It may be that neither England nor France was in favour of the Princes taking service in the Spanish army, a circumstance which would have some force in determining James, who very probably was quite willing to fling a defiance in the teeth of Cromwell.
Nevertheless, it is strange to find Sir John Berkeley and Colonel Bampfylde, the plotter of some years back, seriously discussing about this time the question of a marriage for the Duke of York with one of the Protector’s daughters, a fact which goes to prove the despair of the Royalists of otherwise succeeding in England.[[85]] Still later, in 1659, a party among the exiles, choosing to believe a rumour which pronounced the King to have consumptive tendencies and to be in a precarious state of health, actually proposed to set him aside in favour of his second brother. There is not, however, a shadow of evidence that James himself was in any way a party to such a scheme. Indeed in August of that year he followed Charles to France, and later in the autumn the unlucky truce between France and Spain put an end to the military career of the Dukes of York and Gloucester, and as a consequence deprived them of their pay in the army of the latter country, throwing them once more on their elder brother’s meagre resources.
[85]. Eva Scott, “Travels of the King,” “The King in Exile.”
In this connection a letter from Mr Jennings (Captain Titus) to Hyde seems to point to the increasing arrogance of the Protector’s family. Writing from Antwerp on 11th February 1656-1657, he says: “There was lately a wedding of a kinswoman of Laurence’s, whither all the grandees and their wives were invited, but most of the Major-Generals and their wives came not. The feast wanting much of its grace by the absence of those ladies, it was asked by one there, where they were? Mrs Claypole answered: ‘I’ll warrant you washing their dishes at home, as they use to do.’ This hath been extremely ill taken, and now the women do all they can with their husbands to hinder Mrs Claypole from being a Princess and her Highness” (Clarendon State Papers). It will be remembered that Elizabeth Claypole, Cromwell’s favourite daughter, predeceased him by a few weeks.
When Henry had been sent out of England by the Parliament, that body had promised the prince a small maintenance, provided he kept away from all and any of his relations, a proviso which obviously was unlikely to be observed. However, any such provision was forfeited, and he was in the same plight as his next brother.
Another effort at an English alliance was made during this year, Lord Mordaunt suggesting this time, as a bride to the Duke of York, Fatima Lambert, the only child of the famous Roundhead general, whose influence was for a time paramount with the army since the death of the Lord Protector in September of 1658.
James, however, now pledged secretly to Anne Hyde, at once refused the proposed match, alleging as a reason the want of the King’s consent, but still keeping his secret inviolate.
From Secretary Nicholas’ letter to Charles II., dated 8th October, it appears that in his communication with the Duke, Lord Mordaunt did not mention the name of the lady, but called her mysteriously “a daughter of a gentleman of power and good quality in England, but he was not to tell who it was,” which seems an unmeaning precaution, as sooner or later James must have been told, and could not be expected to pledge himself in ignorance of the lady’s parentage.[[86]]
[86]. Carte’s “Letters.”
However, as we know, the negotiation, if it attained such a point, speedily fell to the ground, and events which soon followed removed it altogether out of the sphere of possibilities.