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Villiers, Ormonde, iv. 270; Lords' Journals, xii. 18–20). A few weeks later (19 Dec.) Buckingham had a scuffle with the Marquis of Dorchester at a conference between the two houses. Blows were exchanged, and Buckingham pulled off Dorchester's periwig, while Dorchester in return ‘had much of the duke's hair in his hand’ (ib. xii. 52–5;, Continuation, p. 979). Both were sent to the Tower, but released on apologising; and Buckingham avenged himself by raising a vexatious claim to the title of Lord Roos, which was enjoyed by Dorchester's son-in-law (ib. p. 1008; Lords' Journals, xii. 82, 98; Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1666–7, p. 335). By this time the king had become highly incensed against Buckingham as the chief source of the opposition to the government in the two houses, and the duke was also accused of treasonable practices, intriguing with disaffected republicans, and getting the king's horoscope calculated. On 25 Feb. 1667 his arrest was ordered, and he was put out of the privy council and of his other offices. Buckingham concealed himself, and lay hid till 27 June, when he gave himself up and was committed to the Tower (ib. pp. 532, 553, 1667 p. 2388;, iv. 293;, Continuation, § 1118; PEPYS, 3 March 1667).

This disgrace was only temporary. On 13 Sept. Buckingham was restored to his places in the bedchamber and the privy council (, 25 Sept. 1667). Regarding Clarendon as the author of his late eclipse, he took a very energetic part in the prosecution of the chancellor. Reports were even circulated that he was to be lord high steward of the court by which Clarendon was to be tried (, Continuation, 1150–63;, Diary, 15 Nov. 21 Nov. 6 Dec.; Lords' Journals, xii. 141). On Clarendon's fall Buckingham was generally regarded as the principal minister among the king's new advisers, though he held no high office, except the mastership of the horse, which he purchased from the Duke of Albemarle (6 July 1668). ‘The king,’ Pepys was told by one informant, ‘is now fallen in and become a slave to the Duke of Buckingham’ (27 Nov. 1667); ‘the Duke of Buckingham do rule all now,’ said another (30 Dec. 1667; cf., Memoirs, p. 76). This belief was so widespread that Charles himself felt bound to contradict it in a letter to his sister (, A Life of Henrietta, Duchess of Orleans, 1894, p. 259).

Buckingham's accession to power was marked by fresh scandals. For some time he had been carrying on an intrigue with the Countess of Shrewsbury, and the earl, at last discovering it, sent him a challenge [cf. art. ]. They fought at Barn Elms on 16 Jan. 1668, three a side, Buckingham's seconds being Sir Robert Holmes and Mr. William Jenkins. Shrewsbury was badly wounded, and died two months later, but not till the king had pardoned all the actors in the duel (24 Feb. 1668). Buckingham continued to live openly with the countess, though even the lax public opinion of the day was surprised at his impunity (, ed. Wheatley, vii. 283, 305;, p. 67; , p. 299).

The commencement of Buckingham's administration was also marked by a movement in favour of toleration, which was expressly recommended to parliament in the king's speech on 6 Feb. 1668. A scheme for comprehension was drawn up which was generally attributed to John Wilkins [q. v.], bishop of Chester, who owed his post to Buckingham's influence. ‘The man was of no religion,’ says Baxter of Buckingham, ‘but notoriously and professedly lustful, and yet of greater wit, and parts, and sounder principles as to the interest of humanity and the common good than most lords in the court. Wherefore he countenanced fanatics and sectaries, among others, without any great suspicion, because he was known to be so far from them himself’ (Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, iii. 21–34;, Shaftesbury, ii. 5; , vii. 243). But the scheme fell through, though in 1672 Buckingham had the satisfaction of advising the issue of the ‘Declaration of Indulgence’ (cf. Miscellaneous Works, I. ii. 8).

Rumour credited Buckingham likewise with the authorship of various schemes for getting rid of the queen and enabling the king to marry again (, i. 469, 473;, Memoirs, ii. 503; Life of James II, i. 438). He also endeavoured in every possible way to undermine the influence of the Duke of York. The feud between them was so notorious that at one time Buckingham professed to believe that James intended to have him assassinated (ib. i. 434–40;, viii. 135, 141, 151). Sir William Coventry [q. v.], the duke's right-hand man in the management of the navy, Buckingham endeavoured to gain to his own faction by promises, and when the design failed threatened to expose him to ridicule in a play. On this Coventry sent him a challenge, which Buckingham evaded accepting, and contrived to get his opponent put out of office for sending (ib. viii. 240, 243, 249, 297;, i. 479; , Shaftesbury, ii. 3).

Against the Duke of Ormonde Buckingham's intrigues were equally persistent, and