State-worthies, or, The states-men and favourites of England since the reformation their prudence and policies, successes and miscarriages, advancements and falls, during the reigns of King Henry VIII, King Edward VI, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, King James, King Charles I.

Observations on the Life of Sir Henry Killigrew.

TRavellours report, That the place wherein the body of Absalom was buried is still extant at Ierusalem, and that it is a solemn custome of Pilgrims passing by it to cast a stone on the place: but a well-disposed man can hardly go by the me∣mory of this worthy person without doing grateful homage thereunto, in bestowing upon him one or two of our Observations. It's a question sometimes whether Diamond gives more lustre to the Ring it's set in, or the Ring to the Diamond: This Gen∣tleman received honour from his Family, and gave renown to it. Writing is the character of the speech, as that is of the mind. From Tully (whose Orati∣ons he could repeat to his dying day) he gained an even and apt stile, flowing at one and the self-same heighth. Tully's Offices, a Book which Boys read, and men understand, was so esteemed of my Lord Burleigh, that to his dying day he always carried it about him, either in his bosome or his pocket, as a compleat peice that, like Aristotle's Rhetorick, would make both a Scholar and an Honest man. Ci∣cero's magnificent Orations against Anthony, Catiline and Verres; Caesar's great Commentaries that he wrote with the same spirit that he fought; flowing Livy; grave, judicious and stately Tacitus; el∣quent, but faithful Curtius; brief and rich Salust, prudent and brave Xenophon, whose person was Themistocles his Companion, as his Book was Scipio

Affricanus his Pattern in all his Wars; ancient and sweet Herodotus; sententious and observing Thuci∣dides; various and useful Polybius; Siculus, Hali∣carn••sseus, Trogus, Orosius, Iustine, made up our young mans Retinue in all his Travels, where (as Diodorus the Sicilian writes) he sate on the stage of Humane Life, observing the great circumstances of places, persons, times, manners, occasions, &c. and was made wise by their example who have trod the path of errour and danger before him. To which he added that grave, weighty, and sweet Plutarch, whose Books (said Gaza) would furnish the world, were all others lost. Neither was he amazed in the Labyrinth of History, but guided by the Clue of Cosmography, hanging his Study with Maps, and his mind with exact Notices of each place. He made in one View a Judgement of the Situation, Int••∣rest, and Commodities (for want whereof many States-men and Souldiers have * 1.1 failed) of Nati∣ons: but to understand the nature of places, is but a poor knowledge, unless we know how to improve them by Art; therefore under the Figures of Tri∣angles, Squares, Circles and Magnitudes: with their terms and bounds, he could contrive most tools and instruments, most Engines, and judge of For∣tifications, Architecture, Ships, Wind and Water-works, and whatever might make this lower frame of things useful and serviceable to mankinde: which severer Studies he relieved with noble and free Po∣etry-aid, once the pleasure and advancement of the Soul, made by those higher motions of the minde more active and more la••ge. To which I adde her Sister musick, wherewith he revived his tired spi∣rits, lengthened (as he said) his sickly days, opened

his oppressed breast, eased his melancholy though••: graced his happy pronunciation, ordered and refined his irregular and gross inclination, fixed and quick∣ned his floating and dead notions; and by a se∣cret, sweet and heavenly Vertue, raised his spirit, as he confessed, sometime to a little less than Ange∣lical Exaltation. Curious he was to please his ear, and as exact to please his eye; there being no Sta∣tues, Inscriptions or Coyns that the Vert••osi of Italy could shew, the Antiquaries of France could boast off, or the great Hoarder of Rarities the great Duke of Tuscany, (whose antick Coyns are worth 100000 l.) could pretend to, that he had not the view of. No man could draw any place or work better, none fancy and paint a Portraicture more lively; being a Durer for proportion, a Goltzius for a bold touch, variety of posture, a curious and true shadow, an Angelo for his happy fancy, and an Holben for Oyl works.

Neither was it a bare Ornament of Discourse, or naked Diversion of leisure time; but a most weigh∣ty piece of knowledge that he could blazon most noble and ancient Coats, and thereby discern the re∣lation, interest, and correspondence of great Fami∣lies, and thereby the meaning and bottom of all transactions, and the most successful way of dealing with any one Family. His Exercises were such as his Employments were like to be, gentle and man∣like, whereof the two most eminent were Riding and Shooting, that at once wholesomely stirred, and nobly knitted and strengthened his body. Two Eyes he sai•• he travelled with; the one of wariness upon himself, the other of observation upon others. This compleat Gentleman was Guardian to the young Brandon in his younger years•• Agent for Sir

Iohn Mason in King Edward the sixth's time, and the first Embassador for the State in Queen Eliza∣beths time. My Lord Cobham is to amuse the Spa∣niard, my Lord Effingham to undermine the French, and Sir Henry Killigrew is privately sent to engage ••he German Princes against Austria in point of Inte∣rest, and for her Majesty in point of Religion: he had a humour that bewitched the Elector of Bava∣ria, a Carriage that awed him of Mentz, a Re∣putation that obliged them of Colen and Hydel∣bergh, and that reach and fluency in Discourse that won them all. He assisted the Lords Hunsdon and Ho∣ward at the Treaty with France in London, and my Lord of Essex in the War for France in Britain. Neither was he less observable for his own Conduct than for that of others, whose severe thoughts, words and carriage so awed his inferiour faculties, as to restrain him through all the heats of youth, made more than usually importunate by the full vigour of a high and sanguine Constitution; inso∣much that they say he looked upon all the approa∣ches to that sin, then so familiar to his calling as a Souldier, his quality as a Gentleman, and his Sta∣tion as a Courtier, not onely with an utter disal∣lowance in his judgement, but with a natural ab∣horrency and antipathy in his very lower inclinati∣ons. To which happiness it conduced not a little, that though he had a good, yet he had a restrained appetite (a Knife upon his Throat as well as upon his Trencher) that indulged it self neither fre∣quent nor delicate entertainment; its meals, though but once a day, being its pressures; and its fast, its only sensualitie••: to which temperance in diet, adde but that in sleep, together with his disposal of him∣self

throughout his life to industry and diligence•• you will say he was a spotless man, whose life taught us this Lesson, (which if observed, would accomplish mankinde; and which King Charles the fi••st would inculcate to noble Travellers, and Dr. Hammond to all men) To be furnished always with something to do: A Lesson they proposed as the best expedi∣ent for Innocence and pleasure; the foresaid blessed man assuring his happy hea••ers, That no burthen is more heavy, or temptation more dangerous, than to have time lie on ones hand: the idle man being not onely (as he worded it) the Devils shop, but his king∣dome too, a model of, and an appendage unto Hell, a place given up to torment and to mischief.

Notes

• * 1.1

  As Cy∣rus a•• Thermo∣pylae, Crastus in Parihia: therefore Alexander had exact Maps al∣ways aboue him to ob∣serve Passages, Streights, Rocks, Plains, Ri∣vers, &c.