And not only did she
ask his liberty, but the restitution of his places. No wonder there was
discontent when such things were done, and public affairs were in such a
state. We must again quote the graphic, terse language of Pepys:--'It
was computed that the Parliament had given the king for this war only,
besides all prizes, and besides the L200,000 which he was to spend of
his own revenue, to guard the sea, above L5,000,000, and odd L100,000;
which is a most prodigious sum. Sir H. Cholmly, as a true English
gentleman, do decry the king's expenses of his privy purse, which in
King James's time did not rise to above L5,000 a year, and in King
Charles's to L10,000, do now cost us above L100,000, besides the great
charge of the monarchy, as the Duke of York has L100,000 of it, and
other limbs of the royal family.'
In consequence of Lady Castlemaine's intervention, Villiers was restored
to liberty--a strange instance, as Pepys remarks, of the 'fool's play'
of the age. Buckingham was now as presuming as ever: he had a theatre of
his own, and he soon showed his usual arrogance by beating Henry
Killigrew on the stage, and taking away his coat and sword; all very
'innocently' done, according to Pepys.
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