Page:The house of Cecil.djvu/163

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THE EXETER LINE 137

on his way to Rome, and though he then recovered, he returned to France and died at Issy, near Paris, in September, I7OO. 1 He was buried in St. Martin's, Stamford, where a magnificent monument of white veined marble, made at Rome by Monnot, and brought home by the Earl himself, commemorates his virtues and talents, and the worth and beauty of his wife.

Of their children only two were married, John and Elizabeth. The latter married Charles Boyle, fourth Earl of Orrery, whose edition of the Epistles of Phalaris originated the famous controversy with Bentley. She died in 1708 at the age of twenty-one, leaving a son, John, afterwards fifth Earl of Orrery, the friend of Pope and Swift. 2 John (1674 1721), who suc- ceeded as sixth Earl of Exeter, was fond of hawking, horse matches, and other country sports, but has no other claim to distinction. Neverthe- less, he added to the wealth of the family by making two very judicious marriages, first with Annabella Bennet, daughter of Lord Ossulston, with a fortune of 30,000, and secondly with Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Brownlow, Bart., of Bel ton, Lincolnshire, with 1,200 a year, and 10,000 in money. 3

His eldest son, John (1700 1722), died unmarried, after holding the title for only a few months. He was succeeded by his brother,

1 Luttrell's Diary, IV. pp. 563, 564, 599, 681, 683, 684.

2 Elwin and Courthope, Works of Pope, VIII. 369, note. 8 Luttrell's Diary, III. 178 ; IV. 563.

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