SECTION

V.

Distressing situation of Charles.

him of themselves, for without the assistance of foreign princes, he will never do any thing. After the battle of Worcester she was confirmed in her opinion, and though Clarendon does not say she made any efforts herself for the conversion of her son, yet he allows she was very well content, that attempts should be made upon him by others for that purpose, and hoped that his going to an assembly, where a religion was professed which he disliked,* might tend to give him a distaste for the church, in which he was educated, and turn his thoughts towards her own. At this time, Charles was placed in very delicate circumstances, Lord Jermyn was looking to an union of the

* In the MS. genealogy of the family of Balcarras, who are heirs male of Lindsay of Edzell, under the head of Alexander is this passage:" After the death of his father, Charles the Second was in"vited by the Marquis of Argyll, and his faction, to come to Scotland, "and take possession of the crown, this done neither from loyalty "nor affection, but to be revenged of the English sectaries, who "by means of Cromwell, &c. had taken possession of the government, and had dispersed their presbytery and covenant. Upon "the King's arrival from Holland, he found himself entirely a pri"soner, and without power.. None of the real friends of his family, "were allowed to approach him. He attempted to make his es

cape, and fled from Perth to Clova, but was pursued by Major "Montgomery, and brought back again, and was often obliged "to sit and hear five or six enthusiastic sermons at a time; where "the tyranny of his father, and idolatry of his mother were often "mentioned. This made him afterwards often say, that presbytery was a religion not fit for a gentleman."

.66

protestant powers in his favour, his mother to the support of the catholic princes, and Hyde (then Chancellor of the Exchequer) dissuaded him from going to Charenton, because the Huguenots of France had expressed great malice against the late King, and their ministers had justified the late rebellion in their sermons, and prayed for its success. Besides, their Synod had inveighed against episcopacy, as not being consistent with the protestant religion. In short, he took advantage of Charles's dislike of the presbyterian form of government to prevent his conciliating the Huguenots, and other foreign protestants, and left him no resource, but in the catholics, whose assistance his mother believed, and taught him to believe, could alone be effectualto restore him to his throne, and was to be obtained only by declaring himself of their religion.

SECTION

V.

Cologne.

Clar. Hist.

The kind and magnificent manner in which he was Residence at received at Cologne, on his road to Germany, attached him to the place, and determined him to make it his future residence. But the city was filled with catholics, who had only a few years before expelled the protestants, ii. p. 541. and a full moiety of the inhabitants were religious persons, and church men. Gratitude was justly excited by favours bestowed at such a critical moment, and his friendly disposition towards the catholic religion was confirmed by the generous attachment of its professors to a fallen and fugitive monarch. In this chosen spot he resided

SECTION
V.

Clar. Hist. ii, p. 548.

the Pope.

A VINDICATION OF

for several years, and certainly the opinion of those, who place his conversion at a later period than Burnet, is countenanced by his silence upon the subject of his religion while he remained here; more especially, as, upon Application to the death of Pope Innocent the Tenth, a negotiation was attempted through the Duke of Newburgh with his successor for pecuniary succour, and also for his interference with the Sovereign Princes on the Continent. The application was made as on behalf of a protestant King, and the answer respecting the money was the same as Pope Innocent the Tenth had given upon a similar occasion, that "he could not with a good conscience "apply the patrimony of the church to the assistance, " and support of heretics," and in other respects, the application was wholly unsuccessful.

Example of

the Duke of Newburgh.

When Charles retired to Cologne he became intimate with the Duke of Newburgh, who resided at Dusseldorp. His father, in order to obtain the assistance of the Empe ror, and the King of Spain, against the House of Brandenburgh, which was supported by the Prince of Orange and the States, had turned catholic, and thereby secured his possessions. His successful conversion may have made some impression upon the mind of Charles, who felt himself in nearly similar circumstances, and to whom the same expedient had been suggested to relieve him from embarrassment.

SECTION

V.

Some think

that Charles

was converted

at Fontarabia.

Rapin, who gives credit to Burnet's conjecture as to the time of Charles's conversion, observes there are some, "who think themselves better informed," and assign for it the year 1659, alluding probably to Echard, who says he had full reason to believe it was brought about "by "the Spaniard at Fontarabia, in the year before his "restoration." Cromwell's death, which happened only a few months before that period, had made a material change in the the prospects of Charles, and occasioned a temporary revival of his hopes of being supported, and possibly restored by the efforts of his own subjects; but the treachery of Sir Richard Willis, and the defeat of Sir George Booth left him no resources, but from foreign powers. Almost as a last effort of despair, he had resolved to attend the conferences of the French and Spanish Ministers at Fontarabia, and take the Charles's visit chance of being able by his presence to prevail upon them fruitless. to suggest some measures in his favour. To this step he was encouraged by the Spanish Minister, who seems to have had a sincere desire to render him service, and Clarendon formed sanguine expectations of his success. But the King unaccountably lost so much time, and proceeded by so circuitous a route upon the journey, that he did not arrive at Fontarabia till after the treaty had been concluded. The Spanish Minister, Don Lewis De Haro, Macph. Pap.ii. received him with great distinction and apparent friendship; but Cardinal Mazarin, unwilling to offend the governing power in England, refused to see him, and

M m

to Fonta rabia

p. 667.

SECTION
V.

Clar. Hist. iii. 686.

Not probable he was then converted.

A VINDICATION OF

behaved with great coolness. Upon Don Lewis mentioning the King to the Cardinal, he spoke of his Majesty's affairs as desperate, and advised Don Lewis to be "wary "how he embarked himself in an affair, that had no "foundation; and that it was rather time for all the "catholics to unite to the breaking of the power and "interest of the heretical party, wherever it was, than to

strengthen it, by restoring the King, except he would "become catholic." Charles having arrived too late to have his concerns mentioned in the treaty, even if the Cardinal had been inclined to attend to them, made only a short stay. He arrived at Fontarabia upon the last Tuesday in October, and left it upon the 17th of November, remaining there, probably, not more than three

weeks.

It is possible, that by the advice of Don Lewis de Haro, and in hopes of obtaining the good offices of the Cardinal at any price, Charles might have consented to embrace the catholic religion, but it can hardly be conceived that he would have run the risk without some assurance of support; for if it should be afterwards known in England, he was aware (for he had so stated in a letter before mentioned to the Duke some years before) that it would form an insurmountable obstacle to his restoration to the throne. Besides, if his conversion had taken place while he remained there, it would hardly have been possible to prevent the secret from