The Character Of the in= comperable, Ladye, the Countesse of Carlile.

The personn of this Ladye, is verye extraordinarye, whether yow respect the Braverye of hir Stature, or the Beautye of hir Shape, The grace of hir mocion, or the superioritye of hir Aspect, wherof noe parte is disadvantaged, by hir Curyous, Costlye, and ffreshe Attyre, wch,, noe Creature by the waye, cann putt on, lyke hir, whereby wee, easelye see, howe they are att much losse, whoe haue the Ill lucke to stand by hir whereby, Wee easelye see, Butt though hir exteriors bee such, as Men Admyre, And as the weaker sorte of woemen, is sorrye, through envye, that it cannott taxe; yett Certainlye the ffacultyes, and operacions of hir Brayne. are much more Admyrable, then theis qu. holdinge others, ffor shee hath a happie, and houldinge Memorye, a quicke ffancye, a deepe, and sollid Judgmente: though it rayther exceed in the waye of orderinge, then Actinge, But, howsoever it is soe ffarre beyound hir Sex, that it maye goe ffor a Rarietye, when wee ffinde any in ours, which maye exceed it, wthall, shee hath a verye quiett mynde, and yow shall hardlye ever see, Passions, soe much as pretend to Tripp: upp the heeles scarce of hir Reasonn, nor scarce make hir expresse hir selfe much Lowder, or more eagerlye att one tyme, then another: another, ffor shee eyther is still the same, or yf not, yow wilbee bound to watch hir very narrowlye; ffor els it shalbee more, then yow will knowe; For x all that worke of Crose-stick , lyes Belowe, and is overshaddowed wth an even, and smooth vayle, aboue.

Butt, hir Speech, is that, which of all thinges in x hir, I admyre most, since it hath theis two incompati= ble partes, of beinge very easye, and very exacte; yow shall never ffinde a worde, or phrase, ffall, ffrom hir, which hath any thinge in it, of the meane, and which takes not a full Tincture, frrom hir Breedinge, and Birth In hir owne discription of other persons, and Relacions of passages, which occurr, shee is incomparable, ffor shee speakes with greate lyfe, greate elegancye, greate proprietye, and greate ffacillitye, and in my whole lyfe, I haue never over once heard hir in discourse, correct any worde of hir owne, nor seen hir shewe, that shee was mistaken, in whatt shee had said, nor wished att the instant, that shee used somme latter worde, uppon a second thought. A, Case, very Rare, and wch, I cannott, but wth truth affyrme, in it selfe, to haue ever mett in any other, eyther Man, or Woeman, though yett in my tyme I haue Conversed, with Persons, whoe were greate: greate Maisters: in poynte of Speech:

For, as much, as Concerneth thinges of Morallitye, they are generallye very excellent, in hir, though yett I hould them to bee accompanyed, with somme error I doe inffalliblye, hould hir to bee; and to haue ever been, most perffectlye Chast, ffor wch, I must yett not thing cke hir soe, Because, I thincke hir nature, is not to bee inclin’d, to love any Creature of the worlde extreamlye, in a delightffull waye; she cann Love Noblye, in the waye of ffrindshipp, Princelye in the waye of Courte, Obligeinglye in the waye of doeinge ffavors, Pleasinglye in the waye of Conver= sacion, But, shee cannot Love, I thinke delightffullye; or dotinglye, in the waye of fflesh, and Bloode, Though god Almightie should bidd hir, As betwene Man, and wyfe, But, as ffor sinns against Chastitye, shee hath another Antidote stronge enough, ffor even vyce, shall keep hir , ffrom loosinge virtue; The pryde of hir harte, not sufferinge hir, to admitt of ex= ternall submissions, ffor the obtayninge of invisible delightes.

The: Error which perhappes somme fformall personns maye esteeme hir to Committ against opinyon, is, that Contempnes, and Correctes inveterate Customme with to highe a hand, and neyther Care, nor ffeares: ffeares and perhapps takes not the paynes; soe much, as to suspect whatt the world cann saye of thinges, yf in themselves, they bee noe waye ill: Shee disdaynes to prevent ffoolishe suspitions, and much more to satisfye them afterwardes, And, shee Cares not to Cutt the threed even enough, betwene opinyon, and Truth, But knoweinge the strength of hir owne harte, shee will admitt noe ffeare, or doubt, to putt hir selfe single att any tyme, into any place, with any personn, whoe is a Man of honnor: and proffesseth Civilitye:

This: hath bredd somme tymes in Men of ignoraunce, and woemen of envye, vayne discourse, And I haue been Content to call hir waye, erronious, not yett, that Reallye, and in it selfe, I thincke it such, But, because the world, which by noe meanes cann bee beaten att Cuffes, will needes thincke soe of it:

ffor: Bountye and Magnifficence, it were Admyr= able in hir, yf it were not extreame, But all extreames are ffaultes, and especiallye that of profusenes, against the virtue of Bountye; ffor the extreames of other Parityes, doe not depryve Men of exerciseinge the virtue it selfe, As excesse in vallor. cannott make a Man a Coward, But, excesse in Bountye, maye one daye, make them; both: both misserable, and meane:

Shee, is naturallye, very Constant, Both to hir wayes, and to her ffrindes, But, this must alsoe bee understoode, of hir, with somme discretion; ffor though shee bee Constant in the Maine, shee is not all= wayes soe open, in the By; But, shee will often laye a side both thinges, and personns, ffor a while, uppon somme inward imperceptible Reasonn, yf rather it bee not uppon meere honor, though yett shee will bee sure afterward, to restore them (of hir selfe to the same place agayne, which they held beffore) I saye, shee might perhapps doe it, out of honor, be= cause perhapps, shee is indeed wrought uppon a little therein, by beinge wearye of doeinge still the same thinge; and by the extreame delight, shee takes in varietye; wherein, as every Bodye hath his parte; Soe, I thincke, noe bodye is greater then hirs, though yett still as I ffinde, shee goes not soe astraye, but that she commes homme agayne by hir selfe.

In: poynte of Civillitye, and Courtesie, shee is most perffect, and Rare, and there are not manye, whoe bee more iust in payeinge their respectes, to their Betters: then shee is gratious in vouchsaffeinge them, to her infferiors, Noe, gentleman appeareth beffore hir, to whom shee ryses: Ryses not, though shee bee att meat, And yett many others of my good Ladyes, of the Lower House, sitt somme tymes as still, when their ffrindes, comme in to attend them, As Judges doe uppon the Bench when prysoners: are call’d beffore them att the Barre; But, in all thinges, shee of hir selfe, Complyes perffectlye, with Civilitye, and, that arrives to bee a kinde of Witch crafte, when she hath a particuler meaninge to Obliege, Such is hir grace, and swavitye:

The, error: which shee is esteemed to Comitt agate: this virtue, also in somme kinde, is that shee Cen= sures people, to willinglye, and makes hir selfe to easelye merrye, att the simplicitye, and Rustici= tyes of somme, wherein it is most Certayne, that shee maye verye instantlye discharge hir selfe, uppon a naturall impuissannce wch shee hath to Contynne Laughter, when, shee is provoked, and surprised, by somme odd kynd of Obiect:

In: frindshipps, shee is very generous, and Noble, and true, Alloweinge over theis little variations in Temporarye, and Tryflinge thinges, whereof I spake beffore, Butt, yett this Article of ffrind= shipp: must bee thus understood, least it be bee mista= ken in hir, For as shee cannott bee more Obliged then: then by yor: desireinge any thinge of hir, which is in hir owne power to graunte, Soe, yf yow goe to hir in yor. demaund, shee will flye to yow, in hir graunte, and will instantly bee ashamed, that shee cann doe noe more, But, yett, yf yow imploye hir, to use hir power for yow, to obtayne any thinges of any Bodye, shee hanges the winge, and cann, neyther fflye, nor goe, and goe, and shee makes hir selfe thereby the more unnecessarye, to hir Servantes.

I: knowe, a Man, whoe hath presumed, to aske hir whie, shee would bee noe more fforward, with somme greate person, over whomme shee had once all power, ffor somme Servantes of hir owne, whoe would gladlye, haue Comitted themselves to hir Protection: To, whomme shee made this Aunswere, That shee held it a woeffull and wretched thinge, to desire any ffavour, or service, of any personn whoe might, perhapps Repent, the doeinge of it, beffore hee dyed, This, lookes lyke a playne sayeinge, But, Reallye it is ffull, Both of wisdomme, and greatnes, And the more seriouslye a Man thinckes of it, the more perffectlye hee will approve, and even Admyre it, And, ffor my owne parte, I ffinde it nowe soe verye true; As that the memorye of unkindnes, which was ever putt uppon mee, was not soe greivous, as it hath been of the greatest ffavours, and Trustes, that ever I recyved I receyved, Because, I camme to knowe, afterward, that they were repented:

This Ladye, is held by somme, to bee disdainffullye highe of Harte, and wthall, to bee seveere, and sharpe in hir Censures, Concerninge this latter: poynte: I hould hir to bee ffaultye; yf thinges must be weighed, after the Common waye; though Reallye there is att that tyme, noe malignitye att all in hir mynde; But, onely a meere Libertye, to speake hir thoughtes ffreelye, beffore such, as shee houldes not to bee unfitt, accordinge to the Meritt, both of the Obiect, and of the occascion, and to shewe, that there is noe partiallitye in hir, (fforasmuch, as Concerneth the Judginge partes) It is most Certayne; that noe straunger, noe nor an enemye is disobleiged more by hir therein, then eyther hir Dearest, or nearest ffrindes.

Butt; hir opinyon, and Judgmte Hir: Affections, and Accions, shalbee very different, Betweene ffrindes, and others, But hir opinyon, and Judgmte: shall not depend uppon the personns, but uppon the thinges, And soe it ought to bee, amongst all worthie and wyse People, ffor the Tribunalls of Affections, and Judgmtes : are, and ought to bee distincte, And the error of this noble Creature Consistes, in not beinge A: Character Of the most excellent Lord, The Earle of Northumberland:

Hee, is naturallye, a kynde of Inward, and reserved Man, and hee doth not easelye make the world such playe, As to open him selfe, wthout much Observacions of their Judgmtes: though since his Condicion hath produced, and Planted him, in the waye of the world, hee is ffounde to bee RM: x noe such Witch Eyther this Man, is very worthie, or such, as knowe him best, are deceyved most; ffor they whoie haue beheld him with more Curiositye; and Care, then with partiallitye, and purpose to gyve Applause, haue ffounde much in him, to prayse, and not soe much, as a little to reprove;

This: is soe true; that a Man, whomme I Love, as my selfe; is wonte to saye of this Personn, that hee hath but one quarrell to him, which is, that hee cann ffinde noethinge in him, to fforgive. But, yett, I knowe not whether I amme ffullye of that mynde, or noe, ffor I Confesse, I haue layde upp: a kynde of Quere, Concerninge him, which I keepe wholie to my selfe, and meane to watche the successe, And yf hee Complye not wth: wth it, As I thincke hee should (though I meane to leave the Circumstaunces of tyme, and place to him selfe, it will lessen him much, in somme respectes, wth mee.

I: hould the ffacultye of his mynde, to bee verye Reallye good, and incomparablye better, then they seeme, in such eyes, As marcke him not verye well. His Speeche is slowe, and it deserves a Pardonn of Course, ffor many Reasonns: ffor hee never speakes by Chaunce, never uppon varietye, never, but with exact Truthe; and never mee thinckes, but with greate Reasonn, And soe as to shewe, that hee is a verye Temperate, and prudent Man, And indeed, hee never seemes, soe much, as to open his Mouth, towardes speech, tyll hee haue ffirst asked Leave, and Councell, of his hart; His Apprehensionn is verye readye; and his Judgmte certainlye sound, And all his Accions, are such, As not to ffeare a Censure; not to desire a Corner But to bidd Men looke on, and doe their worst:

Behoulde, him, both att home, and Abroade and hee cann Love, and deffye yow, both att once; ffor yow: shalbee fforced to esteeme him, and yow shall haue noe Cause, to Blame him: Hee is: Hee, is a good Husband, a Noble Maister, a sweete Companyon; and though possitivelye, I cann affyrme noethinge, yett, I never heard otherwyse, then that hee was a most generous, and ffaithffull frinde.

When: wee see him in Corte: his Personn, and his Age, gyve him verye good leave, to seeme as greate a Man, as hee is, and yett wthall, hee is soe Civill, modest, and quyett, as yf, hee were butt Tennant by Courte= sye, to the verye Claothes hee weares:

I: haue heard him suspected, and Taxed heeretoffore, As yf his hart, had been declyninge towardes the Narrowe; And, I ffeare not, to Conffesse; be= fore this Paper; that I once Rebelled not against the Rumor: But, tyme, hath playde his parte, in this Acte; as it daylie doth, a thowsand other thinges, wch is, to breake the Legg of Lyes, and to gyve winges to Truthe; ffor nowe wee haue seene, and knowne, that in his more private ffortune hee spentnotoriouslye beyound his meanes; and since it grewe more publique, hee hath Read soe lowde a Lessonn of wyse greatnes in his wayes (verye Aunswereable to his highe Birth) as hath serv’d to Reverse all erronious Conceipt of that kynde) and to shewe us such an example, as I haue neyther seene him Imitate ; nor nor ffinde him yett to bee Imitated in:

For: as much, as Concernes the Civill, and Constant, Noble waye of lyfe; both in his Howses abroade, and in the Capitall Cittye of the standinge Corte: where hee is att homme , whether wee Consider his Coaches, his Horses, his Trayne, his Liveryes, or his Table; which perhappes, it (to speake modestlye) one of the best, which ffor a doozin guestes, was ever kept in this Kingdomme , wherein, I meane not onelye the dyett of fflesh, and ffishe; wch Aunsweres to the stuffe of our Clothes, But, I Consider alsoe, the Bread, Wyne, Sallettes, Oyle, vyneger, ffruite, Sweetmeates, Lynnen, Peate, and Lightes, wch, att the Table I accompt, As the pettye Toyes of owr Attyre; And indeed it is such in all respectes, as serveth to lett us see, whatt kynde of Person hee is, especiallye yf wee take in the manner of this Attendaunce of his Servantes, whoe looke, as yf they were happie, when they are Busye, And lyve with that In= tencion and Reverence, in their Maisters sight, As yf they were about somme greate Affayer; wch still Addes to his Lustre:

And: wthall, yf wee dwell uppon the Consideracion of his owne personn, there the Truth of this will best: best appeare, ffor, hee is both soe noble, and soe humble, that Obleiges, and Conffoundes, and lookes fforth soe probablye, and effectuallye uppon yow, in the waye of gyveinge yow all satisfaccion by Civilitye, That yow will sweare yor: welcomme ( though hee, (whoe was onely Able to make it true) never spake worde of it, In the meane tyme, it is noe ffigure, nor fflourishe, but a Reall truth, that hee Beares himselfe soe, As to seeme not the Man, whoe gyves, but receyves, all the honnor: of the meetinge:

His: societye, is easye, and Agreeable att all tymes, his Moralistes, but ffor virtue, and Conversacion greate; and hee is never to bee heard lowde, or seene in disorder, nor once to sweare an Oath, howe greate soever the occasionn, waye eyther seeme, or bee; And thereffore, wee owe him not onely our affeccion: But our Admiration, tyll eyther others by groweinge lyke him, procure to saue us that Labor: or els att least to lesson, or devide our pleasure; by makeinge us Comunnicate, this pulse of Hart alsoe, to them; wch nowe Beates, both soe iustlye, and perticulerlye uppon him:

Finis