brother to the eminent knights Sir John, Sir Humphrey, and Sir Adrian Gilbert. Margaret first married Radford, of Mount Radford, in Devonshire, clerk of the peace; and afterward,

Hull, Esq. of Larkebere, in the parish of St. Leonard, Exeter,"

The distinction which the family formerly enjoyed in fame and fortune, had suffered some diminution previously to Mr. Ralegh's lifetime. The estate of Smalridge, which remained theirs to the time of Henry VIII, was sold in that reign by Sir Walter's grandfather Wimond, to John, the father of Sir John Gilbert of Compton. Fardel remained some time longer in their possession; for, on Mr. Ralegh's decease, it devolved to his eldest son George, afterward to his second son John, and then to his third son Carew, who sold it to Walter Hele, Esq. of Cornwood'. They were also owners of Widdycomb-ralegh, and Coliton-ralegh, the former of which we find, was sold by Sir Carew (Sir Walter's brother), to George, a natural son of his

Pole, Fardell, and Prince, p. 530, make no mention of Mr. Ralegh's second wife, and his daughters, Mary and Margaret. On this subject, consult in the Harleian collection, Pedigrees of the Devonshire gentry, an original MS. by Thomas Westcot, recorder of Totness ;-Richard Munday's MS. Collection of pedigrees;-Visitation of Devonshire, by Henry St. George, Esq. Richmond herald, and Sampson Leonnard, bluemantle deputies for W. Camden, Esq. clarencieux, ann. 1620. Prince, p. 530.

S

brother George, just noticed; and the latter, by Sir Walter himself, to Richard Martin (or his father), of Exeter." Not one of these, however, can claim the honour of being the birth-place of Sir Walter Ralegh.

Having the remainder of an eighty-years lease of a farm called Hayes, in the parish of Budley, near that part of Devonshire where the Otter river dis charges itself into the English channel, Mr. Ralegh resided on this farm during his last marriage. Thus Hayes became the birth-place of Sir Walter, and is distinguished at this day by topographers, as more remarkable for that circumstance than for any other.* On the expiration of the lease, the estate devolved to a Mr. Duke of Otterton, to whom Sir Walter ap plied without success as a purchaser. In his letter to Mr. Duke on this occasion, he writes, for the natural disposition I have to the place, being born in that house, I had rather seat myself there than anywhere else."

By Camden's account of Sir Walter's age when he died, he must have been born in the year 1552. 1552, Oldys, also, quotes a manuscript supplement, which

Prince, p. 531.

* Prince, p. 530.

* Dated from the court, July 26, 1584; see Wood's Athenæ, Ralegh.

7 Thus the tradition, that Ralegh was born at Exeter, in the house adjoining the palace gate, is erroneous.-See Izacke's Antiquities of Exeter, p. 147.

he had seen, to G. Le Neve's Collection of nativities, wherein the author fixes Sir Walter's birth in the sixth year of Edward VI, which agrees with Camden.

Of his childhood, not an anecdote has been preserved; and we are even unacquainted where he received his school education. Hooker, Lord Bacon, and Anthony Wood, agree, however, that he studied for a few years at the university of Oxford. The latter's words are, he became commoner of 1568. Oriel college, in, or about, the year 1568, when his

kinsman, C. Champernon, studied there ; and his natural parts being strangely advanced by academical learning, under the care of an excellent tutor, he became the ornament of the juniors, and was worthily esteemed a proficient in oratory and philosophy. He afterward adds, that Sir Walter remained three years at the university; in which, or in the above date, he and his biographical followers are certainly mistaken. It is possible, indeed, that his name may have remained for three years on the boards of the college; but we shall find him to have been abroad two years earlier than the period to which this would bring us.b

Lord Bacon has preserved the following anecdote

a Athen. Oxon. Ralegh.

b Fuller, in his Church history, inserts Ralegh's name among the learned writers of Christ-church, as well as of Oriel; but it is difficult to reconcile his having studied at that college also with the fact in the text.

of him, while a student at Oxford.-A cowardly fellow, who was a very good archer, having been insulted by a neighbour, complained to Ralegh, and asked his advice how he should repair the wrong which he had suffered. Ralegh's answer was,-challenge him to a match of shooting.

d

Wood, at last, justly concludes, that it is uncertain how long Ralegh remained at the university. It is still more uncertain, that he was ever a student in the Middle Temple, which the same writer asserts, because he had seen verses written by him in that inn of court. Sir Robert Naunton, who was secretary of state at the time of Ralegh's death, consigns him to the study of the law on quitting Oxford; and the greater part of Ralegh's biographers agree with Sir Robert in this point, having probably copied him. Mr. Lewis Theobald, however, in a later day, conceived it to be so obvious an error, that no merit could be claimed for correcting it; for, at his arraignment, Sir Walter, in a reply to the attorney general, lays a heavy imprecation on himself, if ever he read a word of law, or statutes, before he was a prisoner in the Tower. In addition to this, Hooker informs us, that after Ralegh had laid a good ground to build his actions on at the

f Memoirs of Sir Walter Ralegh, 80, 1719, p. 5.

See his trial, in this work.

university, he went to France; which is also con firmed by Camden, by whose account, Sir Walter's 1569. age could not exceed seventeen at the time of his departure to that country.

Ralegh had the advantage of a period of unusual political activity to exercise and encourage his genius at his entrance into life. The glorious reign of our illustrious Elizabeth, less distinguished by its length, than by the vigour and success of her government, amid almost unexampled difficulties at home and abroad, and by the variety of important events occurring in the course of it, commenced in the seventh year of his age. The early part of it. was employed in changing the odious scenes of persecution which the reign of her predecessor had exhibited, and in promoting, with the soundest policy, the great work of the reformation. When, at a later period, France became involved in civil war, Elizabeth, to avert a threatened danger from the encroaching power of Spain, aided the distressed

Appendix, N°. 1.

¡ Witness the establishment of the reformation, begun by Henry VIII, carried farther by Edward VI, but interrupted by the bigotry and cruelty of Mary; the support of the protestant interest in France under Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III, till the absolute settlement of Henry IV on the throne; the assistance she gave the Low countries, in rescuing them from the yoke of Philip II; her triumph over the whole force of Spain, more than once combined for her destruction; and the vast improvement of the naval strength and commerce of the na tion.