men　would　not　know　how　to　serve　him；　when　they　should　see　it　was　in　the　power　of　three　or　four　persons　who　had　never　done　him　any　notable　service　to　dispose　him　to　ungracious　acts。　　And　finally；　he　made　bold　to　cast　some　reflections　upon　my　Lady　Castlemaine；　and　give　his　majesty　certain　warnings　regarding　her　influence。
  At　this　the　king；　not　being　well　pleased；　rose　up；　and　the　interview；　which　had　lasted　two　hours；　terminated。　　Lord　Clarendon　tells　us　so　much　concerning　his　memorable　visit；　to　which　Pepys　adds　a　vivid　vignette　picture　of　his　departure。　　When　my　lord　passed　from　his　majesty's　presence　into　the　privy　garden；　my　Lady　Castlemaine；　who　up　to　that　time　had　been　in　bed；　〃ran　out　in　her　smock　into　her　aviary　looking　into　Whitehalland　thither　her　woman　brought　her　nightgownand　stood　joying　herself　at　the　old　man's　going　away；　and　several　of　the　gallants　of　Whitehall；　of　which　there　were　many　staying　to　see　the　chancellor　return；　did　talk　to　her　in　her　birdcageamong　others　Blaneford；　telling　her　she　was　the　bird　of　paradise。〃
  A　few　days　after　this　occurrence　the　king　sent　Secretary　Morrice　to　the　chancellor's　house；　with　a　warrant　under　a　sign　manual　to　require　and　receive　the　great　seal。　　This　Lord　Clarendon　at　once　delivered　him　with　many　expressions　of　duty　which　he　bade　the　messenger　likewise　convey　his　majesty。　　And　no　sooner　had　Morrice　handed　the　seals　to　the　king；　than　Baptist　May；　keeper　of　the　privy　purse；　and　friend　of　my　Lady　Castlemaine；　sought　the　monarch；　and　falling　upon　his　knees；　kissed　his　hand　and　congratulated　him　on　his　riddance　of　the　chancellor。　　〃For　now。〃　said　he；　availing　himself　of　the　liberty　Charles　permitted　his　friends；　〃you　will　be　kingwhat　you　have　never　been　before。〃　Finally；　the　chancellor　was；　through　influence　of　his　enemies；　impeached　in　the　House　of　Commons；　and　to　such　length　did　they　pursue　him；　that　he　was　banished　the　kingdom　by　act　of　parliament。
  His　grace　the　Duke　of　Ormond　was　the　next　minister　whom　my　Lady　Castlemaine；　in　the　strength　of　her　evil　influence；　sought　to　undermine。　　By　reason　of　an　integrity　rendering　him　too　loyal　to　the　king　to　pander　to　his　majesty's　mistress；　he　incurred　her　displeasure　in　many　ways；　but　especially　by　refusing　to　gratify　her　cupidity。　　It　happened　she　had　obtained　from　his　majesty　a　warrant　granting　her　the　Phoenix　Park；　Dublin；　and　the　mansion　situated　therein；　which　had　always　been　placed　at　service　of　the　lords　lieutenants；　and　was　the　only　summer　residence　at　their　disposal。　　The　duke；　therefore；　boldly　refusing　to　pass　the　warrant；　stopped　the　grant。　　＇According　to　O'Connor's　〃Bibliotheca　Stowensis；〃　Lady　Castlemaine　soon　after　received　a　grant　of　a　thousand　pounds　per　annum　in　compensation　for　her　loss　of　Phoenix　Park。＇　This　so　enraged　the　countess；　that　soon　after；　when　his　grace　returned　to　England；　she；　on　meeting　him　in　one　of　the　apartments　in　Whitehall；　greeted　him　with　a　torrent　of　abusive　language　and　bitter　reproaches；　such　as　the　rancour　of　her　heart　could　suggest；　or　the　license　of　her　tongue　utter；　and　concluded　by　hoping　she　might　live　to　see　him　hanged。　　The　duke　heard　her　with　the　uttermost　calmness；　and　when　she　had　exhausted　her　abusive　vocabulary　quietly　replied；　〃Madam；　I　am　not　in　so　much　haste　to　put　an　end　to　your　days；　for　all　I　wish　with　regard　to　you　is；　that　I　may　live　to　see　you　grow　old。〃　　And；　bowing　low；　the　fine　old　soldier　left　her　presence。　　It　may　be　added；　though　the　duke　was　deprived　of　the　lord　lieutenancy；　the　countess's　pious　wish　regarding　him　was　never　fulfilled。
  It　now　occurred　to　those　who　had　relentlessly　persecuted　the　chancellor；　that　though　they　were　safe　as　long　as　Charles　reigned；　his　death　would　certainly　place　them　in　peril。　　For　they　sufficiently　knew　the　Duke　of　York's　character　to　be　aware　when　he　ascended　the　throne　he　would　certainly　avenge　the　wrongs　suffered　by　his　father…in…law。　　Accordingly　these　men；　prominent　amongst　whom　were　the　Duke　of　Buckingham；　Sir　Thomas　Clifford；　Lords　Arlington；　Lauderdale；　and　Ashley；　and　Baptist　May；　resolved　to　devise　means　which　would　prevent　the　Duke　of　York　ever　attaining　the　power　of　sovereignty。　　Therefore　scarce　a　year　had　gone　by　since　Lord　Clarendon's　downfall；　ere　rumours　were　spread　abroad　that　his　majesty　was　about　to　put　away　the　queen；　This　was　to　be　effected；　it　was　said；　by　the　king's　acknowledgment　of　a　previous　marriage　with　Lucy　Walters；　mother　of　the　Duke　of　Monmouth；　or　by　obtaining　a　divorce　on　ground　of　her　majesty's　barrenness。
  The　Duke　of　Buckingham；　who　was　prime　mover　in　this　plot；　aware　of　the　king's　pride　in；　and　fondness　for　the　Duke　of　Monmouth；　favoured　the　scheme　of　his　majesty's　admission　of　a　marriage　previous　to　that　which　united　him　with　Catherine　of　Braganza。　And　according　to　Burnet；　Buckingham　undertook　to　procure　witnesses　who　would　swear　they　had　been　present　at　the　ceremony　which　united　him　with　the　abandoned　Lucy　Walters。　　Moreover；　the　Earl　of　Carlisle；　who　likewise　favoured　the　contrivance；　offered　to　bring　this　subject　before　the　House　of　Lords。　　However；　the　king　would　not　consent　to　trifle　with　the　succession　in　this　vile　manner；　and　the　idea　was　promptly　abandoned。　　But　though　the　project　was　unsuccessful；　it　was　subsequently　the　cause　of　many　evils；　for　the　chances　of　sovereignty；　flashing　before　the　eyes　of　the　Duke　of　Monmouth；　dazzled　him　with　hopes；　in　striving　to　realize　which；　he；　during　the　succeeding　reign；　steeped　the　country　in　civil　warfare；　and　lost　his　head。
  The　king's　friends；　ever　active　for　evil；　now　sought　other　methods　by　which　he　might　rid　himself　of　the　woman　who　loved　him　well；　and　therefore　be　enabled　to　marry　again；　when；　it　was　trusted；　he　would　have　heirs　to　the　crown。　　It　was　suggested　his　union　might；　through　lack　of　some　formality；　be　proved　illegal；　but　as　this　could　not　be　effected　without　open　violation　of　truth　and　justice；　it　was　likewise　forsaken。　　The　Duke　of　Buckingham　now　besought　his　majesty　that　he　would　order　a　bill　to　divorce　himself　from　the　queen　to　be　brought　into　the　House　of　Commons。　The　king　gave　his　consent　to　the　suggestion；　and　the　affair　proceeded　so　far　that　a　date　was　fixed　upon　for　the　motion。　However；　three　days　previous；　Charles　called　Baptist　May　aside；　and　told　him　the　matter　must　be　discontinued。
  But　even　yet　my　Lord　Buckingham　did　not　despair　of　gaining　his　wishes。　　And；　being　qualified　by　his　character　for　the　commission　of　abominable　deeds；　and　fitted　by　his　experience　for　undertaking　adventurous　schemes；　he　proposed　to　his　majesty；　as　Burnet　states；　that　he　would　give　him　leave　to　abduct　the　queen；　and　send　her　out　of　the　kingdom　to　a　plantation；　where　she　should　be　well　and　carefully　looked　to；　but　never　heard　of　more。　　Then　it　could　be　given　out　she　had　deserted　him；　upon　which　grounds　he　might　readily　obtain　a　divorce。　　But　the　king；　though　he　permitted　such　a　proposal　to　be　made　him；　contemplated　it　with　horror；　declaring　〃it　was　a　wicked　thing　to　make　a　poor　lady　miserable　only　because　she　was　his　wife　and　had　no　children　by　him；　which　was　no　fault　of　hers。〃
  Ultimately　these　various　schemes　resolved　themselves　into　a　proposition　which　Charles　sanctioned。　　This　was　that　the　queen's　confessor　should　persuade　her　to　leave　the　world；　and　embrace　a　religious　life。　　Whether　this　suggestion　was　ever　made　to　her　majesty　is　unknown；　for　the　Countess　of　Castlemaine；　hearing　of　these　schemes；　and　foreseeing　she　would　be　the　first　sacrificed　to　a　new　queen's　jealousy；　opposed　them　with　such　vigour　that　they　fell　to　the　ground　and　were　heard　of　no　more。　　The　fact　was；　the　king　took　no　active　part　in　these　designs；　not　being　anxious；　now　the　Duchess　of　Richmond　had　accepted　his　love；　to　unite　himself　with　another　wife。　　Whilst　her　grace　had　been　unmarried；　the　idea　had　indeed　occurred　to　him　of　seeking　a　divorce　that　he　might　be　free　to　lay　his　crown　at　the　feet　of　the　maid　of　honour。　And　with　such　a　view　in　mind　he　had　consulted　Dr。　Sheldon；　Archbishop　of　Canterbury；　as　to　whether　the　Church　of　England　〃would　allow　of　a　divorce；　when　both　parties　were　consenting；　and　one　of　them　lay　under　a　natural　incapacity　of　having　children。〃　Before　answering　a　question　on　which　so　much　depended；　the　archbishop　requested　time　for　consideration；　which；　with　many　injunctions　to　secrecy；　was　allowed　him。　　〃But；〃　says　Lord　Dartmouth；　who　vouches　for　truth　of　this　statement；　〃the　Duke　of　Richmond's　clandestine　marriage；　before　he　had　given　an　answer；　made　the　king　suspect　he　had　revealed　the　secret　to　Clarendon；　whose　creature　Sheldon　was　known　to　be；　and　this　was　the　true　secret　of　Clarendon's　disgrace。〃　　For　the　king；　believing　the　chancellor　had　aided　the　duke　in　his　secret　marriage；　in　order　to　prevent　his　majesty's　union　with　Miss　Stuart；　and　the　presumable　exclusion　of　the　Duke　and　Duchess　of　York　and　their　children　from　the　throne；　never　forgave　him。
  Though　the　subject　of　the　royal　divorce　was　no　longer　mentioned；　the　disturbances　springing　from　it　were　far　from　ended；　for　the　Duke　of　Buckingham；　incensed　at　Lady　Castlemaine's　interference；　openly　quarrelled　with　her；　abused　her　roundly；　and　swore　he　would　remove　the　king　from　her　power。　　To　this　end　he　therefore　employed　his　talents；　and　with　such　tact　and　assiduity　that　he　ultimately