1 14 The Duchess of Newcastle 



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 aU 

 the spight 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 meri- 

 torious 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 endeav- 

 ours ineffectual, and at last did work his mine and 

 destruction, in these following particulars. 



1. At the time when the kingdom became so in- 

 fatuated, as to oppose and pull down their gracious 

 king and soveraign, the Treasury was exhausted, and 

 no sufficient means to raise and maintain armies to 

 reduce His Majesties rebellious subjects; 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 Majesties service; My Lord was 

 left to the mercy of the parliament, where he had 

 surely suffered for it (though he acted not without 

 His Majesties commission) if some of the contrary 



