Hubert de Burgh

“ BURGH, WALTER de, called Earl of Ulster (d. 1271) , was the second son Richard de Burgh (d. 1243) , perhaps by his wife Egidia daughter of Walter de Laci, second lord of Meath (Sweetman Cal. of Irish Doc. i. Nos. 2700, 3012; Roberts Fine Rolls, 128) . He succeeded to the lordship of Connaught on the death of his brother Richard about 1248 (Sweetman 2865, 3062; Annals of Loch Cé, 383 sub hoc anno) . According to later genealogists he was the grandson of Henry II's Irish justiciar, William FitzAldelm, who, in his turn, is said to have been brother or cousin of Hubert de Burgh ”

“ BURGH, Sir JOHN (1562–1594) , military and naval commander, a lineal descendant of Hubert de Burgh, was a younger son of William, fourth lord Burgh of Gainsborough, and brother of Thomas, fifth lord Burgh, lord-deputy in Ireland. The first mention of him that has been reserved is in 1585, when he raised a body of men in Lincolnshire for service beyond the sea, embarked with them at Hull on 25 Aug., and commanded them in the campaigns in the Netherlands, under the Earl of Leicester, and afterwards under Lord Willoughby. ”

“ He made his way easily into the hall, for no one thought of staying a priest. The lower end was thronged with soldiers. On the daïs stood Sir Piers de Rievaulx and half-a-dozen more, confronting Earl Hubert, who wore an expression of baffled amazement. Just behind him stood the Countess, evidently possessed by fear and anguish; Sir John de Burgh, with his hand upon his sword; Doucebelle, very white and frightened; and furthest in the background, Sir Richard de Clare, who clasped in his arms the fainting form of Margaret, and bent his head over her with a look of agonised tenderness. ”

“ Hubert, “the keeper” of young Prince Arthur. King John conspired with him to murder the young prince, and Hubert actually employed two ruffians to burn out both the boy’s eyes with red-hot irons. Arthur pleaded so lovingly with Hubert to spare his eyes, that he relented; however, the lad was found dead soon afterwards, either by accident or foul play.—Shakespeare, King John, (1596) .
⁂ This “Hubert” was Hubert de Burgh, justice of England and earl of Kent. ”

“ A proper pageant of state in a regular monarchy, where his ministers could have conducted all affairs in his name and by his authority; but too feeble in those disorderly times to sway a sceptre, whose weight depended entirely on the firmness and dexterity of the hand which held it.
[MN Hugh de Burgh displaced.] The ablest and most virtuous minister that Henry ever possessed was Hubert de Burgh [h] ; a man who had been steady to the crown in the most difficult and dangerous times, and who yet showed no disposition, in the height of his power, to enslave or oppress the people. ”

“ To his relationship with Hubert, Narford no doubt owed the favour of King John; in October 1215 John ordered Hubert de Burgh to give Narford seisin of lands in Kent (Rot. Claus. i. 230) . On 18 March 1216 John addressed a patent to Narford as bailiff at one of the seaports (Rot. Pat. p. 170 b) ; probably he was a custodian of Dover Castle, of which Hubert de Burgh was chief constable (Richard de Coggeshall, ed. Stevenson, p. 185; cf. Rot. Claus. p. 259) . When Hubert de Burgh defeated Eustace le Moine in the naval battle of the Straits of Dover, fought on St. ”

“ He danced back to Margaret’s bower, where, in a few minutes, he, she, Marie, and Eva were engaged in a merry round game.
Beside the three girls who were in the care of the Countess, Earl Hubert had also three boy-wards—Richard de Clare, heir of the earldom of Gloucester; Roger de Mowbray, heir of the barony of Mowbray, now about fifteen years old; and John de Averenches (or Avranches) , the son of a knight. With these six, the Earl’s two sons, his daughter, and his daughter-in-law, there was no lack of young people in the Castle, of whom Sir John de Burgh, the eldest, was only twenty-nine. ”

“ Burgh was bad all through, daring, free, bold, and had a good deal of the untamed savage about him; but he was emphatically a man, and it was this virile atmosphere about him, which caused his withered aunt to adore him. And indeed Miss Wharf admired him also, as did many of the women in Marport. Clarence looked like a buccaneer who would carry a woman off, and knock her down if she objected to his love-making. Women like that sort of dominating lord of the world, and accordingly Mr. Burgh had nothing to complain of, so far as feminine admiration went, during his sojourn in Marport. ”

“ The age of fifty-three seems incompatible with the ‘morte immaturâ præreptus,’ as well as with the known age of William, lord Burgh, born in or about 1525 (Nicolas, Historic Peerage) , of whom Sir John was the third son. Burgh‘s name has been spelt in different ways. Mr. Edwards, who in most points is scrupulously accurate, gives it as Borough, and that while immediately referring to a holograph letter with a clear and legible signature, Jo. Burgh. ”

“ The spirit of antagonism arose with the increasing power of the greater burghs. In England the Burgh arose out of the necessities of the Danish invasion; and if a Teutonic element existed previously amongst the resident intramural population, it was scarcely on the footing of Burgh-Thegns. There is no word in the Anglo-Saxon language expressive of a free and trading community associated within walls. The Burh was originally the place of strength, and the inhabitants of Bebba’s Burh were surely not traders. ”

“ There were some persons in the drawing-room, not one of whom, with the exception of George Liauran, was known to him. They were, for the most part, men celebrated by different titles in the society more particularly denominated Parisian by those journals which pique themselves on following the fashion. Hubert's first sensation had been a slight shock, owing merely to the fact that some of these men presented to the malevolent observer several of the little toilet heresies familiar to the more fastidious if they have gone too late into society. ”

“ De Burgh, who had risen from half-recumbent position, and stood leaning against a larger fragment of rock, paused before he replied: "I think that I am a gentleman enough not to be a brute, but I rather believe a woman of the type you describe would not have a blissful existence with me." ”

“ Burgh is a better. I have at least a position and a clean name."
"What do you know about Clarence Burgh?" she asked quickly.
"Nothing, save that he is an adventurer, Miss Wharf. He comes from no-where, and swaggers about Marport as if it belonged to him. He has no recognised position and he is not a gentleman."
"Oh but he is, and I want him to marry Olivia."
"And thus you would condemn Olivia to misery. She loves me—"
"A girl's love," said Miss Wharf coolly, "she'll soon get over that. Mr. Burgh is Lavinia's nephew, and I have promised Lavinia that Olivia shall be his wife." ”

“ Though in every sense a man of honor, and by no means without heart, yet I fear as a companion he would be disturbing, if not——"
"Why do you warn me?" cried Katherine, growing somewhat pale. "And what has poor Lord de Burgh done to earn your disapprobation?"
"I know I am somewhat Quixotic and unguarded in speaking thus to you; but it would be affectation to say I did not perceive De Burgh's very natural motive. There is much about him that is attractive to women, apart from his exceptional fortune and position; [Pg 284] but I doubt if he could make a woman like you happy. ”

“ He went deliberately through the pockets of the insensible man, and finally came across a packet bound in red brocade. It was in Burgh's breast, next to the skin. Rupert, with this in his hand, rose with a gasp of relief. He had the papers after all, and now, could hope to get the money from the Mandarin. He slipped the important packet into his pocket, and then producing a flask of brandy, he forced a few drops between the clenched teeth of his antagonist. He did not wish the man to die, and moreover, he was desirous of questioning him. In a few moments Burgh opened his eyes. ”

“ The apartment was scented with the exhalations from the flowers, the cups and vases of which she used herself to trim, and she alternately dreaded and desired the entry of Hubert. Would he forgive her? Would he repel her? And finally she had to leave this refuge of her last hope, and she departed, her veil drawn down, her soul flooded by the same sadness that she used formerly to feel when Hubert's kisses were still fresh on her lips, at once comforted and terrified by this thought:
"When shall I see him again? Will it be to-morrow?" ”

“ With Wilberforce he was on the closest terms of intimacy, and advocated with enthusiasm the abolition of the slave trade, but he opposed with equal ardour the union of Great Britain and Ireland. William Mason was another of his friends, and Burgh edited at York in 1783 a new edition of Mason’s poem, the ‘English Garden,' to which he added a commentary and notes. The poet desired Burgh to see through the press a complete edition of this work, but the wish was never gratified. ”

“ But it is none the less true that I love you more than ever."
"Well!" replied Hubert, "this love will be the only vengeance that I wish to exact from you. Know then that you have caused this man whom you love to endure a martyrdom such as may scarcely be survived; you have rent his heart, you have been his tormentor, the tormentor of every hour and every minute. There is nothing more within me but a wound, and it is you, you who have opened it. I have ceased to believe anything, hope for anything, love anything, and you are the cause. ”

“ Burgh threw him a shilling and told him to cut. I ordered the man to stay, but he obeyed Burgh. Then we had a row, and I went away."
"Leaving Mr. Burgh in the cloak-room?" asked Rodgers shrewdly.
"Yes. But he knew nothing about the tie. He could not have taken it. I am sure he didn't."
The detective smiled in a puzzled manner. "Upon my word Mr. Ainsleigh, you defend everyone. First Tung-yu, now Mr. Burgh, who is your enemy."
"I have so many enemies," said Rupert with a shrug, "Tung-yu told me that Burgh and Forge and Major Tidman were my enemies." ”

“ Nothing has had any further existence for me—nothing but yourself; no," she added with a fixed look, "neither good nor evil, nor duty, nor remembrance. But can you understand that—you who think, as all men do, that it is a crime to love when one is not free?"
"I have ceased to know," replied Hubert, bending towards her to raise her, "except that you are to me the noblest and dearest of women."
"No, let me remain at your feet, like your little slave," she rejoined, with an expression of ecstacy; "but is it truly true? Ah! swear to me that you will never speak ill to yourself of this hour." ”

“ Whether the loss of Limerick discredited him with the king, or the ancient jealousy of the first adventurers prevailed in the royal councils, Henry, on hearing of Strongbow's death, at once despatched as Lord Justice, William Fitz-Aldelm de Burgo, first cousin to Hubert de Burgo, Chief Justiciary of England, and, like Fitz-Aldelm, descended from Arlotta, mother of William the Conqueror, by Harlowen de Burgo, her first husband. From him have descended the noble family of de Burgo, or Burke, so conspicuous in the after annals of our island. ”

“ When those important epochs came round, it was Burgo's practice to charter a hansom, and be driven into the City, to the office of Mr. Garden, his uncle's lawyer, have ten minutes' chat and a glass of dry sherry with him, pocket the cheque which was always waiting for him, give a receipt in due form, and then lounge back westward, with a fine glow of satisfaction such as he had not been conscious of half-an-hour before. "You have heard the news, I presume," said Mr. Garden on the present occasion, as he shook hands with the young man. ”

“ Only an allusion or the dread of an allusion to a woman whom he loves, has the power to disturb a young man of such evident purity as Hubert was. After a few moments of this sudden emotion, he replied:
"I declare to you, godfather, that there is nothing in my conduct of which I should be ashamed. It is the first time that neither my mother nor my grandmother has understood me—but I shall not yield to them on the point in dispute. They are unjust about it, frightfully unjust," he continued, rising and taking a few steps. ”

“ Thus exhorted, Hubert resumed his place, and, not neglecting the caution which he had received from his adversary, he made the necessary allowance for a very light breath of wind which had just arisen, and shot so successfully that his arrow alighted in the very center of the target.
"A Hubert! a Hubert!" shouted the populace, more interested in a known person than in a stranger. "In the clout!—in the clout! A Hubert forever!"
"Thou canst not mend that shot, Locksley," said the prince, with an insulting smile. ”

“ On his return there was some talk of making him governor of Berwick, and, after lord Burgh's death, he and Sir Robert Sidney were suggested for the vacant post; but he stood ‘stiffly not to go’ unless he might have it on as good terms as Lord Burgh (ib. ii. 71) . He was frequently consulted on Irish affairs and, in anticipation of a Spanish invasion in the summer of 1599, he was appointed commander of the forces in the west. ”

“ Intensity of existence in anyone among them, though it be but momentary, is only to be obtained at the cost of weakening all the rest. It is certain that Hubert loved his two mothers—as he always called the two women who had brought him up—to distraction. It is certain that he had guessed that for many days they had been holding conversations together analogous to that of the evening on which he had borrowed from his godfather the three thousand francs which he required for settling his debts and meeting the cost of his journey. ”