MARGARET GODOLPFtTN, besieged by Fairfax, he was forced to surrender, he marched out with flying colours, drums beating, trumpets sounding, and with all the pomp and pride and circumstance of glorious war. The King treated him as a personal friend, addressing him familiarly in his French style as " Tom Blague " and on the flight from the field of Worcester, in 1651, entrusted his diamond George to his safe keeping, delivering his watch at the same time to Lord Wilmot, the reckless Rochester of later days. To preserve this George was a matter of no small difficulty, and, on being taken a prisoner after the battle of Newport, the Colonel nearly lost it ; but it was conveyed to him in the Tower by "Mr. Isaac Walton," most amiable of anglers ; and, not long after, escaping from durance, he was enabled to restore the jewel to his royal master's own hands. Upon the death of Charles, the gallant Cavalier transferred his loyal services to the young exiled monarch, and joined in the attempts which were made to recover his crown and kingdom. Margaret's mother-who had been Mary North, daughter of Sir Roger North, of Mildenhall-was a lady of singular worth and beauty. She receives a high character from John Evelyn, who says she was a woman so eminent in all the virtues and perfec- tions of her sex that it would have been " hard to say whether were superior her beauty, wit, or piety." This excellent mother zealously devoted herself . to the religious education of her little Margaret, a 6
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