brought to his mother, she seemed not in the least degree surprised, but received it as if she had foreseen it; nor did afterward express such a degree of sorrow, as was expected from such a mother for the loss of such a son."

""*

He took to wife, eight years before his death, Lady Catherine Manners, heiress general to the noble house of Rutland, who beside a solid addition to his estate, brought him three sons and a daughter (called Mary, his first-born): his eldest son died at nurse, before his journey to Rhé; and his third, Lord Francis, was born after his father's death: so that neither his first nor his last participated of any sense of his misfortunes or felicities. The second, who succeeded to his estates and honours, was born to cheer him on his return from that unfortunate expedition.†

For these sweet pledges, and no less for the unquestionable virtues of her person and mind, he loved his lady dearly, and well expressed his love in an act and time of no simulation; bequeathing her all his mansion-houses during her natural life, and a power to dispose of his whole personal estate, together with a fourth part of his lands in jointure. His elder brother of the same womb he left a Viscount, and his younger brother an Earl; Sir Edward

*This story, which the noble Historian of the English Rebellion seriously pronounces to rest " upon a better foundation of credit than usually such discourses are founded upon," is related with some little circumstantial difference by several considerable authors; but all seem to agree in it's material parts.

+ His Life, with a short account of the fatal gallantry of his beautiful brother Lord Francis Villiers, is given in a subsequent Volume.

Villiers, his half-brother on the father's side, he preferred to the presidentship, where he lived in singular estimation for his justice and hospitality, and died with the unfeigned regret of the whole province. The eldest of the brothers, and heir of the name, was made a Baronet, but abstained from court, enjoying perhaps the greater satisfaction of self-fruition. His mother was created a Countess by patent in her own person, which was a new leading example, having become somewhat rare since the days of Queen Mary. And his sister, the Countess of Denbigh, he humbly recommended to the Queen; who on the discharge of some of her French attendants, took her into three several places of honour and confidence.

In short, not to insist on every particular branch of those private preferments, all his female kindred of the entire or half-blood, of the name of Villiers or Beaumont, within any near degree, were matched either with peers of the realm and their apparent heirs, or at least with knights or doctors of divinity, and of plentiful condition. His own subsistence in court he did not much strengthen, but stood there upon his own feet; for in truth most of his courtly connexions rather leaned upon him, than shored him up. His familiar servants, either about his person in ordinary attendance, or about his affairs of state, of law, or of office, he left both in good fortune, and what is more, in good reputation.

By the elegance of his person, the beauty of his face, and the courtliness of his address, he gained

*

* It was for his fine face, that James usually called him

Stenny' (the diminutive of Stephen) alluding to Acts vi. 15. where it is said of the first Martyr, All that sat in the council look

as high an ascendency over his Sovereign, as other favourites have usually done only by a long course of obsequious and servile assiduity. No wonder that the accumulation of honour, wealth, and power upon a vain man, suddenly raised from a private station, should expose him to envy; especially as the Duke was not less void of prudence and moderation in the use of these enjoyments, than the fond King had been in bestowing them. It must be acknowledged, however, that this great man was not without his virtues. He had all the courage and sincerity of a soldier; and was one of the few courtiers, as honest and open in their enmity, as military men are in their friendship. He was the last reigning favourite, that ever openly tyrannised in this kingdom.

ing steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. Some of his Grace's expressions of servility to the King were not less singular: one of his letters concludes with, "Your faithful dog, STENNY." The Queen, in her letter to him (then Marquis of Buckingham) soliciting his intercession with her royal husband in behalf of Sir Walter Ralegh, addresses him as "Her kind Dogge!"?

519

GEORGE ABBOT,*

ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.

[1562-1633.]

THIS prelate was the son of Maurice Abbot a clothworker, who suffered great hardships for his attachment to the Protestant faith under Queen Mary from the persecution of Dr. Story, an active bigot in those unhappy days. He resided at Guildford in Surrey, where his son George was born in 1562. The first rudiments of his education he received rom Mr. Francis Taylor, Master of the Free Grammar School in that town. Thence he removed to Baliol College, Oxford; and, in 1583, was chosen Probationer Fellow of that Society. Entering into holy orders soon afterward, he became a celebrated preacher. In 1593, he took the degree of B. D., and in 1597 that of D. D. The same year, likewise, he was elected Master of University College.

About this time a disagreement arose between Abbot and Laud, his celebrated successor in the metropolitan chair. These two divines, at a very

* AUTHORITIES. Heylin's Life of Abbot; Winwood's Memorials; Fuller's Church History; Rushworth's Collections; Clarendon's History of the Rebellion; and Wellwood's Memoirs.

early period, considered each other as rivals; and Laud having advanced some tenets in his academical exercises, which appeared to favour the doctrines of the Romish church, Abbot was active in promoting the censure passed upon him in 1606 by the University this was so highly resented by Laud, that their mutual aversion continued for life.

In 1599, Dr. Abbot was made Dean of Winchester, and the following year elected Vice-Chancellor of Oxford; an honour, which he enjoyed a second and third time in the years 1603 and 1605. The translation of the Bible now in use was begun by command of James I. in 1604; and Abbot was the second of the eight Oxford divines,* to whom

* It may not be improper to insert in this place the names of the whole body employed in this important work, with the rules which regulated their labours.

"Those appointed in 1604," says Lewis ( History of English Translations of the Bible,' p. 310.) "were distributed into six classes, and were to meet at Westminster, Cambridge, and Oxford, according to the following Order agreed upon for the translating the Bible:

"The Pentateuch, and the Story from Joshua to 1 Chronicles exclusive, by ten Westminster divines: Drs. Lancelot Andrews, Dean of Westminster; John Overal, Dean of St. Paul's; Adrian de Saravia; Richard Clarke, (Cantuar.); John Layfield, and Leigh; and Messrs. Burleigh and Bedwell (Stretford); King (Sussex); and Thompson (Clare):

"From 1 Chronicles the rest of the Story, and the Hagiographa, viz. Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Canticles, and Ecclesiastes, by eight from Cambridge; Mr. Livelye, Dr. Richardson, and Messrs. Chadderton, Dillingham, Harrison, Andrews, Spaldinge, and Bing:

"The Four Greater Prophets with the Lamentations, and the Twelve Lesser Prophets, by seven from Oxford; Drs. Hardinge, Reinolds, Holland, and Kilbie; and Messrs, Smith (Hereford), Brett, and Fareclowe: