Page:Diary of the times of Charles II Vol. I.djvu/102

xc and it seems that much of his success was owing to his frankness of manner and honesty of purpose. These were qualifications, however, which made him a very unfit servant for such a master as Charles, and he was recalled from the Hague in 1670. The triple cord which he and De Witt had woven was snapped; the King and his Ministers devoted themselves to the interests of France, and Temple retired to the delights of his study and his garden at Sheen.

In 1674, the war with Holland having ended in failure and disgrace, he was again called for and appointed Ambassador to the States; and it was on this occasion that before his departure he requested an interview with Charles, in which he quoted to him the saying of Gourville, that a King of England to be great must be the man of his people; and Charles, laying his hand upon his, replied: "And I will be the man of my people." Temple was delighted, and believed him, and very soon found that he had been thoroughly taken in.

In 1678 he was associated with Sir Lionel Jenkins as mediators in the Congress at Nimeguen. He was then offered the place of Secretary of State; and so anxious was Charles at that time to obtain the credit which he would have gained by his