mutual confidence between them, during the whole time the King remain'd beyond the Seas; whereby the King's perplexed Affairs were carried on with the lefs trouble. And the Chancellor did always acknowledge, that the benefit of this Friendship was fo great to him, that, without it, he could not have borne the weight of that part of the King's business which was incumbent on him, nor the envy and reproach that attended the Trust.

BESIDES the wants and neceffitics which the King was preffed with in refpect of himself, who had nothing, but was obliged to find himself by credit in Coaths, and all other neThe neceffi- ceffaries for his Perfon, and of his Family, which he faw reties and fa duced to all extremities; he was much difquieted by the netions of the ceffities in his Brother the Duke of York's Family, and by the Duke of diforder and faction in it. The Queen complain'd heavily of York's Faemily. St George Ratcliffe, and the Atturney; and more of the firft, because that he pretended to fome Right of being of the Duke's Family by a Grant of the late King; which his prefent Majefty determin'd against him; and reprehended his Activity in the laft Summer. Sr John Berkley had most of the Queen's Favour; and though he had at that time no Intereft in the Duke's Affection, he found a way to ingratiate himfelf with his Royal Highness, by infinuating into him two particulars, in both which he forefaw advantage to himself. Though no Man acted the Governour's part more Imperioufly than He had done whilft the Lord Byron was abfent, finding that he himself was lyable in fome degree to be govern'd upon that Lord's return, he had ufed all the ways he could, that the Duke might be exempted from any Subjection to a Governour, prefuming, that, when that Title fhould be extinguifhed, he fhould be poffeffed of fome fuch Office and Relation, as fhould not be under the Controle of any but the Duke himself. But he had not yet been able to bring that to pafs; which was the reafon that he stay'd at Paris when his Highness vifited Flanders and Holland. Now he took advantage of the Activity of the Duke's Spirit, and infused into him, "that it would be for his Honour to put "himself into Action, and not to be learning his Exercises in "Paris whilft the Army was in the Field: A Propofition firft intimated by the Cardinal, "that the Duke was now of years to learn his meftier, and had now the opportunity to improve himself, by being in the care of a General reputed equal to any Captain in Chriftendom, with whom he might "learn that Experience, and make thofe Obfervations, as "might enable him to ferve the King his Brother, who must hope to recover his Right only by the Sword. This the Cardinal had faid both to the Queen, and to the Lord Jermyn, whilft

t

whilft the King was in Scotland, when no Man had the hardinefs to advise it in that conjuncture. But, after the King's Return from England, there wanted nothing but the Approbation of his Majefty; and no Man more defired it than the Lord Byron, who had had good Command, and preferr'd that kind of Life before that which he was obliged to live in at Paris. There was no need of Spurs to be employ'd to incite the Duke; who was most impatient to be in the Army. And therefore Sr John Berkley could not any other way make himfelf fo grateful to him, as by appearing to be of that mind, and by telling the Duke, "that whofoever oppofed it, and "diffwaded the King from giving his confent, was an Enemy "to his Highness's Glory, and defired that he fhould live al"ways in Pupillage; not omitting to put him in mind, "that "his very entrance into the Army fet him at Liberty, and put "him into his own difpofal; fince no Man went into the Field "under the direction of a Governour; ftill endeavouring to improve his prejudice against thofe who fhould either diffwade him from purfuing that Refolution, or endeavour to perfwade the King not to approve it; "which, he told him, could pro"ceed from nothing but want of Affection to his Perfon. By this means he hoped to raise a notable diflike in him of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who, he believ'd, did not like the defign, because he having spoken to him of it, the other had not enlarged upon it as an Argument that pleafed

him.

THE Duke preffed it with earnestness and paffion, in which be diffembled not; and found the Queen, as well as the King, very referv'd in the point; which proceeded from their tenderness towards him, and left they might be thought to be lefs concern'd for his Safety than they ought to be. His Highness then conferr'd with thofe, who, he thought, were moft like to be confulted with by the King, amongit whom he knew the Chancellor was one; and finding him to fpeak with lefs warmth than the reft, as if he thought it a matter worthy of great deliberation, his Highness was confirm'd in the jealoufy which Sr John Berkley had kindled in him, that He was the principal Perfon who obftructed the King's Condefcenfion. There was at that time no Man with the King who had been a Counsellor to his Father, or fworn to Himself, but the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Marquis of Ormond, though he had adminiftred the Affairs in Ireland, was never fworn a Counsellor in England; yet his Majefty look'd upon him in all refpects molt fit to advise him; and thought it neceffary to form fuch a Body, as fhould be efteem'd by all Men as his Privy Council, without whose Advice he would take no Refolutions. The King knew the

Queen

The King appoints

Sir John Berkley pretends to

the MafterJoip of the VVards.

Queen would not be well pleased, if the Lord Jermyn were not one; who in all other respects was neceffary to that Truft, fince all Addreffes to the Court of France were to be made by him: And the Lord Wilmot, who had cultivated the King's Affection during the time of their Peregrination, and drawn many promises from him, and was full of projects for his Service, could not be left out. The King therefore call'd the Marquis of Ormond, the Lord Jermyn, and the Lord Wilmot, to the Council Board; and declared "that they three, toge"ther with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, fhould be con"fulted with in all his Affairs. The Queen very earneftly preffed the King, "that Sr John Berkley might likewife be 'made a Counsellor; which his Majefty would not confent to; and thought he could not refuse the fame Honour to the Lord Wentworth, the Lord Byron, or any other Perfon who fhould wait upon him, if he granted it to St John Berkley, who had no manner of pretence.

BERKLEY took this refufal very heavily, and thought his great Parts, and the Services he had perform'd, which were known to very few, might well enough diftinguish him from other Men. But because he would not be thought without fome just pretence which others had not, he very confidently infifted upon a Right he had, by a promife of the late King, to be Mafter of the Wards; and that Officer had usually been of the Privy Council. The evidence he had of that promise, was an intercepted Letter from the late King to the Queen, which the Parliament had caused to be printed. In that Letter the King anfwer'd a Letter he had receiv'd from her Majefty, in which the put him in mind, "that he had promised "her to make Jack Berkley (which was the ftyle in the Letter) "Mafter of the Wards; which, the King said, "he won"der'd at, fince he could not remember that she had ever "spoken to him to that purpose; implying likewife that he was "not fit for it. He preffed the Chancellor of the Exchequer

to urge this matter of Right to the King (and faid, "the "Queen would declare the King had promiled it to her) and "to prevail with his Majefty to make him prefently Master "of the Wards; which would give him fuch a Title to the "Board, that others could not take his being called thither as "a prejudice to them.

THE Chancellor had at that time much kindness for him, and did really defire to oblige him, but he durft not urge that for a reafon to the King, which could be none, and what he knew, as well as a Negative could be known, had no foundation of truth. For befides that he very well knew the late King had not fo good an opinion of Sr John Berkley, as he himiclf did at that time heartily wish, and endeavour to infufe

into him, the King had, after that promife was pretended to be made, granted that Office at Oxford to the Lord Cottington; who executed it as long as Offices were executed under the Grant of the Crown, and was poffeffed of the Title to his death. The Chancellor did therefore very earnestly endeavour to diffwade him from making that pretence and demand to the King; and told him, "the King could not at this time "do a more ungracious thing, that would lofe him more "the hearts and affections of the Nobility and Gentry of "England, than in making a Mafter of the Wards, in a time "when it would not be the leaft Advantage to his Majesty "or the Officer, to declare that he refolv'd to infift upon that part of his Prerogative which his Father had confented to part with; the refuming whereof in the full rigour, which "he might lawfully do, would ruin most of the Eftates of "England, as well of his Friends as Enemies, in regard of "the vaft Arrears incurr'd in fo many years; and therefore "whatever his Majefty might think to refolve hereafter, when "it fhould please God to restore him, for the prefent there "must be no thought of fuch an Officer.

SIR John Berkley was not fatisfied at all with the reafon that was alledged; and very unfatisfied with the unkindness (as he called it) of the refufal to interpofe in it; and faid, "fince his friends would not, he would himself require juftice "of the King; and immediately, hearing that the King was in the next Room, went to him; and in the warmth he had contracted by the Chancellor's contradiction, preffed his Majefty," to make good the promise his Father had made; and magnified the Service he had done; which he did really believe to have been very great, and, by the cuftom of making frequent relations of his own Actions, grew in very good earneft to think he had done many things which no body else ever heard of. The King who knew him very well, and believ'd little of his History, and lefs of his Father's promife, was willing rather to reclaim him from his importunity, than to give him a pofitive denial (which in his Nature his Majesty affected not) left it might indifpofe his Mother or his Bro ther and fo, to every part of his requeft concerning the being of the Council, and concerning the Office, gave him fuch reafons against the gratifying him for the prefent, that he could not but plainly difcern that his Majefty was very averse from it. But that confideration prevailed not with him; he ufed fo great importunity, notwithstanding all the reafons which had been alledged, that at the last the King prevailed with himself, which he used not to do in fuch Cafes, to give.. him a pofitive denial, and reprehenfion, at once; and fo left The King de him.

ALL

nies it him.

ALL this he imputed to the Chancellor of the Exchequer ; aud though he knew well he had not, nor could have spoken with the King from the time they had fpoken together, before himself had that Audience from his Majefty, he declar'd, "that he knew all that Indifpofition had been infused by him; "because many of the reafons, which his Majefty had given against his doing what he defired, were the very fame that "the Chancellor had urged to him; though they could not but have occurr'd to any reasonable Man, who had been called to coufult upon that Subject. This paffion prevailed fo far upon him, that, notwithstanding the advice of fome of his beft Friends to the contrary, he took an opportunity to walk with the Chancellor (hortly after; and, in a very calm, though a very confufed difcourfe, told him, "that, fince he "was refolv'd to break all Friendship with him, which had

continued now near twenty years, he thought it but juft "to give him notice of it, that from henceforward he might "not expect any Friendship from him, but that they might "live towards each other with that civility only that Stran "gers ufe to do. The Chancellor told him, "that the fame "juftice that difpofed him to give this notice, fhould likewife "oblige him to declare the reafon of this refolution; and asked him, "whether he had ever broken his word to him? or "promised to do what he had not done? He anfwer'd, "his "Exception was, that he could not be brought to make any "promife; and that their judgements were fo different, that Whereupon he would no more depend upon him and fo they parted, Sir John without ever after having converfation with each other whilft they remain'd in France.

breaks with the Chanseller.

York bould go into the French

Army.

THE Spring was now advanced, and the Duke of York continued his importunity with the King, "that he might Deliberation "have his leave to repair to the Army. And thereupon his in the Coun- Majefty called his Council together, the Queen his Mother, cil, whether and his Brother, being likewife prefent. There his Majefty the Duke of declared "what his Brother had long defired of him; to which "he had hitherto given no other Antwer, than that he would "think of it; and before he could give any other, he thought "it neceffury to receive their advice: nor did his Majesty in the leaft difcover what he himself was inclined to. The Duke then repeated what he had defired of the King; and faid," he "thought he asked nothing but what became him; if he did "not, he hoped the King would not deny it to him, and that "no body would advife he fhould. The Queen fpoke not a word; and the King defired the Lords to deliver their opinion; who all fate filent, expecting who would begin; there being no fixed Rule of the Board, but fometimes, according to the Nature of the bufinefs, he who was firft in place begun,

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