_Born 1584. Died 1643._
By CLARENDON.
Aboute this tyme the Councells at Westminster lost a principle
supporter, by the death of John Pimm, who dyed with greate torment and
agony, of a disease unusuall, and therfore the more spoken of, morbus
pediculosus, which rendred him an objecte very lothsome, to those who
had bene most delighted with him. Noe man had more to answer for the
miseryes of the Kingdome, or had his hande or heade deeper in ther
contrivance, and yet I believe they grew much higher even in his life,
then he designed. He was a man of a private quality and condition of
life, his education in the office of the Exchequer, wher he had bene
a Clerke, and his partes rather acquired by industry, then supplyed
by nature, or adorned by Arte. He had bene well knowen in former
Parliaments and was one of those few who had sate in many, the longe
intermissyon of Parliaments havinge worne out most of those who
had bene acquainted with the rules and orders observed in those
conventions, and this gave him some reputation and reverence amongst
those, who were but now introduced. He had bene most taken notice of,
for beinge concerned and passyonate in the jealosyes of religion,
and much troubled with the Countenance which had bene given to those
opinions which had bene imputed to Arminius; and this gave him greate
authority and interest with those, who were not pleased with the
goverment of the Church, or the growinge power of the Clargy, yet
himselfe industriously tooke care to be believed, and he professed
to be, very intire to the doctryne and disciplyne of the Church of
Englande. In the shorte Parliament before this, he spake much, and
appeared to be the most leadinge man, for besydes the exacte knowledge
of the formes and orders of that Councell, which few men had, he had
a very comely and grave way of expressinge himselfe, with greate
volubility of wordes, naturall and proper, and understoode the temper
and affections of the kingdome as well as any man, and had observed
the errors and mistakes in goverment, and knew well how to make them
appeare greater then they were. After the unhappy dissolution of
that Parliament he continued for the most parte about London, in
conversation and greate repute amongst those Lords, who were most
strangers, and believed most averse from the Courte, in whome he
improoved all imaginable jealosyes and discontents towards the State,
and as soone as this Parliament was resolved to be summoned, he was as
diligent to procure such persons to be elected, as he knew to be most
inclined to the way he meant to take.
At the first openinge of this Parliament he appeared passyonate
and prepared against the Earle of Straforde, and though in private
designinge he was much governed by M'r Hambden and M'r S't John, yet
he seemed to all men to have the greatest influence upon the house
of Commons of any man, and in truth I thinke he was at that tyme and
for some moneths after the most popular man, and the most able to
do hurte, that hath lived in any tyme. Upon the first designe of
softninge and oblieginge the powerfull persons in both houses, when
it was resolved to make the Earle of Bedford Lord High Treasurer of
Englande, the Kinge likewise intended to make M'r Pimm Chancellour of
the Exchequer, for which he receaved his Majestys promise, and made
a returne of a suitable professyon of his service and devotion, and
therupon, the other beinge no secrett, somewhat declyned from that
sharpnesse in the house, which was more popular then any mans person,
and made some overtures to provyde for the glory and splendor of
the Crowne, in which he had so ill successe, that his interest and
reputation ther visibly abated, and he founde that he was much better
able to do hurte then good, which wrought very much upon him, to
melancholique, and complainte of the violence and discomposure of
the peoples affections and inclinations; in the end, whether upon
the death of the Earle of Bedford he despayred of that præferment, or
whether he was guilty of any thinge, which upon his conversyon to the
Courte he thought might be discovered to his damage, or for pure want
of courage, he suffred himselfe to be carryed by those who would not
follow him, and so continued in the heade of those who made the most
desperate propositions.
In the proseqution of the Earle of Straforde, his carriage and
language was such, that expressed much personall animosity, and he
was accused of havinge practiced some Artes in it, not worthy a
good man, as an Irishman of very meane and low condition afterwards
acknowledged, that beinge brought to him as an evidence of one parte
of the charge against the Lord Lieuetenant in a particular of which a
person of so vyle quality would not be reasonably thought a competent
informer, M'r Pimm gave him mony to buy him a Sattyn Sute and Cloke, in
which equipage he appeared at the tryall, and gave his evidence, which
if true, may make many other thinges which were confidently reported
afterwards of him, to be believed: As, that he receaved a greate Summ
of mony from the French Ambassadour, to hinder the transportation of
those Regiments of Irelande into Flanders, upon the disbandinge that
Army ther, which had bene præpared by the Earle of Straforde for
the businesse of Scotlande, in which if his Majestys derections and
commands had not bene deverted and contradicted by the houses, many
do believe the rebellyon in Irelande had not happend. Certayne it
is, that his power of doinge shrewd turnes was extraordinary, and no
lesse in doinge good offices for particular persons, and that he did
præserve many from censure, who were under the seveare displeasure of
the houses, and looked upon as eminent Delinquents, and the quality
of many of them made it believed, that he had sold that protection for
valewable consideration. From the tyme of his beinge accused of High
Treason by the Kinge, with the Lord Kimbolton and the other Members,
he never intertayned thoughts of moderation, but alwayes opposed all
overtures of peace and accommodation, and when the Earle of Essex was
disposed the last Summer by those Lords to an inclination towards
a treaty as is before remembred, M'r Pymms power and dexterity wholy
changed him, and wrought him to that temper which he afterwards
swarved not from. He was wounderfully sollicitous for the Scotts
comminge in to ther assistance, though his indisposition of body was
so greate, that it might well have made another impressyon upon his
minde. Duringe his sicknesse he was a very sadd spectacle, but none
beinge admitted to him, who had not concurred with him, it is not
knowne what his last thoughts and considerations were. He dyed towards
the end of December, before the Scotts entred, and was buryed with
wounderfull Pompe and Magnificence in that Place where the Bones of
our English Kings and Princes are committed to ther rest.
35.