Buckingham gave his opinion with great gravity upon these important points, discouraging any alterations, commending the dress as at once elegant and manly, although he concluded with an offer of a heavy wager, that his Majesty would be presently tired of the innovation, and would resume his former garb. This bet the King accepted with much confidence, protesting his perfect approbation of the change; but theresult proved that Buckingham, who soon claimed the money, knew his capricious humour better than he did himself. As there had been no reason for the adoption of this new fashion, so was there none for its discontinuance. had been the whim of the moment. narch who needed perpetual excitement, its novelty was sufficient recommendation; when this ceased, its attraction was lost, and the Persian garment followed the fate of the ministers, mistresses, and favourites, of whom he had successively grown tired-it was thrown aside and forgotten.

It

To a mo

Jocelyn's indignation at his cavalier dismissal

from the royal presence was inflamed by the conviction that his suspicions were well founded, and that the King was the real author of Julia's abduction, and perfectly well acquainted with her place of concealment. His Majesty had begun with a wilful misconception, he had proceeded with an evasion, he had concluded with a rude and haughty sneer, but he had never denied the fact. Indeed his manner and his equivocation amounted to a full admission in the mind of Jocelyn, who sate apart in a corner of the festive hall, indulging bitter and jealous thoughts, and little participating in the mirth and merriment that surrounded him. The mummery usually enacted at these entertainments was now beginning. Killigrew having dressed himself up as a Quaker, went about denouncing the vices of the Court, and prognosticating the most dreadful calamities in consequence, such as a stoppage to the supply of canary, claret, and muscadel for the men; of Flander's lace, French gloves, Spa

nish rouge, and Dutch sprunking-glasses for the ladies; together with a general mortality among lap-dogs, monkeys, and parroqueets, pimps, pandars and parasites; whereby the recreation and occupation of all ranks and sexes at Whitehall were likely to be annihilated.

"What news, friend, in the City ?" inquired the King, as he came up.

"Worse and worse, friend,” replied Killigrew as if he were addressing a stranger. " All going to rack and ruin; commerce declining, confidence destroyed, incapable ministers, a pleasure-loving King, a discontented nation. And yet there is one good, honest, able man in the country, who, if he could be prevailed upon to undertake the management of affairs, and look to every thing himself, would speedily redeem all."

""Ods fish!" cried the King, "he must be a spruce and stirring blade, and it would like me well to know the name of such a phoenix.”

"His name," continued Killigrew, very seriously, “is Charles Stuart, who now spends

his time in kissing and courting, in toying and tippling; but who has talents to perform all that I have said, if he would only devote himself to the undertaking."

"Tush, friend!” replied the King, “what can you expect from one who associates with such a deboshed, idle, and rakehelly fellow as Tom Killigrew ?"

"That he should laugh at him when he plays the fool, and endeavour to profit by him when he acts the Mentor," said Killigrew, and immediately moved off to another part of the apartment. Attracted by the bustle and laughter that sounded from a distant part of the saloon, Charles, ever on the alert for amusement, hastened in that direction, and no sooner reached the spot, than several voices at once cried out, "Here is his Majesty! here is his Majesty !" and, opening to the right and left, disclosed to the King's observation the strange figure whom they had been previously encircling. It was a squat and corpulent Dutchwoman, with grey

eyes, sandy mustachios, a coif with laced streamers surmounting her hair, which was pomatumed back from the forehead; two ponderous gold ear-rings, laying themselves down upon the fat of either shoulder; and her costume- -But we need not describe it a second time, for the figure was Lady Compton, and her attire the identical suit she had worn upon her first presentation to Jocelyn, and which having considerably suffered by the lapse of time, had been selected for her travelling-dress. She had come up to London herself, finding Jocelyn's exertions ineffectual, to use her own personal influence with his Majesty in procuring a settlement of the Brambletye cause. Lord Rochester happened to hear her inquiring for Jocelyn's apartments at Whitehall, and rightly conceiving that so grotesque a figure might afford amusement to the Court, had introduced her into the saloon, informing her that she would be sure to find Mr. Compton among the company, or the King himself if she desired to speak with him.