102 ANCIENT HISTORY OF K IRK11Y-MOORSIBE, 



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Or just as gay at council, in a ring 



Of mimic statesmen and their merry king. 



No wit to flatter, left of all his store, 



No fool to laugh at, which he valued more; 



There, victor of his health, of fortune, friends, 



And fame, this Lord of useless thousands ends." 



The following is a letter from the Duke of Buck- 

 ingham, to his particular friend Dr. Barrow. 



Dear Doctor, 



I always looked upon you (o be 

 a person of true virtue, and know you to have a 

 sound understanding ; for, however I may have 

 acted in opposition to the principles of religion, or 



fought with swords, and all four engaged at the same 

 time. The first thrust was fatal to the Earl of Shrews- 

 bury ; who was a feeble diminutive person, and unfit for 

 such a contest ; but the Earl's friend killed the Duke's 

 .second at the same instant. Buckingham, elated with 

 his victory, hastened to the Countess at Cliveden ; where 

 he boasted of the murder of her husband ; whose blood 

 he showed her upon his sword, aa a trophy of his prow- 

 ess. 



Pope must have been misinformed respecting the house 

 in which the Duke of Buckingham died ; as there is no 

 tradition here ofits ever having been an Inn, ind from 

 its present appearance it must at that time have been, ex- 

 cepting one, the best house in the town. It is built in 

 the ancient stile, with projecting wings. The length of 

 the front is 16 yards : and whatever improvements may- 

 have been in the house since that time, the shall of it re- 

 mains as it was. The room in which the Duke died, is 

 on the second floor in the front of the house, and is the 

 best lodging room in it. The boards are fir, which were 

 there at the time of his decease. Many years after his 

 death, a seal was found in a crevice, in the room in which 

 he expired, having the Buckingham arms on it, which is 

 supposed to have been his ; and is now iu the possession 

 of Mr. William Cole. 



