rendered　himself　to　a　career　of　dissipation；　often　abandoning　the　paths　of　decency　and　decorum；　pursuing　vice　in　its　most　daring　and　eccentric　fashion；　employing　his　genius　in　the　composition　of　lampoons　which　spared　not　even　the　king；　and　in　the　writing　of　ribald　verses；　the　very　names　of　which　are　not　proper　to　indite。　　Lord　Orford　speaks　of　him　as　a　man　〃whom　the　muses　were　fond　to　inspire；　and　ashamed　to　avow；　and　who　practised；　without　the　least　reserve；　that　secret　which　can　make　verses　more　read　for　their　defects　than　for　their　merits。〃　　More　of　my　Lord　Rochester　and　his　poems　anon。
  Thomas　Killigrew；　another　courtier；　was　a　poet；　dramatist；　and　man　of　excellent　wit。　　He　had　been　page　in　the　service　of　his　late　majesty；　and　had　shared　exile　with　the　present　monarch；　to　whose　pleasures　abroad　and　at　home　he　was　ever　ready　to　pander。　At　the　restoration　he　was　appointed　a　groom　of　the　bedchamber；　and；　moreover；　was　made　master　of　the　revelsan　office　eminently　suited　to　his　tastes；　and　well　fitted　to　exercise　his　capacities。　His　ready　wit　amused　the　king　so　much；　that　he　was　occasionally　led　to　freedoms　of　speech　which　taxed　his　majesty's　good…nature。　His　escapades　diverted　the　court　to　such　an　extent；　that　he　frequently　took　the　liberty　of　affording　it　entertainment　at　the　expense　of　its　reputation。　　The　〃beau　Sidney；〃　a　man　〃of　sweet　and　caressing　temper；〃　handsome　appearance；　and　amorous　disposition；　Sir　George　Etherege；　a　wit　and　a　playwright；　and　Charles　Sackville；　Earl　of　Dorset；　a　poet　and　man　of　sprightly　speech；　were　likewise　courtiers　of　note。
  Among　such　congenial　companions　the　merry　monarch　abandoned　himself　wholly　to　the　pursuit　of　pleasure；　and　openly　carried　on　his　intrigue　with　Barbara　Palmer。　　According　to　the　testimony　of　her　contemporaries；　she　was　a　woman　of　surpassing　loveliness　and　violent　passions。　　Gilbert　Burnet；　whilst　admitting　her　beauty；　proclaims　her　defects。　　She　was；　he　relates；　〃most　enormously　vicious　and　ravenous；　foolish　but　imperious；　very　uneasy　to　the　king；　and　always　carrying　on　intrigues　with　other　men；　while　she　yet　pretended　she　was　jealous　of　him。〃　　Pepys　testifies　likewise　to　her　physical　attractions　so　long　as　she　reigned　paramount　in　the　king's　affections；　but　when　another　woman；　no　less　fair；　came　betwixt　my　lady　and　his　majesty's　favour；　Mr。　Pepys；　being　a　loyal　man　and　a　frail；　found　greater　beauty　in　the　new　love；　whose　charms　he　avowed　surpassed　the　old。　　To　his　most　interesting　diary　posterity　is　indebted　for　glimpses　of　the　manner　in　which　the　merry　monarch　and　his　mistress　behaved　themselves　during　the　first　months　of　the　restoration。　　Now　he　tells　of　〃great　doings　of　musique；〃　which　were　going　on　at　Madame　Palmer's　house；　situated　in　the　Strand；　next　Earl　Sandwich's；　and　of　the　king　and　the　duke　being　with　that　lady：　　again；　in　the　Chapel　Royal；　Whitehall；　he　observed；　whilst　Dr。　Herbert　Croft　prayed　and　preached；〃how　the　Duke　of　York　and　Mrs。　Palmer　did　talk　to　one　another　very　wantonly　through　the　hangings　that　part　the　king's　closet　and　the　closet　where　the　ladies　sit。〃　　And　later　on；　when　he　witnessed　〃The　Humorous　Lieutenant〃　performed　before　the　court；　he　noted　the　royal　favourite　was　likewise　present；　〃with　whom　the　king　do　discover　a　great　deal　of　familiarity。〃
  Presently；　in　February；　1661；　exactly　nine　months　after　his　majesty's　return；　Mrs。　Palmer　gave　birth　to　a　daughter。　　To　the　vast　amusement　of　the　court；　no　less　than　three　men　claimed　the　privilege　of　being　considered　father　of　this　infant。　　One　of　these　was　my　Lord　Chesterfield；　whom　the　child　grew　to　resemble　in　face　and　person；　the　second　was　Roger　Palmer；　who　left　her　his　estate；　the　third　was　King　Charles；　who　had　her　baptized　Anne　Palmer　Fitzroy；　adopted　her　as　his　daughter；　and　eventually　married　her　to　the　Earl　of　Sussex。
  Soon　after　the　restoration　the　subject　of　his　majesty's　marriage　was　mooted　by　his　councillors；　who　trusted　a　happy　union　would　redeem　him　from　vice；　and；　by　bringing　him　heirs；　help　to　establish　him　more　firmly　in　the　affections　of　his　people。　　The　king　lending　a　willing　ear　to　this　advice；　the　sole　difficulty　in　carrying　it　into　execution　rested　in　the　selection　of　a　bride　congenial　to　his　taste　and　equal　to　his　sovereignty。　　King　Louis　of　France　had　no　sisters；　and　his　nieces　had　not　commended　themselves　to　the　merry　monarch's　favour　during　his　stay　abroad。　Spain　had　two　infantas；　but　one　was　wedded　to　the　King　of　France；　and　the　other　betrothed　to　the　heir　of　the　royal　house　of　Austria。　　Germany；　of　course；　had　princesses　in　vast　numbers；　who　awaited　disposal；　but　when　they　were　proposed　to　King　Charles；　〃he　put　off　the　discourse　with　raillery；〃　as　Lord　Halifax　narrates。　　〃Odd's　fish；〃　he　would　say；　shrugging　his　shoulders　and　making　a　grimace；　〃I　could　not　marry　one　of　them：　　they　are　all　dull　and　foggy！〃
  Catherine　of　Braganza；　daughter　of　Don　Juan　IV。　of　Portugal；　was　unwedded；　and　to　her　Charles　ultimately　addressed　himself。　Alliance　with　her　commended　itself　to　the　nation　from　the　fact　that　the　late　king；　before　the　troubled　times　began；　had　entered　into　a　negotiation　with　Portugal　concerning　the　marriage　of　this　same　infanta　and　his　present　majesty；　and　such　was　the　esteem　in　which　the　memory　of　Charles　I。　was　now　held；　that　compliance　with　his　desires　was　regarded　as　a　sacred　obligation。　　The　Portuguese　ambassador　assured　the　merry　monarch　that　the　princess；　by　reason　of　her　beauty；　person；　and　age；　was　most　suited　to　him。　　To　convince　him　of　this；　he　showed　his　majesty　a　portrait　of　the　lady；　which　the　king　examining；　declared　〃that　person　could　not　be　unhandsome。〃　　The　ambassador；　who　was　of　a　certainty　most　anxious　for　this　union；　then　said　it　was　true　the　princess　was　a　catholic；　and　would　never　change　her　faith；　but　she　was　free　from　〃meddling　activity；〃　that　she　had　been　reared　by　a　wise　mother；　and　would　only　look　to　the　freedom　of　practising　her　own　religion　without　interfering　with　that　of　others。　　Finally；　he　added　that　the　princess　would　have　a　dowry　befitting　her　high　station；　of　no　less　a　sum　than　five　hundred　thousand　pounds　sterling　in　ready　money。
  Moreover；　by　way　of　addition　to　this　already　handsome　portion；　the　Queen　of　Portugal　was　ready　to　assign　over　and　annex　to　the　English　crown；　the　Island　of　Bombay；　in　the　East　Indies；　and　Tangier　on　the　African　coasta　place　of　strength　and　importance；　which　would　be　of　great　benefit　and　security　to　British　commerce。　Nor　was　this　all。　　Portugal　was　likewise　willing　to　grant　England　free　trade　in　Brazil　and　the　East　Indies；　a　privilege　heretofore　denied　all　other　countries。　　This　was　indeed　a　dower　which　none　of　the　〃dull　and　foggy〃　German　princesses　could　bring　the　crown。　The　prospect　of　obtaining　so　much　ready　money　especially　commended　the　alliance　to　the　extravagant　taste　of　his　majesty；　who　had　this　year　complained　to　Parliament　of　his　poverty；　by　reason　of　which　he　〃was　so　much　grieved　to　see　many　of　his　friends　come　to　him　at　Whitehall；　and　to　think　they　were　obliged　to　go　somewhere　else　for　a　dinner。〃
  The　merry　monarch　was　therefore　well　pleased　at　the　prospect　of　his　union；　as　were　likewise　the　chancellor　and　four　or　five　〃competent　considerers　of　such　an　affair〃　whom　he　consulted。　These　worthy　counsellors　and　men　of　sage　repute；　who　included　in　their　number　the　Duke　of　Ormond　and　Sir　Edward　Nicholas；　Secretary　of　State；　the　Earl　of　Manchester；　and　the　Earl　of　Southampton；　after　regretting　it　was　not　agreeable　to　his　majesty　to　select　a　queen　who　professed　the　protestant　religion；　gave　it　as　their　opinion　there　was　no　catholic　princess　in　Europe　whom　he；　with　so　much　reason　and　advantage；　could　marry　as　the　infanta　of　Portugal。　　They；　moreover；　added　that　the　sum　promised　as　part　of　her　portion；　setting　aside　the　places；　〃was　much　greater　almost　double　to　what　any　king　had　ever　received　in　money　by　any　marriage。〃　　The　council；　therefore；　without　a　dissenting　voice；　advised　him　to　the　marriage。
  On　the　8th　of　May；　1661；　his　majesty；　being　clad　in　robes　of　state；　and　wearing　the　crown；　rode　in　great　pomp　to　open　Parliament；　which　he　addressed　from　the　throne。　　In　the　course　of　his　speech；　he　announced　his　approaching　marriage　in　a　singularly　characteristic　address。　　〃I　will　not　conclude　without　telling　you　some　news；〃　he　said；　〃news　that　I　think　will　be　very　acceptable　to　you；　and　therefore　I　should　think　myself　unkind；　and　ill…　natured　if　I　did　not　impart　it　to　you。　　I　have　been　put　in　mind　by　my　friends　that　it　was　now　time　to　marry；　and　I　have　thought　so　myself　ever　since　I　came　into　England。　　But　there　appeared　difficulties　enough　in　the　choice；　though　many　overtures　have　been　made　to　me；　and　if　I　should　never　marry　until　I　could　make　such　a　choice　against　which　there　could　be　no　foresight　of　any　inconvenience　that　may　ensue；　you　would　live　to　see　me　an　old　bachelor；　which　I　think　you　do　not　desire　to　do。　　I　can　now　tell　you；　not　only　that　I　am　resolved　to　marry；　but　with　whom　I　am　resolved　to　marry。　　If　God　please；　it　is　with　the　daughter　of　Portugal。　　And　I　will　make　all　the　haste　I　can　to　fetch　you　a　queen　hither；　who；　I　doubt　not；　will　bring　great　blessings　with　her　to　me　and　you。〃
  Next　day　addresses　of　congratulation　were　presented　to　his　majesty　by　both　Houses。　　This　gratifying　news