Page 769
Observations on the Life of Sir Tho. Overbury.
SIr Thomas Overbury, son to Sir Nicholas O∣verbury, one of the Judges of the Marches, was born at Burton on the Hill in Gloucester∣shire, bred in Oxford, and attained to be a most accomplished Gentleman, partly at Grayes-Inn, and partly in France; which the happiness of his Pen both in Poetry and Prose doth declare. In the later he is observed to be the first writer of Chara∣cters of our Nation. But if the great parts of this Gentleman were guilty of Insolence and Petulancy, which some since have charged on his memory; reporting of him, that he should say, Somerset ow∣ed his advancement to him, and that he should walk with his hat on before the queen; we may charitably presume, that his reduced age would have corrected such Juvenile extravagancies. It is questionable, whether Robert Carr Earl of So∣merset were more in the favour of King Iames, or this Sir Thomas Overbury in the favour of the Earl of Somerset, until he lost it by disswading that Lord from keeping company with a Lady (the Wife of another person of honour) as neither for his credit here, or comfort hereafter. Soon after Sir Thomas was by King Iames designed Embassador for Russia. His false friends perswa∣ded him to decline the Employment, as no bet∣ter than an honourable Grave. Better lye some days in the Tower, than more months in a worse