tragedy to adopt, but of comedy to expose them. They who defend absurdities, can have little taste for real beauties. There is nothing so unlike sense as nonsense, yet in how many authors is the latter admired for the sake of the former"! [This right honourable author was son to sir Fulke Greville the elder, of Beauchamp-court in Warwickshire, and descended from the ancient family of the Grevilles, who in the reign of Edward the third were seated at Cambden in Glostershire. He was born in 1554, the same year with his truly illustrious friend sir Philip Sidney, appears to have been his schoolfellow at Shrewsbury, and was admitted a fellow-commoner at Trinity college, Cambridge. Having afterwards passed some time at Oxford, where he completed his academical studies, he travelled abroad to finish his education; and, upon his return, being well accomplished, was introduced at court by his uncle Robert Greville, when he soon grew into favour with queen Elizabeth; and became himself an encourager of the arts and sciences. At the age of twenty-two, he was nominated to some beneficial employment in the court of marches of Wales by his kinsman sir Henry "[To these reflections on the absurdity of the chorus, wę may add, say the Monthly Reviewers, that it robs us of the pleasure of surprise, by anticipating the business of the scenes. M. Rev. vol. xix. p. 559.] Sidney, then lord president of that court and principality : but his various qualifications, united with great activity of temper, rendered him ambitious of higher posts of honour. His eagerness however to gratify this desire, made him repeatedly incur his royal mistress's displeasure by his schemes to engage in foreign employments; though his gallantry and accomplishments restored him to her wonted regard. In 1597 he received the honour of knighthood: in the same year he applied for the office of treasurer of war; and about two years afterward, obtained the place of treasurer of marine causes for life. He continued a favourite with queen Elizabeth to the end of her reign; nor was he less in esteem with her successor, who at his coronation installed him a knight of the bath, and allowed him a grant, soon after, of Warwick castle. In 1615 he was made under-treasurer and chancellor of the exchequer; in 1620 was created lord Brooke of Beauchamp-court; and a lord of the bedchamber in 1621. After the demise of James the first he continued in the privy-council of Charles; in the beginning of whose reign he founded a history-lecture in the university of Cambridge, and endowed it with a salary of one hundred pounds per annum. This last act of liberality he did not long survive; for one Ralph Haywood, who had spent the greater part of his life in his lordship's service, not thinking himself sufficiently rewarded, expostulated with his master thereupon, and being sharply rebuked for it, he gave his lordship a mortal stab in the back with a knife, of which wound he died September 30, 1628. The assassin then withdrew into another room, and locking the door, murdered himself with the same weapon; verifying the observation, says Lloyd, that he may when he pleaseth be master of another man's life, who contemneth his own 3. This affair took place in Brook-house, Holborn ; whence lord Brooke was conveyed with great funeral pomp to be interred with his honourable ancestors in St. Mary's church, Warwick. Notwithstanding lord Orford's detracting estimate of this nobleman, he appears to have had a taste for all kinds of polite learning, though his inclination as well as his genius led him particularly to poetry and history; and Phillips or Milton remarks, that in all his poems is observable a close, mysterious, and sententious way of writing, but without much regard to elegancy of style or smoothness of verse 5. Two or three short excerpts from his folio volume will convey a general idea of his lordship's poetical effusions, and may serve to confirm the propriety of the above remark. ⚫ Smith says September the first, in his Catalogue of deceased Persons. So does another notice in Sloan MS. 4839. 3 State Worthies, p. 504. New Biog. Dict. vol. vii. p. 174. Sir Robert Naunton tells us, that he neither sought for nor obtained any great place or preferment at court, during all his time of attendance; neither did he need it, for he came thither, back'd with a plentiful fortune, which as himself was wont to say, was then better held together by a single life, wherein he lived and died a constant courtier of the ladies. Fragm. Reg. p. 36. Theatrum Poetarum, p. 47. SONNET I. Love, the delight of all well-thinking minds, Beautie her cover is, the eyes true pleasure; In honour's fame she lives, the eares sweet musicke; Excesse of wonder growes from her true measure, Her worth is passion's wound and passion's physicke; From her true heart cleare springs of wisdome flow, Which, imag'd in her words and deeds, men know, Time faine would stay, that she might never leave her, Place doth rejoyce, that she must needs containe her, Death craves of heaven, that she may not bereave her, The heavens know their owne, and doe maintaine her; Delight, love, reason, vertue let it be, To set all women light, but only she. SONNET IV. You little starres that live in skyes, In whose aspects conjoined lyes The heaven's will, and nature's storie, Joy to be likened to those Which eyes, eyes make all eyes glad or sorrie; For when you force thought from above, These over-rule your force by love. And thou, ô Love! which in these eyes Where joyes are shadowes of perfection; Up not by worth, but thy election: SONNET XCI. Rewards of earth, nobilitie and fame, To senses glorie, and to conscience woe, How little be you, for so great a name ;— Yet lesse is he with men that thinks you so: For earthly power, that stands by fleshly wit, Hath banish'd that truth which should governe it. Nobilitie, power's golden fetter is Wherewith wise kings subjection doe adorne, To make man thinke her heavy yoke a blisse, Because it makes him more than he was borne ; Yet still a slave, dimm'd by mists of a crowne, Lest he should see what riseth, what puls downe. Fame that is but good words of evill deeds, Begotten by the harme we have or doe, And in our flesh, the vanities false glasse, We, thus deceav'd, adore these calves of brasse. Two letters by lord Brooke occur in the Harl. MSS. 286 and 1581; the former addressed to sir Francis Walsingham, supplicating his good offices with queen |