He was the greatest Mecænas to learned men of any peer of his time or since.  He was very generous and open handed.  He gave a noble collection of choice bookes and manuscripts to the Bodleian Library at Oxford, which remain there as an honourable monument of his munificence.  ’Twas thought, had he not been suddenly snatch’t away by death, to the grief of all learned and good men, that he would have been a great benefactor to Pembroke Colledge in Oxford, whereas there remains only from him a great piece of plate that he gave there.  His lordship was learned, and a poet; there are yet remaining some of his lordship’s poetry in a little book of poems writt by his Lordship and Sir Benjamin Ruddyer in 12o. ["Poems, written by William Earl of Pembroke, &c. many of which are answered by way of repartee, by Sir Benjamin Rudyard.  With other poems by them occasionally and apart.”  Lond. 1660, 8vo.-J.  B.] He had his nativity calculated by a learned astrologer, and died exactly according to the time predicted therein, at his house at Baynard’s Castle in London.  He was very well in health, but because of the fatal direction which he lay under, he made a great entertainment (a supper) for his friends, went well to bed, and died in his sleep, the [10th] day of [April] anno Domini 1630.  His body lies in the vault belonging to his family in the quire of Our Ladies Church in Salisbury.  At Wilton is his figure cast in brasse, designed, I suppose, for his monument. [See the notices of the Earls of Pembroke in the ensuing chapter. — J. B.]

Sir Edward Hyde, Earle of Clarendon, Lord Chancellour of England, was born at Dynton in Wiltshire.  His father was the fourth and youngest sonn of.....  Hyde, of Hatch, Esq.  Sir Edward married [Frances] daughter of Sir Thomas Aylesbury, one of the clarks of the councell In his exile in France he wrote the History of the late Times, sc. from 1641 to 1660; near finished, but broken off by death, by whom he was attacked as he was writing; the penn fell out of his hand; he took it up again and tryed to write; and it fell out the second time.  He then saw that it was time to leave off, and betooke himself to thinke about the other world. (From the Countess of Thanet.) He shortly after ended his dayes at [Rouen] Anno Domini 1674, and his body was brought over into England, and interred privately at Westminster Abbey.  From the Earle of Clarendon. [Anthony Wood states (probably on the authority of Aubrey) that Clarendon was buried on the north side of Henry the Seventh’s chapel in Westminster Abbey; but the place of his interment is not marked by any monument or inscription.-J.  B.]
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