_Edward Montagu, created Baron Montagu of Kimbolton 1626, second Earl
of Manchester 1642._
_Born 1602. Died 1671._
By CLARENDON.
The Earle of Manchester, of the whole Caball, was in a thousand
respects most unfitt for the company he kept. He was of a gentle and
a generous nature, civilly bredd, had reverence and affection for the
person of the Kinge, upon whome he had attended in Spayne, loved his
Country with to unskilfull a tendernesse, and was of so excellent a
temper and disposition, that the barbarous tymes, and the rough partes
he was forced to acte in them, did not wype out or much deface those
markes, insomuch as he was never guilty of any rudenesse towards
those, he was oblieged to oppresse, but performed always as good
offices towards his old frendes, and all other persons, as the
iniquity of the tyme, and the nature of the imployment he was in,
would permitt him to doe, which kinde of humanity could be imputed to
very few; and he was at last dismissed, and remooved from any trust,
for no other reason, but because he was not wicked enough.
He marryed first into the family of the Duke of Buckingham, and by
his favour and interest was called to the house of Peeres in the life
of his father, and made Barron of Kymolton, though he was commonly
treated and knowne by the name of the L'd Mandevill: And was as much
addicted to the service of the Courte as he ought to be. But the death
of his Lady, and the murther of that greate Favorite, his secounde
marriage with the daughter of the Earle of Warwicke, and the very
narrow and restrayned maintenance which he receaved from his father
and which would in no degree defray the exspences of the Courte,
forced him to soone to retyre to a Country life, and totally to
abandon both the Courte and London, whither he came very seldome in
many yeeres; And in this retirement, the discountenance which his
father underwent at Courte, the conversation of that family into which
he was now marryed, the bewitchinge popularity which flowed upon him
with a wounderfull Torrent, with the want of those guardes which a
good education should have supplyed him with, by the cleere notion of
the foundation of the Ecclesiasticall as well as the Civill goverment,
made a greate impression upon his understandinge (for his nature was
never corrupted but remayned still in its integrity) and made him
believe, that the Courte was inclined to hurte and even to destroy the
country, and from particular instances to make generall and daungerous
conclusions. They who had bene alwayes enimyes to the Church,
prævayled with him to lessen his reverence for it, and havinge not
bene well instructed to defende it, [he] yeilded to easily to those
who confidently assaulted it, and thought it had greate errors which
were necessary to be reformed, and that all meanes are lawfull to
compasse that which is necessary, wheras the true Logique is, that
the thinge desyred is not necessary, if the wayes are unlawfull which
are proposed to bringe it to passe. No man was courted with more
application by persons of all conditions and qualityes, and his
person was not lesse acceptable to those of steddy and uncorrupted
principles, then to those of depraved inclinations; and in the
end, even his piety administred some excuse to him, for his fathers
infirmityes and transgressions had so farr exposed him to the
inquisition of justice, that he found it necessary to procure the
assistance and protection of those, who were stronge enough to violate
justice itselfe, and so he adhered to those, who were best able to
defende his fathers honour, and therby to secure his owne fortune, and
concurred with them in ther most violent designes, and gave reputation
to them; and the Courte as unskilfully, tooke an occasion to soone to
make him desperate, by accusinge him of high Treason, when (though he
might be guilty enough,) he was without doubte in his intentions at
least as innocent, as any of the leadinge men; and it is some evidence
that God Almighty saw his hearte was not so malicious as the rest,
that he præserved him to the end of the confusion, when he appeared
as gladd of the Kings restoration, and had heartily wished it
longe before, and very few who had a hand in the contrivance of the
rebellion gave so manifest tokens of repentance as he did; and havinge
for many yeeres undergone the jealosy and hatred of Crumwell, as
one who abominated the murther of the Kinge, and all the barbarous
proceedings against the life of men in cold bloode, the Kinge upon his
returne receaved him into grace and favour, which he never forfeited
by any undutifull behaviour.
48.