able spread in the countess's apartments, and
honoured almost nightly by the presence of the king, delighted to
vent the force of their humour upon the chancellor, and criticize his
influence over the monarch until Charles smarted from their words.
In the height of their mirth, if his majesty declared he would go a
journey, walk in a certain direction, or perform some trivial action
next day, those around him would lay a wager he would not fulfil his
intentions; and when asked why they had arrived at such conclusions,
they would reply, because the chancellor would not permit him. On this
another would remark with mock gravity, he thought there were no
grounds for such an imputation, though, indeed, he could not deny it was
universally believed abroad his majesty was implicitly governed by Lord
Clarendon. The king, being keenly sensitive to remarks doubting his
authority, and most desirous of appearing his own master, would
exclaim on such occasions that the chancellor "had served him long,
and understood his business, in which he trusted him; but in any other
matter than his business, he had no more credit with him than any other
man." And presently the Duke of Buckingham--who possessed talents of
mimicry to a surpassing degree--would arise, and, screwing his face into
ridiculous contortions, and shaking his wig in a manner that burlesqued
wisdom to perfection, deliver some ludicrous speech brimming with
mirth and indecencies, assuming the grave air and stately manner of the
chancellor the while. And finally, to make the caricature perfect, Tom
Killigrew, hanging a pair of bellows before him by way of purse, and
preceded by a friend carrying a fireshovel to represent a mace, would
walk round the room with the slow determined tread peculiar to Lord
Clarendon. At these performances the king, his mistress, and his
courtiers would laugh loud and long in chorus, with which was mingled
sounds of chinking glasses and flowing wine. ["Came my lord chancellor
(the Earl of Clarendon) and his lady, his purse and mace borne before
him, to visit me"--Evelyn's "Diary."]

In this manner was the old man's power undermined; but a circumstance
which hastened his fall occurred in the early part of 1667. In that year
Lady Castlemaine had, for a valuable consideration, disposed of a place
at court, which ensured the purchaser a goodly salary. However, before
the bargain could finally be ratified, it was necessary the appointment
should pass