State-worthies, or, The states-men and favourites of England since the reformation their prudence and policies, successes and miscarriages, advancements and falls, during the reigns of King Henry VIII, King Edward VI, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, King James, King Charles I.

Observations on the Life of Sir William Dru∣ry.

SIr William Drury was born in Suffolk, where his Worshipful Family had long flourished at Haulsted. His name in Saxon soundeth a Pearl, to which he answered in the pretious∣ness of his disposition, clear and heard, inno∣cent and valiant, and therefore valued deser∣vedly by his Queen and Country. His youth was spent in the French Wars, his middle•• Age in Scot∣land, and his old Age in Ireland. He was Knight-Marshal of Barwick, at what time the French had p••ss••ssed themselves of the Castle of Edenburgh, in the minority of King James. Queen Eliza∣be••h employed this Sir William with 1500 men to besiege the Castle; which service he right wor∣thily performed, reducing it within few days to the owner thereof. Anno 1575. he was ap∣pointed Lord President of Munster, whither he went with competent Forces, and executed im∣partial Iustice in despight of the opposers there∣of. For as the Signe of Leo immediately prece∣deth Virgo and Libra in the Zodiack; so I hope not that Innocency will 〈◊〉〈◊〉 protected, or Iustice administred in a barbarous Country, where power and strength do not first secure a passage unto them. But the Earl of Desmond opposed this good President, forbidding him to enter the County of Kerry, as a Palatinate peculiarly ap∣propriated

unto himself. Know by the way, as there were but four Palatinates in England, Che∣ster, Lancaster, Durham and Ely, (whereof the two former many years since were in effect inve∣sted in the Crown) there were no fewer than eight Palatinates in Ireland, poss••ssed by their respe∣ctive Dynasts claiming Regal Rights therein, to the great retarding of the absolute Conquest of that Kingdome. Amongst these, (saith my Author) Kerry became the Sanctuary of Sin, and Refuge of Rebels, as outlawed from any Iurisdiction. Sir William no whit terrified with the Earls threat∣ning, and declaring that no place should be a pri∣viledge to mischief, entred Kerry with a compe∣tent Train, and there dispenced Iustice to all per∣sons, as occasion did require. Thus with seven-score men he safely forced his return through se∣ven hundred of the Earls, who sought to surprize him.

In the last year of his Life he was made Lord Deputy of Ireland; and no doubt had performed much in his place, if not afflicted with constant sick∣ness, the forerunner of his death, at Waterford, 1598.

He was one of that Military Valour which the Lord Verulam wisheth about a Prince in trouble∣some times, that held a good esteem with the Po∣pulacy, and an exact correspondence with the no∣ble; whereby he united himself to each side by endearments, and divided them by distrust; watch∣ing the slow motions of the people, that they should not be excited and spirited by the nobility; and the ambition of the Great Ones, that it should not be befriended with the turbulency, or strengthened

with the assistance of the Commonalty. One great Act well followed did his business with the natives, whom he sometimes indulged, (giving their Discon∣tents liberty to evaporate) and with the strangers, whom he always awed. In those that were com∣mended to his service, he observed two things: 1. That they were not advanced for their depen∣dence, because they promote a Party: which he noted to be the first ground of Recommenda••ion: 2. Nor for their weakness, because they cannot hinder it; which he remarked to be the second.