204 



Wild Darell of Littlecote. 



further instructions," and she concludes "in haste at midnight, all 



yours during life, A. EL, rede and burn." Another letter beginning 



" my good Borrell " alludes to the case being got up against them, 



and she writes " for the love of God my good Will be carefull for 



me in this matter." " I pray you bring in as many witnesses for 



the proofe of your being at London all Easter Term as by any 



possible meanes you can." She was labouring to establish an 



alibi. " During liffe ever one " she subscribes herself " A. Hun- 



gerford." In a third letter, dated London, she concludes "In any 



case lowes not y r letter, small thinges can doo no harem and ffrend- 



ship we shall not lake." Then comes another document, which, 



from its singular and otherwise not very intelligible endorsement 



would appear to have fallen into the hands of the husband who 



rather laconically, forwarded it to his faithless spouse. It may be 



interesting to give this in full. 



" Myster Dorrell. I by the othe that I have swo r ne apone the holy Evangeliste 

 do acknolege that if Sir Walter Hungerfor, my husband, now liveng do departe 

 oute of thys lyfe, that thene by the othe that I have sworne and wytness of 

 thys my hande, that I wyll take you to my husbonde. Wytnes ther of thys 

 my hand suffresith. 



" Anna Htjngekfobd." 

 Directed. " To hys well belovyd wyffe the Lady Hungerford at the Castell of 

 Frogges thys be delyveryde." 



This bears strong marks of criminal intrigue; yet history has 

 frequently two faces. "Do not read history to me" said Sir Robert 

 Walpole to his son, when suffering under an attack of gout, "for 

 that I know must be false." A MS. memoir of the Duchess de 

 Feria, the sister of Lady Hungerford, written by one Henry Clif- 

 ford, gives an elaborate account of Lady Hungerford's good deeds 

 while at Louvain, insinuating that her husband was ^he aggressor; 

 and that she "pretended his leave to go beyond seas to her grand- 

 mother where she might have liberty of conscience to serve God 

 freely." In the end, she is stated to have " passed out of this world 

 the 19th of December 1603, full of good works." 



Among the papers, recently brought to light, we are startled on 

 finding our "wild" friend involved in another, and earlier accu- 

 sation of murder, charged as an accomplice. It may be best to 

 give a full copy of the letter relating to this calumny, and which 

 was written by Mr. Forstor of Aldermaston, in Berkshire, a gentle 



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