A Character of King Charles the Second

ification, &c. This would make one conclude, that his Thoughts would naturally h

s Business, I see no Reason why he might not have been a good deal Master of it. His Chain of Memory was longer than his Chain of Thought; the firs

omething to say, and will be discharging itself, whether in or out of Season, if a good Judgment doth not go along with it, to make it stop and turn. One might say of his

lth, of which he took as much care as could possibly consist with some Liberties he was resolved to indulge in himself. He w

nst the King; and in the Distinction, he leaned more to his natural Self; than his Character would allow. He would not suffer himself to be so much fettered by his Character

re a Defalcation, help a lame Accountant to get off, or side with the Farmers against the Improvement

there were those at Court who watched those Times, as the Spaniards do for the coming in of the Plate Fleet. The Beggars of both Sexes helped to empty his Cabinet, and to leave room in them for a new lading upon the next Oc

rich; and his spending was rather an Easiness in letting Money go, than any premeditated Thought for the Distrib

Eagerness to oblige, as he had to hurt Men; the Motive of his giving Bounties was rather to make Men less uneasy to him, than more easy to themselves; and yet no ill-nature all this while. He would slide from an asking Face, and could guess very well. It was throwing a Man off from his Shoulders, that leaned upon them with his wh

uality, or else a Philosopher in his private Capacity might say a great deal to justify it. The truth is, a King is to be such a distinct Creature from a Man, that their Thoughts are to be put in quite a differing Shape, and it is

ecially in the case of a Prince. Ease is seldom got without some pains, but it is yet seldomer kept without them. He th

on it that can never be quenched by golden Showers. It is not only still ready, but greedy to receive more. This King Charles found in as many Instances as any Prince that ever reigned, because the Easiness of Access introducing the good Success of their first Request, they were the more encouraged to r

bought. It must be born with Men, or else all the Obligations in the World will not create it. An outward Shew may be made to sa

fects that seldom fail to be most fatal. The immoderate Love of Ease maketh a Man's Mind pay a passi

ess to do a harsh one; but if a hard thing was done to another Man, he did not eat his Supper the worse for it. It was rather a Dead

of his Subjects make Severity so necessary, that by the frequent Occasions given to use it, it comes to be habitual, an

tues, as Affability, Easiness of Living, Inclinations to give, and to fo

ravation to study that, with as little Intermission as any Man in the World. He understood it very well, only in this he failed, that he thought it was more reconcilable wit

had in this Method, whilst he had Youth and Vigour to support him in it, encouraged him to continue it longer than Nature allowed. Age stealeth so insensibly upon us, that we do not think of suiting our way of Reasoning to the