tick, and nothing was wanting to make him a com-
pleat Cavalier. He had so graceful elocution and
noble address that had he been dropped out of the
clouds into any part of the world, he would have
made himself respected; but the Jesuits who cared
not for him, spoke spitefully, and said it was true,
but then he must not stay there above six weeks.
He had a great faculty, which proceeded from
abundance of wit and invention, of proposing and
reporting matters to the Virtuosi."
Women adored him; and he took great pains to
please them — though in spite of the importunities
of Marie de Medicis, the long friendship with
Henrietta Maria, his early flirtation with the lovely
Spaniard, his earnest and impolitic championship
of the notorious Lady Purbeck — Romish convert
and adventuress — Venetia, it seems, remained his
only love. He was never the mere gallant. He
treated women as his intellectual equals, but as
equals who had to be splendidly entertained and
amused. His conversation was "ingeniose and
innocent." Lloyd speaks of" the grace wherewith
he could relate magnarum rerum minutias^ the little
circumstances of great matters." But men were at
his feet as well ; and on his tour among I talian courts,
one of the grandees said that, "having no children,
he was very willing his wife should bring him a
Prince by Sir Kenelme, whom he imagined the just
measure of perfection."
A first-rate swordsman, yet was he "not apt in
the least to give offence." His strength was that of
a giant. Bristol related that one day at Sherborne
xxxvi INTRODUCTIOU^
he took up "a midlingman," chair and all, with one
arm. But there was nothing of the swashbuckler
about him, and his endless vitality was matched by
his courtesy. True, he hustled a Pope ; but he ad-
dressed the Short Parliament in such reverential
terms as no Roundhead could have found. One who
had been courtier, exile, naval commander, stu-
dent, prisoner, and diplomatist, who had associated
with all sorts of persons, from kings to alchemists
and cooks, had learnt resourcefulness. But he was
never too hard put to it perhaps, seeing that " if he
had not fourpence, wherever he came he would find
respect and credit." "No man knew better how to
abound, and to be abased,and either was indifferent
to him."
He had his detractors. One who plays so many
parts incites envy and ridicule ; and he laid himself
particularly open to both. Fantasy was in the
Digby blood; and that agility of mind and nerve
that turns now here, now there, to satisfy an un-
quenchable curiosity, that exuberance of mental
spirits that forces to rapid and continuous expres-
sion, has ever been suspect of the English mind.
He was "highly caressed in France." To Evelyn
Sir Ken elm was a "teller of strange things," and
again the Diarist called him "an errant mounte-
bank"— though Evelyn sought his society, and
was grateful for its stimulus. Lady Fanshawe, who
met him at Calais, at the Governor's table, says he
"enlarged somewhat more in extraordinary stories
than might be averred. . . . That was his infirmity,
though otherwise a person of most excellent parts,
INTRODUCTION^ xxxvii
Page 13
Presented as published in 1910. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
tick, and nothing was wanting to make him a complete Cavalier. He had so graceful elocution and noble address that had he been dropped out of the clouds into any part of the world, he would have made himself respected; but the Jesuits who cared not for him, spoke spitefully, and said it was true, but then he must not stay there above six weeks. He had a great faculty, which proceeded from abundance of wit and invention, of proposing and reporting matters to the Virtuosi."
Women adored him; and he took great pains to please them — though in spite of the importunities of Marie de Medicis, the long friendship with Henrietta Maria, his early flirtation with the lovely Spaniard, his earnest and impolitic championship of the notorious Lady Purbeck — Romish convert and adventuress — Venetia, it seems, remained his only love. He was never the mere gallant. He treated women as his intellectual equals, but as equals who had to be splendidly entertained and amused. His conversation was "ingeniose and innocent." Lloyd speaks of" the grace wherewith he could relate magnarum rerum minutias, the little circumstances of great matters." But men were at his feet as well ; and on his tour among I talian courts, one of the grandees said that, "having no children, he was very willing his wife should bring him a Prince by Sir Kenelme, whom he imagined the just measure of perfection."
A first-rate swordsman, yet was he "not apt in the least to give offence." His strength was that of a giant. Bristol related that one day at Sherborne
xxxvi INTRODUCTION
he took up "a midlingman," chair and all, with one arm. But there was nothing of the swashbuckler about him, and his endless vitality was matched by his courtesy. True, he hustled a Pope ; but he addressed the Short Parliament in such reverential terms as no Roundhead could have found. One who had been courtier, exile, naval commander, student, prisoner, and diplomatist, who had associated with all sorts of persons, from kings to alchemists and cooks, had learnt resourcefulness. But he was never too hard put to it perhaps, seeing that " if he had not fourpence, wherever he came he would find respect and credit." "No man knew better how to abound, and to be abased,and either was indifferent to him."
He had his detractors. One who plays so many parts incites envy and ridicule ; and he laid himself particularly open to both. Fantasy was in the Digby blood; and that agility of mind and nerve that turns now here, now there, to satisfy an unquenchable curiosity, that exuberance of mental spirits that forces to rapid and continuous expression, has ever been suspect of the English mind. He was "highly caressed in France." To Evelyn Sir Ken elm was a "teller of strange things," and again the Diarist called him "an errant mountebank"— though Evelyn sought his society, and was grateful for its stimulus. Lady Fanshawe, who met him at Calais, at the Governor's table, says he "enlarged somewhat more in extraordinary stories than might be averred. . . . That was his infirmity, though otherwise a person of most excellent parts,
INTRODUCTION xxxvii