Читать книгу The First Duke and Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne онлайн
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“1621, June 5. Whitehall.—I am sorry that this accidente of myne had that effecte to my frendes—especially farre of—as to make them, out of theyre care to me, give themselves trouble. For myselfe I thanke God it gave much ease and rest whilst I was in the Tower, and when I came out, it shewed the King’s constancy and favor to his servantes that love him truly, and made me see I had some true frendes.”
To be sent to the Tower was no rare event to a peer in those times. The father of the writer of the above letter had died in it.
“W. Earl of Newcastle to his Wife, the Countess of Newcastle, at Welbeck.
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“1629, July 28. Chatsworth.—There is great change in Chatsworth since the death of the Lord. For privacy I could be weary, but I will not, out of respect for my lord.”
“Henry Bates to the Earl of Newcastle, at Welbeck.
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“1631, April 30th. London.—The Lord Castlehaven is tryd by his peeres, condemned upon” certain horrible crimes “to be hanged.... Dr. Winniffe of Paul’s and Dr. Wickam of York are his confessors. He was very dumb at first, but now speakes, prayes, weepes, tells the confession of his sins, writes the confession of his faythe. He abjures Rome, disavows that aspersion of drinking wine and tobaccossss1 in the church, and saying ‘this is better than 20£ a month’. Never man more humbled and wonderfully chered by the receipt of the Communion. ‘Now,’ says he, ‘I feele my Saviour,’ and instantly gusht out teares.... He confesses all crimes but those that touche his life. These he layes to a plott. His sisters petition for his life; some saye the Queene appeares in the suite. He desires death, and is no more ashamed—he sayth—of hanging in a rope, then Christ was for his sins upon the crosse. Had he craved his booke, he had lived by the statute that gives it to noblemen for any first fact or crime but treason or murther.ssss1 This week four have died of the plague.”