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THE LIFE OF

Anthony A. Cooper.

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NTHONY ASHLEY COOPER, earl of Shaftsbury, a moft able perfon and great politician, was fon of Sir John Cooper," of Rockborn, in the county of Southampton, bart. by Anne, daughter and fole heirefs of Sir Anthony Ashley, of Winborne St. Giles, in the county of Dorset, bart. where he was born, upon the twenty-second of July, 1621.

Being a boy of uncommon parts, he was fent to Oxford at the age of fifteen, and became a fellow commoner of Exeter college, under the tuition of the famous Dr. John Prideaux, who was then rector of it. He is faid to have ftudied hard there for about two years, and then removed to Lincoln's-inn, where he applied himfelf, with great vigour, to the ftudy of the law, and efpecially that part of it which gave him a perfect infight into the conftitution of this kingdom.

In the nineteenth year of his age, he was elected for Tewksbury, in Gloucefterfhire, in that parliament which met at Westminster on the thirteenth of April, 1640, but was foon' diffolved. DUA BAR

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He seems to have been well affected to the king's fervice at the beginning of the civil-war, for he repaired to the king at Oxford, offered his affiftance, and projected a fcheme, not for fubduing or conquering his country, but for reducing fuch as had either deferted or mistaken their duty, to his majefty's obedience.

Being at Oxford in the beginning of the civil-war, for he was on that fide fo long as he had any hopes to ferve his country there, he was brought to king Charles I. by the lord Falkland, his friend, then fecretary of ftate, and prefented to him, as having fomething to offer to his majesty worthy confideration. At this audience he told the king, that he could put an end to the war, if his majefty pleafed and would affift him in it. The king anfwered, That he was a very young man for fo great an undertaking. "Sire," replied he, "that will not be the worfe for fairs, provided I do the business." Whereupon the king fhewing a willingness to hear him, he difcourfed to him to this purpose:

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"The gentlemen, and men of eftates, who. firft engaged in this war, feeing now, after a year or two, that it seems to be no nearer an end than it was at first, and beginning to be weary of it, I am very well fatisfied, would be glad to be in quiet an home again, if they could be affured of redrefs of their grievances, and have their rights and liberties fecured to

them.

them. This, I am fatisfied, is the prefent temper generally throughout England, and particularly in thofe parts where my eftate and concerns lie. If therefore your majefty will impower me to treat with the parliament garrifons, to grant them a full and general par-don, with an affurance that a general amnesty, arms being laid down on both fides, fhould. reinftate all things in the fame posture they were before the war, and then a free parliament should do what more remained to be done for the fettlement of the nation."

He added farther, That he would begin and try the experiment in his own country, and doubted not but the good fuccefs he should have there, would open him the gates of other adjoining garrifons, by bringing them the news of peace and fecurity in laying down their

arms.

Being furnished with full power, according to his defire, away he goes to Dorsetshire,. where he managed a treaty with the garrifons of Pool, Weymouth, Dorchefter, and others; and was so fuccessful in it, that one of them was actually put into his hands, as the others. were to have been in a few days but prince Maurice, who commanded fome of the king's forces, being with his army then in those parts, no fooner heard that the town was furrendered, but he prefently marched into it, and gave the pillage of it to the foldiers.

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This Sir Anthony faw with the utmost difpleasure, and could not forbear his resentments Dar 30

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to the prince, fo that there paffed fome pretty hot words between them; but the violence was committed, and thereby his defign broken. All that he could do, was, that he fent to the other garrisons he was in treaty with, to stand upon their guard, for that he could not fecure his articles to them: and fo this design proved abortive, and died in filence.

Sir Anthony was afterwards invited to Oxford by a letter from his majefty; but perceiving that he was not confided in, that his behaviour was difliked, and his person in danger, he retired into the parliament quarters, and foon after went up to London, where he was well received by that party, to which he gave himself up body and foul. He ac cepted a commiffion from the parliament, and railing forces,, took Wareham by ftorm, in October, 1644; and foon after reduced all the adjacent parts of Dorfethine.

Towards the end of the year 1645, he was chofen fheriff of Norfolk, and approved by the parliament. The next year he was sheriff of Wiltshire. In 1651, he was of the com mittee of twenty, appointed to confider of ways and means for reforming the law. He was alfo one of the members of that convention that met after general Cromwell had turned out the long parliament.

He was again member of parliament in 1654, and one of the principal perfons who figned that famous proteftation, charging the protector with tyranny and arbitrary govern

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ment; and he always oppofed the illegal measure of that arbitrary ufurper to the utmost.

When the protector Richard was depofed, and the Rump came again into power, they nominated Sir Anthony one of their council of state, and a commiffioner for managing the army. He was at that very time engaged in a fecret correfpondence with the friends of king Charles II. and was greatly inftrumental in promoting his reftoration; which brought him into peril of his life with the powers then

in being.

The wifeft of kings tells us, That, in the multitude of councellors there is frength: and how much it is the intereft of princes to advance men of the highest qualifications into fuch truft, the experience of all ages teftifieth. The affairs of the public receive their exaltation, or their detriment, from their advices; and, according to the qualifications and inclinations of thofe great minifters, may be calculated the fate of kingdoms. This hath obliged monarchs to take to their councils. men of the largest profpect, 'the greatest eloquence, and steadieft principle to the intereft of the government; perfons knowing in the laws and conftitutions of the kingdom whereof they are members, that efpoufe the intereft of their country with an inviolable refolution of adhereing to it, with the hazard of their deareft lives and liberties; fuch as prefer the concern of the public above their own private D 4 fatif

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