Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 02.djvu/174

Ashburne general attainments. He was the founder of a social and literary club, called the Eumelian, from a punning allusion to his own name (Greek ἐυμελίας or more correctly ἐῦμμελίης, i.e. with an ashen spear, referred to in Boswell's 'Life of Johnson,' note to the last chapter), and was a fellow of the Royal Society. He wrote: 1. 'Experiments and Observations to investigate by Chemical Analysis the properties of the Mineral Waters of Spa, Aix,' &c. 12mo, London, 1788. 2. Oratio Harveiana, 4to, 1790.

 ASHBURNE, THOMAS. [See .]

 ASHBURNHAM, JOHN (1603–1671), royalist, was the eldest son of Sir John Ashburnham by Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Beaumont. Sir John died in 1620, having wasted his estate, and leaving his family in penury. But within two years his heir had so far repaired their broken fortune, that (says the epitaph in Ashburnham church, Sussex) 'there were none of them but were in a condition rather to be helpful to others than to want support themselves.'

Elizabeth Beaumont was of the same family as Lady Villiers, mother of the Duke of Buckingham, and under Buckingham's patronage began the court career of John Ashburnham. In 1627 he was already well known to the king, who styles him 'Jack Ashburnham' in his letters to the duke. The murder of Buckingham in August 1628 did not injure the fortunes of his protégé, who was, in November of the same year, 'sworn into the place of groom of the bedchamber.' The Calendars of State Papers contain ample evidence that he and his friend, the secretary Nicholas, omitted few of the many opportunities given them by their position at court to enrich themselves by money-lending or by the purchase of land at easy rates. In 1638 the Star-chamber fine of two thousand marks, inflicted on Sir Walter Long and his brother, was assigned to Ashburnham 'in satisfaction of so much due from his majesty to him,' and in December of the next year a warrant under the privy seal enabled him to regain his ancestral estate of Ashburnham, which had become a ruinous burden to its actual possessors. If the dates assigned in the printed calendars be correct, Ashburnham had not obtained the favour of this warrant until six years after his petition for it. His friends, Nicholas and Goring, were 'very careful of his interest' (as he himself acknowledges), in promoting his appointment as 'provided' to the army the in preparation for Scotland (January 1640). Their success prevented his election for Hastings when the Commons were summoned in April, only to be dissolved in May; but he was returned for that place in November when the failure of the war, the necessities of the king, and the exasperation of the people had rendered inevitable the meeting of another—the Long—parliament. No speech of his is recorded, but his name frequently occurs as on committees, or as a teller on divisions during the earlier sessions of that assembly. As time went on, his two functions of member of parliament and servant of the king became incompatible, and when his attendance o his master prevented his obeying the summons of the house, he was proceeded against for contempt (6 May 1642). The king wrote a letter to the commons in his justification but the house maintained its prior right to the obedience of its member. Ashburnham was 'discharged and disabled' (5 Feb. 1643), his estate was sequestrated (14 Sept.), and his wife's petition for some allowance for his children was rejected. He became the treasurer and paymaster of the king's army. For the next three years his name occurs in seven negotiations for peace. He was one of the commissioners at Uxbridge (1644), and on of the four appointed to lay the king's proposals before parliament (December 1645). When Fairfax prepared to besiege Oxford, and Charles determined upon flight, Ashburnham and Dr. Hudson were the sole attendants to the king in the perilous journey to the Scotch camp. Hudson was released, and his troubled life was ended by his barbarous murder (6 June 1648). Ashburnham was positively commanded by the king to fly before confirmation of the order to send him up to London as a delinquent could be received. He got safely to Holland, and thence to the queen at Paris. In 1647 the king's fortune seemed upon the turn. The army had take possession of him at Holmby, had treated him with respect, and allowed him 'to have which servants about him he pleased.' Ashburnham resumed his attendance on his master at Hampton Court. But the army leaders changed their tone. Charles was haunted by the dread of assassination. He was constantly receiving warnings, anonymous and avowed, that his murder was resolved upon. At Ashburnham's suggestion he made proposals to the Scotch commissioners for his sudden journey to London and personal treaty with the parliament. But the arrangement fell through, the commissioners dreading the responsibility. Charles, resolved to stay no longer in 