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/-S9s:

THE

HISTOEY OF ENGLAND.

THOMAS KEIGHTLEY.
REVISED AND EDITED,
WITH NOTES AND ADDITIONS,
BT
JOSHUA TOULMIN SMITH,
AUTHOR OF *' COMPAILATITE VIEW OF ANCIENT HIBTOET,*' "NORTHMEN
IN NEW ENGLAND,'' &C.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. n.

BOSTON:
HlLLlARD, GRAY, AND COMPANY.
1840.

tWUl^^KlM^^HHIllX^

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1840,
By Hilliakd, Gray, and Company,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

stereotyped at the
boston type and stereotype foundry.

^^Xi'V I

AUTHOR'S PREFACE
TO THE SECOND VOLUME.

The Roman lylic poet, when addressing his friend who was
engaged in a work on the Civil War of Rome, says to him,
PericulosiB plenum opus alees
Tractas, et incedis per ignes
Suppositos cineri doloso.
The same may be said to him who undertakes to relate the Civil
War of England ; for though nearly two centuries have elapsed,
¦ the passions and parties to which it gave birth still exist There
are those, of whose political creed it is an article that Charles L
was without blemish ; there are others, in whose eyes Pym and
Hampden are political saints. To neither of these parties do I
belong; my experience has taught me that it is not in history
that we are to look for faultless characters; that uncontrolled
power is sure to be abused ; that a nation must have real griev
ances to complain of when it opposes its government ; and that
popular assemblies are as tyrannic, and can as little brook op
position, as any single despot In that memorable contest, I
have therefore found much to blame on both sides, and I have
never hesitated to condemn what I did not approve. The same
is the case in the subsequent part ; and if my language should at
any tune appear too strong, I trust it will be ascribed solely to
my hatred of injustice and oppression. In all parts of my history,
I claim not to be judged of by isolated passages.
I commit my brief history ofthe house of Stuart to the world,
with little fears as to the result To satisfy the zealots on either
side, I know to be impossible vrithout an abandonment of truth ;
but there are those who view the British constitution as progres
sive, and as brought to its present state through much suffering
and arduous struggles, who regret neither the despotism of the
crown nor that of the Long Parliament, and who are content

iv AUtHOK's PREFACE TO VOLUME SECOND.
calmly to trace the virtues, the faults, the errors, the passions,
even the vices, of our ancestors, and to mark how, under Provi
dence, they have coiiperated for final good. It is of such that I
seek the approbation ; and, sanctioned by it, I trust that my work
will prove efficacious in preserving an important portion ofthe
British youth fi-om political error, and inspiring them with a love
for the only weU-poised constitution that the world has ever
seen. My history ofthe house of Brunswick, it will be seen, is little
more than a sketch. I always intended it should be such, but I
had reckoned on more space for it. As it chiefly consists of
foreign wars and parliamentary debates, which to interest should
be given in long detail, I do not regret having sacrificed it in
some measure to the more absofbing theme of the much-per-'
verted annals ofthe house of Stuart
T. K.
London, 4pril 21, 1839.

CONTENTS.

HOUSE OF STUART. — Part L
CHAPTER I.
James I. 1603-1613.
Accession of James. — Bye- and Spanish-plots. — Hampton-Court Confer
ence. — Gunpowder-plot. — Death of Salisbury; — of Prince Henry. —
Arabella Stuart  p. 1—20
CHAPTER II.
James I. (continued.) 1613-1625.
Somerset and Lady Essex. — Sir Walter Raleigh. — The Elector Palatine. -r-
Fall of Bacon. — Tho Spanish Match. — Prince of Wales in Spain. ^
Breach with the Court of Spain. — Death andCharacter of James. — Affairs
of Ireland ; — of Scotland. — Slate of Religion. — Book of Sports, p. 21 — 40
CHAPTER HI.
Charles I. 1625-1629.
King's Marriage. — First Parliament. — Expedition to Cadiz. — Impeachment
of Buckingham. — Arbitrary Taxation. — War with Franco. — Expedition
to Rochelle. — Petition of Right. — Murder of Buckingham. — Sir Thomas
Wentworth. — Third ParUament. — Harsh Treatment of Sir Johu Eliot.
p. 41—56
CHAPTER IV.
Charles I. (continued.) 1629-1640.
The Cabinet. — Laud and the Church. — Persecution of Leighton, Prynne, and
others. — Mode of raising a Revenue. — Ship Money. — John Hampden. —
Settlement of New England. — Affairs of Scodand. — Attempt to introduce
a Liturgy. — The Covenant. — The Episcopal War. — The Short Parlia
ment. — Scots enter England. — Despotism of Charles  p. 57 — 15
CHAPTER V.
Charles I. (continued.) 1640-1641.
The Long Parliament. — Impeachment and Trial of Strafford. — Army-plot.
— Execution of Strafford. — Arts of the Popular Leaders  p. 75 — 92
CHAPTER VL
Charles I. (continued.) 1641-1649.
Change of Ministry. — Army-petition. — Attacks on the Church. — Charles in
Scotland. — The Incident. — The Irish Rebellion and Massacre. — Return
of the King. — The Remonstrance. — Proceedings of the Parliament. — ¦
The Five Members. — Petitions to Parliament. — King retires to the North.
— Encroachments of the Commons. — The Militia  p. 92 — 117
CHAPTER VII.
; Charles I. (continued.) 1642-1644.
Gates of H»ll shut against Charles: — Manifestoes on both sides. — Raising of
Money and Troops. — Royal Standard raised at Nottingham. — Batlie of
Edgehill. — Affair at Brentford. — Treaty at Oxford. — Arrival of the Queen.
— Waller's Plot. — Battles of Lansdown and Roundway-down. — Death
and Character of Hampden. — Surrender of Bristol. — Siege of Gloucester.
— Battle of Newbury. — Ill-conduct of the King. — Cessation with the

VI CONTENTS.
Irish Rebels. — Death and Character of Pym.— Oxford ParliMnent.—
Progress of the War. — Batde of Cropredy-bridge. — BatUe of Mafston-
moor  p. 11' — 1^
CHAPTER VIII.
Charles I. (continued.) 1645-1647.
Self-denying Ordinance and New Model. — Trial and Execution of Laud. —
Religious Parties. — Treaty at Uxbridge. — Victories of Montrose. — Battle
of Naseby: — Progress and Defeat of Montrose. — Glamorgan's Mission. —
Charies's Flight to theScots. — Negotiations. — Surrender of him to the Par
liament.— End of the War  P- 140—162
CHAPTER IX.
Charles I. (continued.) 1647-1649.
The Parliament and Army. — Seizure of the King ; — his Treaties with Crom
well and Ireton. — Flight from Hampton-court. — Change of Conduct in
Cromwell and Ireton. — Second Civil War. — Defeat of Hamilton. — Sur
render of Colchester. — Treaty at Newport. — King seized again by the
Army. — Pride's Purge. — Proceedings of the Parliament. — Trial of the
King ; — his Execution. — Character. — Reflections  p. 162 — 192
CHAPTER X.
The Commonwealth. 1649-1653.
Commonwealth established. — Mutinies in the Army. — Affairs of Scotland. —
Fate of Montrose. — Charies II. in Scodand. — Affairs of Ireland. — Crom
well in Scotland. — Battle of Dunbar. — Invasion of England. — Battle of
Worcester. — Escape of Charles. — Conquest of Ireland. — Dutch War. —
Designs of Cromwell ; -^ he dissolves the Parliament ; — its Character.
p. 192—222
CHAPTER XI.
The Protectorate. 1653-1658.
Form of Government. — Barebone's Parliament. — Cromwell made Protector.
. — Conspiracies. — The Parliament. — Rising of Royalists. — Conquest of
Jamaica. — Conspiracy. — New ParHament — The Petition and Advice. —
The Protector's Inauguration. — Death of Blake. — A Fourth Parliament.
— Plots. — Illness and Death ofthe Protector; — his Character.. .p. 222 — 247
CHAPTER XII.
The Commonwealth restored. 1658-1660.
The Protector's Funeral. — State of Parties. — Dissolution of Parliament. —
The Rump recalled. — Royalist Insurrection. — Despodsm of the Officers.
— Proceedings of General Monk. — Restoration of the King... p. 247 — 261
CHAPTER XIII.
Charles II. 1660-1667.
First Measures of the Crovra. — Trials and Executions of the Regicides. —
Crown- and Church-lands. — Duke of York's Marriage. — Savoy Confer
ence. — Trial and Execution of Sir Henry Vane. — Affairs of SeoUand; —
of Ireland. — King's Marriage. — Sale of Dunkirk. — Act of Uniformity. —
Dnlch War. — Great Plague. — Five-mile Act. — Fire of London. — End
of the Dutch War. — Fall of Clarendon. . . . . ;  .p. 261— 2a6
CHAPTER XIV.
Charles II. (continued.) 1668-1678.
The Cabal. — Plot of the King against the Protestant Religion. — Royal Mis
tresses. --Coventry Act. — Attempts of Blood. — Second Dutch War. —
Parties in Pariiamenl. — Pensions given by France. — Marriage of the
Prince of Orange. — Parliament. — Peace of Nimeguen. — Conduct of the
Country Party  p. 287—313

CONTENTS. Vii
CHAPTER XV.
Charles II. (continued.) 1678-1680.
Popish Plot. — Sir Edmundbury Godfrey. — The Plot. — Impeachment of
Danby. — Parliament dissolved. — Trials. — New Parliament. — Trials. —
Persecution in Scotland. — Murder of Archbishop Sharp. — Batde of Both-
well-bridge. — Efforts of Shaftesbury. — Meal-tub Plot. — Bill of Exclusion.
— Trial and Execution of Lord Stafford  p. 313—339
CHAPTER XVI.
Charles II. (continued.) 1681-1685.
Oxford Parliament, and Triumph of tl^e Court. — Execution of Oliver Plunket.
— Duke of York in Scodand. — Surrender of Charters. — Rye-house Plot,
— Trial and Execution of Lord Russell. -— Oxford Decree. — Trial and
Execution of Algernon Sidney. — Plans of the King; — his Death and
Character  ,  p. 339—356
CHAPTER XVII.
James II. 1685-1688.
Accession of James ; — he goes publicly to Mass. — Parliament. — Invasion
of Argyle ; — of Monmouth ; — his Execudon. — Jeffreys' Campaign. —
Overthrow of the Test Act. — Attacks on the Church. — Parties at Court. — .
Negotiations with the Court of Rome. — Failure of the King in making
Converts. — Attacks on the Universities. — State of Ireland. — Fallacious
Prospects of the King. — Prosecution of the Seven Bishops. — Birth of the
Prince of Wales. — Invitation to the Prince of Orange. — State of the
Continent. — Invasion of Ihigland, — Desertion of James; — his Flight; —
Return to London ; — second Flight. — The Convention. — Prmce and Prin
cess of Orange declared King and Queen. — Reflections  p. 356 — 390

HOUSE OF STUART. — Part H
CHAPTER I.
WUliam III. and Mary II. 1689-1694.
Convention Parhament. — Affairs of Scotland. — Battle of Killicrankie 
Affairs of Ireland. — Siege of Derry. — Irish Parliament. — Battle ofthe
Boyne. — English Parliament. — Conspiracy. — Taking of Athlone. — Battle
of Aghrim. — Siege of Limerick. — Massacre of Glenco. — Battle of La
Hogue. — Plots to restore James. — Death of the Queen  ¦ . p. 391 — 412
CHAPTER II.
William in. 1695-1701.
Proceedings in Parliament. — Assassination Plot. — Attainder of Fenwick. — •
Peace of Ryswick. — Proceedings in Parliament. — Act of Settlement. —
Partition Treaty. — Death of William III. ; — his Character. . . .p. 413 — 425
CHAPTER in.
Mne. 1701-1714.
Queen's Accession. — Expedition to Cadiz. — Admiral Benbovr. — War of the
Succession. — Battle of Blenheim. — War in Spain. -^ Battle of Ramillies ;
—of Almanza; — of Oudenarde; — of Malplaquet. ^Campaign in Spain.
— Union with Scotland. — Struggles of Parties. — Trial of SachevereU.
— Triumph of the Tories. — Harley stabbed by Guiscard. — Negotiations
for Peace. — Charges against Marlborough. ^ Peace of Utrecht. — Oxford
and Bolingbroke. — Death of the Queen  p. 425 — 452

VUI CONTENTS.

HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK.
CHAPTER I.
George I. 1714-1727.
New Ministry. — Impeachments. — Mar's Rebellion. — Septennial Bilh — Han
overian Junto. — Peerage Bill. — Soulh-sea Scheme. — Death and Character
of Mariborough. — Atterbury's Plot. — Death of the King  p. 463 — 464
CHAPTER II.
George II. 1727-1760.
Character of the King. — Ministry and Pariiament. — Walpole's Excise-
scheme. — Murder of Porteous. — Death and Character ofthe Queen. —
Anson's Voyage. — Overthrow of Walpole ; — his Character. — The Silesian
War. — Scottish Rebellion. — Battle of Culloden. — Peace of Aix-la-Cha
pelle. — Contest in America. — Seven Years' War. — Admiral Byng. —
Changes of Ministry. — Victories of Boscawen and Hawke. — Taking of
Quebec — Death of George II  P- 464—482
CHAPTER HI.
George III. 1760-1784.
Accession of George III. — Resignation of Mr. Pitt. — Capture of the Ha-
vanna and Manilla. — Peace of Fontainebleau. — Changes of Ministry. —
John Wilkes. — Public Writers. — Dispute with the American Colonies. —
American War. — Change of Ministry. — Rodney's Victory. — Attack on
Gibraltar. — Coalition Mmistry  p. 482 — 505
CHAPTER IV.
George III. (continued.) 1784-1789.
East India Company. — State of India. — First Exploits of Clive. — Capture
of Calcutta. — Successes of Clive. — Batde of Pmssey. — English in India.
— Vigorous Reforms of Clive; — his Death. — Warren Hastings. — The
Rohillas. — Cheyte Sing. — The Begums. — Impeachment of Hastings. ¦ —
East India Bills of Fox and Pitt. — Marquess Cornwallis  p. 505 — 523
CHAPTER V.
Gecrrge III. (continued.) 1789-1801.
The French Revolution ; — its Effect in England. — War with France. — Lord
Howe's Victory. — Mutiny in the Navy. — Batdes of St. Vincent and Cam-
perdown. . — State of Ireland. — United Irishmen. — Irish Rebellion. — Union
with Ireland. — Batde of the Nile ; — of Copenhagen ; — of Aboukir. —
Peace of Amiens  p. 523—544
CHAPTER VI.
George III. (concluded.) 1802-1837.
War renewed. — BatUe of Trafalgar. — Whig Ministry. — Seizure of the
Danish Fleet. — Peninsular War. — Batde of Vimiero; — of Corunna; —
of Talavera. — Expedition to Walcheren. — Lines of Torres Vedras. —
Battle of Albuera; — of Salamanca; — of Vittoria, Orthes, and Toulouse. —
War with the United States. — Batde of Waterloo. — State of the Country.
— George IV. and Catholic Emancipation. — William IV.; the Reform-bill.
— Victoria. — Postage Reform  p. SM—bSl
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE of the Kings or England  p. 558

THE

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

HOUSE OF STUART. — Part I.

CHAPTER I.
JAMES I.
A. D. 1603—1613.
On tbe death of queen Elizabeth, the right to the crown
of England lay between the descendants of Margaret and
Mary, daughters of Henry VH., married to the king of
Scotland, and to Brandon duke of Suffolk. By the last
will of Henry VIH., sanctioned by an act of the legislature,
the crown was settled on the latter in case of the failure of
his own issue. The legal right, therefore, of the house of
Suffolk was beyond dispute. But, on the other hand, the
general feeling iu favor of primogeniture and hereditary
right was too strong to be thus overcome ; and the advan
tages to be derived from the accession ofthe king of Scotland
were so great, that the nation readily acquiesced in the last
disposition of the late queen, and James was proclaimed
with as little opposition as if he had been an heir-apparent.
During the latter years of queen Elizabeth, the jesuited
portion of the catholics* had been in secret correspondence
with the king of Spain about asserting the claim of his
daughter, the Infanta; while others, with the sanction of
the pope, who did not wish to aggrandize too much the
house of Austria, looked to Arabella Stuart, daughter of
* The English catholics were divided into two parties ; the jesuited,
aa they were named, that is, the adherents of the Jesuits, and the fol
lowers of the secular clergy.
VOL. II. 1 A

2 HISTOEY OF ENGLAND.
the younger brother of James's father, alleging that her
birth within the realm obviated, in law, her defect of pri
mogeniture ; for, though Arabella was a protestant, they
had some hopes of her conversion. They did not, how
ever, feel themselves strong enough to make any efforts
in her favor ; and James, who had long been in secret
communication with the court of Rome and the English
catholics, had given them reason to expect that they might
expect freedom from molestation, at the least, under his
dominion. After the death of Essex, sir Robert Cecil had entered
into close and secret relations with the king of Scotland,
engaging to remove all difficulties in the way of his peace
ful succession. His efforts had been completely successful ;
and James, on receiving due notification of his having been
proclaimed, prepared to set forth for the Land of Promise,
as he termed it to his hungry and longing favorites. The
change was to him great indeed ; he was about to pass from
a throne of most scanty revenues, and a realm where the
royal authority was continually thwarted by a turbulent,
ferocious nobility, and a morose, domineering clergy, to a
kingdom where the regal power had long been nearly un
controlled, and where the revenues of the crown were splen
did and ample.
On the 5th of April James departed from Edinburgh.
When he entered England, the people every where poured
forth in joyous crowds to greet him ; and the nobles, as he
proceeded, entertained him sumptuously at their houses.
But the contrast was striking between him and their late
glorious sovereign. When Elizabeth was on a progress,
she was splendidly attired; her people had free access to
her, and their proofs of affection were received with smiles
and with courteous expressions, blended with the majesty
and dignity inseparable from her air and mien. They beheld
their new monarch meanly attired, for he cared not for
dress; his clothes were always of one fashion, quilted so as
to be stiletto-proof, and worn till they were in rags: his
person was ungraceful, his limbs feeble, his gait being what,
in the dialect of his country, is termed ' iodlin.' Hislongue
was too large for his mouth, and thus augmented the un-
couthness of his broad northern accent. Under pretext of
its enhancing the price of provisions, he forbade the resort
of people to him on his way ; he allowed ladies, it is said, to
kneel to him, and spoke in language derogatory of the fair
sex in general. At Newark he ordered a pick-pocket, taken

JAMES I. 3
in the fact within the range of the court, to be executed
without trial.* In short, by the time he reached London hia
popularity was well nigh gone.
On his approach to the capital, James took up his abode
for some days at Theobalds, the residence of sir Robert
Cecil ; during which time he formed his council, by adding
to that of the late queen the following Scots : the duke of
Lennox, the earl of Mar, lord Hume, lord Kinloss, sir George
Hume, and sir James Elphinstone. A proclamation was
issued, holding forth hopes of a mitigation of the evils of
monopolies, purveyance, and protections in lawsuits. The
king then began to shower his honors with a lavish hand on
his subjects of both nations. Knighthood, for example, was
bestowed with such profusion, that in the course of three
months he had conferred that honor on not less than seven
hundred persons. A pasquinade was affixed to St. Paul's,
entitled ' A Help for weak Memories to retain the Names of
the Nobility.'
The principal titles conferred vvere as follows : Cecil was
created successively baron Essingdon, viscount Cranburne,
and earl of Salisbury ; lord Buckhurst was made earl of
Dorset ; and lord Pembroke's brother Philip earl of Mont
gomery ; the chancellor Egerton became baron of EUesmere.
James also, to evince his gratitude to the friends of himself
and his mother, released the earl of Southampton from the
Tower, and restored him and the son of the earl of Essex to
their estates and honors. He admitted into the council
Thomas Howard, the son, and Henry, the brother of the
late duke of Norfolk ; and some time after, he created the
former earl of Suffolk, and the latter earl of Northampton.
He also restored the title of Arundel and Surrey to Thomas
son of Philip, the eldest son of that unhappy duke.
Ambassadors from foreign powers now arrived to congrat
ulate James on his accession. Henry IV. of France sent
his friend and minister, the marquess Rosni, (afterwards
duke of Sully,) to study the character of the new monarch,
and try to induce him to join in an extensive league against
the house of Austria. Sully, on his arrival, prepared to put
himself and suite in deep mourning, out of respect to the
memory of the late queen ; but he gave up the design, on
being assured by the resident ambassador that he should
** " I hear our new king," writes sir J. Harrington, " has hanged
one man before he was tried ; it is strangely done ; now if the wind
bloweth thus, why may not a man be tried before he hag offended ' "

4 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
thereby give mortal offence at court.* He found James so
bent on peace with Spain, that he would only engage to aid
the Dutch underhand. Sully's opinion of the British mon
arch is briefly and truly given in his expression, that he was
" the wisest fool in Christendom."
Here it may be useful to give some further account of
king James. He was now thirty-six years of age ; his educa
tion had been confided to the celebrated George Buchanan ;
but though the tutor had been one of the ablest assertors of
the doctrine that all power proceeds from the people, to
whom the holder is answerable for the exercise of it, the
pupil had adopted the most extravagant ideas of the extent
of the royal prerogative. Flattered by courtiers, and re
garding himself as the representative of the endless line of
Scottish monarchs, and of the Saxon and Norman lines in
England, he considered the people as made, for kings, who
are to them as the shepherds to their flocks, and are ac
countable to God alone for their trust. As he was learned,
and wrote with facility, he had imbodied his notions in a
work for the use of his son, which he named the ' Basili-
kon Doron,' or Royal Gift. He had also published works
on deraonology and other subjects but little suited to the
pen of a monarch. He was in effect a royal pedant, (a very
rare character,) with large stores of acquired knowledge,
with shrewdness and sagacity, but wanting wisdom. By
himself and his flatterers he was styled the British Sol
omon .+
By his union with Anne, sister of the king of Denmark,
James had now surviving two sons, Henry and Charles, and
one daughter, Elizabeth. The queen was a woman of an in
triguing, ambitious spirit, fond of amusement and gayety.
Prince Henry, as he grew up, developed a character every
way the opposite of that of his father.
James was hardly well seated on his throne, when a
double conspiracy, it was said, was formed against him.
The one was named the ' Bye,' the ' Surprise,' or the ' Sur
prising Plot,' for reasons which will presently appear. The
chief actors in it were two secular popish priests, named
Watson and Clarke ; sir Griffin Markham, a catholic gen-
* James affected to speak slightingly of Elizabeth ; but, as he offered
to appear as chief mourner at her funeral, his forbidding mourning at
court may have had its source in his aversion from gloom ; he did°the
game on the death of bis own son.
t Henry IV., on bearing this, said he hoped he was not the son of
David the fiddler, [alluding to Rizzio, see vol. i. p. 467.]

JAMES I. &
tleman ; George Brooke, brother of lord Cobham, (who
himself had knowledge of it,) and lord Grey of Wilton, the
head of the puritans. Common discontent was the only
principle of union among these discordant elements. Their
plan was to surprise and seize the king, then convey him
to the Tower or to Dover Castle, and oblige him when
there to grant a full pardon to all concerned, secure tolera
tion to the catholic religion, and dismiss his privy council.
Watson, it was said, was then to be chancellor, Brooke
treasurer, Markham principal secretary, and Grey marshal
and master of the horse. This last, however, finding the
catholics to predominate in their councils, made a pretext
to withdraw himself from them ; and one thing or another
causing the execution to be deferred, Cecil came to the
knowledge of it,* and the principal conspirators were ar
rested. The other plot was named the ' Main,' or the ' Spanish
Treason.' The chief parties in this were said to be sir
Walter Raleigh, lord Cobham, and George Brooke. Its
object, as was asserted, was to place Arabella Stuart on the
throne by the aid of a Spanish army and Spanish money.
Brooke formed the link between the Main and the Bye.
When the latter plot was discovered, Raleigh was arrested
as a suspicious person ; but as he was really ignorant of it,
nothing could be brought against him, and he was dismissed.
A letter, however, which he wrote to Cobham, to put bim
on his guard, having been intercepted, they were both com
mitted to the Tower.
The court being at Winchester on account of the plague,
the two priests, with Brooke, Markham, sir Edward Parham,
and two other gentlemen, were arraigned there on the 15th
of November. Parham was acquitted, all ths rest were
found guilty. On the 17th Raleigh was brought to trial.
The only evidence against him was the declaration of Cob
ham ; for when he was on his examination, (July 20,) he
was shown a note from Raleigh to Cecil, hinting that he had
intelligence with Aremburg, the Spanish minister, and he
then declared that he would tell all the truth ; and he revealed
what he said was Raleigh's project. Against this, Raleigh
produced a letter, written subsequently by Cobham, fully
acquitting him : in reply to which, the counsel for the crown
gave in a letter written by Cobham only the night before,
repeating his charge. The prosecution was conducted in
* He is said to have had his information from the Jesuit party.
. I*

b HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
the most virulent manner by sir Edward Coke, then attorney-
general. Raleigh defended himself with great skill, temper,
and dignity ; but the jury, (which was a packed one,) in
sufficient as the evidence was, found him guilty, and he was
sentenced to die. To use Raleigh's own words, " it was as
unjust a condemnation, without proof and testimony, as ever
man had," The king himself, as Raleigh afterwards as
serted, prayed that lie might never be tried by a Middlesex
jury. It is also said, that when Coke heard, as he was
walking in the castle garden, that the jury had found Raleigh
guilty of high treason, he said, " Surely thou art mistaken :
I myself accused him but of misprision of treason." Osborne
says that " some of the jury were afterwards so touched in
conscience as to demand of Raleigh pardon on their knees."
On the following Friday Cobham was tried by his peers.
He behaved in the most abject manner possible, throwing
the whole blame on his brother and Raleigh. He was
found guilty without hesitation. Next day Grey was ar
raigned : he defended himself with great spirit and ability;
but the evidence was too strong against him, and he also was
condemned. The two priests were hung, and embowelled in the usual
barbarous manner, before they were dead. Brooke was
beheaded. Markham was led to the scaffold. Just then
a messenger came from court, and whispered to the sheriff,
who gave the prisoner two hours' respite, and took him away.
Grey was next brought out, but the sheriff withdrew him
also, saying that Cobham was to precede him. Cobham,
when he came on the scaffold, " did much cosen the world,"
for he showed the greatest firmness and resolution. He
expressed his sorrow for his offence to the king, and " took
it upon the hope of his soul's resurrection, that what he
had said of Raleigh was true." The sheriff then told him
that he must be confronted with some other persons. Grey
and Markham were immediately led forth ; and while they
gazed on each other in amazement, the sheriff announced
to them that the king granted them their lives. Markham
was banished the kingdom ; Cobham was deprived of his
offices and estates, and he died some years after in the
utmost misery. Grey remained a prisoner in the Tower
till his death, in 1614. Raleigh's life also was spared for
the present.
The preceding drama was a device of the king's, who
was certainly not a man of blood. It is quite evident that
one object in view was, to obtain what might be regarded

JAMES I. 7
as Cobham's dying assertion of the guilt of Raleigh ; for
(though cowards sometimes die with courage) there seems
reason to think that Cobham's magnanimity was the result
of his knowledge of his life not being in danger. The
king was inimical to Raleigh as the enemy of Essex, and
as one of those who had proposed that he should be per
mitted to mount the throne only on conditions. Cecil was
now the enemy of Raleigh, whose talents he feared ; and
on the whole, we think there is some probability in the
hypothesis of Cobham's being merely the tool of him and
lord Henry Howard in fixing the charge of treason on
Raleigh, who might thus be immured for the rest of his
days. It is probable that there was no intention of touch
ing his life. The intrigue with Spain, with which Raleigh
was charged, seems contrary to the tenor of his whole life
and actions.*
The next affair which occupied the attention of king
James was one more congenial to his disposition. When
he was on his way to London from Scotland, the puritan
clergy presented their Millenary petition,+ praying for ref
ormation in the church. They desired that the sign of the
cross should not be made in baptism, or that rite be ad
ministered by women ; that the ring should be disused in
marriage; confirmation be abolished; the clergy not wear
the cap and surplice, or teach the people to bow at the name
of Jesus ; the service be curtailed, and the Apocrypha not
be read as part of it ; church music be reformed ; the Lord's
day not be profaned, or the observation of other holidays
enjoined. They also prayed that none but able men should
be ordained, and that they should be obliged to reside on
their cures ; that bishops should not hold livings in commen
dam ; that men should not be excommunicated for small
matters, etc. The two universities forthwith set forth violent
declarations against the petitioners, and in favor of the pres
ent state of the church. The king, being brought up in the
kirk of Scotland, which rejected all that was complained of,
could not with decency slight the petition. He therefore
issued (Oct. 24) a proclamation for a conference between
the two parties to be held in his own presence at Hampton
Court. The conference commenced on the 14th of January,
• See Jardine's Criminal Trials, vol. i., and Cayley's and Tytler's
Lives of Sir Walter Raleigh.
t So called, as it was to have been signed by one thousand (mille)
clergymen.

8 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
1604. On the side of the church appeared the primate
Whitgift, Bancroft bishop of London, seven other prelates,
and eight dignitaries ; the puritans were represented by Dr.
Reynolds and three others, who had been selected by the
king himself The first day the puritans were not admitted,
and the king made a speech, in which he expressed his joy
that " he was now come into the promised land ; that he sat
among grave and reverend men, and was not a king, as
formerly, without state, nor in a place where beardless boys
would brave him to his face." * He assured them that he
did not propose any innovation, but that he only desired to
remove such disorders as might appear. He then suggested
some slight alterations in the liturgy with respect to absolu
tion and confirmation ; he also objected to baptism by women
and lay persons. The amendments which he proposed were
adopted without hesitation ; and next day (16th) the puritans
were admitted, and the king required them to state their ob
jections. To each of their arguments James himself replied.
At length, when Reynolds made proposals for holding assem
blies ofthe clergy, and referring cases thence to the diocesan
synod, the king lost his temper. He told them, as was the
truth, that they were aiming at a Scots presbytery, " which,"
said he, " agrees with monarchy as well as God and the
devil. Then Jack and Tom and Will and Dick shall meet,
and at their pleasure censure both me and my council.
Therefore, pray stay one seven years before you demand
that of me; and if then you find me pursy and fat, and my
windpipe stuffed, I will perhaps hearken to you ; for let
that government be up, and I am sure I shall be kept in
breath." Then turning to the bishops, and putting his
hand to his hat, he said, " My lords, I may thank you that
these puritans plead for my supremacy ; for, if once you
are out, aud they in place, I know what will become of my
supremacy ; for. No bishop, no king." He then asked
Reynolds if he had any thing more to say ; but that divine,
finding the cause prejudged, declined to proceed. " If this
be all your party have to say," said the king, rising, " I
will make them conform themselves, or else hurry them
out of this land, or do worse." The prelates were over
joyed at the behavior of fhe king. Whitgift protested
that he had spoken from the spirit of God. Bancroft ex-
* Alluding to tbe rudeness which he had experienced from some
hot-headed young ministers in Scotland, of which various instances
are on record.

JAMES I, 9
claimed, " I protest my heart melteth with joy, that Al
mighty God, of his singular mercy, has given us a king as,
since Christ's time, hath not been." The chancellor said
" he had never seen the king and priest so fully united in
one person." *
Next day the puritans were called in to hear the altera
tions made in the prayer-book. Their entreaties for indul
gence to some men of tender consciences only excited anger ;
the conference thus terminated, and on the 5th of March, a
proclamation was issued, enjoining strict conformity. A
persecution of the nonconformists speedily commenced, and
three hundred ministers were punished by suspension, depri
vation, and other modes.
On the 19th of March, the king met his first parliament.
In the commons the redress of grievances, chiefly those of
purveyance and the feudal incidents, was anxiously sought,
and an equivalent in revenue was proposed to be given to
the, crown. Attempts were also made to have the laws
mitigated in favor of the puritans, while those against the
catholics were incteased in severity. The king, finding he
had little chance of obtaining a subsidy, seht to signify that
he would not require it, and parliament then separated.
In the summer a peace was concluded with the court of
Spain on sufficiently honorable terms ; and James, having
no foreign affairs to disturb him, devoted himself to his
studies, his hunting, and his other amusements. Meantime
a few fanatic catholics were busily engaged in a horrible
project for destroying himself, his family, and both houses
of parliament. We speak of the Gunpowder-Plot, of which
we will now narrate the details.t
When James was looking to the succession to the crown
of England, he naturally sought to engage all parties in his
interest. The catholics were still numerous and wealthy,
and it is not to be doubted that he held out to them hopes
of a toleration. They were therefore zealous in his favor,
and on Ids part he ceased for two years to levy the fines for
recusancy. He, however, had little real liking for their
religion, and he more than once publicly declared his inten
tion of treading in the footprints of Eliza'oeth ; moreover,
his Scottish favorites, having in many cases expended their
^ In our ears this sounds as monstrous and almost impious flattery.
Such it would be at the present day, no doubt ; but exaggerated ex
pressions of praise or blame were tbe style of that age.
f See the excellent account of it which forms the second volume of
Jardine's Criminal Trials. B

10 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
small patrimonies, were craving for supplies ; he therefore
put the law against recusancy again in force, and assigned
these persons pensions off the lands and properties of the
catholics, which of course were levied with insolence and
severity. This, and the enactment of new severities against
their religion in the late parliament, convinced the catholics
that they had little favor to expect. They were irritated, no
doubt, but they had no thoughts of seeking redress by force,
being averse from civil conflicts or aware of their inferiority
in strength.
There were^ however, some spirits of a different kind
among them. Robert Catesby, a gentleman of good prop
erty in Northampton and Warwickshire, descended from
the minister of Richard III., had been brought up a catholic ;
but he deserted that religion, plunged into all sorts of ex
cesses, and ran through his patrimony. He then (1598)
returned to his old religion, and, making up for his apostasy
by zeal, became a fanatic, and engaged in ail the treasons
and conspiracies which agitated the latter years of Eliza
beth. He now conceived the diabolical project of blowing
up the parliament-house with gunpowder. This design he
communicated in Lent, 1604, to John Wright and Thomas
Winter, two catholic gentlemen of good character, family,
and fortune. The latter hesitated at first, but his scruples
soon gave way, and he went over to the Netherlands on a
double mission ; the one was to try to induce the constable
of Castile, who was coming over to conclude the peace, to
make some stipulations in favor of the catholics, the other
to engage in the plot some gentleman of courage and of
military knowledge and experience. Finding that the court
of Spain would not hazard the peace which was so neces
sary to it, on their account, he proceeded to execute the
other part of his commission ; and the person on whom he
fixed was one Guy Fawkes, a man of good family in York
shire, who, having spent his little property, had entered the
Spanish service. If we may credit Father Greenway, the
associate and panegyrist of the conspirators, Fawkes was
" a man of great piety, of exemplary temperance, of mild
and cheerful demeanor, an enemy of broils and disputes, a
faithful friend, and remarkable for his punctual attendance
upon religious observances," — in a word, a fanatic in whose
eyes religion justified every deed. Though this high-wrought
character is doubtless beyond the truth, there seems on the
other hand to be no ground for regarding Fawkes as a mere
vulgar ruffian.

JAMES I. 11
Winter and Fawkes cam€ to London in the month of
April. Catesby then communicated the project to Thomas
Percy, a kinsman of the earl of Northumberland, whose
steward he was, and who had been sent by him to Scotland,
before the queen's death, to ascertain James's sentiments
toward the catholics. He had reported most favorably, and
he was now mortified at having been so completely deceived
in his expectations. Like Catesby, he had been a debauchee,
and was now a fanatic.
Catesby, Wright, Winter, Percy, and Fawkes, having met
by appointment in a house behind Clement's Inn, took an
oath on the Holy Trinity and the sacrament never to disclose
what was then to be proposed. Percy and Fawkes were
then informed of the plan, of which they both approved,
and then in an upper room of the same house they heard
mass and received the sacrament from the hands of Father
Gerard, a Jesuit, who, whatever may be our suspicions, was
not, as far as we have evidence, acquainted with their vow
and its object.
A house adjoining the parliament-house was now taken
in Percy's name ; and Fawkes, under the assumed name of
Johnson, and as^ Percy's servant, was put in charge of it.
Another house was hired at Lambeth, where the powder
and the timber for the construction of the mine which they
proposed to run might be collected, and the care of it was
committed to one Robert Keyes, who was likewise sworn
to secrecy. Parliament being adjourned till the 7th of
February following, the conspirators went down to the
country, agreeing to meet again in November. During the
summer and autumn the proceedings of the government
against the catholics were extremely rigorous, and several
Jesuits and seminarists were tried and executed. The con
spirators were therefore the more confirmed in their reso
lution. On the night of the llth of December Catesby and his
associates entered the house in Westminster, well supplied
with mining tools, and with hard eggs and baked meats for
their support. They began to mine the wall of three yards
in thickness between theirs and the parliament-house.
Fawkes stood sentinel while the others wrought. Finding
the work more severe than they had expected, they sum
moned Keyes from Lambeth, and they admitted Wright's
brother Christopher into their association. They spread the
matter which they extracted in the day over the garden at
nio-ht, and not one of them ever vcent out of the house or

12 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
even into the upper part of it, lest they might be seen. They
wrought without ceasing till Christmas-eve, when Fawkes
brought them intelligence that parliament was further pro
rogued till October. They then agreed to separate till alter
the holidays, when they would resume their labors.
During the month of January, (1605,) Catesby admitted
into the conspiracy Robert the elder brother of Ihomas
Winter, and John Grant of Norbrook, near Warwick, and
an old servant of his own named Thomas Bates. In Feb
ruary they renewed their labors in the mine, and they had
pierced half way through the wall, when they suddenly, as
we are assured, heard the tolling of a bell within the wall
under the parliament-house; they stopped and listened;
Fawkes was called down, and he also heard it. On sprin
kling the place, however, with holy water, the mysterious
sound ceased; it was frequently renewed, but the same
remedy always proved efficacious, and it at length ceased
altogether. One day they heard a rushing noise over their
heads; they thought they were discovered, but Fawkes, on
inquiry, found that it was made by a man of the name of
Bright, who was selling off his coals from a cellar under the
house of lords in order to remove. They resolved at once
to take the cellar, for, exclusive of the labor, they found the
water now coming in on them. The cellar was taken in
Percy's name also; twenty barrels of powder were conveyed
to it from the house in Lambeth, their iron tools and large
stones were put into the barrels with it, in order to give more
efficacy to the explosion, and the whole was covered with
billets and fagots; and lumber and empty bottles were
scattered through the cellar. They then closed it up, pla
cing marks withinside ofthe door, that they might be able to
ascertain if any one should enter it during their absence.
Having sent Fawkes to Flanders to inform sir William
Stanley and other English officers of the project, and try to
obtain foreign aid, they separated for the summer. In the
autumn sir Edmund Baynham was sent to Rome as the
agent of the conspirators, with whose designs it is likely he
was acquainted. As it was necessary to have horses and
arras ready, Catesby pretended that he was commissioned to
raise a troop of horse for the Spanish service, and he had
thus a pretext for collecting arms, etc., at his own house,
and at that of Grant ; and several catholic gentlemen under
taking to join him as volunteers, he directed them to pre
pare their arms and to be ready when called on. He and
Percy now thought it necessary to associate some gentlemen

JAMES I. 13
of wealth in order to ob);ain the requisite funds, and they
fixed on sir Everard Digby of Rutlandshire, Ambrose Rook
wood of Suffolk, and Francis Tresham of Northamptonshire ;
the two first, who were weak bigots but virtuous men, hesi
tated at first, but finally joined cordially in the project ; the
last, a man of indifferent character, was only admitted on
account of his wealth, and Catesby; it is said, had always a
mistrust of him.
Parliament being finally appointed to meet on the 5th of
November, the conspirators made their final arrangements.
Fawkes was to fire the mine by means of a slow match,
which would take a quarter of an hour to reach the powder ;
and as soon as he had lighted it, he was to hasten and get
aboard a ^mall vessel which was ready in the river, and carry
the news over to Flanders. Digby was on that day to as
semble a number of the catholic gentry under pretext of a
hunting party at Dunchurch, in Warwickshire ; and as soon
as they heard of the blow being struck, they were to send a
party to seize the princess Elizabeth, who was at lord Har
rington's, in that neighborhood, and she was to be proclaimed
in case Winter should fail in the part assigned him of securing
one of her brothers.
There vvas one point which had been disputed from the
beginning, namely, how to act with respect to the catholic
nobles. Catesby, it would seem, had little scruple about
destroying them with the rest, but the majority were for
saving their friends and relations. Tresham, in particular,
was most earnest to save his brothers-in-law, the lords
Stourton and Mounteagle. It was finally agreed that no
express notice should be given, but that various pretexts
should be employed to induce their friends to stay away.
This, however, did not content Tresham, and some days
after he urged on Catesby and Percy that notice should be
given to lord Mounteagle; and on their hesitating he hinted
that he should not be ready with the money he had promised,
and proposed that the catastrophe should be put off till the
closing of the parliament. His arguments, however, proved
ineffectual. On the 26th of October, lord Mounteagle went and supped
at his house at Hoxton, where he had not been for a month
before. At supper a letter was handed him by a page, who
said he had received it from a strange man in the street. It
was anonymous. By his lordship's direction a gentleman
named Ward read it aloud. It desired him to make some
excuse for not attending parliament, " for God and man," it
VOL. II. 2

14 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
said, " hath concurred to punish this wickedness of this
time;" with sundry other mysterious hints. Lord Mountea
gle took it that very evening to lord Salisbury at Whitehall,
who showed it to some other lords of the council ; and it
was decided that nothing should be done till the king's
return from Royston, where he was hunting.
It has been a matter of much dispute by whom this letter
was written. The most likely person by far was Tresham,
and it is not improbable that he had already given full
information to lord Mounteagle, and through him to the
government, and that the letter was only a device to conceal
the real mode of discovery. Tresham too was anxious to
save his friends, and but for their own infatuation this might
have been effected, for Winter was informed next morning
of this letter, and they could have escaped in the vessel
prepared for Fawkes. On the 30th Tresham came from the
country to London ; Catesby and Winter charged him with
having written the letter, intending to poniard him if he
confessed or hesitated ; but he denied with such firmness,
that they were, or affected to be, satisfied, and they resolved
to go on with their design.
Next day (31st) the king returned to London ; a council
was held the following day on the subject of the letter, and
James himself is said to have divined its secret meaning.*
It was determined to search the cellar, but not till Monday
the 4th. On that day the lord chamberlain, lord Mount
eagle, and others, went to the parliament-house. They
found Fawkes in the cellar, but they made no remark, and
that night sir Thomas Knevett, a magistrate, was sent to
the place with his assistants; he met Fawkes as he was
stepping out of the door, and arrested him, and on search
ing the cellar, thirty-six barrels of powder were discovered.
Fawkes was brought before the council, where he avowed
and gloried in his design, but refused to name his accom
plices; he was then committed to the Tower.
Some of the conspirators had already left London, others
fled when they heard of the seizure of Fawkes ; they went
with all speed to Ashby St. Leger's, where they found several
of their friends ; they all rode to Dunchurch to meet Digby
and his party. Their dejected looks told their story; all
those who were not too deeply implicated departed forthwith
to provide for their safety. Catesby and the others then, in
* He might have done this, and yet Cecil bave known the real fact
already.

JAMES I. 15
the vain hope of raising the catholics of Wales and the ad
joining counties, went to Norbrook, and thence to Huddington
and Holbeach, a house of Stephen Littleton's. Their number
was now reduced by desertion to about sixty men ; the catholic
gentry drove them from their doors with reproaches; the
common people merely gazed on them as they passed. At
Holbeach, Digby and Stephen Littleton privately left them,
but the former was seized at Dudley. As they were drying
some of their powder which had been wetted, a burning coal
fell into it, and Catesby and some others were much injured.
In the night Robert Winter slank away. Next day, (8th,)
about noon, the sheriff arrived with the posse comitatus,
and surrounding the house summoned them to surrender ; on
their refusal he ordered an assault. Thomas Winter and
the two Wrights were wounded; Catesby and Percy placing
themselves back to back were shot through the bodies by two
balls from one musket ; the former died instantly, the latter
next day ; Rookwood was also severely wounded, and the
whole party were made prisoners. Robert Winter and Ste
phen Littleton, after concealing themselves for about two
months, were betrayed by the cook at Hagley House, the
abode of Mrs. Littleton.
The apprehension of Fawkes did not affect Tresham like
the others. He appeared openly in the streets, and even
wesnt to the council and offered his services against the
rebels. On the 12th, however, he was arrested and com
mitted to the Tower. It is probable that the object of the
council was to extract evidence from him against the Jes
uits, and in this they partially succeeded ; but soon after his
committal he was attacked by a fatal disease, and he died
on the 27th of December. The catholic writers of course
ascribe his death to poison, but the fact of his wife and his
servant being with him during the whole of his illness suffices
to confute them.
Fawkes was at first sullen, but on the 8th of November
he made a full confession, concealing, however, the names
ofhis associates, whom, however, next day he named to lord
Salisbury. It is highly probable that, according to custom,
the rack had been applied to him. On the 15th those taken
at Holbeach reached London. They were all examined
frequently, and from what was elicited from them, especially
Bates, a proclamation was issued (Jan. 16, 1606) against
the Jesuits Garnet, Greenway, and Gerard.
On the 27th, sir Everard Digby, the two Winters, Fawkes,
Grant, Rookwood, Keyes, and Bates, were brought to trial

16 HISTORY OP ENGLAND.
before a special commission, com'posed of privy councillors
and judges. The principal evidence against them were
their own confessions, but there could not be a shadow of
doubt respecting their guilt. Sentence of death was passed,
and on the 30th, Digby, Robert Winter, Grant, and Bates
were hanged and quartered at the west end of St. Paul's
churchyard. The next day Thoinas Winter, Rookwood,
Fawkes, and Keyes were executed opposite the parliament-
house. The Jesuit Gerard escaped from Harwich to the continent.
Greenway disguised himself and came to London, where, as
he was standing one day in a crowd, reading the proclama
tion, he was recognized by a man who followed and arrested
bim. He affected to go with him cheerfully, but in a private
street he flung him off, and made his escape to Essex, and at
last got over to Flanders. Henry Garnet, the superior ofthe
Jesuits in England, had concealed himself at Hendlip Hall,
the seat of Mr. Abington, near Worcester. A hint, however,
having been given that some Jesuits were concealed there,
the house was surrounded on the 20th of January by sir
Henry Bromley; but so well contrived were the places of
concealment, that it was not till the eighth day that Garnet
and another Jesuit, named Hall or Oldcorne, were discovered.
They were brought up to London and committed to the
Tower, where Garnet was treated with extraordinary mild
ness : their examinations before the council were frequent,
but he would confess nothing. A practice by no means un
common (one which indeed yet continues) was then resorted
to ; Garnet and Oldcorne were told by their keeper that there
was a concealed door between their cells, through which they
might converse. Two persons were meantime so placed as
to be able to hear what they said, and this led to important
discoveries. It was Garnet's principle to deny, and that even
with oaths and solemn asseverations, every thing with which
he was charged, until he found it useless to do so any longer.
For this he has been justly, but perhaps too severely blamed.
It is a maxim ofthe law of England that no man is bound to
accuse himself;* at the present day a prisoner is cautioned
against replying to questions tending to implicate him ; and
on his trial, by the general plea of ' Not guilty,' he in effect
denies the whole charge against him. Garnet, in reality, did
no more than this ; fear ofthe torture (towhich, however, he
was never subjected) prevented his being silent,and his denials
* " Nemo tenetur prodere seipsum." — Magna Cliarta.

JAMES I. 17
of the charges against him were the natural result of the de
sire not to be accessory to his own death.
From Garnet's Qwn confessions, and the evidence of others,
it was proved that, in June, 1604, he, learned from Catesby or
Winter, that there was a plot in hand ; and in the June of
1605 Catesby inquired of him respecting the lawfulness of
destroying some innocent catholics in a plan designed for
the promotion of the catholic religion, to which he gave an
affirmative reply. Shortly after the whole plot was revealed
to him by Greenway, (not in confession, as he said at first,)
with whom he continued to converse from time to time re
specting the progress of it. So many other convincing facts
appeared, or were proved, as can leave no Reasonable doubt
of Garnet's participation in the treason. He was tried on
the 28th of March by a jury of citizens of London, in
presence of the earl of Salisbury and other commissioners,
and was found guilty ; and on the 3d of May he was hung on a
gallows in St. Paul's churchyard. By the express order of
the king he was not cut down for the further operation ofhis
sentence until he was quite dead. He has been canonized
by his church, and his name now figures in the Roman mar
tyrology.* In the whole course of history an instance more demon
strative of the baleful effects of a false^ sense of religion on
the mind and heart is not to be found than this plot. A
more horrible design never was conceived ; yet those who
engaged in it were mostly men of mild manners, correct
lives, and independent fortunes, — all, we may say, actuated
by no ignoble motive, but firmly, believing that they were
doing good service to God. "I am satisfied," said John
Grant on the day of his execution, " that our project was so
far from being sinful, that I rely on my merits in bearing a
part of that noble action as an abundant satisfaction and ex-

" Miracles of course were 'required. A new species of grass, there
fore, grew on the spot where he last stood in Hendlip lawn. It was in
the form of an imperial crown, and tbe cattle never touched it. A
spring of oil burst forth on the spot where he was martyred. But the
chief miracle was ' Garnet's Straw.' This was an ear of the straw
used at bis execution, which a young catholic picked up, and on which
there appeared the face of the martyr. The story made such a noise
that the council inquired into it; it appeared of course to bave been a
pious fraud. Garnet was addicted to intemperance, a habit likely to
grow on one in his situation. There were also insinuations made
against him and a lady named Anne Vaux, who was bis constant com
panion wherever he went. We, however, believe that lady's character
to have been without stain, and regard her as a single-minded devotee.
2* C

18 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
piation for all sins committed by me during the rest of my
life." " Nothing grieves me," said Robert Winter to Fawkes,
"but that there is not an apology made by some to justify
our doing in this business; but our deaths will be a sufficient
justification of it, and it is for God's cause." It is said by
Greenway, that as Rookwood was drawn to execution, hig
wife stood at an open window in the Strand, comforting
him, aud telling him "to be of good courage, inasmuch ashe
suffered for a great and noble cause." Of the truth of this,
however, we are rather dubious ; fear alone would, we
apprehend, prevent her from giving utterance to such ex
pressions. The English catholics, it is well known, were divided
into two almost hostile parties, the jesuited and that of the
secular priests. The conspirators were all of the former
party, and the latter, who had been utterly ignorant of the
plot, were unanimous; loud, and, we have no doubt, sincere
in the abhorrence which they expressed at it. Digby, in a
letter to his lady, laments to find that the cause for which he
had sacrificed every thing was disapproved of by catholics
and priests, and that that which brought him to his death
was considered by them to be a great sin. But they had
their share in the penalty, for a new and more severe penal
code was enacted. The lords Montague, Mordaunt, and
Stourton were imprisoned and fined for their suspicious ab
sence from parliament. The earl of Northumberland was
fined 30,000/., deprived of his offices, and adjudged to remain
for life a prisoner in the Tower.
A favorite object of the king, ever since his accession,
had been the effecting of a union (a legislative one it would
appear) between his two kingdoms. The measure was sub
mitted to the parliaments of both countries, but national
prejudices and jealousies were too strong to permit so de
sirable a measure to be then eflTected ; and all that could
be obtained was the abolition of the laws in which each
treated the other as strangers and enemies, and a decision
of the English judges declaring the postnati, or Scots born
since the king's accession, to be natural subjects of the king
of England.
Duringthe six succeeding years of James's reign (1607-12)
little occurred to disturb the national tranquillity, though the
king and the house of commons still went on bickering ; lie
straining every nerve to obtain money unconditionally, — tJiei/
struggling to secure in return an abolition of purveyance,
wardship, and other feudal oppressions. The king meantime

JAMES 1. 19
chiefly attended tp his hunting and his writing ; the task of
supplying his lavish expenditure fell to Salisbury, now lord
treasurer, like his father, but with a very different sovereign,
and a far more refractory parliament to manage. His health
appears to have given way under his mental anxiety, and he
died at Marlborough, (May 24, 1612,) as he was returning
from Bath, where he had been to try the waters. His char
acter was that of a sagacious, prudent statesman ; but he
wanted the high principle and honorable feeling of his great
father. " He was," says Bacon, " a more fit man to keep
things from getting worse, but no very fit man to reduce
things to be better."
Toward the close of the year 1612, the king and country
were deprived of the heir-apparent, prince Henry. His
death caused little grief to James, who looked on him rather
as a rival than as a son ; and the prince made no secret of
the contempt in which he held his father, whose character
was the opposite of his in every respect. Henry was zealous
in his attachment to the reformed faith ; he abstained from
costly and immoral pleasures and excesses ; his delight was
in athletic and martial exercises. When one tim6 the
French ambassador came to take leave of him, he found him
handling the pike. " Tell your king," said the prince, " how
you left me engaged." He greatly admired sir Walter
Raleigh. " Sure no king but my father," he used to say,
" would keep such a bird in a cage." He died (Nov. 6) in
the 18th year of his age, of a fever, the consequence of ex
cessive and injudicious exercise. His death was of course
imputed by the people to poison ; the earl of Rochester, the
royal favorite, was the person charged, and some even sus
pected the king himself, how unjustly we need not say.
The death of prince Henry was a subject of general regret,
and it is a curious question how far it was a misfortune or
otherwise to the nation. It has sometimes struck us, that
had he come to the throne, animated as he was by a martial
spirit, he would have entered vigorously into the defence
of the elector palatine and the prosecution of a war with
Spain ; and that to obtain supplies from parliament he would,
like the great Edwards, have made the needful concessions
in favor of liberty, and that thus the civil war might have
been averted. But it was not in this manner that the liberties
of England were to be secured ; they were to pass through
the fire of civil discord.
James, with his habitual aversion to gloom, forbade any
one to approach him in mourning ; he would not allow the

20 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
preparations for the Christmas revels to be interrupted, and
in the following February (1613) he celebrated with extra
ordinary splendor the nuptials of his only daughter, Elizabeth,
with Frederick the count palatine of thfe Rhine. The prin
cess was only in her sixteenth year.
A lady of high rank was at this time paying the penalty
ofher proximity to the throne. Arabella Stuart had, though
expressly forbidden by the king, given her hand in secret to
sir William Seymour, son of lord Beauchamp. As both
were descended from Henry VIL, the king's jealousy took
alarm, and lie was committed to the Tower, site to the house
of sir Thomas Parry, at Lambeth. They were, however,
permitted by their keepers to have secret interviews, and the
king then ordered that Arabella should be removed to Dur
ham. She refused to leave her chamber, but she was taken
out of it by force. James, however, allowed her to remain a
month at Highgate for her health. While there, she disguised
herself in man's attire, and rode to Blackwall, and then went
down the river to where a French bark lay ready, and got
aboard. Seymour meantime, disguised as a physician, made
his way out of the Tower, and entered a boat which was to
convey him to the bark ; but the French captain, fearing to
wait, had set sail in spite of Arabella's entreaties. Seymour
got over to Flanders in a collier ; -the bark was taken off the
Nore, and Arabella was immured in the Tower. To her pe
titions for liberty James replied, that " as she had tasted of the
forbidden fruit she must pay the forfeit ofher disobedience."
The harsh treatment which she experienced deprived her of
reason, and she died in the fourth year of her confinement,
the victim of that odious policy of state which, on the plea
of self-preservation, tramples on all the principles of nature
and justice. It is remarkable that Arabella's husband was
afterwards, as marquess of Hertford, one of the most de
voted adherents of the son of her persecutor.

JAMES I. 21
CHAPTER II.
JAMES I. (COKTINOED.)
1613—1625.
It is time now that we should proceed to notice a remark
able ffeature in the character of this feeble monarch — his
favoritism. To this he had been addicted from his earliest
days s" and it is rather curious that he, the mOst slovenly of
men in his ovvn person, should have been as fastidious as
even the late queen about the looks and dress of those who
were about him. A few years before the time of which we
now write, on the occasion of a tilting-match, lord Hay, one
of the Scottish nobles, selected a youth of the border family
ofthe Kerrs for his equerry. Robert Kerr or Carr' was now
about twenty years of age, tall and handsome, and but just
returned from his travels. It was his office to present his
lord's shield and device to the king; and as he was about to
perform it, his horse became unruly and threw him. His leg
was broken in the fall, and James, affected by his youth and
beauty, had him removed to a room inthe palace, where he
visited him after the tilt. The visits were frequently re
newed ; the youth gradually won the heart of the king, who
resolved to make of him a scholar, a statesman, and a man
of wealth and rank. The last was easy; to effect the former
he himself became his tutor in Latin and his lecturer in
politics. While Salisbury lived, the favorite, though laden
with wealth and raised to the dignity of viscount Rochester,
took no part in affairs of state, but after the death of that
minister the duties of his offices were devolved for some
time on the new viscount. Rochester, from the outset of
his career, had the good sense to select an able adviser in
the person of sir Thomas Overbury, a man of talent and
judgment, but ambitious and insolent, and little encumbered
with scruples. His prudence, however, kept his patron's
bark steady before the wind, and his voyage might have been
prosperous to the end had it not struck on the rock of illicit
love. The young earl of Essex, as we have seen, had been re
stored in honor and estate at the king's accession ; and
Salisbury, whose own eldest son was married to a daughter
of the earl of Suffolk, in order to increase his influence by

22 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
family connection, proposed a match between her sister, th?
lady Frances, and young Essex. No objections being made,
the marriage took place, the brid"egroom being fourteen years
of age, the bride his junior by a year. Immediately after
the ceremony the young husband was sent to travel on the
continent ; the bride was committed to the care of her
mother, who, instead of keeping her in the seclusion appro
priate to her situation, adorned her with the showy accom
plishments of the age, and took her to court. Here her
beauty and her graces became the subject of general admira
tion ; prince Henry is said to have cast an eye of favor on
the lovely young countess; but Rochester, by the aid of
letters composed for him by Overbury, won her heart, and
erelong, it is said, she made him a secret surrender of her
modesty. When Essex returned, at the age of eighteen, and claimed
his privileges, he was received by his lady with distaste and
aversion. Her parents obliged her to live with him, but she
persisted in denying him his conjugal rights, for she thought
so long as she did that she could not properly be called his
wife. A separation from him, and a marriage with Roches
ter, were now the objects of her wishes, and the viscount
was equally eager with herself for the union.
When Rochester informed Overbury of his design,' the
latter, who saw in it nothing but evil to his patron and ruin
to himself, remonstrated in the strongest terms; he dwelt on
the infamy of the countess's character, the odium and hazard
ofthe attempt to obtain a divorce, and he finally threatened to
abandon him if he persisted in his project. All this Roch
ester forthwith communicated to the countess. In her rage
she offered lOOOZ. to a knight named sir David Wood, whom
Overbury had injured, to assassinate him. Wood refused ;
Rochester then prevailed on the king to appoint Overbury
his envoy to Russia. This office, at Rochester's secret in
stigation, he declined, saying that the king could not, in law
or justice, send him into exile ; for this contempt, as it was
termed, he was committed to the Tower, where, after a con
finement of about six months, he died suddenly.
Meanwhile the business of the divorce was proceeded
with ; the countess suing for it on the ground of bodily in
capacity on the part of her husband. The king, to his
disgrace, took a warm interest in it ; and Essex, whether
conscious of defect, or desirous to be released from a woman
who hated him, made such admissions as gave a pretext to
seven out of twelve of a court of delegates to yield to the

JAMES I. 23
wishes of the king and pronounce a sentence of divorce.
Shortly after (November 4) the fair adulteress was married
to her paramour (whom James, that she might not lose in
rank, had created earl of Somerset) in the royal chapel, in
presence of the king and queen, with extraordinary magnifi
cence. The bride daringly appeared in the virgin costume
of the day, her hair hanging in curls down to her waist. It
may be that the king was not aware of the infamy of the
parties ; the favorite had lately given him 25,000?. to relieve
his necessities, and he hoped by this union to set him on
good terms with the father and uncle of the bride.
The vengeance of Heaven, thbugh delayed, is frequently
sure, and the crimes of this guilty pair were destined to
come to light. The qualities by which Somerset had won
the royal favor soon began to decay ; his youthful bloom was
fading, for conscience dimmed its lustre. Another object too
had caught the unsteady aflfections of the king. George, one
of the sons of sir George Villiers, of Brookesby, in Leices
tershire, a tall, -Ijiandsome youth of about one-and-twenty,
who had travelled a little, and spent a short time at the court
of France, and whose taste in dress was exquisite, appeared
at court, and the impression he made on the king's mind
was at once preceptible, by his appointing him to the office
of cup-bearer. The enemies of Somerset , conceived the
idea of setting up Villiers as his rival ; but James had
formed a cunning plan of taking no one to his favor unless
specially recommended by the queen ; " that if she should
complain afterwards of the dear one, he might make answer,
It is long of yourself, for you commended him unto me."
The task of gaining the queen was committed to archbishop
Abbot, and, after long refusing, she consented, with these
prophetic vvords, " My lord, you know not what you desire.
If Villiers gain the royal favor, we shall all be sufferers ; I
shall not be spared more than others ; the king will teach him
to treat us all with pride and contempt." Forthwith (April
24, 1615) Villiers was sworn a gentleman of the privy cham
ber, and knighted. The king wished the two favorites to
live in harmony, but Somerset haughtily spurned the ad
vances of Villiers, and the court was soon divided into two
parties. Reports now were rife that Overbury had not come fairly
by his end, and circumstances brought the guilt of it so near
to the earl and countess that James directed chief justice
Coke to make out a warrant for their committal. The king's
hypocrisy on this occasion is almost incredible. Somerset

24 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
took leave of him at Royston to go up to London, on a
Friday, promising to return on Monday. Jajnes, as usual,
hung about his neck, and slobbered his cheeks, declaring he
should neither eat nor drink till he saw him again, adding,
" For God's sake give thy lady this kiss for me." Yet the
earl was not in his coach when the king said, " Now, the deil
go with thee, for I will never see thy face more."
A dreadful tissue of iniquity was now unravelled. It ap
peared that the countess had long been intimate with a Mrs.
Turner, the widow of a physician, a woman of infamous
character, and was by her made acquainted with one Dr.
Forman, a pretended conjurer, who supplied her with means
for preventing the earl of Essex from consummating his mar
riage, and with philtres for attaching the viscount ; that Mrs.
Turner had recommended one Weston, who had been her
husband's bailiff, as a fit person for their designs on Overbury,
and sir Gervase Elways, the lieutenant ofthe Tower, a crea
ture of Somerset's, was made to appoint him to attend on
the prisoner ; and Northampton, the abettor of his niece's
depravity, assuring Elways that what was to be done had the
king's approbation, engaged him to wink at the attempts that
Weston might make on the prisoher's life. The course
adopted was to mingle slow poisons with Overbury's food, but
these not succeeding, Weston gave him a poisonous clyster,
which had the desired effect. He was buried immediately,
Northampton averring to the king that he had died of an
odious disorder caused by his vices. Some time after, the
apothecary's boy who had assisted Weston in giving the clys
ter, being at Flushing, talked freely of the matter, and his
information being conveyed to sir Ralph Winwood, the
secretary of state, inquiry was set on foot by the king, and
all the suspected persons were arrested. Weston made an
ample confession, and he, one Franklin, and Mrs. Turner,*
were executed at Tyburn, and Elways was beheaded on
Tower-hill. The countess, when arraigned, pleaded guilty;
Somerset, who was perhaps innocent, defended himself
stoutly for the space of eleven hours, but he was found guilty
by his peers. The king granted a pardon to the countess,
the execution ofthe earl's sentence was suspended, and some
years after it was reversed. They were allowed to retire to
the country, with an allowance of 4000Z. a year, where they
lived in misery, hating and shunning each other. The count-
* She had introduced a yellow starch for stiffening ruffs, and she
wore one of them at the gallows.

JAMES I. 25
ess died (of a loathsome disease it is said) in 1632, the earl
lived till 1645.
Shortly after these trials, sir Edward Coke, the chief
justice, who h,ad given offence by his conduct on them, and
by his vigorous maintenance of , the authority of the law of
the land against the encroachments of the prerogative, was
dismissed from his high office. In effecting this, the arts of
sir Francis Bacon, the attorney-general and his rival, were
of great efficacy. This extraordinary man, who united the
noblest genius with the meanest soul, who was the first phi
losopher and statesman, and at the same time one of the
most servile flatterers of his age, was made, on the death of
lord Ellesniere,lord keeper, and afterwards chancellor, and he
thus attained the summit of his ambition.
, Sir Walter Raleigh was now at liberty, for the new favor
ite had been induced to exert his interest in his behalf, and
he was liberated after a confinement of thirteen years. But
he was poor ; his property had been seized when ,he was
condemned ; and the manor of Sherbourn, which, before the
death of queen Elizabeth, he had conveyed to his eldest son,
was also-lost, for a single word had been omitted in the deed
of conveyance, and this "omission was held to invalidate it.
Lady Raleigh and her children threw themselves at the
feet of the monarch, imploring him not to deprive them of
their only support; but his unfeeling reply was, " I mun ha'
the land, I mun ha' it for Carr; " for this minion had, as the
phrase then was, begged it. James, however, gave her, by
way of compensation, 8000/., for what was said to be worth
5000/. a year.
It will be recollected that Raleigh had already made an
unsuccessful voyage to Guiana. His imagination still ran on
the gold-mines which he fancied that region to contain ; even
while in prison he had kept up his claims to it, by sending
out small expeditions, and he now proposed to fit out an ex
pedition at the expense of himself and his friends, the king
to receive the usual fifth of the gold and silver to be thence
imported. The avarice of James was tempted, but he had
long had an anxious desire to unite his house in marriage with
the royal line of Spain, whom he therefore feared to offend,
and who he knew hated and dreaded Raleigh. Moreover,
Gondomar, the Spanish resident, had by his wit and his
adroit flattery, gained a most undue influence over the royal ¦
mind. The moment he heard of the rumored expedition, -
he remonstrated with the king ; James assured him that he
would not give Raleigh a pardon, so that his former sentence
VOL. IT. 3 D

26 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
would still hang pver him ; and that if he made any attack
on the Sp^nisli settlements, he would either have him ex
ecuted or deliver him up on his return. Gondomar affected
to be satisfied; he learned from the king all the particulars
of the expedition, which he transmitted to Spain, and di
rections were sent out to the Spaniards in Guiana to oppose
Raleigh when he arrived.
¦ After a delay of nearly a year, Raleigh sailed (1617) from
Plymouth with fourteen vessels. Misfortunes befell him from
the very outset ; two of his ships quitted him, a number of
his men perished by a contagious disease, which brought
himself to death's door. At length, in November, he reached
the mouth of the Orinoco, up which river he sent five ofhis
vessels, each containing fifty men, under captain Kemys,
who professed to have discovered the mine in one of the
former voyages, giving him strict orders not to molest the
Spaniards ; for it is to be observed, that since Raleigh had
been last there, and had taken possession of the country in
the name of his sovereign, the Spaniards had settled there,
and built a sort of town, named St. Thomas. As the
English passed this place, they were attacked by the Span
iards in the night; but they repelled the assailants, pursiied
them to, the town, and took it. In the actioij Raleigh's
eldest son and the Spanish governor, a near kinsman of
Gondomar's, were slain. They then proceeded up the river
in search ofthe mine, but to no purpose ; and having suffered
severely from an ambuscade of the Spaniards, they returned
to Raleigh, who, aware ofthe full extent ofthe mischief that
had been done, reproached Kemys so bitterly with his con
duct, that he retired to his cabin and put an end to himself,
Raleigh was soon compelled to return home by a mutiny
among his men, and he arrived at Plymouth in the beginning
of July, 1618. The king was exasperated ; Gondomar claim
ed, and was promised vengeance, and a proclamation was
issued against Raleigh; this he learned at Kinsale in Ire
land, and yet he proceeded to Plymouth, and was on his way
to London when he was arrested by his kinsman sir Lewis
Stukeley. It is the statement of Raleigh's son, that the
earls of Arundel and Pembroke were bound to the king for
his return, and that to ftee them from this emrao-ement he
thus surrendered himself But when he had" exonerated
them he thought himself justified in makina his escape if he
could ; accident or treachery, however, foiled all his attempts
and he was once more consigned to the Tower. He was
now subjected to various examinations; and to sir Thomas

JAMES I. 27
Wilson, keeper ofthe state papers, aman o more learning and
talent than honor and virtue, was committed the odious office
of endeavoring, under the aspect of mildness and sympathy,
to draw out of him a confession of a treasonable intercourse
with the French agent. In this, however, he failed, as the
prisoner was perfectly innocent on that head.
About the middle of October a letter arrived from the
king of Spain, expressing his wish that Raleigh should be ex
ecuted in England, rather than given up to him. Accordingly
a privy seal was directed fo the judges of the king's bench,
commanding .them to proceed to execution against sir Walter
Raleigh, under his former sentence. When the prisoner was
required to show cause against it, he submitted that his
majesty's commission, giving him power of life and death
over others, amounted to a pardon. This plea was overruled
by the chief justice, execution was granted, and on the 29th
of October the aged warrior was conducted to a scaffold in
Old PalaCe Yard. There were present several of the no
bility : sir Walter spoke with his usual calmness and courage,
clearing himself from all the charges made against him.
Respecting the 'earl of Essex, his words were, " I take God
to witness I had no hand in his blood, and was none of those
that procured his death. I shed tears for him when he
died." The dean of Westminster asking him in what faith
he meant to die, he said, " In the faith professed by the
church of England, and that he hoped to be saved, and have
his sins washed away by the precious blood and merits of our
Savior Christ." When he had put off his doublet and gown,
he asked the executioner to let him see the axe. He poised
it, and running his thumb along the edge, said with a smile,
"This is a sharp medicine, but it will cure all diseases."
The executioner going to blindfold him, he refused, saying,
"Think you I fear the shadow of the axe, when I fear not
the axe itself!" He gave the signal by stretching out his
hands, and his head was struck off in tvvo blows. " Every
man," says a witness, " who saw sir Walter Raleigh die,
said it was impossible to show more decorum, courage, or
piety, and that his death would do more hurt to the faction
that sought it than ever his life could have done."
Sir Walter Raleigh died in the sixty-sixth year of his age.
In his character were united the warrior, the statesman, the
courtier, and the man of letters and science. Were it not
that his imagination occasionally predominated over his
judgment, he might have easily been the first man of his
age. His death is an indelible stain on the character of the

28 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
king, who betrayed him to the Spaniards, and then put hirn
to death,* after he had virtually pardoned him, and on a
charge of which he must have known him to be innocent.
The panegyrists of the contemptible monarch (Hume in the
van) have sought to blacken the character of his victim, but
their calumnies have been amply refuted,t and with all his
faults sir Walter Raleigh is to be numbered among England's
most illustrious sons.
The queen, who had vainly tried to interest the favorite
for Raleigh, died earlyin the following year, (1619.) In
the very same; year a crown was offered to her son-in-law.
The privileges which had been secured by imperial edicts
to the Bohemian protestants having been violated by the
emperor Matthias, they had recourse to arms, and on hjs
death refused to acknowledge his successor, Ferdinand of
Austria, as king of Bohemia. They offered the crown to
the elector of Saxony, and on his refusal, to the elector
palatine, who imprudently accepted it, and was crowned
(Nov. 4) at Prague. His father-in-law, though ignorant
of the Bohemian constitution, (by which the crown was
elective,) at once pronounced the Bohemians rebels, and
ordered him to resign the crown ; but the people of England
exulted -at the prospect offered of an increase of strength
to the protestant cause, and were urgent with the king to
aid the elector in his contest with the house of Austria.
James was now sadly hampered between his love of peace,
his high notions of the divine rights of kings, and hig anx
iety to procure an infanta for his son, on the one hand, and
his family feeling and the clamors of his subjects on the
other. He had recourse to the usual refuge of weak minds,
a middle course ; he mediated and negotiated ; he allowed
sir Horace Vere to raise a regiment of 2400 men, for the
defence ofthe palatinate. But all was in vain ; a decisive
defeat under the walls of Prague (Nov. 4. 1620) deprived
the elector of his crown, and his hereditary dominions were
rapidly conquered by Spinola^ the general of the king of

* Marriage treaties with Spain seemed to require the cement of in
nocent blood. Witness Warwick and Raleigh.
t See Cayley and Tytler. Mr. Hallam seems to think ill of Raleigh,
but without givmg his reasons. This able writer has, however, what
appears to us an unfair habit of judging tbe men of the si.xteenth by
tbe maxims ofthe nineteenth century, and a kind of prejudice against
Elizabeth and ber great men, Essex (perhaps the least great) excepted
That Lmgard should be adverse to Raleigh was to be expected ; he was
the foe of Spain.

JAMES I. 29
Spain. He and his family retired to the Hague, where they
lived in poverty, and king James was to the end of his life
occupied in fruitless negotiations for the restoration of the
palatinate. The aff'airs of the palatinate, and the expense caused by
them, obliged the king to call a parliament, (1621.) One
of the first matters to which Jhe commons turned their
attention was the old .grievance of monopolies, and the
practice of impeachment was revived. Sir Giles Mon-
pesson, wl|o had patents for the manufacture of gold and
silver thread, and for licensing inns and alehouses, in which
he and his agent, sir Francis Mitchell, had been guilty of
great fraud and oppression, was the first object of attack.
Monpesson escaped to the continent ; but the lords con
demned both him and Mitchell to be fined and imprisoned,
and to lose their knighthood. But a far higher head than
these was to be abased by this parliament. Articles of
impeachment were exhibited qgainst the viscount of St.
Alban's* (as Bacon was now styled) for bribery and corrup
tion in his high office of chancellor, (March 21.) From his
bed, to which he had taken, he wrote to the lords confessing
the truth of the charges. He was sentenced to pay a fine
of 40,000/., be imprisoned during pleasure, and be incapaci
tated from approaching the court, sitting in parliament, or
holding any office of dignity or profit. The king remitted
the fine, and, gave him his liberty, and the remaining five
years of his life were chieflj pccupied with abject efforts to
recover the favor ofthe court. In his defence it was alleged
th^at it had long begn the usage for the chancellor to accept
presents from suitors • but it was replied that no precedents
could justify so pernicious a practice. The unanimity with
which he was condemned, and his not daring to make a
defence, would seem to intimate that he had far outgone his
predecessors. Yet Bacon was not an avaricious man ; it
was his love of show, his want of economy, and his easiness
fo his servants and, dependants that obliged him to have
recourse to all modes of obtaining money. It is also said
that he could have defended himself; but that, as his defence
would have contained disclosures of matters which the king
wished to remain unknown, promises were made him to
induce him to refrain from that course.
* [The title Verulam, by which Bacon is more commonly known, is
the name of an ancient city, of which, hut the site, and a few ruins,
now remain, immediately adjoining the, present town of St. Albans.
— J.T. S.] 3*

30 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
The session terminated in a quarrel between the king
and the commons. They drew up a petition praying him to
encrage vigorously in the defence of the palatine; to make
wa" on Spain; to marry his son to aprotestant princess; to
enforce the laws against papists. On obtaining a copy of
the petition he expressed the utmost indignation, and wrote
to the speaker, complaining of the " fiery, popular, and
turbulent spirits" in the house, who presumed to meddle
with mysteries of state, things beyond their capacity. The
house, in reply, intimated that they were entitled to interpose
in matters relating to the dignity and safety of the throne
and kingdom. Their liberty of speech was, they said, ,their
ancient "and undoubted right, an inheritance transmitted
from their ancestors. When the approach of the conimittee
with this address was notified to James, he ordered twelve
chairs to be brought, for so many kings, he said, were a-com-
iniT. In his answer, he wished that they had rather said that
their privileges were derived from the grace and permission
of his ancestors and himself, for most of them had grown
from precedent, which rather shows toleration than inherit
ance. If, however, they did not encroach on the prerogative,
he assured them he would be careful to maintain their lawful
liberties and privileges. This produced a memorable prot
estation on the part of the commons, that their privileges
were their birthright and inheritance ; that affairs of state
are proper subjects of counsel and debate in parliament;
and that the members have a right to freedom of speech,
and should not be molested for any thing said or done in the
house, except by censure of the house itself The king tore
this protest with his own hands from the journals, and pub
lished his reasons for so doing. He dissolved the parliament
forthwith, and he committed some of the most prominent
members to prison, and sent others on a commission to
Ireland by way of punishment.
The Spanish match was the object nearest to James's
heart. Philip III. had kept the matter hanging for years,
in the hope of obtaining conditions which might lead to
the reestablishment of popery in England. On his death,
(1622,) James hoped that with the young king, Philip IV.,
a more speedy arrangement might be effected, and he sent
the able and experienced lord Digby, (soon after earl of
Bri.stol,) who had been already three times his minister at
Madrid, once more ambassador to Spain. James also de
spatched an envoy to the pope, and he relaxed the penal laws,
discharging a great number of the recusants from prison.

JAMES I. 31
Philip, who was evidently sincere, exerted himself to pro
cure a dispensation at Rome, and James and his son sub
scribed the religious articles respecting the infanta, after
they had been seen and corrected at the Vatican ; they also
pledged themselves tiuit the persecution against the catholics
should cease, if thefronly performed their worship in private
houses. Every thing seemed now arranged, when a ro
mantic adventure of the prince came to disconcert the
whole project.
Villiers, , who was now marquess of Buckingham, was
haughty and insolent, but open and sincere; a zealous
friend, and a violent enemy, utterly devoid of prudence,
and incapable of restraining his passions. In the heyday
of his favor he had not hesitated to let the prince of Wales
taste of his insolence ; and that prince, who was of a cold,
proud-, reserved temper, felt this deeply, and testified his
displeasure in strong terms. A gleam of prudence, how
ever, probabjy suggested to Buckingham that, as the king
was growing old, and he was himself a young man, his
situation might not be an enviable one under the successor,
unless he had previously appeased him. He, therefore, bent
all his endeavors to effect this object, and he succeeded
so completely that he soon stood even higher with the
prince than with the king, who was now rather weary of his
insolence. Buckingham now took an opportunity of remarking to
the prince how slowly the treaty for his marriage went on,
and how much it might be accelerated by his own presence
at the court of Madrid, by Which advantages respecting the
palatinate and other matters might also be obtained. The
prince's imagination was kindled, and Buckingham then
proposed that they two, with a few attendants, should travel
in disguise to Madrid. Charles gave a ready consent ; he
threw himself on his knees before his father, and having
made a previous condition that he would not consult with
any one on what he was going to request, craved his per
mission to undertake the journey. Buckingham, who was
present, backed the suit, and the king gave a reluctant
consent. But when James was left to himself and had time to re
flect calmly on the matter, he saw it in its true form of
absurdity and danger both to the person of the prince and
to his own reputation, and when they came to him next day
for their despatches, he began to explain to them the various
cogent reasons which had made hira resolve to retract his

32 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
consent. The prince remonstrated with dutiful submission,
and shedding te^rs ; but Buckingham, who was used to deal
with him in a different way, told him that no one in future
would believe any thing he said ; that he had, contrary to his
promise, revealed the matter to some rascal who had furnished
him with thesfe pitiful reasons, but that he would find out
who this counsellor was, and that the prince could never
forget his disappointment or foi-give the author of it. The
weak monarch, thus bullied, renewed his consent; and it
was agreed that sir Francis Cottington, the prince's secre
tary, and Endymion Porter, a gentleman of his bedchamber,
(both of whom were well acquainted with Spain,) should
alone accompany them. Cottington was forth\Vith sent for.
" He will be opposed to the journey," whispered Bucking
ham to the prince. " He dares not," was the reply. When
he came, the king having told him that he was going to be
intrusted with a secret which he must not reveal to any one,
added, "Here is baby Charles and Steeny,* who have a
great mind to go post into Spain and fetch home the infanta.
They will have but two more in their company, and have
chosen you for one. What think you of the journey?"
Cottington urged sundry objections ; the king threw himself
on his bed weeping, and crying, " I told you this before,"
and lamenting and exclaiming that he was undone, and
should lose baby Charles. Buckingham fell to reviling and
threatening Cottington ; but the king said, '' Nay, by God,
Steeny, you are much to blame for using him so. He an
swered me directly to the question I asked him, and very
honestly and wisely ; and yet you know he said no more
tban I told you before he was called in." +
All ended in the king's renewing his consent. The
prince and marquess went (Feb. 17) to a house of the
latter's in Essex; whence, attended by his master of the
horse, sir Richard Graham, and furnished with false beards
and periwigs, they proceeded to Dover, where they were
joined by Cottington and Porter. Under the assumed
names of Jack and Tom Smith they passed over to Bou-
• These were James's familiar names for the prince and Bucking
ham. He called the latter Steeny, from a fancied resemblance between
his countenance and tbat of St. Stephen. James used to style himself
their dad : and Buckingham seems to have termed himself the dog of
the royal family, for as such he subscribes himself in bis letters to tbe
kins; and the queen addresses hiin as " My kind Dogge," in her letter
requesting him to intercede for Raleigh.
t See Clarendon, (i. 30,) who had the account from Cottington him
self

JAMES I. 33
logne and proceeded to Paris, where they stopped one day
and saw the king, the queen-mother, and the princess Hen
rietta at dinner, and again at a masked ball to which they
were admitted in the evening. They travelled rapidly
through France, and on the evening of the' 7th of March,
they reached Madrid, having left their attendants a day's
journey behind. They went straight to Bristol's house ;
the prince staid in the street while Buckingham went in,
bearing their portmanteau. Bristol is said to have evinced
little surprise at their appearance, having already had some
suspicion of their design from conversations with Gondo
mar, who appears to have been the real author of the
project, which he suggested t,o Buckingham. The next day,
the arrival of the prince being notified at court, he was
waited on by the prime minister, the count-duke of Oliva
rez, and in the evening the king in person came to visit him.
Nothing coijld exceed the respect with which he was treated ;
the king every where gave him precedence ; he was presented,
after the Spanish manner, with two golden keys to the royal
apartments ; the council were ordered to obey him ; the
prisons were thrown open, and all sumptuary laws were
suspended. Our limits do not permit of our entering into the details
of the prince's abode in Spain. Numbers of the English
nobility repaired thither to attend th^ son of their king ; and
though he was not given access to the infanta, and could
only get a sight of her at a distance, the negotiation for the
marriage was proceeded in with good faith by the Spanish
court. They were not, however, without hopes of his con
version; the pope himself wrote to him, and the reply of
Charles was conceived in such terms as must have given
good hopes of a change of his faith ; * yet Charles was at
no time given to change in religion or any thing else, and
we fear that we must view his conduct, on this Occasion, as
an instance of the duplicity and insincerity .which character
ized him through life. The pontiff added some more articles
to the dispensation, the most important of which was, that
the children should be educated by their mother till they
were ten years of age. The articles were transmitted to
London, and were sworn to by the king and council ; James
* " The letter to the pope is by your favor more tban compliment ;
which I never say before, and may be a warning that nothing is to be
done or said in that nice argument but what will endure the light."
It is thus that Clarendon writes of it to secretary Nicholas. — Clarendon
State Papers, ii. 337. E

34 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
also swore privately to others for tolerating the catholics.
But the death of the pontiff now caused new delays, and
Buckingham had by this time resolved to bi^eak off the match.
He regarded Bristol as his political rival, and he was jealous
of the consideration with which he was treated ; he had had
several quarrels with Olivarez : the Spaniards, on the other
hand, viewed with disgust his shameless profligacy, his arro
gant temper, and the want of respect and decorum in his
conduct toward the prince. He was also anxious to get back
to the English court, where he found that he had more ene
mies than he had suspected.
James, under pretext of the new delay, was induced to
send an order for the return of the prince. It was now
arranged that a procuration should be left with Bristol, to be
delivered after the arrival of the dispensation ; that the
espousals should take place before Christmas, and the
prince be represented by Philip himself or his brother Don
Carlos. The infanta took the title of princess of England,
and a suitable court was formed for her. Buckingham, as
lord high-admiral, having gone before to see that the fleet
was ready, Charles took a solemn leave of the queen and
the infanta; Philip accompanied him on his way as far as
the Escurial, and they parted as brothers. Several of the
Spanish grandees accompanied Charles to St. Andero,
where he embarked ; and on the 5th of October he landed
safely at Portsmouth,, to the great joy of the king and the
nation. The dispensation came from Rome on the 12th of No
vember. Philip appointed the 29th for the espousals, and
the 9th of December for the marriage ; the nobility were
invited to attend, the towns and cities of Spain were com
manded to make public rejoicings, when couriers came
from England to Bristol, ordering him not to deliver the
proxy, to prepare to return tp England, and to tell Philip
that James would only go on with the marriage on condi
tion of his giving a pledge to take up arms in defence of
the palatinate. Philip justly complained of the indignity
thus offered him ; the orders for the marriage were recalled ;
and the infanta with tears laid down her new title. Bristol;.
on his return, was ordered to remain at his country seat
and to consider himself a prisoner, and thus at once fell
down the edifice which James had been so many years
erecting. In all this it is easy to discern the influence of Buckino--
ham, but the Spaniards were the dupes of their own arti-

IAMES I. 35
fices. They had protracted the negotiations for years, in
the hope of extorting the most favorable terms possible
for the catholic religion in "England. Their object was
certainly a laudable one, for it evinced a zeal for what they
regarded as the truth ; but their zeal carried them too far,
and they injured rather than served their co-i;eligionists.
As for prince Charles, it had perhaps been fortunate for
him if he had married the infanta, for his subsequent mis
fortunes may, in a great measure, be ascribed to the influ
ence of his queen.
With the large dower of the Spanish princess, James
had hoped to relieve his pecuniary embarrassments, but that
hope being gone, no resour<;e remained but to summon a
parliament. To this measure, when urged by the prince
and Buckingham, he gave an unwilling consent, and when
parliament met (Feb. 24, 1624) he addressed it, submitting
the late negotiations and all other matters to its considera
tion. On the subject of religion, he required them to judge
hira charitably as they would be judged, adding that he had
certainly, on sundry occasions, relaxed the severity of the
penal laws; but as to dispensing with or altering them, "I
never," he cried, "promised nor yielded, I never thought it
with my heart, nor spoke it with my mouth." This daring
falsehood he uttered in the presence of his son and Bucking-
-ham, who well knew his oath to the secret articles of the
marriage treaty !
A few days after, Buckingham addressed the two houses,
the prince standing by to prompt him and vouch for the
truth of what he said. By the aid of downright falsehoods,
of misrepresentations, of garbled extracts of despatches, he
made out, to the satisfaction of those who were glad of any
pretext for a quarrel with Spain, that the Spanish court
had been insincere from first tp last in the negotiatipn. An
address was voted requesting the king to break off the
treaties with the court of Madrid; Buckingham became a
universal favorite ; bonfires and public rejoicings testified
the delight of the people at the prospect of a war with the
papists. The king gave a reluctant consent to a war, and
the commons voted a sum of 300,000/. for carrying it on,
which, at the king's own desire, was to be paid into the
hands of treasurers appointed by themselves.
Cranborne, earl of Middlesex, lord treasurer, was now
impeached for bribery and other misdemeanors. He was
a citizen of London, who had risen chiefly throhgh the
favor of Buckingham ; but he had of late incurred his dis-

36 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
pleasure, and his patron and the prince now urged on his
impeachment: the king, who saw further into matters than
either of them, " told the duke tbat he was a fool and was
cutting a rod fPr his own breecji, and the prince that he
would live to have his belly-full of impeachments ; " * but
they heeded him not: Middlesex was found guilty by the
lords. Toward the end of this year a treaty of marriage was
effected between the prince of Wales and the princess Hen
rietta Maria, sister of the king of France. IJnhappily for
the house of Stuart, one of the articles was, that the queen
should have the education of the children till they were
thirteen years of age. James and his son, heedless of their
late oaths t and protestations, also agreed to articles which
nearly amounted to a toleration of the catholic religion.
The king thus at length succeeded in his darling object
of obtaining a high match for his son ; but he was not fated'
to witness his marriage. He died on the 27th of March in
the following year, (1625,) after a fortnight's illness. His
diserder was said to be tertian ague and gout in the stomach.
He met his end with great cpnstancy and devption, charging
his spn to be steadfast in his religion, and not to desert bis
sister and her children.
The character of this mbnarch was a strange mixture of
sense and folly. On perusing his writings, one cannot fail
to be struck with the shrewdness, sagacity, and good sense
which they exhibit; yet ever and anon something occurs to
prove that the author was not a wise man. It was, however,
in his actions that James's folly most displayed itself, and
here he forfeits all claims to respect. Wisdom in conduct
is never, we believe, to be found where moral courage
is absent, and this last usually requires physical courage for
its support. In this James was notoriously deficient ; and
hence nothing great, little good, can be recorded of him.
His treatment of Arabella Stuart was cowardly and cruel,
that of Raleigh unjust and pusillanimous ; in the case of
the Somersets his conduct was disgraceful. In his habits
James was filthy; he drank to excess, he swore and blas
phemed in an odious manner ; he had a nasty trick of kissing
'^ Clarendon, i. 4L
t Charles had, a few months, before, bound himself by oath, " That
whensoever it should please God to bestow upon bim any lady that
were popish, she should have no further liberty but for her own family,
and no advantage to the recusants at home." Journal of Commons'
756. Lingard, ix. 302. '

JAMES I. 37
and beslubbering his favorites, that gave rise to surmises of
improper familiarities, which, hpwever, are witheut proof,
and therefore are entitled to no credit. In a word, with all
his learning and his talents, it would be difficult to find a
monarch less entitled to respect' than James L
The court of James was licentious and profligate to an ex
treme degree, and if we may believe the accounts of the time,
even the court-ladie§ appeared in public in a state of beastly
intoxication. The whole story of the Somersets presents a
lamentable picture of aulic depravity. At the^ same time, the
court Was often the scene of great magnificence, and those
stately masques where Ben, Jonson supplied the poetry, and
Inigo Jones the machinery, far exceeded any of the court en
tertainments of succeeding times.
The history of the reign of James is more that of the court
than ofthe nation. The most important national event which
it contains is that ofthe colonization ofthe north of Ireland,
which we will now briefly relate.
On the suppression of the rebellion of the Desmonds in
the late reign, their immense territories had become forfeit
to the crown. A plan of colonization was adopted, and the
lands were parcelled out among undertakers (as they were
named) at low rents. The grants, hpwever, were too large
and the conditions were not duly complied with, so that
though Munster thus received a large accession of English
blopd, (the stock of its nobility and gentry of the present
day,) the experiment was a failure. After the accessien of
James, O'Neal and O'Donnel, the great northern chieftains,
fled to Spain, and their territories, amountingto half a million
of acres, fell to the crown. The king and Bacon then de-
vi.sed a system of colonization which was carried into effect
by sir Arthur Chichester, the lord deputy. The grants were
to be in three classes of 2000, 1500, and 1000 acres. Those
who obtained the first were to build a castle and a bawn or
strong court-yard ; the next a house of stone or brick and a
bawn ; the third a bawn only. They were all beundtp plant
pn their lands, in certain proportions, able-bodied men of
English or Lowland-Scottish birth, who were to Vne in
villages, and not dispersedly. A portion of these lands were
also granted to the native Irish. This was a noble plan, and
though, like every thing designed for the benefit pf that un
happy cpuntry, fhe cupidity and injustice ef thpse who sought
their profit in oppressing the natives, prevented its attaining
its object fully, it has been productive of great and permanent
benefit ; and what was formerly the wildest and most barba-
VOL. II. 4

38 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
rous part of even Ireland, is now that which in industry and
civilization makes the nearest approach to England.
In the fifteenth year ofhis reign (1617) the king re-visited
his native realm.' The chief object pf his visit was tp extend
his ppwer in matters pf religipn, and tP seek tP apprpximate
the churches pf England and Scotland Jn this last country,
between the avidity of the great lords, who had robbed the
church of its landed property without shame or remorse, and
the fanatic spirit of the reformed preachers, and the feeble
ness of the crown, the ancient system of church government
had been unable to keep its ground. , Episcopacy had been
formally abolished, and the republican form named Pres
bytery erected in its place. But man is still man, under all
forms ; and the revolters against spiritual tyranny, pious and
well intentioned as they undoubtedly were, even exceeded the
pretensions of their predecessors; and since the days -of
Becket, Britain had witnessed no such assumptions of immu
nity from civil jurisdiction as were put forth by Melville,
Black, and other champions of the church and opposers of
the crown in Scotland. Their conduct, however, having led
to a tumult in Edinburgh, in which the king ran some risk,
the parliament was induced tb pass a law establishing the
authority of the crown over the clergy, and the king suc
ceeded in obtaining the consent ofthe clergy to his appoint--
ment of fifty-one of their number to titular prelacies, who
were to sit in parliament as representatives of the church.
In this state of things James succeeded to the crown of
England. In 1606 an act of the legislature restored to the bishops
a part of their revenues; they were some time after made
perpetual moderators ofthe provincial synods, and they final
ly (1610) regained all their original powers, the rights of
ordination and spiritual jurisdiction being vested in them.
When the king visited Scotland (1617) he required that some
of the rites pf the church pf England shpuld be adopted,
such as kneeling at the eucharist, giving it to persons on
their deathbed, and the practice of confirmation by a bishop.
These were rejected by the first assembly which was con
vened, but the following year means were found for having
them received, and the Scottish clergy were thus brought
into a reluctant agreement with the church, which they re
garded as little better than that of Rome.
The ?tate of religion in England during this reign was far
from satisfactory. After the death of archbishop'' Whitgift
(1603) the king conferred the primacy pn Bancrpft, bishpp

JAMES I. 39
of London, a prelate distinguished by his zeal against pres
bytery and puritanism. The puritan ministers underwent
the persecutipn pf being silenced, disgraced, and imprisoned,
while Bancroft lived ; but his successor, Abbot, a far better
man, had a leaning toward their opinions, and they now ex
perienced favpr rather than the reverse.
Hitherto the protestants in general had held most of the
opinions which are termed Calvinistic, especially on the sub
ject of predestination, or. the absolute decrees of the Deity,
as it was explained in the writings of St. Augustine ; but
about this time the milder doctrine ofthe Greek fathers had
been promulgated in Holland by Arminius, frorti whom it
was henceforth named. James, who had been reared in the
opposite sentiment, was quite outrageous, when Vorstius,
who held these opinions, was appointed to a professorship at
Leyden. The States, to propitiate him, were obliged to de
prive and banish their new professor ; indeed, the king hint
ed that they might as well have committed him to the flames.
Yet James himself, and a portipn of the prelates and clergy,
afterwards adopted the Arminian tenets. It is rather curious
that those who thus became the most strenuous asserters
of the freedom of man's will were the great upholders of the
doctrines of divine I'ight and passive ob.ediencei*
The liberties of England owe sp much to the puritans,
that one feels little inclined to dwell on their errors; but
justice requires that they should appear in their true colors,
and not be suffered to make a monopoly, as it were, of virtue
and goodness. In piety and in moral conduct they were, '
taken on the whole, superior to theii* opponents ; but they
were harsh and morose, inquisitorial and censorious, absurdly
.^* The following anecdote is well known : " Qn tbe day ofthe disso
lution ofthe last parliament of king James I., Mr. Waller, out of curi
osity or respect, went to see the king at dinner, with whom were Dr.
Andrews, the bishop of Winchester, and Dr. Neal, bishop of Durham,
standing behind his majesty's chair. There happened something very
extraordinary in the conversation these prelates had with the king, on
which Mr. Waller did often reflect. His majesty asked the bishops,
' My lords, cannot I take my subjects' money when I want it, without
all this formality in parliament ? ' The bishop of Durham readily an
swered, ' God forbid, sir, but you should; you are the breath of our
nostrils.' Whereupon the king turned and said to the bishop of Win
chester, ' Well, my lord, what say you.'' 'Sir,' replied the bishop,
' I have no skill to judge of parliamentary cases.' The king answered,
' No put-offs, my lord.' 'Then, sir,' said he, 'I think it is lawful for
you to take my brother Neal's money, for he offers it.' Mr. Waller
said the company was pleased with this answer, and the wit of it seemed
to affect tbe king." — Life of Waller, prefixed to bis Poems.

40 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
scrupulous about trifles, and the enemies of all pleasure and
innocent recreation. The medes, hpweV'er, of opposing them
that were employed were injudicious. The persecution of
them was of a kind calculated rather to annoy and irritate
than to suppress, and the publication ofthe 'Bookof Sports,'
though well intended, did more harm than gppd. The fpl-
Ipwing was the occasion of it. The puritans had been grad
ually converting the Christian Lord's Day into a Judaical
Sabbath, — net, we may pbserve, the Sabbath pf the Mesaic
law, in which, as at all their festivals, the pepple pf Israel
were ' to rejoice before the Lord,' but a gloomy, sullen day of
hearing sermons and shunning all innocent recreations, —
and this, in their usual arbitrary spirit, they would have forced
on all, whatever their opinions might be. The catholics
naturally took occasion to censure the reformed religion for
this gloom and morosity ; and the king and his clerical advi
sers thinking differently from the puritans on the subject, a
proclamation was issued, forbidding any one to prevent the
people from having, after divine service, dancing, archery,
leaping, vaulting, and other manly and harmless recreations,
as also may-poles, may-games, Whitsun-ales, and morris-
dances. Bull-baiting, bear-baiting, interludes, and bowls,
were prohibited. No recusant, however, was to have the
benefit of this liberty, which was confined to those who had
attended divine service that day. ' The Book of Sports,' as
it was termed, was ordered to be read out in the churches;
but primate Abbot forbade it to be read in- his presence at
Croydon, and it only served to give the puritans an occasicn
pf representing their ppponents as being totally devoid of re
ligion. The houses of commons during this reign were deeply
pervaded by the puritanical spirit* — aproof of its prevalence
throughout the nation. Hence, with their zeal for repressing
the abuses ofthe prerogative, and securing the liberties of
the people, were joined an anxiety for the persecution of the
catholics, and a continued effort to extend the rigid princi
ples of their party.
** When, in 1621, a bill was brought into the commons for the more
strict observance ofthe Sabbath, Mr. Shepherd opposed it; he objected
to the word Sabbath, justified dancing on that day by the example of
king David, and was for allowing sports on it. For this boldness he
was, on the motion of Mr. Pym, expelled the house ! Such were puri
tanical notions of freedom of speech.

CHARLES I. 41
CHAPTER III.
CHARLES I.
1625—1629.
The new monarch, now in the twenty-fifth year ofhis age,
offered in his morals and character a favorable contrast to
his father. He was grave and serious in his deportment,
regular in his conduct, a lover and a patron of the fine arts,
but an enemy to licentiousness and riot of every kind. He
had, however, imbibed to- the fullest extent his father's absurd
notions ofthe divine rights of kings, and their accountability
tP Gpd alone for the discha'rge of the duties of their high
office. Any attempts to limit his authority he regarded as
usurpation and rebellion, and, as we shall see, he held that
any concessions extorted from the monarch were revocable,
as contrary to his duty to God to grant. Charles was also
sincerely attached to the episcopal form of government in
the church. To his misfortune, he was aisp blindly devoted
to the insolent, rapa,cious, self-willed, domineering upstart
whom the folly of his father had gorged with wealth and
offices,* and made ruler pf himself and his kingdpni.
The first care pf Charles was to celebrate his marriage
with the princess' Henrietta Maria. The nuptials were per
formed by prpxy at Paris, (May 1,) whither the duke pf
Buckingham repaired with a splendid train tP cpuduct the
ypung queen intp England. The king met her at Dpver,
and thence took her to Hampton Court, as the plague was
raging in London.
On the 18th of June Charles's first parliament met a{ West
minster. The king submitted to it the state of his finances ;
he was encumbered by a debt of his father's to a large
amount ; he had all the expenses of his marriage and other
charges to meet, and he was about to be engaged in a war
against the whole house of Austria. To meet all these, " the
house of commons," Hume sarcastically observes, " conduct
ed by the wisest and ablest senators that had ever flourished
* He was lord high admiral of England and Ireland, warden of the
cinque ports, master of the horse, justice in eyre of the forests and
chases this side the Trent, constable of Windsor castle, knight of the
garter, &c. &c. The wealth that had been heaped upon him is almost
past computation.
4* F

42 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
in England, thought proper to confer on the king a supply
of two subsidies, amounting to 112,000/.!" Such conduct
appears to be, as that partial writer represents it, a cruel
mockery of an innocent and a confiding young monarch.
When carefully examined, however, it will perhaps appear in
a different light. We will, for this purpose, take a brief view
ofthe composition ofthe two houses of parliament.
During the whole of the Tudor period we have seen the
house of lords the humble instruments of the will of the
crown, to whose bounty they owed their wealth and honprs.
But nearly a century's ppssession of the monastic lands had
inspired many of them with a feeling of security and inde
pendence; and as they gazed on the venerable turrets of
Wilton, Woburn, and the other abbeys and priories which
now formed their abodes, they caught a portipn pf the spirit
which had animated the barens of the days whose memory
these stately piles recalled. Their honors, too, had acquired
the sanction of time, and they viewed with disdain the digni
ties ofthe upstart Buckingham, whpse pride, insplence, and
rapacity galled their souls. An opposition to the crown,
ccmppsed pf these men and pf the maintainers pf puritan
dpctrines, now appeared in the lords, and its strength maybe
estimated by the circumstance of the earl of Pembroke, its
head, being the holder, of ten proxies, only three less than
those of Buckingham, the dispenser of wealth and favor.*
In the commons there were the two parties essential to a -
popular assembly in a monarchy — the supporters ofthe crown
and its measures, and the opponents of abuses and advocates
for the rights and privileges of the subjects ; that is, the
court and the country-party. The former were a minority,
and they felt the necessity of proceeding with caution, ex
tenuating and softening rather than defending abuses. The
latter were mpstly puritans, zealpus against all that appeared
tp them superstitipus in religion, hostile to the exorbitant
powers exercised by the prelates, and perhaps in many cases
secretly inclined to the presbyterian form ; t but at the same
time sincerely anxious for the national rights and liberties.
There were other members, (afterwards known by the name
* It Was shortly afterwards resolved that no peer should bold more
than two, which continues to be the rule. This practice, by the way,
supposes either a superlative degree of wisdom, or an unreasoning
spirit of party in peers, who thus vote on all questions without having
heard tbe arguments for and against them.
t That there was such a spirit abroad is evident from the demands
made at the Hampton-court conference. See above, p. 8.

CHARLES I. 43
o^ patriots,) who were more zealous for civil liberty than for
changes in religious ceremonies, and who did not view with
any great abhprrence the cppe and surplice pr the wedding-
ring. Such were sir Edward Cpke, sir Themas Cpttpn, Jphn
Selden, Jehn Pym, and pthers.
Puritans and patripts were alike animated by a zeal against
popery. One ofthe first proceedings ofthe commons was to
require every member to receive the sacirament in St. Mar
garet's church, and thus testify his attachment to the prot
estant religion ; fpr there was now a regular establishment
of capuchin friars at Somerset-house, the residence of the
queen, and these meh boldly paraded the streets in their hab
its ; the Jesuits and other priests also began to show them
selves openly in variotls places, and the court was known to
be full of catholics. The commons then petitioned the king
to enforce the laws against recusants. Dr. Montague, one
of the court-divines, having published a work called " Appello
Caesarem," recommending the catholics to the favor of gov
ernment, and representing the puritans as a people desiring
an anarchy, and therefore to be discouraged, he was sum
moned to answer for it at the bar pf the house pf ccmmons.
The Arminians exerted themselves in his favor; the king
declared that he was one of his chaplains; but all availed
not; he was forced to give securities to answer the charge
of contempt of the house, and impugning the articles of the
phurch of England.
The object of the king was to obtain an immediate sup
ply of money ; the commons wished to couple with it a re
dress of grievances. They saw that the king was a mere
puppet in the hands of Buckingham, and they now had their
doubts of the justice of the war with Spain, into which he
was about to plunge the nation. They were loath to vote a
large sum without conditions, and they could not with a good
grace refuse supplies. They therefore adopted a middle
course ; they voted two subsidies, (about 140,000/.) for im
mediate use. They also, instead of voting, as had long been
the usage, the duties of tonnage and poundage to the king
for life, granted them only for a year. The lords, however,
rejected this bill. At the request of the two houses, on
account of the plague, there was an adjournment for three
weeks, when they were to meet at Oxford.
The parliament now learned the following circumstance.
King James had promised the French king to aid him by
a loan of eight armed vessels to be employed against Spain
in the Mediterranean. These ships, undeir admiral Pen-

44 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
nington, came to Dieppe, and there the crews suspected, or
rather discovered, that they w^re to be employed against the
Huguenots of Rochelle. They forthwith drew up a round
robin, and laid it under the admiral's prayer-book, and Pen
nington, declaring that he would rather be hanged for dis
obedience in England than fight against his fellpw-prptestants
in France, returned tp the Dewns. Buckingham, by false
representations, induced them to return to France; but
when they found that they had been deceived, they, with
the exception of one gunner, abandoned their vessels, which
were taken by the French and employed against Rochelle.
The knowledge of this did not prepossess the commons
much in favor of the king and Buckingham. They there
fore still talked of a redress of grievances as preliminary to
a supply ; they put sundry questions to the duke, asking,
among others, if he had not broken off the match with
Spain out pf spleen tP Olivarez, and whether he had net
made that with France pn still less favprable terms. They
were in train tp impeach him ; but the king, tP save him,
dissplved the parliament, cpntrary to the advice of his privy
council. It is usual, with the advocates of Charles, to make it a
heavy charge against the parliament, that they had involved
him in a war with Spain and then refused the supplies. But
war had not yet been declared, and Charles was under no
necessity of entering into it. Urged on, however, by his
own passipns pr thpse ef Buckingham, he was bent pn war
with that mpnarchy. Tp show his protestant zeal, he, in
violation ofhis engagements at his marriage, issued a proc
lamation enforcing the laws against recusants ; to raise
money he levied tonnage and poundage at the ports, though
the bill for it had not passed ; he issued privy-seals tO the
nobility and gentry, and suspended the payment of all fees
and salaries. Ships and troops had meantime been assem
bled at Plymouth, and in the month of Octpber a fleet of
ninety sail, carrying ten thousand soldiers, put to sea.
Buckingham had given the command to sir Edward Cecil,
now lord Wimbledon, a man advanced in years, who had
long been in the Dutch service, but who was generally held
to be incompetent. Cadiz was the place fixed on for at
tack, but no council of war was held till they were in sight
ofthe port, and time was thus given for escape to the ship
ping, which might have been captured had they entered the
port at once. The tropps, however, landed and marched
rapidly to secure the bridge leading ftom the isle, in which

CHARLES I. 45
Cadiz stands, to the main land. But the soldiers, meeiino-
with cellars full of wine, got drunk and unruly, and their
timid leader reembarked them, though no enemy had ap
peared. He then sailed to intercept the Plate-fleet, but it
passed him in the night. He returned to Plymouth, (Dec.
8,) after losing more than one thousand men bydisease. The
council instituted an inquiry, but after many examinations
of Wimbledon and his officers, they judged it best to bury
the affair in silence.
The failure of this project was a heavy blow to the king.
Had it succeeded, and had he gotten the plunder of Cadiz
and the Plate-fleet, he would have been, in some measure,
independent of his parliament ; but now he had rashly run
into a war, and without the aid of the commons he had no
mode of extricating himself He had, moreover, pledged
his word to call, a parliament after Christmas. All, there
fore, that could be done, was to try to break the strength
ofthe ppppsitipn. Pembrpke was induced to seek a recon
ciliation with Buckingham ; and the great seal was taken
from bishop Williams, whom Buckingham' feared, and com
mitted to sir Thomas Coventry. In order to exclude Coke,
and six others most hostile to the favorite from the house pf
cpmmpns, the king himself inserted their names in the list pf
sheriffs fpr the ensuing year : af the same time new prpcla-
raations were issued against the recusants, to convince the
nation ofthe kincr's zeal for relicrion. '
The king was crowned on Candlemas-day, (1626,) and
four days after, (Feb. 6,) the parliament met. They ap-
peinted committees of religion, of grievances, and of evils,
their causes and remedies. ,
The progress of their inquiries was not pleasing to the
king : he reminded them of his wants ; they promised three
subsidies and three fifteenths, if a favorable answer were
given to their prayer for the redress of grievances; the king
advised them to hasten the supply ; else, said he, " it will'be
worse for yourselves; for if any evil happen, I think I shall
be the last that shall feel it." The commons promised obe
dience, but ere they proceeded in the matter, they came to
the resplution of impeaching the favorite, as the main cause
oi' the evils for which they sought redress. Buckingham had
now also a formidable foe in the lords. The earl of Bristol
\/rote to the peers, complaining that his writ of summons had
been withheld. On their noticing it, the king directed that
the writ should be issued, but at the same time he wrote to
Bristol, ordering him not to avail himself of it. Bristol sent

46 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
this letter to the house, asking their advice on the subject,
and claiming permission to appear and accuse his enemy of
high crimes and misdemeanors. Forthwith the attorney-
general, by order , of the king and Buckingham, charged
Bristol himself with high treason. The lords resolved to
hear both parties, giving precedence to the last, but deciding
that the charge against the earl should not impeach his tes
timony. The charges made against Bristol chiefly rested on the
testimony ofthe king himself Against this, as an injurious
precedent, the earl properly remonstrated. Still, however,
their intrinsic weakness was such that he was able easily to
make a full and convincing reply to them. To the charges
which lie made against the duke no reply was given. He
accused him of having conspired with Gondomar to draw the
prince to Spain that he might be there induced to change
his religion ; of having while there disgraced his country
by his indecent and licentious conduct ; of having broken
off the treaty because the Spanish council refused to treat
with him, and of having on his return deceived the kins and
parliament. The commons, having voted that " common fame is a good
ground of proceedings for that house," sent up to the Iprds
an impeachment against the duke. The managers pf it were
sir Dudley Digges, sir Jphn Elipt, Jphn Selden, Jphn Pym,
and four other members. They charged him with the pur
chase and the sale of offices, with procuring titles and
pensions for his kindred' and allies, with giving the ships to
be employed against Rochelle, with embezzling the king's
money and obtaining grants of the crown lands, with having
given plasters and potions to the late king in his sickness,
etc. The king, asserting himself to be implicated by Digges
and Eliot in the terms which they empleyed in urginor this
last charge, cpmmitted them beth tp the Tewer. The^cpm-
mons refusing to proceed with any business till their members
were released, sir Dudley Carleton was so imprudent as to
remind them how in other countries kings, finding parlia-
ricnts to turn liberty to license, took away and abolished
them ; " and now," said he, " the common people, wanting
good food, look more like ghosts than men, and go in canvass
cloth and wpoden shoes." For this he narrowly escaped
being made to ask pardon on his knees. Digges and Eliot,
having denied or explained what was laid to° their charge,'
were set at liberty. The duke made a plausible defence
drawn up for him by sir Nicholas Hyde, an eminent lawyer '

CHARLES I. 47
and the king, effectually to screen him, dissolved the parlia
ment, (June 15,) thpugh the supplies had npt been vpted.
Tp the prayer pf the lords for a short delay, he replied, " No,
not of one minute," and in a 'Declaration' which he issued,
he stated " that in this, as in all his other royal actions, he
is not bound to give an account to any but to God alone,
whose immediate vicegerent he is." TJie earls of Arundel
and Bristol, as the duke's enemies, were both placed in con
finement. Charles had at this time family dissensipns also to annoy
him. The young queen was under the complete influence
of her priests and her servants. The former had actually
made her walk on foot in penance to Tyburn, the scene of
the death of so many martyrs ofthe catholic cause, and they
gave great offence by appearing publicly in their habits.
The latter made her abandon the study of English, and fur
nished her with pretexts for quarrelling with the king. After
a good deal of difficulty and opposition, Charles succeeded
in clearing his palace and kingdom of these mischievous
people. A new household was formed for the queen, whp
gradually got over her ill-humor, and she soon acquired a
fatal influence over the mind of her husband.
The king now saw plainly that parliament would only
grant supplies on the condition of the refiress of grievances,
and as he was resolved not to be dictated to. by them, he pro
ceeded to raise money without their aid. He continued to
levy tonnage and poundage, though they had not been
granted ; the crown lands were made, by leases and other
means, more productive ; the fines on recusants were more
strictly exacted ; privy-seals were again issued. The sea
ports were required to supply and maintain for three months
a certain number of armed vessels, and the lords-lieutenaut
ofthe counties had directions to muster and train the people
to arms, as invasion was apprehended. An attempt was
made to prevail on the people to p-ay the amount of the sub
sidies voted by the parliament ; but in London, Middlesex,
and Kent, which were first applied to, thepeople indignantly
rejected the proppsitipn. A new plan was then adepted ; a
lean tp the ameunt pf three subsidies (200,000/.) was de
manded, each man tp give accprding tP the rate at which he
was assessed in the last subsidy. The clergy were instructed
" tP stir up all sprts pf pepple tP express their zeal to God,
and their duty to the king," in this matter; and the com
missioners ofthe loan were directed to deal with each person
separately, to insist on the required sum, to examine bim pn

48 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Path respecting his mptives and advisers if he declined, and
to furnish the privy council with the names of those who
persisted in refusing.
This arbitrary mode of taxation was enforced by despotic
measures of power. The inferior people, who refused to lend
what w,as not likely ever to be repaid, were impressed and
sent to serve iri the army or navy ; the gentry were called
before the council, and several of them were committed to
prison. Five of these, sir Thomas Darnel, John Cprbet,
Walter Earl, Jphn Heveningham, and Everard Hampden,
applied to the court of king's bench for their writ of liabeas
corpus; the writ was granted, but the warden of the Fleet
made return that the warrant of the privy council assigned
no particular cause for their imprisonment. The case there
fore came to be argued (Nov. 7) before the court over
which sir Nicholas Hyde now presided. Noy, Selden, and
other eminent lawyers appeared for the prisoners. Heath,
the attorney-general, supported the pretensions ofthe crown.
The former argued frem the article pf Magna Charta that
" np freeman shall be taken er' iraprispned unless by lawful
judgment pf his peers, or the law of the land," and the re
peated assertions of this principle, giving precedents of the
admission to bail of persons committed by the council during
the Tudor period. Heath replied on high prerogative prin
ciples, alluding to the king's absolute power, and arguing
from the legal maxim,' The king can do no wrong,' that a
sufficient cause must have existed, though it was not set
forth; the precedents cited en the Pther side, he contended,
did not apply to the present case. The court decided (27th)
in favor ofthe crown. " The consequence of this decision,"
an able writer observes, " was that every statute, from the
time of Magna Charta, designed to protect the personal lib
erties of Englishmen, became a dead letter; since the inser
tion of four words in a warrant, (per speciale mandaium
regis,) which might become matter of form, would control
their remedial efficacy."
The protestant cause had sustained great reverses in Ger
many, and his allies there now required aid of the king of
England. His evil genius Buckingham had also engaged
him in a war with France. This worthless, insolent minion
had, as we have seen, been sent over to conduct Henrietta
Maria to England. He there presumed to make love to the
young queen Anne of Austria ; but found he had a rival in car
dinal Richelieu himself; and when, after setting out with his
fair charge, he privately returned to Paris, he got a hint that

CHARLES I. 49
if he persisted in his design he would be assassinated. " He
swore in the instant that he would see and speak with that
lady in spite of the strength and power of France," and he
did see and speak with her in a brief interview ; but he
never could obtain permission to return to the French court.
Revenge then actuated him : he sought to alienate the king
from the queen, and behaved to her himself with the greatest
rudeness and insolence. Something, for example, having
occurred to prevent her calling on his mother at an appointed
hour, he came in a high rage to her, and among other rude
expressions told her " she should repent it." The queen re
plying with some quickness, he added that " there had been
queens in England who had lost their heads." By provoking
and insulting the French court in various ways he sought,
but in vain, to draw it into a declaration of war. He then
resolved to commence hostilities himself Soubise, one of
the principal Huguenot leaders, came over to England to
concert measures; and a fleet and army were assembled at
Portsmouth. On the 27th of June, 1627, the duke made sail for Ro
chelle with one hundred ships, carrying about seven thousand
soldiers. The gates of that town, however, were shut against
him, the people alleging that they could not act without the
consent of the other members of their union, (who were
now at peace with the crown;) but they agreed to furnish
supplies, if the English remained in the neighborhood. For
this purpose it was necessary to take ppssession of the isle
of Rhe, or that of Oleron ; the latter near Rochelle, well
supplied with wine, oil, etc., and feebly garrisoned; the other
more distant, and defended by a citadel and a strong gar
rison. Buckingham proposed to attack the former; but
while Soubise was gone to consult the people ofthe town, he
landed (July 12) in the isle of Rhe ; the garrison ppposed
him gallantly, but were forced to retire. Instead of attack
ing the fort at once, he passed five days in inaction ; in the
interval fresh troops came over to the isle, and the fort was
strengthened. At length he advanced against it ; but he
committed one error after another, and at last (Oct. 29)
raised the siege and commenced his retreat. The route
partly lay along a narrow causeway or mound, with salt-pits
on each side. The French seized the time for attack when
a part of the troops were on the causeway, the cavalry were
driven among the foot and trampled them down, and num
bers were forced into the pits and there drowned. The loss
of the English was about two thousand men. Buckingham
VOL. II. 5 G

50 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
is said to have shown great personal courage on this oc
casion ; but this is the praise of a mere soldier rather than
of a general, and entitles him to little commendation.
The French protestants had been induced by the solicita
tions of the English court to take arms against their king.
Rochelle was menaced by the rpyal arms, aud the pepple im-
plpred Charles fp aid them. This he engaged tP dp in the
strpngest terras, binding himself never to abandon them, A
nevv expedition was planned ; when the question came how
the money was to be raised, some of the council proposed
the legal mode of summoning a parliament. To this the
king with much reluctance''^ assented, and writs were
issued. Sundry illegal mpdes of raising money were, how
ever, previously tried ; but all proving of none effect, the
king once more met the grand council of the nation, (Mar.
17, 1628.)
The primate, who had been suspended fpr refusing to
license one of tbe political sermons in favor of the forced
loan,f bishop Williams, whom Buckingham had caused to
be sent to the Tower, and the earl of Bristol, who was
charged with treason, were permitted to take their seats in
the upper house. The gentlemen (seventy-eight in number)
who were confined for refusing the fprced lean, were set at
liberty, and they were all returned fer varipus places.
" Never before," says Lingard, " had parliament assembled
under auspices more favorable to the cause of freedom. The
sense of the nation had been loudly proclaimed by the elec
tions, which had generally fallen on persons distinguished by
their recent opposition to the court ; it was the interest of
the lords to cppperate with men whp spught the protec
tion of private property and personal liberty ; and the same
necessity which had compelled the king to summon a parlia-
* Some time before, " at the council-table, some proposing a parlia
ment, the king said he did abominate the name." — Mede, Letters, Sent.
30, 1626. ^
t One Sibthorpe preached a sermon enforcing passive obedience.
If tbe commands of tbe prince, he said, were against the laws of God or
nature, or impossible, the subject was not, as in all other cases, bound
to active obedience, but he was to passive obedience, that is, " to un
dergo the punishment without either resistance, or railing, or reviling."
The king commanded the primate to license this sermon himself, (not
in the ordinary way, by one of bis chaplains ;) Abbot, on reading it,
refused ; he was then suspended, and Laud bishop of London licen.sed
it forthwith. At this time also. Dr. Manwaring, one ofthe royal chap
lains, preached two sermons at court, maintaining that the king is not
bound to obey the laws ; that be may lay on what taxes he pleiTses, and
that all are bound to pay them under pa'in of eternal damnation.

CHARLES I. 51
ment placed hira without resource at the mercy of his sub
jects." '
But Charles would not or could not see this. He ad
dressed them in high terms, telling them plainly that it was
only as a means pf obtaining mpney that he had called them
tpgether ; and that if they did net dp their duty in cpntrib-
uting, " he must, in discharge pf his cpnscience, use these
other means which God had put into his hands to save that
which the follies of other men may otherwise hazard to lose."
" Take not this," he added, " as threatening, (I scorn to
threaten any but my equals,) but as an admonition from him
that both out of nature and duty hath most care of your pres
ervations and prosperities."
The commons manifested no offence at this haughty lan
guage ; they voted a supply of five subsidies, to be paid
within a twelvemonth. But when the king thought to grasp
the prize, he was met by demands, his assent to which was a
necessary preliminary to the passing of a bill granting the
supplies. Four resolutions had been passed unanimously,
viz. 1. No freeman to be imprisoned without a lawful cause
expressed. 2. The writ of Jiabeas corpus to be granted in
all cases. 3. If the return assigns no cause, he is to be de
livered or bailed. 4. No tax or loan to be levied by the king
without an act of parliament. At a conference with the
peers the case was argued by Selden, Coke, and others on
one side, and by the crown-lawyers on the other. The lords
made some amendments, which were rejected by the com
mons. During two months Charles had recourse to every
expedient to escape the necessity of parting with his arbi
trary power. At length (May 28) his assent was solicited
to the celebrated ' Petition of Right.' This stated, 1. That
freemen had been required to lend money to the king, and
on refusing had been molested with oaths, arrests, etc.
2. That persons thus arrested, and no cause assigned, had
been remanded when brought up by writ of habeas corpus.
3. That soldiers had been billeted in private houses, to the
great grievance of the inhabitants. 4. That soldiers and
sailors were tried for their imputed offences by martial law,
and not by the law of the land. It prayed that all such pro
ceedings should cease, " as being contrary to the rights and
liberties ofthe subject and the laws and statutes ofthe natipn."
Charles reselved tp dissemble. In a few days (June 2) he
came tp give the rpyal assent tp the bill formed from the pe
tition ; but, instead of the usual brief Soii droit fait comme
il est desire, it was long and ambiguous. The commons

52 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
were filled with grief and despair; but their spirit soon re
vived, and they were on the point of voting Buckingham
"the grievance of grievances." The danger of the favorite
shook the resolution of the monarch, and he gave his assent
to the bill in the usual manner, amidst loud acclamations of
applause. The subsidy bills were speedily passed ; but they
were followed by a remonstrance imputing all the late na
tional evils and losses to Buckingham, and praying for his
removal from court ; it was also asserted that tonnage and
poundage depended on the consent of parliament. The
king, having obtained the money he wanted, resolved on a
prorpgatipn; the clerk pf the cpmmpns was just reading the
bill pf tpnnage and ppundage (26th) when they were sum-
mpned tp meet the king. He tpld them that by assenting tP
the Petition of Right he had granted no new liberties, only
confirmed the ancient ones ; that tonnage and poundage was
what he could not do without; " it was never intended," said
he, " by you to ask, and never meant, I am sure, by me to
grant." He gave the royal assent to the subsidy bills, and
then prorogued the parliament.
It is with sincere pleasure that we quote the following
observations of Lingard : " Thus ended," says he, " this
eventful session, one of.the most memorable in our history.
The patriots may have been occasionally intemperate in their
warmth and extravagant in their predictions, but their labors
have entitled them tp the gratitude of posterity. They ex
torted from the king the recognition of the rights which he
had so wantonly violated, and fixed on a firm and permanent
basis the liberties ofthe nation. It is indeed true that these
liberties were subsequently invaded — that again and ao-ain
they were trampled in the dust ; but the Petition of Right
survived to bear evidence against the encroachments of the
prerpgative. Tp it the people always appealed, to it the
crown was ultimately compelled to submit.'"* It was in
effect a second Magna Charta.f
The king immediately gave a proof of his insincerity.
The Petition of Right had been printed for circulation at
the desire of both houses ; by his orders the impression was
* 0 si sic omnia ! He immediately proceeds to remark on the re
hgious intolerance of the patriots ; but for this we cannot well blame
him. t As our limits do not allow of our narrating the parliamentary de
tails, we here give the names of the leading patriots. They were sir
John Ehot, sir Edward Coke, sir Robert Philips, and Selden, Glanvil,
Noy, and Pym. ' '

CHARLES I. 53
cancelled, and a new one issued with his first answer to it.
" By which expedient," says Hume, " he endeavpred tp per
suade the people that he had nowise receded from his former
claims and pretensions."
Rochelle was at this time hard pressed by the royal forces,
commanded by Richelieu in person. A fleet and army were
assembled at Portsmouth, pf which Buckingham was again
tP take the cpmmand. But he was this time tP negptiate,
npt tp fight, as both Charles and Louis were now convinced
that by their hostility they were Only strengthening the house
of Austria. One morning (Aug. 23) the duke had some
high wprds in his chamber with Seubise and other French
gentlemen ; he was then proceeding to his carriage, when, as
on crossing the hall he turned to listen tp a whisper from
colonel Friar, an unknown hand plunged a knife into his
heart, and left it sticking there : he cried, " Villain ! " plucked
it out, staggered against a table, and died. The French
gentlemen were suspected ofthe deed, and narrowly escaped
instant death ; the assassin had meantime reached the kitch
en, and might have escaped, but on a sudden alarm he drew
his sword, crying, "I am the man." He was seized; he said
his name was John Felton, a protestant and a lieutenant in
the army, from which he had retired, as junior officers had been
put over his head, and his arrears of pay had been withheld.
The remonstrance ofthe commons had convinced him that the
duke was the cause of the national calamities, and that by
killing him he should serve God, his king, and his cpuntry.
He had no accomplices ; he had travelled seventy miles to
do the deed ; so little personal enmity had he, that as he
struck the blow, he prayed, " May God have mercy on thy
soul!" Felton was transmitted to London, and underwent
several examinations, but presisted in his story. The mar
quess of Dorset threatened him with the torture. " I am
ready," said he ; " yet I must tell you, by the way, that I will
then accuse you, my lord of Dorset, and no one but your
self" The king wished to have him racked; but the judges
declared torture to be contrary to the laws of England. Fel
ton pleaded guilty, (Nov. 27,) owning the enormity of his
offence, and praying that the hand which did the criminal
deed might be struck off before he died. He was executed as
a murderer. The king was at his prayers in a private house near Ports
mouth when the news of the murder of the duke was brought
him. He testified no great emotion at the time, but he felt
deeply. He took the family of his favorite under his protec-
5*

54 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
tion, paid his debts to the amount of 61,000/., caused him to be
buried in Westminster-abbey, and styled him ' the martyr ofhis
sovereign ' — such was his infatuation ! Buckingham was only
thirty-six years of age; his death was perhaps fortunate for
himself, for, as Lingard justly observes, "if he had escaped
the knife of the assassin, he would probably have fallen by
the axe ofthe executioner." A more worthless minion, one
more destitute of every good and great quality, it would be
difficult to find; and one blushes to think of England being
governed, as in effect it was, for so many years by such an
ignorant, infeolent, and profligate upstart.
The expedition to Rochelle sailed under the earl of Lind
sey ; but its efforts were of no avail ; the town surrendered
at discretion, and the Huguenot power was completely
broken. About this time the king gained to his side a man in all
respects infinitely the superior of Buckingham. Sir Thomas
Wentworth, a man of large fortune and great influence in
Yorkshire, had sat in every parliament since 1614. He had
followed a neutral line of conduct, but his natural temper in
clined him to the side of arbitrary power. In the present
parliament, however, he had shown himself one of the most
prominent champions of freedom ; for Buckingham had out
of jealousy deprived him of the office of Custos Rotulorum
ofhis county, and while that wound was yet raw, a privy-
seal had been sent him at the suggestion of his rival, sir
John Savile. He refused compliance, was brought before
the council, and committed to prison. In the ensuing par
liament he took his place among the patriots, and displayed
such ability and energy that the court saw their error, and
resolved to gain him if possible. This was easy to eflTect; he
became a baron, and then a viscount, and lord-president of
the council of the north, and he never after wavered in his
devotion to despotism.
The king at this time also gave great offence to the parlia
ment by promoting some divines whom they had censured.
Montague was made bishop of Chichester ; Manwaring, Sib
thorpe, Cousins, and other Arminians, or rather semi-papists,
obtained good livings. In contempt also of the parliament,
the duties of tonnage and poundage were levied, and the
goods of Rolles a member of parliament. Chambers, and
other merchants who refused to pay them, were seized.
On the 20th of January, 1629, parliament re-assembled.
The fraud of the king in the printing the Petition of Right
was made known ; the case of Rolles was brought before the

CHARLES I. 55
house, and the sheriff of Lpndpn and the pfficers of the cus
toms had to appear at the bar. The king then summoned
both houses to meet him at Whitehall, and there urged them
to put an end to all disputes by passing the bill for tonnage
and poundage, assuring them that he did not take these du
ties as a part of his prerogative, but by the gift of his people ;
and that if he had levied them hitherto, he did it out of ne
cessity, and not by " any right which he assumed." The
commons, however, took no heed of this and other attempts
to obtain money without conditions. It was their fixed and
just principle, that inquiry into and redress of grievances
should precede supplies. They therefore directed their at
tention first to the all-important subject of religion. On the
27th sir John Eliot addressed the house in an able speech,
on the subject ofthe innovations lately made in religion, and
the result was a " vow," made on the journals, to admit no
new sense ofthe articles of religion. After a few days the
house adjourned to the 25th of February, on which day it was
agreed to present charges to the king against bishop Laud.
The king then sent his command for both houses to adjourn
to the 2d of March.
On this memorable day Eliot entered the house, having
a protestation prepared to propose to the members. It con
tained these articles : 1. Whoever shall innovAte in religion
by introducing popery, Arminianism, etc., is an enemy to
the kingdom and commonwealth. 2. Whoever shall counsel
to take or assist in taking tonnage and poundage not granted
by parliament, is an enemy, etc. 3. Whoever shall pay
the same is an enemy, etc. When he had introduced these
by a speech directed chiefly against the lord treasurer
Weston, he desired sir John Finph, the speaker, to read
them, but he refused ; the clerk did the same ; Eliot read
them out himself, and then required the speaker to put them
to the vote. He replied " he was commanded otherwise by
the king," and rose to quit the chair, but two members, Hol
lis and Valentine, held him down. A tumult arose; swords
were near being drawn : Eliot gave the protestation to Hol
lis to put it to the house, and it was heard with acclamations.
The king sent the serjeant to take away the mace, but he
was detained, and the doors were locked ; the usher of the
black-rod then came; he could not gain admission: in a
rage the king ordered the captain of the guard to go and
force the doors, but the members having passed the protesta
tion, and adjourned to the 10th, now issued forth in a body.
Eliot, Hollis, Valentine, and others, were forthwith sum-

56 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
moned before the council, and on their refusing to answer
out of parliament, for things said and don-e in it, were com
mitted to the Tower; on the 10th the king went down to
the house of lords and dissolved the parliament, on account,
he said, of " the seditious carriage of some vipers, members
of the lower house."
The imprisoned members applied for their liabeas corpus,
but the king, by removing them from the custody of the offi
cers to whom the writs were directed, frustrated their efforts.
They were offered their liberty if they would petition the
king, and express contrition for having oflTended him. This
course they at once rejected, as it would be an acknowledg
ment ofthe legality ofthe arbitrary acts which they opposed.
Eliot, Hollis, and Valentine, were finally proceeded against
in the king's bench, and sentenced to be imprisoned during
pleasure; and Eliot was fined 1000/., Hollis 1000 marks, and
Valentine 500/. The others were released after a confine
ment ef eighteen mpnths ; Elipt ended his days in the Tpw-
er. When the decline ofhis health had made him yield to
the entreaties ofhis friends, and petition for his liberty, the
answer given was, " It is net humble enpugh " He sent a
second petition by his young son, offering to return to his
prison when he should have recovered his health. This also
was ineffectual. When he died, his children petitioned to be
allowed to take his body to Cornwall, to lay it in the tomb of
his ancestors. " Let sir Jehn Eliot's body be buried in the
church of that parish where he died," was the unfeeling re
ply ofthe monarch.
Thus terminated Charles's third parliament. As we shall
now find him for some years dispensing with these assemblies,
taking his subjects' money at his own arbitrary will, and
running the full career of despotism, we will transcribe the
following passage from his panegyrist. Lord Clarendon.
" It is not to be denied," says he, " that there were in all
those parliaments, especially in that ofthe fourth year, sever
al passages and distempered speeches of particular persons
not fit for the dignity and honor of those places, and unsuit
able to the reverence due to his majesty and his councils.
But I do not know any formal act of either house (for neither
the remonstrance or votes of the last day were such) that
was not agreeable to the wisdom and justice of great courts
on those extraordinary occasions. And whoever considers
the acts of power and injustice in the intervals of parliament,
will not be much scandalized at the warmth and vivacity of
those meetings."

CHARLES I. 5'5f
CHAPTER IV.
CHARLES I. (CONTINUED.)
1629—1640.
For a period of twelve years we are now to witness the
exercise of absolute monarchy in England ; the king, like
his brethren of France and Spain, taking his subjects' money
at his will, giving no account of the expenditure, and arbi
trarily punishing all who ventured to murmur pr oppose the
civil and religious despotism now established.
External tranquillity being requisite for his designs, Charles
made peace with the courts of France and Spain. When
the illustrious Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden put himself at
the head of the protestant cause in Germany, six thousand
men were raised for his aid in Great Britain, in the name of
the marquess of Hamilton, who commanded them, but at the
expense ofthe king. This was the, only money employed
for foreign purposes ; the produce of the taxes and imposi
tions in general went to the support of the government, and
to the maintenance of a most brilliant court.
After the death of Buckingham, the only man he seems
ever to have loved, Charles had no favorite, and he became
his own minister. The queen, a vain, selfish, self-willed
woman, possessed an undue influence over his mind. He
had drawn from the popular side not only Wentworth and
Savile, but sir Dudley Digges, whom he made master ofthe
rolls, and the two lawyers Noy and Littleton, who became
his attorney and solicitor-general : sir Richard Weston, the
lord treasurer, a suspected catholic, was one ofthe most un
scrupulous instruments of the royal despotism.
In his project of abolishing the liberties of the people,
Charles was aided by the hierarchy ofthe church, headed by
William Laud, whom the favor of Buckingham had raised
rapidly through various episcopal gradations to the see of
London, and whom, on the death of Abbot, (1632,) the king
advanced to the primacy. Laud was a man of a narrow
mind, but of much reading; matters of little importance to
enlarged intellects, were, therefore, of great moment to 1dm ;
he had thus conceived a ridiculously exalted notion of the
value of ceremonies in sustaining religion, and a preposter
ous opinion of the peculiar sanctity and sublimity of the

58 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
episcopal character ; he also held the Arminian tenets. In
all these matters his sincerity is not to be questioned, but he
was actuated by a cruel, persecuting spirit, and he would al
low none to maintain opinions contrary to his own.
It is, we think, a matter not to be disputed, that the fathers
and founders of our church were not Arminians, and most
surely the articles of our church evince that those who com
piled them' agreed with St. Austin on the abstruse points of
predestination, original sin, and such like, however ambigu
ously they may have expressed themselves. Our early reform
ers also seem to have regarded episcopacy as a thing of human
rather than divine institution ; and they drew close the
bonds of fellowship with the foreign churches, even those
of France and Geneva, which had cast it off altogether. In
the church of Rome they saw only Antichrist, the enemy
of Christ, and not a part of his mystic body. But Laud,
Montague, Heylin, and the other high-church divines, asthey
were now termed, recognized the church of Rome as a true
church ; they strongly asserted the divine origin of episcopa
cy, and the necessity of a regular transmission from the time
of the apostles, and therefore looked on the other protestant
churches as mere schismatics. In fact, the approximation
now made to Rome was so great, that the pope actually sent
to offer Laud a cardinal's hat — an offer that was not spurned
at.* It was the court rather than the church of Rome that
Laud disliked ; he would willingly be himself the pope of
England, and he cpuld not brook submission to him of Rome.
The following are some ofthe changes made at this time.
Strange ceremonies were employed in the consecration of
churches, the cemmunipn table was rempved frpm the cen
tre pf the churches to the east end, railed in and called an
altar, and obeisance was made to it; the officiating minister
was named a priest, and his habit became more gaudy ; the
use of pictures, images, crucifixes, and lights in the churches
was contended for ; prayers for the dead, confession and ab-
solution were inculcated. The doctrine ofthe real presence,
or something very nearly resembling it, seems to bave been
held by Laud and others.
The catholics were full of hopes at witnessing these favor
able symptoms in the church of England, and the court of
Rome was induced to send an envoy named Panzani to Lon
don. A negPtiatipn for the union ofthe churches was com-
» ''My answer was," said Laud, "tbat somewhat dwelt within me,
which would not suffer that till Rome were other than it is."

CHARLES I. 59
menced with him by Cottington, Windebank and bishop
Montague, but entirely unknown to Laud and the clergy in
general. Like all projects of the kind, it was a mere abor
tion, for Rome will never recede from any pne of her pre
tensions. The king, in return for the courtesies which the
court of Rome lavished on him, stopped the prosecution of
the recusants; it was agreed that diplomatic relations should
in the name ofthe queen take place between the two courts,
and Panzani was succeeded in his post at Londpn by a
Scotchman named Conn, whose place was afterwards taken
by an agent of higher rank, the count Rosetti. The catho
lics behaved with great insoknce; "they," says Clarendon,
attempted " and sometimes obtained proselytes of weak, unin
formed ladies, with such circumstances as provoked the rage
and destroyed the charity of great and powerful families,"
and they urged the court on in all ifs ruinous and oppressive
measures. "To conclude," he adds, " they carried them
selves so as if they had been suborned by the Scots to root
out their pwn religipn."
The punishments of those who impugned the innovations
in the church were very severe, and the licensing ofthe press
being in the hands ofthe dominant party, no works in oppo
sition to them could be printed. It was not even permitted
to assail the church of Rome ; and will it be believed that
Fox's Book of Martyrs, Jewell's works, and the celebrated
Practice of Piety now failed to obtain a license to be printed ?
The treatment of the father of the excellent archbishop
Leighton at this time will serve to give an idea of the pun
ishments inflicted on those who drew down on themselves
the vengeance of the implacable Laud. Leighton, a Scots
divine, had printed in Holland a book named ' Zion's Plea
against Prelacy,' addressed to the members of the late parlia
ment. In this he no doubt treated the bishops with great
rudeness and violence, terming them " men of blood," and
prelacy " antichristian," showing the "fearful sin of their
pestering God's worship, and overlaying people's consciences
with the inventions of men, yea, with the trumpery of Anti
christ," and calling on the parliament utterly to root out the
hierarchy. Speaking of the queen he styled her a daughter
of Heth, that is simply a papist in the language of the time.
for this he was sentenced by the court ef Star-chamber (1630)
tP be cpmmitted tP the Fleet fpr life ; tp be fined 10,000/. ;
tp be degraded pf his ministry ; tP be pillpried, whipped, have
an ear cropped off, a nostril slit, and his cheek branded with an
SS, (i. e. Sower of Seditipn,) at Westminster, and the same

60 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
to be repeated some days after at Cheapside.* When this
cruel sentence was pronounced. Laud pulled off his cap and
gave God thanks for it, and in his Diary he records minute
ly and without the slightest pity or remorse how it was carried
into execution. Leighton lay in his dungeon till the year
1641, when he was released by the parliament.
William Prynne, a barrister, published at this time a pon
derous quarto volume named ' Histriomastyx,' full of zeal and
learning against plays and players. Prynne had already in
curred the enmity of Laud and the high-churchmen by some
works against Arminianism and prelatic jurisdiction, and
they were on the watch for him. It happened that about six
weeks after the publication of Prynne's book the queen per
formed a part in a pastoral at Somerset-house ; as in Prynne's
book it was said " that women-actors among the Greeks and
Romans were all notorious, impudent, prostituted strumpets,"
which in the table of contents was thus referred to, " Women-
actors notorious whores." Laud showed this to the king,
affirming that it was meant for the queen, (by the spirit of
prophecy no doubt,) but the royal pair took no notice of it.
Laud, resolved not to be balked, set his trusty chaplain Peter
Heylin to hunt through all Prynne's works, and to collect
the scandalous points put pf them. These Laud carried
himself tP Noy on a Sunday morning, desiring him to pros
ecute Prynne in the Star-chamber. Noy did as directed,
and Prynne was sentenced to be fined 1000/. ; to be expelled
Oxford and Lincoln's-inn ; to be degraded from his profes
sion in the law ; to stand twice in the pillory, lose an ear
each time, have his books burnt before him by the hangman,
and be imprisoned for life. This sentence also was carried
into effect.
At this time also Dr. Bastwick, a learned physician, having
published a book called "Elenchus Papismi et Flagellum
Episcoporum Latialium," in answer to one Short, a papist,
was brought before the high commission-court for it ; for
though, as he said, and as the title shows, it was directed only
against the bishops of Rome, it probably contained hits at
episcopacy in general. He too was sentenced to be fined
1000/., excommunicated, forbidden to practise physic, and
* See Neal's Hist, of the Puritans, i. 538, and Harris's Life of Charles
I. 260. Whitelocke and Heylin say tbat Leighton counselled the par
hament "to kill all the bishops by smiting them under the fifth rib."
Neal and Pearce say that there are no such words in bis book. Even
if he had used them, they were a common figurative expression at that
time.

CHARLES 1. 61
imprisoned till he should recant. At the same time one
Chowney, " a fierce papist," wrote a book in defence of the
church of Rome, proving it to be a true church, and Laud
approved of the book and accepted the dedication of it.
Whitelocke says he was told that the bishops in their censure
of Bastwick denied that they held their jurisdictien as bish-
pps from the king, affirming that they had it from .God only.
Another sufferer in these days was John Lilburne, after
wards so famous. He was then a mere youth, but being
convicted of distributing pamphlets against the bishops he was
whipped from the Fleet to Westminster, set in the pillory,
and treated with great cruelty.
The modes in which Charles raised a revenue at this
time were as follows: 1. He levied tonnage and poundage,
increasing the duties in many cases. 2. He, for a certain
fine, pardoned frauds in the sale of former crown-lands, and
allowed defective titles to be remedied. 3. He obliged all
who had not come to receive knighthood at his coronation
to compound for their neglect. 4. He revived monopolies,
giving them to companies of merchants who were to pay a
large sum down, and a certain annual duty on the articles
they sold or manufactured. 5. He extorted fines for disobe
dience to proclamations, even when they had been contrary
to law, such as that pf his father against building in and
abput London. 6. The forest-laws were revived, and the
king's forestal rights asserted to the great havock of private
property. The forests in Essex were so extended as to
take in almost the whole cpunty. Lprd Southampton
thus lost so much of his property as to be nearly ruined,
and several others were heavily fined for encroachments.
In a word, the king, looking upon all the rights and privileges
of the people as having been so many usurpations on the
absolute power of the crown, thought himself justified in
the use of every act of power exercised by any of his pred
ecessors. Though much individual hardship was endured in conse
quence of these arbitrary modes of taxation, the country was
on the whole in a flourishing condition. The advocates of
Charles would fain ascribe the merit of this to the govern
ment, but a more natural and adequate cauM is the energy
of the English people, which even the wrfrst government is
unable totally tp repress.
The year 1636 is rendered memorable by the stand made
by the celebrated John Hampden and others against the
arbitrary system of taxation now exercised by the crown.
VOL.- II. 6

62 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
The impost which gave occasion to it was that of ship-
money, a device of the apostate lawyer Noy, who, by a dili
gent search through the dusty records of the Tewer, had
discpvered that in ancient times the seaports, the maritime
counties, and even some places inland had been required to
furnish shipping for the public service. What use Noy pro
posed to make of his discovery his death prevents us from
ascertaining ; but his seed had not fallen on a barren soil
in the council, for, in 1634, a writ was issued to the magis
trates of Londpn and pther ports requiring them tP furnish
ships pf war pf a certain tennage, and fiilly equipped. The
citizens pf Lpndpn pleaded their charter, but te up purppse ;
the writ was every where pbeyed. There was a plausible
pretext indeed fpr augmenting the navy at this time. The
rovers of the piratic states of Africa dared to appear even
in the British channel, and landed and carried away into
slavery the people of the south coast of Ireland, and the
French and Dutch fished with impunity in the British seas.
But Charles had another reason for wishing to be master of
a powerful navy. His anxiety for the recovery of the Palat
inate, and probably his dislike of Calvinism and freedom,
had caused him, in 1631, to sign a secret treaty with Spain
for the conquest of Holland, his share of the spoil to be the
isles of Zealand.'* Yet so inconsistent and insincere was
this ill-judging prince, that the very next year, (1632,) he
entered into a negotiation with the malcontents of the Low
Countries to aid them in casting off the yoke of Spain, in
the hope of obtaining the sovereignty for himself, or perhaps
with a view to the interest of the elector palatine. But
there was a Spanish party in his council, and lord Cottington
informed the court of Madrid of theintrigue.t Charles then
adhered tP the former treaty, till, aware that the hpuse of
Austria was onlyilluding him, he was induced by the queen's
party in the cabinet to form closer relations with the court
of France ; yet he still made overtures to that of Spain, and
the consequence was that he drew on himself the secret
enmity of both.
Charles had now a fleet of sixty sail, and the purpose for
which the ship-money had been imposed was thus fully
answered. But the precedents collected by Noy it was
now thought might be made to extend much further, and
give origin to a source of permanent revenue. The honor
* Clarendon Papers, i. 49; ii. Append, xxvi. Hallam, ii. 17.
t Hardwick Papers, ii. 54. Hallam, ii. 18.

CHARLES It 63.)
of this discovery is ascribed to the l^te speaker Fineh, now
chief justice of the common pleas. Writs for the levy of
ship-money were accordingly directed to the sheriflTs of all
the counties, and when the people murmured, an opinion
of the twelve judges in favor of its legality was obtained
by the court and published. Some, however, ventured to
appeal to the laws against it. The first was the stout
hearted citizen John Chambers, who brought an action
against the lord mayor for imprisoning him on his refusal
to pay it. Lord Say and Mr. Hampden also appealed to
justice, and the decision in the case of the latter seemed to
set the matter to rest, and show that there was no redress to
be looked for.
John Hampden was a gentleman of large fortune in
Buckinghamshire, who had sat in all the parliaments since
the year 1620 : he was the friend of Eliot, and, like him,
strenuous in , maintaining the rights of the people. Being
now assessed twenty shillings ship-money, he refused to
pay it. The cause was brought before the twelve judges
in the exchequer chamber, and was argued in behalf of
Hampden by St. John and Holbprne ; on the part of the
crown by Bankes the attorney and Littleton the solicitor-
general. Hampden's counsel urged that the constitution
had provided in various. ways for the public safety, by the
erdinary revenues and by parliamentary supplies. They
shewed frpm Magna Charta, the Cenfirmatipn pf the Char
ters, the statute " De Tallagio non Concedendo," and other
acts of the legislature, that the consent of parliament is
necessary to legal taxation ; they asserted that none of the
precedents adduced on the other side applied to the case
of an inland county, and concluded by appealing to the
Petition of Right. The king's counsel on their side ad
duced the precedents collected by -Noy, many of which
certainly bore a strong analogy to the present case, but
they were in early times, and could not claim authority
like the aforesaid statutes. " But," said Bankes, " this power
is innate in the person of an absolute king, and in the per
sons of the kings pf England. It is not any ways derived
from the people, but reserved unto the king when positive
laws first began. For the king of England, he is an abso
lute monarch ; nothing can be given tp an absplute prince
but what is inherent in his nattire. He can dp np wrpng ¦
he is the sele judge, and we ought not to question him."
" This imposition without parliament," said judge Crawley,
" appertains to the king originally, and to the successor

64 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
ipso facto, if he be a sovereign, in right of his sovereignty
from the crown. You cannot have a king without these
royal rights, no, not by act of parliament." Finch main
tained that no act of parliament could bar the king of his
right to defend his people, and that therefore acts " to bind
the king not to command the subjects, their persons and
goods, and their money, too," are void.
Seven of the twelve judges gave judgment for the crown ;
the remaining five in favor of Hampden: Croke and Hutton,
two of the most distinguished, denying in the strongest
terms the alleged right of the crown, and the legality of the
writ for ship-money.'* The tax was now adjudged lawful,
but the judgment, as Clarendon observes, " proved of more
advantage and credit to the gentleman condemned (Mr.
Hampden) than to the king's service." The high notions
of the royal authority put forth by the crown lawyers alarmed
all classes of people, for they saw no limitation to it but the
royal will , and though Charles himself might be an Antonine,
it would put it in the power of his successor to be a Tiberius.
Ship-money henceforth was very reluctantly paid : it is sajd
not tP have averaged more than 20,000/. a-year, a sum, how
ever, equal to three subsidies.
The indomitable Prynne had from his dungeon put fprth
a tract called ' News frpin Ipswich,' in which he assailed
the prelates with great viplenoe ; Bastwick, tpp, had written
diatribes against them, and a clergyman named Burton,
who had been chaplain to Charles when prince, took the
same ground. They were prosecuted in the star-chamber,
and sentenced to pay each a fine of 5000/., to stand in the
pillory, have their ears cut off, and be imprisoned during
life. They were sent to the castles of Carnarvon, Lancas
ter, and Launceston, and were afterwards removed to Jersey,
Guernsey, and Scilly.
Williams, bishop of Lincoln, though no model of moral
perfection, was a man in ability greatly superior to Laud,
with whose new-fangled theology he did not agree, and he
had much more statesmanlike ideas on the mode of dealing
with the puritans. Though it was chiefly through Wil
liams that Laud had obtained his first bishopric, he had
* Croke intended at first to give judgment for the king, but his wife,
"a good and pious woman," told hinj, says Whitelocke," tbat she hoped
he would do nothing against bis conscience, for fear of any danger or
prejudice to him or his family ; and tbat she would be contented to
suffer want or any misery with bim rather than be an occasion for him
to do or say any thing against his judgment and conscience."

CHARLES L 65
no feeling of gratitude, and he was bent on his ruin. Wil
liams was therefpre accused in the star-chamber pf divulg
ing secrets ef state ; while this charge was pending he was
charged with tampering with the king's witnesses, and was
suspended frpm his pffice, fined 10,000/., and sentenced tp
be imprisoned during pleasure in the Tower. Afterwards
a letter from Osbaldiston, master of Westminster school, in
which the words "little urchin" and -" little great man"
were thought to be meant for Laud, being found among his
papers, he was sentenced to pay a further fine pf 5000/. tP
the king, and 3000/. to the archbishop.
The state of civil and religious despotism to which they
were now subjected made men seek for a place of retreat,
and they cast their eyes on the distant shores of the New
World. In 1629 a charter had been obtained fpr the colony
of Massachusetts Bay, and about three hundred and fifty
religious sectaries sailed thither. Numbers followed in
the subsequent years, and the settlements were extended
through the province, which was henceforth named New
England. After the failure of the attempt to resist the
levying of ship-money, persons of higher rank, the lords
Say and Brook, sir Arthur Haselrig, Hampden, his kins
man Oliver Cromwell, and others, resolved to quit their
now enslaved and degraded country. These last were
actually on board the vessel which was to take them oflT,
(1638,) when a proclamation, dictated by the bigotry of
Laud, appeared, forbidding masters of ships to cart'y out
any passenger who had not a license from the privy coun
cil, and a testimonial of conformity from the minister of
his parish.
Such was the condition of things in England ; the affairs
of Scotland will now claim our attention.
In the year 1633 Charles visited his native kingdom for
the first time since his accession. He was received with
great affection and loyalty, and crowned with the usual
splendor. But Laud, his evil genius, attended him, and
the prejudices of the people were shocked by the appear
ance of an altar with wax tapers and a crucifix, before
which the officiating prelates bowed as they passed ; and
when the archbishop of Glasgow declined wearing the gor
geous habits provided for him. Laud rudely fprced him from
the side of the king, and put Maxwell bishop of Ross in
his place.
A parliament followed, which gave the king an occasipn
for displaying his arbitrary temper, and served to alienate
6'* 1

66 HISTOKY OF ENGLAND.
from him the affections of many of his nobles. He had,
indeed, some years before inflicted a wound, which still
rankled, by a measure for the redemption of the church-
lands and tithes which the nobility and gentry had so raven
ously seized at the time of the Reformation ; for it must be
confessed, that whatever value the Scottish people may set
on religion, liberty, and other important matters, there is no
point on which they are so tremblingly alive as in what
concerns their property.
Charles left Scotland after sovVing tbe seeds ef future
trpubles, and the presecutien pf lprd Balmerine shprtly
after ppwerfully aided to alienate the nobility. This noble
man, who had been one of the opposition in parliament,
happened to have in his possession a copy of an apology for
their conduct, which he and his friends intended to present,
but were withheld by the fear of exciting the royal displeas
ure. A transcript of this was surreptitipusly obtained by
one who was his private enemy, and communicated tp the
archbishpp pf St. Andrews, by whpm it was cpnveyed tP the
king, with an assurance that it had been circulated fer sig
nature thrpughput Scotland, and that it was the nobles who
upheld the clergy in their opposition to the surplice. Bal
merino was therefore selected for an example, and he was
indicted on the statute of Itasing-malcing , or causing discord
between the king and his people. A jury, with lord Traquair,
one of the ministers, for foreman, was selected to try him;
yet so flagrantly iniquitous was the proceeding, that even
thai jury found him guilty only by the majority of the fore
man's casting vote. The people were furious at this decision,
and it was resolved, in secret consultations, that if any thing
happened to him, they would massacre those who had found
him guilty. Traquair on learning this hasted up to London,
and a pardon was granted to Balmerino. But the impression
which his danger had made on the minds of the nobility and
people was deep and permanent.
In religion matters were pushed on in order to bring Scot
land to a uniformity with England. The bishops began to
appropriate the civil dignities tp themselves. Archbishop
Spottiswood was made chancellor; Maxwell bishop of Ross
aspired to the office of lord treasurer ; and of the fourteen
prelates, nine were members of the privy council. They had
courts with powers similar to those of the court pf high com-
missipn, and, acting under the influence of Laud, they pro
ceeded to draw up canons and a liturgy for the church of
Scotland. They commenced with the former, sanctioning

CHARLES I. 67
the latter before it was prepared. The whole structure of
presbytery was dissolved by these canons. Each church was
to have a font at the entrance and an altar in the chancel ;
and various other regulations were made which the people
regarded as little better than popery. The liturgy which
was compiled was formed on that ofthe church of England,
but came nearer to the mass, of which a report soon spread
that it was nothing more than a translation. From the pul
pits the clergy declaimed against it; it was reprobated in
conversation and in pamphlets. Spottiswood and the elder
and more experienced prelates recommended great caution
in introducing it; but on its transmission to London and ap
proval by Laud, a royal proclamation was issued enjoining it
to be used in every parish-church inthe kingdom by a cer
tain day.
On the appointed day, (July 23, 1637,) the dean of Edin
burgh prepared to officiate according to the liturgy in St.
Giles, the bishop of Argyle in the Gray-friars' church; the
judges, prelates, and members ofthe privy council were pres
ent in the former, which was thronged with people. The
service began, when an old woman, .filled with zeal, sprang
up and flung the stool she sat on at the dean's head, crying,
"Villain! dost thpu say the mass at my lug?" A tumult
arpse, the women rushed to seize the dean, and he escaped
with difficulty ; the bishop of Edinburgh ascended the pulpit
tP appease the pepple ; sticks and stenes were flung at him, and
but for the aid ofthe magistrates, he would have perished on
the spot. In the other church the service was interrupted
by tears, groans, and lamentations, but there was no violence.
Throughout the rest of Scotland, the efforts of the prelates
were unavailing, and the liturgy was used only at St. An
drew's and in three other cathedrals.
The clergy had been directed to purchase two copies of
the liturgy for each parish, and the prelates now proceeded to
enforce obedience to this mandate. A divine named Hen
derson and three others presented supplications to suspend
the charge. These being backed by several pf the npbility
and gentry, and the general aversion from the liturgy becom
ing manifest, the council made a representation to the king,
obscurely intimating a desire that the liturgy should be re
called. But prudent concession was a thing unknown to
Charles; a stern reproof and an injunction ofthe immediate
adoption ofthe ritual were the answer returned. The con
sequence was an immense accession to the number of the

68 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
supplications and an organization of the opponents of the
liturgy throughout the kingdom.
In the month of October vast numbers of people flocked
to Edinburgh to leam the king's reply to the supplications
which had been transmitted to him. A proclamation ordered
them to disperse; they in return drew up an accusation
against the prelates on account of the canons and liturgy,
which was rapidly subscribed by the nobility, gentry, clergy,
and people all through Scotland. The following month they
re-assembled in increased force,'and having obtained permis
sion ofthe council to chpose representatives to carry on the
accusation, they appointed several of the nobility, two gen
tlemen for each county, and one or more of the Clergy and
burgesses for each presbytery and borough. Thus were
formed the celebrated Tables, or committees, which being
subdivided and regulated, gave order and consistency to their
union. Their demands now increased; they required the
abrogation ofthe high commission, the canons and the litur
gy. To this neither Laud nor the king could yield without
the ruin of their favorite plans, and a proclamation was is
sued censuring the supplicants, and forbidding them to assem
ble under the penalties of treason.
This was a fatal measure to the crown ; for the Tables
forthwith resolved on a renewal ofthe national covenant, the
bond of religious union first adopted by the Lords of the
Congregation, and twice renewed in the reign of James. It
took its name and character from the covenants of Israel
with Jehovah recorded in the Scriptures, and it also partook
much of the nature of the bonds of mutual defence and
maintenance which had leng prevailed in Scotland. It was
now drawn up by Henderspn, the leader pf the clergy,
and by Jphnstone of Wariston, a distinguished advocate.
It renounced popery and all its doctrines, practices, and
claims in the strongest terms ; and then declaring the liturgy
and canons to be thus virtually renounced, concluded with
an obligation to resist them, to defend each other, and to
support the king in preserving religion, liberty, and law.
The supplicants were invited by the Tables to repair to a
solemn meeting at Edinburgh ; a fast was appointed, and the
preachers, as directed, recommended a renewal of the cove
nant. Accordingly on the 1st of March, 1638, in the Gray-
friars' church, it was solemnly renewed with prayer and
spiritual exhortations. The nobility, gentry, clergy, and
thousands of all orders, sexes, and ages subscribed it ; copies

CHARLES I. 69
were transmitted to all parts of the kingdom, and it was every
where subscribed with shouts of joy, or with tears of contri
tion for their past defections. Within two months all Scot
land (Aberdeen excepted) was banded to the cpvenant.
Men saw in it the hand ef Heaven ; the austerity pf devptipn
increased ; a religieus glppin sppn pervaded all the relatipns
pf spcial life, and the fanatic spirit assumed new vigpr.
An independent assembly and a free parliament were
the demands pf the cpvenanters. The ceurtemplpyed every
art te illude them, being secretly resplved tp have recourse
to arms. With this view all their demands (after Charles
had taken sufficient care to convince them of his insincerity)
were suddenly conceded, and an assembly was held at Glas
gow (Nov. 21) to regulate the church. The marquess of
Hamilton, the king's representative, was instructed to excite
jealousies among the members, and if he found it restive to
dissolve it. Seeing he could not manage it) he therefore, un
der pretext of its being irregularly chosen, and consequently
not competent to the trial of prelates, declared it dissolved,
but the members refused to separate ; their resolution was
approved of by many ofthe privy council, and the accession
to their side of the potent earl of Argyle gave them increased
courage. The acts of the six preceding assemblies were
forthwith annulled, the canons, liturgy, and high commission
were condemned, and episcopacy was abolished. Eight of
the bishops were excommunicated, four deposed, aud two
suspended. And thus was prostrated at one blow the fabric
which it had occupied two reigns to erect.
It had been Hamilton's advice to the king from the begin
ning to have recourse to arms, and the necessary preparations
had therefore been made. To procure money, loans were
required frpm the npbility ; under the influence pf Laud, the
church cpntributed largely ; and the cathelics, at the call pf
the queen, and well aware that it was their interest tp suppprt
the crpwn, frpm which alpne they cpuld expect favpr, gave
their meney for the Support of the Episcopal War, as it was
denominated. Arms and artillery were provided, the coun
ties were required to send their trained bands or militia,
and the peers to lead their retainers in arms to York ; a
negotiation (which, however, was frustrated) was also entered
into with the regency ofthe Netherlands for the use of six
thousand veterans. The covenanters, on their side, prepared
for a defensive war. By means of the numerous Scottish
pedlers who hawked their wares through England, they

70 HISTORY OF ENGL.iND.
opened a communication with the English puritans. Riche
lieu, willing to repay Charles in kind, secretly supplied them
with money, and arms and ammunition were purchased on
the continent. The covenant was sent to the Scpts in the
Swedish service fpr their subscriptien ; aud Alexander Lesley,
an pfficer of great experience in the wars of Germany, was
invited over to take the command ofthe army which was to
be raised. Many Pther able officers also returned to the de
fence of their country; the pulpits inculcated the justice of
defensive warfare, and resounded with the curse of Meroz
on those who " came not to the help of tbe Lprd against the
mighty." Vplunteers crpwded to the standards and were
disciplined by Lesley and his officers ; the royal castles were
all surprised, and the port of Leith was put into a state of
defence. When the Gordons rose under their chief, the earl
of Huntley, to maintain the royal cause in the north, the earl
of Montrose marched against them, and compelled Huntley
to come as a hostage to Edinburgh.
The king advanced at the head of twenty-three thousand
men to Berwick. Lesley took his positipn at Dunse-law;
while Munrp, the second in command, was stationed at
Kelso. The armies were about equal in number ; the king
was superior in cavalry, but in infantry the advantage was
entirely on the side of the Scots, who, in addition to supe
rior discipline and better officers, were animated by a spirit
of fanatic devotion, while the English soldiers were utterly
indifferent to the cause in which they were engaged. The
Scottish camp continually resounded with psalmody and
prayer ; morning and evening the men were summoned to
their devotions by beat of drum, and two sermons each day
kept up their fervor.
Lord Holland, who commanded the English cavalry, ad
vanced to Kelso, but at the sight of the Scottish forces his
men turned and fled. The king, who had expected that the
Scottish nation would have submitted at once on his appear
ance at the head of an army, saw his hopes all baffled, and
now easily discerned that all who attended him were adverse
to a war ; Laud too, aware of the superior strength of the
Scots, counselled peace, and the Scots themselves were'very
reluctant to carry matters to an extremity with their sovereign.
Proposals for an accommodation were therefore readily lis
tened to; Scottish commissioners came to the royal camp,
(June 11,) the king treated with them in person, and it was ar
ranged that a parliament and a general assembly should meet

CHARLES I. 71
in the month of August to regulate the affairs of church and
state. The Scottish army was then disbanded, and the royal
castles were restored.
The assembly and the parliament met at the appointed
time ; the former came to the same conclusipns respecting
episcppacy and the other matters as that of Glasgow had
done ; and Traquair, who presided over it, gave the royal
assent to them. For this he had the king's permission;
who, however, was resolved to revoke, when he should have
the power, these, in his mind, unlawful concessions. The
parliament not proving manageable was prorogued for six
months. Charles now summoned lord Wentworth over from Ire
land, where he had for some years held the office of lord-
deputy. He consulted with him, Laud, and Hamilton on
the affairs of Scptland, and' the result of their deliberations
was a resolution to reduce the Scots by force of arms.
Some other members of the council were then added to
them, in order to deliberate on the mode of providing
funds for the war ; at their instances, Charles agreed to
call a parliament : meantime writs were issued for the levy
of ship-m®ney, and the lords subsci;ibed various sums,
Wentworth giving the example by putting down his name
for 20,000/. It was arranged that the parliament should
not be called till the following April, in order to give Went
worth an opportunity of holding a parliament previously in
Ireland, to which country he returned with the title of lord-
lieutenant ; he was also elevated in the English peerage by
being created earl of Strafford.
The covenanters had sent the earls of Dumfermline and
Loudon, and sir William Douglas and Mr. Barclay as their
cpmmissipners tP Lpndpn, tp cpmplain tP the king ef the
prprogation of the parliament and other injuries ; they were
also, it would appear, instructed to deal with the discon
tented English.* Traquair, however, had got possession of
the copy pf a letter addressed tp the king of France, (au
* "Theyhad great resort to them," says Whitelocke, " and many
secret councils held with them by the discontented English, chiefly by
those who favored presbytery and were no friends to bishops, or had
suffered in the late censures in tbe star-chamber, exchequer, high-
commission, and other judicatories. They also who inclined to a republic
had much correspondence with them, and they courted all, fomented
every discontent, and made large and religious promises of future
happy times. The earls of Essex, Bedford, Holland, tbe lord Say,
Hampden, Pym, and divers other lords and gentlemen of great interest
and quality were deep in with them."

72 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Moi) and signed by Lesley, Mar, Rothes, Montrose, Mont
gomery, Loudon, and the secretary Forrester, justifying their
cause and asking for aid. The commissioners, therefpre,
were arrested, and Leudon was committed to the Tower.
It is said that a warrant was issued for his execution without
any trial; but the lieutenant, who was a S.cotsman, took it
to the marquess of Hamilton, whp, though it was midnight,
entered the apartment of the king and prevailed on him to
recall it, or else Scotland, he sai{l, would be Ipst fprever.
We trust that this stpry is not true ; Charles, though a despot,
was not a man of blood.
The earl of Straflrord having held his parliament in Ire
land, where his will was law, and obtained an unconditional
grant of money, returned to England, and on the 13th of
April, 1640, after an interval of twelve years, a parliament
met at Westminster. Though the majority of the members
had never sitten before, the composition of the house of
commons was the same as ever, the puritan and patriotic
party greatly preponderating in it. The king, on the open
ing of the session, having addressed them in a few brief
terms, the lord-keeper related all the proceedings of Scot
land, and telling them that "his majesty did not expect ad
vice from them_, much less that they should interpose in any
office of mediation, which would not be grateful to him,"
required them to grant a supply forthwith, after they shpuld
have time enpugh given them tP represent any grievance
and have a favprable answer. The oemmons, having then
chosen serjeant Glanvile speaker, prepared to proceed to
business.* "Whilst men," says Clarendon, "gazed upon
each other, looking who should begin, (much the greatest
part having never before sat in parliament,) Mr. Pym, a man
of good reputation, but much better known afterwards, who
had been as long in those assemblies as any man then living,
brake the ice." In a speech of two hours' length, he enu
merated and displayed all the grievances which afflicted the
state, under the heads of breach of privilege of parliament,
injury to the established religipn,f and invasipn pf the sub-

* " The house met always at eight of the clock and rose at twelve ;
which were the old parliament hours : that the committees upon whom
the greatest burden of business lay might have the afternoons for their
preparation and despatch." Clarendon, i. 233.
t "The principles of popery," said he, " are such as are incompati
ble with any other religion. There may be a suspension of violence for
some by certain respects ; but the ultimate end even of that moderation
is, that they may with more advantage extirpate that which is opposite

CHARLES 1. 73
jects' rights of liberty and property. Having then shown
that these were as hurtful to the crown as to the people, he
proposed that the lords should be invited to join in a petition
to the king, and in searching out the causes and remedies
of these evils. Other members followed in the same strain,
but when one of them termed ship-money an abomination,
he was called to the bar, and narrowly escaped being rep
rimanded. Clarendon mentions this, "that the temper and
sobriety of that house may be taken notice of"
The court, being impatient for the money, prevailed on the
peers to urge the commons to begin with the supply. This
interference was voted to be a high breach of privilege.
The king then sent to say that if they would grant him
twelve subsidies, to be paid in three years, he would release
all his title or pretence to ship-money in future. This
matter was debated for two days, when, on the proposal of
Mr. Hyde, that the question of supply simply should be first
put, sir Henry Vane, the treasurer, said that he had author
ity to state that the king would only accept of it in the
manner and proportion proposed in his message. He was
followed by the solicitor-general, and it being near five
o'clock, the house adjourned. Next day, (May 5,) the king
dissolved the parliament. Three members were then com
mitted, and a declaration was published, giving the reasons
for the dissplution, charging the disaffected members " with
attempting to direct the government, and to examine and
censure its acts, as if kings were bound to give an account
of their regal actions and of their manner of government to
their subjects assembled in parliament." Thus abruptly ter
minated the ' Short Parliament,' as it was named ; contrary
to the usual custom, the convocation continued tp sit till the
end of the month ; it passed canons ordering the clergv to
teach the people the divine right of kings, and the damnable
sin of resistance to their authority, imposing on them the et
ccBtera oath,* as it was named, and regulating the position
of the communion table, and sp forth, and finally granting

to them. Laws will not restrain them ; oaths will not. The pope can
dispense with both these ; and where there is occasion, his command
will move them to the disturbance ofthe realm against their own pri
vate disposition, yea, against their own reason and judgment, to obey
him. The king and the kingdom can have no security but in their
weakness and disability to do hurt."
" The oath was to maintain the church as it was. One ofthe clauses
was, " Nor give consent to alter the governmeiit of this church by arch
bishops, bishops, deans, and archdeacons, SfC."
VOL. II. 7 J

74 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
the king a benevolence of four shillings in the pound for six
years. The dissolution was a matter of exultation to Pym and
his friends, for they knew that the king must soon call an
other parliament. Oliver St. John said to Hyde, " that all
was well, and that it would be worse before it could be
better, and that this parliament could never have done what
was necessary to be done." Their communications with
the Scottish agents now became more frequent, and their
future tactics were arranged.
Preparations for invading Scotland were now made; the
voluntary loan produced 300,000/.; the counties were re
quired to supply each a certain proportion of men, provide
them with ceat and cpnduct-mpney, and furnish herses. It
was proposed to invade Scotland with 20,000 men from
England and 10,000 men from Ireland, while Hamilton
should pour down with 10,000 more from the Highlands.
The want of funds, however, and the activity of the cove
nanters, frustrated this plan. Charles gave the chief com
mand of his army to the earl of Northumberland, but that
nobleman falling sick he took it himself; Strafford was
lieutenant-general ; lord Conway, who was a military man,
cpmmanded the cavalry.
Cpnway marched with the first trppps that were levied
intp Northumberland. The Scpttish army pf 26,000 men
was encamped at Dunse, and pn the 12th ef August, at the
desire, as they thpught, pf their English friends, they crpssed
the Tweed, and entered England. Conway prepared to dis
pute the passage of the Tyne at Newburn, but it was forced
by the Scots, who speedily became masters of the two
northern counties, which being the coal counties, enabled
them to distress the city of London whenever they pleased.
At the same time they forced the inhabitants to pay them
5600/. a-week, and they seized the property of the clergy
and the catholics.
The king was now at York with an ill-affected army.
He had summoned a great council of the peers to meet him
there on the 24th of September, and he proposed to lay
before it the petition which the Scots now sent him ; he
had also received a petition subscribed by twelve peers,
and another signed by ten thousand citizens of London,
praying him to call a parliament — a measure which his
council also advised. Accordingly, when the great council
met, he announced his intention of calling a parliament for
the 3d of November, and sixteen peers then proceeded to

CHARLES I. 75
Rippon to negotiate with the Scots. The treaty was soon
transferred to London, and it was arranged that, till it was
concluded, the northern counties should pay the Scots
5600/. a.-week, to be repaid out of the first supply granted
by parliament.
The despotism of Charles had now reached its close.
We have exposed it freely ; we have shown that it went to
depriving the nation of all that is most valuable to civilized
man. The lives, the liberties, the properties of the people,
were to be at the disposal of the monarch, who held himself
accountable to Heaven alone for the exercise of the powers
which he claimed. A galling ecclesiastical tyranny also
pressed on the people, fettering conscience and controlling
the free expression of thought. Is there any one so base,
so unwprthy pf the name ef freeman, as te regret that this
state pf things has not been perpetuated to our own times?
And what certainty have we that such would not have been
the case had Charles not been checked in his career, and
that popery would not again have overspread the land, if he
had transmitted the plenitude of despotism to his sons?
We are now to witness the conduct of the men who broke
that power, and to treat them with the same impartiality
which we have employed in the case of the monarch.

CHAPTER V.
CHARLES I. (continued.)
1640—1641.

On the 3d of November^ 1640, that parliament met, whose
deeds, for good or for evil, have rendered it the most mem
orable assembly in the annals of the world. The greatest
exertions had been made by both parties to procure returns
favorable to their political views ; but the efforts of Pym,
Hampden, and the other leaders ofthe popular party, joined
with the feelings of the electors themselves, who saw the
necessity of a reform in the state, had obtained them a
triumph in most places over their opponents. But to the
honor of pur forefathers, and the disgrace of our pwn self-
styled age pf intellect, it is tp be recerded, that in ne single

76 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
case did the popylar choice fall, as we have seen it fall, on
the mere demagogue, the political charlatan, the bankrupt in
fame or fortune, who cajoled his constituents by affecting to
have no will of his own, and to be in the legislature merely
the mouthpiece of their notions and whims. The members
of the Long Parliarnent, as this was subsequently styled, were
in general men of high moral character, of cultivated minds,
of independent fortunes, the landed property of the com
mons being said to be the treble of that of the peers. In a
word, a more august assembly than that which now met at
Westminster has never appeared on the scene of the world.
Yet partiality must not blind us ; we must not give the
reins to imagination, and view in the Pyms, the Hampdens,
and the St. Johns of those days men without blemish, raised
above the common lot of humanity, and incapable of arti
fice or error. We shall find them employing the arts in
separable from political parties, and acting at times in viola
tion of the principles of justice, and treading in the foot
prints of the despotism which they sought to restrain. We
have not hidden the faults of the king ; we will not pass
over in silence those pf the parliament.
The views of the popular leaders may be collected from
the following anecdote. A few days before the parliament
met, as Pym and Hyde were cpnversing on the state of af
fairs, the former said, " that they must now be of another
temper than they were the last parliament; that they must
not pnly sweep the hpuse clean below, but must pull down
all the cobwebs •which hung in the top and corners, that
they might not breed dust, and sp make a foul house here
after ; that they had now an opportunity to make their
country happy, by removing all grievances, and pulling up
the causes of them by the roots, if all men would do their
duties," and much more to the same effect. The parlia
ment. Clarendon observes, " had a sad aud a melancholic
aspect upon the first entrance, which presaged some unusual
and unnatural events." The king did not go in his usual
state, taking his way thither by water. He was also disap
pointed in his expectation of having the recorder of Lpndpn,
sir Thpmas Gardiner, chpsen speaker, as he was not re
turned for any place. His choice then fell upon a lawyer
named Lenthall, a man of good practice in the law, but of
no parliamentary experience, and little calculated to main
tain the dignity pf his pffice.
The first week was empleyed in the fprmation of cpm-
mittees and the receptien of petitions, many of which were

CHARLES I. 77
brought up 'by troops of horsemen frpm the cpuntry. On
the 10th the earl of Strafford came up from the north, at the
earnest desire of the king. He was aware of his danger,
knowing himself to be the object pf the lipstility pf the ppp-
ular party, and ofthe Scots; but the king gave him his
solemn assurance, " that the parliament should not touch one
hair of his head." The next day Pym suddenly rose, and,
stating that he had matter of high import tp cpmmunicB.te,
desired that the strangers' rpom should be cleared; the
outer door of the house be locked, and the key laid on the
clerk's table. When all this was done, he rose, and dilating
on all the illegal acts that had been done, and magnifying
the virtues of the king, added, " We must inquire from what
fountain these waters of bitterness flowed," and who they
were that had perverted the king's excellent judgment. He
then preceeded tp say, that " he believed there was ene more
signal in that administration than the rest, being a man of
great parts and contrivance, and of great industry to bring
what he designed to pass ; a man who, in the memory of
many present, had sat in that house an earnest vindicator of
the laws, and a most zealous asserter and champion for the
liberties of the people, but long since turned apostate from
those good affections, and, according to the custom and
nature of apostates, was become the greatest enemy to the
liberties of his country, and the greatest promoter of tyranny
that any age had produced." He then named Thomas earl
of Strafford, and ran through the whole history of his ad
ministration in the North and in Ireland, " adding some
lighter passages of his vanity and amours ; that they who
were not inflamed with anger and detestation against him
for the former, might have less esteem and reverence for his
prudence and discretion." Other speakers followed in the
same strain. A message then came from the lords, desiring
a conference, but a reply was made that they were engaged
in weighty business ; notice was at the same time sent to
their friends in the peers to keep that house from rising. It
was finally moved to impeach the earl pf high-treasen, no
one dissenting, only lord Falkland (who was np friend tP him)
suggesting that it were better tp digest the accusation pre
viously in a committee. But Pym said that that would blast
all their hopes, as the earl, when he got notice of it, would
procure the parliament to be dissolved. It was resolved then
to proceed at once ; the doors were thrown open, and Pym
issued forth at the head of three hundred members, and at
'J' * '

78 HISTORY OP ENGLAND.
the bar of the house of lords impeached the earl of high-
treason, in the name of the commons of England.
Strafibrd hastened tP the house, and " with a proud gloom
ing countenance," was making toward his place at the board-
head, but he was ordered to retire. He obeyed : after some
delay he was recalled, and directed to kneel at the bar; he
was then delivered over to the usher of the black-rod, to be
kept in custody. He passed to his coach through a crowd
of people, " all gazing," says Baillie, " no man capping to
him, before whom that morning the greatest of England
would have stood discovered." None, hpwever, insulted
him. The impeachment pf Straffprd was certainly a masterly
manoeuvre pn fhe part of the popular leaders, and the una
nimity of the vote proves the general feeling of his being a
chief encourager of the royal excesses. But if it be true
that he was prepared to inpeach them for their dealings with
the Scots, the purity of their patriotism on this occasion may
be questioned. A further stroke of policy was the impeach
ment of sir George Radcliffe, whose evidence might be of
advantage to the earl.
The objects aimed at were good, but the strait path of
justice was not always followed by the patriots. A committee
of elections unseated many members whp did npt suit their
views. " It was pften said by leading men ampngst them,"
says Clarendpn, " that they pught in thpse cases tp be guided
by the fitness and wprthiness of the person, whatever the de
sire of those was in whom the right of election remained.
And therefore one man hath been admitted upon the same
rule by which another hath been rejected." One of their
rules was that no one should sit " who had been a party or a
favorer of any project, or who had been employed in any
illegal commission." On this ground they unseated several;
but the king afterwards charged them with not having ap
plied their rule impartially, passing over their own friends,
sir Henry Mildmay and Mr. Whittaker, "who had been
scandalously engaged in those pressures."
Under the newly-adopted term of DeUnquents, all the
lieutenants and deputies of counties who had exercised pow
ers not strictly warranted by statute were brpught intp danger.
The sheriffs and all ccncerned in raising ship-mpney were
alsp vpted delinquents. The farmers and pfficers pf the cus-
tpms were similarly treated. The judgment in the case of
Hampden was reversed ; those judges who had given it were

CHARLES I. 79
obliged to give large security to abide the judgment of the
parliament One of them, sir John Berkeley, was arrested as
he sat on the bench, apd carried to prison, " which struck,"
says Whitelocke, " a great terror in the rest of his brethren
then sitting in Westminster-hall, and in all his profession," as
no doubt it was meant that it should.
An impeachment against Laud was also carried up to
the lords by Denzil Hollis, and that prelate was committed
to the black-rpd. The lerd-keeper Finch and secretary
Windebank, being menaced with impeachment, fled to the
continent. Bishop Williams, who had lain for three years in. the
Tower, was now released ; so also, was the unfortunate Leigh
ton. Prynne, Bastwick, and Burton, were recalled from their
island-prisons, and they entered London in a kind of triumph,
being followed by five thpusand perspns, men and wpmen, pn
horseback, wearing bay and rosemary in their hats. Those
who had passed sentence on them were now adjudged to pay
them heavy damages.
All the modes by which the king had been of late in the
habit of raising money were now resolved to be illegal. Tp
secure the benefits resulting frpm this resplutipn, a bill was
brpught in (Jan. 19, 1641) that a parliament shpuld be
called every third year, and if the crpwn and the prpper au
thorities neglected to call it, the people should meet of them
selves, and choose their representatives. To this bill the king
gave his assent, (Feb. 15,) and the people testified their joy
by bonfires and illuminations.
Petitions against episcopacy or its abuses peured in frem
all quarters. One signed by twp thpusand pf the clergy
prayed fpr the extinctipn pf the order ; another to the same
effect, called the Root and Branch petition, came from fif
teen thousand citizens of London. The Scottish commis
sioners, eager to set up their own idol, exerted themselves
zealously. " Against the bishops," says Baillie, " we pray,
preach, and print what we are able most freely. . . . There is
a world of pamphlets here. . . . Their utter abolition, which
is the only aim of the most godly, is the knot of the ques
tion. We must have it cut by the axe of prayer." Fasts
were also held, that " the Lord might join the breath of his
nostrils with ¦ the endeavors of weak men to blow up a
wicked and anti-scriptural church."
During all this time a committee of the commons were
busily engaged in preparing heads of accusation against
Strafibrd. Tp give him as little chance as opssible, they

80 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
bound themselves to strict secrecy as to their proceedings,
by a kind of voluntary oath. The king, on his part, in his
anxiety to save him, sought to conciliate his opponents, and
the lords Bristol, Essex, Bedford, Hertford, Mandevile,*
Savile, and Say, were sworn of the privy council. He was
even induced to take a further step, and listen to a proposal
to " prefer some ofthe grandees to offices at court, whereby
Strafford's enemies should become his friends, and the king's
desires be promoted." The proposed arrangement was, that
the earl of Bedford should be treasurer, and his follower Pym
(who sat for his borpugh pf Tavistpck) his chancellpr pf the ex
chequer, lord Say master of the court of wards, Denzil Hollis
secretary of state, Oliver St. John solicitor-general. Hamp
den, it is said, was to be tutor to the prince, and others to be
elsewise provided for. But from one cause or other these
promotions did not take effect, and " the great men," adds
Whitelocke, "baffled thereby, became the more incensed and
violent against the earl, joining with the Scots commissioners,
who were implacable against him." When to this remark
of one who could not well be mistaken we add the following
anecdote, it may be doubted if the men whp sPught Straf
ford's blood were such models of public virtue as their ad
mirers make them. At the time of Strafford's apostasy he
and Pym met at Greenwich ; they conversed awhile on public
affairs, and as they were concluding, the latter said, "You
are going to leave us, but I will never leave you while your
head is upon your shoulders." This threat was uttered before
Strafford had committed any greater offence than that of
abandoning those with whom he had lately acted, but to
whose party he had never properly belonged.
Strafford, it is not to be denied, was a despot by nature,
and therefore if the court had not' won him, he would, by
natural consequence, have become the most formidable of
demagogues. Attached to the crown, the grand object of
his life was to render it absolute. In his presidency of the
North he was arbitrary and rigorous in the extreme, but
he had only the king's service in view, and he was impartial
in his despotism. When he was appointed to the govern
ment of Ireland (1632) he went over to that " conquered
country," as he styled it, fully determined to make his mas
ter, as far as it was concerned, " the most absolute prince in
Christendom." The effects produced by the force of his
• This was the eldest son of the earl of Manchester. He sat in tha
house of peers as viscount Kimbolton.

CHARLES 1. 81
genius were surprising; while he ruled it with a rod 'of iron
he made it flourishing and wealthy : the customs were quad
rupled in the short space of four years, for he guarded the
seas, and repressed all internal commotion. In the fifth year
the revenue exceeded the expenditure by 60,000/. He in
troduced the linen-manufacture, but he suppressed that of
wool, in order to keep Ireland dependent on England, and
he formed magnificent projects of foreign trade, and sought
for sources of internal industry. Confiding in the vigor pf
his mind, he feared net tP cpnvene parliaments, and when
they met he swayed them at his will. He raised and main
tained a numerpus and well-apppinted army. He never for
a moment lost sight ofhis main object, that of rendering the
sovereign absolute ; in his soul he regarded absolute mon
archy as the best form of government; to produce it he
labored in concert with Laud, a man every way his inferior no
doubt, but in this matter as sincere and as vehement as him
self Their favorite word was thorough, and they frequently
complained of the scruples and slowness of their rpyal master,
who would not proceed as rapidly as they required.
All the preliminaries being arranged, the day fixed for the
trial of this mighty man arrived. It was the 22d of March;
the place was Westminster-hall. The earl of Arundel acted
as lord-high-steward. The peers, in their robes, were seated
on benches in the centre; on scaffolds at each side sat the
commons, as a committee of their house ; with them the
Scottish commissioners and the deputies sent over by a por
tion ofthe Irish house of commons, to make charges against
the Icrd-lieutenant. At the upper end was an elevated throne,
and at each side of it a latticed box for the royal family ; at
the Ipwer end pf the threne was a gallery for ladies of quality.
A bar stretched across the hall, leaving about one third of it
for the use of the public.
The court sat every morning at nine o'clock. The earl
entered, attired in black, wearing his George by a golden
chain, and having made three bows to the high-steward, knelt
at the bar ; then bowing to the peers, he took his place at a
small desk, the lieutenant of the Tower standing beside him,
and his four secretaries at his back. He lay under every dis
advantage ; he was suffering from the stone and gout ; ac
cording to the iniquitous practice which prevailed then and
long after, he was not allowed the aid of counsel, except on
points of law, and the witnesses against him were examined
on oath, while his were not ; he had but thirty minutes
given him tP prepare his reply to the charges urged against
K

82 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
him by the managers, and while he was thus engaged an
eternal " hubbub" was kept up around him; the lords walk
ing about and chatting, the commons more noisy still, and a
continued cjamor at the doors. The bishops too, probably
fearing for themselves, had, on the suggestion of Williams,
resigned their right of being present, and the king had weak
ly consented to Slow the privy councillors to be examined
on oath by the committee respecting advice given by the
earl at the board. Against these, Strafford had, to sustain
him, his own mighty powers, his conviction that the charges
against him did not amount to treason, and the repeated as
surance of the king that he should not suffer in life, honor, or
fortune. On the second day Pym rose, and " made," says White
locke, " an introduction very rhetorical and smart to the arti
cles." These, which were twenty-eight in number, were
urged during thirteen days by the lawyers Glyn, Maynard,
Palmer, and Whitelocke. The general charge was " an en
deavor to overthrow the fundamental government of the king
dom and introduce an arbitrary power." Of the particular
charges three were contended to amount to the treason ef levy
ing war against the king. These were, 1. billeting soldiers on
the peaceable people of Ireland till he had made them submit
to his illegal demands: 2. raising an army in Ireland, and
advising the king to employ it in bringing this kingdom into
subjection : 3. imposing a tax on the people of Yorkshire
for the maintenance of his trained bands. The remaining
articles, consisting of charges of hasty and imperious expres
sions, of oppression of individuals, and of illegal proceedings,
it was centended, thpugh pf np great impprtance separately,
amounted to what they termed cumulative treason, as indica
ting his design of subverting the liberties of the country.
Against all these charges Strafford defended himself with elo
quence and effect, and the tide, it was soon perceptible, was
turning in his favor ; he won the hearts of all the ladies by
his graceful and manly eloquence, and the number pf his
friends among the peers was visibly on the increase. Pym
and his coadjutors now began to doubt if they should be able
to convict him of treason. Their first step was (April 10)
to desire to be allowed to produce an additional piece of
evidence to one of the articles ; Strafford claimed the same
liberty. Glyn objected, crying that " the prisoner at the bar
presumed to prescribe to the commons ; " the lords, however,
thought it but reasonable. The committee then rose up, and
shouting, Wiihdraw ! withdraw ! " cocked their beavers,"

CHARLES I. 83
says Baillie, " in the king's sight," and retired in high indio-
natipii, withput even apppinting a day for the next meeting.
This was on Saturday, and on the Monday following Pym
produced in the house of commons a copy of some notes
taken by sir Henry Vane of the opinipns delivered at the
council-table on the day that the last parliament was dissolved,
according to which Straffcrd had said, that the king, having
tried the affectien pf his pepple in vain, was " abselved and
leose from all rule of government, and might do what power
would admit ; " he added, " you have an army in Ireland that
you may employ to reduce this kingdom to obedience; for
I am confident the Scpts cannpt hpld out five months." The
manner in which Pym obtained these notes was rather suspi
cious. The young sir Henry Vane being on the eve of mar
riage, his father, who was out of town, sent him up the keys
ofhis study and boxes, that he might get put some title-deeds
which were required for making the marriage settlement.
A red velvet cabinet having attracted his attention, he opened
it and there found thpse nptes; he hastened with them tP
Pym, who took a copy of them, and the original was then
replaced in the cabinet. Questions founded on these notes
had been put to sir Henry Vane by the committee of the
commons on three occasions before the trial; the two first
times he declared that he knew nothing of Strafford's project
to employ the Irish army " to reduce this kingdom ; " the
third time he recollected the very words. On the trial he
repeated his last evidence, but professed that he did not know
whether by "this kingdom" was meant England or Scptland.
All the Pther councillors who were examined declared that
they did not recollect the words, and that there was no idea
of employing the Irish army any where but in Scotland.
These notes then were the additional evidence which the
managers wanted liberty to produce, and with the fpllpwing
view. The law (though it had often been transgressed) re
quired two witnesses in case of treason, and there was only
the single evidence of sir Henry Vane to this point ; Pym
therefore " conceived those circumstances of his and young
sir Henry Vane's having seen those original results, and
being ready to swear that the paper read by him was a true
copy ofthe other, might reasonably amount to the validity
of another witness " ! !
Clarendon tells us that when Pym had made this disclosure
to the hpuse, ypung Vane get up and acknowledged the truth
of all he had stated, adding other particulars. His father
then "rose with a pretty cpnfusipn," and said that he now

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
y'sMi whence the questions had been derived which had sur-
/^rised him so much, but owned that the copy corresponded
¦with the notes which he had since committed to the flames.
He expressed such indignation against his son, that a motion
was made, " that the father might be enjoined to be friends
with his son." There was, however, for a long time a great
coolness between them in public. Clarendon and others
looked upon the whole as a well-acted scene, sir Henry Vane
having himself, they believed, communicated the notes out
of enmity to Strafford. The cause of this enmity is said to
have been the latter's having taken his second title from Ra
by, a place belonging to the Vanes.
Pym, being unable to convert his copy of the notes into a
second witness, now introduced a bill to attaint the earl of
Strafford for endeavoring to subvert the liberties of the coun
try ; fpr they had Ipng since reselved tP emplpy this odious,
unconstitutional course, if the impeachment seemed likely to
fail. At a conference therefore with the lords on the after
noon of this day, the copy of Vane's notes was produced, and
the next day, (13th,) when the trial was resumed, they were
read openly. Lord Clare, Strafford's brother-in-law, urged
that " this kingdom '' meant Scotland, and Strafford himself
dwelt on this point and on the variations in Vane's testimony,
adding, that the evidence of four councillors ought surely to
outweigh that of one. The lord steward then told him if he
had any thing more to say in his defence to proceed, as the
house intended now to prepare to give judgment.
The earl then went over his former ground of defence,
contending that nothing charged against him amounted to
treason. In conclusion he said, " It is hard to be questioned
on a law which cannot be shown. Where hath this fire lain
hid so many hundreds of years withput smpke tP discover it
till it thus burst forth to consume me and my children ? .... If
a man pass the Thames in a boat, and split himself upon an
anchor, and no buoy be floating to discover it, he who oweth
the anchor shall make satisfaction ; but if a buoy be set there,
every one passeth upon his own peril. Now where is the
mark, where the tokens upon this crime, to declare it to be
high-treason ? " He then warned the peers for their own
sakes not to '' awaken these sleeping lions " of constructive
treasons. " My lords," said he in conclusion, " I have troubled
you longer than I should have done, were it not for the inter
est of these dear pledges a saint in heaven hath left me."
Here he stopped, letting fall some tears ; he then resumed,
" What I forfeit myself is nothing ; but that my indiscretion

CHARLES I.
should extend to my posterity, woundeth me to the very softl^c
You will pardon my infirmity ; something I should have
added, but am not able ; therefpre let it pass. And new, my
lords, for myself, I have been, by the blessing of Almighty
God, taught that the afflictions of this present life are not to
be compared to the eternal weight of glory which shall be
revealed hereafter. And so, my Iprds, even sp; with all tran
quillity pf mind, I freely submit myself tp ypur judgment, and
w-hether that judgment be pf life pr death, ie Deum laudamus ! "
Pym and St. Jphn spoke in reply. It is said that when the
former uttered the following words, " If this law hath not
been put in execution, as he allegeth, these two hundred and
forty years, it was not for want of a law, but that all that
time had not bred a man bold enough to commit such crimes
as these," Strafford raised his head and looked at him fi.-ced-
ly ; Pym became confused ; his memory failed him. " To
humble the man," says Baillie, " God let his memory fail him
a little befpre the end " He Ippked at his papers, but they
were of no avail. He then briefly said that the solicitor-
general, St. John, would on a future day argue some law-
points before them with learning and abilities much better
for that service."*
Whitelocke, a generous enemy, says of Strafford's defence,
" Certainly never man acted such a part on such a theatre
with more wisdom, constancy, and eloquence, with greater
reason, judgment, and temper, and with a better grace in all
his words and gestures than this great and excellent person
did; and he moved the hearts of all his auditors, some few
excepted, to remorse and pity."
The commons meantime were proceeding with their bill
of attainder. It was read the third time on the 21st, only
fifty-nine members voting against it in a house of two hun
dred and sixty-three. The most strenuous opposer of the
bill was lord Digbl*, son of the earl of Bristol, a member of
the committee of impeachment. "I am still the same," said
he, " in my opinions and affections as unto the earl of Straf-
* In this speech of Pym's was the following noble passage : " The
law is the boundary, tbe measure between the king's prerogative and
the people's liberty. Whilst these move in their own orbs, they are a
support and a security to one another ; the prerogative a cover and a
defence to the liberty of tbe people, and the people by their liberty
enabled to be a foundation to the prerogative. But if these bounds be
80 removed that they enter into contestation and conflict, one of these
mischiefs must ensue; — if the prerogative of the king overwhelm the
liberty of tbe people, it will be turned into tyranny ; if liberty under
mine the prerogative, it will grow into anarchy."
VOL. II. 8

86 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
ford. 1 confidently believe him to be the most dangerous
minister, the most insupportable to free subjects that can be
charactered. I believe him to be still that grand apostate to
the commonwealth who must not expect to be pardoned in
this world till he be despatched to the other. And yet let me
tell you, Mr. Speaker, my hand must not be to that de
spatch." For this speech Digby was immediately questioned
in fhe house, and when he printed it the house ordered that
it should be burnt by the hangman, " which," says May,
" was the visible cause of his deserting the parliament, and
proving so great an actor against it."
The bill was carried up to the lords the same day, and as
an inducement to them to pass it, there was added a proviso
that it should not be held a precedent for future times. On
the 24th the tardy peers were called on to appoint a day for
reading it, and on the 29th Strafford being placed at the bar,
St. John argued fpr twp hours in proof of the legality ofthe
attainder. Among other arguments be employed the follow
ing : " He that would not have had others to have had a law,
why should he have any law himself? It's true we give laws
to hares and deers, because they be beasts of chase ; it was
never accounted either cruelty or foul play to knock foxes or
wolves on the head, as they can be found, because these be
beasts of prey. The warrener sets traps for polecats and
other vermin, for preservation of the warren." In other
words, Strafford must be destroyed, with law pr without law.
Two days after, (May 1,) the king summoned both houses,
and told them that in conscience he could not condemn
Strafford of treason, or assent to the bill of attainder, " but
for misdemeanors, he is so clear in them that he thinlcs the
earl hereafter not fit to serve him or the commonwealth in
any place of trust, no, not so much as a constable ; " and he
conjured the lords to find out some middk way. Charles,
by this address, characteristic of his i^al want of judg
ment, only hastened the fate of Strafford, for the commons,
seeing their advantage, exclaimed loudly against the breach
of privilege committed by the king's interfering with a bill
in progress. Next day being Sunday, the pulpits which
were occupied by the puritan clergy inculcated " the neces
sity of justice upon some great delinquents now to be acted ;"
and on the following morning there came a rabble of about
six thousand persons, armed with swords, daggers, and
clubs, crying for justice on the earl of Strafford, "and com
plaining that " they were undone for the want of execution
on him, trading was so decayed thereby." They insulted

CHARLES I. 87
several of the lords, and they posted up the names of the
fifty-nine members of the commons who had voted against
the attainder, calling them " Straffordians, or Betrayers of
their Country." When these members complained to the
house pf being thus prescribed, they could get no redress, it
being, they were told, the act of a multitude. If it be asked,
Where did the mob get their list ? the reply will appear in
the sequel.
While the mob were shouting outside, Pym took occasion
to reveal to the housesundry matters which had come to his
knowledge respecting intrigues and designs against the par
liament ; and on his motion a protestation (borrowed from
the Covenant) tP defend the prptestant church, his majesty's
perspn and ppwer, the privileges pf parliament, and the law
ful rights and liberties pf the pepple, was taken by all the
members. It was transmitted next day tP the lerds, where it
was taken in like manner, the cathelic peers pf cpurse de
clining it, and being thereby prevented frpm vpting pn Straf
ford's attainder. Orders were then given for the prptestatien
to be taken all through England.
The important matter which Pym now communicated tothe
house was what is called the Army-plot. It is said that he
had had a knowledge of it for some time, and had dropped
hints of it in order to produce the effects he desired in the
city. The matter is involved in great obscurity ; the follow
ing is what appears to us the most probable account.
The parliament had been very regular in their payments
of the money promised to their " dear brethren," as they
termed the Scots. On one occasion the latter wrote up pre
tending an instant need of 25,000/., and the commons, having
only 1.5,000/. in hand, took, to make up the sum, 10,000/.,
from a sum of 50,000/. which was tP have gone to the Eng
lish army. Some of the field-officers of this last, namely,
lord Percy, brother of the earl of Northumberland, Wilmot,
son pf lord Wilmot, and colonels Ashburnham, Pollard, and
others, were members ofthe house of commons, and Wilmot
rose and said, "that if such papers of the Scots could pro
cure moneys, he doubted not but the officers of the English
would soon dp the like." Petitiening being now so much in
vogue, these officers formed themselves intp ajuAct, and pre
pared a petition to the king and parliament, to be presented
from the army, of which the prayer would be the preserving
of the bishpps' functicns and vptes, the npn-disbanding pf
the Irish army until that pf the Scpts was also disbanded,
and the settlement of the royal revenue. This was commu-

oo HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
nicated by Percy to the king. Meantime there was a plot
on foot among Henry Jermyn, master of the horse to the
queen, sir John Suckling, George Goring, son of lord Go
ring, and others, the object of which was deeper ; it being
to bring up the army, and overawe the parliament. It would
appear that not merely the queen, but even the king was
acquainted with this design, for he commanded Percy and
his friends to communicate with Jermyn and Goring. They
had three meetings, and Goring, finding that the more vio
lent courses which he urged were not relished, and seeing
also that the command of the army, the object of his ambi
tion, would not be bestowed on him, went and made a dis
covery to lord Newport, and then to the parliamentary
leaders. Percy, Jermyn, and Suckling, finding tbe affair
discovered, fled to France ; the others stood their ground.
Percy afterwards (June 14) wrote a letter to his Ijrother,
giving an account (apparently a true one) ofthe whole affair,
and then Wilmot, Ashburnham, and Pollard, were committed
to custody. Lord Digby, having asserted that Goring was a
perjured man, was expelled the house, and Gpring was voted
to have done nothing contrary to justice and honor.
The king, in his extreme anxiety to save Strafford, may
have lent an ear to the wild project of Goring ; he alse as
sented tP another, of introducing one captain Billingsley,
with two hundred men, intp the Tewer fpr that purpose, and
gave his warrant fpr it. But Balfpur, the lieutenant, a Scots
man, having discovered the object, refused to admit them.
It is also said that Balfour was offered a sum of money to let
the earl escape, and on his examination he swore that Straf
ford had offered him for that purpose 20,000/., " besides a
gppd marriage fpr his spn."
On the 5th a bill was intrpduced into the commons which
virtually dissolved the monarchy. There being a difficulty
in raising money for the pay of the armies, a Lancashire
knight engaged to procure 650,000/. if the king would pass
a bill " Not to prorogue, adjourn, or dissolve this parliament
without consent of both houses, to endure till the grievances
were redressed, and to give the parliament credit to take up
moneys." The next day this bill was hurried through all its
stages, and sent, with that of the attainder, up to the other
house. The lords wished to limit it to two years, but the
commons would not consent, and on the 8th it was passed.
The lords at the same time passed the bill of attainder, the
judges having previously declared that on two of the articles
the earl was guilty of treason. This opinion would be of

CHARLES I. 89
more weight were it not that the judges had such recent ex
perience of the power of the commons. Various causes
concurring to make several of the peers absent themselves,
there were but forty-five present when the bill was passed,
and of these nineteen voted against it.
The two bills were sent to the king. In his distress of
mind he called some of the prelates and privy-councillors to
his aid. Some urged the authority of the judges ; bishop
Williams is said to have drawn a pernicious distinction be
tween a king's private and public cpnscience, by which in
his public capacity he might dp an act which he secretly be
lieved to be a crime. Bishop Juxon alone, we are told, hon
estly advised him to follow his conscience. A letter also
came from the earl himself, urging him to pass the bill.
" Sir," said he in it, " my consent shall more acquit you
herein to God than all the world can do besides. To a will
ing man there is no injury done." A truly noble mind
would have perished sooner than sacrifice such a voluntary
victim ; Charles, to his ultimate ruin and eternal disgrace,
signed a commission to three lords to pass both the bills.
It is probable that Strafford did not look for this result,
for when secretary Carleton came from the king to inform him
of what he had done, and his motives for it, he could not at
first believe it. When satisfied of the truth, he stood up,
lifted his eyes to heaven, and laying his hand on his heart,
said, " Put not your trust in princes, nor in the sons of men,
for in them there is no salvation."
Denzil Hollis, who was Strafford's brother-in-law, told
Burnet that the king sent for him, and asked if he knew of
any course to save his life. Hollis hinted at a reprieve,
which would give himself time to use his influence with his
friends in the commons. The king would appear to have
assented to this course, but, with his usual inconstancy, he
adopted another. The day after his assent to the bill (llth)
he sent a letter by the young prince of Wales, written by
himself, to tbe lords, urging them to join him in prevailing
with the commons to consent to his imprisonment for life ;
" but," he subjoined, " if no less than his life can satisfy my
people, I must say. Fiat justitia." In a postscript he adds,
" If he must die, it were charity to reprieve him till Saturday."
This postscript is said to have sealed the earl's doom. The
next morning (I2th) was appointed for his execution. The
scaffold was erected on Tower-hill ; the earl, when ready,
left his chamber; Laud, as he had requested, was at his win
dow to give him his blessing as he passed ; the feeble old
8* L

90 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
man raised his hands, but was unable to speak, and fell back
into the arms of his attendants. The earl moved on; the
lieutenant desired him to take coach at the gate, lest the mob
should tear him to pieces; he replied that it was equal to
him whether he died by the axe or by their fury. The mul
titudes extended far as the eye could reach ; the earl took pff
his hat several times, and saluted them ; net a wprd pf insult
was heard. " His step and air,"says Rushworth, " were those
of a general marching at the head of an army to breathe vic
tory, rather than those of a condemned man to undergo the
sentence pf death." From the scaffold he addressed the
people, assuring them that he had always had the welfare of
his country at heart ; it augured ill ' for their happiness, he
told them, tp write the cpmmencement pf a reformation in
letters of blood ; he assured them he had never been against
parliaments, regarding them as " the best means under God
to make the king and^his people happy." He turned to take
leave of his friends, and seeing his brother weeping, he gen
tly reproached hirn. " Think," said he, "that you are now
accpmpanying me the fpurlh time tp my marriage-bed. That
bipck shall be my pillow, and here I shall rest from all my
labors." He tben began to undress, saying, " I do as cheer
fully put off my doublet at this time as ever I did when I
went to bed." He knelt and prayed, archbishop Usher and
another clergyman kneeling with him. He laid down his
head to try the block : then telling the executioner that he
would stretch forth his hands as a sign when he was to strike,
he laid it finally down, and giving the signal, it was severed
at a single blovy; and thus in the forty-ninth year of his age
perished Thomas earl of Strafford, " who for natural parts and
abilities," says Whitelocke, " and for improvement of knowl
edge, by experience in the greatest affairs, for wisdom, faith
fulness, and gallantry of mind, hath left few behind him that
may be ranked equal with him."
We have been thus minute in our account cf the trial and
death pf this distinguished man, because we think it affords
an index te the mptives and cenduct of the popular leaders.
These are judged by men even at the present day more by
feeling and prejudice than by reason ; and while the admirers
of republicanism see in Pym and his coadjutors a species of
demigods, men raised far above all selfish objects and private
feelings, the advocates of the crown regard them as mere
factious demagogues, only anxious tp destrpy the monarchy.
Here too, as elsewhere, the truth lies in the middle. Pym
and his friends were politicians and statesmen ; and it is not

CHARLES I. 91
among such that any one versed in history and human nature
will look for perfect virtue. They had noble objects in view,
no doubt; it was a glorious task to lay a curb on despotism,
and secure to the nation civil and religious liberty. But in
the attainment of these objects they were not sufficiently
nice as to means, and while hastening after justice they at
times trampled it under their feet. ' In the prosecution of
Strafford it is easy to discern a personal vindictiveness, only
to be satiated by his blood, and which no security against
his return to power would have disarmed. It was this that
led them, when distrusting their power pf convicting him
legally of treason, to bring in their fatal bill of attainder. As
fpr the conduct ofthe king on this occasion, we have no ex
cuse to pffer fpr it ; if faithless tP his cpuntry, Straffprd had
been but tpo faithful to him; and surely, as a stand was to
be made somewhere, it might better have been made in the
defence of the life of a man whom he believed to be inno
cent, than in the support of a particular form of church
government. But Charles never loved the earl, and the
queen is thought to have urged him to sacrifice him.
This important trial also reveals to us the skill of the
popular leaders in raising and sustaining what is now termed
a ' pressure from without.' The following were the usual
modes employed : — 1. The^res.?, whence issued swarms of
pamphlets answering to the ' leading articles' of the news
papers in our days, which, as Baxter'tells us, " were greedi
ly bought up throughout the land, which greatly increased
the people's apprehension of their danger." 2. The pulpit.
This had from the time of the Reformation been too often
diverted from its legitimate use to serve political purposes.
The patripts and puritans had of late years often and justly
complained of its being employed to inculcate the doctrine
of passive obedience ; but in the day of their own power they
recognized its efficacy, and employed it unsparingly. The
clergy attended the houses, and received their instructions,
and the congregations learned from the pulpit what they
should perform in suppprt pf their leaders in the house. 3.
Petitions, which gave an opportunity for large bodies of
people to approach the houses, often armed, and thus <launt
the opponents of the popular leaders. If we may believe
Clarendon, a scandalous artifice was sometimes employed.
A moderate petition was read at a public meeting, to which
few could refuse to subscribe ; but after the signatures were
obtained, a petition of a very different character was placed
at the head of it, and thus people often found themselves

92 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
supplicants for what they had no mind to. 4. Rumors. At
various times since the meeting of parliament it had been re
ported that the papists were assembling in arms underground
in Surrey, and openly in Lancashire ; that there was a plot
for blowing up the Thames, and thus drowning the city, on
the discovery of which there was a public thanksgiving; that
there was another for blowing up the house of commons with
gunpowder ; sir John Earle actually smelled the powder ; the
report spread to the city ; the drums beat, and the train-bands
and crowds ofthe people hastened to Westminster to protect
the members. A tailor sitting under a hedge heard two
soldiers talking of how some of their comrades were to get
so much apiece for killing several of the lords and commons ;
the citizens started one night from their warm beds and flew
to arms at midnight, on a report that the king was coming
down with horse and foot. We are told that in the space of
two or three months these reports amounted to not less than
thirty-nine. 5. Spies. Pym is said tp have carried on an
intrigue with lady Carlisle,'* through whom he learned all
that was passing in the rpyal apartments ; and Clarendpn tells
us that " all tavern and ordinary discourses" were carried
to him. 6. Lastly, organizedhod'ies ofthe London apprentices
and others. These are said to have been under the direction
of some of the clergy ; and we are told that one of them,
named Burgess, would point to these companies, saying,
" These be my band-dogs ; I can set them on and take thero
off again as I please."

CHAPTER VI.
CHARLES I. (CONTINOED.)
1641—1642.

After the fall of Strafford, the king seems to have aban
doned all thoughts pf resistance fpr the present. The plan
of giving office to some of the leading patriots had been
* Merely a political one, we believe. This lady, who was sister to
Uie earl of Northumberland, is said to have been tbe mistress first of
Strafford, and then of Pym. We have, however, seen nothing to jus
tify this imputation on her character.

CHARLES I. 93
resumed ; but unhappily for him, the earl of Bedford, an
honorable and moderate man, who would have engaged to
save Strafford, died at that very conjuncture. It was, how
ever, partially carried into effect, lord Say being made master
of tlie court of wards, Essex lord chamberlain, Hertford gov
ernor to the prince, and Leicester lord lieutenant of Ireland.
Bishop Juxon resigned his office of lord-treasurer, to which
the i'nfluence of Laud had advanced him, but in which his
conduct had been irreproachable, and the treasury was put
into commission.
The act securing them from a dissolution having set the
parliament somewhat at their ease, they felt the less necessity
for keeping the Scottish army in the kingdom, and they now
began to think seriously of disbanding both armies. In the
month of February they had voted a sum of 300,000/. "tp-
ward a supply pf the Ipsses and necessities of their brethren
of Scotland." There were, moreover, 120,000/. of arrears
due tp the Sects. The mede pf payment was arranged, and
in additipn tP six subsidies, it was preppsed tP raise a supply
by means pf a graduated ppll-tax, a duke being rated at
100/., men ef 100/. a year at 5/. The English army was tp
be paid off in like manner, and the earl of Holland was
made general in order to disband it.
While Holland remained in Londpp, the cemmand pf the
army lay with sir Jaceb Ashly. The king, ever anxious to
regain his power, listened to another project for marching
the army up to overawe the parliament. It was proposed to
proceed in the usual way by petition, and one was drawn up
to be presented to the king and parliament in the name of
the officers and soldiers; in which, after enumerating and
praising all the late measures of reform, they complain that
there are certain " stirring and practical " persons whom
nothing short of the subversion of the government would
satisfy, and who overawed the parliament by means of mobs;
" for the suppressing of which," it proceeds, " in all humility
we offer ourselves to wait upon you, if you please, hoping we
shall appear as considerable in the way pf defence tp pur
gracipus sovereign, the parliament, our religion, and the
established laws of the kingdom, as what number soever
shall audaciously presume to violate them." etc.
This petition was read and approved of by the king, in
token of which he wrote his C. R. at the bottom of il. It
was then sent down to the army by captain Legg, with di
rections not to shpw it tP any pne but sir Jacpb Ashly. The
chief agent employed by the king in this affair was one

94 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Daniel O'Neal, an Irish catholic, who had served abroad,
and was now serjeant-major (that is, adjutant) in the regi
ment of sir John Conyers, and who was also engaged to
treat with the Scottish army for their neutrality. The
whole plan. However, proved abortive, and it soon came to
the knowledge of the parliament, and augmented their dis
trust of the king.
On the 22d of June the commons presented to the king
an act granting him tonnage and poundage, also one for the
poll money ; these were accompanied by twp Pthers fpr sup
pressing the courts of star-chamber and high-commission.
The king came down on the 2d pf July, and passed the
inpney-bills, but demurred tP the others ; learning, however,
how much dissatisfaction this had caused, he came again on
the 5th and passed the other two bills ; thus in his usual
unhappy maimer losing the credit he might have gained by a
cheerful compliance with what he could not avoid.
The king's attachment to his sister and her family is an
amiable trait in his character; and his anxiety for the resti
tution of the palatinate had led him into negotiations and
civilities with the pope and the catholic princes, which had
caused alarm to his more zealous protestant subjects. He
now, with the hearty concurrence of the parliament, pre
pared a manifesto on that subject, which sir Thomas Roe
was directed to present to the emperor at the approaching
diet at Ratisbon. Another act which had given much satis
faction to the people, as a proof of his protestant feeling,
was the marriage between his daughter Mary (now, however,
only in her tenth year) and the prince of Orange, which
had been solemnized at Whitehall on the 2d of May. In
fact, had Charles been really willing to be a constitutional
instead of a despotic monarch, tbe path was now plain before
him which led to the hearts of his people.
The historian May observes, that at this time the parlia
ment had lost much of its popularity. This he ascribes
partly to their lifiing-at the bishops, which turned the
universities and most of the clergy against them ; partly to
their not checking the rabble, who frequently disturbed the
church-service, and tore the books and surplices, they being,
he says, " either too much busied in a variety of affairs, or,
perchance, too much fearing the loss of a considerable party
whom they might have need of against a real and potent
enemy ; " partly to the reports of the preachings of trades
men and other illiterate persons of the lowest rank. Others,
again, were disappointed that political miracles were not

CHARLES I. 95
performed, and alienated by the heavy taxes that were im
posed. He agrees in opinion with those who thought that
the parliament greatly injured their cause by mixing religion
so much up with it.
It is necessary that the reader should be here informed pf
the prpceedings of the parliament hitherto, on the subject
of religion. On the presentation of the ' Root and Branch '
petition, it was carried by a small majority to refer it to the
committee of religion. Sir Edward Dering, an honest, dull
man, then brought in a bill for the abolition of episcopacy ;
and though we are. assured that very few of the members
desired any such thing, the second reading was carried by
139 to 108. Hyde, however, the chairman ofthe committee,
gave it so much interruption that no progress was made in it ;
and petitions numerously signed were presented frpm various
counties wishing episcopacy and the liturgy to be reformed
but retained. In July the house voted in favor of a scheme
of archbishop Usher's for making every county a diocese,
with a presbytery of twelve divines presided over by a bishop,
who should with them have autherity " to ordain, suspend, de
prive, degrade and excommunicate." On this occasion also,
some members maintained that it was unlawful for bishops
to sit in parliament. As the .lords were disinclined to any
measure pf this nature, and the bishops stood their ground
firmly, articles of impeachment, on account of the late
canons, were exhibited against one half of the bench,
(Aug. 4.) The prelates, however, did not shrink; they
only required time and counsel to prepare their answer,
which was granted. The commons had already (July 5)
voted Wren, bishop of Ely, " unworthy and unfit to hold or
exercise any office or dignity in the church or common
wealth," and he had been committed to the Tower. They
moreover made an order, which sir Robert Harlowe was
empowered to execute, " to take away all scandalous pic
tures, crosses, and figures, within chur(!hes and without,"
and the " zealous knight took down the cross in Cheapside,
Charing-cross, and others the like monuments, impartially."
The Irish army had been disbanded, and on the 6th of
August the English and Scottish armies were disbanded
also ; " and the Scots with store of English money and
spoils," says Whitelocke, " and the best entertainment, left
tlieir warm and plentiful quarters." On the 10th the king
set out for Scotland, and he travelled with such speed that
he reached Edinburgh in four days. He was followed
thither by a committee of the commons, composed of lord

96 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Howard of Escrick, Mr. Fiennes, Mr. Hampden, and sir
William Armyn, " to preserve the good intercourse and
understanding wliich was begun between the two nations,"
and to watch the proceedings of the king. Before he de
parted he had signed a bill making the earl of Essex general
of his forces on this side ofthe Trent. Parliament continued
to sit till the 9th of September, when it adjourned to the
20th of October, having appointed a committee of fifty to
sit during the recess.
The hopes of regaining his power had urged Charles to
visit Scotland, where there was a man able and willing to
execute the most daring projects, and who was now devoted
to hira. This was the earl of Montrose, who, in his disgust
at the king's neglect of him at the time of his coronation,
had joined the covenanters, but offended with ihem for pre
ferring Argyle to him in civil, and Lesley in military affairs,
had become secretly devoted to the king, to whom he made
important communications. Being detected in a plot, he was
now a prisoner in the castle of Edinburgh. By means of
William Murray of the bedchamber, he corresponded with
the king, into whose mind he infused suspicions (whether
well or ill grounded is hard to say) of Argyle and even of
Hamilton. According to Clarendon, who had the account
from the king himself, " he informed him of many particu
lars from the beginning of the rebellion, and that the mar
quess was no less faulty and false towards his majesty than
Argyle, and offered to make proof of all in the parliament,
but rather desired to kill them both, which he frankly under
took to do ; but the king, abhorring that expedient, for his
own security, advised that the proofs might be prepared for
the parliament."
It would seem that on account of the great power and
influence of these noblemen, the king consented to the
employment of stratagem for their arrest. The plan is said
to have been, that 'Argyle, Hamilton, and his brother lord
Lanark, should be sent for tp the royal drawing-room on
Sunday, October the 2d, where they should be arrested as
traitors, and be handed over to lord Crawford, who was to
be near with a party of soldiers ; they were then to be
placed in a close carriage, and hurried on board a frigate
which lay in Leith roads, where they were to be kept till
their trial. It is added, that if they attempted resistance
they were to be put to death. The accused, however, got
information the evening before, and absented themselves
from court. Next morning they wrote to the kina and

CHARLES 1. 97
parliament, giving their reasons, and then went out of town,
and finally retired to Glasgow. As the letters of the Ham-
iltpus were " not without some reflections on his majesty,"
Charles insisted on their submitting to a public trial. It
was finally thought best for all parties that the trial should
be before a private committee, of which the memhefs should
be sworn to secrecy.
This event is named the ' Incident.' Like so many other
events in Scottish history, owing to that extreme fondness
for secrecy and stratagem, said to be characteristic pf the
natipn, it is envelpped in an obscurity which will never,
perhaps, be totally dissipated. The plot for the arrest,
however, seems to be proved, but what the exact object of
the king was it is difficult to say. It may have been part
of a plan to master the Scottish parliament ; or Charles
may have thus hoped to come at the proofs which he knew
existed of the invitation given to the Scots to enter England
by the popular leaders at Westminster, on which he might
found a charge of treason against them. When the account
of the Incident was transmitted to London by the committee,
the parliament felt pr affected great censternatien, and they
applied tP the earl pf Essex fer a guard tp prptect them.
In the midst of these alarms tidings reached the king and
parliament of the breaking out of a most sanguinary rebel
lion in Ireland. The causes which produced this horrible
explosion had long been in secret operation : we will here
briefly enumerate, them.
The mildest term that, can be applied to the native Irish
at the time of which we write is that of barbarians ; they
were in fact in many parts of the country but little removed
from the savage state. There is not jn existen_ce_aj)eopJe
more capable of acts of ferocioiis' cruelty , or more fanatical
ly attached to the systern of superstition which forms their
religion ; and their devotion to their clergy is blind and
implicit. Their hatred then was, and still unhappily is,
intense toward the English nation, name, and religion. ~
The genius of popery is destructive and intolerant, and
nothing but its feebleness will ever keep it at rest. To
these causes, namely, the barbarism of the people, their
hatred of the English, and the spirit of their religion, is to
be 'added the loss of their lands. The territory of an Irish
sept or clan was somewhat of the nature of an Indian hunt
ing-ground ; no one had any particular possession in it, every
death in the sept causing a new arrangement. Tillage,
therefore, could only be in scanty patches, and the native
VOL. II. 9 M

99 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Irish actually moved about with their herds like the Eastern
Turkmans. Still this rude kind of possession was property,
and it galled them to lose it. In their eyes the portions
which had been regranted them on English tenures were
not of equal value, and they little prized the civilization
which had been thus introduced. This was the case ih
three of the provinces ; there had heen no English planta
tions as yet ih Connaught, vvhere there had been no insur
rections, and where in the last two reigns the Irish proprietors
had surrendered their estates to the crown, to receive them
back by a legal tenure. These grants (though the fees were
paid) had not been enrolled in chancery, and Charles, on
ascending the throne, was urged to take advantage of the
neglect, and declare the whole province forfeited. He was
prepared to do so, but he afterwards agreed tP take 120,000/.,
payable in three years, fpr some graces, as they were named,
which he was to bestow, the chief object of which was to
secure both Irish and English in their lands against the
crown. A parliament was to be held to confirm the graces :
the deputy issued the writs, but as it was done in an irregular
manner, they were declared void in England. The three
years thus passed away, the money was all paid, and the
graces had not been cpnfirmed, and the king threatened to
straiten them if the contribution were not continued. Straf
ford now came over and ruled with despotic sway ; the graces
were rudely denied, and juries were forced to find tbe king's
title to the lands all through Connaught. The affairs in
Scotland and England prevented any thing being done in
the way of plantation, and in the committee which went
over to accuse Strafford, both parties united in fhe effort to
induce the king to perform his promises. He did consent,
(May 1641,) but the Irish parliament having been prorogued,
they had not been legally confirmed when the rebellion
broke out.
The plan of insurrection is said to have priginated with
Roger Moore, one of that sept whose territory had been
formed into the King's and Ciueen's Counties in the reign
of Mary. He had served abroad in the Spanish armies,
and it appeared to him that what had succeeded in Scotland
might also be achieved in Ireland, and that by a simultane
ous rising of the catholics of both races, by seizing the
forts, and by expelling the English and Scottish colonists,
they might recover their lands, and reestablish their re
ligion. It does not appear to have been ^any part of his
plan that they should cast off their allegiance to the king.

CHARLES I. 99
Moore went secretly to lord MacGuire, sir Phelim O'Neal
and other chieftains in the North, and he also cpmmuni-
cated with the lords of the Pale.* As some of these last
were of the committee in London, it is highly probable that
the queen may have known of and favored a design for
setting up the religion to which she was devoted in Ireland ;
and it is possible enough that Charles himself, over whom
her influence was now unbounded, may have listened to a
project which held forth to him a prospect of recovering his
darling despotism, it is utterly incredible, however, that he
should have given his assent to a plan for expelling the Eng
lish ; but he might have preferred seeing the government in
the hands of the catholics rather than in those of a party
which he knew to be devoted to the parliament. Charles
had such a fondness for intrigue, and was in the habit of
listening to so many different opinions, and adopting such a
variety of expedients for attaining his objects, that one can
very rarely venture to deny with confidence any charge made
against him.
The plan, though communicated to a great number of
persons, had been profoundly concealed. A principal ob
ject vvas to get possession of the castle of Dublin, in which
were the arms of the late army and large stores of ammuni
tion. For this purpose it vvas arranged that Roger Moore,
lord MacGuire, Plugh MacMahon, Hugh Byrne, and other
gentlemen, with twenty men from each county, should come
up to the capital, and that the attempt should be made en
the 23d pf Octpber. It was pnly pn the night pf the pre
ceding day that the Iprds justices get information of what
was intended, and, that by the merest chance. There was a
man of Irish origin, but who had lived chiefly among the
English, and was of the protestant religion ; his name was
Owen O'Conolly, and, for what reason is not known, Mac
Mahon wished to engage him in the plot. He, therefore,
wrote to him to come to his house in the county of Mpna-
ghan withput delay. On Cpnplly's arriving there he feund
that MacMahpn was gpue up tP Dublin, whither he followed
him, and arrived at six o'clock in the evening of Friday the
22d. MacMahon took him to lord MacGuire's and informed
him of the whole plan for a simultaneous rising at ten o'clock
the next morning, to destroy the English all through the
kingdom. Conolly told him it could not succeed, and urged
* The Pale was the district round Dublin ; its lords, Gormanstown,
Fingal, and others, were all ofthe English blood.

loo HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
hini to discover the plot, and thus save his estate ; but he
refused, and swore that Conolly should not leave his lodging
(whither they had returned) that night. After drinking with
liim for some time, ConpUy pretended a necessity tP gp dpwn
tp the yard, and, leaving his sword behind him, went out,
attended by MacMahpn's man; he then jumped ever the
wall, and made all haste to the house of sir William Parsons,
one of the lords justices. It was only nine o'clock when he
came with the information of the conspiracy. As Conolly
was somewhat flustered by what he had drunk, he delivered
his account in so confused a manner that Parsons gave but
little credit to it. He, therefore, desired him to go back to
MacMahon, and learn what more he could, and he himself,
having given directions for securing the castle gates, went
to his colleague sir John Borlase, and they sent for such of
the council as were in town. Conolly, who had been seized
by the watch, and would have been carried to prison had
not one of Parsons's servants fortunately come up at the
time, was brought in, and being now somewhat sobered,
gave a full account of all he had discovered. Before day
came, MacMahon was arrested : he did not attempt to deny
the plot; he told them that " what was to be dene in pther
parts pf the country was so far advanced at that time as it
was impossible for the wit of man to prevent it," and that
he was sure to be revenged if he suffered any evil. The
lord MacGuire and some others were also arrested, but
Moore, Byrne, and the rest got timely information, ahd so
escaped. MacMahon's assertions were soon verified. Lord Blaney
arrived at midnight (24th) with tidings of his own house and
family at Ca.stle-Blaney in the county of Monaghan and
tvvo other strong houses in the same county, having been
surprised that morning by the rebels, and in three hours
after news came of the Irish in the Newry having broken
open the king's store there and seized the ammunition.
That same day (Sunday) lord Gormanstown and the other
catholics lords ofthe Pale came making great professions of
loyalty^ and craving to be supplied vvith arms. The next
day (25th) the justices wrote an account to the earl of Leices
ter pf what had taken place. Owen O'Cenplly was the
bearer pf the letter, and he was prpperly recpmmended tP
the royal bounty.
We shall now proceed to relate the progress of the re
bellion. The main object of the rebels, as we have seen,
was to root the English out of the country. It is said

CHARLES I. 101
that they had debated whether they should do this after the
fashion set by the court of Spain in the case of the Moris-
coes, and merely expel them, or whether they should fall on
and slaughter them. It is probable that Roger Moore and
the more enlightened and humane were for the foriner
course, while sir Phelim O'Neal and the priests, especially
the friars, were for slaughter and massacre. Nothing, how
ever, would seem to have been decided on, and all were left
to act as they judged best. On the 22d (Friday) the priests
in several places in Ulster, it is said, dismissed the people
with directions to go and take possession of their lands; and
next morning they assembled in great numbers, armed with
staves, scythes, and pitchforks, and began to drive away the
cattle of the English settlers, and then to break into their
houses and seize their goods ; some houses were burnt, and
some of the English murdered on this first day of the
outbreak. They soon proceeded to greater extremities ;
they stripped them, men, women, and children, naked, and
turned them out of their houses. The Irish were forbidden
to give them any food or relief as they passed along ; the rags
which they had to cover them were torn off by the women and
children that met them.
The expulsion of the English was greatly facilitated by the
manner in which they lived intermixed among the Irish,
with whom also they had in some cases intermarried. Many
of them had Irish tenants and servants; many were them
selves tenants to the Irish gentry, who preferred them, as
able to pay better rents than their own people. Hence they
did not draw themselves together in bodies, and stand on
their defence, as the Scots did, but each remained in his
own house, relying on his Irish friends, neighbors, landlords,
tenants, or servants, to secure him. But they only experi
enced cruelty and treachery, those on whom they depended
being too wefl instructed by their priests in the sinfulness of
showing mercy to heretics.
Though Ulster was the earliest and principal theatre of
these barbarities, they were not confined to it, and similar
ones were enacted in the other three provinces, and even in
the counties adjoining the capital. The county of Kilkenny
and the Queen's County seem to have been most abundant
in deeds of cruelty in Leinster. The whole number of
those that perished has been variously estimated. The num
ber said to have been returned by the priests in Ulster, from
their several parishes, down to April, 1642, was 105,000, and
archdeacon Maxwell in his deposition (August 22, 1642)
9*

102 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Stated that there were " above 154,000 now wanting within
the very precinct of Ulster." The general impression in
England was, that in pne way pr anpther 200,000 prptestants
perished in this rebellion.*
I'he king, on receiving intelligence of the insurrection in
Ireland, referred the whole matter to the parliament of Eng
land, whp had already vpted a supply of 50,000/. for that
purpose, and taken other needful measures. The earl of
Ormond vvas appointed lieutenant-general of the forces in
Ireland ; but these were too few to check the progress ofthe
Ulster rebels, who soon advanced and laid siege to Drogheda.
When the Irish parliament met, the catholic members were
very gentle in their condemnation of the rebellion,! and in
little more than a month from the time of the first outbreak,
the lord Gormanstown and the other catholics of the Pale
were in arms on the side of the rebels.
Charles now prepared to leave Scotland. To conciliate
the nobles he lavished the church-lands and places and hon
ors on them. Argyle was made a marquess, Loudon an earl
and chancellor, Lesley and Munro earls of Leven and Cal-
lender ; Johnston of Warriston was raised to the bench ; the
livings of Henderson and others were increased. In return,
the safety of Montrose and his friends was assured, and ten
thousand men were promised for the recovery of the Palati
nate. Old Lesley, we are told by Clarendon, assured the
king, " that he could not only never mere serve against him,
but that whenever his majesty wpuld require his service he
should -have it without ever asking what the cause was."
Others, he adds, whispered him, " that as soon as the trou
bles of tbe late storm could be perfectly calmed they would
reverse and repeal whatsoever was now unreasonably extorted
from him." Charles therefora quitted his native kingdom
with good hopes that he had at least neutralized it in the
struggle which he vvas preparing to make for the recovery
of his despotic power in England. Toward the end of No
vember he returned to London, where, as we have seen, there
* Clurendon (ii. 20) says 40,000 or 50,000 were massacred at first;
sir William Petty reduces the number to 37,000 ; Warner to 4000 ;
Curry and Dr. Lingard make it almost nothing. In the preceding de
tails we have followed the narrative of sir John Temple, who was mas
ter of the rolls in Ireland at the time. [There can be little doubt that
Temple's account is exaggerated ; especially as it so far exceeds all the
other estimates. — J. T. S.]
t They objected to the term rehels, styling them merely discontented
Sentlcmen. At length they consented to the words traUorous and re
bellious actions of some persons.

CHARLES I. 103
had been some reactipn in the pppular feeling in his favor
and Gournay, the lord-mayor of the year, was a royalist. A
magnificent civic banquet was given to the monarch at
Guildhall, (Nov. 25,) and the streets rang with acclamations
of loyalty as he passed to and from it. The king and his
friends were unduly elated by these marks pf popular favor,
and their conduct stimulated the leaders of the commons to
put forth their celebrated Remonstrance.
This Remonstrance was a recapitulation of all the illegal
acts which had taken place since the king's accession, laying
the blame, however, not on the king himself, but on ill min
isters, who are called in it " a malignant party." It was
vigorously opposed in the commons. The debate lasted from
nine o'clock in the morning until past midnight, (Npv. 22 ;)
several members left the hpuse pn accpunt of age or infirmity,
and yet it Was carried only by a majority of eleven, which sir
Benjamin Rudyard aptly compared to " the verdict of a
starved jury." Hampden's motion for having it printed was
rejected as being contrary to usage. As Hyde, the chief
opponent of this measure, declared that he wpuld protest
against it, and Palmer and others cried out that they did
protest, it was resolved by Pym arid his friends to make an
example, and Palmer, who was obnoxious to them on ac
count of his courtesy toward Strafford, was selected and
committed to the Tower, the more violent men being for his
expulsion. After a few days' confinement, however, he was
allowed to resume his seat in the house.
The opposition which the Remonstrance experienced had
not been looked for by its advocates. At the conclusion of
the debate Oliver Cromwell (who, however, was then of little
note) whispered lord Falkland, and with an asseveration
said, " that if the remonstrance had been rejected he would
have sold all he had the next morning and never have seen
England more, and he knew there were many other honest
men ofthe same resolution." Having now, however, carried
their point, the leaders resolved to use their advantage, and
on the 1st of December the Remonstrance, and vvith it a
petition cpmplaining pf a " malignant party," tp whpm they
attributed all the evils, such as the Irish rehellien, which had
pccurred, and praying fpr their removal, etc., was presented
to the king at Hampton-court ; and a few days after both
were printed and circulated, contrary to usage. The king,
who now began to act by good advice, put forth a reply
which left the parliament no advantage over him. A few
days after, on receiving an address from the court of alder-

104 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
men, praying him to reside at Whitehall, he returned to the
capital. The mtelligence of the strength and atrocities of the
rebels which daily arrived from Ireland made the king urgent
with the parliament to proceed in the affairs of that country.
A proposal of the Scpts tP send. ten thpusand men te Ulster,
tP be paid by the English, was agreed tp, and a bill fpr im
pressing an equal number in England passed the cpmmpns;
but as in the preamble it was asserted that the king had no
right to press the subject except in case of foreign invasion, the
lords demurred to the novel doctrine, and the attorney-general
craved to be heard on the king's part against it. The com
mons then ordered their committee ".to meet no more about
that business ; " the levies were stopped ; it was declared " that
the loss of Ireland must be imputed to the lords." The king
then, vvith his usual imprudence, acting. Clarendon says, un
der the secret advice of St. John, came to the house of lords
and proposed " that the bill should pass vvith a salvo jure
both for the king and people." This interference in a pend
ing bill, however, beth hpuses joined in declaring to be a
breach of privilege, as it really was, and the king made an
ample apology. His offer to raise ten thousand volunteers
for the service of Ireland was at once rejected. The un
fortunate Irish protestants were thus sacrificed to the strug
gles of parties in England ; "the parliament," says Horace
Walpole, " connived at the Irish rebellion, in prder tp charge
king Charles with fpmenting it." Still we must net uncon
ditionally impute to the parliament mere factious motives ;
they vehemently, and not without reason, suspected the king
of having originally sanctioned the rising of the Irish, and
they well knew that if once he had an army at his devotion,
he wpuld revpke all his ccncessiens, and pour out his ven
geance on the heads of those vvho had wrung them from him.
It was the same feeling which caused a bill to be brought in
for vesting the power over the militia in the hands of com
missioners. Their apprehensions were also increased by the
king's displacing Balfour, the lieutenant of the Tewer,
"which was Ipoked upon as a bridle upon the city," and
giving that office to colonel Lunsford, " upon whom he might
rely." On the complaint of the commons of Lunsford's
being a man of desperate character, who had heretofore
made his escape from prison, and then fled the kingdom, the
king made him resign, and gave the place to sir John Byron ;
but even he did not please, and he was some time after replaced
by sir John Conyers.

CHARLES I. 105
To weaken the king's party in the lords the former bill for
taking away the bishops' votes was brought in again. When
it vvas objected that a bill could not be introduced a second
time in the same session, Pym replied, that " their orders
were not like the laws of the Medes and Persians, not to be
altered." It was therefore received, and soon after passed,
and sent up to the lords. At this time lord Falkland, who
now saw through the designs of the popular party, opposed
it, and on Hampden's saying " he was sorry to see a noble
lord had changed his opinion since the time the last bill to
this purpose had passed the house," he replied, " that he had
been persuaded at that time by that worthy gentleman to be
lieve many things which he had since found to be untrue,
and therefore he had changed his opinions in many particu
lars, as well as to things as to persons."
The old tactics of rumors and petitions were also recurred
to. It was at this time that Beale the tailor overheard the
project for assassinating the lords and commons. A petition
was published in the name of " the apprentices, and those
whose apprenticeships were lately expired," stating that
" they found the beginning of great mischiefs coming upon
them, to nip them in the bud when they were first entering
into the world; the cause of which they could attribute to
no others but the papists and the prelates, and that malignant
party that adhered to them," etc. The publication of this
petition had its natural result, the resort of multitudes to
Westminster, shouting, " No bishops! no bishops!" The
train-bands, whom the king had appointed to guard the
houses of parliament, having repelled the rabble from the
house of peers by threatening to fire on them, the commons
sent to the lords, desiring them to be discharged, declaring
that it should be lawful for every member to bring his own
servant armed to attend at the dopr. The rabble, thus en
couraged, came in greater numbers about the house of peers,
crying, " No bishops ! no popish lords ! " and calling those
who opposed the commons " rotten-hearted lords." When
the lords sent to the commons, complaining of the insults
vvhich they received, some members said, "We must not
discourage our friends, this being a time we must make use
of all our friends ; " and Pym said, " God forbid the house of
commons should proceed in any way to dishearten people to
obtain their just desires in such a way." A writ was then
issued, by direction of the Iprds, tP the sheriff and justices,
requiring them tp appoint strong watches to prevent this con
flux of people to Westminster. This the commons voted to

106 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
be a breach of privilege, and they sent one of the justices
who acted on it to the Tower. During the Christmas holi
days the crowds became still greater, and the cries of " No
bishops ! no popish lords ! " still louder. They were even
heard to say before Whitehall, " that they would have
no more porter's lodge, but would speak with the king
when they pleased." Some read aloud the names of " dis
affected members of the house of commons," and of " false,
rotten-hearted " lords. They threatened to pull down the
houses of the bishops, and assaulted several of them in their
coaches ; they laid hold on the archbishop of York, and
would, it is said, have murdered him if he had not been
rescued. This prelate was the celebrated Williams, whom the king
had lately elevated to an archiepiscopal see. The day he
was assaulted he sent for the bishops, to the number of
twelve or thirteen, who were in town, and proposed, as it was
no longer safe for them to go to the house of peers, that they
should present a protestation against the force that was used
upon them, and against all the acts to be done during their
enforced absence from the house. They consented, and
signed the protestation, which Williams carried himself to
the king, requesting him to transmit it to the peers. His re
quest was complied with. The lords then desired a confer
ence with the commons, the result of which was the im
peachment and committal to the Tewer ef the prelates,
whose conduct, though highly imprudent, was certainly not
illegal. /
There were many members of the house of commons
who, though zealous for the reformation of abuses, disliked
the measures of Pym and his party. Such were the upright
lord Falkland, sir Jphn Cplepepper, and Mr. Hyde. The
king was advised tp call these men tp his councils, and he
offered the place of secretary to the first, which with some
difficulty he was induced to accept ; the second was made
chancellor of the exchequer. Hyde declined any office for
the present, saying that he should be able to do better service
by remaining as he was. Lord Digby was already greatly in
the confidence of the king, to whose cause his levity and in
discretion pften proved of serious injury.
On New year's day (1642) a scuffle tppk place at West
minster, in which spme blood vvas drawn. A number of
officers of the late army and of those soldiers of fortune who
were then so numerous, had offered their services to the
king as a guard ; the same was done by the students of

CHARLES I. 107
the inns of court. Their offer was rather imprudently ac
cepted, and various rencounters took place between them
and the mobs that resorted to Westminster. It was on this
occasion that the terms Roundhead and Cavalier came into
use, the former being given in reproach to the close-cropped
apprentices and others of the mobs, who returned it by term
ing their opponents Cavaliers, as military hectors were usu
ally called.
The .3d of January, 1642, was rendered ever memorable by
an act of fatal imprudence on the part of the king. Without
consulting any of his ministers, (unless it were Digby,) he
ordered Herbert, the attorney-general, to proceed to the house
of peers, and exhibit charges of high-treason against the lord
Kimbolton, Denzil Hollis, sir Arthur Haselrig, Pym, Hamp
den, and Strode. .At the same time a serjeant-at-arms ap
peared at the bar of the commons, and demanded that the
five accused members should be surrendered to him. Other
servants of the king had already gone to these members'
lodgings, and sealed up their trunks and studies. The
house sent a message to the king, " that the members should
be forthcoming, as soon as a legal charge should be preferred
against them," and then adjourned.
Next day, when the house met, they sent to inform the
lord mayor and common council that their privileges were
like to be broken, and the city put into danger, and advised
them to look to their security. They then adjourned till one
o'clock. When they met again, secret information being
come (from lady Carlisle it is said) of what was to happen,
the house gave the five members leave to absent themselves,
and they accordingly withdrew. Presently the king arrived
with all his guard and pensioners, and two or three hundred
gentlemen and spldiers, mpstly armed. These he erdered tp
remain in the hall, and pn their lives net tP come into the
house. He entered with his nephew, the Palsgraf, took off
his hat and advanced to the speaker's chair, who quitted it at
his approach. The king stepped up to it, and having looked
round for a time, told the house he would respect their priv
ileges, but that treason had no privilege, and he was come
for those five members. He called Pym and Hollis by name ;
no answer being returned, he asked the .speaker where they
were. Lenthal fell on his knees, and said. " he was a servant
to the house, and had neither eyes nor tongue to see or
speak any thing but what they commanded him." The king
replied, that " he thought his own eyes were as good as his ; "
and then said, " his birds were flown, but he did expect the

108 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
house would send them to him ; and if they did not, he would
seek them himself, for their treason was foul, and such a
one as they would all thank him to discover." He then as
sured them the accused should have a fair trial, and retired
pulling off his hat till he reached the door. As he retired,
the words "Privilege! privilege!" uttered by many voices,
reached his ears.
What the particular charges to be made against these mem
bers were is uncertain. Some think it was the proofs the
king had gotten in Scotland of their inviting the Scots in
1640, that he now intended to produce ; but since that time
an act of oblivion had been passed. Perhaps it was some
portion of their late proceedings for which he thought him
self now sufficiently strong to punish them. The proceed
ing was certainly a coup d'etat for the recovery of his lost
power. Clarendon says he was put pn it by Digby ; the queen,
whp had been menaced vvith an impeachment, certainly urged
him pn. iTis said that when, on cooler thoughts, he resolved
not to put his project of going to the house into execution,
she cried to him, "Go, coward; go, pull these rogues out by
the ears, or never see me more ; " and that when the hour for
the deed was past, she said to lady Carlisle, " Rejoice, for I
hope that the king is now master in his states, and that such
and such are in custody."
The five members had retired to a house in Colman-street in
the city, which was their stronghold. Rumor was set at work ;
people ran to and fro during the night, crying, " The cavaliers
are coming to fire the city !" others added, that "the king
himself was at the head of them." The whole city spent the
night under arms ; next morning, the king, having sent to the
lord-mayor to call a common council, came at ten o'clock to
the Guildhall, attended only by three or four lords. He ad
dressed the people, expressing his sorrow that they should
have apprehended danger from him, adding, that to show his
confidence in them, he was come withput a guard, and that he
presumed they wpuld npt shelter thpse whpm he intended to
proceed against legally for high treason. He then told one
of the sheriffs that he would dine with him. As he went
through the city, shouts of " Privilege of parliament ! " were
raised, and one person flung into his coach a pamphlet, en
titled, " To your tents, O Israel ! " the words with which
the ten tribes abandoned Rehpbpam, the son of Solomon.
While the king was in the city the house of commons met,
and having declared his late conduct to be the highest breach
of privilege and themselves not to be safe, adjourned for a few

CHARLES I. 109
days, appointing a committee to sit at Merchant-Tailors' hall
in the city, " and all who came to have voices." The lords
also adjourned.
Next day (6th) the king issued a proclamation for the ap
prehension of the five members; the committee met in the
city, where another committee of the common council also
sat in order to communicate with them. Their chief occu
pation was for thepresent to collect all the particulars ofthe
late breach of their privileges. The five members were after
wards brought to the committee with much state^ and a dec
laration was set forth in which the conduct of the king
respecting them was asserted to be a high breach of privilege,
and his proclamation " false, scandalous, and illegal." It
further contained a narrative ofthe transactions on the 4th,
full of gross exaggeration and even palpable falsehood, and
this mere declaration ofthe committee was printed and cir
culated — a thing without precedent.
A petition from the city was presented to the king on the
subjects of the Irish rebellion, the papists, the changes at
the Tower, the " late invasion of the house of commons," etc.
Tumultuous crowds repaired to Westminster, " and it was a
dismal thing," says Whitelocke, "to all sober men, especial
ly members of parliament, to see and hear them." Finally
intelligence came ofthe great preparations in the city to bring
the accused members in triumph to the parliament on the
1 1th, the day to which the houses stood adjourned. The king,
deeply mortified at his own imprudence, and anxipus to es
cape the insults and the danger which he apprehended, took
the further unwise resplutipn (as many thought it) of quitting
Whitehall, and on the 10th he retired widajhis queen and chil
dren to Hampton-court. ^f
Next day in the afternoon the river vvas covered with boats,
and between two lines of lighters and long-boats carrying ord
nance and prepared for action, the five members, attended
by the sheriffs and a part of the train-bands, proceeded to
Westminster. Another bedy pf the train-bands advanced
alpng the Strand. Their cpmmander vvas ene Skipppn, whp,
having risen frpm the ranks in the Dutch service, had been
made captain pf the artillery-ground to drill the citizens, and
he now bore the novel title of " serjeant-major-general of the
militia ofthe city of London." They were followed by vast
numbers of the populace, shouting against bishops and popish
lords, and for privilege of parliament, and asking contemptu
ously, as they passed Whitehall, " What is become of the king
and his cavaliers ? "
VOL. II. 19

110 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
The members took their seats; Pym rose and expatiated
on the great kindness and affection which they had experi
enced in the city ; the sheriffs then were called in and thanked
by the speaker ; the masters and officers of ships were also
thanked ; Skippon was appointed to attend each day with
such a guard as he thought proper for the two houses. Next
came four thousand men of Bucks, all on horseback, with
the Protestation in their hats, with a proffer of their services
to the parliament, and a petition to the king, complaining of
the accusation ofthe knight of their shire, Mr. Hampden.'*
" From this day," says Clarendon, " we may reasonably
date the levying of war in England, whatsoever hath been
since done being but the superstructures upon those founda
tions which were thisn laid." Both parties had in fact re
solved on an appeal to the sword ; but, to do them justice,
neither had any anticipation of the protracted contest and
the bloodshed and calamities that w«re to ensue ; each
thought that the mere display of force would suffice to intim
idate the other. Ofthe king's intentions we think there can
be no doubt ; and the late attempt on them had convinced
the popular leaders that their only safety lay in depriving the
sovereign of his power.t
The officers and others who had formed a kind of guard
for the king followed him out of town. They Ipdged at
Kingston-on-Thames that night, and next day (12th) lord
Digby came thither in his coach-and-six frpm Hamptpn-cpurt,
with a message from the king accepting the proffer of their
services. The design in this is manifest ; but how the com
mons could with any sense of truth or justice designate the
conduct of Digby '^|evy ing of war against the king and king
dom is somewhat ^nge. Digby, conscious of his own de
signs and aware of their vengeance, fled to Holland. On the
king's refusal to remove Byron from the command of the
Tower, the houses directed Skippon to place a guard round
it, that neither provisions should go in nor ammunition go
out ; they directed sir John Hoiham to go to Hull, where
the arms and ammunition ofthe late army had been laid up,
and keep it with the aid of the train-bands of the adjeining
parts ; and they sent erders to Goring, governor of Ports
mouth, to let no one in or out of that town but by their or
ders. We must here again observe, that the secret designs
" " Whereof," says Whitelocke, " probably he was not altogether
Ignorant beforehand."
t " Mr. Hampden," says Clarendon, " was much altered after this
accusation, his nature and courage seeming much fiercer than before."

CHARLES I. Ill
ofthe king, with all of which Pym and his friends were made
acquainted by lady Carlisle and others, offered some justifica
tion of these stretches of power in the parliament. They
knew, for example, that he had sent the earl of Newcastle,
a man who was zealously devoted to him, to Hull, near
which his estates and influence lay, with " a private com
mission to be governor thereof," says Clarendon, " as soon as
it should be fit to publish such a command, and in the
meantime by his own interest to draw in such of the coun
try as were necessary td guard the magazine."
The grand object Of the parliament was to obtain the
entire control over the military force of the kingdom. For
this end St. John's bill for settling the militia, with the im
portant addition of " the putting all the forts, castles, and
garrisons into the hands of such persons asthey could confide
in," was read. Clarendon on this remarks, tbat " when it
had been with much ado accepted and first read, there were
few men who iiriagined it would ever receive further counte
nance ; but now there were very few who did not believe
it to be a very necessary provision for the peace and safety
of the kingdom. So great an impression had the late pro
ceedings made upon them, so that with little opposition it
passed the commpns, and was sent up tp the lerds." The
peers, however, hesitafed to pass a measure so adverse to the
crown. All efforts were therefore made to intimidate them.
Thus, when oii^ one occasion the popular party in the lords
had recourse to their usual tactics of crying, " Adjourn !
adjourn ! " when they found matters likely to go against them,
the duke pf Richmpnd, a cpurtier, said, " if they wpuld
adjpurn, he wished it might be fpr six months." For this
the commons voted to " accuse him to the lords to be one
ofthe malignant party," and to desire them to join in a pe
tition to the king to remove him from any office about his
person. Petitions also came pouring in from the counties
round London, praying for all that the commons wanted.
The common council ofthe city, when applied to for a loan
for the war in Ireland, could see no security for trade or
any thing else unless the lieutenant of the Tower were re
moved, and it and the other forts " put iijto such hands in
whom the parliament might confide." Soon after came " The
humble petitien pf many thousands of poor people in and
about the city of London." These suitors could see no means
of averting the ruin about to ingulf them, but the removal of
" the bishops and the popish lords and others of that ma
lignant faction," which if not done, "they shall be forced to
lay hold on the next remedy which is at hand to effect it ;

112 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
want and necessity breaking the bounds of modesty." They
modestly pray that " those noble worthies of the house of
peers who concur with you in your happy votes, may be
earnestly desired to join with this honorable house, and to sit
and vote as one entire body." Most gracious words were
given to these amenders ofthe state, and Hollis, acting on the
last hint, when he was sent to request the lords to join in a
petition to the king about the militia, desired that " those
lords who were willing to concur, would find some means to
make themselves known, that it might be known who were
against them, and they might make it known to those that sent
them." The very porters of London, filled with patriot zeal,
came, to the number of fifteen thousand, with a petition to the
commons, complaining of the " prevalence of that adverse,
malignant, blood-sucking, rebeUious party," the cause of all
the evils. Trade, they said, vvas dead for want of fortification
ofthe Cinque-ports, whence they themselves " did want em
ployment in such a measure as did make their lives very un
comfortable." In conclusipn, they desired " that justice
might be done upon offenders according as the atrocity of
their crimes had deserved, for if those things were any longer
suspended, they should be forcedto extremities not fit to be
named, and to make good that saying, that necessity hath no
law." The zeal ofthe good dames of the city was not less
fervid ; headed by Mrs. Anne Stagge, " a gentlewjaman and
brewer's wife," thousands of them came with a petition to
the commons against prelates, papists, and so forth. The
petition being read, Pym was sent out to answer them. He
thanked them for their petition ; vvhich " came in a season
able time," assured them their desires should be attended'to,
and entreated them' " to repair to their heuses, and turn their
petitien into prayers at home " for the commons.
" Such low arts of popularity were affected, and by such
illiberal cant were the unhappy people incited to civil discord
and convulsions ! " is the refiection of Hume on this occasion.
We do not go the same lengths as this writer, but we cer
tainly do discern arts little worthy of men of that elevation to
which their idolaters raise our Pyms and Hampdens. In us,
however, who only view in them statesmen of a higher order,
they excite no surprise. They are the arts common to states
men of all ages, as essential to them as cunning to the fox
and ferocity to the tiger. We have only to look at the events
of our own days for evidence.
Under the influence of this external pressure, the lords
passed the bills for impressment and for taking away the
bishops' votes, to both of which the king was induced, chiefly

CHARLES I. 113
by the queen, to give his assent. To the ordinance in which
the two houses joined respecting the militia, he deferred
giving an answer till he should be at Dover, whither he was
about to attend the queen, who, under the pretext of convey
ing his baby-wife to the prince of Orange, was going to
Holland, taking with her the crpwn-jewels, in order to pur
chase arms and ammunition for the impending contest.
Charles feared that if he were to give a positive refusal at
the time, the queen's departure might be prevented.
The queen being safely off, Charles came to Greenwich,
whither the prince of Wales was brought to meet him.
He then gave his answer respecting the militia, offering to
appoint the lords-lieutenant of counties nominated by par
liament, provided that the powers to be given them should
be first by law vested in himself The houses voted the ad
visers of this reply to be enemies to the state. The king
then went to Theobald's, whither he was followed by a com
mittee with a petition, stating that if he did not assent to
what they had proposed, they would be obliged for the safety
of himself and his kingdoms to dispose of the militia them
selves in the manner propounded to him. They also prayed
that he and the prince would continue to reside in or about
London. Charles gave an instant reply, declining to assent
to their demands, but assuring them on his honor " that
he had no thought but of peace and justice to his people."
The parliament, on receiving this answer, resolved th.at the
kingdom should be put in a posture of defence, and a decla
ration, " containing the causes of their just fears and jeal
ousies," be sent to the king. This declaration found him at
Newmarket; his answer tp it was pf the same tenor with
his former one. When the earl of Pembroke asked him,
" whether the militia might not be granted as was desired
by the parliament for a time?" he replied, " By God, not for
an hour. You have asked that of me in this was never asked
of a king, and with which I will not trust my wife and chil
dren." The committee returned to London ; the king pur
sued his journey to York, where he arrived the latter end of
March. As we are now on the eve of the civil war, we will state
the previous conduct of both parties. The king had assent
ed to all that was demanded of him, except parting with the
militia, and even in this he had given way in a great measure.
But at the same time he had given abundant proof that by
force or stratagem he would erideavor to recover all he had
resigned, and that the only security pf the parliament lay in
10* p

114 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
his weakness ; but that he had not the power now, unless
aided by the ill conduct of his opponents, to make a success
ful attempt, late events had shown. Despotism was what he
aimed at, that is plain ; but did the Pyms and Hampdens aim
at nothing beyond the maintenance of constitutional liberty?
This will best appear by an examination of their acts during
the last year.
" After every allowance has been made," says Hallam,*
" he must bring very heated passions to the records of those
times, who does not perceive in the conduct of the house of
commons a series of glaring violations, not only of positive
and constitutional, but of those higher principles which are
paramount to all immediate policy." He then coUects the
followmg instances. The ordinance for disarming recusants,
and that authorizing the earl pf Leicester -to raise men for
the defence of Ireland, — encroachments on the prerogative;
Pym's menace to the peers, that if they did not pass the bills
sent to them by the commons, these last, " with such of the
lords as are more sensible of the safety of the kingdom,"
shall represent the same to the king,+ and their accusation
of the duke of Richmond, above related, — encroachments
on the house of peers; their enormous extension of privilege,
any one who said a word against them being dragged off to
prison,! as also were those charged with introducing cere
monies in the church, (a thing surely not belonging to them,)
" the putragepus attempts tP intimidate the minerity pf their
own bpdy by cpmmitting them tP the Tewer fer such lan
guage used in debate as wpuld not have excited any obser
vation in ordinary times." §' Then again, as the same writer
^ Constitutional History, ii. 192.
1 This resolution, the germ of that of the house of lords being use
less, was moved by Pym on Dec. 3, 1641, " before the argument from
necessity could be pretended." On Mr. Godolphin's objecting that, if
they went to the king with the lesser part of the lords, the greater part
of these might go to bim with the lesser part of them, be was ordered
to withdraw, and bis offence was to be taken into consideration the
following Tuesday. — Hallam.
} One Sandford, a royalist tailor, being charged with saying, " that
the earl of Essex was a traitor ; that all the parliament were traitors ;
that the earl of Warwick was a traitor, and be wished bis heart in his
boots ; and that he cursed the parliament, and wished Mr. Pym (calling
him King Pym) and sir John Hotham both hanged ; " — for this the
lords (the puppets of the commons) sentenced him to be kept at work
in Bridewell /or his life, besides some minor inflictions. Pym was
called by the royalists King Pym, on account of bis portly person and
his absolute power over his party.
§ See the case of Mr. Palmer, (above, p. 103.) In the debate on the
late declaration, in vvhich they most falsely charged the king with a

CHARLES I. 115
observes, " their despotic violation ofthe rights ofthe people^
in imprisoning those who presented or prepared respectful
petitions in behalf of the established constitution, while they
encouraged those of a tumultuous multitude at their bar in
favor of innovation, their usurpation at once of the judicial
and legislative powers in all that related to the church, par
ticularly by their committee for scandalous ministers, under
which denomination, adding reproach to injury, they sub
jected all who did not reach the puritan standard of perfection
to contumely and vexation, and ultimately to expulsion from
their lawful property," He then notices the impeachment
of the twelve bishops, whose protest, though " not perhaps
entirely well expressed, is abundantly justifiable in its argu
ment by the plainest principles of law." In fine, he says,
that " these great abuses of power becoming daily more fre
quent as they became less excusable, would make a sober
man hesitate to support them in a civil war, wherein their
success must not only consummate the destruction of the
crown, the church, and the peerage, but expose all who had
dissented from their proceedings, as it ultimately happened, to
an oppression, less severe perhaps, but far more sweeping,
than that which had rendered the star-chamber odious.
The further reflections of this judicious writer, almost the
only one who evinces impartiality on this subject, and does
not act the part of advocate to one side or the other, are
most deserving of consideration. He thinks, as we do, that
the parliament, relying on the justice of their cause and the
favor of the people, should have accepted the offer of the
king respecting the militia. We will add, that we cannot
divest our mind of a suspicion that it was the secret design
of Pym, Hampden, and some others to convert the monarchy
into a republic, of which they hoped to be themselves the
chiefs ; for ihey were no religious zealots ; their views were
chiefly political.
To understand the question of the militia, it is necessary
to recollect, that at this time there was no standing army in
England. After the feudal army had gone out of use, the
kings used to raise troops for their foreign wars by contracts
with influential noblemen, and by giving very large pay. At
the same time the old Saxon Fyrd continued under another
design to change his religion, sir Ralph Hopton, for saying, " tbat they
seemed to ground an opinion of tbe king's apostasy upon a less evidence
than would serve to hang a fellow for stealing a horse," was committed
to the Tower. Clarendon, ii. 282. See also the case of Trelawny, in
the following page.

116 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
form, and the men in each shire were required to keep arms
and be ready to suppress insurrection and repel invasion.
It was expressly provided by a statute of Edward I. that the
militia should not be required tP leave their pwn cpunty
except in these cases ; but during the peripd of the Tudor
despotism, this was little heeded ; and a statute of Philip
and Mary empowered the crown to levy men for service in
war, and men were in consequence frequently pressed to
serve in Ireland and elsewhere. When it was necessary to
call out the forces of the counties, commissions of array
were issued to particular persons for this purpose ; but the
sheriff was the person who usually disposed of the military
force of his county. In Mary's reign a new officer named
the lord-lieutenant vvas appointed, usually a peer or influen
tial cpmmpner in the cpunty, wlipse pffice was altogether
military.. It was his office to muster and train, when neces
sary, the able-bodied men of the county, and he was the
commander of the militia, or train-bands, as they were
named. Each county had its magazine of arms and am
munition, to be issued to the train-bands when called into
service. As the institution of lords-lieutenant was a, Tudor measure,
it is quite certain that they had been always named by the
crown; yet it was the right of appointing to this office that
the commons now demanded ; and sooner than yield to the
king on this point, they plunged the nation into a civil war.
" No one," says Hallam again, " can pretend that this was
not an encroachment on his prerogative. It can only find a
justification in the precarious condition, as the commons
asserted it to be, of those liberties they had so recently
obtained, in their just persuasion of the king's insincerity,
and in the demonstrations he had already made of an inten
tion to win back his authority at the sword's point. But it
is equitable on the other hand to observe, that the commons
had by no means greater reason to distrust the faith of
Charles than he had to anticipate fresh assaults from them
on the power he had inherited, on the form of religion vvhich
alone he thought lawful, on the counsellors who had served
him most faithfully, and on the nearest of his domestic ties.
If the right of self-defence could be urged by parliament for
this demand of the militia, must we not admit that a similar
plea was equally valid for the king's refusal? However ar
bitrary and violent the previous government of Charles may
have been, however disputable his sincerity at present, it is
vain to deny that he had made the most valuable concessions,

CHARLES I. 117
and such as had cpst him very dear. It was not unreasona
ble for the king to pause at the critical moment which was
to make all future denial nugatory, and inquire whether the
prevailing majority designed to leave him what they had not
taken away." ,
.' . ' - / ' • - -^ f; . ..'

CHAPTER VII.
CHARLES I. (coNTiHOEn.)
1642—1644.
The npbility and gentry of York and the adjoining coun
ties now resorted to the king with ardent expressions of
sympathy and attachment. He had in fact succeeded in
putting the parliament in the wrpng, and men were becpme
indignant at beholding the cpntinued efferts (the secret
mptives pf which they were ignerant pf) for stripping the
sovereign of all his powers and prerogatives. Many of the
peers now came to him from London, and in the paper war
of declarations and so forth carried on between him and the
parliament, his manifestoes, prepared by Hyde, were as su
perior to theirs in argument as in eloquence. His tone now
became more elevated ; there was an end of concession, he
insisted on his rights, and, in the opinion of many, he re
quired nothing to which his claims were not as well founded
as any private man's right to his lands and tenements.
The pernicious influence of the queen, though absent,
still operated. In his uxoriousness, Charles thought himself
bound, regardless of consequences, to fulfil any unwary
promise which she had drawn from him, and he now, in
compliance with her will, and in opposition to the opinion
of his best advisers, required the earls of Essex and Holland
to resign the staff and key of their offices. By this he only
gratified spleen, and he lost the advantage of the restraint
which honor wpuld have imppsed pn the subsequent cpnduct
pf these neblemen.
The earl pf Nprthumberland, lord admiral, being delicate
in health, the commons required that he should appoint the
earl of Warwick tP cpmmand fpr a year in his stead ; the
king, when this arrangement was notified to him, wrote ex
pressing his desire thaf sir John Pennington should be

118 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
appointed. The parliament persisted, and Warwick took
the command of the fleet without the king's consent. A
petition was then forwarded that the magazine might be
removed from Hull to London. This was of course re
fused, for to obtain possession of it was a principal cause
ofthe king's coming to the north. He sent (Apr. 8) a
message to the hpuses, declaring his intentien tp go in
person to suppress the rebellipn in Ireland, fpr which pur
ppse he wpuld raise a guard pf twp thpusand fpot and two
hundred horse in the counties abput West Chester, to be
armed from the magazine at Hull. The reply of the par
liament to this message was a positive refusal of their con
sent, and orders were sent to Hotham to transmit the
magazine to London. The king, who regarded the maga
zine as his private property, resolved to go forthwith and
take possession of it. He, therefore, (22d,) sent the young
duke of York with some attendants to Hull, where they
were received with all due respect by Hotham, and the next
morning he rode thither himself with two or three hundred
of his servants and gentlemen of the county; and when he
came near the town, he sent word to the governor that he
was coming to dine with him. Hotham, an irresolute man,
was in great perplexity, but the magistrates and officers per
suaded him not to admit the king. Charles therefore found
the bridges up, the gates shut, and the walls manned. Ho
tham appeared on the walls, and with many professions of
duty declined to admit him for fear of offending the parlia
ment. The king, finding all his efforts vain, proclaimed
Hotham a traitor, and retired deeply mortified to Beverley.
The duke of York and his retinue were dismissed in safety.
In reply to the complaints of the king, the parliament justi
fied the conduct of Hotham, and the ordnance and ammuni
tion in Hull were shortly afterwards removed to London.
The parliament now isued orders to the lords-lieutenant
to put their ordinance respecting the militia into execution;
the king on the other hand forbade obedience to it, and
issued commissions of array. While both sides were raising
and disciplining men, the appeal to the people by means of
declarations and manifestoes was kept up, and messages and
answers were going and coming between York and London.
On the 2d of June the parliament sent their ultimatum in a
petition containing nineteen articles, vvhich, as Hallam well
observes, " went to abrogate in spirit the whole existing
constitution," for they required that the king should consent
to all the changes in church and state which they had pro-

CHARLES 1. 119
posed ; that all offices of every kind should be given to npne
but thpse of whpm they approved, i. e., whom they should
appoint ; that the laws against recusants should be put in
force, and their children be taken from them to be educated
by, protestants, etc. etc. If he consented to these demands,
they promised to secure him an abundant revenue. The
king made an indignant reply, " protesting that if he were
both vanquished and a prisoner, in worse condition than any
the most unfortunate of his predecessors had ever been re
duced unto, he would never stoop so Ipw as tp grant thpse
demands, and tP make himself of a king of England a duke
of Venice."
The majprity pf the peers and a great number pf the
cemmpns were new with the king at Yerk, for which nine
of the former were impeached by the commons. The lord-
keeper Littletpn had likewise been induced tP send the
great seal to the king, and he alsp repaired himself tp Yprk.
In the presence pf the peers, (June 13,) the king then made
a solemn declaration of his intention to maintain the laws
and the protestant religion, and they in return subscribed a
promise to defend the crown and the protestant religion, the
liberties of the people and the just privileges of the king
and parliament. Charles, moreover, made before them
(15th) a solemn protestation that he had no intention of
levying v^ar against the parliament, and they subscribed a
declaration of their belief in his assertions. Among the
subscribers was the upright Falkland ; we may,. therefore, be
certain that there was no fraud designed. As the parliament
had made an order for bringing in money or plate for main
taining horsemen and arms, the king wrote to the lord-mayor
and aldermen of London not to raise any forces for the par
liament, and he invited men to bring him horses, arms, and
money on the security of the royal parks and forests, with
eight per cent, interest.
The king went to Nottingham and Lincolnshire, where
his speeches and declarations had a good effect, and a vessel
sent by the queen with arms and ammunition (of which he
hitherto had none) being arrived, he advanced with three
thousand foot and one thousand horse to lay siege to Hull ;
but the earl of Warwick having secured the fleet, whose
cooperation he had looked for, and the raw train-bands not
standing their ground when the besieged made a sally, he
found it expedient to retire. The parliament on their side
were far advanced in their preparations ; they had appointed
(July 4) a ' Committee of Safety ' of fifteen persons as an

120 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
executive ; it was voted that an army (of twenty regiments
of foot and seventy-five troops of horse) should be raised.
Money was easily obtained by loans, and " by the endeavors
of sundry ministers and others, a great quantity of money,
plate, and ammunition was brought in, even by some poor
women to their wedding rings and bodkins." *
The balance of power seemed greatly on the side of the
parliament. They were in possession of all the magazines
and forts except Newcastle-on-Tyne ; the people of London
and all the great towns were mostly in their favor, as were
the southern and eastern counties ; those of the north and
west and of Wales inclined more to the royal cause. The
great body of the nobility and gentry were on the side of
the king ; and the catholics, as was natural, were unanimous
in his favor. But every county and every town and village,
almost every family, was divided in sentiment, some being
from principle or prejudice in favor of the ancient order of
things, others desirous of change and ardent for revolution.
The pa,rliament gave the command of their army to the
earl of Essex. This nobleman, whom we have seen in his
early youth disgraced by the infamy of his countess, had long
served in the Low Countries, and acquired in that school
a knowledge of military discipline and tactics. t He may
have retained a painful recollection of the treatment which
he had experienced from the father of the kingX but he was
a man of unblemished honor, and a foe neither to the mon
archy nor the church. The earl of Bedford, also a man of
moderate character, was appointed his lieutenant-general.
The soldiers of fortune who had been in the late Scottish
army were invited and received commands. Such members
of either houses as had influence enough to raise regiments
of foot or troops of horse, held the command of them as
colonels and captains. As there had been as y^t no certain
uniform in the English army, the leaders gave their own
colors to their men. That of the general was " orange-
Wbitelocke. " The seamstress brought in ber silver thimble, the
chamber-maid her bodkin, the cook her silver spoon; and some sort
of females were free in their contributions so far as to part with th^ir
rings and ear-rings, as if some golden calf were to be set up and idol
ized." Howel, Philangles, p. 128.
" Brought in their children's spoons and whistles,
To purchase swords, carbines, and pistols;
Their husbands, cullies, and sweethearts
To take the saints' and churches' parts." — Hudibras.
f The favorite name for Essex among the soldiers was Old Robin.

CHARLES I. 121
tawny,'' and scarfs of this hue designated the parliamentary
soldiers. We also meet with, the green-coats of Hampden,
the red-coats of Hollis, the bltte-coats of lord Say, and the
purple of lord Brook. Sir Arthur Haselrig's " lobsters,"
or cuirassiers, were also famous. The royal troops were
raised in a similar manner, but as they consisted chiefly o*"
the nobility, gentry," and' their dependants, they were in
general of a superior, ordfer to those of the parliament, who
had enlisted all sorts of rabble.'* The troop raised by
Oliver Cromwell formed a noble exception. "Cromwell,"
says Whitelocke, , '' had, a- brave regiriient of horse of his
countrymen, most of them freeholders and freeholders' sons,
and who upon matter of conscience engaged in this quarrel
and under CrorriwelU And thus being well armed within
by the satisfaction of their own consciences, and without by
good iron arms, they would as one man stand firmly, and
charge desperately." '' "^
In the contest to be carried on between the tvVo parties,
we shall meet with little of scientific warfare; none of the
skilful manoeuvres to bring lon or avoid engagemerits em
ployed by a Conde, br Turenne ; no encampments; the
troops on each side quartered in towns and villages; con
tinual beating up of quarters ; battles fought wherever the
hostile troops came in' sight; every .strorig house a garrison;
incessant besieging' of towns, castles, and private houses.
Finally, we shall disceVn a spirit of humanity and an ab
sence of atrocities on most occasions, such as, have never
occurred in any other civil war.
As is usual in civil commotions, each party gave specious
names to its own side^ and opprobrious to the contrary.
The royalists called their opponehts Rebels and Rogues,
and were in return styled Malignants. By the term Honest
Men each party meant its own adherents.
The commencement of hostilities was as follows. Goring,
fhe governor of Portsmouth, had been in high favor with
* " At my first going out into this engagement," said Cromvvell, " I
saw their men were beaten on every band. I did indeed. : . . . ' Your
troops,' said I to Hampd.en, ' are most of them old, decayed serving
men an(i tapsters, and such kind of fellows ; and,' said I, ' their troops
are gentlemen's sons, younger sons, and persons of quality. Do you
think that the spirits of such base and mean feUows will he ever able
to encounter gentlemen, that have honor, and courage, and resolution
in them  ? You must get men of a spirit, and take it not ill what
I say, I know you will not, of a spirit that is likely to go on as far as
gentlemen will go, or else I- am sute you will be beaten still. He was
a wise and worthy person, and he did think that I taljted a good notion,
but an impracticable one,' " etc. etc.
VOL. II. 11 P

122 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
the pariianient since the affair of the army-'plot. He had
secretly, however, made his peace with the king, for whom
he had engaged to hold that town; yet so well did he act
his part, that the parliament .appointed him lieutenant-
general of their horse. He m,ade various pretexts for still
remaining at Portsmouth ; at length, on receiving peremp
tory orders to join, he declared that he held that place from
the king, and durst not quit it without his leave. Fprthwith
a part pf the army under sir William Waller appeared before
the tpwn, (Aug. 2.) The king, pn receiving intelligence,
preclaimed Essex and his officers traitors, and called on all
his good subjects to meet hira in arms at Nottingham on the
25th of the month. This, proclamation the parliament de
clared to be a scandalous and libellous paper, and all who
advised or abetted jt traitors.
On the evening of the 25th of August, a stormy day, the
king, who was at Nottingham with a small train of horse,
rode out from the castle at their head. The royal standard,
which was borne -by sir Edward Verney, was then set up
amid the sound of drums and trumpets; but the whole
scene was melancholy, and it was regarded as an ill omen
that the standard was blown down during the night. From
Nottingham the king molded westwards, collecting men and
receiving voluntary contributions, 'and at Shrewsbury his
army amounted to eighteen thousand men. Two disastrous
events had meantime occurred. Goring had been obliged
to surrender Portsmouth, and the marquess of Hertferd, to
whom the command of the western counties was committed,
had been driven out of them by the earl of Bedford. Among
the misfortunes attending the king may also be reckoned
the arrival of his nephews, the princes Rupert and. Maurice,
two rude, impetuous, unprincipled soldiers of fortune, to
whom, as the sacred blppd flpwed in their veins, he gave
high and independent ccmmands, in preference tP those
gallant men whp wer« hazarding their fprtunes and their lives
in his cause.
Essex had been fpr spme time with his ferces at North
ampton, whence he moved toward Worcester, near which
place a body of five hundred horse was fallen on and routed
by prince Rupert. On the Iflth of October the king left
Shrewsbury, and proceeded by Bridgenorth and Birmingham
to Kenilworth, whence, after making a halt of some days,
he advanced toward the capital ; and on Saturday (Oct. 22)
he came to a village named Edgecot, within four miles of
Banbury. Essex, who was following him, arrived about the

CHARLES I. 123
same time at the village of Keinton, within seven or ejght
miles of EdgeeoL It had been the design of the king to
halt for a day, and to take Banbury ; but, on learning the
vicinity of Essex, it was resolved to turn back and give him
battle, and early in the morning of Sunday (23d) the cavalry
of the royal army proceeded to take its position on the sum
mit of Edgehill, which overlooks the valley narned the Vale
of the Red Horse, in which Keinton lies at aboiit two miles
distance. '
Essex, who had intended to halt that day, and wait for
his artillery and the rest of his forces, seeing that he must
give battle, drew out his army in the vale. On the right
wing he placed the greater part of his horse under sir Wil
liam Balfour, the lieutenant-general of the earl of Bedford;
another body under sir James Ramsey, the commissary-
general, w^as on the left; the foot led by himself in person
occupied the centre. It was not till after no .ri that the
rpyal army began tp descend the hill, fer spme of the. regi
ments had to march from a distance of seven or eight miles.
The cavalry on the, right was commanded by prince Rupert,
that on the left by Wilriiot the commissary-general ; the
fpot were led by the earl of Lindsey the general ; the rpyal
standard was bprne by sir Edward Verney. Thg superiority
of numbers vvas rather on the side pf the king. , The day
was clear and fine; between twp arid three p'clock the
battle, the first in which Englishmen were opposed to each
other since the war of the RoseS, commenced by the dis
charge of cannon bn both sides-; the infantry then engaged
with great resolution: Rupert; with the .impetuosity which
characterized him, charged the horse opposed to him and
drove them off the field; he pursued them beyond Keinton,
but instead of returning, to support the royal infantry, he fell
to plundering the baggage which was in that village. Mean
while, though Wilmot was also successful on the left, the
infantry was hard pressed, and a charge made by Balfour on
their flank threw them into utter confusion ; the earl of
Lindsey was wounded and made a prisoner, and withhim his
son lord Willoughby of Eresby ; sir Edward Verney was slain
and the standard taken,* and the kirig himself and his two
sons ran the risk of being captured. When Rupert at length
returned, the troops were so broken and scattered that they
could not be brou ht again into action, and night now came
* It was recovered, however, by Capt. Smith, who was knighted for
the exploit.

124 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
to terminate the conflict. The royal army retired over the
hill, that of the parliament remained the whole night on the
ground, where next morning they were joined by Hampden's
and other regiments to the number of four thousand men,
but instead of following the king they fell back to, Warwick.
The number of the slain was about five thousand men, the
loss being probably nearly equal on both sides.'*^ The brave
earl of Lindsey died of his wounds ; lord Aubigny, brother
ofthe duke of Richmond, was killed, on the side ofthe
king; on that of the parliament, lord-St. Jphn, and colonels
Essex and Ramsey. Each side claimed the victory ; the
advantage was, however, clearly on that of the king, fof
he obliged Banbury to surrender, and marched unmolested
to Oxford, whence parties of his'horse advanced toward the
capital. The parliament in some consternation recalled Essex with
his army to their defence, and they at the same time sent a
petition to the king, who was now (Npv. 11) at Cplnbrook,
for an accommodation. To this he gave a favorable reply,
but urged by his evil genius, prince Rupert, instead of
remaining where he was, or retiring, as had been best, to
Reading, he advanced to Brentford, in which one of Essex's
regiments lay. After a stout defence they were overcome^
several were drowned in attempting to swim atross the
Thames, and many were made prisoners. Next day Essex
drew out his whole force, which aided by the city train-bands
amounted to twenty-four thousand men, on Turnham-green.
The king, greatly inferior in numbers, on learning that three
thousand men who had been posted at Kingston were march
ing round by London to join the main army, led his troops
over the bridge at that town, whence he proceeded to Read
ing, and having garrisoned that place and Wallingford, took
up his quarters for the winter in Oxford. Though in the
affair of Brentford there was nothing contrary to the known
rules of war, no cessation of arms having been agreed on,
the parliament in their usual manner made it an occasion of
reproach for perfidy and ill-faith against the king, whose
cause was certainly rather injured then advanced by it.
Still the desire of the people was for peace ; they had al
ready had a foretaste of the evils pf war in the insplence and
vielence pf the spldiery pn bpth sides and in the heavy im-

• The duke of York says (Life of James, i. 17,) that ''according to
the best information, there were not above 1500 bodies of both parties
remaining on the field of battle."

CHARLES L 125
positions laid on them ; an ordinance of the parliament at
this very time requiring every man to give a twentieth of his
property to the public service. A deputation from the city
therefore proceeded (Jan. 10, 1643) to Oxford, and presented
a petition to the. king, and shortly after (31st) fpur Iprds and
eight commoners came to the same place with fpurteen prpp-
ositions from the parliament. These, however, were quite as
unreasonable as the nineteen at York. The king made six
proposals in return; which were nearly ,as unreasonable. The
violent men in the commons were for returning no reply ; but
the more moderate party prevailing, the earl of Northumber
land, with sir John Holland, sir William Armyn, and White-
Iqcke and Pierpoint, came to Oxford (Mar. 20) and remained
there in trealty till the 15th of April, when tiiey were recalled
hy the parliament, on the king's refusal to disband his trpops
unless they engaged to restore the members of both houses
and adjourn tusome place twenty miles from London. As
Whitelocke observes, it was quite improbable that they would
" leave the city of London, their best friends and strength,
and put a discontent upon them,"
The candid Whitelocke remarks on this occasion the con
siderable mental power, displayed by the king, whose unhap
piness he says vvas " that he had a better opinion of others'
judgments than ofhis own."^ One material {Joint he says they
had nearly brought to a conclusipn, but as it was p'ast mid
night the kirig .deferred putting his answer intp writing till
morning. Next day his answer was the yery contrary of
what he had promised to give. Some of those, they heard,
who wished the war to continue, had prevailed on him to
change his mind. Clarendon's account, however, is less fa
vorable to the king, who, he says, had made a profriis'e to the
queen, never to make peace but through her mediation.
That royal lady w.as now again in England. She had
landed (Feb. 16) at Burlington in Yorkshire, having escaped
Batlen,-the parliamentary admiral. This officer coming into
the road discharged several rounds of shot at the house in
which the queen was lodged, and she was obliged to rise
from her bed and seek shelter behind a bank in the open
fields. The earl of Newcastle then came and escorted her
to York, where she remained for four months. Pym and his
party *May 23) forthwith impeached her for high treason —
an unmanly act, but one well calculated to answer their pur
poses. While the king and parliament were in treaty, there had been
no cessation of arms, and the balance of success had been
11*

126 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
clearly on the royal side. In the west, the! Cornishmen, led
by sir Ralph Hopton, sir Bevil Greenvil and others, defeated
Ruthin the governor pf Plymouth at Bradock-down near
Liskeard, and then took the town of Saltash, and advanced
to Tavistock, where a treaty of peace was concluded between
the counties of Devon and Cornwall. In Yorkshire a simi
lar truce was concluded betAveen the two parties; the same
was done in Cheshire. But these pacific measures did npt
suit the designs of the grandees in parliament. They repro
bated such engagements, and in the plenitude of their power
absolved their partisans from keeping them. A further mode
of strengthening the parliamentary cause was the association
of several adjoining counties under the command of some
leader appointed by the commander-in-chief
On the 15th of April the earl' of Essex sat down before
Reading with an army of fifteen thousand men. The gov
ernor, sir Arthur Aston, a catholic and an able officer,
having been wounded, the command fell to colonel Fielding.
The king advanced to within a few miles ofthe tpwn, but he
found it advisable to allow a surrender to be made if good
conditions were obtained, and on the 27th Fielding gave up
the town, the garrison of between three and four thpusand
men being allowed to march out with the "honors of war,
taking with them all their arms and ammuhitipn. But he
basely consented to give up the deserters. On this account
chiefly he was. tried by a court-martial and sentenced to be
beheaded ; the penalty, however, was remitted by the king,
Essex remained at Reading, though urged by Hampden tp
advance against Oxford, for his soldiers vVere suffering from
disease, and many of them deserted.'
In the latter end ofthe month of May, the parliament got
information of a plot against their authority in the city of
London. Th^ principal person engaged in it was Edmund
Waller, the celebrated poet, a man of good family and for
tune, a member ofthe house of commons, and one ofthe late
commissioners to Oxford. The object of it seems to have
been to put in execution a commission of array given by the
king for the city, and thus to give strength and union to the
friends of peace and the royalists, and force the parliament
to come to terms with the king. Many members of both
houses, it is said, were acquainted with it, but a servant, who
overheard some of the discourse about it, having given infor
mation to Pym, Waller and some ethers were arrested, tried,
and feund guilty pf treason by a court-martial. Two emi
nent citizens, namely, Tomkins (Waller's brother-in-law)

CHARLES I, 127
and Chalpner, were hanged hear their own houses. Waller,
who acted like Lucan in a similar case, accusing his most
intimate friends and making all the discpveries that were
desired, also affecting the greatest remorse for his crime and
seeking religious consolation from the leading divines, was
after a year's confinement permitted to retire te the cpn-
tinent He was pbliged tP pay a fin'e pf 10,000/. A spme-
what similar'plpt had been discpvered at Bristpl a little before,
and Robert Yeomans (a late sheriff) and George Bourchier
were hanged for their share in it. No men indeed were less
disposed to endure opposition to their sovereign power than
the professed champions of liberty. Waller's plot was made
the pretext of imposing a new oath arid cpnvenant, never tp
lay dPwn their arms " so long as the papists in open war
against the parliament should be protected from the justice
thereof" An ordinance was made that every man should
take this engagement in, his parish churchj
To return to military affairs. Early in May, the queen
came and joined the king with a force of upwards of three
thousand men, and the Cornishmen having given their oppo
nents a defeat at Stratton,j(16th,) the marquesS of Hertford
and prince Maurice were sent thither by the king to follow
up the success. Devon- was speedily reduced, and the royal
ists advanced into Somerset. The parliament sent their
active general Waller to the west, and an indecisive action
took place at Lansdown near Bath, (July 5,) in vvhich the
gallant sir Bevil Greenvil was slain. The king sent Wilmot
with a body pf one thousand five hundred horse to the sup
port of the Cornishmen, who were now cipsely besieged in
the tPwn of Devizes., Waller advanced with his troops to
prevent their junction ; the two forces encountered on
Roundway-down near Devizes, (13th,) and the parliamenta
rians were routed with great slaughter. Waller fled to Bris
tol, whence he hastened up to London to justify himself
The parliament, in imitation of Rpme, went forth to meet
him, and the speaker returned him thanks for his services.
Essex and he threw the blame on each other; Waller, how
ever, never recovered the ground he had lost.
The very day of the defeat of Waller, the queSn joined
the king at Edgehill with a large reinforcement of troops,
ammunition, and artillery. The royal cause was now rather
prosperous in the north ; for though sir Thomas Fairfax had
defeated the royal troops at Wakefield, (May 20,) where
colonel Goring, who had returned, was made a prisoner, and
a plan of the Hothams to give up Hull to the king was dis-

128 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
covered, and they sent prisoners to London, the defeat of
Fairfax by Newcastle on Atherton-moor (June 30) had sunk
the cause of the parliament.
After a long stay at Reading, Essex advanced to Thame,
within ten miles of Oxford. Here colpnel Hurry, pne pf
thpse Scpttish spldiers pf fortune who had joined the parlia
ment, not being thought so much of as in hi^s own opinion he
deserved, went oVer to the king. As- he knew exactly how
Essex's army was disposed, he proposed to prince Rupert
to beat up their quarters ; the prince assented, and leaving
Oxford in the evening, (June 18,) .they advanced to Wy
combe, where a reginient pf hprse and another of foot lay,
and falling on them in the night killed or made prisoners of
the whole, whence they went on to another village named
Chinner, where they had the same success. They then pre
pared tp return to Oxford' with their prisoners and booty;
but the alarm had been given ; and as they were about io
enter a lane frovn the plain' called Chalgrave-field, they were
overtaken by a body of horse collected at random. They
turned, and after a sharp rencounter, drove them off with the
loss of colonel Gunter'and some of their other officers, and
then proceeded uninterrupted to Oxford, where Hurry was
knighted by the king. '
One of the prisoners taken on this occasion said, that " he
was confident Mr. Hampden was hurt, for he saw him ride
off the field before the action was done, which he never used
to do, with his head hanging down and resting his hands on
the neck of his horse." This proved to be the fact ; Hamp
den, who had put himself at the head of a troop of horse,
was struck by a brace of balls in the shoulder. He rode to
Thame and had his wounds dressed, but they proved mortal,
and after suffering for six days, he expired on the 25th of
June. His private virtues and his eminent talents are gen
erally acknpwiedged. He exhibited the greatest cpurtesy
and temper in debate ; his manner was mpdest and diffident
as it were, and he gradually, as if seeking information, in
fused his opinions into others. While his valor in the field
was undoubted, his moral courage in the cpuncil and senate
was np less eminent ; and as he was pne pf the root-and-
branch party, he would allow no obstacles to impede his
design of abolishing the church and the monarchy. That,
however, he was actuated by pure motives, is a point about
which we think there can be little dispute. The pne party
naturally exulted at his death; the pther as naturally re
garded it as a great calamity

CHARLES I. 129
Essex retired with his army, broken and dispirited, to
Kingston, and Rupert soon after marched into the west,
where being joined by the Cornishmen, he laid siege to Bris
tol, of which Nathaniel Fiennes, son of lord Say, was
governor, with a garrison of two thousand five hundred foot
and two regiments of horse. As the fortifications were
weak, Rupert resolved to try a storm, (July 25.) The defence
of the garrison was gallant, but the assailants, though with
great' loss, gained the suburbs. While they hesitated what
further to do, the city beat a parley. A surrender was
agreed pn, the garrison being allowed to march out with their
arins and baggage, and the inhabitants to be secured in their
persons and properties. These conditions, however, were
badly kept, both soldiers and people being plundered by the
victors, in retaliation, Clarendpn pretends, fpr similar breach
of treaty at Reading. " I wish," he adds, " I could excuse
those swervings from justice and right which were too fre
quently practised against contracts, under the notion that they
with whom they were made were rebels and could not be too
ill used." '* The king himself came spon after and jpined
the army, and prince Maurice was sent intp Devon, where he
reduced most of the towns.
"The parliament," says May, their historian, "was now
in a low ebb; they had no forces at all to keep the field,
their main armies being quite ruined, and rip hppe, in appear
ance, left, but tp preserve awhile those forts and towns which
they then possessed, nor could they long hope to preserve
them, unless the fortune of the field should change." Under
these circumstances, they resolved to invite the Scots to their
aid, and (July 20) the earl of Rutland, sir Henry Vane, and
three others, attended by the divines Marshall and Nye, set
out for Edinburgh as commissioners. Measures were adopted
to raise men to repair Essex's army, and as the city of London
lay open and exposed, an intrenchment of twelve miles in
circuit was commenced and speedily completed, "gentlemen
ofthe best quality," says Whitelocke, " knights, and ladies,
resorting to the works daily, carrying spades, mattocks, and
other suitable implements; so that it became a pleasant spec
tacle at London, to see them going out in such order and
numbers, with drums beating before them; which put life
* Fiennes was brought to a court-martial for the surrender of Bris
tol. Prynne and Clement Walker, two bitter, unrelenting persecutors,
managed the case against bim, and be was sentenced to death, (Dec.
28.) Essex, however, pardoned him, and he was allowed to retire to tbe
continent.

130 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
into the drooping people, being taken for a happy omen that,
in so low a condition, they yet seemed not to despair." The
peace-partyj however, was nov(r strong in the houses, and on
Saturday (Aug. 5) a proposal of the lords fpr a treaty with
the king was carried in the cemmpns. But next day the
pulpits were all set at werk, and Penningtpn the lerd-mayor
held a cpurt pf cpmmpn council, where a petition against the
measure Was prepared. On Monday such a multitude came
down with the petition, that the lerds voted it a breach of
privilege and adjeurned, and the cpmmpns; under this pressure
frpm withput, rejected the preppsitipns by a small majprity.
Had the king marched tp Lpndpn with all his fprces, it is
ppssible that the vVar might have been ended, and yet ne desi
pptism established; but his advisers feared the spirit of the
city-militia, and it was resolved to lay siege tP Gloucester,
the only place of importance between Bristol and Lancashire
held by the parliament. Its governor, colonel Massey, a
soldier of fortune, had intimated (Clarendon says) that if the
king came in person he would not hold it out ; and accord
ingly (Aug. 10) the-royal standard wayed " on a fair hill in
the clear view ofthe city; " and the king sent in a message,
offering pardon without any exceptiori. He gave them two
hours to reply, and "within less thari that time," proceeds
the historian, " together with the trumpeter, returned two
citizens from the town with lean, pale, sharp, and bad visages,
and in such garb and carriage that at once made the most se
vere countenances merry, and the most cheerful hearts sad,
(serious.) The men, without any circumstances of duty or
good manners, in a pert, shrill, undismayed accent, said they
had brought an answer from the godly city of Gloucester to
the king." The answer imported they held it for the king,
and would only obey his commands, signified by both houses
of parliament. Massey's defence was brave and skilful, but
at last he was reduced to extremity : the parliament on learn
ing his condition sent Essex with a well-appointed army of
fourteen thousand to his relief. Essex conducted his march
with great prudence, repelling all the assaults of the royal
cavalry. At his approach the besieging army withdrew, and
he entered the town, (Sept. 8,) where he remained for two
days. As the royalists were greatly superior in cavalry, Essex
wished to avoid an action on his return. He halted for five
days at Tewkesbury, intending, as it were, to proceed north
wards, but in the night he roade a forced march to Cirences
ter, where he surprised a convoy ; and having thus got clear

CHARLES I. 131
of the open country, he moved leisurely toward London.
His army had nearly got over Auburn Chase on its way to
Newbury, when his rear was suddenly assailed by prince
Rupert at the head of five or six thousand horse. Both sides
fought gallantly, but this interruption obliged Essex to halt
for the night at Hungerford ; and when he thought to get in
to Newbury next day, he found that the king had anived
there two hours before.
Au, action was now unavoidable. Essex halted for the
night, and at six o'clock the following morning (Sept. 20)
both armies engaged, and the conflict continued till it was
terminated by nighL The steadiness and intrepidity of the
London train-bands excited the admiration of both friends
and foes. According te the parliamentary writers, the king
lost two thousand men, while on their own side there felf no
more than five hundred ; but this statement is hardly credible.
The earls of Sunderland and Carnarvon were slain, but the
greatest loss to tbe royal party was the lord Falkland. This
nobleman, in whose praises all are agreed, had been as earn
est for the reformation of publicr abuses as any man; but
when at last ' he began to discern the ulterior views of the
leading reformers, he resolved to throw his influence on the
side of the crown, now the weaker party. He did expect
that a decided victory ofthe royal forces would have brought
the adverse party to reason ; but finding his hopes baffled, he
lost all his cheerfulness, and often, after sitting long silent
among his friends, he would utter. Peace, peace, in a sad tone,
and declare that the thoughts of the war " took his sleep
from him and would shortly break his heart." On the
morning ofthe battle he called for a clean shirt, saying that
if he was slain they should not find his body in foul linen, for
he had a strong persuasion that he should not outlive the day.
He placed himself in the first rank of lord Byron's horse, and
he was shot in the lower part of the belly and died of the
wound. He was only thirty-four years of age.
The day after the battle, Essex, as the royal army did not
appear, directed his march, after burying the dead, to Reading.
Rupert followed with his cavalry, and caused some confusion
In the rear. Having halted a couple of days at Reading,
Essex pursued his march to London, where be was received
with the greatest honor. The king garrisoned Reading once
more ; he also placed a garrison in Donnington castle near
Newbury, once the residence of Geoffrey Chaucer. He
then retired to Oxford for the winter.

132 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
During the siege df Gloucester, two events occurred, of
which the ojie showed the king's folly, the other his obsti
nate adherence to despotism.
In the course of the summer several more members of both
houses had repaired to Oxford. There were others whp had
hithertp gpne all lengths with the vielent party, but whp had
no mind to destrpy the censtitutipn ; of these the chief were
the earls of Northumberland, Holland,'* Bedford, and Clare.
Essex alsp agreed with them in sentiment, but his high sense pf
hpnpr made him decline te cpmply with Hplland's prpposal of
employing the army to make both parties submit to reasonable
terms of peace. Northumberland retired to his hpuse at Pet
worth in Sussex; Holland opened a correspondence through
Jermyn with the queen, and soon after he, and Bedford, and
Clare went intp the king's quarters, (Aug. 20;) Clare, who
was least obnoxious, going on to Oxford, while the other two
stopped at Wallingford.
Those whp ascribe wisdera pr.even cpmmpu sense to the
king and his advisers, will suppose that these lords were re
ceived vvith all favor and courtesy. But quite the contrary.
The king, who was at Gloucester, sent word to his council to
debate about their reception ; and Hyde and Savile, taking
a rational view of the case, thought that they should be re
ceived graciously, as an encouragement to others to follow
their example: but the moreyiolent insisted they should be
obliged to express on oath their abhorrence of the rebellious
arms and counsels ; while a third party ;were for having them
treated with simple indifference. The king came to Oxford
on account of it, and the last course was fixed on. Bedford and
Holland were therefore permitted to come to court, but they
found themselves generally shunned. They followed the
king to Gloucester, and fought bravely on his side at Newbu
ry ; but all availed not to efface the memory of their imputed
guilt ; and after a stay of three months they stole back to
Westminster, where they met with a cool reception, being
committed for a short time to custody. Thus were lost all
hopes of drawing away a portion ofthe supporters of the par
liament. The truth is, there was a party at Oxford as adverse
to accommodation as the war-party at Westminster ; men
who looked for titles, places, pensions, and perhaps confisca-
* Holland was brother to lord Warwick. He had been a creature
of Buckingham's, and was always about tbe court, "and had received
much favor from the king and queen.

CHARLES I. 133
tions, should the royal cause triumph, — a thing at this time
by no means unlikely, — and who wished to have as few
sharers as possible in the spoil.
If the king was imprudent in this matter, he was perhaps
worse in the other — a cessation with the Irish rebels.
We have seen above reasons for suspecting him to have
authorized the rising of the Irish catholics. These men
had now settled down into a kind of independent state ;
Kilkenny was their seat of government, where a general
assembly was held, and a supreme council appointed to
act as an executive. Ambassadors were to be sent fo the
pope and to the great catholic princes. , Thfr English and
Scottish forces had, howeVer, meantime been reinforced,
and they had frequently beaten the rebels in the field, and
recpvered several tpwns and fprts. Charles had, under
various pretexts, detained the earl of Leicester in Eugland,
that the earl (now marquess) of Ormond, who was a zealous
royalist, might have the authority in Ireland. The par
iiament, always jealous of the king's proceedings in that
country, had sent over two of their members to watch mat
ters there ; but Ormond after some time sent them back,
and he removed Parsons, and even committed him, sir John
Temple, and tvvo other officers of state, to prison. The
parliament, now with the tide of war rather running against
them, viewed Ireland as of minor' importance, and the
catholics had a fair prospect of becpming complete masters
of the island ; but they we're composed of two parties, dif
fering in origin though agreeing in religion, and those of
the English blood did not wish to casf off their allegiance.
Moreover, they knew the power of England, and saw clearly
that if the parliament should conquer the king, a fearful
vengeance would be taken for the atrocities that had been
committed. The proposals of Ormond for a cessation of
arms during a twelvemonth, though opposed by the mere
Irish, were therefore readily listened to, and on the 15th of
September, (just four days before the battle of Newbury,)
the cessation was signed, the Irish agreeing to give the king
30,000/., half in money, half in cattle. In the following
November Charles appointed Ormond lord-Iieutenantj and
directed him to send over the regiments that were serving
in Ireland. The intelligence of the cessation did injury to
the cause of the king in England, for many deserted his
party on account of it. In the king's defence it may be
said, that he only followed the example of the parliament,
who had sent to invite the Scots. But there was a wide
VOL. II. 12

134 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
difference between the Scots and the sanguinary bands
whom Charles was willing to bring over from Ireland to aid
in restoring his despotism.
Meantime Vane and his associates had negotiated a
treaty with the Scots, who agreed to aid on condition of
a ' Solemn League and Covenant ' being taken by the par
liament and people of England. On the 29th of November
the treaty was finally concluded, the Scots engaging to fur
nish an army of twenty.one- thousand men, to be paid by
the English parliament*
One of the measures of the parliament this year had
been to form a new Great Seal. When this was proposed
the lords refused their assent, but, as usual, they could
Pnly interppse a delay. The seal was made, and cpmmis
sipners were appointed to hold it, (Oct. 11 ;) and in one
day not less than five hundred writs were sealed. It bore
on one side the arras of England and Ireland, on the other,
" the picture of the house of commorts, the members sitting "
— a clear indicatipn pf where the real ppwer pf the state
was supposed to lie.
On the 8th of December died, at Derby-house, which
the parliament had assigned him for a residence, the cel
ebrated John Pym. His disease was an imposthume in
the mesentery. He was buried with great pomp in West
minster Abbey, the body being carried by ten of the prin
cipal members of the house of commons, and followed by
the remaining members of both houses, and by the assembly
of divines. The parliament voted a sum of 10,000/., for
the payment Ofhis debts, and settled a pension bn his son.
The character of this eminent man has been presented
under various lights by the writers of the different parties.
It must be allowed that no man was ever better qualified
to be a parliamentary leader than hewas. To an extensive
knowledge of the laws and constitution, he joined a manly
and irhpressive elocution ; his delivery was grave and dig
nified ; his person tall and portly. He was also a statesman ;
he knew how to select his measures, and was never at a

In this alliance, the Scots, as usual, would dictate respecting the
church, and nothing would satisfy them short of the absolute uniform
ity of the English church vvith their own kirk. Tbe article, however,
was worded to thiseg'ect — that the church of England should " be re
formed according to the word of God, and after the example of the
best reformed churches," by which they of course thought nothing but
the kirk could be meant. Tbey were afterwards taught tbat the words
would bear a difierent sense.

CHARLES I. 135
loss for ej^pedients to carry them into effect. Clarendon
says that he was " the most popular man that ever lived,"
and that no man better understood " the temper and affections
of the kingdom." He was no fanatic in religion; he does
not appear to have had any ill-feeling toward the episcopal
church. What his original views were in politics it is
difficult to ascertain ; we find him of late the determined
enemy of accommodation with the king, (in whom he had
evidently lost all confidence,) and it is probable that he
aimed at the establishment of arepublic. Like allpoliticians,
he had, occasionally, recourse to arts not strictly justifiable
for the accomplishment of his objects.
Such was the state of affairs at the end of the year 1643.
The next year opens with, an attempt ofthe king to turn
to his side the magic ofthe name of parliament. It was the
advice of Hyde, that " since the whole kingdom was misled
by the reverence they had to parliaments," he should sum
mon all those who had left that at Westminster to repair to
Oxford. Charles, beside his inherent antipathy to parlia.
ments, feared that if he convened the legislature they would
endeavor to effect a peace — a thing to which he had no
mind. It was therefore with extreme reluctance that he
gave his consent. This assembly met on the 29th of Jan
uary, 1644 ; the house of lords was more than the double,
that of commons nearly the half, of those at Westminster ;
but as many vvere absent on military commands, the number
which met were forty-three peers and one hundred and
eighteen commoners. Their first thoughts were of peace,
and they all subscribed that very day a letter to lord Essex,
inviting him to cooperate with them in effecting a termina
tion ofthe present evils. Essex, in reply, sent the covenant
and two declarations of the parliaments of England and
Scotland. As Essex's pretext for not communicating the
letter to the houses was its not containing an acknowledg
ment of them, the king was induced (Mar. 3) to send a me.s-
sage " to the lords and commons of parliament assembled
at Westminster." This, however, they treated as an insult,
as it put those at Oxford on an equal footing with them.
The hopes of peace now vanished, and the war was renewed.
The expedients practised on both sides to raise the neces
sary supplies were as follows: The parliament got loans,
voluntary or forced, from the merchants ofthe city ; they re
quired all those who had not subscribed of their own accord
to pay the twentieth part of their estates; they sequestrated
the estates of all delinquents ; they laid a weekly assessment

136 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
of 10,000/. on the city of London, and 24,000/. on. the rest
of the kingdom where their power prevailed : in imitation of
the Dutch, they introduced .(for the first time) into the king
dom the tax ever since so well known under the name of ex
cise, on wine, beer, soap, and a variety of foreign and dometic
articles — even butchers' meaL They had, beside these,
sundry other expedients for raising money. The king, on
his side, obtained loans from his adherents ; he issued privy
seals ; he set up an excise also, and laid a weekly imposition
on the inhabitants of the country about his garrisons. The
armies on both sides plundered ; but the king's troops, led
by such men as Rupert, Maurice, Goring, Wilmot, and
Richard Greenvil, committed by far the greatest excesses.
The hopes of the king from the cessation in Ireland were
disappointed. In the last November, a body of, the troops
which he had proposed to draw to his aid from that country
landed at Mostyn in Flintshire, where being joined to lord By
ron, who commanded at Chester, they gained sundry advan- ,
tages over the adherents of the parliament. Early in January
(1644) they laid siege to the town of Nantwich, which was
gallantly defended, and sir Thomas Fairfax, who was then
at Manchester, having joined his forces with those of sir
William Brereton, advanced to the relief of the town. The
Anglo-Irish army, though said to be inferior in number, drew
out (Jan. 25) to give them battle; but after an obstinate con
flict of two hours, being assailed by the garrison in their rear,
they broke and fled, leaving five hundred slain and fifteen
hundred prisoners ; among these last were several of their
officers, one of whom was colonel Monk, afterwards so fa
mous. In the west, the royal forces under Hopton had advanced
as far as Arundel. Waller, who had about ten thousand
men, was at Farnham, whence marching by night he sur
prised and cut to pieces a royal regiment at Alton, and then
reduced Arundel, (Jan. 6.) The king having sent his gen
eral, the earl of Brentford, to reinforce Hopton, the two
armies, about equal in number, eng9.ged at Alresford, (Mar.
29;) the royalists were defeated with the loss of five hundred
men, and Waller then took and plundered Winchester.
Newark-on-Trent, one ofthe strongest holds ofthe royal
ists, had been for some time besieged by the parliamentary
forces. Prince Rupert, who was in Cheshire, having drawn
together a good body of horse, prepared to relieve it. He
marched with his usual rapidity, and came so unexpectedly
on the besiegers, (Mar. 22,) that after a brief resistance they

CHARLES I. 137
were glad to be allowed to depart, leaving their arms, ord
nance, and ammunition.
The Scots were now in England. On the 19th Of January,
the earlof Leven had crossed the Tweed and advanced to at
tack the town of Newcastle; but the earl of Newcastle had
thrown himself into it the day before, and Leven, ordering six
regimerits to block it up, proceeded southwards, follovyed by
the royal army of fourteen thousand men. Leven t6ok his post
at Sunderland, where he remained for fi've weeks. Meantime
lord Fairfax, being joined by his son sir Thomas, engaged
(Apr. 11) at Selby colonel Bellasis, who commanded the
royalists in Yorkshire, and routed him; Newcastle, who was
at Durham, immediately fell back to York, where he was be
sieged by the Scots and the troops of Fairfax, to whose aid,
some time after, (June 3,) came the troops of the eastern
counties (fourteen thousand in number) under lord Kimbol
ton, now earl of Manchester, and his lieutenant-general
Oliver Cromwell.
Essex and Waller were at this time both gradually ap
proaching Oxford with the intention of confining the king's
forces to that city. But one night (June 3) the king, to de
ceive Waller, having sent a body of foot out at the south gate
as if for Abingdon, left the town by the north gate with two
thousand five hundred foot and all his horse, and proceeded
to Worcester, and thence to Bewdley. Waller, thinking it
was his object to effect a junction with prince Rupert, vVho
was now at Liverpool, threw himself between him and Shrews
bury. Essex, as their plan had been defeated, marched away
to the west; the king theri made a rapid return to Oxford,
and taking thence his artillery and the rest of his forces, ad
vanced to give battle to Waller. The two armies came in
sight near Banbury, the river Charwell dividing them. In
the manoeuvres to bring on an action. Waller perceiving
(29th) the rear ofthe king'sarmy to be separated from the
main body, passed over Cropredy bridge with a body of his
troops to get between them, and at the same time sent a par
ty of horse to cross a ford, about a mile lower down. He
was, however, routed and driven back over the bridge with
some loss by the earl of Cleveland, who commanded the king's
rear-guard, and his army having graduaUy dwindled down
to four thousand men, he was recalled by the parliament.
There was a party among the officers of the royal army,
headed by Wilmot, who for various reasons were anxious for
peace, and they now renewed a project which they had de-
12* R

138 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
vised before the king last left Oxford, which was for the royal
forces to advance to St. Albans, and for the king to send
thence a gracious message to the two houses and the city.
But Charles had the utmost aversion to any measure of the
kind, and he determined to follow Essex to the west, where
the queen was residing at Exeter, having just been delivered
of a daughteir in that town.
York meantime was hard pressed ; Newcastle had sent to
the kjng to say, that if not relieved he must siirrender, and
Charles had written (June 14) to Rupert, directing him to
lay every other project aside and think only on the relief of
York. The active prince made no delay, and on the last day
of June he appeared within view of that city, at the head, of
twenty thousand men. Next day the allied army drew up to
receive him on Marston-moor, about five miles from the town ;
Rupert, however, entered the city. Newcastle wished him
to be content with having raised the siege, intimating that
there were differences between the English and Scottish com
manders, which might ripen into discord. Rupert, however,
beside his own inclination to it, had positive orders from the
king to fight. Accordingly next day (July 2) the royal army^
was led out to where the enemy stood on the moor. The
numbers vA'ere about equal, twenty-five thousand on each
side; the right wing pf the reyalists was cpmmanded by
Newcastle, the left by Rupert, the centre by Goring, Lucas,
and Porter; on the other side, sir Thomas Fairfax command
ed on the right, Manchester and Cromwell on the left, the
centre was under lord Fairfax and the earl of Leven.
At five in the evening both sides stood ready to engage,
but the action did not commence till seven. The prince
with his usual impetuosity charged the enemy's right wing
and drove them off the field; the royal centre, was equally
successful, and Leven and his Scots fled to a considerable
distance; but sir Thomas Fairfax was victorious on the left,
and Cromwell having rallied his own regiment, he and Fair
fax fell pii the trppps pf Rupert and Gpring, and night clpsed
pn a decisive victery on the side of the parliamentarians.
The number pf the slain was said tp be upwards pf fpur thpu
sand, pf whom the far greater portion were royalists; fifteen
hundred were made prisoners; all the ordnance, ammunition,
and baggage were taken. Next day Rupert retired to the
western counties, and Newcastle in disgust or despair depart
ed with the lords Widdrington and Falconberg, and reiired
to the continent, where he remained for sixteen years. York

Charles i. 139
surrendered; the victorious armies separated; the Scots
moved toward their own country, and closed the campaign
by the storm of Newcastle.
The royal cause was now hopeless in the north, 'but for
tune proved more propitious in the west. Prince Maurice
having retired on the approach of Essex, Weymouth sur
rendered to him ; but as he was in pursuit of the prince, he
got tidings of the defeat of Waller and the approach ofthe
king. His first thought was to give the royal army battle at
once, but lord Roberts, who had large estates in Cornwall,
prevailed on him to enter that county, where he assured him
of every advantage. Essex, therefore, crossed the Tamar
about the middle of July, and marched by Liskeard and Bpd-
min to Lestwithiel, followed by the royal army. Charles,
thinking this a godd time for negotiation,^ wrote (Aug. 6)
with his own hand a letter to Essex, proposing that the two
armies shpuld join and oblige the enemies of peace to submit
to terms. Another letter came to Essex (9th) frpm the prin
cipal pflScers in the royal army to the same effect. His re
ply was, that he was trusted to fight, not to treat, and that
the best advice he could give the king was to go to his par
liament. Charle^ then directed all his forces to draw closer,
and thus surround Essex's army and cut off their supplies.
By the end of the month, therefore, Essex found his con
dition desperate; his cavajry under sir William Balfour hav
ing taken advantage of the darkness of the night (30th) to
pass between twppfthe divisiens pf the rpyal army and geteff,
he himself and spme of his chief officers went in a boat to
Plymouth, leaving the infantry and some horse under Skippon.
This brave officer proposed to them to follow the example of
the cavalry and force their way, but the attempt appeared too
hazardous, and (Sept. 2) a surrender was proposed and ac
cepted. The arms, ordnance, and ammunition were given
up, and the men were conveyed to Poole and Wareham.
Essex proceeded to Portsmouth, where his army was re
assembled ; Waller and Manchester were directed to join,
and the combined army was ordered to give battle to the
king on his return from CornwaU. On a Sunday (Oct. 27)
they attacked him at Newbury ; the action commenced at
three and lasted till ten at night. Essex was absent from in
disposition. Though the king's forces were inferior in num
ber, the result was dubious, and he marched that night by
moonlight in view ofthe enemy to Wallingford. A few days
after, (Nov. 9,) being joined by Rupert, he returned for his
artillery and ammunition, which he had left at Donnington

140 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
castle, and carried them away without opposition. The par
liamentarians kept within their lines, and refused battle when
offered. This event terminated the campaign.

CHAPTER VIII.
CHARLES I. (CONTIKDED.)
1645—1647.

The late successes ofthe king were attributed tothe want
of harmony among the parliament generals. " Waller had
been from the first a rival of Essex ; and Manchester, and
Cromwell, his secend in command, had opposite views and
feelinos. The religious differences of presbyterian and inde
pendent had now extended to the army aIsp; Cromwell was
the head pf the latter party, Manchester and Waller belenged
to the former, whUe Essex preferred the episcopalian church.
Further, both he and Manchester wished to preserve the
constitution in the state, whUe Cromwell desired a republic.
It was therefore suspected, and not withput reasen, that nei
ther pf these noblemen was inclined to weaken the king too
much. The affair of Dpnningtpn castle brpught the parties who
had been fpr spme time menacing each Pther to issue.
Cromwell, when caUed on in the house of commons to state
what he knew of it, accused Manchester of an averseness to
ending the war by the sword, and of thinking that the king
was now low enough for a peace to be made. Next day
Manchester took notice of this in the lords, and at his desire,
a day being fixed for the purpose, he gave his account ofthe
Donnington affair, laying the chief blame on Cromwell. He
also stated some speeches ofhis, proving him to be hostile to
the peerage, and to the amity between England and Scot
land; such as his saying that it would never be well with
England till the earl of Manchester were plain Mr. Mon
tague, that the Scots had crossed the Tweed only to establish
presbytery, and that in that cause he would as soon fight
against them as the king ; and added, that it was his design
to form an army of sectaries who might dictate to both king
and parliament.

CHARLES I. 141
The commons appointed a committee to inquire if this
accusation of one of their members in the other house were
not a breach of privilege. Meantime some of the presbyte
rian party and the Scottish commissioners met at Essex-
house, and sending for the two lawyers Whitelocke and
Maynard, took their opinion on the subject of accusing
CromweU as an incendiary between the two nations. The
lawyers, however, being of opinion that the evidence was not
sufficient, the plan was abandoned.
On the 9th of December the commons resolved themselves
into a committee to consider the condition of the kingdom
with regard to the war. After a long sUence Cromwell rose
and recommended that instead of an inquiry they should de
vise some general remedy of the evUs. The next speaker
said that the fault lay in the commands being divided. A
third proposed that no member of either house should hold
any civil or military command during the war. This was
supported by Vane and opposed by Whitelocke, Hollis, and
others. An ordinance to this effect, however, passed the
commons, (21st,) a vain attempt having been made to have
the earl of Essex excepted. In the lords it met with much
opposition; for, as they justly objected, it would exclude their
entire order from all offices of trust and honor. They ac
cordingly rejected it, (Jan. 13, 1645.)
Anpther prpject which was going oo at the same time, was
the 'new model' ofthe army. On the 21st the names ofthe
principal officers of it were put tp the vote in the commons.
Sir Thomas Fairfax was named commander-in-chief, Skip
pon major-general ; twenty-four colonels were appointed, but
nothing was said as to the post of lieutenant-general. The
cause of this silence wUI soon appear. The lords passed the
ordinance for the new model, (Feb. 15 ;) and an ordinance,
similar to the one they had rejected, but only requiring mem
bers to lay down the offices which they held, and being silent
as to their re-appointment, was sent up to them. This ' self-
denying ordinance' was passed (Apr. 3,) Essex, and Man
chester, and Denbigh having laid down their commands the
day befpre.
At this time the trial pf archbishpp Laud, which had been
going on for nearly a year, was brought to its close. In
twenty-four articles of impeachment the cpmmpns accused
him pf attempting to. subvert the rights of parliament and
laws ofthe realm, and to introduce arbitrary power, and also
" to alter and subvert God's true religion by law established in
this realm, and instead thereof to set up popish superstition

142 HISTORY or ENGLAND.
and idolatry, and to reconcile us to the church of Rome."
The trial commenced on the 12th of March, 1644; the
managers on the part of the commons were serjeant Wild,
and Messrs. Maynard, Brown, Nicholas, and HilJ. The pri
mate's inveterate foe, Prynne, was their solicitor, and he
certainly showed none oi" the magnanimity of a generous
enemy. He seized all the papers of the accused, even his
diary and his written defence; he hunted out witnesses in all
quarters, and if Laud was not misinformed, he driUed them
in the parts which they were to enact.
The archbishop, though refused the aid of counsel, de
fended himself with spirit ahd abUity. He either justified
what he was charged with doing, or impeached the character
of the witnesses, or in case of there being but one to any
fact, denied the legality of his evidence, the law, in cases of
treason, requiring two witnesses. When charged with any
of the acts of the councU, the star-chamber, or the high
commission, his defence was that he was only one of many,
and that the act of the majority was ascribed to the whole.
Prynne himself allows that "he made as full, as gallant and
pithy a defence, apd spoke as much for himself as was pos
sible for the wit of man to invent." During twenty-one days
in the space of six months the trial proceeded with the ad
vantage evidently on the side of the prisoner, ahd when
(Oct. 11) Mr. Hearne his counsel was allowed to speak to
the question of whether the matters charged against him
amounted to treason according to the known laws of the
land, the lords were staggered and the reply ofthe managers
failed to satisfy them. The party in the commons, however,
who sought the primate's blood, were resolved not tp be
balked ; the eld tactics were repeated, a petitien of the citi
zens numerously signed was presented (28th) by a great
number of people praying for speedy justice against delin
quents, and particularly against the archbishop. Forthwith
a bill of attainder was introduced ; when it had been twice
read, the archbishop was brought to the bar of the house of
commons to hear the evidence, and nine days were given
him to prepare his defence. The very day of his defence
(Nov. 11) the bill was passed with but one dissentient voice.
The lords pronounced him guilty of certain acts, but left it
to the judges to determine their quality. Their reply was,
that by the statute-law they did not amount to treason, but
that the house alone was judge ofthe law of parliament. On
Christmas-day, which was now a day of" fasting and public
humiliation," the pulpits were set at work, and next morning

CHARLES I. 143
a committee was appointed to confer with the lords ; and on
the 4th of January the archbishop was pronounced guUty of
treason by a majority consisting it is said of only six mem
bers. The only favor the prelate could obtain was to have
his sentence changed from hanging to beheading. On the
10th the primate, now in the 72d year of his age, appeared
on the scaffold on Tower-hUl with a serene and cheerful air.
Taking Heb. xii. 2 for his text, he made a speech in form of
a sermon to the people, explaining and justifying his con
duct It was noted, that the sun, which had hitherto been
hidden, shone out and irradiated his calm and serene coun
tenance as he spoke, and that it disappeared for the rest of
the day, when his head had been stricken off. Laud died
with all the constancy of a martyr.
The primate was a narrow-minded, superstitious, hot, and
intemperate man — a pygmy Gregory VII. Of his sincerity
we think there can be little doubt, but his measures were
childish and mischievous, and he may ju.stly be regarded as
one of the principal causes of the evUs with which the
kingdom was then afflicted. Still his execution was a piece
of gratuitous malignity, for he now was utterly powerless,
and he had not offended against the known laws of the land.
It is gratifying to add, that no respectable advocate of the
Long Parliament attempts to justify this piece of wanton bar
barity.'* Exactly a week before they shed the blood of the primate,
(Jan. 3,) the parliament had by an ordinance abolished the
liturgy of, the church and set in its place a "Directory for
Public Worship," drawn up by the Assembly of Divines and
approved of by the general assembly of Scotland. Of the
Assembly of Divines we will now give some account.
.By an ordinance of the 12th of June, 1643, when they
were looking for aid from the Scots, the parliament nomina
ted one hundred and twenty-one divines, who with ten peers
and twenty commoners, and three of the Scottish com
missioners, were to examine the liturgy, discipline, and
government of the church of England, and give their opin
ions thereon to one or both houses. The object of the
parliament is there declared to be the abolition ofthe present
mode of church-government and to form one of "nearer

• About this time also the parliament executed the two Hothams,
(Jan. 1 and 2,) sir Alexander Carew, (Dec. 23,) who had engaged to
surrender Plymouth to the king, and the Irish rebels Macmahon, (Nov.
22,) and Macguire, (Feb. 20.)

144 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
agreement with the church of Scotland and other reformed
churches abroad," that is to establish presbytery. Among
those nominated were some prelates and other episcopalians,
but they never gave attendance. There were about half a
dozen members of the party named Independents in the as
sembly, and among the lay-assessors a few Erastians, These
terms require to be explained.
The presbyterian system, which is that of the church of
Scotland, is based on the principle of a parity in rank amotig
its ministers and a participation of the laity in the govern
ment of the church. It rejects all peculiar habits for the
clergy and has no liturgy. It gives the power of the keys,
that is of excommunication, censure, etc., to its synods and
assemblies, and it has always aimed at a clerical despotism
similar to that of Rome. At this time the presbyterians
were the determined enemies of toleration. They could not
be wrong, and it were sinful to rend the seamless coat of
Jesus by permitting error to prevaU. They formed the great
majprity in the parliament, the assembly, and the city.
"The Independents were few in number in the assembly,
but they excelled in energy ahd skill in debate. They held
that every congregation of Christians should be independent
of all others, but with an entire power over its own members.
They were therefore the strenuous advocates of toleration,
and all the minor sects, such as the Anabaptists, the Antino
mians, etc., gladly sheltered themselves under their shadow.
Their leading divines were Nye, Goodwin, and Burgess.
The lords Say and Wharton, and sir Henry Vane and Oliver
Cromwell, were of their party in the parliament.
While the church of Rome claimed the universal power
of the keys, the church of I'Ingland and the Presbyterians
demanded it over the whole national church, and the Inde
pendents required it for every particular congregation, a
small party named Erastians from Erastus, a German divine
ofthe sixteenth century, denied this power altogether. They
held that the pastoral office was only persuasive, that all the
Ordinances of religion were to be free and open to all ; the
minister might dissuade the openly vicious from coming to
the Lord's-supper, for example, and warn them of their dan
ger, but he might not refuse it. To the state alone they said
belonged the punishpnent of all offences. The advocates of
this system in the assembly were Lightfoot, Selden, and
Whitelocke ; and St. John and other eminent men upheld it
in the parliament.
The Scots, after their usual manner, took advantage of

CHARLES L 145
their present position to dictate, and they would fain have
forced on the English nation their own system of presbytery,
pure and unaltered; but the spirit of the English revolted
at this, and some modifications were made. The Liturgy
was ordered to be laid aside, and a Directory for Public
Worship, as we have seen, was substituted for it. It being
found, however, that many parishes persisted in using the
Book of Common Prayer, an ordinance was passed (Aug. 23,
1645) imposing a fine of 5/. fer tbe first pffence, 10/. fpr the
secpnd, and a year's iraprispnment fpr the third, pn any pne
whp in a church, chapel, pr even private famUy, shpuld use
the prayer-bppk, and all prayer-bppks remaining in churches
and .chapels were prdered tP be given up to the committees
of counties. Srich were the tolerant principles of thpse ab-
hprrers of the despotism of Laud 1
The parliament also appointed a committee for scandalous
ministers, with subordinate "committees in the several coun
ties. These were empowered to inquire into the lives and
doctrine of the clergy, and to eject from their livings such as
were proved guilty of immprality, pf fafee dpctrine, i. e. Ar
minianism and such like, pr what perhaps was a greater
offence in the eyes of their judges, malignancy of attachment
to the cause of the king ; those who should refuse to take
the covenant were also to be deprived. The number pf the
ejected clergy was nearly twp thpusand ; thfe greater part,
hpwever, we are assured were piit put for immorality, in
whose places were substituted men recommended by the
parishes and approved of by the' assembly of divines. A
fifth ofthe income was appropriated to the support of the fam
ilies of the ejected ministers. The University of Cambridge
was also visited by the earl of Manchester, and mere than
pne half pf the heads and fellpws pf cplleges were expelled
fpr malignancy, and ethers put in their places.
Meanwhile negptiatipns for peace had been geing pn.
The king having sent two messages proposing a treaty, the
parliament appointed commissioners to repair to Oxford,
(Nov. 20,) but only as bearers of propositions. After a stay
of a few days they returned (29th) with the king's reply.
This was a demand of a safe-conduct for the duke of Rich
mond and the earl of Southampton to come with his answer
to their propositions. After some debate this was agreed to ;
the two noblemen came, and after the usual delays it was
arranged that commissioners from both sides should meet at
Uxbridge, and during a space of twenty days discuss the
VOL. II. 13 S

146 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
principal subjects of dispute, namely, religion, the militia,
and Ireland, each to be debated for three days in rotation.
On the 30th of January the commissioners on both sides
met at Uxbridge. The royalists were sixteen in number,
those ofthe parliament twelve, tPgether with fpur Scottish
commissioners ; both parties were attended by their divines.
After the preliminaries had been arranged, they commenced
with the subject of religion. The parliament insisted on the
unqualified abolition of episcppacy and the establishment cf
presbytery; the king wpuld net abandpn the former, which
he regarded as ef divine institution, but he was willing to
limit it, to reform abuses in it, and to grant indulgence to
tender consciences in matters of ceremonies. This subject
having been debated for three days to np purppse, they next
passed te the militia. The parliament demanded that it
shpuld be entirely vested in them and in perspns in whom
they cpuld cpnfide. They relaxed sp far as tP demand it
only for seven years, after which it should be settled by bill
or agreement between the king and parliament. The king
was willing to surrender it for three years, provided it then
returned fully to the crown. With respect to Ireland, the
parliament required the cessation to be declared null and void,
and the conduct of the war and government of that country
to be committed to them ; the rpyal cpmmissipners justified
the king in making the cessatien, and asserted that he was in
honor bound to maintain it. These matters were debated
over and pver till the 22d..afJF.ebr..uary, when the parliament
having refused tp prplpng the treaty, the commissipners re
turned tp Westminster and Oxford, and preparations were
made for another appeal to the sword.
This treaty, the inutility of which must have been apparent,
had been entered into solely in ccrapliance with the wishes
pf those on both sides who vvere weary of the evils of war
and sincerely desirous of peace. Among these the king
himself cannot be included, for he was determined to concede
none ofthe points at issue, and his usual duplicity was dis
played even in the commencement; for when he had been
induced to style in his answer the two houses the parliament
of England, he writes tp the queen, " If there had been but
twe beside myself pf my ppinipn, I had not done it; and the
argument that prevailed with me was, that the calling did no
ways acknowledge them to be a parliament," and he adds
that it is so registered in the council book. He was besides
negotiating for fpreign aid, and treating fer a peace and an

CHARLES I. 147
8jmy with the Irish rebels,; and he was sp much elated by
exaggerated acceunts pf the successes ef Mpntrpse in Scpt
land, that he was in full expectatien pf being shprtly able tp
resume the plenitude pf his despptism.
Their adpptipn of the covenant and presbytery to gratify
their selfish and self-sufficient allies, made accommodation
more difficult on the. side of the parliament, as they-could not
now recede, and every persort of candor must, we think, allow
that they could not with safety resign the ppwer pf the swprd
to their unforgiving sovereign. " He who was reasonable
amongthem, (the commissioners,) " says Clarendon, " thought
it very unreasonable to deny them that necessary security,
and believed it could proceed from nothing else but a resolu
tion to take the highest ' vengeance upon their rebellion" —
an inference, the truth of which he does not deny. In effect,
when the situations an^ tempers of the parties are considered,
it is manifest that there was noToom for accommodation, that
one or other must be subdued, and despotism of one kind or
other be the 'result.
In the summer ofthe preceding year, the earls of Montrose
and Antrim had both come to Oxford with tenders of their
services to the crown. They were both inveterate enemies
of Argyle, who had now the chief povver in iScotland, and
Montrose asserted that if Antrim could raise fifteen hundred
or two thousand men in Ireland and land them in the High
lands, he himself would be able to join them with So many
ofthe Highfand clansmen, loyal to the king, and enemies of
Argyle, as would make such a diversion, as would, if not re
cover the kingdom, at least oblige the Scottish army in Eng
land to return to its defence. The king listened to the pro
posal, and gave them the necessary commissions. Antrim
forthwith passed over to Ireland, and raising about eighteen
hundred men among his clan there, sent them over under his
brother sir Alister M'Donnel, named Colkitto. Montrose
having left Oxford with a good company, suddenly disap
peared, and with only two attendants eluded the vigilance of
both nations tUI he reached the foot ofthe Grampians, vvhere
he remained concealed tUI he heard of the landing of the
Irish. He directed them to join him in Athol, where at
their head he unfurled the royal standard, and summoned the
clans to arms. They responded to his call ; he poured down
on the Lowlands; at Tippermuir (Sept. 1) he defeated the
lord Elcho, and then entered and plundered the tovvn of
Perth. He then moved northwards ; the bridge of Dee was
defended by lord Burley, but his men fled at the first shock,

148 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
and the ferocious followers of Montrose entered Aberdeen
pell-meU with them. Th^ town was given up to pillage and
massacre for four days. The Irish displayed a thriftiness in
their barbarity such as one might rather have looked for in
the Scot^, for they stripped their victims naked before they
murdered them, lest their clothes should be spoiled.
The approach of Argyle with a superior force obliged
Montrose to quit Aberdeen on the fifth day. He moved
toward the Spey, and finding its opposite bank guarded, he
buried his ordnance in a morass, and went up the stream till
he reached the forests of Strathspey and the mountains of
Badenoch. He then descended into Athol and Angus, still
followed by Argyle, and suddenly crossing the Grampians,
again moved northwards in hopes of rousing the Gordons to
arms. At Fyvie castle he vvas nearly surrounded, but after
sustaining the repeated attacks of a superior force, he retired
by night, and effected his retreat to Badenoch. Argyle,
wearied out, as it was now far in the winter, returned to his
castle of Inverary, where he deemed himself in perfect secu
rity. But the energetic and vindictive Montrose, amidst the
snows of December, (13th,) penetrated by passes only trodden
by the herdsmen in summer into Argyleshire. The savage
Irish, and no less savage clansmen, let all their fury loose on
the devoted district; the inhabitants were massacred, the
cattle driven off or destroyed, the houses and corn burnt.
Argyle himself only escaped by putting to sea in an open
boat. After seven weeks spent in the work of devastation,
Montrose moved toward Inverness. Argyle, who had rallied
the scattered Campbells, was now with three thousand men
at Inverlochy, at the western extremity of the chain of High
land lakes. By a secret and circuitous route, Montrose re
turned and fell on his vanguard by night. • The moon giving
her light, the troops skirmished tUl day. In the morning
(Feb. 2) the fight hegan: Argyle, in whpse character there
was little pf chivalry, viewed frpm a bbat in the lake the noble,
but Unavailing struggles pf his gallant Campbells, and the
slaughter pf one half their number. Montrose, elate with
his victory, wrote to the king, promising soon to come to his
aid with a gallant army ; and this letter arriving during the
treaty of Uxbridge, aided to prevent the sanguine monarch
from complying with terms on which peace might have been
effected. Montrose returned to the north; the Grants and
Gordons joined him ; he spread his ravages as before ; Dun
dee was stormed and partly burnt, (Apr. 4.) But the ap
proach of a superior force under BaUlie and that soldier of

CHARLES I. 149
fortune Hurry, now again against the king, obliged him to
return to the mountains with some loss. Baillie then entered
Athol, whUe Hurry moved northwards after Montrose, to
whom he gave battle at Aldean, near Nairn, and was defeated
with the loss of two thousand men. Baillie himself was soon
after overthrown at Alford, on the Don.
The English parliament had now completed their New
Model. It consisted of six thousand horse divided into ten
regiments, one thousand dragoons, and fourteen thousand
foot in twelve regiments often companies each. These regi
ments vvere composed of men from the old armies, chiefly
those of a religious cast and inclined to the party of the inde
pendents. A more rigorous discipline was introduced than
had hitherto prevaUed, and thus was formed that noble army,
which, actuated by a higher principle than the mere love of
pay and plunder, never encountered a defeat, and has left its
memory a subject of admiration to posterity.
The king had given the nominal command of his forces
to the prince of Wales, but the real power to prince Rupert
as his lieutenant. He had also sent the prince to Bristol,
ostensibly to command inthe west, but really because, as he
himself used to express it, " he and his son were too great
a prize to be ventured in one bottom." Goring, Wilmot, '
and Greenvil had all separate commands in the west, and
the license in which these profligate commanders indulged
their men, and the atrocities committed by them, gave or
igin to a defensive association among the country-people
in the counties of Wilts, Somerset, Dorset, and Devon, and
a simUar assoeiatipn appeared in Glpucester and Werces-
ter. The pbject pf these people, who were named, from
their principal weapon. Clubmen, was to preserve their prop
erty from the hands of both parties ; and as the royalists
were the greaterplunderers, their hostility was chiefly directed
against them. Many of the loyal gentry, however, counte
nanced them, in hopes of being able hereafter to render them
serviceable to the royal cause.
About a third of the kingdom still obeyed the king ; his
army was more numerous than the New Model, but it was
scattered and divided; its officers were at discord, and the
men demoralized. He was, however, the first to take the
field, and leaving Oxford (May 7) at the head of ten
thousand men, of whom more than a half were cavalry,
he proceeded to raise the siege ,of Chester. The enemy
retired at the rumor of his approach. He then advanced
against the town of Leicester, which was taken by storm,
13*

150 HISTORY OP ENGLAND.
(31st,) and plundered. Fairfax," who had been on his way
to the relief of Taunton, which was hard pressed by the
royalists under Greenvil, was ordered to return, and being
baffled in his expectations of gaining Oxford by means of a
party within t'he walls, he proceeded in pursuit of the king.
Near the viUage of Naseby, between Daventry and Harbor
ough, his van overtook the rear of the royalists, (June 13,)
and next morning (14th) the two armies stood prepared for
action, the advantage in numbers bein^ on the side of Fairfax.
Sir Jacpb (npw lprd) Astley cpmmanded the rpyalist infan
try in the centre, prince Rupert the horse on the right wing,
sir Marmaduke Langdale that on the left wing. In the other
army Fairfax himself led the centre, Cromwell* the riglit,
and Ireton the left wing. Rupert, with his usual impetuos
ity, bore down all before him; Ireton was wounded, and for
some time a prisoner ; but Rupert never knew when to stop,
and instead of returning to support his friends, he wasted his
time in summoning the enemy's artiUery. Cromwell, who
had been equally successful on his side, knew better how to
use his victory ; leaving four squadrons to watch the fugi
tives, he fell on the rear ofthe royal centre, who had hither
to maintained the fight with advantage against those opposed
to them. Dismayed at firiding themselves assailed in front
and rear, they threw dpwn their arms and sued' fpr quarter.
One regiment, hpwever, thpugh twice charged, remained
unbreken. Fairfax then making Dpyley, the captain pf his
guard, attack it in front, wliile himself took it in the rear, it
at length was broken ; Fairfax with his own hand kUled the
ensign, and seized the colors. When the soldier to whose
charge he committed them boasted of the deed as his own,
Fairfax said, " Let him retain that honor ; I have to-day ac
quired enough beside." The king showed equal heroism;
when he saw his infantry broken, he cried to his guard, and
to such ofthe horse as had gathered about him, " One charge
more and we recover the day ! " but they had no heart to re
new the combat, and he was obliged to quit the field. The
victory of the parliament-army was complete. They took
four thousand five hundred prisoners, and all the artillery and
ammunition. It is remarkable, that in this decisive defeat
the slain on the side ofthe royalists did not exceed three or
four hundred men.
Among the spoils at Naseby was the king's cabinet, con-
* Accident or design had continued to exempt Cromwell from the
operation of the self-denying ordinance introduced by himself.

CHARLES I. 151
taining his correspondence with the queen, and other impor
tant documents. A selection of these was made by the
parliament, and published with remarks, under the title of
' The King's Cabinet Unclosed.' Charles himself acknowl
edged that the coUection was genuine, but corriplained that
some papers were kept back which would have explained
dubious passages. The royalists censured this act as base
and barbarous ; but it vvas hardly to be expected that men
would forego so fair an occasion of vindicating themselves
in the eyfes of the world as these letters presented. '
They proved, in fact, but too well the king's insincerity in
the late treaty. Thus he writes to the queen, (Jan. 2,) " As
to my calling those at London a parliament, I shall refer thee
to Digby for particular satisfaction : this in general. If there
had been but two, besides myself, of my opinion, I had not
done it ; and the argument that prevailed with me was, that
the caUing did noways acknowledge thetri to be a parliament,
upon which condition and construction I did it, and no other-
ways; and accordingly it is registered inthe council-books,
with the council's unanimous approbation." Again he says,
(Jan. 9,) "The settlement of religion and the militia are
the first to be treated on ; and be confident, that I wUI neither
quit episcopacy nor that sword which God hath given into
my hands." On the 15th of February he writes, "Thou
needest not doubt the issue of this treaty, for my commis
sioners are so well chosen, though I say it, that they will
neither be threatened nor disputeid from the grounds I have
given them, which, upon my word, is according to the little
note thou so well remembers;" and, "Be confident, that
in making peace, I shaU ever show my constancy in adher
ing to bishops and all our friends,* and not forget to put a
short period to this perpetual parliament." After the break
ing ofJFof the treaty, he writes, (Mar. 13,) somewhat elated
at getting rid of his Oxford parliament. " And now," says
he, " if I do any thing unhandsome or disadvantageous to
myself or friends, it will be merely my own fault." He then
notices his fears that he should have been pressed " to make
* The queen had written, (Deo. 16,) " that you do not abandon those
who have served you, for fear they do forsake you in your need;"
and, "for if you <lo agree upon ' strictness against the catholics, it
would discourage them to serve you ; and if afterwards there should
be no .peace, you could never expect succors from Ireland or any other
catholic princes, for they would believe you would abandon them after
you have served yourself; " and, (Jan. 17,) " above all, have a care not
to abandon those who have served you, as well the bishops as *he poor
catholics."

152 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
some overtures to renew the treaty,'' but now, if renewed, it
shall be to his honor and advantage; " I being now as well
freed from the place of base and mutinous motions, (that is to
say, our mongrel parliament here,) as of the chief causers."
These were WUmot, Sussex, and Percy, whom he had sent
away to the queen in France, which he thought " would rather
prove a change than an end of their vUlanies ; " that is, their
desire for peace. '
A frequeut topic in these letters is a treaty with the duke
of Lorraine for his army of ten thousand men, to aid the
royal cause in England. Charles also writes to the queen,
(Mar. 5,) "I give thee power to promise in my name, to whom
thou thinkest most fit, that I will take, away all the penal
laws against the Roman catholics in England as soon as God
shall enable me to do it, so as by their means or in their fa
vors I may have so powerful assistance as may deserve so
great a favor, and enable me to do it." Sir Kenelm Digby
was at this time going to Rome to solicit aid frorn the pope,
and the king had written to Ormond, (Feb. 27,) command
ing him "to conclude a peace with the Irish, whatever it
cost; so that my protestant subjects there may be secured,
and my regal authority there be preserved ; '' he had even sent
Glamorgan on his secretmissionto Ireland. In short Charles's
maxim for regaining his despotism seems to have been the
usual one of Flecicre si nequeo superos Acheronta movebo.
We now return to our narrative. After the fatal rout at
Naseby, the king directed his steps to Leicester, whencehe
retired to Hereford. He then enjoyed for some days the
festivities of Ragland castle, the seat of the venerable mar
quess of Wpi;cester, and thence proceeded to Cardiff. In a
letter which he wrote from this place to prince Rupert, who
now commanded at Bristol, and who joined in the common
desire for peace, we may discern the still unbending charac
ter of this "incomparable king,'' as Clarendon styles him.
" Speaking either," says he, " as to mere soldiers or states
men, I must say there is no probability but of my ruin ; but
as to Christians, I must tell you that God will not suffer reb
els to prosper, or his cause to be overthrown." His only
hopes for himself were tP end his days with hpnpr and a gpod
conscience ; his friends, if they staid with him, must ex
pect to die or fo live miserably; yet he wUl not "go less"
than what he offered at Uxbridge, though he confesses it
would be as great a miracle if they consented to it, as if in
a mpnth hence he shpuld be as he was just befpre the batde
of Naseby.

CHARLES 1. 153
Each day brought tidings of losses. Leicester had surren
dered when Fairfax appeared. He then marched to the re
lief of Taunton, whence Goring retired at his approach ; but
Fairfax brought him to action at Lamport in Somerset (July
10) and defeated him. Bridgewater, deemed impregnable,
surrendered, (23d.) Bath and Sherborne submitted. Inthe
north, Scarhorough, Pomfret, and Carlisle, had yielded ; and
the Scots, who had been engaged in the siege of this last,
came and sat down before Hereford. The king, quitting
Wales, hastened to Newark, and finding that the Scottish
horse were in pursuit of him, he burst into and ravaged the
eastern counties, and at length (Aug. 28) reached Oxford in
safety. Here he was cheered with intelligence of another
victory gained by Montrose. This indefatigable chief, hav
ing again issued from the mountains with a force of six
thousand men, spread devastation over the country to the
Forth. Baillie was advantageously posted at Kilsith, near
Stirling, and he wished to act on the defensive, but, like
Pompeius at Pharsalia, he was overruled by the committee
of estates, and obliged to move from his strong position and
prepare for battle. Ere his men were drawn up (Aug. 15)
his horse were driven back on the foot, and the Irish and
clansmen rushed on with wild yells and savage gestures.
His troops broke and fled ; they were pursued for a space of
fourteen rnUes, and five thousand raen, it is said, were slain.
All Scotland was now open to Montrose. Glasgow and other
towns submitted ; the citizens of Edinburgh sent him their
royalist prisoners; the marquess of Douglas and other no
bles joined him, and a parliament was summoned to meet at
Glasgow. At this news, the Scottish horse, under David Lesley, who
were now (Aug. 26) at Nottingham, hastened back to their
own country; and the king, leav/ing Oxford with five thpu
sand men, came and raised the siege pf Herefprd. He was
then prpceeding tp the relief pf Bristol ; but at Ragland cas
tle he learned, to his uttur dismay, that it had surrendered.
Prince Rupert, who, with a good garrison, had engaged to
maintain it for four months, had given it up as .soon as Fair
fax forced his lines, (Sept. 10.) The king in his anger re
voked the commission he should never have given him, and
ordered him to quit the kingdom. He then led his forces to
the relief of Chester, which colonel Jones was besieging.
He was followed by the parliamentary general Pointz, who
fell pn his rear while he was attacking Jpnes, (23d ;) and the
king was obliged to retire in disorder with the loss of six
T

154 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
hundred slain and one thousand prisoners. He hastened to
Bridgenorth and thence to Newark, (Oct 4.) Here he re
mained for the remainder of the month, when, finding that
his enemies were increasing around it, and that the Scots
were returning, he stole away in the night, (Nov. 3,) with a
party of five hundred h^rse, and contrived to reach Oxford
on the second day, where he remained for the Winter.
The brUliant hopes excited by Montrose were now at an
end ; his highland followers had, after their usual manner,
quitted him to go home to secure their plunder ; and having
stationed himseff with the remainder at PhUip-haugh, near
Selkirk, in Ettrick forest, he was suddenly faUen on by Les
ley, and after doing all that was in man to avert defeat, he
was totally routed, and forced to fly once more to the moun
tains. Digby and Langdale, vyho were coming to join him
with fifteen hundred English horse, after routing a party of
the enemy at Doncaster, and being themselves defeated by
colonel Copley at Sherborne, reached Dumfries ; . but getting
no account of Montrose, they disbanded their men and passed
over to the Isle of Man, whence Digby proceeded to Dublin.
The negotiation with the duke of Lorraine was now at an
endj and the king's only hopes lay in Ireland, where he had
been carrying on a mysterious treaty with the insurgents.
His wish had been to convert the cessation into a permanent
peace ; but the bigotry of the native Irish, headed by their
clergy, would be content with nothing short of the establish
ment of their religion. , To this Ormond, as a protestant,
neither could nor would consent ; Charles then looked* out
for another agent, and such he found in lord Herbert, eldest
son of the marquess of Worcester, a catholic, his personal
friend, and romantically and devotedly loyal. Herbert, now
created earl of Glamorgan, received, in the month of January,
(1645,) various instructions and commissions to treat with
the Irish confederates, the king pledging himself to make
good whatever he should conclude. They were sealed with
the private signet and blanks left for the names of the pope
and other princes, which he was to insert himself, "to the
end," said Glamorgan, " the king might have a starting hole
to deny the having given me such commissions, if excepted
against by his own subjects ; leaving me, as it vvere, at stake,
who, for his majesty's sake, was wUling to undergo it, trusting
to his word alone." *
Thus furnished, Glamorgan proceeded to Ireland, (Apr.
30,) where Rinuccini, a papal nuncio, was new expected;
to whom, as well as to the pope, he had letters from the king.

CHARLES I. 155
Having communicated his instructions to ascertain extent to
Ormond, negotiations were entered into with the supreme
councU ofthe Irish at Kilkenny,to which town Glamorgan
proceeded ; and he there (Aug/25) concluded a secret trea
ty, by which the catholics wece to enjoy the public exercise
of their religion, and all the churches and their revenues
vvhich were not acttially in the possession of the protestant
clergy ; they, in return, were to supply the king with a body
of ten thousand armed men, and devote two thirds of the
church revenues to his service, during the war. A public
treaty was, meantime, going on with Ormond, who scrupled
on the subject of religion. But whUe he hesitated, the par
liament got hold of the secret treaty; for, the titular arch
bishop of Tuam, a martial prelate, happenitig to be killed in
a skirmish between the Scots and Irish,, (Oct. 17,) copies
of all the documents were found in his carriage, and, trans
mitted to Londpn. When Ormond got informatian of this,
which was not tiU Christmas, he called a council, and it was
determined, at the suggestion of Digby, to arrest Glamorgan
for high-treason ; and Digby wrote in very strong and indig
nant terms to the king. Charles, in a message to the parlia
ment, (Jan. 29, 1646,) solemnly disavowed Glamorgan's
proceedings, averririg that he had only given him a commis
sion to raise soldiers; To Ormond, who had Glamorgan's
warrant now in his hands, the king wroteevasively, asserting
that he had no recollection of it, and that if he did give such
a warrant, it was with ah understanding that it was npt tp
be employed without the lord-lieutenant's approbation. Gla
morgan, of whose innocence there could be no doubt, was
not long a prisoner. He hastened to Kilkenny to resume
the treaty, (Jan. 22;) and obtained an immediate aid of six
thousand men ; but whUe he was waiting fpr transports to
carry them to the relief of Chester, he learned the fall pf that
city, and the tptal ruin of the royal cause in England. He
therefore disbanded his army, but still remained in Ireland.
After the surrendei; of Bristol the whPle sputh and west
pf England were speedily reduced. WhUe Fairfax was em
pleyed in the western cpunties, Cremwell tPPk Winchester
(Oct. 5) and Basing-hpuse, the fprtified mansien of the mar
quess of Winchester, (14th,) andin the north Latham-house,
which lady Derbjr had defended for two years : lord Scroop's
castle of Bolton and other places surrendered. The new
year opened with the taking of Dartmouth by Fairfax, (Jan.
18,) who then resumed the siege of Exeter. At Torrington
(Feb. 16) he totally routed lord Hopton and his Cornish

156 HISTORY QF ENGLAND.
troops. He followed him into Cornwall, where the people
submitted at his approach, and by a treaty (Mar. 14) Hopton
disbanded his army, and surrendered aU his arms, stores,
and ammunition. The prince of Wales had gone to SciUy,
whence he soon after passed over to Jersey, and finally joined
his mother at Paris. Penryn and other places surrendered,
and the lord-general came back to Exeter, which at length
was yielded on articles, (Apr. 13.) The whole west being
now reduced, Fairfax led his army back to Newbury.
Chester had surrendered early in February. Sir Jacob
Astley, with a body of three thousand men, whom he was
leading to Oxford, was attacked (Mar. 22) and totally defeat
ed at Stow in the Woalds, on the borders of Gloucestershire,
by colonel Morgan and sir WiUiam Brereton. ';Now you
have done your work and may go play, unless you fall out
among yourselves," said sir Jacob to those who had made him
a prisoner. The king's only hopes in fact lay in the divisions among
his enemies ; and had he known (which he never did know)
how to act with judgment, he might have recovered a suffi-
cieht portion of his regal authority. The breach between
the two religious parties was widening every day ; the cordi
ality between theEnglish parliament and their Scottish breth
ren was also on the wane. Charles intrigued with aU these
parties. " I am not without hppe," he writes to Digby, " that
I shall be able to draw either the presbyterians or independents
to side with me for extirpating one the other ; that I should
be really king again." He used Montreuil, the French
envoy, as his agent in his dealings with the Scots. His
great object was to get to London, where he had numerous
adherents, and where the peace-party was now strong. For
this purpose he was urgent for a personal treaty, but to this
the parliament, suspecting his object, would only Consent on
condition of his giving a previous assent to bills which they
were preparing; the three first of which were the same as
those offered at Uxbridge. The commons even went so far
as to pass a vote, (Mar. 31,) that if the king came within
their lines, the militia of London should apprehend those who
came with him or resorted to him, and " secure his person
from danger," i. e. confine him. They also ordered such as
had borne arms against the parliament to quit London by
the 6th of April.
At length the parliamentary troops began to close in Ox
ford, and the king must either resolve to sustain a siege and
finally surrender himself a prisoner, or to fly from the town.

CHARLES t. 157
He chose the latter, and on the night of the 27th of April
he quitted Oxford, having cut hia hair and beard, and riding
with a portmanteau behind him as the servant of his faithful
follower Ashburnham; oue Dr. Hudson, a loyal military
clergyman, who knew the country well, heing their guide.
They took the road to London. They passed through Ux
bridge and Brentford, and thence turned to Harrow-on-the-
hill, where the king finally determined to give up all thoughts
of London, and to follow his original design. He proceeded
by St. Alban's, and finding that his escape in the disguise of
a servant was known, he assumed that of a clergyman. At
length (30th) he came to Downham in Norfolk, where he
remained while Hudson went to Montreuil at Newark.
MontreuU had been for spme time negptiating pn the part pf
the king with the leaders pf the Scpttish army. The affair
is, like mpst Sccttish transactipns, invplved in obscurity ; but
it would appear that the Scots had overreached the sanguine
Frenchman, and led him to give the king hopes of what they
never intended to perform. It was proposed that they should
receive the monarch in their camp — a measure from which
they proposed to themselves many advantages, but at the
same time it must be done in such a manner as not to impli
cate them with the English parliament. Their plan was to
send a party of cavalry to Harborough, whither the king was
to come, as it were, accidentally, on his way to Scotland, and
he was to command their attendance on him. This plan,
however, had been given up, and Charles, pn arriving at that
place had feund npne there tp meet him. ¦ Montreuil, though
he now distrusted the Scots, thought when Hudson came to
him that the king's only chance was to put himself into their
hands. Charles therefore came (May 5) to Montreuil's
abode at SouthweU, and after dinner the envoy took him to
Kelham, Leven's head-quarters. Leven raised his hands in
real or affected surprise ; he and his officers showed the
monarch the most marked attention ; he assigned him Kel-
ham-house for his residence ; but when Charles, to try if he
was free, gave the word to the guard, Leven said, " I am the
older soldier, sir ; your majesty had better leave that office
to me." They wrote off immediately to the parliament, say
ing, that " they were astonished at the providence of the
king's coming into their army, which was so private that it
was long ere they could find him there," etc, ; and the king
having ordered Bellasis to surrender Newark to them, they
set out (9th) on their march homewards, for the commons
had voted that the king's person should be disposed of by
VOL. II. 14

158 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
both houses, and that he should be sent to Warwick castle.
Poyntz, with a body of five thousand horse, was ordered to
watch the Scottish army ; but their march was so rapid that
on the 18th the houses had intelligence of their arrival at
Newcastle-on-Tyne. Next day they voted that they " had
no further need ofthe army of their brethren the Scots in
this kingdom," and voted them 100,000/., half to be paid
when they gave up Newcastle, Carlisle, and other places held
by them ; the other half when they had entered Scotland.
At Newcastle the king was treated with suitable respect,
but none ofhis friends were given access to him. As the
establishment of presbytery was a sine qua non. with the big
oted Scots, he undertook, unaided as he was, to discuss the
matter with their great champion Henderson, and candor
must allow that the advantage was on the side of the king;
for most certainly no universal form of church government
is laid down in the New Testament, and if antiquity is to de
cide the matter, the cause is won for episcopacy. The error
of all sides at that time wassupposing any form to be enjoined
in Scripture. From the general insincerity of his character
it was thought at the time that Charles was not in earnest
in his maintenance of episcopacy, but his sincerity in this
mafter is now beyond question. He had consented to its
abolition in Scotland, but it was with a secret design of re
storing it when he should have fhe power. He had in a sim
ilar manner, as we have seen, agreed fo fhe abolition of
protestantism in Ireland; and as his attachment to the prot
estant faith cannot be questioned, we fear he meant to deceive
the catholics also. Yet at this very time he wished to throw
himself into their hands. In a letter to Glamorgan (July 20)
he says, "Tell the nuncio that if once I can come info his
and your hands, which ought to he- extremely wished for by
you both, as well for fhe sake of England as Ireland, since
all the rest as I see despise me, I will do it." He also, while
af Newcastle, meditated an escape by sea, but whether he
intended to go to France or Ireland is uncertain. At this
very time, too, he was harassed by letters from fhe queen,
Jermyn, Colepepper, and others, af Paris, and the foreign
residents there, urging him to give up the church ; the queen
even threatening fo go into a monastery if he refused. Yet
he stood firm. In truth he saw that he should gain nothing
by it, fpr npthing sbprt pf the mUitia weuld cpntent the par
liament, and this the queen and his pfher friends wpuld nPt
allow him to part with.
There were two points now under debate between the

CHARLES I. 159
English and the Scots ; the one the disposal ofthe royal per
son, the other the settlement ofthe arrears due to the Scottish
army. The Scots declared (July 4) " that asthey came into
England nut of affection, and not in a mercenary way, so
they \yill be as wUling fo return home, and want of pay shall
be no hinderance thereunto." In reply to this it was voted
that the kingdom had no more need of them, and " is no
longer able to bear them." The Scots (Aug. 12) then pro
posed to evacuate the kingdom, provided they were paid for
their losses, etc. ; it was voted (14th) to give fhem 100,000/.
and to have their accounts audited. " The houses," says
Whitelocke, "now saw the advantage. of keeping up their
army, as that which the more inclined the Scots to come
to this offer." The Scots (19th) stated their demands at
500,000/., but agreed (Sept. 1) to take 400,000/., which sum
fhe parliament consented fo give; and so far fhe transaction
appears to have had no reference to the king.
Iri the end of August the parliament sent nineteen propo
sitions to the king ; they were in substance the same with
the Uxbridge articles; but fhe militia, with power to employ
it, was to remain with fhe parliament for twenty years. To
these the king gave a positive refusal, veiled indeed under
the demand of a personal treaty. The enemies of peace and
royality exulted, the moderate party were dejected at this
event.* The arrangements jhaving been effected respecting
the Scottish arrears, it was voted (Sept. 18) that the king's
person shpuld be disppsed pf as fhe f wp hpuses shpuld think
fit, but that np dispute pn this subject should interfere with
the treaties or fhe return of fhe Scots army. The Scottish
commissioners strongly asserted fhe right of their nation to
a share in fhe disposal ofthe king. In November the Scot
tish parliament met : Hamilton, who was now at liberty,
exerted himself strongly in favor of fhe king ; all were of
opinion that he should accept the propositions, but Charles
was immovable on fhe subject of the church. A vote was
obtained (Dec. 16) to maintain his personal freedom and right
to the English thrpne. The general assembly, hpwever,
having declared it unlawful to support him while he refused
to assent to the covenant, and fhe parliainent, being aware
ofthe madness of engaging in a war with England, and ad-
* When thanks^were voted to the commissioners, one said more
thanks were due to the king. " What will become of us," whispered
a member, " since the kincr refuses the propositions?" "Nay, what
would bave become of -us, ' replied an independent, " had he granted
them.'"

160 HISTORY OP ENGLAND.
vised by Hollis and fhe leading presbyterians there that the
surrender ofthe king was the only means of causing fhe in
dependent army to be disbanded, who were the great enemies
of the king and of peace ; they accordingly gave him up to
commissioners sent tp receive him, (Feb. 1, 1646.) Charles
gladly left the Scots,* and he was conducted to Holdenby-
or Holmby-house near Althorpe, in Northamptonshire.
Charles himself said that he "was bought and sold," and
the charge of selling their king has been down fo fhe present
day reiterated against the Scots. There are certainly many
circumstances in the affair which' have a suspicious appear
ance. It seems certain that they would not have gotten so
large a sum from fhe parliament as they did if the person of
the king had not been in their hands, and they probably took
advantage of this circumstance to insist on their demands.
But there are no sufficient grpunds fpr charging them with
inviting him fp their camp wifh this design ; they did not
give him up till they had np chpice but that er war ; they
acted under the advice pf fhe friends pf mpnarchy in the Eng
lish parliament ; they stipulated in the mpst express terms
fpr the safety pf his perspn ; nay, tp fhe,very last, if he would
have given them satisfaction on the subject of religion, they
would have declined surrendering him. Like the monarch
himself, they were unhappily situated ; but we do not think
that they can be justly charged with fhe guilt of having sold
their king. Still every -friend to Scotland must wish that the
event had not occurred.
The civil war, after a duration of nearly four years, was
now at an end. Oxford, Worcester, and ofher places had
surrendered ; fhe old marquess of Worcester defended Rag
land castle against Fairfax and five thousand men, but he
was obliged at last fo open his gates, (Aug. 19;) and two
days later Pendennis castle in Cornwall also surrendered.
Harlech castle in North Wales was the last fo submit, (Mar.
30, 1647.) Favorable terms were granted in all cases,
• Whitelocke (Dec. 15, 1646) gives the following affecting notice : .
" A Scotch minister preached boldly before the kim' at Newcastle, and
after his sermon called for the 52d Psalm, which begins
Why dost thou, tyrant, boast thyself,
Thy wicked works to praise i
His majesty thereupon stood up and called for the 56th psalm, which
begins Have mercy. Lord, on me I pray,
For men vvould me devour.
The people waved the minister's psalm and sung that which the king
called for.

CHARLES I. 161
and the articles were. honorably observed. Much and justly
as intestine warfare is to be deprecated, we may look back
with pride to this civil contest, unexampled in the history of
the world. If does not, like the civU wars of other countries,
disgust us by detaUs of butcheries and other savage atroci
ties; all vvas open &nd honorable warfare; a generous hu
manity for the most part was displa,yed ori both sides; and
those who were finally victorious, to their honor, sent none
ofthe vanquished to the scaffold.
While awarding praise we cannot in justice pass over the
catholic nobility and gentry of England. Urged by an im
pulse of generous loyalty, as appears to us, rather than by
any cold calculations of interest; they ranged themselves on
the side ofthe king, though they knew but too well that he
was af all times ready to sacrifice them, and that they were
the perspns pn whpm the vengeance pf the parliament wpuld
fall mpst heavily ;, in the rpyal cause they wasted their estates,
and shed their blppd; and dead must he be tp generpus
feeling whp hpnprs npt the names of the marquesses of
Wprcesfer and Winchester, sir Marmaduke Langdale, and
the Pther cafhplic npbles arid knights whp fought on fhe
side of rpyaify in fhe civU centest.
Mentrpse pn receiving erders frpm the king laid dewn his
arms and retired to fhe continent. Ormond had by the royal
cpmmand ccncluded a peace with fhe Irish cafhplicsj but
the nuncip and fhe clergy having assembled at Waterferd
declared it void, (Aug 6.) The nuncio then assumed fhe
supreme power, and at the head of the united armies pf
Prestpn and Owen O'Neal,* advanced against Dublin. As
Ormpnd had wasted the cpuntry they were cbliged fp retire,
but he was well aware that it must fall into their hands if not
relieved from England. The king was now a captive, and
powerless ; the Irish catholics were entirely ruled by the
priesthood, and npthing shprt pfthe extirpatipn pf protestant
ism and the English interest would content them. Tp avert
this calamity Ormond entered into treaty with the parlia
ment, and he agreed (Feb. 22, 1647) to put Dublin and
fhe other garrisons into their hands. The sequestration
was taken off from his own estate, and he had permission
given him to reside fpr spme time in England.
The presbyterian system was at this time established by
ordinance of parliament ; each parish was to have its minister
and lay elders; a number of adjoining parishes were to form
* Preston was the general of tho catholics of the Enghsh blood,
O'Neal of the Ulster Irish.
14* u

162 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
a classis wifh its presbytery of ministers and elders; several
classes a province with its assembly ; and finally, a national
assembly over all. But the system never came into full op
eration except in London and Lancashire; the parliament
could not be brought to allow ofthe divine right of presbyte
ry ; they greatly limited the power of the keys, and they al
lowed of appeals from fhe ecclesiastical c;ourts. In their
zeal for uniformity, hatred of toleration, lust of power, and
tyrannical exercise of it, the presbyterian clergy fell nothing
short ofthe prelafical party whb had been their persecutors.
The moderate party in parliament lost at this time a great
support by the death of the earl of Essex, (Sept. 14.) He died
in consequence of overheating himself in fhe chase of a stag
in Windsor-forest. He wak buried with great state in West
minster-abbey, (Oct. 22;) the members of both houses, the
civil and military officers, and all the troops in London at-
tendinff the funeral.

CHAPTER IX.
CHARLES L (costinued.)
1647—1649.

The presbyterians were stUI fhe more numerous party in
parliament, though their rivals had acquired an accession of
strength in the elections which had lately been held ; for,
says Ludlow, " honest men (i. e. his ovvn party) in all parts
did what they could to promote fheelecfions of such as were
most hearty for the accomplishment of our deliverance," that
is, the establishment of a republic. But the main strength
of the other party lay in the army, in which, since the new
model, the spirit of fanaticism had, urider the auspices of
Cromwell, greatly increased. The English presbyterian
clergy, less zealous or less prudent than their Scottish breth
ren, had preferred fhe enjoyment of good livings to the toils
of a military life; the regiments were without chaplains; the
officers, and soon fhe privates, took on them the offices of
praying and preaching; goodness of memory and volubility
of speech were regarded as inspiration; spiritual pride soon
followed, and they regarded themselves alone as the godly,
the saints who were to possess the earth.
The parliament saw the danger likely to result from the

CHARLES 1. 163
continuance in arns of a body of men animated with fanati
cism and formidable by disciplinei To reduce their number
was therefore their first object. As the royalists were utter
ly crushed and the Scots withdrawn, they proposed that a
moderate force should be r,efained to preserve the peace in
England, a sufficient army be sent to reduce Ireland, and the
remainder be disbanded. To this arrangement fhe army had
an invincible repugnance. The service in Ireland, however
flattering to their fanatic spirit, promised only toil, privation,
and danger, and they looked forward in preference to the
quiet enjoyment of their pay in England. The habits of a
military life had rendered their foriner plodding pursuits dis
tasteful to them, particularly to fhe officers, many of whom
had risen from very humble stations in society.* Cromwell
too, now their aQtuating spirit, seems to have even then
formed his plans for governing parliament by the army.
The commons meantime voted, (Mar. 8,) that excepting the
general there should be no further any officer pf higher rank
than celonei ; that no member of fhe house should have a
command ; that all the officers should take fhe covenant and
conform to the new form of church-government. It is quite
evident that Cromwell was the person chiefly aimed at. But
the parliament had unwisely suffered the pay of the army to
fall into arrears and thus furnished them vvfith a plausible
ground of complaint. The army on hearing of this vote
suddenly broke up from their quarters about Nottingham and
came to Saffron- Waldon in Essex. Commissioners from the
parliament met them there (22d) on the subject of the ser
vice in Ireland ; buf the officers required to be previously
satisfied on certain points, and a petition was meantime cir
culated for signatures through the army, requiring an act of
indemnity for all past actions, payment of arrears, exemptipn
frpm impressment, pensions for the maimed and for widows,
and pay till they should be disbanded. The parliament (30th)
voted this petition to be mutinous, and forbade any further
proceeding in it ; but of this fhe soldiers took little heed.
The army had at this time a parliament of its own ; the
superior officers formed a supreme council, while two adjuia-
tators, or, as they were spon named, agitators, being chpsen
* Colonel Pride for instance is said to have been a drayman, colonel
Hewson a cobbler. We must not, however, on all occasions, give im
plicit credit to the royalist writers in these matters. Thus they always
say that Harrison had been a butcher, whereas the truth is that his
father was a respectable grazier, and himself a member of one of the
inns of court.

164 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
from each troop and company by. the common soldiers, formed
a lower house. It seems probable that Cromwell and his able
son-in-law Ireton were the founders of this institution.
Throughout the months of AprU and May the parliament
vainly sought to rid themselves of their refractory servants.
At length, urged by the impetuosity of Hollis, Stapylton, and
Glynn, they sent (May 25) instructions fo the general to dis
band the various regiments withput delay. This measure
prpduced results which they had by np means anticipated.
The king had been aU this time at Helmby. The cpmmis
sipners sent by the parliament tp take charge of him treated
hira with respect, and he eiijpyed the recreatiens pf riding
abput the cpuntry and playing, at bpwls in the bpwling-green
at Althprpe. But his servants were selected by the par
liament : he was refused the attendance pf any pf his chap
lains, and even the peeple whp reserted fp befeucbed for the
evil were net allpwed tp approach him. On the 12th of May
he wrote to the parliament offering to establish presbytery for
three years, to resign the cpmmand pf the army fpr ten years,
and fp give full satisfactien respecting the war in Ireland.
He had received np answer, when, en the 2d pf June, as he
was at bpvvls, an pfficer in fhe unifprm pf Fairfax's regiment
waS pbserved ameng the spectatbrs. His answers tp the in
quiries pf cplpnel Greaves, whp cpmraanded the guards at
Helmby, excited suspicipn ; the king was hurried heme and
the guards were doubled. About two in the morning (3d)
the stranger (who proved fo be cornet Joice, formerly a tailor)
appeared with a party of horse before the gates, where they
were received by fhe guards as brethren : they said they were
come to prevent their enemies from carrying away the king.
They set guards, and passed the day in consultation. At ten
at night, Joice, having placed guards on the commissioners,
proceeded fo the apartment of fhe king, which he entered
wifh his hat in one hand and his pistol in the other. He be
haved with civility, and he seems to have satisfied the king
on the subject of his removal ; Charles only required that he
should repeat next day in public what he then said in private;
Joice then withdrew.
At six next morning (4tli) Joice drew up his men before
the door. The king standing on fhe steps asked him what
authority he had for conveying him away. He replied, that
ofthe army. The king then demanded if he had a written
commission from the general, and on his repeating the ques
tion, Joice pointing fo his men said, " There is my commis
sion." The king smiled and said " I never before read such

CHARLES 1. IQB-
8 cpmmission; but it is written in characters fair and legible
enough ; a company of as handsome, proper gentlemen as I
have seen a long while.'' He then demanded to be treated
with respect if he went with them, and not to have his con
science forced. The troopers' acclaimed their assent, and
Joice replied that it; vvas not their principle. tp force any man's
conscience, much less their king's. He pffered him his
choice of residences : CharleS fixed on Newmarket; he was
allowed the attendance of his own servants. The commis
sioners protested in vain against this act ; the king when
ready mounted his horse with a cheerful air and set out with
the troopers, whom the commissioners also accompanied.
Fairfax, on hearing what had taken place, sent colonel
Whalley with two regiments of horse to reconduct fhe king
to Holmby, but Jie refused to return. Next day Fairfax,
CromweU, Ireten, and Pthers, waited on him. In a private
interview Fairfax made a proffer of his services. " Sir,"
said the king, " I have as good an interest in fhe army as
you." On this Fairfax remarks, " By this I plainly saw fhe
broken reed he leaned on; fhe agitators had brought him
into an opinion that the army was for him." Fairfax tried
in vain to bring Joice to a court-martial; Hollis asserts, and
probably with truth, that the whole matter had been planned
by Cromwell and Ireton, and that Joice was only their agent.
When the parliament heard of this bold proceeding ofthe
army they recalled their precipitate vote of the 25th of May.
But this was of no avaU; the army mustered (IOth) on Trip-
low-heath near Cambridge, and prepared to march for Lon
don, and two days after they were at St. Alban's, whence
(16th) they sent a charge against eleven ofthe leading pres-
hyterians, requiring them to be sequestered from parliament
and thrown into prison. The head-quarters of the army
¦were then moved to Berkhamstead (25th) and next day to
Uxbridge. Addresses from the counties round London, who
now saw where the power really lay, were presented to the
general and the army. Messages passed and repassed be
tween the houses and the army, and at length (July 20) the
eleven members desired and obtained leave to gp intp the
cPuntry pr beypnd sea fer six months. " Here," s'ays Hallam,
"may be said. to have fallen the legislative power and civil
government of England, which, from this hour to tbat ofthe
restoration, had never more than a momentary and precarious
gleam of existence, perpetually interrupted by the sword."
The king meantime was treated with unusual indulgence.

166 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
He moved with the army, but things were so arranged as to
allow him to stop afthe mansions of the nobility, by whom
he was splendidly entertained. He was allowed the attend
ance of his episcopal chaplains; his friends were freely ad
mitted to him. The parliament had always rudely refused
to gratify him by the sight of his children, whom they had
committed fo fhe charge of the earl of Northumberland ; but
now, by a letter, from Fairfax, the earl was directed fo take
them down to Cavesham-house near Reading, where they re
mained for two days wifh their father. Cromwell,, who wanted
not for riatural feelings, and who was present at their first
interview, declared that it was "the tenderest sight that ever
his eyes beheld," and wept plenfeously when describing it.
Fairfax, brave and skilful in the camp and field, guileless
and simple as a child in civil affairs, was but the puppet, of
CromweU and Ireton. These two able men also ruled fhe
council of officers and the agitators. Sir John Berkeley,
who had returned from France, was the agent between them
and fhe king. They expressed, and probably with sincerity,
every inclination to restore him to his dignity, Cromwell
himself declaring that " he thought no man could enjoy his
estate quietly unless the king had his rights." But Charles,
sanguine and imprudent, thought that by playing the army,
the parliament, and the Scots, against each other, he could
recover his despotic power; he had also a firm persuasion
that nothing could be finally arranged without him, and that
whatever party he joined must have the superiority. They
saw this. " Sir," said Ireton to him on one occasion, " you
have an intention to be arbitrator between the parliament
and us, and we mean to be so between the parliament and
you." When the king was af Woburn in fhe latter end of
July, ' Proposals ' far more moderate than any he had yet
seen, drawn up by Ireton, were laid before him by Berkeley ;
but his reply was, "Well, I shall see them glad erelong to
accept of more equal terms." Lord Lauderdale, one of the
Scottish commissioners, had just af this time come down to
inform him that a new covenant vvas receiving numerous
signatures in the city, by which the subscribers bound
themselves to bring him up fo Westminster fo confirm the
concessions he had made at Holmby. Charles was as usual
unduly elated, and when the council of officers waited on
him with their completed proposals, (Aug. 1,) they met
with a decided refusal. " You cannot do without me," said
he; "you wUI fall to ruin ifl do not sustain you." On a

CHARLES I. 167
whisper from Berkeley the king attempted to soften the terms
he had used ; but colonel- Rainsborough, a decided foe to
accommodation, had already conveyed them fo fhe army.
An event of great importance was now on the eve of hap
pening. The citizens had petitioned against the demands
of fhe army, but the houses rejected their prayer, and also
voted (July 24) the new covenant an act of treason. Two
days after, the citizens petitioned again, and on their being
refused, a great crowd of apprentices and of the disbanded
soldiers of Essex's army besieged the doors of fhe houses,
arid never ceased from clamor and threats till they had forced
the parliament to rescind the obnoxious ordinances. The
houses then adjourned to fhe 30th, on Which day, when they
met, they learned that the two speakers and several of fhe
Independent members had fled to the army, which was now
on its march for London. They appointed new speakers,
revived fhe committee of safety, and prepared to raise a force
to oppose the army. Waller, MasSey, and Poyntz were ap
pointed to command the new levies.
On fhe 3d of August the army mustered twenty thousand
strong on Hounslow Heath. About fourteen of the lords
and one hundred of the commons appeared among them.
The aspect of things in the city inthe meantime was various;
when word came that fhe army had made a halt, the cry was,
" One and all ! " if they heard that it was advancing, the word
was, "Treat! treat!" i^ letter was findly sent tothe general,
" beseeching him that there might be a way of composure."
His demands of having fhe fortifications on the west side of
the city given up to him being complied with, he moved on
the morning of the 6th from his head-quarters at Hammer
smith, one regiment of foot and two of horse preceding him,
the members foUowing in coaches; a regiment of horse
bringing up the rear. AU the soldiers wore laurel-sprigs in
their hats. In this state he reconducted fhe members to their
seats. He received in return the thanks of both fhe houses
and fhe lieutenancy of fhe Tower. Next day (7fh) the whole
army marched through fhe city, and then proceeded to take
up their quarters in Kent and Essex, the general fixing him
self at Croydon.
The eleven members, who had lately come forward again,
now sought safety in flight. After many debates, enforced
at length by a letter from the general, an ordinance was
passed, (Aug. 26,) making null and void all votes, etc., from
the 26th of July to the 6th of August. Soon after (Sept. 7)
Clement Walker, Glyn, the recorder, and sir John Maynard

168 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
were expelled the house; the seven lords also, who had con
tinued to sit, were impeached, (8th,) and the lord-mayor and
four of th« aldermen were committed to the Tower.
WhUe matters were proceeding thus in London, the king
remained in tranquiUity. He removed to Oatlands on the 14th,
whither numbers resorted to him from London, and fen days
after, (24th,), having dined with his children at Sion-house, he
took up his abode at Hampton-court; the head-quarters of
the general were now at Putney.
At Hampton-court the king enjoyed great liberty, having
given his promise not^ fo attempt an escape; he saw his
children whenever he pleased; his friends had ready access
tphim; he cprresppnded freely with the queen ; the pfficers
treated him with tbe utmost respect. Frequent conversations
took place between him and Cromwell as they walked in the
gardens and galleries of the palace. Huntingdon, fhe major
of Cromwell's regiment, and Berkeley and Ashburnhahi com
municated frequently between them. On the 8th of Septem
ber, fhe parliament, at the desire of fhe Scottish commission.
ers, sent fhe ' Propositions ' once more to the king. Charles,
secretly advised by Ireton, rejected them; his answer was
shown privately to Cromwell and Ireton, and was in some
parts amended by them. Cromwell gave repeated assurances
that no worse conditions than the ' Proposals ' of the army
should ever be imposed on him, and Ireton said that " they
would purge and purge, and never leave purging the houses
till they had made them of such a temper as should do his
majesty's business." In his reply fp the hpuses, Charles de
clared his preference pf the ' Preppsals ' of the army, and
proposed fo treat respecting that plan with commissioners of
the parliament and army. " Cromwell, Ireton, and many of
their party in fhe house," says Ludlow, " pressed the king's
desires with great earnestness; wherein, contrary to their ex
pectations, they found a vigorous opposition from such as
had already conceived a jealousy of their private agreement
with the king, and were now confirmed in that opinion ; and
the suspicions of fhem grew so strong that they were account
ed betrayers pf the cause, and lest almpst all their friends in
the parliament." He adds, that the army were ne less dissat
isfied with their cpnduct. There was in ^ffect a new party
sprung up in the army, styled by themselves ' Ratipnalists,'
as they affected to possess no knowledge or talents, but simply
fhe reason vvhich God had given them to be their guide.
They soon, however, acquired the more expressive title of
'Levellers,' as their reason showed them that all distinctions

CHARLES I. 169
between man and man shpuld be levelled. These were fhe
men fp whpm all plans for fhe restoration of fhe king were
so distasteful.
On faking a calm view of the whole of the dealings of
Cromwell and Ireton at this tjme with the king, as they are
variously reported, we see no reason whatever to doubt of
their sincerity. Cromwell, it is said, was to be made earl of
Essex, captain of fhe king's guard, and a knight of the garter,
and Ireton lord-lieutenant of Ireland. But fear of the level
lers, and the discovery ofthe king's insincerity, caused them
afterwards to change and to become his enemies; for at this
very time, Charles, with his inculpable passion for intrigue,
was in secret treaty vvith tbe Scots. He fold lord Capel, that
" he did really believe that it could not be long before there
would be a war between fhe two nations, in which fhe Scots
promised themselves a universal concurrence from all fhe
presbyterians in England ; and that in siich a conjuncture
he wished that his own party would put themselves in arms,
without which he could not expect great benefit by the suc
cess ofthe other." Ormond was also at Hampton-court, and
it was arranged that he should at fhe same time resume fhe
lieutenancy of Ireland, and act for fhe royal interest. Of
this intrigue Cromwell got information, and he expostulated
with Ashburnham, Complaining "that fhe king could not be
trusted," and adding, that " he would not be ansvferable if
any thing fell out ariiiss, and contrary to expectation."
Cromwell is said fo have discovered this by intercepting a
letter from Charles fo fhe queen. There is a curious story
to the following effect : CromweU and Ireton riding out with
lord Broghill one day in Ireland, told him that while they
were in treaty with fhe king, they learned, from one of their
spies ofthe bed-chamber, that their doom vvas fixed in a letter
fo the queen, which was sewed up in the skirt of a saddle,
that was to be taken to the Blue Boar in Holborn, to be sent
fo Dover. Cromwell and Ireton then, disguised as common
troopers, went to the inn, and sat drinking there till the man
they expected came, when they ripped up the saddle and
found what they wanted. The king in it said that he thought
he should close with the Scots, and they then, having no hopes
of him, resolved to ruin him. According to another account,
the words ofthe letter were, "that he should know how in
due time to deal with the rogues, who instead of a silken
garter shpuld be fitted in due time with a hempen cprd."
Be this account true er false, Crpmwell and Ireten kept
up their communications with the king, but the levellers
VOL. II. 15 V

170 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
were now growing too strong for them. The agitators of
sixteen regiments presented to parliament (Nov. 1) a plan
for new-jnedelling fhe censtitutipn : parliaments were fp be
biennial ; all perspns but servants were fp have vpfes, etc.
Cromwell and Ireton opppsed these measures firmly, but the
fprmer was menaced with impeachment, and fhe latter had
quitted the cpuncU pf pfficers, en its being intimated that the
army wpuld make np mpre addresses tP fhe king. It is said
that there was a plet pfthe levellers tP seize the persen pf
the king, and CrpmweU, who had pledged his word to give
him warning if there was any danger, wrote to warn, colonel
WhaUey, by whom the letter was instantly shown to him,
(Nov. 11.) That very night Charles, who had already with
drawn his parole, secretly quitted Hampton-court, accompa
nied by Legge, and crossing the river to Thames Ditton,
where Berkeley and Ashburnham were waiting with horses,
proceeded fo Titchfield-house in Sussex, the residence ofthe
countess-dowager of Southampton. On his table at Hampton-
court were found various letters, among which was an anony
mous one warning him pf assassination, and one from himself
to the parliament, assuring them he would be always ready to
leave fhe asylum whichhe had chosen, "whenever he might be
heard with honor, freedom, and safety.''
There is great mystery in this escape of fhe king, which
could hardly have taken place withput fhe cpnnivance of
Whalley, and even of Cromwell. The enemies of the latter
see in it a deep stratagem fp get fhe king mere ccmpletely
intp his ppwer. We confess that we dp npt think so Ul
pf Cromwell, and viewing him as a statesman and a man
of humanity, we are inclined fp give the preference to the
opinion of Hobbes, that he wished to give the king an op
portunity of escaping to fhe continent. It would also seem
that Charles's original plan had been to make his escape
by sea, and that he had arranged with the Scottish com
missioners fo go fo Berwick, but that they had repelled him
by talking again of their covenant. He then appears to
have thought of Jersey, but no vessel had been provided, and
there seemed little chance of being able to procure one speed
ily. He also thought ofthe Isle of Wight, of which colonel
Hammond, fhe nephew of one ofhis chaplains and a man of
honor, had lately been made. governor. While he and Legge
therefore remained at Titchfield, he sent Berkeley arid Ash
burnham to Hammond with copies of Cromwell's and the
anonymous letter, to tell him that the king designed to seek
protection from him. They met Hammond ashe was on his

CHARLES I. 171
way from Carisbrooke-castle fo Newport^ and Berkeley ab
ruptly began by informing him that the king was at hand.
Hammond turned pale, and trembled excessively, and was
near falling from his horse. "Oh, gentlemen ! " he cried,
" you have undone me by bringing the king into the island,
if you have brought him ; if you have not, pray let him not
come; for what between my duty to his majesty and my
gratitude fpr this fresh obligation of his confidence on the
one hand, and the observance of my trust fo the army on the
other, I shall be confounded." When he came to himself the
affair was Considered. Hammond would only pledge himself
to do what might be expected from '' a persori of honor and
honesty," with vvhich Ashburnham declared himself satisfied.
Hammond then proposed that one should remain, while fhe
other returned to the king, but he afterwards decided to go
with them himself When they were faking boat at Cowes^
he made captain Baskett, the commandant there, enter it with
them. On their arrival at Titchfield, the others remained
below while Ashburnham went Up to apprize the king.
" What I " cried Charles, striking his breast in agony, " have
you brought Hammond vvith you ? Oh Jack I you have un
done me ; for I am by this means made fast from stirring.
The governor wUI keep me prisoner." He then fold him
that he had sent to Southampton for a vessel. Ashburnham
proposed what he called an " expedient," which was " to se
cure," i. e. murder both Hammond and Baskett. Charles
walked up and down the roorti, weighing the proposal. " I
understand you well enough," said he, " but the world' would
not excuse me. Should I follow that counsel, it would be
believed that Hammond had ventured his life for me, and
that I had unworthily taken it from him. It is too late to
think of any thing but going through the way you have forced
upon me, and so leave the issue to God." Ashburnham burst
into tears. We could wish that the king had rejected the
nefarious project in stronger terms.
Hammond and Baskett were now called up ; they kissed
fhe king's hand, and Hammond renewed his protestations.
Charles then passed over to the island, where he was lodged
in Carisbrooke-castle. Hefound fhepeopleofthe place 16yal,
and he was allowed fo ride about as he pleased.
The projects of the levellers meantime appeared so dan
gerous fo the superior officers, that it was defermined to
make a bold effort fo suppress them, and this was effected
by the resolution of Cromwell, whose very life was at stake.
Fairfax, having ordered fhe troops to muster in three brigades

l72 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
on three different days, had a remonstrance prepared, to be
read at the head of each regiment. The first rendezvous
took place at Ware, (Nov. 15,) where two regiments, not of
the brigade, appeared on the ground, with seditious papers
round their hats; -one of these, on being reasoned with, sub
mitted ; the other proving refractory, Cromwell darted into
the ranks, and seized the ringleaders with his own hands.
A court-martial was held ; three were condemned to death,
and being made to draw lots, he on whom fhe lot fell was
shot at the head ofthe regiment, and the mutinous spirit was
thus checked for the present. Cromwell, however, it would
seem, sppn saw that it was tPO dangerous to ppppse the violent
party ; two thirds of the army, it is said, had apprized him
and Ireton, that they were resolved, come what might, to go
on with their enterprise of destroying the king, and that
fearing the effect of a schisni in the army, they " ccncluded
that if they cpuld npt bring the army tp their sense it was
best fe comply with them." Of this Berkeley was informed
in the following mysterious manner. Being sent by the king
and Hammond with letters to fhe general and Cromwell and
Ireton at Windsor, he met with a very cppI receptien from
fhem. He retired to his inn, and in fhe evening sent his
servant out to try if he could meet any of his acquaintance.
A general officer spoke fo him, and desired him to tell his
master that he would meet him at midnight in a close behind
the Garter inu; In the interview he told Berkeley that the
army no longer mistrusted Cromwell and Ireton ; that it was
intended fo send a body of eight hundred men to seize the
king, in order fo bring him fo trial; " and therefore," said
he, " if the king can escape, let him do it as he loves his life."
Berkeley wrote off immediately to fhe king and Hammond ;
he then sent fo request an interview with CromweU, who
answered that he durst not see him, but assured him, "that
he would serve the king as lohg as he could without his own
ruin." Berkeley, on returning to fhe king, found that in re
liance on a treaty he was in with the Scots cpmmissipners he
had no thoughts of making an escape.
The king had all along been importuning the parliament
for a personal treaty, and at length (Dec. 24) commissioners
of both houses presented him four bUls, his assent fo which
was required as preliminary to a personal treaty. By the
first the parliameHt wasto Iriave the command ofthe army
for twenty years, even after which time, if the houses declared
the safety ofthe kingdom to be concerned, all their bills re
lating to the army and navy should be acts of parliament

CHARLES I. 173
without the royal assent ; the second declared all oaths, proc
lamations, etc., against the parliament during the war null
and void ; the third took away all titles of honor conferred
since the 20fh of May, 1642, and no future peers were to sit
without consent of parliament ; fhe fourth gave the houses
fhe power of adjourning af their discretion. >
The Scottish commissioners had given all the opposition
in their power to these bills, and finding they could not im
pede them, they hurried to Carisbjooke, where they arrived
a day before those sent by fhe parliament, and by making
vague concessions on both sides the long-agitated treaty was
agreed on and signed. Charles, in consequence, gave a per
emptory rejection to the four bills, but as his object was now
to effect his escape as soon as possible, he gave his answer
sealed up ; the commissioners, however, insisting on knowing
its contents, he was obliged to read itto them and Hammond.
Though he expressly stipulated that it should cause no differ
ence in his treatment, Hammond instantly dismissed his
servants, and doubled the guards. Charles had in fact in
tended to escape that very night to a ship sent by the queen,
which lay off the island, but he was thus prevented. A roy
alist officer named Burley then fried fo raise the people and
storm the castle, and liberate fhe king ; but fhe project faded,
and Burley was soon after fried and executed as a traitor.
Shortly after fhe return of their commissioners, (Jan. 3,
1648,) the parliament, after a long debate, voted to make no
more addresses to the king, and to receive no more mes
sages from him ; that if any person communicated with him
without leave he should be guilty of high-treason, and that
the committee of public safety should be renewed, and have
no foreign (i. e. Scottish) coadjutors. This was in effect
dethroning fhe king. CromweU is said fo have declared in
the debate, that " the king was a man of great parts and great
understanding, but that he was so great a dissembler, and so
false a man, that he was not fo be trusted." A declaration
was presented from the army (llth) expressing their resolu
tion "fo stand by the, parliament in the things then voted."
The houses also put forth a declaration, in which aU the
charges ever made against the king, including the odious
one of being accessory fo the murder of his father, were re
iterated.'*

* " Mr. Selden told the house that he was one of the committee to
examine the business of poisoning king James, in the' duke of Buck
ingham's time, but could find nothing at all reflecting on the king, and
15'*

174 HISTORY OP ENGLAND.
Yet, though Charles was a close prisoner, his cause was
far from being hopeless. The great body of the people were
in favor of retaining the original constitution; they saw how
they had been illuded ; they were oppressed with heavier tax
ation than ever they had known before, and subjected to fhe
insolence and tyranny of local committees, though the war
had long been ended. They beheld before fhem every
prospect of a military despotism. The general wish, there
fore, was for a personal treaty with the king. The common
wealth's men in the parliament and the army were at fhe
same time reselved en the abolition of monarchy, as theyhad
found in Scripture that it was a thing bad in itself and con
demned of God. Ludlow fells us, that CromweU procured a
conference between them and the grandees of the house and
army, in which the latter " kept themselves in the clouds,
and would not declare their judgments either for a monarchi
cal, aristocratical, or democratical government ; maintaining
that any of these might be good in themselves, or for us, ac
cording as Providence should direct us." The former ex
posed all their reasons, and Cromwell, whose only object had
been fo learn the state of feeling and opinion among them,
declared he was unresolved; and flinging a cushion at Lud
low's head, ran down stairs pursued by him with another
cushion. The friends ofthe monarchy in Scotland, headed by Ham
ilton, were meantime exerting themselves fo have the treaty
carried into effect, and an army raised for the aid of the roy
al cause. Buf if ever there was a priest-ridden people, it was
fhe Scots at this time ; and fhe clergy, finding that presby
tery was fo be established only for three years in England,
with liberty of dissent for the king himself and all others,
thundered from their pulpits against fhe engagement, and
pronounced a curse on all who should share in the war. The
levies, therefore, went on slowly ; and the English royalists,
who were to have risen when the Scots appeared, lost patience
and took to arms in various parts.
The first person who raised the royal standard in this
second civil war (Mar. 3) was colonel Poyer, governor of
Pembroke for the parliament. He was joined by Laugherne
and Powel, two colonels, whose men had been disbanded, but
now returned to their standards. They took Chepstow, be
sieged Carnarvon, and defeated colonel Fleming. CromweU,
therefore moved the house that that article might be deserted." Clar
endon State Papers, ii. App. 45.

CHARLES I. 175
however, appeared (May 8) and speedily reduced fhem. The
royalists next rose in ^ent, (May 23,) and some ships of
war in the river declared for fhe king and went over to fhe
Hague to put tliemselves under the command of the prince.
Fairfax, however, routed the royalists at Maidstone, (June ] ,)
and Goring, who the next day had appeared af Blackheath,
hoping to be admitted by fhe discontented citizens, found
his hopes baffled by the prudence of the parliamentary leaders,
who had released the aldermen, discharged the impeachment
against the seven lords, and allowed the excluded members
to resume their seats. He therefore crossed the river and
threw himself into Colchester, where he was soon after be
sieged by Fairfax.
Af length the Scottish army led by Hamilton entered
England, (July 8.) Owing to the opposition of the clergy
it did not exceed 14,000 men, and these indifferently armed
and ill supplied with artillery. It was followed, however,
by 3000 veterans from the army in Ireland under Munro,
and a body of 4000 gallant royalists, under sir Marmaduke
Langdale, preceded it. But Hamilton, though brave, was no
general. Instead of pursuing Lambert, the parliamentary
general, who retired from the siege of Carlisle at his ap
proach, he wasted forty days in a march of eighty mUes into
Lancashire, and thus gave time for 'CromweU, who had re
duced Pembroke, to come and join Lambert. Hamilton's
army was also scattered over such an extent pf cpuntry as
almpst rendered it ineffective. The English reyalists were at
tacked (Aug. 18) at Prestpn by the parliamentary army pf
nine thousand men ; they fought wifh such heroism that had
they been supported by the Scots in the slightest degree they
would have probably gained a victory ; but the irresolute
duke knew not how fo act, and when the royalists retired
into the town they found that their Scottish allies had aban
doned their artiUery and baggage, and were in full retreat.
Langdale then directed his infantry to disperse, and with his
cavalry swam over the Ribble, Hamilton accompanying his
flight. BaiUie surrendered with the Scottish infantry at
Warrington, (20th,) the duke gave himself up to Lambert
at Utoxefer, (25th,) Langdale, travelling in disguise, was
taken near Nottingham. Such was the termination of this
ill-managed expedition.
WhUe the Scots were on their way to England, a feeble
attempt to rouse the people of London was made by the earl
of Holland, who .had once more veered round fo the side of
royalty. Leaving his house in the city af, the head of five

176 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
hundred horse, he marched (July 5) to Kingston, whencehe
sent messages to the parliament and common-council, calling
on fhem to join him in putting an end to the calamities of
fhe natipn. But he was attacked and rented, (7fh,) and
flying fo St. Nept's in Huntingdpnshire, was there pbliged to
surrender, (10th.)
Colchester, though defended only by a low rampart of earth,
had been gallantly maintained fbr nearly three months. The
distress in the town was extreme ; all the horses and even the
dogs and cats had been consumed for food, when af length
(the pfficers having vainly urged their men fp fpllow them in
an attempt to break through fhe besiegers' lines) they were
obliged to surrender at descretipn, (Aug. 28,) quarter being
secured tp the privates. The earl of Norwich, as Goring
was now styled, and the lords Capel and Loughborough, were
among those who surrendered. Fairfax held a council of
war, which condemned sir Charles Lucas, sir George Lisle,
and sir Bernard Gascoigne, to instant death. Lucas vvas
first shot; when he fell. Lisle ran up and kissed his dead
body ; he desired fhe soldiers to draw nearer. " I'll warrant
you, sir," said one of them, " we'U hit you." "Friends,"
he replied, wifh a smUe, " I have been nearer you when you
have missed me." They fired, and he fell dead. Gascoigne,
who it appeared was a Tuscan by birth, was respited. This
execution is certainly a stain on fhe character of Fairfax; it
was said that Ireton urged him fo it.
The prince of Wales, who had taken the command of the
revolted fleet, sailed over with nineteen ships to the Downs,
(July 20.) Here he lay for six weeks soliciting the city by
letters. The king wished that they should come and liberate
him, but the sailors insisted on fighting; the parliamentary
commanders, however, cautiously avcided an engagement,
and want pf prpvisipns af length pbliged the prince's fleet to
return to Holland.
The presbyterian party, as we have seen, had recovered
their preponderance in parliament; the vote pf npn-address
was therefore repealed, (July 28,) and a personal treaty was
agreed on. But nothing was done till the intelligence of
Cromwell's success in fhe north warned them that the army
party mi^hf soon regain their influence. They then (Sept.
1) appointed five lords and ten commoners to conduct the
negotiation, which was to continue for forty days. The king,
on giving his word not to attempt to escape during that time,
or for twenty days after, was allowed to reside at a private
house in fhe town of Newport. He was also permitted to

CHARLES 1. 177
have his servants, his chaplains, and such of his councillors
as had not shared in the war, buf none of them were suffered
to take any part in the deliberations, though fhe king might
retire fo consult with them. The terms proposed were in
substance those offered to him at Hampton-court, from which
the parliament would not, perhaps could, not, make any abate-
menL " Consider, Mr. Buckley," said the king fo one of
them, "if you call this a treaty, whether it be, not like the
fray in the comedy, where the man comes out and says,
' There has been a fray and no fray ; ' and being asked how
that could be, ' Why,' says he; ' there hath beeti three blows
given, and I have had them all.' " Themental powers which
the king displayed in this treaty astonished the commission
ers. " The king is wonderfully improved," said lord Salisbu
ry to sir Philip Warwick. " No, my lord, it is your lordship
who has too late discerned what he always was," was the
reply. Sir Henry Vane told sir Edward Walker that they
had been much deceived in the character of the king, whom
they had cpnsidered as a weak, mari, " but now," says he,
" that we find him fo be a person of great parts and abilities,
we must fhe more consider our owh security, for he is only
the more dangerous."
As the commissioners had no power fo concede kny point,
aU the king's objections and proposals had to be transmitted to
Londpn, which pf cpurse caused censiderable delay. Charles
himself alsp vvas tpp fpnd pf discussion, iu' which he knew he
excelled. After ' long debates, he, how-ever, yielded most pf
their demands. He consented fo recal] all his proclamations
against the parliament, and allow that if had taken up arms
in its just defence ; he surrendered the mUitia, fhe chief of
fices of state, and fhe government of Ireland for twenty years ;
he agreed to accept 100,000/. a year for the court of wards,
to recognize the parliament's great seal, and tb make no
peers without consulting fhe two houses. But on two points
he was firm; he would not abandon fhe seven persons whom
they selected as victims'^ to their vengeance ; he woul4 not
abolish episcopacy, though he would suspend it for three
years, cut off aU dignities above or below that of bishop,
whose powers he would limit to ordination, with the advice
of pi-esbyters. The church-lands he would not consent to
alienate, buf he would lef fhe present possessors have leases
of them for lives or ninety-nine years. '-
WhUe matters were thus protracted the army w'as advan
cing, and the real views of fhe independents were every day
made more manifest. Earlyin September, (llth,) a petition

178 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
from " thousands well-affected persons in and near London "
had informed fhe parliament of what, they expected. This
was fo make good the supremacy ofthe people from aU pre
tences of negative voices in king or lords; fo have elections
yearly, and of course without writ or summons ; that they
should not sit longer than forty or fifty days ; to have np com
pulsive power in matters of religion; kings, queens, princes,
dukes, earls, and all persons to be alike liable to every law
of fhe land ; the proceedings in law to be shortened, and fhe
charges made certain ; all late enclosures to be opened, or to
be only for fhe benefit of fhe poor ; all monopolies fo be
abolished, and all taxes but subsidies fo be taken off; the
many thousands that are ruined by perpetual imprisonment
for debt fo be considered, and provision made for their, en
largement ; tithes, fo be abolished, etc. This petition did
not go the length of calling for the abolition of monarchy
and nobility, but if concluded with stating that they had. ex
pected the parliament " to have laid to heart fhe abundance
of innocent blood that hath been spUt, and the infinite spoU
and havock that hath been made of peaceable, harmless peo
ple by express commission from the king, and to have se
riously considered whether the justice of God be likely to be
satisfied, or his yet remaining wrath to be appeased by an act
of oblivion." The meaning of this last hint is plain enough.
Some time after (Oct. 18) Irefon's regiment petitioned the
general that justice might be done on the contrivers and en-
couragers ofthe late rebellion and second war, and " that the
same fault may have the same punishment in fhe person of
king or lord as in the person ofthe poorest commoner ; " and
that whoever should act or speak in the king's behalf tiU he
had been acquitted ofthe guilt of shedding innocent blood,
should be a traitor. The petition of Ingoldsby's regiment
(30th) spoke of " an immediate care that justice be done upon
fhe principal invaders of all their liberties, namely, the king
and his party," and required fhe ree.stablishment of fhe gen
eral council ofthe army to consider of some effectual reme
dies. FinaUy (Nov. 20) came the 'Large Remonstrance
of fhe Army,' demanding a present reading, and insisting
that fhe treaty should be broken off, and the king be brought
to justice " as the capital cause of all." They desired that
a period should be set to this parliament, and a new one be
elected according fo rules which they laid down ; this to-be
the supreme power, and future kings to be elected by it.
" These things they press as good for this and other kingdoms,
and hope it wUl not be taken iU because from an army, and

CHARLES I, 179
so servants, when their masters are servants and trustees for
the kingdorii." A long debate ensued on this insolent peti
tion; if was adjourned, and when resumed (30th) the ques
tion of taking the petition into speedy consideration was re
solved in the negative by a majority of sixty-seven voices.
The commissioners were still with the king, for the period
ofthe treaty had been extended. Both they and his friends
were urgent with him to concede more, in order to save him
self from the army. Hammond being summoned at this
time tb head-quarters, (26th,) and colonel Ewers sent to se
cure the person ofthe king, he could no longer be blind fo
the ulterior designs ofthe army. His firmness therefore gave
way, and he consented (27th) fo abandon his friends, provi
ded they were allowed fhe benefit pfthe ancient laws, and to
suspend the fuiretipns pf fhe bishpps, and vest their lands in
the crown fill religion should be settled by the king and par
liament. Next morning (28) when the commissioners were
faking leave of him, Charles is said fp have addressed them
in these wprds ; " My Iprds, I bejieve we shaU scarce ever
see each ether again. But end's will be dene I 1 have made
my peace with hirn, and shall undergp withput fear whatever
he majf suffer men to do to me. My lords, you cannot but
know that in my fall and ruin you see your own, and that also
near you. I pray God send ypu' better friends than I have
fpund. I am fully infprmed pfthe carriage pf them that plot
against me and mine, but nothing affects me so much as the
feeling I have ofthe sufferings of my subjects, and the piis-
chief that hangs over my three kingdoms, drawn upon them
by these whp, upon pretences of good, violently pursue their
own interests and ends." Hammond departed with the com
missioners, and the king was again confined in Carisbrooke-
castle, underthe charge of one Bbreman, an officer of militia.
It is to be feared that even in this treaty Charles was not
sincere. In a letter fo Ormond, who was now in Ireland
negotiating with the catholics, he tells him not to be startled
at his concessions, which would come to nothing, and directs
him to follow not his but the queen's directions. Four days
after, when pressed to disavow Ormond's powers, he assured
the commissioners that since the first votes for fhe treaty, he
had transacted no business relating to Ireland with any but
themselves. He was also all the time meditating an escape,
and corresponded anxiou.sly on this matter with sir William
Hopkins, who commanded a ship opposite Newport. In one
letter (Oct 9) he says, "To deal freely with you,, the great
concession I made to-day vvas merely in order to my escape,

180 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
of which if I had not hopes, I would not have done ; for
then I could have returned to my strait prison without re
luctance; but now I confess it would break my heart, having
done that which nothing buf an escape wpilld justify." It is
hence inferred^ that his intentipn was fp get ever fp Ireland
and renew the war at the head ef the cafhplic insurgents.
Buf this is npt a necessary cpnsequence ; he might have pnly
designed tp gp fp the cpntinent, and there wait fp see^the
turn events might take. As fp his parple, he seems tp have
cpnsidered himself released frpm it, as the cpndifipns pn
which he gave it, he maintained, were net kept.
We have seen frpm the king's werds tP fhe cpmmissipners,
that he had apprehensions for his life. We are told, in fact,
that some days before sir Philip KUlegrewhad come privately
from Windsor, at the risk, as he said, of going " fo prison
or to pot," and informed him of the design of the army to
seize him, bring himtp trial, and put him tp death. But the
king cpuld hardly credit the intelligence. The evening after
the departure pf the cpmmissipners, (29th,) a persen in dis
guise fpld one of the king's servants that the army would
seize on him that night. Charles consulted vvith his friends ;
they urged an immediate escape, as the night was dark and
colonel Coke knew the watchword ; but Charles had been
induced to renew his parole. " They have promised me,"
said he, " and I will not break first." He retired to rest
about midnight, and soon after colonel Cobbett arrived with
a troop of horse and a company of foot. Af five the king
was awakened by a summons fo depart. He was placed in a
coach and conveyed to Hurst castle, which stands on a rock
inthe sea, joined by a causeway two miles in length to the
coast of Hampshire.
The proceedings of the army at this time were as follows :
The officers having "spent a day (26th) wholly in prayer,"
entered into consultation on the best mode of bringing to
effect the contents of their remonstrance ; a petition at the
same time reached them from the army of the north, calling
for justice on delinquents. This petition was forwarded and
recommended by Cromwell. The very day that the king
was seized and their 'Remonstrance' rejected, (30fh,) they
published a ' Declaration' against the house of commons, in
which, charging fhe majority with " apostasy from the public
trust reposed in them," they appealed from fhem " unto the ex
traordinary judgment of God and good people." They called
on " so many of fhem as God hath kept upright " fo with
draw from the others, and added, that the army was drawing

CHARLES I. igi
up to London, " there to follow Providence as God shall clear
their way." "Two days after (Dec. 2) they came and took up
their head-quarters in St. James's, the Mews, Whitehall, and
York-house, and other houses, and in the suburban viUages.
The commons, led by the intrepid HoUis, showed np want
of spirit on this occasipn, and after a violent debate of three
days, in which Pierrepoint and Prynne distinguished them
selves as the able advocates of mpnarchy against Vane and
the republicans, it was carried (Dec. 5) by a majprity pf
fprty-six that the king's cpncessipns were " sufficient grounds
for settling the peace of the kingdom." But their triumph
was short. Ludlow and his party went and consulted with
the officers, and next day (6th) their guard of trained-bands
was dismissed, and fhe colonels Rich and Pride, the one
wifh a regiment of horse, the other with one of foot, took
their place. Pride stood in the lobby with a list of names in
his hand, and when the members in it were pointed out to
him as they passed, by one of the door-keepers, or. by lord
Grey of Groby, he seized fhem and sent fhem off prisoners
to varioiis places. About forty members were thus secured,
as if was termed, on this day, and on the foUowing days
several members were secluded, or forbidden to enter the
house ; and these imprisonments and seclusions, joined with
the absence of those who retired to the country, reduced the
house to about fifty members, afterwards named the ' Rump,'
as the process itself was termed ' Pride's Purge.'
During all this time Cromwell was absent, but his place
was well supplied by Ireton. After the victory af Preston,
he had advanced and besieged Berwick, whence, on the
invitation of Argyle and his party,* he proceeded to Edin
burgh, (Sept 30.) Leaving Lambert there with two regi
ments to support his friends, he returned fo England, where
he engaged in the siege of iPontefracf, which was held by
the royalists, arid he did not return to London fUl the day
after the seizure of the members, when, on fhe motion of
Henry Marten, the thanks of the house were voted fo him
for his late services in fhe north. " He declared," says
Ludlow, " that he had not been acquainted with this de
sign, yet since it was done he was glad of it, and would
maintain it."
' The people of the western counties, each parish headed by its
minister, had marched to Edinburgh and expelled the committee of
estates. This was called the Whigamores' Raid, for so the western
peasantry were named from the word Whig, it is said, which they used
in driving their horses.
VOL. IL 16

182 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
The miserable remnant who presumed to call themselves
the commons of England, voted every thing that their mUi
tary masters prescribed.'* They rescinded their late votes,
and renewed that of non-address, and when (llth) the se
cluded members drew np a protest against the late violence
on their persons, and declared all acts, votes, etc., made or
to be made during their absence void, they (the lords pusil-
lanimously joining them) voted it (15fh) to he " false, scan
dalous, and seditious, and tending to destroy the visible and
fundamental government of this kingdom." How different
their conduct had been with respect to the votes passed
between the 26th of July and the 6th of August ! Yet these
are the men whom we are called on to admire as models of
pure virtue and disinterested patriotism.
The very same day (llth) a piece called ' The Agreement
of the People,' drawn up as usual by Ireton, was presented
fo the general by fhe council of officers. If was a plan of
government the same in substance wifh their late ' Remon
strance.' On fhe 22d both house's kept the usual solemn
fasL " Hugh Peters, the pulpit-buffoon," says Walker,
" acted a sermon before them." His subject was Moses
leading the Israelites out of Egypt, which he applied in the
usual manner fo the present times ; the grandees being
Moses, etc. "But how," cries he, "is this fo be done?
That is riot yet revealed unto me." He then laid his
head on the cushion, covering his eyes with his hands. At
length he started up. "Now I have it," cried he, "by
revelation ; now I shaU fell you. This army must root up
monarchy, not only here, but in France and ofher kingdoms
round about ; this army is that corner-stone cut out of the
mountain which must dash fhe powers of fhe earth to
pieces." The objection of the deed which he recom
mended being without precedent, he obviated by referring
to fhe case of fhe birth of our Lord " This," said he, "is
an age to make examples and precedents in." Next day
(23d) there was a debate about bringing the great delin
quents to a speedy punishmenL " And now," says White
locke, " was set on foot and begun their great design of
The caustic Walker calls the parliament " a mere free-school,
where Cromwell is head-schoolmaster, Ireton usher, and that cipher
Fairfax a propositor." " Surely," he adds, " these men are either the
supreme judges, or the supreme rebels and tyrants of the kingdom."
It should be recorded to the honor of sir Henry Vane, that be had
no share in the subsequent iniquitous proceedings. He retired to his
castle of Raby when the house was purged.

CHARLES I. 183
taking away the king, whom divers in the debate did not
stick fo name, fbr the greatest delinquent." There were
some who maintained that a king could not be brought to
justice by his subjects; but 'they saw from the fierceness of
their adversaries, that if they bpposed thfey wpuld only be
secluded, and their constai^cy gave way. It was then at
tempted to throw the business on the army. " But they,"
says Whitelocke, " were subtle enough to see and avoid
that, and to make those whom they left sitting in the par
liament to be their stales and do their dirty work for fhem."
A committee of thirty-eight was voted to consider how to
proceed in a way pf justice against the king. In fhe debate,
CromweU is said to have expressed himself as fellpws : " If
any man mpved this uppn design, I shpuld think him the
greatest traitor in the world ; but since Providence and
necessity have cast us upon it, I shall pray to God tp bless
ypur ccuncUs, though I am not provided on the sudden to
give you counsel."
On the 1st of January, 1649, fhe commons voted that it
is treason in a king of England to levy war against the par
liament and people; and the next day (2d) auiOrdinance
which they had passed^for fhe trial of the king was sent to
the upper house. Tne lords, who, in anticipation of what
was to come, had ordered fhe attendance of all the mem
bers of their house, and who therefore now mustered sixteen,
rejected the ordinance unanimously.* The commons then
(4fh) voted themselves fo be fhe suprem.e authority of fhe
nation, and that whatever is enacted by fhem is law without
the concurrence of king or Iprds; and (6th) they passed the
ordinance for the trial pf theif spvereign.
This unhappy prince was npw at Windsor. On the 18th
of December, at midnight, the sound ofthe fall of the draw
bridge arid the trampling of horses awoke him from his sleep ;
on inquiring the cause, he learned that colpnel Harrison had
arrived, 'fhe king was troubled. " Do you not know,"
said he fp Herbert, whp waited pn him, " that this is the man
whp intended to assassinate me, aa by letter I was informed
* "The parliament of England, by the fundamental laws,'' said tbe
earl of Manchester, " consists of three estates, king, lords, and com
mons. The king is the first and chief estate ; he calls and dissolves
parliaments, and without bim there can be no parliament; therefore it
IS absurd to say the king can be a traitor against tbe parliament."
" The greatest part (at least twenty to one, ^dds Walker) of the peo
ple of England," said the earl of Northumberland, '^arenot yet satisfied
whether the king levied war first against the houses, orthehouses against

184 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
during the late treaty? -This is a place fit for such a pur
pose." Charles, hpwever, had been misinfprmed ; Harrison
was a fanatic, but not an assassin. He was cometp cpnduct
himi,tp Windspr, which he did wifh aU due respect The
royal captive felt his condition sadly altered ; the usual cere
mony no longer surrounded him ; even his meat was brought
to table, uncovered, by the hands of fhe rude soldiers. This
treatment mortified him greatly. He had various hints too
of the meditated proceedings against him, yet still so san-
gui,ne was his temper that he was actuaUy cheerful ; he had
hopes on Ireland and Scotland, and on foreign princes,
and he could not believe if possible that his subjects would
bring him to a public trial. Of this, however, he soon had
the certainty; for on the 19th of January he was brought to
Whitehall, to prepare for his trial the next day.
The individuals at Westminster, who presumed fo act in
the name ofthe people of England, had in their ordinance
ofthe 4th ef January npminated pne hundred and thirty-five
persons, members pf the hpuse, pfficers pf the army, lawyers,
and citizens, te fprm a 'High Court of Justice,' for the trial
ofthe king; John Bradshaw, sergeant-at-law, was appointed
president ; Dr. Dorislaus, and Messrs. Steele) Aske, and
Cooke, counsellors to the court ; sergeant Dandy, sergeant-
at-arms ; and Mr. Phelps, clerk.
On Saturday the 20th, the solemn mpckery pf justice was
ppened in Westminster-hall, which was prepared for the oc
casion. At the upper end, in a chair of crimson velvet, sat
the president Bradshaw, his broad-brimed beaver, lined with
plates of iron for security, covering his head; a desk and vel
vet cushion were placed before him. Af a fable below him,
covered wifh a rich Turkey carpet, on which lay the sword
and mace, sat the two clerks of fhe cpurf. The members
pf the cpurt, abput seventy in number, sat in " their best hab
its," and with their hats en their heads, on side benches cov
ered with scarleL A seat of crimson velvet was placed
within the bar, opposite that ofthe president, for the illustri
ous prisoner ; fhe galleries and the lower part of the hall were
filled with spectators.
Charles was brought by water from Whitehall, and it is
worthy of notice that the watermen insisted on rowing him
bareheaded. He was conducted into the hall by the cplpnels
Tpmlinson and Hacker, and a guard bearing partisans; the
sergeant-at-arms advanced to receive him, and led him to his
seat. Charles looked s.teadily round on the court and fhe
spectators, and then sat down ; he rose again, Ippked pver

CHARLES I. 185
the hall, and resumed his seat. Bradshaw addressed his sove
reign, informing him that "the commpns of England, assem
bled in parliament," had, in pursuance of their duty and in
consequence of the bloodshed and calairiifies brpught pn the
kingdpm, pf which he was regarded as the anther, cpnstitu-
fed this ceurt fpr his trial. Cppke then, in the name pf the
cpmmons of England, accused Charles Stuart of high-treason
and misdemeanors, and desired the charge to be read tp him.
The king was abput fp reply, but fhe president stepped, him ;
fhe clerk then read the charge. After stating that, having
been "trusted with a, limited power fo govern by and accord
ing to the laws pf fhe land, and net Ptherwise," he had at
tempted " fp rule accprding tP his will," and with this de
sign "had, traifprpusly and malicipusly, levied war against
the present parliament and the pepple therein represented ; "
it enumerated all the battles in which the king had been
present, charging him with all the blood shed in them, etc.
etc. " And the said John Cooke doth, for the said treason
and crimes, on behalf of the said people of England,, impeach
the said Charles Stuart as a tyrant, traitor, murderer, and a
public and implacable enemy to the cpmmpnwealth pf Eng
land." The king smUed often (as well he might) during the
reading of the. charge, especially at fhe words "tyrant, ff al
ter, etc." Bradshaw then informe'd him that the court ex
pected him to reply to the charge. Charles asked by what
power he was caUed thither. "I would know," said he,
" by what lawful authority — there are many-unlawful author
ities, thieves and robbers on the highway — I was brought
from the Isle of Wight and carried from place fo place?"
He reminded them that he was their lawful king, and de
clared that he would not betray the trust " committed fo him
by God, and old and lawful descent," by answering to " a
new, unlawful authority." Bradshaw told him the authority
was that of thepeople of England, " of whom he was elected*
king." " I deny that," replied fhe king ; " England never
was an elective kingdom." " I see no house of lords here,"
said he; "that should constitute a parliament,, and the king,
too, should havebeen here." Bradshaw replied, "Weare
satisfied with our authority that are your judges, and it is
upon God's authority and the kingdom's." He then ad
journed the court till Monday. '

• [Bradshaw was in this strictly and legally correct. See " Com
parative View of Ancient History," note p. 66, and ante, vol. 1, note
p. .W  J. T. S.] 16'* X

186 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
On that day (22d) the cburt again sat. The king was
required to answer the charge ; he denied the authority of
the court, and asserted that, as a king, he could not be tried.
"But," said he, " if is not my case alone, if is the freedom
and fhe liberties of the people of England, and do you pre
tend what you wUI, / stand more for their liberties ; for if
power without law may make laws, nay, alter the fundamen
tal laws of the kingdom, I do not know what subject he is in
England that can be sure of his life, or any thing he calls his
own." To all fhe reasbns and arguments of the king Brad
shaw's reply was, that prisoners were not to dispute the au
thority of fhe court. The court was adjourned fo the next
day, (23d.) The proceedings on that day were of a similar
nature. On Saturday (27th) fhe court held its final sitting,
the intermediate days having been occupied in hearing wit
nesses in proof of the king's- having been in arms; sixty-
seven commissioners were present. As the king passed up
fhe hall, a cry of " Justice I justice ! execution ! execution I "
was raised by some soldiers and some of the rabble. When
addressed by the president he said he should now waive all
debate, as he saw if was useless, and " an ugly sentence" he
believed would pass on him ; but, as he had something which
concerned the peace of the kingdom and the liberty of the
subject, he desired before sentence was given to be heard in
fhe Painted Chamber, before the lords and commons. They
retired to consult; in about an hour they returned with a
negative ; the king declared that he had nothing more to say,
and Bradshaw then made a long speech in proof of the king's
misgovernment, and of kings being accountable to their peo
ple. When he had concluded the clerk read the sentence,
adjudging the monarch to death as a traitor, murderer, etc.
All the commissioners present stood up in proof of their as
sent. " Will you hear me a word, sir ? " said the king. —
"Sir, you are not to be heard after the sentence." — "No,
sir ! " — " No, sir, by your favor, sir. Guards, withdraw your
prisoner." — "I may speak after fhe sentence, by your favor,
sir ! I may speak after sentence is over ! By your favor,
hold ! The sentence, sir ' I say, sir ! I do, I am not suf
fered to speak ; expect what justice other people will have."
As he passed out, the cry of " Justice ! execution ! " again
assailed his ears, and various insults were offered him. One
soldier cried out, " God bless you, sir ! " for which his officer
struck him with his cane. " The punishment, methinks,"
said Charles, " exceeds the offence." He afterwards asked
Herbert if he had remarked the cry for "justice." Here-

CHARLES 1, 187
plied he did, and wondered at it " So did not I," said fhe
king, " for I am weU assured the soldiers bear no malice to
me. The cry was, no doubt, given by their officers,, for
whom the soldiers would do the like were there occasion."
The following events,- which occurred during the trial, are
deserving of note. When the name of Fairfax, aa one of the
commissioners, was called, a female voice' from the gallery
replied, " He has more wit than to be here." When the
charge was made in the name of the commons and people of
England, the same voice exclaimed, " It is a lie ! not a quar
ter ofthe people! Oliver Cromwell is a rogue and a traitor."
The speaker was masked; col. Axfell desired his men to
fire on the gallery ; there was a confusion, and fhe lady
withdrew. It was lady Fairfax, a rigid presbyterian. As
the king was leaning on his cane, or staff, as it was then
caUed, the sUver head fell off and rolled on the ground. The
circumstance seemed ominous, and Charles was evidently
disturbed. He afterwards owned fo bishop Juxon that " it
really made a great impression on him."
When fhe king returned fo WhitehaU, he sent to the
house, desiring, as the time of his exepution riiight be nigh,
that he might have leave to see his children and have Dr.
Juxon to be private with him and to give him fhe sacrament.
His request Was acceded fo, (Hugh Peters,, to his honor, ex
erting his influence in his favor,) and Juxon preached before
him that night. Next day being Sunday, (28th,) the com
missioners kept their fast in the chapel at Whitehall ; the
king employed himself in private devotion with Dr. Juxon.
In the course of the day a book of proposals from fhe gran
dees ofthe army and parliament was tendered to him, on his
signing which they promised him his life and regal state.
By this he was to put the militia into their hands, with pow
er to keep if af its present amount, and to lay a tax on the
kingdom for its pay to be levied by the army itself Charles,
it is said, threw them indignantly aside, declaring he would
rather become a sacrifice for his people tban thus betray their
laws and liberties, lives and estates, to fhe bondage of an
armed faction.
On Monday (29tb) the king was removed to St James's,
whither his two children, fhe princess Elizabeth and the
duke of Gloucester, were brought to him from Sion-house.
As was to be expected from the strength of Charles's domes
tic affections, the meeting was a most tender one. He gave
them a few presents, charged the princess fo assure her
mother of his unceasing affectioii, and told her that " his

188 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
death was glorious; for he should die for the laws and liber
ties ofthe land; he should die a martyr." His nephew, fhe
elector palatine, fhe duke of Richmond, the marquess of
Hertford, and othei' noblemen, came tothe chamber door,
requesting admission to take their last farewell of their sove
reign, but Charles declined seeing them, wishing to devote
the little time that remained fo him to his chUdren and his
devotions. Ambassadors from Holland to intercede for the king had
an audience, but no answer from fhe houses this day. They
had been accompanied by sir John Seymour, the bearer of
letters from the prince fo the king and the lord-general ; with
fhe last was sent a blank paper, signed and sealed, on which
the grandees might set their ovvn terms. This, however,
produced no effect; the warrant was signed by fifty-nine
commissioners, and directed to the colonels Hacker, Hunks,
and Phayer. If is said that, as Cromwell was advancing to
the table with the pen in his hand fo sign it, he drew the pen
across Marten's face and marked him wifh the ink, and that
Marten returned the compliment
During the last night of his life Charles slept soundly for
four hoiirs. About two hours before dawn he opened his
curtains, and by the light of a " great cake of wax set in a
silver basin," he saw that Herbert's rest was disturbed. He
awoke him ; Herbert said he had been dreaming that Laud
had entered the room and knelt before the king, that they
conversed, the king looked pensive. Laud sighed, and as he
retired fell prostrate on the ground. " It is very remark
able," said Charles ; " but he is dead ; had we now conferred
together, 'tis very likely — albeit I loved him well — I should
have said something fo him might have occasioned his sigh."
He then said he would rise, " for he had a great work fo
do that day." Herbert trembled as he combed his hair.
" Though it be not long fo stand on my shoulders," said the
king, " take the same pains with it as you were wont to do.
Herbert, this is my second marriage-day ; I would be as
trim as may be." He put on a second shirt ; " For, said he,
" the season is sharp, and probably may make me shake,
which some will imagine proceeds from fear. I would have
no such imputation. I fear not death ; death is not terrible
to me. I bless my God, I am prepared ; let the rogues
come." When dressed, he spent an hour in private with
the bishop.
At ten o'clock colonel Hacker announced that it was
time to proceed to Whitehall. Charles went on foot at his

CHARLES I, 189
usual quick pace through fhe park, calling to the guard,
"March on apace!" He was conducted to his own bed
chamber at Whitehall ; sir John Seymour was, there ad
mitted fo present him the prince's letter. A repast had
been prepared ; as he had received the Eucharist he de
clined taking any other food in this world, but at the sug
gestion of the bishop he ate about noon half a manchet and
drank a glass of claret. Soon after Hacker came with the
warrant, and called for the king. Charles rose, and wifh
Hacker, Tomlinson, (whom he had entreated not to quit
him,) and the bishop, proceeded through the long gallery,
which was lined with soldiers, whose faces testified their
respect and sorrow. Through fhe central window of the
banqueting-house he stepped out on fhe scaffold, which was
hung with black; two executioners in masks stood on it;
regiments of horse and foot were stationed beneath ; fhe
streets were thronged with anxious spectators. Charles
looked toward St. James's with a smile ; he then regarded
earnestly the block, and asked "if there were no place
higher." He addressed himself to those about him on fhe scaffold,
justifying himself, and referring to, dates of the commissions
and declarations fo prove that it was the parliament began
the war ; yet he hoped that they too might be guiltless, as
there had been ill instruments between him and them. He
owned, however, he suffered justly, as ,an unjust sentence
which he had allowed fo take effect was now punished by an
unjust sentence on himself He proceeded to show them
how they were " out of fhe way " in what they were doing,
and exhorted them to give God, fhe king, and the people their
due. The liberty of the last, he said. Consisted not in hav
ing a share in fhe government, but " in laws by which their
life and their goods may be most their own." " Sirs," said
he, " it was for this that I am now come here. If I would
have given way to an arbitrary way for to have all laws
changed according fo the power of the sword, I needed not
to have come here, and therefpre I tell ypu that I am the
martyr of the people." At the desire pf the bishpp he de
clared that he died a member pf the church pf England.
Thpugh Charles did net fear death, he disliked pain. He
interrupted his speech when pne fpuched fhe axe, and said,
"Hurt net the axe that may hurt me;" when anpther ap-
prpached, it, he cried, " Take heed of the axe I take heed
of the axe ! " and turning to Hacker, he said, " Take care
that they do not put me to pain." To fhe executioner he

190 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
said, " I shall say but very short prayers, and then thrust out
my hands."
Having taken a white satin cap from the bishop and put
his hair up under it, he said, " I have a good cause and a
gracious God on my side." " There is but one stage more,"
said fhe prelate; "this stage is turbulent and froublespme;
it is a short one, but you may consider it wiU soon carry you
a very great way ; it will carry you from earth to heaven,
and there you shall find a great deal of cordial joy and
comfort." — "I go from a corruptible to an incorruptible
crown, where no disturbance can be." — "You are ex
changed from a temporal to an eternal crown, a good ex
change." The king gave his cloak and George to the
prelate, saying. Remember. He knelt down, gave the sign,
and one blow of the axe terminated his mortal existence.
A deep groan arose from the multitude, and many ran to
dip their handkerchiefs in his blood, but two troops of horse
were set in motion to clear fhe streets. The royal corpse,
after being embalmed, was deposited at Windsor, in the
vault which contained the remains of Henry VIII. and Jane
Seymour. In this manner perished Charles Stuart, in the forty-ninth
year of his age, by a sentence hitherto unexampled in the
annals of the world. In his person Charles was vigorous
and handsome ; his health was robust, and he was capable of
enduring great fatigue. His aspect was pensive, he had a
slight hesitation in his speech, and his general manner was
cold and ungracious. When we consider fhe profligacy of
the court in which he was brought up, we may well wonder
at the general purity of his morals, and admire in him fhe
force of nature. At fhe same time, we must not, with his
idolaters, pretend that he had escaped all pollution. He
was not, for example, free from the common vice of profane
swearing, and his language was at times indelicate and li
centious. Like all of his race, Charles bore adversity better
than prosperity. Affliction gave a lustre fo his character ;
he gained fhe respect and sincere attachment of those who
like Herbert were set about him by fhe parliament, and
certainly the man who could do so could not have been
originally unamiable. Charles was also sincerely religibus,
but his religion was pf tpp cerempnial a cast, and akin to
superstitipn. Had he been bern in a private stafien, it is
prpbable that he wpuld have been respected by every ene,
thpugh Ipved perhaps by few. He had, hpwever, greater
defects than any yet alluded tp. He was uxpripus, and

CHARLES I. 191
scandalously subservient to a worthless, selfish woman ; he
was by nature a despot, though not a tyrant. In his des
potism, however, both in church and state, he conceived
himself fo be only exercising the just authority with which
God had invested him ; and it will be difficult fo point out any
of his acts which had not the sanction either of positive law,
or of fhe practice of former kings and the ancient preroga
tive of fhe crown. But the great blemish in the character
of this unhappy prince was his insincerity. When his fan
cied rights and prerogative were in question, neither his
word nor his oath could be trusted; he had an unfortunate
system of casuistry which released him from the most solemn
obligations; in his, eyes truth and honor were as nothing
compared with the duty of ruling uncontrolled as a vice
gerent of the Deity. If was this blemish, beyond doubt,
which mainly caused his untimely fate. How strange is the
course of human affairs ! the despot Charles actually died,
as he said, the martyr of the constitution 1
If murder be the deliberate faking away of human life
without the sentence of a previously recognized law, then
was the execution of king Charles a murder in the fullest
sense of the term. The solemn mockery of fhe forms of
justice used on the occasion only adds to its atrocity ; for
surely none of his judges could have contemplated the giv
ing him a fair trial. Such supposes the possibility of the
prisoner's proving his innocence ; but had Charles's self-con
stituted judges acquitted him, they must at the same time
have condemned themselves; for if he was innocent, what
were they but rebels and traitors ? * To call themselves the
representatives of the people of England, and to act in their
names, was the very summit of audacity. The people of
England were guiltless of the blood of their sovereign,
which was shed by a knot of military men, anxious to secure
their own power or safety. Many of the so-called judges
acted under the influence of fear, and secreUy abhorred the
deed which was forced on them. There were some, no
doubt, whose motives were pure ; such was Hutchinson, who
sought counsel of fhe Lord in prayer, and finding no check,
(as none such we believe ever do,) conceived what he did to
he approved by Heaven. Others, like Ludlow, bent on hav
ing a commonwealth, would see no excuse for the king,

* " I tell you," said Cromwell to Algernon Sydney, " we will cut off
his head with the crown on it." This was early in tbe month of Jan
uary; so the faction had already determined what they would do.

192 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
assumed his guilt, and took the municipal law of the Israel
ites for their guide and justification. It may even be true
that Cromwell himself was in this number, and that he be
lieved himself to be acting rightly.
Shortly after fhe execution of fhe king, there appeared
a work named ' Ikon BasUike,' or a ' Portraiture of his sacred
majesty in his solitude and his sufferings,' said to be written
by the king himself It passed through fifty editions in fhe
course of a twelvemonth, and is held to have been of essen
tial service to the royal cause. It is, however, but a poor
performance, and is not the composition of the king. Its
author is known to have been Dr. Gauden, who obtained a
bishopric on account of it after fhe Restoration. Milton
was employed by the parliament to answer it ; his reply is
named ' loonoclastes,' or ' Image-breaker.

CHAPTER X.
THE COMMONWEALTH. 1649—1653.

The very day of the execution of the king the commons
passed an act making it treason to proclaim the prince of
Wales or any other to be king of England or Ireland. On
the 6th of February they voted, by a majority of forty-four
to twenty-nine, that "the house ef peers is useless and dan-
gerpus, and ought fo be abolished ; " '* and the foUpwing day
(7th) if was reselved that the pffice pf a king is "unneces
sary, burdenspme, and dangerpus fp fhe liberty, etc., pf the
natipn, and ought to be abolished." The next day (8th) the
great seal was broken to pieces by order of the hpuse and
in their presence, and a new pne substituted, of which
Whitelocke, Lisle, and sergeant Keble were appointed lord-
cpmniissipners, fp hpld their pffice quamdiu se bene gesserint.
Of the judges six resigned; the pthers cpnsenfed fp remain,
prpvided fhe parliament engaged net fp alter the fundamental
• The peers were allowed to retain their titles, but tbey lost their
privileges ; in return they became eligible to be elected into the house
of commons, of which Pembroke, Salisbury, and Howard of Escrick
took advantage.

THE COMMONWEALTH. 193
laws. The King's-bench was henceforth to be styled fhe
Upper-bench; writs were to run in fhe name of fhe " Keep
ers of the liberty of England by fhe authority of parliament ; "
an engagement to be true to the commonwealth of England
took the place of fhe oaths of allegiance and supremacy.
To form an., executive, five members of the house were di
rected to select a certain number of persons to be Council
of State.
WhUe the commons were thus converting fhe ancient
monarchy of England into a republic, a High Court of Jus
tice was sitting in judgment on fhe royalists of rank who
were prisoners in their hands. On the night after the death
ofthe king, the duke of Hamilton had made his escape from
Windsor ; but he was recognized, and arrested by some
troopers next day as he was knocking in disguise at an inn-
gate in Southwark. Lord Capel also escaped out of the
Tower; buf he was discovered, and seized by two watermen
at a house in Lambeth. These two noblemen, with lprd
Goring and sir John Owen, were some days after (10th)
brought before a High Court of Justice, presided over by
Bradshaw, and arraigned for treason. The duke, who was
arraigned as earl of Cambridge, pleaded that he was of an
other nation, under an order of whose parliament he had
acted ; buf to this it was replied, that he had sat and voted
and otherwise acted as an English peer. Goring and Owen
simply pleaded not guUty. Capel pleaded the articles of
Colchester, but Fairfax, Ireton, and colonel Berksted proved
that these vvere only " to free him from immediate power of
the sword fo take his life." The court sat on several days.
Lord Holland, who had been brought up from Warwick, was
also put on his trial, (27fh ;) he pleaded that quarter had been
given him. None of their pleas, however, availed; they were
all sentenced to lose their heads, (Mar. 6.) A petition was
presented fo fhe parliament the next day by the lady Holland
and other ladies, which only procured a respite of two days;
the following day new petitions were presented. The house
then proceeded to vote on their several cases ; it was deter
mined that fhe duke and lord Capel should not be reprieved ;
the vptes for and against were equal in the cases of Holland
and Gpring, and the speaker, by his casting vpfe, cpndemned
the former and saved the latter. Colonel Hutchinson, seeing
sir John Owen without any one to make any exertion in his
favor, took pity on him, and prevailed on Ireten to give him
his interest, and by their joint influence he was saved by a
majority of five. Hamilton, Holland, and Capel were be-
VOL. II. 17 Y

194 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
headed next day (9th) in Palace-yard; they met their fate
with courage and constancy, especially the last, who behaved
" like a stout Roman."
The new CouncU of State when completed consisted of
forty-one members, of whom five were peers. They were
appointed for a year ; the army, navy, and ordnance were
placed under their authority ; they had power fo regulate
trade and fo negotiate with foreign states. They were re
quired to take an oath expressing their approval of all the
late proceedings, buf only nineteen (among whom fourteen
were regicides) would subscribe it; fhe remainder, headed
by Fairfax and Vane, positively refused it. A new form was
therefore devised, (Feb. 22 ;) they were only required " to
approve of what shall be done by fhe commons in parliament,
fhe supreme authority of this nation."
This supreme authority was such a miserable remnant of
the parliament of England, that they could not but feel
ashamed and uneasy as they looked on their shrunken di
mensions. To increase their number, they consented to re
admit such members as had not voted in fhe affirmative on
the 5th of December, and who would, record their dissent
from that vote on the journals ; they, also, from time to time,
issued writs for new elections in places where their interest
was strong, and their number thus gradually rose to about
one hundred and fifty.
"Never," says the panegyrist of the heads of the republi
can party, "never did any governors enter upon their func
tions under more formidable difficulties than the men who
now undertook to steer and direct the vessel ofthe new com
monwealth. They were, in a certain sense, a handful of
men with the whole people of England against them." In
these words he has, we think, pronounced their condemna
tion ; for a handful of men had np right tP take uppn fhem
tp decide what fprm pf gpvernment vvas best for the nation,
and to force it on them by the swords of a fanatic soldiery.
Against them were fhe royalists, who, though depressed,
were numerous and wealthy, and the presbyterians, whose
hostility had been fo fhe church, not fp the crpwn. On their
side were their great perspnal qualities, the arms pf upwards
of forty thousand soldiers, and the greater part of the inde
pendents and the other minor religious sects.
The nevv government was, in fact, that species of tyranny
denominated oligarchy, and depending, like all other tyran
nies, for its existence on the power of the sword. But it was
here that its chief source of danger lay ; fhe fanatic princi-

THE COMMONWEALTH. 195
pies ofthe levellers were widely spread among fhe Praetorian
guards of the new commonwealth, and it was not long ere
they broke out into action. The fearless John Lilburne, the
sworn foe to despotism of every kind, led fhe way by a peti
tion against the ' Agreement of the People ; ' petitions from
officers and soldiers, and from the ' well-affected ' in various
parts, poured in, calling for annual parliaments with entirely
new members ; fhe enforcement of fhe self-denying ordi
nance; the abolition of the Council of State and the High
Court of Justice ; requiring legal proceedings to be in Eng
lish, and fhe fees of lawyers to be reduced ; the excise and
customs to be abolished, and the estates of delinquents fo be
sold ; liberty of conscience, abolition of tithes, and fixed sal
aries of 100/. a year for fhe ministers ofthe Gospel.
To queU the spirit of fhe army vigorous means were em
ployed. Five troopers, the bearers of a remonstrance from
several regiments, were sentenced by a court-martial fo ride
the wooden horse, have their swords broken over their heads,
and be cashiered. Lilburne, who was keeping up a constant
fire of pamphlets, was, with his associates Walwyn, Prince,
and Overton, committed, to the Tower, (Mar. 29.) Numer
ous petitions, especially from the women,* were presented
in their favor, but without effect. Mutinies broke out in the
regiments destined for Ireland ; the first was af Bishopsgate,
in fhe city, where a troop of horse seized fhe colors and re
fused to march. For this five of them were sentenced to be
shot; buf, with the exception of one named Lockier, they
were pardoned by fhe general. Af the funeral of Lockier,
(Apr. 30,) the corpse, adorned with bundles of rosemary
dipped in blood, was preceded by one hundred men in files ;
six trumpeters sounding a soldier's knell went on each side
of it ; his horse, covered with mourning, was led after it ;
then came thousands of people with sea-green and black rib
bons af their breasts. The women brought up the rear;
thousands more of fhe better sort met fhem at the grave.
This funeral convinced the government of the necessity pf
acting with energy, fpr the mutiny was spreading fast. A
captain Thpmpspn, af fhe head pf twP hundred men, set
fprth at Banbury a manifesto named ' England's Standard
Advanced.' They were, however, surprised by colonel
* " They were bid," says Walker, " to go home and wash their dishes,
towhich some of them replied, They had neither dishes nor meat lefl."
A very different answer, he says, from what they used to receive, " when
they had money, plate, rings, bodkins, and thimbles to sacrifice to these
legislative idols."

196 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Reynolds, (May 13;) Thompson fled, and his men surren-
dered. A body of more than one thousand men moved from
Salisbury to Burford, where Fairfax came up with them.
At midnight Cromwell forced his way into the town, and
made four hundred of them prisoners, several of whom were
shot by sentence of a court-martial, (19fh;) the rest were
pardoned. Thompson was slain shortly after at Welling
borough, (21st,) and fhe mutiny was finaUy suppressed. On
Cromwell's making a report to that effect to the house, (26th,)
a general day of thanksgiving for that great mercy was or
dered.* It is now time that we should take a view of the state
of affairs in Scotland at this conjuncture. The parliament
there, now under the control of Argyle, had sent instruc
tions to their commissioners to protest against the trial and
execution pf fhe king ; but it was evident that Argyle feared
tp pffend, and the men who drove on that measure were not
to be diverted from their purpose. No notice, therefore, was
taken of fhe Scottish protest. When tidings of the execu
tion of fhe king reached Edinburgh, the parliament forthwith
(Feb. 5) proclaimed Charles II., provided he would fake the
covenant and adhere to fhe solemn league between fhe two
kingdpms. Afterwards, when they fpund themselves treated'
with cpntempt by fhe English parliament, and their cpmmis
sipners actually sent under a guard fp the frontiers, they ap
pointed cpmmissipners to proceed to fhe Hague to treat with
the king. These, on arriving, (Mar. 26,) found Lanark,
(now duke of HamUton,) Lauderdale, and Callendar, the
chiefs pfthe engagers, and the reyalists Montrose, Kinnoul,
and Seaforth already there. The antipathies and disputes
of these parties caused distraction and confusion ; and
Charles, whose real design was to repair to Ormond and the
catholics in Ireland, was little inclined to give them sat
isfaction. The murder of Dr. Dorislaus, which occurred
soon after, made it expedient for him to quit the Hague.
This civUian had been sent as envoy from the parliament fo
the states. On fhe very evening of his arrival, (May 3,) as
he was at supper in an inn, six gentlemen entered the room
with drawn swords, and dragging him from his chair, mur-
• There was another kind of levellers at this time, named the ' Dig
gers,' whose principle it was that the barren earth was to be made
fruitful. They accordingly repaired to St. George's-hill, near Walton,
in Surrey, and began to dig a common tliere, and to sow beans and
other plants in it. Fairfax sent two troops of horse, and easily dispersed
them, as their number was only thirty.

THE COMMONWEALTH. 197
dered him on fhe ground. The assassins escaped, buf if was
known that they were Scotsmen and followers of Montrose.
Charles immediately left the Hague and proceeded to Paris,
whence, after a delay of three months, he went to Jersey in
order fo fake shipping for Ireland. But the intelligence
which he received from that country showing that his cause
there was hopeless, he renewed his negotiations with the Scots.
Many months passed without any thing being done ; but early
in the following year (Mar. 15, 1650) he met the commis
sioners, who were the earls of Cassilis and Lothian, two
barons, two burgesses, and three ministers, at the prince of
Orange's town of Breda. But though urged by his mother,
the prince of Orange, and several of his ofher frieuds, to take
fhe covenant and comply with the other demands, he stiU
protracted the treaty.
The truth is, Charles, who had all the insincerity distinc
tive ofhis family, had in view another mode of recovering
his throne. The restless and enterprising Montrose, having
obtained some supplies of arms and money from the northern
courts, had embarked af Hamburg with about six hundred
men, Germans and Scottish exiles. He saUed to the Orkney
isles, where by a forced levy he raised his troops fo about
fourteen hundred, with whom he passed over to the opposite
coast; but as he marched through Caithness and Sutherland,
the people, instead of joining him as he expected, fled at his
approach. At Corbins-dale, in Fifeshire, he was encountered
(Apr. 17) by a party of three hundred horse, under Strachan;
the main army of four thousand men under David Lesley not
being yet ceme up. The unwarlike islanders, when charged
by cavalry, threw dewn their arms and fled ; the Germans re
treated tP a wood, where they surrendered. Montrose, in fhe
disguise of a peasant, escaped by swimming across a river;
but he was betrayed (May 8) by a person with whom he had
taken refuge, and was conducted a prisoner to Edinburgh.
Every insult that could be devised was heaped on him by his
ungenerous captors. The magistrates of Edinburgh met him
at the gates, and by their directions he was placed, barehead
ed and pinioned, on a high seat in a cart, and thus led by the
executioner fo the common gaol, his officers walking twp and
twp befpre the cart. Argyle and his ofher enemies feasted,
it is said, their eyes wifh the sight from a balcony. Within
two days he was brought before the parliament to receive his
sentence. The chancellor in a bitter tone enumerated all
his offences. He replied that he had always acted by the
royal command. He was then sentenced to be hung on a
17*

198 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
gallows thirty feet high, his head to be fixed on a spike in
Edinburgh, his arms on fhe gates of Perth and Stirling, his
legs on those of Glasgow and Aberdeen, his body fo be
buried by fhe hangman on the Burrow-muir. He heard this
sentence with an unchanged countenance. The clergy then
came to tprture him; they teld him that his punishment here
was but a shadpw pf what awaited him in the next wprld.
He repelled them with disdain; he was prpuder, he said, tp
have his head placed pn the prispn walls than his picture in
fhe king's bed-chamber, and he wished he had flesh enpugh
tp be dispersed thrpugh Christendem tP attest his Ipyalty.
He appeared pn the scaffpld in a splendid dress, and addressed
the people' in explanation of his dying unabsplved by the
church; the executipner then hung the book containing the
history of his exploits about his neck ; he smiled at their
malice, and said he wore it with more pride than the garter.
His behavior at his last moments gained many proselytes fo
the cause fpr which he suffered.
Mpntrpse was pnly thirty-eight years of age. His mind
was irregularly great, always aiming at what was beyond his
power to achieve. He never displayed the talents of a great
commander, but as a partisan or guerilla he was not to be
excelled. Personal aggrandizement or fhe gratification of
personal enmity was the impelling cause of most pf his ac-
tipns. His barbarpus death has in seme measure effaced the
memery pfthe cruelties which he had cpmmitted.
Sir Francis Hay Spotswood, grandson of fhe archbishop,
colonel Sibbald, and colonel Hurry, his companions, were all
executed a few days after Montrose. His friend lord Fren-
daught balked the public vengeance by a voluntary death.
When fhe news of Montrose's defeat reached Charles he
lost no time in declaring that he had forbidden him fo pro
ceed in his design, and that he was not sorry for his defeat.
He then submitted witheut reserve fo the demands ofthe
commissioners. Besides taking the covenant and fhe solemn
league and covenant, he bound himself not fo tolerate popery
in any part of his dominions, and to govern by the advice of
the parliament and thfe kirk. He then embarked (June 2)
on bpard pf a Dutch fleet emplpyed fp protect the herring-
fisheries, and after a tedious voyage of three weeks reached
the mouth of the Spey, (23d.) A court was arranged for
him with all the proper officers, but none of fhe Engagers
were permitted fo approach it, and none of his English fol
lowers but the duke of Buckingham, lord Wilmot, and a few
servants, were suffered to remain with him. He sppn fpund

THE COMMONWEALTH. 199
that he was to be a mere pageant of royalty, and the inso
lence of fhe despotic fanatic clergy made his life wearisome.
Evermore he was compeUed fo listen to their invectives
against the iniquity of his father's house, the idolatry of his
mother, and his own connection with malignants. Long
prayers, tedious sermons, rigid fasts, and Judaical sabbaths
were inflicted on him, and the slightest levity in look or con
duct was severely reprehended. How long a licentious youth
(for such was Charles) and these sour religionists could have
agreed is uncertain ; but the time for the experiment was
brief, for Charles had been but one short month in Scotland,
when (July 22) CromweU, flushed wifh victory in Ireland,
crpssed fhe Tweed at the head pf an English army.
In Ireland, when the nuncio and the clergy had gotten the
supreme power into their hands, they exercised it, as church
men always exercise temporal power, weakly, passionately,
and injudiciously. Buf the able and honorable Clanrickard
and some ofher peers rallied against them, and finally obliged
the nuncio fo fly fo the camp of his friend Owen O'Neal.
Lord Inchiquin, vvho had been hitherto on fhe side ofthe par
liament, having declared for the royal cause, fhe council in
vited Ormond to return and resume the lieutenancy ; and
on his arrival, the insolent, turbulent Italian found it necessa
ry to quit fhe kingdom in which his presence had been only
productive of evil. The news ofthe danger of the king at
this time made Ormond and' the confederates to recede a litUe
from the rigor of their mutual demands. They engaged to
maintain an army of seventeen thousand men for the royal
cause; he promised the free exercise ofthe catholic religion,
the repeal of Poyning's law, and other graces. This treaty
was concluded on the 17th of January, 1649; fhe account
of the execution ofthe king caused the Scottish army in Ul
ster fo declare for the royal cause. Owen O'Neal, who was
closely connected with the party of the nuncio, refused to be
included in it, and he formed an alliance with the parliament
ary commanders. Ormond, being joined by Inchiquin from
Munster, was enabled to appear at fhe head of a combined
army of eleven thousand men, protestants and catholics, be
fpre the walls of Dublin, (June 19,) and Inchiquin reduced
Drogheda. Monk, who commanded at Dundalk, had con
certed with O'Neal a plan for drawing the lord-lieutenant
away from Dublin ; but Inchiquin fell on and routed a body
of O'Neal's troops who were convoying fhe ammunition sent
him by Monk for this purpose, and then compelled Monk
himself to surrender. He also reduced Newry, Carlingford,

200 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Trim, and other towns, and then rejoined Ormond before
Dublin. Owen O'Neal meantime advanced toward Lon
donderry, which was hard pressed by fhe royalists, and he
obliged them fo raise the siege..
The parUament had appointed Cromwell fo the command
in Ireland, (Mar. 15 ;) he hesitated to accept it ; the coun
cil of officers directed tvvo from each regiment fo meet and
seek God as to what advice fo offer him, and at length he
declared himself willing fo undertake that service. He was
appointed lord-lieutenant, with supreme authority, both civil
and military, for three years. He demanded a force of
twelve thousand men wifh all needful supplies, and 100,000/.
in mpney. These preparatiens caused sp much delay, that
Cromwell did not leave London till fhe 10th of July ; on
which day, when three ministers had offered up prayers for
his success, and he himself, Goff, and Harrison " did," says
Whitelocke, " expound sonae places of Scripture excellently
well and pertinent to the occasion," he left Whitehall with a
train of carriages, each drawn by six horses, with his life
guard of eighty gentlemen, all of whom had been officers,
and a numerous suite of attendants. Ere their departure,
his officers presented a petition fo parliament, praying that
drunkenness, profane swearing, etc., might be restrained ;
legal proceedings be in English, cheap, certain, etc. ; lands
and houses with their encumbrances be registered in each
parish ; tithes be abolished, and two shillings in fhe pound
be levied on fhe land for the support of fhe clergy and the
poor, etc., etc.
The troops for Ireland were appointed to rendezvous af
Milford-haven ; the regiments of Reynolds and Venables
were embarked at once for the relief of Dublin. Mutinies
and desertion among his troops, however, delayed the depart
ure ofthe lord-lieutenant, and meantime fhe siege of Dublin
was raised. Ormond, who had hitherto lain at Finglass on
the north side of fhe city, had crossed fhe Liffey and en
camped at Rathmines on the south side. To cut off the
communication with Ring's-end, where fhe reinforcements
from England would land, he sent a party to fake and secure
fhe casUe of Baggotrath, near the walls. (Aug. 1.) Jones,
the gpvernpr, whp had been reinfprced by the regiments pf
Reynolds and Venables, sallied out and drpve fhem off, and
then following up his success, attacked and totally routed fhe
besieging army with a loss of one thousand kUled, two thou
sand taken, and all their ammunition, baggage, and stores.
Cromwell and Ireton soon after (ISfh) landed in Dublin, and

THE COMMONWEALTH. 201
having given their troops about a fortnight's rest, led them
(Sept. 3) against Drogheda, in which Ormond had left a
garrison of between two and three thousand men,* under
the command of sir Arthur Aston, ah English catholic.
Having effected a breach in the walls, (llth,) about one theu-
sand pf the besiegers entered at it, but they were driven put
again ; they renewed the attempt and succeeded ; erders
were issued tp give up quarter, and the whole garrison was
massacred. About a thousand of the catholic inhabitants,
who had taken refuge in the great church in which they had
setup fhe mass, were slaughtered in it; "their friars and
priests," says Cromwell, " were knocked on the head pro
miscuously with the others."
From Drogheda Cromwell advanced to Wexford, all the
towns and castles on his way submitting. When his guns
had played for a day on the castle and effected a small breach,
the governor sent in the evening te treat fpr a surrender, but
neglecting fp demand a cessafien, the firing cpntinued, and
the breach being enlarged, a part of the English soldiers en
tered, and opening the gates admitted the rest, and a promis
cuous slaughter, as at Drogheda, tbok place. Shortly after,
Cork and some other great towns in Munster declared for
the parliament, and on Ibrd Broghil's coming back from
England most of Inchiquin's troops went over to him. Crom
well, whose men suffered greatly from disease and want of
provisions, found if necessary fo retire from before Waterford,
fo which he had laid siege. He then put his troops into
winter-quarters. Early in February (1650) Cromwell, having been rein
forced, again tbok the field. No place was able to resist
him. Kilkenny opened its gates, (Mar. 28,) and its example
was followed by Clonmel, (May 10.) He was preparing to
renew the siege of Waterford when he was summoned to
England on account of the Scottish affairs. He left fhe
chief command in Ireland to Ireton, by whom the war was
prosecuted with vigor.
On his approach to London (May 31) Cromwell was met
at Hounslow by many members of parliament and officers
of fhe army, and conducted to Whitehall. The affairs of
Scotland being taken intp cpusideratien, it was decided that
an army under Fairfax and Cromwell should be marched
into that country without delay. Fairfax at first made no
objection, buf afterwards, being influenced by his lady and
* Mostly English, according to Ludlow, i. 260. z

202 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
the ministers, he felt scruples as to the justice of invading
a country with which they were in alliance. The council
of state appointed CromweU, Lambert, Harrisoii, St John,
and Whitelocke, as a committee to confer with him in order
to remove his scruples. They met in a room at Whitehall,
(25th,) and after prayer (as was the custom) proceeded to
the discussion. .They endeavored fo prove thatthe Scots,
by their late invasion of England under duke Hamilton, had
already broken fhe covenant, and that their present levies of
men proved a hostile intention. He declared himself uncon
vinced, and expressed his determination to lay down his com
mission. This they all conjured him not to think of dping,
in which, Whitelecke says, " npne were so earnest as Crom
well and the soldiers ; yet there was cause enough to believe
that they did not overmuch desire it." Fairfax, however,
persisted, and the parliament passed an act next day con
stituting Oliver Cromwell, Esq., to be captain-general of all
the forces raised and fo be raised within the commonwealth
of England. Three days after (29th) the new general set
out for the north.
On the 22d of July, Cromwell crossed fhe Tweed at the
head of a veteran army of sixteen thousand men. The whole
country thence to Edinburgh presented a scene of desolation;
for orders had been given to remove the cattle and provisions,
and by disseminating monstrous falsehoods of Cromwell's
cruelties in Ireland, and by threats pf infamy and death, the
gpvernment had caused the pepple fp abandpn their dwell
ings. The Scpttish army under David Lesley was ppsfed
behind a streng entrenchnient running from Edinburgh to
Leith, and as, though more numerous than the enemy, they
were mostly raw levies, if was the prudent plan of their gen
eral tP give the invaders np pppprtunity pf fighting, and thus
tp starve fhem put of fhe country. This plan would doubt
less have succeeded, for sickness had already begun fo pre
vail in the English army, but they had a good ally in fhe
ignorance, bigotry, and presumption of the Scottish clergy,
who were evermore meddling in both civil and niUitary
affairs. They commenced by obliging the king to remove
fo Stirling, his presence in the army they asserted giving
occasion fo riot and neglect of discipline. They next re
quired that the camp should be purged of malignants ; and
about eighty officers and some of the men being dismissed,
the army was held fo be entirely composed of saints, of whose
success there could be no doubt, the Lord being always sup-
ppsed fp esppuse the cause pf the righteous in these days.

THE COMMONWEALTH. 203
But one dark cloud still shed its gloom over the prospect ;
though they were bely themselves, they were engaged in the
cause pf him who vvas immersed in sin. To remove this of
fence a declaration vvas drawn up vvhich the king was required
to subscribe; in this he was tP deplpre fhe blppd-guUfiness
of his father and the idolatry of his mother ; to declare that
he took the covenant in truth and sincerity, and had no
enemies but those of it; fo pronounce all treaties with the
bloody Irish rebels null and void ; to detest popery, prelacy,
etc., etc. Little scrupulous as Charles vvas, he refused to
commit an act so repugnant fo natural duty. But it soon
appeared that he would be supported on no ofher terms. He
therefore affixed his signature to the instrument, (Aug. 16,)
an act in which no one could believe hirn to be sincere ; yet
— the zealots were filled with joy, and the cloud of guilt being
thus dispelled, fhe ministers assured their hearers of a cer
tain victory over a " blaspheming general and a sectarian
army." Cromwell finding that he could not bring the Scots to
action retired to Musselburg, (30th,) where he put his sick
on board his ships. He then moved to Haddington, and
thence fo Dunbar, followed by Lesley, who occupied fhe
heights of Lammermuir. But the civilians and the clergy,
the committees, of the estates and the kirk, would' no longer
be advised by the prudent general ; fearing now that the
enemy might escape, they insisted on his giving battle.
Cromwell and his officers had been Seeking the Lord, on
v/hich occasion, as he afterwards declared, he felt " such an
enlargement of heart in prayer and such quiet upon it," that
he assured those about him that God would certainly appear
for them. As they were walking after this exercise in lord
Roxburgh's gardens, and viewing fhe Scottish camp with
glasses, Cromwell, observing a great motion in it, cried,
"God is delivering them info our hands; they are coming
down to us." He was right; during the night, which was
rainy and stormy, the Scots descended from their elevated
station, and in fhe morning, (Sept. 3,) while they were wet
and weary, they were fallen on by the English troops. The
Scottish horse after a gaUant but brief resistance were broken
and routed ; the foot then threw away their arms and fled,
two regiments only resisting, who bravely perished where
they stood. The fugitives were pursued for eight miles ;
three thousand were slain, and ten thpusand, vvith all the
artUlery, ammunifien, and baggage, were taken. Edinburgh
and Leith opened their gates, and the whole country south

204 HIS-rORY OF ENGLAND.
of the Forth submitted to fhe English general, a few castles
only holding out.
To raise a new army was now the first object of the
Scottish government, but this could hardly be effected if the
religious test were retained in all its rigor. The commis
sioners of the kirk, on being consulted, passed two resolu
tions to the following effect : those who had made defection,
or had been hitherto backward in the wprk, Pught fp be
admitted tP make prpfessien pf repentance, and en dping
SP, might be allpwed te serve and fp defend their ceuntry.
Mpck penitents new appeared in abundance; reyalists,
engagers, and all fhe excluded crewded tP cpurt and camp.
But a new schism hence arose, fer the mere rigid and fa
natic pprtipn pf fhe clergy pretested against the resolutions
as an insult to God and a betrayal of the gppd cause. The
kirk was new split intp Resplutipners and Prptesters, pr
Rempnstrants, fpr the five rapst fanatic cpunties pfthe west,
Renfrew, Ayr, Galloway, Wigton, and Dumfries, presented
a remonstrance against fhe treaty with the king, and required
him tP be excluded frem the gpvernment.
Charles meantime, weary pfthe state pf pupilage in which
he was held, had concerted with the royalists in fhe High
lands fo make his escape fo fhem. One afternoon, (Oct 4,)
having gotten out of Perth, where the parliament now sat,
under pretence of hawking, he rode forty-two mUes to a
hovel named Clova in the Highlands, where his friends had
promised fo meet him. A few pnly appeared, and cplpnel
Montgomery, v^ho had been sent in pursuit of him by
Argyle, fo whom his plan had been betrayed, (by Bucking
ham, it is said,) persuaded him to return. This Start, as it
was named, was, however, bf some service to the king, as it
caused him to be treated henceforth with a little more con
sideration. On the first day of fhe new year (1651) Charles was
solemnly crowned af Scone. When he had sworn on his
knees and with upraised hand to observe the two covenants,
to maintain presbytery, govern according to the laws of
God andthe land, and rpot out false religion and heresy,
fhe crown was placed on his head by the marquess of Ar
gyle, and nobility and people swore allegiance to him. His
friends were now admitted to parliament, and to gain Ar
gyle more entirely tp his side he hinted at a marriage with
his daughter ; but that wary nebleman was net to be caught
by an offer in which he knew he was not sincere.
By the joint exertions of all parties, an army of twenty

THE COMMONWEALTH, 205
thousand men was assembled af Stirling in the month of
April. The king himself took fhe chief command, wifh
HamUton for his lieutenant, and Lesley for his major-gen
eral. The passes of the Forth were secured, and the army
was encamped in a strong position af the Torwood, near
Stirling. CromweU, who had been suffering so severely from
ague as to have obtained permission to return fo England,
finding himself unexpectedly better at the approach of
summer, resumed operations in July. By means of a fleet
of boats which had been collected at Queen's-ferry, Overton
passed over and fortified a hill at Inverkething ; he was fol
lowed by Lambert ; the Scottish force sent to oppose them
was driven off, (21sf ;) Cromwell lost no time in transporting
over the remainder of the army ; the whole of Fife was rap
idly reduced, and Perth opened her gates. The communi
cations of the royal army wifh the north were now cut off,
and if it remained in its present position it must either
starve, disband, or fight at a disadvantage. In this dilemma
the king proposed the desperate expedient of a march into
England ; Argyle alone opposed it in fhe council, and when
his reasons were rejected he obtained permission to retire to
his estates. The king then at the head of fourteen thousand
men left Stirling (July 31) on his way for England. Crom
well immediately sent Lambert with a body of three thousand
horse to hang on his rear, and he ordered Harrison to ad
vance from Newcastle with an equal number to press on his
flank ; he himself, leaving Monk with five thousand men fo
complete fhe conquest of Scptland, ropved rapidly (Aug. 7)
in the direcfipu pf Yprk.
Charles entered England at Carlisle; af Warringtpn
(16th) Lambert and Harrisen attempted fp prevent his
passage ef fhe Mersey, buf they were net in time tp break
dpwn the bridge, and he passed them by, and marching rap
idly thrpugh Cheshire and Shrppshire came fp Wprcester,
(22d,) where he was sclemnly preclaimed by the maypr and
spme of the gentlemen of the county. The aspect of his
affairs was, however, by no means cheering. The royalists
had not been prepared, and few of them came to join him ;
fhe committee of the kirk forbade any one to be employed
who did not take the covenant ; and fhe attempts of Massey,
the defender of Gloucester, who was now one of the royal
commanders, to raise men in Lancashire, failed in conse
quence of it.
Af the first intelligence pf the king's march intp England
the cPuncil of state were in great alarm, for they supposed
VOL. II. IS

206 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
that it must have been concerted with the presbyterians, and
they expected the royalists every where to rise ; they even
suspected Cromwell of treachery. They soon, however, re
sumed their courage; they caused the declaration which
Charles had published to be burnt by fhe hands of the com
mon hangman; and they proclaimed him and aU his abet
tors guilty of high-treason; they put suspected persons into
prison,* and ordered the militia of the adjoining counties
to march toward Worcester. Cromwell himself soon ar
rived, (28th,) and found himself at the head of thirty thou
sand men, while the royalists were not half the number, and
but a sixth part of fhem English. That very day Lambert
made himself master of the bridge over the Severn at Upton,
in the defence of which Massey received a severe wound,
which deprived the royal army of his valuable services. On
the 3d of September (the day of the victory of Dunbar)
Fleetwood, advancing from Upton on the west bank of the
Severn, proceeded to force the passage of the Team, while
Cromwell threw a bridge of boats over the Severn fo come
to his aid. The Scots, having fhe advantage ofthe numerous
hedges in that part, fought gallantly; but Crpmwell having
passed pver seme regiments, they wer* at length driven back
fp fhe city. Meantime the remainder pf the royal forces
issued from the town and attacked the trppps pn that side.
At first their efferts were successful, but they were finally
driven back by Cremwell's veteran reserve and fprced intp
fhe city. CromweU stormed the fort named Fort Royal, put
its garrison of fifteen hundred men to the sword, and turned
its guns on fhe town, which the royalists speedily abandoned.
The battle had lasted five hours; the Scots had fought nobly.
"This has been," said Cromwell in his despatch, " a very
glorious mercy, and as stiff a contest fpr four or five hours
as ever I have seen." Of ihe vanquished three thousand
men were slain, of the victors only two hundred ; but as the
whole country rose against fhe Scots, whose speech betrayed
them, the number of the prisoners amounted to fen thousand.
Among these were the earls of Derby, Cleveland, and Shrews
bury pfthe English nebUity, and the duke pf HamUton, (who
was mortally wounded,) fhe earls of Lauderdale, Rothes,
and Kelly, and the lords Sinclair, Kenmuir, and Spynie of
the Scottish ; also the generals Lesley, Middleton, and Mas-
The very day that Charles entered Worcester, a presbyterian cler
gyman named Love aud a layman named Gibbons were beheaded on
Tower-hill for their share in a conspiracy in favor of royalty.

THE COMMONWEALTH. 207
sey. The earl of Derby and two others were tried by a
court-martial at Chester and put to death ; the others were
kept in prison, from which Massey and Middleton escaped.
" It is certain," says Godwin, " there was on the whole a
great spirit of clemency displayed in . the limits the govern
ment thought proper to prescribe to itself on this occasion.
Of the common soldiers taken prisoners, the greater part
were sent to the plantations, [as slaves,] and fifteen hundred
were granted to fhe Guinea merchants, and employed to
work in the mines of Africa." Not one word of reprehen
sion has the historian fo bestow on this barbarous treatment
of fhe freeborn soldiers of an independent nation I The
republicans seemed resolved; we may see, to tread faithfully
in the fopf-print pf fhe Greeks and Remans.
The parliament voted Cromwell an estate pf 4000/. a year,
in additipn fp that pf 2500/. a year already given him. It
was also voted that Hampton-court should be fitted up for his
residence. Lambert, Whalley, Monk, and pthers had also
estates granted to them.
The dangers and escapes of Charles after the defeat of
Worcester are so interesting in themselves, and serve so
much to di^lay fhe nobler and more generous feelings of
eurnature, that we cannot refrain from relating them some
what in detail. '
Charles, who bad shown no want of courage during fhe
battle, left the town with the Scottish horse; but he parted
from them during the night with about sixty followers, and
proceeded to Boscobel-house in Staffordshire, the seat of a
catholic gentleman named, Gifford. He was, however, con
ducted instead to Whiteladies, another of Gifford's houses,
and here his companions took leave of him. He cut off his
hair, stained his face and hands, and, putting on fhe coarse,
threadbare clothes of a rustic, went forth in the morning wifh
a bill in his hand, as a woodcutter, in the company of four
brothers, laboring men, named Penderel, and Yates their
brother-in-law, all catholics. One of them accompanied him
info fhe thickest part ofthe wood while fhe rest kept, watch.
As the day was wet and stormy, and Charles was weary with
his previous exertions, his companion spread a blanket for
him under a tree, whither Yates's wife brought him some food.
He was startled at fhe sight ofher, but she assured him that
she would die sooner than betray him ; and the aged mother
of the Penderels, when she came to see him, feU on her knees
and blessed God for having chosen lier sons to save the life
of their king.

208 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
About nine in the evening the king and Richard Penderel
left the wood and proceeded to Madeley, the house of another
catholic gentleman named Wolf, which was near the Severn,
it being his intention to pass over info Wales. They did not
reach it tiU midnight ; all the next day (5th) they remained
concealed behind the hay in a barn, while Wolf sent to ex
amine the river. But all the bridges were guarded and aU
the boats secured, and they found it necessary to abandon
their design, and, when night set in, to direct their steps to
Boscobel." Here the king met colonel Careless, a catholic
loyalist, and as the soldiers vvere very numerous about there,
they both concealed themselves all the next day'(6fh) in the
dense foliage of an oak-tree which grew close to the foot
path in a meadow in fhe centre of the wood ; whence they
could frequently discern the red coats of the soldiers as they
passed through the frees. In the night they returned fo fhe
house, where Charles remained quietly all the next day,
(7th,) which was Sunday. On Monday (8th) he received a
message from lord Wilmot, fo meet him af Moseley, the house
of Mr. Whitegrave, also a recusant. As his feet had been
cut and blistered by the walk to and from Madeley, he rode a
horse belonging to one ofthe Penderels, the six brothers at
tending him armed. Here a new plan of escape was devised
for him; the daughter of Mr. Lane of Bentley, a protestant
gentleman in that neighborhood, had obtained a pass to go
visit Mrs. Norton, her relation, near Bristol, and it was pro
posed that the king should ride before her as her servant.
To this he readily consented, and in the night Wilmot went
to Bentley to make the arrangements. Next day (9th) a
party of troopers came ; the king was shut up in the Priest's
Hole, but they departed without searching the house. In
the night he went to Bentley, and on the second day, (llth,)
equipped in a suit of gray he mounted before Miss Lane ;
her cousin, Mr. Lassells, rode beside them, and on the fourth
day (14th) they reached Mr. Norton's in safety. Wilmot,
who had boldly ridden with a hawk on his fist and dogs at
his heels, also eluded discovery, and he took up his abode at
sir John Winter's in fhe neighborhood.
Miss Lane, pretending that her servant was unwell, ob
tained a separate apartment for him ; but the butler, who had
been a servant in the palace at Richmond, recognized him
as soon as he saw him. He told his suspicions to Lassells,
and the king then deemed it his wisest course fo confide in
him. His confidence was not deceived ; fhe man was faith
ful and zealous. By his means Wilmot had a private meet-

THE COMMONWEALTH. 209
ing with the king, (l-7th;) and' as the butler had inquired
without success for a ship fo take liim to France or Spain,
it was arranged that he should go to colonel Windham's at
Trent, near Sherburn in Dorset, and that a letter, as if her
father was dangerously Ul, should be given to Mi^s Lane to
serve as a pretext for her sudden departure. They there
fore left Mr. Norton's the next morning, (18th,) and reached
Trent the following day. Miss Lane and, Lassells then re
turned home.
A ship was soon hired at Lyme to convey a gentleman and
his servant (WUmot and the king) to France. They went
down in the evening, (23d,) Charles riding before a young
lady, fo a little inn at Charmouth, where they were fo be
taken on board; but no bark came, for when the master was
leaving his house for the purpose, his wife stopped him and
would not suffer him to stir. At dawn (24th) WUmot went
to Lyme to learn the cause of the disappointment : the
others meantime rode to Bridport, which was full of soldiers;
Charles led the horses through fhem info the, inn-yard, rudely
pushing them out ofthe way. But the hostler here claimed
acquaintance with him, saying he knew him in the service
of Mr. Potter at Exeter, (in whose house Charles really had
lodged.) Taking advantage of the confusion of the hostler's
memory, the king replied, "True, I did live with him, but I
have no time now ; we will renew our acquaintance over a
pot of beer on my jeturn to London."
When Wilmot came to say that the master would not put
to sea, they rode back to Trent, where the king staid till
the 8fh of October, when he retnoved to Heale near Salisbury,
the residence of a widow-lady named Hyde, where he re
mained concealed for five days, during which colonel Gunter,
through one Mansell, a merchant, engaged the master of a.
collier which was lying at Shoreham in Sussex. Charles
rode fo the adjoining fishing-village of Brighfhelmstone,
(15th,) where he sat down to supper with the colonels Philips
and Gunter, and Mansell, and 'Taftershall, fhe captain ofthe
vessel. This last recognized the king, having been detained
in the river by him in 1648. He called Mansell aside and
complained of fraud ; fhe king when informed took no notice,
but kept fhem all drinking and smoking tiU four in the morn
ing, when they set out for Shoreham. Ere he departed, as
he was alone, the landlord came behind him and kissed his
hand, which was on the back of a chair, saying, " I have no
doubt that if I live I shaU be a lord and my wife a lady."
The king laughed. 18* A A

210 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
When they were aboard, Taftershall assured the king of
his fidelity. The ship when under weigh stood along the
shore as if for Deal, whither she was bound. At five,
Charles, as had been arranged, addressed the crew, saying
that he and his companion were flying from their creditors,
and begged fhem to join him in prevaUing on the captain fo
land them in France; at the same time he gave themtvventy
shillings to drink. The sailors became zealous, advocates ;
Taftershall made many objections; af length he affected to
yield, and next morning (17fh) the two adventurers were
put ashore at Fechamp in Normandy.
Upwards of forty persons, it appears, were privy to the es
cape of Charles; a reward of 1000/. had been offered (Sept.
9) for his apprehension ; yet no one, not even a servant, was
base enough to betray him. This surely is creditable to hu
man nature. It is only to be regretted that the object of
such devotion should have afterwards proved so worthless.*
' The Channel-Isles, ScUly, Man, and fhe colonies of Bar
badoes and Virginia were reduced by the end Of this year.
Scotland and Ireland only remained to occupy fhe attention
ofthe council of state.
In the former country, after the loss ofthe army in Eng
land, there remained np fprce fp ppppse fp Mpnk. Stirling
had.already capitulated, (Aug. 14,) and Dundee had been
taken by stprm and all within it ruthlessly massacred, (Sept.
1.) Mpntrpse, Aberdeen, and St. Andrews ppened their
gates, and English detachments even visited the Orkney and
Zetland isles. The earls pf Huntley and Balcarras retired
to fhe Highlands, where Argyle was endeavoring to organize
a system of resistance ; but they preferred submission tothe
English fp a unipn with him, and he pnly had the hpnpr pf
being the last fp yield. A cpmmissipn pf eight perspns
(ampug whpm were Vane and St. Jphn,) fpr the affairs of
Scptland was apppinted. The pbject in view was tp fprm an
incprpprating unipn pf fhe fwp cpuntries, fpr which purppse
delegates were summened fp meet the cpmmissipners at Dal
keith. To this project both the national and the religious feel
ings ofthe pepple were adverse; buf they were of little avail
against superior power. Ere, however, fhe terms of union
could be adjusted, the parliament of England had ceased tP
exist, and Scctland remained a ccnquered cpuntry ; a chain
After the Restoration, Careless and the Penderels were rewarded
by the king ; Miss Lane and colonel Windham by the parliament.

THE COMMONWEALTH. 211
of new fprts which extended tp its remptest parts securing
its franquUlity and reminding the pepple of their subjection.
The total conquest of Ireland alsp was achieved. After
the departure ef Crpmwell, Ireton had reduced Waterford
and Carlow, whUe sir Charles Coote was equally successful in
Ulster, and lord BroghU in Munster. Connaught and fhe
city of Limerick only remained to the Irish. , Ormond, thwart
ed and impeded in every possible manner by the priesthood,
quitted the kingdom, (Dec. 7,) leaving his uneasy seat fp be
filled by fhe marquess ef Clanricarde, a cafhplic npbleman
of high hpnpr and unsullied Ipyalty. A negptiatipu was
meantime going on with that princely condotiierc the duke
of Lorraine for fhe service of himself and his army, but he
required fpr himself, his heirs, and successprs, the title pf
' Prptecfor-royal,' wifh fhe chief civil and military authority,
to be retained until Charles Stuart should repay him his ex
penses. To these extravagant demands the agents sent to
Brussels subscribed, (July 27, 1651 ;) but Clanricarde reject
ed them with indignation, and the arrest of the duke by the
Spanish government soon put an end to all hopes from that
quarter. Ireton opened the, campaign of 1651 with fhe siege of Lim
erick, (June 11.) It had a garrison of three thousand men
under Hugh O'Neal, the gallant defender of Clonmel, but
the keys of the gates and the government of the city remained
with the mayor. Coote advanced from the north, and in
spite of Clanricarde pushed on fo Portumna and Athunree ;
BroghU defeated lord Muskerry, the catholic commander in
Munster; Ireton himself forced the passage of the Shannon
at Killaloe, and transpprfed a part pf his army tP the Clare
side pf that river ; and Limerick was thus shut in en all sides.
The defence was gallant, and it was net till after a siege of
four mpnths and a wide breach had been effected in the walls,
that fhe people and the garrispn cpnsenfed fp treat, (Oct. 27.)
Twenty-fwp perspns were excepted from mercy, of whpm five,
namely, fhe bishop of Emiy, Wolf, a turbulent friar, Stretch,
the mayor, Barrow, one of the town-council,' and general Pur-
cel, were executed. The intercessipn pf the members pf
the cpurt-martial which fried him saved the life pf the brave
O'Neal. Ireton did net lOngputlive his cpnquest; he fell a
victim fo the plague, which was then raging in that part of
the kingdom, (Nov. 25.) His remains were transmitted fo
England and honored with a magnificent funeral in West
minster-abbey, and an estate of 2000/. a year was settled on

212 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
his fainily. Lieutenant-general Ludlow, who succeeded to
the command, completed the subjugation of the country in
the following year.
The parliament appointed Lambert to the office of lord-
deputy in Ireland, (Jan. 30, 1652,) but his commission was
only for six months. Lambert, a vain, ostentatious man,
went to great expense, laying out not less than 5000/. on bis
coach and equipage, but a simple accident came to terminate
his visions of glory. His wife andlrefon's widow happened
to meet in fhe park; the former, as fhe lady of the actual
deputy, claimed precedence. The mortified relict com
plained to her father; about fhe same time she gave her hand
to lieutenant-general Fleetwood, who was now a widower;
and to complete her triumph over her rival, it now only re
mained that he and not Lambert should be fhe deputy, and
this was thus efi'ected. Cromwell's commission of lord-lieu
tenant was on the point of expiring, and a deputy without a
Iprd-lieutenant was a solecism. Some, indeed, objected to
these titles altogether, as savoring top much pf mpnarchy ;
but if was prpppsedfp renew Cremwell's cpmmissipn. This,
hpwever, he declined. It was then preppsed fp limit Lam
bert's cpmmission for six mpnths, but he tPpk huff and sent
in his resignatipn, (May 17.) Crpmwell was then em-
ppwered fp apppint the cpmmander pfthe fprces fpr Ireland,
and he npminated Fleefwppd, (July 9 ;) he, hpwever, reim
bursed Lambert fhe expenses he had been at.
Cpmmissioners, as in fhe case of Scotland, were appointed
to regulate the affairs of Ireland. The people of that mPst
unhappy cpuntry were treated as we shall npw prpceed to
relate. Each chief, as he submitted, was allowed to levy a certain
number pfmen fpr the service of the catholic princes ofthe
continent, and take them out ofthe country. A great num
ber of women and boys were at various times carried away
to America and the West Indies.* By fhe ' Act for fhe
settlement of Ireland,' (Aug. 12, 1652,) a general pardon was
extended to all fhe inferior people. Of the persons of prop
erty the following classes were " excepted from pardon of
life and estate." 1. All those who before the 10th of No
vember, 1642, had had any share in the rebellion, massacres,
* Sir William Petty says, that 6000 boys and women were sent
?;j'„''XAi'" ^'L°^ course ;) one catholic writer said 60,000, and another,
100,000!! See Lingard, xi. 131.

The COMMONWEALTH. 213
etc. 2. All who sat or voted in the general assembly at Kil-
kenny before the 1st of May, 1643. 3. All Jesuits and other
popish priests who had in any manner aided or abetted the
aforesaid rebellipn, massacres, etc. 4. The earls of Ormond,
Castlehaven, Clanricarde, and nineteen other faoblemen, with
Bramhall the protestant bishop of Derry, and eighty-one bar
onets, knights, and gentlemen, aU mentioned by name. 5.
All who since the 1st of October, 1641, had slain any persons
in the English interest, soldiers or others, except in war.
6. All who did not lay down their arms within twenty-eight
days. AU ofher persons not included in those exceptions,
who had borne command, or exercised office in the war
against the parliament, to forfeit two thirds of their estates,
and to retain the remaining third, or to receive lands to fhe
same value in another part of the kingdom. All persons who
had resided in Ireland from October, 1641| to March, 1650,
and had not been in the service of the parliament from Au
gust, 1649, to March, 1650, or otherwise manifested their good
affection to the commonwealth, were fo forfeit one third of
their estates.
It was the intention of fhe parliament fo transport as many
as possible of the original Irish beyond the Shannon, and
this seems fo have been effected in a great part of Leinster
and of Munster, in which, at the present day, scarcely any
of the original Irish have any landed property but what is of
late acquisition. The land assigned in Connaught in lieu of
their thirds exceeded eight hundred thousand acres, which
would seem to indicate that a good number had migrated,
while the paucity pf names belenging fo fhe septs of Leinster
and Munster in that province would appear fo give a differ-^
ent result. Af all events, the great prevalence of Irish names
among the peasantry of Leinster and Munster, and their re
tention of the Irish language, prove that they, at least, were
undisturbed. The forfeited lands were divided among the
adventurers who had advanced money on the faith of parlia
ment in the beginning of fhe war, and fhe soldiers who had
served in Ireland from fhe time that Cromwell took the com
mand. Europe had not witnessed such a transfer pf landed
prpperfy by cpnquest since the subjugation ofthe Greek em
pire by the Turks, and that of Granada by the Spaniards.
Catholic writers naturally exclaira against fhe treatment ex
perienced by the native Irish on this occasipn, and we are
far frpm giving if unqualified apprpbafipn ; we weuld, hpw
ever, remind them pf the expulsion of the Moriscoes, and

214 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
the revocation of the edict of Nantes by the catholic sove
reigns of Spain and France.*
We must not suppose that the aforesaid act was rigorously
carried into effect. It was not so by any rneans. Many,
even of those who were excepted by name, retained or after
wards recovered their estates. In like manner, though, a
court was established for fhe trial of those who had been
concerned in fhe murders and massacres of fhe protestants,
but few were executed, and those only persons of some rank,
such as lord Mayo in Coniiaughf, sir Phelim O'Neal in
Ulster, and in Leinster Luke Toole, the head of one of fhe
septs of Wicklow, colonel Lewis Moore, Lewis Demley, ahd
some others. The mother of colonel Fitzgerald was bumf
for the murders she had committed, " with this aggrava
tion," says Ludlow, " that she said she would make can
dles of their fat." The whole number executed is said to
have been about two hundred, which makes if probable that
the inferior agents were not rigorously sought after Indeed,
as they massacred their victims by wholesale, it must have
been a matter of difficulty to procure evidence.
This conquest strongly resembles that of England by fhe
Normans, and as this last gave origin to the bands of out
laws, so that of Ireland produced the Rapparees or Tories,
who harbored in the woods and bogs, whence they issued fo
commit their ravages in the open country. They proved so
formidable that rewards were set on their heads, 100/. for
that ofthe captain, 40/. for that of a common Tory.t

* Even while we write, (1838,) accounts reach us ofthe expulsion of
tbe protestant inhabitants of one of tbe valleys of the Tyrol by the
Austrian government — the most tolerant of catholic powers. Welldid
Pym describe the spirit of popery !
t Rnpparee is a corruption of robber. Tory comes from the Irish
verb " toruighim," to rob. Tbe barbarism of the Irish at this time is
almost incredible. " Near this place," says Ludlow, (i. 365,) " lay the
crmght of Lt-gen. O'Neal, son to that O'Neal who after several years'
imprisonment in the Tower of London died there. He came over from
the service ofthe kingof Spain to be lieut. -general to the army of Owen
Roe O'Neal; but upon some jealousy or particular discontent was laid
aside. This man with bis wife (who he said was niece to the duchess
of Artois) and some, children removed , as the Irish do generally in those
parts, with their tenants and cattle, from one place to another where
there is conveniency of grass, water, and wood ; and there having built
a house, which they do commonly in an hour or two, they stay till they
want grass and then dislodge to another station." One might think he
was describing an ordoo of Turkmans. The Gypsies are the only par
aUel Europe affords.

THE COMMONWEALTH. 215
We are now to view the foreign relations of the common
wealth. Amity prevailed between it and the courts of France
and Spain, and with the eccentric Christina of Sweden. The
first dispute was with the king of Portugal on the following
account. We have seen that a part of the English fleet went over
to the prince of Wales. This was put under the command
of prince Rupert, to cooperate with Ormpnd in Ireland.
The parliament, on the other hand, on the formation of fhe
commonwealth, turned their attention to the navy ; fhe earl
of Warwick, as a presbyterian, was deprived of his office of
lord-admiral, and (as the naval did not as yet form a distinct
profession) the colonels Blake, Dean, and Popham vvere ap
pointed fo command at sea, and a board of three, with sir
Henry Vane at its head, was to manage the, affairs ofthe ad
miralty. Chiefly through the exertions of Vane a formidable
fleet was got fp sea, and Rupert was blockaded in the barber
pf Kinsale. After some months he broke through the block
ading squadron with the loss of three ships, and sailed forthe
coast of Spain, and he wintered in fhe Tagus. In the spring
(1650) Blake appeared at fhe mouth of that river, and re
quired to be allowed ;fQ enter it and attack fhe pirate, as he
styled the prince. This was refused, and as he attempted to
force his way he was fired on by the guns ef fhe castle pf
Belem. He then stafiened himself at fhe mputh pf fhe river
and captured the Perfuguese merchantmen ; the king in, re
turn threw the English merchants at Lisbon into prison and
seized their goods. Fearful, however, of the effects of a
war wifh fhe new republic, he forced Rupert to quit the Ta
gus, and he sent an envoy to London to explain his conduct.
It was long before matters could be accommodated, but the
affair terminated af last (Jan. 1653) in very valuable privi
leges being conceded to the English traders. Rupert when
driven from fhe Tagus sailed fo the Mediterranean, where
he supported himself by piracy, capturing English, Spanish,
and Genoese vessels; he thence went to the West Indies
and pursued a similar course, tUI, having lost one of his
ships with his brother, prince Maurice, in a hurricane, he
sailed to the port of Nantes in France, where he sold his
two remaining vessels to the French government, (Mar.
1652.) The war with fhe United Provinces which succeeded was
of much more importance. During the lives pf fhe princes
of Orange, who were connected wifh fhe royal famUy of

216 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
England, the States were favorable to their cause; but on the
death of WUliam of Orange, (Nov. 6, 1650,) the republican
party got the ascendency. TheEnglish parliament forthwith
joined St. John with Strickland, their ambassador at the
Hague, in an embassy, of which the object was to propose
a strict alliance and union between the two countries ; but
owing to various causes (one of which was said fo be Sl
John's haughtiness) the envoys returned without having ef
fected their purpose. The States are also said fo have de
layed till they should have seen the result of the contest be
tween the parliament and the king of Scots. After the bat
tle of Worcester they sent envoys to London, but the parlia
ment was now elate with triumph, and St. John had already
commenced his plan of vengeance. Af his instigation White
locke had introduced (Aug. 5) the celebrated ' Navigation
Act,' which was calculated to give such a blow fo the Dutch
commercial prosperity. Letters of marque had also been
issued fo sundry merchants and many prizes had been made.
The Dutch early in the following year (1651) equipped a
fleet of one hundred and fifty sail fo protect their commerce,
as they asserted. Their admiral. Van Tromp, came (May
19) with forty ships into the Downs where Blake was lying
with twenty sail, and, on being required to strike his flag,
his reply, it is said, was a broadside. An action ensued,
and the Dutch admiral retired with the loss of two ships.
Who was the aggressor is uncertain ; the English said
Tromp had no right to come off their coast and to fire with
out provpcatipn ; Trpmp asserted that he had been driven
there by stress pf weather, and that he was preparing io sa
lute the English admiral when the latter fired af him. The
States sent over Pauw, the grand-pensionary of Holland, to
explain and apologize, but the parliament would not abate of
their haughtiness. They insisted on a large sum of money
as compensation for their losses and the charges they had
been af, and finally (July 9) issued a declaration of war.
While sir George Ayscue, who was just returned from the
West Indies, commanded a squadron in fhe channel, Blake
sailed to the north, where the Dutch were engaged in the
herring-fishery. He captured the ships which guarded the
fishing-busses, made these last pay fhe duty of every tenth
herring, and sent them home with orders not to fish again
without license. Van Tromp had put to sea with seventy
sail, but as he was preparing fo engage Ayscue a calm came
on, and when he went in search of Blake a storm scattered

THE COMMONWEALTH. 217
his fleet and five of his ships were captured. On his return
home he was received with murmurs and reproaches, and he
laid dovyn his commission in disgust.
De Ruyter succeeded Tromp in the command. As he
was convoying a fleet of merchantmen he was attacked by
Ayscue off Plymouth, (Aug. 16.) The forces yvere abput
equal, but the advantage was rather on the side ofthe Dutch,
and Ayscue, who was suspected, of royalism, was removed
from his command,, with, however, a grant of land in Ireland
to console him. The pensionary De Witt haying joined De
Ruyter, and taken the chief comrnand/ an indecisive action
was fought wUh Blake off the coast of Kent, (SepL2S ;) night
separated fhe combatants, but in the morning the Dutch re
tired to their pwn cpast. Van Tromp was then restored
to the command, and with a fleetj of upwards of seventy ships
he SaUed over to the Downs, where Blake was lying with
about half the number. The English admiral accepted his
challenge, (Nov. 30;) fhe combat lasted all through the day.
In fhe night Blake, who had lost five ships, ran up the river
as far as Leigh. Tromp sought him at Harwich and Yar
mouth, and then kept cruising along fhe coast from the North
Foreland to the Isle of Wight, with a broom at his mast-head,
to indicate that he^could sweep the !pnglish off the sea.
Every effort was made "to wipe away this' disgrace. The
ships were refitted, two regiments of foot were embarked as
marines, the wages of the seamen were raised. Dean and
Monk were joined in command with Blake, and with Seventy
sail they stationed themselves across the channel from the
Isle of Portland to interrupt Tromp, who was convoying a
fleetof merchantmen. Blake met him (Feb. 18, 1653) off
Cape La Hogue; the action which ensued was obstinate;
the Dutch lost five, the English one ship, and Blake himself
was severely wounded. The engagement was continued
through fhe two following days, and the Dutch owned fo
the loss of nine ships of war and twenty-four of the mer
chantmen. This was the last triumph pf the remnant ef the Lpng
Parliament Their reign, which had lasted fer twelve years,
had new reached its clese ; they were dppmed fp fall by the
hands pf their own servants.
It is uncertain when the idea of sole dominion first en
tered the mind of Cromwell. In his despatch after the bat
tle of Worcester, he called it a " crowning victory," a very
simple and natural expression as appears to us, but one fo
which his enemies gave an invidious sense. After that vic-
VOL. II. 19 B B

218 HISTORY or ENGLAND.
tory he became so eleivat'ed, tbat Hugh Peters, as they were
on their return to London, remarked to a friend, '" that
Crornvv^ell would make himself a king." * In the parliament
Cromwell was very urgent to have the'Act of Oblivion passed,
which his enemies ascribed to his desire to conciliate' fhe
royalists. He soon after {Dec. 10) invited, some of fhe prin
cipal lawyers and officers of fhe army to meet him af fhe
speaker's house, to deliberate on the settlement of fhe nation.
At this conference the mUitary men weire for a republic, the
lawyers for a limited monarchy. With these last Cromwell
agreed ; buf on their recommending one of the sons of the
late king as the person to be chosen, he said it would be a
business of more than ordinary difficulty, but gave it as his
opinioh that " a settlement with somewhat of monarchical
power in it would be very effectual." They came to np re
sult, but Cromwell had gained all that perhaps he, wanted —
a knowledge of the sentiments of all these different persons.
Besides the Act of Oblivion, Cromwell forced on the par
liament anpther measure which had leng slumbered in cem-
mittee, namely, the setting a term fp their pwn duration.
They fixed pn Npv. 4, 1654, thus giving themselves three
ye.irs longer pf ppwer certain, andthe chapter pf accidents
fer fhe time tP cpme. In return they proposed fo reduce the
army. They first (Dec; 19) disbanded a fourth of fhe forces.
They were proceeding fo follow up fhe blow, when (Aug. 13,
1652) a petition was presented from the army, calling for
reform in the law, attention to the subject of religion, etc.,
tacitly charging them with neglect of their duty in various
ways: they took the hint, and desisted,
In fhe following November, Cromwell held a long and
confidential discourse with Whitelocke, in which he asserted
that without "some authority so full and high" as to be
able to restrain fhem both, it would be impossible fo prevent
the ruin of fhe good cause by the collision, between the par
liament and the army. Whitelocke told him that he could
restrain the army, but that the parliament, being the supreme
authority, could only be controlled by its own good sense and
virtue. " What if a man should take upon him to be king? "
cried Cromwell. Whitelocke said, fhe remedy wpuld be
wprse than the disease ; that Crpmwell had already the ppwer
pf a king withput fhe pdium ; that he weuld lose many pf
his friends, and cpnv^rt the natienal quarrel intp a cpntest
between the hpuses pf CrpmweU and Stuart. His final ad-
" Ludlow, ii. 12.

THE COMJIIOmVEALTH. 219
vice was, that Cromwell should make a private treaty with
the king of Scots, and place h™ on the throne with such
conditions as should secure the liberties of fhe natipn, and
have the cpmmand pf the army assured fp himself Crpm
well said they wpuld discourse of it another time, and they
separated. Whitelocke observed after this that his carriage
toward him was altered.
It is remarkable that very soon after,' thrpugh Crpmwell's
influence, permissipn was givfen tp the duke pf <jrlpOcester tp
gp tp reside with his sister fhe princess pf Orange.* This
looks as if CromweU regarded him as a rival.
During the winter various meetings were held by the
officers, at which CromweU took care to, aggravate their
discontent against the statesmen, whom he represented as
only anxious to reserve all fhe benefits and emoluments of
the state to themselves. An immediate dissolution of the
parliament was his great object, and he had already proposed
that in fhe interval between that and fhe meeting of a new
one, the government should be e.xercised by a council of
forty, composed of members of parliament and officers ofthe
army. / The affair, however, dragged on slowly through the
house, which was reluctant to lose itsi present hold pn ppvver,
and the impatience of Cromwell was no longer to be re
strained. He summoned (Apr. 19) a meeting of parliament-
men and pfficers fp his Ipdgings af Whitehall, fp devise spme
mpde pf putting a speedy end fp th6 present parliament.
The army party declared that " it was necessary the , same
shpuld be done one way or the other," for which Cromwell
rebuked them. The meeting broke up late at night, but the
subject was resumed in the morning. During the discussion,
word was brought that the house was engaged on the, matter
of the dissolution, and if was hoped would do as was re
quired. Those who were members went to the house ; but
it soon appeared that if was their own original biU, not that
ofthe army, they were engaged on, and that they were about
fo pass it at once that it might obtain the forceof law. Har
rison " most sweetly and humbly " urged them to pause ;
Ingoldsby meantime sped away fo Whitehall. Cfomwell
instantly ordered a party of soldieJ"s to foUpw him. He pro
ceeded to the house, and leaving the soldiers in the lohby,

' The princess Elizabeth had died. What Hume tells, us of the in
tention of the parliament to put these children to mechanical trades is
totally undeserving of credit. They were always treated with humanity
and respect.

220 HISTORY OT ENGLAND.
went in, and taking his seat on one of the outer benches, sat
listening to the debate. His dress, we are fold, was a plain
, suit of black, with gray worsted stockings. The speaker
was about to put fhe question ; Cromwell whispered to Har
rison, " This is the time. I must do it." He rose, put off
his hat, and addressed them. His language af first Was mod
erate ; but as he warmed, his tone altered, and " he told them
of their injustice, delays of justice, self-interest, and other
faults." " Buf," said he, " the Lord has done with you, and
has chosen other ; instruments for carrying on his work that
are more worthy." Sir Peter Wentworth declared he never
heard such unparliamentary language, and that, too, from
their own servant "Come, come, sir," cried Cromwell,
putting on his hat and springing forward, " I wUI put an
end to your prating." He paced up and down the floor,
apparently in great agitation, then stamping with his foot,
he cried, " You are no parliament; I say you.are no parlia
ment. Bring them in, bring them in." The door was
opened and colonel Worsley entered at fhe head of mpre
than tyventy spldiers. " This is not honest," cried sir Henry
Vane ; " yea, if is against morality and comraon honesty."
" Sir Harry Vane, O sir Harry Vane," said Cromwell,
"the Lord deliver me from sir Harry Vane ! He might
have prevented this, but he is a juggler and has not so much
as common honesty;" Then without naming him he abused
Whitelocke; pointing to ChaUoner, he said, "There sits a
drunkard;" to Marten and Wentworth, ""There are two
whoremasters." He charged others with their vices and ill
lives, and then Suddenly furnihg to fhe guard, directed them
to clear fhe hpuse. Harrisen advanced tP the speaker, and
Pn his declining tP rise, tPpk him by the hand and led him
down. As the members vvere retiring, Cromwell resumed,
" It is you," he cried, " that have forced me to do this. I
have sought the Lord both day and night that he would
rather slay me than put me on the doing of this work." Alder
man Allen pbserved, that if was net tpp late to undp all that
had been done ; Cromwell charged him with peculation in his
pffice pf treasurer pf the army, and gave him intp custcdy.
Then Ippking af the mace, he said, " What shall we do with
this fool's bawble? Here, carry it away." He took the
act of dissolution from fhe clerk, and putting it under his
cloak, went fo Whitehall, having ordered fhe doors to be
locked. In the afternoon Cromwell went with Lambert and Har
rison to fhe councU of state. He told the members that if

s
THE COMMONWEALTH. 221
they teat as private individuals, they should not be disturbed,
buf if as a council of state, they Should take notice, as they
could not be ignorant pf what had occurred that morning,
that the parliament was dissolved. " Sir," replied Bradshaw,
with real or assumed dignity, " vve have heard what you did
at fhe house in the morning, and before many hours all
England will hear it. . But, sir, you are mistaken fo think
that fhe parliament is dissolved, for no power under heaven
can dissolve them but themselves; therefore take you notice
of that." Cromwell made no reply,, and they retired.
Thus was terminated the Long Parliament, of whom it
has been said, with we fear as much truth as severity, that
" scarce two or three public acts of justice, humanity, or
generosity, and "very few of political wisdom or courage, are
recorded of them from their quarrel with the king to their
expulsion by Cromwell." * They fell unlamenfed by the
nation,f though a few republican enthusiasts have chanted
dirges fo their memory. The praises of their panegyrists,
we may observe, are almost confined to their successes in
war; but these are surely the praises of Cromwell, Blake,
and such men, and not of them. Their financial system
was as simple as that of an Eastern despot : they laid on
enormous taxes and levied them by the swords of the sol
diery ; if they wanted money on any occasion, they ordered
the sale of delinquents' estates ; if timber was required for
the navy, they directed the woods of'some delinquent to be
felled. In these cases justice was not fo be had froni them.
Lord Craven, for example, had been out of England all the
time of the war ; .one might therefore expect that no charge
of delinquency could be made against him ; but some one
having sworn that he had seen the king in Holland, the
parliament voted that his lands should be sold, though it is
said he convicted the informer of perjury. Many other acts
of pppression of a simUar nature will be. found, At the
same time they were mostliberal in providing for themselves;
they of course monopolized all lucrative offices; and in
perusing Whitelocke and the Journals, tbe ignorant admirers
of these stern republicans will be surprised at the sums
which they voted themselves under the name of arrears,
compensation for losses, etc. Neither shoiild their High
* Hallam, ii. 209.
t Godwin (iii. 46'?) acknowledges and Mrs. Macauley indignantly
bewails it. Godwin ascribes it to the smallness of their number and
the arbitrary continuation of their power, and the consequent large
number of their enemies. 19*

222 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Court of Justice and their abolition of trial by jury be
forgotten ; , at the same time it should be recorded that
they always inflicted fhe penalty of death in a mUd form,
and never butchered their victims, as was done under the
monarchy.

CHAPTER XL
THE PROTECTORATE.
1653—1658.

The first step taken by Cromwell and fhe council of offi
cers (Apr. 22) was to put forth a declaration of the grounds
and reasons of their dissolving the parliament. They then
proceeded to the formation of a new council of state. Lam
bert proposed that it should consist of ten or twelve mem
bers ; but the fanatic Harrison vvas greatly in favor of
seventy, that being the number ofthe Jewish Sanhedrim.
Thirteen (the number of Christ and his apostles) was that
fixed on, and the councU consisted pf nine officers (CromweU
included) and four civilians.
The government continued for some time to be exercised
in the most anomalous manner, some measures emanating
from the council of state, some from that of fhe officers,
others from fhe lord-general. A ready obedience, however,
was every where given j the army and navy never hesitated
in their fidelity; the cpurts pf law all prpceeded in their
usual course. This state of things, however, was felt not
fo be secure; for a government without a parliament vvas a
monster in the eyes of the people of England. Cromwell
was also aware that the time for his assumption of the sole
power was not yet arrived. It was requisite therefore to
have a parliament of some kind ; buf as he feared to make
the experiment of a general election in the ancient manner,
the following expedient was devised, after he and his pfficers
had spent a week in clpse cpnsultatipn. The ministers
were directed to take fhe sense of the " congregatienal
churches" in the different cpunties, respecting perspns
" faithful, fearing Ged, and hating cpvetpusness," and tP
transmit their names tp the cpuncil. Out of these the
council, in the presence of the lord-general, selected pne

THE PROTECTORATE. 223
hundred and thirty-nine members for England ; to whom,
with six for Wales, six for Ireland, and four for Scotland,
writs were issued signed by Cromwell, (June 8,) summoning
fhem to appear at Whitehall on the 4fh of July as members
for fhe places named in fhe writs, to take on fhem the trust
of government.
On fhe appointed day the new members to fhe number
of one hundred and twenty appeared at Whitehall. They
seated themselves round the council-table, and Cromwell,
standing by fhe middle window with his officers on each
side, addressed them, in a strain of great piety, the inspira
tion as it was thought of the Holy Spirit. They had been
called fo their high office, he told them, by Gpd himself;
he therefore would give fhem no charge ; he vvould only
pray that they might exercise the judgment of mercy and
truth, and be faithful with the Saints, however they might
differ in their forms of worship. He' anticipated, he said,
the commencement from this, day of the reign of Christ.
Having finis'hed his " grave, Christian, and seasonable "
speech, he placed on the table an instrument under his
hand and seal, giving, them the Supreme authority for the
space of fifteen months, af the end of which they were to
transmit it to another assembly chosen by themselves for
an equal period.
The fpllpwing day the cpnventipn met at the parliament-
hpuse. They devpfed the entire day tp pipus exercises, and
many declared that " they had never enjpyed-sp much pf the
spirit and presence pf Christ in any pf the meetings and
exercises pf religipn in alhtheir lives' as they did pn that day."
They were, taken all tpgether, an henest, 'Cpnscientipus set
of men, occupying respectable stations in life, and possess
ing, if not large, independent estates. But many of them
had adopted wild notions in religion and politics, which they
held vvith obstinacy, because they had no doubt of their
truth, and they knew themselves to be- single-minded. A
leather-seller in Lendpn, named Praise-Gpd Barebpne, being
one, pf the members, the assembly was called in derisipn
Barebone's Parliament; its other popular appellation vvas
The Little Parliament. They invited CromweU and four of
the principal officers to sit among fhem, but they had no
thought of submitting tO his dictation ; he had styled them
the supreme authority, and they were determined to act as
such, and without control. '
Being resolved to lose no time in the correction of abuses
and fhe introduction of necessary reforms in all departments.

224 HISTORY or England.
they formed (20th) eleven committees for various objects ;
one of which was fhe advancement of learning ; another,
the state of prisons and prisoners ; a third, provision for the
poor. Economy and reform were (as in our own days) the
great obje^cts professed fo be in view. In pursuit of the
former they regulated fhe excise and the treasury; they
abolished useless offices and cut down the salaries in others;
and the public accounts were strictly audited. This was all
very praiseworthy ; but religion and the law were regarded
by them as matters of far greater importance, and here their
proceedings were quite of the root-and-branch description.
The condition of the law was in itself certainly bad
enough, buf they regarded it as a perfect Augean stable.
There were said to be not less than twenty-three thousand
causes pending in the court of chancery, some of which had
been there twenty, others thirty years ; the expenses were
enormous; the justice of the decisions was suspicious. Their
remedy was a very sirpple one ^ to abolish fhe whole system.
But then came fhe question. What to do with the pending
causes? Bill^ to answer this purpose were introduced and
rejected, but one was on fhe eve of being passed when the
parliament was dissolved. The whole body ofthe law itself
being in their eyes a mere chaos of confusion, made up of
traditions, statutes, and decisions, often obscure, often con
tradictory, it was deemed the wisest course fo do' away with
it altogether, and form out of if a reasonable code which
might be comprised in a pocket-volume and be accessible to
all men, and not be a mystery confined to a few. A com
mittee was appointed to effect this, and a commencement
was made with fhe articles treason and murder.
In matters of religion one of the first points which pre
sented itself vvas that of advowsons. Nothing seemed more
adverse to fhe spirit of true religion, than that a layman,
merely as fhe owner of land, should have fhe right of im
posing a religious teacher on a parish, and could even sell
that right like any other species of property. It was there
fore resolved that the right of presentation should be taken
away; and that fhe parishioners should be empowered to
choose their own pastors. The subject of tithes had been
the very first fo which they had directed their attention.
The members of the committee of religion, however, were
of Cromwell's party, and not of the fanltics' ; they delayed
for five months making a report, and when they did they
gave it as their opinion that incumbents and impropriators
had a property in the tithes. In the debate which ensued.

THE PROTECTORATE. 225
the committee and their friends were -defeated, and it was
generaUy rumored and expected that the parliament would
proceed fo fhe abolition of tithes.
This fearless, honest, but ill-judging assembly had thus
raised themselves a host of enemies of fhe most formidable
description — the whole body pf the lawyers, fhe clergy, the
aristocracy. Cromwell saw that he might now dismiss the
parliament, and, being regarded by these classes as the pnly
security fer their rights and prpperty against the inreads pf
fanaticism, assume the sple power for which he thirsted. '
The vote en the repPrt pf the cemmittee of religion had
passed on Saturday the 10th of December. Sunday vvas
spent by Cromwell and his friends in secret deliberation, and
early on Monday (12th) they appeared in the house, and
colonel Sydenham rising made a speech in which he went
over all that had been done, and showed how injurious their
measures were to every order in the state. He said he could
no longer think of sitting in such an assembly, and moved
that they should go in a body and resign their power info
the hands of the Iprd-general. The mptipn was secpnded
and ppppsed ; but it was net by argument that Sydenham
and his party preppsed fp succeed. Reus, the speaker, whp
was pne of them, left the chair and went putj fpllpwed by the
sergeant and the clerk and by nearly fifty of the members.
There remained thirty-five, and while they were censulting
pn what was best tP be dene, cplpnel Gpffe and majpr White
came with seme spldiers and requested fhem fp withdraw ;
seeing that resistance was vain, they cpmplied, and fhe doors
were locked.
When the speaker and his train came to Whitehall they
retired into one of the repms, and drew up and signed an
instrument pf resignatipn. They then Pbtained an audience
of the general, who affected the utmost surprise, and was
with difficulty persuaded by Lambert and others fo accept
of it. The instrument was left in a room in the palace to
receive the signafiires of other members, and pn the third
day the number ampunted tP eighty, a majority ofthe whole.
Meantime a new constitution had been prepared and sub
mitted by Lambert fo fhe councU of officers, which gave
Cromwell the authority, though not the tiUe of a king.
The following day (16th) Cromwell was installed in his
new office. The street was lined from Whitehall to West
minster-hall ; the general came in his coach at one o'clock;
at the door the procession was formed ; the judges and
other law-officers, the lord mayor and aldermen, aU in their
cc

226 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
robes, went first; then came the general, in a suit and cloak
of black velvet with Ibng boots and a broad gold band round
his hat, foUowed by the councils of state and of the army.
They proceeded fo fhe Court of chancery, where the general
took his seat on a chair of state surrounded by the members
of fhe bench ; the civilians stood on the right, the mUitary
on fhe left side of the court. Lambert came forward and in
the name ofthe army and the three kingdoms prayed him fo
accept the office of Protector of the Commonwealth. The
'Instrument of Government' was then read by one ofthe
clerks of the councU. Cromwell having with feigned re
luctance given his consent, the oath was read to him by the
lord commissioner Lisle, and he signed it. Lambert then on
his knees offered him the civic sword in a scabbard ; he took
if, and at fhe same time laid aside his own military one.
He then sat down and put on his hat ;, the commissioners
handed him the seal, the lord mayor fhe sword ; he took
them and gave them back. Having exercised these acts of
sovereignty he returned fo Whitehall. Next day the new
government was proclaimed wifh the ceremonies usual at the
accession of a king.
The substance of the Instrument was, that the supreme
authority should be in the lord protector and fhe parliament ;
the protector to be assisted by a council of not less than
thirteen, nor more than twenty-one persons, immovable
except for corruption or other miscarriage in their trusL
The former functions of royalty in general were to be exer
cised by the protector, with the consent of parliament or the
counoU. A parliament was fo be summoned for the 3d of
September, 1654, and once in every third year, reckoned
from the dissolution of the last, and not fo be adjourned,
prorogued, or dissolved for the space of five months without
its own consent. The parliament was to consist of four
hundred members for England and Wales, thirty for Scot
land, and thirty for Ireland. The qualification for the
electors was to be the possession of an estate, real or per
sonal, of 200/. Those persons who had aided or abetted
the royal cause in the late wars were to be incapable of being
elected or voting at elections for the next and three succeed
ing parliaments. Catholics and the aiders and abettors of
the Irish rebellion were to be disabled forever. A provision
more certain and less subject to scruple than tithes was to be
made for the teachers of religion. All who professed faith
in God through Jesus Christ were to be protected ; but this
liberty was net to extend " tP popery or prelacy, or to such

THE PROTECTORATE. 227
as under the profession of Christ hold fprth and practise
licentipusness," etc. etc.
Oliver Crcmwell had thus, by taking advantage pf a train
pf favprable circumstances, raised himself fp the summit pn
which, since his victory at Worcester, he had fixed his view.
His usurpation, if such it is fo be called, was the greatest
benefit that could befall the country in its present condition.
"It secured the nation," observes Hallam, "from the mis
chievous lunacy of the anabaptists, and from the more cool-
blooded tyranny of that little oligarchy which arrpgated fo
itself the name of commpnwealth's men." Had the presby
terians recpvered their power, they would have bound their
odious, intolerant religious despotism on the necks pf the
pepple ; the reyalists, if triumphant, wpuld have intrpduced
the plenitude pf absplufe ppwer. The rule of Cromwell
gave time for men's minds to settle.
As by the Instrument, the ordinances of fhe protector and
the council previous to the meeting of parliament were to
have the force of laws, he took an early occasion of repeal
ing the engagement; he made a new law of treason ; an
ordinance of union, accompanied by an act of oblivion, with
Scotland; one appointing commissioners to approve of public
preachers, and another for ejecting ignorant and scandalous
ministers. The parties from whom Cromwell had most fo dread
(for the presbyterians seem at this time fo have been qui
escent) were the anabaptists and the royalists. His old
assistant Harrison and some of fhe other officers belonged
to the former. Harrison, when asked if he weuld pwn and
submit tP the present power, frankly replied that he vvould
not His commission was then taken from him, and ere
long he was placed in cpnfinemenL Spme pf the others
were removed ; the rest complied with the new order of
things. With the anabaptist ministers, the protector found
it necessary to proceed with some rigor. During fhe time
of the Little Parliament, these sectaries, thinking they had
the mpdeUing pf the natipn in their pwn hands, used fp meet
every Menday evening at Blackfriars. These meetings were
suppressed, and twp pf their preachers, Feake and Ppwel,
whp in their sermens declaimed against the protector as a
"dissembling, perjured villain," and threatened him with
" a worse fate than had befaUen the late tyrant," vvere sent
prisoners to Windsor.
The royalists, on their side, had recourse to conspiracies.
In the month of February (1634) a few were arrested for a

228 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
conspiracy ; but it appeared to have been merely the wild
talk of some hot-headed persons, and nothing could be made
of it. But in the foUowing month of May, a plot to assas
sinate the protector on his way fo Hampton-court was dis
covered. About fprty perspns, ampng whpm were fhe earl
ef Oxford, the two Asbburnhams, sir Richard Willis, sir
Gilbert Gerard and his brother John, were arrested. John
Gerard, Somerset, Fox, and one Vowel, a schoolmaster, alone
were brought to trial before a high court of justice. Fox
pleaded guilty ; the other three were convicted on the evi
dence of ten of their accomplices, one of whom was Gerard's
brother Charles, a youth of nineteen, he himself being but
two-and-fwenty. Powel was hanged; Gerard obtained the
favor of being beheaded ; he suffered on Tower-hill, avowing
his royalism, but denying his participation in the conspiracy.
On the same day with Gerard, (July 10,) another young
man suffered, in whose case the protector showed that in
his regard fo justice he would be checked by no pretended
privileges. Don Pantaleon Sa, brother of the Portuguese
ambassador, had an accidental quarrel, in fhe last month
of November, with John Gerard, whose fate we have just
related, in the Nevv Exchange in the Strand. Next day he
came with twenty companions, all armed, and taking a person
named Greenway for Gerard, fell on and murdered him.
They then tppk refuge in the heuse pf the ambassader, but
they were seized and cpmmitted tp Newgate. The plea pf
privilege was disregarded, as it was maintained tP he ohly
perspnal tp the ambassadpr. They were fried befpre a
mixed jury pf natives and fpreigners, and Sa and fpur Pthers
were feund guilty. Three were pardpned ; Sa and the pther
were executed, nptwithstanding the interppsitipn pf aU the
fpreign ambassadprs.
With respect fo fhe royalist conspiracies, it is probable
that they wete not unknpwn tp Charles II. Crpmwell,
though he declared that he did not believe in them, threat
ened retaliafien, and hinted that he was in np want pf in
struments. The reyalists in the highlands pf Scotland,
headed by Middleton, whom Charles had sent pver, and
encpuraged by Angus, Montrose, Athol, Lorn, and other
noblemen, had bidden defiance to fhe English troops ; but
they were speedily dispersed by fhe vigor pf Monk ;
Ireland was completely subdued ; foreign powers sought the
friendship of fhe protector : it only remained fer hirn tp
terminate the war with the United Prpvinces, in prder to
consummate his glory.

THE PROTECTORATE. 229
While all the late internal changes were taking place in
England, the Dutch war was not intermitted. In May,
1653, each country sent a fleet of one hundred sail to sea.
The English were commanded by Monk, Dean, Penn, and
Lawson ; the Dutch by TronSp, Ruyter, Witt, and Evertson.
They met off the North Foreland, (June 2;) the action
lasted the entire day. Dean and Monk were in> the same
ship ; the former was kUled by a chain-shot ;, Monk instantly
flung his cloak over him, lest the men should be discouraged.
In the night Blake joined with eighteen ships, and fhe battle
was renewed next day. A panic seized- the Dutch, -and
though Trpmp fired pn them to rally them, they fled. The
loss of the Dutch was twenty-one sail ; that of the English,
only one.
The States had already, at the desire of the merchants,
apppinted ambassadprs tp treat pf peace ; but they had net
set put at fhe time pf this great, victpry. On their arrival in
England, (June 22,) they fpund the demands ofthe cPuncil
as high as these pf the parliament had been. At length,
(July 26,) Crpmwell told them that England would be con
tent if Tromp were dismissed for a while from his command,
and the States would Consent fo a federative union between
the tvvo countriea Two of them returned to the Hague for
fresh instructions ; meantime another battle was fought, and
another victory gained, by the English. Monk and Tromp,
each with one hundred ships, engaged off the coast of Hol
land, (31st.) The batde was long dubious; at length TrPmp
fell, shpt thrpugh the heart by a musket-ball ; the Dutch lest
cpurage and fled : their less is uncertain ; Menk said, that
twenty, they themselves, that pnly nine sail were sunk. Np
ships were taken.
The negptiations fpr peace were resumed in Octpber, and
after a great variety pf maniBuvres and delays, a treaty was
signed, (Apr. 5, 1654,) Crpmwell receding frpm all the lofty
pretensions ofthe parliament. Bya secret article, fhe States
of Holland engaged never to elect the prince of Orange for
their Stadtholder, or give him fhe command ofthe army and
navy. Commercial treaties were also about this time made
wifh Denmark, Sweden, and Portugal. France and Spain
were rivals for the favor of the protector.
In this state of things Cromwell met his parliament, the
elections for vvhich had been perfectly free. A.s the 3d of
September happened to fall on a Sunday, the protector re
quested the members to meet him on Monday, af sermon, in
tiie abbey. He prpceeded thither in great state. First rede
VOL. II. 20

230 . HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
two troops' of the life-guards ; next, some hundreds of officers
and gentlemen bareheaded ; his highness's lackeys and pages,
in rich liveries, walked before his coach, a captain of the
guard was dn each side of it; his son-in-law, Claypole, mas
ter of the horse, leading a charger richly caparisoned, fol
lowed, and he was succeeded by the great officers of state
and the members ofthe council in coaches. After sermon,
the protector and the members repaired fo fhe Painted
Chamber, where he addressed them in a speech of three
hours' length, displaying the wretched, disorganized state of
the nation at the close ofthe Little Parliament, and contrast
ing if with the prosperous and settled condition fo which it
had since been brought. It was for fhem, he said, fo put
fhe top-stone fo fhe work, and -complete the happiness of the
nation. He then desired fhem to repair to their own house
and choose a speaker.
Lenthall was chosen speaker without a division. Though
Vane and some others ofthe leading republicans were not in
the assembly, Bradshaw, Haselrig, and Scot, were there, and
if soon appeared that the party ofthe protector was net fhe
majprity. The parties came af pnceto a trial of strength pn
fhe questien, whether fhe gpvernment shpuld be in a single
persen and successive parliaments. It was debated with
great vigor during four successive days (8th fo llth) in a
committee of the whole house. On fhe fourth day judge
Hale proposed a middle course, in which the republicans
seemed inclined to acquiesce, but Cromwell had already
determined how to act. The following morning, (12th,) the
members, on going to the house, found fhe doors locked and
the avenues filled wifh soldiers, and they were fold that his
highness would meet them in fhe Painted Chamber. He
there showed how the Long Parliament had brought on its
dissolutio'n by its despotism, the last by its imbecility, and
that power had been conferred on him, against his will, by
the voice ofthe people, signified in various ways. He told
them that in the ' Instrument of Government,' in virtue of
which they now sat, fpur ppints were fundamental. 1. The
supreme power in a single person. 2. Parliaments to be suc
cessive, not perpetual. 3. Neither protector nor parliament
to have the sole command of fhe army. 4. Liberty of con
science. These they might not touch ; other points might
be amended. He therefore had caused to be prepared a
Recognition, which they must sign before he could allow
fhem to sit again. He then dismissed fhem. About three
hundred subscribed the recognition ; yet, though fhe more

THE PROTECTORATE. 231
violent republicans were thus excluded, fhe house did not
prove quite so manageable as had been expected.
Shortly after, an accident occurred which was near bring
ing the protector's ambition to a sudden termination. The
duke of Oldenburg had sent him a present of six Friesland
coach-horses. One day (Oct. 5th) he went wifh Thurloe
and some of his gentlemen fo Hyde-park, and dined under
the trees. After dinner the fancy took him to drive his coach
himself, and he mounted the box, putting Thurloe inside.
For some time he went on very well, but on his beginning to
use the whip rather freely, fhe horses got into a gallop and
ran away. The postilion was thrown: Cromwell himself
fell on the pole, his foot got entangled in the harness, and a
pistol which he had in his pocket went off; af length his foot
came out of his shoe, and he fell under fhe body of the coach,
and thus escaped. Thurloe, who had leaped out, also re
ceived some bruises, and they were both confined fo their
rooms for fwo or three weeljs. The cavaliers prophesied
that Cromwell's next fall would be from a carL
MeanwhUe the parliament went on discussing the ' Instru
ment,' but carefully shunning the forbidden points. Soon
after the protector's accident, (Oct 13,) fhe question of the
succession was brought before them. Lambert, in a long
and able speech, dwelt pn the eyUs pf elective succession,
and recpmmended that fhe office of protector should be lim
ited to the family of Oliver CromweU, but the motion was re
jected by a majority of twp hundred fp eighty, and it was re
solved, that pn his death fhe successpr shpuld be chpsen by
the parliament, if sifting, if not, by the cpuncil. Crpmwell
waited patiently tiU the five lunar mpnths were expired;*
fhe parliament then, whp had just cpmpleted and read a third
time their revisien pf fhe Instrument, were ence more sum
moned to the Painted Chamber. In a long speech he re
proached them with having done nothing during five months,
unless it were to give encouragement fo the cavaliers and lev
ellers to combine in intrigues against the commonwealth,
and he concluded by teUing fhem that the parliament was
dissolved. The coalition of royalists and republicans fo which Crom
well alluded was no fiction. The common hatred of him
united them, and each hoped that when he was overthrown
they would be able fo subdue their allies and establish their
* " The month in law is always of twenty-eight days, unless the con-
trarv be expressed. This seems, however, not to have been generally
understood at the time." — HaUam, u. 335.

232 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
own system. Some ofthe leading republicans, such as colo
nel Overton and major Wildman, entered into correspond
ence with fhe exiled king. Okey, Alured, Lawson, and
Hacker, held consultations with Wildman, at which Marten
and lord Grey of Groby are said to have been sometimes pres
ent. Of the cooperation of Haselrig, Harrison, Carew, and
some others, there seems to have been no doubt. The vigi
lance of the government, however, disconcerted all their
plans. Overton was arrested and sent up from Scotland,
lord Grey, Harrison, and Carew, were sent fo various prisons.
WUdman was taken in the very act of dictating ' The Decla
ration of the free and well-affe«ted people of England, now iu
arms against the tyrant Oliver Cromwell, Esq.'
The general rising of the royalists had been fixed for the
beginning pf March. Wilmpt (now earl of Rochester) and
sir Joseph Wagsfaff came over privately to take fhe command
of them, and Charles himself with Ormond and others moved
frpm Cplpgne to Middleburg to be ready to pass over to Eng
land. The wakeful eye of government, however, was on their
projects, and the partial risings which they made in Yorkshire
and the west were easily suppressed. Sir Henry Slingsby
and sir Richard Malever, who had been with Wilmot at the
head ofthe former, were taken, but Wilmot himself escaped.
In fhe west, Wagsfaff, being joined by colonel Penruddock,
captain Grove, and about two hundred others, entered Salis
bury on a Sunday night, (Mar. llth,), and seized in their beds
the judges and the sheriff who vvere there to hold the assizes
next day. In the morning Wagstaff prepared to hang them,
but Penruddock and others, horrified at such barbarity, inter
posed so warmly that he consented to liberate them. The
insurgents then proclaimed the king, but finding that none
jpined them, and that a.reinfprcement which they expected
frpm Hampshire did not arrive, they retir,ed and passed
through Dprset intp Devpn, vvhere they vvere attacked at
South Meltpn by captain Crpoke, and roufed. Wagstaff
made his escape, the rest surrendered. Cromwell resplved
tp venture en trying them by jury, and as their guUt was
inaniffest according fo fhe present laws, fhey vvere all found
guilty. Grove and Penruddock were heheaded ; some were
hanged, others were pardoned ; fhe remainder, without any
regard to their station in life, were, in the usual way, shipped
off for slaves -to Barbadoes.
Hitherto Cremwell had been lenient fp the reyalists, in
the hopes of gaining them ; pf this he new despaired, and he
resolved to keep measures with them no longer. A great

THE PROTECTORATE. 233
number of noblemen and gentlemen were arrested; fhe epis
copalian clergy were forbidden to act as schoolmasters or tu
tors, pr tP use the church service either in public pr private ;
pOpish priests were ordered tp quit the kingdpm under pain
pf death ; cavaliers and papists were net fp cpme within less
than twenty miles of the city. He finally decimated the royal
ists, that is, imppsed an annual income-tax often per cent, on
all possessing 100/. a year and upwards in land, or 1500/. in
personal property, who had ever borne arms for fhe king, or
declared themselves fo be of the royal party. He thus openly
trampled On the Act of Oblivion, which, when it suited his
purpose, he had pressed on so strenuously. The reason he
assigned was, that as, by their obstinately keeping themselves
separate from fhe rest of the nation, fhey were a continual
cause of danger, it was but just that fhey should be made to
defray the expenses incurred in guarding against it.
For fhe collection of this fax, and for carrying into effect
his other arbitrary measures, he divided England into eleven
districts, over each of which he set a major-general. These
officers were furnished with most extensive authority; they
were empowered to raise troops, levy fhe taxes, disarm cav
aliers and papists, inquire into the conduct of ministers and
schoolmasters, arrest and imprison dangerous and suspicious
persons. When to these we add the arbitrary system of
general taxation continued or imposed, the high courts of
justice, the interference with the functions of judges and
advocates, we have a picture of despotism before which that
ofthe Stuarts sinks into insignificance.
We now turn to fhe foreign affairs of the protector's gov
ernment. France and Spain, we have seen, were rivals for
his favor. Of aU the states of Europe, Spain was, perhaps,
the one with which there "was least ground of quarrel : it
had given no countenance whatever tp the rpyal family ; it
had been the first tP acknpwledge the cpmmpnwealth. Buf
pn the Pther hand, CrpmweU was a zealpus protestant, and
Spain was bigotedly catholic, and fhe chief seat of the in
quisition ; and the gold and silver which it drew from Amer
ica were tempting to his cupidity. He did not see why
Spain should monopolize the wealth of an immense country,
the innocent people of which she had so barbarously mas
sacred, and treat as pirates the crews of all ships which were
found in those latitudes. He therefore demanded of Car-
derias, fhe Spanish ambassador, that fhe trade of fhe English
in fhe Atlantic should be free. He also required that the
English merchants settled in Spain should be secured from'
20* DD

234 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
molestation by the inquisition. Cardefias replied, that the
American monopoly and the inquisition were his master s
two eyes, neither pf which he would consent f o have put ouL
The Spanish court, aware that Cromwell was equipping a
fleet, and fearing that it might be intended for fhe West In
dies, sent the marquess of Leyda to London ; but after stay
ing there five months, he returned without having effected
any thing.
CromweU had prepared two fleets ; the one of thirty saU
under Blake had saUed in the preceding month of October
to the Mediterranean, to exact reparation for injuries done
fo the English trade by the states around that sea. Blake
first cast anchor before the port of Leghorn, and he made
the duke of Tuscany pay 60,000/. for the injuries he had
done to the English nation. He then sailed to Algiers, (Mar.
10,) and required the Dey to deliver up the English ships
and raen taken by his piratic subjects. Having received a
conciliatory reply, he proceeded to Tunis, and made a sim
ilar demand; the Dey bade him destroy the castles of Goletta
and Porto Ferine, and his fleet, if hecould. Blake speedily
silenced the fire of these castles, and then entered the harbor
and burned nine ships of war that were lying there. He
sailed thence to Tripoli, whose Dey submitted at pnce tP
his demands. Having thus chastised these pirates, Blake re
turned tp England.
The other fleet, which consisted of thirty sail, commanded
by admiral Penn, and carrying four thousand land forces
under general Venables, sailed about the end of December
for the West Indies, with sealed orders. When they reached
Barbadoes, (Jan. ¦ 29,) fhey opened their instructions, and
having enlisted and regimented a good number of those who
had been sent thither as slaves, and thus raised their fprces
te nine thpusand men, to which they added twelve hundred
at St. Kitt's, they sailed fo Hispaniola ; but instead of en
tering the port of St. Domingo at once, (Apr, 14,) when the
town would probably have Submitted, they landed, the troops
at a distance of forty miles from it. Here a mutiny broke
out in consequence of commissioner Winslow's issuing a
proclamation, stating, in Roman fashipn, that all plunder
should be public property. This being appeased by Venables,
they advanced for three days under a burning sun, and liv
ing chiefly on unripe fruit, which caused diseases among the
men. At length they jpined a detachment which had landed
within ten miles of fhe town. As they advanced fhey fell into
an ambuscade ; they drove off the enemy, buf their success

THE PROTECTORATE. 235
was of no avail, for the diseased condition ofthe troops made
it necessary for them to fall back to the station of the detach
ment, where they remained for a week. When they advanced
again toward the town, (25th,) the road, lying through a thick
wood, was commanded by a battery, and fhe sides were
lined with Spanish marksmen. The advance guard in dis
order fell back on a regiment of foot, and they on a troop
of horse ; all was confusion fUl a body of seamen cleared
fhe wood. But night then came on, and they returned to
their fornier station. Here a council of war having decided
that success was now hopeless, it was resolved to reerabark"
the troops. They therefore le^ Hispaniola, (May 3 ;) but as
fhe commanders feared to return without having effected some
thing, they made a descent (10th) on the island of Jamaica,
the people of which offered no resistance, but they had placed
the greater part of their property in security, so that the
plunder gained vvas trifling. By Cromvvell and the nation,
the acquisition of Jamaica was thought a matter of no im
portance ; yet there were'people who saw farther into things,
and regarded it as really of mbre value to England than His
paniola would have been. Penn and Venables were, on
their return, both committed fo the Tower by the indignant
and mortified protector. They had shown themselves in
efficient cpmmanders, and by their want ef harnipny fhey had
almpst insured failure.
Crpmwell at this time added tP his reputatien in the eyes
pf fhe world by his prompt and effectual interference in be
half of the Vaudois, or protestant inhabitants of the valleys
of Lucerne, Perusa, and San Martino in Piedmont, who were
persecuted by their catholic sPvereign. There are pf cpurse
ccnflicting statements en this subject, but from the known
intolerant spirit of the church of Rome, it is a fair cpnclusion,
that in cases of this kind, and where fhe catholics were by
far the stronger party, they were the aggressors. The Vau
dois, it appears, vvere ordered to give up a part of the valley
of Lucerne; they expressed their dissatisfaction, and the
duke of Savoy forthwith quartered troops in their valleys.
The soldiers acted with insolence and tyranny ; the people
resisted, but were overpowered, and a massacre of about
three hundred of fhe inhabitants of Lucerne vvas perpetrated,
(Apr. 21,) vvith all the circumstances, we are assured, pf
fhe most revolting barbarity. When fhe intelligence reached
England, Cromwell lost ho time in sending off under-.secre-
fary Morland as his envoy to Turin ; he wrote letters to all
the protestant states of Europe, and he made the security of

236 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
the Vaudois a sine qua non in fhe treaty which was pending
with the court of France. The duke was therefore obliged
to allow his protestant subjects to exercise the religion of
their fathers, and Cromwell sent them a sum of money from
himself in addition to what had by his permission been col
lected for fhem in fhe churches.
When the Spanish court was certified of the attempt on
Hispaniola, it was thrown into great perplexity, being already
engaged in a war with France. It could not, however, pass
over such an indignity, and it was resolved (Sept. I) to lay
an embargo on the English ships and property in Spain.
Cardefias received orders to remonstrate, and if not satisfied
to withdraw. He accordingly left England, (Oct. 24,) and
the following day Cromwell put forth a declaration of the
justice of the war on his part, and he signed the treaty vvith
France, by a secret article of which ten Frenchmen were to
be excluded from the British dominions, and Charles II. , the
duke of York, Ormond, Hyde, and fifteen others from those
of France.
Among the events of this year may be noticed the return
of the Jews to England, where fhey had not been settled
since the reign of Edward I. Manasseh Ben Israel, a dis
tinguished rabbi, came over to England fo negotiate wifh
the protector on this subject, and though the bigotry of fhe
committee appointed to consider his propositions did not
allow Cromwell to go so far as he wished, he permitted fhem
to come over, to build a synagogue, and to purchase ground
for a cemetery.
The motto of political parties seems to be Flectere si
nequeo superos, etc. ; in other words, they are willing to join
with those whom they most hate to overthrow an object of
common aversion. In accordance with this principle, we
now meet fhe sectarian levellers again in alliance with the
royalists, and even with fhe court of Spain. Edward Sexby,
a man who had risen from the ranks to fhe post of colonel,
had been an admirer and an agent of CromweU's in the
army ; lie had been a leading agitator ; he was a zealot for
liberty, and when his former idol apostatized as he thought,
he became his inveterate foe. After the arrest of Wildman
and others, Sexby, who had not been taken, went through
the country distributing pamphlets. In May (1655) he went
over to Brussels, where he informed the count Fuensaldagna
ofthe real destination pfthe fleet under Penn and Venables,
and offered fhe aid pf the levellers against fhe protector, if
furnished with money. Fuensaldagna sent him fo Madrid,

THE PROTECTORATE. 23T
where he was well received, and he obtained 40,000 crowns,
with yvhich he returned fo Antwerp, whence he sent varipus
sums fp his confederates in England; and though CromweU
had gotten information, and even seized a remittance pf 800/,
Sexby crossed the channel, remained some time, and returned
in safety.
Charles had made an offer of aUiance to the Spanish cab
inet after the rupture with England. He engaged to recaU
to his standard the English and Irish regiments in the ser
vice of France; he boasted of his influence in the English
navy, and, like Sexby, only asked for money. After a long
peripd of the usual delay, the court of Spain resolved to
accept bpth pffers, and tP effect a union between Charles
and Sexby. The latter said, that the wish of his friends was
fo have a free parliament, in which case there was no doubt
that Charles would be restored, though with some limita
tions. The plan formed was, that Charles should raise four
regiments out of his subjects in the service of France, that
Spain, should furnish a body of six thousand men, and that
the levellers should secure for them a port and fortress not
distant frpm Lpndpn, where they might effect a landing.
While this conspiracy was secretly organized against him,
Cromwell issued writs for a parliament to meet on fhe 17th
of September. Great excitement prevailed ; the govern
ment and its major-generals and other instruments made
every exertion to procure favorable returns ; on the other
side, pamphlets calling on fhe people now to make a strug
gle for their liberties were circulated. The result was, that
though ScpUand and Ireland returned these recommended,
England sent to ' the parliament a great number,' such as
Haselrig and Scot, strongly opposed to the protectpr's gov
ernment. For this, however, Cromwell had a remedy ; as
fhe council vvas emppwered by the 'Instrument' to decide
on the qualifications of the members- returned, he, under
various pretexts, chiefly of delinquency or immorality, caused
their tickets of admission to be refused to about one hun
dred persons. The excluded members published a bold and
vigorpus ' Remonstrance.' Of this, though of a most daring
tone, the protector deemed it advisable to take no nptice,
for his party had now a clear majority in parliament, and
that was all thathe required.
Acts were speedily passed for renouncing the pretended
title of Charles Stuart, and for the security ofthe protector's
person. Tbe war with Spain was resolved to be just and
politic, and a supply of 400,000/. was vpted. In calling

238 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
this parliament CromweU had had two main objects in
view : the one was to obtain supplies in a legal manner ; the
other to gain from it the coveted title of king. Various
motives probably concurred to make him ambitious of the
title, though he was without it possessed of more than regal
power. He certainly felt that prestige from which few are
exempt, attached fo names of dignities hallowed by time and
long usage ; he who was so affectionate to his family may
have wished fo secure the succession of his son, and even
to gratify the vanity of his daughters. The name of king,
too, was interwoven into aU the institutions of fhe country,
and the lawyers, the clergy, the nobUity, and all vvho were
weary of military rule, would be pleased with a prospect
of legal and settled government. There were even hopes
that the great body of the royalists, on a return to the
ancient forms of the constitution, would grow indifferent to
the exiled famUy, and transfer their loyalty to the new
dynasty. Cromwell, as we have seen by what he said to Whitelocke,
had had this idea in his mind for some time. He ilow con
sulted on the subject with Thurloe, Pierrepoint, and St.
John ; and to gain the good-will of the people, he resolved
to commence wifh aUpwing the arbitrary rule pf the majpr-
generals te be terminated. A bUl being brpught in, (Jan. 7,
1657,) of which the object was to confirm their past acts,
and invest them with legal authority for the future, it was
¦opposed by Claypole, fhe prptectpr's spn-in-law, and by lprd
Brpghil, his cpnfidant. The debate was cpntinued fpr ten
successive days ; the tyranny pf the bashaws, as they were
called, was detailed and dwelt on ; but, headed by Lambert,
they defended themselves with spirit. One of their argu
ments amounting to this, that the whole body of the cavaliers
should be punished fpr the pffences pf sprae, Henry Crpm
¬well, the prptectpr's nephew, replied, that on this principle,
all the major-generals ought to be punished, because some
of them had done ill, of which he could produce proofs.
He was called on to name, and he professed himself ready ¦
to do so, but the debate was adjourned. If was hinted to
him that his uncle would not be pleased with his conduct;
but he went that very night and fold the protector what he
had done, and added, that he " had his black book and
papers ready te make gPod what he had said." Cromwell
replied in a jesting manner ; and taking off a rich scarlet
cloak and his gloves, gave fhem to Harry, who strutted into
the house with them next day. The bill was finaUy lost

THE PROTECTORATE. 239
(Jan. 29) by a large majority, and fhe major-generals re
mained exposed to actions at law for their previous conduct.
While this bill was pending, a plot f o murder the protector
was discovered. The agent was Miles Syndercomb, who
had been a quarter-master in Monk's array, but hafi been
dismissed for his share in Overton's , plot. Sexby, when
last in England, had arranged the pil an with him, and there
can be no doubt but that Charles and his court knew and
approved of if. The death of Cromwell wsfs to be the signal
for the rising of fhe leveUers and royalists, an^ the invasion
from Flanders. Syndercomb and another named Cecil
bribed Tooke, a life-guardsman, to give them information
of the places where Crpmwell was tp pass, intending fo shoot
him from a window. Buf something always occurred to
frustrate them, and at Wildman's suggestion they altered
their plan. One evening at six o'clbck (Jan. 9) they
entered fhe chapel at Whitehall, and having set a basket
of combustibles in one of the pews, lighted a slow match,
calculated for six hours; but as they were coming out fhey
were all seized, for Tooke had betrayed fhem. Cecil told
all he knew, which only amounted to this, that some persons
in the palace were to kill Cromwell in the confusion. Syn
dercomb Was tried and condemned for high-treason, (Feb.
9;) he would give no infprmatipn, and he was, fpund dead
in his bed a few hpurs before the time appointed for his
execution, (13th.)' The royalists and levellers maintained
that he had been strangled by CromweU's orders ; the ver
dict of the jury w^as suicide by sriuffing up a poisonous
powder. The pulse of fhe house on the subject of kingship having
been felt after the discovery of this plpt, abput a month
later, (Feb. 23,) alderman Pack rose and presented a paper,
called ' A humble Address and Remenstrance,' pretesting
against the present uncertain ferra pf gpvernment, and
calling on the protector to assume a higher title, etc. The
officers instantly rose in a great heat, ahd Pack was borne
down to the bar; but order being restored, BroghU and
Glyn, Whitelocke, and the lawyers and dependents of the
court supporting Pack, the paper was read, and it was re
solved fo take it info consideration. It was debated, article
by article, and at lengtii adopted under the title of ' The
humble Petition and Advice.'
The only opposition which Cromwell had to fear was that
of fhe army, in which interest swayed some, fanaticism oth
ers, to oppose it. Lambert, in particular, was against it;

240 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
for being the second person in the country, and a vain, am
bitious man, he looked forward fo being the next protector.
His proposal fo the officers was, to bring up' five regiments
of cavalry and compel the house to confirm the ' Instru
ment ' and fhe establishment of major-generals. 1 hey hesi
tated, however, fo adopt this bold measure, and he then
withdrew from their councils. The inferior officers also
held meetings, and they sent (28th) one hundred of their
number to inform the protector of their sentiments. He
reminded them that at one time fhey had offered him the ti
tle of king; he said he had always been the drudge of fhe
officers; tliat the parliament had been called contrary to
his judgment; that it required to be controlled, which could
only be done by enlarging the authority of the protector.
Several were convinced by his reasons, but they had no
effect on the majority. They, however, agreed that if the
question of the" title were kept to be last considered, they
would make no opposition to, those of his being empowered
to name his successor, and of the parliament's consisting of
two houses, as he proposed.
On the 25th of March the title of king was voted, and
six days after a committee waited on the protector with
' The Petition and Advice.' He spoke of the " consterna
tion ofhis mind" at the offer, and requested time "to ask
counsel of God and his own heart; " at the same time ap
proving of every thing but the new title to be given to
himself At his desire, a committee was appointed to hear
and resolve his scruples. After various conferences, he
owned (Apr. 20) that his doubts were removed, and at
length he appointed a day (May 6) to meet the parliament,
when it was fully expected that he would accept the royal
title. Cromwell had vainly sought to gain his brother- and son-
in-law, Desborough and Fleetwood, over to his design.
They now told him they must resign their commissions;
and Desborough having informed Pride of what Cromvvell
vvas about fp do, the latter cried, " He shall not." When
asked how he could prevent it, he said by a petition signed
by the officers ; and fhey approved ofhis plan and went straight
to Dr. Owen, and prevailed on him to draw pne up.
The 8th was the day finally fixed fer the pretectpr fp meet
the parliament On the morning of that day, colonel Mason
and six-and-twenty other officers came and presented the
petition, in which they asserted that the design of those
who urged the general to take fhe title of king was to

THE PROTECTORATE. 241
destroy him and bring fhe natipn under the eld servitude,
and prayed the parliament fp cpntinue steady tp the pld
cause, fpr which they themselves were wUling fo lay down
their lives. When CromweU heard of this, he sent for
Fleetwood, and asked him why he let a thing of fhe kind
proceed so far, when he knew that he would not accept a
crpwn withput the cpnsent of fhe army ; and desired him
to go back and stop it. Shortly after, the members were
summoned to Whitehall, and Cromvyell concluded a long
and embarrassed speech by formally declining the title of
king. , ,
The word protector being substituted for Icing, Cromwell
gave his assent to ' The humble Petition and Advice.' It
empowered him to name his immediate successor, and re
stored the fwo hoilses,' giving fhe prptectcr fhe right pf
npininating the members pf the ' Pther house,' as it was
termed, but subject to some restrictions. The inauguration
of the protector took place on fhe 12th of May, in West
minster-hall. He stood on a platform at fhe upper end of
the hall ; the speaker arrayed, him in a purple mantle lined
with ermine, presented him a Bible superbly bound, and
placed a golden sceptre in his hand. The, oath waS then
administered fp him ; a lpng prayer, frpm the chaplain suc
ceeded. The protector sat down between the French and
the Dutch ambassadprs, fhe earl pf Warwick and fhe lord
mayor holding a sword at each side of hira ; the trumpets
spunded and the heralds preclaimed the style pf the pro
tector, . to which the spectators responded. He then rose,
bowed to the ambassadors, and walked down the hall to his
coach. The house of commons then adjourned for six
months. Most of the officers took the oath of fidelity to
fhe prptectpr ; Lambert, refusing, was deprivedpf his cpm-
missions, which were worth to him GOOO/. a year ; but he
obtained a pension of 2000/.
About this time, a pamphlet entitled '.Killing no Murder,'
and written with great energy, came out in Holland. The
writer of if is generally considered to have been captain
Titus, though Sexby, who sent thousands of it over to Eng
land, claimed it as his own. Having determined that Crom
well was a tyrant, and that it would be meritorious to kill
him, and eulogized Syndercomb, it assured the protector
that there Were numbers ready to foUpw that example, and
that he was net safe in his bed pr at his bpard. Sexby spon
came over again, but he was taken and died in prison.
VOL. II. 21 E E

242 HISTORY or england.
We must now return to fhe war with Spain. ^^ ^"^
spring of 1656 a fleet sailed from Portsmouth, under Blake
and Montague. Their destination was Cadiz and Gibraltar;
but not feeling themselves strong enough to attack either of
them, they sailed to the Tagus, where they obliged the king
of Portugal to ratify the treaty concluded with him, and pay
the stipulated sum of 50,000/. They then went to the Med
iterranean and again returned to Lisbon, leaving captain
Stayner with six frigates before Cadiz. Soon after (Sept.
10) a Spanish fleet of eight sail from the Havannah came in
sight; Stayner attacked it and sunk four, and took two
laden with treasure. One of the ships destroyed was the
vice-admiral's, on board of which was fhe marquess of
Vaydes, fhe viceroy of Peru, and his wife and seven chUdren.
When the ship took fire, the marchioness and her eldest
daughter fainted; the marquess would not abandon them,
and he perished with them and one of his sons; the other
children were saved and brought to England. The value
of the sUver taken was estimated af two mUlions of pounds
sterling; and Cromwell, to dazzle the populace, caused it to
be conveyed, in wagons from Portsmouth to London.
As Montague had returned home vvith the prizes, Blake
remained in the sole command, and in the spring (1657) he
sailed for the Canaries fo intercept the plate-fleet from Mex
ico. He found it already lying in the port of Santa Cruz in
Teneriffe, the plate-ships, ten in number, being moored in
a crescent close to fhe shore, with seven galleons in a line
before them ; the entrance of the harbor was commanded
by the guns ofthe castle,' and around it were seven batteries.
Blake resolved to attack. He caused a solemn fast to be
held, and next morning, (Apr. 20,) Stayner leading the way,
the fleet entered the harbor under a shower of balls, and
shells. By two in fhe afternoon the batteries were silenced
and aU the ships in the possessipn pf fhe English ; but the
wind which had brpught them in, npw ppppsed their egress.
Blake prdered fhe prizes fp be burnt, and SPPn after fhe
wind changed tp the south-west, and enabled them to get
out to sea. The English had lost pnly forty-eight men in
this daring action. Blake returned home seme time after,
but his health was gene, and he died (Aug. 17) as his ship
was entering the harbor of Plymouth. The protector gave
him a magnificent funeral, and his remains were deposited
in Westmin.ster-abbey.
In fhe month of November Cromwell married his two

THE PROTECTORATE,. 243
youngest daughters fo lord Falconberg and to Mr. Rich,
grandson of lord' Warwick., This last, however, died fhe
following February.
In the spring of this year, Lockhart, a Scottish judge,
who was married to Cromwell's niece, had proceeded as his
envoy tp Paris, and a treaty pf alliance fpr a twelvempnth
was ccncluded with Louis XIV. CromweU was to supply
a force of six thousand men, and in return was fo get
Mardyke and Dunkirk when reduced. The result of the
camp,aign was the reduction of the fprmer place, which
received an English gpvernpr.
The parliament met, (Jan, 20, 1658;) if presented the an
cient fprm pfthe twp hpuses, the pretectpr having summpned
by writ sixty perspns tp fprm the ' Other Hpuse.' Crpmwell
addressed them in the ancient style — " My Iprds, and gen
tlemen pf the house of commons.'' Buf the experiment
proved a faUure. As by the 'Petition and Advice' the
commpns were authprized fp judge pf fhe qualificatiens pf
their bpdy, the secluded members had resumed their seats,
and there was new a ppwerful ppppsitipn, headed by Haselrig
and Sept. They allpwed the hpuse fp pccupy itself with
npthing but the title and rights ef fhe ether hpuse. Crom
well soothed, and reasoned, and menaced fo no purpose.
He then formed his resolution with his usual promptitude.
One morning (Feb. 4) he threw himself into a coach that
was standing at the gate of Whitehall, beckoned to six pf
the guards tp follow hifn, and dr«ve fo the parliament-house.
He summoned the commons ,to his presence. He then, as
usual, talked of his dignity having been forced on him, and
reproached fhem with thwarting instead of aiding him,
whUe he was environed with conspiracies; if was therefore
time to put an end to their sitting, " and I do dissolve this
parliament," said he, " and let God judge between rae and
yo ." " Amen, amen," responded several voices. Thus
vvas a fourth parliament dissolved. Addresses to the; pre
tectpr frpm fhe army, and cpunties, tpvvns; and bprpughs, were
easily precured, and were inserted in the newspapers, to
convince the world of fhe popularity of his government.
At the same time several arrests took place; for the con
spiracies of which he spoke were no fictions, Ormond was
actually in London at this very time negotiating with the
varipus -pplitical parties, and transports were collected af
Ostend to carry over an invading force. But Crpmwell had
a spurce pf intelligence which the reyalists little suspected.
There was a select band pf six, named the ' Sealed Knpt.'

244 HISTORY Ol'' ENGLAND.
who enjoyed the principal confidence of Charles and his
court, and were the directors of the royalists in England.
Sir Richard Willis had most influence in the Sealed Knot,
and he was in the pay of Cromwell I For Willis having
been arrested one time, CromweU, it is said, undertook to
prove to him that if was for fhe interest of the royalists
themselves that their plots should be pr.evented. Willis
was, or affected to be, convinced, and it was arranged that
he should give information, but never be brought forward as
a witness or required to name any person. For this service
he had an annual stipend of 200/.
The protector, therefore, knew of Ormond's being in
London, and when it was thought that he had been there
long enough, a hint was given him, and he hastened to
Shoreham and embarked for France. Shortly after, some
of the members of the Knot and ofher royalists were ar
rested, and sir Henry Slingsby, Dr. Hewit, John Mordaunt,
brother to lord Peterborough, sir Humphrey Bennet, and
captain Woodcock were- brought fo trial before a high court
of justice. Slingsby was a gentleman of advanced age ; he
had been a prisoner at Hull ever^ since the .rising in 1655,
in which he had been engaged ; fhe charge against him vvas
his having given the officers of the garrison commissions
from king Charles. Hewit was an episcopalian clergyman
and an active agent fpr the exiled king. Merdaunt alsp
had distributed cpmmissipns. Hewit refused fp plead, but
that availed him net, and he and Slingsby were fpund
guilty. Mprdaunt was acquitfecl, the principal witness
against him having been bribed fp abscond. Slingsby vvas
married to the aunt of lord Falconberg, and fhe lady Cl;;y-
pole strongly interested herself for He,wit ; buf the pretect
pr wpuld hearken to neither daughter nor son-in-law in
their favor : they were both beheaded, (June 8,) Bennet and
Wopdcpck were acquitted.
While Cromwell thus suppressed conspiracy at home, his
arms prospered on the continent. After a victory gained by
Turenne over the Spaniards, (June 8,) in which the valor of
the English troops had decided the fortune of the day, Dun
kirk was invested ; it surrendered in a few days, (17th,) and
was delivered up tp the English by Lpuis in perspn.
Cronnvell would seem to be now at the height of his
glory, victorious abroad and absolute at home, but never
was his state mere precarious; he wanted money, he was
surrounded by enemies. To procure the former if seemed
necessary to call a parliament. He appointed a councU of

THE PROTECTORATE. 245
nine to devise means of obviating the influence of the repub
licans in it, of raising a revenue from the estates of the
royalists, and of settling the succession. But after three
weeks' deliberation they came to np cpnclusion of impor
tance, and fhe protector, susplcipus pf spme pf the members,
dissplved the cpuncil, (July 8.)
Tp secure himself against the secret attempts of his ene
mies, he adopted various precautions; he wore armor inside
his clothes and carried pistols in his pockets. He drove at
full speed, his coach filled wifh attendants and surrounded
by guards, and he always returned by a different road. He
changed his bed-chamber frequently, and often personally
inspected fhe night-watch of fhe palace. His nights were
sleepless, or his rest was feverish and disturbed, and the
anxiety of his mind visibly preyed on his health. Domestic
affliction also came fo add to his cares. In the relatipns pf
spn, husband, and father, np pne ever went beypnd Grpmwell
in sincere affectipn ; and his favprite daughter, Elizabeth
Claypole, was now dying of an internal abscess, and the
grief occasioned by the death of her youngest son augment
ed her danger. Cromwell abandoned all affairs of state,
and went to Hampton-court, vvhere she lay. He spent much
time in her repra, and always left it wifh an air pf the
deepest melanchely. When her death fopk place, (Aug. 6,)
thpugh he had leng expected it, the event gave him a great
shpck. He was himself cenfined af fhe time with a fit pf
the gout ; he was also seized with what was called a bastard
tertian agile. One day (24th) hearing one of his physicians
whisper to another that his pulse was intermittent, he grew
alarmed, caused him.self to be put to bed, and executed "his
will ; but next mbrning, (25th,) when fhe physicians visited
him, he took his wife by the hand, and said, "I tell you I
shall not die this bout, I am sure of it." Observing their
surprise, he added, " Do not think I am mad ; I speak the
vvords of truth upon surer grounds than your Hippocrates
or Galen can furnish. God himself hath given this answer,
not to my prayers alone, but fo the prayers of those who
maintain a stricter correspondence and greater intimacy with
hini. Go on, therefore, confidently banishing all sadness
from your looks, and deal with me as you would with a
serving-man." His confidence extended fo his family and
friends. " His highness," writes Fleetwood, " has had great
discoveries of the Lord to him, and assurances of being
restored and made further serviceable." "O Lord," said
his chaplain Goodwin, " we pray not for his recpvery ; that
21*

246 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
thou hast granted already; what we now beg is his speedy
recovery." But these predictions were not to be verified. Af White
hall, whither he had moved, his disease turned fo a double
tertian, (28th ;) he became delirious, and, at times, insensi
ble. In one of his lucid intervals he asked his chaplain
Sterry if it were possible to fall from grace. On his reply
ing in the negative, " Then," said he, " I am safe, for I am
sure I was once in a state of grace." On fhe night of the
2d of September he was heard to pray fo this effect : " Lord,
I am a poor, foolish creature. This people would fain have
me live; fhey think it best for fhem, and that it wUI re
dound much to thy glory; and all the stir is about this.
Others would fain have me die. Lord, pardon them, and
pardon thy foolish people; forgive their sins; and do not
forsake them, but love, and bless, and give them rest, ahd
bring them to a consistency, and give me rest for Jesus
Christ's sake; tp whpm, with thee and the, Holy Spirit, be
all honor and glory, now and forever. Amen."
The next day (3d) was his fortunate day, that of Dunbar
and Wprcester. After Ipug lying insensible, he expired abeut
fpur in the afternppn, amidst the fears pf his attendants, and
in the sixtieth year pf his age. When the news was brpught
to those who were assembled to pray for his recovery, Sterry
is said to have stppd up and fp have bid them net be trpubled,
" fpr," said he, " this is gppd news, because if he was pf
great use fp the pepple ef God when he was amongst us, now
he will be much more sp, being ascended fp heaven fp sit at
the right hand of Jesus Christ, there to intercede for us and
to be mindful of us on all occasions." Even his sagacious
secretary, Thurloe, writing fo Henry Cromwell, says, " He
is gone to heaven, embalmed with the fears of his people,
and upon the wings of the prayers of the saints."
This extraordinary man was a gentleman by birth, and
educated at Cambridge, whence he went to Lincoln's Inn;
but, instead of devoting himself to the study of the law,
he plunged infp the vices and excesses of the town. He
speedily, however, reformed, and then running info the op
posite extreme, became an enthusiast in religion. In fhe
contest between the king and parliament, his latent military
talents were developed ; these did not consist in tactics
or manceuvres, but in vigor and decision ; he never sought
to surprise the enemy ; his plan was fo fall on wifh impetu
osity. He had fhe art of attaching the soldiers both by his
religious exercises and by a coarse kind of buffoonery and

THE COMMONWEALTH RESTORED. 247
jocular language. As a ruler he sustained the national
honor in a manner which caUed tO remembrance the glorious
days of Elizabeth. In his domestic relations fhe character
of Cromwell was every way estimable; he was a sincere friend
and a placable enemy. He loved justice and delighted not
in blood ; yet ambition made him af times trample on the
one and shed the ofher : it is possible that in the case of the
king he thought himself justified both by reaspn and revela-
tipn. He never lest his sense pf religien, thpugh, like many
Pther enthusiasts, he made hypocrisy compatible with it.
His desire for the title of king is,' like Caesar's, a curious in
stance of human weakness. On the whole, Cromwell's is a
name which Englishmen will generally be found fo mention
vvith respect.

CHAPTER XII.
THE COMMON"SVEALTH RESTORED.
1658—1660.
Immediately after fhe death of the protector his council
met, and it was resolved to proclaim his son Richard, whom
he was said (but the fact is very doubtful) fo have nomina
ted as his successor. Richard was proclaimed in the usual
manner ; not a murmur was heard ; and addresses poured in
from the army and navy, fhe churches, the cities, and fhe
boroughs. The rpyalists and the republicans, who had
hoped to see the whole frame of government fall to pieces
when the vigorous mind of Oliver was gone, looked on in
amazement Richard Cromwell was a man of the most amiable, gener-^
ous temper, but utterly deficient iri the energy requisite for
the situation in which he was placed. He had never been a
soldier, and he made no pretensions to the character of a
saint. He had spent his early days in the Temple, and when
he married he retired fo the house of his father-in-law and
led fhe life of a country gentleman. His father, when pro
tector, made him a lord of trade, then chancellor of Oxford,
and finally a member of his house of peers.
The funeral of the late protector was celebrated on a
scale of expense such as England had never witnessed be-

248 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
fore. The model adopted was that of the funeral of Philip
II. of Spain. Somerset-house was hung with black ; the
effigy of the protector, clad in royal robes, with the sceptre
in one hand, the globe in fhe other, was placed on a bed ol
state; a crown was on a cushion behind the head. 1 he only
light in the apartment proceeded from waxen tapers. After
two months (Nov. 1) fhe effigy was removed to the great hall,
where it appeared in an erect posture, with fhe crown on its
head and the sceptre and ball in its hands. Hundreds of
tapers were so arranged beneath fhe roof, that their light re
sembled the rays of a sun. At length (23d) the effigy was
conveyed in state to the magnificent tomb in the abbey in
which the real body had been long since deposited.
Though fhe officers had acquiesced in the succession of
Richard, fhey soon gave him reason fo feel that they were
disposed" to limit his power ; they renewed their meetings,
and in a body of more than two hundred they presented a
petition requiring that no officer should be deprived but by
sentence of a court-martial, and fha.t the chief command
and the disposal pf cpmmissipns should be given fo some
one pf whpse devption to the cause there could be no doubt.
Ptichard assented so far as to apppint Fleetwppd lieutenant-
general, (Oct. 14,) but it wpuld be contrary to the 'Petition
and Advice,' he said, for him to part vvith the chief command
and the power of granting commissions. With this they
appeared to be satisfied, but they still continued their meet
ings. The only security against the officers, and the only means
of obtaining money to pay the soldiers, was a parliament :
writs therefore were issued, (Nov. 30,) but as the plan of
giving additional members to the counties had not proved
favorable to fhe court, the old mode vvas resorted to in Eng
land, while the new form was retained in Scotland and Ire
land, where the influence ofthe government was paramount.
Most pfthe small bprpughs therefore returned the cpurt can
didates, and when the parliament met, (Jan. 27, 16.59,) the
state of the parties proved to be as follows. The Protec-
torists or adherents of the ' Petition and Advice ' composed
one half of the house; the Republicans, headed by "Vane,
Ludlpw, Lambert, Bradshaw, and Scot, were about fifty,
among whom vvas lord Fairfax, a secret rpyalist ; the Med-
erates pr Neuters censtituted the remainder. "These were
chiefly presbyterians, but among them were several cavaliers,
or sons of cavaliers, who had their instructions from Hyde
to embarrass the government, and to foment the dissensions

THE COMMONWEALTH RESTORED. 249
between it and the republicans. Mr. ChaUoner Chute was
chosen speaker.
The question of the recognition of the protector caused
a long and stormy debate, and it was not carried without
great difficulty; that relating to the 'Other House' was
StiU more violently disputed, but fhe commons at length
consented " to transact business with fhem " during fhe
present parliament, wifh sundry limitations of their authority.
Thus far the royalists had supported the courtiers ; fhey now
began to act on fhe other part of their instructions. Com
plaints were made of various tyrannical acts, such as selling
men for slaves in fhe West Indies, of extortions and em
bezzlement of the revenue, and secretary Thurloe and
Boteler, pne pf the majer-generals, were menaced with im
peachments. These prpceedings gave alarm fp the officers, who feared
there would be soon a power superior fo their own. They
were divided into two parties — those who adhered fo the
interests of Richard and met at Whitehall, such as Ingoldsby,
Whalley, Goffe, and others, and those who met at "Walling-
ford-house, fhe residence; of Fleetwood, such as Desborough,
Sydenham, Berry, and Haynes, whose object was fo make
Richard merely a civil magistrate, and to keep the army in
their own power. A third party now appeared at St. James's,
composed of Ashfield, Lilburne, Mason, and men of strong
republican principles. The republicans in the house, finding
their weakness, soon entered into close relations with fhe
Wallingford-house party; there was also a junction formed
with the party at St. James's. A general council was formed,
and a ' Humble Representation and Petition,' complaining
ofthe neglect of the gppd old cause and its supporters, etc.,
vvas drawn up and presented fo the protector, and by- him to
the commons, who took no notice of it They then, with
the protector's consent, called a general council of officer?
fo make propositions to the parliament respecting fhe army.
It was decided by this councU that fhe command ofthe army
should be committed to some one in whom they could all
confide, and that every pfficer shpuld declare his approba
tion of the death of Charles I. and the subsequent acts of
the army. The commons took alarm and voted (Apr. 18)
that the officers should no more meet in a general councU,
aud also declared (21sf) that the command of the army
was only to be exercised by the protector. The officers
then appointed a rendezvous of the army at St. James's ;
the protector appointed a counter one at Whitehall. But

250 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
the troops all went to fhe former, and at noon on that day
Desborough came from fhem fo fell him that if he would
dissolve the parliament the officers would fake care of him,
but if not they woiUd do it without hira. After consulting
with bis friends, among whom Whitelocke alone opposed
the dissolution, he consented, and the parliament was dis
solved, (22d.)
The pfficers, having thus put an end fp the parliament,
were, new somewhat uncertain hew tP act. They wished
above all things to retain their power, for which purpose
they were not unwiUing to continue Richard in his office ; at
fhe same time they felt the necicssity of money. Their first
thought was to raise it, like CromweU, by the power of the
sword ; but this proving too hazardous, they listened to the
proposals of their republican allies, and agreed to reinstate
the Rump parliament. They proposed a settlement on
Richard, and the retention of fhe other house under the
name of a senate ; but matters not brooking delay, these
points were reserved, and a Declaration in the name of
Fleetwood and the general council of the army was issued,
(May 6,) inviting the members of fhe Long, Parliament who,
continued sitting till April 20th, 1653, to return fo the
exercise and discharge of their trust. Next day forty-two
members met jn the Painted Chamber, and headed by Len
thall, passed info their house through lines of officers. Sir
George Booth, Prynne, Annesley, and others ofthe secluded
members attempted to enter the house, but the doors were
closed against fhem.
A committee of safety (all but Vane and Scot mUitary
men), was appointed, (9th,) and a fevv days after (13th) a
council of state of thirty-one civUians and officers was
" chosen. Addresses poured in as usual ; the house voted
(21st) " A free commonwealth without a single person, king
ship, or a house of peers." All this, hpwever, was far frpm,
being agreeable fp fhe Wallingfprd-hpuse party ; thpse whe
were members of the council rarely attended, and when they
did,, they behaved with great insolence ; they scrupled to
take the oath " to be true and faithful to the commonwealth
in opposition to Charles Stuart, or a single person;" they
sent to the parliament (15th) "the things which theyhad
on their minds," when they restored it, in the form of fifteen
demands, bearing fhe modest title, of ' The humble Petition
and Address of the Officers.' In this fhey required an act
of indemnity for those who had acted under the late power,
Fleetwood to be commander-in-chief, the protector's debts to

THE COMMONWEALTH RESTORED. 251
be paid, and ah income of 10,000/. a year to be settled on
him, and 8000/., a year on his mother, " her highness-dow
ager ; " the governnienf to consist of a representatipn pf fhe
pepple, and a select senate, etc. The parliament replied,
that they wpuld take these things intp cpnsideratipn, and
give all ppssible safisfactipn. The act ef indemnity was
passed, but in an unsatisfactery fprm ; fhe debts pf Richard,
amounting to 29,000/., were transferred fo fhe public account,
a sum of 2000/. was given him for present purposes, and the
10,003/. a year was voted. He was at the same time re-
(]uired to leave Whitehall, as it was suspected that the pfficers
kept him there fpr purppses pf their Pwn. It was feared that
his brother Henry, who was a man of more spirit, would
offer resistance in Ireland, where he was lord-deputy, but he
yielded obedience to the mandate of the parliament.
But the great object of the parliament was, as Ludlow
expresses it, to prpvide "that for the future no man might
have an pppprtunity to pack an army fo serve his ambition."
For this purpose two bills were passed ; the one nominating
a committee of seven persons to recommend pfficers tp the
hpuse ; the other making Fleetwood commander-in-chief,
but only for the present session, or till they should take fur
ther order therein, and directing that the officers approved
of by the parliament should receive their commissions, not
from him, but from the speaker. These' restrictions were
opposed by Ludlow, Vane, and Sallbway, as needless and
only tending to disgust the army, but the fervent zeal of
Haselrig, Sidney, and Neville, vvould hearken to no sugges
tions of prudence. Notice being given to the officers that
it was expected fhey would take new commissions from the
speaker, a council vvas held at Desborough's house, at which
Ludlow and Haselrig, vvho now had regiments, attended.
The officers were very high ; Desborough even said, that
"he thought the commission he had as good as any the parlia
ment could give, and that he would' not take another. But
the next morning (June 8) colonel Hacker aud his officers
came at the persuasion of Haselrig, and tPok their commis
sions from the speaker, and the ice being now broken, others
followed. Fleetwood took his the day following, and Lam
bert soon after, (llth.)
It was voted at this time (6th) " that this parliament shall
not continue longer than May 7th, 1660."
While the republican oligarchs were thiis employed, the
royalists were by no means idle. Negotiations had been
carried on with the leading presbyterians, and ' they were

252 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
now all pledged to the royal cause. Richard CromweU had
been offered a title and 20,000/. a year; his brother was
also solicited, and he at one time is said fo have meditated
declaring for fhe king. Fleetwood, Lambert, and Monk
also were applied to. A general rising on the 1st of August
was arranged, and fhe king and his brothers were af the
same time to pass over with the troops which they had as
sembled. But Willis still kept up his correspondence with
Thurloe, and the parliament was thus put in possession of
their secrets. His treachery, however, was at this time dis
covered through Morland, the secretary of Thurloe, who
forwarded to the court at Bruges some of Willis's communi
cations in his own hand-writing. WiUis, after his usual
manner, when the government had been put on its guard by
himself, represented to the ' Knot ' that the project was now
hopeless, and persuaded them fo write circulars forbidding
the rising, (July 29.) Accordingly, it was only in Cheshire
that it took place, where sir George Booth called on the
people, without mentioning fhe king, to rise and demand a
free parliament He took possession of Chester, where he
was joined by the earl of Derby, lord Herbert of Cherbury,
sir Thomas Middleton, and other royalists. But their spirits
were damped when they learned that their friends aU re
mained inactive, and that Lambert was advancing against
them with four regiments of horse and three of foot. They
moved to Nantwich, intending fo dispute the passage of the
Weever ; but Lambert easily forced it, and their men broke
and fled at his apprpach, (Aug. 16.) Cplpnel Mprgan and
about thirty men were kUled, and three hundred wei;e taken.
The earl of Derby .was taken in the disguise of a servant,
and Booth, as he was on his way to London, dressed as a
woman, was discovered at Newport-Pagnel in Bucks.
Lambert hastened up fo London, leaving his army to foUow
by slow marches. A sum of 1000/., which was voted him, he
distributed among his officers, and shortly after (Sept. 14)
they sent up from Derby a petition, (secretly transmitted to
them from Wallingford-house,) requiring that there should
be no limitation of time in Fleetwood's commission, that
Lambert should be major-general, that no officer should be
deprived of his commission except by sentence of a court-
martial, etc. This petition having been shown to Haselrig
by Fleetwood, (22d,) he hastened into the house, and having
caused the doors to be locked, moved that Lambert and two
other officers should be taken into custody. But on Fleet
wood's asserting that Lambert knew nothing of it, fhey con-

THE COMMONWEALTH , RESTORED. ila'.i
tented themselves with passing a vote expressive of their
dislike ofthe petition; and it was resolved " that to augment
the number of general officers was needless, chargeable, and
dangerous." Several meetings were now held at Wallingford-
house, and another petition was drawn up, which was pre
sented (Oct 5) by Desborough and other officers, It was in
substance the same as fhe former, but if further demanded
that thpse vvho grpundlessly infprmed the house against their
servants should be brought to justice. This was aimed at
Haselrig and his friends. The house in the usual manner
returned fhem thanks for their good expressions,- but soon
after (llth) a vote was passed, making it treason to raise
money withput cpnsent pf parliament. Next day Lambert,
Desbprpugh, and seven other colonels were deprived of their
commissions for having sent a copy of the petition tp colonel
Okey, and by another vote Fleetwood's office was taken away,
and he and six other persons were nominated to form a board
for the direction of the forces.
Haselrig, having thus thrown down the gauntlet, prepared
for defence. He reckoned on the armies of Scotland and
Ireland, the regiments of Hacker, Morley, and Okey, and
some others about Londpn had assured him pf their fidelity,
aud the parliament had a guard of chpsen hprse, under major
Evelyn. Orders were given for these troops to move to
Westminster, and early in the morning (13th) the regiments
of Morley and Moss, with some troops of horse, pccupied fhe
palace-yard and the avenues pfthe hpuse. Lambert, on the
other hand, drew together his men, and posted them in King-
street and about the Abbey. The two parties faced each
other, buf fhe men were loath fo fight against their brothers
in arms, and their officers did not urge fhem. When fhe
speaker came up in his coach, Lambert ordered pne pf his
officers tp cpnduct fhe "lord general" to Whitehall, but he
was suffered fo return to his own hpuse. The council of
state then met, and after a gppd deal pf alfercatipn it was
agreed that the parliament was net fp sit, that the cpuncil of
officers should keep fhe public peace, and cause a fprm pf
gpvernment tp be drawn up, which shpuld be laid befpre a
new parliament speedily fp be summened. Fleetwppd vvas
declared tp be cemraander-in-ehief, with full ppwers, Lam
bert majer-general, and a cemmittee pf safety was appointed.
To ascertain the feelings of the armies in Ireland and Scot
land, colpnel Barrow was sent to the former country, and
colonel Cobbet to the latter. Barrow found the officers and
VOL. II. 32

254 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
men wavering and divided ; Cobbet was imprisoned by Monk,
who declared for the parliament.
// The conduct of Monk, who now becomes fhe principal
Ubject of attention, is ambiguous beyond example. He had
.fearly served under Goring in the Netherlands ; he was in the
royal army in Ireland, and was made a prisoner at Nantwich ;
'he remained in the Tower till the end of the war, when he
got a command in Ireland; he attached -himself strongly to
Cromwell, by whom the government of Scotland was confi
ded to him; he continued his attachment to Cromwell's fam
ily, and he wrote to Richard a most judicious letter, pointing
out fhe best modes of securing his power. Monk was no
speculative republican, he was no fanatic in religion, though
much influenced by his wife, who was a presbyterian. He
was aman of a phlegmatic temper, and of impenetrable se
crecy. The royalists always had hopes of him, and it is not
improbable, that now seeing the power of Cromwell's house
gone, his secret plan was to aid, if if could be done with
safety, in restoring the king.
The first care of Monk vvas to secure, fhe castles- of Edin
burgh and Leith, and to occupy Berwick. When this was
known in London, it was resolved that Lambert should march
against him; and he set out forthwith for the north, (Nov.
3,) havingpreviously exacted a promise from Fleetwood, that
he would come fo no agreement with either the king or
Haselrig without his approbation.
Monk meantime went on re-modelling his army : such of
his officers as were ofthe Wallingford-house party having re
signed their commissions, he supplied their places with such
as he could depend on ; he also displaced many who had been
put in by fhe parliament. As his treasury and magazines
were well supplied, and he knew his opponents wanted
money, he sought to procrastinate ; he therefore sent depu
ties to Londpn, and pn their return pretending that the agree
ment which they had concluded was somewhat obscure, he
opened a negotiation with Lambert, who was at Newcastle,
in order to have it explained. Meanwhile he went on
reforming his army, dismissing even the privates of whom he
was not certain, and supplying their place with Scots. He
held a convention of the Scottish estates at Berwick, and
having commended the peace ofthe country fo them during
his absence, and obtained a grant of money, (Dec. 6,) he
fixed his head-quarters af Coldstream, where he still contin
ued to amuse Lambert with negotiations.

THE COMMONWEALTH RESTORED. 255
Meantime the cause of the army was losing ground in city
and country. The apprentices in London had frequent
scuffles with the soldiers ; an attempt was made to seize the
Tower ; admiral Lawson declared for fhe parliament, and
brought his fleet up to Gravesend ; Whefhani, governor of
Portsmouth, admitted Haselrig and Morley into the town,
and the troops sent against them went over fo fhem ; fhe
Isle of Wight declared for the parliament At length the
soldiers themselves abandoned their officers, and putting
themselves under fhe command of Okey and Alured, they
assembled (Dec. 24) in Lincoln's-Inn-fields, and having de
clared for the parliament, marched by Lenthall's house, in
Chancery-lane, and saluted him as their general. On the
26th, the speaker and those members who were in town
walked to the house, the soldiers shouting and cheering them
as fhey passed. Haselrig returned in triumph, and the vi
vacious Rump once more flourished.
Fleetwood had on his knees surrendered his comraission
to the speaker ; Lambert, Desborough, and others, made
their submissions in the humblest manner,, but they were all
confined fo their houses at a distance from London. The
army was re-modelled ; not less than fifteen hundred pfficers
being discharged. The Rump, prpceeded tp punish such
members as had been pf the late cpminittee of safety; Vane
was expelled, and prdered fp reti;-e tP his hpuse at Raby;
S'alloway was sent fo the Tower ; Whitelocke had to resign
fhe great seal, and narrowly escaped being committed also.
Charges of treason were made against Ludlow and others.
A new councU of state was appointed, and an oath, renoun
cing kingship and the Stuarts in the strongest terms, was
imposed on all members of the parliament. Meantime lord
Fairfax and Monk had arranged that on the same day (Jan.
], 1660) fhe latter shpuld crpss fhe Tweed, and the fprmer
shpuld seize the city pf Yprk. The engagement was punc
tually performed; the royalists in York opened the gates and
admitted Fairfax. Though the weather was severe. Monk
continued his march; Lambert's troops having obeyed the
orders sent to fhem to disperse, ho opposition was encoun
tered ; and having staid five days to consult with Fairfax at
York, Monk resumed his march for the capital, (16th,) the
invitation to do so being now arrived. It was Fairfax's
advice that he should remain in fhe north, and there proclaim
fhe king, but he said it would be dangerous in the present
tetnper ofhis pfficers; in fact he caned af York one of them
for charging him with this design. At Nottingham (21st)

256 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
his officers were near signing an engagement to obey fhe par
liament in all things "except the bringing in of Charles Stu
art." At Leicester (23d) hewas obliged to sign an answer to
a petition from his native county, Devon, giving it as his
opinion, that monarchy could not be restored, that it would
be dangerous to recall the secluded members, and advising
submission to the present parliament At this town he was
joined by Scot and Robinson, two ofthe members sent, as it
were, fo do him honor, but in reality to discover his inten
tions. He treated them wifh great respect, and always re
ferred to them the bearers of the numerous addresses that
were presented to him, for fhe restoration of the secluded
members and a free parliament.
The troops which Monk had brought with him did not ex
ceed five thousand men, and thosein and about London were
more numerous ; he therefore wrote from St. Albans, (28th,)
requiring, to prevent quarrels or seduction, that five regi
ments should be removed. An order was made to that
effect, (Feb. 2,) but the men refused to obey ;-the royalists
of the city fried to gain fhem over, but they remained faith
ful to the parliament, and, on being promised their arrears,
marched out quietly fhe next morning, (3d.) Monk led in
his trpops the following day, and took up his quarters at
Whitehall. On fhe 6th Monk received the thanks of the house. In
his reply, he noticed the numerpus addresses fer a free and
full parliament which he had received, expressed his dislike
of oaths and engagements, and his hopes that neither cavaliers
nor fanatics would be intrusted with civil or military power.
By some his speech was thpught too dictatorial. " The
servant," said Scot, " has already learned to give directions
fo his masters." Monk also excited suspicion, by demurring
to the oath abjuring the Stuarts fo be taken by members of
the council of state. Seven of the other members, he pb
served, had not yet taken it, and he should like to know their
reasons; experience had shown that such oaths were of little
force ; he had proved his devotion to fhe parliament, and
would do so again.
The tide of loyalty still continued fo swell in fhe city.
The secluded members held frequent meetings there, aud
some even of the king's judges who were in parliament held
communications with them. The last elections had given a
common council zealous fer a full and free parliament; they
set fhe present ene at nought, refused to pay the taxes Im
posed by it, and received and answered addresses from the

THE COMMONWEALTH RESTORED. 257
counties. To check these proceedings, it was resolved by
the- council that eleven ofthe common eouncil should be
arrested, the posts and chains which had been fixed in fhe
streets be taken away, and the city gates be destroyed. In
fhe dead of the night, (9th,) Monk received orders fo carry
this resolution into effect. He obeyed, though his officers
and soldiers murmured ; tho citizens received him with
groans and hisses, but made no opposition.. When the posts
and chains were removed. Monk sent to say that he thought
enough had been done ; hut he was directed to complete the
demolition, and he therefore destroyed the gates and pprt-
cullises. He then ied his men back tp Whitehall, and,
having there.,cpplly cpnsidered fhe whple matter, he thpught
he saw a design to embroil him with fhe citizens, and, finally,
lay him aside. In concert with his officers, he wrote next
morning (10th) to the speaker, requiring that by the follow
ing Friday every vacancy in fhe house should be filled up,
preparatory fo a dissolution and the calling of a new par
liament. He then marched his troops into Finsbury-fields,
caused a common councU to be summoned, and told them
that he was come fo join with them in procuring a full and
free parliament. His speech was received with acclamations ;
he was entertained at the Guildhall ; his soldiers were feast
ed ; the bells were tolled ; bonfires were lighted, and the popu
lace amused themselves with roasting rumps at fhem, in
ridicule of the parliament.
Monk remained in the city till fhe 21st He had daily
conferences with aU parties, but none could penetrate fhe
veU of secrecy in which he enveloped himself: his words
were all for a commonwealth, while many of his actions
spoke a different language. It was now arranged that the
secluded members should be aUowed fo take their seats on
certain conditions, one of which was, that writs should be
issued for a new parliament to meet on the 20th of April.
After an absence of more than eleven years, Hollis, Pierre
point, and the other presbyterians resumed their seats, while
Haselrig, whose eyes up to this moment had been closed to
fhe duplicity of Monk, retired in despair with his adherents.
All the proceedings against fhe king and themselves were
now annulled : sir Geerge Bppth and his friends, fhe Scpttish
Iprds, and several reyalists were released frpm prispn ; Lam
bert was sent tP the Tower ; the government of Hull was
taken from Overton, and cpmmitted fp lord Fairfax ; Lawson
was voted to be vice-admiral, and Monk and Montague to be
generals at sea. Monk was also made general of all fhe
22* GG

258 HisTORy OF england.
land-forces in the three kingdoms ; the city chose him major-
general, of their mUitia ; he was also made steward and
keeper of Hampton-court, and a sum of 20,000/. was voted
him. The engagement was now repealed ; but the Assem
bly's confession of faith was approved of, and the league and
convenant was ordered to be printed and hung up in fhe
churches ; the execution of the laws against popish priests
and recusants vvas enjoined. The councU of state which
was appointed was composed of presbyterians, and they also
held most civU and military offices. In this state of things,
having issued writs for a parliament to meet on the 25th of
April, the ever-memorable Long Parliament put a termination
to its own existence on the 16th of March.
Monk StUl dissembled ; but now seeing how the elections
were going, he ventured to open his mind to a royalist agent
Mr. Morrice, his relative and confidential friend, having in
formed him ofthe state of feeling in fhe West, he consented
to have aprivate interview with sir John Greenville, who was
also his relation, but at fhe same time high in the confidence
ofthe king. Greenville delivered him a letter from his royal
master, which Monk received with great respect ; he men
tioned the difficulties of his situation, and therefore desired
him to confer in private with Morrice. An answer to the
royal letter was drawn up, in which Monk advised that fhe
king should send him a letter to lay before fhe parliament;
he recommended an amnesty, total or nearly so, liberty of
conscience, confirmation of the national sales, and payment
of the arrears of the army. When it had been read, he
threw it into fhe fire, bidding GreenviUe to remember the
contents. It was also a part of Monk's advice that the king should
quit the Spanish dominions.* Charles therefore moved from
Brussels to Breda, whence he forwarded by Greenville a
declaration, with letters to the house of lords, the house of
commons, fhe lord mayor and city. Monk and the army,
Montague and the navy. Copies of fhem all were sent to
Monk, vvho was to do as he pleased with the originals. The
declaration was very different from what he had proposed,
buf he made no objection.
If ever there was a parliament freely chosen, it was the
present one : there was no court or army now to control fhe
It is said to have been the intention of the Spaniards to detain
Charles till Jamaica and Dunkirk should be restored. According to
Clarendon, (vii. 452,) be narrowly escaped detention.

THE COMMONWEALTH RESTORED. 259
elections ; the territorial aristocracy was enfeebled, and could
use none but its legitimate influence ; fhe royalists (the cath
olics of course excepted) were no longer deprived of the right
of voting ; all parties therefore put forth their strength, and
the royalists (the moderate presbyterians included) had a
most decided majority. The republicans obtained few seats,
and their only hopes lay now in the army, and by representing
to the officers that fhey would be obliged fo resign their
purchases, and to fhe privates that they would lose their ar-
rears^ they succeeded in exciting a mutinous Spirit. Lam
bert, having escaped from fhe Tower, hastened down fo
"Warwickshire to put himself at their head. He had coUected
a few troops pf horse and some foot, when Ingoldsby, now a
royalist, met him near Daventry, (Apr. 21.) Captain Haselrig
(son to sir Arthur) passed over with his troop to Ingpldsby;
others followed their example, and Lambert, left alone, hav
ing vainly tried to induce his former fellow-soldier fo let
him escape, surrendered. Colonels Cobbet, Creed, and some
Pthers, alsp were taken. At the very mement (24th) when
Mpnk was reviewing fhe militia of the city in Hyde-park,
Lambert and his friends were driven by Tyburn,- on their
way to the Tower, amidst fhe hootings of fhe populace. ^
The next day the house of commons met, and the presby
terians succeeded in having sir Harbottle Grimstone, one of
their party, chosen speaker. Monk sat as one of fhe mem
bers for Devon. At the same time the peers who had sat in
1648, assembled in their house without opposition ; but it
was plain that they had no exclusive right, and some of those
who had been excluded applied fo Monk. On his reply
ing that he had no authority fo determine any claims, a few
of them ventured to take their seats; no one opposing, others
fpllpwed, and in a few days the presbyterians fprmed pnly a
fifth part pf the hpuse. ,
On the 1st pf May, Greenville came tp fhe dpor of the
council-chamber, (by Monk's secret direction,) and requested
a member to feU fhe lord general that one wished to speak
to him. Mpnk came tp the door; Greenville put a letter
into his hand ; Monk, perceiving that it was sealed wifh the
royal arras, directed fhe guards not to let the bearer depart.
GreenviUe was sppn called in and interrpgated by fhe presi
dent ; he was ordered info custody, buf Mpnk said that he
npw perceived he was his near relatipn, and he wpuld be his
security. The drama had lipw reached its cpnclusipu ;
Greenville delivered all his letters, and received the thanks
of the hpuse and 500/. The letters fp the army, navy, and

260 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
city were read tq them by Monk, Montague, and the lord
mayor, and addresses to his majesty were, unanimously
voted. The declaration from Breda contained a promise o^ par,-
dpn fp all except these whp should be hereafter excepted
by parliament ; a promise to consent to any act of parlia
ment that should be passed for the indulgence of fender
consciences; a promise to allow the parliament to regulate
all differences respecting the rights and titled tP lands, and
a similar prpmise respecting the military .arrears.
How illusory aU this was is plain to be seen ; the king in
effect was bpund tp npfhing, and what fhe complexion of«
the next parliament was likely to be, uo one cpuld have a
dpubt The upright sir Matthew Hale, therefpre, with
Prynne and pthers, called pn the hpuse fp pause, and new,
while they had the ppwer, fp make a final settlement pf the
claims which had hitherto caused collision between the
crown and parliament But Monk ppppsed the revival pf
these disputed questiens at this time, when ^every mpment
was precipus. Let the king, he said, but cpme, it would be
always in their power fo impose limitations. The house
rang with acclamations, and unhappily the golden ppppr
tunity was Ipsf, aud the king restpred withput any restric-
tipn. A sum of 50,000/. was voted to the king, 10,000/. fo fhe
duke of York, and 5000/. to fhe duke of Gloucester. The
arms of fhe commonwealth were every where taken down,
and the royal arms put in their place. The king was pro
claimed with great solemnity, (8th;) and the ministers were
ordered fo pray for him and fhe duke of York. Commis
sioners were sent to invite the king to come and receive
his crown.
Charles lost no time in prpceeding frpm Breda to fhe
Hague. The States, who had hitherto neglected him, now
treated hira with fhe utmost respect and magnificence.
Montague being arrived with the English fleet in the bay
of Schevelin, he got on board, (23d.) At Dover (25th)
Monk, at the head of the nobility and gentry of Kent, re
ceived him as he landed. He kissed and embraced the
general, made him walk by his side and ride in the coach
with himself and his brothers. As he proceeded, the people
crowded from all parts to see and welcome him. On fhe
29th, which was his birth-day, he approached the capital.
The army was drawn out on Blackheath fo receive him, and
they greeted him with joyful acclamations as he passed. In

CHARLES IL 261
St. George' s-fields the lord mayof*-and aldermen invited him
to pafrtakojof a cold collation in a tent. The houses from
London-bridge to Whitehall were covered with tapestry ; the
sjtreets- were lined to Temple-bar by the militia on one side,
the city coiiipanies in their liveries on the other; thence fo
Whitehall, by militia and regimejits ofthe army. Troops of
gentlemen richly clad, with their footmen and trumpeters,
the city companies, the .sheriffs, mayor, and" aldermen, rode
along; thelord general and the duke of Buckingham fol
lowed ; the king, riding between his two brpfhers, suc
ceeded ; the cavalcade was cipsed by the general's guards,
and five regiments pf hPrse, and twp trppps pf noblemen and
gentlemen. Such was the general joy displayed, that the
king, in his agreeable manner, pbserved, " It must surely
have been my fault that I did not come before, for I have
met with no pne fp-day whp did nPt protest that he always
wished for my restoratipn."

CHAPTER XIII,
CHARLES II.
1660—1667.

England, after nearly twenty years of anarchy and cpufu-
sion, now resumed her original form. The clouds seemed
to be all dissipated, and a bright sun of royalty about to shed
peace and happiness all over fhe land. But this appearance
was fallacious ; Charles, bland and courtepus, easy and neg
ligent as he was, had adepted principles and fprmed habits
which spon dispelled the flattering hopes in which men were
led at first fo indulge.
Historians have remarked, with a kind of astonishment, the
sudden change which took place in the conduct of fhe peo
ple ; flinging away, as it seemed, the rigor of religipn, they
rushed madly infp excess and licentipusness. It is, hpwever,
an errpr fp supppse that the pepple were changed ; the pnly
change was in fhe ruling ppwer. Thpse whp had been really
religipus, remained sp stUl ; but such,.has never been the
character ofthe great body of a people. During fhe whole

262 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
time of the suspension of royalty, the power had been in
the hands of men who, though fanatics, were religious ; the
same was the character of the army.* AU fhe oiitward ex
pressions of vice and pleasure were suppressed, and the na
tion wore an aspect of rigor and sanctity which did not really
belong to it., 'The weight being now removed, it resumed
its natural bent, and men ran wildly into excess in proportion
to the severity of the restraint under which they had been
held. This is one among fhe many evil consequences of
making men religious by law and force. *
The first care of fhe king was fo reward those who had
been active in his restoration, and fo form his council.
Monk was created duke of Albemarle, and Montague earl of
Sandwich, and bpth had the garter. Annesley was made
earl pf Anglesea ; Denzil Hollis, lord Hollis; and Ashley
Cooper, lord Ashley. The earl pf Manchester was apppinted
lerd chamberlain, and lerd Say lord privy-seal. Monk's
friend Morrice vvas made one ofthe secretaries of state. Of
fhe old royalists, Hyde was made chancellor, Southampton
treasurer, Ormond steward of the household ; sir Edward
Nicholas continued fo be a secretary of state, and lord Cul
pepper master ofthe rolls.
The present parliament, not having been summoned legal
ly, was no more than a convention, and its apts were therefore
not binding. It, however, passed an act declaring itself to be
fhe parliament, and then proceeded to fhe consideration of
the many weighty matters it had to determine.
The first was to provide a revenue for the crown. As it
appeared that a chief cause of the late unhappy troubles
had been the inadequacy of fhe revenue fo the exigencies
of fhe government, it was resolved to settle an income of
1,200,000/. a year on the king. In return, was required fhe
abolition of tenures in chivalry, with all their incidents, such
as wardships, marriages, etc., together wifh purveyance and
preemption — all, for centuries, fruitful sources of evil, and
constant subjects of complaint and remonstrance. This be
ing consented to, the next question was, whence fhe aforesaid
revenue was to arise. A permanent tax on the lands thus
relieved was the obvious and equitable course ; buthe knows
little of parliaments, who thinks that this would be assented
** "Whitelocke and others will furnish proofs of this. Burnet, speak
ing; of some regiments tbat he saw at Aberdeen, says, " There was an
order and discipline, and a face of gravity and piety among them, that
amazed all people. Most of them were independents and anabaptists;
they vvere all gifted men, and preached as they were moved."

CHARLES II. 263
to by fhe owners of lands who sat in them, while any mode
offered of shifting the burden. Some one mentioned the ex
cise ; the idea was at once embraced, and it was carried by
a majority of two that a moiety of fhe excise on beer and
other liquors should be settled on the crown ; and thus this
fax, originally so odious, was made permanent. By this act,
(12 Car. II. ch; 24,) a most important change was wrought
in the constitution, fhe prerogative losing its most influ
ential branch. We wUl here add, that at fhe close of the
session, the remaining moiety ofthe excise was given also to
the crown.
An army of sixty thousand men, whose pay required an
assessment of 70,000/. a month, was alike dangerous to fhe
crown and burdensome to the nation. Symptoms of disaffec
tion had already appeared among the soldiers, and Monk de
clared that he could no longer answer for the troops. It was
therefore resolved fo lose no time in disbanding them ; money
was procured to clear off their arrears, the regiments were
reduced one after another, eulogies were lavished on fhe sol
diers, and without mutiny or murmur they merged into the
mass of peaceful citizens ; and thus disappeared that won
derful army, only to be rivalled perhaps by those of fhe
early days of the Roman republic and those of the first
Khalifs, in the union of religion, discipline, and undaunted
valor. The king was strongly urged by the duke of York fo
retain this army, or to raise another ; to this course he was
himself inclined, but he knew it was useless to propose it fo
the parliament. Monk's regiment, named the Coldstream,
was, however, retained, with one or fwo of horse, and one
fprmed put of the troops at Dunkirk was afterwards added ;
the whole amounted fo about five thousand men, and under
the name of guards formed fhe germ of fhe present large
standing army.
The bill of indemnity also occupied the attention pf
parliament. They had been engaged pn this even befere
the arrival of fhe king. Monk had recommended the king
not tP except mere than fpur perspns; but the cpmmpns at
first (May 16) excepted seven by name; they afterwards
enumerated twenty persons who, though not regicides, should
for their share in the transactions of the last twelve years, be
affected vvith penalties short of death : fhey finally excepted
such pf the king's judges as had npf surrendered themselves
on the late prpclaniafion. When fhe bill came fo fhe lords,
(July 11,) where the old rpyalists prevailed, it was judged
to be far too lenient. They voted to except all the king's

264 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
judges, and also Vane, Lambert, Haselrig, Hacker, and
Axtel; fhey struck out the clause respecting fhe twenty
persons, and then sent the bill back to the commons. But
here there were some feelings of honor and humanity. By
the proclamation above mentioned, the king's judges were
required to surrender themselves on pain of being excepted
from any pardon or indemnity as to their lives or estates.
The obvious construction of this was, that fhe lives of those
who came in would be in no danger, and accordingly nine
teen had surrendered. It was contended that these should
be set at liberty, and suffered to make their escape if they
could. A comproipise af length was effected. Most of the
king's judges were excepted, as also were Hacker, Axtel,
and Huo-h Peters ; but the nineteen were not fo suffer death
without an act of parliament for that purpose. Vane and
Lambert were also excepted ; but by an address of both
houses, the king was requested to spare their lives if they
should be attainted. Haselrig, lord Monson, and five others
were to lose liberty and property, and Lenthall, St. John,
Hutchinson, and sixteen others, all members of fhe high
courts of justice, vvere to be ineligible to any office whatever.
In this form the bill of indemnify received the royal assent.
After sitting about three months, fhe parliament adjourned,
and during fhe recess the twenty-nine regicides who were
in custody were brought fo trial before a court of thirty-four
comraissioners, of whom some were old royalists; others,
such as Manchester, Say, Hollis, and Annesley, members of
fhe Long Parliament ; with these sat Monk, Montague, and
Cooper, the associates of Cromwell, whom a feeling of deli
cacy should, perhaps, have withheld from the tribunal.
Most of the prisoners expressed sorrow for their crime ;
others said that fhey had borne the king no malice, that
fhey thought his death an act of national justice, and that
they had acted under the supreme authority of the nation.
They were all found guilty ; those who had surrendered
were, with one exception, respited; ten were executed.
These were six of the king's judges, Harrison, Scot, Carew,
Jones, Clements, and Scroop; Cook, one of the counsel on
the trial; Axtel and Hacker, who had commanded fhe
guards; and Hugh Peters, fhe fanatic preacher. The place
of execution was Charing-cross, where a gallows was erected
for the purpose. General Harrison suffered first, (Oct. 13.)
Supported here, as on his trial, by that fervid spirit of en
thusiasm so perfectly free from all alloy of worldly motives,
he gloried in the act for which he was brought to die as per-

CHARLES II. 265
formed in fhe cause of God and his country, and expressed
his confidence in the revival of fhe good cause in happier
times. Carew was the next who suff'ered, (15th ;)) his con
duct vvas similar. Cook, and Peters were executed on the
same day, (16th;) the latter alone, it is said, showed want
of courage, and was obliged to have recourse to cordials.
Scot, Clement, Scroop, and Jones, also suffered on the same
day, (17th.) Hacker and Axtel closed fhe scene at Tyburn,
(19th.) All died with the constancy of martyrs. It is very
remarkable, that not a single man of those who had a share
in the death of the late king seems to have volunfarUy re
pented of the deed.
Though one must admire the constancy and magnanimity
of the sufferers, most of whom were gentlfemen by birth and
education, the justice of their sentence is not to be denied,
even on their own principles; and it was impossible for
Charles fo suffer such a heinous deed as the solemn execu
tion of his father to go unpunished. Buf there was another
part of the royal vengeance which can be regarded with no
ofher feelings than those of abhorrence and disgust. The
bodies of Cromvvell, Ireton, and Bradshaw, were taken from
their tombs in the Abbey, drawn on hurdles to Tyburn on
the anniversary of the death of Charles I., hung on the gal
lows till evening, then taken down, their heads cut off and
fixed on Westminster-hall, and their trunks thrown into a
pit. The bodies of about twenty persons (those of Blake
and CromweU's respectable mother included) were after
wards taken out of the Abbey and buried in the church
yard. The lives of the remaining regicides were spared ; they
spent the remainder of their days in different prisons. The
witty and licentious Harry Marten died at the age of seventy-
eight, in Chepstow-castle. They surely had no just reason
to complain of their fate, if they recollected how many
royalists they had, as far as in them lay, subjected to a similar
destiny. Another important point for fhe parliament to decide on
was the case of those who had purchased fhe crown- and
church-lands and the estates of royalists, which had been
sold by the public authprify in fhe late times. A bill was
intrpduced for an equitable adjustment, but it met with
much ppppsitipn; and npthing having been dene when the
parliament was dissplved, the crown, fhe church, and the
other proprietprs entered on the lands in question, and the
occupiers, having no legal tifies to produce, were obliged to
VOL. IL 23 H H

266 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
sit down contented with the loss of their purchase-money.
But it was only the leading royalists that gained in this way ;
thousands of gentlemen who had sold their lands tp suppprt
the royal cause, or to pay the sequestratipns imposed on them
for their loyalt^, and had thus been reduced to ppverty, re
mained without remedy. The sales having been legal, the
present possessors were secured by fhe biU of indemnity,
against which fhe disappointed cavaliers now exclaimed,
saying it was indeed an act of oblivion and indemnity, but
of indemnify for the king's enemies, and of oblivion for his
friends.' They taxed the king with ingratitude, and they
conceived, on account of it, a mortal hatred to Hyde. Their
case was doubtless a severe one, but there was really no
preventing it but at the risk of a civil war. , It was observed
that the most clamorpus were thpse whp had suffered least,
and the petty services fpr which many claimed large rewards
furnished mafter fpr ridicule.
The church was a difficult matter fp arrange. Mest pf
the livings were in fhe hands pf fhe presbyterians, and fhey
had SP mainly cpntributed fp the Resfpration, that it wpuld
be both ungrateful and unsafe fo attempt to disturb them.
On the ofher hand, both the king and the chancellor were
resolved to reestablish episcopacy. There was also a diffi
culty about the livings, for such of the clergy as had been
ejected for their Ipyalty, seemed npw fp have a just claim fp
recpver what they had lost. This, hpwever, was accommo
dated to a certain extent; but the vision of the jurisdictien
of bishpps, and the dreaded surplice, ring, and cross, alarmed
the presbyterians. They proposed bishop Usher's model of
episcopacy, and prayed that the habits and ceremonies might
not be impPsed, and that fhe liturgy might be revised. The
king issued a declaratien, apparently granting all fhey re
quired ; but when an attempt was made tp have this cpuverfed
intp a bill, if was frustrated by the efforts of the court-party
in the commons. If was quite plain from this that the royal
declaration was only meant to be illusory.
At length (Dec. 29) the convention-parliament was dis
solved, for it was urged that it was necessary fo have a true
parliament, to give fhe force pf law tP what it had enacted;
and it was alsp expected that a new parliament wpuld be
mere purely rpyalist
In fhe September pf this year the duke pf Glpucester
died pfthe small-pox, much lamented by fhe king his brother.
Their sister, the princess of Orange, died of fhe same dis
order in the winter. The king's other sister, the princess

CHARLES II. 267
Henrietta, was married about this time to the duke of Or
leans, brother to Louis XIV.
Another marriage in the royal family was that ofthe duke
of York fo Anne Hyde, daughter ofthe chancellor, who had
been raaid of honor to the princess of Orange.' She pos
sessed wit and sense, though not beauty. The duke, whose
taste on this last point was never very delicate, laid siege fo
her virtue, which was surrendered on a private contract of
marriage ; when the consequences were becoming apparent,
James kept his promise, and privately espoused her, (Sept. 3.)
He informed fhe king and chancellor. The former, though
annoyed, forgave him ; the latter pretended the greatest rage
against his daughter, advised the king fo send her to the
Tower, and that not being done, confined her fo a room in
his own house. The queen-njother and the princess of
Orange were highly indignant; and Charles Berkeley, fo
recommend himself to favor, swore that Anne had been his
mistress, and brought lord Arran, Jermyn, Talbot, and Kil
legrew, as witnesses of her wantonness. The duke was
shaken ; but on the birth ofher child, and her solemn asser
tion at that time, and Berkeley's confession of the falsehood
of his story, he resolved to do her justice. He acknowledged
her as his duchess, and she bore ier new rank, it is said, as
if she had been born in if.
The new year (1661) opened wifh a wild outbreak of the
fanatics named Fifth-monarchy men, under their leader, Ven-
ner, the wine-cooper. One Sunday, (Jan. 6,) having heated
their enthusiasm by a discourse on the speedy coming of Jesus
and the reign of the saints, he issued from his conventicle,
in Colman-street, at the head of sixty well-armed fanatics.
They proceeded to St. Paul's proclaiming King Jesus.
They drove off a party of fhe trained-bands that Were sent
against them, and in the evening they retired to Caen-wood,
between Hampstead and Highgate. Here some of them
were taken ; but on Wednesday morning (9th) fhey returned
into the city, shouting as before, and dispersed some of the
troops and ofthe trained-bands. Af length, some being killed,
and Venner taken, they retired into a house at Cripplegate,
which they defended, till a party, headed by one Lambert, a
seaman, got in at fhe roof. Most of them were slain ; Ven
ner and the remainder were hanged. The attempt was
purely an isolated act, but advantage was taken of if fo issue
a proclamation for closing the conventicles of the quakers,
anabaptists, and other sectaries ; it was also the occasion of
the formation of the regiments of guards already noticed.

268 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
The king's coronation having been celebrated with great
splendor, (Apr. 23,)* the new parliament met, (May 8.) As
was to be expected, if was most decidedly royalist, fhe pres
byterians not having more than sixty seats. Its temper soon
appeared, by votes for obliging all the members fo receive
the sacrament according to the rites of the church of Eng
land, and for having fhe solemn league and covenant burnt
by the common hangraan. It was declared that the negative
and the command of the army were rights inherent in the
crown; and it was made treason to injure the king's person,
or to distinguish between his person and his office. It re
quired all fhe efforts of the king and Clarendon fo have fhe
bill of indemnity passed without further exceptions. A bUI
passed the commons for the immediate execution pf fhe
remaining regicides ; but the lerds, mpre humane or honor
able, rejected it, fhe king himself expressing his aversion fo
it.t The act depriving the bishops of their seats in parlia
ment, which had been so violently extorted from fhe late
king, was repealed, and the prelates were restpred tP their
legislative funcfiens. As a chief weappn in thpse times had
been tumultuary bpdies pf petitipners, an act was passed that
not more than ten persons should present any petition to the
king or either house, nor shpuld it be signed by more than
twenty, unless wifh the order of three justices, pr the major
part of a grand jury.|:
While the parliament was thus replacing the constitution
On its ancient basis, a conference was going on at fhe bishop
of London's lodgings, at the Savoy, between twelve prelates
and nine assistants, and an equal number of presbyterian
divines. The ostensible object was a revision of the Book

* Hyde was on this occasion created earl of Clarendon, and Arthur
lord Capel (son of bim who had been executed in 1649) earl of Essex.
t " I am weary of hanging," said he to Clarendon, " 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."
+ [It is needless to say that such an act was totally unconstitutional.
Neither, of course, can it be necessary to show that the right of petition
has ever been as freely and effectually exercised since as before the
passage of that act. The largest number of signatures ever appended
to any one document in the world was appended to a petition present
ed to parliament on June 14th, 1839, by Mr. Thomas Attwood, member
for Birmingham, and ordered by the bouse to be printed. The de
mands and tone of this petition were far more imperative and dicta
torial than those of any presented during any period of the reio-n of
Charles I. or of the commonwealth, or indeed of any, perhaps^ ever
presented to any public assembly. The number of signatures amounted
to upwards of 1 ,280,000 1 — J. T. S.J

CHARLES II. 269
of Common Prayer. If ended, of course, as all such con
ferences do. The bishops were predetermined fo admit of
none but very slight modifications, and to retajn all the
ceremonies. The presbyterians, under the circumstances,
required top much ; yet surely the prelates might have cen-
ceded semething fe men at least as pipus and as learned as
themselves, and but fpr, whpm they wpuld be probably stiU
without their sees. If it was puerUe on the one side to
object so vehemently to the cross, ring, and surplice, it was
surely no proof of wisdom on tbe other to insist on them as
if they were of the very essence of religion. So little were
fhe prelates disposed to concession, that even the innovations
of Laud were retained, and they remain to this day part
of the service of the church of England. They now are
become innocuous; no one sees in the surplice any thing
more than a decent habit ; the ring is used without any
scruple, or, in general, any knowledge of its meaning ; we
kneel at the communion without any apprehension of the
real presence : it was net sp, hpwever, in these times ; and
we think that fhe chief blame lies with these whp would not
concede. The strength of the presbyterian jfarty lay in the corpora
tions, and in these, their strongholds, the church party pro
ceeded fo attack fhem. By the Corporation-act now passed
it was enacted, that any person holding pffice in a, corpora
tion might be removed, unless he would renounce the solemn
league and cpvenant, and declare his belief pf the unlawful
ness pf faking up arms against the king, etc. ; and np fiiture
pfficer fp be admitted unless he had previpusly taken fhe
sacrament accprding to the rites of the church pf England.
Thus commenced that odious profanation of the mpst splemn
act of religion so long a national disgrace.
The revision ofthe Common Prayer was finally (Nov. 20)
committed fo fhe convocation. They made a number of
alterations and additions; none, however, favorable fo the
presbyterians.* The amended book was presented to the
king and council, and by them recommended to the house
of lords.
Vane and Lambert still lay in prison. As they had had no
immediate hand in fhe death ofthe late king, the convention
had addressed the king in their behalf, and he had assured
* "Will it be believed that they actually increased the, number of the
Saints' days, and added the ^iUy legend of Bel and the Dragon, and
other parts of the Apocrypha, to the lessons.' They surely meant to
insult, not to conciliate.
23*

270 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
them that, if attainted,, they shpuld not be executed. They
were now brought fo trial, af the suit of the commons.
Lambert, (June 9, 1662,) who had never been an enthusiast,
or even perhaps a republican, acted wifh great caution. He
excused his opposing Booth and Monk by saying that he
knew not that they were acting for the king, and he threw
himself on fhe royal mercy. He was sentenced fo die, but
he vvas only confined for life in the isle of Guernsey. He
lived there for thirty years, forgotten by the world, occupying
his time in fhe cultivation of flowers, and in the practice of
the art of painting.
Very different was fhe conduct of the upright, fervid en
thusiast and republican Vane, (June 6.) Far from suing for
mercy, he asserted that " fhe decision by the sword was
given [against fhe late king] by that God who, being the
Judge of the whole earth, does right, and cannot do other
wise;" and the parliament then became fhe government rfe
facto, and, consequently, he was entitled to the benefit of
the statute 11 Henry VIL, for acting in obedience fo it
The spirit of fhe law, if not the letter, vvas decidedly in his
favor, and the judges could only get over the difficulty by
the monstrous assertion, that Charles had been king de
facto from fhe death of his father, though " kept out of the
exercise of his royal authority by rebels and traitors." The
prisoner's defence was most eloquent and able, but it had
been determined not to let him escape. Sentence of death
was passed on him, the judges refusing to sign a bUl of ex
ceptions, which he presented. He was beheaded on Tower-
hill, (I4th.) His demeanor was such as was to be expected
from his known character. When he attempted to address
fhe people in vindication of himself and the cause for which
he suffered, his note-books were snatched from him, and the
trumpeters were ordered to blow in his face. " It is a bad
cause," said be, " which cannot bear the words of a dying
man." One stroke terminated his mortal existence.
The character of sir Henry Vane stands forth preeminent
for purity among the republican chiefs. He was disinterest
ed and incorrupt, wUling fo give fo all others the liberty he
claimed for himself; the enemy of oppression in all its forms.
It is difficult to regard his death as any thing but a judicial
murder, yet surely there was in it something of retribution.
Though taking no immediafe share in fhe judicial proceed
ings against the late king, he had mainly contributed fo his
death hy his conduct at the treaty of Newport, and his speech
in the house on his return. By the dishonorable inanner in

CHARLES II. 271
which he furnished evidence against Strafford, (whose sen
tence was little, if at all, l«ss iniquitous than his own,) he
was a main cause of the civil war, and all the bloodshed and
misery which thence ensued. On fhe same spot on which
Strafford fell one-and-twenty years before. Vane now under
went a simUar fafe. As the series of blood began with the
one, it ended with the other. As Charles I. forfeited his
word and honor in the one case, so Charles II. forfeited his
in the other.
Having thus far carried on the affairs of England, if is now
time that we should notice those of Scotland ahd Ireland.
As Scotland had not been mentioned in the declaration
from Breda, fhe cavaliers of that country breathed nothing
but blood and forfeitures. The spirit of it, however, certain
ly did apply to Scotland, and fhe earl of Lauderdale, who
was now high in fhe royal favor, by representing all that the
Scots had done and suffered in fhe cause ofthe king, disposed
him to clemency. The marquess of Argyle, relying on an
ambiguous answer of the king, through his son lord Lorn,
came secretly up to London, but he was immediately sent to
the Tower.
The union which the commonwealth had labored to effect
was no longer thought of The earl, of Middleton was ap
pointed commissioner for holding the parliament, Glencairn
chancellor, and Lauderdale secretary. The fortresses built
by Cromwell were demolished, and the garrisons disbanded.
As the king had been thoroughly disgusted with presbytery,
and he and his chief counsellors regarded it as incompatible
with monarchy, the restoration of episcopacy was resolved on.
The utmost efforts having been made to pack a parliament,
that assembly, when it met, (Jan. 1 , 1661,) proved to be suited
fo all the purposes ofthe court. It was known by the name
of' The Drunken Parliament,' on account of the continued
inebriety of Middleton and his associates. Its first proceed
ing was to restore the prerogative in its fullest extent In
this there was little difficulty, but to change the church-gov
ernment was not so easy, as if had been confirm.ed by two
parliaments held by the present king and his father. In one
of Middleton's drunken bouts,' it was resolved to adopt a
measure which Primrose the clerk-register had proposed half
in jest, which was, a general act rescissory, annulling on va
ripus pretexts all the parliaments held since the year 1633.
This, thpugh vigprously opposed by the old covenanters, was
carried by a large majority, and the presbyterian discipline
waa left at the mercy of the orowti. <

272 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Those who hungered after the large possessions of Argyle,
ROW hastened to shed his blood. He was transmitted to
Scotland to be tried on charges of oppression and treason.
Every national act from the beginning of the wars was laid to
his charge, (Feb. 13.) His defence was acute, and, in gen
eral, successful. As he pleaded the indemnity granted in the
parliament of Stirling in 1650, fhe king, at the entreaty of
lord Lorn, granted a mandate, that nothing done previous tp
that time shpuld be prpsecuted, and that np sentence should
be passed till the whole had been submitted to himself
This secured Argyle as far as related to the death ofthe king ;
there only remained the charge of compliance with the usur
pation, and here, we are assured, the base treachery of Monk
came to the aid ofhis enemies. He transmitted to the par
liament some private letters in which Argyle expressed his
attachment fo fhe prptectpr's gpvernment: his friends were
silenced, and sentence was prpupunced, ^May 25.) He
vainly implered a respite pften days that the pleasure of the
king might be known, but Middleton, who hoped to get his
title and estates, was inexorable. Argyle met his fate with
piety and fortitude, (27th.)
The next who suffered was Guthrey, one of the clergy
whp had prpmpfed the western remenstrance. As he had
Pnce excpmmunicated Middletpn, he had little chance ef
mercy. He too died (June 1) full of hope and constancy.
Swinton, another ofthe proscribed list, had become a qua
ker; he acknowledged his fault with so much contrition that
his life was spared, though his estate was taken. Wariston,
who had escaped to the continent, was delivered up two
years after by fhe French government, and he too ended his
days on the scaffold.
The soil being thus watered with fhe blood pfthe cevenant-
ers Argyle and Guthrey, it was reselved tp replant episcppacy.
Against this Lauderdale strpngly remenstrated, and the king
himself was lpng dubious ofthe policy of it ; but the bigotry
pf Clarendpn wpuld yield fp np suggestiens pf prudence, and
the measure was reselved en. As there was pnly pne Scpt
tish bishpp npw living, it was necessary that some ofthe new
prelates should be consecrated in England. Sharp, who had
been the agent of the presbyterians at London and Breda,
and who, in the hope of preferment, had basely betrayed their
cause, was made archbishop of St. Andrew's, the excellent
Leighton (son to Laud's victim) and two others were conse
crated with him by Sheldon, bishop of London, and these
consecrated the remaining prelates in Scotland. An act

CHARLES II. 273
of indemnity was finally passed, hut harsh and cruel, like
every Scottish measure, it seemed framed only with a view
to plunder.
Unhappy Ireland was also fo be regulated anew. No blppd
was here tp be shed, and the church, as a matter pf cpurse,
resumed its former positipn; but the adjustment ef prpperty
was a mafter pf tremendpus difficulty. The fide of conquest
had swept over thecountry, effacing all limits and landmarks.
The greater part ofthe lands were now in the possession of
the adventurers who had advanced their money on the faith
of act^ of parliament passed wifh the assent of the late king,
and ofthe soldiers of Cromwell's army ; but there were nu
merous other claimants, such as fhe Forty-nine men, or those
who had served in the royal army previous to the year 1649,
the protestant loyalists whose estates bad been Confiscated,
the innocent catholics, those who had served under the king
in Flanders, etc^
The king issued a declaration (Nov. 30, 1660) for the
settlement of Ireland; but the Irish houses of parliament
disagreeing with respect to it, they sent their deputies over
to the king, and the catholics af the same time despatched
agents on their part. Charles was, for obvious reasons, dis
posed fo favor these last, but, like trtle Irishmen, fhey seemed
resolved that it should not be in his power. With the indis
cretion and disregard to truth distinctive of their party in
Ireland, they behaved wifh insolence, justified their rebellion,
denied their massacres, and finally ,so disgusted the king with
their conduct, that he ordered the doors ofthe council to be
closed against them. The heads pf a bill were then prepared
and sent ever tP Dublin in May, 1662, but it was three years
befpre the final settlement was effected. ¦ The soldiers and
adventurers agreed to give up a third of their lands, to aug
ment what was called ' The Fund of Reprisals,' er property
still remaining af the disposal of the crown, and which had
been shamefully diminished by lavish grants to the dukes of
York, Ormond, Albemarle, and others. Out of this fhe
Forty-nine men were paid their arrears, fifty-four catholics
were restored fo their houses,and two thousand acres of land;
but there remained three thpusand whp had put in claims pf
innocence for whom no relief was provided. There can be
little doubt that only a portion of these were really innocent,
but fhey should not have been thus condemned unheard.
Previous to the rebellion, it is said the catholics had posses.sed
two thirds of the lands of Ireland ; there now remained to

274 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
them not more than one third.* Dearly did the catholics
pay for the massacre ofthe protestants, in the outset commit
ted by a savage rabble, set on by an ignorant and fanatic
priesthood. It has been asserted, but the fact is incredible,
that a third part of the population perished by the sword,
famine, and disease, between 1641 and 1652.
We now return to England, where the marriage of the
king engaged the attention of his councU. Charles was a
notorious profligate with respect to women. While in
France he had a son by a Mrs. Waters, and immediately on
his coming to England, Barbara Villiers, daughter of lord
Grandison, and wife to a catholic gentleman named Palmer,
a woman of great beauty, but utterly devoid of virtue or prin
ciple, having thrown herself in his way, made a conquest of
his heart, over which she long retained her empire, though
only one sultana out of many. The scandal which fhe king
gave by his amours, caused his ministers to urge him fo
marry; buf he had resolved not to espouse a protestant, and
his subjects he thought would object to a catholic. At the
suggestion of the French king, however, the Portuguese
ambassador offered him the infanta Catherine, sister to the
king of Portugal, wifh a dower of 500,000/., the settlements
of Tangier in Africa, and Bombay in the East Indies, and a
free trade to Portugal and her colonies.
The money tempted the king ; Clarendon and the ofher
ministers approvefl of the match, buf the Spanish ambassador
now labored to obstruct it. He represented that the infanta
was incapable of bearing children ; that if might cause a war
with Spain, and the loss of the Spanish trade ; and he offered,
on the part of his master, a large portion with either of fhe
princesses of Parma. Charles sent lord Bristol secretly to
Italy, where he saw the princesses as they were going to
church. One glance sufficed ; the pne was hidepusly ugly,
the Pther mpnstrpusly fat. Meantime Louis sent fo urge the
Portuguese match, offering Charles money to purchase votes
in the parliament, promising fo lend him .50,()00/. whenever
he should want it, and to aid him with money in case of a
war with Spain. The Spaniard, on the other hand, proposed
to the king different protestant princesses, whom his master
would portion equal to daughters pf Spain. He also labored
* Sir "W. Petty, quoted by Hallam, (iii. 528;) Lingard (xii. 74) says
that only a sixth remained lo the cathoUcs. This statement appears
to us to be much nearer the truth.

CHARLES II. 275
to excite the protestant feelings of the parliament and city,
but to no purpose. The Portuguese match was approved of
by the council and both houses, and (June, 1661) the earl of
Sandwich was sent out with a fleet to convey the infanta,
when ready, to England.
The prospect of her lover's marriage made Mrs. Palmer
very uneasy. To reconcile her he made her costly presents,
and created her husband earl of Castlemain in Ireland, with
remainder to the issue male of his wife, who had just borne
to her royal keeper a son at Hampton-court ; and finally, lost
to all sense of honor and delicacy, Charles pledged himself
to make her lady of the bed-chamber to his queen.
On fhe 20th of May, 1662, fhe fleet which hore fhe infanta
reached Spithead. Charles, quitting the embraces of the
wanton Casflemain, hastened to Portsmouth to receive his
bride. They were married privately, according to the rites
of fhe church of Rome, by the lord Aubigny, the queen's
almoner. They then came forth and sat on chairs in fhe
room where the company was assembled, and Sheldon, bishpp
of London, pronounced fhem man and wife. They thence
proceeded to Hamptpn-cpurt, where after seme days Charles,
taking ' The Lady,' as Casflemain was called, by the hand,
presented her fo the queen before the entire court Cath
erine had so much command of herself as to give her a gra
cious reception, but in a few minutes her eyes filled with
tears, blood gushed from her nose, and she fell into a fit
Charles now affected the tone of a man of honor ; he had
been, he said, the cause pf Castlemain-'s disgrace, and he
was bpund tP make her reparatien, and he would not submit
fo the whims of his wife. Clarendon and Ormond remon
strated, but were harshly reprovedj and even required to
lend their aid in the rpyal project; and who will not blush
for Clarendon, when he reads that he actually did undertake
the odious office ? But Catherine vvould not listen to him.
To break her spirit, Charles then sent away her Pertuguese
attendants, and the presence pf Casflemain was cpntinually
obtruded pn her. The queen leng bpre up against these
studied insults; at length, she mPsf imprudently resolved to
yield, and she humbled herself so far as to admit that aban
doned adulteress to her familiarity and friendship.
The queen's portion was soon spent, and to raise money
for the rpyal expenses. Clarendon proposed fhe sale of Dun
kirk fo the French king : Louis was eager to treat Claren
don demanded twelve millions of livres ; he was offered tvvo,
and the bargain was finally concluded for five, (Sept 11.)

276 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
But Charles wanted all the money, and Louis would only
pay tvvo mUlions down, and fhe remainder in two years.
The treaty was nearly broken off, when it was suggested that
Louis should give bills for the balance. This was agreed
fo, (Oct. 17,) and a French banker came over and discounted
them. The banker was an agent of Louis, who boasted that
he made 500,000 livres on the transaction. Dunkirk was cf
np direct use fp England, but fhe ppssessipn pf it gratified
the natipnal pride, and the pepple felt mortified at seeing it
sold, and fhe price squandered away on the king's vices and
pleasures. But the sale of Dunkirk was a trifle to the cruel Act of
Uniformity, which now came into operation. ^ It had been
urged on by fhe united bigotry of the clergy, cf Clarendon,
and ofthe house of commons; the lords in vain attempted to
mitigate its severity ; fhe commons were inexorable. It prp
vided that every minister shpuld, befpre the feast pf St. Bar-
thplpmew, (Aug. 24,) publicly declare his assent and cpnsent
tp every thing cpntained in the Beok pf Cpmmpn Prayer, pr
Ipse his benefice. The apppinted day came, and about tvvo
thousand ministers, 'the far greater part of them men of ex
tensive learning, sincere piety, and irreproachable life, laid
down their preferments, and rather than do violence to their
cpnscience, faced ppverty and persecutipn. It may be said,
that the episcppal clergy had dene as much in fhe late times,
buf these were times pf civU war, and politics were so inter
woven vvith religion, that it was difficult fo separate them,
and they had the prospect of ample reward in case of
the king's success. Buf now all was peace; the king had
been restored in a great measure through the exertions of
these very men ; there was np Ipnger a pplitical ccntest ;
conscience alone could have actuated them. Henry VIII.
assigned pensions to fhe ejected monks and friars ; Elizabeth
had reserved a fifth of the income of the benefices for those
who scrupled fo comply with her act of uniformity ; the Long
Parliament had done the same ; but now no provision what
ever vvas made, nay, care was taken that those whp did npf
cpuform should lose fhe last year's income of their livings,
as their tithes would not fall due till Michaelmas.
Petitions claiming the benefit of the declaration from
Breda being presented fp fhe king, he tppk fhe pccasipn pf
setting forth a declaration, promising to exert his influence
with parliament in its next session to have his dispensing
ppwer so regulated as to enable him to exercise it vvith more
un.versal suisfactipn. His secret object was to procure tol-

CHARLES II. 277
eration for the catholics^ to whose religion he had a leaning;
but on this head the commons were lyhx-eyed ; the protes
tantism ofthe royal brothers was strongly suspected, and fhe
Romish priests, with their characteristic insolence and im
prudence, in reliance on the court-favor, gave public offence
by appearing in their habits. The commons (Feb. 1663)
rejected the whole scheme of indulgence, and brought in
bills fo prevent the growth of popery.
Rumors of conspiracies were novv spread in order to cast
odium on the ejected clergy, and a slight insurrection which
did take place this summer in Yorkshire was taken advantage
of to pass in the following session (May 16, 1664) fhe cruel
Conventicle-act. By this any person above fhe age of six
teen, who was present at any religious meeting not held
according to the practice of the church of England, where
there were five or more persons besides the household, was
fo be imprisoned three months for the first offence, six for
fhe second, and be transported seven years for fhe third, on
conviction before a single justice of the peace. This in
iquitous statute ' speedily filled the prisons, especially with
the quakers.
The repeal of the Triennial-act of 1641 was effected in
this session. The king had the audacity to declare that he
would never suffer a parliament fo come together by the
means prescribed in if ; and fo please him, a bill was brought
in to repeal it, and passed, with a provision, however, that
parliaments should not be intermitted for more than three
years at the most.
Another measure of this session was an address to fhe
king, praying him to seek redress pf the injuries inflicted by
the Dutch pn the English trade, and premising tp stand by
him with their lives and fprtunes.
The Dutch were mere devpfed fp cpmmerce than any
pepple in Europe ; and as the spirit of trade is jealous a.^d
monopolizing, they had been guilty of many unjustifiable
actions in their foreign settlements, such, for instance, as the
massacre of the English at Amboyna, in the reign of James
I. These, however, were all past and gone ; treaties had
been since made with them, in which these deeds had been
unnoticed, even so late as fhe year 1662. Charles himself,
though he had a great dislike to the aristocratic or Louvestein
party, as it was named, which now ruled in the States, and
which had deprived the prince of Orange of the dignity of
Stadtholder, was little inclined to a war, and Clarendon and
Southamptpn were decidedly adverse to it ) but the duke of
VOL. II. 24

f^YlS

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

¦ York, who was lord admiral, was anxious to distinguish him
self at the head ofthe navy, which his exertions had brought
to a state of great perfection; he was also a diligent fosterer
of trade, which he justly regarded as a main pillar of fhe
national greatness. He therefore lent his powerful aid to
the party desirous of war, and Downing, the resident at the
Hague, a man of little principle, spared nO labor to widen
the breach between fhe two countries.
The duke of York was af the head of an African com
pany for fhe purchase of gold-dust and for supplying the
West Indies with slaves. The Dutch, who had long traded
to Africa, thwarted fhem as much as possible, and even
seized or demolished their factories. The duke had already
sent out sir Robert Holmes, in the name of the company,
with some ships of war, fo fhe coast of Africa, and Holmes
had recovered the castle of cape Corse, and taken that of
cape Verd, and established factories along the coast. The
duke had also sent out sir Richard Nicholas to North Amer
ica, where the Dutch had settled on fhe tract of country be
tween New England and Maryland and named it New Am
sterdam. The English claimed this by right of discovery,
and the king had made a grant of it to his brother. The
Dutch settlers offered no resistance, and Nicholas named
fhe country New York, and a fort up the river Albany,
from the titles ofhis patron.
When intelligence came of what Holmes had done, the
Dutch ambassador remonstrated in strong terms. But the
king denied all concern in fhe matter, said that Holmes had
been sent out by the company on their own authority, and
promised to bring him fo trial on his return. Holmes ac
cordingly was sent to fhe Tower; but his explanations vvere
considered satisfactory, and he was soon released. De Witt
was resolved to be avenged. A combined Dutch and Eng
lish fleet, under De Ruyter and Lawson, was now in fhe
Mediterranean acting against the piratic cruisers, and he sent
secret orders to the former to proceed to fhe coast of Africa
and retaliate on the English. Lawson, though aware of De
Ruyter's object, did not feel himself authorized by his in
structions fo follow him ; buf he sent to inform tbe duke of
his suspicions. The Dutch admiral, having accomplished
his mission on the African coast, crossed over to the West
Indies, where he captured about twenty sail of merchantmen.
The duke meantime had two fleets out in the narrow seas,
which seized and detained one hundred and thirty Dutch
traders.

CHARLES II. 27S('
The war being new resplved pn, the king called pn par
liament fpr the requisite supplies, (Npv. 25.) Their liberality
was unprecedented ; they voted fwo miUions and a half In
the biU for this purppse, twp remarkable deviatiens frpm
ancient usage were effected ; the pld method of raising
money by subsidies, tenths, and fifteenths, which had been
returned to, was abandoned forever, and the mode pf assess
ments intrpduced in the civil war was adepted in its stead;
the clergy, whp used fp tax themselves in convocatiouj novv
consented to be faxed in the sarne manner as the laity, by
parliament ; and in return they obtained the right of voting
at elections. This measure put a total end to the influence
and importance of the convocation ; it became from that
moment a mere shadow. It is remarkable, that this great
change in the constitution was the effect of a mere verbal
agreement between the chancellor and fhe primate.
On the 21st of April, 1665, fhe duke of York put to sea
with a gallant fleet of ninety-eight ships of war and four
fire-ships. This prince had made wonderful improvements
in the navy.. Instead of coraraittiug fhe command of ships
to noblemen of inexperienced valor, he placed fhem under
Lawson and men who had long been familiar with the sea.
He continued the practice of dividing fhe fleet into three
squadrons; but he required it to form into line before action,
and each captain to keep his place during the engagement ;
thus substituting fhe regularity of the land-battle for the
previous irregular mode of fighting used af sea. The duke
himself, with Lawson for his vice-admiral, commanded the
red, prince Rupert the whife, the earl of Sandwich the blue
squadron. For more than a month this fleet rode in triumph off the
coast of Holland. At length, an easterly wind having blown
it to its own coast, the Dutch fleet of one hundred and thir
teen ships of war, commanded by admiral Opdam, came out
in seven squadrons. The fleets encountered (June 3) off the
coast of Suffolk. The sea was calm, fhe sky cloudless; for
four hours the fight was dubious; the duke displayed the great
est conduct and valor ; one shot killed at his side his favprite
the earl pf Falmputh, the lerd Muskerry, and a son of lord
Burlington's, and covered him with their blood. At length,
observing great confusion on board of admiral Opdam's ship,
he ordered all his guns to be fired into her successively, and
she blew up, and Opdam and five hundred men perished in
hor. Dispirited by the loss of their admiral, the Dutch fled ;
the English pursued, but during the night, while the duke

280 HISTORY or ENGLAND.
was taking .some repose, Mr. Brounker, groom of his bed
chamber, came to the master with pretended orders from the
duke to shorten sail, and thus in the morning the Dutch got
into the Texel. This was fhe greatest naval victory gained
as yet by the English ; the Dutch lost eighteen ships,' they
had four admirals kUled, and seven thousand men slain or
taken. The loss of the English was one ship and six hun
dred men; but among the slain were the admirals Lawson
and Sampson, and the earls of Marlborough and PorUand.
In other days the tidings of such a victory wpuld have
spread jpy and festivity ,pver all the streets pf Lpndpn ; but
npw a gippm, npf tP be dispelled by the triumphs pf war, sat
brppding pver the capital : the plague had visited it in its
mpst appalling form.
In the midst of the late winter, a few cases of plague had
occurred in the suburbs. Tbe number slowly increased as
fhe season advanced, and in fhe end of May fhe disease burst
with fury forth from the filthy suburb of St. Giles's on the
city and Westminster. The court, the nobility, the gentry,
and the more opulent citizens fled to the country; thousands
were about to follow, buf the lord mayor refused certificates
of health, and fhe people of the adjoining towns took up
arms to ward off infection. As usual, its first ravages were
among fhe lower classes, but if soon advanced higher. Va
rious regulafiens were made, (July 1;) fhe city vvas divided
into districts, with proper pfficers; every hpuse in which the
disease prevailed, was marked by a red cross on the door,
with the words " Lord, have raercy upon us ! " over it; pest-
carts went round every night with links and the tinkling of a
bell, summoning the pepple fp bring fprth their dead, which
then, unceffined and witheut any religious rite, were shot
into a common pit prepared in fhe nearest churchyard. The
men employed in this mournful pffice, taken from the dregs.
of the people and hardened in vice and brutality, committed
deeds too horrible to be told. That unfeeling race too, fhe
hired nurses, often, it is said, murdered the patients in order
fo rob them.
As in all similar cases, different minds were variously
affected. While some devoted themselves fo exercises of
piety aud awaited their doom with calm resignation, others
recklessly plunged into riot and debauch ; and the awful
silence which ordinarily prevailed was from time to time
broken by fhe sound of the unh.illowed orgies of the brothel
and fhe tavern. Superstition exerted its influence over
others ; many fancied they saw a flaming sword in the sky

CHARLES II. 281
hanging over the devoted city ; others assembled in the
churchyards, where in imagination they beheld ghosts stalk
ing round the pits which contained their bodies. Fanati
cism too' was active; one prophet walked naked through the
streets, wifh a pan of burning coals on his head, denoun
cing woes on fhe sinful city ; a second Jonah went proclaim
ing aloud, " Yet forty days, and London shall be destroyed ; "
a third might be heard by day and by night crying in sepul
chral tones, " O, the great and dreadful God ! "
July and August were months of oppressive heat Though
September was less sultry, fhe deaths increased. The ex
periment was fried of burning large fires in the streets. On
the third night (8th) they were extinguished by a copious
fall of rain, and the deaths now diminished; but the next
week the tempest of disease was more furious than ever,
and raen began to despair. The equinoctial gales af length
brought healing on their wings. The mortality rapidly de
creased; and in the beginning of December seventy-three
parishes were pronounced free of disease, and their inhabit
ants resumed their ordinary pursuits and avocations. The
number pf deaths in Lpndpn had exceeded pne hundred
thpusand ; the disease spread alsp pver the rest pf the king
dom, and its ravages in various places were in proportion to
the density of the population.
During this desolation, fhe fleet, which was Uninfected,
kept the sea; and the Dutch Smyrna and East Indian fleets
having taken shelter in the port of Bergen, in Norway, lord
Sandwich sailed thither. For a share ofthe spoil, it is said,
the Danish court agreed to connive at the capture of the
Dutch vessels. Owing, however, to some mismanagement,
when the English ships entered the port and attacked the
Dutch, they were fired on by the guns of fhe fort, and
obliged to retire. De Witt now came vvith a strong fleet fo
convoy fhe merchantmen home, but they were dispersed by
a storm, (Sept. 4,) and Sandwich captured some ships of
war and two of the Indiamen. As he plundered these last,
and allowed his captains to dp fhe same, he was deprived pf
his cpmmand, and sent ambassador to Spain, as a cover to
his disgrace.
The overthrow of fhe government in England by means
of the discontented presbyterians and republicans was one
part of De Witt's plans, and he entered infp cprrespondence
with Ludlpw, Sidney, and the pfher exiles, fer this purppse.
Lord Say and spme others formed a council at the Hague,
and cprresppnded whh their friends in England. An insig-
24* J,

282 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
nificant plot was discovered in Londpn, during the height
ef the plague; and when the parliament met fhe fpllpwing
mpnth, at Oxfprd, fp grant supplies, an act was passed fpr
attainting all British subjects whe shpuld cpntinue in the
service pf fhe States.
In this sessipn, alsp, was passed the severe Five-mUe-act.
During the plague, thpugh many pfthe episcepal clergy had
remained and faced all perils in fhe discharge pf their duty,
many had left their charges and spught safety in the cpuntry.
The npn-cpnformists, as the ejected clergy were npw named,
mpunted the empty pulpits, and preached tp the despairing
people. Their sermons were in general such as were suit
ed to the season, buf some of them could not refrain from
dwelling on the sins of the court, and displaying the iniquity
of their own expulsion. They had broken the law no doubt,
but surely the awful calamity then, prevailing abundantly
justified them. Sheldon, now primate. Clarendon, and their
other enemies, however, took advantage of it, and, under
fhe pretext of their having preached sedition, a biU was
passed (Oct 30) requiring every person in holy orders, who
had not subscribed the Act of tfniformity, tp swear that it is
net lawful, pn any prefence whatever, fo take arms against
the king, etc. Those who should refuse this oath vvere to
be incapable of teaching in schools, and were not, unless
when travelling, to come within five mUes of any city, tpwn,
pr village, in which they had at any time exercised their
ministry. This act pf cold-blopded cruelty met with little
opposition in the commons, (who even wished fo impose this
oath pn the whele natien,) but Sputhampfpn and Pthers re
sisted it strpngly, thpugh ineffectually, in the peers. It al
most ameunted te a bill of starvation; for, as far as in it lay,
it cut off all who vvould not profess the doctrine of passive
obedience nearly from every means pf pbtaining a livelihppd.
The king pf France, being bpund by a treaty ef alliance
with the Dutch, was new required by them tP join in the
war. A French fleet being expected to join that of the
Dutch, the English fleet, under the duke of Albemarle
and prince Rupert, put to sea. Rupert went, with twenty
ships, in search of the French, whp were said tP be at
Belleisle; whUe Albemarle, with fifty-feur, prpceeded tP
the Gun-fleet. Tp his surprise, he saw (June 1, 1666) the
Dutch fleet, cf eighty saU, under De Ruyter and De Witt,
lying pff the North Foreland. Unequal as the numbers
were, he resolved to fight, and bore down without any order.
Most of fhe ships of the blue squadron, which led the van.

CHARLES II. 283 «
were taken or disabled. Night ended the combat. Next
morning (2d) it was renewed. Sixteen fresh ships joined
the Dutch, but fhe English again fought till night Monk
then burned a part of his disabled ships, and ordered the
others to make for the nearest harbors. In fhe morning
(3d) he had only sixteen ships to oppose to fhe enemy's
pursuit. He had lost the Prince Royal, the finest ship in
the navy, on fhe Galloper Sand, and the others were likely
fo share its fafe, when Rupert, who had been recalled on
the first day of fhe battle, af length came to his aid. The
engagement was renewed fhe following morning, (4th,) but
the hostile fleets vvere separated by a fog. Victory was with
the Dutch, yet fhe English lost no honor. " They may be
killed," said De Witt, " but fhey will not be conquered."
The obstinacy and temerity of Albemarle were justly cen
sured. The hostUe fleets were soon again at sea, and an action
was fought (25th) in which fhe advantage was on the side
of the English, who now rode in triumph off the shores of
Holland. Holmes, wifh a squadron of boats and fire-ships,
(Aug. 8,) entered the channel, where the Baltic traders lay,
and burned one hundred and fifty of fhem, fwo men-of-war,
and fhe adjoining town of Brandaris. De Witt, maddened
at the sight, swore by Almighty God that he would never
sheath the sword till he had had revenge. He called on his
French ally for prompt aid. Louis, vvho was exciting the
discontented Irish catholics fo insurrection, and who had
lately offered Algernon Sidney 20,000/. in aid of his project
of raising the commonwealth party in England, would rather
not put his fleet to hazard. He, however, ordered fhe duke
de Beaufort, who was now at Rochelle, to advance and join
De Ruyter. 1'his admiral had already passed the strait of
Dover, when prince Rupert came in view. As De Ruyter
himself was unwell, and his raen were little inclined to fight,
he took shelter near Boulogne, and Rupert then sailed to
engage Beaufort, who was coming up channel, but a violent
wind forced him fo take shelter at St. Helen's, (Sept. 3,) and
Beaufort got into Dieppe.
The wind that blew the fleet to St. Helen's was a fatal
wind fo England. On the night of Silnday fhe 2d a fire
broke out in a bakehouse, near Fish-street, in the city of
London. The houses in that quarter being of wood, with
pitched roofs, the flames spread rapidly; the pipes from
the New River proved to be empty; the engine on the

284 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Thames was burnt ; the wind increased every hour in vehe
mence, and the flames bounded along even to distant houses.
The obvious remedy of cutting off the progress of fhe hre
by the demolition of houses was prevented by fhe avarice of
their owners, and the flames spread unimpeded on all sides.
The spectacle in fhe night (3d) was magnificent, though
awful. For ten miles round it was light as day. A column
of fire, a mile in diameter, mounted info the sky, fhe flames
bent and twisted by the fury of the wind. The heat was
oppressive. Evermore the sound of fhe fall of houses or
churches struck the listening ear. Groups of people were
to be seen flying in all directions, with fhe little portions of
their property which they had been able to save.
For once during his reign the conduct of fhe king was
praiseworthy. He displayed fhe utmost energy; he was
present in all places of danger, animating and rewarding
the workmen; he had provisions brought from fhe royal
stores for fhe relief of the houseless wanderers ; he em
ployed every precaution fo prevent robbery and violence.
In all his exertions he was cordially aided by his brother.
On Wednesday evening (5th) the wind abated. By
blowing up houses with gunpowder, the progress of the
fire fo fhe Temple and the Tower was checked, and the
flames were graduaUy spent for want of fuel. Two thirds
of the city, containing thirteen thousand houses and eighty-
nine churches, were in ashes ; and fwo hundred thousand
people were lying in huts, or in the open air, in the fields
between Islington and Highgate. The immediafe distress
and suffering was considerable, and thousands were ruined ;
buf London soon rose from its ashes, better and more regu
larly built ; the streets were wider, the houses of brick, in
stead of wood, and it hence became more healthy, and less
subject fo fhe plague.
It is not to be supposed that the real simple cause would
be assigned for this calamity. Incendiaries, it was averred,
were seen firing the city in various parts. Some laid it on
the French, some on the republicans, but it was finally fixed
on the general scape-goaf, fhe papists ; and the beautiful
column raised by authority on fhe spot where the fire com
menced, long, " like a tall bully, lifted its head and lied," in
the inscription which it bore.
The parliament was liberal in its grant for continuing fhe
u "l''"c ' °"''"^ *° ^^^ S'''^^* '°^®^® '""^ derangements caused
by the fire, fhe bankers could not make advances as they had

CHARLES II. 285
usually done. The king was therefore induced to lay up
the larger ships, and only to keep at sea two light squadrons
of frigates. There was, indeed, every prospect of a speedy
peace, for Louis, who claimed Flanders in right of his wife,
wished, ere he engaged in a conflict with Spain, to be at
peace with England ; and four out of the seven United Prov
inces were induced by him to declare for peace. De Witt
was therefore obliged to yield, (May 14, 1667,) and anlbassa-
dors met at Breda to discuss the terms. When an armistice
was proposed, the Dutch objected, on account of the delay
it would cause ; and, while it was under debate, De Witt
and De Ruyter left fhe Texel, ordering the fleet, of seventy
saU, to rendezvous af fhe buoy off the Nore. When fhe
ships arrived, the Dutch admirals entered fhe Thames in fwo
divisions, (June 9,) and while one saUed up tp Gravesend,
the Pther prepared fp enter the Medway. Monk, at the first
alarm, had hastened down, and erected batteries and placed
guard-ships for the defence pfthe bppm af fhe mputh, pf that
river, and sunk five ships in fhe channel before it While
he was thus engaged, fhe Dutch came on wifh wind and
tide, (llth,) but the sunken ships impeded fhem so much,
that fhey were pbliged fp fall back. Next merning, (12th,)
having discpvered a new channel, fhey caine up, silenced
fhe batteries, breke fhe bppm, and burned the guard-ships.
The fellpwing morning (i3th) they advanced fp Upnpr, and
having there burnt three first-rates, fell dpwn the river with
the ebb, and returned fp the Nere. For six weeks De Ruy
ter continued to insult the English coast.
Meantime the progress of the French arms in Flanders
alarmed the Dutch, and fhey hastened fo terminate the war
with England. Each party yielded something, and peace
was concluded, (July 21.)
The influence of lord Clarendon had long been on the
decline. He had made himself enemies in all classes, some
by his faults, others by his virtues. The cavaliers hated him
for his honorable adherence to the act of indemnity ; the
non-conformists for his intolerance; the catholics for his
zealous protestantism ; fhe courtiers for his opposition to
their rapacity ; above all, Casflemain hated him because he
would not allow his wife to visit her. His high notions of
prerogative disgusted the friends of liberty ; his haughtiness
and dictatorial manner offended fhe fwo houses. The king
himself grew weary of his lectures and his oppositipn to his
will. He found that he had too great a regard for the reli-

286 HISTORY or england.
gion and liberties of the country to abet his projects; for the
overthrow of both, and he was therefore secretly desirous to
get rid of him. , ,^,„
An attack had been already made on Clarendon. 1" looj,
the clever, but impetuous and unsteady, earl of Bristol, (the
lord Digby of the preceding pages,) who was now become a
catholic, had impeached him in the house of lords but the
charges were so frivolous that a warrant was issued fo fake
the accuser, who was obliged to conceal himself for some
time. Bristol's plan, however, only failed because the ene
mies of Clarendon were not yet sufficiently strong ; but when
the Dutch had burnt the ships in fhe Medway, and the nation
was irritated against the obncxious minister, and fhe king
had become quite alienated from him, it was thought the
attack might be repeated with success. Charles was pre
vailed on to send his son-in-law, the duke of York, fo him,
to induce him fo resign fhe seal. In a personal conference
with the king, (Aug. 26,) Clarendon refused, as that, he
said, would be a confession of guilt A few days after,
(30th,) he was ordered fo surrender it, and it was transferred
to sir Orlando Bridgeman. In fhe next session the commons
(Nov. 6) exhibited seventeen articles of impeachment against
the earl ; but the bishops stood firmly by their friend ; the
duke of York faithfully adhered to his father-in-law; several
of the peers regarded the charges as false, or fhe course
adopted by the commons as unconstitutional. The motion
for committing him, therefore, was lost; conferences of the
houses ensued ; the king, in perplexity, expressed his desire
that the accused would secretly retire to fhe continent; but
this Clarendon was too proud, or too conscious of innocence,
to do. At length (29th) the duke of York was the bearer to
him of a positive command fo quit fhe kingdom. To this he
yielded a reluctant obedience ; and having left a written vin
dication of himself, he retired to France. The commons
(Dec. 9) voted this paper a libel, and ordered it to be burnt
by the hangman. An act of banishment followed, subjecting
him to the penalties of treason if he should return. He
fixed his residence af Rouen, in Normandy, where he died,
in 1674.

CHARLES II. 287
CHAPTER XIV.
CHARLES IL (continued.)
1668—1678.
The ministry which had hithertp regulated the public
affairs was new at an end. Southampton was dead. Claren
don banished, Nicholas had resigned, Albemarle was infirm,
and his mean avarice had deprived him of weight ; Ormond
resided in Ireland. A new ministry was formed, the most
profligate that England had as yet seen ; it was named the
' Cabal,' a common term, but which curiously coincided'
with the initial letters of the names pf its members, viz.,
Clifford, Arlingfpn, Buckingham, Ashley, and Lauderdale.
Clifford, the son of a clergyman, had been, as was sus
pected, secretly reconciled to fhe church of Rome ; he was
a man of great resolution, violent aud impetuous. He was
now a commissioner of the treasury, and was afterwards
high-treasurer. The earl of Arlingfpn (formerly sir Henry
Bennet) was secretary pf state, an pffice he had held for
some time, and he was at the head pf the party in the cab
inet ppppsed tP Clarendpn. He tep was, perhaps, a secret
papist Np man knew better than he hpw tp manage the
king's temper, and he never let principle stand in the way
cf his measures. Buckingham was the son of the favorite
of Charles I., and was married to the daughter and heiress
of lord Fairfax. He had wit, humor, a great talent for
mimicry and ridicule, but was utterly devoid of religion or
morality. Ashley (afterwards earl of Shaftesbury) was chan
cellor of fhe exchequer. As sir Anthony Ashley Cooper,
he had been first on the king's side in fhe civil wars ; he
then went over to the parliament ; he was a strenuous sup
porter of Cromwell, and was finally active in the Restora
tion. He was accused of being equally devoid of religien
and principle, but his talents were allowed to be ef fhe high
est prder. Lauderdale was a man nf talent, buf pf viplent
passiens, rpugh and bpisterpus in manner, and at all times
ready fp surrender his judgment and his principles to the
will of fhe court Sir "WUliam Coventry, one of the ablest
and most upright statesmen of the time, was one of the com
missioners of the treasury.
The first measure of this ministry was a laudable one.
The rapid progress of the French arms in Flanders giving

'288 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
cause of general alarm, the able and upright sir William
Temple was despatched fo the Hague, to prpppse tp fhe
States a unipn with Spain to check the aggressions of * ranee.
In fhe short space of five days three treaties were concluded
(Jan. 13, 1668 :) one was a defensive alliance ; fhe second
an engagement to oblige Spain to make peace on the terms
Louis had offered; by the third (which was a secret one)
they bound themselves, in case of Louis's refusal, to jpin with
Spain in cpmpelling him fp cpnfirm the peace pf the Pyrenees.
Sweden jpined in this league, and hence it was named the
' Triple Alliance.' Leuis, whp had already in secret cen-
tracted an " eventual treaty " fpr the partUipn pfthe Spanish
mpnarchy with the emperer Leeppld, in which he had bound
himself to do fhe very thing novv required of him, after making
a little display pf his usual theatric dignity, agreed to treat.
Plenipotentiaries met at Aix-la-Chapelle, (Apr. 22,) and peace
was concluded ; the towns which he had conquered in Flan
ders beino ceded fo Louis, and fhe French frontier was thus
brought close fo that of the United Provinces. It was, how
ever, this treaty alone that prevented Spain from losing the
entire of Flanders.
Buckingham, without any ostensible post, was now in
fact fhe prime minister, and one so profligate in morals has
rarely been seen in England. He was living in open adultery
with lady Shrewsbury, which led at this very time (Jan. 16)
to a duel, in which the injured husband was mortally wound
ed.* It served fhe cause of the non-conformists but little to
be advocated, as it was, by a man of such a character ; the
commons, therefore, negatived by a large majority a bill in
troduced for their relief They also voted only half the sum
demanded for fhe navy, and instituted a rigid inquiry into
the conduct of various persons in fhe late war.
As money for the supply of the royal mistresses and fhe
other profligacies of the court was not to be obtained from
the parliament, Buckingham began fo form other projects.
The first was fo reduce the royal expenditure below the rev
enues, but with a prince of Charles's character that was im
practicable. It was then resolved to have recourse fo the
king of France ; Buckingham, therefore, entered into a ne
gotiation with fhe duchess of Orleans, and Charles himself
apologized to the French resident for his share in the Tri
ple Alliance. Louis, as usual, affected indifference, but the
The abandoned countess, it is said, dressed as a page, held the
horse ofher paramour while he was fighting with her husband.

CHARLES IL 289
communications gradually became more confidential, and by
the end of the year Louis had the leading English ministers
in his pay.*
It vvas not the mere gratification of his pleasures that
Charles now looked to ; he wished to be absolute. Not, how
ever, that, like his fathfer, he believed despotic power to be
his right, or that he felt any pleasure in the exercise of it;
what he wanted was freedom from restraint; he could not
endure that his private life should be publicly criticised, or
that parliaments should presume to inquire what had been
done with the money they had granted. All this might be
obviated by a standing army, which he might make it the
interest of LoUis to furnish him with the means pf maintain
ing. But there was anpther mptive operating on the mind
of Charles, which, from fhe fener pf his life, pne would be
little apt fo suspect.
The duke of York Was at this time become a catholic.
His own account of his conversion is as follows. When he
was in Flanders, he read, at the request of a bishop of the
church of England, a treatise by that prelate, written fp
clear that church frpm the guilt pf schism in separating frem
fhe church pf Rpme. He aIsp, at the bishpp's desire, read
a reply which had been made fp it, and the effect prpduced
on his mind was the cpntrary pf what was intended. After
the restpratipn, he read Heylin's ' Histpry pf the Refprma-
fion,' and the preface to Hooker's ' Ecclesiastical Polity,'
and the result was a persuasion that none of the refprmers
" had ppwer fo do what they did." He went on inquiring,
and gradually gav'e his assent to all the Remish dpctrines.
It must be pbserved, that the duke, while thus solicitous
about his religion, was leading a life nearly, if not altogether,
as profligate as that of his brother. All this time he contin
ued outwardly fo conform to fhe church of England. At
length he consulted a Jesuit named Simons, on the subject
pf being reconcUed, expressing his hope that on account of
the singularity of his case, he might have a dispensation fp
cpntinue his putward cpnfprmity fp the church pf England.
Tp his surprise, the gppd father assured him that the pope
had not the power to grant it, " for it was an unalterable
doctrine ofthe catholic church, noi to do evil that good might
follow." The duke wrote to the pope, and fhe reply which
he received was to the same effect Thinking if dangerous
* Colbert, the French resident, wrote that he had made them " sentir
tout I'itendue de la Iib4ralit6 de fla majesty."
VOL. II. 25 K K

d

290 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
to delay any longer, he resolved to open his mind to the
king, whom he knew fo be of the same way o tnmKing
He found his brother equally sensible with himself as to the
danger ofhis condition. It was agreed that the royal broth
ers Should consult with the lords Arundel of Wardour ai.c
Arlington, and sir Thomas Clifford, (all in the royal secret )
on the best mode of advancing the catholic religion in the
king's dominions. „ ,. ,
On fhe 25th of January, 1669, the feast of fhe conversion
of St Paul the " meeting was held in the duke's closet.
The king spoke with great earnestness, and with fears in his
eyes, descrihing his uneasiness af not being able td profess
the faith he believed ; as he knew, he said, that he should
meet with great difficulties, in what he proposed to do, no
time was to be lost, and it should be undertaken while he
and his brother were in full strength and vigor, and able
to undergo any fatigue. It was resolved to apply fo the
French king for aid, fpr which purppse his ambassadpr was
fp be let infp the secret, and lprd Arundel, with sir Richard
Bellincs fpr his secretary, was to go fo the court of France.
Arundel, when af Paris, required from Louis a large sum of
money, fo enable the king to suppress any insurrection that
might break out, offering in return to aid him in his intend
ed invasion of Holland. Louis was willing to assent to
these terms; the enly questien was, which- should be first,
fhe war or the king's declarafien pf his religipn. Charles,
urged by his brpther, was fpr the last; Lpuis mpre wisely
recoraraended the foriner. The year passed away in discus
sions; at Christmas the king received the sacrament as usual
in public, but it vvas observed that the duke of York did not
accompany him.
The Conventicle-act was now near expiring. The lord
keeper and chief justice Hale had, with the aid of bishpps
Wilkins and Reynelds, and pf Tillptspn, Stillingfleet, Bur-
fpu, and Pther divines, been engaged in fprming a scheme
of cpmprehensipn, which was cpmmunicated tp Baxter,
Bates, and Merton, and by them fo their non-conforming
brethren. Nothing could be more reasonable than the
alterations proposed, and an equally rational plan was
devised. But Sheldon and fhe other intolerants took the
alarm ; the commons had not abated in their hostility, and
the Conventicle-act was renewed with the addition of a
proviso, "that all clauses in it shall be construed most
largely and beneficially for the suppressing conventicles, and
for the justification and encouragement of all persons to be

CHARLES II. 291
employed in the execution thereof" Could any thing be
more barbarous than this? The vile crew pf informers was
novv unkenneled, houses were broken open, ministers and
other persons were dragged fo prison. Sheldon and those
prelates, such as WWrd and Lamplugh, who resembled him
self, were zealous in causing the act fo be enforced, and the
court secretly encouraged them, in the hopes of driving fhe
dissenters to look fo a catholic government for relief*
It is said that Buckingham was most anxious to prevent
the succession of the duke of York. According to this
prince's own account, his first project was to get the king
to acknowledge the legitimacy of his son by Lucy Barlow,
whom he had created duke of Monmouth, and given him in
marriage the countess of Buccleugh, the wealthiest heiress
in Scotland ; lords Carlisle and Ashley, he adds, had the
boldness to hint to the king, that if he was desirous of doing
so, it would not be difficult to procure witnesses of his
marriage, but Charles replied, " that well as he loved the
duke he had rather see him hanged at Tyburn than own him
for his legitimate son." To get rid of the sterile queen in
some way, in order fo enable the king to marry again, was
the next plan. Buckingham proposed fo seize and convey
her away secretly to the plantations, so that she might be no
more heard of, but Charles rejected this course vvith horror.
The next project vvas to deal with the queen's confessor, to
induce her to go into a convent ; but she had no mind to be
a nun, and means, it is said, were emplpyed tp cause the
pope to forbid her. Some talked of the king's taking an
other wife, but the public feeling was adverse to polygamy.
A divorce was then proposed, and fo this the king hearkened ;
but spiritual divorces were only from bed and board, and a
precedent was wanting for fhe legal marriage ofthe innocent
party. Lord Roos, therefore, whose wife was living in open
adultery, got a bUl to be moved in the upper house (Mar. 5)
to enable him to marry again. The duke, seeing whither
this tended, opposed it with all his might; all the bishops
but Cosins and Wilkins were on his side, and all fhe catholic
and several protestant peers. The king employed his in
fluence in favor of it, and on the morning of the third read
ing (21st) he came and sat on the throne, saying, he was
come fo renew an old custom of attending at their debates,
* "The rigorous church of England men were let loose and encour
aged underhand to persecute, that the non-conformists might be more
sensible ofthe ease they should havewhen the catholics prevailed." —
Hfe of James, i. 443.

292 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
and desired fhem to go on as if he were not present. The
bUl was carried by a small majority, and became a precedent
for bills of fhe same kind, but the king took no advantage
of it* He continued for some time fhe practice of attend
ing the debates; "if was as good," he said, "as going; to a
play," and his presence was some check on the opposition.
In fhe month of May, Louis took occasion of a progress
he was making through his lately acquired possessions to
lef the duchess of Orleans cross the sea fo Dover fo visit
her brother, over whose mind she possessed great influence.
Louis hoped that she would be able to prevail with him fo
commence with fhe war against the States instead of the
declaration of religion, buf Charles was immovable on this
head. The famous secret treaty was now concluded.
Charles was to declare himself a catholic when he judged
it expedient, and then fo join Louis in a war with the Dutch ;
Louis was to give him two millions of livres, and a force of
six thousand men ; all the expenses of the war by land were
to be borne by Louis, and he was to pay three millions of
livres annually toward the charge of the English navy ; the
combined fleet to be commanded by the duke of York ; if
fhe States were conquered, Charles was to have Walcheren,
Sluys, and Cadsand, and the prince of Orange to be provided
for. It was further agreed, that if any new rights fo the
Spanish monarchy should accrue to Louis, (by the death of
the king, a puny boy,) Charles should aid him in asserting
fhem with all his power.
Such was the conspiracy that vvas formed against the
protestant faith and fhe liberties of Europe ; but many diffi
culties stood in fhe way of its success. Charles, when he
reflected coolly, became aware of the protestant spirit of his
subjects ; he did not venture to communicate fhe secret treaty
to his protestant ministers, and to blink them he let Buck
ingham conclude one (fhe counterpart of it except as fo fhe
article of religion) with France, (Jan. 23, 1671.) When urged
by Louis to declare his religion, he hung back and made va
rious objections, and fhe course of events soon caused Louis
to cease from pressing him.
Charles had latterly recruited his harem from the theatre,
where now, in imitation of the continent, women performed.
He had taken off no less than two actresses, the one named
Moll Davies, a dancer, fhe other the wild and witty Nell

adultery

"We do not see how he well could, as the queen had not committed
Iff m.

CHARLES I'l. 293
Gwyn. He soon grew tired of Davies, wlvo had borne him a
daughter ; but Nelly, whom he appointed of fhe bed-cham
ber to his insulted queen, retained her hold on his affections
through life, and the noble house of St Albans derive their
pedigree from this union of royalty with the stage. With the
aid of Shaftesbury, it is said, he seduced the daughter of a
clergyman named Roberts ; but her early principles retained
their held pn her mind, and Burnet says she died a sincere
penitent. A further accessien fp fhe rpyal mistresses was
Mademoiselle de Querpiiailler a favprite maid pfthe duchess
pf Orleans, en whpse sudden and mysterious death shortly
after the interview at Dover, Charles invited her maid pver
fp England, apppinted her pf fhe queen's bed-chamber, and
added her fp the rpll pf his mistresses. He afterwards (1672)
created her duchess pf Portsmouth, and Louis conferred on
her the royal domain of Aubigni,. which went to her son the
duke of Richmond.
As to Casflemain, (now duchess of Cleveland,) she stUl
retained her place as a royal mistress ; and if Charles was
faithless to her, she was equally so to bim.
In the debate on fhe supplies in the commons, it was
proposed fo lay a tax on the play-houses. To this it was
objected, that fhe players vvere the king's servants and a
part of his pleasure. Sir John Coventry asked, whether
" his majesty's pleasure lay among fhe men- or the women-
players." This was reported at court, and the king, though
earnestly dissuaded by fhe duke, resolved on a base and cowr
ardly vengeance. ¦ The duke of Monmouth was the chief
agent, with his lieutenant Sands, and O'Brien, son of lord
Inchiquin ; and as Cpventry was returning pne night (l.">ec.
21) tp his Ipdgings, Sands and O'Brien, with thirteen pf the
guards, fell en him in the Haymarket Cpventry snatched
the flambeau frpm his servant, and with it in pne hand and
his swprd in the pther, and placing his back against the wall,
he defended himself stputly. He wpunded O'Brien in the
arm, but fhey overpowered him, threw him on the grpund,
arid slit his nose with a penknife. They then repaired to the
duke of Monmouth fo boast of what fhey had done. When
the commons reassembled, fhey were outrageous at this base
assault on one of their members, and they passed an act
banishing the perpetrators without pardon, unless they sur
rendered, and making it felony, without benefit of' clergy,
to maim or disfigure the person. This act is named the
Coventry-act. A StUl more atrocious attempt had lately been made oa
25*

294 HISTORY OF KNOLAND.
a more illustrious person. As the duke of OrmOnd was
returning in the dark (Dec. 6) from a dinner given by the
city, his coach was stopped in St James-street, he was
dragged out of it, set behind a man on horseback, and fastened
to lum by a belt. The man urged his herse and proceeded
toward Hyde-park ; but on the way fhe duke put his fopf un
der the rider's, and leaning tP the ether side they beth fell tP
the ground ; fhe sound of footsteps being heard, the assassin
loosed fhe belt and fired a pair of pistols at the duke, but
without effect ; he then fled away and escaped. An inquiry
was instituted by the house of lords ; a reward of 1000/. and
a pardon to any of the party who would turn informer, was
offered by the king, but to no purpose.*
Some time after, a person wearing a cassock formed an
acquaintance with Edwards, the keeper ofthe regalia in the
Tower. He proposed a match between a nephew of his and
Edwards's daughter. At seven in the morning ofthe 9th of
May, the pretended clergyman came wifh fwo companions
and asked to see the regalia. WhUe fhey were in the room
they suddenly threw a cloak over Edwards's head, and then
put a gag in his mouth, and when he struggled they knocked
him down and wounded him in the belly. The clergyman
then placed fhe crown under his cloak, another put the
globe in his breeches, and the third began to file the sceptre
in two to put if into a bag. Edwards's son happening to
come by, the alarm was given ; fhe robbers ran, and had
nearly reached their horses af St. Catharine's gate, when
they were secured. From curiosity, or some other motive,
fhe king himself attended their examination. The chief said
that his name was Blood ; that it was he that had seized the
duke of Ormond, with the intention of hanging him at Ty
burn ; that he was one of a band of three hundred sworn to
avenge each other's death ; that he and others had resolved
to kill the king for his severity to the godly, and that he had
one time taken his station among the reeds at Battersea to
shoot hira as he was bathing, but fhe awe of majesty over
came 'him, and he relented ; the king might now take his life
* Some suspected Buckingham ; and Ormond's son, Ossory, on
coming to court some time after and seeing him standing by the king,
said to hira, " My lord, I know well that you are at tbe bottom of this
late attempt upon my father. But I give you warning. If by any
means be come to a violent end, I shall not be at a loss to know the
author. I shall consider you as the assassin ; t shall treat you as such ;
and wherever I meet you I will pistol you, though you stood behind
the king's chair. And I tell it you in his majesty's presence, that you
may be sure I shall not faiil of performance."

CHARLES II. 295
if he pleased, but it would be at fhe risk of his ovvn ; whereas
if he pardoned hira, he would secure the gratitude of a band
of faithful and resolute spirits. Charles pardoned hira, nay,
more, gave him an estate of 500/. a year in Ireland, and kept
him at court, where he rose to the possession of much influ
ence ; he also requested Ormond to pardon him, saying he
had certain reasons for asking if. The duke replied that
his majesty's command 'was a sufficient reason. What are
we to infer from all this ? Was Charles a coward ? or was
some oneof those who were in his confidence the secret
instigator ofthe aftempton fhe life ofthe duke?
The next event was the death of the duchess of York,
(May 31.) She died a catholic; her protestantism had been
little better than popery ; the secret effprts pf her husband
had had their effect, and she had been recpnciled in the pre
ceding mpnth pf August. Her father wrpte, her brpther
rempnstrated ; but their effprts were fruitless ; she received
the last sacrament frem fhe hands of a Franciscan friar.
Her conversion was known, it is said, fo but five persons ;
but fhe secret gradually transpired and caused the religion
of fhe duke to be suspected. She had heme him eight
children, pf whom two daughters, Mary, and Anne,, alone
survived. During the last year, the young prince of Orange had
cpme ever tp visit his rpyal uncle. Charles, whp bad really
a regard fer him, wished fp draw him int« his prpjects ; but
he fpund him, as fhe French ambassadpr says, too zealous
a Dutchman and protestant fo be trusted with the secret.
It is curious enough that, as the prince fold Burnet, the king
gave him tp understand that he was himself a catholic.
The war with the States being decided on, the Cabal
prepared to commence it with robhery at home and piracy
abroad. To have a good supply of mpney tP begin with, the
fertUe brain pf Ashley, it is said, (but he always denied it,)
suggested tp shut up the exchequer. Tp understand this, we
must pbserve that, since the time pf Crpmwell, the bankers
and ethers had been in the habit ef advancing rhpuey at eight
per cent to fhe government, receiving in return an assign
ment of some branch ofthe revenue ti(l principal and interest
should be discharged. The new plan was to suspend all
payments for twelve months, and to add the interest novv due
to the capital, allowing six per cent, interest on this new
stpck. This was apprpved pf by the privy-cpuncil, and
the public was infprmed of it by proclamation, (Jan. 2,
1672.) The consec^uences were, the ministers had a sima

296 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
-of 1,300,000/. at their disposal ; many ofthe bankers failed ;
trade in general received a severe shock ; numbers of widows,
orphans, and other annuitants were reduced to misery
There had been no declaration of war against the Dutch,
with whom Charles w^'s actually in alliance ; but their
Smyrna fleet would be coming up channel in March, and
it was known to be wealthy, and it was supposed would
suspect no dan<rer. Holmes was therefore sent to intercept
it ; he was desfred to fake with him all the ,ships-of-war he
should meet ; but anxious to have all fhe glory and profit to
himself, he let sir Edward Spragge's squadron, returning
from the Mediterranean, passhim by. Next morning (Mar. 3)
the Smyrna fleet pf sixty sail came in sight. But the States
had suspected fhe designs of their royal neighbors, and put
their naval commanders on their guard. Many of these
ships were well armed, and Van Nesse, who was convoying
them vvith seven men-of-war, disposed his force so vvell as
completely to baffle the English. Holmes, being reinforced
durino- the night, renewed the attack next day, and he suc
ceeded in capturing one ship of war and four merchantmen,
two of which, were very valuable. This' piratic enterprise
(of vvhich the disgrace was aggravated by its failure) vvas
condemned both at home and abroad.
The next measure was to issue a declaration of indulgence,
(15th,) in prder to gain over fhe dissenters tp the side pfthe
cpurt, and to pave the way fpr a general tpleratipn. The
measure itself, had it originated in good motives, was benefi
cent ; but it proceeded on the principle of an arbitrary dis
pensing power in the crown that might be carried to a dan
gerous extent. The dissenters received it with gratitude,
and presented an address of thanks to the king ; the orthodox
took alarm, and the pulpits resounded with arguments and
declamation against popery.
Both kings now formally declared war against the States.
Louis merely said that it did not consist with his reputation
(gloire) to put up any longer with insult from fhem. Charles
(17th) enumerated several petty causes of hostility, "and
surely," says Hume, " reasons more false and frivolous never
were employed fo justify a flagrant breach of treaty." The
king of Sweden, the bishop pf Munster, and fhe electpr pf
Cologne were drawn infp the cpnfederaoy against fhe States.
WhUe preparations were made to put fhe land forces of
the States into a condition to resist the trppps pf France,
De Ruyter get to sea with seventy-five men-of-war and a
number of fire-ships to prevent the junction of the French

CHARLES II. 297
and English fleets : this, however, he was unable to effect ;
and the ccmbined fleet, having vainly fried fp bring him to
actipn off Ostend, returned to South wold-bay. De Ruyter,
learning that they were occupied taking in men and prp
visipns, resolved fp fall pn them vvhile thus engaged. He
was near surprising fhem, (May 28 ;) buf thpugh the wind
and fide were adverse, the duke ef "iTprk, whp cpmmanded,
get abput twenty pf his ships in line pf baffle, being part of
the red squadren under himself and pf the blue under the
earl pf Sandwich. D'Estrees, with fhe French fleet, was
tp the sputhward, ppposed to fhe ships of Zealand. Thnugh
the disparity of numbers was great, the battle was obstinate.
Sandwich, in the Royal James, took a ship of seventy guns
and killed admiral Van Ghent ; but his own vessel having
been much damaged, a fire-ship grappled on her larboard
and set her in flames, and the earl and all on board but tvvo
or three hundred perished. The duke, when his ship, the
Prince, was disabled, shifted his flag fo fhe St. Michael ; and
this vessel being also disabled, he finally hoisted if in the
London. In fhe afternoon the other ships came into the
action, and fhe Dutch finally fled with the loss of three
ships ; the English lost but one ; fhe French took no part in
the action.
Meantime Louis, af the head of one hundred thousand
men, had burst like a flood over the frontiers. His disci
plined legions were directed by the genius of Conde and
Turenne, vvhile the Dutch troops were raw levies and ill
officered. Fortress after fortress opened their gates, making
hardly a show of resistance. The season happening to be
very dry, fhe rivers were low, the passage of the Rhine
offered no difficulty, (June 2,) and in the space of three weeks
he reduced three of^ the Provinces, and had advanced within
three leagues of Amsterdam. Resistance appearing nearly
hopeless, ambassadors were sent to learn on what terms
peace might be obtained. Buckingham, Arlington, and lord
SaviUe (now earl of Halifax) were sent fo Utrecht, where
Louis had fixed his quarters, and the demands pf the two
sovereigns vvere there cpmmunicated tp the Dutch ministers.
Louis required large cessions of forts and territory; sevent?en
millions, of livres ; a gold medal every year ; the churches in
the towns to be shared with the catholics, and a provision
for their clergy. Charles demanded the honor of the flag in
the narrow seas ; 10,000/. a year for fhe liberty of fishing ; a
million sterling for the expenses pf fhe war ; the dignity of
stadtholder for the prince of Orange. LL

298

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

This prince, though only in his twenty-second year, had
been made general and admiral of the commonwealth ; De
Witt, who was his guardian, had, though hostile fo his fam
ily, given him an excellent education ; and fhe character
of the prince himself was such as, joined vvith fhe remem
brance of the services of his family, enabled him to gain fhe
popular favor. The people were clamorous for fhe repeal of
the ' Perpetual Edict ; ' they rose in arms at Dort, (June 30,)
and then in the other towns, and every where established the
unlimited authority of the prince. An attempt was made to
assassinate Jphn De Witt ; and his brpther Cprnelius, being
charged by an infamous wretch, named Tichelaer, with an
endeavor to induce him fp ppispn the prince, was put fp the
torture. A sentence of banishment was passed on him ; his
brother, fhe pensionary, came to the prison to convey him to
his place of exile in his coach ; instantly an infuriated rabble
surrounded the prison, burst open the doors, seized the fwo
brothers, despatched fhem by a multitude of wounds, and
offered every Species of indignity to their dead bodies. Such
is fhe rabble in every country — brutal, bloody, and unreflect
ing; against their sudden fury neither private virtue nor the
greatest public services are a protection.
The prince, by means of an atrocity which he abhorred,
was now left uncontrolled. He urged fhe people not to
despair, but to reject the humiliating conditions offered to
them, and to resist fo the uttermost. Their patriotic ardor
revived; the sluices had already been opened, and the gen
erous resolution was taken to fly, if all should faU, to their
settlements in the East, and there to found a new empire.
When Buckingham urged fhe prince fo abandon the cause
ofthe Provinces, as their ruin was inevitable, " There is one
certain means," he replied, " by which I can be sure never
fo see my country's ruin ; I will die in the last ditch." The
affiiirs of^ fhe Provinces, under the guidance of their young
hero, soon assumed a brighter aspect. A combined English
and French fleet, with aland force on board, approached the
coast ; but winds and tide acted so opportunely to keep them
off, that if was regarded as a special interference of Provi
dence. Louis, weary of the toils of war, returned to the
pleasures of Versailles, andthe French arms became inactive.
Spain had sent some forces to the aid of the prince, and the
emperor and the elector of Brandenburg were preparing to
impede the progress ofthe French monarch.
Charles, however, adhered firmly fo his engagements wifh
Louis ; he also gave his own ministers proofs of his satis-

CHARLES II. 299
faction with their conduct by bestowing honors on them :
Buckingham and Arlington had the garter, and the latter an
earldom ; Cliftbrd was made lord Clifford of Chudleigh, and
Ashley earl of Shaftesbury. This last, on the lord keeper
Bridgeman's hesitating in some matier, represented him to
the king as a mere old dotard, and fhe seals with fhe title
of lord chancellor were transferred to himself, (Nov. 17.)
Here he displayed the levity and eccentricity of his charac
ter. He rode hinrself, and made the judges and law-officers
ride in ancient-wise in procession to Westminster; he sat
On the bench in "an ash-colored gown, silver-laced;" he
prided himself on his despatch of business ; made his orders
with rapidity and after his own fancy ; but sp many applica
tions were made to him by counsel for explanations, that he
became quite tame and humble in his court. Clifford at
this time was made lord treasurer.
It was now nearly two years since parliament had met ;
fhe king, however willing, could no longer dispense with its
services, as the only means of obtaining money. When it
assembled, (Feb. 5, 1673,) he addressed it himself He spoke
of the war as just and necessary ; and as to his declaration
of Indulgence, at which some cavilled, he told fhem plainly he
was resolved to stick to it;' he also mentioned the army, which
with their aid he intended to augment. Shaftesbury then
spoke. He told them that the Dutch aimed at an empire as
extensive as thatof ancient Rome ; that they were the eternal
enemy of this country ; that Dclenda est Carthago was fhe
maxim of fhe parliament, and a wise one ; and he had no
doubt but that they vvould be libera! in their supplies.
Though the members were the same, the house was now
different frem what if had been. The fervpr pf their Ipyalty
had cpoled, and they saw clearly whither the cpurt was tend
ing. Their first care was therefpre fo vindicate their own
authority. Ever since 1604 it had been the practice in case
of a vacancy in fhe house for fhe speaker fo issue a writ for
a new election ; buf Shaftesbury had taken on him, as chan
cellor, fo issue the writs, and thus introduce his dependents
into the house. The legality of these was quesfipned,,(6th ;)
the electipns vvere vpted veid, and the speaker was directed
tp issue new writs. As the king made np ppppsition, Shaftes
bury saw plainly that he could not be relied on, and he took
his measures accordingly.
The very next day (7th) the house voted a supply of no
less a sum than 1,260,000/. They then proceeded to their
grand attack on the ' Declai-ation of Indulgence,' to which

300 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Charles had affirmed he would ' stick,' and after a long and
adjourned debate, in spite of all the efforts of fhe courtiers,
it was resolved, (10th,) by a majority of 168 fo 116, that
" penal statutes in matters ecclesiastical cannot be suspend
ed but by act of parliament." An address fo this effect was
presented to the king, (14fh;) he replied, (24th,) asserting
his ecclesiastical authority, buf expressing his willingness fo
assent fo any bill for carrying the intents of his declaration
into effect This was voted insufficient, and in a second ad
dress they assured him that he was mistaken in supposing
himself fo possess that power. Charles was indignant, and
talked of a dissolution ; the duke, Clifford, Shaftesbury, and
fhe more violent applauded his spirit; novv was his time
or never, they said — concessions had ruined his father and
would ruin him. Ormond and Arlington in vain advised him
to yield. Il was resolved to oppose the lords to the commons.
The king solicited fhe advice of the peers, (Mar. 1 ;) Clifford
addressed them with his usual violence ; but Shaftesbury said
that his own opinion was in favor ofthe prerogative, but that
he would not presume fo set it against that of the house of
commons. The lords resolved (4th) that the king's was a
gppd and gracipus answer. But Charles's resolution already
began to give way; the French ambassador counselled him
to yield for the present ; the women too, it is said, interfered.
He sent for fhe declaraticn, and in the presence pf his
ministers breke pff the seal, and next mprning (Sfh) assured
the twp houses, that " what had been done should never be
drawn into consequence.'' Acclamation followed, and at
night bonfires flamed all through fhe city.
A few days after (12th) the Test-act, as it is named, passed
the commons. In fhe lords, the earl of Bristol, thoucrh
avowing himself a catholic, spoke in favor of it ; the king
gave a ready consent to it ; and what is most strange, it is said
to have priginated wifh Arlington. Its object was to exclude
fhe catholics from places of honor and profit. It required
that every person holding any office of trust or prpfit shpuld,
besides taking the paths pf allegiance and supremacy, receive
the sacrament accprding tp the rites pf fhe church pf Eng
land, and subscribe a declaratien against transubstantiation.
Immediately fhe duke of York waited on the king, and vvith
tears resigned to him all his commissions : his example vvas
followed by lord Clifford, Iprd Bellasis, and pthers.
It is remarkable that the dissenters actually suppprted this
bill, which excluded themselves as ccmpletely as the papists.
But they willingly jeined to oppose fhe common enemy ; and

CHARLES II. 301
in return a biU for their relief was passed and sent up to fhe
lords," (17th.) Here, however, if received amendments to
which the commons would not agree ; Sheldon and his party
too, it is said, exerted themselves to defeat it ; a sudden pro
rogation (29th) put an end fo it, and the disinterestedness
of the dissenters was thus ill rewarded.
As the parliament had given the means, a fleet was got to
sea under prince Rupert ; combined with that of D'Estrees
it sailed over to fhe coast of Holland. De Ruyter gave
them battle, (May 28.) The action was indecisive, and the
fleets again encountered within a few days, (June 4,) with a
simUar result. An attempt to land an army under count
Schomberg on the coast of Holland also failed. The duke's
parly threw all the blame pn the prince, as being too closely
connected with the country party fo act with energy ; the
prince in return complained that his powers were limited
and his ships Ul supplied. The mouth of the Texel witnessed
(Aug. 11) fhe last naval encounter between the Dutch' and
English for many years. It was fought with great obstinacy,
(the French squadron, as usual, only looking on :) sir Ed
ward Spragge, the second in command, was drowned as he
was quitting the second ship in which he had hoisted his flag,
in order to raise it in a third. In this action also the victory
was doubtful.
The reduction of Maestricht was fhe only advantage
gained by Louis this year. The prince of Orange besieged
and took Naerden, and he afterwards eluded the French
generals and formed a junction wifh fhe Imperialists, under
Montecuculi, vvho were besieging Bonn. The surrender of
that town and some other places gave them the command
of the electorate of Cologne, and the French troops in the
Provinces vvere thus cut off from comniunication with home.
A congress for peace was meantime sitting at Celogne, under
the mediation of Sweden ; but the States, now backed by the
house of Austria, spurned at fhe conditions offered by fhe
allied monarchs.
When parliament met, (Oct 20,) fhe first question that
engaged their attention was the marriage of the duke of York,
who had lately (Sept. 30) espoused, by proxy, Maria D'Este,
sister to the duke of Modena, a princess only fifteen years of
acre, but a catholic. They addressed fhe king, praying him
not to allow the marriage fo be consummated. Charles plead
ed his honor. They forthwith passed votes for refusing sup
plies, imposing a severer test, etc., when fhe king came to the
VOL. II. 26

302 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
house of lords and prorpgued fhe parliament, (Nov. 4.) As
he considered that Shaftesbury bad played him false, he took
the great seal from him, (9th,) and committed it to sir He
neage Finch. Sir Thomas Osborne, now lord Latimer, had
obtained the whife staff resigned by Clifford. Shaftesbury
now assumed fhe character of a patriot, and became the
secret leader of the opposition.
When the parliament met (Jan. 7, 1674) the king ad
dressed them with his usual affability ; the lord keeper then
foUowed, in a long speech, the object of which was fo obtain
an immediafe supply. The commons first passed an address
praying fhe king to enjoin a public fast, that the nation
might implore Heaven fo preserve " fhe church and state
aoainst fhe undermining practices of popish recusant-s," and
to adopt certain measures of precaution against fhem ; fhey
then voted fhe removal from office of persons " popishly
inclined, or otherwise obnoxious or dangerous ; " and, fol-
lowinor up this vote, they proceeded to attack the individual
members ofthe Cabal.
The first attacked was the duke of Lauderdale. He
was charged with having raised an army in Scotland to be
employed in setting up arbitrary power in England, and with
having said to the king in council, " Your majesty's edicts
are equal with the laws, and ought to be observed in fhe first
pluce." It was resolved fp address the king fp dismiss him
frpm his emplpyments and frpm tbe rpyal presence and
councils forever. Buckingham, aware that his turn would
come next, asked leave fo address the hpuse. His defence
was feeble ; his chief pbject was fp shift the blame frpm him
self tP Arlingtpn ; pne expressien which he used seemed to
go higher : " Hunting," he said, " is a good diversion ; but
if a m.^n will hunt with a brace of lobsters, he will have but
Ul sport." An address was voted for his removal from the
royal presence and councils. Arlingtpn came pff fhe best;
he alsp defended himself befpre the cpmmpns, and with mpre
spirit than was expected ; and the mptipn fpr an address
against him vvas lost.
All this time the commons were silent on the subject of
a supply ; and as the States just novv made, through the
Spanish ambassador, an offer of peace, vvhich Charles, with
fhe advice of both houses, resolved to accept, sir W. Temple
was appointed to negotiate, and iu three days the aff,tir was
brought to a conclusion, (Feb. 19.) The honor of the flag
was yielded to England ; colonial and commercial questions

CHARLES II. 303
were to be settled by arbitration ; and the Dutch agreed to
pay 800,000 crowns in four annual instalments. The parlia
ment was then prorogued, (24th.)
Two further attempts at weakening the influence of fhe
duke were made ; the one in the commons, by a more com
prehensive test ; the other in fhe lords, by an amendment to
a bill brought in for restraining popery. This last was lost,
and the prorogation stopped the other. The duke took
alarm ; his first thought was a dissolution, but to that course
the king was very adverse, and the result of it was quite
uncertain. He then bent his thoughts to delay the meeting
of parliament ; but fpr this purppse it was necessary that the
king shpuld be supplied with meney. Fertunately fpr him,
Louis XIV. was as anxipus as himself tP keep the king and
parliament asunder, fpr he feared that England might now
join the confederacy against him. The duke therefore pro-
ppstid that Lpuis shpuld give fhe king 400,000/. ; the usual
chaffering tppk place, and Charles was pbliged tp be cpntent
with 500,000 crpwns. The parliament was then prerogued
from November till the April ofthe following year.
The advantages of the campaign this year were on the
side of France. Louis recovered Franche Comte ; Turenne
was successful against fhe Imperialists in Alsace, and fprced
the allies fp repass fhe Rhine. The prince pf Orange,
who was opposed to Cpnde in Flanders, preppsed, as his
trppps were superier in number, fp make an attempt tp pene
trate intp France. Cpnde avpided fighting, but, at a place
name4, Seneffe, ebserving that the prince had exppsed pne
wing pf his army, he made a furipus attack pn it. A general
action ensued, which was continued, when the day-light was
gone, by that of the moon. The loss was nearly equal, and
each side claimed the victory. " The prince of Orange,"
said Conde, " has acted in every thing like an old captain,
except venturing his life like a young soldier." The cam
paign concluded by the taking pf Grave by the prince pf
Orange. Of the persons who had been accused by the cpmmpns,
Buckingham alpne was abandpned by the king, and he
forthwith, as a matter of course, joined Shaftesbury and fhe
opposition. Arlington saw his influence fading before that
of the treasurer, now earl of Danby ; by the rPyal cpmmand
he spid his place of secretary to sir Jpseph Williamspn fpr
6000/., and was raised to the higher but less influential post
of lord chamberlain. To prop his falling power, he pro
posed to the king to negotiate a match between the prince of

304 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Orange and Mary fhe eldest daughter of the duke of York.
As tiie prince was well known to be a stanch protestant,
this measure, he said, would eminently serve to allay the
apprehensions of the nation on the subject of religion, and
be in fact advantageous in many respects. The king ap
proved warmly ofthe project ; the objections ofthe duke of
York were overruled ; and in the beginning of the winter
lord Arlington and lord Ossory, who were married to two
sisters of a npble Dutch family, went ever tp the Hague
under the pretext of visiting their wives' relations. The
proposition, when made fo the prince by lord Ossory, was
coldly received ; he said that, as circumstances were at
present, he was not in a cpndilipn to think of faking a wife.
After a short stay fhe envoys returned fo England.
During the Winter, the court and country parties were
busily engaged in preparing their plans for the ensuing
campaign in parliament. In the lords the crown had a
decided majority ; but the minority, headed by Shaftesbury,
Buckingham, Salisbury, and Wharton, was formidable from
its talent and union. The country party was strong in the
cemmpns, where it ppssessed lerd William Russell, esteemed
fer his prpbity and integrity ; lprd Cavendish, less correct in
morals, buf far superior in parts ; sir William Coventry,
deeply skilled in affairs, and free from passion and private
resentments ; Poule, learned in precedents and parliamentary
usages ; Littleton, the ablest in debate ; Birch, rough, and
bold, and ppwerful abpve all raen pfthe day tP sway a pppular
assembly ; the veteran senators Lee and Garroway, together
with Vaughan, SachevereU, and many other able debaters.
Their plan was, fo urge the king to join the allies against
France ; to impeach the earl of Danby ; and to refuse the
supplies while he remained in office.
The plan of fhe court was fp unite with the church, and
thus deprive their ppppnents pf their advantage in appearing
as the champipns pf religien. A cpuncil was held at Lambeth,
at which several prelates attended ; fhey were assured pf the
king's attachment fp fhe church, and called uppn tp give
him their suppprt ; measures were devised for crushing
popery, and a severe proclamation against recusants and
non-conformists was forthwith issued. The duke of York
remonstrated in vain ; in contempt of his parental authority,
the princesses Mary and Anne vvere led to church by Comp
ton, bishop of London, and confirmed.
When parliament met, (Apr. 13,) the address against
Lauderdale, of which the king had taken no notice, was

CHARLES II. 365
renewed, but to as little effect Seven articles of impeach
ment were then exhibited against the earl of Danby. He
had, however, like his predecessors, made large purchases
of votes iu the house, hut on a more economical plan, we
are told ; for while they bought leading men at high prices,
he looked out for those who had only their votes to sell, and
consequently disposed of them more cheaply. The articles
were therefore aU thrown out The grand attempt of the
ministers was made in the lords, where a biU for a new test
was introduced. By this, every member of either house, and
all holding any office, were required to swear, that it is un
lawful, on any pretence whatsoever, to fake up arms against
the king ; that it is traitorous to take up arms by the king's
authority against his person ; and that he will not endeavor
fhe alteration of the government either in church or state.
The debate on this bill lasted seventeen days ; the king
occupied his usual place at the fireside ; buf Shaftesbury and
fhe other opponents of the bUl, heedless of his presence,
employed all their eloquence and all their powers of reason
against it. It was carried by a majority of only two ; had it
come to fhe commons, if had probably been rejected by a
much larger majority ; but a question of privilege happening
just then to arise between the tvvo houses, the king took
advantage of it fo prorogue the parliament, (June 9.)
When parliament met, (Oct. 13,) fhe king required mon
ey for fhe navy, and also a sum of 800,000/., which had
been borrowed on fhe revenue. This last vvas refused, but
330,090/. was voted for the building of twenty ships of war,
to vvhich it was strictly appropriated. The contest vvith the
lords was renewed ; and such was the heat vvith which it was
carried on, that it was moved in the lords to address the king
to dissolve fhe parliament. This was opposed by the minis
ters, but supported by fhe duke of York and his friends.
A prorogation for fhe long period of fifteen months was the
result, (Nov. 22.)
The campaign of 1675 was favorable to the allies.
Coiide's army in Flanders was rendered inactive by the
able conduct of the prince of Orange ; and Turenne having
been killed by a random shot while ccmmanding beypnd the
Rhine, his army vvas pbliged fp repass that river, and if vvas
follpwed by the Imperialists infp Alsace. The allies having
laid siege to Treves, marshal Crequi advanced fp its relief;
but at Consabrie he was fallen on and routed, and fhe gar
rison of Treves, whither he had escaped, having mutinied,
capitulated and delivered him into the hands of the allies.
20* MM

306 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
The king of England, when he had concluded peace wifh
the States!, made an offer of his mediation to the other powers
Though from various causes they were all but the Dutch
desirous of continuing the war, they could not decently reject
the proposal of the British monarch. The place fixed on
for the congress was Nimeguen, whither the lord Berkeley,
sir WiUiam Temple, and sir Leoline Jenkins repaired as the
English ministers. After many delays fhe congress m^f in
the summer of this year ; but, as was fo be e.xpected, the
ministers were more anxious to raise than fo remove difficul
ties. The great object of the allies was to prevail on Charles
fo join them against France ; but fo this course he had many
objections, of which not the least was the state of dependence
on his parliament to which it would reduce him. Louis
took advantage of this feeling ; fhe ambassador Ruvigni
received directions fo offer fhe same amount of pension as
before for his neutrality. An agreement was made between
Charles and Ruvigni for a pension of 100,000/. a year fo be
paid fo the foriner ; in return for which ^^ "'as to sign a
treaty, by which the fwo monarchs were fo bind themselves
to enter into no engagements but by mutual consent, and to
aid each other in case of any rebeUion in their respective
dominions. This was communicated to no one buf the
duke of York, Lauderdale, and Danby. The fwo foriner
approved of it of course ; Danby hesitated and advised to
consult the privy council ; but the king removed all difficulty,
by writing out the treaty with his own hand and setting his
private seal to it, (Feb. 17, 1676.) He then delivered it to
Ruvigni, who forthwith set out for Paris in order fo have it
signed by Louis. It would be difficult in the whole of history
to meet a more disreputable transaction than this barter of
honor and independence for lucre by the sovereign of a great
and powerful nation.
Charles, thus enjoying the pension, the price of his dis
honor, lived on indolently till the time came for fhe meet
ing of parliament, (Feb. 5, 167 7.) The opposition had
discovered what fhey regarded as a vantage point against the
court. There were tvvo statutes of Edward III., which or
dained that a parliament should be held " once a year, or
oftener if need be," and as fifteen months had elapsed since
the last meeting, the parliament had in fact ceased fo e.xist-
This view was maintained vvith much boldness and ino-enuity
in the lords by Buckingham, supported by Shaftesbury,
Salisbury, and Wharton ; but Finch, now lord chancellor,
maintained, iu opposition to thero, that the Triennial-act of

CHARLES II. 307
ithe 16th of the late king, and the act of the present king
jepealing that act, had extended the term fo three years.
Buckingham's motioh was negatived by a large majority;
thrt four lords were required to acknowledge that their cou-
duot was " ill-advised," and fo beg pardon ofthe king and
the house, and on their refusal they were committed to the
Tower.* In cpnsequence, it is said, ofthe bribes which he liberally
bestowed, the minister had a majority On finance questions in
the commons. Money therefore was granted for the navy ;
but it vvas apprppriated, and none of it came into fhe treas
ury, so that the king had still need of his pension. The
pariiament now began to urge him to war; for Loiiis had
entered Flanders at the head of a large army, taken Valen
ciennes, Cambray, and St. Omer, and defeated fhe prince
of Orange at Cassel. The king, in order to do so, demanded
an additional 600,000/., pledging his rpyal wprdt not ti
break trust with them, or employ the money for any other
purposes but those for which if was granted. But fhe com
mons knew him too vvell to trust him. They voted an ad
dress, (May 25,) praying him to enter into an alliance with
the Slates-general and ofher powers for the preservation of
the Spanish Netherlands. Charles affected great anger at
this, as an encroachment on his prerogative, and he com
manded both houses to adjourn till July. The court of
France was still uneasy, and its envoy Courtin was urgent
for a dissolution, or at least a prorogation till fhe following
April. For this service Charles demanded an addition of
100,000/, a year to his pension. The usual chaffering took
place, but the French were finally obliged to come info his
terms, and also to ccnsenf thatthe increased pensien should
be reckoned from tbe commencement of the current year.
The parliament was therefore prorogued from July to De
cember, wifh a promise fo Courtin that if fhe money was
regularly paid it should then be adjourned fo April, What
* They remained there till the meeting of parliament in the following
year, when the others took their seats, merely asking pardon. Shaftes
bury, who had had himself brought before the court of king's bench
by habeas corpwr, was obliged to ask pardon for it on bis knees.
t Hume, having noticed the secret treaty with Louis which Charles
had signed, calls his pledging of his word on the present occasion
^' one ofthe most dishonorable and most scandalous acts that ever pro
ceeded from a throne.'" Lingard most strangely says, that the reason
given by Hume is, " because he was then' negotiating for money with
the French ambassador;" and, on this ground, attempts to defend
Charles. He has either misread or misrepresente4 Hume.

308 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Englishman can refrain from blushing at this disgraceful
bargain 1 yet Ch.irles, though fhe highest, was not the only
criminal at this time; Couitin also bribed sundry members
of the opposition fo impede the granting of supplies, lest
Charles might become independent ofthe French king.
The prince of Orange had long looked forward to a union
with his cousin the princess Mary; but the opposition party
in England, who feared that this match might unite hiin
more closely with his uncles, had endeavored to diiert him
from it, Novv, however,'seeing the necessity of an effort to
induce the king pf England tp aid in checking the career
ofthe French monarch, he resolved to seek the hand of the
priiice.ss. We must not be so unjust to the memory of this
great prince as fo suppose him actuated solely by political
motives in this prpceeding; pn fhe contrary, in the spring
of the preceding year, he had held a serious conversation
on the subject wifh sir W, Temple, in which he stated thiit
situated as he was, he knew he must marry one time or other ;
but that, at the same time, no cpusideratiens pf pplitical ex
pediency wpuld induce him fo marry a woman with whom
he could not look forward to a reasonable prospect of domes
tic happiness, and he begged that Temple would give him
his candid opinion respecting fhe princess. The ambassador
urged him to the marriage, and made so favorable a report
of the lady Mary, that the prince wrote to his uncles on the
subject, and requested permission fo go over about it at the
end of the campaign. These letters were brought to England
by lady Temple.
The prince does not seem to have taken any further steps
till the present year, when, having obtained the king's per
mission,* he set out at the end ofthe campaign, and landing
at Harwich proceeded to Newmarket, where his unclss then
were, (Oct 9.) He was very kindly received by the king,
to whpse surprise, hpwever, he seemed disinclined fp enter
on discourse of business. Charles desired sir W. Temple to
try fp find put the cause, and the prince told him that he vvas
resolved tp see the princess befpre he prpceeded any fur
ther, and alsp fp settle fhe affair pf his marriage previpusly
to entering on that ofthe peace. The king, w'hen informed
pf this, very kindly left Newmarket sppner than usual; the
prince, pn seeing the lady Mary in Lpndpn, was sp pleased
vvith her that he made his preppsals at pnce fp her father and
• Danby wrote to bim, by the king's order, to com» over Burnet
ii. 1211, note. '

CHARLES IU 309
uncle, by whom they were well received ; but they insisted
that the terms ofthe peace must be previpusly settled. The
prince weuld nut give way pn this ppinf ; he said that " his
allies, who were like to have hard terms of the peace as
thiuss then stood, would be apt fo believe that he had made
this match at their cost; and for his part he would never sell
his honor for a wife." The king was equally pbstiiiate on
his side, and Temple and Danby, who were both zealous for
the match, were beginning to despair; the prince declared
that he would remain but two days longer in England — a
resolution vvhich he desired Temple to communicate to the
king. Temple, on doing so, represented tp Charles the ill
consequences pf a breach between him and the prince,
Charles listened attentively. " Well," said he, " I never
was yet deceived in judging pf a man's hpiiesty by his looks;
and ifl am not deceived in the prince's face, he is the hoii-
eslest man in the world, and I will trust him, and he sh ill
have his wile; and you shall go immediately and teU my
brother so, and that 'tis a thing I am resolved on." The
duke, when Temple waited on him, seemed surprised, but
declared his readiness fo obey the king. Danby, when in
formed by Temple, undertook to adjust all the remaining
points; and fh,it evening the match was declared in the com
mittee, and next day in the council. The king's mode of
announcing his intention to the prince vvas characteristic ;
"Nephew," said he, " it is not gpod for man to be nloue;
I will give you a help meet for you:" he theu added, that
he would give him his niece; the duke cpiisented in very
obliging terms. Oa fhe fourth pf Npvember this auspicious
m-.irriage w,is solemnized by the bishpp pf Lpndoi). It is
deserving pf iipte, that six days after the duchess pf Yprk
was delivered of a son.*
The king, the duke, the prince, and Danby and Temple,
novv took into consideration the question ofthe peace. The
prince, convinced that Louis vvould never abstain from wiir,
insisted on a strong frpntier pn both sides pf Flanders ; the
king was of opinion that Louis was weary of war, and would
devote himself IP ease and pleasure; Temple thought with
the prince. They were, however, obliged to give way a litlle,
* This, perhaps, mny refute the insinuation of Dr. Linsrard, ("xii. 307,
note: ) " When the offer of marriage wns made, (by Arlington in 1074,)
the prince knew that the duchess of York vvas in ati advanced slate
of pregnancy, a circumstance which considerably lessened its value. "
The duke of Cambridge, the child novv born, died the following month,
(Dec. 15.)

310 HISTORY or ENGLAND.
and it was agreed that Louis should be obliged to restore' all
his conquests from the empire, and Lorraine to its duke;
that France and Holland should mutually give back the
places they had taken, but that Louis should retain all his
conquests in Flanders, except Ath, Charleroi, Oudenarde,
Courtrai, Tournai, and Valenciennes, which would form a
frontier between the French dominions and fhe United
Provinces. The lord Duras, a Frenchman and creature of
the duke's, (novv created earl of Feversham,) was sent over
fo Paris wifh this treaty. He was to demand a positive answer
iu two days, but pretexts were made for detaining him, and
meantime the prince was obliged to return to the continent
Louis was in fact highly indignant at the marriage of the
princess Mary; Charles excused himself to Barillon the
ambassador by saying, " I am the only one of my party,
except my brother ; " and the truth was, that he could not
gel any minister to join cordially in his projects of union vvith
Louis. This monarch seemed resolved to listen to no terms
but such as he should dictate, and though the winter had
commenced, his army forthwith took fhe field and invested
Guislain. Charles then (Dec. 3) appointed the parliament
to meet on the 15lh of January; Louis (17th) stopped the
piyinent of his pension, offering at the same time, if he would
consent to his retention of Conde, Valenciennes, and Tournai,
fo send him fhe value of them in bars of gold, concealed in
silk; and D.inby was promi.sed, if he would give his influ
ence, any reward he should name in diamonds and pearls,
Danby, however, was not to be bought; the king and duke
were also displeased wifh Louis, and the duke looked forward
to the command of an army and the acquisition of military
fame. If is also likely, that the royal brothers thought their
schemes of arbitrary power would be more likely to be ef
fected by the force pf a native army, than by fhe insidieus
aid of Louis.
When fhe parliament met, (Jan. 23, 1678,) Charles in-
f)rmed them that he had ccncluded an alliance pffensive
and defensive with the States for the protection of Flanders,
ancl that he should require a fleet of ninety sail, and an army
of from thirty to forty thousand men. After a good deal of
opposition, a supply for that purppse was veted, (Feb, 5.)
The kinj, hpwever, vvas still dcsirpus pf peace ; buf the
success pf Louis, vvho had now reduced Ypres and Ghent,
exasperated the English nation, and the commpns hastened
(Mar. 8) to pass a bill for a part of the supply. Charles
forthwith sent a body of three thousand men to the defence

CHARLES II. 311
of Ostend, and he issued money for raising twenty thousand
more, to be accomplished within six weeks.
The troops when raised were, king James assures us, " as
good as any where were to be seen." The commons, who,
as the same prince tells us, " were in reality more jealous
of the king's power than of the power of France," took
alarm, and passed a resolution (Apr. 29) not to grant any
more supplies till full satisfiction was given on the subject
of religion. Charles, enraged at this disappointment, Ibrth-
with prorogued the parliament and commenced negotiations
with Louis, with whom he subscribed (May 17) a secret
treaty, engaging, in case the States would not accept the
terms offered at Nimeguen, fo withdraw his troops from
the continent, for which he was to receive from Louis
453,0311/. in four quarterly payments. When parliament
met, (23d,) an address was made that war should be declared
or the army be disbanded. The king's reply was evasive,
and the commons resolved (June 4) that all the forces raised
within fhe last seven months, " ought fo be paid off and dis
banded forthwith," and voted money for the purpose. The
king, however, was not willing to part with his army. Urged
by the duke of York, fhe council resolved fo enter on the
war ; a corps of four thpusand men was sent ever fp Flanders,
and four thousand more, to be commanded by the duke, were
in readiness for embarkation, Af fhe same time (July 16)
a nevv treaty was concluded with the States, unless Louis
should recede from some pretensions vvhich he had lately
made in favor of Sweden.,
Louis knew when to recede as well as advance. During
a fortnight his ministers employed all the resources of diplo
matic tactics against those of the States, and then, when all
men looked for a renewal of war, suddenly yielded, (July 31,)
and the peace between France and the States was signed
fhe same day before midnight. Four days after, (Aug. 4,)
the prince of Orange attacked the French army at St. Denis,
near Mons, which town they were besieging. As if is not
possible that he could be ignorant of fhe actual signature
of the treaty of Nimeguen, the blood of the five thousand
men who vvere slain in the action may be said to rest on
his head. He probably hoped that a victory would prevent
the ratification of the treaty, fo which he was strongly
opposed. Spain and the emperor found it necessary to agree to the
'Peace of Nimeguen,' which left to Louis a large propprtion

312 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
of his conquests, and put it in his power to renew the war
when he pleased with every advantage.
It is not fo be denied, that the opposition in parliament
this year played the game of the king of France, and thwarted
all the efforts of Temple and Danby fo urge the king into a
war which they imagined to be equally for the hpnor and
interest of England. It is also well known, that the lords
Hollis and RusseU, and the other leaders of the country
party, were in actual communication with Barillon and Ru-
vio-ni, and arranged with fhem the plan of operations. These
are points which demand inquiry and explanation.
The country party had a violent distrust of the king,
who, they vvell knew, was bent on making himself absolute,
and perhaps on changing the religion of the nation ; they
also knew that he looked to the money or the arms of Louis
f )r aid in accomplishing his designs : it was therefore their
object fo deprive hira of this support, and they probably
fhouo'hf that a few fortresses in Flanders were not to be
put in the balance with the British constitution. On the
other hand, Louis acted on fhe usual maxims of stale policy,
and he wished fo see his neighbors weak rather than strong;
he had therefore no vehement desire that Charles should
be absolute or the nation catholic : he was of course as little
desirous of beholding a republic in England. What he
wanted was, jealousy and disunion between the king and
people, so that he might be able to play fhe fwo parties
against each other, and thus be free from interruption from
Eughind in his project of extending the frontier of France
to the Rhine, and establishing a dictatorship over the rest
of Europe. For this purpose he had, in the beginning of
the reign pf Charles, kept up a communication vvith the
commonwealth-men; then, seeing a prospect of the king's
becoming his stipendiary and vassal, he entered into close
relations with him ; but the marriage of the princess Mary
having proved to him that no reliance could be placed on
Charles, he resolved fo fry to form a connection with the
popular leaders. For this purpose, Ruvigni, who was a
protestant and first-cousin tp lady Russell, came ever in the
month of March, and he took occasion to assure Russell
and Hollis, that his master did not at all conceive it to be
for his interest that the king should be absolute, and that
he was reidy to aid in causing a dissolution of the parlia
ment. They agreed, on their side, to take care fhiit the
grants of supplies should be clogged with such conditions

CHARLES II. 313
as to be so disagreeable to the king that he would prefer a
reunion with France to accepting them. Ruvigni offered
to spend a considerable sum in the purchase of members'
votes, and begged of RusseU to name those who might be
gained over. He replied, that he should be sorry fo have
to do with people who could be bought* He at fhe same
time gave it as his opinion, that there was no chance of a
dissolufiorl buf through fhe king of France, whose aid for
that purpose Ruvigni freely promised. Nothing could in
fact exceed fhe straits in which the popular jiarty then
were ; they knew if the king could get an army at his de
votion, he would destroy their liberties ; they were dubious
of the king of France, and yet he alone could aid them:
we therefore need not wonder af their falling into a course
of tortuous policy, which, though morally wrOng, is what
those who engage in politics can hardly ever escape. That
nothing injurious to the country and constitution was in-
fended, the names of Russell and HoUis are a sufficient
warrant.

CHAPTER XV.
CHARLES II. (continued.)
1678—1680.

The king was now af peace, but the army was stUl on foot ;
the country party were dejected, and began to think that
further resistance to fhe court was hopeless. In this state
of things, during fhe recess of parliament, the Popish Plot,
as it was named, came to fill the nation with alarm.
On the 12fh of August, as the king was walking in the
Park, a person named Kirby, who used to assist him in his
chemical laboratory, came up to him and said, " Sir, keep
within fhe company ; your enemies have a design upon your
life, and you may he shot within this very walk." On being
questioned, he said that two men, named Grove and Picker-
* Barillon, in 1680, speaks of having given various sums to the pop
ular leaders, as 1000 guineas to Buckingham, and sums of 500 or 300
guineas to .Algernon Sidney, sir Thomas Lyttleton, Mr, Garraway,
Mr. Hampden, Mr. Foley, and others. See Hallam's discussion of
this matter, (ii. 547.)
VOL. II. 27 N N

314 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
ing, had undertaken to shoot him, and sir George Wakeman,
the queen's physician, to poison him. He gave as his au
thority one Dr. Tonge, rector of St Michael's, Wood-street
This Tonge was a weak, credulous man, and a great alarmist
ou the subject of popery, against which he published tracts
every year. In fhe evening Tonge was brought to the king,
to whom he showed a written narrative of fhe plot, divided
into forty-three heads. He was sent to lord Danby ; he said
that the narrative had been thrust under his door; that he
knew not the author, buf had a clew which might enable
lum to discover him. In a few days he returned, and said,
he had met fhe author in the street, who had given him a
fuller account, but required that his name should be con
cealed for fear of the papists. As Danby insisted on seeing
some of the papers meutioned in the narrative, after some
delay and evasion he was told, that on a certain day a packet
of letters, addressed to Bedingfield, a Jesuit, the duke's con
fessor, vvould arrive at the post-office at Windsor. Danby
hastened down to intercept them ; but they had already come
to hand, and Bedingfield, seeing that they were not the
writing of those whose names they bore, and that they con
tained suspicious matter, showed them to the duke, who
took them to the king. Charles recognized in the writing
a similarity to that of the narrative, and expressed his belief
of their being forgeries.
After some days, fhe person from whom Tonge professed
to derive his informatien came fprward. This was a man
named Titus Oates, sen fp a weaver, whp, having turned
anabaptist preacher, and been chaplain fp cplpnel Pride,
had after fhe restcratipn pbtained prders in the established
church. He sent his sen Titus fp Cambridge, where, hav
ing finished his studies, he took orders and became a curate,
but being indicted for perjury on some occasion, he got to
be chaplain in the navy. Here, however, he was charged
with an odious offence, and was obliged to quit the ship.
He then managed fo be appointed as one of fhe duke of
Norfolk's chaplains, where meeting with many popish priests,
he became a real or pretended convert to their faith. He
was sent over fo St. Omers, and thence to Spain, whence he
was now returned to England. He had long been acquaint
ed with Tenge, by whom and Kirby he was now chiefly
suppprted. At fhe urgent desire ef fhe duke tp have the matter sifted
tp the bottom, the king consented to have Oates examined
before the council. Previously to appearintr there, Oates

CHARLES II. 315
went before a magistrate named sir Edmundbury Godfrey,
(Sept. 6,) and made oath to the truth ofthe narrative, which
was now extended to eighty-one articles. He appeared be
fore the council (28th) in a new suit of clothes and a cler
gyman's gown, and deposed to the following effect
The Jesuits had resolved by all means to reestablish the
catholic religion in the British dominions ; they vvere or
ganizing a rebellion and massacre in Ireland; in Scotland,
disguised as presbyterian ministers, they were opposing epis
copacy ; liere they proposed to assassinate the king, and
then to offer the crown to the duke, provided he would con
sent to hold if of the pope, and aid in extirpating protestanl-
ism ; if not. To pot James must go, was their expression.
They had abundant funds, having 100,000/. in bank, 60,000/,
a year in rents, etc. Father Leshee, [La Chaise,] the French
king's confessor, had given fhem 10,000/., and they were
promised an equal sum from Spain. In March last, two
men, named Honest William, [Grove,] and Pickering, (the
last a lay-brother of the order,) were often directed fo shoot
the king with silver buUets at Windsor, for which the former
was to have 1500/., the latter 30,000 masses; and on their
neglecting to do so, WiUiam had been reprimanded, and
Pickering had received twenty lashes on his bare back. On
the 24th of April there had been a great meeting of the
Jesuits af fhe White-horse tavern, by Sf. Clement's in tlie
Strand, fo deliberate on the assassination of the king; and
two Benedictines, named Coniers and Anderton, and four
Irishmen, whose names he knew not, were added to the
former fwo: 10,000/., and afterwards 15,000/., had been
offered to Wakeman, the queen's physician, to poison the
king, and he had reason to believe he had underfiUten it.
He had also learned, since his return, that the Jesuits had
caused fhe fire in 1666, on which occasion they had ex
pended seven hundred fireballs; and fhey vvould then have
murdered fhe kirig, buf they relented when they witnessed
his zeal and humanity. They had secured, amidst the con-
fligrafion, diamonds to the value of 14,000/. ; ten years after
they had made 2000/. by setting fire to Southwark, and they
now had a plan for burning Westminster, Wapping, ami the
shipping. Finally, the pope had lately issued a bull ap
pointing to all the dignities in the church of England, as the
catholic religion was sure to triumph as soon as the king
was taken out ofthe way.
Next morning (29th) Oates was again brought before

316 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
the councU, As it was objected to the Windsor letters, that
they were in feigned hands, badly spelt, and without any
punctuation, he said that such was the practice of the
Jesuits, that fhey might say they were forgeries if they were
discovered, buf that their correspondents knew fhe secret.
As he said he had been introduced fo don John at Ma
drid, he was desired to describe him. He said he vvas a
tall, thin, dark man. The king, who had often seen him,
knew that he was short, fat, and fair. He was also asked
where he saw father La Chaise pay the money; he replied,
" In the Jesuits' house close to the palace." " Man," cried
fhe king, "the Jesuits have no house within a mile of fhe
Louvre." I
It is to be observed, that though Oates, by his own ac
count, had feigned to be a convert with the sole purpose of
discovering the secrets of the Jesuits and betraying fhem ;
though, as he said, he was so highly in their confidence that
numerous documents had been in his hands ; he had not
retained a single one of them, and there was nothing but
his bare assertion for fhe truth of fhe incredible facts which
he related. His only chance, therefore, was that something
confirmatory might be found among the papers of those who
were committed on his information, and here fortune stood
his friend.
Among those named by Oates was Coleman, the secretary
of the duchess of York. Coleman, fhe son of a protestant
clergyman, had become a catholic; this naturaUy gained
him the favor ofthe duke of York; and, with fhe usual
zeal of a convert, he exerted himself to the utmost for the
advancement of his new creed. For this and for othet
purposes he was in correspondence with La Chaise and
his successor in office, St. Germain. When, therefore, he
heard of his danger, he put all his papers out of the way ;
but he unluckUy forgot a drawer containing his correspond
ence in 1674 and two following years, which was found. In
one of these letters he says, " We have here a mighty work
upon our hands, no less than fhe conversion of three king
doms, and by that, perhaps, fhe utter subduing of a pestUent
heresy, which has a long time domineered over a great part
of this northern world. There were never such hopes of
success, since the days of our queen Mary, as novv in our
days. God has given us a prince who is become (I may say
by miracle) zealous of being the author and instrument of
so glorious a work. But the opposition we are sure to meet

CHARLES II. 317
with is also like to be great, so that if imports us fo get all
the aid and assistance we can." Elsewhere he says, " I can
scarce believe myself awake,, or fhe thing real, when I think
of a prince, in such an age as we live in, converted fo such
a degree of zeal and piety as not fo regard any thing in fhe
world in comparison of God Almighty's glory, the salvation
of his own soul, and the conversion of our poor kingdom."
In ofher places he speaks of the interests of the crown of
England being inseparable from those of France and fhe
catholic religion, and he describes the king as inclined to
favor the catholics, buf at the same time thoroughly venal.
When we consider this language of Coleman, and add to
if fhe ofher proofs which we possess, we think we may ven
ture fo say that the, following assertion of HaUam is per
fectly correct : — " There was really and triUy a popish plot
in being, though not that which Titus Oates and his associ
ates pretended to reveal, but one alert, enterprising, effective,
in direct operation against the established protestant religion
in England. In this plot the king, the duke of York, and
the king of France were chief conspirators; the Romish
])riests, and especially fhe Jesuits, were eager cooperators."
The mysterious disappearance of sir Edmundbury God
frey next came to increase fhe public alarm. Godfrey, as
we have seen, had taken Oates's deposition. Though he was
a zealous protestant, he was on good terms with the catho
lics, particularly Coleman, whom he had warned of his
danger. He seems to have had an idea that some mischief
would befall him on account of this business, for Dr. Lloyd,
the rector of his parish, heard him say, " I am fold I shall
be knocked on the head ; " and he said fhe same to Dr.
Burnet. To a gentleman who asked him if he had any hand
in taking fhe informations touching the plot, he replied in
the affirmative, adding, " I know not what wiU be fhe conse
quence of them, but I believe I shall be the first martyr."
To another he said, " I must not talk much, for I lie under
ill circumstances. Some great men blame me for not having
done my duty, and I am threatened by others, and very great
ones too, for having done too much."
On Saturday morning (Oct 12) Godfrey left his home at
an early hour, and went to different parts of town. He was
met in Sl. Martin's-lane by persons, of whom he inquired
the way to Paddingfon-woods; he was seen by others in
Soho and Marybone-fields. He was in the Strand at one
o'clock, and was afterwards seen in Lincoln's-Inn-fields, and
a person supposed fo be he was seen in Red-Lion-fields,
27*

318 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
and on the way to Primrose-hill, and finally in a field near
that hill.
His absence from home (for he did not return) caused
great uneasiness to his family and friends, and various con
jectures were made fo account for it. Some thought he
was gone out of fhe way from his creditors ; others gave out
that he was married, and " that not very decently," or that
he was ron away with a harlot; but the most prevalent report
vvas that lie was murdered by the papists. For some days
no account could be got of him; but on Thursday evening,
(17th,) as two men were going toward the While-house at
Primrose-hill, they saw a cane and pair of gloves lying on a
bank by a ditch, and, on searching further, they louiid in
the ditch the dead body of a man, with a sword run through
him. His rings were on his fingers, and his money was in
his pocket. There was a double crease round his neck,
which was so limber that the face might be turned round to
the ..-houlder. The body was at once recognized fo be that
of the missing justice. A coroner's jury, swayed by the
opinions of two ignorant surgeons, brought in a verdict that
he h.id been strangled, and it was supposed that the assas
sins had run his own sword through him, that he might be
supposed to have killed himself That the papists had done
the deed, was a point about which few had any doubt, and
those who had, thought it most prudent to confine their
suspicions fo their own bosom.
The plain truth, however, appears to be, that in this in
stance the unfortunate papists vvere perfectly innpcent, and
that Godfrey died by his own hand. There was an heredi
tary melancholy in his family, and for some days before his
disappearance a strangeness in his manner and behavior had
been observed. The apprehension of being brought into
some trouble on account of having taken the deposition of
Oates probably led to the catastrophe. As by the law the
property of a Fclo de se vvas forfeit to the crown, it was the
interest of his brothers to have it believed that he was
murdered. The report, laying the guilt on the papists, vvas
traced to them; they kept back important evidence; and
they dealt with fhe coroner and the surgeons. It is, how
ever, not to be supposed that they foresaw the judicial mur
ders th;it were to tiisue.*
When parliament met, (21st,) the ferment was great. The
* See I.'Estrange's 'Brief History of the Times,' etc., where all
the depositions are given.

CHARLES 11. 319
king's usual application for money was neglected ; buf an
address was voted, praying him to appoint a solemn d ly of
failing and humUiation for imploring the divine protection
for himself and h'S Joyal subjects. A second address fol
lowed, for the removal of all popish recusants from Lon
don and its vicinity, and proclamations were made accord
ingly. Committees, with extensive powers, vvere appointed
to search out the plot. The country party became now
pmiiipotenf iu both houses. Full credit vvas given to every
thing Oates asserted ; and he now added, that the pope,
treating Erigland as his kingdom, had appointed fo all the
great offices, civU and military : lord Arundel was to be
chiincellor, lord Powis treasurer, lord Bellasis commander-
in-chief, with lord Petre for his lieutenant, sir Francis Rad
cliffe his major, and Lambert his adjulant-general ; lord
Stafford was to be paymaster-general, sir W, Godolphin
privy-seal, and Coleman secretary of state. Similar arrun^e-
meiits vvere made for Ireland, Some of those named were
disabled by age, Pthers by infirmity, buf these ebjections
were unheeded ; warrants were issued against all whp were
named, and fhe Iprds Arundel, Ppwis, Stafford, Petre, and
Bellasis were cpmmitted fp the Tpwer. Both houses finally
passed a resolution, (3lsf,) that " there had been, and still
vVas, a damnable and hellish plot, contrived and carried on
by the popish recusants, for the assassinating and murdering
the king, and for subverting the government, and rooting out
and destroying the protestant religion."
On the last day of the month the funeral of sir Edmund
bury Godfrey took place, at Sf. Marfiii's-in-the-fields. Sev
enty-two of the London clergy, in their gowns, walked two
and fwo before the coffin, and it was followed in the same
order by more than one thousand gentlemen in mourning,
of who, 11 many were members of parliament The funeral
sermon was preached by Dr. Lloyd, fhe rector. At each side
of him stood a tall, athletic clergyman, for his protection.
His te.xt was, "As a man faUeth before the wicked, so fellest
thou;" and he endeavored to show that Godfrey had been
murdered by the catholics on account of his zeal in dischar
ging the duties of his office.
O Ues was now called 'The Savior ofhis Country:' he
had lodgings assigned him at Whitehall, with a pension of
1230/. No one ventured to call the truth of fhe plot into
que.ifion. All precautions vvere adopted against the rising
of the catholics which he had announcei;! : the trained-bands
were constantly on duty, the guards were doubled at the

320 HISTORY OF ENGLAND,
palace, fhe city put up its posts and chains, in order fo be
prepared for defence.*
A reward of 500/. having been offered for fhe murderer
of Godfrey, a letter tame the day after the funeral to the
secretary of state, dated from Newbury, requesting that
William Bedloe, the writer of it, might be arrested af Bristol
and conveyed to London. This vvas done accordingly, and
Bedloe was examined in presence ofthe king, (Nov. 7.) He
said he had seen fhe body of Godfrey at Somerset-house,
(the residence of the queen,) where he had been smothered
between pillows by two Jesuits, and that he had beeh offered
two thousand guineas to help to remove if. A.t a subsequent
examination (llth) he said that Godfrey had heen inveigled
into Somerset-house about five in fhe evening, and there
strangled with a linen cravat. But it happened that at that
very hour fhe king was visiting the queen, and fhe place
was full of guards, and the room in which he said he saw
the body was that appropriated fo fhe queen's footmen, who
were always in it. At first, too, he knew nothing ofthe plot ;
but having read Oates's narrative, his memory brightened,
and he called fo mind many circumstances which he had
learned from English monks, nuns, and other religious per
sons, whom he had met on the continent, aU corrobora
ting it
Bedloe vvas, if possible, more infamous than Oates. He
had been originally a servant of lord Bellasis; he had
travelled, chiefly as a courier, over much of the continent ;
had been guUty of many acts of robbery and swindling, had
been often tbe inmate of a prison, and was but lately come
out of Newgate. '
The popular leaders had caused a bill, for a test which
would exclude catholics from parliament and from the royal
presence, fo pass fhe commons, (Oct. 28.) While it vvas in
the house of lords, an address was moved there by Shaftes
bury, and in the commons by lord RusseU, for excluding
the duke of York from fhe presence and councils of fhe
king. The efforts to have it rejected in the commons having
proved abortive, fhe duke, at his brother's desire, resigned
his place at the council-board; and Charles then having
addressed the two houses in complacent terms, the lords
resumed the discussion of the bill, and if was passed, with
* If North may be believed, (Examen, p. 206,) sir Thomas Player,
the city chamberlain, said to the citizens, that " he did not know but
that next morning they might all rise vvith their throats cut."

CHARLES II. 321
a proviso that it should not extend to the duke of York,
(30th.) By this bUl twenty catholic peers lost their seats,
and for a century and a half their descendants continued to
be excluded.
The two informers (urged, as was suspected, by the ene
mies of fhe duke, who wished to revive the project of a
royal divorce) now proceeded to accuse the queen. Oates
swore that, going one time with some Jesuits to Somerset-
house, he remained in the antechamber whUethey went in to
fhe queen, and, as fhe door was ajar, he heard her exclaim,
" I will no longer suffer such indignities to my bed. I am
content to join in procuring his death, and the propagation
of the catholic faith." Yet when sent fo Somerset-house,
he could not find the room in which he had been. Bedloe
too deposed fo a conference between the queen, lord BeUasis,
and some Jesuits and other priests, which he had overheard.
Oates appeared at fhe bar of the commons, (28th,) and in a
loud voice cried, " I, Titus Oates, accuse Catherine, queen
of England, of high-treason." An address was voted to re
move fhe queen and her attendants from Whitehall ; but the
lords, having examined the fwo witnesses, positively refused
fo concur in if, and fhe absurd and unfounded charge was
dropped. The king in this mafter behaved well, and ex
pressed his determination not f o let her be oppressed. \ He
told Burnet that, " considering his faultiness to her in other
respects, he thought it a horrible thing to abandon her."
The impeachment of lord Danby, which had long been
a-brewing, was now effected. Montague, the ambassador at
Paris, came over, without asking permission, and got himself
chosen a member of tbe house of commons. His object
was the ruin of Danby, and he entered into relations for this
purpose with fhe popular leaders and with Barillon, from
which last he vvas fo receive 100,000 crowns in case of suc
cess. Danby, having had secret information of his project,
and knowing that he had documents which might be used
to his injury, got an order of council for fhe seizure of his
papers; Montague, however, had secured the most important
one, and it was read before the house. This was a letter
from Danby to him on fhe 25th of March, during fhe nego
tiations for peace, directing him to offer fo Louis the king's
good offices in procuring such a peace as would be for his
advantage, on condition of receiving 6,000,000 of livres a
year for a term of three years, as it was likely to be so long
before parliament would be in the humor to grant supplies.
Nothing could be more repugnant to Danby's feelings than

322 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
a business of this kind, but fhe love of place, or an errone
ous sense of fhe duties of his office, induced him to give
way ; and the king, fo satisfy him, wrote at fhe bottom,
"This letter is writ by my order. C. R." When this cir
cumstance is considered, when it is added that Montague
himself appears fo have suggested the project, and that he
stipulated for reward wifh fhe French agent, and broke
through all the principles of honor, few greater instances of
political turpitude will perhaps be found. The house, how
ever, heeded not any thing but their passions : they discerned
another link of the chain of popish machinations, and they
voted an impeachment of fhe lord treasurer, (21st,) for, 1.
traitorously arrogating to himself regal power by treating
with foreign courts without the knowledge of the council ;
2. endeavoring to subvert the constitution by keeping up a
standing array ; 3. negotiating a peace in favor of France to
the prejudice of England, that he might receive money from
France for keeping up that army; 4. being popishly inclined,
and having concealed fhe popish plot ; 5. having wasted the
royal treasure; 6. having ohfained for himself grants from
the crown. Though fhe words treason and traitorously were
used liberally in these charges, fhe lords plainly saw that the
treasurer's guilt, if an.y, did not go beyond a misdemeanor ;
and his defence of himself was able and cogent: they there
fore refused to commit him. At the desire of the treasurer,
fhe king then (30th) prorogued the parliament to fhe 4th
of February, and during the prorogation it was dissolved,
(Jan. 24, 1679.)
Thus, after a duration of nearly eighteen years, ended
fhe second and last Long Parliament. It had been elected
in fhe full intoxication of loyalty consequent on the restora
tion, and af first it seeraed inclined to free the royal authority
from all limitations whatever ; but time had cooled its fer
vor. The jealousy on the subject of the public liberties,
which has never been extinct, had revived ; fhe protestant
feeling, then characteristic of fhe nation, had been alarmed ;
and, instead of a submissive body of loyalists, it had become
an assembly suspicious of the court, and not fo be managed
by intrigue or daunted by power.
The courts of law were meantime proceeding in fhe trials
of those charged by Oates and Bedloe with being concerned
in the plot Space does not allow of our entering into the
detaUs; suffice it to say, that the witnesses against them
vvere in general men of fhe worst character ; that chief-jus
tice Scroggs and his brethren on the bench acted with the

CHARLES II. 323
most flagrant partiality and injustice, always assuming the
guilt of the accused, aiding the Witnesses for the crown when
embarrassed, explaining away their contradictions, jnd brow
beating, sneering at, and insulting those for fhe defence ;
and that consequently conviction' was no proof whatever
of guilt.
Coleman was the first tried, (Nov. ^27:) the witnesses
against him were Oates and Bedloe, and his own letters. In
the eyes of the court and jury, Oates's testimony was not in
validated by his not having even known his person when first
confronted with him. Coleman vvas. found guilty, and died
(Dec. 3) asserting his innocence to the last.
Grove, Pickering, and a Jesuit named Ireland vvere next
brought to trial, (17th.) Though the last made it clear that
he was in Staffordshire when Oates swore he was in London,
it availed him not: "You have done, gentlemen," said
Scroggs to the jury, " like very good subjects and very good
Christians, that is fo say, like very good protestants ; and
now much good may their thirty thousand masses do fhem,"
alluding to Pickering's reward. These men also died assert
ing their innocence, (Jan. 14.)
HUl, Green, and Berry, persons employed at Somerset-
house, were charged by Bedloe with the murder of Godfrey.
As the law required fwo witnesses, one, MUes Prance, a
Catholic silversmith, whom Bedloe had also charged, was
treated with so much rigor in Newgate, and so worked on
by promises and threats, that he was af last induced to con
fess his guilt, and appear as a witness against the other
prisoners, (Feb. 10.) Bedloe's evidence and his contradicted
each other in fhe grossest manner, but this vvas of no avail to
the accused. The three vvere condemned and executed,
protesting their innocence to the last. Berry, it is to be ob
served, died a protestant.
An auxiliary to Oates and Bedloe had appeared in fhe
person of one Carstairs, a profligate Scot. He swore that,
in an eating-house near Covent Garden, he heard Staley, a
catholic banker, say in French to another person, that the
kino- was a rogue, and that he himself would stab him if no
one else would. It was probably at first only a project to
frio-hten money out of the banker, for Carstairs and another
waited on him next day, and offered to hush up the matter for
200/. Staley only laughed at fhe charge. They then re
solved to so through with the business ; and he was seized,
brought to trial forthwith, found guilty on their evidence, and
hano-ed, (Nov. 26.) When Burnet first heard of this business,

324 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
he Ipst np time in informing fhe chancellor and attorney-
general of the infamy of Carstairs' character, but' the latter
took it jU of him fo disparage, as he said, the king's
evidence.'* Af the elections for the new parliament, the court candi
dates were almost every where rejected. To express the
slightest doubt of the plot deprived a man of all chance of
a seat, and fhe new parliament therefore, it was expected,
would prove still more unmanageable than the last. As a
means of averting fhe storm which he saw preparing, the
king commissioned the primate and some other prelates to
make an attempt to bring back his brother fo fhe protestant
faith. Buf all their efforts were vain on the sullen, obstinate
mind of the duke, and Charles then required him to quit the
country for a time. To this James consented, provided the
king gave him a written order for that purpose, and also a
solemn promise not to sacrifice his rights in his absence fo
the duke of Monmouth. Charles gave fhe order in an af
fectionate letter, and then solemnly declared before the
council that he had never given any contract of marriage,
or married any woman buf his queen. He subscribed this
declaration, and ordered it to be enroUed in chancery. The
duke then set out with his family for Brussels, (Mar. 4.)
As soon as fhe duke was gone, the parliament met, (6th.)
Seymour, fhe former speaker, was re-chosen ; fhe king re
jected him, and proposed another; fhe commons insisted on
their right, the king on his : the dispute was terminated by
appointing a third person. Henceforth it became a principle,
that the house should chopse, but that the crpwn may reject
the speaker presented fp it.
The cpmmpns npw prepared fp prpceed with fhe impeach
ment pf Danby ; but the king, having previously dismissed
him from his office, summoned the two houses to his pres
ence, and told them that what Danby had dene had been by
his prders, and he had therefpre granted him a pardon, and
would do so a dozen times if necessary, at the same time he
had seen reason to exclude him from his presence and coun
cil. The commons, however, viewed this pardon as illegal,
and resolved fo proceed; the lords, fearful of opposing them,
directed that the earl should be taken infp cuslpdy. Danby
ccncealed himself at Whitehall ; the lerds passed a bill for
his banishment, but the cpmnipns rejected it and passed pne
* Dr. Lingard [justly] adds, "And the timid divine shrunk from the
frown ofthe barrister, and lefl the unfortunate man to his fate."

CHARLES II. 325
for his attainder unless he surrendered against a certain day ¦
the lords altered it ; the commons were determined, and the
lords had to give way again, and pass the bill of attainder,
Danby then surrendered, (Apr. 16,) and was committed to the
Tower. Some days later (25fh) he gave in his answer, de
nying the charges and pleading the pardon he had received
from the king. The commons acted with great and inde
cent violence ; tbe peers vacillated ; a prorogation took place,
and the impeachment was never renewed.
At this time the king, acting under the advice of sir
WUliam Temple, made a completely new organization ofhis
council. It was now to consist of thirty members, (instead
of fifty, as before,) one half to be fhe great officers of state,
the remainder the leading popular members in both houses,
so chosen that the annual income of the members of the
councU should amount to 300,000/., to balance that of the
commons, which was estimated at 400,000/. ; for it was then
a maxim in politics, that influence invariably follows prop
erty. It was expected that the hostUity of the popular
leaders would thus be mitigated, and with this view Charles
himself nominated Shaftesbury president ofthe councU,
The hopes ofthe king, however, were deceived ; fhe prot
estant spirit ofthe commons was not to be lulled, and Shaftes
bury continued to direct their movements. A resolution
minatory ofthe duke of York having been voted unanimous
ly by the commons, (Apr. 27,) Charles, in order to divert the
blow which he saw cpining, proposed such limitations on fhe
power of a popish successor as seemed to leave him without
the means of doing mischief But fhe commons took no notice
ofthe proposal, and the committee which they had appointed
fo search for evidence against the duke having made their
report, fhey proceeded (May 15) to bring in a bill for ex
cluding him from the throne, and notwithstanding the efforts
of the court party, the duke's friends, and fhe supporters of
hereditary right, it vvas passed (21st) by a majority of seventy-
nine. The passing of this vote secretly determined the king fo
gel rid of his house of commons without delay. There
were several pf their pther measures which shewed the spirit
which actuated them. In their animosity fo Danby, they had
voted, that if any member of their house should without
permission support the validity of his pardon, he should be
accounted a betrayer of fhe liberties of Englishmen ; and to
diminish the influence of the crown in the house of peers,
they maintained that the bishops had no right to sit and vote
VOL. II. 23

326 HISTORY or england.
in capital cases. Their arguments, however, were refuted,
and it was decided that in such cases the prelates have a
right to stay in court " fill fhe question of guilty or not
guilty were put" The commons had, moreover, appointed a
committee, of which fhe chief object was to discover the
pecuniary corruption of the late parliament. The king ac
cordingly, without advising with his council, prorogued fhe
parliament (27th) for ten weeks. This proceeding so dis
concerted Shaftesbury, that he openly vowed he would have
the heads of those who advised if.
One most meritorious act distinguishes this parliament,
and does credit to Shaftesbury, by whose influence it was
passed. Hitherto the operation of the writ of Habeas
Corpus had been so ineffective, that fhe boasted security
which it offered, mostly proved illusory. By fhe Habeas
Corpus act now passed, it v/as made imperative on fhe judges
to grant the writ when applied for; the practice of sending
persons fo a prison beyond sea was abolished, and if wjs
directed that every prisoner should be indicted in the first
term after his committal, and fried in fhe succeeding term.
During the recess, the public attention vvas occupied with
more trials on account of fhe Plot Five Jesuits, named
Whitebread, (the provincial of the order,) Fenwick, Gavan,
Turner, and Harcourt, were placed at the bar ; the witnesses
against them were Oates, Bedloe, Prance, and a man named
Dugdale, who had been steward to lord Aston, a catholic
nobleman. The evidence against fhe prisoners was of the
usual kind ; in their defence fhey impeached the veracity
of the witnesses ; they produced sixteen students from St
Omers to prove that Oates was there at fhe time ; he swore
he was at fhe meeting of the Jesuits in London. Against
these he produced six or seven persons who svyore that fhey
had seen him in London at that time. The court gave
credit to these last, and the prisoners were all found guilty.
The next day (14th) Langhorn, an eminent lawyer, and the
law-a.genf of the Jesuits, was put on his trial. When he ap
peared in court, fhe crowd set up a hooting af him ; his
witnesses were insulted and beaten, and when the jury
brought in their verdict of guUty, a shout of exultation was
set up.
The Jesuits were first executed, (20th ;) fhey died solemnly
asserting their innocence. Langhorn was respited for some
time, in the hopes that he might be induced fo make dis
coveries; but as he persisted in denying all knowledge ofthe
plot, he shared the fate of the other victims, (July 14.)

CHARLES II. 327
Sir George Wakeman, the queen's physician, and Corker,
Marshal, and Rumby, Benedictine monks, were next put on
their trial, (18th,) 'They had advantages, however, which
the others had wanted. Though it was generally believed
that fhe catholics held that it was lawful to lie for fhe good
of their cause, fhe solemn protestations of their innpcence
made by these whp were executed had produced a favorable
impression on the minds of many ; the cause of Wakeman,
moreover, was in reality that of the queen, of whose inno
cence few could have a doubt. The king's feelings on this
point were no secret, and Scroggs, now at length assuming
the character of an impartial judge, treated Oates and Bed
loe as they deserved. The jury acquitted the prisoners, and
fhe two baffled informers had the audacity to declare that
fhey would never more give evidence in a court where
Scroggs presided, and actually exhibited articles against
him to fhe council.
Seven or eight priests were executed in different parts of
England on the old laws for exercising their spiritual func
tions. Two of them are said to have been upwards bf eighty
years of age. As this had been connived at for so long a
time, they surely should have got notice and been allowed to
quit the kingdom. Buf the spirit of fanaticism (whether po
litical or religious) is wild, impetuous, and overwhelming;
no, mounds of justice or equity can withstand it until it has
spent its force. Perhaps wheii we consider how universal
and strong was the belief in the Plot, and how artful the
modes adopted by some profligate politicians fo exaggerate
its atrocity,* we shall find here, as in fhe civil war, grounds
for admiring the freedom from bloodthirst characteristic of
the English people.
We must now turn fo a people of a different character.
In Scotland, as we have more than once observed, every act
of injustice or atrocity assumes a deeper dye than in Eng
land. t The religious persecutions of the reign of Charles
exemplify this position.
when episcopacy was reestablished in Scotland, (1662,)
* Sir "W. Temple says, respecting the execution of the priests,
" Upon this point lord Halifax and I had so sharp a debate, that he
told me, ifl vvould not concur in points that were so necessary for the
people's satisfaction, he would tell every body I Vvas a papist, af
firming that the plot must be handled as if it w6re true, whether it
was so or no."
1 [It should be remarked that the author bf this work is not himself
an Englishman, but an Irishman. The above is not, therefore, the
language of national prejudice. — J. T. S.]

328 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
an act of indemnify containing nearly one thousand excep
tions was introduced, and Middleton and his friends looked
forward fo a copious harvest of confiscations. The speedy
disgrace of that profligate minister, however, averted the storm
for a season. The bishops meantime held their synods ; in
the north the clergy in general submitted, buf those of fhe
west resplved not to acknowledge their jurisdiction. They
proposed fo offer a kind of passive resistance ; but Middleton,
in one of his drunken orgies at Glasgow, made an act of
council for displacing all ministers who did not obtain in-
ductipn frpm the prelates. Not less than three hundred and
fifty ministers were in consequence ejected in the beginning
of the winter, and they and their famUies were turned out
of their hpuses, their stipends for the last year remaining un
paid. A set pf ignorant, vicious curates were brought up
from the north to supply fhe vacant churches. But the peo
ple would not attend to them; they crowded every Sunday to
the abode of their former pastor, and as that was generally too
small to contain fhem, the conventicles, as they were named,
began to be held in fhe open fields. To put an end to this
practice, the cpuncil prdered the ejected clergy net fo ap
proach within twenty miles of their former parishes, and
^ the people were forbidden under severe penalties to con
tribute fo their support.
If Middleton was bad, his successor Lauderdale was stUl
worse. The prelates now (1663) were dominant; severe
acts were passed against the ejected clergy and their ad
herents, and a miniature inquisition, named an ecclesiasti
cal commission, was appointed to enforce them. The jails
were filled ; nurabers went over fo Ulster ; fhe lay commis
sioners at length in disgust refused to act, and the odious
commission was suffered to expire. But a severer scourge
succeeded, (166.5.) A body of troops, commanded by sir
James Turner, a dissolute, ferocious Englishman, was sent
into the west, to punish the people for deserting their
churches. The curates were accusers, the soldiers judges ;
enormous fines were the penalties, which were exacted with
rigor, accompanied by every species of insolence and insult.
Numbers of the gentry as well as peasantry fled from their
habitations, and took shelter in the mountains and moors.
At length an incident, similar to what caused a secession in
ancient Rome, gave occasion to an insurrection. An in
digent old man, being unable to pay the fines imposed on
him, was bound and laid on fhe ground to be conveyed to
prison. The sight exasperated the peasantry ; they disarmed

CHARLES U. 329
the soldiers and released him, (Nov^. 13, 1666.) Despair now
made them resolve on resistance ; others joined them ; fhey
advanced fo Dumfries, (15th,) where they surprised and cap
tured Turner ; but on reading his insfructipUs, and finding
that, barbarPus as he was, he- had not acted up to them, they
gave him bis life. At Lanark, where their. numbers amount
ed fo two thousahd, they renewed the covenant. They then
a,dvanced toward Edinburgh, and came v^'ithin two miles of
that city ; but finding, preparations made fpr defence, and
that their friends within could not join fhem, as they had
expected, they set out on their', return home, their number
being novv reduced to eight or nine hundred. At the Pent-
land-hills fhey were overtaken by general Dalziel, (28th ;^)
they drew up on the summit of a hUl ; their ministers preach
ed ?nd prayed to, encourage them, and fhey sang th6 78th
Psalm, They repelled fhe first charge of the royal troops,
but at sunset they broke and fled ; the darkness befriended
them, and not more than one. hundred and thirty were taken ;
the slain did not exceed fifty. Cowar-dice is always cruel,
and the two archbishops, who had been in the utmost con
sternation, now breathed nothing but vengeance : twenty of
the captives were executed in Edinburgh as traitors ; thirty-,
five were hung at their own doors in the country. At length
an order came down from court to stop the slaughter.
Archbishpp Burnet, whp was the bearer pf this order, had
the barbarity fo keep it back till MacoaU, a young preacher,
had been executed, after undergoing with undaunted reso-
luliph the horrid torture of fhe boot. Maccail's last words
were, "Farewell, sun, moon, and stars; farewell, kindred
and friends; farewell, world and time; farewell, Weak and
frail body : welcome, eternity ; welcome, angels and saints;
welcome. Savior ofthe world ; and welcome, God, the judge
of all." ,
Dalziel and Drummond, two brutal soldiers who had long
been in the Muscovite service, were sent fo the west ; Dal-
ziel's threats to spit and roast men were justified by his deeds.
Some persons were put fo death on the highway without
trial, others were tortured by having lighted matches fast
ened fo their fingers ; a son was executed for refusing fo
discover his father ; a wife was tortured fill she died for aid
ing her husband fo escape. Rape, robbery, and murder
desolated fhe unhappy country for fhe space of seven months.
The clergy abetted all the excesses of the soldiery, vyhom
they caressed as their friends and patrons, and they spoke of
the present times as a golden age.
28* pp

330 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
A change in the Scottish ministry (1667) brought some
repose fo fhe country ; hut wifh the return of Lauderdale
to Scotland (1669) the persecution was renewed. The laws
, against conventicles acquired new vigor, and these in their
turn assumed a more formidable appearance,' as those who
attended carried arms for their defence, and frequent affrays
took place between them and fhe military. The Scottish
law having a civil, excommunication, similar to the Inter-
dictio aqua- et ignis of the Roman law, named " Letters of
Infercommuning," these were issued in great numbers against
those who were known to frequent conventicles or ahsent
themselves from church ; among whom were not only min
isters and gentlemen, but even ladies of distinction. These
and the other severities drove many to adopt a vagrant life,
and gradually to acquire the feelings and habits of outlaws.
Some years before, an attempt had been made on fhe life
of Sharp. The assassin had escaped ; but six years after,
Sharp, observing a man to eye him frequently, thought he
recognized the features of the person vvho had fired at him.
The man was arrested; he proved to be a fanatic preacher
named Mitchel. On the solemn promise of Sharp and the
council that his iife should be safe, he confessed fhe attempt
on the archbishop. It was proposed fo cut off his hand ; buf
having got a hint from a friendly or huraane judge not fo
confess in court unless his limbs were secured as Well as bis
life, he baffled the vengeance of the primate. A pretext,
however, was made for putting him fo the torture, and he
was then confined in the prison on f^e Bass-rock, where he
languished fOr four years. His trial was then renewed at
the instance of Sharp, who, wiflu Lauderdale, Rothes, and
Hatton, did not scruple fo declare on oath that no promise
of life had been made fo him. A copy of fhe act of council
was produced ; buf Lauderdale refused fo allow the books in
which it was registered (and where it still remains, a witness
of their baseness and perjury) to be examined, and the court
condemned the prisoner. Lauderdale would have respited
him, but fhe primate was inexorable. " Nay, then," said
Lauderdale scoffingly, " lef him glorify God in the Grass-mar
ket ; " and the prisoner was executed.
The great object ofthe king was fo obtain a standing army,
as the only sure step to arbitrary power. Lauderdale had,
in compliance with this desire, raised an army in Scotland ;
but it was necessary to have a pretext for keeping it up, and
there ,is strong reason to suspect that it was concerted at
court to drive the Scottish fanatics into insurrection with

CH.iRLES II. 331
this view. Accordiugly the landlord,3' in the west were
required to enter into bonds for the good conduct of all per
sons on their lands with respect to conventicles, .etc., and
on their refusal, Lauderdale declared the western counties
in a state of revolt Troops were therefore marched on all
sides toward fhem, and by the express orders of the king a
body of six thousand ferocioiis Highlanders were invited
from their mountains, and in the middle of winter (1678) let
loose on the unhappy counties to exercise all the atrocities
of free quarters. Their ravages lasted for a space of three
months, but failed to goad the people into rebellion.
. At length the desired occasion was presented. One of
the commissioners for suppressing conventicles, named, Car
michael, had exercised great severities in Fife. Nine of
those who had suffered lay in vvait for him one day (May 3,
1679) on Magus-moor, near Sf. Andrew's, intending to fall
on him whUe out hunting. Buf he had gotten information
and retired to Cupar. When they/ were about to separate,
a coach and six came in sight, and a boy cried out, " There
goes the bishop!" The fanatics saw the hand of God in this
event, and believing that Heaven had thus delivered the arch-
persecutor into their hands, they mounted their horses, and
led by John Balfour, a violent enthusiast, they crossed the
moor and came up with the carriage, in which were only
Sharp and his daughter. They fired info it, and as their
shots did not take effect, tbey dragged their victim out ;
to his offers, remonstrances, and entreaties, they replied that
they bore him no personal malice, but were only obeying
the command., of God. With their s.words they barbarously
slew him, and left his body on the road. They then retired
to a neighboring cottage, where they passed several hours
in prayer.
Sharp may be called the Laud of Scotland. Like him,
he was regular in his conduct in private life, a tyrant and
a persecutor in public. But Sharp was an apostafe and a
traitor to those who had- trusted him, and he seems fo have
had little religion of any kind. No one, we should hope,
who has read the preceding History, will suspect us of
being the apologists of crime; buf we cannot avoid dis
cerning the justice of Heaven, which permits even fhe
irregular punishment, of offenders who are not amenable fo
earthly tribunals.
Rewards were offered for the murderers, and conventicles
were declared fo be treasonous. The assassins were now
in the west, vvhere, in conjunction with one HamUton, a

332 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
preacher, they urged fhe people to resistance. On Friday
the 29th of May, a party entered the burgh of Rutherglen
and publicly burnt the acts restoring episcopacy. On the
following Sunday, Graham of Claverhouse, with three troops
of horse, attacked their conventicle at Drumclog by Lou-
don-hill, but was repulsed wifh fhe loss of thirty of his men.
The troops abandoned Glasgow fo the covenanters, whose
numbers gradually swelled; buf the time which should be
devoted to action was employed in religious controversy, and
those whose only hopes lay iri union were split info parties.
When the nevVs reached London, the duke of Monriiouth
was sent down as commander-in-chief His first instructions
were, to treat or to fight ; but Lauderdale induced the king
secretly to alter them, and fo direct hira not to treat, but to
attack the rebels wherever fhey vvere found. Monmouth
advanced from Edinburgh af fhe head of ten thousand men ;
he found (June 21) the whigs, fo the nuniber of four br five
thousand, posted' at Bothwell-bridge, near HamUton, on the
Clyde. They sent fo treat,^ but were required - to surren
der at discretion. The bridge was defended for some time
against the duke ; but when his troops had crossed it, the
insurgents broke and fled at the first discharge of cannon:
four hundred vvere slain ; twelve hundred surrendered; their
lives were saved by the humanity of Monmouth, whose gen
tle and clement conduct in this expedition won the applaiise
of even the fanatics themselves. On his return to court he
became their advocate ; but the influence of Lauderdale
finally prevaUed ; the sanguinary and rapacious Claverhouse
was let loose on the devoted country, and the court of jus^
ticiary almpst ruined the gentry by unjust and enprmpus
fines. Soon after the return pf Mpnmputh, the king, with fhe
advice pf Essex and Halifax, dissplved the parliament, (July
16.) The foUowing month he was attacked by a fever at
Windsor, and by the advice of the same ministers and some
other members of fhe ccuncil, he recalled the duke frpm
Brussels, (Aug. 23.) James came witheut delay, travelling
under a feigned name. The king was cpnvalescent when
he arrived, and it was sppn after deemed advisable that bpth
James and Monmouth should quit the kingdpm. They
Went tp the Xow Countries; but soon after, the duke of
York returned, and got permission fo reside in Scotland,
whither he repaired without delay.
When fhe new parliament met, (Oct 17,) it presented the
same composition as the preceding one, and Shaftesbury,

CHARLES II. 333
-whom the king- had just deprived of his office in the council,
looked forward to vengeance on the court by means of it.
But fo his dismay; the king prorogued it the very day it met;
and successive prorogations prevented its reassembling for a
twelvemQnfh. Charles, before he ventured on this step, had
agreed with Louis for a pension of a million of livres a year
for three years, and thus thought himself in,dependent. But
the treaty had not been signed, and Louis now wanted to
add some more conditions. These Charles rejected, and he
had now no alternative buffo follow the advice ofhis brother
and economize his income ; and this he tried, to do rather
than meet his parliament.
Shaftesbury now tried various expedients to rouse the pop
ular feeling. The old ceremony of burning the pope was
performed in London (Nov. 17) with, more than usual pomp
and expense. Immediately after, Monmouth returned with
out permission ; and though fhe king ordered him to depart,
and deprived him of all his employments, he remained in
defiance of him, and went on in his endeavors fo gain tbe
popular favpr, A pamphlet called ' An Appeal frpm the Cpun
try fp fhe City, etc.,' was alsp put fprth, in which the claims pf
Mpnmputh vvere warmly advpcated, and great stress was laid
pn the maxim that f fhe worst title makes the best king."
But the grand expedient was, fo pour in petitions from all
parts fo fhe king to allow the parliament fo sit at the end of
the first prorogation. To stem this torrent, when it began
to appear formidable, ' the king put forth a proclamation
(Dec. 12) threatening with punishment all who should sub
scribe them in any manner contrary to the law of the land.
The immediate effect was extraordinary ; the dormant loyalty
of the nation was awakened, and from all sides counter-ad
dresses poured in, expressing the deepest respect for the royal
prerogative, and abhorrence ofthe practices of those who
sought to limit it. The two opposite parties wete at first
named ' Petitioners' and ' Abhorrers; ' but these soon gave
place to fhe titles of Whigs and Tories, which have con
tinued to designate tbe two rival parties in fhe state down to
the present day. Tbe popular party were called by their
opponents Whigs, as being akin in their sentiments to the
Sopttish fanatics whp were thus named ; they retaliated by
styling fhem Teries, as resembling the pppish rpbbers pf this
name in Ireland.
"fhe king was npwembpldened tP recall the duke pf Yprk
fp cpurf, (Jan. 28, 1680.) Russell, Cavendish, Capel, and
Ppwle forthwith tendered their resignation as members of

334 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
the councU, which the king said he accepted " with al} his
heart," speaking no doubt most sincerely. The duke's in
fluence immediately appeared. There had long been great
talk of a blacle box, containing the king's marriage contract
with Monmouth's mother, said fo have been left by the late
bishop of Durham in charge of his son-in-law sir Gilbert
Gerard, and that many persons had seen and read the con
tract. AU these persons were now examined before fhe
privy-council, and they disclaimed aU knowledge of the
box or the contract. Two royal declarations were then pub
lished, in which the king solemnly affirmed that he had never
been contracted or married to any one but fhe queen.
Shaftesbury's next measure was a bold one. Accompanied
by fhe earl of Huntingdon, the lords Russell, Cavendish,
and others, among vyhom was Titus Oates, he went (June
26) to Westminster-hall and presented the duke of York to
fhe grand jury for recusancy. He was defeated by a strata
gem of the chief-justice, who suddenly dismissed fhe jury :
but his principal object was attained ; he convinced his party
that he was resolved fo seek no compromise with the duke.
While these various political intrigues were going on, fhe
lives of persons continued fo be endangered ; and af this
time lord Castlemain and the countess of Powis, wife of one
of the catholic lords in the Tower, wfere accused by a man
named Dangerfleld, and sir Thomas Gascoygne and others
of the catholic gentry of Yorkshire by one Bolton.
Dangerfleld, a man of infamous character, like most of
the informers, had been in the last summer the author of
what was called the Meal-tub Plot. This fellow, having
become acquainted with one Mrs. Cellier, a catholic, who
follpwed the prpfeSsien pf a midwife, cpuceived the idea of
fabricating a plot of fhe presbyterians against fhe govern
ment. Mrs. Cellier, through lady Powis, introduced him to
lord Peterborough, who brought him to the duke pf Yprk.
That prince gave him twenty guineas, and he had forty from
the king, with whom also he had an interview. At his in
stigation fhe revenue officers were sent to search for smug
gled lace in fhe lodgings of colonel Mansel, who, he said,
was IP be quarter-master pf the presbyterian army, and
behind his bed fhey found a parcel of treasonable papers.
As these were manifest forgeries, Dangerfield was committed
to Newgate, and there he said that he had been bribed by
the papists to forge the plot, and fo assassinate the king and
lord Shaftesbury. He asserted that documents corroboratory
of his confession would be found hid in a meaUtuh in Mrs.

CHARLES II. 335
Cellier's house ; and there they certainly were found. The
juries, however, both on her trial and on that of lord Castle
main, refused to give credit to Dangerfield. The whole
affair is, as usual, involved in mystery; the catholics may
have endeavored to get up a counter-plot; the Monmouth
party may have sought by means of a sham-plot fo cast odium
on the duke of York. All parties at this time, in their
anxiety about ends, were but too indifferent as to mearis.
The party opposed to fhe duke of York was now greatly
increased in strength. Two of the ministers, Godolphin
and Sunderland, had joined it; and the duchess of Ports
mouth, menaced with impeachment, had, through lord
Howard of Eserick, enterfed into the league, on condition
of all proceedings being dropped. She was employed to offer
the king, over whom she had great influence, a large sum
of mpney and the power of naming his successor. ,
When the time for fhe meeting of parliament drew nigh,
fhe opponents of the duke of York labored fo impress on
fhe king's mind the necessity of' his return to Scotland.
To this the duke was very adverse, as he knew that his
presence encouraged his friends and kept his brother steady.
He was, however. Obliged to yield, and he departed, (Oct.
20,) the king having promised not to give up any ofthe
rights of the crown, and to dissolve the parliament if it
should attempt fa impeach him. James, however, did not
trust alone to the royal resolution ; sooner than forego his
right to the succession, he vyas prepared to rekindle the
flames of civil war, and at the head of his partisans in the
three kingdoms to bid the king defiance.'* Louis, constant
to his plan of weakening England, directed Barillon to en
courage him by offers of assistance.
The day after fhe duke's departure, (21st,) the parliament
met. No time was lost in proceeding fo fhe grand question,
the exclusion ofthe duke. Dangerfield appeared before them,
(26fh,) and his account ofthe duke's knowledge of his forg
ing the plot and encouraging him to kill the king, found real or
affected belief Lord Russell then moved a resolution " to
take into consideration how to suppress popery and to pre
vent a popish successor." The resolution was unanimously
adopted. On fhe succeeding days, the deposition of Bedloe
on his death-bed was read, and Dugdale, Prance, and another
witness were heard, and the house voted (Nov. 2) that a bUl
' " II est persuade que I'autoritfe royale ne se peut retablir en Angle-
terre que par une guerre civile." Barillon, Aug. 19, 1680.

336 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
should be introduced to disable fhe duke of York from suo
ceedihg to fhe crown.
Besides the thiok-and-thin suppprfers of fhe cpurt and
country parties, there was in the house a third party, more
respectable perhaps than either, named fhe ' Party volant,'
i. e. the independent members whose vyeight could incline
the beam to either, side. These united now with, the whigs,
and tp intimidate the ceurt party, the same tactics were
reserted tP as in the beginning pf the parliament pf 1640.
They caused petitipns against their returns to be presented ;
and having voted that it is the undoubted right of fhe sub
jects to petition the king fo call a parliament, as if it fol
lowed by natural consequence that they have no right to
petition for the reverse, they forthwith fell on the Abhor
rers. They expelled sir George Withers, and appointed a
committee to inquire what other members had been guilty
of a like offence. They frightened fhe recorder, sir George
Jeffreys, into a resignation Of his office, which, they pro
cured for sir Geo,rge Treby. Their officers vvere sent all
through England to take Abhorrers into' custody. The
nation seemed to be once more menaced with the yoke of
an arbitrary parliament; but Mr. Stawell, a gentleman of
Exeter, "having refused to submit to fhe sergeant-at-arms,
they discovered that they were exceeding their powers, and
fhey quietly receded from their pretensions.
The bUI of exclusion was introduced on fhe 4th. If was
supported by lord Russell and the other popular leaders ;
it vvas opposed by sir Leoline Jenkins, Laurence Hyde,
Seymour, Temple, and others. The king sent a message
intimating- that he would not consent to alter the succes-
.¦^ion ; but no notice was taken of Lt, and fhe bUl p.issed
(I5th) by a large majority. It was carried to the lords
(J9th) by lord Russell. When he read out the title, those
behind hira gave a loud cheer. If was supported in the
lords by Shaftesbury and Essex, and opposed by Halifax.
The king canvassed for his brother ; fhe bishops were true
fo fhe cause of the prerogative, and the bill was rejected
by a majority, 63 fo 30.* Shaftesbury then proposed, " as
fhe only remaining chance for liberty and religion," a bUI
of divorpe. But to this Charles was as adverse as ever; he
canvassed against it also, and it was not proceeded with.
* Monmouth very indecorously voted openly for the bill, saying he
knew no other way to preserve the life of the king from the malice of
the duke of York. The king, in a loud whisper, likened this to the
kiss of Judas.

CHARLES II. 337
The commons, to gratify their spleen, addressed the king
to remove Halifax from his presence and councils ; he re
plied, that he did not think they had given sufficient reasons
for the adoption of that measure. They also impeached
Seymour for malversation in his pffice of treasurer of fhe
navy — his real Offence was his vigorous opposition to the
Exclusion-bill. Their next proceeding was of a more ma
lignant character; fhey revived the impeachment against
the venerable lord Stafford, one of the popish lords in fhe
Tower. The trial took place (Nov. 30) in "VVesfminster-hall, which
vyas fitted up for the occasion in fhe usual manner. The
chancellor. Finch, earl of Nottingham, acted as lord high-
steward ; Maynard, Winuington, Treby, and other lawyers
were the managers on the part of the commons. Oates,
Dugdale, and a new witness named Turberville were the
principal witnesses against the a,ccused. The trial lasted
five days.
The managers commenced by endeavoring to establish
the truth of the plot in general, and then fo show that the
prisoner was concerned in if. Oates swore that he saw
Ireland deliver him a commission to be paymaster-general
of the catholic army ; Dugdale, that lord Stafford had of
fered him 560/.* to kill fhe king; TurbervUle, that he had
made a similar offer to himself at Paris. Lord Stafford,
though a man of very moderate abilities, aided by the power
of truth, made an ahle defence, and showed that the testi
mony of the witnesses abounded in contradictions, and was
not to be credited. On fhe last day, (Dec. 4,) the managers
replied; and three days after, (7th,) the lords reassembled
fo give sentence, and out of eighty-six peers, fifty-five pro
nounced him guilty. When brought in and informed of the
result, he said, "God's holy name be praised I I confess I
am surprised at if ; but God's holy will be done and your
lordships' ; I will not murmur at it." He requested to have
liberty fo see his wife, chUdreri, and friends during the short
time he had fo live. His request was granted, and it was
added that they would intercede with his majesty to remit
all fhe sentence except the beheading. He burst; '"^o tears.
" My lords," said he, " it is not your justice,, buf your kind
ness, that makes me weep."
In the Tower he was visited, af his own desire, by the
bishop of London and Dr. Burnet. He lisffened fo their
arguments on religious topics attentively, but said he had
no time now for controversy, and they had the good sense
VOL. II. 29 Q Q

338 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
not to urge him. He denied aU knowledge of any design
against the life of the king ; but he said he cpuld discpyer
many Pther things for which the duke would neVer forgive
him. At his desire Burnet spoke to lord Essex, lord Russell,
and sir WUliam Jones, and they said that if he told what he
knew ef fhe designs pf the papists, and " more particularly
concerning the duke," they would endeavor fp have him
excused frpm cpnfessing what related tP himself He said
tp Burnet, " What if I shpuld name seme whp have now
great credit, but had once engaged fo serve their designs?''
The other advised him to speak the whole truth.
Lord Stafford was immediately brought to fhe bar of the
house of lords, (18th.) He related the various projects of
the catholics for the security and advancement of their re
ligion. As they conceived this could only be done by means
of a toleration, he said that their last plan had been a coali
tion with the country party, which was approved of both by
the duke and lord Shaftesbury. But when he named the
last, he was ordered to withdraw; the house would hear him
no more. He was remanded to fhe Tower, flnd that very
day the order for his execution was issued to the sheriffs.
These were Bethel and Cornish, two Independents, and
creatures of Shaftesbury. They questioned, it is not known
why, the validity of the writ, as it was fhe house of lords,
not fhe king, that had sentenced him. The lords, when
applied to, (21sf,) said " the king's writ ought to be obeyed ; "
but not satisfied with this, fhe sheriffs caused fhe commons
to be asked whether the king or even the lords can order the
execution ; and whether the king can remit a part, or if a
part, why not the whole, of the sentence. The commons
got over the difficulty by saying, that " the house was con
tent that the sheriffs should execute William, late viscount
Stafford, by severing his head from his body only." We
fear, fo fhe disgrace of our nature, that the mitigation ofthe
sentence at the request of the peers; was fhe motive of these
political and teligicus fanatics fpr quesfipuing the undpubted
right pf the crpwn.*
Lord Stafford was beheaded (29th) on Tower-hill. When
* Echard says, that lord Russell was " one of those who, with the
eheriifs, questioned the king's power in allowing that lord to be only-
beheaded ; " and that, on a similar melancholy occasion, Charles said,
" My lord Russell will novv see that I have a power to change his sen
tence." Fox expresses no doubt of the truth of this charge against
lord Russell, which he ascribes to "his fear of the king's establishing
a precedent of pardoning in cases of impeachment."

CHARLES II. 339
he first appeared; a few groans and yeUs were raised; but
the general conduct of the spectators was respectful, and
most of them took oflf their hats. He spoke at some length
in vindication of his innocence, and the generous populace
cried out, " We believe you, my lord. God bless you, my
lord ! " He laid down his head, and one stroke terminated
his existence.
Of lord'Staffprd's innocence- there cannpt, we think, be
even the shade pf a dpubt pn any impartial mind. But fhe
whig party are perhaps unjustly loaded with the odium of
his death ; for its true cause seems to have been the preva
lent delusion which darkened even the clearest understand
ings. The whigs were a minority in the house of lords,
which condemned him. The chancellor, aud the duke of
Lauderdale, and other ministers of the crown voted him
guilty, whUe Hollis and Halifax voted in his favor. Four
of his own kinsmen, the Howards, voted against him ; but
another of fhem, lord Arundel, though at enmity wifh him,
voted in fhe minority. As for the king, he showed the ut
most indifference. The duke of York did perhaps all he
could for the unfortunate nobleman.

CHAPTER XVI.
CHARLES II. (CONTINDED.)
1681—1685.

The proceedings of the commons in fhe present session
strongly reminded men of the days of 1641. Thus fhey re
fused the king supplies unless he would assent to fhe exclu
sion-bill ; fhey impeached four of the judges ; they resolved
that several persons, whom fhey named, ought to be removed
from public employments; and that any member of their
house vvho should accept a place, or fhe promise of one,
should be expelled, etc. The king and his ministers be
came alarmed; a resolution was taken to prorogue the
parliament, and if vvas finally dissolved, (Jan. 18, 1681,) and
another summoned to meet two months thence af Oxford.
Oxford was selected from a recollection of fhe aid which
the commons had derived from the city of London in 1641.

340 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
A petition, signed by sixteeh-peers, against fhe holding of
parliament in that city, was presented by lord Essex, but
without effect The king, fo insure his independence of
the commons, entered into a new treaty with Louis for a
pension for a term of three years. To this he had been
strongly urged by the duke of York, who on his part was
making every preparation for an appeal to arms.
When the day for the meeting of pariiament drew nigh,
the king set out for Oxford, guarded by a troop of horse.
Most of the members who repaired fliifher were armed,
both themselves and their servants. Those of the city of
London were followed by a train on horseback, wifh blue
ribbons round their hats, inscribed, with " No popery ! no
slavery!" The members returned to this pariianient were
in general those Who had sat in the last
The king, being now in no dread of want of money, ad
dressed the two houses (Mar. 21) in a tone of authority.
He spoke in severe terms of fhe conduct of fhe late parlia
ment, and declared that, as he would never act arbitrarily
himself, he would not suffer others to do so^ he expressed
hiis rooted dislike to fhe exclusion-bill, but added, that he
would be " ready fo hearken fo any expedient by which
the religion might be preserved, and fhe monarchy not
destroyed," in case of a popish successor. One of the first
measures of flie commons, hoXvever, was to bring in again
the exclusion-bill, but the debate on it was deferred for a
few days, and meantime another matter occurred to occupy
their attention.
There was an Irish catholic, named Fitzharris, vvho by
means ofhis cousin, a Mrs. Wall, who was in the service of
the duchess of Portsmouth, had become connected with fhe
court. He cevoted himself to the discovery of fhe designs
of fhe country party, and his services were at one time re
warded by fhe king with a present of 250/. Probably with
a view to a similar reward, Fitzharris resolved, in conjunc
tion with one Everard, a Scotsman, to write a libel on the
king and the duke of York. When it was written, Fitzhar
ris hastened with a copy to his patroness, perhaps intending
fo denounce his coadjutor as fhe author ; but the Scot had
been too wily for him, having concealed sir William WaUer,
a magistrate, and two others, behind the hangings in fhe
room where they were composing it. Fitzharris was there
fore committed fo Newgate ; and now, seeing himself in real
danger, be pretended that he could make important discov
eries ofthe designs ofthe duke of York. The king,, observ-

CHARLES II. , 341
ing that the exclusipnists were preparing to make use of
him, had him removed to the Tower, and directed the attor
ney-general fo indipt hipn for treason. The commons, how
ever, believing, or pretending, that, this w'a§ a continuation
of the popish plot, and that the object of the crown was to
deprive fhem of the benefit of Fitzharris^'s revelations, de
termined on impeaching hira befpre the lords. The peers,
when the impeachment was brought up, decided not to
entertain it ; and the commons, in a fury, voted their so
doing to be a denial of justice and a violation of the con
stitution. That very day (26th) the debate on the exclusion-bill
came on, and one of the ministers proposed the ' expedient,'
at which the king had hinted. This was, that the duke
should only have fhe title of king, and be banished to a
distance of five hundred miles from England, while the prin
cess of Orange should administer fhe government as regent.
After a long debate, the expedient was rejected, and it was
resolved to proceed with the exclusionrbUI. Two days after,
(28lh,) as fhey were engaged in the second reading, they
were suddenly summoned to the house of lords. They found
the king seated on the throne, and, after a brief address, he
ordered fhe chancellor to dissolve the parliament. He then
got into his carriage and hurried away to Windsor, leaving
the opponents ofthe court filled with rage and dismay.
By this well-timed act of resolution and dexterity Charles
completely pverthrew the cpuntry party. Their conduct now
appeared to most men fo have been purely factious, and
calculated to convert fhe monarchy into a republic. LOyal
addresses poured in from all quarters; the pulpits every
vvhere resounded with declamations in favor ofthe duke, and
against the non-conformists. The declaration which the
king put forth, stating the causes which induced him to dis
solve the two last parliaments, was, on fhe proposal of the
primate, read out in all the churches.
The first proof which the court gave of its power was an
order to the attorney-general to proceed with the trial of
Fitzharris. He was found guilty, and executed af Tyburn,
(July 1.) It vvould appear tbat he was dealt with by agents
ofthe court to declare with his dying breath that he had
been suborned by fhe recorder and sheriffs to make the dep
ositions which he had made.
Fitzharris was a profligate scoundrel, and deserved his
fate; hat on fhe same day with him suffered a man of blame
less and innocent life, sacrificed at the altar of the king's
29*

342 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
pretended zeal for protestantism. This was Oliver Plunket,
titular prelate of Armagh in Ireland, accused of a share in
what was called the Irish plpt fpr setting up pppery in that
cpuntry by means pf'a French army. The witnesses against
him were mpstly priests whpm he had censured fpr their
lewdness and profligacy. Though five weeks were given
him to bring over his witnesses, various circumstances con
curred tp delay them, and he had nothing to oppose to the
evidence against hirh but his simple assertion. With his
last breath he solemnly declared his innocence, and no one,
we believe, has ever doubted of it. We cannot conceive
anything more appaUing than the conduct of the king in
signing fhe warrant for fhe death of this upright prelate, with
no other view than the retention of his present popularity,
for he had now no Shaftesbury and his party to fear : he had
completely stricken down his foes.
The very next day (2d) Shaftesbury was committed to the
Tower. The witnesses against him were some of the scoun
drels whom he had himself encouraged in the affair of the
Irish plot. The court party lent all fhe aid in their power
to crush this formidable intriguer, arid fhe witnesses swore
most manfully ; but the grand jury ignored the bUl. The
hall rang' with shouts of applause, and bonflres and the
ringing of bells succeeded, (Nov. 24.) It is true, that fhe
sheriff's, who were of fhe country party, had been careful in
selecting the jury, but it is equally true that the evidence
was utterly incredible.
The greater part of the gang of informers had now veered
round to the court. On fhe trial of one College, Turberville
and Dugdale were arrayed against Oates and others of fhe
crew. College, named fhe ' Protestant Joiner,' from his
zeal and his trade, was charged with having gone armed to
Oxford, in conjunction wifh others, with the design of seiz
ing the person of fhe king. The London grand jury ignored
fhe bill ; but that of Oxfordshire having found a true bill
against him, he was taken to Oxford, tried, condemned, and
executed, (Aug. 31.') If is almost needless fo add that he
vvas innocent.
The prince of Orange came over this summer and visited
the king at Windsor, (July 24.) His objects were to induce
his uncle to succor Holland and Flanders, and for that pur
pose fo summon a parliament. He strongly, it is said, ex
pressed his dislike of restrictions on the rights ofthe crown,
but, vvith the king's permission, he undertook to confer on
the subject with the popular leaders. What was the result

CHARLES tl. 343
ofthe cpnferences is not known. The prince was, as usual,
invited to dine with the city ; but the king, on being informed
of it, summoned him down fo Windsor, so that he was una
ble to take advantage of the invitation. After a short stay
in England he returned to the Hague,, (Aug. 5.) ^,
During the last year there had been, ah outbreak of reli
gious fanaticism in Scotland, which gave occasion tp the
exercise pf the usual barbarities pn the part pf the gpvern
ment, Cargill and Cameren, two of the ministers who had
escaped to the continent after fhe affair of Bothwell-bridge,
having returned, collected some pf their fpUpwers, whp, from
fhe latter, have been named Cameronians. At Sanquhar
(June 22) Cameron read, and then affixed to the market-
cross, a declaration stating that Charles Stuart had, by his
perjury and tyranny, forfeited all claim to their allegiance.
About a month after, (July 20,) they and sixty or seventy of
their foUowers were surprised by three troops of dragoons at
Aiadsmoss, in Kyle. Cameron and his brother fell brave
ly fighting back fo back ; seven more were slain, and six
teen made prisoners, all of whom, of course, were executed,
Cargill, who had escaped, soon after, at a conventicle in the
Torwood, solemnly excommunicated their principal perse
cutors by name, the king himself included. The persecution
was redoubled, and both men and women were executed.
Tyranny was met by enthusiasm ; and when fhe duke of
York, on his return, offered their lives to the Cameronians,
if on the scaffold fhey would cry, "God bless the king! "
the very women refused fo lose fhe crown of martyrdom by
compliance. After the dissolution of fhe Oxford parliament, James
obtained permission from his brother to hold one in Scot
land. Its first act was to confirm all the laws in favor of the
protestant religion, and against popery ; if next passed one
asserting the unalterable right of succession to the crown,
A test, to be taken by all , persons, was then framed ; the
confession of faith of the first reformers was adopted as tho
definition of fhe protestant religion. " A long, inconsistent
oath," says Laing, " was prescribed, to adhere, according fo
this obsolete confession, to the protestant faith, yet, by the
recognition of supremacy, to conform to whatever religion

* The prince told Burnet that the king said to him, "he was confi
dent, whenever the duke should come to reign, he would be so rest
less and violent that he could not hold it four yedrs to an end." Bur
net, ii. 413, where see the note.

344 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
the king might appoint ; fo preserve the former presbyterian
discipline, yet to attempt no alteration in the present episco
pal form ofthe church ; to abjure the doctrines and renounce
the right of resistance, buf at fhe same time, as a religious
duty, incumbent by the confession on good subjects, to re
press the tyranny -and resist the oppression of kings," ¦
No ccnscientiPuS man of any party could take this oath
ih its literal sense. By dint, hpwever, pf explanations, the
episcopal clergy, with the exception of eighty honest men,
who valued their souls more than tl>eir livings, were induced
te take this , presbyterian engagement. The presbyterians
mostly declined if, and the duke of Hamilton resigned his
office rather than take it. The earl of Argyle subscribed it,,
with an explanation that he did not consider himself pre
cluded from attempting any alteration " which he thought of
advantage to the church or state, and not repugnant to the
proresfant religion and his loyalty." This was accepted at
fhe time; but he was called on fo qualify a second time, and
his explanation vvas then refused, and he was committed to
the castle, (Nov. 9.) A charge was made against him of
treason, perjury, and leasing-making ; and, with the bare
faced iniquity characteristic of fhe Scottish state-trials in
that century, a jury, of which the rnarquis of Montrose was
foreman, pronounced him guilty of treason and leasing-
making, (Dec, 12.) The king sent directing that judgment
should follpw, buf execution be stayed. Argyle, however,
saw reason to think that the duke and his party were resolved
Pn his death, and he cpntrived tP effect his escape, disguised
as a page, in fhe train Of his daughter-in-law, lady Sephia
Lindsay. He made his way to London, vvhere he remained
concealed for some time, and then got pver fe Hplland.
Some members of the council had fhe fiendish barbarity to
propose that lady Sophia Lindsay should be publicly whipped
through the streets of Edinburgh! The duke, who had
some of the feelings of a gentleman, replied that " they were
not used to deal so cruelly wifh ladies in his country."
Laing truly observes, that " there was nothing similar fo
the corruption of the peers and jurors of Argyle, except the
venal evidence allotted in England to tlie vilest of mankind."
The objects really sought were the ruin of the head of the
presbyterian party, and fhe division of his spoils among the
duke's friends. The pretext employed was, the necessity of
wresting from him his hereditary jurisdictions, but these he had
already offered fo surrender. They were now, together with
those of Monmouth and Hamilton, who would not take the

CHARLES II. 345
test, parcded out among the creatures of the court. Ar-
gyle's estates were given to his eldest son.
An aftair of no slight importance in the royal mind, the
settling a pension on the duchess of Portsmouth, caused
the duke of York to be irivited to Newmarket early in the
following year, (16Si) "When that necessary matter was
arranged, and he had obtained permission to reside in Eng
land, h6 returned to Scotland to settle the administration in
that country. But the Gloucester frigate, which carried him,
struck On the Lemon-and-ore bank, (May 6,) and was lost,
with about fwo hundred persons. The duke, with some of
his friends, escaped in the barge, and fhe generous sailors,
though certain of their own death, gave a loud cheer when
they saw him in safety.* He brought his famUy up to Lon
don, and resumed his residence at St. James's, (25th.)
In the plan of despotism which was now matured, there
were fwo important points to be attained ; the one was to be
able always to have juries who, heedless of the evidence,
would find a verdict for the crown ; the other, in case it
should be necessary to return to the use of parliaments, to
possess the power of nominating a majority of the members.
These were both fo be compassed by obtaining the appoint
ment of the officers of the corporations. It was resolved to
begin vvith the city of London, whose zeal for liberty has
alvvays been conspicuous.
It had been the custom for the lord mayor to designate
one ofthe sheriffs for the ensuing year by drinking fo him at
the Bridge-house feast, and this choice was always confirmed
by the livery. This, however, vvas only a courtesy on their
part, for by the charter the right lay in fhe citizens af large.
The practice of this courte.oy had for some years ceased, and
since 1641, both fhe sheriffs had been chosen by the com
mon-hall. Now, however, at the king's desire, it was re
newed, and sir John Moore, fhe mayor, drank and sent the
cup fo Dudley North, brother fo fhe chief-justice. On the
day of election, the whig party proposed two citizens, named
Papillon and Dubois, and demanded a poll. The lord mayor,
insisting on his right to name one, refused, and adjourned
the court ; but fhe sheriffs most irregularly continued it, and
commenced a poll, for which they were sent next day to the
Tower. The contest was continued for some months, each

* James gave money to their widows and children. It was said, but
with more malice than truth, that his chief care had been to save his
dogs and priests. RR

346 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
party maintaining its claim. Though the popular candidates
had iraraense majorities at fhe polls, the court non;iinees.
North and Rich, were finaUy sworn in ; and at the next
election for lord mayor, the court succeeded in having one
of its party placed in office, so that it now had both mayor
and sheriffs, and consequently juries, af its devotion. As a
proof of its power and its vengeful spirit, Pilkington, one of
the late sheriffs, being charged with saying, when he heard
that fhe duke was returning, " He has already burnt the city,
he is now coming to cut all our throats," was sentenced to
pay 100,000/. damages. Sir Patience Ward, a fprmer lord
mayor, for having sworn that he did not hear Pilkington use
those words, vvas sentenced to the pillory for perjury.
But a more deadly blow was soon after aimed at the city.
A writ of inquiry, or Quo warranto, was issued against it
as having forfeited its charter by illegally imposing a toll,
and by making scandalous reflections on the king in fhe
petition aoainst the prorogation in 1679. The case was ar^
gued in the court of king's-bench. The advocates for the city
showed, that a corporation never had been, and could not
be, subject to forfeiture; that the acts with which the city
was charged vvere both legal, but that, at all events, the per
sons who did them should be punished, and not fhe inno
cent corporation. But the judges were the mere tools of fhe
crown, and judgment was given (June 12,) "that the fran
chise and liberty of the city of London should be taken and
seized info the king's hands." On a petition of the common
council, the king consented to leave them their revenues and
form of government, provided they gave him a veto on the
apppintment pf their maypr, sheriffs, and pther principal
officers. The city now vvas bridled in perpetuity, and what
had succeeded in London was tried all over the kingdom ;
Quo warrantos were issued in abundance, and as there were
few corporafipns which had npf been guilty pf some irregu
larities, most sought to make terms by voluntary surrenders
of their charters. They obtained new ones, making them
more oligarchic and more under fhe ppwer pf the court.
This course of laying the foundation of despotism went on
through the remainder of this and a great part of the suc
ceeding reign.
The court had sopn an opportunity of proving fhe effects
of the influence it had acquired, for another conspiracy was
at this time brought to light
Ever since the dissolution of the last parliament, the
leaders ofthe popular party h-ad been in the habit of holding

CHARLES II. 347
consultations as to the best modes of resisting the govern
ment, in case, as seemed almost certain, it should aim at
despotic authority. In contemplation of the necessity of an
ultimate appeal to force, they had arranged the project of a
simultaneous rising in London and in various parts of the
kingdom ; but this was little more than hypothetical, for lord
Essex and lord Russell were men of too much prudence and
virtue to have recourse to insurrection without a stringent
necessity, and a chance nearly amounting to certainty. 'Phe
impetuous Shaftesbury, maddened by disappointment, and
fearful of the vengeance of the court, was urgent for imme
diate action ; his party was, as he thought, strong in the city,
where he boasted that he had ten thousand ' brisk boys,' as
he called them, ready to fly fo arms on the motion of his
finger. He had of course several subordinate agents, fhe
principal of whom were colonel Rumsey, a man who had
served in the republican army, and afterwards in Portugal ;
Ferguson, a Scottish independent minister ; West, a lawyer;
and Goodenough, who had been under-sheriff to Bethel; but
these men had little or no communication with the other pop
ular leaders. Finding his proposals rejected, Shaftesbury in
his rage and fear even ventured to think of a rising in the city
alone ; but at length, seeing no hope of success, he retired
to Holland, in the latter end of the year, and he died at fhe
Hague of gout in the stomach on the 21st of the following
January, (1683.)
Delivered from the dangerous impetuosity of Shaftesbury,
the friends of liberty resolved to proceed with deliberation
and caution. To conduct their plans, a council of six was
formed, consisting of the duke of Monmouth, lords Essex,
Russell, and Howard of Escrick, Algernon Sidney, and John
Hampden, grandson of the great patriot Howard was-a
man of no principle, but he was a bold talker, and he had
gained on Essex, at whose persuasion Russell (who, though
he was his first-cousin, disliked him extremely) consented fo
admit hirn into their association. The marquess of Win
chester, Ford lord Grey, and ethers, though not in the coun
cU, vvere in fhe secret.
It was proposed, that in case of a rising, it should also
extend to Scotland, where the barbarous proceedings of
the government were driving the people half-frantic. An
agreement vvas made with the earl of Argyle, who was in
HoUand, to supply him with 8000/. to enable him to purchase
arms, and return and raise his clansmen. Several of the
Scottish nobUity and gentry, having resolved to sell their es-

348 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
fates and seek a refuge from persecution in the New World,
had sent agents up to London to treat wifh the patentees of
the new colony of Carolina. With these men the coiincil
entered into communication, and they readily engaged in fhe
project Such was the state of the conspiracy in the sum
mer of 1683, when it was discovered : nothing had been
done, nothing even determined on ; all was mere speculation.
The discovery was made in the following manner. Rum
sey, West, and the other satellites of Shaftesbury used to
hold meetings of their own, in which there was frequent talk
of " lopping the fwo sparks," as West expressed it, that is,
killing the king and duke. "West spoke Of doing it as fhey
were going fo or from the playhouse, as then he said " they
would die in their calling." There was one Rumbold, an
old officer of CromweU's army, who had married a maltster's
widow, and thus become master of a house called the Rye,
near Hoddesden in Herts, close by which the king used to
pass on his way to Newmarket. He 'happened to say how
easy it would be for a man to shoot the king at that place.
West caught at the idea, and hence the plot was named the
Ryehouse-plof. In this case also, although there was a real
conspiracy, nothing was actually defermined, and things re
mained in this state till the month of June, when on the very
day (12th) that judgment was given against the city, one
Josiah Keeling, a sinking merchant, vvho vvas one of the
confederates, resolved to turn informer. He went to Legge,
now lord Dartmouth, who sent him fo secretary Jenkins ;
and on the information which he gave, rewards were offered
for nine of the conspirators ; but they had been forewarned
by Keeling's brother, and had concealed themselves. Two
days after. West and Rumsey came in and surrendered ; and
on their information, together wifh that of one Shepherd, a
wine-merchant, RusseU and Sidney were arrested and sent
to the Tower. Lord Grey vvas arrested, but he contrived to
escape from fhe messenger : the duke of Monmouth also
escaped, but Howard was taken concealed in a chimney in
his ovvn house. To save his life, he discovered all that he
said he knew, and on his information lord Essex and Hamp
den were arrested.
On fhe 13th of July, lord Russell was put on his trial.
The moment he was arrested he Ippked en his life as lost,
not so much from an idea that any thing could be proved
against him, as from his knowledge of what witnesses were
capable of swearing, and pfthe vengeful temper pfthe rpyal
brpthers. He had therefore turned his thpujihts to another

CH.,VRLES II. 349
world, and passed his hours reading the Scriptures. The
duke, of Monmouth had sent to assure him. that if it would
be of any service to him, he would come in and run fortunes
with him ; but he repUed, that it would not benefit him to
have his friends to die with him. Lord Essex vvould not
save himself by flight, lest it might prejudice the cause of
lord Russell, and the very morning that his friend was put
on his trial, this excellent nobleman terminated his existence.
He was constitutionally melancholy, and the circumstance
of his having been the means of pufting it into lord Howard's
power fo injure lord Russell, had weighed heavily on his
spirits. The evening before he sent to assure fhe earl of
Bedford that he was more concerned for his son's condition
than even the earl himself. His servant, on entering his
room the next morning, found him lying with his throat cut.
There is hardly a doubt of his having done fhe deed him
self; but attempts were afterwards made to prove that he had
been murdered. Lord Russell, the day before his own death,
described him as " the worthiest, fhe justest, the sincerest,,
and most concerned for the public, of any man he ever
knew." Lord Russell was tried af fhe Old BaUey, before Pember
ton, chief-justice of the common pleas, and a jury of citi
zens. His admirable wife, the glory ofher sex,* suppressing
all womanish fears and scruples, acted as his secretary on
this occasion. The witnesses against hirn were Rumsey,
Shepherd, and lord Howard. The first deposed to a meet
ing at Shepherd's, at which lord Russell was present, where
there was a conversation about a rising at Taunton, and
about seizing the guards at the Savoy and the Mews, in
which the prisoner took a part. Shepherd deposed much
tothe same effect. Lord Howard was next exarained ; he
stated the existence of the council of six, of which lord
Russell was a member, and their communication with Ar
gyle and the Scots; and he deposed to tvvo ipeefings at
vvhich fhe prisoner was present, one being at lord Russell's
ovvn house.
Lord Russell, in his defence, acknowledged that he had
been at Shepherd's, but accidentally, he said, having gone
thither for the purpose of fasting some wines. Lord, An
glesea swore that lord Howard said to fhe eatl of Bedford
in his presence, "I know nothing against ypur son or any
* She was the daughter and heiress of the earl of Sputhamplpn, so
distinguished for his attach|nent tothe roya,! familjr.
VOL. II. 30

350 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
body else of such a barbarous design, and therefore your
lordship may be comforted in it." Mr. Howard and Dr.
Burnet also proved that Howard had denied all knowledge
of the plot Howard was reexamined, and he explained
what lord Anglesea had heard, by saying it was his object
at that time to outface fhe king for himself and his party.
Pemberton treated the prisoner with much more moderation
and decorum than was usual at that time, and his charge
was such as might have produced an acquittal from an im
partial jury; burthe present one had been selected by North
and Rich, and fhey found the prisoner guilty. On the fol
lowing Saturday, (14th,) sentence of death by hanging, quar
tering, etc., was passed on him. The king afterwards com
muted this sentence to decapitation, saying sarcastically, (if
Echard may be credited,) " Lord Russell shall now find that
I ara possessed of that prerogative which in the case of lord
Stafford he thought proper fo deny me."
Lord Russell was now placed in Newgate, where he had
the constant attendance of dean Tillotson and Dr. Burnet.
Every effort was made to save his life ; his father is said fo
have offered fhe king 100,000/. for his pardon ; but the re
ply was, " he would not purchase his own and his subjects'
blood at so easy a rate." Lord Dartmouth urged on the
king the impolicy of provoking the resentment of so great
and numerous a family as the Russells, and hinted that some
regard was due fo the daughter of Southampton and her chil
dren. But mercy, magnanimity, or gratitude had no place
in the bosom of Charles; he answered, "All that is true, buf
it is as true that if I do not take his life he wUl soon have
mine." Yielding to fhe entreaties of his wife and friends,
lord Russell consented to petition the king for his life, and
the duke of York for his intercession. To the former he
denied having any thought against his life, or design to
change the governrrient ; he excused his opposition fo the
last on the plea of principle. He offered to live any where
the king should appoint, and engage never to meddle in the
affairs of England. Both petitions were slighted.
The week which passed between fhe sentence and the
death of this virtuous nobleman is a beautiful scene to con
template. His own serene and cheerful piety, the zealous
affection of his incomparable wife, and the sincere attach
ment of his friends, all combine to raise our estimate of the
worth of our nature. He spoke tp Burnet of his death as
giving him less apprehension than the drawing of a tooth ¦
it was only, he said, being gazed at by his friends and ene^

CHARLES II. 351
mies, and a moment's pain. , Lord Cavendish having sent
to propose changing clothes with him, and remaining in the
prison whUe he made his escape, he smUed, sent him his
thanks, but said he would make no escape. He dined and
supped as cheerfully as ever, and talked of fhe affairs of
Europe in his usual easy manner. As Saturday was the
day appointed for his execution,, he received fhe sacrament
on Friday morning from Tillotson, and Burnet afterwards
preached two sermons before hira. He said,, " he could
not pretend to such high joys and longings, (as fhe preacher
had spoken of,) but an entire resignation of himself to fhe
will of God, and a perfect serenity of his mind." After
dinner he saw and took leave of his chUdren ; at supper he
was so cheerful as to amaze Burnet. He had said tohis
wife, " Stay and sup with me ; let us eat our last earthly
food together." A little before she went away, he took her
by the hand, and said, "This flesh you now feel, i:i a few
hours must be cold." At ten o'clock she rose fo depart ;
he kissed her four or five times; she controlled her feelings
so as not to add to his distress, and they parted in silence.
When she was gone, "Now," said he, "the bitterness of
death is past;" and he continued for a long time dilating
on her many virtues and perfections. Observing that it
rained hard, he said, " Such a rain to-morrow will spoU a
great show, which is a dull thing on a rainy day."
At twelve he went to bed, desiring to be called at four.
He was asleep when his servant came, and he fell asleep
again while he was preparing his things for him fo dress.
He prayed several times with Tillotson and Burnet, and
also by himself He wound up his watch, vvhich he in
tended fo give fo fhe latter, and then said, " I have done
with time, now eternity comes." As he came down, he
met lord Cavendish, and took leave of him, but then turned
back to urge pn him the necessity pf attending mere tp his
religion. He rode in his own carriage fe Lincpln's-Inn-
fielils, where he was fo die, Tillotson and Burnet observed
that he was singing to himself; on their inquiry, he said it
was the 119th Psalm, buf he should sing better very soon.
As fhey turned down Little Queen-street, he looked toward
his own hpuse, and a tear stood in his eye; he said, " I have
often turned to the other hand with great comfort, but now
turn fo this with greater,'' He expressed his wonder at see
ing so great a crowd assembled. He addres.sed the sheriff
briefly, and delivered him a written speech, prayed by him
self, then laid his head on the block, and at the second

352 HISTORY or england.
stroke it was severed from his body. The paper which he
gave the sheriff, and vvhich contained the vindication of his
conduct, had been already sent to the printer's, and in less
than an hour it was sold through the city, to fhe great an
noyance of fhe court.
On occasions like the present, tliere will always he found
parties ready to seek the favor of the prevailing power, by
the sacrifice of truth, justice, and all that is valuable to man.
The university of Oxford now took the lead in the career
of adulation. The very day on which fhe blood of Russell
was shed, if passed a decree, in which, assuming the truth
of the plot to assassinate that sacred porson vvho was the
" breath of their nostrils, the anointed of the Lord," they
proceeded, '-tothe honor of the holy and undivided Trini
ty," etc., to decree twenty-four propositions, taken from the
works of jefeuits and protestants alike, fo be " false, seditious,
and impious, and most pf them heretical and blasphempus,
and destructive to all government in church and state."
Among these atrocious doctrines are the following : All
civil authority is derived originally from the people. There
is a mutual compact, tacit or express, between a prince and
his subjects; and if he perform not his duty, fhey are dis
charged from theirs. The sovereignty of England is in fhe
three estates, king, lords, and commons ; the king has but
a coordinate powfer, and may be overruled by the other two.
It will hardly be believed that, ere five years were passed,
this loyal university actually gave its plate to aid in dethron
ing' an anointed of the Lord I This should teach learned
bodies to u.se more caution in their public proceedings, and
to be sure that the language vvhich fhey speak be that of
truth and soberness.*
Essex and Russell were now removed : the fate of Sidney
was next lo be decided. Jeffreys, infamous for brutality and
cruelty, had lately been made chief-justice of the king's
bench, and it was before him that Sidney was tried, (Nov.
21.) The only witness against him was lord Howard ; buf
two were required by the law, and fhe records of legal in
iquity will hardly furnish a parallel fo the mode in which the
deficiency vvas supplied. Among the prisoner's papers had
been found a manuscript treatise on government, written
' Sir "Walter Scott thus designates it, (Somers's Tracts, viii. 420.) —
"^The following piece of adulation and servility was presented to king
Charles II., and afterwards burnt by the hangman by order of parlia
ment."

CHARLES H. 353
some time befpre, and never published ; it cpntained some
of the doctrines lately condemned af Oxford, but which,
even Hume says, were" such as the best and most dutiful
subjects in all ages have been known to embrace." This
dumb evidence was pronounced by Jeffreys to be equivalent
to two-and-fwenty witnesses, and, under his direction, the
jury found the prisoner guUty. When the sentence was
passed, (26th,) Sidney exclaimed, " Then, O God ! O God 1
1 beseech thee to sanctify my sufferings; and impute not my
blood to the country or the city ; let no inquisition be made
for it; but if any, andthe shedding of blood that is innocent
must be revenged, let the weight of it fall only on those that
maliciously persecute me for righteonsness' sake." " I pray
God," cried Jeffreys, losing his temper, "to work in you a
temper fit fo -go to thei other world, for I see you are not fit
for this." "My lord," replied Sidney, stretching forth his
arm, " feel my pulse, and see if I am disordered. I bless
God I never was in better temper than I am now."
Sidney did not disdain to petition for mercy, but it was
in the tone of one who only asked for justice, and Charles
was not a man to be affected by an appeal of that nature.
The executien fpok place on Tpwer-hill, (Dec. 7.) Sidney
had neither friends nor ministers of religion with him.
When asked if he would not address the people, he replied,
that " he had made his peace with God, and had nothing to
say to man." * He gave the sheriff a written speech, which
concluded with thanks to God that " he died fpr that good
old cause in which he was engaged frpm his yputh, and fpr
which God had so often and so wonderfully declared him
self" He made a short prayer, and laid down his head,
which was taken off af one blow.
The name of Algernon Sidney is invested with a lustre
derived from fhe iniquity of his sentence and the heroism
of his death, but his character seems to us in reality not to
be deserving of much eulogy. He was a determined repub
lican, and, like most such, he was self-sufficient, arrogant, and
impatient of contradiction. To set up his beloved repub
lic, he cared little what mischief he produced, or whether
the nation were inclined to it or not He received money
from the French king, the notprious enemy pf liberty, and
he abetted his designs pn fhe Netherlands. A man pf del
icate hPHPr^ tPo; would, we think, have abstained frpm plpt-
* He bad had indep6ndeht rainisters with bim in prison.
30* as

354 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
ting against the government of a prince who had pardoned
and allowed him to return td his country.
The duke of Monmouth had lately been reconcUed fo
the king by means of lord Halifax, who wished to employ
him as a counterpoise to the duke of York. As a condition
of pardpn, he was obliged to acknowledge the truth of the
conspiracy. He was required to write a letter fo that effect
to fhe king, and, after a hard struggle vvith himself, he did
so; but, ashamed of his weakness, he obtained the paper back
from his father, aud he was in consequence forbidden the
royal presence.
The court was novv triumphant ; the country party seemed
annihilated, for the people in general, confounding fhe two
plots, believed that they had conspired to murder fhe king.
Loyal addresses, therefpre, ppured in once more from all
parts : charters were every where surrendered. Jeffreys,
who went the northern circuit this year, we are fold by
Roger North, " made them all, like the walls of Jericho, fall
down before him, and returned laden with surrenders, the
spoils of towns." At the same time fhe king was careful to
avoid, as much as possible, the suspicion pf an inclination
to popery, and chiefly with this view he had given, in the
summer of fhe last year, his niece, fhe princess Anne, in
marriage to prince George, fhe brother of the king of Den
mark, whpse pnly merit vvas the being a prptestant.
The duke of York, in defiance of the test-act, was re
stored to his pffice pf lord high admiral, and fo a seat in the
council ; and his brother's indolence threw the direction of
affairs very much info his hands; but his violence and im
patience gave much uneasiness to the king, who was now
only anxious for ease and repose, and he was overheard one
day saying to fhe duke, " Brother, you may travel if you
will ; I am resolved to make inyself ea.sy for the rest of my
life." There appears, in fact, to have been a complete
change of measures projected. Monmouth came over from
the Netherlands, and had a secret interview with his father,
and it was proposed to send the duke of York back to Scot
land, under fhe pretext of holding a parliament. What the
result might have been is not to be knpvvn, fpr an event new
pccurred vvhich altered all fhe existing relatipns.
The king, whp was pnly in his fifty-fifth year, had natu
rally a robust constitution ; though he had somewhat impaired
it by early excesses, he vvas now regular in his living, and
seeraed likely to attain a good old age. On Sunday, how-

CHARLES IL 355
ever, the 1st of February, (1685,) he felt rather unwell, and
next morning he feU down in a fit of apoplexy. Speedy
remedies restored him, but he still languished, and on
Wednesday his recovery was considered hopeless. From
the first fhe queen and thd duke of York had been most
assiduous in their attendance on him ; fhe primate and some
of the other prelates were also constantly about him. On
Thursday, Ken, bishop of Bath, announced to him his dan
ger, which he heard vvith an air of resignation. The prelate
then read the office for fhe visitation of the sick, and the
king having expressed his repentance in a general way, he
also read the form of absolution. He wished to administer
the sacrament, but fhe king said it was time enough : the
elements were brought and laid on a table in readiness, but
the oply reply the prelate could get was, " I -will think of it."
The duke of York then motioned fhe company to retire to
the other end of the room, and in a whisper asked his broth
er if he should send for a catholic priest : " For God's sake,
brother, do," he replied, " and please to lose no time ; but,"
he added, " will you not expose yOurself too much by doing
if?" The duke was not a man to fear danger in such a
cause. He went out, and father Huddleston being the only
priest he could find, he brought him up the back stairs into
the king's closet. All vvere then directed to withdraw,
except the duke and the lords Bath and Feversham. The
duke then brought in the priest, saying, " Sir, this worthy
man once saved your body;* he now comes to saye your
soul." The-- king made his" confession, chiefly bewailing
his having so long deferred his conversion. He pronounced
an Act of Contrition with great fervor, and continued ma
king pious ejaculations,* such as " Mercy, sweet Jesus,
mercy ! " till fhe host, which had been sent for, arrived.
The priest, who had alre-ddy given him extreme unction,
then administered fhe eucharist, and withdrew by the way
he came. The chamber-door was opened, and the secret
transaction soon transpired.
The king passed an uneasy night. When the queen sent
to excuse her absence, and to ask his pardon, " Alas, poor
woman," he cried, " she beg my pardon ! I beg hers, with
all my heart. Take back that answer to her." He spoke
in the kindest terms fo his brother, wishing him a long and
a prosperous reign. He had his chUdren all brought to him,
* Huddleston had been chaplain at Moseley at tbe time ofthe king's
escape after the battle of Worcester.

356 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
and gave them each his blessing. One of the courtly prel-
ates then saying that the king, fhe Lord's anointed, was
the common father of all his subjects, all present fell on
their knees, and fhe dying monarch pronounced a blessing
on fhem. He commended the duchesses of Cleveland and
Portsmouth to his successor, and said to him, " Let not poor
Nelly [Gwyn] starve." Before noon next day (6th) he
breathed his last. ,
In person Charles was tall, his complexion was swarthy,
his features harsh and repulsive ; but his manners were the
most gay and affable that could be conceived. He had
much wit, and he conversed and fold stories with consider
able grace and humor. He hated pomp and parade, and
found his chief delight in social intercourse. For his broth
ers, his sister, bis mistresses, and his children he seems to
have felt an affection, but. jonly''^ them, for the selfishness
ofhis character was such that he never attiched himself to
any friend. His ill quaUties were numerous,: h'^ was a bad
king and a bad man ; careless of fhe national honoiu hating »
liberty, insincere, rheag^ rapacious, ungrateful, vintjictive,
and remorseless : such wlsis Charles II. The people, caiighf
by his affability ,_affd feeling the advantages of the "peace
which his !base"^sr]bserviency to France maintained, were
partial To him. He was popular in his life. and. his death
was lamented.

CHAPTER ^X VIL
JAMES II.
1685—1688.

Immediately on the demise of king Charles, the privy
council assembled, and the new monarch addressed them,
a.ssuring fhem of his determination fo follow the example
of his late brother, " especially in that of his great clemency
and tenderness fo his people ; " that "he would make it his
endeavor to preserve this government, both in church and
state, as it is by law established;" and that " he would al
ways take care to defend and support the church." Lord
Rochester requested that this address, which had filled them
all with joy, might be made public, The king said he had

JAME§ IL 357
no copy ; but one of the council wrote it down from mem
ory, and the king, who had not expected this result, found
if necessary fo consent to its publication. He was forthwith
proclaimed, amid the loud acclamations ofthe populace.
The king's speech gave great safisfac.tion to those who
c<(lled themselves the loyal part of the nation. It was re
garded as a security greater than any law. " We have now
the word of a king, and a word never broken," was the com
mon phrase. The pulpits resounded as usual ; loyal ad-
drejsses poured in from all sides; fhe university of Oxford
promised obedience, " without limitations or restrictions ; "
the London clergy, more sincere, said, " Our religion estab
lished by law is dearer fo us than our lives ; " and this ex
pression gave offence at court — a proof of what was the real
feeling in the royal bosom.
The first act pf the new mpnarch was an iUegal, but not
unjustifiable, stretch of power. He issued (9th) a proclama
tion, ordering the duties to continue to be levied on mer
chandise till the meeting of parliament, which he summoned
forthe 19th of May,
The funeral pf the late king was private, (14lh,) fpr the
successor vvas unwilling, as he says himself, fo communicate
with the church of England in spiritual things, as he must
have done had it been public.
James resplved to continue his brother's ministers. To
the marquess of Halifax, who apprehended his displeasure,
he said that he remembered only his opposition to fhe exclu
sion-bill; and, chiefly owing to the representations ofthe
French king, Sunderland and Godolphin, who had supported
that bill, in like manner experienced no displeasure. The
cabinet was thus constituted : Halifax president ofthe coun
cil, Rochester lord treasurer, his brother Clarendon privy
seal, Sunderland and Middleton secretaries; Godolphin was
made chamberlain to the queen. This last, with Roches
ter and Sunderland, alone possessed the royal confidence.
There vvas also a secret council for catholic affairs, of which
Sunderland alone ofthe ministers had knowledge. It con
sisted of the earls of Powis and Castlemain, fhe lords Arun
del, Bellasis, and Jermyn, lord Dover, Richard Talbot, an
Irishman, and father Petre, a Jesuit, brother to the late lord
of that nane.
The king was resolved to make no secret of his ov/n or
his brother's religion. With respect to the latter, he caused
Huddleston to publish an account ofthe king's reconcile-
ipent, and he gave ,tp ihe svojrJd twp paper? in favor of popeiy

358 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
found in the late king's strong box, and written by his own
hand. For himself, on the second Sunday of his reign, he
caused the folding-doors of fhe queen's private chapel to be
thrown open whUe he was at mass, that his presence there
might be seen. On Holy Thursday (Apr. 16) he was
attended to the door of the chapel by his guards and the
pensioners, and on Easter Sunday by the knights of the gar
ter and several of the nobility — a proceeding which caused
great uneasiness in the minds of zealous protestants. Their
suspicions were further excited by a proclamation for the
discharo-e of all recusants. They saw in this a manifest ad
vance to the establishment of popery, vvhich was in reality
the object nearest to tbe king's heart Meantime every
effort was made fo get Louis to continue fhe pension, in
order that James might be independent ofhis parliament.
On the third of May the king and queen were crowned
with the usual ceremonies, the only part omitted being the
communion. The king cf CPurse selemnly swpre tP main
tain tbe true prpfessien pf the Gpspel, and fhe rights and
privileges «f the church and clergy. Like a true Stuart and
pupU pf tiie Jesuits, he told Barillon that he did so, as these
rights and privileges were those which had been granted by
king Edward the Confessor, of whose being a catholic there
vvas not the slightest doubt. During the whole ceremony he
had been under apprehensions for his perspnal safety, thpugh
without any just cause.
On the 19th the parliament met. In consequence of the
power which the surrender of charters had given tP the
crpwn, fhe returns had been sp much fp fhe royal satisfac
tion that James declared there were not forty members whom
he wpuld nPt have nominated himself In his speech from
the throne he repeated his address to the privy council ; he
then called on them fo give him a revenue for life such as
his brother had enjoyed, and hinting that nothing else vvould
content him, he added, " The best way to engage me to meet
you often, is always to use me well;" he concluded by in
forming them ofthe news he had just received ofthe landino
of Argyle in Scotland, and calling on them fo give him his
revenue as he desired it, and without delay.
In most respects fhe commons proved as dutiful as the king
could have desired. By a unanimous vote, they settled on
him for life the same revenue that the late king had enjoyed.
They accompanied if with a declaration that theyhad im
plicit confidence in the king's promise to suppprt the church,
which, they added, was dearer tP them than their lives. On

JAMES II. 359
the inteUigence ofthe landing of Monmouth, they made an
additional grant of 400,000/.^ and passed a bill for the se
curity ofthe king's person, in which fhey enlarged the ori
ginal statute of treason. In the midst of this exuberant
loyalty, however, it was manifest that the parliament, with all
its servility, vvas jealous on fhe subject of religion.
Immediately on the accession of James, the English and
Scottish exiles began to consult on the mode of delivering
their country from the yolce of popery and despotism which
they were persuaded fhe new monarch would endeavor to
impose on it. They met at Rotterdam, whither Argyle and
Monmouth, who were at Brussels, repaired at their invitation,
and if vvas arranged that these noblemen should simultane
ously head expeditions to England and Scotland ; to keep up
the union between fhem, Argyle was to be attended by two
Englishmen, Ayloffe and Rumbold ; and Monmouth by tvvo
Scots, Ferguson and Fletcher of Saltoun.
Argyle sailed the first, (May 2.) He stopped af the
Orkney isles, where two ofhis party were captured, and the
government thus got^information ofhis strength and destina
tion. He landed in his own country, (17th,) and forthwith
issued two declarations, and sent fhe fiery cross, according tjo
Highland usage, fo summon his clansmen to arms. Buf the
gentlemen of his name had been secured; the militia was
raised and advancing on all sides ; only two thousand five
hundred men joined him, and instead of hastening to the
western counties, he lingered in the hopes of being joined by
more. His stores and arms, which he had placed in the
castle of Ellengreg, fell into the hands ofthe royalists. -When
at length he descended into Lenox to pass the Clyde, he
found bodies of armed men every where opposed to him.
His army lost itself by night in a raorass ; fhe greater part
of it sought safety in flight. Argyle, in the disguise of a
peasant, vvas met and wounded, as he was crossing a stream,
by flve militia-men ; as he fell he cried, " Alas unfortunate
Argyle ! " His captors would fain have concealed his rank,
as fhey durst not release him; but he was recognized by
their officer. He was led to Edinburgh, where he was
treated vvith fhe same indignities as had formerly been the
lot of Montrose. As fhe king had ordered him if taken, to
be put to death within three days, he vvas executed on his
former iniquitous sentence, (30fh.) He met his fate with
piety and fortitude; embracing the instrument of death, he
called it (in allusion to its name) the sweetest maiden he
had ever kissed.

366 HISTORY O^F EI^GLAND.
Various circumstances detained Monmouth so long, that
if was the llth of June when he landed at Lyme in Dorset,,
He was attended by lord Grey of Werk, and about eighty
other exUes and their attendants. He forthwith raised' his
standard, and published a declaration styling James a usurp
er, and charging him with the'burning of Lpndpn'and every
atrocity which had' been laid tP fhe acceunt pf the papists,
adding that of poisoning the late king. This declaration
drew numbers ofthe people to bis standard, and pn the fpurth
day (15th) he marched from Lyme af fhe head of fpur thou
sand men. At Taunton (18th) he was received with" ac
clamations and presented with a splendid stand of colors;
and twenty young ladies in their best attire came to offer him
a naked sword and a pocket Bible. He here caused himself
to be proclaimed king, (20th;) and in proof pf his rpyally,
tpuched for fhe king's-evil. He thence (31st) proceeded to
Bridgewater, where he was alsp well received. The militia
every where retired befpre him, and he proposed to cross the
Avon near Bath and advance against Bristol. But it was
now ascertained that the royal troops, under the "earl of
Feversham, were at hand ; that project therefore was aban
doned, and it was debated in his cOuncil whether to march
for Salop and Cheshire, where he expected good support, or
to direct their course into Wiltshire, where he was led to
hope for powerful assistance. This last was preferred, and
the army arrived (26th) at PhUips-Norton on the confines
of that County, where they had an encounter with a' part of
the royal forces, in which they had rather the advantage.
They fell back, however, to Frome', and here Monmouth first
learned the defeat of Argyle. He had been for some time
desponding; for he saw that none of the nobility or gentry,
without whose aid no civil movements have ever succeeded
in England, had declared in his favor, and he therefore had
begun to view his cause' as hopeless. If was proposed that
the army should be disbanded, and Monmouth and his friends
should erideavor to escape by sea ; but this course was vehe
mently opposed by lord Grey and others, and fhe army was
led back to Bridgewater, (July 1.) As fhe royal forces
were reported to be encamped at no great distance on the
edge of a moraSs named Sedgemoor, it was resolved to fry
the effect of a nocturnal attack. The duke led out his forces,
the hor,se being commanded by lord Grey, whose courage
was very dubious. They reached the moor at a:bout one in
the mOrning, (Bth,) but found thetnselves stopped by a deep
drain in fro^t of the royal camp. Greyj oa coming to tha-

JAMES II. 361
ditch and perceiving the troojis to be on the alert, turned
after a brief stand, and led his men off the field. The whole
plan was now disconcerted ; a firing was kept up till day
light, when Feversham ordered his infantry to cross the drain,
vhile his horse took the insurgents in flank. The half-
armed peasants made a gallant buf ineffectual resistance,
then broke and fled in all directions. Their loss was five
hundred slain and fifteen hundred taken; the victors had
three hundred kiUed and wounded.
Monmouth fled, it is not known af What time ; his first
thought was to get over to Wales; but Grey, who was his
evil genius, dissuaded him from it, and with him and a
German named Bussehe directed his course toward the Nevv
Forest. As a reward had been set on his head, an active
search was kept up for fhem. Early the next morping Grey
vvas captured, and though Monmouth and Busse then escaped,
the latter was taken fhe following morning, (8th ;) and as he
owned that he had parted only four hours before from the
duke, an active search was made for him. In a couple of
hours-that unfortunate prince was found in a ditch, covered
vvith fern and nettles. He was in the dress of a peasant, and
in his pockets were some green peas, the only sustenance he
appears fo have had. Broken in mind and (body, he wrote
a most humble letter to the king, entreating a personal in
terview, and premising fp make spme impprtant discpvery.
He vvas, therefpre, the very evening he reached London,
{13th,) led into the royal presence wifh his arms pinioned.
He threw himself on his knees, confessed his guUt, casting
the blame on others, and implored for mercy in the humblest
terras, buf made no discovery. James, reminding him of his
early education, asked him if he would have a priest "Is
there then no hope 1 " said he. The king made no reply,
but ordered him to be taken away fp the Tewer, where he
was teld fp prepare fpr death pn the secpnd day. When
Mpnmputh was gPne, Grey was brought into the royal pres
ence, and he behaved wifh more spirit than fhe unfortunate
duke. James is usuaUy condemned for inhumanity on this oc
casion. It is said that he should not have seen Monmouth,
if he was resolved not to pardon him ; but there is no proof of
this resolution ; he saw the prisoner at his own desire, and
was led to expect disclosures which he did not receive.
Surely Monmouth, after his invasion, his declaration, and
his assumption ofthe title of king, had no claims to mercy.
As to his being fhe king's nephew, this was a dubious point,
VOL. II. 31 T T

362 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
and James appears to have always doubted his being his
brother's son.
The next morning (14th) Monmouth was visited by his
duchess, fhe heiress of Buccleugh, whom he had abandoned
to live with lady Harriet Wentvvorth. The meeting was a
cold one; her object vvas, for the sake of herself and children,
to get him to declare that she was ignorant of his projects.
On this subject he gave her, ample satisfaction, and she then
withdrew. He wrote again to the king and tothe queen and
fhe queen-dowager, (which last kind-hearted princess ear
nestly interceded for him,) and to others, buf with no effect
The bishops Ken and Turner came fo prepare him for death.
When they vvere announced, he was overwhelmed with ter
ror ; but it passed away, and henceforth his'mind was serene
and composed. They found him in a religious frame of
mind in general ; but on tvvo points he proved immovable ;
he strenuously maintained fhe right of resistance fo oppres
sion, and he would not allow that there was any thing mor
ally wrong in the connection between him and lady Harriet
Wentworth, though she had borne him a child ; she, he said,
was his real, fhe duchess was only his legal wife ; his love for
her had weaned him from vice ; both had prayed f o God to root
out their affection if displeasing fo him, but it had only in
creased with time. The prelates therefore declined giving
hira the sacrament.
In the morning (15th) they returned with Drs. Hooper
and Tennison ; but none could make any impression on his
tnind. The duchess and his children came fo tak* their
final leave of him ; he was kinder than before ; she sank to
the ground and was carried away in a swoon. At ten
o'clock he entered the carriage which was fo convey him to
Tower-hill. The concourse was immense ; tears, sighs, and
groans were succeeded by an awful silence. On the scaffold,
the divines conscientiously, but cruelly, pressed him on the
two above-named points: he was stUl inflexible. Hemade
no speech, but gaye a paper to the sheriff. He laid down
his head, telling the executioner fo do his work betf-er than
in the case of lord RusseU. The man, unnerved, it would
seem, by the charge, gave but a feeble stroke; the duke
raised himself, and turned his head, as if to upbraid him; he
struck twice more, and then flung down the axe, swearing
that his heart failed him. The sheriff made him resume if,
and af the fifth blow the head was severed ; and thus per
ished, in his thirty-sixth year,- James duke of Monmouth.
Vengeance, both niilitary and judicial, was let loose on

JAMES II. 363
the unfortunate adherents of Monmouth. Feversham hanged
severalof his ptisoners. without any trial; and colonel Kirke,
vvho vvas left in command, is said' to have acted with unusual
barbarity.'* The name of Kirke's Lambs, as his soldiers
were called fronL the figure of a lamb which their colors
bore, was ihng famous in the west. But these mUitary
atrocities sink into nothing when compared with ' Jeffreys'
Campaign,' as the king loved to call it.
This unprincipled man, being joined in cpmmissipn with
four other judges, commenced operations at Winchester
(Aug. 27) by the trial of Mrs. Lisle, tbe aged widow of one
ofthe regicides. The charge against her was that of having
given shelter to Nelfhorp© and Hickes, fwo of fhe fugitives
from Monmouth's army. Her defence was, that of Nel-
thorpe she knew nothing, and that she thought Hickes, vvho
was a dissenting teacher, only fled from a warrant against
him on that account. Jeffreys undertook himself to examine
a peasant vvho had been their guide fo her house, and he so
terrified the poor rustic by his vehemence and scurrility,
that he" admitted sufficient to give reason to think that the
prisoner knew of their having been in Monmouth's army.
Jeffreys took care to conceal the fact that Hickes had not
been convicted or outlawed, till when she could not legally
be tried as the receiver of a traitor. The jury long hesitated,
but were at length overawed into a verdict of Guilty. " Gen
tlemen," said the brutal judge, " had Ibeen among you, and
had she been my own mother, I should have found her
guilty." Next morning he sentenced her fo be burnt alive
that afternoon, but the clergy of the cathedral obtained for
her a respite of three days, during which applications were
made to the king in her favor by noble ladies whom she had
befriended in the days of her husband's povyer, and by lord
Feversham, who was promised 1000/. for her pardon. It
was also shown that her son had served in the army against
* Thus, it is said, he ordered prisoners to be hung while he and hia
officers drank the king's health, and when their feet quivered in the
agonies of death, he said he vvould give them music to their dancing,
and ordered Ihe drums to beat and the trumpets to sound. Again, a
maiden applied to him for the life ofher brother; he granted it on
condition ofher complying with his desires,; she consented, and passed
the night with hiin; when she rose in the morning, the first object that
met her eyes on looking out ofthe window, was the body ofher broth
er hanging from a gibbet. At , the sight she lost her reason. This
tale, however, rests on very slender evitlence, and is probably a fiction.
It is the same as thatof'Ky,n«ault in the, Spectator, (JVo, 401.) S.ee
Mackintosh, Hist, of Revol. ch. i. '

364 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Monmouth; buf aU was in vain; fhe king, pleading, it is
/ said, a promise to Jeffreys not to spare her, declared he
would not give her a reprieve for a single day. He consent
ed to change the sentence to beheading, and fhe venerable
; matron perished on the scaffold, (Sept. 2,) praying for the
prince who could not pardon fhe performance of an act of
humanity. The comraission thence proceeded fo Dorchester, where
eighty persons were executed ; thence fo Taunton and Wells ;
and the number of deaths in the county of Somerset is said
to have been two hundred and forty at the least The whole
country presented a horrible and most un-English aspect;
every where gibbets and the mangled limbs of men met the
eye, and the stench that exhaled from them rendered the
roads hateful fo travellers. The trials were fevv ; men, seeing
no hopes of justice, confessed their guilt, as to do so offered
the only chance of escape. ,
But blood alone did not satisfy Jeffreys; he filled his
coffers by the sale of pardons. It was also the royal pleasure
that the courtiers should improve their circumstances by
the rebellion. Sunderland wrote to Jeffreys to say that one
thousand prisoners were to be bestowed on certain courtiers,
and one hundred on a favorite of fhe queen's, on their giving
security that fhey should be slaves for ten years in the West
India islands. Against this Jeffreys remonstrated, as fhey
might, he said, be sold for lOZ. or 15/. apiece. The young
ladies who gave Monmouth his colors were excepted by
name from the general pardon, that fhey might purchase
separate ones, of which fhe profits were given to the maids
of honor! and WUliam Penn, the celebrated quaker, whose
conduct in this reign does him little credit, was appointed
their agent. The maids of honor, if appears, proved hard
dealers in the article of mercy.
James received daily intelligence from Jeffreys of his
proceedings, which he constantly spoke of to the foreign
envoys and others as that judge's campaign ; and during the
hottest part of it he was amusing himself wifh horse-races at
Winchester. He raised Jeffreys, on his return, to a peerage
and the chancellorship; and when that savage judge had,
through his habitual drunkenness, brought on a fit of illness,
he was much cencerned, and declared that his less cpuld
not be easily supplied. Jeffreys is said to have declared on
his death-bed that he had done nothing without orders, and
that he had not been half bloody enough for him that sent

JAMES IL 365
him. It is vain, therefore, fo attempt to deny the king's ap
petite for blood.
Alderman Cornish, the former sheriff, was tried (Oct. 19)
and found guilty for being concerned in the Ryehouse-plof,
on fhe evidence of Rumsey, though this witness owned that
his evidence now was contrary fo what he had given on the
trial of lord RusseU. Cprnish was executed, but his limbs
and estate were restored to his family; and Rumsey was
confined for life — a clear proof of the king's opinion of the
value pf his testimony.
On the same day with Corpish, two men, named Ring
arid Fernley, and a Mrs. Gaunt, were tried and condemned
for harboring rebels. Ring had sheltered his near relation ;
Fernley, one Burton, who had been in the Ryehouse-plot
and wifh Monmouth; Mrs, Gaunt, who had aided his escape
before, visited him at Fernley's, and undertook to save him
again ; but he was taken, and, to save his life, he was base
enough to appear against his benefactors. The benevolent
Mrs, Gaunt was burnt alive at Tyburn, She settled the
straw round her so as fo produce a strong flame, and died
amid the tears of fhe spectators.
Hampden was now tried a second time for his share in
fhe Ryehouse-plot; buf it had been secretly arranged that
he was fo be pardoned, on his pleading guilty and paying
6000Z. to Jeffreys and father Petre. The drama between
him and fhe judges was enacted fo perfection. Lprd Bran
don was found guilty on the evidence of lord Grey and of
Rumsey and one Saxton, but he was afterwards pardoned.
Grey himself was pardoned, as his Jife-esfate had been
granted to lord Rochester. Wonderful fo relate, lord Dela-
mere was actually acquitted by a jury of thirty peers, the
perjury of Saxton, the chief evidence against him, being
apparent. The suppression of the rebellion had elated James, and
led him to think that nothing now could oppose his will.
He had three objects in view as the means of establishing
despotism ;. these were, the abolition of the Test, which
would enable him to fill all offices with papists ; fhe repeal
of the Habeas Corpus act, which fhe late king and himself
had often declared to be subversive of government, i. e. of
despotism,; fo keep up the army, which now amounted to
nearly twenty thousand men, and in which there were several
catholic officers, as a permanent force. As he knew that
Halifax was opposed to all these projects, he lost no time in
dismissing him frpm, the council.
31*

366" HISTORY OP teNGLAND.
When the parliahient met (Nov. 9) James addressed them
from the throne. Late events, he said, had shovvn that the
militia was inadequate to the defence of fhe country, and
that a permanent force was necessary; he bad, therefore,
increased fhe regular army, and be now called on them for
the funds for maintaining it He then noticed fhe employ
ment of catholics. " And I will deal plainly with you,"
said he : " after having had fhe benefit of their services in
such a time of need and danger, I wiU not expose them to
disgrace, nor myself to the want of them, if there should be
another rebellion."
From this haughty tone it is plain that James reckoned on
absolute submission, and that parliament would simply regis
ter his edict ; but here, as on most occasions, his hlind fa
tuity led him astray. The dread and fhe hatred of popery
were implanted in every protestant bosom; and, in fhe revo
cation of fhe edict of Nantes by Louis, at this very time,
fhey had had a specimen of popish good faith and tolerance.
'The commons, therefore, when voting a supply of 700,000/.,
coupled with it a bill for the improvement of fhe militia;
and, while offering fo pass a bill of indemnity for the catholic
officers, prayed that they might be discharged. The danger
of a standing army and the employment of catholic officers
was also strongly exposed in fhe house of peers by lords
Halifax, Nottingham, Anglesea, Mordaunt, Compton, bishop
of London, and others, and, in spite of fhe opposition of
Jeffreys, if was resolved fo fake fhe king's speech info consid
eration ; but James prorogued fhe parliament, and it met no
more during his reign, except fo be prorogued anew. It was
fortunate for the country that James's bigotry led him fo as
sail the test-act first, for in all probability this subservient
assembly would have surrendered the Habeas Corpus with
out a struggle.
James vvas resolved, come what might, not to part with
his army. The annual cost of it was 600,000/, ; and, by
frugality, by neglecting the navy, by putting off fhe payment
of his brother's debts, and by other expedients, he could de
fray it without the aid of parliament. To put the chief com
mands into the hands of catholics was necessary for his
ulterior projects, and to effect this he had recourse tothe
following plan.
It had from very ancient times been a part of the prerog
ative to grant dispensations from the penalties of particular
laws. This had, as usual, been .spoken of in exaggerated
terms by courtiers and lawyers, even Coke saying^that no

JAMES II. 367
act of parliament can restrain it. Practice, however, had
for many years conftned it to merely trifling cases ; but sir
Edward Herbert, the present chief-justice, had formerly sug
gested to the king, when duke of "York, that by means of it
the test-act might be eluded, and James now resolved fo
bring it info action through a legal decision. Of Herbert
himself he was sure, and, as he could dismiss fhe judges at
his pleasure, he reckoned on the obedience of the others,
but, on privately asking their opinions;, he found four refrac
tory; these he dismissed forthwith, and appointed pthers;
and the bench being now adjusted, a sham action vvas
brought for their decision. Sir Edward Hajes, a recent
convert, was appointed to the command of a regiment, and
his coachman was directed to bring an action for the penajty
of 500/. incurred by. hre holding a command without having
qualified. Hales pleaded a dispensation under the great
seal. The case was tried before the twelve judges, and
eleven decided in favor ofthe dispensation, (June 21, 1686.)
This decision was not, properly speaking, illegal, but it was
highly unconstitutional ; and, as it declared that no restraint
could be placed on the monarch, and that acts of parliament
were mere cobwebs, there being a power paramount to them,
men plainly saw that there vvas no alternative between a
tame submission fo the overthrow of their religion and liber
ties and a bold effort to maintain them. In effect, this
decision sealed the doom of the House of Stuart.
James little thought so ; he had gained, he considered, a
complete victory ; the test-act and all other barriers against
popery could no longer impede him, and the army, the
council, and every department of the state might now be
filled wifh catholics. He had even, as he conceived, fhe
power of gradually making the church itself catholic. Early
in this year, Obadiah Walker, master of University college,
Oxford, and three of the fellows, had declared themselves
catholics, as also had Sclafer, the curate of Esher and Put
ney, and a royal dispensation aUowed them still fo enjoy the
emoluments of their situations; Sclater, however, heing
enjoined fo provide for fhe performance of divine service
in his churches. Walker' was allowed to have a catholic
chapel in his college, and a press for printing catholic books
of theology. But fhe spirit of Compton, bishop of London,
gave occasion to a further mode of bridling the church, or
rather of accelerating the downfall ofthe monarch.
Compton, br<>tber to the earl of Northampton, had, like

368 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
the reigning pontiff, been a soldier. He was a man of a
bold spirit, and a zealous protestant. To punish his late
opposition in parliament, the king struck him out of the list
of the privy council, and deprived him of his office of dean
of the chapel. This only incriiased his popularity and fhe
suspicion of fhe king's designs, and fhe London pulpits
thundered with controversy. The king, as head of the
! church, issued orders for the clergy to abstain from contro
versy in the pulpit. Few obeyed; it was therefore resolved
to make an example. Dr. Sharp, dean of Norwich and
rector of St. Giles's, was fixed on, and Compton was ordered
to suspend him, buf he replied, that he must hear him first
in his defence. It was now determined to make fhe bishop
himself fhe victim.
The odious court.of High Commission had been abolished
in 1641. A part of fhe act of abolition was repealed af fhe
Restoration, but a clause of it, prohibiting the erection of
any simUar court, had been retained. James, however,
issued a commission, in nearly the very vvords of that of
Elizabeth, fo certain persons fo act as a court of commis
sioners in ecclesiastical causes. These were the primate,
chancellor, bishops of Durham and Rochester, the earls
of Rochester and Sunderland, and chief-justice Herbert.
Three vvere tb form a quorum, of whom Jeffreys was always
fo be one. " God," said James to Barillon, " has permitted
that all the laws made to establish protestantism now serve as
a foundation for my measures fo reijsfablish true religion,"
Before this court Compton was summoned. He defended
himself with much address. The primate Sancroft was not
there to uphold fhe interests of fhe church, for he had
timidly obtained leave fo be absent on the plea of ao-e and
i infirmity ; but the earl and fhe bishop of Rochester and the
' chief-justice took the side of Compton, and even Jeffreys,
who, in the midst of his excesses, clung fo the protestant
faith, supported them. The presence, however, and the in
fluence of the king prevailed, and Compton was suspended
by a commission, three fourths of whose members had
declared in his favor. The people soon nicknamed the
commission fhe ' Congregatio de propaganda Fide,'
Of the royal advisers there were two classes, fhe protes-
; tant and the catholic. The former, headed by Rochester,
seem to have been willing to aid the king in all his projects
against liberty, but they were steadfast in their adherence
. to the church. The catholics were divided into two parties;

JAMES II. 369
most of the laymen, such as Bellasis and Powis, were for
moderation; they saw the difficulties in the way of estab
lishing their religion, and they would have been content
with the repeal of the penal statutes, and security for their
religion under a protestant successor. The queen herself
was inclined to this party ; but fhe king -was under the in
fluence of father Petre and the Jesuits, and these, with fhe
usual heat and imprudence of political churchmen, urged
hirn on to extreme measures. Sunderland, an ambitious,
unprincipled statesman, though stil^ professing himself a
protestant, allied himself closely with this party, in the hope
of supplanting Rochester ; and the influence of father Petre,
when all ofher applications had failed, raised him fo the post
of president of the councU, in fhe room of Halifax, with
which he sfUl retained his post of secretary.
But the protestant party had a supporter who fhey thought
might counterbalance fhe queen and Ihe priests. James,
with all his zeal for his religion, and his anxiety to diffuse
it, made no scruple of 'violating one of its most important
precepts. His amours had always been notorious, and
neither of his wives could boast of his fidelity. Arabella
Churchill, maid of honor to his first duchess, had borne him
two children. His present mistress, Catherine, daughter of
the witty, profligate sir Charles Sedley, was a woman so
devoid of personal attractions, that king Charles used to say
his brother kept her by way of penance ; but she had a
coarse, roistering kind of humor, which pleased her lover,
who was a man of no delicacy whatever, and she did not
spare fo employ it even on his religion and his priests. In
the beginning of his reign he had been induced to break off
his intercourse wifh her, but he afterwards renewed it, and,
at fhe suggestion, it is said, of Rochester, created her coun
tess of Dorchester. The queen, who was a woman of spirit,
testified fhe utmost indignation, and, by Sunderland's ad
vice, she assembled one day in her apartment the chan
cellor and himself, with fhe priests and the catholic nobles,
and when the king entered it he was assailed by their united
reproaches and remonstrances. He promised to separate
from the countess, and he sent her orders fo retire fo the
continent; but she asserted her rights as a freeborn Eng
lishwoman, and appealed to Magna Charta, She af length
consented to go fo Ireland, vvhere Rochester's brother,
Clarendon, was lord lieutenant. She returned, however,
within six months, and the king renewed his intercourse
u tr

370 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
with her; but it was of no political effect, as the Jesuits 'had
got the advowson of his conscience.'
It might be supposed that the court of Rome, would have
zealously cooperated with James in his project of reestab
lishing fhe catholic faith ; but so adverse were aU things to
this prince, that even there he found no support. The pres
ent pontiff, Innocent XI., who had been a soldier, was a man
who knew or cared nothing for fhe disputes and differences
of theology, but he was an able temporal prince and states
man ; he was on iU terms with Louis XIV. on account of
that prince's insolence ; and he regarded with lifUe compla
cency both fhe Jesuits and fhe king of England, whom he
looked on as partisans of Louis. James, on his accession,
had sent Mr: Caryl as his private minister to Rome to solicit
the purple for the queen's uncle, the title of bishop for one
Dr. Leyburn, and the appointment of a nuncio fo the court
of St. James's. Caryl succeeded in fhe, fwo last points; and
the count D'Adda came over in November, 1685, but did
not assume any public character. The zeal of fhe king,
however, was not fo be restrained, and fhe following Feb
ruary he insisted on D'Adda's faking the title of nuncio, to
which fhe papal court gave a reluctant consent The nun
cio, a prudent, clear-sighted man, viewed with concern fhe
rate at which the, king and his advisers were disposed fo drive
raatters, and he gave the weight of his authority to fhe mod
erate catholic party.
Jaraes, being resolved to have a resident minister at fhe
papal court, chose for this purpose, with his usual infelicity,
fhe earl of Castlemain, the husband ofthe duchess of Cleve
land, a man who owed his tUle-fo the infamy of his wife.
Castlemain behaved af Rome with such indiscretion, that fhe
nuncio was directed to make a formal complaint of his con
duct All the influence of James failed to procure a nomi
nal bishopric for Petre, whom he is thought fo have de
signed to place in the see of York, which he kept vacant.
He was equally unsuccessful in his efforts to procure for him
a cardinal's hat.
If the pontiff was more swayed by politics than religion,
we may easily believe the same to have been the case with
the courts of Madrid and Vienna ; and accordingly we find
the Spanish and Imperial ministers cooperating wifh the
Dutch, and opposing the French ambassador. James, who,
to his misfortune, had some vague ideas of fhe dignity be
longing to a king pf England, and of the line of policy

JAMES II. 371
which, as such, he should adopt, irritated Louis by vain as
sumptions of independence, at the very time that he was
receiving his money and relying on him for aid in his
projects. To accustom fhe public eye to the view of pppery, cpu-
vents were established in varipus parts pf Lpndon : that of
fhe Carmelites was in the city, that of the Franciscans in
Lincoln's-Inn-fields, while the Benedictines were af St.
James's; and the Jesuits opened a school af fhe Savoy,
They all went about publicly in their habits, and London
was gradually assuming fhe appearance of a catholic city.
To awe the tumultuous, fhe army, of 15,000 men, vvas en^
camped on Hounslovv-heath; and in the tent of lord Dun
barton, the second in command, mass was openly celebrated,
and missionaries labored fo convert the soldiers. A paper
calling on them fo adhere to their religion being circulated
through the camp, Johnson, its author, fhe chaplain of the
late lord Russell, was fried, found guilty, and sentenced to
stand thrice in the pillory, and to be whipped from Nevygate
to Tyburn, which sentence " was executed with great rigor
apd cruelty," he being previously degraded from his sacred
character. In the laxity of principle which may be supposed to have
prevailed in a court for five-and-twenty years fhe abode of
profligacy and corruption, conversions, real or pretended,
might be expected to be abundant ; yet the failures of the
king were numerous and mortifying. Lady Dorchester, as
we have seen, stuck fo her religion, reconciling it, like her
royal paramour, with fhe breach of its duties. A priest came
fo convert secretary Middleton : <' Your lordship believes
fhe Trinity?" began he. "Who fold you so? You are
come here to prove your ovvn opinions, not to ask about
mine," was the reply ; and the priest retired in confusion.
Lord Mulgrave is said to have replied to a monk, " I have
convinced myself, by much reflection, that God made man,
but I cannot believe that man can make God." Colonel
Kirke is reported to have told the king that he was preen-
gaged, having promised the emperor of Morocco to become
a Mohammedan, if ever he changed. Buf the great object
was to gain fhe princess Anne, and for this puipose fhe lure
of the succession vvas held out to her ; buf, though of weak
disposition, she was firm. The bishop of London had been
her tutor ; and lord and lady Churchill, who ruled her, were
zealous for protestantism ; and all the efforts made on her
proved abortive. Lord Dartmouth, though sincerely attached

372 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
to James, refused to abandon his religion. When admiral
Herbert, a man of loose life and laden with the royal favors,
refused him, James said to Barillon, that he never could put
confidence in any man, however attached to him, who affected
fhe character of a zealous protestant.
The year 1686, closed with an act which convinced fhe
people that the overthrow of their religion was the dbject re
ally proposed by the king. This was the dismissal of Roch
ester from his office of treasurer, effected by fhe secret in
fluence of Petre and Sunderland. The king was really
attached to his brother-in-law, but he now told him that he
must either go to mass or go out of office. Rochester's
friends and fhe Spanish and Dutch ambassadors were desi
rous that he should keep office at any rate. A conference,'
it was agreed, should be held in his jiresence on the points in
dispute between the two churches. Af the end of it he de
sired a further delay fo consider, but, as his object evidently
was to gain time, the king consented fo dismiss him. The
treasury was then managed by a board, of which lord Bella
sis, a catholic, was fhe head ; and he, Powis, and Dover, were
now members of the privy councU. The king was also about
to appoint father Petre to a seat in if, and he vvas only with
held from doing it by the entreaties ofthe queen.
A dismissal of protestants from office and a resignation of
commissions in the army soon followed. The king, previous
to fhe meeting of parliament, wishing to ascertain the opin
ions ofthe members who held offices, summoned them sepa
rately to his closet in order to confer with them. The result
of these ' closetings,' as fhey were named, proved unsatisfac
tory, and they were either dismissed from their offices or they
resigned. Their places were generally supplied with catho
lics. If being now evident that a sufficient number of fhe mem
bers ofthe established church could not be induced fo betray
it, the king was advised to endeavor fo gain the non-conform
ists ; not but that there were even on the episcopal bench
men who set litUe value on religion as compared vvith their
interest ; such were Crew of Durham, Cartwright, and Parker,
fo whom the king had lately given the sees of Chester and
Oxford, knowing them to be men for his purpose, to whom
may perhaps be added Sprat of Rochester, and one or two
more. A declaration was issued accordingly, suspending the
penai laws and forbidding the imposition of tests. Of this
the dissenters took advantage, though dubious ofthe motives
whence it proceeded ; and many addresses of thanks were

JAMES II. 373
presented from them at court. Theking, inhisselp.delusion,
congratulated himself on the success of this measure in weak
ening the church paity, and he now thought he might venture
to attack them in their strongholds, fhe universities.
As Oxford had so strongly asserted fhe doctrine of passive
obedience, James commenced his attack on fhe church in
that university. He appointed Massey, a fellow of Merton
and a recent convert, fo the deanery of Christ Church, and,
true fo its principles, the , university made no opposition.
The king nex; made trial of Cambridge. He wrote (Feb. 7)
to the vice-chancellor. Dr. Peachell, commanding him fo ad
mit to the degree of master of arts, without the usual oaths, a
Benedictine monk, named Alban Francis, who was acting as
a missionary in that neighborhood. Peachell refused, and
he was summoned before the ecclesiastical commission; the
university supported him, and it ended in the compromise of
the appointment of a new vice-chancellor and the withdrawal
ofthe claim of Francis." Shamed or emboldened by the ex
ample of Cambridge, Oxford soon began to shake off its
slavish trammels. On the death ofthe president of Magdalen
college, letters .mandatory were sent, (Apr. 4,) recommend
ing -Mr. Anthony Farmer, aman of low, dissolute habits, but
a recent proselyte. The fellows petitioned fhe king, but to
no pui-pose ; they then proceeded to fhe election, and chose
Mr. Hough, (15th.) They were summoned before fhe ecclesi
astical commission, and the election was pronounced void.
But Farmer was withdrawn; his character being too notori
ous, and fhey were directed to choose Parker, bishop of Oxford,
(Aug. 14.) They still refused, and when fhe king came to
Oxford the following month on his progress, he chid them
severely and insisted on their obedience. Still they would
not yield. A commission was then issued, appointing ex
traordinary visitors of their coUege, (Oct 21,) and Hough
and twenty-five ofthe fellows were expeUed and declared in
capable of holding any clerical preferment, (Dec. 10;) The
king thus gained a victory, but, as Lingard jusUy observes,
" he had no reason fo be proud of it, for it betrayed the hol-
l,)wness of his pretensions tp goed faith and sincerity, and
earned him the enmity pfthe great body of the clergy, and
of all who were devoted tothe interests of the church."
In the summer (July 3) fhe king had given another intima
tion ofhis designs, by publicly receiving D'Adda as the pa
pal -nuncio — a measure to which fhe pope had yielded an
unwilling consent He now advanced a step further, and
by the royal command (Nov. 11) father Petre fppk his seat
VOL. u. 32

374 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
ampng the privy cpuncUlprs, to the grief and dismay of the
moderate catholics and the astonishment and vexation of
the people.
The king had also dissolved fhe parliament, (July 2.) It
was represented fo him in vain, that in aU points buf that
of religion this was a more compliant assembly than he
could ever again expect fo obtain ; religion was with him ihe
point, and he resolved fo make the trial. In order to get a
more complete control over the corporations, he appoiuteda
board pf seven ' Regulatprs,' all cathplics except the chancel
lor, with powers to appoint and remove officers and freemen
at their discretion. To pbtain cPunty members tP his pur
ppse, the Iprds lieutenant were directed tP inquire pf their
deputies and fhe magistrates, whether, if elected fp parlia
ment, fhey wpuld vpfe fer fhe repeal pf fhe test-act and fhe
penal laws; whether they wpuld suppprt candidates whp
wpuld prpmise tP dp sp ; and whether fhey wpuld suppprt
the declaratipn. Lpss pf office was to be the penalty of
non-compliance. This measure, however, did not succeed.
Fourteen lords lieutenant were rempved, and their places
supplied wifh cathplics; a like change was made ampng the
sheriffs and in fhe magistracy ; yet, after all, James saw that
he cpuld npf have a parliament fp his mind, and pf the hpuse
pf fords there was np hppe. Sunderland, hpwever, had cpn-
ceived fhe then unknpwn prpject of swamping this house by
a large creation. " O silly ! " cried he to lord ChurchUl,
when fhe opposition of the peers was spoken of; " why, your
troop of guards shall be callfed fo the house of lOrds." This
bold measure vvas not ventured on ; the king seemed inclined,
if he could not get a pliant house of commons, to continue
to rule by prerogative.
The Scottish parliament had proved as uncomplying as
the English on the subject of religion. The king had there
in like manner issued a proclamation, granting toleration to
sectaries, and suspending all laws against catholics, " by his
sovereign authority, prerogative royal, and absolute power,"
— words which he did not yet venture fo employ in England.
In Ireland the lord lieutenancy had been given fo lord
Clarendon, but the command ofthe forces was separated from
it for the first time, and intrusted to Richard Talbot,* novv
earl of Tyrconnel, an Irish catholic of the English race, a
man of some talent, but no judgment, rude and boisterous

York

See above, p. 267, for his conduct with respect to the duchess of

JAMES II. 375
in manners, with no control over his passions and appetites ;
handsome and showy in his person ; he was in effect^ a gen
uine Anglo-Irishman of that day. Being in the confidence
of fhe king, he treated the viceroy with insolence and con
tempt, and though the object for which he was sent was to
raise the catholic interest, he could not refrain from insulting
the native Irish by calling them the O's and Mac's. , Having
aided Sunderland in overthrowing the Hydes, he bullied him
out ofthe chief government of Ireland, though he was known
to be the enemy of fhe act of Settlement, and the devoted
slave of Louis XIV. He was appointed lord deputy, (Feb.
I6S7,) and by fhe end of fhe year the catholics formed the
majority in the privy council, the magistracy, fhe army, and
the corporations. The chancellor and three fourths of fhe
judges, and aU the king's council but one, were of this persua
sion. The protestants now began to emigrate in great num
bers; the officers sold their commissions for little or nothing,
and sought service wifh the prince of Orange. The object
ofthe king was to make Ireland an asylum for the catholics,
and for himself if needful; but Tyrconnel had a deeper de
sign, and he proposed to the French envoy, Bonrepaux, that
in case of the succession of fhe prince of Orange, Ireland
should become an independent state under the protection of
France. To this project Louis gave a most willing consent,
but it was studiously concealed from James, and even from
Barillon. Yet suspicion was afloat ; and it was one of the ob
jects of Dyckveldt, whom fhe prince of Orange sent over in
the beginning of the year, to ascertain fhe king's designs
with respect to Ireland.
James now fondly deemed that the overthrow of the prot
estant church was nearly certain. The steadfastness of his
daughters in their religion had been to him a source of anx
iety, as they might undo all his work ; but an event now
occurred which promised to relieve him from all apprehen
sion. The queen, who had ceased from child-bearing, for
five years, announced that she was pregnant. This event^
vvhich fhe king and his friends ascribed to the efficacy of his
prayers af Sf. Winifred's well, which he had lately visited, or
to the prayers on earth and intercession in heaven ofthe late
duchess of Modena, was haUed by the whole catholic party
with transports of joy, and they even, as formerly in fhe case
of queen Mary,* ventured to assign fhe sex of the embryo.
The protestants, on the other hand, openly expressed their
• See vtjl. i. p. 428.

376 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
doubts, and hesitated not fo assert that those whose interest
it was to have a prince of Wales would be at no loss to pro
cure one. , ,
We now enter on the year 1688, a year ever memorable
in the annals of England, and even in those of the wor d.
To the royal view fhe whole political horizon seemed calm
and unclouded. The king had triumphed in his contest with
the church; in his late progress he had been greeted and
cheered by bodies Of the dissenters, whom he took for the
natfon; he had the prospect of the birth of a son to exclude
his heretical daughters, and fo go on with the good work of
spreading the true faith ; London was even already pufting
on the appearance, of a catholic city; monks and friars in
their appropriate habits were fo be seen parading the streets ;
a papal nuncio sanctified tbe court by his , presence ; and
Corker, a Benedictine, who had been tried for his life dur
ing the popish plot, being appointed envoy by the elector of
Coloo-ne, the king insisted that he and his attendant monks
should come to court in fhe habit of their order — a piece of
bigoted folly which fhe more sagacious Louis XI"V". strongly
condemned. Finally, Jaraes had filled Magdalen- college
with popish fellows; and pn the death pf bishpp Parker,
(Mar. 23,) Dr. Giffard, pne pf the feur cafhplic prelates
whom he had induced the pontiff fo consecrate for England,
was by fhe royal mandate chosen fo succeed him.^
Buf all this triumph and all this security was fallacious;
the tempest was secretly brewing which vvas fo level the
fabric of despotism and superstition in the dust. The To
ries, who had long been restrained by their notions of un
limited obedience, now alarmed for their religion by the
queen's pregnancy, began to unite vvith fhe Whigs ; several
influential noblemen were in secret correspondence wifh the
prince of Orange, and an armed resistance to fhe crown
with his aid was contemplated.
In this state ofthe national feeling, the king made his final
and fatal step. Having caused (Apr. 25) his declaration for
,, liberty of conscience to be republished with additions, he,
by the advice of Petre, it was said, afterwards (May 4)
made an order of councU that it should be read out in all the
churches during the time of divine service, and the bishops
were enjoined to distribute it fpr this purpose. The London
clergy met and deliberated ; several vvere inclined fo submit
or to try to gain time; buf fhe more generous-spirited, beincr
supported by a declaration of the leading non-conformists,
calling on them to make a stand for religion and liberty,

JAMES II. 377
prevailed. The learned Dr. Patrick had the courage to be
the first to put his signature to a refusal to comply ; if was
then subscribed by eighty clergymen and forvvarded to Lam
beth, vvhere, on fhe 12th, fhe primate, bishops Compton,
Turner, and White, with Dr. Tennison and lord Clarendon,
took it into consideration. It was resolved not fo read tbe
declaration, but to petition fhe king and to summon the other
prelates to their aid, The call. was quickly responded to by
bishops Lloyd, Ken, and Trelawny, and on fhe 18th another
meeting was held at Lambeth, at which TiUofsoh, Tennison,
Stillingfleet, Patrick; Sherlock, and Grove assisted ; it was
agreed to present without delay to the king a petition written
by the primate, and signed by himself and bishops Lloyd,
Ken, Trelawny, Turner, White, and Lake. As the primate
had been forbidden the court, the six prelates went fo White
hall at ten o'clock that very night, and were admitted into
the royal bed-chamber. They fell on their knees, and Lloyd
presented fhe petition. The king, when he had read it, ex
pressed his surprise, and said it was " a standard of rebel
lion," and, spite of their professions of unshaken loyalty, he
dismissed them with the assurance that he would mainfairi
fhe dispensing power which God had given him, adding, " I
feU you, there are seven thousand men, and of the church of
England too; that have not bowed the knee to Baal." That
very night the petition was printed and distributed through
fhe city, though fhe bishops had given their only copy to
the king, and he had never let it out of his possession.
The next Sunday (20th) was the flrst day for the reading
of the Declaration in the churches. If was read only rin
seven ; the country clergy, countenanced in general by their
diocesans, were equally disobedient, and out of a body of
ten thousand, not more than tvvo hundred complied. On
the very 20th of May, the venerable Richard Baxter, the re
nowned non-conformist who had been so often persecuted by
fhe church, praised from his pulpit fhe bishops for their re
sistance to that Declaration by virtue of which he was then
able fo preach publicly. It was thus plain that all hopes
from the dissenters were vanished. The whole church party
were firm to the prelates, and the king must now either yield
at discretion or engage in a contest wifh all his protestant
subjects. In the council, Sunderland, fhe catholic lords, and even
Jeffreys, were for moderation ; but their opinions were over
ruled, and it was resolved to prosecute the bishops in the
court of king's-bench. They were accordingly summoned
32* vv

378 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
before fhe privy councU, (June 8,) where, after some hesita
tion, they acknowledged their signatures; they were then
required to enter into recognizances fo appear at Westmin-
ster-haU; they declined, pleading their peerage; a warrant
for their comntittal fo the Tower was then made out. As
they proceeded to fhe barges which weie io convey them to
that fortress, the people vented their feelings in fears and
prayers, and earnestly implored their blessing. Both banks
of the river were lined with spectators, who fell on their
knees and prayed- for fhem. At the Tower the officers and
men of fhe guard asked their blessing ; and the men every
day drank their health, in spite of fhe catholic lieutenant.
The nobility of both se.xes resorted daUy to the Tower ; a
deputation of ten non-conformist ministers appeared there
one day, and when reprimanded for it by the king, fhey re
plied, that fhey could not but adhere to fhe bishops as men
constant to fhe protestant religion.
Had the king, had the prudence fo recede, an opportunity
was afforded him vVithin fwo days by the birth of the prince
of Wales, (lOfh.) His moderate advisers urged him tben to
publish a general amnesty, which vvould include the bishops ;
but his priestly guides and his own obstinacy determined him
to proceed. On the 15th fhe prelates were brought up by
Habeas Corpus in order fo plead. The people at their land
ing received fhem as before ; in the court they were attended
by twenty-nine peers, ready to be their securities. Their
counsel claimed a delay for them fUl the next terra; but the
court decided that they should plead af once. They pleaded
' Not Guilty,' and were released on engaging fo appear on
the 29th. The popular joy burst forth in shouts and accla
mations, and numbers again begged their blessings; when
the primate landed at Lambeth, fhe soldiers there also fell
on their knees fo receive his blessing. Bonfires were lighted
in the evening, and some catholics were insulted.
On fhe appointed day the bishops appeared in court,
attended by a numerous troop of the nobility and gentry.
Of the four judges, one, Allibone, was a catholic; tvvo
others, Wright (the chief) and HoUoway, were the slaves of
the court; pne pnly, Ppwel, was impartial and honest; fhe
king had taken pains fo have a jury returned that he could
rely on ; and at court there was not a doubt felt ofthe result
The speech of fhe attorney-general was timid, and there
was great difficulty in jiroving fhe, signatures ; a question
then arose, whether the petition which had been written in
Surrey, and not proved to have been published in Middlesex,

JAMES II. 379
could be tried in the latter county. At every faUure of the
¦crown lawyers, the audienfee set up a laugh or a shout, which
the court was unable to repress. Wright began fo sum up ;
but he was interrupted by Finch, one of the prisoners' coun
sel. Williams, the solicitor-general, then requested the court
to wait for the appearance of a person of great quality. Af
ter a delay of an hour, lord Sunderland arrived in a chair,
amid the hootings of the populace: he proved that the
bishops came fo him with a petition, and that he introduced
them to the king. But now the counsel for the accused took
new ground, and assumed a bolder tone; they arraigned the
dispensing power ; they maintained the right of the subject
to petition. Wright and Allibone charged against HoUo
way and Powell in favor of the prisoners. The jury retired
af seven in fhe evening ; fhe obstinacy of Arnold, the king's
brewer,, one of their number, kept fhem in debate till fhe
morning, when at nine o'clock they came info court and
pronounced their verdict ' Npt Guilty.' Instantly a peal of
joy arose ; it vvas taken up without; it spread over the city ;
it reached fhe camp at Hounslow, and was repeated by the
soldiers. The king, who was dining with lord Feversham,
on inquiring, was fold it was forthe acquittal ofthe bishops :
" So much the wor.se for them," was his remark.
The birth of his son rai-ght seem a sufficient consolation
fo fhe king under this defeat; but here too his usual ill-for
tune pursued him. If ever there was a prince about whose
birth there vvould seem to be no possibility of doubt, it was
this prince of Wales. His mother had long since spoken of
her pregnancy ; the birth took jilace in fhe morning, in fhe
presence of the queen-dowager, most of the privy council,
and several ladies of quality, many of whom vvere protestants
— yet not one ih a thousand of the protestants helieved, in
its reality. Some maintained that the queen had never been
pregnant; others, that she had miscarried at Easter, and
that one child, or even two successive children, had been
substituted for the abortion.. The princess Anne remained
incredulous; so did the able bishop Lloyd for manyyears.
It was" in fact a general delusion, from which neither reason
nor good sense preserved men ; it was most certainly no
party fiction, though party might, and did, take advantage
of it
The birth of the prince seems to have decided the un
principled lord Sunderland to make public at this time his
apostasy from fhe protestant faith. He and Sheffield earl of

380 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Mulgrave had been privately reconciled by father Petre a
year before.
On fhe other hand, the birth of the prince decided those
who were in communication with the prince of Orange.
While the next heir was a protestant, the, attempts of James
might be borne wifh patience, as they could only continue
for a few years ; but now there was born a successor who
would be nurtured in popery, and a popish regency under fhe
queen would be formed in case of the king's demise. No
time was therefore to be lost ; an invitation to. fhe prince to
come fo the relief of fhe country was drawn out and signed
in cipher (June 30) by the earls of Shrewsbury, Danby,
and Devonshire, lord Lumley, the bishop of London, admiral
Russell, and colonel Sidney. Tl^^ bearer of it fo Holland is
supppsed fo have been admiral Herbert, in the disguise of a
common sailor.
The prince of Orange, by far the greatest man pf his time,
had fpr many years devoted all his thoughts and energies to
fhe humbling of the power of Lpuis XIV. In 1686 he had
succeeded in engaging the eraperer, fhe kings pf Spain and
Sweden, and several pfthe German princes, tP subscribe fhe
'League pf Augsburg,' pf which this was the rea( pbject.
The fpllpwing year, spine ofthe Italian states, the pope him
self included, joined fhe league, and the greater part of
Europe was thus banded, under the prince of Orange, to
check the ambition of Louis. The proper place of England
was in this confederation ; buf the policy of her king with
held her from it: hence the prince aspired to fhe power of
directing her councils and adding her' means to the great
cause pf natipnal independence.
The death pf the elector pf Cologne in fhe spring of this
year proved most favorable to the designs of the prince, as
if brought Louis and the confederacy into cpllisipn. This
electpr, who also held fhe bishoprics of Liege, Munster,
and Hildesheira, had proved a most useful ally fo Louis in
1672; and all the efforts of this monarch were directed to
procure fhe election of the coadjutor, tbe cardinal of Furs-
temberg, who was his creature, and to whpm he had given
the bishppric cf Strasburg, pf vvhich it was requisite that
he should previously divest hiraself The pope, however,
out of hostility fo Louis, refused to accept his resignation;
and at fhe election, (July 9,) though Furstemberg had a
majprity pf votes over his competitor, prince Clement of
Bavaria, he did not obtain the requisite fwo thirds. The

JAMES II. 381
appointment then fell to the pope, and he named Clement,
who was only a youth of seventeen ye^rs of age. The can
didates of the allies were equaUy successful at Liege, Mun
ster, and Hildesheim, and both sides now began to prepare
for war. This gave the prince of Orange an opportunity of
making his preparations for fhe invasion of England, under
color of providing for the, defence of bis own country and
the empire. ~A large force was encamped near Nimeguen;
oannori and ammunition were taken from the arsenals to be
sent to it; soldiers and sailors were engaged; the Dutch
navy was augmented, and the different fleets were placed
in, adjoining ports. These mighty preparations naturally
awakened the suspicions of D'Avaux,'fhe French minister
at the Hague ; but it was long before he could get certain
information of their object. When at length, he ascertained
that they vvere destined for the invasion of England, and had
informed his court, Louis lost no time in communicating it
fo James, making at the same time an offer of his aid ; but
that infatuated prince refused to give credit fo if. Skel
ton, the English minister at Paris, then proposed to Louis
that D'Avaux should declare to, the States that there was an
alliance between his master and James, and that Louis would
regard as a breach of peace any' attempt against his ally.
This manoeuvre disconcerted the friends of fhe prince of
Orange ; but James, in.?tead of taking advantage of this, in
his silly pride took offence, denied the alliance, recalled
Skelton, and committed him to fhe Tower. Had he owned
if, Louis would perhaps have made war on Holland, and thus
haye prevented the expedition of the prince ; whereas he
now declared war against the emperor alone, put his troops
in motion, and laid siege to Philipsburg on fhe Upper Rhine,
(Sept. 14.) All was novv tranquil on fhe side of Holland;
the prince found his motions unimpeded, and having arranged
with his German aUies for the defence ofthe republic during
his absence, he lost no time in preparing for the invasion
of Erigland.
The eyes of James at length were opened fo his danger,
and he attempted to retrace- his steps. Almost every day of
the month of October was marked by some concession. He
asked and graciously received the advice of the bishops ;
he restored the bishop of London and the president and
fellows of Magdalen college ; he gave the city of London
and the towns and boroughs back their charters ; recalled
the writs he had issued for a parliament, etc. Meantime he
was active in preparing the means of resistance; a fleet of

382 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
thirty-seven sail, with seventeen fire-ships, was stationed at
the Gun-fleet under lord Dartmouth, whose fidelity was
beyond suspicion; he called out the mUitia; gave com
missions for raising regiments and companies ; recalled
troops from Scotland and Ireland; and the army, under fhe
comraand of lord Feversham, now amounted to forty thou
sand men.
The prince of Orange had declarations prepared, addressed
to the people of England and Scotland, stating the motives
of his coming over, namely, fo procure a free parliament ;
the redress of grievances ; the security of the church ; a
comprehension for dissenters who desired it, and toleration
for all others ; and to inquire into the birth of the prince of
Wales. He also wrote to his catholic allies, disclaiming all
intention of injuring tbe king ori his rightful heirs, and as
suring them that he would employ all his influence to secure
toleration for the catholics. The States issued a circular
letter to fhe same effect.
The fleet collected for the invasion consisted of sixty men-
of-war and seven hundred transports ; the troops were 4500
horse and 11,000 foot. Marshal Schomberg and the counts
of Nassau and Solms, wifh general Ginckel and other able
Dutch officers; a band of eight hundred French refugees;
fhe English exUes, such as lord Macclesfield, Dr. Burnet,
and others, and those recently arrived, namely, the earl of
Shrewsbury, who had raised 40,000/. for the expedition, the
sons of fhe marquesses of Winchester and Halifax and of
lord Danby, admirals Russell and Herbert, — all prepared fo
share the fortune of fhe prince.
The first full-moon after the equinox was the time ap
pointed for sailing ; buf for the first half of October the wind
blew tempestuously from the west Public prayers fo Heaven
were made in all the churches ; on fhe ISfh fhe storm abated,
and William then (15th) took a solemn leave of fhe States,
commending to them fhe princess if any thing should hap
pen to himself The aged pensionary Fage] replied in their
name. The whole audience were deeply affected ; William
alone remained apparently unmoved. A solemn fast was
held on fhe 17fh, and fwo days after (19fh) fhe expedUion
saUed from Helvoetsluys ; but during fhe night a storm came
on and dispersed the fleet, and next day the ships were
obliged to return fo fhe different ports to repair and fo lay
in additional stores. At length fhe ' Protestant East-wind,'
as it was termed, came, and the prince again put fo sea,
(Nov. 1.) He first sailed northwards, intending to land in

JAMES IL 383
Yorkshire ; but then changing his course he passed (3d)
between Dover and Calais; wind and tide prevented lord
Dartmouth from attacking;, the peeple ofthe opposite coasts
gazed wifh various emotions on the, magnificent spectacle of
a fleet extending twenty mUes in length and laden with the
fate of empires. On Monday the 5fh fhe fteet safely anchored
at Torbay in Devon.
The king had in fhe interim been making new efforts to
sustain his sinking poWer. He caused a solemn investiga
tion fo be made into the birth of fhe prince of Wales, and
the numerous depositions to be enrolled in chancery, in
order that his title, in case of his own death, might be put
beyond doubt. , He dismissed from his, council (Oct. 27)
Sunderland, whose fidelity, after all the lengths he had gone,
was now suspected, and not wholly' without reasen. Father
Petre had already, ceased fp appear at the councU-board.
As the prince had stated in his declaration that " he had
been invited • by, divers lords spiritual and temporal," fhe
king called upon fhe prelates and peers in fhe capital to ad
mit or deny the truth of this assertion. They all denied it;
for none of them had signed the invitation but bishop Comp
ton, who adroitly evaded the question by saying, " I am con
fident fhe rest of the bishops will as readily answer in the
negative as myself" The king insisted on having their de
nial in writing, with an ' abhorrence ' of the designs of the
prince ; buf this fhey declined fo give, (Nov. 6.) He then
left fhein in anger, felling them that he would trust to his
army. The prince was now at Exeter, buf hardly any one. as yet
had joined him, for the memory of 'Jeffreys' campaign' was
still fresh in fhe minds of the people of Devon. He suspect
ed that he was deceived, and he began to think of reemhark-
iiig, being resolved on his return to HoUand to publish the
names of those who had invited him. At length sir Edward
Seymour and some of the western gentry came in fo him ;
and at the suggestion of Seymour, a bond of Association
was drawn out, engaging fhe subscribers fo support one
another in defence of fhe laws and liberties of the three
kingdoms, the protestant religion, ahd the prince of Orange.
They were foUowed by lord Colchester, lord Wharton, Mr.
Russell, and fhe earl of Abingdon. Soon after, (10th,) lord
Cornbury, son of the earl of Clarendon, attempted to carry
over three regiments of horse that were stationed at Salis
bury ; but the far greater part of the officers and men proving
loyal, he led but a small party to join the army of the prince.

384 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
The ice was now broken ; distrust spread through the whole
army; fhe friends ofthe prince were emboldened; the lords
Danby and Lumley began to rais6 men in Yorkshire, lord
Delamere in Cheshire, and lord Devonshire in Derbyshire.
James was strongly urged to seek ah accommodation with
fhe prince, but he still confided in the loyalty of his troops,
and he resolved to put himself at their head. Father Petre,
anxious, perhaps, for his own safety, pressed him to remain
in London, as quitting it had been the ruin of his father.
Af his suggestion the infant prince Was sent to Portsmouth,
and he hiraself made his escape to France after the king's
departure for fhe army.
James, on reaching Salisbury, reviewed fhe troops that
were there, (20th.) He was to go the next day fo Warmin
ster, to inspect the' division of general Kirke, but a violent
bleeding of the nose camp on' him, which continued, with
intervals, for three days. During this time a councU of war
vvas held, (22d.) Lord Churchill, the lieutenant-general,
advised to remain at Salisbury ; Feversham and his brother,
the count de Roye, proposed to retire behind fhe Thames.
This last course was approved of by the king ; and that very
night Churchill, fhe duke of Grafton, and others went over
to the prince, and they were followed by several of their
officers in fhe morning. If is even said that Churchill,
Kirke, and some other officers had conspired to seize fhe
king at Warminster, and deliver him up to the prince.
The king on his return to London stopped the first night
(24th) af Andover. He invited prince George of Denmark
to sup wifh him. After supper, that prince, fhe duke of Or
mond, and two others mounted their horses and rode off fo
tbe prince of Orange. When James reached London, fhe
first news that met him was that of tbe flight of his daughter
Anne. He burst into tears: "God help me,", he cried;
" my very children have fprsaken me." The princess had
left her bed-chamber in the night (25th) with lady Churchill
and Mrs. Berkeley ; fhe bishpp pf Lpndpn and ford Dorset
had a carriage ready for her, and she was conveyed fo the
bishop's house, and thence ,to Northampton. Disaffection
novv spread rapidly over the whole kingdom. Bristol, Hull,
York, and other towns were occupied by the adherents of
the prince. The university of Oxford sent him its adhesion
and an offer of its plate !
Tbe first act ofthe king was to hold a great council ofthe
peers who were in London, and by their advice he issued
writs for a parliament, and sent lords Halifax, Nottingham,

JAMES II. 385
and Godolphin, as his commissioners, to treat with the
prince ; buf some days elapsed before they were admitted
to his presence, and meantime a spurious proclamation in
his name, menacing all papists bearing arms or holding
office, was circulated in London. James was now resolved
on placing himself and his family under the protection of the
king of France. He had his son brought back from Ports
mouth, whence he could not now be conveyed, and, on a
dark and stormy night, (Dec. 9,) the queen, with her babe
and his nurse, crossed the river in an open boat fo Lambeth ;
but fhe expected carriage was not there, and they had to
stand for some time, only sheltered by an old wall from fhe
torrents of rain. At length the coach arrived, and fhe queen
proceeded to Gravesend, where she got on board a yacht
which conveyed her to Calais. '
The king had promised the queen to follow her in twenty-
four hours. The letter which hereceived next day (10th)
from his commissioners, stating the prince's terms, made no
change in his resolution. He wrote fo lord Feversham,
dispensing with the further services of the troops ; and he
caUed for and burned the writs for a parliament, and then
retired to rest. At one in the morning (llth). he rose, and
felling lord Northumberland, who lay on a pallet in his
chamber, not to open the door till fhe usual hour in the
morning, he went down fhe back stairs, and, being joined
by sir Edward Hales, got into a hackney-coach and drove
to the horse-ferry, and there getting info a small boat, crossed
over to Vauxhall, throwing the great seal into the river on
his way. Horses were there ready for fhem, and at ten in
fhe morning they reached Feversham, where fhey got on
board a custom-house hoy which had been engaged for the
purpose. As soon as the news of fhe king's flight was known in
London, the mob attacked fhe catholic chapels and fhe res
idences of the catholic ambassadors. Those who felt them
selves to be obnoxious attempted to fly to the coast, but
several were taken and committed to prison. Jeffreys was
discovered af Wapping in the disguise of a common sailor.
It was with difficulty that he was saved from fhe rage of the
mob. At his own desire he was committed fo the Tower,
where he died shortly afterwards. The nuncio, disguised as a
footman of fhe ambassador of Savoy, was seized af Gravesend,
but fhe prince sent him a passport without delay.
The government meantime was exercised by a council of
peers, with the lord mayor and aldermen. They sent a dec-
voL. II. 33 WW

386 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
laration of adhesion to fhe prince, on condition of his pro
curing a free parliament ; but their deliberations were soon
disturbed by tidings of the detention of the king. The hoy,
having stopped fo get in more ballast, was boarded by three
boats, and the crews, faking fhe king and his companions
for Jesuits, brought it back to Feversham. The king, being
recognized, sent for lord Winchelsea, the lord lieutenant of
fhe county, and he was placed at the house of fhe mayor,
whence he wrote (14th) to the supreme council at London,
who forthwith ordered lord Feversham to take two hundred
ofthe guards for fhe protection ofthe royal person. James,
on being joined by them, resolved fo return to the capital.
He sent lord Feversham to the prince, who was now at
Windsor, fo propose a personal conference ; buf fhe envoy
was placed under arrest, on the pretext of his having come
without a passport.
The king, on reaching London, (16fh,) was received wifh
every demonstration of popular joy : fhe crowds shouted, fhe
bells were rung, and fhe honflres were kindled, in fhe usual
manner. Next day he held a court, met his council, and
exercised other acts of sovereignty. But the prince and his
council had decided that James should not remain at White
hall ; and fhe following evening (17fh) count Solms came
with a body of fhe Dutch guards, and, having occupied St.
James's, led them to Whitehall. Lord Craven, who com
manded the English guards, was preparing to resist; but
fhe king, knowing opposition to be useless, repressed the
ardor pf the veteran pf eighty, and the Dutch guards tPok
fhe place of fhe English. A little before midnight the king
went to rest, buf he had not been long asleep when he vvas
waked fo receive the lords Halifax, Shrewsbury, and Del-
araere, whp were corae with a message from the prince. He
had fhem admitted. They told him it was the prince's wish
that, for the safety of his persen, he shpuld go to Ham-house
in Surrey, where he would be attended by his own guards,
and that he must depart af fen in the morning, as fhe prince
would arrive by noon. James objected fo Ham, as damp
and cold, and proposed Rochester. They departed, and re
turned at nine next morning (19th) wifh fhe requisite per
mission. Af noon fhe king took leave of the nobility, and entered
fhe royal barge, and went down the river, followed by a party
ofthe Dutch guards in boats. The assembled crowds viewed
with mournful looks this final departure of their sovereign, a
captive in the hands of foreigners. James slept that night

JAMES II. 387
at Gravesend, and next day came to Rochester, where he
remained for four days, deliberating on his further course.
His friends in general urged him not to think of quitting fhe
kingdom, as it was the very course his enemies seemed fo
wish him to adopt ; for, though the front of the house in
which he resided was guarded, the rear was neglected. He
sent, offering fo place himself in tbe hands ofthe prelates, if
they would answer for his safety ; but they declined so deli-
cafe a charge. He then resolved on flight, to which he was
moreover urged by a letter from the queen ; and, having
written a declaration explanatory of his motives, and in
formed some friends of his design, he went to bed as usual,
(23d.) After midnight he rose, and, with his natural son
the duke of Berwick and three other persons, he went out
through the garden. A fishing-smack had been hired fo
convey him to France, but the weather was so rough that he
could not reach it. He got on board the Eagle fire-ship,
where he was received with all marks of respect hythe crew,
and next morning (24th) he embarked in the smack. On
Christmas-day he landed -at Ambleteuse in Picardy, and he
hastened to join his queen af St. Germain. H|is reception by
Louis was cordial and generous.
At two o'clock on the day of the king's departure from
fhe capital, fhe prince of Orange came to St. James's. All
classes crowded fo do him homage. He summoned the lords
spiritual and temporal to meet on the 21st, fo consider the
state of the nation. They came on the appointed day, to the
number of about seventy: five lawyers, in the absence ofthe
judges, were appointed fo assist them. It was proposed that
they should previously sign fhe Exeter Association : fhe tem
poral peers, with four exceptions, subscribed ; fhe prelates,
all but Compton, refused. Next day (22d) they met in the
house of peers, and, having chosen lord Halifax their speaker,
issued an order for all papists, except householders and some
others, to remove fen miles from London. On Christmas-
day they resolved that the prince should be requested to take
on him the administration of all public affairs fill the 22d of
January, and that he vvould issue letters for persons to be
elected fo meet as a convention on that day. The following
day (26th) all those who had served in any of the parliaments
of Charles IL, and were in town, with the aldermen and
fifty common-council-men, waited on the prince by invita
tion, and thence went to the house of commons, where next
day (27th) they voted an address simUar to that of the
peers. The prince accepted the charge, and issued the let-

388 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
ters of summons for the convention. Next day, being Sun
day, he received the sacrament according to fhe rights of the
church of England.
On fhe 22d of January, 1689, the memorable convention
met A joint address of thanks and praying him to continue
the administration of affairs was presented to the prince.
After a few days' necessary delay, the commons entered on
fhe great question of the, state of the nation, (28fh;) and it
was resolved, " That king James IL, having endeavored to
subvert fhe constitution ofthe kingdom by breaking the ori
ginal contract between king and people, and, by the advice
of Jesuits and other wicked persons, having violated the fun
damental laws, and having withdrawn himself out of this
kingdom, has abdicated the government, and that fhe throne
is thereby become vacant." Next day (29fh) if was resolved,
" That it hath been found by experience to be inconsistent
with the safety and welfare of this protestant kingdom to be
governed by a popish prince." It is remarkable that this is
fhe very principle of fhe exclusion-biU which had brought
such odium on its supporters.
In the lords this last vote was unanimously agreed fo, but
various questions arose on fhe former. The first was, sup
posing the throne vacant, whether fhey would have a regent
or a king. It was decided in favor ofthe latter by a majori
ty of only two. If was then carried, that there was an origi
nal contract between king and people. For the word 'abdi
cated ' fhey substituted ' deserted ; ' and they struck out the
clause declaring the throne to be vacant, as it was main
tained that fhe crown devolved fo fhe princess of Orange.
To these amendments fhe commons refused fo agree. Two
conferences took place between committees of the houses,
which terminated in fhe lords' giving way fo the firmness of
fhe commons, though their arguments were clearly superior
on fhe principles ofthe constitution and of common sense;
but fhe cogent motive was political necessity. The whole
some regard for the forms of the constitution certainly in
volved fhe whigs in apparent absurdity, for the word ' abdi
cated,' it was acknowledged, was used in an improper sense ;
' deserted ' was in truth no better, buf it sounded softer ; fhe
proper word was 'forfeited,' buf aU parties shrank from em
ploying if.
The throne being vacant, the next question was, by whom
it should be filled. The young prince of Wales was passed
over by common consent ; for his birth should be previously
inquired into ; and should his legitimacy be proved, as there

JAMES 11. 389
was no doubt but that he would be brought up a catholic, it
would be necessary to appoint a protestant regent, and then
the strange sight might be presented of a succession of kings
.with the rights and title of the- crown, and of regents exer
cising all its powers. The simple course seemed fo be, to
make the princess of Orange queen.; but the prince signi
fied his dislike of that, saying he could not hold any thing
,by apron-strings, and threatening to return to Holland,; the
princess had also strongly expressed her disapprobation of it.
It was finally resolved {'Feb. 12) that fhe prince and princess
of Orange should be king and queen during their lives and
that of the survivor, buf the sole exercise ^J the royal power
to be in the former ; thfe isuctessiOn- fo go foVthe heirs of fhe
princess, and, in default or such issue, to the princess Anne
and her heirs, and, in their default, to those of thfe prince of
Orange. The princess landed that very evening, .and next day (13th)
she and the prince, seated on a throne af Whitehall, received
the fwo houses. A declaration of rights which had been
agreed on having been read to fhem, lord Halifax, in the
name of fhe two houses, made them a solemn fender of fhe
crown. The prince made a brief reply, accepting the prof
fered crown, and declaring his resolution fo support their re
ligion, laws, and liberties, and fo promote the welfare of fhe
kingdom. King William and queen Mary were proclaimed
that same day with the usual ceremonies.

Such was the Revolution of 1688, justly, we think, termed
Glorious. If terminated the struggle, which had continued
fom the reign of John, between the crown and people of
England. We have seen fhe barons and commons lay vari
ous restraints on the despotism of fhe Plantagenets; but
when fhe power of fhe barons had declined, the crown, re
lieved from the pressure, rose with renovated vigor in fhe
line of Tudor. The Stuarts, with inferior ability, and thwart
ed by a more formidable opposition, sought fo uphold fhe
authority to which fhey had succeeded ; the result was, a
civil war, the shedding of royal blood on fhe scaffold, and a
military despotism. Untaught by experience, the restored
Stuarts labored fo free their authority from all constitu
tional check, and, had they left the national religion un-
33*

390 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
touched, they might have long, perhaps, continued to trample
with impunity on the national liberties; but James in his
folly attempted to overturn the church, and the nation rose
and drove him from fhe throne. For, however men might seek
to deceive themselves by specious terms, such was fhe real
fact : James did not abdicate ; he was expeUed ; and fhe house
of Brunswick now occupies fhe throne by the choice of the
nation, and not by hereditary right.* The line of succes
sion was broken when WUliam III. was placed on fhe throne;
indefeasible right was at an end ; but the monarchy, wifh its
prerogative, remained uninjured.
It is this last circumstance that appears chiefly to cause
our republican writers ofthe present day to vUify the Revo
lution, and pour forth their gall on its authorsj They are
anury that a dempcracy was npf substituted fer fhe ancient
censtitutipn of England, and fhey are therefpre anxipus tp fix
every ppssible stigma pn fhe mempry pf king William and
the Pther agents in effecting the change. A measure pf pp|-
icy, hpwever, is net dependent fpr its mpral qualify on the
characters of those whp accpmplish if; and we may freely
grant that Danby and the pfher signers of fhe ' Invitation '
were not men of immaculate virtue, and that there were
instances of treachery and ingratitude ; yet still these men
merited well pf their ceuntry, fpr fhe risk fhey ran, in case
of failure, was tremendous ; and it ill becomes those who
are enjoying the benefit of their services to delight in heap
ing obloquy on their names.
* See note, vol. i. p. 57.

THE

HISTORY OF ENGLAND,

HOUSE OF STUART. — Part II.

CHAPTER I.
WILLIAM III. AND MARY IL
1689—1694.
The new reign was commenced (Feb. 14) with a proclama
tion confirming all protestants in fhe offices which fhey held.
The king then nominated the privy council and appointed to
the offices of state ; in both cases selecting from the ranks
of whigs and tories, with a preponderance, however, of the
former. Danby was made president of the council ; Halifax,
privy seal; Nottingham and Shrewsbury, secretaries of state.
The treasury, admiralty, and chancery were put in commis
sion. Judging it inexpedient, under the present circumstances
of the country, to risk the experiment of a nevv election, the
king and council resolved fo convert fhe convention info a
parliament. This was effected by fhe simple expedient of
the king's going in state fo the house of peers, (18th,) and
addressing both houses from the throne. A bill declaring
the lords and commons assembled at Westminster fo be the
two houses of parliament was then passed, and the royal
assent being given, (23d,) the convention became a parlia
ment In this act a new oath to be taken on the first of
March was substituted for the old ones of allegiance and
supremacy. It was refused by the primate and seven of his

392 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
suffragans;* and among the temporal peers, by the duke of
Newcastle, the earls of Lichfield, Exeter, Yarmouth, and
Stafford, and the lords Griffin and Stawell. Hence the party
of which they were the heads derived fhe name of Nonju
rors ; their principle was a blind, stupid veneration for abso
lute power, and for the hereditary divine rights of princes — a
principle, if followed out, utterly subversive of every kind of
liberty. The settlement of the revenue was an important question.
The courtiers maintained that the revenue settled on the late
king for life came of course to the present king ; buf the
commons could only be induced to grant if for one year.
They readily granted a sum of 600,000?. to remunerate the
States for the expense they had been af ; and on information
of king James having landed in Ireland, they voted funds for
an army and navy.
The coronation took place on fhe llth of April; fhe
bishop of London officiating in place of fhe nonjuring pri
mate. Several titles and honors had previously been con
ferred. The marquess of Winchester was made duke of
Bolton ; lords Mordaunt and ChurchiU, earls of Monmouth
and Marlborough ; Henry Sidney, viscount Sidney ; the
king's Dutch favorite Bentinck, earl of Portland, etc.
Shordy after, (24th,) fhe earl of Danby was created mar
quess of Carmarthen. The celebrated Dr. Burnet was also
rewarded for his exertions in fhe cause of civil and religious
liberty by being raised to the see of Salisbury. The judicial
bench was purified ahd filled with men of sound constitu
tional principles ; Holt, PoUexfen, and Atkins being placed
at the head of fhe three law-courts : Treby was made attor
ney, and Somers solicitor-general.
It was the earnest wish ofthe king and ofthe more liberal
statesmen, to reward the dissenters for their meritorious con
duct during fhe late crisis by removing all disqualifications
under which they labored. It was first attempted fo have
the sacramental test omitted in the new oaths ; but that
failing, a bill was brought in to exempt fhem from the penal
ties of certain laws. This, named fhe 'Act of Toleration,'
was pas.sed : though the catholics were not included in it,
they felt the benefit of if, and William always treated them
with lenity. A bill of comprehension passed fhe lords, but
' Namely, Turner of Ely, Ken of Bath, Lake of Chichester, White
of Peterborough, Lloyd of Norwich, Thomas of Worcester, and Framp-
ton of Gloucester.

WILLIAM III. AND MARY II. 393
miscarried in the commons. The attainders of lord Russell,
Algernon Sidney, alderman Cornish, and Mrs. Lisle, were
reversed. • Johnson's sentence was annulled, and he received
IdOO/. and a pension.
WUliam's main object, as we have seen, was to engage
England in the great confederacy lately formed against the
French king. As Louis was now openly assisting king
James, the commons presented an address (Apr. 26) assur
ing the king of their support in case he should think fit
to engage in the war with France, William required no
more; he declared war without delay, (May 7.)
We must novv fake a view of the state of affairs in Scot
land and Ireland at this time.
As ScoUand had been fhe victim of a civU and religious
despotism such as fhe Stuarts had never dared to exercise
in England, fhe friends of WUliam were necessarily fhe
majority in that country. After the flight of James, such
of the Scottish nobUity and gentry as were in London pre
sented an address to fhe prince, vesting in him the adminis
tration and fhe revenue, and requesting him to call a con
vention of the states of Scotland. "With this request he
of course complied; and when the convention met, (Mar.
14,) the whigs had a decided majority. If was voted, that
king James " had forfaulted [forfeited] fhe right of the
crown, and the throne was become vacant" On fhe llth
of April William and Mary were proclaimed king and queen
of Scotland, and three deputies were sent to London to ad
minister to them the coronation-oath. The convention was
converted into a parliament, as in England.
The adherents of the late king, foiled in the convention,
resolved to appeal to force; the duke of Gordon, a catholic,
refused to surrender fhe castle of Edinburgh, of which he
was governor; and Graham of Claverhouse, (now viscount
Dundee,) the ruthless persecutor of the Cameronians, fired
with the idea of emulating fhe fame of Montrose, quitted
Edinburgh with a party of fifty horse and directed his
courise toward the Highlands. General Mackay, who had
been sent vvith five regiments from England, was despatched
in pursuit of him. Dundee succeeded in drawing togbther
a good body of Highlanders ; he got possession of the cas
tle of Blair in Athol; and James sent him from Ireland
lavish promises and a corps of about three hundred men.
Dundee had retired into Lochaber, when hearing that lord
Murray was pressing fhe castle of Blair, and that Mackay
was coming to his aid, he rapidly returned, drove off lord

394 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Murray, and as Mackay was now coming through the pass
of Killicrankie, he resolved fo give him battle in the plain
between fhe pass and fhe castle, (May 26.) The superiori
ty in numbers and discipline was greatly on the side of.the
troops of Mackay; but the Highlanders, in their usual man
ner, having discharged their muskets, fell on with their
broadswords and targets, and speedily routed their oppo
nents wifh fhe loss of fifteen hundred slain, five hundred and
all their artUlery taken. The victory on fhe part of Dun
dee was complete; buf he lived not to improve if, as he
received a wound in the action of which he died next day.
There was no one to take his place; the clans gradually laid
down their arms and took advantage of fhe pardon offered
by king WiUiam, The duke of Gordon also submitted and
delivered up fhe castle of Edinburgh, (June 13,) and, the
cause of James became hopeless in Scotland. The aboli
tion of episcopacy and the reestablishment of presbytery
took place soon after; and thus finally terminated fhe strug
gle between fhe crown and the people on fhe subject of
religion. It was different in Ireland, vvhere fhe whole power of fhe
state was in the hands of the catholics. Tyrconnel had at
first signified an inclination fo submit to William, who had
sent over general Hamilton, one of the officers of James's
army, with proposals fo him ; but Hamilton proved a traitor,
and advised against submission ; and Tyrconnel, whose only
object had been fo gain time, had already sent to assure
James of his fidelity. He also disarmed fhe protestants in
Dublin, and he augmented his catholic army. It has al
ways been the fate of the Irish protestants to have their
interests postponed fo those of party in England; and they
were now neglected by William, by some, it is said, from
Halifax's suggestion, that if Ireland submitted he would
have no pretext for keeping up an army, on which his reten
tion of England depended. Buf in truth William does not
seem to have had an army fo send af that time ; he could
not rely on the English troops, and he therefore could not
venture to part with the Dutch.
James embraced a resolution worthy of a sovereign : hav
ing obtained from Louis a supply of arms, ammunition, and
money, with some officers, and collected about twelve hun
dred of his own subjects, he hastened to Brest, and em
barking in a French fleet of twenty-one sail, proceeded to
Ireland, He landed in safety at Kinsale, (Mar. 12.) At
Cork he waa met by Tyrconnel, vvho gave him an account

WILLIAM III. AND MARY II. 395
¦of the state of affairs. He described fhe army as numerous,
but iU-armed ; and fhe prptestants as being in ppssessipn of
Ulster alone. On the 24th fhe king made his solemn en
trance into Dublin amid the acclamations of the catholics.
He was met by a procession of popish prelates and priests
in their habits, bearing fhe host, which he publicly adored.
He forthwith removed aU the protestant members of the
<:ouncU, He issued proclamations ; by one raising fhe value
of the current coin ; by another summoning a parliament
for fhe 7th of May; and having created Tyrconnel a duke,
he set out for his army in the north.
The only towns that offered resistance were Londonderry
and Enniskillen. The people of the former had shut their
gates against lord Antrim's regiment, and bidden defiance
to the lord lieutenant. They sent fo England for assist
ance, and tvvo regiments undcT colonels Cunningham and
Richards arrived in Lough Foyle; but on the intelligence
of fhe approach of king James, these officers, agreeing with
Lundy, the governor, that fhe place was not tenable, reem
barked their troops. An officer was sent to negotiate with
Hamilton, vvho commanded the Irish army, and he agreed
that fhe king's troops should half within four miles of the
town ; James, however, on arriving, set this agreement af
nought ; but he was obliged fo retire with disorder.. The
cowardly governor refused fo act, and he stole out of the
place in disguise to escape fhe indignation of the people.
They appointed in his room major Baker and a clergyman
named George Walker, who had raised a regiment for the
protestant cause. Their works were slight, their cannon
few and bad, and they had no engineer; the men had never
seen service, their stock of provisions was small, and they
were besieged by a large army well supplied and commanded
by able officers; yet the brave protestants dreamt not of
surrender. On the 20th of April fhe batteries began to play on the
town ; the attacks of the besiegers were gallantly repelled ;
but the want of provisions soon began to be felt. General
Kirke now arrived in -the lough with troops and supplies ;
buf fhe enemy had placed a boom across fhe river and raised
batteries, which prevented him from sailing up. He sent to
the governors, urging fhem to hold out, and promising to
make a diversion in their favor.
The king at this time went up to Dublin to hold his par
liament, leaving the command with the French general
Rosen. This officer, inured to his roaster's barbarous deal-

396 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
ings with his own subjects as well as foreigners, and in
censed af fhe gallant resistance of the besieged, sent out
parties pf dragppns, and cpllecting all the prptestants, men,
WPmen, and children, within a circuit pf thirty miles, fp
the number pf fpur thousand, drove them under the walls
of Derry, there to perish if the garrison did not surrender.
The king, who had given protections to, most of these peo
ple, sent prders tP the general fp desist ; but his mandate
was unheeded; the threat pf fhe garrispn tp hang all their
prispners was pf mpre avail ; arid after three days' starvatien,
fhe pppr pepple were permitted tp return fo their homes,
which had meantime been plundered by the papists. Sev
eral hundreds of fhem died of fatigue and hunger.
Famine was now raging in fhe town ; horses, dogs, cats,
rats and mice, and even starch, tallow, and salted hides, vvere
fhe only food of the garrison, and these vvere nearly exhaust
ed, when Kirke, vvho had retired, reappeared in Lough Foyle.
He ordered two transports ahd a frigate to sail up the river ;
the batteries from both banks thundered on them, while the
garrison gazed with anxiety from their walls. The Mount-
joy transport ran against the boom and broke it, but the shock
drove her aground ; fhe enemy attempted fo board her ; she
fired a broadside and righted. The three vessels then sailed
up to the town, and that very night (July 31) fhe besieging
army retired, having lost between eight and nine thousand
men before the heroic town. The besieged bad lost three
thousand — nearly the half of their original number. The
EnniskiUiners showed equal courage, and defeated the pa
pists wherever fhey encountered fhem.
The houses of parliament which met in Dublin were filled
with popish members, fhe protestants not exceeding half-a-
dozen in either house. James, in bis speech, made his usual
parade of respect for fhe rights of conscience; and in a sub
sequent declaration, he expatiated on his regard and favor to
his protestant subjects. One of his earliest measures, how
ever; was to give his assent to an act for robbing them of
their properties. A bill was introduced into the lovver house
for repealing the Act pf Settlement; it was received wifh
shputs pf joy, passed at pnce, and transmitted fp fhe lords.
Here the protestant bishop of Meath fully exposed its ini
quity, as it made no allowance for improvements, gave no
time for fhe removal of cattle or corn, made no provisipus
for widows, paid no regard to fhe rights pf bona fide pur
chasers, etc. In England such ccnsiderafiens of equity
would have been attended to ; in Ireland there has always

WILLIAM IIL AND MARY II. 397
been a magnanimous contempt for truth, justice, and hu
manity, when the purposes of party are to be served. Fitton,
fhe popish chancellor, a man who had actually been convict
ed of forgery, paid little heed to the arguments of the prelate.
The bill passed ; in vain fhe purchasers under the Act of
Settlement petitioned the king ; he replied, " that he would
not do evil that good might come of it; " yet he gave his
assent to the bUl.
The preamble of the bill declared fhe Irish innocent of
rebellion in 1641, and it vested in fhe king the real estates
of all who did not acknowledge him, or who aided or cor
responded wifh those who had rebelled against him since
fhe 1st of August, 1688, that is fo say, of nearly every Irish
protestant who could write. This was followed by an act of
attainder against between tvvo and three thousand persons,
by name, of all orders and sexes from the peer to fhe yeo
man, of whom, as Nagle, the speaker of fhe commons, said
fo the king on presenting the bUl, "many were attainted
on such evidence as satisfied fhe house, and fhe rest on
common fame." By a clause in the act, the king was even
deprived of fhe power of pardoning any of the proscribed
after fhe Ist of November. Meantime the act was carefully
concealed from its victims, being kept close in the custody
of the chancellor.
As a further means of robbing fhe protestants, a base
coinage of brass, bell-metal, fin, and pewter, vvas issued, at
fhe rates of coin of the precious metals, and ordered to be
taken in all kinds of payments. When the protestants at
tempted to get rid, of the base metal thus forced on them, by
purchasing with it corn, hides, etc., the king fixed his price
on these articles, seized them to his own use, and piiid for
fhem in his bell-metal coin. Yet the catholics after all were
fhe chief losers, for they happened to be the principal holders
ofthe base money when James fled from Ireland.
To ruin fhe protestant clergy, the catholics were directed
to pay their tithes to their ovvn priests. As livings became
vacant, they were filled wifh popish incumbents. The fel
lows of Trinity college having refused to admit a papist
named Green info their body, they were all expelled, and
their plate and other property were seized. A respectable
catholic named Moore was made provost, and he saved fhe
library from the soldiery. Even the protestant worship was
suppressed, for an order was issued forbidding more than
five protestants to meet together for any purpose. on pain of
death. VOL. IL 34

398 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
WhUe James was thus exemplifying his notions of reli
gious liberty, WUliam was preparing the means of recovering
Ireland. A force consisting of eighteen regiments of foot
and five of horse having been levied, the command was
given to duke Schomberg. But various delays occurred,
and it was late in fhe summer (Aug. 13) when the duke
landed af Bangor in Down, wifh a body of fen thousand
men, leaving the remainder to follow. He invested Carrick
fergus, which surrendered after a siege of a few days. The
enemy continually retired before him, and he reached Dun
dalk pn his way fp Dublin. As he had net yet gpf pver his
artillery, and he was weak in cavalry, he did net deem if pru
dent fo proceed. He fortified his camp, but the site he had
chosen was damp and unhealthy, being surrounded by moun
tains and bogs. Disease soon spread its ravages among his
troops ; king James advanced up to fhe camp at the head of
his army, but the cautious marshal would not accept the offer
of battle, and the king drew off. Af length, after losing one
half of his men by disease, Schomberg placed his army in
winter-quarters in fhe northern towns.
This year was marked by only one naval engagement
Louis had sent a squadron, under count Chateau-Renault, to
convey some transports with supplies fo Ireland. Herbert,
who had been sent fo intercept them, having been driven
by stress of weather into Milford-haven, fhey got safe into
Bantry-bay. When Herbert found them there, (May 1,) he
stood in to attack fhem, though he was much inferior in force.
The French weighed and stood out ; Herbert tried in vain
to get fhe weather-gage, and after a running fight of some
hours, he bore away, leaving fhe honor of the day to the
French.* On his return to Portsmouth, as the crews were
discontented with their want of success, king William came
down, dined aboard fhe admiral's ship, knighted captains
Ashby and Shovel, and gave fhe men ten shillings each.
Herbert was soon after created earl of Torrington.
In the spring, (1690,) having received supplies, and a re
inforcement of 7000 Danish troops, and his men being now
in good health, Schomberg besieged and took (May 12) the
fort of Charlemont. James had received 6000 French troops,
under count Lausun, in exchange for as many Irish, buf they
embarrassed more than they served him, and he remained
* When D'Avaux, the French ambassador, told James that the
French had defeated the English, he peevishly replied, C'est bien la
premiere fois done.

WILLIAM III. AND MARY II. 399
inactive. William, meantime, aware of the importance of
reducing Ireland, had resolved to conduct the war there in
person. He landed at Carrickfergus, (June 14,) and de
claring that " he was not come fo let fhe grass grow under
his feet," summoned aU his troops to his standard. On re
viewing them at Lpughbrickland, he fpund himself at the
head pf 36,000 effective men. He meved sputhwards with
put delay -,- Jaraes, whp had left Dublin fer his army, (I6th,)
advanced te Dundalk, but npf thinking that ppst tenable, he
feU back and fppk a ppsifipn near Oldbridge, en the right
bank ef fhe river Beyne, near Drpgheda, with a beg pn his
left and the pass pf Duleek in his rear. His army is said to
have numbered 33,000 men.* On the morning of the last
day of June, the English army reached the Boyne. William
rode out tP recpnnoitre the enemy ; he was recognized, and
two pieces of cannon were secretly planted behind a hedge
opposite an eminence where he had sat down to rest. As he
was mounting his horse, they were fired, and one of the
balls, having touched the bank of fhe river, rose and grazed
his right shoulder, tearing his coat and flesh. His attendants
gathered round him, a cry of joy rose in the Irish camp, the
news ofhis death flew to Dublin, and thence to Paris, where
the firing of cannon and lighting of bonfires testified fhe ex
ultation of Louis.
The armies cannonaded each ofher during the remainder
of the day. At nine o'clock William held a council, and
gave his orders fer the battle next day ; af twelve he rode by
torchUghf through the camp ; the word given was West
minster ; each soldier was directed to wear a green bough
in his hat, as the enemy was observed to wear whife paper.
The army was to pass the river in three divisions ; fhe right,
led by young Schomberg and general Douglas, at the ford
of Slane; the centre, under Schomberg himself, in front of
fh^ camp ; and fhe left, under fhe king, lovver down toward
Drogheda. Early next morning (Tuesday, July 1) the right division
set out for Slane, where it forced fhe passage, and passing
the bog, drove off the troops opposed to, if. The centre
crossed unopposed ; on the further bank they met a vigorous
resistance, hut fhey finally forced fhe enemy to fall back to
the village of Donore, where James stood a spectator of the
battle. WUliam, meantime, had crossed at the head of his

" He says himself, (Life, ii. 393,) it was not more than 20,000, while
he makes that of WiUiam from 40/KW ta 50,(KX).

400 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
cavalry ; the Irish horse, led by Hamilton, fought gallant
ly, but they were broken at length, and their commander
made a prisoner.* Lausun now urged James fo remain no
longer, buf fo retire with all speed to Dublin before he was
surrounded. He forthwith quitted the field ; his army then
poured through fhe pass of Duleek, and forming on the other
side, retreated in good order. Their loss had been fifteen
hundred men; that of the victors was only a third of that
number, among whom were duke Schomberg, and Walker,
the brave governor of Derry.
James stopped only one night in Dublin ; he fled fo Dun
cannon, where, finding a French vessel, he got on board,
and landed safely at Brest, (10th.)
William reached Dublin on the third day after his victory,
(4th.) He issued a proclamation promising pardon to all
the inferior people engaged in the war, but excepting the
leaders. He then advanced southwards and reduced Water
ford ; but hearing of a victory gained by the French fleet,
and a descent on the coast of England, he returned to Dublin,
deeming his presence necessary in England. Finding, how
ever, the danger not to be so great as he had apprehended,
he resolved to remain and finish the war. He advanced and
laid siege to Limerick, (Aug. 9,) but his artillery was inter
cepted on its way from Dublin, and destroyed by general
Sarsefield, and an attempt to storm (27th) having failed with
great loss, he raised the siege, and retiring fo Waterford, em
barked for England, (Sept. 5,) leaving fhe comraand with
count Solras and general Ginckel, The earl of Marlborough,
who had coraraanded the British troops in the Netherlands
this year, having proposed the reduction of Cork and Kin
sale, landed at the forraer place (21st) with 5000 men, and
being joined by the prince of Wurte'raberg with an equal
number of his Danes, he in fhe space of twenty-three days
obliged both places fo surrender. The French troops in
Ireland now returned home, leaving the Irish fo their fate.
We now return to England to notice the state of affairs
there for fhe last twelvemonth.
The parliament which had been prorogued having met
again, (Oct. 19,) fhe king in his speech pressed on fhem fhe
necessity of a supply for carrying on the war ; he also strongly
** William asked Hamilton if he thonght the Irish would fight any
more. "Upon my honor," said he, "I believe they will; for they
have yet a^ood body of horse." "Honor!" said "William ; "your
honor ! " This Hamilton is said to be the author of ' The Memoirs of
the Count de Grammont.'

WILLIAM III, AND MARY II. 401
urged the passing pf a bUI of indemnity. They readily voted
a supply of fwp millipns ; but fhe vvhigs, with fhe natural
jealpusy pf power, wishing to keep the lash over fhe heads
of their rivals the tories, threw every possible obstruction
in the way of the indemnity ; impeachments were menaced
against those who had turned papists ; a committee was
appointed fo inquire who were the advisers, etc., in the
murders of Russell, Sidney, and others; and as Halifax, who
had been then in the ministry, saw that he vvas aimed at, he
retired from office and joined fhe feries. A bUI was brpught
in for restoring corporations, by a clause of which all who
had acted or concurred in the surrender of charters were to
be excluded from office for seven years. As there could be
no doubt of the object of this clause, the tories put forth
their whole strength, and having gained fhe court to their
side, the clause was defeated in the commons, and the bjll
itself was lost in fhe lords.
The refusal ofthe whigs to grant him a revenue for life
had greaUy alienated the mind of fhe king from fhem. He
was in fact so disgusted with the ungenerous treatment, as he
conceived it, that he met with, that he seriously meditated a
return fo Holland, leaving fhe queen to reign in England,
From this he was diverted by the entreaties of Carmarthen
and Shrewsbury ; and fhe tories having proraised him lavish
supplies if he vvould dissolve the parliament, he resolved on
that measure, and on conducting the Irish war in person.
He therefore prorogued the parliament, (Jan. 27, 1699,) and
a few days after, (Feb. 6,) he issued a proclamation dissolving
it, and ,summoning a new one to meet on fhe 20th of March,
In fhe new parliament fhe tories had the preponderance ;
but the whigfe were, notwithstanding, very formidable. This
appeared in the settlement of fhe revenue, as, though fhe
heredioary excise was given fo the king for life, the customs
were granted only for four years. The great struggle of
parties took place on a bill brought into the lords by the
whigs for recognizing their majesties as the rii;htful and
lawful sovereigns of these realms, and declaring all the acts
of the last parliament to, be good and valid. This was
obviously contrary to fhe principles and professions of the
tories ; they caused the words rightful and lawful to be
omitted as superfluous, and they would only consent that the
laws of fhe late parliament should be valid for fhe time to
come. The bill was committed, but the declaratory clause
was lost on the report. A vigorous protest of some of fhe
leading whigs caused it to be restored. The tories now
34* YY

402 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
protested in their turn, but the whigs cadsed the protest to
be expunged from the journals. Tbe bill passed the com
mons without opposition, as the influence of the crown was
exerted in its favor. As the tories were thus instrumental in
putting the last hand to the setUement ofthe crown, fhey had
no excuse for ever again opposing it.
A bill requiring every person holding any office to abjure
fhe late king and his title, was rejected by fhe coramons at
fhe express desire of the king. An act was passed for
investing fhe queen with the administration during fhe
absence of the king, and one for reversing the judgment
against fhe city of Londpn, and finally fhe bill ef indemnity
which cpntained the names pf thirty excepted perspns, npne
pf whom, however, were ever molested in consequence of it.
The session was then closed, (May 21,) and the king soon
after set out for Ireland.
The situation of fhe queen was by no means an easy one.
Her mind was distracted with anxiety for the fate of both
her father and her husband in Ireland ; the Jacobites, as the
adherents of James were npw called, vvere preparing an
insurrectipn in England and Scptland, and the French were
ready fp assist them ; she had fp hpld the balance between
the twp parties in her cabinet. Her difficulties, hpwever,
gave pccasipn tp fhe display of fhe nobler parts of her
character, and she acquired by her firmness, mildness, and
prudence, the applause of all.
As if vvas knojwn that a fleet vvas getting ready at Brest,
lord Torrington proceeded to Sf. Helens, and took fhe com
mand of fhe combined English and Dutch fleets. On the
23th of June, the French fleet of seventy-eight ships-of-war
appeared off Plymouth. Though Torrington had buf fifty-
six sail, orders vvere sent to him to fight the French. The
hostile squadrons engaged (30th) off Beachey-head ; fhe ac
tion lasted from nine till five in the afternoon, when a calm
came on. As fhe Dutch had suffered severely, Torrington
retired during fhe night ; next day fhe French pursued fhem
as far as Rye, and then retired. The loss of the English
was tvvo, that of the Dutch six ships. Torrington, having
brought his fleet into the Thames, repaired fo London, where
he was deprived of his command and committed to fhe
Tower. He was afterwards tried by a court-martial and
acquitted, but he vvas never again employed.
As an invasion was apprehended, the queen issued
commissions for raising troops, directed a camp to be formed
at Torbay, and caused several suspected persons to be ar-

WILLIAM III. AND MARY II. 403
rested. But the French, after burning fhe fishing-vUIage of
Tingmoath, returned fo Brest, and fhe news of the victory
at the Boyne soon dispelled all alarm.
On the return of fhe king, the greatest harmony prevailed
between hira and his parliament. They grapted four mil
lions for fhe war, and WUliam, having put an end fo the
session, embarked at Grave.send (Jan. 16, 1691) in order to
be present at a congress of the allies at the Hague. All
there proceeded to his wishes, if being unanimously re
solved to prosecute the war with vigor. He staid a few
weeks in Holland, and then returned to England, (Apr. 13.)
A conspiracy in favor of James had been discovered before
fhe king left England. About the end of December, a boat-
owner of Barking in Essex having informed ford Carmarthen
that one of his boats had been engaged to convey some
persons fo France, it was boarded at Gravesend, and ford
Preston, Mr. Ashtpn, a servant pf the late queen, and a Mr.
Ellipt, vyere found in it A parcel of papers of a suspicious
nature were taken on fhe person of Ashton. Preston and
Ashton were both fried and found guilty; the latter was
executed, (Jan. 2S ;) he died a protestant Preston obtained
a pardon hy revealing all he knew. . Lord Clarendon was
committed to fhe Tower ; bishop Turner, lord Preston's
brother Graham, and Penn the quaker, being implicated,
went out of the way.
It was now beyond doubt that there was a very extensive
conspiracy organized for bringing back fhe late king. Un
taught by fhe experience of his whole reign, and of his late
doings in Ireland, men were sp infatuated as to suppose that
he could be content to reign the king pf a prptestant people.
Prestpn and Ashtpn were fp proppse fp him fp make the
majprity pf his cpuncil, even in France, prplestant ; fp assure
him that thpugh he might live a catholic, he must reign as a
protestant, giving all offices of state to those of this religion,
and seeking nothing but liberty of conscience for his own.
They were alsp tp require that the French fprce, which they
wished him to bring over, should be so moderate as to give
no alarm for fhe liberties of fhe nation. A wUder project
than this never was conceived, yet in a memorandum of lord
Preston's were found fhe names of Shrewsbury, Monmouth,
Devonshire, and other whig lords, as if they were participators
in it. It is certain that Halifax, Godolphin, and Marlborough
were at this time in communication with the Jacobite agents,
though the second was actually at fhe head of the treasury,
and fhe last had lately done James all the injury he could

404 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
in Ireland. But Marlborough did not find his ambition
sufficiently gratified, and he thought if probable that James
might be restored. He resolved in that case fo secure his
pardon, and therefore pretending the greatest remorse for his
base ingratitude, he gave an exact account of the numbers
and condition ofthe army and navy, and ofthe plans of king
William as far as he knew them ; he promised, if the king
desired it, to bring over tbe troops that were in Flanders, but
thought it better that he and fhe rest of the king's friends in
parliament should strive to have the foreign troops sent away,
in which case the English should be brought back, and the
king's restoration might then be easily effected.
"WUliam now resolved to keep measures no longer with
the nonjuring prelates, for they had refused fo perform their
functions, even if excused from their oaths. He therefoi'e
proceeded to fill up fhe vacant sees. Tillotson (a name with
which that of Sancroft wUl ill bear comparison) was select
ed for Canterbury. The names of Cumberland, Fowler,
Patrick, Beveridge, and others, do equal honor to fhe dis
cernment ofthe king and his advisers. As Sancroft and his
brethren gave the most decisive proof of their sincerity, we
must respect them as honest men ; but at the same time it is
difficult not to feel contempt for those who were willing to
sacrifice the civil (and consequently the religious) liberties
of their country on the altar of their false god, Passive Obe
dience. If too, as they maintained, this was the principle
of Christianity, that perfect law of liberty, they should have
submitted with the meeknfess of martyrs, and not poured
through the press, from fhe pens of themselves and their
adherents, a continued stream of virulent pamphlets against
their opponents.
On the 2d of May king WUliam, attended among others
by, the earl of Marlborough, saUed for Holland, in order to
take the field in person against the French. We deem it
necessary here to remind our readers, that owing to our
narrow limits, our plan has been fo be as brief as possible
on foreign affairs ; for England is henceforth so mixed up
in the affairs of the continent, that to relate in detail those
in which she is concerned, would be to write the history of
Europe. We will therefore aim af nothing more than to
explain the origin and termination of the various general
wars, and occasionally to notice more circumstantially the
events, in which the English were immediate partakers.
The war was carried on simultaneously in Flanders, on
the Rhine, in Savoy, and Piedmont, but no" battle of any note

WILLIAM IU. AND MARY II. 405
signalized this campaign. At the end of it William returned
to England, (Oct. 19,) where fhe cheering intelligence ofthe
complete reduction of Ireland awaited him.
Owing to fhe want of the needful supplies, Ginckel had
not been able to take the field tUl the month of June. He
then advanced fo lay siege to Athlone, a strong town in the
centre of fhe kingdom, on the river Shannon. Like many
ofthe towns in Ireland, it consisted of two parts, an English
and an Irish town ; fhe latter was beyond fhe river, and at a
distance of two miles from it the Irish army, commanded by
the French general St. Ruth, lay encahiped.
When the English army approached,- (June 18,) fhe Irish
sent to oppose them retired into the town, and when the
assault was given fo the English town, (20th,) fhey fled after
a brief resistance info fhe Irish town, breaking an arch of
the bridge behind fhem. Two attempts to cover fhe broken
arch with wooden work failed,, and it was confidently ex
pected that the English would be obliged to retire. It only
remained to attempt to pass by a deep, stony ford between
the towns. Accordingly, a body of two thousand men, led
by Mackay, plunged into fhe tiver, (30fh ;) the batteries on
both sides thundered ; the, troops boldly advanced under the
fire, gained the shore, and mounted the breach which had
been effected ; the rest of fhe army pressed on over the
bridge or by pontoons; fhe Irish fled to their camp, and
within half an hour from the entrance of fhe troops into the
river, the Irish town was won. The castle made' no resist
ance. On the IOth Ginckel marched from Athlone fo engage
fhe Irish army. He found fhem (12th) posted on Kilcom-
moden-hill, with a bog in their front in which there" were
only two passes ; the one on their left, at the village and old
castle of Aghrim, the other on their right ; the slope of the
hill down to the bog was intersected by hedges and ditches.
Their force is said to have amounted fo 25,000, that of the
English only to 18,000 men.
It was noon when fhe English advanced to fhe attack.
The pass on the Irish right was first attempted, and af length
gained. About five o'clock, an attack was made on the
enemy's right wing, and when St, Ruth had drawn off part
of his cavalry from the left fo its support, the English cavalry
under general Tollemache pressed forward to gain fhe pass
at Aghrim, At the same time a part of fhe infantry of the
centre plunged into fhe bog in front, and floundering through,
gained the opposite side. But instead of halting ss directed

406 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
for the cavalry fo join them from the right, they began to
ascend the hill. Horse and foot now charged them ; they
were driven back with loss. " Now," cried Sf. Ruth, "will
I drive fhe English to the very walls of Dublin." But Tol
lemache pressed forward on one side, and Mackay at the
other; St Ruth came down the hill, and was advancing at
the head of a body of horse against the former, when a
cannon ball struck him. His death spread dismay through
the army ; the order of battle had not been comraunicated to
Sarsefield', the second in comraand ; and he was uncertain
how to act. The English pressed on vigorously, and the
Irish broke and fled. In the battle and pursuit 7000 men
were slain, and only 450 taken ; the loss of the victors did
not exceed 700 killed, and 1000 wounded.
Galway surrendered (20th) on honorable terms, and
Ginckel now prepared fo end fhe war by fhe reduction of
Limerick, the last stronghold of fhe Irish. On his coming
before the town (Aug. 25) the batteries were opened in the
usual manner ; but though breaches were effected, the
strength ofthe garrison was too great fo allow him fo hazard
an assault The general saw that the town must be invested
on all sides in Order fo insure success. An English fleet
was in fhe river, fhe town was closed in on the Limerick
side, but it freely communicated with Clare by Thomond-
bridge. A bridge of tin-boats vvas therefore secretly con
structed, and a body of troops got over to the Clare side ;
but those not prpving sufficient, Ginckel himself led pver a
larger bpdy, (Sept. 22,) and after a furipus conflict the works
which covered Thomond-bridge were carried. Next day
fhe garrison proposed a cessation, in order to adjust the
terms of surrender. The terms which they required were
extravagant; but Ginckel, who knew how much if was for
his master's interest to have the war concluded, agreed fo
give very favorable ones. The Irish were fo exercise their
religion as in the time of Charles II. ; all included in the
capitulation were fo enjoy their estates and follow their
professions as in the same reign ; their gentry vvere to have
the use of arms, and no oaths were to be required buf that of
allegiance ; all persons wishing to retire to the continent
should be conveyed thither, with their famUies and effects, at
the expense of the government. These articles were drawn
up and signed, (Oct 3,) and the war in Ireland, after having
inflicted three years of calamity on the country, was at length
terminated. Sarsefield and about 12,000 men passed over to
France, and were taken into the pay of the French monarch.

WILLIAM III. AND MARY II. 407
A barbarous deed enacted in the Highlands of Scotland
opens the occurrences of the following year, (1692.) An
order had been issued for fhe Highlanders fo submit and take
the oath of allegiance before tbe 1st of January. The chiefs
all obeyed; the last was M'Donald of Glenco, and fhe snows
and other impediments prevented him from reachino- In
verary, the county-town, till the day was passed. The
sheriff, however, adminislered the oath, and certified the
cause of delay. Buf fhe earl of Breadalbane was M'Donald's
bitter enemy, and tbe Dalrymples of Stair, the president and
secretary, thirsted for blood. Both fhe oath and certificate
vvere suppressed, and William was assured that Glenco was
the great obstacle, to fhe pacification of fhe Highlands. An
order, countersigned by fhe king, was obtained " to extirpate
that sect of thieves," and Dalrymple forthwith wrote to fhe
commander-in-chief ample directions how to perpetrate the
ma.ssacre in the most barbarous manner.
A detachment from Fort-William, under Campbell of
Glenlyon., to whose niece one of Glenco's sons was married,
came to the Glen, where they were hospitably received and
quartered among the inhabitants. In about a fortnight, (Feb.
12,) orders fo fall on and massacre all the men ofthe clan in
the night arrived. Glenlyon passed that evening at cards at
his nephew's, and all were fo dine at Glenco's the next day.
But that night, when the people of the vale were buried in
sleep, the massacre began. The young M'Donalds, over
hearing fhe disccurse pf fhe spldiers, suspected danger and
made their escape, buf fhey were unable fp warn their father,
and at break pf day the pld man was shpt in his bed ; his
wife was stripped naked, and she died fhe next day pf terrpr.
Of fhe men pfthe glen, twp hundred in number, thirty-eight
were massacred ; fhe remainder, hearing the shpfs, fled tp the
hills ; fpr a stPrra providentially came on and hindered the
march of the troops that were to have seized the passes to
prevent their escape. The houses were all burnt to the
ground, the cattle driven off or destroyed, the women and
children stripped naked, and left to perish in fhe snow.
Of Scottish barbarity and ferocity we have seen abundant
instances, and certainly fhe great offenders here were those
two detestable men, Breadalbane and Dalrymple : but fhe
king himself was not guiltless ; he should have inquired
more accurately before he signed such an prder. Judging,
hpwever, by his general character, there can be little dpubt
that he was deceived, and that he thpught he was pnly
sanctioning a wholesome act of severity. Political necessity

408 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
wUl perhaps account for, though not justify, his not punish
ing fhe authors ofthe massacre.
A great outcry af this deed was raised all over Europe by
James and his adherents, which certainly came with a good
grace from the party which had to boast of Jeffreys' cam
paign, and the torturings and massacres of the Cameronians I
Early in the spring (Mar. 5) the king returned fo Hol
land to prepare for the ensuing campaign. The exiled
monarch meantime had made his arrangements for the inva
sion of England. The Jacobites and catholics secretly enlist
ed men and fprmed regiments; the prinqess Anne had lately
written tP irapfore her father's fprgiveness, which he regarded
as a prppf pfthe inclinatipn pf the church party ; Marlborough
continued to give hira assurances of his fidelity ; and even
Pi.ussell, but of pride and pique, became a traitor to the cause
of the revolution. Louis gave James some troops, vvhich,
with the regiments from Ireland and the Scotch and English
exiles, forming a force of from fifteen to twenty thousand
men, were encamped at La Hogue, where a large fleet was
assembled to convey them to England. Af the same time
Jaraes published a declaration, offering pardon and indera-
nity fo his subjects, (with, however, a long list of exceptions,)
and promising to protect the church.
The queen, on intelligence of these preparations, caused
Marlborough and other suspected persons fo be arrested; a
camp wss formfed near Portsmouth, and Russell, who com
manded the fleet, was ordered to put to sea. As reports
were very prevalent of disaffection in fhe navy, lord Notting
ham, by fhe queen's direction, wrote to the admiral to say
that she gave no credit to them; and a most loyal address
from the officers was the result of the royal magnanimity.
Russell, when joined by the squadrons of admirals Delaval
and Carter, and by the ships of Holland, found himself at the
head of a fleet of ninfety-nine ships of the line. The count
de Tourville, who coraraanded the French fleet, had only
sixty-three ships; but Louis had sent hira positive orders
fo fight, reckoning that fhe Dutch would not have joined
so soon. The engagement commenced off cape Barfleur,
(May 19,) and lasted from fen o'clock till four, when a dense
fog came on. About six it cleared off, and fhe French were
seen towing away their ships ; fhe English gave chase. Car
ter, vvith part of tbe blue squadron, came np wifh them ; he
engaged them for half an hour, fill he received a mortal
wound ; and the French got off with the loss of four ships.
The chase was kept up the fwo following days. On fhe morn-

WILLIAM III. AND MARY II. 409
ing of the 22d, part of the French fleet being seen near the
Race of Alderney, chase was again given, and Tourville's
own ship, the Soleil Royal, of 120 guns, and two others, were
driven ashore near Cherbourg, where they were burnt by
Delaval ; a part made their escape through fhe Race to St.
Male; eighteen ran aground af La Hogue; vice-admiral
Rooke immediately manned his boats fo attack fhem, and,
despite of fhe cannon which thundered from aU sides, the
brave British tars succeeded in burning thirteen sail of the
line and a number of transports. James, who from his camp
beheld this frustration of all his hopes, could not, if is said,
refrain from exclaiming repeatedly, " See my brave Eng
lish ! " He dismissed his troops for the present to their
quarters, and returned himself to St. Germain. The corre
spondence was still kept up with Marlborough and Russell,
who professed to be as zealous as ever in his service.
The principal events ofthe war in Flanders this campaign
were the faking of Namur by the French, (June 5.) and the
battle of Steenkirk (July 24) between king William and
marshal Luxemburg. The latter, deceived by one of his
spies, suffered himself to be surprised ; but the ill conduct
of count Solms in not supporting the van of fhe allies, and
the arrival of marshal Bouffiers with alarge body of French
dracroons, caused the beam finally to turn against the allies.
They retired, with the loss of three thousand slain (among
whom wete generals Mackay and Lanier) and an equal
number wounded and taken. The loss of fhe French wasj
not inferior.
Shortly after, a pfot to assassinate king WUliam was dis
covered : the agents in it were, the Jacobite cofonel Parker,
Grandval a captain pf French dragoons, and a M. Dumpnt.
Kino- Jaraes is said fp have both known and approved of it
It was, however, fortunately discovered, and Grandval, who
had been inveigled into the quarters of fhe allies, was ex
ecuted by sentence of a court-martial.
Fortune was every where favorable fo the French fhe fol
lowing year, (1693.) They reduced the strong towns of
Huy (July 23) and Charleroy, (Oct 11.) In the battle of
Neer-Winden, or Landen, (July 29,) the honor of the day
remained with them, but their loss was equal to that of the
allies. -The loss of a part of the rich Smyrna fleet was,
however, more severely felt in England than that of the
battle of Landen, Louis had made incredible efforts to renew
his navy, and when sir George Rooke was sent to the Straits
to convoy the great Smyrna fleet of England and her allies,
VOL. IL 35 zz

410 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
consisting of 400 vessels, he fell in wifh a French fleet of
eighty ships of fhe line off Cape St. "Vincent There was
now no escaping. Two Dutch men-of-war were taken, and
a Dutch and an English ship burnt ; forty of the merchant
men were captured, and fifty sunk. The total loss was es
timated at a raUlion sterling.
In the commencement of this year one of fhe Jacobite
agents, a priest named Cary, came over fo James with eight
proposals from some ofthe English nobility, on his agreeing
to which they undertook fo restore him. James sent them
to Louis, and by his advice he assented to them ; and a
declaration based on them having been drawn up by those
lords, James published if, (April 17.) In this he promised
pardon and indemnity fo all who would not oppose him ;
engaged to protect and defend fhe church of England, and
secure fo its members aU their churches, colleges, rights,
immunities, etc. ; pledged himself not to dispense with fhe
test, and fo leave fhe dispensing power in other matters to be
regulated by parliament; to assent fo bills for fhe frequent
meeting of parliament, and fhe freedom of elections, etc.,
and to reestablish the Act of Settlement in Ireland. James
owns that in this document he put a force on his nature,
which he excuses by the necessity ofthe case. He consulted
both English and French divines about the promise fo pro
tect and defend the phurch ; the former thought he could
not in conscience do it, the latter (including Bossuet) that
he could ; but the king says that these last finally coincided
with the others in thinking that he could only promise to
maintain the protestants in their possessions, benefices, etc.
This declaration did no service whatever fo the cause of
James. Those who proposed it became doubtful of his sin
cerity when they saw him so readily agree to it ; the leadincr
Jacobites* were offended at it, saying, that if he came in on
these terms it would be the ruin of himself and his foyal
subjects ; fhey therefore sent him word " that, if he con
sidered the preamble and fhe very terms of if, he was not
bound fo stand by it, or fo put if out verbatim as it was
worded," wifh more fo that purpose. Marlborough wrote
James (Life, ii. 514) names the nonjuring bishops of Norwich,
(Lloyd,) Bath, (Ken,) Ely, (Turner,) and Peterborough, (White,) the
marquess of "Worcester, and earl of Clarendon. "A decisive proof,"
observes Hallam, " how little that party cared for civil liberty, and how
httle would have satisfied them at the revolution, if James had put the
church out of danger."

WILLIAM III. AND MARY IL 411
pretty much to the same effect ; and indeed James owns that
he did not consider himself bound by it.
The machinations of the court of St. Germain were con
tinued through the following year, (1694.) Russell, Marl
borough, and Godolphin were as profuse as ever of their
professions of devotion, yet James observes that they per
formed nothing. He very properly judged that fhey regarded
only their own interest; and he even seems to have suspect
ed that RusseU was only deluding him. It is much to be
legretted that fhe name of lord Shrewsbury should be mixed
up in these traitorous intrigues. If is a curious fact, but one
for which there seems to be sufficient authority, that William
made use of his knowledge of Shrewsbury's communications
with the Jacobite agents to oblige him to accept fhe post of
secretary of state. Shrewsbury was a man pf hpnpr, and
William had np reaspn ever to regret his magnanimity.
On the 6th of May the king sailed for Hplland. He had
previpusly made several prpinpfipns in fhe peerage. The
earls pf Shrewsbury, Bedfprd, and Devpnshire were created
dukes pfthe sarae name ; fhe marquess pf Carmarthen duke
of Leeds, and the earl of Clare duke of Newcastle; the earl
of Mulgrave marquess of Normanby, and lord Sidney earl
of Romney.
No action of importance took place in this campaign.
The allies recovered Huy, and the advantage in general was
on their side. WUliam returned to England in the begin
ning of November.
Early in fhe month of June a combined fleet of thirty saU,
under lord Berkeley, with 6000 troops on board, cora
raanded by general Tollemache, bad sailed with the inten
tion of destroying the fleet and harbor of Brest. The fleet,
however, had already sailed for the Mediterranean, and fhey
found all due preparations made to receive fhem. Their at
tempts to silence fhe guns of the castle and forts having
proved unavaUing, Tollemache made a desperate effort to
land his troops. In this attempt he received a mortal
wound, and seven hundred of his raen vvere slain or taken ;
it was then found necessary to abandon fhe enterprise. Tol
lemache declared that " he felf no regret at losing his life in
the performance of his duty, but that it was a great grief
to him to have been betrayed:" and betrayed he certainly
was. On fhe 2d of May Marlborough had written to. king
James an account of the strength and destination of the ex
pedition, and Godolphin, one of William's ministers, is said
to have done the same ; yet, ere the fleet sailed, Marlborough,

412 HISTORY OF ENGLAND,
through Shrewsbury, had offered his services to WiUiam,
"with all the expressions of duty and fidelity imaginable."
After the faUure on Brest, Berkeley bombarded and nearly
destroyed Dieppe and Havre, and damaged Calais and Dun
kirk. RusseU meantime rode triumphant in the Mediterra
nean ; and his wintering by the king's express command,
against his own will, with his fleet of sixty sail, at Cadiz,
insured the preponderance of England both in that sea and
on the ocean.
Shortly after fhe return of the king, fhe excellent arch
bishop of Canterbury died, (Nov. 22.) Sancroft, his non-
juring predecessor, had paid the debt of nature just a year
before him. Both were emphatically good men, though
differing in opinion. It is greatly fo Sancroft's honor that
he never engaged in any of the intrigues against the govern
ment ; but, giving allegiance for protection, he lived and died
a peaceful subject. Dr. Tennison succeeded TiUotson in
the primacy.
ShorUy after the death of the primate, that of fhe queen
plunged the nation info affliction. She was attacked by fhe
small-pox, (Dec. 21,) and being improperly treated by Dr.
Ratcliffe, she was carried off in about a week, (2Sth,) in the
thirty-third year of her age. She bore her illness with the
greatest piety and resignation, and died in fhe sincere pro
fession of the protestant faith. Her character vvas every
way amiable, and no one could have better sustained the
difficult part she was called on to act in the drama of the
world, where fhe most sacred duties came info collision.*
By her husband she was loved with an intensify of which his
nature Was hardly thought to be capable, and his grief af her
loss was so great as fo cause apprehensions for his health.
The obsequies of the queen were celebrated with great
magnificence, (Mar. 5,) and her remains were deposited in
Westminster-abbey. t
" Hallam beautifully applies to her "Virgil's well-known line,
" Infelix utcunque ferent ea facta minores.''
t A Jacobite divine had the brutality to preach at this time on the
text, " Go, now, see this accursed woman, and bury her, for she is a
king's daughter."

-WILLIAM III. 413
CHAPTER n.
WILLIAM in.
1695—1701.
The princess Anne, a weak woman, entirely guided by lord
and lady Marlborough, had been for some time on ill terms
with the king and queen. When the latter was on her
death-bed, tbe princess sent expressing her desire fo see her ;
but the physicians objected, and fhe queen sent her her for
giveness. Lord Sunderland, who was now in fivor with
Williain, seized fhe occasion of his grief to effect a recon
cUiation between hira and the princess ; Anne therefore
wrote fo hira ; she was then received at court, and the king
gave her St. James's for her residence, and presented her
with fhe greater part of the late queen's jewels.
The most important bill passed this session was that for
triennial parliaments, by which it was enacted that every
parliament should determine within three years from the
time of its meeting. The king had twice refused his assent
to a similar bUI, but he now thought it expedient fo yield.
Charges of bribery and corruption were made against va
rious persons. Sir John Trevor, the speaker of the house
of commons, was expelled for having received a bribe of
1000 guineas from fhe city of London. It having appeared
that the East India Company had employed an unprecedented
sum in secret-service money during fhe last year, their gov
ernor was called on fo account for it, and if proved to have
been spent, for the purpose of procuring the renewal of their
charter, in bribes fo influential persons. On the information
vvhich was elicited, the coraraons impeached the duke of
Leeds; but an important witness having gone out of fhe
way, and a prorogation having taken place, fhe matter fell
to fhe ground. The stigma of course adhered fo fhe duke's
character, and his name does not appear in fhe regency
which the king appointed when departing for fhe continent.
The great event of the campaign of 1695 was fhe faking
of Namur by king William in person, (Aug. 29,) after a
siege of seven weeks, in face of a French army of one hun
dred thousand men. The intelligence diffused joy all over
England, and the king was received on his return (Oct. 11)
as a glorious conqueror. 35*

414 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
WUliam's first act was to dissolve the parliament and sum
mon a new one fo meet on the 22d of November. He then
visited Newmarket, and made a progress through the mid
land counties in order fo increase his popularity. In fhe
new parliament the whig interest preponderated. A bUl for
regulating trials for treason, which had faded before, was
now brpught in by fhe tpries, and it was passed unanimeusly.
It enacted that the accused shpuld have a cppy pf the in,
dictmenf and ofthe panel of the jury, and fhe aid of coun
sel ; that every overt act should be proved by fwo witnesses;
that the prisoner should be enabled to compel his witnesses
to appear, and be allowed to challenge peremptorUy thirty-
five of the jury, etc. As fhe silver coinage was in such a
wretched state that a golden guinea was worth thirty shillings,
a new coinage was resolved on, and was carried into effect
by the chancellor of the exchequer, aided by sir Isaac New
ton, the master of the mint. A third measure caused much
annoyance to the king. His Dutch favorite, Bentinck earl
of Portland, who was somewhat rapacious,, had begged and
obtained three royal lordships in Denbighshire. The gentry
of the county petitioned against the grant ; fhe commons
addressed the king to recall it, and WUliam complied with
their wishes; but he forthwith conferred on fhe favorite
manors and honors in no less than five several counties.
The discovery of a nefarious plot against fhe life of fhe
king soon drew the whole attention of parliament and fhe
nation. One captain Fisher called on lord Portland (Feb.
11, 1696,) and informed him of a plot for seizing fhe king
and invading the kingdom; he afterwards (13th) gave the^
particulars of fhe conspiracy to sir William Turnbull fhe
secretary. The attempt on fhe king, who was in the habit
of going on Saturdays to hunt in Richmond-park, was to
be made in fhe lane leading from Brentford to Turnham-
green. He was therefore urged not to hunt on that day ;
but he laughed at the idea of the plot, and declared his res
olution of taking his sport as usual. On Friday evening,
however, (14th,) an officer named Prendergast came to lord
Portland, and advised him fo persuade the king to stay at
home the next day, or else he would be assassinated. He
gave the same details as Fisher had done ; but both refused
to name any of the parties. He said he was an Irishman
and a catholic, but that though his religion vvas accused of
sanctioning such deeds, the thought of it had filled him with
horror. Portland went fo the king that very night ; and
William, now thinking there was something in the matter,

WILLIAM III. 415
put off his hunting for that week. Next day a third witness,
named De la Rue, gave exactly similar information, and he
and Prendergast, being examined personally by tbe king,
were prevailed on to name the conspirators. These had
deferred their project to the following Saturday, (22d,)
when, finding that fhe king did not go to Richmond, they
suspected that the plot was discovered, and thought of pro
viding for their safety. That night, however, several of them
were arrested in their beds, and next day a proclamation was
issued offeringxa reward of lOOOZ. for each of the persons
who had escaped.
On Monday (24th) the king went in person and informed
both houses of fhe discovery of the plot. They made in re
turn a most loyal and affectionate address, empowered him
to suspend the Habeas Corpus act, and drew up a form of
association, binding themselves fo the support of his person
and government against the late king James and his adhe
rents, and fo revenge his death on his enemies, and fo main
tain the Act of Settlement. All the members of both houses
signed this bond. As some of fhe tories scrupled at the
words rightful and latnful king, a slight change was made
to content fhem.
The plot seems fo have been as follows. King James had
sent sir George Barclay, a Scottish catholic officer of his
guards, over to England with a comraission authorizing and
commanding aU his loving subjects to rise in arms and make
war on fhe prince of Orange and his adherents. About two-
and-fwenty officers and men of James's guards came over
to aid in fhe project, which was communicated fo several of
the king's friends in England. Various places were proposed
for making the attempt, and the above-mentioned lane was
finally fixed on. Meantime a French fleet and army were
to be assembled at Dunkirk and Calais, of vvhich James
himself was to take the command. The principal persons
charged with this conspiracy were fhe earl of Aylesbury,
lord Montgomery, sirs George Barclay, John Fenwick, John
Freind and William Perkins, major Lowick, captains Char
nock, Knightley, and Porter, with messieurs Rookwood,
Cooke, Goodman, Cranbourne, and others. Of these. Por
ter, Goodman, and some others were admitted as witnesses ;
and on their evidence, with that of Fisher, Prendergast, and
De la Rue, Freind, Perkins, Charnock, Lowick, King,
Cranbourne, and Rookwood, were found guilty and ex
ecuted. Cooke and Knightley were also found guilty ; but
the former was banished, fhe latter pardoned.

416 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
At the execution of Freind and Perkins, fhe celebrated
Jeremy Collier and two ofher nonjuring divines gave them
absolution in sight of fhe people with a solemn imposition
of hands. For this thev were indicted, but not punished.
The fwo archbishops and twelve of the bishops (all that
were in town) published a declaration strongly censuring
their conduct, as the dying persons had made no confession
and expressed no abhorrence of the crime for which they
suffered. King James, who had come to Calais, after remaining
there some weeks, returned disconsolate fo St. Gerhiain.
He utterly denied all knowledge of fhe assassination plot;
buf there seems to be sufficient evidence of his having sanc
tioned this and other attempts on fhe life of king William.
Sir John Fenwick was arrested at New Romney, on his
way to France, (June 11.) He instantly wrote a letter in
pencil to his lady, saying that nothing could save him but
the endeavors of her nephew lord Carlisle and others with
the king and his friends, or fhe bribing some of the jury to
starve out fhe rest. This letter was intercepted, and on
Fenwick's assertion of his innocence before the lords jus
tices if was produced fo his utter dismay. When he heard
that the grand jury had found the bill against him, he prayed
for a delay, offering to fell all he knew, provided he got a
pardon and vvas not required fo appear as a witness. The
king, when this proposal vvas transmitted fo him in Flanders,
refused to accede to it Fenwick then threw himself on his
mercy, and wrote hira an account ofthe plots ofthe Jacobites,
in which he -mentioned the secret dealings of lords Marl
borough, Shrewsbury, Godolphin, Bath, and admiral Russell
with the court of St. Germain ; but fhe duke of Devonshire
told him, " that the king was acquainted with most of those
things before." An order therefore was issued fo bring hira
to trial unless he made fuller discoveries. Fenwick then
took fo tampering with the witnesses Porter and Goodman ;
fhe former betrayed fhe intrigue fo government, buf fhe latter
was induced to go fo France. As he could not novv be con-
vicled bylaw, his enemies took another course. Adniral
Russell, with fhe king's permission, (Nov. 6,) laid before fhe
house the informations of Fenwick against himself and others,
and desired that they might be read in order to give him an
opportunity of justifying himself Fenwick was brought to
fhe bar and examined ; but as be bad had his information
only at second-hand, he could not prove his assertions, and he
thought it the wiser course not to repfeat them. His papers

WILLIAM III, 417
therefore were voted to be false and scandalous, and it was
resolved to bring in a bUl to attaint him. The bill was
founded on Porter's evidence, supported by the production
yf Goodman's examination before the privy councU, and by
the evidence of two of the grand jury as fo what he had
sivorn before fhem ; proof was also given of his having been
fdmpered with by lady Mary Fenwick, The bill , was vig
orously opposed in all its stages; but it finally passed fhe
coraraons hy a majority of 33. In fhe lords the divisions
were still clpser, fhe majority being only seven. In fhe
minority voted fhe dukes of Leeds and Devonshire and lords
Pembroke, Sunderland, Bath, and Godolphin ; the duke of
Shrewsbury was absent ; Marlborough voted in the majority,
revenge proving stronger than his tory ism. A vigorous pro
test sighed by forty-one peers, including eight prelates, was
entered, in which it was justly said, that Fenwick was " so
inconsiderable a man as fo fhe endangering fhe peace of fhe
government, that there needs no necessity of proceeding
against him in this extraordinary manner." One of the
tpost strenuous supporters of fhe bill, we are sorry to say,
was bishop Burnet. Fenwick was beheaded on Tower-hill,
(Jan. 28, 1697.)
In the course of the proceedings against Fenwick, a cir
cumstance came to light which covered lord Monmouth with
disgrace. Finding himself not naqied in Fenwick's discov
eries, he wrote a paper of instructions for hira to found his de
fence on, so as to implicate Godolphin and the others; and
on Fenwick's not doing, so, he came and spoke for two hours
in favor ofthe attainder. Fenwick then on a reexamination
told the whole story, and Monmouth was committed fo fhe
Tower and deprived ofhis employments. The king, how
ever, did not wish to drive him to extremity ; he sent bishop
Burnet fo soften him, and made up his losses secreUy.*
Before the king left England this year he raised to fhe
peerage fhe celebrated John Somers, who had been for some
time lord keeper, and made him chancellor. Admiral Rus
sell was created earl of Orford, andlord Sunderland was now
made lord chamberlain.
Tbe war had languished of late, and in the course of this
year it was terminated by the Peace of Ryswick, (Sept, 20.)
" Monmouth was afterwards the celebrated earl of Peterborough.
Speaker Onslow says of him on this occasion, " I wonder any man of
honor could keep him- company after such an attempt. He was of the
, worst principles of any man of that,- or perhaps of any age ; -yet from
\ some glittering in bis character he hath some admirers." AAA

418 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Louis gave up all his late conquests except Strasburg, and he
acknowledged William as king of England, James published
manifestos in assertion of his rights ; buf they were unheeded.
If appears that Louis had proposed fo William fo have fhe
crown settled on the prince of Wales after his death, and
that the latter, who had no affection for the princess Anne,
seemed inclined to consent. Buf the princess had a sure
ally in fhe bigotry of her father and his queen. The idea of
their son being reared a protestant, as in such case he must
be, filled fhem°both with horror, and they rejected fhe pro
posal without hesitation.
The peace was on fhe whole an honorable one, consid
ering that all the advantages ofthe war had been on the
side of France; it was also absolutely necessary from the
exhausted state ofthe English finances. But William knew
that if vvas likely to be little more than a truce, and in his
speech to the parliament (Dec. 2) he gave it as his opinion,
" that for fhe present England cannot be safe without a land
force." The necessity, however, of reduction and economy
was strongly felt, fhe war having caused adebt of seventeen
millions, and a dread of standing armies as fhe instruments of
despotism pervaded the minds of most people, not considering
that in the mutiny-bill and fhe necessity of annual votes of
supply, they had abundant security against those dangers.
It was therefore voted that aU the troops raised since 1680
should be disbanded, and it was finally resolved (18tb) that
ten thousand men should be fhe force for the ensuing year.
To gild fhe pill for the monarch, and prove that fhey were
not wanting in gratitude and affection to him, they voted
(20th) that a sum of 700,000/. should be granted him /or life
for fhe support ofthe civil list. The king, however, neglect
ed the former vote, and when he was next going fo Holland,
he left sealed orders wifh the regency to keep up a force of
sixteen thousand men.
During fhe king's absence a new parliament was elected.
The members were mostly men of Revolution principles,
attached to the government, but not very courteous fo the
king. When, on his return from the continent, fhe parlia
ment met, in the speech from the throne (Dec. 9) he hinted
his opiniori of fhe necessity of a large land force. Buf the
coramons, irritated at his neglect ofthe vote of their prede
cessors on this point, fprthvvith resolved that it should npf
exceed seven thpusand men, and these tp be his majesty's
natural-bprn subjects. As this last clause went tp deprive
the king ofhis Dutch guards, fo which he was so much at-

WILLIAM IIL 419
tached, and of the, brave regiments of French protestants,
the insult, coupled with ingratitude, (as he deemed it,) sank
deep into his mind. He seriously resolved to abandon fhe
government and retire to Holland, and he had actually writ
ten fhe speech which he intended to makg on that occasion,
when he was diverted from his purpose. He therefore gave
his assent fo the bUl, (Feb. 1, 1699.) Ere, however, he dis
missed his guards, he made a final appeal fo fhe good feelings
ofthe commons. He sent fheip (Mar, 18) a message in his
own hand-writing, fo say that all the necessary preparations
were now made, and that he would send fhem away immedi
ately, "unless, out of consideration to him, the house be
disposed to find a way for continuing them longer in his ser
vice, which his majesty would fake very kindly." But the
cpmmpns were inexprable, and the guards departed. We
feel it irappssible fp apprpve pfthis cpnductpf the cpmmpns ;
though it was termed natipnal feeling, it shewed mere pf
party spirit. They shpuld have recpllected, that had it not
been for these troops, who won the battle of the Boyne, they
would probably have had no power over Lhem or any other
troops. In fhe fpllpwing sessipn fhe cpmmpns prpceeded a step
further in making the king feel their ppwer. The lands of
those who had fought on fhe side of James in Ireland were
forfeited, and, in a legal sense, were at the disposal of fhe
crown; yet still in all equity they should be applied to the
public service. But William, who was of a generous temper,
and who never could divest himself of the idea that as king
he vvas entitled fp all the prerpgative exercised by his pred
ecessors, had granted them away fp the extent ef a inUliou
of acres, chiefly to his raistress, Mrs, "Villiers, now countess
of Orkney, (for in this respect William, though possessing so
excellent a wife, had thought fit to imitate his uncles rather
than his grandfather,) to the insatiable Portland, to Ginckel
earl of Athlone, fo Sidney lord Romney, and to another
Dutch favorite, Keppel, who had been page, then private sec
retary fo fhe king, and vvho novv had eclipsed Portland in his
favor, and had been created earl of Albemarle. StUl be had
only exercised a lawful prerogative, and the commons vvere
not justified in the act of resumption which they passed, and
still less in tacking its provisions to a money-biU fo prevent
tbQ lords from altering them.
The king was tolerant in his own temper, and be was
pledged to fhe emperor and his catholic allies to indulge his
catholic subjects. But the commons now, on the resort of

420 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
priests fo England and their usual imprudence, brought in a
terrific bill f o check fhe growth of popery. By this act any
one informing against a priest exercising his functions was
fo receive 100/. reward, and fhe priest to be imprisoned for
life; every person professing the popish religion must, after
attaining the age of eighteen, fake fhe oaths of allegiance
and supremacy, and subscribe the declaration against tran
substantiation and the worship of saints, or become incapable
of inheriting or purchasing lands, and during his life his next
of kin being a protestant was to enjoy them. The lords
and the king gave no opposition to the will ofthe commons;
but the spirit of liberty and equity rendered the barbarous
enactment of none effect, and no properties vvere lost by it.
The earl of Sunderland, foreseeing fhe coming storm, had
already resigned his office of chamberlain, much against the
wishes of the king. Lord Orford, fearing the commons, fol
lowed his example; the duke of Leeds was dismissed from
his post of president of fhe council. The tories had per
suaded the favorites Albemarle, and ViUiers lord Jersey, that
it would be for the king's advantage fo employ them instead
ofthe vvhigs. The king himself seems to have thought that
course necessary, and in compliance with fhe wishes of the
tories, he consented to take the great seal from lord Somers,
the leader ofthe whig party. WUliam wished him to resign
it ofhis own accord, but this Somers declined doing, as it
might appear to be the result of fear or guilt. The earl of
Jersey was then sent (Apr. 7) to demand it ; he delivered if
up, and if was committed to sir Nathan Wright. The duke
of Shrewsbury immediately resigned.
When fhe king returned from the continent this year, he
modeled the- ministry to the content of the tories. Godol
phin was set again over the treasury, lord Grey of Werk, now
earl of TankerviUe, was made privy seal, and Rochester
lord lieutenant of Ireland ; and fo diminish the power of the
whigs in fhe coraraons, their leader in that house, Charles
Montague, was raised to the peerage under the title of baron
of Halifax. The ministers having advised a dissolution, a
new parliament was summoned, and when it met, (Feb. 10,
1701,) Mr. Robert Harley, a man vvho, though of a presby
terian famUy and connections, had consfanUy acted vvith the
tories, vvas chosen speaker.
The two great measures which were to occupy the atten
tion of the parliament were the succession and the partition
treaty. Of all the chUdren which the princess Anne had borne,

William hi. 421
only one had survived. This was WUliam duke of Glouces
ter, born in 1689, When this young prince had attained
his ninth year, the king assigned him a peculiar establish
ment, and appointed the earl of Marlborough to be his gov
ernor, and bishop Burnet his preceptor. But fhe prince,
having over-exerted himself on his birth-day, (July 24, 1700,)
took a fever, of which he died. The next heir to the crown
vvas the duchess of Savoy, daughter of Henrietta, youngest
child of Charles L, but her religion excluding her, the
ue-arest protestant to the throne was Sophia, dowager-elec-
tress of Hanover, daughter of the queen of Bohemia, the
sister of that monarch. In the speech from fhe throne, the
subject was pressed on fhe attention of parliament, and no
time was lost in preparing a bUl for fhe purpose.
The ' Act of Settlement' now passed, limiting fhe succes
sion of the crown to fhe princess Sophia, and the heirs of
her body being protestants. It further provided, that no
foreigner sheuld hpld any place pf trust, civil or military,
or take any grant from the crown; that the nation should
not be obliged fo engage in war for the defence of any
dominions not belonging to the crown of England; that the
sovereign should join in communion wifh fhe church of
England, and not go out of fhe country without the consent
of parliament ; that no pardpn should be pleadable to an
impeachment ; that no person holding an office or pension
under fhe crown should be capable of sitting in the house
of commons; that judges' comraissions should be made
quamdiUfSe bene gesserint, and their salaries be ascertained;
that all business properly belonging to the privy council
should be transacted there, all the resolutions be signed by
the councillors present, etc.
The regard for liberty shown in this important biU cer
tainly does honor to the tories. Some of the articles
seemed, no doubt, fo reflect on the king, but recent experi
ence had shown their necessity, and future experience
proved their utility. There was, however, one fatal omis
sion in the bill ; fhe foreign prince coming to fhe throne
should have been required to surrender his former domin
ions. The affair of the treaty of partition was much more in
tricate. Charles II, of Spain was childless; fhe emperor,
fhe elector of BavariaJ and fhe king of France had all mar
ried daughters of Spain. Louis's queen, it 'te true, had at
her marriage solemnly renounced her right of succession,
but the ambition of Louis, it was well, known, would not be
vol. ii. 36

422 history of England.
held in by so slender a cord ; and if he could add the Span
ish dominions fo his own, his power, it was feared, would
be irresistible. In 1698, William, having seen, from the
temper of parliament, how little chance there was of pre
vailing on the English nation to engage in a war, resolved,,
if he could not avert the evU entirely, fo diminish it as much
as possible. Louis, too, was, or pretended to be, satisfied to
be secured in a part rather than have to fight for fhe whole.
Accordingly, when WUliam returned fo Holland that year,
a secret treaty was concluded between fhe kings of England
and France, and fhe states of Holland, for partitioning the
Spanish dominions, by which fhe dauphin vvas to have
Naples and aU the ofher Italian dominions of the crown of
Spain, except fhe duchy of MUan, which was to go fo fhe
emperor's second son, Charles. The dauphin was also fo
have the province of Guipuscoa, in the north of Spain ; but
tbe crown of Spain, with all its other dominions, was to go
fo fhe electoral prince of Bavaria. The death of this young
prince having frustrated this arrangement, a new one was
concluded, (Mar. 15, 1700.) By this the archduke Charles
was to have Spain, the Indies, and fhe Netherlands, while
the dauphin should have Guipuscoa and all the Italian
dominions, but Milan was fo be exchanged for Lorraine.
The object proposed by William and fhe States was, to pre
serve fhe balance of power as much as possible ; buf it was
certainly a bold step thus to parcel out the Spanish mon
archy without the consent of the crown or people of Spain.
Accordingly, the pride of the Spanish nation was roused,
and through the arts of fhe French ambassador and his
party, the king, when on his death-bed, (Nov. 1,) was
induced to make a will leaving all his dominions fo PhUip,
the second son of the dauphin. Louis, after an affected
hesitation, allowed his grandson to accept fhe splendid be
quest. He then used all his arts fo obtain the acquiescence
of fhe king of England and the States, but finding them
unavailing, he had recourse fo stronger measures. By what
vvas called fhe Barrier treaty, Namur, Antwerp, and some
other places in fhe Netherlands were garrisoned by Dutch
troops; and by a secret and rapid march, the French in one
night surprised and captured all these garrisons, which
amounted to 12,000 men. The States, fo free their soldiers,
and urged by fhe clamor of a large faction af home, and the
terror of the French arms now af their doors, acknowledged
Philip, and king William found it necessary to follow their
example, (Apr. 17, 1701.)

WILLIAM UI. 423
If is asserted that Louis scattered his gold with no sparing
hand among fhe members of the English parliament, in
order to avert the danger of a war. Be this as it may, his
game was played effectually iu that assembly. The peers
(Mar. 21) presented an address condemnatory of " that fa
tal treaty" of partition, and fhe commons, after a furious
debate, in v/hich Mr. Howe termed it a "felonious treaty,"
made a still stronger address, and then proceeded to impeach
the earls of Portland and Oxford, and the lords Somers and
Halifax, for their share in it. Disputes, however, arising
between the tvvo houses, the commons refused to go on with
the impeachments, under the pretext that they could not
expect justice, and fhe lords then acquitted fhe accused
peers. The war-spirit, however, was on fhe increase in the coun
try, and the king on his return' to the continent was par
ty (Sept 7) to a second Grand Alliance wifh fhe emperor
and fhe States for procuring the Netherlands and thei Ital
ian dominions of the crown of Spain for fhe emperor, and
for preventing the union of France and Spain under one
government. Just at this time, an event occurred which
roused the indignation of fhe whole English nation against
Louis. King James died, (16th,) and Louis, who had
promised the dying monarch fo recognize his son as king
of England, performed that promise under the influence of
Madame de Mainfenon, in opposition fo his wisest ministers.
WUliam immediately ordered his ambassador to quit fhe
court of France without faking leave, and the French sec
retary of legation to depart from England. The city of
London made an address, expressive of their indignation at
the conduct of the court of France, and their resolution to
stand by the king in the defence of his person and just
rights; and similar addresses soon poured in from all parts
ofthe kingdom.
The current had evidently set in against the timid anti-
national policy of fhe tories, and the sagacious Sunderland,
when consulted by the king, strongly advised hira to discard
his tory ministers and bring in fhe whigs. WUliam wrote
to lord Somers, their acknowledged leader, for his advice,
and that statesman urged him to dissolve fhe parliament, and
to rely on the present temper of fhe nation. Accordingly,
the king, soon after his return, acted in conformity with that
counsel. When the new parliament met, (Dec. 30,) the tories

424 history of england.
proved stronger in it than had been anticipated, but many
of them were of that moderate party which was headed by
Harley, whose election to fhe office of speaker was carried
by a majority of either four or fourteen. The speech from
fhe throne, the composition of Somers, was a most able
piece, showing the danger of England and Of Europe, and
calling on the parliament fo act with vigor and unanimity.
The two houses responded fo the royal call; they voted
90,000 men for the land and sea service ; a bill vvas passed
for attainting the pretended prince of Wales, and another
obliging all persons employed in church and state fo abjure
him, arid swear fo William as rightful and lawful king, and
his heirs, according to the Act of Settlement, (1702.)
The nation had not been so united or the king so popular
at any time since the Revolution; buf William vvas not fated
to enjoy fhe happy results. He felt his constitution to be
so greatly broken, that he had told lord PorUand this winter,
in confidence, that he could not expect to live another sum
mer. Toward the end of February, (21st,) as be was riding
through Bushy-park, on his way to Hampton-court, he put
his horse to the gallop on fhe level sod; but the animal
stumbled and fell, and the king's collar-bone was broken.
It was set immediately, and he was brought back to Ken
sington. For some days he seemed in no danger whatever ;
but one day, (Mar. 3,) after walking for some time in the
gallery, he sat down on a couch and fell asleep. He awoke
with a shivering fit A fever ensued ; he grew worse daily;
on Sunday (7fh) he received fhe sacrament from archbishop
Tennison, and at eight o'clock next morning (8th) he
breathed his last, in the fifty-second year of his age. A
black ribbon with a ring, containing some ofhis late queen's
hair, was found tied round his left arm — a proof of his sin
cere affection for that estimable woman.
WUliam was slender iii person and delicate in constitu
tion. His countenance was grave and manly, his nose
aquiline, his eye bright, his forehead large. He had a
strong sense of religion, and was generally correct in his
conduct. His manner was dry and unpleasant, and those
who had been used fo the affability of Charles found his
court intolerable; and his retiring fo Holland every summer,
and usual residence af Hampton-court for the sake of pri
vacy and hunting, tended very much fo alienate the minds
of the public. He was an able though not successful
general ; fhe great object of his life was the abasement of

ANNE. 425
the power of France; it was only with a view to this that
he sought the throne of England ; and he is the last mon
arch of superior talents who has occupied that throne. In
fine, he was fhe greatest prince of his age.

CHAPTER IH.
ANNE.
1702—1714.

The new queen was in the thirty-eighth year of her age.
She had always been remarkably firm in her attachment fo
the protestant religion, and her inclination was strong to
the tory party. This, however, was much controlled by the
great influence exercised over her mind by lady Marl
borough, who was a whig,* which led to a hope that fhe
high-tory party would not be dominant during her reign.
When waited on by fhe privy councU the day of William's
death,' she spoke with great respect of that monarch, and
announced her intention of treading in his steps. She re
newed this declaration in her speech to the parliaraenf, and
her resolution was communicated without loss of time to
the States-general, who had been overwhelmed with afflic
tion at fhe nev^'s of the king's demise.
King WUliam, with that noble spirit of patriotism which
distinguished hira, though aware of fhe treachery of Marl
borough fo himself, had destined hira to fhe coraraand of
fhe English troops in the approaching war, for of his mili
tary and diplomatic talents he had fhe highest opinion. For
this reason he had confided to him fhe task of negotiating
the Grand Alliance, and Marlborough's conduct of it had
fully justifled his anticipations. The queen novv declared
him captain-general of all the forces of Great Britain, and
appointed him her ambassador af the Hague, whither he
repaired without delay (23fh) to assure the States of the
intentions of his royal mistress, and fo arrange the plan of
the ensuing campaign.
* In her familiar intercourse with lord and lady Marlborough, the
queen called herself, and was called by them, Mrs. Morley, and they
were Mr, and Mrs. Freeman.
36 * B R B

426 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
The commons settled on the queen for life the revenue
of 700,000/. a year enjoyed by the late king, 100,00UA ot
which she assured fhem she would annually devote to the
national service. The oath of abjuration was taken by aU
persons without any difficulty.
In forming her ministry queen Anne gave the preference
to the tories. Godolphin was made treasurer, Nottingham
and sir Charles Hedges secretaries, Normanby privy seal,
and sir Nathan Wright chancellor ; while of the whigs the
duke of Somerset was president of the council, and fhe
duke of Devonshire lord steward. Anne made her husband,
prince George, generalissimo of all her forces by sea and
land and lord high admiral. Seymour, Howe, Harcourt,
and other tories also got employments.
On the very same day, (May 15,) as had been previously
arranged, war was declared against France af London,
"Vienna, and the Hague. In fhe beginning of July Marl
borough took the comraand of fhe allied army in Flanders.
He forthwith crossed the Meuse and advanced to Hamont.
The caution ofthe Dutch field-deputies restraining him from
action, no battle was fought in Flanders this campaign; but
by the capture of Venloo and other places on fhe Meuse, and
finally of Liege, the navigation of that river was completely
opened. With this last acquisition the campaign closed.
It had been fhe plan of king William fo send an expe
dition against Cadiz. The queen's ministry, in pursuance
of that design, fitted out a fleet of thirty ships of the line,
which, joined with twenty Dutch men-of-war, wifh frigates
and transports, and carrying a body of 14,0OO men, was
destined for that service. The supreme command was given
to fhe duke of Ormond ; sir George Rooke commanded the
fleet under bim. On the 23d of August the expedition
arrived off Cadiz ; but, instead of landing at once, three
days vvere spent in debates and discussions about fhe place
of landing and other matters which should have been ar
ranged long before. By this delay time was given to Vii-
ladarias, the captain-general of Andalusia, to store fhe city
with provisions and to place a boom across the mouth of the
harbor. The English commanders resolved to reduce the
forts on the main land, instead of debarking in the isle of
Leon; they therefore landed in the Bay of Bulls, and
advanced fo Rota, which was given up by the governor ;
tbey thence moved to Port St. Mary's, a wealthy town ; tbey
found it deserted, and they fell at once fo the work of
plunder and destruction, not even sparing the churches.

ANNE. 427
By this conduct they completely alienated the minds of the
Andalusians from themselves and their cause ; and seeing
but slender hopes of any final success, they resolved to
abandon the enterprise. They departed, (Sept. 30,) as Stan
hope, one of those in command, expressed it, " with a great
deal of plunder and of infamy." The naval and military com
manders charged each ofher wifh the blame ofthe failure.
Fortune, however, seemed resolved to save them from fhe
popular indignation af home. They learned on fhe coast
of Portugal that the great Cadiz plate-fleet had put into
Vigo-bay, in Gallicia, and they resolved to attempt its cap
ture. On reaching that bay (Oct. 22) they found the en
trance defended by a boom and tvvo ruinous pld tpwers ;
¦while the cpnvpying ships pf war, pf which ten were French,
lay mppred aleng fhe shere, and the peasantry were all in
arms. Ormpnd landed wifh 2000 men, and reduced the
tPwers; the English ships brpke the bpom ; but while fhe
ships-of-war gave fhem occupation, fhe galleons ran farther
up the gulf to try to save their cargoes; the English, how
ever, soon overtook them. The crews then began to fling
the cargoes into the sea, and to burn the galleons, but six
of fhem and seven ships-of-war were captured. The total
loss of fhe Spaniards exceeded eight millions of dollars, of
which the captors did not get more than one half
Admiral Benbow, a brave and able seaman, but rude and
rough in his manners, was at this time in the West Indies
with a squadron of ten ships. He fell in (Aug. 19) wifh a
French squadron of equal force, under M. de Casse. A
running fight was maintained for several days ; buf Benbow
found that the greater part of his captains neglected his
orders, and would not come into action. His right leg
being broken by a chain-shot, (24th,) and his captains still
continuing refractory, he gave up the chase and bore for
Jamaica, vvhere he ordered a court-martial fo be held on six
of them ; and tvvo, Kirby and Wade, were sentenced to be
shot, which sentence was executed at Plymouth, when they
were sent home. Benbow died ofhis wounds at Kingston.
During the summer the parliament was dissolved, and a
new one summoned. When it met (Oct. 20) it proved tory
and high-church. In its address to the queen it reflected on
fhe memory of fhe late king, saying, for example, that Marl
borough had retrieved the ancient glory and honor of the
English nation. It was proposed to substitute the word
maintained for that invidious term, but the proposal was
rejected by a large majority. They aLso talked of the church

428 HISTORY or England.
being restored to its due rights and privileges. As the dis
senters all belonged to the whig party, fhe commons now
opened a battery on fhem, which long continued in opera
tion. This was fhe bill for preventing occasional con
formity ; for many of the dissenters, viewing fhe different
sects of protestants as merely different forms of fhe common
Christianity, made no scruple to conform fo fhe church of
England, by taking the test and receiving the sacrament in
it, as a qualification for office, but stiU adhered to their ovvn
sect The pride ofthe church party had also been wounded
by the imprudent vanity and insolence of sir Humphrey
Edwin, the lord mayor of London, in 1697, who went f o the
meeting-house of Pinners'-hall wifh all fhe insignia of his
civic dignity. The bill now brought in enacted penalties
against persons in office who should frequent dissenters'
meeting-houses. It passed the commons by a large majority,
but the lords made sundry amendments in it, which the
coinmons would not admit, and it thus was lost for this
session. At the desire ofthe queen, an annual income of 100,000/.
was voted to her consort in case of his surviving her. The
earl of Marlborough having been created a duke for his ser
vices in the' late campaign, fhe queen informed fhe house of
commons that she had granted him 5000/. a year out of the
post-office revenue for his life, and that she wished an act to
be passed for continuing it to his heirs ; but the commons
were indignant af the proposal, asserting, with truth, that he
had been abundantly remunerated for his services ; and the
duke prudently requested the queen fo recall her message.
We will now briefly narrate in continuity fhe events of
fhe War of the Succession, by land and sea, in which fhe
troops and fleets of fhe queen of England were engaged.
Our narrative shall extend over a space of eight years.
The campaign of 1703 was opened by fhe capture of fhe
city of Bonn, in the electorate of Cologne: the towns of
Huy, Limburg, and Guelder were also reduced ; but the en
ergy of Marlborough was so cramped by fhe caution and dil-
atoriness ofthe Dutch, that he could venture on no action of
importance. In this year fhe king of Portugal and the duke
of Savoy joined the confederacy, and the archduke Charles
assumed the title of king of Spain. He came to England
in the close of fhe year, and, having partaken of fhe Christ
mas festivities of the court, was conveyed by sir Georoe
Rooke, vvith a powerful squadron, to Lisbon.
The year 1704 opened with gloomy prospects for the con-

anne. 429
federates. The emperor, pressed by the Hungarians, who
were in rebeUion, on one side, and by the Bavarians and
French on the ofher, and totally unprovided with troops,
was expecting every day to be besieged in his capital. Marl
borough, who saw that, if the emperor vvas forced to yield,
fhe confederation was at an end, resolved to make a bold el-
fort to relieve him. He secretly arranged his plans with
prince Eugene of Savoy, the imperial general, and then, pre
tending to his own government and fhe States that his object
merely was to act on fhe Moselle, he induced the latter to be
content with the protection of their own troops, and allow
him to open fhe campaign where he proposed. It is not in
our power here to display the masterly arrangements and pro
ceedings of this consummate warrior. Being joined by an
imperial army under the prince of Baden, he forced the lines
of the Bavarians af Schellenburg, on fhe Danube, (July 2,)
with great slaughter; and, having occupied the town of Do-
nawerth, he transported his army over fhe river. The elector
retired under the walls of Augsburg; and the country was
wasted far and wide. Being joined, however, by a French
army from the Rhine, under marshal Tallard, fhe elector re-
crossed the Danube, in order fo attack prince Eugene, who
had arrived with 18,000 men af Donawerth. Marlborough,
therefore, joined fhe prince without delay. The allies were
advancing up fhe river fo take a position at Hochstadt,
when fhey discovered that the enemy was making out a
camp between Lutzingen and Blenheim. The allied gen
erals resolved to attack them at once ; and next morning
(Aug. 13) at fwo o'clock they put their troops in motion.
At seven fhe enemy, who was not aware of their approach,
descried the heads of their columns, and began to prepare fo
engage them. The GaUo-Bavarian array amounted to about
56,000 men ; that of the allies fo about 52,000.
At one o'clock the battle began, with an attack on Blen
heim by the English under lord Cuffs, and a simultaneous
attack on tbe enemy's left by the troops under fhe prince of
Anhalf. The contest was desperate, especially on fhe right;
but ere night fhe allies had won a most splendid victory.
The loss of fhe French, in killed, drowned, taken, and de
serters, was 40,000 men ; among the prisoners was marshal
Tallard and 1200 ofhis officers. The allies had 4500 killed
and 7500 wounded. The victory would have been still more
complete but for the misconduct ofthe imperial troops, which
enabled the elector to retire in good order, and with little
loss.

430 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Ulm and several pfher places were reduced; the allied
army recrpssed the Rhine; and the campaign was termi
nated with the sieges pf Landau, Treves, and Traerbach.
In December fhe duke returned fp England ; he received the
thanks pf the queen and the fwo houses ; fhe royal manor
and honor of Woodstock was conferred on him and his heirs,
and the queen gave orders for a splendid mansion, to be
named Blenheim-castle, to be erected on if at the cost ofthe
crown. Sir George Rooke had sailed from Lisbon, carrying a
corps of 5000 trppps, under the prince pf Hesse Darmstadt,
fpr an attempt pn Barcefona ; but their strength net prpving
sufficient, they abandpned fhe enterprise; and en their way
back they attacked and captured the strpng fprtress pf Gib
raltar, pf which Rppke fppk ppssessipn in the name pf the
queen pf England. He then fpught an indecisive actien
with a French fleet eff Malaga.
The carapaign pf 1705 in Flanders prpduced np great
battle, pvving tp the ppppsition of the Dutch field-deputies.
Its most impprtant event was the fprcing pfthe French lines,
extending frpm Namur fp Antwerp, defended by 70,000 men,
and strpng by nature as weU as art This expfoit was per
formed in a masterly manner, and without any loss. Marl-
bprpugh came up wifh fhe French army en the banks Of the
river Dyle, buf, when he weuld attack if, fhe Dutch deputies
interppsed and prevented him. Tovvard winter he visited fhe
new emperor, Joseph, at "Vienna, by whom he was created a
prince of the empire, and the principality of Mindelsheim
was conferred on him. He there arranged the terms of a
new alliance between fhe emperor and fhe maritime powers.
On fhe 3d of June lord Peterborough sailed from Ports
mouth with a land force of about 5000 men. His instruc
tions were, to aid the; duke of Savoy, or fo attack one of the
Spanish ports, and make a vigorous push in Spain. At Lis
bon he was joined by fhe archduke Charles, and af Gibraltar
by the prince of Darrastadt. They touched at Alfea, in Va-
.encia, where they found the people zealous in their favor.
Peterborough then formed the daring project of making a
dash for Madrid, which was only fifty leagues distant, but
fhe archduke and Darrastadt insisted on proceeding to Bar
celona. The want of money was another obstacle, and
Peterborough gave way. When fhey came fo Barcelona
(Aug. 16) they found the fortifications of that town strong
and in good repair, and the garrison as numerous as their
own force. Peterborough and mpst of the officers were

ANNE. 431
against making any attempt, but the archduke and Darm
stadt were as obstinate as ever. To gratify them, fhe troops
were landed, and lay for three weeks inactive before the
town. Dissension prevailed among the commanders, and
there seemed no course ..but to reembark the troops, when
Peterborough, (Sept. 13,) by a fortunate and well-conducted
piece of temerity, made himself master ofthe strong fort of
Monfjuich, which commands the city. Numbers of the Mi-
quelets, or armed peasantry, now flocked to the standard of
Charles, and the siege was carried on with vigor. At length
a breach was effected ; but ere the assault was given the sol
diers forced the brave old viceroy, Velasco, fo propose terms.
An honorable treaty was concluded, (Oct. 9 ;) buf several of
the Miquelets had stolen info the town, and they and the dis
contented townsmen appeared in arms early next morning,
wifh the resolution of massacring the viceroy and his friends.
Peterborough, on hearing fhe tumult, rode fo one of the
gates of the city and demanded admittance. The gate was
opened fo him. His flrst act was to save a noble lady from
the pursuit ofthe Miquelets. He suppresed the riot, enabled
fhe viceroy to escape to Alicant, and then withdrew from the
tovvn fill fhe term of the treaty should have expired. The
viceroy, however, had left orders for an immediafe surrender.
All Catalonia now rose in favor of Charles, and its example
was followed by Valencia.
Wearied by fhe opposition ofthe Dutch generals and field-
deputies, and disgusted wifh the slowness and indecision of
the Imperialists, Marlborough planned for fhe campaign of
1706 the leading an army in person into Italy to cooperate
with prince Eugene, while a British army should land on the
coast of Saintonge fo endeavor to raise the Huguenots of the
south of France. Buf the French having been successful
on the Upper Rhine, fhe States became alarmed, and they
implored Marlborough fo retain fhe command in the Nether
lands, offering to free him from the Control of fhe deputies.
He complied with their wishes, and prepared to open the
campaign by fhe siege of Namur. The French court sent
positive orders fo marshal Villeroy to risk a battle in defence
of that town. He therefore advanced fo fhe village of Ra
millies beyond Tirlemont, where, on Whitsunday, (May 23,)
he was attacked by the allied army of 60,000 men, his own
force being about 62,000. The action commenced after one
o'clock, and lasted till the evening; fhe French sustained a
total defeat, losing 13,000 men in killed, wounded, and taken,
besides 2000 who afterwards deserted, eighty stand of col-

432 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
ors, and nearly all their artUlery and baggage ; fhe loss of
fhe allies was 1000 kiUed and 2500 wounded. The immedi
ate consequence of this glorious victory was the submission
of the states of Brabant to king Charles, and the surrender
of Brussels, Ghent, Oudenarde, Antwerp, and the ofher
towns of that province. Dendermond, Ostend, and Aeth
stood each a siege, and fhe carapaign closed with the capture
(tf this last.
In Spain this year Barcelona was invested by land and sea
by fhe French and Spaniards under Philip in person, whUe
its sraall garrison of not more than 2000 men was animated
by fhe presence of Charles. The enthusiasm almost pecu
liar to the Spaniards was manifested in fhe defence ; monks
and women appeared in arms, and Peterborough, advancing
from Valencia, carried on a guerUla warfare (for which no
man was better adapted) in the enemy's rear. The city,
however, would have been reduced but for tbe arrival of an
English fleet with troops, at the sight of which fhe blockad
ing squadron retired fo Toulon, and the garrison being novv
reinforced, fhe besieging army marched off wifh all speed fo
Roussillon. In the mean time fhe Anglo-Portuguese army
under tbe earl of Galway and fhe marquess Das Minas had
entered Spain, and, on hearing of the relief of Barcelona,
they advanced and occupied Madrid. But instead of press
ing af once on Philip, who was af Burgos, they loitered for
a month in fhe capital. Charles in like manner staid at
Barcelona, and then went to Zarago^a instead of Madrid.
The national antipathy between CastUians and Aragonese
revived ; the former showed themselves enthsuiastic for Phil
ip ; and the allies, unable fo get back into Portugal, had to
retire into Valencia, pursued by the duke of Berwick. PhUip
then returned fo Madrid.
After the misfortunes of the last campaign Louis had
made proposals for a treaty, first fo fhe States alone and then
to them and Marlborough, offering fo cede to Charles either
Spain and the Indies or the Italian dominions, with a barrier
to the Dutch and compensation fo the duke of Savoy. His
offers, however, were rejected, and Marlborough again took
the field, (1707.) But the campaign proved utterly inactive,
as the duke of "Vendome, the French general, would give no
opportunity for fighting. In Spain the allied forces under
Galway and Das Minas (contrary to the opinion of Peter
borough, who advised a defensive system) advanced into the
kingdom of Murcia to engage the duke of Berwick. They
found him (Apr. 25) encamped on the Vega or plain of

ANNE. 433
Almanza : his army, which had been reinforced from France,
amounted fo about 25,000 men, while that of the allies did
not exceed 17,000. His superiority in cavalry was very
great ; his troops were fresh, while theirs were fatigued with
a morning's march. The battle commenced at three in the
afternoon ; the contest was for some time most obstinate ;
buf Galway and Das Minas both being wounded and obliged
to leave fhe field, the allies were finally roufed. They left
4O0O men dead on the spot ; nearly all fhe remaining infan
try vvere obliged to surrender ; fhe generals fled to Catalonia
with about 3500 cavalry, Valencia and Aragon vvere speed
ily reduced fo fhe obedience of Philip, and the campaign
closed with the siege and capture of Lerida,
In the month of July the duke of Savoy and prince Eu
gene had entered Provence with an army of 30,000 men, and
laid siege fo Toulon, while a British fleet under sir Cloudes-
ley Shovel attacked it from fhe sea. The defence of fhe
garrison, however, was gallant ; and ^s a large army was
said fo be hastening to its relief, fhe duke raised fhe siege
and retired. As admiral Shovel was returning fo England
his fleet ran on fhe rocks westward of Scilly, His own
ship, the Association, foundered, and himself and all his
crew perished ; the same was the fate of the Eagle and the
Romney, In fhe spring of 1708 Louis, encouraged by intelligence
of the discontent which prevailed in England, and still more
in Scotland, fitted out a fleet af Dunkirk, in which the son
of James IL, now called fhe Chevalier de Sf. George, and in
England fhe Pretender, embarked and sailed for Scotland.
But sir George Byng was af the Firth of Forth with an
English squadron, and they fpund it irappssible fo effect a
landing. After being beaten about by storms for a month,
they got back in a shattered condition to Dunkirk.
The French army in fhe Netherlands was commanded by
the king's grandson, fhe duke of Burgundy, aided by the
duke of Vendome. They surprised Ghent and Bruges and
laid siege fo Oudenarde. At the approach of Marlborough
to its relief fhey retired; buf he brought them fo action at
no great distance from that town, (July 11.) The battle
did not commence fUl evening, and the coming on of night
saved the French from a rout which might have ended the
war. They lost 3000 men killed and 7000 taken ; the loss
of the allies was about 2000. After this victory Marl
borough invested (Aug, 13) Lisle, the capital of French
Flanders, a city of remarkable strength and largely garri-
vtH,. n. 37 o c c

434 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
soned. Every possible effort for its relief was made by the
French generals ; but at length the town, (Oct 25,) and
finaUy the citadel, (Dec. 10,) was forced to surrender.
Ghent was then besieged and recovered, and the campaign,
regarded -as one ofthe ablest during fhe war, terminated.
The taking of the islands of Sardinia and Minorca gave
sPrae lustre tp the cause pfthe allies in the sputh.
The fosses which France bad sustained npv^' made Louis
sincerely anxious for peace, and he was willing to surrender
all the Spanish dominions except Naples, give the Dutch a
sufficient barrier, etc. The allies, however, insisted on the
cession of the Spanish dominions without exception, and
even on Louis's aiding to drive his grandson out of Spain,
These terms he rejected as an insult ; he addressed a mani
festo fo his subjects ; and, exhausted as fhey were by famine
and taxation, the eminent loyalty of fhe people enabled him
fo renew fhe war wifh augmented vigor.
The fortune of war was, however, still adverse to France,
The first, act of the drama was fhe investment of Tournay by
the allies, and its surrender after a gallant defence, (Sept, 3,)
Prince Eugene and Marlborough then prepared fo invest
Mons ; marshal ViUars hastened to its relief ; he posted his
arrhy between two woods near Malplaquet, and fortified his
camp with redoubts and entrenchments. Here, however, he
was attacked (Sept 11) by the allies. The armies were
nearly equal in number, each being about 90,000 men ; fhe
action was fhe most desperately contested during fhe war ;
the honor of the day remained to the allies with a list of
20,000 killed and wounded, vvhile the French retired with
the loss of 14,000, The siege and capture of Mons termi
nated fhe campaign. In Spain fortune was adverse to the
allies ; they lost fhe town of Alicant, and fhey were defeated
on the plain of Gudifia.
Negotiations for peace were resumed in 1710, and a
congress sat af the little town of Gerfruydenburg. Louis
seeraed to be most moderate ; but his sincerity was doubted,
and the conference was broken off. The taking of Douay
and some other towns alone signalized fhe campaign in fhe
Netherlands ; but events of greater importance took place
in Spain.
The array of Charles was coraraanded 'oy the English
general Stanhope and the Austrian marshal Staremburg ;
that of Philip by fhe marquess of Villadarias. The former
entered Aragon, while the latter invaded Catalonia ; as it was
on its return, the allies wished to cut it off from Lerida, and

ANNE. 435
on the evening of the 27th of July, their cav^aky, led by
Stanhope in person, engaged and routed, near the viUage" of
Almenara, a superior body of the Spanish cavalry. Night
saved the Spanish army from a total rout. They retired to
Lerida and thence to Zaragoza, whither fhey were followed
by fhe allies, who passed the Ebro unopposed. The rival
monarchs were present with their armies ; that of Philip
counted 25,000, that of Charles 23,000 men. A batUe was
fought under fhe walls of that ancient City, (Aug. 20,) which
ended in the total defeat of fhe Spaniards, who lost 5000
slain and wounded, 4000 prisoners, and all their colors and
artillery. The loss of fhe victors was only 1500 men. Philip
fled fo Madrid and thence to VaUadolid, and Charles soon
after entered fhe capital, but he found it nearly deserted.
The fidelity of fhe CastUians fo his rival was invincible, and
their efforts soon placed him at the head of another army,
of which the duke of Vendome took the command. As
Catalonia was menaced by the French, fhe allies resolved
fo return thither ; on account of the difficulty of procuring
supplies fhey were obliged to march in separate divisions,
and Vendome, having with his entire army surrounded
Stanhope, who had about 5000 English troops, in fhe town
of Brihuega, forced him to surrender, (Dec. 9,) after a most
gallant defence. Next day Vendorae gave hattle on fhe
plain of VUla Viciosa fo Staremburg, who was advancing fo
fhe relief of Stanhope. The honor of the day remained
with the German ; but he was so harassed by the partisans
in his retreat that he did not bring more than 7000 raen
back to Barcelona. The war in Spain was now virtually at
an end ; it was plain that fhe Castilian spirit was not to be
subdued ; and the succession of Charles fo the imperial
throne soon altered fhe relations of Europe.
We now return to the domestic affairs of England during
the time of the war.
Since the accession of James I.,' fhe necessity of a closer
union between the two British kingdoms had been apparent
to judicious statesmen. The Act of Security passed by the
Scottish parliament in 1704 proved the danger of delaying
that measure any longer ; for by this it was enacted, that
on the death of fhe queen without issue, the Estates should
appoint a successor of fhe royal line and a protestant; but
that it should not be the same person who would succeed
to the throne of England, unless fhe independence of fhe
Scottish nation and parliament, and the religion, trade, and
liberty of the people, had previously been seclired against

436 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
English influence. The queen gave her assent to this act by
the advice of Godolphin, whose object is said to have been
to frighten fhe English into a union of tbe kingdoms by
the terror of a separation of fhe fwo British crowns. If
such was his plan, it was eminently successful. The act
was regarded in England as almost a declaration of war. A
bUl rapidly passed both houses, empowering the queen to
appoint commissioners for a union of fhe kingdoms, declaring
the Scots aliens if they did not accede fo a treaty or adopt
fhe Hanoverian succession within a year ; prohibiting fhe
importation of their cattle and linens ; and appointing
cruisers fo prevent their trade with France. An address
was made to the queen fo put the towns of Carlisle, Berwick,
Newcastle, and Hull in a state of defence ; troops were
marched to the borders ; and the six northern counties vvere
called on fo arm for their defence.
In the Scottish parliament there were three parties; the
court party, headed by fhe duke of Queensbury ; fhe Jac
obites, whose chie,f was the duke of Hamilton ; and fhe
country party, who, though Zealous for fhe independence
of the kingdom, were attached to the protestant succession.
In this party there were various shades of opinion ; it con
tained royalists and republicans, of vvhich last class Fletcher
of Saltoun was by far the most eminent. This man was
the perfect model of those who with pure mptives seek to
cpuvert a mpnarchy intp a republic. He was "brave as the
swprd he were," pf unstained honor, of strict probity, of
ardent patriotism, of simple and nervous eloquence, of ex
tensive reading and knowledge of mankind ; but he vvas stern
and obstinate, impatient of contradiction, chimerical in his
projects, and enthusiastic in his spirit ; in a word, a man who
would dictate but not concede, and who would meliorate on
his own principles or not at all.^ A pprtipn pf the ceuntry
party, cpmprising fhe marquess pf Tweeddale, ford Belha-
ven, and pfher late ministers pf the crpwn, formed what vvas
termed the Squadrone Volante, and spught fp trim the bal
ance between fhe fwp parties pf cpurt and ppppsitipn.
An act fpr a treaty pf unipn with England was by gppd
manageraent carried in the Scpttish parliament, (1705,) and
the queen was emppwered tp apppint cpmmissipners for
arranging it. The parliament was then adjourned, and the
commissioners selected by the queen held their conferences
at the Cockpit in Westminster, (L706.)
The Scots proposed a federal, instead of an incorporating
union ; buf the English insisting on this last, they readUy

ANNE. 437
gave way, and the foUowing terms of union were agreed on.
The succession of the united kingdom to remain to fhe
princess Sophia and the heirs of her body being protestants;
in fhe parliament of Great Britain, the number of peers for
Scotland fo be sixteen, elected for every parliament out of
the Scottish peerage ; of commons, forty-five, fwo thirds for
counties and one third for boroughs ; the same duties of
excise and customs fo be levied in both parts of fhe united
kingdom ; and when England raised two millions by a land-
fax, Scotland was fo raise 48,000/., etc. etc.
The number of representatives aUofted to Scotland was
loudly exclaimed against; and it was argued, that as its
population was a sixth of that of England, its representatives
should in justice form a sixth instead of a twelfth part pf fhe
legislature as proposed : but if was replied,, that mere number
^was not to be fhe only basis ; that the burdens borne were
also to be taken info computation ; and that the Scots had
insisted on not paying more than a fortieth of fhe land-fax.
If was also intimated that on this point fhe English ministry
vvere resolved not to yield, and prospects of English peerages
were held out to fhe Scottish nobles. The great hope of
carrying the union, however, rested on what was termed the
Equivalent, a sum pf 398,000/. which England was fp pay
fpr the custpms and excise ef Scptland in as far as they were
apprppriated tpward the discharge pf its natipnal debt. This
was te gp itp the payment pf arrears of salaries, etc., to the
cpmpensatipn pf the sharehplders in a company which had
bgen fprmed in Scptland fpr cplonizing fhe Isthmus of Da
rien, and vvhich had met with the fafe due fo so wild a
project In short, fhe Equivalent was to form a specious
fund of bribery.
The Scottish parliament met on the 13th of October : the
duke of Q,ueensbury, a man of the highest rank and most
concUiatihg manners, prudent and resolute, sat as fhe royal
commissioner. The treaty was read, and then printed and
published. Forthwith a storm of indignation burst forth
over the whole kingdom ; each class saw danger to its own
peculiar interests ; all fired at the thought of the loss of
national independence. Addresses against it were poured in
from all parts ; tumults arose in Edinburgh ; the Cameronians
of fhe west were preparing to take up arms and dissolve the
parliament by force. Two thirds ofthe nation, in fact, vvere
decidedly opposed to the union.
The court party argued in favor of the union from the
injurious ascendency which England had lorig possessed over
37 «

438 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Scotland, and for which it was the only remedy likely to be
efficacious, as history proved that federal unions were only
sources of discord; a share in fhe trade of England would
thus be obtained ; if was, in fine, the part of prudence fo
submit cheerfully to what was inevitable; the union would
be like fhe marriage of a maiden chaste and prudent, but
conscious of her weakness, fo a man noble and powerful,
thus preserving her identity and honor under another name.
- The country party argued from the aversion ofthe nation ;
they denied fhe right of parliament to alienate what was
only a trust ; they drew highly-colored pictures of the ruin
and degradation which must inevitably overwhelm Scotland.
They appealed fo the interests, the passions, fhe imagination.
In prophetic vision lord Belhaven saw the barons, whose
ancestors had exacted tribute throughout England, walking
like attorneys in fhe court of requests, and English excisemen
receiving more homage than had been given fo their ances
tors : he saw the tradesmen eating saltless pottage, and
drinking water instead of ale ; the daughters of the gentry
petitioning for husbands, their sons for employment ; " But
above all," cried he, " I see our ancient mother Caledonia,
like Csesar, sifting in the midst of our senate, looking
mournfully around, covering herself with her royal garment,
and breathing out her last words. And thou ioo, my son !
while she attends the fatal blow from our hands."
The force of reason, the force of argument, but, above all,
the force ofthe Equivalent, prevailed against all the efforts
of mistaken patriotism. The Squadrone Volante was gained
fo the court ; Hamilton proved false to his party ; and fhe act
of ratification was passed by fhe large majority of 110. By
a separate act the presbyterian form of church government
was secured. To gratify the poor nobility so numerous in
Scotland, the privUege of freedom from personal arrest was
accorded fo the Scottish peerage. The act of union, when
transmitted to England, after encountering some opposition
from fhe high tories in the house of peers, received the appro
bation of the English legislature, and, (May 1, 1707,) the
' fwo kingdoms were incorporated into one, to be called
' Great Britain.
During this time the struggle of parties went on in the
English parliament and cabinet. The tories twice renewed
their efforts to carry their bill against occasional conformity,
even attempting to tack if to fhe bUI for the land-tax. In
the cabinet, Marlborough and Godolphin vvere thwarted by
tham in their views respecting fhe mode of conducting the

ANNE. 439
war. They contrived, however, to get rid^of Rochester in
1703 ; and in the following year they were equally successful
with respect to Nottingham, Jersey, and sir Edward Sey
mour. The duQhess was most anxious to effect a union
between Marlborough and the whigs, but, great as her
influence was over him, she did not succeed. Harley
became secretary in place of Nottingham ; and Henry St
John, a young man of great promise, was made secretary-af-
war. The attempts of fhe tories to depreciate his glorious
victory at Blenheim tended greatly fo alienate Marlborough
from that party ; and fhe result of fhe elections for a new
parliament in 1705, which gave a clear majority fo fhe whigs
in fhe commons, led him and Godolphin to contemplate a
union with that party. Even previous to the meeting of
parliament the whig influence had been sufficient to cause
fhe dismissal of the duke of Buckingham (late marquess of
Normanby) frOm fhe privy seal, and fhe appointment of the
duke of Newcastle ; and the transfer of the great seal from
sir Nathan Wright to Mr. WUliam Cowper. , The contest
for the office of speaker was between Mr. Smith of the whig
and Mr. Bromley of fhe tory jjarty : fhe former was supported
by the court, and carried if by a majority of forty-three.
The speech from the throne accorded vyith fhe views of the,
wliigs, and the addresses of fhe two houses reechoed it.
/ The first attack of the tories on their rivals was a motion
in the fords (Nov. 15) fp address the queen to invite the
presumptive heiress of the crown to reside in England.
By this fhey hoped to reduce fhe whigs to a disagreeable
dilemma; for, if they supported it, fhey would offend the
queen ; if they opposed if, they would injure themselves both
with the house of Hanover and with the nation. They,
however, manfuUy opposed it, and brought in a bill for fhe
appointment of a regency fe act in case pf the queen's
demise, and anpther fpr naturalizing the whple pf fhe electoral
family. These bills were carried, after much opposition to
the former from the tories; and the dislike of fhe qugen fo
the whigs was now evidently diminished. As much had
been said during the debate of the danger of the church,
lord Halifax moved fo appoint a day for inquiry into these
dangers. When the day came, an angry debate took place ;
but both houses concurred, by large majorities, in a reso
lution that the church was in a most safe and flourishing
condition. The strength of the tory party was weakened by division,
while ^he whiga acted in one compact body, under the

440 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
direction ofthe junto, as if was named, which was composed
of fhe lords Somers, Halifax, Wharton, Orford, and Sun-
Heiland ; this last, fhe son of James's minister, and son-in-
law of Marlborough, but fhe devoted admirer of Somers.
The bias of fhe queen, the general, and the treasurer was
to the tories ; but fhe first had been offended by their late
conduct, and fhe fwo last saw that it was only from fhe whigs
that they could expect support in their foreign policy. The
junto felt their power, and insisted on a larger share^ for
their party in fhe profits and influence of office. They
required that sir Charles Hedges should be dismissed and
Sunderland made secretary in his place ; but it was the policy
of fhe queen to give sway fo neither party ; and she had,
moreover, a personal dislike f6 Sunderland. The policy
of her two great ministers had been the same as hers, but
they saw fhe necessity of giving way ; yet it cost fhem a
vear's labor and the threat of resignation to overcome the
reluctance ofthe queen.
They had, however, been secretly thwarted in the whole
affair by their colleague Harley, and a bed-chamber influence
of which they were -not awate. The duchess had a cousin
who was married to a Mr. Hill, an eminent Turkey merchant,
who became a bankrupt ; his family fell of course into great
poverty, and the duchess kindly provided for his chUdren.
She placed Abigail, one of fhe daughters, about the person
of the queen as bed-chamber-woman, reckoning that she
would always adhere to the interests of her patroness. But
Mrs. Hill soon found that she might aspire higher. The
queen, weak and yielding as she was, graduaUy became
weary of the domineering temper of fhe duchess, and she
poured her complaints info fhe ear of her obsequious at
tendant, who, it was soon observed, was fast rising in favor
and influence. It happened that Mrs. Hill was related to
Harley on fhe father's as fo fhe duchess on the mother's side ;
and, as her politics were tory, that wily statesman entered
info a close alliance with her, and by her means influenced
the queen. The duchess's friends warned her in vain of the
way in which her power was underrained. At length the
private marriage of Mrs. Hill with Mr. Masham, an officer
of the royal household, celebrated in fhe presence of only
the queen and Dr. Arbuthnot, opened her eyes. Godolphin
about fhe same time obtained convincing proofs of Harley's
secret machinations.
The policy of Marlborough and Godolphin in joining
neither party had the usual fate ; both were alienated from

ANNE. 441
them. The Ul success of the war in 1707 afforded topics
of attack to the discontented. The two ministers saw more
strongly than ever the necessity of conciliating the vvhigs ;
and they received further proofs of Harley's treachery. The
whigs having given them fhe strongest assurances of their
support, they waited on fhe queen, and told her that fhey
could serve her no longer unless Harley were dismissed.
She remained firm. On the next meeting of fhe cabinet-
council fhe fwo ministers were absent Harley was proceeding
to business, when the duke of Somerset said he did not see
how they could deliberate without the general and treasurer.
The looks of the others expressed their assent ; Harley was
disconcerted ; fhe queen broke up fhe council in anger and
alarm. The commons and fhe city gave signs of their
discontent. Still the queen was unmoved ; buf Harley
himself saw the difficulties of his situation, and resigned.
St. John and the attorney-general, sir Simon Harcourt,
foUowed his ^example, and their places were given to ]^r.
Boyle, Mr. Robert Walpole, and sir James Montague,
brother of lord Halifax. This last appointment was long
resisted by the queen ; and all fhe influence of Marlborough
and Godolphin failed to procure a seat in the cabinet, though
without office, for Somers. The queen, in fact, disliked the
whigs more than ever, and was still secretly actuated by
Harley ; and they showed themselves as factious as fhe tories
had been ; for, bent on coming info office, fhey resolved fo
annoy both the queen and Marlborpugh by an attack pn the
admiralty, that is, pn her husband and on Ids brpther,
admiral Churchill, by whpm the prin?:e was guided. Marl-
borough had consented fo give up his brother, when the
oppprtuhe death pf the prince (Oct 28) renipved all diffi
culties. Lprd Pembrpke was made lord high admiral, and
was succeeded by Somers as president of the council ; and
Wharton became lord lieutenant of Ireland.
Nothing, however, would content the whigs short of the
possession of aU offices of emolument and influence ; and the
condition of the general and treasurer, between them and the
queen, was far from enviable. To add to their embarrass
ments, the desire of peace was becoming general. The
apparent willingness of Louis to cpncede, weighed wifh
many ; the pressure pf taxatipn with pthers ; and the want ef
French wines and Pther fpreign luxuries rendered numbers
pacific; and Marlbprpugh was charged with desiring fo
prolong the war from selfish motives.
Orford having replaced Pembroke af the admiralty, the

442 HISTORY OP ENGLAND.
-ministry may be regarded as whig from the close of the year
1708," when a new parliament met, and sir Richard Onslow,
,, a whig, was chosen speaker. In its second session, (1709,)
the violence of party zeal hurried it into a measure which
eventually overthrew the ministry.
There vvas a clergyman, named SachevereU, a preacher
at St. Savior's, Southwark, one of those men of little talent
and less learning, buf of a restless and ambitious temper,
such as may be found at times among fhe clergy. This man
took on him to be a champion of high-church doctrines ; and,
in a sermon preached before fhe lord mayor and aldermen
on the 5th of November, he asserted fhe monstrous doctrine
of passive obedience, in the most unqualified terms ; attacked
the dissenters and the toleration ; styled the moderate bishops
" perfidious prelates and false sens pf the church ; " and'
called on the pepple fo stand up in its defence. He also
assailed the administration, particularly Godolphin, whom he
styled Volpone. This wretched farrago was published at
the desire of fhe lord mayor ; the tories extolled it as almost
inspired, and they circulated 40,000 copies of if. The min
isters held several consultations. Somers and Marlborpugh
were for leaving the matter to the ordinary tribunals ; but
Godolphin, whose feelings were wounded, and the others
re.solved on an impeachment. Articles were therefore
exhibited against- SachevereU, and the 27th of February,
1710,, was the day fi.\ed for the trial in Westminster-hall.
In the interval the tories and the clergy in general made
every effort to inflame the minds of the populace and excite
their zeal for fhe church.
The trial lasted for three weeks. The managers were sir
Joseph JekyI, general Stanhope, Walpole, King, and others.
The Doctor, as he was called, was defended by Harcourt
and Phipps, and assisted by Drs. Atterbury, Smallridge, and
Friend. He was brpught each day frem the Temple tP the
Hall in a cpach, rpund which the people pressed, eager to
kiss his hand. The queen came every day to hear fhe trial ;
and the populace used to crowd round her sedan, crying,
" God bless your majesty and the church ; we hope your
majesty is for Dr. SachevereU."
The managers had a delicate part to act ; for as SachevereU
had asserted that the revolution was not a case of resistance,
(he did not impugn it,) fhey had to show that it was, and
thence to assert the lawfulness of taking arms against fhe
law, and that in the presence of the queen. They, however,
did not shrink from their duty. Sacheverell's counsel freely

ANNE. 443
acknowledged fhe lawfulness of resistance, but they main
tained that he was justified in his docfrjine of non-resistance
by the homilies and the writings of eminent Anglican divines.
He was voted guilty by a majority of 69 to 52, of which last
34 signed a protest He was sentenced to be suspended
from preaching for three years, and hissermon to be publicly
burnt; and the Oxford decree of 1683 vvas condemned to
share its fafe. This gentle sentence was regarded by the
tory party as a triumph, and such in fact if was. Bonfires
and illuminations, in London and all over the kingdom,
testified their joy ; and addresses in favor of non-resistance
poured in from all quarters.
Harley and fhe favorite, now sure of the temper of the
nation, resolved to hesitate no longer.. They had already
sought to mortify Marlborough, by getting the queen, on the
death of Lord Essex, to give his regiment fo Major Hill, "Mrs.
Masham's brother. Marlborough, highly indignant, insisted
on the favorite's being dismissed, or else he would resign ;
but tbe efforts of Ciodolphin and other friends accommodated
the matter, and he was contented with the disposal of, the
regiment being left with him; To prove, as it were, the
influence of the favorite, the queen soon after gave Hill a
pension of 1000/. a year; and she made fhe duke consent to
raise him to the rank of brigadier.
It was Harley's plan fo overthrow the ministry by degrees.
He began by causing the queen to take the office of ford
chamberlain from the marquess of Kent, and confer it on the
duke of Shrewsbury ; for this amiable but versatile nobleman,
who had returned from Italy, where he had resided for some
years, was now alienated in some degree from the vvhigs
on public and even on private grounds, as they did not, he
thought, pay due attention lo his lady, an Italian countess
who had been originally his raistress, and who, as is usu
ally fhe case, now governed hira. He was therefore easily
gained over by Harley.' The queen raade fhe appointment,
(Apr. 13,) while Godolphin was at Newmarket, and an
nounced it fo hira by a dry letter. The treasurer acted
with his usual indecision ; the whigs feared a dissolution, snd
lef themselves be cajoled by Shrewsbury ; and Harley, now
reckoning the victory sure, made his next attack on Sun
derland, a man whose overbearing temper had raised him
many enemies, and fo whom the queen, had a peculiar
antipathy. The treasurer was as usual without spirit ; his
whig coUeagues clung fo their places with the pertinacity
distinctive of their party, and abandoned Sunderland ; and

4- — itarispir:

444 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
the queen had the gratification (June 14) of dismissing him
and giving fhe seals fo lord Dartmouth, a zealous high-
churchman.' Jacobites and high tories now flocked fo court
and congratulated the queen on her emancipation, as they
affected to regard if ; fhe duke of Beaufort, for instance, said
to her, " Your majesty is now queen indeed."
The next stroke stunned fhe whigs. On fhe 7th of
August, Godolphin, who saw that the queen was annoyed at
some things he had said in councU, had an audience of her.
He concluded his discourse by asking, " Is if the wUI of
your majesty that I should go on? " " Yes," said she without
hesitation. That very evening he received a letter from her,
desiring hira to break his white staff of office ! The treasury
was put into coraraission, Harley faking the chancellorship
of the exchequer.
The temper of the nation had now been ascertained in
.arious ways, and fhe prevalence of the high-church and tory
spirit was beyond question. - That wretched tool Sachev
ereU having been presented by a Mr. Lloyd with a living in
North Wales, hisparty took advantage of his going to take
possession of it to make a demonstration. His progress
thither, as it was termed, resembled those of fhe monarchs
in former times. The nobility entertained hira sumptuously
at their houses ; the university of Oxford showed him equal
honor ; the magistrates of corporate towns met him with
their insignia of office. The hedges were for miles decked
with garlands and lined with spectators, streamers waved
from the steeples ofthe churches, the air resounded with fhe
cry of " The church and Dr. SachevereU ! " Af Bridge-
north, a Mr. Cresswell met him at the head of four thousand
men on horseback, and as many on foot, wearing white
knots edged with gold, and leaves of gUf laurel in their hats.
If is a pity that so much really good and honest feeling
should have been wasted on so unworthy an object. *
Emboldened by these signs of the popular sentiment,
the cabal thought fhey might now safely venture on a disso
lution and a total change of ministry. The queen therefore
came to the council, (Sept. 21,) and ordered a proclamation to
be issued for dissolving the parliament The chancellor rose
to speak, buf she said, " she would admit of no debate, for
that such was her pleasure." A general change of admini.s-
Harcourt, when chancellor, actually tried to obtain a bishopric
for him, but the queen would not consent. He, however, got the liv
ing of SL Andrew's, Holborn.

ANNE. 445
tration immediately followed ; lord Somers, the duke of
Devonshire, arid Mr. Boyle resigned, and their places were
taken by lord Rochester, the duke of Buckingham, and Mr.
St John. Wharton and Orford having also resigned, fhe
lieutenancy of Ireland was given fo the duke of Ormond,
and the admiralty was put in commission. All fhe efforts
of Harley and fhe queen having faUed to induce lord Cowper
to retain fhe great seal, it was put in commission, but was
soon given to sir Simon Harcourt. Of all the whigs, the
dukes of Somerset and Newcastle alone remained in high
offices. Thus fell the most glorious, fhe most able, and we may
add, perhaps the most virtuous and patriotic administf5(|ion
that England had possessed since the days of Elizabeth.
It fell by disunion in itself, by the imprudent impeachmeht
of a contemptible divine, and hy fhe intrigues of fhe bed
chamber, vvhere a weak woman, [i. e. queen Anne,] whom
the constitution had invested with power, was domineered
over by one waiting-maid and wheedled and flattered by
another. ,
When fhe parliament met, (Nov. 25,) it proved \wnost
entirely tory, and Bromley was chosen speaker with little or
no opposition.
Marlborough on his return was subjected to every kind of
indignity. The (jueen herself desired him not to allow a
vote of thanks fo him fo be moved in parliament, and he
had the mortification to see the thanks of fhe houses be
stowed on Peterborough for his duixotic exploits in Spain.
In spite of his most urgent solicitations, his duchess was
deprived of her places at court, which were divided between
the duchess of Somerset and Mrs. Masham, and an attempt
was even made fo convict her of peculation. Swift and the
ofher libellers in the service of the ministry poured out ail
their venom on him. " He was ridiculed," says SmoUet,
" in public libels, and reviled in private conversation. In
stances were every where repeated of his fraud, avarice, and
extortion; of his insolence, cruelty, ambition, and miscon
duct Even his courage was called in question, and this
consummate general was represented as fhe lowest of man
kind." Among his other annoyances, he had to listen to
lectures on his military conduct from Harley and St. John,
Yet he did not resign"; for Godolphin and the whigs, the
emperor, and aU the aUies implored hira to retain the com
mand of the army, as otherwise all their hopes would be
gone. , <
VOL IL 38

446 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Harley, in the midst of his triumph, found that he was
not to lie on a bed of roses. The more violent tories, headed
by Rochester, regarding him and his friends as lukewarm,
formed, fo control him, a combination of not less than 130
members of the house of commons, under fhe name of the
October Club, and the whigs on their part had a powerful
au.\iliary in the duchess of Somerset, a lady of high char
acter, and loved and respected by fhe queen. Harley and
St John immediately began to make overtures to the duke
of Marlborough, and if is probable that they must have
come to terms with the whigs, or have succumbed fo the
October Club, had not a fortunate event arisen to extricate i
them, (1711.)
There was a French refugee, called fhe marquess Guis
card, who had had the command of a regiment, which being
broken after the battle of Alraanza, he obtained a pension
of 500/. a year. Harley reduced this pension fo 400/., and
Guiscard in his rage proposed to fhe French cabinet to ac
quaint thera with sundry secrets of state of which he was
possessed. His letters were intercepted, and he was ar
rested on a charge of high-treason. He was brought before
fhe council af fhe Cockpit, (Mar. 8,) and an order was made
to convey him to Newgate. He resisted the messerlger,
and, rushing forward, struck Harley in tbe bosom with a
penknife which he had concealed ; the blade brpke against
fhe bone; he struck again with the stump, buf St. John and
the others, drawing their swords, fell on and gave him several
wounds. He was then taken to Newgate, where he died of
the injuries which he had received. The general sympathy
was thus awakened for Harley, and he was regarded as a
victim to his zeal for the public service. The death of lord
Rochester (May 2) was also of advantage to him, and he vvas
forthwith (24th) raised to the peerage by the title of earl
of Oxford and Mortimer, and (29th) raade lord high treas
urer. The duke of Buckingham succeeded Rochester,
(June 12,) and several other promotions took place in fhe
course of the year.
The military events of this year, the last of Marlborough's
glorious career of victory, were few; but no campaign more
displayed his consurainate mUitary skill, ViUars had drawn
strongly-fortified lines from Bouchain on the Schelt to Ar
ras, and he proudly styled them Marlberpugh's ne plus ultra.
Yet the dnke, by a skilful manceuvre, passed them without
the loss of a single man, and then invested and took Bou
chain, (Sept. 14,) thpugh situated in a mprass strpngly fprti.

ANNE. 447
fied, and defended by a large garrispn, with an army mpre
numerpus than that of the allies at hand to relieve it
But it was needless for Marlborough to gain victories and
capture towns; the ministry were so bent on peace that they
were actually in secret negotiation with the court of France.
In the begirining of the year (Jan, 11) their agent Gaultier,
a French priest, waited on M. de Torcy, and abruptly asked
him if he wished for peace, which was, says Tprcy, " like
asking a sick man whether he 'wishes fp recpver." Lcuis,
hpwever, saw his advantage, and affected not to be in great
heed of if ; he endeavored fo draw the English cabinet into
a separate negotiation. Matthew Prior, fhe poet, was sent
secretly fo Paris, and M. Mesnager fo London, and prelim
inary articles were agreed on, (Oct 8,) which were then
communicated to the Dutch and imperial ministers at fhe
court of London,, fhe latter of whom caused fhem fo be in
serted in fhe paper called the Ppstboy, and their appearance
excited the indignation of all who had a feeling pf natipnal
dignify and hpnpr.
The ministers pf the allies made strpng represent ati ens
against fhe peace, and the whig party was now strengthened
by fhe accession pf ford Npttingham, whp was pffended with
the ministers. The queen fried, fp np purppse, the effect
cf closeting pn Marlbprpugh, Spiners, Cpvvper, and pthers;
an amendment tP fhe address, declaring that ne peace ceuld
be safe er hpnprable if Spain and fhe West Indies vvere tp
be allptted fp any branch pf the hpuse ef Bpurbon, was pro
posed by Nottingham and carried against the ministry, who,
however, had influence enough to have a simUar clause re
jected in the commons by a large majority. But the queen
herself now gave symptoms of wavering, and the timid and
self-interested in hoth houses began fo fopk about them.
Oxford saw that he must act with decision or be lost. As
he ascribed the ppwer ef fhe opposition chiefly to the in
fluence of Marlborough, he resolved fo strike him down ;
charges of fraud and peculation vvere therefore made against
hini, and the queen, over whom the bed-chamber party had
recovered their influence, wrote him a letter on New-year's
day (1712) aismissing him from all his employments. To
follow up their victory, the very next day fhey had recourse
fo a most unconstitutional act of prerogative, by calling no
less than twelve new peers to the upper house, among whom
was the husband of the favorite,'*"' The queen then sent a
" It is the only instance that has a» yet occurred in our history.

448 HISTORY bF ENGLAND.
message, desiring the house to adjourn to the 14th ; as this
was an unusual measure, a debate arose, and the resolution
vvas carried only by the votes of the twelve new peers.
When fhe question was put to fhem, Wharton asked one
of them, if they voted individually or by their foreman.
Secure of majorities in both houses, the ministry pro
ceeded in fhe charges against Marlborough. These were
two : the one, the having received an annual sum from the
contractor of bread for the army; the other, a deduction of
2J- per cent, on the pay of the foreign auxiliaries; andthe
whole was made to amount to the sum of 282,366/. sterling.
These charges had been made before the return ofthe duke,
and he had sent home a refutation of fhem. Wifh respect
to the first, he said that if had been a perquisite of the gen
eral commanding-in-chief in the Low Countries even before
the revolution ; arid this was proved by sir John Germain,
who had been aid-de-camp to prince Waldeok in 1689,
The per-centage, he said, was fhe voluntary gift of the, allied
princes, to be employed for secret service. It had been
originally granted for that purpose to king WUliam by the
members of fhe Grand Alliance, and had been continued to
the duke, with the approbation ofthe queen, whose warrant,
countersigned by sir Charles Hedges, was jDroduced. It
amounted only to 30,000/. a year ; and the duke vvas always
better served than king William had been, vvho spent 50,000/.
a year in this way. But it was useless to refute; the minis
ters were sure of their majority ; and it vvas voted, by 270
to 165, that the former was illegal, and th^f fhe latter vvas
public money, and ought to be accounted for. An address
was made to the queen, and she ordered the attorney-general
to prosecute the duke ; but there the matter ended. The
ministers did not dare fo impeach him, or to reply to a vin
dication of him which vvas published, or fo prosecute it as a
libel. An attempt to fix on him the stigma of trafficking
in commissions only served fo shovv the malignity of his
enemies. During these disgraceful proceedings prince Eugene ar
rived in London (Jan. 5) with proposals from the emperor
for carrying on fhe war wifh vigor. He was received, of
course, with all due marks of attention, both public and
private, and the queen presented him wifh a sword worth
4500/. ; but the ministers were too much bent on a dishon
orable peace to attend to his proposals, and he quitted Eng
land in disgust, (March 17.) Some of the ministers had
even countenanced a profligate Jesuit, named Plunket, in his

ANNE. 449
pretended discovery of a plot of Eugene, Marlbprpugh, and
the leading whigs tP seize the queen, murder Oxfprd and his
friends, and place the electpr pf Hanpver pn fhe thrpne.
The -negptiatipns fpr peace were now going on at Utrecht,
whither all the allies had sent ministers ; but fhe courts of
Paris and London were still treating in secret. In the midst
of the negotiations an event occurred which threatened to
put an end to them. The dauphin had died in fhe preceding
year, and death now swept away his son the duke of Bur
gundy, with his wife and their eldest son, and there only
remained his youngest son, a sickly infant iri fhe cradle, be
tween Philip and the throne of France. As his retention
of the crown of Spain had been all along a condition of fhe
peace, Louis offered that he shpuld make a fermal renuncia
tion pf his right fp that pf France; af fhe same time can
didly ewning that such an act wpuld be, by fhe laws pf
France, utterly invalid. Yet even this feeble security cen-
fented the English cabinet, and they agreed fp desert their
allies if fhey refused fp cpnsent tP it.
The English trppps in the Netherlands were new cpm
manded by the duke of Ormond; the whole confederate
ar^ny of 122,000 men was directed by prince Eugene. The
French army under Villars amounted only to 100,000 men,
ill equipped and dispirited. To force their camp, pour the
allied troops over the plains of Picardy and Champagne, and
dictate peace under the walls of Paris, were now not only
possible but probable events. Buf no glory awaited Ormond.
When the queen had informed parliament of the prelimina
ries having been agreed on, orders were sent to him to cease
from all operations, and march with his troops to Dunkirk,
which Louis had engaged to give to the English. The for
eign troops in British pay spurned at the orders to separate
from the confederates. " The Hessians," said their gallant
prince, " will gladly march, if it be to fight the French."
" We do not serve for pay, but for fame," said another com
mander. A general hiss ran through the English camp when
fhe cessation of arms was proclaimed ; fhe soldiers tore their
hair wifh rage, and reviled their general ; the officers shut
themselves up in their tents : tears flowed from their eyes
when they thought of Marlborough and his glories. Or
mond's troops were refused admittance into the fortified
towns, and he had fo seize Ghent and Bruges. Louis hesi
tated to give up Dunkirk, till admonished of the danger of
refusal. Eugene captured Quesnoy ; but tbe desertion of England
38'* E EE

450 - HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
had struck a damp fo the hearts of the allies ; and Villars
restored fhe ascendency of France. The Peace of Utrecht,
"the indelible reproach of the past generation," as lord
Chatham called it, was, signed on the 14th' of AprU, 1713,
by all the powers except the emperor and the empire.
By this peace Philip was to retain Spain and fhe Indies,,
giving the Netherlands and Italian dominions fo the em
peror, and Sicily t6 fhe duke- of Savoy, The title of the
queen of England and the protestant succession Were ac
knowledged; Gibraltar and Minorca, and some parts of
America, were ceded to England ; and an asienio, or con-,
tract for supplying the Spanish colonies with negroes for
thirty years, was granted tp the English merchants.
There can be np dpubt that by this peace all fhe ends ef '
fhe Grand Alliance were frustrated, and the splendid victp-
ries pf Blenheim and Ramillies rendered useless; and had
net Heaven preserved the life of the puny heir in France,
another general war must have ensued,- or Philip have been,
tamely suffered to unite the fwo crowns. On the pfher hand,
it seemed manifestly unjust tP imppse a spvereign on the
Spanish natipn ; yet it was hardly less sp to dismember the
monarchy. In whatever light this treaty be vievVed, this fact
is certain, — that it was the deed of an unprincipled minister,
fhe secret foe of the protestant succession, and supported by
the Jacobites and high tories, and not the act of the nation.
While the treaty which was to blight all the gloripus
prpmises pf his adminisfratipn was pending, ford Gpdplphin
died. This upright and disinterested statesman, whp had
enjpyed sp many pppprtunities pf amassing wealth, left pnly
12,000/. behind him. Yet fhe present ministry had made a
base attempt tp fix a charge pf peculatipn Pn him alsp ; they,
hpwever, had signally failed. Marlbprpugh npw put in exe-
cutipn his design pf retiring fp fhe cpntinent. The minis
ters and their friends in the hpuse, and Swift, Mrs. Manly,
and their Pther hired -writers out of it, were continually as
sailing his character, both public and private ; and a shabby
attempt was made to fix on hira the expenses of Blenheim-
house, for which fhe crown stood engaged. The reception
of the greatest man of the age af Antwerp, Aix-la-Chapelle,
and the other places which he visited, was enthusiastic, and
consoled him in some measure for the ungenerous treatment
which he had met with in his own country.
An attempt to dissolve the union between England and
Scotland at this time offers a curious instance of the change
of party tactics. It was moved in the house of lords by one

ANNE. „ 451
of the Scottish peers, was supported by the whigs ' and op
posed by the tories, and lost by a majority only of four.
Oxford and St John (latelyicreated viscount Bolingbroke,)
thbugh they had united fo overthrow fhe Godolphin ministry,
had never been cordial friends. The former had fhe supe
riority in principle and in knowledge of business; but he
was cautious, procrastinating, mysterious, and intriguing,
and therefore unable to gain the confidence of any party.
He was of that class of statesmen who deal in expedients,
and are always manoeuvring; whose minds are too little to/
conceive any thing grand and vast. The character of Bo-(
lingbroke was fhe very opposite ; his talents were splendidJ
his eloquence commanding, his manners and person graceful
and elegant ; but he was dissolute arid unprincipled — aii
English Alcibiades. While Oxford leaned fo the whigs and
favored the protestant succession, Bolingbroke sought for!
support among the high tories, brought many of them infol
office, and formed a close alliance with the lady Masham. 1
Devoid of religion, he affected to be a champion of the (
church ; and, with a thorough contempt of the Stuarts and \
their maxims of government, he engaged in projects for their \
restoration. In these projects fhe dukes of Ormond and \
Buckingham, fhe chancellor Harcourt, sir William Wynd- '
ham, and other members of the cabinet shared.; but the
duke of Shrewsbury, the lords Dartmouth, Trevor, and Pau
let, and Robinson bishop of London, were firm fo the prot-^,
estant succession. Lady Masham was a zealous Jacobite. '
The queen hated t'ne electoral family, and had no love for \
her brother, though she had some scruples about his right,
which, however, were balanced by her attachment to the
church. She veered about as the influence of lady Somerset
or lady Masham prevailed.
The parliament having been dissolved, a new one met,
(Feb. 16, 1714.) Its composition was much the same as be
fore; but the tory portion was less powerful, being divided
into Hanoverian tories, nicknamed Whimsicals, and Jacobite
tories, i. e. friends of the electoral family, or of fhe Pre
tender. The danger was now in fact thought to be very im
minent. The queen during the winter had a severe attack
of gout, and it was manifest that she was fast drawing to her
end ; Oxford's influence was on fhe decline ; the adherents
of the house of Stuart were put into civil and military posts;
and the Jacobites gave open demonstrations of their designs.
It was fhe general opinion that whichever of the competitors
had fhe start would get the crown ; and Schutz, fhe Hano
verian envoy, therefore, by the advice of the whig leaders.

452 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
demanded a writ of summons for the electoral prince, as
duke of Cambridge, with a view to his residence in England.
The writ could not be refused, but the queen was highly in
dignant : she forbade Schutz the court, and wrote in strong
terms to the electoral family. The sudden death, by apo
plexy,, of the princess Sophia (June 7) was by some ascribed
to the effecf.on her of the queen's letter. ,
At this time no one was more zealous iAa,he cause of fhe
elector than fhe dnke of Marlborough. |le sent general
Cadogan over to arrange with general StanhiQpe and the
Hanoverian leaders for the transport of trOops td England ;
and proposed himself to gain over fhe garrison of Dunkirk,
and embark at its head. He urged the elector not fo be spar
ing of his money, and offered him a loan of 20,000/.
Bolingbroke at length triumphed over his rival. The
treasurer's staff was taken from Oxford, (July 27,) and the
secretary was regarded as the future prime minister. After
a slight attempt at cajoling fhe whigs, he was proceeding fo
the formation of a Jacobite cabinet, when the unfasted cup
of power was suddenly dashed from his lips. The queen
grew alarmingly ill on fhe 29th ; and as a committee of fhe
privy council was sitting to make arrangements in case ofher
death, fhe dukes of Somerset and Argyle suddenly entered
the room. Shrewsbury rose and thanked them. They pro^
posed that fhe queen's physicians should be examined; and,
when assured of her danger, fhey said that the post of treas
urer should be filled without delay, and the duke of Shrews
bury be recommended for if to fhe queen. \ Bolingbroke and
his party vvere stunned. A deputation waited on the queen,
who approved of their choice, and gave fhe sWff to fhe duke,
bidding him use it for fhe good of her people. She soon
after fell Ihto a lethargy, and on fhe morning of fhe 1st of
August she expired, in the fiftieth year of her age. The
elector of Haider was proclaimed as George I.
With Annej ended fhe dynasty of fhe Stuarts. She was
a woman of narrow intellect, but of gppd intentipns; a
..mpdel pf ccnjugal and maternal duty. The title of ' Good
Queen Anne,' given fo her, proves the public sense of her
virtues. She possessed, hpwever, a pprtipn pf the pbstinacy
pf her famUy, and had some of their notions of prerogative.
In person fhe queen was comely, and her voice was so me
lodious that it acted like a charm on fhe auditors when she
spoke from fhe throne. AU through her reign she was high
ly and deservedly popular.

THE

HISTORY OF ENGLAND

HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK.

CHAPTER I,
GEORGE I.
1714_1727.
The measures taken by the friends of fhe protestant suc
cession had been so prompt and energetic, and fhe confusion
of Bolingbroke and his party so complete, that George I. was
proclaimed without a murmur being heard ; and he was ac
knowledged af once by the king of France and fhe other
potentates of Europe.* He was in the fifty-fifth year of his
age, wifh fhe reputation of being a prudent, moderate prince ;
he had shown valor and skill in war, but he loved peace.
He was totally ignorant of the language, constitution, and
manners of England.
On the 18th of September George I. landed af Greenwich,
A new ministry, almost totally whig, was formed. The two
secretaries were lord Townshend and general Stanhope;
Cowper was chancellor, Marlborough commander-in-chief,
Wharton privy seal, Sunderland lord lieutenant of Ireland,
Nottingham president of the council, Walpole paymaster of
* [In order to show the manner in which the house of Hanover
came to tiie throne of England, it may be well to repeat that George I.
wag son of Sophia, wife of Ernest .\ugnstus, elector of Hanover; So
phia herself being daughter of Elizabeth, queen of Boliemia, daughter
of James I. of England. The crown was settled upon this branch of
the original stock, (see ante, p. 421,) as being the nearest in direct de
scent professing the protestant faith, — J. T. S.]

454 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
the forces, etc. The treasury and' admiralty were put in
commission, with Halifax and Orford at their head.
If has been usual to condemn the king and his advisers
for thus giving power exclusively to a party ; but what Ofher
course could fhey pursue? The experience of the two last
reigns (which all subsequent experience has confirmed) had
shown fhe futility of attempting fo govern by a coalition
ministry ; and when a preference must be given to one party
or fhe ofher, no one surely will blame fhe king for preferring
his friends fo, if not his enemies, his lukewarm supporters.
The tories, if fhey recollected their own conduct in 1710,
had little right fo complain ;* af the same time if must be
owned that the whigs showed too vindicative a spirit ; but
party spirit is never moderate, and least of all could it claim
fo be so af that time.
The parliament being dissolved, a new one met, (Mar. 17,
1715.) It proved decidedly whig, and it proceeded without
delay fo the impeachment of some of fhe late ministers for
the peace of Utrecht and ether matters ; and a cemmittee pf
secrecy, with Walpole for its Chairman, was appointed to ex
amine the papers of Bolingbroke and others which had been
seized. When it had made its report, Walpole arose and
impeached Henry lord Bolingbroke of high-treason. Lord
Cpningsby then rese and said, " The wprthy chairman cf
the cpmraiftee has irapeached the hand, but I impeach fhe
head ; he has impeached fhe clerk, I impeach fhe master ; "
and he impeached Rpbert earl pf Oxfprd and Mprfimer of
high-treason. On the 21st of June, Stanhope impeached fhe
duke of Ormond of high-treason ; and next day lord Straf
ford was impeached of high crimes and misdemeanors by
Mr. Aislabie. Sir Joseph Jekyl, a whig of unquestionable
honesty, was against impeaching either Oxford or Ormond,
and he spoke warmly in favor of fhe latter ; buf the spirit of
the commons was not to be controlled. Bolingbroke and
Ormond both fled to the continent; Oxford more manfully
stood his ground, and was committed fo the Tower.
The subsequent fate of these noblemen was as follows :
Bolingbroke repaired to fhe court of the Pretender, which
was at Commerci in Lorraine, and became his secretary of
state. He exerted all his abilities in fhe service of that
prince ; but the factions of fhe petty court proving too

,* Bolingbroke, in his ' Letter to Sir 'William 'Wyndham,' says that
it had been the intention of himself and his party " to fill the employ.
ments ofthe kingdom, down to the meanest, with tories."

GEORGE L 455
Strong for him, he was charged with treachery and dismissed.
He then bent all his efforts to procuring fhe reversal of his
attainder in England, which he at length obtained, (1723.)
Ormond, against whom nothing cpuld be proved, unwisely
followed the example of Bolingbroke, and was like him at
tainted ;, he remained to the end of his life in fhe cheerless
court of the Pretender, almost its solitary ornament. Oxford,
after lying two years in fhe Tower, took occasion of a new mod
ification ofthe ministry to petition for his trial being brought
on. , All the customary solemn preparations were made for
it ; buf a disagreement arising between the two houses, the
commons refused to proceed with their impeachment, and
the peers acquitted the earl, who, however, was excepted
from an act of grace then passed, of which the only conse
quence to him was a prohibition to appear at court.
Meantime the Pretender and his partisans were secretly
preparing to make an effort for the overthrow of the new
government. The earl of Mar, disgusted at the manner in
which his declaration of loyalty had been, received by the
king on' his landing, and alarmed at fhe vindictive spirit
shown by fhe whigs; lent an ear to the agents of fhe Pre
tender, retired fo the Highlands, and in concert wifh some
noblemen and chiefs of clans, raised the standard of James
III. (Sept. 6.) Two vessels arrived wifh arms, ammunition,
and officers from France, and he was soon at the head of
10,000 men. The government proceeded to act wifh great
vigol- ; the Habeas Corpus was suspended, and several sus
pected noblemen and members of fhe house of commons
were arrested. The death at this conjuncture of Louis XIV.
was a great prejudice to the cause of the Pretender ; for the
duke of Orleans, who became regent fpr the minprity pf
the young king, found it his interest to attach himself to the
house pf Brunswick.
While Mar had his head-quarters at Perth, and the duke
pf Argyle, who commanded fhe royal forces, lay at Stirling,
the Pretender was proclaimed in the north of England by the
earl of Derwentwater and Mr. Forster, who were joined by
the Scottish lords Wintoun, Nithisdale, Carnwath, and Ken
muir. At Kelso they were reinforced by a body of High
landers sent by Mar, under the command of brigadier Mack
intosh. They thence proceeded to Penryth, where the posse
comitatus of Cumberland fled at their approach, and ad
vanced tiU tbey reached Preston in Lancashire; but here
they were assailed by the royal troops under generals Willis

456 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
and Carpenter, and obliged to surrender at discretion,
(Nov. 13.)
The very day of fhe surrender at Preston a battle was ,
fought between Argyle and Mar. As the latter was pre
paring fo march southwards, the duke advanced from Stirling
and spread his camp from the village of Dunblaine to the
Sheriff-muir. His forces did not exceed 4000 nien, whUe
the army with which Mar attacked him ameunted fp 9000.
The left wing pfthe reyalists was in the shert space pf
seven minutes rputed and driven pff the field by the clans
men-; but the right wing, led by the duke in perspn, defeat
ed and chased the left pf the enemy. When the vicferipus
trppps pn each side returned frpm the pursuit, they fpund
themselves facing each pfher, each pccupying the grpund
held by the Pther previpusly. They remained inactive till the
evening, when the duke retired fp Dunblaine and fhe rebels
fo Ardoch. Next morning the duke returned and carried
off the wounded and four pieces of cannon left by the en
emy. The loss was five hundred slain on each side; each
claimed the victory, but it was really on the side ofthe duke.
Mar returned to Perth, and soon after (Dec. 22) fhe Pre
tender himself landed at Peterhead, and having been pro
claimed, issued proclamations and received addresses as he
passed through Aberdeen, Dundee, and Scone. He joined
the army at Perth, and his coronation vvas fixed for fhe 23d
of January, (1716;) but ere that day arrived, fhe intelligence
of Argyle's heing strongly reinforced had convinced his sup
porters of the hopelessness of resistance. The Pretender
therefore, wifh the lords Mar, Melford, and some others, got
aboard a French vessel at Montrose, and standing for fhe
coast of Norway to escape the English cruisers, arrived
within five days safely at Gravelines. The rebel army was
disbanded af Badenoch ; the common people retired fo their
homes ; most of the leaders escaped to Fratfce.
The noblemen who surrendered at Preston were impeach
ed for high-treason, (Jan. 10.) They all pleaded guilty ex
cept Wintoun. Derwentwater, Kenmuir, and Wintoun were
beheaded ; Nithisdale escaped in woman's clothes brought
by his mother the night before the day appointed for his
execution; fhe lives of the rest were spared. Four other
rebels were hanged in London, and twenty-two at Preston
and Manchester. Jacobite writers talk of the barbarities
exercised by the government as akin to those of Marius and
Sulla; but surely rebeUion is not to .go unpunished, and it

GEORGE 1. 457
would be difficult to show one in which less blood had been
shed after its suppression than this. We may remind them
of ' Jeffreys' Campaign.'
As by the act for triennial parliaments the actual one
would determine in 1717, and the ministry thought it unsafe
to hazard a general election in the present Unsettled state of
the public mind, fhey resolved to bring in a bill fpr repealing
that act and extending the duration of parliament to seven
years. The measure was introduced in the lords by the
duke of Devonshire, (Apr. 10,) on the girounds that triennial
elections kejif up party divisions, caused family feuds and
ruinous expense, and occasioned fhe intrigues of foreign
princes. After a severe debate it passed the lords by a ma
jority of 98 fo 61 : in the commons also the tories put forth
their utmost strength ; but the final majority in its favor was
234 to 121. The Septennial Bill received the high approba
tion of lord' Somers, and it was regarded by competent judges
as the foundation of the power of the house of commons.
But the tories were at that time, and fhe democrats since
are, bitter in their hostility fo if. To say, as has been done,
that it was unconstitutional, is absurd ;> before fhe passing of
fhe triennial act, parliaments sat as long as the king pleased,
and it surely was cornpetent to the legislature to repeal that
act and return to the ancient course. It also seems to be
supposed that the commons, like the Long Parliament, as
sumed an independent power and prpfonged their existence by
their pwn authority ; but fhey only acted as a branch of the
legislature, and fhe bill did net even priginate in their hpuse.
A dissolution would have exposed the government fo fhe very
evils which if sought to shun : necessity justified a slight de
parture froni fhe strict rules of the constitution, and the
ready acquiescence of the nation in the measure testified
their approval of it. It continues still to be the law ; custom
has made six years fo be the period of a parliament ; but
few last so long, and we have seen nothing in the arguments
against it which hold out any advantage from a substitution
of friennal or annual parliaments.
The leading persons at this time in the ministry were lord
Townshend, fhe secretary, and Walpole, now chancellor of
fhe exchequer ; Halifax and Wharton were dead, and Not
tingham had been dismissed and was gone back to fhe tories.
Marlborough was totally without influence : his son-in-law,
Sunderland, now privy seal, was discontented ; he intrigued
with the tories, he secured several leading whigs, and, to be
VOL. IL 39 F F F

458 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
the more certain of the overthrow of the two ministers, be
paid court to the Hanoverian Junto. ,
This junto was composed of mistresses and ministers.
The king's wife, the princess Sophia of Zell, was, languish
ing in the castle of Alden, in which she had been confined
in the tiine of his father, on a charge of adultery, generally
thought to be false. In her place George had two mistresses,
fhe baronesses of Schulenburg and Kilmanseck, The for
mer, whom he js said to have espoused with the left hand, was
taU and thin, with little.or iio beauty, but she had great in
fluence over him'; he made her duohess^of Munster in Ire
land, and in 1718 duchess of, Kendal in England. In rapa
city she was a perfect harpy, and so venal, that Walpole said
she would have sold fhe king's honor for a shilling advance
fo the highest bidder. Yet she affected great religion, often
appearing at several Lutheran chapels in thfe same day. The
other was a young and handsome woman tUl sh6 became
enormously fat ; the king made her countess of Leinster, and
then of Darlington in England, but she never jiossessed the
same influence as her rival. The ministers were baron Both-
mar, who had been fhe Hanoverian agent in England in fhe
late reign ; count Bernsdorf, on whom the king chiefly re
lied in foreign affairs ; and Robethon, a French refugee, his
French secretary, a clever intriguer.
Mistresses and ministers were alike rapacious and ve
nal ; fhey panted after English estates and English titles, but
the Act of Settlement stood in the way,, and Walpole and
Townshend resisted their attempts with vigor. They .there
fore hated these ministers, and readily coalesced wifh Sun
derland. This artful intriguer had also the address fo de
tach secretary Stanhope- frpm his friends Tewnshend and Wal
pole, and at length (1717) these ministers resigned, and a new
cabinet was formed with Stanhope, now an earl, at its head,
and Sunderland and fhe celebrated Joseph Addison secre
taries of state.
The tvvo principal measures of the Stanhope administra
tion were the peerage-bill and fhe South-sea-bill, both of
which vvere strenuously opposed by Walpole, the former
with success.
The object of Sunderland, wifh whom the peerage-bill
originated, was to gratify fhe spleen of the king against the
prince of Wales, with whom he was at enmity, by clip
ping the prerogative of the crown, and to increase his own
influence in the hpuse of peers by an enlargement of their

GEORGE I. 459
power and dignity. It was proposed by this bill to limit the
house of lords, after a creation of six peers, fo its actual
number, and fo, give the Scots twenty-flve hereditary instead
of sixteen elective members. The bill on its first introduc
tion into the house of fords, .(Mar. 2, 1719,) met wifh a most
favorable reception, its only strenuous opponent being lord
Cowper. On, the third reading, however, earl Stanhope
deemed it advisable, to withdraw it for fhe present, on ac
count of the- 'opposition fo it, out of doors. In fhe next
session it was brought in again, (Nov. 25,) having been pre
viously noticed iri the speech from the throne. It passed in
the lor(Js, of course, by a large majority, as its object was to
increase fhe power of that house, but it met a very different
reception in fhe commons. As the whigs had- heen vehe
ment in their reprehension of the abuse of fhe prerogative
' in this mafter in the late reign, it seemed af first that they
could not consistently' oppose this liirijtation of it; but Wal
pole showed them so clearly fhe ill effects of it, that they
agreed to resist it in the common^. On the second reading
in ' that house, (Dec. 8,) Walpole rese, and thus began :
"Ampng, the Remans the temple pf Fame was placed be
hind the. temple pf Virtue, tp denote that there was no
coming to the temple of Fame but through that of Virtue.
But if this bill is. passed into a law, one of fhe most power
ful incentives to virtue wpuld be taken away, since tliere
wpuld be np arriving at honor buf through fhe winding-sheet
of an old decrepit lord, pr fhe grave pf an extinct heble
family." He then prpceeded tp expose in a masterly manner
fhe motives of fhe proposers, and the ill effects likely to re
sult from fhe measure ; and the influence of his eloquence
.was such, that the bill was rejected by a majority of 269 to
- 177, and the attempt has never been - renewed. If it had
passed, the house of lords would have presented the anomaly
of being the only branch of the legislature without a consti
tutional check, and it might from factiousness or obstinacy
have at times impeded the action of government. The
crown has since tended toward the opposite extreme, and
the strength of the house of peers has been weakened by
dilution. ,
The South-sea Company pwed its prigin fp a project cf
Harley's, in 1711, for clearing off the public debt A large
pprtipn pf this debt was' funded, and the preprietprs vvere
formed intp a cpmpany, who were to have the monopoly of a
trade to the Spanish colonies on the coast of the South sea ;
but tha court of Spain refused to sanction that trade, and

460 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
the only advantage which the company enjoyed, was the Asi-
ento. In 1720, a plan was arranged between fhe ministers
and the directors of the company for reducing all the irre
deemable annuities to a redeemable form, payment to be
undertaken by the company on being assured of certain ad
vantages. The measure was introduced in the commons by
Mr. Aislabie, the chancellor of fhe exchequer ; as fhe, house
resolved fo admit pf cpmpetitipn, fhe bank offered fo advance
tb government 5,500,000/., but the company was defermined
not fo be outbid, and fhey agreed fo give 7,567,500/. Wal
pole spoke in favor of the bank, and exposed the fallacy of
the South-sea scheme, and, Ca'ssandra-Iike, accurately fore-
tpld fhe evils that weuld ensue if it were adepted. Buf the
hpuse was dazzled, and vpted in its favpr by a majprity pf
mpre than three fp pne. The opposifioh of earl Cowper and
others in the lords was fequally fruitless, and the bill received
the royal assent, (Apr. 7.)
To raise fhe sum to be advanced, the company were em
powered to open books of subscription, grant annuities, etc.
Forthwith every engine was set at work to delude the pub
lic ; mysterious reports were spread of secret treasures in
America, where ports were to be given to the English ; and
as the wealth of Peru and -Mexico had always been thought
inexhaustible, men were ready to helieve any thing respecting
it. To keep up the delusion, the directors began to vote
dividends of 10, 20, nay, of 50 per cent It was also re
ported that the company, by being fhe sole national creditor,
would be able fo dictate to parliament, and thus rule fhe
country. The most uncalculating of all passions perhaps is
avarice ; the splendid bait was greedily swallowed. The
stock which af Christmas had been af 126, rose on fhe open
ing of the first subscription (Apr. 14) to 325, and finally
(Aug. 26) reached 1000 per cent. ! The mania was univer
sal ; all sects and parties were smitten alike. " Exchange-
alley," says Smollet, " was filled wifh a strange concourse
of statesmen and clergymen, churchmen and dissenters,
whigs and tories, physicians, lawyers, and tradesmen, and
even wifh multitudes of females."
Other bubbles, as fhey were afterwards called, rapidly rose
and danced in prismatic radiance before fhe public eye.
There was the Welsh Copper Company, with the prince of
Wales at its head ; the York Building Company, wifh the
duke of Chandos, etc; there was a company for making
quicksilver malleable; pne fpr the trade in human hair";
another for importing jackasses from Spain. The whole

GEORGE I. 461
number of these bubbles was nearly two hundred. Any one
who recoUects the American mining projects of 1824, fhe
joint-stock companies in their train, the knavery, the cupid
ity, the gullibility then exhibited, can form some conception
of the -bubbles of 1723, and perhaps will doubt ofthe vaunt
ed ' march of intellect.' ,
Every bubble liiust burst sooner or later. The directors
of the grand one would have a monopoly of the public cre
dulity ; they applied for writs of Scire facias against the di
rectors of fhe others, and- thus suppressed them. But in
fhe process they let some light in on fhe general bubble sys
tem, and fhe public awoke, from its dreaih of fairy-treasures.
The stock began to decline, and so rapid was the panic that
by the end of September it was down to 150. Ruin now
was widely spread ; goldsmiths and bankers who had lent
money on the stock stopped payment ; thousands saw them
selves reduced from comfort to beggary. The Bank, at the
instance of Walpole, made an effort to sustain the Credit of
the company-; but alarmed at the magnitude of the danger,
it soon drew back in dismay.* , ,
Sunderland, unable ¦ fo keep his eiigagements with fhe
junto, had been obliged to seek a reconcUiation with Towns
hend and Walpole. They were now again in the cabinet,
and the latter was regarded as the only man who could alle
viate the evil done by the Sbuth-sea bill. Accordingly,
when parliament met, he introduced a bill for transferring
nearly one half of the South-sea stock to fhe Bank and East
India Company on certain conditions. This bill was passed,
and by means of it and some other measures public confi
dence was restored.
A select committee being appointed for the purpose of in
quiry, the whole tissue of iniquity was displayed. Fictitious
stock, to the amount of 574,00}/., had, it appeared, been cre
ated, and given to those who had influence to promote fhe
bill. Among these were fhe two mistresses and Sunderland,
Aislabie, and sepretary Craggs and his father. By the exer
tions of Walpole, Sunderland was acquitted ; death saved
the two Craggs from fhe vengeance of parliament, but fhe
estate of the father was confiscated, as also was that of
Aislabie, who, wifh Sawbridge and some other members, was
expelled fhe house. The estates of sir John Blount, fhe

* 'Walpole, determined to profit by the folly he could not restrain,
bougljt stock, and by selling when it was at lOOP gained a large sum of
money. The duke of Marlborough in like manner made 100,000i.
39*

462 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
original projector of the scheme, and of the ofher governors,
directors, and officers of the company, were also confiscated,
and the proceeds applied to the relief of the sufferers.
Sunderland, on account of the odium under which he lay,
found it necessary to resign ; earl Stanhope, in consequence
of the warmth with which he repelled an imputation fhe
duke of Wharton cast on him in the house of lords, was
seized with a pain in the head, and the following evening he
breathed his last, lamented by the king, and honored and re
gretted by the nation. . The reins of government therefore
again fell into the hands of Townshend and Walpole, the
former becoming secretary, the ofher first ford of the treas
ury, (Apr. 2,- 1721.)" Sunderland, who possessed fhe favor
of the king,, continued to intrigue against fhem. His death
just a year after freed them from his ^niachinationl He was
an able man, but restless, insidious, proud, and overbearing.
' Shortly after the death of Sunderland, his father-in-law,
John duke of Marlborough, was also consigned to the tomb,
(June 16, 1722.) This illustrious man had been early
placed in the licentious court, of Charles IL, ¦where it was.
almost impossible to ' escape pollution,; buf a marriage of
affection with a virtuous and beautiful woman, Sarah Jen
nings, his subsequent fidelity to whom was- never even sus
pected; saved him from the effects of fhe tainted atmosphere.
He early showed his passion for a military life, and he served
with great reputation in the English auxiliary force under
Turenne in 1672 and fhe following years. In the war of fhe
Succession, he placed himself on a line with the greatest
generals of ancient or modern times. He Was nearly equally
eminent as a statesman. A leading trait in his character'
was humanity ; he really cared for his soldiers, and their
familiar name for him, ' Corporal John,' proved their confi
dence and affection. He had a profound sense of religion ;
divine service was regularly performed in his camp, and he
strongly discountenanced all licentiousness and profaneness.
In manners he was highly polished, and had a mest perfect
command ef temper. As a husband, father, friend, and
master, he was withput reprpach. Frugality carried tO fhe
extent of parsimony and a strong appetite for wealth wa? his
great fault. His desertion of his patron James II., and his
subsequent secret correspondence with him, have exposed his
character to much reproach. Perhaps fhe solution wUl be
found in Marlborough's firm adhesion to fhe protestant re
ligion, combined with his attachment fo the person of the
exiled monarch. At all events, his conduct was not more

GEORGE I. 463
extraordinary than that of many other eminent men at fhe
time. The hopes of the Jacobites had been excited by the dis
content produced by the South-sea project, and fhey pre
pared to make an effort in favor of the Pretender. Secret
information of their designs is said fo have been given by
the French regent. The plan was to be the usual one of a
foreign invasion, combihed with a domestic insurrection.
Atterbury bishop of Rochester, the lords Ossory, North,
and Grey, wifh several persons of inferior rank, were ar
rested. A barrister named Sayer was convicted of treason,
and executed for having enlisted men for fhe Pretender. A
bill of pains and penalties was passed against the bishop,
and he was sentenced fo be deprived and banished : he forth
with entered the service of the Pretender, and became a
medium of communication with the disaffected in England
and Scotland. Atterbury was a proud, restless, ambitious
high-churchman, buf he was constant to his religion ; he was
a man of learning and taste, the friend and patron of Pope
and the wits of the day, whose eufogies have given- him a
reputation of which he was not altogether deserving.
The remaining years of the reign of George I. passed
away in tranquillity. The chief domestic event was the
impeachment (1724) of the earl of Macclesfield, lord chan
cellor, for selling at exorbitant rates the offices of masters-
in-chancery, and for embezzling the properties of widows,
orphans, and lunatics. He was convicted and sentenced to
pay a fine of 30,000/. His successor in office was sir Peter
King, the lord chief-justice, now creafed baron King of Ock
ham in Surrey.*
The ancient order of the Bath was revived at this time,
(1725.) Walpole was one of the knights, and he henceforth
styled himself sir Robert Walpole; soon after (1726) he
vvas invested with the ribbon of the order of the garter, an
honor which had been since fhe accession of fhe Stuarts
reserved to the nobility. His son had already (1723) been
created ,a baron ; for Walpole declined fhe honor for himself,
feeling his sphere to be the house of commons.
The foreign transactions of this pacific reign do not offer
much fo interest The acquisition for Hanover of Bremen
and Verden, fhe property of the crown of Sweden, by pur
chase from the king of Denmark, caused the English mon-
* That distinguished nobleman earl Cowper, who ha4 been twice
lord cbaaoel' r, died in 1723.

464 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
arch (1715) to join in the coalition against Charles XII.,
who in return prepared fo aid the Pretender ; but fhe death
of fhe Swedish king (1717) removed all apprehension from
that quarter. Mutual interest caused an alliance between
the king of England and fhe regent of France ; and when
the aspiring genius of cardinal Alberoni, the prime minister
of Spain, aimed at recovering fhe Italian dominions of the
monarchy, fhe ' Ouadruple Alliance' was formed (1718)
between England, France, the Empire, and Holland, to
maintain fhe peace of Utrecht. Sir George Byng was sent
with an English fleet into the Mediterranean, vvhere he
totally destroyed a vSpanish fleet of twenty-seven sail of fhe
line off the, coast of SicUy. For this brave action he was
created viscount Torrington. At a subsequent period,
(1725,) when the Imperial and Spanish courts had formed
tbe treaty of Vienna, those of France and England, with
Holland, Prussia, Denmark, and Sweden, to counteract its
supposed secret articles, entered af Hanover into a treaty of
defensive, alliance for fifteen years. A British fleet under
admiral Hosier was sent to blockade the galleons in the
ports pf Spanish America ; but his men perished wifh dis
ease, his ships were destrpyed by the wprms, and he himself
died pf chagrin pr malady.
In 1727 Geprge I. left England as usual fpr Hanpver,
whither he was in the habit pf gping every year. On fhe
rpad between Delden and Osnabriick, he was seized vvith
paralysis, and he died before he reached fhe latter place,
(June 11,) in the 68fh year ofhis age.

CHAPTER n.
GEORGE n.
1727—1760,

George II. was in the 45th year of his age when he as
cended the throne ; his character was therefore generally
known and appreciated. In person he was small, but well
proportioned ; he possessed a large portion of natural cour
age, waa regular and methodical in his habits, and capable
of grteat api^icatitm tb business ; his tenapBr Was irascible

GEORGE II. 465
and obstinate ; his manner reserved and cold. Like his
father, his predilections were German, and he viewed the
interests of his kingdoms as subordinate to those of his
electorate. To his queen, Caroline of Anspach, a woman
of very superior mind, he was devotedly attached, and de
ferred implicitly to her judgment; yet he was faithless fo
her, and the court of England continued to exhibit the spec
tacle of royal mistresses in the persons of lady Yarmouth
and Mrs. Howard ; but fhe king allowed them no influence
whatever in affairs of state.
If had been supposed that the accession of George II,
would be followed by a change of administration ; even
Bolingbroke was not without hopes of attaining to power.
The king, when prince, had taken offence at some expres
sions used by Walpole, and had declared that he would
never employ him, and that minister now regarded his dis
missal as certain. George had actually fixed on sir Spencer
Compton for his prime minister, and his obstinacy was well
known ; yet after all Walpole retained his post and held it
for many years. For this he was indebted to the queen,
who knew his abilities; she recollected that the late king
had said fo her that Walpole could " convert stones into
gold." Walpole also engaged to obtain from the commons
an augmentation of 130,000/. fo the civil list, and a jointure
of 109,000/. a year for the queen; and as Compton candidly
avowed his own incompetence for fhe situation, the king
gave up his purpose ; the ministry remained unchanged, and
Walpole, when the new parliament met, performed his en
gagements to the king and queen.
Walpole continued to be the moving power of govern
ment for a space of nearly fifteen years, during which period
England enjoyed tranquillity. Cardinal Fleury, who gov
erned France, was a decided lover of peace ; and though
Hanover was the means of engaging England in fhe mazes
of German politics, there was no war fill toward the close
of Walpole's adrainisfration, when hostUifies broke out wifh
Spain. We will therefore avert our view from foreign
affairs, and confine ourselves fo fhe leading domestic events
during the first fwo periods of his ministry, namely, from
fhe king's accession fo fhe resignation of lord Townshend,
(1730,) and thence fo fhe death ofthe queen, (1737.) ,
The ministerial majority in fhe house of commons was
considerable ; but there was a strong opposition composed
of three sections. These were, the discontented whigs,
headed by William Pultfepey, a man of high charactipr and
GBR

466 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
great abilities, supported by sir John Barnard, Sandys, Pitt,
Littleton, and the Grenvilles; the tories, about 110 in num
ber, chiefly country gentlemen, led by sir William Wynd
ham ; and the Jacobites, who counted fifty, under fhe able
and honest Shippen. The principal supporters of fhe min
ister were his brother Horace Walpole, ford Hervey, sir
WUliam Yonge, Henry Pelham, and Mr. Winnington. In
the 'Craftsman,' a periodical conducted by Bolingbroke,
aided by Pulteney, fhe opposition had a powerful organ of
ofi'ence. Various attacks were made on fhe ministry on the sub
jects of the standing army (the great bugbear of the age)
and the subsidies paid fo some of fhe petty sovereigns of
Germany; but they were always repelled by numbers if
not by arguments. On the subject of pensions the minister
felf his position less tenable, and he found it necessary fp
vary his tactics.
'There were already acts incapacitating fhe hplders pf pen-
sipns frpm sitting in the hpuse ef cpmmpns; but they had
prpved useless, as gpvernment wpuld not fell who had pen
sions, and fhe amount of secret service money was consid
erable. Mr. Sandys therefore brought in a bill, (1730,) by
which every member was fo swear that he did not hold a
pension, and that, in case of his accepting one, he would
make it known to the house within fourteen days. This the
king called a " vUlanous bill ; " buf Walpole would not
incur the odium of opposing it, and it passed fhe commons
by a majority of ten. Buf, as he expected, it was thrown
out in the lords, and its fate was similar whenever it was
brought in again.
Shortly after the rejection of the pension-bill a partial
change took place in fhe ministry. Lord Townshend and
Walpole, though brothers-in-law, had been for some time
at variance on questions of foreign and domestic policy:
their tempers were opposite ; fhe former being frank,
haughty, and impetuous ; the latter cool, calm, and pliant,
They have, not unaptly, been compared to Mark Antony
and Augustus, lady Townshend being their Octavia. But
she was now dead ; and Townshend, finding his influence
inferior to that of Walpole, gave in his resignation. He
retired fo his paternal seat of Rainham in Norfolk, where
he devoted hiraself fo agriculture, and abandoned politics
so corapletely that he never even revisited fhe capital. The
fwo secretaries now were Pelham, duke of Newcastle, and
Stanhope, lately created earl of Harrington.

GEDRGE IL 467
Sir Robert Walpole far outwent his contemporaries in the
knowledge of the true principles of finance and trade ; and
having had ample information of the ruinous extent fo which
the practice of smuggling had been carried in consequence
of the defective state of the laws of fhe customs, he formed
a grand scheme of abolishing the land-tax, preventing fraud,
increasing the revenue, and simplifying the taxes and collect
ing them af fhe least possible expense. This was what was
called the Excise-scheme, of which Dean Tucker, a most
competent judge, asserts that fhe effect would have been
the making " fhe whole island one general free port, and
a magazine and common storehouse for all nations."
Walpole's plan, which he introduced in an uncommonly
able and lucid speech, (3Iar. 7, 1733,) was in effect what is
now termed the warehousing and bonding system, of the ad
vantages of which no one can have a doubt. He confined
himself fo the article of tobacco ; proposing that it should,
when imported, be deposited in warehouses after paying a
small duty, fhe remaining duty to be paid when fhe article
was sold, thus converting custom info excise. Nothing, it is
plain, could be more rational than this plan; yet never did a
measure encounter more violent opposition. The word
excise was odious in fhe ears of fhe people, and the Crafts
man had been for some time ringing fhe changes on fhe
evils and dangers of if; those engaged in the smuggling
trade were numerous beyond conception ; fhe opposition,
ignorant or factious, exerted themselves to the utmost, and
recurring, after a long interval, fo fhe tactics of 1641 for
getting up a " pressure from without," they actually em
ployed the parish-officers fo procure a large number of
people to assemble about the house to overawe the support
ers of fhe minister. Walpole furnished a handle to his
opponents by giving in his speech their true name, that of
sturdy beggars, to these supplicants, who were near tearing
him fo pieces as he vvas leaving fhe house.
The minister's motion for a repeal of fhe subsidy and ad
ditional duty on tobacco was carried by a majority of 61 ;
buf so many of his supporters were daunted by the popular
clamor, that though the bill was read a first time, he re
solved fo abandon it Af a meeting of his party, where the
general voice was for perseverance, he said, that " in the
present inflamed temper of the people, the act could npt be
cirried infp execufipn without an armed fprce ; th?t there
wpuld be an end pf the liberty pf England if supplies were
to be raised by the sword;" and that if they persisted, he

468 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
would resign. This declaration eilded the affair ; the bill
was abandoned ; rejoicings and illuminations took place all
over fhe kingdom ; fhe minister was burnt in effigy ; cock
ades were worn inscribed with " Liberty, property, and no
excise." Even fhe university of Oxford joined in fhe
triumph of ignorance, prejudice, self-interest, and brute
force over legislative wisdom.
As the earl of Chesferfleld and several other noblemen
who held posts under fhe crown had of late opposed the
minister, he resolved to let fhem feel his power, and fhey
were dismissed. Among these were lord Cobham and the
duke of Bolton, whom he deprived of their regiments. The
self-styled patriots took occasion forthwith to show their will
ingness fo sacrifice the constitution fo their spleen against
the minister, and lord Morpeth moved for leave to bring in
a bill for preventing officers above fhe rank of colonel from
being deprived of their commissions otherwise than by judg
ment of court-martial or an address of either house to the
throne. This was warmly opposed and defended ; Walpole
exposed fhe danger of it and the stratocrasy or military
despotism fo which it would lead, and its advocates did not
venture to come fp a divisipn pn it.
The ppppsitipn npw began their assaults on the Septen
nial-act, which they henceforth annually renewed. On this
occasion, (Mar, 13, 1734,) sir WUliam Wyndham delivered
his well-known philippic, which owes its fame to its person
alities against Walpole and fhe king. The minister, in
reply, drew an extemporary portrait of Bolingbroke, of whom
Wyndham was fhe puppet, and so satisfactorily answered all
his arguments, that fhe bill was rejected.
In 1736 a remarkable tumult took place in the city of
Edinburgh. A smuggler, named Wilson, was hanged in ¦
the usual place, and as fhe executioner was cutting him
down, fhe populace rushed forward to get possession of the
body. They assailed the city-guard wifh stones, whose
captain, named Porteous, being struck himself, ordered his
men to fire, and five of the mob were kUled. For this,
Porteous was fried and condemned fo death; buf as there
was only a majority of one in the jury against him, and there
were extenuating circumstances in fhe case, a reprieve was
sent down from London. The Scots are a stern, unrelent
ing people, and it was secretly resplved fp have his life.
The day fixed fpr bis execufipn had been the 8th pf Septem
ber, and at ten p'cfock pn fhe preceding evening a multi
tude assembled, mastered the city-guard, secured the town-

GEORGE II. 469
gates to keep out the military, broke open the Tolbooth
prison, dragged out Porteous, hung him frora a dyer's pole
in the Grass-market, and then silently dispersed. Rewards
were offered in vain, for nO discoveries were ever made.
Two events of great importance to the royal fainily oc
curred in the year 1737 — a quarrel between the kinor and
the prince of Wales, and the death pf the queen.
Frpm the Revplutipu dpwn fp the present day, it seems tp
be like a principle pf the cpnstifufion that the heir fo fhe
throne should be af enmity with its possessor. The cause
of this is perhaps rather fo be found in human nature, and
in fhe state of political parties, than in a moral obliquity of
the house of Brunswick. The actuating cause has usually
been, the prince of Wales's desire fpr an increase pf incpme,
the ppppsitipn assuring him that he is ill used, and premis
ing fp aid him in pbtaining it. So it was in the present
case; Frederick prince of Wales, who was lately married to
a princess of Saxe Gotha, affecting to think that his income
of 63,000/. a year was not sufficient, Pulteney moved an
address to fhe king fo settle on him 100,000/. a year. It
was opposed by fhe minister, but would have been carried
were it not for the honorable conduct of forty-five of the
tories, who, viewing it as unconstitutional, and (rare case!)
preferring principle to party, quitted the house in a body
before the division. The breach between the king and
prince now became irreparable.
On the 20fh of November queen Caroline breathed her
last. The cause of her death was a rupture, which false
delicacy caused her fo conceal till if was too late. This
excellent princess was a pattern of all the public and private
virtues. During the king's frequent absences on fhe con
tinent she held fhe reins of government, which always
were committed to her, with a firm and steady hand ; sin
cerely religious, she attended carefully fo the interests of the
church, and fhe names of Hoadley, Clarke, Butler, Seeker,
and others favored or preferred by her, speak her praise.
The king was deeply affected by her death, and in her Wal
pole lost his main support.
The state of internal and external tranquillity which that
minister made if his task to maintain, was not allowed to
continue. For many years the merchants had been making
complaints of fhe injuries done to our trade in the West
Indies by fhe right of search for contraband goods exercised
by the Spanish Guarda-costas, or guardships, and the cruel
treatment experienced by our mariners. Various attempts
VOL. IL 40

470 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
were made by Walpole to settle the matter by negotiation;
at length (1739) he found it necessary fo yield to the public
will, and war was formaUy declared against Spain.
Admiral Vernon, a brave buf presumptuous and self-suf
ficient officer, who commanded in the West Indies, with a
squadron of six ships-of-war took, plundered, and destroyed
Porto Bello, (Nov. 21.) His success haying given a false
idea of his abilities, he was selected to command an expe
dition on a large scale against Carthagena, having on board
a body of land-forces under general Wentworth. It, how
ever, proved a total failure.
A squadron, under commodore Anson, had been sent to
sea in September, (1740,) in prder tP attack the Spaniards
in the Pacific pcean. The histery pf this celebrated vpyage
must be familiar fp fhe minds of most persons. We need
therefore only notice the dreadful ravages committed by ,the
scurvy ; fhe furious tempest encountered in the straits of Le
Maire, in which the Wager was wrecked, and the Pearl and
the Severn forced fo return to Rio Janeiro. After a short
stay at fhe island of Juan Fernandez fo recover his men,
Anson, wifh his two remaining ships, the Centurion and
Gloucester, proceeded along the coast of Peru capturing
the Spanish traders, and he took and burned the town of
Paita. To capture the galleons from Manilla, he sailed
with the Centurion alone (being obliged to burn fhe Glouces
ter) across fhe Pacific. He stopped fo refresh his crew at
the isle of Tinian, and then proceeded to Canton in China.
He afterwards captured a galleon immensely rich, and re
turned to England by fhe Cape of Good Hope, being the
first Englishman who had circumnavigated the globe since
the time of Drake. He arrived on the 15th of June, 1744,
after an absence of nearly four years.
The success of this unjust war was not answerable fo fhe
wishes of those who had urged if on. British trade suf
fered from the Spanish privateers, and fhe French gave
symptoms of an intention to share in the contest. The
blame of course was thrown on fhe minister, and the oppo
sition now resplved tp make a strenupus effort for his over
throw. Sandys moved, (Feb. 13, 1741,) after a long speech,
for an address fo his majesty fo remove him from his pres
ence and councUs forever ; Pulteney exerted all his elo
quence in favor of the motion ; buf the minister was sup
ported not only by his own friends, but by several ef the
tpries whp regarded the mptipn as tending fp an inquisitprial
system, and honest Shippen left the house at the head of

GEORGE IL 471
thirty-four of his adherents. After an able reply from Wal
pole, it was negatived by a large majority ; the same was the
fafe of a similar motion in the lordsi
A dissolution succeeded. Walpole is said to have relaxed
in his usual exertions on these occasions, while all branches
of the opposition made the utmost efforts; even the Pre
tender wrote, directing his adherents fo labor strenuously
against the obnoxious minister. There vyas eUso a schism in
the cabinet, many of his colleagues being his secret foes.
In the new parliament the proceedings on contested elec
tions (decided by party-spirit rather than justice) showed fhe
minister that his power was gone ; and when that of Chip
penham was decided against him, (Feb. 3, 1742,) he declared
fo fhe successful candidate that he would never again sit in
that house. Ah adjournment followed ; Walpole was created
earl of Orford, (9th,) and resigned, (llth.) The king, accept
ed his resignation with fears, and never ceased to repose his
confidence in hira. An attempt made by a secret cemmittee
of the commons for an inquiry into his conduct, for fhe pur
pose of fixing on him a charge of corruption and peculation,
failed. Lord Orford died of fhe stone, on the 16th of
March, 1745, in fhe 69th year of his age.
As a minister, Walpole was prudent and safe rather than
briUiant. He loved peace; he was adverse to innovation,
but a promoter of gradual improvement ; to the commerce
and revenue of fhe country his services were most valuable ;
and his wise administration produced that national vigor
and prosperity which led to fhe dazzling greatness of a
future ministry. Walpole was a stanch whig, never swerv
ing from the principles ofthe revolution; hewas also an
honorable man ; and fhe charges of organizing and govern
ing by corruption made against him are false as regards him
self, libelous with respect to ' the nation. He had his faults,
no doubt; like a minister of our own days he heaped places
on his family, and justified his conduct in the same manner.
In his conversation he was gross and indelicate ; and he was
licentious with respect to women. He was profuse and riot
ous in his style of living; he collected pictures at a great
expense, but he had little taste for literature, and, unfortu
nately for his fame, he never patronized men of letters.
The construction of fhe new ministry was intrusted to
Pulteney, whose movements are said fo have been secretly
controlled by Walpole. The tories were excluded frOm it ;
it was composed of Newcastle and other members of the
Walpole ministry, with lord Carteret, Sandys, and a few

472 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Others. For himself, Pulteney would fake no office ; all he
required was a peerage and a seat in the cabinet ; and he
was created earl of Bath. Buf those who were disappointed
became his bitter enemies; he was charged with treachery
^nd corruption ; he was lampooned in ballads ; and he found
himself powerless in the cabinet. He had dearly purchased
his triumph over Walpole.
The country w^s now engaged in a continental war also.
The ' SUesian War,' that unprincipled attempt of Frederick
II. of Prussia to rob the queen of Hungary of a part of her
do.minions, had commenced in 1741; and as, by what was
termed the ' Pragmatic Sanction,' which guarantied the suc
cession to all his dominions to fhe heirs general of fhe emperor
Charles, fhe king of England was bound fo supply a force
of 12,000 men, fhe queen now called on him to perform his
engagement. A suhsidy of 300,000/. ,had therefore been
granted. France having joined fhe confederacy against fhe
queen, a British army of 16,000 men, under lord Stair, was
sent to cooperate with the Austrians in Flanders ; and fhe
king himself, eager for military glory, joined it in June,
1743. The allied forces of 40,000 men, on their march
from Aschaffenburg to Hanau, found themselves, on ap
proaching the village of Dettingen on the banks of the
Main, fronted by a much larger French army, under mar
shal NoaiUes. , Retreat also was cut off by fhe vigilance of
fhe French general, and nothing seemed to remain but a
surrender, when (June 26) the imprudence of the duke of
Grammont, the marshal's nephew, gave fhem an opportunity
of fighting, and the French were forced to cross the Main,
with a loss of from 5000 to 6000 men killed, wounded, and
taken; that of the allies amounted fo about 2000. The
king pf England, thpugh npw sixty years of age, had .shown
all the fire and heroism of youth.
France and England were not at war as yet, but fhe next
year (1744) they rautually declared if. In the spring of
1745 a numerous French army under marshal Saxe, buf in
which the kihg and dauphin were present, laid siege to
Tournay. The allies, under fhe duke of Cumberland, son
of fhe king of England, advanced, to its relief. Thpugh
their numbers were much inferipr, if was resplved fp attack
the French, whp vvere ppsted near the village pf Fpntenpy.
The action began at nine in fhe morning, (AprU 30.) The
British and Hanoverian infantry, advancing under a tre
mendous fire, drove the French beyond their lines ; but fhe
Dutch failejl pij th0, left. S^ijie errtsrs wfere cpnaniitttd by

GEORGE IL 473
the English commanders ; Saxe brought up his reserve ; the
English were environed ; a tremendous fire of artillery was
poured on fhem from all parts, and they were obliged fo
retire, with the loss of 10,000 men. The French purchased
their victory by a loss pf men nearly equal, buf fhey became
masters of Tournay, Ghent, Brliges, Ostend, and other
towns. For many years fhe Pretender had been treated with neg
lect by the continental powers, buf now fhe French cabinet
resolved to use him as a means of alarming the court of Sf.
James's, and perhaps causing a revolution in England, where
there was abundance of discontent and very few troops. As
the Jacobite spirit was stUl vigorous in the Highlands of
Scotland, it was defermined fo commence in that part. The
Pretender himself being old and infirm, the task of contend-
• ing for fhe British crown was committed to his son, prince
Charles Edward, commonly called the Young Chevalier. He
sailed from France (July 14) in a small frigate, attended by
the marquess of Tullibardine and some Scottish and Irish
adventurers, and reached fhe Western Isles, whence he
passed oyer fo fhe Highlands, and being joined by several
of the clans, he raised his standard af Glensinnen, (Aug.
19.) Sir John Cope, who commanded in Scotland, having
marched wifh his troops to Inverness, leaving the capital
and the southern counties defenceless, the Chevalier made
a rapid march fo Perth, where his father was proclaimed
king; he then advanced to Dundee, passed fhe Forth near
Stirling; Edinburgh opened her gates, and he took up his
abode in Holyrood-house, the ancient palace of his fathers.,
Cope, having embarked his troops at Aberdeen, landed at
Dunbar, where he vyas joined by two regiments of dragoons
which had retired from Edinburgh. His force was now
about 3000 men, and he was advancing towards fhe capital,
when at the vUlage of Preston-pans (Sept. 21) he was at
tacked early in the morning by fhe Chevalier, at fhe head
of between 2000 and 3000 of the clansmen. The rout of
the king's troops was instantaneous and complete : the dra
goons fled ; the infantry were all killed or taken ; fhe bag
gage, ammunition, and artillery fell into the hands of fhe
victors. The Chevalier had been joined by some of the nobUity,
such as lords Nairn, Strathallan, KUmarnock, Balmerino,
and Pitsligo, and lords Elcho and Ogilvie, the sons of fhe
earls of Wemys and Airlie, but they were none of them
of any weight in the country. The unprincipled Simon
40 * H H H

474 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Frazer, lord Lovat, was a man of more influence ; but all
the great nobility and most potent heads of clans remained
faithful to the government. The presbyterians were to a
man in favor of the house of Brunswick. The Jacobite
party in England were perfectly inactive ; fhe kingdom in
general evinced a strong feeling of loyalty ; troops were re
called from Flanders; the Dutch furnished, as bound by
treaty, 6000 men ; the train-bands were arrayed, and volun
teer corps were formed.
The adventurer, whose forces did not exceed 5000 men,
resolved fo try his fortune in England. As Newcastle was
occupied by general Wade, he entered it by fhe west border,
(Nov. 6.) Carlisle surrendered. He pushed on rapidly, for
he vvas assured that a French force would be landed On fhe
south coast At Manchester (29th) he was received with
every demonstration of joy. He thence inarched to Derby,
(Deo. 4,) but here his progress terminated. He found, to
his mortification, that few had joined him, that there were
tvvo armies superior fo his own in his rear, and that, though
he might possibly defeat the train-bands and ofher troops
under the royal standard on Frnehley-common and enter
the capital, ultimate defeat tnust await him. The word was
given to return, (6fh;) and in spite of all fhe efforts of the
royal commanders, he reached Carlisle without loss, (19th.)
Leaving there his English adherents, he hastened to Glas
gow, vvhere he levied heavy contributions. He finally fixed
his head-quarters at Perth ; and, being joined by the earl of
Cromarty with 2000 raen, and sorae others, he laid siege to
Stirling-castle. General Hawley advanced from Edinburgh
fo its relief At Falkirk (Jan. 17, 1746) he was attacked
and routed by the insurgents, with a loss of about three
hundred men. Af the approach of the royal army, under
the duke of Cumberland, the rebels raised the siege, and
the duke advanced fo Aberdeen, where he remained till
AprU. As fhe enemy was at Inverness, he crossed the Spey
and advanced to Nairn ; learning there that fhe Chevalier
was af Culloden, about nine miles distant, he prepared for
battle. On reaching that place next day, (Apr. 16,) he
found the rebels, to the number of 4000, prepared fo en
gage his far superior force. The battle commenced at one
o'clock, and in thirty minutes the rebels were driven off fhe
field. Orders had been issued fo give no quarter, yet the
foss of the vanquished in killed and wounded did not exceed
1200 men. The victory was tarnished by a cruelty dis
graceful fo the duke and his cause : numbers of innocent

GEORGE II. 475
people v^'ere put to death, or exposed to the brutality of a
licentious soldiery ; and when, iri fhe next month, fhe duke
advanced into the Highlands, the men were slaughtered, the
women violated, the catUe and provisions carried off, the
houses burnt, and the country converted into a desert.
The adventures of the unfortunate Chevalier were ro
mantic and affecting. A reward of 30,000/, was set on his
head ; he was hunted through the mountains and islands ;
he endured every kind of privation, assumed every species
of disguise ; had fo confide in the fidelity of people of all
orders, yet not a single individual was so base as to betray
hini — conduct which confers lasting honor pn the natipnal
character. At length (Sept 20) he embarked pn bPard a
French privateer, and reached France in safety.
The earls pf Kilmarnpck, Balmerinp, and Crpmarty, and
• lprd Lpvat (that veteran in iniquity) were tried fpr high-
treaspn and cpnvicted. Crpmarty was pardpned, the ethers
were beheaded, fhe last instances pf decapifatien in England.
Abput fifty perspns (most of them officers) were executed in
England, and more than double that number in Scotland,
The hopes ofthe exUed family were now at an end; fhe
feelings of fhe British nation had been fairly tested, and
their claims had been rejected. Henceforth Jacobitism be
came merely a name only expressive of discontent with fhe
government. Since the resiignation of Walpole the prime minister had
been the able lord Carteret, novv earl of Granville, but in
the end of fhe year 1744 he , had to yield to the influence
of his colleagues, the duke of Newcastle and his brother,
Henry Pelham. The new ministry, of which Pelham was
the head, was called the ' Broad Bottom,' as it included all
parties, tories as well as whigs: William Pitt, already dis
tinguished, and sopn fo be glorious, now took office for fhe
first time, as paymaster of fhe forces. The lieutenancy of
Ireland was conferred on the accomplished earl of Ches
terfield. In the year 1748, a general peace was signed at Aix-la-
Chapelle; France and England remaining as fhey were,
the house of Austria losing, fhe king of Prussia being fhe
only real gainer. The English had in the preceding year
sustained their naval reputation by two victories, but on
each occasion they were superior in force. Admirals Anson
and Warren (May 3) engaged the squadron of M. De la Jon
quiere, and took, after a gallant action, all the ships of the
enemy. For this service Anson was raised to the peerage.

476 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
and Warren made a knight of the Bath. Admiral Hawke
likewise defeated (Oct. 14) fhe French admiral De I'Efen-
deur, and took six ships of the line. The order of the Bath
was conferred on this gallant officer also.
A few years of peace ensued, during which England lost
by death Frederick prince of Wales and the minister Mr.
Pelham. Th& prince was in his forty-fifth year when he
died, of a pleurisy, (Mar. 20, 1751,) and his eldest son
George, a rainor, became the heir-apparent. Mr. Pelham
died in March, 1754, sincerely regretted hy, the king and
people, as an able, upright, and honorable minister. His
brother, the duke of Newcastle, a man of far inferior abili
ties, assumed the guidance of fhe administration.
Among the bills passed under the auspices of Pelham,
may be noticed that for fhe r'eforraafion of the calendar.
This had been done in the sixteenth century by pope Greg
ory XIIL, but the English were too zealous protestants fo
adopt a papal improvement, and fhey continued to begin
tbe year on the 25th of March, and were always eleven days
behind in their reckoning. It was now directed that the
year should begin on fhe 1st of January, and that the day
after the 2d of September, 1752, should be called the 14fh.
By an act passed in 1752, the British Museum was formed ;
fhe collection of sir Hans Sloane, the Harleian manuscripts,
and the Cottonian and Westminster libraries being pur
chased by the nation.
The original cause of the general war which ensued was
fhe extensive designs of the French in America. The Brit
ish colonies, by their charters, were granted the whole coun
try from the Atlantic to the Pacific, but the French, who had
settled on fhe St. Lawrence fo the north, or on fhe Missis
sippi fo fhe south of fhem, denied their claims, insisting that
their natural boundary was the range of mountains running
within 150 or 200 miles of the east coast; and they formed
a grand plan of connecting their provinces of Canada in the
north, and Louisiana in the south, by a chain of forts, and
thus cutting fhe English off from the great lakes, and from
the valleys of the Ohio and Mississippi. The remonstrances
of the British government being disregarded both in America
and at the Tuilleries, orders were sent out to the colonies to
employ force, and an expedition under major Washington of
Virginia proceeded to the Ohio, but fhey were compelled to
surrender fo a superior force of French and Indians, (1754.)
Early in fhe next year (1755) general Braddock was sent
out to America wifh a body of troops, to act against the

GEORGE II. 477
French on fhe Ohio. He was joined by fhe provincials un
der Washington ; but he held them in utter contempt, and
would not listen, to the advice of their sagacious leader
respecting fhe mode of carrying on war in fhe woods of
America. He moved on as heedlessly as if he was march
ing over fhe plains of Germany, till one day at noon, (July
9,) when they were in the midst of the woods, fhe war-whoop
assailed their ears, and a heavy fire was poured on their front
and flank. The enemy was unseen ; instead of trying fo
dislodge therp from their covert, Braddock, as if engaged
with a regular army, sought only fo make his men, who were
thrown into confusion, form again ; at length he was mortal
ly wounded ; the regular troops then turned and fled ; the
provincials formed fhe rear, and, saved them from destruc
tion, Washington displaying the coolness and skill of a vet
eran commander.
During this summer fhe French received a check from
general Johnson on the shore of Lake George, but the next
year (1756) they succeeded in faking Fort Oswego on Lake
Ontario, and Fort William-Henry on Lake George, and they
thus obtained the command of fhe whole range of the lakes.
In 1756 a general war commenced. It was named the
' Seven Years' War ' from its duration, and it presented fhe
hitherto unexampled appearance of a strict union between
the houses of Bourbon and Austria, supported by Russia
and Sweden. Their opponents were England and Prussia,
whom community of interest united ; France aiming af fhe
depression of the former, Austria seeking to recover Silesia
frora the latter.
War was formally declared against France by Englcrad in
the month of May. As various acts of hostility had previ
ously been committed, fhe French in their manifesto loudly
complained of British perfidy ; but France had already com
menced assembling an extensive army and flotilla on her
northern coast, for fhe invasion of England. The English
ministry had recourse to the expedient ip use for fhe last
half century, namely, calling in fhe aid of foreigners, and
a body of Hessian and Hanoverian troops was brought over.
But while the eyes of fhe nation were thus fixed on fhe
opposite side of the channel, it was ascertained that an ex
pedition was fitting out at Toulon. Admiral Byng was de
spatched (Apr. 7) to the Mediterranean, and on arriving af
Gibraltar, he learned that a French fleet of thirteen sail of
the line under M. De la Galissoniere, with transports carry
ing 15,000 troops, had reached Minorca, and were besieging

478 HISTORY or england.
the castle of St. PhUip. Byng, when joined by the ships at
Gibraltar, had a squadron equal in number to that of fhe
enemy, hut fi-om contrary winds it took him ten days to
reach Minorca. The British flag was still flying on Sf.
Philip's castle, which was gallantly defended by general
Blakeney, and next day (May 19) the French fleet was seen
to the south-east. Af noon on fhe following day, Byng, hav
ing the advantage of the wind, made the signal to engage,
and admiral West, who commanded the van, cfosed with fhe
enemy ; but Byng, in his anxiety to preserve fhe line of
battle according to the tactics of those times, did not support
him, and the French admiral bore away toward evening, and
was out of sight next morning. In a council of war, it was
resolved fo return to Gibraltar to refit ; fhe French fleet then
resumed its station off the island. Blakeney finally (June
18) surrendered on most honorable terms, and Minorca was
thus lost to England.
A letter of Galissoniere, communicated fo the Spanish
resident at London, gave the first account of Byng's action
in England. Without looking beyond the Frenchman's gas
conade, fhe ministry forthwith disspafched admirals Hawke
and Saunders to supersede Byng and West, and send fhem
home under arrest. The public indignation rose to a great
height ; Byng was burnt in effigy in all the great towns, and
his seat in Hertfordshire was attacked by a mob. When it
was known that Minorca was lost, various addresses from the
city of London and other places, calling for justice on the
culpable, were presented fo the king, and the timid ministers
did all in their power to shift fhe odium from themselves,
and place if on the unfortunate admiral.
Byng arrived at Portsmouth on the 26th of July. He was
forthwith made a close prisoner, and sent under a strong
guard to fhe capital. He was confined in Greenwich-hos
pital, the brutal governor of which, admiral Townshend, shut
him up in one of the garrets, wifh only a deal fable and
chair in it, and had the windows and even fhe chimney se
cured with iron bars, as if the prisoner would attempt an
escape. While Byng lay in confinement, the press was occupied in
attacking or defending. Dr. Samuel Johnson lent fhe aid
of his powerful mind fo the cause of fhe admiral, while fhe
hireling pen of David Mallet (a writer of all work) was em
ployed by the ministry to exasperate fhe public against him.
A change of administration took place, but this did not
affect the condition of Byng. He was brought before a

GEORGE II. 479
court-martial- on board the St. George, at Portsmouth,
(Dec. 28,) and after a long trial it was determined that he
fell under a part of fhe l^th Article of War, in not having
done his utmost to take or destroy the ships of the enemy
and assist those pf his majesty. The penalty pf this article
was death, but the court, acquitting him of cowardice or
disaffection, strongly recommended him to mercy. But the
lords of the admiralty, in their application to the king, in
stead of appealing tp his mercy, stated that fhe ceurt dpubted
the legality pf the sentence, (which fhey did not:) fhe case
was referred tp fhe judges, whp decided that if was legal.
The fords pf the admiralty were therefpre pbliged fp sign a
warrant fpr his execufipn.
Af nppn pn the apppinted day, (Mar. 14,) Byng, having
taken leave pf his friends, came pn the quarter-deck ; he
handed a paper tp a friend, sat dpwn pn a chair, bandaged
his pwn eyes, gave the signal fp fhe marines, and dropped
dead, pierced by five bullets ; fhe whole transaction having
occupied only three minutes.
There never was a sentence more rigorous, if not unjust,
than that executed on Byng, who was evidently sacrificed fo
political expediency, to divert fhe popular clamor from a
timid ministry. It is much to be regretted that fhe minister
at this time should have been Mr. Pitt.
Changes of a curious nature had in fact been of late
taking place in the administration. When in November,
1755, the address was moved in reply to the king's speech,
in which if was stated that he had concluded subsidiary
treaties with Russia and Hesse Cassel, Mr. Pitt and Mr.
Legge opposed it. The former showed the absurdity of at
tempting to defend Hanover at a ruinous expense, and main
tained that fhe war ought fo be solely a naval one, and he
spoke in very disparaging terms of the electorate. Pitt,
Legge, and G. GrenviUe were therefore dismissed, (20th,)
and J. GrenviUe resigned. Mr. Fox, the secretary, was then
almost fhe sole stay of fhe ministry, the duke of Newcastle
being merely the ostensible head. When the loss of Minor
ca had exasperated the nation, a change of ministry became
unavoidable, and in November, 1756, Pitt returned triumph
antly to office as principal secretary of state; fhe duke of
Devonshire being first lord of fhe treasury, and Legge chan
cellor of the exchequer. But though Pitt delivered and
supported a message to fhe house of commons, asking for
supplies for the maintenance of an army in Hanover, he
could not conciliate the court, and in April, 1757, he and

480 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Legge were unceremoniously dismissed, and Fox regained
the ascendant But petitions were poured in from all quar
ters, and the national feeling in favor of Pitt was so un
equivocally manifested, that Fox would not venture fo resist
it, Pitt and Legge therefore resumed their stations, New
castle became once more the nominal chief, and Fox ob
tained fhe lucrative post of paymaster of the forces. All
opposition in parliament was now at an end, and Pitt had the
entire conduct of the war-.
His first operations, however, were eminently unsuccessful.
A powerful expedition sent in September against Rochefort,
under sir Edward Hawke and sir John Mordaunt, proved a
total failure. The chief blame was laid on the general, but
a court-martial acquitted him. He had done nothing at all ;
poor Byng had only not donfe his utmost ; yet how different
their fates! In Germany, fhe duke of Cumberland, at the
head of 40,000 Hessians, Hanoverians, and Brunswickers,
being hemmed in by fhe French between fhe sea and the
rivers Elbe and Weser, actually capitulated at Closfer-Seven,
and fhe electorate was thus given up fo the French. In
America the marquess De Montcalm, governor of Cana
da, had taken Fort WUliam-Henry, on the shore of Lake
George, and thus obtained fhe command of the entire range
of fhe lakes.
The following year (1758) the tide of war began fo turn
in favor of England. Admiral Boscawen and general Am
herst took fhe island of Cape Breton in America. On fhe
coast of Africa fhe French settlements at the Senegal and
Goree were also reduced. Another of those expeditions to
which Mr. Pitt was so much attached was sent to the north
coast of France ; it took Cherhourg and destroyed the har
bor and shipping; but it failed at Sf. Malo. This expedi
tion, in vvhich the cost was great and the damage done to
fhe enemy trifling, was not unaptly styled ' A scheme fo
break windows wifh guineas.'
The year 17.59 is one of fhe most glorious in the naval
and military annals of England. Admiral Boscawen, who
commanded in fhe Mediterranean, where he was blockading
fhe port of Toulon, being obliged fo retire to Gibraltar for
wafer and repairs, fhe Toulon fleet under M. De la Clue
came out wifh fhe hope of being able to pass the Straits.
They succeeded in their object ; but fhey were descried
off fhe coast of Barbary ; and Boscawen, though he did not
hear of it till seven in the evening, and most of his ships
had their topmasts struck and saUs unbent, by great exer

GEORGE II. , ' 481
tions got to sea by fen that n'gli*- - Next day (Aug. 10) he
came up with them and took one ship, and the following
day, off the bay ef Lagps, he destroyed the admiral's ship,
the Ocean, and three others. Sir Edward Havyke had dur
ing fhe suminer and autumn blockaded the port of Brest
In November (9th) a violent galie of wind having forced hitn
to take shelter at Torbay, the Frepch admiral M. De Con
flans took the opportunity fo come put; but that very day
(14th) the English fleet sailed from Torbay, and admiral
Hawke, on learning that the French were at sea, went in
pursuit of them. On the 20th they were seen in pursuit of
an English squadron, which had been stationed in Q,uiberon-
bay. The' action commenced at half past two, and in this
and the following day six of the enemy's ships were de
stroyed, the remainder- escaping into the VUaine and fo
Rochefort. •
• Biit it was in America that the greatest triumph was
achieved. General Amherst having takep the field, -the
French abandoned. fhe forts of Ticonderoga and Crown Point,
on fhe lakes, af his approach, and that of Niagara was taken
by general Johnson, A plan had been formed for fhe in
vasion and conquest of Canada by three simultaneous expe
ditions which were to meet under the walls of Quebec ; but
Amherst thought, it too late in fhe season to advance, and
only one of them appeared before that city. This was the
one from Cape Breton, the fleet being commanded by admiral
Saunders, the fropps by brigadier-general Welfe, an pfficer,
thpugh ypung, pf high repufafien. It reached its destina-
tipn pn fhe 26th pf June, but fpund the French army sp ad-
vanfagepusly ppsfed that success seemed very dubipus.
The city cf Quebec stands pn and af the foot pf a fofty
rpck, which runs parallel tp the river. St. Lawrence; behind
it is fhe river Sf. Charles, between which and that pf Monf-
morenci, his rear defended by dense woods, Montcalm lay
encamped with 10,000 men.
An attack on the French camp having failed, (July 31,)
the English lay for some time inactive, and the mind of their
gallant general was deeply depressed. At length he formed
the daring project of scaling the Heights of Abraham (as fhe
rocky plain on which the city stands is named) at its further
extremity. The troops were therefore landed in the night,
(Sept 12,) and by the aid of the projecting rocks and trees
fhey attained the summit and formed inline of battle, (13fh.)
Montcalm instantly led back his troops to the defence ofthe
/town, and a smart engagement ensued, ^n the action both
VOL. 11. 41 III

482 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
the generals were mortally wounded. \Volfe, as he lay ex
piring, hearing the cry of " They fly, they fly I " asked,
" Who fly ?" On being told fhe French, " Then," said he,
" I depart content,". and expired. Quebec surrendered, arid
in fhe following year Montrealcapifulafed to general Amherst,
ahd the concjuest of Canada was thus completed.
In this yeiar al^o was fought (Aug. 1) the great battle, of
Minden, in which fhe English infantry covered themselves
with glory, whUe the blame of fhe victory's not being' mor6
complete was laid on the inactivity of lord George SackvUle,
who commanded the civalry of the right wing. By sentence
of a court-martial ih the foUowing year this officer, was dis
missed the service, and his name was struck out of the list '
of privy-counciUors,
The British arms were also successful af this tirae in
India. Of fhe events in that country we shall presently have
occasion to treat consecutively.
On fhe 25fh of October, 1760, George II. died suddenly
of an apoplectic fif at fhe palace of Kensington, in the. 77fh
year ofhis age. He was succeeded by his grandson of the
same name. - -

CHAPTER IIL
GEORGE IIL
1760—1784,

Many circumstances conspired to give happy presages for
the reign of the new monarch. The fame of fhe nation
never stood so high ; all danger from intestine commotion
was af an end, the spirit of Jacobitism being totally extinct ;
the king himself, now in his twenty-third year, was English
by birth and education, had never been out of the country,
ahd had therefore no German predilections. He was affable
and polished in manners, and virtuous and sincerely pious in
sentiments ; but by his mother and by lord Bute, a Scottish
nobleman vvho had been placed about him, rather high no
tions of prerogative had been instilled into his mind.
The young king met his parliaraenf on the 18th of No
vember. In his speech from the throne he declared his
resolution of continuing the war, and caUed on them to aid

GEORGE UI. 483
iiim in prosecuting it. The addresses were dutiful and war
like. A civil list of 800,000/. a, year was granted, the king
allovying parliament to regulate, the hereditary revenues' of
the crown. When the parliament, was prorogued prepara
tory to its dissolution,* (Mar. 19, 1761,) a partial change took
place in, the ministry, fhe earl of Bute becoming secretary
of state in, place of lord Holderness,. a selfish, worthless mari,
vvho received a pension and the reversion of a lucrative place
for his resignation. Mr, Legge' was dismissed, and sfr Fran
cis Dashwoodj a- tory, made chancellor of th.e exchequer in
his place. If was fhe secret intention of the. court gradu
ally fo form a tory administration wifh lord Bute at its head.
Fpr this, ampng ofher reasons, peace was desjred, as Mr.
Pitt, who was the great dbject of apprehension, could not
well be removed while the war lasted.
The war, however, was^stiU prosecuted, and an expedition
under commodore Keppel, and general Hodgson succeed
ed in faking fhe isle Of Belleisle on the coast of Brittany,
(June 7.) The island of Dominica in the West Indies was
also reduced.
' France had hitherto been a great Sufferer hythe war ; for
she made no progress in Germany, she had lost her colonies,
arid her commerce had nearly been destroyed, She was
therefore anxious for a peace with England, and a treaty for
that purpose was entered on ; but as she required that Eng
land should abandon; the king of Prussia and make cer
tain concessions fo Spain, Mr. Pitt spurned at the propo
sals. A treaty, named fhe ' Family Compact,' had been se
cretly arranged between fhe courts of Versailles and Madrid,
where, Charles III. (late king of Naples, and fhe only able
monarch that Spain has possessed since the days of Philip
II.) now reigned. It was signed at this time, and Mr, Pitt,
who, if is said, had procured secret information of its con
tents, which were hostile to England, proposed in fhe coun
cU to recall our ambassador from Madrid and to send a fleet
to intercept the Spanish gallepns. But fhe majprity pf the
cpuncil rejected fhe measure, affecting fp regard if as cpn
trary tp good policy and to justice and honor. Finding he
could not prevaU on them, the haughty minister exclaimed,
"T was called to the administration by fhe voice of the
* During this session,' at the royal recommendation, the act of Wil
liam III. for continuing the judges during their good behavior was
extended, as by it they were liable to be removed on the demise of the
crown. Henceforth they have held their office for life, dum bene se
gesserint.

484 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
people ; to them I have always considered myself accountable
for my conduct; and therefore I canhotrejnain in a situation
which makes me responsible for measures I am no longer
allovved fo guide.^' Lord Granville, the president, made a
dignified and sensible reply. The secretary repaired to St
James's, (Oof. 5,) and delivered the seals to fhe king, who
calmly 'received fhem, expressing his agreement with the'
sentiments ofthe majority of the council, but offering Mr.
Pitt any rewards in the power ofthe crown to bestow. The
minister tvas affected ; " I confess, sir," said he, " I had hut
too much reason to expect jour majesty's displeasure. I
did not come prepared for this exceeding goodness. Par
don rae, sir; it overpowers ^- it oppresses me." He burst
into fears. .
Mr. Pitt accepted a pension of 3000/, a year for three
lives and a peerage for his wife and her issue. His succes
sor in office was lord Egremont, son of the celebrated, sir
William Wyndham, His brother-in-law, lord Temple, re
tired with him.
In the autumn of this year the marriage of fhe king with
fhe princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg Strelitz took place,,
(Sept 8.) Shortly after, (22d,) fhe splendid ceremony of
fhe coronation was performed with aU due magnificence. As
both the king and queen were highly rhoral and decorous
in their sentiments and conduct, the court now assumed an
aspect of propriety suited to that of a serious and religious
nation. The new minister, however anxious for peace, found it
necessary to continue the war with vigpr. As the intentions
of Spain were no longer concealed,, war was formaUy declared
against that power, (Jan. 4, 1762.) A new change in the
British cabinet took place in fhe following month of May ;
the duke of Newcastle resigned, and lord Bute now occupied
the post of which he was sb covetous, buf for which he was
utterly unfit, and became fhe prime minister. The duke of
Newcastle, whose fidgety temper, vanity, jealousy, meanness
of spirit, and disregard of promises were the general topics
of ridicule, had, by his great wealth, his command of votes
in the commons, a certain degree of talent of his own, and
the far superior abilities of his late brother, maintained him
self in office with little interruption since the year 1724. He
now retired with some dignity ; for though he had greaUy
injured his private property by his zeal for the house of
Brunswick, he refused a pension when offered, saying, that

GEORGE HI. 485
" if he could be no longer permitted fo serve his country, he
was at least determined not fo be a burden fo if."
With that nice regard to morality of which crowned heads
and statesmen have given so many examples, the courts of
France -and Spain called on fhe king of Portugal to break
through all the ties of gratitude, honor, and interest, and join
in the confederacy against England. On his refusal they
hoth declared war against him, and their troops invaded his
kingdom af three several. points. The king called on Eng
land for aid, which was promptly afforded. English troops
were sent fo Portugal, where the supreme command was
given fo the count De la Lippe-Buckeburg, a German prince
of high military character, and the invaders -were speedily
o'bliged to recross the "frontiers.
An expedition of considerable magnitude, under ford Al
bemarle and admiral Pocock, had sailed from Portsmouth on
the 6th of March. Its Object was to give a heavy blow to
the Spanish commerce; its destination was the Havanna,
in fhe isle of Cuba, which it, reached on the 5fh of June,
Many difficulties, frora climate, and from the number of fhe
garrison, the strength of their defences, and the gallantry of
their resistance, impeded the operations of the besiegers ;
but the abilities ofthe commanders, seconded by the indom
itable spirit and courage of their men, overcame fhem all,
and the town af length surrendered, (Aug, 14.) The loss to
Spain was fourteen saU of the line and four frigates taken or
destroyed in fhe harbor, and treasure and merchandise to
the amount of 3,000,000/, sterling. This was perhaps the
greatest and richest conquest ever made by fhe British arms.
It was not, however, the only loss sustained by Spain. An
expedition from Madras in India, under admiral Cornish and
sir WUliam Draper, took Manilla, the capital of the Philip
pine islands. All the public property was given up fo the
English, and a ransom of four millions of dollars was agreed
to be paid for the private property: Two ships of the Brit
ish squadron then intercepted and took the Santissima Trin
idad, a ship from Acapulco, with a cargo worth three rail-
lions of dollars. To add to fhe raisfortunes of Spain, fhe
Santa Herraione, from Peru, with treasure on board to the
amount of a mUlion sterling, was captured off cape St.
Vincent. The losses of France this year were the islands of Mar
tinique, Grenada, St. Lucia, Tobago, and St. Vincent, in
the West Indies. 41*

486 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
These brilliant successes almost turned the head of the
nation ; visions of glory and wealth floated before the public
eye ; and the mercantile interest, always selfish, (buf what
interest is not?) clamored loudly for continuing a war by
which fhey were great gainers. The ministry, however,
were not so dazzled ; fhey saw that all the objects of the
war were gained, the pride of the bolise of Bourbon was
humbled, the king of Prussia was secured ; at the same time
the expense to England had been, and would be, enormous.
The overtures of France for peace were therefore readUy
listened fo ; and both parties being in earnest, the prelimi
naries were readUy settled at Fonfainbleau, (Nov. 3.) In
spite ofthe declamation of Mr. Pitt and his party, they were
approved of by large majorities in both houses of parliament,
and a treaty was finally signed at Paris, (Feb. 10, 1763.)
By this treaty, England was to retain all Canada with
Cape Breton and the other islands in fhe gulf of St Law
rence, and Louisiana eastward of the Mississippi ; in fhe
West Indies, Dominica, St. Vincent's, and Tobago ; iu Af
rica, Senegal. She was to receive Minorca in exchange for
Belleisle, and was secured divers advantages in India, Spain
ceded to her the fvt'O Floridas, gave up all claim to fish on
fhe banks of Newfoundland, and allowed fhe English to cut
logwood on fhe coast of Honduras, England restored all
her other conquests.
England has never concluded a more honorable peace
than this, and lord, Bute was justified in declaring that " he
wished no other epitaph to be inscribed on his tomb than
that he was fhe adviser of it" Mr. Pitt, who, great as he
undoubtedly was, had too violent a lust for war, condemned
it ; the selfish king of Prussia exclaimed against it, as if
England were bound to waste her blood and treasure for his
aggrandizement ; but history pronounces fhe ' Peace of Fon
fainbleau ' an honorable termination of a war which had
added seventy-five millions fo fhe national debt of Great
Britain. Soon after fhe conclusion of fhe peace, lord Bute retired
from office. He was never popular ; his manners were cold
and repulsive; his partiality for his countrymen, the Scots,
was extreme ; and fhe outcry against fhe peace was general.
The passing of a bUI for an excise on cider raised fhe clamor
fo its height. He therefore resigned a post for which he fell
himself unsuited, alleging his preference for domestic life
and literary retirement A new ministry, with Mr, George

GEORGE III. 487
GrenviUe at its head, was formed. Sir F. Dashwood was
called to the upper house as lord Le Despenser, and Mr.
Fox as lord Holland,
The GrenvUle administration was unpopular, and it held
its power only two years. The dispute with the demagogue
, Wilkes, which we ghaU presently relate, and fhe commence
ment of that with fhe American colonies, are the events
which most signalize it. In 1765, the duke of Cumberland
organized a new ministry on whig principles,, with the mar
quess of Rockingham at its head. But fhe duke died that
very year, (Oct 21 ;) fhe cabinet was feebfo and disunited;
if had not the support of fhe people, and it soon lost the fa
vor ofthe king. The following year, (July 12,) his majesty,
by fhe advice of the chancellor, lord Northington, empow
ered Mr. Pitt to form a, ministry.
This great statesman proposed to- place lord Temple at
the head of the cabinet, but to retain fhe appointment of all
the members of it in his own hands. Lord Temple spurned
at such limited power, and Mr. Pitt, baffled in all his at
tempts fo induce influential men to join him, hastily patched
up a motley cabinet, which wai ingeniously compared by
Mr. Burke to an inlaid cabinet, or a tessellated pavement,
wifh " here a bit of black stone, and there a bit of white ;
patriots and courtiers ; king's friends and republicans ; whigs
and tories; treacherous friends and open enemies." The
duke of Grafton was placed af thehead of fhe treasury, Mr,
Charles Townshend was chancellor of fhe exchequer, fhe
earl of Shelburne and general Conway were the secretaries,
lord Camden was chancellor. For himself, on account of
his Ul health, Mr, Pitt selected the privy-seal, and he was
raised to fhe peerage by fhe title of earl of Chatham. By
accepting a tide he injured his popularity, and at length
flnding that he could not rule despotically in the cabinet,
and that measures of which he disapproved were adopted in
his absence, he sent in his resignation, (1768,) and bade a
final adieu fo office. In fhe beginning ofthe year 1770, the
duke of Grafton laid down his power, and lord North, eldest
son of fhe earl of GuUford, who had been chanceUor of fhe
exchequer, was appointed his successor; and the adminis
tration of this nobleman lasted for twelve years of fhe most
eventful in English history.
When the GrenviUe administration was formed, a tremen
dous fire was opened on it from the press. The most de
structive battery was a periodical named fhe North Briton,
conducted by John WUkes, Esq., member for Aylesbury, a

488 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
man of considerable talent, who commenced a series of at
tacks on fhe persons and raeasures of the ministers. Of
these fhey took no notice, till in fhe XLVth number of his
paper he assaUed the speech from the throne, (Apr. 19,
1763,) accusing fhe king of having uttered direct falsehoods.
A general warrant was issued from the offiee ofthe secretary
of state to seize fhe authors, printers, and publishers of the
North Briton, and their papers, and bring them before the
secretary. Wilkes was accordingly taken and comniitted
to the Tower. On his application fo fhe court of common
pleas for a writ of Habeas corpus, it was granted, and chief-
justice Pratt having decided that his privilege of parliament
(which can only be forfeited by treason, felony, or breach of
fhe peace) had been violated, he was discharged. The at
torney-general then commenced proceedings against him for
a libel, and Wilkes, now fhe idol of fhe mob, took every
mode of courting prosecution. The ministers, instead of
leaving fhe courts of law to deal with him, unwisely brought
the matter before the house of commons, by whom No.
XLV. of the North Briton was voted fo be a false, scandal
ous, and seditious libel against fhe king and both houses,
and was ordered fo be burned by fhe common hangman.
At fhe same time, as Wilkes had printed af a press in bis
own house a pOem called an ' Essay on Woman,' in which
[as was commonly asserted] impiety contended with ob
scenity, and had afiixed to the notes on if the name of bishop
Warburton, it was voted in the house of lords fo address
his majesty to order a prosecution against Mr. Wilkes for
breach of privUege and for blasphemy. It was very injudi
ciously arranged that the mover should be lord Sandwich, a
man whose own private character was any thing but im
maculate. The question Of privilege was then taken up in the house
of commons, and in spite of fhe eloquence of Mr. Riff, and
in fhe face of fhe decision of the court of comraon pleas, it
was decided by a large majority that privilege of parliament
does not extend fo the case of writers and publishers of se
ditious libels. Wifh this decision fhe house of lords con
curred after a long debate.
A riot took place when the attempt was made fo burn the
North Briton ; and when several of the persons who had
been arrested brought actions against fhe messengers, juries
gave them damages ; Wilkes hiraself brought actions against
the tvvo secretaries of state, and against Mr. Wood, fhe un
der-secretary, and he obtained a verdict against the latter for

CEORGE Hi. 489
1000/. and costs. On this occasion chief-justice Pratt pro
nounced the general warrant fo be illegal, and a simUar de
cision by lord Mansfield set the question at rest.
Wilkes was expelled the housed; he was tried and con-
vioted for publishing No. XLV. and fhe Essay on Woman ;
and as he did not appear in court fo receive sentence, he was
outlawed. He remained in France, whither he had fled, tUl
the duke of Grafton came into office, (1768,) when a fawn
ing application which he made fo that riobleman being treat
ed with silent contempt, he boldly came over on the eve of
an election, and stood for the city of London. He was, of
course, fhe favorite of the rabble ; but, prone as that constit
uency generally is to favor demagogues, he was rejected.
The ministers, instead of trying fo disarm him "by clemency,
or of crushing hira af once by putting his sentence into ex
ecution, rested content with his letters to the law-officers of
the treasury pledging his honor to appear in fhe court of
king's bench. He forthwith stood for Middlesex; and was
chosen by a large majority. When he surrendered himself
he was committed to the king's bench prison; meantime fhe
city was kept in a constant state of terror by the riots of his
partisans. The court of king's bench reversed Wilkes's sentence of
outlawry on account of some irregularity in it, but the fwo
verdicts against him were confirmed, and he was condemned
to pay two fines of 500/., a,nd be imprisoned for fwo years.
Subscriptions were forthwith raised among his admirers to
pay his debts ; he received abundance of presents, and his
face became the ornament of numerous signboards. Soon
after, having got hold of a letter from lord Weyinohth, the
secretary, to fhe Surrey magistrates, approving of their con
duct in putting down a riot in St. George's-fields, in which
some lives were lost, he published it with a preface, calling
that affair "a horrid massacre, and the consequence of a
hellish project deliberately planned ; " and as, at the bar of
the house, he claimed the thanks of his country for having
set " that bloody scroll " in a proper light, he was expelled
the house and a new writ was ordered for Middlesex.
WUkes was reelected; but the house declared him in
capable of sitting during that parliament He was returned
again, and again his election was declared to be void. He
stood once more, and cofonel LuttreU who opposed him was
pronounced to be duly elected, though Wilkes had an im
mense majority of the votes. WUkes had already been re
lieved by a subscription, and the citizens of London, honor-

490 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
ing the mere names of liberty and patriotism, elected hin*
to the dignity of alderman. A political club, named the
• Society for supporting the BUl of Rights,' of which he waS:
a principal member, was formed in 1770, He was lord-
mayor in due course, and finally obtained fhe lucrative post
of city-chamberlain.
It was also af this time that tbat most powerfulof political
satirists vvho subscribed ' Junius' fo his letters, attaclted the
king and his ministers in the most envenomed style. His
letters now form a portion of our literature, and are models
in their class of compositions. His secret was never di
vulged, and ingenuity has long been exercised in the attempt
to discover the real author. Lord George Germaine and sir
Philip Francis are those in vyhose cases fhe strongest appa
rent proofs have been given.
At this period, too, Edmund Burke, a native of Ireland,
fhe most profound and philosophic of statesmen, commenced
his legislative eareer, being brought info parliament by lord
Rockinghum, to whom he was private secretary.. As an
orator Burke was soraewhat ungraceful in manner, but his
speeches feemed with political wisdom and sparkled with fhe
gems of a rich imagination ; and at the present day, when
the argumentative or impassioned harangues of his great
contemporaries are only subjects of curiosity, those of Burke
are studied, like tbe writings of Aristotle and Machiavel, as
depositories of political wisdom and enlarged phUosophy.
The names of general Conway, colonel Barre, sir George
SavUle, Mr. Dunning, and others, appear as able debaters at
this time, Charles James Fox, second son of lord Holland,
was made a lord of the admiralty in the North administra
tion, and afterwards (1772) a lord of the treasury; buf hav
ing opposed fhe sentiments of ford North, he was disraissed,
and he forthwith joined the ranks of fhe opposition, (1774.)
We are now arrived at an event hitherto nearly unexara-
pled in the annals ofthe world, an event which every one in
whose veins British blopd circulates, if npt divested ef kindly
feeling, raust depfore — not that in itself it is to be regret
ted, for if has proved advantageous to both parties; but it
is to be lamented that it shpuld have pccurred in fhe manner
it did — that a prpfracted war, and net a friendly and vplun-
tary dissolution of the ties which bound them, should have
disunited the parent and the child now grpwn fp maturity
and vigor. But such a wise and generous proceeding is, we
fcar, incompatible with human nature ; and power is never
resigned as long as it can be retained. The event of which

tSEORGE III. 491
-we speak is the war betvyeen England and her- American
colonies. The names of these colonies are now so famUiar td every
person, that we hardly need enumerate fhem. Virginia was
planted inthe reign of Elizabeth; Maryland, soon after;
New England by the puritans in thatof Charles I. ; fhe Car-
olinas and Pennsylvania in those of his sons; and Georgia
^nce the accession ofthe present royal family. All these
colonies had, charters from the crown, empowering them to
hold legislative assemblies, elect officers, and levy taxes for
domestic purposes. Their governors were sent out from
Englandj and fhe mother country enjoyed fhe monopoly of
their trade. Being masters Of a rich and boundless soil, and
aided by large emigrations, the cofonies increased rapidly in
populatipn, and they had attained to the number of three
mUlions when dissension arose between fhem and the mpth
er cpuntry.
When sir Robert Walpole was foiled in his project of an
excise on tobacco, the governor of Virginia proposed to him
to lay a tax on the American cofonies; ^biit that abfo states
man shrewdly replied, "You see I have Old'England against
me already; do you think that I can' wish to set New Eng
land against me too 1 " and the plan was thought of no raore.
Now, however, the' king himself, or those by whom he was
secretly actuated, revived it; and his majesty proposed it to
Mr. GrenvUle in 1764, and, on his hesitation, gave' hira the
option of resignation or bringing it forward in parliaraenf.
'The rainisfer then promised cornpliartce, and a resolution
was proposed by hira, which passed the commons, that it
would be expedient to impose certain STAMP-duties on the
colonies, for the sake of raising a revenue: He postponed
the bill for this measure till the next session, in order to give
fhe colonies an opportunity of petitioning against it if fhey
thought fif, or of offering an equivalent.*
* [As some ofthe earlier circumstances which preceded the imposi
tion of the stamp-tax had a great' influence in exciting a spirit of com.
plaint and disgust in the minds of the colonies towards the conduct of
the mother country, it may be "well to make some brief allusion to
these circumstances.
For some time before and after the termination of the war of 1755,1
a considerable intercourse had been carried on between the 'British and
Spanish and French colonies ; consisting of the manufactures of Great
Britain, imported by the 'former and sold to the. latter, by which the
British colonies acquired gold and silver, and were enabled to make
t Boe Eamsaj's Hist. U. S. Vol. Tt p. 324.

492 HISTORY or england.
The colonists protested in the strongest terms, against the
claim ofthe British parliament to impose taxes on those vvho
were not represented in it. When if was urged that America
should contribute her share to the general burdens of fhe
empire, and that the late expensive war had been entered
into chiefly on her account, they replied, that she never had
been backward, and that in the last war her exertions had
been so fer beyond her means, that various sums, amounting
in fhe whole to, nearlytwo millions, had beeJi voted by
parliament to fhe several colonies to indemnify them, apd
that they were stiU in debt to about the same amount.
They added, that fhe monopoly of their trade, her right to
regulate which fhey did not deny, -vyas the proper compen-
remittances to the mother country. The trade thus carried on, hovv-
ever, though it might be an immediate 'source of gain to some, was,
undoubtedly, injurious in many respects to the increase ofthe commer
cial importance both of the colonies and of the mother country. It was,
indeed, at the time, a contraba-iid trade; bejng expressly contrary to the
letter ofthe JYa.mgation-act, by which the trade of, the British colonies
with foreign ports was regulated.* On account, however, of the im
mediate advantages which were, found in this mode of trade, it had,
though contraband, been long winked at; but, at the period named,
some new regulations were adopted, by which it was almost destroyed.
In 1764, this trade was in some -degree legalized, but under circ-nm-
stances that brought no relief to the colonists ; for .it -was loaded with
such enormous duties as vvere equivalent to a prohibition. It was also
enacted, thkt the moneys arising from these duties should be paid into
the receipt ofhis majesty's exchequer, there to be entered separately,
and reserved, to be disposed of by parliament towards defraying the
necessary expenses of defending, protecting, and secur'mg America.
Till that act passed, no act avowedly for the purpose of revenue, and
with the ordinary title and recital of inch, was to be found in the par
liamentary statute-book relating to America. The wording of it made
the colonies fear that the parliament would go on in charging them
with such taxes as they pleased, and for the support of such miUtary
force as they should think proper. The act was the more disgusting
because the moneys arising from the duties it imposed were ordered to
be paid in specie, and regulations were adopted .against colonial paper
money. The methods adopted for securing the collection of these du
ties were looked upon as even more obnoxious, and were thought con
trary to the spirit of the British constitution. That the trade of the
colonies shquld be cramped, and that too in a way which, was contrary
to the spirit of the British constitiition itself, was a fruitful source of
declamation and complaint ; but these murmurings would have evapo
rated in words, had Great Britain proceeded to no further innovation.
In 1764, however, as stated in the text, the -proposition was made of
raising from the colonies an efficient revenue, by direct internal taxes
laid by authority of parhament — J. T. S.]
¦^ For an account of the origiu of the J^CavigaiUin-act, see Kussell'i Modem Europe,
Ta.nl'. Letter XI. ¦

GEORGE III. 493
sation to the bother country. These, arguments, however,
were of no effect ; the Stamp-act, though strongly opposed
by general Conway and colonel Barre, was passed by both
houses, (March 22.) Its arrival in America caused com
motions in the principal towns, and spread discontent through
the cofonies. A general cpngress met at New Yerk fp draw
up petitipns ; resplufipns were entered infp npf fp use staraps,
or to irapoTt goods from England ; it was even resolved to
stop exports as well as imports ; and a society was fprmed
fer the encpuragement pf native manufactures.
The Rpckingham adminisfratipn repealed fhe stamp-act,
(1766 ;) buf by a declaratpry biU the right fp fax the cplonies
was asserted. , The southern colonists in general were now
cpntent, but the pepple pf New England stiU murmured.
In 1767 a bUl vvas passed fpr laying duties en glass, fea,
paper, and painters' cpfors, impprted infp America ; these,
hpwever, were all taken pff, (1770,) except that pn tea. But
when the East India Cempany sent their ships fp the perts
pf America, (1773,) they were net alfowed fp land their
cargoes ; and at Boston, a party of men disguised as Mohawk
Indians Went on board of them, broke open fhe chests, and
flung the fea into fhe sea. When intelligence of this violent
proceeding reached England, (1774,) fhe legislature passed
bills for closing the port of Boston, and for better regulating
fhe government of Massachussefts-bay. The people of that
state forthwith entered into a ' Solemn League and Cove
nant ' fo suspend all intercourse with Great Britain fill those
acts should be repealed. The collecting of arms and stores,
and the military training of the young raen, which had been
already commenced, now went on wifh redoubled activity.
At length, (Sept. 5,) the celebrated congress of deputies from
all the provinces met at Philadelphia. They drew up a
petition to the king, addresses to fhe people of England and
the Canadians, and a declaration approving of fhe conduct
of the people of Massachusetts.
Every clear-sighted statesman must have been long aware
that there was in reality no alternative between war and fhe
acknowledgment of American independence. Lord North
very properly resolved to fake fhe sense of fhe nation by a
dissolution of the parliaraenf, and the returns proved that
the great body of the people were resolved not fo part with
fhe supreraaoy over fhe colonies without a struggle. Mr.
Burke in vain brought forward, (March 22, 1775,) and
enforced wifh all the splendor of his eloquence, his thirteen
articles for restoring tranquUlity. The die was cast, and ere
VOL. II 42

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
^e articles could cross the Atlantic, hostilities had com-
nenced On the 19th of April, general Gage, who commanded
at Boston, learning that the provincials had collected a
quantity of stores at Concord, sent a detachment of his
troops fo seize them. At a place named Lexington, on the
way, they found fhe mUitia drawn up to oppose thehi ; they
drove fhem off, and proceeded fo Concord, where they ac
complished their object ; but on their way back they were
greaUy galled by fhe fire of the Americahs from houses and
from behind walls and hedges. They had 65 men killed
and 180 wounded ; fhe provincials 50 killed and 38 wounded.
Soon after fhe militia assembled to the number of 20,000 at
Cambridge, and blockaded Boston. On fhe night of fhe 16th
of June' they threw up some entrenchments on an eminence
in Charlestown overlooking that town ; fhe British advanced
next day to drive fhem from it, and, though they suffered
severely from fhe well-directed fire of fhe provincials, they
succeeded in their object.*
The congress meantime had reassembled, (May 10.)
They again drew up a petition and addresses expressing
fhe strongest desire for accommodation, at the same time
adopting all possible measures for continuing fhe contest.
The man on whom fhey fixed their choice for commander-
in-chief of their forces was George Washington, of whoin
we have already had occasion fo speak. He accepted that
post of honor and danger; and, on joining fhe army at
Cambridge, he found himself at the head of 15,000 men,
Ul appointed and undisciplined. Fortunately for him, fhe
forces of Gage -Vvere inferior in number, and his temper
unenterprising ; and his successor, general Howe, also re
mained inactive. By fitting out armed cruisers, fhe Amer
icans succeeded in intercepting much of fhe stores and sup
plies destined for fhe troops in Boston.
In the spring of this year the provincials had conceived
the daring design of invading Canada. They reduced fhe
forts of Ticonderoga and Crown Point ; and while one force,
under general Montgomery, advanced and took Montreal,
another, under colonel Arnold, made its way through the
wilderness to Ciuebec, where if was joined by the former,
(Dec. 1,) and the city was besieged. An assault was at
tempted, (31st,) in which Montgomery was killed and Arnold

* The eminence was named Breed's-hill, though the a^air bas taken
its name from the adjoining Eunker's-hill.

GEORGE in. •495:.
severely wounded, but he still kept up a blockade. He w^s "
reinforced in the spring, but was evenfuaUy driven out of '
the province by general Carleton. On this occasion, captain
Forster, who had taken a great number of prisoners, released
them, Arnold engaging tJiat an equal number of the royal
trppps' should be returned ; but the congress broke this
cartel, on fhe prefence, which was notoriously false, that
Forster had treated his prisoners bai'barously.
The opening of the year 1776 found Washington stUI
engaged in the blockade of Boston ; but the difficulties he
had to encounter were many. His force was mere mUitia,
bound to serve only fpr the terra of a. year, so that a new
army was to be raised at the end of that period, and fhe
knowledge and discipline acquired in the campaign became
useless ; he was Ul supplied with the munitions of war, whUe
he could not venture to make his real condition known, and
even found it prudent to exaggerate his strength ; and hence
successes were expected from him which he could not ac
complish. Add to this, the thwarting and paralyzing influ
ence of a pppular fprm of government and the jealousies of
the different states. Fortunately for hira, he had an ally in
the incapacity of fKe British general, who remained on fhe
defensive, with a disciplined and well-appointed army.
In the spring Washington resolved fo make a bold attempt
on Boston. On fhe night ofthe 4fh of March a body pf the
prpvincials- threw up wprks on Dorchester-heights, which
comraanded the harbor, in which no ships could now re
main ; and the attempt to dislodge, the enemy offered so
many difficulties, that general Howe agreed fo evacuate the
town. The British troops proceeded by sea fo Halifax, in
Nova Scotia, whence they saUed (June 10) for New York,
and landed on Staten Island. Having here received large
reinforcements of British and Hessian fropps, general Hpwe
passed ever fp Lpng Island, and rpufed fhe prpvincials, with
a foss pf 2000 slain and 1000 taken, ampng whpm were
their generals ford Stirling, Sullivan, and Wppdhull. But,
instead of attacking af once their lines at Brooklyn, he
resolved to proceed hy regular approaches, and Washington
thus had time fo convey his troops over the river. New
York, however, surrendered, and reraained in possession of
the English during fhe war. Washington was finaUy driven
over fhe river Delaware, and the province of New Jersey
was reduced. On fhe night of Christraas-day, ,however, this
able comraander secreUy crossed the river, and surprised
and captured a party of Hessians at Trenton ; and he finally
recovered a great part of New Jersey,

496 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
On the 4th Of July, 1776, the congress of the United
States of America, as they now styled themselves, put forth
their ' Declaration Of Independence.' It detaUed every real
and imaginary grievance, laying the blame pf every thing pn
the king himself, whem fhey scrupled not fp designate as a
tyrant. The pbject pf thpse whp devised it was evidenUy to
cut off all hope of reconciliatipn with the mother country,
and to afford a pretext for France and other powers to aid
fhem ; for they felt that single-handed fhey could not resist
the power pf Great Britain ; in fact, fhey had already entered
intp secret relatipns vvith the cpurf pf France, which had
agreed tP assist fhem in an underharid manner.
Iri the campaign pf 1777, the British general, after an
ineffectual attempt at bringing Washingtpn tP actipn, em
barked his trppps fpr the invasipn pf Pennsylvania, They
landed at the head pf Chesapeake-bay,, and (Sept. 11) rented
the American army Pn the banks pf a river named the Bran
dywine, After an ineffectual attempt fo save PhUadelphia,
, Washington retired, and (27th) fhe British troops entered
that city. i ,
WhUe sir William Howe was thus suocessful in the central
states, general Burgoyne was advancing from Canada to the
Hudson wifh an army of abput 10,000 British and Canadians.
The Americans retired befpre him ; but the impediments
pffered by the nature pf fhe country were tremendous, and
all the supplies had to be brought through Canada. Ac
cessions of strength came every day fo the enemy, who were
successful in fwo or three affairs. At length Burgoyne
reached Saratoga, not far frOm Albany, whence he advanced
to a place named StiU Water. He repelled fwo attacks of
the indefatigable Arnold; but judging if necessary to fall
back to Saratoga, he there found himself surrounded by an
American array, under general Gates, three times as nu
merous as his own, exposed to a constant fire of cannon
and rifles, and with no means of procuring provisions. In a
council of war a Capitulation was resolved on. The most
honorable terms were obtained, the troops being granted a
free passage to England, on condition of not serving again
in America during fhe war. Desertion and ofher losses had
reduced fhe British force to about 5800 men, who laid down
their arms, (Oct. 14,) and were marched fo Boston. Nothing
could surpass fhe delicacy and humanity vvith which Gates
and his officers treated their captives ; but their cOnduct was
not imitated by the congress.
Washington took up his winter quarters at a place named

GEORGE IIL 497
Valley Forge, and nothing could exceed the sufferings of
the gaUant men who served under him, unless if be their
patient endurance. In miserable huts, without blankets or
shoes, beneath fhe frost and snow of an American winter,
often without food, they stUl endured, under fhe influence of
their incomparable commander.
The intelligence of Burgoyne's surrender decided the
court of France, and a treaty was signed, in which fhe
independence of America was acknowledged. A loan was
granted, and a fleet prepared to .aid fhem. The English
ambassador was recalled from Paris.
The command of the troops in America was now trans
ferred to sir Henry Clinton ; and, in fhe prospect of a French
war, if was resolved to evacuate Philadelphia and concentrate
the fprces. The army crpssed fhe Delaware unppppsed, but
Washingtpn impeded their march fp New Yprk in every
ppssible manner. Af a place named Mpnranuth an attack
was made on the baggage, which brought on a partial action,
in which fhe loss was between three and four hundred on
each side. At the place of embarkation the British offered
battle, which was declined, and they reached New York in
safety, (July 5.) A French fleet, under count D'Estaing,
with fropps pn hpard, having arrived, a cpmbined attack was
made by him and 10,000 Americans under general Sullivan
pn a British force at Newport, in Rhode Island ; but lord
Howe, the English admiral at New York, though inferior
in strength, having appeared off Newport, D'Estaing came
out to engage him. An indecisive action was fought, after
which D'Estaing, in spite of the remonstrances of his allies,
went to Boston fo refit ; and Sullivan vvas soon driven out of
Rhode Island,
The British troops were chiefly employed in petty expe
ditions, in which they did fhe provincials ranch injury by
destroying their shipping and property in general, A corps
of 3500 men, under colonel Campbell, reduced the province
of Georgia, In the West Indies, the island of Dominica
was taken by the French ; buf St Lucie surrendered fo fhe
English, after D'Estaing had been repulsed, both by sea and
land, by inferior forces, in his attempts fo relieve if.
The following year, (1779,) Spain followed fhe example of
France in declaring war against England, and a combined
fleet of more than sixty sail of the line, wifh frigates, etc.,
appeared off Plymouth. Sir Charles Hardy, who commanded
the channel-fleet, had only thirty-eight ships of fhe line, but
he offered fhem hattle, which they declined ; and fhey quitted
42 * tc K K

498 HISTORY or england.
the channel without having done more, than give the minis
try and fhe nation a fright. Though li'Estaing acted mosUy
on the defensive in the West Indies, fhe islands of Sf, Vin
cent and Grenada fell into fhe hands of the French.
Washington directed his efforts chiefly to prevent the
British from navigating the Hudson, for which purpose he
fortified West Point, a strong position on that river, giving
the command of it fo general Arnold, and two ofher points,
named Stony Point and, Verplank, These last were taken
and retaken by fhe British during this year. An expedition
from New York did great mischief in Connecticut, burning
towns and shipping, and carrying off stores and ammunition.
Another expedition did fhe same in Virginia. The chief
seat of the war, however, was the southern provinces. At
Savannah, in Georgia, general Prevost was besieged by
D'Estaing, vyho had two-and-twenty ships-of-war, and was
aided by an American army under general Lincoln. Colonel
Maitland, whp, with 800 men, had rputed this pfficer and
5000 men ip John's Island, arriving af Savannah, prepara
tions were made for a vigorous defence. A proposal to
D'Estaing to allow the women and chUdren to leave fhe town
was barbarously refused. An attempt, however, to storm
the British lines having failed, with great loss the assailants
raised the siege and separated, and D'Estaing returned fo
France. The year 1780 opened inauspiciously for England. Gib
raltar was besieged by a combined Spanish and French
force, and Minorca was equally hard pressed by the same
nations. At the impulse of the empress of Russia, most of
fhe European powers entered into an ' Armed Neutrality,'
oa fhe principle that " free ships make free goods, with fhe
exception of arras and munitions of war," in opposition to fhe
right of search claimed by belligerent powers. But the sea
is the element on which British glory has always risen in
triumph, and England now had a hero equal to fhe emer
gency. Sir George Rodney had been selected for command
by fhe king himself He was to proceed for the West Indies,
and, on his way, to convoy a squadron of transports for fhe
relief of Gibraltar. As it was expected that he would leave
fhem to proceed alone in a certain latitude, the Spanish
admiral, don Juan de Langara, was sent with eleven men-
of-war fo intercept them ; but off Cape St. Vincent he was
encountered by Rodney, (Jan. 16.) The action commenced
af four in fhe afternoon, in a violent gale of wind, and was
continued through a stormy night, and the whole Spanish

GEORGE III. 499
fleet was taken or destroyed. Rodney relieved both Gibraltar
and Minorca, and then sailed for the West Indies, where,
soon after his arrival, he engaged off St. Lucie fhe count De
Guichen, Rodney had 21, the count 23 ships. By able
manoeuvres the English admiral had secured the prospect
of a complete victory, but his captains, (as formerly with Ben
bow,) frorn jealousy, cowardice, or ignorance, disobeyed his
signals, and the French fleet escaped. He brought one of
the captains, Bateman, to a court-martial, and he was dis
missed the service. Rodney fried ineffectually to bring fhe
French fleet again to action, but De Guichen saUed to Eu
rope with the merchant-fleet, and Rodney then proceeded to
the coast of America.
Though the independence of the revolted provinces had
now been acknowledged by France and Spain, and these
powers were, as if were, armed in their cause, never were
the prospects of the colonists so gloomy. Even fhe firm
mind of Washington began to despair. Their danger arose
not from the increased power of Great Britain, or from fhe
reverses of the war, but from their own dissensions arid
selfishness, from their local jealousies, and from that ab
sorbing love of gain, the auri sacra fames, which seems fo
form [so large a part of] the national character of the Amer
icans. Faction reigned, a childish dread of a standing ar
my made fhem give their general nothing but militia, and
nurabers of the citizens made the public distress their gain.
It was only fhe aid of France that saved them from ruin.
Relieved of all apprehension from Washington, sir H.
Clintori resolved to attempt the reduction of South Carolina
in person. He saUed from New York and laid siege to
Charleston, into which general Lincoln had thrown himself
wifh 7000 provincials. When he had completed his works,
and was preparing to batter the town, a capitulation was
proposed and accepted. The whole province was speedily
reduced, and sir H. Clinton then returned fo New York,
leaving lord Cornwallis in Carolina with 4000 men. The
American government sent thither general Gates, who as
sembled at Camden an army of 6000 men ; lord Cornwallis
advanced to attack him with not more than 2000, and (Aug.
17) gave him a complete defeat, kUlingSOO, and taking 2000
men, with all fhe baggage, stores, and artUlery ; his own loss
in killed and wounded bein^ only 350 men.
In July, a French fleet, having 6000 troops on board,
under fhe count De Rochambeau, arrived at Rhode Island.
It vvas proposed, when De Guichen, who was expected.

500 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
should arrive, that a general attack by sea and land should
be made on New York; but the activity of Rodney, as we
have seen, disconcerted this plan.
WhUe Washington was absent at a conference with count
Rochambeau, Arnold, who had been in secret correspond
ence with sir H. Clinton for betraying West Point, desired
that some trusty agent might be sent to him. Major Andre,
adjutant-general of fhe British army, volunteered his ser
vices, and he landed in the night from the Vulture sloop-of-
war. At day-break, when his conference with Arnold was
concluded, he found it impossible to return to the sloop, and
being furnished by Arnold with a pass under the name of
Anderson, he attempted fo reach New York by land. He
was, however, met and stopped by three militia men. He
wrote without delay a letter to Arnold under his assumed
name, and that general escaped on board the Vulture just
before Washington's order fo arrest him arrived,
Andre, who no longer concealed his name or quality, was
brought before a court-martial, and tried as a spy. He
denied that he was such, as he had come on shore under a
passport or flag of truce from Arnold, The court, however,
found him guUty, and sentenced him to be hanged. Every
exertion was made fo save him by sir H, Clinton, but in
vain ; Washington was inexorable ; even fhe urgent request
ofthe prisoner to be shot was refused, and he vvas hanged
(Oct. 2) amid the sympathy of fhe officers and soldiers of fhe
American army.*
The year 1781 virtuaUy terminated the war. The block
ade of Gibraltar stUI continued ; famine preyed on fhe gar
rison and people, buf admiral Danby conveyed supplies fo if
in fhe face of a superior Spanish fleet lying in fhe bay of
Cadiz. The besiegers then kept up for fhe space of three
weeks one of fhe most tremendous bombardments in fhe
annals of war, and they had brought their works fo com
pletion when a sally of fhe garrison totally destroyed them.
A combined force of 16,000 men was landed at Minorca
for the attack of St PhUip's castle, and a combined fleet of
seventy ships of war appeared in fhe channel.
The Dutch had perfidiously joined in the war against
' In the summer of this year occurred a most dreadful riot in London
by a No-Popery mob, headed by lord George Gordon. It lasted nearly
a week ; catholic chapels were destroyed, Newgate was broken open,
the other prisons were burnt, lord Mansfield's and other houses were
demolished, etc By the employment of military force the rioters were
at length reduced.

GEORGE III. 501
England, but they paid dear for their treachery. Admiral
Parker, as with six ships of fhe line and some frigates he
was convoying a fleet from fhe Baltic, was encountered off
the Doggerbank (Aug. 5) by fhe Dutch admiral Zoutman,
with fen saU of fhe line and frigates. The action, which
lasted nearly four hours., was terrific ; the English had 500,
the Dutch 1200 killed and wounded ; both fleets were dis
abled, and the Dutch hardly got into their own ports. In
fhe West Indies, Rodney took their island of St. Eusta-
thius, in which, being a free port, immense wealth in goods
and stores was coUected : all this became the prize of the
victors, who also captured a great number of merchantmen.
Sir Henry Clinton, having sent general Arnold with a
force into Virginia, directed lord CornwaUis to form a junc
tion with him. As he was advancing for that purpose, he
sent colonel Tarleton with a corps of 1100 men, to oppose
general Morgan, who was acting on his left. At a place
called the Cowpens, Tarleton came up with the enemy,
(Jan, 17,) and in the hard-fought action which ensued, the
British were defeated for the first time in an open field of
batde. The American general Greene displayed consider
able abUity in impeding the measures of lord CornwaUis fiU
he found himself strong enough to engage him; he then
(Mar, 15) gave him batde at GuUdford court-house. The
Americans had 5000 men, the British half fhe number.
The latter gained the honor of the day, but want of provis
ions and the severity of the weather obliged them to retire,
leaving their wounded to the care of fhe enemy. Lord
Cornwallis now pushed on for Virginia, while Greene
advanced toward South Carolina. At Hobkirk's-hUl (Apr,
25) he was attacked and roufed by lord Rawdon. After a
variety of operations he encountered (Sept. 8) at Eutaw-
springs colonel Stewart, who novv comraanded the British.
The action was the most obstinate that had yet been fought ;
the American mUitia acted nobly ; both sides claimed the
victory, but the British found it necessary fo retire fo
Charleston. Lord CornwaUis, in spite of opposition, having reached
fhe Chesapeake, fortified York-town and Gloucester-point.
He applied in vain for reinforcements fo sir H. Clinton, who
feared for New York. A large French fleet, under count
De Grasse, entered the Chesapeake, and Washington and
count Rochambeau having joined their forces, their united
army of 12,000 men appeared before York-town, whUe De
Grasse blocked up the mouth of the York river. The Brit-

502 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
ish force did not amount to 7000 men, A gallant defence
was made, but they were obliged to yield to numbers and
capitulate, (Oct, 19,) With this unfortunate event the con
test in America terminated.
Fortune was elsewhere unfavorable to Great Britain,
whom France had now deprived of all the Leeward Islands,
except Antigua and Barbadoes, Minorca was lost ; St
PhUip's castle, after one of fhe noblest defences on record,
and fhe reduction of its garrison fo 800 men, having been
obliged to surrender.
The surrender of York-town sealed the doom of the
North administration. An unfortunate minister is seldom
secure in his power ; the country gentlemen now opened
their eyes to fhe folly of continuing fhe war ; a formidable
plan of attack was conceived and executed by fhe opposi
tion, led on by general Conway and Mr, Fox, and sustained
by their usual champions, wifh the accession of WUliam
Pitt, son of the great earl of Chatham, and Mr, Sheridan,
both of whom had displayed great talent in debate. Day
after day the ministerial majority declined. At length
(Mar. 1782) lord North announced that fhe cabinet was
dissolved. The opposition, having gained the victory, had now fo
divide the spoils. But herein lay a difficulty. It consisted
of fwo almost hostUe parties; the one headed by fhe mar
quess of Rockingham, which was for conceding total inde
pendence to fhe colonies ; fhe other, led by the earl of Shel
burne, though wUling to yield up fhe right of taxation and
terminate the war, trod in the steps of lord Chatham, who
almost with his dying breath had protested against a dis
memberment of the empire. The new ministry was formed
of five of each party ; lord Thurlow, to gratify fhe king,
being allovved fo retain fhe great seal. Lord Rockingham
was premier; lord Shelburne and Mr. Fox secretaries;
general Conway commander-in-chief; lord John Cavendish
chancellor of the exchequer ; Mr. Dunning (now lord Ash
burton,) chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, etc. ; Burke
was paymaster of the forces ; Barre treasurer of the navy ;
Sheridan under-secretary of state. Pitt declined taking any
office. The watchword of the new ministry was peace, economy,
and no patronage. Yet, when Mr. Pitt brought in a bill
for .1 reform in parliament, it vyas rejected, and fhe whole of
fhe retrenchments made amounted only fo 72,000^. a year,
fhe far greater part of which was in fhe department of Mr.

GEORGE III. 503
Burke, the great advocate of the measure. What further
they might have done is not to be known, for the death of
lord Rockingham in the summer broke up the cabinet, as
Fox and his friends refused to act under lord Shelburne, and
retired. Mr, Pitt novV took office as chancellor of the ex
chequer, though only twenty-three years of age.
Negotiations for peace had been commenced, but fhe war
still continued. On the 12th of AprU Rodney brought De
Grasse fo action in the West Indies, and by executing fhe
mancBuvre of breaking the line, he gave him a complete de
feat, taking or destroying eight ships, and reducing almost
to wrecks the remainder, fwo of which were captured a few
days after by sir Samuel Hood. But as admiral Graves was
conducting the prizes to England, and convoying the home
ward-bound merchant-fleet, a terrific storm came on, in
which all fhe prizes but one, fwo British men-of-war, and
several of the merchantmen, perished, and 3000 lives were
lost. At home, the loss of fhe Royal George of 100 guns,
which was upset by a squall (Aug. 29) at Portsmouth, and
went down with admiral Kempenfeldf and a thousand men
and women on board, increased the calamities ofthe year.
The storm of war beat this year with unprecedented fury
on the rock of Gibraltar and its heroic defenders. The
duke of Crillon, the conqueror of Minorca, took fhe coni
mand of the besieging army ; ten floating batteries, proof
against shot and fire, were constructed, forty-seven sail of
the line, besides frigates and other craft, were collected in
the bay, while batteries mounting 200 guns and protected
by 40,000 men were raised on fhe isthmus. The whole
force by land and sea amounted fo 100,000 men. On the
13fh of September a simultaneous canonnade was opened
on the fortress, which was returned by shells and red-hot
balls. The whole peninsula seemed one blaze of flame,
whUe the roaring of fhe artUlery was not intermitted for a
second. During the day no effect seemed to be made on
either side, but in fhe night two of the floating batteries
burst into flames ; fhe light enabled the besieged to direct
their guns, and by morning six more were in the same con
dition ; fhe flre from twelve gun-boats prevented the enemy
from bringing off their crews, all of whom would have
perished buf for fhe humanity of the British, who saved
about 400 men. The siege was now af an end, and fhe war
was thus concluded brUlianfly by England in Europe as well
as in fhe West Indies. Her success had been uniform in

504 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
the East General EUiot, the gaUant governor of Gibraltar
was raised to the peerage by the title of baron Heathfield. i
As the Shelburne administration could not conimand a
majority in parliament, it was necessary to seek the support
of lord North or Mr. Fox. With the former Mr, Pitt would
have nothing to do ; duty, he said, forbade him to unite with
a man vvho had brought such calamity on fhe country, and
whose principles he had so often condemned. He agreed
to make a personal application fo Mr. Fox, buf fhe antipathy
of fhe latter to lord Shelburne was invincible. The min
istry therefore resolved fo go on as fhey were with fhe pub
lic business. The preliminary treaties of peace vvith France
and Spain were accordingly executed ; but when the day
came for submitting them to parliament, (Feb. 17, 1783,)
the address was carried in the lords only by a majority of 72
to 59, and in the commons the minister was defeated by a
majority of sixteen. The cause of this was the celebrated
coalition between Fox and lord North. After an ineffectual
struggle fhe ministry resigned ; fhe king made every effort in
his power to avoid capitulating to Fox ; he even meditated a
retreat to Hanover, At length he yielded, and in the begin
ning of April a new ministry, with fhe duke of Portland at
its head, was formed ; lord North and Mr. Fox were the
secretaries of state, and lord John Cavendish chancellor of
the exchequer. Mr. Burke returned to his former situation.
By the treaty of peace which had been concluded, fhe in
dependence of the United States of America vvas acknowl
edged ; between England, France, and Spain there was a
restitution of conquests, and fhe last power obtained Mi
norca and the Floridas. The only loss of England was
100,000,000/. which she added to her debt, for a very few
years showed that the trade with fhe independent states of
America was infinitely more valuable than when they were
jcolonies. The madness of fhe house of Bourbon in en-
jcouraging fhe principles of revolution out bf hatred to Eng-
ilmd, was destined erelong to meet its chastisement from
these very principles. As for the United States, they have
since advanced rapidly in wealth and population. In every
point of view, the separation has been a blessing fo Eng
land; it is only fo be regretted, as we have already observed,
that it was not effected amicably.
The coalition ministry soon met with fhe fafe it merited.
The want of confidence in the public appeared by the de
cline in the funds, fhe three per cent, consols falling from

GEORGE HI. 505
70 to 56, Mr, Pitt's motion for reform was neoratived. At
length Mr, Fox introduced his India-bill, and its rejection
by fhe lords (Dec, 16) sealed fhe doom of fhe ministry,
A new cabinet was formed wifh Mr. Pitt for its chief, and
this extraordinary man sat at fhe helm of the state, with but
one interruption, for the remainder of his life, Mr, Fox
remained the leader of fhe opposition.
When we consider the youth of Mr, Pitt, the political wis
dom which he displayed in this crisis is astonishing. In
stead of dissolving the parliament, he went on suffering him
self for some time to be beaten in every division. At length
(Mar. 24, 1784) he appealed fo the country by a dissolution,
and fhe number of ' Fox's Martyrs,' as those opposition
members who lost their seats were called, being 160, his
triumph was complete, and the power of the whigs was
finally overthrown. Henceforth, till the horrors of war were
renewed, Mr, Pitt went on steadily improving the internal
condition of the empire.

CHAPTER IV,
GEORGE III. (CONTINDED.)
1784—1789.

As India now formed an important portion of fhe British
empire, we will sketch fhe origin and progress of the Eng
lish dominion in that vast region.
Toward fhe close of the reign of queen Elizabeth fhe
English merchants began to aspire fo a share in the lucrative
commerce of thef East, then engrossed by the Portuguese.
The distance, danger, and expense of fhe voyage, proving
too great for individual enterprise, the queen in the year
1600 granted a charter to a company of merchants for fhe
trade fo India. The original capital of the company was
72,000?., divided info 501. shares. In 1612 fhey established
their first factory at Surat on the west coast of India.
They formed settlements also in fhe Spice Islands ; but from
these they were driven by fhe Dutch by a series of aggres
sive acts ending in the massacre of Amboyna in 1623.
Toward the middle of fhe 17th century they established
VOL. II. 43 L L L

506 HISTORY OF ENGLAND,
factories at Madras and Fort St, David on fhe coast of Coro
mandel, and af Hooghly on fhe river of that name in Ben
gal, whence they afterwards removed to Calcutta, lower
down on fhe same river, Charles II. gave to fhem the
island of Bombay, which he had received in dower with his
queen, and the isle of St, Helena in the Atlantic. Jame»
IL, a great fosterer of trade, enlarged their charter very
much, empowering fhem to buUd fortresses, raise troops,
poin money, etc. By the extravagance, mismanagement, and
cerruptipn incidental fp a cpmpany pf the kind, they sppn
incurred a debt ef 2,000 ,OOQZ. ; and in 1698 a rival cpmpany,
by pffering a large advance pf mpney at eight per cent, to
the government, obtained a chartej. The old company also
obtained a renewal of theirs, and after a trial of a few years,
finding the competition ruinous, tbey united in 1702 under
a new charter, and took the name of ' The United East
India Company.' Their affairs were directed at home by a
court of twenty-four directors chosen apnually by the pro
prietors of the stock, and each of their settlements was
governed by a president and a select committee.
At this time, the Portuguese, whose dominion had never
been stable, vvere powerless in India; but fhe French had
settlements at Pondicherry, on the coast of Coromandel,
and at Chandernagore, on fhe Hooghly. The Dutch also
had a factory at Chinsura on this river, and others on fhe
Coromandel coast.
The political condition of India was of the following na
ture. In the close of the 15th century, Baber, a descendant
of Timoor, invaded and conquered a great part of India
wifh an army of Mogul Turks. This empire was gradually
extended by his successors, and under fhe great Aurung-
zebe it attained its utmost limits, Buf after the death of
that monarch in 1707, fhe decline of the empire rapidly
advanced, and the invasion of Nadir Shah, the Persian, in
1738, reduced it to fhe lowest ebb. Many of the subordi
nate chiefs became independent, yielding only a nominal
obedience fo fhe emperor of Delhi.
Permanent conquest in fhe East is little more than a
change of rulers ; fhe laws, the customs, the property of
the people, remain as before. So if was in India ; a Hindoo
rajah was in many cases succeeded by a Mohammedan na
bob, but the cultivator only paid his land-tax as before: fhe
finances of fhe state were managed by Hindoos, and the
native Soocars, or bankers, and opulent merchants retained
the influence which wealth never fails to confer. Large por-

GEORGE IIL 507
tions of the ernpire were placed under the government of
Soobahdars, or viceroys, under whom Mogul Nabobs or
Hindoo Rajahs ruled over smaller districts.
The English long abstained from taking any concern in
the affairs of the native princes, and they would probably
have continued this pi'udent course had it not been for fhe
ambition of their restless rivals the French. When the Si
lesian war broke out in Europe, FVance and England ex
tended their hostilities to the East. A French fleet, under
' La Bourdonnais, reached India in 1746; the English fleet
there retired before if, and La Bourdonnais reduced Madras,
He engaged that it should be restored on payment of a ran
som ; but when he was gone, Dupleix, the governor of Pon
dicherry, refused to perform the agreement, Dupleix at
tempted the foUo'ving year to take Fort St. David, but he
was obliged fo retire, and was himself besieged in Pondi
cherry by admiral Boscawen, (1749;) owing, however, fo
the lateness of fhe season, want of skUl in the engineer,
and other causes, the siege proved a faUure. By the peace
of Aix-la-Chapelle Madras was restored ; but as both the
English and French companies had now good bodies of'
troops, fhey engaged thera in fhe disputes of the native
princes, fill fhe breaking out ofthe Seven Years' War placed
them again in hostilities with each ofher. These troops
consisted of Europeans and of natives called Sepoys, a cor
ruption of fhe Persian term Sipahi, a foot-soldier.
The soobahdar of the Deckan, (South,) or that part of
India south of the river Nerbuddah, Nizam-ul-Mulk, had of
late years rendered himself nearly independent of the Great
Mogul, Under him fhe nabob of Arcot ruled fhe Carnatic,
a region extending for more than 500 raUes along fhe east
coast, and in which both Madras and Pondicherry lie. After
the death of Nizara-ul-Mulk the succession to his dignity
was disputed in fhe usual oriental manner, and it chanced
that there was also a contest for the nabobship of Arcot.
Dupleix saw a prospect of power and wealth if he were fo
take part in the affair, and he embraced the cause of Mu-
zuffir Jung, a grandson of Nizam-ul-Mulk, and of Chunda
Sahib, a pretender to the nabobship. The English saw that
they also must become parties in the contest or tamely sub
mit to be driven out of the country, as the candidates sup
ported by Dupleix were now triumphant. They accordingly
took fhe side of Nasir Jung, son of the late soobahdar, and
of Mohammed Aii, son of the late nabob. But fhey were
at this time greatly inferior to their rivals in power and influ-

508 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
ence, aud Dupleix had obtained a large share of the treasures
of Nizam-ul-Mulk, and been appointed governor of all fhe
country south of the river Kistna. To relate fhe contest in
detail falls not within our province ; but as if served fo bring
to view the great qualifies of Clive, the founder of the An
glo-Indian empire, we wUI dwell on it for ^ short space.
Robert Clive, the son of a respectable family in Shrop
shire, came out fo Madras as a writer in 1744, af the age
of nineteen. Not relishing fhe civU service, he obtained in
1747 an ensign's commission in the company's troops, and
on various occasions he showed himself, by his courage,
coolness, presence of mind, and fertility of resource, fo be a
born soldier ; he rose to the rank of captain, and his talents
were generaUy acknowledged, especially by Major Lawrence,
the able commander of the troops at Madras.
In 1751 fhe affairs of Mohammed All were af so low an
ebb, that nothing, it was plain, could save them from ruin
but some extraordinary effort As Chunda Sahib was ab
sent, besieging his rival in Trinchinopoly, Clive proposed a
bold attempt fo besiege his capital, Arcot. At the head of
a force of not more than 200 Europeans and 300 sepoys he
set forth fo attack a fort garrisoned by 1100 men, and in a
city with 100,000 inhabitants ; but fhe garrison retired af his
approach, and fhe people received him favorably. Chunda
Sahib sent his son to recover fhe fortress, and Clive soon
found himself wifh only four officers, 120 Europeans, and
200 sepoys, (to this his force was now reduced,) in a ruinous
fort of more than a mile in circumference, and with provis
ion only for sixty days, besieged by a force of 150 French
and 10,000 native troops well supplied wifh artUlery. Here,
however, he maintained himself for fifty days, repejled every
attack, arid finally forced the enemy to raise the siege and
retire from the town.
Being reinforced from Fort St, David, and joined by a
corps of Mahrattas, he defeated a body of 300 French and
4500 natives, and took the pagoda of Conjeveram; and af
terwards, af fhe village of Coverspak, he totally routed a force
of about the same number, (Jan. 1752.) The seat of war
was novv transferred to Trinchinopoly and its vicinity, where
Clive cheerfully served under major Lawrence. Success at
tended all their operations ; the power and influence of fhe
French sank every where. The death of Chunda Sahib re
lieved Mohammed Aii frora a corapefifor; and fhe recall of
Dupleix, (1754,) and fhe pacific character of his successor,
Godeheu, seemed fo promise a period of tranquUlity, Clive

GEORGE III. 509
took advantage of this state of affairs to return to England
for fhe reestablishment of his health. After an abode of
two years in his native country,, he returned to India as gov
ernor of Fort St. David, wifh a conamission of lieutenant-
colonel in fhe British army, fo enable him to command fhe
king's troops. He reached Fort St David on fhe 20fh of
June, 1756 ; and that very day an event occurred in Bengal
— the capture of Calcutta — which called him away to that
province which was to be the great scene of his glory.
For the last fifteen years the kingdoms pf Bengal, Bahar,
and Orissa had been ruled by the soobahdar Aliverdi Khan,
an able and prudent man. On his death, (April 9, 1756,) he
was succeeded by his grand-nephew, Suraj-ud-Dowla, a li
centious youth of violent passions. The new ruler, jealous
of the English, or coveting their reputed wealth, resolved to
make a pretext for robbing and expelling them. He first
charged fhem with fortifying Calcutta, and this being dis
proved, he accused them of protecting one of his subjects
who had fled with great treasure. The, treasure it was
shown did not exist; and, the person in question he was as
sured should be reserved for his pleasure. But the rapacious
youth would listen fo no excuse. At the head of a large
army he appeared before Calcutta, Little or no attempt
was made at resistance; raost of the English, including Mr.
Drake fhe governor and captain Minchin the commandant
of the troops, got on board the ships an4 hastened down fhe
river. About 150 persons were left behind in the fort ; and,
during two days, (though we are assured that a single sloop,
with fifteen men, could have carried fhem off in spite of the
enemy,) such was the ignoble terror which possessed the
fugitives, that not a single effort was made fp relieve them.
Mr. Holwell, who had taken the temporary command, then
proposed a surrender ; but before he could obtain a reply fhe
fort was stormed and all in it made prisoners,. When night
came on, the victors placed their captives, 146 in number,
in a room twenty feet square, wifh only fwo sraall windows,
naraed the ' Black Hole,' and which fhe English had made
for a place of confinement. The dreadful heat and the
want'of air quickly deprived some of existence; others lost
their reason, and expired in delirium ; their entreaties and
offers of money to their guards to give them water, or fo re
move fhem, were mocked af or disregarded ; and when the
prison was opened next morning only twenty-three remained
alive. There is no reason fo suppose that the soobahdar
desiffued their death, buf he expressed no concern when in-
43*

510 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
formed of if. Having plundered fhe town, he departed,
leaving in it a ga!rrison of 3000 men.
The right of the English to Calcutta was fully as good as
that of fhe soobahdar fo his dominions, for they held it by a
grant from the emperor. Justice was therefore evidently on
their side in the contest , in which they were now about to
engage. When the intelligence reached Madras, (Aug, 16,)
it was resolved af once to send an expedition to Bengal, and
Clive was appointed fo the command of it If consisted of
900 Europeans, and 1500 sepoys, and was conveyed by five
of his majesty's and five of fhe company's ships, under ad
miral Watson. On the 22d of December they reached
Fulta, a village on the Hooghly, not far frorn Calcutta, and
in fhe course of ten days (Jan. 2, 1757) they recovered that
city, whence an expedition saUed up the river to attack fhe
large town of Hooghly. The fort was taken, (llth,) after a
slight resistance ; they then destroyed fhe granaries at vari
ous places farther up the river, and returned to Calcutta with
a booty of a lac and a half of rupees, (15,000/.) At the end
of the month, Suraj-ud-Dowla approached Calcutta ; he pro
fessed friendship, and offered to make restitution of proper
ty ; buf Clive soon ascertained that he was only amusing
fhem, in order imperceptibly to get possession of fhe city,
and cut off supplies from fhe fort; he therefore resolved on
an iraraediafe attack, and at six in the morning (Feb. 5) he
entered fhe camp of fhe enemy, af fhe head of nearly all his
forces. He crossed if in about fwo hours, doing considera
ble execution ; but at daybreak his army became enveloped
in so dense a fog that fhey lost their way, and thus partially
failed in their object. The nabob, however, was so alarmed,
that he .retired to some distance, and again made overtures
of peace, fo which Clive, apprehensive of his joining with
fhe French, readily listened ; and treaties were signed, by
vvhich the nabob restored and extended fhe privileges of fhe
company, and engaged fo make compensation for aU their
losses ; vvhile they pledged themselves to look on his enemies
as their own.
As war had broken out anew between France and Eng
land, and fhe French were now very strong in southern
India, the government af Madras were urgent with Clive to
attack their settlement at Chandernagore, in order to de
press their power in Bengal. Accordingly, having drawn a
reluctant consent from fhe nabob, Clive and Watson attacked
and took that settlement, (March 23.) Clive was always of

GEORGE m. 511
opinion that it was impossible for the French and the Eno--
lish to coexist in India, and that one or other must be ex
peUed ; and he soon had indubitable proof that if was the
intention of the nabob to unite his forces with the former,
A? he had also formed an enfreriched camp at a place named
Plassey, and interrupted the communication of the English
with their factory at Cossimbazar, Clive did not hesitate to
take share in a conspiracy now organized for the dethrone
ment of Suraj-ud-Dowla. The principal persons engaged in
it were, Meer Jaffier, the Bukhshee, or general ; Roy Dul-
lub, fhe Dewan, or minister of finance; and Jugget Self, fhe
richest banker in India, A treaty was concluded, by which
Meer Jaffier was to be placed on fhe musnud, or throne ; he
was in return to give forty lacs of rupees fo the army and
navy, and twelve to fhe committee af Calcutta.
When all was arranged, Clive set forth with a force of
3000 rpen, of whom not quite a third were Europeans. He
directed his march for Plassey, which place he reached be
fore day on fhe 23d of June. Af daybreak, fhe nabob's
army, of 15,000 horse and 35,000 foot, advanced to attack
hira. Clive's troops were posted in a grove defended by
mud-banks. After cannonading them fill noon, fhe enemy
retired to their fortified camp ; and shortly after Clive stormed
an angle of it, put fhem to the rout, and pursued fhem for
a space of six miles. In this battle, which decided fhe
fafe of the English in India, the loss of the enemy was only
500 men,
Suraj-ud-Dowla fled to his capital Moorshedabad, and
sending from it what treasure he could, he foUowed it him
self af midnight. He was afterwards taken and put to death
by the son of Meer Jaffier.
It has always been fhe custom in fhe East to pay for po
litical services liberally, and this custom was adhered to in
the present instance. In the treaty concluded by Clive with
the new soobahdar it was stipulated that 100 lacs of rupees
should be paid fo fhe company for their losses and for the
expenses of fhe campaign, with compensation fo all fhe suf
ferers at fhe faking of Calcutta; the company was also fo
have fhe zemindary * of a tract of country to fhe south of
that city. In his donations to those to whom he was indebt
ed for his throne the soobahdar was most profuse. His gifts

* A zewiindar was a person who farmed the portion of the prodiice
of the soil claimed by the crown. He paid a certain sum annually,
but had no property in the soil.

512 HISTORY OF ENGLAND,
to Clive amounted to 180,000/, ; but though offered presents
by Roy Dullub and others, Clive refused them ; for he
considered that in receiving gifts from the prince whom
he had benefited he was justified by the usages Of A^ia,
and not condemned by fhe general principles of mo
rality ; the presents of individuals he viewed under a dif
ferent light. It is well known what an outcry was after
wards raised against this distinguished man on this account;
but, as it has not been shown that avarice was his motive to
action, or that he sacrificed in fhe slightest degree fhe inter
ests of fhe company fo his own, we cannot see any grounds
whatever for- condemning him for making a fortune when an
honorable occasion was presented.
Meer Jaffier wds a weak, imprudent man, and his conduct
speedily drove some of his most powerful subjects into re
bellion. His only stay was Clive, whose wisdom saved hira
from the consequences of his own Ul conduct. With all his
defects, Meer Jaffier was not ungrateful fo his benefactor;
he procured from fhe cOurf of Delhi fhe title of an Omrah
for him ; and when Clive, (1759,) by marching his troops
into Bahar, which had been invaded by the emperor's eldest
son, had saved Meer Jaffier from fhe ruin vvhich threatened
him, that prince, ofhis own free motion, conferred on him a
jagheer, or estate of three lacs of rupees a year, assigning
for that purpose fhe quifrent of fhe company's zemindary,
llere again it may be asked, who can justly condemn Clive?
In 1760 Clive returned to England. He was now only
thirty-five years of age, and he was possessed of an income
of more than 40,000/. a year. He received abundant marks
of respect ; but his constitution was enfeebled, and he fell
into a long and dangerous Ulness. He obtained a seat in
parliament ; and by means of his money he brought several
of his friends into the house of commons. He also obtained
an Irish peerage. A very unwarrantable attempt to deprive
him of his jagheer was soon, however, made by the court of
directors, acting under the influence of their chairman, Mr.
Sullivan ; for surely they could have no claim to it, and his
right stood on precisely the same grounds as theirs fo their
zemindary. Though fhe highest legal authorities were
against fhem, they persisted in withholding payment, and he
was obliged fo have recourse fo a bill in chancery. Buf in
1764 such tidings came from India, that the safety of fhe
British possessions in that country seeraed to depend on his
return to it ; and in a court of proprietors he was unani
mously appointed governor-general of Bengal. He accepted

GEORGE HI. 513
the high office, and quitted England for the third and last
time. The affairs of the company in Pengal were now in a de
plorable state, in consequence of the- unprincipled rapacity of
its servants. " I shall only say," writes Clive after his arrival,
" that such a scene of anarchy, confusion, corruption, and
extortion was never seen or heard of in any country but
Bengal ; nor such and so many fortunes acquired in so un
just and rapacious a manner." Elsewhere he says, " There
are not five men of principle in the whole settlement" It
was at this time that England first beheld the spectacle of
fhe return of the ' Nabobs,' as fhey were called ; men who,
having quitted her shores perhaps penniless, revisited them
in a few years gorged wifh wealth wrpng from fhe natives of
India, and displayed in fhe use or abuse of if fhe habits of
pride, insolence, and luxury acquired in the East
The modes by which these gentlemen acquired their
wealth were various. The first and simplest was that of ex
torting confrib.utions, as lord Clive says, " from every man
of power and consequence, from the nabob down to the low
est zemindar. But much greater gains were made by trajde.
The emperor had granted a firman, by which goods under
the company's flag and dustuclc, or permit, should pass duty
free ; but this was clearly understood to apply only fo goods
belonging to the company, and being either European goods
for sale or native productions for export, and not to interfere
with fhe internal trade of fhe country. The company, wifh
that ill-judging parsimony- info which such bodies sometimes
fall, had given their servants paltry salaries, but had permit
ted them fo trade on their own account ; hence, when the
power of the company had become paramount in Bengal,
their servarifs there, from the highest to the lowest, resolved
to employ it to their own private advantage. They insisted
that the company's dustuclc should cover all goods whatever ;
and they raonopolized the trade in salt, betel-nut, and tobac
co, and fhe extortion of theraselves and their gomastahs, or
native agents, was ruinous to fhe country. If may easily be
conceived what a task lord Clive had before him, to cleanse
such an Augean stable, and what opposition he had to en
counter, not merely from Messrs. Leycester, Gray, Burdett,
Johnstone, and others, members of council and prirae of
fenders, buf from even the lowest servants of the company.
The political transactions of this interval had been as fol
lows. In 1760, Mr, Vansittart, Clive's successor, acting
under fhe influence of Mr. Holwell, who hated Meer Jaffier,
MMM

514 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
concluded a treaty with Cossim Aii, that nabob's son-in-law,
for his dethronement, by which the provinces of Burdwan,
Midnapore, and Chittagong, were fo be made over to fhe
company, and large rewards given fo fhe members of coun
cU. This unjustifiable pact of spoliation was easily car
ried into effect. Meer Jaffier could make no resistance, and
Cossim Aii became the nabob. But Mr. Vansittart, who is
said fo have been a well-meaning 'man, was no Clive ; he
was domineered over by an insolent, rapacious majority in
the councU, and he was completely mistaken in the character
of Cossim Aii, who proved to be a man of considerable en
ergy and of much financial ability. He first caused fhe
English fo lose consideration in the eyes of the people of
India by seizing and putting fo death Ram Narrain, the
Hindoo governor of Patna, whom they had jiledged them
selves to protect; and then, in pursuance of his plans for
reestablishing his finances, he resolved to put an end fo
their monopoly of trade arid evasion of duties. He required
that Mr. Ellis, a violent, rapacious man, who had always op
posed him, should be removed from Patna; but fhe council
sent EUis orders to seize the citadel of that town. Cossim,
however, retook fhe fort, and he put Ellis and one hundred
and fifty other Europeans fo death. He then, fearing the
English, fled fo Sujah-ud-Dowla, vizier of Oude, who armed
in his favor ; but that prince was defeated at Buxar by major
Munro, and was obliged to sue for peace.
The councU now replaced Meer Jaffier on the rnusnud;
and on his death, which occurred soon after, they raised to
it his son Nujum-ud-Dowla, making hira pay, of course,
largely for his elevation, for money was the only object of
these low-minded, sordid men.
Such was the state of affairs in Bengal when Clive landed^,
(May 3, 1765.) He remained in India till fhe end of Jan
uary, 1767, during which period he effected reformations in
both the civU and military departments, which perhaps he
alone could have accomplished. His suppression of the
conspiracy, into which not less than 200 of the European
officers had entered, fo resist fhe reduction of the double
batta, or pay, first given fhem by Meer Jaffier, is justly re
garded as one of the greatest actions of bis life. It was
also af this time that fhe English became fhe real sovereigns
of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa, as Clive obtained for the com
pany from the emperor a dewann.ee, or deed empowering
fhem fo collect the revenues of those provinces. Out of
them were to be paid, fo the emperor 26 lacs a year, to the

GEORGE llL > 516
nabob 53 lacs ; and Clive computed that there yvould re
main to the company an annual surplus of 122 lacs, or
1,650,000/. To conclude fhe history of this great man. He was re
ceived with all due honors on his return fo England ; but he
had sppn fp encounter the bitter hostUity of Johnstone and
the other persons whom he had made his foes in India, and
who now, by large purchases of stock, were become power
ful in fhe court of proprietors, where fhey joined with the
Sullivan party. They also, by means of the newspapers and
of pamphlets, kept up a constant discharge on him. At
length, in 1773, at a time when the affairs of India much
Occupied the attention of parliament, colonel Burgoyne,
(the future hero of Saratoga,) as chairman of the select
committee, 'moved a resolution that lord Clive, in the affair
of the deposition of Suraj-ud-Dowla, had "abused the pow
ers with which he was intrusted, to the evil example of the
servants of the company, and to fhe dishonor and detriment
of the state." Lord Clive, in fhe course of the debate,
made a noble defence of fhe whole of his conduct in India.
He concluded by saying, " I have one request fo make to
the house ; that, when they come to decide on my honor,
they will not forget their own." On a division, the clause
condemnatory of lord Clive was omitted ; and if was finally
resolved that he had received the sum of 234,000/., but that
at the sarae time he had rendered great and meritorious ser
vices to his country.
¦ The proud spirit of Clive, if is said, never recovered fhe
shock of being thus dragged like a culprit to fhe bar of his
country ; but, though it preyed on his mind, if cannot justly
be regarded as fhe immediate cause of his death. The
founder of the British empire in India died, as is well
known, by his own hand, (Nov. 22, 1774,) af the age of
forty-nine. He was originaUy of a nervous, melancholy
temperament ; his liver had long been deranged, and his fits
of illness frequent It was in a paroxysm of bodily pain,
caused by gaU-sfones, that he committed the fatal deed.
Now that fhe clouds of malignity have passed away, his name
most justly ranks among those of England's most illustrious
men. We now resume fhe affairs of fhe company. The great
acquisitions made by lord Clive produced attacks on their
revenue from fwo parties, the proprietors and fhe govern
ment. The former, insisting on their right fo fhe advantages,
voted themselves dividends of 10 and 12| per cent, ; fhe

516 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
latter claimed aU the territory that had been acquired, but
compromised fhe matter for the present for 400,000/. a year.
But the affairs of fhe company were not by any means in
the flourishing condition that was supposed ; and they were
obliged fo apply, erelong, for a loan of 1,500,000/. Two
committees, named the ' Secret ' and fhe ' Select,' had been
appointed to inquire into their affairs. A nevv arrangement
ofthe court of directors took place; the qualification for
voting in the court of proprietors was raised ; a court of
justice, consisting of a chief and three puisne judges ap
pointed by the crown, was to supersede fhe mayor's court at
Calcutta ; the governor of Bengal was fo have fhe superi
ority over the ofher presidencies. Warren Hastings, Esq., a
gentleman who had long been in India, was appointed fhe
first governor-general, with general Clavering, colonel Mon
son, and Messrs. Barwell and Francis as his counsellors,
(1773.) Mr. Hastings had gone out in the preceding year as
governor of Bengal, where he was to restore fhe company's
finances, and at the same time establish a fortune for him
self In accomplishing these objects, it is not fo be denied
that he' displayed abilities of a very high order, buf if is
equally true that deeds were enacted revolting to justice
and humanity.* To enter into the details in our restricted
limits is, however, a matter that cannot be expected ; we
can only undertake to sketch those acts which were most
notorious. The giving up the people named Rohillas to Sujah-ud-
Dowla, the tyrannical vizier of Oude, vvas the first of these
acts. Rohilcund, which lies northward of Oude, vvas, from
the prudence of its ruler, in a state of high prosperity.
Owing to an invasion of fhe Mahrattas, the RohiUas found
it expedient to form an alliance with the vizier ; and that
rapacious prince instantly resolved to make himself master
of their country. On his engaging to pay the company 40
lacs of rupees, if successful, and allow their troops a cer
tain sum a month, Mr. Hastings (1774) ordered colonel
Campion fo join his forces with those of the vizier for the
invasion of Rohilcund. The RohUlas made a brave but in
effectual defence. The cowardly, atrocious vizier, whose
* [The reade;- must be put upon his guard against receiving these
charges against Mr. Hastings to their full extent. He has been much
wronged. It is certain that no one has ever been more devotedly be
loved by the natives than Mr. Hastings ; which fact of itself is almost
enough to disprove the usual charges brought against him. — J. T. S.]

GEORGE in. 517
declared object, was their extermination, was let loose to
glut his malignity on them ; and the barbarities enacted
were declared by colpnel Campion to be in many instances
beyond description. As fhe emperor had placed hiraself
under the protection of fhe Mahrattas, Mr. Hastings with
held the portion of the revenues of Bengal allotted to hira
by Clive; and he sold to the vizier for 50 lacs fhe provinces
of Allahabad and. Corah, which ford Clive had secured fp
the emperpr.
The arrival ef ^e members pf the cpudcU from Eurppe
(Oct. 1774) put a check en tbe excesses pf Mr, Hastings,
as he and his friend Mr, Barwell were pn all pccasicns put-
vpted by fhe pfher three. The cpuncil-bpard was a scene
pf cpnstant alfercatipn ; and Mr, Hastings was sp gaUed at
finding himself cpnfinuaUy thwarted, that (1777) he au
thorized Mr. Macfoan, whp was returning to Europe,. fO
fender his resignation fo the directors. It was accepted,
and Mr. Wheeler was ajipointed to succeed him. But ere
the intelligence reached Bengal, the death of colonel Mon
son had given Mr. Hastings the supremacy in the councU,
and he now disavowed his agent, refused to resign, and
seemed determined to retain his power by force of arms, if
needful. His opponents declined fhe contest, and he again
began to run his despotic career uncontrolled, and . f o undo
all that had been done of late against his wishes or interest.
A quarrel between him and Mr. Francis, in 1780, whom he
accused of breach of promise, terminated in a duel, in
which the latter was wounded. His immediate return to
Europe left Mr.. Hastings unfettered, and the effect was
soon visible in fhe results of the governor's journey to fhe
Upper Provinces.
Since the year 1764 the rajah of Benares (the great seat
of Hindoo devotion) had been under fhe protection of the
English. In 1774, the rajah, Cheyte Sing, was relieved
from all dependence on the vizier of Oude, and he was to
pay a fixed tribute fo fhe company; and if was unanimously
resolved by fhe councU, that while he performed his. engage
ments "no more demands of any kind should .be made on
hira, nor any person be aUowed to mterfere with his author
ity." The rajah paid his tribute regularly fUl the time of
what Mr. Hastings is pleased to term "the attempt to wrest
from him his authority ; " in other words, to carry the
orders of fhe directors into effect, in June, 1777, Af that
time Mr. Hastings, found that Cheyte Sing had deputed a
person to general Clavering, his opponent, and he secretly
VOL. II. 44

5ly HISTORY or ENGLAND.
resolved to make him feel his vengeance. He forthwith
began fo make requisitions on him. A present of two lacs,
in 1781, did not suffice to moUify fhe governor. The exac
tions were increased ; the reluctance to submit fo them was
termed a crime, and was fo be made the pretext for robbing
the rajah. " I was resolved," says Mr. Hastings, " fo draw
from his guUt the means of relief fo fhe company's dis
tresses. I had determined to make him pay largely for his
pardon, or fo exact a severe vengeance for his past delin
quency." With this righteous object in view, Mr. Hastings,
in 1781, proceeded to Benares. He placed the rajah under
arrest; but the people, fo whom he and his father had been
mild and upright rulers, rose and massacred his guards, and
he made his escape to a fortified palace on the other side
of the river, and the troops sent to assault it were repulsed
wifh loss. The whole district rose in revolt ; the contagion
spread fo Oude and Bahar. Mr. Hastings was obliged to
fly by night to the fprtress pf Chunar. All fhe supplicatipns
pfthe rajah fpr peace were rejected with scprn. When
trppps arrived, his hasty levies were easUy routed, and he
fled from the fort of Bidgegur, faking with him his treas
ures, and leaving in if his mother, the Rannee, (whose
residence if was,) his wife, and the rest of his famUy. The
Rannee endeavored to make terms, but Mr. Hastings would
only grant safety and respect for her person ; and in his let
ter to majpr Pppham, whb cpmraanded, he said, '* I appre
hend that she will cpntrive tP defraud the capters pf a con
siderable part of fhe booty by being suffered to retire without
examination; but this is your consideration, and not mine."
This hint was not lost on the soldiery ; fhe capitulation was
broken ; fhe Rannee and the other women, to the number
of three' hundred, were plundered, and their persons rudely
treated by the soldiers and camp-follpwers, in spite pf the
efforts of major Popham.
The plunder after all amounted only fo 23 millions of ru
pees, and the troops, interpreting fhe above passage of the
governor's letter in their own favor, claimed it all as their
prize-money ; they would not even lend it to the company,
to whose burdens Mr. Hastings's attempt af robbery thus
added fhe expenses incurred by fhe revolt The directors
strongly reprobated his conduct in this affair.
Disappointed in his hopes of plunder at Benares, fhe
governor turned his view to Oude. The vizier visited hira at
Chunar, and it was arranged that he was to be relieved frora
fhe burden of a heavy number Of British troops, of which

GEORGE HI. 519
he had long complained, and be allowed to resume any
jagheers which the company had not guarantied. This was
apparently very moderate and reasonable ; but it contained
a deep scheme of spoliation.
The Begums, as they are named, that is, fhe grandmother
and mother of the vizier, were in possession of extensive
jagheers assigned them by his father, who had also left fhem
most of his treasures. They resided at Fyzabad wifh the
numerous families of fhe late viziers, which they were bound
to support, and they managed, according fo custora, their
jagheers by their o,wn agents. They had often already had
large sums extorted from fhem by fhe vizier ; but the goy
ernor now resolved fo make him the instrument of robbing
them of aU they possessed, under pretence (mere pretence)
of their having encouraged the people of Oude to aid the
insurrection of Cheyte Sing. The vizier, bad as he was,
scrupled fo act in such a business ; but when he found that
Mr. Middleton, the resident, was authorized fo proceed with
out him, to keep Up his consequence in the eyes of his sub
ject?, he issued fhe warrants required of him, and he arid
Middleton appeared before Fyzabad af the head of a body
of troops ; and, after some time spent in negotiation, the
town was stormed, buf without bloodshed, as there was no
resistance. There was a difficulty, however, in getting at
the treasure, as the zenanas, or women's apartments, are
sacred over all fhe East; from a passage, indeed, in one of
Mr. Hastings's letters, it would appear that it would have
been no difficulty to him; but it was to fhe nabob and' resi
dent. A plan, however, was devised ; two eunuchs, men of
venerable age, the confidential servants of the princesses,
were seized, laid in irons, kept without food, and tortured
in other ways, to work on fhe compassion of their mis
tresses, and fhe diabolical plan succeeded; for upwards of
500,000/ was thus extracted from the Begums, though they
had to give up for sale even their table utensils. They had
themselves, in fhe interval, been often in danger of starva
tion frora want of food.
On this occasion Mr. Hastings no doubt made money for
his masters ; he also took care of his own interest. The
vizier, in the midst of his embarrassraents, found money for
a present of fen lacs (100,000/.) to the' governor. As it was
now forbidden to accept gifts, and the present one could
not be concealed, Mr. Hastings informed the, directors of if,
at fhe sarae time asking their permission to retain if.
Space does not admit of our noticing any more of the

520 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
acts of this eminent man. He left India, after a reign of
twelve years, in 1785. He had raised the revenue to double
its previous amount; buthe had added 12J mUlions to fhe
debt of fhe company. If is said that he was popular at all
times in India, as well with natives as Europeans;* In fhe
case of the former, his popularity was probably much in
creased by fhe attention he paid to fhe literature of the
country, having been one of the first Servants of the com
pany who sought fo acquire a knowledge of the eastern lan
guages. On his return to his native shore, a trial which
perhaps he had not anticipated awaited hira. The splendid
eloquence of Burke, Fox, Sheridan, and others, displayed in
sUch appalling colors his various enormities, that the house
of commons resolved on his impeachment, and his trial
commenced on fhe 13th of February, 1788; the managers
for the coraraons being Messrs. Burke, Fox, Sheridan, Grey,
and others. It was on fhe 23d of April, 1795, that judg
ment was at length given in favor of the prisoner — fo such
a length had fhe process been spun out by the artifices
chiefly of, Hastings's counsel, headed by Law, -afterwards
lord EUenborough ; for, unlike a man who, conscious of
innocence, disdains all subterfuge and dares his adversaries
fo do their utmost, Mr. Hastings had recourse to every
quirk that le^al subtilty could devise for the suppression of
evidence. It would almost seem as if his noble judges were
predetermined fo acquit him, for they did everything that he
could have wished ; fhey rejected evidence continually, and
guided themselves by the narrowest maxims of the inferior
courts. The Indian interest, as it was named, was powerful,
the highest family in fhe realm interested itself for the cul
prit, the managers were not always discreet, the length of
the proceedings caused many to regard the accused as a
persecuted man, the press was engaged in his favor, his
money went in all directions; in short, he was acquitted:
but no one, we believe, who reads his deeds, not merely in
the fervid declamations of Burke, buf in the calm pages of
history, will hold hira guiltless^ unless he be prepared fo
assert that the retention of empire justifies every crime. As
fo impeachment, it is now only a judicial drama, such
changes having taken place in fhe constitution as render it
quite impotent.
[It is certain that he was one of the most popular governors that
ever ruled in India. He was, indeed, enthusiastically beloved. Mere
attention to the native literature was not sufficient to secure this. See
note, p. 516. —J.T. S.]

GEORGE III. 521
During this period the affairs of the company in fhe presi
dency of Madras also offer much to interest. The same
career of oppression, and injustice was run there as in Ben
gal, and the treatment of fhe rajah of Tanjore was Worthy
of Hastings himself.' The nabob of Arcot, his intrigues
arid his debts, fhe deeds of the notorious Paul Benfield and
others, attracted fhe attention of the British legislature.
When lord Pigot, fhe governor, attempted reformation, he
was actually placed under arrest by the insolent, rapacious
men who formed the majority in the council. His succes
sor, sir Thomas Rumbold, followed a different course, and
in little more than two years he teas able to remit to Europe
164,000/., though his salary, etc., did not exceed 20,000/. a
vear. The directors, however, dismissed him and sorae
others from their service.
The external operations of this presidency were, war with
the t'rench, in which Pondicherry was taken, and with Hyder
Aii, the prince of Mysore, who overran the Carnatic and
dictated peace under the walls of Madras.
The affairs of India, as we have seen, had attracted fhe
attention of parliament, and various measures were proposed
respecting them. Af length, in 1783, during fhe short sway
of fhe coalition ministry, Mr. Fox brought forward his cele
brated ' East India BUl,-' in the preparation of which Mr.
Burke had a large share. In this it was proposed to do
away with fhe courts of directors and proprietors, in whose
room vvere fo be seven commissioners, named by parliament,
who were to have the administration of all the affairs of the
company, and fhe sole power of placing and displacing its
servants. They were themselves only removable by the
king on the address of either house. A court of nine assist
ant-directors, being proprietors, each of not less than 2000/.
of India stock, also chosen by the legislature, were fo man
age the defaUs of the company's affairs under the superior
board. The bill also contained a number of other regu
lations. The outcry raised against this project is well known.
The East India Company and the city of London petitioned
against the bill, Mr. Pitt exposed its apparent evUs with his
usual ability, but it passed the commons by a majority of two
to one. In the lords it was strenuously opposed, ^mong
others by lord Camden ; and earl Temple, in a private con
ference with the king, so impressed him with an idea of its
tendency fo limit fhe prerogative, that be received permis
sion to assure the peers privately, that his majesty would
44 * N N N

522 HISTORY or ENGLAND.
regard as his enemy any one who voted for it. The bill was
therefore rejected, and the king disraissed his ministers.
, The following year Mr. Pitt introduced his ' East India
Bill,' which was passed ; in 1786 if was amended by an ex
planatory act, and it continues fo be fhe fundamental law of
the Anglo-Indian empire. Its chief feature is the introduc
tion of the ' Board of Control,' composed of six merabers
of fhe privy council, named by the king, (of whom the chan-
cheUor ofthe exchequer and one of fhe secretaries of state
were always to be two,) to whom the court of directors were
fo communicate all their correspondence respecting fhe
government of their territories, and fo whose control they
were fo be subject.
It is a common, and therefore a true saying, that 'one
man may steal a horse while another is hanged for looking
over the hedge.' The great alarm caused by Mr, Fox's
bill vvas the enormous power it would give' fhe minister, by
investing him with the Indian patronage ; and who, it may
be asked, possesses that patronage now but the minister?
Hdve the court of directors any more freedom in choosing
a governor-general, or any other great officer in India, than
the clergy of a cathedral in electing their bishop? The
president of the board of control is, in fact, secretary for
Indian affairs, and his authority is as great in his department
as that of his brother secretaries, only that he has to exercise
it in a more circuitous manner. There is just the same
scope for patronage and favoritism, and like to many other
ministers of state, fhe president sometimes enters on his
office with a profound ignorance of fhe condition of the em
pire whose affairs he is to direct But these evils are una
voidable ; such extensive patronage must fall into the hands
of the executive.
The first governor-general sent out under fhe riew con
stitution was fhe marquess Cornwallis ; and ever since, that
high office has been, wifh one or two exceptions, consigned
fo a nobleman connected with the party in power at home.
No better choice could have been made at the time, for the
noble raarquess possessed every estimable, and many a great
quality. He was successful in a war wifh Tippoo Sahib, fhe
successor of Hyder Aii. An extensive system of financial
and judicial reforra, or rather change, was effected under
the adrainisfration of this nobleman, but its consequences
proved widely different from the sanguine anticipations of
its authors. This is in a great measure to be ascribed to
their ignorance of the feelings, habits, prejudices, and insti-

ceoSge m. 523
Sutions of those for whom they were legislating, and to the
unconscious application of European, principles and analo
gies to a state of society so totally different from that of
Europe-

CHAPTER V.
<}EORGE III. (cnNTiKo:5D.)
1789—1801.

We are now arrived at the most awful and important pe
riod in the history of man; a period when a nation of slaves, \
acting under the impulse of men, some of philanthropic but '\
unenlightened views and inexperience in fhe great science \
of politics, but others devoid of principle and seeking only
for change, in the hope of profiting in fhe confusion, flung
off fhe bonds of ages, and madly plunged into the chaos of
turbulence and anarchy. The French Revolution, of which j
we now speak, burst forth like a moral vplcano, shaking the ,'
stabUify of the most ancient thrones, overwhelming justice, J
law, and equity, in its career, and, after involving Europe in , i
a calaraitous war of nearly a quarter-century, terminated in
the national humUiation of the conquest of France by tho^e !
monarchs who had felt her insolence and suffered by her :
power in the days of bet strength.
To narrate the events of this revolutipn wpuld be beside
¦our purpose. Suffice it fo say, that it owed its origin fo the
absurd privUeges ofthe nobility and their galling insolence;
to the heavy and unequal weight of taxation laid on the un-
privUeged classes ; to the corrupfipn and prpfligacy pf fhe
cpurf; tP fhe enermpus wealth and pften scandafous lives
of the superier clergy ; fo the writings pf the sp-styled
phifospphers, which sapped the fpundafipns pf religien and
mpralify; to the short-sighted policy ofthe government, \
who, out of mean jealousy of England, encouraged the re-}
volt of her colonies, and sent their troops to receive thej
revolutionary infection, and fo other causes which we need\
not enumerate. Its atrocities, not to be paraUeled, arose
from the natural character of the French people, of which
a part is theabsejuce pf jnpral cpur.agfi ; fpr the cpward is
crueTj^and the moral coward more so than the physical one.

524 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
In every event of the revplution, in every character, from
the king down to the fowest ruffian of fhe Fauxbourgs, the in-'
fluence of this principle may be traced. Men were dragged
like sheep to the guillotine; they died like heroes; buf
they had not fhe mental energy to combine and crush, as
they might have dOne, by wellrdirected efforts, the ferocious
bandits by whom they were slaughtered. Above all deserv
ing of contempt and execration were the nobles, whose in
solence had been a chief cause of the evU, buf who, in the
moment of agony, abandoned their king, and fled by thou
sands to seek the aid of foreign powers, instead of boldly
facing the demon bf discord af home, and crushing it by
efforts of united energy, justice, and patriotism. How dif
ferent was the conduct of the English nobility and gentry in
the struggles of fhe 17th century ! BUf herein lies the dif- 1
ference ofthe national characters; and if the British aristoc-l
racy is fated fo fall beneath democracy, if will fall, we may J
be confident, without dishonor.
In England, fhe progress of the French revolution was
viewed wifh different eyes by different men. There is a
class of people who are easily beguiled by specious terras;
to these fhe mere word liberty came associated with visions
of social happiness and national blessings. They viewed in
the revolution of France the comraencement of a golden
age, the return of Astrea fo earth, fhe dawn of the day
which would shed peace and tranquillity over fhe whole
earth. There were others who vvere anxious to convert the
balanced constitution of England into a pure democracy.
And there was that profligate class to be found in all coun
tries, who, devoid alike of religion, morals, and property, re
joice in the prospect of going a-wrecking in the political
tempest. It was chiefly among fhe dissenters that the mem
bers of fhe first two classes were fo be found ; fhey had al
ways a strong leaven of republicanism in their body ; they
had shown it openly since fhe commencement of the Ameri
can war ; and we may safely predict, that if ever England
becomes a democratic republic, they wUl be active agents in
the change.*

* Among these the Unitarians were most prominent. If lord Clar
endon's remark of clergymen, that they " understand the least and
take the worst measure of human aifairs of all mankind that can write
and read," be correct, we may say that it applies with peculiar force to
dissenting teachers, whose education and habits of life tend greatly to
disqualify them for the discussion of political questions. [This last re
mark is certainly complimentary, rather than otherwise, to the dis-

GEORGE III. 525
On the ofher hand, the whole tory party viewed the revo
lution with, unmingled horror and disgust. They soon found
themselves jpined by an ally in the cause of true liberty and
the constitution, whose powers in such a cause were without
a parallel. Edmund Burke, to whom, on this occasion, his
very prejudices combined with his profound study of history
in a phUosophic spirit to give the vision of a prophet re
specting the ultimate effects of the political changes now
going on in France, early denounced them as fraught wifh
ruin to fhe civilized world. When parliament met in Feb
ruary, 1790, Mr. Fox pronounced a eulogy on the proceed
ings in France, commending, among other things, fhe revolt
of the French guards. The house expressed strong indigna
tion at such language,' and a few days after (9fh) Mr. Burke,
having adverted to the danger of such opinions, sanctioned
by so great a name, proceeded to animadvert on fhe revolu
tion. " The French," said he, '' have shown themselves the
ablest architects of ruin that have hitherto appeared in the
world; in one short summer they have pulled down their mon
archy, their church, their nobility, their law, their array, and
their revenue." ',' Our present danger," he added, " is that of
being led from admiration to imitate the excesses of a peo
ple, whose government is anarchy, whose religion is atheism."
He reprobated the comparison between that event and the
revolution in England; he said he never loved despotism in
any land, but there was a despotism more dreadful than that
of any monarch of a civilized people, — that "of an un
principled, ferocious, tyrannical democracy ; of a democracy
which had not a single virtue of republicanism fo redeem its
crimes. This was so far from being worthy of iraitation, as
had been said by his honorable friend, that if was worthy of
all abhorrence; and he would spend fhe last drop of his
blood, would quit his best friends, and join his most avowed
enemies, fo oppose the least influence of such a spirit in
England." Mr. Burke had now taken his ground for life;
it was plain that a schism must ensue in the whig party.
Sheridan inveighed against. Fox tried fo soothe, the excited
orator ; but the breach had commenced, and on the 16th of
May in the following year, Mr. Burke, in presence of fhe
house, renounced the friendship of Mr, Fox, arid their con
nection terminated forever. With Burke, Mr. Windham,

senters ; since it implies that they attend more strictly to their spiritual
calling than their orthodox brethren of the established church. —
J. T. S.]

526 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
the duke of Portland, lord Spencer, and other whigs who
preferred their country to their party, seceded from if, and
gave their support to the minister.
By the publication of his immortal ' Reflections on the
Revolution,' and by other writings as well as speeches, Mr.
Burke rendered most essential services to his country in ex
posing the arts of the French demagogues to public view;
Dr. Priestley and ofher revolutionists attempted fo reply.
The ' Rights of Man,' by Thomas Paine, was the work
among- fhem which was best calculated tO [have an influ
ence ainohg the coramon] people, being written with much
ability and adapted to their comprehension; even af the
present day if continues its influence. The ' Vindiciae Gal-
licae' of Mr. (afterwards sir James) Mackintosh attempted
also fhe defence of the revolutionists of France and their
admirers in this country. Many years, however, did not
elapse before the author saw that fhe views of Burke were
raore correct than his own.
The desire of parliaraentary reform gave origin to various
clubs or societies, such as that of fhe ' Friends of the People '
and fhe ' London Corresponding Society.' Mr. Grey, a mem
ber of the former, having given notice (Apr. 1792) that he
would move for an inquiry into fhe state of the representa
tion, Mr. Pitt, formerly fhe strenuous advocate of the meas
ure, rose and opposed if in the most decided terms. Mr.
Fox seized the occasion of charging fhe minister wifh in
consistency. The policy of Mr. Pitt toward France had been hitherto
that of strict neutrality. But it soon becarae manifest that
fhe policy of the faction which now lorded it in that country
would be aggressive and revolutionizing. On fhe 19th of
November, 1792, the National Convention decreed that " if '
would grant fraternity and assistance to all people who wish
fo recover their liberty ; " i. e. fo rise in rebellion against
their government. A few days before, (7th,) an address
from the 'London Corresponding' and four other societies,
inipregnated with revolution, had been presented fo fhe con
vention, whose president openly boasted (21sf) that " these ;
respectable islanders, once our masters in the social art, <
have now become our disciples ; and, treading in onr steps, I
soon wiU fhe high-spirited English strike a blow which shall j
resound to the extremities of Asia." At fhe same time, I
(16th,) the French, who had now conquered fhe Nether
lands, ordered their general fo open the navigation of the
Scheldt, which by tbe Peace of Westphalia was fo be forever

GEORGE III. 527
closed, and they had committed aggressions on the Dutch,
who were in alliance with England. An angry correspond
ence ensued between the English ministry and fhe French
ambassador. At length the execrable murder of Louis XVI.
took place, (Jan. 21, 1793,) and the French envoy, M. Chau-
velin, was ordered fo quit London : on the 25fh it was pro
posed in fhe Convention to invade England wifh 40,000 men,
and on the 3d of February war was declared against Great
Britain. The king had sent a message to the house of commons on
the 28th, calling on them fo enable hira to resist the ambi
tious views of France. Mr. Pitt, with his usual abilityj de
veloped fhe grounds on which he proposed an address in
accordance with the- royal message. Mr, Fox, supported
by lord Wycorab and Mr. Whitbread, opposed, as usual ;
but the address was carried without a division. The sepa
ration between fhe old and new whigs was now complete ahd
final : fhe former became among the raost strenuous sup
porters of the war ; the latter were forced to be content with
opposing the measures which they could not prevent.
On the policy of the war. opinions were then, and still are,
divided ; buf surely any one who peruses fhe history of those
times must see that if was inevitable. It was productive of
ruinous expense to England ; buf it probably saved her frora
the curse o,f [such scenes as disgraced the narae of France,
and of liberty.]
In fhe course of fhe year treaties were formed with most
of the continental powers, both great and sraall, and a con
federacy was organized against France, which, had it been
directed by wisdom, animated by zeal, controlled by una
nimity, and conducted by mUitary skiU, might have saved
Europe from years of misery. But all these qualities were
wanting. Mr. Pitt, wifh all his great qualities, was not,
like his father, a superior war-minister; he lavished wifh
reckless profusion, in subsidies to treacherous or lukewarm
allies, the sums which his financial skUl enabled bim fo
raise, and almost every one of his mUitary projects proved
a failure. In baseness and selfishness fhe government of
Prussia, we may observe, stood conspicuous.
A body of Hessians and Hanoverians was, after the usual
raanner, taken into British pay, and troops were sent from
England to join them. England certainly at fhe time had
no able officers ; but it might have been expected that some
one who had seen service in America would have been se
lected for the chief command. Buf this was given to the

528 HISTORY OF ENGLAND,
duke of York, the king's second son, whose mUitary experi
ence did not go beyond a review in Hyde-park. Though
his military exploits were not such as to crown him with
glory, fhe ocular proof which this prince Obtained of the
wretched state of the British army at that time in many re
spects, especially in fhe medical department, enabled him to
effect improvements, when commander-in-chief, which raised
if fo its future perfection and conferred lasting honor on his
own name.
The British troops remained in HoUand tUI fhe January
of 1795, when, pressed on by an overwhelming force of the
French, and finding the people of the country hostile, they
retreated to Bremen, and embarked for England, after suffer-
ino- dreadful hardships and enduring every kind of privation.
In the month of August, 1793, the people of Toulon, hav
ing declared for Louis XVII,, delivered up fhe town to lord
Hood, the British admiral in fhe Mediterranean. Mr. Pitt,
however, refused fo send a sufficient force for its defence,
and a medley of Spanish, Piedmontese, and Neapolitan
troops, worse than useless, occupied fhe place which should
have been filled with British soldiers. The consequence
vvas, that the town was evacuated in December, and the in
habitants were left to be massacred by fhe sanguinary repub
licans. The capture of fhe French West India islands and the
glorious victory of the Ist of June gave spirit to the British
nation in 1794. As France was suffering greatly from the
want of provisions, admiral VUlaret Joyeuse was ordered to
put to sea wifh fhe Brest fleet of twenty-seven sail of the
line, in order fo protect a large fleet, laden wifh flour, etc.,
which was coraing frora America. Lord Howe, who, with
the channel fleet of twenty-six sail, was on the lookout for
that fleet, discovered that of VUlaret on fhe 28th of May.
On that and fhe succeeding day there were partial actions;
fogs then concealed the hostile fleets for two days; but on
Sunday, June 1, the sun shone bright and unclouded. Howe
broke the line, like Rodney; the French lost six ships taken
and one sunk ; but the victory, it is saio, might have been
more complete if Howe bad burnt his prizes and pursued
fhe enemy, as he could then wifh ease have destroyed their
entire fleet. The loss of the French was 8000 men slain
and taken.
About a year after (June 22) lord Bridport, with fhe
channel fleet, descried a French fleet off Belleisle. He gave
chase, buf fhe eneray escaped info L'Orient with the loss

GEORGE IIL 529
of three saU ofthe line. An expedition to duiberon-bay, in
support of the royal cause, succeeded ; with fhe usual error
of the British cabinet, it was on too small a scale, and its
only result was the massacre of a number of fhe French
emigrants by their ferocious countrymen. As the Dutch
were now in alliance with France, war was declared against
them, and their settlements at the Cape of Good Hope and
in fhe East and West Indies were all reduced.
In 1796 a fruitless effort for peace was made in compli
ance with the wishes of the nation. Lord Malmesbury was
sent fo Paris fo treat ; but the demands of the Directory,
who now governed, were so unreasonable, that nothing
could be effected.
The following year (1797) was a crisis in the affairs of
Great Britain. The great increase of the taxes caused dis
content ; the menaces of invasion by fhe French republic
terrified timid and selfish people, who, anxious to hoard their
cash against times of danger, made a run on the Bank,
already drained of its specie for fhe remittances to fhe con
tinent. To avert the evil, cash payments vvere prohibited
by an order of council, and acts were afterwards pas.sed
making Bank-of-England notes to a certain extent a legal
tender, and legalizing fhe issue of small notes by private
persons. The country was speedily inundated with paper
money ; rents, prices, and every thing rose, and a delusive air
of prosperity spread over fhe empire ; and thus, while Eng
land was actually year after year destroying large masses of
her capital, she seemed to be growing richer every day.
But the pressing and imminent danger this year was the
mutiny in the channel and North-sea fleets, occasioned by
that inattention to the wants and comforts of fhe lower
classes of which governments are but too often guilty. It
took place in the following raanner.
Though prices had risen considerably in this century, the
pay and allowances of fhe seamen remained the same as in
the reign of Charles IL, and their rations were actually not
sufficient for their complete nourishment. The sailors of
late had made their compliments in anonymous letters ad
dressed fo lord Howe ; but their ' father,' as fhey styled him,
treated them with neglect At length (Apr. 15) when lord
Bridport, who commanded the channel fleet af Spithead,
made the signal fo prepare for saUing, the crews of all the
ships replied by three cheers, and declared that fhey would
not weigh anchor fill their just demands were complied wifh,
"unless fhe enemy's fleet should put to sea." They ap-
voL. II. 45 0 0 0

530 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
pointed delegates from each ship, who held their meetings
in fhe admiral's cabin on board lord Howe's own ship, fhe
Queen Charlotte. On the 22d, lord Bridport returned to
his ship, the Royal George, and acquainted the crew that he
was authorized fo comply with all their demands. The men
declared themselves satisfied, and the fleet dropped down to
St. Helens, But on the 7th of May, when ordered to pre
pare for saUihg, fhey again refused, alleging that government
did not intend to keep faith wifh fhem. They appointed
their delegates to meet on board fhe London, the ship of
vice-adrairal Colpoys ; but that officer caused the marines to
fire, and five of the searaen were kUled. They seized and
imprisoned fhe admiral and his officers, and afterwards sent
them on shore, and several of the other ships' crews treated
their officers in a simUar manner. On the 14th lord Howe
came to Portsmouth with full powers to settle all raatters,
and an act of parliaraenf lately passed in corapliance with
fhe desires of the sailors. The crews returned to their duty,
the delegates had tbe honor of dining with the earl and his
lady, and on the 17th the fleet put to sea.
The mutiny in fhe channel fleet had hardly been appeased
when one of a much more unjustifiable character broke out
in the fleet at the Nore, joined by four ships from the North-
sea fleet under admiral Duncan in Yarmouth-roads. They
struck the flag of admiral Buckner in fhe Sandwich, and
gave fhe coraraand to one of fhe searaen named Richard
Parker, a man of resolute character and of considerable
ability. They blockaded fhe mouth of fhe river and allowed
no merchantraen fo come up ; the greatest terror prevailed
in the capital, and the three per cents fell to 47^, The mu
tinous fleet consisted of thirteen sail ofthe line, besides frig
ates, etc, ; but the desertion of fhe Clyde and two frigates
damped the spirits of fhe mutineers, and most of them began
to show great attention fo their officers who were in confine
ment. To prevent their retreat, all fhe buoys had been
taken up ; fhe forts af Tilbury, Gravesend, and Sheerness
were put in repair, and furnaces set up for heating shot, and
ships were coming down fo attack them. Some ofthe more
desperate proposed fo carry fhe fleet over to the enemy ; but
this was rejected wifh indignation. The ships novv rapidly
deserted, and on the 13th of June fhe Sandwich hauled
down Parker's red flag, and the mutiny was ended. Parker,
a raan worthy of a better fafe, was fried by a court-martial,
and sentenced to be hanged. He met his doom with piety
and fortitude, acknowledging the justice of his sentence ; a

GEORGE UI. 531
few mofe of the delegates were executed, the rest were par
doned. By the agreeraent with the fleet at Spithead the sea
men's pay was raised ; and the government, fearing a similar
mutiny in the army, soon after volunfarUy raised that of the
soldiers to a shUling a day.
This year was distinguished by two important naval victo
ries. On fhe 14th of February, sir John Jervis, with only 15
sail of the line, engaged off Gape St. Vincent a Spanish
fleet of 27 sail, of which he captured four. In this action
the gallant Nelson was the most conspicuous character, and
he here laid the foundation of his future glory. The admi
ral was created earl St. Vincent, with a pension of 3000/. a
year. Nelson received fhe order of fhe Bath.
Admiral Duncan, with the North-sea fleet, was stationed
off fhe coast of Holland, to watch a fleet in the Texel des
tined for the invasion of Ireland. A storm having driven
him to Yarmouth-roads, the Dutch government ordered their
admiral, De Winter, to put fo sea. Duncan, having gotten
information, returned, and he found (Oct 11) the enemy's
fleet of 15 sail and frigates off Camperdown, about nine
miles from the shore. His fleet, consisting of 16 sail beside
frigates, had fhe advantage in weight of metal, and he boldly
resolved fo place himself between the enemy and the shore.
The action lasted four hours; the Dutch fought wifh their
usual obstinate valor ; but fhey were defeated wifh the loss of
nine ships and two frigates, and their marine vvas destroyed
forever. Admiral Duncan was raised fo fhe peerage by fhe
title of viscount Duncan of Camperdown, with a pension of
3000/. a year.
The rebellion in Ireland, which fhe fleet of Holland was
intended to aid, broke out in fhe following year. We wUl
briefly trace its origin.
It had been the wish of fhe Irish protestants in fhe reign
¦of queen Anne fo form an incorporating union with Eng
land ; but their desire not being acceded to, fhey proceeded
to protect themselves against the catholics by a penal code
equalling, or rather exceeding, in severity fhe English laws
aorainst recusants. Barbarous, however, as this code was in
the statute-book, it was tolerably mild in practice, and the
chief disadvantages which fhe catholics felt were, exclusion
from office and the legal profession, and the inability fo ac
quire landed property. The protestants themselves suffered
from the jealous, monopolizing spirit of the English mer
chants and manufacturers, at whose clamor laws were
passed destructive of their industry and commerce. Then,

532 HISTORY OP ENGLAND.
too, that fruitful cause of Ireland's raisery, the universal use
of fhe potato for food, attained its full extent ; and fhe most
wretched peasantry on the face of the earth met fhe eye of
the traveller in Ireland.
The chief governor vvas usually absent ; the famUies of
Boyle and Ponsonby, under fhe title of Undertakers, man
aged fhe public affairs in the parliaraenf ; which assembly,
however, by what was termed ' Poynings' law,' could not in
itiate any measure, being only empowered to accept or reject
such as were proposed to it by the council. Powerless as
the parliament was, there was, however, graduaUy growing up
in if a patriotic party in opposition to fhe government and
fhe undertakers, and it increased in strength by the contest
between the last two for fhe patronage, that is, for the places
and pensions ; for the whole system of government was one
of the raost barefaced corruption. In 1767 the lord-lieuten
ant, lord Townshend, becarae resident, and he succeeded in
reducing the oligarchy ; but he failed in securing the Eng
lish ascendency. The American war gave a great advantage
fo the patriotic party, more especially when in 1779 most of
fhe troops vvere withdrawn from the country, and the EngUsh
ministry, on being applied fo for protection by fhe maritime
towns, informed fhe Irish nation that it must protect itself
The protestants instantly formed themselves into a kind of
national guard, under the name of Volunteers. Having
arras in their hands, fhey soon obtained freedom of foreign
trade ; but their great object was to have the independence
of their parliament acknowledged by that of Great Britain.
On the 13th of February, 1782, a convention of delegates
from fhe different corps of volunteers met at Dungannon in
Ulster, and passed a number of resolutions in furtherance of
that object ; fhe Irish parliament took its tone from the con
vention, and fhe successors of lord North cheerfully repealed
fhe act of fhe sixth of George I. " for securing the depend
ence of Ireland." The Irish nation was profuse in its
gratitude to Henry Grattan, the great leader of fhe patriots
in the commons ; numerous addresses were made, and the
title ' Savior of his country ' was given f o him ; but the vote
of 50,000/. by parliament, fo purchase him a house and
lands, was a more substantial proof of their sense of his
merits. Now comraenced the brilliant, but raefeoric career of fhe
Irish legislature. In Grattan, Flood, Burgh, and other ora
tors, it exhibited fervid and splendid effusions of eloquence,
of a nature alraost peculiar to Ireland; but political science

GEORGE ni. 533
and legislative wisdom were absent; the raental horizon of
the orators was bounded ; fhey could only discern Ireland
and her local interests ; they could not extend their view over
fhe whole empire. There was danger every moraenf of a
collision between the two legislatures, and fhe principal tie
which held fhem vvas the unblushing venality of a great por
tion of that of Ireland. All really wise statesmen saw the
absolute necessity for an incorporating union.
But Ireland is not a soil in which wisdom thrives sponta
neously. There was a set of raen who, regarding as a model
the new state of America, and undismayed by fhe horrors
sanctioned by the abused narae of liberty in France, wished
to convert Ireland into a democratic republic. These men,
who were raostly protestant dissenters of Ulster, formed, in
the winter of 1791, the society ofthe ' United Irishmen,' " for
fhe purpose," as they expressed it, " of forwarding a brother
hood of affection, a communion of rights, and a union of
power amongst Irishmen pf every religieus persuasien, and
thereby tP pbtain a cpmplete refprra in the legislature,
fpunded pn the principles pf civil, pplitical, and religipus
liberty." Their plan pf refprm was fp fhe fpllpwing effect:
The kingdpm was fp be divided info 300 equal electorates,
each to return a meraber to fhe parliament, which was fo be
annual ; the members were fo receive stipends, and no prop
erty-qualification was to be required ; every man of sound
mind and of fhe full age of 21 was to have a vote in fhe
electorate in which he resided ; his vote was to be given by
voice and not by ballot.* It is pretty clear that vvhere such
was the parliament there could be no monarchy. But these
men could not see that, with such a population as Ireland
contained, their republic was an impossibility; fhe great
mass of the people were in the fowest state of mental deg
radation ; and it was to these that, in case of a separation
from England, the real power raust come. The only notion
of liberty the lower Irish catholics ever have had, is the tri
umph of their own religion and the destruction of every
thinor opposed to it; and imagination cannot conceive the
scenes of spoliation, destruction, and massacre that would
have ensued had the plans of the United Irishmen proved
successful. Its leaders might have been fhe last victims, buf
immolated, beyond a doubt, fhey would have been at the
altar of tyranny and superstition.
* This last clause does them some credit; they were enthusiasts,
and they therefore loved the light.
45*

534 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
The catholics had long had a ' committee^ for managing
their political concerns ; but of late the lords Kenmare and
Fingal, and most of their aristocracy, had seceded from it,
on account ofthe tendency which it had taken. A barrister
named Theobald Wolfe Tone, a nominal protestant, became
its secretary ; and an alliance was soon formed between it
and fhe United Irishmen.
There had, since the accession of George III., been ille
gal associations of fhe peasantry in fhe south of Ireland
under the names of White-boys and Right-boys, but they
were not political ; fhey were directed against the tithes,
which were at times collected in a harsh and oppressive
manner. The landlords rather encouraged these societies,
knowing full well that if tithes were abolished the amount
of them must, under fhe narae of rent, come into their own
pockets ; and if pains us fo state, that in no part of fhe world
are fo be found landlords raore griping and mercUess than in
Ireland. But when fhey found that these rustic legislators
would rectify the scale of rents and wages also, fhey became
alarmed, and an act was passed in 1787 to prevent their as
semblies. In the county of Armagh, in Ulster, there sprang up sub
sequently parties of fhe opposite religions ; fhe catholics
were named Defenders, the protestants, Peep-of-day Boys,
from their custom of attacking fhe houses of the catholics
af day-break, in quest of arras. On fhe 21st of Sepferaber,
1795, the two parties fought a regular battle, at a village
naraed the Diamond, in which fhe protestants, though much
inferior in number, were victorious. They now assumed fhe
name of Orangemen, bound themselves by a secret oath, and
commenced a barbarous persecution of fhe catholics, with
the view of driving thera out of fhe county; and great num
bers were in fact forced fo abandon their houses and seek a
livelihood elsewhere. The Orange association quickly spread
over the kingdom.
It was in the year 1797 that the United Irishmen became
finally and perfectly organized. The plan was very simple
and ingenious. The lowest division was composed of twelve
men, mostly neighbors; these chose a secretary, and the sec
retaries of five societies formed a ' Lower Baronial Com
mittee ; ' fen of these committees sent each a member to an
' Upper Baronial Committee,' each of which again sent a
member to fhe ' County Committee.' In each province
there was a ' Provincial Committee,' fo which those of fhe
counties sent each two or three deputies; and the provincial

GEORGE III. 535
committees chose by ballot five persons, who formed the
Executive or Directory, Each of fhe lower secretaries was
also to act in a mUitary capacity, as a corporal or sergeant ;
the lower baronial members were captains, those of the up
per were colonels. Like all secret societies, fhe merabers
of fhe lower grades knew not who composed the upper ones ;
the executive, for example, were only known fo the secreta
ries of the provincial committees.
The revolutionary government of France early directed
its attention to Ireland. In 1794, the reverend William
Jackson, an English clergyman, appeared in Dublin as an
agent from fhe French directory ; but he was apprehended,
and being found guilty of treason, he took poison, and ex
pired in fhe court. Tone, who was deeply implicated with
him, was permitted by the Irish government to expatriate
himself He made no delay in passing from America to
France, vvhere, under an assumed name, he acted as the
agent of fhe revolutionists of Ireland. In reliance on the
statements of him and others, a formidable expedition, of 17
saU of fhe line and 13 frigates, carrying an army of 15,000
men, commanded by Hoche, one of their ablest generals,
sailed frora Brest, (Dec, 15, 1796,) Had this armament
reached its destination in safety, it is impossible to predict
the result : fhe overthrow, af least for a tirae, of the British
dominion in Ireland would in all probabUity have ensued, for
the country was actually defenceless. But it would seem as
if Heaven watched in an especial raanner over the destinies
of fhe British empire. Storms assailed fhe French fleet
from the moment it left the port. Only 16 sail, wifh about
6500 troops, and without the general, reached Bantry-bay ;
and whUe Grouchy, their comraander, hesitated about land
ing, a violent gale blew off the shore, and again scattered
thera over the ocean. In the following year another expedi
tion was prepared in fhe Texel, buf the victory at Caraper-
down again saved the British interest in Ireland.
The heads of fhe conspiracy in Ireland were as follows :
lord Edward Fitzgerald, brother to the duke of Leinster, an
araiable, buf imprudent and giddy young man. He was
raairried to fhe daughter of Madame de Genlis by (as was
said) the infamous duke of Orleans, and he was the intimate
friend of Thomas Payne. As he had served for a few
months as a subaltern in the American war, he was to be
the principal mUitary leader in fhe insurrection, Arthur
O'Connor, the nephew of lord Longueville ; Thomas Addis
Emmet, a barrister; Dr. M'Nevin, a physician ; Oliver Bond,

536 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
a merchant, and some others, all protestants, had established
newspapers, naraed the Northern Star, the Union Star, and
the Press, for disserainating their principles ; and when these
were put down by the arm of the law, they circulated in
flammatory handbills. In many things the French revolution
was copied, buf the general proceedings were fhe usual Irish
ones, such as are going on before our eyes at fhe present
moment, with this exception, that the priests in general were
not active agents in it — many of thera, in fact, were erai-
nently loyal ; buf they vvere that better generation which
had been trained at the foreign universities.
Though fhe governraent could not get a clew fo the con
spiracy, they knew that a rebellion was in preparation. Hav
ing received information of a plan for a general rising in the
north in the summer pf 1797, fhey issued a proclamatien,
prderingall persens npf authorized to keep arras to surrender
those they had ; and, going beyond the rigid rule of law,
fhey directed the troops to burn the houses and property of
those who did not produce the arras which informers said
they possessed. Persons were flogged, picketed, and tortured
in various ways, fo make fhem discover; arid many innocent
people were barbarously treated. But this did not last more
than a month, and fhe rising of the north was prevented.
At length the government obtained the information they
required. A person named Thomas Reynolds, delegate and
colonel for the cpunty pf Kildare, travelling in cpmpany
wifh a foyalist, was induced by him tp disclose what he knew
of the conspiracy; and on fhe infermation vvhich he gave,
thirteen of fhe principal conspirators were arrested at the
house of Bond, (Mar. 12, 1798.) O'Connor was at this
time in fhe Tower, having been arrested at Margate, on his
way to France, Lprd Edward Fitzgerald, vvho happened not
to attend the meeting at Bond's, escaped for the time, but he
was discovered on the 19fh of May. He made a desperate
resistance wifh a dagger, wounding fwo of those who seized
hira, one of thera raprtally ; he himself received a pistpl-shpf
in the shoulder, of which he died on the 3d of June.
Convinced now of the extent of the conspiracy and of
the correspondence with France, fhe government, by a poli
cy at which one shudders, even while conceding its necessi
ty, resolved to cause the raine fo explode as soon as ppssible.
A proclamation was therefore issued on fhe 30th of March,
declaring the kingdom in a state of rebellion ; and the trppps
were ordered to act for its suppression in fhe most summary
manner. Scenes of cruelty and oppression sufficient to goad

GEORGE III. 537
a people to madness were speedily enacted. The soldiers
lived at free quarters; houses and property were burnt;
suspected persons vvere half-hanged, flogged, and picketed.
The peasantry in spme parts were in terror,' giving up their
arms and taking fhe oath of allegiance ; the leaders, fearing
that all their projects would be thus disconcerted, resolved
to delay no longer, and orders were issued for a general ri
sing on fhe night ofthe 23d of May. The plan formed was
to make a simultaneous attack on the camp at Loughlins-
town and fhe artillery at Chapelizod, both near Dublin,
and then on the castle and other parts of the city; fhe
maU-coaches were to be stopped and destroyed, and their
non-arrival was to be fhe signal throughout fhe country.
But government had timely information; more of the
leaders vvere arrested, and fhe afterapf on fhe camp and city
was frustrated. The rebels of Kildare rose at fhe appointed
time, and attacked Naas and ofher towns, but, wifh one
trifling exception, fhey were defeated ; and though bodies
of fhem kept together for some time, little of importance
occurred in that county during the rebellion. An attack on
Carlow on fhe 25th likewise proved a failure. The Meath
rebels were defeated (26th) on the hUl of Tarah.
Duririg fhe month of June, partial risings took place in
the counties of Antrim and down in the north, and in that
of Cork in the south, which were easily suppressed. If was
in the county of Wexford that fhe rebellion really raged —
a county which would probably have remained at rest had
not fhe people been goaded info rebeUion by fhe cruelties
inflicted by fhe military and fhe self-styled loyalists. If was
only in this county that priests appeared among the rebels,
and it was only here that murders on a large seale vvere per
petrated by them. On fhe night of the 26th a fanatic priest
named father John Murphy raised his standard ; and next
morning, Whitsunday, two rebel camps were formed on the
hills of Oulart and Kilthomas, near Gorey.
The troops which the governraent had fo oppose to the
rebels were of a very insufficient character. A very small
portion were of the line; the remainder were Irish railitia,
English fencibles, as tbey wete named, and the corps of
yeomanry, composed of loyalists, which, being mostly cav
alry, were of very little use against the rebel pikeraen. Many
of the officers in command vvere utterly devoid of military
skill. The rebels on Oulart, having defeated a small detach
ment sent against thera, advanced (28th) to attack the town
ppp

538 HISTORY OF ENGLAND,
of Enniscorthy, which the garrison, after a gallant defence,
were forced to abandon. On the 30th, having roufed some
smaU detachments, fhey appeared 15,000 strong before fhe
town of Wexford, which was evacuated at their approach.
They made these towns their head quarters; their principal
bivouac (we cannot call if camp) being on Vinegar-hill, near
the former ; for if was their tactics always fo take their post
bn heights coraraanding extensive prospects, where the royal
troops raust attack thera at a disadvantage, and where, if
they saw danger approaching up one side, they could escape-
it/by flight down another, Af this time they had a great
number of protestant prisoners in their hands, whom they
confined in the jail and other places in fhe towns and camp.
The whole southern part of fhe county, except Duncan
non and New Ross, was now in, the hands of fhe rebels ;
and on the 4th of June fhey made a furious attack on this
last town. Fortunately, general Johnson, a man of courage
and railitary skUl, coraraanded there. The rebels fought
with desperation during a space of ten hours, but vvere final
ly repelled, with a loss of more than 1000 men; that of fhe
army being 90 kUled and upwards of 100 wounded. During
the battle, some cowardly ruffians came to the house of Skul-
labogue, where above 200 protestants, of all ages and sexes,
had been left under a guard, and pretended to have an order
for, their execution, as the soldiers, they, said, were butcher
ing the catholics at Ross, They piked or shot 37 on fhe
hail-door steps, and then shutting up the remaining 184 (in
cluding a few obnoxious catholics) in fhe barn, they set fire
to it and burned them all. A priest named Murphy was said
fo be the chief instigator to this atrocity.
On the same day, in fhe northern part of the county,
general Loftus and cofonel Walpole, with 1500 men, ad
vanced in two divisions from Gorey to attack a rebel array
on Carrigruah-hill. The rebels, having had timely informa
tion, were approaching fhe town, when they encountered
Walpole, who, with the usual strategic abUity of the day,
knew nothing of their motions tUl he met them. He was
himself killed and his troops were routed ; and Loftus, deem
ing discretion fhe better part of valor, retired to Tullow, in
Carlow, leaving Gorey to its fate. On the 9th, fhe rebels,
27,000 in number if is said, advanced from Gorey against
Acklovv, in fhe county of Wicklow, with fhe intent of
marching for Dublin. They met with a gallant resistance
from about 1600 men, under general Needham ; and their
leader, father Murphy, vvho pretended to catch the flying

GEORGE HI. 539
bullets, being killed by a cannon-ball, fhey retreated to
Gorey. The rebels having conceritrated their forces at Vinegar-
hUl, general Lake prepared fo make a simultaneous attack
on them from different quarters, with a forcd of 13,000 men.
On fhe 21st, the several divisions advanced fo fhe attack,
which commenced at seven in the morning. The rebels
stood the firing of cannon arid musketry for an hour and a
half; they then broke and fled to Wexford, by what was
called ' Needham's Gap,' that officer not having arrived at
his post tUl after the batUe. The town of Wexford v^as
surrendered to the royal troops; and though various bodies
of the insurgents stUl kept together, the rebellion was in
effect ended.
While fhe rebels lay at Vinegar-hUly scarcely a day passed
in which they did not put to death some of their protestant
prisoners. It is computed that about 400 were thus butch
ered. At Wexford the prisoners were sayed, chiefly by the
influence of fhe catholic inhabitants, fill the 20th, when a
leader named Dixon commenced a massacre similar to that
of September, 1792, in Paris, The victims were conducted
in parties of fen or twenty to the stately wooden bridge over
the Slaney, at the particular request of Mrs, Dixon, that, as
she expressed it, "the people might have the pleasure of
seeing them " put to death- The usual mede was, fpr twp
pikemen fp stand befpre and fwp behind the victim, and
thrusting their pikes into his body, to raise and hold him
suspended as long as any signs of life appeared. In this
manner 97 were murdered. Human feelings still showed
theraselves in the raidst of these barbarities. Seme pf the
priests prpved themselves men pf humanity. Father Philip
Rpche, a mUitary leader, and brave as a paladin, thpugh
rpugh and bpisterpus in manner, exhibited the huriianity al
ways attendant on true courage. Some of the lowest ofthe
people saved the charitable rector of Wexford. Many other
instances could be given. We fear, that if a fair balance
were struck of the blood shed and the cruelties and other
enormities committed during those unhappy times, fhe pre
ponderance would be greatly on fhe side of the loyalists.
Courts-martial made little discrimination between the inno
cent and the guilty ; nay, to have saved the life or property
of a protestant was construed into a proof of guilt, as it
argued influence over the rebels.
To fhe honor of fhe rebels if is to be recorded, tbat
though they had in their hands a number of protestant fe-

540 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
males of all ages, not fhe slightest insult was offered to their
chastity. Widely different in this respect was the conduct
of fhe royal troops, with fhe exception of fhe Highlanders,
who on all occasions behaved with honor and humanity.
At length the arrival of lord Cornwallis as viceroy an
nounced the return of tranquiUity, An amnesty was pub
lished, and fhe rebels were perraitted to return to their
homes and resume their avocations, O'Connor^ Emmet,
and fhe ofher chiefs who were in prison, obtained leave to
expatriate themselves, on giving all the information in their
power respecting fhe plans and proceedings of the United
Irish society. Every appearance of rebellion had disap
peared, when a French force of 1100 men, under general
Humbert, landed (Aug. 22) at KUlala, in Connaught. They
were joined by a part of the peasantry, and fhey pushed on
at once for fhe heart of the kingdom. A force of 3000
men, or raore, under generals Hutchinson and Lake, at
Castlebar, actually ran away, leaving their artUlery behind
thera, and fled to Athlone. As the lord lieutenant was ad
vancing with a considerable force, Hurabert raoved toward
Sligo ; but he afterwards crossed fhe Shannon, and reached
a place named BaUinamuck, in the county' of Longford,
where, finding himself surrounded by an army of more than
20,000 men under lord Cornwallis, he surrendered, (Sept, 8.)
His rebel auxiliaries were pursued and slaughtered without
mercy. Thus terminated the last (as we hope it may prove)
rebeUion in Ireland, after a loss of raore than 50,000 lives,
and fhe destruction of property to the amount of upwards
of a mUlion sterling.
No time was now lost in preparing measures for the pro
posed Union. The usual and only course was adopted —
arguments were addressed to men's interests, not to their
reason. All the boroughs to be suppressed were fo be lav
ishly paid for to their proprietors ; titles of nobility, bish
oprics, judgeships, places in all fhe public departments, in
many cases ready money, were given or promised to the
great aristocracy and to the members of the legislature.
The boon of emancipation was held out to fhe catholics.
The chief opponents of the measure were the people of
Dublin, who saw in if a loss of consequence and profit to
fhe city and themselves ; and the lawyers who were in par
liament, and therefore foresaw a diminution of their own
importance. There vvere, however, many who were actu
ated only by pure motives of mistaken patriotism. In
March, 1800, fhe measure was passed by fhe Irish parlia-

GEORGE III. 541
merit. Its principal opponents in the British legislature
were lords Holland, King, and Thanet, and Messrs, Grey
and Sheridan, On fhe 2d of July it received the royal
assent, and fhe legislatures were joined, never, we trust, to
be dissevered. Ireland was to send 32 elective peers fo the
house of lords (of whom four are prelates, who sit in rota
tion) and 100 members to the house of commons.
We will now proceed to make a rapid sketch of the
foreign affairs of Great Britain, Restricted by our narrow
limits, we can only promise a bird's-eye view fo our readers.
On the 19th of May, 1798, a fleet of 13 sail of the line,
vvith frigates, corvettes, transports, etc., carrying aland force
of 20,000 men, under general Buonaparte, sailed from Tou
lon ; its destination was Egypt, its chief object the destruc
tion of the Anglo-Indian empire. It took fhe isle of Malta
on its way, and reached Alexandria in safety, (June 30.)
Lord St. Vincent, who comraanded the British fleet off
Cadiz, sent sir Horatio Nelson with 14 ships-of-war in
search of fhe Toulon fleet as soon as he heard of its having
sailed. Nelson, after exploring various quarters, at length
(Aug. 1) discovered it moored in line of battle in Aboukir-
hay, by Alexandria. He adopted fhe plan of Duncan at
Camperdown, (though in a more hazardous form,) and
placed a part of his fleet between fhe enemy and the shore,
and the hostUe squadron was thus engaged on both sides.
The advantage in size of vessels, weight of metal, and
number of men, was greatly on the side of fhe French;
their admiral, Brueys, was an officer of superior abUity, and
they were aided by the batteries on fhe land; buf nothing
could withstand the skill and heroism of fhe British and
their Ulustrious admiral. The engagement lasted through
the day and night, and at fwo in fhe afternoon next day the
firing ceased. Two only of fhe French ships escaped ; two
were burnt, nine were captured; 5222 men (including the
admiral) perished; while fhe British had only 895 kUled and
wounded. For this great victory Nelson was created a baron,
with a pension of 2000/. a year ; buf the king of Naples,
more liberal than his own sovereign, gave him the dukedom
of Bronte, with an estate in Sicily.
It is a painful duty fo have to chronicle the infaray of so
great a man as Nelson ; but if is not fo be concealed, that
he was fhe slave fo a passion for lady Hamilton, a woman
of great beauty and talent, formerly the mistress, then the
wife, of the British ambassador at fhe Neapolitan court
Acting under her influence, Nelson actually annulled a
VOL, IL 46

542 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
solemn treaty concluded with the revolutionists of Naples.
To the admiral prince Caraccioli, a man of advanced age,
whose only offence was having (it was said on compulsion)
commanded the republican navy, he would not grant even the
favor of being shot The prince was found guilty at 12, and
hung at 5 o'clock of the same day, lady Hamilton feasting
her eyes with the sight to which she had urged her paramour.
Posterity is just; admiration, not respect, is the general feel
ing toward the character of Nelson.
On the 27th of August, 1799, a British force under sir
Ralph Abercrombie landed af the Helder, in Holland. It re
pulsed the troops which opposed it, and captured the fleet in
the Texel. Being joined by a Russian force, it amounted to
35,000 men, and fhe duke of York came and took the cora-
mand. It is lamentable fo observe the mischief that has been
done to England by titled incapacity assuming fhe post only
suited fo professional skill. Had Abercrombie remained in
coraraand, disgrace raight have been averted. The royal
duke vvas obliged fo engage for fhe release of 8000 prisoners
of war, in order to be permitted to depart unmolested.
Buonaparte made a rapid conquest of Egypt; he then ad
vanced into Syria, Already in imagination he had subdued
fhe Turkish empire, when fhe defence of Acre by fhe pasha
Jezzar, aided by sir Sidney Smith, checked his career. He
returned to Egypt, and thence fo France, where, by a master
stroke of boldness and policy, he subverted fhe directory
which governed, and placed himself at the head ofthe nation
under the title of First Consul, One ofhis first acts was to
make proposals of peace fo England, which, however, were
rejected. Early in the year 1801 a change took place in the British
cabinet; Mr, Pitt, after a retention of power for so many
years, retiring from office, and being succeeded by Mr, Ad
dington, fhe speaker of fhe house of commons. The cause
assigned by Mr. Pitt was his inability fo realize the hopes he
h:id held forth to the Irish catholics in consequence of fhe
fcruples entertained by the king. It was thought by many
that the new cabinet was only temporary, and that Mr. Pitt
would resume his post when he deemed if advisable.
The northern powers, acting under the influence of the
emperor of Russia, had again asserted that " free bottoms
make free goods," and entered into an armed neutrality fo
resist the right of search claimed by England. All attempts
at negotiatipn having failed with them, it vvas resolved to have
recourse fo stronger raeasures, and a fleet of 18 saU of fhe
line, wifh frigates, etc., under sir Hyde Parker, with Nelson

GEORGE m. 543
second in command, was sent to the Baltic. It was proposed
to commence with fhe Danes ; but instead of proceeding at
once to Copenhagen, they were to land Mr. Vansittart with
a flag of truce fo try to negotiate. This delay gave fhe Danes
time to prepare ; and when the fleet anchored off Copenhagen,
(Mar. 31,) a line of 19 ships and floating batteries, with land
batteries and other modes of defence, had been made ready.
Nelson undertook fhe attack with 12 saU of the line and the
small craft, (Apr. 2.) The action commenced at ten o'clock ;
af one, fhe admiral, whom fhe wind prevented from coraing
up wifh the rest of the fleet, made the signal of recall, as
some ofthe British ships had suffered severely, and fhe ene
my's fire had not slackened ; but Nelson ventured fo neglect
the signal. Af fwo fhe fire had ceased along fhe greater part of
the hostUe line. The slaughter had been immense among fhe
Danes ; and, as fhey were now suffering also from the fire of
their own batteries. Nelson wrote to the crown-prince to urge
him to assent to measures for stopping the carnage. An ar
mistice was agreed on for 24 hours, and fhe English were al
lowed fo carry off their prizes. Nelson declared this to have
been the raost dreadful baffle he had ever witnessed. He
was raised now fo the rank of viscount, fhe rainisfry being
resolved fo dole out their favors to him.
The assassination ofthe emperor Paul, and the accession
of his son Alexander, put an end to the armed neutrality.
The northern powers recognized the principle on which
England acted.
On fhe 8th of March, a British force of 12,000 men, under
sir Ralph Abercrombie, landed in Aboukir-bay. They thence
advanced to Alexandria, where (21sf) fhey defeated the
French under general Menou, the enemy losing nearly 4000 in
killed and wounded, the British about half the number ; but
their able general received a wound in the thigh, of which
he shortly after died. General Hutchinson, who succeeded
to fhe command, instead of besieging Alexandria, advanced
against Cairo, in concert wifh the Turkish forces under the
grand vizier and fhe capitan pasha. General Belliard, who
commanded in that city,' surrendered on honorable terms,
and fhe combined army, now joined by an Anglo-Indian force
of 7500 men, advanced to lay siege to Alexandria. Menou,
a.ffer making a defence for sorae days, accepted the terras
granted to Belliard, and Egypt was thus cleared of fhe French
and restored to the Porte.
Buonaparte, who had now routed the Austrians both in
Italy and Germany, and compelled fhem to sue for peace,

544 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
was making vast preparations for the invasion of England,
who on her part adopted fhe most energetic measures for
defence ; and such was the mUitary ardor shown by the peo
ple, that in addition to a force of nearly 500,000 men by sea
and land paid by the nation, fhe whole kingdom was filled
with corps of volunteers, ready to encounter the victors of
Marengo and Hohenlinden in defence of their liberties and
properties. But peace was necessary fo fhe French ruler,
and after much negotiation a treaty was signed at Araiens,
(Mar. 25, 1802,) England agreeing to restore all her con
quests except Trinidad and the Dutch settlements in Ceylon.
The war had largely increased fhe national debt, and it had
greatly deranged the internal relations ofthe country ; every
one therefore rejoiced af the prospect of franquUlity.

CHAPTER VI.
GEORGE III. (concluded.)
1802—1837.

The peace of Amiens proved to be nothing more than a
truce. Buonaparte, who soon transferred fhe whole power
ofthe state to himself, went on extending his influence over
the continent, and preparing fhe way for the universal do
minion at which he even then seems fo have aimed. The
English governraent, aware of his object, hesitated at restor
ing Malta fo fhe Knights of Sf. John, in this offending against
fhe letter of the treaty of Araiens ; and discussion having
proved useless, the rainisfer of England left Paris, (Mar. 12,
1803,) and orders were issued for seizing the ships of France
in the British ports. Buonaparte retaliated by detaining all
the British subjects who were in France af fhe time. The
war was novv renewed ; of the justice of it on the part of
England few pretended to doubt, and all fhe national ener
gies were put forth to sustain it.
The Addington administration was too feeble to direct the
nation in this great crisis, and after holding the reins wifh an
unsteady hand for a twelvemonth longer, they threw them up,
(May 12, 1804,) and Mr. Pitt re.sumed his proper station.
The dukeof Portland, lords Eldon, Hawkesbury, and Cas-

GEORGE III. 545
tlereagh, and some other members of fhe former cabinet re
mained i in office; lords MelvUle, Harrowby, and Camden
came in with Mr. Pitt ; Messrs, Huskisson and Sturges
Bourne became secretaries to the treasury, and Mr. Canning
treasurer of the navy.
On the 18th of May, Napoleon Buonaparte caused him
self to be declared emperor of the French, and at his sum
mons the pope came to Paris and crowned hira in the cathe
dral of Notre Dame, (Dec. 2.)
The new emperor appears to have had serious intentions
of invading England. His plan is said fo have been fo dis
tract the attention of the British government by sending out
his fleets in various directions, and while the British navy
was scattered in pursuit of them, fhey were to re-assemble
and aid the passage of the large army which he had col
lected on the coast.
Nelson, who was in fhe Mediterranean, (1805,) learning
that the Toulon fleet under Villeneuve was at sea, went
every where in search of it, buf to no purpose. Villeneuve
got info Cadiz, where he was joined by fhe Spanish admiral
Gravina, and fhe united fleet of eighteen sail ofthe line with
frigates put fo sea; Nelson pursued thera wifh ten sail of
fhe line. Having searched for them without effect in the
West Indies, he returned fo Gibraltar ; he then sought for
them in the bay of Biscay, and off the north-west coast of
Ireland, On his return fo Portsmouth, he at length received
certain intelligence. Sir Robert Calder, who, with fifteen
sail of fhe line, was on the look-out for fhe combined fleet,
fell in with it (July 22) sixty leagues west of Cape Finis
terre. Though it consisted of twenty-seven sail of the line,
he boldly attacked it, and succeeded in capturing two ships.
The hostUe fleets then remained in sight for four days, after
which Villeneuve retired fo Ferrol. For this gallant action
sir R. Calder was brought fo a court-martial, and severely
reprimanded !
Villeneuve, having taken out the squadron which was at
Ferrol, proceeded to Cadiz ; he was followed thither by a
British fleet under Nelson, who took his station fifty miles
to the west of that port, using every precaution fo conceal
his arrival and the number of his ships, ViUeneuve, who
had received orders to put fo sea immediately, came out of
Cadiz (Sept 19) with 33 sail of fhe line and five large
frigates; Nelson, whose force was 27 sail of the line and
four frigates, kept out of view, lest fhe enemy should put
back. On the 21st Oct the two fleets came to action off
46 * Q Q Q

546 HISTORY or England.
Cape Trafalgar. Villeneuve formed his line of battle in ai
double crescent ; the British fleet bore down in two columns,
one led by Nelson in the Victory, the other by admiral
CoUingwood in the Royal Sovereign. Nelson's last signal
was, ' England expects every man to do his duty.' He wore
that day the stars of all the orders with which, he had been
invested, and he seems fo have had a presentiment of his
fafe. Our limits do not adrait of the defaUs of this greatest of
naval conflicts. The victory of the English was glorious,
nineteen saU of the Une becoraing their prizes, and one
having blown up ; buf their joy was clouded by fhe death
of their illustrious leader. He was shot in fhe shoulder by
a ball from fhe mizzen-top of the Redoubtable, and he
breathed his last af the close of fhe action, saying, ' Thank
God, I have done my duty.'
This was the most important victory for England that
ever was achieved. It annihUated fhe French navy, and put
an end to all Napoleon's projects of invasion. Nelson's
brother was made an earl, with a pension of 6000/. a year,
and 100,000/. for the purchase of an estate; CoUingwood
was raised fo the peerage ; gold medals, etc. were bestowed
on the other officers.
Mr, Pitt did not long survive this great triumph of his
administration. His health had long been declining, and
he expired early in fhe following year, (Jan. 23,) in the 47th
year of his age. He was buried af the public expense in
Westminster-abbey, and parliament granted 40,000/. for the
payraentof his debts. His death dissolved the cabinet. The
king, in spite of his antipathy fo Mr. Fox, was obliged to
apply fo lord GrenviUe fo forra a ministry which he knew
must include that statesman. Lord GrenviUe became first
lord of fhe treasury, Addington (now lord Sidmouth) privy
seal, lord Erskine chancellor. Grey (now lord Howick) first
lord ofthe admiralty, earl Spencer, Mr. Fox, and Mr. Wind
ham, fhe three secretaries, ford Henry Petty chancellor of
the exchequer, etc. The change effected extended to the
lowest officers, and the whigs now seemed to think thera
selves secure of a long lease of power.
Mr. Fox lost no time in endeavoring fo negotiate a peace,
but he soon found how much easier it is as an opposition
leader to declaim against war, than as a minister fo effect
a peace with an ambitious and encroaching enemy. In jus
tice to Mr. Fox it raust be stated, that he scorned fo sacrifice
a particle of the national honor even for that peace which

GEORGE III. 547
he loved so much. He did not live to know the termination
«f his ineffectual negotiation. He died (Sept. 13) in his
o9th year, worn out by fhe fury of the parliamentary war
fare, and he reposes side by side with his great rival in the
Abbey. He had fhe satisfaction, during his short tenure of
power, to have measures passed for fhe suppression of fhe
slave trade.
The whig tenure of office was much shorter than they had
anticipated. They were perspnally odious to fhe king ;
their pretensions to superior wisdom and abUities caused
them to be nicknamed ' All fhe Talents,' and Mr. Canning
assailed and ridiculed fhem without ceasing on this head;
their conduct of foreign affairs, moreover, indicated little
wisdom or vigor. The public expectation, in fine, was
disappointed; and fhe king, faking advantage of their intro
duction of a measure for fhe relief of the catholics, dis
missed them frora office (Mar. 24, 1807) with the general
approbation of the nation. The duke of PorUand was fhe
nominal head of the nevv ministry, with Mr. Perceval, an
eminent barrister, as leader in the commons; fhe three sec
retaries were lords Castlereagh and Hawkesbury, and Mr.
Canning; and lord Eldon was made chancellor. A dissolu
tion of parliament ensued, and fhe alarm of ' No Popery ! '
gave the ministers an overwhelming majority.
In fhe preceding year fhe victory af Austerlitz had pros
trated Austria at the feet of Napoleon, and novv that of
Jena broke the power of Prussia, and those of Kylau and
Friedland reduced Russia to sue for peace, A treaty was
concluded af Tilsit, of which the real object was the over
throw of national independence all over Europe. Napoleon
now commenced his grand system of measures for excluding
England from the trade of the entire continent, by declaring
the British isles in a state of blockade, and prohibiting all
intercourse with them. The English cabinet, in return, by
orders in council, declared every port from which England
was excluded to be in a state of blockade, and all vessels
trading with it liable to capture.
As it was evident from fhe treaty of Tilsit, that Napoleon,
who was never restrained by any feeling of justice or honor,
would, when he saw fif, occupy Denmark, and add her re
sources to his empire ; the British ministry, acting on fhe
principle of self-preservation, resolved fo anticipate hira,
even at the expense of justice. A fleet under admiral Gam-
bier, carrying 20,000 troops, commanded by lord Cathcart,
appeared in fhe Baltic, and an envoy was .sent to Copen-

54-8 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
hagen to require fhe surrender of the Danish fleet, to be
restored when peace should be concluded between France
and England. The reply being a positive refusal, the troops
were landed, (Aug. 16,) and Copenhagen was invested by
sea and land. After a bombardment of four days, a capit
ulation was made, (Sept 8,) and all fhe ships, stores, tim
ber, etc., were surrendered, and were conveyed to England,
In the year 1808 corarnenced the memorable Peninsular
War, which, persevered in wifh energy, in spite of egregious
blunders on fhe part of the British cabinet, of fhe unpatri
otic conduct of the opposition, of fhe baseness, treachery,
and pusillanimity of fhe Spanish and Portuguese govern
ments, was carried, though at a ruinous expense, to a glo
rious termination, and led to the overthrow of the despot
ism which oppressed Europe, Providence had so arranged
that England should possess another Marlborough in sir
Arthur WeUesley, who had already in India reduced fhe
power of the Mahrattas, whUe his brother fhe maiqu«ss
WeUesley was governor-general. To attempt to detail fhe
military achievements of this illustrious warrior in our re
stricted limits would be mere presumption. More fortunate
than his great predecessor, he has met with an historian
worthy of him, and fhe puhlicafion of his own despatches
has given fo his fame the only addition that it could receive.
We shall aim at nothing beyond fhe enumeration of his
victories. Napoleon w^s resolved fo add the Spanish peninsula with
its colonies fo his dorainions. In fhe year 1807 his troops
occupied Portugal, the royal family having fled fo the
Brazils. Large bodies of troops were under various pre
texts introduced into Spain; fhe king and his eldest son
were obliged to appear before the emperor af Bayonne, and
fo resign fhe crown. They were sent as prisoners into the
interior of France, and the emperor's brother Joseph was
appointed king of Spain. But fhe pride and jealousy of the
Spanish people took fire af the insult offered fo fhe nation,
and all fhe provinces of the monarchy prepared fo resist
Deputations were sent fo London, and fhe British govern
ment bestowed with lavish profusion money, arms, and sup
plies of all kinds. Spain was now to he fhe arena on
which fhe battles of European independence were to be
fought A force of 10,000 men under sir Arthur WeUesley sailed
from Cork (July 12) to cooperate with the Spaniards and
Portuguese. He debarked in Mondego-bay to fhe north of

GEORGE IIL 549
Lisbon. Reinforcements raised his troops to fhe number of
16,000 men, and at the vUlage of Vimiero (Aug, 21) he en
gaged the French general Junot, and defeated him with a
loss of more than 2000 kiUcd and wounded. The victory
would have been more complete but for the folly of the
British ministry, who had appointed not less than two gen
erals, sir Harry Burrard and sir Hew Dalrymple, over the
man whose superior talents fhey must have known. The
former arrived just before fhe battle, and though he did not
interfere vvith sir A, Wellesley's movements, he assumed the
command in time to prevent the victory from being com
pleted. Sir Hew arrived next day, and Junot having sent to
propose a convention by which the French should evacuate
Portugal, if vvas agreed fo, and fhe Convention of Cintra, as
it was named, was made, by which fhe French troops, with
their property, both public and private, were fo be landed in
France. This convention was generally regarded as dis
graceful fo England, and sir Hew received a vote of censure
from parliament, which, it is evident, the secretary,-at-w ar de
served much better.
In fhe latter part of the year Napoleon poured immense
masses of troops into Spain, where he now came to fake the
command in person.
The British army in Portugal was now commanded by sir
John Moore, a very able officer ; but lord CasUereagh, wifh
fhe usual ministerial presumption, took upon himself to di
rect fhe military operations. Moore was ordered to proceed
to the north of Spain fo join an expedition from England.
He advanced to Salamanca, where finding fhe Spanish ar
mies, whose cooperation he had been led fo expect, routed
and scattered, and fhe people lukewarm, if not hostile, he re
solved fo retreat fo fhe coast, and by drawing the French
after him give fhe Spaniards time to recover. It was now
the depth of winter ; the toils and sufferings of the array were
extreme ; a superior French force under marshal Soult
pressed on their retreat; but they reached Corunna (Jan.
11, 1809) unimpeded. "Theyhad embarked their sick men
and artillery, when (16th) they were furiously attacked by
Soult with a force of 20,000, theirs being only 14,500;
after a severe action, the assailants were repelled with a
loss of 2000 men, fhe British losing half the number and
their excellent comraander. They buried him at night in
the citadel, and Soult, as a generous enemy, raised a monu
ment over hira. The troops embarked during the night, and
proceeded to England.

550 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
Marshal Soult thence advanced into Portugal, and made
himself master of Oporto. At the same time the regency
at Lisbon having applied for a British officer to discipline
and comraand their troops, general Beresford was the person
selected : sir A. WeUesley also arrived with a British army,
(Apr. 22,) and he took fhe supreme command of both fhe
British and Portuguese forces. He marched without delay
against Soult, whom he forced fo evacuate Portugal ; he then
advanced info Spain to cooperate with the Spanish general
Cuesta against marshal Victor. A severe engagement was
fought (July 27 and 28) near fhe city of Talavera in Estra-
raadura ; the British were 19,000 men, fhe Spaniards 34,000,
whUe the French had 50,000 veteran soldiers. The enemy
was finally repulsed with a loss of more than 7000 in all ; fhe
British had near 5500 killed and wounded ; fhe Spaniards
said they had lost 1200, for on this, as On most occasions,
fhe Spaniards proved of little use in action. Sir A. Welles-
ley, aware of this and ofthe baseness ofthe Junta at SeviUe
vvho administered the government, resolved to remain no
longer in Spain, and he retired info Portugal. For his con
duct of this campaign he was created viscount Wellington.
Fortunately for Spain, Austria was now af war with Na
poleon. His defeat af Aspern raised hopes that his despot
ism might be overthrown ; but at Wagram all these hopes
were crushed. The British cabinet, while Austria maintained
fhe contest, prepared to make a diversion in her favor, and
lord CasUereagh planned a mighty expedition to the coast
of HoUand. But CasUereagh, fhe most ignorant and ineffi
cient of war-nainisters, knew nothing ofthe country to which
he was sending fhe troops ; he selected fo command fhem
fhe worst general possible, in the sluggish, inert, and igno
rant earl of Chatham, whose only merit was his being a Pitt;
and he delayed the expedition till fhe season of utility was
past. A fleet of 39 saU ofthe line, with frigates, gun-hoats,
etc., and carrying 40,000 soldiers, sailed from the Downs on
the day ofthe batUe of Talavera, buf without a Wellington.
We will not relate fhe details of this lamentable offspring of
incapacity ; it merely took fhe pesfUential island of Walche
ren, and the greater part of the men composing it perished by
disease. Mr. Canning, vvho was certainly the first stafesraan of his
party, clearly saw fhe total unfitness of lord Castlereagh for
the situation vvhich he held, and he tendered his own resig
nation to the duke of PorUand unless his brother-secretary
were removed. This led to a duel between tbe fwo ministers,

GEORGE IIL 551
and to their subsequent resignations, and fhe foreign depart
ment was comraitfed to the marquess WeUesley, a man of
undoubted talent and energy.
In 1810 the malady with which the king had more than
once been attacked returned, never fo be removed. On fhe
aberration of his intellect being ascertained, the chief execu
tive power was confided to the prince of Wales as regent,
and though the prince had long been connected with the
whigs, he made no change in the ministry.
Napoleon was now able fo direct his whole force against
the peninsula. In the month of May marshal Massena took
the command of 87,000 men destined for fhe conquest of
Portugal. Lord Wellington, conscious of his inferiority of
force; formed three lines of defence across fhe peninsula
on which Lisbon stands. He posted his troops at Viseu,
Abrantes, and other places ; he suffered Massena fo fake Ciu
dad Rodrigo and Almeida. He then fell back to his first line
of defence at Torres Vedras, having given the enemy a smart
check at the heights of Busacos, (Sept. 27.) Massena, after
lying about three weeks before the impregnable lines of
Torres Vedras, fell back to Santarem, and in the following
spring (1811) he commenced his retreat, cautiously pursued
by lord Wellington, who invested Almeida, which city being
abandoned by fhe enemy, he led part ofhis troops to Bada
joz, which marshal Beresford was besieging. This officer
had, however, raised the siege, and with a force of only 6000
British, in conjunction wifh a Spanish array, he gave battle
(May 16) to marshal Soult at Albuera, Never was British
valor raore conspicuous than on this day ; by incredible
efforts the enemy was routed, buf of their whole number only
1500 remained unwounded. The loss of fhe French was
8000 kUled and wounded, among whom were five generals ;
fhe Spaniards lost 2000 men. When lord Wellington ar
rived, an ineffectual attempt was made to storm Badajoz ;
leaving some troops to blockade it, he returned to Portugal,
and he soon after laid siege fo Ciudad Rodrigo, buf marshal
Marmont obliged him to raise it.
In the early part of this year the British troops in Cadiz,
under general Graham, gained (Mar, 5) a victory over mar
shal Victor at fhe heights of Barrosa; but fhe ignorance and
cowardice ofthe Spanish general rendered if useless.
On the llth of May, 1812, Mr, Perceval was assassinated
in fhe lobby ofthe house of commons by a man named Bel-
linghara, who fancied himself injured by the government
This fatal event led to a re-modeling of the cabinet. Over-

552 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
tures were made to lords Grey and GrenviUe ; buf, with the
usual dictatorial spirit ofthe whigs, fhey would, fo use their
own phrase, ' ride rough-shod through Carlton house,' or not
enter if ; and this affair terminated in that upright and able,
though not brilliant statesman, fhe earl of Liverpool, becom
ing the premier.
While in thisyear Napoleon was engaged in preparing for
his inauspicious conflict wifh Russia, lord Wellington re
sumed fhe offensive. Early in January he took Ciudad Rod
rigo by storm ; he then led his troops against Badajoz, which,
city, after a most gallant and able defence by general Philli-
pon, was stormed (Apr. 6) and taken, with great loss on the
part of the allies. Lord Wellington then moved northwards,
and engaged near Salamanca (June 22) the array of raarshal
Marraont The defeat of the French was coraplete, the
prisoners alone araounting fo 7000 men. After this victory
fhe British general entered Madrid in triumph, (Aug. 12 ;)
but having wasted thirty-five days in besieging Burgos with
out heavy artillery, he found it necessary, on account of fhe
approach of fhe French armies, to retire info Portugal.
The dominion of Napoleon was now fast drawing fo its
close. The fatal retreat frpm Mpscpw was succeeded by
fhe defectipn pf allies and the insurrection of nations, in fhe
cause of independence, WhUe fhe British government were
aiding fhe confederacy of fhe North by subsidies, they did
not neglect their great commander in the peninsula, and on
the 16th of May, 1813, he was able fo put his army of
48,000 British, 28,000 Portuguese, and 18,000 Spaniards in
motion. The French army, equal in number and led by
king Joseph and marshal Jourdan, retired before hira toward
France ; but af Vittoria (June 21) they found it necessary to
give battle. The victory of the allies on this day was one
of fhe most decisive and glorious ever gained. The enemy
fled, abandoning their baggage, stores, artillery, and every
thing ; fhe victors soon approached fhe Pyrenees ; but Soult,
the ablest of Napoleon's generals, had now taken the com
raand, and in the defiles ofthe raountains ranch severe fight
ing occurred. Both. armies took up their winter quarters on
fhe shores of the bay of Biscay, The strong fortress of St.
Sebastian had been reduced by the British, after sustaining
great loss, owing to fhe want of skill in sir Thomas Graham"
their commander.
In January, (1814,) fhe allies crossed the Rhine and
entered France ; lord Wellington af fhe same time entered
it from fhe South, Soult retiring before him. Af Orthes

GEORGE III. 553
(Feb. 27) another complete victory was gained, and fhe
British general stUl advanced tUl he again encountered his
rival under the walls of Toulouse, where, at fhe very time
that Napoleon was signing his abdication at Fontainbleau,
(Apr. 10,) a furious battle was fought, which terminated, as
usual, in the defeat ofthe French, and concluded fhe war.
A portion of the victorious troops of Wellington had now
fo cross the Atlantic to engage a new enemy. In 1812,
when the liberties of mankind were in agony, and England
was straining every nerve in their defence, it might have been
expected that fhe government of the United States would have
sympathized with the glorious efforts of fhe mother country,
and, if she were guilty of a few violations of fhe strict letter of
the law of nations, would have overlooked fhem. Buf though
England had expressed her willingness to revoke her orders
in council, Mr. Madison could not wait wifh patience ; and,
while the European despot was pouring his myriads info
Russia, the president of fhe United States ordered his troops
to advance to fhe conquest of Canada ; defeat, however, await
ed fhem ; they were obliged fo surrender fo far inferior num
bers. At sea tbey had mpre^ success, fpr they succeeded in
capturing the British frigates the Guerriere and Macedpnian,
They had alsp soxae success uppn the lakes.
In the campaign pf 1813, fhe British, thpugh greaUy
inferipr in fprce, maintained their superiprity pn land ; but
the .Americans had the advantage pn the lakes, A brilliant
/ exploit at sea reestablished the glory of fhe British flag.
"i Captain Brooke, being off the port of Bostpn in the Shannon
frigate, challenged fhe Chesapeake, which was lying there,
fo come out. The challenge was accepted ; the American
was superior in number of raen and guns and weight of
metal ; yet in fifteen minutes she was a prize, and on her
way fp Halifax.
"The pverthrow of Napoleon in 1814 was calculated fo
bring the president fo reason, and negotiations for peace were
commenced. But the republicans longed for Canada, and
the English wished fo punish fhem for their ungenerous
conduct Hostilities were therefore continued, and at mid
summer a body of Wellington's warriors landed in Canada ;
but the utter incapacity of sir George Prevost, fhe com
mander-in-chief, paralyzed their valor. A fleet carrying a
body of troops commanded by general Ross saUed up the
Chesapeake, and the troops, having landed and defeated (Aug.
24) an American array of 8000 or 9000 men, took fhe city
of Washington, where private property was respected, buf all
VOL, II, 47 "¦"  ' " R R R

5.54 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
the pubHc^buUdings and^^tgres were destroj'ed^ The fleet
anTl armyTireiT'm ade'an unsucce^KlTffempt on the city of
Baltimore. A most unfortunate expedition was sent up the Mississippi
toward the end of the year, in fhe hope of surprising New
Orleans. But, as^ujual, fhe secret transpired, and general
Jackson, who comrnanded there, had tirae to prepare for its
defence, and his dispositions were raost able. Never did the,
nobler qualifies of the British soldier show in greater lustre ,
than in this disastrous affair. The Araericans were posted
behind intrenchments, with a deep canal in their front; from
batteries and vessels of war they kept up an incessant flre ;
while their riflemen, faking deliberate aim, did murderous
execution. In fine, fhe British were obliged fo retire, having
lost their leaderTthe gaUant Pakenham, and between 2000
and 3000 of their peninsular heroes, (Jan. 8.) Peace had
meanfirae been concluded af Ghent, and a war terminated
vvhich should never have comraenced.
The sudden return of Napoleon fo France in 1815 re
kindled fhe flames of war. The most energetic measures
were adopted by the allied nations fo oppose him ; large
armies were rapidly assembled in fhe Netherlands. The
great and decisive battle was fought (June IS) between
Napoleon and Wellington at Waterloo. To give fhe details
of this important contest is out of our power ; suffice it fo
say, that a victory more complete never was won, and that it
crushed forever the hopes ofthe despot, who, erelong, sought
refuge_on board of a British man-of-war, and af length died a
captive on the rock of St. Helena.
A general peace, which has not since been interrupted,
vvas now established. During the remaining years of fhe
reign of George III., England was internally agitated, in
consequence of the difficulties and sufferings necessarUy
attendant on a return to peace from a state of war, which
had greatly altered fhe relations of society : in many places
fhe lower classes broke out info riots, vvhich it required
military force fo quell ; for [the members of these classes
too easily become, when involved in political ignorance and
darkness,] the victims and dupes of artful and unprincipled
men, who seek fo make fhem the ladder of their own ambi
tion,* These men carefully instil info their minds a belief
* The following description of the genus demagogue is drawn by an
American writer — "Demagogues are the natural fruit of republics;
and the fabled Upas conld not be more poisonous or desolating to the
soil from which it springs. Envious of his superiors, panting for honors

GEORGE IV. 555
that their misery, whenever it occurs, is attributable to the
upper classes of society, and can be remedied by legislative
enactments ; [than which, greater, more absurd, or more
injurious error cannot be conceived or propagated].
During the reign of George HI,, the subjugation of India
was effected, chiefly pnder the administration ofthe marquess
WeUesley, whose brother, the future vanquisher of Napoleon,
first displayed his transcendent abUities in the war against
the Mahrattas ; and fhe names of Delhi, Assye, and Dargaum
open fhe roll ofthe numerous and splendid mUitary achieve
ments which shed glory on his name. The whole of India,
with the exception of Lahore, Nepaul, and a few other states,
is now, more or less, directly under fhe dominion of Great
Britain, whose rule is evidently, though not to fhe extent fo
be desired, a blessing fo that vast region, and which would
be ill exchanged for fhe withering despotism of Russia, or a
return to fhe former state of turbulence and oppression.
On fhe 29th of January, 1820, fhe reign of George IIL,
the longest in our annals, reached its close. The venerable
monarch was in fhe 82d year of his age. The sterling
goodness and fhe sincere piety which marked his character,
liad always, in spite of the party violence and anarchic
principles which had prevailed so much in England during a
great part of his reign, secured him the love and veneration
ofthe great body ofthe people ; and though so long shut out/,
from the view of the world, his death caused a feeling of
regret and melancholy. The prince regent mounted the
throne as George IV.
The chief events in fhe reign of George IV. are the
prosecution of the queen for adultery, and the emancipation
of fhe Roman Catholics. Over the former, for fhe sake
of all parties, we would wUlingly cast fhe veil of oblivion.
Suffice it fo say, that the queen was not spotless, buf that she
had been originally harshly, and even barbarously treated.
There never had in fact been a raore ill-assorted union ;
never were two persons less suited fo each other than
George IV. and his queen.
The bUl for the emancipation of the catholics was intro-
which he is conscious he never can deserve, endowed with no higher
faculty than cunning and .in imprudent hardihood, reckless of conse
quences, and groveling alike in spirit and motive, the demagogue seeks
first to cajole the people, then to corrupt, and last of all tn betray and
ruin them. When he has brought down the high to a level wifh
himself, and depressed the low till they are pliant to h;s will, his work
is achieved." — Sparkes's Life of Wasldngion, i. 427.

556 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
duced in 1829 by the duke of Wellington and sir Robert
Peel, hitherto its most strenuous opponents, but who now
saw no other mode of averting a civil war in Ireland. [The
iraperious demands of fhe improved moral sense of the age,
and which the whole nation, as with one voice, urged upon
them, compelled these ministers to introduce the measure.
If was carried with universal approbation.]
George IV. expired on the 25th of June, 1830, and was,
succeeded by his brother, the duke of Clarence, as WU
liam IV.
This monarch was hardly seated on the throne, when a
revolution took place in France ; and the excitement caused
by it was not without effect on fhe elections for a new par
liament. The feeling that a reformation in the house of
commons was required, and that it would be productive of
much benefit to the country by the correction of abuses, had
beoorae very general. An injudicious declaration of the
duke of Wellington against reform hastened the crisis. The
whigs at length arrived af office, and a ministry was formed
with the veteran statesman earl Grey at its head.
A bUl for the reforra of parliament was introduced without
delay. It was vehemenUy and unwisely opposed by the tory
party, whpse pbstinate refusal pf the right pf sending mem
bers fp parliament fp such tpwns as Birminghara and Leeds
had Pccasipned if. The whigs [with the whple vpice pf an
enlightened natipn urging and sustaining them] were equally
resplute in their determination to carry it. The bill vvas
finally passed, (June 7, 1832.) It abelished a great number
of the small, or, as fhey were called, rotten boroughs, and
gave representatives to many places vvhich had not possessed
them ; it also altered the elective franchise, giving a vast
accession of strength to the democratic principle. Public
opinion [had, however, at this time,] by means of the press,
become so powerful, that it was comparatively of little impor
tance how fhe members of fhe legislature were chosen.
Several reformatory measures have been since passed,
such as opening fhe China trade, emancipating the negro
slaves in the colonies, amending fhe poor laws, reforming
corporations, etc, some of which are undoubtedly beneficial ;
the wisdom and goodness of others can only be tested by time.
[In truth the " Reforra Bill " ought only fo be regarded
as fhe coraraenceraent of a series of raoral efforts which the
improved tone of intelligence and morality of the present age
is urging forward for the advancement of the social condition

WILLIAM IV.  VICTORIA. 557
of man ; for withdrawing fhe public energies of governments
from those merely animal ambitions which have so long
engaged the attention of all nations, and concentrating them
upon fhe promotion of fhe real, infernal happiness of the
people. The tide thus once set in can never be driven back,
and fhe effects will be felf, not only fbroughout Great Brit
ain and her dependencies, buf throughout the world. The
passage, more recently, of the " Postage Bill," — a bill infi
nitely more important, in its objects and results, than any
that was ever before introduced in any legislative assembly,
— is a most marked and glorious testimony fo the truth of
these remarks.]
William IV. died, after a brief reign, on fhe 20fh of June,
1837, and was succeeded by her preseut majesty, Victoria,
the only child ofthe late duke of Kent, [The most remark
able event of her reign has been the passage of fhe " Uni
form Penny Postage Bill," (August, 1839;) a bUl charac
teristic of the age and country ; and fhe happy moral and
intellectual, and therefore universally beneficial, effects of
which are incalculable ; effects which, unlike those of raost
raeasures of legislative bodies, will be felt by every individual
of every class throughout the British Empire.*]
^ [Nothing could more clearly demonstrate the power and efficncy
of an enlightened public opinion and public press, — no example of the
like kind had ever before been exhibited in any country, — than the
liistory of this measure of Postage Reform. Mr. Hill's pamphlet on the
subjt-ct vvas " printed for private distribution only " at the end of 183G
and beginning of 1837. It was afterwards published. In the ensuing
session of parliament five petitions were presented on the subject. In
the next session, (1837-38,) three hundred and twenty petitions vvere
presented ; committees were formed ; and the whole of the public press
oecnme advocates ofthe measure. In August, 1839, it vvas the law of
the land. — J. T. S.J
47*

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE

OF KINGS OF ENGLAND.

50X0?!.* .4. V.
Egbert, first king of Eng
land  g'27
Ethelwolf  837
Ethelbald  858
Ethelbert  861
Etlielred 1  866
Alfred  872
Edward the Elder  901
Athelstan  S-25
Edmund  940
Edred  947
Edwy  955
Edgar  959
Edward the Martyr  975
Ethelred II  978
Edmund Ironsides  1016

Danish.
Canute  1017
Harold 1  10;K
Hardicanute  ,  1039

Saxon. A. n,
Edward the Contfessor  1041
Harold II  1066

Saxon and JVorman united, f
William 1  106S
William II  1067
Henry 1  1100
Stephen  ,'  11:55
Henry II  1154
Richard 1  1189
John  1199
Henry III  1216
Edward 1  127-2
Edward II  131^7
Edward III  1327
Richard II  1377
Henry IV  1399
Henrv V  141^
Hcnr> VI  1422
Edward IV  1461
Edward V  1483

* The Saxons, Dunes, and NurinaiLs, as they are usually called, wore not di-ifin 't
rtctis, but immediate branches of the same original Gothic or Scandinavian stock.
The settlement, at different times, of parties under these different names in England,
\vQ.B therefore but the union of branches of the same race, and not, in any instance,
the intermixture of a foreign race.
f William the Norman was himself nearly connected with the Saxon line, and
claimed the crown as hi.? by bequest and election, and not by conquest. (See vol. i. p.
€1, n6te.) Edgar the Atheling waa the only one who had a legal claim to the crown
Hgainst William ; and, in order to cement his tlirone, and expressly for the purpose of
gaining the affection.s of the people, Willium's son Henry I, married the daughter of
Margaret, the sister of Edgar Atlieling, so that al) his descendants have the blood of
the Saxon monarchs in tlieir veins. All the other nearest branches of the ancient
¦Saxon line have, at various other periods, been united tu the English crown.

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE.

559

Richard HI  1483
Henry VII  1485
Henry VIH  1509
Edward VI  1547
Mary  1553
Elizabeth  1558
James 1  1603
Charles 1  1625
Charles II  1649

A. D.
James II  1685
William and Mary  1689
Anne  1702
George 1  1714
George II  1727
George III  1760
George IV  1820
William IV.  1830
Victoria  1837

END OF VOLUME II.