1662. France, were very apprehensive of falling under the Castillians, who, how weak soever they were in opposition to France, yet were like to be too hard for them, when they had nothing else on their hands. So, vast offers were made, if the king would marry their infanta, and take them under his protection. Monk was the more encouraged to entertain the proposition, because some pretended, that, in the beginning of the war of Portugal, king Charles had entered into a negotiation for a marriage between his son and this infanta. And the veneration paid his memory was then so high, that every thing he had projected was esteemed sacred. Monk promised to serve the interests of Portugal: and that was, as sir Robert Southwell told me, the first step made in that matter. Soon after the king came into England, an embassy of congratulation came from thence, with orders to negotiate that business. The Spanish ambassador, who had a pretension of 167 merit from the king in behalf of that crown, since An alliance proposed from France. they had received and entertained him at Brussels, when France had thrown him off, set himself much against this match: and, among other things, affirmed, that the infanta was incapable of having children. But this was little considered. The Spaniards are not very scrupulous in affirming any thing that serves their ends: and this marriage was like to secure the kingdom of Portugal. So it was no wonder that he opposed it: and little regard was had to all that he said to break it. At this time monsieur Fouquet was gaining an ascendant in the counsels of France, cardinal Maza * See post p. 297. O. rin falling then into a languishing, of which he died 1662. a year after. He sent one over to the king with a project of an alliance between France and England. He was addressed first to the earl of Clarendon, to whom he enlarged on all the heads of the scheme he had brought, of which the match with Portugal was a main article. And, to make all go down the better, Fouquet desired to enter into a particular friendship with the earl of Clarendon; and sent him the offer of 10,000l. and assured him of the renewing the same present every year. The lord Clarendon told him, he would lay all that related to the king faithfully before him, and give him his answer in a little time: but for what related to himself, he said, he served a great and bountiful master, who knew well how to support and reward his servants: he would ever serve him faithfully; and, because he knew he must serve those from whom he accepted the hire, therefore he rejected the offer with great indignation. He laid before the king the heads of the proposed alliance, which required much consultation. But in the next place he told both the king and his brother what had been offered to himself. They both advised him to accept of it. Why, said he, have you a mind that I should betray you? The king answered, he knew nothing could corrupt him. Then, said he, you know me better than I do my self: for if I take the money, I shall find the sweet of it, and study to have it continued to me by deserving it. He told them, how he had rejected the offer; and very seriously warned the king of the danger he saw he might fall into, if he suffered any of those who served him, to be once pensioners to other princes: those presents were 1662. made only to bias them in their counsels, and to York's mar discover secrets by their means: and if the king gave way to it, the taking money would soon grow to a habit, and spread like an infection through the whole court. 168 As the motion for the match with Portugal was The duke of carried on, an incident of an extraordinary nature riage. happened in the court. The earl of Clarendon's daughter, being with child, and near her time, called upon the duke of York to own his marriage with her. She had been maid of honour to the princess royal and the duke, who was even to his old age of an amorous disposition, tried to gain her to comply with his desires. She managed the matter with so much address, that in conclusion he married her. Her father did very solemnly protest, that he knew nothing of the matter, till now that it broke out. The duke thought to have shaken her from claiming it by great promises, and as great threatenings 5. Lord Shaftsbury told sir Mich. Wharton, from whom I had it, he had observed a respect from lord Clarendon and his lady to their daughter, that was very unusual from parents to their children, which gave him a jealousy she was married to one of the brothers, but suspected the king most. D. (As far as lord Clarendon's lady is concerned in this story, sir Michael Wharton's veracity is established by Locke's Memoirs of the Earl of Shaftsbury. See Locke's Works, vol. iii. p. 493. And it appears, from lord Clarendon's account of this transaction, that his daughter resided with him for some time after he But she was a woman of a great spirit. She said, she 1662. was his wife, and would have it known that she was so, let him use her afterwards as he pleased. Many discourses were set about upon this occasion. But the king ordered some bishops and judges to peruse the proofs she had to produce: and they reported that, according to the doctrine of the Gospel, and the law of England, it was a good marriage. So it was not possible to break it, but by trying how far the matter could be carried against her, for marrying a person so near the king without his leave. The king would not break with the earl of Clarendon and so he told his brother, he must drink as he brewed, and live with her whom he had made his wife. All the earl of Clarendon's enemies rejoiced at this: for they reckoned, how much soever it seemed to raise him at present, yet it would raise envy so high against him, and make the king so jealous of him, as being more in his brother's interests than in his own, that they looked on it as that which would end in his ruin. And he himself thought so, as his son told me: for, as soon as he knew of it, and when he saw his son lifted up with it, he protested to him, that he knew nothing of the matter, till it broke out; but added, that he looked on it, as that which must be all their ruin sooner or later. character. Upon this I will digress a little, to give an ac-The duke's count of the duke's character, whom I knew for some years so particularly, that I can say much bury that now is, (1748,) and found in it great confirmations of what is in this history within that period, which relate to the king, his ministers, and court. 1660. upon my own knowledge. He was very brave in his youth, and so much magnified by monsieur Turenne, that, till his marriage lessened him, he really clouded the king, and passed for the superior genius. He was naturally candid and sincere, and a firm friend, till affairs and his religion wore out all his first principles and inclinations. He had a great desire to understand affairs: and in order to that he kept a constant journal of all that passed, of 169 which he shewed me a great deal. The duke of Buckingham gave me once a short but severe character of the two brothers. It was the more severe, because it was true: the king (he said) could see things if he would, and the duke would see things if he could. He had no true judgment, and was soon determined by those whom he trusted: but he was obstinate against all other advices. He was bred with high notions of the kingly authority, and laid it down for a maxim, that all who opposed the king were rebels in their hearts. He was perpetually in one amour or other, without being very nice in his choice: upon which the king said once, he believed his brother had his mistresses given him by his priests for penance. He gave me this account of his changing his religion: when he escaped out of the hands of the earl of Northumberland, who had the charge of his education trusted to him by the parliament, and had used him with great respect, all due care was taken, as soon as he got beyond sea, to form him to a strict adherence to the church of England: among other things, much was said of the authority of the church, and of the tradition from the apostles in support of episcopacy: so that, when he came to observe that there was more |