The life and times of George Villiers, duke of Buckingham, Volume 1 (of 3)

part in addition to that of Venica, which had been allotted to him, from

the scruples of his tutor, the Rev. Mr. Fairclough, who had been selected to undertake the character of Surda on account of his low stature; but Mr. Fairclough was a Puritan, and, deeming it a species of deception to wear women’s clothes, abjured the degrading task. The boy who now supplied his place was Spence...