notable advantage to the Kingdom, and asked him what he himself thought of it. Clarendon does not seem to have jumped at the idea. He said cautiously that he had not heard enough of the scheme yet to form an opinion, and inquired if His Majesty had given up all thoughts of a Protestant wife? Charles hastily answered that he could not find one among his own subjects, and that none of them pleased him sufficiently for that purpose, and then, catching Clarendon's fixed and meaning glance, he added decisively that "he would never think more of the Princess of Orange's daughter, her mother having used him so ill when he proposed it, and if he should now propose it he knew his mother would never consent to it, and it would break his sister's heart." Clarendon said that he desired nothing more than to see His Majesty well married, that he was confident the whole nation was of the same mind, and that he was ready to speak with the Portuguese ambassador on the subject.[1]
There was a secret Council meeting immediately, at Clarendon's house. Charles presided, and himself laid before his ministers the Portuguese proposals. He remarked that he had inquired of his two great naval commanders, the Earl of Sandwich and Sir John Lawson, what place Tangier was, pointing to it at the same time on the map, and they both said "they knew it well from the sea." Sir John Lawson, however, had landed, and declared it to be a place of great importance, which, if it fell into the hands of the Dutch, and they were to make a mole there, would enable them to give the law to all the trade of the Mediterranean,[2] "with which discourse His Majesty seemed much impressed." There was some little hesitation on the part of some of the Councillors as to a Catholic bride, and one of them ventured to suggest to Charles that he might look for a Protestant Queen. Charles asked dryly where he
