courtiers to right and left; and, unconscious of the curious and
perplexed looks they interchanged, advanced to where his wife
sat, and introduced my Lady Castlemaine. Her majesty bowed and
extended her hand, which the countess, having first courtesyed
profoundly, raised to her lips. The queen either had not caught
the name, or had disassociated it from that of her husband's
mistress; but in an instant the character of the woman presented,
and the insult the king had inflicted, flashed upon her mind.
Coming so suddenly, it was more than she could bear; all colour
fled from her face, tears rushed to her eyes, blood gushed from
her nostrils, and she fell senseless to the floor.

Such strong evidence of the degree in which his young wife felt
the indignity forced upon her, by no means softened his majesty's
heart towards her, but rather roused his indignation at what he
considered public defiance of his authority. But as his nature
was remote from roughness, and his disposition inclined to ease,
he at first tried to gain his desire by persuasion, and therefore
besought the queen she would suffer his mistress to become a lady
of the bedchamber. But whenever the subject was mentioned to her
majesty, she burst into tears, and would not give heed to his
words. Charles therefore, incensed on his side, deserted her
company, and sought the society of those ever ready to entertain
him. And as the greater number of his courtiers were fully as
licentious as himself, they had no desire he should become
subject to his wife, or alter the evil tenor of his ways.

Therefore in their conversation they cited to him the example of
his grandfather, King James I., of glorious memory, who had not
dissembled his passions, nor suffered the same to become a