Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/503

 ACCOUNT OF BOOKS.

489

literature and protection of learned men, and the greatel^ zeal for the fervice and fafety of his miflrers. At nineteen he diftinguifhed him- felf at the battle cf Zuiphen, where Sir Philip Sidney fell. At twenty- two )ae undenook as a volunteer to promote the reilorarion of Don An- tonio to the throne of Portugal, ufurped by the queen's black ene- my, Philip ; and challengcc' :he governor of Corunna by found of trumpet, or any of eq'ai quality, to fingle combat. He treated Vil- lars *, the governor of Rouen, in the fame llyle. In the expedition to Cadiz he threw his hat into the fea for joy, that the Lord Admiral confented to attack the bfanifh fleet. Few royal favourites are fo prodigal of life ! His indignation againlt Philip rofe ro the dignity of a perfonal averfion : in his letters he ufed to fay, ' I will teach that reafon as fhe had to hate Philip, the queen could not endure the earl's affuming fuch arrogance a- gainft a crowned head. So for- midable an enemy he was, that when the greateft offers could not bribe hini tio^x his duty, the court
 * proud king to know.' As much

of Spain attempted to have him

poifoned ; luckily they addreff-

ed their poifon to the arms of his great chair, which no- more than the pummel f of a faddle are a mortal part. And as he fupported the enemies of the Spaniard, he endeavoured to difpoffefs the Pope of the duchy of Ferrara^ fending the famous Sir Antony Shirley thi- ther, to promote the interefts of a Bailard of the houfe of Efte. There was as much policy and adlivity of enterprize in this, as in his Ho- linefs fending a plume of Phosnix- feathers to ' ir Oen. While the one ifland flourifhed with Cecils, Walfinghams, Bacons, the other was fo buried in barbarifm, that Rome ventured to reward its mar- tyrs w:;h the fpoils cf an imaginary fowl ! The earl's intelligence, his fpie?, his penfioners in foreign courts, were as numerous as the boafted information of Walfing- ham. His munificence was un- bounded What funis did the

perjured houfe of Bacon obtain or extort from him ! He buried Spen- fer ; and, which was more remark- able, was heir to Sir Roger Wil- liams |, a brave foldier, whom he

f* a cheval ou a pied, je maintiendrai que !a querelle du Roi (Hen. IV.) eft " plus julte que celle de la ligue j que je luis meilleur que vous j 8c que ma " Maitrejfe ell plus belle que la votre." &c. EJfais hiftcr. fur Paris, par Saint- foix, vol. z. p. 2z.
 * In his letters 10 Villars, the earl faid, ' Si vous voulez combattre vous menie

f Walpole, a Jefuit, w:is hanged for nltemprin^ to poifon the queen's faddle.

J He had been one of the ftandiiig Council of Nine, appjinted to provide for defence oi the realm againft the Spanifli Armada. Btograph. 'vcl. 4. p. 2287. He wrote a valuable hiftory of the wars in tlie Low Countries, in which he had ferved with great reputation, and where he was one of the introducers of a new military difcipline. Car;:!;. Epifl. p. 350. A Spanifli captain having challenged the general Sir John Norris, Sir Roger fought him ; afterwards aflaulted the Prince of Parma"s camp near Venlo, and penetrated to his very tent ; and made a brrive defence of Sluys. FuIUr m Monmouth, p. 52. James the Firil: lament- ed his death lb much, that he wiflied rather to have loft five thoufand of his own fnbjects; and intended to Vy-rite his epitaph. Bacon-papers, 'vol. 1. pages
 * 9<5> 355*

brought