by marrying the Lady
Eleanor Neville, his only sister. Though Buckingham never stood firmer
in the King's favour, he had already experienced that popular esteem is
a quicksand, fair to the eye, but fallacious and destructive to all who
build their greatness on it. Two parliaments that were called, in
succession, to grant the supplies which the favourite's profusion, and
the war in which he had unwisely engaged, rendered necessary, had been
angrily dissolved for presenting petitions for redress of grievances
instead of passing money-bills. The King was still deservedly popular.
The odium of these acts, therefore, rested on the minister. He had,
besides, a potent enemy in the palace, no less a person than the
beautiful queen, who complained that the Duke, not content with
directing state affairs, intruded into the domestic privacies of
royalty, and left her without the power, which as a wife and Princess
she ought to exercise, that of choosing her servants and rewarding her
friends. Nor did this presumptuous servant rest here. The spotless
purity of the King shrunk from conjugal infidelity; but Buckingham found
means, during the hours of easy confidence, to insinuate such
reflections against the religion, the foreign manners, and the native
country of Henrietta Maria, that the affection which once bade fair to
cement the union of a virtuous and amiable Prince with the lady of his
choice, was weakened by reserve, doubt, distaste, and all the sentiments
hostile to conjugal peace.

The Lady Eleanor De Vallance held a situation in the household of the
Queen, and possessed a secure place in her affection. She knew the
secret discontent of her royal mistress, and the pique she felt against
Buckingham, who, she also knew, sought the ruin of the house of Neville.
Evellin did not enlarge on the amiable features of his sister's
character. He spoke of her as one who panted for aggrandisement, and
possessed the means of attaining her object; adding also, that she was
pledged to the ruin of the favourite by those strong inducements,
interest and revenge. He dwelt with pleasure on the valuable and useful
qualities of her husband, who, he said, united to the talents which
generally achieve success, the circumspection and foresight that secure
it. While such able assistants advocated his cause, despair would have
been weakness.

Months, nay years, rolled away. Evellin was liberally supplied with
remittances, and the hearts of the lover