Salisbury, had all the advantages of education, being fent by his noble father into France and Italy, for his accomplishment, attended by a grand retinue. He married the lady Catharine, youngest daughter to Thomas Howard earl of Suffolk, on the first of December, 1608; and fucceeding his father in 1612, was inftalled a knight companion of the garter, on the 13th of December, 1623. He was afterwards captain of the band of gentlemenpenfioners, one of the privy-council to king Charles I. and died De- · cember 3, 1658, and was buried at Hatfield. He had iffue by the lady above-mentioned, eight fons and four daughters; James, the eldeft, died an infant; Charles, anceftor to the prefent earl of Salifbury; Robert, Philip, William, Algernoon, Edward and David; the daughters were lady Anne, married. to Algernoon Percy, earl of Northumberland; Elizabeth, to William Cavendish earl of Devonshire; Catharine, to Philip earl of Leicester; and Mary, to William lord Sandes of the Vine, in Hampshire. By his fecond wife Dorothy, daughter of Sandiford Nevile of Chevet, in the county of York, Efq; he had only one daughter, Diana, married to gether; I am defirous to leave fome faithful remembrance in this my last will and teftament, that fince the living speech of my tongue, when I am gone from hence, must then ceafe and speak no more; that yet the living fpeech of my pen, which never dieth, may herein thus for ever truly testify and declare the fame." It should also be remembered, that Sir Henry Wotton, Sir Robert Naunton, Charles Blount, lord Montjoy, and earl of Devonshire, Francis lord Cottington, Sir Dudley Carlton, vifcount Dorchester, Sir Richard Welton, earl of Portland, and feve ral others, owed their rife to his diftinguishing judgment of their abilities; and his public fpirit in preferring perfons of merit and literature. He made his laft will and teftament with the fame calmnefs and judgment as was confpicuous in the whole courfe of his life. When he had worn himself out with inceffant fatigue, in the fervice of his country, he went to Bath for the recovery of his health; but being too far fpent to find any relief from the waters, he formed the refolution of dying in his own houfe. Accordingly, he fet out in a litter for London, but could reach no farther than Marlborough, where he paid the great debt of nature, on Sunday the 24th of May, 1612, and was in- Charles, lord viscount Cranterred at Hatfield, in Hertfordshire. bourne, eldeft furviving fon, died He married Elizabeth, daughter of before his father, in 1659. He William Brook, lord Cobham, knt. married Jane, daughter and coheir of the Garter, and lord-chamber- to James Maxwell, earl of Darlton, lain to queen Elizabeth, by whom in Scotland, by whom he had seven he left a fon, named William, and fons and five daughters. The a daughter called Frances, who daughters were Catharine, married married Henry Clifford, earl of to William Kinoul in Scotland;: Cumberland. Frances, to Sir William Bowyer of His only fon William, carl of Denham-Court, in the county of Turner. eldeft fon to Sir Edward Bucks, Bucks, bart. Diana, Penelope, and Elizabeth. The fons were James, earl of Salisbury; Robert, Charles, William, Edward, Henry, and George: the fix laft died unmarried. James, earl of Salisbury, fucceeded his grand-father, William, earl of Salisbury, anno 1668. He was educated at St. John's college in Cambridge; and Mr. Barnes, who was brought up with him, declares on his own knowledge, "That he was for loyalty, generofity, and affability, moft likely to advance the ancient and most noble name of Cecil, to the utmost period of glory." He took his feat in the houfe of Peers, OЯober 25, 1669; on the 3d of January, 1678, he was fworn of the privy-council to king Charles II. On the 31st of August 1680, he was elected a knight of the garter, and inftalled at Windfor the 30th of September following. He married Margaret, daughter of John Manners, ear! of Rutland, by whom he had five fons and five daughters: Catharine, married to Sir George Downing of Eaft-Hartley, in the county of Cambridge, bart. Frances, to Sir William Hal. ford of Welham, in the county of Leicester, knt. and baronet; Mary, to Sir William Forefter of Dothill, in the county of Salop, knight; Margaret, first to John lord Stawel, and fecond to Richard Jones, earl of Ranelagh, in Ireland; and Mildred, to Sir Uvedale Corbet of Longnor, in the county of Salop, bart. The fons were James, Robert, William, Charles, and George. Robert, married Flizabeth, daughter and heir to Ifaac Mennil of MennilLangley, in Derbyshire, and relict of William IIale of King's-Walden, in Hertfordshire, Efq; James, the eldeft, fucceeded his father, who died in June 1683. James, carl of Salisbury, let out Salisbury-houfe in the Strand, now called Salisbury-ftreet, to build upon, by which he greatly encreafed his eftate, and died in December 1694. He married Frances, one of the daughters and coheirs to Simon Bennet of Beechampton, in the county of Bucks, Efq; by whom he had only one fon. James, late earl of Salisbury, who took his feat in the House of Peers June 19, 1712. On the 18th of Auguft, 1712, his lordship was.comfituted lord-lieutenant, and cuftos rotulorum, of the county of Ilertford: and on the 20th of October, 1714, affifted at the coronation of king George I. carrying St. Edward's ftaff. He married, in Feb. 12, 1708-9, the lady Anne Tufton, fecond daughter and coheir to Thomas earl of Thanet, by whom he had two fons and three daughters: James, the prefent earl; and Wil liam, who died unmarried in 1740. The three daughters were lady Anne, married to William Stroud of Punfburn, is Hertfordhire, Efq; died in July 1752'; Catharine, matried to the right hon. John, now earl of Egmont in Ireland, by whom he had iffue five fons and two daughters, and died Aug. 16, 1752; Margaret, died unmarried March 16, 1751-2. James, now earl of Salisbury, was born O&tober 13, 1713, and fucceeded his father October 9, 1728. His lordship married Miss Elizabeth Keet, eldest daughter of Mr. Edward Keet of Canterbury; by whom he hath iffue, James, lord-vifcount Cranburn, born in September 1748; lady Anne, born in March 1745-6; and lady Bennet, born in April. 1747. Armorial Bearings.] Barry of ten argent and azure, over all fix efcutcheons, 2, 2, and 1, fable; each charged with a lion rampant in the field, a crefcent for difference. Creft.] On a wreath fix arrows, or, heads and feathers argent, girt GENTLEMEN, IT together with a bandage or belt azure, garnished, or, and over those feathers, a motion-cap, proper. Supporters.] Two lions, ermine. Motto.] Sero, fed Jerio.-Late, but in earnest. Chief Seats.] At Hatfield in Hertfordshire; Cranburn-house in Dorfetfhire; Quick fwood in Hertfordshire; and Grofvenor-ftrect, London. To the Authors of the BRITISH MAGAZINE. T has been often obferved, and obferved with reason, that defpotic governments are fatal to hiftory. It is not enough for an hiftorian, who would gain an extenfive reputation, to be born in a happy concourfe of circumstances, proper to form a great man; but alfo in a country where virtue may be practifed, and truth spoken with impunity. But however true this obfervation may be in general, it is not without exception. Prejudice and fuperftition have fometimes been fufficient; and fometimes a particular eftablishment has removed the oprobrium, and given the hiftorian full liberty to exert his talents in the cause of truth. With regard to the latter there at this time, fubfifts in China, what is called the historical tribunal; a tribunal equally deaf to the entreaties and menaces of kings. It is compofed of two forts of hiftorians, the one intrufted with writing every thing without the palace, that is, every thing that relates to affairs in general; and the other, every thing that paffes in it, that is, all the actions and difcourfes of the prince, his minifters and officers. Every one of the members of this tribunal writes upon a leaf of paper, whatever comes to his knowledge, figns it, and without communicating it to his brethren, throws it into a large cheft placed in the middle of the hall where they affemble. A great variety of inftances of the fpirit of this tribunal might be given; among others, the following fhall be fufficient for my purpose. A general, named T-fou-i-chong, caufed his fovereign T-chouangchong to be affaffinated, for taking from him one of his wives. The hiftorical tribunal prepared an account of that event, and placed it in the archives; when the general was informed of this ftep, he depriv ed the prefident of his place, condemned him to fuffer death, fuppreffed the relation, and nominated another prefident in his room. But he was hardly fixed in his office, before he caufed a new memorial of this event to be drawn up, and fupply the place of the other. The general general, on hearing this bold atempt, diffolved the tribunal, and caufed all the members to be put to death. Immediately, the empire overflowed with an inundation of papers, in which the general's conduct was painted in the blackest colours. Finding that the attempt to fupprefs the relation was in vain, and at the fame time fearing a fedition, he again eftablished the hiftorical tribunal. The annals of the dynasty of Tong relate another fact on this fubject. Ta-i-t fong, the fecond emperor of that dyrefty, demanded one day of the prefident of this tribunal, a fight of the memoirs diftined for the hiftory of his reign. "My lord, faid the prefident, know that we render an exact account of the virtues and vices of fovereigns; and that we shall be no longer free to execute this noble intention, if thou perfifteft in thy demands." "What, replied the emperor, wilt thou, that oweft all thou poffeffett to me, inform pofterity of my faults, if I commit any? It is not in my power, answered the prefident, to conceal them. I should, indeed, write them with grief; but fuch is the duty of my employment, that it obliges me even to inform pofterity of the converfation thou haft held with me to-day." The emperor, perceiving that it was in vain to infift any further on his demand, left the prefident, faying, "If my virtues or vices have any tendency to induce mankind to love the one and hate the other, you are at liberty to relate both with the ftrictest impartiality." I am, Gentlemen, yours, &c. A. D. To the Authors of the BRITISH MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN, FEW EW perfons want opportunities for making obfervations, tho' they may not always have leifure fufficient to judge of their importance, and make a proper ufe of them. This is the cafe at prefent with your correfpondent; but he flatters himself, that fome of your ingenious contributors will fupply that defect, and explain the caufes of the following phænomena. I frequently obferved in the foggy weather, during the late froft, that when the fun had reached a proper altitude, there was a bow formed in the midft, of a white colour; and the altitude of the bow seemed to fubtend an angle, equal to the elevation of the fun above the horizon, and formed a femicircle. This kind of mift comes from the ocean, with a flow easterly wind, and fpreads over all the lower grounds: but in most parts of England, where the country is fo finely diverfified with lofty hills, and interjacent plains and valleys, we may often emerge out of the mift, by afcending fome neighbouring hill; when the obferver will often fee the whole country around him, buried as it were under a vaft deluge, and nothing but the tops of diftant hills appearing here and there above the flood; and the thoughts of diving again into the mist, will fill him with a kind of horror. The air at fuch times is very pure, ferene, and agre: able, in thefe higher regions. In this, or a fimilar fituation, a curious phænomenon is obfervable, which I have often contemplated with great fatisfaction; I mean a rainbow formed round the obferver's fhadow in the mist. The Academicians, who went to SouthAmerica, in order to measure a degree of the meridian, for determining the true figure of the earth, having, among other difficulties that oppofed their operations, the embarrafinent of tedious and very frequent fogs to struggle with, had often opportunities of obferving this phænomenon. It seems alfo worth mentioning here, that any perfon who thinks it worth his while, may fatisfy his curiofity. The last time I obferved this appearance, was on the 19th of January laft, in coming from the coaft of Suffex to London. When I had afcended a very little above the fog, fo that my fhadow was projected among it; the fun being behind, and almoft on a level with me, there was a double range colours, resembling those of the rainbow, but fainter, formed round the fhadow. The colours of the outermoft range were broad and very diftin&t, and about two feet diftant every where from the fhadow; within that there was a darkish interval, and after that another range of colours, closely furrounding the fhadow, which was very much contracted. It is remarkable that there is a ring of light, brighter than ordinary, that furrounds the fhadows of all bodies; occafioned by the inflection of the rays of light, as they pass by the furfaces of thofe bodies. But I dare not proceed to offer my conjectures, in what manner this infection of the rays contributes to the fituation of thofe ranges of colours: perhaps fome of your learned correfpondents will folve this difficulty, which will greatly oblige, Your's, &c. C. K. To the Authors of the BRITISH MAGAZINE. degree, and of the temporal; and how happy the times then were, among all the English; and how the kings, which then the people, God and his written Will obeyed: how well they behaved themselves both in war and peace; and, in their home government, how their noblenefs was fpread abroad; and how they profpered in knowledge, and in wifdom. Also, the Divine orders, how earneft they were as well about preaching as about learning, and about all the fervices they fhould do to God; and how men from abroad, |