was extremely surprized, because no man at that time had a better reputation for courage; and my anger against him being quite subsided, I took the liberty to represent to him what a ridiculous story it would make, should we return without fighting; and told him, that I must in my own defence be obliged to lay the fault on him, by telling the truth of the matter.  His answer was, that he submitted to it, and hoped I would not take the advantage in having to do with any man in so weak a condition:  I replied, that by such an argument he had sufficiently tied my hands, upon condition, I might call our seconds to be witnesses of the whole business, which he consented to, and so we parted.  Upon our return to London, we found it full of this quarrel, upon our being absent so long; and therefore Mr. Aston thought fit to write down every word and circumstance of this whole matter, in order to spread every where the true reason of our returning without having fought; which being not in the least contradicted, or resented by the lord Rochester, entirely ruined his reputation for courage, though nobody had still a greater as to wit, which supported him pretty well in the world, notwithstanding some more accidents of the same kind, that never fail to succeed one another, when once people know a man’s weakness.’  The duke of Buckingham’s works speak him a beautiful prose writer, and a very considerable poet, which is proved by the testimony of some of the best writers, his cotemporaries.

His prose works consist chiefly of

Historical Memoirs, Speeches in Parliament, Characters, Dialogues, Critical Observations, Speeches and Essays, which, with his poetical compositions, were printed by Alderman Barber in 1723. in two splendid 4to volumes.  The first volume containing pieces in most species of poetry, the epic excepted, and also imitations from other authors.  His Grace wrote some Epigrams, a great number of lyric pieces, some in the elegiac strain, and others in the dramatic.  Amongst his poems, an Essay on Poetry, which contains excellent instructions to form the poet, is by far the most distinguished.  He wrote a play called Julius Caesar and another called Brutus:  or rather altered them from Shakespear.

His grace was a great lover of the polite arts in general, as appears from the fondness he expresses for them in several parts of his works; particularly Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture; of the two former he made several curious collections, and his house, built under his direction in St. James’s Park, speaks him not unacquainted with the latter.  It would be superfluous to enumerate all the writers who have given testimony in his grace’s favour as an author.  Dryden in several of his Dedications, while he expresses the warmth of his gratitude, fails not to convey the most amiable idea of his lordship, and represents him as a noble writer.  He lived in friendship with that great poet, who has raised indelible monuments to his memory.  I shall add but one other testimony of his merit, which if some should think unnecessary, yet it is pleasing; the lines are delightfully sweet and flowing.  In his Miscellanies thus speaks Mr. Pope;