IO

HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

CHAT

LII.

1630 .

laud.

king was unshaken; but as he how employed allhis counsels to support the prerogative, whichhe had formerly bent all his endeavours to di-minish , his virtue seems not to have been entirelypure, but to have been susceptible of strong im-pressions from private interest and ambition. SirDudley Digges was about the fame time createdmaster of the rolls : Noy , attorney - general :Littleton, solicitor general. All these had likewisebeen parliamentary leaders ; and were men eminentin their profession 7 .

In all ecclesiastical affairs, and even in manycivil, Laud, bishop of London, had great in-fluence over the king. This man was virtuous,if severity of manners alone and abstinence frompleasure , could deserve that name. He waslearned, if polemical knowledge could entitle himto that praise. He was disinterested, but withunceasing industry he studied to exalt the priestlyand prelatical character, which was his own.

His zeal was unrelenting in the cause of religion; |

that is, in imposing, by rigorous measures, hisown tenets and pious ceremonies on the obstinatepuritans, who had profanely dared to opposehim. In prosecution of his holy purposes, heoverlooked every human consideration; or, inother words, the heat and indiscretion of histemper made him neglect the views of prudenceand rules of good manners.' He was in this respecthappy , that all his enemies were also imagined j

Whitlocke, p. 13. May, p. 2a.

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