Earl .os R o c h e s t e r, z

may say of him, with more Justice and Reason, whatMr. Drydtn said of David and Absalom.

Whether , inspir d bysme diviner Lvsi,

His Father got him with a greater Gust.

But leaving an Enquiry so nice, I return to my Sub-ject, by informing your Grace, that the Son, JohnWilmot, Earl of Rochejier, (Viscount Athlone in Ireland,and Baron ddderbury in Oxfordshire,) was born at Ditch-ty near Woodjhck, in the fame County, (the Scene of ma-ny of his Pleasures, and cf his Death;) in the Year 1648,distinguished from other Years by two extraordinary E-vents, the Martyrdom of King Charges I. by a pre-vailing Party of his Subjects, at his own Palace-Windowand the Birth of my Lord Rochester, as eminent for Witand Gallantry, as that unfortunate Prince was for Pietyand Religion. I will not here, Madam, enter into aComparison of their several Merits, or of the Preferenceof what each excelled in ; for, notwithstanding the Opi-nion some have entertained of the Latitude of my reli-gious Principles, I must assure your Grace, I thinkthere is no Comparison between them: All 1 shall say,is, the King was fitter for the World to which he <wentfrom the Scaffold ; and his Lord/hip lor that he enteredInto from his Mother's Womb.

My Lord’s Father had the ill Fortune to reap none ofthe Rewards and Ad vantages ol his Sufferings and Loyal-ty, because he died before the Restoration, leav-ing his Son, as the principal Part of his Inheritance, hisTitles of Honour, and the Merit of those extraordinaryServices which he had done the Crown. But the pru-dent Conduct of the Mother supplied the dotal Estateleft by the Father; for she managed it with such Ad-dress, that his Education was still preserved .suitable tohis Quality.

B -

HeR£,