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A   HISTORY 


OF 


ENGLAND 


FROM    THE   FIRST 


INVASION  BY    THE  ROMANS. 


1SY 


JOHN   LINGARD,   D.D. 


VOLUME  XII. 


SECOND    EDITION. 


LONDON:  PRINTED  FOR   BALDWIN  AND  CRADOCK; 

AND 

B.  FELLON'ES,   SUCCESSOR  TO  MR.  MAWMAN, 

LUDGATE-HILL. 

MDCCCXXIX. 


ISAAC  FOOT 
LIBRARY 


C.  Baldwin,  Printer, 
New  Bridgo-street,  London. 


CONTENTS 


OF 


THE  TWELFTH  VOLUME. 


CHAP.  I. 
CHARLES  II. 


THE    NEW    COUNCIL — PROCEEDINGS    IN    THE    CONVENTION   PARLIAMENT 

TRIALS      AND     EXECUTION     OF      THE     REGICIDES ECCLESIASTICAL 

ARRANGEMENTS CONFERENCE      AT      THE      SAVOY RISING       OF      THE 

FIFTH-MONARCHY  MEN NEW   PARLIAMENT EXECUTION   OF  VANE 

CORPORATION   ACT ACT     OF    UNIFORMITY PARLIAMENT       IN      SCOT- 
LAND  EXECUTION     OF     ARGYLE RESTORATION     OF      EPISCOPACY     IN 

SCOTLAND ALSO    IN    IRELAND ACT   OF   SETTLEMENT AND  EXPLA- 
NATORY ACT   FOR    IRELAND. 


PAGE 

Conduct  of  the  king 3 

His  council 3 

The  two  houses 5 

Confirmation  of  parliament.  .  6' 

Grants  to  the  crown 7 

Court  of  wards  abolished  . .  8 

The  excise  perpetuated  ....  Q 

Disbanding  of  the  army  ....  10 

Bill  of  indemnity 12 

Fate  of  the  regicides 14 

Executions 16 

Punishment  of  the  dead  . .  18 
Revolution    in    landed  pro- 
perty      20 

Ecclesiastical  arrangement.  .  22 

Royal  declaration      23 

Policy  of  the  chancellor  ....  27 

Insurrections 28 

New  parliament 30 

VOL.  xn. 


PAGE 

Acts  passed 31 

King's  poverty    32 

Reports  of  conspiracies   ....  33 
King   refuses    the  execution 

of  the  other  conspirators  34 

Trials  of  Lambert  and  Vane  35 

Corporation  act 39 

Conferences  at  the  Savoy  . .  41 

Act  of  uniformity    42 

The  lords  more   liberal  than 

the  commons   44 

Bishops  restored  to  seats  in 

parliament 45 

Petition  of  the  catholics  ....  46 

Transactions  in  Scotland    . .  40 

Proceedings  in  parliament, .  51 

Rescissory  act 53 

Trial  of  Argyle 54 

His  condemnation  and  death  57 

a2 


IV 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Other  executions    58 

Restoration  of  bishops    ....  5$ 
Rccal  of  the  English  garri- 
sons    62 

Transactions  in  Ireland  ....  63 

Restoration  of  bishops    ....  64 
Disputes    respecting    landed 

property 65 


PAGE 

King's  declaration 66 

The  contending  parties  heard 

before  the  council 68 

Decisions   of  the    court    of 

claims 69 

Intrigues  of  the  occupiers  . .  70 

Final  settlement 72 

Its  consequences 74 


CHAP.  II. 

MARRIAGE  OF  THE  DUKE  OF  YORK OF  THE  KING SALE  OF  DUN- 
KIRK  INDULGENCE  TO  TENDER  CONSCIENCES ACT  AGAINST  CON- 
VENTICLES  WAR    WITH     THE     UNITED     PROVINCES GREAT     NAVAL 

VICTORY THE     PLAGUE    IN     LONDON FIVE     MILE     ACT OBSTINATE 

ACTIONS   AT   SEA GREAT   FIRE   OF     LONDON PROCEEDINGS    IN    PAR- 
LIAMENT  INSURRECTION     IN      SCOTLAND SECRET      TREATY     WITH 

FRANCE CONFERENCES    OPENED  AT    BREDA THE    DUTCH   FLEET   IN 

THE    THAMES PEACE   OF   BREDA FALL   OF    CLARENDON. 


PAGE 

National  immorality 76 

James's  private  marriage    .  .  78 
Disapproved  by  the  royal  fa- 
mily       79 

Publicly  acknowledged  ....  81 
Marriage     of     the     princess 

Henrietta    82 

Portuguese   match    proposed 

to  Charles    82 

Opposition    of    the    Spanish 

ambassador 85 

The  French  king  advises  it  86 

Resolved  in  council    87 

Rencontre  between  the    two 

ambassadors     88 

Arrival  of  the  princess  ....  90 

King's  behaviour  to  her.  ...  91 

Sale  of  Dunkirk i)5 

Disputes    respecting    tolera- 
tion    98 

Declaration  of  indulgence.  .  100 

Disapproved  by  both  houses  101- 


page 

Conventicle  act 108 

Complaints  against  the  Dutch  111 
Contrast  between    the  king 

and  his  brother 112 

Address  of  the  two  houses. .  114 
Hostilities  commenced  against 

the  Dutch 116 

Supply  voted lis 

New  method  of  taxation  .  .  119 
Loss  of  privilege  by  the  clergy  1 20 

Naval  regulations 121 

Victory  of  the  third  of  June  123 
The  plague  in  London  ....  125 
Regulations  to  suppress  it..  127 
Symptoms  of  the  disease    . .    129 

Terrors  of  the  people 130 

Desolation  of  the  city    ....    131 

The  pestilence  abates 132 

Failure  of    the    attempt   at 

Bergen    134. 

Captures  by  sea 136 

Parliament  at  Oxford 137 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Five-mile  act 139 

Louis  unites  with  the  Dutch  141 

Treaties 143 

The  four  days'  battle 144 

Intrigues  of  Louis 147 

Operations  by  sea 148 

Fire  of  London 149 

Exertions  of  the  king   ....  152 

End  of  the  conflagration  . .  153 

Its  extent 153 

Its  cause 154 

Proceedings  in  parliament. .  156 

Debate  on  Irish  cattle 157 

auditing  public  ac- 
counts   159 

Insurrection  in  Scotland...  16*0 
Difficulty  of  fitting  out  the 

fleet 162 

Secret  treaty  with  Louis  . .  165 

Dutch  fleet  in  the  river. .  . .  167 


PAGE 

Dutch  fleet  advances  to  Up- 

nor 169 

Public  discontent 170 

Treaty  of  peace 171 

Clarendon's  unpopularity  ..    172 
impeached  by  Bris- 
tol        175 

—  abandoned  by  the 

king 176 

■ deprived    of    the 

seal 179 

impeached  by  the 

commons 180 

protected   by  the 

lords 181 

i ordered     to     quit 

the  kingdom  by 

Charles 182 

. banished  by  act  of 

parliament  ....    183 


CHAP.  III. 

THE  TRIPLE  ALLIANCE SECRET  NEGOTIATION  WITH  FRANCE CON- 
VERSION OF  THE  DUKE  OF  YORK INTRIGUES  TO  ALTER  THE  SUC- 
CESSION—  DIVORCE      OF      LORD     ROOS VISIT     OF      THE     DUCHESS      OF 

ORLEANS SECRET       TREATY       WITH        FRANCE DEATH        OF        THE 

DUCHESS SECOND      SECRET       TREATY MISCELLANEOUS       EVENTS 

CHARACTER     OF     THE     CABAL STOPPAGE    OF     PAYMENTS    FROM    THE 

EXCHEQUER DECLARATION      OF      INDULGENCE — OF      WAR      AGAINST 

Till:     STATES VICTORY    AT    SOUTHWOLD     BAY FRENCH     CONQUESTS 

BY      LAND PROCEEDINGS     IN      PARLIAMENT THE     INDULGENCE     RE- 
CALLED—  THE     TEST    ACT     PASSED. 


PAGE 

The  new  ministry 186 

Triple  alliance     187 

Temple  sent  to  the  Hague. .  188 
Treaty  of  Aix-la-Chapelle. .  191 
Proceedings  in  parliament  .  192 
Dispute  between  the  houses  194 
Licentiousness  at  court....  196 
Buckingham's  intrigues  ....    198 

Financial  measure J  9!) 

Secret       negotiation       with 
France     200 


PAGE 

Duke  of  York  becomes  a  ca- 
tholic    201 

Secret  consultation 202 

Progress  of  the  negotiation.  .  204 

Meeting  of  parliament  ....  206 

New  conventicle  act  ......  207 

Sufferings    of  the    non-con- 
formists    208 

Intrigues  to  alter  the  succes- 
sion   210 

In  favour  of  Monmouth.  ...  210 


VI 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

By  a  divorce 211 

A  supply  voted 214 

Visit   of  the  duchess  of  Or- 
leans        215 

Contents  of  the  secret  treaty  216 

Death  of  the  duchess 218 

Second  treaty 219 

Charles's  evasions    220 

Meeting  of  parliament  ....    221 

Assault  on  Coventry 222 

Proceedings  against  the  Ca- 
tholics      223 

Dispute  between  the  houses  224 
Death  of  the  queen  dowager  225 

. — duke  of  Albemarle  226 

Narrow  escape  of  Ormond.  .  227 
Attempt  to  steal  the  crown. .  228 
Death  of  the  duchess  of  York  230 

The  cabal 232 

Arlington    233 

CHflbrd   234 

Buckingham 234 

Lauderdale 235 

Ashley 236 

Their  religion 237 

They   shut  up  the  exchequer  238 
Fail  in  an  attack  on  the  Dutch 
fleet 240 


rAoii 


indulgence  to  dissen- 


Grant 

ters 7 243 

Which  is  accepted  by  them. .  244 

Declaration  of  war 246 

Naval  aflairs 248 

Battle  of  Southwold  Bay  . .  248 
Conduct  of  the  duke  of  York  249 
Death  of  the  earl  of  Sand- 
wich    250 

Victory  of  the  English  ....  251 
They  pursue  the  Dutch. .  .  .  252 
Conquest  by  the  French  .  .  252 
Proceedings  in  England.  .  .  .  256 
Clifford  made  treasurer. ...  258 
Elections  during  the  proro- 
gation    258 

Opening  of  parliament ....  259 

New  elections  cancelled.  ...  260 

The  supply  voted 26l 

Address  against  the  declara- 

tion  of  indulgence 262 

The  king  appeals  to  the  lords  264 

He  cancels  the  declaration. .  265 

Test  act  introduced 266 

passed 269 

Dissenters'  relief  bill 271 

Remarks 272 


CHAP.  IV. 


NAVAL    ACTIONS DISGRACE     OF    SHAFTESBURY ADDRESSES     AGAINST 

LAUDERDALE    AND     BUCKINGHAM IMPEACHMENT    OF    ARLINGTON 

CONCLUSION   OF    PEACE DESIGN    OF   EXCLUDING   THE   DUKE    OF   YORK 

REPEATED  PROROGATIONS   OF    PARLIAMENT  —  INTRIGUES     OF    MON- 
MOUTH  OF   ARLINGTON PROCEEDINGS    OF     THE     POPULAR   PARTY 

NON-RESISTING    TEST    OF    DANBY DISPUTE   RESPECTING   APPEALS 

ANOTHER    .SESSION  —  REVIVAL    OF    THE    DISPUTE MOTION     FOR    DIS- 
SOLUTION     OF      PARLIAMENT — PROCEEDINGS       IN      SCOTLAND AND 

IRELAND. 


PAGE 

Campaigns  by  land 275 

Resignations 276 

Actions  at  sea 278 

Congress  at  Cologne '279 


PAGE 

Meeting  and  prorogation  of 

parliament 280 

Disgrace  of  Shaftesbury.  . .  .    282 
Marriage  of  the  duke  of  York  284 


CONTENTS. 


VII 


PAGE 

Twelfth    session    of   parlia- 
ment        285 

Removal  of  ministers 287 

Proceedings  against  Lauder- 
dale     289 

Bucking- 
ham      289 

'    Arling- 
ton      291 

Orders  of  the  house  of  lords  292 
Proposals  of  peace  from  the 

States , , .   293 

Treaty 295 

Designs  against  the  duke  of 

York  296 

Projects  of  that  prince 298 

Prorogation  of  parliament  . .    299 

The  duke  of  Monmouth 300 

Intrigues   of   the   prince   of 

Orange    302 

Shaftesbury  ..    303 

Arlington 304 

Plans  of  the  opposition  ....    307 

ministry 309 

Remonstrance  of  the  duke  of 

York    311 

Opening  of  the  session  ....    311 
Proceedings  in  the  house  of 
commons d  312 


PAGE 

Non-resisting    test     in    the 

house  of  lords 316 

Debate  on  the  declaration. .    318 

on  the  oath 319 

Objections 321 

The  test  as  amended  in  the 

committee 323 

Dispute  respecting  appeals. .    324 

Prorogation    326 

Another  session 327 

Renewal  of  the  contest  be- 
tween the  houses 329 

Account  of  Luzancy 332 

Transactions  in  Scotland   .  .    335 
Attempt  on  the  life  of  Sharp  336 
Indulgence    to   ejected    mi- 
nisters     337 

Proceedings  in  parliament. .  339 
Act  against  field  conventicles  341 
Attempt  at  "comprehension"  342 
The  second  indulgence. .  . .  343 
Opposition  in  parliament  .  .  345 
Increase  of  conventicles. . . .    347 

Ireland    348 

Recal  of  Ormond 348 

Claims  of  the  natives 350 

Commission  of  review 350 

Commission  dissolved 351 

Notes 353 


ERRATA. 

VOL.   III. 

Page  41  j  note,  for  Chester,  read,  Chichester :  for  Oxford,  read, 

Exeter. 
Page  95,  for  cathedral,  read,  abbey  church  of  Glocester. 

VI. 

Page  93,  near  the  bottom,  after  Surrey,  add  son  of  the  Duke 

of  Norfolk. 
Page  Q4>,  in  the  margin,  for  May  1 8,  read  Sep.  23. 

VIII. 

Page  519,  note  5,  dele,  vers  le  soir. 

520,  for  huguenot  writers,  read,  national  writers. 

IX. 

Page  91,  for  300,000,  read  30,000. 

x. 

Page  453,  for  Duke  of  York,  read,  Glocestei 


HISTORY 


OF 


ENGLAND. 


CHAP.  I. 
CHARLES  II. 


THE    NEW    COUNCIL — PROCEEDINGS    IN    THE     CONVENTION     PAR- 
LIAMENT  TRIALS      AND      EXECUTION      OP     THE      REGICIDES 

ECCLESIASTICAL        ARRANGEMENTS CONFERENCE       AT        THE 

SAVOY RISING     OF     THE    FIFTH-MONARCHY    MEN NEW    PAR- 
LIAMENT  EXECUTION  OF  VANE CORPORATION  ACT ACT    OF 

UNIFORMITY PARLIAMENT      IN       SCOTLAND EXECUTION      OF 

ARGYLE RESTORATION    OF    EPISCOPACY    IN    SCOTLAND ALSO 

IN    IRELAND ACT    OF    SETTLEMENT AND  EXPLANATORY  ACT 

FOR    IRELAND. 

NEVER,  perhaps,  did  any  event  in  the  history  CHAP, 
of  this  nation  produce  such  general  and  exuberant 
joy  as  the  return  of  Charles  to  take  possession  of 
the  throne  of  his  fathers.  To  the  abolition  of 
monarchy  men  attributed  all  the  evils  which  they 
had  suffered :  from  its  restoration  they  predicted 
the  revival  of  peace  and  prosperity.  The  known 
enemies  of  the  royal  cause  slunk  away  to  hide 
themselves  from  the  effects  of  popular  excitation  : 

VOL.  XII.  B 


1660. 


I. 

1660. 


2  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  its  triumph  was  everywhere  celebrated  with  the 
usual  manifestations  of  public  joy ;  and  the  arms 
of  the  commonwealth,  with  all  the  emblems  of 
republicanism,  were  subjected  to  the  foulest  in- 
dignities and  reduced  to  ashes.  To  keep  alive  the 
flame  of  loyalty,  the  royalists  circulated  in  cheap 
publications  most  flattering  portraits  of  the  new 
king.  He  was  described  as  a  prince  of  kindly 
disposition  and  engaging  manners ;  of  sound 
judgment  and  becoming  spirit ;  and,  above  all, 
of  the  most  inflexible  attachment  to  the  doctrines 
of  protestantism,  an  attachment  which  had  stood 
the  test  of  temptation  in  circumstances  the  most 
trying  and  seductive.  That  there  was  some  truth 
in  these  representations  cannot  be  denied ;  but 
one  half  of  the  picture  was  concealed :  it  should 
have  been  added,  that  he  was  easy  and  indolent, 
the  votary  of  dissipation  and  pleasure,  and  always 
ready  to  postpone  the  calls  of  business  for  the 
attraction  of  the  ball-room,  or  the  company  of  his 
mistresses.  His  advisers  had  persuaded  them- 
selves that  the  follies  of  the  youth  would  be 
redeemed  by  the  virtues  of  the  man.  But  he  had 
now  reached  his  thirtieth  year  without  amend- 
ment. He  had,  indeed,  made  promises  ;  had  more 
than  once  torn  himself  from  the  unworthy  con- 
nexions to  which  he  was  enslaved  ;  and  had  on 
emergencies  displayed  an  energy  deserving  of  that 
splendid  prize  to  which  he  aspired.  But  these 
were  transient  efforts :  he  quickly  relapsed  into 
his  former  habits,  and  resumed  with  new  relish 
the  pursuit  of  enjoyment. 


CHARLES    II.  '. 

Charles,  however,  on  his  arrival,  did  not  suffer  CHAP. 
himself  to   be   dazzled  by  the  splendid  prospect     16!60 
around  him.     He  was  aware  that  his  throne  still 


rested  on  a  very  insecure  foundation  ;  he  saw  the  of0"^1 
dangers  which  he  had  to  avert,  and  the  difficulties  kiuS- 
which  he  had  to  overcome ;  and  he  formed  a 
strong  and,  as  he  fancied,  unalterable  resolution, 
to  devote  his  chief  attention  to  the  business  of 
government,  and  to  suffer  no  pleasure,  no  amour, 
to  seduce  him  from  the  duties  of  his  high  office. 
His  ministers  congratulated  each  other  on  the 
change  wrought  in  the  habits  of  their  sovereign. 
But  he  soon  began  to  feel  uneasy  under  the 
restraint ;  he  was  so  beset  with  difficulties  from 
the  never-ceasing  claims  of  the  old  royalists  and 
of  his  more  recent  adherents  ;  he  found  himself 
so  perplexed  by  the  increasing  multitude  of  affairs 
submitted  to  his  consideration,  that  he  gradually 
emancipated  himself  from  the  trammels,  and 
sought  relaxation  in  the  company  of  the  gay,  the 
witty,  and  the  dissolute.  The  consequence  was, 
that  he  not  only  neglected  his  duties,  but  often 
suffered  his  mind  to  be  prejudiced  against  the 
advice  of  his  council  by  the  sallies  and  sarcasms 
of  his  profligate  companions  l. 

To   an  observant  eye  that  council  presented  a  His  coun- 
singular  assemblage  of  men,  devoted  to  different  cl ' 

1  Continuation  of  Clarendon's  Life  written  by  himself,  21,  49, 
167.  Oxford,  17.5!).  In  the  subsequent  pages  I  shall  refer  to 
this  work  under  the  name  of  Clarendon  alone.  Pepys,  Diary, 
37.  8vo. 

B  2 


■*  HISTORY    Or    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  parties,    and    professing  opposite  principles.     In 
1(16'0>     the    first   place,    were    seen    the   royal    brothers, 

■  James  and  Henry,  who  owed  the  distinction  to 

their  birth,  with  Hyde  the  chancellor,  Ormond 
the  lord-steward,  lord  Culpepper  master  of  the 
rolls,  and  secretary  Nicholas,  the  four  counsellors 
who  had  possessed  the  confidence  of  the  king 
during  his  exile.  Then  came  the  lord-general, 
who  by  his  recent  conduct  had  indissolubly  bound 
up  his  own  lot  with  the  fortunes  of  the  house  of 
Stuart,  Morris  the  friend  and  confidant  of  the 
general,  and  two  or  three  others,  whose  chief 
merit  was  the  recommendation  of  Monk,  grounded 
on  the  promises  which  he  had  made  during  the 
late  revolution.  With  these  two  classes  Charles 
was  advised  to  associate  all  the  surviving  coun- 
sellors of  his  late  father  before  the  war ;  a 
measure  which,  with  a  few  who  had  faithfully 
adhered  to  the  royal  interests,  introduced  several 
who  had  maintained  the  cause  of  the  parliament 
against  that  of  the  crown.  It  is  evident  that,  on 
a  council  thus  constituted,  the  king  would  look 
partly  with  distrust,  partly  with  aversion.  A 
remedy  was  discovered  by  the  ingenuity  of  the 
chancellor,  at  whose  suggestion  the  council  ap- 
pointed a  committee  of  foreign  affairs,  consisting 
of  himself,  Ormond,  Southampton,  the  lord 
treasurer,  Monk,  Nicholas,  and  Morris.  These 
met  for  the  purpose  of  considering  the  relations 
of  the  English  with  the  other  crowns  of  Europe ; 
but  they  employed  the  opportunity  of  meeting  to 


CHARLES    II.  i 

debate  and  decide,  without  the  knowledge  of  their  CHAP, 
colleagues,  every  question  concerning  the  internal     16g0 

administration  of  the  kingdom.   The  same  subjects 

were,  indeed,  afterwards  submitted  to  the  con- 
sideration of  the  whole  council ;  but  Charles  had 
already  adopted  the  opinion  of  the  secret  cabinet ; 
and  the  dissenters  were  either  silenced  by  the 
reasoning  of  the  favourite  ministers,  or  overawed 
by  the  presence  and  authority  of  the  sovereign  2. 

With  respect  to  the  two  houses,  the  king  had  The  two 
only  to  speak  and  his  wishes  were  gratified.  As  ouses- 
they  had  recalled  him  without  conditions,  so  they 
appeared  willing  to  lay  the  liberties  of  the  nation 
at  his  feet.  The  cavaliers  identified  their  own 
triumph  with  the  exaltation  of  the  throne ;  the 
presbyterians  stood  before  it  as  repentant  sinners 
anxious  to  efface  the  remembrance  of  their  past 
delinquency ;  and  the  few  who  were  sincerely 
attached  to  republican  principles  deemed  it  pru- 
dent to  shelter  themselves  from  notice  amidst  the 
crowd,  and  to  echo  the  more  courtly  opinions  of 
their  colleagues.  Fortunately  the  royal  advisers 
were  not  disposed,  or  perhaps  afraid,  to  take  the 
utmost  advantage  of  the  general  enthusiasm  ;  and, 
on  some  occasions,  Charles  himself  condescended 
to  read  to  the  two  houses  lessons  of  moderation 
and    prudence 3.     The   most   important    of   their 


a  Clarendon,  2,  27. 

;|  Clarendon,  8,  9.      Burnet,  Hist,  of  his  Own  Times,  i.  270. 
Oxford,    1823. 


()  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  proceedings  may  conveniently  be   classed    under 
16(i0      the  following  heads. 

J°.  The  objection  which  had  been  raised  before 

tionofparl  their  convocation  was  renewed  after  the  return 
liament.  0f  the  king.  They  had  not  been  called  by  the 
royal  writ ;  they  were  therefore  illegal  assemblies, 
and  their  acts  might  hereafter  be  disputed  in  the 
courts  of  law.  The  obvious  remedy  was  to  dis- 
solve them,  and  to  summon  a  parliament  after 
the  usual  manner,  which  might  legalize  by  its 
authority  the  irregular  proceedings  of  the  con- 
vention. But  this,  to  the  king's  advisers, 
appeared  in  the  existing  circumstances  a  dan- 
gerous experiment :  they  were  not  disposed  to 
part  with  a  house  of  commons  so  obsequious 
to  their  wishes  ;  and  they  preferred  to  pass  an 
act,  declaring  that  the  parliament  summoned  in 
the  16th  Charles  I.  was  determined,  and  that 
the  two  houses  then  sitting  at  Westminster 
constituted  the  two  houses  of  parliament.  It 
might,  indeed,  be  asked,  whence  an  assembly, 
illegal  in  its  origin,  could  derive  the  power  of 
giving  to  itself  a  legal  existence ;  but  it  was 
hoped  that,  as  long  as  the  convention  sate,  no 
man  would  venture  to  moot  the  question  ;  and  on 
its  dissolution  every  defect  might  be  supplied  by 
the  authority  of  the  succeeding  parliament4. 

*  St.  12.  Car.  ii.  c.  1.  The  question,  however,  was  brought 
forward  by  Drake,  a  royalist,  under  the  name  of  Philips,  in  a 
tract  called,  "  The  Long  Parliament  Revived  ".  He  founded  his 
opinion  chiefly  on  the   act  of  17th  of  Charles  I.,  which  provided 


CHARLES  II.  7 

2°.  The  experience  of  former  years  had  shown  CHAP. 

T 

that,  to  restrain  within  due  limits  the  pretensions     j^ 

of  the  crown,  it   was  necessary  to  keep  it  depen- 

dent  on   the   bounty   of   the   subject :    but    the  Grants  t0 

J  J  the  crown. 

houses  seemed  to  have  adopted  the  contrary  doc- 
trine :  they  attributed  the  calamities  which  for 
so  many  years  had  afflicted  the  nation  to  the 
scanty  provision  made  for  the  support  of  royalty ; 
they  found,  on  inquiry,  that  the  annual  expendi- 
ture of  the  last  king  greatly  exceeded  his  income  ; 
and,  to  prevent  the  recurrence  of  the  wants  which 
he  experienced,  and  of  the  illegal  expedients  to 
which  he  had  recourse,  they  raised  the  yearly 
revenue  of  the  crown  to  the  unprecedented 
amount  of  1,200,000/. 


that  the  parliament  should  not  be  dissolved  but  by  an  express 
act  of  parliament^  and  that  every  thing  otherwise  done,  or  to  be 
done,  for  the  dissolving  of  it,  should  be  of  none  effect.  Hence  it 
followed  that  the  parliament  could  never  be  dissolved  but  by  its 
own  act ;  and  that  the  arguments  of  Prynne,  which  have  been 
already  noticed,  were  of  no  force ;  because,  though  true  of  an 
ordinary  parliament,  they  did  not  apply  to  one  secured  from  dis- 
solution in  this  extraordinary  manner.  Drake  was  impeached  by 
the  commons ;  but  the  lords  had  the  prudence  to  remit  the  case 
to  the  attorney-general  to  be  proceeded  with  in  the  ordinary 
courts  of  law.  See  Pari.  Hist.  vi.  145,  147 ;  and  App.  i.  The 
court  wisely  allowed  the  prosecution  to  be  dropped.  If  the  act 
of  17th  of  Charles  were  construed  strictly  according  to  the  letter, 
the  long  parliament  could  never  be  dissolved  by  any  other  parlia- 
ment, because  no  other  meeting  before  its  dissolution  could  be 
a  legal  parliament.  It  was,  therefore,  maintained  that,  by  the 
separation  of  the  houses  from  the  king,  and  the  secession  or 
exclusion  of  so  many  members,  it  had  fallen  to  pieces  of  itself. 
It  had  died  a  natural  death.  See  the  tract,  "  The  Long  Par- 
"  liament  is  not  Revived".     Ibid,  xviii. 


S  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP.       3°.  But  while  they  provided  for  the  sovereign, 
1(JG0.     they  were  not  unmindful  of  their  own  interests. 

In  the  preceding  reigns,  the  proprietors  of  lands 

wards  °f  liad  frequently  and  zealously  sought  to  abolish 
abolished,  tenures  by  knights'  service,  confessedly  the  most 
onerous  of  the  existing  feudal  burthens  ;  but  their 
attempts  were  constantly  defeated  by  the  monarch 
and  his  courtiers,  unwilling  to  resign  the  benefits 
of  marriages,  reliefs,  and  wardships.  Now,  how- 
ever, in  this  season  of  reconciliation  and  mutual 
concession,  the  proposal  was  made  and  accepted  ; 
the  terms  were  arranged  to  the  satisfaction  of  both 
parties  ;  and  Charles  consented  to  accept  a  fixed 
annual  income  of  100,000/.  in  place  of  the  casual 
but  lucrative  profits  of  the  court  of  wards.  Still 
the  transaction  did  little  honour  to  the  liberality 
of  the  two  houses.  They  refused  to  extend  the 
benefit  to  inferior  tenures  :  and  the  very  act  which 
relieved  the  lords  of  manors  from  the  services 
which  they  owed  to  the  crown,  confirmed  to  them 
the  services  which  they  claimed  from  those  who 
held  by  tenure  of  copyhold.  Neither  did  they 
choose  to  pay  the  price  of  the  benefit,  though  it 
was  to  be  enjoyed  exclusively  by  themselves. 
Originally,  the  authors  of  the  measure  intended 
to  raise  the  compensation  by  a  tax  on  the  lands 
which  had  been  relieved  :  the  amount  had  actually 
been  apportioned  to  the  several  counties  by  the 
committee,  when  a  member,  as  it  were  acciden- 
tally, asked  why  they  should  not  resort  to  the 
excise ;  the  suggestion  was  eagerly  caught  by  the 


CHARLES  II.  S 

courtiers  and  many  of  the  proprietors;  the  injus-  CHAP, 
tice  of  compelling   the  poor  to  pay  for  the  relief     16g0 


of   the   rich,    though   strongly  urged,    was  con 

temptuously  overlooked  ;  and  the  friends  of  the 
motion,  on  a  division  in  a  full  house,  obtained  a 
majority  of  two.  In  lieu,  therefore,  of  purvey- 
ance, military  tenures,  and  their  various  incidents, 
fruits  and  dependences,  the  produce  of  one  moiety  Nov.  21. 
of  the  excise,  a  constantly  growing  and  more  pro- 
fitable branch  of  revenue  than  the  original  com- 
pensation, was  settled  on  the  crown  for  ever5. 

4°.  The  excise,  as  the  reader  will  recollect,  had  The  excise 
been  introduced  by  the  parliament  to  defray  the  ^rpe 
charges  of  the  war  against  the  king.  To  recon- 
cile the  nation  to  so  odious  a  tax,  it  was  first 
voted  for  only  a  short  period  ;  and,  though  it  had 
been  continued  ever  since  by  successive  grants,  an 
understanding  always  existed,  that,  as  nothing 
but  necessity  could  justify  the  imposition,  so  it 
should  most  certainly  cease  with  that  necessity. 
By  the  last  enactment,  one  half  of  it  was  now 
rendered  perpetual ;  nor  was  the  house  slow  to 
dispose  of  the  other.  It  had  taken  no  measures 
to  raise  the  revenue  to  the  amount  which  it  had 
voted  :  the  festival  of  Christmas  approached  ;  the 
king  admonished  the  members  of  his  intention  to 
dissolve  the  parliament ;  and  the  houses  hastily 
passed  three  bills  to  improve  the  receipts  on  wine 
licences,  to  regulate  the  post  office,  and  to  grant 

s  12  Car.  ii.  c.  24.     C.  Journ.  May  25;  Nov.  8,  19,21  ;  Dec. 
15,21.     Pari.  Hist.  vi.  146. 


army. 


10  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  to  the  king  the  second  moiety  of  the  excise  for  his 
J'       natural  life,  in  full  of  the  yearly  settlement  of 

KioO. 

1,200,000/.6     From  that  moment,  all  hope  of  its 

Dec.  21.  extinction  vanished  ;  and,  in  the  course  of  a  few- 
reigns,  the  streamlet  has  swelled  into  a  mighty 
river.  The  excise  then  produced  300,000/. ;  it 
now  produces  18,000,000/.  per  annum. 
Disband-  5°.  The  existence  of  the  revolutionary  army 
mg  of  the  ^t  amounted,  in  the  three  kingdoms  to  more  than 
sixty  thousand  men)  was  to  the  monarch  and  his 
ministers  a  subject  of  constant  anxiety.  It  had, 
indeed,  contributed  to  place  him  on  the  throne  ; 
but  it  might,  with  the  same  ease,  precipitate  him 
from  it.  Monk  could  no  longer  answer  for  its 
fidelity.  When  the  first  ebullitions  of  loyalty 
had  subsided,  many,  both  officers  and  privates, 
began  to  feel  surprise  that  they  had  lent  them- 
selves to  a  revolution  which  must  put  an  end  to 
their  accustomed  licence  and  long-established  im- 
portance. The  royalists,  to  whom  the  lord- 
general  had  given  commissions,  possessed  not  the 
confidence  of  the  men  ;  the  followers  of  Lambert 

6  C.  Joum.  Nov.  27 ;  Dec.  21.  In  the  debate  on  the  post 
office  bill,  an  amendment  was  proposed  to  exempt  from  the 
charge  of  postage  all  letters  to  and  from  members  of  the  house 
of  commons,  "  sitting  the  parliament",  on  the  ground  that  they 
had  as  good  a  right  to  that  indulgence  as  the  privy  counsellors  by 
whom  it  was  enjoyed.  Though  the  amendment  was  stigmatized 
as  beneath  the  dignity  of  the  house,  and  fit  only  for  mendicants, 
though  the  speaker  declared  that  he  was  ashamed  to  put  the 
rpiestion,  it  was  carried.  The  lords,  however,  rejected  it,  and 
the  commons  acquiesced.  Joum.  of  Com.  Dec.  17.  Pari.  Hist. 
163. 


CHARLES  II.  H 

in  his  late  unfortunate  attempt  insinuating  them-  CHAP, 
selves  into  the  quarters  of  the  military,  called  on      16g0 

them  to  reassert  the  good   old  cause  ;  and  unau 

thorised  meetings  were  held  ;  the  death  of  Monk 
was  planned,  and  measures  were  taken  to  form  a 
general  combination  among  the  different  corps. 
In  opposition  to  these  attempts,  Charles  endea- 
voured to  win  the  affections  of  the  soldiery  by  the 
flattering  manner  in  which  he  spoke  of  their  dis- 
cipline and  loyalty,  and  the  earnestness  with 
which  he  recommended  their  services  to  the  gra- 
titude of  his  parliament ;  while  his  ministers, 
with  the  aid  of  a  numerous  corps  of  spies,  sought 
out  the  sowers  of  sedition,  and  under  various  and 
feigned  pretences,  secured  their  persons.  In  both 
houses,  members  were  instructed  to  represent  the 
uselessness  of  so  numerous  a  force  in  a  time  of 
profound  peace,  the  expense  which  it  had  already 
entailed,  and  the  annual  amount  which  it  would 
continue  to  entail,  on  the  nation.  No  opposition 
was  offered  to  the  motions  with  which  they  con- 
cluded. By  successive  grants,  provision  was 
made  to  liquidate  all  arrears  :  regiment  after  regi- 
ment was  disbanded ;  and  the  measure  was  con- 
ducted with  such  attention  to  the  wants  and 
feelings  of  the  men,  that  it  was  accomplished 
without  exciting  mutiny  or  public  expressions  of 
discontent7. 


7  St.  12,  Car.  ii.  c.  9,   15,  l(i,  21.    Clarendon,  10,   11.     Bur- 
net, i.  274. 


12  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP.       6°.  The  proceedings  on  this  subject  were  te- 

16J0      diously  protracted    by  the    controversy  between 

the  two  houses  on  the  bill  of  indemnity.     In  his 

Bill  of  in-  declaration  from   Breda,  Charles  had  promised  a 
demnity.  L 

general  pardon,  subject  to  such  exceptions  as 
might  be  suggested  by  the  wisdom  of  parliament. 
The  moment  the  question  was  brought  forward, 
a  wonderful  diversity  of  opinions  was  observed. 
Every  member  had  some  friend  whom  he  wished 
to  shield  from  punishment,  or  some  enemy  whom 
he  sought  to  involve  in  it :  considerations  of  in- 
terest or  relationship,  of  friendship  or  revenge, 
weighed  more  than  the  respective  merits  of  the 
parties ;  and  distinctions  were  made  and  resolu- 
tions passed,  for  which  it  was  difficult  to  account 
on  any  rational  grounds.  At  last,  the  bill  was 
transmitted  from  the  commons  to  the  lords,  who, 
as  their  sufferings  had  in  general  been  more  se- 
vere, betrayed  a  more  vengeful  spirit.  The  chief 
points  in  discussion  between  the  houses  were,  that 
the  lords  sought  to  include,  in  one  sweeping 
clause  of  condemnation,  all  persons  who  ever  sate 
in  judgment  on  any  royalist  in  a  high  court  of 
justice  ;  and  that  they  refused  all  hope  of  mercy 
to  nineteen  of  the  king's  judges  who  had  surren- 
dered themselves  in  consequence  of  a  royal  pro- 
clamation. By  a  clause  in  that  instrument,  the 
disobedient  were  threatened  with  exception  from 
pardon  both  as  to  life  and  property  :  whence  the 
commons  inferred  that  the  obedient  had  reason  to 
expect  such  exception  in  their  favour ;  while   the 


CHARLES  IT.  13 

lords  contended  that  they  had  only  a  right  to  trial  CHAP, 
before  a  court  of  justice,  whereas  those  who  dis-     1(J60 

obeyed    might    be    condemned    for    contumacy. 

Charles,  by  repeated  messages,  advised  moderation 
and  clemency.     It  was  evident  that  the  commons 
had  adopted  the   more  rational  explanation  :  the 
lords  at  last  relented  ;  the  other  house  met  them 
by  receding  from   some  of  its   pretensions  ;   and 
the  act,  after   a  long   contest,  received  the  royal 
assent.     It  declared  in  the  first  place,  that  all  in- 
juries and   offences   against  the  crown  or  indivi- 
duals,   arising  out   of  quarrels  between  political 
parties   since  the   1st  of  June,  1637,    should  be 
and  were  forgiven  :    then  came  the  exceptions : 
1°,  of  fifty-one   individuals  actually  concerned  in 
the   death   of  the  king's  father ;   2",  of  Vane  and 
Lambert;    3°,  of    Lord   Monson,    Hazlerig,  and 
five   others,  as   far  as  regarded  liberty  and  pro- 
perty;    4°,  of  all  judges   in  any  high    court    of 
justice  ;  and   of  Hutchinson,  Lenthall,   St.  John, 
and  sixteen  others  by  name,  as   to   eligibility  to 
hold  office,  civil,  military,  or  ecclesiastical.     With 
respect  to  the  case  of  the  nineteen  regicides  who 
had    voluntarily  surrendered,   it    was    yielded    to 
the  lords  that  they  should  be  tried  for  their  lives  ; 
and,  in   return,  it  was  conceded  to  the  commons, 
that  they  should  not  be  executed  without  a  sub- 
sequent act  of  parliament  to  be  passed  expressly 
for  that  purpose8. 


H  Journals   of  both   Houses.     St.   12,  Car.  ii.  c.   11.     Claren- 
don, 69. 


14.  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP.       By  most  men,  this  general  pardon  was  hailed 
1660.     as  a  national  blessing,  calculated  to  heal  dissen- 


sion  and  restore  tranquillity  ;  by  the  great  body 

of  the  cavaliers,  it  was  received  with  murmurs 
and  complaints.  It  disappointed  their  fondest 
hopes  :  they  saw  themselves  left  by  it  the  victims 
of  their  loyalty,  without  redress  for  the  injuries 
which  they  had  received,  or  relief  from  the  po- 
verty to  which  they  had  been  reduced  ;  while,  in 
numerous  instances,  their  more  fortunate  neigh- 
bours of  the  republican  party  continued  to  revel 
in  the  undisturbed  enjoyment  of  their  new-gotten 
wealth,  the  fruit  and  reward  of  rebellion  and  in- 
justice. With  truth,  they  exclaimed,  may  it  be 
called  an  act  of  oblivion  and  indemnity ;  but  of 
oblivion  of  loyalty,  and  indemnity  for  treason. 

Fateofthe  7°.  Their  discontent  received  some  alleviation 
from  the  tragedy  which  followed.  For  years  it 
had  been  sedulously  impresssed  on  the  mind  of 
Charles,  that,  as  a  son,  he  could  never  pardon 
the  murder  of  his  father  ;  as  a  sovereign,  he 
ought  not  to  connive  at  the  public  execution  of  a 
king.  To  punish  the  regicides,  was,  in  his 
opinion,  a  sacred  and  indispensable  duty ;  and 
the  exceptions  established  by  the  late  act  afforded 
him  ample  scope  for  the  exercise  of  justice,  or 
the  gratification  of  revenge.  Five-and-twenty 
out  of  the  original  number  had  indeed  been  al- 
ready removed  by  death  beyond  the  reach  of  any 
earthly  tribunal,  and  nineteen  had  crossed  the 
sea  to  escape  the  fate  which  awaited  them  in  their 


CHARLES  II.  15 

native  country9.     Still  twenty-nine  remained,  all  chap. 
in  custody,  and  several  of  them  as  deeply  tinged     1660 

with  the  blood  of  the   late   king,  and  as  criminal 

in  the  eyes  of  the  royal  party,  as  the  most  ob- 
noxious of  their  fellows.  The  fugitives  were 
attainted  by  act  of  parliament ;  the  prisoners 
were  arraigned  before  a  court  of  thirty-four  com- 
missioners. 

There  was  much  in  the  composition  of  this 
court  to  interest  the  curiosity  of  the  spectators, 
and  to  agitate  the  feelings  of  the  unhappy  men 
at  the  bar.  That  cavaliers  should  sit  in  judgment 
on  those  who  had  brought  the  king  to  the  block, 
might  have  been  expected  ;  but  by  the  side  of  the 
chancellor,  and  Southampton,  and  Nicholas,  were 
seated  Manchester  and  Robartes,  two  of  the  par- 
liamentary commanders,  Say  and  Hollis,  the  par- 
liamentary  leaders,    Atkins  and   Tyrrel,    parlia- 

9  Three  of  these,  Whaley,  Goff,  and  Dixwell,  secreted  them- 
selves in  New  England,  where  they  passed  their  lives  in  the 
constant  fear  of  being  discovered  by  the  officers  of  government. 
There  is  an  interesting  account  of  their  adventures  in  Hutchin- 
son's History  of  Massachuset's  Bay,  and  in  the  history  of  these 
"  Most  Illustrious  and  Heroic  Defenders  of  Liberty,"  published  by 
Ezra  Styles,  S.T.D.  LL.D.  President  of  Yale  College,  Hartford, 
U.  S.  1794.  Three  others,  Corbet,  Okey,  and  Bcrkstead,  were  ap- 
prehended in  Holland,  at  the  instance  of  Downing,  and  given  up  by 
the  States,  as  an  atonement  for  their  former  treatment  of  the  king 
during  his  exile.  They  suffered  under  the  act  of  attainder,  on 
the  19th  of  April,  1662.  Ludlow,  iii.  82.  State  Trials,  v. 
1301—35.  Pepys,  i.  252,  8.  Others  sought  refuge  in  Switzer- 
land, where  they  believed  themselves  to  be  in  constant  danger  of 
assassination  from  emissaries  hired  by  the  English  court.  Lud- 
low, iii.  113—131. 


16  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  mentary  judges,  Monk   and  Montague,    two   of, 
*'       Cromwell's  lords,  and   Cooper,    one  of  his  most 

loot).  * 

trusty  advisers.      These   men,   if   they  had  not 

actually  dipped  their  hands  in  the  king's  blood, 
had  been  deeply  engaged  in  the  transactions  which 
led  to  his  death,  or  had  powerfully  supported 
the  several  revolutionary  governments,  which 
excluded  his  son  and  successor  from  the  throne. 
For  such  offences  they  might,  in  other  circum- 
stances, have  had  to  plead  for  their  lives  ;  but 
they  had  made  professions  of  repentance,  and  had 
been  selected  to  discharge  this  ungracious  task, 
that  they  might  display  both  the  extent  of  the 
royal  clemency,  and  the  sincerity  of  their  own 
conversion. 

Most  of  the  prisoners  sought  to  deserve  mercy 
by  the  ingenuous  and  sorrowful  acknowledgment 
of  their  crime  :  the  others  alleged  in  their  justi- 
fication, that  they  bore  no  personal  malice  to  the 
royal  victim  ;  that  they  looked  on  his  death  as  a 
solemn  act  of  national  justice,  and  that  they  pro- 
ceeded under  the  sanction  of  that  authority  which 
then  exercised  the  supreme  power  in  the  nation. 
To  the  second  of  these  pleas  the  court  refused  to 
listen  :  to  the  first  it  was  replied,  that  in  law  the 
fact  afforded  sufficient  evidence  of  the  malice  ;  and, 
to  the  last,  that  an  irregular  and  unlawful  meet- 
ing of  twenty-six  persons,  pretending  to  repre- 
sent the  commons  of  England,  could  not  be  con- 
sidered as  the  supreme  authority  in  the  nation. 

tions.U"  All  were  found  guilty,  and  received  judgment 


CHARLES  II.  ]7 

of  death;  but  the  execution   of  those  who  had  CHAP, 
voluntarily  surrendered   themselves  was  respited,      1660 

according  to  the  act  of  indemnity,  for  the  subse 

quent  consideration  of  parliament.     The  ten  se- 
lected to  suffer  were  Harrison,  Scot,  Carew,  Jones, 
Clements,   and   Scroop,   who  had  subscribed  the 
fatal   warrant ;  Cook,  who   acted  as  solicitor  on 
the  trial ;  Axtele  and  Hacker,   two  military  offi- 
cers who  guarded  the  royal  prisoner  ;  and  Peters, 
the  minister,  whose   fervid   and  intemperate  elo- 
quence had  been  so  often  employed  to  prepare  and 
support   the  actors   in   that   remarkable   tragedy. 
The   language   of  these   men,  both   in  the  court 
and  after  their  condemnation,  exhibited  traits  of 
the  wildest  fanaticism.     For  the  justice  of  their 
cause  they  appealed  to   the  victories   which   the 
Lord  had  given  to  their  swords  ;  to   their  bibles, 
which   inculcated  the  duty  of  shedding  the  blood 
of  him  who  had  shed  the  blood  of  his  fellow  men  ; 
and  to  the  spirit  of  God,  which  had  testified  to 
their   spirit  that   the  execution  of  Charles  Stuart 
was  a   necessary  act  of  justice,  a  glorious  deed, 
the  sound  of  which   had   gone  into  most  nations, 
and  a  solemn  recognition  of  that  high  supremacy, 
which  the  King  of  heaven  holds   over  the  kings 
of  the  earth. 

Similar  sentiments  supported  and  cheered  them 
on  the  scaffold,  When  they  were  told  to  repent, 
they  replied  that  of  their  sins  they  had  repented, 
and  of  forgiveness  they  were  assured.  But  they 
dared  not  repent  of  their  share  in  the  death  of  the 
vol.   XII.  c 


IS  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  late  king:  for  to  repent  of  a  good  deed  was  to 
166'0      oft  end  God.      They  were  proud  to  suffer  for  such 

a  cause.  Their  martyrdom  would  be  the  most  glo- 
rious spectacle  which  the  world  had  ever  witnessed 
since  the  death  of  Christ.  But  let  the  persecutors 
tremble  :  the  hand  of  the  Lord  was  already  raised 
to  avenge  their  innocent  blood  ;  and  in  a  short 
time  the  cause  of  royalty  would  crouch  before  that 
of  independence.  They  uttered  the  prediction 
with  the  confidence  of  prophets  10,  and  submitted 
to  their  fate  with  the  constancy  of  martyrs. 
Peters  alone  appeared  to  shrink  from  the  ap- 
proach of  death.  The  exhortation  of  his  fellow 
sufferers  revived  his  courage  ;  a  strong  cordial 
braced  his  nerves  ;  and  he  mustered  sufficient  re- 
solution to  say  that  he  gloried  in  the  cause,  and 
defied  the  executioner  to  do  his  worst  n. 

Punish-         These  examples  did  not  satisfy  the  resentment 

ment  of  A 

the  dead,  of  the  royalists,  who  lamented  as  a  misfortune, 
that  the  most  odious  of  the  regicides  had  by  a 
natural  death  escaped  the  fate  of  their  associates. 


10  And  the  prediction  was  believed.  From  the  Diary  of  Wha- 
ley,  Goff,  and  Dixwell  it  appears  that  they  looked  on  the  execution 
of  the  regicides  as  the  slaying  of  the  witnesses  foretold  in  the 
Book  of  Revelations,  and  that  the  prediction  of  a  revolution  in 
their  favour  was  to  be  fulfilled  in  the  mysterious  year  1666.  The 
year  passed,  and  their  hopes  were  disappointed ;  but  they  con- 
soled themselves  with  the  persuasion  that  there  was  an  error  in 
the  date  of  the  Christian  era,  and  that  the  accomplishment  of  the 
prophecy  would  speedily  arrive.  See  Howell's  State  Trials,  v. 
1362. 

11  Ibid.  947—1301. 


CHARLES     II.  ^ 

It  was  true  that  they  were  attainted  ;   but  the  at-  CHAP. 

I 
tainder  affected  all  alike  ;   while  the  greater  guilt     16C'0. 

of  some  called  for  more  particular  proofs  of  public  — 

reprobation.  Revenge  is  ingenious  :  history  could 
furnish  instances  of  punishment  inflicted  on  the 
remains  of  the  dead  ;  and  in  obedience  to  an  order 
of  the  two  houses,  approved  by  the  king,  the 
bodies  of  Cromwell,  Bradshaw,  and  Ireton,  having 
been  removed  from  their  graves,  were  drawn  on 
hurdles  to  Tyburn,  taken  out  of  their  coffins,  and 
hung  at  the  three  corners  of  the  gallows  on  the 
anniversary  of  the  death  of  Charles  I.,  the  day 
chosen  for  this  expiatory  ceremony.  In  the  even- 
ing they  were  cut  down  and  decapitated ;  the 
heads  fixed  on  the  front  of  Westminster-hall,  and 
the  trunks  thrown  into  a  pit  at  the  place  of  execu- 
tion. To  the  cavaliers  this  revolting  exhibition 
afforded  a  subject  of  merriment  and  pleasantry : 
it  met  with  the  deserved  reprobation  of  every  man 
of  sensibility  and  judgment.  It  was  an  outrage 
against  the  common  feelings  of  humanity,  and 
could  contribute  nothing  to  the  only  real  end  of 
public  punishment — the  prevention  of  crime. 
The  man  who  dares  to  stake  his  life  on  the  pur- 
suit of  his  object,  will  not  be  deterred  by  the  fear 
of  mutilation  or  suspension  after  deatli 12. 

19  Lords'  Journals,  xi.  205.  Rennet's  Reg.  3fi7.  Though  Pride 
was  included  in  the  order,  his  body  was  not  disturbed.  After- 
wards (1G61,  Sep.  12, 14,)  about  twenty  bodies  of  persons  buried 
in  Henry  VII/s  chapel,  and  the  church  of  Westminster,  were  dis- 
interred by  the  king's  order,  am'  buried  again  in  the  church-yard. 

C  2 


■> 


20  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

C  HAP.      8°.    Since  the  year  1642,  a  considerable  portion 
16g0<     of   the    landed    property    in    every    county    had 

passed  from  the  hands  of  the  original  owners  into 

Revolu-    tjlc  pOSSession  of  new  claimants ;  and  it  was  on 

tion  in  L 

landed  this  important  consideration  that  the  founders  of 
proper),  f^e  commonwealth  rested  their  principal  hope  of 
its  subsequent  stability.  Hundreds  of  their  ad- 
herents had  by  the  revolution  been  raised  in  the 
scale  of  society  ;  they  were  become  invested  with 
the  wealth  and  influence  that  originally  belonged 
to  their  superiors  ;  and  it  was  their  interest  to 
oppose  with  all  their  power  the  return  of  a  system 
which  would  reduce  them  to  poverty  and  insig- 
nificance. Charles  in  his  declaration  from  Breda 
touched  on  the  subject  in  guarded  and  measured 
terms  :  "  he  was  willing  that  all  controversies  in 
"  relation  to  grants,  sales,  and  purchases,  should 
"  be  determined  in  parliament,  which  could  best 
"  provide  for  the  just  satisfaction  of  all  who  were 
"  concerned."  Parliament,  however,  made  no 
such  provision.  It  confirmed,  indeed,  as  a  mea- 
sure of  tranquillization,  the  judicial  decisions 
which  had  been  given  in  the  courts  of  law  and 
equity ;  but  the  royal  promise  respecting  the 
transfer  of  property  by  grants  and  sales  was  for- 
gotten, and,  in  consequence,  no  relief  was  afforded 


Among  these  were  the  remains  of  Cromwell's  mother,  of  his  daugh- 
ter Elizabeth  Claypole,  of  admiral  Blake,  and  of  colonel  Mack- 
worth,  who  had  been  interred  in  the  chapel,  and  of  Pym,  Doris- 
laus,  Stroud,  May  the  historian,  Twiss  and  Marshall,  divines,  and 
of  several  others  buried  in  the  church.     Kennet,  534.     Neal,  619. 


CHARLES   II.  21 

to  two  numerous  classes  of  men  belonging  to  the  chap. 
opposite  parties.     1°.   At  the  very  commencement     16g'0 

of  the  civil  troubles  many  royalists  disposed  of  a 

portion,  or  the  whole  of  their  estates,   that  they 
might  relieve  the  pecuniary  wants   of  the  king, 
or  enable  themselves  to  raise  men,  and  serve  in 
the   royal   armies ;  and  at  its   conclusion  all    of 
them  were  compelled  to  have  recourse  to  similar 
measures,  that  they  might  discharge  their  debts, 
and  pay  the  heavy  fines  imposed  on  them  by  order 
of  the   revolutionary  governments.     That  these 
men  had  strong  claims  on  the  gratitude  and  pity 
of  the  king  and  parliament  could  not  be  denied ; 
but  these  claims   were   neglected,   the  sales  had 
been  effected  with  their  consent,  they  were  bound 
by  their  own  acts,  and  consigned  to  murmur  in 
penury  and  despair.     2°.  The  lands  belonging  to 
the  crown,   to  the  bishops,  deans  and  chapters, 
and   to  a  few  distinguished  cavaliers,  had  been 
granted  away  as  rewards,  or  sold  to  the  highest 
or  the  most  favoured  bidder.     These  were  now 
reclaimed ;  forcible   entries  were  made ;   and  the 
holders,  as  they  were  not  allowed  to  plead  a  title 
derived  from   an   usurped  authority,  were   com- 
pelled to   submit  to  superior  right    or    superior 
power.     To   the   argument  that  they   were,  the 
most  of  them,  bona  fide  purchasers,  it  was  truly 
replied    that   they  had   taken  the   risk  with  the 
benefit :  but   when   they  appealed  to   the  "  just 
"  satisfaction  "   promised  in  the  royal  declaration 
from  Breda,  Charles  himself  blushed  at  the  rigour 


22  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAT,  of  his  officers  and  adherents.  By  proclamation 
1G0'0#  he  recommended  measures  of  lenity  and  concili- 
ation ;  he  advised  that  the  revolutionary  pur- 
chasers should  be  admitted  as  tenants  on  easy 
fines ;  and,  at  the  united  request  of  the  two 
houses,  he  established  a  commission  to  arbitrate 
between  the  contending  parties.  The  conse- 
quence, however,  was,  that  while  the  purchasers 
of  the  crown  lands  were  in  general  permitted  to 
remain  in  possession,  the  purchasers  of  the  church 
lands  were  in  numerous  instances  treated  with 
extreme  severity.  The  incumbents  had  them- 
selves suffered  hard  measure ;  they  were  old, 
and  therefore  anxious  to  provide  for  the  support 
of  their  families  after  them ;  and,  instead  of  at- 
tending to  the  royal  recommendation,  they  made 
no  distinction  among  the  bidders,  but  selected  for 
tenants  those  individuals  who  made  them  the  most 
advantageous  offers  13. 
Ecclcsias-  9°.  During  the  first  period  of  the  revolution, 
range-  the  presbyterian  ministers  had  obtained  posses- 
ment.  sjon  Qf  j-ne  parish  churches  ;  but  their  orthodoxy 
was  not  less  intolerant  than  that  of  their  prede- 
cessors, and  they  pursued  with  equal  violence, 
the  theological  offences  of  schism  and  heresy. 
Still,  in  defiance  of  their  zeal,  sectarianism  con- 
tinued to  spread ;  by  degrees,  the  civil  and  mili- 
tary authority  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  inde- 

13  St.  12,  Car.  ii.  c.  17.      Ke'nnet's  Reg.  312.     Clarendon,  183. 
Harris,  iv.  315. 


CHARLES  IT.  2'3 

pendents;     the   presbyterians,   in    proportion    as  CHAP, 
their  power  declined,   turned  their  eyes  towards     16G0> 

the  exiled   prince ;    and  their  ministers,   as    far 

as  prudence  would  permit,  acted  the  part  of 
zealous  and  successful  missionaries  in  his  favour. 
Now  that  Charles  had  recovered  the  crown,  was 
he  to  expel  from  their  livings  the  men  from  whom 
he  had  received  these  services  ;  or  was  he  to  pro- 
tect them,  and  leave  the  episcopal  clergy  to  pine 
in  deprivation  and  want  ?  The  first  savoured  of 
ingratitude ;  it  was  moreover  pregnant  with 
danger.  It  might  provoke  the  presbyterian  mem- 
bers, the  majority  of  the  house  of  commons,  to 
oppose  the  court ;  a  thousand  pulpits  might  join 
in  advocating  the  duty  of  resistance ;  and  the 
smouldering  embers  of  civil  war  might  be  easily 
fanned  into  a  flame  by  the  breath  of  the  preachers. 
On  the  other  hand,  he  was  led  by  principle,  and 
pledged  in  honour  to  restore  that  hierarchy,  in 
defence  of  which  his  father  had  forfeited  his  crown 
and  his  life.  This  was  loudly  demanded  by  the 
cavaliers,  and  was  represented  by  Hyde  as  pro- 
viding the  surest  bulwark  for  the  throne.  Charles 
did  not  hesitate :  the  kirk  was  sacrificed  to  the 
church ;  and  every  difficulty  was  surmounted 
by  the  singular  address  of  the  minister,  joined 
with  the  engaging  manner  and  real  or  affected 
moderation  of  the  monarch. 

That  the  dominion  of  the  ancient  laws  had  re-  Royal  de- 
turned  with  the    representative    of   the  ancient 
kings,  was  a  principle  which  no  one  ventured  to 


*4  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

c  II AP.  contradict ;    but   a    principle,   which   taught  the 
1660.     votaries   of  the  "  solemn    league    and    covenant" 

to    tremble   for    the    idol  of   their    worship,  and 

threatened  the  presbyterian  clergy  with  the  loss 
of  their  livings.  Their  chief  reliance  was  placed 
on  the  declaration  from  Breda,  which  promised  the 
royal  assent  to  an  act  of  parliament  for  composing 
differences  in  religion,  and  on  the  services  of  their 
brethren  who  formed  a  powerful  body  in  the  house 
of  commons.  But  Charles  and  his  politic  adviser 
had  no  intention  to  redeem  the  royal  pledge,  or  to 
entrust  the  decision  of  this  important  question  to 
the  doubtful  orthodoxy  of  the  two  houses.  The 
number  of  the  bishops,  who  had  been  reduced  to 
nine,  was  filled  up  by  successive  nominations  : 
the  survivors  of  the  sequestrated  clergy  were 
encouraged  to  re-enter  on  their  benefices,  or  to 
accept  a  composition  from  the  holders  ;  and  the 
heads  of  the  universities  received  a  royal  mandate 
to  restore  to  their  colleges  the  ejected  fellows.  At 
the  same  time,  to  lull  the  apprehensions  of  the 
presbyterians,  offers  of  bishoprics  were  made  to 
the  most  eminent  or  moderate  of  the  ministers  ; 
ten  obtained  the  nominal  honour  of  being  chaplains 
to  the  king,  and  all  were  confirmed  in  the  posses- 
sion of  their  benefices,  where  the  legal  claimant 
was  dead,  or  neglected  to  enforce  his  right.  But 
these  measures  excited  alarm  :  a  bill  for  the  settle- 
ment of  religion  was  brought  into  the  house  of 
commons :  and  a  resolution  was  passed  that  the 
question   should  be  considered  in  "  a  grand  com- 


CHARLES    II.  <25 

"  mittee  on  every  successive  Monday".     Hyde,  in  chap. 
opposition,  issued  instructions  to  the  friends  of  the      1(J60 

court  and  the  church  ;  they  laboured  zealously  to ■ 

perplex  and  protract  the  proceedings :  two  long 
and  animated  debates  called  forth  the  passions  of 
the  speakers  ;  and  at  last  the  sitting  of  the  com- 
mittee was  suspended  for  three  months,  that  the 
king  might  have  time  to  consult  the  divines  of  both 
communious ,4.  For  this  purpose,  papers  were 
exchanged  between  certain  of  the  bishops  and  a 
select  number  of  ministers.  On  points  of  doctrine, 
they  scarcely  differed  ;  but  one  party  contended 
warmly  for  the  model  of  episcopal  government 
formerly  devised  by  archbishop  Usher,  which  the 
latter  absolutely  rejected,  as  offering  only  another 
name  for  the  establishment  of  the  presbyterian 
system  15.  The  disagreement  had  been  foreseen  ; 
and  Charles  was  advised  to  interpose  as  moderator 
between  the  disputants.     He  laid  before  them  the  Oct.  22. 


■4  Clarendon,  74.  Journal  of  Com.  July  6,  20,  21.  "  The 
"  committee  sat  an  hour  in  the  dark  before  candles  were  suffered 
"  to  be  brought  in,  and  then  they  were  twice  blown  out;  but  the 
"  third  time  they  were  preserved,  though  with  great  disorder,  till 
"  at  last  about  ten  at  night  it  was  voted",  &c.  MS.  Diary  of  a 
Member,  in  Pari.  Hist.  vi.  79.  82. 

•s  Neal,  ii.  568 — 75.  It  proposed  that  the  several  deans  should 
hold  monthly  synods  of  the  clergymen  under  their  jurisdiction ; 
the  bishops,  yearly  synods  of  those  within  their  dioceses;  and  the 
archbishops,  every  third  year,  synods  of  the  bishops  and  deputies 
from  each  diocese  within  their  respective  provinces :  but  in  all 
these,  the  presidents  were  to  possess  no  superior  authority,  but 
only  to  be  considered  as  primi  inter  pares.  See  the  scheme  in  the 
History  of  Non-conformity,  339 — 314. 


20  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  draft  of  a  royal  declaration  from  the  pen  of  the 
,*'        chancellor,  solicited  their  observations  on  its  pro- 

1660.  -1 

visions,    and    offered    to     adopt    any    reasonable 

amendment.  In  a  few  days,  it  was  published.  It 
gave  due  praise  both  to  the  orthodox  and  the 
presbyterian  clergy ;  avowed  the  king's  attach- 
ment to  episcopacy,  but  with  the  conviction,  that 
it  might  be  so  modified  as,  without  impairing  its 
real  character,  to  remove  the  objections  brought 
against  it :  and  for  that  purpose  he  enjoined,  1°. 
with  respect  to  jurisdiction,  that  no  bishop  should 
exercise  any  illegal  or  arbitrary  authority,  or  pro- 
nounce ecclesiastical  censures,  or  celebrate  ordina- 
tions without  the  assistance  and  advice  1G  of  his 
chapter  and  of  an  equal  number  of  presbyters  de- 
puted by  the  clergy  of  thediocese,  or  confirm  in 
any  church  without  the  information  and  consent  of 
the  minister  ;  and  2°.  with  regard  to  the  religious 
scruples  of  the  presbyterians,  that  the  reading  of 
the  liturgy,  the  observance  of  the  ceremonies,  the 
subscription  to  all  the  thirty-nine  articles,  and  the 
oath  of  canonical  obedience,  should  not  be  exacted 
from  those  who  objected  to  them  through  motives 
of  conscience  17. 


1<;  Instead  of  advice  the  presbyterians  moved  for  the  substitution 
of  the  word  consent.  Charles  refused ;  and,  when  a  passage  from 
the  ukuv  fiaaikiKr)  was  objected,  hastily  replied :  "  all  that  is  in 
"  that  book  is  not  gospel."     Kenuet,  Reg.  283. 

'"  L.  Journ.  xi.  179.  Neal,  ii.  575 — 80.  Originally  it  was  in- 
tended to  permit  all  persons  "  to  meet  for  religious  worship,  so  be 
"  it,  they  do  it  not  to  the  disturbance  of  the  peace".     But  the 


CHARLES    II.  27 

These  important  concessions  were  received  with  C  HAP. 
joy  and  gratitude   by  the  party.     A  meeting  of     166'0< 
London  ministers  declared   that   episcopacy,  thus 


reformed   and    improved,   was   a   different    thing  th°e  chan- 
from  the  episcopacy  against  which  they  had  pro-  cdlor. 
tested    in    the     covenant ;     and    their   celebrated 
leader,  Dr.  Reynolds,  whether  his  scruples  were 
really  silenced,  or  the  restraint  on  his   ambition 
only    removed,    signified   his    acceptance    of    the 
bishopric  of  Norwich.     Yet  the  declaration,  while 
it  kept  the  word  of  promise  to  the  ear,  contained 
a  passage  which  tended  to  break  it  to  the  hope : 
it  alluded  to  a  synod  to  be  convened,  when  the 
passions  of  men  should  be  cooled,  that  the  question 
might  be  fairly  and  finally  settled.     The  presby- 
terians  had  no  inclination  to  depend  on  the  uncer- 
tain decision  of  some  future  synod  :  they  nought 
a  permanent,  not  a  temporary  arrangement ;  and,   Nov.  6. 
in  a  committee  of  the  house  of  commons,  with  Ser- 
jeant Hales  at  its  head,  a  bill  was  formed  for  the 
purpose  of  converting  the  royal  declaration  into  a 
law.     Hyde  saw  that  his  own  arts  were  directed 
against    himself:     he    removed    Hales    from    the 
house,   to  take  his  seat  in  the  exchequer  as  lord 


presbyterians  were  not  sufficiently  liberal  to  allow  to  others  what 
they  demanded  for  themselves.  Baxter  distinguished  between 
tolcrables  and  intoh-rablcs.  The  papists  and  socinians  were  in- 
tolerables  :  their  worship  could  not  conscientiously  be  suffered; 
and,  to  satisfy  the  party,  the  clause  was  changed  into  a  promise 
that  no  man  should  be  disturbed  for  "difference  of  opinion  in 
,c  matters  of  religion".     Kennet,  Reg.  280.     Oldmixon,  188. 


28  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  chief  baron  ;  the  dependents  of  the  court  received 
16g0      instructions   to   vote   against  the   bill ;   secretary 

Morris    opposed   it   in  a   long  though    moderate 

Nov.  28.  gpeech  .  an(]?  on  a  motion  that  it  should  be  read  a 
second  time,  it  was  rejected  by  a  majority  of 
twenty-eight  in  a  house  of  three  hundred  and  forty 

Dec.  29.  members.  Shortly  afterwards  the  convention  par- 
liament was  dissolved  18. 

[nsurrec-  That,  notwithstanding  the  general  demonstra- 
tion of  loyalty,  there  were  many  who  secretly 
lamented  the  ruin,  and  ardently  sought  the  resto- 
ration, of  the  republican  government,  could  not 
be  doubted.  The  royal  ministers  were  placed  in 
a  situation  in  which  even  a  superfluous  degree  of 
vigilance  or  severity  might  be  vindicated,  or,  at 
least,  excused,  on  account  of  the  probability  of 
danger.  But,  while  they  secured  the  more  pro- 
minent and  suspicious  characters,  such  as  Overton, 
Desborough,  Day,  and  Courtenay,  they  appear  to 
have  overlooked  or  despised  a  conventicle  of  fana- 
tics in  Coleman-street,  under  the  guidance  of  a 
wine-cooper,  named  Venner.     The  king  was  gone 


18  Clarendon,  76.  Journals  of  Com.  Nov.  28.  Pari.  Hist.  vi. 
141.  152.  I  may  observe  that,  on  this  occasion  Charles  exercised 
his  pretension  of  dispensing  with  the  law  in  ecclesiastical  matters, 
and  yet  no  one  ventured  to  complain.  "  It  is  our  will  and  plea- 
"  sure  that  none  be  judged  to  forfeit  his  presentation  or  benefice, 
"  or  be  deprived  of  it  upon  the  statute  of  13th  Eliz.  c.  12,  so  he 
"  read  and  declare  his  assent  to  all  the  articles  of  religion,  which 
"  only  concern  the  confession  of  the  true  Christian  faith,  and  the 
"  doctrine  of  the  sacraments  comprised  in  the  book  of  articles  in 
"  the  said  statute  mentioned". 


Jan.  6. 


CHARLES    II.  29 

to  Portsmouth  in  company  with  the  queen  mother  ;  chap. 
and,  on  the  afternoon  of  the  following  Sunday,     1G61 
Venner  called  on  his  hearers  not  to  pray  but  to 
act,  to  take  up  arms  in  the  cause  of  their  King 
Jesus,  to   whom   alone   allegiance  was   due,   and 
never  to  sheathe  the  sword  till  Babylon  should  be 
made  a  hissing  and  a  curse.     To  raise  their  cou- 
rage, the  enthusiast  held  out  to  them  the  conquest 
of  the  whole  world  :  they  should  first  lead  capti- 
vity captive  in  England  ;  from  England,  proceed 
to  possess  the  gates  of  the  earth  ;  and  then  bind 
kings   in   chains    and   nobles    in  fetters   of  iron. 
What,  if  they  were  few  in  number,  not  more  than 
sixty?     They  would  fight  for  him  who  had  pro- 
mised that  one  should  chase  a  thousand,  and  two 
put  ten  thousand  to  flight.     Arms  had  been  pre- 
pared :  the  soldiers  of  the  heavenly  King  hastened 
to  St.  Paul's,  drove  before  them  some  of  the  trained 
bands,   traversed   the  city,  and  withdrew,  during 
the  night  to  Cane-wood,  between  Highgate  and 
Hampstead.      The  next    morning,    about    thirty 
were  apprehended  by  the  military,  and  a  persua- 
sion  existed    that   the   remainder  had  dispersed ; 
but   on   Wednesday    they  were  seen  in   different    Jan.  9. 
streets,  hastening  towards  the  residence  of  the  lord 
mayor,  and  exclaiming,  "  the  King  Jesus  and  their 
"  heads    upon    the    gates.1'      More    fanatics    had 
joined  them  :  several  rencontres  took  place  with 
the  guards  and  the  trained  bands  ;   and  the  injury 
which  they  inflicted  was  equal  to  that  which  they 
received  ;    but  after  the   loss  of  two-and-twenty 


30  IIISTOHY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  men  killed  on  the   spot,    sixteen,    most  of  them 
g.      wounded,  yielded  to  their  opponents,  and  the  re- 

k  maining  few   escaped.      The   prisoners   expiated 

Jan.  19.  their  crime  on  the  gallows.  But  the  failure  of 
the  enterprize  had  not  shaken  their  faith.  They 
died  in  the  same  sentiments  in  which  they  had 
lived,  proclaiming  the  sovereignty  of  their  hea- 
venly King,  and  denouncing  his  vengeance  against 
the  usurpers  of  his  prerogative,  the  kings  of  the 
earth19. 

Now  par-  j  s}ia]i  not  detain  the  reader  with  the  ceremonial 
of  the  coronation,  or  the  rejoicings  with  which  it 
was  celebrated.  Charles  had  previously  called  a 
parliament  after  the  ancient  and  legitimate  form  ; 
and  the  result  of  the  elections  showed  that  the 
fervid  loyalty  which  blazed  forth  at  his  restoration 
had,  in  the  course  of  twelve  months,  suffered  but 
little  abatement.  In  a  few  places,  indeed,  men  of 
anti-episcopalian  principles  were  returned,  but  the 
majority  of  the  members  consisted  of  royalists 
devoted  to  the  person  of  the  king,  and  ready  to 
support  the  measures  of  the  court.  Some  mem- 
bers of  the  council  possessed  seats  in  the  lower 
house :  but  it  was  not  yet  the  custom  to  employ 
them  as  the  acknowledged  leaders  of  the  party. 
To  save  appearances,  the  chancellor  (he  had  lately 
been  created  earl  of  Clarendon)  privately  com- 
municated the  wishes  of  the  cabinet  to  a  few  of  the 


'9  St.  Trials,  vi.  105.     Kennet,  Reg.  354,  5G2.     Heath,  471. 
Parker,  T>c  Rebus  sui  Temporis,  10.     Pepys,  i.  167— 1G9. 


CHARLES     II.  31 

most  influential  members,  and  each  of  these  held  c  hap. 
a  separate  meeting  of  his  friends  and  followers,     1GgL 

whom  he  instructed   in  the  part  that  each   indi 

vidual  had  to  act,  and  the  vote  which  it  was  ex- 
pected that  he  should  give.  With  the  aid  of  a 
force  thus  previously,  though  secretly,  organized 
in  the  house,  the  minister  experienced  little  diffi- 
culty in  defeating  the  desultory  and  unconnected 
efforts  of  his  opponents. 

This  parliament,  at  the  commencement  of  its  Acts  pass- 
long  career,  passed  several  laws  of  the  highest  im- 
portance, both  in  regard  to  the  pretensions  of  the 
crown,  and  the  civil  and  religious  liberties  of  the 
people.  1°.  The  solemn  league  and  covenant,  with 
the  acts  for  erecting  a  high  court  of  justice  for  the 
trial  of  Charles  Stuart ;  for  subscribing  the  engage- 
ment ;  for  establishing  a  commonwealth ;  for  re- 
nouncing the  title  of  the  present  king  ;  and  for  the 
security  of  the  protector's  person  ;  were  ordered  to 
be  burnt  in  the  midst  of  Westminster-hall  by  the 
hands  of  the  common  hangman.  It  was  affirmed 
that  the  negative  voice,  and  the  command  of  the 
army,  were  rights  inherent  in  the  crown  :  to  devise 
any  bodily  harm  to  the  king,  and  to  distinguish 
between  his  person  and  his  office,  were  made  trea- 
son ;  to  call  the  king  a  heretic  or  a  papist,  was 
declared  to  incapacitate  the  offender  from  holding 
any  office  in  church  or  state ;  and  the  j>enalties  of 
premunire  were  enacted  against  all  who  should 
assert  that  the  parliament  of  1641  was  not  dis- 
solved, or  that  both  houses  or   either  house  pos- 


32  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  sessed   legislative   authority  independently  of  the 
i66i      sovereign.     At  the  same  time,  severe  restrictions 

were  imposed  upon  the  press,  to  prevent  the  pub- 
lication of  books  maintaining-  opinions  contrary  to 
the  Christian  faith,  or  the  doctrine  or  discipline  of 
the  church  of  England,  or  tending  to  the  defama- 
tion of  the  church  or  state,  or  of  the  governors 
thereof,  or  of  any  person  whomsoever-0. 

King's  po-  2°.  Though  the  convention  parliament  had 
undertaken  to  make  ample  provision  for  the  pecu- 
niary wants  of  the  government,  Charles  was  ad- 
vised to  apply  to  the  two  houses  for  additional  aid, 
and  obtained  from  their  loyalty  a  grant  of  four 
subsidies,  the  ancient  but  now  obsolete  method  of 
raising  supplies.  It  has  been  said  of  the  king  that 
he  was  improvident ;  that  the  establishment  of  his 
household  was  calculated  on  the  most  expensive 
scale  ;  that  he  made  magnificent  presents  to  his 
favourites  and  mistresses  ;  and  that  he  squandered 
enormous  sums  in  the  unnecessary  repair  and  im- 
provement of  the  royal  palaces  ;  but  it  should  also 
be  remembered  that  at  his  restoration  he  found 
himself  incumbered  with  a  debt  for  which  he  could 
not  be  responsible,  the  enormous  sum  owing  to  the 
armies  in  the  three  kingdoms  under  the  heads  of 
arrears ;  and  that  he  was  moreover  compelled,  from 
the  destitute  state  of  the  several  arsenals,  to  expend 
800,000/.  in  the  immediate  purchase  of  naval  and 
military  stores.     We  are  assured  that  in  the  first 

-°  Clarendon,  181.     Statutes  and  Journals,  passim. 


I'HARLES    II. 


33 


fifteen  months  the  only  sum  which  could  be  devoted  CHAT, 
to  the  ordinary  current  expenses  of  the  state  was     16Qlt 


the  70,000/.  voted  on  account  of  the   coronation. 

The  parliament  repeatedly  listened  to  his  solicita- 
tions ;  but  the  estimates  were  inaccurate  ;  the  taxes 
proved  deficient21 ;  they  were  tardily  collected  ; 
new  debts  were  contracted  before  the  original  debts 
could  be  discharged  ;  and,  during  the  whole  course 
of  his  reign,  Charles  laboured  under  the  pressure 
of  a  burthen  which  he  was  unable  to  remove. 
This  gave  a  peculiar  tone  to  his  policy.  To  pro- 
cure money  became  his  habitual  pursuit :  it  entered 
into  all  his  measures  as  the  principal,  or,  at  least, 
as  an  important,  object :  it  dictated  to  him  the 
match  with  Portugal  and  the  sale  of  Dunkirk  to 
France  ;  and  it  seduced  him  into  that  clandestine 
correspondence  and  those  pecuniary  bargains  with 
the  French  monarch,  which  have  left  an  indelible 
stain  on  his  memory. 

3°.  Though  the  kingdom  presented  everywhere  Rep0rts  of 
the  appearance  of  tranquillity,  the  different  parties  conspira- 
continued  to  look  on  each  other  with  jealousy  and 
apprehension.  That  there  existed  many,  who,  if 
they  had  possessed  the  means,  wanted  not  the  will, 
to  overturn  the  royal  government,  cannot  be 
doubted  ;  and  these,  by  the  imprudence  of  their 
language  or  their  carriage,  might  occasionally  min- 


*'  Sir  P.  Warwick  shewed  that,  of  the  yearly  sum  of  1,200,000/. 
voted  hy  the  convention  parliament,  no  more  than  900,000/.  per 
annum  was  ever  received.     Pepys,  Diary,  ii.  161. 

vol.  xii.  n 


I. 

16(51. 


■I  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  ister  just  cause  of  suspicion;  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  there  were  also  many,  whose  credulity  was 
as  extravagant  as  their  loyalty  ;  who  could  discover 
traces  of  guilt  in  conduct  innocent  or  indifferent ; 
and  who  daily  besieged  the  council  board  with  the 
history  of  their  fears,  and  with  denunciations  of 
treason.     Most  of  these  informers  met  with  de- 
served neglect ;  but  to  some  it  was  thought  that 
greater  credit  was  due :  the   king  communicated 
their  discoveries  to  the  two  houses  ;  arrests  were 
ordered,  and  convictions  and  executions  followed. 
It  has  often  been  asserted  that  these  plots  had  no 
real  existence  ;  that  they  were  fabricated  by  the 
ingenuity  of  Clarendon,  who   sought,  by  exciting 
unfounded  alarms,  to  procure  the  sanction  of  par- 
liament to  the  measures  which  he  meditated  against 
the   non-conformists.      But    the    authors   of   this 
charge,  so  disgraceful  to  his  character,  were  men, 
whose    sufferings   on  the  score  of  religion  made 
them  his  enemies,  and  who  never  supported  their 
assertions  with  any  satisfactory  proof;  nor  is  it 
undeserving  of  remark  that,  at  the  very  same  time, 
the  royalists  suspected  him  of  a  secret  connexion 
with  the  republicans,  because  he  received  their  in- 
formations with  an  air  of  coldness,  and  with  ex- 
pressions of  disbelief21. 
The  kinn'        These  reports   and  proceedings  had,  however, 
refuses  considerable  influence  on  the  temper  of  the  two 

the  execu-  A 

tion  of  the  houses,  and   turned  their  attention  to  the  fate  of 

other  re- 


gicides. 


21   See  Monkton's  account.     Lan-downe  MSS.  088,  f.  346. 


CHARLES    II.  3; 

the  surviving  regicides,  who  were  still  detained  CHAP, 
in  prison.     Of  those  who  had  been  excepted  from     16J6'2 

the  penalty  of  death,  all  enjoying  titles  of  honour 

were  degraded ;  and  three,  the  lord  Monson,  sir 
Henry  Mildmay,  and  Robert  Wallop,  on  the  30th 
of  January,  were  pinioned  upon  hurdles,  and 
drawn  through  the  streets  with  halters  round 
their  necks  to  the  gallows  at  Tyburn.  Of  those 
who  had  surrendered  in  consequence  of  the  pro- 
clamation, the  punishment  had  been  respited  till 
further  order  of  parliament.  A  bill  for  their  im- 
mediate execution  was  now  introduced,  passed  by  1662# 
the  lower  house,  and  sent  to  the  lords  ;  who  read  Jan- 27- 
it  once,  examined  the  prisoners  at  their  bar,  and 
never  afterwards  noticed  the  subject -2.  The  fact 
is,  that  these  unhappy  men  owed  their  lives  to 
the  humanity  of  the  king.  "  I  am  weary  of 
hanging,"  he  said  to  the  chancellor,  "  except  for 
new  offences.  Let  the  bill  settle  in  the  houses, 
that  it  may  not  come  to  me  ;  for  you  know  that 
I  cannot  pardon  them  "  20. 

There  still  remained  Vane  and  Lambert,  Trials  of 
who,  though  not  actually  guilty  of  the  death  of  a^vai* 
Charles  I.,  were  considered  as  fit  objects  of 
punishment.  Lambert  had  been  the  last  to  draw 
the  sword  against  the  royal  cause,  and  was  still 
looked  up  to  by  the  republicans  as  their  nominal 
head.     Vane,  if  he  had  incurred  ridicule  by  his 


M  C  Journ.  1661,  July  1;   1662,  Jan.  27  ;   Feb.  1,  3.    L.  Journ. 
xi   37.5.  380.     Pepys,  i.  243. 

51  See  Clarendon's  notes  in  Clar.  Pap.  iii.  App.  xlvi. 

n  2 


3t>  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  extravagance   as   a   religionist,  was   highly  dis- 
1662      tinguished   by  his  abilities  as   a   statesman.     In 

the  first  capacity,  he  had  published  books  replete 

with  pious  fanaticism  and  unintelligible  theology; 
in  the  latter,   he  stood  without  a  rival  as  to  mat- 
ters of  finance  and  civil  policy.     To  his  councils 
and  foresight  the  cavaliers  eh'iefly  attributed  the 
almost  uniform  success  of  their  adversaries ;  but 
his  great  and  unredeeming  offence  was  one  which, 
though  never  mentioned,  could  never  be  forgotten. 
He  had   been,  at  the  beginning  of  the  troubles, 
the  cause  of  the  death  of  Strafford,  by  communi- 
cating   to    Pyin    the    document    which    he    had 
purloined    from    his   father's    desk.     There  was, 
however,  this  peculiarity  in  the  case  both  of  Vane 
and  Lambert,  that,  though  the  convention  parlia- 
ment had  refused  to  except  them  from  the  penalty 

1660.  of  death,  yet,  on  account  of  the  declaration  from 
Sep.  5.    Brecja?  it  had  recommended  them  to  mercy  in  the 

event  of  conviction,  and  the  recommendation  had 
been  favourably  received  by  the  king  24.  Charles, 
indeed,  was    disposed   to    leave  them    in    prison 

1661.  without  further  molestation  ;  but  the  house  of 
July  L    commons   ordered  the  attorney-general  to  bring 

them  to  trial,  and  by  three  successive  addresses 

1662.  extorted  the  royal  consent23.  Their  conduct  at 
the  bar  presented  a  singular  contrast.  Lambert, 
who  had  so  often  faced  his  enemies  in  the  field, 


Feb.   19. 


"  C.  Journ.  28  Aug.  1660;  Sep.  5.     L.  Journals,  xi.  156. 
«  C.  Journ.  July  1  ;  Nov.  22,  1661 ;  Jan  .10;  Feb.  19,  1662. 


CHARLES    II.  37 

trembled  at  the  sight  of  a  court  of  justice :  Vane,  CHAP, 
who   had  never  drawn   the   sword,  braved   with     166'2> 

intrepidity    the    frowns    and    partiality    of    his 

judges.  The  first  behaved  with  caution  and 
modesty:  he  palliated  his  opposition  to  Booth 
and  Monk,  by  pretending  that  he  was  ignorant  of 
their  attachment  to  the  house  of  Stuart ;  and 
appealed  to  the  royal  mercy  to  which  he  thought 
himself  entitled  by  the  king's  proclamation  and 
answer  to  the  address  of  the  convention  parlia- 
ment. He  received  judgment  of  death  ;  but  was 
confined  for  life  to  the  island  of  Guernsey,  where 
he  beguiled  the  hours  of  banishment  by  the  culti- 
vation of  two  arts  in  which  he  delighted,  those  of 
the  florist  and  the  painter.  Vane,  on  the  con- June  6. 
trary,  boldly  maintained  the  principles  which  he 
had  formerly  advocated.  He  was,  he  said,  no 
traitor.  By  the  act  which  rendered  the  long  par- 
liament indissoluble  without  its  own  consent,  the 
two  houses  were  raised  to  a  power  equal  and  co- 
ordinate with  that  of  the  king,  and  possessed  a 
right  to  restrain  oppression  and  tyranny :  by  the 
war  which  followed  between  these  equal  authori- 
ties, the  people  were  placed  in  a  new  and  unpre- 
cedented situation,  to  which  the  former  laws  of 
treason  could  not  apply  :  after  the  decision  by  the 
sword,  "  a  decision  given  by  that  God,  who, 
"  being  judge  of  the  whole  world,  does  right,  and 
"  cannot  do  otherwise",  the  parliament  became 
de  facto  in  possession  of  the  sovereign  authority, 
and   whatever   he  had  done  in  obedience  to  that 


I. 

1662. 


38  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  authority  was  justifiable  by  the  principles  of  civil 
government,  and  the  statute  of  the  11th  of 
Henry  VII,  He  spoke  with  a  force  of  reasoning 
and  display  of  eloquence  which  surprised  the 
audience  and  perplexed  the  court ;  and  the  judges 
were  reduced  to  lay  down  this  extraordinary  doc- 
trine, that  Charles,  in  virtue  of  the  succession, 
had  been  king  de  facto,  and  therefore  in  posses- 
sion of  the  royal  power,  from  the  moment  of  his 
father's  death.  Hitherto  by  a  king  in  possession 
had  been  understood  a  king  in  the  actual  exercise 
of  his  authority,  which  Charles  most  certainly 
was  not ;  but  the  judges  supported  their  decision 
on  the  ground  that  he  was  the  only  person  then 
claiming  the  royal  power :  a  miserable  sophism, 
since  the  authority,  the  exercise  of  which  consti- 
tutes a  king  de  facto,  was  actually  possessed  by 
the  parliament,  which  had  abolished  the  very  name 
and  office  of  king26. 

To  Charles  his  conduct  on  this  occasion  was 
represented  as  an  additional  offence,  a  studied  vin- 
dication of  rebellion,  a  public  assertion  that  the 
houses  of  parliament  were  the  only  supreme  power 
in  the  nation.  Those  who  had  before  petitioned 
for  his  pardon  united  in  soliciting  his  execution  : 
the  king,  they  maintained,  was  no  longer  bound 
by  the  royal  word  ;  even  God  himself  refused  for- 
giveness to  the  unrepenting  sinner.     His  enemies 

i(i  St.  Trials,  vi.  119 — 186.  But  Vane  did  not  merely  obey  the 
authority  in  actual  exercise  of\the  supreme  power;  he  formed  a 
part  of  that  authority,  keeping  the  king  de  jure  out  of  possession. 


CHARLES    II.  39 

prevailed,  and  Vane  submitted  with  cheerfulness   chap. 
to  his  fate.     On  the  scaffold  he  displayed  the  same     16G2 

intrepid   bearing  which  he  had  manifested  at  his — 

trial ;  and  was  about  to  renew  the  advocacy  of  his 
principles  to  the  spectators,  when  the  trumpets 
were  sounded  in  his  face,  and  his  notes  were  de- 
manded and  taken  from  him  by  the  sheriff.  He  June  H. 
suffered  on  Tower-hill.  It  was  the  spot  where 
the  blood  of  his  victim,  Strafford,  had  been  shed ; 
and  there  he  also  fell  an  expiatory-  sacrifice  to  the 
manes  of  that  nobleman.  The  one  began,  the 
other,  after  an  interval  of  one-and-twenty  years, 
closed,  the  list  of  proscription  furnished  by  this 
period  of  civil  discord  27. 

4°.  The  feverish  state  of  the  public  mind,  agi-  Corpora- 
tated  by  successive  reports  of  plots  and  the  pro-  lon  ac  ' 
secution  of  real  or  supposed  conspirators,  enabled 
the  ministry  to  carry  a  measure,  which  they  deemed 
highly  conducive  to  the  stability  of  the  restored 
government.  Both  the  presbyterians  and  cava- 
liers had  given  proofs  of  their  attachment  to  the 
king  ;  but  their  loyalty  was  of  a  different  order  : 
the  first  sought  to  limit,  the  latter  to  extend,  the 
powers  of  the  crown  ;  the  one  looked  on  the  con- 
stitution of  the  church  as  hostile,  the  other  as 
favourable,  to  their  respective  views.  In  parlia- 
ment the  cavaliers  were  triumphant ;  but  the  go- 
vernment of  cities   and  boroughs  throughout  the 


"   I'cpys,  i.  27.5.      See   the   letter  of   Charles  in  Harris,  v.  32. 
St.  Trials,  \i.   1S7— 198.     Ludlow,  iii.  89. 


40  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

C  H  A  P.  kingdom  was  chiefly  in  the  hands  of  the  presbyte- 
lctii.     rians.     To  dispossess  them  of  these  strong-holds 

became  the  policy  of  Clarendon  ;  and  he   accom- 
plished his  purpose  by  the  corporation  act,  which, 
1661.     after  much  opposition,  was  passed  into  a  law.    By 

Dec.  20.  j^  commissioners  were  appointed  with  the  power 
of  removing  at  discretion  every  individual  holding 
office  in  or  under  any  corporation  in  the  kingdom  ; 
and  it  was  required  that  all  persons  permitted  to 
retain  their  situations  should  qualify  themselves 
by  renouncing  the  solemn  league  and  covenant, 
by  taking  the  oaths  of  allegiance  and  supremacy, 
and  by  declaring  upon  oath  their  belief  of  the 
unlawfulness  of  taking  up  arms  against  the  king 
on  any  pretence  whatsoever,  and  their  abhorrence 
of  the  traitorous  doctrine  that  arms  may  be  taken 
up  by  his  authority  against  his  person,  or  against 
those  that  are  commissioned  by  him.  With  re- 
spect to  the  admission  of  future  officers,  the  act 
moreover  provided,  that  no  man  should  be  eligible 
who  had  not,  within  the  year  preceding  his  elec- 
tion, taken  the  sacrament  according  to  the  rite  of 
the  church  of  England.  Qualifying  tests  had  been 
first  introduced  into  our  law  to  exclude  the  Roman 
catholics  :  now  the  precedent  was  urged  to  justify 
the  exclusion  of  the  dissenters  ;  the  doctrine  of 
passive  obedience  was  established  by  authority  of 
the  legislature  ;  and  the  performance  of  a  religious 
duty  was  made  an  indispensible  qualification  for 
the  holding  of  a  secular  office 28.     This  act  broke 

28  St.  13  Car.  2.  cap.  i.  par.  ii. 


CHARLES    II.  41 

the  power  of  the  presbyterians  in  the  state;  the   CHAT\ 
act  of  uniformity  drove  them  from  the  places  which     16g2 

they  still  retained  in  the  church.  

The  king  had  promised  that,  preparatory  to  the  Confer- 
comprehension  of  "  the  dissenting  brethren",  the  the  Savoy. 
Book  of  Common  Prayer  should  be  revised  by  a 
commission  of  divines  from  both  communions. 
They  met  at  the  Savoy  ;  previous  debates  respect-  March  25. 
ing  forms  and  pretensions  occupied  a  considerable 
portion  of  time ;  at  length,  the  discussion  com- 
menced with  written  papers,  and  was  subsequently 
continued  in  personal  conferences.  But  the  pres- 
byterians demanded  so  much,  the  bishops  were 
disposed  to  concede  so  little,  that  no  progress  was 
made ;  and  when  the  commission  (it  had  been 
limited  to  the  duration  of  four  months)  was  on  the 
point  of  expiring,  it  was  amicably  agreed  to  dis- 
miss the  minor  subjects  of  controversy,  and  to 
confine  the  discussion  to  eight  passages  in  the 
book,  which  in  the  apprehension  of  the  dissenters 
could  not  be  adopted  without  sin.  With  this  view, 
the  following  question  was  proposed  for  debate : 
"  Can  a  command  be  sinful,  enjoining  that  which 
"  is  not  in  itself  unlawful"?  After  a  long  and 
fretful  altercation,  neither  party  was  convinced, 
and  both  joined  in  a  common  answer  to  the  king,  jul  25 
that  they  agreed  as  to  the  end,  but  could  come  to 
no  agreement  as  to  the  means  29. 


*9    State  Trials,    vi.    25 — 44.     History    of   Non-conformity. 
Nealj  ii.  601.     In  opposition  to  the  bishops  it  was  contended, 


42  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP.       This    was  the  conclusion  which  had  been  ex- 
, l-       pected   and   desired.      Charles   had   already  sum- 

1662.       l  #  J 

moned  the  convocation,  and  to  that  assembly  was 


Actofuni-  assigned  the  task  which  had  failed  in  the  hands  of 
formity.        ... 
May  "s.    the  commissioners  at  the  Savoy.     Several  of  the 

bishops  protested  against  any  alteration  ;  but  they 
were  overruled  by  the  majority  of  their  brethren  ; 
certain  amendments  and  additions  were  adopted ; 
and  the  book,  in  its  approved  form,  was  sanctioned 
by  the  king,  and  sent  by  him   to   the  house  of 
May  19.  lords  30.    The  act  of  uniformity  followed,  by  which 
it  was  enacted  that  the  revised  Book  of  Common 
Prayer,  and  of  Ordination  of  Ministers,  and  no 
other,  should  be  used  in  all  places  of  public  wor- 
ship ;  and  that  all  beneficed  clergymen  should  read 
the  service  from  it  within  a  given  time,  and,  at 
the   close,   profess  in  a  set  form   of  words  their 
"  unfeigned    assent,   and  consent  to   every    thing 
"  contained  and  prescribed  in  it."     To  this  decla- 
ration many  objected.     In  obedience  to  the  legisla- 
ture, they  were  willing  to  make  use  of  the  book, 
though  they  found  in  it  articles  and   practices  of 


that  a  command,  enjoining  what  is  lawful,  may  be  sinful  per  ac- 
cidens,  or  may  be  unlawfully  commanded.  The  point  to  which 
the  dispute  referred  was  the  kneeling-  at  the  communion.  Id.  328. 
30  The  most  important  of  these  alterations  were  perhaps  the 
following:  the  insertion  of  the  rubric  respecting  the  posture  of 
kneeling  at  the  sacrament,  the  admission  of  persons  not  yet  con- 
firmed to  communion,  and  the  dispensing  with  new  married  per- 
sons from  the  obligation  of  receiving  the  communion  on  the  day 
of  marriage,  and  of  the  sick  from  the  obligation  of  confessing 
their  sins,  and  receiving  absolution. 


CHARLES    II.  43 

the  truth  and  propriety  of  which  they  doubted  ;  but  CHAP, 
to  assent  and  consent  to  what  they  did  not  really      i66\j. 


believe  or  approve,  was  repugnant  to  the  common 

notions  of  honesty  and  conscience.  An  attempt 
was  made  to  relieve  them  on  the  transmission  of 
a  bill  to  amend  the  act  of  uniformity  from  the 
lower  to  the  upper  house.  The  lords  added  a  de-  1663. 
claratory  clause,  that  the  words  "  assent  and  con- 
"  sent  should  be  understood  only  as  to  practice  and 
"obedience  to  the  said  act";  but  the  commons 
instantly  rejected  the  amendment ;  the  lords  in  a  Jul^  2r* 
conference  submitted  to  withdraw  it ;  and  the  only 
effect  of  the  controversy  was  to  place  beyond  a 
doubt  the  meaning  in  which  the  subscription  was 
understood  by  the  legislature  31. 

There  were  two  other  clauses,  which  also  gave 
offence.  By  one,  it  was  provided  that  no  person 
should  administer  the  sacrament,  or  hold  eccle- 
siastical preferment,  who  had  not  received  episco- 
pal ordination  ;  by  the  other,  that  all  incumbents, 
dignitaries,  officers  in  universities,  public  school- 
masters, and  even  private  tutors,  should  subscribe 
a  renunciation  of  the  covenant,  and  a  declaration 
of  the  unlawfulness  of  taking  up  arms  against  the 
sovereign  under  any  pretence.  It  was  in  vain 
that  the  lords  objected  :  a  conference  followed ; 
the   court  came  to  the  aid   of  the  commons  ;  the 

3'  Lords'  Journals,  xi.  573,  577.  The  duke  of  York  and  thir- 
teen other  peers  entered  their  protests  against  the  amendment, 
"  because  it  was  destructive  to  the  church  of  England  as  then 
"  established  ".  573. 


HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 


CHAP,  opposition  was  abandoned  ;  and  the  bill  in  its  im- 
1661.     proved  form  received  the  royal  assent32. 

During  the  progress  of  this  question,  the  lords 


more  Hbe-  nac*  displayed  a  spirit  of  liberality  which  shocked 
rai  than     £]ie   more  rigid   orthodoxy   of  the   lower  house. 

the  com-  ° 

mons.  They  appealed  to  the  declaration  from  Breda. 
That  instrument  was  an  offer  made  by  the  king 
as  head  of  the  adherents  to  the  church  and  the 
throne,  and  accepted  by  the  several  other  parties 
within  the  kingdom.  It  was  virtually  a  compact 
between  him  and  the  people,  which  fixed  the  price 
of  his  restoration.  The  people  had  done  their 
part  in  receiving  him ;  it  became  him  now  to 
secure  to  them  the  boon  which  he  had  promised. 
That  boon,  as  far  as  regarded  religion,  was  liberty 
to  tender  consciences,  and  freedom  from  molesta- 
tion on  account  of  difference  of  religious  opinion  ; 
two  things  which,  it  was  apprehended,  could  not 
be  reconciled  with  the  disqualifying  enactments  of 
the  bill.  The  manager  for  the  commons  replied, 
that  the  declaration  from  Breda  had  been  misun- 
derstood. "  Tender"  was  an  epithet  implying 
susceptibility  of  impression  from  without ;  a  ten- 

32  St.  13,  14.  Car.  ii.  c.  iv.  Clarendon,  153.  In  the  confer- 
ence between  the  houses  much  stress  was  laid  on  the  opportunity 
which  tutors  possess  of  impressing  what  notions  they  please  on 
the  minds  of  their  pupils.  To  this  circumstance  was  attributed 
the  strong  opposition  made  to  Cromwell  in  parliament  by  the 
younger  members  ;  for,  during  the  commonwealth,  the  clergy  of 
the  church  of  England  supported  themselves  by  teaching,  and 
brought  up  their  pupils  in  principles  of  loyalty.  Lords'  Jour- 
nals, 447. 


CHARLES    II.  45 

der  conscience  was  one  which  suffered  itself  to  be   chap. 
guided  by  others  ;  the  liberty  to  tender  consciences      16g2 

was  therefore  confined  to  the  "  misled  ",  and  not  — 

extended  to  the  "  mis-leaders  "  ;  it  was  granted  to 
the  flocks,  but  not  to  the  ministers.     In  aid  of 
this  sophistical  exposition,  he  also  observed,  that 
the  declaration  referred  to  the  peace  of  the  king- 
dom, and  to  a  future  act  of  parliament,  as  if  the 
act  to  be  passed  had  been  one  to  impose  restraint, 
instead  of  "  granting  indulgence",  or  the  allusion 
to  the  peace  of  the  kingdom  had  not  been  under- 
stood as  an  exception  of  the  seditious  and  anarchi- 
cal doctrines  promulgated  by  some  of  the  fanatical 
preachers33.     The   act   of   uniformity  may  have 
been  necessary  for  the  restoration  of  the  church 
to  its  former  discipline  and  doctrine  ;   but  if  such 
was  the  intention  of  those  who  formed  the  decla- 
ration from  Breda,  they  were  guilty  of  infidelity 
to  the  king  and  of  fraud  to  the  people,  by  putting 
into  his  mouth  language,  which,  with  the  aid  of 
equivocation,  they  might  explain  away;  and  by 
raising  in  them  expectations,  which  it  was  never 
meant  to  fulfil. 

The  triumph  of  the  church  was  now  complete.  Bishops 
The  bishops  had  already  been  restored  to  their  8eats  -m 
seats  in  parliament,  and  the  spiritual  courts  had  Parlia" 
been  re-established.     To  the  first  of  these  mea- 
sures a  strong  opposition  was  anticipated  from  the 
united  efforts  of  the  catholics  and  presbyterians  in 

33  Lords'  Journals,  xi.  449. 


4(»' 


HISTOKY    OF    ENGLAND. 


CHAP 

I. 
1661- 


Petition 
of  the  ca- 
tholics. 


the  house  of  lords  :  but  of  the  catholic  peers,  one 
only,  the  viscount  Stafford,  voted  against  it ;  and 
.  among  the  presbyterians  the  opposition  was  con- 
fined to  the  survivors  of  those  who  had  originally 
supported  the  bill  incapacitating  clergymen  from 
the  exercise  of  temporal  authority.  The  second 
was  accomplished  with  equal  facility ;  but,  at  the 
same  time,  the  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction  was  cur- 
tailed of  two  of  its  most  obnoxious  appendages, 
the  high  commission  court,  and  the  power  of  ad- 
ministering the  oath  ex  officio34. 

Among  others,  the  English  catholics  had  che- 
rished a  hope  of  profiting  by  the  declaration  from 
Breda ;  and  that  hope  was  supported  by  the  re- 
collection of  their  sufferings  in  the  royal  cause, 
and  their  knowledge  of  the  promises  made  by 
Charles  during  his  exile.  The  king  was,  indeed, 
well  disposed  in  their  favour.  He  deemed  him- 
self bound  in  honour  and  gratitude  to  procure 
them  relief ;  he  knew  the  execration  in  which  the 
penal  laws  against  them  were  held  on  the  conti- 
nent, and  had  often  declared  his  resolution  to 
mitigate,  whenever  he  should  be  restored   to  his 


34  St.  13.  Car.  ii.  c.  2,  12.  Whoever  will  compare  the  account 
in  Clarendon,  133,  with  the  Journals,  xi.  279,  81,  83,  will  be 
astonished  at  the  inaccuracies  of  the  historian.  In  five  material 
points,  including  the  principal  part  of  his  narrative,  he  is  flatly 
contradicted  by  the  testimony  of  the  Journals.  So  far  was  the 
bill  from  being  detained  in  the  house  of  lords,  that  it  was  for- 
warded through  all  its  stages  with  almost  unprecedented  rapidity. 
It  was  sent  from  the  commons  on  Thursday,  and  passed  by  the 
lords  on  the  Tuesday  following. 


CHAMLES    II.  47 


father's   throne,  the  severity  of  such  barbarous  CHAP. 
enactments35.     In  June,  1661,  the  catholics  met       I- 
at  Arundel-house,   and  presented  to  the  lords  a . 


petition,  complaining  of  the  penalties  to  which June  8- 
they  were  liable  for  the  refusal  of  oaths  incom- 
patible with  their  religious  opinions.  The  pres- 
byterian  leaders  lent  their  aid  to  the  catholic 
peers  ;  and  Clarendon  placed  himself  at  the  head 
of  their  adversaries.  Not  a  voice  was  raised  in 
favour  of  the  statutes  inflicting  capital  punish- 
ments ;  but,  after  several  debates,  the  house  re- 
solved that  "  nothing  had  been  offered  to  move 
"  their  lordships  to  alter  anything  in  the  oaths  of 
"  allegiance  and  supremacy  ".  In  the  mean  time,  June  28. 
colonel  Tuke  36  was  heard  at  the  bar  against  the  June  si. 
sanguinary  laws ;  and  several  papers  stating  the 
grievances  and  prayer  of  the  catholics  had  been 
laid  on  the  table.  The  petitioners  claimed  the 
benefit  of  the  declaration  from  Breda,  and  ob- 
served, that  the  only  objection  to  their  claim 
rested  on  the  supposition  that  the  acknowledge- 
ment of  the  spiritual  supremacy  of  the  pope  im- 
plied the  admission  of  his  temporal  superiority. 
Against  this  they  protested.  The  doctrine  of  his 
temporal  authority  was  a  problematical  opinion, 
admitted  indeed  by  some  individuals,  but  no  part 
of  the  catholic  creed  ;  and  the  petitioners  (so  far 
were  they  from  holding  it),  offered  to  bind  them- 


35  Clarendon,  140. 

3<;  Sir  G.  Tuke,  of  Cressing  Temple,  in  Essex.     Pepys,  i.  3C4. 


48  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  selves  by  oath  "to  oppose  with  their  lives  and 
166*1.     "  fortunes,  the  pontiff  himself,  if  he  should  ever 

"  attempt  to  execute  that  pretended  power,  and 

"  to  obey  their  sovereign  in  opposition  to  all 
"  foreign  and  domestic  power  whatsoever  without 
"  restriction  37  ".     The  house,  having  received  the 

July  lo.  report  of  a  committee  to  inquire  into  "  the  san- 
"  guinary  laws  ",  resolved  to  abolish  the  writ  de 
hseretico  inquirendo,  and  to  repeal  all  the  statutes 
which  imposed  the  penalties  of  treason  on  catho- 
lic clergymen  found  within  the  realm,  or  those  of 
felony  on  the  harbonrers  of  such  clergymen,  or 
those  of  premunire  on  all  who  maintained 
the  authority  of  the  bishop  of  Rome.  But  this 
measure  of  relief  did  not  equal  the  expectations  of 
the  laity,  who  sought  to  be  freed  from  the  fines 
and  forfeitures  of  recusancy  ;  and  the  whole  pro- 
ject was  quashed  by  the  cunning  of  an  adversary, 
who  moved  and  carried  a  resolution  that  no  mem- 
ber of  the  society  of  Jesuits  should  enjoy  the 
benefit  of  the  intended  act.  Immediately  discord 
spread  itself  among  the  petitioners  ;  pamphlets  in 
favour  of  and  against  the  society  were  published ; 
and,  on  the  one  hand,  it  was  contended  that  the 
boon,  with  whatever  exceptions  it  were  clogged, 
ought  to  be  accepted,  and  that  the  Jesuits  were 
bound  in  decency  to  resign  their  own  pretensions 
for  the  common  benefit  of  the  body  ;  on  the  other, 
that  the  distinction  sought  to  be  established  in 

37  Kennet's  Register,  47(>. 


CHARLES    II.  M) 

the  bill  was  groundless  and  unjust,  and  that,  if  chap. 
the  catholics  consented  to  purchase  relief  for  them-     1(Jg0> 

selves    by    the   proscription   of   the    order,    they 

would  entail  on  their  memory  the  stigma  of 
selfishness  and  perfidy.  Amidst  these  alterca- 
tions, the  committee  at  Arundel-house  was  dis- 
solved ;  the  progress  of  the  bill  was  suspended,  at 
the  request  of  the  catholic  peers  ;  and,  in  the  suc- 
ceeding session,  no  one  ventured  to  recal  it  to  the 
attention  of  parliament 3S. 

From  the  restoration  of  the  royal  authority  in 
England,  we  may  turn  to  its  re-establishment  in 
Scotland  and  Ireland ;  which  countries,  as  they 
had  not  been  mentioned  in  the  declaration  from 
Breda,  depended  for  their  subsequent  fate  on  the 
good  pleasure  of  the  sovereign. 

With  respect  to  Scotland,  the  first  question  sub-  Transac- 
mitted  to  the  royal  consideration  was,  whether  it  Scotland. 

38  Journals,  xi.  276,  286,  299,  310.  Kennet's  Register,  469, 
176,  484,  495.  Orleans,  236.  Letter  from  a  Person  of  Quality 
to  a  Peer  of  the  Realm,  &c.  1661.  Clarendon,  in  his  account  of 
this  transaction  (p.  143),  tells  us  that  the  Jesuits  were  appre- 
hensive of  being  excluded  from  the  benefit  of  the  act,  and  broke 
np  the  committee  at  Arundel-house  by  declaring,  that  "catholics 
"  could  not,  with  a  good  conscience,  deprive  the  pope  of  his  tem- 
"  poral  authority,  which  he  hath  in  all  kingdoms  granted  to  him 
"  by  God  himself."  But  Clarendon  is,  as  usual,  incorrect ;  for 
they  were  actually  excluded  from  the  benefit  of  the  act  (Jouni. 
310):  and  in  their  u  reasons ",  published  by  them  at  the  time, 
they  declare  that  ever  since  the  year  161S  all  Jesuits,  by  order  of 
their  general,  "  are  obliged,  under  pain  of  damnation,  not  to  teach 
"the  doctrine"  which  Clarendon  ascribes  to  them,  "either  hi 
"  word,  writing,  or  print".     Kennet's  Reg.  196. 

VOL.  XII.  E 


50  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  should  remain  in  its  present  state  of  an  incorpo- 
1G60      rated  province,  or  be  restored  to  its  ancient  dig- 

nity  of  an  independent  kingdom.    By  his  English 

advisers  Charles  was  reminded,  that  the  Scots 
were  the  original  authors  of  the  calamities  which 
had  befallen  his  family  :  they  were  now  a  con- 
quered and  prostrate  people  :  let  him  beware  how 
he  replaced  them  in  a  situation  to  display  their 
accustomed  obstinacy,  and  to  renew  their  disloyal 
engagements.  But  the  king  cherished  more 
kindly  feelings  towards  the  land  of  his  fathers, 
and  willingly  acquiesced  in  the  prayer  of  the 
Scottish  lords,  whom  loyalty  or  interest  had  drawn 
to  his  court.  The  survivors  of  the  committee  of 
estates,  whom  he  had  named  previously  to  his 
disastrous  expedition  into  England  in  1651, 
received  orders  to  resume  the  government  of 
Scotland,  and  the  earl  of  Middleton  was  appointed 
lord  commissioner ;  the  earl  of  Glencairn,  lord 
chancellor  ;  the  earl  of  Lauderdale,  secretary  of 
state  ;  the  earl  of  Rothes,  president  of  the  council, 
and  the  earl  of  Crawford,  lord  treasurer.  The 
two  first  had  repeatedly  proved  their  loyalty  in 
the  field  ;  the  other  three  had  suffered  a  long  im- 
prisonment for  their  services  under  the  duke  of 
Hamilton;  of  the  five,  Middleton  chiefly  possessed 
the  confidence  of  the  English  cabinet,  though 
Lauderdale,  from  the  pliancy  of  his  temper,  and 
his  constant  attendance  on  Charles,  had  won  the 
personal  affection  of  the  monarch. 


CHARLES    II.  51 

In  a  short  time  a  parliament  was  summoned  to  chat, 
meet  at  Edinburgh 40.     The  terrors  of  punishment       L 
for  past  delinquency  had  been  held  out  as  a  warning 


to  the  prudence  of  the  members ;  and  the  house  Proceed- 
was  found  to  be  composed  of  cavaliers  by  principle,  parlia- 
or  of  proselytes  eager  to  prove  the  sincerity  of ment' 
their  new  political  professions.  To  obtain  from 
such  men  a  recognition  of  the  legitimate  rights  of 
the  sovereign  was  an  easy  task  ;  but  the  commis- 
sioner had  in  view  an  object  of  more  difficult  at- 
tainment. In  his  opinion,  the  royal  authority 
could  never  be  secure  till  the  church,  by  the  re- 
storation of  the  hierarchy,  should  be  rendered 
dependent  on  the  crown ;  and,  for  this  purpose, 
he  undertook  to  exalt  the  prerogative,  to  demolish 
the  covenant  and  the  pretensions  which  had  been 
built  upon  it,  and  to  humble  the  pride,  and  curb 
the  presumption,  of  the  kirkmen.  By  a  series  of 
acts  it  was  declared  that  the  power  of  appointing 
the  chief  officers  in  the  state,  of  calling  and  dis- 
solving parliaments,  of  commanding  the  forces, 
and  of  making  treaties  with  foreign  potentates, 
resided  solely  in  the  king  ;  that  without  his  assent 
no  acts  passed  in  parliament  could  obtain  the  force 
of  law ;  that  it  was  high  treason  for  subjects  to 
rise,  or  continue  in  arms,  without  the  sanction  of 

39  The  proceedings  of  this  parliament  were  afterwards  called  in 
question,  because  the  members  neglected  to  sign  the  covenant,  a 
condition  required  by  a  law  then  in  force,  and  declaring  the  con- 
stitution of  parliament  without  it  null  and  void.  Kirkton,  88- 
From  the  habitual  intoxication  of  Middlcton  and  his  friends,  it  was 
called  the  drunken  parliament.     Id. 

17     O 


I. 

1661. 


HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

(HAT.  his  authority ;  that  all  assemblies  under  the  pre- 
tence of  treating  of  matters  of  state,  civil  or   ec- 
clesiastical, were,  if  holden  without  Ins  special  con- 
sent,  contrary  to  law ;  that  neither  the  solemn 
league  and  covenant,  nor  the  treaties  arising  out 
of  it,  could  authorize  any  seditious   interference 
with  the  churches  of  England  and  Ireland ;  that, 
for  the  future,  no  man  should  take,  or  offer  to  be 
taken  by  others,  the  said  covenant  without  his 
majesty's  special  warrant   and  approbation ;  and 
that  every  individual  holding  office  should  sub- 
scribe a  declaration  of  his  submission  to  these  acts, 
and  take  an  oath  of  allegiance,  acknowledging  the 
king  to  be  "  supreme  governor  over  all   persons 
"  and  in  all    cases  ".     The  ministers  had  viewed 
these  enactments,  so  rapidly  succeeding  each  other, 
with  misgivings  and  apprehension  :  they  knew  not 
how  to  reconcile  with  their  consciences  a  declara- 
tion which  seemed  to  make  the  destiny  of  millions 
dependent  on  the  will  of  a  single  man  ;  and  they 
discovered  in  the  oath  an  implied  acknowledgment 
of  the  king's  spiritual  supremacy,  to  the  disherison 
of  the  kirk  and  of  Christ.     To  their  representa- 
tions Middleton  replied,  that  the  sovereign  did  not 
claim   any  ecclesiastical  authority  in  "the  word, 
"  the  sacraments,  or  the  discipline  ";  but  when  they 
prayed  that  the  explanatory  epithet  "  civil  "  might 
therefore  be  inserted  before  "  governor  ",  he  con- 
temptuously rejected  their  petition" 


,40 


40  Scottish  Acts,  p.  10,  2,  3,  6,  8,  45.  Kirkton,  90.  Wodrow, 
21—24,  2G.  App.  viii.  Baillie,  ii.  449,  450.  Burnet,  i.  197—9. 
Oxford,  1823,  and  Middleton's  Narration  in  Miscel.  Aid.  179. 


CHARLES    II.  53 

Emboldened  by  his  success,  the  commissioner  chap, 
ventured  to  recommend  a  measure  unprecedented      l6(i[ 

in   the  annals  of  Scotland.     Though   much  had 

been  done  to  clear  the  way  before  him,  the  lawyers  ?^clsSDry 
still  discovered  a  multitude  of  legal  obstacles  to 
the  accomplishment  of  his  object;  and,  to  save 
time  and  debate,  he  resolved  by  one  sweeping  and 
decisive  act  to  annul  all  the  proceedings  of  all  the 
Scottish  parliaments  during  the  last  eight-and- 
twenty  years.  The  lord-treasurer  and  the  young 
duke  of  Hamilton  41  objected,  that  two  of  these 
parliaments  had  been  honoured  with  the  presence 
and  sanction  of  Charles  I.  and  of  his  son,  and  that 
to  rescind  them  would  be  to  repeal  the  act  of  in- 
demnity, and  the  approbation  of  the  "engagement"- 
But  Middleton  replied,  that  on  each  occasion  the 
king,  though  in  possession  of  physical  liberty,  had 
been  under  moral  restraint ;  and  that  the  alleged 
acts,  laudable  as  they  were  in  their  object,  were 
grounded  on  motives  so  false  and  hypocritical,  as 
to  prove  a  disgrace  to  the  national  legislation. 
His  reasoning,  or  his  authority,  silenced  his  op-  March  28. 
ponents  ;  the  rescissory  act  was  passed  ;  and  at  one 
blow  every  legal  prop  of  the  Scottish  kirk  was 
levelled  with  the  ground.  The  ministers  looked 
around  them  with  astonishment.  They  met  in 
several  counties  to  consult  and  remonstrate ;  but 


*'  A  son  of  the  marquess  of  Douglas,  who  obtained  the  title  in 
consequence  of  his  marriage  with  the  heiress  of  the  late  duke  of 
Hamilton,,  with  20,000/.  out  of  the  customs  of  Leith.  Baillie, 
li.  142. 


54  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  their  synods  were  everywhere  dispersed  or  sus- 
L681.     pended  hy  the  authority  of  the  government42. 

■      Another  object  of  the  commissioner,  subsidiary 

Argyle.  to  ^ie  former,  was  to  intimidate  by  examples  of 
punishment.  In  England,  the  demands  of  justice 
had  been  satisfied  with  the  blood  of  the  regicides : 
to  expiate  the  guilt  of  Scotland,  a  more  illustrious 
victim  was  selected,  the  marquess  of  Argyle.  No 
man  had  more  deeply  offended  in  the  opinion  of 
the  cavaliers ;  they  called  for  vengeance  against 
the  betrayer  of  his  sovereign  and  the  murderer  of 
Montrose ;  and  they  represented  him  to  Charles 
as  the  most  crafty  and  selfish  of  demagogues  ;  one, 
who,  under  every  change,  whether  he  swayed  the 
councils  of  the  Scottish  rebels,  or  placed  the  crown 
on  the  head  of  the  true  heir  at  Scone,  or  sat  as  a 
commoner  in  the  parliament  of  the  usurper,  Richard, 
had  always  contrived  to  conceal,  under  the  mask 
of  patriotism,  his  only  real  object,  the  aggrandize- 
ment of  his  family.  The  moment  he  arrived  in 
1660  London,  to  pay  his  court  to  the  restored  monarch, 
July  7.  ne  was  secured  and  conducted  to  the  Tower  ;  his 
petition  for  a  personal  interview  was  refused 
through  the  influence  of  those  who  were  acquainted 
with  his  insinuating  manner,  and  the  easy  temper 
of  the  king ;  and  Charles,  to  escape  from  the 
painful  task  of  deciding  on  his  fate,  sent  him  back 
to  Scotland,  to  be  tried  by   his  countrymen,   or 


*»  Scottish  Acts,  p.  86.     Wodrow,  27,  31—34.     Burnet,  199. 
Miscel.  Aul    182. 


CHARLES    II.  55 

rather  by  his  enemies  in  parliament 43.  From  them,  c:  II A  r, 
Argyle  had  no  reason  to  expect  either  justice  or     16qL 

mercy.     He  first  sought  to  obtain  delay,  by  so 

licitina:  a  commission  to  examine  witnesses  ;  then 
abandoning  all  defence,  threw  himself  on  the  mercy   Feb.  12. 
of  the  sovereign  ;  and,  when  his  submission  was 
rejected  as  unsatisfactory  by  the  parliament,  claim-  March  5 
ed  the  benefit  of  the  amnesty  formerly  granted  at  March  * 1  ■ 
Stirling.     To  this,    in  opposition  to  the  remon- 
strances of  Middleton,  Charles  declared  that  he  was 
fully  entitled ;  and  thus   the  charge   against  him 
was  confined  to  offences  alleged  to  have  been  com- 
mitted since  1651  ;  which  were,  that  he  had  re- 
peatedly employed  defamatory  and  traitorous  lan- 
guage in  speaking  of  the  royal  family  ;  that  he 
had    obtained    a    grant  of  12,000/.    from  Oliver 
Cromwell ;  that  he  had  given  his  aid  to  the  Eng- 
lish invaders  against  the  liberty  of  his  country ; 
and  that   he  sat  and  voted    in  the  parliament  of 
Richard  Cromwell,  which  had  passed  a  bill  abjur- 
ing the  right  of  the  Stuarts  to  the  crowns  of  the 
three  kingdoms.     It  was  replied,  that  of  the  words 
attributed  to  the  accused,  some   had  never  been 
uttered  by  him  at  all,  and  others  were  susceptible 


4i  Warriston  and  Swintonwere  almost  as  odious  to  the  cavaliers 
as  Argyle.  The  first  escaped  the  search  of  his  enemies,  the 
second  was  discovered  and  apprehended.  But  the  zealous  and 
stubborn  covenanter  dwindled  into  a  meek  and  humble  quaker, 
and  by  the  ingenuousness  of  his  confession  saved  his  life,  though 
he  forfeited  his  estate.  The  witlings,  however,  contended  that, 
if  he  had  not  trembled,  he  never  would  have  quaked.  Baittie,  ii. 
446.     Kirkton,  98,  9.     Wodrow,  86. 


I 

t()Gl 


56  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  of  a  very  innocent  meaning  ;  that  the  money  had 
been  received  from  Cromwell,  not  as  a  reward  for 
services  rendered  to  the  usurper,  but  as  a  com- 
pensation for  losses  suffered  by  the  marquess  ;  and 
that  the  laws  which  prevail  under  a  legitimate 
government,  ought  not  to  be  strictly  applied  to  the 
conduct  of  subjects  during  a  temporary  usurpa- 
tion ;  because,  though  it  were  treasonable  to  con- 
cur in  transferring  the  sovereign  authority  to  an 
unjust  possessor,  it  might  be  meritorious  to  em- 
ploy the  authority  so  transferred  for  the  good  of 
the  country.  Now  this  was  the  case  of  Argyle. 
He  sat,  indeed,  in  Richard's  parliament ;  but  he 
sat  there,  not  to  support  the  usurper,  but  to  pro- 
cure a  diminution  of  the  taxes  imposed  upon  Scot- 
land, to  prevent  the  incorporation  of  the  country 
with  England,  and  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  the 
restoration  of  the  legitimate  monarch.  For  some 
time  his  fate  remained  in  suspense  :  it  was  decided 
by  the  arrival  of  a  small  parcel  of  four  or  five  let- 
ters, formerly  written  by  him,  partly  to  Monk,  partly 
to  other  Cromwellian  officers44.  With  their  purport 
we  are  not  accurately  acquainted  :  but  the  result 
proves  that  they  contained  strong  assertions  of 
enmity  to   the  king,  or  of  attachment  to  the   pro- 

**  That  these  letters  were  furnished  by  Monk,  is,  I  think,  vic- 
toriously proved  by  Laing,  iv.  413 :  how  far  they  were  letters  of 
u  friendship  and  confidence,"  appears  to  me  very  uncertain. 
Though  Burnet  and  Cunninghame  represent  Monk  and  Argyle  as 
living  in  habits  of  friendship,  the  documents  in  Thurloe  show  that 
they  were  distrustful  of  each  other.  Thurloe,  v.  604  :  yi.  311  ; 
vii.  ,isi. 


CHARLES    II.  W 

tector.     They  were  read  in  the  house  ;  his  friends,  C  H  A  P. 
oppressed  with  shame  and   despair,  retired  ;  and      lG'QU 

judgment  of  death  was  pronounced  against  the  un-  ■ 

fortunate  nobleman.     Still,  could  he  have  appealed  nation™" 
to   the  king,  his  life  would  probably  have  been   May  25. 
spared  ;  but  his  judges  allowed  him  only  forty- 
eight  hours  to  prepare  for  death,  and  he  employed 
them  in  seeking  from  God  that  mercy  which  was 
refused  to  him   by  man.     In  the  fervour  of  his 
prayer,  he  thought  that  he  heard  a  voice,  saying, 
"  Son,  be  of  good  cheer,  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee;"  Anddeath. 
and,  under  this  persuasion,  he  mounted  the  scaffold 
with  an  intrepidity  which  disappointed  the  malice   May  27. 
of  his  enemies,  and  expressed  an  attachment  to  the 
covenant,  which  raised  him  to  the  rank  of  a  martyr 
in  the  estimation  of  the  kirkmen.     His  head  was 
struck  oft'  by  the  maiden,  and  fixed  on  the  same 
spike  which   had  supported  that  of  his  reputed 
victim,  Montrose45. 

That  the  forms  of  justice  were  violated  in  this 
celebrated  trial,  no  one  can  doubt.  Whatever 
may  have  been  the  offences  of  Argyle,  they  were 
not  judicially  proved.  But  he  had  rendered  him- 
self odious   to   the  cavaliers  by  his  strenuous  ad- 


"  State  Trials,  v.  1369—1508.  Baillie,  ii.  451,  2.  Kirkton, 
100 — i.  Wodrow,  42—57.  App.  23 — 8,  30 — 15.  Clarendon, 
58,  i\2.  Burnet,  i.  207—14.  At  the  same  time  "  the  parliament 
"  thought  fit  to  honour  Montrose  his  carcase  with  a  glorious 
"  second  burial,  to  compense  the  dishonour  of  the  first,  and  with 
'•  him  one  Hay,  of  Delgattie  (a  flagitious  papist),  and  o!;e  of 
'•  his  colonels".     Kirkton,  122. 


58  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

(  !  l  A  i\  vocacy  of  the   covenant ;  to   his  countrymen  by 
1(j(ij      his   subserviency   to    their    English    conquerors  ; 

and  to  the  more  moderate  part  of  the  clergy,  by 

his  adhesion  to  the  remonstrants.  It  was  sup- 
posed that  his  death  had  been  hastened  by  his 
enemies,  as  much  through  the  hope  of  enriching 
themselves  from  the  wreck  of  his  fortune,  as  for 
the  gratification  of  revenge.  But  Charles  rescued 
his  vast  possessions  from  their  grasp,  and  gave 
them  back,  with  some  exceptions,  to  his  eldest 
son,  whom  he  created  earl  of  Argyle46. 

Other  ex-  The  execution  of  this  nobleman  was  followed 
by  that  of  Guthrie,  one  of  the  most  violent  and 
influential  among  the  protesting  ministers.  He 
had  formerly  excommunicated  Middleton,  had 
joined  the  western  remonstrants,  and  been  one 
of  the  compilers  of  the  tract,  entitled  "  The 
"  Causes  of  God's  Wrath "  ;  and  since  the  restora- 
tion, he  had  called,  in  defiance  of  the  committee 
of  estates,  a  meeting  to  remind  the  king  of  the 
duties  imposed  on  him  by  the  covenant,  and  to 
warn  him  against  the  employment  of  malignants 

April  11.  in  his  service.  He  attempted  to  vindicate  his 
conduct  by  appealing  to  the  confession  of  faith, 
the    national   covenant,    the    solemn    league    and 

46  The  young  Argyle.,  in  a  private  letter  to  the  lord  Duffers, 
complained  in  no  very  measured  terms  of  the  commissioner  and 
the  parliament.  The  letter  was  intercepted,  and  the  writer 
accused  of  leasingmaking,  which  by  the  Scottish  law  was  a  ca- 
pital offence.  The  parliament  condemned  him  to  death  ;  but 
Charles  granted  him  a  pardon,  and,  after  some  time,  discharged 
him  from  prison.     Kirkton,  143. 


CHARLES  II.  5<) 

covenant,  and  the  unbending  opposition  which  he  CHAP, 
had   always    offered    to    the    usurpation    of   the     1G61 
Cromwells.     But  it  was  resolved  that  one  of  the 


clergy  should  suffer  as  an  example  to  the  rest ; 
and  his  colleague,  Gillespie,  who,  by  the  turbu- 
lence of  his  zeal,  and  his  proud  contempt  of  the 
civil  authority,  had  earned  an  equal,  if  not  a 
better,  claim  to  the  crown  of  martyrdom,  de- 
scended from  his  high  pretensions,  and  submitted 
to  solicit  the  royal  pardon,  on  condition  of  pro- 
moting the  cause  of  episcopacy.  Guthrie  ap- 
peared on  the  scaffold  with  an  air  of  triumph, 
and  harangued  the  spectators  in  his  usual  tone  of 
invective  and  enthusiasm.  He  declared  that  God 
was  wroth  at  the  sins  of  the  people ;  he  threat- 
ened them  with  the  worst  of  the  divine  judg- 
ments ;  and  foretold  that  the  candlestick  of  the 
kirk  would  be  removed  out  of  its  place,  a  pre- 
diction which  was  verified  sooner,  perhaps,  than 
he  expected.  In  company  with  him  perished  the 
third  and  last  victim,  a  captain  Govan,  who  had 
laid  down  his  arms  at  Hamilton,  and  deserted  to 
Cromwell.  Why  he  was  selected  to  suffer  in 
preference  to  so  many  others,  no  one  knew ;  but 
it  was  generally  thought  that  his  offence  might 
have  been  passed  over  without  notice,  on  account 
of  the  utter  insignificance  of  the  man47. 

On  the  first  news  of  the  king's  restoration,  the  Restora- 
Scottish  ministers  had  most  anxiously  deprecated  i^'/JL 

*7  Baillie,  ii.  455,  7,  453.     Kirkton,   109,110,111.     Wodrow, 

.57— 70,  77.     App.  17.     Burnet,  i.  2 1  1. 


6o 


IlISTOltY    OF    ENGLAND. 

chap,  the  extension  to  Scotland  of  the  indulgence   to 
166'l.     tender   consciences  promised  by  him   at  Breda  : 

in   the  course  of  a  year  they  were  compelled  to 

solicit  for  themselves,  and  to  solicit  in  vain,  that 
indulgence    which   they  had    so    sternly  refused 
to  others48.     By  the  16th  act  of  the  session  "  the 
"  settling  and  securing  of  church  government,  as 
"  might  be  consistent  with  scripture,  monarchy, 
"  and   peace",  had  been  entrusted   to  the  king  : 
Middleton  now  assured  him  that  the  restoration 
of  episcopacy  was  the  earnest  wish  of  the  nation  ; 
and   a    proclamation    soon  announced   the    royal 
intention  of  gratifying  that  wish,  and  at  the  same 
time  prohibited  all  meetings  of  synods  and  pres- 
Sq>.  6.    byteries.     Of  the  former  prelates,  Sydserfe  alone 
survived ;  but  he   was  a  man  of  no  estimation 
with  either  party  ;  and  though  his  ambition  as- 
pired to  the  archiepiscopal  see  of  St.  Andrews,  he 
was   compelled  to  content  himself  with  the  dis- 
tant bishopric  of  Orkney.     The   first  dignity  in 
the   restored  hierarchy  was  given   to  one  whose 
elevation  filled   the  ministers  with  rage  and  de- 
spair— to  Sharp,  who  had  been  sent  to  London 
as  their  agent  for  the  purpose  of  preserving  the 
independence  of  the  kirk,  and  who  now  returned 
wearing  the  archiepiscopal  mitre,  the  lord  of  his 
former  equals,  and  the   subverter  of  their  spiri- 
tual rights.      In    revenge,    they  pried   into    the 
frailties  of  bis   private,    and   condemned   him   of 
perfidy  in  public,   life.     The  charges  of  incouti- 

43  Baillie,  ii.  459.     Wodrow,  Iutrocl.  21,2.     App.  to  do.  57. 


CHARLES  II.  6l 

nency  and  infanticide  may  with  probability  be  c  H AI>- 
attributed  to  the  malice  of  his  enemies  ;  but  the  iggi. 
result  of  his  mission,  so  advantageous  to  himself,  —  " 
so  disastrous  to  his  employers,  must  throw 
doubts  on  his  integrity  ;  and  few  will  give  credit 
to  his  assertions  that  he  served  the  kirk  faith- 
fully while  there  remained  a  chance  of  success, 
and  only  accepted  the  archbishopric,  when  he  saw 
that  his  refusal  would  leave  it  open  to  the  am- 
bition of  men  of  violent  and  dangerous  principles. 
By  his  advice,  Fairfoul  was  named  to  the  see  of 
Glasgow,  Hamilton  to  that  of  Galloway,  and 
Leighton  to  that  of  Dumblain.  The  two  first 
never  equalled  the  expectations  which  they  had 
raised ;  the  third,  son  of  the  Dr.  Leighton,  who 
under  Charles  I.  suffered  as  the  author  of  "  Zion's 
"  Plea  against  Prelates",  was  so  distinguished  by 
his  piety,  disinterestedness,  and  learning,  that  the 
enemies  of  episcopacy  could  offer  no  other  objec- 
tion against  him,  than  that  he  was  in  heart  a 
papist.  The  four  prelates  were  summoned  to  the 
English  capital  to  receive  episcopal  ordination, 
"  a  flower  not  to  be  found  in  a  Scottish  gardine" ; 
they  were  consecrated  at  Westminster  by  Shel- 
don, bishop  of  London,  and  the  event  was  cele- 
brated with  a  banquet,  the  luxury  and  splendour 
of  which  afforded  matter  of  censure  to  their 
opponents,  and  scandalized  the  simplicity  of 
Leighton.  From  the  English  capital  they  hasten- 
ed to  their  own  country ;  at  Edinburgh  they  May  h. 
were  received  in  solemn  procession,  the  parliament 


62  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  invited  them  by  deputation  to  take  their  seats  in 
]tl}6l      the  house,  and  an  act  was  passed  restoring  them 

, to  "  the  exercise  of  the  episcopal  function,   pre- 

"  cedence  in  the  church,  power  of  ordination, 
"  infliction  of  censures,  and  all  other  acts  of 
"  church  discipline"  ;  and  ordaining  that,  "  what- 
"  ever  should  be  determined  by  his  majesty  with 
"  their  advice  and  that  of  other  clergymen  no- 
"  minated  by  him,  in  the  external  government 
"  and  policy  of  the  church,  should  be  valid  and 
"  effectual".  In  a  short  time  the  number  of  pre- 
lates was  augmented  to  fourteen,  and  all  minis- 
ters, who  had  entered  on  their  livings  since  the 
year  1649,  were  ordered  to  receive  collation  from 
their  respective  bishops  under  the  penalty  of  de- 
privation49. 
Recal  of  To  gild  this  bitter  pill,  the  commissioner  ad- 
lish  gam- vised  the  kin&  t0  withdraw  the  English  forces 
sons.  from  Scotland.  This  he  thought  reasonable,  and 
his  English  counsellors,  though  they  still  wished 


4»  Baillie,  ii.  459,  460.  Kirkton,  81,  5,  135—8.  Miscel.  Aul. 
184.  Wodrow,  i.  96—163,  114,  116.  App.  52.  Clarendon,  213. 
Burnet,  i.  223 — 38.  The  English  bishops  would  not  allow  of  the 
presbyterian  ordinations,  nor  admit  that  episcopacy,  as  the  pleni- 
tude of  the  sacerdotal  character,  necessarily  included  the  lower 
orders,  a  principle  on  which  Spotiswood,  in  the  reign  of  James  I. 
had  been  consecrated  bishop  without  receiving  the  inferior  orders. 
On  this  account  Sharp  and  Leighton,  who  had  not  received 
episcopal  ordination,  were  compelled  to  receive  the  orders  of 
deacon  and  priest,  preparatory  to  that  of  bishop.  But,  on  their 
return  to  Scotland,  they  acted  on  the  principle  previously 
adopted  at  the  consecration  of  Spotiswood.  Burnet,  i.  237. 
Wodrow,  i.  102,  3.     Kirkton,  137. 


CHARLES    II.  63 

to  keep  their  northern  neighbours  under  the  yoke,  CHAP, 
reluctantly  acquiesced   in    the   pleasure    of  their     1661 

sovereign.      The  garrisons  were   recalled,  and  the 

fortifications,  the  badges  of  Scottish  slavery,  were 
demolished.  Such,  to  Scotland,  was  the  imme- 
diate result  of  the  restoration  ;  the  nation  re- 
covered its  civil,  and  lost  its  ecclesiastical  inde- 
pendence 50. 

II.  The  reader  is  aware,  that  in  Ireland  a  new  Transac- 
race  of  proprietors  had  arisen,  soldiers  and  adven-  iSnd. 
turers  of  English  birth,  who,  during  the  late 
revolutionary  period,  had  shared  among  them- 
selves the  lands  of  the  natives,  whether  royalists 
or  catholics.  On  the  fall  of  Richard  Cromwell,  a 
council  of  officers  was  established  in  Dublin  ;  these 
summoned  a  convention  of  deputies  from  the  pro- 
testant  proprietors  ;  and  the  convention  tendered 
to  Charles  the  obedience  of  his  ancient  kingdom 
of  Ireland.  It  was  not  that  the  members  felt 
any  strong  attachment  to  the  cause  of  royalty  ; 
they  had  been  among  the  most  violent  and  enter- 
prising of  its  adversaries ;  but  their  fear  of  the 
natives,  whom  they  had  trampled  in  the  dust, 
compelled  them  to  follow  the  footsteps  of  the 
English  parliament.     To  secure  the  royal  protec- 

*  Clarendon,  213-6.  Burnet,  i.  183.  Wodrow,  107.  To 
divert  the  attention  of  the  more  fervent  from  these  changes,  they 
were  exhorted  to  exercise  their  zeal  against  papists  and  witches. 
All  the  acts  against  the  former  were  ordered  to  he  put  in  execu- 
tion, and  commissioners,  to  search  for  the  latter,  were  appointed 
in  almost  every  parish.  Multitudes  were  executed  for  this  ima- 
ginary offence.     Wodrow,   1"?,  8,  !'• 


GA>  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAl'.  tion,  they  made  the  king  an  offer  of  a  considerable 
166i      sum  of  money,  assured  him,  though  falsely,  that 

the  Irish  catholics  meditated  a  general  insurrec- 
tion, and  prayed  him  to  summon  a  protestant 
parliament  in  Ireland,  which  might  confirm  the 
existing  proprietors  in  the  undisturbed  possession 
of  their  estates.  The  present  was  graciously 
accepted  ;  and  the  penal  laws  against  the  Irish 
catholics  were  ordered  to  be  strictly  enforced  ; 
but  Charles  was  unwilling  to  call  a  parliament, 
because  it  would  necessarily  consist  of  men,  whose 
principles,  both  civil  and  religious,  he  had  been 
taught  to  distrust 51. 

Restora-        The  first  measure  recommended  to  him  by  his 

tion  of  J 

bishops.  English  advisers,  with  respect  to  Ireland,  was 
the  re-establishment  of  episcopacy.  For  this  no 
legislative  enactment  was  requisite.  His  return 
had  given  to  the  ancient  laws  their  pristine 
authority,  and  by  those  laws  no  other  form  of 
church  government  was  acknowledged.  In  virtue, 
therefore,  of  his  supremacy,  Charles  directed  the 
surviving  bishops  to  take  possession  of  their 
respective  dioceses,  nominated  new  prelates  to 
the  vacant  sees,  and  authorised  them  to  reclaim 
all  ecclesiastical  property  which  had  fallen  into 
the  hands  of  laymen.  The  ministers  petitioned 
against  this  measure  ;  and,  had  the  recent  settlers 
been  true  to  their  principles,  a  most  formidable 
opposition  would  have  been  raised.  But  mam- 
s' Clar.  Contin.  57. 


CHARLES    II.  D5 

mon  got  the  better  of  conscience  :   they  dared  not  chap. 
provoke  a   monarch,  on  whose  pleasure  they  de-     1661 

pended  for  the  preservation  of  their  lands  ;  and, > 

in  a  short  time,  the  episcopal  hierarchy  was 
quietly  restored  to  the  enjoyment  of  its  former 
rights,  and  the  exercise  of  its  former  jurisdic- 
tion 52. 

To  this,  a  work  of  easy  accomplishment,  sue-  Disputes 

respect- 

ceeded  a  much  more  difficult  attempt, — the  settle-  ing  landed 
merit  of  landed  property  in  Ireland.  The  military,  P10Perty- 
whom  it  was  dangerous  to  disoblige,  and  the 
adventurers,  whose  pretensions  had  been  sanc- 
tioned by  Charles  I.,  demanded  the  royal  con- 
firmation of  the  titles  by  which  they  held  their 
estates 53 ;  and  the  demand  was  opposed  by  a 
multitude  of  petitioners  claiming  restitution  or 
compensation  ;  by  officers  who  served  in  the  royal 
army  before  1649,  and  had  not  yet  received  the 
arrears  of  their  pay  ;  by  protestant  loyalists, 
whose  property  had  been  confiscated  under  the 
commonwealth  ;  by  catholics  who  had  never  joined 


52  Clar.  105. 

53  Charles  I.  had  given  his  assent  to  the  first  act  (17  Car.  I.), 
hut  the  parliament  had  afterwards,  in  1643,  passed  the  doubling 
ordinance,  by  which,  whoever  advanced  one-fourth  more  on  his 
original  subscription,  received  credit  for  twice  the  amount  of  the 
whole  sum  actually  furnished.  The  subscriber  of  1000/.,  by 
a, fling  250/.,  became  creditor  to  the  amount  of  2.300/.,  and  was 
entitled  to  lands  in  Ireland  of  that  value.  Where  the  original 
subscriber  refused,  any  other  person  might  advance  the  fourth, 
and  receive  the  whole  benefit  arising  from  the  advance,  which 
the  first  had  forfeited.  Carte's  Ormond,  ii.  224.  In  the  settle- 
ment of  Ireland  all  claims  of  doubling  were  rejected. 

VOL.    XII.  I 


66'  HISTORY    OV     ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  the    confederate    assembly   at   Kilkenny,    or   had 
16gj      faithfully  observed  the  peace  concluded  with  Or- 

mond,  or  had  served  under  the  royal  banners  in 

Flanders  ;  by  heirs,  whose  estates  had  been  for- 
feited on  account  of  the  misconduct  of  the  last 
holders,  though  they  were  but  tenants  for  life  ; 
by  widows,  who  had  been  deprived  of  their 
jointures  ;  and  by  creditors,  who  could  no  longer 
recover  on  bond  or  mortgage 54.  Humanity, 
gratitude,  and  justice,  called  on  the  king  to  listen 
to  many  of  these  claims.  He  sincerely  deplored 
the  miserable  state  of  the  Irish  natives,  whom  the 
republicans  had  swept  from  the  soil  of  their  birth, 
and  "  transplanted "  on  the  barren  district  be- 
yond the  Shannon  ;  and  he  deemed  himself  bound 
in  honour  and  conscience  to  protect  the  interests 
of  the  loyalists,  who  had  followed  him  in  his  exile 
abroad,  or  at  his  command  had  left  the  service 
of  foreign  powers  to  form  the  royal  army  on  the 
continent 55. 

The  king's      From  an  estimate  delivered  to  the  king,  it  ap- 

tion  *"  peared,  that  there  still  remained  at  his  disposal 
forfeited  lands  of  the  yearly  rental  of  from  eighty 
to  one  hundred  thousand  pounds  ;  a  fund  suffi- 
ciently amj)le,  it  was  contended,  to  "  reprize  "  or 
compensate  all  the  Irish,  really  deserving  of  the 
1660.  royal  favour.  Under  this  impression,  Charles 
Nov.  so.  published  his  celebrated  declaration  for  the  settle- 
ment of  Ireland.      It  provided,  that   no  person 

?*  Clar.  60 — 66.  ss  Clar.  112. 


CHARLES  II.  <>7 

deriving  his  title  from  the  adventurers  under  the  CHAP. 
parliament,  or  the    soldiers  under   the   common-     l6'6l 

wealth,  should  be   disturbed  in  the  possession  of 

his  lands,  without  receiving  an  equivalent  from 
the  fund  for  reprisals  ;  that  all  innocents,  whether 
protestants  or  catholics,  that  is,  persons  who  had 
never  adhered  either  to  the  parliament  or  the  con- 
federates, should  be  restored  to  their  rightful 
estates  ;  and  that  of  those  who  claimed  under  the 
peace  of  1648,  such  as  had  accepted  locations  in 
Clare  and  Connaught,  should  be  bound  by  their 
own  acts,  compulsory  as  those  acts  had  been ;  but 
the  others  should  recover  their  former  posses- 
sions, or  receive  lands  of  equal  value. 

To  this  arrangement  was  appended  a  list  of  the 
qualifications  of  innocence,  but  so  constructed  as 
to  exclude  from  the  benefit  of  that  plea  the  greatest 
possible  number  of  catholics.  Not  only  to  have 
openly  adhered  to  the  confederates,  but  even  to 
have  corresponded  with  them,  or  to  have  derived 
advantage  from  the  treaties  concluded  between 
them  and  Ormond,  or  to  have  lived  quietly  at 
home,  if  that  home  was  situated  within  the  quar- 
ters of  the  confederates,  were  to  be  taken  as  con- 
clusive evidence  of  guilt,  and  an  effectual  bar  to 
relief36. 

The  subject  now  came  before  the  Irish  parlia- 
ment. The  commons,  who  had  been  returned  by 
the  preponderating  influence  of  the  soldiers  and 


v>  [rish  Statutes,  ii.  23ft— :ns.     Carte's  Ormortd,  ii  21G. 

i    2 


68  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  adventurers,  voted  that  the  declaration  should  be 
itiVi      passed  into  a  law  ;  but  by  the  lords  it  was  con- 

. tended   that  such    a  law   would    reduce    the  old 

families,  both  catholic  and  protestant,  to  a  state  of 
penury,  in  order  to  establish  a  new  and  upstart 
June  12.  interest    in    Ireland.       By  order  of  the  former, 
a  deputation  of  the  house  proceeded  to  London  to 
lay  the  draught  of  a  bill  before  the  king  in  coun- 
cil ;  but  the  lords  appointed  four  commissioners 
to  oppose  some  of  its  provisions  ;  and  the  catholics 
seized  the  opportunity  to  petition  by  agents  in  their 
own  favour. 
The  par-        The  contending  parties  were  repeatedly  heard 
beforethe  ^Y  Charles  himself;  and  the  Irish  had  reason  to 
council,     expect  a  favourable  result,  when  they  marred  their 
5ep*      cause   by  their   imprudence37.     In   the  ardour  of 
declamation,  they  not   only  defended  themselves, 
but  assailed  others.     Why,  they  asked,  were  they 
to  be  deprived  of  their  estates  in  favour  of  rebels 
and  traitors  ?     Because,    it    was   answered,  they 
stood  there  covered  with  the  blood  of  one  hundred 
thousand   protestants   massacred  by  them  during 
their  rebellion  S8.    They,  indeed,  denied  the  charge  ; 


57  See  Ormond's  Letter  in  Carte,  ii.  233. 

58  Walsh  (Irish  Colours  Folded,  p.  3.;  asserts  that  their  op- 
ponents raised  the  number  to  three  hundred  thousand.  Mrs. 
Macauley  (Hist.  vi.  62.)  tells  us  that  "  no  attempt  was  made  by 
"  the  papists  to  disprove  the  assertion  "  respecting  the  massacre. 
Most  assuredly  she  could  never  have  heard  of  the  several  tracts 
written  at  the  time,  and  provoked  by  this  charge,  such  as,  The 
Irish  Colours  Folded,  by  P.  W. ;  A  Collection  of  some  of  the 
Massacres   and  Murders  Committed  on  the  Irish  since  1641  ;  or 


CHARLES  II.  fi0 

they  retorted   it  in   the  face   of  their    accusers;  CHAP, 
murder  was  a   crime  with  respect  to  which  they     1661 

were    more  sinned  against   than  sinning.     Their 

only  wish  was  that  an  inquiry  should  be  instituted ; 
and  that  the  real  murderers,  whatever  were  their 
religion,  should  be  excluded  from  the  benefit  of 
the  bill  of  indemnity.  But  the  patience  of  Charles 
(he  had  hitherto  attended  the  debates  with  the 
most  edifying  assiduity),  was  exhausted ;  he 
longed  to  withdraw  himself  from  the  recrimina- 
tions of  these  violent  disputants  ;  and  on  the  dis- 
covery of  an  obnoxious  paper,  formerly  signed  by 
sir  Nicholas  Plunkett,  one  of  the  agents,  ordered 
the  doors  of  the  council  to  be  closed  against  the 
deputies  of  the  natives.  The  heads  of  the  bill 
were  then  arranged,  returned  to  Dublin,  and  1662- 
ultimately  passed  into  a  law  by  the  parliament 59.      Ma?' 

But  to  execute  this  act  was  found  to  be  a  task  Decisions 
of  considerable  difficulty.     By  improvident  grants  courtof 
of  lands  to  the  church,  the  dukes  of  York,  Ormond,  claims. 


Walsh's  Reply  to  a  Person  of  Quality  ;  or  to  a  Person  of  Quality's 
Answer  ;  or  his  Letter  to  the  Bishop  of  Lincoln,  p.  225 — 230;  or 
a  Letter  to  a  Member  of  Parliament,  showing  the  Hardships, 
Cruelties,  &c. ;  or  a  Briefe  Narrative  of  Cruelties  Committed  on 
the  Irish.  In  Ireland's  Case  briefly  Stated,  p.  41,  an  attempt  is 
made  to  prove  that  the  number  of  persons  murdered  by  the  pro- 
testants  exceeded  by  six  times  that  of  those  murdered  by  the 
catholics. 

s»  Clar.  106 — 115.  Carle,  ii.  245.  Memoirs  of  Orrery,  67 — 
70.  The  obnoxious  paper  was  the  copy  of  instructions  from  the 
supreme  council  in  1648  to  their  agent,  to  offer  Ireland  to  the 
pope,  or  any  catholic  power,  that  would  undertake  to  defend 
them  against  the  parliament,     (arte,  ibid. 


"()  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  and  Albemarle,  the  earls  of  Orrery,  Montrath, 
166'j      Kingston,  Massarene,  and  several  others,  the  fund 

for  reprisals  had  been  almost  exhausted ;  and  yet 

it  was  from  that  fund  that  compensation  was  to 
be  furnished  to  the  forty-nine  officers,  to  the 
ensignmen,  or  those  who  served  in  Flanders,  and 
to  the  soldiers  and  adventurers,  who  might  be 
compelled  to  yield  up  their  plantations  by  the 
1663.     court  of  claims.      Among   this    class,    indeed,    a 

Feb.  15.  generai  aiarm  was  excited ;  for  in  the  course  of 
six  months,  during  which  the  commissioners  sate, 

Aug.  id.  several  hundred  decrees  of  innocence  had  been 
issued,  and  three  thousand  petitions  still  remained 
for  investigation.  To  secure  themselves,  they 
demanded  an  explanatory  act :  the  duke  of  Or- 
mond,  now  lord-lieutenant,  repaired  to  London, 
and  ten  months  were  spent  in  useless  attempts  to 
reconcile  the  jarring  interests  of  the  different  par- 
ties. 

Intrigues       From  the  very  beginning  of  these  transactions, 

of.  ~Jf.  , .  the  actual  occupants  of  the  lands  had  displayed  a 
bold  defiance  of  decency  and  justice  in  their  efforts 
to  bring  the  cause  to  a  favourable  termination. 
1°.  They  had  recourse  to  bribery.  A  fund  of  more 
than  20,000/.  was  subscribed,  and  placed  in  the 
hands  of  sir  James  Sheen,  who  hastened  to  Lon- 
don, and  purchased  at  different  rates,  the  patron- 
age and  good  offices  of  persons  supposed  to  pos- 
sess influence  in  the  council,  or  over  the  mind  of 
the  king60.      2°.   To  keep  up  the  irritation  of  the 

"•  Orrery,   Letters,    101.  Carte,  ii.  232. 


CHARLES  II.  71 

public  mind  against  the  Irish  catholics,  they  circu-  CHAP, 
lated  reports  of  an  intended   rebellion,  forwarded     166'K 
to  the  council  informations  respecting  imaginary 


1661. 


plots,  and,  at  1  ength  produced  a  treasonable  letter 

Dec   2 

supposed  to  be  written  by  one  clergyman  to  ano- 
ther, and  dropped  by  the  latter,  as  he  made  his 
escape  from  the  officers  of  justice.  Many  priests 
were  immediately  apprehended ;  all  catholic  shop- 
keepers and  mechanics  were  banished  out  of  the 
principal  towns,  and  the  houses  of  the  catholic 
gentry  were  searched  for  the  discovery  of  arms 
and  ammunition.  But  the  two  clergymen,  the 
supposed  writer  and  receiver  of  the  letter,  boldly  Dec.  20. 
came  forward,  and  proved  the  forgery,  to  the  en- 
tire satisfaction  of  the  council,  and  the  confusion 
of  those  who  had  fabricated  the  pretended  conspi- 
racy61.    3°.  The  Irish  house  of  commons,  which 


61  On  this  occasion  a  protestation  of  allegiance,  composed  by 
Richard  Sellings,  was  approved  at  a  private  meeting  in  Dublin, 
and  transmitted  to  London,  where  it  was  signed  by  the  principal 
of  the  Irish  catholics  in  the  capital,  one  bishop,  several  clergy- 
men, and  many  peers  and  gentlemen.  By  Charles  it  was  gra- 
ciously received ;  but  certain  passages  in  it  were  disapproved  in 
Rome,  and  censured  by  the  university  of  Louvain.  This  did  not 
prevent  the  leading  catholics  in  Dublin  from  subscribing  their 
names  to  a  circular  letter  exhorting  the  laity  to  sign  the  protesta- 
tion or  remonstranc  .  Ormond,  however,  ordered  the  letter  to  be 
suppressed  ;  and  when  other  instruments  were  offered  him,  similar 
in  their  object,  but  less  offensive  to  the  court  of  Rome  in  their 
language,  he  rejected  them  as  unsatisfactory.  In  1666  a  synod 
of  the  clergy  subscribed  a  new  form,  founded  on  the  celebrated 
articles  of  the  Gallican  church,  but  this  he  also  refused  to  accept. 
See  Walsh,  History  and  Vindication,  &c.  97,  694.  What  was 
Onnond's  real  motive?     "  My  aim  ",  he  says  in  a  private  letter, 


72  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

C  HAP.  M'as  composed  of  persons  deeply  interested  in  the 
l66V      result,  submitted  to  the  approbation  of  the   lord- 

lieutenant  a  new  code  of  rules  to  be  established  in 

the  court  of  claims.     By  him  it  was  rejected,  on 

the  ground  that  such  rules  would  render  the  proof 

of  innocence  almost  impossible ;  and  its  authors, 

16G3.      in  a  moment   of  irritation,  moved  and  carried  a 

Feb.  28.  bold  and  dangerous  vote,  pledging  the  house  to 
defend  the  protestants  of  Ireland  against  the  un- 
just decisions  of  the  commissioners.  The  conse- 
quence was  soon  apparent.  The  knowledge  of 
this  vote  awakened  from  its  slumbers  the  revolu- 
tionary spirit  of  the  settlers,  who  had  formerly 
borne  commissions  in  the  republican  armies.  They 
had  won  their  lands  with  the  sword,  why  should 
they  not  defend  them  with  the  sword  ?  Associa- 
tions were  formed  ;  plans  of  attack  were  arranged  • 
and  two  plots,  having  for  their  object  to  seize  the 
castle   of  Dublin,    and  secure  the  person   of  the 

May  25.  lord-lieutenant,  were  defeated  by  the  previous  dis- 
closures of  some  among  the  conspirators.  Of 
these,  the  greater  part  merited  pardon  by  the 
humble  confession  of  their  guilt ;  several  suffered 
the  penalty  of  death62. 

Final  set-  The  duration  of  this  perplexing  controversy  at 
last  induced  the  most  obstinate  to  relax  from  their 

"  was  to  work  a  division  among  the  Romish  clergy,  and  I  believe 
"  I  had  accomplished  it  to  the  great  security  of  the  government 
"  and  the  protestants,  and  against  the  opposition  of  the  pope, 
"  and  his  creatures  and  nuncios,  if  1  had  not  been  removed  '\ 
Carte,  ii.  App.  101. 

fi  Carte,  261,  5,  6,   ?0.     Orrery,  Letters,  134. 


CHARLES  II. 


73 


pretensions;    and  the   soldiers,  the   adventurers,  CHAT, 
and  the  grantees  of  the  crown,  unanimously  con-     16^i_ 


sented   to  augment   the  fund  for  reprisals  by  the 

surrender  of  one-third  of  their  acquisitions.    The 
king  by  this  measure  was  placed   in  a  situation,     1665. 
not  indeed  to  do  justice,  but  to  silence  the  most     AuS- 
importunate  or  most  deserving  among  the  peti- 
tioners ;    and,   by    an    explanatory  act,    he   gave 
to  the  forty-nine   protestant  officers  the  security 
which  they  sought,  and  added  twenty  catholics  to 
a  former  list  of  thirty-four  nominees,  or  persons 
to  be  restored  to  their  mansion-houses,  and  two 
thousand  acres  of  land.     But  when  compensation 
had  thus   been   made   to  a  few  of  the  sufferers, 
what,  it  may  be  asked,  became  of  the  officers  who 
had  followed  the  royal  fortune  abroad,  or  of  the 
three  thousand  catholics  who  had   entered   their 
claims  of  innocence  ?     To  all  these,  the  promises 
which  had  been   made  by   the  act  of  settlement 
were  broken ;  the  unfortunate  claimants  were  de- 
prived of  their  rights,  and  debarred  from  all  hope 
of  future   relief.      A   measure   of  such   sweeping 
and   appalling   oppression,  is  perhaps   without  a 
parallel  in  the   history  of  civilized   nations.     Its 
injustice  could  not  be  denied  ;  and  the  only  apo- 
logy offered  in  its  behalf,  was  the  stern  necessity 
of  quieting  the  fears  and  jealousies  of  the  Crom- 
wellian  settlers,  and  of  establishing  on  a  perma- 
nent basis  the  protestant  ascendancy  in  Ireland  03. 


Clar.  112,  134.     Carte,  310— 6.     Irish  St.  vol.  Hi-  2— 137. 


I. 

1661. 

Its  conse 
quences. 


74  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP.  Though,  to  facilitate  the  execution  of  the  act, 
it  was  provided  that  any  doubt  on  its  construction 
should  be  interpreted  in  favour  of  the  protestant 
party ;  yet  so  many  difficulties  occurred,  that  se- 
veral years  elapsed  before  the  settlement  was  com- 
pletely accomplished.  The  following  is  the  gene- 
ral result.  The  protestants  were  previously  in 
possession  of  about  one  moiety  of  all  the  profitable 
lands  in  the  island :  of  the  second  moiety,  which 
had  been  forfeited  under  the  commonwealth,  some- 
thing less  than  two-thirds  was  by  the  act  confirmed 
to  the  protestants ;  and  of  the  remainder,  a  por- 
tion almost  equal  in  quantity,  but  not  in  quality, 
to  one-third,  was  appropriated  to  the  catholics  M. 


'4  From  a  valuable  MS.  paper  belonging  to  Sheffield  Grace, 
Esq.,  and  published  by  him  in  his  interesting  Memoirs  of  the 
Family  of  Grace,  it  appears  that  the  profitable  lands  forfeited  in 
Ireland  under  the  commonwealth,  amounted  to  7,708,237  statute 
acres,  leaving  undisturbed  about  8,500,000  acres  belonging  to  the 
protestants,  the  constant  good  affection  men  of  the  Irish,  the 
church,  and  the  crown,  besides  some  lands  never  seized  or  sur- 
veyed. 

In  1675,  the  forfeited  lands  had  been  disposed  of  as  follows: — 

GRANTED    TO     THE     ENGLISH. 

St.  Acres. 

Adventurers 787,326 

Soldiers   2,385,915 

Forty-nine  officers 450,380 

Royal  Highness  Duke  of  York  169,431 

Provisors   477,873 

Duke  of  Ormond  and  Col.  Butler's  lands  257,516 

Bishops' augmentations     31,596 


4,560,037 


CHARLES  II.  75 

GRANTED    OR    DISPOSED    OF    TO    THE  IRISH.                                  CHAP. 

St.  Acres.  I. 

Decrees  of  innocence 1,176,520                   1661. 

Provisors    491,001               ■ 

King's  letters  of  restitution 46,398 

Nominees  in  possession 68,360 

Transplantation   541,530 


2,323,809 


The  forty-nine  officers  are  those  who  claimed  arrears  for  ser- 
vice under  the  king  before  1649.  The  duke  of  York  received  a 
grant  of  all  the  lands  held  by  the  regicides,  who  had  been  at- 
tainted. Provisors,  were  persons  in  whose  favour  provisoes  had 
been  made  in  the  acts.  Nominees  were  the  catholics  named  by 
the  king  to  be  restored  to  their  mansion-houses  and  two  thousand 
acres  contiguous.  Transplantation  refers  to  the  catholics  whom 
Cromwell  forced  from  their  own  lands,  and  settled  in  Connaught. 

There  remained  824,391  acres  still  unappropriated,  which 
were  parts  of  towns,  or  possessed  by  English  or  Irish  without 
title  ;  or,  on  account  of  some  doubts,  had  never  been  set  out. 
Mem.  37 — 39. 


76  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 


CHAP.  II. 


CHARLES  II. 


MARRIAGE    OF    THE     DUKE     OF    YORK OF     THE      KING SALE     OF 

DUNKIRK INDULGENCE       TO        TENDER  CONSCIENCES ACT 

AGAINST        CONVENTICLES WAR      WITH       THE      UNITED      PRO- 
VINCES—GREAT   NAVAL    VICTORY THE  PLAGUE  IN  LONDON 

FIVE-MILE-ACT OBSTINATE     ACTIONS    AT    SEA GREAT    FIRE 

OF    LONDON PROCEEDINGS     IN    PARLIAMENT INSURRECTION 

IN   SCOTLAND SECRET  TREATY  WITH    FRANCE CONFERENCES 

OPENED    AT    BREDA — THE      DUTCH     FLEET    IN    THE    THAMES 

PEACE    OF    BREDA FALL    OF    CLARENDON. 


CHAP.  J\MONG    the    immediate   consequences   of  the 
1660.     restoration,    nothing  appeared  to   the  intelligent 
—  observer  more  extraordinary  than  the  almost  in- 


inulaorali-  stantaneous  revolution,  which  it  wrought  in  the 
ty-  moral  habits  of  the  people.      Under   the  govern- 

ment of  men  making  profession  of  godliness,  vice 
had  been  compelled  to  wear  the  exterior  garb  of 
virtue ;  but  the  moment  the  restraint  was  re- 
moved, it  stalked  forth  without  disguise,  and  was 
everv  where  received  with  welcome.  The  cava- 
liers,  to  celebrate  their  triumph,  abandoned  them- 
selves  to  ebriety  and  debauchery ;    and  the  new 


CHARLES  II.  17 

loyalists,  that  they  might  prove  the  sincerity  of  CHAP, 
their  conversion,  strove  to  excel  the  cavaliers  in     1660 

licentiousness.     Charles,  who   had   not  forgotten 

his   former  reception  in  Scotland,  gladly  availed 
himself  of  the  opportunity  to  indulge  his  favourite 
propensities.     That    affectation  of  piety  and  de- 
corum which  had  marked  the  palace  of  the  pro- 
tector, Oliver,  was  soon  exchanged  for  a  perpetual 
round  of  pleasure  and  revelry  ;  and  the  court  of 
the  English  king,  if  inferior  in  splendour,  did  not 
yield  in  refinement  and  voluptuousness,  to  that  of 
his  French   contemporary,  Louis  XIV.     Among 
the  females   who   sought  to    win  his   attentions, 
(and  this,  we  are  told,  was  the   ambition  of  se- 
veral \)  the  first  place,  both  for  beauty  and  influ- 
ence, must  be  allotted  to  Barbara  Villiers,  daugh- 
ter of  viscount  Grandison,  and  wife  to  a  gentle- 
man of  the  name  of  Palmer.     On  the  very  day  of 
the  king's  arrival  in   the  capital,   she  established 
her  dominion   over   his   heart,  and   contrived   to 
retain  it  for  years,  in  defiance  of  the  inconstancy 
of  his  disposition,  and  the  intrigues  of  her  rivals. 
With  her  Charles  generally  spent  several  hours  of 
the  day  ;   and,  even  when  the  council  had  assem- 
bled  to   deliberate    in   his    presence,    the    truant 
monarch  occasionally  preferred  to  wile  away  his 
time  in  the  bewitching  company  and  conversation 
of  his  mistress  2. 

1   Ileresby,  7. 

'2  "  He  delighted  in  a  bewitching  kind  of  pleasure  called  sauu- 
ring".     Sheffield,  ii.  78. 


78  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP.       James    and   Henry,   the   dukes   of   York    and 
iMo.     Glocester,    religiously    copied    the    example    set 

them  by  their  sovereign  and  elder  brother.     But 

before  the  lapse  of  six  months,  Henry  was  borne 

m  arn  age  r  J 

of  James,  to  the  grave  3  ;  and  soon  afterwards  it  began  to 
166°-  be  whispered  at  court,  that  James  was  married  to 
a  woman  of  far  inferior  rank,  Anne,  the  daughter 
of  the  chancellor  Hyde.  The  duke  had  become 
acquainted  with  her  in  the  court  of  his  sister,  the 
princess  of  Orange,  to  whom  she  was  maid  of 
honour.  Anne  possessed  few  pretensions  to 
beauty ;  but  wit  and  manner  supplied  the  place 
of  personal  charms  4  :  she  attracted  the  notice  of 
the  young  prince,  and  had  the  address  to   draw 

1659.  from  her  lover  a  promise,  and  afterwards  a  private 
Nov.  24.    contract,  of  marriage.     From  the  Hague,  she  fol- 
lowed the  royal  family  to  England  ;  and,  in  a  few 
months  her  situation  induced  James  to  marry  her 

1660.  clandestinely,   according  to  the  rite  of  the  church 
Sep.  3.      of  England  5,  and  to  reveal  the  important  secret  to 

the  king,  whose  objections  (for  he  heard  it  with 
pain)  were  soon  subdued  by  the  passionate  impor- 
tunity of  his  brother.  To  most  fathers  this  alli- 
ance would  have  proved   a  subject  of  joy  ;  but 


3  The  king-  mourned  in  purple.     Pep.  i.  139. 

4  La  duchesse  de  York  est  fort  laide;  la  bouche  extraordinaire- 
ment  fendue,  et  les  yeux  fort  eraillez,  mais  tre's  courtoise.  Journal 
de  Monconis,  p.  522.  Lyons,  1666.  Hamilton  says,  that  she  had 
Pair  grand,  la  taille  assez  belle,  et  beaucoup  d'esprit.  Mem.  de 
Grammont,  i.  149,  Edition  de  Cazin.  Pepys,  that  she  was  a  plain 
woman,  like  her  mother,  i.  188. 

5  Rennet's  Register,  from  the  council  book.  381. 


CHARLES  II.  79 

Hyde,  with  expressions  of  anger,  the  extravagance  CHAP, 
of  which   might  have  provoked   a   doubt   of  its 


1660. 


reality,  affected  to    deplore   the   disgrace    of  the 

royal  family,  and  advised  Charles,  after  the  pre- 
cedents of  former  reigns,  to  send  the  presumptuous 
female  to  the  Tower.  Unable  to  persuade  the 
king,  who,  perhaps,  laughed  at  his  officiousness  in 
secret,  he  confined,  in  virtue  of  his  parental  autho- 
rity, the  undutiful  daughter  to  a  room  in  his  own 
house ;  while,  by  the  connivance  of  one  of  the 
family,  probably  the  mother,  James  had  free 
access  to  the  cell  of  the  captive,  and  sought  by  his 
assiduity,  to  console  her  for  the  displeasure,  whe- 
ther it  were  real  or  pretended,  of  her  father. 
Neither  had  the  father  much  reason  to  complain. 
The  king  made  him  a  present  of  20,000/.,  and 
raised  him,  by  the  title  of  baron  Hindon,  to  the 
peerage  6. 

The  choice  of  James  was  severely  condemned  Disap- 
by  his  mother,  by  his  eldest  sister,  and   by  the  thtTroyaf 
political  enemies  of  the  chancellor.     The  princess  family, 
of  Orange,  who  had  recently  arrived  in  England,    ep' 
declared  to  the  king,  that  she  would  never  yield 
the  precedence  to  a  woman,  who  had  stood  as  a 
servant  behind  her  chair.     The  queen-mother  in- 
dulged in  terms  of  the  bitterest  reproach  ;    and 
hastened  her  promised  visit  to  her  children,  that 
she  might  prevent  so  foul  a  disgrace  to  the  royal 


Clarendon,  31,: 32. 


so  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

C  II AP.  houses  of  England  and  France7.     Charles  Berke- 
II 
1660.     l^y?   whether   he   was    influenced    by    enmity    to 

Hyde,  or  by  the  hope  of  making  his  fortune,  came 

to  their  aid,  affirming  with  oaths,  that  Anne  had 
formerly  been  his  mistress,  and  bringing  forward 
the  earl  of  Arran,  Jermyn,  Talbot,  and  Killigrew, 
as  witnesses  of  her  loose  and  wanton  behaviour. 
Lastly,  divines  and  lawyers  were  produced,  grave 
and  learned  casuists,  who  maintained  in  presence 
of  the  duke,  that  no  private  contract  of  marriage 
on  his  part  could  be  valid  without  the  previous 
consent  of  the  sovereign.  The  resolution  of  James 
was  shaken  :  he  interrupted  his  visits  to  Wor- 
cester-house, and  assured  his  mother  and  sister, 
that  he  had  ceased  to  look  upon  Anne  as  his  law- 
ful wife. 

Oct.  22.  In  a  few  weeks  she  was  delivered  of  a  son. 
While  she  lay  in  the  throes  of  childbirth,  her  con- 
fessor, Dr.  Morley,   bishop   elect  of  Worcester 8, 


7  She  previously  intended  to  come,  that  she  might  meet  all  her 
children  together,  and  look  after  her  dower.  Clar.  32  -36.  It 
would  appear,  that  the  lands  settled  on  her  as  her  dower,  had 
been  in  a  great  measure  shared  among  persons  who  had  a  hand  in 
her  husband's  death.  On  inquiry,  the  present  holders  were  found 
to  be  Okey,  Walton,  Scroop,  Norton,  Pride,  Whalley,  Edwards, 
and  Tichborne,  the  king's  judges  ;  Dendy,  serjeant  at  arms  to  the 
court;  Lambert,  and  Blackwell.     Journ.  of  Com.  1660,  June,  23. 

8  Morley  tells  us,  that  she  was  accustomed  to  receive  the  sacra- 
ment every  month,  and  then  proceeds  thus :  "  Always  the  day 
"  before  she  received,  she  made  a  voluntary  confession  of  what 
"  she  thought  she  had  offended  God  in,  either  by  omission  or  com- 
"  mission,  professing  her  sorrow  for  it,  and  promising  amendment 
"  in  it;  and  then  kneeling  down,  she  desired  and  received  absolu- 
"  tion  in  the  form  and  word?  prescribed  by  our  church""  Morley 
apud  Kennet,  Register   385. 


CHARLES  II.  8 

standing  by  the  bedside,  adjured  her  in  the  name  chap. 
of  the  living  God,  to  speak  the  truth  before  the     jgjj 

noble  ladies,   who  attended   by    order    from   the 

king.  To  his  questions  she  replied,  that  the 
duke  was  the  father  of  her  child,  that  they  had 
been  contracted  to  each  other  before  witnesses, 
and  that  she  had  always  been  faithful  to  his 
bed. 

For  some  days  James  had  continued  silent  and  Publicly 
melancholy.     The  birth  of  the  child,  and  the  as-  ledgedT" 
sertions  of  the  mother,  revived  his  affection ;  on  Nov.  10. 
examination,  Berkeley  confessed  that  his  charges 
against  her  were  calumnies,  and  the  duke,  ashamed 
of  his  credulity,  resolved  to  do  her  justice.     He 
visited  her  at  her   father's  house,  sent  for  her  ac- 
cusers, and  introduced  them  to  her  by  the  title  of 
duchess  of  York.     They  knelt,  she  gave  them  her 
hand  to  kiss,  and,  acting  up  to  the  instructions  of 
her  husband,  never  afterwards  betrayed  any  hos- 
tility against  them.     One  of  her  enemies,  the  prin-  Dec  2t. 
cess  of  Orange,  died  ;   and  the  queen-mother,  at  the 
request   of   the    French    minister    Mazarin,   who 
wished  to  conciliate  the  chancellor,  desisted  from 
her  opposition.     Anne  was  received  by  her  at  court    1661. 
with  a  smiling  countenance,  and  the  appellation    Jan-  '• 
of  daughter  ;  and  the  new  duchess  supported  her 
rank  with  as  much  ease  and  dignity  as  if  she  had 
never  moved  in  an  inferior  situation  9. 

9  See  Clarendon's  very  minute  and  ridiculous  account  of  the 
whole  transaction,  28 — 40.  Pepys,  i.  144,  50,  .57,  62,  64,  65. 
Mem.  deGrani.  i.  233—241. 

vol,,    xii  <; 


82  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP.       This  marriage  was  founded  in  affection:  two 
1(J(jl      others  followed,  the  origin  of  which,  is  to  be  sought 


in  the  policy  of  courts.     The  treaty  which  Ma- 

of  tile80  zarm  concluded  with   Cromwell   had  taught  the 

princess     French  monarch  to  value  the  aid  of  that  power  by 

which  he  had  been  enabled  to  conclude  with  honour 

and  profit  the  long  and  expensive  war  with  Spain. 

Still  Spain  was  a  formidable  rival :  the  existing 

peace  was  considered  by  the  two  cabinets  as  only 

a  breathing  time  preparatory  to  the  renewal   of 

hostilities  :  and   Louis,  to  Secure  the  services  of 

England  under  the  restored  dynasty,  resolved  to 

cultivate   the  friendship  of  the  prince  whom,  to 

gratify  Cromwell,  he  had  formerly  excluded  from 

his  dominions.     To  secure  this  became,  during  the 

whole  reign  of  Charles,  one  great  object  of  French 

policy ;  and  the  first  step  taken  was  the  proposal, 

through  the  queen-mother,  of  a  marriage  between 

Henrietta,  the  youngest    sister  of  Charles,    and 

Philip,  the  only  brother  of  Louis.     To  Henrietta 

it  opened  a  brilliant  and   seducing  prospect ;  by 

the  English  king  it  was  received  with  joy  and 

March  31.  gratitude  ;  and  the  ceremony  was  performed  with 

becoming  magnificence,  soon  after  the  return  of 

Portu-      the  princess  with  her  mother  to  France10. 

match            Charles  himself,  in  1659,  with  the  hope  of  re- 
proposed. 

10  These  reasons  are  assigned  by  Louis  himself,  as  his  motive 
for  proposing  the  marriage.  CEuv.  i.  61.  Charles,  by  the  marriage 
contract,  bound  himself  to  give  his  sister  40,000  jacobuses,  by 
way  of  portion,  and  20,000  as  a  present.  Dumont.  vi.  par.  ii. 
p.  354. 


CHARLES  II.  83 

pairing  by  the  assistance  of  France  the  loss  which  CHAP, 
his  interests  had   suffered  from  the   defeat  of  sir     i66i. 

George  Booth,  made  the  offer  of  his  hand  to   the 

niece  of  the  cardinal  Mazarin  ;  but  that  minister, 
having  received  an  unfavourable  account  of  the 
royal  party  in  England,  modestly  declined  the 
honour,  as  far  above  the  pretensions  and  the 
wishes  of  his  family.  In  a  few  weeks  the  tide  of 
popular  feeling  turned  in  favour  of  royalty,  and 
Mazarin  sought  to  renew  the  negociation  ;  but 
the  king's  ardour  for  the  lady  had  already  cooled  : 
to  recover  his  crown,  he  wanted  not  the  assistance 
of  her  uncle  ;  and  he  was  unwilling  to  bind  him- 
self in  the  trammels  of  wedlock  n.  After  his  re- 
turn, the  more  sober  among  his  counsellors  saw 
with  pain  the  scandal  which  he  gave  by  his  amours; 
they  repeatedly  and  earnestly  advised  him  to 
marry  ;  and  at  last  the  example  of  his  brother  in- 
duced him  to  think  seriously  on  the  subject.  But 
against  the  royal  and  princely  families  in  the  north 
of  Europe  he  had,  from  some  cause  or  other,  con- 
tracted an  invincible  antipathy  ;  and  to  marry  a 
catholic  princess  from  the  south  was  likely  to 
shock  the  religious  prepossessions  of  the  majority 
of  his  subjects.  From  this  state  of  indecision  he 
was  drawn  by  a  tempting  proposal,  made  through 
the  Portugese  ambassador,  at  the  secret  instigation 
of  the  French  court.  During  the  war  between 
France  and  Spain,  Portugal,  with  the  aid  of  the 


"  James,  Memoirs,  i.  395. 
c;   2 


!  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAT,  former,  had  preserved  its  independence  ;  but,  by 
Kiel,     the  treaty  of  the  Pyrenees,  Louis  had  bound  him- 

self  to  leave  the  house  of  Braganza  and  its  rebel- 
lious adherents  to  their  fate.  It  was  not,  however, 
his  intention  that  Portugal  should  be  again  in- 
corporated with  Spain,  and,  aware  that  the  king 
Alphonso,  a  weak  prince  under  the  guardianship 
of  his  mother,  could  oppose  no  effectual  resistance 
to  his  more  powerful  foe,  he  suggested  to  the  court 
of  Lisbon  a  marriage  between  Donna  Caterina,  the 
king's  sister,  and  Charles  king  of  England.  It 
would  induce  the  English  monarch  to  support  the 
pretensions  of  his  wife's  family,  and  would  open  a 
new  channel,  through  which  France  might  for- 
ward assistance  to  Portugal  without  any  manifest 
violation  of  its  friendly  relations  wtih  Spain12. 
The  advice  was  adopted  ;  and  Francisco  de  Mello, 

12  Le  premier  de  soutenir  les  Portugais  que  je  voyois  en  danger 
de  succomber  bientot  sans  cela ;  le  second  de  me  donner  plus  de 
moyen  de  les  assister  moi-meme,  si  je  le  jugeois  necessaire,  non- 
obstant  le  traite  des  Pyre'nees,  qui  me  le  defendoit.  Louis,  GEuvres, 
i.  62.  It  is  amusing  to  observe  ho;v  the  royal  casuist  proceeds  to 
justify  this  underhand  dealing,  the  sending,  under  false  names,  of 
^orces  to  the  aid  of  a  power,  which  he  had  bound  himself  by  treaty 
entirely  to  desert.  He  tells  us  that  the  experience  of  centuries 
had  taught  the  French  and  Spanish  courts  to  know  the  real  import 
of  the  words  employed  in  the  treaties  between  them  :  that  the  ex- 
pressions "  perpetual  peace"  and  ' '  sincere  amity,"  &c.  were  used 
with  as  little  meaning  as  compliments  in  ordinary  conversation ; 
aud  that  neither  party  expected  any  thing  more  from  the  other 
than  to  abstain  from  manifest  and  public  violations  of  the  articles, 
while  each  remained  at  liberty  to  inflict  on  his  rival,  by  clandes- 
tine and  circuitous  means,  every  injury  in  his  power.  This  neces- 
sarily followed  from  the  great  principle  of  self-preservation.  Ibid. 
63—65. 


CHARLES  II.  S5 

the  ambassador  in  London,  offered  with  the  prin-  chap. 

ii 
cess  a  dower  of  500,000/.,  the  possession  of  Tan-     1661 


gier  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  and  of  Bombay  in  the 

East  Indies,  and  a  free  trade  to  Portugal  and  the 
Portuguese  colonies.  Charles  consulted  Hyde, 
Ormond,  Southampton,  and  Nicholas;  their  advice 
concurred  with  the  royal  inclination ;  and  De 
Mello  was  given  to  unerstand  that  the  proposal 
would  be  accepted  13. 

The  treaty  with  this  minister  had  not  escaped  Opposi- 
tlie  notice  of  Vatteville,  the  Spanish  ambassador,  Spanish 
who  the  moment  he  discovered  its  real  object,  re-  a™bassa" 
presented  to  the  king,  that  Spain  would  never 
forego  her  claim  to  the  crown  of  Portugal ;  that 
the  Donna  Caterina  was  known  to  be  incapable  of 
bearing  children ;  and  that  a  marriage  with  her 
would  infallibly  lead  him  into  a  war,  and  deprive 
his  subjects  of  the  Spanish  trade ;  but  that,  if  he 
chose  to  take  one  of  the  two  princesses  of  Parma, 
Philip  would  give  with  either  the  dower  of  a 
daughter  of  Spain.  Charles  began  to  waver ;  he 
listened  to  the  suggestions  of  the  earl  of  Bristol, 
the  enemy  of  the  Portuguese  match  ;  and  that  no- 
bleman proceeded  by  his  order  on  a  secret  mission 
to  the  city  of  Parma.  There  he  saw  the  two  prin- 
cesses on  their  way  to  church,  and  nothing  more 
was  necessary  to  hasten  his  return.  One  was  so 
plain,  the  other  so  corpulent,  that  he  dared  not 
recommend  either  to  the  royal  choice14. 

■a  Clarendon,  78—81. 

*  Clarendon^  86 — 89.     Clarendon,  Pap.  Supplem.  ii.  viii. 


S6  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP.       Iii  the  meantime  Charles  had  been  recalled  to 

J,!;      his  first  intention  by  the  remonstrances  of  his  ad- 
1001.  j 

visers,  and  the  arguments  of  the  French  king. 


Ehe   ,      Bastide,  secretary  to   the  late  ambassador,  Bor- 
Frencn  J 

king  ad-   deaux,  arrived  in  England  with  a  commission  to 
y!ses !  '     purchase  lead  for  the  royal  buildings  in  France  ; 

March.  J  m      ° 

but,  in  a  private  conference  with  Hyde,  he  in- 
formed that  minister  that  his  real  object  -was  to 
propose  the  means  of  establishing  a  private  com- 
munication between  the  two  kings,  to  be  conducted 
by  the  chancellor  on  one  part,  and  Fouquet  on  the 
other,  without  the  knowledge  of  their  colleagues 
in  the  cabinet,  or  of  the  ordinary  ambassadors  at 
either  court.  Charles  eagerly  accepted  the  propo- 
sal ;  and  the  correspondence  was  maintained  dur- 
ing five  months,  till  the  disgrace  of  Fouquet. 
Aug.  26.  During  that  time  Louis  continually  inculcated  the 
advantages  of  the  Portuguese  match,  offered 
Charles  a  considerable  sum  of  money  to  purchase 
votes  in  the  parliament,  consented  to  lend  him 
50,000/.  whenever  he  might  want  it,  and  engaged 
to  furnish  two  millions  of  livres,  in  the  event  of 
a  war  between  England  and  Spain  15.     Thus  was 

•s  Clarendon,  90.  CEuvres  de  Louis  XIV.  i.  67,  and  the  corre- 
spondence itself  in  the  supplement  to  the  third  volume  of  the  Cla- 
rendon papers,  i — xv.  Charles  acquainted  no  one  but  his  brother 
James  with  the  secret.  Two  others  were  employed  in  it:  Bas- 
tide,  as  secretary  to  Fouquet,  and  lord  Cornbury,  Clarendon's 
eldest  son,  as  secretary  to  his  father.  Hyde  had  the  prudence  or 
the  honesty  to  refuse  an  offer  of  10,000/.  from  Louis,  though  both 
Charles  and  James  laughed  at  his  simplicity,  but  he  afterwards 
accepted  a  present  of  all  the  books  which  had  been  printed  at  the 
royal  press,  in  the  Louvre.     Clar.  92;  pap.  iii.  Supplcm.  i.  xi.  xiv. 


CHARLES  II.  87 

laid  the  foundation  of  that  clandestine  and  conn-  CHAP, 
dential  correspondence  between  Charles  and  Louis,      166\ 

which,  in  a  short  time,  rendered  the  king  of  Eng 

land  the  pensionary,  and  therefore,  in  a  great 
measure,  the  dependent,  of  his  good  brother,  the 
king  of  France, 

But  Vatteville  did  not  long  rely  on  the  success  Resolved 
of  Bristol's   mission.     The  representative  of  the  council, 
catholic  king  undertook  to  dissuade  Charles  from  March  28. 
marriage  with  a  catholic  princess  ;  he  proposed  to 
him  a  daughter  of  the  king  of  Denmark,  or  of 
the  elector  of  Saxony,  or  of  the  prince  of  Orange,  May  3. 
and  engaged  that  his  master  should  give  with  any 
of  them  the  same  portion  which  had  been  offered 
with  a  princess  of  Parma.     At  the  same  time  he 
sought  to  form  a  party  in  the  parliament  and  the 
city.     He  opened  his  table  to  the  discontented, 
distributed  money  to  the  needy,  and   scattered  in 
the  streets  printed  copies  of  his  memorials  against 
a  catholic,  and   of  his  offers  in  favour  of  a  pro- 
testant,  match.     But  these  efforts  proved  fruit- 
less.    The  amount  of  the  dower,  the  settlements 
in  the  Mediterranean  and  the  East  Indies,  and  the 
concession   of  an   unrestricted   trade  to  Portugal 
and   its  dependencies,  presented   advantages  cer- 
tain and  present ;  while  the  dangers  predicted  on 
the  score  of  the  infanta's  religion  were  at  the  best 
distant  and  uncertain.     A  full   council  of  cioht- 
and-twenty  members  had,  without  a  dissentient  May  2. 
voice,  advised  the  king  to  conclude  the  marriage  ; 
the  two  houses  presented  to  him  addresses  of  ap-  May  8. 


JlllK 


88  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

c  H  A  P.  probation  ;  the  treaty  was  signed  ;  and  Montague, 
1661#     now  earl  of  Sandwich,  received  the  command   of 
a  fleet,  with  instructions  to  cruize   in  the  Medi- 
terranean, and,  at  the   appointed   time,  to  bring 
the  Portuguese  princess  to  England  10. 
Rencontre      Vatteville  bore  the  disappointment  with   impa- 
thenvo    patience,  and  whether  he  thought  to  mortify  the 
ambassa-  French  court  for  its  interference,  or  only  to  gra- 
tify the  pride  of  his  countrymen,  he   announced 
his  intention  of  reviving  the  ancient  quarrel  for 
precedency  between  the  crowns  of   France  and 
July  20.    Spain.    On  the  first  occasion,  the  entry  of  Carara, 
the  Venetian  ambassador,  Charles  prevailed  both 
on  Vatteville  and  on  D'Estrades,  the   representa- 
tive of  Louis,  to  take  no  part  in  the  ceremony : 
but  the  latter  was  reproved  for  his  condescension 
by  his  court ;  each  prepared  to  assert  his   claim 
on   the  next  opportunity,  the  expected  entry  of 
Brahe,  the   Swedish   ambassador,  and  the  king, 
unable  to  restrain  these  champions  of  vanity,  for- 
bad his  subjects  by  proclamation   to  interfere  in 
the  contest.   D'Estrades  summoned  every  French- 
man in  London,  on  his  allegiance,  to  support  the 
honour  of  his  sovereign  ;  he   sent  for  reinforce- 
ments to  Boulogne  of  which  he  was  governor,  and 
introduced  into  his  house  in   disguise  several  of 
the  officers  and  troopers  belonging  to  that  garri- 
son.   Vatteville,  who  could  not  muster  so  forrnid- 


"■  Clarendon,  89.  Papers,  iii.  Sup.  ii.  v.  vi.  vil.     L.  Jouni.  xi. 
241;  4j  252.  Kcnnct.  Reg.  131. 


CHARLES  II.  *9 

able  a  force17,  sought  to  compensate  by  art  for  CHAP. 
inferiority  of  number,  ordering  the  traces  of  his     2     " 

carriage   to   be   made   of  chains   of  iron   covered 

with  leather,  and  allotting  to  each  of  his  followers 
his  particular  station  and  employment.  The 
Tower  wharf  was  selected  for  the  field  of  battle  ;  gep.  30. 
at  noon  arrived  the  carriage  of  the  Spanish  am- 
bassador with  about  forty  servants  in  liveries ; 
and  about  two,  that  of  the  French  ambassador, 
attended  by  one  hundred  persons  on  foot,  and 
about  forty  on  horseback,  armed  with  pistols,  or 
musquetoons  and  carbines.  At  three  Brahe  landed 
at  the  stairs  ;  and  the  moment  he  departed  in  one 
of  the  royal  carriages,  those  of  the  two  ambassa- 
dors started  for  the  place  of  honour.  The  oppo- 
site parties  charged  each  other  ;  the  shouts  of  the 
crowd  animated  the  combatants ;  blood  began  to 
flow,  and  more  than  fifty  j>ersons  were  killed  or 
wounded  in  this  extraordinary  fray.  The  victory 
remained  with  the  Spaniards.  The  French  coach- 
man fell  from  his  seat ;  the  horses  were  disabled, 
and  the  traces  cut.  Vatteville's  carriage  instantly 
took  the  place  of  honour  ;  its  attendants,  though 
repeatedly  charged,  gallantly  repulsed  the  assail- 
ants ;  and  the  conquerors,  as  they  passed  through 
the  streets,  were  loudly  cheered  by  the  populace 
and  the  soldiery  18.     Louis  received  the  news  with 

17  D'Estrades  assured  his  master  that  the  Spaniards  were  aided 
by  several  thousand  Englishmen.  He  can  only  mean  that  they 
encouraged  the  Spaniards  by  their  shouts. 

"  It  is  strange  to  see  how  all  the  city  did  rejoice.     And,  in- 
"  deed,  we  do  all  naturally  love  the  Spanish,  and  hate  the  French/" 


9©  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  feelings  of  grief  and  indignation,  not  that  he  la- 
,*?.',      raented  the   fate  of  those  whose  lives  had  been  so 

wantonly  sacrificed,  but  that  he  deemed  his  reputa- 
tion lowered  in  the  opinion  of  other  powers,  be- 
cause the  representative  of  a  rival  crown  had  gained 
the  superiority  in  a  senseless  and  disgraceful 
quarrel.  Without  a  moment's  hesitation  he  sent 
Fuensaldagna,  the  Spanish  minister,  out  of  his 
dominions,  demanded  ample  reparation  from  the 
court  of  Madrid,  and  refused  to  listen  to  any  ac- 
commodation, till  Philip  had  expressed  his  sorrow 
at  so  untoward  an  occurrence,  recalled  his  pugna- 
cious representative  from  London,  and  promised 
that  his  ambassadors  should  always  absent  them- 
selves from  ceremonies,  in  which  there  might  be 
danger  of  their  coining  into  competition  with  those 
of  the  French  crown  !9. 

Arrival  of      In  the   meanwhile,  the  earl  of  Sandwich  with 

the  prin- 
cess. 

Pepys,  i.  223.  I  have  taken  the  particulars  of  this  fray  from  Eve- 
lyn's official  account,  ii.  458.  Pepys,  i.  2 — 214.  Clarendon 
Papers,  iii.  Suppl.  xvii.  Rugge's  MS.  297,  and  Louis  XIV.  i. 
118. 

'9  CEuvres  de  Louis,  i.  125,  131.  Dumont,  vi.  part.  ii.  p.  403, 
4.  Para  se  abstengan  y  no  concurran  con  les  embaxadores  y 
ministros  de  V.  Majestad  en  todas  las  funciones  y  ceremonias 
publicas.  Dumont,  ibid.  This  voluntary  absence  was  explained 
by  Louis  to  be  an  acknowledgment  of  his  superior  rank ;  and  it  is 
amusing  to  observe  how  vain  he  was  of  it.  Je  ne  scais,  si  depuis 
le  commencement  de  la  monarchic  il  s'est  rien  passe  de  plus  glo- 
rieux  pour  elle  . . .  c'est  une  espece  de  hommage,  qui  ne  laisse  plus 
doubter  a  nos  ennemis  mcme,  que  notre  couronne  ne  soit  la  pre- 
miere de  toute  la  chretiente . . .  C'etoit  un  malheur  que  ce  tumulte 
de  Londres ;  ce  seroit  maintenant  un  malheur  qu'il  ne  fut  pas 
arrive,     i.  132,  130. 


CHARLES  II.  91 

the  English  fleet,  having  swept  the  Mediterranean  CHAP. 

II. 

1661. 


of  the  Turkish   corsairs,  and  made   a   bold,  but 


fruitless  attempt  on  the  shipping  behind  the  mole 

at  Algiers,  received  from  the  Portuguese  posses-  July  31* 
sion  of  Tangier,  part  of  the  marriage  portion  of     1662' 
the   infanta.     The   return    of  spring    summoned 
him    to    Lisbon,    and    Donna  Caterina,    bidding 
adieu  to  her  relatives  and  native  land,  embarked  April  13. 
on  board   his   ship,    the    destined    bride    of    the 
English  monarch20. 

To  Mrs.  Palmer  the  approaching  marriage  was 
a  subject  of  anxiety  and  distrust.  Charles,  that 
he  might  pacify  the  temper  of  his  imperious  mis- 
tress, redoubled  his  attentions.  He  generally 
dined  and  supped  at  her  house  ;  he  made  her  the 
most  costly  presents  ;  he  created  her  husband, 
against  his  will,  earl  of  Castlemain  in  Ireland, 
with  remainder  to  the  issue  male  of  the  body  of 
his  wife,  the  lady  Barbara,  and  he  solemnly  pro- 
mised, that,  instead  of  banishing  her  from  court, 
he  would  appoint  her  lady  of  the  bedchamber  to 
the  new  queen.  The  birth  of  a  son  at  Hampton- 
court  confirmed  her  influence  over  her  lover21. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  fleet  at  Spithead,  Charles  King's  he- 
quitted  the  house   of  Castlemain  to  meet  the  in-  jjer. 
fanta.     In  point  of  personal  attractions  and  fa-  May  20. 
shionable  acquirements,  she  could   not  stand  the 
competition   with    her   dazzling    and    formidable 


,0  Rennet's  Register,  .512 — 617,  6.52.     Clarendon,  165. 
»'   PepySj  i.  235,  21.3,  261,  267. 


92  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CH  AT.  rival :  yet  she  was  not  without  claims  to  heauty  ; 
.Jjj      her  good  nature  and  good  sense  gave  a  charm  to 

her  conversation,  and  the  more  she  was  known, 

the  more  she  displayed  the  amiable  qualities  of 
her  heart.  The  king  was  gratified  beyond  his 
expectations  ;  he  thought  himself  fortunate  in  the 
acquisition  of  such  a  wife,  and  so  little  did  he 
know  of  his  own  heart,  that  he  boasted  to  his 
friends  of  the  pattern  of  conjugal  fidelity  which 
he  should  thenceforth  set  to  his  court22.  The 
royal  pair  came  by  easy  journeys  to  Hampton- 
court,  and  lived  for  a  few  days  in  the  most  edify- 
ing harmony.  But  it  was  not  the  intention  of 
Charles  to  estrange  himself  from  the  company  of 
Castlemain,  nor  had  he  forgotten  the  imprudent 
promise  which  had  been  wrung  from  him  by  her 
tears.  One  day,  taking  "  the  lady  "  (such  was 
her  usual  designation)  by  the  hand,  he  presented 
her  to  the  queen  in  the  midst  of  a  brilliant  court. 
Catherine  was  able  to  subdue  her  feelings  for  the 

32  If  Hume  talk  of  "  the  homely  person"  of  Catherine,  others 
who  knew  her  better,  describe  her  differently.  Clarendon,  Contin. 
167.  Clar.  Pap.  iii.  Supplem.  xx.  Charles  himself,  in  a  letter 
to  the  chancellor,  speaks  of  her  thus:  "Her  face  is  not  so  exact 
"  as  to  be  called  a  beauty,  though  her  eyes  are  excellent  good,  and 
"  not  any  thing  on  her  face  that  in  the  least  degree  can  shoque 
"  one.  On  the  contrary,  she  has  as  much  agreeableness  in  her 
"  looks  altogether,  as  ever  I  saw  ;  and,  if  I  have  any  skill  in 
"  physiognomy,  which  I  think  I  have,  she  must  be  as  good  a 
"  woman  as  ever  was  born.  Her  conversation,  as  much  as  I  can 
"  perceive,  is  very  good  ;  for  she  has  wit  enough,  and  a  most 
"  agreeable  Voice.  You  would  much  wonder  to  see  how  well  we 
"  are  acquainted  already.  In  a  word,  I  think  myself  very  happy." 
Macpherson  Papers,  i.  22,  note. 


CHARLES  II.  93 

moment.     She  gave  to  her  rival   a  most  gracious  CHAP, 
reception:  but  in  a  few  minutes  her  eyes  were     1661 

suffused  with  tears  ;  the  blood  gushed  from  her 

nose  :  and  she  was  conveyed  in  a  fit  to  her  apart- 
ment23. By  the  king,  this  incident  was  con- 
sidered a  most  heinous  offence.  He  declared 
that  he  would  never  submit  to  the  whims  of  his 
wife  :  he  had  been  the  cause  of  Castlemain's  dis- 
grace ;  he  was  bound  in  honour  to  make  her 
reparation.  His  dissolute  companions  applauded 
his  firmness :  Ormond  and  Clarendon  ventured  to 
remonstrate  against  the  indecency  and  cruelty  of 
the  appointment.  To  their  surprise,  he  replied, 
that  whoever  should  oppose  his  design,  would 
become  the  object  of  his  everlasting  displeasure, 
and  that  they,  if  they  wished  to  please  him, 
should  employ  their  influence  to  overcome  the 
obstinacy  of  the  queen'24.  Clarendon  had  the 
meanness  to  undertake  an  office  which  he  ab- 
horred ;  but  Catherine  refused  to  listen  to  his 
advice.  Charles  at  the  same  time  subjected  her 
to  the  most  painful  mortifications.  The  Portu- 
guese ambassador  was  insulted  on  her  account ; 
her  countrywomen  were  sent  back  to  Portugal  ; 
Castlemain  was  daily  introduced  into  her  apart- 
ment, where  the  mistress  received  the  attentions 
of  the  king  and  the  courtiers,  while  the  queen 
sate  alone,  silent  and  unnoticed.  For  several 
weeks  she  maintained  the  unequal  contest :  at  last 

23  Clarendon,  168.  24  See  the  letter  of  Charles,  note  (A). 


J)4  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAT,  her  resolution  failed  :  she  consented  to  accept  the 
II. 

1661. 


services   of  her  rival,  and   even  treated  her  with 


kindness  in  private  as  well  as  public.  But  it  was 
now  too  late :  Charles  applauded  himself  for  his 
victory  over  what  he  called  her  wayward  and 
wilful  temper  ;  and  those  who  had  before  admired 
her  constancy,  pronounced  her  a  weak  and  mu- 
table woman25.  The  empire  of  Castlemain  was 
established.  She  waited,  indeed,  (for  such  was 
the  will  of  the  king,)  on  Catherine  ;  to  the  scan- 
dal of  all  good  protestants,  she  even  attended  her 
to  mass  ;  but,  on  other  occasions,  the  mistress 
proved  the  centre  of  attraction ;  the  king  was 
always  to  be  found  at  her  suppers  and  entertain- 
ments ;  officers  were  placed  and  displaced  at  her 
suggestion ;  and  she  at  last  obtained  the  higher 
rank  of  duchess  of  Cleveland  for  herself,  with 
remainder  to  Charles  and  George  Fitzroy,  her 
children  by  the  king.  Catherine,  on  the  con- 
trary, abstained  from  all  political  intrigue  ;  and, 
notwithstanding  the  prejudice  against  her  reli- 
gion, by  her  continual  study  to  please  her  hus- 
band, the  meekness  with  which  she  bore  her 
wrongs,  and  the  dignity  and  grace  with  which 
she  performed  the  duties  of  her  station,  grew 
daily  in  the  esteem  of  the  public.  Charles  him- 
self condemned,  though  he  did  not  reform,  his 
conduct,  and,  on  occasion  of  her  sickness,  dis- 
played   all   the  anxiety  and   grief  of   the    most 


95  Clar.  169—180. 


CHARLES  II.  95 

affectionate  husband.      The  physicians  had   de-  chap. 
spaired  of  her  life  ;  and  when  she  prayed  him  to     l66\^ 


allow  her  body  to  be  interred  with  the  remains  of 

her  fathers,  and  to  protect  her  native  country  °ct- 2- 
from  the  tyranny  of  Spain,  he  fell  on  his  knees, 
and  bathed  her  hands  with  his  tears.  Yet  from 
this  affecting  scene  he  repaired  immediately  to 
the  house  of  Castlemain,  and  sought  amusement 
in  the  conversation  of  a  new  mistress,  la  Belle 
Stuart,  the  daughter  of  Walter,  son  of  lord 
Blantyre26.  Catherine,  however,  recovered,  and 
the  king  pursued  his  wonted  course  of  dissipation 
and  gallantry. 

With  the  infanta,  Charles  had  received  in  money  Sale  of 
and  merchandize  a  portion  of  350,000/.  This 
sum  afforded  a  temporary  relief  to  the  needy 
monarch  ;  but  the  expenses  of  the  armament  under 
lord  Inchiquin  for  the  protection  of  Portugal,  and 
of  the  expedition  destined  to  take  possession  of 
Bombay,  soon  involved  him  in  fresh  pecuniary 
embarrassments.  The  chancellor,  to  whose  neg- 
ligence he  imputed  the  insufficient  provision  made 
for  him  by  the  convention  parliament,  saw  that, 
to  prop  up  his  declining  credit,  it  was  necessary 
to  discover  some  new  resource  ;  and  he  suggested 
to  Charles   and   the  duke    of  York,    the  sale  of 


*s  Lettres  du  comte  de  Comminges,  Pepys,  v.  App.  455,  456. 
He  was  sure  to  find  Stewart  at  Castlemain's,  for  "  il  menaca  la 
"  dame,  ou  il  soupe  tons  les  soirs,  dc  ne  mettre  jamais  le  pied 
"  chez  clle,  si  la  demoiselle  n'y  e"toit."  1.5.5.  Sec  also  the  Diary  of 
Pepya  himself,  ii.  41,  50,  61, 103,  5,  6, 116,  143,  355. 


96  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP.  Dunkirk  to  the  French  kino-.     A  few  weeks  only 


had   elapsed   since   he    had   described    in   strong 


-  colours  the  advantages  which  the  nation  derived 


May  19.  from  the  possession  of  that  sea  port :  Charles, 
however,  assented  to  the  proposal  ;  Bellings  was 
secretly  despatched  to  Paris ;  and  D'Estrades, 
who  had  been  appointed  ambassador  to  Holland, 
came  to  England,  at  the  invitation  of  the  king, 
but  under  pretence  of  private  business,  in  his  way 
to  the  Hague.  Clarendon's  first  attempt  was  to 
shift  the  responsibility  of  the  measure  from  him- 
self to  the  council ;  and  with  that  view  Charles 
mentioned  it  at  his  house  before  the  duke,  the 
treasurer,  the  lord-general,  and  the  earl  of  Sand- 
wich, who,  though  they  acknowledged  that  the 
charge  of  the  place,  amounting  to  the  annual  sum 
of  120,000/.  exceeded  its  real  value,  were  still  un- 
willing to  part  with  it,  unless  at  a  price  which 
might  justify  the  sale  in  the  eyes  of  the  public. 

Aug.  ?.  The  negociation  now  began.  Clarendon  asked 
twelve,  D'Estrades  offered  two  millions  of  livres  ; 
but  the  first  descended  by  degrees  to  seven,  the 
other  rose   to  four,  and   the   bargain  was  at  last 

Sep.  a.  concluded  for  five  millions.  Here,  however,  a 
new  difficulty  arose.  Charles  required  to  be  paid 
in  ready  money  ;  Louis  would  only  advance  two 
millions  at  once,  and  pay  the  remaining  three  by 
instalment,  in  the  course  of  two  years.  Both 
were  inflexible ;  and  D'Estrades  had  sent  his  ser- 
vants on  board  a  vessel  preparatory  to  his  depar- 
Sep.  1.5.   ture,  when  an  expedient   was  proposed   and   ac- 


CHARLES  II.  97 

cepted,  that    Louis    should   give    bills    for    the  CHAP, 
remainder,    payable    at    different    dates,    which     1662. 
Charles  might  sell  at  the  highest  price  which  he 


could  procure.  The  treaty  was  now  signed  ;  1T" 
and  the  conditions  on  both  sides  were  faithfully 
executed 27.  But  the  French  king  proved  too 
adroit  for  his  English  brother.  A  banker  from 
Paris  arrived  in  London,  and,  after  a  short  nego- 
ciation,  discounted  the  bills  at  something  more 
than  sixteen  per  cent.  But  the  man  was  in 
reality  a  secret  agent  of  the  French  cabinet ;  the 
money  which  he  paid  was  supplied  by  the  French 
treasury  ;  and  Louis,  by  this  artifice,  was  enabled 
to  buy  up  his  own  securities  at  a  profit  of  five 
hundred  thousand  livres  ~28. 

Though  Charles  and  his  minister  congratulated 
themselves  on  their  success,  they  afterwards 
looked  back  on  it  with  feelings  of  regret.  The 
sale  of  Dunkirk  had  no  small  influence  on  the 
subsequent  fortune  of  each.  The  possession  of  it 
had  flattered  the  national  pride  :  it  was  a  com- 
pensation for  the  loss  of  Calais  ;  it  might  equally 


*7  Clarendon,  in  the  continuation  of  his  own  life,  has  given  a 
detailed  account  of  this  transaction,  written  evidently  for  the  pur- 
pose of  exculpating  himself:  but  his  narrative  is  perpetually  be- 
lied by  the  original  documents  in  the  "  Lettres  d'E^trades,  279, 
"  282,  283,  421,  &c.  in  the  supplement  to  the  third  volume  of  the 
"  Clarendon  Papers,  xxi. — xxv.,  in  Combe's  Sale  of  Dunkirk, 
"  London,  1728,  and  Pepys,  ii.  369." 

38  Je  gagnai  sur  ce  marche  cinq  cent  mille  livres,  sans  que  les 
Angloiss'en  appercussent ....  le  banquier  c-toit  un  homme  interpose 
par  moi,  qui  faisant  le  paiementde  mes  propres  deniers,  ne  profi- 
toit  point  de  la  remise.     (Euvres  de  Louis  XIV.  i.  17(i. 

VOL.    XII.  II 


98  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAT,  open  a  way  into  the  territory  of  England's  most 
~~'       ancient  and  natural  enemy.    But  Charles  had  sold 

it,  not,  it  was  said,  to  defray  the  expences  of  the 

state,  but  to  satisfy  the  rapacity  of  his  mistresses, 
and  to  indulge  in  his  wonted  extravagance ;  and 
Clarendon  had  advised  the  sale,  not  through  any 
wish  to  gratify  his  sovereign,  but  in  consequence 
of  an  enormous  bribe  from  the  king  of  France. 
This  charge  was  undoubtedly  false  ;  but  the  mag- 
nificent pile  which  lie  built  for  the  residence  of 
his  family,  was  taken  as  a  proof  of  his  guilt,  and 
the  name  of  Dunkirk-house,  which  it  soon  ob- 
tained, served  to  confirm  and  perpetuate  the 
belief  of  the  people'29.  The  public  discontent 
began  to  be  openly  expressed  ;  Charles  saw  a  for- 
midable party  growing  up  against  him  ;  and 
Clarendon,  after  a  protracted  struggle,  submitted 
to  his  fate,  and  fled  to  the  continent 30. 
Disputes  We  may  now  proceed  to  an  important  and  per- 
toferatioii!  Pyxing  question,  on  which  it  was  impossible  for 
the  king  to  decide,  without  giving  offence  to  a 
considerable  portion  of  his  subjects — the  indul- 
gence to  tender  consciences,  which  he  had  pro- 
mised in  the  declaration  from  Breda.  Two  years 
had  been  suffered  to  elapse,  and  yet  he  had  done 
nothing  to  fulfil,  but  much  that  seemed  to  violate 
his  word.     The   advocates   of  intolerance   main- 


•9  Pepys,  ii.  250. 

3°  It  is  singular,  that  though  Clarendon  had  spent  so  many 
years  in  exile,  he  employed  Bellings,  throughout  the  negotiation, 
as  inte  "prater  b  itween  him  and  D'.Estrades. 


CHARLES  II.  9.') 

tained  that  he  was  no  longer  bound  by  the  decla-  CHAP, 
ration.        To   whom,   they    asked,    had    it    been     1G6'2 

made  ?     To  the  parliament  then  sitting  ?     But 

that  parliament  had  released  him  from  all  re- 
sponsibility, by  neglecting  to  remind  him  of  the 
subject.  To  the  people  at  large  ?  But  the 
people  had  transferred  their  rights  to  their  repre- 
sentatives in  the  succeeding  parliament,  and  those 
representatives  had  set  the  question  at  rest  by 
enactments  incompatible  with  such  indulgence31. 
This  sophistry,  however,  did  not  satisfy  the  royal 
mind.  Charles  thought  himself  bound  in  honour 
to  redeem  his  pledge ;  and,  anxious  as  he  was  to 
replace  the  church  on  its  former  foundation,  he 
still  deprecated  every  measure  which  savoured  of 
hardship  or  persecution  against  those  who  dis- 
sented from  it.  At  the  request  of  the  presby- 
terians,  whose  deputies  were  introduced  to  him 
by  the  lord-general,  he  promised  to  suspend  the 
execution  of  the  act  of  uniformity  for  three 
months,  provided  they  would  consent  to  read  the 
book  of  common  prayer  during  that  period.  Cla- 
rendon, though  lie  disapproved  of  the  promise, 
thought  that,  since  it  had  been  made,  it  ought  also 
to  be  observed  ;  but  the  bishops  and  their  friends 
pronounced  it  dangerous  ;  the  judges  illegal ;  and 
all  agreed  that,  in  defiance  of  the  royal  prohibi- 
tion, the  patrons  of  benefices    held   bv  non-con- 


■"   Kennet's  Reg.  650.     Address  of  ( 'ommonsj  Journals,  Feb.  27, 
1663. 

II    2 


10O  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  formists  would  present  on  the  appointed  day,  and 
!66-2.     that  their  presentations  would  be  allowed   by  the 

courts  of  law.     With  feelings  of  shame  the  king 

recalled  his  word :  the  act  came  into  force  on  the 
2<Ath  of  August,  and  two  thousand  ministers  (the 
number  is  perhaps  exaggerated,)  resigned,  or  were 

Aug.  24.  deprived.  The  whole  kingdom  resounded  with 
apologies  on  the  one  side,  and  complaints  on  the 
other.  It  was  said  that  those  who  would  not 
comply  with  the  regulations,  ought  not  to  partake 
of  the  good  things  of  the  church  ;  that  the  non- 
conformists were  previously  intruders  ;  and  that 
they  suffered  no  more  than  they  originally  in- 
flicted. It  was  replied,  that  the  established  clergy 
were  ejected  during  the  rage  of  civil  war,  the  mi- 
nisters in  a  season  of  domestic  tranquillity :  the 
former  incumbents,  by  their  hostility,  provoked  the 
resentment  of  the  ruling  power ;  the  present  by 
their  services  in  the  restoration  deserved  its  grati- 
tude :  the  crime  of  the  first  was  their  political 
conduct ;  of  the  latter  adhesion  to  the  dictates  of 
conscience :  then  a  pittance,  at  least  one-fifth  of 
the  income,  was  reserved  for  the  family  of  the 
sufferer  ;  now  he  was  turned  adrift,  with  no  other 
resource  but  the  casual  benevolence  of  the  pious 
and  the  humane  32. 

Declara-        The  king,  though  he  had  been   compelled  to 

dulgence!"  Yie^>  vet  ne^c^  nimself  bound  by  his  promise  ;  and 
this  feeling  was  kept  alive  by  repeated  petitions 


Clarendon,  156 — lco.     Kennet,  747. 


CHARLES  II. 


101 


from  the  presbyterians,  the  independents,  and  the  CHAP. 
Roman  catholics,  who  all  claimed  the  benefit  of  the     l66'2- 

declaration    from    Breda 33.       The  question   was 

again  referred  to  the  council ;  the  leading  mem- 
bers argued  against  indulgence ;  Robartes,  lord 
privy  seal,  and  Bennet,  the  new  secretary  of  state, 
in  its  favour.     The   sovereign,  they  contended, 
possessed  in  virtue  of  his  supremacy,  the  right  of 
suspending  penal  laws   in   matters  of  religion; 
James  and  Charles  had  raised  a  yearly  revenue  by 
the  sale  of  such  protections  ;  and  the  king  might 
lawfully  exercise  a  power  which  had  never  been 
denied  in  his  father  or  grandfather.     The  sug- 
gestion was  approved  ;  and  notice  of  the  royal 
intention  was  given  in  the  declaration   which  he  Dec.  6. 
published  for  the  purpose  of  refuting  "  the  four 
scandals  cast  on  the  government".     J°.  There- 
publicans  feared,  and  the  discontented  maintained, 
that  the  act  of  indemnity  had  been  passed  merely 
as  a  temporary  measure,  and  that  it  was  still  in- 
tended to  sacrifice,  to  the  revenge  and  rapacity  of 
the  royalists,  the  lives  and  fortunes  of  those  who 
had  served   the  protector  or  the  commonwealth. 
To  this  "  scandal "  the  king  replied  by  promising 
that,  as  he  had  freely  confirmed,  so  he  would  most 

33  Both  independents  and  presbyterians  were  true  to  their  prin- 
ciples. The  independents  sought  to  obtain  indulgence  for  all, 
catholics  as  well  as  others :  the  presbyterians  could  not  in  con- 
science concur  in  favour  of  the  catholics,  though  they  would  not 
oppose  them.  The  king  might  do  as  he  pleased,  but  they  would 
not  advise  him,  or  encourage  him  to  do  it.  Baxter's  Life,  part  ii. 
p.  129. 


»02  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 


(HAT.  religiously  observe,  every  provision  in  the  act. 
1662.     2°.  The  successive  revolutions  of  the  last  twenty 

years  had  taught  men  to  doubt  the  stability  even 

of  the  present  government.  It  was  the  conviction 
of  the  royal  brothers  that,  if  at  the  commencement 
of  the  civil  war,  their  father  had  possessed  a  small 
regular  force,  he  might  at  once  have  put  down 
his  opponents  ;  and  under  this  notion,  when  the 
army  was  disbanded,  they  retained  in  pay  two  or 
three  regiments,  with  three  troops  of  horse  guards. 
The  whole  establishment  did  not  amount  to  five 
thousand  men  °4.  Yet  this  force,  small  as  it  was, 
excited  alarm.  It  might  be  augmented,  and  em- 
ployed not  to  suppress  insurrection,  but  to  sub- 
vert the  national  liberties.  Most  of  the  nations 
on  the  continent  had  been  originally  free :  it  was 
by  the  institution  of  standing  armies  that  they 
had  been  enslaved  by  despotic  monarchs.  Charles 
defended  his  conduct  on  the  ground  of  necessity. 
While  so  many  factious  spirits  were  employed  in 
agitating  the  public  mind,  neither  the  person  of 
the  sovereign  nor  the  freedom  of  the  parliament, 


34  July  4,  1663.  "  I  saw  his  majesty's  guards,  being  of  horse 
"  and  foot  4000,  led  by  the  general  the  duke  of  Albermarle,  in 
"extraordinary  equipage  and  gallantry,  consisting  of  gentlemen 
"  of  quality  and  veteran  soldiers,  excellently  clad,  mounted  and 
"  ordered,  drawn  up  in  battalia  before  their  majties  in  Hide- 
"  park,  where  the  old  earle  of  Cleveland  trail'd  a  pike,  and  led  the 
"  right-hand  file  in  a  foote  company,  commanded  by  the  lord 
"  Wentworth  his  son,  a  worthy  spectacle  and  example,  being  both 
"  of  them  old  and  valiant  soldiers".  Evelyn,  ii.  202.  See  also 
the  Travels  of  Cosmo^  iii.  306. 


CHARLES  II.  103 

could  be  secure  without  an  armed  force.     Of  this  CHAP, 
proof  had  been   furnished    by    the    insurrection     1662. 

under  Vernier.     But  let   the   laws   resume   their 

former  empire,  let  the  discontented  abandon  their 
rebellious  designs,  and  he  would  reduce  that  force 
to  the  smallest  number  consistent  with  the  dignity 
of  the  crown  ;  for  he  would  not  yield  to  the  most 
liberal  among  his  subjects  in  his  detestation  of 
military  and  arbitrary  rule.  3°.  By  many  it  was 
said  that  the  act  of  uniformity  proved  him  to  be 
a  faithless  unprincipled  persecutor.  He  denied 
the  charge.  He  had,  in  the  first  place,  as  in  duty 
bound,  provided  by  the  act  of  uniformity  for  the 
settlement  of  the  church  ;  it  was  his  intention,  in 
the  next  place,  to  fulfil  his  promise  of  securing 
case  to  those  who,  through  the  scruples  of  a  mis- 
guided conscience,  refused  to  conform.  For  this 
purpose,  he  would  make  it  his  special  care  to 
solicit  from  parliament  an  act  enabling  him  "  to 
"  exercise  with  more  universal  satisfaction  that 
"  power  of  dispensing,  which  he  conceived  to 
"  be  inherent  in  the  crown."  Nor  did  he 
doubt  of  the  concurrence  of  the  two  houses. 
It  was  a  measure  to  which  he  was  pledged  by  his 
declaration  from  Breda,  and  without  which  it 
was  unreasonable  to  expect  the  restoration  of 
public  tranquillity.  4°.  But  the  most  pernicious 
scandal  remained,  that-  the  king  was  a  favourer 
of  popery.  This  was  the  artifice  by  which  so 
many  well-meaning  protestants  had  been  seduced 
to  bear  arms  against  his  father,  and  his  enemies 


104  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  had  recourse  to  it  at  the  present  time  with  inten- 
1662.  tions  equally  disloyal.  Of  his  firm  adhesion  to 
the  true  protestant  religion  he  had  given  convinc- 
ing proofs  under  the  most  trying  circumstances. 
Yet  he  could  not  but  know  that  the  greater  part 
of  the  English  catholics  had  adhered,  at  the  risk 
of  their  lives  and  fortunes,  to  the  cause  of  the 
crown,  and  consequently  of  the  church,  against 
those,  who  under  the  name  of  protestants,  em- 
ployed fire  and  sword  for  the  subversion  of  both ; 
and  therefore  he  openly  avowed  that  he  did  not 
mean  to  exclude  catholics  from  some  share  of  that 
indulgence  which  he  had  promised  to  tender  con- 
sciences. It  would  be  unjust  to  refuse  to  those  who 
had  deserved  well,  the  boon  which  was  granted 
to  those  who  had  not;  and  the  laws  against 
catholics  were  so  rigorous,  so  sanguinary,  that  to 
execute  them  would  be  to  do  violence  to  his 
nature.  Let  them  not,  however,  presume  so 
much  on  his  goodness,  as  to  look  for  toleration, 
or  to  scandalize  protestants  by  the  open  practice 
of  their  worship  ;  otherwise  they  would  find  that 
he  knew  as  well  how  to  be  severe  when  wisdom 
required  it,  as  indulgent  when  charity  and  a 
sense  of  merit  claimed  indulgence  from  him  35. 
Disap-  But  these  were  doctrines  ill-adapted  to  the 
both1  y  intolerant  notions  of  the  age.  The  declaration, 
houses,  instead  of  making  proselytes,  was  received  by 
the  majority  of  the  people   with  distrust  of  the 

35  See  the  Declaration  in  Kennet,  Rcgist.  848 — 91. 


CHARLES  II.  105 

motives,  and   a   resolution   of  withstanding  the  CHAP, 
wishes,    of  the  king.     They  could   not    compre-     166'3 


hend  how  an  attachment  to  the  interests  of  pro 

testantism  could  exist  with  a  willingness  to  grant 
any   portion   of   indulgence    to    catholics  :    they 
recalled  to  mind  the  former  reports  of  the  king's 
apostacy,  which  had  been  circulated  by  the  policy 
of  his  enemies  during    the    commonwealth,  and 
they  openly  asserted  that  he  cared  little  for  the 
sufferings  of  the  dissenters,  but  merely  sought, 
under  the  pretence  of  relieving  them,  to  extend 
the  same  benefit  to  the  papists.     Charles,  at  the  Feb.  18. 
opening   of   the   next   session,    condescended    to 
vindicate  himself  from  these  aspersions,  and,  in 
proof  of  his  own  orthodoxy,  demanded  the  enact- 
ment of  new  laws  to  check  the  progress  of  popery 
But  with  respect  to  the  dissenters,  he  represented 
it  desirable  that  the  crown  were  vested  with  the 
power  of  extending  indulgence  to  the  peaceable 
among  them,  in  circumstances  when  they  might 
otherwise  be  tempted  to  expatriate  themselves,  or 
to  conspire  against  the  state.    In  accordance  with  Feb.  23. 
the   sentiments  of  the   sovereign,  the  lord  privy 
seal,  aided  by  lord  Ashley,  brought  into  the  upper 
house  a  bill  enabling  the  king  to  dispense  at  his 
discretion  with  the  laws  and  statutes,  requiring 
oaths,  or  subscriptions,  or  obedience  to  the  doc- 
trine  and   discipline    of   the    established   church. 
Both   houses  were  immediately  in  a  flame.     The 
lower,  though  the  bill  was  not  before  it,  presented  Feb.  27. 
to  the  king  an  address,  in  which,  having  thanked 


H)6  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  him  for  the  other  parts  of  the  declaration,  they 
*}'      contended  that  the  indulgence  which  was  sought, 

would   amount    to    the    legal    establishment    of 

schism,  would  expose  his  majesty  to  the  ceaseless 
importunities  of  the  dissenters,  would  lead  to  the 
multiplication  of  sects  and  sectaries,  and,  ending 
in  universal  toleration,  would  produce  disturbance 
instead  of  tranquillity,  because  men  of  every 
religious  persuasion  form  a  distinct  party,  pur- 
suing their  peculiar  interests,  and  acting  in  accord- 
ance with  their  peculiar  prepossessions.  In  the 
higher  house,  the  lord-treasurer  placed  himself  at 

March  5.  the  head  of  the  opposition  :  during  the  first  day's 
debate  he  was  zealously  supported  by  the  bishops  : 

March  12.  on  the  second  day  the  chancellor,  though  confined 
by  a  severe  fit  of  the  gout,  left  his  room  to  lend  his 
powerful  aid  to  the  cause  of  the  church,  and,  in 
the  vehemence  of  his  zeal,  indulged  in  a  severity 
of  language  highly  offensive  to  the  sovereign. 
Their  efforts  succeeded ;  the  house  passed  to  a 
different  subject ;  and  the  bill  was  suffered  to 
remain  unnoticed  on  the  table  ;36.  Though  Charles 
appeared  to  bear  with  composure  the  loss  of  this 
his  favourite  measure,  he  felt  the  disappointment 
keenly ;  and  expressed  his  opinion  to  Clarendon 
with  a  warmth  which  surprised  and  terrified  the 
minister.  From  that  day  it  became  manifest  that 
neither  Clarendon  nor  Southampton  possessed  his 
former    credit    with    the   sovereign.     As    to    the 

*  C.  Journals,  Feb.  27,  28.     L.  Jouin.  xi.  178,  82,  6,91, 


CHARLES  II.  107 

bishops,  Charles  hesitated  not  to  charge  them  with  C  HAP. 
ingratitude  and  bigotry.     It  was,  he  said,  to  his     16ti'3, 


promise  from  Breda  that  they  owed  their  restora 

tion  to  power,  and  now  they  employed  that  power 
to  prevent  him  from  fulfilling  his  promise.  It 
was,  the  intolerance  of  the  prelates  under  his 
father  which  led  to  the  destruction  of  prelacy,  and 
now,  as  soon  as  they  were  replaced  in  their  former 
situation,  they  reverted  to  the  practice  of  into- 
lerance. His  carriage  altered  with  his  sentiments. 
Hitherto  he  had  been  accustomed  to  receive  and 
treat  them  with  the  most  marked  respect.  But 
henceforth  he  was  careful  to  show  bv  his  manner 
that  he  held  them  in  no  esteem  ;  and  the  courtiers, 
aware  of  the  change  in  the  royal  mind,  turned 
their  persons  and  their  sermons  into  subjects  of 
sarcasm  and  ridicule  !". 

The  king  was,  however,  doomed  to  drink  more 
deeply  of  the  cup  of  mortification.     He  had  asked 
permission  to  shelter  the  catholics,  who  had  served 
the  royal  cause,  from  the  extreme  severity  of  the  March  31. 
penal  statutes,   and  in    return    both  houses  pre- 
sented to  him  an  address  for  a  proclamation  order- 
ing all  catholic  priests  to  quit  the  kingdom,  under  April  2. 
the  penalty  of  death.     After  a   faint  struggle  he 
acquiesced.     The  champions  of  orthodoxy  followed 
up  their   success  ;  and,   affecting  to  comply  with 
the   royal  recommendation,  introduced   a    bill   to  April  27. 
check  the  growth  of  popery,  but  coupled  with  it 

j7  Clarendon,  21j — y.     Lite  of  James,  i.  1  iS. 


108 


HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 


1664. 


July  25. 


Conventi 

cle  act. 


CHAP,  another  to  arrest  the  diffusion  of  non-conformity. 
Both  passed  with  rapidity  through  the  house  of 
commons  ;  but  in  the  house  of  lords  their  progress 
was  continually  impeded  by  the  objections  of  the 
presbyterian  and  catholic  peers  ;  and  their  patrons, 
at  the  close  of  the  session,  substituted  in  their 
place  an  address  to  the  king,  to  put  in  execution 
all  the  penal  laws  against  catholics,  dissenters  and 
sectaries  of  every  description 38. 

In  the  summer,  the  cause  of  intolerance  ac- 
quired additional  strength  from  a  partial  rising  of 
enthusiasts  in  the  northern  counties.  The  govern- 
ment had  been  apprized  of  their  intentions  :  the 
duke  of  Buckingham,  in  quality  of  the  king's 
lieutenant,  proceeded  with  a  detachment  of  guards 
to  York,  and  summoned  the  militia ;  and  about 
fifty  persons  were  arrested  in  Yorkshire  and 
Westmoreland,  of  whom  several  paid  the  forfeit 
of  their  folly  with  their  lives.  From  their  situa- 
tion in  life  it  was  plain  that  they  acted  under  the 
secret  guidance  of  others.  Some  professed  the 
doctrines  of  the  fifth-monarchy  men  :  others  jus- 
tified themselves  on  the  plea  that  the  parliament 
had  sitten  more  than  three  years,  and  that  by  the 
triennial  act,  passed  in  the  16th  of  Charles  I.,  in 
default  of  writs  issued  by  the  king,  they  were 
permitted  to  assemble  of  themselves  for  the  choice 
of  new  members.  When  Charles  opened  the 
next  session  he  embraced  the  opportunity  to  sug- 


Oct. 


1664. 
March  16 


38  L.  Jouru.  xi.  5.58,  578.     C.  Journ.  Ap.  27;,  May  30. 


CHARLES  II.  109 

gest  the  repeal  of  an  act  which  thus  furnished  a  chap. 
plea  for  seditious   meetings,  while  the  patrons  of     1664. 

intolerance  drew  from  the  insurrection  a  new  ar- 

gument  in  favour  of  additional  severities  for  the 
suppression  of  religious  dissent.  A  compromise  April  5. 
took  place.  It  was  indeed,  enacted  that  parlia- 
ment should  never  be  discontinued  for  more  than 
three  years  ;  but,  to  satisfy  the  king,  all  the 
compulsory  clauses  of  the  triennial  act,  which 
directed  the  keeper  of  the  great  seal  to  issue 
writs,  and  the  sheriffs  to  hold  elections,  in  de- 
fiance of  the  royal  pleasure,  were  repealed  ;  and, 
on  the  other  hand,  Charles  reluctantly  gave  his 
consent  to  the  conventicle  act,  which,  it  was 
hoped,  would  extinguish  every  form  of  heterodox 
worship.  All  meetings  of  more  than  five  indi-  May  16. 
viduals,  besides  those  of  the  family,  for  any  reli- 
gious purpose  not  according  to  the  Book  of  Com- 
mon Prayer,  were  declared  seditious  and  unlaw- 
ful conventicles :  and  it  was  enacted  that  the 
punishment  of  attendance  at  such  meeting  by  any 
person  above  sixteen  years  of  age  should  be,  for 
the  first  offence,  a  fine  of  five  pounds,  or  impri- 
sonment during  three  months  ;  for  the  second,  a 
fine  of  ten  pounds,  or  imprisonment  during  six 
months ;  for  the  third,  a  fine  of  one  hundred 
pounds,  or  transportation  for  seven  years  ;  and 
that,  if  the  conscience  of  the  offender  led  him  to 
transgress  the  law  more  than  thrice,  the  fine  at 
each  repetition  of  the  offence  should  be  aug- 
mented   by    the   additional   sum  of  one   hundred 


HO  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  pounds19.    This  act,  so  intolerant  in  its  principle, 
iggI.     all(l  so  penal  in  its  consequences,  was  immediately 

enforced  :  it  equally  affected  catholics  and  every 

denomination  of  dissenters  ;  but  it  was  felt  the 
most  severely  by  the  quakers,  because,  while 
others,  when  they  met  for  the  purpose  of  wor- 
ship, sought  to  elude  detection,  these  religionists, 
under  the  guidance,  as  they  thought,  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,  deemed  it  their  duty  to  assemble 
openly,  and  to  set  at  defiance  the  law  of  man. 
To  describe  the  numerous  and  vexatious  informa- 
tions, prosecutions,  fines  and  imprisonments 
which  followed,  would  only  fatigue  the  patience 
and  pain  the  feelings  of  the  reader.  I  may,  how- 
ever, observe  that  the  world  had  seldom  witnessed 
a  more  flagrant  violation  of  a  most  solemn  en- 
gagement. Toleration  had  been  offered  and  was 
accepted,  the    king  had   been    restored,  and   the 


39  Miscel.  Aul.  316,  19,  30.  L.  Journ.  620.  C.  Journ.  Ap.  28  ; 
May  12,  14, 16.  St.  16.  Car.  11,  c.  i.4.  Pepys,  ii.  172.  The  con- 
venticle act  was  limited  as  an  experiment,  to  the  duration  of  three 
years.  Of  the  tricks  sometimes  employed  in  parliament  at  these 
periods  the  reader  may  form  some  notion  from  the  following  in- 
stances :  on  the  last  day  of  the  preceding  session  a  bill  for  the 
better  observance  of  the  sabbath  was  stolen  off  the  table,  and 
when  the  king  came  to  give  the  royal  assent,  was  not  to  be  found. 
Of  course  it  did  not  pass  into  an  act.  In  like  manner,  on  the  last 
day  of  the  present  session,  a  proviso  to  the  conventicle  act  res- 
pecting the  quakers  was  also  stolen  :  bnt  the  former  accident  had 
awakened  the  vigilance  of  the  clerk,  and  he  discovered  the  theft 
in  time  to  provide  another  copy  of  the  proviso,  and  to  have  it 
passed  through  both  houses  before  the  king's  arrival.  L.  Journ. 
xi.  577,  619,  20. 


CHAHLES    II.  HI 

church  re-established;  and  now,  that  the  price  chap. 

II. 

1664. 


was  paid,  the  benefit  was  withheld  ;  and,  instead 


of  the   indulgence  promised  in  the  contract,   was 

substituted  a  system  of  penalties  and  persecution. 
The  blame,  however,  ought  not  to  rest  with  the 
king.  He  did  his  best  to  fulfil  his  word.  But 
the  benevolent  intentions  of  the  monarch  were 
opposed  by  the  most  powerful  of  his  ministers  ; 
and  the  bigotry  of  these  ministers  was  sanctioned 
by  the  prejudices  and  resentments  of  the  parlia- 
ment. 

Charles  had  now  reigned  four  years,  respected  Com- 
and  courted  by  his  neighbours :  in  an  evil  hour  Lainst 
he  was  persuaded,  against  his  better  judgment,  totheDutch* 
unsheath  the  sword,  and  to  encounter  the  uncer- 
tain chances  of  war.  He  had  formed  a  correct 
notion  of  the  importance  of  commerce  to  the  in- 
terests of  his  kingdom,  and  was  encouraged  and 
seconded  by  his  brother  James,  in  his  attempts 
to  improve  and  extend  the  foreign  trade  of  the 
English  merchants.  With  this  view,  the  African 
company  had  been  established  by  charter ;  the 
duke  accepted  the  office  of  governor  ;  and  the 
committee  of  management,  of  which  he  was 
chairman,  constantly  met  in  his  apartments  at 
Whitehall.  The  company  flourished  ;  they  im- 
ported gold  dust  from  the  coast  of  Guinea,  and 
supplied,  at  a  great  profit,  the  West  India  planters 
with  slaves  ;  but  they  met  with  formidable  rivals 
in  the  Dutch  traders,  who,  during  the  civil  war, 
had    erected    several     forts    along     the     coast    of* 


1  vl  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

C  II A  P.    Africa,   and   now  employed  their  superior  power 
iggI.      and  influence  to  thwart  the  efforts,  and  arrest  the 

progress  of  the  English  intruders.     The  African 

company  complained ;  their  complaints  were 
echoed  by  the  East  India  company,  whose  com- 
merce was  exposed  to  similar  impediments  and 
injuries ;  and  the  merchants  in  the  city  called 
aloud  for  war,  to  protect  their  interests,  and  curb 
the  insolence  of  the  Hollanders.  James  advocated 
their  cause  with  his  brother.  Such,  he  main- 
tained, was  the  commercial  rivalry  between  the 
two  nations,  that  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  war 
would  inevitably  ensue.  But  then  it  would  be 
too  late.  Now  was  the  proper  time,  before  the 
race  of  naval  commanders,  formed  during  the 
commonwealth,  should  become  extinct.  But 
Charles  (and  he  was  supported  by  Clarendon) 
rejected  the  advice.  He  had  learned  wisdom 
from  the  history  of  his  father  and  his  grand- 
father. They  had  been  driven  into  war  by  the 
clamour  of  the  nation ;  and  the  charges  of  war, 
in  a  short  time,  rendered  them  dependent  on  the 
will  of  the  popular  leaders  in  parliament 40. 

Contrast        There  was  at  this  time  a  marked  contrast  be- 

theldng    tween    the    characters    of    the    royal    brothers. 

and  his  Charles,  though  oppressed  with  debt,  scattered 
his  money  heedlessly  and  profusely ;  James  was 
careful  to  measure  his  expenses  by  the  amount  of 
his  income.     The  king  seemed  to  make  gallantry 

*'  Clarendon,,  196— 201.     PepyS/ii.  173. 


CHARLES  II. 


113 


the  chief  occupation   of  life ;    the   duke  to  look  CHAP. 

,  II. 

upon  it  as   an   amusement ;  and,  while  the  one     i664. 

daily  spent  his  time,   "  sauntering "  in  the  com- ■ 

pany  of  his  mistresses,  the  other  attended  to  his 
duties  in  the  admiralty  with  the  exactitude  of  the 
meanest  clerk  on  the  establishment.  In  point  of 
abilities,  Charles  was  considered  superior  ;  but  he 
wanted  strength  of  mind  to  refuse  an  importu- 
nate suitor,  or  to  resist  the  raillery  and  sarcasm 
of  those  whom  he  made  his  companions.  James, 
with  a  judgment  less  correct,  and  with  knowledge 
less  extensive,  formed  his  resolutions  with  slow- 
ness, but  adhered  to  them  with  obstinacy.  His 
word  was  esteemed  sacred ;  his  friends  relied 
with  confidence  on  his  support,  whatever  sacri- 
fice it  might  cost  him  ;  and  his  enemies  knew 
that,  till  he  had  brought  them  on  their  knees,  he 
would  never  forgive  their  offences.  Yet  no  di- 
versity of  temper  or  opinion  could  diminish  the 
affection  of  the  two  brothers.  James  was  the 
most  dutiful  of  subjects  ;  and,  however  he  might 
disapprove  the  judgment,  he  always  concurred 
in  seconding  the  will,  of  the  sovereign.  He  was 
easy  of  access,  and  affable  in  discourse  ;  but  his 
constant  attention  to  preserve  the  dignity  of  his 
rank,  gave  to  his  manner  a  stateliness  and  distance 
repulsive  of  that  freedom  and  familiarity  which 
the  laughter-loving  king  indulged  in  the  asso- 
ciates of  his  pleasures.  In  private  life  the  duke 
was  loved  by  few,  but  feared  or  respected  by  all : 
in  public,  his  industry  was  the  theme  of  com- 
VOL.    XII.  I 


lit  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  inendation  ;  and  the  fame  which  he  had  acquired 
II. 

16(51 


in  the  French  army,  was  taken  as  an  earnest  of 


his  future  military  prowess 


41 


Address  of  Qn  j-ne  iast  meeting  of  parliament,  the  corn- 
houses,  plaints  of  the  merchants  were  heard  before  a 
March  21.  committee  of  the  lower  house.  They  contended 
that  the  treaty  concluded  by  the  Dutch  with 
Cromwell,  and  since  renewed  by  them  with  the 
king,  was  not  yet  executed  ;  that  the  injuries  sus- 
tained by  the  English  traders  had  not  been  re- 
dressed, nor  the  island  of  Pulo  Ron  restored ; 
that  English  ships  were  still  seized  and  con- 
demned under  frivolous  pretences ;  that  the 
natives  of  Africa  and  the  Indies  were  frequently 
induced  by  promises  and  bribes  to  demolish  the 
English  factories ;  that  the  Dutch,  by  proclaim- 
ing fictitious  wars,  and  establishing  pretended 
blockades,  assumed  the  right  of  excluding  their 
rivals  from  the  most  frequented  ports,  and  the 
most  valuable  sources  of  profit ;  and  that  the 
losses  of  the  English  merchants  amounted,  on  a 
moderate  calculation,  to  the  enormous  sum  of 
seven  or  eight  hundred  thousand  pounds  42.  The 
committee  decided  in  favour  of  the  complainants  ; 
Clifford,  the  chairman,  supported  their  cause  with 
considerable  warmth,  and  Downing  added  the 
weight  of  his  authority,  derived  from   the   office 


4'  Sheffield,  duke  of  Buckingham,  ii.  78.     Mem.  de  Grammont, 
i.  141.  Burnet,  i.  287.     Pepys,  ii.  143,  188. 
4*  L.  Journ.  xi.  599,  620,  626. 


CHARLES    II.  n- 

which  he  held  as  English  resident  at  the  Hague,  CHAP. 

II 
both  for  the  protector  and  the  king.      He  was  a     166^ 

bold,  rapacious,  and  unprincipled  man,  who  under 

Cromwell  had  extorted  by  menaces  considerable 
sums,  in  the  form  of  presents,  from  the  Dutch 
merchants,  and  who  now,  by  the  violence  of  his 
speeches  in  parliament,  and  afterwards  by  the 
haughtiness  of  his  carriage  to  the  States,  pro- 
voked a  suspicion  that  he  looked  forward  to  a 
similar  termination  of  the  existing  quarrel.  The 
commons  voted  an  address,  in  which  they  peti-  April  21. 
tioned  the  king  to  take  an  effectual  course  for  the 
speedy  redress  of  these  injuries,  with  a  promise 
to  stand  by  him,  with  their  lives  and  fortunes, 
against  all  opposition  :  the  lords  concurred  ;  and 
Charles  replied,  that  he  would  demand  justice  by  APril  29. 
his  ambassador,  and,  in  case  of  denial,  would  rely 
on  the  offer  which  they  had  made  him.  Still,  to 
dispassionate  observers,  it  appeared  that,  with  a 
little  conciliation  on  either  part,  the  quarrel  might 
be  amicably  adjusted.  But  Charles  no  longer 
listened  to  the  suggestions  of  prudence  :  he  found 
that  by  acceding  to  the  popular  wish,  he  might 
gratify  his  personal  resentments  against  the  Lou- 
vestein  faction,  which  had  long  ruled  the  destinies 
of  the  republic.  That  faction  had  heaped  in- 
dignities on  him  during  his  exile,  had  stripped 
the  house  of  Orange,  of  which  his  nephew  was 
the  head,  of  its  ancient  dignities,  and  what  was 
perhaps  a  more  unpardonable  offence,  had  suffered 
caricatures     to   be   published   in   ridicule   of    his 

1  2 


n6 

CHAP. 

il. 
1664- 


Hostili- 
ties com- 
menced. 


1664. 
Feb. 


HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

apathy,  his  amours,  and  his  indigence'13.  On  the 
other  hand,  De  Witt,  who  was  acknowledged  as 
the  Louvestein  leader,  felt  no  disposition  to  make 
any  concession  to  the  menaces  of  a  rival  nation. 
He  was  resolved  to  maintain  the  commercial  su- 
periority of  his  countrymen  ;  he  considered  the 
Dutch  navy  as  a  match  for  that  of  England,  and, 
by  a  defensive  alliance,  he  had  already  secured 
the  assistance  of  France.  By  some  it  was 
thought  that  the  obstinacy  of  the  States  had  been 
supported  by  the  intrigues  of  Louis.  But  the 
contrary  was  the  fact.  For  it  suited  not  the 
interests  of  that  prince  to  provoke  or  foment  a 
quarrel,  which  must  involve  him  in  a  war  with 
England,  at  a  time  when  he  meditated  hostilities 
against  Spain  4\ 

In  the  mean  while  the  African  company  had 
despatched  sir  Robert  Holmes,  with  a  few  small 
ships  of  war,  to  recover  the  castle  of  Cape  Corse, 
of  which  they  had  been  dispossessed  by  their  rivals. 
In  searching  a  Dutch  vessel.,  he  discovered  certain 
documents  respecting  Valkenberg,  the  Dutch  go- 
vernor, and  the  hostile  tenor  of  these  papers  in- 
duced him  to  exceed  his  own  commission,  and  to 
assume  offensive  operations  45.     He  compelled  the 

43  Pepys,  ii.  125. 

44  L.  Journ.  600,  3.  Com.  Journ.  Ap.  21,  29.  Temple,  i.305,  7. 
Louis  ii.  5.     De  Clerc,  ii.  62.     Basnage,  711. 

^  The  king  of  Fantine  had  been  supplied  with  money  and 
ammunition  to  induce  him  to  attack  the  English  fort  at  Cor- 
mantine.  The  Dutch  denied  the  charge,  but  Charles  replied, 
ee  that  he  has  as  full  evidence  of  it,  as  he  can  have  that  there  is 
"  such  a  fort".  L.  Journ.  xi.  627. 


CHARLES    II.  1]7 

forts  on  Goree  to  surrender,  reduced  the  castle  of  CHAP. 
Cape  Corse,  destroyed    several    factories    on   the      166^ 

coast,  and  then  stretched  across  the  Atlantic  to  the 

settlement  of  New  Amsterdam,  originally  an  Eng- 
lish colony,  and  lately  recovered  by  sir  Richard 
Nicholas,  who,  in  honour  of  the  duke,  his  patron, 
had  given  to  it  the  name  of  New  York  4G.  On  the 
first  intelligence  of  these  proceedings,  the  Dutch 
ambassador  presented  an  energetic  remonstrance 
to  the  king,  who  replied,  that  the  expedition  had 
been  sent  out  by  the  private  authority  of  the  com- 
pany, that  Holmes  should  be  put  on  his  trial  at 
his  return,  and  that  strict  justice  should  be  mea- 
sured out  to  all  the  parties  concerned  47.  With 
this  assurance  the  States-general  were  satisfied  ; 
but  De  Witt  refused  to  sit  down  tamely  under  the 
affront.  By  his  intrigues  with  the  States  of  Hol- 
land, he  procured  an  order,  loosely  and  ambigu- 
ously worded,  to  pass  through  the  States-general,  July  31- 
and  this,  with  a  secret  explanation,  was  forwarded 
to  De  Ruyter,  the  commander  of  the  Dutch  squad- 
ron in  the  Mediterranean.  He  had  been  sent 
there  to  cruize  against  the  Turkish  corsairs,  in 
company  with  Lawson,  the  English  admiral  ;  but 
now,  pretending  that  he  had  orders  to  destroy  a 


«•  Charles  granted  this  tract  of  land  to  his  brother,  12th  March, 
1664.  Sir  Richard  Nicholas  was  groom  of  the  bed-chamber  to 
the  duke  of  York.  Life  of  James,  i.  400.  Dalrymple,  ii.  App.  27. 
By  mistake  he  has  printed  the  letter  with  the  date  of  1669. 

4?  Holmes,  on  his  return,  was  committed  to  the  Tower,  but 
cleared  himself  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  king.  Heath,  Contin. 
?32.     Pepys,  ii.  23.5. 


118  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  squadron  of  pirates  at  the  Canaries,  he  separated 
1(J(J4.     from  his  allies,  retaliated  on  the  English,  along  the 


coast  of  Africa,  the  injuries  which  they  had  in- 

eP'        flicted  on  his  countrymen,  and,  crossing  to   the 
1665      West  India  islands,  captured  above  twenty  sail  of 
April.     English   merchantmen.     Lawson,   through   want 
of  instructions,  did  not  follow  De  Ruyter,  but  he 
was  careful  to   inform   the  duke   of  York  of  his 
probable  destination  ;  and,  by  order  of  that  prince, 
two  English   fleets  swept  the  narrow  seas  of  the 
Dutch  traders,  which,  to  the  number  of  one  hundred 
and  thirty  sail,  were  carefully  guarded  in  the  Eng- 
lish ports,  as  a  fund  of  indemnification  to  the  suf- 
ferers from  the  expedition  under  De  Ruyter  48. 
Supply  Charles,  however,  before  he  would  rush  blindly 

voted.  . 

into  the  contest,  determined  to  secure  a  provision 
of  money  adequate  to  the  undertaking.  The 
charge  of  the  war  was  calculated  at  two  millions 
and  a  half,  a  sum  unprecedented  in  the  annals  of 
English  finance  :  but  the  passions  of  the  people 
were  roused,  and  the  council  had  the  art  to  remove 
from  themselves  the  odium  of  the  demand.  By 
Nov.  25.    their    secret   persuasion,    sir    Richard  Paston,    a 


*3  Life  of  James,  i.  403.  Clarendon,  225,  227.  Le  Clerc.  ii. 
65,  67.  Basnage,  714.  His  majesty's  Narrative  in  Lords'  Joum. 
ii.  275.  The  complaint  of  Charles  in  this  narrative  is  confirmed 
by  D'Estrades,  who  attributes  the  war  to  the  expedition  of  Ruyter 
in  obedience  to  the  order  of  De  Witt,  "  sans  attendre  selon  la  dis- 
''  position  du  14  article  de  1662  que  le  terme  d'un  (an)  fut  passe, 
"  pendant  lequel  le  Roi  de  la  Grande  Bretagne  devoit  fairc  reparer 
"  l'enterprise  du  chevalier  Holmes".  D'Estrades.,  iv.315.  "  In- 
•"  tra  anni  spatium  ".     Dumont,  vi.  par.  ii.  p.  i'2i. 


CHARLES   II. 


H9 


country  gentlemen  of  independent  fortune,  brought  CHAP, 
forward  the  proposition  in  the  house  of  commons  ;     166'5m 

and  when,  to  carry  on  the  deception,  a  known  de 

pendent  of  the  ministers  rose  to  suggest  a  smaller 
sum,  he  was  eagerly  interrupted  by  two  members, 
supposed  to  have  no  connection  with  the  court. 
The  artifice  escaped  notice,  and  the  original  motion 
was  carried,  after  an  animated  debate,  by  a  ma- 
jority of  seventy  voices.  The  lords  assented,  and  Feb.  22. 
the  king  issued  a  declaration  of  war  49. 

The  provisions  of  this  money-bill  deserve  the  New  "ie" 
reader's  attention,  because  they  put  an  end  to  the  taxation. 
ancient  system  of  taxation,  and  effected  a  con- 
siderable change  in  the  acknowledged  immunities 
of  the  clergy.  1°.  He  is  aware  that,  from  the 
commencement  of  the  contest  between  Charles  I. 
and  his  parliament,  down  to  the  restoration  of  his 
son,  the  manner  of  raising  supplies  by  grants  of 
subsidies,  tenths  and  fifteenths  had  been  abandoned, 
for  the  more  certain  and  less  cumbrous  expedient 
of  levying  monthly  assessments  on  the  several 
counties.  The  ministers  of  Charles  were  not 
ignorant  of  the  superior  merit  of  the  new  plan ; 
but,  as  it  was  originally  a  revolutionary  measure 
and  had  excited  the  complaints  of  the  people,  they 
had   deemed  it  prudent,   in   a  former   session,    to 


49  Com.  Journ.  Nov.  25 — Feb.  3.  Lords'  Journ.  xi.  654.  Cla- 
rendon, as  usual,  will  appear  inaccurate,  if  lie  be  compared  with 
the  journals.  See  Clar.  228 — 231.  Pepys  tells  us  that,  in  fram- 
ing the  estimates,  the  Admiralty  studied  to  make  the  charges  of 
the  last  year  as  high  as  possible,  ii.  228. 


1:0  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  revert    to  the  old  monarchical   model.     The  ex- 
ic(j5.     periment,  however,  failed  ;  the  four  last  subsidies 

had  not  raised  more  than  one   half  of  the  sum  at 

which  they  were  calculated  ;  the  house  consented 
that  the  new  grant  should  be  levied  by  twelve 
Loss  of  quarterly  assessments  on  the  counties  50 ;  and  from 
b"thege  that  period  the  ancient  subsidies  fell  into  desue- 
clergy.  tude.  2°.  Hitherto  the  clergy  had  preserved  the 
honourable  privilege  of  taxing  themselves,  and  had 
usually  granted  in  convocation  the  same  number 
of  clerical  subsidies  as  was  voted  of  lay  subsidies 
by  the  two  houses  of  parliament.  But  this  dis- 
tinction could  not  conveniently  be  maintained, 
when  money  was  to  be  raised  by  county  rates  ; 
and  it  was  therefore  agreed  that  the  right  of  the 
clergy  should  be  waived  in  the  present  instance, 
but,  at  the  same  time,  be  preserved  for  them  by  a 
proviso  in  the  act.  The  proviso,  however,  was 
illusory,  and  the  right  has  never  since  been  exer- 
cised. In  return,  the  clergy  claimed,  what  could 
not  in  justice  be  denied,  the  privilege  of  voting  as 
freeholders  at  elections  ;  a  privilege  which,  though 
never  expressly  granted,  has  since  been  recognized 
by  different  statutes51.  But  a  consequence  fol- 
lowed from  this  arrangement,  which  probably  was 
not  foreseen.  From  the  moment  that  the  convo- 
cation ceased  to  vote  money,  it  became  of  little 
service  to  the  crown.     It  was  no  longer   suffered 


'"  17  Car.  ii.  c.  i. 

»'    IOtli  Anne,  c.  23.     lfeth  George,  ii.  e.  18. 


CHARLES  II.  121 


to  deliberate,  to  frame  ecclesiastical  canons,  or  to  (j  h  a  p. 
investigate  the  conduct,  or  regulate  the  concerns,       *{• 

of  the   church.     It  was,  indeed,   summoned,   and 

the  members  met  as  usual,  but  merely  as  a  matter 
of  form  ;  for  a  royal  mandate  immediately  arrived, 
and  an  adjournment,  prorogation,  or  dissolution 
followed.  That,  however,  which  seems  the  most 
extraordinary  is,  that  this  change  in  the  constitu- 
tion, by  which  one  of  the  three  estates  ceased,  in 
fact,  to  exist,  and  a  new  class  of  freeholders,  un- 
known to  the  law,  was  created,  owes  its  origin, 
not  to  any  legislative  enactment,  but  to  a  merely 
verbal  agreement  between  the  lord  chancellor  and 
archbishop  Sheldon 5~. 

From  parliament, the  lord  high  admiral  hastened  Naval  re 

gulations. 

to  Gunfleet  to  superintend  the  naval  preparations  ; 
Charles,  by  his  commands,  and  occasionally  by  his 
presence,  seconded  the  industry  of  his  brother  53 ; 
and,  before  the  end  of  April,  the  most  formidable 
fleet  that  England  had  ever  witnessed,  was  ready 
to  contend  for  the  empire  of  the  sea.  The  duke, 
despising  the  narrow  prejudices  of  party,  had 
called  around  him  the  seamen  who  fought  and 
conquered  in  the  last  war  ;  and  when  the  duke  of 

32  SeeEchard,  818.     Burnet,  i.  310.,  note;  iv.508,  note. 

»  Charles  paid  much  attention  to  naval  affairs.  He  studied 
the  art  of  ship-building,  and  persuaded  himself  that  he  could 
make  improvements  in  it.  In  a  letter  to  prince  Rupert,  he  says, 
"  I  believe  that  if  you  trie  the  two  sloopes  that  were  builte  at 
"  Woolidge,  which  have  my  invention  in  them,  they  will  outsail 
"  any  of  the  French  sloopes".  Lansdowue,  MSS.  MCCVI. 
p.  162. 


122  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP.  Buckingham  and  other  noblemen,  whose  only  re- 
IL       commendation  was  their  birth  and  quality,  solicited 

1665.  ,  •tit 

commissions,    he    laconically    replied,    that    they 

might  serve  as  volunteers  :  experience  alone  could 
qualify  them  to  command.  The  future  operations 
were  arranged  with  his  council,  and,  at  his  sug- 
gestion, an  improvement  was  adopted,  that  some- 
thing of  that  order  should  be  introduced  into  naval, 
which  was  observed  in  military,  engagements.  It 
was  agreed  that  the  fleet  should  be  divided  into 
three  squadrons  ;  the  red  under  the  command  of 
the  duke,  the  white  under  that  of  prince  Rupert, 
and  the  blue  under  the  earl  of  Sandwich  :  that  it 
should  be  formed  in  line  preparatory  to  battle ; 
and  that  the  several  captains  should  be  enjoined 
to  keep  the  stations  allotted  to  them  by  their  re- 
spective commanders  M.     James  unfurled  his  flag 

April  21.  on  board  the  Royal  Charles  ;  ninety-eight  sail  of 
the  line  and  four  fire  ships  followed  him  to  sea  55, 
and  for  more  than  a  month  this  formidable  arma- 
ment insulted  the  coast  of  Holland,  and  rode 
triumphant  in  the  German  ocean. 


54  "  This  was  the  first  war  wherein  fighting  in  a  line,  and  a 
"  regular  form  of  battle  was  observed  ".  Life  of  James,  i.  405. 
This  system  introduced  by  the  duke  was  invariably  followed  till 
Clerk's  "Essay  on  Naval  Tactics "  induced  Lord  Rodney  to 
break  through  the  enemy's  line  in  his  victory  of  the  12th  of  April, 
1782. 

55  Three  were  first  rates,  eleven  second,  fifteen  third,  thirty-two 
fourth,  eleven  fifth,  and  twenty-six  merchant  ships  carrying  from 
forty  to  fifty  guns.  Life  of  James,  405.  Macpherson's  Papers, 
i.  31. 


CHARLES  II.  VK 

At  length  an  easterly  wind  drove  the  English  CHAP, 

to  their  own  shores,  and  the  Dutch  fleet  iramedi-  166"5> 
ately  put   to   sea.     It   sailed   in  seven  divisions, 


comprising  one  hundred  and  thirteen  ships  of  war,  ^ ^J 
under  the  command  in  chief  of  Opdam,  an  officer,  June, 
who  in  the  late  war  had  deserved  the  confidence  of 
his  countrymen.  It  exhibited  a  gallant  and  ani- 
mating spectacle :  the  bravest  and  the  noblest 
youths  of  Holland  repaired  on  board  to  share  the 
dangers  of  the  expedition  ;  and,  as  the  admiral 
had  received  a  positive  order  to  fight,  every  heart 
beat  high  with  the  hope  or  assurance  of  victory. 
Opdam  himself  was  an  exception.  His  experienced 
eye  discovered,  in  the  insufficiency  of  many  among 
his  captains,  and  the  constitution  of  their  crews, 
reason  to  doubt  the  result  of  a  battle  ;  and  to  his 
confidants  he  observed  : — "  I  know  what  prudence 
"  would  suggest ;  but  I  must  obey  my  orders,  and 
"  by  this  time  to-morrow  you  shall  see  me  crowned 
"  with  laurel  or  with  cypress  54  ". 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  3d  of  June  the  June  3. 
hostile  fleets  descried  each  other  near  LowestofTe. 
Seven  hours  were  spent  in  attempts  on  each  side 
to  gain  and  keep  the  advantage  of  the  wind  :  at 
length  the  English,  by  a  skilful  manoeuvre,  tacked 
in  the  same  direction  with  the  enemy,  and  accom- 
panied them  in  a  parallel  line,  till  the  signal  was 
made  for  each  ship  to  bear  down  and  engage  its 
opponent.     The  sea  was  calm  :  not  a  cloud  could 


;1  Basnugo,  i.  741. 


1  2  I  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

C  HA  P.  be  seen  in  the  sky  ;  and  a  gentle  breeze  blew  from 
1(i(i-      the   south-west.     The   two   nations   fought  with 

their  characteristic   obstinacy  ;  and,  during  four 

hours,  the  issue  hung  in  suspense.  On  one  occa- 
sion the  duke  was  in  the  most  imminent  peril. 
All  the  ships  of  the  red  squadron,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  two,  had  dropped  out  of  the  line  to 
refit ;  and  the  weight  of  the  enemy's  fire  was  di- 
rected against  his  flag-ship,  the  Royal  Charles. 
The  earl  of  Falmouth,  the  lord  Muskerry,  and 
Boyle,  son  to  the  earl  of  Burlington,  who  stood 
by  his  side  were  slain  by  the  same  shot ;  and 
James  himself  was  covered  with  the  blood  of  his 
slaughtered  friends.  Gradually,  however,  the 
disabled  ships  resumed  their  stations  ;  the  English 
obtained  the  superiority  :  and  the  fire  of  the  enemy 
was  observed  to  slacken.  A  short  pause  allowed 
the  smoke  to  clear  away ;  and  the  confusion, 
which  the  duke  observed  on  board  his  opponent, 
the  Eendracht,  bearing  Opdam's  flag,  induced  him 
to  order  all  his  guns  to  be  discharged  into  her  in 
succession,  and  with  deliberate  aim.  At  the  third 
shot  from  the  lower  tier,  she  blew  up,  and  the 
admiral,  with  five  hundred  men,  perished  in  the 
explosion.  Alarmed  at  the  loss  of  their  com- 
mander, the  Dutch  fled  :  James  led  the  chace  ; 
the  four  sternmost  sail  of  the  enemy  ran  foul  of 
each  other,  and  were  consumed  by  a  fire-ship, 
and  three  others  shortly  afterwards  experienced 
the  same  fate.  Van  Tromp  endeavoured  to  keep 
the  fugitives  together ;  the  darkness  of  the  night 


CHARLES  II.  125 

retarded  the  pursuit  of  the  conquerors;   and  in  CHAP, 
the  morning  the  Dutch  fleet  was  moored  in  safety     l66'5 

within  the  shallows  5\     In  this  action,  the  most 

glorious  hitherto  fought  by  the  navy  of  England, 
the  enemy  lost  four  admirals,  seven  thousand  men 
slain,  or  made  prisoners,  and  eighteen  sail  either 
burnt  or  taken.  The  loss  of  the  victors  was  small 
in  proportion.  One  ship  of  fifty  guns  had  been 
taken  in  the  beginning  of  the  action  ;  and  the 
killed,  and  wounded  amounted  to  six  hundred  men. 
But  among  the  slain,  besides  the  noblemen  already 
mentioned,  were  the  earls  of  Marlborough  and 
Portland,  and  two  distinguished  naval  command- 
ers, the  admirals  Lawson  and  Sampson  56. 

At  another  time  the  report  of  such  a  victory  The 
would  have  been  received  with  the  most  enthusi-  {Jjf\lQ  m 
astic  demonstrations  of  joy  ;  but  it  came  at  a  time 
when  the  spirits  of  men  were  depressed  by  one  of 

55  The  result  of  the  victory  would  have  been  more  complete, 
had  not  the  Royal  Charles  during  the  night  slackened  sail  and 
brought  to,  which  detained  the  rest  of  the  fleet.  For  some  time 
the  fact  was  concealed  from  the  duke,  who  had  retired  to  rest : 
but  it  gradually  became  known,  and,  from  an  inquiry  instituted 
by  the  house  of  commons,  it  appeared  that  Brunkhard,  one  of  the 
duke's  servants  who  had  been  greatly  alarmed  during  the  battle, 
endeavoured  at  night  to  persuade  the  master  to  shorten  sail,  lest 
he  should  lead  the  ship  into  the  midst  of  the  enemy  ;  and,  failing 
in  this,  after  a  pause,  delivered  to  him  an  order,  or  something  like 
an  order,  to  the  same  effect.  Bui  net  insinuates  that  the  order  came 
from  the  duke  (i.  377)  :  that  it  was  forged  by  Brunkhard  appears 
from  the  inquiry  before  the  bouse  (Ibid.  378,  note),  from  Cla- 
rendon,  2G9,  and  from  the  Life  of  James,  i.  415. 

•'6  There  are  numerous  accounts  of  this  battle  :  I  have  preferred 
that  given  by  James  himself.     Life,  i.  407 — 415. 


II. 

1663. 


12()'  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  the  most  calamitous  visitations  ever  experienced 
by  this  or  any  other  nation.  In  the  depth  of  the 
last  winter  two  or  three  isolated  cases  of  plague 
had  occurred  in  the  outskirts  of  the  metropolis. 
The  fact  excited  alarm,  and  directed  the  attention 
of  the  public  to  the  weekly  variations  in  the  bills 
of  mortality.  On  the  one  hand,  the  cool  tempe- 
rature of  the  air,  and  the  frequent  changes  in  the 
weather,  were  hailed  as  favourable  circumstances  ; 
on  the  other,  it  could  not  be  concealed  that  the 
number  of  deaths,  from  whatever  cause  it  arose, 
was  progressively  on  the  advance.  In  this  state 
of  suspense,  alternately  agitated  by  their  hopes 
and  fears,  men  looked  to  the  result  with  the  most 
intense  anxiety ;  and,  at  length,  about  the  end  of 
May,  under  the  influence  of  a  warmer  sun,  and 
with  the  aid  of  a  close  and  stagnant  atmosphere, 
the  evil  burst  forth  in  all  its  terrors.  From  the 
centre  of  St.  Giles's  the  infection  spread  with  ra- 
pidity over  the  adjacent  parishes,  threatened  the 
court  at  Whitehall,  and,  in  defiance  of  every  pre- 
caution, stole  its  way  into   the  city.     A  general 

June  29.  panic  ensued.  The  nobility  and  gentry  were  the 
first  to  flee  ;  the  royal  family  followed  ;  and  then 
all,  who  valued  their  personal  safety  more  than 
the  considerations  of  home  and  interest,  prepared 
to  imitate  the  example.  For  some  weeks  the  tide 
of  emigration  flowed  from  every  outlet  towards 
the  country ;  it  was  checked  at  last  by  the  refusal 
of  the  lord  mayor  to  grant  certificates  of  health, 


CHARLES  II.  127 

and  by  the  opposition  of  the  neighbouring*  town-  CHAP, 
ships,  which  rose  in  their  own  defence,  and  formed      166'5> 
a  barrier  round  the  devoted  city.  


The  absence  of  the  fugitives,  and  the  conse-  Regula- 
quent  cessation  of  trade  and  breaking  up  of  esta-  SUppress 
blishments,  served  to  aggravate  the  calamity.     It  't- 
was calculated  that  forty   thousand   servants  had 
been  left  without  a  home,  and  the  number  of  ar- 
tisans and  labourers  thrown  out  of  employment 
was  still  more  considerable.     It  is  true    that   the 
charity  of  the  opulent  seemed  to  keep  pace  with 
the  progress  of  distress.    The  king  subscribed  the 
weekly  sum  of  1000/;    the  city  of  600/.;    the 
queen  dowager,  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  the 
earl  of  Craven,  and  the  lord  mayor,  distinguished 
themselves  by  the  amount  of  their   benefactions  ; 
and  the  magistrates  were  careful  to  ensure  a  con- 
stant supply   of  provisions  in   the  markets  :  yet 
the  families  that  depended  on  casual  relief  for  the 
means  of  subsistence   were   necessarily  subjected 
to  privations,  which  rendered  them  more  liable  to 
receive,  and   less  able  to  subdue,  the  contagion. 
The  mortality  was  at  first  confined  chiefly  to  the 
lower  classes,  carrying  off  in  a  larger  proportion 
the  children  than  the  adult,  the  females  than  the 
men.     But,  by  the  end  of  June,  so  rapid  was  the 
diffusion,  so  destructive  were  the  ravages  of  the 
disease,  that  the  civil  authorities  deemed  it   time 
to  exercise  the  powers  with  which  they  had  been  juJy  , 
invested  by  an  act  of  James  I.  "  for  the  charitable 


128  HISTOKY    OF    ENGLAND. 

(HAT.  a  relief  and  ordering  of  persons  infected  with  the 
tgg5      "plague57".     1°.  They  divided  the  parishes  into 

districts,  and  allotted  to  each  district  a  competent 

number  of  officers,  under  the  denomination  of 
examiners,  searchers,  nurses,  and  watchmen. 
2°.  They  ordered  that  the  existence  of  the  dis- 
ease, wherever  it  might  penetrate,  should  be  made 
known  to  the  public  by  a  red  cross,  one  foot  in 
length,  painted  on  the  door,  with  the  words, 
"  Lord  have  mercy  on  us  ",  placed  above  it.  From 
that  moment  the  house  was  closed ;  all  egress  for 
the  space  of  one  month  was  inexorably  refused ; 
and  the  wretched  inmates  were  doomed  to  remain 
under  the  same  roof,  communicating  death  one  to 
the  other.  Of  these  many  sunk  under  the  horrors 
of  their  situation  :  many  were  rendered  desperate. 
They  eluded  the  vigilance,  or  corrupted  the  fide- 
lity of  the  watchmen,  and  by  their  escape,  instead 
of  avoiding,  served  only  to  disseminate  the  conta- 
gion 58.  3°.  Provision  was  also  made  for  the 
speedy  interment  of  the  dead.  In  the  day  time 
officers  were  always  on  the  watch  to  withdraw 
from  public  view  the  bodies  of  those  who  expired 
in  the  streets ;  during  the  night  the  tinkling  of  a 

57  St.  i.  James,  i.  c  31.  In  the  next  session  of  parliament  a 
bill  was  introduced  to  extend  these  powers,  but  was  lost  through 
the  refusal  of  the  lords  to  allow  their  houses  to  be  shut  up  at  the 
discretion  of  the  constables.     L.  Journ.  xi.  698.     Marvel,  i.  52. 

58  Persons  thus  escaping,  if  taken  in  company  with  others,  and 
found  to  have  infectious  sores  upon  them  were  liable  to  suffer 
death  as  felons  :  if  without  sores,  to  be  treated  as  rogues  and  vaga- 
bonds.    Ibid.  vii. 


CHARLES  II.  129 

ball,  accompanied  with  the  glare  of   links,    an-  CHAP, 
nounced  the  approach  of  the  pest-cart,  making  its     16ti"5. 


round  to  receive  the  victims  of  the  last  twenty- 

four  hours.  No  coffins  were  prepared ;  no  funeral 
service  was  read  :  no  mourners  were  permitted  to 
follow  the  remains  of  their  relatives  or  friends. 
The  cart  proceeded  to  the  nearest  cemetery,  and 
shot  its  burthen  into  the  common  grave,  a  deep 
and  spacious  pit,  capable  of  holding  some  scores 
of  bodies,  and  dug  in  the  church-yard,  or,  when 
the  church-yard  was  full,  in  the  outskirts  of  the 
parish.  Of  the  hardened  and  brutal  conduct  of 
the  men  to  whom  this  duty  was  committed,  men 
taken  from  the  refuse  of  society,  and  lost  to  all 
sense  of  morality  or  decency,  instances  were  re- 
lated, to  which  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  pa- 
rallel in  the  annals  of  human  depravity  59. 

The  disease  generally  manifested   itself  by  the  Symp- 

_  ,     .,  f.    ,  .  ,        t    toms  of 

usual  febrile  symptoms  ot  shivering,  nausea,  head-  tiie  ,ijs_ 
ache,  and  delirium.    In  some  these  affections  were  ease- 
so  mild  as  to  be  mistaken  for  a  slight  and  tran- 
sient indisposition.  The  victim  saw  not,  or  would 
not  see,  the  insidious  approach  of  his  foe ;  he  ap- 
plied to  his  usual  avocations,  till  a  sudden  faint- 


H  Rugge,  MS.  573.  Echard,  823.  Hodges,  Loimologia,  23. 
De  Foe,  History  of  the  Plague  in  London.  Though  De  Foe,  for 
dramatic  effect,  wrote  as  an  eye  witness,  which  he  could  not  he, 
yet  his  narrative,  as  to  the  substance  of  the  facts,  is  confirmed  by 
all  the  other  authorities.  Hodges  and  De  Foe  attribute  also  the 
deaths  of  many  to  the  avarice  of  their  nurses,  who  destroyed  the 
lives,  that  they  might  carry  off  the  money  and  trinkets  of  the 
patients. 

VOL.    XII  K 


130  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  ness  came  on,  the  maculae,  the  fatal  "tokens", 
i(j(L      appeared   on   his   breast,  and  within  an  hour  life 

was  extinct.     But,  in   most   cases,  the   pain  and 

the  delirium  left  no  room  for  doubt.  On  the  third 
or  fourth  day,  buboes  or  carbuncles  arose  :  if  these 
could  be  made  to  suppurate,  recovery  might  be 
anticipated  ;  if  they  resisted  the  efforts  of  nature, 
and  the  skill  of  the  physician,  death  was  inevit- 
able. The  sufferings  of  the  patients  often  threw 
them  into  paroxysms  of  phrenzy.  They  burst 
the  bands  by  which  they  were  confined  to  their 
beds  ;  they  precipitated  themselves  from  the  win- 
dows ;  they  ran  naked  into  the  street,  and  plunged 
into  the  river60. 
Terrors  of  Men  of  the  strongest  minds  were  lost  in  amaze- 
pie,  ment,  when  they  contemplated  this  scene  of  woe 
and  desolation :  the  weak  and  the  credulous  be- 
came the  dupes  of  their  own  fears  and  imagina- 
tions. Tales  the  most  improbable,  and  predictions 
the  most  terrific,  were  circulated  ;  numbers  assem- 
bled at  different  cemeteries  to  behold  the  ghosts 
of  the  dead  walk  round  the  pits  in  which  their 
bodies  had  been  deposited ;  and  crowds  believed 
that  they  saw  in  the  heavens  a  sword  of  flame, 
stretching  from  Westminster  to  the  Tower.  To 
add  to  their  terrors,  came  the  fanatics,  who  felt 
themselves  inspired  to  act  the  part  of  prophets. 
One  of  these,  in  a  state  of  nudity,  walked  through 
the   city,  bearing  on   his  head  a  pan  of  burning 


Hodges,  57,  97—132. 


CHARLES     II.  ,31 

coals,  and  denouncing  the  judgments  of  God  on  CHAP, 
its  sinful  inhabitants  ;  another,  assuming  the  cha-     1665. 


racter  of  Jonah,  proclaimed  aloud  as  he  passed, ■ 

"  Yet  forty  days,  and  London  shall  be  destroyed  "  ; 
and  a  third  might  be  met,  sometimes  by  day, 
sometimes  by  night,  advancing  with  a  hurried 
step,  and  exclaiming  with  a  deep  sepulchral  voice, 
"  Oh  the  great  and  dreadful  God  " ! 

During   the   months  of  July  and  August  the  Desola- 

t  i,  ,1       i  i  tionofthc 

weather  was  sultry,  the  heat  more  and  more  op-  cjty. 
pressive.  The  eastern  parishes,  which  at  first 
had  been  spared,  became  the  chief  seat  of  the  pes- 
tilence, and  the  more  substantial  citizens,  whom 
it  had  hitherto  respected,  suffered  in  common  with 
their  less  opulent  neighbours  61.  In  many  places 
the  regulations  of  the  magistrates  could  no  longer 
be  enforced.  The  nights  did  not  suffice  for  the 
burial  of  the  dead,  who  were  now  borne  in  coffins 
to  their  graves  at  all  hours  of  the  day  ;  and  it  was 
inhuman  to  shut  up  the  dwellings  of  the  infected 
poor,  whose  families  must  have  perished  through 
want,  had  they  not  been  permitted  to  go  and  seek 
relief.  London  presented  a  wide  and  heart- 
rending scene  of  misery  and  desolation.  Rows  of 
houses  stood  tenantless  and  open  to  the  winds  ; 
others,  in   almost  equal   numbers,  exhibited   the 


61  The  weekly  returns  of  the  dead  for  these  months  were,  1006, 
1268,  1761,  2785,  3011,  4030,  5312,  5568,  7496.  I  take  no  notice 
of  the  distinction  made  by  the  bills  between  those  who  died  of  the 
plague,  and  those  who  died  of  other  diseases,  because  I  conceive 
no  reliance  can  be  placed  on  it. 

K  2 


132  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  red    cross    flaming    on    the    doors.       The    chief 
ii 
1665.     thoroughfares,  so   lately  trodden  by   the  feet  of 

thousands,  were  overgrown  with  grass.     The  few 

individuals  who  ventured  abroad  walked  in  the 
middle,  and,  when  they  met,  declined  on  opposite 
sides,  to  avoid  the  contact  of  each  other.  But,  if 
the  solitude  and  stillness  of  the  streets  impressed 
the  mind  with  awe,  there  was  something  yet  more 
appalling  in  the  sounds,  which  occasionally  burst 
upon  the  ear.  At  one  moment  were  heard  the 
ravings  of  delirium,  or  the  wail  of  woe,  from  the 
infected  dwelling  ;  at  another,  the  merry  song,  or 
the  loud  and  careless  laugh  issuing  from  the 
wassailers  at  the  tavern,  or  the  inmates  of  the 
brothel.  Men  became  so  familiarized  with  the 
form,  that  they  steeled  their  feelings  against  the 
terors,  of  death.  They  waited  each  for  his  turn 
with  the  resignation  of  the  Christian,  or  the  in- 
difference of  the  stoic.  Some  devoted  themselves 
to  exercises  of  piety  ;  others  sought  relief  in  the 
riot  of  dissipation,  and  the  recklessness  of 
despair. 

The  pes-        September   came ;  the  heat  of  the  atmosphere 

lence  .  .  ,  ., 

abates.  began  to  abate  ;  but,  contrary  to  expectation,  the 
mortality  increased 62.  Formerly,  a  hope  of 
recovery  might  be  indulged  ;  now  infection  was 
the  certain  harbinger  of  death,  which  followed, 
generally,    in    the    course    of  three    days,    often 


^ 


The  return  for  the  week  ending  Sep.  5,  was  8252. 


CHARLES    II  133 

within    the    space    of   twenty-four    hours.      The  CHAP, 
privy  council  ordered  an  experiment  to  be  tried,      166'5 

which  was   grounded   on  the   practice  of  former 

times.  To  dissipate  the  pestilential  miasm,  fires  ep-  ' 
of  sea-coal,  in  the  proportion  of  one  fire  to  every 
twelve  houses,  were  kindled  in  every  street, 
court,  and  alley  of  London  and  Westminster. 
They  were  kept  burning  three  days  and  nights, 
and  were  at  last  extinguished  by  a  heavy  and 
continuous  fall  of  rain.     The  next  bill  exhibited  Sep.  5— 

12. 

a  considerable  reduction  in  the  amount  of  deaths  ; 
and  the  survivors  congratulated  each  other  on  the 
cheering  prospect63.  But  the  cup  was  soon 
dashed  from  their  lips ;  and  in  the  following  Sep.  12- 
week  more  than  ten  thousand  victims,  a  number 
hitherto  unknown,  sank  under  the  augmented 
violence  of  the  disease  6i.  Yet,  even  now,  when 
hope  had  yielded  to  despair,  their  deliverance  was 
at  hand.  The  high  winds,  which  usually  accom- 
pany the  autumnal  equinox,  cooled  and  purified 
the  air  ;  the  fever,  though  equally  contagious, 
assumed  a  less  malignant  form,  and  its  ravages 
were  necessarily  more  confined  from  the  diminu- 
tion of  the  population,  on  which  it  had  hitherto 
fed.  The  weekly  burials  successively  decreased 
from  thousands  to  hundreds,  and,  in  the  beginning 


63  The  return  fell  to  7690. 

''i  The  number  returned  was  8297,  but  it  was  generally  acknow- 
ledged that  the  bills  were  very  incorrect,  and  seldom  gave  more 
than  two-thirds  of  the  real  number. 


Dec.  12. 


13+  IIISTOHY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  of  December,    seventy-three  parishes   were    pro- 
1665.     nounced  clear  of  the  disease05.     The  intelligence 
was  hailed  with  joy  by  the   emigrants,  who  re- 
turned in  crowds  to  take  possession  of  their  homes, 
i(j(i6.      and  resume  their  usual  occupations  :  in  February 
Feb.  l.      the  court  was  once  more  fixed  at  Whitehall,  and 
the  nobility  and  gentry  followed  the  footsteps  of 
the  sovereign.     Though  more  than  one  hundred 
thousand  individuals  are   said  to  have  perished, 
yet  in  a  short  time,  the  chasm  in  the  population 
was  no  longer  discernible.     The  plague  continued, 
indeed,  to  linger  in    particular   spots  66,   but  its 
terrors  were  forgotten  or  despised  ;  and  the  streets, 
so  recently   abandoned  by  the  inhabitants,  were 
again  thronged  with  multitudes  in  the  eager  pur- 
suit of  profit,  or  pleasure,  or  crime. 
Failure  of      From   the   metropolis,  the  pestilence  had  ex- 
tempt  at    tended  its  destructive  sway  over  the  greater  part 
Bergen.     0f  the  kingdom.     The  fugitives  carried  the  infec- 
tion with  them  wherever  they  found  an  asylum  ; 

65  The  decrease  was  as  follows,,  6460,  5720,  5068,  1806,  1388, 
1787,  1359,  905,  544. 

66  There  was  not  a  week  in  the  year  in  which  some  cases  of 
plague  were  not  returned.  For  all  these  particulars,  see  Hodges, 
Loimologia ;  De  Foe;  the  newspapers  of  the  year;  Evelyn, 
Diary,  ii.  245 ;  Ellis,  Letters,  second  series,  iv.  35.  Pepys,  ii. 
266,  73,  6,  81,  86,  93,  7,  305,  9,  10.  Clarendon,  with  his  usual 
inaccuracy,  makes  the  number  of  dead,  according  to  the  weekly 
bills,  to  amount  to  160,000,  which,  he  says,  ought,  in  the  opinion 
of  well-informed  persons,  to  be  doubled.  (Clarendon,  326).  The 
number  of  burials,  according  to  the  bills,  was  only  97,306.  (Tabic 
prefixed  to  Loimologia.)  If  we  add  one-third  for  omissions,  the 
amount  will  be  about  130,000;  but  from  these  must  be  deducted 
the  deaths  from  other  causes  than  the  plague. 


CHARLES    II.  135 

and  the  mortality  was  generally  proportionate   to   CHAP, 
the  density  of  the  population 67.     Fortunately  it     1665. 


confined  its  ravages  to  the  land  ;  the  fleet  continued  — — 
healthy  ;  and,  as  soon  as  the  ships  damaged  in  the 
late  engagement  were  repaired,  the  duke  of  York 
hastened  to  take  the  command  ;  but  his  eagerness 
was  checked  by  the  prohibition  of  the  king,  who 
had  been  solicited  by  the  queen-mother  not  to 
expose  the  life  of  the  presumptive  heir  to  the  un- 
certain chances  of  battle.  The  earl  of  Sandwich 
succeeded  him,  and  sailed  to  watch  the  hostile 
navy  in  the  Texel.  In  the  meanwhile  two  fleets 
of  Dutch  merchantmen,  the  one  from  the  East 
Indies,  the  other  from  Smyrna,  valued  at  twenty- 
five  million  of  livres,  steering  round  the  north  of 
Ireland  and  Scotland,  had  taken  shelter  in  the 
neutral  harbour  of  Bergen  in  Norway.  The 
temptation  was  too  powerful  for  the  honesty  of 
the  king  of  Denmark :  and,  on  condition  that  he  July, 
should  receive  a  moiety  of  the  profits,  he  con- 
sented to  connive  at  the  capture  of  the  Hollanders 
by  the  English  fleet.  Sandwich  sailed  immediately 
to  Bergen,  and  Clifford;  afterwards  lord-treasurer, 
held  an  unsatisfactory  conference  with  Alefeldt, 
the  governor.  That  officer  proposed  that  the 
English  should  wait  till  he  had  received  instruc- 
tions from   Copenhagen  ;  but  Sandwich  refused  ; 


6?  In  August  of  the  following  year  it  raged  with  violence  in 
Colchester,  Norwich,  Winchester,  Cambridge,  and  Salisbury. 
Itugge,  MS. 


1  \6  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

(HAP.  Tyddimah  entered  the  harbour  with  a  powerful 
.II*.      squadron;    and    the   Dutch    moored    their   ships 

across  the  bay,  and  raised  a  battery  of  forty-one 

Aug. 3.      guns  on  the   shore.     A  sudden  change  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  wind  compelled  the  English  to  cast 
anchor  under  the  cannon  of  the  castle  ;  but  Tyd- 
diman,  trusting  to  the  neutrality  of  the  governor, 
commenced  the  attack,  and  had  already  driven  the 
enemy  from  most  of  their  defences,  when  the  gar- 
rison opened  a  destructive  fire  on  the  assailants. 
One  ship  was   sunk ;    the    others,   cutting    their 
cables,  ran  out  to   sea,   and  the   enterprize   was 
abandoned.     With  whom  the  blame  of  the  failure 
ought  to  rest,  Clarendon  professes  himself  unable 
to  determine  :  Sandwich  complained  loudly  of  the 
duplicity  and  bad  faith  of  the  king  of  Denmark  ; 
but  sir  Gilbert  Talbot,  the  English  ambassador, 
acquits  the   Danish   authorities,  and  asserts  that 
Sandwich   refused   to  wait   but   one  day  for  the 
arrival  of  instructions  from  Copenhagen,  under 
the  notion  that,  by  acting  without  the  permission 
of  the  Dane,   he   should  exclude  him  from    any 
right  of  participation  in  the  expected  booty  67. 

Captures  To  the  pensionary  De  Witt,  the  principal  advo- 
cate of  the  war  in  Holland,  to  preserve  the  mer- 
chantmen in  Bergen  was  an  object  of  the  first 
importance.     Though  a  mere  landsman,  he  took 


«•  Clarendon,  270,  277—281.  Pepys,  ii.  324.  Miscel.  Aul. 
359.  Echard,  821 ;  and  sir  Gilbert  Talbot's  Narrative  among  the 
Lansdownc  MSS.,  6"S59,  p.  1.5. 


CHARLES  II.  13' 

the  command  of  the  fleet,  and,  impatient  of  the  chap. 
obstruction   caused   by  a  contrary  wind,  sought     lg6^ 

and  discovered  a  new  passage  out  of  the  Texel. 

He  sailed  to  Bergen,  and  the  merchantmen  placed 
themselves  under   his  protection  :    but    the  fleet 
was  dispersed  by  a  storm,  and  Sandwich  had  the  Sep.  4. 
good  fortune  to  capture  eight  men-of-war,  two  of 
the  richest    Indiamen,    and   about   twenty  other 
vessels.     But   avarice  tempted  him  to  take  from 
the  Indiamen  a  part  of  their  cargo  to  the  value  of 
2,000/.,  and  the  other  flag-officers,  with  his  per- 
mission,  followed   his   example.     The   king    and 
the   duke  as  lord   high  admiral,  condemned  his 
presumption :  he  acknowledged  his  offence  before 
the  council  ;  and  was  in  punishment  deprived  of 
the  command,  but,  to  save  his  honour  in  the  eyes 
of  the  public,  received  the  appointment  of  ambas- 
sador to  the  court  of  Spain  68. 

Charles,  on  account  of  the  pestilence  in  Lon-  Parlia- 
don,  had  summoned  the  parliament  to  meet  in  Oxford. 
Oxford.  His  object  was  to  obtain  another  supply 
of  money.  The  expenses  of  the  war,  partly 
through  the  want  of  naval  stores 69,  partly 
through  the  negligence  and  rapacity  of  the  offi- 
cers, had  considerably  exceeded   the  calculations 


6i  Lords'  Journ.  xi.  687.  Clarendon,  300 — 6.  Coke,  ii.  38. 
Miscel.  Aul.  361.  D'Estrades,  ii.  364.  Pepys,  ii.  324,  9,  347,  352. 
Evelyn,  ii.  248. 

6j  To  supply  the  naval  arsenals,  Charles,  of  his  own  authority, 
suspended  the  navigation  act,  and  yet  the  parliament  took  no 
notice  of  it.     Coke,  ii.  140. 


Oct.  11. 


138  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  of  his  ministers,  and  the  whole  of  the  last  parlia- 
1(i65  mentary  grant  was  already  mortgaged  to  the 
creditors  of  the  public.  With  the  king's  request, 
that  the  two  houses,  by  their  liberality,  would 
complete  their  own  work,  they  cheerfully  com- 
plied ;  and  an  additional  grant  of  1,250,000/., 
with  a  present  of  J  20,000/.  to  the  duke  of  York, 

Oct.  23.  was  voted  without  a  murmur.  The  next  object 
which  claimed  their  attention,  was  the  danger  to 
be  feared  from  the  enemies  of  monarchy.  Alger- 
non Sydney,  and  many  of  the  exiles,  had  hastened 
to  Holland,  and  offered  their  services  to  the 
States.  Whether  the  latter  seriously  meditated 
an  invasion  of  England  or  Scotland,  may  be 
doubted  :  but  they  certainly  gave  naval  and  mili- 
tary commands  to  several  of  the  refugees,  and 
encouraged  the  formation  of  a  council  of  English 
malcontents  at  the  Hague.  These  corresponded 
with  their  friends  in  England ;  the  most  sinister 
reports  were  put  in  circulation ;  strangers,  not- 
withstanding the  mortality,  were  observed  to 
resort  to  the  capital ;  and  information  was  sent  to 
Monk  of  secret  meetings  of  conspirators,  and  of 
plots  for  the  seizure  of  the  Tower  and  the  burning 

Sep.  l .  of  the  city.  Rathbone,  Tucker,  and  six  of  their 
associates  were  apprehended,  and  paid  the  forfeit 
of  their  lives  ;  but  colonel  Danvers,  the  leader, 
escaped  from  the  grasp  of  the  officers,  and  found 

Oct.  3.  an  asylum  in  the  country.  Alarmed  by  this 
insignificant  plot,  the  parliament  attainted  several 
of  the  conspirators   by   name,  and,    in  addition, 


CHARLES  II.  139 

every  natural  born  subject  who  should  remain  in  CHAP, 
the    service   of  the   States   after    a   fixed    day 70.      ices. 

These  enactments,  however,  did  not  satisfy  the ~ 

more  timid  or  more  zealous.  During  the  pes-  A.ct." 
tilence,  many  of  the  orthodox  clergy  in  the 
metropolis  persisted  with  the  most  laudable  con- 
stancy in  the  discharge  of  their  duties  ;  many, 
yielding  to  their  fears,  had  skulked  away  from 
the  scene  of  danger,  and  sought  security  in  the 
country.  The  presbyterian  ministers  who  had 
recently  been  ejected,  seized  the  opportunity  to 
ascend  the  vacant  pulpits  amidst  the  loud  cries  of 
their  congregations  "  what  must  we  do  to  be 
"  saved  ".  The  self-devotion  of  these  men,  who 
braved  the  perils  of  death  that  they  might  ad- 
minister the  consolations  of  religion  to  their 
afflicted  brethren,  is  said  to  have  provoked  the 
jealousy  of  their  rivals  ;  and  that  jealousy,  if  it 
really  existed,  was  speedily  gratified  by  new  penal 
enactments.     That  the  law  had  been  violated,  no 


'•  L.  Journ.  xi.  GS8,  692.  St.  17.  Car.  ii.  c.  5.  Parker,  78— 
87.  Burnet,  i.  393.  Clarendon,  290.  It  has  often  been  asserted 
that  these  plots,  and  the  correspondence  said  to  be  carried  on  be- 
tween the  disatFected  in  England  and  the  Dutch,  were  mere  fic- 
tions. The  following  extracts  from  the  letters  of  D'Estrades,  the 
French  minister  at  the  Hague,  to  his  sovereign,  will  perhaps  prove 
the  contrary.  Les  c'tats  ont  de  grandes  intelligences  en  Ecosse, 
et  parmi  les  ministrcs  de  leur  religion  en  Angleterre.  Mernoires 
d'Estrades,  ii.  383.  Oct.  3,  1GG.5.  L'Ecosse  fait  entendre  aux 
etats  cpie  des  que  votre  majeste  se  declarera,  elle  a  un  fort  parti  a 
mettre  en  campagne,  et  (pie  les  ministrcs  de  l'Angleterre  de  la 
meme  religion  de  ceux  de  ce  pays  mandent  la  name  chose.  Id. 
385. 


140  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

(II A  P.  one  could  deny;  but  the  violation  had  been  com- 
,,.:.'.      niitted  in  circumstances  so  extraordinary  as  to  be 

1065.  * 

more   worthy  of  praise  than  censure.     To   add, 

therefore,  to  the  legal  offence,  it  was  pretended 
that  the  ministers  had  employed  the  opportunity 
to  disseminate  from  the  pulpit  principles  of  sedi- 
tion and  treason,  representing  the  plague  as  a 
visitation  from  Providence,  partly  on  account  of 
their  own  expulsion  from  the  churches,  and  partly 
on  account  of  the  immorality  of  the  sovereign 
and  his  court :  charges  in  which  it  is  probable 
that  the  indiscretion  of  one  or  two  individuals 
was  not  only  exaggerated,  but  unjustly  extended 
to   the  whole   body.     However  that  may  be,  an 

Oct.  30.  act  was  passed,  prohibiting  every  non-conforming 
minister  to  come,  unless  he  were  passing  on  the 
road,  within  five  miles  of  any  town  sending  mem- 
bers to  parliament,  or  of  any  village  in  which  he 
had  ever  lawfully  or  unlawfully  exercised  his 
ministry,  under  the  penalty  of  a  fine  of  40/.  for 
every  such  offence,  and  of  six  months'  imprison- 
ment, if  he  refused  in  addition  to  take  the  oath 
of  non-resistance.  For  the  better  execution  of 
this,  the  five-mile  act,  the  bishops  received  from 
the  orthodox  clergy  the  names  of  all  non-conform- 
ing ministers  within  their  respective  parishes  ; 
spies  and  informers  were  everywhere  employed 
and  encouraged  ;  and  the  objects  of  suspicion 
were  compelled  to  fix  themselves  and  their  fami- 
lies in  obscure  parts  of  the  country,  where  they 
depended  for  support  on  their  own  labour  and  the 


CHARLES    II.  141 

casual  charity  of  others.     But  the  oath  was  still  chap. 
refused  ;  and  the  sufferings  of  the  victims  served      II; 

only  to  rivet  their  doctrines  more  firmly  in  the 

minds  of  their  hearers  71. 

De  Witt  had  long  sought  to  strengthen  himself  Louis 
and  his  party  with  the  protection  of  the  king  of  wilhthe 
France  ;  and  Louis  was  not  unwilling  to  purchase  Dlltch. 
the  services  of  a  man,  who  governed  the  states 
of  Holland,  and  through  them  was  able  to  con- 
trol the  other  provinces  of  the  republic.  To  him 
De  Witt  had  communicated  several  proposals  for 
the  partition  of  the  Spanish  Netherlands  ;  and 
the  king,  though  he  nourished  a  more  ambitious 
project  in  his  own  breast,  to  humour  the  Dutch- 
man, consented  to  enter  into  a  negotiation  re- 
specting the  conditions72.  But,  in  1665,  Philip 
of  Spain  died,  leaving  the  crown,  and  all  the 
dominions  dependent  on  it,  to  the  infant  his  son, 
under  the  regency  of  Marianne  of  Austria,  the 
queen-mother.  Louis  now  determined,  as  he 
had  previously  intended,  to  take  possession  of 
Flanders,  under  the  pretence,  that  by  the  custom 
of  several  provinces  in  the   Netherlands,    called 


?  L.  Journ.  xi.  700.  St.  17.  Car.  ii.  c.  2.  Wilkins,  Con.  iv. 
58:5.  Burnet,  i.  392 — 3.  Clarendon,  who,  as  usual,  is  very  in- 
accurate, 217,  290.  The  act  did  not  mention  non-conformist 
ministers,  but  included  them  under  the  description  of'persons,  who 
had  enjoyed  ecclesiastical  promotion,  or  preached  at  unlawful  con- 
venticles. 

w  All  the  letters  of  D'Estrades,  from  his  arrival  in  Holland  till 
1 664-,  shew  how  firmly  this  unfortunate  statesman  had  devoted 
himself  to  the  interests  of  France. 


1665. 


142  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP.  tne  rignt  of  devolution,  those  provinces  belonged 
II;  to  his  wife,  Maria  Teresa,  the  daughter  of  Philip 
by  his  first  marriage.  It  was,  indeed,  true  that 
Louis  by  contract,  and  his  young  queen  by  a  se- 
parate instrument,  had  solemnly  renounced  all 
claim  to  the  succession  to  the  Spanish  monarchy  in 
general,  and  to  Flanders,  Burgundy,  and  Charo- 
lais  in  particular 73 :  but  it  was  contended  that 
the  king  had  been  released  from  the  obligation  of 
the  contract  by  the  non-payment  of  the  marriage 
portion  on  the  part  of  Spain,  and  that  Maria 
Teresa  had  never  been  bound  by  the  renunciation, 
because  it  was  made  during  her  minority.  It 
chanced,  however,  that  the  Dutch,  in  virtue  of 
the  defensive  alliance  concluded  between  them 
and  France  in  1662,  called  upon  Louis  to  join  as 
their  ally  in  the  war ;  and  it  seemed  impolitic  to 
provoke  hostilities  at  the  same  moment  with  two 
such  powers  as  England  and  Spain.  It  was, 
indeed,  easy  to  elude  the  demand,  by  replying 
that  a  defensive  treaty  did  not  bind,  when  the 
party  claiming  aid  had  provoked  the  war  ;  but, 
on  the  other  hand,  it  was  argued  that  Louis,  by 
cheerfully  uniting  with  the  States,  would  render 
them  less  hostile   to  his  intended  occupation  of 

73  Dumont,  vi.  part  i.  283,  8.  By  the  law  of  devolution,  which 
prevailed  in  several  provinces  of  the  Netherlands,  the  right  of  in- 
heritance was  given  to  the  children  of  the  first  marriage,  even 
females,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  issue  by  the  second.  Maria  Teresa, 
the  consort  of  Louis,  was  the  daughter  of  Philip  of  Spain  by  his 
first  wife  ;  Charles,  the  inheritor  of  the  monarchy,  was  his  son  by 
1  lie  second. 


CHARLES    IT.  u3 

Flanders  ;  and  that,  under  the  pretext  of  prevent-  CHAP, 
ing  the  descents  of  the  English,  he  might  covertly     166^ 


make  preparations,  and   assemble  troops  on  the 

nearest  parts  of  the  coast  "4.  Louis  followed  this 
counsel :  his  ambassador  informed  Charles  that 
unless  peace  were  speedily  concluded,  his  master 
would  feel  himself  bound  to  take  part  against  him 
in  the  war  ;  and  the  English  king  had  the  spirit 
to  defy  the  power,  rather  than  submit  to  the 
dictation,  of  a  foreign  prince. 

In  January  the  French  monarch,  though  with  Treaties. 
many  expressions   of  regret,  declared  war  ;  but,     1G66; 
at  the  reclamation   of  the   English   ambassador, 
granted  three  months  to  British  subjects  to  with- 
draw with  their  effects  from  his  territories  75.     The 
approach  of  a  French  force  soon  compelled  the 
bishop  of  Minister,  who,  as  the  ally  of  Charles, 
had  made  a  formidable  inroad   into  the  province 
of   Overyssel,    to  submit   to    a   disadvantageous  Aprils, 
peace ;  and  the  French  agent  at  Copenhagen  pre- 
vailed on  the  king  of  Denmark  to  withdraw  from  Feb.  1. 
his  alliance  with  England,  and  to  make  common 
cause    with    the    States.     Charles,    on    his    side, 
concluded  a  treaty  with  the  king  of  Sweden,  by  Feb.  s. 
which   each    party  engaged  not  to  furnish  muni- 

74  Dumont,  vi.  partii.p.  412.  (Euvres  de  Louis  XIV.,  ii.  5 — 11, 
25,  130. 

?s  Dumont,  part  iii.  82.  Clar.  282,  8.  Misccl.  Aul.  373.  Me- 
moires  D'Estrades,  iii.  54,  64.  Charles,  on  his  part,  offered 
freedom  from  molestation  in  person  or  property  to  all  natives  of 
France,  or  the  United  Provinces,  residing  in,  or  coming  into  his 
dominions,  "especially  to  those  of  the  reformed  religion,  whose 
"  interest  should  particularly  be  owned  by  him".     Ralph,  i.  1  59. 


II. 

1665. 


Ill  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

(HAT.  tions  of  war  to  the  enemies  of  the  other;  but 
failed  in  an  attempt  to  create  an  opposition  to 
De  Witt  in  Holland  through  the  intrigues  of  De 
Buat,  a  partisan  of  the  house  of  Orange,  who 
forfeited  his  life  as  a  traitor  to  the  republic 76. 

The  four        These  negotiations  occupied  the  first  months  of 

days' bat- tlie  new  year .  }n  May,  prince  Rupert  and  the 
duke  of  Albemarle  assumed  the  joint  command 
of  the  English  fleet,  and  insulted  with  impunity 
the  coast  of  Holland.  There  was  but  little  cor- 
diality between  the  two  admirals.  The  pride  of 
Rupert  could  hardly  brook  an  equal  in  rank  and 
authority  ;  but  the  people  remembered  the  former 
victories  of  Monk  over  the  Dutch,  and  Charles 
gratified  the  general  wish  by  associating  him  with 
the  prince  in  the  chief  command.  They  had 
returned  to  the  Downs,  when  advice  was  received 
that  the  Dutch  navy  was  not  in  a  state  to  put  to 
sea  for  several  weeks,  and  that  a  French  squadron, 
under  the  duke  of  Beaufort,  had  reached  Relleisle 
from  the  Mediterranean.  Unfortunately  neither 
report  was  true.  De  Ruyter,  accompanied  by 
De  Witt,  had  already  left  the  Texel :  the  duke  of 
Beaufort  had  not  passed  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar. 

May  29.    Rupert,  however,  procured  an  order  from  court 
to    hasten    with    twenty    sail    in    search    of    the 

May  31.  French,  while  Albemarle,  with  fifty-four,  directed 
his   course  to  the  Gun-fleet.     The  next  morning 

June  i.     the  duke,  to  his  surprise,  descried  the  Dutch  fleet 

■''•  Clarendon,  327,  9,  333— S.     Dumont,  vi.  par.  iii.  .09,  83,  106. 


CHARLES    II,  ,45 

of  more  than  eighty  men  of  war  lying  at  anchor  CHAP, 
off  the  north  Foreland.     He  had  so  often  spoken      166(;. 


with  contempt  of  the  enemy,  had  severely  criti- 

cized  the  caution  of  the  earl  of  Sandwich,  that  to 
retire   without  fighting  would  have  exposed  him 
to    the  censure   and   derision   of   the  public.     A 
council   of  war   was    instantly   summoned  ;    the 
majority,  in  opposition  to  their  own  judgment, 
acquiesced    in  the  rash,  but   decided  opinion   of 
their  commander,  and   the  signal    was   made  to 
bear  down  without  delay  on  the  enemy.     No  line 
was  formed,  no  order  observed  ;    the  blue  squa- 
dron, which  led  the  van,  fought  its  way  through 
the  hostile  fleet ;  but  most  of  the  ships  of  which 
it  consisted  were  captured,  or  destroyed,  or  dis- 
abled.    Darkness  separated   the  combatants,  and 
the  action  re-commenced  with  the  return  of  light, 
But,   if  Monk  on  the  preceding  day  had  fought 
for    victory,    he    was   now   reduced   to   fight  for 
safety.     A   reinforcement   of   sixteen   sail    added  J""**  2. 
to    the   hopes  and    the   courage    of    the   enemy : 
nor    was    it  without    the   most   heroic  exertions 
that    the    English    were    able    to    protract    the 
unequal  contest  till  night.     Monk  having  burnt 
a  part  of   his   disabled   ships,    and    ordered    the 
others  to  make  for  the  nearest  harbour,   opposed 
in  the  morning  sixteen,  that  remained  as  a  rear- 
guard to  the  pursuit  of  De  Iluyter.     But,  in  the  June  :$ 
hurry  of  their  flight,  they  ran   on   the   Galloper 
Sand,  where  the   Prince    Royal,    the  boast  of  the 
English  navy,  was  lost,  and  where  the  rest  would 
vol.  XII.  j, 


II. 

I66G. 


1  16  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  probably  have  shared  its  fate,  had  not  Rupert, 
with  his  squadron  of  twenty  sail,  at  last  arrived 
to  their  relief.  He  had  received  orders  to  return 
from  St.  Helen's  on  the  first  day  of  the  battle;  nor 
was  it  ever  explained  why  he  did  not  join  Albe- 
marle till  the  evening  of  the  third.  The  force  of 
the  hostile  fleets  was  now  more  nearly  balanced : 

June  4.  they  renewed  the  engagement  on  the  following 
morning ;  and,  having  passed  each  other  five 
times  in  line,  separated  under  the  cover  of  a 
mist77.  Such  was  the  result  of  this  succession  of 
obstinate  and  sanguinary  engagements.  That  the 
Dutch  had  a  just  claim  to  the  victory,  cannot  be 
doubted  ;  though,  if  we  consider  the  fearful  dis- 
parity of  force,  we  must  own  that  no  disgrace 
could  attach  to  the  English.  "  They  may  be 
"  killed",  exclaimed  De  Witt,  "  but  they  will  not 
"  be  conquered  ".  At  home  the  conduct  of  Monk 
was  severely  and  deservedly  censured  ;  but  no 
one  could  convince  him  that  he  acted  imprudently 
in  provoking  the  battle,  or  that  he  had  not  in- 
flicted more  injury  than  he  had  received  78. 

Both  fleets  stood  in  need  of  repairs :  both,  by 

June  25.    extraordinary  efforts,  were  in  a  short  time  again 


n  Com.  Journals,  1667,  Oct.  31.  Clarendon,  343,  4.  Coke, 
144.  Heath,  550.  Le  Clerc,  ii.  139.  Basnage,  i.  773.  Pepys, 
ii.  398—402,  410,  1,  2,  5,  424,  434,  5. 

78  Pepys,  ii.  422.  Com.  Journ.  Oct.  31.  According  to  Evelyn, 
the  English  lost  ten  ships,  one  thousand  seven  hundred  men  killed 
and  wounded,  and  two  thousand  taken  (ii.  25b.):  the  Dutch  ac- 
knowledged the  loss  of  two  admirals,  seven  captains,  and  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  men.     Le  Clerc,  ii.  142. 


CHARLES    II.  u' 

at  sea.      They  met;  the  victory  was  fiercely  and  CHAP, 
obstinately  disputed  ;  but  the   better  fortune,  or     166'6. 


more  desperate  valour,  of  the  English  prevailed.  ■ 

Few  prizes  were,  however,  made.     With  rash  but 
successful  daring,  De  Ruyter  repeatedly  turned  on 
the  pursuers,  and  kept  them  at  bay,  till  the  fugi- 
tives  found   a  secure    asylum   in    the  Weirings. 
Rupert   and   Monk    rode  for   weeks   triumphant 
along  the  coast,  interrupting  the  commerce,  and 
insulting  the  pride  of  their  enemies.     At  the  sug- 
gestion of  a  native,  Holmes,  with  a  squadron  of  Aug.  s. 
boats  and  fire-ships,    was   ordered   to   enter   the 
channel    between   Ulie    and    Schilling,   the  usual 
rendezvous  of  vessels  trading  to  the  Baltic  :  in  a  Aug.  9. 
short  time  two  men  of  war,  and  one  hundred  and 
fifty  merchantmen   with   their   cargoes,  were   in 
flames,  and  the  next  day  the  neighbouring  town 
of  Brandaris,  consisting  of  one  thousand  houses,  Aug.  10. 
was  reduced  to  ashes.     At  the  sight  of  the  con- 
flagration   De   Witt    maddened    with    rage,   and 
swore  by  the  almighty  God  that  he   would  never 
sheath  the  sword  till  he  had  obtained  his  revenge  : 
an  oath  which  he  religiously  observed  "''. 

Louis   was   not   unwilling   that   the   two  great  Intrigues 

tiii  i  i  •      °f  Louis. 

maritime  powers  should  exhaust  themselves  m 
this  tremendous  struggle.  To  his  allies  he  had 
promised  the  co-operation  of  his  fleet,  but  that 
promise  was  yet  to  be  fulfilled  ;  and  instead  of 
risking   the    French   navy   in   battle  against   the 

'9  Clarendon,  345.     Pepys,  ii.  1 1 1.     Miscel.  Aul.  411,  g.     Me- 
moirea  D'Estrades,  iii.  346,  361. 

i    Q 

1  J  *m> 


148  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP.  English,   he   sought  to   occupy  the   attention   of 
,n\      Charles   by   exciting  rebellion  in  his  dominions. 

1666.  J  ° 

With  this  view  he  employed  agents  to  intrigue 

with  the  catholics  of  Ireland,  who  had  lost  their 
lands  by  the  late  act  of  settlement ;  and  encou- 
raged the  hopes  of  the  English  exiles,  who  per- 
suaded themselves  that  their  party  was  still 
powerful  in  England.  Algernon  Sydney  hastened 
to  Paris  :  to  the  French  ministers  he  maintained 
that  the  interest  of  France  demanded  the  esta- 
blishment of  a  republic  in  England  ;  and  to  the 
French  king  he  presented  a  memorial  soliciting 
the  gift  of  100,000/.  to  enable  his  party  to  com- 
mence operations  against  the  English  government. 
But  Louis  paused  before  he  would  part  with  so 
large  a  sum  of  money.  In  conclusion  he  offered 
Sydney  20,000/.  in  the  first  instance,  with  a  pro- 
mise of  additional  aid,  if  the  rising  should  take 
place  80. 
Opera-  About  the  middle  of  August,  however,  the  duke 

tions  by  0f  Beaufort,  contrary  to  the  general  expectation, 
Au~.  13.  arrived  at  La  Rochelle  from  the  Mediterranean, 
and  a  plan  was  arranged  between  the  two  powers 
for  the  junction  of  their  respective  fleets  in  the 
British  Channel.  The  Dutch,  for  this  purpose, 
had  already  passed  the  Strait  of  Dover,  when 
they  descried  the  English  under  prince  Rupert. 
De  Ruyter,    though  on  board,  was   confined  by 

80  Louis  XIV.  ii.203,  ami  note  ibid.     Miscel.  Aul.  433. 


CHARLES    II.  149 

severe  indisposition;  the  men  betrayed  a  disin-  chap. 
clination  to  fight  without  the  presence  and  orders     16Gg. 

of  their  favourite  commander  ;  and  the  fleet  ran 

close  into  the  shore  in  St.  John's  Road,  near  Bou- 
logne. Rupert  dared  not  follow  :  he  turned  to 
oppose  Beaufort,  as  he  came  up  the  Channel ;  but 
the  violence  of  the  wind  compelled  him  to  seek 
shelter  at  St.  Helen's,  and  the  French  squadron  Sep.  3. 
had  the  good  fortune  to  arrive  safely  at  Dieppe. 
Louis,  alarmed  at  the  proximity  of  his  fleet  to  the 
superior  force  of  the  English,  by  repeated  mes- 
sages insisted  that  the  Dutch  should  proceed  to 
give  it  protection.  But  their  ships  had  suffered 
severely  from  the  weather ;  the  admiral  was  still 
unable  to  take  the  command ;  and  instead  of 
joining  their  allies,  they  embraced  the  first  oppor- 
tunity of  returning  to  their  own  ports.  Beaufort, 
however,  extricated  himself  from  the  danger,  and 
stole  his  way  down  the  Channel  with  no  other 
loss  than  that  of  the  Ruby,  of  fifty -four  guns81. 

The  storm  which  had  driven   the  English  fleet  Fire  of 
into  St.  Helen's  was   productive  of  the  most  dis- 

Sen  2. 

astrous  consequences  by  land.  On  the  night  of 
Sunday,  the  2d  of  September,  a  fire  burst  out  in 
Pudding-lane,  near  Fish-street,  one  of  the  most 
crowded  quarters  of  the  metropolis.  It  originated 
in  a  bake-house ;  the  buildings  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, formed  of  wood,  with  pitched  roofs,  quickly 


91  Clarendon,  317.    Heath,  353.  Misccl.  Aul.  418.    Louis  XIV. 
ii.  219,  221—  226.     Temple,  i.  477. 


150  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

(II A  P.  caught   the   flames;  and   the   stores   with  which 
1666      tnev  were  filled,  consisting  of  those  combustible 

articles  used  in  the  equipment  of  shipping,  nou- 
rished the  conflagration.  To  add  to  the  mischief, 
the  pipes  from  the  new  river  were  found  empty82, 
and  the  engine,  which  raised  water  from  the 
Thames,  was  reduced  to  ashes.  The  lord  mayor 
arrived  on  the  first  alarm  :  but  his  timidity  and 
inexperience  shrunk  from  the  adoption  of  decisive 
measures  :  he  refused  for  several  hours  to  admit 
the  aid  of  the  military,  and  to  those  who  advised 
the  demolition  of  a  range  of  houses,  replied  that 
he  must  previously  obtain  the  consent  of  their 
respective  owners  83. 
Sep.  3.  During  the  day  the  wind,  which  blew  from  the 
east,  hourly  augmented  in  violence ;  and  the  fire 
spread  with  astonishing  velocity,  leaping  from  roof 
to  roof,  and  frequently  igniting  houses  at  a  dis- 
tance, and  in  apparent  security.  The  following 
night    ("  if  night, "  says   an    eye-witness,  "  that 

82  On  the  authority  of  an  old  woman,  the  countess  of  Clarendon, 
and  of  a  divine,  Dr.  Lloyd,  whose  brain  had  been  affected  by  the 
study  of  the  Apocalypse,  Burnet  gravely  tells  a  story  of  one 
Grant,  a  papist,  a  partner  in  the  works  at  Islington,  having  on  the 
preceding  Saturday  turned  the  cocks,  and  carried  away  the  keys. 
(Hist.  i.  4-01.)  But  the  fire  happened  on  the  2d  of  September,  and 
Higgons  (Remarks,  219.)  proves  from  the  books  of  the  company, 
that  Grant  had  no  share  in  the  works  before  the  25th  of  that 
month. 

83  The  duke  of  York  says,  that  the  expedient  of  blowing  up 
houses  with  gunpowder  was  suggested  by  an  old  woman  (Macpher. 
Pap.  i.  3fi.)  ;  Evelyn,  by  a  party  of  sailors  ;  but  "  some  tenacious 
"  and  avaritious  men,  aldermen,  &c.  would  not  permit  it,  because 
"  their  houses  must  have  been  the  first",  ii.  266. 


CHARLES    II.  151 

"  could  be  called,  which  was  light  as  day  for  ten  CHAP. 
"miles  round,")  presented  a   most   magnificent,     166'6. 

but  appalling  spectacle.     A  vast  column  of  fire,  a 

mile  in  diameter,  was  seen  ascending  to  the  clouds  ; 
the  flames,  as  they  rose,  were  bent  and  broken, 
and  shivered  by  the  fury  of  the  wind  ;  and  every 
blast  scattered  through  the  air  innumerable  flakes 
of  fire,  which  falling  on  inflammable  substances 
kindled  new  conflagrations.  The  lurid  glare  of 
the  sky,  the  oppressive  heat  of  the  atmosphere, 
the  crackling  of  the  flames,  and  the  falling  of  the 
houses  and  churches,  combined  to  fill  every  breast 
with  astonishment  and  terror. 

Instead,  however,  of  adverting  to  the  natural 
causes  of  the  calamity,  causes  too  obvious  to  es- 
cape an  observant  eye,  the  public  credulity  listened 
to  stories  of  malice  and  treachery.      It  was   said 
and    believed,  that    men   had    been   apprehended 
carrying  with  them  parcels  of  an  unknown  sub- 
stance, which  on  compression  produced  heat  and 
flame  ;  that  others  had  been  seen  throwing  fire 
balls  into  houses  as  they  passed  along  the  street ; 
that   the   foreign  enemy   had   combined  with   the 
republicans  and  papists  to  burn  the  city  ;  and  that 
the  French  residents  in  the  capital,  to  the  number 
of  twenty  thousand,  had  taken  up  arms,  and  were 
massacring  every  native,    who  came  in  the  way. 
These  reports  augmented  the  general  terror  and 
confusion.      All  were   mingled   together,   men  la- 
bouring to  extinguish  the  flames,  citizens  convey- 
ing away  their  families   and  goods,  crowds  flying 


[»?  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND, 

c  il  AT.  from  the  imaginary  massacre,  others  in  arms  has- 
's      tening  to   oppose  the  murderers,  and   mobs  sur- 

rounding  and  ill-treating  every  stranger,  foreigner, 

and  reputed  papist,  who  ventured  into  the  streets. 
Exertions  Charles  never  appeared  so  deeply  affected  as  at 
king.  the  sight  of  the  conflagration.  Breaking  from  his 
pleasures  and  his  mistresses,  he  displayed  an 
energy  of  mind  and  body  of  which  his  most  inti- 
mate friends  thought  him  no  longer  capable. 
Wherever  the  danger  appeared  the  greatest,  the 
king  was  to  be  found  with  his  brother,  mixing 
among  the  workmen,  animating  them  by  his 
example,  and  with  his  own  hand  rewarding  their 
exertions  8\  He  divided  the  city  into  districts, 
and  gave  the  command  of  each  district  to  one  of 
the  privy  council.  He  ordered  biscuits  and  other 
necessaries  to  be  brought  from  the  royal  stores  for 
the  relief  of  the  families  in  the  fields,  and  sent  out 
strong  patroles  of  his  guards,  to  prevent  robbery, 
and  to  conduct  to  prison  all  persons  suspected  and 
arrested  by  the  populace,  as  the  most  likely  means 
of  preserving  their  lives. 
Endofthe  While  the  storm  continued,  the  conflagration 
tion.  "  bftde  defiance  to  all  the  exertions  of  human  inge- 
nuity or  power.  In  many  places  houses  had  been 
blown  up  or  demolished  :  but  the  ignited  flakes 
were  carried   over  the  einjrty  space,  or  the  ruins 

y,t  "  It  is  not  indeed  imaginable  how  extraordinary  the  vigilance 
"  and  activity  of  the  king  and  the  duke  was,  even  labouring  in 
'•'  person,  and  being  present  to  command,  order,  reward,  orencou- 
"  rage  workmen".     Evelyn,  ii.  268.     Life  of  James,  i.  424. 


CHARLES  II.  153 

again  took  fire,  or  the  flames  unexpectedly  turned  CHAP, 
in  a  new  direction.     On  the  evening  of  Wednes-     j^. 

day  the  violence  of  the  wind  began  to  abate  ;  the 

duke  of  York  saved  the  church  of  the  Temple  bySeP  5- 
the  destruction  of  the  neighbouring  buildings  ; 
and  the  next  morning  a  similar  precaution  was  Sep.  c. 
adopted  by  the  king  to  preserve  Westminster- 
abbey  and  the  palace  of  Whitehall.  About  five 
in  the  evening  of  Thursday  the  weather  became 
calm  ;  and  every  heart  beat  with  the  hope  that 
this  dreadful  visitation  was  approaching  to  its  close. 
But  in  the  night  new  alarms  were  excited.  The 
fire  burst  out  again  in  the  Temple ;  it  was  still 
seen  to  rage  with  unabated  fury  near  Cripplegate, 
and  a  large  body  of  flame  made  rapid  advance 
towards  the  Tower.  The  duke  and  the  other  no- 
blemen were  immediately  at  their  posts.  With 
the  aid  of  gunpowder  large  openings  were  made  ; 
Charles  attended  at  the  demolition  of  the  houses 
on  the  graff  near  the  magazine  in  the  Tower  ; 
and  the  conflagration,  b'jing  thus  prohibited  from 
extending  its  ravages,  gradually  died  away,  though 
months  elapsed  before  the  immense  accumulation 
of  ruins  ceased  to  present  appearances  of  internal 
heat  and  combustion  85. 

By  this  deplorable  accident   two-thirds  of  the  Its  ex- 
metropolis,  the  whole  space  from  the  Tower  to  the 
Temple,  had  been  reduced  to  ashes.     The  number 

'  London  Gazette,  No.  8.5.  Clarend.  318— 3.52.  Evelyn,  ii. 
263— 7.  Philips,  652.  Burnet,  i.  401,  2 ;  and  Pepys,  who  in  the 
confusion  has  divided  one  day  into  two.      Diary,  iii.  1G — 35. 


11. 

1666. 


154  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

(II A  P.  of  houses  consumed  amounted  to  thirteen  thousand 
two  hundred  ;  of  churches,  including  St.  Paul's,  to 
eighty-nine,  covering-  three  hundred  and  seventy- 
three   acres  within,  and  sixty-three  without  the 

Sep.  7.  walls.  In  the  fields  ahout  Islington  and  High- 
gate  were  seen  lying  on  the  bare  ground,  or  under 
huts  hastily  erected,  two  hundred  thousand  indi- 
viduals, many  in  a  state  of  utter  destitution,  and 
the  others  watching  the  small  remnant  of  their 
property  which  they  had  snatched  from  the  flames. 
Charles  was  indefatigable  in  his  exertions  to  afford 
relief,  and  to  procure  them  lodgings  in  the  nearest 
towns  and  villages  86. 

Its  cause.  Whoever  considers  the  place  in  which  the  fire 
began,  the  violence  of  the  wind,  and  the  materials 
of  which  the  houses  were  built,  will  not  be  at  a  loss 
to  account  for  the  origin  and  the  extent  of  the 
conflagration.  But  it  was  an  age  in  which  poli- 
tical and  religious  prejudices  had  perverted  the 
judgments  of  men.  Some  considered  it  as  an 
evident  visitation  of  Providence  in  punishment  of 
sin  ;  but  of  what  sin  ?  Of  the  immorality  of  the 
king  and  the  courtiers,  replied  the  more  rigid  reli- 
gionists ;  of  the  late  rebellion,  recriminated  the 
cavaliers  87.     Others  attributed  it  to  the  disloyalty 


86  St.  Trials,  vi.  807.     Evelyn,  ii.  271. 

87  Two  remarkable  coincidences  have  been  noticed.  At  the 
trials  of  certain  conspirators  in  the  preceding  April,  it  appeared 
that  they  had  intended  to  set  fire  to  London  on  the  3d  of  Sep- 
tember of  the  last  year,  that  they  might  avail  themselves  of  the 


CHARLES   H.  155 

and  revenge,  either  of  the  republicans,  who  sought  CHAP, 
to   destroy  the   seat   of  the  monarchy,  or  of  the     1666 

papists,  who  wished  to  punish  the  strong  hold  of 

orthodoxy.  But  of  these  charges,  though  the  in- 
dividuals suspected  were  examined  before  the 
council  and  the  lord  chief  justice,  though  the 
house  of  commons  ordered  a  strict  inquiry  to  be 
instituted,  though  every  species  of  conjectural  and 
hearsay  evidence  was  admitted,  yet  no  vestige  of 
proof  could  ever  be  discovered.  The  report  of 
the  committee  still  exists,  a  complete  refutation  of 
the  calumny 88.  Subsequently,  however,  on  the 
monument  erected  to  perpetuate  this  calamitous 
event,  it  was,  and  still  stands,  recorded,  that  "  the 
"  burning  of  this  protestant  city  was  begun  and 
"  carried   on  by  the  treachery  and   malice  of  the 

confusion  to  overturn  the  government  (London  Gazette,  Ap.  23 — 
26)  :  and  it  was  about  one  in  the  morning  of  Sep.  3,  of  this  year, 
that  the  fire  made  its  appearance.  Again,  in  1656,  a  treatise  was 
advertised,  purporting  to  show  from  the  Apocalypse,  that  in  the 
year  1666  the  Romish  Babylon  would  be  destroyed  by  fire.  (Merc. 
Pol.  in  Burton's  Diary,  i.  cxlvii.)  Now  this  great  fire  actually 
happened  in  1666,  the  year  foretold,  though  it  destroyed  not  the 
Romish,  but  the  English  Babylon. 

88  The  examinations  are  printed  in  Howell's  State  Trials,  vi. 
807 — 866.  One  Hubert,  a  French  protestant,  who  formerly 
worked  as  a  silversmith  in  the  city,  gave  himself  up  as  the  incen- 
diary, was  examined  before  the  committee  (see  his  examination, 
p.  824),  and,  persisting  in  his  story,  was  condemned  and  executed. 
The  man  was  clearly  insane.  "  Neither  the  judges,  nor  any  pre- 
"  sent  at  the  trial,  did  believe  him  guilty  ;  but  that  he  was  a  poor 
"  distracted  wretch,  weary  of  his  life,  and  chose  to  part  with  it 
"  this  way".  Clarendon,  3.53.  See  also  Higgons  on  Burnet, 
215. 


1^6  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP.  "  popish  faction".     Next  to  the  guilt  of  him  who 
166*6.     perpetrates  an  atrocious  crime,  is  the  guilt  of  those, 
who  charge  it  on  the  innocent 89. 


Proceed-  In  the  same  month,  when  the  parliament  as- 
parlia-  sembled,  it  became  manifest  that  the  popularity  of 
ment.  the  king  was  on  the  wane  in  the  lower  house. 
The  late  disaster  had  thrown  a  gloom  over  the 
public  mind  ;  and  the  murmurs  of  the  people  were 
echoed  in  the  speeches  of  their  representatives. 
The  duke  of  Buckingham  sought  the  company  of 
the  discontented  ;  by  tales  of  the  royal  extrava- 
gance and  immorality,  he  sharpened  their  indigna- 
tion and  won  their  confidence  ;  and,  in  a  short 
time,  a  formidable  party  was  arrayed  against  the 
advocates  of  the  court.  No  man,  indeed,  could  be 
more  immoral  than  Buckingham  himself;  but 
Charles,  to  gratify  the  anger  of  Castlemaine,  had 
banished  him  from  court,  and  resentment  made 
him  a  saint  and  a  patriot.  The  commons  began, 
indeed,  by  voting  a  supply  of  1,800,000/. ;  yet, 
while  they  held  out  the  money  as  a  lure  to  the 
king,  they  required  several  concessions  before  they 
would  deliver  it  into  his  hands.  1°.  According 
to  ancient  custom,  they  displayed  their  zeal  against 
the  catholics.  The  attempt  to  fasten  on  them  the 
charge  of  having  fired  the  capital  unfortunately 
failed  ;  but  a  committee  was  appointed  "  to  inquire 
"  into  the  insolence  of  the  papists  and  the  increase 

"9  The  monument  was  begun  in  1671,  and  finished  in  1677; 
the  inscription  was  written  by  Dr.  Thomas  Gale,  afterward  dean 
of  York.     Pennant's  London,  317. 


CHARLES  II.  1^7 

"  of  popery"  ;  and,  though  the  information  which  CHAP, 
they  procured,  consisted  of  tales  so  childish  and  1666. 
improbable  that  they  dared  not  pronounce  an 
opinion 90,  yet  it  served  as  the  foundation  of  an 
address  to  the  king ;  and  Charles,  in  accordance 
with  their  petition,  commanded,  by  proclamation, 
all  priests  and  Jesuits  to  quit  the  kingdom ;  gave 
directions  to  the  judges  and  magistrates  to  exe- 
cute the  laws  against  recusants,  to  disarm  all 
papists,  and  to  administer  the  oaths  of  allegiance 
and  supremacy  to  all  persons  suspected  of  popery  ; 
and  ordered  the  commanders  of  regiments  to  dis- 
miss from  the  army  every  officer  and  soldier  who 
should  refuse  the  oaths,  or  had  not  received  the 
sacrament. 

2°.  In  1663  complaint  had  been  made  in  par- Debate  on 
liament  that  the  agricultural  interest  of  England  tie# 
was  sacrificed  to  that  of  Ireland ;  that  the  annual 
importation  of  Irish  cattle,  amounting  to  more 
than  sixty  thousand  beeves  and  a  proportionate 
number  of  sheep,  depressed  the  prices  in  the  Eng- 
lish market ;  and  that  the  English  farmers  were 
no  longer  able  to  pay  their  rents  to  their  landlords 
or  their  taxes  to  the  king.  The  result  was  an  act 
prohibiting  under  severe  penalties  the  importation 
of  cattle  from  the  Irish  to  the  English  ports. 
There  now  remained  but  one  resource  for  the  Irish 
farmer,  the  introduction  of  the  dead  carcase  in 
place  of  the  live  animal ;  and  to  meet  this  a   bill 

90  It  is  published  in  the  State  Trials,  vi.  851—9. 


16(3  (j. 


L58  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAT,  was  brought  in  during  the  session  at  Oxford,  to 
extend  the  prohibition  to  salt  beef,  bacon,  and 
pork.  It  was  lost  by  the  hasty  prorogation  of 
parliament,  but  revived  in  the  present  session. 
Never,  for  many  years,  had  any  question  excited 
such  agitation  in  the  public  mind,  or  such  animo- 
sities in  the  two  houses.  On  the  one  part,  it  was 
contended  that  the  parliament  was  bound  in  duty 
to  protect  the  agricultural  interest,  which  com- 
prised not  only  the  farmers  and  their  servants, 
but  all  the  landlords  in  the  kingdom  ;  on  the  other, 
that  the  people  had  a  right  to  purchase  their  food 
at  the  cheapest  market ;  that  it  was  unjust  to  pro- 
tect one  interest  at  the  expense  of  another ;  and 
that,  if  the  Irish  were  not  allowed  to  export  their 
cattle,  they  would  not  be  able  to  import  the  ma- 
nufactures of  England.  The  bill,  after  much 
contestation,  was  sent  to  the  lords,  and  returned 
by  them  with  amendments,  to  which  the  commons 
objected.  The  opponents  of  the  measure  hoped, 
by  fomenting  the  dissension,  to  suppress  the  bill : 
but  the  king  was  so  anxious  not  to  lose  by  delay 
the  supply  which  had  been  voted,  and  so  alarmed 
by  the  tumultuous  meetings  of  the  agriculturists 
in  the  country,  that  he  commanded  the  duke  of 
York  and  his  friends  in  the  house  of  lords  to  de- 
sist from  their  opposition.  They  withdrew  before 
the  division,  and  the  bill  was  suffered  to  pass  into 
a  law91. 

'"   Miscel.  Aul.  432,  6,  7,  9,  436.     Coke,  151—144.    Clarendon, 
371— 3S3.     Carte,  ii.  317  —  322,  329—334.      In  tlie  course  of  these 


CHARLES    II.  159 

3°.  Reports  were  circulated  that  the  supplies  CHAP. 

1666. 


previously   voted   for   the  war  had  been  diverted 


from  their  original  destination  ;  and  a  bill   was 

carried  through  the  commons  appointing  commis-  2"litiM 
sioners  to  audit  the  public  accounts.  Charles,  at  of  th.e 
the  solicitation  of  sir  George  Carteret,  treasurer  counts.30 
of  the  navy,  and  of  Cooper,  recently  created  lord 
Ashley,  treasurer  of  the  prize  money,  openly  de- 
clared that  he  would  never  yield  his  consent.  It 
was  a  direct  invasion  of  the  royal  prerogative ;  it 
would  prevent  men  from  taking  office  if,  instead 
of  the  regular  method  of  auditing  accounts,  they 
were  to  be  interrogated  at  will  by  the  commons, 
and  subjected  to  the  arbitrary  judgment  of  that 
house  ;  and,  which  was  the  most  cogent  argument 
of  all,  it  would  reveal  to  the  public  the  many  and 
valuable  grants  which  the  king  had  made  of  the 
national  money  to  his  favourites  and  mistresses. 
But  to  oppose  it  openly  might  provoke  and  con- 
firm suspicion :  when  the  bill  came  to  the  upper 
house,  the  lords  voted  an  address  to  the  king  to 
appoint  a  commission  of  inquiry  ;  the  commons 


debates,  Buckingham  said  that  whoever  opposed  the  bill,  must 
have  an  Irish  interest  in  his  heart,  or  an  Irish  intellect  in  his  head. 
Lord  Ossery  challenged  him  ;  but  he  chose  to  mistake  the  place 
of  meeting,  and  to  give  an  account  of  the  whole  proceeding  to  the 
house.  Both  were  put  under  custody,  and  afterwards  reconciled. 
Next  he  quarrelled  with  lord  Dorchester,  respecting  a  seat  in  a 
conference  with  the  commons.  The  marquess  in  the  scuffle  lost 
his  periwig,  the  duke  a  handful  of  hair.  The  two  champions  were 
sent  to  the  Tower,  and  reconciled.  L.  Journ.  xii.  18,  19,  52. 
Clarendon,  376—9.     Miscel.  Aul.  423— fi. 


l60  IIISTOllY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  resolved  that  such  an  address,  pending  the  bill, 
,~'       was  unparliamentary,  and  the  two  houses  found 

1(>67.  l  J 

themselves  involved  in  an  endless  controversy  re- 
specting their  rights  and  privileges.  Charles, 
however,  was  now  assailed  from  a  different  quar- 
ter. His  opponents  threatened  to  impeach  the 
countess  of  Castlemaine  ;  and  his  anxiety  to  screen 
her  from  prosecution  induced  him  to  employ  his 

Jan.  24.  influence  in  favour  of  the  bill.  The  lords  passed 
it  with  a  few  trifling  amendments ;  and  then  its 
supporters,  as  if  their  only  object  had  been  to  ex- 
cite the  distrust  of  the  nation,  instead  of  proceed- 
ing with  a  measure  which  they  had  so  warmly 
pursued,  suffered  the  bill  to  lie  without  notice  on 
the  table.  The  means  of  raising  the  supply  by  a 
pole  tax  and  by  eleven  monthly  assessments  were 

Feb.  8.  voted,  and  the  king  having  obtained  his  end,  pro- 
rogued the  parliament  9i. 

Insurrec-       During  this  session,  the  council   was   seriously 

Scotland,  alarmed  by  the  news  of  an  insurrection  in  Scot- 
land, an  insurrection  attributed  at  first  to  foreign 

'■*  L.  Journ.  xii.  34,  47,  52,  72,  81,  88.  C.  Journal,  Jan.  24; 
Feb.  7.  Clarendon,  3(J8,  374.  Charles,  however,  in  the  April 
following,  did  appoint  a  commission  of  lords  and  commons,  "for 
"  taking  accounts  of  the  several  sums  of  money  which  had  been 
"  raised  and  assigned  to  his  majesty's  use  during  the  war,  and  of 
"  all  such  moneys  and  profits  as  had  been  made  of  prizes  taken 
"  since  the  beginning  of  the  war,  with  power  to  call  to  account  all 
"  treasurers,  receivers,  &c.  and  all  such  authority,  as  might  serve 
"  for  the  effectual  and  impartial  execution  of  the  said  commis- 
"  sion".  They  sate,  continued  the  inquiry  for  many  months,  and 
made  reports  to  the  house  of  commons.  There  was,  however,  no 
important  result. 


CHARLES    II. 


161 


intrigue,  but  provoked  in  reality  by  religious  per-  CHAP, 
sedition.     The  eastern  and  northern  counties  had     1(iC'7 

apparently  acquiesced  in  the  restoration  of  episco 

pacy ;  but  in  the  west  and  south  a  strong  spirit 
of  resistance  had  been  manifested.  Most  of  the 
ministers  were  ejected,  and  their  places  supplied 
by  clergymen,  whose  youth  and  habits  were  not 
calculated  to  render  them  acceptable  to  the  people. 
When  they  took  possession  of  their  cures,  they 
were  generally  received  with  contumely,  sometimes 
with  vollies  of  stones  from  crowds  of  women  and 
children  ;  and  when  they  ascended  the  pulpit,  their 
churches  were  deserted  by  the  majority  of  the  pa- 
rishioners. These  followed  their  former  pastor  to 
the  barn  and  the  moor ;  the  circumstances  under 
which  they  met  kindled  the  enthusiasm  both  of  the 
preacher  and  his  hearers  ;  and  they  separated  with 
a  firm  determination  to  adhere  to  the  national  co- 
venant, and  to  oppose  to  the  death  the  "  anti- 
christian"  institution  of  bishops.  The  parlia- 
ment made  laws  to  put  down  conventicles,  and 
enforce  attendance  at  the  parish  church  ;  the  high 
commission  court  endeavoured  to  subdue  the  most 
refractory  by  arbitrary  and  disproportionate  pu- 
nishments ;  and,  as  a  last  resource,  a  body  of  sol- 
diers, under  sir  James  Turner,  an  Englishman, 
was  sent  into  the  west  to  levy  fines,  and  secure  obc- 
dience  to  the  law.  Without  attaching  entire  credit 
to  the  exaggerated  tales  of  the  sufferers,  we  may 
presume  that  these  military  missionaries  did  net 
discharge  their  duties  in  a  manner  to  please   or 

VOL.  XII.  M 


1666. 
Nov.  13 


l""  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  conciliate  the  natives;  numerous  frays  occurred 
leer,     between  them  and  the  religionists  on  whom  they 
were  quartered  :  one  of  the  soldiers  was   shot  at 
Dairy  in  Galloway  ;  the  offenders  secured  his  com- 
panions for  their  own  safety  ;  their  number  quickly 

Nov.  is.  increased  ;  they  surprised  and  made  prisoner  sir 
James  Turner  himself ;  and,  astonished  at  their 
success,  began  to  deliberate  respecting  their  future 
proceedings.  They  scarcely  exceeded  two  thou- 
sand men  ;  but,  on  the  ground  that  "  God  was 
"  able  to  save  by  few  as  well  as  by  many  ",  they 

Nov.  2?.  chose  officers,  renewed  the  covenant,  and  resolved 
to  march  towards  Edinburgh.  The  night  was 
cold  and  dark  ;  and,  on  their  arrival  at  Bathgate 
their  force  had  dwindled  to  less  than  one  half  of 
its  original  amount.  They  nevertheless  continued 
to  advance  ;  but  the  gates  were  shut ;  and  the 
royal  army  under  Dalziel  followed  their  footsteps. 
They  retreated  from  Collingtown  to  Rullion-green, 

Nov.  28.  near  the  Pentland  Hills,  where  their  commander, 
colonel  Wallace,  faced  the  enemy.  Of  the  minis- 
ters who  accompanied  them,  Crookshank  and  Mac- 
cormick,  natives  of  Ireland,  took  their  station 
among  the  cavalry  to  fight  the  battle  of  the  Lord  ; 
Welch  and  Semple,  natives  of  Scotland,  ascended 
a  neighbouring  eminence  to  pray.  The  former 
fell  in  the  first  charge  ;  the  latter,  as  soon  as  they 
saw  the  loss  of  the  battle,  saved  their  lives  by 
flight.  About  fifty  of  the  insurgents  were  left 
dead  on  the  field,  and  one  hundred  and  thirty 
were  made  prisoners.     It   was  a  time  when  per- 


CHAHLES  II.  l6$ 


haps  some  effect  might  have  been  produced  by  the  CHAP, 
lenity  of  government :  but  the  prelates  deemed  it     166'7 
more  prudent  to  intimidate  by  severity.     Twenty 


were  executed  in  the  capital,  and  about  the  same    ec* ' ' 

.  -^  Dec.  it. 

number  in  Glasgow,  Ayr,  Irvine,  and  Dumfries.  Dcc>  22> 

All  refused  the  oath,  and  died  professing  their 
adhesion  to  the  covenant.  The  king  ordered  a 
rigorous  inquiry  to  be  made  into  the  origin  of  the 
insurrection ;  and  the  chief  of  the  prisoners  were 
tortured  in  the  "  boots  ",  to  draw  from  them  the 
confession  of  their  real  object.  But  no  trace  could 
be  discovered  of  any  correspondence  between  them 
and  the  foreign  enemy :  the  court  became  con- 
vinced that  persecution  had  goaded  them  to  resist- 
ance ;  and  an  order  was  issued  that  the  whigs 
(the  name  by  which  the  covenanters  were  now 
designated)  should  be  treated  with  less  severity  9'3. 

The  suppression  of  this  tumult  relieved  the  Difficulty 
king  from  one  source  of  disquietude  :  there  re-  out  the 
mained  another,  which  he  knew  not  how  to 
remove — the  poverty  of  the  exchequer.  To  pre- 
pare the  fleet  for  sea  required  an  immediate 
supply  of  money  ;  and  the  grant  made  by  the  par- 
liament, though  liberal  in  the  amount,  offered  but 
a  distant  resource.     In  the  former  years  the  royal 

13  Kirkton,  229—255.  Wodrow,  217—256.  App.  86,  7,  S. 
Burnet,  i.  151.  "  The  poor  people,  who  were  at  this  time  in  con- 
"  tempt  called  whiggs,  became  name-fathers  to  all  that  owned  ane 
"  honest  interest  in  Britain,  who  were  called  whiggs  after  them 
"  even  at  the  court  of  England  ;  so  strangely  doth  Providence 
"  improve  man's  mistakes  for  the  furthering  of  the  Lord's  pur- 
"pose".      Kirkton,  255. 

3M    2 


t6l  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAT  wants  liai1  ^een  Promptly  accommodated  by  the 
IT-  bankers,  a  few  opulent  individuals,  members  of  the 
'  company  of  goldsmiths,  and  aldermen  in  the  city. 
These  it  was  customary  to  introduce  into  the 
royal  presence;  they  were  acquainted  with  the 
amount  of  the  intended  loan  ;  each  subscribed  for 
such  portion  as  he  chose  to  take,  and  received  in 
return  the  assignation  of  some  branch  of  the  pub- 
lic revenue,  entitling  him  to  its  produce  till  the 
capital,  with  the  interest  at  eight  per  cent.,  should 
be  entirely  discharged  9t.  But  this  expedient  was 
now  impracticable,  on  account  of  the  embarrass- 
ments, caused  by  the  plague  and  the  fire,  in  mer- 
cantile and  pecuniary  transactions.  The  bankers 
had  suffered  considerable  losses  ;  money  had 
grown  scarce  ;  the  destruction  of  merchandize  had 
diminished  the  receipt  of  the  customs  and  excise ; 
and  the  inability  of  the  treasury  to  fulfil  its  en- 
gagements had  impaired  the  royal  credit.  In  an 
evil  hour,  sir  William  Coventry  proposed  to  lay 

s*  Clarendon,  393—6,  314,  5.  Life  of  James,  i.  425.  Mac- 
pherson,  Pap.  i.  367.  The  bankers  were  accustomed  to  charge 
eight  per  cent,  on  loans,  and  to  give  six  per  cent,  on  deposits. 
The  manner  of  payment  may  be  understood  from  the  following 
order  in  council,  published  in  March  of  this  year :  "  that  all  persons 
"  who  had  lent  money  for  his  Majesty's  service  in  the  present  war, 
"  upon  the  credit  of  the  late  act  for  125,000/.,  whose  orders  were 
"  of  the  numbers  of  99,  100,  and  so  forwards  to  126,  should  take 
*'  notice  that  there  remained  money  for  them  in  bank  at  the  re- 
"  ceipt  of  his  Majesty's  exchequer,  ready  to  pay  both  their  prin- 
"  cipal  and  interest,  and  should  therefore  cause  their  respective 
' <  orders  and  tallies  to  be  brought  into  the  exchequer ;  and  give 
"  their  acquittances,  that  they  might  receive  their  loans  and  inte- 
"  rests  according  to  the  said  act." 


CHARLES    II. 


165 


up  the  larger  ships  in  ordinary,  and  to  equip  only  CHAP, 
two  squadrons  of  light  frigates,  one  to  harass  the     166*7# 

enemy's  trade  in  the  Channel,  and  the  other  that 

in  the  German  Ocean.  The  duke  of  York  ob- 
jected with  considerable  force,  that  such  an  ex- 
pedient was  in  truth  an  abandonment  of  the 
sovereignty  of  the  sea,  and  an  invitation  to  the 
Dutch  to  insult  the  English  coast,  and  plunder 
the  maritime  counties.  But  the  difficulty  of  pro- 
curing money,  and  the  expectation  of  a  speedy 
peace,  weighed  with  the  rest  of  the  council ;  and 
Charles  consented  to  a  measure  which  subse- 
quently gave  him  keener  regret,  and  brought  on 
him  more  lasting  disgrace,  than,  perhaps,  any 
other  act  of  his  government. 

The  king  of  France,  who  had  completed  his  Secret 
preparations  for  the  invasion  of  Flanders  in  the  ^J/ 
spring,  was  anxious  to  free  himself  from  the  in-  Louis. 
cumbrance  of  the  war  with  England.     Through 
Ruvigni,   the  agent  of  the  French  protestants  at 
his  court,  he  persuaded  the  earl  of  St.  Alban's, 
who,  it  was  rumoured,  had  privately  married  the 
queen-mother,   to  proceed  to  London  and  sound 
the   disposition   of  Charles.     The  English    king 
earnestly  wished  to  try  again  his  fortune  by  sea ; 
but  the  difficulty  of  fitting  out  the  fleet  subdued 
his  repugnance  to  a  treaty,  and  he  consented  to 
send  commissioners  to  Breda,  on   condition   that 
an  armistice  should  accompany  the  negociation  9\ 

w  Clarendon,  119. 


1'Cfi  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP.  Louis  met  with  greater  difficulty  on  the  part  of 
16(i7.     the  States,  who,  aware  that  his  intended  conquest 

—  of  Flanders  must  prove  injurious  to  their  inter- 

1666.      ests,  sought  to  divert  him   from  his  purpose  by 

Dec.  14.  continuing  the  war,  from  which  he  had  recently 
pledged  himself  not  to  withdraw  without  their 
consent.  But  the  monarch,  irritated  by  their  ob- 
jections and  delays,  discovered  an  expedient  by 
which  he  disappointed  their  hopes.  Without  the 
knowledge  of  the  ministers  at  either  court,  he 
opened  a  secret  negociation  with  Charles.  Each 
prince  addressed  his  letters  to  the  queen  Henrietta 
Maria,  Louis  as  to  his  aunt,  Charles  as  to  his 
mother  ;  and  that  princess  forwarded  them  to 
their  destination,  under  covers  as  from  herself. 
Neither  had  any  real  cause  of  hostility  against  the 
other,  and  the  only  difficulty  arose  from  a  desire 
in  the  English  king  to  recover  the  isles  in  the 
West  Indies,  which  had  been  taken  by  the  French, 
and  on  the  part  of  Louis  to  obtain  a  pledge  that 
England  should  not  oppose  his  designs  against 
Spain.  At  length  they  compromised  these  pre- 
tensions, and  it  was  agreed  that  each  should 
abstain  from  hostilities  against  the  other;  that 
France  should  restore  her  conquests  in  the  West 
Indies ;  that  England,  during  the  space  of  one 
year,  should  afford  no  assistance  to  Spain  ;  and 
that  so  much  of  this  treaty  as  was  fit  to  meet  the 
eye  of  the  public  should  be  afterwards  inserted  in 

April  H.   a  public    treaty.     Both   kings  solemnly  pledged 
themselves  to  the  observance  of  the  articles  in  a 


CHARLES    II.  167 

paper  under  their  respective  signatures,  which  for  CHAP, 
greater  privacy  and   security  was  deposited  with     16li'7 

Henrietta  Maria,  as  their  common  relation  and 

friend  96. 

While  the  secret  treaty  proceeded,  the  French  The 
ambassador  reiterated  his  demands  at  the  Hague,  fleet  in 
and  four  out  of  the  seven  provinces,  eager  for  the  nver' 
peace,  resolved  to  withdraw  their  contributions 
towards  the  expences  of  the  war.  De  Witt  with 
his  party  was  compelled  to  yield  ;  Breda  was 
named  for  the  place  of  the  congress,  and  in  the 
month  of  May  the  ambassadors  of  the  several  May  u. 
powers  assembled.  But  the  pensionary  still 
thirsted  for  revenge :  he  knew  that  the  Dutch 
fleet  was  ready  to  sail,  and  that  England  had  no 
fleet  to  oppose  ;  and  he  determined  not  to  throw 
away  the  opportunity  which  fortune  had  placed 
in  his  hands.  When  the  armistice  was  pixmosed, 
the  Dutch  immediately  refused  their  consent,  on 
the  ground  that  it  would  occupy  as  much  time  to 
discuss  its  conditions  as  those  of  the  peace  itself; 
and  while  the  English  argued,  and  the  French 
remonstrated,  De  Witt  left  the  Texel  in  company 
with  De  Ruyter,  and  ordered  the  fleet  to  the 
amount  of  seventy  sail,  to  join  him  in  separate 
squadrons  at  the  buoy  off  the  Nore. 

The  English  government  was  not  taken  by 
surprise.     The  warnings  of  the  duke  of  York  had 

8  For  the  knowledge  of  this  singular  transaction,  the  first  of 
the  secret  treaties  betw<  en  Louis  and  Charles,  we  are  indebted  to 
Louis  himself,   in  his  (Envies,  ii.  256,  286,  8.,  9 ;  v.  399,  405. 


lO'S  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

chap,  awakened  them  to  a  sense  of  the  danger ;  and 
All      three  months  before,  orders  had  been  issued  to 

1007. 


raise  a  fort  at  Sheerness,  to  throw  a  boom  across 
Feb.  27.  tj]e  Medway  at  the  stakes,  to  mount  the  guns  on 
the  batteries,  and  to  prepare  a  competent  number 
of  fireships.  But  it  was  not  easy  to  carry  these 
orders  into  execution.  The  commissioners  of  the 
navy  already  owed  more  than  900,000/.  Their 
credit  was  gone :  the  sailors  refused  to  serve,  the 
labourers  to  work,  the  merchants  to  sell,  without 
immediate  payment :  and  to  procure  ready  money, 
either  by  application  to  the  treasury,  or  by  loan 
from  the  bankers,  was  impossible 97.  De  Witt, 
that  he  might  distract  the  attention  of  the  council, 
ordered  one  division  of  his  fleet  to  sail  up  the 
Thames  as  far  as  Gravesend,  and  the  other  to 
destroy,  which  was  his  chief  object,  the  shipping 
in  the  Med  way.     The  fort  at  Sheerness  opposed 

June  o.  but  a  feeble  resistance.  Though  Charles,  to 
hasten  the  completion  of  the  works,  had  visited 
them  twice  during  the  winter,  they  were  still  in 
an  unfinished  state,  and  a  xew  broadsides  levelled 
them  with  the  ground.  At  the  first  alarm,  Monk, 
by  the  royal  order,  hastened  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Medway.  He  erected  batteries,  and  moored 
guard-ships  for  the  protection  of  the  boom,  and 
sunk  five  ships  before  it  in  the  narrowest  part  of 
the  channel.     He   had  not   completed   these  pre- 

June  n.    parations,    when   the   Dutch   advanced   with   the 

;7  See  Pepys,  iii.  156,  162,  V,  171. 


CHA11LES    II.  16'9 

wind  and  tide  in  their  favour ;  but  the  obstruc-  CHAP, 
tion  in  the  passage  opposed  an  insuperable  bar  to     166^ 


their  progress,   and  they  were  compelled  to  fall 

back  with  the  ebb.  During  the  night,  however, 
they  discovered  a  new  channel,  sufficiently  deep 
for  large  ships  at  high  water,  and  in  the  morning 
worked  their  way  without  impediment  in  this 
direction.  The  men  of  war  immediately  pointed  June  is. 
their  guns  against  the  batteries  ;  and  a  heavy 
fireship,  running  against  the  boom,  hung  upon  it. 
A  second  followed  in  like  manner  ;  the  chain 
broke  under  their  united  weight ;  and,  in  a  short 
time,  the  guardships  were  in  a  blaze.  The  hull 
of  the  Royal  Charles,  a  first  rate,  which  through 
neglect  of  orders  had  not  been  removed,  became 
the  prize  of  the  conquerors. 

Monk,     disappointed     but     not    disheartened,  Advances 
hastened  back  to  Upnor  Castle.     The  night  was  t0  uPnor- 
employed   in   mounting  guns  and  collecting  am- 
munition :    in    the   morning    the    batteries    were 
manned  with  volunteers  from  the  navy ;  and  the 
return  of  the  tide  exhibited  a  sight  most  galling 
to   the  pride   of  every  Englishman, — the  Dutch 
fleet  advancing  triumphantly  up  the  river.     Two  June  13. 
men  of  Avar  led  the  line  ;  then  came  six  enormous 
fire-ships ;  after   them    followed   the   rest  of  the 
squadron.     The  men  of  war  anchored  to  receive 
and   return   the  fire    of  the    batteries ;    and   the 
fireships,    passing    behind    them,    pursued    their 
course,    reducing  to    ashes   the    three  first-rates, 
the  RoyalJames,  the  Oak,  and  the  London.     At 


]70  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  the  ebb,  their  commander  Van   Ghent,  whether 
1(i(J'7-     he  had  fully  executed  his  orders,  or  was  intimi- 


teut. 


■ ■  dated  by  the  warm  reception  which  he  experi- 
enced, made  the  signal  to  the  fleet  to  fall  down 
the  river,  and,  having  burnt  two  of  his  own 
vessels  which  had  grounded,  rejoined  in  safety 
the  other  division  at  the  Nore  ". 

Public  To  the  English,  if  we  consider  the  force  of  the 

enemy  and  the  defenceless  state  of  the  river, 
the  loss  was  much  less  than  they  had  reason 
to  expect  ;  but  the  disgrace  sunk  deep  into 
the  heart  of  the  king,  and  the  hearts  of  his 
subjects.  That  England,  so  lately  the  mis- 
tress of  the  ocean,  should  be  unable  to  meet  her 
enemies  at  sea,  and  that  the  Dutch,  whom  she 
had  so  often  defeated,  should  ride  triumphant  in 
her  rivers,  burn  her  ships,  and  scatter  dismay 
through  the  capital  and  the  country,  were  uni- 
versally subjects  of  grief  and  indignation.  Many 
attributed  it  to  that  eternal  source  of  every  cala- 
mity, the  imaginary  machinations  of  the  pa- 
pists"; others  were  taught  to  believe  that  the 
king  had  secretly  leagued  with  the  enemy  for  the 
purpose  of  depressing  the  nation,  that  he  might 
the  more  easily  establish  a  despotic  government ; 
and  numbers  contrasted  the  disastrous  result  of 
the  present  war  against  the  Dutch  under  a  king, 
with  the  glorious  result  of  the  former  war  under 

98  C.  Journals,  Oct.  31.     Pepys,  iii.  237,  241,  2,  5,  50;  v.  17. 
Evelyn,  ii.  287,  8,  291. 
m  Pepys,  iii.  245,  252. 


CHARLES  II.  171 


a  protector.     But  their  reasoning  was  evidently  CHAP, 
unjust.    Whatever  might  be  the  faults  of  Charles, 


1667. 


he  had  conducted  the  war  with  equal  spirit,  and 

till  this  moment  with  more  signal  success.  Even 
the  disgrace  at  Chatham,  originating  from  a 
measure  which  had  been  forced  upon  him  by  pecu- 
niary distress,  had  not  in  reality  diminished  the 
power  nor  impaired  the  resources  of  the  country. 

For  six  weeks  De  Ruyter  continued  to  sweep  Treaty  of 
the  English  coast.  But  his  attempts  to  burn  the  Peace- 
ships  at  Portsmouth,  Plymouth,  and  Torbay, 
were  successively  defeated  ;  and,  though  he  twice 
threatened  to  remount  the  Thames,  the  spirited 
opposition  with  which  he  was  received  by  a  squa- 
dron of  eighteen  sail,  under  sir  Edward  Spragge, 
induced  him  to  renounce  the  design.  In  the 
mean  time  the  Dutch  negotiators,  who  had  pur- 
posely protracted  the  conferences  at  Breda,  began 
to  be  alarmed  by  the  rapid  progress  of  the  French 
army  in  Flanders  ;  for  Louis,  soon  after  his  se- 
cret treaty  with  Charles,  passed  the  frontiers  with  May  11. 
an  army  of  seventy  thousand  men,  nominally 
commanded  by  himself,  but  really  under  the  guid- 
ance of  Turenne.  Castel-Rodrigo,  the  Spanish 
governor,  dismantled  several  fortresses ;  Binche, 
Tournay,  Oudenarde,  Courtrai,  and  Douai  opened 
their  gates  ;  and  Louis  was  actually  occupied  in 
the  siege  of  Lisle,  when  the  States  hastened  to 
withdraw  their  objections  to  the  proposals  of 
England,  that  they  might  have  leisure  to  secure 
themselves  against  the  ambition  of  their  powerful 


L72  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

C II A  P.  ally  ".     Three  treaties  were  signed  by  the  Eng- 

16G*7t     lish  commissioners   on  the   same   day.      By  one 

with  Holland  it  was  stipulated  that  both  parties 


July  21.  s]louici  forget  past  injuries,  and  remain  in  their 
present  condition,  which  confirmed  to  the  States 
the  possession  of  the  disputed  island  of  Pulo  Ron, 
and  to  the  English,  their  conquests  of  Albany  and 
New  York.  By  the  second  with  France,  Louis 
obtained  the  restoration  of  Nova  Scotia,  and 
Charles  that  of  Antigua,  Monserrat,  and  part  of 
St.  Kitts  ;  and  by  the  last  with  Denmark,  which 
country  had  acceded  to  the  war,  as  the  ally 
of  the  Dutch,  the  relations  of  amity  were  re- 
established between  the  two  crowns  10°. 
Unpopu-  There  was  nothing  in  the  conditions  of  peace 
Claren-  *°  mortify  the  pride  or  to  prejudice  the  interests 
don.  0f  the  nation ;  yet  the  calamities  which  had  ac- 
companied the  war,  the  plague,  the  fire,  and  the 
disgrace  at  Chatham,  though  over  the  two  first 
no  human  counsels  could  have  had  any  control, 


93  The  success  of  Louis  produced  a  benefit  to  England,  which 
was  unexpected :  it  induced  "one  Brewer,  with  about  fifty  Wal- 
"  loons,  who  wrought  and  dyed  fine  woollen  cloths ",  to  migrate 
to  this  kingdom.  "  The  king  entertained  them  against  our  bar- 
et  barous  law,  or  rather  usage,  against  foreigners  partaking  the 
*  benefit  of  natural-bom  English ;  and  by  them  the  English,  in  a 
"  few  years  time.,  were  instructed  to  make  and  dye  fine  woollen 
"  cloths  cheaper  by  forty  per  cent,  than  they  could  do  before  ". 
Coke,  ii.  161. 

100  See  them  in  Dumont,  vii.  par.  i.  40  -57.  Mem.  d'Estrades, 
iv.  395—4.28.     Temple,  i.  481. 


CHARLES  II.  173 

had  soured  the  temper  of  the  people  ;  and  Charles,  chap. 
anxious  to  divert  attention  from  his  own  miscon-     166'7 

duct,  was   not  unwilling  to  sacrifice  a  victim  to 

the  public  discontent.  Ever  since  the  restoration, 
Clarendon  had  exercised  the  power,  though  with- 
out the  name,  of  prime  minister ;  and  to  his 
pernicious  counsels  it  was  become  the  fashion  to 
attribute  every  national  calamity.  It  must  be 
confessed  that,  with  a  correct  judgment  and 
brilliant  talents,  he  had  contrived,  whether  it 
arose  from  the  infirmity  of  his  nature,  or  the 
necessity  of  his  situation,  to  make  himself  ene- 
mies among  every  class  of  men.  The  courtiers 
had  been  alienated  from  him  by  the  haughtiness 
of  his  manner,  and  his  perpetual  opposition  to 
their  suits,  their  projects,  and  their  extravagance  ; 
the  friends  of  liberty,  by  his  strenuous  advocacy 
of  every  claim  which  he  conceived  to  belong  to 
the  prerogative,  and  his  marked  antipathy  to 
every  doctrine,  which  seemed  to  him  to  savour  of 
republicanism  ;  and  the  catholics,  the  presbyte- 
rians,  and  the  several  classes  of  dissenters,  by 
his  obstinate  and  successful  opposition  to  the 
indulgence  to  tender  consciences,  promised  by  the 
king  in  his  declaration  from  Breda.  He  had 
offended  the  house  of  commons  by  reproaching 
them  with  conduct  similar  to  that  of  the  long 
parliament,  and  the  house  of  lords  by  complaining 
that  they  suffered  the  commons  to  usurp  the  lead 
in  public  busineSvS,  and  were  content  with  main- 


17  V  HISTOB.Y    OF    ENGLAND. 

C  hat.  taming  their  own  privileges  l01.  The  king,  indeed, 
16(J'7      had  been  accustomed  to  listen  to  him  with  respect, 

almost  with  awe.    But  these  sentiments  gradually 

wore  away.  The  courtiers  mimicked  the  gravity 
of  Clarendon  in  the  royal  presence  ;  they  ridiculed 
his  person  and  manner ;  they  charged  him  with 
interested  motives ;  and  represented  him  as  a 
morose  pedagogue,  claiming  to  retain  the  same 
control  over  the  mind  of  the  man,  which  he  had 
once  exercised  over  that  of  the  boy.  Charles 
laughed  and  reproved  ;  but  frequency  of  repeti- 
tion insensibly  produced  effect ;  and  feelings  of 
suspicion  and  aversion  were  occasionally  awakened 
in  the  royal  breast.  Nor  did  Clarendon  himself 
fail  to  aid  the  efforts  of  his  enemies.  He  often 
contradicted  the  favourite  opinions  of  the  king ; 
sometimes  carried  measures  against  him  in  the 
house  of  lords  ;  and,  on  more  than  one  occasion, 
so  far  forgot  himself  at  the  council  table,  as  to 
speak  with  a  vehemence  and  authority  which  hurt 
the  pride  of  the  monarch.  His  opposition  in  the 
house  of  lords  to  the  bill  for  indulgence  to  tender 
consciences  was  never  forgotten ;  and  recently, 
when  the  plan  of  putting  the  treasury  in  com- 
mission was  debated  during  the  parliament  at 
Oxford,  his  conduct  had  given  deep  and  lasting 
offence.  He  was  at  last  taught  to  feel  that, 
though  he  might  still  be  consulted  as  formerly, 
he  no  longer   enjoyed  the  royal  friendship ;  and 

""   Clarendon,  3S3— 5. 


CHARLES  II.  !'5 

his  political  opponents,  seeing  the  slippery  ground  CHAP, 
on  which  he    stood,  laboured   to  precipitate  his     1667. 

fall 102.  

As  early  as  the  year  1663,  the  earl  of  Bristol,  Heisim- 
a  catholic  peer,  in  a  moment  of  irritation,  pro-  byBristol. 
ceeding  from  some  supposed  injury  offered  to  him      iec3. 
by  Clarendon,  requested  an  audience  of  Charles    July  9. 
in  the   presence  of  lord  Arlington ;  and,  forget- 
ting  the    respect   due   to    the    monarch,    openly 
reproached  him  with  his  indolence,  his  expenses, 
and  his  amours  ;  charged  him  with  sacrificing  his 
best   friends,  and   among   them   himself,    to   the 
ambition   of  the   chancellor,    and    ended    with    a 
threat   that,    unless    justice    were    done    to    him 
within  twenty-four  hours,  he  would  raise  a  storm, 
which    should    astonish    both   the  king   and    his 
minister.      Bristol   escaped    with    difficulty  from 
the   personal    resentment   of  his   sovereign  ;  and 
the  next  day,  rising  in  the  house  of  lords,  im- 
peached    Clarendon    of    high    treason,    and    of 
divers  heinous   misdemeanors.      But  this  pomp- 
ous denouncement,  when  he  descended  into  par- 
ticulars, dwindled  into  the  ridiculous  charge  that 
the    chancellor    had  laboured   both   by   his    pub- 
lic  conduct   and   private   discourse,    to    create   a 
belief  that  the  king  was  in  heart  a  papist,  and 
that    on   himself,    his    vigilance,    and    authority, 
depended  the  preservation  of  the  protestant  esta- 
blishment.    The  judges  being  consulted,  replied 

io«  Clarendon,  215,  8,  321,  358,  361.    Life  of  James,  i  398,  428. 
Pepys,  iv.  268. 


17<»  IIISTOllY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  that  none  of  the  offences  charged,  supposing  them 
n;67     proved,  could   amount  to  high  treason  ;  and  the 

king,  by  issuing  a  warrant  for  the  apprehension 

of  the  accuser,  put  an  end  to  the  prosecution. 
Bristol  absconded  for  a  time,  and  returned  not  to 
court  till  the  fall  of  his  adversary  103. 

The  king       This  abortive  attempt  did  not  dishearten  the 

abandons  enemjes  0f  the  chancellor.  Thev  lost  no  oppor- 
tunity  of  undermining  his  credit  with  the  king  or 
the  nation  :  men  of  opposite  interests  gradually 
crept  into  the  council ;  and  his  refusal  to  allow 
his  wife  to  visit  Castlemain  gave  mortal  offence 
both  to  Charles  and  his  mistress  1C4.  The  reader 
is  aware  of  Buckingham's  conduct  during  the  last 
session  of  parliament.  At  its  conclusion,  the 
king,  who  had  obtained  from  one  of  his  agents 
secret  information  of  his  intrigues,  deprived  him 


"•3  Clarendon,  208.  L.  Journals,  xi.  55,  59,  60.  St.  Trials, 
312—8.  Life  of  James,  i.  427.  Pepys,  ii.  62,  70,  90,  95.  Cla- 
rendon attributes  Bristol's  enmity  to  the  king's  refusal  of  supply- 
ing him  with  money,  which  refusal  he  attributed  to  the  chancellor. 
But  the  real  offence  arose  out  of  the  following  circumstance : — 
When  Charles  was  annoyed  by  the  reflections  made  in  the  house 
of  commons  during  the  debate  on  the  revenue,  he  informed  the 
house  that  sir  Richard  Temple,  a  leader  of  the  opposition,  had 
offered,  on  certain  conditions,  to  obtain  for  him  a  more  ample 
revenue  than  he  coidd  desire.  At  the  request  of  the  commons,  he 
named  the  earl  of  Bristol  as  the  bearer  of  the  offer;  who  hastened 
to  the  house,  and,  being  admitted,  in  an  ingenious  and  eloquent 
speech  vindicated  both  himself  and  Temple  from  the  imputation. 
C.  Journals,  1663,  June  13,  20,  26;  July  1.  The  giving  up  of 
his  name  was  the  offence,  which  he  imputed  to  the  advice  of 
Clarendon. 

1  *  Clarendon,  361.     Life  of  James,  28.     Macpherson,  35,  7. 


CHARLES  II.  l77 

of  his  offices  at  court,  and  ordered  him  to  sur-  CHAP, 
render  to  the  lieutenant  of  the  Tower.     The  duke     ]66'7 


concealed  himself ;  but  the  agent  died  ;  Bucking 

ham  made  his   peace  with  Castlemain,  presented  March  ll- 

.  June  18. 

himself  to  the  lieutenant,  was  examined  before 
the  council,  discharged,  permitted  to  kiss  the 
king's  hand,  and  restored  to  his  former  employ-  July  16. 
ments  105.  From  that  moment  the  doom  of  Cla- 
rendon was  sealed.  When  the  Dutch  fleet  rode 
victorious  in  the  mouth  of  the  river,  he  had  ad- 
vised the  king  to  dissolve  the  parliament,  and 
support  the  troops  on  the  coast  by  forced  contri- 
butions from  the  neighbouring  counties,  to  be 
repaid  out  of  the  next  supply.  This  counsel  was 
divulged  by  some  of  his  enemies,  and  represented 
as  a  plan  to  govern  the  kingdom  with  a  standing 
army  in  the  place  of  the  parliament.  The  im- 
putation was  every  where  received  with  expres- 
sions of  abhorrence,  and  provoked  the  additional 
charges  of  venality  and  ambition.  The  presents 
which  he  had  been  in  the  habit  of  receiving  from 
all  who  sought  his  friendship  or  protection,  were 
held  forth  as  proofs  of  his  rapacity :  that  magni- 
ficent pile  called  Clarendon-house  was  said  to  be 
so  far  beyond  the  resources  of  his  private  fortune, 
that  it  must  have  been  raised  with  the  aid  of 
money  received  from  the  enemies  of  his  country ; 
and  the  marriage  of  his   daughter  to  the  duke  of 


■w  Clarendon,  431.     Pepys,  iii.  276,  287,  8,  292.      Carte,  H. 
347,  9. 

VOL.   XII.  N 


L667. 


178  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

C  HAP.  York  was  attributed  to  his  desire  of  becoming  the 
father  of  a  race  of  monarchs  ;  a  desire  which  had 
moreover  led  him  to  introduce  to  the  royal  bed  a 
princess  incapable  of  bearing  children,  that  the 
crown  might  descend  to  the  issue  of  the  duchess106. 
The  latter  charge  was  not  only  circulated  in 
public,  but  insinuated  to  Charles  himself,  together 
with  the  information,  that  the  convention  parlia- 
ment would  have  settled  a  much  more  ample 
revenue  on  the  crown,  had  not  its  liberality  been 
checked  by  the  jealousy  or  the  presumption  of 
Clarendon  107.  If  the  king  appeared  to  listen  to 
these  suggestions,  he  still  refused  to  believe  that 
the  chancellor  had  been  unfaithful  to  his  trust  in 
any  point  of  importance :  but  he  was  daily  beset 
by  Buckingham,  Arlington,  sir  William  Coventry, 
and  lady  Castlemain,  who  represented  to  him  the 
discontent  of  the  nation,  the  power  of  the  chan- 
cellor's enemies,  and  the  probable  consequences  of 
an  impeachment  in  parliament ;  and  he  at  last 
informed  that  minister,  through  the  duke  of 
York,  that  he  expected  him  to  resign,  as  an  expe- 
dient  by  which   he  might  at  the  same  time  save 


'  '  "  How  far  this  jealousy  may  have  entered  into  the  king  him- 
"  self,  to  make  him  more  easily  part  with  his  minister,  I  leave  it 
"  for  others  to  guess  ".     Life  of  James,  393.     Burnet,  i.  435. 

107  "  Some  have  thought,  not  improbably,  that  this  remissness 
"  of  his  proceeded  from  a  jealousy  that  the  king  was  inwardly  in- 
"  clined  to  popery  ".  Life  of  James,  393.  On  the  contrary,  it  is 
said  by  sir  William  Coventry,  that  it  proceeded  from  an  over- 
weening opinion  of  his  own  influence,  "  that  he  could  have  the 
"  command  of  parliaments  for  ever".     Pepys,  iv.  276. 


CHARLES    II.  1*79 

himself  from  prosecution,  and  spare  his  sovereign  CHAP, 
the  pain  of  taking  his  office  from  him.  16G7 

But  the  pride  of  Clarendon  scorned  to  bend  to  — ■ 

the  storm;  and  consciousness  of  innocence  urged  Antlde- 
him  to   brave  the   malice   of  his  enemies.       He  him  of  the 

SGclI. 

waited  on  the  king,  and  avowed  his  determination  .    '  „„ 

°'  Aug.  26. 

not  to  resign — it  would  amount  to  a  confession  of 
guilt ;  expressed  a  hope  that  the  seal  would  not 
be  taken  from  him — it  would  prove  that  his  sove- 
reign was  dissatisfied  with  his  services ;  and  con- 
jured him  to  disbelieve  the  suggestions  of  lady 
Castlemain — for  she  was  an  angry  and  vindictive 
woman.  After  a  conference  of  two  hours,  he 
retired,  leaving  the  king  disappointed  by  his  ob- 
stinacy, and  offended  by  his  allusions  to  "  the 
"  lady".  The  duke  of  York  pleaded  strongly  in 
behalf  of  his  father-in-law.  But  he  himself  was 
no  longer  in  favour :  the  influence  of  the  brother 
yielded  to  that  of  the  mistress  ;  and  the  chancellor 
received  a  positive  order  to  surrender  the  great  Aug-.  30. 
seal,  which  was  delivered  to  sir  Orlando  Bridge- 
man,  chief  justice  of  the  common  pleas  10S. 


l°a  Clarendon,  422— 5,  7,  435—40.  Life  of  James,  427—9. 
Macpherson,  Pap.  138.  Pcpys,  iii.  332,  8.  Pepys  tells  a  laugh- 
able story  of  Castlemain,  who,  when  she  heard  about  noon  that 
Clarendon  had  left  the  king  after  their  interview,  leaped  out  of 
bed,  and  ran  into  the  aviary,  that  she  might  observe  his  coun- 
tenance as  he  passed.  334. — Bridgeman  was  unfortunate  in  liis 
promotion.  Afraid  of  deciding  wrong,  he  laboured  to  please  both 
sides,  and  always  gave  something  to  each  of  the  contending  par- 
ties in  his  court.  He  lost  his  reputation.  North's  Lives,  &c.  i. 
179. 

\    2 


II. 

16(37. 
He  is  im- 


1&0  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHA  P.       Iii  six  weeks  the  parliament  assembled.    Buck- 
ingham had  previously  been  restored  to  his  place 
in  the  council  and  the  bed-chamber ;  and  Bristol, 
"j1"  issuing  from   his   retirement,  had  appeared  again 

by  the      at  court.     To  an  address  of  thanks  from  the  two 

Oct  15  houses  for  the  removal  of  the  chancellor,  the  king 
replied,  by  promising  never  more  to  employ  him 
in  any  capacity  whatsoever.  It  may  be  that  by 
this  promise  he  hoped  to  satisfy  the  enemies  of 
Clarendon ;  but  they  argued  that  the  fallen 
statesman  might,  on  some  future  day,  recover  the 
favour  of  his  sovereign,  or  be  restored  by  his  son- 
in-law,  should  that  prince  succeed  to  the  throne  ; 
their  personal  safety  demanded  precautions  against 
his  subsequent  revenge  ;  and,  to  consummate  his 
ruin,  it  was  resolved  to  proceed  against  him   by 

Nov.  6.  impeachment.  Seventeen  charges  were  fabricated 
in  a  committee  of  the  lower  house,  imputing  to 
him  venality  and  cruelty  in  the  discharge  of  his 
office  of  chancellor,  the  acquisition  by  unlawful 
means  of  enormous  wealth,  the  sale  of  Dunkirk 
to  France,  the  disclosure  of  the  king's  secrets  to 
his  enemies,  and  the  design  of  introducing  a  mili- 
tary government  without  the  intervention  of 
parliament.  Nothing,  however,  could  be  more 
informal  than  the  proceedings  on  this  occasion. 
No  papers  were  ordered,  no  witnesses  were  exa- 
mined ;  the  several  charges  were  adopted  on  the 
credit  of  members,  who  engaged  to  produce  proof 
whenever  it  might  be  deemed  necessary;  and  the 


CHARLES  II.  181 

house  in  a  body  impeached  Clarendon  at  the  bar  C  HAP. 
of  the  house  of  lords  of  high  treason,   and  other     166'7. 
crimes  and  misdemeanors,  requesting,  at  the  same 


Nov.  12. 

time,  that  he  might  be  committed  to  custody,  till 
they  should  exhibit  articles  against  him  ll)9. 

It  is  probable,  that  from  the  absence  of  the  duke  And  pro- 
of  York,  (he  was  confined  to  his  chamber  by  the  the  lords> 
small-pox,)  the  enemies  of  Clarendon  had  promised 
themselves  an  easy  victory.     But  the  duke  com- 
missioned his  friends  to  defend  his  father-in-law  ; 
the  bishops  felt  themselves  bound  to  support  him 
as   the  patron  of  orthodoxy ;  and  several  peers, 
convinced  of  his   innocence,   cheerfully  seconded 
their  efforts.     They  did  not,  indeed,  dare  openly 
to  advocate  his  cause,  but  they  entrenched  them- 
selves behind  forms  and  privileges;  they  contended 
that  to  commit  on  a  general  charge  was  contrary 
to  ancient  practice  ;  that  the  first  precedent  in  its 
favour  was  furnished  by  the  impeachment  of  the 
earl   of  Strafford,  a  precedent   which   the    house 
would  not  follow,  because  the  attainder  had  been 
reversed,   and   the  proceedings   erased    from  the 
journals ;    and  they    maintained    that  the   lords 
ought  to  be  careful  how  they  sanctioned  a  preten- 
sion, which  might  prove  in  future  times  prejudi- 
cial to  them  and  their  posterity.     After  several  Nov.  it. 
animated  debates,  it  was  twice  resolved  by  a  small  Nov.  20. 


""  C.  Journals,  Nov.  6,  8,  11.     State  Trials,  vi.  330.     Claren- 
don, 415—8,  450.    Life  of  James,  i.  431.  Pepys,  iii.  410,  411,  420. 


IS:  HISTOltY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAT,  majority,   that   the  accused  should   not  be  com- 
leJy,     mitted,  because  no   specific  charge  was  contained 

in  the  impeachment  uo. 

Charles  The  commons  resented  this  decision  of  the 
him  to  lords  :  conferences  were  repeatedly  held,  and  each 
kingdom  nouse  pertinaciously  adhered  to  its  former  opinion. 
The  king's  perplexity  daily  increased.  He  ob- 
served that  the  proceedings  began  to  take  the  same 
course  as  in  the  impeachment  of  the  earl  of  Straf- 
ford ;  and  the  calamities  which  followed  the  con- 
demnation of  that  nobleman  stared  him  in  the 
face.  He  proposed,  as  an  expedient,  that  the  earl 
should  clandestinely  leave  the  kingdom  :  but  no 
argument,  no  entreaty,  could  pervail  on  Clarendon 
to  take  a  step  which  he  deemed  derogatory  from 
his  character ;  and  the  monarch,  irritated  by  his 
obstinacy,  began  to  speak  of  him  in  terms  of  aver- 
sion. His  enemies  now  ventured  to  make  use  of 
the  royal  name.  It  was  rumoured  that  the  king 
had  also  offences  to  punish  ;  that  Clarendon  had 
presumed  to  thwart  him  in  his  amour  with  the 
beautiful  Miss  Stewart,  and  had  persuaded  her  to 
Nov.  lc.  marry  the  duke  of  Richmond.  The  earl,  in  a 
letter  which  he  sent  by  the  lord  keeper,  denied  this 
charge  :  the  king  read  it,  burnt  it  deliberately  in 
the  flame  of  a  candle,  and  coolly  replied,  that  he 


110  Clar.  450.  L.  Joum.  135 — 7.  Pepys,  iii.  415.  Clarendon^ 
in  a  letter  to  Ormond,  says,  "  I  must  not  omit  to  tell  you  that  the 
"  duke  of  York  hath  been  and  is  as  gracious  to  me,  and  as  much 
"  concerned  for  me,  as  is  possible.  I  have  not  many  other  friends 
"  to  brag  of."     Carte,  ii.  App.  38. 


CHARLES  II.  183 

was  unable  to  understand   its  contents,  but  won-  CHAP, 
dered  what  Clarendon  was  doing  in  England  m.        l66'7t 

This  hint,  however,  was  lost  on  the  determined  

mind  of  the  fallen  minister.  It  was  followed  by 
an  unavowed  message  delivered  by  the  bishop  of 
Hereford  ;  the  same  advice  was  then  urged  by  the 
French  ambassador,  and,  when  every  other  ex- 
pedient had  failed,  the  duke  of  York,  by  express 
command,  carried  to  him  a  royal  order  to  retire  to 
the  continent.  He  reluctantly  obeyed  ;  and  hav-  Nov.  29. 
ing  addressed  a  vindication  of  himself  to  the  house 
of  lords,  secretly  withdrew  to  France  n2.  TT   . 

J  He  is 

His  departure  put  an  end  to  the  quarrel  between  banished 
the  two  houses  m,  but  did  not  satisfy  the  resent-  pariia- 

merit. 

1,1  Clarendon,  4.54— 6.  Life  of  James,  i.  432.  L.  Journ.  154. 
That  Charles  was  offended  with  the  marriage,  is  certain.  Clar. 
453.  If  we  may  believe  Stewart  herself,  she  wished  to  marry  to 
relieve  herself  from  his  importunities,  and  therefore  accepted  the 
offer  of  the  duke  of  Richmond  with  the  king's  acquiescence. 
lVpys,  iii.  203.  But  the  report  was  that  Charles  thought  of  her 
for  his  own  wife,  that  he  consulted  Sheldon,  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, on  the  means  of  procuring  a  divorce,  that  Sheldon  revealed 
the  secret  to  Clarendon,  and  that  Clarendon,  to  secure  the  suc- 
cession to  his  daughter's  issue,  brought  about  the  marriage  of 
Stewart  with  the  duke  of  Richmond.  Burnet,  i.  436.  Lord  Dart- 
mouth's Note,  438.  Pepys,  iii.  293.  It  makes  against  this  story, 
that,  when  a  divorce  was  suggested  afterwards  to  Charles,  he 
replied  that  his  conscience  would  not  permit  it.  Life  of  James, 
i.  439. 

112  It  is  certain  that  the  duke  took  the  order  to  Clarendon ;  yet 
lord  Cornbury  says,  that  his  father  withdrew,  because  it  was  in- 
tended to  dissolve  the  parliament,  and  try  him  by  a  jury  of  peers. 
Carte,  ii.  App.  39. 

"s  The  commons,  however,  entered  two  resolutions  on  their 
journals,  that  in  such  cases  the  accused  ought  to  be  secured,  and 


184  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  merit  or  the   apprehensions  of  his  enemies.     His 
16(J'7.     vindication  was  voted  a  scandalous  and  seditious 

libel,  and  ordered  to  be  burnt  by  the  hands  of  the 

common  hangman.     In   a  few  days   followed  an 

Dec.  29.  act  banishing  him  for  life,  disabling  him  from 
holding  office,  subjecting  him  to  the  penalties  of 
high  treason,  if  he  returned  to  England,  and  ren- 
dering him  incapable  of  pardon  unless  by  act  of 
parliament  ua. 

Notwithstanding  this  severity,  it  is  certain 
that  he  fell  a  victim  to  the  hostility  of  party. 
The  charges  against  him  were  not  supported 
by  any  lawful  proof,  and  most,  if  not  all,  were 
satisfactorily  refuted  in  his  answer m.  Yet  he 
must  not  be  considered  an  immaculate  character. 
His  dread  of  republicanism  taught  him  to  advocate 
every  claim  of  the  prerogative,  however  unreason- 
able, and  his  zeal  for  orthodoxy  led  him  to  perse- 
cute all  who  dissented  from  the  establishment. 
He  was  haughty  and  overbearing ;  his  writings 
betray  in  many  instances  his  contempt  for  vera- 
city :  and  his  desire  of  amassing  wealth  provoked 
Evelyn  to  remark  of  him,  that  "  the  lord  chan- 
"  cellor  never  did,  nor  would  do,  any  thing  but 
"for  money115".    He  bore  with   impatience   the 


that,  when  he  is  in  custody,  the  lords  may  limit  a  time  within 
which  the  particular  charge  may  be  specified.  C.  Journ.  De- 
cember, 5. 

">  L.  Journ.  151,  157,  162,  7,  9.     St.  19,  Car.  ii.c.  10. 
"4  Clarendon,  478. 
5  Sec  Historical  I mjuiry  respecting  the  character  of  Clarendon, 
by  the  Hon.  George  Agar  Ellis,  1827. 


II. 

1667. 


CHARLES  II.  185 

tedium  of  exile  ;  but  his  frequent  solicitations  for  CHAP, 
permission  to  return  were  treated  with  neglect  by- 
Charles,  who  felt  no  inclination  to  engage  in  a 
new  contest  for  the  sake  of  a  man,  whom  he  had 
long  before  ceased  to  esteem.  Clarendon  died  at 
Rouen  in  Normandy,  in  1674. 


1S6  JIISTORV    OF    ENGLAND. 


CHAP.  III. 


CHARLES  II. 


THE    TRIPLE  ALLIANCE SECRET     NEGOTIATION   WITH   FRANCE 

CONVERSION    OF    THE    DUKE    OF    YORK INTRIGUES    TO    ALTER 

THE      SUCCESSION  — DIVORCE     OF     LORD     ROOS VISIT      OF     THE 

DUCHESS      OF      ORLEANS — SECRET      TREATY      WITH      FRANCE 

DEATH  OF  THE  DUCHESS SECOND  SECRET  TREATY MIS- 
CELLANEOUS EVENTS CHARACTER  OF  THE  CABAL STOP- 
PAGE   OF     PAYMENTS    FROM      THE     EXCHEQUER DECLARATION 

OF    INDULGENCE OF    WAR      AGAINST      THE    STATES VICTORY 

AT  SOUTHWOLD  BAY FRENCH  CONQUESTS  BY  LAND PRO- 
CEEDINGS   IN     PARLIAMENT THE     INDULGENCE    RE-CALLED 

THE     TEST    ACT    PASSED. 

CHAP.  HY  the  exile  of  Clarendon  the  ministry,  which 
in. 
l668_     had  been  established  at  the  restoration,  was  en- 

tirely  dissolved.     The   duke   of  Ormond   resided 

ministry!  m  ms  government  of  Ireland,  Southampton  was 
dead,  Albemarle  incapacitated  by  age  and  infirmi- 
ty, and  Nicholas  had  resigned.  The  new  cabinet, 
or,  as  it  was  called  in  the  language  of  the  time, 
"  the  king's  cabal 1 ",    consisted   of  the  duke  of 


1  Pepys,  iv.  243.  The  word  "cabal"  at  this  period  meant  a 
secret  council.  Sec  the  Diaries  of  Pepys  and  Evelyn,  and  White- 
luck,    (p.  47?)  as  early  as  the  year  1650.     By   D'Estrades  the 


CHARLES  II.  187 

Buckingham,  who  held  no  ostensible  office  till  he  chap. 

T  T  T 

purchased    that    of   master   of   the   horse   from     166S" 

Monk,  of  sir  Henry  Bennet,  now  lord  Arlington, 

principal  secretary  of  state,  of  the  lord  keeper 
Bridgman,  and  of  sir  William  Coventry,  one  of 
the  commissioners  of  the  treasury  2.  Of  these, 
Coventry,  by  his  superior  information  and  abili- 
ties excited  the  jealousy  of  his  colleagues  ;  but 
unfortunately  possessed  not  the  art  of  pleasing 
the  king,  who,  from  his  habit  of  j>redicting  evil, 
gave  him  the  name  of  "  the  visionary  ".  Buck- 
ingham and  Arlington  were  bitter  enemies  at 
heart ;  though  the  necessity  of  their  situation 
made  them  apparent  friends.  Bridgman  was 
consulted  for  convenience.  Hitherto  he  had  ac- 
quired no  particular  claim  to  the  favour  of  the 
monarch,  or  the  confidence  of  the  people. 

The   rapid   conquests   of  the   French    king  in  The  triple 
Flanders  during  the  last  summer,  had  drawn  the  a  iance* 
eyes  of  Europe  towards  the  seat  of  war  in  that 
country.     The  pope,   Clement  IX.   through  pity 
for    the    young    king    of  Spain,    and   the  States, 
alarmed  at  the  approach  of  the  French   arms   to 


present  ministers  are  called  "  la  caballe  d'Espagne".  D'Estrades, 
v.  39.  The  whole  council  was  divided  into  three  committees ; 
one  for  foreign  affairs,  the  real  cabal ;  another  for  military  and 
naval  affairs ;  a  third  for  trade ;  and  a  fourth  for  the  redress  of 
grievances.  Jan.  31. 

Q  Southampton,  the  lord  treasurer,  died  May  16th,  1667,  and 
June  1st  the  treasury  was  put  into  commission.  The  commis- 
sioners were,  the  duke  of  Albemarle,  lord  Ashley,  sir  Thomas 
Clifford,  sir  William  Coventry,  and  sir  John  Duncombe. 


188  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  their  frontier,  offered  their  mediation.     To  both 
A11;      Louis  returned  the  same  answer,  that  he  sought 

nothing  more  than  to  vindicate  the  rights  of  his 

wife :  that  he  should  be  content  to  retain  posses- 
sion of  the  conquests  which  he  had  already  made, 
or  to  exchange  them  either  for  Luxembourg,  or 
Franche-comte,  with  the  addition  of  Aire,  St. 
Omer,  Douai,  Cambrai,  and  Charleroi,  to 
strengthen  his  northern  frontier ;  and  that  he 
was  willing  to  consent  to  an  armistice  for  three 
months,  that  the  Spanish  government  might  have 
leisure  to  make  its  election  between  these  alterna- 
1668.      tives.     But  Spain  was  not  sufficiently  humbled  to 

Jan.  17.  submit  to  so  flagrant  an  injustice ;  the  time  was 
sullenly  suffered  to  pass  by,  and  the  mediators 
renewed  their  instances  to  obtain  from  Louis  a 
prolongation  of  the  armistice  for  the  additional 
space  of  three  months.  He  consented  to  abide 
by  his  former  offer  during  that  term ;  but  refus- 
ing the  armistice,  overran  in  the  mean  time  the 
whole  province  of  Franche-comte,  for  the  sole 
purpose,  as  he  pretended,  of  compelling  Spain 
to  come  to  a  decision  3. 

Temple         if  jt  was  tne  interest  of  England,  it  was  still 

sent  to  the  ° 

Hague,  more  the  interest  of  the  States,  to  exclude  France 
from  the  possession  of  Flanders.  Under  this  per- 
suasion, the  new  ministers  had  despatched  sir 
William  Temple  to  the  Hague,  with    a  proposal 

3  (Euvres  dc  Louis  XIV.  ii.  326,  334,  344—55  ;  v.  419. 


1C67. 
Dec.  22. 


CHARLES  II.  189 

that  both  nations  should  unite  with  Spain,  and  CHAP. 

in 
compel  the  French  monarch  to  retire  within  the     166g. 


former  limits   of  his   kingdom.     The  States  were 

embarrassed.  On  the  one  hand,  they  considered  an' ' 
the  interposition  of  the  Spanish  Netherlands  as 
the  great  bulwark  of  their  independence  against 
the  superior  power  of  France  :  on  the  other,  they 
hesitated  to  engage  in  a  dangerous  war  against  an 
ancient  friend  and  ally  at  the  advice  of  a  prince 
whom  they  knew  to  be  their  personal  enemy.  But 
Temple  acted  with  promptitude  and  address  ;  he 
appealed  to  their  fears  ;  he  represented  the  danger 
of  delay,  and,  contrary  to  all  precedent  at  the 
Hague,  in  the  short  space  of  five  days  he  nego-  Jan.  13. 
tiated  three  treaties,  by  which,  if  he  did  not  suc- 
ceed to  the  full  extent  of  his  instructions,  he 
trusted  to  oppose  at  least  an  effectual  barrier  to 
the  further  progress  of  the  invaders.  The  first 
was  a  defensive  league  by  which  the  two  nations 
bound  themselves  to  aid  each  other  against  any 
aggressor  with  a  fleet  of  forty  men  of  war,  and 
an  army  of  six  thousand  four  hundred  men,  or 
with  assistance  in  money  in  proportion  to  the  de- 
ficiency in  men :  by  the  second,  the  contracting 
powers  agreed  by  every  means  in  their  power  to 
dispose  France  to  conclude  a  peace  with  Spain  on 
the  alternative  already  offered,  to  persuade  Spain 
to  accept  one  part  of  that  alternative  before  the 
end  of  May,  and,  in  case  of  a  refusal,  to  compel 
her  by  war,  on  condition  that  France  should  not 


III. 

1(J()S. 


I.""  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  interfere  by  force  of  arms4.  These  treaties  were 
meant  for  the  public  eye :  the  third  was  secret, 
and  bound  both  England  and  the  States,  in  case 
of  the  refusal  of  Louis,  to  unite  with  Spain  in 
the  war,  and  not  to  lay  down  their  arms,  till  the 
peace  of  the  Pyrenees  were  confirmed.  In  a  few 
days,  Sweden  acceded  to  the  league,  which  from 
that  circumstance  obtained  the  name  of  the  triple 
alliance  5. 

Louis  received  the  news  of  this  transaction  with 
an  air  of  haughty  indifference.  His  favourite 
commanders,  Conde  and  Turenne,  exhorted  him 
to  bid  defiance  to  the  interference  of  the  three 
powers  :  his  cabinet  ministers  to  be  content  with 
the   alternative  which   he   had  himself  proposed. 

4  Temple,  Works,  i.  415.  After  all,  this  was  little  ,more  than 
the  States  had  already  proposed  to  Louis,  as  appears  from  a  letter 
from  him,  dated  Jan.  17,  hefore  he  had  heard  of  these  treaties. 
Ca  seroit  un  coup  pour  la  paix,  qui  la  rendroit  infallible  et  prompte, 
si  le  roi  de  la  Grande  Bretagne  entroit  dans  le  meme  sentiment  des 
etats-gene'raux,  d'obliger  les  Espagnols  a  l'acceptation  des  deux 
alternatives.  (Euvres,  v.  421.  Si  la  facon  en  eut  ete  un  peu  plus 
obligeante,  il  n'y  auroit  en  rien  a  desirer.     Temple,  i.  490. 

5  Temple's  Works,  i.  312 — 84.  Dumont,  vii.  66,  68.  Much 
praise  has  been  lavished  on  this  negotiation,  as  if  it  had  arrested 
Louis  in  his  career  of  victory,  and  preserved  the  independence  of 
Europe.  From  the  references  in  the  preceding  and  following  notes, 
it  will  be  seen  that  it  accomplished  nothing  more  than  the  French 
king  himself  was  anxious  to  effect.  He  had  already  stipulated  in  the 
"  eventual  treaty"  with  the  emperor,  to  require  from  Spain  the  same 
conditions  as  were  now  prescribed  by  England  and  the  States  ;  he 
had  employed  the  influence  of  Leopold  to  obtain  the  consent  of 
the  Spanish  cabinet  to  those  conditions,  and  he  had  commissioned 
D'Estrades  to  solicit  the  co-operation  of  England  and  the  States, 
both  by  advice  and  threats,  to  extort  that  consent. 


CHARLES  II.  191 

He  assented  to  their  advice  ;  but  for  a  reason,  of  C  II  ai\ 
which  they  were  ignorant.    In  consequence  of  the     1Gys 


infirm  state  of  the  young  king  of  Spain,  he  had  — ■ 

secretly  concluded  with  the  emperor  Leopold  an 
"  eventual "  treaty  of  partition  of  the  Spanish 
monarchy  on  the  expected  death  of  Charles,  and 
by  that  treaty  had  already  bound  himself  to  do  Jan.  9. 
the  very  thing,  which  it  was  the  object  of  the  al- 
lied powers  to  effect  6. 

The  marquess  of  Castel-Rodrigo,  the  Spanish  Treaty  of 
governor  of  the  Netherlands,  sought  delay,  under  chapefle. 
the  vain  hope  of  inducing  the  Dutch  (of  England 
he  was  secure)  to  engage  at  once  in  the  war.  But 
the  intervention  of  the  emperor,  in  consequence 
of  the  eventual  treaty,  put  an  end  to  the  hesita- 
tion of  the  Spanish  cabinet ;  the  ambassadors  of 
the  several  powers  met  at  Aix-la-Chapelle  ;  Spain  April  22. 
made  her  choice  ;  the  conquered  towns  in  Flan- 
ders were  ceded  to  Louis,  and  peace  was  re-esta- 
blished between  the  two  crowns7.  The  conduct  of 
Charles  during  the  whole  of  this  transaction 
served  to  raise  him  in  the  estimation  of  E  urope. 
But  the  States  could  ill  dissemble  their  disap- 
pointment. They  never  doubted  that  Spain,  with 
the  choice  in  her  hands,  would  preserve  Flanders, 
and  part  with  Franche-comte.  It  was  this  per- 
suasion that  induced  them  to  refuse  the  first  pro- 

'  CEuvres  dc  Louis,  ii.  360 — 72.  See  the  account  of  the  "even- 
"  tual  treaty  ",  which  was  kept  secret  for  almost  a  century,  in 
the  works  of  Louis,  vi.  402. 

7  Temple,  420 -56.  D'Estrades,  v.  351.  Dumont,  vii.  89,  91. 
Louis,  vi.  417. 


192 


HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 


CHAP. 
III. 

1668. 


Proceed- 
ings in 
parlia- 
ment. 

Feb.   10. 


Jan.  16. 


ject  of  the  English  ministry,  and  to  prefer  the 
binding  of  Louis  to  his  offer  of  the  alternative. 
The  result  was  owing,  it  is  said,  to  the  resent- 
ment of  Castel-Rodrigo,  who,  finding  that  the 
States  would  not  join  with  England  to  confine 
France  within  its  ancient  limits,  resolved  to  punish 
them  by  making  a  cession,  which  brought  the 
French  frontier  to  the  very  neighbourhood  of  the 
Dutch  territory 8. 

When  the  parliament  assembled  after  the  ad- 
journment, Buckingham  discovered  that  his  suc- 
cess against  Clarendon  in  the  last  session  had  pro- 
ceeded, not  from  his  own  influence,  but  the  unpo- 
pularity of  that  statesman.  His  immediate  de- 
pendents in  the  lower  house  were  heard  without 
attention  ;  and  the  jealousy  of  the  churchmen  had 
been  awakened  by  his  close  connexion  with  the 
presbyterians,  that  of  the  cavaliers  by  his  dis- 
charge of  the  republicans,  whom  the  late  admi- 
nistration had  incarcerated  as  a  measure  of  pre- 
caution. Neither  did  it  add  to  the  reputation  of 
the  prime  minister  that  his  profligacy  had  led  him, 
for  the  sake  of  lady  Shrewsbury,  with  whom  he 
lived  in  open  adultery,  to  fight  a  duel,  in  which 
one  of  his  seconds  was  killed  on  the  spot,  and  the 
earl  of  Shrewsbury,  the  injured  husband,  was 
mortally  wounded  9.     The  commons  began  by  in- 


8  Temple,  414—7. 

9  Pepys,  iv.  15.  Lady  Shrewsbury  was  daughter  to  the  earl  of 
Cardigan.  Report  said  that,  in  the  dress  of  a  page,  she  held  the 
duke's  horse  while  lie  was   fighting  with  her  husband. — When 


CHARLES  II.  193 

stituting  a  rigid  inquiry  into  the  conduct  of  per-  c**Ar. 
sons   employed   under  the  former  administration.     1668. 

Prince  Rupert  and  the   duke   of  Albemarle  had — 

already  furnished  narratives  of  their  proceedings 
during  the  war  :  commissioner  Pett  was  impeached 
of  culpable  neglect  in  the  care  of  his  majesty's 
ships  when  the  Dutch  entered  the  river ;  Penn  of 
the  embezzlement  of  prize  goods  to  the  value  of 
115,000/. ;  and  Brunkhard,  who  had  absconded, 
was  expelled  the  house  for  his  presumption  in 
having  ordered  sail  to  be  slackened  during  the 
pursuit  after  the  victory  of  the  3d  of  June,  166.5. 
To  these  proceedings  Buckingham  had  no  objec- 
tion ;  but,  to  his  surprise,  the  commons  voted 
only  one  half  of  the  sum  which  he  demanded  un- 
der the  head  of  naval  expenses,  and  obstinately 
resisted  all  his  efforts  to  obtain  some  favour  for 
the  dissenters,  in  accordance  with  the  wish  of  the 
sovereign.  The  conventicle  act  would  expire  within 
six  months ;  and  Charles,  who  still  felt  himself 
bound  by  the  declaration  of  Breda,  was  anxious 
to  prevent  its  renewal.  Aware  of  the  rock  on 
which  his  former  endeavours  had  split,  he  was  care- 
ful to  make  no  mention  of  the  catholics  :  he  con- 
fined his  request  of  indulgence  to  the  dissenters 
among  his  protestant  subjects  ;  but  the  very  report 

Buckingham  took  her  to  his  own  house,  the  duchess  ohserved  to 
him,  that  it  was  not  for  her  and  his  mistress  to  live  together  ;  he 
replied — "  Why  so  I  have  been  thinking,  madam,  and  therefore 
"  have  ordered  your  coach  to  carry  you  to  your  father's  ".  Penys, 
109. 

vol.  xii.  O 


I  J)  t  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  of  his  intention  had  awakened  the  usual  cry  that 
1668.     tne  cllurt"h  was  m  danger :  on  the  morning,  just 

before  he  expressed  his   wish  to  the  two  houses, 

the  commons  voted  an  address  to  him,  to  put  in 
execution  all  the  laws  against  non-conformists  and 
papists ;  and  afterwards,  a  bill  was  passed  and 
sent  to  the  lords,  having  for  its  object  to  continue 
the  existing  penalties  against  the  frequenters  of 
conventicles.  This,  however,  did  not  prevent  the 
friends  of  toleration  from  proposing,  in  conformity 
with  the  royal  suggestion,  measures  for  the  com- 
prehension of  protestant  dissenters ;  but  the  mo- 

April  28,  tion,after  several  adjourned  debates, was  negatived, 
on  a  division,  by  a  majority  of  more  than  two  to 


10 

one    . 


Dispute         The  remaining  business  in  parliament  was  now 

bet  ween 

the  interrupted  by  a  most  violent  quarrel  between  the 

houses.      £WO  j10USegj  on  a  question  of  privilege.     Several 

years  had  passed  since  Skinner,  a  private  trader, 
preferred  to  the  king  in  council  a  complaint  of 
divers  injuries  which  he  alleged  that  he  had 
suffered  from  the  agents  of  the  East-India  com- 
1666.  pany.  After  several  hearings,  the  council  com- 
missioned the  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  the 
chancellor,  and  two  other  lords,  to  effect  a  compro- 
mise between  the  parties  ;  but  the  company  re- 
Dec.  6.  fused  to  abide  by  their  decision,  and  the  king  was 
advised  to  recommend  the  case  to  the  attention  of 


!°  Pepys,  iv.  3i.     C.  Journals,  Ap.  28.     Pari.  Hist.  iv.  413- 
122. 


CHARLES  II.  l95 

the  house  of  lords,  as  the  supreme  court  of  judi-  chap. 

•      ii  i 
cature    in    the   nation.       But    the    opponents   of     1C6g 

Skinner  objected  to  the  jurisdiction  of  the  lords.  

The  cause,  it  was  maintained,  did  not  come  before  ,      ,  ' 

Jan.  19. 

them  by  way  of  appeal,  or  bill  of  review,  or  writ  Jan  g8> 
of  error.     It    was   an   original  complaint,   which 
must  be  first  heard  in  the  ordinary  courts  of  law. 
In  the  following  session,  Skinner  petitioned  the  Oct.  30. 
lords  for  redress  ;  the  company  renewed  their  ob-  Nov.  c. 
jection  ;  but  the   house  pronounced  the  complain- 
ant  entitled  to  damages,  and  appointed  a  committee  March  16# 
to  assess  the   amount.     After  the   adjournment, 
the  company  petitioned  the  house  of  commons  for 
protection  against   the   usurpation  of  the   lords. 
By    the  upper  house  this    petition  was  voted  a 
scandalous  libel :  the  lower  not  only  received  it, 
but   passed   resolutions  censuring  the  conduct  of  May  2. 
the  lords  as  contrary  to  law,  and  derogatory  from 
the  rights  of  the  subject.     They  were  met  with 
opposite   resolutions  from  the  upper  house,  de- 
claring: the    votes    of  the   commons  a   breach  of 
privilege,  and  the  proceedings   of  the  lords   war- 
ranted  both   by  law  and  precedent.     Thus  open 
war  was  declared  ;  each  house   obstinately  main- 
tained its  own  pretensions  ;  the  lords  resolved  to 
pass  no  other  bill  than  that  of  the  supply ;  and 
the  commons  rejected  a  bill  which  had  been  sent  May  1. 
to  them  for  the  regulation  of  the  trials  of  peers. 
By  the  king,  the  ninth  of  May  had  been  fixed  for 
the    conclusion    of    the     session.      Early    in    the  May  9- 
morning  the  commons  sent  a  message  to  the  lords, 

o  2 


IJH>  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

chap,  proposing  a  suspension  of  all  proceedings  in  the 
i~h      cause    till    the  next  meeting  of  parliament,  and 

having  received  no  answer,  resolved  that  who- 
soever should  put  in  execution  the  orders  or  sen- 
tence of  the  house  of  lords  in  the  case  of  Thomas 
Skinner,  should  be  deemed  a  traitor  to  the  liberties 
of  Englishmen,  and  an  infringer  of  the  privileges 
of  the  house  of  commons.  The  king,  having 
given  the  royal  assent  to  the  bills  which  were 
prepared,  ordered  the  two  houses  to  adjourn,  and 
expressed  a  hope  that,  before  he  should  meet  them 
again,  some  expedient  might  be  discovered  for  the 
accommodation  of  this  difference.  The  commons 
obeyed  :  the  lords  continued  to  sit,  called  before 
them  sir  Samuel  Barnardiston,  the  governor  of 
the  company,  and  committed  him  to  the  custody 
of  the  black  rod,  till  he  should  have  paid  to  the 
king  a  fine  of  300/.  Having  thus  vindicated  their 
authority,  they  also  adjourned  n. 

Licen-  At  the  restoration   of  peace,   trade  quickly  re- 

atcourt!8  turned  into  its  ancient  channels  ;  the  murmurs  of 
discontent  were  gradually  hushed  ;  and  the  ex- 
piration of  the  conventicle  act  afforded  relief  and 
satisfaction  to  the  dissenters.     The  present  proved 


"  St.  Trials,  vi.  710—63.  L.  Journ.  xii.  420,  7.  Pari.  Hist.  iv. 
422.  Marvcll,  109.  On  the  8th  of  May  the  commons  sate  on  this 
question  from  dinner  time  till  five  the  next  morning.  Marvell, 
i.  107.  Pepys,  iv.  103.  Barnardiston  remained  in  custody  till 
the  night  of  Aug.  10,  the  day  before  the  expiration  of  the  adjourn- 
ment. By  whose  authority  he  was  discharged,  he  did  not  know. 
Pari.  Hist.  iv.  431. 


CHARLES  II.  }97 

the  most  tranquil  period   of  the  king's  reign,  but  CHAP, 
it  was  disgraced  by  the  extravagance  and  licen-     166g. 

tiousness  of  the  higher  classes.      The   gallants  of 

the  court  shocked  the  more  sober  of  the  citizens  by 
their  open  contempt  of  the  decencies  of  life  12, 
while  Charles  laughed  at  their  follies,  and  coun- 
tenanced them  by  his  example.  At  the  same  time 
that  he  renewed  his  visits  and  attentions  to  the 
duchess  of  Richmond,  he  robbed  the  theatres  of 
two  celebrated  actresses,  known  to  the  public  by 
the  dignified  appellations  of  Moll  Davies  aiui  Nell 
Gwiu.  Davies  had  attained  eminence  as  a  dancer 
— Gwin  attracted  admiration  in  the  character  and 
dress  of  a  boy.  The  former  received  a  splendid  es- 
tablishment in  Suffolk-street,  and  bore  the  king  a 
daughter,  afterwards  married  into  the  noble  family 
of  the  Radclyffes.  The  latter  became  the  mother 
of  the  first  duke  of  St.  Albans.  Charles  never 
allowed  her  to  interfere  in  matters  of  state  ;  but 
he  appointed  her  of  the  bed-chamber  to  the  queen, 
and  assigned  her  lodgings  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  court.  She  was  so  wild,  and  witty,  and  ec- 
centric, that  he  found  in  her  company  a  perpetual 
source  of  amusement,  a  welcome  relief  from  the 
cares  that  weighed  so  heavily  upon  him  at  times, 
in  the  subsequent  years  of  his  reign.  Habit,  how- 
ever, still  preserved  to  Castlemain  the  empire 
which    she    had    formerly    acquired.       She    sup- 

12  See  Pepys,  iv.  1 1G,  118,  14.5.  Sir  Charles  Sedley  and  lord 
Buckhurst  distinguished  themselves  above  others.  Ibid.  185, 
fi,  7. 


198  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAT,  pressed   all  appearances  of  jealousy,  and  sought 
166g      her  revenge  by  allowing  herself  the  same  liberties 

in  which  her  paramour  indulged  13. 

Intrigues        While   Charles    pursued   his  pleasures,   Buck- 

taeham."  Wgham  sought  to  consolidate  his  own  power. 
By  degrees  he  weeded  all  of  whose  fidelity  he 
was  suspicious,  out  of  the  different  departments 
of  the  administration.  Secretary  Morrice  was 
exchanged  for  sir  John  Trevor ;  the  duke  of 
Ormond,  after  a  long  struggle,  surrendered  the 
government  of  Ireland  to  the  lord  Robartes  ;  and 
Coventry  himself  was  provoked  to  furnish  a  decent 
pretext  for  his  dismissal.  Buckingham  had  pro- 
cured a  farce  to  be  written  for  the  purpose  of 
ridiculing  him  on  the  stage.  Coventry  sent  the 
duke  a  challenge  ;  the  matter  was  laid  before  the 
king  in  council ;  and  the  challenger  was  sent  to 
the  Tower,  and  deprived  of  office.  But  the  prin- 
cipal person,  against  whom  he  directed  his  attacks, 
was  the  duke  of  York.  He  was  aware  of  the 
contempt  which  that  prince  expressed  for  his  cha- 
racter, and  of  the  influence  exercised  by  the 
duchess,  Clarendon's  daughter,  over  the  mind  of 
her  husband.  James  received  repeated  affronts  in 
the  name    of  the    king,   which  he    bore   without 

'3  Pepys,  iv.  10,  14,  90,  111,  223,  250.  Evelyn,  ii.  339. 
Bui  net,  i.  457.  Sandford,  652,  4.  About  this  time,  May  11,  a 
meteor  was  seen,  and  the  ignorance  and  bigotry  of  the  people 
are  amusingly  described  by  Pepys  on  the  occasion.  "  The  world 
"  do  make  much  discourse  of  it,  their  apprehensions  being  mighty 
"  full  of  the  rest  of  the  city  to  be  burned,  and  the  papists  to  cut 
u  our  throats",     iv.  1 12. 


CHARLES  II.  l99 

complaint.     The  conduct    of  the  admiralty  was  CHAP, 
blamed ;  his  friends  were  displaced  ;   and  the  de-     i668. 


pendants  of  his  adversary  were  introduced  into  • 
his  office  in  defiance  of  his  remonstrances.  It  was 
rumoured  that  he  had  lost  the  royal  confidence, 
and  would  soon  be  deprived  of  his  place  of  lord 
high  admiral.  But  Charles  was  recalled  to  a 
sense  of  the  protection  which  he  owed  his  brother, 
by  the  boldness  of  an  old  cavalier,  sir  William 
Armourer,  who  told  him  publicly  of  the  reports 
in  circulation  respecting  his  jealousy  of  the  duke 
of  York.  He  instantly  replied,  that  they  were 
false  ;  and  when  Buckingham,  under  pretence  of 
fear  for  his  life  from  the  resentment  of  James, 
affected  to  travel  surrounded  by  armed  men,  the 
king  laughed  in  his  face  at  the  utter  folly  of  the 
insinuation.  The  minister  began  to  feel  alarm  : 
he  turned  to  solicit  a  reconciliation  with  the  duke, 
and  received  a  contemptuous  refusal 14. 

Buckingham,  however,  might  depend  on  the  Financial 
royal  favour  as  long  as  he  could  supply  the  king 
with  money.  That  nothing  was  to  be  obtained 
from  the  liberality  of  the  parliament,  had  been 
proved  by  the  proceedings  in  the  last  session  ;  and 
an    attempt    was  therefore  made    to   reduce   the 

■«  Life  of  James,  432 — 40.  Macph.  Pap.  i.  41,  3,  5,  7,  50. 
Pepys,  iv.  151,  5,  8,  188,  191,  2,  5,  246,  9,  255,  7,  262-  The  re- 
ports mentioned  by  Pepys  are  confirmed  by  the  duke  of  Ormond  : 
"  Arlington  told  me  that  I  joined  too  much  in  my  counsels  and 
"conversation  with  men  unsatisfied :  and  (which  I  wondered 
"at)  he  named  the  duke  and  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury ". 
Carte,  ii.  App.  »>7. 


measure. 


200  HISTORY    Or    ENGLAND. 

(  HAP.  annual    expenditure    below    the    amount    of   the 
ill 
i6t>8.     royal  income.       On   examination,   it    was    found 

■ that  the  yearly  receipts  did  not  exceed  1,030,000/. ; 

by  a  new  regulation,  three-fourths  of  this  sum 
July  22.  were  allotted  to  defray  the  exjjenses  of  the  civil 
list,  and  of  the  remaining  fourth,  100,000/.  was 
appropriated  to  discharge  the  interest  of  the 
public  debt,  the  remainder  to  cover  accidental  de- 
ficiencies, and  to  pay,  as  far  as  it  would  go,  the 
several  pensions  granted  by  the  king  15. 
Secret  tie-  But  this  plan  of  economy  accorded  not  with  the 
with  royal  disposition,  nor  did  it  offer  any  prospect  of 
trance,  extinguishing  the  debt.  Charles  remembered  the 
promise  of  pecuniary  assistance  from  France  in 
the  beginning  of  his  reign  ;  and  though  his  previ- 
ous efforts  to  cultivate  the  friendship  of  Louis  had 
been  defeated  by  an  unpropitious  course  of  events, 
he  resolved  to  renew  the  experiment.  Immediately 
after  the  peace  of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  Buckingham 
opened  a  negotiation  with  the  duchess  of  Orleans, 
the  king's  sister  in  France,  and  Charles,  in  his 
conversation  with  the  French  resident,  apologized 
May  n.  f°r  his  conduct  in  forming  the  triple  alliance,  and 
openly  expressed  his  wish  to  enter  into  a  closer 
union,  a  more  intimate  friendship,  with  Louis. 
These  overtures  Avere  at  first  received  with  cold- 
ness and  reserve,  which,  instead  of  checking, 
seemed  to  stimulate  the  ardour  of  the  king.  There 
was  one  point  in  which  both  monarchs  most  cor- 


'*  Sec  it  at  length  in  Ralph,  i.  17j. 


CHARLES    II.  201 

dially  agreed,  their  hatred  of  the  Dutch.     Charles  CHAP. 

.  ill 

could   not   forget  their   inhospitality   during    the     16(i^ 

time  of  his  exile  ;  the  unsuccessful  termination  of 

the  late  war  had  strengthened  his  dislike  ;  and  he 
ardently  wished  for  the  opportunity  of  gratifying 
his  revenge.  On  the  other  hand,  the  pride  of 
Louis  had  often  been  offended  by  the  pride  of  these 
republicans  ;  and  their  presumption  in  acceding  to 
the  secret  articles  in  the  triple  alliance  was  deemed 
by  him  the  strongest  proof  of  their  ingratitude. 
About  the  end  of  the  year  the  communications 
between  the  two  princes  became  more  open  and 
confidential ;  French  money,  or  the  promise  of 
French  money,  was  received  by  the  English  minis- 
ters ;  the  negotiation  began  to  assume  a  more 
regular  form,  and  the  most  solemn  assurances  of 
secrecy  were  given,  that  their  real  object  might  be 
withheld  from  the  knowledge,  or  even  the  suspi- 
cion, of  the  States  16. 

In  this  stage  of  the  proceedings  Charles  received  Duke  of 
an    important    communication    from   his   brother  COmes  a 

catholic. 

"'  See  the  papers  in  Dairy  tuple,  ii.  4 — 21.  They  are  all  pub- 
lished as  referring  to  the  same  subject.  But  this  is  a  mistake. 
The  letters  of  Feb.  27,  1669,  in  p.  4,  and  of  Jan.  19, 1669,  in  p.  19, 
ought  to  be  dated  in  1665,  and  that  of  Feb.  9,  1669,  in  p.  21,  in 
the  year  1666.  This  is  evident  from  their  contents.  Also  Mac- 
pherson,  i.  56.  The  secret,  however,  was  not  kept.  For  the  sole 
information  of  the  king  of  Sweden,  Puffendorf,  his  agent,  was 
permitted  by  Turenne  to  read  a  letter  from  Colbert,  the  ambas- 
sador in  England,  who  boasted  of  his  success,  adding  that  he  had 
made  some  of  the  leading  ministers  to  feel,  sentir  tout  l'etendue 
de  la  liberality  de  8a  majeste*.  This  Puficndorf  communicated  to 
de  Witt.     Temple,  ii.  40. 


IOCS. 


203  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

,  1 1  xv.  James.     Hitherto  that  prince  had  been  an  obedient 
}}k      and  zealous   son  of  the  church  of  England  ;  but 
Dr.    Heylin's   History    of   the    Reformation    had 
shaken  his  religious   credulity,  and   the  result  of 
the  inquiry  was   a   conviction  that  it  became  his 
duty  to  reconcile  himself  with  the  church  of  Rome. 
He  was  not  blind  to  the  dangers  to  which  such  a 
change  would  expose  him  ;  and  he  therefore  pur- 
posed to  continue   outwardly  in  communion  with 
the  established   church,  while  he  attended  at  the 
catholic  service  in  private.     But,  to  his  surprise, 
lie  learned  from  Symonds,  a  Jesuit  missionary,  that 
no  dispensation  could  authorize  such  duplicity  of 
conduct:  a  similar  answer  was   returned  to  the 
same  question  from  the  pope,  and  James   imme- 
diately took  his  resolution.     He  communicated  to 
the    king  in  private  that   he   was   determined  to 
embrace  the  catholic  faith ;  and  Charles,  without 
hesitation,  replied,  that  he  was  of  the  same  mind, 
and  would  consult  with  the  duke  on  the  subject  in 
the  presence  of  lord  Arundel,  lord  Arlington,  and 
Arlington's   confidential  friend,  sir  Thomas  Clif- 
ford.     Of  these  three,    the    first    was   a   known 
catholic  ;  the  other  two  had   hitherto   professed 
themselves   protestants  ;    but  more  for  fashion's 
sake,  than  through  any  real  attachment  to  the  re- 
formed   creed.     They,    like    most  others    in    the 
higher  circles  of  society  at  that  period,  had,  in  the 
language  of  James,  "  their  religion  still  to  choose  ". 


Secret  The   meeting  was    held   in   the    duke's   closet. 

tion<         Charles,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  lamented  the  hard- 


CHA11LES  II.  203 

ship  of  being*  compelled  to  profess  a  religion  which  CHAP. 

II  T 

he  did  not  approve,  declared  his  determination  to      166g 

emancipate   himself  from  this  restraint,  and  re 

quested   the  opinion  of  those   present,  as   to  the        2o' 
most  eligible  means  of  effecting  his  purpose  with 
safety  and  success.     They   advised  him  to  com- 
municate his  intention  to  Louis,  and  to  solicit  the 
powerful  aid  of  that  monarch  17. 

Here  occurs  a  very  interesting  question, — was 
Charles  sincere  or  not  ?  That  of  the  two  churches 
he  preferred  the  more  ancient,  there  can  be  no 
doubt.  Both  the  duke  of  Ormond  and  Daniel 
O'Nial  had  seen  reason  to  suspect  him  of  a  secret 
leaning  towards  the  catholic  worship  about  the 
time  of  the  conferences  at  the  Pyrenees ;  and  he 
had  recently  avowed  the  same  to  Arlington  and 
Clifford  !s.  But  the  king's  religious  belief  was 
of  his  own  creation.  To  tranquillize  his  con- 
science, he  had  persuaded  himself  that  his  immo- 
ralities were  but  trifling  deviations  from  rectitude, 
which  a  God  of  infinite  mercy  would  never  visit 
with  severity  ;  and,  as  for  speculative  doctrines, 
the  witty  and  profligate  monarch  was  not  the  man 


"  James,  i.  440.  Dalrymple,  ii.  22.  Macpher.  i.  50,  52.  See 
also  the  travels  of  Cosmo  for  the  orthodoxy  of  James,  456. 

18  Carte's  Ormond,  ii.  254.  James,  i.  411.  That  lie  was  a 
staunch  protestant  in  1658  is  evident  from  the  papers  in  Thurloe, 
i.  740 — 5;  but  in  1669,  the  author  of  Cosmo's  Travels  remarks, 
that  chough  he  "  observes  with  exact  attention  the  religious  rites 
"  of  the  church  of  England,  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  he  does 
"  not  entirely  acquiesce,  and  that  he  may  perhaps  cherish  other 
"  inclinations  ".   456. 


204  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  to  sacrifice  his  ease  and  to  endanger  his  crown  for 
}}}•      the  sake  of  a  favourite  creed.     He  was  the  most 

accomplished  dissembler   in  his    dominions ;  nor 

will  it  be  any  injustice  to  his  character  to  suspect, 
that  his  real  object  was  to  deceive  both  his  brother 
and  the  king  of  France.  In  his  next  letter  to  his 
sister  Henrietta,  he  informs  her  that  the  duke  had 
been  brought  into  "  the  business  on  the  score  of 
religion",  and  he  openly  told  her  at  Dover,  that 
"  he  was  not  so  well  satisfied  with  the  catholic 
religion,  or  his  own  condition,  as  to  make  it  his 
faith"18. 

Progress        Now,  however,  the  secret  negotiation  proceeded 

of  the  ne-     ^  ffreater  activity  ;  and   lord  Arundel,  accom- 

gociation.  &  J 

panied  by  sir  Richard  Bellings  19,  hastened  to  the 
French  court.  He  solicited  from  Louis  the  pre- 
sent of  a  considerable  sum,  to  enable  the  king  to 
suppress  any  insurrection  which  might  be  pro- 
voked by  his  intended  conversion,  and  offered 
the  co-operation  of  England  in  the  projected  inva- 
sion of  Holland,  on  the  condition  of  an  annual 
subsidy  during  the  continuation  of  hostilities.  To 
these  proposals  no  direct  objection  was  made ; 
and  the  discussion  turned  chiefly  on  one  point, 
whether  the  declaration  of  the  king's  catholicity 
should  precede  or  follow  the  declaration  of  war. 

*  ' 

'8  Dalrymple,  i.  226  ;  ii.  22. 

'9  Bellings  had  been  secretary  to  the  catholic  confederacy  in 
1  reland,  and  since  the  restoration  had  been  confidentially  employed 
by  Clarendon  in  several  foreign  negotiations.  On  this  occasion  he 
was  instructed  to  draw  the  articles  of  the  treaty.     .James,  i.  442. 


CHARLES  II.  205 

James,  with  all  the  fervour  of  a  proselyte,  urged  chap. 
his  brother  to  publish  his  conversion  without  de-     l66g 

lay.     War,  by   creating  a  want  of  money,  would  

render  him  dependent  on  the  bounty  of  parlia- 
ment ;  but  now  he  was  his  own  master  ;  the  army 
was  loyal ;  all  the  governors  of  garrisons  were 
attached  to  his  person  :  the  sufferings  of  the  non- 
conformists from  the  intolerance  of  the  established 
church  would  teach  them  to  look  on  any  change 
as  a  benefit ;  and  within  the  pale  of  the  establish- 
ment itself  there  were  numbers,  who  had  no  set- 
tled notions  of  religion,  but  were  ready  to  fashion 
their  creed  by  their  convenience. 

Louis,  on  the  contrary,  represented  to  the  king, 
that  a  premature  declaration  might  endanger  his 
crown  and  his  person ;  that  nine-tenths  of  his 
subjects  were  hostile  to  the  catholic  faith ;  that 
religious  discord  acted  with  the  fury  and  the  rapid- 
ity of  a  volcano  ;  that  insurrection  was  to  be  ex- 
pected in  the  capital  and  in  every  part  of  his 
dominions,  and  that  his  army  was  too  small,  his 
friends  were  too  few,  to  countenance  the  hope  of 
his  being  able  to  suppress  his  opponents.  Charles 
made  but  a  faint  endeavour  to  refute  this  reasoning. 
The  attempt,  he  acknowledged,  wore  the  appear- 
ance of  madness,  yet  there  were  reasons  to  think 
that  it  might  succeed.  In  these  discussions  the 
year  passed  away.  At  Christmas  the  king  pub- 
licly received  the  sacrament ;  the  absence  of  James, 
who  had   been  accustomed  to  accompany  his  bro- 


<206  IIISTOllY    OF    ENGLAND. 

c  hap.  ther,   though  it  did  not  escape  notice,  awakened 

111.  •    •         20 

1670      no  suspicion  -' . 

After   repeated  adjournments,   the    parliament 

Meeting    ])a(]  jjeen  suffereil  to  meet  in  October.     The  com- 

of  parlia-  T-11 

ment.        mons   immediately  revived  the  quarrel  with   the 
Oct.  19.     iorcjs  respecting  the  case  of  Skinner.  They  ordered 
the  printer  of  "  The  Grand  Question  concerning 
"  the  Judicature   of  the  House  of  Lords  "  to  be 
prosecuted,  voted  that  Barnardiston  had  behaved 
like  a  good  commoner  of  England,  and  passed  a 
bill,   vacating  the  judgment  pronounced   against 
him,    as    contrary    to    law    and     the    privileges 
of  parliament.     It  was  immediately  rejected    by 
the    lords,   who,    on    their     part,    passed    a    bill 
in  vindication   of  their  jurisdiction,    which   met 
with  a  similar  fate  in   the  commons.     For  some 
time  no  farther  communication  took  place  between 
the  two  houses,  and  the  king,  to  prevent  a  more 
violent  rupture,  put  an  end  to  the  session  by  ad- 
Dec.  11.    journment.     The  interval  was   spent  by  him   in 
earnest  endeavours  to  heal  this  misunderstanding  ; 
and,  when  they  met  again,  he   recommended   to 
both  to  erase  all  the  proceedings  out  of  the  jour- 
nals, and  to  abstain  from  the  renewal  of  the  ques- 
1670.     tion.     They  consented  :  in  appearance  each  house 
Feb.  li.    was  replaced  in  the  same   situation  in  which  it 
1  )-  22'    stood  before  the  quarrel :  in  reality  the   victory 
was  gained  by  the   commons.     By  the  erasures, 

'  Dalrymple,    ii.  30 — 37.      Life  of  James,  i.  442.     Macpher. 
i.  .50. 


chari.es  ir.  207 

the  two  judgments  of  the  lords  were  vacated,  and  CHAP. 
from  that  moment  their  claim  to  original  jurisdic-     1670\ 


tion  in  civil  causes  has  been  silently  abandoned21.  ■ 

The  public  business  now  occupied  the  attention  New  con- 

vtnticlc 

of  parliament.     1°.  The  expiration  of  the  conven-  act. 
tide  act  had  raised  the  hopes  of  the  dissenters,  and 
the  lord-keeper  and  chief  justice  Hales  had  been 
employed    to  draw  an   act  of  comprehension,    by 
which  the  greater  part  of  them  might  be  incor- 
porated with  the  establishment.     On  the  one  side, 
Wilkins,  bishop  of  Chester,  with  Tillotson,  Stil- 
lingfleet,  and  Burton ;  on  the  other,  Bates,  Man- 
ton,  and  Baxter,  were  consulted ;  and,  to  remove 
the  chief  stumbling-block,  the  controversy  respect- 
ing the  validity  of  presbyterian  ordination,  it  was 
ingeniously  proposed  that  the  bishop  in  the  form 
of  re- ordination  should  make  use  of  the  words, 
"  to  serve  as  minister  in  any  parish  in  England." 
But  the  agitation  of  the  project   threw  the  king- 
dom into  a  ferment.     Parker  and  Patrick  distin- 
guished themselves  by  the  warmth  of  their  writ- 
ings in  support  of  orthodoxy,  and  Owen   by  his 
learning,  Marvell  by  his  wit,  ranked  at  the  head 
of  their  opponents.     One  party  contended  that,  to 
concede  at  all  was  to  betray  the  cause  of  the  church; 
the  other,  that  a  comprehension  of  the  dissenters 
offered  the  only  sure  expedient  to  check  the  diffu- 
sion of  socinianism   and  popery.     The  house  of 


•''   L.  Jourh.xii.  287, 291.     Com.  Jourri.  Feb.  22.     Pari.  Ilist. 
iv.  1,31.     St.  Trials. vi.  763—70. 


208  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

C  II A  P.  commons  did  not  degenerate  from  the  zeal  which  it 
16?0      had  displayed  on  so  many  former  occasions.     A 

bill  for  the  suppression  of  conventicles  was  sent  to 

the  house  of  lords  :  it  met  with  strong  opposition 
from  the  duke  of  York  and  his  friends,  as  well  as 
from  the  presbyterian  peers  ;  but  Charles,  though 
he  had  promised  his  protection  to  the  non-confor- 
mists, deemed  it  prudent  to  interfere,  and  by  his 
solicitations  this  intolerant  bill  was  suffered  to 
April  n.  pass.  By  it  certain  fines  were  enacted  against  all 
persons  above  sixteen  years  of  age  who  should 
attend,  and  all  ministers  who  should  officiate,  at 
any  religious  service  different  from  that  of  the 
church  of  England,  against  the  occupiers  of  the 
houses  in  which  meetings  for  that  purpose  should 
be  held,  and  against  the  magistrates  who  should 
neglect  to  enforce  the  provisions  of  the  law  22. 
Sufferings  This  act  subjected  the  dissenters  to  a  portion  of 
non-con-  those  severities,  which  had  been  so  frequently  in- 
formists.  flicted  on  the  catholics.  Spies  and  informers  mul- 
tiplied :  the  ministers  found  it  necessary  to 
abscond ;  houses  were  entered  by  force,  and 
searched  without  ceremony  ;  and  the  inmates  were 
dragged  to  prison,  and  condemned  to  pay  fines. 
That  ease,  of  which  the  king  was  so  fond,  suffered 
repeated  interruptions  from  complaints  and  appeals 
to  his  justice.  When  the  non-conformists  re- 
minded  him    of  his   promise   of   indulgence,    lie 

22  St.  Qo.     Car.  ii.  c.  i.     Burnet,  449—51. 


CHARLES  IX.  209 

acknowledged    the    hardship    of  their   case,    and  CHAP, 
checked  the  vigilance  of  the  officers  :  when   the     lG7^ 

magistrates    remonstrated,    that    these    religious 

meetings  were  hot-beds  of  sedition,  he  asked,  why- 
then  did  they  not  execute  the  law  ?  and  to  the 
clergy  who  complained  of  the  prevalence  of  sec- 
tarianism, he  sarcastically  replied,  that  it  would 
never  have  been  the  case,  had  they  paid  less  atten- 
tion to  their  dues  and  more  to  their  duties.  Among 
the  sufferers  none  excited  more  admiration  than 
the  quakers,  by  their  fearless  adhesion  to  their 
principles.  Disdaining  the  precautions  taken  by 
the  other  religionists,  they  proceeded,  at  the  usual 
hour,  openly  but  peaceably  to  their  meeting  house, 
and,  being  carried  before  the  magistrates,  refused 
to  pay  the  fines,  and  were  committed  to  prison. 
On  their  release,  they  returned  to  the  place  of 
meeting  as  if  nothing  had  happened  :  the  doors 
were  closed  ;  they  assembled  in  the  street ;  and 
Penn  and  Mead  successively  preached.  But  the 
auditory  was  soon  dispersed  ;  and  the  preachers 
were  indicted  before  the  lord  mayor  and  recorder, 
on  the  charge  of  having  created  a  riot.  During 
the  trial,  the  firm  and  temperate  behaviour  of  the 
prisoners  formed  a  striking  contrast  with  the 
harsh  and  violent  proceedings  of  the  court.  The 
jurors,  having  after  a  confinement  of  thirty-six 
hours,  returned  a  verdict  of  not  guilty,  were  fined 
forty  marks  each,  and  committed  to  prison  ;  and 
Penn  and  Mead,  though  acquitted,  suffered  the 
voi,.    XII.  P 


210  HISTOllY    OK    ENGLAND. 

(HAT.  same  punishment  for  contempt,  in  refusing  to  un- 


1670.     cover  their  heads  in  presence  of  the  court <i3. 

2°.  The  mind  of  Buckingham  was  still  haunted 

tngues  ^j^  tjie  appfeherisions  of  revenge  on  the  part  of 


to  alter 

the  sue-    the  late  chancellor's  family,  if  James  were  ever  to 

succeed  to  the  crown.  The  reader  will  remember 
that  a  boy  of  the  name  of  Crofts,  the  reputed  son 
of  the  king  by  Lucy  Barlow,  had  been  placed  for 
education  at  the  Oratory  in  Paris.  Soon  after 
the  restoration  he  came  to  England  ;  Charles  or- 
dered him  to  conform  to  the  established  church, 
created  him,  by  the  advice  of  Bristol  and  Castle- 
main,  but  in  opposition  to  the  remonstrances  of 
Feb.  14.  the  queen  mother  and  Clarendon,  duke  of  Mon- 
mouth,  and  gave  to  him  in  marriage  the  countess 
of  Buccleugh,  the  most  wealthy  heiress  in  Scot- 
In  favour  land 24.  Buckingham,  observing  the  unbounded 
mouth"  an°ection  of  the  king  for  this  young  man,  resolved 
to  set  him  up  as  a  competitor  for  the  crown  in 
opposition  to  the  duke  of  York.  It  was  confi- 
dentially whispered  at  court  that  Charles  intended 
to  own   him   for   his   successor,  and   the   earl   of 


*3  Burnet,  i.  471.  Neal.  c.  viii.  St.  Trials,  vi.  951 — 1036. 
Sewell,  ii.  259 — 71.  James,  or  perhaps  the  compiler  of  his  life, 
tells  us  that  "the  rigorous  church  of  England  men  were  let  loose, 
"  and  encouraged  underhand  to  persecute,  that  the  non-confor- 
"  mists  might  be  more  sensible  of  the  ease  they  should  have 
"when  the  catholics  prevailed".  (Life,  i.  443.)  Marvell  that 
"  the  lieutenancy  of  London  alarmed  the  king  continually  with 
"  the  fear  of  the  conventicles,  so  that  he  gave  them  powers  ". 
i.  420. 

"4  Clarendon,  205,  6,  7. 


voice. 


CHARLES  II.  2U 

Carlisle  and   lord  Ashley  ventured  to  hint  to  the  CHAP. 

.  in. 

king,  that  if  he   wished  to  acknowledge  a  private      167U 

contract   of  marriage  with  the   mother  of  Mon 

mouth,  it  would  not  be  difficult  to  procure  wit- 
nesses who  would  confirm  it  with  their  testimony. 
The  monarch  replied  without  hesitation  that, 
"  much  as  he  loved  the  duke,  he  had  rather  see 
"  him  hanged  at  Tyburn  than  own  him  for  his 
"  legitimate  son'"25. 

Buckingham,  though  disappointed,  was  not  By  a  di- 
discouraged.  He  often  lamented  the  king's  mis- 
fortune in  being  married  to  a  woman  whose  re- 
peated miscarriages  proved  that  she  would  never 
bear  him  a  successor  to  the  throne.  When  he 
offered  to  steal  her  away,  and  convey  her  to  some 
distant  region  where  she  would  be  never  heard  of, 
Charles  laughed  at  his  follv  :  but  he  was  listened 
to  with  greater  attention  when  he  suggested  to 
the  monarch  to  take  another  wife.  He  had  al- 
ready consulted  lawyers  and  divines  ;  and  Burnet, 
afterwards  bishop  of  Sarum,  in  an  elaborate 
judgment,  had  decided  that  barrenness  in  the 
woman  furnished  in  certain  cases  a  lawful  cause 
for  polygamy  or  divorce 26.     Of  the  two  a  divorce 

25  Life  of  James,  i.  437,  490.  Macpher.  i.  44  Burnet,  i.  452. 
"  As  for  the  duke  of  Bucks,"  says  Ormond,  "  I  am  confident  he 
"  not  only  undervalues,  hut  hates  the  king's  person  and  his 
"  brother's,  and  has  designs  apart,  if  not  aimed  at  the  ruin  of  them 
"both".     Carte,  ii.  377. 

,6  See  Burnet,  i.  454,  note ;  and  Higgons  on  Burnet,  232 — 243. 
The  paper  concludes  thus  :  "  I  see  nothing  so  strong  against  poly- 
"  gamy  as  to  balance  the  great  and  visible  imminent  hazards  that 
"  hang  over  so  many  thousands,  if  it  be  not  allowed.'' 

p  2 


212  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  appeared  preferable,  as  it  offered  less  to  shock  the 
,ii      feelings  of  the  public ;  but  in  cases  of  divorce  no 

instance   could    be  found  of  a    subsequent  legal 

marriage  pending  the  lives  of  the  parties.  The 
duke,  however,  undertook  to  create  a  precedent. 
Lady  Roos  had  long  lived  in  adultery ;  she  had 
been  separated  from  her  husband  by  sentence  of 
the  ecclesiastical  judge  ;  and  her  children  by  her 
paramour  had  been  declared  illegitimate  by  act  of 
parliament.  A  more  favourable  case  could  hardly 
be  wished  for  ;  and  a  bill  was  introduced  into  the 

March  5.  upper  house,  "  to  enable  the  lord  Roos  to  marry 
"  again."  Its  object  instantly  transpired  ;  and 
the  royal  brothers  exerted  all  their  influence  ;  the 
king  to  support,  the  duke  of  York  to  oppose,  the 
bill.  The  latter  did  not  only  obtain  the  votes  of 
his  friends  and  dependants  ;  but,  as  the  question 
involved  a  point  of  doctrine  respecting  the  indis- 
solubility of  marriage,  he  was  joined  by  all  the 
bishops,  with  the  exception  of  Cosins  of  Durham, 
and  Wilkins  of  Chester27,  by  the  catholic  peers, 
and  by  such  of  the  protestant  peers  as  deemed  it 
proper    to    follow,    on    theological    grounds,   the 

May  17.  opinion  of  the  prelates.  The  second  reading  was 
carried  only  by  a  small  majority :  before  the 
third,  Charles  adopted  a  measure  to  animate  his 
friends  which   surprised  both  the  house  and  the 

March  21.  nation.     One  morning  he  suddenly  entered,  took 


17  Marvell  adds  Dr.  Reynolds  of  Norwich,  but  it  appears  from 
the  journals  that  he  did  not  attend  at  all  during  this  session. 


CHARLES  II. 


213 


his  seat  on   the   throne,  and  desired  the  lords  to  CHAP. 

ill. 
proceed,  as  if  he  were   not  present,  for  he  came     1670\ 

only  to  renew  a  custom  which  his  immediate  pre- 

decessors  had  allowed  to  fall  into  desuetude,   that  * 

of  attending  at  their  debates 2S.  James,  who  saw 
the  motive  of  his  brother,  was  stimulated  to  still 
more  active  exertions  :  and,  when  the  third  read-  March  28. 
ing  was  carried  against  him  by  a  majority  of  two, 
entered  his  protest  on  the  journals,  in  which  he 
was  followed  by  thirteen  spiritual  and  fifteen  tem- 
poral peers.  Buckingham  triumphed,  and  yet  he 
gained  nothing  by  the  victory.  He  served  a  fickle 
and  uncertain  master,  who  changed  his  resolves 
according  to  the  impulse  of  the  moment.  Charles 
had  entertained  with  pleasure  the  project  of  di- 
vorce, as  long  as  its  accomplishment  appeared 
distant ;  but,  when  the  effort  was  to  be  made,  his 
sense  of  justice,  perhaps  his  good  nature,  assumed 
the  ascendancy,  and  he  refused  to  avail  himself  of 

*8  L.  Journ.  xii.  318.  Evelyn,  Diary,  ii.  320.  The  king  had 
previously  consulted  Sir  Robert  Cotton,  who  replied  that,  it  was 
the  custom  for  the  sovereign  to  be  present  in  parliament  till  the 
reign  of  Henry  VIII.,  that  of  Henry's  attendance  no  proof  could 
be  found,  whence  it  was  probable  that  he  had  been  induced  to 
absent  himself  by  the  policy  of  Wolsey ;  that  Henry's  son  Edward 
was  prevented  by  his  youth,  his  daughters  Mary  and  Elizabeth 
by  their  sex ;  and  that  this  disuse  during  four  successive  reigns 
was  "  the  ill  occasion  of  the  contrary  opinion  and  practice."  It 
was  therefore  his  opinion  that  the  king  had  a  right  to  be  present 
in  all  consultations  of  state,  and  discussions  of  private  plaint,  "not 
"  only  to  advise  and  hear,  but  to  determine  also."  Whether  this 
right  extended  to  capital  cases,  he  had  his  doubts ;  that  it  did  to 
criminal  cases,  not  of  blood,  was  certain,  from  his  answer  in 
manuscript  in  the  collection  of  Thomas  Lloyd,  Esq. 


214  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

(  HAP.  the  benefit  to  the  prejudice  of  an  unprotected  and 
"yQ      unoffending  female.     The  precedent,  however,  has 

not  been  lost  to  posterity  ;  and  the  permission  to 

many  again,  which  was  in  this  instance  granted 
to  lord  Roos,  forms  the  authority  for  the  similar 
permission  which  has  since  been  regularly  inserted 
in  bills  of  divorce  "9. 

A  supply  3°.  There  still  remained  the  great  object  for 
which  the  parliament  had  been  permitted  to  meet. 
Charles,  in  his  speech  at  the  opening  of  the  ses- 
sion, had  assured  both  houses  that  the  rumours 
respecting  the  misapplication  of  the  public  monies 
during  the  late  war  were  entirely  groundless  ;  and 
that  no  part  of  the  parliamentary  grants  had  been 
diverted  from  its  original  destination,  but  that  in 
addition  considerable  sums,  taken  partly  from  his 
standing  revenue,  and  partly  raised  on  his  credit, 
had  been  devoted  to  the  same  purpose.  He  there- 
fore requested  them  to  consider  the  prejudice 
arising  to  the  national  interests  from  the  pressure 
of  an  enormous  debt,  and  to  supply  him  with  the 
means  of  satisfying  his  creditors.  On  this  occa- 
sion he  did  not  plead  in  vain.  His  assent  to  the 
act  against  conventicles   was  the  price  which  he 

April  11.    paid;  and   in  return  he   obtained   an  additional 


a3  L.  Journals,  xii.  300,  6,  11,  28,  29.  Life  of  James,  i.  438,  9. 
Macpher.  i.  48,  53.  Burnet,  i.  452—5.  Marvell,  i.  112,  412. 
From  this  period  Charles  generally  attended  the  house.  It  proved 
some  restraint  on  his  opponents,  and  furnished  him  with  the 
means  of  whiling  away  his  time.  "  It  was,"  lie  said,  "  as  good 
as  going  to  a  play."      Marvell,    119. 


CHAliLES  II.  21a 


III. 

1670. 


duty    on    foreign   wines   and    vinegar    for    eight  chap. 
years,  and  an  act  to  advance  the  sale  of  fee-farm 
rents  belonging  to  the  crown.     It  was  calculated 
that  the  first  could  furnish  the  king  with  50,000/., 
the  other  with  a  much  larger  sum  30. 

We  may  now  resume  the  secret  negociation.    It  Visit  of 
had    been   arranged  that,   while  Louis  with   his  chess^f 
queen  made  a  progress  through  the  territory  lately  Orleans, 
ceded  to  him  by  Spain,   the  duchess  of  Orleans 
should  pay  a  short  visit  to  her  brother  Charles  at 
Dover.     It   was  hoped  by  the  French  king  that 
she  could  induce  him  to  depart  from  his  intention 
of  postponing  the  war  against  the  States,   till  he 
had  made  the  announcement  of  his  conversion  ; 
her  real  object  was  to  procure  his  permission  to 
separate    from    her    husband,   and    fix    her  resi- 
dence in   England.     Charles   received   her   affec-Mayi7. 
tionately,  and  laboured  to  gratify  her  with  pre- 
sents and  entertainments  ;   but  on  both  points  he 
remained  inflexible  :  the  French  ambassador  re- 
luctantly consented  to  subscribe  the  treaty   as   it 
had  been  drawn  by  the  English    commissioners, 
and   Henrietta,   with  a  heavy  heart,  returned  to  May  22. 
her   state    of  splendid    misery    in    the    court    of 
France  ai. 

3"  L.  Journals,  xii.  349.  I  may  here  notice  that  though  the 
hankers  paid  only  six  per  cent  interest  on  deposits  in  their  hands, 
they  now  required  from  the  king  ten  per  cent,  on  the  loans  ad- 
vanced to  him  instead  of  eight.  At  the  same  time  the  States 
General  paid  only  two  and  a  half  per  cent.     Temple,  ii.  33,  4. 

J'  Life  of  .Fames,  i.  118.  Macpher.  i.  54.  Louis  was  prepared 
to  make  every  sacrifice  to  engage  Charles  in  his  "  grande  affaire," 


216  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP.       Of  this  treaty,  thus  at  length  concluded,  though 

1670.     much   was   afterwards    said,  little  was  certainly 

known.      All   the    parties    concerned,    both    the 

Contents  .  ,    ,,  .  ,  , 

of  the  sovereigns  and  the  negociators,  observed  an  lm- 
secret  penetrable  secrecy.  What  became  of  the  copy 
transmitted  to  France  is  unknown  :  its  counter- 
part was  confided  to  the  custody  of  Sir  Thomas 
Clifford,  and  is  still  in  the  keeping  of  his  de- 
scendant, the  lord  Clifford  of  Chudleigh.  The 
principal  articles  were  :  1°.  That  the  king  of 
England  should  publicly  profess  himself  a  catholic 
at  such  time  as  should  appear  to  him  most  ex- 
pedient, and  subsequently  to  that  profession  should 
join  with  Louis  in  a  war  against  the  Dutch 
republic  at  such  time  as  the  most  Christian  king 
should  judge  proper.  2°.  That  to  enable  the  king 
of  England  to  suppress  any  insurrection  which 
might  be  occasioned  by  his  conversion,  the  king 
of  France  should  grant  him  an  aid  of  two  millions 
of  livres,  by  two  payments,  at  the  expiration  of 
three  months,  and  six  months  after  the  ratification 
of  the  treaty,  and  should  also  assist  him  with  an 
armed  force  of  six  thousand  men,  if  the  service 
of    such   a   force    should  be  thought  necessary  : 

the  war  against  the  States.  When  Colbert  made  financial  objec- 
tions to  the  yearly  payment  of  three  millions  for  the  grande  affaire, 
particularly  as  that  affair  might  last  for  some  years,  and  draw  a 
considerable  quantity  of  specie  out  of  the  realm,  he  answered,  on 
May  2,  "  Je  sais  que  vos  raisons  sont  bonnes  ;  je  les  connois  pour 
"  telles.  J'ai  mande"  qu'il  falloit  combattre  jusqu'a  la  fin ;  mais, 
"  au  pis-allcr,  ne  pas  manquer  la  grande  affaire."  (Euvres,  v.  466. 


1670. 


CHARLES  II.  21/ 

3°.  That  Louis  should  observe  inviolably  the  CHAP, 
treaty  of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  and  Charles  be  allowed 
to  maintain  that  treaty  in  conformity  with  the 
conditions  of  the  triple  alliance :  4°.  That  if, 
eventually,  any  new  rights  on  the  Spanish 
monarchy  should  accrue  to  the  king  of  France, 
the  king  of  England  should  aid  him  with  all  his 
power  in  the  acquisition  of  those  rights  :  5°.  That 
both  princes  should  make  war  on  the  united  pro- 
vinces, and  that  neither  should  conclude  peace  or 
truce  with  them  without  the  advice  and  consent 
of  his  ally  :  6°.  That  the  king  of  France  should 
take  on  himself  the  whole  charge  of  the  war  by 
land,  receiving  from  England  an  auxiliary  force 
of  six  thousand  men  :  7°.  That  by  sea  Charles 
should  furnish  fifty,  Louis  thirty,  men  of  war ; 
that  the  combined  fleet  should  be  placed  under 
the  command  of  the  duke  of  York;  and  that,  to 
enable  the  king  of  England  to  support  the  charge 
of  the  naval  armament,  he  should  receive  every  year 
of  the  war  the  sum  of  three  millions  of  livres 
from  the  king  of  France  :  8°.  That  out  of  the 
conquests  which  might  be  made  during  the  war, 
his  Britannic  majesty  should  be  satisfied  with 
Walcheren,  Sluys,  and  the  island  of  Cadsand ; 
and  that,  in  separate  articles,  provision  should  be 
made  for  the  interests  of  the  prince  of  Orange,  so 
that  he  might  find  his  advantage  in  the  war : 
9°.  And  that,  to  unite  more  closely  the  interests 
and  affections  of  the  subjects  of  both  crowns,  the 


%  18  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  treaty  of  commerce  already  commenced  should  be 

1670.     speedily  concluded  32. 
From  Dover,  the  king  repaired  to  London,  his 

Death  of    sjster  to  the  palace  of  St.   Cloud  ;  and   within  a 
the  dii-  . 

chess.       fortnight  from  the  time  of  their  parting  the  fair 

June  5.  anc|  fascinating  Henrietta,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
June  20.  six,  was,  after  a  few  hours1  suffering,  numbered 
with  the  dead.  The  report  that,  to  punish  the 
infidelity  of  her  husband,  she  had  indulged  in 
similar  infidelities,  was  solemnly  contradicted  by 
her  in  her  last  moments,  and  the  suspicion  that 
she  had  been  poisoned  by  his  order,  with  a  cup 
of  succory  water,  received  no  support  from  the 
appearance  of  the  body  when  it  was  opened  after 
death.  Henrietta  left  a  favourite  maid,  mademoi- 
selle de  Querouaille.  Whether  it  was  through  his 
recollection  of  her  beauty,  or  through  regard  for  his 
Nov.  departed  sister,  Charles,  after  some  time,  invited 
her  to  England,  and  appointed  her  of  the  bed- 


32  See  note  (B).  It  is  plain  from  comparing  the  treaty  itself 
with  the  account  of  it  in  the  life  of  James,  that  that  prince,  or  the 
compiler  of  the  life,  was  but  ill  acquainted  with  the  true  history 
of  these  transactions.  He  states  erroneously  that  the  treaty  was 
concluded  and  signed,  and  some  of  the  money  paid,  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  year,  and  that  Henrietta  succeeded  in  persuading  the 
king  to  waive  his  right,  and  to  commence  with  the  war  against 
the  Dutch.  It  is  remarkable  that  James  left  London  with  Charles 
for  Dover,  but  on  the  road  was  sent  back  to  take  care  of  the  me- 
tropolis, under  the  pretence  that  some  disturbance  might  be  caused 
by  the  shutting  up  of  conventicles.  He  reached  Dover  three  days 
later,  and  seems  to  have  suspected  that  Charles  wished  him  out 
of  the  way.     James,  i.  448.     Macpher.  i.  51. 


CHARLES  II.  219 


chamber  to  the  queen.     In  a  short  time  she  be-  chap 
came  one  of  the  roval  mistresses  33.  }}},: 

1670. 

It  was  thought  dangerous  to  confide  the  secret — 

of  the  late  treaty  to  a  man  so  unstable   in   his   r}6J}\ 

J  Oct.  10. 

counsels,  so  reckless  in  his  resentments,  as  Buck- a  second 
ingham  ;  yet  it  could  not  be  carried  into  execution  treaty- 
without  his  aid,  and  that  of  his  friends  and  col- 
leagues, Ashley  and  Lauderdale.     The  expedient     wro. 
which  was  adopted  does  credit  to  the  ingenuity  of  June  30- 
the  two  monarchs.     The   marshal   de  Bellefonds 
was  sent  to  England  to  condole  with  Charles  on 
the  death  of  his  sister,  and  Buckingham  was  des- 
patched  to  France  to  return  the  compliment  to 
Louis.   The  duke  was  received  with  distinguished  Aug.  1. 
honour  :  the  king  consulted  him  on  his  intended 
war  against  the  States,  and  held  out  to  him  the 
prospect  of  the  command  of  the  auxiliary  force, 
if  he  could  persuade  his   sovereign  to  join   as   a 
party  in  the  campaign.     This  was  a  bait  which 
the  vanity  of  Buckingham  could  not  refuse.     On  Sep.  13. 
his  return  he  urged  the  subject  on  the  considera- 

3t  For  the  first  report,  see  Temple,  ii.  12.3;  for  the  second, 
Janus,  i.  151.  Montague,  the  ambassador,  says  in  his  letter  to 
Charles,  of  July  15,  "I  asked  her  then  if  she  believed  herself 
"  poisoned  :  her  confessor  that  was  by,  understood  that  word, 
"  and  told  her,  Madam,  you  must  accuse  nobody,  but  offer  up 
"  your  death  to  God  as  a  sacrifice.  So  she  would  never  answer 
"  me  that  question  though  I  asked  several  times,  but  would  only 
<c  shrink  up  her  shoulders."  See  a  letter  of  condolence  from  Louis 
to  Charles  in  the  Appendix,  note  (C).  Evelyn,  (ii.  332)  says, 
"  I  saw  that  famous  beauty,  but  in  my  opinion  of  a  childish, 
"  simple,  and  baby  face,  Mademoiselle  Querouaflle."  See  also, 
:5I<>. 


220  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

C  HAP.  tion  of  the  king  and  of  his  colleagues  ;  he  obtained 
*^Q     permission  to  open  a  negotiation  with  the  French 

ambassador ;    he   amused   the   two   monarchs   by 

Nov.  iy.    compiaining  of  the  apathy  or  infidelity  of  Arling- 
ton and  Colbert,  who  had  been  instructed  to  raise 
objections,  that  they  might  irritate  his  impatience, 
and  entangle  him  more  deeply  in  the   intrigue ; 
i<5*  i-     and,  at  length,  the  dupe  had  the  satisfaction   of 

.  an.  23.  concluding  a  treaty,  of  which  he  vainly  deemed 
himself  the  author,  but  which  in  reality  was  a 
mere  copy  of  the  former,  with  the  sole  omission 
of  the  article  respecting  religion  34. 

Evasions        To  this  farce  was  added   another.     When   the 

Charles      ^rs^  instalment  became  due,  Louis  inquired  of  his 

good  brother,  whether  he   was   yet  prepared   to 

make  the  declaration  of  his   catholicity.     Charles 

1670.      replied,  that  he  thought  it  advisable  previously  to 

ep"  18  consult  the  pope,  and  to  obtain  such  conditions  as 
might  render  the  change  less  objectionable  to  his 
people.  This  answer  was  approved,  and,  in  con- 
sequence, a  vigorous  attempt  was  made  to  induce 
him  to  join  in  the  war  first,  and  publish  his  con- 
version afterwards.  But  the  king  was  inflexible, 
and  to  a  second  requisition  replied,  that  he  could 
discover  no  person  fit  to  be  trusted  with  so  deli- 
cate a  negotiation.     Louis  offered  the   bishop   of 

Oct.  13.  Laon,  whose  services  were  accepted ;  but,  in  a 
few  days,  it  occurred  to  Charles  that  the  reigning 
pontiff  was  old  and  infirm,  and  that  it  would  be 

54  Dalrymple,  ii.  68 — 77.     (Euvres  de  Louis,  v.  471,  4. 


CHARLES  II.  221 

more  prudent  to  wait  till  the  accession  of  his  sue-  chap. 
cessor  :  next  he  determined  to  employ  an  English-     167q 

man,  and  spent  some  time  before  he   named  the 

president  of  the  English   college  at  Douai ;  then  Nov.  7. 
he  contrived  to  obtain  a  delay  of  three  months, 
under  pretence  of  framing  and  amending  the  in- 
structions to  be  given  to  this  envoy;  and  at  last 
honestly  declared  that  existing  circumstaaces  com-     1671. 
pelled    him  to   postpone  the  execution  of  his  de-    e  ' 
sign  to  some  more  favourable   opportunity.     A 
year  later  Louis  returned  to  the  same  subject,  and 
Charles  objected   religious   scruples,  which  made     1672. 
him  desirous  of  consulting  some  celebrated  theo-  March  n- 
logian,  but  a  theologian  also  skilled  in  chemistry, 
vhat  the  subject  of  their  conversations   might  be 
supposed  to  be  his  favourite  science.     Soon  after-  June  7. 
wards   he  determined   to  make  the  celebration  of 
mass  in  English,  and  the  administration  of  the 
sacrament  under  both  forms  the  indispensable  con- 
ditions  of  his  conversion.     But  Louis   was   then 
satisfied  :  he  had  obtained  his  purpose  of  drawing 
the  king  into  the  war,  and  therefore  ceased  to  call 
for  a  declaration,  which  must  have  rendered  him 
a  useless  and  burthensome  ally  35. 

With   the   hope  of  procuring  another  supply,  Meeting 
Charles  had  summoned  the  parliament  in  autumn  ;  ment. 
and   the  lord  keeper  in    his  name  informed  the  Oct.  21. 
houses   of  the  several   treaties   which    had   been 
made   for   the   encouragement   and  protection   of 

83  Dalrymple,  ii.  62—5,  83,  4. 


&22  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  commerce,  directed  their   attention  to  the   naval 
1(i70      and  military  preparations  of  France  and  Holland  ; 

and  announced  the  king's  determination  to  fit  out 

a  fleet  of  fifty  sail,  to  protect  the  British  coasts 
from  such  insults  as  they  had  suffered  in  the  year 
1667.  But  for  this  money  would  be  requisite. 
The  last  grant  had  enabled  him  to  pay  the  inte- 
rest, and  extinguish  a  portion  of  the  debt.  But 
a  considerable  part  was  still  unredeemed ;  and  the 
best  means  of  sustaining  the  fame  and  interests 
of  the  nation  was  to  give  him  at  once  a  speedy 
and  plentiful  supply.  The  ministers  had  been 
careful  to  secure  a  majority  in  the  commons. 
Charges  of  prodigality  were  made,  and  hints  of 
popery  and  arbitrary  power  were  thrown  out  in 
vain  ;  and  the  sum  of  two  millions  and  a  half  to 
be  raised  from  different  sources,  was  cheerfully 
voted.  During  the  debate,  a  member  suggested  a 
tax  on  the  frequenters  of  the  theatre ;  and  when 
it  was  said  that  the  theatre  contributed  to  his 
majesty's  pleasure,  sir  John  Coventry  sarcastically 
inquired,  whether  "  his  majesty's  pleasure  lay 
"  among  the  men  or  the  women  players  "  ?  The 
expression  was  bitterly  resented  at  court ;  the  gal- 
lants resolved  to  punish  the  insult  offered  to  their 
sovereign  ;  and  the  duke  of  Monmouth  committed 
the  task  of  revenge  to  Sandys,  his  lieutenant,  and 
Assaukon  O'Brian,  the  son  of  lord  Inchiquin.  These,  taking 

Coventry.       .  ^  '  o 

with   them   thirteen  of  their  troop,  surprised  Co- 
Dec.  21.    ventry  in  the  Haymarket,  as  he  was  repairing  to 
his  lodgings,  in  the  evening  after  the  house  had 


CHARLES    II. 


223 


adjourned  during  the  Christmas  holidays.     They  CHAP, 
beat  him,  threw  him  on  the  ground,  and  made  a     167{ 

deep  incision  on  his  nose  with  a  pen-knife.     This 

outrage,  perpetrated  with  the  connivance  of  the 
king,  and  against  the  remonstrances  of  the  duke 
of  York,  created    feelings    of    discontent   in    the 
house.     It  was  resolved  the  first  thing   after  the     1671. 
adjournment  not  to  proceed  with  the  public  busi-   Jan-  9* 
ness  till  reparation  had  been  made  to  the  commons 
of  England  for  the  injury  inflicted  on  one  of  their 
members  ;  an  act  was  passed,  ordering  the  offend- 
ers to  surrender  themselves  to  justice   under  the 
penalty  of  banishment  without  the  possibility  of 
pardon,    and    the  maiming  or  disfiguring  of  the 
person  was  made,  for  the  first  time,  felony  with- 
out benefit  of  clero;v.    Charles  dared  not  interfere 
for  the  protection  of  his  champions  :  and  the  com- 
mons,  appeased   by   his   forbearance,   passed   the 
money  bills  through  their  several  stages 3G.  Proceed- 

This  benefit  was,  however,  purchased  with  the  ^inst 

_ the  catho- 
lics. 
a6  St.  22,  23.  Car.   ii.  c.   i.     Marvell,  i.  413.     Macpher.  i.   57. 
Ralph,  i.  193.     Burnet,  i.  469.     Lord  Dartmouth  informs  us  that 
Coventry  after  this  was  much  engaged  with  the  whigs,  and  pro- 
fessed himself  a  zealous  protestant,  yet  died  a  catholic,  leaving  the 
bulk  of  his  estate  to  the  college  of  the  Jesuits  at  St.  Omer.     Ibid, 
note.    Monmouth,  the  real  contriver  of  the  outrage,  escaped,  and 
in  a  few  weeks  committed  a  still  more  atrocious  offence.     On  the 
night  of  Feb.  28th,  in  company  with  the  young  duke  of  Albemarle 
and  eight  others,  in  a  drunken  frolic,  he  attacked  the  watch,  and 
killed  tin-  beadle  of  the  ward,  though  the  poor  man  on  his  knees 
begged  for  his  life.     Charles  to  save  his  son,  granted  a  pardon  to 
all  the  murderers  ;  but  both  the  crime  and   the  pardon  were   se- 
verely censured  by  the  people.     See  Marvel],  i.  19.5,  416. 


S2f  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  usual   sacrifice   to  the  religious  prepossessions  of 
j^Jj      the  two  houses.     Complaints  had  been  made  of 

.  the  growth   of  popery ;  that  Jesuits   and  priests 

March  io.  j^^  become  more  numerous  ;  that  English  catho- 
lics frequented  the  chapels  of  foreign  ambassa- 
dors ;  that  mass  was  often  celebrated  in  private 
houses ;  that  few  processes  were  served  out  of 
the  exchequer  against  convicted  recusants  ;  that 
convents  and  schools  had  been  established  for 
papists ;  and  that  two  persons  openly  officiated  as 
popish  archbishops  in  Ireland.  Charles,  though 
he  was  then  bound  by  treaty  to  profess  himself 
a  catholic,  published  a  proclamation,  such  as  was 
desired  by  the  houses,  in  which  he  declared  that, 
"  as  he  had  always  adhered,  against  all  tempta- 
"  tions  whatsoever,  to  the  true  religion  established, 
"  so  he  would  still  employ  his  utmost  care  and 
"  zeal  in  its  maintenance  and  defence  ".  But  pro- 
March  11.  clamations  had  often  failed  of  effect:  the  more 
orthodox  demanded  an  act  of  parliament ;  and  a 
bill  for  that  purpose  was  sent  to  the  house  of 
March  2i.  lords,  where  it  was  read  twice,  and  committed. 
A  dispute  respecting  privilege  prevented  its  far- 
ther progress  37. 
Dispute  In  a  bill  imposing  new  duties  on  imports,  the 
tlje  lords,  at  the  petition  of  the  merchants,  had  altered 

houses,      some  of  the  rates.     The  commons  acknowledged 
that,  in  the  case  of  money  bills,  the  upper  house 


•>7  Com.   Journ.   Feb.  21  ;  March   1,  10,  11.     L.  Journals,  xii. 
151,  4fi8. 


CHARLES    IT. 


had  the  power  to  approve  or  reject,  but  denied  CHAP 
that  it  had  the  power  to  make  alterations.     The 


III. 

1G71. 


lords    called    for    some    proof   of   this    assertion. 

Where  was  the  record  ?  When  had  they  forfeited  April  17' 
the  right  ?  It  might  as  well  be  said  that  they  had 
not  the  power  to  reject ;  for,  if  they  could  not  alter 
a  part,  how  could  they  annul  the  whole  ?  Had 
they  confined  themselves  to  this  reasoning,  they 
would  probably  have  embarrassed  their  oppo- 
nents ;  for  the  attorney-general  replied  that  to 
give  any  reason  would  be  to  weaken  a  privilege 
which  the  commons  had  possessed  in  all  ages. 
But  the  lords  appealed  also  to  precedents  :  the 
application  of  these  precedents  was  disputed  by 
the  managers  ;  the  controversy  became  daily  more 
intricate  ;  the  obstinacy  of  the  parties  augmented  ; 
and  Charles,  though  by  it  he  lost  a  valuable  bill,  April  22. 
was  compelled  to  put  an  end  to  the  session.  The 
question  had  been  raised  by  the  imprudence  of 
Buckingham  ;  and  the  result  did  not  tend  to  raise 
him  in  the  estimation  of  his  sovereign  as. 

Before  we  proceed,  the  reader  may  direct  his 
attention  to  a  few  miscellaneous  events,  which 
occurred  about  this  time. 

1°.  In  the  month  of  August,  1669,  died  at  the  Death  of 
castle  of  Colombe,  near  Paris,  the  queen-mother,  dowaeer" 
Henrietta  Maria  de  Bourbon.     It  has  been   the   1669. 
custom  to  attribute  a  great  portion  of  the  misfor-    Uff" 


"s  L.  Journals,  xii.  !  49.  191,  .502,  510.   Marvell,  i.  17  1.    Parker, 
119.     Compare  Macpherson,  i.  58,  with  Dalrymple,  ii.  SG. 

VOL.    XII.  Q 


gofi 

HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CnfP    tunes    of  Charles    I.    to   the   control   which   this 
1671.     beautiful  princess  possessed  over   the  heart,  and, 


"  through  the  heart,  over  the  judgment  of  her  hus- 
band. But  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  her 
influence  was  considerably  exaggerated  by  those, 
whose  policy  it  was  to  alienate  the  people  from 
the  sovereign  by  representing  him  as  guided  by 
the  counsels  of  a  popish  wife.  On  most  questions 
she  coincided  in  opinion  with  secretary  Nicholas ; 
nor  will  it  be  rash  to  conclude  that  the  unfor- 
tunate monarch  would  have  fared  better,  had  he 
sometimes  followed  their  advice.  After  the  death 
of  Charles,  she  was  privately  married  to  Jermyn, 
earl  of  St.  Albans,  and  lived  to  see  the  restoration 
of  her  son  to  the  crown  of  his  father.  Her  last 
years  were  chiefly  spent  in  acts  of  charity  and 
exercises  of  devotion  ;J9. 
?f,  th<r,         2°.  At  the  commencement  of  the  next  vear  died 

duke  Al- 
bemarle,   another    celebrated    personage,     Monk,    duke    of 

1670.  Albemarle.  By  Charles  his  services  were  always 
acknowledged,  and  amply  rewarded :  but  the 
royalists  regretted  that  the  merit  of  restoring  the 
king  should  have  fallen  to  an  apostate  from  their 
cause  ;  and  their  dislike  of  the  man  indulged  itself 
in  throwing  ridicule  and  censure  on  his  man- 
ners and  conduct.  It  must  be  owned  that  there 
was  nothing  very  brilliant  in  his  character :  he 
was   not  made  to  shine  in  a  gay  and  voluptuous 

3'  See  "  The  Life  and  death  of  Henrietta/'  &c.  printed  for  Dor- 
man  Newman,  1G8.5,  reprinted  by  G.  Smeeton,  1820.  Life  of 
James,  i.  446. 


CHARLES  II.  22* 

court,  nor  did  he  seek  to  support  his  rank  by  a  CHAP. 

in. 
splendid  and  expensive  establishment.     But  the      ]67[ 

king  always  treated  him  with  respect,  employed 

him  in  posts  of  difficulty  and  danger,  and  honoured 
his  remains  with  a  public  funeral  in  Henry  the  Jan.  23. 
Seventh's  chapel.  Within  three  weeks  after  his 
death,  the  duchess  (she  had  been  successively  his 
washerwoman,  his  mistress,  and  his  wife),  fol- 
lowed him  to  the  grave 40. 

3°.  The  duke  of  Ormond,  on  the  6th  of  Decern-  Narrow 

escape  of 

ber,  was  returning  in  the  dark  from  a  dinner  Ormond. 
given  by  the  city  to  the  young  prince  of  Orange,  wo. 
when,  in  St.  James's-street,  his  footmen,  who 
walked  on  each  side,  were  suddenly  stopped  ;  and 
two  men  forcibly  drew  the  duke  out  of  his  car- 
riage, mounted  him  on  horseback  behind  a  third, 
and,  that  he  might  not  escape,  fastened  him  with 
a  leathern  belt  to  the  rider.  The  chief  of  the 
banditti  hastened  beforehand  to  Tyburn,  that  ho 
might  make  preparations  for  hanging  the  captive  ; 
but,  on  the  road  to  Knightsbridge,  the  duke, 
leaning  on  one  side,  and  raising  with  his  foot  the 
foot  of  his  companion  on  the  other,  contrived  to 
drag    hi  in   from    the    saddle.       Both    fell    to   the 


40  The  following  portrait  of  Monk  is  drawn  by  the  French  tra- 
veller, Monconis.  Monk  est  petit  et  gros:  mais  il  a  la  physiog- 
nomie  de  l'esprit  le  plus  solide,  et  de  la  conscience  la  plus  tran- 
quilledu  monde,  et  avec  cela  une  froidure  satis  affectation,  et  s;iiis 
orgueil  ny  desdain  :  il  a  enfln  tout  fair  d'un  homme  modere  et 
fort  prudent :  ses  nieuhli  s,  sa  tabic,  et  le  pen  de  gens  qui  le  cour- 
tisent,  marquent  a«sez  qu'il  n'est  pas  ambitieux.  Moncon.  Join  11. 
ii.  H<2. 

<2  2 


228  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  ground:  footsteps  were  heard  to  approach;  and 
,671'      the  assassin,  having  loosened  the  belt,  discharged 

«  a  brace  of  pistols  at  the  duke,  and  instantly  fled. 

The  darkness   proved   favourable  to  both.     The 
duke  escaped  with  no  other  injury  than  what  he 
had  suffered  in  the  fall  and  struggle :   his  adver- 
sary eluded  with  ease  the  search  of  his  pursuers. 
Yet  the  cause  and  the  perpetrators  of  the  outrage 
remained   an   impenetrable  mystery.     Though  a 
committee   of   the   house   of  lords    instituted   an 
inquiry  into  the  case ;  though  the  king  promised 
a  reward  of  1000/.  to  those  who  should  discover 
the   offenders ;  though  he   offered  a  pardon  with 
the  same  sum  of  money  to  any  of  the  accomplices 
who   should   inform  against  the  guilty ;  no  clew 
could  be  obtained  to  lead  to  their  apprehension  : 
only  it  became  known  that  the  chief  of  the  gang 
was  Blood  of  Sarney,  in  the  county  of  Meath,  the 
author  of  a  libel  called  "  Mene  Tekel ",  who  had 
been  outlawed  for  an  attempt  to  surprise  the  cas- 
tle of  Dublin. 
Attempt        Soon   afterwards  a  person,  in  the   cassock  of  a 
thecrown  clergyman,  sought  the   acquaintance  of  Edwards 
1671.      the  keeper  of  the  regalia  in  the  Tower,  and  pro- 
May  9.     posed  to  him  a  marriage  between  his  own  nephew, 
and  the  old  man's  daughter.     About  seven  in  the 
morning  of  May  9th,   the  pretended   clergyman, 
with   two   companions,   called  on   Edwards,  and 
requested   to  see  the  regalia.     As  soon   as  they 
entered  the   room,  they  threw  a   cloak  over  the 
keeper's   head,  and   forced  a  gag  into  his  mouth. 


CHARLES  II.  22$ 

promising  to  spare  his  life,  if  he  remained  quiet :  CI,V^P' 
but   his  struggles  provoked  them   to   knock  him      i67i. 
down,  and  wound  him  in  the  belly.     The  clergy-  "" 

man  then  put  the  crown  under  his  cassock,  one 
of  his  companions  secreted  the  globe  in  his 
breeches,  and  the  other  having  filed  the  sceptre, 
deposited  the  pieces  in  a  bag.  Accidentally  the 
son  of  Edwards  came  by  at  the  time  ;  the  alarm 
was  given  ;  the  robbers  ran  :  one  of  them  fired 
at  the  first  sentinel,  who,  though  untouched,  im- 
mediately fell ;  the  second  offered  no  resistance  ; 
and  all  three  had  nearly  reached  their  horses  at 
vSt.  Catherine's-gate,  when  they  were  overtaken 
and  secured.  They  were  carried  before  sir  Gilbert 
Talbot,  but  the  clergyman,  who  was  the  leader, 
refused  to  answer.  Charles  himself,  through 
curiosity,  or  at  the  instigation  of  others,  attended, 
when  the  prisoner  improved  the  opportunity  to 
flatter  and  terrify  the  king  ;  he  said  that  his 
name  was  Blood  ;  that  he  had  seized  the  duke  of 
Ormond,  and  would  have  hanged  him  at  Tyburn  : 
that  he  had  even  on  one  occasion  undertaken  to 
shoot  the  king  himself  at  Battersea,  but,  the 
moment  he  took  his  aim,  the  awe  of  majesty 
unnerved  him,  and  his  piece  dropped  harmless  to 
the  ground.  He  was,  however,  but  one  of  three 
hundred,  who  had  sworn  to  revenge  each  other's 
blood.  The  king  micdit  act  with  him  as  he 
pleased.  He  might  doom  him  to  suffer — but  it 
would  be  at  the  risk  of  his  own  life,  and  of  the 
lives   of  his   advisers — or    hv    might    show    him 


230  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

(HAP.  mercy — and  he  would   secure   the  gratitude  and 
,1L      services   of  a    company    of  fearless    and   faithful 

1671.  ,    1  . 

followers.     If  the  unprecedented  attempts  ot  this 

ruffian  excited  surprise,  the  conduct  of  Charles 
was  a  mystery,  which  no  one  could  understand. 
He  not  only  forgave  the  offence  offered  to  himself, 
but  he  solicited  and  obtained  for  Blood  the  pardon 
of  Ormond,  ordered  him  to  remain  as  a  gentle- 
man at  court,  and  gave  him  an  estate  of  the 
yearly  rent  of  500/.  in  Ireland,  probably  as  a 
compensation  for  that  which  he  had  previously 
forfeited4'. 

Death  of       5°.   For  a  long  time  the  health  of  the  duchess 

d.css'of    of  York  had  visibly  declined,  and  she  died  at  St. 

York.  James's  in  her  thirty-fourth  year,  having  been  the 
mother  of  eight  children,  of  whom  only  two  daugh- 
ters survived  her,  Mary  and  Anne,  both  afterwards 
queens  of  England.  She  had  been  educated  in  the 
regular  performance  of  all  those  devotional  exer- 
cises which  were  practised  in  the  church  of  Eng- 
land before  the  civil  war.  She  attended  at  the 
canonical  hours  of  prayer  ;  she  publicly  received 
the  sacrament  in  the  royal  chapel   on  every  holi- 

4  See  for  both  facts  sir  Gilbert  Talbot's  Narrative.  Lansdowne, 
MSS.  1659,  p.  1 — 15.  Evelyn,  who  dined  in  company  with  Blood 
at  sir  Thomas  Clifford's,  describes  him  thus  :  "  The  man  had  not 
"  only  a  daring,  but  a  villainous  unmerciful  countenance,  but  very 
"  well  spoken,  and  dangerously  insinuating".  EvelynDiary,  ii.  341. 
Blood's  companions  were  Hunt,  his  son-in-law,  and  Parret,  who 
had  been  lieutenant  to  major-general  Harrison  under  the  common- 
wealth. Charles  told  Ormond  that  he  had  certain  reasons  for  ask- 
ing him  to  pardon  Blood.  He  replied  that  his  majesty's  command 
was  a  sufficient  reason.     Talbot,  ibid. 


1(571. 
May  31 


CHABLES    II.  231 

day,  and   once  in  every  month;  and  she  always  CHAP, 
prepared   herself  for  that  rite  by  auricular  con-     1671\ 


Aug. 


fession,  and  the  absolution  of  the  minister.    After 

the  birth  of  her  last  child,  she  became  still  more 
religious,  spending  much  of  her  time  in  her  pri- 
vate oratory,  and  in  conversation  with  divines ; 
and  for  several  months  before  her  death  it  was 
observed  that  she  had  ceased  to  receive  the  sacra- 
ment, and  began  to  speak  with  tenderness  of  the 
alleged  errors  of  the  church  of  Rome.  Suspicion 
was  excited  ;  and  her  brother,  lord  Cornbury,  in 
person,  her  father,  the  exiled  earl  of  Clarendon, 
by  letter,  endeavoured  to  confirm  her  in  the  pro- 
fession of  the  established  doctrines.  But  she  had  167°- 
already  been  reconciled  in  August  to  the  church 
of  Rome,  and  in  her  last  illness  received  the 
sacrament  from  the  hands  of  Hunt,  a  Franciscan 
friar.  Blandford,  bishop  of  Oxford,  her  protes- 
tant  confessor,  visited  her  on  her  death-bed  ;  but 
the  duke  informed  him  of  her  change  of  religion, 
and  he  contented  himself  with  speaking  to  her  a 
few  words  of  consolation  and  advice.  Her  con- 
version was  known  only  to  five  persons  ;  but  the 
secret  gradually  transpired,  and  its  publication 
served  to  confirm  the  suspicion  that  the  duke 
himself  was  also  a  catholic.  He  attended,  indeed, 
occasionally  on  the  king  during  the  service  in  the 
chapel,  but  two  years  had  elapsed  since  he  re- 
ceived the  sacrament  l2. 

*>  Life  of  James,  L  452.  Burnet,  i.  537.  Evelyn,  ii.  380.  Travels 
of  Cosmo,  456. 


-1J:  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP.       Though  the  second  of  the   secret  treaties  with 
III 
1571;     France  had  been  concluded  in  January,  the  ratifi- 

cations   were   not   exchanged   till  June,  at  which 

The  cabal,  time  it  is  probable  that  Charles  had  consented  to 
engage  in  the  projected  war  against  the  States, 
and  to  postpone  to  an  indefinite  period  the  an- 
nouncement of  his  conversion.  Louis  had  already 
sent  presents  to  the  commissioners  who  signed 
the  treaty  at  Dover ;  he  now  sent  others  to 
Buckingham,  Ashley,  and  Lauderdale,  who  had 
signed  the  second  treaty  in  June.  In  this  there 
was  nothing  unusual ;  but,  to  bind  the  leading 
ministers  more  strongly  to  his  interests,  he 
granted  a  pension  of  ten  thousand  livres  to  lady 
Shrewsbury,  the  mistress  of  Buckingham  ;  and, 
when  a  similar  pension  was  declined  by  Arling- 
ton, bestowed  a  magnificent  present  on  his  wife 4,i. 
The  only  privy  counsellors,  entrusted  with  the 
secret  of  the  king's  connexion  with  Louis,  were 
Arlington,  Clifford,  Buckingham,  Ashley,  and 
Lauderdale  :  they  formed  the  cabinet  or  cabal,  in 
which,  according  to  the  practice  introduced  by 
Clarendon,  every  measure  was  debated  and  deter- 
mined before  it  was  submitted,  for  the  sake  of  form, 
to  the  consideration  of  the  council,  and  with  them 

*3  Dalrymple,  ii.  81,  82.  Buckingham,  to  enhance  the  merit  of 
iiis  services,  asserted  that  the  Spaniards  had  offered  him  200,000/. 
Colbert  observes,  "  Je  crois  (ju'il  n'en  est  rien ;  mais  je  crams  que 
"  l'appetit  de  ces  nouveaux  commissaires  (Buckingham,  Ashley, 

"  and  Lauderdale)  nc  soit  grand."     Ibid.  81. By   a  singular 

coincidence,  the  initials  of  the  names  of  these  ministers  form  the 
word  "cabal." 


CHARLES  II.  233 

he  consulted  respecting  the  preparations  for  the  chap. 

hi. 

nm. 


war.      1°.  Arlington,  originally  sir  Henry  Bennet, 


had  signalized   himself  in   the   civil  war,  during 

which  he  received  a  sabre  wound  in  the  face.  Arlington. 
From  Madrid,  where  he  resided  as  ambassador 
from  the  king,  he  was  recalled  and  introduced 
into  the  ministry  by  the  enemies  of  Clarendon. 
To  strength  of  mind  or  brilliancy  of  parts,  he  had 
few  pretensions  ;  but  he  was  an  easy  and  pleasing 
speaker,  was  well  acquainted  with  the  routine  of 
business,  and  covered  the  deepest  cunning  under 
the  most  insinuating  address.  As  the  best  bred 
man  in  the  English  court,  he  acquired  the  favour 
of  the  king  and  of  the  foreign  noblemen  whom 
business  or  pleasure  brought  to  the  capital ;  and 
Charles,  as  a  proof  of  his  esteem,  married  the 
lord  Harry,  afterwards  the  duke  of  Grafton,  his  107 2. 
son  by  Castlemain,  now  created  duchess  of  Cleve-  Aug.  1. 
land,  to  the  daughter  of  Arlington,  a  most  beau- 
tiful child  only  five  years  old.  In  the  cabinet,  the 
prudence  of  this  minister  shrunk  from  the  re- 
sponsibility of  being  the  foremost  to  suggest  or 
to  defend  measures  of  doubtful  tendency  ;  and  his 
timidity  afterwards  proved  his  safeguard.  It 
was  taken  for  moderation,  and  served  to  mitigate 
the  displeasure  and  resentment  of  the  people.  He 
retained    to    the   last    the    friendship    of   his   so- 


vereign 1!. 


m  Life  of  James,  i.  398.  Clarend.  Pap.  iii.  Sup,  Ixxxi.  Evelyn. 
ii,372,432  Macph.  i.  48.  Burnet,  i.  170.  Clarendon's  Life,  181, 
lyti.     Works  of  Sheffield,  duke  of  Buck.  ii.  84. 


III. 

1671. 


234  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP.  2°.  The  influence  which  Clifford,  by  his  in- 
dustry and  eloquence,  had  acquired  in  the  house 
of  commons,  had  originally  recommended  him  to 

Clifford,  the  notice  of  the  ministers  ;  and  under  the 
patronage  of  Arlington,  he  had  rapidly  advanced 
in  preferment.  He  now  held  the  offices  of  privy 
counsellor,  treasurer  of  the  household,  and  com- 
missioner of  the  treasury.  He  was  brave,  generous, 
and  ambitious  ;  constant  in  his  friendships,  and 
open  in  his  resentments  ;  a  minister  with  clean 
hands  in  a  corrupt  court,  and  endued  with  a  mind 
capable  of  forming,  and  a  heart  ready  to  execute, 
the  boldest  and  most  hazardous  projects.  The 
king  soon  learned  to  prefer  his  services  before 
those  of  his  more  cautious  patron  4S. 

Bucking-  3°.  With  Buckingham,  his  levity  and  immo- 
rality, his  ambition  and  extravagance,  the  reader 
is  already  acquainted.  Even  when  he  was  con- 
sidered the  prime  minister,  pleasure  formed  his 
favourite  pursuit.  He  turned  the  night  into  day, 
and  indulged  in  every  sensual  gratification  "  which 
"  nature  could  desire,  or  wit  invent."  Charles, 
much  as  he  was  amused  with  the  follies  of  the 
duke,  frequently  treated  him  with  contempt : — his 
princely  fortune  (a  landed  estate  of  20,000/.) 
nsensibly  disappeared  ;  his  mind  became  enfeebled 
with  his  body  ;  and  he  lingered  out  the  last  years 
of  his  life  in  penury  and  disgrace  46. 


] 


*5  Evelyn,  ii.  386,  7.     Pepys,  Correspondence,  v.  79.     Maeph. 
i.  48. 

<«  Burnet,  i.  171.     Macph.  i.  KJ7.    Evelyn,  ii.  355.    Clarendon, 
i.  369.     North's  Li ves,  i.  97. 


CHARLES  II.  235 


4°.  Lauderdale  made  it  the  great  object   of  his  CHAP. 

policy,   to  advance   his  own  fortune  by  securing     ^j 

the  royal  favour.      He  was   ungainly  in   his  ap- 

pearance,  and  boisterous  in  his  manner ;  but  his  Lauder- 
dale. 
experience  in  business,  his  ready  acquiescence  in 

every  wish  of  the  sovereign,  and  the  boldness  with 
which  he  ridiculed  the  apprehensions  and  predic- 
tions of  his  colleagues,  endeared  him  to  the 
monarch.  It  was  not  in  Lauderdale's  disposition 
to  allow  principles,  either  political  or  religious,  to 
interfere  with  his  interest.  A  sincere  friend  to 
the  covenant,  he  made  it  the  constant  subject  of 
ridicule ;  a  violent  enemy  to  the  catholics,  he  lent 
his  support  to  every  measure  in  their  favour  ;  and 
with  a  strong  predilection  towards  a  limited  and 
constitutional  monarchy,  he  fearlessly  executed  in 
his  native  country,  the  most  arbitrary  determi- 
nations of  the  government.     For  these  reasons  he 


had  numerous  enemies  a  mono;  the  dissenters,  and 
the  men  of  liberal  principles :  and  on  another 
account,  he  had  incurred  the  hatred  of  all  the 
cavaliers  both  English  and  Scots.  He  was  ac- 
cused of  having  been  a  principal  in  the  sale  of 
Charles  I.  to  the  parliament,  and  of  having  re- 
ceived a  considerable  portion  of  the  money.  But 
the  efforts  of  his  countrymen  to  bring  him  into 
disgrace  recoiled  on  their  own  heads.  The  king 
remained  his  friend  :  Middleton,  the  chief  of  his 
enemies,  was  removed  from  the  government  of 
Scotland,  and  that  high  office,  after  a  decent  in- 
terval, was  bestowed  on  Lauderdale  himself. 
But    his    triumph    served    only   to    multiply  his 


•2jt>  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  enemies.      The   English    cavaliers    took    up    the 
"!'      cause  of  their  northern  brethren,  and  waited  with 

10/  1 . 

impatience  for  the  favourable  opportunity  of  gra- 
tifying their  vengeance  by  accomplishing  the 
downful  of  the  Scottish  favourite 47. 

Ashley.  5°.  Sir  Anthony  Ashley  Cooper  formerly  pos- 

sessed the  ear  of  Cromwell  :  at  the  restoration, 
through  the  influence  of  Monk,  whose  friendship 
he  had  gained,  and  of  Southampton,  whose  niece 
he  had  married,  he  was  appointed  chancellor  of 
the  exchequer,  and  soon  afterwards  called  to  the 
house  of  lords  by  the  title  of  baron  Ashley.  When 
Charles  said  of  him  that  he  was  "  the  weakest  and 
wickedest  man  of  the  age,"  the  king  consulted  his 
anger  more  than  his  judgment.  Ashley  possessed 
talents  of  the  highest  order,  but  made  them  sub- 
servient to  his  passions  and  interest.  As  long  as 
the  royal  cause  promised  to  be  successful,  he  was 
careful  to  suggest  the  most  arbitrary  measures 
and  to  support  them  at  the  expence  of  liberty 
and  justice  :  but  when  the  current  turned,  when 
the  spirit  of  discontent,  which  animated  the 
house  of  commons,  led  him  to  anticipate  a  failure, 
he  divested  himself  of  his  employment  at  court, 


4'  Burnet,  i.  174.  Chrendon,  51.  Miscel.  Aul.  212,  231. 
Pepys,  151.  In  tlit  Scottish  parliament,  it  had  been  agreed  that 
a  certain  number  of  delinquents  should  be  incapacitated  from 
holding  office,  not  openly  by  the  majority  of  votes,  but  secretly 
by  way  of  ballot,  to  prevent  family  feuds  between  the  excluders 
and  the  excluded.  Among  the  names  was  that  of  Lauderdale, 
lint  Charles  disapproved  of  the  proceeding,  and  recalled  Middle- 
ton.     Sec  the  pleadings  before  the  king  in  Miscel.  Aul.  ibid. 


CHARLES  II.  237 

and,  coining  forward  as  the  champion  of  popular  CHAT, 
right,    "  usurped  a   patriot's    all-atoning    name."     i6?i. 

But  whether  he  served  the   king,  or  the   king's 

opponents,  he  was  still  the  same  character,  dis- 
playing in  his  conduct  a  singular  fertility  of  in- 
vention, a  reckless  contempt  of  principle,  and  a 
readiness  to  sacrifice  the  rights  of  others  in  the 
pursuit  of  his  object,  whether  it  were  the  acqui- 
sition of  power,  or  the  gratification  of  revenge  48. 

Of  these  five  ministers,  Lauderdale  adhered  to  Their  re- 
the  Scottish  covenant ;  Buckingham,  with  all  his 
ridicule  of  bishops  and  servants,  called  himself  an 
orthodox  churchman  ;  and  Ashley  was  supposed 
to  belong  to  no  church  whatever.  Of  Arlington 
and  Clifford,  it  has  often  been  said  that  they  were 
catholics.  But  hitherto  they  had  certainly  pro- 
fessed themselves  protestants,  though,  perhaps, 
like  many  others,  for  no  better  reason  than 
because  protestantism  was  in  fashion.  For, 
during  the  revolutions  of  the  last  twenty  years, 
the  immorality  of  the  royalists,  the  cant  of  the 
fanatics,  and  the  successive  prevalence  of  con- 
trary doctrines  in  the  pulpits,  had,  especially 
among  the  higher  classes,  unsettled  religious 
opinion,  and  rendered  men  indifferent  to  particular 
forms  of  worship.  It  may,  however,  be  that  the 
knowledge  of  the  duke's  conversion,  and  of  the 
king's  sentiments,  made  impression  on  Arlington 
and  Clifford.     The  latter  certainly  embraced  the 

**  Macph.  70.     Dalrymple,  ii.  15.     Burnet,  i.  164,  5.     Claren- 
don, ^fi,  215. 


2  18  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

chap,  catholic  faith  before  the  close  of  the  Dutch  war: 
1671.     Arlington  continued  a  protestant  till  his  last  sick- 

ncss,  when   he   was  reconciled  to  the  church   of 

Rome  49. 

They  shut      These  were  the  ministers,  with  whose  assist- 

chequer. " ance  Charles  determined  to  engage  in  the  war 
against  the  States  ;  a  war  from  which  he  pro- 
mised himself  an  abundant  harvest  of  profit  and 
glory,  in  the  humiliation  of  a  republic,  the  pros- 
perity of  which  held  out  to  his  subjects  the 
example  of  successful  rebellion  ;  in  the  superiority 
which  the  trade  of  the  British  merchants  would 
derive  from  the  ruin  of  their  commercial  rivals  ; 
and  in  the  additional  authority  with  which  he 
would  be  himself  invested  at  the  head  of  a  con- 
quering army  and  navy.  To  obtain  these  results 
it  was  necessary  to  make  the  most  gigantic  efforts, 
and  to  provide  pecuniary  funds  commensurate 
with  these  efforts.  An  ample  supply  had  been 
already  granted  by  parliament ;  to  secure  the 
stipulated  subsidy  from  France  a  third  treaty  had 
been  concluded  with  Louis  50 ;  and  an  additional 


<9  In  May  1671,  Evelyn  from  Clifford's  conversation  "  suspected 
him  a  little  of  warping  to  Rome."  (Evelyn,  ii.  341,  382.)  In 
May  1673,  James  calls  him  "a  new  convert."  Life  of  James,  i. 
484.    . 

6°  It  is  plain  that  a  third  treaty  was  concluded  in  the  beginning 
of  1672.  Dalrymple  notices  it  as  merely  a  Latin  copy  of  the 
second  treaty,  signed  on  Feb.  5th  ;  but  that  it  was  different  in 
some  points,  appears  from  this,  that  the  command  of  the  English 
auxiliaries  was  given  by  it  to  the  duke  of  Monmouth  (Dalrym.  ii. 
88).    The  services  of  Montague  were  so  pleasing  to  Louis  on  this 


a 


CHARLES  II.  239 

resource  was  now  discovered  by  the  ingenuity  of  CHAP. 
Ashley  or  Clifford  51.     The  reader  is  aware  that     167j 

ever  since  the  time  of  Cromwell  the  bankers  and 

capitalists  had  been  accustomed  to  advance  money 
to  the  government,  receiving  in  return  assigna- 
tions of  some  branch  of  the  public  revenue  till 
both  capital  and  interest  should  be  extinguished. 
Hitherto  the  exchequer  had  maintained  its  credit 
by  the  punctuality  with  which  it  discharged 
these  obligations  :  but  now  it  was  proposed,  1°. 
to  suspend  all  payments  to  the  public  creditors  for 
the  space  of  twelve  months,  which  would  permit 
the  king  to  devote  the  whole  of  his  income  to  the 
purposes  of  the  war ;  and  2°.  to  add  the  interest 
now  due  to  the  capital,  and  to  allow  six  per 
cent,  interest  on  this  new  stock,  which  would 
afford  a  reasonable  compensation  to  the  holders, 
for  any  inconvenience  which  they  might  suffer 
from  the  delay.  Clifford,  as  one  of  the  commis- 
sioners of  the  treasury,  carried  this  project  from 
the  cabinet  to  the  privy  council  ;  he  endeavoured 
to    defend  it  on  the  ground   of  state    necessity  ; 


occasion,  that  he  solicited  Charles  to  send  to  the  ambassador  the 
order  of  the  garter,  and  allow  him  (Louis)  the  pleasure  of  pre- 
senting- it  to  Montague.  (Euv.  de  Louis,  v.  493.  March  21, 
1672. 

51  It  seems  doubtful  with  whom  this  measure  originated.  Eve- 
lyn assigns  it  to  sir  Thomas  Clifford  (Diary,  ii.  361,  385),  pro- 
bably because  he  was  chosen  to  recommend  it  to  the  privy  council. 
In  Arlington's  letters  it  is  attributed  to  lord  Ashley,  and  James 
says  that  "it  was  he  (Ashley)  who  advised  the  shutting  up  the 
"  exchequer."  Life,  i.  488.     See  also  Burnet,  i.  .532. 


240  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  and  requested  that  no  member  would  raise  objec- 
1072.     tions,  unless  he  were  prepared  to  offer  some  other 

*  expedient  equally  productive,  and  equally  expe- 
ditious52.     Clifford  was   supported    by   Ashley: 
1(i7o       the  council  gave  its  consent ;  and  the  suspension 

Jan.  2.  was  announced  by  proclamation  to  the  public.  It 
stated  that  the  safety  of  the  kingdom  rendered  it 
necessary  to  forbid  the  payment  of  any  money 
out  of  the  exchequer  in  virtue  of  existing  war- 
rants and  securities,  but  promised  that  the  credit- 
ors should  receive  "  interest  at  the  rate  of  six 
"  per  cent. :  that  no  person  whatsoever  should  be 
"  defrauded  of  any  thing  that  was  justly  due, 
"  and  that  the  restraint  should  not  continue  any 
"  longer  than  one  year  >3 ".  By  this  iniquitous 
act,  a  sum  of  about  1,300,000/.  was  placed  at  the 
disposal  of  the  ministers  :  but  the  benefit  was 
dearly  purchased  with  the  loss  of  popularity  and 
reputation.  Many  of  the  bankers,  who  had  placed 
their  money  in  the  exchequer,  failed  ;  a  general 
shock  was  given  to  the  commercial  credit  of  the 
country,  and  numbers  of  annuitants,  widows, 
and  orphans  were  reduced  to  a  state  of  the  lowest 
distress  54. 

Fail  in  an      In  this  attempt  the  five  ministers  could  not  fail 

attack  on       .  .  .  . 

the  Dutch  or  success :  in   the  next   they   met  with  a  signal 
defeat.  It  was  known  that  in  the  month  of  March 


*a  Temple,  ii.  181. 

53  Declaration.     In  the  Savoy,  by  the  king's  printers, 
s*  L.  Jo'urn.  xii.  326.     North,  Examert.  37.    Parker,  121.    Mar- 
veil,  ii.  1 7 j. 


CHARLES  II.  ~41 

a  fleet  of  Dutch  merchantmen,  laden   with  the  CHAP 
commerce  of  the  Levant,  would  pass  up  the  Chan-     1672 


nel ;  and  a  resolution  was  taken  to  capture  them 

as  lawful  prizes,  without  any  previous  declaration 
of  war.  To  the  objection  that  such  conduct  would 
resemble  the  rapacity  of  the  pirate  and  the  high- 
wayman, it  was  replied,  that  arrogance  and  ava- 
rice had  led  the  Hollanders  to  trample  on  all  the 
received  usages  of  civilized  nations,  and  that  they 
could  not  reasonably  complain,  if  they  received  in 
return  such  treatment  as  they  had  already  inflicted 
upon  others65.  The  States,  however,  were  not 
to  be  taken  unawares.  The  immense  preparations 
of  Louis  had  opened  their  eyes  to  the  danger  which 
menaced  them  ;  and  the  recal  of  Temple,  who  had 
negotiated  the  triple  league  ;  and  the  mission,  in  Dec.  4. 
his  place,  of  Downing,  a  man  so  hateful  in  Hol- 
land that  he  fled  back  to  England  to  escape  the 
vengeance  of  the  mob36,  taught  them  to  suspect  1672. 
that  Charles  was  the  secret  ally  of  the  French 
king.  Under  this  impression,  they  were  careful 
to  furnish  protection  to  their  merchantmen,  and 
to  acquaint  their  naval  commanders  with  the  pos- 
sibility of  a  sudden  rupture  between  the  two  na- 
tions. The  task  of  intercepting  the  Dutch  fleet 
was  entrusted  by  the  English  ministers  to  sir  Ro- 
bert Holmes,  who  received  orders  to  take  under 


Si  See  the  question  discussed  in  Parker,  124. 
&  Downing  was  sent  to  the  Tower  for  his  cowardice.  Temple, 
ii.  180. 

VOL.    XII.  R 


242  HISTOltY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  his  command  all  the  ships  which  he  should  find  at 
j"1;      Portsmouth,  or  should  meet  at  sea.     Holmes,  at 

■  the  back  of  the  Isle  of  Wight,  saw  the  squadron 

of  sir  Edward  Spragge,  which  had  recently  de- 
stroyed the  Algerine  navy  in  the  Mediterranean  ; 
but,  unwilling  that  another  should  obtain  any 
share  in  the  glory  and  profit  of  the  enterprise, 

March  3.  suffered  him  to  pass  by.     The  next  morning  he 
descried  his   object,  sixty  sail   of   merchantmen, 
many  of  them  well  armed,  under  convoy  of  seven 
men  of  war.     Van  Nesse,  the  Dutch  admiral,  saw 
the  design  of  Holmes,  and   so  admirably  did  he 
dispose  his  force,  so  gallantly  was  he  seconded  by 
the  officers  and  men  under  his  command,  that  he 
completely  baffled  all  the  efforts  of  his  enterpris- 
ing opponent.     During  the  night  the  English  ad- 
miral received  a  reinforcement ;   in  the  morning- 
he  renewed  the  action ;  and  at  last  succeeded  in 
cutting  off  one  man  of  war  and  four  merchant- 
men, two  of  which  proved  of  considerable  value. 
The  failure  was  certainly  owing  to  the  presump- 
tion and  ambition  of  Holmes.     To  Charles  it  be- 
came a  subject  of  bitter  disappointment,  both  as 
it  diminished  the  pecuniary  resources   on  which 
he  had  reckoned,  and  as  it  covered  him  and  his 
advisers  with  disgrace.   For  both  his  subjects  and 
foreigners    united    in    condemning   the    attempt, 
which  they  would  probably  have  applauded,  had 
it  been  crowned  with  success  '7. 

57  James,  i.  456.     Macph.  Pap.  i.  58.     Marvell,  ii.  478.    Heath, 
581,2.     Notwithstanding  this  attack,  both  parties  faithfully  ob- 


CHARLES  II.  243 

During  the  last  war  with  Holland  the  counsels  CHAP, 
of  government  had  been  distracted,  and  the  most     j1^ 
serious  alarm  had  been  repeatedly  excited,  by  the 


close  and  dangerous  correspondence  between  the^"d,grant 
foreign  enemy  and  the  mal-contents  within  the  gence  to 
kingdom.  Since  that  period  the  number  of  the  sen  ers' 
latter  had  been  multiplied  by  the  intolerant  enact- 
ments against  the  dissenters  ;  and,  to  apply 
a  remedy  to  the  evil,  the  king's  advisers  de- 
termined to  carry  into  execution  his  favourite 
project  of  indulgence  to  tender  consciences.  With 
this  view,  a  declaration  was  published,  stating  that  March  15 
the  experience  of  twelve  years  had  proved  the  in- 
efficacy  of  coercive  measures  in  matters  of  reli- 
gion;  that  the  king  found  himself  "  obliged  to 
"  make  use  of  that  supreme  power  in  ecclesiastical 
"  matters  which  was  not  only  inherent  in  him, 
"  but  had  been  declared  and  recognized  to  be  so 
"  by  several  statutes  and  acts  of  parliament " ; 
that  it  was  his  intention  and  resolution  to  main- 
tain the  church  of  England  in  all  her  rights,  pos- 
sessions, doctrine,  and  government ;  that  it  was 
moreover  his  will  and  pleasure  that  "  all  manner 
"  of  penal  laws  in  matters   ecclesiastical,  against 


served  the  provision  in  the  treaty  of  Breda,  that,  in  case  of  a  rup- 
ture, the  ships  and  merchandize  belonging  to  the  subjects  of 
either  party,  and  existing  in  the  ports  and  territory  of  the  other, 
should  not  be  molested  for  six  months.  Ea.  naves,  merces,  et 
bona  quaevis  motabilia  qute  in  portibus  et  ditione  partis  adversa? 
hinc  inde  haerere  etextare  deprehendentur.     Duinont,  vii.  47. 

R  2 


244  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

C II  \  P.  «  whatsoever  sort  of  non-conformists  or  recusants, 
i«72.     "  should  be  from  that  day  suspended  "  ;  and  that 

to  take  away  all  pretence  for  illegal  or  seditious 

conventicles,  he  would  license  a  sufficient  number 
of  places  and  teachers  for  the  exercise  of  religion 
among  the  dissenters,  which  places  and  teachers 
so  licensed  should  be  under  the  protection  of  the 
civil  magistrate ;  but  that  this  benefit  of  public 
worship  should  not  be  extended  to  the  catholics, 
who,  if  they  sought  to  avoid  molestation,  must 
confine  their  religious  assemblies  to  private 
houses  "  58. 

Which  is        This   declaration,   like   the   former,    had    been 

by°them.  moved  in  the  council  by  Clifford,  and  seconded  by 
Ashley:  the  provision  respecting  the  catholics  was 
added  to  satisfy  the  scruples  of  the  lord  keeper. 
By  the  public  it  was  received  with  expressions  of 
applause  or  vituperation,  as  men  were  swayed  by 
interest  or  religion.  Its  opponents  complained 
that  it  tolerated  popery,  and  consequently  idolatry; 
that,  by  affording  encouragement  to  schism,  and 
the  opportunity  of  meeting  to  the  factious,  it 
must  tend  to  weaken  the  stability  both  of  the 
church  and  of  the  throile ;  and  that  it  claimed  for 
the  king  a  power  subversive  of  a  free  constitu- 
tion,— the  power  of  dispensing  with  the  laws.  In 
reply,  it  was  contended  by  the  advocates  of  indul- 
gence, that  religious  opinion  was  beyond  the  con- 
trol of  government,  and  that  no  people  could  be 

58  Par!.  Hist.  iv.  51.5. 


CHARLES    II.  245 

powerful  abroad,  as  long  as  they  were  divided  by  chap. 
dissension  at  home ;  that  the  public  exercise  of     1672' 

their  worship  was  still  forbidden  to  the  catholics ; 

that  the  indulgence,  by  removing  religious  discon- 
tent, was  calculated  to  strengthen  both  the  church 
and  the  throne  ;  that  no  claim  was  set  forth  by 
the  king,  which  did  not  by  ancient  usage  belong 
to  the  crown ;  and  that  the  power  of  dispensing 
with  the  law  in  matters  ecclesiastical,  necessarily 
grew  out  of  the  ecclesiastical  supremacy,  and  in 
civil  matters,  out  of  the  very  nature  of  govern- 
ment :  for  no  form  of  government  could  be  perfect, 
in  which  the  executive  power  did  not  possess  the 
means  of  providing  for  the  exigencies  of  the  state 
during  the  intervals  when  the  legislative  power 
was  not  assembled.  Thus  to  dispense  with  the 
penal  laws  respecting  religion  had  been  the  prac- 
tice of  every  sovereign  since  the  reformation  ;  and 
the  king  himself,  during  the  late  war  with  Hol- 
land, had  suspended  the  trade  and  navigation  acts 
without  exciting  contradiction  or  murmur.  The 
result  showed  the  power  of  interest  over  principle. 
The  dissenters,  who  had  been  in  the  habit  of  con- 
fining within  the  narrowest  limits  the  pretensions 
of  the  crown,  gratefully  accepted  the  indulgence, 
and  presented  by  their  ministers  an  address  of 
thanks  to  the  king ;  while  the  ardent  friends  of 
orthodoxy  began  to  dispute  their  own  doctrine  of 
passive  obedience,  and  to  think  that  the  preroga- 
tive ought  to  be  fettered  in  those  cases,  in  which 


246  HLSTOKY    OF    ENGLAND. 


CHAP,  it  might  operate  in  opposition  to  their  own  claims 

167g      and  prepossessions  59. 

In  a  few  days  appeared  the  English  and  French 

Declara-    declarations  of  war.     Louis  was  content  to  assert- 
ion of 

war.  that  after  the  many  insults  which  he  had  suffered 

from  the  arrogance  of  the  States,  to  dissemble  his 
resentment  would  be  to  detract  from   his   glory. 

March  17.  Charles  condescended  to  enumerate  the  several 
causes  of  his  displeasure  :  the  unwillingness  of  the 
States  to  regulate  with  him  according  to  treaty  the 
commerce  of  the  two  nations  in  the  East  Indies  ; 
their  perfidious  detention  of  the  English  traders 
in  Surinam ;  their  refusal  to  strike  to  his  flag  in 
the  narrow  seas60  ;  and  the  repeated  insults  which 
had  been  offered  to  him  personally  by  injurious 
medals  and  defamatory  publications.  It  was  his 
duty  to  maintain  the  honour  of  his  crown,  to  pre- 
serve the  trade  and  commerce  of  the  nation,  and 
to  protect  from  oppression  the  persons  of  his  sub- 
jects. But,  if  this  consideration  compelled  him  to 
appeal  to  arms,  it  was  still  his  intention  to 
"  maintain  the  true  intent  and  scope  of  the  treaty 
"  of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  and  in  all  alliances  which  he 


51  For  these  particulars  and  reasonings,  see  Parker,  251 — 8. 
Pari.  Hist.  iv.  App.  xli.  xlii.  Arlington  to  Gascoign,  66.  James, 
i.  455.  It  is  often  said,  but  certainly  without  authority,  that  the 
lord  keeper  refused  to  put  the  seal  to  the  declaration.  Had  this 
beefl  the  case,  he  would  probably  have  been  dismissed  in  March 
instead  of  November. 

'  The  negotiations  on  this  subject  show  that  the  king  claimed 
as  a  right  what  the  Hollanders  would  yield  only  as  a  compliment. 
Parker,  Mm;— y. 


CHARLES    II.  24/ 

"  had  made,  or  should  make,  in  the  progress  of  CHAP. 
"  the  war,  to  preserve  the  ends  thereof  inviolable,      167£ 


"  unless  provoked  to  the  contrary  61."     In   a  few 

days,  the  king  of  Sweden,  the  second  party  to  the  April  4. 
triple  alliance,  acceded  to  the  designs  of  Charles 
and  Louis,  and,  under  the  specious  pretence  of 
preserving  the  peace  of  Germany,  bound  himself 
by  a  secret  treaty,  to  make  war  on  any  prince  of 
the  empire,  who  should  undertake  to  aid  the 
States  in  the  approaching  war  between  them  and 
the  king  of  France  G-. 

61  Pari.  Hist.  iv.  512.  Dumont,  vii.  163,  4.  "  Yet,"  says 
Marvel],  "it  is  as  clear  as  the  sun  that  the  French  had  by  the 
"  treaty  of  Aix-la-Chapelle  agreed  to  acquiesce  in  their  former 
"  conquests  in  Flanders;  and  that  the  English,  Swede,  and 
"  Hollander,  were  reciprocally  bound  to  be  aiding  against  whom- 
"  soever  should  disturb  that  regulation."  (Marvell,  ii.  482.) 
This,  though  it  has  been  repeated  hundreds  of  times,  is  far  from 
being  an  accurate  exposition  of  the  transaction.  The  real  object 
of  the  triple  alliance  was  to  compel  the  crowns  of  France  and 
Spain  to  make  peace  on  the  terms  already  offered  by  France,  and 
to  guarantee  to  Spain  the  provinces  in  the  Netherlands  which 
shoidd  remain  to  her  after  that  peace — Tant  pour  aider  a  faire 
linir  par  leur  intervention  la  guerre  qui  s'estoit  alors  allume'e  entre 
les  deux  couronnes,  que  pour  guarantir  aussi  le  plus  fortement  et 
eflicacement,  (pie  faire  si  pourroit,  la  paix. — The  peace  was 
accordingly  made  at  Aix-la-Chapelle,  and  the  kings  of  England 
and  Sweden,  and  the  States,  signed  the  act  of  guarantee — pro- 
mettent  par  ces  presentes  de  guarantir  le  dit  traiie' — and  promised 
if  Louis  were,  under  any  pretext  whatever,  to  invade  any  of  the 
territories  belonging  to  Spain, — aucun  dcs  royaumes,  estats,  pays, 
ou  sujets  du  Roy  catholique, — to  employ  all  their  forces  in  resist- 
ing the  aggression,  and  obtaining  reparation.  See  the  act  of  gua- 
ranty in  Dumontj  vii.  107.  In  the  treaty  between  Louis  and 
Charles,  the  treaty  of  Aix-la-Chapelle  was  confirmed,  and  no  in- 
fraction of  it  took  place  during  the  war. 

'■'  Dumont,  vii.  169.     Miscel.  Aul.  68,  70. 


'Is  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  The  Dutch  were  the  first  at  sea;  and  De 
167gi     Ruyter,    with    seventy-five    men    of  war,  and   a 

considerable  number  of  fire-ships,  stationed  himself 

mJs  f  between  Dover  and  Calais,  to  prevent  the  in- 
tended junction  of  the  French  and  English  fleets. 
The   duke  of  York  could  muster  no   more  than 

May  3.  forty  sail  at  the  Nore ;  but  with  these  he  con- 
trived, under  the  cover  of  a  fog,  to  pass  unnoticed 
by    the   enemy,   and,    proceeding   to    St.  Helens, 

May  i.      awaited  the  arrival  of  the  French  squadron  under 

May  10.  D'Estrees.  The  combined  fleet  now  sailed  in 
search    of    the   enemy,    whom    they    discovered 

May  19.  lying  before  Ostencl.  But  the  prudence  of  De 
Ruyter  refused  to  engage  even  on  equal  terms. 
Availing  himself  of  the  shallows,  he  kept  his  op- 
ponents at  bay,  and  baffled  all  their  manoeuvres 
with  a  skill  which  extorted  their  admiration.  At 
last  he  reached  Goree,  and  the  duke  returned  to 
Southwold  bay,  that  his  ships  might  take  in  their 
full  complement  of  men  and  provisions  63. 

Battle  of        In  a  few  days,  De  Ruyter  learned,  from  the 

South-  „         ,r.         , 

wold  hay.  captain  of  a  collier,  the  situation  and  employment 

May  27.  of  the  English  fleet.  He  suddenly  resolved  to  be- 
come the  aggressor,  sailed  from  Goree  in  the  even- 
ing with  his  whole  force,  and  would  probably  have 
surprised  his  enemies  at  anchor,  had  it  not  been 
for  the  sagacity  of  Cogolin,  the  commander  of  a 
French  frigate.  That  officer,  on  account  of  his 
ignorance  of  the  coast,  had  cast  anchor  during  the 


James,  i.  157—61.     Miscel.  Aul.  HO,  70. 


CHARLES  II.  249 

night  at  a  distance  of  some  miles  from  Southwold  CHAP, 
bay.     At  the  first  dawn  he   descried  two   Dutch     1(r^ 

men  of  war   of  equal    force,  which    immediately 

brought  to,  and  stood  from  him,  and,  concluding  May  28- 
from  these  motions  that  the  main  body  could  not 
be  far  distant,  he  discharged  his  guns  in  succes- 
sion as  a  signal.  James  immediately  ordered 
every  ship  to  get  under  weigh,  and  take  her  sta- 
tion in  the  line  :  but  the  wind  was  easterly,  and 
the  tide  to  leeward,  and  not  more  than  twenty  sail 
could  form  to  meet  the  enemy.  The  duke,  with 
a  part  of  the  red  squadron,  opposed  De  Ruyter,  and 
the  fleet  from  the  Maese  ;  the  earl  of  Sandwich, 
with  part  of  the  blue,  Van  Ghent  and  the  fleet  from 
Amsterdam.  D'Estrees  received  Banker  with  the 
ships  from  Zealand :  but  both  stood  under  easy 
sail  to  the  southward  ;  and,  as  they  never  came 
to  close  action,  suffered  comparatively  but  little 
injury  61. 

Seldom  has  any  battle  in  our  naval  annals  been  Conduct 
more  stubbornly  contested.  The  English  had  to  ^ukef 
struggle  with  a  bold  and  experienced  enemy,  and 
against  the  most  fearful  disparity  of  force.  Their 
ships  were  so  intermingled  among  the  multitude 
of  their  opponents,  that  they  could  afford  little 
support  to  each  other  ;  still  they  fought  with  the 
most  desperate  courage,  hoping  to  protract  the 
action  till  they  could  be  joined  by  the  remainder 
of  the  fleet  in  the  bay.     About  eleven  o'clock,  the 

♦  James,  ;.  t-6J — 5. 


250  IilsToliY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  duke's  ship,  the  Prince,  of  one  hundred  guns,  had 
}}}'      lost  above  one-third  of  her  men,  and  lay  a  motion- 

10/'-'.  J 

less  wreck  on  water.     Having  ordered   her  to  be 

towed  out  of  danger,  he  passed  through  the  win- 
dow of  the  cabin  into  his  shaloupe,  rowed  through 
the  enemy's  fire,  and  unfurled  the  royal  standard 
in  the  St.  Michael,  of  ninety  guns05. 
Death  of  The  earl  of  Sandwich,  in  the  Royal  James,  re- 
Sandwich,  peatedly  beat  off  the  enemies,  by  whom  he  was 
surrounded  ;  carried  by  boarding  a  seventy  gun 
ship  which  lay  athwart  his  hawse,  and  killed  Van 
Ghent,  the  commander  of  the  Amsterdam  squa- 
dron :  but,  after  an  engagement  of  eight  hours, 
the  Royal  James  became  unmanageable ;  of  two 
fire  ships  which  approached,  one  was  sunk  by  her 
guns,  the  second  grappled  her  on  the  larboard 
side ;  and  in  a  few  minutes  that  noble  vessel  was 
enveloped  in  flames.  The  duke,  from  a  distance 
to  leeward,  saw  the  blue  flag  towering  above  a 
dense  column  of  smoke ;  and  ordered  the  Dart- 
mouth, and  a  number  of  boats,  to  hasten  to  the 
assistance  of  the  crew.  Between  two  and  three 
hundred  were  saved ;  the  rest,  with  their  gallant 
commander,  perished  in  the  waves  66. 


65  Ibid.  465,  6.  So  afraid  were  the  sailors  of  fire  ships,  that 
the  duke  expressly  forbad  the  name  to  be  mentioned  during  the 
action.  If  any  man  saw  a  fire  ship  approaching,  he  was  ordered 
to  communicate  his  suspicion  in  a  whisper  to  the  nearest 
officer,  465. 

5  Ibid.  467,  8.  He  appears  to  have  had  a  presentiment  of  his 
fate.  When  Evelyn  (ii.  369)  took  leave  of  him,  the  carl  said, 
he  should  see  him  no  more.     "  No,"  lie   added,  "  they   will  not 


CHARLES    II.  251 


During  the  afternoon,  the  other  ships  joined  the  CHAP 
fleet,  and  the  combatants  began  to  fight  on  a  foot- 


in. 

1672. 


ing  of  equality.     About  five  it  was  reported  to  the 

duke,  that  the  St.  Michael  could  with  difficulty  be  ^fS^ 
kept  afloat,  on  account  of  the  injury  which  she  ghsh. 
had  received  in  her  hull ;  and,  trusting  again  to 
his  shaloupe,  he  transported  his  flag  to  the  London. 
De  Ruyter  was  the  first  to  shrink  from  the  conflict. 
He  sailed  about  seven  to  overtake  the  Zealand 
squadron ;  and  most  of  the  English  took  the  op- 
portunity of  joining  D'Estrees  to  leeward,  while 
the  duke,  with  five-and-twenty  sail,  remained  to 
the  windward  of  the  enemy.  Thus  terminated 
this  bloody  and  obstinate  engagement.  While  we 
give  due  praise  to  the  conduct  of  the  Dutch  admi- 
ral, and  to  the  bravery  of  his  men,  we  must  not 
forget  that,  with  all  the  disadvantages  of  surprise, 
and  wind  and  tide  against  them,  the  cool  and 
determined   courage  of  the  English  obtained  the 


"  let  me  live.  Had  I  lost  ti  fleet  J  should  have  fared  better.  But 
"-be  it  as  it  pleases  God.  I  must  do  something,  I  know  not 
"  what,  to  save  my  reputation."  Evelyn  tells  us  that  Monk  and 
Clifford  were  accustomed  to  describe  the  earl's  caution  as  cow- 
ardice, and  that  the  words  in  italics,  allude  to  his  expedition  to 
Bergen.  May  they  not  allude  to  the  conduct  of  Monk,  as  if  he 
had  said:  Had  I,  by  excess  of  courage,  lost  a  fleet,  as  Monk 
did,  I  should  have  fared  better  ? — "  He  dined,"  says  Sheffield^ 
duke  of  Buckingham,  "  in  Mr.  Digby's  ship  the  day  before 
'*  the  battle,  when  nobody  dreamt  of  lighting,  and  showed 
"  gloomy  discontent,  so  contrary  to  liis  usual  cheerful  humour, 
"  that  we  even  all  took  notice  01  it;  but  much  more  afterwards". 
Works,  ii.  1  1. 


•:.v:  history  or  England. 

CHAP,  victory.     They  lost  one,  their   opponents   three 
™£.     ships  of  the  line67. 

In  the  morning,  the  two  divisions  of  the  Eng- 

Who  im,'~  lisli  fleet  joined,  and  it  was  determined  to  proceed 

sac  the  J  L 

Duteh.      to  the  Nore  ;  but  in  a  short  time  De  Ruyter,  who 
May  29.    j,a(j    saiied  to  the   southward,   re-appeared ;  and 
James  ordered  the  line  to  be  formed,  and  made  the 
signal  to  bear  down  on  the  enemy.     They  imme- 
diately   fled ;  a  general  chase  was   ordered,  and 
twice  the  Dutch  ships,  disabled  in  the  late  action, 
were  on  the  point  of  falling  into  the  hands  of  the 
pursuers,  and  as  often  saved  by  the  timely  inter- 
May  30.    vention  of  a  fog.     On  the  second  day,  the  Dutch 
found  a  secure  shelter  within  the  Wierings  ;  and 
the    English    fleet    returned    in   triumph    to    the 
river 68. 
Conquests      By  land,  the  storm,  which  had  so  long  menaced 
French      tne  States,  soon  burst  on  their  most  distant  fron- 
tier.    Louis  had   placed    himself  at  the  head  of 
more  than  one   hundred  thousand  men,  and  was 
assisted  by  the   counsels  of  Conde  and  Turenne. 
Orsoi,  Burick,  Wesel,  and  Rhinberg,  fortresses  on 
the  Rhine,   in  the  possession  of  Dutch  garrisons, 


«7  Ibid.  468—471.  "  The  duke  of  York  himself  had  the  no- 
"  blest  share  in  this  day's  action  :  for  when  his  ship  was  so 
"  maimed  as  to  be  made  incapable  of  service,  he  made  her  lye 
"  by  to  refit,  and  went  on  board  another  that  was  hotly  engaged, 
"  where  he  kept  up  his  standard  till  she  was  disabled,  and  then 
u  left  her  for  a  third,  in  order  to  renew  the  fight,  which  lasted 
"  from  break  of  day  till  sunset."  Works  of  Sheffield,  duke  of 
Buckingham,  who  was  present,  ii.   15. 

6S  James,  i.  475,  8. 


CHARLES     II.  253 

opened  their  gates;  the  river  itself  was   passed  chap. 

1G72. 


near  Schenck  in  the  face  of  the  enemy  ;  Arnheim, 


Naerden,  Utrecht,  Deventer,  Zutphen,  and  Nime 

guen,  submitted  ;  three  out  of  the  seven  provinces 
were  torn  from  the  republic,  and  the  French  out- 
posts established  themselves  in  the  vicinity  of 
Amsterdam 6g.  At  first  the  States  seemed  to 
abandon  themselves  to  despair  :  they  were  roused 
to  exertion  by  the  approach  of  the  enemy,  and  the 
sympathy  of  Europe.  The  Louvestein  faction, 
hitherto  the  ally  of  France,  sunk  into  insignifi- 
cance :  the  prince  of  Orange  was  declared  captain- 
general  of  the  army,  and  admiral  of  the  fleet ; 
promises  of  succour  were  obtained  from  the 
emperor,  the  king  of  Spain,  and  the  elector  of 
Brandenburg  ;  and  attempts  were  made  to  detach 
Charles  from  his  alliance  with  the  French  mon- 
arch. The  king,  indeed,  began  to  waver.  The 
success  by  sea  had  not  answered  his  expectations  : 
the  conquests  of  Louis  threatened  to  provoke  a 
general  war  in  Christendom ;  and  a  rupture 
between  France  and  Spain  would  not  only  over- 
turn the  treaty  of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  but  also  deprive 
his  subjects  of  the  Spanish  trade,  the  most  profit- 
able branch  of  British  commerce.  With  his  son, 
the  duke  of  Monmouth,  who,  at  the  head  of  six 
thousand  British  soldiers,  served  in  the  French 
army,  were  joined,  as  plenipotentiaries,  Bucking-  Ju»e  12. 


f"  For  the  progress  of  the  French  army,  see  CEuvres  de  Louis, 
iii.  130—2+8. 


i  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

C  HAP.  ham,  Arlington,  and  Saville,  lately  created  viscount 
1G1'K     Halifax.     The  three  latter  repaired  to  the  Hague, 

where  they  assured  the  States   of  the  pacific  dis- 
position of  their  sovereign  70,  and  thence,  accom- 

July  6.  panied  by  deputies,  hastened  to  the  camp  of  the 
French  monarch  at  Heeswick,  where,  in  union  with 
Monmouth,  they  signed  a  new  treaty,  binding  the 
two  kings  to  act  in  concert,  and  never  to  conclude 
a  peace  but  by  joint  consent.  The  separate  de- 
mands of  Charles  and  Louis  were  then  com- 
municated to  the  Dutch  ministers.  Charles,  on 
his  part,  required,  as  the  basis  of  peace,  the  dig- 
nity of  stadtholder  for  the  prince  of  Orange,  the 
honour  of  the  flag  as  an  acknowledgment  that 
England  was  mistress  of  the  narrow  seas,  the 
yearly  payment  of  10,000/.  for  permission  to  fish 
on  the  British  coasts,  indemnification  for  the 
charges  of  the  war  to  the  amount  of  one  million 
sterling,  and  the  possession  of  Flushing,  Goree, 
and  the  neighbouring  fortresses,  as  security  for 
the  payment :  Louis  offered  to  restore  the  three 
provinces  which  he  had  conquered,  on  condition 
that  the  States  should  cede  to  him  such  places  as 
they  had  formerly  wrested  from  Spain,  and  such 
part  of  their  territory  as  lay  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  Rhine :  should  pay  to  him  an  indemnification 
of   seventeen   millions   of  livres  ;    should    yearly 


7'  When  Buckingham  assured  the  dowager  princess  of  Orange, 
that  they,  the  ambassadors,  would  not  use  Holland  like  a  mistress, 
but  love  her  like  a  wife  ;  she  replied,  "  vrayment  je  croy  que  vous 
"  nous  aymez  comme  vous  aymez   la  votre."     Temple,  ii.  260. 


CHARLES     II.  255 

offer  him  a  gold  medal  in  acknowledgment  of  his  CHAP, 
forbearance,  but  in   reality  as  a  satisfaction  for     167Q 

the  insulting  medal  which  they  struck  at  the  con 

elusion  of  the  triple  alliance,  and  should  grant  to 
their  catholic  subjects  the  free  exercise  of  the  ca- 
tholic worship  n.  The  States,  at  the  persuasion 
of  the  prince  of  Orange,  indignantly  rejected  these 


"   Dumont,  vii.  205,  6,  8.     Miscel.  Aul.  71,  72.     In  the  united 
and  the  neighbouring-  provinces,   the  catholics  and   protestants 
were  intermixed  in  considerable  numbers,  and  the  intolerance  of 
the  States  induced  them,  wherever  their  influence  extended,  to 
abolish  the  exercise  of  the  catholic  worship.     This  was  met  with 
similar  intolerance  on  the  other  side,  and  the  inconveniences  aris- 
ing from  such  a  state  of  things  induced  the  protestant  elector  of 
Brandenburg,  and  the  catholic  count  palatine  of  the  Rhine,  to 
conclude  in  this  spring  a  treaty  of  equitable  adjustment,  by  which 
the  churches  were  divided  between  the   two  communions,  and 
provision  was  made  for  their  respective  ministers  out  of  the  pro- 
perty formerly  belonging  to  the  clergy  in  the  duchies  of  Cleves, 
Juliers,  and  Berg,  and  the  counties  of  Mark  and  Ravensberg. 
(Dumont,  vii.   171 — 194.)      Louis,    following  the  example,  de- 
manded for  the  catholics  within   the  territory  of  the  States,   the 
use  of  one  church   where   there  were  two,  and  the  permission  to 
build  another  where  there  was  only  one,  with  a  decent  provision 
for  the  clergyman  out  of  the  old  church  property,  or  some  other 
fund.    (Ibid.  205.)     This  demand,  however,  gave  occasion  to  the 
opponents  of  the  court  to  represent  Charles  as  leagued  with  Louis 
in   a   crusade  for   the  establishment  of  popery  ;    and,  to  excite 
greater  irritation,   they   informed   the   public  that    the  principal 
church  in  each  town  was  demanded  for  the  catholics.    (Burnet,  i. 
560.)     Another  falsehood  spread  at  the  time  was,  that  Louis  as- 
sured the  States  that  he  would  make  peace  if  they  accepted   his 
conditions,  whether  Charles   were  satisfied  or  not.     (Marvell,  i. 
492.)     Yet  the- contrary  is  the  truth.     In  article  xiii.  he  declares 
that  the  acceptance  of  his  conditions  will  not  be  sufficient  ;  they 
must  also  satisfy  the  kiiiy-  of  England  before  peace  can  be  made. 
Dumont,  206. 


'2~>b  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

4 

CHAP,  proposals.    They  opened  their  dikes;  the  country 
1672      was  placed  under  water ;  and  the  progress  of  the 

French  arms  was  suspended. 

Proceed-        From  this  moment  the  war  began  to  languish 

Fnoimd  k°tn  by  sea  and  land.  Louis  left  the  camp  for 
his  capital,  and  while  part  of  his  army  was  em- 
ployed to  retain  possession  of  his  conquests,  the 
other  portion  marched  to  the  Rhine  to  observe  the 
German  princes,  who  were  arming  in  support  of 
the  States.  At  sea,  Be  Ruyter  had  the  prudence 
to  shun  a  second  engagement ;  and  the  duke  of 
York  cruized  in  vain  off  the  Dogger  Bank  to  in- 
tercept the  East  India  fleet,  which  found  shelter 
in  the  river  Ems.  Charles,  however,  continued 
faithful  to  his  engagements  with  Louis,  and,  to 
mark  his  satisfaction  with  the  conduct  of  his  mi- 
nisters, he  had  raised  sir  Thomas  Clifford  to  the 
peerage,  by  the  title  of  lord  Clifford  of  Chudleigh  ; 
created  lord  Arlington  earl  of  Arlington  ;  lord 
Ashley  earl  of  Shaftesbury ;  and  honoured  Buck- 
ingham and  Arlington  with  the  order  of  the  gar- 
ter. For  a  while  Shaftesbury  seemed  to  monopo- 
lize the  royal  favour;  so  delighted  was  the  monarch 
with  the  fertility  of  his  invention,  and  the  fear- 
lessness of  his  courage.  Charles  deemed  himself 
bound  in  honour  to  shelter  the  bankers,  whose 
money  he  had  locked  up  in  the  exchequer,  from 
the  pursuit  of  their  creditors.  They  applied  for 
protection  to  the  court  of  chancery  ;  but  the  lord 
keeper  hesitated ;  he  doubted  whether  it  were  a 
case  in  which  he  ought  to  interfere ;  and  Shaftes- 


Cn MILES  II.  ':r>T 

bury  seized  the  occasion  to  represent  him   to  the  CHAP. 

Ill 
king  as  an  old  dotard  unequal  to  his  situation.      l67% 

The  hint  was  taken  :  the  seal  was  transferred  from 


Bridgeman  to  Shaftesbury ;  and  the  new  lord  Nov.  17. 
chancellor  soon  exposed  himself  by  his  vanity  and 
self-sufficiency  to  the  ridicule  of  the  bar  as  well 
as  the  odium  of  the  people.  Instead  of  the  sober 
and  decent  robes  worn  by  his  predecessors  in  of- 
fice, he  appeared  on  the  bench  in  "  an  ash-coloured 
"  gown  silver-laced,  and  full-ribboned  pantaloons 
"  displayed  ".  In  the  procession  to  Westminster- 
hall  to  open  the  seal,  instead  of  being  conveyed 
in  a  carriage,  he  rode  on  horseback  :  and  the 
king's  counsel,  the  law-officers  of  the  crown,  and 
the  several  judges,  were  compelled  to  accompany 
him  in  a  similar  manner,  to  the  great  annoyance 
of  some  among  these  reverend  personages  ;  one  of 
whom,  Mr.  Justice  Twisden,  by  the  curveting  of 
his  horse  was  laid  prostrate  in  the  mire.  In  his 
court  he  professed  a  sovereign  contempt  for  ancient 
forms  ;  his  orders  were  made  with  rapidity,  and 
fashioned  after  his  own  fancy;  for  a  few  days  the 
counsel  did  not  interrupt  him  ;  but  he  was  after- 
wards so  harassed  with  motions  for  the  explanation 
and  amendment  of  his  orders,  that  he  grew  ashamed 
of  his  precipitancy,  and  the  imperious  reformer 
gradually  sunk  into  the  tamest  judge  that  ever  sate 
on  the  bench.  Mindful,  however,  of  the  charge 
which  he  had  brought  against  Bridgeman,  he  was 
careful  to  stay  the  proceedings  against  the  bankers 
in  the  inferior  courts  ;   but,  at  the  same  time,  with 

VOL.  XII.  s 


258  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

C  HAP.  a  prudent  regard  to  his  own  security,  he  appointed 
1IL      a  distant  day  on  which  he  would  be  ready  to  hear 

1CTO  »  » 


1672. 


counsel  against  this  injunction 


n 


Clifford         The  elevation  of  Shaftesbury  made  a  vacancy 
treasurer,  in  the  commission  of  the  treasury.     Charles  dis- 
solved the  board,  and  at  the  recommendation  of 
Nov.  26.    his  brother,  gave  the  staff  of  lord  high  treasurer 
to  lord   Clifford.     The  friendship  which  had  so 
long  subsisted  between  Arlington  and  Clifford  was 
instantly  broken.     Arlington  charged  him  with 
ingratitude,  with   having  by   his  intrigues  sup- 
planted his  patron  and  benefactor.     But  the  king 
commanded  them  to  be  friends.     He  exculpated 
Clifford.     The  refusal  of  the  staff  to  Arlington 
arose,  he  asserted,  from  his  own  kindness  for  that 
nobleman ;  from  a  wish  to  spare  him  the  disgrace 
and  mortification  which  he  would  have  entailed 
upon  himself  by  his  want  of  sufficiency  and  reso- 
lution 73. 
Elections        It  had  been  expected  that  in   October   Charles 
prorof a-  *  would  apply  to  the  parliament  for  money  to  en- 
tl0n-  able  him  to  open  the  exchequer   in  January  ;  and 

the  States  flattered  themselves  with  the  hope  of  a 
powerful  opposition  on  the  part  of  the  commons. 

71  James,  i.   481.     North,  38,  46,  67,  8,  60.     It  were,  how- 
ever, unfair  to  omit  the  praise  allotted  him  by  an  enemy. 

In  Israel's  courts  ne'er  sat  an  Abethdin 
With  more  discerning  eyes,  or  hands  more  clean  ; 
Unbribed,  unbought,  the  wretched  to  redress, 
Swift  of  despatch,  and  easy  of  access. 

Dryden,  Abs.  and  Achil. 
73  Compare  James,  i.  482,  with  Evelyn,  ii.  386. 


CHARLES  II.  259 

To   their   disappointment,  the   two   houses  were  CHAP. 

ill 
prorogued   till   February,  and  the  suspension   of     1673\ 


payment  to  the  public  creditors  was  continued  by 

proclamation  for  another  half  year.  Shaftesbury  ct  °" 
improved  the  interval  to  add  to  the  number  of  his 
dependents  in  the  lower  house.  During  the  pro- 
rogation several  members  had  died  ;  some  had 
been  called  to  the  house  of  lords.  Instead  of 
waiting  till  the  parlianfent  assembled,  he  issued 
write  out  of  chancery  for  new  elections ;  these 
writs,  with  recommendations  from  the  court,  were 
entrusted  to  the  hands  of  the  persons  whose  re- 
turn was  desired  ;  and  they,  availing  themselves 
of  the  opportunity,  in  general  secured  their  elec- 
tion. It  was,  however,  observed  that  almost  all, 
whether  designedly  or  not,  were  dissenters  ;  this 
circumstance  awakened  the  anger  of  the  cavaliers 
and  the  churchmen ;  and  a  resolution  was  taken 
to  dispute  the  legality  of  the  writs,  and  conse- 
quently of  the  returns.  Colonel  Strangeways,  an 
old  cavalier  of  the  first  opulence  and  influence  in 
the  county  of  Devon,  whose  friends  had  been  de- 
feated in  four  instances  by  the  arts  of  Shaftesbury, 
placed  himself  at  the  head  of  the  opposition  7i. 

At  the  opening  of  the  session  the  king  and  the  Opening 
chancellor  successively  addressed  the  two  houses.  °~  £*     " 
Charles  was  an  ungraceful  orator,  but  on  this  oc-   16r3 
casion  he  spoke  with  an  ease  and  dignity  which  Feb.  5. 
surprised  his  hearers.    Shaftesbury  dilated  on  the 

74  Misccl.Aul.7f*.     Pjrker,  262,    1.     North,  56. 

H  2 


260  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  different  topics,  which  had  been  mentioned  by  the 
1673      king.     He  justified  the  declaration  of  indulgence, 

and  the  shutting  up  of  the  exchequer  ;  he  assumed 

that  the  war  was  popular,  and  that  the  pretensions 
of  the  Hollanders  were  so  inconsistent  with  the 
rights  of  Great  Britain,  that  "  Carthage  must  be 
"  destroyed  "  ;  he  ridiculed  the  jealousy  of  those 
who  feared  that  the  army  raised  on  account  of  the 
war  might  afterwards  \rl  employed  against  the 
liberties  of  the  country,  and  solicited  a  plentiful 
supply,  to  disappoint  the  expectations  of  the 
enemy  and  secure  a  speedy  and  profitable  peace 75. 

The  new        jo^  rpjie  ^rst  0Dject  which  occupied  the  attention 

elections  °  x 

cancelled,  of  the  commons,  was  the  legality  of  the  writs 
issued  during  the  prorogation ;  and  in  this  they 
obeyed  the  command  of  the  king,  whether  he  al- 

Feb.  6.  ready  began  to  withdraw  his  confidence  from 
Shaftesbury,  or  was  desirous  to  propitiate  the 
men  who  had  displayed  so  much  devotion  to  his 
j)erson.  That  the  chancellor  had  acted  according 
to  the  precedent  of  former  times,  was  certain  : 
the  claim  set  up  by  the  house,  that  the  order  for 
the  writ  must  originate  with  the  speaker,  could 
not  be  traced  to  an  earlier  period  than  the  year 
J  640  ;  and  it  seemed  reasonable  to  conclude,  that, 
like  the  other  prerogatives  of  the  crown,  this  had 
also  been  recovered  at  the  restoration.  But  the 
house  of  commons  has  never  surrendered  a  privi- 

75  L.  Journ.  523—6.     Miscel.  Aul.  98. 


CHARLES  II. 


261 


lege  which  it  has  once  exercised  :  it  was  contended  C  HAP. 

.  in 

that   numerous  inconveniences  would  arise  from     1673*. 

the  right  claimed  by  the  chancellor ;  and  a  reso ■ 

lution  was  passed  that  the  elections  were  void,  and 
that  new  writs  should  be  issued  in  virtue  of  a 
warrant  from  the  speaker.  The  disappointment 
opened  the  eyes  of  Shaftesbury  to  the  real  charac- 
ter of  the  prince  whom  he  served.  He  saw  that 
Charles  was  fonder  of  ease  than  of  power,  more 
disposed  to  conciliate  than  to  compel,  and  more 
likely  to  sacrifice  an  obnoxious  minister  than  to 
put  down  a  fierce  and  stubborn  opposition  ~6. 

2°.  The  house  proceeded,  in  the  next  place,  to  The  sup- 
the  consideration  of  the  supply,  and,  by  an  una-  C, y  vo  £ 
nimous  vote,  fixed  it  at  the  amount  of  1,260,000/., 
to  be  raised  by  eighteen  monthly  assessments. 
For  this  liberal  and  unexpected  grant,  Charles  was 
indebted  to  the  exertions  of  the  two  leaders  of  the 
opposition,  Garroway  and  Lee,  who  did  not  escape 
the  suspicion  of  having  sold  themselves  to  the 
court,  though  their  friends  endeavoured  to  account 
for  their  conduct  on  the  specious  ground,  that  they 
deemed  it  politic  to  hold  out  to  the  king  so  large 
a  sum  as  a  temptation  to  his  indigence.  He  had 
assured  them  in  his  speech,  that  "  he  would  stick 
to  his  declaration  of  indulgence ".  They  meant 
to  put  his  resolution  to  the  test.     If  he  yielded, 


"  C.  Journ.  Fib.  G.      Pari.  Hist.  iv.  507—12.      Parker,  262—5. 
<  >i  leans,  212. 


262  1IISTORV    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  the  money  was  at  his  command;  if  he  persisted, 
l6VA      no  steps  would  be  taken  to  perfect  this  previous 

■ vote  '". 

Address  30.  The  country  party  now  directed  all  their 
dedara-  efforts  to  procure  the  recal  of  the  declaration.  Of 
duT ence" tne  indulgence  itself  they  affected  not  to  disap- 
prove :  their  objections  went  to  the  form.  They 
were  willing  to  extend  relief  to  the  protestant 
dissenters,  but  it  must  be  done  in  a  parliamentary 
way.  The  royal  authority  was  bounded  by  the 
same  limits  in  ecclesiastical  as  in  civil  matters : 
the  king  might  remit  the  penalties  of  the  offence, 
but  he  could  not  suspend  the  execution  of  the 
law.  By  the  courtiers  the  claim  of  the  preroga- 
tive was  feebly  supported  on  the  ground  of  ne- 
cessity ;  because  the  power  of  dispensing  with 
the  law  must  reside  somewhere ;  otherwise  nu- 
merous cases  might  arise  during  the  intervals  of 
parliament,  in  which  the  welfare,  the  very  safety 
of  the  state,  would  be  sacrificed  to  an  impolitic 
and  unreasonable  jealousy.  After  a  long  and 
Feb.  10.  adjourned  debate  it  was  resolved  by  a  majority 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  to  one  hundred 


"7  Com.  Journ.  Feb.  7.  Burnet,  ii.  13.  We  are,  however,  told 
by  North,  that  sir  Thomas  Lee,  Mr.  Garroway,  and  sir  Thomas 
Meres,  "  the  bell-weathers  of  the  country  party  ",  obtained  places 
ill  the  customs,  admiralty,  and  excise,  for  their  occasional  com- 
pliance with  the  court  (p.  456) ;  and  lord  Dorchester  asserts  that 
Lee  received  for  his  services  on  this  occasion  the  sum  of  6000/. 
which  one  of  the  clerks  of  the  treasury  brought  in  a  hackney- 
coach  to  Fleet-ditch,  where  Lee  met  him.  At  a  signal  they 
stopped,  changed  coaches,  and  drove  away.  Burnet,  ii.  83,  note. 


CHARLES  II.  263 

and  sixteen,    that   "   penal   statutes   in    matters  CHAP. 

ill 
"  ecclesiastical  cannot  be  suspended  but  by  act  of     1673. 


"  parliament " 78,    and    this    resolution    was    em- 

bodied  in  an  address  presented  to  the  king.  FeI)-  14- 
Charles  required  time  to  consider  the  question, 
and  then  replied,  that  he  was  sorry  they  had  Feb.  24. 
questioned  his  ecclesiastical  authority,  which  had 
never  been  questioned  in  the  reigns  of  his  ances- 
tors ;  that  he  pretended  to  no  right  of  suspending 
any  laws  concerning  the  properties,  rights,  or 
liberties  of  the  subject ;  that  his  only  object  in 
the  exercise  of  his  ecclesiastical  power,  was  to 
relieve  the  dissenters  ;  and  that  he  did  it  not  with 
the  intention  of  avoiding  the  advice  of  parlia- 
ment, but  was  still  ready  to  assent  to  any  bill 
which  might  be  offered  to  him,  appearing  better 
calculated  than  his  declaration  to  effect  the  ends 
which  he  had  in  view,  the  ease  of  all  his  subjects, 
and  the  peace  and  establishment  of  the  church  of 
England.  But  this  answer  was  voted  insufficient ; 
and  a  second  address  informed  him  that  he  had  Feb.  26. 
been  misled  by  his  advisers  ;  that  the  power  of  sus- 
pending statutes  in  matters  ecclesiastical  had  never 
been  claimed  or  exercised  by  his  ancestors ;  and 
that  his  faithful  commons  prayed  from  his  good- 
ness a  more  full  and  satisfactory  reply  to  their 
petition 79. 

78  C.  Joum.  Feb.  10.  Yet  Burnet  describes  it  as  "  a  very  una- 
"  nimous  resolution",  ii.  6. 

'■}  C.  Joum.  Feb.  14,  24,  26.  L.  Joum.  xU.  540.  Pari.  Hist. 
iv.  518— 31-,  46—41. 


CG4 


IIISTOllY    OF    ENGLAND. 


CHAP.       By  Charles  this  second  address  was  received  as 
ill 
1073.     an   insult.      He    declared  that  he  would  dissolve 

the  parliament  rather  than  submit  to  the  dictation 

smpeais  to  °^  n*s  enemies-  Shaftesbury,  Clifford,  Bucking- 
tile  lords,  ham,  and  Lauderdale  applauded  his  spirit :  the 
duke  of  York,  though  he  differed  from  them  on 
most  subjects,  concurred  with  them  in  this.  Con- 
cession, it  was  argued,  had  been  the  ruin  of  the 
father,  it  would  prove  the  ruin  of  the  son  :  to 
bend  in  one  instance  would  only  lead  to  additional 
demands.  Let  him  assume  a  determined  and 
authoritative  tone  ;  let  him  show  that  he  would 
never  resign  a  single  right  of  the  crown ;  the 
opposition  would  then  melt  away,  and  the  proud- 
est of  his  opponents  would  learn  to  crouch  at  the 
feet  of  the  sovereign.  Animated  by  their  dis- 
course, Charles  gave  himself  credit  for  a  degree 
of  resolution  which  he  did  not  possess  :  and,  when 
Arlington  conjured  him  to  yield,  scornfully  re- 
jected the  advice  of  his  timid  and  time-serving 
counsellor.  It  was  determined  to  oppose  one 
house  to  the  other.  In  a  short  speech  to  the 
March  i.  lords,  the  king  complained  of  the  encroachments 
of  the  commons,  ordered  their  addresses  and  his 
answers  to  be  laid  on  the  table,  and  solicited  the 
advice  of  the  peers,  the  hereditary  counsellors  of 
the  crown.  Clifford  spoke  with  his  accustomed 
boldness  ;  but  Shaftesbury,  who  began  to  doubt 
of  the  result,  betrayed  a  disposition  to  court 
popularity.  His  individual  opinion  was,  he  said, 
in  favour  of  the  prerogative  ;  but  he  would  not  ven- 


CHARLES    II.  265 

ture  to  place  it  in  the  balance  against  the  authority  CHAP, 
of  so  august   a   body  as   the  house  of  commons.     1673* 
After  a  lono-  debate,  the  lords  resolved  without  a 


division,   that  the   king's   proposal   to   settle   the March  4- 
question  in  a  parliamentary  way  was  a  good  and 
gracious  answer  so. 

The  public  had  watched  with  intense  interest  He  can- 
these  proceedings  in  parliament,  and  many  thought  jCec]  rie_ 
that  they  discovered  in  them  the  certain  prognos-  tion- 
tics    of  a   second  civil   war.     By  the   States  the 
hope  of  a  dissolution  was  cherished  :  thus  the  aid 
of  1,260,000/.  would  be  intercepted,  and  the  king 
be  compelled  to  conclude  a  peace,  or  to  adopt  the 
defensive   system  which  had  been  attended  with 
indelible  disgrace  in  the  late  war.     The  sagacity 
of  Louis  suggested  to  him   the  apprehension  of 
similar  results.     By  his  order  Colbert  waited  on  March  7. 
the  king,  represented  to  him  the  disastrous  con- 
sequences   of    a    breach    between    him    and    the 
parliament,  exhorted  him  to  yield  for  the  moment, 
and  promised  on  the  return  of  peace,  to  aid  him 
with  men  and  money  for  the  purpose  of  recover- 
ing the  rights,  which   he    might    be  induced  to 
surrender.    The  resolution  of  Charles  was  already 
exhausted  by  its   previous   efforts :  he   willingly 
listened  to  the  counsels  of  the  ambassador  :  the 


8n  L.  Journals,  xii.  589,  543.  Dalrymple,  31.  89.  Orleans,  210. 
Burnet,  ii.  7,  K.  There  is,  however,  in  Burnet's  narrative,  so 
much  unquestionably  false,  that  it  is  difficult  to  judge  what  may- 
be probably  true.  But  his  account  of  Shaftesbury's  speech  is 
confirmed  by  the  lord  keeper  Guilford.     Dalrymple,  ii.  90. 


'266 


IIIST011Y    OF    ENGLAND. 


chap,  promise  of  money,  always  welcome  to  his  indi- 
1673.     gence,    was    gratefully   accepted  ;  but  as   far  as 

regarded  military  aid,  that,  he  said,  should  never 

be  solicited  by  him  against  his  subjects,  unless  he 
were  reduced  to  the  last  extremity  by  another 
rebellion.  The  same  evening,  sending  for  the 
declaration,  he  cancelled  it  in  the  presence  of  the 

March  8.  ministers,  and  the  next  morning  made  a  solemn 
promise  to  the  lords  and  commons,  that  "  what 
had  been  done  with  respect  to  the  suspension  of 
the  penal  laws,  should  never  be  drawn  into  con- 
sequence ".  The  two  houses  testified  their  joy  by 
acclamation  ;  and  in  the  evening  numerous  bon- 
fires illuminated  the  streets  of  the  metropolis81. 

4°.  It  may  excite  surprise  that  the  dissenters 
did  not  rally  round  the  throne,  in  defence  of  a 
measure,  in  which  their  interests  were  so  deeply 
concerned.  But  it  was  an  age  in  which  religious 
antipathies  exercised  an  unbounded  influence  over 
the  judgments  of  men.  The  knowledge  that  the 
duchess  of  York  had  died  a  catholic,  the  suspicion 
that  the  duke  of  York,  the  presumptive  heir  to 
the  crown,  had  embraced  the  catholic  faith, 
and  the  fact  of  the  alliance  with  France,  a  catho- 
lic power,  against  the  Dutch,  a  protestant  state, 
were  confidently  brought  forward  to  prove  the 
existence  of  a  most  dangerous  conspiracy  against 
all  the  reformed  churches ;  the  declaration  of 
indulgence  to  tender  consciences  was  represented 


The  test 
act  intro 
duced. 


il  Dalryiuple.  if.  <J3— ti.     L.  Jonrn.  xii.  oVJ. 


1673. 


CHARLES    II.  267 

as  the  first  of  the  measures  devised  by  the  con-  chap. 
spirators  for  the  accomplishment  of  their  unholy 
purpose ;  and  the  dissenters  were  exhorted  and 
solicited  to  surrender  the  advantages  which  it 
promised  them,  for  more  secure,  though,  perhaps, 
less  extensive  relief  to  be  granted  by  act  of  par- 
liament. These  arguments  had  weight  with  num- 
bers :  their  jealousies  and  apprehensions  were 
awakened  ;  they  consented  to  sacrifice  their  per- 
sonal interest  to  the  general  good,  and  joined 
in  the  popular  cry,  which  demanded  additional 
securities  for  the  reformed  faith 82.  Of  these 
securities,  the  first  regarded  the  small  force  lately 
raised  to  be  employed  on  the  continent.  It  was 
remarked  that  Fitzgerald,  the  major-general, 
with  a  few  other  officers,  was  a  catholic,  and  that 
Schomberg,  the  commander-in-chief,  though  a 
calvinist,  was  not  only  a  foreigner,  but  also  held 
high  rank  in  the  French  army.  Why,  it  was 
asked,  were  such  men  selected  for  the  command  ? 
Did  there  not  exist  an  intention  of  employing 
them,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  war,  to  establish 
popery  and  arbitrary  power  ?  To  remove  these 
fears,  an  address  was  voted,  requesting  the  king 
to  discharge  from  the  army  every  officer  and  sol- 
dier who  should  refuse  to  take  the  oaths  of  alle- 
giance and  supremacy,  and  to  receive  the  sacra- 
ment after  the  rite  of  the  church  of  England,  and 
to  admit  no  man,  thereafter,  into  the  service,  who 

'2  Guilford  apiul  Dalrymple,  ii.  91. 


-68  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

C  II A  P.  did  not  take  the  oaths  before  the  first,  and  the  sa- 
1C73.      crament  before  the  second  muster.  Charles  return- 

ed  a  satisfactory  answer  R3 ;  and  the  anticatholics, 

elate  with  their  victory,  proceeded  to  urge  the 
exclusion  of  those  who  were  the  objects  of  their 
jealousy,  from  civil  as  well  as  military  affairs. 
The  suggestion  of  a  test  for  this  purpose  came  to 
them  from  a  quarter,  whence  it  was  not  to  have 
been  expected, — from  Arlington,  the  reputed 
papist.  But  to  Arlington  it  presented  several 
advantages.  It  would  remove  from  him  the 
suspicion  of  catholicity  ;  it  would  enable  him  to 
gratify  his  resentment  against  Clifford :  it  would 
bring  once  more  within  his  reach  the  treasurer's 
staff,  the  great  object  of  his  ambition  ;  and  it  would 
serve  to  screen  him  from  danger,  by  creating  in 
his  favour  an  interest  among  the  popular  leaders. 
By  them  the  proposal  was  gratefully  accepted, 
under  the  expectation  that  such  a  test  would  solve 
the  question  of  the  duke  of  York's  religion,  and, 
by  stripping  him  of  office,  exhibit  him  to  the 
people  in  a  state  of  political  weakness  and  de- 
gradation. Neither  did  the  chiefs  of  the  court 
party  prove  more  hostile  than  their  opponents,  to 
a  measure  which  opened  to  them  the  prospect  of 
power  and  emolument,  from  the  resignations  and 
removals  which  it  would  inevitably  occasion.  Even 
the  king  himself  was  brought  to  give  his  consent. 
The  passing  of  the  test  was  represented  to  him  as 

83  L.  Journ.  xi.  517,  8,  9. 


CHARLES    II.  269 

the  only   condition  on  which  he    could  hope   to  CHAP. 
obtain  the  liberal  supply  that  had  been  voted  ;  and     /g1/^ 

to  a  prince,  with  whom,  as  it  was  observed,  "  logic, 

"  built  upon  money,  had  more  powerful  charms 
"  than  any  other  sort  of  reasoning,"  this  considera- 
tion proved  a  convincing  argument.  If  he  felt  at 
all  for  his  brother,  he  probably  strove  to  persuade 
himself  that  James  would  never  sacrifice  the  pos- 
session of  office  to  the  profession  of  his  religion  64. 

In  conformity  with  the  suggestion  of  Arlington,  And  pass- 
the  house  of  commons   resolved,  that  everv  indi- 

Feb  28 

vidual,  "  refusing  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance 
"  and  supremacy,  and  to  receive  the  sacrament 
"  according  to  the  rites  of  the  church  of  England, 
"  should  be  incapable  of  public  employment, 
"  military  or  civil ;"  and  a  bill  was  introduced 
requiring,  not  only  that  the  oaths  should  be 
taken,  and  the  sacrament  received,  but  also 
that  a  declaration  against  transubstantiation 
should  be  subscribed  by  all  persons  holding  office, 
under  the  penalty  of  a  fine  of  500/.  and  of  being 


f*  The  French  ambassador  supplies  the  information  respecting 
Arlington  and  his  object  (Dalrymple,  ii.  App.  p.  90) ;  Marvell 
respecting  the  motives  of  the  king,  and  the  leaders  of  the  oppo- 
site parties.  Marvell,  i.  494,  o.  Neal  attributes  the  test  act  to 
an  omission  on  the  part  of  the  king,  whom  he  represents  as  re- 
turning no  answer  to  the  petition  of  the  two  houses  for  the  re- 
moval of  Catholics  from  office.  (Neal,  ii.  693.)  But  their  petition 
did  not  ask  for  any  such  removal,  and  it  was  posterior  in  time  to 
the  resolution  for  a  test.  The  petition  was  presented  March  7  : 
and  the  resolution  was  passed  Feb.  28.  See  Journals  on  these 
days. 


270  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  disabled  to  sue    in    any  court  of  law  or   equity, 

*}}'      to  be  guardian  to  any  child,  or  executor  to   any 

person,  or  to  take  any  legacy  or    deed    of  gift, 


March  12.  or  to  bear  any  public  office.  In  the  lower  house, 
a  feeble  opposition  was  offered  to  the  clause  im- 
posing the  declaration,  on  the  ground  that,  to 
make  the  disavowal  of  a  speculative  opinion,  the 
qualification  for  civil  office,  was  contrary  to  the 
nature  of  a  civil  test,  and  calculated  to  render 
men  hypocrites  or  atheists.  In  the  upper  house 
the  principal  novelty  in  the  debate  was  furnished 
by  the  earl   of  Bristol,   who,  though  a  catholic, 

March  15.  argued  in  support  of  the  test.  That  considerable 
alarm  existed,  could  not,  he  said,  be  denied.  It 
mattered  little  whether  it  was  well  founded  or  not. 
The  more  groundless  the  panic  was,  the  more 
rapidly  it  would  spread.  If,  then,  the  bill  tended 
to  lull  the  apprehensions  of  the  people,  it  deserved 
the  approbation  of  the  house.  It  did  not  enact 
new,  it  did  not  enforce  even  the  old,  penalties 
against  the  catholic  worship.  It  went  merely  to 
remove  a  few  individuals  from  offices  which  they 
could  not  exercise  without  scruple  and  dissimula- 
tion. For  himself,  he  was  no  wherryman  in 
religion,  to  look  one  way  and  row  another.  He 
was  a  catholic,  attached  to  the  church,  but  not 
to  the  court  of  Rome.  He  should  vote,  indeed, 
against  the  bill,  because  it  contained  expressions 
to  which  he  could  not  conscientiously  assent ;  but 
he  hoped  that  the  house  would  adopt  it,  as  a  mea- 
sure of  prudence,  calculated  to  prevent  mischief, 


CHARLES    II.  271 

and  to  pacify  discontent.     By  this  speech,  Bristol  chap. 
obtained  the  reputation  of  a  patriot :  the  reader     l67^ 

will,  perhaps,  think  him  a  hypocrite  ;  for  he  pre 

vailed  on  the  parliament  to  adopt  a  proviso  in  his 
favour,  securing  to  him  and  his  wife  a  large  pen- 
sion from  the  crown,  and  exempting  them,  and 
them  alone,  from  the  obligation  of  taking  the 
test 85. 

5°.  The  bill  passed  the  house  of  lords,  as  it  had  Dissent- 
passed  that  of  the  commons,  without  provoking  a  bill, 
division  ;  and  it  may  reasonably  be  asked,  how  it 
happened  that  it  received  no  opposition  from  the 
dissenters,  when  it  was  so  framed  as  to  compre- 
hend them,  though  its  avowed  object  was  the 
exclusion  of  others  ?  They  seem  again  to  have 
suffered  themselves  to  be  duped  by  the  artifice  of 
their  pretended  friends.  With  the  bill  for  the  test, 
was  introduced  another  for  ease  to  protestant  dis- 
senters, and  thus  their  objection  to  the  first  was 
neutralized  by  their  hopes  from  the  second.  But 
while  one  passed  rapidly  through  the  house,  the 
other  crept  slowly  on  :  new  questions  successively 
arose,  and  day  after  day  was  spent  in  debating, 
what  quantity  of  relief  should  be  granted,  to 
what  description  of  non-conformists  it  should 
extend,  and  for  how  long  a  time  it  should  be  con- 
tinued. The  house  at  length  agreed  to  confine  the 
benefit  to  those  dissenters  who  objected  only  to  the 


M  C  Jouni.  Mar.  12.     L.Jouni.  557,  9,  561,  7,  0.     P*rL  Ilibt. 
iv.  5(>1 — (i.     St.  25  Car.  ii.  c.  5. 


~7'2  HISTORY    OV     ENGLAND. 


CHAP,  articles  of  discipline,  and  were  willing  to  subscribe 
ill.  . 

1(i73      the    articles  of  doctrine   of  the    church  of  Eng- 

land,  to  allow  all  such  to  hold  separate  meetings 

for  the  purpose  of  religious  worship,  to  exempt 
them  from  the  penalties  for  absence  from  the 
parish  church,  and  to  repeal  in  their  favour  the  com- 
pulsory declaration  of  assent  and  consent  ordained 

March  17.  by  the  act  of  uniformity.  In  this  shape  the  bill 
was  forwarded  to  the  house  of  lords,  where  it 
received  numerous  amendments  :  to  some  of  these 

March  2i.  the  commons  objected  ;  and,  though  the  king 
warned  them  of  the  approaching  termination  of 
the  session,  no  care  was  taken  to  come  to  an  agree- 

March  29.  ment.  On  Easter  eve,  the  parliament  was  ad- 
journed at  nine  in  the  evening  ;  before  it  met  again 
a  prorogation  followed,  and  the  hopes  of  relief 
which  the  dissenters  had  been  encouraged  to 
cherish,  were  utterly  extinguished  86. 

Remarks.  In  the  history  of  this  session,  it  is  worthy  of 
notice:  1°.  that  not  a  murmur  was  heard  from 
the  ranks  of  the  opposition  against  the  war,  or 
the  alliance  with  France,  or  the  suspension  of 
payments  in  the  exchequer.  Of  these  great  sub- 
jects of  complaint,  no  mention  is  made  either  in 
the  addresses  or  the  debates.  But  not  only  was 
silence  observed  ;  in  addition,  an  act  of  grace  was 
passed,  which,  by  pardoning  all  offences  committed 
before  the  25th  of  March,  covered  the  ministers 
from  the  risk  of  subsequent  punishment.     It  seems 

K(i  Lords'  Journ.  361,  1,  371,   G,  9,  5Si.     Pail.  Hist.  iv.  533 — 
VI,   331— (>,  371—3. 


CHARLES  II.  289 

be  devoted  to  the  consideration  of  grievances,  the  chap. 
next  to  the  consideration   of  the  supply?     Why     167^ 


should  not   the  clamours  against  evil  counsellors 

be  reduced  to  specific  charges,  and  the  accused  be 
permitted  to  justify  themselves  "  14  ? 

3°.  But  their  opponents  adhered  steadily  to  their  Proceed- 
own  plan,  and  proceeded  to  consider,  in  the  first  Snst 
place,  the  case  of  the  duke  of  Lauderdale.     It  was  Lander- 
alleged  against  him,  that  as  chief  of  the  adminis-  T 
tration  in  Scotland,  he  had  raised  an  army  for 
the  purpose  of  employing  it  to  establish  arbitrary 
power   in   England,   and   that  at   the   council  in 
England,  when  a  magistrate  was  charged  before 
it  with  disobedience  to  the   royal   declaration,  he 
had  said,  "  your  majesty's  edicts  are  equal  with 
"  the  laws,   and    ought  to    be   observed  in    the 
"  first  place  ".     It  was  "  resolved  that  an  address 
"  should    be    presented    to    the  king  to  remove 
"  Lauderdale  from  all  his  employments,  and  from 

the  royal  presence  and  councils  for  ever  15 ". 

Buckingham,    aware  that  he  was  destined  to  Against 

•    ,•  i.    •,     i  i       i  ,    •        t  Bucking- 

be  the  next  victim,    solicited   and  obtained  per-  ham. 

mission  to  address  the  house.     His  first  speech  Jan.  13. 
was    confused   and    unsatisfactory ;    nor  did  his J;U1-  l*- 
second,    on  the  following  day,    supply   the  defi- 
ciencies of  the  former.     He  represented  himself 
as  a  man,  who  had   spent   a  princely  fortune  in 
the   service   of   his  country  ;     and  reminded  his 

"  Pari.  Hist.  iv.  620. 

>s  C.  Journ.  Jan.  13.     Pari.  Hist.  iv.  625     30. 

VOL.   XII.  U 


.. 


IV. 

1671 


290  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

(II A  P.  hearers  of  the  patriotism  with  which  he  had  once 
braved  the  resentment  of  the  court.  He  offered 
•  nothing  in  defence  of  the  conduct  of  the  ministry; 
but  sought  by  evasion  and  falsehood  to  shift  the 
responsibility  from  himself.  Some  of  their  mea- 
sures he  pretended  that  he  had  opposed,  in  con- 
junction with  the  earl  of  Shaftesbury  ;  some  he 
imputed  to  lord  Clifford,  who  was  no  longer  alive 
to  rebut  the  charge  ;  some  he  openly  attributed 
to  his  known  enemy,  the  earl  of  Arlington  ;  and 
of  others  he  darkly  insinuated  that  the  blame  lay 
with  the  royal  brothers,  by  the  enigmatical  re- 
mark, that  a  man  might  hunt  the  hare  with  a 
pack  of  beagles,  but  not  with  a  brace  of  lobsters. 
His  submission  obtained  for  him  some  indulgence 
from  the  house.  It  was  voted,  indeed,  that,  like 
Lauderdale,  he  should  be  removed  from  the  royal 
presence  and  councils  ;  but  with  respect  to  office, 
only  from  those  employments  which  he  held  dur- 
ing pleasure  ;  words  that  left  him  at  liberty  to 
dispose  by  sale  of  such  as  he  held  by  patent 16. 
To  the  address  against  him,  as  well  as  that  against 


1S  C.  Journ.  Jan.  13,  14.  Pari.  Hist.  iv.  630—49.  Burnet,  ii. 
38.  Reresby,  24.  At  the  same  time  the  house  of  lords  was 
employed  in  an  inquiry  arising  out  of  the  complaint  of  the  trustees 
of  the  young  earl  of  Shrewsbury,  against  the  duke  of  Bucking- 
ham and  the  countess  dowager  of  Shrewsbury;  and  an  award 
was  made  that  "  the  duke  should  not  converse  or  cohabit  with 
"  the  countess  for  the  future,  and  that  each  should  enter  into 
"  security  to  the  king's  majesty  in  the  sum  of  ten  thousand 
u  pounds  a-piece  for  that  purpose  ".     L.  Journ.  xii.  628. 


CHARLES    II.  29l 

Lauderdale,  Charles  briefly  replied,  that  he  would  CHAP, 
take  it  into  consideration.  i674. 


Against  Arlington  was  exhibited  an  impeach- 


ment of  treason,  and  other  crimes  of  high  misde-  a^{ust 
meanor,  in  a  great  number  of  articles,  arranged  Arlington. 
under  the  three  heads   of  promoting  popery,  em-   an' 15, 
bezzling   and  wasting  the  royal  treasure,  and  be- 
traying the  trust  reposed  in  him  as  privy  counsel- 
lor.    Of  these   articles   three  parts  in   four  had 
evidently  no  other  foundation  than  suspicion  and 
report,  and  the  ease   with  which   they  were  re- 
futed  served    to    throw   ridicule    on    the    whole 
charge.      Arlington    addressed    the    house     with 
more  firmness  than  had  been  expected.     To  the 
assertions    of    Buckingham    he    gave    the    most 
pointed  contradiction  ;  and  represented  the  injus- 
tice of  imputing  to  one  counsellor  the  blame  or 
merit   of  measures    which   had  been   adopted   in 
consequence  of  the  judgment   and   advice  of  the 
whole  board.     Arlington  had  secret  friends  among 
those  who   appeared  openly  as  his  enemies  :  they 
acknowledged  that  there  was   much  force  in  his 
arguments  ;  and   the  motion  to  inflict  on  him  the 
same  punishment  as  on  Lauderdale  was  rejected 
by  a  majority  of  forty  voices.     All  that  his  ene-  Jan.  20. 
mies  could   obtain,  after  a   debate  of    five  days, 
was  the  appointment  of  a  committee  to  inquire,  Feb.  1. 
what    part  of  the   articles  could   be   so  far  esta- 

M 

Wished  as  to  furnish  ground  for  impeachment ; 
and  this  committee,  whether  it  was  through  the 
difficulty  of  procuring  satisfactory  proof,  or  the 

u  2 


292  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  intrigues  of  the  leaders  in  favour  of  the  accused, 
1674.     never  presented  any  report 17. 

By  the   lords  the  conduct  of  Buckingham  and 

the  house  Arlington,  who  had  condescended  to  plead  their 
of  lords,  own  cause  before  the  house  of  commons,  was 
considered  derogatory  from  the  dignity  of  the 
.ran.  20.  peerage  ;  and  a  standing  order  was  made,  that  no 
peer  should  answer  any  accusation  before  the 
commons  in  person,  or  by  counsel,  or  by  letter, 
under  the  penalty  of  being  committed  to  the  cus- 
tody of  the  black  rod,  or  to  the  Tower,  during 
Jan.  13.  the  pleasure  of  the  house.  In  obedience  to  ano- 
ther order  all  the  peers  in  attendance,  whether 
protestants  or  catholics,  took  the  oath  of  alle- 
giance, which  had  been  framed  in  the  third  year 
of  James  I.,  as  a  renunciation  of  the  temporal 
claims  ascribed  to  the  pope,  and  of  the  anti-social 
doctrines  imputed  to  the  catholics.  The  duke  of 
York  hesitated  at  first.  It  had  never  been  pro- 
posed to  princes  standing  in  the  same  relation 
with  himself  to  the  throne,  and  he  was  unwilling 
to  establish  a  precedent  to  bind  those  who  might 
succeed  him.  But,  some  of  the  lords  making  a 
distinction  between  heir-presumptive  and  heir- 
Jan.  14.  apparent,  he  waived  the  objection,  and  took  the 
oath  in  the  same  manner  as  all  the  other  members 
of  the  house  18. 


17  C.  Journ.  Jan.  15,  20,  21.    Feb.  18.    Pari.  Hist.  iv.  649—57. 
Burnet,  ii.  38. 

18  Lords'  Journ.  xii.  606,  8, 12.     Macph.  Pap.  i.  71. 


CHARLES  II.  293 

111  the   meanwhile    the  commons  betrayed  no  CHAT. 

IV. 
disposition  to  grant  a  supply,  and  Charles,  weary     1674- 


of  the  war,   sought   some  expedient  to  disengage 

himself  without  disgrace  from  his  connexion  with  $fPSeace 
France.  The  allied  sovereigns  no  longer  retained  from  the 
that  proud  superiority  which  they  had  won  in  the 
first  year  of  hostilities.  By  sea  the  English  had 
gained  no  considerable  advantage :  by  land  the 
tide  of  success  had  turned  in  favour  of  the  States. 
Spain  and  Austria  had  come  forward  to  their  aid: 
Montecuculli,  the  imperial  general,  had  deceived 
the  vigilance  of  Turenne,  and  laid  siege  to  Bonn ; 
the  prince  of  Orange,  having  reduced  Naerden, 
by  a  bold  and  skilful  march  joined  Montecuculli : 
Bonn  surrendered  ;  and  the  army,  which  main- 
tained the  French  conquests  in  the  united  pro- 
vinces, cut  off  from  all  communication  with  the 
mother  country,  was  compelled  to  make  a  preci- 
pitate retreat  on  the  ancient  frontiers  of  France. 
At  this  moment,  the  States  made  to  Charles,  Jan.  21. 
through  the  Spanish  ambassador,  Del  Fresno,  an 
offer  of  acceding  to  the  terms  which  they  had 
refused  at  the  congress  of  Cologne  1').  This  un- 
expected step  was  differently  interpreted  by  their 
friends  and  foes  :  the  truth  is,  that  the  concession 
was  the  price  at  which  the  States  had  purchased 
the  aid  of  Spain.  The  queen-regent  refused  to 
engage  in  a  war  with  England ;  and  her  ambas- 
sador, when   he  signed   the  public  treaty  of  alli- 

''  L.  Joiun.  616- 


294  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  ance,  received  from  the  States  a  secret  power  of 
1674     negotiating  with  the  English  king  on  the  follow- 

ing  basis  ;   that  the  conquests  on  each  side  should 

1673.     De  restored ;  that  the  honour   of  the  flag;  should 

Aug.  20. 

be  yielded  to  Charles ;  and  that  a  sum  of  money, 
not  exceeding  800,000  crowns,  should  be  paid  to 
him  as  an  indemnification  for  the  expenses  of  the 
war 20.  Whether  Louis  had  obtained  information 
of  the  secret,  is  uncertain.  During  the  autumn 
he  refused  the  king  an  advance  of  money  ;  now 
he  offered,  through  his  ambassador  Ruvigni,  a 
large  sum  towards  the  equipment  of  the  fleet. 
But  Charles  had  communicated  the  proposal  of 
the  States  to  both  houses  of  parliament,  and  had 
been  advised  by  them  to  commence  the  negotia- 
tion. He  replied  to  Ruvigni,  that  he  had  gone 
too  far  to  recede  ;  that  necessity  prevented  him 
from  supporting  France  any  longer  as  her  ally, 
but  that  he  still  hoped  to  be  of  service  to  his  good 
brother  as  mediator  between  him  and  his  oppo- 
nents. Sir  William  Temple  was  appointed  to 
negociate  with  Del  Fresno ;  in  three  days,  the 
articles  were  satisfactorily  adjusted  ;  and  Charles 
announced  to  his  parliament,  that  he  had  con- 
Feb.  n.  eluded  "  a  speedy,  honourable,  and,  he  trusted,  a 
"  lasting  peace  2 


21  » 


20  Dumont,  vii.  242. 

■"  L.  Journ.  925,  8,  32.  Dalrymple,  ii.  96.  Temple,  ii.  247 — 
50.  It  appears  that  now  the  committee  for  foreign  affairs,  or  the 
cabinet  council,  consisted  of  Finch,  lord  keeper,  viscount  Latymer, 
lord  treasurer,  and  the  earl  of  Arlington,  and  sir  Henry  Coventry, 
secretaries  of  state.     Temple,  ibid. 


CllAKLES  II.  295 

By  this  treaty,  the  king  obtained  the  substance  CHAP. 
of  his  demands  in  the  summer  of  1672,  with  the      16?4, 


exception  of  an  acknowledgment  for  the  permis-  ■ 

sion  to  fish  in  the  British  seas,  the  mention  of  rea  y' 
which  was  carefully  avoided  by  both  powers. 
The  States  consented  that  their  ships  and  fleets 
should  lower  their  flags  and  topsails  to  every 
British  man  of  war,  on  any  part  of  the  sea  from 
Cape  Finisterre  to  Van  Staten  in  Norway,  as  a 
matter  of  right,  and  not  merely  of  compliment ; 
that  the  English  settlers  in  Surinam  should  be 
freely  permitted  to  leave  that  colony  in  English 
ships  ;  that  all  subjects  of  dispute  between  the 
East-India  companies  of  the  two  nations  should 
be  referred  to  the  decision  of  arbitrators  to  sit  in 
London  ;  that  whatever  questions  might  not  be 
determined  by  them  in  the  space  of  three  months 
should  be  referred  to  the  decision  of  the  queen- 
regent  of  Spain  ;  and  that  the  States  should  pay 
to  the  king  of  Great  Britain  the  sum  of  eight 
hundred  thousand  crowns  by  four  yearly  instal- 
ments. Charles  had  formerly  demanded  for  the 
prince  of  Orange  the  dignity  of  stadtholder, 
admiral,  and  captain  general,  both  to  him  and  his 
posterity  for  ever  :  but  the  States  prevented  the 
agitation  of  the  question  by  conferring  those 
offices  on  him  and  his  heirs  a  few  days  previously 
to  the  opening  of  the  negotiation  22. 

m  Dumont,  vii.  253.  There  was  added  a  secret  article,  that 
neither  power  should  assist  the  enemies  of  the  other  ;  but  this  was 
explained  to  mean,    not  that  Charles  should  recal  the   English 


296  HISTORY    OV    ENGLAND. 

C II A  P.       The  reader  is  already  aware,  that  ever  since  the 
1674      fall  of  Clarendon,  the  violent   opponents  of  that 


1  nobleman  feared   the  resentment  of  the  duke  of 

a^amsT  York,  and  considered  their  own  safety  to  be  inti- 
the  duke  mately  connected  with  his  exclusion  from  the 
throne.  The  duke's  subsequent  adoption  of  the 
catholic  creed  had  furnished  them  with  an  advan- 
tage of  which  they  were  not  slow  to  avail  them- 
selves. They  appealed  to  the  religious  passions 
of  the  people ;  they  magnified  the  danger  which 
threatened  the  established  church ;  and  they 
called  for  the  establishment  of  securities,  which, 
though  they  equally  affected  the  whole  body  of 
catholics,  were  in  the  intention  of  the  framers 
chiefly  directed  against  the  duke's  right  to  the 
succession.  Their  first  step  towards  his  exclusion 
was  the  enactment  of  the  test,  which  not  only 
stripped  him  of  the  extensive  influence  attached 
to  his  office  of  lord  high  admiral,  but  held  him 
out  to  the  people  as  unfit  to  be  trusted  with  em- 
ployment under  government,  and  consequently 
still  more  unfit  to  fill  the  most  exalted  magistracy 
in  the  state.  Their  next  attempt  was  to  expel 
him  from  the  house  of  lords,  and  from  the  coun- 
cils and  the  presence  of  his  brother  ;  and  for  this 
purpose  they  had   devised  a  more  comprehensive 


troops  serving  in  the  French  army,  but  that  he  should  not  suffer 
them  to  be  kept  up  to  their  full  complement  by  recruits.  Temple, 
ii.  250. 


CHARLES  II.  297 

test'23;  and  moved  in   the  last  session,  that  who-  CHAP, 
ever  refused   to  take  it  should  be  disabled  from      l67'^ 


sitting   in    parliament,    and    prohibited  from  ap-  ■ 

proaching  within  five  miles  of  the  court.  This 
bill  had  been  arrested  in  its  progress  by  the  pro- 
rogation :  it  was  now  introduced  a  second  time 
under  more  favourable  auspices.  Yet  so  nu- 
merous were  the  questions  urged  on  the  attention 
of  the  house,  so  long  and  tedious  the  debates,  that 
its  patrons  were  unable  to  carry  it  farther  than 
the  second  reading  before  the  prorogation  of  par-  Feb.  24. 
liament.  At  the  same  time,  in  the  house  of  lords, 
a  different  plan  of  securities  had  been  devised  and 
adopted  :  to  disarm  all  catholics  ;  to  prevent  the 
princes  of  the  blood  from  marrying  any  but  pro- 
testants,  and  to  provide  that  all  the  younger 
branches  of  the  royal  family,  the  eldest  sons  of 
catholic  peers,  and  all  the  children  of  other  catho- 
lics, if  the  father  were  dead,  should  be  brought 
up  protestants.  The  earl  of  Carlisle  moved,  that 
to  a  prince  of  the  blood,  the  penalty  for  marrying 


a>  The  notion  of  a  more  comprehensive  test  originated  from  the 
small  number  of  resignations,  which  had  followed  the  enactment 
of  the  last.  It  had  disappointed  the  expectations  of  its  more 
ardent  advocates.  (Marvell,  i.  4-58.)  Instead  of  inferring,  which 
was  the  truth,  that  they  had  overrated  the  real  number  of  catho- 
lics in  office,  they  included  in  the  new  test  a  denial  of  more  of  the 
catholic  doctrines;  as  if  the  men,  if  any  such  there  were,  who  had 
not  hesitated  to  abjure  a  part  of  their  creed  for  the  preservation 
of  their  places,  would  not  as  readily,  through  the  same  motive, 
abjure  the  remainder. 


of  that 
prince 


298  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  a  catholic  should  be  the  forfeiture  of  his  right  to 
167J      the  succession.      He  was   warmly   supported  by 

Halifax  and  Shaftesbury,  and  as  warmly  opposed 

by  the  lord  keeper,  and  the  earl  of  Peterborough  : 
the  bishop  of  Winchester,  with  several  of  the 
prelates,  came  to  the  aid  of  the  latter,  maintain- 
ing that  such  a  penalty  was  inconsistent  with  the 
principles  of  Christianity,  and  the  doctrine  of  the 
church  of  England  ;  and  after  a  long  and  ani- 
mated debate,  the  amendment  was  rejected  by  a 
triumphant  majority  M. 

Projects  The  duke  of  York  had  now  but  a  cheerless 
prospect  before  him.  He  was  fully  aware  of  the 
object  of  his  enemies,  of  the  talents  and  influence  of 
some,  and  of  the  reckless  unprincipled  characters 
of  others.  He  saw  that  his  power  and  popularity 
were  gone ;  the  wavering  disposition  of  his  bro- 
ther forbad  him  to  place  his  reliance  on  the 
support  of  the  throne ;  and  the  victory,  which  he 
had  recently  obtained  in  the  house  of  commons, 
was  so  trifling,  that  it  could  not  impart  confidence, 
though  it  might  exclude  despair.  The  first  expe- 
dient, which  suggested  itself  to  his  mind,  was  a 
dissolution  of  parliament :  but  the  result  of  ano- 
ther election  was  uncertain ;  and  Charles  had 
always  betrayed  an  insuperable  dislike  to  the 
experiment.  He  would,  he  said,  try  the  temper 
of  the   house   of  commons    once    more.     If  they 


^  L.  Journ.  xii.  618,  626,  647,  9.     C.  Journ.  Jan.  21.;  Feb.  5, 
20.     James,  i.  489.     Macph.  71,  2,  5,  9. 


CHARLES  II.  2.09 

granted  him   a  supply,  they  should  continue  to   CHAP. 
sit :  if  they  refused,  he  would  then  dissolve  them.      167^_ 

The  duke  next  resolved  to  retard,  as  much  as  was 

in  his  power,  the  meeting  of  parliament,  the  only 
opportunity  which  his  enemies  would  have  of 
accomplishing  their  purpose'25.  But  for  this  it 
was  necessary  to  supply  his  brother  with  money  ; 
and  money  could  be  procured  only  from  the  king 
of  France.  Fortunately,  however,  for  his  object, 
the  views  of  Louis,  in  respect  to  the  meeting  of 
parliament,  coincided  with  his  own. 

That  prince,  though   deserted  by  his  ally,  still  Proroga- 
proved  a  match  for  his  enemies.    If  he  lost  Grave,  J^a- 
he  had  gained  several  battles  ;  and  the  relinquish-  ment- 
ment   of  his   conquests   in   the   Netherlands    had 
been  more  than  balanced  by  the  acquisition  of  the 
important   province   of   Franche-comte.     Yet  he 
had  reason  to  dread  the  accession  of  England  to 
the  confederacy  against  him,  and  willingly  listened 
to  the  duke  of  York  who  suggested  that  he  should 
purchase  the  neutrality,  by  relieving  the  wants  of 
his   English   brother.     The   sum  demanded   was      Aug. 
400,000/. ;  but  Louis  pleaded  the  immense  charges 
of  the  war,  and   the  exhaustion  of  his  treasury ; 
Charles  descended  to   300,000  pistoles ;  500,000 
crowns  were  at  length  offered  and  accepted  ;  and  Aug.  23. 
the   parliament  was   prorogued   by  proclamation  Nov.  10. 
from  the  10th  of  November,  to  the  13th  of  April. 
All  parties  professed  themselves  satisfied.  Charles 


"  Coleman's  Litter  in  Journals  of  the  Com.  ix.  525. 


300  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  obtained  a  temporary  relief  from  his  pecuniary 
i(i74.     embarrassments  ;  Louis  was  freed  from  the  appre- 

hension  of  a  war  with  England  during  the  ap- 
proaching year ;  and  James  had  gained  an  addi- 
tional delay  of  five  months  to  watch  the  secret 
intrigues,  and  prepare  against  the  intended  attack 
of  his  opponents  '26. 

Duke  of         But  whom,  it  may  be  asked,  did   those  oppo- 

mouth.  nejits  mean  to  substitute  in  his  place  as  presump- 
tive heir  to  the  crown  ?  Hitherto  they  had  fixed 
their  eyes  on  the  young  duke  of  Monmouth ;  nor 
was  it  unreasonable  for  them  to  hope  that  the 
king's  partiality  for  his  son  would  serve  to  recon- 
cile him  to  the  exclusion  of  his  brother.  Neither 
did  Monmouth  himself  appear  indifferent  to  the 
splendid  prize  which  solicited  his  pursuit,  or  prove 
inattentive  to  the  suggestions  of  those  who  flat- 
tered and  irritated  his  ambition.  By  their  advice, 
he  begged  of  Charles  the  appointment  of  com- 
mander-in-chief, which  had  been  abolished,  at  the 
death  of  Monk,  as  an  office  dangerous  to  be  placed 
in  the  hands  of  a  subject,  at  a  time  when  revolu- 


aU  Dalrymple,  ii.  App.  98,  9.  Dalrymple  observes  that  the  in- 
formation in  the  letters  of  Ruvigni  tallies  well  with  the  beginning 
of  Coleman's  correspondence.  It  does  more.  It  shows  the  busy, 
intriguing  disposition  of  Coleman,  which  was  so  well  known  to 
the  duke,  that  he  was  not  trusted  by  him.  Coleman  sought  to 
procure  money  from  Louis  through  Ferrier  and  Pomponne,  at  the 
very  time  when  this  bargain  was  concluded  with  Ruvigni;  and  so 
ignorant  was  he  of  its  existence,  that  he  afterwards  attributes  the 
prorogation  to  the  advice  given  by  himself  and  his  friends.  Cole- 
man's Letter,  Com.  Journ.  ix.  526. 


CHARLES    II.  301 

tionary   principles   were    still    cherished    in   the  chap. 
country.     James  was   alarmed  :  he  remonstrated     167^, 

against  the  measure  ;  but  the  affection  of  the  king 

refused  to  listen  to  his  arguments,  and  the  patent 
was  engrossed,  and  received  the  royal  signature. 
The  duke  of  York,  however,  had  his  suspicions. 
He  took  it  up  from  the  table ;  his  jealous  eye  im- 
mediately discovered  several  erasures  ;  and  these, 
on  examination,  proved  to  be  obliterations  of  the 
word  "  natural,"  wherever  Monmouth  was  de- 
scribed as  the  son  of  the  king.  Charles  felt  in- 
dignant at  the  fraud  which  had  been  practised 
upon  him  :  he  tore  the  paper  into  fragments  ;  but 
his  anger  quickly  subsided  ;  the  offence  was  for- 
given, and  Monmouth  obtained  a  second  patent, 
drawn,  however,  in  proper  form,  and  with  the 
admission  of  the  obnoxious  epithet.  Still  his  ad- 
visers were  not  satisfied.  They  instructed  him  to 
ask  also  for  the  command  of  the  Scottish  array, 
the  levy  of  which  they  attributed  to  views  hostile 
to  the  liberties  of  England.  The  king,  with  his 
usual  facility,  granted  the  request ;  but  when 
Monmouth  insisted  that  this  commission  should 
be  drawn  for  life,  and  without  mention  of  his 
illegitimacy,  he  was  disappointed  in  both  points 
by  the  vigilance  and  firmness  of  Lauderdale 2;. 

57  James,  i.  496,  7.  The  next  year  the  duke  of  York  was  more 
successful.  Russell,  colonel  of  the  foot  guards,  solicited  leave  to 
sell  his  commission,  and  the  king  agreed  to  purchase  it  for  the 
earl  of  Mulgrave,  who  was  afterwards  duke  of  Buckingham- 
But  Mulgrave  had  seduced  the  mistress  of  Monmouth,  who,  in 


30'2  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

C  HA  P.       A  second,  and  in  many  respects  a  more  formid- 

1674*      able   rival,  was   William,  prince   of  Orange,  the 

next  in  succession  to  the  crown  after  the  dnke  of 


itrigues  York  and  his  children.  William  was  a  protestant ; 


Orange 


of  the 

prince  of  his  heroic  exertions  in  defence  of  his  country  had 
exalted  him  in  the  eyes  of  all  who  dreaded  the 
ambitious  designs  of  the  French  monarch  ;  and 
some  of  the  popular  leaders  in  England  had  not 
hesitated  to  pledge  themselves  to  his  service  and 
to  advocate  his  interests,  even  at  a  time  when  he 
was  at  war  with  their  sovereign.  The  correspond- 
ence between  them  passed  through  the  hands  of 
Du  Moulins,  who,  on  suspicion  of  treachery,  had 
been  dismissed  from  the  office  of  lord  Arlington, 
and  had  obtained  in  Holland  the  appointment  of 
private  secretary  to  the  prince.  His  agents  in 
England  were  Frymans,  a  Dutchman,  and  Wil- 
liam Howard,  the  member  for  Winchelsea,  and 
afterwards  lord  Howard  of  Escrick.  The  first 
was  screened  from  detection  by  his  obscurity  ;  but 
the   discovery    of   certain    important    documents, 


revenge,  extorted,  by  his  importunity,  from  the  king  a  promise  of 
the  regiment  for  himself  (1675.  Ap.  24).  Mulgrave  spoke  to  the 
duke.  He  observed  to  him,  that  as  the  regiment  of  two  thousand 
four  hundred  men  formed  the  strength  of  the  army,  the  succession 
to  the  crown  might  one  day  depend  on  the  fidelity  of  its  comman- 
der. James  instantly  caught  the  alarm.  He  applied  to  the  king, 
to  Monmouth,  to  the  minister,  but  in  vain.  At  last  he  prevailed 
on  Russell,  in  consideration  of  a  valuable  present,  to  tell  the  king 
that  he  repented  of  his  design:  that  it  would  break  his  heart  to 
leave  the  service  of  his  sovereign.  Thus  Monmouth  was  dis- 
appointed.   Buck.  Memoirs,  ii.  33—38.     Macph.  i.  84. 


CHARLES  II.  303 

furnished  to  the  States  by  Howard,  led  to  his  CHAP. 

IV 

incarceration  in  the  Tower,  where  he  purchased     1674. 

his  pardon  by  an  ingenuous  confession.   The  king 

then  became  acquainted,  for  the  first  time,  with 
the  plan  arranged  between  the  prince  and  his  Eng- 
lish adherents,  guided,  as  it  was  believed,  by 
Shaftesbury,  during  the  last  winter, — that  the 
Dutch  fleet  should  suddenly  appear  at  the  mouth 
of  the  river ;  that  they  should  improve  the  panic 
which  it  would  occasion,  to  raise  the  people  ;  and 
that  the  king  should  be  compelled  by  clamour  and 
intimidation  to  separate  from  his  alliance  with 
France.  The  conclusion  of  peace  prevented  the 
attempt ;  but  did  not  dissolve  the  connexion  It 
was  proposed,  with  the  aid  of  money  from  Hol- 
land, to  form  a  party  in  parliament,  which  should 
force  Charles  to  join  with  the  States  as  an  ally  in 
the  war  ;  and  the  prince  was  not  only  encouraged 
to  hope  for  success  by  exaggerated  statements  of 
the  national  discontent,  but  advised  to  be  in 
readiness  to  take  advantage  of  any  revolution 
which  might  follow 28. 

The  king  was  aware  of  the  correspondence,  but  Of  Shaf- 
not  of  the  particulars  :  and  his  jealousy  was  aug-  tes  ury' 
mented   by   the    ambiguous    language  of  the  in- 
structions  found   upon  Carstairs,  an  agent  from 
the  prince  for  the  levy  of  troops.     He  resolved  to 
watch  more  narrowly  the  conduct  of  Shaftesbury, 


,3  D'Avaux,  i.  S.     Burnet,  ii.  56.     Burnet,  however,  should  be 
corrected  Ly  Temple,  ii.  286,  291,  334-,  337. 


504. 


HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 


CHAP,  who   already  began  to   practise  those  arts  of  ex- 
1674..     citing  the  passions  of  the  people,  which  he  after- 

■ wards  employed  to  a  greater  extent,  and  with  a 

more  favourable  result.  He  represented  himself 
as  having  earned  by  his  zeal  for  protestantism 
the  hatred  of  the  papists  :  under  pretence  that  his 
life  was  in  danger  from  their  malice,  he  procured 
lodgings  in  the  house  of  Cook,  an  anabaptist 
preacher,  and  announced  to  the  citizens  that  he 
trusted  for  his  safety  to  their  vigilance  and 
fidelity.  But  the  king  had  no  intention  that  the 
agitator  should  gain  the  ascendancy  in  the  capital. 
He  informed  Shaftesbury  that  he  was  acquainted 
with  his  intrigues ;  he  ordered  him  to  quit  Lon- 
don and  retire  to  his  house  in  the  country  ;  he 
dined  in  public  with  the  lord  mayor  on  the  29th 
of  October,  and  accepted,  in  a  gold  box,  the 
freedom  of  the  city.  On  such  occasions  the  king 
was  irresistible.  In  defiance  of  the  reports  cir- 
culated against  him,  he  won  by  his  affability  and 
cheerfulness  the  hearts  of  the  citizens  29. 

OfArling-  During  the  summer  Charles  had  leisure  to  de- 
cide on  the  fate  of  the  three  ministers,  who  had 
drawn  upon  themselves  the  displeasure  of  the 
parliament.  He  considered  Lauderdale  as  a  ser- 
vant of  the  crown  of  Scotland,  and  resolved  to 
retain  him  in  all  his  offices  in  opposition  to  the 
votes  of  the  house  of  commons.  Buckingham  he 
dismissed    without    regret  ;    and    that    nobleman 

2    Macph.  i.  73.     Kennet,  300. 


CHARLES  II.  3°5 

immediately  joined  Shaftesbury,  and  proved  him-  CHAP. 
self  a    valuable    auxiliary    in    the   ranks    of    his     l67'^ 

former   enemies.     Arlington,  by  the   royal   com 

mand,  accepted  from  sir  Joseph  Williamson  the 
sum  of  6,000/.  for  the  secretaryship  of  state, 
and  was  raised  to  a  more  honourable,  though  less 
influential,  office,  that  of  chamberlain  of  the 
household.  He  did  not,  however,  disguise  to 
himself  the  real  cause  of  his  removal.  He  had 
observed  the  rapid  progress  which  the  new  trea- 
surer, lately  created  earl  of  Danby,  had  made  in 
the  royal  favour  ;  he  saw  that,  to  support  his  own 
declining  credit,  it  was  necessary  to  render  some 
signal  service  to  the  king  ;  and  with  this  view  he 
proposed  to  him  the  negotiation  of  a  marriage 
between  William,  prince  of  Orange,  and  Mary, 
eldest  daughter  and  presumptive  heir  to  the  duke 
of  York.  As  the  prince  was  a  protestant,  such 
marriage,  he  argued,  would  tend  to  allay  the 
religious  apprehensions  of  the  people ;  and,  as  it 
would  open  to  him  a  fair  prospect  of  succeeding 
to  the  throne,  it  might  reasonably  be  expected  in 
return,  that  he  should  divorce  himself  from  his 
political  connexion  with  the  popular  leaders, 
and  second  the  king  in  his  endeavours  to  me- 
diate a  general  peace.  It  was  in  vain  that 
the  duke  of  York  objected  :  when  he  claimed 
the  rights  of  a  parent,  he  was  told  that  his 
children  were  the  property  of  the  nation  ;  and 
when  he  urged  the  indelicacy  of  making  his 
daughter  the  wooer,  it  was  replied,  that  it  would 

VOL.  XII.  x 


IV. 
1674. 


Nov.  10. 


306  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  be  the  care  of  the  negotiator  to  lead  the  prince  by 
hints  and  suggestions  to  make  the  first  proposal. 
Charles  entered  warmly  into  the  project,  and  the 
earls  of  Arlington  and  Ossory  proceeded  with 
their  families  to  the  Hague,  under  the  pretence  of 
visiting  the  relations  of  their  wives,  two  sisters 
of  the  house  of  Beverwaert.  But  William  had 
already  taken  his  determination.  For  Arlington 
he  had  contracted  an  insuperable  aversion,  and 
when  that  minister  complained  to  him  in  his 
uncle's  name  of  his  reluctance  to  accept  the 
king's  mediation,  and  of  his  intrigues  against  the 
royal  authority,  he  replied,  that  peace  must 
depend  on  the  consent  of  those  allies  who  had  so 
generously  rescued  his  country  from  the  grasp  of 
the  invader,  and  that  his  honour  forbade  him  to 
enter  into  explanations  which  might  compromise 
the  safety  of  his  friends  in  England.  To  the 
earl  of  Ossory,  whom  the  prince,  on  account  of 
his  naval  reputation,  treated  with  more  respect, 
had  been  assigned  the  first  mention  of  the  in- 
tended marriage ;  but  the  moment  he  attempted 
to  introduce  the  subject,  William  interrupted  him 
by  the  laconic  remark,  that,  in  the  existing  cir- 
cumstances, he  was  not  in  a  condition  to  think  of 
a  wife.  The  fact  was,  that  his  English  adherents 
were  alarmed.  They  admonished  him  to  be  on 
his  guard  against  the  wiles  and  sophistry  of 
Arlington,  and  conjured  him  to  reject  the  proposal 
of  marriage  as  an  artifice  devised  by  his  enemies, 
to    destroy   his    popularity,    by    persuading  the 


CHARLES  II.  307 

people  that   he  was  joined   in    league    with    the   CHAP 
king  and  the  duke  against  their  liberties  and  reli-      }X\ 

°  c  1674. 

gion.     The  advice   was   religiously  obeyed  ;  and 

the  envoys,  having  paid  a  short  visit  to  their 
relations,  returned  to  England.  Here  Arlington 
found  that  the  failure  of  his  mission  did  not  con- 
tribute to  raise  him  in  the  estimation  of  his  sove- 
reign, and  that  Danby  had  improved  the  oppor- 
tunity furnished  by  his  absence,  to  render  himself 
the  lord  of  the  ascendant 3". 

As  the  winter  passed,   the  leaders  of  the  twoPla»sof 

,'iii  i  the  oppo- 

great  parties  held  numerous  consultations,  to  sition. 
recruit  their  forces,  and  arrange  their  plans  against 
the  approaching  session  of  parliament.  In  the 
house  of  lords  the  adversaries  of  the  minister 
could  present  a  small  but  formidable  minority 
under  the  duke  of  Buckingham,  the  earls  of 
Shaftesbury  and  Salisbury,  and  the  lord  Wharton. 
In  that  of  the  commons  they  formed  a  numerous 
party  under  active  and  experienced  leaders  ;  among 
whom  were  Garroway  and  Lee,  veterans,  who  had 
long  been  listened  to  as  oracles  in  the  house ; 
Powle  and  Lyttleton,  skilled  in  the  science  of  forms 
and  the  application  of  precedents  ;  lord  Caven- 
dish, distinguished  by  the  versatility  of  his  talents 


3°  James,  i.  500—2.  Temple,  ii.  287—295,  334-  Coleman's 
Letter,  C  Journ.  ix.  527.  The  origin  of  the  prince's  aversion  to 
Arlington  arose  from  that  minister's  attempts  in  favour  of  the  pro- 
ject to  legitimate  Monmouth.  Macph.  i.  74,  84.  When  the  offer 
of  marriage  was  made,  he  knew  that  the  duchess  of  York  was  in 
an  advanced  state  of  pregnancy,  a  circumstance  which  consider- 
ably lessened  its  value. 

X    2 


IV. 
167  *. 


308  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  and  the  elegance  of  his  manners;  the  votary  at 
the  same  time  of  ambition  and  of  pleasure,  ardent 
in  his  pursuits,  and  implacable  in  his  resentments  ; 
lord  Rnssel,  less  brilliant  and  less  eloquent  than 
his  friend,  but  more  regular  in  his  morals,  and 
more  respected  by  his  colleagues  ;  sir  William 
Coventry,  whose  experience  easily  detected  the 
arts  and  sophistry  of  the  ministers,  and  whose 
apparent  want  of  passion  gave  the  semblance  of 
impartiality  to  his  opinions  ;  and  Birch,  who  had 
been  a  colonel  in  the  revolutionary  army,  and 
was  now  the  roughest,  boldest  speaker  in  the 
house 31.  To  these  should  be  added  Meres, 
Sacheverell,  Vaughan,  and  several  others,  ready 
and  zealous  debaters  on  every  question  ;  but  the 
master  spirit,  who  guided  the  motions  of  the 
whole  body,  was  the  earl  of  Shaftesbury,  and  to 
him  was  occasionally  joined  the  earl  of  Arlington, 
who,  through  his  eagerness  to  humble  a  successful 
rival,  forgot  his  obligations  to  his  sovereign,  and 
readily  lent  his  aid  to  oppose  those  counsels,  in 
the  origination  of  which  he  no  longer  participated. 
Among  them,  it  was  determined  to  insist  on  the 
recal  of  the  English  troops  serving  in  the  French 
army  ;  to  advise  an  immediate  union  with  the 
allies  for  the  purpose  of  breaking  the  power  of 


31  Sir  Edward  Seymour  once  reflected  on  Birch's  former  occupa- 
tion, that  of  a  common  carrier.  "■  It  is  true  ",  he  replied,  "  I  was 
"  once  a  carrier,  and  it  is  well  for  the  gentleman  that  he  was 
"  not  one  too.  For  if  he  had,  he  would  never  have  been  any  thing 
"  else  ".     Burnet,  ii.  80.  note. 


CHARLES  II.  3°9 

Louis  XIV. ;  to  impeach  the  earl  of  Danby  ;  and  CHAF. 
to  refuse  all  pecuniary  aid  as  long  as  he  should     1675. 

retain  the  office  of  lord  treasurer.     Some  of  these 

were  popular  measures ;  all  were  calculated  to 
embarrass  the  court,  and  might,  by  leading  to  a 
change  of  administration,  place  Shaftesbury  and 
Arlington  once  more  at  the  head  of  the  govern- 
ment -32. 

Danby,  on  the  other  hand,  prepared  to  meet  his  Of  the  mi- 
opponents  with  a  confident  anticipation  of  victory. 
He   had   persuaded  himself  that  their  success  in 
the  former  session   was   owing  to  the  dexterity 
with  which  they  employed   the  cry  of  "  no  po- 
pery ",    and   marshalled  in  their  favour  the  reli- 
gious  fears   and   jealousies  of   the   people.       He 
obtained  permission  of  the  king  to  oppose  them 
with  their  own  weapons,  and  for  this   purpose, 
to   employ    the   whole  power  of   government  in 
putting  down  every  species   of  sectarianism  and 
dissent,  and  to  rally  the  cavaliers  and  the  clergy 
round  the  throne,  by  identifying  the  cause  of  the 
church  with   that    of  the  court.     A  council  was  Jan.  y5# 
held  by  appointment  at  Lambeth  ;  several  of  the 
bishops  met  the  lord   keeper,  the  lord  treasurer, 
Lauderdale,  and  the  two  secretaries  of  state  ;  the 
king's  anxiety  for  the  support  and  prosperity  of 
the  establishment  was  explained  ;  the  aid  of  the 
prelates  and  clergy  was  demanded ;  and  a  plan  of 


»  See  Burnet,   ii.   HO — 83,   and   Temple,  ii.  309.     Temple  was 
employed  by  the  king  to  expostulate  with  Arlington. 


310  in  STORY    OF    E  NO  LAND. 

CHAP-  combined  operation  was  arranged.  In  a  few  days 
1675.     tQe  nrs^  fi*llits  °f  the  consultation  appeared.     A 

proclamation  was  published,  embodying  six  orders 

which  had  recently  been  made  in  council,  that  all 
natives  who  had  taken  orders  in  the  church  of 
Rome,  should  quit  the  realm  in  the  space  of  six 
weeks,  under  the  penalty  of  death 3a  ;  that  every 
subject  of  the  three  kingdoms,  who  presumed  to 
attend  at  mass,  either  in  the  queen's  chapel,  or  in 
any  chapel  belonging  to  the  foreign  ambassadors, 
should  for  that  offence  suffer  a  year's  imprisonment 
and  pay  a  fine  of  one  hundred  marks,  of  which  a 
third  part  should  be  given  as  a  reward  to  the  in- 
former ;  that  all  convictions  of  popish  recusants, 
particularly  among  the  more  opulent  classes, 
should  be  brought  to  a  conclusion  without  delay, 
and  certified  into  his  majesty's  exchequer  ;  that 
any  papist,  or  reputed  papist,  who  should  dare  to 
enter  the  palaces  of  Whitehall,  or  of  St.  James's, 
or  any  other  place  where  the  court  might  chance 
to  be,  should,  if  a  peer,  be  committed  to  the 
Tower,  if  under  the  rank  of  a  peer,  to  one  of  the 
common  gaols  ;  and,  lastly,  that,  since  all  licenses 
for  separate  places  of  worship  had  been  recalled, 
the  laws  for  the  suppression  of  conventicles  should 
be  rigorously  enforced  3\ 


33  In  this  and  all  similar  proclamations,  Mr.  John  Huddleston 
was  excepted  on  account  of  his  services  to  the  king  after  the  battle 
of  Worcester. 

31  Wilkins,  Con.  iv.  595.     Kennet,  301.     Burnet,  253. 


CHARLES  II.  311 

By  the  popular  party,  this  proclamation  was  CHAP. 

IV. 

1675. 


ridiculed  as  a  weak  and  unworthy  artifice  to  blind 


the  eyes  of  the  people.     Among  the  catholics  and . 

non-conformists,   it    created    considerable    alarm.  ^emon~ 

strance  ot 

A   deputation  of  ministers   waited   on  the   duke  the  duke 

of  York 

of  York,  reminded  him  of  his  frequent  declara- 
tions in  favour  of  liberty  of  conscience,  and  so- 
licited his  protection  against  the  intolerant  policy 
of  the  cabinet.  But  James  had  already  remon- 
strated in  vain.  He  had  represented  to  the  king, 
that  such  severity  to  the  dissenters  was  dangerous, 
because  it  might  goad  that  numerous  and  powerful 
body  to  resistance  ;  and  with  respect  to  catholics, 
it  was  ungrateful,  on  account  of  their  former  ser- 
vices to  his  father,  and  unnecessary,  because,  few 
as  they  were  in  number,  and  incapacitated  by  tests 
and  disqualifications,  they  possessed  not  the  power, 
even  if  they  had  the  will,  of  injuring  the  esta- 
blishment. But  Charles,  assured  of  his  brother's 
submission,  cared  little  for  his  objections  :  he  even 
prepared  for  him  a  more  bitter  mortification.  In 
virtue  of  the  royal  mandate,  the  bishop  of  Loudon 
conducted  the  princess  Mary  to  church,  and  con- 
ferred on  her  the  riffht  of  confirmation  in  defiance 
of  the  authority  of  her  father'35. 

At  the  appointed  time,  the  session  was  opened  Opening 

()f  1 1  IP   SGS" 

Avith  a  speech  from  the  throne.      The  king  as-  sion 
sured   the   two   houses,   that   his  great  object  in  April  13. 


3s  James,  i.  in.1).  .500.     Macpherson  (i.?.5,  81,  1.)  postpones  the 
confirmation  of  the  princess  to  the  following  year. 


31C  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP. calling  them  together  was    to  come  to  a  right 
iv.  & 

1C73.     understanding  with  his  parliament,  and  to  expose 


to  the  world  the  hollow  and  wicked  designs  of 
those  who  sought  to  drive  him  to  a  dissolution. 
But  these  men  would  find  themselves  disappointed. 
He  was  neither  so  weak  nor  so  irresolute  as  to 
part  with  his  friends  in  order  to  oblige  his 
enemies.  In  the  speech  of  the  lord  keeper,  the 
chief  novelty  was  an  awkward  attempt  to  justify 
the  late  intolerant  proclamation.  The  govern- 
ment, he  said,  was  placed  in  a  most  delicate  and 
difficult  situation,  between  the  church  on  one  side, 
and  the  dissenters  and  catholics  on  the  other.  If 
the  king  suspended  the  execution  of  the  penal 
laws,  he  was  told  that  he  deserted  the  cause  of  the 
church :  if  he  enforced  them,  he  was  reproached 
with  the  charge  of  persecution.  But  it  was  better 
to  have  some  rule  than  none  ;  otherwise  universal 
toleration,  and  endless  confusion,  the  necessary 
consequences  of  toleration,  must  ensue.  The  king 
had  followed  the  rule  laid  down  by  the  legislature  ; 
and,  if  any  man  felt  aggrieved  by  it,  he  was  still  at 
liberty  to  appeal  to  the  wisdom  and  equity  of  par- 
liament, the  best  judge  of  the  real  interests  of  the 
nation 36. 

to^n&e      °f  the  plan  devised  at    Lambeth,    that   part 

house  of    which  regarded  the  suppression   of  popery   was 

'  entrusted   to   the  friends   of  the  minister  in  the 

house  of  commons,  where  to  such   a  proposal,  no 


3"  L.  Journ.  xi.  6J3,  1. 


CHARLES    II.  3]3 

opposition   could  be  expected.     Resolutions  were  CHAP, 
accordingly   voted :    committees   were  appointed,     167'Sm 


and    bills   were   introduced.       Still  nothing  was 

done.     That  zeal  for  orthodoxy,  which  had  for- April  17. 
merly  animated  the  members,  seemed  to  be  extinct,  Al3nl  21* 
and  not   one  of  the  bills   proceeded  any  further 
than  the  second  reading.     The  fact  was,  that  the 
popular  leaders  ceased  to  urge  the  suppression  of 
popery,    when   their   opponents  could   claim    the 
chief  merit  of  the  measure ;J7.     Their  efforts  were 
directed  to  the  pursuit  of  their  own  objects.     1°. 
They  obtained  a  renewal  of  the  address  to  remove 
Lauderdale   from  office  ;   but   Charles   was  now  April  23. 
furnished  with  a  ready  answer, — that  the  words 
laid  to  his  charge,  if  spoken  at  all,  were  spoken 
before  the  last  act   of  grace,  and  must  therefore 
be  covered  by  it ;  and  that  the  act  of  the  Scottish 
parliament  for   the  levy  of  the  army  necessarily 
arose  out  of  a  preceding  act  in  1C63,  when  Lau- 
derdale was  not  the  royal  commissioner38.  2°.  Lord  April  2c 


37  Com.  Journ.  Ap.  16,  17,  21.  May  27.  Marvcll,  i.  217,  237, 
240.  "  Wc  were  confident",  says  Coleman,  "  that  the  ministers 
"  having  turned  their  faces,  the  parliament  would  do  so  too,  and 
"  still  be  against  them,  and  be  as  little  for  persecution  then,  as 
"  they  were  for  popery  before".     Com.  Journ. ix.  527. 

38  Burnet  disgraced  himself  on  this  occasion.  Out  of  ill  humour 
at  the  treatment  which  he  had  received  from  Lauderdale,  he  re- 
vealed to  his  enemies  the  purport  of  a  confidential  conversation 
with  that  nobleman,  and  repeated  it,  though  apparently  with  re- 
luctance, at  the  bar  of  the  house  of  commons.  "  The  truth  is," 
he  says  of  himself,  "  I  had  been  above  a  year  in  perpetual  agita- 
"  tion,  and  was  not  calm  or  cool  enough  to  reflect  on  my  conduct 
"  as  I  ought  to  have  done".     By  this  treachery  he  lost  the  favour 


314  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP.  William  Russell  called  the  attention  of  the  house 

T"17" 

\675.     *°  ^ie  conduct  °f  the  lord  treasurer ;   and  seven 

< articles  of  impeachment  were  exhibited  against  him, 

charging  him  with  improper  use  of  the  authority 
of  his  office,  to  deceive  the  king,  enrich  his  own 
family,  and  squander  the  royal  treasure.  There 
appears  to  have  been  little  ground  for  any  of  these 
charges :  but  Danby  did  not  rely  solely  on  his 
innocence.  He  was  careful  to  purchase  adherents 
in  the  house,  not  after  the  manner  of  his  prede- 
cessors, by  offering  presents  to  the  more  eminent 
speakers,  but  by  seeking  out  silent  votes,  which 
might  be  procured  at  a  lower  price,  and  therefore 
May  3.  in  greater  number.  The  articles  against  him 
were  debated  separately,  and  each  in  its  turn  was 
rejected39.  3°.  Besides  Dauby,  the  Dutch  and 
Spanish  ambassadors  had  also  been  lavish  of 
money.  Their  object  was  to  procure  the  revo- 
cation of  the  English  regiments  in  the  French 
army ;  and  their  efforts  were  zealously  aided  by 
the  2>opular  party.  To  the  address  for  this  pur- 
May  t.  pose  presented  by  the  house,  Charles  replied,  that 
the  English  corps  was  inconsiderable  in  point  of 
number  ;  and  he  would  take  care  that  it  should 
not  be  recruited.     More  than  this  he  could  not 

of  the  king,  and  also  of  the  duke  of  York,  who  had  previously 
protected  him  from  the  resentment  of  Lauderdale.  Burnet,  ii. 
63—5.     Marvell,  i.  221. 

3 '  Com.  Journ.  Ap.  26,  27,  30.  May  3.  Pari.  Hist.  iv.  688— 
695.  Burnet,  ii.  69.  Marvell,  i.  225,  7,  426.  If  we  may  believe 
Coleman,  200,000/.  was  spent  in  bribes  by  the  different  parties 
during  this  session.     Com.  Journ.  ix.  528. 


CHARLES    II.  315 

do:   to  recal  it  would   be  inconsistent  with   his  CHAP. 

IV. 
honour.     This  answer  provoked  a  most  vehement     i67'5 


debate  in  a  committee  of  the  whole  house.     On 

one    side   it    was    maintained   that    the    English May  ly' 
amounted  to  eight  thousand  men,  that  they  formed 
the  chief  force  in  the  army  commanded  by  Tu- 
renne,  and  that  to  their  gallantry  were  owing  most 
of  the  advantages  which  had  been  gained  by  that 
general.     On   the    other,   it  was  contended   that 
they  did  not  exceed  two  thousand  horse  and  foot ; 
that,   on  the   conclusion  of  the   peace    with   the 
States,  it  was  mutually  understood  that  they  were 
not  to  be  recalled  ;  and  that  a  much  greater  num- 
ber  of  British  subjects  was   actually  serving  in 
the  Dutch  army  under  the  prince  of  Orange.     On 
a   division,  the  tellers  were  charged  with   negli- 
gence or  fraud ;  instantly  the  leaders  who  sat  on 
the  lowest  benches  sprung  to  the  table,  and   the 
other  members  on  each  side  crowded  to  their  sup- 
port.    Lord  Cavendish  and  Sir  John  Hanmer  dis- 
tinguished   themselves    by    their    violence ;     and 
epithets  of  insult,  with  threats  of  defiance,  were 
reciprocally  exchanged.     The  tumult  had  lasted 
half  an   hour,  when  the  speaker,  without  asking 
permission,  took  possession  of  the  chair  ;  the  mace, 
after  some  resistance,   was  again  placed   on  the 
table  ;  the  members  resumed  their  seats  ;  and,  on 
the  motion   of  Sir  Thomas  Lee,  a  promise  was 
given  by  each  in  his  turn,  that  he  would   take 
no  notice  out   of  doors  of  what  had  happened  May  11. 
within.      The    discussion    of    the    question    was  May  20. 
again   brought   forward.       On   one    occasion    the  J,mc  -• 


316  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

C  II A  P.  ministers  obtained  the  majority  by  a  single  voiee  ; 
167'5      on  another  they  were  defeated  by  the  casting  vote 

of  the  speaker.      A  new   address   was   ordered  ; 

but  there   is  no   evidence  that  it  was   ever  pre- 
sented 40. 
Non-re-         Tne   more  important    part   of   the  ministerial 

sisting- 

test  in  the  project,  the  panacea  for  all  the  evils  of  the  nation, 
lords?  °  was  reserved  for  the  house  of  lords,  in  which  the 
court  was  assured  of  an  overwhelming  majority. 
This  was  introduced  in  the  shape  of  a  test  to  be 
taken  by  all  members  of  parliament ;  by  privy 
councillors,  magistrates,  and  all  persons  holding 
office  under  the  crown.  The  test  itself  was  made 
up  of  the  several  oaths  and  declarations  which, 
by  successive  acts  of  parliament  after  the  restora- 
tion, had  been  imposed  upon  members  of  cor- 
porations, officers  of  the  army,  and  ministers  of 
the  church.  These  acts,  however,  had  been 
passed  at  a  time  when  the  nation  had  not  reco- 
vered from  that  phrenzy  of  loyalty  into  which  it 
had  been  thrown  by  the  return  of  the  king :  now 
the  minds  of  men  had  been  allowed  leisure  to 
cool ;  an  intention  of  establishing  arbitrary  power 
had,  by  report,  been  attributed  to  the  king ;  and 
the  doctrines  of  the  year  forty-one  had  begun  to 
resume  their  former  influence.  That  protection 
and  allegiance  are  correlative,  and  that  the  law 
which  secures  the  rights   of  the  people  sanctions 

4°  Com.  Joum.  May  8,  10,  11,  20.  June  2.  Pari.  Hist.  iv.  699 
— 709.  Marvel,  ii.  232.  Cavendish  and  Newport,  in  consequence 
of  their  behaviour  on  this  occasion,  were  forbidden  the  court.  lb. 
J2(5. 


CHARLES    II.  3i? 

resistance  to   the  invasion  of  those  rights,  were  CHAP. 

IV 

principles  openly  inculcated  and  maintained  :  and     1675 

it  was  to   check   their  diffusion,   and  to   remove 

their  supporters  from  parliament  and  office,  that 
the  non-resisting  test  had  been  devised.  The 
king  interested  himself  warmly  in  its  success. 
He  attended  daily,  standing  as  a  sjDectator  at  the 
fire-side  ;  but  his  presence,  though  it  might  ani- 
mate the  champions  of  the  court,  did  not  dismay 
or  silence  their  opponents41.  The  debates  occu- 
pied seventeen  days,  often  from  an  early  hour  till 
eight  in  the  evening,  sometimes  till  midnight.  It 
is  acknowledged,  that  on  no  former  occasion  had 
such  a  display  of  eloquence  and  ability  been 
exhibited  in  that  house ;  never  had  any  question 
been  discussed  with  so  much  obstinacy  and  ad- 
dress. The  lords  who  chiefly  distinguished  them- 
selves by  their  advocacy  of  the  measure,  were  the 
lord  treasurer,  the  lord  keeper,  and  the  bishops 
Morley  and  Ward  ;  and  to  these  were  opposed  the 
acknowledged  leaders  of  the  popular  party,  with 
two  catholic  peers,  the  marquess  of  Winchester 
and  the  lord  Petre  12.     The  former  argued  that 

41  "  If  nut  the  sun,  the  fire-side  was  always  in  their  faces." 
Marvell,  i.  516. 

«•  In  Macpherson's  extracts,  we  are  told  that  when  Shaftesbury 
applied  to  the  catholic  peers  for  their  support,  some  replied  that 
they  dared  not  oppose  the  king.  It  might  provoke  him  to  execute 
the  penal  laws  against  them,  perhaps  to  seek  their  exclusion  from 
parliament,  in  which  they  knew  from  experience  that  Shaftesbury's 
party  would  concur.  "  lie  swore  that  he  and  his  friends  never 
"  would,  and  wished  that  his  tongue  might  cleave  to  the  roof  of 
"  his  mouth,  if  he  ever  spoke  for  so  unjust  a  thing."  Macph.  i.  80. 


31 8  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  the  principle  of  the  test  had  already  been  reeog- 
i67^     nized  in  the  acts  for  corporations,  the  militia,  and 


■ —  the  church  ;  that  the   only  object  of  the  present 

bill  was  to  render  that  principle  more  generally 
useful  by  extending  its  operation ;  that  it  would 
thus  offer  a  sufficient  security  both  to  church  and 
state  ;  and  at   the  same  time  a  security  so  "  mo- 
derate," that  it  could  not  be  refused  by  any  but 
those  who  cherished  seditious  and  antimonarchical 
sentiments  ;  and  who,  on  that  very  account,  ought 
not  to  be  trusted  with   the  office  of  making  or 
of  administering  the  laws.     Their  opponents  re- 
plied,  that  the  question   was  now  altered  ;  that 
while  the  test  was  confined  to  persons  in  inferior 
situations,  there  remained  the  high  court  of  par- 
liament to  explain  its   meaning,  and  control  its 
application  :  but  that  now  it  was  intended  to  bind 
the  parliament  itself,  and  to   make  all   ranks   of 
men  dependent  on  the  pleasure  of  the  sovereign. 
Such  a  test   invested  both   the   crown   and  mitre 
with  a  divine  right,  which  could  not  be  controlled 
by  any  human  power,  and  amounted  in  effect  to 
a  "  dissettlement   of     the   whole    birthright    of 
"  England." 
Debate  on      When  it  came  to  be  debated  in  its  several  parts, 
ration!0  &" tne  opposition  lords  objected  that  the  first  clause, 
which  pronounced  it  "  unlawful,  on  any  pretence 
"  whatsoever,  to  take  up  arms  against  the  king  ", 
was  calculated  to  provoke  doubts  and  questions, 
which  a  wise  administration   would  seek  to  pre- 
vent.    What,  it  might  be  asked,  was  the  distinc- 


CHARLES    II.  319 


tion  between  passive  obedience,  and  the  unlawful-  CHAP. 
ness  of  resistance   in  anv  circumstances  whatso-      ,r~', 

J  1675. 


ever  :  where  the   difference  between  an  absolute 

government  and  a  limited  monarchy,  if  there 
were  no  boundary  to  submission  under  either  ? 
Against  the  second,  that  it  "  is  traitorous  to  take 
"  up  arms  by  the  kings  authority  against  his 
"  person",  (an  allusion  to  the  language  of  the 
parliament  during  the  civil  war,)  they  argued, 
that  circumstances  might  occur,  as  in  the  case  of 
Henry  VI.,  in  which  such  taking  up  of  arms 
might  tend  to  the  benefit  and  safety  of  the  sove- 
reign ;  and  the  third,  which  extended  the  same 
doctrine  to  the  employment  of  force  against  per- 
sons commissioned  by  the  crown,  they  described 
as  leading  to  the  most  oppressive  and  alarming 
results.  It  specified  neither  the  object  of  the 
commission,  nor  the  qualification  of  the  commis- 
sioner ;  but  made  it  treason  to  oppose  with  force 
the  unlawful  aggression  not  only  of  sheriffs  and 
magistrates,  but  even  of  naval  and  military  offi- 
cers ;  for  all  these  were  armed  with  commissions 
from  the  king,  and  might  pretend  to  act  in 
"  pursuance  of  such  commission". 

The  great  struggle,  however,  remained.  The  Debate  on 
oath  was  at  first  conceived  in  the  following  ° 
words  :  "  I  do  swear  that  I  will  not  endeavour 
"  the  alteration  of  the  government  either  in 
"  church  or  state  ".  The  practice  of  multiplying 
oaths  was  represented  as  impious,  by  holding  out 
temptations   to   perjury,   and   as  useless,  because 


20  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  oaths  bind  only  men  of  honourable  and  virtuous 
1675.     minds,  from  whom  sedition  or  rebellion  is  not  to 

■ be  apprehended.     But  to  this  oath  in  particular  it 

was  objected,  that  if  it  were  made  a  necessary 
qualification  for  a  seat  in  parliament,  it  would 
operate  to  the  disherison  both  of  the  people  and 
the  peerage  :  of  the  people,  by  trenching*  on  their 
right  of  entrusting  to  men  of  their  own  choice  the 
power  of  imposing  the  public  taxes  ;  and  of  the 
peerage,  by  depriving  the  peers,  who  should  re- 
fuse to  take  it,  of  the  right  to  which  they  were 
born,  of  sitting  in  that  house,  and  taking  a  part 
in  the  discussion  of  all  subjects  debated  within  its 
walls.  The  latter  part  of  this  objection  was 
urged  with  so  much  vehemence,  that  the  ministers 
deemed  it  prudent  to  yield.  The  lord  treasurer 
proposed  a  resolution,  which,  at  the  suggestion  of 
the  duke  of  York,  was  changed  into  a  standing 
order  of  the  house,  that  "  no  oath  should  ever  be 
"  imposed,  by  bill  or  otherwise,  the  refusal  of 
"  which  should  deprive  any  peer  of  his  place  or 
"  vote  in  parliament,  or  of  liberty  of  debate 
"  therein43". 


4"  L.  Journ.  xii.  673.  Macph.  i.  81.  In  lieu  of  the  oath  pro- 
posed by  the  bill,  and  all  other  tests  to  be  taken  by  members  of 
parliament,  the  following  was  moved  as  an  amendment  by  the 
marquess  of  Winchester  :  "  I  swear  that  I  will  never  by  threats, 
"  injunctions,  promises,  advantages,  or  invitations,  by  or  from 
"  any  person  whatsoever,  or  through  the  hope  or  prospect  of  any 
"  gift,  place,  office  or  benefit  whatsoever,  give  my  vote  otherwise 
"  than  according  to  my  opinion  and  conscience,  as  I  shall  be  truly 
"  and  really  persuaded  upon  the  debate  of  any  business  in  par- 


CHARLES    II.  321 

When  the  house  proceeded  to  consider  the  form  c  H  A  P. 
of  the  proposed  oath.,  the  bishops  were  exposed  to      l67'5 
the  profane  jests  and  irreverent  sarcasms  of  the 


duke  of  Buckingham,  and  called  upon  to  answer  [£f~ 
several  searching  and  vexatious  inquiries  by  the 
dissenting  peers.  What,  it  was  asked,  was  this 
episcopal  government,  to  which  the  subject  had 
now  to  swear  allegiance  ?  From  whom  did  the 
prelates  profess  to  derive] their  powers?  They 
replied,  that  the  priesthood,  and  the  powers  of  the 
priesthood,  came  to  them  from  Christ ;  the  licence 
to  exercise  those  powers  from  the  civil  magistrate. 
"  But ",  exclaimed  the  lord  Wharton,  "  excom- 
"  munication  is  one  of  those  powers ;  do  you 
"  derive  from  the  sovereign  the  licence  to  excom- 
"  municate  the  sovereign?"  This,  it  was  an- 
swered, was  to  suppose  an  extreme  case  which  had 
never  arrived,  and  probably  never  would  arrive. 
Others  observed,  that  the  oath  provided  only  for 
"  the  government ",  or  discipline  of  the  church  : 
why  were  its  doctrines  omitted  ?  The  government 
of  the  church  of  Rome  was  episcopal :  no  catholic- 
would  object  totake  theoath,even  if  attlie  sametime 
he  should  meditate  the  subversion  of  one  church, 
and  the  establishment  of  the  other.  This  objection 

"  liament."  Such  an  oath  would  prohably  have  been  as  unpalat- 
able to  the  opponents  as  to  the  adherents  of  the  minister.  It  was, 
however,  seconded  and  supported  :  and  the  odium  of  rejecting  it 
was  left  to  the  lord  keeper,  who  contended,  tlint  the  hope  of  re- 
ward was  not  incompatible  with  integrity  of  conduct  ;  and  was 
sometimes  necessary  to  stimulate  tin'  indolent  and  the  indifferent. 
Pari.  Hist.  iv.  App.  Ixii. 

VOL.     XII.  V 


322  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  alarmed  the  lord  treasurer,  and  he  offered  to  add 
1675.     tne  words  "the  protestant  religion".  "  But  what", 

asked  the  earl  of  Shaftesbury,  "  is  the  protestant 

"  religion  ?  Where  are  its  boundaries  ?  How 
"  are  they  to  be  ascertained  ?"  The  bishop  of 
Winchester  replied,  that  the  protestant  religion 
was  comprehended  in  the  thirty-nine  articles,  the 
liturgy,  the  catechism,  the  canons,  and  the  homi- 
lies. His  opponent  again  inquired,  whether  every 
thing  contained  in  these  five  books  were  part  and 
parcel  of  the  protestant  religion  ?  If  so,  then  it 
must  be  contended  that  their  authors  were  infalli- 
ble, and  had  laid  down  nothing  which  ought  to  be 
rejected  or  reformed.  If  not,  then  the  objection 
recurred ;  the  precise  limits  of  the  protestant 
religion  were  unknown,  and  no  man  could  con- 
scientiously bind  himself  by  oath  never  to  alter  a 
system,  with  the  real  extent  of  which  he  was  un- 
acquainted. To  escape  from  the  difficulty,  the 
words,  "  now  established  by  law  in  the  church  of 
"  England  ",  were  added. 

From  the  government  of  the  church,  the  debate 
proceeded  to  the  government  in  the  state.  Here 
the  opponents  of  the  measure  renewed  the  strug- 
gle with  equal  obstinacy.  Were  the  civil  institu- 
tions of  the  country  so  perfect  as  to  admit  of  no 
improvement  ?  Could  no  combination  of  circum- 
stances ever  occur  to  make  some  alteration  expe- 
dient ?  Let  the  house  give  its  sanction  to  this 
part  of  the  oath,  and  the  chief  privilege  of  the 
peerage  was  gone  for  ever.  They  might  assemble 
and  vote  supplies  ;  but  to  legislate  on  any  subject 


CHARLES  II.  323 

connected  with  the  government  of  the  country   char 
would  be    a  violation    of  the   test.     They   must      1G7; 

abandon  their  duty  as  a  part  of  the  legislature,  or 

perform  it  under  the  guilt  of  perjury. 

At  length,  after  a  variety  of  amendments  and  The  test, 

°  as  amend- 

adjournments,  divisions  and  protests,  the  declara-  ed  in  the 

tion  and  oath  were  passed  in  the  committee,  in  the  ™mimt~ 

following  improved  form.     "  I,  A.  B.  do   declare 

"  that  it  is  not  lawful,  on  any  pretence  whatsoever, 

"  to  take  up  arms  against    the  king  ;  and  I  do 

"  abhor  the  traitorous  position  of  taking  arms  by 

"  his  authority  against  his  person  or  against  those 

"  that  are  commissioned  by  him  according  to  law, 

"  in  time  of  rebellion  and  war,  and  acting  in  pur- 

"  suance  of  such  commission.     I,  A.  B.  do  swear 

"  that  I  will  not  endeavour  any  alteration  of  the 

'.'  protestant  religion  now  established  by  law  in 

"  the   church  of  England,  nor  will  I   endeavour 

"  any  alteration  in  the  government,  in  church  or 

"  state,  as  it  is  by  law  established  ".     There  only 

remained  to  determine  the  penalty  of  a  refusal  to 

take  the  test,  which,  in  defiance  of  all   the  efforts 

of  the  opposition,  was  fixed  at  a  fine  of  500/..  and 

incapacity  to  hold  office  or  commission  under  the 

crown.      But,  as  (his  incapacity  did  not  affect  the 

right  of  silling    in  either  house,  the  members  of 

both  were  made  subject  to  a  repetition  of  the  fine 

in  every  succeeding  parliament44. 

*«  For  this  important  debate,  sec  the  Lords'  Journals,  xii.  tifi.5, 
9,  671,  ?„  I,  7,682.  Pari.  Hist.  tv.  7, 14— 721.  App.  xviii.— xlvii. 
Burnet,  ii.  71  — 1.     Marvell,  i.  510— 8.     North  r>2.     The  test  was 

v  2 


324  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

C  H  A  P.        To  retard  the  progress  of  the  bill,  had  been  the 

1675.     great  object  of  the  country  party  in  the  house  of 

lords  :  to  throw  it  out  was  to  be  the  achievement 


respecting  °^  ^leu'  associates  in  that  of  the  commons.     But 
appeals,     even   there   much   had  lately  happened  to   shake 
their  confidence  in  their  own  power  ;  the  fate  of 
the   impeachment  of  Dauby,  and  the  rejection  of 
a  bill  to  prevent  members   from  accepting  places 
under  government,  had  convinced  them  that  the 
ministers  could  command  the  votes  of  many  secret, 
but  faithful,  adherents.     To   relieve  them  from 
their  apprehensions,  an  event  occurred  which,  if  it 
were  not,  as  is  probable,  originally  contrived,  was 
at  least  most  dexterously  improved,  to  suspend  the 
course  of  ordinary  business  in  both  houses,  and  to 
provoke  a  dissolution,  or  at  least  a  prorogation  of 
parliament.     At  all  times  it  had  been  customary 
to   appeal  by  writ  of  error  from   the  decisions  in 
the  courts  of  law  to  the  house  of  lords,  as  the  su- 
preme judicature  in  the   nation,  and  during  the 
reign  of  James  I.  similar  proceedings  had  been  in- 
troduced relative  to  judgments  in  chancery.     It 
happened  that  at  this   period  the  defendants   in 
three  of  these   appeals  to  the  justice  of  the  lords 
possessed   seats   in  the  house   of  commons ;  and 
when   notice  to   appear  was   served   on   sir  John 


originally  devised  by  Clarendon ;  but  his  son,  who  on  the  death 
of  the  exile  had  succeeded  to  the  title,  constantly  opposed  it.  His 
name  is  in  all  the  protests  entered  in  the  journals  ;  and  the  king 
was  so  displeased  with  his  conduct,  that  he  deprived  him  of  his 
place  of  chamberlain  to  the  queen.     Marvell,  i.  227. 


CHARLES  II.  325 

Fao-fr,  one  of  the  three,  the   house  voted  such  a  chap. 

*~  IV 

notice  a  breach  of  privilege.     The  lords  insisted      1(i7^ 


on  their  claim.     Theirs  was  the  only  court  to  de- 

cide  on  writs  of  error  or  appeal ;  they  sate   only      y  5" 
at  the  same   time  with   the  house   of  commons  ; 
and  therefore,  if  they   could   not  hear  causes  in 
which  the  members  of  that  house  were  parties,  a 
denial  of  justice  must  follow.     The  commons  dis- 
puted the   inference — it   might    be  a  suspension, 
but  not  a  denial  of  justice — the  appeal  might  be 
heard,  when  the  parties  were  no  longer  entitled  to 
the   privilege  of  parliament.      Nothing  could  be 
weaker  than   such  reasoning  ;  but  they   compen- 
sated for  its  weakness  by  the  vigour  of  their  con- 
duct.   They  committed  to  the  Tower,  Shirley  and  May  12. 
Stoughton,  two   of  the  appellants;  resolved  that  May  15. 
to   prosecute    in  the   house?  of  lords    any    cause 
against  a  member  of  their  house  was  a  breach  of 
privilege;  declared  that  no  appeal  lay  from  the  May  28. 
chancery  to  any  other   tribunal ;  and  voted  that  June  1. 
four  barristers,  who,  by  order  of  the  lords,  had 
pleaded  before  them  in  one  of  the  appeals,  should 
be  taken  into   custody.     This  last  insult  set  the 
higher  house  in  a  flame  ;  and  the  opponents  of  the 
test,  whose  real  aim  was  to   foment  the   quarrel, 
were    the   foremost  to   defend  the  rights    of  the 
peerage.     The  captive  barristers  were  rescued  by  June  2. 
the  usher  of  the  black  rod  from  the  grasp  of  the 
Serjeant  at  arms,  who  suddenly  absconded,  that  he 
might  escape  (he  punishment  with  which  the  house 
of  commons  had  determined  to  visit  his  pusillani- 


326  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  mity  or  negligence.     Two  days   afterwards,   the 
1675.     speaker,  as   he  passed  through  Westminster  hall, 

arrested    Pemberton,    one   of  the  barristers,  and 

June  4.      j.QOk  jjjg  prisoner  with  him  to  his  chamber  45 ;  the 
new  serjeant  at  arms  brought  the  other  three  out 
of  the  court  of  king's  bench,  and  all  four  were 
conveyed  to  the  Tower.     The  house  of  lords  was 
not  slow  to  undertake  their  protection.     A  mes- 
sage was   sent   to    the  lieutenant  to  set  them  at 
liberty,  and,    when  he  demurred,  four   writs   of 
habeas  corpus  were  forwarded  by  the  lord  keeper, 
June  7.      commanding  him  to  produce   his  prisoners  before 
June  8.     the  king  in  his  high  court  of  parliament.     The 
lieutenant  was  perplexed.     He  consulted  the  house 
of  commons,  which  forbad  him  to  obey  the  writs  ; 
and,  in  this  choice  of  evils,  he  preferred,  as  the  less 
dangerous,  to  incur  the  displeasure  of  the  lords  46. 
Proroga-        During  the  altercation,  Charles  had  addressed 
June  5      ^oth  houses  in  the  tone,  and  with  the  dignity,  of 
a  master.     They  were,  he  told  them,  the  dupes  of 
men,  enemies  to  him  and  to  the  church  of  Eng- 

*>  Burnet  (but  to  Burnet  alone  little  credit  is  due,)  tells  us,  that 
Seymour  the  speaker  was  "  the  most  immoral  and  impious  man 
"  of  the  age,  the  unjustest  and  blackest  man  that  lived  in  his  time." 
Of  his  pride,  an  instance  is  related  by  lord  Dorchester,  that  when 
his  carriage  broke  down  near  Charing-cross,  he  took  possession  of 
the  first  gentleman's  carriage  that  came  by,  and  turned  out  the 
owner,  telling  him,  it  was  more  proper  that  he,  than  the  speaker 
of  the  house  of  commons,  should  walk  in  the  street.  Burnet,  ii. 
70  note. 

I"  L.  Journ.  679,  80,  91,  4,  8,  700,  6,  10,  13,  16,  18,  720,  3,  5, 
7.  Com.  Journ.  May  5,  15,  28;  June  1,  4,  8.  Marvell,  i.  517. 
Burnetii.  75.     Pari.  Hist.  iv.  721.     St.  Trials,  vi.  1121, 


CHARLES  II.  327 

land  :  the  authors  of  the  quarrel,  sought  not  the  C  H  A  P. 

IV. 

1675. 


preservation   of  privilege,  but  the  dissolution  of 

parliament :  let  the  two  houses  confer  coolly  and 

dispassionately  together  :  they  would  easily  dis- 
cover the  means  of  reconciliation,  or,  if  they  did 
not,  he  would  judge  impartially  between  them, 
for  he  could  not  sit  a  silent  spectator  of  a  dispute 
which  threatened  to  spread  itself  through  the  na- 
tion, for  a  mere  question  of  privilege.  But  his 
advice  was  disregarded  :  the  irritation  of  the  par- 
ties was  nourished  by  repeated  acts  of  defiance  ; 
and  on  the  fourth  day,  the  king  came  to  the  house  June  9. 
of  lords,  and  put  an  end  to  the  session  47. 

The  short  duration  of  the  recess,  and  the  assur-  Another 


session. 


ance  that  the  parliament  should  meet  again  in 
October,  led  to  a  suspicion  that  the  government 
was  reduced  to  the  lowest  state  of  pecuniary  dis- 
tress ;  and  the  leaders  of  the  country  party  re- 
solved to  persist  in  their  plan  of  opposing  a  sup- 
ply, with  the  hope  of  provoking  a  dissolution  of 
the  administration,  or  of  the  parliament.  The 
first  would  offer  to  their  ambition  the  offices  held 
by  their  opponents,  the  latter  would  be  succeeded 
by  a  general  election,  in  which  they  promised 
themselves  a  decided  superiority.  The  houses 
accordingly  met :  the  king  solicited  the  aid  of  his 
people  to  pay  off  the  anticipations  on  the  revenue, 
amounting  to  800,000/.,  and  to  put  the  navy  in  a 
condition  to  maintain  the  dignity  of  the  British 


47  Com.  Journals,  June  A,  'J.     L.  Journ.  725,  9. 


328 


HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 


Oct.  19. 


C  HAP.  flag  1S.  In  the  committee  on  the  royal  speech,  the 
1675.  ministers  obtained  at  first  the  majority  by  the 
casting  vote  of  the  chairman.  But  on  a  second 
division  they  were  defeated  by  a  small  majority, 
and  the  house  refused  to  entertain  the  question  of 
supply  on  account  of  anticipations.  This  was  a 
severe  disappointment ;  yet  Danby  did  not  des- 
pond :  a  long  session  would  afford  him  the  op- 
portunity of  appealing  to  the  ambition  and  cupi- 
dity of  the  members  ;  and  it  was  possible  that 
several  might  oppose  the  court  now,  with  the  sole 
view  of  obtaining  a  higher  price  for  their  future 
services.  The  house  proceeded  with  the  public 
business.  It  was  voted  that  400,000/.  per  annum 
should  be  taken  from  the  customs,  and  applied  to 
the  maintenance  of  the  navy  ;  that  a  sum  of 
300,000/.  should  be  raised  and  placed  in  the  cham- 
ber of  London,  and  be  appropriated  to  the  build- 
ing of  twenty  ships  of  war  ;  that  papists  should 
be  disabled  from  sitting  in  either  house  of  parlia- 
ment ;  that  a  bill  should  be  introduced  to  recal  the 
English  forces  serving  in  the  French  army  ;  and 
that  a  remedy  should  be  devised  to  prevent  bribery 
in  elections.  In  the  divisions  which  these  ques- 
tions produced,  the  balance  inclined  alternately  in 
favour  of  the  opposite  parties  ;  and  the  majorities 
were  so  trifling,  that  it  was  impossible  to  foresee 


4S  The  reader  is  aware  that  it  was  the  custom  to  "  anticipate," 
that  is,  to  mortgage,  certain  branches  of  the  revenue  for  the  pay- 
ment of  the  capital  and  interest  of  loans  of  money. 


CHARLES    II.  329 

which  would  ultimately  obtain  the  superiority49.  CHAP. 
In  the  house  of  lords,  Shirley  hastened  to   revive      1675_ 


the  question  of  his  appeal.     Each   party  sought 

to  cast  on  the  other  the   odium   of  the  measure  ;  ^XeTon- 
but  the  subsequent  proceedings  shew  that  the  ap-  test  be- 
pellant  acted  under  the  advice,  or  by  the  instiga-  houses. 
tion  of  Shaftesbury  and  his  friends.     In  the  de- 
bate, which   was  continued   by  adjournment  for 
several  days,  that  nobleman  displayed  extraordi- 
nary   eloquence    and  warmth ;  and   obtained,   in 
defiance  of  the   ministers  and  the  prelates,   the 
appointment    of  a    day   for   the    hearing    of  the  Nov.  i- 
appeal.     It  might  be    that,  as  he  pretended,  he 
sought  to   establish  beyond  dispute  the  claim  of 
the  peerage ;  but  he  had  moreover  a  private  and 
more  interested  motive.     He  was  the  author  of  a 
pamphlet  recently  published,  under    the  title  of 
"  A  Letter  from  a  Person  of  Quality  to  a  Friend 
"  in  the  Country,"  purporting  to  detail  the  debate 
in  the  last  session   on  the   question   of  the    non- 
resisting  test.     This  tract   the  house   voted  "  a 
"  lying,  scandalous,  and   seditious  libel "  :  it  was 
ordered  to  be  burnt  by  the  hand  of  the  common 
hangman,  and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  dis- 
cover the  author,  printer,  and  publisher.     Under 
such   circumstances,   the   renewal  of  the  quarrel 
between   the  houses  offered  him  the  best   shelter 
from   prosecution.       In    the    commons,    attempts 
were  made  to  revive  the  violent  votes  of  the  last 

«  Com.  Journals,  Oct.  19.     Pari.  Hist.  iv.  751— 7.     Marvell,  i. 
252—68. 


330 


HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

C  Vv  P'  sess*on  against  the  claim  of  the  peers  ;  but  they 
kj7o.     were  constantly  defeated  by  the  court  party,  who 

on  this  subject  commanded  a  large  majority,  and 

Nov.  is.    procured  a  vote  for  a  conference,  "  to  preserve  a 
"  good   understanding  between  the  two  houses  ". 
In  that  meeting  they  suggested  that,  according  to 
the  royal  advice,  all  subjects  of  national  interest 
should  take  precedence  of  the  question  of  judica- 
ture ;  but  Shaftesbury  opposed  the  expedient  under 
different  pretexts,  and  a  resolution  was  carried  to 
hear  the   appeal  on  the  following  morning.     The 
resentment  of  the  commons   could  no    longer  be 
restrained ;    in  one  house   the  obnoxious    votes 
Nov.  20.    were  revived 50  ;  in  the  other,  lord  Mohun  moved 
an  address  for  the  dissolution  of  the  parliament. 
Thus  a  new   subject   of  contention    was  raised, 
which  called  forth  the  whole  strength  of  the  two 
parties.     The  popular  leaders  supported  the  mo- 
tion,  on    the  ground   that  frequent  parliaments 
were  required  by  the  ancient  constitution  of  the 
kingdom  ;  that  the   existing  house  of  commons, 
chosen  in  1661,  did  not  in  fact  represent  the  sense 
of  the  nation  in  1675 ;  and  that  the  pretensions 
which  it  set  forth,  the  violence  which  it  displayed, 
the   superiority  which  it  assumed,  had  led  to  a 
state  of  things,  in  which  the  parliament,  instead 
of  proving  a  national  benefit,  had  become  a  useless 


s°  Marvell,  i.  270,  1.     Com.  Journ.  Nov.  18,  19.     L.  Journals, 
xiii.  29. 


CHARLES  II.  531 

incumbrance  ;  but  that  with  a  new  house,  the  real  chap. 
representatives  of  the  people,  no  cause  of  dissension     1675 

would  exist ;  the   restoration  of  harmony  would 

enable  parliament  to  provide  for  every  interest, 
to  grant  supplies  to  the  crown,  to  establish  secu- 
rities for  the  church,  to  extend  indulgence  to  dis- 
senters, and  to  secure  to  the  catholics  the  posses- 
sion of  their    property    and  hereditary  honours. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  minister  and  his  adherents 
contended,  that  a  dissolution  was  both  unnecessary 
and  dangerous.     As   former  dissensions  between 
the  houses  had  been  healed,  so  the  present  was 
not  without  its  remedy.     Whatever  might  be  the 
faults  of  the  house  of  commons,  the  civil  and  re- 
ligious principles  of  its  members  had  been  proved. 
A  new  election  might  introduce  new  men,  hostile 
both  to    the    church    and    the    throne;    antimo- 
narchical  doctrines  might  regain  the  ascendancy; 
and  the  miseries   of  the  year  forty-one  might  be 
renewed.     Hitherto  the  duke  of  York,  however  he 
might  disapprove,  had   deemed  it  his  duty  to  ab- 
stain from  all  open  opposition  to  the  measures  of 
government ;  on  this  occasion  he  gave  his  powerful 
aid  to  lord  Mohun ;  and  his  example   drew  after 
it  the  support  of  his  adherents,  and  of  the  catho- 
lic peers.     The  minister  was  alarmed  ;  his  adver- 
saries out-numbered  his  followers  in  the  house ; 
and  it  was  only  through  the  aid  of  proxies  that  he 
was  able  to  obtain  the  small  majority  of  two  votes. 
The  consequence  was  an  immediate  prorogation  ;  Nov.  22. 


HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  not   for  a  short  space,  after   the  usual   manner, 
1675.     ^ut    f°r    *ne   unprecedented    duration   of    fifteen 


months  51. 


Account         During  this  session  an  adventurer  made  his  ap- 

Cy.  pearance  on  the  public  stage,  the  prototype  of  the 

celebrated  Titus  Oates.  He  was  a  foreigner,  the 
son  of  Beauchateau,  an  actress  in  Paris,  and  had 
passed,  with  little  credit  for  truth  or  integrity, 
through  the  several  situations  of  usher  in  a  school, 
servant  to  a  bishop,  inmate  in  a  monastery,  and 
companion  to  an  itinerant  missionary.  A  forgery, 
which  he  committed  at  Montdidier,  in  Picardy, 
compelled  him  to  flee  from  the  pursuit  of  justice  ; 
and  he  arrived  in  London,  under  a  feigned  name, 
without  money  and  without  friends.  But  his  in- 
genuity did  not  desert  him.  He  called  himself 
Hyppolite  du  Chastelet  de  Luzancy  ;  he  professed 
an  anxious  desire   to  conform  to  the   church  of 

July  1.  England  ;  and  in  the  pulpit  at  the  Savoy,  he  read 
his  abjuration, and  delivered  a  discourse,  statingthe 
grounds  of  his  conversion.  Instantly  the  French 
Jesuit  (so  he  was  now  styled)  became  an  object  of 
interest  to  the  zealous  and  the  charitable :  contri- 
butions flowed  to  him  from  numerous  quarters  ; 
and  his  only  anxiety  was  to  secure  the  means  of 
support  after  the  first  excitement,  which  he  had 

Oct.  4.      caused,  should  have  died  away.     About  the  middle 


51  L.  Journ.  xiii.  33.  According  to  the  list  preserved  in  Old- 
mixon,  the  contents  were  forty-one  temporal  peers  and  seven 
proxies ;  the  non-contents,  twenty-one  temporal  peers,  thirteen 
bishops,  and  sixteen  proxies.     Oldmix.  594. 


CHARLES  II.  333 

of  the  session,  he  gave  information  to  some  of  the  CHAP, 
popular  leaders,  that,  about  a  month  before,  father     1G75. 


St.  Germain,  who,  for  greater  effect,  was  described 

as  confessor  to  the  duchess  of  York,  had  surprised 
him  in  his  lodgings,  and,  holding  a  poniard  to  his 
breast,  had  compelled  him  with  the  threat  of  in- 
stant death,  to   sign  a  recantation  and  a  promise 
to  return  to  his  native  country.     Neither  the  im- 
probability of  the  tale,  nor  the  time  that  had  been 
suffered  to  elapse,  seems  to  have  awakened  suspi- 
cion.    Lord  Hollis  communicated   the  important  Nov.  8. 
intelligence    to  the   king  in   the  house  of  lords  ; 
lord  Russel  introduced  it  to  the  notice  of  the  house 
of  commons  ;  and  the  parliament,  the  court,  the 
city,  the  country,  resounded  with  cries  of  astonish- 
ment at  the  insolence  of  the   papists.     The  king 
published  a  proclamation  for  the  arrest  of  St.  Ger- 
main,   wherever  he  might    be   found;  the   lords 
brought  in  a  bill  for  the  encouragement  of  monks 
and  friars  in  foreign  parts  to  leave  their  convents, 
and  embrace  the  reformed  faith  ;  and  the  commons 
ordered  the  lord  chief  justice  to  issue  his  warrant 
for  the  apprehension  of  all  catholic  priests  ;  re- 
commended Luzancy  to  the  protection  and  bounty 
of  the  king,  and  passed  a  bill  for  the  exclusion  of 
papists  from  the  two  houses  of  parliament,  and 
from  the  court.    The  convert  was  examined  before 
the  privy  council  and  a  committee  of  the  house. 
He  persisted  in  his  former  tale  ;  he  added,  that  he 
had  learned  from  some  French  merchants,  that  in 
a  short  time  protestant  blood  would  flow  through 


3U4  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  the  streets  of  London,  and  from  St.  Germain  that 
1673      the  king  was  at  heart  a  catholic,  that  the  declara- 

tion  of  indulgence  had  been  framed  for  the  pur- 
pose of  introducing  popery,  and  that  there  was  an 
infinite  number  of  priests  and  Jesuits  in  London, 
who  did  great  service  to  God.  But  the  minds  of 
men  began  to  cool.  His  additional  information, 
which  was  merely  a  repetition  of  the  idle  reports 
circulated  in  the  coffee-houses,  did  not  serve  to 
raise  his  credit  for  veracity ;  and  when  he  was 
told  to  produce  his  witnesses,  the  absence  of  some, 
and  the  utter  worthlessness  of  the  others,  shook 
the  faith  of  his  supporters.  About  the  same  time, 
Du  Maresque,  a  French  clergyman  of  the  re- 
formed church,  published  a  history  of  his  adven- 
tures in  France  ;  and  soon  afterwards  a  pamphlet 
appeared,  detailing  the  particulars  of  his  life  in 
the  metropolis,  and  refuting  his  charge  against 
St.  Germain  :  and,  though  Du  Maresque  was 
severely  censured  by  the  bishop  of  London,  and 
the  distributor  of  the  pamphlet  threatened  by  the 
privy  council,  the  prosecution  of  the  inquiry  was 
at  first  suspended,  and,  for  obvious  reasons,  never 
afterwards  resumed  5a. 


52  Com.  Jo u in.  Nov.  8.  L.  Journ.  xiii.  21.  Pari.  Hist.iv.  780. 
Marvell,  i.  265,  6.  Reresby,  29 — 31.  Wood,  Ath.  Oxon.  iv\  par. 
ii.col.  350,  1.  Compton,  the  new  bishop  of  London,  and  the  "great 
"  patron  of  converts  from  popery,"  (Burnet,  ii.  88.)  ordained  Lu- 
zancy  about  Christmas,  and  sent  him  to  Oxford,  where,  on  Ja- 
nuary 27th,  he  was  admitted  master  of  arts,  at  the  recommenda- 
tion of  Ormond,  the  chancellor.  While  he  remained  in  Oxford,  a 
transaction  of  a  swindling  description  brought  his  name  before  a 


CHARLES  II. 


I  shall  conclude  this  chapter  with  a  few  notices  CHAP, 
respecting  the  transactions  in  the  two  kingdoms      166j 
of  Scotland  and  Ireland. — I.  In  Scotland  the  chief 


attention  of  the  government  was  devoted  to  the  Transae- 

°  tions  in 

difficult  task  of  maintaining  the  episcopal  autho-  Scotland. 
rity,  in  opposition  to  the  religious  feelings  of  the 
people.     That  Charles   disapproved  of  the  seve- 
rities, which  had  driven  the  western  covenanters 
into    rebellion,    cannot    be    doubted,  and   it  was 
observed  that,  in   proportion  as  the  influence  of 
Clarendon  declined,   more  lenient  measures  were 
recommended   to  the  Scottish  council.     The  pu-     lfifii. 
nishment  for  the  refusal  of  the  declaration  was  March  12- 
restricted  to  the  imprisonment  of  the   offender  ; 
the   regular  troops,  which  had  been  so  actively 
employed  in    the  execution   of    the   penal    laws, 
were  disbanded  ;    archbishop   Sharp   received  an  Aug.  10. 
order  to  attend   to  the  spiritual  concerns  of  his 
diocese ;  and    Rothes  was  deprived  of  his    high 
office  of  royal  commissioner ;  though,   to  console 
his  wounded   feelings,   he  obtained  in  return  the 
chancellorship   for   life.      The    earl  of  Tweedale  Oct.  io. 
succeeded  him  as  head   of  the  government ;  but 
Lauderdale,  by  his   office  of    secretary   of  state, 
possessed  superior   influence  with   the  sovereign. 
Both  of  these  noblemen  were  presbyterians  by 


court  of  justice :  soon  afterwards  the  nation  was  thrown  into  a 
ferment  by  the  pretended  discoveries  of  Titus  Oates;  and  Ln- 
zancy,  "  by  favour  of  the  bishop  of  London/'  was  admitted,  "  ad 
"  pres.  reyis,"  vicar  of  Dover-court,  in  Essex,  18th  Dec.  1678. 
Ibid. 


336'  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

chat,  principle;  but  they  disregarded  the  nice  distinc- 
16(,;      tions  of  the  theologians,  arid  persuaded  themselves 

that  by  mutual  concession  the  two  parties  might 

be  brought  to  coalesce.  Their  object,  therefore, 
was  to  maintain  the  episcopal  establishment,  but 
at  the  same  time  to  offer  to  its  adversaries  such 
terms  as  might  induce  them  to  desist  from  all 
active  opposition.  To  the  covenanters  in  the 
west  it  was  proposed,  that  the  government  should 
abstain  from  prosecution  for  past  offences,  pro- 
vided they  would  bind  themselves  to  keep  the 
peace,  under  the  penalty  of  forfeiting  one  year's 
rent  of  their  respective  estates.  But  here  a  theo- 
logical question  arose.  What,  it  was  asked,  did 
the  council  understand  by  keeping  the  peace? 
"  To  perform  the  duties  of  righteousness  com- 
"  manded  by  the  law  of  God  ?  "  This  was  an 
obligation  incumbent  on  all  Christians.  Not  to 
violate  the  laws,  which  had  been  made  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  covenant  ?  Such  an  engagement  was 
unlawful  and  anti-christian.  That  the  latter  was 
the  real  meaning,  could  not  be  doubted  :  if  many 
submitted,  a  greater  number  refused  to  subscribe 
the  bonds ;  and  Tweedale,  after  a  short  trial, 
abandoned  a  measure,  which  seemed  more  likely 
to  produce  disturbance  than  tranquillity'3. 
Attempt  About  this  time  happened  an  event  which  re- 
ef sharp.0  vived  the  angry  passions  of  the  two  parties, 
Among  the   men,  who  had  fought  for  the  cove- 

53  Wodrov.-,  277,  8.     Kirkton,  2GG,  272.     Burnet,  i.  !U,  120. 
Lamout,  252. 


CHAET.ES    II.  3"7 

nant  at  Bullion  Green,  was  "  a  youth  of  much  C  H  A  P. 
"  zeal  and  piety  ",  named  James  Mitchell.    After     1668\ 
the  defeat  he  brooded  over  the  sufferings  of  his 


brethren,  till  he  had  wound  up  his  mind  to  the  a  y 
highest  pitch  of  enthusiasm ;  and  believed  that 
he  felt  a  call  from  Heaven  to  avenge  the  blood  of 
the  martyrs  on  the  apostate  and  persecuting  pre- 
late, archbishop  Sharp.  It  was  a  little  after  mid- 
day :  the  archbishop's  carriage  drove  to  the  door, 
and  Mitchell  took  his  station  with  a  loaded  pistol 
in  his  hand.  Sharp  came  from  the  house,  fol- 
lowed by  Honeyman,  bishop  of  Orkney.  The 
first  had  already  seated  himself,  when  the  assassin 
discharged  his  pistol ;  but  at  the  very  moment 
Honejmian  raised  his  arm  to  enter  the  carriage, 
and  received  the  ball  in  his  wrist.  To  the  cry 
that  a  man  was  killed,  a  voice  replied,  "  It  is  only 
"  a  bishop  ".  Mitchell  crossed  the  street,  walked 
quietly  away,  changed  his  coat,  and  mixed  again 
with  the  crowd.  The  council  offered  a  tempting 
reward  for  the  apprehension  of  the  assassin ;  but 
six  years  elapsed  befor  he  was  discovered  M.  indul- 

This  daring  outrage  did  not,  however,  provoke  |Sed° 
Tweedale   to  recede  from  his  purpose.     He  still  ministers. 

16G9. 

54  Wodrow,  292.  Kirkton,  278.  Burnet,  i.  481.  It  was  urged 
in  defence  of  Mitchell,  that  he  acted  like  Phineas,  by  divine 
impulse.  Annand,  dean  of  Edinburgh,  replied,  that  could  hot  be, 
otherwise  he  would  have  succeeded  in  the  attempt.  To  evade 
this  argument,  it  was  remarked,  that  "  Israel  failed  against  the 
"  city  of  Ai,  because  there  was  an  Achan  in  the  camp,  and,  alas  ! 
"  there  are  many  Achans  in  the  camp  of  our  Israel."  Kirkton, 
366,  note. 

VOL.    XII.  Z 


338  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  hoped  to  win  by  conciliation,  where  he  despaired 
1669      °f  Prevailing  by  severity.    He  made  to  the  ejected 

ministers  an  offer,  called  '•'  the  indulgence  ",  that 

June  7.  tnev  might  enter  on  their  former  churches,  if 
these  were  vacant,  or  on  any  other  at  the  nomi- 
nation of  the  patron,  enjoy  the  manse  and  glebe 
without  stipulation,  and  in  addition  receive  the 
annual  stipend,  provided  they  would  accept  col- 
lation from  the  bishop,  and  attend  the  presbyteries 
and  synods.  The  moderation  of  the  proposal 
alarmed  the  more  zealous,  or  more  fanatic  of  the 
covenanters ;  they  pronounced  it  a  snare  for  the 
consciences  of  the  unwary :  besides  the  consent 
of  the  patron,  a  call  from  the  parish  was  necessary 
for  the  lawful  exercise  of  the  ministry ;  and, 
moreover,  to  accept  any  ecclesiastical  office  at  the 
invitation  of  the  civil  power,  was  a  backsliding 
towards  Erastianism.  In  defiance  of  this  reason- 
ing, three-and -forty  ministers  accepted  the  offer 
of  the  government,  but  they  soon  discovered  that, 
at  the  same  time,  they  had  forfeited  the  confi- 
dence of  the  people.  They  no  longer  preached 
with  the  fervid  eloquence  of  men  suffering  perse- 
cution. Their  exhortations  to  the  practice  of 
virtue  and  godliness  appeared  dull  and  lifeless,  in 
comparison  with  the  fierce  invectives  which  they 
formerly  poured  forth  against  apostates  and  op- 
pressors. It  was  inferred  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
had  abandoned  them  ;  that  they  were  become  as 
"  dumb  dogs  that  could  not  bark";  and  their 
churches  were  deserted  for  the  ministry  of  those 


CHARLES  II.  S&9 

who se  fanatical  language  harmonized  better  with  CHAP, 
the  excited  feelings  of  their  hearers  5i.  166g 

Tweedale  hitherto  had  acted  by  the  advice,  and . 

been   supported  by  the  influence  of  Lauderdale  •  Proce.ed- 

rr  J  mgs  m 

At  length  that  nobleman  came  himself  to  Scot-  parlia- 
land,  and  held  a  parliament  with  the  title  of  royal  ~     '  „ 

L  J        Oct.  19. 

commissioner.  1°.  Its  first  act  was  to  enable  the 
king  to  appoint  commissioners,  authorised  to  treat 
with  certain  commissioners  from  England,  respect- 
ing an  union  of  the  two  kingdoms  ;  a  wise  and 
beneficial  measure,  which  Charles  had  much  at 
heart,  but  which  he  was  never  able  to  accomplish. 
In  England,  it  was  opposed  through  distrust  of 
the  royal  motives  ;  in  Scotland,  through  fear  that 
it  would  be  accompanied  with  the  loss  of  national 
independence.  2°.  It  had  been  discovered,  that 
the  indulgence  so  lately  granted  was  a  violation 
of  the  laws  for  the  establishment  of  episcopacy : 
and,  to  secure  it  from  disturbance,  and  its  authors 
from  prosecution,  the  act  of  allegiance  was  con- 
verted into  an  act  of  unqualified  supremacy,  de- 
claring the  external  government  of  the  church  an 
inherent  right  of  the  crown,  and  giving  the  force 
of  law  to  all  acts,  orders,  and  constitutions  respect- 
ing that  government,  or  ecclesiastical  meetings,  or 
the  matters  to  be  proposed  and  determined  in  such 
meetings,  provided  those  acts,  orders,  and  consti- 
tutions, were  recorded  and  published  by  the  lords 
of  the  privy  council.     3°.  When  the  regular  army 

Wodrow,  304.     Kirkton,  288.     Burnet,  i.  488. 

z    2 


340  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  was  disbanded,  it  had  been  deemed  prudent  to 
1669      raise  the  militia  of  horse  and  foot,  voted  in  the 

parliament  of  1663:  and  the  men  had  been  em- 
bodied and  armed  in  all  but  the  western  counties, 
where  it  would  have  been  madness  to  put  weapons 
into  the  hands  of  enthusiasts,  ready,  at  the  first 
call  of  their  leaders,  to  break  into  rebellion.  It 
was  now  not  only  declared  that  the  right  to  levy 
and  command  the  army  resided  in  the  crown,  but 
moreover  enacted,  that  the  forces  so  levied  should 
march  into  any  part  of  the  king's  dominions  in 
pursuance  of  orders  transmitted  to  them  from  the 
privy  council.  These  two  acts  excited  surprise 
both  in  Scotland  and  England.  By  the  first  every 
vestige  of  the  independence  of  the  church  was 
swept  away  :  by  the  second,  the  king  was  placed 
at  the  head  of  a  standing  army  of  twenty  thou- 
sand men,  bound  to  execute  his  orders,  and  to 
march  into  any  part  of  his  dominions.  It  might, 
indeed,  be  doubted  whether  these  words  could  be 
so  construed  as  to  extend  to  England,  where  the 
Scottish  parliament  could  claim  no  authority ;  but 
the  leaders  of  the  opposition  in  England  chose  to 
interpret  them  in  that  sense,  and  to  make  them 
on  that  account  one  ground  of  their  address  for 
the  removal  of  Lauderdale  from  the  councils  and 
the  presence  of  the  sovereign 56. 


s"  Wodrow,  309 ;  App.  No.  35.  Kirkton,  301,  3.  Lamont,  267. 
Burnet,  i.  492,  4,  5. 


CHARLES    II.  341 

Though  the  recent   act  of  supremacy  shocked  CHAP, 
the   religious   feelings   of  every   true   son   of  the     x    ^ 

kirk,  the  government  persisted  in  its  former  plan 

of  conciliation.       Burnet,  who  had  opposed   the  Act. 

_  *■  *  against 

indulgence,  because  it  gave  jurisdiction  without  field-con- 
collation  from  the  bishop,  was  compelled  by  threats 
to  resign  the  archiepiscopal  see  of  Glasgow ; 
Leighton,  a  prelate  of  more  moderate  principles, 
succeeded  in  his  place ;  and  several  ministers 
were  again  admitted  by  "  indulgence  "  into  vacant 
churches.  Still  the  obstinacy  of  the  majority  re- 
fused every  proposal  ;  the  conventicles  grew  more 
numerous  ;  and  the  regular  curates  were  exposed 
to  so  many  insults  and  injuries  from  the  zeal  of 
their  opponents,  that  those  who  obeyed,  were  said 
to  suffer  no  less  than  those  who  transgressed,  the 
law.  The  council  determined  to  combine  severity 
with  indulgence  ;  and,  while  they  observed  the 
terms  which  had  been  granted  to  the  more  mode- 
rate, condemned  to  imprisonment  the  ministers 
who  had  preached  at  illegal  assemblies,  and  ex- 
acted fines  from  the  persons  who  had  afforded  the 
opportunity  of  committing  the  offence.  But  field- 
conventicles  became  a  special  object  of  alarm. 
From  the  stubborn  and  enthusiastic  character  of 
the  men  who  frequented  them,  they  were  consi- 
dered as  nurseries  of  sedition  and  treason ;  and, 
in  the  next  session  of  parliament,  Lauderdale 
asked  for  some  legal  provision  to  abate  so  danger- 
ous a  practice.  It  was  enacted  that  every  unau-  1670. 
thorised  meeting  for  religious  worship,  even  in  a  July  28' 


342  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  private  house,  should  be  deemed  a  field  conven- 
jg-o      tide,  if  any  of  the  hearers  stood  in  the  open  air ; 

>  and  that  every  minister,  who  preached  or  prayed 

on  any  such  occasion,  during-  the  three  following 
years,  should  incur  the  forfeiture  of  his  property, 
and  the  punishment  of  death.  The  covenanters 
exclaimed  loudly  against  the  cruelty  of  the  enact- 
ment ;  though  such  complaint  came  with  less 
grace  from  men,  who  had  formerly  demanded  and 
enforced  laws  of  still  greater  inhumanity  against 
the  professors  of  the  catholic  faith.  The  sequel, 
however,  showed  that  the  measure  was  not  only 
inhuman,  it  was  also  impolitic.  It  did  not  put 
down  the  field-conventicles,  but  it  changed  them 
into  conventicles  of  armed  men57. 
Attempt  Before  the  terror,  excited  by  this  act,  had  sub- 
«*  prehen-  sided,  the  commissioner,  with  the  aid  of  Leighton, 
■<  sion  ".  wj10  on  £jie  resignation  of  Burnet  had  been  trans- 
lated to  Glasgow,  made  an  attempt  to  restore 
tranquillity  by  "  a  comprehension"  of  the  dissent- 
ing ministers.  The  sole  condition  required  was, 
that  they  should  attend  presbyteries  as  they  were 
established  before  the  year  1638  ;  and  to  make 
this  the  less  objectionable,  it  was  offered  that  the 
bishops  should  waive  their  claim  of  a  negative 
voice,  and  that  all  who  pleased,  should  be  at  liber- 
ty to  protest  against  it.  But  many  saw,  or  thought 
that  they  saw,  even  in  this  proposal,  a  conspiracy 


57  Kirkton,  301.  5.     Wodrow,  329 ;  App.  p.   130.     Burnetii. 
590.     Salmon,  Examin.  586. 


Aug.  9. 


CHARLES    II.  3U 

to  Undermine  the  rights  of  the  kirk.     In  a  few  chap. 
years  a  new  race  of  ministers  would  succeed,  less     167'0 

aware  of  the  arts  of  their  enemies,  and  less  ha- 

bitnated  to  contest  the  authority  of  the  bishops  : 
those  prelates  would  gradually  resume  their  claims, 
and  the  presidents  would  ultimately  become  the 
masters  of  their  respective  presbyteries.  It  was 
therefore  replied,  that  such  assemblies  could  bear 
no  resemblance  to  those  which  existed  before  the 
year  1638.  They  had  no  power  of  the  keys,  no 
ordination,  no  jurisdiction.  The  bishop  would  be 
bishop  still,  though  he  should  abstain  from  the 
exercise  of  his  negative  voice.  To  assent  to 
such  terms  would  be  an  apostacy  from  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  kirk, — "  an  homologation  of  episco- 
"  pacy"  59. 

The   religious  dissensions   continued,   and    the  The  se- 
ministers  and  their  hearers  were  occasionally  irn-  didgence. 
prisoned  and  fined  for  their  violations  of  the  law.    1672. 
In  1672,  Lauderdale  returned   to  Scotland   with  Ap 
the  title   of  duke,  and  accompanied  by  the  coun- 
tess of  Uysart,  whom    he  had  recently  married. 
She  had  long   been  reputed   his  mistress 59 ;  and 
has    been   described  as   a   proud,    rapacious,  and 


■">'>  Wodrow,  335,  App.  p.  132,  3.  Kirkton,  296.  Burnet,  i. 
476,  503,  513. 

*  In  a  suppressed  passage  in  Burnet,  that  writer  says  :  "  I  was 
"  in  great  doubt  whether  it  was  fit  for  me  to  see  Lauderdale's 
"  mistress.  Sir  Robert  Murray  put  an  end  to  that.  For  he  as- 
"  sured  me  there  was  nothing  in  that  commerce  between  them 
"  besides  a  vast  fondness."  i.  518. 


344  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  despotic  woman,  possessing  unlimited   dominion 

iG?i     over  the  mind  of  her  husband'  and  making  him 

the  obsequious  minister  of  her  passions.     It  was 

intended  that  a  second  indulgence  should  be  grant- 
ed in  Scotland,  to  correspond  with  the  celebrated 
declaration  which  had  been  issued   in   England. 
But  Lauderdale  previously  held  a  short  session  of 
parliament,  in  which,  to  prevent  the  succession  of 
ministers   in  the  kirk,  severe  punishments  were 
enacted  against  the  ordainers  and  the  ordained, 
and  the  duration  of  the  act  against  field-conven- 
ticles  was  prolonged  for  three   additional  years. 
At  last  he  determined  to  publish  the  instrument 
which   for  months  had  been  expected,  by  many 
with  hope,  by   more  with   distrust.      It   named 
about  eighty  ejected  ministers  ;    ordered  them  to 
repair  to  certain  churches,  and  gave  them  liberty 
to  exercise  all  the  duties  of  their  office  within  the 
limits  of  their  respective  parishes,  but  with  a  se- 
vere injunction  to  abstain  from  all  religious  exer- 
ts,   cises  in  any  other  district.     The  consequence  was 
a  schism  in  the  body,  which  was  not  easily  closed. 
About  one-fourth  of  the  ministers  named  in  the 
indulgence  refused  to  obey,  and  were  confined  by 
order  of  council  in   particular  places  :    the  rest 
accepted  the  churches  which  had  been  allotted  to 
them,  having  previously    given    their   testimony 
against    the    Erastianism    of   the    measure.      Its 
framers  had   reason   to   be  satisfied.     The  more 
opulent  of  the  covenanters  attended  the  service  of 


CHARLES  II.  345 

the  indulged  ministers,  and  the  number  of  con-  CHAP, 
venticles  was  diminished  60.  167'3 


During  this    protracted  struggle   between    the 


government  and  its   religious  opponents,  scarcely  ^l^1" 
a  murmur  of  disapprobation  had  been  heard  in  parlia- 
the  Scottish  parliament.     It  seemed  as  if  Charles, 
at  the  restoration,  had  ascended  a  despotic  throne, 
and  the  supreme  council  was  of  no  other  use  than 
to  record  the  edicts  of  the  sovereign.     The  conse- 
quence   was,    that    the     officers    of  government 
extended    and    abused    their    authority ;     every 
department    was    filled    with     the    relatives    and 
dependents  of  the  commissioner ;  and  these  made 
it  their  chief  object  to  enrich  themselves  at  the 
expense  of  the  country.     But  that  spirit  of  re- 
ristance,  which  had  so   obstinately  and   success- 
fully warred  with  the  advocates  of  the  court  in 
the  parliament  of  England,  aroused,  at  length,  a 
similar  spirit  in  that  of  Scotland ;  and  a  plan  of 
opposition,  unknown  to  Lauderdale,  was  carefully 
arranged,  among  the  old  cavaliers  and  his  political 
enemies.     When  he  opened  the  next  session,  he    1673. 
demanded   with  his  usual  confidence  a    plentiful  Nov- l2- 
grant  of  money  to  aid  the  king  in  his  war  against 
the  States.     The  young  duke  of  Hamilton  rose  ; 


Co  Wodrow,  3.51.  Kirkton,  315,  326,  334.  Burnet  gives  him- 
self out  as  the  deviser  of  this  plan,  i.  520.  Lauderdale  had  16,000/. 
allowed  him  for  his  outfit,  as  chief  governor,  with  a  salary  of  50/. 
per  day,  while  the  parliament  sate  ;  and  10/.  or  15/.  per  day  dur- 
ing the  rest  of  the  year.     Wodrow,  App.  p.  1 18. 


340'  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  but,  instead  of  expressing  an  obsequious  assent,  he 
jg^3      called  the  attention  of  the  house  to  the  grievances 

of  the  nation:  the  coin  had  been  adulterated  under 

Hatton,  the  master  of  the  mint,  and  Lauderdale's 
brother  ;  by  new  regulations  in  the  customs,  the 
price  of  salt,  of  brandy,  and  of  tobacco,  had  been 
raised ;  monopolies  in  all  these  articles  were 
enjoyed  by  the  friends  of  the  minister,  and  the 
administration  of  justice  was  polluted  by  personal 
interests  and  animosities.  Other  speakers  followed, 
and  all  were  careful  to  echo  the  sentiments  of 
Hamilton.  The  commissioner  was  amazed  and 
alarmed.  He  endeavoured  to  intimidate ;  he  ad- 
journed the  session  for  a  week  ;  he  abolished  the 
monopolies  ;  but  he  could  not  dissolve  the  combi- 
nation, or  satisfy  the  demands  of  his  adversaries. 
Hamilton  and  Tweedale  repaired  to  London  to 
lay  their  grievances  before  the  monarch  ;  Kincar- 
dine was  despatched  to  oppose  them  ;  and  Charles, 
while  he  laboured  to  appease  the  discontent  of  one 
party,  religiously  observed  his  promise  not  to  de- 
May  12.  sert  tne  other.  But  all  his  efforts  to  conciliate 
May  19.  were  fruitless  :  another  prorogation  took  place  ; 
and,  before  it  expired,  the  parliament  was  dis- 
solved 6l. 


6<  Burnet,  ii.  19—33,  36.  Wodrow,  364,  369.  Kirkton,  339— 
342.  If  the  reader  compare  the  character  of  Lauderdale,  drawn 
by  Burnet  in  the  dedication  of  his  four  conferences,  published  at 
this  time,  with  the  character  of  the  same  noblemen,  drawn  by  him 
in  the  History  of  his  Own  Times,  he  will  form  no  very  favourable 
opinion  of  the  veracity  of  that  writer. 


CHARLES  II. 


347 


In  the  enumeration  of  grievances,  the  principal,  CHAP, 
the    persecution    of  the    covenanters,  had    never      167'3. 
been  mentioned.     Since  the  last  act  of  supremacy. 


religious   subjects    were    avoided,    as    forbidden  0f  conven- 
ground     on   which    it   was    dangerous   to    tread. ticles- 
Lauderdale,  however,  took  it  into  consideration, 
and  published  an  act  of  grace,  pardoning  every 
offence  against  any  of  the  conventicle  acts  com- 
mitted before  the  fourth  of  March,  1674.     If  by 
this  concession  he  sought  to  conciliate  the  minds 
of  the  covenanters,  he  was  disappointed  ;  for  they 
attributed  his  lenity  to  weakness,  and  looked  on 
pardon  for  the  past  as  an  encouragement  to  new 
transgressions.     From  that  day,  the  cause  of  these 
religionists  made  constant  progress.    In  the  north, 
indeed,  they  were  but  few  ;  and  in  the  west  they 
might  attend  without  impediment  the  service  of 
the   indulged  ministers;    but  from   the    English 
borders   to  the  river  Tay  the   conventicles    con- 
tinued  to  multiply.        They   were   held    in   the 
vacant  churches,  in  private  houses,  in  the   open 
air;     on   every    sabbath,   crowds   assembled,  for 
the  purpose  of  worship,  around  a  lofty  pole,  fixed 
in  a  glen,  on  a  monntain,  or  in   the  midst  of  a 
morass  ;  and  the  minds  of  the  people  were  occu- 
pied during  the  week  with  conversation  respecting 
the  gifts  and  doctrine  of  the  preachers,  the  dangers 
which  they  had  run,  the  persecutions  which  they 
had  suffered,   and  the  place  and  time  appointed 
for  the  next  conventicle.     A  spirit  of  the  most 
ardent  and  obstinate  fanaticism  animated  the  great 


348 


HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 


C  II A  P. 
IV. 

1607. 

Ireland. 


1667. 


Rccal  of 
Ormond. 


mass  of  the  population  ;  and  hostility  to  episco- 
pacy was  coupled  with  hostility  to  that  govern- 
ment by  which  episcopacy  was  maintained62. 

II.  The  history  of  Ireland  during  the  same 
period  furnishes  but  little  that  can  interest  the 
general  reader.  The  English  act  of  parliament, 
prohibiting  the  importation  of  Irish  cattle,  had 
reduced  the  agricultural  classes  in  Ireland  to  the 
lowest  distress;  and  Ormond,  the  lord-lieutenant, 
who  was  himself  a  principal  sufferer,  employed  all 
his  power  and  ingenuity  to  discover  and  open  new 
sources  of  industry  and  new  channels  of  commerce. 
A  free  trade  was  permitted  between  Ireland  and 
all  foreign  countries,  whether  at  peace  or  war  with 
the  king  of  Great  Britain  :  the  introduction  of 
Scottish  woollens  was  prohibited,  as  a  measure  of 
retaliation  against  the  Scots,  who,  after  the  ex- 
ample of  the  English  parliament,  had  forbidden 
the  importation  of  Irish  cattle  into  Scotland  :  and, 
to  encourage  the  manufacture  of  woollen  and 
linen  cloths,  five  hundred  Walloon  families,  from 
the  neighbourhood  of  Canterbury,  and  an  equal 
number  from  Flanders,  were  induced  to  settle  in 
Ireland  63.     But  after  the  fall  of  Clarendon,  it  was 


62  Wodrow,  366.  Kirkton,  343.  "  At  these  great  meetings 
"  many  a  sovd  was  converted  to  Jesns  Christ ;  but  far  more  turned 
"  from  the  bishops  to  profess  themselves  presbyterians.  The 
"  paroch  churches  of  the  curates  came  to  be  like  pest-houses; 
"  few  went  to  any  of  them,  and  none  to  some:  so  the  doors  were 
"  keptlockt."  Ibid. 

6J  Carte,  ii.  342,  4. 


CHAItLES  II.  349 

not  the  intention  of  those  who  succeeded  in  the  CHAP, 
administration,  to  leave  his  friend  Ormond  at  the     166'7. 

head  of  the  Irish  government.     His  conduct  was  

scrutinized  and  censured  ;  charges  of  oppression 
of  individuals,  and  mismanagement  of  the  revenue, 
were  brought  against  him  ;  and  the  duke  hastened    i6gs. 
to    London  to  defend  his    character  against  the  April  24. 
intrigues  of  his  enemies.     For  almost  a  year  his 
fate   hung    in    suspense.       The   good-nature   of 
Charles  shrunk  from  the  idea  of  unkindness  to- 
wards an  old    and  faithful  servant ;  his  love  of 
ease  could  not  resist  the  obstinate  and  repeated 
importunities  of  Buckingham  and  his  colleagues. 
At  length  a  promise  was  wrung  from  the  reluctant 
monarch ;   and,   after   a   protracted  struggle,  he    1669 
announced  to  Ormond   his  removal,  but  in  Ian-  Feb.  14. 
guage  the  most  flattering  and  affectionate  which 
he  could  devise.     Lord   Robartes,  a  man  of  rigid 
notions,  and  repulsive  manners,  was  appointed  to     Sep. 
the  vacant  office,  which  he  only  held  long  enough 
to  earn  the  dislike  of  the  Irish,  and  to  disappoint 
the    expectations    of  the    cabinet.      After    seven    ifi70. 
months,  he  was  recalled,  to  make  place   for  lord    May. 
Berkeley,    of    Stratton,    who    had    distinguished 
himself  by  his  hostility  to  Clarendon,  and  would 
not,   it  was    supposed,  be    unwilling  to  discover 
grounds    of  complaint   or   impeachment   against 
Ormond  6i. 


6<  Carte,  ii.  375,  9,  413.  Pepys,  iv.  101,  191,  246.  "Ormond 
"  had  none  that  took  his  part  but  his  R.  II.,  (the  duke  of  York,) 
"  who  thought  it  very  scandalous  that  one,  who  had  always  been 


350  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAT.       Eight  years  had   now  elapsed  since  the  act  of 
l6?0     settlement,  five   since  the   act  of  explanation  was 
passed  ;  still  these  measures  had  been  but  imper- 


Claims  of  fectly  executed,  on  account  of  the  conflicting  na- 

the  na-  J  » 

tives.  ture  of  the  claims,  and  the  deficiency  of  the  fund 
for  reprisals.  Not  only  the  thousands  whom  the 
law  debarred  from  all  relief,  but  many  of  those 
whom  it  took  under  protection,  loudly  complained 

Nov.  28.  °f  injustice;  and,  after  the  arrival  of  the  new 
chief  governor,  six  peers,  and  forty-five  gentlemen, 
ventured  to  subscribe  a  petition  to  the  king,  ex- 
plaining their  wrongs,  and  earnestly  imploring 
redress.  Charles  compassionated  the  sufferings  of 
men,  most  of  whom  had  devoted  themselves  to  his 
service  during  the  time  of  his  exile ;  and  the 
ministers  were  ready  to  accede  to  any  measure 
which  would  throw  discredit  on  their  predecessors 
1671.     in  office.     Though   Ormond  came  forward  to  op- 

Feb.  l.    p0Se  tjle  praver  0f  the  petitioners  ;  though  Finch, 

Commis-     ,i  , ,  ,  , 

sionofre-the  attorney  general,  pronounced  against  then- 
view,  claim  ;  a  committee  was  appointed  to  review  the 
^b"  *'  settlement  of  Ireland ;  and,  on  a  representation 
that  their  powers  were  defective,  they  afterwards 
obtained  authority  to  send  for  persons,  papers, 
and  records  ;  and  to  require  information  from  all 
officers  under  the  crown.  The  commissioners 
were,  prince  Rupert,  the  duke  of  Buckingham,  the 
earls  of  Lauderdale  and  Anglesey,  the  lords  Hollis, 


"  so  loyal,  should  be  prosecuted  and  run  down  by  men,  who  had 
«  been  most  of  them  downright  rebels,  or  little  better."  James, 
i.  43.5. 


CHARLES  II.  351 

and  Ashley,  secretary  Trevor,  and  Sir  Thomas  CHAP. 
Chicheley.    They  proceeded  slowly  :   more  than  a     167g 

year  was  employed  in  the  examination  of  papers 

and  witnesses,  in  comparing  the  arguments  of  the 
petitioners  with  the  contrary  claims  of  the  soldiers, 
adventurers,  and  purchasers  of  lands  in  Connaught; 
and  in  hearing  the  complaints  brought  against  the 
duke  of  Ormond,  and  his  defence  of  his  conduct. 
The  duration  of  the  commission,  and  its  renewal    1673. 
with  more  extensive  powers,  raised  the  hopes  of       ' 17' 
the   natives  ;    but    their    opponents   sought    the 
powerful  aid  of  the  English  house  of  commons, 
which  had  lately  compelled  the  king  to  rescind  the 
declaration  of  indulgence,  and  had  passed  several 
resolutions  expressive   of  their  hatred  to  popery 
and  its  professors.     The  cause  was  warmly  taken 
up  by  the  popular  leaders ;  and  an  address  was  March  25. 
presented  to  the  king,  demanding  the  revocation 
of  the  commission,  the  maintenance  of  the  act  of 
settlement  in  Ireland,  the  banishment  of  the  catho- 
lic priests  from  that  kingdom,  the  expulsion  of  all 
catholic  inhabitants  out  of  Irish  corporations,  and 
the   punishment  of  colonel  Richard  Talbot,  who 
had  acted  as  agent  for  the  natives  before  the  com- 
mission.    Charles  briefly  replied,  that  on  all  these  Commis- 
particulars  it  would  be  his  care  that  no  man  should  soiVecl.~ 
have  reason  to  complain ;  and,  in   the  course  of  March  26. 
a  few  days,  the  commission  was  dissolved,  and  the 
prospect  of  relief  for  ever  closed  to  the  great  body 
of  the  petitioners.     The  king,  indeed,  still  cherish- 
ed the   hope  of  mitigating  their  sufferings.     He 


IV. 

1673. 


352  HISTORY    OF    ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  appointed  a  committee  of  the  council  to  reconsider 
the  subject ;  but  no  other  benefit  resulted  from 
their  deliberation,  than  the  trifling  addition  of 
2000/.  per  annum  to  a  fund  which  had  already 
been  provided  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  pen- 
sions to  the  twenty  nominees  in  the  act  of  expla- 
nation 65. 


es  Carte,  ii.  427,  9,  438.     C.  Journ.  Mar.  25,  26. 


NOTES. 


NOTE   [A],  Page  93. 

EXTRACT  OF  A  LETTER  FROM  CHARLES  II.    TO 
THE  LORD  CHANCELLOR. 

1  NOW  I  am  on  this  matter,  I  thinke  it  necessary  to 
"  give  you  a  little  good  councell  in  it,  least  you  may 
"  thinke  that  by  making  a  further  stirr  in  the  busi- 
"  nesse,  you  may  diverte  me  from  my  resolution,  which 
"  all  the  world  shall  never  do  ;  and  I  wish  I  may  be 
"  unhappy  in  this  world  and  in  the  world  to  come,  if 
"  I  faile  in  the  least  degree  of  what  I  have  resolved, 
"  which  is  of  making  my  lady  Castlemaine  of  my  wive's 
"  bedchamber,  and  whosoever  I  finde  use  any  endea- 
"  vour  to  hinder  this  resolution  of  myne  (excepte  it  be 
"  only  to  myselfe),  I  will  be  his  enemy  to  the  last  mo- 
"  ment  of  my  life.  You  know  how  true  a  friend  I  have 
"  been  to  you.  If  you  will  oblige  me  eternally,  make 
"  this  businesse  as  easy  to  me  as  you  can,  of  what 
"  opinion  soever  you  are  of;  for  I  am  resolved  to  go 
"  through  with  this  matter,  let  what  will  come  of  it, 
"  which  again  I  solemnly  swear  before  Almighty  God. 
"  Therefore,  if  you  desire  to  have  the  countenance  of 
"  my  friendship,  medle  no  more  with  this  businesse, 
*'  except  it  be  to  beat  down  all  false  and  scandalous 
"  reports,  and  to  facilitate  what  I  am  sure  my  honour 
"  is  so  much  concerned  in.  And  whosoever  I  find  to 
"  be  my  lady  Castlemaine's  enemy  in  this  matter,  I  do 
"  promise  upon  my  word  to  be  his  enemy  as  long  as 

vol.  xu.  2  A 


351  NOTES. 

"  I  live.  You  may  shew  this  letter  to  my  lord  lieute- 
"  nant  (Ormond),  and  if  you  have  both  a  minde  to 
"  oblige  me,  carry  yourselves  like  friends  to  me  in  this 
"  matter."     Lansdowne  MSS.  1206.  121. 


NOTE   [B],  Page  218. 

THE  SECRET  TREATY  OF  1670. 

[The  original  of  this  important  treaty  is  in  the  posses- 
sion of  Lord  Clifford,  to  whose  kindness  I  am  in- 
debted for  the  permission  of  presenting  it  for  the 
first  time  to  the  eyes  of  the  public] 

Charles  R. 

Charles  par  la  grace  de  dieu  Roy  de  la  Grande- 
Bretagne,  France  et  Irelande,  defenseur  de  la  foye,  a 
tous  ceux  qui  ces  presentes  lettres  verront,  Salut. 
Ayant  leu  et  meurement  considere  les  pouvoirs  du 
Sieur  Colbert,  ambassadeur  de  nostre  tres-cher  et  tres- 
ame  frere  et  cousin  le  Roy  Tres-chrestien  dattes  du 
31  octobre  1669  par  lesquels  notre  dit  Frere  luy  donne 
autorite  de  conferer  avec  les  commissaires,  que  nous 
pourrions  nommer,  traitter,  conclurre,  et  signer  des 
articles  d'une  plus  etroitte  amitie,  liaison  et  confe- 
deration entre  nous,  et  declare  que  nulle  autre  alliance 
ne  luy  peut  estre  plus  agreable  ny  plus  avantageuse  a. 
ses  sujets,  nous  qui  sommes  dans  les  mesmes  disposi- 
tions, et  qui  n'avons  point  de  desir  plus  ardent  que 
de  nous  lier  d'une  amitie  parfaite  et  indissoluble  avec 
nostre  dl  Frere,  y  estant  convies  et  par  la  proximite 
du  sang,  l'afFection  et  estime  que  nous  avons  pour  sa 
personne,  les  avantages  qui  en  reviendront  aux  peuples 
que  dieu  a  sousmis  a  nostre  obeissance,  et  sur  tout 


NOTES.  355 

l'appuy  et  assistance,  que  nous  nous  pouvons  promettre 
de  l'amitie    et  du  zele  d'un  si  puissant  allie   dans  le 
dessein  que  nous  avons  (avec  la  grace  de  Dieu)  de  nous 
reconcilier  avec  l'eglise  Romaine,  donner  par  la  le  repos 
a  nostre   conscience,  et  procurer  le  bien  de  la  religion 
catholique,  Scavoir  faissons  q'ayans  une  entiere  con- 
fiance  en  la  fidelite,  suffisance,   zele,   et  prudence  de 
nostre    tres-fe'al    et   bien-ame   le    my  Lord    Arlington, 
conseiller  en  nostre   conseil    prive    et   nostre    premier 
secretaire     d'estat ;    nostre    tres-feal    et   bien-ame   le 
my  Lord  Arundel  cle  Warder ;  nostre  tres-feal  et  bien- 
ame  le  sieur  chevalier  Clifford,    conseillier  en   nostre 
conseil  prive,  Thresorier  de  nostre  maison,  et  commis- 
saire  de  nos  finances  ;   nostre  feal  et  bien  ame  le  sieur 
chevalier  Bellings,   secretaire  des  commandmens  de  la 
Reyne  nostre  tres-chere  espouse,  nous  avons  les  dits 
my  Lords  Arlington   et  Arundel,  les  sieurs  chevaliers 
Clifford  et  Bellings  commis,  ordonne  et  depute,  com- 
mettons,   ordonnons,     et    deputons  par  ces    presentes 
signees  de  nostre  main,  et  leur  avons  donne  et  donnons 
plein   pouvoir,     autorite,    commission,    et   mandement 
special,    de  conferer  avec  ledit  sieur  Colbert,  ambas- 
sadeur  de  nostre  tres-cher  et  tres-ame"  Frere  et  Cousin 
le  Roy  Treschrestien,  des  moyens  de  parvenir  a  l'esta- 
blissement  d'une  plus  estroitte  amitic,  liaison  et  con- 
federation entre  nous,  et  traitter  et  convenir  ensemble, 
et  sur  iceux  conclurre,  et  signer  tels  articles  et  con- 
ventions que  nos  dits  commissaires  aviseront  bon  estre 
tant  sur  le    fait  du  commerce,    que  sur  toutes  autres 
sortes    d'affaires    et    d'interests,  et    mesme    de  ligues 
offensives  et  deffensives,  et  generallement  faire,  nego- 
tier,  promettre,  accorder  et  signer  tout  ce  qu'ils  esti- 
meront  necessaire  pour  les  effets  cy  dessus  dits  :  Pro- 
mettant,   foye  et  parolle  de  Roy,  sous  l'obligation  et 
hypotheque  de  tous  nos  biens  presens  et  a  venir   de 

■2  a  2 


356  NOTES. 

tenir  ferme  et  stable;  et  d'accomplir,  sans  jamais  y 
contrevenir  n'y  permettre  qu'il  y  soit  contrevenu,  tout 
ce  qui  par  nos  dits  commissaires  aura  este  stipule 
prornis  et  accorde  en  vertu  du  present  pouvoir,  et  d'en 
faire  expedier  nos  lettres  de  ratification  en  bonne  forme, 
et  les  fournir  dans  le  temps  qu'il  nous  y  auront  obligez 
en  tesmoing  de  quoy  nous  avons  fait  mettre  aux  dites 
presentes  le  seel  de  nostre  secret.  Donne  a  White- 
hall le  quinziesme  de  decembre,  L'an  mil  six  cens 
soixante  et  neuf,  et  de  nostre  regne  le  vingt  et  uniesme. 

Par  commandement  de  sa  Mate 

Arlington. 

Au  nom  de   Dieu  tout  puissant  soit  notoire  a  tous 
et  un  chacun,  que  comme  ainsi  soit  que  le  Serenissime 
et  tres-puissant  Prince  Charles  Second  par  la  grace  de 
dieu  Roy    de  la  Grande- Bretagne,    et  le  Serenissime 
et   tres-puissant    Prince    Louis    quatorziesme     par    la 
mesme    grace    de    dieu    Roy   Treschrestien    auroient 
tousjours  donne  tous  leurs  soins  et  toute  leur  applica- 
tion a  procurer  a  leurs  sujets  une  felicite  parfaite,  et 
que   leur  propre  experience   leur  auroit  asses  fait  con- 
noistre  que  ce  bonheur  commun  ne  se  peut  rencontrev 
que  dans  une  tres   estroitte  union,  alliance,   et  confe- 
deration entre  leurs  personnes  et  les  pays  et  estats  qui 
leur  sont  sousmis,  a  quoy  s'estant  trouves  esgallement 
portes,  tant  par  la  sincere  amitie  et  affection   que   la 
proximite"    du  sang,  celle  de  leurs  royaumes,  et  beau- 
coup  d'autres  convenances   ont  estably  entre    eux,    et 
qu'ils  ont  conserve  cherement  au  plus   fort  des  des- 
meles  que  les   interests   d'autruy   leur    ont   fait   avoir 
ensemble;  que  par  le  desir  qu'ils  ont  de  pourvoir  a  la 
seurete  de  leurs  dits  pays  et  estats,  comme  aussy  au 
bien  et  a  la  commodite  de  leurs  sujets  dont  le  commerce 


NOTES.  357 

doit  recevoir  dans  la  suite  du  temps  de  notables  avan- 
tages  de  cette  bonne  correspondence  et  liaison  d'inte- 
rests ;  les  dits  Seigneurs  Roys  pour  executer  ce  saint 
et  louable  desir,  et  pour  tousjours  fortifier,  confirmer, 
et  entretenir  la  bonne  amitie  et  intelligence  qui  est  a 
present  entre  eux,  ont  commis  et  depute  chacun  de  sa 
part,  se,avoir  ledit  Seigneur  Roy  de  la  Grande-Bretagne 
le  rnyLord  Arlington  conseillier  au  conseil  prive  de 
sa  majeste,  et  son  premier  secretaire  d'estat,  le  my  Lord 
Arundel  de  Warder,  le  sieur  chevalier  Clifford,  con- 
seillier au  conseil  prive  de  sa  majeste,  Thresorier  de 
sa  maison,  et  commissaire  de  ses  finances,  le  sr  cheva- 
lier Bellings,  secretaire  des  commandemens  de  la  Reyne 
de  la  Grande-Bretagne,  et  ledit  seigneur  Roy  Tres- 
chretien  le  sieur  Charles  Colbert,  seigr  de  Croissy, 
conseillier  ordrc  de  sa  majeste  en  son  conseil  d'estat,  et 
son  ambassadeur  ordinaire  vers  sa  majeste  de  la 
Grande-Bretagne,  sufiisament  autorises  ainsy  qu'il 
apparoistra  par  la  teneur  des  dits  pouvoirs  et  com- 
missions a  eux  respectivement  donnes  par  lesdits 
Seigneurs  Roys  et  inseres  de  mot  a  mot  a  la  fin  de 
ce  present  traitte  en  vertu  des  quels  pouvoirs  ils  ont 
accorde  au  noms  des  susdits  Seigneurs  Rovs  les  articles 
qui  ensuivent. 

1.  II  estconvenu  arreste  etconclu  qu'il  y  aura  a.  toute 
perpetuite  bonne  secure  etferme  paix,  union,  vraye  con- 
fraternite,  confederation,  amitie,  alliance,  et  bonne  cor- 
respondence entre  le  dit  seigneur  Roy  de  la  Grande- 
Bretagne,  ses  hoirs,  et  successeurs  d'une  part,  et  le  dit 
Seigneur  Roy  Treschretien  de  l'autre,  et  entre  tous  et 
chacun  de  leurs  Royaumes,  estats  et  territoires,  comrae 
aussy  entre  leurs  sujets  et  vassaux,  qu'ils  ont  ou  posse- 
dent  a  present,  ou  pourront  avoir,  tenir,  et  posseder  cy 
apres,  tant  par  mer  et  autres  eaux  que  par  terre :  et 
pour  lesmoigner  que  cette   paix  doit  cstre   inviolable 


358  NOTES. 

sans  que  rien  au  nionde  la  puisse  a  jamais  troubler  il 
s'ensuit  des  articles  d'une  confiance  si  grande,  et 
d'ailleurs  si  avantageuse  aux  dits  Seigneurs  Roys, 
qu'ii  peine  trouvera-t-on  que  dans  aucun  siecle  on 
en  ait  arreste  et  conclu  de  plus  importans. 

2.  Le   Seigneur  Roy  de  la  Grande-Bretagne  estant 
convaincu  de   la  verite    de  la   religion  catholique,    et 
rc'solu   d'en  faire  sa  declaration,  et  de  se    reconcilier 
avec    l'eglise    Roraaine    aussy    tost    que    le    bien    des 
affaires  de  son  royaume  luy  pourra  permettre,  a  tout 
sujet  d'esperer  et  de  se  permettre  de  l'affection  et  de  la 
fidelite  de  ses  sujets  qu'aucun  d'eux,  mesme  de  ceux 
sur   qui    dieu    n'aura  pas  encore  asses    abondamment 
respandu  ses  graces  pour  les  disposer  par  cet  example 
si  auguste    a    se    convertir,   ne  manqueront  jamais    a. 
l'obeissance   inviolable    que  tous  les  peuples  doivent  a. 
leurs   souverains  mesme  de  Religion  contraire ;  neant- 
moins  comme  il  se    trouve   quelques   fois   des  esprits 
brouillons    et  inquiets    qui    s'efforcent   de   troubler  la 
tranquillite  publique  principalment  lorsqu'ils  peuvent 
couvrir  leurs  mauvais  desseins    du  pretexte  plausible 
de  religion  ;  sa  majeste  de  la  Grande-Bretagne  qui  n'a 
rien  plus  a.  coeur  (apres  le  repos  de  sa  conscience)  que 
d'affermir  celuy  que  la  douceur  de  son  gouvernment  a 
procure   a.   ses   sujets,    a   cru    que    le  meilleur    moien 
d'empecher  qu'il  ne  fust  altere,  seroit  d'estre  asseure 
en    cas    de   besoin  de  Passistance  desa  majeste  Tres- 
chrestienne,  laquelle  voulant  en  cette  occasion  donner 
au  Seigneur  Roy  de  la  Grande   Bretagne   des  preuves 
indubitables  de  la  sincerite  de  son  amitie,  et  contribuer 
au  bon  succes  d'un  dessein  si  glorieux,  si  util  a.  sa 
majeste  de  la  Grande-Bretagne,  mesme  a  toute  la  reli- 
gion Catholique,    a  promis  et  promet  de  donner  pour 
cet  effet  au  dit  Seigneur  Roy  de  la  Grande-Bretagne 
la  somme  de  deux  millions  de  livres  tournoises  dont 


NOTES.  359 

la  moitie  sera  pay6e  trois  mois  apres  l'eschange  des 
ratifications  du  present  traitte  en  espece  a.  l'ordre 
dudit  Seigneur  Roy  de  la  Grande-Bretagne  a  Calais, 
Dieppe,  ou  bien  au  Havre  de  Grace,  ou  remis  par 
lettres  de  change  a  Londres  au  risques  perils  et  frais 
dudit  Seigneur  Roy  Treschrestien  et  l'autre  moitie  de 
la  mesme  maniere  dans  trois  mois  apres  :  et  en  outre 
ledit  Seigneur  Roy  Treschrestien  s'oblige  d'assister  de 
troupes  sa  majeste  de  la  Grande-Bretagne,  jusq'au 
nombre  de  six  mille  hommes  de  pied  s'il  est  besoin, 
et  mesme  de  les  lever  et  entretenir  a  ses  propres  frais 
et  despens,  tant  que  ledit  Seigneur  Roy  de  la  Grande- 
Bretagne  jugera  en  avoir  besoin  pour  l'execution  de 
son  dessein  :  et  lesdites  troupes  seront  transporters 
paries  vaisseaux  du  Roy  de  la  Grande-Bretagne  en  tels 
lieux  et  ports  qu'il  jugera  le  plus  a.  propos  pour  le  bien 
de  son  service,  et  du  jour  de  leur  embarquement  seront 
payees,  ainsy  qu'il  est  dit,  par  sa  majeste  Treschres- 
tienne,  et  obeiront  aux  ordres  du  dit  Seigneur  Roy  de 
la  Grande-Bretagne,  et  le  temps  de  ladite  declaration 
de  Catolicite  est  entierment  remis  au  choix  dudit 
Seigneur  Roy  de  la  Grande-Bretagne. 

3.  Item  a  este  convenu  entre  le  Roy  Treschrestien 
etsa  Majeste  de  la  Grande-Bretagne  que  ledit  Seigneur 
Roy  Treschrestien  ne  rompra  ny  n'enfreindra  jamais 
la  paix  qu'il  a  fait  avec  l'Espagne,  et  ne  contreviendra 
en  chose  quelconque  a.  ce  qu'il  a  promis  par  le  traitte 
d'Aix  la  Chapelle,  et  par  consequent  il  sera  permis 
au  Roy  de  la  Grande  Bretagne  de  maintenir  ledit 
traitte  conformement  aux  conditions  de  la  triple  alli- 
ance, et  des  engagemens  qui  en  dependent. 

4.  II  est  aussy  convenu  et  accorde  que  s'il  echeoit 
cy-apres  au  Roy  Treschrestien  de  nouveaux  tiltres  et 
droits  sur  la  Monarchic  d'Espagne,  ledit  Seigneur  Roy 
de  la  Grande-Bretagne  assistera  sa  Majeste  Treschres- 


300  NOTES. 

tienne  de  toutes  ses  forces  tant  par  mer  que  par  terre, 
pour  luy  faciliter  ^acquisition  desdits  droits,  le   tout 
suivant  les  conditions  particulieres  dont  lesdits  Seig- 
neurs Roys  se  reservent  de  convenir  tant  pour  la  jonc- 
tion  de  leurs  forces  apres  que  le  cas  de  Pescheance  des- 
dits tiltres  et  droits  sera  arrive  que  pour  les  avantages 
que  ledit  Seigneur  Roy  pourra  raisonnablement  desirer  : 
et  lesdits    Seigneurs    Roys    s'obligent   reciproquement 
des  a  present  de  ne  faire  aucun    traicte   de   part   n'y 
d'autre  pour  raisons  desdits  nouveaux  droits  et  tiltres 
avec  aucun  Prince  ou  Potentat  quel  que  ce  puisse  estre 
que  de  concert  et  du  consentment  de  Pun  et  de  Pautre. 
5.  Lesdits  Seigneurs  Roys  ayantchacun  en  son  par- 
ticulier  beaucoup  plus  de    sujets  qu'ils  n'en  auroient 
besoin  pour  justifier  dans  le  monde  la  resolution  qu'ils 
ont  pris  de  mortifier  Porgueil  des  estats  generaux  des 
provinces  unies  des   pays   bas,    et  d'abbatre  la  puis- 
sance d'une  nation  qui  s'est  si  souvent  noircie  d'une 
extreme    ingratitude    envers  ses  propres   fondateurs  et 
createurs    de    cette    republique,    et  laquelle   mesme   a 
Paudace   de    se    vouloir    aujourd'huy   eriger   en    sou- 
ve rains  arbitres  et  juges   de  tous  les  autres  potentats, 
il  est  convenu,  arreste  et  conclu,  que  leurs  Majestes 
declareront   et    feront   la    guerre   conjointement  avec 
toutes  leurs  forces  de  terre  et  de  mer  aux  dits  estats 
generaux  des  provinces  unies  des  pays  bas,  et  qu'aucun 
desdit  Seigneurs  Roys  ne  pourra  faire   de  traicte   de 
paix,  de  treves,  ou  de  suspension  d'armes   avec  eux, 
sans  Pavis  et  le  consentment  de  Pautre,  comme  aussi 
que  tout  commerce  entre  les    sujets  desdits  Seigneurs 
Roys   et  ceux  desdits  estats  sera  defend u,  et  que  les 
navires  et   biens  de  ceux  qui  trafiqueront  nonobstant 
cette   defence   pourront  estre  saisis  par  les  sujets  de 
Pautre  Seigneur  Roy,  et  seront  reputes  de  juste  prise  ; 
el  tous  traictes  precedens  faits  entre  lesdits  estats  et 


NOTES.  361 

aucun  clesdit  Seigneurs  Roys  ou  leurs  predecesseurs 
demeureront  mils,  excepte  celuy  de  la  triple  alliance 
fait  pour  la  manutention  du  traicte  d'Aix  la  Chapelle, 
et  si  apres  la  declaration  de  la  guerre  on  prend  prison- 
niers  les  sujets  d'aucun  desdit  Seigneurs  Roys  qui 
seront  enrolles  au  service  desdits  estats,  ou  s'y 
trouveront  actuellement,  ils  seront  executes  a  mort  par 
la  justice  dudit  Seigneur  Roy  dont  les  sujets  les  auront 
pris. 

6.  Et  pour  faire  et  conduire  cette  guerre  aussy 
heureusement  que  lesdits  Seigneurs  Roys  esperent  de 
la  justice  de  la  cause  commune,  il  est  aussy  convenu 
que  sa  majeste  Treschrestienne  se  chargera  de  toute  la 
despense  qu'il  conviendra  faire  pour  mettre  sur  pied, 
entretenir,  et  faire  agir  les  armees  necessaires  pour 
attaquer  puissamment  par  terre  les  places  et  pays  des- 
dits estats,  ledit  Seigneur  Roy  de  la  Grande-Bretagne 
s'obligeant  seulement  de  faire  passer  dans  l'armee 
dudit  Seigneur  Roy  Treschrestien,  et  d'y  entretenir 
tousjours  a  ses  despens  un  corps  de  six  mil  homines 
de  pied,  dont  le  commandant  sera  general,  et  obeira 
a  sa  Majeste  Treschrestienne,  et  a  celuy  qui  com- 
mandera  en  chef  l'armee,  ou  ledit  corps  de  troupes 
servira  comme  auxiliare,  lequel  sera  compose  de  six 
regimens  de  dix  companies  chacun,  et  de  cent  homines 
chaque  companie  :  et  lesdites  troupes  seront  •  trans- 
porters et  debarquees  en  tels  ports  ou  havres  et  en  tel 
temps  qu'il  sera  concerte  cy-apres  entre  lesdits  Seig- 
neursRoys  ;  ensorte  neantmoins  qu'elles  puissentarriver 
aux  costes  de  Picardie,  ou  tel  autre  lieu  qui  sera 
concerte,  au  plus  tard  un  mois  apres  que  les  flottes 
se  seront  jointes  aux  environs  de  Portsmouth,  ainsy 
qu'il  sera  dit  cy-apres. 

7.  Et  pour   ce   qui  regard  la   guerre   de  mer    ledit 
Seigneur  Roy  de  la  Grande  Bretague  se  chargera  de 


362  NOTES. 

ce  fardeau,  et  armera  au  moins  cinquante  gros  vais- 
seaux,  et  dix  bruslots,  auxquels  le  dit  Seigneur  Roy 
Treschrestien    s'obligera   de    joindre  une    escadre   de 
trente  bons  vaisseaux  Francois,  dont  le  moindre  por- 
tera  quarante  pieces  de  canon,  et  un  nombre  de  bruslots 
suffisant  jusques    a    dix,  mesme    s'il   est  necessaire  a 
proportion  de   se  qu'il  y  en  devra  avoir  en  la  flotte ; 
laquelle  escadre  de  vaisseaux  auxiliares  Francois  con- 
tinues a  servir  durant  le  temps  de  ladite  guerre  aux 
frais   et   despens    de    sa  Majeste    Treschrestienne,   et 
en  cas  de  perte  d'hommes  et  de  vaisseaux,  ils  seront 
remplaces  le   plustot  qu'il   se   pourra  par  sa   Majeste 
Treschrestienne  et  ladite  escadre  sera  commanded  par 
un   vice-admiral    ou    lieutenant-general   Francois    qui 
obeira  aux  ordres  de  son  altesse  Royale  Monseigneur 
le  due  de  Yorke  en  vertu  des  pouvoirs  que  lesdits  Seig- 
neurs   Roys    donneront   audit   Seigneur   due,    chacun 
pour  les  vaisseaux  qui  luy  appartiennent ;    et  pourra 
ledit  Seigneur  due  attaquer  et  combattre  les  vaisseaux 
Hollandois,  et  faire  tout  ce  qu'il jugera  le  plus  apro- 
pos pour  le  bien  de  la  cause  commune,  jouyraaussy  de 
l'honneur    du  pavilion,  des   saluts,   et   des    toutes  les 
autres  autorites,  prerogatives,  et  preeminences  dont  les 
admiraux  ont  coutume  de  jouir,  et  d'autre  part  aussy 
le  dit  vice-admiral  ou  lieutenant-general  Francois  aura 
pour  sa  personne  la  preseance  dans  les  conseils,  et  pour 
son   vaisseau  et  pavilion  de   vice-admiral  celle  de  la 
marche    sur    le   vice-admiral   et  vaisseau   de    ce   nom 
Ano-lois.      Au    surplus    les    capitains,    commandans, 
officiers,    matelots  et   soldats    de   l'une   et    de    l'autre 
nation  se  comporterontentre  eux  amicablement,  suivant 
le  concert  qui  sera  fait  cy-apres,  pour  empecher  qu'il 
n'y   arrive  aucun  incident  qui  puisse  alterer  la  bonne 
union ;  et  afin   que  le  dit  Seigneur  Roy  de  la  Grande- 
Bretagne  puisse  plus   facilement   supporter     les  frais 


NOTES.  363 

de   cette  guerre,  sa  Majeste   Treschrestienne  s'oblige 
a  payer  tous  les  ans  audit  Roy  tant  que  ladite  guerre 
durera  en  la  raaniere  susdite  la  somme   de  trois  mil- 
lions de  livres  Tournoises  dont  le  premier  payement  qui 
sera  de  sept  cens  cinquante  mille  livres  tournoises,  se 
fera  trois    mois  avant  la  declaration   de  la  guerre,   le 
second   de    pareille    somme   dans  le   temps    de    ladite 
declaration,  et  le  reste    montant  a  quinze  cens    mille 
livres  tournoises  six  mois  apres  ladite  declaration :  et 
en  annees  suivantes  le  premier  payement  qui  sera  de 
sept  cens  cinquante  mille  livres  tournoises  se  fera  au 
premier  de  Febrier,  le  second  de  pareille  somme  au 
premier   de   May,    et   le    troisieme    montant   a    quinze 
cens    mille  livres  tournoises   au  quinsieme   d'octobre, 
lesquelles  sommes  seront  payees  en  espece  a  l'ordre 
du   Roy   de    la    Grande-Bretagne,   a   Calais,    Dieppe, 
ou  Havre    de  Grace,    ou   bien  remises   par  lettres    de 
change  a   Londres    aux  risques,   perils,  et  frais   dudit 
Seigneur   Roy   Treschrestien.      II  a   este    aussy   con- 
venu  et  arreste  que  ledit  Seigneur  Roy  de  la  Grande- 
Bretagne  ne  sera  pas  oblige'  de  declarer  cette  guerre, 
jusqu'a.  ce  que  l'escadre  auxiliare  desdits  trente  vais- 
seaux  de  guerre  Francois  et  dix  bruslots  seront  joints 
avec  la  flotte  Angloise  aux  environs  de  Portsmouth : 
et   de    toutes    les    conquestes    qui    se    feront   sur    les 
estats  generaux   sa  majeste  de  la  Grande-Bretagne  se 
contentera  des    places   qui   s'ensuivent;    sgavoir  l'isle 
de  Walkeren,  l'escluse  avec  l'isle  de  Cassants,  et  la 
maniere  d'ataquer  et  de  continuer  la  guerre  sera  ad- 
justee  par  un  reglement  qui  sera  cy-apres  concerte,  et 
d'autant  que  la  dissolution  du  gouvernment  des  estats 
generaux  pourroit  apporter  quelque  prejudice  au  Prince 
d'Orange  neveu  du  Roy    de   la    Grande  Bretagne   et 
mesme  qu'il  se  trouve  des  places,  villes  et  gouvernmens 
qui  luy  appartient  dans  le  partage  qu'on  se  propose  de 


364  NOTES. 

faire  du  pays,  il  a  este  arreste  et  conclu  que  lesdits 
Seigneurs  Roys  feront  leur  possible  a.  ce  que  le  dit 
Prince  trouve  ses  avantages  dans  la  continuation  et  fin 
de  cette  guerre  :  ainsy  qu'il  sera  cy-apres  stipule  dans 
des  articles  a.  part. 

8.  Item  a  este  arreste  qu'avant  la  declaration  de 
cette  guerre  lesdits  Seigneurs  Roys  feront  tous  leurs 
efforts  conjointment  ou  en  particulier,  selon  que  Focca- 
sion  le  pourra  requerir  pour  persuader  aux  Roys  de 
Suede  et  de  Denneraark  ou  a  Fun  d'eux  d'entrer  en 
cette  guerre  contre  les  estats  generaux,  au  moins  de 
les  obliger  de  se  tenir  neutres,  et  l'on  taschera  de 
mesme  d'attirer  dans  ce  party  les  clecteurs  de  Cologne 
et  de  Branderbourg,  la  maison  de  Brunswick,  le  due 
de  Neubourg  et  Fesvesque  de  Munster.  Les  dits  Seig- 
neurs Roys  feront  aussy  leur  possible  pour  persuader 
mesme  a.  l'empereur  et  la  couronne  d'Espagne  de  ne 
s'opposer  pas  a  la  conqueste  dudit  pays. 

9.  II  est  pareillement  convenu  et  accorde  qu'apres 
que  le  dit  Seigneur  Roy  de  la  Grande-Bretagne  aura 
fait  la  declaration  specifiee  au  second  article  de  ce 
traicte,  qu'on  espere  moyennant  la  grace  de  dieu  devoir 
estre  suivi  d'un  heureux  succes,  il  sera  entitlement  au 
pouvoir  et  au  choix  dudit  Seigneur  Roy  Treschres- 
tien  de  determiner  le  temps  auquel  lesdits  Seigneur 
Roys  devront  faire  la  guerre  avec  leurs  forces  unies 
contre  les  estats  generaux  :  sa  majeste  de  la  Grande- 
Bretagne  promettant  d'en  faire  aussy  sa  declaration 
conjointment  dans  le  temps  que  sa  majeste  Tres- 
chrestienne  jugera  estre  le  plus  propre  pour  cet  effect, 
ledit  Seigneur  Roy  de  la  Grande-Bretagne  estant 
asseure  que  sa  majeste  Treschrestienne  nommant  ledit 
temps  aura  esgard  aux  interests  des  deux  couronnes? 
qui  apres  la  conclusion  de  ce  traicte  seront  communs  a 
tous  deux  et  inseparables. 


NOTES.  365 

10-  Si  dans  aucun  traicte  precedent  fait  par  Fun  ou 
Vautre  desdits  Seigneurs  Roys  avec  quelque  Prince  ou 
estat  que  ce  soit,  il  se  trouve  des  clauses  contraires  a, 
celles  qui  sont  specifiees  dans  cette  ligue,  lesdites 
clauses  seront  nulles,  et  celles  qui  sont  contenues  dans 
ce  present  traicte  demeureront  dans  leur  force  et 
vigeur. 

Et  pour  d'autant  plus  unir  les  esprits  et  interests 
des  sujets  desdits  Seigneurs  Roys,  il  a  este  convenu 
que  le  traicte  de  commerce  qui  se  fait  a  present, 
s'achevra  au  plutot  qu'il  se  pourra. 

Lesquels  points  et  articles  cy  dessus  enonces  ensem- 
ble, et  tout  le  contenu  en  chacun  d'iceux  ont  este 
traictes  accordes,  passes,  et  stipules  entre  le  myLord 
Arlington,  le  myLord  Arundel  de  Warder,  le  sieur  che- 
valier Clifford,  et  le  sieur  chevalier  Bellings  com- 
missaires  de  sa  majeste  de  la  Grande-Bretagne,  et  le 
sieur  Colbert,  ambassadeur  de  sa  majeste  Treschres- 
tienne,  aux  noms  desdit  Seigneurs  Roys,  et  en  vertu  de 
leurs  pouvoirs  dont  les  copies  sont  inserees  au  bas  du 
present  traicte.  lis  ont  promis  et  promettent  sous 
l'oblio-ation  de  tous  et  chacuns  des  biens  et  estats 
presens  et  a  venir  desdits  Seigneurs  Roys  qu'ils  seront 
par  leurs  majestes  inviolablement  observes  et  accom- 
plis,  et  de  s'en  bailler  et  delivrer  reciproquement  dans 
un  mois  du  jour  et  datte  des  presentes,  et  plustost,  si 
faire  se  peut,  les  lettres  de  ratification  desdits  Seigneurs 
Roys  en  la  meilleure  forme  que  faire  se  pourra :  et 
d'autant  qu'il  est  absolument  necessaire  pour  le  bon 
succes  de  ce  qui  est  stipule  par  le  present  traicte,  de  le 
tenir  fort  secret,  jusq'a  ce  qu'il  soit  temps  de  le  mettre 
a  execution,  lcsdits  sieurs  commissaires  et  ambassa- 
deur sont  demeures  d'accord,  qu'il  suffira  pour  la 
validite  du  dit  traicte  que  les  ratifications  desdits 
Seigneurs  Roys  soient  siguees  dc  leurs  propres  mains, 


366  NOTES. 

et  cachetees  du  seau  de  leur  secret,  que  lesdits  Seig- 
neurs Roys  declareront  dans  les  dites  lettres  de  rati- 
fication avoir  pour  cet  effect  la  mesme  force  que  si  leur 
grand  seau  y  estoit  appose,  ce  que  mesme  chacun  d'eux 
s'obligera  de  faire  aussy  tost  qu'il  le  pourra,  et  qu'il  en 
sera  requis.  En  foy  de  quoy  les  dites  sieurs  commis- 
saires  et  ambassadeur  ont  signe  le  present  traicte  et  a 
iceluy  fait  apposer  le  cachet  de  leurs  amies.  A 
Douvres  ce  vingt  et  deuxiesme  jour  du  mois  de  May 
Fan  de  grace  mil  six  cens  soixante  et  dix. 

©  Arlington.  COLBERT.  0 

0  T.  Arundell. 

0  T.  Clifford. 

©  R.  Bellings. 


There  follow  three  additional  secret  articles  signed  at 
Dover  the  same  day.  By  the  first,  if  Charles  could 
not  spare  six  thousand  men,  Louis  was  to  be  content 
with  four : — by  the  second,  if  the  duke  of  York  were 
to  retire  from  the  command  of  the  fleet,  the  English 
admiral  was  to  enjoy  all  the  command  and  powers  which 
the  duke  ought  to  possess  : — and,  by  the  third  it  was 
agreed,  that  the  stipulation  in  favour  of  the  prince  of 
Orange  should  not  prevent  the  other  powers  from 
making  war  conjointly  at  the  time  stipulated  by  the  9th 
article. 

In  another  paper  is  a  declaration  that,  if  in  the 
treaty  or  the  power  of  the  negociators,  il  se  trouve 
quelque  chose  dans  les  tiltres  et  qualites  des  Roys 
nos  maistres,  qui  soit  contraire  a  la  pluralite  des 
traittes    qui    out    ete    faits    entre   l'Angleterre    et   la 


NOTES  367 


France,  tant  sous  le  regne  du  feu  Roy  d'Angleterre 
Charles  premier,  que  sous  celuy  du  Roy  regnant  a 
present,  nous  le  reformerons  avant  l'eschange  des 
ratifications  du  dittraitte,  et  sans  retardment  d'icelle. 


NOTE  [C],  Page  219- 

On  the  death  of  Henrietta,  duchess  of  Orleans, 
Louis  wrote  the  following  Letter  of  condolence  to 
Charles  : — 

Versailles,  le  30  juin  1670. 

Monsieur  mon  frere, — La  tendre  amitie  que 
j'avois  pour  ma  sceur  vous  e'toit  assez  connue  pour 
n'avoir  pas  de  peine  a  comprendre  l'etat  ou  m'a  reduit 
sa  mort.  Dans  cet  accablement  de  douleur  je  puis  dire 
que  la  part  que  je  prends  a  la  votre,  pour  laperte  d'une 
personne  qui  vous  £toit  si  chere  aussi  bien  qu'a  moi,  est 
encore  un  surcroit  a  l'exces  de  mon  affliction  :  le  seul 
soulagement  dont  je  suis  capable,  est  la  confiance  qui 
me  reste,  que  cet  accident  ne  changera  rien  a  nos 
affections,  et  que  vous  me  conserverez  les  votres  aussi 
entities,  que  je  vous  conserverai  les  miennes.  Je  me 
remets  du  surplus  au  sieur  Colbert,  mon  ambassadeur. 

NOTE   [D],  Page  280. 

The  letters  patent  by  which  Louis  XIV.  grants  the 
domain  of  Aubigni  to  Mademoiselle  de  Querouaille, 
and  after  her  to  one  of  the  illegitimate  sons  of  Charles 
II. ,  to  be  named  by  that  prince. 

Louis,  par  la  grace  de  dieu,  roi  de  France  et  de 
Navarre,   a  tous  presens  et  a  venir,  salut.     La  tene 


868  NOTES. 

d'Aubigni-sur-Niere,  dans  notre  province  de  Berri, 
ayant  ete  donnee  des  l'annee  1422,  par  le  roi  Charles 
VII,  Tun  de  nos  predecesseurs  a  Jean  Stuart,  comrae 
une  marque  des  grands  et  considerables  services  qu'il 
avoit  rendus  dans  la  guerre  a.  ce  roi  et  sa  couronne,  et 
cette  donation  ayant  ete  accompagnee  de  condition  que 
ladite  terre  d'Aubigni  passeroit  de  male  en  male  a.  tous 
les  descendans  dudit  Jean  Stuart,  avec  reversion  a  notre 
couronne,  lorsque  la  branche  masculine  qui  seroit  venue 
de  lui  seroit  eteinte,  ce  cas  porte  par  lesdites  lettres  de 
donation  est  arrive  l'annee  derni^re,  par  la  mort  de  notre 
cousin  le  due  de  Richemont,  dernier  de  la  ligne  mascu- 
line dudit  Jean  Stuart.  Mais  parceque  cette  terre  ayant 
ete,  durant  tant  d'annees,  dans  une  maison  qui  avoit 
l'honneur  d'appartenir  de  si  pres  a  notre  tres-cher  et 
tres  aime  frere  le  roi  de  la  Grande-Bretagne,  ledit  Roi 
nous  auroit  fait  temoigner,  qu'il  seroit  bien  aise  qu'a 
cette  consideration  nous  voulussions  bien  la  faire  passer 
a  une  personne  qu'il  affectionneroit,  et  rentier  apres 
elle  clans  une  maison  qui  fut  encore  unie  par  le  sang 
a.  la  sienne ;  qu'a  ce  sujet  il  nous  auroit  fait  requerir 
que  nous  voulussions  bien  accorder  nos  lettres  de  do- 
nation de  ladite  terre  d'Aubigni-sur-Niere  a  la  dame  .... 
de  Kerouel,  duchesse  de  Portsmouth,  pour  passer  apres 
sa  mort  a  tel  des  enfans  naturels  de  notre  frere  le  roi  de 
la  Grande-Bretagne  qu'il  voudra  nommer,  sous  les 
memes  clauses  et  conditions  que  la  meme  terre  fut 
premierement  donnee  par  le  Roi  Charles  VII  en  1422 
au  susdit  Jean  Stuart,  et  que  ladite  terre  etant  passee 
a  tel  fils  naturel  dudit  Roi  de  la  Grande-Bretagne 
qu'il  aura  voulu  nommer,  elle  demeure  audit  fils  na- 
turel, et  a  ses  descendans  de  male  en  male,  avec  droit 
de  reversion  a  notre  couronne,  au  defaut  d'enfans  males 
et  par  l'extinction  de  la  ligne  masculine,  qui  seroit 
sortie  de  lui.     Comme  nous  embrassons  avec   plaisir 


NOTES.  369 

les  occasions  qui  se  presentent  de  donner  a  notre 
dit  frere  le  roi  de  la  Grande-Bretagne,  des  marques 
de  notre  amitie  et  de  l'extreme  consideration  que 
nous  avons  pour  ce  qu'il  desire,  et  que  nous  avons  aussi 
bien  agreable  qu'une  terre  qui  etoit  denieuree  durant 
tant  d'annees  dans  une  maison  si  illustre,  retourne 
en  quelque  sort  a.  son  origine  en  passant  un  jour  entre 
les  mains  d'un  filsnaturel  de  notre  dit  frere,  nous  avons 
bien  voulu  disposer  de  ladite  terre  d'Aubigni  en  la 
maniere  que  nous  avons  ete  requis  par  notre  susdit 
frere  de  roi  de  la  Grande-Bretagne. 

A  ces  causes,  savoir  faisons  que  de  notre  grace 
speciale,  pleine  puissance  et  autorite  royale,  nous 
avons  a.  ladite  dame  . .  .  .de  Kerouel,  duchesse  de  Ports- 
mouth, et  apres  elle  a  celui  des  fils  naturels  de 
notredit  frere  le  roi  de  la  Grande-Bretagne  qu'il  nom- 
mera,  et  aux  descendans  males  en  ligne  directe  dudit 
fils  naturel,  donne,  cede,  transporte,  et  delaisse,  don- 
nons,  cedons,  transportons  et  delaissons  par  ces  pre- 
sentes  signees  de  notre  main,  le  fonds  et  propriety 
de  la  terre  d'Aubigni,  avec  tons  et  un  chacun  ses  droits, 
appartenances  et  dependances,  pour  en  jouir  et  user 
par  ladite  duchesse,  et  apres  son  deces  celui  des  his 
naturels  dudit  roi  de  la  Grande-Bretagne  qu'il  nommera 
et  les  descendans  males  en  droite  ligne  dudit  his  na- 
turel, comme  de  leur  pro  pre  chose  et  loyal  acquet, 
tout  ainsi  que  nous  ferions,  sans  aucune  chose  en 
retener  el  i  r  a  nous  et  a  nos  successeurs  rois,  que 

les  foi  et  hommage,  ressort  et  -ouverainete,  a  con- 
dition toutefois  que  ladite  terre  d'Aubigni  avec  ses 
apparti  nan<  •  el  di  pendances,  retournera  a  notre 
domaine  au  defaut  des  nudes  descendans  en  droite 
ligne  du  his  naturel  qui  aura  ete  nomme  par  le  susdit 
roi  de  la  Grande-Bretagne. 

donnons  en   mandemeut  :'•  nos  aines  et  feaux 

L.     XII. 


370  NOTES. 

p-ens  tenant  notre  cour  de  Parlement  et  chambre  de 
nos  comptes  a  Paris,  que  ces  presentes  lettres  de  don 
ils  les  aient  a  enregistrer,  et  du  contenu  en  icelles 
faire  jouir  et  user  pleinement,  paisiblement  et  a  toujours 
ladite  dame  ....  de  Kerouel,  duchesse  de  Portsmouth, 
et  apres  elle  le  fils  naturel  que  ledit  roi  de  la  Grande- 
Bretagne  nommera,  et  les  descendans  males  en  droite 
ligne  dudit  fils  naturel,  cessant  et  faisant  cesser  tous 
troubles  et  empechemens  a.  ce  contraires. 

Car  tel  est  notre  plaisir :  et  afin  que  ce  soit  chose 
ferme  et  stable  a  toujours,  nous  avons  fait  mettre  notre 
sceau  a  cesdites  presentes,  sauf  en  autre  chose  notre 
droit  et  l'autrui  en  toutes.  Donne  a  Saint-Germain-en- 
Laye,  au  mois  de  Ddcembre  l'an  de  grace  1673,  et  de 
notre  regne  le  trent-unieme. 

[This  note  and  the  preceding  are  extracts  from  Les 
(Euvres  de  Louis  XIV.] 


end    ( >  F    VOL.    XII. 


C.  Baldwin,  Printer, 
New  Bridge  Street,  London. 


NOTES.  457 

Coinage    of  tin    j£2,000 

Wine   licences     10,000 

Forest  of  Dean 4,000 

Fines  on  alienations    20,000 

j£1, 200,000 

[From  the  original,  which,  as  well  as  the  originals  of 
the  two  former  notes,  is  in  the  collection  of  Thomas 
Lloyd,  Esq.] 

NOTE   [D],  Page  370. 

PRINCIPLES  OF  THE   LEVELLERS. 

The  following  statement  of  the  principles,  maintained 
by  the  levellers,  is  extracted  from  one  of  their  pub- 
lications, which  appeared  soon  after  the  death  of 
Cromwell ;  entitled,  "  The  Leveller  ;  or,  The  Principles 
and  Maxims  concerning  Government  and  Religion, 
which  are  asserted  by  those  that  are  commonly  called 
Levellers;  1659." 

PRINCIPLES    OF    GOVERNMENT. 

1°.  The  government  of  England  ought  to  be  by  laws 
and  not  by  men :  that  is,  the  laws  ought  to  judge  of 
all  offences  and  offenders,  and  all  punishments  and 
penalties  to  be  inflicted  upon  criminals ;  nor  ought 
the  pleasure  of  his  highness  and  his  council  to  make 
whom  they  please  offenders,  and  punish  and  imprison 
whom  they  please,  and  during  pleasure. 

2°.  All  laws,  levies  of  monies,  war  and  peace  ought 
to  be  made  by  the  people's  deputies  in  parliament,  to 
be  chosen  by  them  successively  at  certain  periods. 
Therefore  there  should  be  no  negative  of  a  monarch, 
because  he   will  frequently  by  that  means  consult  his 

VOL.    XI.  2  H 


458  NOTES. 

own  interest  or  that  of  his  family  to  the  prejudice  of 
the  people.  But  it  would  be  well,  if  the  deputies  of 
the  people  were  divided  into  two  bodies,  one  of  which 
should  propose  the  laws,  and  the  other  adopt  or  reject 
them. 

3°.  All  persons  without  a  single  exception  should  be 
subject  to  the  law. 

4°  The  people  ought  to  be  formed  into  such  a  military 
posture  by  and  under  the  parliament,  that  they  may  be 
able  to  compel  every  man  to  obey  the  law,  and  defend 
the  country  from  foreigners.  A  mercenary  (standing) 
army  is  dangerous  to  liberty,  and  therefore  should  not 
be  admitted. 

PRINCIPLES    OF    RELIGION. 

1°.  The  assent  of  the  understanding  cannot  be  com- 
pelled. Therefore  no  man  can  compel  another  to  be  of 
the  true  religion. 

2°.  Worship  follows  from  the  doctrines  admitted 
by  the  understanding.  No  man  therefore  can  bind 
another  to  adopt  any  particular  form  of  worship. 

3°.  Works  of  righteousness  and  mercy  are  part  of  the 
worship  of  God,  and  so  far  fall  under  the  civil  magis- 
trate, that  he  ought  to  restrain  men  from  irreligion, 
that  is,  injustice,  faith-breaking,  oppression,  and  all 
other  evil  works  that  are  plainly  evil. 

4°.  Nothing  is  more  destructive  to  true  religion  than 
quarrels  about  religion,  and  the  use  of  punishments  to 
compel  one  man  to  believe  as  another. 


END  or  vol  xi. 


C  Baldwin,  Printer, 
New  Bridge  Street,  London. 


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