this Answer That I could not expect the least allowance by reason my Lord and Husband had been the greatest Traitor of England that is to say the honestest man because he had been most against them Then Sir Charles intrusted some persons to compound for his Estate but it being a good while before they agreed in their Composition and then before the Rents could be received we having in the mean time nothing to live on must of necessity have been starved had not Sir Charles got some Credit of several Persons and that not without great difficulty for all those that had Estates were afraid to come near him much less to assist him until he was sure of his own Estate So much is Misery and Poverty shun'd But though our Condition was hard yet my dear Lord and Husband whom we left in Antwerp was then in a far greater distress then our selves for at our departure he had nothing but what his Credit was able to procure him and having run upon the score so long without paying any the least part thereof his Creditors began to grow impatient and resolved to trust him no longer Wherefore he sent me word That if his Brother did not presently relieve him he was forced to starve Which doleful news caused great sadness and melancholy in us both and withal made his Brother try his utmost endeavour to procure what moneys he could for his subsistance who at last got 200 l. sterl upon Credit which he immediately made over to my Lord. But in the mean time before the said money could come to his hands my Lord had been forced to send for all his Creditors and declare to them his great wants and necessities where his Speech was so effectual and made such an impression in them that they had all a deep sense of my Lords Misfortunes and instead of urging the payment of his Debts promised him That he should not want any thing in whatsoever they were able to assist him which they also very nobly and civilly performed furnishing him with all manner of provisions and necessaries for his further subsistance so that my Lord was then in a much better condition amongst strangers then we in our Native Countrey At last when Sir Charles Cavendish had compounded for his Estate and agreed to pay 4500 l. for it the Parliament caused it again to be surveyed and made him pay 500 l. more which was more then many others had paid for much greater Estates so that Sir Charles to pay this Composition and discharge some Debts was necessitated to sell some Land of his at an under-rate My Lords two Sons who were also in England at that time were no less in want and necessity then we having nothing but bare Credit to live on and my Lords Estate being then to be sold outright Sir Charles his Brother endeavoured if possible to save the two chief Houses viz. Welbeck and Bolsover being resolved rather to part with some more of his Land which he had lately compounded for then to let them fall into the Enemies hands but before such time as he could compass the money some body had bought Bolsover with an intention to pull it down and make money of the Materials of whom Sir Charles was forced to buy it again at a far greater Rate then he might have had it at first notwithstanding a great part of it was pulled down already and though my Lords eldest Son Charles Lord Mansfield had those mentioned Houses some time in possession after the death of his Uncle yet for want of Means he was not able to repair them I having now been in England a year and a half some Intelligence which I received of my Lords being not very well and the small hopes I had of getting some relief out of his Estate put me upon design of returning to Antwerp to my Lord and Sir Charles his Brother took the same resolution but was prevented by an Ague that seized upon him Not long had I been with my Lord but we received the sad news of his Brothers death which was an extream affliction both to my Lord and my self for they loved each other entirely In truth He was a Person of so great worth such extraordinary civility so obliging a Nature so full of Generosity Justice and Charity besides all manner of Learning especially in the Mathematicks that not onely his Friends but even his Enemies did much lament his loss After my return out of England to my Lord the Creditors supposing I had brought great store of money along with me came all to my Lord to solicite the payment of their Debts but when my Lord had informed them of the truth of the business and desired their patience somewhat longer with assurance that so soon as he received any money he would honestly and justly satisfie them they were not onely willing to forbear the payment of those Debts he had contracted hitherto but to credit him for the future and supply him with such Necessaries as he should desire of them And this was the onely happiness which my Lord had in his distressed condition and the chief blessing of the Eternal and Merciful God in whose Power are all things who ruled the hearts and minds of men and filled them with Charity and Compassion for certainly it was a work of Divine Providence that they shewed so much love respect and honour to my Lord a stranger to their Nation and notwithstanding his ruined Condition and the small appearance of recovering his own credited him wheresoever he lived both in France Holland Brabant and Germany that although my Lord was banished his Native Countrey and dispossessed from his own Estate could nevertheless live in so much Splendor and Grandure as he did In this Condition and how little soever the appearance was my Lord was never without hopes of seeing yet before his death a happy issue of all his misfortunes and sufferings especially of the Restauration of His most Gracious King and Master to His Throne and Kingly Rights whereof he always had assured Hopes well knowing that it was impossible for the Kingdom to subsist long under so many changes of Government and whensoever I expressed how little faith I had in it he would gently reprove me saying I believ'd least what I desir'd most and could never be happy if I endeavour'd to exclude all hopes and entertain'd nothing but doubts and fears The City of Antwerp in which we lived being a place of great resort for Strangers and Travellers His Majesty our now gracious King Charles the Second passed thorough it when he went his Journey towards Germany and after my Lord had done his humble duty and waited on His Majesty He was pleased to Honour him with His Presence at his House The same did almost all strangers that were Persons of Quality if they made any stay in the Town they would come and visit my Lord and see the Mannage of his Horses And amongst the rest
Majesty King CHARLEs the Second was pleased when my Lord was in banishment to make him Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter And 12. After his Return into England Chief Justice in Eyre Trent-North 13. He created him Duke of Newcastle and Earl of Ogle 7. Of the Entertainments He made for King CHARLES the First THough my Lord hath alwayes been free and noble in his Entertainments and Feastings yet he was pleased to shew his great Affection and Duty to his Gracious King Charles the First and Her Majesty the Queen in some particular Entertainments which he made of purpose for them before the late Warrs When His Majesty was going into Scotland to be Crowned he took His way through Nottinghamshire and lying at Worksop-Mannor hardly two miles distant from Welbeck where my Lord then was my Lord invited His Majesty thither to a Dinner which he was graciously pleased to accept of This Entertainment cost my Lord between Four and Five thousand pounds which His Majesty liked so well that a year after His Return out of Scotland He was pleased to send my Lord word That Her Majesty the Queen was resolved to make a Progress into the Northern parts desiring him to prepare the like Entertainment for Her as he had formerly done for Him Which My Lord did and endeavour'd for it with all possible Care and Indudustry sparing nothing that might add splendor to that Feast which both Their Majesties were pleased to honour with their Presence Ben Iohnson he employed in fitting such Scenes and Speeches as he could best devise and sent for all the Gentry of the Country to come and wait on their Majesties and in short did all that ever he could imagine to render it Great and worthy Their Royal Acceptance This Entertainment he made at Bolsover-Castle in Derbyshire some five miles distant from Welbeck and resigned Welbeck for Their Majesties Lodging it cost him in all between Fourteen and Fifteen thousand pounds Besides these two there was another small Entertainment which my Lord prepared for His late Majesty in his own Park at Welbeck when His Majesty came down with his two Nephews the now Prince Elector Palatine and His Brother Prince Rupert into the Forrest of Sherwood which cost him Fifteen hundred pounds And this I mention not out of a vain-glory but to declare the great love and Duty my Lord had for His Gracious King and Queen and to correct the mistakes committed by some Historians who not being rightly informed of those Entertainments make the World believe Falshood for Truth But as I said they were made before the Warrs when my Lord had the possessiou of a great Estate and wanted nothing to express his Love and Duty to his Soveraign in that manner whereas now he should be much to seek to do the like his Estate being so much ruined by the late Civil Wars that neither himself nor his Posterity will be able so soon to recover it 8. His Education HIs Education was according to his Birth for as he was born a Gentleman so he was bred like a Gentleman To School-Learning he never shew'd a great inclination for though he was sent to the University and was a Student of St. Iohn's Colledg in Cambridg and had his Tutors to instruct him yet they could not perswade him to read or study much he taking more delight in sports then in learning so that his Father being a wise man and seeing that his Son had a good natural Wit and was of a very good Disposition suffer'd him to follow his own Genius whereas his other Son Charles in whom he found a greater love and inclination to Learning he encouraged as much that way as possibly he could One time it hapned that a young Gentleman one of my Lord's Relations had bought some Land at the same time when my Lord had bought a Singing-Boy for 50 l. a Horse for 50 l. and a Dog for 2 l. which humour his Father Sir Charles liked so well that he was pleased to say That if he should find his Son to be so covetous that he would buy Land before he was 20 years of Age he would disinherit him But above all the rest my Lord had a great inclination to the Art of Horsemanship and Weapons in which later his Father Sir Charles being a most ingenuous and unparallell'd Master of that Age was his onely Tutor and kept him also several Masters in the Art of Horsemanship and sent him to the Mewse to Mons. Antoine who was then accounted the best Master in that Art But my Lord's delight in those Heroick Exercises was such that he soon became Master thereof Himself which encreased much his Father's hopes of his future perfections who being himself a person of a Noble and Heroick nature was extreamly well pleased to observe his Son take delight in such Arts and Exercises as were proper and fit for a person of Quality 9. His Natural Wit and Vnderstanding ALthough my Lord has not so much of Scholarship and Learning as his Brother Sir Charles Cavendish had yet he hath an excellent Natural Wit and Judgment and dives into the bottom of every thing as it is evidently apparent in the forementioned Art of Horsemanship and Weapons which by his own ingenuity he has reformed and brought to such perfection as never any one has done heretofore And though he is no Mathematician by Art yet he hath a very good Mathematical brain to demonstrate Truth by natural reason and is both a good Natural and Moral Philosopher not by reading Philosophical Books but by his own Natural Understanding and Observation by which he hath found out many Truths To pass by several other instances I 'le but mention that when my Lord was at Paris in his Exile it happen'd one time that he discoursing with some of his Friends amongst whom was also that Learned Philosopher Hobbes they began amongst the rest to argue upon this subject namely Whether it mere possible to make Man by Art fly as Birds do and when some of the Company had delivered their Opinion viz. That they thought it probable to be done by the help of Artificial Wings My Lord declared that he deemed it altogether impossible and demonstrared it by this following Reason Man's Armes said he are not set on his shoulders in the same manner as Bird's wings are for that part of the Arm which joins to the Shoulder is in Man placed inward as towards the breast but in Birds outward as toward the back which difference and contrary position or shape hinders that man cannot have the same flying-action with his Armes as Birds have with their Wings Which Argument Mr. Hobbes liked so well that he was pleased to make use of it in one of his Books called Leviathan if I remember well Some other time they falling into a Discourse concerning Witches Mr. Hobbes said That though he could not rationally believe there were Witches yet he could not be fully satisfied
THE LIFE OF THE Thrice Noble High and Puissant PRINCE William Cavendishe Duke Marquess and Earl of Newcastle Earl of Ogle Viscount Mansfield and Baron of Bolsover of Ogle Bothal and Hepple Gentleman of His Majesties Bed-chamber one of His Majesties most Honourable Privy-Councel Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter His Majesties Lieutenant of the County and Town of Nottingham and Justice in Ayre Trent-North who had the honour to be Governour to our most Glorious King and Gracious Soveraign in his Youth when He was Prince of Wales and soon after was made Captain General of all the Provinces beyond the River of Trent and other Parts of the Kingdom of England with Power by a special Commission to make Knights WRITTEN By the thrice Noble Illustrious and Excellent Princess MARGARET Duchess of Newcastle His Wife LONDON Printed by A. Maxwell in the Year 1667. To His most Sacred MAJESTY Charles the Second By the Grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith c. May it please Your Majesty I Have in confidence of your Gracious acceptance taken the boldness or rather the presumption to dedicate to Your Majesty this short History which is as full of Truths as words of the Actions and Sufferings of Your most Loyal Subject my Lord and Husband by Your Majesties late favour Duke of Newcastle who when Your Majesty was Prince of Wales was Your most careful Governour and honest Servant Give me therefore leave to relate here that I have heard him often say He loves Your Royal Person so dearly that He would most willingly upon all occasions sacrifice his Life and Posterity for Your Majesty whom that Heaven will everbless is the Prayer of Your most Obedient Loyal humble Subject and Servant Margaret Newcastle TO HIS GRACE THE Duke of Newcastle My Noble Lord It hath always been my hearty Prayer to God since I have been your Wife That first I might prove an honest and good Wife whereof your Grace must be the onely Iudg Next That God would be pleased to enable me to set forth and declare to after-ages the truth of your loyal actions and endeavours for the service of your King and Country For the accomplishing of which design I have followed the best and truest Observations of your Secretary John Rolleston and your Lordships own Relations and have accordingly writ the History of your Lordships Life which although I have endeavoured to render as perspicuous as ever I could yet one thing I find hath much darkned it which is that your Grace commanded me not to mention any thing or passage to the prejudice or disgrace of any Family or particular person although they might be of great truth and would illustrate much the actions of your Life which I have dutifully performed to satisfie your Lordship whose Nature is so Generous that you are as well pleased to obscure the faults of your Enemies as you are to divulge the vertues of your Friends And certainly My Lord you have had as many Enemies and as many Friends as ever any one particular person had and I pray God to forgive the one and prosper the other Nor do I so much wonder at it since I a Woman cannot be exempt from the malice and aspersions of spightful tongues which they cast upon my poor Writings some denying me to be the true Authoress of them for your Grace remembers well that those Books I put out first to the judgment of this censorious Age were accounted not to be written by a Woman but that some body else had writ and publish'd them in my Name by which your Lordship was moved to prefix an Epistle before one of them in my vindication wherein you assure the world upon your honour That what was written and printed in my name was my own and I have also made known that your Lordship was my onely Tutor in declaring to me what you had found and observed by your own experience for I being young when your Lordship married me could not have much knowledg of the world But it pleased God to command his Servant Nature to indue me with a Poetical and Philosophical Genius even from my Birth for I did write some Books in that kind before I was twelve years of Age which for want of good method and order I would never divulge But though the world would not believe that those Conceptions and Fancies which I writ were my own but transcended my capacity yet they found fault that they were defective for want of Learning and on the other side they said I had pluckt Feathers out of the Universities which was a very preposterous judgment Truly My Lord I confess that for want of Scholarship I could not express my self so well as otherwise I might have done in those Philosophical Writings I publish'd first but after I was returned with your Lordship into my Native Country and led a retired Country life I applied my self to the reading of Philosophical Authors of purpose to learn those names and words of Art that are used in Schools which at first were so hard to me that I could not understand them but was fain to guess at the sense of them by the whole context and so writ them down as I found them in those Authors at which my Readers did wonder and thought it impossible that a Woman could have so much Learning and Vnderstanding in Terms of Art and Scholastical Expressions so that I and my Books are like the old Apologue mention'd in AEsop of a Father and his Son who rid on an Ass through a Town when his Father went on Foot at which sight the People shouted and cried shame that a young Boy should ride and let his Father an old man go on Foot whereupon the old Man got upon the Ass and let his Son go by but when they came to the next Town the People exclaimed against the Father that he a lusty man should ride and have no more pity of his young and tender child but let him go on foot Then both the Father and his Son got upon the Ass and coming to the third Town the People blamed them both for being so unconscionable as to over-burden the poor Ass with their heavy weight After this both Father and Son went on foot and led the Ass and when they came to the fourth Town the People railed as much at them as ever the former had done and called them both Fools for going on foot when they had a Beast able to carry them The old Man seeing he could not please Mankind in any manner and having received so many blemishes and aspersions for the sake of his Ass was at last resolved to drown him when he came to the next bridg But I am not so passionate to burn by Writings for the various humours of Mankind and for their finding fault since there is nothing in this world be it the noblest and most commendable action whatsoever that
of My Lords together with some Notes and Remarques of mine own which I thought most convenient to place by themselves at the end of this Work rather then to intermingle them with the Body of the History It might be some prejudice to my Lord's Glory and the credit of this History not to take notice of a very considerable thing I have heard which is That when his Lordship's Army had got so much Strength and Reputation that the Rebellious Parliament finding themselves overpower'd with it rather then to be utterly ruin'd as was unavoidable did call the Scots to their Assistance with a promise to reward so great a Service with the Four Northern Counties of Northumberland Cumberland Westmerland and the Bishoprick of Durham which I have not mention'd in the Book And it is most certain That the Parliaments Forces were never Powerful nor their Commanders or Officers Famous until such time as my Lord was overpower'd neither could Loyalty have been over-power'd by Rebellion had not Treachery had better Fortune then Prudence When I speak of my Lord's Pedigree where Thomas Earl of Arundel Grandfather to the now Duke of Norfolk is mention'd they have left out William Viscount Stafford one of his Sons who did marry the Heir of the last Baron Stafford descended from the Dukes of Buckingham which was set down in my Original Manuscript Some of those Omissions and very probably others are happened partly for want of timely Information and chiefly by the death of my Secretary who did copy my Writings for the Press and dy'd in London attending that Service afore the Printing of the Book was quite finish'd And as I hope of your Favour to be excus'd for omitting those things in the Book so I expect of your Justice to be approv'd in putting them here though somewhat unseasonably Before I end this Preface I do beseech my Readers not to mistake me when I speak of my Lord's Banishment as if I would conceal that he went voluntarily out of his Native Country for it is most true that his Lordship prudently perceiving all the King's Party lost not onely in England but also in Scotland and Ireland and that it was impossible to withstand the Rebels after the fatal overthrow of his Army his Lordship in a poor and mean condition quitted his own Countrey and went beyond Sea soon after which the Rebels having got an Absolute Power and granted a general Pardon to all those that would come in to them upon composition at the Rates they had set down his Lordship with but few others was excepted from it both for Life and Estate and did remain thus banish'd till His Majesties happy Restauration I must also acknowledg That I have committed great Errors in taking no notice of Times as I should have done in many places of this History I mention in one place the Queen Mothers being in France when my Lord went thither but do not say in what year that was Nor do I express when His Majesty our now Gracious Soveraign came in and went out again several times from that Kingdom which has happen'd for want of Memory and I desire my Readers to excuse me for it No body can certainly be more ready to find faults in this Work then I am to confess them being very conscious that I have as I told my Lord I should committed many for want of Learning and chiefly of skill in writing Histories But having according to his Lordships Commands written his Actions and Fortunes truly and plainly I have reason to expect that whatsoever else shall be found amiss will be favourably pardoned by the candid Readers to whom I wish all manner of happiness AN EPISTLE TO HER GRACE THE Duchess of Newcastle May it please your Grace I Have been taught and do believe That Obedience is better then Sacrifice and know that both are due from me to your Grace and since I have been so long in obeying your Commands I shall not presume to use any Arguments for my excuse but rather chuse ingeniously to confess my fault and beg your Graces Pardon And because forgiveness is a Glory to the supreamest Powers I will hope that your Grace by that great example will make it yours And now I humbly take leave to represent to your Grace as faithfully and truly as my memory will serve me all my Observations of the most memorable Actions and honourable Deportments of His Grace my most Noble Lord and Master William Duke of Newcastle in the execution and Performance of the Trusts and high Employments committed and commended to his care and charge by three Kings of England that is to say King James King Charles the First of ever blessed Memory and our Gracious King Charles the Second under whom he hath had the happiness to live and the honour to serve them in several capacities And because I humbly conceive that it is not within the intention of your Graces Commands that I should give you a particular Relation of His Graces High Birth his Noble and Princely Education and Breeding both at home and abroad his Natural Faculties and Personal Vertues his Iustice Bounty Charity Friendship his Right Approved Courage and True Valour not grounded upon or govern'd by Passion but Reason his Magnificent manner of living and supporting his Dignity testified by his great Entertainments of their Majesties and his private Friends upon all fit occasions besides his ordinary and constant House-keeping and Attendants some for Honour and some for business wherein he exceeded most of his Quality and that he was and is an incomparable Master to his Servants is sufficiently testified by all or most of the chiefest of them living and dying in His Graces Service which is an Argument that they thought themselves as happy therein as the World could make them nor of his well-chosen Pleasures which were principally Horses of all sorts but more particularly Horses of Mannage His Study and Art of the true use of the Sword His Magnificent Buidings These are his chiefest Delights wherein his Grace spared for no cost nor charge which are sufficiently manifested to the World for other Delights as those of running Horses Hawking Hunting c. His Grace used them meerly for societies sake and out of a generous and obliging Nature to please others though his knowledg in them excelled as well as in the other And yet notwithstanding these his large and vast expences before his Grace was called to the Court he encreased his Revenue by way of Purchase to a great value and when he was called to the Court he was then free from Debts and as I have heard some Thousands of Pounds in his Purse These Particulars and as many more of this kind as would swell a Volume I could enumerate to your Grace but that they are so well known to your Grace it would be a Presumption in me rather then a Service to give your Grace that trouble and therefore I humbly forbear and proceed according to
my Intention to give your Grace a faithful account of Your Graces Commands as becomes May it please your Grace Your Graces most humble and most obedient Servant Iohn Rolleston THE LIFE OF THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCE WILLIAM Duke of Newcastle The First Book SInce my chief intent in this present Work is to describe the Life and Actions of My Noble Lord and Husband William Duke of Newcastle I shall do it with as much Brevity Perspicuity and Truth as is required of an Impartial Historian The History of his Pedigree I shall refer to the Heralds and partly give you an account thereof at the latter end of this work onely thus much I shall now mention as will be requisite for the better understanding of the following discourse His Grandfather by his Fathers side was Sir William Cavendish Privy Counsellour and Treasurer of the Chamber to King Henry the Eighth Edward the Sixth and Queen Mary His Grandfather by his Mother was Cuthbert Lord Ogle an ancient Baron His Father Sir Charles Cavendish was the youngest son to Sir William and had no other Children but three Sons whereof My Lord was the Second but his elder Brother dying in his Infancy left both his Title and Birth-right to My Lord so that My Lord had then but one onely Brother left whose name was Charles after his Father whereas My Lord had the name of his Grandfather These two Brothers were partly bred with Gilbert Earl of Shrewsbury their Uncle in Law and their Aunt Mary Countess of Gilbert's Wife and Sister to their Father for there interceded an intire and constant Friendship between the said Gilbert Earl of Shrewsbury and My Lord's Father Sir Charles Cavendish caused not onely by the marriage of My Lord's Aunt his Fathers Sister to the aforesaid Gilbert Earl of Shrewsbury and by the marriage of George Earl of Gilbert's Father with My Lord's Grandmother by his Fathers side but Sir Charles Cavendish My Lord's Father and Gilbert Earl of Shrewsbury being brought up and bred together in one Family and grown up as parts of one body after they came to be beyond Children and travelled together into foreign Countries to observe the Fashions Laws and Customs of other Nations contracted such an intire Friendship which lasted to their death neither did they out live each other long for My Lord's Father Sir Charles Cavendish lived but one year after Gilbert Earl of Shrewsbury But both My Lords Parents and his Aunt and Uncle in Law shewed always a great and fond love to My Lord endeavouring when He was but a Child to please him with what he most delighted in When He was grown to the Age of fifteen or sixteen he was made Knight of the Bath an ancient and honourable Order at the time when Henry King Iames of blessed Memory His eldest Son was created Prince of Wales and soon after he went to travel with Sir Henry Wotton who was sent as Ambassador Extraordinary to the then Duke of Savoy which Duke made very much of My Lord and when he would be free in Feasting placed Him next to himself Before My Lord did return with the Ambassador into England the said Duke profer'd My Lord that if he would stay with him he would not onely confer upon him the best Titles of Honour he could but also give him an honourable Command in War although My Lord was but young for the Duke had then some designs of War But the Ambassador who had taken the care of My Lord would not leave Him behind without his Parents consent At last when My Lord took his leave of the Duke the Duke being a very generous person presented Him with a Spanish Horse a Saddle very richly embroidered and with a rich Jewel of Diamonds Some time after My Lord's return into England Gilbert Earl of Shrewsbury died and left My Lord though he was then but young and about Twenty two years of age his Executor a year after his Father Sir Charles Cavendish died also His Mother being then a Widow was desirous that My Lord should marry in obedience to whose Commands he chose a Wife both to his own good liking and his Mothers approving who was Daughter and Heir to William Basset of Blore Esq a very honourable and ancient Family in Stafford-Shire by whom was added a great part to His Estate as hereafter shall be mentioned After My Lord was married he lived for the most part in the Country and pleased Himself and his neighbours with Hospitality and such delights as the Country afforded onely now and then he would go up to London for some short time to wait on the King About this time King Iames of blessed memory having a purpose to confer some Honour upon My Lord made him Viscount Mansfield and Baron of Bolsover and after the decease of King Iames King Charles the First of blessed Memory constituted him Lord Warden of the Forrest of Sherewood and Lieutenant of Nottingham-Shire and restored his Mother Catharine the second Daughter of Cuthbert Lord Ogle to her Fathers Dignity after the death of her onely Sister Iane Countess of Shrewsbury publickly declaring that it was her Right which Title after the death of his Mother descended also upon My Lord and his Heirs General together with a large Inheritance of 3000 l. a year in Northumberland About the same time after the decease of William late Earl of Devonshire his Noble Cousin German My Lord was by his said Majesty made Lord Lieutenant of Derby-Shire which trust and honour after he had enjoyed for several years and managed it like as all other offices put to his Trust with all possible care faithfulness and dexterity during the time of the said Earls Son William the now Earl of Devonshire his Minority as soon as this same Earl was come to age and by Law made capable of that trust he willingly and freely resign'd it into his hands he having hitherto kept it onely for him that he and no body else might succeed his Father in that dignity In these and all other both publick and private imployments My Lord hath ever been careful to keep up the Kings Rights to the uttermost of his power to strengthen those mentioned Counties with Ammunition and to administer Justice to every one for he refused no mans Petition but sent all that came to him either for relief or justice away from him fully satisfied Not long after his being made Lieutenant of Nottingham-Shire there was found so great a defect of Armes and Ammunition in that County that the Lords of the Council being advertised thereof as the manner then was His Majesty commanded a levy to be made upon the whole County for the supply thereof whereupon the sum of 500 l. or thereabout was accordingly levied for that purpose and three Persons of Quality then Deputy Lieutenants were desired by My Lord to receive the money and see it disposed which being done accordingly and a certain account rendred to My Lord he voluntarily
ordered the then Clerk of the Peace of that County That the same account should be recorded amongst the Sessions Roles and be published in open Sessions to the end that the Country might take notice how their monies were disposed of for which act of Justice My Lord was highly commended Within some few years after King Charles the First of blessed Memory His Gracious Soveraign in regard of His true and faithful service to his King and Country was pleased to honour him with the Title of Earl of Newcastle and Baron of Bothal and Heple which Title he graced so much by His Noble Actions and Deportments that some seven years after which was in the Year 1638. His Majesty called him up to Court and thought Him the fittest Person whom He might intrust with the Government of His Son Charles then Prince of Wales now our most Gracious King and made him withal a Member of the Lords of His Majesties most honourable Privy Council which as it was a great Honour and Trust so He spared no care and industry to discharge His Duty accordingly and to that end left all the care of governing his own Family and Estate with all Fidelity attending His Master not without considerable Charges and vast Expences of his own In this present Employment He continued for the space of three Years during which time there happened an Insurrection and Rebellion of His Majesties discontented Subjects in Scotland which forced His Majesty to raise an Army to reduce them to their Obedience and His Treasury being at that time exhausted he was necessitated to desire some supply and assistance of the Noblest and Richest of his Loyal Subjects amongst the rest My Lord lent His Majesty 10000 l. and raised Himself a Voluntier-Troop of Horse which consisted of 120 Knights and Gentlemen of Quality who marched to Berwick by His Majesties Command where it pleased His Majesty to set this mark of Honour upon that Troop that it should be Independent and not commanded by any General Officer but onely by his Majesty Himself The reason thereof was upon this following occasion His Majesties whole body of Horse being commanded to march into Scotland against the Rebels a place was appointed for their Rendezvous Immediately upon their meeting My Lord sent a Gentleman of Quality of his Troop to His Majesties then General of the Horse to know where his Troop should march who returned this answer That it was to march next after the Troops of the General Officers of the Field My Lord conceiving that his Troop ought to march in the Van and not in the Rear sent the same Messenger back again to the General to inform him That he had the honour to march with the Princes Colours and therefore he thought it not fit to march under any of the Officers of the Field yet nevertheless the General ordered that Troop as he had formerly directed Whereupon My Lord thinking it unfit at that time to dispute the business immediately commanded his Cornet to take off the Princes Colours from his staff and so marched in the place appointed choosing rather to march without his Colours flying then to lessen his Masters dignity by the command of any subject Immediately after the return from that expedition to his Majesties Leaguer the General made a complaint thereof to his Majesty who being truly informed of the business commended my Lords discretion for it and from that time ordered that Troop to be commanded by none but himself Thus they remain'd upon duty without receiving any pay or allowance from His Majesty until His Majesty had reduced his Rebellious Subjects and then My Lord returned with honour to his Charge viz. The Government of the Prince At last when the whole Army was disbanded then and not before my Lord thought it a fit Time to exact an account from the said General for the affront he pass'd upon him and sent him a Challenge the place and hour being appointed by both their Consents where and when to meet My Lord appear'd there with his Second but found not his Opposite After some while his Opposite's Second came all alone by whom my Lord perceiv'd that their Design had been discover'd to the King by some of his Opposite's Friends who presently caused them both to be confined until he had made their Peace My Lord having hitherto attended the Prince his Master with all faithfulness and duty befitting so great an Employment for the space of three years in the beginning of that Rebellious and unhappy Parliament which was the cause of all the ruines and misfortunes that afterwards befell this Kingdom was privately advertised that the Parliaments Design was to take the Government of the Prince from him which he apprehending as a disgrace to Himself wisely prevented and obtained the Consent of His late Majesty with His Favour to deliver up the Charge of being Governor to the Prince and retire into the Countrey which he did in the beginning of the Year 1641 and setled himself with his Lady Children and Family to his great satisfaction with an intent to have continued there and rested under his own Vine and managed his own Estate but he had not enjoyed himself long but an Express came to him from His Majesty who was then unjustly and unmannerly treated by the said Parliament to repair with all possible speed and privacy to Kingston upon Hull where the greatest part of His Majesties Ammunition and Arms then remained in that Magazine it being the most considerable place for strength in the Northern parts of the Kingdom Immediately upon the receipt of these His Majesties Orders and Commands my Lord prepared for their execution and about Twelve of the Clock at night hastned from his own house when his Familie were all at their rest save two or three Servants which he appointed to attend him The next day early in the morning he arrived at Hull in the quality of a private Gentleman which place was distant from his house forty miles and none of his Family that were at home knew what was become of him till he sent an Express to his Lady to inform her where he was Thus being admitted into the Town he fell upon his intended Design and brought it to so hopeful an issue for His Majesties Service that he wanted nothing but His Majesties further Commission and Pleasure to have secured both the Town and Magazine for His Majesties use and to that end by a speedy Express gave His Majesty who was then at Windsor an account of all his Transactions therein together with his Opinion of them hoping His Majesty would have been pleased either to come thither in Person which He might have done with much security or at least have sent him a Commission and Orders how he should do His Majesty further Service But instead thereof he received Orders from His Majesty to observe such Directions as he should receive from the Parliament then sitting Whereupon he was
obstructions and hinderances yet as he undertook it chearfully and out of pure Loyalty and Obedience to His Majesty so he ordered it so wisely that so long as he acted by his own Counsels and was personally present at the execution of his Designs he was always prosperous in his Success And although he had so great an Army as aforementioned yet by his wise and prudent Conduct there appear'd no visible sign of devastation in any of the Countreys where he marched for first he setled a constant Rule for the Regular levy of money for the convenient Maintenance of the Soldiery Next he constituted such Officers of his Army that most of them were known to be Gentlemen of large and fair Estates which drew a good part of their private Revenues to serve and support them in their publick Employments wherein my Lord did lead them the way by his own good Example To which may be added his wisdom in ordering the Government of the Church for the advancement of the Orthodox Religion and suppression of Factions as also in Coyning Printing Knighting and the like which he used with great discretion and prudence onely for the Interest of His Majesty and the benefit of the Kingdom as formerly has been mentioned The Prudent mannage of his private and domestick affairs appears sufficiently 1. In his Marriage 2. In the ordering and increasing his Estate before the Wars which notwithstanding his Noble House-keeping and Hospitality and his Generous Bounty and Charity he increased to the value of 100000 l. 3. In the ordering his Affairs in the time of Banishment where although he received not the least of his own estate during all the time of his exile until his return yet maintained himself handsomely and nobly according to his Quality as much as his Condition at that time would permit 4. In reducing his torn and ruined Estate after his return which beyond all probability himself hath setled and order'd so that his Posterity will have reason gratefully to remember it In short Although my Lord naturally loves not business especially those of State though he understands them as well as any body yet what business or affairs he cannot avoid none will do them better then himself His private affairs he orders without any noise or trouble not over-hastily but wisely Neither is he passionate in acting of business but hears patiently and orders soberly and pierces into the heart or bottom of a business at the first encounter but before all things he considers well before he undertakes a business whether he be able to go through it or no for he never ventures upon either publick or private business beyond his strength And here I cannot forbear to mention that my Noble Lord when he was in banishment presumed out of his Duty and Love to his Gracious Master our now Soveraign King Charles the Second to write and send him a little Book or rather a Letter wherein he delivered his Opinion concerning the Government of his Dominions whensoever God should be pleased to restore him to his Throne together with some other Notes and Observations of Foreign States and Kingdoms but it being a private offer to His sacred Majesty I dare not presume to publish it 5. Of His Blessings ALthough my Lord hath been one of the most Unfortunate Persons of his Rank and Quality which this later age did produce yet Heaven hath been so propitious to him that it bestowed some blessings upon him even in the midst of his Misfortunes and supported him against Fortunes Malice which otherwise as it seems had designed his total ruine and destruction Of these Blessings I may name in the first place 1. The Royal Favours of His Gracious Soveraign's and the good esteem they had of his Fidelity and Loyalty which as it was the chief of his endeavours so he esteemed it above all the rest To repeat them particularly would be too tedious and they are sufficiently apparent out of the precedent History onely this I may add that King Charles the First out of a singular Favour to my Lord was pleased upon his most humble request to create several Noble-men the Names of them left I commit an offence I shall not mention by reason most men usually pretend such claimes upon the Ground of their own Merit 2. That God was pleased to bless him with Wealth and Power to enable him the better for the service of his King and Country 3. That he made him happy in his Marriage for his first Wife was a very kind loving and Virtuous Lady and bless'd him with Dutiful and Obedient Children free from Vices Noble and Generous both in ther Natures and Actions who did all that lay in their power to support and relieve my Lord their Father in his Banishment as before is mentioned 4. The Kindness and Civility which my Lord received from Strangers and the Inhabitants of those places where he lived during the time of his Banishment for had it not been for them he would have perished in his extream wants but it pleased God so to provide for him that although he wanted an Estate yet he wanted not Credit and although he was banished and forsaken by his own Friends and Country-men yet he was civilly received and relieved by strangers until God bless'd him Lastly With a happy return to his Native Country his dear Children and his own Estate which although he found much ruined and broke yet by his Prudence and Wisdom hath order'd as well as he could and I hope and pray God to add this blessing to all the rest That he may live long to encrease it for the benefit of his Posterity 6. Of his Honours and Dignities THe Honours Titles and Dignities which were conferr'd upon my Lord by King Iames King Charles the First and King Charles the Second partly as an encouragement for future Service and a Reward for past are following 1. He was made Knight of the Bath when he was but 15 or 16 years of Age at the Creation of Henry Prince of Wales King Iames's Eldest Son 2. King Iames Created him Viscount Mansfield and Baron of Bolsover 3. King Charles the First constituted him Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire and 4. Lord Warden of the Forrest of Sherwood as also 5. Lord Lieutenant of Derby-shire 6. He chose him Governour to His Son Charles our now gracious King and 7. Made him one of his Honourable Privy Council 8. He constituted him Governour of the Town and County of Newcastle and General of all His Majesties Forces raised and to be raised in the Northern parts of England as also of the several Counties of Nottingham Lincoln Rutland Derby Stafford Leicester Warwick Northampton Huntington Cambridg Norfolk Sussex Essex and Hereford together with all the Appurtenances belonging to so great a Power as is formerly declared 9. He conferr'd upon him the Honour and Title of Earl of Newcastle and Baron of Bothal and Hepple 10. He created him Marquess of Newcastle 11. His