Merits were fo fingularly confpicuous, a to render themselves the firft Men of a Family, which rofe into Note by their Means, have been the conftant Patrons of the SPECTA TO R. This therefore, which is the Ninth and Laft Volume, could not, in my Opinion, be poffibly Infcribed to any Perfon fo properly as your LORDSHIP; who have, in the first Place, the Honour of being defcended from a Family, which, for a long Series of Time, has, by very many Noble Alliances, got the Blood of fome of the moft Illuftrious Peers of Great Britain running in its Veins; and who have, in the next place, perfonally acted fo many Things perfectly worthy of your great Birth, that a PRINCE, the moft diftinguish'd Himself among all the Princes of Europe, for his vaft Capacity in diftinguishing the real Merit of his Subjects, hath thought fit, to make You, who are ally'd to fo many Noblemen, One of their Number.

MY LORD,

I very well know, that a great deal of what is call'd witty Satire and Rallery, has been made ufe of to deter Perfons from fpeaking concerning Family and Birth, in a Dedication: But I muft beg leave to affert, That it is a falfe kind of Wit, and that the Rallery is unwarrantable; and I

can

can by no means yield up even my little Share of Reason, to an Error, merely because it is grown Common. To put a Perfon of Honour in mind of his good. Birth, is placing before his Eyes the Worth of his Ancestors, and giving him fresh Incentives to continue the doing of Things, that are truly Great and truly Noble. Hence I can't help thinking, that the first Man, whoever he was, who difcountenanced this elegant Practice in a Dedication, was either addreffing a Man who placed a wrong. Degree of Pride in his having fprung from no Family at all; or elfe writing to fome degenerate and unworthy Peer, who had been happier in not being diftinguifh'd by one, and on whom it would have been a fevere Satire to be put in mind of any Persons of Worth, that preceded Him. Whoever will read the Ingenious Mr. ADDISON'S Maxims upon Nobility, (a Perfon who had a great Share in writing the SPECTA TOR,) will find, that he joins with me in this Opinion. That celebrated Wri ter, after having given, according to his - wonted Manner, feveral weighty and convincing Reafons, why he is of that Opinion, tells us at last, that for thofe Reafons, He thinks a Man of Merit, that

··

is derived from an Illustrious Line is 4 very justly to be regarded more than

66. 2

&C a Man of Equal Merit, who has no Claim to Hereditary Honours."

I fhall therefore in this Place take the Liberty of making Honourable Mention. to Your LORDSHIP of one Great Anceftor of Yours, whofe very Character, by being only written down in the Words of that Noble Hiftorian, the Lord CLARENDON, Will, perhaps, excite a commendable Thirft of gaining the like Fame hereafter, in many well-born Young Gentlemen, that hall read it; and it must be very pleafing to You to find, in fo great a Writer as the Lord CLARENDON, One of the most shining Characters in the whole Hiftory, given to a near Relation of Your own, who can't be faid to be before you in Worth and Merit, but only to have preceded You in Point of Time. This Impartial Hiftorian Speaks of Colonel GAGE as follows 3:

"He was, in truth, a very extraordinary Man, of a large and very grace-. "ful Perfon, of an honourable Ex

traction, his Grandfather having been. "Knight of the Garter, befides his great "Experience and Abilities as a Soldier,

which were very Eminent, he had very great Parts of Breeding being 'a

of.

" very

"very good Scholar in the polite Parts of "Learning, a great Mafter in the Spa66 nifh and Italian Tongues, which he 66 fpoke in great Perfection, having scarce "been in England in Twenty Years be"fore. He was likewife very conver"fant in Courts; having for many Years "been much efteemed in that of the "Arch-Duke and Dutchess, Albert and 66 Ifabella, at Bruffels, which was a great "and very regular Court at that Time; "fo that he deferved to be looked upon 65 as a wife and accomplish'd Perfon. "Of this Gentleman the Lords of the

2

Council had a fingular Efteem, and "confulted frequently with him whilft "( they looked to be befieg'd; and thought "Oxford to be the more Secure for his "being in it, which rendered him so un"grateful to the Governor, Sir Arthur "Afton, that he crofs'd him in any Thing "he propofed, and hated him perfectly; "as they were of Natures and Manners, "as different as Men can be,

"He relieved Bafing, when it was "befieged, and was next made Gover"nor of Oxford; but enjoy'd the Office ❝a very little Time; for within a Month, "or thereabout, making an Attempt to "break down Culham Bridge, near Abingdon where he intended to erect a Royal 6. Fort,,

Fort, that fhould have kept that Garrifon from that Side of the Country, ❝he was shot through the Heart with a "Mufquet Bullet Prince Rupert was "prefent at the Action, having approved,

and been much pleafed with the De"fign, which was never pursued after

his Death. And in truth the King had "a wonderful Lofs in his Death, He being. " a Man of great Wisdom and Temper, "and one among the very few Soldiers, "who made himself to be univerfally ❝ loved and efteemed."

YOU fee here before You, my Lord,. those Virtues exemplify'd in Your Anceftors, which ought to be the conftant Companions of Nobility and Honour, and without them, the Wearer of dignify'd Appellations enjoys but a dead Title. You fee it was by the Virtues of Generofity, Affability, Courage, and Loyalty, that Your Ancestors got their principal Renown; and the glorious Character (which I take greater Delight to hear frequently, as I do, that You have already obtain'd in the World, than to speak of it here to Yourself) must continue to be kept alive by the conftant Repetition of thofe Virtues, as often as proper Occafions fhall demand them.

My