I was sorry
to hear, and the truth is, from my Lord's discourse among his
people (which I am told) of the uncertainty of princes' favour,
and his melancholy keeping from Court, I am doubtful of some such
thing; but I seemed wholly strange to him in it, but will make my
use of it. We told me also how loose the Court is, nobody
looking after business, but every man his lust and gain; and how
the King is now become besotted upon Mrs Stewart, that he gets
into corners, and will be with her half an hour together kissing
her to the observation of all the world; and she now stays by
herself and expects it, as my Lady Castlemaine did used to do; to
whom the King, he says, is still kind, so as now and then he goes
to her as he believes; but with no such fondness as he used to
do. But yet it is thought that this new wench is so subtle, that
it is verily thought if the Queene had died, he would have
married her. Mr. Blackburne and I fell to talk of many things,
wherein he was very open to me: first, in that of religion, he
makes it greater matter of prudence for the King and Council to
suffer liberty of conscience; and imputes the loss of Hungary to
the Turke from the Emperor's denying them this liberty of their
religion.
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