14 THE HISTORY OF NEWMARKET. [Book VII. 



place — if, indeed, we may except the application of 

 Thomas Grent, Doctor in Physic, for a patent for his 

 invention of " a Fish Call, or a Looking Glass for 

 Fishes, for Fishermen to call Fishes to their nets." 



Soon after the arrival of the court at Newmarket 

 the palace was the scene of a state wedding party, 

 associated with a mixture of high life and human nature. 

 Sir Frederick Cornwallis, Bart., one of the King's 

 Equerries, fell in love with Elizabeth Ashburnham, one 

 of the Queen's Women of the Bedchamber. They 

 made a match of it in opposition to, and without the 

 assent of. Lady Jane Bacon, Sir Frederick's mother, 

 who expected her son would have married into a 

 higher and wealthier sphere. However, the king and 

 queen approved of the match and promoted it by 

 every means in their power. On the 4th of January, 

 Charles wrote to Lady Cornwallis- Bacon announcing 

 the nuptial fixture, and at the same time stating that 

 he and the queen would honour the ceremony with 

 their presence, which they determined should take 

 place " where none have access " but such as those he 

 chose to invite, commanding her ladyship to proceed 

 forthwith to Newmarket, where she would be further 

 informed of the royal pleasure and grace towards her- 

 self and her son. But Lady Jane had a will of her 

 own, and did not budge an inch, and so the wedding 

 took place without her being present at the ceremony. 

 In this alliance the king and his consort evinced a lively 

 interest : they not only honoured the nuptials with their 

 presence, but promised to settle ^3000 on the happy 

 pair. Their majesties also interfered to effect a 



