Читать книгу The First Duke and Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne - Thomas Longueville - Страница 25

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“(1640?) January 8. London.—Are the small buds of the white and red rose more delightful than the roses themselves? And cannot the King and Queen invite as stronglie as the roiall issue?

[34] Hist. Com., 13th Rep., Appendix, part ii. p. 133.

“Or has your lordship taken up your freinds opinion of you to your owne use, so that when you are in my Lord of Newcastle’s companie you cannot think of anie other. Excuse me—my Lord—I know it is a pleasure to enioy a priveledge due to the highest excelence—which is to be extreamlie honored and never seen—but withall I beleive the goodnesse of your nature so great that you will not think yourself dearelie borrowed, when your presence shall concerne the fortune of an humble servant. I write not this—my Lord—that you should take a journey on purpose, that were as extravagant as if a man should desire—the universall benefactor—the sun, to come a month or two before his time, onelie to make a spring in his garden. I will as men doe his, wait—my Lord—your comming and in the meantime promise myself good howres without the help of an astrologer, since I suddenlie hope to see the noblest planett of our orb in conjunction with your Lordship.”

Aubrey favours us with a portrait of this correspondent, and evidently familiar friend, of Newcastle: “He was of middle stature and slight strength, brisque round eie, reddish faced, and red nose (ill liver), his head not very big, his hayre a kind of sand colour; his beard turned up naturally, so that he had a brisk and gracefull looke”.

As will soon be seen, a good service which Suckling tried to do for Newcastle, resulted rather to his detriment.

After the expedition to the borders of Scotland and the settlement of his affair with Lord Holland, Newcastle returned to Welbeck, “to his great satisfaction,” says the Duchess, “and with an intent to have continued there, and rested under his own vine and managed his own estate”. As we shall find in the next chapter, he did not rest under his own vine very long.