158 A Century of Science 



itself perhaps the noblest literary tribute ever paid 

 to a statesman. In Mr. Hosmer's pages Sir Harry 

 lives again, one of the brightest figures of the Pu- 

 ritan age, cheerful and affectionate, full of sacred 

 enthusiasm, yet shrewd and self-contained. " He 

 was indeed a man of extraordinary parts, a plea- 

 sant wit, a great understanding which pierced into 

 and discerned the purposes of men with wonderful 

 sagacity, whilst he had himself vultum clausum, 

 that no man could make a guess of what he in- 

 tended." So says Clarendon, who loved him not, 

 but could not help admiring the skill which, at the 

 most critical moment of the war, when many stout 

 adherents of the parliamentary cause were inclined 

 to abandon it as lost, all at once brought light out 

 of darkness, as the signing of the Solemn League 

 and Covenant summoned Alexander Leslie and 

 twenty thousand brawny Scots across the border 

 to stand side by side with Cromwell and Fairfax 

 at Marston Moor. In later days it became matter 

 of common report that the northern Covenanters 

 had fallen a prey to the wiles of "that sweet 

 youth," and allowed themselves to be hoodwinked 

 and cozened by " sly Sir Harry," until, in the hope 

 of establishing Presbyterianism south of the Tweed, 

 they lent themselves to the work of setting the 

 monster Independency upon its feet. Mr. Hosmer 



