Charles the Second was only thirty years of age when he ascended the throne, the Marquis was verging on sixty. Charles, gay, lively, accomplished, and fascinating in his manners, well knew from bitter experience the pain of leading a courtly life on straitened means; and the Marquis had been too closely associated with him on the continent, not to be aware of his exact position then, and his now brilliant change of circumstances. The Marquis of Worcester too, was one of those happily constituted men who do not grow misanthropic on every fresh instance of the world’s ingratitude. His own nobleness and goodness of heart found a thousand excuses for the cold, callous, calculating society around him; and with his enlarged views, and greatness and purity of mind, he never despaired that the day would arrive, when he should be able to move at least in ease, if not in plenty. As regarded his Majesty, he enjoyed the fullest confidence in his behaving towards him with more than ordinary consideration; he might not be able to be magnificent, but at the very least he dared not to doubt that the word of the King would be realized, who had written to inform him[A]—“I am truly sensible of your great merit and sufferings in the service of the King my father, and I never shall be wanting to reward and encourage as well that kindness to his person as that zeal to his service which you have expressed in all your actions.” But he was then only nineteen years of age, unseared by the eleven years of profligacy, the expiration of which found him on the throne of his ancestors.
The Marquis’s political position had been unpopular, making him many enemies, which even altered times could not wholly obliterate. It was not merely a question whether he was justified in acting in concert with the late King, but it was manifestly imprudent and unwise, to say the least, his becoming the champion of his church in so dangerous an enterprise as that in which he engaged in Ireland. Consequently he found comparatively few who sincerely sympathised in his sufferings, amidst the crowd of suffering humanity distinguishing those unhappy times.
On the 9th of May, 1660, being the day after the King’s proclamation, the House of Lords had before them a petition from the Marchioness of Worcester,[B] the subject of which was strange enough, being no other than to complain “That Colonel Christopher Copley, doth undermine Worcester House.” Wherefore it was ordered, “That stop be made to further proceedings therein.”
His Lordship early solicited the kind offices of Lord Clarendon, offering him gratuitously the use of his mansion in the Strand.[26] He says:—
“My Lord Chancellor,
“The world speaks you to be a person of honour, and I know your Lordship to be so, and that if you say the word your Lordship will make good the same. My humble suit, therefore, to your Lordship is, but to tell me freely whether you will be my friend in all things honourable, just, and fitting; and when I ask of your Lordship anything contrary to either of these, then do not only deny it me, but spit in my face, having afforded me only patience first to give you my reasons.
“Nothing, I am confident, can set an obstacle to your Lordship’s granting me this reasonable request, but an apprehension of the obnoxiousness of my religion, as for that, such are my abilities to serve not only my Prince but the whole kingdom, that when once known in Parliament, and his Majesty looking but as favourably upon me as the tenth part of my deserts (pardon me if I say so) doth require, I will undertake, within few days, there shall be a vote in the very House of Commons to make me capable of any service whereof I may be thought worthy. Another Remora doth perhaps forcibly lie in the way, which is my son the Lord Herbert’s underhand working by false suggestions; but I shall soon blow them over. In a word, if your Lordship please to accept of me, I am the most real and affectionate servant, and as a little token of it, be pleased to accept of Worcester House to live in, far more commodious for your Lordship than where you now are, though not in so good reparation; but such as it is, without requiring from you one penny rent (yet that only known between your Lordship and me). It is during my life at your service, for I am but a tenant in tail; but were my interest longer, it should be as readily at your Lordship’s command, and I believe I may serve you in some things of ten times the value; yet I never desire word or deed from your Lordship other than according to what I first began with. Be but pleased to deal plainly with me, and I desire to show your Lordship in the King’s presence or ... if you please, what I intend to produce or say, having had a dearly bought experience what it is to trust to Princes alone. So preventing your Lordship further trouble, and asking pardon for what I have put your Lordship unto, I only desire to receive a verbal answer by this most deserving person, Mr. White, my ancient acquaintance, into whose hands I would deposit the greatest imaginable treasures untold, and intrust the greatest secrets, without other tie than his acceptance of them.
“My Lord,
“your Lordship’s,
“Most really affectionate and humble servant,