102 LITE, TIMES, AND SCIENTIFIC LABOURS [1646-7. 



colourable affair, suspecting that the King was merely 

 sacrificing a devoted friend to clear himself and appease 

 the public wrath. 



Notwithstanding this state of affairs in Ireland, the 

 Earl was, on the 4th of March, 1646, created &quot; Duke of 

 Somerset and Beaufort,&quot; which title he afterwards re 

 signed, but the original patent, still existing at Badmin 

 ton, is translated as follows : 



&quot; Charles, by the grace of God of England, France, 

 and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, &c. To all 

 our Archbishops, Dukes, Marquesses, Earls, Viscounts, 

 Bishops, Barons, Knights, Governors of Towns, Free 

 men, and all other Officers, Ministers, and subjects to 

 whom these Presents shall come Greeting. 



&quot; We esteem the greatness of our Royal Dignity not 

 only to be highly adorned but even to be augmented 

 and enlarged when men eminent for their nobility and 

 virtue, who have deserved well of their country, and 

 by notable achievements and particularly by trophys 

 and other monuments of military valour acquired at 

 home and abroad and distinguished and adorned by any 

 illustrious accession of Honour, Dignity, or Titles. 

 And Whereas our right trusty and well beloved Cousin 

 Edward Somerset, alias Plantagenet, Knight of the 

 most noble order of the Garter, Earl of our County of 

 Glamorgan, son and heir apparent of our right trusty 

 and well beloved Cousin Henry Earl and Marquess of 

 Worcester, Baron of the Honours of the castles of Rag 

 lan, Chepstow, and Gower, a man eminent for the 

 nobleness of his blood, and his approved attachment 

 and fidelity to us, (by always furnishing the most ready 

 supplies out of his own fortune to us in these most cala 

 mitous times) Hath in a special manner recommended 

 himself to our favour: as he is rendered illustrious by 

 a long train of noble ancestors, and by the high 



