Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-07-13
THE GAZETTE.
TUESDAY MORNING. JULY 10, 1858
story OF THE LORD OF BURLElGH."

-hoEN4sl-'e' - 49,
STORY OF THE LORD OF BuRLhlOh.
The romance Of real life is ordinary enough. !
1t occurs every day, and then nobody thinks
aboutit. A courting-match between couple
of rnral lovers is full Of this romance. But
transfer il t6 higher society, and how lucid
!, olea,ns through, like q foe painting, with
a ;udicious ccat of varnish, bringing Its hitb-
erto concealed beauties into notice and ad-
miratiop.
Henry Cecil, 10th Earl Of Exeter, with
landed estates TO the yearly value Of ElO0,-
600, and the palatial residence Of Burgley, with
it's statues, psintogs and articles Of vertu'
sold to be worth E500, 900, married Miss
Vernon, from whom. owing to her violation
ofthe marriage vows, he was divorced 10 li9l.
Almost heart-broken by this disgrace aud
misfortune, ne resolved to retire from high
life, and Immediately after the divorce, be-
took himself to retired village in Shropshire
named Boas,' sbou. 100 miles from his
own beautiful Burgley. OF that place. bow
ever, be was not lord then nor until the death
of his uncle, the 9th Earl, 10 1898. But be
was heir-presumptive to the title and estates
and bis pecuniary allowance was on very
ample scale, suited to bis future position
At this time, too. be was only plain MIR. Hen
~ Cecil.
At Bolss, be actually became farm ser
want to rather rough diamond, one Thomas
Higgins, who, besides his farm, had mill
in pretty full employ. Cecil's chief work
was in this mill, aud be labored like any 9th
or servant, fairly to earn his wages. Part
of bis business was to leave full bags OF eur
at various farm houses 10 the parish, aid to
take back to empty ones. He had frequent
" to call at the house OF the Rev. Mr.. Dick
enson, the clergyman of Bolas, where a0eof-
ding to the custom Of the time and place, be
was always invited TO rest 10 the kitchen, and
take "a mug of ale." He seldom was tempt
ed to enter into conversation, but spoke so
we'll, when be did converse, that Mr.. Dicken-
sons household gave him the name OF Ger
tleman Harry" 1t was mot long before this
sobriqust, aud its cause, became known to MIR.
Dickinson, who put himself in the way OF
meeting this strange miler's man, and be-
came 90 much interested in him that instead
of being asked to rest and refresh IN the
Kitchen, "Gentleman Harry" was regularly
invited into the study, where the good pastor
used to Join him 10 draught OF home brew
6u 6uu u plpC VI tuO INiOOkoiot WSSo'
Ere long, Mr.. Dickinson. who had freely
lent him various books, limited bis suspicion
that Gentleman Harry" belonged to high
or position than be then occupied. This Was
confessed. With an assurance that there was
no disgrace Connected With his iacogmt0. and
promise to reveal the particulars oi the Sc
cret at no distant day.
Thomas Hoggins, the miller, had one
Daughter named Sarah, known far aud vide
as the Beauty of Boias." About this time
she was scarcely twenty, and through the II :
terventiop Of q moneyed aunt, bad received
what We have heard described lin her native
Shropshire) as q "bettermost education. -
That is, she read and wrote correctly, had
some eight acquaintance with French, aud
played tolerably we'll upon the barpslchord.
1t came to pass Miss II. turned favorable
pair of bright blue eyes upon "Gentlemsn
Harry" Alas, for the romance OF the story;
bis premier junesse was gone-for be was IN
his thirty eighth year. 1t happened also
that be became Interested 10 her, so much so
that be called at the parsonage one evening
to consult with Mr.. Dickenson-in word,
to entreat him to mary them privately; and
then, making clean of breast of it, "Gentle-
mup Harry" confessed that be was MIR. Hen
~ Cecil, next heir to the EsrldOm and es-
tstes of Exeter. He bound over the clergy
man to secrecy, not allowing him to disclose
bis personal secret TO Mr.. Hoegus nor even
to the fair Sarah. IL was difficult matter
for the clergyman to obtain the milier,s con-
sent to the marriage, wbieh was celebrated
on the 3Otb of October, 1871. The happy
couple lived upon a small farm during the
following two years-until MIR. Cecil casual
" learned from Sher ssbury paper that the
death of his uncle had placed corcnet up
On his brow and immense wealth at his dis
posal.
STILL coucealing the secret Of bis rank from
his wife, Cecil told her that be had determ-
ined upon change Of residence. She pre-
Dared TO accompany hiw, leaving her native
Boias with regret, for she had been happy
there. as maid, wife and mother. She accom-
panied her husband, and they came. at last
20 Burgley, the beauty of which greatly
struck her, as they rode by it in their hum
ble CONVEYANCE. Her husband told her that
it was a show-place, and she gladly cousent-
ed 20 his invitation TO alight aud see 1t
Thew entered the demesne. walked up the
broad avenue With it's double fringe OF state
" oaks went through the garden and con-
servatories, and finally made tour OF the
mansion. At last. returning down the grand
staircase, into the stately hall. around which
we're ranged figures 10 antique armour, and
family portraits, from the days OF Holtein
and Vandyke down to Reynolds, her husba I'd
asked her bow che like the place. Beau
tifuI !" she exclaimed. "Oh. Henry. what
Paradise to live and die ill.," By this time
a small crowd of relatives and attendan is
had made circle about them. Sarah,
said be, as he kissed her white brow, This
place is yours. l am Earl Of Exeter " Then
turning to the company, be said, This is the
Countess of Exeter"
Hazltt, himself Shropshire man, (Wem
his birthplace, being near Bolas, has told
this story, and adds that the sur prise was too
much for the pessant-C Countess. She tainted
at the disclosure. aud, he says, her mind new
or wholly recovered its balance.
Her children were q daughter, born at
Bolas, in 1892, Whose daughter, welded to
Lord Charles Wellesley, will probably be the
Duchess of Wellington ere she die, and two
sone, the eldest Of whom. born in l795, Is the
present Marquis. The pessant-Countess died
in 1877, and her disconsolate husband mar.
ried q third wife in 1900. He was elevated
70 a Marouisare in 1901, aud died in 1904.
This is the real story Of ",be Lord of Bur
Leigh" az narrated BY Mr.. Dickeoson, Of Boz
T.. -. l.koi, ~. 1881 uhap no dad - PI;IQ