The Third Book 89 



William, Lord Widdrington, was President of the Council 

 of War, and Commander-in-Chief of the three counties of Lin- 

 coln, Rutland, and Nottingham, and the forces there. 



When my Lord marched with his army to Newcastle against 

 the Scots, then the Lord John Bellasis was constituted Gover- 

 nor of York, and Commander-in-Chief, or Lieutenant-General 

 of Yorkshire. 



As for the rest of the officers and commanders of every 

 particular regiment and company, they being too numerous, 

 cannot well be remembered, and therefore I shall give you 

 no particular account of them. 



2. Of his Misfortunes and Obstructions 



Although Nature had favoured my Lord, and endued him 

 with the best qualities and perfections she could inspire into 

 his soul ; yet Fortune hath ever been such an inveterate 

 enemy to him, that she invented all the spite and malice against 

 him that lay in her power ; and notwithstanding his prudent 

 counsels and designs, cast such obstructions in his way, that 

 he seldom proved successful, but where he acted in person. 

 And since I am not ignorant that this unjust and partial age 

 is apt to suppress the worth of meritorious persons, and that 

 many will endeavour to obscure my Lord's noble actions and 

 fame, by casting unjust aspersions upon him, and laying 

 (either out of ignorance or malice) Fortune's envy to his charge, 

 I have purposed to represent these obstructions which conspired 

 to render his good intentions and endeavours ineffectual, and 

 at last did work his ruin and destruction, in these following 

 particulars. 



1. At the time when the kingdom became so infatuated, 

 as to oppose and pull down their gracious King and Sovereign, 

 the treasury was exhausted, and no sufficient means to raise 

 and maintain armies to reduce his Majesty's rebellious sub- 

 jects ; so that my Lord had little to begin withal but what his 

 own estate would allow, and his interest procure him. 



2. When his late Majesty, in the beginning of the unhappy 

 wars, sent my Lord to Hull, the strongest place in the kingdom, 

 where the magazine of arms and ammunition was kept, and 

 he by his prudence had gained it to his Majesty's service ; 

 my Lord was left to the mercy of the Parliament, where he had 

 surely suffered for it (though he acted not without his Majesty's 



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