CHARLES, Earl of Peterborough, a celebrated commander both by sea and land, was the son of John Lord Mordaunt Viscount Avalon, and was born about the year 1658. In 1675 he succeeded his father in his honours and estate. Whilst yet a young man, he served under Admirals Torrington and Narborough in the Mediterranean against the Algerines; and in the year 1680 embarked for Africa with the Earl of Plymouth, and distinguished himself at Tangier when it was besieged by the Moors. In the reign of James II. he voted against the repeal of the test act, and, disliking the measures of the court, obtained leave to repair to Holland in order to accept the command of a Dutch squadron in the West Indies. He afterwards accompanied the Prince of Orange into this kingdom, and upon his advancement to the throne was sworn a member of the privy council, made one of the lords of the bedchamber to his majesty, and first commissioner of the treasury, and advanced to the dignity of the Earl of Monmouth. But in November 1690 he was dismissed from his post in the treasury. On the death of his uncle Henry Earl of Peterborough, in 1697, he succeeded to that title; and, upon the accession of Queen Anne, he was invested with the commission of captain-general and governor of Jamaica. In 1705 he was sworn a member of the privy council, and the same year declared general and commander-in-chief of the forces in Spain, and joint admiral with Sir Cloudeley Shovel of the fleet, of which the year following he received the undivided command. His taking Barcelona with a handful of men, and afterwards relieving it when greatly distressed by the enemy; his driving out of Spain the Duke of Angou and the French army, which consisted of twenty-five thousand men, though his own troops never amounted to ten thou- sand; his gaining possession of Catalonia, of the kingdoms of Valencia and Aragon, and of the island of Majorca, with part of Murcia and Castille, and thereby giving the Earl of Galway an opportunity of advancing to Madrid without a blow; are astonishing instances of his bravery and conduct. For these important services his lordship was declared general in Spain by Charles III., afterwards emperor of Germany; and on his return to England he received the thanks of the House of Lords. His lordship was afterwards employed in several embassies to foreign courts, installed knight of the Garter, and made governor of the island of Minorca. In the reign of George I. he was general of the marine forces of Great Britain, and he was continued in this post by King George II. He died in his passage to Lisbon, whither he was proceeding for the recovery of his health, in 1735. His lordship was distinguished by various shining qualities. To the greatest personal courage and resolution he added all the arts and address of a general; a lively and penetrating genius, and a great extent of knowledge upon almost every subject of importance within the compass of ancient and modern literature.