sion of the second Stuart to the throne of

England.

"The face of the court was much changed in "the change of the king: for king Charles was temperate, chast, and serious: so that the fooles

39

and bawds, mimicks and catamites, of the "former court, grew out of fashion; and the no"billity and courtiers, who did not quite abandon "their debosheries, had yet that reverence to the

king, to retire into corners to practise them. "Men of learning, and ingenuity in all arts were "in esteeme, and received encouragement from "the king; who was a most excellent judge, and

a greate lover of paintings, carvings, gravings, "and many other ingenuities; less offensive than "the bawdry, and prophane, abusive witt, which

was the only exercise of the other court." Memoirs of the Life of Colonel Hutchinson, vol. i. p. 127-8.

As, before entering on the best accredited and most popular relation of that mysterious transaction, (the king's going to the Isle of Wight) in which Ashburnham was so principally engaged, it was deemed an expedient preliminary to ascertain what was the noble Historian's disposition towards him antecedently; so it may not be found irrelevant, or even (as far as it regards lord Clarendon) uninteresting, to enquire how far the same conti

"An in-
"trigue in

nued to be subsequently unaltered, even after a period of eighteen years. For thus will be established on his lordship's behalf a claim to a similar encomium to that bestowed on some one by Dr. Johnson, that-" he was a good hater."

Nor is a reference to vol. ii. page 222 of the Continuation of lord Clarendon's Life, for another purpose, here ill-timed. Inasmuch as the same passage vouches for the claim, already preferred in favour of Ashburnham, to the long and uninterrupted friendship of sir Edward Nicholas.

"There happened about this time an alteration "the court" in the court, that produced afterwards many

"to ad

"vance sir" other alterations which were not then suspected,

"H. Ben

"net."

66 ' yet even at that time was not liked in the court "itself, and less out of it. The keeper of the

66

privy purse, who was more fit for that province " than for any other to which he could be applied, "did not think himself yet preferred to a station

worthy of his merit and great qualifications. "Some promises the king had made to him when

he was at Fuentarabia, and had long much "kindness for his person and much delight in his company: so that his friend, Mr. O'Neile, who

66

was still ready to put his majesty in mind of all "his services, had nothing hard to do but to find "a vacancy that might give opportunity for his "advancement; and he was dexterous in making

opportunities which he could not find, and made "no scruple to insinuate to the king, that the "abilities of neither of his secretaries were so 66 6 great but that he might be better served.' In"deed his majesty, who did not naturally love "old men, had not so much esteem of them as "their parts and industry, and integrity deserved, " and would not have been sorry if either or both "of them had died.

"Secretary Nicholas had served the crown very many years with a very good acceptation, was "made secretary of state by the late king, and "loved and trusted by him in his nearest con"cernments to his death: nor had any man, who "served him, a more general reputation of virtue "and piety and unquestionable integrity through" out the kingdom. He was a man to whom the "rebels had been always irreconcileable; and from "the end of the war lived in banishment beyond "the seas, was with his majesty from the time he "left France (for whilst the king was in France "with his mother, to whom the secretary was not "gracious, he remained at a distance; but from "the time that his majesty came into Germany "he was always with him) in the exercise of the

66

same function he had under his father, and re

"turned into England with him, with hope to repair his fortune by the just perquisites of his

"office, which had been very much impaired by "his long sufferings and banishment. He had "never been in his youth a man of quick and "sudden parts, but full of industry and applica"tion (which it may be is the better composition), σε and always versed in business and all the forms "of dispatch. He was now some years above "seventy, yet truly performed his office with "punctuality, and to the satisfaction of all men "who repaired to him: and the king thought it an envious as well as an illnatured thing, to "discharge such an officer because he had lived "too long."

166

"Whilst this intrigue was contriving and de"pending, great care was taken that it might not "come to the notice of the chancellor, lest if he "could not divert the king from desiring it, "which they believed he would not attempt, he "might dissuade his old friend the secretary, "with whom he had held a long and particular "friendship, from hearkening to any proposition, "or accepting any composition; which they be"lieved not unreasonably that the other would be

66

very solicitous in, as well to keep a man in, "whom he could entirely trust, as to keep ano"ther out, of whose abilities he had no esteem, "and in whose affection he had no confidence: "and it was thought by many, that the same

cr

apprehension prevailed with the good old man "himself to cherish the secrecy. Certain it is,

“that the matter was resolved and consented to, "before ever the chancellor had a suspicion

"of it.

"*O'Neile, who had always the skill to bring

66

of this Vin

dication.

* "O'Neile, who had always the skill to bring that to pass "by others, which he could not barefaced appear in himself," &c. Whether, like the lord Orrery, believing that he could Vol.i.p.81. never be well enough at court, except he had courtiers of all "sorts obliged to him, who would therefore speak well of him in all places and companies :"—or whether with the disinterested impartiality of the sun shining on the just and on the unjust, certain it is that this O'Neile was wont to shed his fostering influence alike on the alpha and the omega of contemporary statesmen; on the most, and the least, virtuous of ministers; on the Earl of Clarendon, and the Earl of Arlington.†

Among even the attentive readers of lord Clarendon's Life perhaps all may not here have immediately recognized an individual, who at an earlier period by ten years, and when placed in a more advantageous point of view, was first presented to their notice. The following passage is transcribed from page 301 of the first volume." The gracious inclination in the princess royal towards the chancellor's wife and children, and "the civilities of the lady Stanhope had proceeded much from "the good offices of Daniel O'Neile, of the king's bedchamber; "who had for many years lived in very good correspondence "with the chancellor, and was very acceptable in the court of "the princess royal, and to those persons who had the greatest

"

†The incomparable author of the Mémoires de Grammont says of Arlington :-" Il s'étoit donné pour grand politique : et, n'ayant pas le loisir de l'examiner, on l'avoit cru sur sa "parole." To similar causes other successful impositions, in a greater or less measure, may be traced.