A Character of his Most Sacred Majesty King Charles II, Introduction – Section 10
The Introduction.
THe ſimple (ſaith Solomon) believeth eveword; whereas he that is wiſe, will not be too credulous. Fama mendax, Report hath got a very ill Name, and till ſhe hath freed her ſelf from that aſperſion, which chargeth her ſo much and ſo often with ſpeaking falſhoods, they which conſider, will not be apt to give credit unto every thing ſhe ſpeaks. And there is much Reaſon for it: as it is true likewiſe, that if we do not aſſent unto the reports of many, who are of known honeſty, and therefore dare not make a lie, nor willingly publiſh any thing that is falſe; we our ſelves deſerve not to be believed, even then when we ſpeak Truths.
Now no Truth is for every ones turn; and therefore this may be queſtioned by ſome, and diſliked or ſlighted by others, eſpecially by ſuch whoſe Black mouths and venom'd tongues, (which in good time will doubtleſs fall upon themſelves) have been long ſpitting of Poyſon at the ſacred Perſon preſented in this Narrative; ſuch who care not how falſe any accuſation is, ſo it be ſpitefull enough; having learn'd a damn'd Poſition from that Devil Machiavel, Calumniare fortiter ſemper aliquid adhaerebit, Throw Dirt enough upon, or calumniate any man to purpoſe, and ſome of it will ſtick on him,
And there is no wonder at all in this, if we conſider, that it is in vain for any one in the world to think or hope that he can be beloved of all; for there was never yet any man to whom ſome took not exceptions; impoſſible it is, either to pleaſe or diſpleaſe all men, whiles ſome are in love with Vice as deeply as others with Vertue, and ſome diſlike Vertue, if not for it ſelf, yet for contradiction ſake, and will rather deviſe then want cauſes to blaſt it.
But for him who now writes this, (which long ſince had been communicated, if the times had been fit to bear it) his witneſſes are in Heaven, and in his own boſome too, that he dares not knowingly (let the Readers hereof think what they pleaſe) ſpeak or write any thing againſt, but for Truth, which he undoubtedly believes what here follows, is, (therefore cannot but ſpeak it) and ſo preſumes that many-many thouſands of theſe now undeceived Nations will do, and entertain the report (as it moſt highly deſerves) with much joy and gladneſs.
And that it may be ſo received, and not thought to be a phantaſie of the Writers own Brain, he will make haſt to diſcover when and how he came by it. In order to which, the Reader may pleaſe to take notice, that the occaſion of his having it offered it ſelf thus. Where firſt of the Perſon from whom it was had, and then of the time when and how he had it.
For the Perſon firſt, from whom it was had, He is a Gentleman of a very good Extraction, a wiſe and an honeſt man, a perſon of very much Honour and Integrity, one of a very high Reſolution, and of a much tried and approved Valour, a Bed chamber man to his Majeſty in Scotland, taken priſoner at Worceſter (amongſt many other Gentlemen of good Quality) and brought to London, but had his liberty there upon his Parol. And it was he that gave me the Character o… his Majeſty, as afterward, with ſome requiſite circumſtances towards the cloſe of this Introduction more fully appears.
For the time when I had it, it was ſuddenly after his Majeſty (above-mentioned) ſuffered a defeat at Worceſter from that very numerous oppoſition there made againſt him; which certainly thouſands would have forborn to make, if they could before have known him aright. And that circumſtance of time invites me (by the way) to revive and relate a very ſad ſtory, (I deſire pardon if I lengthen it out too much) becauſe it is ſuch a one as deſerves neither to be written nor read but with abhorrency; however I ſhall repeat it, becauſe I fear it is too too much forgotten by the Nation here, though certainly it is regiſtred and recorded in Heaven, to be reckoned for when God ſhall pleaſe to do it.
It was about the time when ſo many of the poor vanquiſhed Scots were brought Priſoners to London, and not a few of them 'twixt Worceſter and that place, when they were Captives, unarmed. and ſome of them half naked, when wounded before, and many of them faint, ſick and almoſt famiſhed (circumſtances which did moſt highly aggravate the cruelty which was ſhewed them) for when it was thus with them, above all example of immanitie and barbarouſneſs ever read or known before (as I ſuppoſe) eſpecially by men that duſt call themſelves Chriſtians, yet by ſuch, had in cold blood their brains beaten out in ſeveral places as they paſſed by the Engliſh Souldiers, becauſe they went not forward and faſter, when by reaſon of their extreme lameneſs and feebleneſs they were ſcarce able to move at all, and nothing done to thoſe barbarous, inhumane monſters for ſo doing: though we may ſay of their cruelty then, what was long ſince ſpoken by the Spirit of God, of that horrid act of Simeon and Levi, who fell upon the Shechemites when they were ſore (and expected not that violence and ſury which they were made to feel) Curſed be their wrath, for it was fierce, and their rage, for it was cruel. Of which cruelty in thoſe ſtrange Butcheries, the Relator hereof lived near enough the road where they paſſed, to have been an eye witneſs of ſome of them, it he could have endured to behold the ſight of men cauſeleſly murdered. And they of the City of Durham, as very many others inhabiting thoſe moſt remote Northern parts of England are able to relate many like horrid, cruel, parallel ſtories before this time, after the Scots defeat at Dunbar.
O what a Savage, Cruel, Bloody thing is man when he hath loſt his Humanity! for then they who have been inured to ſhed blood make it but a ſport to kill, as if the life of a man were not worth the valuing; for cuſtome makes that moſt hateful and unnatural ſin, ſo familiar to them, as that the horror thereof is tvrn'd into pleaſure; thus they making havock of men, as fearfully made, as dearly redeemed, as tenderly cheriſhed and brought up as others, yet, occidendi cauſa, occidunt, they kill becauſe they take pleaſure in killing, and are no more troubled at the death of a man, then if a dog had faln before them.
But the lives of thoſe poor men I named, as the blood of very very many more, within the circuit of this Nation (to go no further) cry loud for Vengeance, and the avenger of blood will certainly in his due time return, full anſwer to that loud cry. For God (who is Mercy it ſelf) abhors Cruelty above all other ſins; he cannot endure that one man ſhould deſtroy an other, as the Beaſts of the field, the Fowls of the air, and the Fiſhes of the ſea do. And as every ſin hath a tongue, ſo that of blood out-cryes and drowns the reſt; it is alwayes clamorous and reſtleſs, and will never leave crying out unto God, until it be waſhed away with a flood of tears, iſſuing from bleeding and broken hearts, and dyed into another colour by the blood of Chriſt; but if not ſo, it will certainly, in concluſion, bring woe and miſery enough unto them that ſhed it
For there was never any drop of Inocent blood ſpilt upon the face of the Earth, from the blood of Righteous Abel unto this preſent hour, or that ſhall be ſhed ſo long as there be men, and malice, and miſchief in the world, but it ſwels big as the ſea in the eyes of God, and cannot be waſhed away by all the waters therein. And further, neither the heat of the Sun, nor the duſt of the ground, ſhall ever be able to dry or drink it up, till it be either Avenged or Pardoned: Unleſs the Earth, and Heavens, and all that are therein can be bribed to keep ſilence, and to take no notice thereof. And the Lord, the Lord God of Mercy, deliver this Land from that, and from all other Blood-guiltineſs.
I have done with this moſt Melancholy, Sad, Bloody Story, which hapned (as I have ſaid) about the time when that Noble Perſon (before mentioned) was intreated by ſome, who much deſired to have ſatisfaction therein, That he would pleaſe (he having had ſuch a particular Knowledg of the King by reaſon of his near attendance on Him) to give them a true Character of his Majeſty, and to ſpeak nothing but what they might confidently from his mouth believe and report as Truth. The Gentleman was very free to it, and aſſured them (amongſt whom was this Relator) that he would not ſay any thing more or leſs as to it, but what he ſhould report for Truth, if deſired as his laſt words when he came to dye; which now hear ſpeak thus;
The Character.
I.
THat His Majeſty was a Prince unto whom the Lord had given a very large meaſure of Wiſdom and Underſtanding, far above his Years; for to the great Admiration of thoſe who there ſate in Council with him, and when they thougbt that they had ſpoken unto ſome good purpoſe, His great Reaſon, upon Emergent occaſions, would weigh down all theirs.
II.
He ſaid, That while he had the Honor and Happineſs to wait upon his Majeſty at St. Johnſtons in Scotland (which was during the whole time of his abode there) he kept both his Eyes and Ears open upon him, and could never obſerve nor hear (which was very remarkable) that his Majeſty was addicted unto any ſin of Youth.
III.
To teſtifie this his Majeſty was very careful to have a moſt Regular and Exemplary Court, keeping his whole Family there in very excellent and good Order: And to this end, if he had heard of any Perſon or Perſons in it given to Swearing, Drunkenneſs, or to any other Exorbitancies, upon a Serious Admonition, if they did not Reform, they were ſhewed the way out of his Doors, not to be taken into his Family any more.
IV.
He told us that he had heard the King oftentimes to ſay thus, (and he deſired that this might be in a ſpecial manner remembred by us) That if ever it ſhould pleaſe God to Reſtore him unto, and to ſettle him in his Juſt Rights, that he would aſſoon endure a known Traitor about him, as a Debauched man.
V.
That his Majeſty was very ſtrict in the Obſervation of his Private Devotions twice every Day, and would not ſuffer any occaſions to divert him from thoſe Duties; and that he was as careful likewiſe to frequent the Publick Ordinances.
VI.
That his Majeſty retired himſelf in his Chamber or Cloſet, where he Faſted every Tueſday in Memoral of his Royal Father, (that day of the Week forced out of his Life by the hands of Violence) which day weekly he reſerved himſelf, as much as he could, from all company and buſineſs, whether Publick or Private.
VII.
That his Majeſty was a Prince as Juſt to make his Word good as any one in the world could be, for he would never fail to perform any thing he promiſed (if poſsibly in his power) and therefore was more ſhie in promiſing, for fear that he might not be able to make good his Word.
VIII.
That his Majeſty was a Prince in whoſe Diſpoſition he had ever obſerved a very high meaſure of Nobleneſs, Goodneſs and Gentleneſs; as good a Friend as any one could find any where (like Theodoſius that good Emperor, who then thought he had a kindneſs done to himſelf, when he had a good occaſion offered him to ſhew courteſie unto others) for his Majeſty was alwayes ready to be doing favours. And as he was ſo good a Friend, ſo was he as good an Enemy too, for he could eaſily forget and forgive any injuries done unto himſelf.
IX.
That his Majeſty knew how and when to take up the State and Perſon of a King, and when to lay it down. And further, that when he had any good occaſion to improve his Valor, he was then as bold as a Lion, and when not, as meek as a Lamb.
X.
Laſtly, He ſaid, That he looked upon his Majeſty as upon a Prince, too good for Scotland, too good for England, too good for the World, and therefore thought that his Goodneſs might haſten his Glory. But then he further added, That he had ſome great reaſon to hope that God had not ſo wonderfully Qualified him, and ſo miraculouſly Preſerved him, but that he had ſome great things to do For him, and ſome great things to do By him.