Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 59.djvu/443

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

William, 1220-1268; Beauchamp, Guy de, d. 1315; Beauchamp, Thomas de, d. 1401; Beauchamp, Richard de, 1382-1439: Neville, Richard, 1428-1471, the ‘King-maker;’ Edward, 1475-1499, son of George Plantagenet, duke of Clarence; Dudley, John, 1502?-1553, afterwards Duke of Northumberland; Dudley, Ambrose, 1528?-1590; Dudley, Sir Robert, 1573-1649; and Rich, Robert, 1587-1658.]

WARWICK, Countess of. [See Rich, Mary, 1625-1678.]

WARWICK, GUY of, hero of romance. [See Guy.]

WARWICK, Sir PHILIP (1609–1683), politician and historian, said to be descended from the Cumberland family of that name, was the son of Thomas Warwick by Elizabeth, daughter of John Somerville [q. v.] of Somerville Aston, Warwickshire (Wood, Fasti, i. 505; Hasted, Kent; Gent. Mag. 1790, p. 780). His father, whose name is generally spelt Warrock or Warrick, was a musician of note, organist of Westminster Abbey and of the Chapel Royal (see The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, ed. Maitland and Squire, 1899, Introd.)

Philip was born in the parish of St. Margaret, Westminster, on 24 Dec. 1609. He was educated at Eton, was for a time a chorister at Westminster, travelled in France, and spent some time at Geneva under the care of Theodore Diodati [see under Diodati, Charles]. On his return he became secretary to Lord Goring, to whom he appears to have been distantly related, and was made, by his influence, in March 1636 secretary to Lord-treasurer Juxon (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1633–4 p. 87, 1635–6 p. 301, 1637 p. 315). On 13 Nov. 1638 he became a clerk of the signet (ib. 1629–31 p. 557, 1638–9 p. 103). On 12 Feb. 1638 he was admitted to Gray's Inn, and on 11 April following was created bachelor of law by the university of Oxford (Foster, Gray's Inn Register, p. 215; Alumni Oxon. i. 1577).

Warwick represented Radnor in the Long parliament, and his ‘Memoirs’ contain a vivid description of the rejoicings which followed Strafford's execution, the tumults against the bishops, and the excitement which accompanied the passing of the Grand Remonstrance (Memoirs, pp. 164, 186, 201). He formed one of the minority of fifty-six who voted against the bill for Strafford's attainder, followed Charles to Oxford, and sat in the anti-parliament the king called there. On 5 Feb. 1644 he was deprived of his seat in the Long parliament by a vote of the commons (Commons' Journals, iii. 389). Warwick served in the king's army, but as a volunteer, not as a commissioned officer. At Edgehill he fought in the King's guard of noblemen and gentlemen, called derisively the ‘troop of show,’ being in point of fortune, he tells us, ‘one of the most inconsiderable persons of it’ (Memoirs, p. 231). In 1643 the king sent Warwick to the Marquis of Newcastle to persuade him, if possible, to march his army southwards. He was given no formal commission, but only ‘three or four words under the king's hand, written on a piece of white sarcenet,’ to accredit him. Both in this mission and in a second for the same purpose in the autumn of 1643 he met with no success (ib. pp. 243–64). In the summer of 1646 he was employed to negotiate the terms of the capitulation of Oxford with Fairfax (Sprigge, Anglia Rediviva, ed. 1854, p. 262).

In 1647, when the king was at Hampton Court negotiating with the army and the parliament, Warwick was allowed to attend him as one of his secretaries; and in 1648, during the negotiation of the treaty at Newport, he was one of the ‘penmen who stood at his chair’ in the daily discussions with the parliamentary commissioners (Memoirs, pp. 303, 322). The king trusted him greatly, and used to dictate to him in the evenings the despatches on the progress of the treaty, which were sent to the Prince of Wales. Warwick's account of the king's sayings and doings during this period is the most valuable portion of his book (ib. pp. 322–331). When the negotiations were temporarily suspended Warwick asked leave of absence for a few weeks to attend to his private affairs, and he was thus absent from Charles when he was seized and carried to Hurst Castle by the army. The particulars recorded by him concerning the king's trial and execution were learnt from Juxon, to whom the king on the night before his death commended Warwick's fidelity. ‘My lord,’ said the king, ‘I must remember one that hath had relation to you and myself; tell Charles he hath been an useful and honest man unto me.’ None admired and loved the unfortunate king more than Warwick. ‘When I think of dying,’ he wrote, ‘it is one of my comforts, that when I part from the dunghill of this world, I shall meet … King Charles and all those faithful spirits that had virtue enough to be true to him, the church, and the laws unto the last’ (ib. pp. 331–41).

Warwick was fined by parliament as a delinquent 477l., being one-tenth of his estate; but on a review the fine was reduced to 241l. (February 1649). His second wife paid about 3,000l. to release his stepson's estate (Calen-