be looked after, because I could not hold it worthy (nor can I yet) of that great duty and service which I owe to my dear mother, the Church of England."

Here, it may be remarked, that the wickedness or falsehood of Laud's enemies is more conspicuous, when they accused him, with this celebrated Conference before them, of being a professed Papist. No action of this great man's life was there to encourage such an opinion, and the Papists themselves declared that he was their greatest enemy. But Laud has himself told us, that "a man is apt to think he can never run far enough from that which he once begins to hate and doth not consider, therewhile, that where religion corrupted is the thing he hates, a fallacy may be easily put upon him, for he ought to hate the corruption which depraves religion, and to run from it; but from no part of religion itself, which he ought to love and reverence, ought he to depart." These remarks are unanswerable, and contain a host of arguments against the Puritans. Yet, after all, we find one of his bitterest enemies, Sir Edward Deering, observing, on a future occasion, "That Laud's Relation of his Conference with the Jesuit would live after he was dead; that by it he had stabbed the Papists under the fifth rib1."

'Fuller, Church History, book xi.

CHAPTER VII.

1622-1625.

Laud's connexion with the Duke of Buckingham-Notice of that favourite The Prince of Wales-Intended marriage with the Infanta-His journey to Spain with Buckingham-Their adventures-False assertions of Laud's enemies-Zeal of Archbishop Abbot-Insolence of the Papists-Cunning intrigues of Bishop Williams-Enmity to Laud-Conduct of the Archbishop towards Laud-Instances of Laud's piety-Meeting of the Parliament-Remarkable conduct of Abbot-Opposition of Laud to Buckingham-Moderation of that noblemanNegotiations with France-Death of James I.– His character -His conduct towards Scotland-The Book of Sports-Defence of James-His character by Archbishop Spottiswoode.

THE conduct of Bishop Laud, in his Conference with the Jesuit, was the commencement of an intimate friendship between him and the Marquis (afterwards Duke) of Buckingham'. That celebrated favourite, whose life was so brilliant, and whose death was so melancholy, inclined though he was to splendour and gaiety, could nevertheless appreciate the value of a man of learning and genius, whose integrity was conspicuous in all his actions.

'Diary, p. 5. "June 9, being Whitsunday, my Lord Marquis of Buckingham was pleased to enter upon a near respect for The particulars are not for paper.'

me.

The favours which Buckingham had received at Court, his extraordinary advancement and influence, and the ascendancy which he had acquired over the King, are facts indeed remarkable, yet he was no worthless minion, neither was he altogether undeserving of his good fortune; and, though he certainly exalted the members of his own family, and his dependents, yet it was not with a view to establish himself more securely at Court, since he was there supported solely by his own genius'. He has been traduced as licentious and profligate by many, and thence have they taken occasion to infer, that while he was the Prince's confidant and companion, Charles' life, like his own, was not the most virtuous: but it must not be forgotten, that

MS. Sir Simon D'Ewes' Account of Himself. Harleian Library.

2 Historia Vitæ et Regni Ricardi II. ab auct. T. Hearne, p. 404. In this work there is a letter from the Prince to the Duke, from which it appears that he was a confidant in an intrigue of the former. It is to the following effect :

"Steanie, I have nothing now to wryte to you, but to give you thankes bothe for the good councill ye gave me, and for the event of it. The King gave me a good sharp potion, but you took away the working of it by the well-relished comfites ye sent after it. I have met with the party that must not be named, once alreddie, and the cullor of wrighting this letter shall make me meete with her on Saturday, although it is written the day being Thursday. So assuring you that the business goes safelie now, I rest your constant loving friend, CHARLES.

"I hope ye will not shew the King this letter, but put it in the safe custodie of Mister Vulcan."

Hearne informs us, that this letter is reported to have at one

while his favour at Court made him unpopular, and his natural courage too often haughty and unrelenting1, his conduct was distinguished by many imprudences. Whatever may have been his errors, certain it is that he regarded his lady with fond affection, and he evinced his attachment towards her at his death by the most indubitable proofs.

The friendship which Buckingham conceived for Laud, induced him to appoint the Bishop his chaplain on the 15th of June, 1622, and from him he received the sacrament at Greenwich on the following day. Next month we find Laud making

time been in the possession of Archbishop Sancroft, and that it is the only amour in which the Prince was known to have been concerned.

'Clarendon's History of the Rebellion, fol. vol. i.

* Sir Henry Wotton's Life of the Duke.

'Diary, p. 5. Prynne's Breviate, p. 3. In his Diary, Laud says, "I became C. to my lord of Buckingham ;" and Prynne, therefore, to establish his Popish insinuations, says, that he became Confessor. Allowing this to be the case, it by no means follows that the word "Confessor" has no other meaning than the Popish one, or that which is attached as connected with the functions of the Romish ecclesiastics; but whether the Bishop meant so or not, may be justly questioned. The letter C is all that he expresses, and it may as well mean Chaplain. Heylin (p. 96) has adopted the word Confessor, because he had used Prynne's corrupted edition of the Diary.-Abbot observed this intimacy with uneasiness and jealousy, Narrative, apud Rushworth's Col. vol. i. p. 440. "This man," says he, "is the only inward counsellor with Buckingham, sitting with him sometimes privately whole hours, and feeding his humour with spite and malice."

a visitation of his diocese, diligently preaching, and arranging the affairs of his extensive see, and returning from Wales to London in the ensuing August. He remained in London in attendance at the Court, preaching at various places in the city, until the 27th of January, when he left the metropolis, and was inducted into the rectory of Creeke, near Peterborough, on the 31st,-a benefice which the King had given him in commendam'. On the 5th of February, we find him again with the King at London, and he informs us that he received a book from his Majesty, written by a Capuchin friar, who had been once a Protestant, proving from the ninth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, where an account is given of St. Paul's vision, that the body of Christ had been actually in two places at once. On the 9th of February, the Bishop returned it to the King, with his own remarks upon it, and on that day we find him holding his first ordination, which he has piously recorded 3.

In the meanwhile, the negotiations were proceeding for Charles' marriage with the Infantawhich James had vigorously prosecuted, in the hope that by it the Palatinate would be recovered for his son-in-law. But the Spanish armies and their allies had committed the most dreadful ravages in the country of the unfortunate Elector,

1 Diary, p. 6.

3 Ibid. ut sup.

* Ibid. ut sup.

"Promovi Edmundum Provant Scotum in Presbyterium. Primogenitus meus fuit in Domino."