CHRONICLE OF THE DRAKES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1162, 24 June 1911, Page 11

CHRONICLE OF THE DRAKES.

A RECENT WORK. Lady Eliott-Drake's work, in two volumes, "The Family and Heirs of Sir Francis Drake," is a valuable chronicle of tho Devonshire house which for over 200 years bred men who wrought and ruled in England. They were of tho blood and name of Sir Francis, but not Ms direct issue, for he died childless. The Drakes were a. great AVhig family, and their worth is indicated by some entrios in the diary of Elizabeth, wife of tho third baronet:— • . "February 18, 1690, on a Tuesday, then came Sir Francis and myself together. 1 pray God send us many nappy years together, for I really love, honour, and esteem him with all sincerity, nor do I question but he has the same regard for me." "Monday, June 16, 1691. Tlien we set out for Devonshire, and a dismal parting it was" (that i» from her own people and friends in Loudon). "IG9G, Thursday, U o'clock in the morning, ■ November 26, then was born George, my fifth son. it has pleased God to bless mo with a bravo stock of sons. I earnestly pray him to give me grace and ability to train thcin in His law and commandments." The following sentences were written under _ that first above quoted as to her. feelings for Sir F'rancis:— "1691—1 am of the same mind." "1692—And 1 am vet of tho same mind." "1693-Thanks be to God, I am still the same." "1691—The samo blessing is increased to mo by his extraordinary love and affection." But al lthe correspondence is not so gentle. Elizabeth's husband, "the Regulator," as the Tories called him (he was a keen and clever, party manager in the West),' writes thus when Jacobite plots were on foot:—"We are in but an indifferent condition to withstand any attempt if one should be made. The sheriff, too, being such a contemptible old woofe." In 1710 ho had a difference with Lord Stamford over their joint interests in the close borough of Beeralston, and an audacious attempt by his lordship to increase his own inilnence and simultaneously to divert charity lands:—

"I have," ho writes, "never hitherto nor ever will engage you in anything but what will appear righteous before any judicature hero or' tho Groat Tribunal hereafter; beforo either of which the noble lord cannot appear at the head of his sixteen sacrilegians without confusion. . . . And, moreover, I do now sav that if ho go on I will give God sparing my life and present abilities, such a stunner as he can never recover."

"Contemptible old woofe'' is gdod (observes "The Times"), and so is "stunner," even if wo find some humour in the appeal to Divine justice in the matter of a rotten borough. One of tho last of the male line wn= Samuel, the Vice-Ad-miral, who. although considered the scapetrrace of the family, lielned Hnwke to "bang Mounscer Conflang" in Quiboron Bay, and was third in command in Rodney's defeat of De Gr«.<wo. for which service he was created a baronet.