satirised by Lord Rochester. It seems that, having discovered some low amour in which the libertine was engaged, she was imprudent enough to publish it to the world. When Rochester was afterwards practising as a mountebank astrologer on Tower Hill, one of the persons by whom he was visited was Miss Price's maid. He told her that she waited on "a good-natured lady, whose only fault was loving wine and men." The girl, as Rochester had anticipated, repeated the scandal to her indignant mistress.

Anthony Wood mentions a Lady Price, who, he says, was the daughter of Sir Edmund Warcup, a cadet of an ancient family in Oxfordshire, and the translator of some topographical works on Italy, Sicily, and other countries. This person, according to the Oxford antiquary, had the vanity to think that Charles would marry his daughter, and in his letters mentions her being one night and t'other with the King, and very graciously received by him." Granger, in referring his readers to Wood's notice, seems to think it probable that these two ladies were one and the same individual. Miss Warcup, however, and Miss Price, whatever similarity there may have been of character and in name, were evidently very different persons. Miss Price sat to Lely for her picture, of which there is a copy in mezzotinto by Browne.

JAMES II.

407

JAMES II.

CHAPTER I.

Birth and Infancy of James-The Parliament forbid his joining the King-The Marquess of Hertford disobeys their orders and conveys him to York-He falls into the hands of Fairfax-Homage paid to him by Cromwell-James is committed to the Guardianship of the Earl of Northumberland-His Interviews with his Father-Escapes from St. James's in Disguise-His Arrival at Middleburg-Commotion at St. James's on the Discovery of his Flight-His Residence in a Benedictine Monastery-Accompanies Charles II. to Jersey-His Want of Respect for his Mother-Visits Rhenen and the Hague.

JAMES, the second surviving son of Charles the First and Henrietta Maria, was born at St. James's Palace, on the 15th October, 1633. He was immediately proclaimed Duke of York at the palace gates, though the title was not formally conferred on him by patent till the 27th January, 1643. He was christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury, on the 24th of October, nine days after his birth.

His childhood was passed at St. James's, where he continued to reside with his young brother and sister, the Duke of Gloucester and the Princess Elizabeth, till the year 1641; when, at the commencement of the civil troubles, he was sent for by the King to attend him to York. The Parliament positively forbade his removal. The gallant Marquess of Hertford, however, to whom the Duke's person had been entrusted, unhesitatingly disobeyed the edict, and found means to convey him to the

arms of his parent. Shortly after this event James was created a Knight of the Garter. He was at this period in his eighth year.

James was present in the town of Hull, in 1641, at the time when his unfortunate father appeared with his retinue at the gates, and was refused admittance by the governor, Sir John Hotham. As Hotham was immediately declared a traitor by Charles, and as it was evident that hostilities must soon commence, it seems strange that so important a personage as the young Duke of York should have been allowed by the rebels to slip through their hands. He was permitted, however, to rejoin his father, under whose guardianship he continued till the surrender of Oxford in 1646, when the unhappy King was not only deprived of the society of his children, but became a King only in name. Previous to this period, the young Duke had been present at the siege of Bristol, and had beheld from an insecure eminence the battle of Edgehill. During the engagement, his life, as well as that of his elder brother Charles, was at one time in imminent danger. They were not only left with very few attendants, but, on one occasion, had a very narrow escape from the fire of the enemy.

In 1646, when Fairfax entered Oxford with his victorious army, he was probably not a little elated at discovering the Duke of York among the number of his prisoners. James, who was then in his fourteenth year, was immediately placed under the guardianship of Sir George Ratcliffe, till the pleasure of the Parliament should be ascertained. Fairfax, attended by his principal officers, shortly afterwards paid him a visit of ceremony. On this occasion, according to James's own account, the General was the only officer present who neglected to kiss his hand on the other hand, Cromwell, he says,