Rafael Sabatini

“ The phrase applies as much to Buckingham's moods as to his talents; it epitomizes the man's whole character.
His friend George Etheredge, that other gifted rake who had leapt into sudden fame a year ago with his comedy "The Comic Revenge," had been deafening his ears with praises of the beauty and talent of that widely admired and comparatively newly discovered actress Sylvia Farquharson. At first Buckingham had scoffed at his friend's enthusiasm.
"Such heat of rhetoric to describe a playhouse baggage!" he had yawned. "For a man of your parts, George, I protest you're nauseatingly callow." ”

“ Heaven would never be so undiscriminating as to permit this horrible disease to beset persons of quality. And then, too, Whitehall's mind at the moment was over-full of other matters: there were these rumours that the Dutch fleet was out, and that was quite sufficient to engage such time and attention as could be spared from pleasure by the nation's elect, following in the footsteps of their pleasure-loving King. ”

“ Buckingham stared at him, opening his lazy eyes. "What may that be?" he asked.
"The chief drug in my prescription."
"But does it exist, or is your callowness deeper than I thought?" quoth Buckingham.
"Come and see," Mr. Etheredge invited him.
"Virtue," Buckingham objected, "is not visible."
"Like beauty, it dwells in the beholder's eye. That's why you've never seen it, Bucks."
To the Duke's playhouse in Lincoln's Inn Fields his disgruntled grace suffered himself, in the end, to be conducted. He went to scoff. He remained to worship. You already know—having overheard the garrulous Mr. ”

“ The first was that the Duke of York cordially disliked him and neglected no chance of mortifying him; the second was that the Duke of York, being Lord Admiral of the Fleet, desired to take no risks. There were many good positions from which capable naval men could be excluded to make way for sprigs of the nobility. But the command of a man-of-war was not one of these. Buckingham was offered a gun-brig. ”

“ But they'll never think of that in their zeal and their sudden godliness—for they'll be in a muck-sweat o' godliness now that they see what a visitation has been brought upon us by the vices of the Court. And this to happen at such a time, with the Dutch fleet, as they say, about to attack the coast! ”

“ But they went to Bearbinder Lane, and there found the house shut up, and guarded by command of my Lord Mayor. And they do say that Sir John Lawrence is gone to Whitehall to take order about this, to concert measures for staying the spread of the pestilence; they are to close playhouses and all other places where people come together, which will likely mean that they will be closing taverns and eating-houses. And what should I do in that case?"
"Nay, nay," Holles comforted her. "It will hardly come to that. Men must eat and drink or they starve, and that's as bad as the pestilence." ”