ley, in confequence of the earl of Leicester's will, and other conveyances. She lived many years after the title of duchefs was conferred on her, and diftinguished herself by her uncommon charity and benevolence. She died in 1668, in the ninetieth year of her age. One of her daughters, by Sir Robert Dudley, was married to Sir Richard Levefon, another to Sir Gilbert Kniveton, and another to Robert Holborn, Efq; afterwards Sir Robert Holborn, folicitor-general to king Charles I. on the Rhine, being befieged by the marquis of Warrenbon, and diftreffed for want of provifions, Sir Francis Vere was fent by the StatesGeneral, to count Meurs, gover. nor of Guelderland, with nine companies of English, to concert with him meafures for the relief of that town. At his coming to Arnheim, the governor being greatly hurt by the blowing up of gun-powder, and the States of the province reprefenting to Sir Francis the importance of the place, and the great extremity it was reduced to; at their earneft defire he haftened to its relief, with feven companies of Dutch Some account of Sir Francis Vere; foot, and twelve troops of horse. from the fame. FRANCIS VERE was fecond fon to Geoffroy Vere, who was third Son of John, Earl of Oxford. He was born in the year 1554. He applied himself early to the art of war, and became one of the most famous generals of his time. His first entrance on a military life, was when he went among the forces fent by queen Elizabeth, under the command of the earl of Leicefter, to the affiftance of the States of Holland, where he gave proofs of a warlike genius, and undaunted courage. In 1588, he was part of the English garrifon which gallantly defended Bergen-op-zoom, against the prince of Parma; and "that true courage might not want "its due reward or diftinction, "(fays Cambden) the lord Willoughby, who was general of the English after Leicester's departure, conferred the honour of knighthood on Sir Francis Vere, "whofe great fame commenced "from this fiege." In 1589, the town of Bergh, up With thefe, and carriages laden with provifions, he marched towards Bergh, through a heathy and open country, with fuch diligence, that having furprized the enemy, who lay difperfed in their forts about the town, in full view of them, he put provifions therein, and returned without lofs. After fome days refreshment, the States, who had received advice how matters paffed at Bergh, ordered a freih fupply of provifions to be put therein, under the command of Sir Francis. When he came within two English miles of the town, the way they were to take being very narrow, and leading by the caftle of Loo, the enemy from the caftle galled his men and horfes in their paffage with fuch refolution, that Sir Francis perceived they were not the ordinary garrifon. Yet, by his military fkill and valour, he beat them back to their caftle, and was no further interrupted by them in his paffage through the narrow way: but before he could well form his men on an adjoining plain, he was again attacked by a fresh body of the the enemy. At the first encounter his horfe was killed under him by a pike, and falling upon him, he could not presently rife, but lay between the two armies, receiving a hurt in his leg, and feveral thrufts with pikes, through his clothes, till the enemy was forced to give way. And though his forces confifted only of the two English troops under his command, and did not exceed four hundred men, yet by his valour and conduct, the enemy was defeated, and loft about eight hundred men. And he afterwards threw in provifions into Bergh, and exchanged the garrison, though count Mansfeldt was near, with thirteen or fourteen thousand foot, and twelve hundred horfe. In 1590, he bravely relieved the cattle of Litkenhooven, in the fort of Recklinchufen, within the diocefe of Cologn, in which the States had a garrifon that was befieged; and he also recovered the town of Burick, in Cleves, and a little fort on that fide of the Rhine, which had been furprized by the enemy. In 1591, he took, by ftratagem, a fort near Zutphen, in order to facilitate the fiege of that town. The manner in which he made himself mafter of this place, is thus related by himself in his Commentaries. "I chofe (fays he) a good number "of lufty and hardy young foldiers, the most of which I apparelled like the country-women "of those parts, the reft like the men; gave to some baskets, to others packs, and fuch burthens "as the people ufually carry to "the market, with pistols, and "short swords, and daggers, under their garments, willing them, by "two or three in a company, by "break of day, to be at the ferry 66 "of Zutphen, which is just against "the fort, as if they stayed for the "paffage-boat of the town; and "bade them fit and reft them"felves in the mean time, as near "the gate of the fort as they could "for avoiding fufpicion, and to "feize upon the fame as foon as "it was opened. Which took fo "good effect, that they poffeffed "the entry of the fort, and held "the fame till an officer, with two "hundred foldiers, (who was laid " in a covert not far off) came to "their feconds, and fo became fully "mafter of the place. By which means the fiege of the town af"terwards proved the fhorter." Sir Erancis Vere alfo affifted count Maurice at the fiege of Deventer, being the chief inftrument in the taking that place. And it was alfo chiefly through his conduct and va lour, that the duke of Parma received a fignal defeat before Knodfenburgh fort, near Nimeguen; which obliged that prince to retire from thence, with more dishonour than in any action that he had undertaken in those wars. In 1596, he was recalled out of the Low Countries, and employed in the expedition against Cadiz, with the title of lord marshal; and in this enterprize he difplayed his ufual courage, and military kill. He returned again to Holland the following year, and had a principal share in the action near Turnhout, where near three thousand of the enemy were killed and taken. Some time after he was appointed Governor of the Brill, one of the cautionary towns in the Low Countries. He was permitted at the fame time to keep the command of the English troops in the fervice of the States. In 1599, when a new Spanish inva fion was apprehended, the Queen conftituted him Lord Marshal; and being fent for over in all potible hafte, he embarked on the 22d of August at the Brill, and came to London the next day, where he staid till all apprehenfions of an invafion were over. He then returned back to the Hague, and had there an audience of the States. that the army of the States ought to wait for the enemy. The difpofitions for the battle were then made by Vere with admirable judgment; and the English, who were not above one thousand five hundred, were pofted upon the eminences of the downs, and fupported by a body of Friezland mufqueteers, The Archduke was all this time advancing; but his horfe, which had left his foot behind, were beat back by Vere. The foot, however, coming up, a bloody conflict enfued, in which Vere was wounded, receiving one fhot through his leg, and another through his thigh, whilst his horfe was killed under him, and himself almost taken prifoner; but Prince Maurice advancing with the main body, the battle became general; and the Spaniards, by the courage and good conduct of Vere, received a total defeat. In the beginning of the year 1600, there arofe great difputes between him and the States, about fome accounts, and particularly becaufe they had leffened, in his abfence, the companies he commanded for them, from an hundred and fifty to an hundred and thirteen men. However, he ftill continued in his command; and about this time the forces of the States-General laid fiege to Newport. But Albert, Archduke of Auftria, who commanded the Spanish forces, having recovered many forts which had been furprized by the troops in the Dutch fervices and cut off eight hundred Scots, who were pofted as a rearguard to intercept his paffage, came to the relief of Newport, and a battle became unavoidable. The army of the States was commanded by Prince Maurice, and the chief officers under him were Sir Francis Vere, who was lieutenant-general of the foot, and Count Lodovic of Naf fau, general of the horse. Vere, who commanded in the front, having occafion to repass a ford, before he could come to a convenient place of action, ordered his men not to ftrip themselves; for which he affigned this reafon, "that they would "in a few hours either have better "clothes, or stand in need of none.' A council of war being then held, Prince Maurice was entirely directed by Vere, who was of opinion, The laft and moft fignal military exploit performed by Sir Francis Vere, was his gallant defence of Oftend, which was befieged by the Archduke Albert, and a very numerous army. Vere had been appointed general of all the army of the States in and about Oftend; and accordingly he entered that city on the 11th of July, 1601, in order to undertake the defence of it with eight companies of English, and found in the place thirty companies of Netherlanders, making about fixteen or feventeen hundred men. With this handful, for no lefs than four thousand were neceffary for a proper defence, he refolutely defended the place for a long time against the Spanish army, which was computed at twelve thoufand men. During the courfe of the fiege, he received a reinforcement of twelve companies of Eng leaving scarcely a whole house standing. Our heroic general having acquired immortal honour in the defence of Oftend for eight months together, refigned his government on the 7th of March, 1602, to Frederic Dorp, who had been appointed by the States to fucceed him; and he and his brother, Sir Horatio Vere, returned into Holland. lifh, and cut out a new harbour at Oftend, which proved of great fervice to him. On the 14th of Auguft, he was wounded in the head by the blowing up of a cannon, and that obliged him to remove into Zealand till the 19th of September, when he returned to Oftend, and found that in his abfence fome Englifh troops had arrived there to reinforce the garrifon. On the 4th of December, in the night, the Spaniards fiercely affaulted the Englifh trenches, fo that Sir Francis Vere was called up without having time to put on his clothes: but by his conduct and valour the enemy were repulfed, and loft about 500 men. In the mean time, the place began to be much diftreffed; and Sir Francis having advice that the befiegers intended a general affault, in order to put them off, and gain time, he artfully contrived to enter into treaty with them for the furrender of the place. But receiving part of the fupplies which he had long expected from the States, with an affurance of more at hand, he broke off the treaty. The Archduke being thunder-ftruck and enraged at this difappointment, took a refolution to revenge himself of those within the town, faying, He would put them all to the fword; and his officers and foldiers likewife took an oath, that if they entered, they would fpare neither man, woman, nor child. They made a general affault on the 7th of January, 1602; but Sir Francis Vere, with no more than about twelve hundred fighting men, kept off the enemy's army of ten thousand men; which threw that day above two and twenty hundred fhot on the town; and had before thrown upon it no less than one hundred and fixty-three thousand two hundred cannon fhot, Soon after his discharge from the government of Oftend, Sir Francis, at the request of the States, came into England to defire fresh fuccours, which went over in May, and were to be under his command. He accordingly returned again to Holland; and upon receiving the news of queen Elizabeth's death, he proclaimed King James I. at the Brill, in April. 1603. A few months after he came to England; and his government of the Brill expiring, or being fuperfeded at Elizabeth's decease, it was renewed to him by King James. But under this pacific monarch, gentlemen of the fword became lefs confidered than under his fpirited predeceffor; and they became almost useless to him, upon his making peace with Spain in 1604. However, Sir Francis Vere could not live inglorious: but after an honourable repofe of about four years, he died quietly at home on the 28th of Auguft, 1608, in the fifty-fourth year of his age, and was buried in St. John the Evangelift's chapel in WestminsterAbbey, where a curious monument was erected to his memory by his lady. Befides his other preferments, he was governor of Portsmouth. He had three fons, and two daugh ters; but they all died before him. Sir Francis Vere was a general of the greatest bravery, and of uncommon military abilities. Queen Elizabeth had an high opinion of him, and always treated him with respect. She used to say, that fhe " held him to be the worthieft cap"tain of her time.", He was a man of letters, as well as an accomplished general. He wrote himself an account of his principal military tranfactions, under the title of CoмMENTARIES, which were published in fclio at Cambridge, in 1657. Vid. Biograph. Brit. Guthrie's Hift. of Engl. Vol. III. p. 552, and the Commentaries of Sir Francis Vere. Character of Sir John Hawkins, the famous Navigator; from the fame. SIR I IR John Hawkins was one of the most eminent, able, and experienced feamen of his time. He had naturally ftrong parts (fays Dr. Campbell) which he improved by a conftant application. He was apt in council to differ from other men's opinions, and yet was referved in discovering his own. He was flow, jealous, and fomewhat irrefolute; yet in action he was merciful, apt to forgive, and a ftrict obferver of his word. As he had paffed a great part of his life at fea, he had too great a dislike of land foldiers. When occafion required it, he could diffemble, though he was naturally of a blunt difpofition. One of his greatest faults was the love of money, in which he exceeded all juft bounds. But notwithstanding his imperfections, he was always efteemed one of the ableft of his profeffion; of which thefe are no inconfiderable proofs, that he was a noted commander at fea forty-eight years, and treasurer of the Navy two and twenty. He had great perfonal courage, and prefence of mind; and is faid to Character of Sir Francis Drake; from the fame. molt able, active, and courageous feamen that England ever produced. He was of a low stature but well fet; had a broad open cheft, a very round head, his hair of a fine brown, his beard full and comely, his eyes large and clear, of a fair complexion, with a fresh, chearful, and very engaging countenance. As navigation had been his whole ftudy, fo he understood it thoroughly, and was a perfect mafter in every branch; efpecially in aftronomy, and in the application thereof to the nautic art. His enemies alleged, that he was of an oftentatious temper, felf-sufficient, and an immoderate fpeaker. But it is acknowledged, that he spoke with much gracefulness, propriety, and eloquence: and it appears that he always encouraged and preferred IR Francis Drake was one of Vid. Lives of the Admirals, vol. i. p. 463, 464. † Vid. Biograph. Brit. VOL. XI. F merit, |