HUMPHREY DUKE OF GLOUCESTER. [THIS duke, commonly called the good, was youngest brother to Henry the fifth, and the first founder of the university library in Oxford, which was pillaged of the greater part of its books in the reign of Edward the sixth. He was created duke of Gloucester in 1414, and became lord protector to Henry the sixth; from which station the queen and her party being resolved to remove him, he is said to have been secretly murdered, and buried in St. Alban's abbey, anno 1447.2 His marriage with Jaqueline, daughter to William the sixth of Bavaria, was annulled by the pope, and he soon after married Eleanor Cobham. 3 This Humffrey, duke of Gloucester, says Grafton, descending of the blood royal, was not only noble and valient in all his actes and doings, but sage, pollitique, and notably well learned in the civil law. And among other his worthy praises, the chronicler relates a remarkable instance of sagacity, set forth by sir Thomas More, in a book of his, entitled A Dialogue concerning Heresies and Matters of Religion.* Mr. Cole seemed to think that he ought to have a place in the present catalogue, as Leland, in his Col Bolton's Extinct Peerage, p. 121. See Grafton's Chronicle, 1569, vol. ii. p. 598. 5 Cole MSS. vol. xxxv. p. 30. 294 HUMPHREY DUKE OF GLOUCESTER. lectanea, iii. 25. 38. in his Dictionary of Writers, published by bishop Tanner (notwithstanding what he says in his note about the book), ascribed to him "Tabulæ Directionum." The same antiquary records, that in queen Anne's time, while they were digging a grave in Saint Alban's abbey, was found the vault of Humphrey, duke of Gloucester, and in a leaden coffin full of pickle the corpse entire, with a beautiful crucifix painted against the east wall at his feet, which is yet entire, but the body is now quite decayed. G. Ferres drew up a metrical history in the Mirror for Magistrates, "How Humfrey Plantagenet, duke of Gloucester, protector of England, during the minoritie of his nephew, king Henry the sixt, by practise of his enemies, was brought to confusion," 1578; and Chr. Middleton printed a more poetical legend of the same, in 1600. There is a ditty in Evans's collection of old ballads, vol. iii. describing the "Lamentable fall of the Dutchess of Gloucester, wife to duke Humphrey."] JOHN TIPTOFT, EARL OF WORCESTER. In those rude ages, when valour and ignor ance were the attributes of nobility, when metaphysical sophistries and jingling rhymes, in barbarous Latin, were the highest endowments and prerogatives of the clergy; and when" it was enough for noblemen's sons to wind their horn, and carry their hawke fair, and leave study and learning to the children of mean people;" it is no wonder that our old peers produced no larger, nor more elegant compositions, than the inscription on the sword of the brave earl of Shrewsbury, Sum Talboti pro occidere inimicos; 3 It is surprising that the turbulent times of Henry the sixth, and Edward the fourth, should have given to the learned world so accomplished a lord as the earl of Worcester. He early tasted of the muses' fountain, dispensed in more copious streams over Europe, A Nobleman's Speech to Richard Pace, in the reign of Henry VIII. Biographia, vol. ii. p. 1236. › Others give it, "Sum Talboti pro vincere inimico meo." Camden's Remains. by the discovery of printing in 1450. Pope Nicholas the fifth patronised the new art; and the torrent of learned men that was poured upon Italy by the taking of Constantinople in 1453, by Mahomet the second, revived the arts, and the purity of the almostforgotten tongues. The celebrated Æneas Sylvius, then on the throne of Rome by the name of Pius the second, encouraged learning by his munificence and example. One of his brightest imitators and contemporaries, was John Tiptoft, earl of Worcester, who was born at Everton in Cambridgeshire, and educated at Baliol college in Oxford." He was son of the lord Tibetot, or Tiptoft, and Powys, and was created a viscount and earl of Worcester by king Henry the sixth, and appointed lord deputy of Ireland. By king Edward the fourth he was made knight of the garter, and constituted justice of North Wales for life. Dugdale, who is more sparing of titles to him than our other writers, says he was soon after made constable of the Tower for life, and twice 4 ✦ [Read Eversten, says Mr. Cole. MS. note in Mr. Gough's copy.] 5 Leland de Script. Brit. vol. ii. p. 475. The earl is not mentioned by Ant. Wood, whose account does not commence before the year 1500. |