papers but not the diverting conversation, which passed in Mr. Harbin's presence, between Sir Godfrey Kneller and Dr. Wallis, about the birth of that K.'s Son, nor did I ever see it. I wonder my friend Mr. Harbin never mentioned it to me, and I shall be much obliged to you for a copy thereof.* * The following account is transcribed from one of Dr. Rawlinson's MSS. in the Bodleian. "A. Alsop (Anthony Alsop, of Christ Church) has been wth one of Corpus who came from Dr. Wallis, where had been some talk of the F. Kgs proclaiming ye P. of W. James ye 3d. And ye Dr. told this gentleman how many original letters he had seen under the queen's own hand, ye bricklayer's wife, and others concern'd in the matter, and a long letter also in cypher, wch cost him some pains, all wch made it out clear to him, and he thought 'twould to any body, yt twas all cheats and imposture. It chanc'd at this time yt. Sr. G. K.* coming down to draw ye Drs. picture by Sir Sam. Pepys' order, was present. "Wat de devil (says he) de Prince Wales te son of a brickbat woman, begot it is a ly. I am not of his party, nor shall not be for him, I am satisfiet wit wat ye parliamt has done, but I must tell you wat I am sure of, and in wat I cannot be mistaken. His fader and moder have sate to me about 36 time a piece, and I know every line and bit in their faces. Be got I could paint K. James just now by memory. I say the child is so like both, yt there is not a feature in his face but wat belongs either to fader or moder; this I'm sure of, and, be got, I cannot be mistaken. Nay * Sir Godfrey Kneller. The portrait of Dr. Wallis, which is one of his best pictures, was given by Sir Samuel Pepys to the University of Oxford, and is now in the gallery of the Bodleian Library. The passage you mean about Q. Elizabeth's incapacity to bear children, is found in the Notes of the famous Du Plessis Mornay upon the History of Thuanus; and is published in the 7th volume of my edition of Thuanus;* else I would ye nails of his fingers are his moders ye Qn yt was. Dr. you may be out in yr. letters, but be got I cant be out in my lines." Hearne corroborates this account in his Diary, vol. v. page 137. "When Sir Godfrey Kneller (as Dr. Hudson informs me) came to Oxon. by Mr. Pepys's order, to draw Dr. Wallis's picture, he, at dinner with Dr. Wallis, was pleased to say, upon the Dr.'s questioning the legitimacy of the Prince of Wales, that he did not in the least doubt but he was the son of K. James and Q. Mary: and to evince this, he added, that upon the sight of ye picture of ye Prince of Wales sent from Paris into England, he was fully satisfyd of what others seemed to doubt so much of: for, as he farther said, he had manifest lines and features of both their faces, which he knew very well, having drawn them both several times, When this was said, were present at dinner with Dr. Wallis the following persons; Dr. Aldrich, dean of Ch. Ch. Dr. Charlett, master of University College; Dr. Hudson, head library-keeper, and Dr. Gregory (the Scotchman) one of the Savilian professors." * It is to be found in the following note of M. Plessis de Mornay, on that part of the LXXIVth book of De Thou's History, which gives an account of the negotiations of marriage, for some time carried on between Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Anjou. See Thuani Hist. vol. vii. c. vi. p, 97. Lond. edit. 1733. "Monsieur le Prince d' Orange estoit lors à Gand où je search among my papers, and transcribe it for you. This incapacity was ascribed to poison given her, which affected her womb: and though she got over it, she was in a dangerous state of body for several years, so that every body despaired of her recovery (as I find in the Letters of Messrs. de Noailles, the French Embrs. in England in Q. Mary's time) till almost the very end of her sister's reign; but M. Du Plessis (who was highly esteemed by Q. Eliz. and very inti l'avois suivi, lequel ayant cette nouvelle m' envoya aussi tost les Lettres de Monsieur de Saincte Aldegonde; m' appellant incredule, parce que j'avois toujours contesté, pour le connoissance que je pensois avoir de l'humeur de la Reyne, que le mariage ne se feroit point. Le lendemain s'en rendirent graces à Dieu en la grande Eglise, qui devoient estre suivies de coups d' Artillerie et de feux de joye. Sur le milieu de l' action luy vinrent contraires Lettres de Monsieur de Saincte Aldegonde, sur lesquelles, assis que j'estois auprés de luy, je luy vis changer de visage, et lors me les bailla, me disant que j'avois dit trop vray. Surquoy fut arresté le surplus de la joye. Il en fort marry, pour ce qu'il avoit fait grand état au peuple des utilités qui luy viendroient de là pour luy faire plus aisement accepter Monsieur. Disoit la Lettre que comme la Reyne eut la plume en la main pour signer, tremblant de colere elle l'avoit jettée; et tournée vers les Seigneurs de son Conseil, elle leur avoit dit, "Malheureux, étes vous si aveugles, que vous ne voyez qu' apres ma mort vous vous entrecouperes la gorge, et ne sçavez vous pas que me mariant, je ne la feray pas longue?" Ce qu'on interpretoit de quelque defaut naturel connu de peu." mate with her) doth not mention the reason of her incapacity. I hope to wait on you at Oxford in the sum mer, and am with great respect, Sir, Your very obliged and obedt. humble Servt. LETTER CLXI. Mr. BALLARD to Dr. LYTTELTON, Dean of Exeter. A Defence of the History of Learned Ladies. REVD. AND HOND. SIR, My best acknowledgments are due for the favour of two epistles; the first of which I received a few minutes after my last set forward for Exeter. I would have answered it immediately, but that I thought a little respite might be agreeable, before I gave you the trouble of another long letter. The day before I received your first epistle, a Gent. of my acquaintance brought me the Monthly Review* for February, that I might see what the candid and genteel authors of that work had said of mine. They observe to the publick, that I have said C. Tishem was so skilled in the * Vol. viii. p. 124. Greek Tongue, that she could read Galen in its original, which very few Physicians are able to do. Whether this was done maliciously, in order to bring the wrath of the Esculapians upon me, or inadvertently, I cannot say: but I may justly affirm, that they have used me very ill in that affair; since if they had read with attention, which they ought to have done before they attempted to give a character of the Book, they must have known that the whole account of that lady (which is but one page) is not mine, but borrowed with due acknowledgment, from the General Dictionary. They are likewise pleased to inform the world that I have been rather too industrious in the undertaking, having introduced several women who hardly deserved a place in the work. I did not do this for want of materials; neither did I do it rashly, without advising with others of superior judgment in those affairs, of which number Mr. Professor Ward was one. But those pragmatical Censors seem to have but little acquaintance with those studies, or otherwise they might have observed that all our general Biographers, as Leland, Bale, Pits, Wood, and Tanner, have trod the very same steps; and have given an account of all the authors they could meet with, good and bad, just as they found. them and yet, I have never heard of any one that had courage or ill-nature enough, to endeavour to expose them for it. While I was rumi |