POETICAL WORKS

Of the RIGHT HONOURABLE,

WENTWORTH DILLON,

EARL of ROSCOMMON.

GLASGOW:

Printed by R. URIE, MDCC XLIX,

OF THE

Earl of RoSCOMMON.

W

TENTORTH DILLON, earl of Rofcommon, was defcended of an antient family in Ireland, and son of JAMES DILLON, earl of Roscommon, who had been converted from the Romish communion by archbishop Usher. He was born in Ireland, when that kingdom was under the administration of the earl of Strafford, to whom his lordship's mother (defcended from the Boyntons of Bramston in Yorkshire) was nearly related; and when he was baptized, the lord lieutenant gave him the furname of his own family, WENTWORTH. He passed the first years of his infancy in that kingdom, and was educated in the Proteftant religion. The earl of Strafford apprehending, that upon that account his family would be expofed to the most furious effects of religious revenge, at the beginning of the Irish rebellion, fent for him over into England, and placed him at his own feat in Yorkshire, under the tuition of Dr. Hall, afterwards bishop of Norwich, a prelate of eminent learning and piety. By him he was instructed in Latin, and, without learning the common rules of grammar, which he could never retain in his memory, he attained to write in that language with claffical elegance and propriety, and with so much ease, that he chose it to correfpond with those friends who had learning sufficient to support

the commerce.

When the cloud began to gather over England, and the earl of Strafford was impeached, by the advice of archbishop Usher, he was fent to complete his education at Caen, in Normandy, under the famous Mr. Bochart. After some years he travelled to Rome, where he grew familiar with the most valuable remains

of antiquity; applying himself particularly

larly to the knowlege of medals, which he gained in perfection; and spoke Italian with so much grace and fluency, that he was frequently mistaken there for a native.

Soon after the restoration, he returned to England, where he was gracioufly received by king Charles II. and made captain of the band of pensioners; and some time afterwards, master of the horse to the duchess of York. In the gaieties of that age, he was tempted to indulge a violent paffion for gaming, by which he frequently hazarded his life in duels, and exceeded the bounds of a moderate fortune. A dispute with the lord privy feal, about part of his eftate, obliging him to revisit his native country, he resigned his post in the English court; and foon after his arrival in Dublin, the duke of Ormond appointed him captain of the guards. He still retained his inclination to gaming, which engaged him in the following adven

ture.

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