26

POLITICAL SERIES.

standing. He is a slave to the weakest prejudices; the rod hangs like the sword of Damocles over his head, and he humbles before his mother and the priest."-" His religion is not founded on the love of virtue and the detestation of vice; the spring of his whole conduct is fear-fear of the horns of the devil and of the flames of hell. He has all the superstition of a Capuchin, but none of the religion of a prince."-"When the draught of a declaration to be circulated in Great Britain-that dated at Commercy-was to be settled, his real character was fully developed. He took exception against the passages in which the security of the protestant church was promised. He said he could not in conscience make such a promise, and asked warmly why the tories were so anxious to have him if they expected those things from him which his religion did not allow. I left the draughts with him that he might amend them, and, though I cannot absolutely prove it, I firmly believe that he sent them to the queen to be corrected by her confessor. Queen Anne was called, in the original, his sister, of blessed and glorious memory;' in When her death was that which he published, blessed' was left out. mentioned, the original said, 'when it pleased Almighty God to take her to himself,' this was erased, and the following words inserted, when He also refused to allow it pleased God to put a period to her life.'

the term of blessed martyr' to be applied to Charles."

Horace Walpole thus spoke of James Frederick in 1752: "The Chevalier de St George is tall, meagre, and melancholy in his aspect: enthusiasm and disappointment have stamped a solemnity on his person, He seems the phantom which which rather creates pity than respect. good nature, divested of reflection, conjures up, when we think on the misfortunes, without the demerits of Charles I. Without the particular features of any Stuart, the chevalier has the strong lines and fatality of air peculiar to them all. He never gave the world very favourable impressions of him; in Scotland his behaviour was far from heroic. At Rome-where to be a good Roman catholic it is by no means necessary to be very religious-they have little esteem for him: but it was his ill treatment of the Princess Sobieski, his wife, that originally disgusted the papal court. She, who to zeal for popery had united all its policy,who was lively, insinuating, agreeable, and enterprising,-was fervently supported by that court when she could no longer endure the mortifications that were offered to her by Hay and his wife, the titular countess of Inverness, to whom the chevalier had entirely resigned himself. The pretender retired to Bologna, but was obliged to sacrifice his favourites before he could re-establish himself at Rome. The most apparent merit of the chevalier's court is the great regularity of his finances and the economy of his exchequer. His income, before the rebellion, was about £23,000 a year, arising chiefly from pensions from the pope and from Spain, from contributions from England, and some irregular donations from other courts; yet his payments were not only most exact, but he had saved a large sum of money, which was squandered on the unfortunate attempt in Scotland. Besides the loss of a crown, to which he thought he had a just title; besides a series of disappointments from his birth; besides that mortifying rotation of friends to which his situation has constantly exposed him, he has, in the latter part of his life, seen his own little court and his parental affections torn to pieces, and tortured by the seeds of faction, sown by that master-hand of sedition, the

famous Bolingbroke, who insinuated into their councils a project for the chevalier's resigning his pretensions to his eldest son as more likely to conciliate the affections of the English to his family. The father and the ancient Jacobites never could be induced to relish this scheme; the boy and his adherents embraced it as eagerly as if the father had really had a crown to resign. Slender as their cabinet was, these parties divided it."

In opposition to Bolingbroke, the earl of Mar, a devoted adherent to the Stuarts, describes the chevalier as having possessed "all the great and good qualities that are necessary for making a people every way happy;" and Lesley, a non-juring divine, whom the prince entertained in his household for the purpose of officiating to the protestants in the family, declares that he was magnanimous, tolerant, and devout; courteous, sensible, and diligent.

Richard Cromwell.

BORN A. D. 1626.-DIED A. D. 1712.

RICHARD CROMWELL, eldest son of Oliver Cromwell, lord-protector of the commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, was born at Huntingdon, October 4th, 1626. His early grammar education was completed at Felsted in Essex, under the inspection of his grandfather, Sir James Bourchier, who resided at that place. In his twenty-first year he was admitted to the society of Lincoln's-Inn, but his time was passed rather in the character of a country gentleman than of a civilian. Upon the advancement of his father's fortunes he obtained a marriage with Dorothy, eldest daughter of Richard Major, Esq. of Hursley in Hampshire, with whom he received a considerable dowry. He appears to have lived in retirement till his father was made protector, being manifestly disqualified for those stormy scenes in which his father took so active a part, as well as disinclined to engage in them. Rural sports and country pleasures, with the peaceful enjoyments of domestic life, appear to have been his chief occupations, while his father was settling the affairs of the kingdom. He is reported to have interceded for the life of the condemned monarch. After peace and public order were restored, Richard allowed himself to be returned member of parliament for Monmouth and Southampton. In 1655 he was made first lord of trade and navigation. His father was too wise and able a governor to have advanced him to this important station unless he had perceived in him some qualities that eminently fitted him for the duties of his office, for never was the government of Great Britain more efficiently conducted, both in its domestic and foreign departments, than during the protectorate.

In the parliament which was summoned in August, 1656, Richard Cromwell was returned member for the university of Cambridge and for the county of Hants. The year following Richard had a very narrow escape for his life. The parliament were admitted to the banquetting-house to pay their respects to the protector. A large number were crowding the stair-case, when it gave way, and precipitated them into the hall beneath. Richard had several of his bones broken;

but being young and of a vigorous constitution he speedily recovered. In July of the same year the chancellorship of the university of Cambridge being vacant, by the resignation of the protector, Richard was elected to succeed him; and to manifest still farther the respect felt by the whole university for Cromwell, his son was created master of arts. The death of the protector followed the year after, when Richard was in the thirty-second year of his age. His father is said to have nominated him on his death-bed as his successor, but this is not quite certain. The council, however, sent to him upon the death of his father requesting him to accept the style and title of protector. For a short time every appearance was favourable to the stability of his power. Some writers have insinuated that he was a man of weak abilities. The greater probability is, that such writers were men of strong prejudices; for those who have condemned the father for aiming at the supreme power are the very persons who reproach his son for resigning it. Richard does not appear to have manifested any deficiency of talent during the short time that he held the reins of government, but rather to have conducted himself prudently and discreetly; but he was not a spirit to ride the storm, and foreseeing that a dominion which had been purchased at such an expense of blood, could not be maintained without a renewal of former scenes of strife and bloodshed, both wisely and benevolently preferred the abandonment of honour and power. It was a hard task for Oliver himself to control the army, it was therefore not to be expected that a civilian, and one of pacific habits, would ever attempt it, or would ever succeed in his attempt. The republicans were no doubt the first plotters against the new protector, and they, in their turn, soon found that all their schemes were countermined, and that instead of a protector they must submit to the restoration of the old dynasty. Richard was induced to dissolve his parliament, then call a new one, give up the great seal, quit Whitehall, and finally to send in to the parliament his resignation. Upon this a schedule of his debts, principally incurred for his father's funeral, was made out, and it was promised they should be defrayed, together with a handsome subsistence for himself and family. The expediency of his abdication, to prevent another bloody contention, is shown by the issue of affairs. Those very persons who had been the agents of accomplishing the abdication, could not finally attain their more remote ends; for they involved the nation in an unconditional surrender to one of the most worthless creatures that ever sat upon a throne, and precipitated themselves into utter ruin and perpetual dispersion. Chief-Justice Hale strenuously pressed for the requisite conditions, but was overborne; and so all things lapsed into even a worse state than they had been in before the civil war. Richard, however, deserved his country's thanks for the quiet abandonment of a power which he might have made a severe scourge to many. That he wanted not firmness and ability was evinced by his debating a whole night, almost alone, against the whole council of officers. But he had other qualities of mind and heart which prevented him from showing his firmness at the expense of another civil war.

When Richard observed the temper of the restored monarch and his advisers, he very wisely withdrew to Paris, where he is said to have lived in disguise and unobserved. Upon a rumour of war between France and England, he prudently removed to Geneva, from whence,

when the alarm subsided, he returned into France, and, with the excep tion of another short interval of residence at Geneva, continued there till the year 1680. By this time the unpopularity of the restored family made him bold, and induced him to hope that he might enjoy safety in his native country. He therefore returned, and took up his residence twelve miles from London, at Cheshunt in Hertfordshire. He assumed the name of Richard Clark, Esq., and was unknown except to a few chosen friends. His last days were grievously imbittered by domestic afflictious, and by the undutifulness of two of his daughters. In 1705 he lost his only son, Oliver, by death. This event entitled him to a life estate in the manor of Hursley, which being a part of his wife's jointure had descended to his son Oliver in his mother's right. Upon the death of his son the old gentleman sent his youngest daughter to take possession of the estate. Having done this, she confederated with her other sisters to deprive their father of his interest in it, by alleging that he was superannuated. Thus, regardless of the duties of filial affection, and even of the dictates of common humanity, they proposed to allow their father no control over the estate, but merely a small annuity. This base purpose was rendered still more detestable by the exemplary conduct he had always maintained towards his children.

His consciousness of having always treated them with parental fondness was his support in this heavy affliction. He was determined not to submit to such treatment from his children in his last days, when he might justly have expected from them far other conduct. Although he was now in his eightieth year, he manifested sufficient vigour and resolution of mind to resist the confederacy of his children, and in consequence instituted a suit at law against them. The trial terminated in his favour, and in the marked and public disgrace to which his daughters were reduced by the decision of the court. Richard Cromwell continued to enjoy good health and his recovered estate six years after this period. He died July 12th, 1712, at Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, and is reported to have been able to gallop his horse for several miles together till within a short time of his death. His remains were removed with much funeral pomp to the church of Hursley, where they were deposited in the chancel near those of his wife.

John, Lord Berkeley.

BORN A. D. 1662.-DIED A. D. 1696.

THE subject of the present memoir was the second son of Sir John Berkeley, and Christian, daughter of Sir Andrew Piccard, and widow of Henry, Lord Kensington. Sir John had ever shown himself the constant and loyal adherent of Charles I., and afterwards became the no less faithful follower of the apparently ruined fortunes of his son when in exile. Charles II., in consideration of his many eminent services, raised him to the peerage with the title of Lord Berkeley of Stratton, by letters patent, dated at Brussels on the 19th of May, 1658. Charles, the eldest son, entered into the sea service, and fell a victim to the small-pox. On his decease the title devolved on the subject of the present memoir. After having been appointed a lieutenant in the navy on

the 14th of April, 1685, he was rapidly promoted from thence to be captain of the Charles frigate. He proceeded immediately afterwards up the Mediterranean, and on his return received two commissions for different ships successively, the Montague and the Edgar, and was appointed to act as rear-admiral of the fleet under the orders of Lord Dartmouth. The honourable manner in which he filled the station last mentioned raised him as high in the estimation of his new sovereign as he had been in that of his former master. He was made rear-admiral of the red, and served in that capacity under Admiral Herbert, afterwards earl of Torrington. After his return to port he struck his flag, and did not accept of any subsequent command till the year 1693, when, having in the interim been progressively promoted to the ranks of viceadmiral of the blue and of the red squadrons, in the month of July, 1693, on the decease of Sir John Ashby, his lordship was appointed to succeed him, and hoisted his flag accordingly on board the Victory, a first rate.

Though the naval operations of this summer were extremely unfortunate, no blame was ever attached to Lord Berkeley. Even on the signal failure of the expedition sent out under his orders for the attack of Brest, the public indignation was transferred from his lordship to those who had so impotently and unadvisedly contrived the expedition. He died on the 27th of February, 1696, being then only in his thirty-fourth year. At the time of his decease he was admiral of the fleet, colonel of marines, groom of the stole to his royal highness Prince George, and first gentleman of the bed-chamber.

Henry, Baron Capel.

DIED A. D. 1696.

HENRY CAPEL, second son of Arthur, first Lord Capel, and brother of Arthur, first earl of Essex, who was implicated with Sydney and Russell, and whose existence was so mysteriously terminated in the tower, was born in the earlier part of the seventeenth century.

On the accession of Charles II., the services which his family had performed in the cause of royalty obtained for him the favour of the restored sovereign. He was appointed a privy-councillor, and in 1679 placed at the head of the admiralty. He pursued a moderate course in the house of commons at first, but ultimately became a vigorous champion of the popular cause, and seconded the motion of Lord Russell for the bill of exclusion.

He supported the revolution, and was rewarded with a seat in the privy-council, and, in 1692, with the honours of the peerage under the title of Baron Capel of Tewksbury. In 1693, Lord Capel, Sir Cyril Wyche, and William Duncombe, were appointed lords-justices of Ireland; Capel's whig principles, however, coalesced but ill with those of his two subordinates, and it was soon found necessary to recall the commission, and to appoint Lord Capel head of the government in Ireland. In this character he ventured to convoke the parliament, and succeeded in executing the king's instructions; he procured the confirmation of the act of settlement, and the annulling of the bills of attainder passed in