(William), Lord Burleigh, treasurer of England in the reign of queen Elizabeth, was the son of Richard Cecil, Esq; master of the robes to king Henry VIII. He was born in the house of his grandfather, David Cecil, Esq; at Bourn in Lincolnshire, in the year 1520; and received the rudiments of his education in the grammar-school at Grantham. From hence thence he was removed to Stamford; and about the year 1535, was entered of St John's College, Cambridge. Here he began his studies with a degree of enthusiastic application very uncommon in young gentlemen of family. At the age of 16 he read a sophistry lecture, and at 19 a voluntary Greek lecture, which was the more extraordinary as being at a time when the Greek language was by no means universally understood. In 1541 he went to London, and became a member of the society of Gray's Inn, with an intention to study the law; but he had not been long in that situation, before an accident introduced him to king Henry, and gave a new bias to his pursuits. O'Neil, a famous Irish chief, coming to court, had brought with him two Irish chaplains, violent bigots to the Romish faith; with these Mr Cecil, visiting his father, happened to have a warm dispute in Latin, in which he displayed uncommon abilities. The king, being informed of it, ordered the young man into his presence, and was so pleased with his conversation, that he commanded his father to find a place for him. He accordingly requested the reverence of the cyfus brevium, which Mr Cecil afterwards possessed. About this time he married the sister of Sir John Cheke, by whom he was recommended to the earl of Hertford, afterwards duke of Somerset and protector.

Soon after king Edward's accession, Mr Cecil came into the possession of his office of cyfus brevium, worth about £240 a-year. His first lady dying in 1543, he married the daughter of Sir Anthony Cook, director of the king's studies. In 1547, he was appointed by the protector, master of requests; and soon after, attended his noble patron on his expedition against the Scots, and was present at the battle of Muffelburgh. In this battle, which was fought on the 16th of September 1547, Mr Cecil's life was miraculously preserved by a friend, who in pushing him out of the level of a cannon, had his arm shattered to pieces. The fight and judgment of his friend must have been as extraordinary as his friendship, to perceive the precise direction of a cannon shot; unless we suppose, that the ball was almost quite spent; in which case the thing is not impossible. The story is told in his life by a domestic. In the year 1548, Mr Cecil was made secretary of state; but in the following year, the duke of Northumberland's faction prevailing, he suffered in the disgrace of the protector Somerset, and was sent prisoner to the Tower. After three months confinement he was released; in 1551 restored to his office; and soon after knighted, and sworn of the privy council. In 1553 he was made chancellor of the Order of the Garter, with an annual fee of 100 merks.

On the death of Edward VI, Mr Cecil prudently refused to have any concern in Northumberland's attempt in favour of the unfortunate Lady Jane Grey; and when queen Mary acceded to the throne, he was graciously received at Court; but, not choosing to change his religion, was dismissed from his employments. During this reign, he was twice elected knight of the shire for the county of Lincoln; and often spoke in the house of commons, with great freedom and firmness, in opposition to the ministry. Nevertheless, though a protestant and a patriot (that is, a courtier out of place), he had the address to steer through a very dangerous sea without shipwreck.

Queen Elizabeth's accession in the year 1558 immediately dispelled the cloud which had obscured his fortunes and ministerial capacity. During the horrid reign of her sister, he had constantly corresponded with the princess Elizabeth. On the very day of her accession, he presented her with a paper containing twelve articles necessary for her immediate dispatch; and, in a few days after, was sworn of the privy council, and made secretary of state. His first advice to the queen was, to call a parliament; and the first bulleins he proposed after it was assembled, was the establishment of a national church. A plan of reformation was accordingly drawn up under his immediate inspection, and the legal establishment of the church of England was the consequence. Sir William Cecil's next important concern, was to restore the value of the coin, which had in the preceding reigns been considerably debased. In 1561, he was appointed master of the wards; and, in 1571, created baron of Burleigh, as a reward for his services, particularly in having lately stifled a formidable rebellion in the north. The following year he was honoured with the garter, and raised to the office of Lord High Treasurer of England. From this period we find him the primus mobile of every material transaction during the glorious reign of Queen Elizabeth. Notwithstanding the temporary influence of other favourites, Lord Burleigh was, in fact, her prime minister, and the person in whom she chiefly confided in matters of real importance. Having filled the highest and most important offices of the state for 40 years, and guided the helm of government during the most glorious period of English history, he departed this life on the 4th of August 1598, in the 78th year of his age. His body was removed to Stamford, and there deposited in the family vault, where a magnificent tomb was erected to his memory. Notwithstanding his long enjoyment of such lucrative employments, he left only an estate of £4,000 per annum, £11,000 in money, and effects worth about £14,000. He lived, indeed, in a manner suitable to his high rank and importance. He had four places of residence, viz., his lodgings at court, his house in the Strand, his seat at Burleigh-Park near Stamford, and his seat at Thoebolds. The last of these was his favourite place of retirement, where he frequently entertained the queen at a vast expense.

Lord Burleigh was doubtless a man of singular abilities and prudence; amiable in his private character, and one of the most able, upright, and indefatigable ministers ever recorded in the annals of this kingdom. His principal works are, 1. La Complainte de l'ame pecheresse, or the Complaint of a sinful Soul, in French verse, in the king's library. 2. Materials for Patten's Diarium expedit. Scotice, London 1541, 12mo. 3. Slanders and lies maliciously, grossly, and impudently vomited out, in certain traitorous books and pamphlets, against two counsellors, Sir Francis Bacon and Sir William Cecil. 4. A speech in parliament, 1562, Strype's Mem. vol. iv. p. 107. 5. Precepts or directions for the well ordering of a man's life, 1637, Harl. Cat. vol. ii. p. 755. 6. Meditations on the death of his lady, Ballard's Mem. p. 184. 7. Meditations. Meditations on the state of England during the reign of queen Elizabeth, manuscript. 8. The execution of justice in England for the maintenance of public and Christian peace, &c. Lond. 1581, 1583, Somer's tracts, 4th collect. vol. i. p. 5. 9. Advice to queen Elizabeth in matters of religion and state, ib. p. 101. 16. 10. A great number of letters. See Peck's *Dysdarata Curiosa*, Howard's collections, &c. 11. Several pedigrees, some of which are preserved in the archbishop of Canterbury's library at Lambeth, n° 299, 747.