He adds, that Sir Richard, at his fine House, call'd to this day Mount-Edgecumb,
"during Queen Mary's Reign, entertain'd at one time for some good space, the Admirals of the English, Spanish, and Netherland Fleets, with many Noblemen besides.
But", pursues he, " not too much of this, lest a partial Affection steal, as unawares, into my Commendation, as one, by my Mother, descended from his Loins, and by my Birth a Member of the House (d)."
But Mr. Carew hath given us an account of his Ancestors, which I shall set down here, that the Reader may see they were no less distinguished by the great Estates in their possession, than by the Noble Families they were allyed to. Speaking of the Lyner, which, with the Tamer, discharges itself into the Sea above Plymouth;
"A little within this Mouth of Lyner", says he (e), " standeth East-Antonie, the poore home of mine Ancestours, with which in this manner they were invested:
Sir John Lerchedekne ------- of Ashton in Devon. Touching our Stock in general", pursues our Author (f), " and my Family in particular ------------- our Queen."
The Pregnancy of his Parts being much above his Age, he was sent to Oxford in the Year 1566, being then but eleven Years old, and
"(g) became a Gentleman Commoner of Christ Church ....... but had his Chamber in Broadgate's Hall:"
And three Years after he was call'd to dispute with the incomparable Sir Philip Sidney, who was a Year older than he (h).
Dr. Fuller and Mr. Wood have taken notice of this memorable Dispute, without mentioning from whence they had that Particular, which, as we have seen already, is related by Mr. Carew himself.
"He was bred", says Dr. Fuller (i), " a Gentleman- Commoner in Oxford; where, being but fourteen Years old, and yet three Years standing, he was call'd out to dispute ex tempore, before the Earls of Leicester and Warwick, with the matchless Sir Philip Sidney.
Si quaeritis hujus Fortunam pugnae, non est superatus ab illo.
Ask you the End of this Contest ? They neither had the better, both the best."
Mr. Wood expresses it thus:
"At fourteen Years of Age", says he (k), " he disputed ex tempore with the matchless Philip Sidney, (while he was a young (l) Man, I suppose) in the presence of the Earls of Leicester, Warwick, and other Nobility, at what time they were lodged in Christ-Church, to receive entertainment from the Muses."
Mr. Wood says afterwards, that
"After Mr. Carew had spent three Years in Oxon, he retired to the Middle Temple, where he spent 3 Years more" (m) ;
which may be true, tho' he brings in no Authority for it. But what he adds, that
"then he was sent with his Uncle (Sir George Carew as it seems) in his Embassage unto the King of Poland; whom when he came to Dantzick, he found that he had been newly gone from thence into Sweden, whither also he went after him :"
And that
"After his return, and a short stay made in England, he was sent by his Father into France with Sir Hen. Nevill, who was then Ambassador Leiger unto K. Hen. 4. that he might learn the French Tongue, which by reading and talking, he overcame in three quarters of a Year :"
All this, I say, cannot hold, if it be true that, tho' he understood Italian, French, High-Dutch, and Spanish, he had never been out of England ; as his Countryman Charles Fitzgeffry seems to assert in the following Compliment to him:
Quis Deus tibi tam bene invocatus (n), Disertissime millium trecentum Idemq; optime omnium CARAEE, (Seu quis multiplicem eruditionem, Seu quis, quo magis emicas elenchum Morum ponderet elegantiorum, Virtutumq; tot auream coronam) Quis (inquam) Deus (o Deus profecto!) Tantis te spoliis, tot & trophaeis Terrarum locupletat exterarum, Domi perpetuo interim morantem Et libris patriaeque servientem? Quo Graij tibi, quo tibi Latini Auri pondera tanta? quove Hetrusci, Galli, Teutones, invidiq; Iberi Tam assatim te opibus suis bearunt? O si tot Deus ora, totq; linguas Mihi idulserit, ut tuas referrem Laudes, quot dedit ora quotq; linguas Tibi uno Deus ore, lingua in una?
I may add, that Mr.