but in greater af∣fairs severe, and inflexible, in one weeks absence, quite forgeting those Servants to whose faces he could hardly deny any thing.
In the midst of all his Remis∣ness so industrious, and indefati∣gable on some particular occasi∣ons, that no man would either toil longer, or be able to manage it better.
He was so Liberal as to Ruine his affairs by it, for want in a K.
of England turns things just up∣side down, and Exposes a Prince to his peoples mercy, it did yet worse in him, for it forced him also to depend on his great Neigh∣bour of France, who played the Broker with him sufficiently, in all those times of Extremity, yet this profuseness of his did not so much proceed from his over valuing those he favoured, as from his un∣dervaluing any summs of Money, which he did not see tho' he found his Error in this, but I con∣fess a little of the latest.
He had so natural an Aversi∣on to all formality, that with as much Wit as most men ever had, and as Majestick a Mien, yet he could not on premeditation act the Part of a King for a mo∣ment,
either at Parliament or Coun∣cil, either in Words or Gesture, which carried him into the other Entream, more inconvenient of the two, of letting all Distinction and Ceremony fall to the Ground, as use∣less and foppish.
His Temper both of Body and Mind was Admirable, which made him an easie generous Lover; A Civil obliging Husband, a Friendly Brother, an Indulgent Father, and a good natured Master. If he had been as Solicitous about improv∣ing the faculties of his mind, as he was in the Management of his bodi∣ly health, (tho' alas 'tis proved un∣able to make his life long) that had not failed to have made it Famous.
He was an illustrious Exception,
to all the Common Rules of Physiog∣nomy, for with a most Satur〈…〉〈…〉ine harsh sort of Countenance, he was both of a Merry and Mercifull Disposition, and in the last 30. years of his life, as Fortunate as those of his Fathers had been Dis∣mal and tumultuous. If his Death had some appearance of being un∣timely, it may be Partly imputed to his Extream, healthy constitution, which made the world as much sur∣prized at his dying before threescore, as if nothing but an ill accident could have Killed him.
I would not say any thing on so sad a Subject; If I did not think si∣lence it self in such a Case, would signifie too much; And therefore as an Impartial Writer, I am oblig'd to Observe, that I am assured, the
most 〈…〉〈…〉ing and most deserving of all his Physicians did not only be∣lieve him, Poysoned, but thought himself so too, nor long after, for ha∣ving Declared his Opinion a little too boldly.