CHAPTER X.

MARY CROMWELL, COUNTESS OF FALCONBERG.

The Protector's Third Daughter - Her Character - Her Marriage Curious Anecdote Connected with It - Her Personal Appearance Her Resemblance to the ProtectorHer Spirited Disposition - Anecdotes - Changes Her Principles at the Restoration-Defoe Visits Her in Her Old Age- Her Death.

MARY CROMWELL, the Protector's third daughter, was baptised on the 9th of February, 1637. She was possessed of considerable beauty and strength of mind; appears to have passed through life without enemies; and is spoken of as having been virtuous, charitable, high-spirited, and warm-hearted.

On the 18th of November, 1657, the Protector married her to Thomas Bellasyse, Viscount and afterward Earl of Falconberg. The ceremony (which is celebrated by Andrew Marvell in two pastoral eclogues of indifferent merit) was performed publicly at Hampton Court,' by one of the

"Yesterday afternoon, his Highness went to Hampton Court, and this day the most illustrious, the Lady Mary Cromwell, third daughter of his Highness the Lord Protector, was there married to the most noble lord, the Lord Falconberg, in the presence of their Highnesses and many noble persons."

Protector's chaplains, with great pomp and mag. nificence; Doctor Hewett, however, had already united them in private, according to the rites prescribed by the Church of England. Lord Clarendon considers that this previous ceremony took place with the privity of Cromwell, who "pretended," he says, "to yield to it, in compliance to the importunity and folly of his daughters." Probably," says Granger, "he might be fearful, if any revolution should take place, and his family suffer a reverse of fortune, that the husbands of his daughters might wish as much for a separation as they then courted the honour of their alliance. Perhaps Oliver was of the same opinion as Marshall, an Independent minister, who gave as the reason for marrying his daughter with the ring and Common Prayer Book, that the statute for establishing the Liturgy was not yet repealed, and he was loath to have his daughter turned back upon him, for want of a legal marriage."

There is, in Huge's Letters, an amusing pas sage, connected with Lady Falconberg's marriage, which must be given nearly in the words of the writer. "Jeremy White was Oliver's chaplain, and he was, besides, the chief wag and joker of his solemn court. As the Protector condescended to be very merry with Jerry, he said to him one day, You know the Viscount Falconberg?' Perfectly well,' said Jerry. I am going to marry my daughter Mary to him: what do you think of the mat

ter?' 'I think, sir?' said Jerry, 'that the match

will not prolong your race.' 'I am sorry for that, Jerry; why, how do you know?' 'Sir,' said Jerry, 'I speak in confidence to your Highness; there are certain defects in Lord Falconberg, that will always prevent his making you a grandfather, let him do what he can.' As this discovery was not

made only to the old Protector, it did not at all retard the completion of the match, which Oliver found, in all outward respects, suitable and convenient. So he left the lord and lady to settle the account as they might.

"Not long after, Oliver, in a bantering way, told the whole secret, with which White had entrusted him, before company, which Lord Falconberg turned off with a joke as well as he could, whilst his heart in secret was waxing exceeding wroth against Jeremiah the prophet. Instigated by this wrath, Lord Falconberg sent a message next day to Jerry to desire his company; with which invitation Jerry immediately complied, never suspecting that Oliver had betrayed the secret. Lord Falconberg received him in his study, the door of which he first locked, and then with much anger in his countenance, and a stout cane in his hand, he accosted Jerry, 'You rascal, how dare you tell such mischievous lies of me as you have done to the Protector, that I could never make him a grandfather. I am determined to break every bone in your skin: what can you say for

yourself? what excuse can you make?' All this while the cane kept flourishing over Jerry's head; who, instead of a day of dainties which he hoped to find at my lord's table, would have been glad to save the drubbing on his shoulders by going away with an empty belly. What can you say for yourself?' cried Lord Falconberg. My lord,' said Jerry, 'you are too angry for me to hope for mercy; but surely you cannot be too angry to forget justice only prove, by getting a child, that I told the Protector a lie, you may then inflict the punishment with justice, and I will bear it with patience; and if you want exercise for your cane, you may lay it over the Protector's shoulders, if you please, for betraying me.' My lord, who knew in his conscience that Jerry had told only an unseasonable truth, laughed and forgave him."

Noble, in his "Memoirs of the Cromwells," endeavours to relieve Lord Falconberg from Jerry's scandal. "For the credit," he says, "of his lordship's manhood, I must declare that this lady was once in a likely way of being a mother, if she was not actually so;" and then, to substantiate his assertion, he gives two extracts from a letter of Lord Falconberg to his brother-in-law, Henry Cromwell, dated 26th of February, 1657-8. They are as follows: "My lord, this place is at present distract from the death of Mr. Rich, especially my dame, whose condition makes it more dangerous than the rest." And his lordship breaks off,

My Lord, I am just now called to my poor wife's succour; therefore, I most humbly entreat your lordship's leave to subscribe myself sooner than I intended, my lord, your lordship's," etc. etc. Noble's defence is ingenious; but unfortunately both for Lord Falconberg and himself, it happens that this letter was written only three months and eight days after the solemnisation of the marriage; that event having taken place, as before stated, on the 18th of November, 1657.

The portrait of Lady Falconberg,' by Cornelius Jansen, is said to denote delicacy of constitution, and she has elsewhere been described as "pale and sickly." This hardly agrees with the description of Swift, who was well acquainted with her, and who observes that she resembled the pictures he had seen of her father. Lord Ilchester, who was her godson, and well remembered her, assured Granger that, if she was ever "pale and sickly," it must have been late in life; for such was certainly not her natural complexion.

Of her spirited disposition, in which she probably far more resembled the Protector, than in the mere features of her face, more than one anecdote is recorded. About the period that the body of

I According to Noble, the picture bears the initials C. J. 1638. Either he must have transcribed the date incorrectly, or it must be a portrait of some other person. Lady Falconberg was not baptised till 1636–7; and though the date of her birth is not known, it must have been but shortly before.