Leading Women of the Restoration. By Grace Johnstone. (London :
Digby, Long, and Co.)—This is a collection of notices of the lives of five women, who centred more or less round Bishop Ken. They are not, however, in strict truth the leading women of the Restora- tion at all ; or only so in a sense which regards character rather than influence. Lady Russell, Lady Warwick, Lady Maynard, Mrs. Hutchinson, and Mrs. Godolphin were all good women, but a glance at P epys will show that in the actual history of the reign of Charles II. they were not considered as powerful by their con- temporaries. If any one of them is to be excepted from this remark, it is Mrs. Godolphin, who was a maid of honour. Indeed, the women of the Restoration were of quite a different mould. The title, then, is somewhat mistaken, but those who read the book, and have forgiven the authoress for not telling them something about "Poor Nelly," will find that more trouble has been taken than is usual in works of the same calibre. There is no pretence at deep research, but each story is clearly told, and the side of history which the authoress has in view is clearly brought out. None of the biographies, however, can be considered as exhaustive ; works like those of Mr. Firth would serve to add some particulars, and others would require the usual apparatus of foot-notes and authorities. Is it certain that Inigo Jones, who died in 1652, designed Bedford House, or that this centre of old Bloomsbury was pulled down in 1772? Mr. Clinch records that the sale of Bedford House took place on May 7th, 1800. It was in 1665 that Evelyn's dinner took place, not 1655 as stated (p. 7). The Camden Society's " Secret Service Moneys of Charles II. and James II.," enables us to add to the account of Lord Maynard that his pension was of the unusually large amount of £1,000 per annum, and that as late as July 19th, 1684, the Earl of Faversham was paid £110 for the funeral of Mrs. Godolphin. It is rather hard, by-the-way, upon Mr. Clarke, who was schoolmaster to John Hutchinson, to consider him responsible for the illness of George Hutchinson (p. 135), his complaint being epilepsy. On page 136, we find the misleading statement, given on
the authority of Dr. Jessopp, that " Peterhouse never had a chapel till the present building was consecrated in 1632,"— the fact being, of course, that it had a very beautiful chapel indeed in what is now the church of St. Mary the Less, and what was, before its rebuilding in 1352, known as the church of St. Peter Without, Trumpington Gate. The Godolphin pedigree, as given by Maclean and `• G. E. C.," differs from that which we gather from p. 200. Mrs. Godolphin's husband was not the second son, but the third surviving son, of Sir Francis Godolphin ; and his mother was daughter of Sir Henry (not Sir Charles) Barkley, of Yarlington (not Garlington). The latter correction seems con- firmed by the visitation of Somerset taken in 1623.
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