The King was pleased,
and Harrington was appointed a groom of the bedchamber at
Holmby. He followed faithfully the fortunes of the fallen King,
never saying even to the King himself a word in contradiction of
his own principles of liberty, and finding nothing in his principles
or in his temper that should prevent him from paying honor to his
sovereign, and seeking to secure for him a happy issue out of his
afflictions. Antony a Wood says that " His Majesty loved
Harrington's company, and, finding him to be an ingenious man,
chose rather to converse with him than with others of his chamber:
they had often discourses concerning government; but when they
happened to talk of a commonwealth the King seemed not to
endure it."
Harrington used all the influence he had with those in whose
power the King was, to prevent the urging of avoid-able questions
that would stand in the way of such a treaty as they professed to
seek during the King's imprisonment at Carisbrooke. Harrington's
friendly interventions on the King's behalf before the Parliament
commissioners at New-port caused him, indeed, to be suspected;
and when the King was removed from Carisbrooke to Hurst Castle,
Harrington was not allowed to remain in his service. But
afterward, when King Charles was being taken to Windsor,
Harrington got leave to bid him farewell at the door of his
carriage.
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