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“Noble Sir,

“I beseech you to present me in the most humble manner in the world to the Sacred Majesty, and to let his Majesty know I shall as cheerfully as diligently obey his Majesty’s commands. Truly, the infinite favour, honour and trust his Majesty is pleased to heap on me in this princely employment, is beyond any thing I can express. It was beyond a hope of the most partial thoughts I had about me.”—We have seen enough to be aware that Newcastle at least departed rather widely from accuracy of statement here.—“Neither is there any thing in me left, but a thankful heart filled with diligence, and obedience to his Sacred Majesty’s will.

“It is not the least favour of the King and Queen’s Majesties to let me know my obligation: and I pray, sir, humbly inform their Majesties, it is my greatest blessing that I owe myself to none but their Sacred Majesties, God ever preserve them and theirs, and make me worthy of their Majesty’s favours!

“I have but seldom had the honour to receive letters from you; but such as these you cannot write often. But truly I am very proud I received such happy news by your hand, which shall ever oblige me to be inviolably, Sir, your most faithful and obliged servant,

“W. Newcastle.

“Welbeck, the 21st of March, 1637.”

In Lodge’s opinion, although Windebank says the King had commanded him to assure Newcastle that he did not owe his appointment “to any whatsoever,” it “was most probably with Wentworth’s advice” that the King gave it to him, which seems likely enough. It is pretty clear that, all through, Newcastle had asked for the appointment himself and had got others to ask for it for him. We have seen that he sought Wentworth’s services in the matter and suggested that Wentworth should also obtain those of Lord and Lady Carlisle. At the same time he wanted to have the credit of having been given the appointment by the King, solely on the King’s own initiative, without any begging whatever, either by himself or by anybody else. Nor is it unlikely that Strafford, knowing Newcastle’s anxiety on this point, may have inspired Windebank to write the last paragraph of his letter, in which, with very suspicious ostentation, he assures Newcastle that he does not owe his appointment to any outside influence.

Few details exist concerning Newcastle’s conduct and experiences as Governor of the future Charles II. On one occasion he seems to have had reasons for complaining of his pupil to the boy’s mother, the Queen, who wrote to the little delinquent:—

“Charles,[25]

“I am sorry that I must begin my first letter by chiding you, because I hear that you will not take phisicke. I hope it was onlie for this day, and that to-morrow you will do it; for if you will not, I must come to you and make you take it, for it is for your health. I have given order to mi Lord of Newcastel to send mi word tonight whether you will or not; therefore I hope you will not give mi the paines to goe; and so I rest

“Your affectionate mother,

“Henriette Marie.

“To mi deare sonne,

the prince. 1638.”

[25] Strickland’s Queens, VIII. 73.

It may have been in sarcastic reference to this little episode that the Prince wrote the following letter in a round hand, between double lines, when his correspondent was apparently also a patient.