Boyle, Richard

"The Great EARL of CORK," ( boil,) a celebrated English statesman of the 17th century, B. at Canterbury, England, in 1566. After studying at Cambridge he removed to the Middle Temple, which he left to become clerk to Sir Richard Manwood, Chief Baron of the Exchequer. In 1588 he went to Dublin, with strong recommendations to persons in power, whose patronage he obtained. In 1595 he married a lady of fortune, whose death, a few years after, left him the po e or of property to the amount of £500 a year. The state of Ireland at that time having rendered land very cheap, he took advantage of the circumstance to make some considerable purchases, among which was the estate of Sir Walter Raleigh, consisting of 12,000 acres, in the counties of Cork and Water ford, which he obtained on easy terms. He was then appointed clerk of the Council under Sir George Carew, the Lord-President of Munster, whom he accompanied in various expeditions against the Irish insurgents, then in opposition to the English government. On these and other occasions he distinguished himself by his talents and activity, and rapidly augmented his political power and influence. King James I. appointed him privy-council lor for Munster, and afterward for the kingdom of Ireland; in 1616 he was made a peer of that realm by the title of Baron Boyle of Youghal, and in 1620 he was created Viscount Dungarvan, and Earl of Cork. He was now at the height of his prosperity, living in his castle of Lismore in a style of grandeur more resembling that of a sovereign prince than of a private individual. In 1629 he was made one of the lord-justices of Ireland, and in 1631 Lord-Treasurer of that kingdom. Like most of the English rulers of the sister state, Ireland, he seems to have employed his power rather for the subjugation than the advantage of the native Irish. He built and fortified towns and castles, and introd iced among the people arts and manufactures; but he also put in force the severe laws of Queen Elizabeth against the Roman Catholics, and transported multitudes of the ancient inhabitants from the fertile province of Leins ter to the bogs and deserts of Kerry, supplying ther place with English colonists. Such measures might be consistent enough with the views and principles of a military despot like Cromwell, who, on surveying the improvements on the estate of this nobleman, is said to have declared "That if there had been an Earl of Cork in every province, it would have been impo ible for the Irish to raise a rebellion." But few persons will now be disposed to bow to the "ipse dixit" of the conqueror of Ireland, or to doubt for a moment that the cruel and illiberal policy of Lord Cork, and other mistaken but perhaps well-meaning statesmen, really contributed to cause those popular commotions which desolated Ireland during the latter years of his life. In 1641 the Earl went to England as a witne against Lord Str afford, then under impeachment, having quarrelled with that nobleman during his vice-royalty. Soon after his return home the insurrection of the Irish broke out, on which event he displayed his accustomed activity, enlisting his tenantry under the command of his sons, and taking other measures for the defence of the country. But he lived only to see the commencement of the calamities of his adopted country. D. 1643. He was the founder of a family, several individuals of which highly distinguished themselves as cultivators of literature, science, and the arts.