96 Four-in-Hand in Britain. 



aided by Bacon, carried her case to the privy council 

 and Coke was proceeded against in the Star Chamber. 

 But with Buckingham behind him the old lawyer proved 

 too strong for Bacon this time, and succeeded in throw- 

 ing his wife into prison and in forcing her to consent to 

 the match. 



The marriage took place at Hampton Court in the 

 presence of the king, the queen, and the most distin- 

 guished of the nobility, and Frances became Lady Vil- 

 liers. Stoke Pogis was settled on the bridegroom, who 

 was shortly raised to the peerage as Viscount Purbeck 

 and Baron Villiers, of Stoke Pogis, and Coke flattered 

 himself that his troubles had at last ended. But the 

 marriage resulted like many another ill-assorted union. 

 Lady Villiers, after driving her husband nearly to the 

 verge of distraction, eloped with Sir Robert Howard, 

 and lived for many years an eventful and scandalous 

 life, which finally brought its reward in her degradation, 

 imprisonment, and death. 



If the course of true love never runs smooth, it may 

 be taken for granted that the stream is even more tem- 

 pestuous when marriage is made a matter of family 

 alliance with no love at all in the matter. Our young 

 ladies were unanimous upon this point, and one and all 

 declared their firm resolve and readiness to trust to 

 ** true love " with all its risks. The Queen Dowager, 

 being appealed to by them for support, settled the mat- 

 ter by reciting the lines of an old Scotch song : 



