486 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1758.
moulded thus j it is not the method pra.S.\fed on princes by mere fa- vourites. When Charles the Firft on fome jealoufy reftrained the Earl of Holland to his 'loufe, the queen would not cohabit with the king till the reftraint was taken off. Whenever Eflex aifled a fit of ficknefs, not a Hay paiTed with- out the queen's fending often to fee him ; and once went fo far as to fit long by him, anJ order his hroths and things. It is recorded by a ciligent obferver of that court, that in one of hib fick moods he took the liberty of going up to the queen in his night gown. In the height of thefe fret fooleries, there was a inaflc at Black-friars OR the marriage of Loid Herbert and Mrs. RufTel. Eight lady- mafkers chofe eight more to dance the meafures. Mrs. Fitton, who led them, went to the queen and wooed her to dance. Her majelly afked what fhe was ? — Jf-
feaion ihe faid. Affeaion !
faid the queen; /iffeSlicn
is fal/e. Were thele not
the murmuf.s of a heart ill at
eafe f Yet her majefty rofe
2nd duTvnced. — She was then fixt'.'-
eight bure it was as natura! ;or
her to be in love !
That her court andcotemporaries had an uniform o;jinion of her paffion, is evident from n:,;ny paf- fages. Sir Francis Ba-. j.. , in a let- ter of moft fenfible ^- I vice to the earl, in which he d Jluades him from popular courfes, which the queen could not brook in her greateft favourites, fays to him,
- Win the queen : I will not now
- fpeak of favour or affedion,
- but of other correfpondence and
- agreeablenefs.' That is,
do not be content with her pre-
pofleflion in your favour, but hu- mour and make yourfelf agreeable to her. ' How dangerous, adds he, * to have her think you a man
- not to be ruled, that ha^ her
- afFeclion and knows it ; that
- feeks a popular reputation and
' a military dependance!' He ad- vifes the earl not to play or ftra- tagem with too long journeys from her; and bid him confult her taile in his veryapparel and geltures. He conclude- remarkably with advifing the earl even to give way to any other inclination (he may have, * for whoioever (hail
- tell me that you may not have
' fingular ufe of a favourite at your
- dtvotiop, I will fay he under-
' ftanJe'.h not the queen's affec-
- tion, nor your lordihip's co di-
- tion.' The queen herfelf Sir
Francis advifed, as knowing her inclination, to keep the earl about her tor Society Olhorne afcnbes Eflex's prcfumption to the fond opinirn v.hich he entertained, that the uueen would not rob her eyes of the dear delight fhe took in his perfon. But the moft ma.k- ed exprcfiion is one of Henry the FourtN of France to the queen's emLafTador, Sir Antony M-ldmay,
- Que ia majefte ne laifTeroit ja-
- mais foncoulin dT'.lfex 'effoigner
- de fon co.illoi).' Sir Antony
reporting this to the queen, (he wrote four lines with her own hand to the king, which one may well be icve were fharp enough, for he was near ftriking Sir An- tony, ."nd drove hun out of his chamber.
Wnen the earl had offended the queen fo m.uch by his abrupt re- turn from Ireland, he was treated with a whimfical fond mixture of tenderaefs and fevericy. 7 hough
he
