lord Lepington, his father being created earl of Monmouth; and was noted, says Wood3, as a person well skilled in the modern languages, and a general scholar; the fruit whereof he found in the troublesome times of rebellion, when by a forced retiredness he was capacitated to exercise himself in studies, while others of the nobility were fain to truckle to their inferiors for company-sake. He died June 13, 1661. As a specimen of his lordship's studied prosaic style, the following dedication is taken from his version of Romulus and Tarquin. "To the most sacred Majesty of Charles the First, &c. &c. "Give mee leave, sir, I beseech you, to present your majestie with a glasse, wherein you may see your soule. A good face may be discerned in a glasse of jet; and if contraria juxta se posita, doe magis elucescere; if contraries doe best appeare, when most directly opposed, how can Charles the gratious be better drawn to the life, than by the description of Tarquin the proud? How can the unparallel'd Charles the chaste, bee better portraited, than by the deciphering of Tarquin the foule ravisher? How can the happinesse your majesties realms enjoy under your majesties blessed government, better appeare, than by the making knowne what miseries and slavery the Romans endured under the rule of Tarquin the tyrant? And how, sir, can your pietie and religious zeale be better manifested, than by the selfe deification of Romulus? who, though it be true, he had the honour of being the first founder Athenæ, vol. ii. col. 257. of a famous people, yet non minor est virtus quam quærere, parta tueri. Wherein to shew your majesties wisdome and vigilancie, I need not expatiate my selfe. "This glasse, sir, is originally Italian, and those your majestie knowes are much better than ours of England; as made by better workmen, and of more refined materials. This, sir, is but the copy of a principall, which I must confesse, deserves to be copied by a much more skilfull hand; but as it is, sir, I humbly beg your majesties gracious patronage of it, and your pardon for my so doing, to "Your majesties humble and loyall subject, "And therein most happy, "LEPINGTON." Before his version of Senault on the Passions, the following lines were inserted by "THE TRANSLATOR, UPON THE BOOK. "If to command and rule ore others, be If you unto so great a pow'r aspire, This book will teach you how you may it acquire. "Love turn'd to sacred friendship here you'll finde, Desires, when moderated and not blinde, "You'l find how hope incites to noble acts, And how despair diverts rash enterprises; How fear from wisdom nought at all detracts, But is of use to her, through just surmises; How boldness may in hand with valor ride, How hair-brain'd choler may with justice side: "How harmless joy we may fore-runner make Of that eternal never-ending bliss, Whereof the saints in heaven do partake; EDWARD VAUX, LORD VAUX OF HARWEDEN, OR HARRODEN, [SUCCEEDED his grandfather William, lord Vaux; married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas, earl of Suffolk, and dying without heirs, in 1661, the title became extinct. He translated (says Dr. Lort), "The Life of St. Paul, from the French." It was published and dedicated to his lordship by F.D. in 1653, 24to. with a print of St. Paul preaching, prefixed, etched by Hollar 3. Mr. Brand happens to possess a copy of the scarce little book pointed out by Dr. Lort, with the print and dedication: of the latter he has favoured me with a transcript, which clearly appropriates the performance to his lordship, as the extracts underneath will show: though no specimen of the translation is likely to be required4.] • See Dugdale's Baronage, tom. iii. p. 305; Bolton's Extinct Peerage, p. 287; and Gent. Mag. for 1793, p. 117. 3 MS. note in Mr. Gough's copy. "To the right hon. Edward lord Vaux, baron of Harroden, &c. "My lord, "Having obteined, by meanes of your most noble lady, a view of this choise piece, which through your hands, presents in our idiome saint Paul's life, in whom wee Gentiles are so highly concerned: my reverence to the blessed apostle, and my duty to my country, emboldened me to publish this elaborate transposition of your lordship's out of French into English, të a common perusal of all our countrey-men, &c. "That I acquainted not your lordship with the publishing, I find examples of great saints to have paralleld my adventure; of St. Amand to St. Paulin, &c. "That your illustrious consort gave me your book to read, and if upon discussion, I should esteem it able to bear the rubbs of rigid censurers to print it, was her commendable tenderness in order to your lordship, and Christian providence in order to the publique. "This work, for the subject, commandeth devotion and reverence in the reader, for the accurate delineation of his life, and learned intermixtion of other contemporary occurrences, deserve so ingenuous and pious a translator as your lordship. In lieu of translator, I might beg leave to say interpreter; for you have not only given us in English the things signified in the French, which is the duty of a translator, but you have rendered the very mentall conception of the author; which, in Aristotle's stile, is the office of an interpreter; and in this, much obliged all, especially him who had the priviledge to suck the first morning sap; which by all duteous expressions I must confess, who am your honours most obliged and faithfull servant, "F.D." |