To the bar! His grace arofe, and turning their proceedings into a jeft, faid, " He begged their "lordship's pardon for retiring the night before; "that they very well knew the exact economy he "kept in his family, and perceiving their lordships "intended he should be fame time or other in another place, he only went home to fet his house in order, " and was now come to fubmit to their lordships pleafure," which was to fend him to the Tower after the Earls of Shaftesbury and Salisbury, and the Lord Wharton *; but upon a petition to the king, he was discharged from thence the May following. After this he continued in oppofition to the court, and exerted himself greatly against * The Earl of Shaftesbury being jealous of the Duke fetting himself up for the head of his party, used to speak flightingly of him, as a man inconflant and giddy, which the other hearing, refented. The Duke of Buckingham, the Earl of Salisbury and Lord Wharton being discharged on their fubmiffion, and only the Earl of Shaftesbury continued in the Tower; the earl looked out of window as his grace was taking coach, and faid, "What, my lord, "are you going to leave us?"" Aye, my lord," replied the duke, "fuch giddy-headed fellows as I can never fay "long in a place." The Earl of Shafieibury was confined above a year. all concerned in the popifh plot. In 1680 having fold Wallingford-Houfe, he purchased a houfe at Dowgate, and refided there, joining with the Earl of Shaftesbury in attempting to get themfelves elected into the magiftracy of the City of London, and fpiriting up the citizens to a vigorous oppofition to adminiftration. In 1685 he published a fhort difcourfe upon the reasonableness of men's having a religion or worship of God; this tract was immediately answered; on which the duke published a ludicrous and excellent reply, which was alfo remarked on. The duke now deeply felt the unlimited confidence he repofed in his city friends and fervants; his own extravagant tafte for magnificence, and thofe infatiable drainers, chymiftry, mufic, and building in that fort of architecture which Cicero calls infanæ fubftructiones, and which the duke ufually denominated his folly, had impoverished his fortune. His irregular and unftable conduct in his political capacity having ruined him with parties, his creditors growing clamorous, and his health being greatly impaired, at the death of Charles II. he retired to his own. manor of Helmiley, in Yorkshire, King Charles The loved his company, and well knowing his character, pardoned his follies. The duke had formerly affected to fear an affaffination from James, with whom he had had too many differences to think his prefence acceptable at court. zeal of the king on hearing of his grace's ficknefs, was defirous of converting him to the church of Rome, and accordingly fent Father Fitzgerald to him; the priest's arguments were foiled by the Duke's inimitable turn of wit. During his retirement he paffed his time in hunting and entertaining his friends, which he did a fortnight before his death with great pleafantry and hospitality. Returning from a fox-hunt, he fat on the damp ground, which threw him into an ague and fever; he retired to a tenant's house at Kirby Moor Side, a lordship of his own near Helmfley; diffatisfied with his miferable fituation, he fent to his old fervant, Mr. Brian Fairfax, to defire him to provide him a bed at his house, at Bishop-Hill, in York; the next morning another meffenger acquainted Mr. Fairfax his grace's life was defpaired of. Fairfax fet out poft; when he arrived he found the duke, accompanied panied by the Earl of Arran, fon to Duke Hamilton, who hearing of his fickness, vifited him in his way to Scotland. The duke looked earneftly at Fairfax, but was unable to speak. Mr. Fairfax enquired of a gentleman of integrity who was prefent, what had been faid or done before his grace became fpeechlefs, who told him fome queftions had been asked him about his eftate, to which he gave no answer; that on enquiring if be chose to have the minifter of the parish fent for, he was alfo filent; but on asking whether he chofe a prieft to wait on him, he answered with great vehemence, No, no! The violence of the fever feems from the first to have deprived him of his faculties, nevertheless a minifter was fent for, who administered the sacrament to him. On the 16th of April, 1688, the third day of his illness, he expired quietly on his bed, aged fixty, the fate of few of his predeceffors in the title of Buckingham. His body was embalmed and brought to Westminster Abbey, and there depofited in the vault with his father and brother's, in Henry VIIth's chapel. Thus died in contempt and misery, circumflances moft unworthy of himself, the great Duke of of Buckingham *; a melancholy example of the prostitution of talents. In his person he was tall, active, and of a noble presence, irresistable in his converfation, poffeffed of great liveliness of wit, and a peculiar faculty of turning all things into ridicule, with bold figures and natural descriptions; though few owed more to fortune, none ever made a worse use of her favours; with an * His end is pathetically described by Mr. Pope in his epiftle to Lord Bathurst, in the following verses. In the worst inn's worst room, with matt half-hung, No fool to laugh at, which he valued more. ample |