Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-11-06

/ Thomas PIantagenet, Duke of Gloster, the young
est son of Edward Ill, who was created Earl in
/ 1877. But il again became extinct in his son Hum
phrey.
After this il was revived as dukedom, in favor
/ of the Earls of Stafford, one OF whom, Humphrey,
son of Earl Edmond Stafford by Ann Pantagenet,
sister of Humphrey Plantagenet, last Earl of b.
was created Duke of Buckingham in l44l. But il
was again extinguished, in 1921, by the attainder
and beheading (under Henry Sth) of Humphrey
great-grandson, Edward Stafford, and reverted to
the Crown.
4 Then came its fresh resuscation in favor of that
worthless and mschevous favorite of the as worth
less James |, George Villiers. This pestilent mi
Mon, the younger son of Sir George Vliers knight
seems 10 have been Bred in France, to all the bodi-
4 ly accomplishments of the times and all the lcen-
tlousness of that nations so that he hardly appear
ed at Court before he completely captivated James,
| by the grace of his person and the gayety of his
manners Becoming all-powerful without any other
merit, he was at first made the Kings cup-bearer,
then Councillor, with the successive dignities of
Viscount Villers, Earl, Marquis, and finally Duke
! Of Buckingham, as also Earl of Coventry-a place
into which only he deserved to be put After
plunging the kingdom into several wars almost as
4 foolish as ours in Mexico, he was at last stabbed
/ by mad assassin, FELTON,, in 1929. This, we need
hardly say is Sir Walters "Steene the infan-
tine name by which James usually called him, while
the Prince of Wales was his Baby Charles"
| To him succeeded his witty, handsome, but still
more prohigate son, the Villiers of Pope and the
Zimri of Dryden, whose mastery characters of him
our readers know how to find-the formers in the
Sd of the Moral Epstes the latter's in the First
Part of Absalom and Achitophel. Nevertheless,
for the advantage of such Of readers may not
have the books at hand, why should we not cite
them at large!
The two characters are not little different: but
this is chiefly because DRYDEN Whom we shall
place first paints the beginning and Pope the end
of Villiers:
Some of their chiefs princes of the land;
In the first rank of these did Zimri stand
A man various that he seemed 10 be
! Not one, but all mankind's eptome
| Stiff in opinions; always in the wrong;
Was every thing by STARTS and nothing long
! But in the course of one revolving moon,
/ Was chyms, fiddler, statesman, and butioon:
Then all for women, painting, rhyming, drinking,
Besides ten thousand freaks that died in thinking.
Blest mailman, who could every hour employ
With something to wish enjoy
Railing and prasng his usual themes;
And both TO show his judgment) in extremes;
So over violent civil,
That every with him was god or devil
In squandering wealth lay his peculiar art;
Nothing went unrewarded but desert.
j Beggared by fools whom still he found too late,
He had his jest and they had his estate.
/ He laughed himself from Court; then sought relief
/ BY forming parties, but could me- r be chief:
/ For, spite OF him, the weight of business fell
On Absalom and wise Achtophel:
/ Thus, wicked but in will, of means bereh,
He left no faction, but Of that was left.
PoPE's portrait is less witty, but brings director
and more moving images before the eyes:
I In the worst inns worst room, with mat halfhung,
The floors of plaster and the walls of dung
On once aock-bed, but repair'd with straw,
| Its tape tied curtains to draw,
| The George and Garter dangling from that bed
Where awdry yellow strove with dirty red,
+ Great VIliers lies. Alas how changed from him.
! That life of pleasure and that soul of whm,
! Gallant and gay, in Clvedens proud alcove,
The bower Of wanton Shrewsbury and love,
Or just gay, at council, in the ring
OF mimic statesmen and their merry King!
No wit to fatter left, of all his store
No fool to laugh at, which he valued more
There, victor of his health, of fortune, friends
! And fame, this lord of useless thousands ends.
| At the second Villiers's death, in 1887 without
heirs male, the dukedom again lapsed
/ The title was once more revived, in 1903, in ia
vor of John Sheffield, Earl Mulgrave, Marquis and
then Duke of Normandy as well as Buckingham.
He also figures in Dryden but with just praise not
only for his abilities political and literary, but his
fidelity and integrity:
sharp.judgng Adre, the MUSES. friend,
Himself muse in sanhedrims debate,
! True to his Prince, but not slave Of State;
| Whom David's love with honors did adorn
That from his disobedent son. were torn.
! But the ducal honors failing again in Edmund,
the son of John, Q735,) could as little remain in
the noble Sheffields as the worthless ViIlierses.
| In 1884 the marquisate was revived in favor OF
George Grenville, Earl Temple, father of the pre-
sent Duke, Richard Grenville Bridges Chandos ;
who, marrying Ann Eliza Bridges, daughter and
heiress of the Duke of Chandos, had, in 1922, the
double duchy of Buckingham and Chandos revived
and conferred upon him. He is also Earl Temple
So much for Buckingham
The Duke Of Monmouth
! HERMITAGE INSTITUTE,