(Vol. ii., p. 393.; Vol. iii., pp. 11. 151. 197.)
The Marquis of Ormonde having been informed that certain statements, little
complimentary to the reputation of Queen Elizabeth, and equally
discreditable to the name of his ancestor, Thomas, Earl of Ormonde, have
appeared in "NOTES AND QUERIES," wherein it is stated "that the Ormonde
family possess documents which afford proof of this," begs to assure the
editor of the journal in question, that the Ormonde collection of papers,
&c. contains nothing that bears the slightest reference to the very
calumnious attack on the character of good Queen Bess.
Hampton Court, March 17. 1851.
[If the Marquis of Ormonde will do us the favour to refer to our Number
for the 8th March (No. 71.), he will find he has not been correctly
informed with respect to the article to which his note relates. The
family in which the papers are stated to exist, is clearly not that of
the noble Marquis, but the family with which our correspondent "J. BS."
states himself to be "connected;" and we hope J. BS. will, in justice
both to himself and to Queen Elizabeth, adopt the course suggested in
the following communication. We believe the warmest admirers of that
great Queen cannot better vindicate her character than by making a
strict inquiry into the grounds for the scandals, which, as has been
already shown (_ante_, No. 62. p. 11.), were so industriously
circulated against her.]
{226}
J. BS. says papers are "said to exist in the family which prove the
statement." As it is one of _scandal_ against a female, and that female a
great sovereign, should he not ascertain the fact of the existence of any
such paper, before supporting the scandal, and not leave a _tradition_ to
be supported by another tradition, when a little trouble might show whether
any papers exist, and when found what their value may be.