CORRIDOR.
No. 1.
HEAD BY REMBRANDT.
No. 2.
MALE PORTRAIT. UNKNOWN.
Black suit and cap. White ruff.
By Ferdinand Bol.
No. 3.
MALE PORTRAIT. UNKNOWN.
Black and white dress. White ruff. Coat of arms in corner.
By Porbus the Elder.
No. 4.
MISS JACKSON.
Fawn-coloured frock. Large straw hat lying on the ground.
By William Jackson, R.A.
SHE was the daughter of the artist, who was born in 1730 at Exeter, where his father was a tradesman. Began life as a musician and teacher of music, but took to painting, and became a Royal Academician. He at first tried his hand at landscapes, but preferring portraiture, became a skilful copyist, being especially successful in the works of Sir Joshua Reynolds, and Gainsborough, who was very friendly to him. Jackson died in 1803.
No. 5.
LADY OF THE HOUSE OF NASSAU.
Black dress braided with gold. White bow. Stand-up ruff.
No. 6.
ANNE, COUNTESS COWPER. A HEAD.
SHE was the daughter of Charles Gore, who resided with his wife and family at Florence, where Lord Cowper (the third Earl) made her acquaintance, and married her. Mrs. Delany mentions her cousin, Lady Cowper, having received a commission from the betrothed lover to buy jewels for his intended; at the same time he sends his stepmother a portrait in water-colours of Miss Gore, as a Savoyard peasant. ‘Pretty enough, but I should think it cannot do her justice, as it certainly does not answer to her reputation for great beauty.’ She became one of the leaders of the brilliant society at Florence, where she was very much admired, particularly at the Grand-Ducal Court. She survived her husband many years, living for the most part in a villa outside the walls, where she died at an advanced age. Lady Cowper was said to have been much imposed upon, and even robbed by her dependants in her latter days.
No. 7.
THREE CHILDREN OF THE FIRST EARL COWPER, LORD CHANCELLOR.
The eldest, who is standing, is dressed in a red frock and white skirt. The two younger children, who are sitting, are in pink, with white pinafores.
No. 8.
JARICH VAN BOTNIA.
Black suit, trimmed with ermine.
He was ancestor of Lady Henrietta Auverquerque, first wife of the second Earl Cowper.
No. 9.
LADY. UNKNOWN.
Black and white dress. Cap.
No. 10.
LUITS VAN BOTNIA.
Black and white gown. Ruff. Peaked cap. Gold chain.
She was the daughter of Jarich Van Botnia, and wife of Louve Van Walta.
No. 11.
HENRY BENNET, EARL OF ARLINGTON, HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER.
BORN 1618, DIED 1685.
By Sir Peter Lely.
THE family was settled in Berkshire, when, towards the close of the sixteenth century, two brothers Bennet went to London, and respectively made their fortunes by successful commercial undertakings. From the elder descended a certain Sir John Bennet, living at Dawley, county Middlesex, who married Dorothy, daughter of Sir John Crofts of Saxham, county Norfolk. The subject of this notice was their second son. He was educated under the paternal roof till he went to Oxford, and was entered a student at Christ Church, where he took his degree as B.A. and M.A., and was much esteemed both as scholar and poet. He remained some time at the University, where he was still a resident when the Court arrived in 1644.
He was presented to King Charles, and soon after entered the army as a volunteer. Lord Digby, then Secretary of State, took a fancy to young Bennet, and appointed him Under-Secretary. But this post did not interfere with his military duties; he was ever in the field ‘when honour called,’ and was so severely wounded at Andover, in an engagement near that town, as to be invalided for a long time. He was indeed dangerously ill, and there is little doubt that it was in one of these encounters that he received the scar by which he is so well known in all his portraits.
Deeply attached to the Royal cause, on the termination of the war Bennet went to France, and on into Germany and Italy, never losing sight of the hope of once more joining and serving the house of Stuart. In 1649 he was summoned to Paris by James Duke of York, to fill the post of private secretary.
King Charles, writing to his brother, says: ‘You must be very kind to Harry Bennet, and communicate freely with him, for as you are sure that he is full of duty and integrity to you, so I must tell you that I shall trust him more than any about you, and cause him to be instructed in those businesses of mine, when I cannot write to you myself.’
In 1658 Sir Henry Bennet, Knight, was sent as Ambassador to Madrid. Clarendon says it was at the instigation of Lord Bristol, but at this time there was strife between the new ambassador and his former patron. Henry Bennet, with all the zeal that usually characterises a recent convert to Catholicism, was very anxious that his Royal master should make his profession to the same faith, whereas Digby, or rather the Earl of Bristol (as he had become), though himself a Roman Catholic, considered that such a step would be ruinous to Charles’s interests. Great bitterness in consequence existed between Bristol and Bennet, increased by the jealousy excited in the mind of the former with regard to the latter’s mission, being under the impression that he himself was far better fitted for the post.
Sir Henry, however, seems to have pleased most parties in his diplomatic capacity; and at the Restoration the King gave him the office of Privy Purse, and made him his constant companion. Bennet was well calculated to suit the taste of the Merry Monarch. Burnet tells us he had the art of observing the King’s humour, and hitting it off, beyond all the men of his time; and Clarendon gives us a clue to one of the reasons, when he mentions that ‘Bennet filled a principal place, to all intents and purposes, at the nightly meetings’ (alluding to the King’s jovial suppers in Lady Castlemaine’s apartments), ‘added to which, he was most lively and sparkling in conversation.’
In 1662 Charles bribed Sir Edward Nicholas to resign his Secretaryship of State (and that with a considerable sum), that he might bestow the vacant post on his favourite. The contrast between Bennet’s entire submission to the Royal will, and the honest rectitude of the Chancellor (Clarendon), increased the King’s dislike to that worthy servant of the Crown, on whose downfall Bennet rose still higher.
In 1663 he was raised to the Peerage as Lord Arlington, whereupon Clarendon threw some ridicule on the choice of the title, taken from an obscure village in Middlesex, which had once belonged to Bennet’s father, but was now in the possession of another family.
While at the head of public affairs, no measures of any importance were undertaken, with the exception of the first Dutch war.
In 1670 was formed the famous Cabal Ministry (spoken of more fully in our notice of Lord Shaftesbury) which Arlington consented to join, and of which his title formed one of the initials.
So notoriously now did he consult the King’s wishes rather than the public good, that he was rewarded in 1672 by the dignity of Baron Thetford and Earl of Arlington, and later invested with the Garter. He was sent on an embassy to Utrecht, in company with the Duke of Buckingham and Lord Halifax (which was productive of no good results), and afterwards turned his attention to the overthrow of the Cabal, in the breaking up of which he was most instrumental. He however fell into great disrepute with both Catholics and Protestants about this time, the Duke of York (on the passing of the Test Act) loading him with every kind of abuse, while the opposite side charged him with endeavouring to introduce Popery.
The Duke of Buckingham was loud in censure of Lord Arlington, who was impeached, and, after making a long defence, acquitted by a small majority. He held office for some time longer, and advocated a treaty of peace with the Dutch, but soon after resigned office, having received (it was said) a douceur from his successor of several thousands.
In 1674 he was named Chamberlain of the Household, in recompense (so ran the Royal declaration) ‘of his long and faithful services, and particularly of his having discharged the office of principal Secretary of State to his Majesty’s entire satisfaction.’
Lord Arlington’s wish to be again employed in public affairs was not gratified till 1675, when he once more went on a diplomatic mission to Holland, in company with the Earl of Ossory. Lady Arlington and Lady Ossory were sisters, and members of the house of Nassau. This was his last appearance in public life. Burnet says that ‘Arlington entirely mistook the character of William, Prince of Orange,’ with whom he had to deal, speaking to him in a dictatorial manner, which was not at all agreeable to that Prince, although he was then young in years. Arlington still held a place in the Royal household, but he had fallen into disgrace, and the King encouraged and enjoyed any jest, or ridicule, at the expense of his former boon companion. Nothing delighted Charles more than to see some of his courtiers put a black patch upon their noses, and strut about with a long white staff, in imitation of ‘Harry Bennet.’
James II. did not remove him from his post in the household, but he only survived the new accession a few months, dying in July 1685.
Lord Arlington was buried at Euston, in Suffolk; his wife was the daughter of Lewis de Nassau, Count of Beverwoort and Auverquerque (a natural son of Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange), by Elizabeth, Countess Horn. She had two sisters, Mauritia, married to Colin, Earl of Balcarres, and the second to the gallant Earl of Ossory. An only child was born to Lord and Lady Arlington,—Isabella, who married in 1672 Henry Fitzroy, natural son of Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland, afterwards created Earl of Euston and Duke of Grafton.
LARGE DINING-ROOM.
