68 The Life of William, Duke of Newcastle 



that he questioned not but I might ; for the mer- 

 chants which he was to convey, were not ready yet, desiring 

 me to send one of my servants to the State, to request that 

 favour of them ; with whom he would go himself, and assist 

 him the best he could ; which he also did. My suit being 

 granted, myself and my chief servants embarked in the said 

 ship ; the rest, together with the goods, being conveyed in 

 another good strong vessel, hired for that purpose. 



After I was safely arrived at London, I found my Lord in 

 lodgings ; I cannot call them unhandsome ; but yet they 

 were not fit for a person of his rank and quality, nor of the 

 capacity to contain all his family. Neither did I find my 

 Lord's condition such as I expected : wherefore out of some 

 passion I desired him to leave the town, and retire into the 

 country ; but my Lord gently reproved me for my rashness 

 and impatience, and soon after removed into Dorset House ; 

 which, though it was better than the former, yet not alto- 

 gether to my satisfaction, we having but a part of the said 

 house in possession. By this removal I judged my Lord 

 would not hastily depart from London ; but not long after, 

 he was pleased to tell me, that he had despatched his business, 

 and was now resolved to remove into the country, having 

 already given order for waggons to transport our goods, which 

 was no unpleasant news to me, who had a great desire for a 

 country life 1 . 



My Lord, before he began his journey, went to his gracious 

 Sovereign, and begged leave that he might retire into the 

 country, to reduce and settle, if possible, his confused, entan- 

 gled, and almost ruined estate. ' Sir ', said he to his Majesty, 

 ' I am not ignorant, that many believe I am discontented ; 

 and 'tis probable they'll say, I retire through discontent : 

 but I take God to witness, that I am in ho kind or ways dis- 

 pleased ; for I am so joyed at your Majesty's happy restora- 

 tion, that I cannot be sad or troubled for any concern to my 

 own particular ; but whatsoever your Majesty is pleased to 



i Clement Ellis, Newcastle's chaplain, thus comments on his retirement in the pre- 

 fatory epistle to a sermon preached on May 29, 1661 : ' With much pleasure I have 

 hearkened to you discoursing of that satisfaction you reaped from that sweet privacy 

 and retirement his Majesty is pleased to grant your Lordship here in the country. In- 

 deed, the greatest reward his Majesty can possibly recompense your services withal, 

 is thus to bestow yourself upon yourself, and I know you think it greater happiness to 

 enjoy my Lord Marquis of Newcastle at Welbeck, than all the offices and honours which 

 your exemplary loyalty has merited.' — Rennet's Ecclesiastical and Civil Register, 455. 



