Lady Anne Clifford, Countess Of Dorset, Pembroke And Montgomery, Suo Jure 14th Baroness De Clifford (30

Lady Anne Clifford, Countess of Dorset, Pembroke and Montgomery, suo jure 14th Baroness de Clifford (30 January 1590 – 22 March 1676) was an English peeress. In 1605 she inherited her father’s ancient barony by writ and became suo jure 14th Baroness de Clifford. She was a patron of literature and as evidenced by her diary and many letters was a literary personage in her own right. She held the hereditary office of High Sheriff of Westmorland which role she exercised from 1653 to 1676.

✧ Mary asked them by what authority they could proceed? “By the authority of our commission, and the common law of England,” was the reply. But said she, “You make laws at your pleasure, where unto I have no reason to submit myself; and if you proceed by the common law of England, you must produce precedents of like cases, for as much as that law dependeth much on cases and custom.” The civilians, finding themselves baffled by the keen rejoinders of the lonely captive in her sick-chamber, told her “she was wandering into vain digressions,” and demanded “whether she would appear to answer?” alluding to their commission. “Your commission,” repeated Mary, “is founded on a recent law, framed expressly for my destruction, and my heart is still too full of courage to derogate from the kings of Scotland, my progenitors, by owning the authority of the Crown of England.”  — Agnes Strickland, The Life of Mary Stuart: Queen of Scotland

I think that when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties, they lead their country by a short route to chaos.

A Man for All Seasons (1966) dir. Fred Zinnemann

Saint Michael the Archangel by Francesco Cozza, 1650

♕ Daughters of James I of Scotland and Joan Beaufort (requested by anonymous)

parallels // hurrem sultan and anne boleyn