ioo The Life of William, Duke of Newcastle 



religion, and suppression of factions ; as also in coining, 

 printing, knighting, and the like, which he used with great dis- 

 cretion and prudence, only for the interest of his Majesty, 

 and the benefit of the kingdom, as formerly has been men- 

 tioned. 



The prudent manage of his private and domestic affairs 

 appears sufficiently, (i) In his marriage ; (2) in the ordering 

 and increasing his estate before the wars, which, notwithstand- 

 ing his noble housekeeping and hospitality, and his generous 

 bounty and charity, he increased to the value of A 00,000 ; 

 (3) in the ordering his affairs in the time of banishment, where, 

 although he received not the least of his own estate, during 

 all the time of his exile, until his return ; yet maintained him- 

 self handsomely and nobly, according to his quality, as much 

 as his condition at that time would permit ; (4) in reducing 

 his torn and ruined estate after his return, which, beyond 

 all probability, himself hath settled and ordered so, that his 

 posterity will have reason gratefully to remember it. 



In short, although my Lord naturally loves not business, 

 especially those of state (though he understands them as well 

 as anybody), yet what business or affairs he cannot avoid, none 

 will do them better than himself. His private affairs he orders 

 without any noise or trouble, not over-hastily, but wisely. 

 Neither is he passionate in acting of business, but hears 

 patiently, and orders soberly, and pierces into the heart or 

 bottom of a business at the first encounter ; but before all 

 things, he considers well before he undertakes a business, 

 whether he be able to go through it or no, for he never ventures 

 upon either public or private business, beyond his strength. 



And here I cannot forbear to mention, that my noble Lord, 

 when he was in banishment, presumed out of his duty and love 

 to his gracious master, our now sovereign King, Charles the 

 Second, to write and send him a little book, or rather a letter 

 wherein he delivered his opinion concerning the government 

 of his dominions, whensoever God should be pleased to restore 

 him to his throne, together with some other notes and observa- 

 tions of foreign states and kingdoms ; but it being a private 

 offer to his sacred Majesty, I dare not presume to publish it *. 



1 Two copies of this little book have survived. One is in the Bodleian Library amongst 

 the Clarendon MSS. It is described in Mr. Madan's Summary Catalogue of the Western 

 MSS., vol. iii, number 16,195. It is bound in white parchment, with fine gold tool- 



