to be a Soveraign by halves However it not being safe to controvert the Matter too far I am resolv'd to pass the disbanding Act but will observe it no further than sutes my Measures I am pretty well accustomed to Violation of Oaths which have a degree of Solemnity beyond mere Acts of Parliament The Money which they give to disband them will serve for some time to maintain them and then I may be otherwise provided or make them at least provide for themselves and earn their Bread before they eat it It 's strange that I may not adventure upon that which Oliver the Usurper did before me He was so far from being check'd by his Parliaments that he gave Laws to them by his Army and why may not I attempt the like And though I be sworn to the contrary yet may defend it as he did by Reasons of State until such time as I arrive at that height of Power as to make my Will pass for a Law But this is more easily hop'd for than effected However if I can handsomly weather out this Storm it 's not impossible to be brought to pass CHAP. LXV On the relieving of Mons by the Prince of Orange with the Assistance of the Duke of Monmouth and the English Forces The Defeat given to the French at that time and their King's Complaint that it was contrary to his Majesty's private Articles The concluding of the Peace Recalling our Forces Quartering them in the Country His Majesty's being in a Consult with the Duke of York Lord Clifford c. which was over-heard and the Person who listened kick'd down Stairs by the said Lord. IT 's some Comfort to have Fellows though it be but in Affliction The French King who hath for a long time been on the top of the Wheel is also liable to be turn'd downward having lately receiv'd a considerable Check by the Defeat at Mons. This is a sensible Diminution of his Glory But though at another time it would have been a joyful Hearing to the Kings of England it is not so to me now because it 's a considerable Balk to our common Design There is also this mortifying Circumstance in it that the Laurels which are pulled off from his Head are planted on that of the Prince of Orange who though my Nephew both by Birth and Marriage yet I cannot cordially love him because he pursues Measures so contrary to mine And though I cannot but in some measure be satisfied to hear of what may tend to the Honour of my own Child whom I cannot but love by the Instinct of Nature yet I could have wish'd he had been otherwise imployed and that his Valour had been signaliz'd at this time as well as at others on the contrary side Two such promising Princes embarquing in the Protestant Cause may prove fatal to the Interest of Popery and Absolute Monarchy if they be bless'd with a few more such Victories as this and that I must in compliance with my own Inclinations endeavour to hinder lest my stubborn Subjects should make choice of the Son to chastise the Father as it happened to my Predecessor King James III. of Scotland whose rebellious States made his Son Generalissimo against him I am also pressed with another Difficulty which is how to excuse this to the French King who upbraids me with it as a Breach of the private Treaty that my Son and Subjects should fight against him I can truly say that neither the Duke nor they did engage in that Action with my Consent and that the thing is wholly owing to the Prince of Orange whose Conduct and Courage I have reason to dread will mar all the Designs which Lewis XIV and I have so long concerted This Disaster makes it necessary to conclude a Peace and then we may contrive at leisure how to retrieve it The Peace being concluded I must recal my Forces which now I perceive become grievous to the Spaniards and I hope to imploy them to better purpose at home than ever they were abroad Let the Phanaticks murmur and belch out their seditious Reflections upon my violating the Act for disbanding the Forces I am Proof against such Tongue-shot as theirs I can find out a Pretence for keeping them still on foot as being necessary to over-awe the French who being now at Peace with every body else may reasonably be thought to have Designs against me as having first obliged them to the Treaty of Aix la Chapelle and now by my Forces have contributed to bring them to a Peace These Regiments being brought over from Flanders will restrain the Tumnlts which I have reason to fear from the mutinous Humour in which my Subjects are at present and in a little time I can augment my Army if I had but Money It 's true that in the late Consult divers Expedients were proposed for obtaining it either from the French King the City of London or the Parliament But to have it from the former can never be relied on and if he supply me once I am not sure that he will do it a second time his own ambitious Designs having carv'd him out Ways enough for his Money Neither is it safe for me to be so much obliged to him lest he should at some time or other improve it against me as he did lately threaten to discover our secret Intrigues to the Parliament when we charg'd him with being worse than his Word and failing in the Money which he had promised for the common Design I know the Ambition of his Heart inclines him to aspire to the Universal Monarchy and therefore I must be on my Guard against him The Proposal of borrowing Money from the City of London I know impracticable they have already denied me Credit and it 's nothing but to render my self too mean to desire Money of them again The Project of bringing them to it by Force were no more than what they merit but the Consequences may prove fatal to my Designs The City of London being the Head of the Nation has a natural Influence on the whole Body Politick and if the City be once enraged I must not expect to have the Kingdom long in quiet And I have the more reason to be cautious on this Head because the Loss of the City was the Loss of my Father's Life It 's true that my Lord Clifford's Advice of declaring my self bare-fac'd and out-braving all Difficulties were a thing very beseeming a Monarch but my Experience is greater than his Dulce Bellum inexpertum War is sweet till it be tried Had he three Crowns to lose as I have his Courage would not be so great for he that never enjoyed the Sweets of Life does not know how to value them but I have had Experience both what it is to want and possess them I know that this Nation though very well prepar'd by that which Phanaticks and Men of their Kidney call Profanity is not yet ripe enough to imbrace
Their Address against Papists His Majesty's Proclamation on that Head The Prosecution of Protestant Dissenters Declaration of War against Denmark The Insurrection in Scotland in 1666. The burning of his Majesty's Ships at Chattam by the Dutch c. p. 119. XLII On the murmuring of the People at the Consumption of the Treasure His Majesty's granting leave to the Parliament's Commissioners to take the Publick Accounts His raising an Army of 30000 Men and disbanding them On the Parliament's being displeased with it The Sessions of Parliament in July October and February 1667. His Majesty's Speeches to them Proclamation against Papists Displacing of Chancellor Hide and League with the Dutch c. p. 124. XLIII On the Proclamation against Dissenters in 1669. Inviting the Dutch and Swedes into a League with us proposing a nearer Alliance with the Dutch and forcing the Treaty of Aix La Chappelle upon the Spaniards and the French p. 128. XLIV On the Interview betwixt his Majesty and his Sister the Dutchess of Orleans at Dover and her Advice to him to break the Triple League and concur with the French King to destroy the Dutch and the Protestant Religion and render himself absolute in England Her leaving one of her Maids of Honour created afterwards Dutchess of Portsmouth behind her and her own Death speedily after her Return into France p. 131. XLV On Colonel Blood ' s Attempt to steal the Crown A Proclamation against Papists to please the Parliament The second War with the Dutch The shutting up of the Exchequer The falling upon the Dutch Smyrna Fleet before War was declared and the Declaration of War thereupon p. 141. XLVI On the Dutch's surprizing our Fleet in Southwold-bay the Duke of York being Admiral His Majesty's Declaration to the Dutch The Progress of the French in the Vnited Provinces His Majesty's and the French King's Proposals to the Dutch and their rejecting them and making the Prince of Orange Stadtholder p. 148. XLVII On his Majesty's suffering the Parliament to meet Novemb. 1673. His Speech to them concerning the Indulgence and the Dispensing Power and the Necessity of raising more Forces for carrying on the Dutch War Several unsuccessful Fights with the Hollanders The Letter from the Dutch to influence the Parliament who addressed against the Match betwixt the Duke of York and Dutchess of Modena The Prorogation which ensued thereupon A Proclamation against Papists and the Consummation of the Marriage p. 154. XLVIII On his Majesty's Speech to the House of Lords upon the Address of the Commons against his Declaration of Indulgence The Answer of the Lords thereunto The Vote of the Commons for Ease to Protestant Dissenters and that part of their Address which desired that all in Places of Power and Trust should take the Sacrament according to the Church of England p. 163. XLIX Vpon the Complaints of the Commons that Ireland was like to be over-run with Popery because of his Majesty's Proclamation allowing Papists to live in Corporations and giving them equal Liberties to the English Their Address concerning the Danger of the Protestant Interest there and that Mr. Richard Talbot should be remov'd from all Publick Imployment and denied Access to Court And their Address concerning English Grievances with Reflections on the Miscarriages of his Majesty's former Designs of being impower'd to raise Money without Parliament on extraordinary Occasions and having an Vniversal Excise settled on the Crown p. 166. L. On his Majesty's making Application to the Parliament of Scotland upon his failing of Money from the Parliament of England the Scots insisting first upon the Redress of their Grievances and sending Duke Hamilton and others to London for that end p. 172. LI. On the Spanish Ambassador's Proposals for an Vnion betwixt England and Holland and declaring that they must break with England if the same were not accepted The Manifesto of the Dutch to the Parliament of England wherein they appeal to them for the Righteousness of their Cause The Parliament's Endeavours thereupon for a Peace and his Majesty's agreeing to it without including the French King p. 178. LII On his Majesty's proroguing the Parliament because of their impeaching his Ministers forming Bills against Popery and for the marrying of those of the Royal Family with Protestants and educating their Children in that Religion Clamours rais'd in the Nation that we were running back to 41. The Court's mediating a Peace betwixt France and Holland and sending 10000 of their own Subjects into the French King's Service p. 185. LIII On the meeting of the Parliament again April 1675. Their falling upon Bills for the Benefit of the Nation and being diverted by the sudden bringing in of a Test into the House of Lords to be imposed upon all in Places of Power or Trust Civil Military or Ecclesiastical obliging them to declare their Abhorrence of taking up Arms against the King or any commissionated by him and to swear that they would not at any time endeavour the Alteration of the Government either in Church or State p. 190. LIV. On the Debate betwixt the Lords and Commons about the Lords hearing of Appeals from any Court of Equity with the Behaviour of the Bishops in that Affair and the Opposition which they met with from the Earl of Shaftsbury c. p. 199. LV. On the meeting of the Parliament after the Prorogation His Majesty's Demand of Money to build Ships The Commons insisting upon the Bill for a Habeas Corpus Against sending Men Prisoners beyond Sea Raising Money without Consent of Parliament Against Papists sitting in either House For the speedier convicting of Papists and recalling his Majesty's Subjects from the French Service and the Duke of Buckingham ' s Speech for Indulgence to Dissenters p. 202. LVI On the Motion for an Address by the House of Lords for dissolving the Parliament The Address's being cast out by the Majority and the Protestation of the Country Lords thereupon p. 205. LVII On the filling of the Benches with durante beneplacito Judges The publishing of some Books in favour of the Papists and Prerogative The French King 's letting loose his Privateers amongst the English Merchants And the sending of Ammunition from his Majesty's Stores to the French King p. 211. LVIII On the meeting of the Parliament after the long Prorogation Febr. 1676. His Majesty's Demand of Money recommending a good Correspondence to the two Houses The Question whether the Parliament was not dissolv'd by that unprecedented Prorogation Sending some Lords to the Tower for insisting on it The granting of Money by the Commons p. 218. LIX On the Commons throwing out the Bill intituled An Act for securing the Protestant Religion and another for the more effectual Convicting and Prosecution of Popish Recusants p. 224. LX. On the Address of the Commons concerning the Danger from the Power of France and their Progress in the Netherlands His Majesty's Answer It s not being thought satisfactory by the Commons who presented a second to which his
Majesty delay'd giving Answer and the Cause why His demanding of Money when he did answer Their giving 200000 l. and Adjournment with the Cause of it p. 227. LXI Vpon the Duke of Crequis ' s arriving from France with a great Train and meeting his Majesty at New-market The Affairs treated of there The meeting of the Parliament again Their insisting upon a League with Holland and his Majesty's Answer p. 231. LXII Vpon the Prince of Orange ' s Arrival at Whitehall and Marriage with the Lady Mary eldest Daughter to the Duke of York The Address of the Commons thereupon and their insisting upon the Alliance with the Dutch and War against France p. 238. LXIII On the raising an Army on pretence of a War with France The modelling of them The sending of Duke Lauderdale to Scotland to bring down an Highland-Army upon those Parts of the Low-lands which were most Presbyterian The private Treaty with France The Discovery of it by the Commons Their Address to his Majesty to dismiss the French Ambassador Their Vote in May 1678. That the King be desired to enter into Alliance with the Emperor King of Spain and Princes of Germany His Majesty's Answer Their second Address against Duke Lauderdale and other Ministers and Vote to give no Money till they were secured from Popery and Arbitrary Government The Treaty of Nimeguen and the Behaviour of his Majesty's Plenipotentiaries there p. 241. LXIV On his Majesty's acquainting the Parliament that there was a Peace in agitation His Desire to keep up his Army and Navy till it were concluded The Resolve of the Commons for supporting the King in the War against France or provide for disbanding the Army His Majesty's Answer thereupon and the Commons continuing their Resolution to disband the Army though the King desired the contrary p. 249. LXV On the relieving of Mons by the Prince of Orange with the Assistance of the Duke of Monmouth and the English Forces The Defeat given to the French at that time and their King's Complaint that it was contrary to his Majesty's private Articles The concluding of the Peace Recalling our Forces Quartering them in the Country His Majesty's being in a Consult with the Duke of York Lord Clifford c. which was over-heard and the Person who listened kick'd down Stairs by the said Lord. p. 252. LXVI On the Discovery of the Popish Plot in August 1678. by Dr. Oates and others The Design of the Jesuits against his Majesty's Life Sir Edmundbury Godfrey ' s taking Dr. Oates his Depositions The seizing of Coleman Secretary to the Dutchess of York and his Papers and the murdering of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey thereupon p. 258. LXVII On his Majesty's Apology to the Parliament October 21 1678. for keeping up his Army His demanding of Money and acquainting them with the Plot and Danger from Popery The Vote of the Commons upon the Plot and Orders to apprehend the Earl of Powis and four other Popish Lords Their passing of the Bill for raising the Militia and his Majesty's refusing it The Execution of Coleman and some other Plotters of less note p. 263. LXVIII On the Bill for excluding Papists from both Houses of Parliament with a Clause excepting the Duke of York The Dissolution of the Parliament as prosecuting the Popish Plot. The calling of another and ordering the Duke of York to withdraw out of the Kingdom before they met His Majesty's Speech to them and Declaration confessing his Error in governing by Cabals His dissolving of his Privy-Council and chusing another whence the popular Members did quickly desire to be discharged p. 268. LXX On the French King 's seizing several Places in Flanders c. as depending on those which were confirm'd to him by the Peace of Nimeguen His and the Spaniards Vnkindness to the Duke of York at that time in the Netherlands The Address of the Commons to stand by his Majesty and the Protestant Religion Their disbanding of the Army The Discovery of Endeavours to make the Witnesses of the Popish Plot retract their Evidence And the proroguing of the Parliament upon their growing warm about the Trial of the Popish Lords in the Tower p. 273. LXXI On the Insurrection at Bothwel-bridg in Scotland The sending the Duke of Monmouth thither to suppress it which he effected The Execution of several Presbyterian Ministers upon it and the Execution of several Jesuits for the Popish Plot and Endeavours to stifle the same by the Meal-tub-Plot which prov'd abortive p. 277. LXXII On the dissolving of the Parliament July 12. 1679. and calling another against October 7. The Return of the Duke of York in the mean time and his being sent to Scotland The proroguing of the Parliament after their being chosen The acquitting of Sir George Wakeman and others of the Plotters by the then Lord Chief Justice The burning of the Pope c. in effigie The presenting of a Petition by the Citizens for the sitting of the Parliament and Abhorrence of Petitions presented by others p. 281. LXXIII On the Court 's being disappointed of receiving Money from Rome and France The meeting of the Parliament October 22 1680. The Proceedings of the Commons against such Justices as obstructed Petitions for the sitting of the Parliament The passing of the Bill of Exclusion against the Duke of York in the House of Commons nemine contradicente The rejecting of it by the Lords The Trial and Execution of the Lord Stafford The impeaching of the Judges Their Denial of a Supply to the King His Majesty's Message to them and dissolving them because of their Obstinacy p. 285. LXXIV On the calling of another Parliament to meet at Oxford Febr. 1680. The seizing of Fitz-Harris with seditious Libels designed to have been lodged with Protestant Peers and Commons The seditious manner of the London Members going to Oxford His Majesty's Speech to the Parliament when they met there Their Impeachment of Fitz-Harris and Dissolution p. 289. LXXV On his Majesty's Declaration that the Duke of Monmouth was not lawfully begotten p. 295. LXXVI On the Protestant Plot. The Trial and Execution of Stephen Colledge The Commitment of the Lord Howard of Escrick and the Earl of Shaftsbury with his Trial and Acquitment The Quo Warranto against the Charter of London and other Corporations The imposing of Sheriffs upon the City of London The Commitment of Sir Thomas Pilkington and Mr. Shute then Sheriffs for opposing it The calling of a Parliament in Scotland where the Duke of York represented his Majesty as Commissioner The Test enacted there and the Act for settling the Succession upon the Duke The Trial and Condemnation of the Earl of Argyle for explaining the Test and his Escape p. 298. LXXVII On the finding of my Lord Grey Alderman Cornish and other Citizens guilty of a Riot for countenancing the Election of the City-Magistrates The Discovery of the Conspiracy to assassinate his Majesty and the Duke of York at Ry-house and the Council of six to
against those who shall declare me a Papist or that I have a Design to introduce Popery And though those who are sharp-sighted may laugh at such a Provision as rather giving than taking away Cause of Suspicion yet when it dare not be openly talk'd of amongst the Vulgar it will not obtain a common Belief And the Church of England whom I support against the Phanaticks will certainly support me against their Censures And thus when I have made one Party of Protestants to bait the other sufficiently if the Church of England prove refractory afterwards to my Designs then I shall endeavour by remitting the Rigour of the Law to ingage the Dissenters on my side to favour an universal Toleration by which my Friends the Papists may have ease if the Episcopal Party begin to grudg at my Favours towards them or to fear that at last they may dispossess themselves CHAP. XXXI On his Majesty's selling of Dunkirk to the French King for 500000 l. THis I know will be censured as an impolitick Action and the shutting my self out of the Continent whereunto this Town opened a Door by which I might have invaded France and the Netherlands when I pleased It 's true that it was a Monument of England's Glory but such an one as being erected under the Conduct of an Usurper is not for the Credit of me nor my Family and therefore lest it should be an Allurement to re-intice my People to a Commonwealth I will make it a Sacrifice to my Cousin the French King Not that I owe so much to his Kindness but that he may supply my present Necessities with his Money And to testify my farther Resentments of that impious Rebellion the Citadels which Oliver built shall be raz'd throughout my Dominions and the Towns which held out against my Father dismantled and if it were not that the Consequence would be fatal to my self every one of them should be sowed with Salt their Inhabitants made to pass under Saws of Iron and have their Flesh torn with the Briars and Thorns of the Wilderness But I must pretend other Causes to the People lest they should be enraged as that I won't keep up Garisons amongst them when there is no need to disturb their Commerce nor leave it in the Power of other Kings to do it when the Places which are capable of being garison'd are dismantled though in reality it is to prevent the Rebels from nestling there or having recourse to them to favour their Rebellion the best way to be rid of the Harpies being to destroy their Nests And that I may free my self at once as much as is possible from that viperous Brood as I have already disbanded the Army under pretence that I would not keep up one in time of Peace but in reality because I would not have such a Body of well-disciplin'd Troops of their Principles together lest at any time they should make head against me as against their former Masters the Parliament Richard c. So now I 'll forbid their old Officers to stay within 20 Miles of London and the Remainders of the Troops I 'll send to fight against the Spaniards in my Wife's Quarrel and if they never return as I hope few of them will I can very well bear the Loss CHAP. XXXII On the Parliament's beginning to grow sensible of the Incouragement given to the Catholick Religion by his Majesty's Declaration Decemb 1662. Their Petition on that head and his Majesty's publishing a Proclamation against Papists thereupon IT 's a mischievous thing for a Soveraign to be limited and to be obliged to act the King only by halves How happy is my Brother of France who is not troubled with such Fetters but his Will does pass for an uncontroulable Law I abhor those Parliaments for they are nothing else but Spies upon Kings and dive into their most reserved and hidden Intrigues I find they begin to suspect my Religion and grudg at the Favours which I show to the Papists and therefore I must proceed slowly and surely Their Zeal to my Prerogative is regulated by their own Interest which makes them oppose my Dispensing Power So that I find I am only absolute against Phanaticks and Republicans but when I come to meddle with the Church of England my Power is limited and the Parliament must then be Sharers of the Soveraignty Their Petitions against my Administration may issue in Remonstrances against my Government as it happened in my Father's time and therefore it is my Interest to flatter them a little and by a Proclamation against the Papists to create an Opinion of my Firmness to the Protestant Religion in the Publick draw Money from the Purses of the Commons and so to recoil to give the stronger and heavier Blow CHAP. XXXIII On the News of some more Plots by the Phanaticks against his Majesty both in England Scotland and Ireland The Execution of the Earl of Argyle Lord Wariston c. in Scotland and some of those concerned in the Plots in England and Ireland I Find that I shall bring my Designs about by Degrees and under the Notion of Plotters execute Vengeance upon mine Enemies without incurring the Censure of being bloody or cruel It 's true that it may seem hard that I should take the Earl of Argyle's Head who was the Person that set the Crown upon my own But during this Extacy of Loyalty in which the Nations are at present the Method of such Proceedings will be the less taken notice of and it 's absolutely necessary for my purpose that the Earl of Argyle should be taken out of the way the Greatness of his Power and his Zeal for his Religion may otherwise prove great Impediments to my Designs I have Pretences enough against him because of his Activity in the Parliament's Rebellion and his Death will be acceptable to the Church of England because he was Head of the Presbyterians and the Friends of the late Marquiss of Montrosse and all the Cavaliers will concur with my Design against him and though there is no doubt but that he will profess his Innocence on the Scaffold yet the Authority of a publick Sentence will be of greater Weight or at least restrain the People from open Murmurings By his Death I shall have also this farther Advantage that the Power of his Clan will be thereby reduced and neither be formidable to my self nor Successors it being the Interest of all Crowns to guard against too potent Subjects As to Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston though he be not so great in Power yet he is nothing inferiour to the other in Policy but indeed far above him and as the Trojans ow'd their Destruction more to Vlysses's Counsels than Achilles's Arms it 's my Interest to rid my self of a Politician who is my Enemy as soon as of one who is greater in Power and Quality And though it be reckon'd no great Policy for a Monarch newly re-establish'd to cement his Throne with
though I have hitherto gain'd nothing by this Rupture with Holland but that Fortune hath favoured them as well as me in small Rencounters yet I am resolv'd to push it on as far as I can and let that proud Monarch know that he is not the sole Inheritor of Henry the IV's Glory and Grandeur On the Victory The Poets are in the right when they represent Justice blindfold for in good earnest it seems that she determines Causes by chance and that the good things of this World are made for those who can catch them and if there be any such thing as a Deity it sees not as Men see nor does it act according to those Rules which are in vogue amongst us Mortals The Dutch pretend to have that which they call Religion and Justice on their side and in truth if that which is esteemed the Rule of both be true their Pretensions are not ill founded and yet the Victory hath fallen to me Then seeing we are not certain what be the Rules and Decrees of the higher Powers it 's rational for Men to follow their own Inclinations and gratify their natural Appetites as much as they can The contrary Principle seems very unreasonable that we who look upon our selves as a happy Race of Creatures should yet labour under a severer Restraint and that we should be denied the pleasing of what 's visible for the pretended Safety of some I do not know what invisible Substance But from this Victory I shall be sure of these following Fruits In the first place that it will give Credit to my Arms which have not hitherto been reckoned successful and in the next it will magnify my Brother's Conduct which will still contribute to render me the more formidable It will also create Disorders in Holland which may be improved to my great Advantage and it will secure me from the Murmurs of the Rabble at home who always measure the Justice of a Cause by its Success and it will be a prevailing Argument with the Parliament to go chearfully on with their promised Supplies But my Joys are neither long-liv'd nor unmix'd for though I be Conqueror by the Sword I 'm consum'd by the Plague which rages in the Bowels of my Capital City No doubt the Phanaticks will say that it is for the Sins of me and my Family as Israel was plagu'd for David's numbring of the People but as my Subjects are not so well deserving as his I am not obliged to be so much concern'd as he was nor am I indeed any further than that it weakens and renders me less able to carry on the War and will be esteem'd by my Enemies as the Hand of God against me But for the Reflection of the Phanaticks I can easily turn it upon themselves that it 's a just Punishment upon the Nation for their unnatural Rebellion and the horrid Murder of their King and my Father and if this be once given out at Court I am sure it will be eccho'd again from the Pulpit and as that will justify the utmost of my Severity in Scotland by free Quarter c. on the Presbyterians there it will also defend my Proceedings against their Brethren in England to keep them in Prisons at London c. till they die of the Contagion here And as for my self and my Court we can remove to a Place of better Air. And though the Bills of Mortality do increase to a prodigy it 's a just Vengeance on the rebellious City and if it come to the worst that I should want Men to carry on the War I can quickly make up a Peace abroad and when my Subjects are diminished I am the less in hazard by a Rebellion at home CHAP. XXXVII On the meeting of the Parliament at Oxford because of the Plague at London The King's Speech to them about the Dutch War and Supplies The Chancellor's Enlargement on it The Act for banishing Nonconformists five Miles from Corporations AS this City afforded a safe Retreat to my Father from his rebellious Subjects at London it furnishes me with the like during the Pestilence which hath seiz'd upon that City for their Rebellion And as the Londoners had Influence upon the then Parliament to increase their Obstinacy I doubt not but the University will have Influence upon this to heighten their Loyalty My Business is now to applaud the Parliament for their advising me to a War with Holland which hath hitherto been so successful And as it will convince them that I am willing to make them Sharers of my Glory it will render them the more willing to make me a Sharer of their Purses But lest those amongst them who are firm Protestants should perceive my Design and blame my Conduct for leaguing with Popish Princes to procure the Destruction of the Dutch I must hide my Designs under a pretence of repaying them in their own Coin and that my stirring up the Bishop of Munster against them is only because they have given an ill Character of me to Foreign Protestant Princes And considering that it was necessary for the Nation 's Glory that those stubborn Republicans who had broke the Power of Spain should be humbled by England the Parliament have no reason to be angry at my supplying the Bishop of Munster with Money And at the same time I will pretend that I am willing to come to a Peace upon reasonable Propositions and give my Lord Chancellor Order to insist and enlarge upon those Heads and to declare the Affronts which the Dutch put upon the Royal Family before my Restoration which as it will incense the Cavaliers in the House it will silence those who are fanatically inclin'd And the better to colour my Demands of Money I must take care to have the ill Condition that my Magazines for Arms and Naval Stores were in represented to the full and the Pains and Charges which I have been at magnified to the life The Parliament I find have answered my Expectations and not only ordered me sufficient store of Money to carry on the War but have given a Gratuity to my Brother the Duke notwithstanding of its having been represented by some that his Cowardice under pretence of want of Repose gave the Dutch an Opportunity to escape better than they would have done otherwise And that nothing may be left unattempted which may tend to the Ruine of the Protestant Interest he and I have not only delivered up Monsieur Rohan who came to acquaint me with the French King's Designs to ruine his Protestant Subjects and to propose Measures which might have prevented it and advanc'd my own Glory as he imagin'd but by my Sollicitation I have also got the strictest of my own Protestant Subjects declar'd uncapable of Trust except they comply with that which is contrary to their Consciences and their Preachers to be banish'd five Miles from Corporations which is a thing of mighty Consequence to the carrying on of my Design for by this
receiving Money from Rome and France The Meeting of the Parliament October 22 1680. The Proceedings of the Commons against such Justices as obstructed Petitions for the sitting of the Parliament The passing of the Bill of Exclusion against the Duke of York in the House of Commons nemine contradicente The rejecting of it by the Lords The Trial and Execution of the Lord Stafford The impeaching of the Judges Their Denial of a Supply to the King His Majesty's Message to them and dissolving them because of their Obstinacy NO wonder that those who are avowed Enemies to my Designs should refuse me Money when those who are zealous for the same and promised Assistance both by Men and Money do now fail me that the Court of Rome who compass Sea and Land to make Proselytes should deny Money when it is only required to propagate their Faith may justly seem strange but as for the French King 's doing so it 's easy to conceive that he hath been thereunto influenc'd by Reasons of State It was his Interest to create Jealousies and Discontents betwixt me and my Subjects not only to prevent our uniting against him but that both of us might fall as an easier Conquest though it 's horribly inglorious for him to take such Methods But why should I say thus seeing all the great Princes that ever aspir'd to the Universal Monarchy did make use of Fraud as well as Force However during my Life I shall prevent his Design to cheat me of my Crown and if I can carry on my Work without him as it is the more hazardous it will be also more glorious and by the Divisions which have from time to time been carefully nourished amongst my Protestant Subjects I doubt not but in time I may obtain my Desires without his Assistance The Parliament being met they are as bad to the full as I suspected and tread in the same Steps with their Predecessors and discharge their Fury upon such of my Justices as obstructed Petitions for their sitting and accuse them as Betrayers of the Rights and Liberties of the People because they witnessed their Zeal for the Prerogatives of my Crown Nor does their seditious Procedure stop here but they have unanimously voted a Bill for excluding my Brother from the Crown cut off the Earl of Stafford for his Accession to the Plot and impeach my Judges The Fall of that Lord I must needs lament but it is as venial for me to let him fall a Sacrifice to popular Vengeance as it was for my Father to give up the Earl of Strafford to his rebellious Parliament though he was much more necessary to him than ever this Lord was to me But as for the excluding of my Brother and impeaching of my Judges I must never give way to it for that would infallibly issue in the Destruction of my self My stubborn Subjects have depriv'd me of my Army so that I cannot establish my Authority by the Sword and if I suffer my self to be likewise bereft of my Judges then I shall be utterly disabled from carrying on my Design either by Military Power or the Shadow of Law As to the Exclusion of my Brother from succeeding to the Crown it can in no manner be admitted And here I have a very good Plea against them The Clergy have preach'd up the Divine Right of a Lineal Succession and if that be so I can maintain my Argument by the Laws of God and I doubt not but my Judges will give it out as the Laws of the Land If I should give way to his Exclusion it would weaken my self for then my Enemies might reasonably act with the greater Boldness against me when they should be in no fear from my Successor to punish such a Practice The Lords having thrown out the Bill by the Influence of the Bishops Bench is enough to justify me in the Eyes of the World for why should I consent to the disabling of my own Brother from succeeding to me upon the account of his being a Roman Catholick when the Protestant Bishops who are the ghostly Fathers of their Church make no Scruple to own his Right of Succession and testify their Hatred against the Bill In this they have done me remarkable Service and I doubt not but their Example will have Influence on the Clergy But to prevent all Suspicion as much as is possible that I have any Design to re-establish Popery I will send them a Message that I am ready to agree to any other Expedients for securing them against it And thus when I have made such Proffers and have the Bishops and their Clergy on my side it will look very presumptuous in any Party whatever so much as to whisper a suspicious Word of my Intentions And if the Commons adhere tenaciously to their Bill and refuse to drop it there 's none who will dare to blame me if I dissolve them CHAP. LXXIV On the calling of another Parliament to meet at Oxford Febr. 1680. The seizing of Fitz-Harris with seditious Libels designed to have been lodged with Protestant Peers and Commons The seditious manner of the London-Members going to Oxford His Majesty's Speech to the Parliament when they met there Their Impeachment of Fitz-Harris and Dissolution THE City of London being a perfect Nest of Rebellion it 's reasonable to give them a Mortification by summoning the Parliament to meet elsewhere and as Oxford hath been always signal for Loyalty both to my Father and my self I will gratify that Place with the meeting of this Parliament which will engage the Clergy more firmly on my side especially the young Nursery which is now a breeding up there And as by this Method I shall oblige my real Friends it 's probable that it may cool the Courage of my Enemies especially when they find themselves at a distance from their factious Accomplices at London and surrounded with my Souldiers and Guards at Oxford It is not without some appearance of Reason that my stubborn Subjects do boast of the Divine Care and Providence which seems to watch over their Persons Religion and Liberties for not only the Plots of Catholicks against them have been discovered and baffled but all my Designs of fastning Plots against them upon the Government have miscarried The Disappointment of this which was managed by Fitz-Harris may be of very ill Consequence if there be not care taken to prevent or at least baffle his Discovery which he has been such a Fool as to make now that he is taken How unhappy have I and my Courtiers been in the Tools that we chose to carry on our Designs for every one of them have not only discovered whatever they were imploy'd in but also who set them at work which incenses the Nation against the Court But without attempting we can never be sure of any thing and it is some Satisfaction when we do miscarry to be able to say with Phaeton Magnus tamen excidit ausis This Design was
ΕΙΚΩ'ΠΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΗ ' ΔΕΥ'ΤΕΡΑ THE POURTRAICTURE OF HIS SACRED MAJESTY King Charles II. With his Reasons for turning Roman Catholick published by K. James Found in the Strong Box. Printed in the Year MDCXCIV The CONTENTS I. ON his Majesty's being converted into the Catholick Church Page 1. II. On his Majesty's accepting of the Scots Proposals and taking the Solemn League and Covenant in Scotland p. 6. III. On his Majesty's Coronation in Scotland upon taking the Covenant and other Oaths to govern according to the Laws of that Kingdom p. 15. IV. On the Divisions amongst the Scots Presbyterians upon his Majesty's bringing his Father 's old Friends into Places of Power and Trust about him p. 18. V. On his Majesty's Defeat at Dumbar p. 20. VI. On the Defeat of his Majesty's Forces at Innerkeithing c. and his raising another Army to march into England p. 22. VII On his Majesty's Defeat at Worcester p. 24. VIII On his Majesty's Escape to Whiteladies from thence to Spring-Coppice and then to Boscobel house where he was conceal'd some time by the Penderels after he left the Royal Oak p. 28. IX On his Majesty's being in the Royal Oak p. 31. X. On his Majesty's being conceal'd at Boscobel house Entertainment there by the Penderels and Journey thence to Mr. Huddleston ' s. p. 34. XI On the Proclamation against entertaining his Majesty and offering 1000 l. to any that would discover him p. 38. XII On his Majesty's leaving Mr. Huddleston ' s and riding before Mrs. Jane Lane to Bristol c. in order to his embarquing for France p. 40. XIII On his Majesty's Journey to Trent and parting with Mrs. Lane there in order to his embarquing at Charmouth a small Village near Lime and his Disappointment by the Skipper's Wife who lock'd her Husband up that he should not carry him p. 45. XIV On his Majesty's Return to Trent and lodging at an Inn in Broad-Windsor in his way amongst Rebel-Souldiers where one of their Women were brought to bed and his Concealment in a Place at Trent where Recusants used to retire p. 47. XV. On his Majesty's imploying my Lord Wilmot to procure Money for his Transportation his hiring a Ship being known by one Smith an Inn-keeper and his Arrival near Havre de Grace in France p. 49. XVI On his Majesty's being conducted to Paris met by his Brother the Duke of York and entertained at the French Court p. 51. XVII On his Majesty's offering his Mediation betwixt the Prince of Conde ' s Faction and that of Cardinal Mazarin supported by the French King and the Odium which he thereby brought upon himself from both Parties p. 53. XVIII On Mrs. Lane ' s Arrival in France His Majesty's being disappointed of Mademoiselled ' Orleans and treating with the Duke of Lorrain for the recovering of Ireland p. 55. XIX On his Majesty's falling in love with one of his own Subjects in France his marrying her and having a young Prince by her who was afterwards created Duke of Monmouth p. 59. XX. On the French King 's concluding a Treaty with Oliver by which his Majesty and the Royal Family were to be excluded France and his going thereupon into the Low-Countries p. 62. XXI On his Majesty's travelling into Germany and the Low-Countries The Duke of Glocester ' s being importun'd and threatned by his Mother to turn Roman Catholick and the Duke of York's being charg'd to depart France p. 64. XXII On his Majesty's being invited into the Spanish Netherlands by Don John of Austria in name of his Catholick Majesty upon the Rupture betwixt Spain and France p. 68. XXIII On the Defeat of the Spanish Army and the Surrender of Dunkirk to the English p. 70. XXIV On Oliver ' s Death Richard ' s being declar'd Protector outed by Lambert and the Army c. p. 72. XXV On his Majesty's being invited to a Treaty on the Frontiers of Spain betwixt the French and Spanish Ministers about a Peace betwixt those Crowns Sir George Booth ' s Defeat The Confusions which the Nations were cast into by Lambert and General Monk ' s carrying on the Designs of restoring his Majesty p. 74. XXVI On General Monk's having brought the Design of his Majesty's Restoration to Perfection His Majesty's Declaration from Breda and Entertainment of the Presbyterian Ministers there who were sent over to him p. 76. XXVII On his Majesty's being proclaim'd by the Parliament His magnificent Entrance into London and injoying the Countess of Castlemain the first Night p. 80. XXVIII On the Parliament's condemning the Regicides and appointing an Anniversary Humiliation on the Day of King Charles I' s Murder p. 83. XXIX On his Majesty's dissolving the Parliament which called him in and summoning another p. 85. XXX On the Presbyterian Plots set on foot Novemb. 1661. Sir J. P' s forging treasonable Letters to that effect His Majesty's appointing a Conference at the Savoy betwixt the Conformists and Nonconformists and influencing the House of Commons to offer Reasons against any Toleration p. 89. XXXI On his Majesty's selling of Dunkirk to the French King for 500000 l. p. 92. XXXII On the Parliament's beginning to grow sensible of the Incouragement given to the Catholick Religion by his Majesty's Declaration Decemb. 1662. Their Petition on that head and his Majesty's publishing a Proclamation against Papists thereupon p. 94. XXXIII On the News of some more Plots by the Phanaticks against his Majesty both in England Scotland and Ireland The Execution of the Earl of Argyle Lord Wariston c. in Scotland and some of those concerned in the Plots in England and Ireland p. 96. XXXIV On his Majesty's making War upon the Dutch Anno 1664. p. 99. XXXV On the Parliament's voting to stand by his Majesty till he had a Redress for the Injuries done to his Subjects by the Dutch The King 's great Care to have his Fleet ready before theirs putting them off by fair Promises seizing their Bourdeaux Fleet without declaring War c. p. 101. XXXVI On the French King 's making Peace with the States Several Skirmishes with various Success The Victory at Sea by the Duke of York and the Plague which broke out in London in 1665. p. 103. XXXVII On the meeting of the Parliament at Oxford because of the Plague at London The King's Speech to them about the Dutch War and Supplies The Chancellor's Enlargement on it The Act for banishing Nonconformists five Miles from Corporations p. 107. XXXVIII On the Dutch's recalling their Ambassador from England The King's Letter by him to the States and the French King and his Majesty's Declarations of War against each other p. 111. XXXIX Vpon the Sea-fights with the Dutch May and July 1666. both sides pretending to the Victory And the French's lying by though they came as if they design'd to assist the Dutch p. 113. XL. On the firing of London p. 114. XLI On the Parliament's meeting at Westminster after the Fire His Majesty's Demand of more Money
will make our Friends in England believe that we are still good Protestants especially now that I make Application for Assistance from Protestant States so that I must turn every thing to my Advantage as near as I can though I am not like to do much with the Republican States of Holland who being jealous already of the Family of Orange will be afraid lest I support their Interest Yet it will strengthen my Cause if I get but a favourable Answer because it will be an Argument in the Mouths of my Friends to prove that the Proceedings against me are dislik'd by Foreign Protestants CHAP. XXII On his Majesty's being invited into the Spanish Netherlands by Don John of Austria in name of his Catholick Majesty upon the Rupture betwixt Spain and France INstead of being able to serve my self every one would serve their turn of me the Spaniards who refused my Father a Wife do now proffer me their Assistance to regain my Crown that they may the better preserve their own Dominions My Presence they judg may be serviceable in Flanders to withdraw my Subjects who have join'd the French and now that I may be useful they condescend to court me and my Circumstances oblige me to try my Fate perhaps my being present in Person may draw over some of my Subjects from the Enemy and my being so near England may animate my Friends there to some brave Attempt and seeing Fortune favours the Bold I 'm resolved to adventure perhaps she may be sated with my past Miseries and instead of her usual Frowns vouchsafe me some Smiles The malign Influences of my Stars are it may be exhausted and the Aspect of the Heavens become more propitious The Tyrant's Oppression does fret my Subjects at home and if Victory should crown my Head with Laurels abroad I may soon return with Triumph to my Throne The Usurper having disobliged the Nobility by the height of Contempt abolishing the House of Lords and squeezing the Commons may perhaps incline them to witness their Resentments when they hear that I 'm at the Head of a numerous Army If the Church-of England-men act their Part as the Presbyterians have done theirs though I confess they are infinitely less obliged they might quickly give the Usurper such a Diversion as would oblige him to recal his Troops for his own Defence But alas the Miscarriage of all my Designs in England and the renewed Attempts of my Friends in Scotland give me reason to fear that the same ill Fate attends me abroad and therefore I think it best not to be with the Army in Person but send my two Brothers and what Men I have lest my former ill Fortune should give the Spaniards occasion to say that it had also an Influence on their Affairs in case their Army should be defeated CHAP. XXIII On the Defeat of the Spanish Army and the Surrender of Dunkirk to the English HOW are all my Hopes vanish'd in a Moment and my towering Designs brought down to the Dust My ill Fate not only pursues my self but involves my Allies in the same Destiny Those who flatter this fortunate Usurper will doubtless say now O nimium dilecte Deo for nothing can stand before him The Loss of this Battel does mightily affect me so many of my best Friends having done their utmost to retrieve our lost Cause in it but in vain and my two Brethren commanding in Person have also been made sensible of the Frowns of Fortune so that the whole Family will be henceforth esteem'd unsuccessful and what dangerous Consequences attend such an Opinion of Generals Experience hath taught in all Ages There happened nothing favourable in this Rencounter but that my Brother James being taken had the good Fortune to escape Whence I have some ground to hope that we are preserved for better Times and though Fortune at present favours Oliver so that neither Scots Dutch nor Spaniards can stand before him the Case will not always continue thus but the Wheel may turn upon him or his My Subjects begin already to be weary of the Anarchy in the State and the Presbyterians themselves of the Confusion in the Church The Nobility and Gentry are angry to be trod under-foot by his Officers who are Fellows of inferiour Quality And by their desiring him to take upon him the Title of King it shows that they have no Dislike to the Office and being sensible of his Breach of his Oath by taking the Government upon himself though a single Person modelling their Parliaments as he pleases though he was sworn to maintain their Privileges and governing them by an Army though he would not allow my Father the Militia they 'l quickly come to draw such Inferences that seeing we must be tyranniz'd over it were as good to be so by those who have a long time been in possession of the Throne and will take care to leave something worth the Enjoyment of their Posterity seeing they believe the Divine Right of a Lineal Succession whereas they who have no such Principle nor Pretence do only take care for themselves and make Hay while the Sun shines The giving up of Dunkirk to the English is a very strange and impolitick Act of France if they have not some more than ordinary Assurance of Oliver Had my Predecessor Queen Mary been possess'd of such a Post on the Continent the Loss of Calais would never have broke her Heart And if ever it happen that a warlike King injoy the British Diadem and Dunkirk at the same time the Kingdom of France may have Cause to repent of this Folly but as I said before they are not so afraid of a Republick CHAP. XXIV On Oliver's Death Richard's being declar'd Protector outed by Lambert and the Army c. DEath hath effected what my Arms could not and rid me of my greatest Enemy If there be any such thing as a Supreme Being the Saints and He have certainly heard my Prayers and on that very Day of the Month when Oliver triumph'd over me at Dumbar and Worcester Fate hath triumph'd over him so that now I may begin to pluck up my Spirits and hope that Fortune will favour me at length This Man being dead whom my Enemies did idolize they have not such another to fill up his room and by his nominating his Son Richard to succeed him he hath at once discovered his Folly and Hypocrisy his Folly in naming such an one who is unfit for the Charge and his Hypocrisy in claiming a Lineal Succession which he did all along so strenuously impugn Richard is deposed by the same Power that set up his Father which is a very remarkable piece of Justice the Divine Nemesis hath made them destroy their own Creature and they will at last destroy themselves Oliver raised himself by concurring with Enthusiasts and advancing the Power of the Army over the Parliament and by the same Method the Frame of his own Government is pulled in pieces CHAP. XXV
On his Majesty's being invited to a Treaty on the Frontiers of Spain betwixt the French and Spanish Ministers about a Peace betwixt those Crowns Sir George Booth's Defeat The Confusions which the Nations were cast into by Lambert and General Monk's carrying on the Designs of restoring his Majesty FOrtune begins now to look upon me with a more favourable Aspect when the Great Potentates of Europe court me to be present at a Treaty of Peace which if concluded may tend to my Restoration without being obliged to my own Subjects and then I may introduce the Catholick Religion in an open manner as the Condition of the Assistance which is granted to me by Catholick Princes But alas the malign Influences of my Stars are not yet exhausted for the Treaty is turn'd only to a Cessation of Arms the French are very cold in their Caresses and the Spaniards have only granted me some Complimental Honours Nor have I been more successful in my Subjects Indeavours Sir George Booth and his Party are defeated so that I find the Presbyterians were more successful against my Father than ever they have been since for him or me And the Church-of England-men though they will expect to reap the greatest Benefit from my Restoration are very slack in their Endeavours towards it The only thing which looks with a favourable Aspect as to my Affairs is that the Nations are madded with so many Changes of Government and always subjected to the Tyranny of the Army Their Parliaments the Conservation of whose Privileges had a great share in beginning the War are also trampled under foot which I know must exceedingly disgust the People The main Anchor of my Hopes is General Monk whom I must caress with great Promises to carry on my Designs under a pretence of being zealous against me till such time as he may safely declare himself for me The Scots I know are weary of the English Usurpation and many of the Presbyterians there do still think that I am their Friend so that it will be easy for him to secure my Interest in that Nation and while he summons their Gentry to abjure me by the Tender he may form the Plot for my Restoration CHAP. XXVI On General Monk's having brought the Design of his Majesty's Restoration to Perfection His Majesty's Declaration from Breda and Entertainment of the Presbyterian Ministers there who were sent over to him NOW Fortune is surely sated with my Miseries and instead of her Frowns vouchsafes me her Smiles My Designs at length have prov'd successful and now I am mounting to the Top of the Wheel but that Lady is so fickle and unconstant that I must be careful of the Measures which I take and give my Subjects kind Words now if I would have them to be my Servants for ever The English Loyalty is purer than that of the Scots who demanded much harder Terms from me and seeing I swore the greater I may very well promise the lesser being resolved to keep them both alike And seeing the Puritans complain'd of being persecuted in my Father's Reign I must promise an Indulgence to tender Consciences and in short take all possible Methods to sweeten my Subjects till such time as I be settled upon the Throne and then I shall punish the stubborn Schismaticks with a Vengeance for their old Rebellion But I must be very cautious and counterfeit a deal of Piety before the Puritanical Parsons who are sent over to me I must prepare some Prayers in their own canting Dialect and order them to be brought where they may hear me at them in my Closet and for once I 'll imitate Oliver who used always to pray with an audible Voice by which he drew his Followers into a great Opinion of his Piety He 's a cursed Pattern indeed but according to the Proverb Fas est ab hoste doceri And if I can but impose upon those Leading Priests the Cant will take universally amongst the Party and I shall carry on my Designs with the more Facility It 's true that according to the common Notion of the World this may seem Atheistical but seeing the Catholick Church will avouch that Faith is not to be kept with Hereticks it cannot be unlawful for me to dissemble with them and if there be a God he is not certainly such as we have him represented else he had never pav'd my Way to the Throne seeing he must know that I never design'd to keep one Word of my Promises so that I have no reason to suffer any Disquiet in my Thoughts upon that account for when those who call themselves Divines and make it their Trade cannot agree whether there be only one God and no Persons or one God and three Persons nor yet as to the Rule which he hath left to direct us nor the Meaning of that which some of them pretend to be the Rule let meaner Persons trouble themselves about these Speculations I 'll concern my self how to live like a King And seeing in their own Dialect they call me a God upon Earth they shall obey my Will as the Vice-gerent of Heaven And since it is uncertain whether there be either a God or a Heaven I 'll ease my self of the Trouble of my Prayers for time to come as I have already done for some time past and yet I perceive that my Affairs go on and prosper while theirs who do not only pray but also howl and whine are on the Declension and certainly their God must be a very unkind Soveraign to suffer the best of his Subjects for so they must be if the Bible be his Word to lie under the greatest Affliction Surely I would not do so to the best of my Subjects if I could help it but if they be such Fools as to think that Afflictions make them the fitter for Heaven qui decipi vult decipiatur for my part if I can I 'll take my pleasure here and venture upon what is to come hereafter There is still one dangerous Rock more on which I must beware of splitting and that is lest the People be jealous of my Designs on their Civil Liberties for let them clamour and talk of Religion as much as they will I find that to be pinch'd in the other is their principal Grievance so that Stiffness in Religion is a thing peculiar to the Scots Presbyterians and their bigotted Followers However I must be high in my Protestations that there is nothing which I do so much lay to heart as the Advancement of the Protestant Religion and the Conservation of the Privileges of Parliament that all the Unkindnesses which I and mine have met with from Protestants have not been able to alter my Opinion as to the former nor have all the Invasions which they have made upon my Prerogative been able to put me out of Conceit with the latter but that I shall always look upon their Counsel as the best and be ready to comply with such Measures
as they propose for the Advancement of Religion and Liberty CHAP. XXVII On his Majesty's being proclaim'd by the Parliament His magnificent Entrance into London and injoying the Countess of Castlemain the first Night MY Designs have taken and my Subjects are thereupon returned to their Duty so that now I am recall'd by the Consent of the Nation who were wearied by the Oppressions of the late Anarchy I may now with Safety put off my Vizard in some measure and say with Pope Sixtus V. that it 's needless to stoop any longer now that I have found the Keys The People I perceive are come to a high Flight of Loyalty so that my small Escapes will not be taken notice of And seeing all this Solemnity is for me why should not I chiefly reap the Sweets of it If the Subjects indulge themselves as to Wine and Women upon this occasion why should the same be denied to their Soveraign The best way to carry on my Designs is to begin my Reign with Jollity which will be grateful to those who have been so long restrain'd from Liberty By this means I shall be sure to have the strongest Party for all Mens natural Inclinations which the Precisians call Lusts and Corruptions will be certainly for me and if once they get a Vent will break out like an Inundation now that they have so long been under a Restraint The youthful Nobility and Gentry will certainly adore my Reign on this account as August and Splendid and the Churchmen will be glad to be from under the Checks and Grimaces of the Puritans so that the Whole being immers'd in Jollity and Pleasure they 'l quickly leave off the Cant of Religion and Property and they who do otherwise will be made the Subject of publick Ignominy Why may not I have the Countess of Castlemain as well as David had Bathsheba The Solemnity of this Day is a much more excusable Tentation than his viewing of a beautiful Woman from the top of his House If I be privately reproach'd as having invaded another Man's Property I can tell them publickly that Princes are not to be limited as private Men they have a Right to the Persons and Goods of their Subjects and who ought to say to a King What dost thou If I keep them from incroaching upon one another they may very well allow me my Liberty I am accountable to none but God and him I will venture to take in my own Hand the Advancement of the Catholick Church will atone for all other Miscarriages so that as to this I have no reason to be sollicitous a good End will hallow the worst of Means and seeing those who are called the debauchedst of Men have sometimes Pangs and Gripes of Conscience a Licentiousness of Practice is the best Method of the World to reduce such to the Church of Rome because Pardons may be had for the highest of Crimes so that a Man may enjoy the Pleasures of Sin and not only be freed from the Punishment due to it but also assur'd of Heaven at last And herein the Pope does as much as Mahomet though under a Vail of greater Modesty and secures to his Followers the Pleasures both of this World and that which is to come so that I shall take care by this Method to pave the way for the Return of Popery and make it appear that Debauchery is look'd upon by me as the best Test of Loyalty as indeed it will be for sure I am that Debauchees as foolish Men call those who indulge the innocent Appetites of Nature will never be Enemies to a Reign which allows them in it but on the contrary will be my surest Defence against all the Attempts of the Puritanical Precisians CHAP. XXVIII On the Parliament's condemning the Regicides and appointing an Anniversary Humiliation on the Day of King Charles I's Murder NOW when the Kingdom is in a Ferment of Loyalty I must take care to revenge my Father's Death wherein I shall be sure of the Concurrence of the Parliament because that same Hand which cut off his Head cut off their Privileges but I must push it further than I 'm afraid they will be willing and by my Friends and Pensioners procure an Act for an Anniversary Commemoration of my Father's Murder by which I shall blazon his Vertues to all Posterity and load his Enemies with the Height of Reproach which will mightily tend to the Establishment of my Prerogative for by crying out against his Murder all manner of Opposition against Soveraigns will be condemn'd I am sure of having the Church of England's Assistance because those that destroyed him did also destroy them so that they will certainly defend his Cause as their own and the more that they extol my Father the more they depress their own Enemies so that I need not doubt but the Church-men will express themselves with all the Hyperboles imaginable to display the Horridness of the Murder and the Piety and singular Vertues of their Martyr which will be of special Use to support my Pretensions to an absolute Monarchy for when the Generality of the Pulpits ring with Declamations for Passive Obedience it will create an Universal Abhorrence of all such as are for any manner of Resistance which the Church-men will find themselves oblig'd to promote that they may throw Dirt upon the Presbyterians who are Enemies to their Hierarchy And thus by keeping the Protestants at Enmity amongst themselves and the stiffest and most obstinate amongst them under the Hatches I shall be the better enabled to destroy the whole and bring in Popery by Degrees if not by Head and Shoulders But as to the Regicides to have them condemned has been no hard matter because the Parliament did never approve of their Proceedings and from their Condemnation I shall reap this Advantage that the Means must fall under the same Censure with the Instruments and all things which contributed to my Father's Death as a pretended Zeal for Religion and the Privileges of the People will be look'd upon as certain Marks of Disloyalty CHAP. XXIX On his Majesty's dissolving the Parliament which called him in and summoning another THis Parliament hath done all that I am to expect from them and therefore it 's expedient that I should dissolve them it not being safe to trust too much to a Parliament that has such an Alloy I must summon another which will be fitter for my purpose and bring in as many of my Companions in Exile as I can Their Spirits are imbitter'd by their former Sufferings and their Purses are still sensible of their Sequestrations which will make them the more eager for a Revenge and to help it on I will still keep them low and feed them with Promises to carry on my Designs I must now begin to think of my Engagements to the Catholicks and towards the better accomplishing of them must restore the Bishops which I can easily do now that the House is fill'd with
and the Crown if the Dissenters should not be rendred uncapable of disturbing either When I once inspire them with these Sentiments they will the better concur with my Declaration against Denmark for siding with the Rebellious and Heretical Dutch and by this Means my Brother of France and I shall reach a fatal Blow indeed to the Northern Heresy by the Concurrence of the Hereticks themselves for as my Church-of England-Subjects will certainly assist me on the Considerations above-mentioned so the French Hugonots concur with their Monarch to destroy those of their own Religion they being also scrued up to a high pitch of Loyalty by the Cunning of the Court and the Management of their Clergy And thus when we have deprived our Heretical Subjects of all Support from abroad it will be the easier for us to destroy them at home How unhappily are all my fine Projects blasted and my Designs against the Dutch not only miscarried but they have put theirs in execution against me burnt my Royal Navy in my own Haroours and ride without Controul upon my Coasts This is indeed an intolerable Disgrace but I must study how to repair it The Want of Money were a plausible Excuse but considering the Tax which I lately had it will not be practicable and therefore I must indeavour to excuse it by charging it on the Treachery of the Dutch during the time of a Treaty which though it is not likely to obtain Belief amongst knowing Men yet it will do much to put a stop to the Murmurs of the Vulgar and in the mean time I must study how to work a Revenge and not suffer them long to triumph in their Success I perceive the French King takes advantage of my Circumstances and hath deluded me on purpose to carry on his own Designs by giving out that the Dutch would have no Fleet at Sea this Summer Let him hug and bless himself for his good Success I may find an Opportunity to make him repent it May he flatter himself as a great Politician and fram'd by Nature for the Empire of the World I can sooner accomplish my Designs than he can do his and satisfy my Desires with those things which I look upon as my Summum Bonum Whereas he can never satisfy his Ambition and as he makes me to subserve his Designs his Money shall also subserve mine and while he pleases himself with the Thoughts of conquering Europe I will indulge my self in such Conquests as are more agreeable to my Nature though at the same time I am resolved to give a check to his growing Greatness by clapping up a Peace with the Dutch and Danes and thus I shall revenge my self on him for dealing so dishonourably with me as to suffer it to be printed at Paris that my Design against Holland was for advancing Popery CHAP. XLII On the murmuring of the People at the Consumption of the Treasure His Majesty's granting leave to the Parliament's Commissioners to take the Publick Accounts His raising an Army of 30000 Men and disbanding them On the Parliament's being displeased with it The Sessions of Parliament in July October and February 1667. His Majesty's Speeches to them Proclamation against Papists Displacing of Chancellor Hide and League with the Dutch c. IT 's not without reason that the King of England is by Foreigners call'd Rex Diabolorum for my Subjects are truly head-strong and ill to govern What mutinous Murmurs do sound in my Ears daily and grievous Complaints of exhausting their Treasure when in the mean time the Nation is neither well govern'd at home nor secure against the disgraceful Insults of our Enemies abroad The Seeds of the old Rebellion begin to spring again so hard a Matter it is to cure this Nation of the Distemper However in Policy I am obliged to humour them a little and to please them will offer to give the Parliament an Account which way the Money that they gave me hath been spent I know that their Commissioners will scarcely be Proof against Gold so that I can easily take them off if they become too inquisitive This yielding a little will give me an Opportunity to renew my Blow with the greater Force And from their Complaints of the Nation 's not being secur'd against Foreign Insults I shall take the Opportunity to raise an Army in the Interval of Parliament but model them so as to render them fit for my Design if possible both of raising Money without Parliaments and advancing the Interest of the Church of Rome If I cannot have all the Officers avowed Papists I shall at least order it so that they be not Haters of the Church of Rome for none shall be promoted without Father Patrick's Approbation To encamp them near the City will be most commodious that so they may overawe both it and the Parliament But alas I find that my Design is perceiv'd and the Commons being met are resolv'd to defeat it My Aim was glorious indeed but my Success unanswerable so that Nature seems to have design'd me for the Conquest of Women but not of Men. A Prince who has not the Command of his Subjects Purses can never say that he has the Command of their Persons for I must comply with the Parliament because I want Money or otherwise I am sure they 'l give me none The Army that I rais'd must again be disbanded else they 'l never be satisfied nor have their Jealousies removed so that I find I must take another Method If the Catholicks grumble at the Slowness of my Progress they may remember that the Work in hand is Church-work I am resolv'd never to sacrifice my own Quiet to any Party or Profession of Religion but now that I have re-obtain'd my Throne will labour to keep it having already experienc'd the Misery of being reduc'd to Travel They may be also convinc'd from my Failure in this Attempt that I want not Will but Power to serve them and that to hurry on the Design by Force is the way to ruine both them and me It 's true that 's a very great Mortification to a Soveraign to receive a Check from those who ought to obey him but whatever it hath had upon others it shall have no great Influence upon me who am resolv'd to pursue Ease and Pleasure as my chief Good But the Parliament having taken the Alarm I must sweeten them by soft Speeches which with the Assistance of my Friends in the House will take off their Edg. I will tell them that they shall follow their own Methods in bringing those who have received the Publick Money to an account and that their Grievances shall be redressed I know that the disbanding of the Forces on their Desire the displacing of my Lord Chancellor Hide and dismissing of Papists from my Guards will be acceptable to them And to please them yet further I will publish a Proclamation against Papists and that none shall frequent the Popish Chappels of Somerset-house
to have it introduc'd here and therefore concur with the Phanatical Members to oppose the keeping up of a Standing Army and as they have excluded their Brethren the Dissenters they are also unwilling that the Roman Catholicks should be Sharers with them in Places of Power and Trust so that my Episcopal Subjects are indeed very Loyal but it 's on this Condition that they alone may enjoy the Bag and if either I or any of my Successors shall put out our hands and touch them in their Property I make no doubt of it but they will curse us to our Face and therefore I must take care to drive on cunningly but not furiously so that when I have a mind to be reveng'd on any of my Enemies I must represent them as Fanaticks and Commonwealths-Men then shall I be sure to have them baited from the Pulpits nor shall they find any more favourable Treatment when they come before the Benches CHAP. L. On his Majesty's making Application to the Parliament of Scotland upon his failing of Money from the Parliament of England the Scots insisting first upon the Redress of their Grievances and sending Duke Hamilton and others to London for that End MY Case is very desperate when I must have recourse to the Poorest of my Subjects for Money and that the Richest refuse it My Father and Grandfather took such Measures as tended to the keeping of Scotland low so that it 's no wonder that that Nation should have fail'd them in their Distress They were obliged by their Coronation-Oaths to live some part of their time there lest the Substance of the Kingdom should be spent in England by the Nobilities being obliged to frequent the Court but Reasons of State induc'd them to do otherwise for the Scots being a People tenacious of their Privileges and zealous for their Religion did oppose their Measures for advancing the Prerogative whence it became necessary to humble them lest their Example should have had bad Influence on the two other Kingdoms My Father it 's true would have proceeded further and design'd to have chastis'd their Contumacy with the Sword but how unsuccessful it proved in the Event is too late and recent to be forgotten their Kindness to me was truly remarkable in declaring me their King immediately upon his Murder but I am afraid that my treatment of them since hath effac'd those good Impressions which they had of me then seeing I have not only overturn'd the Presbyterians who were at that time my greatest Friends but cut off the Chief of their Patrons and brought the whole Party under the lash Cursed be the Necessity which occasions my application to them and may those Disciples of Passive Obedience the Church-of England-Men be dealt with in the same manner as they have dealt with me They pretended to receive me without any previous Terms and to own the Divine Right of my Succession to the Throne but now when I have settled the Discipline of their Church and brought the Dissenters under their feet they are also for disputing my Commands and confining my Prerogative within narrower Limits I must now try whether their Brethren the Episcopal Party in Scotland will be any thing more ingenuous and if they can really perform what they have so solemnly promised they have undertaken to assist me with 22000 Horse and Foot where-ever I shall have occasion then surely they may let me have the Money and save their Men which would do my business in an effectual Manner and that no means may be left unattempted I will send the Earl of Lauderdale their great Patron to perswade them to it But my cursed Fate continues inauspicious and I find that the Party in Scotland are very insignificant being not so much as able to grant me one Subsidy but instead of that I am presented with an Address of their Grievances and a smart Remonstrance against Lauderdale's Ministry back'd by the greatest of the Peers of Scotland whose Noise and Complaints have reach'd me in England and until those be redressed they won't so much as hear of any Overtures for Money I was made to believe that an unbounded Loyalty had been so universally diffused through that Kingdom that the Episcopal Party ador'd and the Presbyterians fear'd me but Experience teaches the contrary else what means this bleating of the Sheep and lowing of the Oxen the Episcopal Party though they alone are capable of being admitted to Parliament either cannot or will not give me Money and their Libel of Grievances are but an old Presbyterian Remonstrance newly vamp'd being an Impeachment of my Administration both in Church and State and including Desires in favour of the Dissenters They complain of the Monopoly of Salt which hath increased the price of it so much that what was formerly had for 4 cannot now be bought for 20s though the Inconvenience of this Monopoly was represented to me They do also murmur against the Impositions on Brandy and Tobacco and that the Lords of the Articles who were originally no more than a Committee of the Parliament's appointment are now advanc'd above Parliaments themselves That the Mint and Coinage are corrupted Persons ignorant and insufficient created Judges That the Bishop of Edinburgh and others of the Clergy are countenanc'd in preaching reflectingly upon the Parliament That Magistrates are illegally imposed upon the City of Edinburgh That eminent Offices are accumulated upon single Persons and conclude this Point with the Male-administration of my Revenue and the Earl of Lauderdale's excessive Greatness In the next place they complain of the Severity of the Laws against the Presbyterians and that my own Power is too great in Church-Affairs so that the Nations seem resolved to join Complaints against my Government and how fatal the Issue of that may be I can easily conjecture from by-past times therefore I must dismiss Duke Hamilton with a favourable Answer and promise a Redress of Grievances in Parliament that so I may allay their present Heat 'T is happy for me that I have two other Kingdoms by which I can overawe them or else their Address had been back'd by the Sword and they would probably have brought me on my Knees before their Parliament as they have done several of my Predecessors or have cut off my Head but I shall henceforth endeavour to put them out of a Capacity to deal so by me or any of my Successors And whereas the Presbyterians do tenaciously adhere to the pretended Liberties of their Fore-fathers instead of Rods by which they were chastis'd by my Father I shall henceforth order it so that they shall be punish'd with Scorpions that they may be rendred altogether unable to raise any Rebellion at home or assist the Parliament of England and the Protestants of Ireland abroad I will take such effectual Course to render them contemptible that they shall not henceforth have the Vanity as in my Father's time to think that the Representation of their Pressures can find
turn as strongly upon the Phanaticks and Republicans as it does now against the Catholicks and Courtiers especially when back'd by my Authority and made the Path-way to Preferment in Church and State for I shall henceforth take care that none be advanc'd in either but such as are willing to concur with my Designs For the carrying on of which it is necessary that some acute Pens be set at work to defend my Proceedings and draw such Vails over them as cannot be seen through by ordinary Observers It is also necessary for that end that I imploy some fit Persons to negotiate a Peace betwixt France and Holland which as it will be a plausible Argument of my Aversion to have that Protestant State destroyed it will give the French King an Opportunity to concert his Measures at leisure render his Protestants less useful to him at home and the easier to be destroyed and enable him to assist me in advancing my Prerogative for which end he shall have 10000 of my Subjects in his Service who after they have acquired Experience and Reputation in his Wars will be useful to me for training up others and be ready at hand to quell my rebellious Subjects in case of intestine Troubles The old Cavaliers may be now very useful to me and whereas they have hitherto complain'd of being neglected I will incite them by hopes of having their old Services rewarded to publish their former Sufferings afresh and declare that the Parliament is taking the same Methods which did formerly ruine the Church and the State by which Means I shall bring their Procedure to be hated and animate the Royalists and zealous Church-men against them CHAP. LIII On the Meeting of the Parliament again April 1675. Their falling upon Bills for the Benefit of the Nation and being diverted by the sudden bringing in of a Têst into the House of Lords to be imposed upon all in Places of Power or Trust Civil Military or Ecclesiastical obliging them to declare their Abhorrence of taking up Arms against the King or any commissionated by him and to swear that they would not at any time endeavour the Alteration of the Government either in Church or State THE Want of Money obliges me to let the Parliament sit after so long a Prorogation but to my great Grief I perceive that the Vitals and noble Parts of the Nation are in danger by this Contagion of rebellious Principles which hath rag'd so long amongst them Insomuch that whereas it might have been justly expected that this long Prorogation should have cool'd them they fall upon the old Theme of Bills for the Advantage of the Nation but I am resolv'd to give them a Diversion by the Cavalier and High Church-man whom I have inspir'd with a Desire of Revenge for old Injuries and put them in hopes of better Success than formerly if they should have occasion of fighting the old Quarrel over again seeing now they are possessed of the Arms Forts and Ammunition of the Nation and are sure of one to head them who will never be guilty of such a precipitant Action as to leave their Enemies in possession of London divest himself of the Power of the Militia or lodg his Power in the Hands of the Parliament So that the Church and I shall mutually gratify one another and maintain both Monarchy and Episcopacy to be of Divine Right and not to be bounded by humane Laws We have made considerable Steps towards this already the Act for regulating Corporations hath excluded all Men of different Principles from the Magistracy the Act of Uniformity hath shut them out from the Ministry and the Act of the Militia hath left them no Place in the Army So that it only remains for laying on the Top-stone of the whole Fabrick that we get this Test to be universally imposed and then we take away all Opportunity from the Parliament to alter any thing in Church or State and confine them to their proper Work of raising Money The Bishops who have their Dependance upon me must be taught to instruct their inferiour Clergy to make use of their Learning to justify and not to examine what their Superiours command And seeing this Oath secures their beloved Government and Discipline to Perpetuity they can neither in Gratitude nor Interest decline their Concurrence to promote the same in favour of the Crown which with so much Zeal they desire for the Mitre If this can be obtain'd the Act of Oblivion will be made void and then we can take a sweet Revenge on the Phanaticks and Republicans The better to make it pass we must endeavour to possess the Parliament that it 's a necessary and moderate Security for the Church and Crown and will be the most effectual Preservative that can be thought on against such Rebellions as that of 41. The Necessity of it may easily be instructed from the Swarms of Phanaticks and Men of dangerous Principles which abound in the Nation And all who refuse to give this moderate Security shall be look'd on as tainted with this rebellious Leaven But I find that I must still lay my Account to meet with Opposition for those Lords who value themselves as being Patriots to their Country but in reality a factious Cabal oppose this Bill with Vigour as incroaching on the Birth-right of the Peers striking at the Root of the Government taking away Freedom of Debate from the Houses of Parliament which have part of the Legislative Power obliging them to abjure all Endeavours to alter the Government of the Church whatever the Necessities of the State or Christian Compassion to Dissenters may require and therefore they have protested against it but however I have this Satisfaction that it is carried against them and committed And my Lords the Bishops have behav'd themselves bravely in it by endeavouring not only to have those Protesting Lords personally punished but the Liberty of exhibiting Reasons with their Protestations abolished because of their pretending a Christian Compassion to Dissenters Nor did they shew themselves less my Friends in rejecting the Proviso's offer'd by the Protesting Lords to secure the Freedom of Debate to Members of Parliament and prevent Dangers from Popish Recusants And though they could not answer yet they could out-vote the Arguments brought against Assertory Oaths in point of Doctrine and Promissory Oaths though held unlawful by Grotius and generally ineffectual to keep ill Men out of the Government though they may exclude some conscientious Persons And as the Bishops cannot justify this their Procedure without an assurance of Infallibility which they do not pretend to it shews that they do not believe the Religion which they profess and teach And seeing I perceive this to be common among Priests of all Religions it cannot but justify me though I should openly profess my self to be of none I perceive the Country Lords have found out my Design to swear them not to oppose an Arbitrary Government by binding them up not
Effects by the French which will afford them a Million to carry on the War that they will ruine our Plantations abroad disturb our Trade by their Capers that they are better provided both of Ships and Ammunition than we that if we should engage in a War with the Dutch they would slip the Coller by a separate Peace and that it 's not possible to make any firm Alliance with those of such different Principles and Interest as the Emperor and Princes of Germany But I find that the other Party are not so easy to be put off They pretend not to press me to make War but to make Leagues to prevent War that now is the critical Season to prevent the growing Greatness of France that the same Inconveniences will happen as to our Trade if the War be not begun till three or four Years hence that we may as well defend our Plantations and Sea-Trade as the Dutch can do theirs that it 's the Effect of the Male-administration of this Reign that the French are stronger by Sea than we that the Dutch and German Princes will be as firm in their League with us as they are in that with one another and that the Dutch would assist us in such things for our Fleet as we were defective in that the want of a Trade with France would rather be an Advantage than otherwise to the Nation because their imported Goods which we could live without do exceed what we export to their Country a Million per annum and that my selling of Dunkirk and making War on the Dutch in 1665. hath contributed to their over-grown Greatness and abundance of such seditious Reflections However I testify my Contempt of them by a profound Silence until I find a convenient time and mean while by the Interest of my Pensioners and Servants in the House I have got some Money to further my Designs according to my Demand My Fate is chequered with Variety of Fortune The Success of the French against the Netherlands where they have taken some Towns and defeated the Prince of Orange will embolden me to carry it with the more Authority against my refractory Subjects and give a plausible Pretence for demanding more Money else I cannot be in a condition to defend them against such a powerful Enemy And whereas they may alledg that the 200000 l. which they have lately given is enough to supply my present Occasions until such time as they meet again I can answer that that Sum is otherwise applied so that the Country shall not be able to see into the true Reason of their Adjournment at this Juncture but will probably be induced to believe that it is because of their having denied me Money and during their Recess I shall have leisure to entertain the spendid Embassy which is coming hither from my Brother of France and concert such Measures as may either render all such factious Divans as Parliaments wholly useless or at least order it so as I shall not be so much subject to their capricious Humours but by this seeming Difference betwixt them and me the Nation will be brought to have a good Opinion of this present House of Commons who will thereby have the better Opportunity to gratify me and deserve their Pensions and therefore I made a Demand of 600000 l. which I knew they could not grant that they might have an occasion of refusing it and at the same time afford me one of adjourning them with a plausible Pretext CHAP. LXI Vpon the Duke of Crequis's arriving from France with a great Train and meeting his Majesty at New-market The Affairs treated of there The meeting of the Parliament again Their insisting upon a League with Holland and his Majesty's Answer HAving adjourned the Parliament I must now make ready to meet the French Embassy and London being a Place where there are too many Spies upon my Actions I design to choose New-market as the fitter Place there we may confer with more Freedom and Security and adjust Matters better to our Mind I know that my mutinous Subjects will load this Conference with many aggravating Reflections but if I can carry my Point I shall not value that My Brother of France I know will plead for the Continuance of my Subjects in his Service because they have not a little contributed to the Glory of his Arms and he will also insist on the Abolition of all Claims on the account of the Prizes which his Subjects have made of mine and other things of that Nature which shall be granted according as I find him liberal in his Supplies of Money Those Demands especially the latter are fit to be made that the private Agreement betwixt him and my self may be conceal'd and for the other it must also be regulated by my own Interest and that of the Design which we carry on in conjunction for by a firm Union betwixt us we shall add Strength to our common Endeavours and may in time bring things to a happy Conclusion But seeing I have no Reason to despair of effecting my part by a Form of Law considering what Party I have in both Houses I will prepare to entertain the next Session of Parliament and contrive Arguments to make them liberal of their Fellow-Subjects Purses which will be the most effectual Method that I can think of to accelerate my Designs The Parliament being now met I have renew'd my Demands of Money because they alledg that it was not according to the Methods and Rules of Parliament for them to grant me any more at the Close of the last Sessions when the House was so thin but that Objection being vacated by their meeting now in a full Body it might have been thought that they should have fallen upon the Money of Course but instead of that they insist again upon an Alliance with Holland as the only mean of withstanding the French By which I perceive that the Phanatical Jealousies gain ground they are not satisfied to have me declare War my self but they would yoke me with the Dutch who will be sure to inspect my Conduct severely and then I must act against France in good earnest I find that all the Objections that I can make as that such a League would alarm the French if imparted before made and that such things are of great Consequence and require time to be concerted are easily seen through and the Commons having taken Umbrage from the extraordinary French Embassy alledg that my Brother of France and I understand one another's Minds Wherefore I find it necessary to send for the House and in a publick Speech assure them on my Royal Word that my calling them together was not only a Design to get Money as some do insinuate and tell them positively that I will neither hazard my own Safety nor theirs by declaring against France or leaguing with the Dutch till they supply me with Money to act and speak as I should and that therefore it will be
got so much the Ascendant of this which was once a Loyal Parliament or that my Pensioners and Friends should come so far short of their wonted Devoirs Perhaps the late Checks which they have met with by my Speech and Adjournments have given them some Umbrage to suspect that they are not long-liv'd and therefore they would now endeavour to recover their Credit with the Country They discovered before by the Motions which some of my Friends made of impowering me to raise what Money I pleas'd upon extraordinary Occasions that I was grown weary of Parliaments themselves and that my Bounty to them would cease with their Usefulness to me and therefore are taking care to make their Fortunes another way and so run out violently for a War with France I must humour them a little to further my own Ends and pretend to be for such a War that I may once get their Money and then I can lay it out which way I please I shall also make an Advantage of it another way by obliging the French King to open his Coffers on pretence that I must otherwise comply with my Parliament And by this Means I shall be sure to have Money one way or other If the Commons must be gratified with a War on France it 's but reasonable that it should be carried on at their Expence and therefore I will demand no less than a Million I know that my PRetences of Alliances with the Dutch and Agreement to the Prohibition of a Trade with France will be irresistible Arguments to carry my Demand and those I am resolv'd to improve to the utmost CHAP. LXIII On the raising of an Army on pretence of a War with France The modelling of them The sending of Duke Lauderdale to Scotland to bring down an Highland-Army upon those Parts of the Low-lands which were most Presbyterian The private Treaty with France The Discovery of it by the Commons Their Address to his Majesty to dismiss the French Ambassador Their Vote in May 1678. That the King be desired to enter into Alliance with the Emperor King of Spain and Princes of Germany His Majesty's Answer Their second Address against Duke Lauderdale and other Ministers and Vote to give no Money till they were secured from Popery and Arbitrary Government The Treaty of Nimeguen and the Behaviour of his Majesty's Plenipotentiaries there THE Parliament having given Money it remains for me to improve it and that they may be induc'd to believe that it shall be applied to the Ends for which it was given an Army shall be rais'd but such as I hope will put me in a Condition that I shall stand in no more need of Parliamentary Supplies The principal Posts in Church and State are already so well fill'd with Persons suted to my Designs that I can scarcely have better And now I must take care to model the Army to have most of the Souldiers if possible composed of such Men as are either Catholicks or but Protestants in Name and the Officers in like manner either altogether Catholicks or such who by taking the Test to qualify them for their Office may nevertheless advance the Catholick Cause for which Reason I am happy in the Constitution of the Church of England it being so framed that moderate Catholicks may easily comply with it The Army being form'd my next Care must be how to get them paid for the Money granted by the Parliament will quickly be consum'd upon them and my necessary Pleasures and therefore seeing the French King and Catholicks press me to the furtherance of their respective Designs it 's highly reasonable that the same should be carried on with their own Money I having done my part in being at the Expence of raising an Army they are obliged to maintain them and if to the 300000 l. per annum which the French King is obliged to pay towards it the Conclave of Rome and the Catholicks in England will contribute their Shares the Work will be done and I shall no more stand in need of such tumultuous Divans as Parliaments who instead of granting me Money which is their only Province do dive into my Counsels and obstruct my Measures It will render me obnoxious to Discovery and Censure to keep a Correspondence with France and Rome in my own Person and therefore I think it adviseable to do it by my Brother who can better keep the Pope and Cardinal Howard to their Promise than I can do and if the Business should happen to be perceiv'd he being a Subject can easily make his Escape and retire a while till I weather out the Storm That I may prevent as much as in me lies all Impediments of what Nature soever I have also taken care to put Scotland out of a Condition to oppose me as remembring very well that the Presbyterians of that Nation were the first who made head against my Father and therefore I have consum'd the Substance of the richest and most phanatical part of the Kingdom by bringing down an Army of Popish Highlanders to take Free Quarter upon them for which the frequent and numerous Meetings of the Presbyterians hath furnish'd me with a Pretence I having taken such Methods that either they should have no Meetings at all for hearing Sermons by their own Ministers or be obliged to meet in the Fields and not in Safety there neither except they put themselves in a Posture of Defence and if they do that I carry my Point and have a fair Opportunity of charging them with Rebellion and taking my Measures against them accordingly I am also secure as to the meeting with any Obstruction from Ireland having indulged the Papists in that Kingdom so far as they have got the Ascendant and put such Men in all Places of Power and Trust as are sincere and cordial for my Designs so that I had no Reason to despair of bringing things to a good Issue if the Influences of my Stars which are always malignant had not discovered my private Treaty with France and rais'd a new Ferment of Jealousy amongst the Commons who upbraid the Court for want of Sincerity that at the very time when they talk of an actual War they should enter into secret Treaties with their Enemies And hence I am importun'd by another seditious Address that I should immediately proclaim and declare War against the French King recal my Ambassador from his Court and dismiss his from mine So that notwithstanding of the severe Check which I gave them by my Speech the last time that they presum'd to give me such Directions they persist still in the same Method And to expose me to my Subjects in revenge of my having expos'd them formerly in the Gazette for their Disobedience they have publickly declar'd that they have a Bill ready to assist me with Money if once I declare War which they solicite me to undertake that the French King may be so reduced as to be no longer terrible to my
Subjects And lest the People should not take notice of this Address they have voted another wherein they press that I may be desired to enter into an Alliance with the Emperor King of Spain and Princes of Germany and the Dutch Heu quantum mutatus ab illo What Difference is there betwixt a King newly inthron'd or restor'd and one who has reign'd till his People are weary of him Who would have thought that a Parliament which hath enabled me to trample upon their Brethren the Protestant Dissenters and punish them for their rebellious Practices and Principles should fall into the same Crimes themselves for which they condemn others What Difference is there betwixt the Scots Presbyterian Remonstrances and the Addresses of this Church-of England-House-of-Commons Could any Fanatick libel my Administration with greater Severity than they have done and yet upon the account of their opposing the same things in my Father which they themselves do now oppose in me How have they endeavoured to load them with Reproaches and render them odious to all Posterity as Enemies to Monarchy But seeing the Case is thus I will pursue my own Measures and instead of declaring open War against France assist them with Provision and Ammunition under-hand on pretence of supplying the Isle of Wight c. And by my Interest with the Pope's Nuncio and the Catholick Princes concerned in the Treaty of Nimeguen will labour to have them accept of the French King's Proposals of Peace and that will put an end to the Importunity of my Parliament for declaring a War against France But for an Answer to their Address they shall know that I don't value neither them nor it so much as to answer any thing of that Nature without the concurrent Advice of the other House which may perhaps throw a Bone of Contention betwixt them The Storm increases instead of abating and now they address a second time to alarm the Nation as if they lay under imminent Dangers from the Clandestine Practices of ill Men and urge to have the Duke of Lauderdale removed from my Presence which they back with a Vote that they will give no Money till they be secur'd from Popery and Arbitrary Government a terrible Alarm from the Representatives of a Nation who are look'd upon as the Preservers of their Civil Liberties I know no other way to remedy this Disaster than by proroguing the Parliament to allay their Heat and in the mean time take care to have my Proceedings justified from the Pulpits Nor am I any happier in the French King's Friendship he is far from being punctual or true to his Word and by consequence hath fail'd of giving me the 300000 l. per annum which he promised And I have another Evidence of the Mischief that attends a King's being obliged to his Subjects for Money that the French King does in an inglorious manner threaten to discover our private Treaties to the Parliament and to create a Rupture betwixt me and my People if I press him too hard Had I the Purses and Persons of my Subjects at command as he has his I should as little value his Kindness as he does mine Or could I but have subdued those irregular Passions which have enslav'd my Soul with the Baits of sensual Pleasure I needed not have been oblig'd to him for Money However seeing Fate hath brought me into those Circumstances I must do my best to get out of them as well as I can and order my Ambassadors at Nimeguen to retard the Peace that by the prospect of a War I may draw Money from the Parliament And the better to stop the Peace my Plenipotentiary at Nimeguen shall have Orders to demand the free Exercise of the Catholick Religion throughout the Dominions of the States which I know they will not grant but by this Means I shall recommend my self to the Pope's Nuncio and the zealous Catholicks who seeing my own Forwardness will solicite the Pope and Conclave of Rome to give me Assistance and then perhaps I shall be able to carry on the Design my self without the French King's Concurrence and reap all the Glory alone CHAP. LXIV On his Majesty's acquainting the Parliament that there was a Peace in agitation His Desire to keep up his Army and Navy till it were concluded The Resolve of the Commons for supporting the King in the War against France or provide for disbanding the Army His Majesty's Answer thereupon and the Commons continuing their Resolution to disband the Army though the King desired the contrary THE Treaty of Peace being no longer to be conceal'd I must now acquaint my Parliament with it and because I know they will be for disbanding my Army upon it I will urge for Reasons to the contrary the common Maxim that it 's best treating with Sword in hand and therefore inconvenient for me to disband my Army or lay up my Fleet till the Peace be fully concluded And seeing this cannot be done without Supplies I must press for renewing of the additional Excise and making up the Defect of the Poll-Bill for the more I have of their Money the less they will be able to rebel and to render them as little suspicious as may be of my Designs I will offer it to their choice either to provide for their Subsistence till a Peace be concluded or to furnish Money to disband them with an assurance that whatever ill Men may suggest my Designs were always levelled at the Publick Good But let me take what Measures I can the Jealousies of my Parliament will never be quieted and to my Grief I perceive that they smell my Designs which are only to possess my self of their Money and keep up an Army to render my self absolute They dread that the Souldiers will rather make themselves Work than be idle and therefore have resolved that the Army is burdensom to the Nation that they will support me in maintaining a War against France or otherwise provide for disbanding them Seeing they are so very hot it 's my Interest to cool them which cannot be better effected than by a mild Answer and to offer them as a Reason that seeing hitherto the French King hath only granted a Cessation and not a Peace it 's fit that I should continue my Fleet and Army till the latter be agreed on and in the mean time to press for Money for their Subsistence What a mischievous thing is this horrid Suspicion which causes Men to pry into one another's Secrets and obliges Princes to be on their Guard against their own Subjects And yet though I carry it with all imaginable Secresy it 's impossible for me to avoid being suspected and in a great measure traced they whisper about that I never rais'd this Army with a Design to disband them and being afraid that I should have Money from France to maintain them are resolv'd to furnish me wherewith to discharge them though I have earnestly pressed for their Continuance And thus it is
certainly happen if none of those who are accus'd be brought to Punishment I must seem to countenance the Prosecution of the Plot to prevent the Peoples having any Pretence for executing Justice themselves which by the great Multitude of Swordmen that attended Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's Corps to the Grave I may reasonably conjecture they have Inclination enough to do And seeing these hot-headed Fellows who were intrusted with the Commission to kill him had so little Prudence as to commit the Fact within the Verge of my Consort 's Palace it behoves me to give way to Justice against them lest the world should think it had been contriv'd at Whitehall And the time of the Parliament's Meeting drawing near I must be very cautious how I take my Measures and contrive in what manner it 's fit to accost them CHAP. LXVII On his Majesty's Apology to the Parliament October 21 1678. for keeping up his Army His demanding of Money and acquainting them with the Plot and Danger from Popery The Vote of the Commons upon the Plot and Orders to apprehend the Earl of Powis and four other Popish Lords Their passing of the Bill for raising the Militia and his Majesty's refusing it The Execution of Coleman and some other Plotters of less note THE Parliament being to meet I must bethink my self of an Apology for not disbanding my Army according to the Act. And seeing they insisted so much upon the Preservation of Flanders as the Barrier of this Nation I must urge the Necessity there was of keeping them on foot for that end and so turn their own Arguments against them which will by the Assistance of my Friends draw a Vail before the Peoples Eyes and at the same time this affords me a specious Reason for demanding Money as having spent what they gave me last to maintain the Army And if this should raise Heats amongst them as I have Reason to think it may I shall thence have a justifiable Pretence for proroguing them again as designing a manifest Invasion of the Rights of the Crown And by this means I shall acquit my self of my Promises to the Catholicks in preventing a thorow Scrutiny into their late Plot and give those hot-headed Bigots who intended my Death a convincing Evidence how necessary it is for them in their present Circumstances to preserve my Life for if I should happen to miscarry at this Juncture when the Kingdom is in a Ferment on account of their Conspiracy it will certainly issue in the Ruine of their Affairs and the perpetual Exclusion of my Brother from the Throne his Enjoyment of which is the thing that they expect with so much Impatience But that I may the better screen my self from the Jealousies of the Parliament it 's necessary that I should inform them of the Popish Plot and the Danger of my Person and the Protestant Religion if they don't fall upon effectual means to prevent it This cannot in Justice give any reasonable Ground of Offence to my Friends the Catholicks seeing I only dissemble to do them the more Service Nor have they any greater reason to be angry at my suffering some of the inferiour sort to be cut off and some of the chief ones committed it being always good Policy rather to lose a Part than hazard the whole This I shall take care to impart to the great ones and so long as I secure my Interest with them I need not value the other The Commons I perceive are not to be diverted by a false Scent as I did hope they would by my Apology for continuing the Army and new Demand of Money but are now very eager in pursuit of the Plot and have voted it a damnable Design to root out their Religion and Government have procured Warrants to apprehend the Earl of Powis with the Lords Stafford Arundel Peters and Bellasis so that I must of necessity comply with committing them to the Tower where I shall take care to keep them in salva though not in arcta custodia and by that means save them from popular Fury By my compliance in this I shall the better stave off the Odium of refusing the Bill for raising the Militia though the Commons have voted it as necessary for their Safety And I can easily palliate my so doing under the Notion of a Tenderness for my Prerogative which being an old Plea can never be suspected of being fram'd on purpose to favour the Plot though at the same time I have no more Cause to repose my self on the Fidelity of the Country than they have to entrust me with a Standing Army I have met with no such Encouragement of late from their Civil Representatives in Parliament as to make me confide in their Military Representatives in an Army The Militia of the Nation were never Friends to my Father nor do I know what reason they have for a greater Respect to the Son If I should gratify the Commons in this I have reason to dread the Issue for having been so bold as to libel my Administration when they had no Forces to back them I have no reason to doubt but that they would advance a Step higher if they should have an Army which they could depend upon Let them exclaim against my Conduct for denying to raise the Militia though at the same time they are encompassed with an illegal Army as loud as they can I am to prefer my own Interest to their Humour and will always value my own Prerogative and Pleasure above the Will of my Subjects who were born for me and not I for them according to the Doctrine of their own beloved Church which can never stand if Popery fall and I doubt not but their Clergy will quickly have their Eyes open to see it for whenever the Tide runs strong against Popery their Bishops decline and Dissenters are favoured and whenever the Stream is turn'd against the Phanaticks the Mitres triumph and Papists are encouraged of which my Father's Reign and mine have afforded many incontrovertible Instances and I doubt not but the Event will verify my having been a true Prophet Foul Water quenches Fire as well as that which is clean and so the Death of some of the meanest Plotters will satisfy the present Resentments of the People And thus the greatest of Cities will condemn their own Suburbs to Destruction in case of a Siege so they can but save the Body of the Place The Heathen Romans thought it their Honour to devote themselves to the Infernal Gods to regain a Battel in hazard to be lost and why should not the Christian Romans follow their Example Those ordinary Fellows who have suffered on account of the Plot will have more than a sufficient Compensation by a Place in the Roman Kalendar of Saints so that they have no reason to upbraid me for suffering the Law to take place against them since according to their own Doctrine their Martyrdom does not only merit a Release from Purgatory but the
to give them a Diversion CHAP. LXX On the French King 's seizing several Places in Flanders c. as depending on those which were confirm'd to him by the Peace of Nimeguen His and the Spaniards Vnkindness to the Duke of York at that time in the Netherlands The Address of the Commons to stand by his Majesty and the Protestant Religion Their disbanding of the Army The Discovery of Endeavours to make the Witnesses of the Popish Plot retract their Evidence And the proroguing of the Parliament upon their growing warm about the Trial of the Popish Lords in the Tower THough I be unsuccessful and incumbred at home yet my Allie the French King is fortunate abroad and like a true Politician does order his Affairs so as to make himself a Gainer both by Peace and War Whether he gives Obedience to Mazarine's Dictates as an obedient Son or tractable Scholar I shall not determine but sure I am he puts his Commands in practice and values Treaties no more than as they conduce to his Interest However it 's more politick for him to seize those Towns as granted to him by Agreement under the Notion of Dependancies than under any other Pretence whatsoever And this I rejoice in not only as it contributes to promote the common Design but also because I have the Practice of so great a Monarch as an Argument for my own Conduct and the Authority of so great an Ecclesiastick as Cardinal Mazarine to justify me in point of Principle But however well pleased I am with this Matter I cannot be satisfied with his Treatment of my Brother who is a kind of Exile for following his Dictates and therefore deserved kinder Entertainment at his hand but I smell his Design he is unwilling that his civil Reception abroad should extinguish his Desire of returning home because he knows that his Presence is necessary here to confirm the drooping Catholicks and keep Life in his Party for I know that he is jealous lest I should concur with my Parliament rather than admit of an Interruption of my Pleasures As for the Unkindness of the Spaniard it is no Surprize for whatever Good-will they have to the Advancement of the Catholick Interest yet they are angry at us for promoting that of France in opposition to theirs And seeing the Case is so I am resolved that my Brother shall return home But I must first rid my self of this Session of Parliament the Commons being so much overacted with Zeal that they have presented me with an Address wherein they promise to defend my Person and the Protestant Religion and to revenge any Violence that may be offered to me They exclaim'd formerly against the Scots Covenant for measuring their Endeavours to defend my Father according as he stood up in defence of their Religion and now they themselves run into the same Error though the great Doctors of their Church pretended to teach and believe that Loyalty was an essential Point of their Religion for now they join the Defence of my Person and that of the Protestant Religion together which is as much as to say that if I don't concur with them in the defence of the one they will take no Care for the defence of the other Then as for the revenging of any Violence that may be offered to my Person I know what they aim at but can provide for the defence of my self better than they or at least in a way more agreeable to my Design The Catholicks are not such Fools as to cut me off now for that were the way to ruine their Affairs seeing my Brother's Interest is not yet establish'd so that I have no Fears on that Head yet Neither have I any reason to trust their fair Promises now that they have deprived me of the Defence of an Army which was modelled to my Mind Besides it 's below a Monarch to own that he needs the Defence of any one part of his Subjects against another when he himself is born to defend the whole However I must submit to the Humour of the Multitude and seeing I can neither have Money from France nor them to maintain my Army I can the more easily dispense with having them disbanded And by conceding this Point I shall put some stop to the Jealousies of the Nation and my proroguing the Parliament to save the Popish Lords whose Trial the Commons do so earnestly demand will be of so much the easier Digestion And by this Favour to the Catholicks I shall engage them more firmly on my side for the Interest of those Lords whose Preservation depends on mine will prevent Assassinations from the Bigots of their Party and during the Recess of Parliament we shall have leisure to recover our lost Ground and find out Expedients for taking off the Evidence of the Popish Plot that may not be so obnoxious to a Discovery as those which have been made use of hitherto which have rather confirm'd than discredited the Belief of the Plot. CHAP. LXXI On the Insurrection at Bothwell-bridg in Scotland The sending the Duke of Monmouth thither to suppress it which he effected The Execution of several Presbyterian Ministers upon it and the Execution of several Jesuits for the Popish Plot and Endeavours to stifle the same by the Meal-tub-Plot which prov'd abortive HAD my Subjects of the Episcopal Communion in England been as true to my Interest as their Brethren in Scotland my Affairs would have appeared e're now in a better Posture The former are nothing so steady to the Interest of Monarchy and Episcopacy as the latter which may easily be evinc'd from the Endeavours which the English Parliaments have used both to establish Liberty to Dissenters by a Law and to limit the Succession and Administration of their Kings My Episcopal Subjects in Scotland do on the contrary make no scruple to put my Commands in execution though against the Letter of the Law and by a just Severity upon their Brethren the Presbyterians beyond what the Laws in their strictest Interpretation will allow they have procured this Insurrection which happen'd very opportunely for my Affairs By this means I have not only humbled the Presbyterians there and suppressed their rebellious Field-Conventicles but have a plausible Pretence for making the Laws still more severe against them forfeiting their Estates to gratify my hungry Courtiers cutting off such of their Preachers as I have in my hands and ridding the Country of so many rebellious Fellows as I have taken Prisoners so that I shall be sufficiently reveng'd on the pestilent Hereticks for the Lives of so many of my Friends the Catholicks as they have cut off on account of the Plot which I was obliged to give way to to prevent being suspected thereof my self I shall also gain this by the Scots Insurrection that the Duke of Monmouth whom I imployed as General to suppress it will be thereby rendred the less popular amongst the Presbyterians in that Nation and their Friends the Dissenters