Autographs of royal, noble, learned, and remarkable personages conspicuous in English history, from the reign of Richard the Second to that of Charles the Second; with some illustrious foreigners; containing many passages from important letters. Engraved under the direction of Charles John Smith. Accompanied by concise biographical memoirs, and interesting extracts from the original documents / by John Gough Nichols.

  • John Gough Nichols
Date:
1829
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Autographs of royal, noble, learned, and remarkable personages conspicuous in English history, from the reign of Richard the Second to that of Charles the Second; with some illustrious foreigners; containing many passages from important letters. Engraved under the direction of Charles John Smith. Accompanied by concise biographical memoirs, and interesting extracts from the original documents / by John Gough Nichols. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Brussels, lie offered to establish him on the throne of Scotland, and accordingly received a commission, accom¬ panied by the order of the Garter. But not succeeding as he expected, he was betrayed by Macleod of Assint, in whose house he had taken refuge, and, with every species of indignity and insult, was hung at Edinburgh, May 4, 1650, at the age of 38. His magnanimous behaviour in the last trying scenes of his life crowned his character as that of a true hero. [Portraits by Houbraken, Vertue, The Signature of “ Montrose” is from the Sloane MSS. 1519, fol. 35. 4. William Cavendish, the “ loyal Duke of Newcastle,” K. G. was nephew to the first Earl of Devon¬ shire. His father was Sir Charles Cavendish, of Welbeck in Nottinghamshire, and his mother Catherine heiress to the ancient barony of Ogle. William was the last in precedency of the Knights of the Bath made at the creation of Charles Prince of Wales in 1616, although he afterwards surpassed in dignity all his asso¬ ciates on that occasion. He was created Baron Ogle of Bothal and Viscount Mansfield in 1620; and Earl of Newcastle in 1628. In 1638 he was appointed Governor to the Prince of Wales, and some instructions he composed for the Prince have been recently published in Ellis’s Letters. Although after a few years he was obliged, by party violence, to retire from his trust and from the Court, he heartily obeyed the King’s sum¬ mons on the breaking out of the civil war, and as a first step seized on Newcastle, when previously the King had not one port-town in obedience. He then raised such troops as seemed necessary for the state of affairs, and, in concurrence with other loyal nobles, kept the Northern counties with but trifling expence to the King. In 1643 he was rewarded for his services by the title of Marquis of Newcastle ; but, after the battle of Mars- ton-moor in 1644, from a disagreement with Prince Rupert, and a failure of confidence, he obtained permission to leave the country,—a desertion of a good cause to which the character which was last noticed forms a striking contrast. The Marquis fixed his residence at Antwerp, and reverted to his former pursuits of poetry, music, and horsemanship. Granger has remarked that “ he was a better horseman than musician, and a better musician than poet.” The menage was indeed his principal delight: early in life he had built at Welbeck so magnificent a riding-house as was probably not exceeded in this country till the erection of the Royal Stables at Brighton by his present Majesty; whilst at Antwerp he published a treatise on horsemanship ; and the same riding-house was the scene of his exercise when upwards of eighty. After the Restoration he was advanced to the rank of a Duke in 1664. He died Dec. 25, 1676, aged 84. The amiable character which is given to the Duke by Lord Clarendon, confirmed by the opposite party in the Memoirs of Colonel Hutchinson, and supported by the entertaining Life from the pen of his accomplished Duchess, defies the illi¬ beral and abusive detraction of Horace Walpole in his Royal and Noble Authors. [Portraits by Vosterman, 8§c. and two family pieces; recumbent Effigy in Westminster Abbey.] The Signature of “ W. Newcastle,” is from the Sloane MSS. 1519, fol. 7. 5. Sir Dudley Carleton, Viscount Dorchester, was the son of an Oxfordshire gentleman, and edu¬ cated at Westminster, and Christ Church, Oxford. In 1600 he was appointed Secretary to Sir Thomas Parry, the English Ambassador at Paris ; and in 1603, he acted in that capacity to the Earl of Northumberland, and was M. P. for St. Mawes. In 1605 he accompanied Lord Norris to Spain; whence he was soon summoned to return, and imprisoned as being implicated in the Gunpowder Treason; but, his innocence being proved, was honourably discharged, and became a Gentleman Uslier at Court. In 1610 he went Ambassador to Venice, hav¬ ing first received the honour of knighthood; he returned in 1615. In 1616 he was sent on what was then one of the most important embassies, that to the United Provinces, where he continued during the reign of James, and was the last English Minister that sat in their Council of State. On his return in 1625 the new monarch made him Vice-Chamberlain of his Household. In the same year he went Ambassador to France, and after¬ wards again to Holland. In 1626 he was created Lord Carleton, and in 1628 advanced to the Viscounty of Dorchester. And for a short period before his decease he was Secretary of State. He died without surviving issue, Feb. 15, 1631-2, aged 58. The State Papers connected with his Dutch negociations form a quarto volume, printed in 1757 by the Earl of Hardwicke, with an excellent preface. [Portraits by Delffi, Sturt, and others; reclining Effigy in Westminster Abbey.] The Signature “ Dorchester” is from a letter dated “ Hampton Court, this 27 of 74cr, 1628,” in Cotton. MSS.Vesp. F. xm. fol. 31-7-. His Signature as “ Dudley Carleton,” occurs in another Plate.