Page:Poems of Anne Countess of Winchilsea 1903.djvu/29

 INTBODUCTION xxv ���bedchamber. But though brought up to arms and forced by circumstances into public life, not Anne Kingsmill her- self had a more genuine love for studious retirement than possessed the mind of this captain and courtier. Doubtless no dignity of these days was more prized by him than the D. C. L. bestowed upon him by Oxford when he went thither with James, May 22, 1683. �How long Anne's stubborn heart resisted Mr. Finch's constancy cannot be definitely told, but the marriage license reads as follows : �14 May, 1684. Appeared personally Collonell Heneage Finch of Eastwell in ye County of Kent, Batchelor, aged ab. 27 years, and alleadged that he intends to marry with Madam Anne Kings- mill of ye Parish of St. Martins in ye fields in ye county of Midd'l a spinster aged ab. 18 years at her own disposal he not knowing any lawful let or impediment to hinder ye said intended marriage of ye truth of which he made oath and prayed a Lycence for them to be married in the Chappie of St. James in ye parish of St. Martin in ye fiields after. �The " spinster ab. 18 years " is a delicious bit of coquetry, a charming subjugation of the independent maid of honor to the prejudices of her day. She was cer- tainly twenty-two. A relentless cordon of dates makes escape impossible. But who can censure the smooth little "about" which let Anne into the paradise of eighteen, if he but recalls the fact that in her day and circle, from fourteen to eighteen were the marriageable ages, that to be twenty-one was to rank as "ancient," while to be twenty- three was to be off the stage ? Anne's mother had indulged in a like evasive phrase, when, in her second wedding license, she put herself on record as " above thirty." The marriage probably took place on the following day, a day commemo- rated thirty-nine years later in Lord Winchilsea's private journal by the simple entry, " May 15, 1684. Most blessed day." And though succeeding years held much in the way ��� �