took occafion to acquaint them with his private wants in a strain of unufual, but very engaging fimplicity. He told them, among many other cu rious particulars, "that his purse was almost empty; that he had not been able to give his brothers one fhilling fince he came to England, nor to keep any table except what he eat at himself; but that what grieved him most was to fee many of them come to him at Whitehall, and to think that they muft go fomewhere else to feek a dinner." The fingularity of this addrefs produced the defired effect. No comments were made on the boundless profufion of the court. The commons prefented the duke of York with ten thousand pounds, the duke of Gloucefter with seven thoufand, and the king with five thousand for the repair of his houses. They then proceeded with great dispatch to the appointment of other refources. They paffed two bills, one for the speedily raifing of a hundred thousand pounds for a present fupply by way of land-tax; and the other for raising one hundred and forty thousand pounds, at seventy thousand pounds a month, to begin the first of November. They had even resolved to raise the king's revenue to twelve hundred thoufand pounds a year, on condition that wardship, purveyance, and certain feudal tenures fhould be abolished. But as the fettlement of this matter required G 3 CHAP. I. 1660. CHAP. I. 1660. quired deliberation and delay, they proceeded to another object of more immediate exigency. This was an act to impower and direct the commiffioners in what manner to disband the army, and to pay off fome part of the fleet *. As foon as thefe, and two or three other acts of lefs importance were prepared †, the parliament was willing to adjourn for fome time, that their members, who were appointed to attend the dif * Six peers and fix commoners were chofen to fuperintend this business; and the act, from which they derived their authority, contained also the minutest inftructions for their conduct in the discharge of fo delicate a commiffion. The several regiments were to be broken by lots; their full arrears, to the very day of their difbanding, were to be cleared off; and the king gave an overplus of one week's pay to every officer and private foldier. It is certain, that government was very much in dread of a mutiny; and Monk in particular, from a consciousness of his own treachery to the army, must have been in a state of conftant alarm for his perfonal fafety, while the troops were embodied. His creature, fir William Morrice, the secretary, in a debate on the subject, faid " that gunpowder was made of the fame ingredient which caufed earthquakes; and that as long as the foldiery continued, there would be a trembling in the nation." † These were, an Act for regulating the trade of baymaking: An Act for encouraging and encreafing fhipping and naviga tion: An Act for reftoring fome minifters to their places, and for confirming others, who had not been active against monarchical government. banding banding of the army in feveral places, and the payment of the navy, might be abfent with lefs inconvenience. The king was as willing to have fome ease. He therefore came to the parliament on the 13th of September, and paffing the bills that were ready, left the houses to adjourn themselves to the 6th of November following. CHAP. I. 1660. CHAP. II. 1660. CHA P. II. Fafe and pernicious policy of the court in matters of religion Conference: at the chancellor's lodgingsEvafive claufes in the king's declaration-Trial, execution, and characters of Charles the firft's judges-Vengeance taken on the putrid carcafes of deceafed offenders-Profanation of admiral Blake's hallowed remains-Proceedings against the respited convicts-Downing's treachery to three of the fugitive judges-Sir Henry Vane's trial and admirable defence-His conduct on the scaffold, with a sketch of his life and character-Secret history refumedPolitical motives of the queen-mother's vifit-Detail of intrigues refpecting the duke of York's marriage -Re-meeting and extravagant grants of the convention-parliament-Failure of the scheme for rendering the crown independent-Comment on the king's Speech at the diffolution-Chancellor's fupplementary barangue-Inftitution of the royal society. IH HAVE in a former part noticed the political fineffe made ufe of to baffle the prefbyterians in all their attempts to obtain a parliamentary confirmation of the religious liberty fo fully and unequivocally promifed to all his majesty's fubjects in II. 1660. Falfe and per nicious policy of the court in matters of reli his declaration from Breda *. Though a commit- CHAP. tee of the house of commons had been appointed before the king's return to devise a system of church-government on the broad bafs of liberal indulgence, yet the court foon found means fo to obstruct their progrefs, that no report on the fubject was sent up from them to parliament. The great object was to gain time by amufing thofe, whom their power made it dangerous to offend. They were therefore flattered with hopes, till their ftrength and influence were gradually diminished; till the bees had loft their ftings, and were become noify, but impotent drones. The king, though not very firm in any principles of his own †, had conceived a strong antipathy to the doctrines of prefbyterianism. He had a furfeit of prayers and of preaching when in Scotland; and even the oath of adherence to the cove. nant, which he then took from political motives, served only to increase his disgust, and to make him long for a favourable opportunity of perfecuting. * See page 33. Though Charles had fome time before his restoration fecretly embraced popery, either from an impulse of superstitious weakness, or merely to please his mother and recommend himfelf to the Roman catholic powers, yet his levity and profligacy foon effaced the sense of any religion from his mind. His own highest boast to doctor Burnet waś, "that he was no atheift, but could not think God would make a man miferable, only for taking a little pleasure out of the way." gion. |