Chap. IV. of the person who had first spoken to him of the accusation. BOOK I, To his renewed advice that her ladyship should not stir THE COLfarther in the matter, she declined to accede. It concerned LECTOR OF her honour, and her husband's honour, she said, to have public conference with the Doge and Council without delay. From carrying out this resolve the ambassador (B. M.) found it impossible to dissuade her. That conference took place on the following day with the remarkable result of a public declaration by the Doge that no mention had ever been made of Lady ARUNDEL's name, or of the name of any person nearly or remotely connected with her, either at any stage of the proceedings against FOSCARINI, or in any of the discussions which had arisen out of his conspiracy. THE ARUN DELIAN MSS. MS. Addit., 4176, § 156. of the ente printed by Venice; When the audience given to Lady ARUNDEL by the Doge had been made the subject of a communication to the Senate, that body instructed the Venetian Ambassador in England to confer with Lord ARUNDEL. You are,' said they, 'to speak to the Earl Marshal in such strong and earnest language that he may retain no doubt of the invalidity of the report, and may remain perfectly convinced of the esteem and cordial affection entertained towards him Deliberations by the Republic; augmented as such feelings are by the open and dignified mode of life led here by the Countess, and in which she hastens the education of her sons in the Report on sciences to make them-as they will become-faithful archives, imitators of their meritorious father and their ancestors.' Sir Henry WOTTON's motive in the strange part taken by him in this incident is nowhere disclosed. He had to listen to several indirect reproofs, both from the Doge and from the Senate, which were none the less incisive on account of the courtly language in which they were couched. Hardy, in Venetian pp. 78-84 (1866). BOOK I, Chap. IV. LECTOR OF DEATH OF ARUNDEL'S Royal license Two years afterwards, the Earl was himself hastily summoned to the Continent to attend the death-bed of his eldest son, James, Lord MALTRAVERS, who is described by DELIAN MSS. a contemporary writer as a' gentleman of rare wit and extraordinary expectation.' The Countess and her two elder ELDEST SON. sons, James and Henry, were then returning from Italy to England. They passed through Belgium in order to visit. the Queen of BOHEMIA. Whilst at Ghent, upon the journey, Lord MALTRAVERS was seized with the smallpox. He died in that city in July, 1624. The affliction was acutely felt. 'My sorrow makes me incapable of this world's affairs,' wrote the Earl to one of his political correspondents, in the autumn of the year. To the outer world, reserved vol. clii, § 55. manners and a stately demeanour often gave a very false to travel, July, 1624. Domestic vol. cxlix, §67; THE STUART impression of the man himself. Throughout his life, ARUNDEL'S affectionate nature was so evinced in his deeds, and in his domestic intercourse, as to stand in little need of illustration from his words. Mainly, as it seems, to this characteristic quality he was soon to owe a second imprisonment in the Tower of London. The new Lord MALTRAVERS shortly after his return to England fell in love with the Lady Elizabeth STUART, daughter of Esme, Duke of LENNOX. ARUNDEL had formed other wishes and plans for the son who was now his heir, and there is evidence that he was reluctant to give his consent to the prosecution of the suit. Nor did the kinship of the prospective bride with King CHARLES appear to him, it seems, at all an inviting circumstance in the matter. long as BUCKINGHAM stood at the helm of affairs Arundel was likely to have a very small share in the new king's affections, so that pride and policy as well as inclination stood in the way of his approval. He knew also that it was CHARLES' eager wish that his kinswoman should marry So . Chap. IV. THE COL- THE ARUN DELIAN MSS. Lord LORNE, the eldest son of the Earl of ARGYLE. But Book I, the young lover was ardent, and his entreaties unintermitting. At length, we are told, he not only wrung from the Earl the words 'You may try your fortune with the lady that you seem to love so well,' but prevailed upon him to confer paternally on the subject with the lady's aunt and guardian, the Duchess of RICHMOND. MALTRAVERS, meanwhile, had resolved to incur no risk of defeat by waiting for a royal assent to his marriage. He had long before won his cause with the lady, but had kept the secret. Two passionate lovers* went gravely through the ceremony of a formal introduction to each other. MALTRAVERS then induced her to consent to a private marriage. When Lord ARUNDEL was informed of the fact he immediately disclosed his knowledge to the King, and besought pardon for the culprits. But CHARLES' wrath was unbounded. He placed the new-married pair under restraint in London. He committed ARUNDEL himself to the Tower. He commanded Lady ARUNDEL to remain at Horsley, in Surrey, a seat belonging to the Dowager Countess, her mother-in-law. When Lord ARUNDEL was thus imprisoned Parliament was sitting. The Lords declared his arrest to be an infringement of their privileges. The King replied that the Earl of ARUNDEL is restrained for a misdemeanour which is personal to the King's Majesty, and has no relation to matters of Parliament.' The Lords still insisted that it was the Earl's unquestionable right to be admitted to come, sit, and serve in Parliament.' CHARLES released ARUNDEL from the Tower, and then confined him to * In my deare lorde I long since placed my true affection and love. Had I manie lives I would have adventured them all.' Lady Maltravers to the Earl of Arundel, 6 Feb., 1626 (MS. Harl., 1581, f. 390). Book I, Chap. IV. THE COL LECTOR OF THE ARUN Horsley. Royal evasion did but provoke increased earnestness and firmness from the Peers. At length they resolved that they would suspend public business until the Earl DELIAN MSS. presented himself in his place. Nearly three months had been spent in debate and altercation before Secretary CONWAY was directed to write to ARUNDEL in these terms: 'It is the King's pleasure that you come to the Parliament, but not to the Court.' Secretary Letter Book, (R. H.) Lords' Domestic Charles I, vol. XXXV, The sequel of the story, as it tells itself in the State Papers, affords an early and eminent illustration of the qualities in CHARLES THE FIRST which, as they ripened, brought about his ruin. The King resolved that his concession should as far as was possible be retracted. Directly the sitting of Parliament was suspended, the King commanded CONWAY to apprise the Earl that his restraint to Horsley was renewed, as before the Earl's leave to come to Parliament.' ARUNDEL on his part made courtly and even lavish declarations of submission. I desire to imp. 16 (R. H.). plore the King's grace by the humblest and best ways I can.' This was written in September, 1626. Whenever it was indispensable that he should obtain leave to visit the capital a petition had to be prepared. In March, 1627, he writes: The King has limited my stay in London until the 12th of March. I will obey, but I beg you to represent to His Majesty that I have necessary business to transact ... and that I have so carried myself as to shew my desire to give His Majesty no distastes. If now, after a year has passed, the King will dissolve this cloud, and leave me to my own liberty, I will hold myself to be most free when living in such place and manner as may be most to His Majesty's liking.' It was all in vain. Another whole year passes. ARUNDEL has still to write: I beseech the King to give life to my just desires, and after two Chap. IV. THE COL LECTOR OF THE ARUN DELIAN MSS. years of heavy disfavour to grant me the happiness to kiss Book 1, his hands and to attend him in my place.'. To this humble representation and entreaty it was replied by Secretary CONWAY: His Majesty's answer is that the Earl has not so far appeased the exceptions which the King has taken against unkindness conceived, as yet to take off his disfavour. As for the Earl's proffered duty and carriage in the King's service, the King will judge of that as he shall Letter Book, find occasion.' He found occasion ere long; but not until after BUCKINGHAM'S death. ARUNDEL rendered useful service, on some conspicuous occasions, both at home and abroad. If his successive diplomatic missions to Holland in 1632, and to Ratisbon in 1638, on the affairs of the Palatinate, failed of their main object, it was from no miscarriage of the ambassador. In the unostentatious labours of the Council Board he took during a long series of years a very honourable share. And it is much to his honour that by the men to whom the chief scandals of a disastrous reign are mainly ascribable, ARUNDEL was, almost uniformly, both disliked and feared. Ibid., vol. lvi, p. 86 vol. xcv, pp. 51, 85, &c. Conway's pp. 295, &c. (R. H.) AND March and As Lord High Steward of England, ARUNDEL had to ARUNDEL preside at the trial of the Earl of STRAFFORD. He acquitted STRAFFORD. himself of an arduous task with eminent ability, and with 1641. an impartiality which won respect, alike from the managers April. of the impeachment and from the friends of the doomed statesman. The only person who expressed dissatisfaction with ARUNDEL'S conduct on that critical occasion was the King. The historians who have most deeply and acutely scanned the details of that most memorable of all our State Trials are agreed that in order to have satisfied CHARLES, the Earl of ARUNDEL must have betrayed the duty of his high office. |