*

came into England with the Conqueror. But his making a fong the night before the engagement (and it was one of the prettiest that ever was made) carries with it fo fedate a presence of mind, and fuch an unusual gallantry, that it deferves as much to be recorded, as Alexander's jefting with his foldiers, before he paffed the Granicus; or William the First of Orange, giving order over night for a battle, and defiring to be called in the morning, left he should 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 embaffies of compliment: as if the king defigned to fhew the French (who would be thought the politeft nation), that one of the finest gentlemen in Europe was his fubject; and that we had a prince who understood his worth so well,

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

as

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

The fucceeding reign neither relished 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 fomething 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 enterprise 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 encreased to extremity; and juft apprehenfions arofe for the safety of the princess, our present glorious queen: then the Earl of Dorfer was thought the propereft guide of her neceffary flight, and the perfon under whofe courage and direction the nation might moft fafely truft a charge fo precious and important.

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

in

in the councils of thofe princes, a great share 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 same staff.

The last 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 conftituted one of the regents of the kingdom, during his majesty's absence. But his health, about that time, fenfibly declining; and the public affairs not threatned by any imminent danger; he left the bufinefs to thofe who delighted more in the ftate of it; and appeared only fometimes at council, to fhew his refpect to the commiffion: giving as much leifure as he could to the relief of thofe pains, with which it pleafed God to afflict him; 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

and

Upon the whole, it may very juftly be faid of this great man, with regard to the public, that through the course 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 fmooth; but vigilant and ready to resume the helm, when the storm arose, 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 faid, 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 Rochester said 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 fubject to paffion; but the short guft was foon over, and ferved 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 lafted, 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 sharp 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 these, an ill-judged and never-ceafing civility: or lastly, by the two things which were his utter averfion; the infi

nuation.