Howsoever, As I Know You
Will Not Lessen Your Care, Neither Your Defences, Whatsoever Lies In
My Power To Do You And The Public Service, Rest Thereof Assured."
And to this I could add much more, but it may (as it is) suffice to
present much of his abilities in the pen, that he was his crafts-
master in foreign intelligence, and for domestic affairs.
As he was
one of those that sat at the helm to the last of the Queen, so was
he none of the least in skill, and in the true use of the compass;
and so I shall only vindicate the scandal of his death, and conclude
him; for he departed at St. Margaret's, near Marlborough, at his
return from Bath, as my Lord Vice-Chamberlain, my Lord Clifford, and
myself, his son, and son-in-law, and many more can witness: but
that the day before, he swooned on the way, and was taken out of his
litter, and laid into his coach, was a truth out of which that
falsehood concerning the manner of his death had its derivation,
though nothing to the purpose, or to the prejudice of his worth.
VERE.
Sir Francis Vere was of that ancient, and of the most noble extract
of the earls of Oxford; and it may be a question whether the
nobility of his house, or the honour of his achievements, might most
commend him, but that we have an authentic rule:
"Nam genus et proavos et quae nos non fecimus ipsi,
Vix ea nostra voco."
For though he was an honourable slip of that ancient tree of
nobility, which was no disadvantage to his virtue, yet he brought
more glory to the name of Vere than he took of blood from the
family.
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