When next we hear of him we find him at the age of twenty-five attached to the Court as Groom of the Bedchamber in the household of the Duke of York, an object of envy to the one sex and of admiration to the other, being confessedly the handsomest and most graceful man of his day. Whilst in this situation, he became deeply enamoured of his royal mistress, the Duchess of York. He had allowed his affections to soar too high, and he fell, for the Duke, being made aware of this, dismissed him abruptly from Court. Whether his love was requited or not is doubtful. If we trust to the scandalous chronicle of Hamilton it was amply returned, whilst Sir John Beresby says, "She was
glasses, my porcelain, books at Leicester House and Penshurst, or whatever has been bought with my own, except such things as may be useful to my Lord; and in respect of divers wrought beds, gilt leather hangings, and several other things which have been provided by me, I desire, that if it stand with my Lord's liking, that he will appoint these things for him after his own decease, or that he may have in lieu of them £500 in money; and, because it will be very convenient to my son Henry Sidney's concernment to make what money may be gotten between this and Michaelmas, I desire that Smith and Higgins may be employed to sell these several things to the best advantage: these requests I do recommend to my dear Lord and husband, under my hand and seal,
"D. Leicester,
"10th July, 1659."
