7o 
LIFE OF LORD SCUDAMORE. 
together with other personal qualifications for the post, explain the appointment; the great dignity 
and courtesy with which he fulfilled the duties of the office, amply justified it. Lord Scudamore 
forthwith repaired to Paris and remained there nearly four years. He then tendered his resignation, 
which was accepted by the King with regret, but with much kindness, “ only for those important 
reasons ” says Mr. Principal Secretary Coke, in his letter of Revocation dated November 27th, 
1638, “which you allege concerning your own particular Occasions, which now call you thence by 
your own Desire. Your four years Employment, and the Memory of your good Service, will 
honour you and yours.” ( Scudamore MS., British Museum.) It must be added also that he left 
Paris to the regret of King Louis XIII., who presented him with his own portrait and with that 
of his Queen, Anne of Austria. 1 
When Lord Scudamore first arrived in Paris it was a remarkable circumstance, that he should 
at once discountenance the Huguenots. The English people had always felt the deepest interest in 
their welfare ; and it is a fact, that the Duke of Buckingham was never popular, except when in 
answer to the national will, he made the expedition to the Isle of Rhe to assist them. It had 
always been customary hitherto for the English Ambassador at Paris to attend the service at the 
Huguenot Chapel, but Lord Scudamore never did so. 
“ Whether ” says Gibson “ by the Inclinations of his own Nature, or by Advice from others, 
he not only declined going to Charenton, but furnished his own Chappel in his House, with such 
Ornaments, (as Candles upon the Communion-Table and the like) as gave great Offence and 
Umbrage to those of the Reformation there, who had not seen the like.” (/. 74.) This conduct 
on his part was clearly pre-arranged; and there can be little doubt that Lord Scudamore 
acted under the influence of Laud in this matter, or certainly with his full sanction. 
During his residence in Paris, in addition to the ordinary duties of his office, Lord Scudamore, 
having become very friendly with the celebrated Hugo Grotius, acted as the mediator between him 
and Bishop Laud in the vain endeavour to bring about a union of the Protestant Churches in the 
North of Europe. He lost no opportunity and spared no expense to procure important MSS. for the 
Bodleian Library at Oxford. 2 He ever welcomed men of learning when the opportunity occurred to 
him of doing so. He was very civil to the philosopher and politician, Thomas Hobbes, when he 
was at Paris, travelling as tutor with the young Earl of Devonshire. In 1638 Milton visited Paris, 
1 These pictures are original paintings of great value. Their description in the catalogue at Holme Lacy, is as follows :— 
“Louis 13th standing, truncheon resting on floor in right hand : Rich dress mantle, 13 semi-fleurs-de-lis, open shoes with rich 
roses ; inscribed “Louis 13, set 38. Beaubrun fecit.” Whole length collar of Holy Ghost.” 
“ Anne of Austria, his Queen, whole length standing before a chair of state in dress of times ; black gown trimmed with 
gold and jewels ; rich embroidered petticoat, right hand on her body, left hanging down, inscribed : 
“Anne de Autriche, Reyne de France, agee 37 ans, grosse de 3 mois, fait par Bobrun, en l’an 1638.” 
There was also a third fine original painting in the collection, which is thus described :—“ A Lady § sitting, in yellow dress 
of the time, going to give the breast to an infant, with an order appendant to a blue ribbon round his neck—a fine piece, 
an original of Louis 14th when young, presented at his birth to Viscount Scudamore, Ambassador.” 
(MS. i>enes Sir II. Scudamore Stanhope, Bart.) 
2 “No good Manuscript indeed shall escape me loosely” he writes to Laud (Oct. 2, 1637) and he speaks of being 
unfortunate in being unable to procure one on the Basilic Constitutions, from the Library of Peter Faber, for which he had 
offered ^500, but Cardinal Richelieu heard of it, and refused to allow it to be taken out of France. 
