audacity,
had the impudence to write to King James asking for the "Portugal"
itself; but the over-indulgent monarch, though he scarcely ever refused
anything to his beloved favorite, did not comply with this request. The
Spanish marriage fell through, and Charles and Buckingham returned to
England.
A
couple of years afterwards, Charles being King, the stately Duke was
sent to Paris to bring back the king's bride, Henrietta. On this
occasion Buckingham seems to have exceeded himself in splendor. He was
provided, says Madame de Motteville, with all the diamonds of the
Crown and used them to deck himself. Possibly this may be merely an
expression to indicate the profusion of Buckingham's jewels, and
diamonds should not be read literally. Be this as it may, it is a fact
that the Duke appeared at a ball at the Louvre in a suit of uncut white
velvet, sewn all over with diamonds. These diamonds moreover, were
sewn on very loosely, so that whenever the wearer
