' s ▁death ▁he ▁entered ▁Parliament ▁as ▁member ▁for ▁W igan ▁in ▁ 1 6 8 1 ▁and ▁proc ured ▁a ▁commission ▁in ▁the ▁Hor segu ards ▁under ▁S ars field ▁in ▁ 1 6 8 6 . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁no blem an ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁persons ▁who ▁joined ▁the ▁Prince ▁of ▁Orange ▁on ▁his ▁landing ▁in ▁England , ▁and ▁he ▁accompanied ▁William ▁to ▁London . ▁ ▁Ob tain ing ▁promotion ▁in ▁the ▁army , ▁he ▁served ▁with ▁distinction ▁in ▁the ▁William ite ▁war ▁in ▁Ireland ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁Netherlands . ▁and ▁was ▁made ▁Major - General ▁in ▁ 1 6 9 8 ▁and ▁Lieutenant - General ▁in ▁ 1 7 0 2 . ▁In ▁ 1 6 9 4 ▁he ▁succeeded ▁his ▁father ▁as ▁ 4 th ▁Earl ▁R ivers . ▁He ▁served ▁abroad ▁in ▁ 1 7 0 2 ▁under ▁Mar l borough , ▁who ▁formed ▁a ▁high ▁opinion ▁of ▁his ▁military ▁capacity ▁and ▁who ▁recommended ▁him ▁for ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁a ▁force ▁for ▁an ▁invasion ▁of ▁France ▁in ▁ 1 7 0 6 . ▁The ▁expedition ▁was ▁eventually ▁di vert ed ▁to ▁Portugal , ▁and ▁R ivers , ▁finding ▁himself ▁su pers eded ▁before ▁anything ▁was ▁accomplished , ▁returned ▁to ▁England , ▁where ▁Mar l borough ▁proc ured ▁for ▁him ▁a ▁command ▁in ▁the ▁caval ry . ▁ ▁The ▁favour ▁shown ▁him ▁by ▁Mar l borough ▁did ▁not ▁d eter ▁R ivers ▁from ▁pay ing ▁court ▁to ▁the ▁T ories ▁when ▁it ▁became ▁evident ▁that ▁the