imputation by weak reafons. After this, we At the Restoration, this man was loaded with honors and favours but he foon loft ground with the king, : who fuffered his enemies to perfecute him; and even joined with them fo far as to hurry him out of the kingdom, and affent to a bill devised for his perpetual banishment. If the account his lordship has given of this affair, be true; the king must have had a base heart indeed. For his lordship informs us, that his majefty fent to the Archbishop of Canterbury, that he should, in his majesty's name, command all the bishops bench ⚫ to concur in thanking him for removing the Chancel lor [Clarendon]; that he publickly denied what he had declared to the Duke of York, and which he had given him liberty to report, in his vindication; that he difcourfed of him differently to different perfons; and, laftly, by deceitful promises, induced him to fly, and thereby expofe himself, with feeming juftice, to the penalties which were afterwards inflicted on him (f). Whether the chancellor was justly punished uation, vol. by parliament, is not here the queftion. (f) Conti iii. p. 841-867. I will add but one inftance more of the ingratitude of Charles; but that is fuch a.one as will ferve to illuftrate his character very remarkably. It is well known that Charles I. was talked of as a Martyr, both before and after his fon's restoration: as a martyr, therefore, it was naturally to be fuppofed he would be honoured. This, of course, would produce a folemn interment; and a fuperb monument, fuitable to the great merits and dignity of the perfon. And, if Lord Clarendon may be believed, his majefty had refolved to do it before his ' coming 25 we shall not wonder to find him und juft (g) Id. vol. and Hiftory ii. p. 192. of the Rebellion, vol. coming into England.' Why it was not done, his lordfhip has told us a long-winded ftory; the fubftance of which is, that the body of the king's father could not be found at Windfor, where it had been interred, because the Lords Southampton and Lindsey, who had attended.on that occafion, could not recollect their memories, nor find any one mark by which they could make any judgment near what place the kings body lay (g).' This was the excufe to fave appearances; and cover over difregard and neglect of a parent, who, in his eye, had nothing of the tyrant or foe to mankind. For, v. p. 261. in fact, it was nothing but an excuse; and founded in falfhood too. It has been made a question, and a wonder, by many, why a particular monument was not erected for Charles I.' fays Echard, after the Reftoration of his fon; efpecially when the parliament was well inclined to have given a good fum for that grate ful purpose. This has caufed feveral conjectures, and reflections and intimations have been given, as if the royal body had never been depofited there [Windfor]; or, elfe, had afterwards been removed by the regicides: and the Lord Clarendon himself speaks foftly and suspiciously of this matter, as if he believed that the body * could not be found. But to remove all imaginations, 'we shall inferta memorandum, or certificate, fent by Mr. John Sewell, a Register at Windsor Castle: “Anno 1696, "September twenty-first, the fame vault in which King Charles the Firft was buried, was opened, to lay in a "fill-born child of the then Princess of Denmark, now . (b) Hiftory of England, just to fuch as were not in his fa vour; our gracious queen, On the king's coffin, the velvet spall was ftrong and found; and there was about the "coffin a leaden band, with this infcription cut through it, KING CHARLES, MDCXLVIII. Queen Jane's coffin was whole, and entire : but that of King Henry the "Eighth was funk in upon the breaft part; and the lead and wood confumed with the heat of the gums he "was embalmed with: and when I laid my hand on it, "it was run together, and hard, and had no noisome fmell." As a farther memorandum, relating to King & Charles's interment, he fays, "that when the body of "King Charles the First lay in ftate, in the Dean's "Hall, the Duke of Richmond had the coffin opened, and was fatisfy'd that it was the king's body. This ❝ several people have declared they knew to be true, who "were alive, and then prefent; as, Mr. Randolph of New "Windfor, and others; fo that he thinks the Lord Claren"don was mifled in that matter; and that King Charles "the Second never fent to enquire after the body, fince "it was well known, both to the inhabitants of the caf"tle and town, that it was in that vault (b)." That Lord Clarendon's tale is mere fiction, may be, I think, concluded from the houfe of commons voting, Jan. 30, 1677, fixty eight thousand pounds for the interment of Charles I, and for erecting him a monument. Grey's Parliamentary Debates, there are feveral speeches of the courtiers in favour of the refolution; not a word, (5) Jour- from any one, that it was difficult to find the body (i). A bill was brought in, and ordered to be read a fecond time; whether it was paffed into a law, or not, I vol. ii, p. 649. nal; and Grey's Debates, vol. V. p. 32. In cannot vour (BBB); or even eruel to thofe who, by cannot certainly fay. ----- If not, his majesty must be blamed; for the houfe expreffed a high veneration for the martyr. Such was the gratitude of Charles to his father! Such the reverence and regard to his me mory! The obligations to parents are of the highest nature; and to be ungrateful to them, is to expofe one's felf to the hatred and contempt of mankind. Omnes ⚫ immemorem beneficii oderunt: eámque injuriam in deterrenda liberalitate fibi etiam fieri; eúmque, qui faciat, • communem hoftem tenuiorum putant (k).’ (BBB) He was unjust to fuch as were not in his favour ; &c.] Sheffield fays, He was farely inclined to justice; for nothing elfe would have retained him fo faft to the 'fucceffion of a brother, against a fon he was fo fond of, and the humour of a party he fo much feared. I am willing alfo to impute to his juftice, whatever feems in fome meafure to contradict the general opi❝nion of his clemency; as his fuffering always the rigour of the law to proceed not only against all highwaymen, but also feveral others, in whofe cafes the lawC yers (according to their wonted cuftom) had ufed fometimes a great deal of hardship and feverity (I). Burnet however declares, that he feemed to have no bowels or tenderness in his nature: and in the end of •his life he became cruel. He was apt to forgive,' continues this writer, all crimes; even blood itself yet • he never forgave any thing that was done against him⚫ felf, after his first and general act of indemnity, which was to be reckoned as done rather upon maxims of ftate than inclinations of mercy (m). This seems (m) Vol. i. very p. 612. by their actions, or writings, had pro cured very fevere; but may, notwithstanding, be much more. true than the character given by the Duke of Buckingham, juft above recited. Let facts, however, determine. Harrington, the celebrated writer of the Oceana, had been a companion of Charles I. in the midft of his diftreffes; by whom he was esteemed, and regarded. He was, however, a republican; and writ many noble pieces in that cause, which have conveyed his name down with honor to pofterity. This man, in Decem→ ber, 1661, was feized, and committed to the Tower, for treasonable designs and practices: and though no proof at all was made of it, he lay in close confinement there five months, and afterwards, unknown to his friends, was fuddenly hurried on fhipboard, and confined in St. Nicholas Iland, near Plymouth. This impaired his health, and brought on diforders, which rendered the remaining part of his life very unhappy. This, furely, was injuftice: injuftice in the king, to whom his cafe had been represented, and from whom even an exchange of prifon could not be obtained but on exceffive bail (n).Nevill, the author of Plato Redivivus, a man of rank and ton, Wood's learning, fuffered alfo imprisonment; as did Wildman, Biographia and many others of the party, for feigned crimes it Britannica. being the mode of the court, at this time, to invent () See To land's Life of Harring. Athenæ,and tales, in order to cover over their malice to fuch as had |