Page:The Queens of England.djvu/507

 HENRIETTA MARIA OF FRANCE. 459 ure destructive of the whole previous benefit, which, if consum- mated, would forever have alienated that country from the royal interests, viz., the execution of the Earl of London. So obstinate is she represented to have been upon this occasion that it was not until the Marquis of Hamilton "took her up short," and "let her know she was a subject as well as himself," that she relaxed her pertinacious severity. Such instances, however, of violation, not more of the general sentiments of feminine sensibility than of her own natural- characteristic, only appear when her pride was injured by a want of respect to herself, or by some perilous sacrifice of safety or dignity involved 0x1 the part of her now fondly cherished consort. Her sorrow at the fate of the high-minded Strafford amply retrieved her character for humanity. She herself declared to Madame de Motteville that "she did all she could to save him ; not a day passed over her head but she closeted the most violent of the faction, induced Lord Danby, one of his greatest enemies, to defend him, and shed abundance of tears when the intelligence of his execution reached her;" the king and herself, as she expressed it, being both sensible that his death would some day or other rob the one of life and the other of rest. During the king's absence in Scotland, Henrietta took up her residence at Oatlands, whence, through the instrumentality of an officer on duty, the parliament endeavored to decoy the royal children into their own grasp, and had planned a nocturnal attack upon the house, the better to effect their design. The queen, however, was speedily informed by a loyal soldier of the plot, and arming her servants she "herself went to take the air in the park" during the anxious interval, which, elapsing with- out any hostile demonstration, she prevented their recurrence by removing to Hampton Court with her own guards ; and while the parliament, ashamed of detection, overwhelmed her with apologies, she employed the remainder of the king's absence in winning friends to his cause ; amongst others induc- ing "the Lord Mayor of London to renew his allegiance." Yet, with a strange contradiction of behavior, no sooner was Charles returned than she frustrated, by her hasty imprudence, a politic stratagem for his protection. The king, who had resolved on a bold attempt in the House of Commons to seize the five members who the day before had been impeached of high treason, confided his design to his queen, who, unable to restrain her exultation tilhthe whole was accomplished, revealed the plot to that "busy stateswoman, the Countess of Carlisle,"