issue of this marriage was one son, whom the parents watched with an
intense eagerness and care; but who, in spite of nurses and physicians,
had only a brief existence. His tainted blood did not run very long in his
poor feeble little body. Symptoms of evil broke out early on him; and,
part from flattery, part superstition, nothing would satisfy my lord and
lady, especially the latter, but having the poor little cripple touched by
his Majesty at his church. They were ready to cry out miracle at first
(the doctors and quack-salvers being constantly in attendance on the
child, and experimenting on his poor little body with every conceivable
nostrum)--but though there seemed from some reason a notable amelioration
in the infant's health after his Majesty touched him, in a few weeks
afterward the poor thing died--causing the lampooners of the Court to say,
that the king in expelling evil out of the infant of Tom Esmond and
Isabella his wife, expelled the life out of it, which was nothing but
corruption.

The mother's natural pang at losing this poor little child must have been
increased when she thought of her rival Frank Esmond's wife, who was a
favourite of the whole Court, where my poor Lady Castlewood was neglected,
and who had one child, a daughter, flourishing and beautiful, and was
about to become a mother once more.

The Court, as I have heard, only laughed the more because the poor lady,
who had pretty well passed the age when ladies are accustomed to have
children, nevertheless determined not to give hope up, and even when she
came to live at Castlewood, was constantly sending over to Hexton for the
doctor, and announcing to her friends the arrival of an heir. This
absurdity of hers was one amongst many others which the wags used to play
upon. Indeed, to the last days of her life, my lady viscountess had the
comfort of fancying herself beautiful, and persisted in blooming up to the
very midst of winter, painting roses on her cheeks long after their
natural season, and attiring herself like summer though her head was
covered with snow.

Gentlemen who were about the Court of King Charles and King James, have
told the present writer a number of stories about this queer old lady,
with which it's not necessary that posterity should be entertained. She is
said to have had great powers of invective; and, if she fought with all
her rivals in King James's favour, 'tis certain she must have had a vast
number of quarrels