Page:The Wentworth Papers 1715-1739.djvu/562

 544 THE WENTWORTH PAPERS.

of Burnet's History we learn that in 1703 Lady Went worth gave testimony to the genuineness of the birth to Dr. Hickes, Dean of Worcester, at the lodgings of Mrs. Dawson, in St. James's Palace, who had also been of the bedchamber to the same queen. Lady Wentworth added to her testimony " that she had asserted the truth of his birth shortly after the revolution to Dr. Burnet, now Bishop of Sarum, when she told the doctor, that she was as sure the Prince of Wales was the queen's son, as that any of her own children were hers ; and when, out of zeal for the truth and honour of my mistress, I spake in such terms as modesty would scarce let me speak at another time." A copy of the original document, which was signed by Lady Wentworth, and attested by Dr. Hickes and others, was said to be in Magdalen College, Oxford.

Colonel Cecil.

Captain, afterwards Colonel, Cecil, occasionally referred to in the correspondence, became notorious in later life as one of the chief Jacobite agents in England. Many other papers in the Wentworth collection, not otherwise of sufficient interest to be inserted in the text, furnish material for an account of himself and his family, which seems worth narrating. Among the letters- addressed to Lord Raby in 1708, is one from Wakefield, dated August 4, which runs : —

My Lord,

It is with abundance ot shame I give you this trobel to beg a faveor I haed not confidenc to aske on you when hear nor inded cane I now dow it with ouet blushin, it is my Lord to beg the faver on you to speak to my Lord Duek of Malbrow for my sone that hee will be pleased to give him a letill betor commison, he is bashfull and cannot speak for him selef, if your Lordship goes for Flandors. If not I beg the faver on you to wriet to the Duek in his be holfe. I know my Lord it is in your pouer, ben a genrall, and that the Duek won't refues aneything you aske. My son joynes with me in begin this faver of you, and if you my Lord reqire it, he can have severall frendes to give your Lordship an acount of his behaver wich I hope won't be below the caracktor of on you ar pleas'd to think worth spekin for. I humbly beg on you not to deny me this reqest, for I know you deliet in dowing good, if to me it is to a helplous widow and the best sone in the world. Good my Lord don't deny, and I hope it may puet both him and me ouet of the necesity of givein you father trobel. I am not unsencabel of the obligacions I have to your Lordship and I out not to be furthor trublsum to you, but it is natrall to adres our selefes to thos wee hope to met with a return from. I hop my Lord will ablig me in this and not to be more trobelsum I conclued my selef my Loard &c.

ANN CECILL.

The writer continues her appeal on September 29, and another letter dated January 31, 1709, concludes : " My lord give me leave to renew

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