Characters from the Histories & Memoirs of the Seventeenth Century
History
Characters from the Histories & Memoirs of the Seventeenth Century
Great Britain -- Biography; Great Britain -- History -- Stuarts, 1603-1714
greate an esteeme of them, that he did very frequently upon conference
togither departe from his owne inclinations and opinions, and
concurred in thers; and very few men of so greate parts are upon all
occasyons more councellable then he, so that he would seldome be in
daunger of runninge into greate errors, if he would communicate and
expose all his owne thoughts and inclinations to such a disquicition,
nor is he uninclinable in his nature to such an intire communication
in all things which he conceaves to be difficulte; but his fatall
infirmity is, that he to often thinkes difficulte things very easy,
and doth not consider possible consequences, when the proposition
administers somewhat that is delighfull to his fancy, and by pursuinge
wherof he imagynes he shall reape some glory to himselfe, of which
he is immoderately ambitious, so that if the consultation be upon
any action to be done, no man more implicitely enters into that
debate, or more cheerefully resignes his owne conceptions to a joynt
determination, but when it is once affirmatively resolved, besydes
that he may possibly reserve some impertinent circumstance as he
thinkes, the impartinge wherof would change the nature of the thinge,
if his fancy suggests to him any particular which himselfe might
performe in that action, upon the imagination that every body would
approove it, if it were proposed to them, he chooses rather to do it,
then to communicate, that he may have some signall parte to himselfe
in the transaction, in which no other person can clayme a share;
and by this unhappy temper, he did often involve himselfe in very
unprosperous attempts. The Kinge himselfe was the unfittest person
alive to be served by such a Councellour, beinge to easily inclined to
suddayne enterprizes, and as easily amazed when they were entred upon;
and from this unhappy composition in the one and the other, a very
unhappy councell was entred upon, and resolution taken, without the
least communication with ether of the three, which had bene so lately
admitted to an intire truste.
31.
THE LORD CAPEL.
_Arthur Capel, created Baron Capel 1641._
_Born 1610. Beheaded 1649._
By CLARENDON.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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