THE LIFE OF EDWARD LORD HERBERT OF CHERBURY. WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.

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THE Earle after this, coming with his brother to Edgcot field as is before set down, after he had put his men in order to fight, found his brother Sir Richard Herbert in the head of his men, leaning upon his poll-ax in a kind of sad or pensive manner, whereupon the Earle said, what doth thy great body (for he was higher by the head than any one in the army) apprehend any thing that thou art so melancholy, or art thou weary with marching, that thou doest lean thus upon thy poll-ax? Sir Richard replyed, that he was neither of both, whereof he should see the proof presently: Only I cannot but apprehend on your part, least the curse of the woman with the woollen beads fall upon you. This Sir Richard Herbert lyeth buried in Abergavenny in a sumptuous monument for those times, which still remains, whereas his brother the Earle of Pembrook being buried in Tintirne abbey, his monument together with the church lye now wholly defaced and ruined. This Earle of Pembrook had a younger son which had a daughter which married the eldest son of the Earle of Worcester, who carried away the fair castle of Ragland with many thousand pounds yearly from the heir male of that house, which was the second son of the said Earle of Pembrook, and ancestor of the family of St. Gillians, whose daughter and heir I after married, as shall be told in its place. And here it is very remarkable, that the younger sons of the said Earle of Pembrook, and Sir R. Herbert left their posterity after them who in the person of myself and my wife united both houses again, which is the more memorable that when the said Earle of Pembrook, and Sir R. Herbert were taken prisoners in defending the just cause of Edward IV. at the battle abovesaid, the Earle never intreated that his own life might be saved, but his brother's, as it appears by the said history. So that joyning of both houses together in my posterity, ought to produce a perpetual obligation of friendship and mutual love in them one to another, since by these two brothers, so brave an example thereof was given, as seeming not to live or die but for one another.

My mother was Magdalen Newport, daughter of Sir Richard Newport and Margaret his wife, daughter and heir of Sir Thomas Bromley, one of the privy counceli, and executor of King Henry VIII, who surviving her husband gave rare testimonies of an incomparable piety to God, and love to her children, as being most assiduous and devout in her daily both private and public prayers, and so careful to provide for her posterity, that though it were in her power to give her estate (which was very great) to whom she would, yet she continued still unmarried and so provident for them, that after she had bestowed all her daughters with sufficient portions upon very good neighbouring families, she delivered up her estate and care of house-keeping to her eldest son Francis, when now she had for many years kept hospitality with that plenty and order as exceeded all either of her country or time, for besides abundance of provision and good cheer for guests, which her son Sir Francis Newport continued, she used ever after dinner to distribute with her own hands to the poor, who resorted to her in great numbers, alms in money, to every one of them more or less, as she thought they needed it. By these ancestors I am descended of Talbot, Devereux, Gray, Corbet, and many other noble families, as may be seen in their matches, extant in the many fair coats the Newports bear. I could say much more of my ancestors of that side likewise, but that I should exceed my proposed scope: I shall therefore only say some what more of my mother, my brothers, and sisters; and for my mother, after she lived most virtuously and lovingly with her husband for many years, she after his death erected a fair monument for him in Montgomery church; brought up her children carefully, and put them in good courses for making their fortunes, and briefly was that woman Dr. Donne hath described in his funeral sermon of her printed. The names of her children were, Edward, Richard, William, Charles, George, Henry, Thomas; her daughters were, Elizabeth, Margaret, Frances; of all whom I will say a little before I begin a narration of my own life, so I may pursue my intended purpose the more intirely. My brother Richard after he had been brought up in learning, went to the Low Countreys, where he continued many years with much reputation both in the wars and for fighting single duels, which were many, in so much that between both, he carried, as I have been told, the scars of four and twenty

wounds upon him to his grave, and lyeth buried in Bergenopzoom. My brother William being brought up likewise in learning went afterwards to the wars in Denmark, where fighting a single combat, and having his sword broken, he not only defended himself, with that piece which remained, but closing with his adversary threw him down and so held him until company came in; and then went to the wars in the Low Countries, but lived not long after; my brother Charles was fellow of New College in Oxford, where he dyed young, after he had given great hopes of himself every way. My brother * George was so excellent a scholar, that he was made the publick Orator of the University in Cambridge, some of whose English works are extant, which though they be rare in their kind, yet are far short of expressing those perfections he had in the Greek and Latin tongue, and all divine and human literature: his life was most holy and exemplary, in so much that about Salisbury where he lived beneficed for many years, he was little less than sainted he was not exempt from passion and choler, being infirmities to which all our race is subject, but that excepted, without reproach in his actions. Henry, after he had been brought up in learning as the other brothers were, was sent by his friends into France, where he attained the language of that country in much perfection, after which time he came to court, and was made Gentleman of the King's Privy Chamber, and Master of the Revells, by which means as also by a good marriage, he attained to great fortunes, for himself and posterity to enjoy he also hath given several proofs of his courage in duells, and otherwise, being no less dexterous in the ways of the court, as having gotten much by it. My brother Thomas was a posthumus son, as being born some weeks after his father's death; he also being brought up a while at school, was sent as a page to Sir Edward Cecil† Lord Generall of his Majesty's auxiliary forces

:

* He had studied foreign languages in hopes of rising to be Secretary of State, but being disappointed in his views at court, he took orders, became Prebend of Lincoln, and Rector of Bemerton near Salisbury. He died between 1630 and 1640. His Poems were printed at London 1635, under the title of The Temple; and his Priest to the Temple, in 1652. Lord Bacon dedicated to him a Translation of some Psalms into English verse. V. General Dict.

+Afterwards Viscount Wimbledon. See an Account of him in The Royal and Noble Authors.

to the Princes in Germany, and was particularly at the seige of Juliers, Anno Dom. 1610, where he shewed such forwardness, as no man in that great army before him was more adventurous on all occasions. Being returned from thence, he went to the East Indias under the command of Captain Joseph, who in his way thither, meeting with a great Spanish ship was unfortunately killed in fight with them, whereupon his men being disheartened, my brother Thomas encouraged them to revenge the loss, and renewed the fight in that manner (as Sir John Smyth Governour of the East India Company told me, at several times) that they forced the Spanish ship to run a-ground, where the English shot her through and through so often that she run herself a-ground, and was left wholy unserviceable. After which time he with the rest of the fleet came to Suratte, and from thence went with the merchants to the Great Mogull, where after he had stayed about a twelvemonth, he returned with the same fleet back again to England. After this he went in the Navy which King James sent to Argier, under the command of Sir Robert Mansell, where our men being in great want of money and victuals, and many ships scattering themselves to try whether they could obtain a prize whereby to relieve the whole fleet; it was his hap to meet with a ship, which he took, and in it to the value of eighteen hundred pounds, which it was thought saved the whole fleet from perishing: He conducted also Count Mansfelt to the Low Countreys in one of the King's ships, which being unfortunately cast away not far from the shore, the Count together with his company saved themselves in a long boat or shallop, the benefit whereof my said brother refused to take for the present, as resolving to assist the master of the ship, who endeavoured by all means to clear the ship from the danger; but finding it impossible, he was the last man that saved himself in the long boat; the master thereof yet refusing to come away, so that he perished together with the ship. After this, he commanded one of the ships that were sent to bring the Prince from Spain, where upon his return, there being a fight between the Low Countrymen, and the Dunkerkers, the Prince who thought it was not for his dignity to suffer them to fight in his presence, commanded some of his ships to part them, whereupon my said brother with some other ships got betwixt them on either side, and shot so long, that both parties were glad to

desist. After he had brought the Prince safely home, he was appointed to go with one of the King's ships to the Narrow Seas he also fought divers times with great courage and success with divers men in single fight, sometimes hurting and disarming his adversary, and sometimes driving him away: After all these proofs given of himself, he expected some great command, but finding himself as he thought undervalued, he retired to a private and melancholy life, being much discontented to find others preferred to him; in which sullain humour having lived many years, he died and was buried in London, in St. Martin's near Charing Cross, so that of all my brothers none survives but Henry.

Elizabeth my eldest sister was married to Sir Henry Jones of Albemarles, who had by her one son, and two daughters; the latter end of her time was the most sickly and miserable that hath been known in our times, while for the space of about fourteen years she languished and pined away to skin and bones, and at last died in London, and lyeth buried in a church called -, near Cheapside. Margaret was married to John Vaughan son and heir to Owen Vaughan of Llwydiart, by which match some former differences betwixt our house and that were appeased and reconciled; he had by her three daughters and heirs, Dorothy, Magdalen, and Katherine, of which the two latter only survive: The estate of the Vaughans yet went to the heirs male, though not so clearly but that the entail which carried the said lands was questioned. Frances my youngest sister was married to Sir John Brown Kt. in Lincolnshire, who had by her divers children, the eldest son of whom, though young, fought divers duells, in one of which it was his fortune to kill one Lee, of a great family in Lancashire. I could say many things more concerning all these, but it is not my purpose to particularize their lives: I have related only some passages concerning them to the best of my memory, being assured I have not failed much in my relation of them. I shall now come to my self.*

(To be Resumed.)

*The Spelling is in general given as set down by his Lordship.

From the Press of Oxberry and Co. 8, White Hart Yard.