150 Life of Charles Cotton. 



heiress to her mother, left, by her husband, 

 Charles, before mentioned, one son, named 

 also Charles Cotton, of Beresford, Esq., 

 the subject of this notice. 



Cotton's father's marriage connected him 

 with the families of Stanhope, Cockayne 

 Aston, Port, and others of the highest 

 rank in the counties of Derby and Stafford. 

 He was distinguished for his talents and 

 accomplishments, and was the friend and 

 companion of many of the most eminent 

 of his contemporaries, including Fletcher, 

 Herrick, Carew, Ben Jonson, Sir Henry 

 Wotton, Dr. Donne, Selden, Lovelace, 

 Davenant, May, Lord Chief Justice 

 Vaughan, and the great Lord Clarendon, 

 who describes him as having " all those 

 qualities which in youth raise men to the 

 reputation of being fine gentlemen ; such 

 a pleasantness and gaiety of humour, such 

 a sweetness and gentleness of nature, and 

 such a civility and delightfulness in con- 

 versation, that no man, in the Court or 

 out of it, appeared a more accomplished 

 person ; all these extraordinary qualifica- 

 tions being supported by as extraordinary 

 a clearness of courage and fearlessness of 

 spirit, of which he gave too often mani- 

 festation." 



Charles Cotton, son of the man thus 

 described by Clarendon, was born on 



