THE HARLEIAN MISCELLANY; OR, A COLLECTION OF SCARCE, CURIOUS, AND ENTERTAINING PAMPHLETS AND TRACTS, AS WELL IN MANUSCRIPT AS IN PRINT, FOUND IN THE LATE EARL OF OXFORD'S LIBRARY, INTERSPERSED WITH HISTORICAL, POLITICAL, AND CRITICAL NOTES. VOL. VI. LONDON: PRINTED FOR ROBERT DUTTON, GRACECHURCH-STREET. 1810. THE HARLEIAN MISCELLANY. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THE ILLUSTRIOUS ROBERT, EARL OF ESSEX, &c. Containing, at large, the wars he managed, and the commands he had in Holland, the Palatinate, and in England: together with some wonderful observations of himself, and his predecessors, and many most remarkable passages, from his infancy, unto the day of his death. By Robert Codrington, Master of Arts. London, Printed by F. Leach, for L. Chapman, Anno Dom. 1646. The author, Mr. Codrington, was born of an antient and genteel family in Gloucestershire, elected Demy of Magdalen College in Oxford, the twenty-ninth of July, 1619, about seventeen years old, and took the Master's degree in 1626. After that, he travelled into several foreign lands; and, at his return, lived a gentleman's life, first in Norfolk, where he married; and finished his life at London, by the plague, in the year 1665, having published many pieces of different taste in his life-time, and left several manuscripts prepared for the press. As for the history before us, it is true, that he plainly declares himself a parliamenteer; yet, so far as it goes, it is the least exceptionable, and the most comprehensive, of any writings on the same subject, in those times: for, besides the character of his hero, the Earl of Essex, he gives us the general opinion, and the ground of the first part of the civil war; seems to relate the natural facts without aggravation, and always speaks of the King's majesty with respect, ascribing the ill conduct of his affairs, and bad success, to the wickedness and heat of his counsels; and heartily wishing a good and lasting reconciliation and peace between the King and his parliament. BEFO EFORE we do begin with the discourse of the life and death of this illustrious earl, it will not be impertinent to speak one word of the renowned earl, his father, who, as he rendered himself admirable, by the many great and glorious actions which he performed both by land and sea; so I may call it his master-piece, that he did beget so brave a son, and I may call it his son's master-piece, that he did lively resemble so |