fifth year. He was likewise made gentleman of the bed-chamber.

He afterwards went into the French fervice, to learn the art of war under Turenne, but ftaid only a fhort time. Being by the duke of Monmouth oppofed in his pretenfions to the first troop of horse-guards, he, in return, made Monmouth suspected by the duke of York. He was not long after, when the unlucky Monmouth fell into difgrace, recompenfed with the lieutenancy of Yorkshire and the government of Hull.

Thus rapidly did he make his way both to military and civil honours and employments; yet, bufy as he was, he did not neglect his studies, but at least cultivated poetry; in which he must have been early confidered as uncommonly fkilful, if it be true which is reported, that, when he was yet not twenty years old, his recommendation advanced Dryden to the laurel.

The Moors having befieged Tangier, he was fent (1680) with two thousand men to its relief. A strange story is told of danger to which he was intentionally expofed in a leaky fhip, to gratify some resentful jealousy

of the king, whofe health he therefore would never permit at his table, till he saw himself in a fafer place. His voyage was profperoufly performed in three weeks, and the Moors without a contest retired before him.

In this voyage he compofed the Vifion; a licentious poem, fuch as was fashionable in those times, with little power of invention or propriety of sentiment.

At his return he found the King kind, who perhaps had never been angry; and he continued a wit and a courtier as before.

At the fucceffion of king James, to whom he was intimately known, and by whom he thought himself beloved, he naturally expected still brighter fun-fhine; but all know how foon that reign began to gather clouds. His expectations were not disappointed; he was immediately admitted into the privy council, and made lord chamberlain. He accepted a place in the high commission, without knowledge, as he declared after the Revolution, of its illegality. Having few religious fcruples, he attended the king to mafs, and kneeled with the reft; but had no difpofition to receive the Romish Faith, or VOL. II. Ff

to

to force it

upon others; for when the priests, encouraged by his by his appearances of compliance, attempted to convert him, he told them, as Burnet has recorded, that he was willing to receive inftruction, and that he had taken much pains to believe in God who made the world and all men in it; but that he fhould not be eafily perfuaded that man was quits, and made God again.

A pointed fentence is bestowed by fucceffive tranfmiffion on the last whom it will fit: this cenfure of transubstantiation, whatever be its value, was uttered long ago by Anne Afkew, one of the firft fufferers for the Proteftant Religion, who in the time of Henry VIII. was tortured in the Tower; concerning which there is reason to wonder that it was not known to the Hiftorian of the Reformation.

In the Revolution he acquiefced, though he did not promote it. There was once a defign of affociating him in the invitation of the prince of Orange; but the earl of Shrewsbury discouraged the attempt, by declaring that Mulgrave would never concur. This king William afterwards told him, and

afked

asked what he would have done if the propofal had been made, Sir, faid he, I would have difcovered it to the king whom I then ferved. To which King William replied, I cannot blame you.

Finding king James irremediably excluded, he voted for the conjunctive sovereignty, upon this principle, that he thought the titles of the prince and his confort equal, and it would please the prince their protector to have a fhare in the fovereignty. This vote gratified king William; yet, either by the king's diftruft or his own difcontent, he lived fome years without employment. He looked on the king with malevolence, and, if his verses or his profe may be credited, with contempt. He was, notwithstanding this averfion or indifference, made marquis of Normanby (1694); but ftill opposed the court on fome important questions; yet at last he was received into the cabinet council, with a penfion of three thousand pounds.

At the acceffion of queen Anne, whom he is faid to have courted when they were both young, he was highly favoured. Be

fore her coronation (1702) fhe made him lord privy feal, and foon after lord lieutenant of the North-riding of Yorkshire. He was then named commiffioner for treating with the Scots about the Union; and was made next year firft duke of Normanby, and then of Buckinghamshire, there being fufpected to be fomewhere a latent claim to the title of Buckingham,

Soon after, becoming jealous of the duke of Marlborough, he refigned the privy feal, and joined the difcontented Tories in a motion extremely offenfive to the Queen, for inviting the princefs Sophia to England. The Queen courted him back with an offer no less than that of the chancellorship, which he refused. He now retired from bufinefs, and built that houfe in the Park, which is now the Queen's, upon ground granted by the Crown.

When the miniftry was changed (1710), he was made lord chamberlain of the household, and concurred in all transactions of that time, except that he endeavoured to protect the Catalans. After the Queen's death, he became a conftant opponent of the Court;

and,