The Curious Case of Lady Purbeck: A Scandal of the XVIIth Century

Table of

th least concern other people; yet of all actions o

ld

heiress, was only the ball in the game. Neither her father nor her mother nor anybody else either considered her feeli

doubt, just as Frances had before copied and signed the contract with Lord Oxford, at the command of he

Ma

ut I resolve to be wholly ruled by my father and yourself, knowing your judgments to be such that I may well rely upon, and hoping that conscience and the natural affection parents bear to children will let you do nothing but for my good, and that you may receive comfort, I being a mere child and not understanding the world nor what is good for myself. That which makes me a

yship's mo

le daughte

nces

has no violent means been us

ke added the postscript for a very special purpose; for the question arises how Frances, who is admitted on all sides to have hated Sir John Vil

he Villiers

e Earldom of Buckingham, as his Brother assumed the Title, that the Lady Frances Viscountess Purbeck was tyed to the Bed-Poste and severely wh

by her father, until she consented to marry a man whom she loathed; but the parental ethics of those times were very different from those of our own. A man like Coke would have no difficulty

d her being whipped, reflecting upon the luxury of the bed-post in comparison with the agony of the rack, flattering himself that he was acting in obedience to Holy Scripture, and piously meditating upon the gratification he must be giving to the soul of Solo

that her only hope of freedom and prosperity was by consenting to the wishes of Buckingham and James, wrote to the King

ton Court Palace, in the presence of the King and Queen and all the chief nobility of England. Strange to say, Lady Hatton still remained in confinement, while Sir Edward Coke, in nine coaches,"-one man in nine coaches!-&brought his daughter and his friends to the p

t History of James I., Vol

e gratulation of the fawning courtiers, but stained by the tears of the reluctant bride

wedding, in a letter[35] from S

lease yor.

r so to many Lordes and Ladies, my Lord Canterbury, my Lord Treasurer, my Lord Chamberlayne, etc. The King dynner and supper droncke healthe to the bride, the bridgegroome stood behinde the bride; the dynner and supper. The Bride and Bridegroome lay next day a bedd till past 12 a clocke, for the Kinge sent worde he wold come to see them, therefore wold they not rise. My Lord Coke looked with a merrie Countenance and sate at the dynner an

all servic

) Gerrar

don,

O

nt, on the contrary, to have a triumph on her own account. Her intention was that one of those who had had a hand in putting her into prison-a prison which in fact was a com

Carleton[36] Ch

geve her allowance to the late marriage," the King will "give her all the contentment and countenance he can in hope of the great portion she may bestow upon" Buckingham's brother, Sir John Villiers; "for there is little or nothing more to be looked for from Sr. Ed. Cooke, who hath redemed the land he had allotted his daughter for 20,000￡ so t

favour. Chamberlain, in the letter quoted above, expresses the wish that she might endeavour to obtain for Carleton the post of Secretary of

to do yt before he went. Some whisper that she is alredy ingaged and meanes to employ her full force strength and vertue for the L. Hawton or Hollis, who is become her prime privie Counsailor and doth by all meanes interest and combi

y be seen, she had not yet quite done with him. Another account of her

her she had been remanded, presented by his Lordship to the King, received gracious usage, reconciled to her daughter by his Majesty, and her house in Holborn enlightened by his presence at di

ne given in return by Buckingham's mother, who was still hoping

ut of her milke so fouly [fully] as was expected which in due time may turn the matter about againe.... There were some errors at the Lady Hatton's feast (yf it were not of purpose) that the L. Chamberlain and the L. of Arundell were not invited but went away to theyre owne dinner and came backe to wait on the King and Prince: but the greatest error was that

Majesty was never merrier nor more satisfied, who had not patience to sit a quarter of an hour without drinking the health of my Lady Eliza

s he failed to do. As has been shown, he promised ￡10,000 down with her and ￡1,000 a year. This Buckingham did not consider enough; but Coke refused to promise more, declaring that he would not buy the King's favour too dear. In a letter to Carleton, Chamberlain says that, if he had not "stuck" at this, Coke might have been Lord Chancellor. As it was, he incurr

Lady Hatton,

Lo

at my thankfulle acknowledgements will be sufficient reconcilement to give you both proceedings for the continuance of your wonted goode wille and affectione ... even though I understande by your letter you th

sured lo

d) Eliz

ton

March

the quarrell of unkindness" between them, or to make it worse. Which effect was intended by the wr

TNO

MSS., Vol. X

XXXIII., p. 17. (Brit

gmans &

I., Vol. XCIII., No. 1

I., Vol. XCIII., No.

es I., Vol. XCIV.,

ol. I.

XCIV., No. 30, 15th November,

., XCIV.

James I., Vol.