Diary of the times of Charles II/Volume 1/The Countess of Sunderland to Mr. Sidney, January 8
THE COUNTESS OF SUNDERLAND TO MR. SIDNEY.
I cannot forbear writing to let you know that your memorials and all you do is found most excellent and approved of by all persons. What a satisfaction 'tis to me to have you succeed so well, I cannot express; all I can say towards it is, that if my Lord Spencer were what you are, and behaved himself as well, I could not be more joyed; nor did I ever see my Lord so glad of any thing; and truly it must be a near concern to rejoice his heart, for he never was so desponding as now: but to give you an account of the last fine pranks of the French Ambassador[1] upon your letter of what he had writ of the King into Holland, it has been all pursued with great warmth, and the King has hitherto done just as he should; but truly I fear there will be some scurvy patching, for the Duchess of Portsmouth is so d—d a Jade,[2] that for my part I think it is but a folly to hope; for she will certainly sell us whenever she can for £500, and so God bless you in all your proceedings!
The more you write my Lord word that he will be ruined if he engages in the business of France, the better; not that he is at all inclined to it, but I know any thing of warning from you does him good.
- ↑ The passages in Italics are in cipher.
- ↑ "We are, however, much indebted to the memory of Barbara, Duchess of Cleveland, Louisa Duchess of Portsmouth, and Mrs. Eleanor Gwyn. We owe a tribute of gratitude to the Mays, the Killegrews, the Chiffinches, and the Grammonts. They played a serviceable part in ridding the kingdom of its bespotted loyalty. They saved our forefathers from the star-chamber and the high commission court; they laboured in their vocation against standing armies and corruption; they pressed forward the great ultimate security of English freedom, the expulsion of the house of Stuart."—Hallam's Constit. Hist., 217.