Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	earl_n	knight_n	sir_n	59,280	5	6.9270	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67129	A short view of the life and death of George Villers, Duke of Buckingham written by Henry Wotten ...	Wotton, Henry, Sir, 1568-1639.	1642 (1642)	Wing W3652; ESTC R21346	18,072	31

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

Neither was there wanting some other that thought him altogether voyd of a little Ambition to shew his power either to knit or dissolve Howsoever the whole Scene of affaires was changed from Spaine to France there now lay the prospective which alteration being generally liked and all alterations of State being ever attributed to the powerfullest under Princes as the manner is where the eminency of one obscureth the Rest the Duke became suddainly and strangely Gracious among the multitude and was even in Parliament highly exalted so as hee did seeme for a time to have overcome that naturall Incompatability which in the experience of all ages hath beene noted betweene the vulgar and the Soveraigne favour but this was no more then a moere Bubble or blast and like an Ephemerall fit of applause as eftsoone will appeare in the sequell and traine of his life I had almost forgotten that after his returne from Spaine hee was made Lord Warden of the Sinque-Ports which is as it were a second Admiralty and Steward likewise of the Mannour of Hampton Court Dignities and Offices still growing of trust or profit And the King now giving not onely out of a beneficient disposition but a very habituall and confirmed custome one yeere sixe Moneths two dayes after the joyfull reception of the Prince his sonne from Spain King Iames of immortall memory among all the lovers and admirers of Divine and humane Sapience Accomplished at Theobals his owne dayes on Earth under whom the Duke had runne a long Course of Calme and smooth prosperity I meane long for the ordinary life of favour and the more notable because it had beene without any Visible Ecclipse or Wane in himselfe amidst diverse variations in others The most importunant and pressing care of a new and Vigorous King was his marriage for mediate establishment of the Royall lyne wherein the Duke having had an especiall hand hee was sent to conduce hither the most lovely and Vertuous Princesse Henriette Mariae youngest daughter to the great Henry of Burbon of whom his Majestie as hath beene said had an ambulatory view in his travells like a stollen taste of something that provoketh appetite Hee was accompanied with none of our Peeres but the Earle of Mountgomery now Lord Chamberlaine a Noble Gentleman of trusty free and open nature and truely no insuitable Associate for that hee himselfe likewise at the beginning of King Iames had runne his Circle in the Wheeling Vicissitude of favour And heere I must crave leave in such of high quality or other of particular note as shall fall under my pen whereof this is the first not to let them passe without their due Character being part of my professed ingenuity Now this Ambassy though it had a private shew being charged with more formalitie then matter for all the essentiall Conditions were before concluded could howsoever want no Ornaments or bravery to adorne it among which I am neere thinking it worth of a little remembrance that the Duke one solemne day Georgeously clad in a suite all over-spred with Diamonds and having lost one of them of good Value perchance as hee might be dauncing after his manner with lofty motion It was strangly recovered againe the next morning in a Court full of Pages such a diligent attendant was fortune every where both abroad and at home After this faire discharge all civill honours having showred on him before there now fell out great occasions to draw forth his spirits into action a breach first with Spaine and not long after with France it selfe notwithstanding so streight an affinity so lately treated with the one and actually accompished with other As if indeed according to that pleasant Maxime of State Kingdomes were never married this must of necessity involue the Duke in businesse enough to have over-set a lesser Vessell being the next Commander under the Crowne of Portes and ships But he was noted willingly to embrace those Overtures of publicke imployment for at the Parliament at Oxford his youth and want of experience in Maritine service had bin somewhat shrewdly touched even before the sleuces floudgates of popular liberty were yet set open so as to wipe out that objection hee did now mainly attend his charge by his Majesties untroubled and sereen Commands even in a tempestuous time Now the men fell a Rubbing of Armour which a great while had layen oyled The Magazines of Munition are veiwed The Officers of Remaines called to account frequent Counsells of Warre as many private conferences with expert Sea-men a fleete in preparation for some attempt upon Spaine The Duke himselfe personally imployed to the States Generall And with him joyned in full Commission the Earle of Holland a Peere both of singular grace and solidity and of all sweete and serviceable vertue for publicke use These two Nobles after a dangerous passage from Harwich wherin three of their Ships were foundred arrived the fift day at the Hage in Holland here they were to enter a treaty both with the States themselves and with the Ministers of diverse allyed and confederate Princes about a Common diversion for the recovery of the Palatinate where the Kings only Sisters Doway had beene ravished by the German Eagle mixed with Spanish Feathers a Princesse resplendent in darknesse and whose vertues were borne within the chaunce but without the power of fortune Here it were iniurious to overslip a Noble act in the Duke during this imployment which I must for my part celebrate above all his expenses there was a Collection of certain rare Manuscripts exquisitly written in Arabique and sought in the most remote parts by the diligence of Erpinius the most Excellent Linguist these had beene left to the Widdow of the said Erpinius and were upon saile to the Iesuits at Autwerpe Licourish Chapmen of such Ware Whereof the Duke getting knowledge by his worthy and learned Secretary Doctor Mason Interverted the bargaine and gave the poore Widdow for them five hundred pounds a summe above their weight in silver and a mixed act both of bounty and charity the more laudable being much out of his naturall Element These were they which after his death were as Nobly presented as they had beene bought to the University of Cambridge by the Dutchesse Dowager assoone as she understood by the aforesaid Doctor Mason her husbands intention who had a purpose likewise as I am well instructed to rayse in the said University whereof he was Chancellour a faire case for such Monuments and to furnish it with other choice collections from all parts of his own charge perchance in some Emulation of that famous Treasury of knowledge at Oxford without paralel in the Christian world But let me resume the file of my relation which this Object of bookes best agreeable to my course of life hath a little interrupted the aforesaid Negotiation though prosecuted with heale and probable appaof great effects took up a Moneth before the Dukes return from his excentricity for so I account