as to attempt to marry the lady Anne; but though
his addresses to her were checked, as soon as discovered, yet the
princess had ever an esteem for him.

This account is more probably true, than the former; when it is
considered, that by sending the earl to Tangier[2], a scheme was laid
for destroying him, and all the crew aboard the same vessel. For the
ship which was appointed to carry the general of the forces, was in such
a condition, that the captain of her declared, he was afraid to make the
voyage. Upon this representation, lord Mulgrave applied both to the lord
admiral, and the king himself: The first said, the ship was safe enough,
and no other could be then procured. The king answered him coldly, that
he hoped it would do, and that he should give himself no trouble about
it. His lordship was reduced to the extremity either of going in a leaky
ship, or absolutely refusing; which he knew his enemies would impute to
cowardice, and as he abhorred the imputation, he resolved, in opposition
to the advice of his friends, to hazard all; but at the same time
advised several volunteers of quality, not to accompany him in the
expedition, as their honour was not so much engaged as his; some of whom
wisely took his advice, but the earl of Plymouth, natural son of the
king, piqued himself in running the same danger with a man who went to
serve his father, and yet was used so strangely by the ill-offices of
his ministers.

Providence, however defeated the ministerial scheme of assassination,
by giving them the finest weather during the voyage, which held three
weeks, and by pumping all the time, they landed safe at last at Tangier,
where they met with admiral Herbert, afterwards earl of Torrington, who
could not but express his admiration, at their having performed such a
voyage in a ship he had sent home as unfit for service; but such was the
undisturbed tranquility and native firmness of the earl of Mulgrave's
mind, that in this hazardous voyage, he composed the Poem, part of which
we have quoted.

Had the earl of Mulgrave been guilty of any offence, capital, or
otherwise, the ministry might have called him to account for it; but
their contriving, and the king's consenting to so bloody a purpose, is
methinks such a stain upon them, as can never be wiped off; and had that
nobleman and the ship's crew perished, they would have added actual
murther, to concerted baseness.

Upon the approach of his lordship's forces, the Mo