was a lovable person in many respects. His misfortunes were the result
of bad advice, false philosophy, and a heart too kind. Kindliness in a
king is a dangerous virtue, and a royal conscience is like a boil on
the elbow, always in the way. Aside from his kindliness there were only
two other qualities necessary to insure King Charles I the loss of his
head, and he possessed them--stubbornness and weakness. A good king need
have but two virtues, strength and love for his people, but if he would
reign comfortably, these virtues must be supplemented by a strenuous
vice,--sure death to his enemies.

So when my father saw that fidelity to King Charles's hopeless cause
meant hopeless ruin, he took the gout and went to Germany. Absence from
England enabled him to desert the cause he loved, but could not help,
and more, it saved him the humiliation of being compelled to join the
Cromwell forces,--a cause which he could have helped, but hated.
Therefore he saw to it that his gout remained with him during the entire
Cromwell interregnum, and he died at Aix-la-Chapelle just before the
recall of Charles II to the English throne.

I inherited my father's title and a part of his estate; a great portion
of the latter having been granted to the accommodating husband of one of
Charles II's friends.

I returned to England with the king, and, as balm to my wounded estate,
was made Second Gentleman of the Wardrobe in that modern Sodom, Whitehall
Palace, Westminster, where lived Charles II, who was said to have been
appointed and anointed of God, king of our glorious realm. God makes
some curious mistakes, if human opinion is to be accepted.

The name Lot was unknown in Whitehall, but Mesdames Potiphar, Salome, and