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

18 MARY, PRINCESS-ROYAL. [1641.
had taken place. The Queen wept incessantly, and the
King suffered intensely at having been compelled to act
against the dictates of his conscience, in signing the death-
warrant of his faithful servant. The young Prince of Orange
speaks of Strafford most feelingly, in his letter to his father.
Perceiving the excited state of the revolutionary party,
lie earnestly entreated his royal father-in-law to permit his
youthful bride to return with him to the Hague. This, on
account of her tender age, King Charles steadily refused to
allow. The Queen endeavoured to comfort the juvenile
bridegroom, by promising to bring her daughter over to
the Hague in the following spring.
The newly-wedded pair saw each other every day, and
became fondly attached. The evening before his departure
the King presented to his princely son-in-law a sword richly
jewelled in the hilt and on the sheath.
The young Prince dined that day with their majesties
and his beloved bride, whom he assured of his constant and
increasing affection ; and told the King her father, that if
he did not send her to him at the time the Queen had
promised, he should come over and fetch her himself, or
live with her in England.
He took his leave of the King, Queen, Prince of Wales,
and Duke of York, that night, but reserved his farewell
interview with the Princess till the next morning, when he
repeated to her his determination to come over to fetch
her, himself, if she were not sent to him. The Princess
gave her spouse, as a farewell token and keepsake, a jewel
from her bosom, which he kissed, and fixed to his own.
She then gave favours of white and silver ribbon from her
dress to the ambassadors, and one of her silver roses to Sir
Alfred Joachim, the resident ambassador, and the other to
the Count de Solms, which they placed in their hats.
At 9 a.m. of May 15th, the Earl of Holland attended