‘As the King was about to leave the Council Board,’ writes GONDOMAR, ‘SOMERSET made to him a speech which, as I was told, had been preconcerted between them. [Sidenote: THE SCENE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, RESPECTING THE PARDON DRAWN BY SIR R. COTTON FOR SOMERSET.] He said that the malice of his enemies had forced him to ask for a pardon; adduced arguments of his innocency; and then besought the King to command the Chancellor to declare at once what he had to allege against him, or else to put the seal to the pardon. [Sidenote: 1615. August.] The King, without permitting anything to be spoken, said a great deal in SOMERSET’S praise; asserted that the Earl had acted rightly in asking for a pardon, which it was a pleasure to himself to grant—although the Earl would certainly stand in no need of it in his days—on the Prince’s account, who was then present.’ Here, writes GONDOMAR, the King placed his hand on the Prince’s shoulder, and added—‘That he may not undo what I have done.’ Then, turning to the Chancellor, the King ended with the words: ‘And so, my Lord Chancellor, put the seal to it; for such is my will.’ The Chancellor, instead of obeying, threw himself on his knees, told the King that the pardon was so widely drawn that it made SOMERSET (as Lord Chamberlain) absolute master of ‘jewels, hangings, tapestry, and of all that the palace contained; seeing that no account was to be demanded of him for anything.’ And then the Chancellor added: ‘If your Majesty insists upon it, I entreat you to grant me a pardon also for passing it; otherwise I cannot do it.’ On this the King grew angry, and with the words, ‘I order you to pass it, and you must pass it,’ left the Council Chamber. His departure in a rage, before the pardon was sealed, gave SOMERSET’S enemies another opportunity by which they did not fail to profit. They had the Queen on their side. On that very day, too, the King set out on a progress, long before arranged. For the time the matter dropped. Before the Ambassador of Spain took up his pen to tell the story to his Court, VILLIERS, ‘the new favourite,’ had begun to supplant his rival; so that the same despatch which narrates the beginnings of the fall of SOMERSET, tells also of the first stage in the rapid rise of BUCKINGHAM. [Sidenote: THE SECOND PARDON DRAWN BY COTTON. 1615, Sept.]