Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew vol 1.djvu/349

 Ruvigny only; for if Protestant deputations were admitted to occasional audiences, all that Parisians could obtain was an unfavourable reply, while deputies from the country received rebuffs and threats. On his return to France, their religious grievances were not publicly discussed, partly because the politicians were occupied with the Anglo-French negotiations with Holland, and partly on account of Ruvigny’s bad health.

During Ruvigny’s residence in England, Lord Sunderland asked him to recommend a French Protestant tutor. This gave him an opportunity of serving an eminent scholar, Jean Rou, whose Memoirs are celebrated in Huguenot literature. Rou had compiled a series of accurate and interesting Chronological Tables on a large scale. Some of the plain facts thus chronicled being disagreeable to the Romanists, not only was it forbidden that Rou’s work should be printed, but Rou himself was arrested and imprisoned in the Bastile. In a short time he was set at liberty, to give him an opportunity of making alterations, which the government called corrections, in his work, before again bringing it to light. To a conscientious author this amounted to a total prohibition of the publication, and Rou was therefore advised to go abroad as a tutor. On Ruvigny’s recommendation he was installed at Althorpe in the spring of 1678 as tutor to Lord Spencer and his sister, while the parents, the Earl and Countess of Sunderland, statedly resided in London. A few months afterwards the Earl’s residence was at Paris, he having been appointed Ambassador. The father, thinking only of learning and accomplishments, was highly satisfied with Rou. But the mother, unwilling to hear any complaints against her son, and being chiefly anxious as to his bodily safety in play-hours, seemed to wish Rou to act as a nurse more than as a tutor; and taking advantage of the Earl’s absence from England, she wrote to Rou, enquiring if he disliked the boy, and concluding with a hint that he might resign his situation. He took the hint at once, and waited upon her ladyship at Whitehall to intimate his resignation, at the same time writing to Ruvigny to prepare him for seeing him in Paris. In reply, letters came both from Lord Sunderland and from Ruvigny urging him to retain his tutorship. The former, however, was intercepted by her ladyship, so that he had to guess at its contents from allusions contained in the latter, which was as follows:—

“, 27th August 1678.

“Your letter, Sir, has truly surprised me, as containing news which I never could have anticipated. I saw Mademoiselle Rou yesterday, who can bear witness to the surprise which your letter gave me. This morning I have seen the Earl of Sunderland, and what has been done in your case is directly contrary to his wishes. He has expressed to me much esteem for your person, and he wishes you with all his heart to return to his son. As to this he himself writes to you, and I believe in a style which will render your refusal impossible. He has told me her ladyship’s reason for writing to you, which was that when her son’s lesson-hours were finished, you were not enough with him; otherwise you gave her great satisfaction. It is true that she loves her son more than herself, and that she often imagines that fatal accidents are sure to befal him when no one is near him. Such fancies are the affections of a mother, which sometimes go too far, yet there is a qualified and lenient judgment concerning them to which judicious people can bring themselves, — such people as both Lord Sunderland and yourself eminently are; and thus everything may be adjusted. Your honour is safe, your merit being known and appreciated. The imposed condition is only a little more assiduity, such as you already give, but which has not been as well known in the past as it will be in the future. If nothing better suggests itself, consent to this accommodation of the matter, as the Earl of Sunderland requests it of you. I am glad to hear that you have been detained in London by such a good resolution as that of calling on the Bishop of London. This highly becoming duty will allow time for your receiving our letters and for making everything up. Whatever be the issue, be assured, sir, that I esteem you to the utmost and that you may justly expect from me all the services that I am capable of rendering. — I am with truth and feeling, Sir, Your very humble and very affectionate servant,

“.”

No letter from Lord Sunderland having been delivered to him, Rou quitted England, and paid his respects to Ruvigny at Fontainebleau in the beginning of September.

We have not yet spoken of the domestic circle of the old Marquis and Marquise de Ruvigny. The children born to them were three sons and two daughters; but the daughters and the youngest son died in infancy or childhood. Two sons grew up, both of them soldiers, Henri, the young Marquis De Ruvigny, and Pierre, tin: Sicur de La Caillemotte. When these sons had to quit the parental roof, the Marquise adopted an orphan niece, Mademoiselle de Ciré. Rou gave much valued assistance in directing the more advanced portion of this young lady’s education.

Ralph Montague describes old Ruvigny as severely shaken by illness and the