'Thus I have compared colonel Cavendish with Abner, a fighting and a famous man in Israel; you see how he does equal, how he does exceed him.'
John Cecil, 4th earl of Exeter (1628-1678).
[600]... Cecil, earl of Exeter (quaere my lord chief baron Montagu[601] de nomine Christiano[602]), earle of Exeter, translated monsieur Balsac's letters, as appeares by his epistle to my lord in the first volumne, lib. V, lettre V, and Vol. 2d, lib. V, lettre VI—'et je suis sans doute beaucoup plus honneste homme en Angleterre qu'en France, puisque j'y parle par vostre bouche.'
William Cecil, lord Burghley (1520-1598).
[603]Cecil, lord Burleigh:—Memorandum, the true name is Sitsilt, and is an ancient Monmouthshire family, but now come to be about the size[604] of yeomanry. In the church at Monmouth, I remember in a south windowe an ancient scutcheon of the family, the same that this family beares. 'Tis strange that they should be so vaine to leave off an old British name for a Romancy one, which I beleeve Mr. Verstegan did putt into their heads, telling his lordship, in his booke, that they were derived from the ancient Roman Cecilii.
The first lord Burley (who was Secretary of Estate) was at first but <a> country-schoole-master, and (I thinke Dr. Thomas Fuller sayes, vide Holy State) borne in Wales.
I remember (when I was a schooleboy at Blandford) Mr. Basket, a reverend divine, who was wont to beg us play-dayes, would alwayes be[605] uncovered, and sayd that ''twas the lord Burleigh's custome, for (said he) here is my Lord Chanceller, my Lord Treasurer, my Lord Chief Justice, &c., predestinated.'