Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 39.djvu/85

  Poets' (1891–2) numbered nine volumes. Although much of his work as the historian of literature has lasting value, his critical insight was less marked than his faculty for collecting information; and it is as a populariser of literature that he did his countrymen the highest service.



MORLEY, HERBERT (1616–1667), colonel, baptised on 2 April 1616, was eldest son of Robert Morley (d. 1632) of Glynde, Sussex, by Susan (1595-1667), daughter and heiress of Thomas Hodgson of Framfield in the same county (, County Genealogies, 'Sussex,' p. 175; Sussex Archæological Collections, xxiv. 102). He was educated at Lewes free school along with d|John|Evelyn|(1620-1706)}} [q. v.] In November 1634 he became a member of the Inner Temple. On 3 Nov. 1640 he was elected M.P. for Lewes, and subsequently became a colonel in the parliamentary army. When the members subscribed on 9 April 1642 for the speedy reduction of the Irish rebels, Morley contributed 600l. (, Historical Collections, pt. iii. vol. i. p. 565; cf. Commons' Journals, ii. 647). In November 1642, having been chosen by parliament with three other deputy-lieutenants, he undertook to put Sussex in a position of defence, provide men for that county, and gunpowder for the defence of Lewes, to pay for which contributions of money and plate were raised in the town. When Chichester was besieged by Waller's forces he held a principal command, and for his success received the thanks of the house on 16 Jan. 1643 (ib. ii. 929). The command of two troops of horse was given him on 15 Feb. He was appointed the chief agent for raising troops, levying money, and sequestrating estates in Sussex, and became notorious for his rough usage of the clergy. Having been charged on 16 March 1643 'to take care that no horse do pass beyond seas without special warrant,' he arrested William, son of Lord Strafford, at Rye on his passage to France, but parliament on 23 March ordered his discharge, with a letter of thanks to Morley 'for his care' (ib. iii. 15).

In April he seized a vessel for conveying abroad the 'delinquent' John Tufton, second earl of Thanet (ib. iii. 67). In May he was active in parliament in promoting severe measures of retaliation on royalist prisoners in consequence of some parliamentarians having been ill-used at Oxford; and in July he was prominent in urging the lords to proceed more diligently with the impeachment of the queen and the making a new great seal. In December 1643, although he was unable to prevent the surprisal of Arundel by Lord Hopton [see, first ], he beat back that general in his advance on Lewes (, Memorials, ed. 1732, p. 78), and soon afterwards assisted at the recapture of Arundel, over which he was placed in authority in conjunction with Sir William Springett (, Arundel, i. 62-3). He was again thanked by parliament on 21 June 1644 for his services at the siege of Basing House (, pp. 78, 103). Although nominated one of the king's judges, he refused to act. On 20 Feb. 1650 he became a member of the council of state, and served on various committees (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1650, p. 5). He vigorously opposed Cromwell as long as he could do so with safety. On a motion in the House of Commons for fixing a day for its dissolution, a critical division ensued, 14 Nov. 1651, and while Cromwell and St. John as tellers for the ayes reckoned forty-nine votes, Morley and Dennis Bond told off' forty-seven in opposition. On 19 Nov., however, he was re-elected to the council of state, and again in November 1652 (Commons' Journals, vii. 220). After the expulsion of the Long parliament in April 1653, Morley withdrew into private life, and though elected both for Rye and Sussex in 1654, he declined to attend parliament. He was as active as ever in having the coast watched and vessels searched for suspicious persons and papers (, State Papers, iii. 369), but refused to be appointed a commissioner for Sussex in November 1655 (ib. iv. 161). He gave, however, valuable advice to Thurloe on the best methods of raising seamen and for securing the coasts of Kent and Sussex from the French frigates (ib. iv. 549, 574). He was again returned for Sussex in 1656, but rather than submit to the indignity of being ranked among the 'excluded members,' he preferred to 'live quietly' at Glynde, and refused to aid Sir [q. v.] in promoting the so-called 'Declaration of the Excluded Members,' though, greatly to his annoyance, his name was affixed to it (ib. v. 456, 490-1).

In 1659 Morley was returned both for Sussex and for Lewes, but on taking his seat on 11 Feb. he elected to sit for Sussex (, Diary, iii. 202). For some time he bore a prominent part in the debates. He was anxious to impose restraints upon the revived House of Lords, was jealous of the army, and was active in excluding 'delinquents' from parliament (ib. iii. 241, 337, iv. 59). On 24 Feb. he accused the council of having made a 'dishonourable peace and a worse war' with Holland (ib. iii. 478, 588). On 28 March he obtained leave to go into the