the fecond Son of my Lord, and after his Deceafe, without Iffue, I prefume, to his Sifter the Lady Anne Popham. The Uufortunate Condition of the Dutchess, not allowing her to appear in Publick, tho' my Lord Montague gave it once, if not more, in Chancery, upon his Honour, that he was alive; yet fuch was the perverse Humour of the Age, that scarce one in Twenty believ'd it; but Time which difcovers Things, by his Death, clear'd the Duke's Honour of all Afperfions on that account, A. C 1709. March My Lord Montague, upon the Acceffion of King William and Queen Mary to the Throne, was made a Privy Councellor, and continued in a Course of Favour and Profperity during this whole Reign, tho' he intermeuled not much with Publick Affairs. No more did he in the Reign of her present Majesty Queen Anne, who in the Spring of the year 1705, was pleas'd to advance him to the Honours of Mirquefs of Mounthermer, and Duke of Montague. On the Second Day Made D. of March the fame Year, his only Son the Marquels of Monof Mounthermer Married the Lady Mary Churchill, tague. Youngest Daughter of his Grace the Duke of Marlbo- Son marrough. William Montague Efq; who had been for fome ries. part of both Reigns of Charles II. and James II. Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer, was the Duke of Montague's Unkle, who giving way to Fate on the 27th of July 1706, left the grofs of his Estate to his Daughter the Lady Drake and her Two Daughters, during the Mother's Life; but after her Deceafe, a good part of it will come to the prefent Duke of Montague. His Father laden with Years, Honour and Wealth, in favour with his Prince, and in the highest Figure this Nation is able to raife a Subject to, departed this Life, after a fhort Indifpofition, in the 73d Year of HisDeath his Age, and his Corps was carried down to Boughton to be interred. He left by Will Four Trustees, to have the Management of the Eftate till his Son came of Age, which he would not allow him to be, till he was Two and Twenty; and thofe Trustees are the Lords Somers and Hallifax, and the Two Mr. Dummers. The Reverfion of the Maiter of the Place of the Great Wardrobe, was, in the Duke's Life time fettled so as to come to his Son, and to his Son after him; and the Reafon 'tis fuppos'd, why he would have his Son to be Two and Twenty before he fhould be allowed to be of Age, was, that all his Debts would by that time be fully discharg'd, and he then come to a clear and and one of the best Eftates in England. The Duke of 1709. A. C. of Montague had no Children by the Dutchess of Albermarle, but by his first Lady the Countefs of Northumberland; he had Three Sons, viz. Ralph that died young; Winwood that died at Hannover, in -March. and John now living, and Duke of Montague: His only Daughter the Lady Anne, is fince the Deceafe of Pop bam, become the Wife of Lieutenant General Daniel Harvey, Character. The Duke of Montague lived with greater Splendor and Magnificence in his Family, than any Man of Quality perhaps in Great-Britain; He was a very Indulgent Parent, a Kind and moit Bountiful Mafter to his Servants, a very Hearty Friend, a true Affertor of Englih Liberty, and a great Admirer and Encourager of Learning and the Liberal Arts: He daily entertain'd at his Table feveral Ingenious Men; and had a particular efteem for Mr. De St. Coremond, and some other French Gentlemen of Merit and Parts. The fame Day the Old Duke of Montague died, the prefent Duke's Lady was deliver'd of a Daughter. Mr. Thynne's Death. William On the 15th of March died Fames Thynne Elq; Brother to the Lord Viscount Weimouth. On the 21ft, Her Majefty conferr'd the Honouur of Dodwell Knighthood on William Dodwell, of Sevenhampton in the Efq County of Gloucefter, Elq Knighted. Sir T. Lane's Death. April. On the 24th, died Sir Thomas Lane, one of the Aldermen of the City of London; in whofe Room Fobi Ward Efq; was chofen Alderman. About the beginning of April, the Duke of Argyle and Major General Webb, were made Lieutenants General; the Lord North and Grey, Sir Richard Temple, Promotion and the Earl of Stairs, Majors General; and Colonel of general Lalo Brigadier. Affairs. Sir Charles Thorold, one of the Aldermen of London, Sir Char. died the Firft of April; and Sir George Thorold afterwards chofen Alderman in his Room. Thorol Dies. covite On the 4th, Two Young Mufcovite Princes, who for Two Muf. Four Months paff had been nobly entertain'd here at the Queen's Expence,and Attended by her Majesty's SerPrinces vants, took their leave of Her Majetty, being conduct. took their ed to their Audience by the Master of the Ceremonies. Audience On the 8th died Lewis de Duras Earl of Fever ham. of leave. This Gentleman was a Native of France, being the The E. of Son of the Duke de Duras, and Brother to the laft FeverDuke of that Name, as alfo to the Duke de Lorge, both in their Time Marefchals of France. His Mo ther was a Sifter of the great Vilcount de Turenne, of the Princely Houfe of Bouillon, fometimes Marefchal General of the Armies of France; and being a Lady that was a Zealous Proteftant, the once formed a defign fham dies. His Pedidigree. to A. C. 1709. April to breed up this Her Son Lewis to be a Minifter. Whether his own Difinclination to that Function, or what other Cause it might be, the Lady's Intentions did not take Effect; and her Son not long after the Reftoration of King Charles II. which happen'd in 1660, coming over into England, and foon getting into the Favour of his Royal Highness the Duke of York, he was Naturaliz'd by Act of Parliament in the 17th year of Natura King Charles's Reign; and having Perfonally attended lized in the Duke, then Lord High Admiral, in that Perillous England: and Bloody Sea-fight against the Dutch, which happen'd in June 1665, he behav'd himself therein with Magna nimity and Courage When this Gentleman came first into England, he bore the Title of Marquels of Blanquefort, but that being of little use to him here, and till growing more and more in Favour at Court, the King on the 19th of January, in the 24th year of his Reign, was pleas'd to promote him to the Degree and Dignity of Baron Duras of Holdenby, in the County of Northampton, by Made a Letters Patent bearing Date at Westminster, and having PeerMarried Mary the Eldeft Daughter and Coheir of Sir His MarGeorge Soudes, of Lees-Court in the County of Kent, viage. Knight of the Honourable Order of the Bath, upon the Advancement of the faid George to be Baron Throwley, Viscount Soudes of Lees-Court, and Earl of Feverham, Becomes E. all in Kent, upon the 8th of April, in the 28th year of of Fever the fame King. The Reverfion of thofe Honours were fam. granted to my Lord Duras, and the Heirs Male of his Body, after whofe Decease he Succeeded in them accordingly. This Gentleman upon his Promotion to Englife Ho nours, affumed the Sirname of Duras, tho' his true Name, and the common one of his Family was Dureford, he being linealy defcended from the Fainous Gilliard Antiquity de Dureford, Lord of Duras, made Knight of the Gar-of his Fa ter by King Edward IV, for his fignal Services in thofe mily. Times, who moreover gave him an Annual Penfion of One Hundred Pounds during Life. He was all this while a retainer to the Duke of York, with whom he was in great Favour, and in the year 1677, was by the King lent on a Meffage to the French Court: The Bufinefs in fhort was this; The Prince of Sent on a Orange, after having obtain'd the Lady Mary, the Duke message to of York's Eldest Daughter, for a Wife, and agreed upon France. the Terms of the Peace, then depending at Nimeguen with the King, who upon the Prince's departure, gave him affurance he would never depart from the leaft tittle of the Scheme agreed; the King, as it had been concerted, pitch'd firft on Sir William Temple to be the Perion A. C. 1709. April. Perfon that fhould go and communicate these Refolu tions to his Brother of France, with Inftructions to enter upon no Reasonings with them, but to demand a pofitive Answer in Two Days; but foon altering his Mind, the Lord Duras was fent. Upon his Arrival at Paris, he found that Court furpriz'd, at leaft feem'd to be fo, both at the Thing, and more upon the manner of it; yet puta good Mein upon it, took it gently, and faid, The King of England knew very well he might be al ways mafter of the Peace; but fome fewTowns in Flanders feemed to be very hard, efpecially Tournay, upon whose Fortification fuch vaft Treasure had been Expended, and that they would take some short Time to confider of the Offer: My Lord Duras told them he was tied to Two Days'itay; yet when that was out, was prevail'd upon to tarry a few Days longer, (which certainly he durft not have done, without fecret Orders from the English Court, contrary to his Inftructions) and at last came awithoutan way without any pofitive Answer. Return Prefer Answer. This Noble Person, befides Titles of Honour, had other Preferments conferred upon him: He had the Honourable as well as profitable Command of the Third Troop of Horfe Guards given him, and upon the Death of Sir Philip Howard, before the end of King Charle's Reign, was promoted to the Command of the Second Troop, and afterwards in King James's Time upon the Deceafe of the Duke of Albemarle, hè had the First Troop given him. In 1679, he was made Master of the Horfe to the Queen and advanc'd the year following to be Chamberlain to her Majesty Queen Catharine, then Queen Confort; and continued to afterwards when the became by the King's Death Queen Dowager: And having, while fhe continued in England, and during the Remainder of her Life in Portugal, been the principle Manager of all her Affairs here, fome were pleas'd Drollingly to call his Lordship King Dowager. ments. I cannot find, when, or whether ever the Earl of Feverfham was admitted into the Privy-Council of King Charles II. but this I do, That he among other Perfons of Quality, was on the 7th of January 1681, by the Voted an Houle of Commons, Voted a promoter of Popery, and evil Coun- an Enemy to the King and Kingdom, and an Addrefs was ciller. prefented for removing them from all places of Trust. The Earl was admitted into King James's PrivyCouncil, and that Prince, upon the Landing of the Duke of Monmouth in the Weft in 1685, preferred him before the Duke of Albemarle, who was then Captain Made Ge- of the first Troop of Guards, and did good Service upon neral by that occafion, to be General of his Army; with which K. James. he he advanc'd within Three Miles of Bridgwater, quar- A. C. tered his Horle and Dragoons in the Village of Wefton; 1709. and encamp'd his Foot in ah advantagious Poit near it, fronting towards a fpacious Moor, and having a Ditch before them Here the Duke Attack'd, and in a manner furpriz'd' the Earl, who in all human Probability must have been totally routed, if Monmouth's Men had Defeats paffed the Ditch, as they might easily have dona; Mon but tho' the Duke's Unhappy Fate precipitated him to mouth. Ruin, and that the Earl became the Conqueror; the Generality of Mankind never entertained any great opinion of his Military Conduct afterwards. However it were, the Earl, upon his return to Court after this Expedition, grew fill higher in the Favour of his Prince, who on the laft day of July, the fame year, promoted him to the Dignity of Knight of the Gar- Made ter, &c. On the 25th of August he was folemnly in- Knight of italled at Windfor. the GarFrom henceforward, if the Earl did not run the ter lengths made in that Reign towards the introducing of Popery and Arbitrary Power, he feem'd at leaft to be Paffive in the matter, and was one of the Witneffes of the Birth of the Pretender; and when the Prince of Orange in November 1688 landed in England, with an Army to affert the Rights, Religion, and Liberties of the People against the manifeft Inchroachments made upon them, he was Commander in Chief of the Army under King James. I need not tell the particulars Faithful of that Prince's quitting his Army and Retiring, nor to King the Reafons of it: But this I will venture to lay, that James perhaps he had done neither, in cafe his other Officers had been as Faithful to him as the Earl of Feverham, to whom the King, upon his withdrawing, wrote a Letter importing, That Things were come to that extremity, that King he had been forc'd to lend away the Queen, and James's his Son the Prince of Wales, that they might not Letter to <fall into the Enemies Hands, which they muit have the Earl. done if they ftaid: That he was obliged to do the fame thing, in hopes it would Pleafe God out of his Infinite Mercy to this unhappy Nation, to touch their Hearts again with true Loyalty and Honour: That if he could have rely'd on all his Troops, he might not have been put to the extremity he now was in, and would, at least, have had one Blow for it: But tho' he knew there were many Valiant and B.ave Men amongit them, both Officers, and Soldiers; yet 4 he also knew, that both they, and feveral of the general Officers and Soldiers, and Men of the Army, told C C him |