Thomas Sprat, to marry him to my Lady Shrewsbury; and
subsequently conferred on the son to which she gave birth, and
for whom the king stood godfather, his second title of Earl of
Coventry. His wife was henceforth styled by the courtiers
Dowager Duchess of Buckingham. It is worthy of mention that the
Rev. Thomas Sprat in good time became Bishop of Rochester, and,
it is written, "an ornament to the church among those of the
highest order."
One of the most extraordinary characters which figured in this
reign was Thomas Blood, sometimes styled colonel. He was
remarkable for his great strength, high courage, and love of
adventure. The son of an Irish blacksmith, he had, on the
outbreak of civil warfare in his native country, joined
Cromwell's army; and for the bravery he evinced was raised to the
rank of lieutenant, rewarded by a substantial grant of land, and
finally made a justice of the peace. At the restoration he was
deprived of this honour, as he was likewise of the property he
called his, which was returned to its rightful owner, an honest
royalist. Wholly dissatisfied with a government which dealt him
such hardships, he organised a plot to raise an insurrection in
Ireland, storm Dublin Castle, and seize the Duke of Ormond, then
lord lieutenant. This dark scheme was discovered by his grace;
the chief conspirators were accordingly seized, with the
exception of Blood, who succeeded in making his escape to
Holland. His fellow traitors were tried and duly executed.
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