or the truth is my Lord, is a person whose humour is neither extravagantly
merry nor unnecessarily sad; his mind is above his fortune, as his generosity
is above his purse, his courage above danger, his justice above bribes,
his friendship above self-interest, his truth too firm for falsehood, his
temperance beyond temptation.
His conversation is pleasing and affable, his wit is quick and his judgment
strong, distinguishing clearly without clouds of mistakes, dissecting truths
so as they justly admit not of disputes: his discourse is always new upon
the occasion without troubling the hearers with old historical relations,
nor stuffed with useless sentences.
His behaviour is manly without formality and free without constraint: and
his mind hath the same freedom. His nature is noble, and his disposition
sweet. His loyalty is proved by is public service for his King and Country,
by his often hazarding of his life, by the loss of his estate and the banishment
of his person, by his necessitated condition and his constant and patient
suffering.
But howsoever our fortunes are we are both content, spending our time harmlessly;
for my Lord pleaseth himself with the management of some few horses and
exercises himself with the use of the sword; which two arts he hath brought
by his studious thoughts, rational experience and industrious practice to
an absolute perfection. And though he hath taken as much pains in those
arts both by the study and practice as chemists for the philosopher's stone,
yet he hath this advantage of them, that he hath found the right and truth
thereof and therein; which chemists never found in that pursuit and never
will.
He also recreates himself with his pen, writing what his wit dictates to
him. But I pass my time rather with scribbling than writing, with words
than wit. Not that I speak much because I am addicted to contemplation unless
I am with my Lord, yet then I rather attentively listen to what he says
than impertinently speak.