could not be found; and afterwards they heard he was with a wench all that day."

In 1676, among other projects of repairing his ruined fortunes, we find him establishing a glass manufactory at Lambeth. Evelyn, who paid it a visit, remarks, " that the mirrors were far larger and better than those brought from Venice." He mentions also "huge vases of metal, as clear, ponderous, and thick as crystal." Another of the Duke's fancies was to obtain a military command :Charles," says Dalrymple, in his Memoirs, "duped Buckingham of his expectation of commanding six thousand English forces against Holland, by prevailing upon France not to ask them;" and Colbert writes, 4th November, 1671, that "on this account Buckingham refused to go to court when sent for." However, in 1672, previous to the arrival of the Duke of Schomberg in England, we find him actually in command of the newraised forces encamped on Blackheath. For some reason his military employment was extremely brief, and, on the arrival of Schomberg, he quitted the service.*

At the breaking out of the Dutch war, in 1665, Buckingham gave another instance of his restless and versatile disposition, by applying for the command of a ship. As he was a mere landsman, wholly ignorant of naval tactics, the application met with anything but cordiality. With a large ship it was thought unadvisable to trust him, and to command a mere sloop or gun-brig, would have been derogatory to his rank and station. Accordingly, he embarked as a volunteer on board the Flag Ship, the captain of which happened to be his acquaintance. But here a new difficulty arose. In his capacity of a Privy Councillor he demanded to be present during all councils

* Sheffield Duke of Buckingham's Works, vol. ii. p. 6.

VOL. III.

G

82 GEORGE VILLIERS, SECOND DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.

of war, a claim which the Duke of York, then Admiral of the Fleet, partly from personal dislike, and partly from an unwillingness to establish an inconvenient precedent, positively refused to admit. Buckingham accordingly left the fleet in disgust and returned to the court.*

* Clarendon's Life of Himself, vol. ii. p. 256.

83

CHAPTER II.

Buckingham's Conspiracy against Charles II.-Proclamation issued for his Apprehension-Conceals himself in London-Surrenders himself to the Lieutenant of the Tower-His Conduct at his Examination -Pardoned by Charles-Buckingham's Quarrel with Lord Ossory -His late Hours-His Fray with Lord Dorchester-Kills the Earl of Shrewsbury in a Duel-His Intrigue with the Countess of Shrewsbury-The Duke's Seat at Cliveden-Sent on a Mission to France-Anecdote-Again in Disgrace at Court-Sent to the Tower-Witty Reply to Lord Shaftesbury-Retires from Court at the Death of Charles II.-His vast Debts-Amusing Controversy with Father Petre-His last Moments and Death-Character of Buckingham.

Most men have some particular aim, some settled object in existence, which is expected to confer happiness in the end. But the mind of Buckingham shifted with every wind. His imagination was a harlequinade of tinsel fancies; and, whether as the adviser of his sovereign, or whether leagued with levellers and fanatics; whether as the philosopher or the rake; as the man of leisure, the man of business, or the man of science, we find him equally versatile, capricious, and unprincipled to the last.

On a mind so constituted, not all the smiles of fortune nor of his sovereign were sufficient to confer happiness; and, consequently, in March, 1667, we find him deeply engaged in a formidable conspiracy against the person and government of his good-natured sovereign, who, moreover, had been his earliest friend. Singular as it may appear, we cannot doubt but that he was influenced in his shameful conduct, by the idle predictions of a

mountebank astrologer-" a poor fellow," says Clarendon, "who had a poorer lodging somewhere about Tower Hill, and who professed knowledge in horoscopes or judicial astrology, and had, from a calculation of the Duke's nativity, foretold him that he would be king." Thus Rochester the finest intellect be perverted! practised astrology to support his well-known mountebank jest; Buckingham, on the other hand, believed in its absurdities, and his credulity nearly led him to the block.

can

Charles, notwithstanding his easy temper, his love for the companion of his childhood, and the natural forgivingness of his disposition, must have been deeply hurt and exasperated when the Duke's treason was first announced to him. In one of the earliest numbers of the London Gazette we find a curious and interesting document,the proclamation issued for Buckingham's apprehension. After the usual preamble, it sets forth,-" that forasmuch as the said Duke, who was of H.M. Privy Council, and otherwise employed in great trust relating to H.M. person and the public, and not only bound by common duty and allegiance, but further obliged by especial and extraordinary ties of gratitude and fidelity to the Crown, hath, notwithstanding, held and maintained secret correspondence by letters and other transactions, tending to raise mutinies in some of H.M. Forces, and stir up sedition among his people, and other traitorous designs and practices and whereas for the prevention of the mischievous consequences that might thereupon ensue, especially as the present state of affairs now are, and intending the matter be examined, and the said Duke brought to answer what should be objected against him, His Majesty

* March 7th, 1666-7. No. 138.

gave orders to one of H.M. Serjeants-at-Arms to use all diligence to apprehend him: in execution of which command H.M. minister was ill-treated and contemptuously resisted, not without the knowledge of the said Duke himself, as H.M. has just cause to believe, and he, as conscious of his demerits, secretly escaped."

The proclamation then proceeds to issue the necessary directions to all Justices of the Peace, Mayors, Sheriffs, &c. to use their best endeavours to apprehend the said Duke;" -declaring that "if any person or persons, after the publication thereof, shall directly or indirectly conceal the said Duke, or shall not use their best endeavours for his discovery and apprehension, they shall be proceeded against with all severity."

Buckingham, it would seem, on his treasonable designs having been discovered, concealed himself, in the first instance, in his house at Westhorp. Sir John Reresby was Sheriff of Yorkshire at the time, and as the Duke was an influential person, and had formerly shown him civility, he was placed in a disagreeable dilemma. "I confess," he says, "I was at a loss to know how to act in this matter, between the obligation of my office as sheriff, and the respect I had for the Duke: but the judges coming down to the assizes, advised me by all means to proclaim the order for his apprehension, which I did, and it for ever after lessened me in the esteem of that lord." One Serjeant Bearcroft was sent to Westhorp to arrest him. Pepys was informed by this person, that a few miles from the place he was "overtaken and out-rid" by the Duchess of Buckingham, who appears to have arrived at Westhorp about a quarter of an hour before him. Accordingly on reaching the house he found the doors closed against him. The next day, however, having reinforced himself with the officers of the