marle failed, with the command of the fleet; but by contrariety of winds they were reftrained from action. His zeal for the king's service was recompenfed by the command of one of the independent troops of horse, then raised to protect the coast.

Next year he received a summons to parliament, which, as he was then but eighteen years old, the earl of Northumberland cenfured as at leaft indecent, and his objection was allowed. He had a quarrel with the earl of Rochester, which he has perhaps too oftentatiously related, as Rochefter's furviving fifter, the lady Sandwich, is faid to have told him with very fharp reproaches.

When another Dutch war (1672) broke out, he went again a volunteer in the ship which the celebrated lord Offory commanded; and there made, as he relates, two curious remarks.

"I have observed two things, which I dare affirm, though not generally believed. "One was, that the wind of a cannon-bul"let, though flying never so near, is in"capable of doing the least harm; and, in

"deed, were it otherwife, no man above "deck would efcape. The other was, that

a great fhot may be fometimes avoided, " even as it flies, by changing one's ground a little; for, when the wind fometimes "blew away the fmoak, it was fo clear a fun-fhiny day that we could easily perceive the bullets (that were half-fpent) fall "into the water, and from thence bound up

again among us, which gives fufficient "time for making a step or two on any fide; "though, in fo swift a motion, 'tis hard to

judge well in what line the bullet comes, “which, if mistaken, may by removing cost ἐσ a man his life, instead of saving it."

His behaviour was fo favourably reprefented by lord Offory, that he was advanced to the command of the Katherine, the best fecond-rate fhip in the navy.

He afterwards raised a regiment of foot, and commanded. it as colonel. The landforces were fent afhore by prince Rupert; and he lived in the camp very familiarly with Schomberg. He was then appointed colonel of the old Holland regiment, together with his own; and had the promise of a garter, which he obtained in his twenty

fifth year. He was likewife made gentleman of the bed-chamber.

He afterwards went into the French fervice, to learn the art of war under Turenne, but staid only a fhort time. Being by the duke of Monmouth opposed in his pretenfions to the first troop of horse-guards, he, in return, made Monmouth fufpected by the duke of York. He was not long after, when the unlucky Monmouth fell into difgrace, recompenfed with the lieutenancy of Yorkfhire and the government of Hull.

Thus rapidly did he make his way both to military and civil honours and employments; yet, bufy as he was, he did not neglect his ftudies, but at least cultivated poetry; in which he must have been early confidered as uncommonly fkilful, if it be true which is reported, that, when he was yet not twenty years old, his recommendation advanced Dryden to the laurel.

The Moors having befieged Tangier, he was fent (1680) with two thousand men to its relief. A strange story is told of danger to which he was intentionally expofed in a leaky ship, to gratify fome refentful jealousy

of the king, whose health he therefore would never permit at his table, till he faw himself in a fafer place. His voyage was profperoufly performed in three weeks, and the Moors without a conteft retired before him.

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In this voyage he compofed the Vision; a licentious poem, fuch as was fashionable in thofe times, with little power of invention or propriety of fentiment.

At his return he found the King kind, who perhaps had never been angry; and he continued a wit and a courtier as before.

At the fucceffion of king James, to whom he was intimately known, and by whom he thought himself beloved, he naturally expected still brighter fun-fhine; but all know how foon that reign began to gather clouds. His expectations were not disappointed; he was immediately admitted into the privy council, and made lord chamberlain. He accepted a place in the high commiffion, without knowledge, as he declared after the Revolution, of its illegality. Having few religious fcruples, he attended the king to mafs, and kneeled with the reft; but had no difpofition to receive the Romish Faith, or VOL. II. Ff

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to force it upon others; for when the priests, encouraged by his appearances of compliance, attempted to convert him, he told them, as Burnet has recorded, that he was willing to receive inftruction, and that he had taken much pains to believe in God who made the world and all men in it; but that he fhould not be eafily perfuaded that man was quits, and made God again.

A pointed fentence is bestowed by succeffive tranfmiffion on the last whom it will fit: this cenfure of transubstantiation, whatever be its value, was uttered long ago by Anne Afkew, one of the first sufferers for the Proteftant Religion, who in the time of Henry VIII. was tortured in the Tower; concerning which there is reafon to wonder that it was not known to the Hiftorian of the Reformation.

In the Revolution he acquiefced, though he did not promote it. There was once a defign of affociating him in the invitation of the prince of Orange; but the earl of Shrewsbury discouraged the attempt, by declaring that Mulgrave would never concur. This king William afterwards told him, and

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