Autographs of royal, noble, learned, and remarkable personages conspicuous in English history, from the reign of Richard the Second to that of Charles the Second; with some illustrious foreigners; containing many passages from important letters. Engraved under the direction of Charles John Smith. Accompanied by concise biographical memoirs, and interesting extracts from the original documents / by John Gough Nichols.

  • John Gough Nichols
Date:
1829
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Autographs of royal, noble, learned, and remarkable personages conspicuous in English history, from the reign of Richard the Second to that of Charles the Second; with some illustrious foreigners; containing many passages from important letters. Engraved under the direction of Charles John Smith. Accompanied by concise biographical memoirs, and interesting extracts from the original documents / by John Gough Nichols. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    215/264 (page 209)
    QUEEN and FAMILY of CHARLES I. 8cc. ^UEEN HENRIETTA Maria, Consort of Charles the First, was born Nov. 25,1609, the sixth and youngest child of Henry the Fourth of France, styled the Great, by Mary de’ Medici, daughter of Francis Duke of Tus¬ cany. Henrietta was contemplated as a wife for Charles some years before the alliance took place; but her chance of success always appeared very small in comparison to that of the Spanish Infanta. Henrietta was seen by Charles ml 622-3, when he was present incognito at the French Court, on his way to Spain; audit was afterwards said that he was then much pleased with her appearance. The negociations for the French match were not concluded until November, 1624; and the young Queen did not arrive in England till the fol¬ lowing June. It was an alliance which, by inducing a popular dread of the revival of Popery, greatly contri- ute to t e trou es of both the King and the country. So bigotted was Henrietta to her religion, that she wou on y e a spectator at the coronation. The numerous body of French attendants which accompanied an ’ inC twenty-eight priests, with a Bishop at their head, proved exceedingly troublesome, and the King was obliged to dismiss them in anger about a year after. Nor was it until after the death of Buck¬ ing arn, who had conceived a great enmity towards France, that Charles and his Queen were personally cor¬ dial. After that period, however, when she acquired in a great degree the public influence the Favourite had possessed, a perfect unanimity existed ; and they were, says Clarendon, « the true idea of conjugal affection.” Mr. Lodge has exempted her from the almost entire weight of Charles’s errors whieli many historians have laid upon her ; but still much truth remains in the observations of Granger, that, “ though the beauty and spirit of this amiable Princess merited all the tenderness which the King had for her, her judgment by no means deserved that deference which he paid to it. She was quick in her resentment, and rash in her resolves ; and frequently precipitated that unfortunate Monarch into such measures as his natural prudence and moderation would have carefully declined.” After giving birth to the Princess Henrietta-Anne, afterwards Duchess of Orleans, at Exeter in 1644, Henrietta left England, and never saw the King again. She returned to this country at the Restoration, but, on the breaking out of the plague in 1665, retired again to France, and died at St. Colombe near Paris, August 10,1669, in her 60th year, having, it was supposed, been privately married to Henry Jermyn, Earl of St. Alban’s. \Very numerous Portraits ; one in Lodge, from Vandyke.] The Queen’s Autograph is from a note to her eldest son (in Harl. MSS. 6988, art. 54,) one of her few compositions in the English language: “ Charles, 1 am sore that I most begin my first Letter with chiding you, because I heere that you will not take phisike. I hope it was onleifior this day, and that to morrowe you will doe it,for yf you will not I most come to you, and make you take it, for it is for your healthe. I have given order to my lord Newcastle to send mi worde to night whether you will or not; therefore I hope you will not give mi the paines to goe. And so I rest, Your afectionat moher, Henri ette Marie, R. “ To my deare Sone the Prince.” 2. Charles Stuart, Prince of Wales, was born at St. James’s palace, May 29, 1630, and was, when eight years old, placed under the care of the Earl of Newcastle. Afterwards the Earl of Berkshire had the charge of him, and Dr. Duppa, subsequently Bishop of Winchester, was his principal preceptor. He was with the King when the battle of Edge-hill was lost in 1642, and afterwards was nominally at the head of an army in the West of England. In June 1650, with the assistance of the Prince of Orange, he landed in Scotland ; and he was crowned at Scone on the following New-year’s day; but, after marching into England, and losing the battle of Worcester, Sept. 3,1651, he was obliged to remain an exile until restored by the measures of Monck in 1660. As King of England he will recur hereafter. The note of Charles to the Earl of Newcastle, of which part is engraved in the plate, is written in lines ruled above and below with a pencil: “ My Lord, I would not have you take too much Phisiclc, for it doth allwaies make me worse, fy I think it will do the like with you. I ride every day, and am ready to follow any other directions from you. Make hast to returne to him that loves you, Charles, P. This note, it has been remarked by Mr. Ellis, appears to have a waggish reference to that of the Queen above printed. It is preserved in the same volume, art. 57. Another of Charles’s notes to Lord Newcastle, and a long letter of instruction addressed by the latter to his Royal pupil, may be seen in Ellis’s Letters, 1st Series, vol. III. p. 287. 3. The Princess Elizabeth, second daughter of Charles the First, was born at St. James’s palace, Dec. 28, 1635. “ She discovered in her childhood,” remarks Granger, “ a maturity of judgment rarely seen in women. She could hold a conversation with her father upon persons and things, and sympathised with him in all his misfortunes.” She remained in the Isle of Wight for about two years after the King had left it, and then dying there, in Carisbroke Castle, Sept. 8, 1650, was buried at the neighbouring town of Newport. [IVhole-length by R. Vaughan.] In her tenth year she wrote the following note, “ For my deare Sister Princes Mary,” in the same volume, fol. 115 : “ Deare Sister, I am glad of so fit an opportunity to present my love to you. I intended to have sent you some venison ; but, being prevented at this time, I hope I shall have it ready to entertaine you at the Hage, when you returne : pray believe me to be, “Sept. 11, 1645 Your most affectionate Sister, Elisabeth.”