THe fairest Prospect unto honour lyes from the hill of vertue, and the best way to hap­pinesse, is in the high rode of holinesse. Hee that lives well, cannot dye ill; And 'tis not what a man has, but what he is, that makes him shine an eminent starre in the Sphere of the State.

Stemmata nil faciunt, as the Poet accutely; & no­bilitas sola est at (que) unica virtus, Tis only vertue which is the truest Nobilitie, and that which makes man r [...]ally noble. Hence it is, that Nobilitas parta is farre better than Nobilitas parta, to be borne great, and to live sor­did, is ignominious and wretched; but merit, and the nob [...]e actions of the mind farre transcend the generosi­tie of high-borne progenitors. Hinc illae Lachrimae that from a pure fountaine should spring a foule stream; from a good root a bad branch, 'tis much [...]o bee deplo­red. So true it is that the princely Prophet, Man be­ing in honour, hath no understanding, but is like the Beasts that perish. Tis verified in the subiect of this dis­course. Honos to him was Onus, his preferment his per­di [...]ion, his pompe was his pain, and his rising his ruine, The higher he was, the heavier was his fall: with Pha­eton hee soar'd too high, and with him aiming at the Suns Sphere, to be mounted in Charls wain; from the altitude and utmost pitch of Majesty, he fell to the pro­fundity, extremity, and abisse of misery. Had h [...] been ho­ly as he was honourable, righteous as rich, pious as po­litick and as prudent for the Sta [...]e, as hee was pestilent to the State, he had been the grace of his Countrey, the glory of his age, and a mirrour of succeeding generati­ons, to his eternall fame; had he been what he was not, he had never arriv'd to such a sad disaster as he did.

Hee was a man of admirable abilities; Eloquence, Learning, Courage and valour were his servants to command; all which hee might have imployed to the glory of God, the honour of his Majestie, the good and benefit of the Church and Common-wealth; but hee perverted those good indowments, which nature and the God of nature was pleased liberally to conferre up­on him, and imploy'd them to his owne ends, for the effecting and accomplishing of his hainous doings, and facinorous designes.

His capitall crimes were Ambition, Pride, Injustice, Cruelty, and Treachery, Cum multis aliis, which for brevity sake I omit. He endeavour'd to subvert the Lawes, the ancient and fundamentall Lawes and Go­vernment of the Kings Realms of England and Ireland. And whereas he alledged at his tryall in Westminster Hall, that he never introduced an arbitrary and tyran­nicall Government, although he hath not effected it, (God be thanked, being prevented) yet he intended it. He exercised tyrannous and exorbitant power above and against the Lawes, over the libertie, states and lives of his Majesties subjects. He was the firebrand and incendiary of the wars between the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland.

The better to preserve him and his confederates, he labored (as much as in him lay) to dissolve Parliaments, and to subvert the rights, liberties, and privileges of Parliaments, and the ancient course of Parliamentary proceedings. He who was under the Law did assume to himselfe a power above Law, yea without and a­gainst Law. He was a terrour to the City, and an eye­sore to the Countrey; his look was grimme, his anger intolerable, his rage implacable. He was tyranny in the Abstract; without any bowels of compassion. How many honest men did he cause to be committed? com­pelling the great Councell of the Kingdome of Ireland to condescend to his commands; trampling on the Peeres, oppressing his Mejesties subjects, and insulting over people of all ranks, quality, and condition what­soever. When he was first sent into Ireland with com­mission and authority, it was not long after, but he pursued his intents, and produced them into acts. Such horrid offences and nefarious crimes did he perpetrate and commit, of so exorbitant and transcendent a na­ture, that they indang'rd a generall insurrection a­gainst Majestie it selfe. To contract what I might pro­tract, [Page 8] He attempted at one blow the ruine of the three Kingdomes, and their posteritie, to bring them into perpetuall captivity, which is treason, and in the highest degree. These were his plots and projects, these were his crimes and offences. For which by the high and honorable Court of Parliament, he was convicted, and condemned to suffer death, in the place and on the day before mentioned.

Iam illum premit nox, The Sun of his Summers day is now set, and the sad night of dreadfull death is come upon him. Let not the headlesse multitude (or rather that many headed monster, bellua multorum capitum) censure and condemne this great man, as one utterly lost. We ought to judge charitably of him, who died in the feare of his Maker, and faith of his Redeemer. He had sweet Christian expressions of his Repentance, of faith, his obedience and humble subjection to the will of God. Without doubt, God did open his eyes, both before, and at the houre of his death; And though his latter dayes were his bad dayes, (yet in the judge­ment of charity) his last day▪ way his best das.