cheaper, upon both which, ayre & dyett he thrives Herr 1662 The relation between the tutor and his pupil came to an end soon after this. We get an amusing glimpse of Dr. Creighton as Dean of Wells in March 7, 'Pepys' Diary': 'The great Scotchman' was preaching at Whitehall before King Charles and the Duke and Duchess of York his text 'Roll yourself in the dust,' his application the most comical that ever I heard in my life. . . saying that it had been better for the poor Cavalier never to have come with the King into England again,' as his enemies were better treated in Newgate, than his friends were at Whitehall. By which it would appear that rolling in the dust was not very congenial to the Dean personally, but his fortunes improved. It is quite cheering to come upon a letter of his, some sixteen. years later, in which there is quite a respectful reference to his slovenly, self-willed pupil, and the harassed tutor himself, now in satin and lawn sleeves, is full of hospitable schemes for entertaining his clergy. Sir Ralph writes from London: Mun. . . The bispp June 16, 1 In the Cathedral at Wells there is a handsome lectern with this 1670 July 20, 1670 of Bath and Wells was with me, and hee expresses greate kindnesses to you and me; hee is to be consecrated on Sunday; hee wants Venison very much, soe I have sent for a Buck for him, which hee takes very kindly'; and this is the friendly letter that the Bishop himself writes, with a Scotchman's somewhat sarcastic view of the ceremonial of his consecration. 'My noble and never to be forgotten freind, S Raph Varney, I am now looking homewards, haveing finished the other revolutiones of my Seales both great and small, as intricate to my apprehension, as the mystical seales in St. John's Apocalypse. And calling to scrutiny what I have to do, or what dutie I have left undone, before I went, I found your great favors both old and new with fresh indelible characters engraven in my mynd: which stirdd me up to write to your selfe and your thrice worthy sonne my quondam charge beyond seas, as being very sorry that I have lyen so long silent, from expressing those deare affections, which I shall ever acknowledge I ow you for all your singular loves, from tyme to tyme, even from the worst of tymes to the best, if any yett in these confusiones can be called but tolerable goode tymes. Accept then of my most humble and hartie thanks for all your old and new goodnesses, the favor of your venisone, the honor of your most kynd and Wellcom company, your perpetuall countenance to inscription: 'Dr. Robert Creyghton, upon his returne from fifteene yeares exile with our soveraigne Lord Kinge Charles the 2, made Deane of Wells in the yeare 1660 gave this brazen Deske with God's Holy Worde thereon to the saide Cathedrall Church.' mee, even from the first tyme I knew your self, or your thrice Noble father stand and fall at Edgehill, under the standard Royall of England untill this day: And lett me assure you, you have not a servant more faythfull to you, or the interest of your family, or who should be more glade of any occasion to serve you and yours to the uttmost of my abilitie, then I who shall ever subscribe my self 'Noble St 'Your most obliged and most affectionate 'ROBERT BATH & WELLS.' Unhappily prosperity and venison agreed with the good bishop less well than the bread and water of adversity, and he only lived two years to enjoy his episcopal honours. CHAPTER IV. STEWARD, PARSON, AND SQUIRE. 1650-1655. I have heard of some kind of men, that put quarrels purposely on others to taste their valour.'-TWELFTH NIGHT. THE most important personage at Claydon during the ten years of Sir Ralph Verney's absence was William Roades, the steward. He and his father had worked on the estate, man and boy, for more than half a century in positions of trust. From 1610 onwards. John Roades' handwriting, as Sir Edmund Verney's bailiff, occurs constantly in tithe receipts made out for the parson, Richard Askew, to sign, and in other documents. A legacy is left to his wife, in the will made by Sir Edmund in 1622, before starting to join Prince Charles at Madrid: 'I give unto Anne Roades, wife of John Roades my servant, for the care which she hath had in breeding my children when they were young, Tenne poundes.' As the children of John and Anne Roades were about the ages of Sir Edmund's elder children, Anne probably nursed her fosterchildren with her own, either at the House or in her home, as in the arrangement Mary Verney made for her baby in 1647.' Their intimacy as children would account for the familiar terms in which Sir Ralph and his brothers and sisters wrote in after life to William Roades, speaking of each other by their Christian names, sending their love to him and to his wife, and signing Your affectionate friend'; while Sir Edmund, in writing to John Roades or his son, had signed simply 'Your master E. V.' war, Roades was by Anne, wife of When Sir Edmund made his last will in March 1639, before starting with King Charles for the Scotch he left to John Roades, his 'faithful servant and bailiff at Claydon,' an annuity of £5. this time a widower; the burial of John Roads,' is recorded in the parish register on August 20, 1636. The old man is still styled bailiff in 1639, but since the year 1625 his son's signature had been associated with his in the estate receipts, and the work of steward had gradually devolved on the younger and more capable man. Sir Edmund's detailed and careful directions sent from Scotland about the letting of farms, the feeding up of horses, and the storing of farmyard manure are all to William Roades. There is a letter, written in last year of Sir Edmund's life, showing his kind care for his old steward: 'Will Roads your father has sent to me about that ash wood, and the the poor . . Dec. 22, ould man offers to pay for it. Tell him I cannot wright to him now, but that I have sent to 1641 1 Vol. ii. p. 293. |