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sent out against the Dutch Eaft-India fleet, and was in the ship called the Revenge, commanded by Sir Thomas Tiddiman, when the attack was made on the port of Bergen, in Norway, the Dutch fhips having got into that port.

"It was," fays Burnet," as desperate an attempt as ever was made; and, during the whole action, the earl of Rochefter fhewed as brave and refolute a courage as poffible. A perfon of honour told me he heard the lord Clifford, who was in the fame fhip, often magnify his courage at that time very highly; nor did the rigour of the feafon, the hardness of the voyage, and the extreme danger he had been in, deter him from running the like the very next occafion; for the fummer following he went to fea again, without communicating his defign to his nearest relations. He went aboard the ship commanded by Sir Edward Spragge, the day before the great fea-fight of that year; in which almost all the volunteers that went in that fhip were killed. During the action, Sir Edward Spragge, not being fatisfied with the behaviour of one of the captains, could not eafily find a perfon that would undertake to venture through fo much danger to carry his command to the captain, this lord offered himfelf to the fervice, and went in a little boat, through all the shot, and delivered his message, and returned back to Sir Edward; which was much commended by all who faw it.”

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Thefe are the early inftances of courage which can be produced in favour of lord Rochefter, which was afterwards impeached, and very justly; for, in many private broils, he difcovered a timid, pufilanimous fpirit, very unfuitable to those noble instances of the contrary which have just been mentioned.

The author of his life, prefixed to his works, which goes under the name of M. St. Evremond, addreffed to the duchefs of Mazarine, but which M. Maizeau afferts not to be his, accounts for it, upon the general obfervation of that disparity between a man and himself, upon different occafions. "Let it fuffice," fays he, "to obferve, that we differ not from one another more than we da from ourfelves at different times." But we imagine another, and a ftronger, reafon may be given, for the cowardice which Rochefter afterwards difcovered in private broils, particularly in the affair between him and the earl of Mulgrave, in which he behaved very meanly. The courage which lord Rochefter fhewed in a naval engagement, was in the early part of his life, before he had been immerfed into thofe labyrinths of excefs and luxury into which he afterwards funk.

It is certainly a true obfervation that guilt makes cowards; a man who is continually fubjected to the reproaches of confcience, who is afraid to examine his heart left it should appear too horrible, cannot have much courage; for, while he is conscious of fo many errors to

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be repented of, of fo many vices he has committed, he naturally starts at danger, and flies from it as his greatest enemy. It is true courage is fometimes conftitutional; and there have been inftances of men, guilty of every enormity, who have difcovered a large share of it: but these have been wretches who have overcome all fenfe of honour, been loft to every confideration of virtue, and whose courage is like that of the lion of the defart, a kind of ferocious impulfe unconnected with reafon. Lord Rochefter had certainly never overcome the reproaches of his confcience, whofe alarming voice at laft ftruck terror into his heart, and chilled the fire of the fpirits.

Since his travels and naval expeditions, he feemed to have contracted a habit of temperance; in which had he been fo happy as to perfevere, he must have escaped that fatal rock, on which he afterwards fplit, upon his return to court, where love and pleasure kept their perpetual rounds, under the fmiles of a prince whom nature had fitted for all the enjoyments of the most luxurious defires. In times fo diffolute as thefe, it is no wonder if a man of so warm a constitution as Rochester could not refift the too flattering temptations, which were heightened by the participation of the court in general.

The uncommon charms of Rochester's converfation, induced all men to court him as a H 6

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Thefe are the early inftances of courage which can be produced in favour of lord Rochefter, which was afterwards impeached, and very justly; for, in many private broils, he difcovered a timid, pufilanimous fpirit, very unfuitable to those noble instances of the contrary which have just been mentioned.

The author of his life, prefixed to his works, which goes under the name of M. St. Evremond, addreffed to the duchefs of Mazarine, but which M. Maizeau afferts not to be his, accounts for it, upon the general observation of that disparity between a man and himself, upon different occafions. "Let it fuffice," fays he, "to obferve, that we differ not from one another more than we da from ourfelves at different times." But we imagine another, and a ftronger, reafon may be given, for the cowardice which Rochefter afterwards difcovered in private broils, particularly in the affair between him and the earl of Mulgrave, in which he behaved very meanly. The courage which lord Rochefter fhewed in a naval engagement, was in the early part of his life, before he had been immerfed into thofe labyrinths of excefs and luxury into which he afterwards funk.

It is certainly a true obfervation that guilt makes cowards; a man who is continually fubjected to the reproaches of confcience, who is afraid to examine his heart left it fhould appear too horrible, cannot have much courage ; for, while he is conscious of fo many errors to

be

be repented of, of fo many vices he has committed, he naturally ftarts at danger, and flies from it as his greatest enemy. It is true courage is fometimes conftitutional; and there have been inftances of men, guilty of every enormity, who have difcovered a large share of it: but these have been wretches who have overcome all fenfe of honour, been loft to every confideration of virtue, and whose courage is like that of the lion of the defart, a kind of ferocious impulfe unconnected with reafon. Lord Rochefter had certainly never overcome the reproaches of his confcience, whofe alarming voice at laft ftruck terror into his heart, and chilled the fire of the Spirits.

Since his travels and naval expeditions, he feemed to have contracted a habit of temperance; in which had he been fo happy as to perfevere, he must have escaped that fatal rock, on which he afterwards fplit, upon his return to court, where love and pleasure kept their perpetual rounds, under the fmiles of a prince whom nature had fitted for all the enjoyments of the most luxurious defires. In times fo diffolute as thefe, it is no wonder if a man of fo warm a conftitution as Rochester could not refift the too flattering temptations, which were heightened by the participation of the court in general.

The uncommon charms of Rochester's converfation, induced all men to court him as a H 6

com

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