Chapter 7

39.Rawlinson MS. (Bodleian).

“I have acquainted your neece Mrs Hide with the tendernesse you expresse for her, who returns her humble service to you with many thanks for your care of her. But shee hath not been in any such euill disposition of health as it seemes you have been informed, only one day shee took a little physick since when shee hath euer been a great deal healthfuller and handsomer than before, and shee is indeed a veryexcellent person both for body and minde as any young gentlewoman that I know.”[40]

40.Nicholas Papers.

Whether she won such golden opinions at Paris does not appear, but probably she held her own there as well as in Holland. She had always plenty of self-possession, which carried her through many anxious moments, and if any special admirers manifested themselves there, it must have been only to be flouted.

If the image of one too high in place to be acknowledged had already been imprinted on her mind, she at least made no sign, but it is evident that the young maid of honour was in no apparent haste to change her condition, and was capable of determination in the management of her affairs. She did not succeed in overcoming the prejudice of the English queen-mother, and this was no doubt a cause of keen disappointment and vexation to her own mistress. Mary had also other reasons for annoyance on her own account. Besides the fact of Frances Stanhope’s conversion to Rome, which was made as public as possible, she had to withstand her mother’s pertinacity in this direction. Henrietta, who never left a stone unturned tobring her children over to her own faith, insisted on taking her elder daughter with her to her beloved convent at Chaillot, in the hope of working on her feelings to the extent of securing her for the fold of Rome. These efforts were useless, but they made matters more or less uncomfortable for the Princess, who moreover strongly resented anything in the shape of coercion. Keenly, therefore, as she appreciated and admired the splendour and gaiety of the French Court, her visit was not altogether free from drawbacks. Nevertheless, she might have prolonged her stay but for the intelligence of her little son’s alarming illness. It turned out to be only measles, and the child made a good recovery, but his mother lost no time in starting on her journey, and it was not long before she and her train found themselves once more at home. It is certain that the Princess had at this time no suspicion of any understanding between her brother and Anne Hyde, for the latter remained in her service and high in her favour till the year before the Restoration. One glimpse we have of the English girl at this time from the facile and often extremely amusing pen of the Princess Palatine, Elizabeth Charlotte, afterwards Duchesse d’Orléans, butat that time a child. Her grandmother, the Queen of Bohemia, brought her to Mary’s Court, a wild, unruly little person, but she records gratefully the fact that Mistress Hyde was kind and good-natured.

“My aunt [Sophia, Electress of Hanover] did not visit the Princess Royal, but the Queen of Bohemia did, and took me with her. Before I set out, my aunt said to me: ‘Lisette, take care not to behave as you generally do. Follow the Queen step by step, that she may not have to wait for you.’ ‘Oh, aunt,’ I replied, ‘you shall hear how well I behave.’

“When we arrived at the Princess Royal’s, whom I did not know, I saw her son, whom I had often played with. After gazing for a long time at his mother, without knowing who she was, I went back to see if I could find any one who could tell me her name. Seeing only the Prince of Orange, I said: ‘Pray can you tell me who is that woman with so tremendous a nose?’ He laughed and answered: ‘That is my Mother, the Princess Royal.’

“I was quite stupefied at the blunder I had committed. Mdlle Hyde, perceiving my confusion, took me with the Prince into thePrincess’s bed chamber, where we played at all sorts of games. I had told them to call me when the Queen was ready to go. We were both rolling on a Turkey carpet when I was summoned. I arose in great haste, and ran into the hall, but the Queen was already in the ante-chamber. Without losing a moment I seized the robe of the Princess Royal and, making her a courtesy at the same time, placed myself directly before her, and followed the Queen step by step into her coach. Every one was laughing at me, but I had no idea what it was for.

“When we came home, the Queen sought out my aunt, and seating herself on the bed, burst into a loud laugh. ‘Lisette,’ said she, ‘has made a delightful visit,’ and related all I had done, which made the Electress laugh more than her mother. ‘Lisette,’ said she, ‘you have done right, and revenged us well on the haughtiness of the Princess.’”

This episode throws another side-light on Mary’s reputation for pride, and her steady determination in exacting all the respect due to her rank—a determination which we see to be more or less resented among her German relations.[41]

41.“Tudor and Stuart Princesses.” Agnes Strickland.

During the years that were yet to intervene before the Restoration, Hyde himself was to know little of peace. He was constantly on the move, now with the King at Bruges, now obeying a summons from the Princess Royal. His wife was writing in 1657 and 1658 to John Nicholas, on various domestic questions, yet always betraying her disappointment at her husband’s long absences and the uncertainty that attended his return to her. The long and steady friendship with the family of the Secretary extended over a long term of years, and never failed until death stepped in to close it.

These letters were all written from Breda, at the house where the Princess Dowager had established the Hyde family, and the first which now follows was addressed to Bruges.

“Sep. 20, 1657.

“I take it for a very perticuler favour to finde myselfe preserved in Master Secretaries and my Ladys remembrance, and you will very much oblige your servant in returning my most humble and most affectionat serv’ces to them, please to assure my Lady that I will be very carefull in obeying her commands, but I am afrade I shall not performe them, as I desire,lining Cloth being much deerer than ever I knew it, but Roberts and I will doe our best; the goode Company you speake of will not make me stay much the longer here, for as soone as my Husband hath performed his duty to the Princesse we shall make hast to you, my Husbands business not alowing him many play days, besids he is impatient, wchI am in my winter matter, though wee are now like to stay a little Longer then wee once intended. I hope our frinds will not conclude wththe rest that wee will come no more, but looke upon the trew cause wchdepends upon our Master, thay say heare that the Princesse will be heare the later end of the weake, and my Husband in his last gives me hops that he shall be heare Saturday next, and he thretens me that he will stay but very few days at Breda; to tell you I wish to be at Bruges I know you will say is a compliment but I doe assure you from the munite I leave the place, I shall wish myselfe wthyour excelent familey to every of which I am a most reall servant and very perticulerly

“Sr

“most affectionatly your

“faithfull servant

“Fran: Hyde.

“Pray my serv’ces to your Brother and if it will not importune you to much, lett the rest of my friends know I am there servant.”[42]

42.2536, Nicholas Papers. Egerton MS.

The next letter is addressed to Brussels, to which place the Nicholas family had transferred itself. Lady Hyde here makes allusion to one of her children, Laurence, afterwards Earl of Rochester, who seems to have become on his own account a correspondent of John Nicholas.

“16 May 1658.

“I have many thankes to give you for your care to me, and though it be longe, doe not forgitt the civilitie of your letter to me wchthe many indisposisons I have had sence my Lyeing in hath kepte me from. Lory hath given you many a scrouble of from me of wchI hope you will excuse wththe rest. I am sure I must relye one your goodnesse for it. Your last to Lory hath given me great sattisfactione in Mr Secretaries perfecte recoverey. I pray God continew his health to him, and make you and your hole familey as happy as I wishe you. I was in hopes to have bin wthyou longe before this time but the unsertainty of the Kings being,keepes me still here, and now my Lord sends me word that he will come hether, so that I am not like to see you a great while, unlesse Mr Secretarey please to make his way to Bruges whether I here he intends to goe as soon as the Kinge is gon, pray tell him from me wthmy humble serv’ces that it is but a Summers [day?] Journey and I know my Lady will dispense whhis absence for a few days more. If my Lady your Mother still want a waiteing woman, I can helpe her to a prety younge maid, I beleave you may know her mother, it is Mrs Gandye; now if my Lady will doe an acte of Charity, I beleave she will in a short time make her fitt for her serv’ces but she is holy to be tought. I can only commend her for a prety civil maid, and truly I beleave her capable to learne. She is about my haight and 16 yeares of age. I would not write to my Lady about it, because even you can tell better then I can, whether this is fit proposition, all wchI refere to you and desire only this from you, that you would not move it to my Lady, unlesse you like it very well, for I tell you againe she is to be maid a servant by those that take her. Excuse this trouble with the rest.”

Lady Hyde seems to have been as eager to supply her friends with servants as some of her sisters in modern life, but laudably anxious to be quite discreet in her recommendations.

In the next letter, dated 27th May 1658, there is an allusion to her eldest son Henry, who was to succeed his father as second Earl of Clarendon and who was at this time at Brussels under the care of the Nicholas family. There is also mention of little Frances, the younger daughter, who seems to have come back to her mother’s keeping recently from England (if she had been left there). The remark as to her English speaking points to this conclusion. But the chief anxiety in the writer’s mind is the condition of her father, Sir Thomas Aylesbury, who was an inmate of her house, and then in rapidly failing health.

“You are very much in the wright, I am not yet so raidy, and if I were, should not use it to my friends and perticulerly where I owe so much as to your familey, and wthour acomplement the blush would returne upon myselfe, if I should forgitt to returne my thankes to you. I am againe to thanke you for delivering my message to Mr Secretarey, and upon my wordboth he and you shdbe very welcome if you make Breda your way to Bruges. MrsFrances will be able to make you speaches in English, whI am sure you will say is Language enough for a woman, and if this will not bringe you, I can say no more. I am glad my Husband hath refused to lend his House at Bruges, it Lookes, as you say, as if it shou’d returne, but of this I know nothing, but I assure you I should have great sattisfactione if it bringe me to my Lady. I beleave indeed it is not possible for you to guise at my Lord’s coming; I thinke from the first weeke of my being brought to bed, he hath promised to come to me, but now I will not so much as thinke of it till I see him, though he still says it will not be long before he come. I wish I could tell you that my Father were well but his sore mouth makes me much afraide of him and yett to-day at present I thinke him better than he was a week agoe; haveing latly hard from Monsieur Charles I cannot but tell you that he is well, and his dry Nurse assures me he grows apace. Pray present my afectionat and humble serve’s to MrSecretarie, and when you write to Bruges lett my Lady know I am her most faithfull servant; though I am to make no complaints, you may tell myHary I have not hard from his Father sence the 20. I wish it may prove a signe of your removing towards Breda.”

The succeeding letter, which is dated 3rd June 1658, contains an allusion to the siege of Dunkirk, which had been invested on the 25th May by the English and French forces under Turenne. The Spanish army marched from Brussels to relieve the town, and in this host were the Dukes of York and Gloucester and the famous Condé, who, however, was not allowed a free hand, for it was against his advice that the Spanish Ambassador, Don John of Austria, persisted in giving battle. It was then that the Prince said to the Duke of Gloucester: “Did you ever see a battle fought?” and on the boy answering that he had not, Condé[43]rejoined grimly, “Well, you will soon see a battle lost.”

43.Knight’s “Popular History of England.”

“This is to acknowledge yours of the 27. of the last Month and to intreate you to returne my humble serv’es to my Lady whmy thankes for her willingness to receive a servant from me. Pray assure her LaspI am very well sattisfied with her reason in not taking another servantat this time, and when I have the happiness to see my Lady shall speake wthher more at large of the person I would recomend to her. I am very sorry the plague is feared at Bruges, and much troubled for Dunquerque. I pray God preserve them from the French. I hope you will not be angry if I wish my Lady’s house at Breda this sumer, upon my word I should looke upon it as a great blessing to me. What the people wthyou intend, God knows, and though I must submitt to my Lords businesse, I confesse I am troubled that he is not now heare, my Father being not like to recover, and wishing every day to see my Husband, this will I hope excuse my sad impatience. Pray my humble serv’es to MrSecretary and tell him I doe still hope to see him here as I do our souter.”

The letter of 6th June makes another reference to Dunkirk.

“You are so great a courter that I could quarrell wthyou for useing me so like a strainger, and you have forgotten my humor if you thinke I expect it from my freinds. I am very glad that you have some hopes of Mr Secretaries cominge hether, pray present my humble serv’esto him and be sure you doe all good offeces that may bringe him to Breda. If my Lady Steephens can helpe my Lady your Mother to a good waiteing woman and it be not inconvenent to my Lady to take her I hope nothing I have said shall hender her from it, for the Person I proposed is to be maid usefull to my Lady by her owne trouble in scatching and making her fitt for her Lapsserv’es, and therefore is not to keepe her from a better. I only named this in case there were not a better to be had and so beseech you to lett my Lady know wthmy most affectionat and humble serv’es to her. Thay say Dunquerque is releeved, but being but Breda’s news I feare it, how ever I wish my Lady a neerer neighbor and that it were in my power to doe anything towards it that I might inioye her Lapscompany. Sence I tould you that I thought my Father was better, I have bin in a great fright for him but I thanke God he is now better and was this week tooke to take the Ayre wchI thinke hath don him goode, but God knows he is brought very low, wchkeepes me in continual fear for him though I am very confident my Lord will come to Breda, and beleave you thinke he will surprise me, yett the people he hath to Leave wthare so unsertanethat it is imposible for me to beleave anything of his coming tell I see him: my Father’s illnesse makes me more impatient of his stay then otherways I should be but I must submitt to all.”

The next letter of 13th June lays further stress on Sir Thomas Aylesbury’s failing condition, and there is an allusion which looks as if little Frances Hyde were a special pet of the Secretary’s.

“You see how kind I am to myself in desiring so good a family as yours neere me and I wish wthall my heart it might be in my power to serve my Lady if she should be put to a remove I assure you none could wthgreater alacrety serve her then myselfe in the meane time, so if my Lady have a mind to change the ayre I will make her as good a conveniency wthme as I can. I thanke you for the share you are pleased to beare with us in our afflictions for my Father. I am daly in great aprehensions of him yett at present wee thinke him somthing better then he was, pray give me your prayers for him; my Lord hath againe given me hopes of seeing him this weeke and by wtyou say I should beconfident of it, but the King’s irresolution makes me still in doubt. The sweete meate box wthout asking any questions, is most freely at your dispose. I will still hope to see Mr Secretarie here, and so pray tell him with my most humble serv’es and that his servant little Franke shall eate cold puding with him for a wager, my humble serv’es to my Lady your Mother when you write, if you will excuse the hast of this scribled paper. I shall not doubt of your charity to

“Sryour most faithfull servant.”

All the letters show how much the movements of the exiled King and his sister affected the Hyde household at Breda, and Lady Hyde’s comments betray a certain impatience and irritation at the fact. It is evident that to some extent she resented her husband’s constant periods of absence, and scarcely considered them necessary, though she saw nothing for it but submission.

“June 27.

“I am now doeing a thing I doe not love to doe whis to acknowledge three of yours in owne and if I had bin alone at Breda would not have forgiven my selfe the neclicing it solong, my Lord’s coming alone would not have kepte me from it but in ernest sence the Kinge and Princesse came so neere Breda, I can safely say I have not had an houre in the day to my selfe, and this minit I have now gott in is by stealing out of a croude wchwill not alow me tim enough to ensware every particular of yours. I hope I am wrightly understud by you that I would not impose anything upon my Lady your Mother in wchI writ about the waiteing-woman, it being meerely my owne thoughts, for the person knows nothing of it, and my businesse was only to serve my Lady, if she were willing to undertake the trouble of her. Sence my husband hath found out so easy a way for my Lady I hope she will alow us some time here where I can assure her a reall and harty welcome wchI wish might make up for wtwill be wanting in the entertaine her according to my desire to a person I so truly love and honoure. Hary tells me of a third designe to borow our House at Bruges wchwthyour timely notes I thinke I shall prevent. I thank you for your prayres wchI still aske from you, though I doubt my Father will not long inioye the benefitte of them here, he weareing every day a way, I may calle it like a lampe. I pray God it may be of no morepaine to him then yett it hath bin; now I have tould you this I know you will pitty my conditione that must whether I will or now entertaine and put on a cheere looke. I would say more but Hary calles a waye wchmust wthall other faults excuse this hast.”

Her eldest son had returned, and his mother in a letter of 5th August speaks as if his health had been a matter of some anxiety.

“By your last I was in hope you would have bin at Hoochstraet in a very short time but Mr Secretary’s last illnesse makes me doubt all thoughts of that journey are Laid aside and consequently that you will not come to Breda wchin ernest I am sory for. I hope I shall not faile in my next my Husband haveing promised me that I shall come to Bruxelles this winter where I promise my selfe great sattisfactione in your excelant family. I give you many thankes for your great care and kindnesse to Hary of home I will have all the care I can and doe not doubt but he will have much better health now he is like to have more liberty in order to wchhis Father hath taken a Secretary whI beleeve Hary hath allredy tould you, as Iam confident he did that he and Lory were to goe into Holand for a weeke wthMr Bealing. I would not have given you the trouble of this account, but that I know you are Hary’s friend.”

Three days later, on 8th August, Lady Hyde alludes to the great sorrow which has befallen her in the death of her father, Sir Thomas Aylesbury, who died as previously mentioned at the age of eighty-one, surrounded by all the care and affection his daughter could lavish on him.

“I doe acknowledge I am two Letters in your dett the former of whI had answered longe before this but you know the sad conditione I was in at this time wchis so inst: an excuse and to tell you the truth I am yett unfit for anything else. I had sent you a chalinge while you were at Antwerp for not gitting one day to come to Miss Francesse, who is now al the merth of our house, but in ernest I was in hope then to have seene you, for I knew you were to returne to my Lady when the Kinge did, she being so newly come to a strange place which I have sent Mr Secretary word hath maid his pease for the present. From Hochstraet now is the place I looke for to see you, by wchtime I hope myLady will thinke it fitt to take the Ayre, I can say no more but assure you a harty wellcome.”

The last letter to be transcribed, written on 29th September, is a short one.

“I am a gaine two Letters in your dett but Downings’ disturbance was the cause wchhath kept me from acknowlideing my Lady’s favour and reioycing wthyou for Mr Secretary’s recovery, for all wchI hope to make my peace when I come, my husband tells me that shall be so quickely there, that I will say no more tell I come, but intreate you to favour me wthmy humble serv’es to Mr Secretarey and my Lady and your brother.”

These letters give a fairly close impression of the exiled Hyde household at the time when that expatriation was drawing to its close. The picture of Frances Hyde, the dutiful daughter, the devoted wife, the affectionate mother, the loyal friend, is a pleasant one, but one singular point must be noted. There is no allusion to the eldest daughter. And yet Anne, in attendance on the Princess, must have been in constant communication with her parents, both in person and by letter.

Indeed there are four letters from Anne to her father which, though undated as to the year, may probably be placed in 1658 or 1659, towards the end of her period of service.

“Hounslerdyke,

“July 24.

“My Lord,—I received yours of the 19 but yesterday, and am very glad you weare not displeased with me. I am sure I shall never willingly give you cause to be soe, and it would be the greatest trouble to me in the world if euer you are it, for the business of the play I assure you I shall never doe any such thing without her Highness command and when that is I am confident your Lordpwill not be displeased with me for it and in that and all things els neuer have nor neuer will give anybody any just cause to say anything of me. Miss Culpeper is this day gone to her Brother’s wedding when shee returnes I hope your Lordspwill give me leave to see you somewheire in the meane time I humbly beg yours and my Mothers blessing upon

“My Lord, your Lordsps

“Most dutiful and obedient daughter

“Anne Hyde.”[44]

44.Clarendon State Papers, MS. (Bodleian).

This seems to refer to some acting in which she was concerned, and which her father did not altogether approve. The following allusion in a letter from the Queen of Bohemia to Charles may refer to something of the sort:

“We have now gotten a new divertisement of little plays after supper. It was here the last week end, and now this week at your sister’s. I hope the godly will preach against it also.”[45]

45.“Tudor and Stuart Princesses.” Agnes Strickland.

Anne’s next letter to Hyde contains a covert complaint of poverty. In the light of subsequent events it is easy to see how such a condition must have been irritating to the writer.

“Hage,

“August 22.

“My Lord,—I received yours of the 20 this minit when I cam hither with her Highness in our way to Hounslerdyke from Tyling wheire wee left my Lady Stanhope, it is true that her Highness went incognito, but for business shee had none at least that I could see, but to buy some thinges, it is a very fine place but very troublesome to see when one has noe more moneyto lay out then I had, but however I am very well satified to have been theire. I pray God you may quickely heare some good news from England, we are heare in great paine not hearing anything at all, the Princess euery post askes me what I heare therefore when theire is anything may be known, I shall be glad to have it to tell her, my humble duty I beseech you to my Mother and be pleased to give both your blessings to, my Lord, your Lordspsmost dutifull and obedient daughter,

“Anne Hyde.”

The next two letters indicate that the maid of honour’s empty purse is replenished or to be so shortly.

“Hage,

“October 21.

“My Lord,—Though I heard noething from Bruxells this last post I hope you are by this time perfectly recouered of your cold which I heard troubled you soe much that I was afraid my letter then would but have been troublesome to your Lordspswhich was the cause I have been soe long without writeing, but I can now give you some account of what you spoke toMonsieur D’Heenvliet, he told me that he has spoke to her Highness and that shee had promised I should very quickly have some money I am sure if he does what he can in it it may eassily be done, wee goe next weeke to Breda but the day is not yet named, but I suppose it will be the latter end of the weeke because her Highness is first to carry the Prince to Leyden. My humble duty I beseech you to my Mother, and be pleased to give both your blessings upon my Lord your Lordspsmost dutifull and obedient daughter,

“Anne Hyde.”[46]

46.Clarendon State Papers, MS. (Bodleian).

“Hage,

“November 3.

“My Lord,—I have received yours of the 13th and am very glad the King is at the Frontiers. I pray God this change in England may worke a good one for his Majesty, and give him cause quickly to come backe that wee might once againe hope to meett in England; her Highness carries the Prince to-morrow to Leyden which is the cause I write this to-day and by the Grace of God wee shall without faile goe sometime the next weeke to Breda where I shall expect yourLordspsand my Mother’s commands since you will have it soe, I will believe I am obliged to Monsieur d’Heenvliet though I confess I cannot see how he could avoyd speakeing after you desired him and the proffession he makes and I am sure he deed but barely speake and I must beleeve that more is in his power. I humbly beg my Mother’s and your blessing upon my Lord your Lordspsmost dutifull and obedient daughter,

“Anne Hyde.”[47]

47.Clarendon State Papers, MS. (Bodleian).

The prince mentioned in these two letters is of course Mary’s only son William, destined afterwards to be King of England, but at this time a little boy.

And through these years from 1656 to 1659 Anne was keeping her secret well. Whether the Duke of York had arranged any means of communication or not, enough had been said at Paris. Love can live on a very small modicum of hope, and Anne’s nature may well have been of the stuff which is “wax to receive and marble to retain.”[48]

48.It is possible that her mother had some inkling of the state of affairs, and the uneasy consciousness of this may have prompted her silence as to her daughter in her own correspondence.

At this point it may be as well to see what manner of man the English prince, fated from childhood to a life of exile, appeared to his contemporaries at this period of his life.

Back to Index Next