Editor's Preface xiii 



manship, dancing, and fencing which accompany a good 

 breeding ; in which his delight was. Besides that, he was 

 amorous in poetry and music, to which he indulged the greatest 

 part of his time ; and nothing could have tempted him out 

 of those paths of pleasure, which he enjoyed in a full and 

 ample fortune, but honour and ambition to serve the King, 

 when he saw him in distress, and abandoned by most of those 

 who were in the highest degree obliged to him, and by him. 

 He loved monarchy, as it was the foundation and support 

 of his own greatness ; and the Church, as it was well consti- 

 tuted for the splendour and security of the Crown ; and 

 religion, as it cherished and maintained that order and obedi- 

 ence that was necessary to both ; without any other passion 

 for the particular opinions which were grown up in it, and 

 distinguished it into parties, than as he detested whatsoever 

 was like to disturb the public peace. . . . He liked the pomp 

 and absolute authority of a general well, and preserved the 

 dignity of it to the full ; and for the discharge of the outward 

 state and circumstances of it, in acts of courtesy, affability, 

 bounty, and generosity he abounded ; which in the infancy 

 of a war became him, and made him for some time very 

 acceptable to men of all conditions. But the substantial 

 part, and fatigue of a general, he did not in any degree under- 

 stand (being utterly unacquainted with war) nor could submit 

 to * ; but referred all matters of that nature to his lieutenant- 

 general. King ... In all actions of the field he was still 

 present, and never absent in any battle ; in all which he gave 

 instances of an invincible courage and fearlessness in danger ; 

 in which the exposing of himself notoriously did sometimes 

 change the fortune of the day when his troops began to give 

 ground. Such articles of action were no sooner over, than 

 he retired to his delightful company, music, or his softer 

 pleasures, to all which he was so indulgent, and to his ease, 

 that he would not be interrupted upon what occasions soever ; 

 insomuch as he sometimes denied admission to the chiefest 

 officers of the army, even to General King himself, for two 

 days together ; from whence many inconveniences fell out. . . 

 The strange manner of the Prince's coming, and undeliberated 

 throwing himself, and all the King's hopes, into that sudden 

 and unnecessary engagement, by which all the force the 



1 Clarendon's private opinion is quoted in a note to p. 53, post. 



