Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

their quarters to obferve a folemn faft, which generally either preceded or attended their outrages.

During thefe tranfactions general Monk was at the head of eight thoufand veterans in Scotland, and beheld the diftraction of his native country with but flender hopes of relieving it.

Whatever might have been his defigns, it was impoffible to cover them with greater fecrefy than he did. As foon as he put his army in motion, to inquire into the caufes of the disturbances in the capital, his countenance was eagerly fought by all the contending parties. He ftill, however, continued to march his army towards the capital; all the world equally in doubt as to his motives, and aftonished at his referve. But Monk continued his inflexible taciturnity, and at last came to St. Alban's, within a few miles of London.

He there fent the Rump parliament, who had refumed their feat, a meffage, defiring them to remove fuch forces as remained in London to country quarters. In the mean time the house of commons, having paffed votes for the compofure of the kingdom, diffolved themfelves, and gave orders for the immediate affembling a new parlia

ment.

As yet the new parliament was not affembled, A. D. and no perfon had hitherto dived into the defigns 1660. of the general. He ftill perfevered in his referve; and although the calling a new parliament was but, in other words, to reftore the king, yet his expreffions never once, betrayed the fecret of his bofom. Nothing but a fecurity of confidence at laft extorted the confeffion from him. He had been intimate with one Morrice, a gentleman of Devonfhire, of a fedentary ftudious difpofition, and with him alone did he deliberate upon the great and dangerous enterprize of the reftoration. Sir John Granville, who had a commiffion from the king, applied for accefs to the general; he was defired to communicate his bufinefs to Morrice. Granville réfufed, though twice urged, to deliver his message to any but the general himfelf; fo that Monk now finding he could depend upon his minifter's fecrefy, he opened to him his whole intentions; but with his ufual cau

L

[ocr errors]

tion ftill fcrupled to commit any thing to paper. In confequence of thefe the king left the Spanish territories, where he very narrowly escaped being detained at Breda by the governor, under the pretence of treating him with proper refpect and formality. From thence he retired into Holland, where he refolved to wait for farther advice.

At length the long expected day for the fitting of a free parliament arrived. The affections of all were turned towards the king; yet fuch were their fears, and fuch dangers attended a freedom of speech, that no one dared for fome days to make any mention of his name. All this time Monk, with his ufual reserve, tried their tempers, and examined the ardour of their wishes; at length he gave directions to Annesley, prefident of the council, to inform them that one Sir John Granville, a fervant of the king, had been fent over by his majesty, and was now at the door with a letter to the commons.

Nothing could exceed the joy and tranfport with which this meffage was received. The members, for a moment, forgot the dignity of their fituations, and indulged in a loud acclamation of applaufe. Granville was called in, and the letter eagerly read. A moment's pause was scarce allowed; all at once the house burst into an univerfal affent to the king's propofals; and to diffufe the joy more widely, it was voted that the letter and indemnity fhould immediately be published.

Charles II, entered London on the twenty-ninth of May, which was his birth-day. An innumerable concourfe of people lined the way wherever he paffed, and rent the air with their acclamations. They had been fo long diftracted by unrelenting factions, oppreffed and alarmed by a fucceffion of tyrannies, that they could no longer fupprefs thefe emotions of delight to behold their conftitution restored, or rather, like a phoenix, appear ing more beautiful and vigorous from the ruins of its former conflagration.

Fanatacifm, with its long train of gloomy terrors, fied at the approach of Freedom; the arts of fociety and peace began to return; and it had been happy for the people if he arts of luxury had not entered in their train.

2

CHAP.

[merged small][graphic][merged small]

W years of age, poffeffed of an agreeable perfon,

THEN Charles came to the throne he was thirty

an elegant addrefs, and an engaging manner. His whole demeanor and behaviour was well calculated to fupport and increase popularity. Accuftomed, during his exile, to live cheerfully among his courtiers, he carried the fame endearing familiarities to the throne; and from the levity of his temper, no injuries were dreaded from his former efentments. But it was foon found that all these advantages were merely fuperficial. His indolence and love of pleafure made him averfe to all kinds of bufinefs; his familiarities were proffituted to the worst as well as the best of his fubjects; and he took no care to reward his former friends, as he had taken few steps to be avenged of his former enemies.

Though an act of indemnity was paffed, thofe who had an immediate hand in the king's death were excepted. Cromwell, Ireton, and Bradshaw, though dead, were confidered as proper objects of refentment; their bodies were dug from their graves, dragged to the place of execution,

L 2

cution, and, after hanging fome time, buried under the gallows. Of the reft who fat on judgment on the late monarch's trial, fome were dead, and fome were thought worthy of pardon. Ten only, out of fourfcore, were devoted to immediate deftruction. These were enthu. fiafts, who had all along acted from principle, and who, in the general fpirit of rage excited against them, fhewed a fortitude that might do honour to a better caufe.

This was the time for the king to have made himself independent of all parliaments; and it is faid that Southampton, one of his minifters, had thought of procuring his mafter from the commons the grant of a revenue of two millions a-year, which would have effectually rendered him abfolute; but in this his views were obstructed by the Great Clarendon, who, though attached to the king, was ftill more the friend of liberty and the laws. Charles, however, was no way interested in these oppofite views of his minifters; he only defired money, in order to profecute his pleasures; and provided he had that, he little regarded the manner in which it was obtained.

His continual exigences drove him conftantly to meafures no way fuited to his inclination. Among others, was his marriage, celebrated at this time, with Catharine, the infanta of Portugal, who, though a virtuous princess, poffeffed, as it fhould feem, but few perfonal attractions. It was the portion of this princess that the needy momarch was enamoured of, which amounted to three hundred thousand pounds, together with the fortress of Tangier in Africa, and of Bombay in the Eaft Indies. The chancellor Clarendon, the dukes of Ormond and Southampton, urged many reafons against this match, particularly the likelihood of her never having any chil dren; the king difregarded their advice, and the inauf picious marriage was celebrated accordingly.

It was probably with a view of recruiting the fupply for his pleafures, that he was induced to declare war against the Dutch, as the money appointed for that purpofe would go through his hands. In this naval war, which continued to rage for fome years with great fiercenefs, much blood was fpilt, and great treasure exhaufted,

until at laft a treaty was concluded at Breda, by which the colony of New York was ceded by the Dutch to the English, and confidered as a moft valuable acquifition.

This treaty was confidered as inglorious to the English, as they failed in gaining any redress upon the complaints which gave rife to it. Lord Clarendon, particularly, gained a fhare of blame, both for having advised an unneceffary war, and then for concluding a difgraceful peace. He had been long declining in the king's favour and he was no lefs difpleafing to the majority of the people.

This feemed the fignal for the earl's enemies to ftep in, and effect his entire overthrow. A charge was opened against him in the house of commons, by Mr. Seymour, confifting of feventeen articles. Thefe, which were only a catalogue of the popular rumours before-mentioned, appeared at firft fight falfe or frivolous. However, Clarendon finding the popular torrent, united to the violence of power, running with impetuofity against him, thought proper to withdraw to France.

Having thus got rid of his virtuous minifter, the king foon after refigned himfelf to the direction of a fet of men,who afterwards went by the appellation of the Cabal, from the initials of the names of which it was compofed.

The first of them, Sir Thomas Clifford, was a man of a daring and impetuous fpirit, rendered more dangerous by eloquence and intrigue. Lord Afhley, foon after known by the name of Lord Shaftesbury, was turbulent, ambitious, fubtle, and enterprifing. The duke of Buckingham was gay, capricious, of fome wit, and great vivacity. Arlington was a man of but very moderate сараcity; his intentions were good, but he wanted courage to perfevere in them. Laftly, the duke of Lauderdale, who was not defective in natural, and ftill lefs in acquired talents; but neither was his addrefs graceful, nor his understanding juft; he was ambitious, obftinate, infolent, and fullen. Thefe were the men to - 1670. whom Charles gave up the conduct of his affairs; and who plunged the remaining part of his reign in difficulties, which produced the most dangerous fymp

A. D.

[ocr errors]

toms.

[blocks in formation]
« ПредишнаНапред »