The life of the thrice noble, high and puissant prince William Cavendishe, Duke, Marquess and Earl of Newcastle ... written by the thrice noble, illustrious and excellent princess, Margaret, Duchess of Newcastle, his wife.

8. His Education.

HIs Education was according to his Birth; for as he was born a Gentleman, so he was bred like a Gentleman. To School-Learning he never shew'd a great inclination; for though he was sent to the U∣niversity, and was a Student of St. Iohn's Colledg in Cambridg, and had his Tutors to instruct him; yet they could not perswade him to read or study much, he taking more delight in sports, then in learning; so that his Father being a wise man, and seeing that his Son had a good natural Wit, and was of a very good Disposition, suffer'd him to follow his own Genius; whereas his other Son Charles, in whom he found a greater love and inclination to Learning, he encou∣raged as much that way, as possibly he could.

One time it hapned that a young Gentleman, one of my Lord's Relations, had bought some Land, at the same time when my Lord had bought a Singing-Boy for 50 l. a Horse for 50 l. and a Dog for 2 l. which humour his Father Sir Charles liked so well, that he was pleased to say, That if he should find his Son to be so co∣vetous, that he would buy Land before he was 20 years

of Age, he would disinherit him. But above all the rest, my Lord had a great inclination to the Art of Horsemanship and Weapons, in which later, his Father Sir Charles, being a most ingenuous and un∣parallell'd Master of that Age, was his onely Tutor, and kept him also several Masters in the Art of Horse∣manship, and sent him to the Mewse to Mons. An∣toine, who was then accounted the best Master in that Art. But my Lord's delight in those Heroick Exer∣cises was such, that he soon became Master thereof Himself, which encreased much his Father's hopes of his future perfections, who being himself a person of a Noble and Heroick nature, was extreamly well pleased to observe his Son take delight in such Arts and Exer∣cises as were proper and fit for a person of Quality.