The Third Book 93 



saying, his sons should show their loyalty and duty to his 

 Majesty, in venturing their lives, as well as himself. 



2. My Lord was the chief and only person, that kept up the 

 power of his late Majesty ; for when his army was lost, all the 

 King's party was ruined in all three of his Majesty's kingdoms ; 

 because in his army lay the chief strength of all the royal 

 forces ; it being the greatest and best formed army which his 

 Majesty had, and the only support both of his Majesty's person 

 and power, and of the hopes of all his loyal subjects in all his 

 dominions. 



3. My Lord was sixteen years in banishment, and hath lost 

 and suffered most of any subject, that suffered either by war, 

 or other ways, except those that lost their lives, and even that 

 he valued not, but exposed it to so imminent dangers that 

 nothing but Heaven's decree had ordained to save it. 



4. He never minded his own interest more than his loyalty 

 and duty, and upon that account never desired nor received 

 anything from the Crown to enrich himself, but spent great 

 sums in his Majesty's service ; so that after his long banish- 

 ment and return into England, I observed his ruined estate 

 was like an earthquake, and his debts like thunderbolts, by 

 which he was in danger of being utterly undone, had not 

 patience and prudence, together with Heaven's blessings, saved 

 him from that threatening ruin. 



5. He never repined at his losses and sufferings, because he 

 lost and suffered for his King and country ; nay, so far was 

 he from that, that I have heard him say, if the same wars 

 should happen again, and he was sure to lose both his life and 

 all he had left him, yet he would most willingly sacrifice it for 

 his Majesty's service. 



6. He never connived or conspired with the enemy, neither 

 directly nor indirectly ; for though some person of quality 

 being sent in the late wars to him into the north *, from his late 

 Majesty, who was then at Oxford, with some message, did 

 withal in private acquaint him, that some of the nobility that 

 were with the King, desired him to side with them against his 

 Majesty, alleging that if his Majesty should become an abso- 



l Sir Philip Warwick was twice employed on errands from Oxford to the northern 

 army, and may possibly be the person referred to, but there is no hint of any such in- 

 trigue in his Memoirs. Wilmot may have been concerned in it, for, as Sir Philip re- 

 marks, ' he that marks Wilmot's whole progress through the war shall find him much 

 affected to be an arbiter of peace '. 



