ut, as I said, my mother lived to see the ruin of her children in which
was her ruin - and then died. My brother Sir Thomas Lucas died soon
after, my brother Sir Charles Lucas after him, being shot to death
for his loyal service; for he was most constantly loyal and courageously
active, indeed he had a superfluity of courage. My eldest sister died some
time before my mother, her death being as I believe hastened through grief
of her only daughter on whom she doted, being very pretty, sweet-natured,
and having an extroadinary wit for her age. She dying of a consumption,
my sister her mother died some half a year after of the same disease: and
though Time is apt to waste remembrance as a consumptive body or to wear
it out like a garment into rags, or to moulder it into dust, yet I find
the natural affections I have for my friends are beyond the length, strength
and power of Time, for I shall lament the loss so long as I live.
Charles Lucas shot in the Civil War
So I shall lament the loss of my Lord's Noble Brother who died not long
after I returned from England he being then sick of an ague: whose favours
and my thankfulness, ingratitude shall never disjoin. For I will build his
monument of truth, though I cannot of marble, and hang my tears as scutcheons
on his tomb. He was nobly generous, wisely valiant, naturally civil, honestly
kind, truly loving, virtuously temperate: his promise was like a fixt decree,
his words were destiny: his life was holy, his disposition mild, his behaviour
courteous, his discourse pleasing; he had a ready wit and a spacious knowledge,
a settled judgment, a clear understanding, a rational insight; he was learned
in all arts and sciences, but especially in the mathematics in which study
he spent most part of his time: and though his tongue preached not moral
philosophy yet his life taught it: indeed he was such a person that he might
have been a pattern for all mankind to take.
Rubens House in Antwerp where Margaret lived in exile.
He loved my Lord his brother with a doting affection as my Lord did him;
for whose sake I suppose he was so nobly generous, carefully kind and respectful
to me; for I dare not challenge his favours as to myself, having not merits
to deserve them. He was for a time the preserver of my life. For after I
was married some two or three years my Lord travelled out of France, from
the city of Paris, in which city he resided the time he was in France, into
Holland, to Rotterdam: where he stayed some six months. From thence he returned
to Brabant, unto the city of Antwerp, which city we had passed through when
we went into Holland, and in that city, my Lord settled himself and family,
choosing it for the pleasantest and quietest place to retire himself and
his ruined fortunes in.