Some merchants have by their adventures bold, JOHN, LORD LUCAS. As it was burnt by the hands of the hangman2, his lordship himself probably published his "Speech in the House of Peers, February 22, 1671, upon the Reading the Subsidy-Bill the second Time, in the Presence of his Majesty." 3 In the State Poems I find one, alluding to this speech, called "Lord Lucas's Ghost." [Of the family of Lucas, says Dugdale 5 (which hath with no little honour flourished for many ages, in the counties of Suffolk and Essex), was sir John Lucas, knight, a person eminently accomplished with learning, and well versed in sundry languages: whose perfect loyalty to the king, at the beginning of the unhappy troubles in 1642, exposed him to the merciless plunder of those who were then in arms against his majesty. By which, though he became much dis 2 Marvel says he owned part was his, part not, vol. ii. s State Tracts, vol. i. p. 454. + Vol. i. p. 173. Baronage, tom. iii. p. 473. p. 59. abled in yielding to him such aids and assistances, as he had designed: yet was he not discouraged from performing to the utmost, what he could in his own person, or by his best friends and nearest allies; stoutly adventuring his life in the several fights at Lestwithiel in Cornwall, Newbury in Berkshire, &c. In consideration whereof, he was advanced to the degree of a baron of England by the title of lord Lucas of Shenfield in Essex, 20 Car. I. He lived till 1670.5 The earl of Clarendon describes the sanguinary death of sir Charles Lucas, the younger brother of lord Lucas, at Colchester; but mentions nothing more of his lordship than his name. In the British Museum is 6 "My Lord Lucas his Speech in the House of Peers, Feb. the 22d, 1679; upon the reading of the Subsidy Bill, the second Time in the Presence of his Majesty." Lond. 1670, 4to. This spirited and energetic speech thus opens: "When by the providence of Almighty God this nation recalled his majesty to the exercise of the regal power; it was the hope of all good men, that we should not only be restored to his majestie's royal presence, and divine laws, but we should be free from those heavy burthens, under which we had lain 6 His lordship was elder brother to the fantastic duchess of Newcastle, the poetess and philosopheress. Vide infra. 7 This Speech was burned by the hand of the hangman, says an address to the reader, to the great grief and astonishment of all true Englishmen, to whom my lord Lucas's loyalty to his prince, and inviolable love to his country, was abundantly manifested. so long opprest. We did believe that from thenceforth every man should sit under his own vine, enjoying the fruits of peace and plenty and Astrea herself (long since for the sins of men fled up to heaven) should have been invited by his majestie's most gracious and happy reign, to return hither, and dwell with us, and converse here among us mortals again. "But, alas! we are fallen very short of our expectations, and our burthens are so far from being made lighter to us, that they are heavier than ever they were; and as our burthens are increased, so our strength also is diminished, and we are less able to support them. "In the times of the late usurping powers, although great taxes were exacted from us, we had then means to pay them, we could sell our lands, our corn, and cattle, and there was plenty of money throughout the nation. Now, there is nothing of this; Brick ' is required of us, and no straw allowed us to make it 'with;' for that our lands are thrown up, and corn and cattle are of little value, is notorious to all the world. 7 "And it is evident that there is scarcity of money; for all the parliament money called breeches (a fit stamp for the coyn of the rump), is wholly vanished. The king's proclamation and the Dutch have swept it all away; and of his majesty's coyn, there appears but very little: : so that in effect we have not left for common use, but a little old lean-coyned money, of 7 Snelling says, the conjoined shields of England and Ireland, upon the coins of the commonwealth, gave occasion to the name of breeches money. ANN HYDE, DUCHESS OF YORK, [DAUGHTER to Edward, earl of Clarendon, and maid of honour to the princess royal. The duke of York tried to gain her to comply with his illicit desires, but she managed her paramour with so much address, that in conclusion he married her; though the marriage was for some time kept secret. On proving pregnant in 1660, her father called upon the duke to own her as his wife: the duke, however, thought to have shaken her from this claim by great promises and great threats; but she was a woman of high spirit, and told him "she was his wife, and would have it known that she was so, let him use her afterwards as he pleased." Charles the second ordered the bishops and judges to examine the proofs she had to produce; and they reported, that according to the doctrine of the gospel and the law of England, it was a good marriage. Bishop Burnet, from his personal knowledge, has described the duchess of York as 66 a very extraordinary woman; who had great knowledge, and a lively sense of things. She soon understood what belonged to a princess; and took state on her rather too much. She writ well; and had begun the duke's life, of which she showed me a volume. 2 It was all drawn 2 Lord Orford conceived that this might have been the work mentioned in the article of James the second. See vol. i. p. 158. |