The king,
being keenly sensitive to remarks doubting his authority, and
most desirous of appearing his own master, would exclaim on such
occasions that the chancellor "had served him long, and
understood his business, in which he trusted him; but in any
other matter than his business, he had no more credit with him
than any other man." And presently the Duke of Buckingham--who
possessed talents of mimicry to a surpassing degree--would arise,
and, screwing his face into ridiculous contortions, and shaking
his wig in a manner that burlesqued wisdom to perfection, deliver
some ludicrous speech brimming with mirth and indecencies,
assuming the grave air and stately manner of the chancellor the
while. And finally, to make the caricature perfect, Tom
Killigrew, hanging a pair of bellows before him by way of purse,
and preceded by a friend carrying a fireshovel to represent a
mace, would walk round the room with the slow determined tread
peculiar to Lord Clarendon. At these performances the king, his
mistress, and his courtiers would laugh loud and long in chorus,
with which was mingled sounds of chinking glasses and flowing
wine. ["Came my lord chancellor (the Earl of Clarendon) and his
lady, his purse and mace borne before him, to visit me"--
Evelyn's "Diary."]
In this manner was the old man's power undermined; but a
circumstance which hastened his fall occurred in the early part
of 1667. In that year Lady Castlemaine had, for a valuable
consideration, disposed of a place at court, which ensured the
purchaser a goodly salary.
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