means he ran into a
vast expence, and stuck at nothing that was necessary to support it.
In his long imprisonment he had great impressions of religion on his
mind: But he wore these out so entirely, that scarce any trace of them
was left. His great experience in affairs, his ready compliance
with every thing that he thought would please the King, and his bold
offering at the most desperate counsels, gained him such an interest
in the King, that no attempt against him nor complaint of him could
ever shake it, till a decay of strength and understanding forced him
to let go his hold. He was in his principles much against Popery
and arbitrary government: And yet by a fatal train of passions and
interests he made way for the former, and had almost established
the latter. And, whereas some by a smooth deportment made the first
beginnings of tyranny less discernible and unacceptable, he by the
fury of his behaviour heightned the severity of his ministry, which
was liker the cruelty of an inquisition than the legality of justice.
With all this he was a Presbyterian, and retained his aversion to King
_Charles_ I. and his party to his death.

68.

THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY.

_Anthony Ashley Cooper, created Earl of Shaftesbury 1662._

_Born 1621. Died 1683._

By BURNET.

The man that was in the greatest credit with the Earl of _Southampton_
was Sir _Anthony Ashly Cooper_, who had married his niece, and
became afterwards so considerable that he was raised to be Earl of
_Shaftsbury_. And since he came to have so great a name, and that I
knew him for many years in a very particular manner, I will dwell a
little longer on his character; for it was of a very extraordinary
composition. He began to make a considerable figure very early. Before
he was twenty he came into the House of Commons, and was on the King's
side; and undertook to get _Wiltshire_ and _Dorsetshire_ to declare
for him: But he was not able to effect it. Yet Prince _Maurice_
breaking articles to a town, that he had got to receive him,
furnished him with an excuse to forsake that side, and to turn to
the Parliament. He had a wonderful faculty in speaking to a popular
assembly, and could mix both the facetious and the serious way of
arguing very agreeably. He had a particular talent to make others
trust to his judgment, and depend on it: And he brought over so many
to a submission to his opinion, that I never knew any man equal to
him in the art of governi