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 Thomas Rat••lif Earl of Sussex.

THomas Ratclif Earl of Sussex, was of a very Noble and Ancient Lineage, honoured through many Descen••s by the Title of Viscounts Fitz-Walters. He was a goodly Gentle∣man, and of a brave noble-Nature, true and con∣stant to his friends and servants, noted for honesty: a very excellent Souldier, being one of the Queens martialists, who did very good service in Ireland at her first accession, til•• she recalled him to the Court, where she made hi•• Lord Chamberlain; and though he was no•• endowed with the cunning∣ness and dexterity as others were, yet upon his Deat••-h••d he gave his f••iends a caveat whom they should beware. His words, (saith Sir Robert Naunton) are these: I am now passing into another World, and must leave you to your Fortunes, and to

the Quee••s Graces: but beware of the Gyp••ie for he will be too hard for you all; you know not the beast so well as I do, His Prowess and integ••ity drew the Soul∣diers after him, Leicester's Cour••ship and Cunning the Courtiers, Cecil's Prudence and service the States-men.

This Thomas Ratclif Lord Fitz-Walter, second Earl of Sussex of that surname, was twice Lord Deputy of Ireland, by his prudence he prevented the breaking out of an actual Rebellion in that Kingdome, and no wonder if in his time it rained not War there, seeing his diligence dispersed the Clouds before they could gather together. Thus he who cures a disease may be skilfullest, but he that prevents it, is the best Physitian.

Being called home by the Queen to be Lord Chamberlain, a constant Court faction was main∣tained between him and Robert Earl of Leicester, these two parties dividing the Court, whilst the Cecilians as Neuters did look upon them; Sussex had a great Estate left by his Ancestors, Leicester as great given, or restored him by the Queen, Sussex was the honester man, and greater Souldier; Lei∣cester the more facete Courtier, and deep Polliti∣cian, not for the general good, but his own parti∣cular profit. Great was the animosity betwix•• them, and what in vain the Queen endeavoured, Dea••h performed, taking this Earl away: and so ••he competition ended. New-hall in Essex was the place (if not of his birth) of his principal ha∣bitation, he lyeth buried in the Church of St. O∣lives Hartstreet London.

The first of Queen Elizabeth found this brave Earl commanding Ireland in peace and plenty,

with three hundred and twenty Horse, and eight hundred and sixty foot, prudently garrison'd, and well payd; a••d the second employed him thi∣ther again, with instructions, that he should be∣ware above all things, lest the Irish being an un∣civil people, and therefore the more superstitious, should by the cunning practices of the French be ex∣cited to Rebellion under the pretext of Religion.

2. That he should fortify Ophale with Castles, and Forts.

3. That he should engage the Souldiers with large possessions.

4. That the Irish Nobility should hold their E∣states in Fee.

5. That he should improve the Queens Reve∣nues moderately, and reduce her exchequer there, to the form of that in England.

At what time Maximilian the Emperour courted Queen Elizabeth whom all English-men wished marryed, all Protestants married to a Protestant, and the Earl of Leicester had designed for himself, there arose a deady feud in the English Court between the Earl of Sussex, that favoured the match upon common principles of government, and the Earl of Leicester who opposed it upon a private design of his own, certainly very great and shameful hopes do they foster, who have already attained things beyond hopes. The open hearted Earl would call his An∣tagonist an upstart that had but two Ancestors, his Father, a Traytor; and his Grand-Father, a Pub∣lican. Thus the Court is divided, the Earls are alwayes attended with their armed guards, untill the Queen who took pleasure in the innocent Emu••a∣tion

of her women, became fea••ful of the dange∣rous contests of her Favourites, and rather skinned over, than healed the rupture.

At the Emperours Court, whither he is sent with the order of St. George, he presseth the marriage closely, as much out of love to his Countrey, as ha∣tred to Leicester; having nothing more ordinary in his discourse than that a Forreign Prince was to be preferred before the noblest English-man for the three grand things, of Honour, Power, and Wealth. But what he promoted publickly, the Lord North, who was joyned with him rather ••as his guardian than his colleague, opposed privately, untill a few fond scruples broke the most solemn negotiations wherein yet this Earl behaved himself with a gal∣lantry that gained him a familiarity from the Em∣perour, a reverence from the Arch-duke, a respect from the people, and his M••stress a kindness in that Court, that stood her in great stead, against the attempts of Spain and Rom••.

From Germany he returned with much Honour to command in the North with more, wher•• he and his old setters at Court discovered the grand plot in the N••rth, as Hunsdon and his old Souldi∣er•• at Berwick defeated it, and both harassed the Scottish borders: all things yielding to those two grand disposers of the World, now predominant in England, Wisdome and Cecil at home, Armes and Hunsdon abroad; and both with Sussex at home, now for his approved wisdome and fidelity made privy Councellour•• and abroad alway Lord General.

Of many I pitch on this one argument of the greatness of his mind, that he scorned to trample

the prostrate, that he had a just passion, but not an unworthy malice for an enemy whom he had a ge∣nerous goodness to pity when unhappy, as well as a brave spirit to contest with when injurious. The lesser fry of adversaries railed against, this great one pleaded fo•• Leicester, when his practices against A••jou's marriage with the Queen confined him to the Castle of Windsor. And his menaces had cast him to the Tower of London, had not my Lord, minding more the common interest than his p••i∣vate resentments, first moderated the Q••eens passion with Reason, and th••n overcame it with this Jest, you must allow Lovers their Iealousie.

H•• succeded his Father in his Fortune, and in his Favour, his P••udence and Resolution promo∣ting him to the Government of Ireland and the North; his good husbandry and skill in Surveying, making him justice in Eyre of all the Pa••ks beyond Trent; and is comely p••esence advancing him Lord Chamberlai••. Queen Elizabeth poyzed her State by Factions a••road, and Parties at home; her chiefest wisd••me lying in her general correspon∣dence and complyance with each Party, as h••r In∣terest lay in their complyance and distance from one another. My Lord of Sus••ex left his mem••∣rial behind him, That for Rising men to stick to a side, is necessary; For Great men to be indif∣ferent, is wise: and this, That he and my Lord of Leicester cleared and purged the Court: their cross Observations refining each person that was admit∣ted to Court; none daring any injustice while Lei∣cester observed him on the one hand, and Sussex punished him on the other. Then no deserving Per∣son could be excluded by the one, that could serve

his Princ••; not any undeserving one admitted, that might disparage him: one Interest being sure to receive the one, as the other was to exclude the other.

Divers persons (saith one) of equal Authority, though both wicked, do in experience produce more Justice than a greater Probity in a single individual hath been heard to pronounce; in a divided Court the Creatures of one Party being the Enemies of a∣nother, no less powerful; and so they both become liable to accusation, or capable of defence: and from the sparkles of this clashing, not onely Persons and Actions, but the Publick Councils came to be refined from the Rusts and Cankers that grow by an Unanimity. Faction can be as little spared in a mo∣narchy, as an Eye or an Ear, as through which the Prince hath a clearer apprehension of his own and others Affairs, than he can have when his followers are all agreed: through the pe••cussion of equal Fa∣ctions, as through that of Flint and Stee••, all things coming to light by Debates, that might either ad∣vance or eclipse a Princes glory.

When my Lord of Sussex could not overbear Leicester with Power, he did it with Policy; and by yielding to him, conquered him: for (as he observed) when ••e and his friends retired, Leice∣ster and his subdivided; and he was checked more by the Ambition he taught his own Followers, than by the competition of his Adversaries.

When Factions are carried too high, and too vio∣lently, it is a signe of weakness in Princes, and much to the prejudice of their Authority and Business: The motions of Factions under Kings,* 1.1 ought to be like the motions (as the Astronome••s speak) of the

Inferiour Orbs, which may have their proper Incli∣nation, but yet are still quietly carried by the higher motion of the Primum Mobile. Queen Elizabeth had an happy time of it, if it were but for this, That her Favourites Divisions were her support: for thereby she attained the knowledge of all things that happened, so as no Suit or D••signe passed the Royal Assent, before she understood as much of Reason as Enemies or Friends could bring for or a∣gainst it.

The Character this third great Lord of his Fami∣ly left behind him, was,

This year died a man of a great spirit and faithfulness to his Country: and therefore none freer than he of his thoughts, none sounder than he in his councels.

Nor did this free∣dome of Communication betray his future Resolu∣tions to the discovery of his Enemies, as they o∣pened his heart to the observation of his Prince: for through a seeming unconstancy, not of words, but of action; not his weakness, but his nimbleness, (the Bird on the wing is safe) he could so often va∣ry, as it was no•• easie to discover where or when he would be buzzing, and give the blow: by which unsteady carriage, He so befooled his Adversarie with their Spies and Pensioners, as they were at a lo••s what to inform their Patrons of, or themselves how to resolve. Fortune and Conduct set up this Favourite, it falling in his Character as at Primero, and othe•• Plays, wherein Fortune is directed and conducted by Art. The best and subtilest Gamester may lose, if it cross him; but if it smiles and fa∣vours, he knoweth best how to manage and govern it.

Five things raised this person to a respect as great

as his fortune; to be as high in the Queens favour, as he was in his Descen••,

• 1. A Civility set off with State.
• 2. A pleasing Modesty of Countenance, and Af••fability of Speech; ennameled with Gravity.
• 3. A Boldness attended with Patience,
• 4. A great Capacity, enlivened with as great Dexterity. And
• 5. An Integrity secured with wariness in the darke, of which quality both in his Expression, and in his Actions he wrapped himself as this sepia to preserve her self undiscovered, doth shed forth a∣bout her a quantity of blushes in his blood to hide her self from the Fisherman.

Notes

• * 1.1

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