pofed, faid, "By God, if you were not monfieur the ambaffador, I know very well how I would ufe you." Sir Edward Herbert rifing alfo from his chair, faid, that as he was the king of Great Britain's ambaffador, fo he was alfo a gentleman; and that his fword, whereon he laid his hand, fhould give him fatis faction, if he had taken any offence." After which, de Luines making no reply, the ambassador went on towards the door, and de Luines feeming to accompany him, fir Edward told him, that "there was no occafion to ufe fuch ceremony after fuch language," and fo departed, expecting to hear farther from him. But no meffage being brought from de Luines, he had, in pursuance of his inftructions, a more civil audience from the king at Coignac; where the marshal of St. Geran told him, that "he had offended the conftable, and was not in a place of fecurity there :" to which he answered, that " he thought himself to be in a place of fecurity, wherefoever he had his fword by him." De Luines refenting the affront, procured Cadinet his brother, duke of Chaun, with a train of officers, of whom there was not one, as he told king James, but had killed his man, to go as an ambaffador extraordinary: who mifrepresented the affair so much to the disadvantage of fir Edward, that the earl of Carlisle, who was fent to accommodate the misunderstanding which might arife between the two crowns, got him recalled; until the gentleman who stood behind the curtain, out of a regard to truth and honour, related all the circumstances fo, as to make it appear, that though de Luines gave the firft affront, yet fir Edward had kept himself within the bounds of his inftructions and honour. He afterwards fell on his knees to king James, before the duke of Buckingham, requesting, that a trumpeter, if not an herald, might be fent to de Luines, to tell him, that he had made a false relation of the whole affair; and that fir Edward Herbert would demand fatisfaction of him fword in hand, The king anfwered, that he would take it into confideration; but de Luines died foon after, and fir Edward was fent again ambassador to France [R]. In 1625, fir Edward was advanced to the dignity of a baron of the kingdom of Ireland, by the title of lord Herbert of Caftle-Ifland; and, in 1631, to that of lord Herbert of Cherbury in Shropshire. After the breaking out of the civil wars, he adhered to the parliament; and, Feb. 25, 1644, "had an allowance granted him for his livelihood, having been spoiled by the king's forces [s]," as Whitelocke fays; or as Wood relates it, "received fatisfaction from the members of that house, for their causing Montgomery castle to be demolished [T]." He died at his house in Queen-street, London, Aug. 20, 1648; and [R] Lloyd, &c. p. 1918. [T] Ath. Oxon. [$] Memorials of the English Affaire, p. 104, E 3 was was buried in the chancel of St. Giles's in the Fields, with this infcription upon a flat marble ftone over his grave: "Heic inhumatur corpus Edvardi Herbert equitis Balnei, baronis de Cherbury & Caftle-Ifland, auctoris libri, cui titulus eft, De Veritate. Reddor ut herbæ, vicefimo die Augufti anno Domini $648." This noble lord was the author of fome very fingular and memorable works: the firft of which was his book, De Veritate," which we have feen just mentioned in his epitaph. It was printed at Paris in 1624, and reprinted there in 1633; after which it was printed in London, in 1645, under this title; "De Veritate, prout diftinguitur à revelatione, à verifimili, à poffibili, à falfo. Cui operi additi funt duo alii tractatus: primus de caufis errorum; alter de Religione Laici." The defign of it to affert the fufficiency, univerfality, and abfolute perfection of natural religion, with a view to difcard all extraordinary revelation as needlefs; and on this account it is, that he has very juftly been ranked among the deifts. A learned and candid author, however, has lately published a most extraordinary anecdote relating to him, which, if true, fhews him to have been a moft confcientious deift: and this writer feems to confider it as a fact. He tells us, that it is taken from a MS. life of lord Herbert drawn up from memorials penned by himself, and which is now in the poffeffion of a gentleman of diftinction [u]." His book. "De Veritate," was, we are informed, his favourite work; yet as it was written in a manner fo very different from what had been heretofore written on that fubject, his lordship had great doubts within himself, whether he fhould publish or rather fupprefs it. This the MS. life above-mentioned, fets forth in his lordship's own words; after which it represents him relating the following furprifing incident, as he calls it. “ Being thus doubtful in my chamber," fays lord Herbert, "one fair day in the summer, my cafement being open towards the fouth, the fun fhining clear, and no wind ftirring, I took my book, De Veritate, in my hands, and kneeling on my knees, de-. voutly faid thefe words: O thou eternal God, author of this light, which now fhines upon me, and giver of all inward illuminations, I do befeech thee, of thine infinite goodness, to pardon a greater request than a finner ought to make. I am not fatisfied enough, whether I fhall publifh this book: if it be for thy glory, I befeech thee give me fome fign from heaven; if not, I fhall fupprefs it.' I had no fooner spoken thefe words, but a loud, though yet gentle noise, came forth from the heavens, for it was like nothing on earth, which did fo chear and comfort me, that I took my petition as [u] Leland's View of Deistical Writers, Vol. I. p. 469. granted, granted, and that I had the fign I demanded; whereupon alfo I refolved to print my book. This, how ftrange foever it may feem, I proteft before the eternal God, is true: neither am I any way fuperftitioufly deceived herein, fince I did not only clearly hear the noife, but in the ferenest sky that ever I faw, being without all cloud, did, to my thinking, fee the place from whence it came." The celebrated Gaffendi wrote a con futation of this book, "De Veritate," at the defire of Peirefcius and Elias Diodati, and finished it at Aix, without publifhing it and when lord Herbert paid him a vifit in Sept. 1647, Gaffendi was furprised to find, that this piece had not been delivered to him, for he had fent him a copy: upon which he ordered another copy to be taken of it, which that nobleman carried with him to England. It was afterwards published in Gaffendi's works, under the title of "Ad librum D. Edvardi Herberti Angli de Veritate epiftola ;" but is imperfect, fome Theets of the original being loft. His "Hiftory of the Life and Reign of Henry VIII." was published in 1649, a year after his death, and is a work which has always been much admired. Nicolfon, in his English "Hiftorical Library [x]," fays, that lord Herbert " acquitted himself in this hiftory with the like reputation, as the lord chancellor Bacon gained by that of Henry VIIth. For in the public and martial part this honourable author has been admirably particular and exact from the best records that were extant; though as to the ecclefiaftical, he feems to have looked upon it as a thing out of his province, and an undertaking more proper for men of another profeffion." In 1663, appeared his book " De Religione Gentilium, errorumque apud eos caufis [Y]." The firft part was printed at London, in 1645; and that year he sent the MS. of it to Gerard Voffius, as appears from a letter of his lordship's, and Voffius's anfwer. An English translation of this work was published in 1705, under this title: "The ancient Religion of the Gentiles, and Causes of their Errors confidered. The Mistakes and Failures of the Heathen Priefts and wife Men, in their Notions of the Deity and Matters of Divine Worship, are examined with regard to their being destitute of Divine Revelation." Lord Herbert wrote alfo in 1630, "Expeditio Buckinghami ducis in Ream infulam," which was publifhed in 1656; and "Occafional Verfes," publifhed in 1665, by his fon Henry Herbert, and dedicated to Edward lord Herbert, his grandfon. He was, upon the whole, as Wood tells us [z]," a perfon well ftudied in the arts and languages, a good philofopher and historian, and understood men as well as books," [x] Part I, p. 226, 1696, 8vo. [Y] Clarorum Virorum ad Voff. Epift. & Voffii Epiftola. [] Athen. Oxon. 1 but Christian Kortholt, on account of his book "De Veritate," has ranked him with Hobbes and Spinofa, in his differtation, entitled, "De tribus impoftoribus magnis, Edvardo Herbert, Thoma Hobbes, & Benedicto Spinofa Liber," printed at Kilon in 1680. HERBERT (GEORGE), an English poet and divine [A], was brother of the preceding, and born at Montgomery-castle in Wales, Apr. 3, 1593. He was educated at Westminster-school and being a king's scholar, was elected to Trinity-college in Cambridge, about 1608. He took both the degrees in arts, and became fellow of his college: and in 1619, was chofen orator of the univerfity, which office he held eight years. During that time he had learned the Italian, Spanish, and French languages very perfectly: hoping, fays his biographer, that he might in time, as his predeceffors fir Robert Naunton and fir Francis Netherfole had done, obtain the place of fecretary of state; for he was at that time highly esteemed by the king and the most eminent of the nobility. This and the love of a court-converfation, "mixed," fays the fame author, "with a laudable ambition to be fomewhat more than he then was," drew him often from Cambridge to attend his majesty, wherever the court was: and the king gave him a finecure, which queen Elizabeth had formerly conferred on fir Philip Sidney, worth about 120l. per ann. His ambition, however, was disappointed; for upon the death of the duke of Richmond and the marquis of Hamilton, his hopes of court preferment were at an end, and he entered into orders. July 1626, he was collated to a prebend in the church of Lincoln; and about 1630, he married a lady, who was nearly related to the earl of Danby. The fame year, he was inducted into the rectory of Bemerton near Salisbury; where he discharged the duties of his function in a moft exemplary manner. We have no exact account of the time of his death; but it is fuppofed to have happened about 1635. His poems, entitled," The Temple," were printed at London in 1635, 12mo: and his "Prieft to the Temple, or, The Country Parfon's Character and Rules of holy Life," was published in 1652. His works have fince been published together in a volume, 12mo, but are now little read. Nevertheless, he was highly valued by the most eminent perfons of his age. Dr. Donne infcribed to him a copy of Latin verfes; and lord Bacon dedicated to him his "Tranflation of fome Pfalms into English Metre." HERBERT (WILLIAM), earl of Pembroke, was born at Wilton in Wiltshire, April 8, 1580, and admitted of New-college in Oxford in 1592, where he continued about two years [B]. In 1601, he fucceeded to his father's honours and eftate; was [A] Walton's Life of Herbert, Lond. 1675. [8] Ath. Ozon. made made knight of the garter in 1604; and governor of Portsmouth fix years after. In 1626, he was elected chancellor of the univerfity of Oxford; and about the fame time made lord steward. of the king's houfhold. He died fuddenly at his house called Baynard's caftle, in London, April 10, 1630; according to the calculation of his nativity, fays Wood, made feveral years before by Mr. Thomas Allen, of Gloucefter-hall. Clarendon relates, concerning this calculation, that fome confiderable perfons connected with lord Pembroke being met at Maidenhead, one of them at fupper drank a health to the lord steward: upon which another faid, that he believed his lordship was at that time very merry; for he had now outlived the day, which it had been prognofticated upon his nativity he would not outlive: but he had done it now, for that was his birth-day, which had completed his age to 50 years. The next morning, however, they received the news of his death [c]. Whether the noble hiftorian really believed this and other accounts relating to astrology, apparitions, providential intérpofitions, &c. which he has inferted in his hiftory, we do not prefume to say: he delivers them, however, as if he did not actually disbelieve them. Lord Pembroke was not only a great favourer of learned and ingenious men, but was himself learned, and endued with a confiderable fhare of poetic genius. All that are extant of his productions in this way, were publifhed with this title: " Poems written by William earl of Pembroke, &c. many of which are answered by way of repartee by fir Benjamin Rudyard, with other poems written by them occafionally and apart, 1660," 8vo. The character of this noble perfon is not only one of the most amiable in lord Clarendon's hiftory, but is one of the best drawn. "He was," fays the great hiftorian, "the most univerfally beloved and esteemed of any man of that age; and having a great office in the court, he made the court itself better esteemed, and more reverenced in the country and as he had a great number of friends of the best men, fo no man had ever the confidence to avow himself to be his enemy. He was a man very well bred, and of excellent parts, and a graceful speaker upon any subject, having a good proportion of learning, and a ready wit to apply it, and enlarge upon it: of a pleasant and facetious humour, and a difpofition affable, generous, and magnificent. He lived many years about the court before in it, and never by it; being rather regarded and esteemed by king James, than loved and favoured. As he spent and lived upon his own fortune, fo he stood upon his own feet, without any other fupport than of his proper virtue and merit. He was exceedingly beloved in the court, because he never defired to get that for [c] Hift. of Rebellion, b. 1. himself |