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 Philip Sidney.

HE was son to Sir Henry Sidney Lord Deputy of Ireland, and President of Wales. A Person of great parts, and in no mean grace with the Queen. His Mother was Sister to my Lord of Leicester, from whence we may conjecture, how the Father stood up in the place of Honour and Employment; so that his Descent was apparently Noble on both sides. For his Education, it was such as Travel and the University could afford: for after an incredible proficiency in all the species of Learning, he left the Academical life for that of the Court, whither he came by his Uncles invitation, famed aforehand by a Noble report of his Accom∣plishments; which, together with the state of his Person, framed by a natural propension to Arms, he soon attracted the good opinion of all men; and was so highly prized in the good opinion of the Queen, that she thought the Court deficient with∣out him: and whereas (through the fame of his deserts) he was in the election for the Kingdome of Poland, she refused to further his advancement, not out of Emulation, but out of fear to lose the Jewel of her times. He married the daughter and sole Heir of Sir Francis Walsingham, then Secretary of State; a Lady destinated to the B••d of honour, who (after his deplorable death ••t Zutphen in the Netherlands, where he was Governour of Flushing, at the time of his Uncles being there) was marri••d

to my Lord of Essex, and since his death to my Lord of S••. Albans; all persons of the Sword, and other∣wise of great Honour and Vertue. He had an equal temperament of Mars and Mercury, Valour and Learning, to as high a pitch as Nature and Art could frame, and Fortune improve him: so Dexterous, that he seemed born for every thing he went about. His ••••presentations of Vertue and Vice, were not more lively in his B••oks, than in his Life: his Fan∣cy was not above his Vertue: his Humours, Coun∣sels and Actions, were renowned in the Romancer, Heroi••k in the States-man. His Soul was as large as his Parents, and his Complexion as Noble; an e∣qual Line of both: the modesty of the Mother al∣laying the activity of the Father. A man so sweet∣ly grave, so familiarly staid, so prettily serious he was above his years: Wi••dome gained by travel, Experience raised from Observations, solid and use∣ful Learning drawn from knowing Languet his three years Companion, and cho••c••st Books, accompl••∣shed him for the love of all, and the reverence of most. His Converse was not more close at home, than his Correspondence abroad; equally mixed with Policy, Pleasure, Wisdome and Love: his Worth being penned up, and smothered within the narrowness of his fortune, sallied not out to discon∣tent, bu•• pleasure; sweetning the Affairs of State with the Debonnareness of the Stage; his Romance being but policy played with Machiavil in jest, and State maximes sweetned to a Courtiers palate. He writ men as exactly as he studied them, and dis∣cerned humours in the Court with the same deep in∣sight he described them in his Book. His Infant-di••∣courses teach men, O what had his riper years done.

He put Life into dead Notions of Ancestors, made Philosophy practicable; joyned the A••t as closely in him, as they are in themselves. His Book is below his spirit•• a spi••it to be confined with Kingdomes, rather than St••dies; to do what was to be written, than onely to write what was to be done. All eyes were upon him but his own: at first, in all Affairs he was the last; at last, he was the first: obliging all men that ever he saw, and see∣ing all that were worth obliging: All were pleased with his Arcadia but himself, whose years advan∣ced him so much beyond himself, as his parts did beyond others: He condemned his Arcadia in his more retired judgement to the fire, which wise men think will continue to the last Con••lagration. His private Corr••spondence with William of Nassan about the highest Affairs of Europe, was so exact and prudent that he assured Sir Fulke Grevil he de∣••erved a Kingdome in Forreign Parts, though he had not an Office in England. The Earl of Leicester held his Authority in the Low-Countries by his Councel when alive, and gave it over when he was dead.

Sir Francis Walsingham was so much overshot by him in his own Bow, that those with whom Sir Phi∣lip were acquainted with for his sake, were his friends for Sir Philips. King Iames was honoured when King of Scotland with his friendship, Henry the fourth with his correspondence, Don Iuan highly obliged with his Visits, the King of Spain himself concerned in his death, whom England (he said) lost in a moment, but could not breed in an Age, The Universities were proud of his P••tronage, the Field of his presence: the Studio••s in all Parts commu∣nicated with him; the H••••eful were encouraged

by him; all excellent Persons thronged to him; all serviceable men were entertained by him; and he among them a Prince, whose minde was great, but his spirit greater. He taught England the Ma∣jesty of honest deal••ng, the Interest of being Reli∣gious. He looked deep into men and Councels, and found no Wisdom without Courage, no Courage with∣out Religion and Honesty: with which solid and a∣ctive reaches of his, I am perswaded (saith my Lord Brooks) he would have found or made a way through all the Trave••sers ••ven of the most weak and irregular ••imes. Although a private Gentleman, he was a publick Good; of a large, yet uniform disposition: so good, that the great Monarch might trust; so great, that a little one must fear him: something he did for Fame, most for Conscience: His publick spirit, which might have enjealoused the cautious wisdome of other Princes, promoted the concerns of his own. He was sent to comple∣ment Rodolph, but he dealt really with the Protestant Princes, and raised a Ceremony to a piece of Inte∣rest. He shewed that long-breathed and cautious people, that imminent danger from Romes Supersti∣tion, joyned with Spains Power, their private con∣federacies and practices, their cruelty and designe; which awaked their drowzy wariness into an asso∣ciation for Conscience and Religion more solid, as he demonstrated, than a Combination out of Po∣lic••. He went against the stream and current about the Fr••nch match, which he disswaded from the consequent inconveniences of Engagements and charge to England, and the little advantage from France; backing his Argument with a la••e experi∣ence; and so staying Queen Elizabeths match by

some reflections on Queen Mary's: which was, A five years Designe or Tax, rather than a Marriage: adding withal, That in a forreign match, besides the inequalness and danger of it, (when a strange Prince hath such an influence on our Constitution) the different Religion would make the Queen either quit the reputation of a good Protestant, or the ho∣nour of an obedient Wife.

Te•• ways he laid down a Forreign Prince might enda••ger our Religion by,

• 1. Opposing and weakning the reverend Fathers of our Church.
• 2. By disgracing her most zealous Ministers.
• 3. By Latitude and Connivance.
• 4. ••y a loose and too free a behaviour, steering mens Consciences which way he pleased, and set∣ting u••indifferency.
• 5. ••y decrying Customes and Statutes, and en∣hansin•• Proclamations to the Authority of Laws.
• 6. ••y provoking the English with French Op∣pressios.
• 7. ••y entrenching on the British Liberties with Gallic••••e Prerogatives.
• 8. •••• breaking our League and Correspondence with o••er Protestant States.
• 9. ••ightning our Queen to a Complyance.
• 10. A••d at last attempting the Protestant cause.

He vould say to his Friend the Lord Brooks, That if the Netherlands joyn with France, they are terrible to Spain: if with Spain, they are dreadful to France: if with us, they s••pport the Reformation: if they stand on t••eir own legs, they are too strong to be forced to

Pyracy. He, though a private person, opposed her Majesty Q••een Elizabeth in that Affair, with that sincerity, with tha•• ingenui••y, that freedome, that duty and peaceableness, that angered and p••ea••ed her. His Opinion was not more against hir hu∣mour, than his manage of it was to her mind••: in which Affair, when most were hood-winke•• with ignorance, and many captived with fear, he ••njoy∣ed the freedome of his own thoughts with dayly access to her Majesty, hourly converse wi••h the French, and constant respect from the people. None more dutiful to his Soveraign than Sir Philip, none more resolute against Encroachers upon Gentemen and Freemen, non•• more dear to the whole State: which when he had designed Sir Francis ••rake's second Voyage, and stollen to him at Windso•• com∣manded his stay by an E••rl, and for his ske the whole Fleets, although his stay disturbed, ••nd his death destroyed his most exact Model for t••e Con∣quest of America, the exactest Europe ever••aw: a Conquest not to be enterprized but by Sir Philips reaching spirit, that grasped all circumstanes, and commanded all interests on this side the Li••••.

When his great Soul could not improve ••urope, he considered it; and made that the F••eld o his me∣ditation, that could not be the stage of his ••ctions: England he saw so humoursome and popul••s, that it was to be refined with War, and corru••ed with Peace. Her interest was, he said, to balance ••eighbo••-Princes. France he observed weak and efem••nate, the Empire enslaved and secure, the Hanses to•• big, Rome subtle and undermining, Spain cre••t to the Power and Councils of Europe, the Protetant Princes enjealoused and dist••ustful, Poland div••••ed,

Denmark strong, Sweden invironed or impri••oned, the Muscovite distressed and ignorant, the Switz enemies, yet servants to Monarchs, (a dangerous body for the soul of any aspiring Monarch to infuse designes into) the Princes of Italy awed by their S••periours, ••nd cautious against their equals; Tur∣kie asleep in the Seraglio; but Spain all this while Master of Rome, and the wisest Council or Conclave in the World; Lord of the Mines of America, and the Sword of Europe: Concluding, that while the Spania••d had Peace, Pope Money or Credit, and the World Men, Necessity or Humours, the War could hardly be determined upon this Low-Coun∣try-stage; And that there were but two ways to conquer Spain, the one, That which diverted Han∣nibal: ••nd by setting fire on his own House, made him draw his spirit to comfort his heart: The o∣ther, th••t of Iason, b•• fetching away his Golden Fleece, and not suffering any one quietly to enjoy that whi••h every man so much affected. The assi∣stance of Portugal, the surpriz•• of Cales her key, and Sevil her treasure; the drawing in of other Well-willers; ••he command of the S••a, an exact Intelli∣gence; the Protection of Rochel, Brest, Bourdeaux, or some other distressed Protestant, to balance the over-mytr••d Countries, the Encouragement of re∣ligious or ambitious Roytolets to advance and se∣cure themse••ves, the engaging of the French and Spaniards, a League with Venice and the Maritime States: some temptations to Italy to remove their French and Spanish Garrison••, an opportunity to re∣cover Sicilly, some insinuations to the Pope of the Austrian Greatness, the setting up of the World in an AEquilibrium, the invasion of America, removing

the disfidence, ove••poyzing the Neutrality, and working upon the Complexions of Kings and Kingdomes, was this young, but great mans de∣signe.

An Expedition to the Indies he would perswade with these motives:

• 1. That Honour was cheaper abroad than at home; at Sea, than at Land.
• 2. That the Spanish Conquests like the Jesuites Miracles, made more noise at distance than nearer hand.
• 3. That the Indians would joyn with t••e first Undertaker against their cruel Masters.
• 4. That Spain was too far for supply.
• 5. That the Spaniard was Undisciplined, and trusted more to the Greatness of his Name, than to Order, Policy or Strength.
• 6. That England was po••ulous.
• 7. That it was an action compliant with the present Humour, and not subject to Emula••ions.
• 8. That it would either cut off the Spa••ish trea∣sure, or make it chargeable.
• 9. And at last set up a free Trade by Sea, open a great Door to Valour or Ambition for new Con∣quests, and to Zeal for new Converts.

He said the Inquisition would overth••ow Spain, being a designe upon Humane Nature, and free∣dome; to govern men at the rate of ••easts. His great Abilities recommend him to Leicester's Cabinet, whose Horse he commanded in the Field, whose Council he guided at home. Prudent and valiant he was in contriving and excuting the su••∣prize of Axil: Liberal and Noble to his Sou••diers at Flushing; wary and de••p•• sighted in his Council

about Graveline; wise and stayed in the jealousies be∣tween Leicester and Hollock, His Patience and Reso∣lution before Zutphen, his quiet and composed spirit at Arneim, his Christian and religious comportment in his sickness and death, made his Fame as lasting as his Life was wished. And why died he lamented by the Q••een, mourned for by the Court, bemoan∣ed by Europe, wept over by Religion and Learning, the Protestant Churches, celebrated by Kings,* 1.1 and e••ernized by Fam••? because he was one who••e Parts were improved by early Education, whose Education was raised by Experience, whose Experience was en∣larged by Travel, whose Travel was laid up in Obser∣vations, whose Observations were knit up to a s••∣lid Wisdome, whos•• Wisdome was graced with his P••esence; and the one was as much admired by Kings, as the other was by Q••eens. One whose Learning guided Unive••sities, whose alliance enga∣ged Favourites, whose Presence filled Courts, whose Soul grasped Europe, whose merit could fill a Th••one, whose Spirit was above it. It was he who was deserving and quiet, neglected and patient, great and familiar, ingenious and devout, learned and valiant, sweet and solid, contemplative and a∣ctive. It was he whom Queen Elizabeth called her * 1.2 Philip, the Prince Orange his Master, and whose friendship my Lord Brooke was so proud of, that he would have no other Epitaph on his Grave than this, Here lieth Sir Philip Sidneys Friend. It was he whose last words were, Love my memory, cherish my Friends; their faith to me may assure you they are honest: but above all, govern your will and affections by the Will and Word of your Creator. In me behold the end of this world, and all its vanities.

THey that have known thee well, & search thy parts Through all the chain of Arts: Thy apprehension qui••k as active light, Clear Iudgememt, without Night: Thy fansie free, yet never wild or m••d, with wings to fly but none to g••d: Thy language still enrich, yet comely dress, Not to expose thy minde, but to express. They that have known thee thus, sigh, and confess, They wish they'd nown thee still, or known the less. To these, the wealth and Beauties of thy minde, Be other Vertues joyn'd, Thy modest Soul, strongly confirm'd and hard•• Ne'er beckned from i••s Guard.

Notes

• * 1.1

  K. H. ••. K. James••
• * 1.2

  In Opposi∣tion to him of Spain.