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day, relinquished their cures, and sacrificed their interest to their principles. Soon after, the king was married to the princess Catherine of Portugal, with whom he received five hundred thousand pounds, and the two fortresses of Tangier in Africa, and Bombay in the East Indies, by way of dowry. This match, however, was far from proving auspicious; for the queen was never able to win the affections of her husband.

Amidst these transactions, the pecuniary distress of the king daily augmented; and in order to raise money, as well as to save expenses, Dunkirk was sold to France for four hundred thousand pounds. In this scheme, Clarendon concurred; and so little was the French king sensible of the value of his acquisition, that he thought he had made a hard bargain.

About this time, Charles issued a declaration, under pretence of mitigating the rigours contained in the act of uniformity, to which he was doubtlessly induced by his prejudices in favour of popery; for, though in his gay and vigorous days, he had shown much indifference to all religion, it was evident, that he retained a secret propensity to the church of Rome, while his brother, the duke of York, had entered with zeal into all the principles of that theological party, and by his application to business, which the king disliked, had gained a great ascendency over him. On pretence of easing the protestant dissenters, therefore, they agreed on a plan for introducing a general toleration, and giving the catholics the free exercise of their religion, at least in private houses.

Parliament, however, had wisdom enough to penetrate his designs; and in order to deprive

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the catholics of all hopes, the two 1663. houses concurred in a remonstrance against them. Charles, on this, not only dropped his project of indulgence, but issued a vague proclamation against priests and jesuits, and, in return for this compliance, he pressed the commons for a supply, who voted him four subsidies-the last time that taxes were levied in that manner.

The earl of Clarendon began to decline in favour about this time. His master's partiality for popery was always opposed by this minister, who, conscious of integrity and of honest services, disdained to prop his power by any adscititious

means.

Though the nation had run from the extreme of fanaticism into a culpable degree of lukewarmness, it could not see with indifference Charles's irregular pleasures, and the little regard he paid to decency in his public mistresses. In short, his conduct was freely scrutinized, and his character appreciated as it deserved. It was found that his bounty proceeded rather from a facility of disposition, than from principle; that while he appeared affable to all, his heart was little capable of friendship; and that he secretly entertained an unfavourable opinion of man. kind, no proof of the rectitude of his own mind. But, what was most injurious to the king's reputation, was his suffering his own adherents, and those of his father, to remain in poverty and distress, aggravated by the cruel disappointment of their sanguine hopes, and by seeing favour and preferment bestowed on their most inveterate foes. The act of indemnity and oblivion was construed, and, in many cases, too

justly, as an act of indemnity to the king's enemies, and of oblivion to his friends.

The loyalty of the parliament induced them to repeal the triennial act, and to content themselves with a clause, that parliaments should not be discontinued above three years at most. The commons likewise passed a vote, that the indignities offered to the English, by the subjects of the United States, were the greatest obstructions to all foreign trade. This paved the way to a Dutch war. Sir Robert Holmes was secretly dispatched with a squadron of twenty-two ships to the coast of Africa, where he expelled the Dutch from cape Corfe, and seized their settlements at Cape Verde and Goree. Then sailing to America, he possessed himself of Nova Belgia, since called New-York, which had been granted by patent to the earl of Stirling, in the reign of James I. but had never been planted except by the Hollanders.

When the Dutch complained of these hostile measures, the king pretended to deny that Holmes had any authority for his proceedings; but this evasion not satisfying them, they dispatched de Ruyter with a fleet, to retaliate on the English. This admiral not only A. D. recovered what had been lost, but took 1665. some of the old settlements belonging to the English.

After this, the Dutch in vain attempted to avert the horrors of war by a negociation. John de Witt, who then directed their measures, by his conduct and capacity, caused a fleet to be equipped, surpassing any that had ever sailed before from the ports of Holland. The Eng. lish fleet consisted of one hundred and fourteen

sail, and was commanded by the duke of York, and under him by prince Rupert, and the earl of Sandwich. Obdam, the Dutch admiral, had nearly an equal force, and on meeting, he declined not the combat. In the heat of action, when engaged in close fight with the duke of York, Obdam's ship blew up. This accident disconcerted the Dutch, and they fled towards their own coast, the son of the famous admiral Tromp gallantly protecting the rear of his countrymen. The vanquished had nineteen ships sunk or taken, the victors lost only one. In this action the duke of York behaved with great bravery; the earl of Falmouth, lord Muskerry, and Mr. Boyle, were killed by one shot at his side, and covered him with their brains and gore.

The declining courage of the Dutch was again revived by de Witt, who soon remedied all the disorders occasioned by the late misfortune; but his chief reliance was on the king of France, who in conformity to treaty, was resolved to support the States in this unequal contest.

The English, however, had now a more dreadful calamity than war to contend with. The plague had carried off ninety thousand persons in London; and the king, to escape this awful visitation, was obliged to call a parliament at Oxford.

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The king of France having ordered his 1666. admiral, the duke of Beaufort, to proceed with forty sail, to the support of his allies, that squadron was now supposed to be entering the channel. The Dutch fleet, under the command of de Ruyter, to the number of seventy-six sail, was at sea, in order to join the

French. The duke of Albemarle and prince Rupert commanded the English fleet, which did not exceed seventy-four sail. Albemarle, consulting only his courage, dispatched prince Rupert with twenty ships, to oppose the duke of Beaufort; and with the remainder, set sail to give battle to the Dutch. Never did a more memorable engagement take place; whether we consider its long duration, or the desperate courage with which it was fought.

On the first day, the loss was nearly equal, and darkness parted the combatants; vice-admiral Sir William Berkely fell on the side of the English, and admiral Evertz, on that of the Dutch. On the second day, during the action, the Dutch were joined by sixteen fresh ships while the English had not more than twentyeight in a situation for fighting. This induced

Albemarle to draw towards the English coast, which he did with an undaunted countenance, protesting to the earl of Ossory, son of the duke of Ormond, that he would sooner blow up his ship than strike.

As the Dutch had come up to the English, and were about to renew the engagement, the squadron of prince Rupert was descried steering to the assistance of Albemarle. The battle now began afresh, and continued with great violence till suspended by a mist. The English retired first, into their own harbours.

De Ruyter now posted himself at the mouth of the Thames; but it was not long before Rupert and Albemarle approached to attack him. The engagement was again fierce and obstinate, and three Dutch admirals fell; but de Ruyter, though pressed on all sides, retained his station, till night ended the engagement.

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