e moment of
his kindest and most jovial humor; and, more by the earnestness which
they expressed, than by the force of their reasons, they obtained a
hasty and unguarded consent to their undertaking. And having engaged his
promise to keep their purpose secret, they left him, in order to make
preparations for the journey.

No sooner was the king alone, than his temper, more cautious than
sanguine, suggested very different views of the matter, and represented
every difficulty and danger which could occur. He reflected that however
the world might pardon this sally of youth in the prince, they would
never forgive himself, who, at his years, and after his experience,
could intrust his only son, the heir of his crown, the prop of his age,
to the discretion of foreigners, without so much as providing the frail
security of a safe-conduct in his favor: that if the Spanish monarch
were sincere in his professions, a few months must finish the treaty of
marriage, and bring the infanta into England; if he were not sincere,
the folly was still more egregious of committing the prince into his
hands: that Philip, when possessed of so invaluable a pledge, might well
rise in his demands, and impose harder conditions of treaty: and that
the temerity of the enterprise was so apparent, that the event, how
prosperous soever, could not justify it; and if disastrous, it
would render himself infamous to his people, and ridiculous to all
posterity.[**]

* Clarendon, vol. i. p. 11, 12.

** Clarendon, vol. i. p. 14.

Tormented with these reflections, as soon as the prince and Buckingham
returned for their despatches, he informed them of all the reasons
which had determined him to change his resolution; and he begged them
to desist from so foolish an adventure. The prince received the
disappointment with sorrowful submission and silent tears: Buckingham
presumed to speak in an imperious tone, which he had ever experienced to
be prevalent over his too easy master. He told the king, that nobody for
the future would believe any thing he said, When he retracted so soon
the promise so solemnly given; that he plainly discerned this change of
resolution to proceed from another breach of his word, in communicating
the matter to some rascal, who had furnished him with those pitiful
reasons which he had alleged, and he doubted not but he should hereafter
know who his counsellor had been; and that if he receded from what he
had promised, it wo