George Villiers Duke Marquis Earle of Buckingham Earle of Couentry Vicount Villiers Baron of Waddon High Admirall of England Ireland and Principallity of Wales Gouernor of all the Castelles and Sea forts and of the Royall Nauye M of the Horse to his Matie Lord Warden Channcellor and Admirall of ye Sinque Ports etc. Chancellor of ye Vniuersite of Cambridge Knight of ye most Noble Order of ye Garter and one of Maties most Honble Priuve Councell etc. A SHORT VIEVV OF THE LIFE AND DEATH OF GEORGE VILLERS Duke of Buckingham Written by Sir Henry Wotton Knight late Provost of Eaton Colledge LONDON Printed for William Sheares THE LIFE AND DEATH OF GEORGE VILLERS Late Duke of Buckingham I Determine to write the life and the end the nature and the fortunes of George Villers late Duke of Buckingham which yet I have not undertaken out of any wanton pleasure in mine own pen Nor truely without often pondering with my selfe before hand what Censures I might incurre for I would not be ignorant by long observation both abroad and at home That every where all Greatnesse of power and favour is Circumvested with much prejudice And that it is not easie for writers to research with due distinction as they ought in the Actions of eminent personages both how much many have beene blemished by the envy of others and what was corrupted by their owne felicity unlesse after the Period of their splendor which must needes Dazell their beholders and perhaps often times themselves we could as in some Scenes of the fabulous Age excite them againe and conferre a while with their naked Ghosts How ever for my part I have no servile or ignoble end in my present labour which may on either side restraine or embase the freedome of my poore judgment I will therefore steere as evenly as I can and deduce him from his Cradle through the deepe and lubricke wayes of State and Court till he was swallowed in the Gulfe of falelity I finde him borne in the yeere of our Saviour 1592. on the 28. of August at Brookesby in Leycester-shire where his Ancestors had cheifly continued about the space of fourehundred yeeres rather without obscurity then with any great luster After they had long before beene seated in Kinalton in the County of Nottingham he was the third sonne of George Villars Knight and Mary late Countesse of Buck. and Daughter to Anthony Beaumont of Coleorton Esquier names on either side well known of Ancient extraction And yet I remember there was one who in a wild Pamphlet which he published besides other pittifull Maglignities would scant allow him to be a Gentleman He was nurtured where he had beene borne in his first Rudiments till the yeeres of ten And from thence sent to Billisden Schoole in the same County where he was taught the principalls of Musicke and other slight Literature till the Thirteenth of his age At which time his father dyed Then his beautifull and provident Mother for those Attributes will not be denyed her tooke him home to her house at Goodby where shee had him in especiall care so as he was first as we may say a Domesticke favorite But finding him as it should seeme by nature little studious and contemplative she chose rather to endue him with Conversative Qualities and Ornaments of youth as Dancing Fencing and the like Not without perchance even then though far of at a Courtiers life To which lessons he had such a dexterous proclitie as his teachers were faine to restraine his forwardnesse to th' end that his brothers who were under the same trayning might hold pace with him About the Age of Eighteene he travelled into France where he improved himselfe well in the Language for one that had so little Grammaticall foundation but more in the exercises of that Nobility for the space of three yeeres And yet came home in his naturall plight without affected formes the ordinary disease of Travellers After his returne he passed againe one whole yeere as before at Goodby under the Winge and Councells of his Mother And then was forward to become a suter at London to Sir Roger Ashtons Daughter a Gentleman of the Bed chamber to King Iames and Master of his Roabes about which times he falls into intrinsecall society with Sir John Greham then one of the Gentlemen of his Maiesties Privie Chamber who I know not upon what Luminaryes he spyed in his face disswaded him from marriage and gave him rather incouragement to woe fortune in Court which advise sancke well into his fancy for within some while the King had taken by certaine Glauaces where of the first was at Apthorpe in a progresse such liking of his person that he resolved to make him a Master-peice and to Mould him as it were Platonically to his owne Idea Neither was his Majestie content onely to be the Architect of his fortune without putting his Gracious hand likewise to some part of the worke it selfe Insomuch as it pleased him to descend and to avale his goodnesse even to the giving of his foresaid friend Sir Iohn Grcham secret directions how and by what degrees he should bring him into favour But this was quickly discovered by him who was then as yet in some possession of the Kings heart For there is nothing more Vigilant nothing more jealous then a favorite especially towards the wayning time and suspect of saciety so as many Arts were used to discusse the beginnings of new affliction which lye out of my Roade being a part of another mans story All which notwithstanding for I omitt things intervenient there is Conveyed to Master Villers an intimation of the Kings pleasure to waite and to be sworne his servant And shortly after his Cup-bearer at large And the Summer following he was admitted in ordinary After which time favours came thicke upon him liker mayne showers then sprinkling Droppes or Dewes for the next Saint Georges-day he was Knighted and made Gentleman of the Kings-Bedchamber and the same very day had an Annuall pension given him for his better support of one thousand pounds out of the Court of Wards At Newyeers-tide following the King chose him Master of the Horse After this hee was installed of the most Noble Order And in the next August he Created him Baron of Whaddon and Viscount Villers In Ianuary of the same yeere he was advanced Earle of Buckingham and sworne here of his Majesties Privie Counsell As if a favorite were not so before the March ensuing he attended the King into Scotland And was likewise sworne a Counseller in that Kingdome whereas I have beene instructed by unpassionate men he did carry himselfe with singular sweetnesse and temper which I held very credible for it behoved him being new in favor and succeeding one of their owne to study a moderate stile among those generous Spirits About Newyeers-tyde after his return from thence for those beginnings of yeeres were very propitious unto him as if Kings did choose
sight after whom they pressed and and were let in by the Duke De Mont Bason the Queenes Lord Chamberlaine out of humanity to strangers when diverse of the French went by Note here even with a point of a Diamond by what oblige steppes and immaginable preparatives the high disposes of Princes affections doth sometimes contriue the secrets of his will for by this casuall curiosity it fell out that when afterwards the marriage came in motion betweene our Soveraigne Lord and the aforesaid most Amiable Princesse It must needs be howsoever unknowne no small spurre to the treaty that shee hath not before beene altogether a stranger to his Eye From the next day when they departed at three of the clocke in the morning from Paris being the 23. of February were spent six dayes to Bayon the last Towne of France having before at Bourdeaux bought them five Riding Coates all of one colour and fashion in a kinde of Noble simplicity where Sir Francis Cottington was imployed in a faire manner to keepe them from being entertained by the Duke De Espernon telling him they were Gentlemen of mean degree and formed yet to little Courtship who perchance might otherwise being himselfe no superficiall man in the practizes of the World have peirced somewhat deeper then their out-side They were now entred into the deep time of Lent could get no flesh in their Innes Whereupon fell out a pleasant passage If I may insert it by the way among more ferious there was neere Bayon a heard of Goates with their young ones upon which sight the said Sir Richard Greham tells the Marquesse he would snap one of the Kids and make some shift to carry him close to their lodging which the Prince over-hearing why Richard sayes he do you think you may practise here your old trickes againe upon the borders Vpon which words they first gave the Goate-heard good contentment and then while the Marquesse and his servant being both on foote were chasing the Kidde about the stacke the Prince from Horse-backe killed him in the head with a Scottish Pistol let this serue for a Iournall Parenthesis which yet may shew how his Highnesse even in such slight and sportfull dammage had a Noble sense of just dealing At Bayon the Count De Gramont Governour of that jealouse kay tooke an exquisite notice of their persons and behavour opened himselfe to some of his traine that he thought them to be Gentlemen of much more worth then their habits bewrayed yet he let them courteously passe And foure dayes after they arrived at Madrid being Wednesday the fift of March Thus have I briefly runned over transcursions as if my pen had bin posting with them which done I shall not neede to relate the affluence of our Nobles and others from hence into Spaine after the voyce of our Prince his being there had beene quickly noysed and at length beleeved neither will I stay to consider the Arts of Rome where now all Engines were Whetted though by the Divine blessing very vainly when they had gotten a Prince of great Brittaine upon Catholicke ground as they use to call it This and the whole matter of Negotiation there the open entertainments the secret working the Apprehensions on both sides the apparance on neither And in summe all the circumstances and respect of Religion and State intermixed together in that commicture will better become a Royall History or a Counsell table then a single life yet I cannot omit some things which intervened at the meeting of two Pleiades me thinkes not unlike that which Astrologers call a conjunction of Planets of no very benigne Aspect the one to the other I meane the Marquis of Buckingham and the Conde D'Olivers They had some sharper and some milder differences which might easily happen in such an interveene of Grandes both vehement on the parts which they swayed But the most remarkable was upon a supposition of the Condees as fancies are cheape that the Marques had intimated unto her some hopes of the Prince his conversion which comming into debate the Marquesse so roundly disavowed this Guilded dreame as Olivers alleadged he had given him La-Mentida and thereupon formes a Compliment to the Prince himselfe which Buckingham denying and yet Olivers persisting in the said Compliment the Marquesse though now in strange hands yet seeing both his honour and the truth at stake was not tender likewise to engage his life but replied with some heate that the Condees asseveration would force him to doe that which he had not done before for now he held himselfe tyed in termes of a Gentleman to maintaine the contrary to his affirmative in any sort whatsoever This was the highest and the harshest point that occurred betweene them which that it went so farre was not the Dukes fault non his fault neither as it should seeme that it went no farther There was another memorable passage one day of gentler quality and yet eager enough The Conde d' Olivers tells the Marqesse of a certaine flying noyse that the Prince did plot to be secretly gone to which the Marquis gave a well tempered answer that though love had made his Highnesse steale out of his owne Countrey yet feare would never make him runne out of Spaine in other manner then should become a Prince of his Royall and generous Vertues In Spaine they stayed neere eight intire moneths during all which times who but Buckingham lay at home under millions of male-dictions which yet at the Prince his safe arrivall in the West did die and vanish here and there into praises and eligyes according to the Contrary motions of popular waves And now to summe up the fruite of the journey discourses ranne thus among the cleerest obseruers It was said that the Prince himselfe without any imaginable staine of his Religion had by the sight of forraine Courts and observations of the different natures of people and Rules of government much excited and awaked his Spirits and corroborated his judgement And as for the Marquis there was note taken of two great additions which he had gained first he was returned with encrease of title having there beene made Duke by Patent sent him which was the highest degree whereof an English subject could be capable But the other was farre greater though closer for by so long and so private and so various consociation with a Prince of such excellent nature he had now gotten as it were two lives in his owne fortune and greatnesse whereas otherwise the estate of a favorite is at the best but a Tennant at will and rarely transmitted But concerning the Spanish Commission which in publique conceit was the maine scope of the Iourney that was left in great suspence and after some time utterly laid aside which threw the Duke amongst free Witts whereof we have a Ranke soile under diverse Censures the most part were apt to beleeve that hee had brought downe some deepe distaste from Spaine which exasperated his Councels
not three hours before his execution to Sir Richar Gresham two only inducements thereof The first as he made it in order was a certain libellous book written by one Eggleston a Scottish Physitian which made the Duke one of the foulest Monsters upon the earth and indeed unworthy not only of life in a Christian Court and under so vertuous a King but of any room within the bounds of all humanity if his prodigious predictions had the least semblance of truth The second was the Remonstrance it self of the Lower House of Parliament against him which perchance he thought the fairest cover so he put in the second place whatsoever were the true motive which I think none can determine but the Prince of darkenesse it self he did thus prosecute the effect In a by-Cutlers shop on Tower hill he bought a ten-penny knife so cheap was the instrument of this great attempt and the sheath thereof he sewed to the lining of his pocket that he might at any moment draw forth the Blade alone with one hand for he had maymed the other This done he made shift partly as it is said on horse back and partly on foot to get to Portsmouth for he was indigent and low in mony which perhapps might have a little edged his desperation at Portsmoutb on Saturday being the 23. of August of that currant yeer he pressed without any suspition in such a time of so many pretenders to imployment into an inward Chamber where the Duke was at breakefast the last of his repasts in this world accompanied with men of quality and action with Monsier-de Soubes and Sir Thomas Fryer and there a little before the Dukes rising from the table he went and stood expecting till he should Passe through a kinde of Lobye between that room and the next where divers attending him towards which passage as I conceive somewhat darker then the Chamber which he voided while the Duke came with Sir Thomas Fryer close at his ear in the very moment as the said Knight withdrew himself from the Duke a Safinate gave him with a back blow a deep wound into his left side leaving the knife in his body which the Duke himself pulling out on a suddain effusion of spirits he sunk down under the table in the next room and immediatly expired Certain it is that some good while before Sir Clement Throckmorton a Gentleman then living of grave judgement had in a private conferrence advised him to weare a privy Coat whose Councell the Duke received very kindly but gave him this answer that against any popular farie a shirt of mayle would be but a silly defence and as for any single mans assault he took himself to be no danger So darke is destiny One thing in this enormious accident is I must confesse to me beyond all wonder as I received it from a Gentleman of judicious and diligent observation and one whom the Duke well favoured That within the space of not many minutes after the fall of the body and removall thereof into the first room there was not a living creature in either of the chambers no more then if it had lien in the Sands of AEthiopia whereas commonly in such cases you shall note every where a great and sudden conflux of people unto the place to hearken and to see But it should seem the very horrour of the fact had stupified all curiosity and so dispersed the multitude that it is thought even the murtherer himself might have escaped for who gave the blow none could affirm if he had not lingred about the house below not by any confused arrest of conscience as hath been seen in like examples but by very pride in his own deed as if in effect there were little difference between being remembred by a verteous fame or an Illustrious infamy Thus died this great Peer in the 36th yeer of his age compleat and three dayes over in a time of great recourse unto him and dependance upon him the house and Town full of servants and suters His Dutchesse in an upper room scarce yet out of her bed and the Court at that time not above six or nine miles from him which had been the stage of his greatnesse I have spent some enquiry whether he had any ominous presagement before his end wherein though both ancient and modern Stories have been infected with much vanity yet oftentimes things fall out of that kind which may bear a sober constitution whereof I will glean two or three in the Dukes case Being to take his leave of my Lords Grace of Canturbury the only Bishop of London whom he knew well planted in the Kings unchangeable affection by his own great abilities after cortefies of courage had passed between them My Lord sayes the Duke I know your Lordship hath very worthily good accesses unto the King our Soveraign let me pray you to put His Majesty in minde to be good as I no way distrust to my poor wife and children at which words or at his countenance in the delivery or at both My Lord Bishop being somewhat troubled took the freedom to aske him where he had never any secret abodements in hi minde No replyed the Duke but I think some adventure may kill me as well as another man The very day before he was slain feeling some indisposition of body the King was pleased to give him the hoonur of a visit and found him in his bed where and after much serious and private discourse The Duke at His Majesties departing imbraced him in a very unusuall and passionate manner and in like sort to his friend the Earl of Holland as if his soule had divined he should see them no more which infusions towards fatall ends had been observed by some Authors of no light authority On the very day of his death the Countesse of Denbigh received a Letter from him whereunto all the while she was writing her answer she bedewed the paper with her tears And after a mâ—st bitter passion whereof she could yeeld no reason but That her dearest brother was to be gone she fell down in a swound Her said letter endeth thus I will pray for your happy return which I look at with a great cloud ever my bead too heavy for my poor heart to bear without torment i but I hope the great God of heaven will blesse you The day following the Bishop of Ely her devoted friend who was thought the fittest preparer of her minde to receive such a dolefull accident came to visite her but hearing she was at rest he attended till she should awake of her self which she did with the affrightment of a dream Her brother seeming to passe thorow a field with her in her Coach where hearing of a sudden shout of the people and asking the reason it was answered to have been for joy that the Duke of Buckingham was sick Which naturall Impression she scarce had related unto her Gentlewoman before the Bishop was entred into her Bed-chamber for a chofen Messenger of the Dukes death This is all that I dare present of that nature to any of judgement not unwillingly omitting certain prognostick Anagrams and such strains of fancy He took to wife eight yeers and two months before his death the Lady Katherine Manners Heir generall to the Noble House of Rutland who besides a solid addition to his estate brought him three sons and a daughter called the Lady Mary his first born his eldest son died at Nurse before his iourney at Rbez and his third the Lord Francis was born after his fathers death so as neither his first nor his last were participant of any sense of his misfortunes or felicities His second son now Duke of Buckingham was born to cheer him after his return from that unlucky Voyage For these sweet pledges and no lesse for the unquestionable vertues of her person and minde he loved her dearly and well expressed his love in an act and time of no simulation towards his end bequeathing her all his Mansion-houses during her naturall life and a power to dispose of his whole personall estate together with a fourth part of his Lands in Joynture He left his elder brother of the same womb a Viscount and his younger an Earl Sir Edward Villers his half brother on the fathers side he either preferred or removed call it how hou will from his step-mothers eye to the presidentship where he lived in singular estmation for his justice and hospitality and died with as much grief of the whole Providence as ever any Governour did before his Religious Lady of sweet and Noble direction adding much to his honour The eldest of the brethren and heir of the Name was made a Baronet but abstained from Court enjoying perhaps the greater greatnesse of self fruition He left his mother a Countesse by Patent in her own person which was a new leading example grown before somewhat rare since the dayes of Queen Mary His sister of Denbigh that right character of a good Lady he most humbly recommended to the Queen who alter a discharge of some French in her Court that were to return took her into three severall places of honour and trust In short not to insist upon every particular Branch of those private preferments he left all his female kindred of the entire or half blood descending of the name of Villers or Beaumont within any neer degree either matched with Peers of the Realm actually or hopefully with Earls sonnes and heirs or at least with Knights or Divinity and of plentifull condition He did not much strengthen his own substance in Court but stood there on his own feet for the truth is the most of his Allies rather leaned upon him then shoared him up His familiar servants either about his person in ordinary attendance or about his affairs of State as his Secretaries or of Office as his Steward or of Law as that worthy Knight whom he long used to solicite his causes He left all both in good Fortune and which is more in good Fame Things very seldome consociated in the Instruments of great Personages FINIS