Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

who affumed the appellation of French king was taken prisoner. Gorges, from whom the family of the Gorges in Herefordshire are derived. By his fecond wife Eleanor, daughter of John de la Tower, he had William Ruffel, ancestor of the prefent duke of Bedford. His great grandfon was Sir John Ruffel, speaker of the house of commons in the reign of Henry VI. His grandfon John Ruffel was an accomplished gentleman, who had diftinguifhed himself in the wars of France, travelled for improvement, and made himself master of the modern languages.

In the reign of Henry VII. Philip archduke of Auftria, and only fon of the emperor Maximilian, being, in his voyage to Spain, driven by a tempeft into Weymouth, he was vifited by Mr. Ruffel, and fo charmed with his converfation, that he defired his company to Windfor, where he warmly recommended him to the king, as a perfon qualified for fome important ftation. In confequence of this recommendation, Mr. Ruffel was appointed one of the genflemen of the king's bed-chamber. In the fucceeding reign, he attended Henry VIII. in his expedition to France, when Therouenne and Tournay were taken; and obtained fome lands in the territory of Tournay, as a reward for his fervices. He was afterwards knighted by the earl of Surry, admiral of the English fleet, when he made a conquest of Morlaix in Bretagne. He enjoyed, in the fequel, the place of marfhal of the Marshalfen; was employed in divers negotiations abroad, with the emperor Charles V. Francis I. king of France, the Pope, and the duke of Lorraine. He was prefent in the battle of Pavia, when the

Being conftituted fheriff of Dorsetfhire and Somersetshire, he attended Henry at his magnificent interview with the king of France at Boulogne ; was appointed comptroller of the houfhold, and privy-counfellor; advanced to the dignity of baron in the thirtieth year of that monarch's reign, by the title of lord Ruffel, baron Ruffel of Cheneys in the county of Buckingham, and gratified with the manour of Aymondefham in Bucks, which had belonged to Edward Stafford, duke of Buckingham, who was beheaded for high treafon. He married Anne, daughter and fole heir of Sir Guy Sapcotes, with whom he enjoyed the manour of Cheneys, and other large poffeffions. When the greater monafteries were diffolved, he obtained a grant of the whole fcite and circuit of the rich abbage of Tavistock in the county of Devon, toge ther with the borough of that name, and a great number of other manours. He ferved the king in the different offices of lord warden of the Stannaries, lord admiral of England and Ireland, prefident of the counties of Devon, Cornwal, Somerfet, and Dorfet; general in Picardy against the French, lord privy-seal, and captain-general of the vanguard of the king's army at the reduction of Boulogne. He was inftalled knight of the garter, and appointed in the king's will one of the fixteen perfons to compofe the council of his fon and fucceffor Edward VI. At the coronation of that young prince he acted for the day as lord high. fteward of England; and in the courfe of the fame year was indulged with a grant of Wooburnabbey in the county of Bedford. He

was

was appointed first commiffioner to fee the images pulled down, and promote the Reformation; which having excited divers infurrections, he, with a body of troops, defeated the rebels of Devonshire and Cornwal at Fenniton-bridge, and relieved Exeter, which they had invefted. In the year 1549, he was created earl of Bedford. He afterwards repaired to France, as one of the ambaffadors to treat of a peace, which they accordingly concluded at Guifnes and upon the acceffion of queen Mary obtained a new patent for the office of privy-feal. In the fecond year of this queen's reign, though now ftricken in years, he was fent into Spain, to attend Philip in his voyage to this kingdom, where he efpoufed Mary. Thus he owed his first rife to Philip, archduke of Auftria; and the last public office he bore was that of conducting his grandfon Philip, king of Spain, to the bofom of his fovereign.

This truly great man died in London in the year 1554, leaving his honours and estate to his fon Francis, now earl of Bedford. This nobleman had been created knight of the Bath at the coronation of Edward VI. He afterwards proclaimed the lady Mary queen of England, and appeared in arms for the defence of her title against the lady Jane Grey. He was prefent in the battle of St. Quintin, and eminently fhared in the glory and the danger of that victory, which the forces of Philip, with the affiftance of the English auxiliaries, obtained over the army of France. In the reign of Elizabeth he was fworn of the privy council, fent twice ambaffador into France, appointed governor of Berwick, inftalled knight of the Gar

ter, employed with other commiffioners to treat of a marriage be tween Mary queen of Scots and the earl of Leicester, and fent with the prefent of a gold font to represent the perfon of queen Elizabeth at the chriftening of James VI. of Scotland. He fat upon the trial of Thomas Howard, duke of Norfolk : he acted as one of the English commiffioners who treated with ambaffadors from France, touching a marriage between the queen and the duke of Anjou. He founded a school at Wooburn; eftablished a maintenance for two students of divinity in Univerfity-college at Oxford; and was fo remarkable for his hofpitality, that queen Elizabeth used to say, he made all the beggars. He died in the year 1585, after having furvived three of his fons by his countefs Margaret, daughter of Sir John St. John of Bletfo.

He was fucceeded in his honours and estate by his grandfon Edward, whofe father, Sir Francis Ruffel, was flain on the borders of Scotland, and buried at Alnwick in Northumberland.

Edward, earl of Bedford, who died in the year 1627, was fucceeded by his coufin Francis, only fon of his uncle Sir William Ruffel, baron of Thornhaugh, one of the best generals of the age in which he lived. He diftinguished himself in the Low Countries, where he was appointed governor of Fluing, and in the rebellion of Tir-owen in Ireland, where he governed as lord deputy. He efponfed Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Henry Long of Shengay in the county of Cambridge, Efq; and left iffue Francis, now earl of Bedford. This nobleman, in the reign of Charles 1. was the princi

Ba

pal

pal undertaker in that expenfive work of draining the fens, called Bedford-levels, extending into the counties of Northampton, Cambridge, Huntingdon, Norfolk, and Lincoln. He was, with other lords, impowered to treat of peace, with commiffioners on the part of Scotland, at Ripon, when the forces of that nation entered England in the year 1640. He was in the number of those who, in the courfe of that fame year, figned a petition to the king, advifing him to call a parliament; and in the following year died of the small-pox, univerfally lamented, as a nobleman of great virtue and moderation, which (had he lived) must have been of great ufe in preventing matters from coming to extremity between the king and parliament.

By his wife Catherine, daughter and heir of Giles Bridges, lord Chandos, he had four fons; the eldest of whom, William iord Ruffel, fucceeded to his title and fortune, at a time when every thing feemed to threaten a rupture between the king and parliament. His lordship, who had been made knight of the Bath, and ferved as a meinber in the house of commons, joined the oppofition, and was now declared general of horse in the fervice of the parliament. At the head of a choice body of troops, he obliged the marquis of Hertford to abandon Somerfetfhire; and at the battle of Edgehill commanded the referve of horse, which did good fervice, and in all probability faved the whole army of the parliamentarians. Being afterwards weary of the war, he helped to influence the house of lords to defire a conference with the commons; in which they

advifed, that propofitions might be fent to the king; but this aim miscarrying, through the artifice of fome individuals in the lower house, the earls of Bedford, Holland, and Clare, repaired to the king at Oxford, where he afked and received the king's pardon: he then ferved in his majefty's army that befieged Gloucefter, and charged in the king's own regiment of horfe at the battle of Newbury. Being in the fequel difgufted by the treatment he received at the court of Oxford, he and his affociates returned to the other party, by whom their eftates were fequeftered for fome time. The fequeftration was, however, removed; but the earl of Bedford never afterwards affifted at any of their councils. He heartily concurred in all the measures for the reftoration, and carried St. Edward's fceptre at the coronation of Charles II. in whofe reign he was inftalled knight of the Garter, and on many occafions approved himself a fteady patriot. When William and Mary afcended the throne, he was fworn of the privy council: he carried the queen's fceptre, with the dove, at the coronation; was conftituted lord lieutenant of the counties of Bedford, Cambridge, Middlefex, and liberties of Weftminfter; and in the year 1694 was created marquis of Tavistock and duke of Bedford by a patent, in which his own merit and the virtue of his fon were mentioned in very extraordinary terms of applaufe. He married Anne, daughter of Robert Carr, earl of Somerfet, by whom he had feveral fons. and daughters; and died in the year 1700, at the age of eighty-feven. His eldeft fon died, without iffue, in the year 1679; and he had alfo the

mortification to furvive his fecond fon, lord William Ruffel, one of the most virtuous noblemen that ever lived in any country, who was brought to the fcaffold in the year 1683, as an accomplice in the Ryehouse plot; though, in effect, his fate was owing to the courage he had fhewn in fupport of the Exclufion-bill, against the duke of York, before he afcended the throne. He efpoufed the lady Rachel, fecond daughter of Thomas Wriothefley, earl of Southampton, widow of Francis lord Vaughan, by whom he had one fon, named Wriothefley, who fucceeded his grandfather as duke of Bedford.

This nobleman had married Elizabeth, fole daughter and heir of John Howland of Stretham, Efq; in confequence of which he was created a baron by that title before his grandfather died. At the acceffion of queen Anne he was appointed lord high conftable for the coronation, fworn of the privycouncil, installed knight of the Garter, and conftituted lord lieutenant of the counties of Bedford, Cambridge, and Middlefex, and cuftos rotulorum of Middlesex and the liberties of Westminster. He died of the fmall-pox in the year 1711, and was fucceeded by his eldest son, of the fame name; who dying in Spain in the year 1732, his honours and eftate devolved to his brother, lord John Ruffel, the prefent duke of Bedford; who, by his fecond dutchefs Gertrude, eldest daughter of John

late earl Gower, has iffue Francis, marquis of Tavistock, born in the year 1739; and lady Caroline, born in 1742.

He is diftinguished by the appellation and titles of John Ruffel, duke of Bedford, marquis of Tavistock, earl of Bedford, baron Ruffel, and baron Ruffel of Thornhaugh, and baron Howland of Stretham, lord lieutenant and cuftos rotulorum of Bedfordshire, Devonfhire, and of the city and county of Exeter.

His grace is knight of the Garter, and has ferved his king fucceflively in the important offices of first lord commiffioner of the board of admiralty, principal fecretary of ftate, one of the lords of the regency while his late majefty was abroad, and lord lieutenant of Ireland.

Arms. Argent, a lion rampant, gules, on a chief, fable, three efcallops of the firft.

Creft. On a wreath, a goat paffant, argent, armed, or.

Supporters. On the dexter fide a lion, on the finifter an antelope, both gules; the latter gorged with a ducal collar, chained, armed, crefted, tufted, and hoofed, or.

Motto. Che fara, fara, Ital. What will be, will be.

Chief Seats. At Wooburn-abbey in Bedfordshire; Thornhaugh in Northamptonshire; Cheneys in Bucks; and at Bedford-house in Bloomsbury-fquare, London.

Political

Political OBSERVATIONS upon FORTUNE.

I pr

'T was an observation of Crom- always the best, but the leaft fuc

high as when he does not know where he's going; and certain it is, that nothing is more difficult to learn by precept than the way to make a fortune. Circumftances are fo complicated, and have fuch influence upon events, that it is impoffible to lay down fixed maxims to regulate the conduct of those who aspire to wealth or greatness. Practice and experience are the fureft guides in this rugged road, and upon them we should chiefly rely, though they are far from being infallible. The first thing, indeed, that experience should teach us is to distrust it, and always doubt of fuccefs; as fortune, being naturally inconftant and capricious, at last grows weary of favouring the fame enterprizes. This has given occafion to a very juft obfervation, which has almost become a proverb, namely, that men attain to the fame ends by different means.

The friendship of thofe in power, which feems to be the fureft road to advancement, fometimes occafions the ruin of those who place too much confidence in it. Thus the duke of Alva, after having made many terrible executions in the Low Countries, had no way left to escape the popular odium, but by facrificing a minifter, who had ferved him with the utmost zeal and fidelity.

A certain counsellor of one of the kings of Perfia, whofe advice was

most prudent measures will not always fucceed. "I cannot, faid he, answer for any thing more than the goodness of the plan: the execution depends upon a variety of different perfons, and, above all, upon fortune, who is hired to nobody."

The known integrity of a perfon in office, feems to be a reproach to the knavery of others. Add to this, that men in power are not willing to employ perfons of merit, whom they cannot always manage as they think proper; and political governors generally require more fubmiffion than skill in those below them. Thus Tacitus informs us, that Poppæus Sabinus continued a long time governor of Spain, nullam ob eximimiam artem fed quia par illi negotiis ingenium erat nec fupra; not on account of any extraordinary merit, but because he had a genius equal to bufinefs, and not above it.

Men of genius are feldom patient or fervile enough to arrive to elevated stations; yet grandeur is to be attained only by patience and perseverance.

A modern author has obferved, that an unbounded ambition is always accompanied by an equal meanness of spirit. The truth of this obfervation we fhall not vouch for; but certain it is, that temporifing fpirits, which are feldom the most elevated, are oftener favoured by fortune than others.

A Pet

« ZurückWeiter »