(Sir Francis), a soldier, statesman, and a poet of no inconsiderable fame in his time, was born of a gentle family, educated at Oxford, and afterwards spent some time in travelling abroad. In the year 1522, the 4th of Henry VIII, he attended, in a military capacity, the earl of Surrey on his expedition to the coast of Brittany; and commanded the troops in the attack of the town of Morlaix, which he took and burnt. For this service he was knighted on the spot by the earl. In 1528, he was in Spain; but on what service is doubtful. In 1529, he was sent ambassador to France; and, the year following, to Rome on account of the king's divorce. He had also been there in 1522, in the same capacity, when cardinal Woolsey's election to the holy see was in agitation. He was gentleman of the privy chamber to king Henry VIII, and to his successor Edward VI. in the beginning of whose reign he marched with the protector against the Scots; and after the battle of Muffelburgh, in which he commanded the light horse, was made banneret. In 1548, he was appointed chief governor of Ireland, where he married the countess of Ormond. He died soon after, and was buried at Waterford. He wrote, 1. Songs and sonnets; some of which were printed with those of the earl of Surrey and Sir Thomas Wyatt. Lond. 1565. 2. Letters written from Rome concerning the king's divorce; manuscript. 3. Various letters of state; which Ant. Wood says he had seen. 4. A dispraise of the life of a cour- courtier, &c. Lond. 1548, Svo. from the French of A-laygri, who translated it from the Castilian language, in which it was originally written by Guevara.