Ovid. Metamorp. lib. xv, fab. 3 <l. 227>—
some person of quality had affronted him. So he spake to Sir Henry Lee his heire to lie in wayte for him about the Bell Inne in the Strand with halfe a dozen or more lustie fellowes at his back and as the partie passed along to give him a good blow with his cane and whip and away, the tall fellowes should finish the revenge. Whether 'twere nicety of conscience or cowardice, but Sir Henry the younger absolutely refused it. For which he was disinherited, and <Sir Henry the elder> setled his whole estate upon a keeper's sonne of Whitchwood-forest of his owne name, a one-eied young man, no kinne to him, from whom the earle of Lichfield[100] now is descended, as also the lady Norris and lady Wharton.
He was never maried, but kept woemen to reade to him when he was a bed. One of his readers was parson Jones[101] his wife of Wotton. I have heard her daughter (who had no more witt) glory what a brave reader her mother was and how Sir Harry's worship much delighted to heare her. But his dearest deare was Mris. Anne Vavasour. He erected a noble altar monument of marble (☞ see it) wheron his effigies in armour lay; at the feet was the effigies of his mistresse Mris. Anne Vavasour. Which occasioned these verses:—
Here lies good old knight Sir Harry,
Who loved well, but would not marry[102]....
Memorandum: some bishop did threaten to have this monument defaced (at least to remove Mris. A. Vavasour's effigies).
<Pedigree of the Lees of Ditchley.>
[103](1) Old Sir Henry Lee[104] of Ditchley, com. Oxon.
(2) Sir Henry Lee, whom they called Whip-and-away, was cosen-german to the other Sir Henry; he dyed a batchelor, sine prole.
(3) Sir Henry Lee[105], m. Elenor Wortley, whose
with one eie, a | mother was countesse
keeper's son, | of Dover.
adopted by old |
Sir Henry. |
|
Harry[106] Lee m. <Anne> St. John, ... daughter
| of Sir John St. John, of Lydiard
| Tregoze, Wilts; now countess
| of Rochester.
|
Harry Lee[107] m. Anne Danvers, second daughter of
| Sir John Danvers, brother and
| heire of Henry, earl of Danby.
+-------------------------------+-------+
| |
<Eleanor> Lee m. James, lord Norris <Anne> Lee m. <Thomas> eldest
| of Ricot, since earl son of the lord
| of Abingdon. Wharton.
|
+--------+------+-------+---+---+
| | | | |
1. Montagu, now 2. James. 3 4 5
lord Norris.