Henrietta Maria Part 25

Thus Henrietta Maria, Queen of England,

"Left love and life and slept in endless rest."[445]

As she was unfortunate in life, so she has been unfortunate in death; for a people whose historical judgments were stereotyped by the revolution of 1688 has remembered her failings and forgotten her charms. It is only within recent years that the justice of history, working on the materials which are slowly unfolding the secrets of time, has been able to redress the balance and to reveal the personality of the woman who, amid all her misfortunes and all her faults, never lacked while living the devotion of love and friendship.

[Footnote 421: _Lettres de Henriette Marie a sa soeur Christine_, p. 121.]

[Footnote 422: This fine old house is still standing in the Rue Francois Mirron.]

[Footnote 423: Loret: _La Muse Historique_, t. 3, p. 252.]

[Footnote 424: This friar seems to have been more highly esteemed than, to judge by his memoirs, he quite deserved. _La Muse Historique_ has a long panegyric of him beginning--

Ce pere a beaucoup de science De vertue d'esprit d'eloquence Faizans quelque fois des Sermons A pouvoir toucher des Demons.--T. IV, p. 116.]

[Footnote 425: Archives of See of Westminster.]

[Footnote 426: Pepys: _Diary_, November 22nd, 1660.]

[Footnote 427: Mme de Motteville: _Memoires_ (1783), VI, pp. 307, 308.]

[Footnote 428: Hist. MSS. Com. MSS. of Duke of Buccleuch at Montagu House.

Vol. I, p. 438.]

[Footnote 429: There are several accounts of Henrietta's death differing considerably in detail, especially as to the time when the opiate was given. Vallot was much blamed for the advice he had given.]

[Footnote 430: Hist. MSS. Com. MSS. of Duke of Buccleuch at Montagu House.

Vol. I, p. 440.]

[Footnote 431: "A nos chers et bien aimez le grand Prieur et Religieux de l'Abbaye Royalle de S. Denis en France" (September 12th, 1669).--Arch.

Nat., K. 119, No. 7.]

[Footnote 432: The official account of the Queen's death and of the three funeral services is contained in MS. Cinqants de Colbert, p. 142.]

[Footnote 433: "Oraison funebre de Henriette Marie de France Reyne de la Grande Bretagne p.r.o.noncee dans l'Eglise de Saint Denys en France par Monseigneur l'Evesque d'Amiens" (1670).]

[Footnote 434: Her confessor at the time of her death was Father Lambert, who succeeded Father Viette.]

[Footnote 435: MS. Cinq cents de Colbert, p. 142.]

[Footnote 436: Cinq cents de Colbert, p. 142.]

[Footnote 437: On the first day of the year 1670 Walter Montagu "Voulant temoyner sa reconnaissance envers la Reine d'Angleterre ... indiqua dans son eglise [S. Martin's, Pontoise] un service solemnel par le repos de son ame."--Histoire de l'Abbaye de S. Martin de Pontoise, 1769. Bibliotheque Mazarine, MS. 3368.]

[Footnote 438: Arch. Nat., K. 1303, No. 6. The portion sold realized 4143.]

[Footnote 439: It is necessary to say a few words as to the alleged marriage between Henrietta Maria and Jermyn. It was believed by some contemporaries (e.g. Pepys and Reresby) that they were married, but it is very unlikely that this was the case. In a note to Smeaton's reprint (1820) to _The Life and Death of that matchless mirror of Magnanimity and Heroick Vertue Henrietta Maria de Bourbon_, it is a.s.serted that a doc.u.ment was in existence in which Jermyn settled property on Henrietta Maria at the time of his marriage with her. This statement is absolutely unsupported, and even if the doc.u.ment ever existed it may have been a forgery. Henrietta as a Catholic could not have married Jermyn, a Protestant, without a dispensation from the Pope, which it would have been very difficult to obtain without the transaction becoming known. No trace of a dispensation has ever been found. The Queen's closest friends, Mme de Motteville and the Chaillot nuns, give no hint of such marriage, of which, had it existed, they must have been aware.]

[Footnote 440: Now the Hopital Laennec in the Rue de Sevres.]

[Footnote 441: William Clifford, whom Henrietta Maria recommended to the Pope in 1656 as a suitable bishop for England. P.R.O. Roman Transcripts.]

[Footnote 442: Bib. Mazarin, MS. 3368.]

[Footnote 443: Hist. MSS. Com. MSS. of Duke of Buccleuch at Montagu House.

Vol. I, p. 423.]

[Footnote 444: It is usually said that he was buried at the Incurables, but both the contemporary Gazette and Abbess Neville's Annals (of the English Benedictines at Pontoise) say that he was buried at S. Martin's, and the latter authority, which gives many details of his later life, adds that the interment took place in the chapel of S. Walter, and there is no doubt that their statement is correct. How the mistake arose is seen from a doc.u.ment preserved in the Archives de l'a.s.sistance Publique, fonds des Incurables, carton 22, which speaks of a monument "posee, sur les entrailles de M. de Montagu en la nef de l'eglise dud" hospital [des Incurables].]

[Footnote 445: William Browne.]

APPENDIX

I

ARCHIVES OF THE SEE OF WESTMINSTER

_The answer given by the Commissioners of the Counsell to the French Emba.s.sadour Mareshall Ba.s.sompiere_

The French were sent away as delinquents, having by their ill-carriage troubled the affaires of the kingdome, the domesticall government of his Ma:ties house, and the sacred union betwixt his Ma:tie and the Queene. The French Bishop and Blainvill endeavoured to make factione betwyeen the subiectes and the King stirring up men of ill affections in the Parliament against that which was for the service of the King and the tranquillity of the State. Some French officers suffered others to take houses in their names, where priestes might retire and there they brought up young weemen and children to be sent to the Spanish seminaries. They made the Queene's house a Rande-vous for Jesuits and fugitives. They subtly discovered what pa.s.sed in privat betweene the K. and the Queene. They obliged her to take their opinion and allowance upon everything wh. the K. propounded and required of her. They endeavoured to frame a repugnance in the Queene to all wh. the King desired and ordained and they professed to foment discord betweene their Ma:ties as a thing importing the good of the Churche. They endeavoured to imprint in our Queene contempt of our nation, customes, and language. They had wrought the Qu.'s person, as it were to a kinde of rule of monasticall obedience, so farr as to make her doe things base and servil. They led her a foote a long waye to make her goe in devotion to the place where they are wont to execute infamous malefactours; which acte did turne not only to the shame of the Queene, but to the infamie of the K's predecessours for having put innocent persons to death, whom these fellows count martyrs, whereas not one was executed for Religion, but for crime of treason in the highest degree....

II

P.R.O. ROMAN TRANSCRIPTS

(_To Cardinal Barberini_)

Le grand zele qui a tourjours paru en sa Saintete pour procurer ladvantage de la religion catolique en ce peis et la pa.s.sion que jay par tout les moyens possibles de contribuer, moblige a communi que a sa saintete a quoy la conjonction presante menase de la reduire; et de proposer a Sa Satete les melieurs expedients que je puis trouuer pour y remidier a fin de voir sette descharge de mestre aquitee de tout ce qui despandoit de moy tout le monde a ases de congnoisance de v[~re] piete et moy ases de preuues de v[~re] affection pour ma.s.surer que vous contribures de bon coeur a se deseing: en quoy le secret est sy important que je nay pas trouue apropos de vous envoyer une personne expres de peur de donner ombrage ysy qui pouroit fort nuir aux affaires du Roy Monseigneur et des catoliques: la Violence avec quoy le parlement a commance contre les catoliques a oblige le Roy Monseigneur a leur accorder la demande quils ont faite de banir les catoliques a dix milles de Londre, ils commansent a faire une riguoreuse recherche contre touts les prestres et menasent de mestre toute les loix les plus severes en execution contre eux qui vont jusques au sang, et moy mesme suis menacee de avoir mon contract de marriage rompu: et particulierement en se qui est des prestres; et la misere est que les affaires du Roy Monseigneur ne luy permette pas de soposer a toute sette violance a quoy il a bien paru depuis son avenemant a la couronne que son naturel ne a pas estte porte car au contaire il soufre maintenant pour sa bonte envers seux de [~nr]e religion; jay songe a un moyen et le seull que se tamps sy permet pour prevenir une grande partie de ses violances qui est pour employer de largent pour gagner les princ.i.p.aux de sette faction puritaine, et je croye avoir tellemant dispoise mon deseing quil ne me manquera que argent pour en venir about: les desordres de se peis sy randent impossible de trouuer ysy une telle somme dargent quil faudroit a cause _de lesclat que sela feroit_, se qui pouroit aussy frustrer le sucses: sest pour quoy jay cru en premier lieu estre obligee davoir recours a sa Saintete pour luy demander son a.s.sistance en une occasion sy presante et le danger sy ineuitable sans se remede a fin quil voye quil nia rien que je ne desire exposer en sette cause je mofre a donner telle caution qui sera valable pour la somme de cinc cent mil escus; car les catoliques estant une fois eschapes de se parlement present il ne oroit que a esperer et rien a craindre dhors en avant et le seul moyent est seluy que je propose: sest pourquoy je vous prie de communiquer sesy a Sa Saintete, a qui je suplie tres humblement de ne le consulter quavec vous car sy sela venoit a estre seu je serois perduee; et de me faire responce la plus prompte que sera possible, et selon v[~re] resolution, vous pouues envoyer les lettres de change a Paris pour me les faire tenir ysy et le plus secretement que faire se peut. Je ne doute pas que si il plaist a sa Stete de masister en ce deseing de remestre les catoliques en repos et de porter le Roy Monseigneur a leur faire plus de grases que jamais. En tout cas joray le temognage de sa Stete et le v[~re] davoir fait de mon coste tout mon possible pour faire reusir se deseing sy bon et utille a la religion; je nay que faire a vous presser de contribuer a sesy v[~re] piete vous porte ases a le faire seullemant une prompte responce la queue jatans par le mesme porteur le quel jay envoye a Paris pour vous faire tenir selle sy par Mr. le nonce la faire demandant rien plus que la diligence et le secret je me remest a la prudence de Sa Stete. et a la vostre et demeureray.

Mon cousin, V[~re] bien affectionne cousine,

HENRIETTE MARIE R.

Il nia personne que sa Stete.

vous et moy qui sache se sy encore.

III

THOMASOM TRACTS

The Queene's Proceedings in Holland. Being the copie of a letter from the Staple at Middleborough to Mr. Vanrode a Dutch Marchant in London. (19 Dec.

1642.).... Colonel Goring is travelled into Ortoys and Flanders to raise forces of Men and Armour, he having a Commission from the King of France to take a certaine number from each Garrison, for the Queene and present supply for England. Colonel Gage who is Colonell over the English in Flanders, gave Colonel Goring a Challenge for presuming to beat up his Drums to flock away his Officers and Souldiers, nevertheless the souldiers being poore and long behind of their contribution mony agreed, and five or 600 English followed Colonel Goring to Dunkirke, Newport, Ostend, and Graveling, where they now remaine till they be Shipt for England, there hath bin great meanes to the States that these Souldiers might bee permitted to pa.s.se through their Country and so take shipping for England, but the Queene nor the Amba.s.sador can prevaile with the States for their consents therein. I have also here set you downe the summes of money raised amongst the Priests, Jesuites, Seminaries, Friers, Nuns, and holy Sisters through the land, and paid in to the Jesuites of St. Omers his Colledge towards the maintenance of his Majesties warres. And first as in order the English Cloyster at St. Omers,[446] the Jesuits have raised 3000 pounds, besides the Taxes they have imposed upon every Scholler 5_l._ a man being about 400, and that if any shall refuse the payment thereof to lose their Degrees in the House, and be for ever discharged for having any future benefit therein: in which Colledge the sum collected amounts about 3500_l_, Secondly at Ayres, the summe collected amounts unto 500_l_, Thirdly, at Beteone, the summe collected amounts unto 500_l_, Fourthly at Arras, the some of 2000_l_, Fifthly at the University of Doway 1000_l_, Sixtly at Gaunt, betweene the Colledge of English and Irish Priests, and the Matron of the Nunnes there, was Collected 500_l_, Seventhly at Durmount, 50_l_, eightly at Bruzels, from the Countesse of Westmoreland, and the Lady Babthorpe, Matrons of the holy Nuns, and the three Cloysters English, Irish, and Walloons, 3000_l_, Ninthly at Lovain, 1000_l_, Tenthly at Bridges, 300_l_, Eleventhly at Casteele, 200_l_, Twelfely at Newport 200_l_, Thirteenth at Ostend 100_l_, Fourteenth at Graveling, 100_l_, Fifteenth at Dunkerke, 500_l_, all which summes amounteth about 15000_l_, have bin Collected and in the hands of Father Browne the Head of St. Omers Colledges, besides 5000_l_ more gathered from the Governours of every Towne Village or petty Dorpe, which makes the sum of 20 thousand pounds, all which is intended to be transported to his Majesty from Dunkirke, besides the weekely allowance the Colledges will disburse towards the maintenance of the five hundred Souldiers under the command of Colonell Goring during his Majesties warres with the Parliament....