Charles said: “The plague, the fire, our lack of money—they are responsible for our disasters. I know that, my friend. I know it. But you have many enemies, many who have determined on your ruin. You are growing old. Why should you not spend your remaining days in comfortable retirement? That is what I should wish for you. I implore you, give up the Seal on your own account, before they take it from you and inflict God knows what. They are in an ugly mood.”
“I shall never give up the Seal unless forced to do so,” said Clarendon.
Charles lifted his shoulders and left the apartment.
Barbara knew that Clarendon was with the King; she knew that the old man was receiving his dismissal. She was hilarious in her delight. For years she had worked for this—ever since the day he had refused to allow his wife to visit her.
Now she waited in her bedchamber and joked with those who had gathered round her to witness what they knew to be the humiliating dismissal of the Chancellor.
“Who was he to forbid his wife to see me!” demanded Barbara. “I was the King’s mistress; his daughter was the Duke’s before she duped him into making her his wife. And do you remember how he disowned her … how he declared he would rather see her James’ mistress than his wife! Yet he thought his family too fine … too virtuous to consort with me. Old fool! Mayhap he wishes he had not been so fine and virtuous now.”
“He has left the King,” cried one of her friends. “He comes across the gardens now.”
Barbara ran out into her aviary that she might not miss the sight of the old man’s humiliation.
“There he goes!” she called. “There goes the man who was the Chancellor. Look you! He holds not his head so high as he once did.”
Then she broke into peals of mocking laughter, in which her companions joined.
Clarendon walked quickly on as though he did not hear them.
Clarendon’s enemies, led by Buckingham, were not content with Clarendon’s dismissal. They were determined to arraign him on a charge of high treason. Charges were drawn up, among which was one accusing him of betraying the King’s confidences to foreign Powers, and as this was nothing less than high treason it was clear that his enemies were after the ex-Chancellor’s blood.
Charles was perturbed. He agreed that Clarendon was too old for his task, that his manner caused nothing but trouble to all those—including the King himself—who came into contact with him; he knew that his enemies had determined to destroy him.
He wished to be rid of Clarendon; yet he would not stand by and see an old friend forced to the executioner’s block if he could help it.
He sent word in secret to Clarendon, telling him that unless he left the country at once he would find himself facing a trial for high treason.
Clarendon at last saw reason.
On the night after he had received Charles’ message he was on his way to Calais.
Barbara was delighted with the dismissal of Clarendon. She felt that her ascendancy over Charles was regained. She was congratulating herself on the disgrace of Frances Stuart who, she was sure, had wounded the King’s amour propre to such an extent that she would never be taken back into favor again.
Barbara laughed over the affairs of Mrs. Stuart and Clarendon with her newest lover—little Henry Jermyn, one of the worst rakes at Court, and one of the smallest men to be met there; it was amusing to have for lovers the little Jermyn and the six-foot-tall King. Barbara was momentarily contented.
As for Catherine, she was hopeful. She did not believe that Charles was really in love with Barbara, and she knew that he was deeply wounded by the elopement of Frances; she often rode out with the King, and the people who, blaming Clarendon for the Dutch disaster, had taken Charles back completely into their affection, would cheer them.
Everywhere the King went was sung the latest song from the play Catch that Catch Can or The Musical Companion; and it was sung wholeheartedly.
“Here’s a health unto His Majesty,
With a fa, la, la;
Conversion to his enemies,
With a fa, la, la.
And he that will not pledge his health,
I wish him neither wit nor wealth,
Nor yet a rope to hang himself,
With a fa, la, la.”
Catherine would discuss with Charles his plans for rebuilding the City and, as he seemed to ceased mourning over past failures and had his eyes firmly fixed on the future, she found that she could follow his lead.
If only she could have a child! Then she believed that, with his own legitimate son and a wife who was ready to love him so tenderly, she and Charles could build a very happy relationship. God knew that she was willing and she could not believe that he, who was the kindest man in the world, could feel otherwise.
Charles believed that the new cabinet council would succeed where Clarendon had failed. This was already beginning to be called the “Cabal” because of the first letters of the names of the five men who were its members: Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley and Lauderdale. He was seeing Christopher Wren every day, and it seemed that before long a new City would spring up to replace the old one of wooden houses and narrow streets.
Catherine was delighted to hear good news from her own country, and to learn that her brother, Don Pedro, had now succeeding in deposing his brother Alphonso; for Alphonso had become duller-witted as time passed and now, being almost an imbecile, it had seemed that unless there could be a peaceful abdication and the security of Portugal assured by Pedro, the Spaniards might march and subdue the disunited land.
Everything is working towards some good end, decided Catherine.
But one day Donna Maria asked her if she had noticed that the King was visiting the theater more regularly than usual. Donna Maria had heard that there was a reason for this, other than the play itself.
Barbara was fuming.
“I can scarcely believe it!” she cried. “So His Majesty will demean himself as far as that! He will go to a theater and, because some minx on the stage leers boldly enough, the King is delighted. The King is in love with a low playing wench.”
“Madam,” said Mrs. Sarah, “I beg of you make no scenes in public.”
Barbara slapped the woman’s face, but not too hard. She valued Mrs. Sarah too much.
“Madam,” said Mrs. Sarah, standing back a little and placing her hands on her hips, “the King is enamored of a wench at the play. She dances a merry jig, and that pleases him.”
“A pretty state of affairs! No wonder the young men of this City are such that modest maidens dare not go abroad. No wonder no woman is safe!”
Mrs. Sarah had turned aside to hide a titter.
“Don’t dare laugh at me, woman, or you’ll wish you’d never been born.”
“Come, my lady, you’re not afraid to go abroad!”
“By God, no!” cried Barbara. “Nor to go to the theater and to order the crowd to pelt the lewd creature with oranges and to hoot her off the stage.”
“The King would not be pleased.”
“The King will not be pleased! And should I be pleased to see him so demean himself?”
Mrs. Sarah turned away. Even she dared not say that there were some who would consider he demeaned himself far more by his subservience to Lady Castlemaine than by any light fancy he might have for a play-actress.
Barbara demanded that her hat with the yellow plume be brought for her, her carriage called.
“You’re not going to the play, my lady?” cried Mrs. Sarah.