Page:A tour through the northern counties of England, and the borders of Scotland - Volume I.djvu/243

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
[231]

Lady Strafford; and Thomas, second Earl of Strafford; all by Kneller;—Charles I. and the Duke of Hamilton; a most superb picture, whole length, by Vandyck.

James Duke of Monmouth. His connection with Lady Henrietta Wentworth, is subject of notoriety; and whilst we are obliged to condemn the vices of the man, we cannot avoid admiring the magnanimity of the lover, who on the scaffold refused to confess any thing against the honour of his mistress. It is a singular fact, that when about to atone for all his worldly crimes, he felt the edge of the axe, feared it was not sharp enough, and desired that he might not experience Lord Russel's lingering treatment from an unskilful executioner; which, however, was his fate, his head only being severed from his body by the fifth stroke.

William III. whole length.—Thomas first Earl of Strafford, and his Dog; whole length, by Vandyck.

Charles XIIth of Sweden, in the dress he wore at Albranstadt in Saxony 1704; blue uniform, and large military gloves; high large forehead, aquiline nose, penetrating eye, and light brown hair turned back. He was one of those monarchs chiefly famed for the wars in which they have embroiled their subjects. This sovereign (who is described as bold, intrepid, and magnanimous) is rather to be