only yielded to a considerable jointure, but to an union of families, &c." In other words, she drew the Earl into the same disgraceful and imprudent concessions which she had procured from his unlucky predecessors; and, partly by entreaties, partly by threats, induced him to sacrifice, in a great measure, the fortune, interest, and happiness, of himself and his family, to the aggrandizement of her children by Sir William Cavendish. To sum up her character with the brevity here required -she was a woman of a masculine understanding and conduct; proud, furious, selfish, and unfeeling. She was a builder, a buyer and seller of estates, a moneylender, a farmer, and a merchant of lead, coals, and timber: when disengaged from these employments, she intrigued alternately with Elizabeth and Mary, always to the prejudice and terror of her husband. She lived to a great old age, continually flattered, but seldom deceived, and died in 1607, immensely rich, and without a friend.

The Earl was withdrawn by death from these complicated plagues on the 18th of November, 1590, and lies buried at Sheffield, under a grand monument, with a Latin epitaph, stating at great length the principal occurrences of his life. Both the tomb and the inscription were, as nearly as might be, completed by himself. He foretold, as one of Dugdale's MSS. in the College of Arms informs us, that his heirs would neglect to make that small addition which necessarily fell to their charge; and it turned out so, for the space which should contain the date of his death remains a blank to this day.

Gilbert, the seventh Earl, came into public life when the English nation was rapidly emerging from that simplicity of manners to which it had so long been confined by bigotry and war. We shall accordingly observe in his character certain amiable features, and

certain faults, which were equally unknown to his ancestors. We shall find him the accomplished courtier, and well educated gentleman, occasionally relapsing into the pomp and the ferocity of an ancient Baron. The story of his public life lies within a narrow compass, for he was never called to any high office of the state, though apparently better qualified than any of his predecessors of whom we have been treating. His case in this respect was peculiarly hard; for, though it should seem that Elizabeth passed him over upon some suspicion of his disaffection to her, yet in the next reign he appears to have been thrust aside as one of the old followers of her Court. He was summoned to parliament as a Baron a few months before his father's death; was installed a Knight of the Garter on the 20th of June, 1592; in 1596, went Ambassador to France to ratify the treaty of alliance with Henry the Great; and was appointed by James, at his accession, Chief Justice of the Forests North of Trent. He married Mary, third daughter of Sir William Cavendish, a lady who seems to have inherited no small portion of her mother's extraordinary disposition, as will be fully proved by the following curious anecdote, which was taken from a MS. in the possession of the Rev. Sir Richard Kaye, late Dean of Lincoln, entitled "Johnson's Extracts from Norfolk Papers," and communicated to the Editor by the late J. C. Brooke, Esq. "In 1592, the families of Cavendish and Stanhope, in the county of Nottingham, were upon exceeding ill terms,* insomuch that blood was shed on both sides. The following is a copy of a message sent by Mary Cavendish, Countess of Salop, to Sir Thomas Stanhope, of Shelford, Knight, by one George Holt, and Williamson; and delivered by the said Williamson, February 15, 1592, in the presence of

* See syllabus of Unpublished Talbot Papers, Vol. H. 375, 379, 381, 389, 393, 397, 405, 419, 421, 423, 429, 433, 435, 440, 499.

certain persons whose names were subscribed—' My lady hath commanded me to say thus much to you. That though you be more wretched, vile, and miserable, than any creature living; and, for your wickedness, become more ugly in shape than the vilest toad in the world; and one to whom none of reputation would vouchsafe to send any message; yet she hath thought good to send thus much to you—that she be contented you should live (and doth no ways wish your death), but to this end-that all the plagues and miseries that may befal any man may light upon such a caitiff as you are; and that you should live to have all your friends forsake you; and without your great repentance, which she looketh not for, because your life hath been so bad, you will be damned perpetually in hell fire.' With many other opprobrious and hateful words, which could not be remembered, because the bearer would deliver it but once, as he said he was commanded; but said if he had failed in any thing, it was in speaking it more mildly, and not in terms of such disdain as he was commanded."

The Earl had issue by this high-spirited dame a son, George, who died an infant; and three daughters, Mary, Elizabeth, and Alathea, whom he had the happiness to dispose of in marriage, many years before his death, to three noblemen whose characters were as splendid as their titles: William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke; Henry Grey, Earl of Kent; and Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel. He died at his house in Broad-street, London, on the 8th of May, 1616, and was succeeded by Edward Talbot, his only surviving brother, the last Earl of Shrewsbury of his illustrious line.

The editor here concludes a task which hath occupied most of his leisure time for some years. With no great dread of censure, with smaller pretensions to praise,

with no affectation, however, of indifference as to that little portion of credit which his humble labours may deserve, he presents to the public a collection of the works of others. For the series of ancient papers which is here brought to light he asks no favours - The notices which he has presumed to add to those respectable pieces may perhaps stand in need of much indulgence. Doubtless many errors will occur in numerous details of minute circumstances, abounding with names and dates. He will be thankful for candid correction.

The army, commanded by the King in person, which, passing over to France in June, 1513, beat the French in that remarkable action called, from the swiftness of their flight (or perhaps from a village called "Spours," near which it happened,) the Battle of Spurs, and afterwards took Terouenne. By "the Duke, and Mr. Almoner," are meant the Duke of Buckingham and Wolsey.

VOL. I.

B