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THE

BRITISH PLUTARCH.

THE LIFE or

JOHN CHURCHILL.

OHN CHURCHILL, duke of Marlborough, and prince of the holy Roman empire, was eldest fon of fir Winston Churchill, and born at Afhe, in Devonfhire, on Midfummer-day, in

the year 1650. A clergyman in the neighbourhood inftructed him in the first principles of literature; but his father having other views than what a learned education afforded, carried him very early to court, where he was particularly faVOL, IX.

B

voured

voured by James duke of York, when he was no more than twelve years of age.

He had a pair of colours given him in the guards during the first Dutch war, about the year 1666; and afterwards obtained leave to go over to Tangier, then in our hands, and befieged by the Moors; where he refided for fome time, and cultivated attentively the fcience of arms. Upon his return to England, he attended conftantly at court, and was greatly refpected by both the king and the duke.

In the year 1672, the duke of Monmouth commanding a body of English auxiliaries in the fervice of France, Mr. Churchill attended him, and was foon after made a captain of grenadiers in his grace's own regiment. He had a fhare in all the actions of that famous campaign against the Dutch; and at the fiege of Nimeguen diftinguished himself so much, that he was particularly taken notice of by the celebrated marthal Turenne, who bestowed on him the name of the Handsome Englishman.

He fhone out alfo with so much eclat at the reduction of Maeftricht, that the French king thanked him for his behaviour at the head of the line; and affured him, that he would acquaint his.fovereign with it; which he did: and the duke of Monmouth, on his return to England, told the king his father, how much he had been indebted to the bravery of captain Churchill.

The laurels he brought from France were fure to gain him preferment at home: accord

ingly the king made him a lieutenant-colonel, and the duke made him gentleman of his bedchamber, and foon after mafter of the robes. The fecond Dutch war being over, colonel Churchill was again obliged to pass his days at court, where he behaved with great prudence and circumfpection in the troublesome times that enfued.

In the beginning of the year 1679, when the duke of York was conftrained to retire from England to the Low-countries, colonel Churchill attended him, as he did throughout all his peregrinations, till he was fuffered to refide again in London. While he waited upon the duke in Scotland, he had a regiment of dragoons given him; and thinking it now time to take a confort, he made his addreffes to Mrs. Sarah Jennings, who waited on the lady Anne, afterwards queen of Great Britain. This young lady, then about twenty-one years of age, and univerfally admired both for perfon and wit, he married in the year 1681, and thereby ftrengthened the intereft he already had

at court.

In the spring of the year 1682, the duke of York returned to London; and having obtained leave to quit Scotland, refolved to fetch his family from thence by fea. For this purpofe, he embarked on the fecond of May, but unluckily ran upon the Lemon Oar, a dangerous fand that lies about fixteen leagues from the mouth of the Humber; where his fhip was loft, with fome men of quality, and upwards

of one hundred and twenty perfons on board her. He was particularly careful of colonel Churchill's fafety, and took him into the boat in which himfelf escaped.

The firft ufe made by his royal highness of his intereft, after his return to court, was to obtain a title for his favourite; who, by letters-patent, bearing date on the first of December, 1682, was created baron of Eymouth, in Scotland, and alfo appointed colonel of the third troop of guards.

He was continued in all his pofts upon the coming of king James II. to the crown, who fent him alfo his ambaffador to France to notify his acceffion. On his return, he affifted at the coronation, on the twenty-third of April, 1685; and in May following was created a peer of England, by the title of baron Churchill, of Sandridge, in the county of Hertford.

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In June, lord Churchill being then lieutenant-general of his majesty's forces, was ordered into the weft to fupprefs the duke of Monmouth's rebellion which he did in a month's time, with an inconfiderable body of horfe, and took the duke himself prisoner. He was extremely well received by the king at his return from this victory, but foon difcerned, as it is faid, the bad effects it produced, by confirming the king in an opinion, that, by virtue of a ftanding-army, the religion and government of England might eafily be changed. How far lord Churchill concurred with, or oppofed, the king, while he

was