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.

  • Nichols, John Gough, 1806-1873.
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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    Dutch in 1666, he subsequently lived in the peaceful enjoyment of his well-merited honours, and died in his house at the Cockpit, Westminster, Jan. 3, 1670-1. [ Portraits by Loggan, Gaywood, in Lodge, £fc.] The Signature of “George Monck is from the Sloane MSS. 4158, fol. 304. 0. Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, was born in 1608-9, the son of a Gentleman of Wiltshire, and educated to the law; in which two of his uncles had attained high eminence. In 1640 he became a member of the House of Commons ; and immediately devoted his whole attention to politics. He had twice refused the office of Secretary of State, when in 1643 he was induced to accept the Chancellorship of the Exchequer, and was thereupon knighted and sworn of the Privy Council. In 1644, however, he took a final leave of the King to accompany Prince Charles to Bristol. The history of that Prince’s little Court in France consists in a great measure of intrigues formed to lessen the influence of Sir Edward, until at the close of 1657 his appointment to the office of Lord Chancellor exhibited an unequivocal mark of complete favour and confidence. On the Restoration the whole weight of the administration for a time rested on the Earl of Clarendon (as he then became), and the venerable fabric of the constitution was rebuilt by his careful hand. But “ a certain peevishness of temper,” as it is styled in a letter of the King himself, after a time loosened his power ; his gravity was ridiculed in the dissolute Court; and his wisdom and integrity disregarded. He became the most unpopular man in the kingdom: in 1667, after a refusal to resign the seal, he surrendered it in^obedience to the King’s express command; and at the close of the same year his ungrateful master absolutely exiled him. Here closed Clarendon’s political life, and here commenced those better and happier days which he consecrated to posterity, in the completion of his immortal “ History of the Rebellion,” and other literary labours. He resided three years at Montpelier, removed in 1671 to Moulines, and thence to Rouen, where he died Dec. 9, 1674. [Portraits, from Lely, by R. White, Burghers, Vandergucht, andin Lodge; by Zoust, and by Loggan^] The Autograph of “ Clarendon, C.” is from a letter dated “ Cornebury the 10 of Sept.’’ preserved in the volume of Autographs bequeathed to the British Museum by the late J. Eardley Wilmot, Esq. fol. 11. 10. Charles Stuart, fourth Duke of Richmond, and sixth Duke of Lenox, K. G. was the only son of George Lord d’Aubigny, who was slain at Edgehill in 1642. Charles was in 1645 created Earl of Lichfield,—a title which had been intended for his uncle Lord Bernard; and succeeded his cousin Esme as Duke in 1660. He died, in 1672, whilst Ambassador in Denmark, when this branch of the Stuarts became extinct. The Signature is from a letter to Lord Culpeper, dated “ Cobham Hall, Octo. 11th, 1670,” in Harl. MSS. 7001, fol. 159. 11. Henry Bennett, Earl of Arlington, K. G. the second son of Sir John Bennett, of Dawley in Mid¬ dlesex, was educated at Christ-church, Oxford, and first entered into public life as Under-Secretary of State to Lord Digbv. He was afterwards a volunteer in the Royal army; and received, among other wounds, one across his nose, conspicuous in all his portraits. He was long a wanderer with Charles the Second, and went several embassies both before and after the Restoration. Lie was created Baron Arlington in 1663. He had uncom¬ mon talent at raillery and ridicule, and successfully employed those low arts to undermine Lord Chancellor Clarendon. He then became one of the notorious Cabinet styled the Cabal; was created Earl of Arlington in 1672, and made Lord Chancellor in 1674. He died July 28, 1685, aged 67. [Portraits by Houbrahen, ^c.] Arlington’s Signature is from the Lansdowne MSS. 1236, fol. 144. 12. Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper, first Earl of Shaftesbury, and Lord Chancellor of England, was born at Wimborne St. Giles in Dorsetshire, July 22, 1621; and succeeded his father as a Baronet when ten years of age. He was educated at Exeter college, Oxford, where his abilities were highly estimated, afterwards repaired to Gray’s Inn to study the law, and as early as 1640 sat in Parliament for Tewkesbury. The restless ambition of his character was manifested at the commencement of the civil war; when, having been disap¬ pointed of promotion on the King’s side, he became a Parliamentary partisan. He was equally impatient under Cromwell; and, having performed a principal part in the steps preliminary to the Restoration, was one of the twelve Commoners sent to invite the King home. At the King’s first Council at Canterbury, he was sworn a Member together with Monck, and at the coronation in 1661 he was created Lord Ashley. Soon after he was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer. He was advanced to the Earldom of Shaftesbury in April 1672, and constituted Lord High Chancellor in the following November. He held the seals fora year only. With the exception of a few months’ office as President of the Council in 1679 he was afterwards constantly in opposi¬ tion. His proceedings wore the aspect of treason, and he suffered two imprisonments in the Tower. The last few months of his busy life were spent at Amsterdam, where he died Jan. 22, 1682-3. He has been generally allowed to have possessed great talents ; but alloyed by a violent temper and flexible principles ; but has an apo¬ logist in Locke, who wrote his “ Life.” [Portraits by Houbrahen, 8$c.; Bust in Wimborne St. Giles's church.] The Signature of “ An. Ashley Cooper” is from Sloane MSS. 1519, fol. 75. 13. Thomas Wriothesley, fourth and last Earl of Southampton of the family, K. G. and Lord High Treasurer, succeeded his father in his title in 1624. He was a faithful adherent of the Roval familv ; and, soon after the Restoration was placed at the head of the Treasury. Like another Sully, he undertook, after the ravage and confusion of the civil war, to reduce the public accounts to order and regularity, and happily succeeded in the attempt. He was a man of a quick and lively conception, prompt elocution, and invincible integrity; and, to say all in a word, was in his great office what his friend Lord Clarendon was in that of Chancellor. In domestic life he was amiable and exemplary; and he died too soon for the good of the countrv, May 16, 1667. [Portraits; Medal by Simoni] The S:gnature of “ T. Southampton” is from the Harl. MSS. 4713.