_William Cavendish, created Viscount Mansfield 1620, Earl of Newcastle
1628, Marquis 1643, and Duke 1665._
_Born 1592. Died 1676._
By CLARENDON.
All that can be said for the Marquiss is, that he was so utterly tired
with a condition and employment so contrary to his Humour, Nature, and
Education, that he did not at all consider the means, or the way that
would let him out of it, and free him for ever from having more to do
with it. And it was a greater wonder, that he sustained the vexation
and fatigue of it so long, than that he broke from it with so little
circumspection. He was a very fine Gentleman, active, and full of
Courage, and most accomplish'd in those Qualities of Horsemanship,
Dancing, and Fencing, which accompany a good breeding; in which his
delight was. Besides that he was amorous in Poetry, and Musick, to
which he indulged the greatest part of his time; and nothing could
have tempted him out of those paths of pleasure, which he enjoyed in a
full and ample fortune, but honour and ambition to serve the King when
he saw him in distress, and abandoned by most of those who were in the
highest degree obliged to him, and by him. He loved Monarchy, as it
was the foundation and support of his own greatness, and the Church,
as it was well constituted for the splendour and security of the
Crown, and Religion, as it cherished, and maintained that Order and
Obedience that was necessary to both; without any other passion for
the particular Opinions which were grown up in it, and distinguished
it into Parties, than as he detested whatsoever was like to disturb
the publick peace.
He had a particular Reverence for the Person of the King, and the
more extraordinary Devotion for that of the Prince, as he had had the
honour to be trusted with is Education as his Governour; for which
office, as he excelled in some, so he wanted other Qualifications.
Though he had retired from his great Trust, and from the Court,
to decline the insupportable Envie which the powerfull Faction had
contracted against him, yet the King was no sooner necessitated to
possess himself of some place of strength, and to raise some force
for his defence, but the Earl of Newcastle (he was made Marquiss
afterwards) obeyed his first call, and, with great expedition and
dexterity, seised upon that Town; when till then there was not one
port town in England, that avowed their obedience to the King: and
he then presently raised such Regiments of Horse and Foot, as were
necessary for the present state of Affairs; all which was done purely
by his own Interest, and the concurrence of his numerous Allies in
those Northern parts; who with all alacrity obeyed his Commands,
without any charge to the King, which he was not able to supply.
And after the Battle of Edge Hill, when the Rebells grew so strong in
Yorkshire, by the influence their Garrison of Hull had upon both the
East and West riding there, that it behoved the King presently to make
a General, who might unite all those Northern Counties in his Service,
he could not choose any Man so fit for it as the Earl of Newcastle,
who was not only possessed of a present force, and of that important
Town, but had a greater Reputation and Interest in Yorkshire itself,
than at that present any other Man had: the Earl of Cumberland being
at that time, though of entire affection to the King, much decayed
in the vigour of his Body, and his mind, and unfit for that Activity
which the Season required. And it cannot be denied, that the Earl
of Newcastle, by his quick march with his Troops, as soon as he had
received his Commission to be General, and in the depth of Winter,
redeemed, or rescued the City of York from the Rebells, when they
looked upon it as their own, and had it even within their grasp: and
as soon as he was Master of it, he raised Men apace, and drew an Army
together, with which he fought many Battles, in which he had always
(this last only excepted) Success and Victory.
He liked the Pomp, and absolute Authority of a General well, and
preserved the dignity of it to the full; and for the discharge of
the outward State, and Circumstances of it, in acts of Courtesy,
Affability, Bounty, and Generosity, he abounded; which in the infancie
of a war became him, and made him, for some time, very acceptable
to Men of all conditions. But the substantial part, and fatigue
of a General, he did not in any degree understand (being utterly
unacquainted with War) nor could submit to; but referred all matters
of that Nature to the discretion of his Lieutenant General King, who,
no doubt, was an officer of great experience and ability, yet being
a Scotch Man was, in that conjuncture, upon more disadvantage than he
would have been, if the General himself had been more intent upon his
Command. In all Actions of the feild he was still present, and never
absent in any Battle; in all which he gave Instances of an invincible
courage and fearlessness in danger; in which the exposing himself
notoriously did sometimes change the fortune of the day, when his
Troops begun to give ground. Such Articles of action were no sooner
over, than he retired to his delightfull Company, Musick, or his
softer pleasures, to all which he was so indulgent, and to his ease,
that he would not be interrupted upon what occasion soever; insomuch
as he sometimes denied Admission to the Chiefest Officers of the Army,
even to General King himself, for two days together; from whence many
Inconveniencies fell out.
30.