Page:The house of Cecil.djvu/152

 128 THE CECILS

that he was going into Yorkshire, he took " a good equipage, with sixteen or twenty men," and at Huntingdon gave them the slip, saying that he was called back urgently to London. He then made his way to Rome, having with him letters of introduction from Gondomar, the Spanish Ambassador. 1

In his absence Lady Roos proceeded to make public the scandalous charges with which she had already frightened him in private. She accused him of incestuous connection with the Countess of Exeter, the young wife of his grandfather ; and she further accused the Countess of endeavour- ing to poison her, in order to conceal her guilt.

The quarrel came to the ear of the King, who did his best to have the matter settled, with- out being brought into Court. This, however, was impossible, and the case came before the Star Chamber in March, 1618.

In order to bolster up their case, Lady Roos and her mother produced a paper purporting to be a full confession by the Countess of her guilt. They declared that all the parties had met at Wimbledon, and that the Countess had there,

1 " The Earl of Exeter complains very much of the Spanish Ambas- sador, that he having from time to time afforded him many favours, and given entertainment both at his house in Northamptonshire, at Wimbledon, and often here in town, upon assurance that he would procure the delivery of Molle out of the Inquisition of Rome, he hath been so far from performing his promise, that he hath now, lastly, seduced his [grand] son Roos, and sent him to Rome with such recom- mendations, as he is in danger to be utterly deprived of him." Chamber- lain to Carleton, January loth, 1618 (Court and Times of James I., I- 454).

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