rn about the year 1650. He
lost his father when he was about nine years of age, and his mother
soon after marrying lord Ossulton; the care of his education was left
entirely to a governor, who though a man of letters, did not much
improve him in his studies [1]. Having parted with his governor, with
whom he travelled into France; he soon found by conversing with men of
genius, that he was much deficient in many parts of literature, and that
while he acquired the graces of a gentleman, he was yet wanting in those
higher excellencies; without which politeness makes but an indifferent
figure, and can never raise a man to eminence.

He possessed an ample fortune, but for a while laid a restraint upon his
appetites, and passions, and dedicated for some time a certain number of
hours every day to his studies, by which means he acquired a degree of
learning, that entitled him to the character of a fine scholar. But not
content with that acquisition, our noble author extended his views yet
farther, and restless in the pursuit of distinction, we find him at a
very early age entering himself a volunteer in the second Dutch war; and
accordingly was in that famous naval engagement, where the duke of York
commanded as admiral, on which occasion his lordship behaved himself so
gallantly, that he was appointed commander of the royal Katherine, a
second rate man of war.

His lordship in his own Memoirs, tells us, that when he entered himself
a volunteer under his royal highness the duke of York, he was then
deeply engaged, and under the soft influence of love: He says, he never
shall forget the tenderness of parting from his mistress. On this
account double honour is due to him:--To enter the bustle of war,
without any other call, but that of honour, at an age when most young
noblemen are under the tuition of a dancing master, argued a generous
intrepid nature; but to leave the arms of his mistress, to tear himself
from her he doated on, in order to serve his country, carries in it yet
a higher degree of merit, and ought to put all young men of fortune to
the blush, who would rather meanly riot in luxurious ease at home, than
do honour to themselves and their country, by endeavouring to serve it.

His lordship acknowledges in the above-mentioned Memoirs, that the duke
of York did wonders in the engagement; and that he was as intrepid in
his nature, as some of his enemies supposed him to be of an opposite
character; though, says he, a