contrary. To my particular friends I fhall be constant ⚫ in all occafions, and to you a most affectionate servant.' After D'où les Anglois remontant au fouvenir de la puiffance de leurs flottes du temps d'Olivier; de la gloire qu'el es ont remportées fur toutes les mers; les alliances, que toute la terre recherchoit avec eux; de la pompe de la Republique, vers laquelle il venoit des ambassadeurs de tous cauftez: ils ne peuvent s'empeicher de faire des comparaisons odieuses, et de temoigner quelque difpofition à des nouveaux defordres. Ils veulent bien un roi pour la gloire de leur pays. Ils aiment ce tiltre, et preferent cette forte de gouvernement à toutes les autres. Mais ils reconnoient, que leur humeur un peu trop libre et arrogante a besoin de ce caveç n; ils ne veulent point auffi le fouffrir trop rude, et ils pretendent que leur Roi fe doit appliquer uniquement à maintenir la tranquilité publique, à faire vivre heureufement fon peuple, et à porter au dehors le plus avant qu'il peut l'honneur et la reputation de ja patrie. Ils difent que c'est pour cela qu'ils l'entretiennent splendidement, et leurs Effats, dans lefquelles proprement refide la puiffance Souvera ne, ne lui refuseront jamais rien de ce qu'il leur demandera pour fatisfaire à fes intentions. Mais qu'il leur fache de voir commettre une chofe fi importante au foins d'un Miniftre, qui toujours a des intereft particuliers, contraires à ceux du public; qu'il eft fenfible au peuple de fe faigner inutilement, et de voir employer fon argent en chofes fuperfluès, ou melme en defpences des-bonnetes; [rendered in the tranflation of 1709, 66 upon base lufts; qu'il n'est pas juste que quelques fang fues de cour en foient remplies elles feules, et que l'on ne navige ou ne laboure, qu'on ne travail'e fur mer et fur terre, que pour mettre bien à leur aife un petit nombre de perfonnes oifives, qui abuferont de la facilitè d'un prince. Ces penfèes et ces d.fcours font conformes a l'humeur arrogante des Anglais, et a la jaloufie avec laquelle ils regardent les profperitez d'autruy. Mais outre la particuliere inclination que la nature leur donne à former des zaifonnemens fi pcu refpectueux, ils fe font nourris de longue main dans cette maur ife bebitude par la liberté de leurs Parlemens, d'ont il faut que Je vous raconte l'histoire, telle qu'il m'en fouvient ou que Je me la fuis figurée. etc. etc. etc. ecurt. "Relation d'un voyage en Angleterre." By Monf. Sorbiere. Printed at Cologne, 1666, in duod. p. 107. It was hoped and expected, that this prodigious and univerfal calamity, [the fire of London] for the effects of it covered the whole kingdom, would have made fome impreffion and produced fome reformation in the licence of the For as the pains the King had taken night and day during the fire, and the dangers he had exposed himself to, even for the faving of the citizens' goods, had been notorious and in the mouths of all men with many good wishes and prayers for him, fo his majesty had been heard during that time to fpeak with great piety and devotion of the difpleasure that God was provoked to. And no doubt the deep fenfe of it did raife many good thoughts and purposes in his royal breast. But he was narrowly watched and looked to, that fuch melancholick thoughts might not long poffefs him, the consequence and effect whe.cof was like to be more grievous than that of the fire itself; of After he had continued fome time in Italy, he thought proper to draw nearer home, that if an opportunity should offer, of which, that loofe company that was too much cherished, even before it was extinguished, difcourfed as of an argument for mirth and wit to defcribe the wildness of the confufion all people were in; in which the scripture itself was ufed with equal liberty, when they could apply it to their profane purposes. And Mr. May prefumed to affure the King," that this was the greatest bleffing, that God had ever conferred upon him, his Restoration only excepted for the walls and gates being now burned and thrown down of that rebellious city, which was always an enemy to the Crown, his Majesty would never fuffer them to repair and build them up again, to be a bit in his mouth and a bridle upon his neck; but would keep all open, that his troops might enter upon them whenever he thought neceffary for his fervice, there being no ther way to govern that rude multitude but by force," The continuation of the life of Edward Earl of Clarendon, vol. 3. Such unanimity appeared in the proceedings of the new Parliament, or Convention as it came afterwards to be called because it was not summoned by the King's writ, that there was not the leaft difpute among them but upon one fingle point; yet that was a very important one. Hale, afterwards the famous Chief Justice, moved, "That a Committee might be appointed to lock into the propofitions that had been made, and the conceffions that had been offered by the late King during the quar, particularly at the treaty of Newport, that from thence they might digeft fuch propofitions as they should think fit to be fent over to the King. This was feconded, but I do not remember [pity it is that he did not!] by whom. It was forefeen thar fuch a motion might be fet on foot, fo Monk was inftructed how to anfwer it, whenfoever it should be propofed. He told the Houfe, that there was yet, beyond all men's hope, an univerfal quiet all over the nation; but there were many incendiaries ftill on the watch, trying where they could firft raise the flame. He faid he had fuch copious informations fent him of these things, that it was not fit they fhould be generally known: He could not anfwer for the peace either of the Nation or of the Army, if any delay was put to the fending for the King: What need was there of fending propofitions to him? Might they not as well prepare them and offer them to him when he should come over? He was to bring neither army nor treasure with him either to fright them or corrupt them. So he moved, that they would immediately fend commiffioners to bring over the King: and faid, that he must lay the blame of all the blood or mifchief that might follow on the heads of those, who should infift on any motion that G offer," he might not," as general + Ludlow obferves, "be wanting to his duty and the public fervice." In his way that might delay the prefent fettlement of the Nation. This was echo'd with fuch a fhout over the Houfe, that the motion was no more infifted on. This was indeed the great fervice that Mork did. It was chiefly owing to the poft he was in and to the credit he had gained; for as to the Restoration itself, the tide run fo ftrong, that he only went into it dexterously enough, to get much fame and great rewards, for that which will have ftill a great appear. ance in hiftory. If he had died joon after, be might have been more justly admired, because less known and jeen owly in one ada antageous light: But he lived long enough to make it known, how fafe a judgment men are apt to make upon outward appearance. To the King's coming in without conditions may be well imputed all the erreurs of his reign. And when the Earl of Southampton came to see what he was likely to prove, he faid once in great wrath to Chancellor Hide," It was to him they owed all they either felt or feared; for if he had not poffeffed them in all his letters with fuch an opinion of the King, they would have taken care to have put it out of his power either to do himfelf or them any mischief, which was like to be the effect of their trusting him fo entirely." Hide answered, "That he thought the King had so true a judgment and fo much good nature, that when the age of pleafure thould be over, and the idleness of his exile which made him feek new diverfions for want of other employment was turned to an obligation to mind affairs, then he would have fhaken off thofe entanglements." Burnet's hift. of his own times, vol. I. p. 89. A colony of French poffefs the Court; Pimps, priests, buffoons, in privy chamber sport. In facred ear tyrannic arts they croak, Pervert his mind, and good intentions choak; Leviathan, and abfolute commands. Britannia and Raleigh; a poem by A Marveit. The fecret of the King and Duke's being fo eager and hearty in their refolutions to break with France at this juncture, [July 1678] was as follows. France, in order to break the force of the Confederacy, and clude all just conditions of a general peace, refolved by any means to enter into separate meafures with Holland; to which end it was abfolutely neceffary to engage the good offices of the King of England, who was looked upon to be mafter of the peace whenever he pleafed. The bargain was ftruck for three or four hundred thousand pounds. But when all was agreed, Monfieur Bavillon, the French ambalador, told the King," that he had orders from his maiter, before payment, to add a private article, by which his Majefty Memoirs, p. 384, folio edit. should way he vifited that general and his friends, in their retirement in Switzerland; affuring them of his affection and friend fhould be engaged, never to keep above eight thousand men of standing troops in his three kingdoms." This unexpected proposal put the King in a rage, and made him fay, "d's fifh! Does my brother of France think tɔ ferve me thus? Are all bis promifes to make me abfolute mafter of my come to this? Or does he think that a thing to be done with eight thousand men ? Temple's works, vol. 11. p. 464. in a note. edit. 1720. By this means came in Charles the fecond, a luxurious effeminate prince, a deep diffembler, and if not a papist himself, yet a great favourer of them but the People had fuffered fo much from the army, that he was received with the utmost joy and tranfport. The Parliament, in the Honymoon, paffed what laws he pleased, gave a vaft revenue for life, being three times as much as any of his predeceflors enjoyed, and feveral millions befides to be spent in his pleafures. This made him conceive vafter bopes of arbitrary power than any that went before him, and in order to it be debauched and ener vated the whole kingdom. His Court was a fcene of adulteries, drunkenness and irreligion, appearing more like ftews or the feafts of Bacchus, than the family of a chief magiftrate. And in a little time the contagion spread through the whole ivation, that it was out of the fashion not to be lewd, and fcandalous not to be a public enemy.") etc. etc. etc. "A fhort hift. of standing armies in England." [by John Trenchard.] London, 1698. in quarto. Ruffel the painter related to or connected with the Olivers, told Vertue a remarkable ftory. The greater part of the collection of King Charles being difperfed in the troubles, among which were several pictures of the Olivers, Charles II. who remembered and was defirous of recovering them, made many inquiries about them after the restoration. At last he was told by one Rogers of Isleworth, probably Progers, well known for being employed in the King's private pleasures, that both father and fon were dead, but that the fon's widow was living at Isleworth and had many of their works. The King went privately and unknown with Rogers to see them. The widow showed feveral finished and unfinished, with many of which the King being pleafed, asked if she would fell them; the replied, she had a mind the King should see them first, and if he did not purchase them, the fhould think of difpofing of them. The King difcovered himself; on which the produced fome more pictures which the seldom showed. The King defied her to fet a pice; the fad fhe did not care to make a price with his majesty, he would leave it to him: but promifed to look over her husband's books and let his Majefty know what prices his father the late King had paid. The King took away what he liked, and fent Rogers to Mrs. Oliver with the option of a thousand pounds or an annuity of three hundred pounds for her life. She chose the latter. Some years afterwards, it happened, that the King's miftreffes having begged all or most of these pictures, G 2 Mrs. the way of Berne, doing all the good offices he could for general Ludlow and his friends, with the advoyer and other principal magiftrates of that city. He was at Bruf emulation to be found the fobereft, wifeft, and most chriftian people, at that day when thou the eternail and fhortly-expected King fhall open the clouds to judge the feverall kingdomes of the world, and diftributing national bonors and rewards to religious and just Commonwealths, hali put an end to all earthly Tyrannies, proclaiming thy univerfal ani milde Monarchy through heaven and earth. Where they undoubtedly, that by ther labers, counjels and prayers, have been earneft for the common good of religion and their Countrey, fhall receive above the interior orders of the blefled, the regall addition of principalities, legions and thrones into their glorious titles, and in fupereminence of beatific vifion progreffing the datele ffe and irrevoluble circle of Eternity, fhall clafp infeparable hands with joy and bliffe, in over-meafure for But they contrary, that by the impairing and diminution of the true faith, the diftreffes and fervitude of their Country, atpire to high dignity, rule and promotion here, after a fhamefull end in this life, WHICH GOD GRANT THEM, fhall be throwne downe eternally into the darkest and deepest gulfe of heil, where under the defpightfull controule, the trample and fpurne of all the other damned, that in the anguifh of their torture fhall have no other ease then to exercife araving and beftiall tyrranny over them as their flaves and negro's, they shall remaine in that plight for ever, the bafft, the lowermoft, the most dejected, mft underfoot and dogne-trodden vaflals of perdition." ever. * Edmund Ludlow, Knight of the thire for the County of Wilts, in the Parliament which began Nov. 3, 1640; one of the Council of State; Lieutenant General of Horfe and Commander in chief of the Forces in Ireland. An honest man by the confeffion of his enemies. His feat was Maider Bradly, with a paternal eflate, it is faid, of upwards of L 30co a year belonging to it. During his retirement in Savitzerland, he wrote his "Memirs," and feveral curious valuable tracts. It may not be improper here, to give an extract of a letter from Philip, Lord Viscount Lifle, to his father Robert, earl of Leicester, dated Nov. 6, 1649, taken from the Sydney State papers; as it accounts, in part, for the kindness and attention thewn afterwards in Switzerland to the Commonwealth party which theltered themfelves there. "The Parliament's declaration made fince the charge of the government, hath been, as the Council is informed, much approved of, in many parts of the Swiffes Countrey; and the Minifters there, d publicly give God thanks for the establishment of the Republic and pray for it: upon which I believe an Agent will thortly be fent thither." The Declaration, the Latin edition of it, was printed Mar. 22, 1648, in quarto, under this title, " Parliamenti Angliae declaratio. In quâ Res nuperam geftae, et De etum de Statu Angliae Regio in liberam Rempublicam verten, afcuntur." And the following order was placed before the title, “ Die Sabbi hi 17 Martli, 1648. Comitiis Populi Parliamentariis decernitur, have Declarationem typis effe illicò mindandam. Hen. Scobell Cleric, Parlamenti," fels |