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 Mr. WILLIAM CARTWRIGHT.

NOT only all the Wisdom, but all the Wit of the Age (wherein both Wit and Wisdom were at a fatal height) attended that Cause that commanded not only the Arms of the most Valiant, but the Parts of the most Learned; these deserving the Bayes for the vast reason they urged in his Ma∣jesties behalf, as the other the Laurel for the great things they under-went for his Majesties person, among whom Mr. William Cartwright, Son of Tho. Cartwright of Burford in the County of Ox∣ford, born Aug. 16. 1615. bred at the Kings School in Westminster, under Dr. Osbaston; and in Christ-Church in Oxford, under Mr. Ter∣rent, deserves to be as well known to Posterity, as he was admi∣red in his own time, whose very Recreations hath above fifty of the choicest Pens to applaud them; his high abilities were accom∣panyed with so much candor and sweetness, that they made him equally loved, and admired; his vertuous modesty attaining the greatest honor by avoiding all.

His soul naturally great and capable, had, he said, three advan∣tages to fill it; great spirited Tutors, choice Books, and select Company; it was his usual saying, That it was his happiness that he neither heard nor read any thing vulgar, weak, or raw, till his minde was fixed to notions exact as reason, and as high as fancy. Its a great care due to our first years, That generous thoughts be in∣stilled into us; imitation and observation raised his parts, and an humor of expressing every excellent Piece he saw, and indeed each brave notion he met with (and he was an exact Collector) whereby he translated not only brave mens thoughts to his own words, but their very Heart and Genius to his own constitution made up of strong Sence, compact Learning, clean, sharp, full, and sure Wit; brave passions, even and high Language; in ••ine, a great fansie, with as great judgment, that could do and be what it would: no man can tell (as Aristotle said of AEschron the Poet) what this prodigious man could not do.

None humored things and persons out of his own observation more properly. So much valued at Court for hisa 1.1 Poetry, that the King and Queen enquired very anxiously of his health in his last sickness; admirable his performances, wherein (as my Lord of Monmouth Charactereth them) was wit for youth, and wisdom for the wise.

So admired in Christ-Church for his easie, natural, proper, and clear Oratory, especially his Lectures on the Passions, which in his Descriptions seem but varieated reason; those wild beasts being tuned and composed to tameness and order, by his sweet and har∣monious language: that Dr. Fell said, Cartwright was the utmost m••n could come to.

So thronged in the Metaphysick School (where no performance ever like his, and his learned Predecessor Mr. Tho. Barlow of Queens) when Aristotle ran as smooth as Virgil, and his Philosophy melting as his Plays, and his Lectures on that obscure Book which Aristotle made not to be* 1.2 understood as clear as his Poems; the abstractions refined, what was rugged for many ages, lost its horror and pleased, and the thornes of Philosophy turned Roses by him, that the Theatre was thin to his School, and Comedy was not half so good entertainment as his Philosophy.

So ravishing by the comeliness of his presence (for his body was as handsome as his soul) and the beauties of his discourse in his Sermons made up of learned and holy extasies, that (by a strength mixed with sweetness,* 1.3 vigorous and fair) he winged up his hearers hearts to the same height with his own, expressed strict vertue into the greatest pleasure, strowed the streight way to ease and delight; chained up all thoughts to his, ravishing with a Masculine vigor his hearers, not only by way of perswasion, but command.

He speaks, and streight our thoughts,* 1.4 are his, not ours, Whats in our souls his Verse controuls. We quit our minds, and he commands our powers, He shufstes souls with us, And frames us thus, or thus; We change our humors, as his discourse doth flowers.

In fine, to have a person compleat in the circle both of Arts, and Vertues.

Whose universal Genius did know The whole worlds posture,* 1.5 and mixt Idiom too, But these as modern faculties, his soul Reared higher up, learnt only to controul; In abler Works, and Tengues yet more refin'd Thou wed'st thy self, till they grew to thy mind They were so wrapt about thee, none could tell! A difference, but that Cartwright did excell.

So just a Poet that Ben. Iohnson our ablest Judge and Professor of Poetry, said with some Passion; My Son Cartwright writes all like a man. (What had Ben. said, had he read his own Eternity in that lasting Elegy given him by Mr. Cartwright, or that other by his good friend Mr. Robert Waring, neither of which pieces are easily to be imitated) dropping not a line against the Laws either of Art or Vertue; the best times best, ready and clear to teach and please: in whom Poetry now expiring (as dying things contract

all their strength and vigor to one great action) collected all its rich Beauties,* 1.6 Wit, Art, Iudgement, in one rich soul

That fill'd the Stage, the Schools, and Pulpit too, An universal Wit All things, and men, could fit, So shap'd for ev'ry one, As born for that alone: Not as where Growth, Sense, Reason, one controuls, But as if he had had three rational souls; He wrote so brave a Verse that none knew which Is best, the Art, or Wit, its all so rich. His fancies are all New, His Language choice and true, The whole Contexture wrought Above our reach or thought. Dramatick, Lyrick, and Heroick, thou Knew'st when to vary shapes, and where, and how.

Confined neither to one shape, nor to one language, being as Elegant in Latine, Greek, French, and Italian, as in English sense and reason, speak all Languages. To have the same person cast his net, and catch souls as well in the Pulpit as the Stage; and as well in the Schools as in both.

Where language he to sence did reconcile,* 1.7 Reducing reason into square and file; Whose stubborn knots retain'd their strength, though spread And moulded in a soft, and even thread, When that his Voice did charm th' attentive throng, And every ear was hook'd unto his tongue. The numerous praess closing their souls in one, Stood all transform'd into his passion.

To see all Learning (like unpolished Jewels framed into Fi∣gures) smoothed into pleasure; and a Miracle of Industry and Wit sitting sixteen hours a day at all manner of knowledge, and by the happy Alchymis of wit, turning the Axioms of Aristotle, the Problems of Euclide, the summes of Aquinas, the Code of Iustinian, the Contexture of History, the learning of Rabbines, the Mytholo∣gy of Gentilism, the Fathers, Councels, Martyrologyes, and Li∣turgicks, and Christians; the Poetry, Oratory, and Criticism of the world into a good Man, a great Schollar, a most ingenious Poet and Orator, and an excellent Preacher, in whom hallowed fancies and reason grew Visions, and holy passions Raptures and Extasies, and all this at thirty years of age. When he dyed Proctor of the University, 1643. of a Malignant Fever then raging in that Garri∣son, and heart-grief expressing its self thus: I see the seeds of mi∣series that will continue an age; and a blot upon our Nation and Religion that will last with the world.

Dr. Lluelin on the Death of Mr. W. Cartwright.

THey that have known thee well, & search'd thy parts Through all the Chain of Arts, Thy apprehension quick as active light, Clear Iudgment without night: Thy fansie free, yet never wild, or mad With wings to fly, and none to gadde; Thy Language still in Rich, yet comely Dresse Not to expose thy minde, but to expresse. They that have known thee thus, sigh and confess, They wish they'd known thee still, or known thee less. To these the wealth and beauties of thy minde, Be other Vertues joyn'd, Thy modest soul strongly confirm'd, and hard, Ne're beckned from its guard; But bravely fixt midst all the baits of Praise, Deeming that Musick treacherous Layes. Those put that Rate and Price upon thy breath, Great Charles enquires thy health, the Clouds thy death: For nobler Trophies can no Ashes call, Kings greet thy safety, Thunder speaks thy fall.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Especially in his admira∣ble Royal Slave, his Play and his Prophesi••, made 1636. to enter∣tain the King and Queen at Christ-Church in Ox••n, when Doctor Dupps said, Cartwright finds 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and we Money.
• * 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈…〉〈…〉. See Dr. Ba••hurst of Tim. Col. Ox••ns Verses 〈◊〉〈◊〉 him.
• * 1.3

  Dr. M••in upon him.
• * 1.4

  Mr. S. verne upon him.
• * 1.5

  Dr. Towers upon him.
• * 1.6

  Sir Edward 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his Poems. Sir John Pet∣tus upon his Poetry.
• * 1.7

  Dr. F••ll now Dean of Christ Church Oxon•• upon him.