Mowbray, duke of Norfolk, he had
two fins, two of whom, viz. Wil-
liam and Maurice, fucceeded him;
and from his fourth fon Thomas are
defcended the Berkeleys of Wor-
cefterfhire and Herefordshire. He
died at Berkeley Caftle the latter
end of November 1463, and was
fucceeded in his title and eftate by
. William his eldest fon, for whom
King Edward II. entertained fo great
a regard, that in the zift year of
his reign he advanced him to the
honour of viscount Berkeley; and
foon after granted him one hundred
marks per annum, payable out of
the customs of the port of Bristol
for life. In the first year of the
reign of Richard III. he was created
carl of Nottingham; but afterwards
fled into Brittany, to Henry earl of
Richmond; for which, on that
prince's acceffion to the throne, he
was appointed earl marfhal of Eng.
land, with limitation to the heirs
male of his body, and a fee of twenty
pounds per annum. Henry VII.
likewife advanced him afterwards to
the dignity of marquis of Berkeley.
He was twice married, but left no
ilue by either of his wives. He
died Feb. 14, 1491.

Briftol, by whom he had three fons, Maurice, Thomas, and James; and died in 1506.

Maurice, his eldeft fon and fucceffor, was created a knight of the Bath at the coronation of Henry VIII. and executed several important commiffions under that monarch. - In the fourteenth year of Henry VIIIth's reign, he was fummoned to parlia ment (though he had not the place of his anceflois); but fat according to the date of that fummons. He married Catherine, daughter of Sir William Berkeley of Stoke Gifford in Gloucestershire, but had no iffue. He died on September 12, 1523, and was fucceeded by

Thomas, bis brother and heir, who fignalized himself so very re-, markably in a battle against the Scots in 1513, that Thomas earl of Surry, the general, rewarded him with the honour of knighthood. Henry VIII. afterwards created him constable of Berkeley Caftle. He was twice married; by his first wife he had no children; but by his fecond, left iffue two fons, Thomas and Maurice. He died on January 22, 1532.

Thomas, his eldest fon and fucceffor, was also twice married. By his firft lady, Mary, daughter of George lord Haflings, he had no iffue; but by his fecond, Anne, daughter of Sir John Savage. of Frodsham in Chethire, kut, he had two children; Henry his fon and heir, born nine weeks and four days after his death, and a daughter named Elizabeth. He died at Stone, in hiş journey from his houfe at Gloucefterfhire to London, on Sept. 19, 1534.

Maorice, his brother, though the next heir, enjoyed nothing of the honour, or little or none of the eftate; for having incurred his brother's difpleafure, by marrying into an inferior family, the caftle of Berkeley, with the lands and lordhips which were annexed to that ancient barony, were fettled by the marquis on king Henry VII. and his ilue male, in remainder to his own right heirs. Maurice, however, tho' difinherited, after fome time recovered part of the ancient inheritance. He married Ifabel, daughter of Philip Mead, Eiq; alderman of thofe lordships fettled on that king

By the death of Edward VI. the laft male heir of Henry VII. Henry his fucceffor regained poffefon of Berkeley-Caftle, together with all

by

by William, marquis of Berkeley,, vices, (as the patent fets forth) adbefore mentioned; and was invested vanced to the title of viscount Durwith them by queen Mary before he fley, as alfo to the degree of an earl, arrived at full age. Accordingly, by the title of earl of Berkeley, and, upon repoffeffing the old barony of to the heirs male of his body, on his ancestors, he was fummoned by the 11th of September, in the 31st writ of parliament in the fourth and year of that king's reign. He was fifth year of the reign of Philip and, alfo fworn of his majefty's privyMary, and there placed according council, on July 17, 1678; and, to the ancient precedence. He took about the middle of March 1681, to his first wife, Catherine, third received an addrefs of thanks from daughter of Henry Howard, earl of the governors of Sion college for his Surry, and by her had two fons and princely donation of a choice and four daughters. He was married,, excellent library to that college. His fecondly, to Jane, daughter of Sir lordship was appointed by James II.. Michael Stanhope, knt. who furviv- cuftos rotulorum of the county of ed him, and died Jan. 3, 1617, but Gloucefter, and was afterwards fworn by her left no iffue. He died on of his privy council. On the acceffion. the 26th of Nov. 1613, aged feventy- of William and Mary, he was appointnine years, and four days. Thomas ed one of their majefties privy-council, his eldest fon died in his father's and alfo conftituted cuftos rotulorum life-time on the 22d of Nov, 1610. of the county of Surry. He married On the death of queen Elizabeth he Elizabeth, one of the co-heireffes of carried the news thereof to king John Maffingbeard, Efq; by whom James in Scotland, and was made he had two fons and fix daughters; knight of the Bath at that prince's and dying on October 14, 1691, in coronation. He married Elizabeth the feventy-first year of his age, was, only daughter of Sir George Cary, fucceeded in his honours and estate knt, and by her left iffue George his by his eldest fon fon and heir; and a daughter named Theophila.

Henry lord Berkeley was fucceed ed in honour and eftate by his grandfon George, beforementioned, who was created a knight of the Bath at the creation of Charles, prince of Wales, in 1616. He married Elizabeth, fecond daughter and co-heir of Sir Michael Stanhope, of Sudbury in Suffolk, knt. by whom he had iffue two fons and a daughter. He dying on August 10, 1658, his titles and estate devolved on his fecond fon

George, lord Berkeley, who having greatly contributed to the happy restoration of Charles II. was for that and divers other eminent fer

Charles, earl of Berkeley, who was made one of the knights of the Bath at the coronation of Charles II. and in that reign ferved in parliament for the city of Gloucefter. On the acceflion of William and Mary, he was called up by writ to the house of peers, (his father then living) and took his place as baron Berkeley, of Berkeley, July 11, 1689. In the year 1699 he was appointed one of the lords juftices of the kingdom of Ireland; the year following he was continued one of the lords juftices, and general governor of Ireland, and was fworn of the privycouncil to queen Anne; who alfo on June 7, 1702, appointed him contable of her majefty's caftle of

Brianels

To the Authors of the BRITISH Magazine.

The converfation of the public having been lately renewed on the infamous seizure of the Marquis de Fratteaux, in March 1752, and several of the papers having given us a circumftantial account of the manner in which he was dragged away; fuffer me to lay before your readers a little narrative of that unfortunate nobleman, and to mention from what cause the execrable scheme against him was concerted and carried into execution. I am, &c. F. V.

The early reputation thus acquir ed by the marquis, inftead of gaining him any mark of affection at home, almost eftranged any little esteem in which he had been hitherto held.— His father, instead of feeling the transport which on fuch an occafion would have fwelled the bosom of any other parent, on the contrary, grew more inflexible in his refentment, and determined more than ever to root him out of every poflibility of fucceeding to his eftate.

of mortifying his spirit, and break-mended him in the warmest manner ing his temper when a child; and imaginable to the king, and got him even when he approached to years invefted with the order of St. Louis, of maturity, exerted the whole ter- and complimented with a handsome ror of his authority to force him penfion for the fupport of his diginto the profeffion of the law; nity. whereas he knew our marquis was burning with a defire of diftinguishing himself in arms. The marquis employed feveral ecclefiaftics in vain, to fubdue the obftinacy of his father's determination. At laft, when the old gentleman was going to confine him in a loathfome dungeon for refufing to comply with his orders, he had recourse to a mistress of whom his father was particularly fond, and begged upon his knees, that he would intereft herself in his behalf. His application to this young woman was not fruitless; The had more goodness of heart than was cuftomary in perfons of her character, and the next time her lover was in the amorous mood, refufed in a peremptory manner to gratify his wishes unless he gave her an abfolute affurance, that his fon Lewis fhould be left for the choice of a profeffion entirely to his own inclinations. The old gentleman, at fuch a crisis, could refufe nothing to his charmer, and the marquis had fpeedily a permiffion to enter himfelf a cadet in the regiment of Noailles, where, after fourteen months fervice, he was advanced to a cornetcy in Maine's, and in lefs than three years, promoted fill farther to a troop in Saint Jal's, though he was then but a little turned of fixteen. From the rapidity of his promotion, we may easily conclude that he had behaved with the greatest reputation in his military capacity. This was in reality the cafe, and M. d'Argenfon, at that time prime minifter, was fo fenfible of it, that he recom.

He now began to give out that the marquis was not his fon, but an impoftor palmed upon him by the nurfe, and though no child could ever behave with a more refigned fubmiffion to the will of a parent than the fubject of the prefent little history, ftill the only return he met from his father, was a constant round of ignorant brutality, and unaccountable revenge. The marquis, though remarkable to a proverb as a dutiful fon, was guilty of one unpardonable error; he would not refign his birthright to his younger brother; and his father being determined the younger brother should fucceed, refolved to establish him in the fucceffion without any regard to the means.

Twice did this worthy father make a perfonal attempt on the life of the marquis. Once he drew on him; and another time, when ill in a fever, adminiftered a dose of poifon to him inftead of the bark; this laft was near being fatal, and the father withdrew, fatisfied that the business was done; but the marquis,

finding