came into England with the Conqueror. But his making à fong* the night before the engagement (and it was one of the prettieft that ever was made) carries with it fo fedate a presence of mind, and such an unusual gallantry, that it deserves as much to be recorded, as Alexander's jefting with his foldiers, before he paffed the Granicus; or William the Firft of Orange, giving order over night for a battle, and defiring to be called in the morning, left he fhould happen to fleep too long.

From hence, during the remaining part of King Charles's reign, he continued to live in honourable leifure. He was of the bed-chamber to the king, and poffeffed not only his master's favour, but (in a great degree) his familiarity; never leaving the court, but when he was fent to that of France, on fome fhort commiffions and embassies of compliment: as if the king de figned to fhew the French (who would be thought the politest nation), that one of the finest gentlemen in Europe was his fubject; and that we had a prince who understood his worth fo well,'

See fong beginning, "To all you ladies now at land,” is printed in the val. of the works of the Minor Poets.

as

as not to fuffer him to be long out of his prefence.

The fucceeding reign neither relifhed my Lord's wit, nor approved his maxims: fo he retired altogether from court. But as the irretrievable mistakes of that unhappy government went on to threaten the nation with something more terrible than a Dutch war he thought it became him to refume the courage of his youth, and once more to engage himself in defending the liberty of his country. He entered into the prince of Orange's intereft; and carried on his part of that great enterprife here in London, and under the eye of the court; with the fame refolution, as his friend and fellow-patriot, the late Duke of Devonshire did in open arms at Nottingham, till the dangers of those times encreafed to extremity; and just apprehensions arofe for the fafety of the princess, our present glorious queen: then the Earl of Dorset was thought the propereft guide of her neceffary flight, and the person under whose courage and direction the nation might most safely trust a charge fo precious and important.

After the establishment of their late majesties the throne, there was room again at court for men of my Lord's character. He had a part

upon

in

in the councils of thofe princes, a great fhare in their friendship; and all the marks of diftinction, with which a good government could reward a patriot. He was made chamberlain of their majefties houfhold; a place which he fo eminently adorned by the grace of his perfon, and the fineness of his breeding, and the knowledge and practice of what was decent and magnificent; that he could only be rivalled in these qualifications by one great man, who has fince held the fame staff.

The laft honours he received from his fovereign (and indeed they were the greatest which a fubject could receive), were, that he was made knight of the garter, and constituted one of the regents of the kingdom, during his majesty's abfence. But his health, about that time, fenfibly declining; and the public affairs not threatned by any imminent danger; he left the business to those who delighted more in the state of it; and appeared only fometimes at council, to shew his respect to the commiffion: giving as much leifure as he could to the relief of those pains, with which it pleased God to afflict him ; and indulging the reflections of a mind, that had looked through the world with too piercing an eye, and was grown weary of the prospect.

Upon

Upon the whole, it may very juftly be faid of this great man, with regard to the public, that through the courfe of his life, he acted like an able pilot in a long voyage; contented to fit quiet in the cabin, when the winds were allayed, and the waters smooth; but vigilant and ready to refume the helm, when the form arofe, and the fea grew tumultuous.

I ask your pardon, my Lord, if I look yet a little more nearly into the late Lord Dorfet's character if I examine it not without fome intention of finding fault; and (which is an odd way of making a panegyric) fet his blemishes and imperfections in open view.

:

The fire of his youth carried him to fome exceffes but they were accompanied with a moft lively invention, and true humour. The little violences and easy mistakes of a night too gaily fpent, (and that too in the beginning of life) were always fet right the next day, with great humanity, and ample retribution. His faults brought their excufe with them, and his very failings had their beauties. So much sweetness accompanied what he said, and fo great generofity what he did; that people were always prepoffeffed in his favour and it was in fact true, what, the late Earl of Rochefter faid in jeft to

King Charles; that he did not know how it was, but my Lord Dorfet might do any thing, yet was never to blame,

He was naturally very subject to paffion; but the fhart guft was foon over, and served only to fet off the charms of his temper, when more compofed. That very paffion broke out with a force of wit, which made even anger agreeable: while it lasted, he faid and forgot a thousand things, which other men would have been glad to have studied and wrote: but the impetuofity was corrected upon a moment's reflection; and the measure altered with fuch grace and delicacy, that you could fcarce perceive where the key was changed.

He was very fharp in his reflections; but never in the wrong place. His darts were fure to wound; but they were fure too to hit none, but those whose follies gave him very fair aim. And when he allowed no quarter; he had certainly been provoked by more than common error: by men's tedious and circumftantial recitals of their affairs; or by their multiplied questions about his own; by extreme ignorance and impertinence; or the mixture of thefe, an ill-judged and never-ceasing civility or laftly, by the two things which were his utter averfion; the infi

nuatior.