which hath lately seized upon me (the cause whereof none of you but may easily guess) bath, I dare say, retarded more advantages to the publick service then modesty will permit me to utter. And now, revived by your promising favours, I shall infallibly be enabled thereunto in the experiments extant, and comprised under these heads practicable with my directions by the unparallel'd workman, both for trust and skill, Caspar Kaltoff's hand, who hath been these five and thirty years as in a school under me imployed, and still at my disposal, in a place by my great expences made fit for publick service, yet lately like to be taken from me, and consequently from the service of king and kingdom, without the least regard of above ten thousand pounds expended by me, and through my zele to the common good; my zele, I say, a field large enough for you (my lords and gentlemen) to work upon. "The treasures buried under these heads, both for war, peace, and pleasure, being inexhaustible; I beseech you pardon if I say so; it seems a vanity, but comprehends a truth; since no good spring but becomes the more plentiful by how much more it is drawn; and the spinner to weave his web is never stinted, but further inforc'd. "The more then that you shall be pleased to make use of my inventions, the more inventive shall you ever find me; one invention begetting still another, and more and more improving my ability to serve my king and you and as to my heartiness therein there needs no addition, nor to my readiness a spur. And there fore (my lords and gentlemen) be pleased to begin, and desist not from commanding me till I flag in my obedience and endeavours to serve my king and country: "For certainly you'l find me breathless first t' expire, Before my hands grow weary, or my legs do tire. "Yet abstracting from any interest of my own, but as a fellow-subject and compatriot will I ever labour in the vineyard, most heartily and readily obeying the least summons from you, by putting faithfully in execution, what your judgments shall think fit to pitch upon amongst this Century of Experiences; perhaps dearly purchased by me, but now frankly and gratis offered to you. "Vouchsafe therefore to dispose freely of me, and whatever lieth in my power to perform: first, in order to his majesty's service; secondly, for the good and advantage of the kingdom; thirdly, to all your satisfactions, for particular profit and pleasure to your individual selves; professing that in all and each of the three respects I will ever demean myself as it best becomes, "My lords and gentlemen, "Your most passionately-bent fellow-subject in his majesty's service, compatriot for the publick good and advantage, and a most humble servant to all and every of you. "WORCESTER."] GEORGE MONCK, DUKE OF ALBEMARLE. THIS memorable man, who raised himself by. his personal merit within reach of a crown, which he had the prudence or the virtue to wave; whose being able to place it on the head of the heir is imputed to astonishing art or secrecy, when in reality he only furnished a hand to the heart of a nation; and who, after the greatest services that a subject could perform, either wanted the sense, or had the sense to distinguish himself no farther (for perhaps he was singularly fortunate in always embracing the moment of propriety); this man was an author; a light in which he is by no means known, and yet in which he did not want merit. After his death was published by authority, a treatise in his own profession, which he composed while a prisoner in the Tower: it is called, "Observations upon military and political Affairs; written by the most honourable George Duke of Albemarle," &c. 2. • [Published by authority; and described by the dedicator to have been written five-and-twenty years before, and sent |