valour; and was one, if not the firft of the Peers that repaired to King Charles I. at York, when the feditious, infolent and rebellious Londoners had drove his Majefty from Whitehall; and though he did not usually follow the court or defign to advance his honour or family by a complimental and obfequious attendance of that kind; yet when he faw his Majefty's affairs required his affiftance, he thought himself obliged both by his religion and allegiance to affift him to the. utmost of his power, with his life and fortune; and accordingly made a tender of both.

He obferved the minifters of state about his Majefty looking coolly upon him, as perhaps being either too great or too popular, in their opinion, to be much favoured or employed in that critical juncture; yet his Lordship prudently concealed his fenfe thereof, and with the plainnefs and integrity of his loyal mind, offered himself ready to obferve his Majefty's commands upon all occafions.

And in his own words tell us, that in the beginning of that war in 1643, he thought himself happy to have the general applaufe of his neighbouring gentlemen and yeomen, as they would choofe to follow him as they had done his ancestors; but whether this was more to continue a custom, or the love of his name or perfon, was hard to fay.

But this he knew, that he had raised three thousand good men who went with him out of Lancashire, to attend and ferve his Majefty, and that he was extremely grieved to fee the King in fo bad a condition, which made him fpare neither pains, coft nor hazard, to affift him in fo juft a quarrel; he lent the King all

Iris arms, and his Majefty gave him his warrant to receive as many from Newcastle.

But fomebody was in the fault, his Majefty's warrant not being obeyed, nor he fupplied with arms and ammunition as was expected his Majefty alfo allowed and ordered him a fufficient fum of money for his fervice; but fome of his fervants about him thought fit to keep it for other uses, "I fhall not," fays he, "enter into particulars, but only fay, that this might fhew the King my good intention in the discharge of a good confcience, and the prefervation of my honour, in fpite of envy and malice."

The first confiderable debate wherein he eminently fhewed himself, was concerning the moft convenient place for fetting up the King's standard, York, Chester, Nottingham, Shrewsbury, and Oxford, being in propofition, his Lordfhip having heard the feveral reafons and opinions offered, and well weighed and confidered the arguments for their fupport; at laft, with a calm and quiet humility, interpofed to the following effect: That with humble fubmiffion to his Majefty and his council, he conceived Lancashire to be a convenient place to erect his Majefty's Standard in, and raise a confiderable army; urging that it lay as the centre of the northen counties, to which the loyal parties of Yorkshire, Cumberland, Westmoreland, Cheshire, Shrop Shire, North Wales, and Nottinghamshire, might have ready and easy access; that he apprehended the inhabitants of that country both gentry and commons (at leaft for the greatest part) well inclined to his Majesty's juft caufe; that the people are ufually very hardy, and make good foldiers, and that he himself (though the unworthieft

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unworthieft of his Lieutenants) would to the utmost of his eftate, contribute to his fervice; and that he durft promise three thousand foot, and five hundred horse, to be furnished out at his own charge; that he made no doubt but in three days to enlift 7000 men more under his Majesty's pay, and to make up an army of 10,000 men in Lancashire, to which the acceffes from other counties might in a fhort time arife to a confiderable army; and that he hoped his Majefty would be able to march to London walls, before the rebels could there form an army to oppose him.

These things thus proposed, his Majesty and council took time to confider and refolve what to do on that momentous affair: and few days after it was concluded, with much diffatisfaction to the party that favoured not his Lordship, that the standard should be fet up at Warrington, in Lancashire, where his Majefty's army might have the convenience of both Lancashire and Chefhire, for the quartering of both horse and foot.

His Lordship upon this refolve was dispatched into Lancashire, to prepare for his Majefty's reception, and to difpofe the country to be ready for his fervice; immediately on his return into Lancashire, he muftered the county in three places, on the heaths by Bury, by Ormskirk, and by Prefton, where at least twenty thoufand men appeared to him in each field, moft whereof were well armed with pike, mufket, or other weapons, his Lordship intending to have done the fame in Chehire, and North Wales, where he was Lieutenant, but thefe things, which by his Lordship were really intended for his Majefty's fervice, were by the envy, jealoufy, or prejudiceof fome at court, infinuated to ferve

other

other purposes, fuggefting that the Earl was a popular man; that he was no favourer of the court, but rather a malcontent, that those noised mufters which he had made where pre-indications of his ambitious defigns; that it was dangerous trufting him with great power in his hands, who too well knew his near alliance to the crown; that his ancestor the Lord Stanley, though he appeared with Richard III. and gave his fon George, Lord Strange, a pledge of his loyalty, yet turned the battle against him, and put the crown npon the head of Henry VII, That his uncle Ferdinand had likewise boldly declared his pretenfions to the crown, that his Lady was a Hugonot, bred up in the religion and principles of the Dutch, and that for these and other good reasons it was not safe for his Majefty to put himself two far into his hands, or truft him with too great a power. These invidious and injurious infinuations, notwithstanding the King's good inclinations towards him, fo far prevailed and puzzled his council, that they perfuaded the eafy good-natured King to change his refolution and to fet up the royal ftandard at Nottingham, to diveft the Earl of Derby of the Lieutenancy of Chefhire and Wales, and to join the Lord Rivers, newly made an Earl, in commiffion with him in Lancashire. This fudden and unexpected turn in his Majefty's councils being fignified to his Lordfhip from York, though at prefent it gave him fome trouble and anxiety of mind, yet agreeable to his great temper, he quickly recovered himself, and with great equanimity spoke to his effect, "Let my mafter be happy though I be miserable; and if they confult well for him I fhall not be much concerned what be

comes

comes of me. My wife, my family, and country are very dear unto me, but if my prince and religion be fafe, I fhall blefs even my enemies who do well for them though in my ruin." Then with the advice of his friends, whofe council he always used in cafes of difficulty, he dispatched a gentleman to York with letters to the King, fignifying that he had read the exprefs of his Sovereign's good pleafure, as he ought to do with fubmiffion and due obedience, that though his enemies would not give him leave to ferve his Sovereign, they should never fo far provoke him as to defert him; that if he might not according to his birth and quality be permitted to fight for him, he would never draw his fword against him; that he did fubmiffively refign the Lieutenancies of Cheshire and North Wales to his Majefty's difpofal, but befought him to take away that of Lancashire alfo, rather than fubject him to the reproach and fufpicion of a partner in that government.

These letters being received and perufed by the King and council, had only this effect, that Lord Rivers was removed, and the Earl left in the fingle command of Lancashire. But the unkind impolitic ufage of this noble Lord (though by him fuffered with great resolution) was by the country, who had the greatest veneration for his family, highly refented, and proved of the greatest prejudice to the King's affairs, many gentlemen in the north, who were formerly well inclined to the King's caufe, feeing the contempt and ill ufage of the Earl of erby, either fat ftill, or revolted to the Parliament with all their dependencies, fufpecting, as indeed it fell out, that

the