Page:The house of Cecil.djvu/254

 220 THE CECILS

years later, attended by a great retinue, and in the course of his travels he visited the Court of Turin, where he was treated with great magnifi- cence by the Duke of Savoy. At Padua he fell ill of a violent fever, from which he made a very tedious recovery, and when the Duke of Florence offered to facilitate his journey by Bologna, he refused his aid, since Lord Salisbury was unwilling to incur foreign obligations. 1

On his return to England, Cranborne attached himself to the Prince of Wales, bearing him attendance in tilting and other sports in which the Prince delighted, and " growing daily in his favour." z At the same time he contracted a warm friendship with his cousin, Sir Edward Cecil, who was also in favour with the Prince.

In 1612, Cranborne succeeded to his father's title and estates, and was also appointed Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire. In the following year the birth of a daughter afforded an opportunity for the extravagant display in which he delighted. " About this day sevennight," wrote Chamberlain, " the Countess of Salisbury was brought to bed of a daughter and lies in very richly, for the hangings of her chamber being white satin, embroidered with gold (or silver) and pearl, is valued at 14,000 " ; 3 and the same gossip informs us that the " great christening " of the

1 See Cal. S. P. Dom. ; also Sir H. Wotton's and Sir D. Carleton's letters.


 * Chamberlain to Carleton, January 2gth, 1612 (Cal. S. P. Dom.).

8 Chamberlain to Mrs. Alice Carleton, February I4th, 1613 (Court and Times of James I., I. 222).

�� �