By CLARENDON.
The Army was lesse united then ever; the old Generall was sett asyde
and Prince Rupert putt into the commaunde, which was no popular
chaunge, for the other was knowne to be an officer of greate
exsperience, and had committed no oversights in his conducte, was
willinge to heare every thinge debated, and alwayes concurred with the
most reasonable opinion, and though he was not of many wordes, and
was not quicke in hearinge, yett upon any action, he was sprightly and
commaunded well; The Prince was rough, and passionate and loved not
debate, liked what was proposed, as he liked the persons who proposed
it, and was so greate an enimy to Digby and Culpeper, who were only
present in debates of the Warr with the Officers, that he crossed all
they proposed. The truth is, all the Army had bene disposed from the
first raysinge it, to a neglecte and contempt of the Councell, and
the Kinge himselfe had not bene sollicitous enough to præserve the
respecte due to it, in which he lost of his owne dignity. Goringe who
was now Generall of the Horse, was no more gratious to Prince Rupert
then Wilmott had bene, and had all the others faults, and wanted his
regularity and preservinge his respects with the officers; Wilmott
loved deboshry, but shutt it out from his businesse, and never
neglected that, and rarely miscarryed in it; Goringe had much a better
understandinge, and a sharper witt, except in the very exercise of
deboshry, and then the other was inspired, a much keener courage, and
presentnesse of minde in daunger; Wilmott decerned it farther off, and
because he could not behave himselfe so well in it, commonly prevented
or warily declined it, and never dranke when he was within distance of
an enimy; Goringe was not able to resist the temptation when he was in
the middle of them, nor would declyne it to obtayne a victory, and in
one of those fitts had suffer'd the Horse to escape out of Cornwall,
and the most signall misfortunes of his life in warr, had ther ryse
from that uncontrolable licence; nether of them valewed ther promises,
professions or frendshipps, accordinge to any rules of honour or
integrity, but Wilmott violated them the lesse willingly, and never
but for some greate benefitt or convenience to himself, Goringe
without scruple out of humour or for witt sake, and loved no man so
well, but that he would cozen him, and then expose him to publicke
mirth, for havinge bene cozened, and therfore he had always fewer
frends then the other, but more company, for no man had a witt that
pleased the company better: The ambitions of both were unlimited, and
so æqually incapable of beinge contented, and both unrestrayned by
any respecte to good nature or justice from pursuinge the satisfaction
therof, yett Willmott had more scruples from religion to startle him,
and would not have attayned his end, by any grosse or fowle acte of
wickednesse; Goringe could have passed through those pleasantly, and
would without hesitation have broken any trust, or done any acte of
treachery, to have satisfyed an ordinary passion or appetite, and in
truth wanted nothinge but industry, for he had witt, and courage and
understandinge, and ambition uncontroled by any feare of god or man,
to have bene as eminent and succesfull in the highest attempt in
wickednesse of any man in the age he lyved in, or before, and of all
his qualifications, dissimulation was his masterpiece, in which he
so much excelled, that men were not ordinaryly ashamed or out of
countenance with beinge deceaved but twice by him.
33.