Studies in hereditary ability / by W.T.J. Gun.

  • Gun, W. T. J. (William Townsend Jackson), 1876-
Date:
[1928]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: Studies in hereditary ability / by W.T.J. Gun. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    48 STUDIES IN HEREDITARY ABILITY Northumberland was still a prisoner in the Tower when, in 1617, Lucy Percy attracted the attention of James Hay, a favourite of the king. The Earl, who regarded Hay as the merest upstart, was furious at the idea of the match. He made Lucy live with him for a time in the Tower, but allowed her to visit a fellow-prisoner, the notorious Frances, Countess of Somerset, who encouraged the match in every way, probably with the idea that Hay might ultimately obtain her release, and so, says Chamberlain, the Earl has sent his daughter away from the Tower. Her mother was by no means so averse to the marriage ; with -Lucy she feasted twice a week at Hay's expense, but at such cost that Lady Northumberland never dared to ask him back, though he be commonly in the house from morning till dinner, from after dinner till supper, from after supper, till late at night. James Hay was indeed extravagant even in an extravagant age, but, unlike the King's other favourites, Somerset and Buckingham, he never presumed on his position, never lost his temper, and showed distinct ability in the diplomatic services which he was from time to time called upon to perform. From the first his wife Lucy took a striking position at Court, but in the reign of Charles the power of herself and her husband was distinctly increased, more particularly by the fact that the Countess of Carlisle, as she had now become, stood first in the con¬ fidence of the new Queen, Henrietta Maria. Poets praised her beauty and statesmen admired her brains. Among the former were Carew, Cartwright and Herrick, among the latter Stratford and Pym, Her portrait, by Vandyck, now in the Egremont Collection, has been published in Lodge's Portraits. Her face shows decided
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