advice respecting the figning the warrant for Lord Strafford's death, which prevented him from having afterwards any perfons firmly and steadily attached to him.

Lord Clarendon fays, "That Lord Keeper "Williams told his Sovereign, that he must "confider that he had a public confcience as "well as a private confcience; and that though "his private confcience, as a man, would not per"mit him to act contrary to his own understand

ing, judgment, and conscience, yet his public "confcience, as a King, which obliged him to "do all for the good of his people, and to pre" ferve his kingdom in peace for himself and "his pofterity, would not only permit him to do "that, but even oblige and require him; and "that he saw in what commotion the people were ; "that his own life, and that of the Queen and "the royal iffue might probably be facrificed "to that fury; and it would be very strange if "his confcience fhould prefer the right of one fingle perfon (how innocent foever) before all "these other lives, and the preservation of the

kingdom."

Williams, who foon after this ruinous advice was made Archbishop of York, fortified Conway Castle for the service of his Sovereign; and having left his nephew as Governor there, fet out to attend the King at Oxford, in January 1643. In

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an interview that he had with Charles, he is faid to have cautioned him against Cromwell; telling his Majefty, that when he was Bishop of Lincoln, "he knew him at Bugden, but never knew of "what religion he was. He was," added he, " a common Spokefman for Sectaries, and took "their part with stubbornnefs. He never dif"courfed as if he were pleafed with your Majesty or your officers; indeed, he loves none "that are more than his equals. His fortunes are broken, fo that it is impoffible for him to fubfift, much less to be what he afpires at, but by "your Majefty's bounty, or by the ruin of us all, " and a common confufion: as one faid long ago, "Lentulo Salvo, Refpublica falva effe non poteft. "In short, every beaft hath evil properties, but "Cromwell hath the properties of all evil beafts. My humble motion is, that your Majesty would "win him to you by promises of fair treatment, "or catch him by fome ftratagem, and cut him "off."

After the King was beheaded, the Archbishop is faid to have spent his days in forrow, study, and devotion. He indeed only furvived his unfortunate Sovereign one year. The Archbishop was extremely attentive to the Cathedrals fucceffively committed to his care.

By the kindness of PAUL PANTON, Efq. of the Ifland of Anglefey, the COMPILER is enabled

to

to prefent the Public with Three Original Letters of this extraordinary perfon. The first two were written from St. John's College in Cambridge; and the other after he had loft the Great Seal.

WORSHIPFUL SIR,

My humble dutie remembred-I am righte "heartilie forrie to fee you impute my turbulent " & paffionate Letter to ill nature, wch proceed"ed only from fufpicious povertie, and a pre"fent feare of future undoinge, bredd and fof"tered by the fuggeftions of those, who either "knewe not what it was, or else would not imparte the best counfaile. Well might your Worshippe have guefde my fault to have been "noe blemish of nature, but fuch another as "that of foolish Euclio in Plautus, who fufpected Megadorus, though he had foe farre againfte his estate & reputation demeande him"felfe as to be a fuytor for Euclio's daughter:

LETTER I.

TO JOHN WYNNE, OF GUEDER, ESQ. IN CARNARVONSHIRE.

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"Nam fi opulentus it petitum pauperioris gratiam,

Pauper metuit congredi, per metum male rem gerit; "Idem quando il ac occafio periit, poft fero cupit :

"a faulte I have committed (for the wch I "mofte humblie crave pardonne, vowing heere

"before

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"before the face of God to doe you what re" compence & fatisfaction foever, how and when you will); but that faulte was not in writinge "unto you, for therein I protefte I do not "knowe that I have any way misdemened my"felfe, but it was in a certain fufpicion I con"ceived of your love towards me, caused part

lye by your late letter, far more fharpe and "less courteous than at other times, partly also by the letters of others, who affured me that "the money was not dewe any wayes to Thom "ap Maurice. That my nature is not intem"perate, thofe that have ever knowne me doe knowe, being dull and melancholicke in con"ftitution: neither could I ever heare that my "kindred was tainted with that uglie spot. God "forbid that the least of these three causes, your

greatness, my meanes, but especiallie your de"fertes towards me, might not be a fufficient "motive to curbe the furie of my penne. 1 "heere confefs (et maneat hæc non illa furore

feripta litera) that now I am & always did ac"count of myfelfe as one infinitely bound unto "your Worship, especiallie for three things 1. "the perfwading of my Father to fende me to Cambridge:-2. the writinge both to my Tu"tour as alfoe to others concerning my Scholar

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fhippe and Fellow fhippe:-3. the demeaninge "of your felfe foe belowe your eftate as to meddle

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"foe much with my poor portion. These things 86 are written in my hearte, whatsoever frenzy "writ in paper. My forrowe is farre the greater, "because against my expectations you doe not forget to fend me fom money towards my " Commencement, wch I proteft I thought to "have differred. Your fcoffes made me verie little, "but that you should beside my deserte and beyond my expectation fhewe me fuch a kind & "tender hearte,

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"Obftrepui, fieteruntq. coma, & vox faucibus hæfit.

"Three Petitions I in all humble dutie crave "at your Worships hands-if not for mine, yet "for my father and mother's fake.-First-that "you would (if poffible you can) lett me have "that money in Easter Term wch you promife in "Trinity-secondly-that in your next Ire you "doe fende me that foolish letter of myne enclosed "-that therein I might fee myne own follies, wch "els I cannot believe to have been fo greate

thirdly—that if there be any such folly committed, you will gentlie pardon it-affuring your"felf I will never fall into the like againe. And " thus with my humble dutie I take my leave. "The most woefull

"JOHN WILLIAMS."