Villiers of Dartford and Baron Villiers of the Hoo, both in county
Kent. On the Queen’s death he went to the Hague as Plenipotentiary; in
1697 was employed in the same capacity for the Treaty of Ryswick, and
shortly afterwards Ambassador to the States-General, on which occasion
he was created Earl of Jersey. In 1698 he went to Paris as
Ambassador-Extraordinary, where he kept up great state. On his return
Lord Jersey was made one of the Principal Secretaries of State and one
of the Lords Justices for the administration of the government, during
the King’s absence in Holland. He joined William at the Loo, and held
other diplomatic posts, besides being chosen Lord Chamberlain of the
Household, an office he continued to hold under Queen Anne until 1704,
when he retired from public life. He died in 1711, the day before his
intended nomination as Privy Seal, and was buried in St. Michael’s
Chapel, Westminster. He married Barbara, daughter to William
Chiffinch, by whom he left three sons and a daughter—Mary, wife of
Thomas Thynne of Old Windsor, (and mother of the second Viscount
Weymouth,) who was afterwards Lady Lansdowne.
--------------
No. 62.
THE HONOURABLE LADY SAVILE.
DIED 1662.
_Oval. Black dress. Jewels. Ringlets._
ANNE, eldest daughter of the Lord Keeper Coventry, married Sir William
Savile of Thornhill, county York, a distinguished officer,
enthusiastically devoted to the cause of Charles I.
He had served under his relative the Earl of Arundel against the Scots
in 1639, and in 1643 he was appointed by his kinsman William Cavendish,
Earl (afterwards Duke) of Shrewsbury (at that time in command of the
Royal Forces in the northern counties), Governor of Sheffield. But his
services were soon required elsewhere, and Thomas Beaumont was named
Governor-Deputy in his absence. Sir William was anxious that his wife
should accompany him, but she was too near her confinement to be able to
follow him in his frequent marches and countermarches.
The separation was for ever. Sir William died early in 1643-44, and in
the August of that year the town of Sheffield was besieged by the
Roundheads under Major-General Crawford, who sent a summons to Beaumont
to surrender. But the garrison, the Governor, and the brave widow of
their late commander, were all of one mind. The reply, accompanied with
a volley of shot, was to the effect that they refused to parley.
Batteries were raised, and artillery kept playing for twenty-four hours
without effect.
Crawford then sent for the ‘Queen’s Pocket Pistol,’ a celebrated piece
of ordnance, and a culverin, which did sad damage to the walls, already
full of cracks.
At length the garrison showed signs of wishing to capitulate, but Lady
Savile, whose time of trouble was drawing very near, assured the
soldiers she would rather perish than give up the fortress intrusted to
them by her gallant husband; even though her state was all the more
distressing in consequence of the besiegers refusing admittance into the
town of a female attendant, whose services the noble lady so much
required. Such is the testimony of a zealous Royalist, Dr. Barwick, Dean
of St. Paul’s. But there was no help for it, and the garrison
surrendered, having made honourable terms for the lady whose courage had
so endeared her to them all:—
‘Lady Savile, with her family, with her own proper goods, shall pass
with horses, coaches, and wagons to Thornhill, or elsewhere, with guard
befitting her quality, and without any injury to their persons, or
plundering of their goods, or otherwise; she, they, or any of them to
go, or stay, at their own pleasure, until she or they be in a condition
to remove themselves.’
Terms so honourable to both parties seem at variance with the spirit of
cruelty which could forbid help, but a few hours before; but then the
fortress was still unconquered. The day after the surrender Lady Savile
gave birth to a son, who became Earl of Halifax.
She married, as her second husband, Sir Thomas Chicheley of Wimpole,
Cambridgeshire. Finding herself very ill, ‘this illustrious example of
piety towards God and love to her country sent for her constant friend,
Dr. Barwick (whose counsel in doubtful, and whose advice in difficult
affairs she had often experienced), to make use of his pious
ministrations. She resigned her breath easily, dying at Wimpole one year
and a half after the Restoration.’
--------------
No. 63.
OLD PRINCE OF CONDÉ.
SO called in the Catalogue, but no evidence to say which Prince of
Condé, as they none of them lived to be old.
--------------
No. 64.
AN ECCLESIASTIC.
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No. 65.
SIR JAMES THYNNE.
BY DOBSON.
DIED 1670.
_Full length. Buff jerkin. Slashed sleeves. Red scarf. Red ribbons at
knees and on shoes._
HE was the eldest surviving son of Sir Thomas Thynne, by his first wife,
the daughter of Lord Audley. He married the Lady Isabella Rich, daughter
of the Earl of Holland. An ill-starred union; for even before her
marriage the lady bore a sorry reputation, and her subsequent conduct
was such, that in 1653 she was legally separated from her husband,
having doubtless tried his forbearance too far.
Sir James was a staunch Royalist, and we are told his house of Longleat
was plundered by a party of Roundheads in 1643, under the command of Sir
Edward Hungerford and Colonel Slade.
The marauders seemed to have turned their attention especially to the
contents of the stables and harness-room. Handsome saddles, caparisons,
plumes, bits, pleased the fancy of the two officers, while their men
made free with the contents of the wardrobes, cellars, larders, and what
not. In 1663 Charles II. and his Queen visited Sir James at Longleat.
Dying without children at Richmond, in Surrey, in 1670, he was succeeded
by his nephew.
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No. 66.
SIR THOMAS THYNNE.
BY MYTENS.
DIED 1639.
_Full length. Black and gold dress. Close-fitting vest. Lace collar.
Scarlet stockings. Shoes with rosette._
HE was the eldest son of Sir John (and the grandson of Sir John the
builder) of Longleat, by Joan Hayward. He was twice married—first to a
daughter of Lord Audley, and secondly to a daughter of Lord Howard of
Bindon. He had children by both wives, and was succeeded by his eldest
surviving son, James.
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No. 67.
VIDÂME DE CHARTRES.
BY ZUCCHERO.
_White close-fitting vest. Trimmed beard and moustaches. Inscription,
‘Ætatis suæ 33, año 15.’ An escutcheon in the corner._
MESSIRE Prejamn de la Fin, Vidâme de Chartres, Prince de Chabanois,
Baron de Confolant et Pousaujes, Seigneur de la Ferté, et Sire de
Gravlie; Capitaine de cinquante hommes d’armes, des ordonnances du Roi
très Chretien.
We read in Strype that when peace was concluded between France and
England in 1550, and Boulogne ceded to France, a large sum was to be
paid to King Edward VI., and several of the highest French nobles came
over to this country as hostages.
Among many distinguished names, we find that of the Vidâme de Chartres,
but we cannot be quite sure whether allusion be made to the subject of
this notice or the kinsman, François de Vendôme, from whom he inherited
his title and estates. There is mention of him in 1560 as an agent of
the Bourbons, sent on a mission to the Connétable de Montmorency, where
he is described as a Huguenot of high birth, and akin to the Connétable
himself. There was some rumour of a scandal between this nobleman and
Queen Catherine de Medicis, for which probably there was no foundation.
In 1567 the Condé party had taken possession of St. Denis, demanding the
diminution of taxes and the summoning of the States-General, in
consequence of which a royal herald was sent to call upon the chiefs
(Condé, the Vidâme de Chartres, and others) to lay down their arms, on
pain of being proclaimed rebels.
The King, after much discussion, came to a compromise with Condé, for a
time at least, but a decree was passed against Coligny, the Vidâme, and
others, of confiscation of property, execution, etc., the latter
sentence being carried into effect, but fortunately at that time only in
effigy.
In 1569 we hear of him again, for Lord Leicester writes to the
Ambassador of the Emperor of Muscovy: ‘The Vidâme de Chartres is come to
England, with his wife and familie, on a “snuffe,” having in the last
action (a battle near Coignac) proved himselfe neither fishe nor fowle.’
We also find in the Life of Archbishop Grindal, speaking of the same: ‘A
great nobleman of France, and of chief account among the Protestants,
was here on some business relating to religion, and was favoured much by
the friends of religion, but not so much by all at Court. The Bishop of
London obtained for him the Bishop of Ely’s house in Holborn, where he
remained some time.’
He was one of those who, just before the Massacre of St. Bartholomew,
strove to persuade Coligny and his son-in-law to leave Paris, but in
vain, though the life of the brave Admiral had already been attempted.
At this time a colony of Huguenots lived outside the walls of Paris, the
Vidâme included, and it had been arranged that on the day of St.
Bartholomew the Provost-Marshal should let loose a thousand men to
attack that quarter. But by good fortune the murderers stopped by the
way to plunder, and never reached their destination. The Huguenot
population was aroused by a tumult, and believing it to be a rising of
the Guises, they were about to fly to the assistance of the King; so
little did they suspect the truth. But the frightful reality was soon
forced upon them, the massacre had already begun, and turning away, the
chief part fled into the country.
The Vidâme’s escape was almost miraculous, the Duke of Guise had
actually followed him into his own house with the intention of murdering
him, but the fugitive contrived to elude his pursuer, and to conceal
himself until he procured a safeguard from the King. Charles was
suspected of having promised it while the Vidâme was still in hiding,
with the conviction that he, being thrown off his guard, would return
home, and thus fall into the hands of his enemies. But the hunted man
was too wary: he stole away, and got safely on shipboard for England.
Immediately on his arrival, he wrote to the Treasurer to admonish him
‘to arouse Queen Elizabeth to a sense of her own danger, to excite her
warmly to resent what had passed, and not to be too lenient to the
Papists, believing they would become more gentle by a few light words,
for he was assured they would become more insolent if too easily dealt
with.’
In several letters from Secretary Smith to Lord Burghley, both in 1572
and the ensuing year, he mentions frequent interviews which the Vidâme
and other noble refugees had with the Queen relating to the interests of
the Huguenot party in France.
England, who has never been found wanting in sympathy or hospitality
towards the oppressed or exiled of other nations, welcomed the fugitives
from the Massacre of St. Bartholomew with more than usual warmth, and
the Queen showed some of them great consideration, and especially the
Vidâme de Chartres. We once more quote Secretary Smith, who, writing to
the English Ambassador, then in France, observes that it did him ‘good
to see the princely compassion that was in Her Majestie towards the poor
Vidâme, who was escaped by good fortune into England, for whom the Queen
had, at his humble and lamentable suit, written to the King of France in
his favour, which she bade her Ambassador deliver with as good words as
he might, and to require an answer.’ To which the King gives this
answer: ‘That as he was glad to gratifie Her Majestie, so he could not
grant this earnest request without touch of his honour, to suffer any of
his subjects to live in a foreign countrie without a kind of defiance of
his sincerity. Yet he could for gratifying Her Majestie be content that
the Vidâme should return home and enjoy his livings there, as he could
not have occasion to doubt his safety.’ But the exile dared not trust
himself to these protestations of a hypocrite.
Queen Elizabeth answered the King, that in the present state of France,
his subjects in England did not think it safe to return there. These
particulars, though somewhat disjointed, are all we have been able to
gather of a man, whose life was most eventful. Neither can we tell if he
died in England.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration]
_CHAPEL CORRIDOR_.
[Illustration]
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CHAPEL CORRIDOR.
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No. 68.
MARY, QUEEN OF ENGLAND.
BY SIR GODFREY KNELLER.
BORN 1661, ASCENDED THE THRONE 1689, DIED 1694.
_Red and white brocade dress. Blue mantle. Flowers in her hand._
SHE was the eldest daughter of King James II., by Anne Hyde, daughter of
the Earl of Clarendon. Married in 1677 her first cousin, William, Prince
of Orange, by whom she had no children. They reigned jointly as King and
Queen on the abdication of her father.
--------------
No. 69.
FAIR ROSAMOND.
_Black and scarlet dress. Scarlet mantle. Holding a golden cup in one
hand, and the cover in the other._
THE second daughter of Walter Fitz-Pons or Poyntz, who took the name of
Clifford, having married Margaret de Toeni, the heiress of the Clifford
family. The pitiful story of ‘the Rose of the World,’ her amours with
Henry II. of England, the beauteous labyrinth in which he concealed the
sweet flower, and her murder by Queen Eleanor, are amongst the best
known of the romances of early English history; and few even endeavour
to disentangle truth from fiction. All is doubtful, even dates; but it
is said Rosamond was buried at Godston, near Oxford, by her royal lover.
She had two sons—William Longespée, Earl of Salisbury in right of his
wife; and Geoffrey, Archbishop of York.
--------------
No. 70.
THE EARL AND COUNTESS OF CARNARVON.
AFTER VANDYCK.
THE EARL WAS KILLED IN ACTION, 1643.
_Full length. Drab coat and boots. Brown trunks. Lace collar. Sword-hand
on hip. Countess holding her husband’s hand. Blue dress trimmed with
pearls. Ringlets. Black page in scarlet dress, trunks, and hose.
Badge on breast._
THE eldest son of William Dormer, by Alice, daughter of Richard
Molyneux, of Sefton, county Lancaster. He succeeded his grandfather, who
had been created first a Baronet and then Baron Dormer of Wenge, county
Bucks (by James I.), in these titles, but was himself raised to the
dignity of Viscount Ascot, and Earl of Carnarvon by Charles I. In early
life he travelled further than most young nobles of the time, not only
visiting France and Italy, but also Spain, Turkey, etc. etc. Clarendon
seems to regret that ‘he brought home some foreign tastes.’ But another
biographer (David Lloyd) says that ‘if he had contracted a taste for
gambling he hated drunkenness most perfectly.’
He took his degree of Deacon of Civil Law at Oxford, but did not come
forward publicly till the impeachment of Strafford, whom he strove to
befriend. On the rising of the Buckinghamshire men, under Hampden, when
they came to London in 1642 to present ‘seditious petitions’ to both
Houses of Parliament, Lord Carnarvon went down into the county, where he
owned a large property, to raise troops in conjunction with other
Royalists, and used all his influence to advance the King’s cause. He
was with Charles at York, and was one of the Peers who signed ‘the
Declaration.’ He afterwards joined His Majesty at Nottingham, with a
force of a thousand men levied and equipped at his own cost; so zealous
was he in the Royal service that his name was excepted from the list of
those to whom the Parliament offered a pardon, in its instructions to
the General Lord Essex.
Carnarvon was present at almost every action of importance about this
time, and his courage, which often amounted to rashness, made him much
beloved by the soldiery. At the battle of Edgehill (when in command of a
squadron of horse under Prince Rupert) he pursued a body of the rebel
cavalry so fast and so far, as to endanger the safety of his own men. He
was appointed General of the Horse in the army of Lord Hertford, whom he
joined in the west of England.
He maintained his reputation for valour at the battle of Stratton, and
at Chewton, in the vicinity of Wells, he charged, Lord Clarendon says,
‘with incomparable gallantry, for Lord Carnarvon always charges home.’
But once more his hot pursuit brought him into imminent danger, when
venturing too near the enemy’s quarters he encountered a superior force
of Sir William Waller’s dragoons; Prince Maurice hastened to the rescue,
but was himself wounded, unhorsed, and in his turn saved by Carnarvon,
who rallied his men, and again sent the rebels flying. At the battle of
Roundway Down he served as volunteer in Sir John Byron’s regiment, and
greatly contributed towards gaining the victory; he then marched on
Dorchester, at that time fortified by the rebels, which soon
surrendered. But on the arrival of Prince Maurice there arose a
difference of opinion between them.
Lord Carnarvon, being ‘full of honour and justice,’ was desirous of
restraining the licence of the soldiery, a point on which the Prince was
somewhat lax. The result was, that Carnarvon threw up his command, and
marched on Gloucester, which the King was besieging. He had scarcely
arrived when Lord Essex compelled the Royalists to raise the siege, and
they accordingly took their way towards London. But they had not
proceeded far when they were obliged to give battle, and on the 20th of
September was fought the memorable battle of Newbury, when so many of
England’s proudest chivalry were laid low. Lord Carnarvon, as usual, had
been rash in pursuit, and was returning carelessly, when a stray trooper
recognised his person, and closing on him suddenly, ran him through the
body. He did not survive above an hour, but was most anxious in his
inquiries as to the safety of his beloved master. A friend who was
attending on him inquired if there were any last request he would wish
conveyed to the King. ‘Nay,’ he replied, ‘I will not die with a suit in
my mouth to any king, save the King of Heaven.’
Lord Clarendon, after paying a fine tribute to his memory, sums up by
saying, ‘If he had lived he would have been a great ornament to his
profession, and by his death the King found a sensible weakness in the
army.’
Lord Carnarvon married Anne Sophia, eldest daughter of Philip Herbert,
fourth Earl of Pembroke and first Earl of Montgomery. They had no
children, and the title became extinct, although afterwards revived in
the Herbert family.
--------------
No. 71.
GIACOMO ROBUSTI, DETTO IL TINTORETTO.
BY HIMSELF.
DIED 1594.
A VENETIAN, son of a dyer; hence his sobriquet. Studied under Titian,
but was desirous of forming a new school combining the colouring of his
great master with the drawing of Michael Angelo. On the door of his
studio was inscribed, ‘Disegno di Michelangelo, colorito di Tiziano.’
His best works are in his native Venice, but there are many at the
Louvre (where is his own portrait) and elsewhere. He was celebrated for
his quickness in finishing his pictures on occasions; which may account
for the inequality of their excellence. His son Domenico, and his
daughter Marietta, were also painters.
--------------
No. 72.
JOHN ALEXANDER, FOURTH MARQUIS OF BATH.
BY JAMES SWINTON.
BORN 1831, SUCCEEDED 1837.
_Full length. Brown coat. White waistcoat. Cane and hat.
A large dog beside him._
--------------
No. 73.
ELIZABETH BYNG, SECOND MARCHIONESS OF
BATH, WITH THREE CHILDREN.
BY SIR THOMAS LAWRENCE.
DIED 1830.
_Unfinished. Red gown. Gold-coloured scarf. Girls in white frocks and
blue sashes. Boy in jacket and trousers._
A DAUGHTER of George, fourth Viscount Torrington, by Lady Lucy Boyle.
Married in 1794 Thomas, second Marquis of Bath, by whom she had ten
children. The three portraits in this group are Elizabeth, afterwards
the Countess of Cawdor, Lord John Thynne, afterwards in Holy Orders, and
Lady Louisa, afterwards Countess of Harewood. The other children were
Viscount Weymouth, who died _v.p._, Henry, who succeeded to the
Marquisate, but only survived his father three months, William, Francis,
Edward, George, Charlotte Duchess of Buccleuch, and Charles.
--------------
No. 74.
GEORGE I., KING OF ENGLAND.
BORN 1680, SUCCEEDED TO THE ENGLISH THRONE 1714,
DIED 1727.
_In royal robes._
SON of the Elector of Hanover, by Sophia, daughter of Elizabeth, Queen
of Bohemia. Succeeded his father in the Electorate in 1698, and Queen
Anne on the Throne of England in 1714. Married Sophia of Zell, his
cousin, whom he divorced and imprisoned. By her he had an only son, who
succeeded as George II.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration]
_HOUSEKEEPER’S ROOM_.
[Illustration]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOUSEKEEPER’S ROOM.
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No. 75.
ELIZABETH, DUCHESS OF ALBEMARLE.
BY SIR PETER LELY.
DIED CIRCA 1734.
_Seated. Brocaded dress, short sleeves, deep lace. Blue mantle. Jewels.
Ringlets._
SHE was daughter and co-heir of Henry Cavendish, second Duke of
Newcastle, by Frances Pierrepoint, daughter of the Earl of Kingston. Her
large possessions made her a most desirable match in the eyes of General
Monck, Duke of Albemarle, for his son Christopher. Feeling his end
approaching, the anxious father hurried on the negotiations for the
marriage, which were pending with Elizabeth’s family, and went so far as
to insist that the nuptials should be celebrated in his own bedchamber,
a few days previous to his death in 1670.
We have at this time no means of gaining much information respecting the
married life of Christopher, second Duke of Albemarle, and his wife; but
in 1687 he went out as Governor-General to Jamaica, and died there the
following year. Neither are we in a position to ascertain the
circumstances attending the insanity of his widow, as we have no trace
of her life until the mention of her second marriage with Ralph, Lord
(afterwards Duke of) Montagu. This eccentric man, after losing his
beautiful and accomplished wife (Elizabeth Wriothesley, widow of
Josceline Percy, Earl of Northumberland) in 1690, thought to console
himself with the wealth of the Duchess of Albemarle, whose madness was
then well known. This trifling impediment was not considered by any
means insurmountable, and the unfortunate woman, or rather her large
fortune, had many suitors.
One of the disappointed band, Lord Ross, gave vent to his spite, on
hearing of Lord Montagu’s success, in the following lines:—
‘Insulting rival, never boast
Thy conquest lately won,
No wonder if her heart was lost,
Her senses first were gone.
From one that’s under Bedlam’s laws
What glory can be had?
For love, indeed, was not the cause,—
It proves that she was mad.’
Finding that the poor maniac had announced her determination of marrying
no one but a Sovereign, Montagu caused himself to be presented to her as
the Emperor of China, and doubtless the mumming and masquerading which
ensued suited his volatile and eccentric humour. But if he looked
forward to enjoying his wife’s wealth without her society, he was
disappointed, as she survived him twenty-six years. Happy in her royal
illusions, served to her dying day on bended knee, addressed always as
Majesty, while even after death, her wishes were obeyed by the sumptuous
funeral which was given to her remains in the lofty pile of Westminster
Abbey compatible with her imperial dignity.
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No. 76.
POPE INNOCENT XI.
AFTER RUBENS.
BORN 1611, ELECTED 1676, DIED 1689.
BENEDETTO, of the noble House of Odescalchi, of Como, went to Rome, and
on to Naples, when about twenty-five years of age, with no possessions
save the weapons which he required for the military profession he had
chosen. But a Cardinal, with whom he became acquainted, dissuaded him
from becoming a soldier, and on his return to Rome Odescalchi entered on
the career of the ‘Curia,’ where he was soon distinguished for zeal and
ability, and gradually rose to elevation in several public offices. In
1645 he obtained the Cardinal’s Hat, and the Bishopric of Novara, a step
which his enemies unjustly attributed to the influence of the celebrated
Donna Olympia, for Odescalchi was ever remarkable for the morality, and
even austerity, of his life.
He became so popular in Rome, that when the Conclave was sitting, a
large concourse assembled under the portico of St. Peter’s, and shouted
out his name; and the election of Innocent XI. to the Papal Chair gave
very general satisfaction.