of his country demanded his affiftance, he readily entered into the most active parts of life; and underwent the greatest dangers, with a conftancy of mind, which fhewed, that he had not only read the rules of philofophy, but understood the practice of them.

In the first Dutch war, he went a volunteer under the duke of York: his behaviour, during that campaign, was fuch, as diftinguished the Sackville defcended from that Hildebrand of the name, who was one of the greateft captains that came into England with the Conqueror. But his making a fong the night before the engagement (and it was one of the prettieft that ever was made) carries with it fo fedate a prefence of mind, and fuch an unusual gallantry, that it deferves as much to be recorded, as Alexander's jefting with his foldiers before he paffed the Granicus; or William the First of Orange, giving orders over-night for a battle, and defiring to be called in the morning, left he should happen to fleep too long.

From hence, during the remaining part of king Charles's reign, he continued to live in honourable leifure. He was of the bed-chamber to the king, and poffeffed not only his master's favour, but (in a great degree) his familiarity; never leaving the court, bus when he was fent to that of France, on fome short commiffions and embaffies of compliment: as if the king defigned to fhew the French (who would be thought the politeft nation) that one of the finest gentlemen in Europe was his fabject; and that we had a prince

prince who understood his worth fo well, as not to fuffer him to be long out of his presence.

The fucceeding reign neither relished my lord's wit, nor approved his maxims: fo he retired altogether from court. But, as the irretrievable miftakes of that unhappy government went on to threaten the nation with fomething more terrible than a Dutch war, he thought it became him to refume the courage of his youth, and once more to engage himself in defending the liberty of his country. He entered into the prince of Orange's intereft; and carried on his part of that great enterprife here in London, and under the eye of the court, with the fame resolution, as his friend and fellow-patriot, the late duke of Devonshire, did in open arms at Nottingham; till the dangers of thofe times encreased to extremity, and just apprehenfions arofe for the fafety of the princefs, our prefent glorious queen: then the earl of Dorfet was thought the propereft guide of her neceffary flight, and the perfon under whofe courage and direction the nation might moft safely truft a charge fo precious and important.

After the establishment of their late majefties upon the throne, there was room again at court for men of my lord's character. He had a part in the councils of those princes, a great share in their friendship, and all the marks of diftinction with which a good government could reward a patriot. He was made chamberlain of their majesties household; a place which he fo eminently adorned by the grace of his perfon, the fineness of his breeding, and the knowledge and prac

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tice of what was decent and magnificent, that he could only be rivalled in these qualifications by one great man, who has fince held the same staff.

The laft honours he received from his fovereign (and indeed they were the greatest which a subject could receive) were, that he was made knight of the garter, and conftituted one of the regents of the kingdom during his majesty's abfence. But his health, about that time, fenfibly declining, and the public affairs not threatened by any imminent danger, he left the business to those who delighted more in the state of it, and appeared only fometimes at council, to fhew his refpect to the commiffion; giving as much leifure as he could to the relief of those pains with which it pleased God to afflict him; and indulging the reflections of a mind, that had looked through the world with too piercing an eye, and was grown weary of the profpect. Upon the whole, it may very justly be faid of this great man, with regard to the publick, that through the courfe of his life he acted like an able pilot in a long voyage; contented to fit quiet in the cabin, when the winds were ́allayed, and the waters smooth; but vigilant and ready to refume the helm, when the ftorm arofe, and the fea grew tumultuous.

I ask your pardon, my Lord, if I look yet a little more nearly into the late lord Dorfet's character: if I examine it not without fome intention of finding fault, and (which is an odd way of making a panegyric) fet his blemishes and imperfections in open view.

The

The fire of his youth carried him to fome exceffes; but they were accompanied with a most lively invention, and true humour. The little violences and eafy mistakes of a night too gayly spent (and that too in the beginning of life) were always fet right the next day, with great humanity, and ample retribution. His faults brought their excuse with them; and his very failings had their beauties. So much fweetness accompanied what he said, and fo great generofity what he did, that people were always prepoffeffed in his favour: and it was in fact true, what the late earl of Rochester faid in jeft to king Charles, that he did not know how it was, but my lord Dorfet might do any thing, yet was never to blame.

He was naturally very fubject to paffion; but the fhort guft was foon over, and served only to fet off the charms of his temper, when more compofed. That very paffion broke out with a force of wit, which made even anger agreeable: while it lafted, he said and forgot a thousand things, which other men would have been glad to have studied and wrote; but the impetuofity was corrected upon a moment's reflection, and the measure altered with fuch grace and delicacy, that you could scarce perceive where the key was changed.

He was very sharp in his reflections; but never in the wrong place. His darts were fure to wound; but they were fure too to hit none, but thofe whofe follies gave .him very fair aim. And, when he allowed no quarter, he had certainly been provoked by more than common error; by men's tedious and circumftantial recitals of

their affairs; or by their multiplied questions about his own; by extreme ignorance and impertinence; or the mixture of thefe, an ill-judged and never-ceafing civi lity; or, laftly, by the two things which were his utter averfion, the infinuation of a flatterer, and the whifper of a tale-bearer.

If therefore we fet the piece in its worft pofition, if its faults be moft expofed, the fhades will ftill appear very finely joined with their lights, and every inperfection will be diminished by the luftre of fome neigh bouring virtue. But, if we turn the great drawings and wonderful colourings to their true light, the whole muft appear beautiful, noble, admirable.

He poffeffed all thofe virtues, in the highest degree, upon which the pleasure of fociety, and the happiness of life depend and he exercised them with the greatest decency, and best manners. As good-nature is faid, by a great author, to belong more particularly to the English, than any other nation; it may again be faid, that it belonged more particularly to the late earl of Dorfet, than to any other Englishman.

**

A kind husband he was, without fondnefs; and an indulgent father, without partiality. So extraordinary good a mafter, that this quality ought indeed to have been numbered among his defects; for he was often ferved worfe than became his ftation, from his unwillingness to affume an authority too fevere. And, during those little tranfports of paffion, to which I just

* Sprat.

now