The most curious passages which it contains are the
duke's memorandums of his journey on two visits to the Prince of Orange,
in the year previous to his last rash adventure. His movements up to the
14th of March, 1684-85, are given. The entries do not seem to be of much
moment; but they may accidentally confirm or disprove some disputed
points of history. There is an entry without a date, describing the
stages of a journey in England, commencing with London and Hampstead: it
ends with Toddington. This forms a strong link in the chain of identity;
for Toddington is a place remarkable in the history of the duke. Near it
was the residence of Lady Henrietta Maria Wentworth, baroness (in her
own right) of Nettlestead, only daughter and heir of Thomas Lord
Wentworth, grandchild and heir of the Earl of Cleveland. Five years
before the execution, her mother observed that, despite the duke being a
married man, her daughter had, while at court, attracted his admiration,
and she hurried her away to Toddington. In 1683, after the failure of
the Rye-House Plot, Monmouth was banished from the royal presence, and
it was to Toddington he retired. When, on retracting the confession he
had made on the occasion, he was banished the kingdom, the companion of
his exile was Lady Henrietta Wentworth.
"I dwell on this," said Dr. Anster, "because the accidental mention of
Toddington seems to authenticate the book: the name of Lady Henrietta
Wentworth does not occur in it, and the persons in whose hands the book
has been since it was purchased in Paris do not seem to have noticed the
name of Toddington, or to have known that it had any peculiar relation
to the duke's history.
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