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By his lady Christian, daughter of Edward lord Bruce, of Kinlofs in the kingdom of Scotland, he had three fons; the eldest of whom, William, made the tour of Europe, accompanied by his father's tutor, Mr. Hobbes, and turned out an accomplished young nobleman.

In the beginning of the troubles he retired with king Charles to York, and afterwards attended him in his parliament at Oxford. Then he withdrew beyond feas, and, when the parliament prevailed, his great eftate was sequestered. His brother, Mr. Charles Cavendish, ferved the king with equal courage and fidelity, fignalized his extraordinary valour on many different occafions, attained to the rank of a general, and was flain valiantly fighting at Gainsborough, after having, by a life of honour, and a difpofition equally affable and humane, endeared himself to all his acquaintance. His brother, the earl, returned to England after the Restoration, and spent the remainder of his life in ease and affluence, exerting the virtues of religion and hospitality. He was enabled to gratify his liberal difpofition by the care and economy of his mother, one of the most spirited and accomplished women of her time. She had obtained the wardship of her fon, whofe eftate was encumbered with vaft debts, and near thirty vexatious law-fuits. By her fteady and fagacious management the payed off the debts in his

minority, and at law got the better of all his adverfaries.

By his wife Elizabeth, fecond daughter of William Cecil, earl of Salisbury, he had a fon, William, who alfo travelled for improvement, and in his father's life-time reprefented the county of Derby in the firft parliament of Charles II. He was a nobleman of a high spirit, and fine accomplishments, elegant, fenfible, brave, and liberal. He accompanied Mr. Montagu, the English ambaffador in France; and was infulted on the ftage at the opera in Paris by three French officers, one of whom he ftruck on the face. All three, being intoxicated with liquor, immediately drew their fwords, and attacked him with great fury. He fet his back to one of the scenes, and made a gallant defence; but he received feveral wounds, and, in all probability, must have been murdered, had not a ftrong Swifs, belonging to Mr. Montagu, caught him up in his arms, and thrown him over the ftage into the parterre. One of his arms was torn in his fall by an iron spike; but he foon recovered. The three officers were, by the French king's command, committed to prifon; from whence they were not released, till he himself interceded in their behalf. In parliament, lord Cavendish fignalized himself in oppofition to the court, and made fome fevere speeches against the measures of the adminif tration, which indeed were not de

matched with Chriftopher Monk, duke of Albemarle; and afterwards to Ralph, duke of Montague: lady Frances, who efpoufed John Campbell, lord Glenorchy, eldeft fon of the earl of Braidalbain in Scotland; lady Margaret, married to John Hollis, earl of Clare, afterwards duke of Newcastle; lady Catherine, married 10 Thomas Tufton, earl of Thanet ; and lady Arabella, whose husband was Charles Spencer, earl of Sunderland.

February 1761.

Κ

fenfible.

fenfible. He spoke with great boldnefs and propriety, contracted an intimate friendship with lord Ruffel, and was one of the chiefs who promoted the exclufion-bill against the king's brother. Perhaps, like other honeft men, he was heated by altercation and oppofition to a dangerous degree of the democratical fpirit. When lord Ruffel had received fentence of death, he offered to change cloaths with him in prifon, and stay there in his room, while the other fhould efcape: but lord Ruffel was too noble to accept this generous offer. When Mr. Thynne, with whom alfo he maintained an intimacy of friendship, was affaffinated by the contrivance of count Coningfimark, and that foreigner had been acquitted by a packed jury, he fent a challenge to him, charging him with treachery and murder, and defying him to the combat-proof, which, however, the count declined.

In the reign of James II. this earl being infulted in the verge of the court by colonel Culpepper, was fo much mafter of himself, that, upon the colonel's fubmiffion, he pardoned him, on condition he should never more appear at Whitehall; but meeting him afterwards in the prefence-chamber, where Culpepper feemed to eye him with infolence of disdain, the carl wrung his nofe, and caned him out of the apart ment. For this outrage he was profecuted by information, fentenced to pay a fine of 30,000l. and, tho' a peer, committed to the prifon of the King's Bench, until the fine fhould be payed. From thence he efcaped to his feat at Chatsworth; and the theriff of Derbyshire was ordered to apprehend him. The

earl invited the fheriff to his house, where he detained him a prifoner, until he had compounded for his own liberty, by granting a bond for the payment of the 30,000 l. The countefs dowager, his mother, folicited his pardon of the king, and begged his majefty would accept, in payment of the fine, bonds and acknowledgments for twice the fum, which the earl's father, and his grandmother, had lent to his royal father and brother in their greateft diftreffes; but this propofal was rejected. The earl had rendered himself obnoxious to James; and the king of England never forgot, nor forgave, the enemies of the duke of York. Under this load, and many other family incumbrances, the earl of Devonshire began and finished the magnificent palace of Chatfworth. In this retreat, he, by his influence and popularity, became one of the chief inftruments of the Revolution. He made application to the prince of Orange, invited him over, concerted measures with the earl of Danby, the lord Delamere, fir Scroop Howe, and a few other gentlemen; and secured a great number in the interests of this defign. As foon as he heard of the prince's landing, he affembled a confiderable number of the nobility and gentry at Nottingham, where they fubfcribed a declaration in favour of the prince; formed a regiment of horfe, received the princefs Anne, who had fled from her father, conducted her to her husband at Oxford, and then joined the prince of Orange at Sion-house. He was afterwards one of the leading men in parliament who voted the throne vacant, and prefented the crown of England to the prince

and

Anne, and bore the crown between the dukes of Richmond and Somerfet. He was appointed one of the

and princefs, by whom he was conftituted lord lieutenant of Derbyfire, appointed lord fteward of the houfhold, and inftalled knight of, commiflioners for the union with the garter.

In the following parliament, the houfe of lords, upon his complaint, ordered the keeper of Newgate to bring, in fafe cuftody, to the bar of the house, the judges of the King's Bench who had fined him in 30,000l. and committed him to prifon. They accordingly appeared, acknowledged their crime, and begged his lordfhip's pardon. Then the houfe refolved, "That the court of King's Bench, in over-ruling the earl of Devonshire's plea of privilege of parliament, and forcing him to plead over in chief, it being the ufual time of privilege, did thereby commit a manifeft breach of the privilege of parliament: and that the fine of 30,000/. impofed by the court of King's Bench upon the earl of Devonshire, was exceflive and exorbitant, againft Magna Charta, the common right of the fubje&t, and the law of the land." They afterwards declared and adjudged, "That no peer of this realm, at any time, ought to be committed for the non-payment of a fine to the king."

This earl of Devonshire lived in great splendour; and exhibited his tafte for magnificence, in a remarkable manner, when he attended king William, in the year 1691, at his grand congrefs held in the Hague. There he outthone all the princes in fuperb liveries, maffy plate, and fumptuous furniture.

In the year 1694, he was created marquis of Hartington and duke of Devonshire. He acted as lord high fteward at the coronation of queen

Scotland. He continued a ftaunch afferter of whig principles, without the narrow prejudices of party. He was moderate and charitable, fincerely attached to the religion of his country; a good judge of men, a patron of merit, a tolerable fcholar, and an indifferent poet. He died in the year 1707, leaving by his wife, lady Mary Butler, daughter of the duke of Ormond, three fons; of whom the eldeft, William, fucceeded him in his titles and estate.

This nobleman had made a campaign under king William in Flanders; queen Anne conftituted him captain of the yeomen of her guard. He was afterwards declared lord fteward of the houfhold, fworn of the privy council; appointed lord warden and chief justice in eyre of all the forefts, parks, and chaces. beyond Trent; lord lieutenant and cuftos rotulorum of the county of Derby, and inftalled knight of the Garter. He was nominated one of the regents of the kingdom for the better fecuring the proteftant fucceffion; and, when George I. afcended the throne, declared lord steward of the houbold, and fworn of the privy vy council. He acted, in the fequel, as prefident of the council, and one of the lords juftices, while the king. was in Germany, both under George I. and his fucceffor. He married the lady Rachel, daughter of William lord Ruffel, by whom he had four fons and feveral daughters. He was an amiable nobleman, who inherited the virtues of his ancestors; died in the year 1729, and was sucK 2

ceeded

ceeded in his title and fortune by his eldest fon William, the heir of his good qualities. He likewife fucceeded to all his places; was captain of the band of penfioners, privy counsellor, keeper of the privy feal, knight of the Garter, lord lieutenant of Ireland, lord steward of his majesty's houthold, and one of the regency in the king's abfence. He married Catherine, daughter and fole heir of John Hofkins, Efq; by whom he had four fons and three daughters; namely, William, marquis of Hartington, the prefent duke of Devonshire, who was called up by writ to the house of peers during the life of his father; lord George Cavendish, knight of the fhire for Derby; lord Frederick Cavendish, a general officer in the army; lord John Cavendish, member of parliament for Weymouth; lady Carolina, married to lord Duncannon, fon of the earl of Befborough, of the kingdom of Ireland; lady Elizabeth, who efpoused the honourable John Ponsonby, Efq; fecond fon to the earl of Besborough; and lady Rachel, married to Horatio lord Walpole, of Woollerton in Norfolk.

The prefent duke of Devonshire, whofe character is altogether amiable, fucceeded his father in the year 1755; was appointed lord lieutenant of Ireland, where he was univerfally esteemed and beloved for

the extent of his understanding, the goodness of his heart, and the generofity of his difpofition. Upon his return from that kingdom he was made mafter of the horse to his majefty; and afterwards fucceeded the late duke of Grafton in the high office of lord chamberlain, which he ftill poffeffes.

He is known by the titles of the most noble prince William Cavendifh, duke of Devonshire, marquis of Hartington, earl of Devonshire, and baron Cavendish of Hardwick, lord chamberlain of his majesty's houfhold, knight of the moft noble order of the Garter, lord lieutenant and cuftos rotulorum of the county of Derby, lord high treasurer of Ireland, governor of the county of Cork in that kingdom, and governor of the Charter-house, and one of the lords of his majesty's privy council.

Arms. Sable, three harts heads, cabofhed, argent, attired, or. Creft. On a wreath, a fnake noué, proper.

Supporters. Two harts, each gorged with a garland, or, fprig of rofes, proper; attired, or.

Motto. Cavendo tutus, Latin.-In caution fafe.

Chief Seats. At Chatsworth and Hardwick in Derbyshire, and Devonshire-house in Piccadilly.

Conclufion of a Letter to a Friend, concerning Horace's Epiftle to the Pifos, or the Art of Poetry.

Μ

Y dear friend, mistake me not;

an argument, to fupport his caufe,

MI impeach not Horace's fenfe that has the appearance of being

or accuracy; I applaud his art, his vafrities, as Perfius terms it. As an able counsel may be allowed to advance

conclufive, though it is not altogether fo in reality; much more pardonable is the poet who applies to

the

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