Athenæ Oxonienses. The History of Oxford Writers. Vol. 1, p. 500
Henry Cary
, Son of Sir Edw. Cary of Aldenham and Berchamsted in Hertfordshire Knight, Master of the Jewel house to Q. Elizabeth and K. James, by Katherine his Wife, Daughter of Sir Hen. Knevet Knight, was born in that County, and at about 16 years of age was sent to obtain Academical learning in this University, particularly, as it seems, to Exeter coll. where by the help of a good Tutor, and extraordinary parts, be became a most accomplished Gentleman. ’Ts said (h)(h) In the Worthies of England by Tho. Euller. that during his stay in the Vniversity of Oxford, his Chamber was the rendezvouz of all the eminent Wits, Divines, Philosophers, Lawyers, Historians, and Politicians of that time, but how true it is, seeing Henry was then a young man and not graduated, I cannot in the least perceive. Had those things been spoken of Lucius Cary his Son, who retired several times to, and took commons in, Exeter coll. while his Brother Lorenzo studied therein 1628. and after, I should have rather believed it. But let the matter rest as ’tis: Sure I am, that after Hen. Cary had left the University where he had obtained a celebrated name, he was introduced into the Royal Court, was made Knight of the Bath at the creation of Charles Prince of Wales, Comptroller of his Majesties Houshold, one of his Privy Council, Lord Deputy of Ireland, an. 1622. and about the same time Viscount Falkland in Scotland, being then in much esteem by that King for his great abilities and experience in state affairs. He wrote several things, but not printed, and is supposed to be author of,
The History of the most unfortunate Prince K. Edw. 2. with choice political observations on him and his unhappy favourites, Gaveston and Spencer: containing several passages of those times not found in other Historians. Lond. 1680. oct. Which book being found among the Papers of the said Henry Visc. Falkland, was published therefore as his, when the Press was open for all such books that could make any thing against the then Government, with a Preface to the Reader patch’d up from very inconsiderable authors, by Sir Ja. H. as is supposed. The Reader is to know that in 1628. was published at Lond. in oct. an historical Poem intit. The deplorable life and death of Edward the Second K. of England, together with the downfal, &c. written by one Rich. Hubert: which Poem being printed without the knowledge of the author, and so consequently full of faults and not according to his mind, a true copy was printed at Lond. in the year following in oct. bearing this title, The History of Edw. 2. sirnamed Carnarvon one of our English Kings: together with the fatal downfal of his two unfortunate Favourites, Gaveston and Spencer. Published by the authors own copy, with the Addition of some other observations both of use and ornament, written by his elder Brother Sir Franc. Hubert (or Hobert) Knight. As for Henry Lord Falkland he gave way to fate, occasioned by the breaking of his Leg on a stand in Theobald’s Park, in Sept. or Octob. in sixteen hundred thirty and three, 1633 but where he was buried, I cannot tell. He left behind him a Son named Lucius Cary begotten on the body of his Wife Elizabeth, sole Daughter and Heir of Sir Laurence Tanfield L. Chief Baron of the Exchequer, by whom he had the Mannor of Great Tew, the Priory, with the Rectory and Demesnes, of Burford, in Oxfordshire, and other Lands. Whether this Lucius was born at Burford, (as some think he was,) the publick Register of that place, which commences about the beginning of the Reign of K. Jam. 1. takes no notice of it: However that he was mostly nursed there by a wet and dry Nurse, the Ancients of that Town, who remember their names, have some years since informed me. So that the place of his Nativity being yet doubtful to me, I must tell you that when his Father became Lord Deputy of Ireland, he carried his Son Lucius then a wild Youth with him into that Country, where he caused him to be educated in Academical learning in Trinity coll. near to Dublin, and afterwards sent him to travel under the tutelage and protection of a discreet person, who making a very great reformation in him, as to life, manners, and learning, Lucius had ever after a great respect and veneration for him. Upon his return he retired several times to Oxon to enlarge that learning, which he had acquir’d, as I shall anon tell you. His first years of reason were spent in Poetry and polite learning, into the first of which he made divers plausible sallies, which caused him therefore to be admired by the Poets of those times, particularly, first by Ben. Johnson, who hath an Epigram on him in his Vnderwood, in the second vol. of his works. 2. By Edm. Waller of Beconsfield, who highly (a)(a) See in his Poems written on several occasions. Lond. 1668. p. 31. extols his worth and admirable parts; and, 3. By Sir John Suckling, who afterwards brought him into his Poem, called, (b)(b) In Fragmenta aurea, or Poems. Lond. 1648. oct. p. 10. The Session of Poets, thus,
He was of late so gone with Divinity,
That he had almost forgot his Poetry,
Though to say the truth (and Apollo did know it)
He might have been both his Priest and his Poet.
Much about the time of his Fathers death, he became one of the Gent. of his Majesty’s Privy Chamber, had frequent retirements to Great Tew, and sometimes to Oxon (as he had done very frequently before his Marriage) for the company of, and conversation with, learned and witty men. Among whom were Will. Chillingworth of Trinity coll. John Earle and Hugh Cressy of Merton coll. George Aglionby of Ch. Ch. Charles Gataker of Pembroke coll. (Son of Thom. Gataker of Redriff or Ridrith near to London,) who, I think, was afterwards his Chaplain, Thom. Triplet a very witty man of Ch. Ch. and others. He had also intimate acquaintance with George Sandys the Poet, who usually lived at Caswell, near to Witney, in the house of Sir Franc. W [•] nman, who married his Sister; whose company was usually frequented, when Lucius retired to his house at Burford. In 1639. he was put in Commission for his Majesty in the expedition against the Scots, and upon his safe return thence, Abr. Cowley the Prince of Poets, and a great admirer of him, hath an excellent (c)(c) See more in his works, printed at Lond. 1678. fol. pag. 4. copy of verses, wherein are several things honourably mentioned of him and his learning. In the beginning of the year 1640. he was chosen a Member of the House of Commons, for Newport in the Isle of Wight, to serve in that Parliament that began at Westminster on the 13. of Apr. the same year, and again for the same place for that Parliament that began there also 3. Nov. following: In which last he shewed himself a great reformer of divers abuses, and a stickler for the Commons against the Kings Prerogative, and Bishops. But being taken off from those proceedings by being made one of the Secretaries of State, he ever after adher’d to his Majesty, was with him at York in 1642. and had a hand in most of those Declarations published by his Majesty’s special command in all places in England, to shew the reason of his intentions and proceedings. Afterwards he was a constant follower of his Majesty, was with him at Edghill fight, and afterwards at Oxon, where he discharged his office with a great deal of prudence. While he lived, and especially after his death, he was esteemed by many a Socinian, (having been, as ’tis said, strengthned in that opinion by Chillingworth,) and I know not what; but one (d)(d) Hugh or Scren. Cressy in his Epist. Apologetical, printed 1674. §. [•] . that knew him very well, doth (tho a zealous Papist) clear him from being guilty of any such matter, and tells us withal, that he was the greatest ornament to our Nation that the last age produced. Another (e)(e) Tho. Triplet in his Epist. dedic. before the L. Falkland’s book of Infallibility, printed 1651. also, who had been intimate with him, saith, that he was the envy of this age, and will be the wonder of the next, that he honoured and served his Creator in the days of his youth,—that he was not a Candidate of Atheism, &c. The truth is, all that knew the said Lucius L. Falkland, were fully possessed with opinions to the contrary, and have usually said, that he was a sincere Christian, that he always led a virtuous life, and despised all worldly things in comparison of necessary divine truth, that he was a lover of veracity and sincerity, and what not, for the accomplishment of a religious man. As for his parts, which speak him better than any Elogy, they were incomparable, and needed no supplies of industry. His answers were quick and sudden, and tho he had a great deal of true worth treasured up in him, yet he had much of modesty withal. So that all these things put together, (to which more might be added,) his memory ought to be precious, especially with such, who have any esteem for virtue, heroical fidelity to their Prince, or to incomparable learning. Among several things of his that are printed, are, (1) A speech in Parliament concerning Vniformity. (2) Sp. concerning ill Counsellours; both spoken in 1640. (3) Sp. about Ship-money 5. Dec. 1640. (4) Sp. concerning John Lord Finch, lately L. Keeper, and the Judges. (5) Sp. to the Lords of the upper House, after the reading of the Articles against John L. Finch 14. Jan. 1640. (6) Sp. concerning Episcopacy 9. Feb. 1640, the beginning of which is Mr. Speaker, he is a great stranger in Israel, &c. Which Sp. is said (f)(f) In the Life of Archb. Laud. and also in his Observations on the Hist. of K. Ch. 1. written by Ham. L’estrange, printed 1658. p. 122. by Dr. P. Heylyn to be a bitter Speech against the Bishops, upon which account it is much used and (g)(g) See Hen. Hickmans Justification of the Fathers and Schoolmen, &c. Ox. 1659. sec. edit. p. 40. 41. quoted by the Presbyterians. I have seen another Speech also intit. A draught of a Speech concerning Episcopacy, found among the L. Falklands papers since his death, written with his own hand. Oxon. 1644. in 1 sh. in qu. The beginning of which is Mr. Speaker, whosoever desires this total change, &c. Also another thing of his intit. A discourse concerning Episcopacy. Lond. 1660. qu. Published then I presume by one who was not a Friend to Bishops, being the same, I think, that was by Dr. Heylyn taken to be a bitter Speech against them. He hath also written, A dscourse of the infallibility of the Church of Rome, several times printed in qu. Whereupon an answer to it being made, the Lord came out with a reply. All published together by Tho. Triplet sometimes Student of Ch. Ch. afterwards D. of D. and Prebendary of Westminster, printed at London 1651. qu. with a dedicatory epistle before them. See more in Dr. Hen. Hammond under the year 1660. But before Triplets edition, another was put out by Anon. to which J. P. put a Preface to it, which is omitted in that of Triplet. See more in Hugh Cressy, under the year 1674. By this Discourse of infallibility it is apparent that the L. Falkland had framed a judgment touching the R. Cath. Church out of certain Cath. writers, who represented it too disadvantagiously, and not with such qualifications as the Ch. her self has done. He also wrote, An answer to a letter of Mr. Walt. Mountague, who justifies his change of Religion, an. 1635. printed at the end of his Discourse of Infalibility, an. 1651. and A Letter to Mr. Fr. M. an. 1636. printed at the end of Five captious questions, propounded by a Factor for the Papacy. Lond. 1673. qu. As also a Comedy called The marriage night. Lond. 1664. qu. At length this learned author being with his Majesty King Ch. 1. at Newbury in Berks. when he was about to fight the Rebels, he called for a clean shirt in the morning before the encounter began; and being asked the reason for it, he answered that if he was slain in the Battle they should not find his body in foul linnen. Whereupon his friends endeavouring to disswade him from going into the fight, as having no call to it, or that he was a military Officer, he said he was weary of the times and foresaw much misery to his own Country, and did believe he should be out of it before night. Into the Battle therefore he did go, notwithstanding all perswasions to the contrary, and was there slain, 20 Sept. 1643. much lamented as a great Parliamentarian (h)(h) Bulstrode Whitlock in his Memorials of English effairs, printed, 1682. p. 70. a. saith) of all that knew him, being a Gentleman of great parts, ingenuity and honour, courteous and just to all, and a passionate promoter of all endeavours of Peace betwixt the King and Parliament. Whether the Church of England lost a friend by his death, some have doubted: Sure it is, learning it self had a loss, and one of the greatest (as many Clergymen have said) that ever hapned in that or in the age before. His body was conveyed to Oxon, and afterwards to Great Tow before mention’d, where it was buried in the Church without being carried into his house there. Over his grave, tho there be not yet any memory extant, yet Sir Franc. Wortley of Wortley in Yorkshire Knight and Baronet, an admirer of his virtues and learning, who stiles him Musarum militumque patronus hath bestowed an Epitaph and an Elegy on him, in his book intit. Characters and Elegies, printed 1646. in qu. His person was little and of no great strength, his hair blackish and somewhat flaggy, and his eye black and quick. He left behind him a most disconsolate Widdow named Letice, the Daughter of Sir Rich. Morison of Tooley-Park in Leicestershire Knight, the most devout, pious and virtuous woman of the time she lived in, who dying about the 35. year of her age, was buried by her husband. in Feb. 1646. Soon after was composed a book by one John Duncon a sequestred Divine intit. The returns of spiritual comfort and grief in a devout soul. Represented (by entercourse of Letters) to the right honourable the Lady Letice Vi-countess Falkland, in her life time: And exemplified in the holy life and death of the said honourable Lady, &c. Lond. 1648. &c. oct. To the said book, if it may be had, I refer the Reader, wherein he may soon perceive the unspeakable piety of the woman, and the great command of her Pen. By her husband Lucius L. Falkland, she had several children, of which the eldest named Lucius became a Nobleman of Ch. Ch. in the latter end of the year (in Lent time) 1646. being then a young man of great hopes, but died soon after, at Paris as I have heard. The next was Henry, not educated in Academical learning, but so exceeding wild and extravagant, that he sold his Fathers incomparable Library for a Horse and a Mare, as I have been informed by Sir J. H. who married his Widdow. Afterwards he took up, and prov’d a man of parts, (which might have been much advantaged if he had submitted himself to education) was elected one of the Knights for Oxfordshire, to serve in that Parliament (called Richards Parliament) that began at Westminster 27 Jan. 1658. Burgess for the City of Oxon, for that called the Healing Parliament, which began 25 Apr. 1660. and a Knight again for the said County to serve in the Parliament that began in May in the year following; and at length by his Majesties favour, he was made about that time Lord Leiutenant of Oxfordshire. He died 2 Apr. 1663. aged 29. or thereabouts, and was buried by the graves of his Father and Mother, leaving then behind him issue (by Rachel his Wife Dau. of Sir Anth. Hungerford of Blackbourton in Oxfordshire Kt.) a Son named Anthony, now L. Falkland, Treasurer, Paymaster to the Navy during the raign of K. Jam. 2. a person of great parts and worth.