Merrit, Being Told Of This, Took Mr Forbes One Day At An
Advantage In An House, And Wounded Him Dangerously.
The earl, instead of
manifesting his resentment as he ought in such a case, seemed rather
pleased with the affair, and still kept on his intimacy with Merrit.
The
duke finding that Merrit had as ill a character from all that knew him
in London, as Mr Forbes had given him, easily suspected the earl was in
the wrong, and charged Muleys to represent to him the ill fame of the
man, and how unworthy he was of his lordship's acquaintance and
conversation....
"When Muleys came to Paris, he found the matters very bad on Lord
Derby's side, who had not only countenanced Merrit's assault, but, at
the instigation of some young French rakes, had consented to his
governor's being tossed in a blanket. The earl was wild, full of
spirits, and impatient of restraint: Forbes was a grave, sober, mild
man, and his sage remonstrances had no manner of effect on his pupil.
The duke, seeing what the young gentleman would be at, resolved to send
over one that should govern him. For this purpose he pitched upon
Colonel Thomas Fairfax, a younger son of the first lord Fairfax, a
gallant and brave man (as all the Fairfaxes were), and roughly honest.
Lord Derby was restless at first: but the colonel told him sharply, that
he was sent to govern him, and would govern him: that his lordship must
submit, and should do it; so that the best method he had to take, was to
do it with decorum and good humour. He soon discharged the vicious and
scandalous part of the earl's acquaintance, and signified to the rest,
that he had the charge of the young nobleman, who was under his
government: and therefore if any of them should ever have a quarrel with
his pupil, who was young and inexperienced, he himself was their man,
and would give them satisfaction. His courage was too well known to
tempt anybody make a trial of it; the nobleness of his family, and his
own personal merit, procured him respect from all the world, as well as
from his pupil. No quarrel happened: the earl was reclaimed, being
always very observant of his governor. He left Paris, and passing down
the Loire went to the south of France, received in all places by the
governors of towns and provinces with great respect and uncommon marks
of honour and distinction. From thence he went into Italy, making a
handsome figure in all places, and travelling with as much dignity as
any nobleman whatever at little more than one thousand two hundred
pounds a year expense; so easy is it to make a figure in those countries
with virtue, decorum, and good management."[321]
This concluding remark of Carte's gives us the point of view of certain
families; that it was more economical to live abroad. It certainly
was - for courtiers who had to pay eighty pounds for a suit of
clothes - without trimming[322] - and spent two thousand pounds on a
supper to the king.[323] Francis Osborn considered one of the chief
benefits of travel to be the training in economy which it afforded:
"Frugality being of none so perfectly learned as of the Italian and the
Scot; Natural to the first, and as necessary to the latter."[324]
Notwithstanding, the cost of travel had in the extravagant days of the
Stuarts much increased.
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