_George Digby, second Earl of Bristol 1653._
_Born 1612. Died 1677._
By CLARENDON.
By what hath bene sayde before, it appeares that the L'd Digby was
much trusted by the Kinge, and he was of greate familiarity and
frendshipp with the other three, at least with two of them, for he was
not a man of that exactnesse, as to be in the intire confidence of
the L'd Falkeland, who looked upon his infirmityes with more severity,
then the other two did, and he lived with more franknesse towards
those two, then he did towards the other, yett betweene them two ther
was a free conversation and kindnesse to each other. He was a man
of very extraordinary parts, by nature and arte, and had surely
as good and excellent an education as any man of that age in any
country, a gracefull and beautifull person, of greate eloquence
and becommingnesse in his discource (save that sometimes he seemed
a little affected) and of so universall a knowledge, that he never
wanted subjecte for a discource; he was æquall to a very good parte
in the greatest affayre, but the unfittest man alive to conducte it,
havinge an ambition and vanity superiour to all his other parts,
and a confidence peculiar to himselfe, which sometimes intoxicated,
and transported, and exposed him. He had from his youth, by the
disobligations his family had undergone from the Duke of Buckingham
and the greate men who succeeded him, and some sharpe reprehension
himselfe had mett with, which oblieged him to a country life,
contracted a præjudice and ill will to the Courte, and so had in the
beginninge of the Parliament ingaged himselfe with that party which
discover'd most aversion from it, with a passion and animosity æquall
to ther owne, and therfore very acceptable to them. But when he was
weary of ther violent councells, and withdrew himselfe from them,
with some circumstances which enough provoked them, and made a
reconciliation and mutuall confidence in each other for the future
manifestly impossible, he made private and secrett offerrs of his
service to the Kinge, to whome in so generall a defection of his
servants it could not but be very agreable, and so his Majesty beinge
satisfyed both in the discoveryes he made of what had passed, and
in his professions for the future, remooved him from the house of
Commons, wher he had rendred himselfe marvellously ungratious, and
called him by writt to the house of Peeres, wher he did visibly
advance the Kings service, and quickly rendred himselfe gratefull to
all those, who had not thought to well of him before, when he deserved
less, and men were not only pleased with the assistance he gave upon
all debates, by his judgement and vivacity, but looked upon him as
one who could deryve the Kings pleasure to them, and make a lively
representation of ther good demeanour to the Kinge, which he was very
luxuriant in promisinge to doe, and officious enough in doinge as much
as was just. He had bene instrumentall in promotinge the three persons
above mencioned to the Kings favour, and had himselfe in truth so
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.