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A31743 Numerus infaustus a short view of the unfortunate reigns of William the Second, Henry the Second, Edward the Second, Richard the Second, Charles the Second, James the Second. Caesar, Charles, 1636-1707. 1689 (1689) Wing C203; ESTC R20386 35,156 134

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Destiny and by Imprudent Actions pernicious Counsels and an Arbitrary Assertion of his indisputable Prerogative to kindle those Flames of Mutiny and Discontent which never were extinguish'd but at the Expence of his own Blood and the Loss of his Crown Robert Vere Earl of Oxford and Marquiss of Dublin was his Darling and Michael de la Pool was his Favorite The first a Gentleman of commendable good Parts he created Duke of Ireland tho he himself was but Lord of it the other a man of mean extraction he made Earl of Suffolk and Chancellour of England both very obnoxious and not accomplish'd with such Merits as might advance them in Titles or Offices beyond the Ancient Nobility without Envy or Obloquy These Wicked Counsellors set a false Glass before the short sighted King and abused him with erroneous representations of his own sufficiency absolute Authority and uncontrollable Power Insomuch that in a Parliament then call'd the King began sharply to expostulate with the Lords and by an undecent Comparison with the Freedom of their Tenures to Challenge to himself an unquestionable liberty This haughty Carriage of the King exasperated the Parliament and fermented them to such a degree of dissatisfaction that instead of consenting to grant him a Subsidy toward his Wars they fell foul upon the New Chancellour and never gave him over till they obtain'd a severe Judgment against him to the Forfeitures of his Life and the Confiscation of his Estate The adverse Party were highly nettled at these proceedings and being push'd on by Revenge and Malice they combined in a horrid Design to Murther the Duke of Gloucester and such other Lords as cross'd the King in his extravagant Courses which Flagitious Plot was to be perpetrated upon an invitation of them to a Supper in London Sir Nicholas Brember the former Lord Mayor was a prime Instrument in this Enterprise but the King imparting this matter to Richard Exton the present Mayor and endeavouring to make him an Accomplice in the Action he would by no perswasions be induced to consent to so vile an Attempt and thereupon they desisted from the further prosecution of it Notwithstanding this and many other untoward passages a Subsidy was granted to the King under certain Limitations but the Parliament were so disgusted because the King had respited the Execution of the Judgment against the Chancellour that they positively declared unless the Chancellour were removed they would proceed no farther in a Parliamentary Course The King hereupon grew Cholerick and plainly told them he would rather apply himself to the French King for Assistance than submit to his Subjects Yet upon good Reasons offer'd by the Lords a great change was made in the Ministers of State and particularly the Chancellour was removed and so desirous were the Lords and Commons to have the Duke of Ireland excluded from the Kings Presence that they were content he should receive thirty Thousand Marks on condition he would transport himself into Ireland But no sooner was the Parliament dissolved but the King recanted all his condecensions revoked all Orders against the Chancellour the Duke of Ireland and the rest and received then into higher Favour than they were in before And tho' the Earls of Arundel and Nottingham performed a Noble exploit hardly to be parallel'd in History yet their Service was disregarded and their persons slighted because the Duke of Ireland gave them no countenance By whose contrivance a New Plot was laid to destroy the Duke of Gloucester and the easie King surrounded with Parasites and corrupt Judges suffer'd them to pursue their extravagant practices and Two Thousand Persons were at once indicted before Sir Robert Tresilian the Chief Justice He then propounded certain Queries to Robert Belknap Lord Chief Justice and other Judges which they soon resolved in defiance of the Law and the priviledges of Parliament And notwithstanding he stood in such ill Terms with his people yet a way was found to pack Juries in London and Indictments were found of many Crimes against some of the Lords Whom having a design to persecute he summon'd the Judges Justices and Sheriffs of the Kingdom that he might be informed what power of Men they could assure him of to serve him against the Lords And intending shortly to call a Parliament he tamper'd with them to have no Knight or Burgess chosen but such as the King and his Council should Name But finding by the Answer of the Sheriffs that they could not raise any Forces upon such a pretence nor infringe the Ancient Liberty in Elections to Parliament the King and the Duke of Ireland sent into all parts to raise men in this Quarrel against the Lords consulting on some Devices how to intrap them The Duke of Gloucester being advertised of this had a secret Conference with the rest and assembling a numerous Body of Men stood upon their Guard and sent Commissioners to the King requiring such Traytors and Seducers as were about his Person to be delivered up to them The King was advised by the Duke of Ireland the Earl of Suffolk and others about him to offer Calice to the French King to procure his Assistance against the Lords and with all sent to the Mayor of London requiring to make an estimate of how many able men might be rais'd in the City who making Tryal of what could be done on such occasion received this Answer from the People that they would never fight against the Kings Friends and Defenders of the Realm In the mean time the Earl of Northumberland interposed with his advice and perswaded the King to send for the Lords under safe Conduct and friendly to expostulate with them to which the Lords consented upon Oath given by the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and the Lord Chancellour that no Fraud or evil practice should be used against them But being ready to come according to appointment they received intimation of an Ambush laid to intrap them and so desisted If the King was privy to this Plot he was guilty of an Action most unworthy of a Prince But the Conspirators were certainly known yet not call'd to Account for it After this upon a more secure Conduct from the King the Lords presented themselves before him and after some cholerick contest a Reconciliation was made and it was concluded that all matters should be heard and regulated in a Parliament speedily to be call'd Hereupon the Favorite-Lords were highly dissatisfy'd and plainly told the King they would not hazard their appearance at such a meeting and so the Duke of Ireland and the rest of that Faction withdrew from Court and absconded But the King not able to brook their absence ordered an Army to be rais'd for the safeguard of the Duke of Ireland and to reconduct him to his Presence who being encounter'd on the way by the Earl of Derby he fled and escaped by leaping into a River but after two or three years dy'd miserably in a foreign Country And now the Lords
and many other considerable Towns and after a faint Resistance the whole Kingdom was subjected to the Triumphant Conqueror and the Interest of the King wholly exterminated England was so manacled with the Chains of an armed Power that they could not budge the Royal Party than call'd the Cavaliers were debar'd the liberty of meeting at home or stirring abroad their persons were disarm'd their Houses ransackt and their Estates brought into the unmerciful Inquisition at Goldsmiths Hall in some corners of the Land small Parties started up now and then to exert their Loyalty and manifest their Allegiance and the King was received into the Island of Jersey but by a Fleet sent thither by the Usurping power soon compell'd to forsake it so that these weak struglings like the last efforts of Nature tended only to diminish the number of the Kings Friends and to heighten his Infelicity In the year 1650 the King was invited into Scotland landed there safely received with all the demonstrations of joy and satisfaction and solemnly proclaimed King. But to disturb his Tranquillity and interrupt the calm fruition of his new acquired Soveraignty Cromwell that victorious Rebel who in the space of one year had reduced almost all the Garrisons in Ireland and Caesar-like made a compleat conquest of that Kingdom only by walking through it is dispatcht into Scotland who in July entred that Country with an Army of sixteen thousand men effective the Scots were not idle on their side but form'd an Army consisting of six thousand Horse and Dragoons and fifteen thousand Foot a party of whom attempting to beat up the Enemies Quarters about Musleburgh surprised the Out guards and routed the first Regiment that opposed them but were so warmly received by the rest that the Commander being wounded the whole party was disorder'd and pursu'd to the Army and the whole Camp in danger of a surprisal had not the King himself unexpectedly appear'd in person and stemm'd the Torrent But in September following hapned a fatal decision of the dispute at Dunbar where the Scots Army reinforced to above twenty thousand men and presuming on a certain Victory having inclosed their Enemies beyond a probability of an escape encountred the English Army then decreased to the number of twelve thousand and with much courage and gallantry charged them but the hand of God was in it their whole Army was routed four thousand slain and nine thousand taken Prisoners with the loss of three hundred on the Invaders side After which the Kings Interest in Scotland declined daily the Enemy getting advantage by the Dissention between the Court and the Kirk-party and Cromwel by springing of Mines but more by corrupting the Governour with money had Edinburgh-Castle surrendred to him the taking of which was follow'd with the loss of many more Garrisons Nevertheless the Scots were neither daunted in their Courage nor deficient in their Allegiance but proceeded to the Coronation of the King and he to the calling of a Parliament and having got together a good Body of an Army it was thought best that the King should give Cromwell the slip and make a sudden descent into England leaving him to take his swing and range through Scotland to make this Enterprise the more hopeful the Earl of Darby and many other Loyal persons began to peep out of their Recesses and to use all Expedition to joyn but a malignant Constellation still influenced K. Charles his Affairs some of his Abettors were intercepted some routed and the Earl of Darby discomfited and many Persons of Quality and resolution taken Prisoners At last came on the dismal Ingagement at Worster that critical Arbiter of the Kings cause from whence we may date the depression of the Monarchy the exaltation of Anarchy and Confusion of Governments I take no Pleasure in descanting too long on so unpleasant a Theme in a word the King was defeted his whole Army given up to death or captivity except a very few with whom he made his Escape and after some weeks spent in lurking disguising shifting and un-easy travelling he arrived safe in France The King was now actually devested of his three Kingdoms his Enemies victorious in Possession of his Right and usurping the Regal Authority under the Disguise of other Appellations how soever the grand Apostates from Loyalty dayly crumbled into Factions and Divisions and the Supream Authority frequently changed its Dress and put on a new Face yet all concur'd in the detestation of King-Ship and an abjuring the Family of Stuart To recount the transactions of the Junto at London or the Exploits of their Legions through all the Dominions subjected to the Common wealth of England might prove a tollerable Entertainment for the Reader but I have no Inclination to admire their Policy or cry up the Fame of the Protector My Business is to observe the disastrous Fate of an Exil'd King and there being yet no exact Memoirs transmitted to us of his Forrein Adventures to Sum up his Misfortune in a nine years Banishment by noting how miserably he was abandond ' thurst and kept out from the Possession of England Scotland and Ireland and all the Dominions and Territories belonging to them a Pensioner to Strangers and all Designs of his Friends at home or his Allies abroad frustrated and baffled But when the Almighty Governor of the World had so long scourged the Royal Family as to his wisdom seem'd sufficient and all the Practices of human Strength and Invention were rendred ineffectual in a sudden and unexpected manner without Means without Contrivance without the Success of a Battle or the operation of any Stratagem the Repulican Babel was over turned the King restored and peaceably seated in the Throne of his Ancestors From his Restoration he Reign'd more than twenty four years and I wish I could say happily But not being blest with a legitimate Issue he was continually teas'd with the Incroachments of an impatient Heir Having misapplied his Revenues which were vastly increased beyond all that was given to his predecessors he was by his Necessities induced frequently to call Parliaments and by his evil Councils as often prompted to dissolve them his gentle Disposition inclined him to an universal Indulgence but the malevolent Insinuations of self-interested men misled him to a Connivence at extraordinary Severities The Papists hated him for avowing so much Favor to the Church of England and Dissenters blamed him for a suspected Propension to the Church of Rome His constitution was happy but by his irregular courses he rais'd Batteries against his own Health and he might have lived longer if he had not lived so fast The Indowments of his mind were admirable but his immersion in Pleasures over-shadow'd his Reputation The prolonging of his Life had given an Adjournment to the Mischeifs that quickly assaulted both Church and State but one Sort of Men thought he lived too long whether any hand but his own contributed to the accelarating of his Death I
have no warrant to make any Asseveration Let the future Writers of History adjust that matter to the clear information of Posterity All I have to say is the News of his Death was published before there was any Report of his Sickness He died of an Apoplexy the Sixth of February 1684 and the whole Body whereof he was the Head was presently seised with convulsive Motions THE REIGN OF JAMES the Second THE Reign of James the Second was so lately begun and by the mercy of God so soon determin'd that every mans Remembrance of it may justly supersede the Trouble of a Repetition There needs no Art nor Arguments to convince the World that he was more unfortunate than all his Predecessors and every impartial Observer will allow that he was the principal Engineer that sapped the Foundations of his own Happiness If he had arrived at the Throne by an indirect Road If he had gain'd it by Conquest and ow'd his Title to the Umpirage of the Sword If he had come in by Intrusion Invasion or Usurpation by Craft or Violence by Force of Arms or the prevalency of Pensions If he had justled out the true Heir or supplanted the lawful Pretender or out-stript his Competitor by the aid of the people or over-topt his Opposers by the Assistance of Foreigners It had been no wonder that the Crown had totter'd on his Head that his Seat had been uneasie and his Government Short lived But when his Title was not disputed when he was saluted King by an Universal Acclamation welcom'd by the Addresses and congratulations of all his Subjects his Revenues settled and augmented his Enemies subdued and his Throne establish'd by a Loyal Parliament and a submissive people his Ruin must necessarily be imputed to himself and all his misfortunes undeniably accounted the Result of his own miscarriage So that while the Histories of all Ages and Nations do abound with Examples of the Strange Cruel False and unnatural Methods used by ambitious men to gain principalities King James must remain single upon Record as the only Person that willfully and industriously dethron'd himself We read of aspiring men who have dissembled changed and comply'd with the fashionable Religion of the Country to insure their possession But it is without president that a Prince quietly settled in his Throne courted by his Neighbours Obey'd by his Subjects without reserve or distrust not grudged nor affronted in the private Exercises of his own perswasion should be so intoxicated by the Fumes of Zeal to attempt the subversion of the general Religion current thro Three Kingdoms establish'd by Parliament and incorporated so into the Laws that the Religion of the Nation is the Law of the Nation and to obtrude upon his Subjects a way of Worship as dissonant from their Humour as repugnant to their Conscience a way exploded by the former Age and detested by this and so forseit his Right to the Imperial Crown of Three opulent Kingdoms upon a fallacious assurance of a Reprisal in Heaven is such a stupendious Act of supererogation as may serve to supply half the Roman Catholick Church with a superfluity of Merit On the Sixth day of February 1684 Charles the Second put off mortality and by his Death revived the Languishing Hopes of the Popish Expectants He departed about Noon and in that very Afternoon James the Second was proclaim'd in London and Westminster by Order of the Council To convince the World that howsoever the Parliament labour'd to Exclude him from Succession by political Ordinances and by a Course of Law yet that Design not being accomplish'd they would not so much as hesitate or demur upon the right of his Inheritance He on the other side saluted them graciously promised to imitate his Brother in his Tenderness to the people Celebrated the Loyal principles of the Church of England and past his Royal Word to take care to defend and support it The Collection of the Customs and the Duties of Tunnage and Poundage which were annexed to the Crown during the Kings Life were continued de bene esse till the Meeting of a Parliament All Men were Quiet and Contented and he was Congratulated with Addresses from all parts of England testifying a ready Obedience to his Commands and devoting their Lives and Fortunes to the defence of his person and the maintenance of his prerogative His Accession to the Crown was Solemnised with great Acclamations of Joy thro' the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland Ambasladours from Foreign Princes and States arrived daily presenting their Complements of Condolence for the deceased King and their satisfaction in his Assumption of the Regal power On the Twenty third of April the King and Queen were both Crown'd and at his Coronation he took the accustom'd Oaths to maintain the Laws and the establish'd Religion No King ever Ascended the Throne with less Opposition Disputes or preluminary Cautions none was ever attended with more apparent circumstances of Felicity or had a fairer prospect of becoming Glorious at home and formidable abroad The Parliament of Scotland having prevented him in his wishes and out done all their Predecessours in a redundancy of Zeal and Loyalty A Parliament met also at Westminster to whom the King reiterated his assurance of supporting the Church of England preserving the Government in Church and State as by Law establish'd and a resolution never to invade any Mans property In this very Juncture when the King had so endear'd himself to the Parliament by such Gracious Expressions and they reciprocally Courted him with all dutiful respect the unfortunate Earl of Argyle whose persecution was unparellel'd Attainted for Treason before the Law that made it so was promulgated and condemn'd only for scrupling to take the Test which in a short time after it was a Capital Offence to subscribe Landed in the Highlands of Scotland and set forth a Declaration to justifie his undertaking and to renounce all Allegiance to the present King who immediately communicated the Intelligence he had received to the Parliament and both Houses without delay express'd their Resentment in Raputres of Love and Zeal with protestations to stand by him with their Lives and Fortunes against all Opposers and particularly the Earl of Argyle and to demonstrate that it was no Complement they presented him with a Bill for settling the Revenues on him for Life and resolved on an extraordinary supply for these incident Occasions While these matters were transacting News came to the King that the Duke of Monmouth was Landed in the West of England an unseasonable Landing for that unhappy Gentleman when the Parliament was Charm'd with the good Words and amused by the great and gracious promises of the King with a small party but every day increasing who presently were proclaim'd Traytors and the King imparting the News to both Houses they forthwith in a transport of Loyalty reassure him that they will stand by him with their Lives and Fortunes against the Duke of