William Godwin: his Friends and Contemporaries
Ch. XI. 1824-1832
Isaac D’Israeli to William Godwin, 12 July 1828
“6 Bloomsbury Square, July 12, 1828.
“Dear Sir,—It is with
great pleasure I communicate to you the striking anecdote which confirms the
notice you find in Voltaire of Cromwell, who, when Protector, would be
addressed, much against Louis XIV.’s
inclination, as ‘brother’ by the French monarch. At the same time I
beg to repeat that I find in my note on this anecdote, a loose reference to
Thurlow’s papers, by which I
infer that I must have read in Thurlow’s collection
something relative to the subject of your enquiry.
“The present anecdote is very circumstantial and of
undoubted authority: Dr Sampson derived
it from Judge Rookly, who was present at the delivery of
the letter: I transcribe it literally from the Diary of Dr
Sampson, Sloane MSS.
“‘He was in the Banqueting House to receive the
Duke of Crequi, as ambassador from the French king.
Great was the state and crowd. The ambassador made his speech, and after all
compliments, he delivered a letter into his hands which was super-![]()
| LETTER FROM I. D’ISRAELI. | 295 |
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scribed:
“To his most serene Highness Oliver, Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and
Ireland.” He looks wistfully at the letter, puts it in his
pocket, turns away without speaking a word or reading it. The ambassador was
highly vexed at this, and as soon as he could meet with Secretary
Thurlow, expostulates with him for the great affront and
indignity offered to his master, so great a prince—asked him what he thought
the cause might be. Thurlow answered, he thought the
Protector might be displeased with the superscription of the letter. The Duke
said he thought that it was according to form, and in terms as agreeable as
could be. “But,” says Thurlow,
“the Protector expected he should have written to our dear
Brother Oliver.” It is said the
ambassador writing this over to France, the king replied, “Shall I
call such a fellow my brother?” to which
Cardinal Mazarin answered,
“Aye, call him your father, if need be, if
you would get from him what you desire.” And so a letter was
procured, having the desired superscription.’
“I need not assure you of the correctness of the
transcript.—Believe me, very truly yours,
Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658)
English general and statesman; fought with the parliamentary forces at the battles of
Edgehill (1642) and Marston Moor (1644); led expedition to Ireland (1649) and was named
Lord Protector (1653).
Cardinal Jules Mazarin (1602-1661)
Italian cardinal, the protegé of Richelieu and chief minister of Louis XIV.
Henry Sampson (1629 c.-1700)
Educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge, he was a non-conforming priest, antiquary, and
physician.
Voltaire (1694-1778)
French historian and man of letters; author of, among many other works,
The Age of Louis XIV (1751) and
Candide (1759).
