from his great services, and the regard the King had for him, that he
would have been made secretary of state, but at that period there were
so many people's merits to repay, and so great a clamour for
preferment, that Sir Richard was disappointed, but had the place of
master of requests conferred on him, a station, in those times, of
considerable profit and dignity.

On account of his being a good Latin scholar, he was also made a
secretary for that tongue[3]. In 1661, being one of the burgesses for
the university of Cambridge, he was sworn a privy counsellor for
Ireland, and having by his residence in foreign parts, qualified
himself for public employment, he was sent envoy extraordinary to
Portugal, with a dormant commission to the ambassador, which he was to
make use of as occasion should require. Shortly after, he was
appointed ambassador to that court, where he negotiated the marriage
between his master King Charles II. and the Infanta Donna Catharina,
daughter to King John VI. and towards the end of the same year he
returned to England. We are assured by Wood, that in the year 1662, he
was sent again ambassador to that court, and when he had finished his
commission, to the mutual satisfaction of Charles II. and Alphonso
King of Portugal, being recalled in 1663, he was sworn one of his
Majesty's Privy Council. In the beginning of the year 1644 he was sent
ambassador to Philip IV. King of Spain, and arrived February 29 at
Cadiz, where he met with a very extraordinary and unexpected
salutation, and was received with some circumstances of particular
esteem. It appears from one of Sir Richard's letters, that this
distinguishing respect was paid him, not only on his own, but on his
master's account; and in another of his letters he discovers the
secret why the Spaniard yielded him, contrary to his imperious proud
nature, so much honour, and that is, that he expected Tangier and