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 Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk.

SIr William Brandon dying in King Henry th•• se∣venth's service, as his Standard-bearer in Bos∣worth-field, no wonder if his son lived in his favour; it being as prudent to continue his Loyal spirit in his son, as it was just to reward it. He was as inti∣mate with Henry the Eighth in his pleasures when a child, as in his councels when a man. There was a sympathy between their active spirits, which im∣proved the familiarity of their tender years to a fi••m friendship in their age; men of quick and large striding minds loving to walk together: not to say the looser the lives, the faster the friends. At a Tilting in Paris, to which many young Noble∣men were licensed to go, Brandon overcame others every day, and one day himself, (against a Gyant Almain) where the Lords looked not on him with more envious, than the Ladies with gracious eyes; who (saith my Author) darted more glances in love, than the other did spears in anger against him. He is the compleat Courtier, in whom Beau∣ty and Valour, Mars and Venus, are joyned in one happy constitution, which awes and allures Be∣holders.

Being employed to bring over Queen Mary, King Lewis the twelfth's Relict, to her Brother, he won her to himself: whether his affections were so am∣bitious as to climb up to her, or hers so humble as

to condescend to him, may be ••he subject of a more amorous discourse: and considering with himself that matters of this nature are never sure till finish∣ed, that so Royal an opportunity happened but sel∣dome, and that leave ••or such an enterprize was easier gained when it's done, than when doing; he humbly requested his Majesty to give way to that Match, which was indeed already concluded: who, afte•• some State discontent, was quickly pleased; the Duke being no less esteemed by him for many years, than he was beloved by the people. His Genius was more Martial than Mercurial; and we hear of him oftner in the French Wars, than in the English Councils.

And in both, his plain overtures went farther than others fair harangues; because these only hovered in mens fancies, those came home to mens business and bosoms. He wondered at the m••n that pleased themselves in the liberty of giddy fan∣cies; and dreaded the ties of a ••ixed belief, for the publick good, not his own advantage, affecting (as one said well) free-will in thinking, as well as in acting; and at the new discoursing wits, that were as unsettled, though not so rational as the old Scepticks, until he considered the difficulty of discerning truth; the hardship of confining the Quick-silver thoughts within the limits it prescrib∣eth, or submitting them to the burden it imposeth. One of the latter Schools of the Grecians exa∣mineth the matter, [it is the Lord Verulams ob∣servation] and is at a stand to think what should be in it, that men should love lies; where nei∣ther they make for pleasure as with Poets; nor for advantage as with the Merchant, but for the

lies sake. But I cannot tell why, this same truth is a naked and open day-light, that doeth not shew the Masques and Mummeries, and triumphs of the present world halfe so stately and daintily as Candlelights: Truth may perhaps come to the price of a pearl that sheweth best by day; but it will not rise to the p••ice of a Diamond or Car∣buncle that sheweth best in varied lights: a mix∣ture of lies doth ever add pleasure. Doth any man doubt th••t if there were taken out of mens minds vain opinions, flattering hopes, false valu∣ations, imaginations as one would, and the like, vinum daemonum as a Father calls Poetry, but it would leave the minds of a number of men, poor shrunken things, full of melancholy, and indis∣position, and unpleasing to themselves.

Clear and round dealing, this Noble mans temper, is the honour of mans nature; and that mixture of falsehood is like allay in coyn of gold and silver, which may make the metal work the better, but embaseth it. For there winding and crooked Courts are the goings of the Serpent, which goeth basely upon the belly, and not upon the foot. There is nothing of so ill consequence to the publick, a falsehood, or (speech being the currant coyn o•• converse) the putting false money upon the world; or of so much prejudice to a mans own interest, as perfidiousness which weakeneth his great security, which stands by him when his estate and friend•• cannot; or so dark a blot as dissembling, which, as Mountaign saith pret∣tily, is only to be Brave towards God, and a Coward towards man: For a Lye faceth God, and shrinketh from man.

His hearr was too stout, and his head too clear to use those Arts of closeness and dissimulation, which those need who have not judgment and wit enough to discern all the circumstances of an affair, so as to know when to tell a truth; nor courage and va∣lour enough to look in the face of all the cons••∣quences of a business, so as to own it: A man better made for the open Arts, and generous policy of H. 8. than the suspicious closeness, and the wary reservedness of H. 7. His Father lost his life in com∣pleting the union of Roses, I mean York and Lan∣caster; and he in beginning the union of King∣doms, viz. England and Scotland by treaty; and England and France by War: he being the first that durst fasten the Royal Standard in the sides of Bulleign; and the last that advanced the St. George in the middle of it, both taking and governing it. The greatest thing that ever that age saw, was, if we be∣lieve Sleidan, the delivery of the Keys of Bulleign by •• French Governour to the Duke of Suffolks hand; and the greatest thing King H. 8. saw, he saith, was the delivery of those keys by the Duke, into his hand: insomuch that despairing of greater, the one died that year, the other the next.

Queen Elizabeth being to employ a famous Am∣bassage into France, made choice of two of the Noblest Peers of her Realm; equal in Rank, equal in Virtue: but the one excused it by a defect in his hearing, and the other by an ignorance and want of the French Language. To which the Queen smilingly replied: that it was a miserable estate when her speaking Peers were deaf, and her hearing Peers were dumb. Our Duke used to complain, ••hat two of the most eminent m••n in the Council

in his time, had two different, but unhappy, qua∣lities: the one a well-spoken man, had such a hu∣mour, that he pretended he understood hardly any body; the other a person of an excellent judg∣ment, but speaking so darkly that hardly any body understood him.

He avoided two things, first, Catching too soon at an offence: Secondly, Yeilding too easie a way to anger; the one shewing a weak judgment, the other a perverse nature: which rendereth great men as ridiculous, as it did the Ambassadors of Spain and Venice, who drew blood from one ano∣ther in the most August Assembly at the Coronati∣on of R. H. 4th. Queen in France, because one of them used the word excellency instead of the word Seigniory. But in these cases he observed the Ro∣man Discipline nec sequi, nec fugere, to be more pru∣dent than to catch at such trifling Cavils: and more courageous than to shun, if they were offered to him: being very cautious also in mentioning the name of God in small matters [Nec deus Intersit nisi dignus vindice nodus, Inciderit.] and more willing to build his resolution on the experience of former ages, than his own thought; being very un∣willing to be of the number of those people, who, like the Chinois, think they have two eyes; their friends, as those think of the Europaeans, one; and other men, as they think of the rest, blind.

Being vexed with the delays at Rome, and the delusions at Bridewel, (where the Cardinals pro∣ceeded according to their instructions at Rome) one day he knocks on the Table in the presence of the two Cardinals, and binds it with an Oath, That it was never well in England since Cardinals

had any thing to do therein: and from that time forward, as an active Instrument, he endeavoured the abolishing of the Popes power in England; a∣gainst whom he was not more active in the Parlia∣ment 1534, than he was vigilant in the Committee, 1535: in the one, cutting off the head; in the o∣ther, weakening the members of that Church. He m••de provident, yet moderate use of his Masters favours; thereby obliging others, and securing himself; being above Mercenary inclinations as much in his thoughts, as in his ••ortune: he was neither too near the King, lest he were weary of him; nor too far off, lest he forgot him, or thought himself neglected by him. His intermissions of at∣tendance gave others no advantage, but rendred him more gracious: he neither engrossed nor con∣fined his Masters affection. It was easie for him to rise, being descended of Noble Blood, (which is never envied for its advancement) and as easie to keep high, being well studied in his Princes dis∣position, whose inclination when found is half fit∣ted; ever pleasing his Masters Natural humour, never his Vicious. Having attained a competent height, he chose rather to grow stronger by rela∣tion, than higher by advancement. Some Favou∣rites, whose heels have been tripped up by their adver∣saries, have with their hands held on their Allies till they could recover their feet again. His familiarity, and the easie access to him, made him popular: his pliant temper kept him a Favourite, until he died in the full favour of his Prince; though (as Cardi∣nal Pool observed) The•• who were highest in the Kings favour, had their heads nearest danger. He had a becoming Bluntness not unlike his Masters, which

we call Free-heartedness in Courtiers; Consci∣ence and Christian simplicity in Clergy-men; Va∣lour in Souldiers. He died anno 1544. and was buried at Windsor; much beloved and lamented of all, for his Bounty, Humility, Valour, and all No∣ble Vertues since the heat of his Youth was tamed by his reduced Age: whose two Sons Henry and Charles died within twelve hours one of the other, of the sweating sickness at Cambridge, 1550.

He, knowing that learning hath no enemy but ig∣norance, did suspect always the want of it in those men, who derided the habit of it in others; like the Fox in the Fable, who having lost his tayle by mischance, perswaded others to cut theirs as a bur∣then. But he liked well the Phylosophers division of men into three Ranks, some who knew good, and were willing to teach others; these he said were like Gods among men; others who though they knew not much, yet were willing to learn; these he said were like men among Beasts; and some who knew not good, and yet dispised such as should teach them; these he esteemed as Beasts among men. The most miserable men he esteemed them, who running their head into a bush of confident igno∣rance, suppose that none see their weakness; be∣cause they are not willing to take not••ce it of them∣selves.

1. A Calm Greatness is next the happiness of Heaven: Give me the man that by a fair and calm course is rising to an higher state, yet content with his p••esent fortune.

2. Integrity out-lasts Power, and Plainness sur∣vives Policy: An honest heart keeps the head on the shoulders; a Noble and clear Vertue is lasting.

3. It's likeness that makes the True-love-knot of friendship: When a Prince finds another of his own disposition, what is it but the same soul in a divided body? what finds he but himself inter-mutually transposed? And Nature, that makes us love our selves, makes us with the same reason love those that are like us: for this, is a Friend a more sacred Name than a Brother.

4. He that hath a mind contentedly good, en∣joyeth in it boundless possessions. He is great in∣deed, that is great in a brave soul.

Vitam quae faciunt beatiorem, Iucundissime Martialis, haec sunt: Res•• non parta Labore, ••sed relicta; Non ingratus Ager, focus perennis, Lis nunquam, toga rara, mens quieta, Vires Ingenuae, salubre Corpus, Prudens simplicitas, pares amici, Convictus facilis, sine arte Mensa; Nox non ebria, sed soluta curis; Non tristis torus, attamen pudicus; Somnus, qui faciat breves tenebras: Quod sis esse velis, nihilque malis; Summum ne metuas diem, nec optes.