site of the old castle, has a handsome spire, 150 feet high, and has been restored aud extended under the direction of Sir G. G. Scott, who was born in the neighbourhood. There are also a jail, a union workhouse, and several dissenting churches. An endowed free school for boys, who were clad in green coats by the will of the founder, Gabriel Newton, is now incorporated with the national school, which is intended to accommodate 300 pupils. The grammar-school of the town was founded by Edward VI., and occupies the chapel of the guild of the Holy Trinity, founded by Arch deacon Stratton in 1268. The manufactures, which include bone-grinding, malt-making, and tanning, are of compara tively small importance. Lace-making with bobbins still occupies a small part of the female population. There are also some corn-mills in the neighbourhood, and a few lime quarries. The borough of Buckingham formerly returned two members to Parliament, but since 1868 it has only returned one. It is governed by a mayor, four aldermen, and twelve councillors. Population of parliamentary borough in 1871, 7545 ; of municipal borough, 3703. Buckingham is a town of great antiquity. It was fortified with earthen ramparts by Edward the Elder in 918, and in 1010 it was captured by the Danes. It is mentioned as an ancient borough in Domesday Book, but does not seem to have returned members to Parliament till the reign of Henry VIII. In the reign of Edward III it was a wool- staple, but not long after its prosperity began to decline. From Queen Mary it received a charter in 1554. It was the headquarters of Charles I, for a few days during his war with the Parliament. In 1725 a third part of the
town was burnt to the ground.BUCKINGHAM, George Villiers, Duke of (1592–1628), born August 20, 1592, was a younger son of Sir George Villiers of Brooksby. His mother, who was left a widow early, educated him for a courtier s life, and the lad, being by nature little studious and contemplative, took kindly to the training. He could dance well, fence well, and talk a little French, when in August 1614 he was brought before the king s notice, in the hope that he would take a fancy to him.
The moment was favourable. Since Salisbury s death James had taken the business of government upon himself. But he wanted some one who would chat with him, and amuse him, and would also fill the office of private secretary, and save him from the trouble of saying No to importunate suitors. It would be an additional satisfaction if he could train the youth whom he might select in those arts of states manship of which he believed himself to be a perfect master. His first choice had not proved a happy one. Robert Carr, who had lately become earl of Somerset, had had his head turned by his elevation. He had grown peevish toward his master, and had placed himself at the head of the party which was working for a close alliance with Spain.
The appearance of Villiers, beaming with animal spirits and good humour, was therefore welcomed by all who had an interest in opposing the designs of Spain. With such powerful backing Villiers prospered at court, became a gentleman of the bed-chamber, was knighted, and received a pension of 1000 a year. For some little time, however, Somerset s pre-eminence was maintained. But the charge of murder brought against him completed his ruin, and Villiers at once stepped into the place which he had vacated. In August 1616 he was raised to the peerage as Viscount Villiers. In January 1617 he became earl of Buckingham. In January 1618 he was a marquis by the same title. Estates to the value of some 15,000 a year were settled on him. With the exception of the earl of Pembroke he was the richest nobleman in England.
Those who expected him to give his support to the anti- Spanish party were at first doomed to disappointment. As yet he was no politician, and he contented himself with carrying out his master s orders, whatever they were. In his personal relations he was kindly and jovial towards all who did not thwart his wishes. But James had taught him to consider that the patronage of England was in his hands, and he took good care that no man should receive promotion of any kind who did not in one way or another pay court to him. As far as can be ascertained, he cared less for money than for the gratification of his vanity. But he had not merely himself to consider. His numerous kinsfolk were to be enriched by marriage, if in no other way, and Bacon, the great philosopher and statesman, was all but thrust from office, because he had opposed a marriage suggested for one of Buckingham s brothers, whilst Cran- field, the first financier of the day, was kept from the Treasury till he would forsake the woman whom he loved, to marry a penniless cousin of the favourite.
In the meanwhile Buckingham had found an appropriate position in the mastership of the horse, which gave him control over the royal stables. In January 1619 James made him lord high admiral of England, hoping that the ardent, energetic youth would impart something of his own fire to those who were intrusted with the oversight of that fleet which had been almost ruined by the peculation and carelessness of the officials. Something of this, no doubt, was realized under Buckingham s eye. But he himself never pretended to the virtues of an administrator, and he was too ready to fill up appointments with men who flattered him, and too reluctant to dismiss them, if they served their country ill, to effect any permanent change for the better.
It was about this time that he first took an independent part in politics. All England was talking of the revolution in Bohemia in the year before, and men s sympathy with the Continental Protestants was increased when it was known that James s son-in-law had accepted the crown of Bohemia, and that in the summer of 1620 a Spanish force was preparing to invade the Palatinate. Buckingham at first had thrown himself into the popular movement. Be fore the summer of 1620 was at end he had swung round, and was in close agreement with Gondomar, the Spanish ambassador. He had now married Lady Catherine Manners, the daughter of the earl of Rutland, who was at heart a Roman Catholic, though she outwardly conformed to the English Church, and this alliance may have had something to do with the change.
Buckingham s mistakes were owing mainly to his levity. If he passed briskly from one camp to the other, an impar tial observer might usually detect some personal motive at the bottom. But it is hardly probable that he was him self conscious of anything of the sort. When he was in reality acting under the influence of vanity or passion it was easy for him to persuade himself that he was doing his duty to his country.
outcry against the system of monopolies, from which Buck ingham s brothers and dependants had drawn a profit, which was believed to be greater than it really was. At first he pleaded for a dissolution. But he was persuaded that it would be a wiser course to offer to put himself at the head of the movement, and when he came forward to say that he would rather sacrifice his brother than countenance wrong doing, he only gave utterance to those sentiments of patriotism which he really felt, when patriotism did not call upon him to sacrifice his own wishes. When, at a later period of the session, Bacon s case was brought forward, he made no attempt to meet the attack directly, but he did his best to shield the falling chancellor from the extreme penalties demanded by his adversaries. It was not long
before he showed on how shallow a basis impulsive generositv rests. Bacon clung, after his fall, to the possession of