34 THE WENTWORTH PAPERS.
I am several looo/. the worse in my own fortune by my embassy."
An anonymous defender of Lord Strafford thus writes of him at the time of his impeachment : —
" In his youth I find him strugghng with many difficulties, being under age and without a guardian at the time of his father's death, who dropping off very suddenly left his affairs in so perplext and confused a manner, that without serious application and very prudent conduct, it would have been utterly impossible for him to have disengaged himself. To which might be added his being capriciously, not to say unjustly, disinherited of a great estate, yet his industry in serving his family at home, and his gallant behaviour in serving his country abroad, broke through these obstacles, and together with his marriage have made him very easy in his fortune — without the least imputation of corruption or any indirect practice. How far his Lordship's education in Courts and the army, has allowed him to improve by books I know not, but those great affairs which he has undertaken, and successfully accomplished prove him to be blessed with very wonderful endowments of nature, and to have as clear, and withal as extensive a knowledge of business as any one this age can boast of But what I think should confirm him in the good opinion of all true Englishmen, and for ever silence all unreasonable scandals are those many marks of favour by that most nice discerner of merit, King William, and if the late King of Prussia had not been thoroughly sensible of his Lordship's great abilities and firm integrity it is hardly credible that he would have left (as he in a manner did) all his affairs to be modelled by his Lordship's more dis- cerning judgment.
" The late Electress of Hanover, mother to his present ma- jesty, had a most particular affection for him, which is sufficiently known by all that ever heard her speak ot him, .... and it is certain that before vehemence, ungrounded jealousy, and the prejudice of party incited some men, whose
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