_William Fiennes, created Viscount Say and Sele 1624._
_Born 1582. Died 1662._
By CLARENDON.
The last of those Councillours, which were made after the
faction prævayled in Parliament, who were all made to advance an
accommodation, and who adhered to the Parliament, was the L'd Say, a
man who had the deepest hande in the originall contrivance of all the
calamityes which befell that unhappy kingdome, though he had not the
least thought of dissolvinge the Monarchy, and lesse of levellinge the
rankes and distinctions of men, for no man valewed himselfe more upon
his title, or had more ambition to make it greater, and to rayse his
fortune, which was but moderate for his title. He was of a prowde,
morose, and sullen nature, conversed much with bookes, havinge bene
bredd a scholar, and (though nobly borne) a fellow of New-Colledge in
Oxforde, to which he claymed a right, by the Allyance he prætended to
have from William of Wickam the Founder, which he made good by such
an unreasonable Pedigre through so many hundred yeeres, halfe the tyme
wherof extinguishes all relation of kinred, however upon that pretence
that Colledge hath bene seldome without one of that L'ds family. His
parts were not quicke, but so much above those of his owne ranke, that
he had alwayes greate creditt and authority in Parliament, and the
more for takinge all opportunityes to oppose the Courte, and had with
his milke sucked in an implacable malice against the goverment of the
Church. When the Duke of Buckingham proposed to himselfe after his
returne with the Prince from Spayne, to make himselfe popular, by
breakinge that match, and to be gratious with the Parliament, as for
a shorte tyme he was, he resolved to imbrace the frendshipp of the
L'd Say, who was as sollicitous to climbe by that ladder, but the Duke
quickly founde him of to imperious and pedanticall a spiritt, and to
affecte to daungerous mutations, and so cast him off; and from that
tyme, he gave over any pursuite in Courte, and lived narrowly and
sordidly in the country, havinge conversation with very few, but such
who had greate malignity against the church and State, and fomented
ther inclinations and gave them instructions how to behave themselfes
with caution and to do ther businesse with most security, and was in
truth the Pylott that steered all those vessells which were fraighted
with sedition to destroy the goverment. He founde alwayes some way to
make professions of duty to the Kinge and made severall undertakings
to do greate services, which he could not, or would not make good, and
made hast to possesse himselfe of any præferment he could compasse,
whilst his frends were content to attende a more proper conjuncture,
so he gott the Mastershipp of the Wards shortly after the beginninge
of the Parliament, and was as sollicitous to be Treasurer, after the
death of the Earle of Bedforde, and if he could have satisfyed his
rancour in any degree against the Church, he would have bene ready to
have carryed the Prærogative as high as ever it was. When he thought
ther was mischieve enough done, he would have stopped the current and
have deverted farther fury, but he then founde he had only authority
and creditt to do hurte, none to heale the wounds he had given; and
fell into as much contempt with those whome he had ledde, as he was
with those whome he had undone.
49.