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Royalty Restored or London under Charles II
Chapter VII
by Molloy, J. Fitzgerald
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Their majesties arrive at Whitehall.--My Lady Castlemaine a
spectator.--Young Mr. Crofts.--New arrivals at court.--The
Hamilton family.--The Chevalier de Grammont.--Mrs. Middleton and
Miss Kirke.--At the queen's ball--La belle Hamilton.--The queen
mother at Somerset House.--The Duke of Monmouth's marriage.--Fair
Frances Stuart.--Those who court her favour.--The king's passion.
On the 23rd of August, 1662, their majesties journeyed from
Hampton Court to the palace of Whitehall by water. The gay and
goodly procession formed on that occasion has been described as
"the most magnificent triumph that ever floated on, the Thames."
First came barges belonging to city companies, beginning with the
mercers and grocers, most of them being attended with a pageant,
and all of them richly adorned as became their affection and
loyalty. Then followed barges of statesmen, nobility, and
courtiers, with their retinues, brave in numbers, gay in colours,
and attended by bands of music. And finally came the king and
queen, seated side by side in a galley of antique shape, all
draped with crimson damask, bearing a canopy of cloth of gold,
supported by Corinthian pillars, wreathed with ribbons, and
festooned with garlands of fragrant flowers.
The whole city was abroad, watchful of their approach; the Thames
was covered with boats to the number of ten thousand; and the
banks were crowded with spectators beyond reckoning. On this
fair August day the sky had not a single cloud to mar its
universal blue; the sun shone gloriously bright, turning the
river to sheets of gleaming gold: whilst the air was filled with
roaring of cannon, strains of music, and hearty shouts of a loyal
multitude.
Mr. Samuel Pepys, though he offered as much as eight shillings
for a boat to attend him that day, could not obtain one, and was
therefore obliged to view this gallant procession from the roof
of the royal banqueting hall, which commanded a glorious view of
the Thames. But what pleased his erratic fancy best on this
occasion was, not the great spectacle he had taken such trouble
to survey, but a sight of my Lady Castlemaine, who stood over
against him "upon a piece of Whitehall." The worthy clerk of the
Admiralty "glutted" himself with looking on her; "but methought
it was strange," says he, "to see her lord and her upon the same
place walking up and down without taking notice of one another,
only at first entry he put off his hat, and she made him a very
civil salute, but afterwards took no notice of one another; but
both of them now and then would take their child, which the nurse
held in her arms, and dandle it. One thing more: there happened
a scaffold below to fall, and we feared some hurt, but there was
none; but she of all the great ladies only ran down among the
common rabble to see what hurt was done, and did take care of a
child that received some little hurt, which methought was so
noble. Anon there came one there booted and spurred,that she
talked long with. And by-and-by, she being in her haire, she put
on her hat, which was but an ordinary one, to keep the wind off.
But methinks it became her mightily, as everything else do."
It was notable the countess did not accompany her majesty in the
procession to Whitehall, as one of her attendants; but in fact
she had not obtained the position sought for, though she enjoyed
all the privileges pertaining to such an appointment. "Everybody
takes her to be of the bedchamber," the lord chancellor writes to
the Duke of Ormond, "for she is always there, and goes abrode in
the coach. But the queen tells me that the king promised her, on
condition she would use her as she doth others, that she should
never live in court; yet lodgings I hear she hath." Lodgings the
countess certainly had provided for her in that block of the
palace of Whitehall, separated from the main buildings by the old
roadway running between Westminster and the city.
A few days after their majesties' arrival at Whitehall, the queen
mother returned to town, and established her court at Somerset
House, which had been prepared for her future abode. She had
arrived in England before the king and queen left Hampton Court,
and had taken up her residence at Greenwich Palace. The avowed
object of her visit was to congratulate them upon their marriage.
Charles and his bride therefore took barge to Greenwich, one
bright July day, followed by a brilliant and illustrious train,
that they might wait upon her majesty. And she, being made aware
of their approach, met them at the portal of the palace. There
Catherine would have gone down upon her knees to this gracious
lady--the survivor of great sorrows--but she took the young queen
in her arms, and calling her beloved daughter, kissed her many
times. Then she greeted her sons Charles and James, likewise the
Duchess of York, and led them to the presence-chamber, followed
by the whole court. And presently when Catherine would, through
her interpreter, have expressed her gratitude and affection, the
elder queen besought her to lay aside all ceremony, for she
"should never have come to England again except for the pleasure
of seeing her, to love her as her daughter, and serve her as her
queen." At these sweet words the young wife, now in the first
days of her grief, was almost overcome by a sense of
thankfulness, and could scarce restrain her tears; but she
answered bravely, "Believe me, madam, that in love and obedience
neither the king nor any of your children shall exceed me."
The court of the merry monarch and that of the queen mother being
now settled in town, a period of vast brilliancy ensued, during
which great festivity and much scandal obtained, by reason of
intrigues in which the king and his friends indulged. Whitehall,
the scene of so much gaiety and gallantry, was a palace by no
means befitting the luxurious Charles. It consisted of a series
of irregular houses built for different purposes at various
periods; these contained upwards of two thousand rooms, most of
which were small, and many of which were without doors. The
buildings were intersected by grassy squares, where fountains
played, statues were grouped, and dials shadowed the passing
hour. At hand stood St. James's Park, with its fair meadows and
leafy trees; close by flowed the placid Thames, bearing heavily
laden lighters and innumerable barges. Attached to these
dwellings, and forming part of the palace, stood the great
banquet hall, erected from designs by Inigo Jones for James I.
Here audiences to ambassadors, state balls, and great banquets
were held. The ceiling was painted by Rubens, and was, moreover,
handsomely moulded and richly gilt. Above the entrance-door
stood a statue of Charles I.,"whose majestic mien delighted the
spectator;" Whilst close by one of the windows were the
ineradicable stains of blood, marking the spot near which he had
been beheaded.
Now in the train of the queen mother there had travelled from
France "a most pretty sparke of about fourteen years," whom Mr.
Pepys plainly terms "the king's bastard," but who was known to
the court as young Mr. Crofts. This little gentleman was son of
Lucy Walters, "a brown, beautiful, bold creature," who had the
distinction of being first mistress to the merry monarch. That
he was his offspring the king entertained no doubt, though others
did; inasmuch as young Mr. Crofts grew to resemble, "even to the
wart on his face," Colonel Robert Sidney, whose paramour Lucy
Walters had been a brief while before his majesty began an
intrigue with her. Soon after the boy's birth that beautiful
woman abandoned herself to pleasures, in which the king had no
participation. He therefore parted from her; had her son placed
under the guardianship of Lord Crofts, whose name he bore, and
educated by the Peres de l'Oratoire at Paris. The while he was
continually at the court of the queen mother, who regarded him as
her grandson, and who, by the king's command, now brought him
into England. The beauty of his face and grace of his figure
could not be exceeded, whilst his manner was as winning as his
air was noble. Moreover, his accomplishments were numerous; he
danced to perfection, sang with sweetness, rode with skill; and
so gallant was his nature that he became at this early age, as
Hamilton affirms, "the universal terror of husbands and lovers."
The king betrayed the greatest affection for him, and took
exceeding pride in being father of such a brave and comely youth,
at which my Lady Castlemaine was both wrathful and jealous,
fearing he would avert the royal favour from her own offspring;
but these feelings she afterwards overcame, as will be duly
shown. His majesty speedily showered honours upon him, allotted
him a suite of apartments in the royal palace of Whitehall,
appointed him a retinue befitting the heir apparent, created him
Duke of Orkney and of Monmouth, and installed him a knight of the
garter.
But, before this had been accomplished, there arrived in town
some personages whose names it will be necessary to mention here,
the figure they made at court being considerable. These were Sir
George Hamilton and his family, and Philibert, Chevalier de
Grammont. Sir George was fourth son of James, Earl of Abercorn,
and of Mary, sister to James, first Duke of Ormond. Sir George
had proved himself a loyal man and a brave during the late civil
war, and had on the murder of his royal master sought safety in
France, from which country he, in the second year of the
restoration, returned, accompanied by a large family; the women
of which were fair, the men fearless. The Hamiltons being close
kin to the Ormond great intimacy existed between them; to
facilitate which they lived not far apart--the duke residing in
Ormond Yard, St. James's Square, and the Hamiltons occupying a
spacious residence in King Street. James Hamilton, Sir George's
eldest son, was remarkable for the symmetry of his figure,
elegance of his manner, and costliness of his dress. Moreover,
he possessed a taste shaped to pleasure, and a disposition
inclined to gallantry, which commended him so strongly to the
king's favour, that he was made groom of the bedchamber and
colonel of a regiment.
His brother George was scarcely less handsome in appearance or
less agreeable in manner. Another brother, Anthony, best
remembered as the writer of Grammont's memoirs, was likewise
liberally endowed by nature. Elizabeth, commonly called "la
belle Hamilton," shared in the largest degree the hereditary
gifts of grace and beauty pertaining to this distinguished
family. At her introduction to the court of Charles II. she was
in the bloom of youth and zenith of loveliness. The portrait of
her which her brother Anthony has set before the world for its
admiration is delicate in its colours, and finished in its
details. "Her forehead," he writes, "was open, white, and
smooth; her hair was well set, and fell with ease into that
natural order which it is so difficult to imitate. Her
complexion was possessed of a certain freshness, not to be
equalled by borrowed colours; her eyes were not large, but they
were lovely, and capable of expressing whatever she pleased; her
mouth was full of graces, and her contour uncommonly perfect; nor
was her nose, which was small, delicate, and turned up, the least
ornament of so lovely a face. She had the finest shape, the
loveliest neck, and most beautiful arms in the world; she was
majestic and graceful in all her movements; and she was the
original after which all the ladies copied in their taste and air
of dress."
Now, about the same time the Hamiltons arrived at court, there
likewise appeared at Whitehall one whose fame as a wit, and whose
reputation as a gallant, had preceded him. This was the
celebrated Chevalier de Grammont, whose father was supposed to be
son of Henry the Great of France. The chevalier had been
destined by his mother for the church, the good soul being
anxious he should lead the life of a saint; but the youth was
desirous of joining the army, and following the career of a
soldier. Being remarkable for ingenuity, he conceived a plan by
which he might gratify his mother's wishes and satisfy his own
desires at the same time. He therefore accepted the abbacy his
brother procured for him; but on appearing at court to return
thanks for his preferment, comported himself with a military air.
Furthermore, his dress was combined of the habit and bands
pertaining to an ecclesiastic, and the buskins and spurs
belonging to a soldier. Such an amalgamation had never before
been witnessed, and caused general attention; the court was
amazed at his daring, but Richelieu was amused by his boldness.
His brother regarded his appearance in the dual character of
priest and soldier as a freak, and on his return home asked him
gravely to which profession he meant to attach himself. The
youth answered he was resolved "to renounce the church for the
salvation of his soul," upon condition that he retained his
beneficed abbacy. It may be added, he kept this resolution.
A soldier he therefore became, and subsequently a courtier. His
valour in war and luck in gambling won him the admiration of the
camp; whilst his ardour in love and genius for intrigue gained
him the esteem of the court, but finally lost him the favour of
his king. For attaching himself to one of the maids of honour,
Mademoiselle La Motte Houdancourt, whom his most Christian
Majesty Louis XIV. had already honoured with his regard,
Grammont was banished from the French court.
Accordingly, in the second year of the merry monarch's reign he
presented himself at Whitehall, and was received by Charles with
a graciousness that served to obliterate the memory of his late
misfortune. Nor were the courtiers less warm in their greetings
than his majesty. The men hailed him as an agreeable companion;
the ladies intimated he need not wholly abandon those tender
diversions for which he had shown such natural talent and
received such high reputation at the court of Louis XIV. He
therefore promptly attached himself to the king, whose parties he
invariably attended, and whose pleasures he continually devised;
made friends with the most distinguished nobles, whom he charmed
by the grace of his manner and extravagance of his
entertainments; and took early opportunities of proving to the
satisfaction of many of the fairer sex that his character as a
gallant had by no means been exaggerated by report.
Amongst those to whom he paid especial attention were Mrs.
Middleton, a woman of fashion, and Miss Kirk, a maid of honour,
to whom Hamilton, in his memoirs of Grammont, gives the
fictitious name of Warmestre. The former was at this time in her
seventeenth summer, and had been two years a wife. Her
exquisitely fair complexion, light auburn hair, and dark hazel
eyes constituted her a remarkably beautiful woman. Miss Kirk was
of a different type of loveliness, inasmuch as her skin was
brown, her eyes dark, and her complexion brilliant. As Mrs.
Middleton was at this time but little known at court, Grammont
found some difficulty in obtaining an introduction to her as
promptly as he desired; but feeling anxious to make her
acquaintance, and being no laggard in love, he without hesitation
applied to her porter for admittance, and took one of her lovers
into his confidence. This latter gallant rejoiced in the name of
Jones, and subsequently became Earl of Ranelagh. In the fulness
of his heart towards one who experienced a fellow feeling, he
resolved to aid Grammont in gaining the lady's favours. This
generosity being prompted by the fact that the chevalier would
rid him of a rival whom he feared, and at the same time relieve
him of an expense he could ill afford, the lady having certain
notions of magnificence which her husband's income was unable to
sustain.
Mrs. Middleton received the chevalier with good grace; but he
found her more ready to receive the presents he offered, than to
grant the privileges he required. Miss Kirk, on the other hand,
was not only flattered by his attentions, but was willing to use
every means in her power to preserve a continuance of his
friendship; Therefore out of gratitude for graces received from
one of the ladies, and in expectation of favours desired from the
other, Grammont made them the handsomest presents. Perfumed
gloves, pocket looking-glasses, apricot paste, came every week
from Paris for their benefit; whilst more substantial offerings
in the shape of jewellery, diamonds, and guineas were procured
for them in London, all of which they made no hesitation to
accept.
It happened one night, whilst Grammont was yet in pursuit of Mrs.
Middleton, that the queen gave a ball. In hope of winning her
husband's affection, by studying his pleasures and suiting
herself to his ways, her majesty had become a changed woman. She
now professed a passion for dancing, wore decollete costumes, and
strove to surpass those surrounding her in her desire for gaiety.
Accordingly her balls were the most brilliant spectacles the
court had yet witnessed; she taking care to assemble the fairest
women of the day, and the most distinguished men. Now amongst
the latter was the Chevalier de Grammont; and amidst the former,
Mrs. Middleton and Miss Hamilton.
Of all the court beauties, "la belle Hamilton" was one of whom
Grammont had seen least and heard most; but that which had been
told him of her charms seemed, now that he beheld her, wholly
inadequate to express her loveliness. Therefore, his eyes
followed her alone, as her graceful figure glided in the dance
adown the ball-room, lighted with a thousand tapers, and
brilliant with every type of beauty. And when presently she
rested, it was with an unusual flutter at his heart that this
gallant, heretofore so daring in love, sought her company,
addressed her, and listened with strange pleasure to the music of
her voice. From that night he courted Mrs. Middleton no more,
but devoted himself to "la belle Hamilton," who subsequently
became his wife.
Meanwhile, the merry monarch behaved as if he had no higher
purpose in life than that of following his pleasures. "The king
is as decomposed [dissipated] as ever," the lord chancellor
writes to the Duke of Ormond, in a letter preserved in the
Bodleian library, "and looks as little after his business; which
breaks my heart, and makes me and other of your friends weary of
our lives. He seeks for his satisfaction and delight in other
company, which do not love him so well as you and I do." His days
were spent in pursuing love, feasting sumptuously, interchanging
wit, and enjoying all that seemed good to the senses. Pepys, who
never fails to make mention of the court when actual experience
or friendly gossip enables him, throws many pleasant lights upon
the ways of the monarch and his courtiers.
For instance, he tells us that one Lord's day--the same on which
this excellent man had been to Whitehall chapel, and heard a
sermon by the Dean of Ely on returning to the old ways, and,
moreover, a most tuneful anthem sung by Captain Cooke, with
symphonies between--whom should he meet but the great chirurgeon,
Mr. Pierce, who carried him to Somerset House, and into the queen
mother's presence-chamber. And there, on the left hand of
Henrietta Maria, sat the young queen, whom Mr. Pepys had never
seen before, and now thought that "though she be not very
charming, yet she hath a good, modest, and innocent look, which
is pleasing." Here, likewise, he saw the king's mistress, and the
young Duke of Monmouth, "who, I perceive," Pepys continues, "do
hang much upon my Lady Castlemaine, and is always with her; and I
hear the queenes, both of them, are mighty kind to him. By-and-
by in comes the king, and anon the duke and his duchesse; so
that, they being all together, was such a sight as I never could
almost have happened to see with so much ease and leisure. They
staid till it was dark, and then went away; the king and his
queene, and my Lady Castlemaine and young Crofts, in one coach,
and the rest in other coaches. Here were great stores of great
ladies. The king and queen were very merry; and he would have
made the queene mother believe that the queene was with child,
and said that she said so. And the young queene answered, 'You
lye,' which was the first English word that I ever heard her say,
which made the king good sport."
Others besides Mr. Pepys had begun to notice that the young Duke
of Monmouth hung much upon the Countess of Castlemaine, and that
her ladyship lavished caresses upon him. Whether this was to
provoke the uneasiness of his majesty, who she hoped might find
employment for the lad elsewhere, or to express her genuine
affection for him, it is impossible to say. However, the duke
being come to an age when the endearments of such a woman might
have undesired effects upon him, the king resolved to remove him
from her influence, and at the same time secure his fortune by
marriage.
He therefore selected a bride for him, in the person of Lady Anne
Scott, a young gentlewoman of virtue and excellence, who was only
child of Francis, Earl of Buccleugh, and the greatest heiress in
Great Britain. Their nuptials were celebrated on the 20th of
April, 1663, the bridegroom at this time not having reached his
fifteenth birthday, whilst the bride was younger by a year. The
duke on his marriage assumed his wife's family name, Scott; and
some years later--in 1673--both were created Duke and Duchess of
Buccleugh. From this union the family now bearing that title has
descended. A great supper was given at Whitehall on the
marriage-night, and for many days there were stately festivities
held to celebrate the event with becoming magnificence.
Now at one of the court balls held at this time, the woman of all
others who attracted most attention and gained universal
admiration was Frances Stuart, maid of honour to Queen Catherine.
She was only daughter of a gallant gentleman, one Walter Stuart,
and grand-daughter of Lord Blantyre. Her family had suffered
sore loss in the cause of Charles I., by reason of which, like
many others, it sought refuge in France. This young gentlewoman
was therefore bred in that country, and was, moreover, attached
to the court of the queen mother, in whose suite she travelled
into England. Her beauty was sufficient to attract the attention
of Louis XIV., who, loath to lose so fair an ornament from his
court, requested her mother would permit her to remain, saying,
he "loved her not as a mistress, but as one that would marry as
well as any lady in France."
No doubt Mrs. Stuart understood the motives of his majesty's
interested kindness, of which, however, she declined availing
herself, and therefore departed with her daughter for England.
At the time of her appearance at Whitehall, Frances Stuart was in
her fifteenth year. Even in a court distinguished by the beauty
of women, her loveliness was declared unsurpassed. Her features
were regular and refined, her complexion fair as alabaster, her
hair bright and luxuriant, her eyes of violet hue; moreover, her
figure being tall, straight, and shapely, her movements possessed
an air of exquisite grace. An exact idea of her lineaments may
be gained unto this day, from the fact that Philip Rotier, the
medallist, who loved her true, represented her likeness in the
face of Britannia on the reverse of coins; and so faithful was
the likeness, we are assured, that no one who had ever seen her
could mistake who had sat as model of the figure.
Soon after her arrival in England, she was appointed one of the
maids of honour to Queen Catherine, and as such was present at
all festivities of the court. Now, at one of the great balls
given in honour of the Duke of Monmouth's nuptials, the fair
Frances Stuart appeared in the full lustre of her charms. Her
beauty, her grace, and her youth completely eclipsed the more
showy gifts of my Lady Castlemaine, who on this occasion looked
pale and thin, she being in the commencement of another
pregnancy, "which the king was pleased to place to his own
account." The merry monarch had before this time been attracted
by the fair maid of honour, but now it was evident his heart had
found a new object of admiration in her surpassing beauty.
Henceforth he boldly made love to her. The countess was not much
disturbed by this, for she possessed great faith in her own
charms and implicit belief in her power over the king. Besides,
she had sufficient knowledge of mankind to comprehend that to
offer opposition in pursuit of love is the most certain method to
foster its growth. She therefore resolved to seek Miss Stuart's
society, cultivate her friendship, and constantly bring her into
contact with his majesty. This would not only prove to the
satisfaction of the court she had no fear of losing her
sovereignty over the monarch, but, by keeping him engaged with
the maid of honour, would likewise divert his attention from an
intrigue the countess was then carrying on with Henry Jermyn.
Accordingly, she made overtures of friendship to Miss Stuart,
invited her to private parties, and appeared continually with her
in public.
Concerning these ladies and the merry monarch, Pepys narrates a
strange story which Captain Ferrers told him as they "walked
finely" in the park. This was, that at an entertainment given by
my Lady Castlemaine, towards the end of which his majesty played
at being married with fair Frances Stuart, "with ring and all
other ceremonies of Church service, and ribbands, and a sack
posset [A drink composed of milk, wine, and spices.] in bed, and
flinging the stocking. My Lady Castlemaine looked on the while,
evincing neither anger nor jealousy, but entering into the
diversion with great spirit." Nor was this the only indiscretion
of which she was culpable, for, in the full confidence of her
charms, she frequently kept Miss Stuart to stay with her. "The
king," says Hamilton, "who seldom neglected to visit the countess
before she rose, seldom failed likewise to find Miss Stuart with
her. The most indifferent objects have charms in a new
attachment; however, the imprudent countess was not jealous of
this rival's appearing with her, in such a situation, being
confident that, whenever she thought fit, she could triumph over
all the advantages which these opportunities could afford Miss
Stuart."
No doubt Lady Castlemaine's imprudences arose from knowledge that
Miss Stuart was devoid of tact, and incapable of turning
opportunities to her own advantage in the king's regard. For
though the maid of honour was richly endowed with beauty, she was
wholly devoid of wit. She was not only a child in years, but
likewise in behaviour. She laughed at every remark made her,
delighted in playing blind man's buff, and was never more happy
than when building castles of cards. At this latter amusement
she continually employed herself whilst the deepest play was
taking place in her apartments; being always attended by groups
of courtiers, who were either attracted by the charm of her
beauty, or were eager to make court through her favour. As she
sat upon the floor, intent on her favourite occupation, they on
their knees handed her cards, traced out designs for her, or
built elaborate structures rivalling her own.
Amongst those who attended her in this manner was the gay,
graceful, and profligate Duke of Buckingham, who became enamoured
of her loveliness. Not only did he raise the most wonderful of
card mansions for her delight, but having a good voice, and she
possessing a passion for music, he invented songs and sung them
to pleasure her. Moreover, he told her the wittiest stories,
turned the courtiers into the greatest ridicule for her
entertainment, and made her acquainted with the most diverting
scandals. Finally, he professed his ardent love for her; but at
this the fair Stuart either felt, or feigned, intense
astonishment, and so repulsed him that he abandoned the pursuit
of an amour over which he had wasted so much time, and
thenceforth deprived himself of her company.
His attentions were, however, soon replaced by those of the Earl
of Arlington, a lord of the bedchamber, and a man of grave
address and great ambition. Owing to this latter trait his
lordship was desirous of winning the good graces of Miss Stuart
in the present, in hopes of governing his majesty in the future,
when she became the king's mistress. But these sage and
provident intentions of his were speedily overturned, for early
in the course of their acquaintance, when he had commenced to
tell her a story, his manner so forcibly reminded her of
Buckingham's mimicry of him, that she burst out laughing in the
earl's face. This being utterly uncalled for by the
circumstances of his tale, and still less by the manner of its
narration, Lord Arlington, who was serious, punctilious, and
proud, became enraged, abruptly left her presence, and abandoned
his schemes of governing the king through so frivolous a medium.
A man who had better chances of success in winning this beautiful
girl was George Hamilton, whose name has been already mentioned.
It was not, however, his graceful person, or elegant manner, but
his performance of a trick which gained her attention. It
happened one night that an Irish peer, old Lord Carlingford, was
diverting her by showing how she might hold a burning candle in
her mouth a considerable time without its being extinguished.
This was a source of uncommon delight to her; seeing which,
George Hamilton thought he would give her still further
entertainment. For being furnished by nature with a wide mouth,
he placed within it two lighted candles, and walked three times
round the room without extinguishing them, whilst the fair Stuart
clapped her pretty hands in delight, and shouted aloud with
laughter.
A man who could accomplish such a feat was worthy of becoming a
favourite. She at once admitted him to terms of familiarity; and
he had a hundred chances of paying her the attentions he greatly
desired, and which she freely accepted. Grammont, foreseeing
that Hamilton would incur the royal displeasure if his love for
Miss Stuart became known to the king, besought him to abandon his
addresses; but this advice did not at first sound pleasant to the
lover's ears. "Since the court has been in the country," said
he, "I have had a hundred opportunities of seeing her, which I
had not before. You know that the dishabille of the bath is a
great convenience for those ladies, who, strictly adhering to all
the rules of decorum, are yet desirous to display all their
charms and attractions. Miss Stuart is so fully acquainted with
the advantages she possesses over all other women, that it is
hardly possible to praise any lady at court for a well-turned
arm, and a fine leg but she is ever ready to dispute the point by
demonstration; and I really believe that, with a little address,
it would not be difficult to induce her to strip naked, without
ever reflecting upon what she was doing. After all, a man must
be very insensible to remain unconcerned and unmoved on such
happy occasions."
Hamilton was therefore not willing to renounce Miss Stuart, but
upon Grammont showing that attentions paid the lady would
certainly provoke the king's anger, he resolved on sacrificing
love to interest, and abandoning the company of the fair maid of
honour for evermore. The truth was, his majesty loved her
exceedingly, as was indeed evident, for he constantly sought her
presence, talked to her at the drawing-rooms as if no one else
were by, and kissed her "to the observation of all the world."
But though she allowed Charles such liberties, she refused to
become his mistress, notwithstanding the splendid settlements and
high titles with which the monarch engaged to reward the
sacrifice of her virtue. And so, though a king, it was not given
him to be obeyed in all. And though generally loved for his easy
ways and gracious manners, he was continually harassed by his
mistresses, reproved by his chancellor, and ridiculed by his
courtiers. Indeed, they now spoke of him in his absence as "Old
Rowley;" the reason of which is given by Richardson. "There was
an old goat," writes he, "in the privy garden, that they had
given this name to; a rank lecherous devil, that everybody knew
and used to stroke, because he was good-humoured and familiar;
and so they applied this name to the king."
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