The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume III.Cibber, Theophilus
General
The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume III.
Cibber, Theophilus
Poets, English -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Poets, Irish -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
In a passage in his lordship's writings, it appears he was unwilling
that king James should leave England[3]. Just as the king was stepping
into bed the night before his going away, the earl of Mulgrave came into
the bed-chamber, which, being at so late an hour, might possibly give
the king some apprehensions of that lord's suspecting his design, with
which he was resolved not to trust him, nor any protestant: He therefore
stopped short, and turned about to whisper him in the ear, that his
commissioners had newly sent him a very hopeful account of some
accommodation with the Prince of Orange; to which that lord only replied
with a question, asking him if the Prince's army halted, or approached
nearer to London? the King owned they still marched on; at which the
earl shook his head, and said no more, only made him a low bow, with
a dejected countenance, humbly to make him understand that he gave no
credit to what the King's hard circumstances at that time obliged him to
dissemble. It also appears that the earl of Mulgrave was one of those
lords, who, immediately after the King's departure, sent letters to the
fleet, to the abandoned army of King James, and to all the considerable
garrisons in England, which kept them in order and subjection, not only
to the present authority, but that which should be settled afterwards.
To his lordship's humanity was owing the protection King James obtained
from the Lords in London, upon his being seized, and insulted by the
populace at Feversham in Kent; before which time, says he, 'the Peers
sat daily in the council chamber in Whitehall, where the lord Mulgrave
one morning happened to be advertised privately that the King had been
seized by the angry rabble at Feversham, and had sent a poor countryman
with the news, in order to procure his rescue, which was like to come
too late, since the messenger had waited long at the council door,
without any body's being willing to take notice of him. This sad account
moved him with great compassion at so extraordinary an instance of
worldly uncertainty; and no cautions of offending the prevailing party
were able to restrain him from shewing a little indignation at so mean a
proceeding in the council; upon which, their new president, the marquis
of Hallifax, would have adjourned it hastily, in order to prevent him.
But the lord Mulgrave earnestly conjured them all to sit down again,
that he might acquaint them with a matter that admitted no delay, and
was of the highest importance imaginable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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