JOHN ROBARTES,

EARL OF RADNOR,

Was a man of a morose and cynical temper, just in his administration, but vicious under the appearances of virtue learned beyond any man of his quality, but intractable, stiff, and obstinate, proud and jealous." These are Burnet's words. Wood says3, he was a colonel for the parliament; that he fought desperately at Edgehill, and afterwards at Newbury, where he was field-marshal; but grew to dislike the violences of his party, and retired till the Restoration, when he was made lord-privy-seal; "but giving not that content which was expected, he was sent into Ireland to be lord-lieutenant there; and his government being disliked, he was recalled and made lord-president." We are not told how he disapppointed the king's expectations; probably not by too great complais. ance; nor why his administration, which Burnet calls just, was disliked. If it is true, that he was a good governor, the presumption

2 Vol. i. p. 98.

3 Vol. ii.

p.

787.

IOHN LORD ROBARTES.

afterwards EARL of RADNOR,

From a Minuature of the same size by Cooper in the Collection of the REV MCAR.

will be, that his rule was not disliked by those to whom, but from whom, he was sent. However, not to judge too hardly of Charles the second, we may not depend too much upon the bishop's account of the earl's government, if the fruits of it were no better than those of his great learning; all that is recorded of his writing bearing this canting title,

"A Discourse of the Vanity of the Creature; grounded on Eccles. i. 2." Lond. 1673, 8vo.

Wood says, that he left one or two more treatises fitted for the press, as he had been informed.

[John Robartes was the son and heir of sir Richard Robartes, bart. created lord Robartes of Truro in Cornwall, by James the first." He was entered a

+ Since the first edition, I find this conjecture confirmed by a letter of Andrew Marvel, who says, "that his friends were daily representing him to the king in the worst character, that the king had resolved to recall him, and that he himself, tired out with continual checks and countermands hence, in matters which he thought were agreed to him before he went, wrote a short letter to the king, desiring to be dismissed from all employments whatever, which should be his last request."

Marvel's Works, vol. ii. p. 51.

5 Bolton's Extinct Peerage, p. 234.

fellow-commoner of Exeter-College, Oxford, in 1625, where he continued two years, when he succeeded to his father's honours. At the beginning of the grand rebellion, he adhered to the parliamentarians, was made a colonel in the army under Robert, earl of Essex, and governor of the garrison at Plymouth; when, according to lord Clarendon, the king finding no good could be effected against so resolute a defender, marched away, and committed the blockade of the place to sir Richard Grenvile; upon whose first message to lord Robartes there arose so mortal a misunderstanding, that there never was civility or quarter observed between them; but such as were taken on either side, were put to the sword, or to the halter. He was some time lieutenant of Exeter 7 and Devonshire, says Wood; but when he beheld how things would terminate, he withdrew, and acted little or nothing during the times of usurpation. Bolton adds, that he was created viscount Bodmin, in 1679, and earl of Radnor; in the same year he was made president of the council, upon the removal of Anthony, earl of Shaftesbury. He died July 17.

1685.

Lord Clarendon accords with bishop Burnet, in

6 The earl of Clarendon states, that lord Robartes, though inferior in the army, had much greater credit in the parliament than lord Essex, which induced the latter to depart from his own plans, and adopt others that led him into difficulty. Hist. vol. ii. p. 512.

7 Hist. of the Rebellion, vol. ii. p. 534. 8 Athen. Oxon. vol. ii. p. 787.