Memoires of the lives, actions, sufferings & deaths of those noble, reverend and excellent personages that suffered by death, sequestration, decimation, or otherwise, for the Protestant religion and the great principle thereof, allegiance to their soveraigne, in our late intestine wars, from the year 1637 to the year 1660, and from thence continued to 1666 with the life and martyrdom of King Charles I / by Da. Lloyd ...

THE Life and Death Of the Right Honorable ROBERT DORMER, Earl of Caernarvon.

RObert Dormer (Grand-Child to Robert Dormer Esq Crea∣ted Baronet by King Iames, Iune 10. 1615. and Baron Dormer of Wing in Buckingham-shire, the thirtieth of the same Month in the same year) was by King Charles in the fourth year of his Reign made Viscount Ascot, and Earl of Caer∣narvon, a Person of whom King Charles the First might say, as Lewis the 13th. said of his Favorite Luynes, that considering the debo∣nairness of his temper when disposed to be merry, he was a very fit man to be trusted with the Kings Majesties Game, as he was, being by a Grant to him and his Heirs Chief Avenor: and with re∣spect to the vastness of his parts when disposed to be serious, he was very capable of the most concerning trust, which he had by Pattent, as Lord Lieutenant. His nature was not so much wild, as great: and his spirit rather extraordinary than extravagant; to be admired rather than blamed, as what age and experience fixed every day more and more into a comprehensive wisdom, a deep understanding, a strong resolution, and a noble activity. His Recreations were rather expensive than bruitish, not unman∣ning his person, as Drunkenness, &c. which he hated perfectly, he being prone of those that gave occasion to the scandalous, and odi∣ously comparitive Proverb, As drunk as a Lord, as drunk as a Beggar; but if moderately used, becoming his Dignity as Gaming, &c. which he affected inordinately, though he left this caution to Po∣sterity: That he that makes playing his business, makes his business a play; and that Gaming swallow Estates, as the Gulf did Curtius and his Horse. A man knoweth where he begins that pleasure, but is utterly ignorant where he shall end; besides, that there is no pleasure worthy an excellent spirit in high Gaming, which can have no satisfaction in it, besides either sordid Coveting of what is anothers, or a foolish Prodigality of what is their own; making that breach in their own inheritance sometimes in one week, which they and their Heirs cannot repair in many years. The temperature of his minde as to moral habits, was rather disposed to good than evil; he was a Courtier and a young Man, a Profession, and an Age prone to such desires, as when they tend to the shedding of no Mans bloud, to

the ruin of no family, humanity sometimes connives at, though she never approves of; so that we may say of this Great man, as one doth of a greater, That those things we wish in him, are fewer than the things we praise.

Being a Servant, not only to his Majesties Prosperity, but to his Person; waiting on him, not out of Interest, but out of Love and Conscience; no sooner appeared the Conspiracy in Buckingham-shire, but he discountenanced it upon all occasions, with his inte∣rest; and when it brake out in the North, he Marched to oppose it with two thousand men, whom (when he could in Parliament, neither save the Life of his Majesties most faithful Servant, not preserve the Honor of his Majesties Person, being resolved rather to perish with the known Laws of the Land, than to countenance them that designed the overthrow of them) he led, to wait on his Majesty to York, where having, with the rest of the Nobility, at∣tested the integrity of his Majesties proceedings, and vowed his defence, under his Hand and Seal, he Rendezvouzed, Marching to settle the Commission of Array, in Oxford-shire and Buckingham-shire, with so much activity, that we finde him with the Earls of Cumber∣land, New-castle, and Rivers, excepted by the Party at Westwinster, out of the first Indemnity,a 1.1 1642. they offered for their actions in behalf of his Majesty, as the Earl of Bristol, the Lords Viscount Newarke and Faulkland, Sir Edward Hyde, Sir Edward Nicholas, Master Endymion Porter, were for their Counsels and Writing. And hav∣ing disciplined his Regiment, we finde him the Reserve generally to the Kings Horse in all Engagements, as first to Prince Rupert in Edge-hill, where his error was too much heat, in pursuing an ad∣vantage against the Enemies Horse, in the mean time deserting and leaving naked his own Foot; and afterwards to the Lord Willmot at Roundway-down, where by Charging near, and Drawing up his men to advantage, not above six in a File, that they might all en∣gage, he turned the fortune of the day, as he had done at Newbury, (receiving Sir Philip Stapleton with this Regiment of Horse, and Essex his Life-guard with a brisk Charge, and pursuing them to their Foot) had not a private hand put an end to his life and acti∣ons, when breathing out his last, he asked, Whether the King was in safety? Dying with the same care of his Majesty, that he lived.

So he lost his life, fighting for him who gave him his honor, at the firstb 1.2 battel of Newbury. Being sore wounded, he was desi∣red by a Lord, to know of him, what suit he would have to his Ma∣jesty in his behalf? the said Lord promising to discharge his trust, in presenting his request, and assuring him, that his Majesty would be willing to gratifie him to the utmost of his power. To whom the Earl replied, I will not dye with a Suit in my mouth to any King, save to the King of Heaven.

By Anne Daughter to Philip Earl of Pembrook and Mountgome∣ry, he had Charles now Earl of Caernarvon. From his noble extract he received not more honor than he gave; it for the blood that was conveighed to him, through so many illustrious veins, he derived to his Children, more maturated for renown; and by a constant

practice of goodness, more habituated to virtue. His youth was prepared for action by study, without which even the most emi¦nent parts of Noblemen seem rough and unpleasant, in dispight of the splendor of their fortune: But his riper years endured not those retirements, and therefore brake out into manlike exer¦cises at home, and travail abroad. None more Noble, yet none more modest; none more Valiant, yet none more patient.

A Physician at his Father-in-laws Table gave him a Lye, which put the Company to admire, on the one hand the mans impu∣dence, and on the other my Lords mildness; until he said, I'll take the Lye from him, but I'll never take Physick of him: He may speak what doth not become him, I'll not do what is unworthy of me. A vir∣tue this! not usual in Noblemen, to whom the limits of equity seem a restraint, and therefore are more restless in injuries.

In the midst of horror and tumults, his soul was sere••e and calm. As humble he was as patient. Honor and Nobility, to which nothing can be added, hath no better way to increase, than when secured of its own greatness, it humbleth it self, and at once oblig∣eth love, and avoideth envy. His carriage was a condescending as Heroick, and his speech as weighty as free; he was too great to envy any mans parts and virtues, and too good to encourage them; many times would he stoop with his own spirit, to raise other mens. He neglected the minutes and little circumstances of compliance with vulgar humors, aiming at what was more solid and more weighty: Moderate men are applauded, but the Heroick are never understood.

Constant he was in all that was good: This was his Heroick ex∣pression, when sollicited by his Wives Father, to desist from his en¦gagement with the King, Leave me to my Honor and Allegiance. No security to him worth a breach of trust, no interest worth being unworthy. His conduct was as eminent in war, as his carriage in peace; many did he oblige by the generosity of his minde, more did he awe with the hardiness of his body; which was no more softned to sloath, the dalliances of a Court, than the other was de∣bauched to carelessness by the greatness of his fortunes. His pru∣dence was equal to his valor, and could entertain dangers as well as despise them; for he not only undeceived his enemies surmises, but exceeded his own friends opinion in the conduct of his Soul∣diers; of whom he had two cares, the one to his discipline, the other to preserve them; therefore they were as compleatly armed without, as they were well appointed within; that surviving their first dangers, they might attain that experience and resoluti∣on, which is in vain expected from young and raw Souldiers.

To this conduct of a General, he added the industry of a Soul∣dier, doing much by his performances, more by his example; that went as an active soul to enliven each part, and the whole of his brave Squadron. But there is no doubt, but personal and private sins may oft times overballance the justice of publick engage∣ments. Nor doth God account every Gallant a fit instrument, to assert in the way of war a righteous Cause; the event can never

state the justice of any Cause, nor the peace of men, consciences, nor the eternal fate of their souls.

They were no doubt Martyrs, who neglected their lives, and all that was dear to them in this world, having no advantageous de∣sign by any innovation, but were religiously sensible of those ••ies to God, the Church, their Country, which lay upon their souls, both for obedience and just assistance.

God could, and I doubt not but he did, through his mercy crown many of them with eternal life, whose lives were lost in so good a Cause; the destruction of their bodies being sanctified a means to save their souls.

Such who object that he was extreamly wild in his youth, put me in minde of the return which one made to an ill natured man in a Company, who with much bitterness had aggravated the loose youth of an aged and godly Divine; You have proved (said he) what all knew before, with much pains, that Paul was a great Persecutar be∣fore he was Converted: Besides that, as many then spake more de∣murely than they lived, he lived more strictly than he spake; ta∣king that liberty in his discourse, he did not in his actions.

Hem Fides inconcussa, & invictus animus qui occidi potuit, non potuit vinci, animam efflans precando pro rege; pro quo non licuit amplius pugnare. Huica 1.3 loco ossa Legavit pro oracul•• ubi post obitum Peregrinatus tandem quievis semel mortus, Bis tumulatus ter fletus, quater Faelix. Quem puduit animam a tergo exire.

Notes

• a 1.1

  In the fourth Article of Essex his commission.
• b 1.2

  Septemb. 20. 1643.
• a 1.3

  Wing in Buckingham-shire.