^{page 249 note [a]} In a rare tract, entitled, “A Discourse of the most illustrious Prince Henry, late Prince of Wales,” written anno 1626, by Sir Charles Cornwallis, knight, sometimes Treasurer of his Highnesse House, printed in 1641, are the following traits of that prince's character, which may serve to illustrate these Orders. They are taken from a Copy in the possession of the Rev. John Brand, Sec. A. S.

“In the government of his houshold in yeares so very young, hee gave examples imitabie to all other princes.

“His family was ample, as that which consisted of few lesse then five hundred, many of them young gentlemen, borne to great fortunes, in the prime of their year when their passions and appetites were most strong, and their powers and experiences to temper and subject them to reason most weake, his judgement, his grave and princely aspect, gave temper to them all, his very eye served for a commandement, and more and better service have I noted to be done by the very lookes of him, then by sharpe reprehensions of some other princes: If any questions or quarrells were moved amongst his servants, he would give a stoppe and stay to them, at the very beginning by referring them to some such of his principall officers, as hee thought to bee most scient in matters of that nature, and best did know to give just compensation to the injured, and reproofe to them that should be found to have offered the wrong; so as in so numerous a family there was not so much as any blows given, or any countenance of quarrell or debate betweene any.

“Plenty and magnificence were the things that in his house he especially affected, but not without such a temper as might agree with the rules of frugality and moderation; he caused to bee set downe in writing unto him the several heads of al his annuall charges, the ordinary expence of his house.and his stables,. the charge of his apparrell and wardrobe, his rewards and all such other thinges, as yearly were to bee issued out of his cossers, and comparing them with his annuall revenue, did so judiciously fashion and proportion them by shortning what he found superfluous, and encreasing what was wanting and too short in any of them, as hee reduced them to a certainty, and such as his revenues would well defray, besides a yearly spare of some thousands of pounds which hee reserved for a store or treasure to be ready for all events and occasions accidentall.

“By giving of which so good and solid foundation and order unto his slate, see delivered himself from all necessity of becomming rigid or strait to his tenants, either by any unmeasurable improving their farmes or their sines, or seeking or taking advantage of any their forfeitures, and became also unnecessited to take the benefit that both law and right afforded unto him, of such as had in time of former princes purchased lands appertaining to his dutchy of Cornewall, which could not by law be alienated from the same, to whom out of his princely bounty and gracious compassion, upon resuming of them, hee gave some reasonable satisfaction.

“The banquets and feasts that any time he made, his desire was, should be magnificent and agreeing with his princely dignity, yet not without an especiall eye and care had that nothing should bee spent in disorder, or the charge made greater through the want of providence, or well managing by his officers; in those hee ever affected the demonstration of a princely greatnesse, and that all things should passe with decency and decorum, and without all rudenesse, noise or disorder.

“In any thing either committed or permitted unto him by the King his father, concerning the state and defence of the kingdome, exceeding willing, sedulous and carefull hee ever shewed himselfe, to performe all offices and duties understandingly, and with much circumspection.

“He was once sent by his Majesty to take view of the navy at Chatham, whither myselfe waited upon him and observed how great his desire was not onely to see with his owne eyes every particular ship, but to inable himselfe by conference and consultation with the best experienced of his Majesty's officers of the navy, in the fashion and fabricature of the ships, to understand their strengths and the forme of their sailing, to take knowledge of such as were then persited and fitted for present service, and which defective, and in what several parts, to the end there might instantly be order given for the repairing of them; he also very perticularly enformed himselfe of their several equipages and furnitures, went in person to take an exact view of them, and of his Majesties store for that purpose, and would not bee satisfied without understanding the speciall uses of every of those things, and of all other that tended to make them serviceable and usefull, what further in yeares more ripe was in navall affaires, wherein consisted the principall strength, honour and advantage of this kingdome, to be expected of him, may easily be discerned by his will, his diligence, his understanding and princely courage, shewed upon occasion of discourse, delivered unto him by a servant of his own, concerning a navall warre with Spaine, whensoever that king shall give cause of a publicke hostility.

“To publish particulars agrees not with the rules of state, but two especiall thinges being propounded, which were the preparation of a navy, consisting of a certaine number of ships to bee sent into the West Indies, and another to attend the coasts of Spaine to prohibit all entry or issue of ships either into or out of the same.

“Admirable it was in one of yeares so young, to heare what interrogations he used of every particularity of that designe, of the seisibleniesse and of the difficulties of every branch of it, how he insisted upon every doubt, until by the best experienced and practised both in sea services and in navigation, with reasons and demonstrations he became fully satisfied, and that done, how narrowly and neerly he searched into every knot, both of the honour and utility, and of the danger and charge that an attempt of that nature would draw with it, and ceased not untill he understood every particular of the same, and especially the yeerly charge which that whole expedition would amount unto; which having found so very reasonable, and the hopes so great, and all doubts so well resolved, to shew the valour of his owne heart, hee openly protested to such as were present, that should the King his father bee pleased upon any future occasion to breake with Spaine, himselfe (if so it should agree with his Majesties pleasure) would in person become the executor of that noble attempt for the West Indies.

“He so distributed the day by dividing his houres into the service of God; to the apting himselfe to the office hee was borne unto, both in government civill and military, and to necessary exercises and recreations, as no part of it could bee said to bee in vaine bestowed; to inable his knowledge in government civill, he read histories, the knowledge of things passed conducing much to resolution in things present, and to prevention of those to come.

“In the military, hee added thereunto the mathematicks study of cosmography, and had one that instructed him in the matter and forme of fortisications.

“For practice, hee used in a manner daily to ride and manage great horses, with which hee had his stabes most excellently furnished, oftimes to runne at the ring, and sometimes at tilt, both which he so well and dexterously performed, and with so great a comelinesse, as in those his first yeares, he became second to no prince in Chriftendome, and to many that practised with him much superiour.

“His other exercises were dancing, leaping, and in times of yeare sit for it learning to swimme, at sometimes walking fast and sarre, to accustome and enable himselfe to make a long march when time should require it; but most of all at tennis play, wherein, to speake the truth, which in all things I especially affect, hee neither observed moderation, nor what appertained to his dignity and person, continuing oftimes his play for the space of three or soure houres, and the same in his shirt, rather becomming an artizan then a prince, who in things of that nature are onely to affect comelinesse, or rather a kinde of carelessnesse in shew, to make their activities seeme the more naturall, then a laborious and toiling industry.

“Of this and of his diet, wherein he shewed too much inclination to excessive eating of fruits, he was as in al other things content to heare advice, but in these two particulars not to follow it.

“In other play or gaming, he shewed himselfe not much inclined, yet would sometimes play at Obesse at Biliors and at Cards, but so very nobly and like himselfe, as plainly shewed his use of it to be onely for recreation, not for appetite of gaine; for whether he wonne or lost, his countenance was ever the same, and for the most part, greater appearance of mirth in him when he was in losse, then when he wonne, thereby plainly demonstrating both his judgement in adventuring no more then what he made no regard of if he lost it: and his princely magnanimity and temper in suffering no passion or alteration to take hold of him through any crossnesse of cards or chance.

“In some young gentlemen whom he affected, he seemed to mislike too much disposition to play, and did not onely disadvise them from it, but gave unto some of them matter of value to become bound to leave the use of it; for pleasure hee tooke them all as it were in passage without semblance, either to desire them, or at least to have a will to dwell in them.”