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then at Oxford, where, as a teftimony of their loyalty and gratitude, they affured the King of their firm refolution to devote their lives and fortunes to his caufe. Eager to give proofs of their zeal, they chofe Prince Rupert and Lord Gerrard for their military preceptors, acompanying those noblemen into very defperate fervice, the storming the Close at Litchfield, in Staffordfhire; which Lord Clarendon remarks, was one of the sharpeft engagements that happened during the Civil War. The affection of the Dutchefs alarmed her for the fafety of her fons: fhe remonftrated with Lord Gerrard for tempting the youths into fuch danger. He replied with the bluntness of a foldier: "It was their own inclination, and the more danger the more honour."

The parliament rewarded their valour by feizing their eftates, but with a compaffion which does honour to that affembly, restored them, on confideration of the youth of their noble foes.

The Dutchess of Buckingham soon after, by her imprudent marriage with the Marquis of Antrim, ruined herfelf, and offended her Sovereign. Her fons were committed to the care of the Earl of Northumberland, and went on their

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travels into France and Italy, but chiefly refided at Florence or Rome, where they lived with the fplendor of the princes of Italy.

They returned to England in the year 1648: the war had proved unfavourable to their royal protector; he was a prifoner in the Isle of Wight, feveral of his zealous friends determined to hazard again the fortune of the field. Duke Hamilton in Scotland; the Earl of Holland, and others in Surrey, Goring in Kent, and many in London and in Effex, appeared in arms.

The duke and his brother joined this laft effort of the dying caufe; they repaired to the Earl of Holland, and were the first that took the field, about Ryegate, in Surrey.

The parliament were perfectly acquainted with these hoftile attempts, and defpifed them. The infurrection growing formidable in Kent, their General, Fairfax, received orders to march and fupprefs them. That officer found a greater oppofition than he expected, and met with a very gallant refiftance, at the ftorming of Maidstone. and attack of Colchester.

Colonel Gibbons marched against the infurgents in Surrey: he obliged Lord Holland to

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make a precipitate retreat to Kingston, but overtaking them at Nonfuch, gave them a total defeat, Lord Francis Villiers, at the head of his troop, having his horse flain under him, got to an oak tree in the highway, about two miles from Kingston, where he stood with his back against it, nobly defending himself, difdaining to implore quarter, and the enemy barbaroufly refusing to give it, and having received nine wounds in his face and body, he expired.

The Duke of Buckingham, with great difficulty, escaped to St. Neots, in Huntingdonshire, at which place the Earl of Holland arrived, who was there taken, and foon after beheaded.

His grace finding the house where he lay furrounded, and a troop of horse drawn up before. the gate, mustered his followers, and charging the enemy with determined refolution, intirely routed them, killed their commanding officer, and made his escape to the sea-side, and thence to Prince Charles, who was in the Downs with thofe fhips that had deferted the Earl of Warwick.

The parliament, defirous to detach a nobleman of fuch rank and abilities from the Royal

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caufe, offered him forty days to return to England. His Grace rejected thofe offers, and remained firm to the Prince.

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His eftate was therefore a fecond time feized, being, by the acquifition of his brother's, which fell to him, the greatest of any fubject in England.

The money he received for the fale of his pictures at Antwerp, was now his only fupport. They were part of the coftly and curious collection of his father, procured from Italy by the help of Sir Henry Wotton and others, and had adorned York-Houfe, to the delight and admira tion of all men of taste *,

*This collection had been purchased at great prices. The late Duke gave ten thousand pounds for what had been collected by Sir Peter Paul Rubens; and Sir Henry Wotton, when Ambaflador at Venice, purchased many other capital pieces for his Grace. After his affaffination, the King purchased fome.Others were bought by the Earl of Northumberland and Abbot Montagu. judgment may, in fome measure be formed, how valuable the entire collection must have been by the lift of what remained; where we find no lefs than nineteen by Titian feventeen by Tintoret; twenty-one by Baffan; two by Julio Romano; two by Georgiani; thirteen by Paul Vero

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These were fecured and fent him by his old trufty fervant Mr. John Trayleman.

nefe; eight by Palma; three by Guido; thirteen by Rubens; three by Leonardo da Vinci; two by Correggio; and three by Raphael D'Urbin; befide feveral by other efteemed maf ters whofe pieces are fcarce.

Mr. Duart, of Antwerp, bought fome; but the Arch Duke Leopold purchased the greater part, and added them to his noble Collection in the Castle of Prague. He bought the chief picture, the ECCE HOMO, by Titian, in which are introduced the portraits of the Pope, the Emperor Charles V. and Solyman the Magnificent; it is eight feet in length and twelve in breadth. Mr. Fairfax fays it was valued at 5cool. but from a note of the late Mr. George Vertue the Engraver, it appears, that Thomas, Earl of Arundel, offered the Duke's father the value of 7000l. in land or money for this fingle piece. The Duke also posfeffed another great curiofity in painting, the flained glass window which now ornaments the east end of St. Margaret's Church, Weftminfler. The magiftrates of Dort, in Holland, being defirous of prefenting Henry VII. with fomething worthy to adorn his magnificent chapel then building at Westminster, directed this window to be made, which was five years in finishing, King Henry and his Queen fending their pictures to Dort, from whence their portraits in the window are delineated. King Henry dying before the window was compleated, it became the property of an abbot of Waltham, who placed it in his abbey church,

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