reproach to those who returned his love; but had obliged his
queen to bear with their company, and treat them with grace and
favour; and had, moreover, raised his natural children to the
degree of princes of the blood. They told Charles he had
inherited the disposition of his grandsire, and they were sure he
would treat the objects of his affection in like manner as that
king had done. Lady Castlemaine, her friends moreover argued,
had, by reason of her love for his majesty, parted from her
husband; and now that she had been so publicly made an object of
the queen's indignation, she would, if abandoned by him, meet
with rude contempt from the world. To such discourses as these
the king lent a willing ear, the more as they encouraged him to
act according to his desires. He was therefore fully determined
to support his mistress; and firmly resolved to subdue his wife.

Meanwhile, all joyousness vanished from the court; the queen
seemed thoroughly dejected, the king bitterly disappointed, and
the courtiers grievously disturbed. Moreover, rumours of the
trouble which had risen between their majesties became noised
abroad, and gave the people occasion of speaking indifferently of
their lord the king. Now Charles in his unhappiness betook
himself to the chancellor, who was not only his sage adviser and
trusted friend, but who had already gained the esteem and
confidence of the queen. My lord, by reason of his services to
the late king, and his friendship towards his present majesty,
took to himself the privilege of speaking with freedom and
boldness whenever his advice was asked by the monarch. As Burnet
tells us, the worthy chancellor would never make any application
to the king's mistress, nor allow anything to pass the seal in
which she was named; nor would he ever consent to visit her,