Lives of the last four princesses of the royal house of Stuart

CONTENTS. XV11
THE PRINCESS ELIZABETH.
CHAPTER I.
Birth of Princess Elizabeth, December 28th, 1635 — Baptized by
Archbishop Laud — Embassy to congratulate King and Queen
on her birth, from Frederick Henry, Stadtholder of United
States — Presents royal parents with costly gifts — Resemblance
between Elizabeth and Princess-royal — Commemorated by
Crashaw — Birth of Princess Anne, and holy death — Early
establishment of Princess Elizabeth — Her precocious under-
standing — She is sought in marriage by Stadtholder, Frederick
Henry, for his heir — Says he is more suitable for her elder
sister — Princess-royal substituted for her in the treaty —
"Witnesses her sister's marriage from the Queen's closet in
Chapel Royal of Whitehall — Queen takes Princess-royal to the
Hague — King and her brothers depart for Yorkshire — Elizabeth
and her baby brother, Henry, Duke of Gloucester, left at
St. James's palace, under the care of her governess, Countess of
Roxburgh — Parliament constitute them all prisoners — Plague
breaks out in the vicinity of the palace — The royal children
removed to Lord Cottington's house in Bread Street — Princess
Elizabeth droops — Lady Roxburgh complains that the air is
inimical to the Princess — They are brought back to St. James's
palace — Lady Roxburgh petitions that a proper allowance
should be granted for the maintenance of the royal children —
States that they are in want of everything — Speaker of the
House of Commons says, "He is ashamed to mention their
destitution " — The Commons direct the officers of the Mint to
allow a monthly sum for their support — Lady Roxburgh in
ill-health — The Commons allow her husband, the Earl of
Roxburgh, to visit her for three days — They extend the term
— The royal children ill — Mr. Chase, their sworn apothecary,
admitted to physic them — Lady Roxburgh continues ill — She
departs this life — Commons allow her remains to be removed
to Scotland — Commons appoint Lady Vere to be governess to
Princess Elizabeth — Lords do not concur, and appoint the
Countess of Dorset, late governess to Duke of York — Cornelius
Holland empowered to provide royal children with clothes —
Their attendants ordained to take the Covenant, or quit —