The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-02-02
Spirit of Nell Gwynn
Hovers Over German
Prisoners of War

This second of February is the
266th anniversary of the birth of Nell
Gwynn. The poor Nelly whose
name was last on the lips of her dy-
ing royal lover, King Charles H., has
been in her grave for more than two
centuries, but her strange and start
ling life history is still read with
eager interest by each rising genera
ton. She was scarcely a paragon of
virtue, this Nell, for she was the
mistress of many men, and the words
that issued from her pretty lips would
arouse envy in the breast of a mod
ern 1ongshoreman. Yet she is rem en-
bered long after all the virtuous wo-
men of her time have been forgotten.
Virtue is its own reward.
The turreted house at Holyport,
near Maidenhead, which was built by
Charles II. to house his beautiful,
hard-swearing, handwriting mis-
tress, and where she often received
her crowned lover, is still standing
'fNe1 Gwynn's Castle" as it is locally
known, is now used as a prison for
captured German officers, and the
spirit of lovely Nell, which is said to
haunt the place, now hovers over
the more than a hundred Teuton SOL
diers who have been installed in the
old house. Whatever else she may
have been, Nell was a patriot, and it
is safe to say that her 'tspook'i has
mo truck with the prisoners, unless
it. is to make them miserable in the
little ways which gh osts know so well.
The castle is surrounded by spacious
walled grounds, where King Charles
and his fair charmer were wont to
stroll on moonlit ewes in the long ago,
and there the prisoners of war and
their German servants and cooks now
enjoy the fresh air. Some months
ago the prisoners in Nell Gwynn's
house-perhaps rendered desperate by
the visitatfons of the ''haunt''-at-
tempted to escape by the familiar ex-
pedient of digging a tunnel, but the
plan was discovered and frustrated.
Many of, the prisoners of Nell Gwynn
have been confined in the castle for
over a year. They have been per-
nitted to retain their. uniforms, and
have been given everything but the
freedom to depart. According to an
American newspaper correspondent
who visited the castle, the prisoners
are permitted to sign German war
songs, ''hoch der KAISER and express
any sentiments as long and as loud
as may please them.
Eleanor Gwynn was born on Feb. 2,
1850, in an alley near Drury Lane,
lions of London. Her father came of
an old Welsh family, but was in re-
duced circumstances, and made his
living as a fruiterer. Ne1ls mother
was addicted to drink, and gave her
daughter little care or attention The
mother lived to see her daughter be-
come the favorite., of king, and it
is said that she was celebrating that
event with liberal rotations when she
fell into a pond and was drowned.
Nell was reared in the lowest
haunts of vice, and when a mere slip
of a girl she became an orange ven
der, visiting the sporting taverns of
London, where she sold her fruit and
entertained the company with songs.
She was beautiful and gay, and had
no moral scrup1es. Failing in with
the theatrical set, she was in turn
the mistress of several actors before
she was fourteen, and at sixteen she
went upon the stage. She quickly be-
came a favorite, and attracted the at
tention of King Charles, who soon
among her many mistresses.
The son Nell bore. the king was Gre
ated Duke of st. Adams, and the
present duke of that name traces his
to the fair but naughty Nell. |
She died at the age of thirty seven,
and her funeral sermon was preached |
oytDr. Tension, afterward Archbishop |
of Canterbury, who praised her-and |
no doubt tru1y-for her piety and her
spirit.