were in store for him.

In this rapid promotion he had not been without a friend. Sir Thomas
Overbury, the king's secretary--who appears, from some threats in his own
letters, to have been no better than a pander to the vices of the king,
and privy to his dangerous secrets--exerted all his backstair influence to
forward the promotion of Kerr, by whom he was doubtless repaid in some way
or other. Overbury did not confine his friendship to this--if friendship
ever could exist between two such men--but acted the part of an
_entremetteur_, and assisted Rochester to carry on an adulterous intrigue
with the Lady Frances Howard, the wife of the Earl of Essex. This woman
was a person of violent passions, and lost to all sense of shame. Her
husband was in her way, and to be freed from him she instituted
proceedings for a divorce, on grounds which a woman of any modesty or
delicacy of feeling would die rather than avow. Her scandalous suit was
successful, and was no sooner decided than preparations on a scale of the
greatest magnificence were made for her marriage with Lord Rochester.

Sir Thomas Overbury, who had willingly assisted his patron to intrigue
with the Countess of Essex, seems to have imagined that his marriage with
so vile a woman might retard his advancement. He accordingly employed all
his influence to dissuade him from it; but Rochester was bent on the
match, and his passions were as violent as those of the countess. On one
occasion, when Overbury and the viscount were walking in the gallery of
Whitehall, Overbury was overheard to say, "Well, my lord, if you do marry
that base woman, you will utterly ruin your honour and yourself. You shall
never do it with my advice or consent; and if you do, you had best look to
stand fast." Rochester flung from him in a rage, exclaiming with an oath,
"I will be even with you for this." These words were the death-warrant of
the unfortunate Overbury. He had mortally wounded the pride of Rochester
in insinuating that by his (Overbury's) means he might be lowered in the
king's favour; and he had endeavoured to curb the burning passions of a
heartless, dissolute, and reckless man.

Overbury's imprudent remonstrances were reported to the countess; and from
that moment she also vowed the most deadly vengeance against him. With a
fiendish hypocrisy, however, they both concealed their intentions; and
Overbury, at the solicitation of Rochester, was appointed ambassador to
the court of R