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HENRICUM PRINCIPEM WALLIE

ELOGIUM FRANCISCI BACONI.1

HENRICUS primogenitus regis magnæ Britanniæ, princeps Walliæ, antea spe beatus, nunc memoria felix, diem suum obiit 6.° Nov. anno 1612. Is magno totius regni luctu et desiderio extinctus est, utpote adolescens, qui animos hominum nec offendisset nec satiasset. Excitaverat autem propter bonam indolem multiplices apud plurimos omnium ordinum spes, nec ob brevitatem vitæ frustraverat. Illud inprimis accessit, quod in causa religionis firmus vulgo habebatur; prudentioribus quoque hoc animo penitus insederat, adversus insidias conjurationum (cui malo ætas nostra vix remedium repperit) patri eum instar præsidii et scuti fuisse; adeo ut et religionis et regis apud populum amor in eum redundaret, et in æstimationem jacturæ merito annumeraretur.

Erat corpore validus et erectus, staturâ mediocri, decorâ membrorum compage, incessu regio, facie oblongâ et in maciem inclinante, habitu plenior, vultu composito, oculorum motu magis sedato quam forti. Inerant quoque et in fronte severitatis signa, et in ore nonnihil fastus. Sed tamen si quis ultra exteriora illa penetraverat, et eum obsequio debito et sermone tempestivo deliniverat, utebatur eo benigno et facili, ut alius longe videretur colloquio quam aspectu; talisque prorsus erat qui faman sui facile excitaret moribus dissimilem. Laudis et gloriæ fuit proculdubio appetens, et ad omnem speciem boni et auram decoris commovebatur; quod adolescenti pro virtutibus est. Nam et arma ei in honore erant ac viri militares; quin et

'Harl. MSS. 1893, fo. 75.

ipse quiddam bellicum spirabat; et magnificentiæ operum (licet pecuniæ alioquin satis parcus) deditus erat; amator insuper antiquitatis et artium; literis quoque plus honoris attribuit quam temporis. In moribus ejus nihil laudandum magis fuit, quam quod in omni genere officiorum probe institutus videbatur et congruus. Filius regi patri mire obsequens, etiam reginam multo cultu demerebat, erga fratrem indulgens; sororem vero unice amabat, quam etiam ore (quantum potuit virilis forma ad eximiam virginalem pulchritudinem collata) referebat. Etiam magistri et educatores pueritiæ ejus (quod raro fieri solet) magna in gratia apud euin manserant; sermone' vero obsequii idem exactor et memor; denique in quotidiano vitæ genere, et assignatione horarum ad singula vitæ munia, magis quam pro ætate constans atque ordinatus. Affectus ei inerant non nimium vehementes, et potius æquales quam magni. Etenim de rebus amatoriis mirum in illa ætate silentium, ut prorsus lubricum illud adolescentiæ suæ tempus in tanta fortuna et valetudine satis prospera absque aliquâ insigni notâ amorum transigeret. Nemo reperiebatur in aulâ ejus apud eum præpotens, aut in animo ejus validus; quin et studia ipsa quibus capiebatur maxime, potius tempora patiebantur quam excessus, et magis repetita erant per vices, quam quod extaret aliquod unum quod reliqua superaret et compesceret; sive ea moderatio fuit, sive in natura non admodum præcoci, sed lente2 maturesente, non cernebantur adhuc quæ prævalitura erant. Ingenio certe pollebat, eratque et curiosus satis et capax; sed sermone tardior et tanquam impeditus; et tamen si quis diligenter observaverat ea quæ ab eo proferebantur, sive quæstionis vim obtinebant sive sententiæ, ad rem omnino erant, et captum non vulgarem arguebant; ut in illa loquendi tarditate et raritate, judicium ejus magis suspensum videretur et anxium, quam infirmum aut hebes. Interim audiendi miris modis patiens, etiam in negotiis quæ in longitudinem porrigebantur, idque cum attentione et sine tædio; ut raro animo peregrinaretur, aut fessa mente aliud ageret, sed ad ea quæ dicebantur aut agebantur animum adverteret atque applicaret; quod magnam ei (si vita suppetiisset) prudentiam spondebat. Certe in illius principis natura plurima erant obscura, neque judicio cujuspiam patefacienda, sed tempore, quod ei præreptum est; attamen

1 sermonem in MS.

2 lentó in MS.

quæ apparebant optima erant, quod famæ satis est. Mortuus est ætatis anno decimo nono, ex febre contumaci, quæ ubique a magnis et (insulanis) fere insolitis siccitatibus ac fervoribus orta, per æstatem populariter grassabatur, sed raro funere; dein sub autumnum erat facta lethalior. Addidit fama, atrocior (ut ille ait) erga dominantium exitus, suspicionem veneni. Sed cum nulla ejus rei extarent indicia, præsertim in ventriculo, quod præcipue a veneno pati solet, is sermo cito evanuit.

MEMORIAL

OF

HENRY PRINCE OF WALES.

HENRY, eldest son of the King of Great Britain, late of blessed hope, now of happy memory, died on the 6th of November, 1612. He died to the great grief and regret of the whole kingdom, as being a youth who had neither offended men's minds nor satiated them. The goodness of his disposition had awakened manifold hopes among numbers of all ranks, nor had he lived long enough to disappoint them. Moreover, as among the people generally he had the reputation of being firm in the cause of religion; so the wiser sort were deeply impressed with the feeling that he had been to his father as a guard and shield against the machinations of conspirators, — a mischief for which our age has hardly found a remedy; so that the love of the people both for religion and for the King overflowed upon him, and was rightly taken into account in estimating his loss.

In body he was strong and erect, of middle height, his limbs gracefully put together, his gait kinglike, his face long and somewhat lean, his habit rather full, his countenance composed, and the motion of his eyes rather sedate than powerful. His forehead bore marks of severity, his mouth had a touch of pride. And yet when one penetrated beyond those outworks, and soothed him with due attention and seasonable discourse, one found him gentle and easy to deal with; so that he seemed quite another man in conversation than his aspect promised; and altogether he was one who might easily get himself a reputation at variance with his manners. Of praise and glory he was doubtless covetous; and was stirred with every show of good

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