His Grace of Osmonde | Page 6

forgiven to any handsome and
stalwart gentleman. Besides this, he had been so moved by the piteous
case of the poor Queen, during her one hopeless battle for her rights
when this termagant beauty was first thrust upon her as lady of her
bedchamber, that on those cruel days during the struggle when the poor
Catherine had found herself sitting alone, deserted, while her husband
and her courtiers gathered in laughing, worshipping groups about her
triumphant rival, this one gentleman had sought by his courteous
respect to support her in her humiliated desolation, though the King
himself had first looked black and then had privately mocked at him.
"He hath fallen in love with her," the Castlemaine had said afterwards
to a derisive group; "he hath fallen deep in love--with her long teeth
and her Portuguese farthingale."
"She needs love, poor soul, Heaven knows," the Duke returned, when
this speech was repeated to him. "A poor girl taken from her own
country, married to a King, and then insulted by his Court and his
mistresses! Some man should remember her youth and desolateness,

and not forget that another man has broke her heart and lets his women
laugh at her misfortunes."
'Twould have been a dangerous speech perhaps had a man of the Court
of Henry the Eighth made it, even to a friend, but Charles was too
lightly vicious and too fond of gay scenes to be savage. His brutality
was such as was carelessly wreaked on hearts instead of heads--hearts
he polluted, made toys of, flung in the mire or broke; heads he left on
the shoulders they belonged to. But he did not love his Grace of
Osmonde, and though his rank and character were such that he could
not well treat him with indignity, he did not regret that after his Grace's
marriage with the Lady Rosalys Delile he appeared but seldom at
Court.
"He is a tiresome fellow, for one can find no fault with him," his
Majesty said, fretfully. "Odd's fish! fortune is on his side where my
house is concerned. His father fought at Edgehill and Marston Moor,
and they tell me died but two years after Naseby of a wound he had
there. Let him go and bury himself on his great estates, play the
benefactor to his tenantry, listen to his Chaplain's homilies, and pay
stately visits to the manors of his neighbours."
His Grace lived much in the country, not being fond of town, but he did
not bury himself and his fair spouse. Few men lived more active lives
and found such joy in existence. He entertained at his country seats
most brilliantly, since, though he went but seldom to London, he was
able to offer London such pleasures and allurements that it was glad to
come to him. There were those who were delighted to leave the Court
itself to visit Roxholm or Camylott or some other of his domains. Men
who loved hunting and out-of-door life found entertainment on the
estates of a man who was the most splendid sportsman of his day,
whose moors and forests provided the finest game and his stables the
finest horses in England. Women who were beauties found that in his
stately rooms they might gather courts about them. Men of letters knew
that in his libraries they might delve deep into the richest mines. Those
who loved art found treasures in his galleries, and wide comprehension
and finished tastes in their master.
And over the assemblies, banquets, and brilliant hunt balls there
presided the woman with the loveliest eyes, 'twas said, in England,
Scotland, Ireland, or Wales--the violet eyes King Charles had been

stirred by and which had caused him a bitter scene with my Lady
Castlemaine, whose eyes were neither violet nor depths of tender purity.
The sweetest eyes in the world, all vowed them to be; and there was no
man or woman, gentle or simple, who was not rejoiced by their
smiling.
"In my book of pictures," said the little Marquess to his mother once,
"there is an angel. She looks as you do when you come in your white
robe to kiss me before you go down to dine with the ladies and
gentlemen who are our guests. Your little shining crown is made of
glittering stones, and hers is only gold. Angels wear only golden
crowns--but you are like her, mother, only more beautiful."
The child from his first years was used to the passing and repassing
across his horizon of brilliant figures and interesting ones. From the big
mullioned window of his nursery he could see the visitors come and go,
he watched the beaux and beauties saunter in the park and pleasaunce
in their brocades, laces, and plumed hats, he saw the scarlet coats ride