TO HIS

GRACE the DUKE

O F

Queensberry and Dover,

Marquis of Beverley, &c.

MY LORD,

Debt.

Have long lain under the greateft Obligations to Your Grace's Family, and nothing has been more in my Wishes, than that I might be able to discharge fome Part, at least, of fo large a But Your Noble Birth and Fortune, the Power, Number and Goodness of those Friends You have already, have plac'd Your in fuch an Independency on the rest of the World, that the Services I am able to render to Your Grace can never be advantageous

I am fure not neceffary, to You in any Part of Your Life. However, the next piece of Gratitude, and the only one I am capable of, is the Acknowledgment of what I owe: And as this is the most publick, and indeed the only Way I have of doing it, Your Grace will pardon me, if I take this Opportunity to let the World know the Duty and Honour I had for your illuftrious Father. It is, I must confefs, a very tender Point to touch upon; and at the first fight may feem an ill-chofen Compliment, to renew the Memory of fuch a Lofs, especially to a Difpofition fo fweet and gentle, and to a Heart fo fenfible of filial Piety as Your Grace's has been, even from Your carliest Childhood. But perhaps this is one of thofe Griefs by which the Heart may be made better; and if the Remembrance of his Death bring Heavinefs along with it, the Honour that is paid to his Memory by all good Men, fhall wipe away thofe Tears, and the Example of his Life fet before Your Eyes, fhall be of the greatest Advantage to Your Grace in the Conduct and future Difpofition of Your Own.

In a Character fo amiable as that of the Duke of Queensberry was, there can be no Part fo proper to begin with as that, which was in him, and is in all good Men, the Foundation of all other Virtues, either Religious or Civil, I mean Good Nature. Good Nature, which is Friendship between Man and

Man,

Man, good Breeding in Courts, Charity in Religion, and the true Spring of Beneficence in general. This was a Quality he poffefs'd in as great a Measure as any Gentleman I ever had the Honour to know. It was this natural Sweetness of Temper, which made him the best Man in the World to live with, in any kind of Relation. It was this, made him a good Mafter to his Servants, a good Friend to his Friends, and the tendereft Father to his Children. For the laft, I can have no better Voucher than Your Grace; and for the reft, I appeal to all that have had the Honour to know him. There was a Spirit and Pleasure in his Converfation, which always enliven'd the Company he was in, which, together with a certain Eafinefs and Franknefs in his Difpofition, that did not at all derogate from the Dignity of his Birth and Character, render'd him infinitely agreeable. And as no Man had a more delicate Taste of natural Wit, his Converfations always abounded in good Humour.

For those Parts of his Character which related to the Publick, as he was a Nobleman of the first Rank, and a Minister of State, they will be best known by the great Employments he had paft through; all which he difcharg'd worthily, as to himself, juftly to the Princes who employ'd him, and advantageoufly for his Country. There is no occafion to enumerate his feveral Employments, as Se cretary

cretary of State, for Scotland in particular, for Britain in general, or Lord High Commiffioner of Scotland; which laft Office he bore more than once; but at no time more honourably, and (as I hope) more happily, both for the prefent Age, and for Pofterity, than when he laid the Foundation for the British Union. The Conftancy and Addrefs which he manifested on that Occafion, are still frefli in every Body's Memory, and perhaps when our Children fhall reap thofe Benefits from the Work, which fome People do not forefee and hope for, now, they may remember the Duke of Queensberry with that Gratitude, which fuch a piece of Service done to his Country deferves.

He fhew'd upon all Occafions a strict and immediate Attachment to the Crown, in the legal Service of which no Man could exert himself more dutifully nor more strenuously. And at the fame time no Man gave more bold and more generous Evidences of the Love he bore to his Country. Of the latter, there can be no better Proof, than the fhare he had in the late happy Revolution; nor of the former, than that dutiful Refpect, and unfhaken Fidelity which he preferv'd for her prefent Majefty, even to his laft Moments.

With fo many good and great Qualities, it is not at all strange that he poffefs'd fo large a Share, as he was known to have, in the Efteem of the Queen, and her immediate Prede

ceffor;

ceffor; nor that thofe great Princes fhould repofe the highest Confidence in him: And at the fame time, what a Pattern has he left behind him for the Nobility in general, and for Your Grace in particular to copy after!

Your Grace will forgive me, if my Zeal for Your Welfare and Honour (which no Body has more at Heart than my felf) fhall prefs You with fome more than ordinary Warmth to the Imitation of Your noble Father's Virtues. You have, my Lord, many great Advantages which may encourage You to go on in Pursuit of this Reputation: It has pleas'd God to give You naturally, that Sweetness of Temper, which, as I have before hinted, is the Foundation of all good Inclinations. You have the Honour to be born, not only of the greateft, but of the best Parents; of a Gentleman generally belov'd, and generally lamented; and of a Lady adorn'd with all the Virtues that enter into the Character of a good Wife, an admirable Friend, and a moft indulgent Mother. The natural Advantages of Your Mind, have been cultivated by the most proper Arts and Manners of Education. You have the Care of many noble Friends, and especially of an excellent Uncle, to watch over You in the Tenderness of Your Youth. You fet out amongst the first of Mankind, and I doubt not but Your Virtues will be equal to the Dignity of Your Rank.

That