MEMOIRS

OF THE

EARL of OSSORY.

T

HIS young nobleman has been made fuch honourable mention of by all our hiftorians, that, in this place, we fhall give fome Memoirs of his Life, which was cut off before his father's.

He was named Thomas, and born in the caftle of Kilkenny, on the ninth of July, 1634. In 1647, he went into England with his father, when he quitted the government of Ireland, and ftayed in London, till the duke of Crmond, going in disguise to escape beyond the fea, paffing near the town, took him with him to France.

When his grace, in 1648, returned to Ire land, lord Offory was left with his brother, lord Richard Butler, under the tuition of a French minifter, at Caen, in whofe houfe he boarded but, in October, 1649, they went both to Paris, to Monfieur de Camp's acade my, where lord Offory grew expert in every exercife, and gained great reputation."

In December, 1650, he came back to Caen to his mother, the duchefs of Ormond. The duchefs foon after going into England, he accompanied her; where, in March, 1655, he was put, by Cromwell's order, into the Tower. There was no particular thing laid to his charge; his crime was, being converfant among the dangerous men, and one who would expofe his life for the king on the first occafion.

The guard that came to fecure him at Wildhoufe, departed upon the duchefs's affurance of his appearing the next morning. His lordship was not in the house at that time, and Mr. Stephen Ludlow finding him, told him how matters flood; and, that, if he were inclined to make his efcape, there was a veffel ready to carry him abroad: but her grace having promifed that he fhould be forth coming, was againft that ftep, and perfuaded him to go very early the next morning to attend the protector at Whitehall. He stayed there,' in the drawing-room, till three in the afternoon, fending in feveral meffages, but receiving no answer to any, till Baxter told him, he was commmanded to provide him a lodging in the Tower.

Thus, without being examined or admitted to the protector, he was hurried away thither in a hackney-coach, and there remained till October following; when, falling ill of a dangerous fever, and the phyficians certifying G 3

that

that he could not live without change of air, he was released, and fuffered to go down into Gloucefterfhire: but continuing flill very ill, and the phyficians advifing him to try a foreign air, a pafs was, with much difficulty, procured him; upon which his brother, lord Ri-. chard, went with him as one of his fer

vants.

They landed in Flanders, but foon removed into Holland, where lord Offory continued, not daring to come near the king as long as Cromwell lived, for fear it should be a pretence for taking away from the duchefs the tenancy of her own eftate; which the had, at laft, obtained and got fettled by the favour of Henry Cromwell.

In November, 1659, the earl of Offory was married to Emilia, daughter of Monfieur de Beverweertz, natural fon of the prince of Orange, governor of Sluys, and all its dependencies, and a very leading man in the affembly of the ftates-general.

After the restoration, coming into England, he was made, by patent, colonel of foot in Ireland, on the eighth of February, 1661; and colonel and captain of horfe, by a like pa tent, on the thirteenth of June. On the nineteenth of the fame month, he was made lieutenant-general of the horse by another patent; and, on the fixteenth of Auguft, 1665, appointed lieutenant-general of the army in that kingdom.

In the year laft mentioned, he was at Eufton, in Norfolk, when the four days fight happened with the Dutch; and hearing the guns from fea, he and Sir Thomas Clifford found means, from Harwich, to get on board the duke of Albermarle's fhip, the duke being then retiring, and fighting as he retreated, to preferve the fmaller veffels, which he caused to fail before him, while he faced the enemy. with the larger. The earl brought his grace the first news he had, that prince Rupert was ordered back from the weft to join his fleet.

When the Dutch fleet preffed hard upon the duke, lord Offory faid to him, He faw no help but that he must be taken, But his grace replied, No, he knew how to prevent that; and when, upon the danger encreafing, his lordship was more curious to know how he would avoid being taken, the duke answered, He would blow up the fhip. This brave refolution was fo agreeable to lord Offory's own fentiments, that he ever had his grace in great. esteem.

He was at this time very well with lord Arlington; and, in April, 1666, contracted that alliance by this nobleman's marrying Madamoiselle Ifabella de Beverweert, fifter to the countess of Offory, which cemented a friendship between them that lafted till fate put an end to the life of the former.

Lord Arlington always fhewed a paffionate regard for the earl of Offory in all his conG 4

cerns,

cerns, on all occafions, affifting him with his interest and councils to the very laft: and, on the other hand, when lord Arlington was going to be impeached by the commons, and the matter was debated five days together in the house, lord Offory stood every day, like a folicitor, in the lobby, preffing the members with the most earnest entreaties, and neglecting nothing till he had carried the point in his favour.

In the fame year, the earl of Offory, upon his father's refignation of the place, was made gentleman of the bed-chamber to the king; and, in June following, was fworn of the privy-council of England.

Soon after, by a writ, bearing date on the fourteenth of September, he was called to the parliament, then fitting at Westminster, by the title of lord Butler, of Moor park, and tok his place there accordingly on the tenth day of the fame month. In May, 1640, he waited on his majefty to Dover, when he went to meet the duchefs of Orleans.

In October, that year, the king being de firous to fee his nephew, the prince of Orange, fent the earl for his highnefs. His lordship accordingly fet fail for Holland, attended by feveral yachts; and, about the latter end of that month, put him and his train on shore at Margate, in Kent.

In February following, he waited on the prince back to the Hague; went from thence to view the French king's new conquefts in

Flanders ;