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 Wil∣liam Compton.

HE was chief Gentleman of the Bedchamber to Henry the Eighth, and next to the chief in the affections of the same Prince: If his spirit had been as even with his favour, as his favour was with his Merits, he had been the most useful as well as the most eminent man in England: but he was too narrow for his Fortune, and more attentive to his private advantage, than to the publick affairs: This Saying is at once his History and Monument; Kings must hear all, but believe only one: for none can give a solid advice but he that knoweth all, and he must

not be every body. As to the affairs of Europe•• S•• William was clearly for the League against France as an opportunity to regain our Right in France and strenghthen our Interest in the Church & th•• Empire. My Lord Darcy was against it; becau•••• France was too hard for us before it swallowed u•• our a 1.1 Confederates, and much more since: advi¦sing some mo••e noble attempts for our just Empir•• upon the Indies. The young King is for a Wa•• with France, a•• an Engagement upon the Pope t•• advance England above all other Kingdoms; an•• declares himself as much Sir William's in opinio•• as he was his in affection.

This Gentleman had a deep insight in any thin•• he undertook, because he had a great patience t•• consider, an advantageous slowness to recollect, •• strong memory to grasp, and an indifferent tempe•• to judge: but when a matter exceeded his capaci••ty, or out-reached his sphere and orb, he had ei••ther a peremptory and great word to urge it, or •• sleight to wave it, or a subtlety to perplex it, (tha•• his amazed fellow-Commissioners should as littl•• unde••stand it) or a countenance and ge••ture too verbear it. However, in general he was close an•• reserved, (he had need go softly that cannot we•• see) leaving himself without observation or hol•• to be taken what he was. He studied the King nature, rather than his bu••iness; and humoure•• rather than advised him. The referring of all t•• a man, becomes a Prince, whose self is not him••self, but the community, (their good and evil be••ing (as my Lord Bacon writes) at the peril of •• publick fortune) but not a subject, whose privat•• advantage may be a publick ruine; not a Favou••rite,

whose benefit by that selfishness may be nar∣row as his own Fortune, but the hurt done by it is as large as his Masters, who must needs be undone, when his servants study to please Him, and to profit Themselves.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Of Bre∣tany a••d Nor∣mandy.