Life of William Phips, Biography · Section 18
SECT. 18.
READER, 'Tis Time for us to view a little more to the Life, the Picture of the Perſon, the Actions of whoſe Life, we have hitherto been looking upon. Know then, That for his Exteriour, he was One Tall, beyond the common ſet of Men, and Thick as well as Tall, and Strorg as well as Thick: He was, in all Reſpects, exceedingly Robust, and able to conquer ſuch Difficulties of Diet and of Travel, as would have kill'd moſt Men alive: Nor did the Fat, whereinto he grew very much, in his later Years, take away the Vigour of his Motions.
He was well-ſet, and he was therewithal, of a very Comely, though a very Manly Countenance: A Countenance where any true ſkill in Phyſiognomy, would have read the Characters of a Generous Mind. Wherefore paſſing to his Interiour, the very firſt Thing which there offered it ſelf unto Obſervation, was a moſt incomparable Generoſity.
And of this, beſides the innumerable Inſtances, which he gave in his uſual Hatred of Dirty, or Little Tricks, there was one Inſtance for which I muſt freely ſay, I never ſaw Three Men in this World that Equal'd him; this was, His wonderfully Forgiving Spirit. In the vaſt Variety of Buſineſs, through which he Raced in his Time, he met with many, and mighty Injuries, but, although I have heard all, that the moſt venemous Malice could ever Hiſs at his Memory, I never did hear unto this Hour, that he did ever once deliberately Revenge an Injury.
Upon certain Affronts, he has made ſudden Returns, that have ſhewed Choler enough, and he has by Blow as well as by Word, chaſtiſed Incivilities: He was, indeed, ſufficiently impatient of being put upon, and when Baſe Men, ſurprizing him at ſome Diſadvantages (for elſe few Men durſt have done it) have ſometimes drawn upon him, he has, without the Wicked Madneſs of a Formal Duel, made them feel that he knew how to Correct Fools. Nevertheleſs, he ever declined a Deliberate Revenge of a Wrong done unto him; though few Men upon Earth, have in their Viciſſitudes, been furniſhed with ſuch frequent Opportunities of Revenge, as Heaven brought into the Hands of this Gentleman.
Under great Provocations, he would commonly ſay, 'Tis no Matter, let them alone; ſometime, or other they'l ſee their Weakneſs and Raſhneſs, and have occaſion for me to do them a Kindneſs: And they ſhall then ſee, I have quite forgotten all their Baſeneſs. Accordingly, 'twas remarkable to ſee it, That few Men ever did him a Miſchief, but thoſe Men afterwards had occaſion for him to do Them a Kindneſs; and he did the Kindneſs with as forgetful a Bravery, as if the Miſchief had never been done at all. The Emperour Theodoſius himſelf could not be readier to Forgive; ſo worthily did he verifie that Obſervation.
Quo quiſque eſt Major, magis eſt Placabilis Ira,
Et Faciles Motus, Mens Generoſa capit.
In thoſe Places of Power whereto the Providence of God, by ſeveral Degrees raiſed him, it ſtill fell out ſo, that before his Riſe thereunto, he underwent ſuch Things, as he counted very hard Abuſes, from thoſe very Perſons over whom, the Divine Providence afterwards gave him the Aſcendant.
By ſuch Trials, the Wiſdom of Heaven ſtill prepared him, as David before him, for ſucceſſive Advancements; and as he behaved himſelf with a marvellous Long-Juffering, when he was Tried, by ſuch Mortifications, thus when he came to be Advanced, he convinced all Mankind, that he had perfectly Buried all the old Offences, in an Eternal Amneſty. I was my Self an Ear-witneſs, that one, who was an Eye-witneſs of his Behaviour under ſuch Probations of his Patience, did, long before his Arrival to that Honour, ſay unto him, Sir, Forgive thoſe that give you theſe Vexations, and know that the God of Heaven intends, before he has done with you, to make you the Governour of New-England! And when he did indeed become the Governour of New-England, he ſhew'd that he ſtill continued a Governour of himſelf, in his Treating all that had formerly been in ill Terms with him, with as much Favour and Freedom, as if there had never happened the leaſt Exaſperations: Though any Governour, that Kens Hobbianiſm, can eaſily contrive Ways enough to wreak a Spite, where he owes it.
It was with ſome Christian Remark, that he read the Pagan-story of the Renowned Fabius Maximus, who being preferred unto the higheſt Office in the Common-Wealth, did through a Zeal for his Country, overcome the greateſt Contempts that any Perſon of Quality could have received. Minutius the Maſter of the Horſe, and the next Perſon in Dignity to himſelf, did firſt privately Traduce him, as one that was no Souldier, and leſs Politician; and he afterwards did both by Speeches and Letters, prejudice not only the Army, but alſo the Senate againſt him, ſo that Minutius was now by an unpreſidented Commiſſion brought into an Equality with Fabius.
All this while the great Fabius did not throw up his Cares for the Common-Wealth, but with a wondrous Equality of Mind, endured equally the Malice of the Judges, and the Fury of the Commons; and when Minutius, a while after, was with all his Forces, upon the Point of periſhing by the victorious Arms of Hannibal, this very Fabius, not liſtening to the Dictates of Revenge, came in, and helped him, and ſaved him; and ſo by a rare Virtue, he made his worſt Adverſaries, the Captives of his Generoſity.
One of the Ancients, upon ſuch an Hiſtory, cried out, If Heathens can do thus much for the Glory of their Name, what ſhall not Christians do for the Glory of Heaven! And Sir William Phips did ſo much more than thus much, that beſides his meriting the Glory of ſuch a Name, as PHIPPIƲS MAXIMƲS, he therein had upon him the Symptoms of a Title to the Glory of Heaven, in the Seal of his own Pardon from God. Nor was this Generoſity in HIS EXCELLENCY, the Governour of New-England, unaccompanied with many other Excellencies; whereof the Piety of his Carriage towards God, is worthy to be firſt mentioned.
It is true, He was very Zealous for all Men to enjoy ſuch a Liberty of Conſcience, as he judged a Native Right of Mankind: And he was extreamly Troubled, at the over-boiling Zeal of ſome good Men, who formerly took that wrong Way of reclaiming Hereticks, by Perſecution. For this Generoſity it may be, ſome would have compared him unto Gallio, the Governour of Achaia, whom our Preachers, perhaps with Miſtake enough, think to be condemned in the Scripture, for his not appearing to be a Judge, in Matters which indeed fell not under his Cognizance.
And I ſhall be content that he be compared unto that Gentleman; for that Gallio was the Brother of Seneca, who gives this Character of him, That there was no Man, who did not love him too little, if he could Love him any more; and, That there was no Mortal duplicate page duplicate page ſo Dear to any, as he was to all; and, That he hated all Vices, but none more than Flattery.
But while the Generoſity of Sir William, cauſed him to deſire a Liberty of Conſcience, his Piety would not allow a Liberty of Prophaneneſs, either to himſelf or others. He did not affect any mighty ſhow of Devotion, and when he ſaw any that were evidently careful to make a ſhow, and eſpecially, if at the ſame Time they were notoriouſly Defective, in the Duties of Common Juſtice or Goodneſs, or the Duties of the Relations, wherein God had ſtationed them, he had an extream Averſion for them.
Nevertheleſs, he did ſhow a Conſcientious Deſire to obſerve the Laws of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt in his Converſation; and he conſcientiouſly attended upon the Exerciſes of Devotion in the Seaſons thereof, on Lectures, as well as on Lords-Days, and in the Daily-Sacrifice, the Morning and Evening Service of his own Family; yea, and at the Private Meetings of the Devout People kept every Formight in the Neighbourhood.
Beſides all this, when he had great Works before him, he would Invite good Men to come and Faſt and Pray with him at his Houſe for the Succeſs thereof; and when he had ſucceeded in what he had undertaken, he would prevail with them to come and keep a Day of Solemn Thanksgiving with him. His Love to Almighty God, was indeed, manifeſted by nothing more, than his Love to thoſe that had the Image of God, upon them; He Heartily, and with a Real Honour for them, Loved all Godly Men; and in ſo doing, he did not confine Godlineſs to this or that Party, but wherever he ſaw the Fear of God, in one of a Congregational, or Presbyterian, or Antipaedobaptist, or Epiſcopalian Perſwaſion, he did, without any Difference, expreſs towards them a Reverent Affection.
But he made no Men more welcome, than thoſe Good Men, whoſe Office 'tis to promote and preſerve Goodneſs in all other Men; even the Ministers of the Goſpel: Eſpecially when they were ſuch as faithfully Diſcharged their Office: And from theſe at any Time, the leaſt Admonition or Intimation of any good Thing to be done by him, he entertained with a moſt obliging Alacrity. His Religion in Truth, was one Principle that added Virtue unto that vaſt Courage, which was always in him to a Degree Heroical. Thoſe Terrible Nations, which made their Deſcents from the Northern on the Southern Parts of Europe, in thoſe Elder Ages, when ſo to ſwarm out was more frequent with them, were inſpired with a valiant Contempt of Life, by the Opinion, wherein their famous Odin inſtructed them. That their Death was but an Entrance into another Life, wherein they who Died in Warlike Actions, were bravely feasted with the God of War for ever: 'Tis inexpreſſible, How much the Courage of thoſe fierce Mortals was fortified by that Opinion.
But when Sir William Phips was asked by ſome that obſerved his Valiant Contempt of Death, What it was that made him ſo little afraid of Dying, he gave a better grounded Account of it, than thoſe Pagans could; his Anſwer was, I do humbly believe, That the Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſhed his Precious Blood for me, by His Death procuring my Peace with God: and what ſhould I now be afraid of Dying for?
But this Leads me to mention the Humble and Modeſt Carriage in him, towards other Men, which accompanied this his Piety. There were certain Pomps belonging unto the ſeveral Places of Honour, through which he paſſed; Pomps, that are very taking to Men of little Souls: But although he roſe from ſo little, yet he diſcovered a marvellous Contempt of thoſe Aiery Things, and as far, as he handſomely could, he declined being ceremoniouſly, or any otherwiſe than with a Dutch Modeſty waited upon. And it might more truly be ſaid of him, than it was of Ariſtides, He was never ſeen the Prouder for any Honour, that was done him from his Country-men.
Hence, albeit I have read that complaint, made by a worthy Man, I have often obſerved, and this not without ſome Bluſhing, that even good People have had a kind of ſhame upon them, to acknowledge their low beginning, and uſed all Arts to hide it. I could never obſerve the leaſt of that Fault in this worthy Man; but he would ſpeak of his own low beginning with as much Freedom and Frequency, as if he had been afraid of having it forgotten.
It was counted an Humility in King Agathocles, the Son of a Potter, to be ſerved therefore in Earthen Veſſels, as Plutarch hath informed us: It was counted an Humility in Arch-Biſhop Willigis, the Son of a Wheel-wright, therefore to have Wheels hung about his Bed-Chamber, with this Inſcription, Recole undè Veneris, i. e. Remember thy Original. But ſuch was the Humility and Lowlineſs of this Riſing Man! Not only did he after his return to his Country in his Greatneſs, one Day, make a ſplendid Feaſt for the Ship Carpenters of Boſton, among whom he was willing at his Table, to Commemorate, the Mercy of God unto him, who had once been a Ship Carpenter himſelf, but he would on all occaſions permit, yea, Study to have his Meanneſſes remembred.
Hence upon frequent occaſions of Uneaſineſs in his Government, he would chuſe thus to expreſs himſelf, Gentlemen, were it not that I am to do Service for the Publick, I ſhould be much eaſier in returning unto my Broad Ax again! And hence, according to the Affable Courteſie, which he ordinarily uſed unto all ſorts of Perſons (quite contrary to the Aſperity, which the old Proverb, expects in the Raiſed) he would particularly, when Sailing in ſight of Kennebeck, with Armies under his Command, call the Young Souldiers and Sailers upon Deck, and ſpeak to them after this Faſhion; Young Men, It was upon that Hill, that I kept Sheep, a few Years ago; and ſince you ſee that Almighty God has brought me to ſomething, do you Learn to fear God, and be Honest, and Mind your Buſineſs, and follow no bad Courſes, and you don't know what you may come to! A Temper not altogether unlike, what the Advanced Shepherd had, when he wrote the Twenty Third Pſalm; or when he Imprinted on the Coin of his Kingdom, the Remembrance of his old Condition: For Christianus Gerſon, a Chriſtianized Jew, has informed us, That on the one ſide of David's Coin, were to be ſeen his old Pouch and Crook, the Inſtruments of Shepherdy; on the other ſide, were Enſtamped the Towers of Zion.
In fine, our Sir William was a Perſon of ſo ſweet a Temper, that they who were moſt intimately acquainted with him, would commonly pronounce him, The best Conditioned Gentleman in the World! And by the continual Diſcoveries and Expreſſions of ſuch a Temper; he ſo gained the Hearts of them who waited upon him in any of his Expeditions, that they would commonly profeſs themſelves willing ſtill, to have gone with him to the End of the World.
But if all other People found him ſo kind a Neighbour, we may eaſily inferr what an Huſband he was unto his Lady. Leaving unmentioned that Virtue of his Chastity, which the Prodigious Depravation, brought by the Late Reigns upon the Manners of the Nation, has made worthy to be mentioned as a Virtue ſomewhat Extraordinary; I ſhall rather paſs on to ſay, That the Love, even to Fondneſs, with which he always treated her, was a Matter not only of Obſervation, but even of ſuch Admiration, that every one ſaid, The Age afforded not a kinder Huſband! This Kindneſs appeared not only in his making it no leſs his Delight than Study, to render his whole Converſation agreeable to her, but alſo, and perhaps chiefly, in the Satisfaction which it gave him, to have his Intereſts very much at her Command. Before he firſt went abroad, upon Wrack Deſigns, he, to make his long Abſence, eaſie unto her, made her his Promiſe, that what Estate the God of Heaven ſhould then beſtow upon him, ſhould be entirely at her Diſpoſal, in Caſe that ſhe ſurvived him.
And when Almighty God accordingly beſtow'd upon him a Fair Estate, he not only rejoiced in ſeeing ſo many Acts of Charity done every Day by Her bountiful Hand, but he alſo (not having any Children of his own) Adopted a Nephew of Her's to be his Heir: And reckoning that a Verbal Intimation unto her of what Pious and Publick Uſes, he would have any Part of his Estate, after his Death put unto, as well as what Supports he would have afforded unto his own Relations, would be as much attended by Her, as if he had otherwiſe taken the moſt effectual Care imaginable, he contented himſelf with Bequeathing all he had entirely to Her, in his Last Will and Testament; He knew very well, that Her Will, in Point of a Liberal Diſpoſition to Honour the Lord with the Subſtance, which the Lord had in ſo ſtrange a manner enriched them withal, would not fail of being equal with his own.
But we muſt now return to our Story.