five noble persons alive, who had all succeded on another immediately
in that unsteady charge, without any other person interveninge, the
Earle of Suffolke, the L'd Viscount Mandevill, afterwards Earle of
Manchester, the Earle of Middlesex, and the Earle of Marleborough, who
was remooved under prætence of his age, and disability for the work
(which had bene a better reason against his promotion, so few yeeres
before, that his infirmityes were very little increased) to make roome
for the present Officer, who though advanced by the Duke, may properly
be sayd to be establish'd by his death.

He was a gentleman of a very good and auncient extraction, by father
and mother; his education had bene very good, amongst bookes and
men. After some yeeres study of the law in the Middle temple, and at
an age fitt to make observations and reflexions, out of which that
which is commonly called exsperience is constituted, he travelled
into forrainge partes, and was acquainted in forrainge partes;[1] he
betooke himselfe to the courte, and lyved ther some yeeres at that
distance, and with that awe, as[2] was agreable to the modesty of that
age, when men were seene some tyme, before they were knowne, and well
knowne before they were præferred, or durst prætende to be præferred.
He spent the best parte of his fortune, a fayre on, that he inherited
from his father, in his attendance at courte, and involved his
frends in securityes with him, who were willinge to runn his hopefull
fortune, before he receaved the least fruite from it, but the
countenance of greate men, and those in authority, the most naturall,
and most certayne stayres to ascende by: He was then sent Ambassadour
to the Arch-Dukes Alberte and Isabella into Flanders, and to the Diett
in Germany, to treate aboute the restitution of the Palatinat, in
which negotiation he behaved himselfe with greate prudence, and with
the concurrent testimony of a wise man, from all those with whome he