COLONEL FRANCIS LOVELACE.
 

CHAPTER   XIV.
 

COLONEL   FRANCIS  LOVELACE.

Colonel Francis Lovelace. —Nicolls and Lovelace. — Cornelis Steenwyck's House.
— The City Livery.—Nicholas Bayard.—Fever and Ague in New York.—
The End of Commercial Intercourse with Holland. — Louis XIV. France. —
The Triple Alliance. —Social Visiting in New York in 1669. —A Prosperous
Era. — The Dutch Reformed Chttrch. — The Sabbath in New York two hun¬
dred Years ago. — Dress of the Period.—The Lutheran Minister.—Witch¬
craft. — The First Exchange. — Rebellion on Long ' Island. — The Purcjasb
OF Staten Island.—Charles II. and Louis XIV.—The Prince of Orange.—
Assassination of the De Witts. — War between England and Holland. —
Fierce Battles in Europe.—The Death of Colonel Nicolls.—The First
Post between New York and Boston. — Lovelace in Hartford. — The Dutch
Squadron in New York Bay. — Capture of New York by the Dutch. — New
Orange,

COLONEL FEANCIS LOVELACE was appointed to succeed NicoUs.
He was the son of Baron Eichard Lovelace of Hurley. The ances¬
tral home of the family was some thirty miles from London, on the
Berkshire side of the Thames; a great imposing country mansion, which
was standing until recently, with spacious grounds and terraced
gardens, covering the site of the ancient Benedictine monastery,
from which it was named " Lady Place."

Colonel Lovelace was one of the gentlemen of that focus of poUti¬
cal intrigue and fashionable gayety the Court of Charles II. He had
been one of the supporters of the royal cause, — zealous, even to the
point of incurring imprisonment in the tower by Cromwell, on a charge
of high treason. This only increased his favor with the king at the
Eestoration, and ■ he was made one of the knights of the " Eoyal Oak,"
an order instituted as a reward for the faithful. He was a handsome,
agreeable, polished man of the world, — upright, generous, and amiable.
But he lacked energy, and that discrimination which the successful con¬
duct of government requires at every step.    He had a fine perception