1

a lofs invaluable to each, yet herself blefst, and they fully recompenced in her translation from a tabernacle of claye and fellowshipp of Mortals, to a celestial Manfion and Communion with a Deity, the 10 day of August, 1634. JOHN HAMPDEN, her forrowfull Husband, in perpetual teftimony of his conjugal love, hath dedicated this Monument."

So little is known refpecting this illuftrious character, that even the manner of his death has never been ascertained; fome perfons fuppofing that he was wounded in the shoulder by a fhot of the enemy; and others fuppofing that he was killed by the bursting of one of his own piftols, with which his fon-in-law had prefented him.

Of the perfon of this honour to our country, there is, I believe, no representation of which we can be certain. The print of him in Houbraken's Heads of the Illuftrious Perfons of England, is fuppofititious. An account of one defect in his face Sir Philip Warwick has preferved *.

The

* "Mr. Hampden received a hurt in his fhoulder, "whereof he died in three or four days after; for his

"blood

The last male descendant of his family always declared, that the ivory buft of him was not an actual representation of his features, but composed by the memory and tradition of them. The arms under it have this infcription, but too well fuited in general to those who have the miffortune to be engaged in civil wars:

Veftigia nulla retrorfum :

There is no poffibility of returning.

The following account of the death of Mr. Hampden was found on a loose paper in a book bought out of Lord Oxford's collection, and was kindly communicated to the COMPILER by H. J. PYE, Efq. the prefent Poet-Laureat, a lineal descendant in the female line from that great Affertor of the Liberties of his Country:

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"Two of the Harleys, and one of the Foleys,

being at fupper with Sir Robert Pye, at Far"ringdon House, Berks, in their way to Here"fordshire, Sir Robert Pye related the account " of Hampden's death as follows: That at the "action of Chalgrave Field his pistol burst, and "fhattered his hand in a terrible manner. He " however rode off, and got to his quarters; "but finding the wound mortal, he fent for Sir

"blood in his temper was acrimonious, as the fcurfe com"monly on his face fhewed."

7

Sir PHILIP WARWICK'S Memoirs, "Robert

"Robert Pye, then a Colonel in the Parlia❝ment army, and who had married his [eldest] daughter, and told him, that he looked on "him as in fome degree acceffary to his death, "as the piftols were a prefent from him. Sir "Robert affured him that he bought them in "Paris of an eminent maker, and had proved "them himself. It appeared, on examining the "other pistol, that it was loaded to the muzzle "with several fupernumerary charges, owing to "the careleffness of a fervant who was ordered to fee the pistols were loaded every morning, "which he did without drawing the former "charge."

The King, on hearing of Mr. Hampden's being wounded at Oxford, defired Dr. Giles *, who was a friend of Mr. Hampden, to send to inquire after him, as from himself; and, adds Sir Philip Warwick, "I found the King would "have fent him over any furgeon of his, if any "had been wanting; for he looked upon his

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intereft, if he could gain his affection, as a powerful means of begetting a right under"standing between him and the two Houses."

* Dr. Giles, according to Sir Philip Warwick, was a near neighbour of Mr. Hampden's in Buckinghamshire, and being an opulent man had built himself a good parfonage-houfe, in which ftructure Mr. Hampden had ufed his

kill.

Osborn,

Osborn, in his " Advice to a Son," fays, that it was an observation of Mr. Hampden, that tò speak last at a conference is a great advantage. "By this means,” adds Osborn, “he was ablè "to make him still the gaol keeper of the party; "giving his oppofites leifure to lose their rea"fons in the loud and lefs fignificant tempeft "commonly arifing upon a first debate, in "which if he found his fide worsted, he had "the dextrous fagacity to mount the argument "above the heads of the major part, whofe fin

gle reafon did not feldom make the whole Par"liament fo fufpicious of their own as to ap "prove his; or at least gave time for another "debate, by which he had the opportunity to "mufter up more forces. Thus by confounding the weaker, and by tiring out the acuter judgment, he feldom failed to attain his "ends."

SIR WILLIAM WALLER.

SIR TOBY MATTHEWS, in his collection of English Letters, has preserved the following letter of Sir William Waller, before he took the com mand of the forces of the Parliament against Charles the First.

A LET

A LETTER OF SIR WILLIAM WALLER TO SIR

RALPH HOPTON, ANN. DOM. 1643, IN THE

BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL WARS BETWEEN CHARLES THE FIRST AND THE PARLIAMENT.

66 SIR,

"The experience which I have had of your "worth, and the happineffe which I have enjoyed in your friendship, are wounding confi"derations to me, when I look upon this pre"fent distance between us. Certainly, Sir, my "affections to you are fo unchangeable, that "hoftilitie itself cannot violate my friendship to

66

your perfon; but I must be true to the caufe "wherein I serve. The old limitation of usq. "ad aras, holdeth ftill; and where my con"fcience is interefted, all other obligation are "fwallowed up. I fhould wait on you, accord

ing to your defire, but that I look on you as "engaged in that partie beyond the poffibility "of retreat, and, confequentlie, uncapable of "being wrought upon by anie perswasion; and "I know, the conference could never be fo "close betwixt us, but it would take wind, and "receive a conftruction to my dishonour. That "Great God, who is the fearcher of all hearts, "knows, with what a fad fear I go upon this "service, and with what perfect hate I deteft a "war without an enemie. But I look upon it