Religion to be scandalized and Decency violated by the appearance of Women Actors upon the English Stage; and although the grace and loveliness of the Fair Sex are now believed to give to the Theatre its greatest charm, the rigid precision of former times could hardly frame language strong enough to portray the "sinful practice" and " enormous shamefulness" of female acting. Even the intelligent, scientific, and, in many things, liberal-minded Evelyn, speaks of the drama as abused to "an atheistical liberty," by the mere circumstance of Women being suffered to become performers :-for instance, under the date, in his "Diary," of October 18th, 1666, he thus writes. "This night was acted my Lord Broghill's Tragedy, called Mustapha, before their Ma." ties at Court, [Whitehall] at which I was present, very seldom going to the publiq theatres for many reasons, now as they were abused to an atheistical liberty, fowle and undecent women now (and never till now) permitted to appeare and act, who inflaming severall young noblemen and gallants, became their misses, and to some their wives; witness y' Earl of Oxford, Sir R. Howard, P. Rupert, the Earle of Dorset, and another greater person than any of them, who fell into their snares, to y reproach of their noble families, and ruine of both body and soule.”— Evelyn, by "another greate person," doubtless intended the King himself, Charles the Second, who had, at least, three avowed mistresses selected from the Stage, namely, Madam Davis, Mrs. Knight, and Nell Gwynn. The latter is said to have been previously kept by Lord Buckhurst, (eventually Earl of Dorset,) who, according to a lampoon of the day, quoted by Granger, was only induced to part with her from being created Earl of Middlesex, the King gave him an Earldom to resign his b-tch." But this was a mere invention of the satirist, for the intercourse between Charles and the laughter-loving Nell, commenced several years before the period when Lord Buckhurst was made Earl of Middlesex. That the latter shared her favours with the King, is certain. Speaking of the 3rd Part of the "Siege of Rhodes," under the date, 9th of January, 1662, Evelyn says, "In this acted Roxalana, from y faire and famous comedian, called part she performed; and I think it was the last, she being taken to be the Earle of Oxford's [Aubrey de Vere] Misse, as at this time they began to call lewd women."The mistress of Pritice Ropert was 'Madam Hughes,' with whom, according to Grammont, he became enamoured whilst the Court was at Tunbridge, and whose triumph over him is described by that lively writer, with the most felicitous gaiety."L'impertinente," he concludes, "voulut être attaquée dans les formes; et résistant fiérement à l'argent, pour vendre ses faveurs plus chérement dans la suite, elle faisoit faire un personnage si neuf à ce pauvre prince, qu'il ne paroissoit pas seulement vrai, semblable." He afterwards purchased for her, in દર * Henry Beauclerk, first Duke of St. Alban's, the son of Charles II, by Nell Gwynn, was born in May, 1670, and Lord Buckhurst was not created Earl of Middlesex till April, 1675, after the death of his uncle, Lionel Cranfield, the prior Earl, whose possessions he inherited. 1683, the magnificent villa which had been erected by the celebrated Sir Nicholas Crispe, near the banks of the Thames, at Hammersmith; more recently known by the name of Brandenburgh House, from having for many years been the property and residence of the late Margravine of Brandenburgh Anspach. That mansion also became the residence of the late much-calumniated Queen Caroline, who died there on the 7th of August, 1821; within a few months after which it was entirely levelled with the ground. WESTMINSTER ABBEY, -MONUMENT OF MARY, The monument of Mary, Queen of Scots, whose beauty, accomplishments, character, and untimely fate, have so frequently exercised the pen of History, was erected by her son, King James, within a year or two after his accession to the English throne, This princess was born on the 7th of December, 1542. She was the daughter and heiress of James V. of Scotland, who dying when he was only a week old, she succeeded to his crown. She was married on the 28th of April, 1558, at the early age of fifteen years and a few months, to Francis, Dauphin of France, who became King in the following year, and died on the 6th of December, 1560. After her return to Scotland, she was married, secondly, to Henry, Lord Darnley, on the 29th of July, 1565. This unfortunate Peer was basely strangled, and then blown up with gunpowder, on the night of February 10, 1567, by the contrivance of James, Earl of Both |