[Another.] "Care for thy soule as thing of greatest price, Care for thy corps, but chiefly for soul's sake Care for the world to doe thy body right, Rack not thy wit to win by wicked waies, Care for thy soule, as for thy chiefest stay, Byrd's Collection. J. H. ART. ART. VI. The Ruminator. Containing a series of moral, sentimental, and critical Essays. N° LXIV. Memoir of William Habington. The following has been recovered by my friend Mr. NICHOLS, from a mass of papers. Oct. 11, 1797. William Habington, a poet and historian of the last century, seems to have received less notice from posterity than he deserves. The principal particulars of his life and family are to be found in Wood's Athenæ, II. 110; and Nash's Worcestershire, I. 588. I shall select such as appear necessary to the illustration of hist character and writings. Richard Habington of Brockhampton, in Herefordshire, of a very ancient family, had three sons; Richard, the eldest, of Brockhampton, left a daughter and coheir Eleanor, who marrying Sir Thomas Baskerville left a daughter and heir Eleanor, wife of John Talbot of Longford in Shropshire, father by her of John, 10th Earl of Shrewsbury. * John Habington, second son, was Cofferer to Queen Elizabeth. In fifth of that Queen's reign he bought the manor of Hindlip, in Worcestershire. He was born 1515; rebuilt the mansion about 1572, and died 1581. By Katherine daughter of John Wykes of Morton-Jeffreys he left issue Thomas Habington his eldest son, born at Coll. Peer. iii. p. 27. Thorpe * Thorpe in Surry, 1560; godson of Q. Eliz. who after having studied at Oxford, and travelled to Rheims and Paris, connected himself on his return with those who laboured to release Mary Queen of Scots; and contrived many hiding holes in his curious old seat, lately remaining. On the discovery of Babington's conspiracy, 1586, for which his brother Edward, a dangerous and turbulent man, suffered death, (see a minute account of it in Camden's history of this reign, in Kennet, II. 515-518) † he fell under strong suspicions, and was committed prisoner to the Tower, where he remained six years, and is said only to have saved his life by being Elizabeth's godson. Here he consoled himself by deep study, and treasured up the principal part of that learning by which he was afterwards distinguished. He was at length permitted to retire to Hindlip, and married Mary eldest daughter of Edward Parker Lord Morley, (by Elizabeth daughter and sole heir of Sir William Stanley, Lord Montegle) the descendant of the learned Henry Parker, Lord *See an engraving of it in Nash. The conspirators were Anthony Babington of Dethick-Hall, in Ashover, Derbyshire (see Filkington's Derbyshire, II. p. 326); John Savage, a bastard; Gilbert Gifford, of the family ef Chillington, Co. Staff.; John Ballard, a priest of Rheims; Edward Windsor, brother to Lord Windsor; Thomas Salisbury, of a good family in Denbighshire; Charles Tilney, the last of an ancient house, and one of the Band of GentlemenPensioners to the Queen; Chidiock Tichburn of Southampton; Edward Abington; Robert Gage of Surry; John Travers, and John Charnock of Lancashire; John Jones, whose father was Yeoman or Keeper of the Wardrobe to Queen Mary; Barnewal, of a noble family in Ireland; and Henry Dun, Clerk in the Office of First Fruits and Tenths; and one Polly a supposed spy on them. Camd. ut supr. Wood, II. 110. Morley, Morley, temp. Hen. VIII. of whom see Walpole's Royal and Noble Authors, I. 92. Notwithstanding his escape, he could not help being so far implicated in the Gunpowder Plot as to conceal Garnet, Oldcorn, and others in his house, for which he was condemned to die, but by the intercession of his brother-in-law, Lord Morley, who was the means of its discovery by communicating a letter of warning, supposed to have been written by his sister, (Mrs. Habington) he was again saved; and pardoned on condition of never stirring out of Worcestershire. He made good use of his future time; entirely addicting himself to study; and living to the great age of 87, Oct. 8, 1647. During this period, he collected the materials for the history of his native county, on which Dr. Nash's excellent Collections are built. Wood says he had seen part of these MSS. and that " every leaf was a sufficient testimony of his generous and virtuous mind, of his indefatigable industry, and infinite reading." William Habington, his eldest son, was born at Hindlip, Nov. 5, 1605, was educated in the Jesuits' College at St. Omers, and afterwards at Paris, and in the first of these was earnestly invited to take upon him the habit of the order; but excused himself and left them. After his return from Paris he was instructed by his father in history, and became an accomplished gentleman. He married Lucy daughter of William Herbert first Lord Powis by Eleanor daughter of Henry Percy, 8th Earl of Northumberland by * * He died at Hendon in Middlesex, March 6, 1655, and was succeeeded by Percy Herbert, 2d Lord Powis, who died 1666, and whose daughter Mary, married George Lord Talbot, son of John Earl of Shrewsbury. Dugd. Bar. II. 261. Katherine Katherine daughter and coheir of John Neville, Lord Latimer. * History has preserved but little of his character, but while nothing contradictory to them is recorded, we have a right to deduce the colour of it from his writings. From these he appears to have been distinguished for connubial felicity, for a love of retirement and study, and for the elegance and dignity of his sentiments. In 1635, when he was thirty years old, he published in 8vo. a little volume of poems, entitled Castara, under which name he celebrates his wife. This kind of title was the fashion of the day: thus Lovelace immortalized his mistress under the name of Lucasta. The third edition of Castara, in 1640, duodec. now lies before me. It is divided into three parts; the first is "THE MISTRESS," prefaced by a prose description: this consists of verses addressed to her before marriage. The second part, is "THE WIFE," prefaced in a similar manner. This part is followed by "THE FRIEND," containing eight elegies on the death of his kinsman, the Hon. George Talbot, who must have been one of the three younger sons of John Talbot of Longford, whose names are not mentioned in Collins's Peerage, Vol. III. p. 27.† The third part, is the "HOLY MAN," and consists of paraphrases of the Psalms. In the author's prefatory address to the public, he says, that love stole some hours from business and his more serious study." But he does not claim from hence the sacred name of poet, like those "who Coll. Peer. II. p. 407. P. 33 he is called uncl: to the Earl of Shrewsbury, who must have been John 10th Earl, who died 1653. VOL. X, can |