Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew (1st ed. vol 3).djvu/156

 The Marquis De Ruvigny had married in 1647 (page 124) Marie, daughter of Pierre Tallemant and Marie de Rambouillet; they had two surviving sons, Henri and Pierre (page 136); and when these sons had left home for military service, a niece, Mademoiselle de Ciré, was adopted as a daughter in the family. This young lady accompanied the Marquis and Marquise to England on the last-mentioned visit, but she died of small-pox in London. On his departure homeward in September 1685 Lady Russell thought she had bid a final farewell to her aged uncle, but he soon returned as a refugee.

The Marquis de Ruvigny, being a Protestant, did not make use of the Chapel of the French Embassy in London; his place of worship was the French Church in the Savoy. This Church obtained the sanction of King Charles II. on resolving to adopt a translation of the Anglican Liturgy, and was formally opened on the 14th July 1661. Among the auditory were the Countess-Dowager of Derby and the Countess of Atholl. That Lady Derby was by birth a French Protestant. She was Charlotte de la Trémoille (born 1601, died 1664), daughter of Claude, Due de la Trémoille by Lady Charlotte Brabantine de Nassau, daughter of William the Silent, Prince of Orange, and Charlotte de Bourbon Montpensier, the Prince’s third wife. The Countess of Derby, who became a widow in 1651, had a son, the eighth Earl of Derby, and three daughters, the youngest of whom was Amelia Sophia, Countess (afterwards Marchioness) of Athole. On the Restoration of Charles II., Charlotte, Countess Dowager of Derby, wrote to her cousin and sister-in-law, the Duchess de la Trémoille (Marie de la Tour d’Auvergne, daughter of the Due de Bouillon by Elizabeth de Nassau, and granddaughter of William the Silent by his fourth wife, Louise de Coligny). In her letter dated London, 13th August, 1660, she says, “I shall be very glad if M. De Ruvigny comes; I was acquainted with him before, but I did not know he was so much attached to you, and I will do as you wish.” On 2 2d September she wrote, “M. de Ruvigny has been twice to see me.” She hoped for preferment at court; but, as her biographer observes, (page 293), “Lady Derby hoped in vain, for though the Chancellor was favourable, and the King had given his promise to make her governess to his children, these children still remained unborn.” See, being the Life and Original Letters of Charlotte de la Trémoille, Countess of Derby. By Madame Guizot De Witt. London, 1869.

“This third day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and fifty three, the King residing then in Paris, and being to provide a Deputy-General for his subjects of the Pretended Reformed Religion — that office being lately vacant through the death of the Lord Marquis d’Arzilliers; — After that his Majesty had cast his eyes upon many of his subjects, he judged that he could not better fill it up than with the person of the Marquis De Ruvigny, Lieutenant-General of his armies, who is a professor of the said Pretended Reformed Religion, and endowed with many good and laudable qualities, and who has given signal testimonies of his fidelity and affection on divers occasions, and of his abilities and capacity for his Majesty’s service; And his Majesty condescending to the humble petition of his said subjects of the Pretended Reformed Religion, he has chosen and appointed the said Lord De Ruvigny to be the Deputy-General of those of the said Pretended Reformed Religion, and is well pleased that he reside near his person, and follow his court in the said quality, and to present to his Majesty their petitions, narrations, and most humble complaints, that he may take such course therein as he shall judge convenient for the benefit of his service and for the relief and satisfaction of his said subjects of the Pretended Reformed Religion. In testimony whereof his said Majesty has commanded me to expedite this present writ to the said Lord De Ruvigny, which he was pleased to sign with his own hands, and caused to be countersigned by me his Councillor and Secretary of State, and of his commandments.

