therefore, to garrison his castle of Skipton, which was very shortly afterwards besieged by Lambert, Poyntz, and Rossiter: for the first entry of a soldier slain within it, on this occasion, appears in the parish register of Skipton with the date of December 23d, 1642. The defence was intrusted to, and ably conducted by, sir John Mallory of Studley, near Ripon, one of the oldest and most faithful friends of the family. Lord Henry, however, lived not to see the termination of the siege, which was protracted until December 22, 1645, when it surrendered upon articles; for, being at York in 1643, he was seized with a burning fever, and died at one of the prebend's houses in that city, on the 11th of December of the same year. From the memoranda of lady Clifford, who survived her lord little more than three months, and was interred in York cathedral, Dr. Whitaker has extracted the following very curious items of the expenses attending his lordship's funeral. They are such as mark not only the affectionate care of her ladyship, but that attention to business and pecuniary economy, which was then thought not derogatory from the highest rank. "1643. Disbursed since the 11th day of Dec. the yeare aforesaid, on which day it pleased God to take the soule of my most noble lorde out of this miserable, rebellious age, I trust, to his eternall joyes! "Dec. 12th. Imprimis, To the govr. of Yorke's clarke, for a pass for a trumpeter, and a servant of my lorde to go to Hull, 2s. 6d.—To George Middleton, on account of several things bought at Hull, towards the funerall of my lorde, the sum of 401. -To the paynter, for making exchuchons, 27. Is. -To the coachmaker, for making the chariott for carrying the corps to Skipton, 47.-Dec. 13th. For one of the vergers for ringing the minster bell, being double fees for a nobleman, 1.8s.-33 yards of black cloth for coachman and footman, 167.Dec. 15. Mr. Beomant of York, for 3 whole pieces of black, 247. 15s. 6d.—Mr. Squuyre, for fine cloth, 97. and coarse, 5l. 3s., 147. 3s.-Ditto, bought at Hull, cloath, 277. 14s. 4d.—Several sorts of ribbon, 4s. For royal paper, for eschuchons, 12s.Mr. Adgar Tayler, 27 yards of velvet, at 26s. per yard, for a black pall for covering the corpse, 357. 15s.-J. Plaxton, on account of wine to be bought at Skipton, 157.—Mr. Deane the surgeon, in part, for embalming the bodye, 107.—29 yards 4.— of searge for my lady Wotton's mourning, 4.For a mason, for mending and blacking the seeling in my lorde's chamber, 3s. To my lorde Fairfax servants, for a safe conduct to London, 10s.-For 4 stone of tow, to putt into the coffin, and between the coffin and the charriot, to keep it from shaking, 10s.-To. Mr. Horseman, for escuchons, 57. 17s.To the poor at my lord's gate when the body went from the house, 31.-Dr. Vadguer for coming 6 dayes to his lordship in his sickness, 57.-Disbursed in the journeye between York and Skipton, for all my lord's servants, horse-meat and man's meat, and others, and poore of every parish, wth rewards to ye souldyers by the way, of foot and horse, wch guarded the corpse, the sum of 281. 2s.—To the souldyers and gunners of the garrison, at enterring my lord, 107.*" This interment of lord Henry took place on the 31st of December, amidst the tumult and conflict of contending hosts; for the castle of Skipton was then in full siege by the parliamentary forces. It may justly be affirmed of this nobleman, that though not remarkable for political knowledge, or military genius, he was nevertheless possessed of * Hist. of Craven, p. 279. considerable talents; he was attached to poetry * and elegant literature, and, as the countess of Pembroke has recorded, was well skilled in architecture and mathematics. He was also expert in all the athletic exercises, was an excellent horseman, huntsman, &c. and so pleasing and accomplished a courtier, that he was a great favourite both with king James and king Charles. He left an only daughter, lady Elizabeth, who married Richard viscount Dungarvon, eldest brother of that great and amiable philosopher Robert Boyle, and, subsequently, second earl of Cork. In the correspondence of the Cliffords is preserved a letter addressed to this earl of Cork from his sister, Katharine viscountess Ranelagh, the constant and beloved companion for many years of her illustrious brother Robert, who usually resided in her house, and whose grief for her loss was such that he did not survive her above a week. It is a letter which, from the value of the admonitions which it contains, and the devotional fervour which it breathes, is worthy of all praise, and affords us * "He turned into rhyme," remarks Whitaker, "Solomon's Song, &c. &c. which were remaining at Londesborough long after his decease." Hist. of Craven, p. 278. a most delightful view of the head and heart of her who shared the confidence and cheered the days of the first of christian philosophers. "For the Earle of Corke. "My D. D. BROTHER, "I can send you noe intelligence from hence but that which your own sence and experience must keepe you from receiving as news, which is, that quiet is a more pleasing enjoyment for the very present than a hurry, and is much more tending to everlasting rest than a toss in crouds of company can be; and therefore I have now for a while gott the advantage ground of you, for whom I have so real and intyre an affection to be able to looke upon you in the noyse and confusion of London and the court, which are certainly as great hindrances to the converse that our soules are capable of with God, and without which they are uncapable of beinge happye, as such throngs are forbiding to the freedome of discourse where friends doe acquaint one another with those thoughts of their harts which they reserve as secrets from the rest of the VOL. II. K |