estate, which run him soe deepe in debt, that in the yeare 1622, he sent Mr William Aston (that was sonne of Mr Robert Aston of Parkhall, a lawyer), to sell lands to raise 30,000l. for the payment of his debts. And all these lands (except Tixall, Colton, Haywood, Brockton, and Bradnap,) were sold to rayse this 30,000l. For his person, it was very comely, his stature. not altogether soe tall as your lordship, but went very upright and straite: his skin very pure, all but his face, which was of a brown rudy complexion, with a little wen upon one cheeke; his hayre a yellow red, his beard a little sadde: he had something a high nose, and a rough voyce, but could have spoken very well: noe drinker, noe swearer; of an affable courteous behaviour; free from all disease but the stone, of which I think he was once cut: subject to noe passions, very temperate, and a virtuous, worthy, good man, for ought that I ever saw or knew to the contrary. This, my lord, is all the accompt I can give of that good man, who I hope is with God, and all that I shall trouble you with at this time, more than to assure you, that there is none that more entirely loves and honors you, nor more affectionately wishes your lordship and honoured lady more happi nesse than doth, My dear lord, Your lordship's most humble and devoted servant, S. F. DEGGE. TIXALL LETTERS. PART THE SECOND. LETTERS FROM THE HONBLE MRS FOWLER, YOUNGEST DAUGHTER OF SIR WALTER ASTON, FROM THE HỌN. MRS HERBERT ASTON, AND OTHERS. 1636-1658. LETTER XIX.* Colton, the 11th of August, 1636. MY DEAREST BROTHER, The unspeakeable comfort that I inioy in your ever wellcom letters, and in hearing of the * Of the following letters, the eight first were written by the Hon. Constantia Fowler, youngest daughter of Walter first Lord Aston, and wife of Walter Fowler, Esq. of St Thomas' Priory, near Stafford. They were addressed to true affectionat love that you have so deservedly wone of my lord, who, more now than ever, for this respect I can not chuse but infinightly love, I am as unable to expresse, as I shall ever bee unable to expresse the true and serius dearnes of my ever constant love to you. I receaved very lately a letter, which I confesse frieted mee infinightly, at the first reeding of it, espesshally knowing that the lines came from you. For you writ to mee ther, that if your letters wer as heavy as your hart, they would cost my lord in ther carriage nothinge; and that if that letter could fly to me as sune as your hart, it would com un to me never. These werr the lines, which, as you saed they would, did seeme paradoxes to mee at the first reading over. But her second brother, the Hon. Herbert Aston, then at Madrid, with his father Lord Aston, who, in the year 1635, had been sent a second time ambassador to the court of Spain. Colton, the place from which these letters are dated, was a seat of Lord Aston's, about six miles from Tixall. It was a magnificent old mansion, and contained eighty lod ging rooms; but was burnt to the ground in a few years after this time, by the carelessness of a servant. On the spot where it stood, which commands a beautiful view of the river, and vale of Trent, there is now a farm-house, the property of Lord Aston. |