He was seized abroad, and sent to London, where he was condemned and executed without a trial, and with peculiar circumstances of rigour, having been conducted to death by those sorrowful soldiers who had been accustomed to obey his command. The king was much exasperated against him, as he believed him to be the seducer of his favourite son. He, at his death, denied his ever having any design against his majesty's life. SIR EDMOND BURY GODFREY. P. Vandrebanc sc. large sheet. SIR EDMUND BURY GODFREY, Et. 57. P. Vandrebanc sc. large h. sh. Another, smaller, by the same hand. SIR EDMOND BURY GODFREY, Et. 57; two English verses. SIR EDMUND BURY GODFREY. Van Hove sc. octogon; h. sh. A copy of the same, by Nutting. SIR EDMUND BURY GODFREY; sold by Arthur Tooker. SIR EDMUND BURY GODFREY; in a large h. sh. with seven others. Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey, an able magistrate, and of a fair character, who had exerted himself in the business of the Popish plot, was found pierced with his own sword, and several marks of violence on his body. His death, which was imputed to the Papists, who were then supposed to be the authors of all mischief, was generally deemed a much stronger evidence of the reality of the plot, than any thing that Oates either did, or could swear. Even the foolish circumstance of the anagram of his name, helped to confirm the opinion of his being murdered by Papists. His funeral was Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey was anagrammatized to, "I find murdered by rogues." celebrated with the most solemn pomp: seventy-two clergymen preceded the corpse, which was followed by a thousand persons, most of whom were of rank and eminence. His funeral sermon was preached by Dr. William Lloyd, dean of Bangor, and afterward bishop of Worcester. He was found dead, the 17th of October, 1678. THOMAS THYNNE, esq'. Lely p. Browne; h. sh. mezz. THOMAS THYNNE, esq. Kneller p. White sc. h. sh. THOMAS THYNNE, esq. Cooper; 4to. mezz. THOMAS THYNNE, esq. of Longleat, (murdered 1681-2). Claussin fec. 4to. There is a portrait of him at Longleat. Thomas Thynne, esq. of Longleat, in Wiltshire, and member of parliament for that county, was noted for the affluence of his fortune, and his uncommon benevolence and hospitality. Hence he gained the epithet of "Tom of ten thousand." He was married to the Lady Elizabeth Percy, countess of Ogle, sole daughter and heir of Josceline, earl of Northumberland; but was murdered in his coach, before consummation, by three assassins, supposed to be suborned by Charles, count Koningsmark, a necessitous adventurer, who had made some advances to the Lady Ogle.* He is the person meant by the name of Issachar, in Dryden's "Absalom and Achitophel ;" and is hinted at in the following lines of the Earl of Rochester. But it ought to be observed, that this author is sometimes as licentious in his satire, as he is in his other writings. "Who'd be a wit in Dryden's cudgel'd skin,t Or who'd be rich and senseless like Tom- ?” Ob. 12 Feb. 1681-2. • See an account of this murder in Reresby's " Memoirs," 8vo. p. 135. + Dryden was cudgelled for reflecting on the Duchess of Portsmouth, and the Earl of Rochester, in his "Essay on Satire," which he wrote in conjunction with the Earl of Mulgrave. JOHANNES COTTONUS BRUCEUS, φιλάνθρω πος, φιλοβασίλευς, καὶ φιλοκάρολος. G. Kneller "Virtus repulsæ nescia sordidæ, p. Arbitrio popularis auræ."-HOR. Vandrebanc sc. large sheet. SIR JOHN COTTON BRUCE. Kneller p. R. White sc. 1699; 4to. John Cotton Bruce was the only son of Sir Thomas Cotton, bart. and grandson to Sir Robert Cotton, the celebrated antiquarian. This gentleman, who died in 1702, made considerable additions to the valuable library collected by his grandfather. It consisted of manuscripts, which, bound up, made about a thousand volumes. They relate for the most part to English history and antiquities; the improvement of which was what Sir Robert chiefly aimed at in his collections. They were methodically ranged, and placed in fourteen sets of shelves; over which were the heads of the twelve Cæsars, Cleopatra, and Faustina. They were purchased of Sir John Cotton, great grandson of Sir Robert, by Queen Anne; and are now deposited in the British Museum. See more concerning the Cottonian Library, in Ward's "Lives of the Gresham Professors," p. 251, 252. DANIEL COLWAL, esq'. R. White sc. 1681; h. sh. DANIEL COLWAL, armiger, &c. h. sh. Before Dr. Grew's " Museum Regalis Societatis," 1681; fol. Daniel Colwal, esq. of the Friary, near Guilford, was a gentleman of good fortune, the superfluities of which he expended in making a collection of natural rarities. These he presented to the Royal Society, and is therefore justly esteemed the founder of their Museum. Of these Dr. Grew has given us a catalogne, which is at once a proof of the judgment of the compiler and the collector. The most valuable branch of it is the shells, in the description and arrangement of which, the ingenious doctor has taken uncommon pains. Mr. Colwal was at the expense of engraving thirty-one folio copper-plates for this book. See more of him in Birch's "History of the Royal Society." JOHANNES MEEKE, A. M. aulæ B. Mariæ Magd. (Oxon.) olim alumnus; centum libras annuas decem scholaribus in eadem aula studentibus, æqualiter numerandas, testamento in perpetuum donavit: eodemq; cavit, ut crescente postmodum terrarum reditu, plures itidem scholares iisdem proportione et loco alendi, denario numero adjicerentur: anno salutis reparatæ 1665; sheet. He is represented in a lay-habit. JOHN MEEKE; in the "Oxford Almanack," 1749. ROBERTUS FIELDING, aulæ Fieldingensis, in com. Warwici, armig. Lely p. J. V. Vaart fecit. Tompson exc. h. sh. mezz. ROBERTUS FIELDING, &c. Lely p. Vandervaart f. h.sh. mezz. ROBERTUS FIELDING, &c. Wissing p. Becket f. h. sh. mezz. There is an anonymous mezzotinto of him fondling a dog. ROBERT FIELDING; ship at a distance. G. Kneller p. Becket. ROBERT FIELDING; in a rich coat; 8vo. M. Tomkins sc. in Caulfield's "Remarkable Persons." This branch of natural history was but little attended to before the reign of Charles II. The states of Holland made that prince a present of a fine collection, which he seems to have had but little taste for, as it was presently dissipated. Robert Fielding, a gentleman cf a good family in Warwickshire, was sent to London to study the law; but entering into the fashionable vices of the town, he presently abandoned all thoughts of that profession. His person was uncommonly beautiful; and he studied every art of setting it off to the best advantage. He was as vain and expensive in his own dress, as he was fantastical in the dresses of his footmen; who usually wore yellow liveries, with black sashes, and black feathers in their hats. As he was fond of appearing in public places, he soon attracted the notice of the ladies. The king himself was struck with his figure at court, and called him handsome Fielding. From that moment he commenced the vainest of all fops: but this circumstance occasioned his being still more admired, and established his reputation as a beau. The contributions which he raised from some of the sex, he lavished upon others: but he was sometimes forced to have recourse to the gamingtable for supplies, where he was generally successful. He was first married to the only daughter and heir of Barnham Swift, lord Carlingford, who was of the same family with the Dean of St. Patrick's.* Some time after the death of this lady, he, to repair his shattered fortunes, made his addresses to one Mary Wadsworth, who assumed the name of Madam Delaune, a lady of 20,0001. fortune. He married this woman; but forsook her as soon as he discovered the cheat. He afterward espoused Barbara, dutchess of Cleveland, whom he treated with insolence and brutality. This occasioned a prosecution against him for bigamy. He was found guilty, but was pardoned by Queen Anne. His trial, which is worth the reader's notice, is in print. ERASMUS SMITH (or SMYTH), esq'. &c. G. W. (George White) f. h. sh. mezz. This print is companion to that of Madam Smith, mentioned in Class XI. Erasmus Smyth, esq. descended from an ancient and honourable family, in Leicestershire, was son of Sir Roger Smyth, otherwise Heriz, of Edmonthorpe, in that county, by his second wife. He was largely portioned for a younger son, his mother having brought See the Appendix to Swift's "Life of Dr. Swift," p. 2. + Of this shameful marriage, much is said in the Memoirs of Mrs. Manley. The handsome Fielding is the Orlando of the Tatler. |