now actually King disturbed by no Competitor or Pretender might with all affluence of Honour Wealth and Pleasure have enjoy'd his Kingdom in profound Peace but in despight to Fortune who hitherto had Courted him He created Troubles to himself and was the unlucky Author of his own misery For tho the Rebellious Insurrection of the Welsh in the first Year of his Reign did somewhat discompose his quiet yet the Issue of it did only tend to aggrandise his Name to make him more revered at Home and more awfully consider'd abroad But the Expedition into Scotland was the product of his own injustice Stephen his Father by Adoption had granted Cumberland and Huntington shire to Malcolm King of the Scots and Maud his Mother had given Northumberland to the same Henry disdaining to see his Kingdom Cantonised and grudging that such considerable Parts of it should be dismember'd from the Body and become the Patrimony of his Neighbour demands the Estate by a military Claim and marching thither with a powerful Army repossesseth himself of part of these alienated Lands and voluntarily relinquisheth the rest The same restless Humour prompted him to persecute his Brother Geoffrey For his Father on his Death-Bed bequeath'd the Dukedom of Anjou to him but with this limitation that so soon as He should become King of England he should deliver up Anjou to his Brother Geoffrey And for the further assurance of it he obliged his Lords to Swear not to suffer his Body to be buried till his Son Henry had taken his Oath exactly to perform it Henry solemnly binds himself by Oath to perform his Fathers Will but afterward as wickedly breaks his Vow having obtain'd a Dispensation for so great an Impiety from his Holy Father Pope Adrian and entring into Anjou with an Army took from his Brother who was in no Capacity to resist so puissant an Invader not only the Country of Anjou but some other Cities also which his Father had absolutely given him for his maintenance which unnatural Treatment had so fatal an operation on the poor Duke that within a very short time it broke his heart And now Lewis King of France began to find him a costly and hazardous diversion for having not well digested the affront put upon him by King Henry in marrying of Eleanor his divorced Queen and seeking all occasions to demonstrate his Resentments he became an open Abettor of Raymond Earl of St. Giles with whom King Henry had a Controversie about the Earldom of Tholouse Hereupon the Litigants began mutually to arm and great forces were rais'd on both sides but being just ready to joyn in a bloody Battel a Peace was concluded by the Mediation of Friends And least matters should be wanting to propagate new cares and interruption to the progress of his Felicity by an over fond and unexampled Indulgence he assumed his Son Henry then seventeen years of age into a Partnership in the Throne whose arrogant behaviour and picgant Repaâ—tee at the very time of his Coronation administred just cause to the King to repent his rashness For the King to do honour to his young Colleague at the Coronation feast would needs carry up the first Dish to the Table which the Archbishop who had perform'd the Ceremony observing said merrily to the new King What an honour is this to you to have such a waiter at your Table The other reply'd Why what great matter is it for him that was but the Son of a Duke to do service to me that am the Son of a King and a Queen Neither was it long before the King was sensibly convinced of his weakness For the young King having imbibed some mutinous Notions of discontent from the insinuations of the French King and being animated by his advice and assistance began openly to oppose his Father For an aggravation to the old Kings misfortunes Eleanor his Queen inraged with jealousie and not able to endure the sight of so many Concubines to which her Husband had given up himself she not only incenseth her Son Henry to proceed in his Enterprise but secretly perswadeth Richard and Geoffery two other of her Sons to joyn with him against their Father encouraging them to expect a more liberal maintenance from their Brother than their penurious Father did allow them by these Instigations they repair into Normandy and joyn themselves with their Brother who growing more insolent by their assistance return'd a haughty and imperious answer to a kind and loving message from his Father disdaining to lay down arms unless he would first lay down his authority and resign the Kingdom To shuffle matters into the greater perplexity Lewis King of France began to form a League against King Henry and having call'd together the great Lords of his Kingdom and inveigled William King of the Scots Hugh Earl of Chester Roger Moubray Hugh Bigod and other the Accomplices of his Son they all joyn'd in an Oath to aid and assist the young King with their whole power and thereupon in one day they began their Attacks the French invading Normandy Aquitain and Britain and the King of Scots Northumberland The old King in a short time disincumbred himself from these Exigencies and triumphed over all his Enemies but new troubles like Hydra's Heads sprung up every day to arrest his Tranquillity and he had no sooner made a Truce with his Son Henry but the defection of his Son Richard who had possest himself of a great part of the Province of Poictou obliged him to transport an Army thither and by the influence of it to reduce him to obedience But the splendor of his success was darkned with a sensible misfortune Henry his Darling the copartner of his Empire but the Excrescence of the Throne ended his Competition with his life to the equal content and sorrow of his Father Within a while Richard his Heir apparent revived his former discontent relapsed into the old fit of Rebellion and drew along with him his Brother John with many more of his Fathers Adherents and Followers who all joyn'd with Philip King of France the Inheritor of his Fathers Crown and his animosity against King Henry he presently form'd an Army and least natural affection should prevail above conceived Injuries with all speed and vigour laid Siege to the City of Mentz in which King Henry was then personally present who apprehending himself to be in great danger and unwilling to fall into the hands of such Enemies secretly withdrew out of the Town and escaped But the Town being taken the place of his Nativity and in which he took great delight he became almost distracted with grief and passion and in the extremity of his rage utter'd this blasphemous expression I shall never hereafter love God any more that has suffer'd a City so dear to me to be taken from me Indeed this inconsiderable loss made a mortal Impression on his spirits bereaving him of that vigor and Majestick grace which accompanied him in all
proclaimed her and the Prince who was at that time also in France Enemies to the Kingdom banish'd them and their Adherents and strongly guarded the Seas with three Fleets to intercept their passage The Queen by the help of Foreign Friends got together a considerable Army and landed near Harwich and was presently reinforced by the conjunction of the Earl Marshal the Earl of Lancaster the Earl of Leicester and many other Lords and Bishops The King was astonish'd at the News being utterly irresolute what course to take He had no Counsellors about him but the Spencers London was not to be trusted his Army was wavering the people from all Counties flocking in to the Queen In this perplexity he secretly withdraws from the Court attended by the two Spencers and a very few others and being disappointed of his Retreat to the Isle of Lundy He hides himself in the Abby of Nethe where within a short time he was taken his Followers all apprehended and the two Spencers publickly and ignominiously executed and himself committed to the custody of the Earl of Leicester After Christmas a Parliament was call'd wherein it was agreed to Depose the King and set up his Son who refusing to take the Crown unless his Father would freely resign it the poor King as tamely surrender'd the Scepter as he had before unworthily weilded it and having formally renounced and abdicated the Government and the Speaker of the Parliament renounced all Allegiance to him in the Name of the whole Kingdom he was taken from the Earl of Leicester from whom his Enemies thought he had too kind usage and being hurried from place to place and wearied with all manner of severity and indignity wasted by starving tormented by noisome stinks and attempted by Poyson he was at last barbarously and inhumanely stifled to death between two Pillows The Murder being disavow'd by the Queen the Executioners of it fled and died miserably THE LIFE and REIGN OF RICHARD the Second IF Magnanimity Valour Piety Gentleness Liberty and other Heroick and Princely Qualities were communicable by Generation if vertue could be intayl'd If the gifts of the mind descended by Inheritance or were demisable hy Will or inseparably annex'd to the Body no man could ever have a juster Pretension to Glory and Fame than Richard the Second the only Son of that incomparable Hero Edward the black Prince and grand Son of that most illustrious and victorious Edward the Third But Children do not always resemble the Features of the Father to the great shame and scandal of the Mother Wit and Vigor are seated in the Brain and Children are not begotten by the Head. Richard was a Child at the death of his Father and never acted like a man during his own Life A Crown was too heavy a Load for his tender Brows and the Reflection of its Brightness daizled his Eyes The Transactions of State during his Minority are not to be the Subject of my Recital since the Event of all Affairs that were prosperous is to be imputed to the Conduct of his Guardians and where any Accidents interrupted his Prosperity it ought not to be attributed to his misfortune I shall therefore pass over such Occurrences as are recounted by Historians during his pupillage and begin my Remarks at that Period when he assumed the Regal Government And first he deposed the Lord Scroop from his Chancellor-Ship because he refused to seal some extravagant grants made by the King and receiving the Seal from his Hands he kept it for a certain Time and with it seal'd such Grants and Writings as he thought fit at his own absolute will and pleasure His Army sent against France commanded by the Bishop of Norwich was not very prosperous but laying Seige to Ypres as they past through Flanders were forced by the Power of a French Army coming to their Relief to raise the Seige and retreat And tho the Bishop advised the King to lay hold on that Opportunity to try the Fortune of a Battle with the French and he pretended over Night to be in a mighty hast and Eagerness to ingage in that enterprise yet in the Morning the Humor was off and consulting his own ease and safety he appointed the Duke of Lancaster to go on that Inployment who spinning out the Time with dilatory Preparations till the Bishop was return'd the Project was disappointed the undertaking came to Nothing and the Dispute was ended in a short lived Truce Neither did the Expedition into Scotland tend to the Honour of the King or Advantage of the Kingdom for the Scots having made Incursions into England taken and burnt divers Towns upon the Borders and enriched themselves by a general depredation of the Country The Duke of Lancaster with the Earl of Buckingham was dispatcht with a mighty Army to repress them but having entred Scotland and not being able by any Art or Stratagem to provoke the Scots to Battel they returned without obtaining any further Satisfaction then a suitable Revenge in burning and destroying many Towns there And tho a truce was made with the Scots yet without any Regard to the Stipulation they again entred the Borders and took Berwick But now the unfortunate King began to form Plots against his own honour and Quiet for being incensed against the Duke of Lancaster whether upon real or upon imaginary Provocations a design was laid to have that great man Arrested and arraign'd of Treason before Sir Robert Tresilian chief Justice tho by the Law of the Land his Tryal ought to have been by his Peers and it is easie to imagin what would have been the Issue of such irregular Proceedings but the Duke having timely intimation of the mischief and contrivance against him withdrew himself opportunely to his Castle of Pomfret where he stood upon his guard till by the laborious travel and powerful intercession of the Kings Mother tho by reason of her Corpulency she was most un-fit for such an Imployment the King was pacified and reconciled to the Duke The Scots still meditating Revenge and the French King still ready to foment the quarrel prepared for a fresh Invasion of England and receiving auxiliary Ayds of great Number and strength from the French once more entred the English Borders King Richard receiving Advertisement of it with great Speed rais'd a mighty Army and marching in Person at the Head of them entered Scotland burnt Edingburgh proceeding without Control but could by no means draw the Scots to Battle they in the mean Time to divert the Kings progress made a descent into Cumberland and Besieged Carlisle to the relief of which the King approaching with so formidable an Army obliged the Scots to retreat into their own Country and upon their Recess the King returned into England bringing with him neither Honour nor Advantage by so fruitless an Expedition After these things and some other passages not so directly appertaining to the History of his Life King Richard began to hasten his own
and many other considerable Towns and after a faint Resistance the whole Kingdom was subjected to the Triumphant Conqueror and the Interest of the King wholly exterminated England was so manacled with the Chains of an armed Power that they could not budge the Royal Party than call'd the Cavaliers were debar'd the liberty of meeting at home or stirring abroad their persons were disarm'd their Houses ransackt and their Estates brought into the unmerciful Inquisition at Goldsmiths Hall in some corners of the Land small Parties started up now and then to exert their Loyalty and manifest their Allegiance and the King was received into the Island of Jersey but by a Fleet sent thither by the Usurping power soon compell'd to forsake it so that these weak struglings like the last efforts of Nature tended only to diminish the number of the Kings Friends and to heighten his Infelicity In the year 1650 the King was invited into Scotland landed there safely received with all the demonstrations of joy and satisfaction and solemnly proclaimed King. But to disturb his Tranquillity and interrupt the calm fruition of his new acquired Soveraignty Cromwell that victorious Rebel who in the space of one year had reduced almost all the Garrisons in Ireland and Caesar-like made a compleat conquest of that Kingdom only by walking through it is dispatcht into Scotland who in July entred that Country with an Army of sixteen thousand men effective the Scots were not idle on their side but form'd an Army consisting of six thousand Horse and Dragoons and fifteen thousand Foot a party of whom attempting to beat up the Enemies Quarters about Musleburgh surprised the Out guards and routed the first Regiment that opposed them but were so warmly received by the rest that the Commander being wounded the whole party was disorder'd and pursu'd to the Army and the whole Camp in danger of a surprisal had not the King himself unexpectedly appear'd in person and stemm'd the Torrent But in September following hapned a fatal decision of the dispute at Dunbar where the Scots Army reinforced to above twenty thousand men and presuming on a certain Victory having inclosed their Enemies beyond a probability of an escape encountred the English Army then decreased to the number of twelve thousand and with much courage and gallantry charged them but the hand of God was in it their whole Army was routed four thousand slain and nine thousand taken Prisoners with the loss of three hundred on the Invaders side After which the Kings Interest in Scotland declined daily the Enemy getting advantage by the Dissention between the Court and the Kirk-party and Cromwel by springing of Mines but more by corrupting the Governour with money had Edinburgh-Castle surrendred to him the taking of which was follow'd with the loss of many more Garrisons Nevertheless the Scots were neither daunted in their Courage nor deficient in their Allegiance but proceeded to the Coronation of the King and he to the calling of a Parliament and having got together a good Body of an Army it was thought best that the King should give Cromwell the slip and make a sudden descent into England leaving him to take his swing and range through Scotland to make this Enterprise the more hopeful the Earl of Darby and many other Loyal persons began to peep out of their Recesses and to use all Expedition to joyn but a malignant Constellation still influenced K. Charles his Affairs some of his Abettors were intercepted some routed and the Earl of Darby discomfited and many Persons of Quality and resolution taken Prisoners At last came on the dismal Ingagement at Worster that critical Arbiter of the Kings cause from whence we may date the depression of the Monarchy the exaltation of Anarchy and Confusion of Governments I take no Pleasure in descanting too long on so unpleasant a Theme in a word the King was defeted his whole Army given up to death or captivity except a very few with whom he made his Escape and after some weeks spent in lurking disguising shifting and un-easy travelling he arrived safe in France The King was now actually devested of his three Kingdoms his Enemies victorious in Possession of his Right and usurping the Regal Authority under the Disguise of other Appellations how soever the grand Apostates from Loyalty dayly crumbled into Factions and Divisions and the Supream Authority frequently changed its Dress and put on a new Face yet all concur'd in the detestation of King-Ship and an abjuring the Family of Stuart To recount the transactions of the Junto at London or the Exploits of their Legions through all the Dominions subjected to the Common wealth of England might prove a tollerable Entertainment for the Reader but I have no Inclination to admire their Policy or cry up the Fame of the Protector My Business is to observe the disastrous Fate of an Exil'd King and there being yet no exact Memoirs transmitted to us of his Forrein Adventures to Sum up his Misfortune in a nine years Banishment by noting how miserably he was abandond ' thurst and kept out from the Possession of England Scotland and Ireland and all the Dominions and Territories belonging to them a Pensioner to Strangers and all Designs of his Friends at home or his Allies abroad frustrated and baffled But when the Almighty Governor of the World had so long scourged the Royal Family as to his wisdom seem'd sufficient and all the Practices of human Strength and Invention were rendred ineffectual in a sudden and unexpected manner without Means without Contrivance without the Success of a Battle or the operation of any Stratagem the Repulican Babel was over turned the King restored and peaceably seated in the Throne of his Ancestors From his Restoration he Reign'd more than twenty four years and I wish I could say happily But not being blest with a legitimate Issue he was continually teas'd with the Incroachments of an impatient Heir Having misapplied his Revenues which were vastly increased beyond all that was given to his predecessors he was by his Necessities induced frequently to call Parliaments and by his evil Councils as often prompted to dissolve them his gentle Disposition inclined him to an universal Indulgence but the malevolent Insinuations of self-interested men misled him to a Connivence at extraordinary Severities The Papists hated him for avowing so much Favor to the Church of England and Dissenters blamed him for a suspected Propension to the Church of Rome His constitution was happy but by his irregular courses he rais'd Batteries against his own Health and he might have lived longer if he had not lived so fast The Indowments of his mind were admirable but his immersion in Pleasures over-shadow'd his Reputation The prolonging of his Life had given an Adjournment to the Mischeifs that quickly assaulted both Church and State but one Sort of Men thought he lived too long whether any hand but his own contributed to the accelarating of his Death I
have no warrant to make any Asseveration Let the future Writers of History adjust that matter to the clear information of Posterity All I have to say is the News of his Death was published before there was any Report of his Sickness He died of an Apoplexy the Sixth of February 1684 and the whole Body whereof he was the Head was presently seised with convulsive Motions THE REIGN OF JAMES the Second THE Reign of James the Second was so lately begun and by the mercy of God so soon determin'd that every mans Remembrance of it may justly supersede the Trouble of a Repetition There needs no Art nor Arguments to convince the World that he was more unfortunate than all his Predecessors and every impartial Observer will allow that he was the principal Engineer that sapped the Foundations of his own Happiness If he had arrived at the Throne by an indirect Road If he had gain'd it by Conquest and ow'd his Title to the Umpirage of the Sword If he had come in by Intrusion Invasion or Usurpation by Craft or Violence by Force of Arms or the prevalency of Pensions If he had justled out the true Heir or supplanted the lawful Pretender or out-stript his Competitor by the aid of the people or over-topt his Opposers by the Assistance of Foreigners It had been no wonder that the Crown had totter'd on his Head that his Seat had been uneasie and his Government Short lived But when his Title was not disputed when he was saluted King by an Universal Acclamation welcom'd by the Addresses and congratulations of all his Subjects his Revenues settled and augmented his Enemies subdued and his Throne establish'd by a Loyal Parliament and a submissive people his Ruin must necessarily be imputed to himself and all his misfortunes undeniably accounted the Result of his own miscarriage So that while the Histories of all Ages and Nations do abound with Examples of the Strange Cruel False and unnatural Methods used by ambitious men to gain principalities King James must remain single upon Record as the only Person that willfully and industriously dethron'd himself We read of aspiring men who have dissembled changed and comply'd with the fashionable Religion of the Country to insure their possession But it is without president that a Prince quietly settled in his Throne courted by his Neighbours Obey'd by his Subjects without reserve or distrust not grudged nor affronted in the private Exercises of his own perswasion should be so intoxicated by the Fumes of Zeal to attempt the subversion of the general Religion current thro Three Kingdoms establish'd by Parliament and incorporated so into the Laws that the Religion of the Nation is the Law of the Nation and to obtrude upon his Subjects a way of Worship as dissonant from their Humour as repugnant to their Conscience a way exploded by the former Age and detested by this and so forseit his Right to the Imperial Crown of Three opulent Kingdoms upon a fallacious assurance of a Reprisal in Heaven is such a stupendious Act of supererogation as may serve to supply half the Roman Catholick Church with a superfluity of Merit On the Sixth day of February 1684 Charles the Second put off mortality and by his Death revived the Languishing Hopes of the Popish Expectants He departed about Noon and in that very Afternoon James the Second was proclaim'd in London and Westminster by Order of the Council To convince the World that howsoever the Parliament labour'd to Exclude him from Succession by political Ordinances and by a Course of Law yet that Design not being accomplish'd they would not so much as hesitate or demur upon the right of his Inheritance He on the other side saluted them graciously promised to imitate his Brother in his Tenderness to the people Celebrated the Loyal principles of the Church of England and past his Royal Word to take care to defend and support it The Collection of the Customs and the Duties of Tunnage and Poundage which were annexed to the Crown during the Kings Life were continued de bene esse till the Meeting of a Parliament All Men were Quiet and Contented and he was Congratulated with Addresses from all parts of England testifying a ready Obedience to his Commands and devoting their Lives and Fortunes to the defence of his person and the maintenance of his prerogative His Accession to the Crown was Solemnised with great Acclamations of Joy thro' the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland Ambasladours from Foreign Princes and States arrived daily presenting their Complements of Condolence for the deceased King and their satisfaction in his Assumption of the Regal power On the Twenty third of April the King and Queen were both Crown'd and at his Coronation he took the accustom'd Oaths to maintain the Laws and the establish'd Religion No King ever Ascended the Throne with less Opposition Disputes or preluminary Cautions none was ever attended with more apparent circumstances of Felicity or had a fairer prospect of becoming Glorious at home and formidable abroad The Parliament of Scotland having prevented him in his wishes and out done all their Predecessours in a redundancy of Zeal and Loyalty A Parliament met also at Westminster to whom the King reiterated his assurance of supporting the Church of England preserving the Government in Church and State as by Law establish'd and a resolution never to invade any Mans property In this very Juncture when the King had so endear'd himself to the Parliament by such Gracious Expressions and they reciprocally Courted him with all dutiful respect the unfortunate Earl of Argyle whose persecution was unparellel'd Attainted for Treason before the Law that made it so was promulgated and condemn'd only for scrupling to take the Test which in a short time after it was a Capital Offence to subscribe Landed in the Highlands of Scotland and set forth a Declaration to justifie his undertaking and to renounce all Allegiance to the present King who immediately communicated the Intelligence he had received to the Parliament and both Houses without delay express'd their Resentment in Raputres of Love and Zeal with protestations to stand by him with their Lives and Fortunes against all Opposers and particularly the Earl of Argyle and to demonstrate that it was no Complement they presented him with a Bill for settling the Revenues on him for Life and resolved on an extraordinary supply for these incident Occasions While these matters were transacting News came to the King that the Duke of Monmouth was Landed in the West of England an unseasonable Landing for that unhappy Gentleman when the Parliament was Charm'd with the good Words and amused by the great and gracious promises of the King with a small party but every day increasing who presently were proclaim'd Traytors and the King imparting the News to both Houses they forthwith in a transport of Loyalty reassure him that they will stand by him with their Lives and Fortunes against the Duke of
of his death is so variously reported that it is hard to pitch upon that Author on whose credit we may safely rely It is most certain that he did not long Survive his Resignation but being carried to Leeds and from thence to Pomfret soon after a Period was put to his Life and Miseryes together in the three and thirtieth year of his Age. If he did not imitate his Father yet he resembled His Mother and was the Goodliest Person alive His Disposition was good but corrupted by Education his Inclinations prompted him to Vertue but were perverted by Flatterrers and Evil Counsellors Crafty men made Advantage of his Credulity and he was ruined by too strict a Constancy If he had not been deficient to himself his Opposer had not so easily prevail'd his Timidity apeared in not fighting for his Crown his Moderation in the Surrendred of it and his Courage in surviving the Loss THE LIFE and REIGN OF CHARLES the Second IAm now ingaged in a difficult Task divided between Truth and Respect being to describe the Life of a Prince who contrary to the custom of the World was better spoken of while he lived than he has been since his Death His Fame had suffer'd a great diminution by succeeding so admirable a Father had it not recover'd by the prospect of such a Brother who was to be his Successor If in the Lives of former Kings any mistake was committed the Records and Ancient Writers must vouch the Relation and the present Age cannot confute it But to give an Account of a Life so lately ended requires an exactness beyond my Reach wherein the least Trip overthrows the Credit of the Reporter To enumerate the Vertues of a Prince without taking notice of his Failings is but to flatter his memory and deceive Posterity to reckon up his Vices without intermingling the mention of his laudable Actions is but so sully his Fame and deduce no Benefit to the Curiosity of Observers I resolve to tread lightly on his Grave and not press too hard upon the Heels of Truth I may pursue my Topic in recounting the Instances which justly denominate him unfortunate and Note the Errors of his Government without reflection on his Person That he was of extraordinary Parts that he had a quick mercurial Wit a great insight into the liberal Sciences and even the mechanical Arts no man will deny He had a piercing if not a solid Judgment his intellect was comprehensive if not profound His Lenity and Clemency were very conspicuous and recommended him to the Love and Praise of the Spectators yet it so fell out that such egregious Acts of Severity and Injustice were exercised upon all sorts of men as will puzzle Posterity to comprehend the meaning In his time no Man had the Reason to set a Value on himself for any promotion nor no man had cause to despair of a preferment The Cards were daily shuffled and unexpected chance turn'd up the Trump Upon all occasions he profest a great Zeal for the Protestant Religion yet every day that profession lost ground Popery was not allow'd yet it hover'd among us The Frogs did not cover the Land yet the Jesuitical Vermin swarm'd in every Corner Tho' the Papists were not shelter'd by a legal Indemnity yet they grew numerous and confident upon the expectation of an approaching Jublie His Brother and Successour had a mighty Ascendent over his Genius catching at all opportunities to gratifie his Ambition and propagate the Faith while the other indulged himself in pleasure and avoided the fatigue of Government There are so many living Monuments of his Incontinency that if I forbear to mention it I shall render the Truth and Impartiality of my other Remarks suspected It is usual with Kings and Princes to prosecute prohibited Amours but so great was his generosity that he thought it a disparagment to manage a secret Intrigue His Liberality was so extraordinary that he spared not to give a Thousand years purchase for a Moments Fruition He lost the Love of his Friends by too fond a Love of his Brother and by too stiff a Refusal to consent to his Exclusion he endanger'd the Interest of his Family and gave a shock to Monarchy it self The first and greatest misfortune that befell Charles the Second was the Cruel and Ignominious Death of his Father that incomparable Charles the First Sentenced to die and publickly Executed before his own Palace by a Jancto of flagitious men garbled out of a Parliament by the Usurper From his Fathers Martyrdom to his own Restauration was one continued Scene of misery and sorrow In the year 1648 Charles the First was deprived of Life by his Evil Subjests his Friends looking on and not able to prevent it In the year 1660. Charles the Second was brought to the Throne by his Good Subjects his Enemies looking on and not able to hinder it The one an inhumane Action and unparallel'd the other wholly surprising and miraculous In the one no Blood shed but that of the King himself in the other not one Drop of Blood drawn even of the meanest Subject Charles the second was then beyond the Seas and succeeded immediately to the Right of three Kingdoms but did not actually possess them for many years And now behold a King truly unfortunate His Father barbarously destroy'd and he in no capacity to call to account the bloody Actors of that Tragedy three potent Kingdoms usurped by violence and by force detain'd from him and he not able to put in a claim for his Right or contend for the recovery His Enemies insulting in their success abjuring his Title and metamorphosing a glorious Monarchy into an Anarchical Commonwealth His Friends harassed imprison'd plunder'd sequestred executed no man daring to own his Allegiance or capable to contribute advice or aid toward his Restoration Himself a deserted Exile wandring from one Princes Court to another to seek for shelter and subsistence while the subtle machinations of the Usurpers did not more sensibly aggravate and advance his unhappiness than the improsperous Attempts of his loyal Subjects to compass his Restitution In Scotland the Heroick Acts of the most renown'd Marquis of Montross who with an inconsiderable handful of men traversed the Kingdom and performed such Exploits as may justly denominate his History the Moral of a Romance only ended in his destruction while he became a sacrifice to his Enemies implacable malice and a glorious Martyr for Loyalty but with an irreparable detriment to his Masters cause In Ireland the most Noble Duke then Marquis of Ormond was so successful in his Undertakings that he had reduced the whole Kingdom to the obedience of the King except Dublin and London-Derry to the first of which having laid a close Siege and beleagured it with a Royal Camp he was disarry'd by a fatal Sally from the Town his Army totally routed and himself obliged to a hasty and hazardous escape which disaster was follow'd by the Rendition of Drogheda