royalty restored-第22部分

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upon　her　mind。　Coming　so　suddenly；　it　was　more　than　she　could　bear；　all　colour　fled　from　her　face；　tears　rushed　to　her　eyes；　blood　gushed　from　her　nostrils；　and　she　fell　senseless　to　the　floor。

Such　strong　evidence　of　the　degree　in　which　his　young　wife　felt　the　indignity　forced　upon　her；　by　no　means　softened　his　majesty's　heart　towards　her；　but　rather　roused　his　indignation　at　what　he　considered　public　defiance　of　his　authority。　　But　as　his　nature　was　remote　from　roughness；　and　his　disposition　inclined　to　ease；　he　at　first　tried　to　gain　his　desire　by　persuasion；　and　therefore　besought　the　queen　she　would　suffer　his　mistress　to　become　a　lady　of　the　bedchamber。　　But　whenever　the　subject　was　mentioned　to　her　majesty；　she　burst　into　tears；　and　would　not　give　heed　to　his　words。　　Charles　therefore；　incensed　on　his　side；　deserted　her　company；　and　sought　the　society　of　those　ever　ready　to　entertain　him。　　And　as　the　greater　number　of　his　courtiers　were　fully　as　licentious　as　himself；　they　had　no　desire　he　should　become　subject　to　his　wife；　or　alter　the　evil　tenor　of　his　ways。

Therefore　in　their　conversation　they　cited　to　him　the　example　of　his　grandfather；　King　James　I。；　of　glorious　memory；　who　had　not　dissembled　his　passions；　nor　suffered　the　same　to　become　a　reproach　to　those　who　returned　his　love；　but　had　obliged　his　queen　to　bear　with　their　company；　and　treat　them　with　grace　and　favour；　and　had；　moreover；　raised　his　natural　children　to　the　degree　of　princes　of　the　blood。　　They　told　Charles　he　had　inherited　the　disposition　of　his　grandsire；　and　they　were　sure　he　would　treat　the　objects　of　his　affection　in　like　manner　as　that　king　had　done。　　Lady　Castlemaine；　her　friends　moreover　argued；　had；　by　reason　of　her　love　for　his　majesty；　parted　from　her　husband；　and　now　that　she　had　been　so　publicly　made　an　object　of　the　queen's　indignation；　she　would；　if　abandoned　by　him；　meet　with　rude　contempt　from　the　world。　　To　such　discourses　as　these　the　king　lent　a　willing　ear；　the　more　as　they　encouraged　him　to　act　according　to　his　desires。　　He　was　therefore　fully　determined　to　support　his　mistress；　and　firmly　resolved　to　subdue　his　wife。

Meanwhile；　all　joyousness　vanished　from　the　court；　the　queen　seemed　thoroughly　dejected；　the　king　bitterly　disappointed；　and　the　courtiers　grievously　disturbed。　　Moreover；　rumours　of　the　trouble　which　had　risen　between　their　majesties　became　noised　abroad；　and　gave　the　people　occasion　of　speaking　indifferently　of　their　lord　the　king。　　Now　Charles　in　his　unhappiness　betook　himself　to　the　chancellor；　who　was　not　only　his　sage　adviser　and　trusted　friend；　but　who　had　already　gained　the　esteem　and　confidence　of　the　queen。　　My　lord；　by　reason　of　his　services　to　the　late　king；　and　his　friendship　towards　his　present　majesty；　took　to　himself　the　privilege　of　speaking　with　freedom　and　boldness　whenever　his　advice　was　asked　by　the　monarch。　　As　Burnet　tells　us；　the　worthy　chancellor　would　never　make　any　application　to　the　king's　mistress；　nor　allow　anything　to　pass　the　seal　in　which　she　was　named；　nor　would　he　ever　consent　to　visit　her；　which　the　bishop　considered　〃was　maintaining　the　decencies　of　virtue　in　a　very　solemn　manner。〃　　The　king　knowing　my　lord　was　the　only　one　of　all　the　strangers　surrounding　the　queen　whom　she　believed　devoted　to　her　service；　and　to　whose　advice　she　would　hearken　with　trust；　therefore　bade　him　represent　to　her　the　advisability　of　obedience。

Whereon　the　chancellor　boldly　pointed　out　to　him　〃the　hard…　heartedness　and　cruelty　of　laying　such　a　command　upon　the　queen；　which　flesh　and　blood　could　not　comply　with。〃　　He　also　begged　to　remind　the　monarch　of　what　he　had　heard　him　say　upon　the　occasion　of　a　like　indignity　being　offered　by　a　neighbouring　king　to　his　queen；　inasmuch　as　he　had　compelled　her　to　endure　the　presence　of　his　mistress　at　court。　　On　hearing　which　King　Charles　avowed　it　was　〃a　piece　of　ill…nature　that　he　could　never　be　guilty　of；　and　if　ever　he　should　be　guilty　of　having　a　mistress　after　he　had　a　wife；　which　he　hoped　he　should　never　be；　she　should　never　come　where　his　wife　was；　he　would　never　add　that　to　the　vexation；　of　which　she　would　have　enough　without　it。〃　　Finally　my　lord　added　that　pursuit　of　the　course　his　majesty　had　resolved　on；　was　a　most　certain　way　to　lose　the　respect　and　affections　of　his　people；　that　the　excesses　he　had　already　fallen　into　had　in　some　degree　lost　him　ground　in　their　good　esteem；　but　that　his　continuance　of　them　would　〃break　the　hearts　of　all　his　friends；　and　be　grateful　only　to　those　who　desired　the　destruction　of　monarchy。〃

Charles　heard　him　with　some　impatience；　but　in　his　reply　betrayed　that　graciousness　of　manner　which；　never　forsaking　him；　went　far　in　securing　the　favour　of　those　with　whom　he　conversed。　　He　commenced　by　telling　the　chancellor　he　felt　assured　his　words　were　prompted　by　the　affection　in　which　he　held　him；　and　then　having　by　a　pathway　of　courteous　speeches　found　his　way　to　the　old　man's　heart；　his　majesty　broached　the　subject　uppermost　in　his　mind。　　His　conscience　and　his　honour；　he　said；　for　he　laid　claim　to　both；　led　him　to　repair　the　ruin　he　had　caused　Lady　Castlemaine's　reputation　by　promoting　her　to　the　position　of　a　lady　of　the　bedchamber；　and　his　gratitude　prompted　him　to　avow　a　friendship　for　her；　〃which　he　owed　as　well　to　the　memory　of　her　father　as　to　her　own　person；〃　and　therefore　he　would　not　be　restrained　from　her　company　and　her　conversation。

Moreover；　he　had　proceeded　so　far　in　the　business；　that　if　not　successful　Lady　Castlemaine　would　be　subjected　to　all　imaginable　contempt；　and　be　exposed　to　universal　ridicule。　　If；　he　added；　the　queen　conformed　to　his　wishes　in　this　regard；　it　would　be　the　only　hard　thing　he　should　ever　require　of　her；　and；　indeed；　she　might　make　it　very　easy；　for　my　lady　must　behave　with　all　possible　respect　in　her　presence；　otherwise　she　should　never　see　his　face　again。　　Then　he　begged　the　chancellor　to　wait　upon　her　majesty；　lay　bare　his　arguments；　and　urge　her　to　receive　the　countess　with　some　show　of　favour。　　The　chancellor；　though　not　pleased　with　his　mission；　yet　in　hope　of　healing　private　discord　and　averting　public　scandal；　undertook　to　counsel　the　queen　to　obedience；　and　accordingly　waited　on　her　in　her　private　apartments。

Now　her　majesty's　education　had　been　such　as　kept　her　in　complete　ignorance　of　the　world's　ways。　　The　greater　part　of　her　life　had　been　spent　in　the　peaceful　retirement　of　a　convent；　which　she　left　for　her　mother's　country　palace；　a　home　scarcely　less　secluded。　　Maynard；　in　a　letter　preserved　in　the　State　Paper　Office；　written　from　Lisbon　when　the　royal　marriage　was　proposed；　says　the　infanta；　〃as　sweete　a　disposition　princess　as　everr　was　borne；〃　was　〃bred　hugely　retired。　　She　hath；〃　he　continues；　〃hardly　been　tenn　tymes　out　of　the　palace　in　her　life。　　In　five　years　tyme　she　was　not　out　of　doores；　untill　she　hurde　of　his　majestie's　intentions　to　make　her　queen　of　Ingland；　since　which　she　hath　been　to　visit　two　saintes　in　the　city；　and　very　shortly　shee　intends　to　pay　her　devotion　to　some　saintes　in　the　country。〃

From　a　life　of　innocence　she　was　brought　for　the　first　time　face　to　face　with　vice；　by　one　who　should　have　been　foremost　in　shielding　her　from　its　contact。　　All　her　training　taught　her　to　avoid　the　contamination　sought　to　be　forced　upon　her；　all　her　new…born　love　for　her　husband　prompted　her　to　loathe　the　mistress　who　shared　his　affections。　　A　stranger　in　a　strange　land；　a　slighted　queen；　a　neglected　wife；　an　outraged　woman；　her　sufferings　were　bitter；　Her　wrongs　were　hard　to　bear。　　Therefore　when　my　lord　chancellor　came　and　made　known　the　object　of　his　visit；　she　broke　into　a　passion　of　tears；　and　could　not　speak　from　force　of　sobs　that　seemed　to　rend　her　heart；　and　wholly　choked　her　utterance。

The　chancellor　then　retired　with　some　dismay；　but　waited　on　her　again　next　day；　when　he　found　her　more　calm。　　She　begged　he　would　excuse　the　outburst　of　feeling　he　had　witnessed；　but　added　very　pitifully　that　when　she　thought　of　her　misfortunes　〃she　sometimes　gave　vent　to　that　passion　which　was　ready　to　break　her　heart。〃　The　advice；　or；　as　he　terms　it；　〃the　evidence　of　his　devotion；〃　which　the　chancellor　gave　was　worthy　of　a　courtier　and　a　philosopher。　　He　told　the　young　queen　he　doubted　〃she　was　little　beholden　to　her　education；　that　had　given　her　no　better　information　of　the　follies　and　iniquities　of　mankind；　of　which　he　presumed　the　climate　from　whence　she　came　could　have　given　more　instances　than　this　cold　region　would　afford。〃　　Had　she　been　properly　instructed；　he　furthermore　hinted；　she　would　never　have　thought　herself　so　miserable；　or　her　condition　so　insupportable；　and　indeed　he　could　not　comprehend　the　reason　of　her　loud　complaint。

At　this　she　could　no　longer　suppress　the　tears　which　came　into　her　dark　eyes；　and　cried　out　she　did　not　expect　to　find　her　husband　in　love　with　another　woman。　　Then　my　lord　besought　her　submission　to　the　king；　but　she　remained　unshaken　in　the　resolution　she　had　formed。　　She　was　ready　to　ask　his　majesty's　pardon　for　tiny　passion　or　peevishness　she　had　been　guilty　of；　but　added；　〃the　fire　appearing　in　her　eyes　where　the　water　was；〃　she　would　never　endure　the　presence　of　his　mistress；　and　rather　than　submit　to　such　insu