ABKKCONWY. 55 



faction. The keeper continued in favour with the 

 king- until his death in March, 1625, at which 

 time he was present, and closed his majesty's eyes 

 with his own hands. With the accession of 

 Charles, his fall and troubles commenced. His 

 former patron, the duke of Buckingham, had con- 

 ceived an implacable enmity against him, and by 

 constant intrigues he succeeded in persuading the 

 king to deprive him of the seals, which were ac- 

 cordingly given up in October, 1625. The duke 

 was also excited by bishop Laud, whose ambition 

 feared no rival except the lord keeper. The latter, 

 however, was highly popular among the people, 

 and had his advice been followed by the king's 

 ministers, the country would probably have es- 

 caped the miseries of civil war. After the death 

 of the duke of Buckingham in 1628, the enmity 

 of the court was kept up and fomented by bishop 

 Laud, whose aim was the total ruin of his rival. 

 The troubles of the latter increased, and, besides 

 other vexatious proceedings against him, he was 

 subjected to a trial in the star-chamber, which 

 ended in his being condemned to pay a fine often 

 thousand pounds to the king, to be imprisoned 

 during his majesty's pleasure, and to be suspended 

 from all his offices and dignities. After an impri- 



