il-board that spoke his mind clearly, as he thought, to the good of
the King; and the rest, who sat silent, have nothing said to them,
nor are taken notice of. That the first time the King did take him
so closely into his confidence and ministry of affairs was upon the
business of Chatham, when all the disturbances were there, and in the
kingdom; and then, while everybody was fancying for himself, the King
did find him to persuade him to call for the Parliament, declaring that
it was against his own proper interest, forasmuch as [it was] likely
they would find faults with him, as well as with others, but that he
would prefer the service of the King before his own: and, thereupon, the
King did take him into his special notice, and, from that time to this,
hath received him so; and that then he did see the folly and mistakes
of the Chancellor in the management of things, and saw that matters were
never likely to be done well in that sort of conduct, and did persuade
the King to think fit of the taking away the seals from the Chancellor,
which, when it was done, he told me that he himself, in his own
particular, was sorry for it; for, while he stood, there was he and my
Lord Arlington to stand between him and harm: whereas now there is only
my Lord Arlington, and he is now down, so that all their fury is placed
upon him but that he did tell the King, when he first moved it, that,
if he thought the laying of him, W. Coventry, aside, would at all
facilitate the removing of the Chancellor, he would most willingly
submit to it, whereupon the King did command him to try the Duke of York
about it, and persuade him to it, which he did, by the King's command,
undertake, and compass, and the Duke of York did own his consent to
the King, but afterwards was brought to be of another mind for the
Chancellor, and now is displeased with him, and [so is] the Duchesse, so
that she will not see him; but he tells me the Duke of York seems pretty
kind, and hath said that he do believe that W. Coventry did mean
well, and do it only out of judgment. He tells me that he never was an
intriguer in his life, nor will be, nor of any combination of persons
to set up this, or fling down that, nor hath, in his own business, this
Parliament, spoke to three members to say any thing for him, but will
stand upon his own defence, and will stay by it, and thinks that he
is armed against all they can [say], but the old business of selling
places, and in that th