He then announced
that their guest was the Lord Sedley, only son of the Earl of
Bellingham, who at that time commanded the forces sent to subdue the
Welsh insurgents, and was himself a personal favourite of Cromwell, and
attached to his staff. "He gives," continued Morgan, "a very favourable
account of your principles and conduct, and I shall not fail to announce
your proper behaviour to their honours the Committee-men, and I hope
Government will be disposed to overlook your past offences. The Earl is
a staunch supporter of the good cause, and the young gentleman a youth
of very fair promise."
If Morgan expected his intelligence would be received with the transport
of minds subdued by adversity, and suddenly elated by a prospect of
better times, he mistook the characters of those he addressed. The
circumstance of Sedley wearing a seal-ring impressed with the crest of
Bellingham, had led Dr. Beaumont to suspect who he was; but since in his
former intercourse with the family he had studiously avoided all
discovery, the worthy Rector thought it would be indecorous to take any
advantage of his misfortunes, and therefore evaded the inquiries of
Constantia, how he came to wear the same crest as Eustace, by remarking
that many families adopted armorial bearings nearly similar.
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