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 Fulke Grevil.

SIr Fulk Grevil, Son to Sir Fulke Grevil the elder, of Becham Court in Warwick-shire, descended from VVilloughby Lord Brook, and Ad∣miral to Hen. 7. was bred first in the Univer∣sity of Cambridge: He came to the Court, back'd with a full and fair Estate; and Queen Elizabeth loved such substantial Courtiers as could plentiful∣ly subsist of themselves: He was a good Scholar, loving much to employ (and sometimes to ad∣vance) learned men, to whom worthy Bishop Ov••∣ral chiefly owed his Preferment; and Mr. Cam••den (by his own confession) feasted largely of his Li∣berality. His studies were most in Poetry and Hi∣story, as his Works do witness: His stile concei∣ved by some to be swelling, is allowed lofty and

full by others. King Iames created him Baron Brook of Beauchamp-Court, as descended from the sole Daughter and Heir of Edward Willoughby, last Lord Brook, in the Reign of King Henry the 7th. His sad death, or murther rather, happened on this occasion: His discontented servant conceiving his deserts not soon, or well enough rewarded, wounded him mortally, and then (to save the Law the labour) killed himself; verify••ng the ob∣servation, that he may when he pleaseth be master of another mans life, who contemneth his own. He lyeth buried in Warwick Church under a Mo∣nument of black and white Marble, whereon he is stiled, Servant to Queen Elizabeth, Counsel∣lour to King Iames, and Friend to Sir Philip Sid∣ney.

Though a Favourite, he courts Ladies rather than Honour, and pursued his study rather than his ambition, being more contemplative than a∣ctive: Others ministred to Queen Elizabeths go∣vernment, this Gentleman to her Recreation and Pleasures: He came to Court when all men should, young, and stayed there until he was old; his for∣tune being as smooth as his spirit, and the Queens favour as lasting as his merit. He bred up States∣men, but was none. Sir William Pickering was like to have gained the Queens Bed by studying, Sir Philip Sidney had her Heart for writing, and Sir Fulke Grevil had her favour for both: one great argument for his worth, was his respect of the worth of others; desiring to be known to posterity under no other notions than of Shakespear's and Ben Iohnson's Master, Chancellor Egerton's Patron, Bishop Overal's Lord, and Sir Philip Sidney's

Friend. His soul had the peace of a great fortune, joyned to a greater mind: His worth commended him to Majesty; his affableness indeared him to the popularity: his mornings were devoted to his Books, his afternoons to his knowing Friends, his nights to his debonair Acquaintance: He was the Queens Counsellor for persons, as others were for matters and things: Sweet was his disposition, winning his converse, fluent his discourse, obli∣ging his looks, gestures, and expressions; publick his spirit, and large his soul: his Genius prompted him to prepare himself for Domestick services by Forreign employments, but the great Mistriss of her Subjects affections and duties forbad it, and his own prudence checked it. So dear was he to the Queen, that when his horses were shipped at Dover for the Netherlands, her Mandate by Sir Edward Dier stopped him: When he went over with Walsingham, he was remanded; and when with Leicester, he was checked: He was the exact image of action and quiet happily united in him, seldom well divided in any. He would have acted his great principles of Government, yet he could be confined only to write them.* 1.1 He could sit down with some Poetick and polite Characters of Ver∣tue, when he was debarred the real ••••ercises of it. He had kept Essex his head on, had not that unhappy man's Parasites made the Earl deaf to his ••••••nsels, and his Enemies removed him from his p••••••••nce, under a pretence of guarding the Seas a∣gainst his Enemies, while his Kinsman was betray∣ed by his Friends.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In his book called, The Declinati∣on of Mo∣narchs.