rils,
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 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