“This is that I have in charge.  My faith and duty calls for this profession that noe man is more bound to study and endeavour the preservation of the honor and good of those that have interest in my noble patron than myselfe:  nor noe man more bound and more ready to obey your commandments than

          “Your Grace’s most humble servant.

“ALDERSHOT. 30 August 1623.”

The chief object aimed at by Conway and, as will be seen presently, by the King, was to prevent any scandal or gossip about Purbeck’s behaviour injuring “his Ma^ties. dearest servant,” Buckingham.  Purbeck’s personal interests evidently counted for very little, if for anything.

FOOTNOTES: 

[42] P. 444

[43] Woolrych’s Life of Sir Ed. Coke, p. 150.  His authority for this statement is Camden, Ann.  Jac., p. 45.

[44] Letter quoted by Woolrych.

[45] S.P.  Dom., James I., Vol.  CLXXXIII., No. 52.

[46] S.P.  Dom., James I., Vol.  CXII., No. 1.

[47] S.P.  Dom., James I., No. 18.

[48] Stonyhurst MSS., Angliae, Vol.  VII.  And Records of the English Province of the Society of Jesus, Series I., p. 532.

[49] At a subsequent conference King James was present (Diary of the English College at Rome.  The names of the Alumni, No. 181).  Also Records of the English Province of the S.J., Series I., p. 533.  The Countess of Buckingham subsequently became a Catholic, and her son, the Duke, obtained leave from the King for Father Percy to “live on parole in her house,” which became his home in London for ten years (Ibid., p. 531).

[50] Biog.  Brit., notice of Sir E. Coke.  Footnote.

[51] S.P.  Dom., James I., Vol.  CXXXI, No. 24.

[52] S.P.  Dom., James I., Vol.  CXXVII., No. 35.  Chamberlain to Carleton, 19th January, 1622.  James I., 1619-23, p. 337.  The price paid is said to have been L3,000.  See Gardiner, Vol.  IV., Chap.  XL., p. 279.  Lord Wallingford was made Earl of Banbury, and the subsequent claim to this title became as curious as that to the title of Purbeck, which will be shown later.

[53] S.P.  Dom., James I., Vol.  CLI., No. 86.

[54] S.P.  Dom., James I., Vol.  CLI., No. 87, 30th August, 1623.

CHAPTER VIII.

" ... wed to one half lunatic.”
Taming of the Shrew, II., I.

Poor Purbeck seems to have had many amateur keepers.  The King gave orders to a Sir John Hippisley to remove him from the Court, in September, 1623; and on the and Sir John wrote to Conway:—­[55]

“NOBLE SIR,

“I have received the King’s command and your directions in your letters to bring my Lord of Purbecke out of London which I have done and have made no noise of it and have done all I could to give no scandal to the Duke or Viscount:  He is now at Hampton Court, but is not willing to go any further till the king send express commande that he shall not staye here.