The story of Nell Gwyn (15 page)

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THE STORY OF NELL GWYN

onces. dweight.

y= second boye weighing . . loi lo y« third boye weighing . . 93 15 ye fowered boye weighing . 88 17

Altogether two thousand two hundred

sexty fiue onces 2^ wight of sterling £ s. d.

siluer at 8s. par once, comes to . . 906 o 10 Paid for y^ Essayes of ye figures and other

things into ye tower . , . .050 Paid for iacob haalle Qacob Hall] dansing

upon ye robbe [rope] of Weyer Worck 1 i 10 o For ye cleinsing and brunisching a sugar

box, a pepper box, a mustard pott and

two kmyzes o 12 o

For mending ye greatte silver andyrons . o 10 o Paid to ye cabbenet maker for ye greatte

bord for ye head of the bedstead and'

for ye other bord that comes under it

and boorring the wholles into ye

head . . . . . . .300

Paid to Mr. Consar for karuing ye said

bord . . , . . . .100 For ye bettering ye sodure wich was in the

old bedstead -537

Paid to ye smid for ye 2 yome hoops and

for ye 6 yorn baars krampes and nealles 150 Paid for ye wood denpied de staall for one

of ye figures 046

Paid ye smith for a hoock to hang up a

branche candlestick . . . .020 Paid to ye smith for ye baars kramps and

nealles to hold up ye slaues . . .050 Given to me Journey man by order of

Madame Guinne . . , . .100 Paid to ye smyth for ye yorn worck to hold

up j^e Eagles and for ye two hoocks to

hold the bedstead again the wall . .030 Paid for ye pied de stalle of Ebony to hold

up the 2 gecrses i 10 o

For ye mending of ye goold hower glasse . 026 Deliuered two siluer bottels weighing 37

onces 17 d't at 8s. par once, conies to . 15 2 9

^ Tn another bill I observe a charge "for ye cleensing of Jacobs hallo of weyer worck."

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Paid for ye other foot to hold up ye otlicr £ s. d.

figure 046

For sodering y^ wholles and for repairing

mending and cleinsing the two figures

of Mr. Traherne his making . . .300 For y<= making of a crowne upon one of

ye figures 100

Giuen to me iourney man by order of

Madame Guinne 100

Dehuered a handel of a kneif weighing

II dweight more then ye old one wich

comes with ye making ofit to . . o 5 10

For ye cleinsing of eight pictures . . o 10 o

i^"35 3 i^

And now, quitting Nelly's household and other expenses, it is full time to turn to matters of more moment.

In the autumn of 1679 died Mrs. [Jane] Roberts, the daughter of a clergyman, who had lived with the King, though she is not known to have had any children by him.^ She had sent for Burnet when dying, and expressed her sense of sorrow lor her past life in so sincere a manner, that he desired her to describe her contrition in a letter to the King. At her request Burnet drew the draft of such a letter, but she never had strength enough to copy it out. Burnet on this wrote in his own name to the King, and sent a strong letter of

1 In the Works Accounts of the Crown at Whitehall, in 1662-3, is a payment {£S2, 125. -zd.) to Paul Audley "for silvering a rayle to goe about the Duchess of York's bed, with seven pedestals and 60 Ballisters." The bed, as was long the custom, stood in an alcove off and yet in the bedchamber.

* Unless, indeed, the " Carola Roberts," of the Secret Service Expenses of Charles J I., is the daughter of this Mrs. Roberts by the King.

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remonstrance through Will Chiffinch, the keeper of the backstairs. Seldom, indc ed, has a sovereign been addressed so boldly as by Burnet in this letter.* The King read it twice over, and then threw it in the fire ; expressing himself not long after with great sharpness when Burnet's name was mentioned to him. But Charles had his own way, in this life at least, of atoning for his misdeeds, and to one of his best actions he is said to have been instigated by no less a person than Nell Gwyn.

This was the erection of a Royal Hospital at Chelsea for aged and disabled soldiers, the first stone of which was laid by the King himself in the spring of 1682. The idea, it is said, originated with Nelly, and I see no reason to doubt the tradition, supported as it is by the known benevolence of her character, her sympathy with the suffering, and the fact that sixty years ago at least Nelly's share in its foundation was recorded beneath her portrait serving as the sign of a public-house adjoining the Hospital.^ The sign remains, but not the inscription. Yet the tradition is still rife in Chelsea, and is not soon likely to die out. Ormonds, and Granbys, and Admiral Vernons disappear, but Nelly remains, and long may she swing with her favourite lamb in the row or street commemorated for ever in the Chelsea Pensioners of Wilkie !

There were thousands alive when the Hospital was first thought of, who carried about them marks

1 Burnet, ed. 1823, i. 457, ii. 287, and vi. 257; also Calamy's Life, ii. 83.

^ Lysons's Environs 0/London, ii. 155.

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of service in the recent struggle which distracted the three kingdoms, in a way in which, let us hope, they will never again be made to suffer. There were old men who had fought at Edge Hill and Marston Moor, and younger ones who could show that they had bled at Naseby or at Worcester. The Restoration had witnessed the establishment of a standing army, and many of Cromwell's Ironsides filling the ranks of the Coldstream Guards and Oxford Blues were now unfit for active service, and younger men were required to fill their places. What was to become of the veterans when their pay was gone? Their trade had been war, and their pay never sufficient for more than their immediate wants. But for Chelsea Hospital they might have starved on the casual bounty of the people and the chance assistance of their younger comrades.

In an age when new books were numerous—and few appeared without a dedication—it is natural to infer that Nelly would not escape. Three dedications to her are known. One in 1674, by Duffet, before his play of The Spanish Rogue; a second in 1678, by Whitcombe, before a rare little volume called Jaiiua Divorum : or, the Lives and Histories of the Heathen Gods; and a third in 1679, by Mrs. T^ehn, before her play of The Feigned Courtezans. All are adulatory. Duffet was unknown to her, and he was not certain, he tells us, that Nelly had ever seen his play. It was, however, necessary, he observes, to have a dedication to his book, and he selected " Madam Ellen Gwyn," deeming that

THE STORY OF NELL GWYN

"under the protection of the most perfect beauty and the greatest goodness in the world" his play would be safe. "Nature," says Dufifet, "almost overcome by Art, has in yourself rallied all her scattered forces, and on your charming brow sits smiling at their slavish toils which yours and her envious foes endure; striving in vain with the fading weak supplies of Art to rival your beauties, which are ever the same and almost incomparable." This is high-flown enough ; but all is not like this ; and there is one passage which deserves to be remembered. Nelly, he says, was so readily and frequently doing good, "as if," he observes, "doing good were not her nature, but her business." The person who wrote thus happily had been a milliner in the New Exchange before he took to literature as a profession.

Whitcombe inscribes his book " To the illustrious Madam Ellen Gwyn " ; but Aphra Behn, the Astrea of the stage, is still stronger ; " Your permission has enlightened me, and I with shame look back on my past ignorance which suffered me not to pay an adoration long since where there was so very much due ; yet even now, though secure in my opinion, I make this sacrifice with infinite fear and trembling, well knowing that so excellent and perfect a creature as yourself differs only from the divine powers in this—the offerings made to you ought to be worthy of you, whilst they accept the will alone." Well might Johnson observe, that in the meanness and servility of hyperbolical adulation, Dryden had never been equalled, except by

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Aphra Behn in an address to Eleanor Gwyn. But the arrow of adulation is not yet drawn to the head, and Mrs. Behn goes on to say, " Besides all the charms, and attractions, and powers of your sex, you have beauties peculiar to yourself—an eternal sweetness, youth, and air which never dwelt in any face but yours. You never appear but you gladden the hearts of all that have the happy fortune to see you, as if you were made on purpose to put the whole world into good humour." This, however, is not all, for the strain turns to her children, and her own humility, and is therefore nearer the truth. "Heaven has bestowed on you," adds Aphra, " two noble branches, whom you have permitted to wear those glorious titles which you yourself generously neglected." Two noble branches indeed they were, if the graver of Blooteling, who wrought while Nelly was alive, has not done more than justice to their looks.

Troubles were now surrounding Nelly. At Paris, in September 1680, died James, Lord Beauclerk, her second and youngest son. In the summer of the succeeding year, Lacy, the actor, was buried in St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, whither she herself was soon to follow. In 1683 died Charles Hart, her old admirer; and in the following year died Major Mohun. A garter and other honours awaited the son of her old rival, the Duchess of Portsmouth. Yet she was still cheerful, and sought even more assiduously for other honours for her only child. Nor was the King unwilling to hearken to the entreaties of Nelly in her boy's behalf. On the

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loth of January 1683-4, eight days after the death of old Henry jermyn, Earl of St. Albans, the boy Earl of Burford was created Duke of St. Albans, and appointed to the then lucrative offices of Registrar of the High Court of Chancery and Master Falconer of England. The latter office is still enjoyed by the present Duke of St. Albans.

The only letter of Nelly's composition known to exist relates to this period of her life. It is written on a sheet of very thin gilt-edged paper, in a neat, Italian hand, not her own, and is thus addressed :—

These for Madam Jennings over against the Tub Tavern in Jermin Street, London. Windsor, Burford House, Aprill 14, 1684-

Madam, —I have receiv'd y' Letter, and I desire y" would speake to my Ladle Williams to send me the Gold Stuffe, & a Note with it, because I must sign it, then she shall have her money ye next Day of Mr. Trant; pray tell her Ladieship, that I will send her a Note of what Quantity of Things I 'le have bought, if her Ladieship will put herselfe to ye Trouble to buy them ; when they are bought I will sign a Note for her to be payd. Pray Madam, let ye Man goe on with my Sedan, and send Potvin and Mr. Coker down to me, for I want them both. The Bill is very dear to boyle the Plate, but necessity hath noe Law. I am afraid M"". you have forgott my Mantle, which you were to line with Musk Colour Sattin, and all my other Things, for you send me noe Patterns nor Answer. Monsieur Lainey is going away. Pray send me word about your son Griffin, for his Majestic is migtity well pleased that he will goe along with my Lord Duke. I am afraid you are so much taken up with your owne House, that you forget my Businesse. My service to dear Lord Kildare, and tell him I love him with all my heart. Pray M™. see that Potvin brings now all my Things with him: My Lord Duke's bed, &c. if he hath not made them all up, he may doe that here, for if I doe not get my Things out of his Hands now, I shall not have them until this time twelvemonth. The Dulce brought me down with

135

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him my Crochet of Diamonds; and I love it the better because he brought it. Mr. Lumley and everie body else will tell you that it is the finest Thing that ever was seen. Good M"". speake to Mr. Beaver to come down too, that 1 may bespeake a Ring for the Duke of Grafton before he goes into France.

I have continued extreme ill ever since you leaft me, and I am see still. 1 have sent to London for a Dr. 1 believe I shall die. My service to the Duchess of Norfolk, and tell her, I am as sick as her Grace, but do not know what I ayle, although shee does, which I am overjoyed that shee goes on with her great Belly.

Pray tell my Ladie Williams that the King's Mistresses are accounted ill paymasters, but shee shall have her Money the next Day after I have the stuffe.

Here is a sad slaughter at Windsor, the young mens taking y Leaves and going to France, and, although they are none of my Lovers, yet I am loath to part with the men. Mrs. Jennings, I love you with all my Heart and soe good bye.

E. G.

Let me have an Answer to this Letter.