e many years before, left L200 to purchase a golden cup for the
Queen, "as a remembrance from her that has always been a dutiful and
faithful heart to her highness". She craves, moreover, that Elizabeth
may have compassion upon and be gracious to her poor grandchild
Arabella Stuart. After the old lady's death, Arabella's connection with
Rufford soon ceased.

Mary, Bess of Hardwick's daughter, who had married Earl Gilbert, lived
at Rufford in her widowhood. This lady inherited a considerable share of
her mother's ambition and lack of scruple. In a quarrel with Sir Thomas
Stanhope, a Nottinghamshire knight from whom are descended three
earldoms, she dispatched a servant with the following unpleasing
message:--

"My lady hath commanded me to say thus much to you. That though you
be more wretched, vile, and miserable than any creature living; and,
for your wickedness, become more ugly in shape than any living
creature in the world; and one to whom none of reputation would
vouchsafe to send any message; yet she hath thought good to send
thus much to you:--That she be contented you should live, and doth
in no ways wish you death; but to this end, that all the plagues and
miseries that may befal any man may light upon such a caitiff as you
are, and that you should live to have all your friends forsake you;
and without your great repentances, which she looketh not for,
because your life hath been so bad, you will be damned perpetually
in hell-fire."

From this beginning ensued one of the most noted and romantic feuds of
the seventeenth century.

After the death of this outspoken lady--her husband's father had accused
the great Bess of occasionally using the language of Billingsgate--the
Rufford estate passed to the Savile family, her sister-in-law, Lady
Mary Talbot, having married a Lincolnshire baronet of that name. Later,
one of the Savile ladies, wife of Sir William, and daughter of Thomas,
Lord Keeper Coventry, earned lasting fame by her bravery at the siege of
Sheffield Castle. The Saviles were Royalists: in the Bodleian Library
may be seen a letter to Cromwell from a certain unknown person who had
been instructed to take into custody young Sir George and such friends
as might be found at Rufford:--

"Sir George Savill is not at home. We have detained one Mr.
Coventry, who is the Lady Savill's brother, until Sir George shall
appear to yr. highness. He is sai