Henry Sidney

who was learned in many languages, and a great lover of learning, was born of, and descended from, a noble Family of his name living at Cranleigh in Surrey, became a Student in New Coll. (as it seems) in 1543 or thereabouts, but making no long stay there, he went to the Court, where he became a co [•] panion to Prince Edward (afterwards King Ed. 6.) and by him much esteemed. In the third year of that Kings Reign he received the honour of Knighthood, and was forthwith, being then about 22 years of age, sent Embassadour into France, where he behaved himself far beyond his years. In the 2 and 3 of Phil. and Mary he was made general Governour of all the Kings and Queens revenues, within the Realm of Ireland, and about two years after Lord Justice thereof. In the 2 of Qu. Elizab. he was (q)(q) Raphael Holinshed in his Descript and Chron. of England p. 1550. &c. See in the third tome of The Baronage of England p. 411. a. appointed Lord President of the Marches of Wales, and 4 years after was made Knight of the honorable order of the Garter, having before been employed in one or more Embassies. In 1568, in the month of Apr. he was constituted Deputy of Ireland, and in Aug. the same year, being then at Oxon. he was actually created Master of Arts. Afterwards he was Lord Justice again and twice Deputy of the said Kingdom, &c. This Person hath written many things, which chiefly continue at this time in MS. All that I have seen are,

A godly letter to his Son Philip. Lond. 1592. oct. Since which time have been other letters of his to the said Person made extant; two of which I have (r)(r) See in the Collection of Letters at the end of Archb. Vshers life, printed in fol. at Lond. 1636. num. 15. 16. seen without date, as that which begins thus, Son Philip I have received two letters from you. And the other My Son, the virtuous inclination of thy matchless mother, &c. He hath also written,

Miscellanies of Irish affairs—MS. and caused also the Statutes of Ireland to be first published in print. He paid his last debt to nature in the Bishops Pallace at Worcester in his return from Ludlow, on (s)(s) So in an old book of Funeral certificates, communicated to me by Sir Hen. St. George Kt. Clar. K. of Armes, fol 63. a. the fourth day of May in Fifteen hundred eighty and six, 1586 and was buried 21. of June following in the Church at Penshurst in Kent, he having some years before obtained the mannour thereof to him and his posterity for ever. The character given of him by one (t)(t) Edm. Campian in his Hist. of Ireland, lib. 2. at the end. p. 138. the knew him in Ireland, I shall here insert for a conclusion of those things I have said of him, which is this. “He was stately without disdain, familiar without contempt, very continent and chast of body, no more than enough liberal, learned, and a great lover of learning, perfect in blazoning of Arms, skilful of Antiquities, of wit fresh and lively, in consultations very temperate, in utterance happy, which his experience and wisdom hath made artificial, a preferrer of many, a Father to his Servants, and both in war and peace of commendable courage.”