HOWARD (HENRY), earl of Surrey, a soldier and a poet, the son and grandson of two lord treasurers, dukes of Norfolk, was born probably about the year 1520, and educated in Windsor castle, with young Fitzroy earl of Richmond, natural son to king Hen. VIII. Wood says, from tradition, that he was some time a student at Cardinal College, Oxford. In his youth he became enamoured of the Fair Geraldine, whom his sonnets have immortalized. In 1532, Howard with his companion Richmond was at Paris, where they continued some time. The latter died in 1536; after which our young hero made a tour to Italy, and at Florence, like a true enamorado, published a challenge against all comers, whether Christians, Jews, Saracens, Turks, or cannibals, in defence of the beauty of his fair Geraldine; and was victorious in the tournament instituted by the grand duke on the occasion. The duke, we are told, was so charmed with his gallant exploits, that he would gladly have retained him at his court; but he rejected the invitation, being determined to maintain the superlative beauty of his Geraldine in all the principal cities in Italy. This romantic resolution was however frustrated by the command of his sovereign, Henry VIII. to return to England.
In 1540, he signalized himself in a tournament at Westminster, against Sir John Dudley, Sir Thomas Seymour, and others. In 1542, he marched, under the command of his father, against the Scots; and in the same year was confined in Windsor castle for eating flesh in Lent, contrary to the king's proclamation. In 1544, on the expedition to Boulogne in France, he was appointed field marshal of the English army; and after the taking of that town, in 1546, made captain-general of the king's forces in France. He was at this time knight of the garter. In the same year, attempting to intercept a convoy, he was defeated by the French, and soon after superseded in his command by the earl of Hertford.
Surrey, after his return to England, conscious of his former services, and peevish under his disgrace, could not help reflecting on the king and council. This was his first step towards destruction. He had married Frances, the daughter of John earl of Oxford; and, after her death, is said to have made love to the princess Mary. For this the Seymours, rivals of the Norfolk family, and now in favour with the king, accused him of aspiring to the crown; adding, that he already presumed to quarter part of the royal arms with his own: but, whatever might be the pretence, the cause of his ruin was the jealousy and power of his enemies. In short, the destruction of the Howards being determined, Surrey, and his father the duke of Norfolk, were committed to the Tower, in December 1546; and on the 13th of January following, Surrey was tried at Guild hall by a common jury, and beheaded on Tower-hill on the 19th day of the same month, nine days before the death of the king; who thus, that the measure of his crimes might be full, finished his life with the murder of his best subject. The accusations brought against this amiable and innocent young noble-
man on his trial, were so extremely ridiculous, that one is astonished how it was possible, even in the most despotic reign, to find a judge and jury so pusillanimously villanous as to carry on the farce of justice on the occasion. We boast of our excellent constitution, and our trial by juries; but this example may teach us, that our constitution and our juries are not incompatible with despotic monarchy. He was first interred in the church of All-hallows, Barking, near Tower-hill; and afterwards, in the reign of king James I. removed to Farmingham in Suffolk, by his son Henry earl of Northampton.
As to the character of this unfortunate earl, all our poets have sung his praise. Mr Walpole begins his anecdotes of Surrey with these words: "We now emerge from the twilight of learning to an almost classic author, that ornament of a boisterous, yet not unpolished court, the earl of Surrey, celebrated by Drayton, Dryden, Fenton, Pope, illustrated by his own muse, and lamented for his unhappy death: a man (as Sir Walter Raleigh says) no less valiant than learned, and of excellent hopes." Leland calls him the conscript enrolled heir of Sir Thomas Wyatt, the elder, in his learning and other excellent qualities; and the author of The Art of English Poetry says, that the earl of Surrey, and Sir Thomas Wyatt, may be justly called the reformers of our poetry and style. His poems were published in 1557, 12mo; and in 1565, 1574, 1585, 1587, 8vo. Several of the sonnets are by Sir Thomas Wyatt and others.