Constance Sherwood: An Autobiography of the Sixteenth Century

by Georgiana Fullerton

commodityhis being of age would afford for the drawing up of settlements, ourmarriage should be deferred until he returned from the continent in ayear's time. Sir Henry was exceeding urgent he should travel abroadfor the bettering as he affirmed of his knowledge of foreignlanguages, and acquirement of such useful information as shouldhereafter greatly benefit him; but methinks, from what Basil said, itwas chiefly with the end that he should not be himself troubled duringhis term of guardianship with proceedings touching his ward'srecusancy, which was so open and manifest, no persuasions dissuadinghim from it, that he apprehended therefrom to meet with difficulties.

  So with heavy hearts and some tears on both sides, a short time afterMr. Rookwood's death, we did part, but withal with so comfortable ahope of a happy future, and so great a security of mutual affection,that the pangs of separation were softened, and a not unpleasingmelancholy ensued. We forecasted to hold converse by means of letters,of which he made me promise I should leastways write two for his one;for he argued, as I always had a pen in my hand, it should be notrouble to me to write down my thoughts as they arose, but as forhimself, it would cost him much time and labor for to compose such aletter as it would content me to receive. But herein he was toomodest; for, indeed, in everything he wrote, albeit short andmostly devoid of such flowers of the fancy as some are wont to scatterover their letters, I was always excellently well pleased with hisfavors of this kind.

  Hubert remained in London for to commence his studies in a house ofthe law; but when my engagement with his brother became known, he leftoff haunting Mr. Lacy's house, and even Mr. Wells's, as heretofore.His behavior was very mutable; at one time exceedingly obliging, andat another more strange and distant than it had yet been; so that Idid dread to meet him, not knowing how to shape mine own conduct inhis regard; for if on the one hand I misliked to appear estranged fromBasil's brother, yet if I dealt graciously toward him I feared toconfirm his apprehension of some sort of unusual liking on my parttoward himself.

  One month, or thereabouts, after Basil had gone to France, Lady Surreydid invite me to stay with her at Kenninghall, which greatly delightedme, for it was a very long time then since I had seen her. The reportsI heard of her lord's being a continual waiter on her majesty, andalways at court, whereas she did not come to London so much as once inthe year, worked in me a very uneasy apprehension that she should notbe as happy in her retirement as I should wish. I long had desired tovisit this dear lady, but durst not be the first to speak of it. Alsoto one bred in the country from her infancy, the long while I hadspent in a city, far from any sights or scents of nature, had createdin me a great desire for pure air and green fields, of which theneighborhood of London had afforded only such scanty glimpses asserved to whet, not satisfy, the taste for such-like pleasures. Sowith much contentment I began my journey into Norfolk, which was thefirst I had taken since that long one from Sherwood Hall to Londonsome years before. A coach of my Lord Surrey's, with two new pairs ofhorses, was going from the Charter-house to Kenninghall, and achamber-woman of my lady's to be conveyed therein; so for conveniencyI travelled with her. We slept two nights on the road (for the horseswere to rest often), in very comfortable lodgings; and about themiddle of the third day we did arrive at Kenninghall, which is a placeof so great magnitude and magnificence, that to my surprised eyes itshowed more like unto a palace, yea, a cluster of palaces, than theresidence of a private though illustrious nobleman. The gardens whichwe passed along-side of, the terraces adorned with majestic trees, thewoods at the back of the building, which then wore a gaudy dress ofcrimson and golden hues,--made my heart leap for joy to be once morein the country. But when we passed through the gateway, and into onecourt and then another, methought we left the country behind, andentered some sort of city, the buildings did so close around us onevery side. At last we stopped at a great door, and many footmen stoodabout me, and one led me through long galleries and a store of emptychambers; I forecasting in my mind the while how far it should be tothe gardens I had seen, and if the birds could be heard to sing inthis great house, in which was so much fine tapestry, and pictures inhigh-gilt frames, that the eye was dazzled with their splendor. Alittle pebbly brook or a tuft of daisies would then have pleased memore than these fine hangings, and the grass than the smooth carpetsin some of the rooms, the like of which I had never yet seen. Butthese discontented thoughts vanished quickly when my Lady Surreyappeared; and I had nothing more to desire when I received heraffectionate embrace, and saw how joyful was her welcome. Methought,too, when she led me into the chamber wherein she said her time waschiefly spent, that its rich adornment became her, who had verily aqueenly beauty, and a presence so sweetly majestic that it alonewas sufficient to call for a reverent respect from others even in heryoung years. There was an admirable simplicity in her dress; so that Ilikened her in my mind, as she sat in that gilded room, to a pare fairdiamond enchased in a rich setting. In the next chamber hergentlewoman and chambermaids were at work--some at frames, and othersmaking of clothes, or else spinning; and another door opened into herbed-chamber, which was very large, like unto a hall, and the canopy ofthe bed so high and richly adorned that it should have beseemed athrone. The tapestry on the wall, bedight with fruits and flowers,very daintily wrought, so that nature itself hath not more fair huesthan therein were to be seen.

  "When my lord is not at home, I mislike this grand chamber, and do liehere," she said, and showed me an inner closet; which I perceived tobe plainly furnished, and in one corner of it, which pleased me mostfor to see, a crucifix hung against the wall, over above akneeling-stool. Seeing my eyes did rest on it, she colored a little,and said it had belonged to Lady Mounteagle, who had gifted her withit on her death-bed; upon which account she did greatly treasure thepossession thereof.

  I answered, it did very much content me that she should set store onwhat had been her grandmother's, for verily she was greatly indebtedto that good lady for the care she had taken of her young years; "butmethinks," I added, "the likeness of your Saviour which died for youshould not need any other excuse for the prizing of it than whatarises from its being what it is, his own dear image."

  She said she thought so too; but that in the eyes of Protestants shemust needs allege some other reason for the keeping of a crucifix inher room than that good one, which nevertheless in her own thinkingshe allowed of.

  Then she showed me mine own chamber, which was very commodious andpleasantly situated, not far from hers. From the window was to be seenthe town of Norwich, and an extensive plain intersected with trees;and underneath the wall of the house a terrace lined with many fairshrubs and strips of flower-beds, very pleasing to the eye, but toofar off for a more familiar enjoyment than the eyesight could afford.

  When we had dined, and I was sitting with my lady in her daintysitting-room, she at her tambour-frame, and I with a piece ofpatch-work on my knees which I had brought from London, she beganforthwith to question me touching my intended marriage, Mr. Rookwood'sdeath, and Basil's going abroad, concerning which she had heard manyreports. I satisfied her thereon; upon which she expressed greatcontentment that my prospects of happiness were so good; for all whichknew Basil thought well on him, she said; and mostly his neighbors,which have the chiefest occasions for to judge of a man's disposition.And Euston, she thought, should prove a very commendable residence,albeit the house was small for so good an estate; but capable, shedoubted not, of improvements, which my fine taste would bestow on it;not indeed by spending large sums on outward show, but by smalladornments and delicate beautifying of a house and gardens, such aswomen only do excel in; the which kind of care Mr. Rookwood's seat hadlacked for many years. She also said it pleased her much to think thatBasil and I should agree touching religion, for there was littlehappiness to be had in marriage where consent doth not exist in soimportant a matter. I answered, that I was of that way of thinkingalso. But then this consent must be veritable, not extorted; for in soweighty a point the least shadow of compulsion on the one side, andfeigning on the other, do
end by destroying happiness, and virtuealso, which is more urgent. She made no answer; and I then asked herif she liked Kenninghall more than London, and had found in aretired life the contentment she had hoped for. She bent down her headover her work-frame, so as partly to conceal her face; but howbeautiful what was to be seen of it appeared, as she thus hid therest, her snowy neck supporting her small head, and the shape of heroval cheek just visible beneath the dark tresses of jet-black hair!When she raised that noble head methought it wore a look of becoming,not unchristian, pride, or somewhat better than should be titledpride; and her voice betokened more emotion than her visage betrayedwhen she said, "I am more contented, Constance, to inhabit this myhusband's chiefest house than to dwell in London or anywhere else.Where should a wife abide with so much pleasure as in a place whereshe may be sometimes visited by her