Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/100

 96 DILLON. of the government, his majesty was pleased by privy seal, dated the 14th July, 1641, to order a grant of crown lands to be passed to him. In 1640, he was captain of ninety-seven foot, and sixty three carbines; and, in June 1642, was made captain of a troop of horse, and served as a volunteer in a l l the expedi tions under the Earl o f Ormond, from the commencement o f the troubles, with the greatest intrepidity. He was present i n parliament o n the 1st o f August, 1642, and died a t Oxmantown, o n the 27th o f the same month, and was buried o n the 7th o f September, i n St. Patrick's church. His lordship married three wives, by a l l o f whom h e left descendants. WENTWORTH DILLON, Earl o f Roscommon, a nobleman distinguished f o r h i s poetical talents, was born i n Ireland about 1633, while the government o f that kingdom was under the first Earl o f Strafford, t o whom h e was nephew; his father, Sir James Dillon, third Earl o f Roscommon, having married Elizabeth the youngest daughter o f Sir William Wentworth, o f Wentworth Woodhouse, i n the county o f York, sister t o the Earl o f Strafford; hence Lord Roscommon was chris tened Wentworth”. These circumstances were first pointed out b y Mr. Nichols, i n a note o n his “Select Collection o f Poems,” vol. vi. p . 54. I t had been generally said b y preceding biographers, that the Earl sent for him “after the breaking out o f the civil wars.” But, i f his Lordship sent for him a t all, i t must have been a t some earlier period; for h e himself was beheaded before the civil war can properly b e said t o have begun. No print o f Lord Roscommon i s known t o exist; though Dr. Chetwode, i n a MS. life o f him, says, that the print prefixed t o his Poems (some edition probably about the end o f the last century) was very like him; and that h e very strongly resembled his noble uncle. I t i s not generally known that a l l the particulars o f Lord Roscommon, related b y Fenton, are taken from this Life b y Chetwode, with which h e was probably furnished b y Mr. T. Baker, who left them, with many other MSS. t o the library o f St. John's college, Cambridge. The life o f Lord Roscommon i s very ill-written, and full o f common-place observations.