THE

LIFE of WILLIAM,

the Third Earl of DEVONSHIRE.

TH

HIS Earl was fcarce eleven years old when he fucceeded his father; but, young as he was, had been made a Knight of the Bath, at the Coronation of King Charles I. The Countess Dowager, under whofe wardship he was, being induced by her maternal affection to keep him at home under her own eye, committed him to the care of Mr. Hobbs*, who had been his father's tutor, and very diligently attended his new charge for about seven years, when he went abroad with his young Lord, in quality of Governor. Having made the tour of France, Italy, and other parts of Europe, they returned to Paris, and there made fome ftay. Here the Earl made himself a thorough proficient in the French tongue; and having, by his tutor's inftructions, treasured up fuch obfervations, in the different countries he paffed through, as might be of ufe to his future conduct in life, he returned to England in 1639.

He was now of age, and put in poffeffion of his ample fortune, which the Countess, by her prudence and excellent economy, had greatly retrieved: Soon after which, the Civil War broke out. On the meeting of the Parliament in 1640, he was one of the first who stood up for the Prerogative, in oppofition to thofe, who were for stripping it of

* We fhall foon give fome account of this learned man, who has made fo much noife in the world.

its juft rights, which, he forefaw, muft unavoidably end in popular licentiousness, anarchy, and confufion. For this reafon he ftrenuously oppofed the Bill that was brought in, to attaint the Earl of Strafford of High Treafon, and would never confent to the condemnation of Archbishop Laud, who, with all his failings, muft be allowed to have deserved a better fate. One of the heaviest charges against this Prelate was, that he attempted to introduce Popery, tho' every one knows, that he wrote one of the best books against it that is extant in our language.

When the national ferment grew fo high, that the King was forced to retire to the North, he followed him thither, and, with many other Noblemen, figned a Declaration, bearing teftimony to his Majefty's pacific and upright intentions; and when he faw a party in both Houses too ftrong and violent for him to contend with, he fupplied the diftreffes of that unfortunate Prince with money, attended him in his Parliament at Oxford, and even fent his own brother to fight in the Royal Cause, wherein he loft his life.

Afterwards, when he found matters were brought to fuch extremity that he could no longer stem the torrent, he retired beyond fea, to wait a more favourable turn of affairs. But this recefs could give him no repofe. He had too much offended the prevailing party not to be thrust into the number of delinquents. In fhort, his large estate was fequeftred; and when, by the mediation of friends, an order was obtained for his returning by fuch a day, we are affured, that nothing could tempt him to do what he thought inconfiftent with his honour. Such was his fortitude of mind, that he rather chose to see his eftate continue under fo unjuft and arbitrary a fequeftration, than to deviate in the leaft tit

tle,

tle, or to change his honeft purposes, according to the neceffity of the times, or for the fake of any prefent advantage: Nor would he at laft have been prevailed with to fubmit to a compofition, were it not for the importunity, or rather commands of his mother, who, being a Lady of exquifite difcernment, used fuch powerful arguments as to convince him, that he might still be of fervice to the Royal Cause, without ruining his family.

When the Parliament had made themselves mafters of the King's perfon, in 1646, the Earl was at one of his feats called Latimers, where his Majefty was brought as a prifoner, and fuffered to reft one night. The generous Earl, overwhelmed with grief at fo fad an interview, took this opportunity of expreffing the deep concern he was under at the fight of his diftreffed Sovereign, the only mark of loyalty and affection then in his power; wherewith the King was entirely fatisfied, as having experienced the reality of his zeal on fo many other occafions. It will be easily believed, that when he heard of the King's violent death, he must have been ftruck with horror. But tho' he rifqued both his life and fortune, by taking the least step in favour of a caufe which was now funk fo low, yet fuch was his zeal, that he early declared in favour of Charles II; and even after the lofs of the battle at Worcester, when the Royalifts feemed irrecoverably ruined, he retained the fame duty and loyalty for this his new Sovereign.

As the Earl lived in fuch times, when wife and good men have nothing to do at Court, (which we hope will never be the cafe again) he generally refided at one of his feats in the country, where he maintained great hofpitality, and thofe of promifing parts found encouragement and protection. Among thefe, we fhall only take notice of Sir Stephen Fox, who had been trained up in the

family,

family, and employed in matters of truft, till age and experience had qualified him for more important offices. This Gentleman, during the King's exile, went over to Flanders, and was there employed as Treasurer to his Majefty, whofe finances being than very flender, food greatly in need of fuch a manager. Lord Clarendon gives this immortal character of him: "That he was very well qualified "with languages, and all other parts of clerkship, honcity and diligence that were neceffary for the difcharge of fuch a truft, &c." Happy would it be for all Princes, had they fuch a Minifter.

After the Restoration, which was in 1660, we do not find that the Earl often went to court, or that the King fhewed him any particular marks of favour for the fignal fervices he had done the Royal Family; on which becafion, a modern writer juftly obferves, "That one of his difpofition was not fitted to fhine in great employments, during the reign of Charles H However, it ought to be noted, to his honour, that the King's ingratitude made no impreffion on him; he ftill continued, as he had always been, no less a friend to the Crown than a patron of Liberty. The only office conferred upon him was that of Lord Lieutenant of Derbyfire, (which his large poffeffions, and intereft in that county, intitled him to;) and as he could not approve, nor be induced to join in fuch measures as were inconfiftent with the public welfare, he withdrew into the country, where he fhewed, by his great charity and hofpitality, what an happiness it is for the world, when fuch men are bleft with ample fortunes.

In this pleafing retirement he paffed his days, till the year 1679, when the famous Mr. Hobbs*,

He was born at Malmbury, in Wiltshire, on the 5th of April, 1588. His father was Vicar in that town.

who

who had lived many years in the family, and died on the 4th of December, in the 91st year of his age, and was buried in the church of Allhallows, Derby, where, on a black marble ftone over his grave, is the following infcription:

"Here lye the remains of THOMAS HOBBS, of "Malmsbury, who was for many years in the fer"vice of two Earls of Devonshire, father and fon; a man of integrity, and for the fame of "his learning at home and abroad well known."

Dr. Kennet tells us, in his Memoirs, "That the only thought of death, which this learned man "entertained in time of health, was to take care "of fome infcription on his grave; that he would "fuffer fome friends to dictate an epitaph, among "which, he was beft pleased with this humour, "This is the true Philofopher's Stone; which, indeed, (adds the Doctor,) "would have had as much religion in it, as that which now remains." By which latter expreffon we are given to understand, that the prefent epitaph contains fomething in it highly offenfive to religion; tho', for my own part, I think, nothing can be more modeft and decent. It refers only to his morals and learning, and neither of thefe, that I can learn, was ever called in queftion. As to his political and religious principles, which are too well known to need a repetition here, it must be owned, they have juftly given offence; but tho' the Earl could not be infenfible of their pernicious tendency, yet was it inconfiftent with his grandeur or humanity to discard a man in his old age, who had, by his long fervices, fo well deferved of the family.

To fum up Hobbs's character in few words, (which at beft does not appear to have any thing very amiable in it) he was fo great a temporizer, that every form of government, and every kind of religion