He was so delighted that he could not resist promising Nell that he would think what he could do for the boy. And he remembered too that her sister Rose suffered from her poverty, and he would grant her the pension of one hundred pounds a year for which Nell had asked him on her behalf.
As for Nell herself, she did him so much good even when she scolded for her son’s sake that he would make her a countess, indeed he would.
“A countess,” said Nell, her eyes shining. “That would please me mightily. Young Charlie and Jamie, having a King for a father, should indeed have no less than a countess for a mother.”
The King wished he had been more discreet, but Nell went on: “I could be Countess of Plymouth. It is a title which someone will have ere long. Why should it not be Nelly? Barbara has done as well.”
“All in good time,” said the King uneasily.
But Nell was happy. Countess of Plymouth—and that meant honors for her boys. And why not? Indeed why not?
Nell did not become Countess of Plymouth. Boldly she had applied for the documents which would have staked her claim to this title, only to be told that these could not be supplied. The King told her that he had but been jesting when he had made the suggestion; he asked her to understand the state of the country. They were engaged in a war which was proving to be more costly than they had expected; the Dutch were determined not to lose their country; not content with opening the dykes and causing the utmost confusion to the invaders, young William of Orange, Stadholder and Captain-General, was a determined young man who seemed to be possessed of military genius.
“Who would have guessed this of that gauche young nephew of mine!” cried Charles. “Never will I forget his visit to my Court. A little fellow, pale of visage, afraid to dance lest it should make him breathless on account of his weak lungs. He was glum and I had to do something to rouse him, so I had Buckingham ply him with wine, and what do you think he did? Fall into a torpor? Not he! His true character came to the surface then. Before he could be prevented he had smashed the windows of those apartments which housed the maids of honor, so eager was he to get at them. ‘Dear nephew,’ I said, ‘it is customary at my Court to ask the ladies’ permission first. A dull English custom, you may doubtless think, but nevertheless one which I fear must be respected.’ Ah! I might have looked for greater depth in a young man who appeared so prim and whom his cups betrayed as a lecher. Then he was drunk with wine. Now he is drunk with ambition and the desire to save his country. Again we see that this nephew of mine can be a formidable young fellow indeed.”
“We talked of Plymouth, not of Orange,” Nell reminded him.
“Ah, we talked of Plymouth,” agreed the King. “Then let me explain that the war is costly. The people dislike the press-gang and the taxes; both of which are necessary to maintain our Navy. When the people are angry they look for someone on whom to vent their anger. They are asked for taxes, so they say, ‘Let the King pay taxes, let him spend less money on his women, and mayhap that will serve to supply the Navy.’ Nelly, I can do nothing yet. I swear to you that I shall not forget these sons of ours. I swear I shall not forget you.”
“Swearing comes easy to a gentleman,” said Nell, “and the King is the first gentleman in his country.”
“Nevertheless here is one promise I shall keep. You know my feelings for the boys. ’Twould be impossible not to love them. Nay, Nell, have patience. Come, make me laugh. For with the Dutch on one side and the French on the other and the Parliament at my heels I have need of light relief.”
Then Nell softened; for indeed she loved him, and she loved him for what he was, the kindest of men, though a maker of promises he could never keep; and she remembered too the words of my lord Rochester. She must soothe the King.
If she plagued him with her tongue, as Barbara had, she would drive him away. She, the little orange-girl and play-actress, had to be every bit as clever as the grande dame from France, who was her most formidable rival.
Charles was now very anxious. He did not believe that his subjects would continue to support the war. He knew that he must act. Louis had taken possession of large tracts of Holland and had even set up a Court at Utrecht; but Charles saw very clearly that, once he had beaten the Dutch, Louis would look for fresh conquests and that he would try to make his pensioner Charles, his slave.
He therefore planned to make a separate peace with Holland, doing all in his power to make them accept terms which would not displease Louis.
William of Orange was, after all, his nephew, and it was wrong, he declared, that there should be strife between them.
He decided to send two emissaries to Holland to sound young William; and he chose Arlington, one of the most able members of the Cabal, and the ebullient Buckingham of whom he still had great hopes. Moreover he wished to compensate poor George for his churlish refusal to allow him to take the troop abroad as its commander-in-chief.
He felt sure that twenty-year-old William would be ready enough to make peace on his terms. He did not ask a great deal; he wanted recognition of England’s claim to be saluted by all ships of any other nation; he wanted a subsidy of £200,000 for the cost of the war, he would ask for the control of the ports Sluys, Flushing, and Brill; a subsidy for herring fishing; new arrangements regarding English and Dutch trade in the East Indies; time enough for the English planters in Surinam to sell their effects and retire; and as William was his nephew he would help him to enjoy favorable conditions in his own country.
Buckingham, ever ready to undertake some new venture, was delighted to convey these terms to Orange.
He landed in Holland, the benign peacemaker, and he and Arlington were greeted with expressions of joy by the people, for these two were the Protestant members of the Cabal, and the Dutch had hopes that they were in truth on their side. Monmouth joined them, and all knew that the King’s natural son was a staunch Protestant even if only because his uncle, the heir presumptive to the throne, was suspected of Catholicism.
But the Princess-Dowager, Amalia, who was William’s grandmother and had always been a power in the land, did not trust the English emissaries, and she made this clear.
Arlington’s exuberance was quelled; Monmouth was silent; but Buckingham sought to assure her of their goodwill.
“We are good Hollanders, Your Highness,” he told the Princess.
She answered: “We would not ask so much of you, my lord Duke. We would only expect you to be good Englishmen.”
“Ah!” cried the irrepressible Buckingham. “We are not only good Englishmen but good Dutchmen. We do not use Holland like a mistress but like a wife.”
“Truly,” said the Princess, “I think you use Holland just as you do your wife.”
Buckingham could say nothing to that; he knew that she had heard that when he brought his mistress, Anna Shrewsbury, to his wife, and that poor wronged lady had protested that there was not room for her and Anna under the same roof, he had replied: “I had thought that, Madam. Therefore I have ordered your carriage.”
He felt therefore that he could not hope for a quick capitulation by the Princess, so he sought out young William over whom he imagined he would have an easy victory.
He remembered that it was in his apartments that William had become drunk during his stay in London. He remembered how difficult it had been to make the young man drink, for his opinions of wine seemed to be the same as those he had of gambling and the play; but he had managed it, and what fun it had been to see the solemn young Hollander smash the windows to get at the maids of honor! No! He did not foresee any great difficulty with young William.
“I rejoice to see Your Highness is in such good health,” cried Buckingham, and went on to tell William that the King of France had seen the terms set out by the King of England and agreed that, as Holland was a conquered country, they were fair indeed. “It is because of your uncle’s fondness for his sister who was your mother. His Majesty remembers that he promised his sister to keep an eye upon you. It is for this reason that, even though your country is a conquered one, His Majesty of England will insist that you shall be acclaimed King of Holland.”