fecret and fcandalous intrigues carried on, by himself and his Miniftry, with the popifh party: to which he was ever, in his heart, most favourably inclined. Nevertheless, his partiality to the Papifts, does not feem to have arifen from any religious motive; for with regard to religion and morality, no man, perhaps, was ever more loofe and indifferent. But he had been taught, during his refidence abroad, that fpiritual subjection was the best preparative to make way for the invafion of civil liberty and Charles, who knew not how to govern like a Britifh King, was ambitious to tyrannize like an Eastern Sultan. Indeed, fuch is the pride and folly of mortals, that the defire of power is as boundlefs, as the capacity of employing it rightly, is limited and this infatiate appetite for arbitrary fway, makes vain Sovereigns continually ftruggle to render millions dependent and wretched, which, when they have unhappily effected, their inhuman triumph does not add one jot to their own felicity.

It must be remembered, however, to the honour of Charles, that he fhewed fome humanity in difcountenancing the evidence against his Queen, who was accused of being concerned in the confpiracy. When we confider what little affection he bore to her perfon, and that, in all probability, he would gladly have been released from fo un-endearing a companion, we must give him fome little credit for having fheltered her innocence, when he had fo plaufible a pretext of copying the cruel example of his arbitrary predeceffos, the eighth Henry.

Of all the Informers who gave evidence in relation to the plot, Oates appears to have been the moft daring and intrepid; and the countenance which the Commons afforded him, increased the natural audacity of his difpofition to fuch a degree, that he Joft the refpect due to that affembly, as may appear from the following account of his behaviour at the bar of the Houfe.

"Mr. Oates at the bar, gave a large narrative of the beginning and proceeding of the plot, fince penned by himself and printed. Then, he complained, that he was under feveral difcouragements; as, for inftance, from the Earl of Danby. Mr. Oates, being in the Privy-Garden, the Earl of Danby, paffing by, faid,There goes one of the Saviours of England; but I hope to fee him hanged within a month.' Then he informed the Houfe, That five years ago he had fome knowlege of the plot, by one Everard, a prifoner in the Tower; where he was kept four years and a half, for endeavouring to discover the plot. That Mr. Edward Sackville, a Member of the Houfe, did revile him, being the King's evidence, and fwore, "Ged damn him, it was no plot, and they were fons of whores

"who faid that there is a plot, and that Oates was a lying "rogue."

< That Mr. Henry Goring, the younger, met him in the Lobby, when he was newly elected, and defired him to ufe his intereft to get Sir John Gage bailed.' He replied, That he would not ufe his intereft to get traytor's bailed; and that he was no man to do it, because he had accufed him.' Who replied, That Mr. Oates was a rafcal, and a lying rogue; and he fwore," by God, he believed not Mr. Oates, though the "House did," and called him, "bafe impudent fellow." Mr. Oates returned Mr. Goring ill language; but left that to Mr. Goring to repeat. He fpole of it in the country, "that the

King had juftified him when he had abused Mr. Oates," and leaves it to Mr. Goring's honour to deny it. He added, "I "defire to be removed from Whitehall, and to make use of the "liberty the law allows me. I have been threatned with car

rying to the water-fide, and to be fent down the river; and "can give good reason why they intend me for a facrifice. I "have been baffled and abufed, and hindred from ferving my country. The King holds his crown by the fame title I hold my "liberty.'

These words gave offence to many; and, on a fubfequent day, he was reprimanded for them by the Speaker; to whom,

Mr. Oates answered.] "I am forry I gave offence to the House, in what I faid, but it was my confcience, and it was truth; and though I may not fay it here, I will fay it elsewhere, and believe it too.” -This bold reply produced the follow

ing debate.

Mr. Secretary Coventry.] "Pray confider what the House will come to, if perfons be permitted to speak here at this rate."

Sir Robert Howard.] "Mr. Oates went very high in his expreffions the other day, and you gave him a gentle reprimand; but now he has afferted the judgment of the House of Commons and his judgment to be different. He fays, That he would fay the words elsewhere.' Let him know, that the House will not fuffer it. It is a high thing, and I would have. him told of it sharply by the Speaker."

Sir Robert Peyton.]" It will be very hurtful to give any discouragement to the King's evidence. It has already gone all over the city."

Sir John Ernly.] "He tells you, notwithstanding your ten

derness

dernefs in reprimanding him, that he will fay the words elfewhere.' Send for him, and give him a reprimand.”

Mr. Garroway.] "I would not enter into a debate of this nature. Mr. Oates is a paffionate man, and none of the best natured men; but no man can regularly cenfure Mr. Oates, but he muft debate the merits of the thing he has faid. Send for him in, and only admonish him to ufe better language for the future, but I would by no means enter into the argument of the merits of the thing."

Mr. Secretary Coventry.] "This language is like a woman indicted for being a whore, and fhe fays, She is as honeft as any woman in the higheft place." This is very indecent."

After a great deal of idle altercation on this fubject, Mr. Oates was called to the bar, and received a fecond reprimand from

The Speaker.] "I am commanded by the Houfe to tell you, that the House is not fatisfied with the reply you made when you was reprimanded for what you faid the other day, and it does not become you at all. You came not here to expoftulate, but to obey the orders of the Houfe."

After this gentle reprimand, for a rudeness which, on any other occafion, would have made him a prifoner to the Serjeant at Arms, he was permitted to give evidence against several Members who had fpoken ill of him, and intimated their disbelief of the plot and in confequence of his teftimony, fome were expelled the House.

In the courfe of thefe enquiries, the Houfe became more and more inflamed against the Ministry.-They renewed their addrefles for the removal of the Duke of Lauderdale; and came to feveral warm refolutions against the Earl of Danby, who had pleaded his Majefty's pardon to their impeachment. In particular, they

"Refolved, That no Commoner whatsoever fhall prefume to maintain the validity of the pardon pleaded by the Earl of Danby, without the confent of this House first had; and that the perfons fo doing, fhall be accounted Betrayers of the Liberties of the Commons of England."

They extended their zeal farther, and made a fevere fcrutiny into the application of the fecret fervice money, by which they detected many of the tools of minifterial power. Sir Stephen Fox, (one of their Members) through whofe hands this money. paffed

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paffed, was very unwilling to make any difcovery; but the Houfe, with becoming fpirit and refolution

"Ordered, That Sir John Hotham, Sir Roger Peyton, and Sir John Holman, do accompany Sir Stephen Fox to Whitehall, and that he do bring his Leidger Book, Cafh-book, and Journal, and his Receipts for money by him paid, for fecret fer

vice;' [and he is enjoined not to go out of the company of the faid Members, before they return to the Houfe; and that no Member do depart the fervice of this Houfe, until Sir Stephen Fox, and the other Members, do return.]

After fome time

'

"Sir John Hotham, and the reft, returned from Whitehall, and report, That, according to order, they attended Fox to Whitehall. They were not half a quarter of an hour there, but Fox called his fervants to bring fuch books as they had in their cuftody, and fent for other fervants that had the reft. Some great books were brought into the room; but whilft he fent for the acquittances, the Lord Chamberlain came in, and fpoke to Fox. Fox faid, Thefe Gentlemen are fome Mem'bers of the House, and I fhall not speak without their hearing.' My Lord Chamberlain faid, I take notice that youare employed to fearch for books and papers, but you fhall not take any away out of Whitehall.'. I replied, Some, it feems, do make friends of the unrighteous mammen: your Lordfhip has quick information of what we came about, for our House doors were fhut.' My Lord Chamberlain faw the miftake, and would have debated fome things; but I faid, I was not fent to argue this, or that, but to obey my order,' My Lord Chamberlain was very defirous to tell us, why thofe books were not to be taken out of Whitehall; but I faid, Let me have what your Lordship would fay in writing, and I will inform the Houfe of it.' But what he faid was, That he ⚫ dared not confent that any books fhould go out of Whitehall, without the King's orders; nor that we should infpect any books, without the King's command.' I had forgot one thing that my Lord Chamberlain faid, viz. I would not do any thing that fhould look like the difpleafure of the Houfe of Commons; but, I believe, if the Houfe addrefs the King, they may have their defire."

The Houfe being thus difappointed of the books, the Clerk was ordered to read over the names of the Members of the last Parliament, and Fox, on pain of their difpleafure, was compelled to charge thofe who had received fecret fervice money, and he named feven and twenty who had annual penfions, to va

rious amounts.

The arbitrary behaviour of the Judges of thefe times, likewife, afforded inatter of parliamentary enquiry; and there are fome spirited debates on that fubject, which our limits will not allow us to abridge. Neither have we room to give extracts from the curious debate concerning the Petitioners and Abhorrers, which ended in the following juft and noble refolutions.

"Refolved, nemine contradicente, [That it is, and ever hath been, the undoubted right of the fubjects of England, to petition the King, for the calling and fitting of Parliaments, and redreffing of grievances.

"Refolved, nemine contradicente, That to traduce fuch petitioning, as a violation of duty, and to reprefent it to his Majefty as tumultuous and feditious, is to betray the liberty of the fubject, and contributes to the defign of fubverting the ancient legal conftitution of this kingdom, and introducing arbitrary power."

These refolutions require no comment. Nothing can be more evident, than, that to deny the fubjects right of petitioning, is to deftroy the very effence of freedom. But thanks to the brave Patriots of 1688, this right is fully established by the revolutional Magna Charta.

In the course of their enquiries, the Houfe found, that the Court and its Dependents, were all ftrongly inclined in favour of the popifh party and to prevent the dangers which might arife from a Succeffor, who was a bigot to that religion, à bill was brought to exclude the Duke of York from the fucceffion to the Crown. This occafioned violent clamour, both within doors and without, and the coffee-houfe Politicians expreffed their zeal in fuch bold terms, as reached the notice of the Houfe.

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"Sir Robert Clayton gave the Houfe information, that there were some at the door, who could give an account of the fcandalous deportment of one Mr. Jofeph Pagget, a Minifter, in matters relating to the Votes of this Houfe.

"Mr. Loe, an Evidence.] On Tuesday night laft, I was at a coffee-houfe in St. Michael's-alley, where I had fome acquaintance with me; where, calling for the Votes of the House, they found them thus abufed. "The vote of the Duke's being a papift, and the hopes of his coming fuch to the Crown, &c. were underwritten, a damnable lie." The vote of Defence of the King's perfon, &c. viz. 1648.' A bill brought in to difable the Duke to fucceed, &c. Voted like rogues."

"Another