NORTH, Francis, Lord Guildford

NORTH, Francis, Lord Guildford, lord-keeper of the great seal in the reigns of Charles II. and James II. was a third son of the second Dudley lord North, baron of Kirtling; and studied at St John's college in Cambridge, from whence he removed to the Middle Temple. He acquired French, Italian, Spanish, and Dutch; and became not only a good lawyer, but was well versed in history, mathematics, philosophy, and music. He was afterwards made the king's solicitor-general, and was chosen to represent the borough of Lynn in parliament. He succeeded Sir Henage Finch in the post of attorney-general; and Lord Chief-Justice Vaughan, in the place of lord chief-justice of the

common pleas. He was afterwards made keeper of the great seal; and in 1683 was created a baron by the title of Lord Guildford. He died at his house at Wroxton in 1685. He wrote a philosophical essay on music; a paper on the gravitation of fluids, considered in the bladders of fishes, printed in Lowthorp's abridgement of the Philosophical Transactions; and some other pieces.