ing, began to speak out;
and the relatives of the deceased openly expressed their belief that
their kinsman had been murdered. But Rochester was still all powerful
at court, and no one dared to utter a word to his discredit. Shortly
afterwards, his marriage with the Countess of Essex was celebrated with
the utmost splendour, the King himself being present at the ceremony.

It would seem that Overbury's knowledge of James's character was deeper
than Rochester had given him credit for, and that he had been a true
prophet when he predicted that his marriage would eventually estrange
James from his minion. At this time, however, Rochester stood higher
than ever in the royal favour; but it did not last long--conscience,
that busy monitor, was at work. The tongue of rumour was never still;
and Rochester, who had long been a guilty, became at last a wretched
man. His cheeks lost their colour--his eyes grew dim; and he became
moody, careless, and melancholy. The King seeing him thus, took at
length no pleasure in his society, and began to look about for another
favourite. George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, was the man to his
mind; quick-witted, handsome, and unscrupulous. The two latter
qualities alone were sufficient to recommend him to James I. In
proportion as the influence of Rochester declined, that of Buckingham
increased. A falling favourite has no friends; and Rumour wagged her
tongue against Rochester louder and more pertinaciously than ever. A
new favourite, too, generally endeavours to hasten by a kick the fall
of the old one; and Buckingham, anxious to work the complete ruin of
his forerunner in the King's good graces, encouraged the relatives of
Sir Thomas Overbury to prosecute their inquiries into the strange death
of their kinsman.

James was rigorous enough in the punishment of offences when he was not
himself involved. He piqued himself, moreover, on his dexterity in
unravelling mysteries. The affair of Sir Thomas Overbury found him
congenial occupation. He set to work by ordering the arrest of Sir
Jervis Elwes. James, at this early stage of the proceedings, does not
seem to have been aware that Rochester was so deeply implicated. Struck
with horror at the atrocious system of slow poisoning, the King sent
for all the Judges. According to Sir Anthony Weldon, he knelt down in
the midst of them, and said, "My Lords the Judges, it is lately come to
my hearing that you have now in examination a business of poison