STR

Sir EDWARD COKE.

IR Edward Coke, author of the Commentary on Littleton, was, from his great knowledge and experience in the law, eminently qualified for the higheft dignity of his profeffion. But thefe qualifications, grea as they were, fcarcely compenfated for his infolence and exceive anger; which frequently vented themfelves in fcurrility and abufe, when he was fitting on the bench. He carried his adulation ftill higher than his infolence, when he called the duke of Buckingham "our Saviour," upon his return from Spaint. It is remarkable, that there were only fifteen volumes of reports extant, when his three firft volumes were published. He died at his houfe at Stoke in Buckinghamshire, the third of September, 1634, in the eighty-third year of his aget.

THOMAS CORYATE, riding on an Elephant. Frontispiece to his Letters from Afmere; 4to.

TOM OM Coryate, of vain-glorious memory, was a man of

a remarkable querity of afpects, and of as fingular a character. He had learning, but he wanted judgment; which is alone equivalent to all the other faculties of the mind. He travelled over a great part of Europe on foot, and diftinguished himself by walking nine hundred miles with one pair of fhoes, which, as he informs us, he got mended at Zurich. He af'terwards travelled into the eastern countries; and feems to have been at least as frugal in meat and drink, as he was in fhoes: as he tells his mother, in a letter to her, that in his ten months travels, betwixt Aleppo and the Mogul's court, he fpent but three pounds, living "reafon"ably well" for about two-pence a day. He fometimes ventured his life, by his ill-timed zeal for chrif. tianity, having, on feveral occafions, publickly declared Mahomet to be an impoftor. He delivered an oration to the Mogul, in the Perfian language, and fpoke that of Indoftan with fuch volubility, that he was an overmatch for a notorious fcold in her mother tongue. He, like other coxcombs, died without knowing himself to be of that character, in 1617¶. The moft fingularly remarkable of his books is entitled, "Crudities haftily gob

Clarendon, vol. i. p. 6.

bled

ΤΗ

'HE Marquis of Newcastle, who was alfo governor to the prince of Wales, was fo attached to the muses, that he could not, like the marquis of Hertford, leave them behind him; he muft carry them to the camp, and make Davenant, the poet-laureat, his lieutenant-general of the ordnance. Upon the eruption of the civil war, he raised a very confiderable army in the northern counties, with which he was fuccefsful against the parliament forces, and defeated Ferdinando, lord Fairfax, at Adderton Moor: but his fubfequent conduct has been juftly cenfured, and feems to have contributed greatly to the ruin of the king's affairs. After the defeat at

HENRY SOMERSET, Earl of Worcester.

ΤΗ

HE Earl of Worcester, when he was about eighty years of age, raifed the firft horle that were levied for Charles I. in the civil war, and entered into his fervice with all the ardour of a volunteer. No man of his years feemed ever to have retained more of the fire and activity of youth; and the readiness and fprightlinefs of his wit are faid to have been no lefs extraordinary. His caftle of Ragland, which had feveral times been a place of refuge for the king, was taken after he had bravely defended it in perfon; and the terins of capitulation were fhamefully violated. This was the laft garrifon in England that held out for his majefty. He died in the cuftody of the parliament's black rod, in December, 1647, in the eighty-fourth year of his age.

He was remarkable for the fingularity of wearing a frieze coat, in which he always was dreffed when he went to court.

Lord DIG BY.

felf beyond the feas, and was, during the inter-regnum, chiefly at Antwerp, where he amufed himself with writing books. He was mafter of many accomplishments, and was much better qualified for a court than a camp. He understood horsemanfhip, mufic, and poetry; but was a better horfeman than mufician, and a better mufician than poet.

the earl of Bristol, was a man of great parts, courage, and enterprize. But his understanding frequently milled him; his courage was attended with the ufual effects of cowardice; and his enterprizes were generally unfuccessful. He wrote letters to Sir Kenelm Digby, to convert him to the Proteftant religion; and was himself, by his anfwers, converted to Popery. These D 4

letters

letters are in print. He was alfo author of a comedy, called "El"vira," and tranflated the three first books of "Caffandra" from the French.

He fucceeded to the title of Earl of Bristol, 16 January, 1652-3; the portrait was painted in the former reign.

The earl of Bristol, well known for his fine parts, his levity, and extravagant paffions, was fecretary of ftate and privy-counsellor to Charles II. at the time of the inter-regnum. But he forfeited both thefe offices, by reconciling himfelf to the church of Rome, against which he had written feveral pieces of controverfy. He imputed his He imputed his removal to the influence of his friend the lord-chancellor Hyde, whofe ruin he afterwards fought with all that vehemence which was natural to him. It is pity that the romantic hiftory of this nobleman's life was never written. Dr. Swift, in one of his letters, ftyles him "the Prototype of Lord Boling"broke." Ob. 15 March, 1672-3. Æt. 64.

of his age. It is hard to fay whe ther his perfon, his understanding, or his courage, was the most extraordinary; as the fair, the learned, and the brave, held him in equal admiration. But the fame man was wife and capricious; redreffed wrongs, and quarrelled for punctilios; hated bigotry in religion, and was himself a bigot to philofophy. He expofed himself to fuch dangers, as other men of courage would have carefully declined; and called in queftion the fundamentals of a religion which none had the hardinefs to difpute befides himself. Lord Herbert was author of "The Life and Reign of Henry "VIII." which has been ever efteemed one of the beft hiftories in the English language: but there is not in it that perfect candour which one would with, or expect to fee, in fo celebrated an hiftorian. He has given us a much jufter portrait of himself, than he has of Henry. He appears to have fairly laid open every foible or defect in his own character*, but has caft the monftrous vices of that merciless tyrant into shade, and has difplayed, to great advantage, his

Cherbury.

ORD Herbert ftands in the

Lfirt rank of the public minif

rofity. His books, " De Veri "tatet," and "De Religione "Gentilium," are well known.

poems,

God

fubjects. But his mafter-piece is his "Clavis Mathematica," which he drew up for his pupil, the lord William Howard, fon of Thomas, carl of Arundel. This work is thought to be fo perfect as fcarce to admit of improvement; and what ferves inftead of every other encomium, the general plan of it has been adopted by Sir Ifaac Newton. He was the firft that gave a turn for mathematical fludies to the univerfity of Cambridge; and his "Clavis" was introduced by Seth Ward, who lectured his pupils in it. He fometimes amused himfelf with archery; but his very ftudy feems to have had a good effect upon his health; as the mathematics were not only recreation to him, but epicurifm. He was fprightly and active at above eighty years of age; and if we may be lieve Mr. Collier, died in an ecftafy of joy, upon hearing of the reftoration of Charles II. Ob, 1660, Æt. 86.

Sir HENRY VANE, Jun. SIR Henry Vane, a chief of the

independent party, and a principal leader of the Houfe of Commons, was one of thofe fingular

characters that are feen but once in an age, and fuch an age as that of Charles I. It is hard to fay whether a more fantastic bury, he were a more fantaftic vifionary, or profound politician. He did not, like the generality of enthufiafts, rely fupinely on heaven, as if he expected every thing from thence; but exerted himself, as if he entirely depended on his own activity. His enthufiafm feems ne

ver to have precipitated him into injudicious measures, but to have added new powers to his natural fagacity. He mistook his deep penetration for a prophetic fpirit, and the light of his genius for divine irradiation. The Solemn League and Covenant was the iffue of his prolific brain, which teemed with new fyftems of politics and religion. He preferved an uniformity of character to the last, and died in expectation of the crown of martyrdom. Beheaded the 14th of June, 1662.

Sir Henry Vane deferves to be ranked in the first clafs of mystics, as he is little lefs profound than Jacob Behmen himself. We are amazed that a man, whofe genius carried him fo far above the common level of mankind in his pub lic character, fhould fink fo far be. low common fenfe in his writings. Don Quixote is fuppofed to have spoken like a philofopher upon every thing but knight-errantry; fo did Sir Henry Vane upon any thing but religion. He, as well as every other ridiculous broacher of heterodoxies, had many followers*.

DENZIL HOLLES, afterwards Baron Holles, of Ifield.

DENZIL, lord Holles, fe

cond fon of John, the first earl of Clare, was one of the most diftinguished of the popular leaders in the reign of Charles I. His courage, which was very extraordinary, was conftitutional, and proceeded from a principle inherent in his family. His patriotifm, which

was