[G] Endorsed in the same hand—“Prince Rupert, his Warrant.” And endorsed by a private hand,—“Prince Rupert’s Warrant to the Marquis of Worcester, Oxford, January 5, 1644.”
[H] See [Chapter XVIII], giving the entire statement.
CHAPTER VI.
LORD HERBERT CREATED EARL OF GLAMORGAN. IRISH AFFAIRS.
Although many successes had early attended the Royalists’ arms, the chances of war in 1643 were interminably perplexing to all parties. The royal cause was becoming desperate, and the King, never over-scrupulous, then endeavoured to obtain speedy assistance at all hazards. After taking the sacrament at Oxford, in sacred repudiation of employing papists, yet was he privately urging his generals to engage all who would serve. The fact of the Marquis of Worcester being of the proscribed religion was no obstacle to his maintaining correspondence with him, personally communicating with his son, and constantly draining their fortunes and other resources.
The impoverished monarch was at least liberal in promises and niggardly in fulfilling even those referring to mere dignities in acknowledgment of immense services, so long as farther demands might thereby possibly be the better secured; such was his insincerity in all social relations, and such his intriguing policy in all his acts of sovereign power.
At home the battle of Edge-hill had just been fought, and in Ireland a rebellion had to be suppressed, and troops to be raised to swell the royal army. The King must have been much confounded how best to conciliate friends and enemies, protestants and papists, until he could fearlessly assert his claims in accordance with his own construction of regal rights.
In the early part of the year 1644, the King conferred on Lord Herbert, during his father’s lifetime, the dignity of Earl of Glamorgan. “But,” says Sir Harris Nicolas,[A] “great doubt exists whether the patent ever passed the great seal.” And Mr. Nichols states that, on reference to the original Docquet Book of grants made by the King at Oxford, commencing in December 1642, and ending in June 1646, nothing of the kind occurs among the numerous grants of Dignities there recorded.[74] Yet the title was constantly employed by Charles the First in his several letters and commissions, and later in a message to the Houses of Parliament; and the following is a copy of the Patent he privily granted to his Lordship on the 1st April, 1644.[13]
“Charles, by the Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. to our right trusty and right well-beloved cousin, Edward Somerset, alias Plantagenet, Lord Herbert, Baron Beaufort of Caldicote, Grismond, Chepstow, Ragland, and Gower, Earl of Glamorgan, son and heir apparent of our entirely beloved cousin, Henry Earl and Marquis of Worcester, greeting. Having had good and long experience of your prowess, prudence, and fidelity, do make choice, and by these nominate and appoint you, our right trusty and right well-beloved cousin, Edward Somerset, &c. to be our Generalissimo of three armies, English, Irish, and foreign, and Admiral of a fleet at sea, with power to recommend your lieutenant-general for our approbation, leaving all other officers to your own election and denomination, and accordingly to receive their commission from you; willing and commanding them, and every of them, you to obey, as their general, and you to receive immediate orders from ourself only. And lest through distance of place we may be misinformed, we will and command you to reply unto us, if any of our orders should thwart or hinder any of your designs for our service. And there being necessarily great sums of money to the carrying on so chargeable an employment, which we have not to furnish you withal; we do by these empower you to contract with any of our loving subjects of England, Ireland, and dominion of Wales, for wardships, customs, woods, or any our rights and prerogatives; we by these obliging ourselves, our heirs and successors, to confirm and make good the same accordingly. And for persons of generosity, for whom titles of honour are most desirable, we have intrusted you with several patents under our Great Seal of England, from a Marquis to a Baronet; which we give you full power and authority to date and dispose of, without knowing our further pleasure, so great is our trust and confidence in you, as that, whatsoever you do contract for or promise, we will make good the same accordingly, from the date of this our commission forwards; which for the better satisfaction, we give you leave to give them, or any of them, copies thereof, attested under our hand and seal of arms. And for your encouragement, and in token of our gratitude, we give and allow you henceforward such fees, titles, preheminences, and privileges, as do and may belong unto your place and command above-mentioned, with promise of our dear daughter Elizabeth to your son Plantagenet, in marriage, with three hundred thousand pounds in dower or portion, most part whereof we acknowledge spent and disbursed by your father and you in our service; and the title of Duke of Somerset to you and your heirs male for ever; and from henceforward to give the Garter to your arms, and at your pleasure to put on the George and blue ribbon. And for your greater honour, and in testimony of our reality, we have with our own hand affixed our Great Seal of England unto these our Commissions and letters, making them patents.
“Witness ourself at Oxford, the first day of April, in the 20th year of our reign, and the year of our Lord, One thousand six hundred and forty-four.”