The elder of the Hamiltons, their cousin, was the man who of all the court dressed best:  he was well made in his person, and possessed those happy talents which lead to fortune, and procure success in love:  he was a most assiduous courtier, had the most lively wit, the most polished manners, and the most punctual attention to his master imaginable:  no person danced better, nor was any one a more general lover:  a merit of some account in a court entirely devoted to love and gallantry.  It is not at all surprising, that with these qualities he succeeded my Lord Falmouth in the King’s favour; but it is very extraordinary that he should have experienced the same destiny, as if this sort of war had been declared against merit only, and as if this sort of combat was fatal to none but such as had certain hopes of a splendid fortune.  This, however, did not happen till some years afterwards.

The beau Sydney, less dangerous than he appeared to be,

[Robert Sydney, third son of the Earl of Leicester, and brother of the famous Algernon Sydney, who was beheaded.  This is Lord Orford’s account; though, on less authority, I should have been inclined to have considered Henry Sydney, his younger brother, who was afterwards created Earl of Rumney, and died 8th April, 1704, as the person intended.  There are some circumstances which seem particularly to point to him.  Burnet, speaking of him, says, “he was a, graceful man, and had lived long in the court, where he lead some adventures that became very public.  He was a man of a sweet and caressing temper, had no malice in his heart, but too great a love of pleasure.  He had been sent envoy to Holland in the year 1679, where he entered into such particular confidences with the prince, that he had the highest measure of his trust and favour that any Englishman ever had.”—­History of his Own Times, vol. ii., p. 494.

   In the Essay on Satire, by Dryden and Mulgrave, he is spoken of in
   no very decent terms.

        “And little Sid, for simile renown’d,
        Pleasure has always sought, but never found
        Though all his thoughts on wine and women fall,
        His are so bad, sure he ne’er thinks at all. 
        The flesh he lives upon is rank and strong;
        His meat and mistresses are kept too long. 
        But sure we all mistake this pious man,
        Who mortifies his person all he can
        What we uncharitably take for sin,
        Are only rules of this odd capuchin;
        For never hermit, under grave pretence,
        Has lived more contrary to common sense.”

   These verses, however, have been applied to Sir Charles Sedley,
   whose name was originally spelt Sidley.  Robert Sydney died at
   Pensburst, 1674.]

had not sufficient vivacity to support the impression which his figure made; but little Jermyn was on all sides successful in his intrigues.  The old Earl of St. Albans, his uncle, had for a long time adopted him, though the youngest of all his nephews.  It is well known what a table the good man kept at Paris, while the King his master was starving at Brussels, and the Queen Dowager, his mistress, lived not over well in France.