one of the peers that fat on the trial of Philip Howard, earl of Arundel. In the 4th year of the Queen's reign he was joined with the Lord Treafurer Burleigh, in promoting a peace with Spain; in which truft he was fo fuccefsful, that the 'High Admiral of Holland was fent over by the States of the United Provinces, to renew their treaty with the crown of England, being afraid of its union with Spain. Lord Buckhurst had the fole management of that negotiation (as Burleigh then lay fick) and concluded a treaty with him, by which his miftrefs was eafed of no less than 120,000 1. per annum, befides other advantages. His lord hip fucceeded Sir Chriftopher Hatton, in the Chancellorship of the university of Oxford, in oppofition to Robert Devereux, earl of Effex, Mafter of the Horfe to the Queen, who a little before was incorporated mafter of arts in the faid univerfity, to capacitate him for that office; but on receipt of letters from her Majesty in favour of lord Buckhurit, the Academicians elected him Chancellor on the 17th of December following. On the death of lord Burleigh, the Queen confidering the great fervices he had done his country, which had coft him immenfe expences, was pleafed to conftitute him in the 41ft year of her reign, Lord High Treasurer of England: In the fucceeding year 1599, he was in commiffion with Sir Thomas Egerton, Lord Chancellor, and the earl of Effex, EarlMarthal, for negotiating affairs with the Senate of Denmark, as alfo in a fpecial commiflion for fuppreffing fchifm, and afterwards when libels were difperfed by the earl of Effex and his faction against the Queen, intimating that her Majefty took little care of the government, and altogether neglected the ftate of Ireland, his lordship'engaged in a vindication of her Majesty, and made answers * Rapin's Hiftory of England, vol ii. p:'617. D6 to thefe libels, reprefenting how brave and well regulated an army had been fent into Ireland, compleatly furnished with all manner of provifions, and likewife that her Majefty had expended on that war in fix months time, the fum of 600,000 1. which lord Effex must own to be true. He fufpected that earl's mutinous defigns, by a greater concourfe of people reforting to his house than ordinary, and fent his fon to pay him a vifit, * and to defire him to be careful of the company he kept. Effex being fenfible that his fcheme was already discovered by the penetrating eye of lord Buckhurft, he and his friends entered upon new measures, and breaking out into an open rebellion, were obliged to furrender themselves prifoners. When that unfortunate favourite, together with the earl of Southampton, was brought to trial, lord Buckhurst was constituted on that occafion Lord High Steward of England, and paffing fentence on the earl of Effex, his Lordship in a very eloquent fpeech defired him to implore the Queen's mercy, After this, it being thought neceffary for the fafety of the nation, that fome of the leading confpirators fhould fuffer death, his Lordship advised her Majesty to pardon the reft. Upon this he had a special commiffion granted him, together with fecretary Cecil, and the earl of Nottingham, Lord High Admiral, to call before them all fuch as were concerned in the confpiracy with the earls of Effex and Southampton, and to treat and compound with fuch offenders for the redemption and compofition of their lands. After the death of Queen Elizabeth, his lordship was concerned in taking the neceffary measures, for the fecurity of the kingdom, the adminiftration being devolved on him and other counfellors, who unanimously proclaimed King James, Rapin's History of England, vol. ii. p. 630. and E. DORSET. 61 and figned a letter March 28, 1603 to the lord Eure, and the rest of the commiffioners, for the treaty of Breme, notifying her majefty's decease, and the recognition and proclamation of King James of Scotland: who had fuch a sense of lord Buckhurst's fervices, and fuperior abilities, that before his arrival in England, he ordered the renewal of his patent, as Lord High Treasurer for life. On the 13th of March next enfuing, he was created earl of Dorfet, and conftituted one of the commiffioners for executing the office of Earl-Marthal of England, and for reforming fundry abufes in the College of Arms. In the year 1608, this great man died fuddenly at the Council-Table, Whitehall, after a baftling life devoted to the public weal; and the 26th of May following, his remains were depofited with great folemnity in Weftminster Abbey, his funeral fermon being preached by Dr. Abbot, his chaplain, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury. Befides this celebrated fermon of the primate's, in which he is very lavish in his praise, Lord Chancellor Bacon, and Sir Robert Naunton, beftow particular encomiums upon him; and Sir Richard Baker obferves, "That he had excellent parts, and in his place was exceeding industrious, "and that he had heard many exchequer men "fay, there never was a better Treasurer, both "for the King's profit, and the good of the fubject. 66 By his dying fuddenly at the Council-Table, his death was interpreted by fome people in a myfterious manner; but his head being opened, there were found in it certain little bags of water, which, whether by ftraining in his study the night before, in which he fat up till 11 o'clock, or otherwife by their own maturity, fuddenly breaking, and falling upon his brain, produced his death, to the univer * Chron. 2d edit. p. 596. fal fal grief of the nation, for which he had spent his ftrength, and for whofe intereft, in a very immediate manner, he may be justly faid to have fallen a facrifice. Of all our court poets he seems to have united the greatest induftry and variety of genius: It is feldom found, that the fons of Parnaffus can devote themselves to public bufiness, or execute it with fuccefs. I have already obferved, that the world has loft many excellent works, which no doubt this cultivated genius would have accomplished, had he been lefs involved in court-affairs but as he acted in fo public a fphere, and discharged every office with inviolable honour, and confummate prudence, it is perhaps fomewhat selfish in the lovers of poetry, to with he had wrote more, and acted lefs. From him is defcended the prefent noble family of the Dorfets; and it is remarkable, that all the defcendants of this great man have inherited his tafte for liberal arts and sciences, as well as his capacity for public bufinefs. An heir of his was the friend and patron of Dryden, and is ftiled by Congreve the monarch of wit in his time, and the present age is happy in his illuftrious pofterity, rivalling for deeds of honour and renown the most famous of their ancestors. 1 INDUCTION to the MIRROR of MAGISTRATES. The wrathful winter haft'ning on apace, With bluftring blafts had all ybard the treene, And old Saturnus with his frofty face With chilling cold had pearft the tender greene: The mantles rent, wherein enwrapped been, The gladfome groves, that now lay overthrown, The tapets torn, and every tree down blown. The foil that erft fo feemly was to feen, And And foote fresh flowers (wherewith the fummers queen, Had clad the earth, new Boreas blafts down blew And small fowls flocking in their fongs did rew The winter's wrath, wherewith each thing defaste, In woeful wife bewailed the fummer past. ON THOMAS CHURCHYARD, NE of the affiftants in the Mirror of Magiftrates. He was born in the town of Shrewsbury as himself affirms in his book made in verfe of the Worthiness of Wales. He was equally addicted to arts and arms; he had a liberal education, and inherited fome fortune,real and perfonal; but he foon exhausted it, in a tedious and unfruitful attendance at court, for he gained no other equivalent for that mortifying dependance, but the honour of being retained a domestic in the family of lord Surry: during which time by his lordship's encouragement he commenced poet. Upon his master's death he betook himself to arms; was in many engagements, and was frequently wounded; he was twice a prifoner, and redeemed by the charity of two noble ladies, yet ftill languishing in diftrefs, and bitterly complaining of fortune Neither of his employments afforded him a patron, who would do justice to his obfcure merit; and unluckily he was as unhappy in his amours as in his circumstances, fome of his miftreffes treating his addreffes with contempt, perhaps, * Winft. 61. |