st
his estate, so far from being improved was diminished; and secondly his
morals were debauched. The King delighted in his conversation, and he
was the dearer to his Majesty on this account, that he never asked a
favour; whereas some other courtiers by their bold importunity exhausted
that prince's treasures, who could not deny a man who craved, tho' he
hated his forwardness; nor could remember the silent indigence of his
friend, tho' he applauded the modesty of it. He was deeply immersed in
the public distractions of the times, and is said to have committed many
debaucheries, of which the following instance has been recorded.

In the month of June 1663 our author, Charles lord Buckhurst, and
Sir Thomas Ogle, were convened at a public house in Bow-street,
Covent-Garden, and being enflamed with strong liquors, they went up to
the balcony belonging to that house, and there shewed very indecent
postures, and gave great offence to the passengers in the street by very
unmannerly discharges upon them; which done, Sedley stripped himself
naked, and preached to the people in a gross and scandalous manner;
whereupon a riot being raised, the mob became very clamorous, and would
have forced the door next to the street; but being opposed, the preacher
and his company were driven off the balcony, and the windows of a room
into which they retired were broken by the mob. The frolic being soon
spread abroad, and as persons of fashion were concerned in it, it was so
much the more aggravated. The company were summoned to appear before a
court of justice in Westminster-Hall, where being indicted for a riot
before Sir Robert Hyde, lord chief justice of the Common Pleas, they
were all fined, and Sir Charles being sentenced to pay 500 l. he used
some very impertinent expressions to the judge; who thereupon asked him
if he had ever read a book called the Compleat Gentleman; to which Sir
Charles made answer, that he had read more books than his lordship.

The day for payment being appointed, Sir Charles desired Mr. Henry
Killegrew, and another gentleman to apply to his Majesty to have the
fine remitted, which they undertook to do; but in place of supplicating
for it, they represented Sir Charles's frolic rather in an aggravating
light, and not a farthing was abated.

After this affair, Sir Charles's mind took a more serious turn, and he
began to apply himself to the study of politics, by which he might be of
some service to his country. He