It may be said that his Inclinations to Love were the Effects of Health,
and a good Constitution, with as little mixture of the _Seraphick_ part
as ever Man had: And though from that Foundation Men often raise their
Passions; I am apt to think his stayed as much as any Man's ever did in
the _lower Region_. This made him like easy Mistresses: They were
generally resigned to him while he was abroad, with an implied Bargain.
Heroick refined Lovers place a good deal of their Pleasure in the
Difficulty, both for the vanity of Conquest, and as a better earnest of
their Kindness.
After he was restored, Mistresses were recommended to him; which is no
small matter in a _Court_, and not unworthy the Thoughts even of a
_Party_. A Mistress either dexterous in herself, or well-instructed by
those that are so, may be very useful to her Friends, not only in the
immediate Hours of her Ministry, but by her Influences and Insinuations
at other times. It was resolved generally by others, whom he should have
in his Arms, as well as whom he should have in his Councils. Of a Man who
was so capable of choosing, he chose as seldom as any Man that ever lived.
He had more properly, at least in the beginning of his Time, a good
Stomach to his Mistresses, than any great Passion for them. His taking
them from others was never learnt in a Romance; and indeed fitter for a
Philosopher than a Knight-Errant. His Patience for their Frailties shewed
him no exact Lover. It is a Heresy according to a true Lover's Creed, ever
to forgive an Infidelity, or the Appearance of it. Love of Ease will not
do it, where the _Heart_ is much engaged; but where mere _Nature_ is the
Motive, it is possible for a Man to think righter than the common
opinion, and to argue, that a Rival taketh away nothing but the Heart, and
leaveth all the rest.
In his latter Times he had no _Love_, but insensible Engagements that made
it harder than most might apprehend to untie them. The _Politicks_ might
have their part; a Secret, a Commission, a Confidence in critical Things,
though it doth not give a Lease for a precise term of Years, yet there may
be Difficulties in dismissing them; there may be no Love all the while;
perhaps the contrary.
He was said to be as little constant as they were thought to be. Though he
had no Love, he must have some Appetite, or else he could not keep them
for meer ease, or for the Love of sauntring; Mistresses are frequently apt
to be uneasy; they are in all Respects craving Creatures; so that though
the taste of those Joys might be flattened, yet a Man who loved Pleasure
so as to be very unwilling to part with it, might (with the Assistance of
his _Fancy_, which doth not grow old so fast) reserve some supplemental
Entertainments, that might make their personal Service be still of use to
him. The Definition of Pleasure, is _what pleaseth_, and if that which
grave Men may call a corrupted Fancy, shall adminster any Remedies for
putting off mourning for the loss of Youth, who shall blame it?
The _young_ Men seldom apply their censure to these Matters; and the
_elder_ have an Interest to be gentle towards a Mistake, that seemeth to
make some kind of amends for their Decays.
He had Wit enough to _suspect_, and he had Wit enough too _not to care_:
The Ladies got a great deal more than would have been allowed to be an
equal bargain in _Chancery_, for what they did for it; but neither the
manner, nor the measure of Pleasure is to be judged by others.
Little Inducements at first grew into strong Reasons by degrees. Men who
do not consider Circumstances, but judge at a distance, by a general way
of arguing, conclude if a Mistress in some Cases is not immediately turned
off, it must needs be that the Gallant is incurably subjected. This will
by no means hold in private Men, much less in Princes, who are under more
Entanglements, from which they cannot so easily loosen themselves.
His Mistresses were as different in their Humours, as they were in their
Looks. They gave Matter of very different Reflections. The last[3]
especially was quite out of the Definition of an ordinary Mistress; the
Causes and the Manner of her being first introduced were very different. A
very peculiar Distinction was spoken of, same extraordinary Solemnities
that might dignify, though not sanctify her Function. Her Chamber was the
true Cabinet Council. The King did always by his Councils, as he did
sometimes by his Meals; he sat down out of form with the _Queen_, but he
supped _below Stairs_. To have the Secrets of a King, who happens to have
too many, is to have a King in Chains: He must not only, not part with
her, but he must in his own Defence dissemble his dislike: The less
kindness he hath, the more he must shew: There is great difference
between being _muffled_, and being _tied_: He was the first, not the last.
If he had quarelled at some times, besides other Advantages, this Mistress
had a powerful _Second_; (one may suppose a kind of a _Guarantee_) this to
a Man that loved his _Ease_, though his _Age_ had not helped, was
sufficient.
The thing called _Sauntering_, is a stronger Temptation to Princes than it
is to others. The being galled with Importunities, pursued from one Room
to another with asking Faces; the dismal Sound of unreasonable Complaints,
and ill-grounded Pretences; the Deformity of Fraud ill-disguised; all
these would make any Man run away from them; and I used to think it was
the Motive for making him walk so fast. So it was more properly taking
Sanctuary. To get into a Room, where all Business was to stay at the
Door, excepting such as he was disposed to admit, might be very acceptable
to a younger Man than he was, and less given to his Ease. He slumbered
after Dinner, had the noise of the Company to divert him, without their
Solicitations to importune him. In these Hours where he was more
unguarded, no doubt the cunning Men of the Court took their times to make
their Observations, and there is as little doubt but he made his upon them
too: Where Men had Chinks he would see through them as soon as any Man
about him. There was much more real Business done there in his Politick,
than there was in his personal Capacity, _Stans pede in uno_; and there
was the _French part_ of _the Government_, which was not the least.
In short, without endeavouring to find more Arguments, he was _used_ to
it. Men do not care to put off a Habit, nor do often succeed when they go
about it. His was not an _unthinkingness_; he did not perhaps think so
much of his Subjects as they might wish; but he was far from being wanting
to think of himself.