SIR CHRISTOPHER HATTON

WAS born at Holdenby in the county of Northampton, in the year

1540. He was the youngest son of William Hatton of Holdenby and Alice his wife, daughter to Laurence Saunders of Horringworth. In the time of queen Mary he was entered a gentleman-commoner at St. MaryHall in Oxford; where he continued but a short time, having left the university without a degree. "By his singular merit (says an old author) he became a great ornament to his family, and raised it to the honour it long enjoyed. He was bred to the law, [having become a member of the Inner Temple,] but studied it more as a gentleman, than one who pretended to raise himself by that profession. The queen first took notice of him for the comeliness of his person, and his graceful dancing at a mask at court; but more afterwards for his great abilities. He became first one of her gentlemen-pensioners, then gentleman of the privy-chamber, and next captain of the guard; from which office he was advanced to be vicechamberlain, one of the privy-council, and at length [29th of April, 1587,] lord chancellor." In the following year he was made knight of the garter.

"He had (says Lloyd, in his quaint phraseology,) a large proportion of gifts and endowments: his features, his gait, his carriage, his parts and his prudence, strove to set him off; but his abilities were above all. Every thing he did was so exactly just and discreet, and what he spoke so weighty, that he was chosen to keep the queen's conscience, as her chancellor, and to express her sense as her speaker. The courtiers that envied the last capacity, were forced by his power to own themselves in an error; and the serjeants that refused to plead before him at first, could not, at length, but own his great abilities. His place was above his law, but not above his parts, which were so very pregnant, and comprehensive, that he could command other mens parts to as good purpose as his own. His station was great, but his humility was greater, giving an easy access to all addresses.

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He was so just, that his sentence was a law to the subject; and so wise, that his opinion was an oracle with the queen.-Her majesty, who never forgave debts, called him to an account for an old one, and rigorously demanded the present payment: this startled him, because he could not do it just at that time; which unkindness, as he thought, of the queen's, went so deep to his heart, that it cast him into a mortal disease. The queen, sorry for what she had done, endeavoured to recover him, and brought him cordials with her own hands; but all would not do." He died a bachelor, Nov. 20, 1591, and was buried under a sumptuous monument, in the cathedral of St. Paul's.

Sir Christopher Hatton was chosen chancellor of the university of Oxford, Sept. 20, 1588, in the room of Robert Earl of Leicester, having been preferred by that learned body to lord Essex, who was his competitor on that occasion; and is celebrated by his contemporaries for his love of literature and his patronage of scholars. Having been author of the fourth act of one of our ancient dramas, the tragedy of TANCRED AND GISMUND, which was performed before queen Elizabeth in 1568, and published in 1592, his portrait is entitled to a place among those of our English Poets.

Of his style in prose the following address to Mary queen of Scots, which induced her to appear before the commissioners at Fotheringay, when every other argument, and even the solicitation of the English queen, had proved ineffectual, may serve as a specimen :

"You are accused, but not condemned. You say you are a queen: be it so if you are inocent, you wrong your reputation in avoiding trial. You protest yourself inocent; the queen feareth the contrary, not without grief and shame. To examine your innocence, are these honourable, prudent, and upright commissioners sent: glad will they be with all their hearts if they may return and report you guiltless. Believe me, the queen herself will be much affected with joy, who affirmed to me at my coming from her, that never any thing befell her more grievous, than that you were charged with such a crime: wherefore lay aside the bootless privilege of royal dignity, which here can be of no use to you; appear in judg-. ment, and shew your innocence, lest by avoiding trial, you draw upon yourself suspicion, and lay upon your reputation an eternal blot and aspersion."

*Wood's FAST. OXON. i. 134.

From an

TALBOT, DUKE of TYR CONNEL.

Original Picture in the Collection of Lord Beaulieu at Ditton Park.

Pub & Nov1.1794 by E&S Harding, Pall Mall.

RICHARD TALBOT,

DUKE OF

TYRCONNELL.

THIS HIS noblemen (lord Clarendon observes) was of an Irish family, but of ancient English extraction, which had always inhabited within that circle that was called the Pale; which, being originally an English plantation, degenerated into the manners' of the Irish, and rose and mingled with them in the late rebellion: and of this family there were two distinct families who had competent estates, and lived in many descents in the rank of gentlemen of quality."

The

Of that part of the family of which we are now to speak, there were five brothers, the sons, according to Leland, of Sir William Talbot, an eminent lawyer of Ireland. "The eldest," says Clarendon," was Sir Robert Talbot, who was by much the best, that is, the rest were much worse men. Peter, the second brother, was a Jesuit, who had been very troublesome to the king [Charles II.] abroad, and had behaved himself in so insolent a manner that his majesty had forbidden him his court. third brother was Gilbert, who was called colonel Talbot, from some command he had with the rebels against the king; and he had likewise been with the king in Flanders, that is, had lived in Antwerp and Brussels, whilst the king was there; and being a half-witted fellow did not meddle with any thing, nor angered any body, but found a way to get good clothes, and to play, and was looked upon as a man of courage having fought a duel or two with stout men. Thomas, the fourth brother, was a Franciscan friar, of wit enough, but of so notorious debauchery that he was frequently under severe discipline, by the superiors of his order for his scandalous life."