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.
He was, amongst all the Queen's swordsmen, inferior to none, but
superior to many; of whom it may be said, to speak much of him were
the way to leave out somewhat that might add to his praise, and to
forget more than would make to his honour.
I find not that he came much to the court, for he lived almost
perpetually in the camp; but, when he died, no man had more of the
Queen's favour, and none less envied, for he seldom troubled it with
the noise and alarms of supplications; his way was another sort of
undermining.
They report that the Queen, as she loved martial men, would court
this gentleman, as soon as he appeared in her presence; and surely
he was a soldier of great worth and command, thirty years in the
service of the States, and twenty years over the English in chief,
as the Queen's general: and he, that had seen the battle of
Newport, might there best have taken him and his noble brother, {67}
the Lord of Tilbury, to the life.
WORCESTER.
My Lord of Worcester I have here put last, but not least in the
Queen's favour; he was of the ancient and noble blood of the
Beauforts, and of her {68} grandfather's kin by the mother, which
the Queen could never forget, especially where there was an
incurrence of old blood with fidelity, a mixture which ever sorted
with the Queen's nature; and though there might hap somewhat in this
house, which might invert her grace, though not to speak of my lord
himself but in due reverence and honour, I mean contrariety or
suspicion in religion; yet the Queen ever respected his house, and
principally his noble blood, whom she first made Master of her
Horse, and then admitted him of her Council of State.
In his youth, part whereof he spent before he came to reside at
court, he was a very fine gentleman, and the best horseman and
tilter of the times, which were then the manlike and noble
recreations of the court, and such as took up the applause of men,
as well as the praise and commendation of ladies; and when years had
abated those exercises of honour, he grew then to be a faithful and
profound counsellor; and as I have placed him last, so was he the
last liver of all her servants of her favour, and had the honour to
see his renowned mistress, and all of them, laid in the places of
their rests; and for himself, after a life of very noble and
remarkable reputation, and in a peaceable old age, a fate that I
make the last, and none of my slightest observations, which befell
not many of the rest, for they expired like unto a light blown out
with the snuff stinking, not commendably extinguished, and with an
offence to the standers-by. And thus I have delivered up my poor
essay, or little draft of this great princess and her times, with
the servants of her state and favour. I cannot say I have finished
it, for I know how defective and imperfect it is, as limned only in
the original nature, not without the active blessings, and so left
it as a task fitter for remoter times, and the sallies of some
bolder pencil to correct that which is amiss, and draw the rest up
to life, than for me to have endeavoured it. I took it in
consideration, how I might have dashed into it much of the stain of
pollution, and thereby have defaced that little which is done; for I
profess I have taken care to master my pen, that I might not err
ANIMO, {69} or of set purpose discolour each or any of the parts
thereof, otherwise than in concealment. Haply there are some who
will not approve of this modesty, but will censure it for
pusillanimity, and, with the cunning artist, attempt to draw their
line further out at length, and upon this of mine, which way (with
somewhat more ease) it may be effected; for that the frame is ready
made to their hands, and then haply I could draw one in the midst of
theirs, but that modesty in me forbids the defacements in men
departed, their posterity yet remaining, enjoying the merit of their
virtues, and do still live in their honour. And I had rather incur
the censure of abruption, than to be conscious and taken in the
manner, sinning by eruption, or trampling on the graves of persons
at rest, which living we durst not look in the face, nor make our
addresses unto them, otherwise than with due regard to their
honours, and reverence to their virtues.
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