however, for the most part, of gentlemen, who went rather to acquire knowledge in the art of war, than to obtain either pay or preferment in the service. The two Earls had 250 men apiece in each company; "and so many," says Wilson, "flocked to Essex out of love, (and he loth to put them off,) that he carried 300 men into the Palatinate, paying fifty of them out of his own money." n

Though the fatigues and disappointments these Earls met with in their first martial adventure, might have discouraged them from proceeding, yet these lords went over again into Holland, in 1621 ; and in quality of volunteers, put themselves under the direction of Prince Maurice, of Nassau, and by their behaviour merited the general applause of the whole army." They returned in the winter to England, where they both steered the same course in giving some opposition to the designs of the court in parliament; where, though the Earl of Essex was never eloquent, yet he spoke very pertinently, and was very well heard.

"Essex," says Wilson," had ever an honest heart; and, though nature had not given him eloquence, he had a strong reason, that did express him better. His countenance, to those that knew him not, appeared somewhat stern and solemn; to intimates affable and gentle; to the females obligingly courteous; and though unfortunate in some, yet highly respected of most, happily to vindicate the virtue of the sex. The King never affected him; whether from the bent of his natural inclination to effeminate faces, or whether from that instinct or secret prediction that divine fate often imprints in the apprehension, whereby he did foresee in him (as it were) a hand raised up against his posterity, may be a notation, not a determination. But the King never liked him, nor could he close with the court. P

We cannot much wonder, after the disobligations that Lord Essex received from court, at his accepting the commission, in the subsequent reign, of general of the parliament forces: this was in 1642. The King had, in 1639, made him the lieutenant-general of his forces, in the northern expedition. But did not employ him, when the next army was raised, "which," Lord Clarendon says, "was a great pity; for it had infallibly preserved him from swerving from his duty; and he would have discharged

■ Hist. p. 136.

Biog. Brit. Codrington's Life of Lord Essex.

P Hist. p. 162.

his trust with courage and fidelity; and, therefore, probably with success: but he was of a haughty spirit, and did not think his last summer's service so well requited, that he was earnestly to solicit for another office; though there is no doubt but he would have accepted it, if it had been offered." "A weak judgment, and some vanity, and much pride, will hurry a man into as unwarrantable, and as violent attempts, as the greatest and most un limited, and insatiable ambition will do. He had no ambition of title, or office, or preferment, but only to be kindly looked upon, and kindly spoken to, and quietly to enjoy his own, fortune and, without doubt, no man in his nature more abhorred rebellion than he did, nor could he have been led into it by any open and apparent temptation; but by a thousand disguises and couzenages. His pride supplied his want of ambition, and he was angry to see any other man more respected than himself, because he thought he deserved it more, and did better requite it. For he was in his friendship just and constant; and would not have practised foully, against those he took to be his enemies. No man had credit enough with him to corrupt him, in point of loyalty to the King, whilst he thought himself wise enough to know what treason was. But the new doctrine and distinction of allegiance, and of the King's power in and out of parliament, and the new notions of ordinances, were too hard for him, and did really intoxicate his understanding, and made him quit his own to follow theirs; who, he thought, wished as well, and judged better than himself. His vanity disposed him to be his excellency; and his weakness to believe, that he should be the general in the houses, as well as in the field; and be able to govern their counsels, and restrain their passions, as well as to fight their battles; and that, by this means, he should become the preserver, and not the destroyer, of the King and kingdom. With this ill-grounded confidence, he launched out into that sea, where he met with nothing but rocks and shelves, and from whence he could never discover any safe port to harbour in." In April, 1645, in consequence of the selfdenying ordinance, he resigned his command. In the following year, the King being a prisoner, great differences arose between the parliament and the army; and "the presbyterian party," says Clarendon," would have new-modelled the army again, if it had not pleased God to have taken away the Earl of Essex, some months before this, who died" (September 1647,)" without being sensible of sickness, in a time when he might have been able to have undone much of the mischief he had formerly wrought, to

which he had great inclination; and had indignation enough for the indignities himself had received, from the ungrateful parliament, and wonderful apprehension and detestation of the ruin he saw likely to befal the King, and the kingdom. And it is very probable, considering the present temper of the city at that time, and of the two houses, he might, if he had lived, have given some check to the rage and fury that then prevailed; but God would not suffer a man, who, out of the pride and vanity of his nature, rather than the wickedness of his heart, had been made an instrument of so much mischief, to have any share in so glorious a work. Though his constitution, and temper, might very well incline him to the lethargic indisposition of which he died, yet it was very loudly said, by many of his friends, that he was poisoned. Sure it is, that Cromwell, and his party, (for he was now declared head of the army, though Fairfax continued general in name,) were wonderfully exalted with his death; he being the only person whose credit and interest they feared, without any esteem of his person."

r

He was honoured with knighthood at Windsor, with his Highness Charles Prince of Wales, afterwards King Charles II. when he was to be installed Knight of the Garter, on May 20th, 1638. He died September 14th, 1647, or rather 1646, and was pompously buried on October 22d, in St. Paul's chapel within Westminster-abbey. The two houses of parliament, as they were then called, attended his funeral, towards which they ordered 5000l. to be paid, and a hearse was erected for him in the South Cross, which was afterwards by Cromwell's soldiers defaced, his effigies hacked to pieces, his spurs and achievements torn down.

He married first, the Lady Frances, second daughter to Thomas Howard, first Earl of Suffolk; but, that marriage being nullified for impotency, as before alluded to, his Lady was re-married to Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset ; and

He took to his second wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Powlet, of Edington in com. Wilts, Knight, who bore to him a son, Robert, who died an infant.

His Lordship dying without surviving issue male, the Earldoms of Essex and Eu became extinct, and the Baronies of Ferrers, Bouchier, and Lovaine, continued in abeyance, till Charles II. revived them in the person of Sir Robert Shirley, afterwards Earl

VOL. VI.

• Seymour's Survey of London, vol. ii. fol, 554.

r Lord Clarendon says 1646.

C

Ferrers: but the title of Viscount Hereford devolved on Sir Walter Devereux, eldest surviving son of Sir Edward Devereux, of Castle Bromwich, before-mentioned, only son of Walter, first Viscount Hereford, by his second wife, Margaret Garnish.

The said Sir EDWARD DEVEREUx, of Castle-Bromwich, was created a Baronet on November 25th, 1612, 10 Jac. I. and died September 228, 1622, and is buried at Aston in Warwickshire.' By Catherine, his wife, eldest daughter of Edward Arden, of Park Hall in Warwickshire, he had six sons, and four daughters. Of the sons,

Ambrose, the eldest, died unmarried in the lifetime of his

father.

Sir Walter, the second, succeeded to his father's honours and estate, as shall be shewn.

William, the third son, died unmarried.

Sir George Devereux, of Sheldon-hall in Warwickshire, the fourth, shall be treated of as continuator of the male line.

Edward, the fifth son, died unmarried; and

Henry, the sixth son, married Barbara, daughter and heir of Robert Smalbroke, of Yardley, Esq. but left no issue.

Margaret, the eldest daughter, was wedded to Sir Hugh Wrottesley, of Wrottesley in Staffordshire, Knight; Anne was married to Robert Leighton, of Watlesborough in Shropshire, Esq.; Howard was the wife of Thomas Dilke, of Maxtoke castle, Warwickshire, Esq.; and Grace was the youngest daughter. Lady Catherine, their mother, died November 2d, 1627, and is buried at Aston, aforesaid. "

Sir WALTER DEVEREUX, FIFTH VISCOUNT HEREFORD, as aforesaid, second, but eldest surviving son of Sir Edward Devereux, Bart. of Castle-Bromwich, claiming, upon the death of Robert, last Earl of Essex, the dignity of Viscount Hereford, by virtue of the entail on the heirs male, had the same allowed and confirmed to him in parliament, A. D. 1646.

He first married Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Robert Bayspoole, of Aldeby in Norfolk, Esq. but she dying without issue,

He took to his second wife, Elizabeth, second daughter of Thomas Knightley, of Borough-hall, near Knightley, in the county of Stafford, and of Fawesley, in Northamptonshire, Esq. and had issue by her five sons; whereof

Dugdale's Warwickshire, fol. 613.

u Ibid.

Walter, the third, died without issue; Edward and John, the fourth and fifth sons, died unmarried.

Of the other two sons, Essex, the eldest, married Anne, daughter of Sir William Courteen, of the city of London, Knight, but died in his father's lifetime without issue, and his widow was afterwards married to Sir Richard Knightley, of Fawesley, Knight of the Bath, whereupon

LEICESTER DEVEREUX, the second son, succeeded his father as SIXTH VISCOUNT HEREFORD, and departed this life on December 1st, 1676, leaving issue, by Elizabeth his first wife, daughter and heir to Sir William Withipole, Knt. (who brought him the lordship of Christ-church, in Ipswich) one daughter, named Frances, married to William, Viscount Tracy, of the kingdom of Ireland.

And by Priscilla, his second wife, daughter of John Catchpole, of the county of Suffolk, Esq. he left issue two sons and two daughters, viz.

LEICESTER DEVEREUX, his eldest son and heir, who succeeded him as SEVENTH VISCOUNT HEREFORD, but died in March 1682-3, being then about nine years of age; whereupon

EDWARD DEVEREUX, second son, became EIGHTH VISCOUNT HEREFORD, after the death of his brother, and took his place in the house of peers, on October 20th, 1696. He married, in 1689, Elizabeth, daughter and coheir to Walter Norborne, of Calne in com. Wilts, Esq. but died without issue on August 9th, 1700, and his relict was afterwards married to John Sims Berkeley, of Stoke Gifford in Gloucestershire, Esq. who died December 11th, 1736, leaving by her a son, Norborne Berkeley, who was afterwards summoned to Parliament, as Baron Botetourt, but died without issue, at his government of Virginia, in North America; and an only daughter, Elizabeth, the late Duchess Dowager of Beaufort.

Elizabeth, his eldest sister, died unmarried; and Anne, the second, becoming at length sole heir to her brother the said Edward Viscount Hereford, married first with Leicester Martin, Esq. in her right of Christ-church, in Ipswich, by whom she had an only daughter and heir, married to Price, tenth Viscount Hereford.

The male issue of this branch being thus extinct by the death of the aforesaid Edward, eighth Viscount Hereford, without issue,

* Bridges's Northamp. fol. 70.