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diff --git a/4245-h/4245-h.htm b/4245-h/4245-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e28131b --- /dev/null +++ b/4245-h/4245-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,6549 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" /> +<title>A History of the Early Part of the Reign of James the Second</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + P { margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + H1, H2 { + text-align: center; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + } + H3, H4, H5 { + text-align: left; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + } + BODY{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + table { border-collapse: collapse; } + td { vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid black;} + td p { margin: 0.2em; } + .blkquot {margin-left: 4em; margin-right: 4em;} /* block indent */ + + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .pagenum {position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + color: gray;} + + .citation {vertical-align: super; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: none;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h2> +<a href="#startoftext">A History of the Early Part of the Reign of James the Second, by Charles James Fox</a> +</h2> +<pre> +The Project Gutenberg eBook, A History of the Early Part of the Reign of +James the Second, by Charles James Fox, Edited by Henry Morley + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: A History of the Early Part of the Reign of James the Second + + +Author: Charles James Fox + +Editor: Henry Morley + +Release Date: October 4, 2007 [eBook #4245] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A HISTORY OF THE EARLY PART OF THE +REIGN OF JAMES THE SECOND*** +</pre> +<p><a name="startoftext"></a></p> +<p>Transcribed from the 1888 Cassell & Company edition by +David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org</p> +<p style="text-align: center"><span class="smcap">cassell’s +national library</span>.</p> +<h1>A HISTORY<br /> +<span class="smcap">of the</span><br /> +<span class="smcap"><i>early part of the reign</i></span><br /> +<span class="smcap">of</span><br /> +JAMES THE SECOND</h1> +<p style="text-align: center"><span class="smcap">by</span><br /> +CHARLES JAMES FOX.</p> +<p style="text-align: center">CASSELL & COMPANY, <span +class="smcap">Limited</span>:<br /> +<span class="smcap"><i>london</i></span>, <span +class="smcap"><i>paris</i></span>, <span class="smcap"><i>new +york & melbourne</i></span>.<br /> +1888.</p> +<h2>INTRODUCTION.</h2> +<p>Fox’s “History of the Reign of James II.,” +which begins with his view of the reign of Charles II. and breaks +off at the execution of Monmouth, was the beginning of a History +of England from the Revolution, upon which he worked in the last +years of his life, for which he collected materials in Paris +after the Peace of Amiens, in 1802—he died in September, +1806—and which was first published in 1808.</p> +<p>The grandfather of Charles James Fox was Stephen, son of +William Fox, of Farley, in Wiltshire. Stephen Fox was a +young royalist under Charles I. He was twenty-two at the +time of the king’s execution, went into exile during the +Commonwealth, came back at the Restoration, was appointed +paymaster of the first two regiments of guards that were raised, +and afterwards Paymaster of all the Forces. In that office +he made much money, but rebuilt the church at Farley, and earned +lasting honour as the actual founder of Chelsea Hospital, which +was opened in 1682 for wounded and superannuated soldiers. +The ground and buildings had been appointed by James I., in 1609, +as Chelsea College, for the training of disputants against the +Roman Catholics. Sir Stephen Fox himself contributed +thirteen thousand pounds to the carrying out of this +design. Fox’s History dealt, therefore, with times in +which his grandfather had played a part.</p> +<p>In 1703, when his age was seventy-six, Stephen Fox took a +second wife, by whom he had two sons, who became founders of two +families; Stephen, the elder, became first Earl of Ilchester; +Henry, the younger, who married Georgina, daughter of the Duke of +Richmond, and was himself created, in 1763, Baron Holland of +Farley. Of the children of that marriage Charles James Fox +was the third son, born on the 24th of January, 1749. The +second son had died in infancy.</p> +<p>Henry Fox inherited Tory opinions. He was regarded by +George II. as a good man of business, and was made Secretary of +War in 1754, when Charles James, whose cleverness made him a +favoured child, was five years old. In the next year Henry +Fox was Secretary of State for the Southern Department. The +outbreak of the Seven Years’ War bred discontent and change +of Ministry. The elder Fox had then to give place to the +elder Pitt. But Henry Fox was compensated by the office of +Paymaster of the Forces, from which he knew even better than his +father had known how to extract profit. He rapidly acquired +the wealth which he joined to his title as Lord Holland of +Farley, and for which he was attacked vigorously, until two +hundred thousand pounds—some part of the money that stayed +by him—had been refunded.</p> +<p>Henry Fox, Lord Holland, found his boy, Charles James, +brilliant and lively, made him a companion, and indulged him to +the utmost. Once he expressed a strong desire to break a +watch that his father was winding up: his father gave it him to +dash upon the floor. Once his father had promised that when +an old garden wall at Holland House was blown down with gunpowder +before replacing it with iron railings, he should see the +explosion. The workmen blew it down in the boy’s +absence: his father had the wall rebuilt in its old form that it +might be blown down again in his presence, and his promise +kept. He was sent first to Westminster School, and then to +Eton. At home he was his father’s companion, joined +in the talk of men at his father’s dinner-parties, +travelled at fourteen with his father to the Continent, and is +said to have been allowed five guineas a night for +gambling-money. He grew up reckless of the worth of money, +and for many years the excitement of gambling was to him as one +of the necessaries of life. His immense energy at school +and college made him work as hard as the most diligent man who +did nothing else, and devote himself to gambling, horse-racing, +and convivial pleasures as vigorously as if he were the weak man +capable of nothing else. The Eton boys all prophesied his +future fame. At Oxford, where he entered Hertford College, +he was one of the best men of his time, and one of the +wildest. A clergyman, strong in Greek, was arguing with +young Fox against the genuineness of a verse of the Iliad because +its measure was unusual. Fox at once quoted from memory +some twenty parallels.</p> +<p>From college he went on the usual tour of Europe, spending +lavishly, incurring heavy debts, and sending home large bills for +his father to pay. One bill alone, paid by his father to a +creditor at Naples, was for sixteen thousand pounds. He +came back in raiment of the highest fashion, and was put into +Parliament in 1768, not yet twenty years old, as member for +Midhurst. He began his political life with the family +opinions, defended the Ministry against John Wilkes, and was +provided promptly with a place as Paymaster of the Pensions to +the Widows of Land Officers, and then, when he had reached the +age of twenty-one, there was a seat found for him at the Board of +Admiralty.</p> +<p>At once Fox made his mark in the House as a brilliant debater +with an intellectual power and an industry that made him master +of the subjects he discussed. Still also he was scattering +money, and incurring debt, training race-horses, and staking +heavily at gambling tables. When a noble friend, who was +not a gambler, offered to bet fifty pounds upon a throw, Fox +declined, saying, “I never play for pence.”</p> +<p>After a few years of impatient submission to Lord North, Fox +broke from him, and it was not long before he had broken from +Lord North’s opinions and taken the side of the people in +all leading questions. He became the friend of Burke; and +joined in the attack upon the policy of Coercion that destroyed +the union between England and her American colonies. In +1774, at the age of twenty-five, Fox lost by death his father, +his mother, and his elder brother, who had succeeded to the +title, and who had left a little son to be his heir. In +February of that year Lord North had finally broken with Fox by +causing a letter to be handed to him in the House of Commons +while he was sitting by his side on the Treasury Bench.</p> +<blockquote><p>“His Majesty has thought proper to order a +new commission of the Treasury to be made out, in which I do not +perceive your name. <span +class="smcap">North</span>.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>By the end of the year he was member for Malmesbury, and one +of the chiefs in opposition. When Lord North opened the +session of 1775 with a speech arguing the need of coercion, Fox +compared what ought to have been done with what was done, and +said that Lord Chatham, the King of Prussia, nay, even Alexander +the Great, never gained more in one campaign than Lord North had +lost. He had lost a whole continent. When Lord +North’s ministry fell in 1782, Fox became a Secretary of +State, resigning on the death of Rockingham. In coalition +with Lord North, Fox brought in an India Bill, which was rejected +by the Lords, and caused a resignation of the Ministry. +Pitt then came into office, and there was rivalry between a Pitt +and a Fox of the second generation, with some reversal in each +son of the political bias of his father.</p> +<p>In opposing the policy that caused the American Revolution Fox +and Burke were of one mind. He opposed the slave +trade. After the outbreak of the French Revolution he +differed from Burke, and resolutely opposed Pitt’s policy +of interference by armed force.</p> +<p>William Pitt died on the 23rd January, 1806. Charles +James Fox became again a Secretary of State, and had set on foot +negotiations for a peace with France before his own death, eight +months later, at the age of fifty-seven.</p> +<p>During the last ten or twelve years of his life Fox had +withdrawn from the dissipations of his earlier years. His +interest in horse-racing flagged after the death, in 1793, of his +friend Lord Foley, a kindly, honourable man, upon whose judgment +in such matters Fox had greatly relied. Lord Foley began +his sporting life with a clear estate of £1,800 a year, and +£100,000 in ready money. He ended his sporting and +his earthly life with an estate heavily encumbered and an empty +pocket.</p> +<p style="text-align: right">H. M.</p> +<h2>INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.</h2> +<p>Introductory observations—First period, from Henry VII. +to the year 1588—Second period, from 1588 to +1640—Meeting of Parliament—Redress of +grievances—Strafford’s attainder—The +commencement of the Civil War—Treaty from the Isle of +Wight—The king’s execution—Cromwell’s +power; his character—Indifference of the nation respecting +forms of government—The Restoration—Ministry of +Clarendon sod Southampton—Cabal—Dutch War—De +Witt—The Prince of Orange—The Popish plot—The +Habeas Corpus Act—The Exclusion Bill—Dissolution of +Charles the Second’s last Parliament—His power; his +tyranny in Scotland; in England—Exorbitant +fines—Executions—Forfeitures of +charters—Despotism established—Despondency of good +men—Charles’s death; his character—Reflections +upon the probable consequences of his reign and death.</p> +<p>In reading the history of every country there are certain +periods at which the mind naturally pauses to meditate upon, and +consider them, with reference, not only to their immediate +effects, but to their more remote consequences. After the +wars of Marius and Sylla, and the incorporation, as it were, of +all Italy with the city of Rome, we cannot but stop to consider +the consequences likely to result from these important events; +and in this instance we find them to be just such as might have +been expected.</p> +<p>The reign of our Henry VII. affords a field of more doubtful +speculation. Every one who takes a retrospective view of +the wars of York and Lancaster, and attends to the regulations +effected by the policy of that prince, must see they would +necessarily lead to great and important changes in the +government; but what the tendency of such changes would be, and +much more, in what manner they would be produced, might be a +question of great difficulty. It is now the generally +received opinion, and I think a probable opinion, that to the +provisions of that reign we are to refer the origin, both of the +unlimited power of the Tudors and of the liberties wrested by our +ancestors from the Stuarts; that tyranny was their immediate, and +liberty their remote, consequence; but he must have great +confidence in his own sagacity who can satisfy himself that, +unaided by the knowledge of subsequent events, he could, from a +consideration of the causes, have foreseen the succession of +effects so different.</p> +<p>Another period that affords ample scope for speculation of +this kind is that which is comprised between the years 1588 and +1640, a period of almost uninterrupted tranquillity and +peace. The general improvement in all arts of civil life, +and, above all, the astonishing progress of literature, are the +most striking among the general features of that period, and are +in themselves causes sufficient to produce effects of the utmost +importance. A country whose language was enriched by the +works of Hooker, Raleigh, and Bacon, could not but experience a +sensible change in its manners and in its style of thinking; and +even to speak the same language in which Spenser and Shakespeare +had written seemed a sufficient plea to rescue the commons of +England from the appellation of brutes, with which Henry VIII. +had addressed them. Among the more particular effects of +this general improvement the most material and worthy to be +considered appear to me to have been the frequency of debate in +the House of Commons, and the additional value that came to be +set on a seat in that assembly.</p> +<p>From these circumstances a sagacious observer may be led to +expect the most important revolutions; and from the latter he may +be enabled to foresee that the House of Commons will be the +principal instrument in bringing them to pass. But in what +manner will that house conduct itself? Will it content +itself with its regular share of legislative power, and with the +influence which it cannot fail to possess whenever it exerts +itself upon the other branches of the legislative, and on the +executive power; or will it boldly (perhaps rashly) pretend to a +power commensurate with the natural rights of the representative +of the people? If it should, will it not be obliged to +support its claims by military force? And how long will +such a force be under its control? How long before it +follows the usual course of all armies, and ranges itself under a +single master? If such a master should arise, will he +establish an hereditary or an elective government? If the +first, what will be gained but a change of dynasty? If the +second, will not the military force, as it chose the first king +or protector (the name is of no importance), choose in effect all +his successors? Or will he fail, and shall we have a +restoration, usually the most dangerous and worst of all +revolutions? To some of these questions the answers may, +from the experience of past ages, be easy, but to many of them +far otherwise. And he will read history with most profit +who the most canvasses questions of this nature, especially if he +can divest his mind for the time of the recollection of the event +as it in fact succeeded.</p> +<p>The next period, as it is that which immediately precedes the +commencement of this history, requires a more detailed +examination; nor is there any more fertile of matter, whether for +reflection or speculation. Between the year 1640 and the +death of Charles II. we have the opportunity of contemplating the +state in almost every variety of circumstance. Religious +dispute, political contest in all its forms and degrees, from the +honest exertions of party and the corrupt intrigues of faction to +violence and civil war; despotism, first, in the person of a +usurper, and afterwards in that of an hereditary king; the most +memorable and salutary improvements in the laws, the most +abandoned administration of them; in fine, whatever can happen to +a nation, whether of glorious of calamitous, makes a part of this +astonishing and instructive picture.</p> +<p>The commencement of this period is marked by exertions of the +people, through their representatives in the House of Commons, +not only justifiable in their principle, but directed to the +properest objects, and in a manner the most judicious. Many +of their leaders were greatly versed in ancient as well as modern +learning, and were even enthusiastically attached to the great +names of antiquity; but they never conceived the wild project of +assimilating the government of England to that of Athens, of +Sparta, or of Rome. They were content with applying to the +English constitution, and to the English laws, the spirit of +liberty which had animated and rendered illustrious the ancient +republics. Their first object was to obtain redress of past +grievances, with a proper regard to the individuals who had +suffered; the next, to prevent the recurrence of such grievances +by the abolition of tyrannical tribunals acting upon arbitrary +maxims in criminal proceedings, and most improperly denominated +courts of justice. They then proceeded to establish that +fundamental principle of all free government, the preserving of +the purse to the people and their representatives. And +though there may be more difference of opinion upon their +proposed regulations in regard to the militia, yet surely, when a +contest was to be foreseen, they could not, consistently with +prudence, leave the power of the sword altogether in the hands of +an adverse party.</p> +<p>The prosecution of Lord Strafford, or rather, the manner in +which it was carried on, is less justifiable. He was, +doubtless, a great delinquent, and well deserved the severest +punishment; but nothing short of a clearly proved case of +self-defence can justify, or even excuse, a departure from the +sacred rules of criminal justice. For it can rarely indeed +happen that the mischief to be apprehended from suffering any +criminal, however guilty, to escape, can be equal to that +resulting from the violation of those rules to which the innocent +owe the security of all that is dear to them. If such cases +have existed they must have been in instances where trial has +been wholly out of the question, as in that of Cæsar and +other tyrants; but when a man is once in a situation to be tried, +and his person in the power of his accusers and his judges, he +can no longer be formidable in that degree which alone can +justify (if anything can) the violation of the substantial rules +of criminal proceedings.</p> +<p>At the breaking out of the Civil War, so intemperately +denominated a rebellion by Lord Clarendon and other Tory writers, +the material question appears to me to be, whether or not +sufficient attempts were made by the Parliament and their leaders +to avoid bringing affairs to such a decision? That, +according to the general principles of morality, they had justice +on their side cannot fairly be doubted; but did they sufficiently +attend to that great dictum of Tully in questions of civil +dissension, wherein he declares his preference of even an unfair +peace to the most just war? Did they sufficiently weigh the +dangers that might ensue even from victory; dangers, in such +cases, little less formidable to the cause of liberty than those +which might follow a defeat? Did they consider that it is +not peculiar to the followers of Pompey, and the civil wars of +Rome, that the event to be looked for is, as the same Tully +describes it, in case of defeat—proscription; in that of +victory—servitude? Is the failure of the negotiation +when the king was in the Isle of Wight to be imputed to the +suspicions justly entertained of his sincerity, or to the +ambition of the parliamentary leaders? If the insincerity +of the king was the real cause, ought not the mischief to be +apprehended from his insincerity rather to have been guarded +against by treaty than alleged as a pretence for breaking off the +negotiation? Sad, indeed, will be the condition of the +world if we are never to make peace with an adverse party whose +sincerity we have reason to suspect. Even just grounds for +such suspicions will but too often occur, and when such fail, the +proneness of man to impute evil qualities, as well as evil +designs, to his enemies, will suggest false ones. In the +present case the suspicion of insincerity was, it is true, so +just, as to amount to a moral certainty. The example of the +petition of right was a satisfactory proof that the king made no +point of adhering to concessions which he considered as extorted +from him; and a philosophical historian, writing above a century +after the time, can deem the pretended hard usage Charles met +with as a sufficient excuse for his breaking his faith in the +first instance, much more must that prince himself, with all his +prejudices and notions of his divine right, have thought it +justifiable to retract concessions, which to him, no doubt, +appeared far more unreasonable than the petition of right, and +which, with much more colour, he might consider as +extorted. These considerations were probably the cause why +the Parliament so long delayed their determination of accepting +the king’s offer as a basis for treaty; but, unfortunately, +they had delayed so long that when at last they adopted it they +found themselves without power to carry it into execution. +The army having now ceased to be the servants, had become the +masters of the Parliament, and, being entirely influenced by +Cromwell, gave a commencement to what may, properly speaking, be +called a new reign. The subsequent measures, therefore, the +execution of the king, as well as others, are not to be +considered as acts of the Parliament, but of Cromwell; and great +and respectable as are the names of some who sat in the high +court, they must be regarded, in this instance, rather as +ministers of that usurper than as acting from themselves.</p> +<p>The execution of the king, though a far less violent measure +than that of Lord Strafford, is an event of so singular a nature +that we cannot wonder that it should have excited more sensation +than any other in the annals of England. This exemplary act +of substantial justice, as it has been called by some, of +enormous wickedness by others, must be considered in two points +of view. First, was it not in itself just and +necessary? Secondly, was the example of it likely to be +salutary or pernicious? In regard to the first of these +questions, Mr. Hume, not perhaps intentionally, makes the best +justification of it by saying that while Charles lived the +projected republic could never be secure. But to justify +taking away the life of an individual upon the principle of +self-defence, the danger must be not problematical and remote, +but evident and immediate. The danger in this instance was +not of such a nature, and the imprisonment or even banishment of +Charles might have given to the republic such a degree of +security as any government ought to be content with. It +must be confessed, however, on the other aide, that if the +republican government had suffered the king to escape, it would +have been an act of justice and generosity wholly unexampled; and +to have granted him even his life would have been one among the +more rare efforts of virtue. The short interval between the +deposal and death of princes is become proverbial, and though +there may be some few examples on the other side as far as life +is concerned, I doubt whether a single instance can be found +where liberty has been granted to a deposed monarch. Among +the modes of destroying persons in such a situation, there can be +little doubt but that that adopted by Cromwell and his adherents +is the least dishonourable. Edward II., Richard II., Henry +VI., Edward V., had none of them long survived their deposal, but +this was the first instance, in our history at least, where, of +such an act, it could be truly said that it was not done in a +corner.</p> +<p>As to the second question, whether the advantage to be derived +from the example was such as to justify an act of such violence, +it appears to me to be a complete solution of it to observe that, +with respect to England (and I know not upon what ground we are +to set examples for other nations; or, in other words, to take +the criminal justice of the world into our hands) it was wholly +needless, and therefore unjustifiable, to set one for kings at a +time when it was intended the office of king should be abolished, +and consequently that no person should be in the situation to +make it the rule of his conduct. Besides, the miseries +attendant upon a deposed monarch seem to be sufficient to deter +any prince, who thinks of consequences, from running the risk of +being placed in such a situation; or, if death be the only evil +that can deter him, the fate of former tyrants deposed by their +subjects would by no means encourage him to hope he could avoid +even that catastrophe. As far as we can judge from the +event, the example was certainly not very effectual, since both +the sons of Charles, though having their father’s fate +before their eyes, yet feared not to violate the liberties of the +people even more than he had attempted to do.</p> +<p>If we consider this question of example in a more extended +view, and look to the general effect produced upon the minds of +men, it cannot be doubted but the opportunity thus given to +Charles to display his firmness and piety has created more +respect for his memory than it could otherwise have +obtained. Respect and pity for the sufferer on the one +hand, and hatred to his enemies on the other, soon produce favour +and aversion to their respective causes; and thus, even though it +should be admitted (which is doubtful) that some advantage may +have been gained to the cause of liberty by the terror of the +example operating upon the minds of princes, such advantage is +far outweighed by the zeal which admiration for virtue, and pity +for sufferings, the best passions of the human heart, have +excited in favour of the royal cause. It has been thought +dangerous to the morals of mankind, even in fiction and romance, +to make us sympathise with characters whose general conduct is +blameable; but how much greater must the effect be when in real +history our feelings are interested in favour of a monarch with +whom, to say the least, his subjects were obliged to contend in +arms for their liberty? After all, however, notwithstanding +what the more reasonable part of mankind may think upon this +question, it is much to be doubted whether this singular +proceeding has not as much as any other circumstance, served to +raise the character of the English nation in the opinion of +Europe in general. He who has read, and still more, he who +has heard in conversation discussions upon this subject by +foreigners, must have perceived that, even in the minds of those +who condemn the act, the impression made by it has been far more +that of respect and admiration than that of disgust and +horror. The truth is that the guilt of the +action—that is to say, the taking away of the life of the +king, is what most men in the place of Cromwell and his +associates would have incurred; what there is of splendour and of +magnanimity in it, I mean the publicity and solemnity of the act, +is what few would be capable of displaying. It is a +degrading fact to human nature, that even the sending away of the +Duke of Gloucester was an instance of generosity almost +unexampled in the history of transactions of this nature.</p> +<p>From the execution of the king to the death of Cromwell, the +government was, with some variation of forms, in substance +monarchical and absolute, as a government established by a +military force will almost invariably be, especially when the +exertions of such a force are continued for any length of +time. If to this general rule our own age, and a people +whom their origin and near relation to us would almost warrant us +to call our own nation, have afforded a splendid and perhaps a +solitary exception, we must reflect not only that a character of +virtues so happily tempered by one another, and so wholly +unalloyed with any vices, as that of Washington, is hardly to be +found in the pages of history, but that even Washington himself +might not have been able to act his most glorious of all parts +without the existence of circumstances uncommonly favourable, and +almost peculiar to the country which was to be the theatre of +it. Virtue like his depends not indeed upon time or place; +but although in no country or time would he have degraded himself +into a Pisistratus, or a Cæsar, or a Cromwell, he might +have shared the fate of a Cato, or a De Witt; or, like Ludlow and +Sidney, have mourned in exile the lost liberties of his +country.</p> +<p>With the life of the protector almost immediately ended the +government which he had established. The great talents of +this extraordinary person had supported during his life a system +condemned equally by reason and by prejudice: by reason, as +wanting freedom; by prejudice, as a usurpation; and it must be +confessed to be no mean testimony to his genius, that +notwithstanding the radical defects of such a system, the +splendour of his character and exploits render the era of the +protectorship one of the most brilliant in English history. +It is true his conduct in foreign concerns is set off to +advantage by a comparison of it with that of those who preceded +and who followed him. If he made a mistake in espousing the +French interest instead of the Spanish, we should recollect that +in examining this question we must divest our minds entirely of +all the considerations which the subsequent relative state of +those two empires suggest to us before we can become impartial +judges in it; and at any rate we must allow his reign, in regard +to European concerns, to have been most glorious when contrasted +with the pusillanimity of James I., with the levity of Charles +I., and the mercenary meanness of the two last princes of the +house of Stuart. Upon the whole, the character of Cromwell +must ever stand high in the list of those who raised themselves +to supreme power by the force of their genius; and among such, +even in respect of moral virtue, it would be found to be one of +the least exceptionable if it had not been tainted with that most +odious and degrading of all human vices, hypocrisy.</p> +<p>The short interval between Cromwell’s death and the +restoration exhibits the picture of a nation either so wearied +with changes as not to feel, or so subdued by military power as +not to dare to show, any care or even preference with regard to +the form of their government. All was in the army; and that +army, by such a concurrence of fortuitous circumstances as +history teaches us not to be surprised at, had fallen into the +hands of a man than whom a baser could not be found in its lowest +ranks. Personal courage appears to have been Monk’s +only virtue; reserve and dissimulation made up the whole stock of +his wisdom. But to this man did the nation look up, ready +to receive from his orders the form of government he should +choose to prescribe. There is reason to believe that, from +the general bias of the Presbyterians, as well as of the +Cavaliers, monarchy was the prevalent wish; but it is observable +that although the Parliament was, contrary to the principle upon +which it was pretended to be called, composed of many avowed +royalists, yet none dared to hint at the restoration of the king +till they had Monk’s permission, or rather command to +receive and consider his letters. It is impossible, in +reviewing the whole of this transaction, not to remark that a +general who had gained his rank, reputation, and station in the +service of a republic, and of what he, as well as others, called, +however falsely, the cause of liberty, made no scruple to lay the +nation prostrate at the feet of a monarch, without a single +provision in favour of that cause; and if the promise of +indemnity may seem to argue that there was some attention, at +least, paid to the safety of his associates in arms, his +subsequent conduct gives reason to suppose that even this +provision was owing to any other cause rather than to a generous +feeling of his breast. For he afterwards not only +acquiesced in the insults so meanly put upon the illustrious +corpse of Blake, under whose auspices and command he had +performed the most creditable services of his life, but in the +trial of Argyle produced letters of friendship and confidence to +take away the life of a nobleman, the zeal and cordiality of +whose co-operation with him, proved by such documents, was the +chief ground of his execution; thus gratuitously surpassing in +infamy those miserable wretches who, to save their own lives, are +sometimes persuaded to impeach and swear away the lives of their +accomplices.</p> +<p>The reign of Charles II. forms one of the most singular as +well as of the most important periods of history. It is the +era of good laws and bad government. The abolition of the +court of wards, the repeal of the writ De Heretico Comburendo, +the Triennial Parliament Bill, the establishment of the rights of +the House of Commons in regard to impeachment, the expiration of +the Licence Act, and, above all, the glorious statute of Habeas +Corpus, have therefore induced a modern writer of great eminence +to fix the year 1679 as the period at which our constitution had +arrived at its greatest theoretical perfection; but he owns, in a +short note upon the passage alluded to, that the times +immediately following were times of great practical +oppression. What a field for meditation does this short +observation from such a man furnish! What reflections does +it not suggest to a thinking mind upon the inefficacy of human +laws and the imperfection of human constitutions! We are +called from the contemplation of the progress of our +constitution, and our attention fixed with the most minute +accuracy to a particular point, when it is said to have risen to +its utmost perfection. Here we are, then, at the best +moment of the best constitution that ever human wisdom +framed. What follows? A tide of oppression and +misery, not arising from external or accidental causes, such as +war, pestilence, or famine, nor even from any such alteration of +the laws as might be supposed to impair this boasted perfection, +but from a corrupt and wicked administration, which all the so +much admired checks of the constitution were not able to +prevent. How vain, then, how idle, how presumptuous is the +opinion that laws can do everything! and how weak and pernicious +the maxim founded upon it, that measures, not men, are to be +attended to.</p> +<p>The first years of this reign, under the administration of +Southampton and Clarendon, form by far the least exceptionable +part of it; and even in this period the executions of Argyle and +Vane and the whole conduct of the Government with respect to +church matters, both in England and in Scotland, were gross +instances of tyranny. With respect to the execution of +those who were accused of having been more immediately concerned +in the king’s death, that of Scrope, who had come in upon +the proclamation, and of the military officers who had attended +the trial, was a violation of every principle of law and +justice. But the fate of the others, though highly +dishonourable to Monk, whose whole power had arisen from his zeal +in their service, and the favour and confidence with which they +had rewarded him, and not, perhaps, very creditable to the +nation, of which many had applauded, more had supported, and +almost all had acquiesced in the act, is not certainly to be +imputed as a crime to the king, or to those of his advisers who +were of the Cavalier party. The passion of revenge, though +properly condemned both by philosophy and religion, yet when it +is excited by injurious treatment of persons justly dear to us, +is among the most excusable of human frailties; and if Charles, +in his general conduct, had shown stronger feelings of gratitude +for services performed to his father, his character, in the eyes +of many, would be rather raised than lowered by this example of +severity against the regicides. Clarendon is said to have +been privy to the king’s receiving money from Louis XIV.; +but what proofs exist of this charge (for a heavy charge it is) I +know not. Southampton was one of the very few of the +Royalist party who preserved any just regard for the liberties of +the people; and the disgust which a person possessed of such +sentiments must unavoidably feel is said to have determined him +to quit the king’s service, and to retire altogether from +public affairs. Whether he would have acted upon this +determination, his death, which happened in the year 1667, +prevents us now from ascertaining.</p> +<p>After the fall of Clarendon, which soon followed, the king +entered into that career of misgovernment which, that he was able +to pursue it to its end, is a disgrace to the history of our +country. If anything can add to our disgust at the meanness +with which he solicited a dependence upon Louis XIV., it is, the +hypocritical pretence upon which he was continually pressing that +monarch. After having passed a law, making it penal to +affirm (what was true) that he was a papist, he pretended (which +was certainly not true) to be a zealous and bigoted papist; and +the uneasiness of his conscience at so long delaying a public +avowal of his conversion, was more than once urged by him as an +argument to increase the pension, and to accelerate the +assistance, he was to receive from France. In a later +period of his reign, when his interest, as he thought, lay the +other way, that he might at once continue to earn his wages, and +yet put off a public conversion, he stated some scruples, +contracted, no doubt, by his affection to the Protestant +churches, in relation to the popish mode of giving the sacrament, +and pretended a wish that the pope might be induced by Louis to +consider of some alterations in that respect, to enable him to +reconcile himself to the Roman church with a clear and pure +conscience.</p> +<p>The ministry known by the name of the Cabal seems to have +consisted of characters so unprincipled, as justly to deserve the +severity with which they have been treated by all writers who +have mentioned them; but if it is probable that they were ready +to betray their king, as well as their country, it is certain +that the king betrayed them, keeping from them the real state of +his connexion with France, and from some of them, at least, the +secret of what he was pleased to call his religion. Whether +this concealment on his part arose from his habitual treachery, +and from the incapacity which men of that character feel of being +open and honest, even when they know it is their interest to be +so, or from an apprehension that they might demand for themselves +some share of the French money, which he was unwilling to give +them, cannot now be determined. But to the want of genuine +and reciprocal confidence between him and those ministers is to +be attributed, in a great measure, the escape which the nation at +that time experienced—an escape, however, which proved to +be only a reprieve from that servitude to which they were +afterwards reduced in the latter years of the reign.</p> +<p>The first Dutch war had been undertaken against all maxims of +policy as well as of justice; but the superior infamy of the +second, aggravated by the disappointment of all the hopes +entertained by good men from the triple alliance, and by the +treacherous attempt at piracy with which it was commenced, seems +to have effaced the impression of it, not only from the minds of +men living at the time, but from most of the writers who have +treated of this reign. The principle, however, of both was +the same, and arbitrary power at home was the object of +both. The second Dutch war rendered the king’s system +and views so apparent to all who were not determined to shut +their eyes against conviction, that it is difficult to conceive +how persons who had any real care or regard either for the +liberty or honour of the country, could trust him +afterwards. And yet even Sir William Temple, who appears to +have been one of the most honest, as well as of the most +enlightened, statesmen of his time, could not believe his +treachery to be quite so deep as it was in fact, and seems +occasionally to have hoped that he was in earnest in his +professed intentions of following the wise and just system that +was recommended to him. Great instances of credulity and +blindness in wise men are often liable to the suspicion of being +pretended, for the purpose of justifying the continuing in +situations of power and employment longer than strict honour +would allow. But to Temple’s sincerity his subsequent +conduct gives abundant testimony. When he had reason to +think that his services could no longer be useful to his country +he withdrew wholly from public business, and resolutely adhered +to the preference of philosophical retirement, which, in his +circumstances, was just, in spite of every temptation which +occurred to bring him back to the more active scene. The +remainder of his life he seems to have employed in the most noble +contemplations and the most elegant amusements; every enjoyment +heightened, no doubt, by reflecting on the honourable part he had +acted in public affairs, and without any regret on his own +account (whatever he might feel for his country) at having been +driven from them.</p> +<p>Besides the important consequences produced by this second +Dutch war in England, it gave birth to two great events in +Holland; the one as favourable as the other was disastrous to the +cause of general liberty. The catastrophe of De Witt, the +wisest, best, and most truly patriotic minister that ever +appeared upon the public stage, as it was an act of the most +crying injustice and ingratitude, so, likewise, is it the most +completely discouraging example that history affords to the +lovers of liberty. If Aristides was banished, he was also +recalled; if Dion was repaid for his services to the Syracusans +by ingratitude, that ingratitude was more than once repented of; +if Sidney and Russell died upon the scaffold, they had not the +cruel mortification of falling by the hands of the people; ample +justice was done to their memory, and the very sound of their +names is still animating to every Englishman attached to their +glorious cause. But with De Witt fell also his cause and +his party; and although a name so respected by all who revere +virtue and wisdom, when employed in their noblest sphere, the +political service of the public, must undoubtedly be doubly dear +to his countrymen, yet I do not know that, even to this day, any +public honours have been paid by them to his memory.</p> +<p>On the other hand, the circumstances attending the first +appearance of the Prince of Orange in public affairs, were, in +every respect, most fortunate for himself, for England, for +Europe. Of an age to receive the strongest impressions, and +of a character to render such impressions durable, he entered the +world in a moment when the calamitous situation of the United +Provinces could not but excite in every Dutchman the strongest +detestation of the insolent ambition of Louis XIV., and the +greatest contempt of an English government, which could so far +mistake or betray the interests of the country as to lend itself +to his projects. Accordingly, the circumstances attending +his outset seem to have given a lasting bias to his character; +and through the whole course of his life the prevailing +sentiments of his mind seem to have been those which he imbibed +at this early period. These sentiments were most peculiarly +adapted to the positions in which this great man was destined to +be placed. The light in which he viewed Louis rendered him +the fittest champion of the independence of Europe; and in +England, French influence and arbitrary power were in those times +so intimately connected, that he who had not only seen with +disapprobation, but had so sensibly felt the baneful effects of +Charles’s connection with France, seemed educated, as it +were, to be the defender of English liberty. This +prince’s struggles in defence of his country, his success +in rescuing it from a situation to all appearance so desperate, +and the consequent failure and mortification of Louis XIV., form +a scene in history upon which the mind dwells with unceasing +delight. One never can read Louis’s famous +declaration against the Hollanders, knowing the event which is to +follow, without feeling the heart dilate with exultation, and a +kind of triumphant contempt, which, though not quite consonant to +the principles of pure philosophy, never fails to give the mind +inexpressible satisfaction. Did the relation of such events +form the sole, or even any considerable part of the +historian’s task, pleasant indeed would be his labours; +but, though far less agreeable, it is not a less useful or +necessary part of his business, to relate the triumphs of +successful wickedness, and the oppression of truth, justice, and +liberty.</p> +<p>The interval from the separate peace between England and the +United Provinces, to the peace of Nymwegen, was chiefly employed +by Charles in attempts to obtain money from France and other +foreign powers, in which he was sometimes more, sometimes less +successful; and in various false professions, promises, and other +devices to deceive his parliament and his people, in which he +uniformly failed. Though neither the nature and extent of +his connection with France, nor his design of introducing popery +into England, were known at that time as they now are, yet there +were not wanting many indications of the king’s +disposition, and of the general tendency of his designs. +Reasonable persons apprehended that the supplies asked were +intended to be used, not for the specious purpose of maintaining +the balance of Europe, but for that of subduing the parliament +and people who should give them; and the great antipathy of the +bulk of the nation to popery caused many to be both more +clear-sighted in discovering, and more resolute in resisting the +designs of the court, than they would probably have shown +themselves, if civil liberty alone had been concerned.</p> +<p>When the minds of men were in the disposition which such a +state of things was naturally calculated to produce, it is not to +be wondered at that a ready, and, perhaps, a too facile belief +should have been accorded to the rumour of a popish plot. +But with the largest possible allowance for the just +apprehensions which were entertained, and the consequent +irritation of the country, it is wholly inconceivable how such a +plot as that brought forward by Tongue and Oates could obtain any +general belief. Nor can any stretch of candour make us +admit it to be probable, that all who pretended a belief of it +did seriously entertain it. On the other hand, it seems an +absurdity, equal almost in degree to the belief of the plot +itself, to suppose that it was a story fabricated by the Earl of +Shaftesbury and the other leaders of the Whig party; and it would +be highly unjust, as well as uncharitable, not to admit that the +generality of those who were engaged in the prosecution of it +were probably sincere in their belief of it, since it is +unquestionable that at the time very many persons, whose +political prejudices were of a quite different complexion, were +under the same delusion. The unanimous votes of the two +houses of parliament, and the names, as well as the number of +those who pronounced Lord Strafford to be guilty, seem to put +this beyond a doubt. Dryden, writing soon after the time, +says, in his “Absalom and Achitophel,” that the plot +was</p> +<blockquote><p>“Bad in itself, but represented +wore:”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>that</p> +<blockquote><p>“Some truth there was, but dash’d and +brew’d with lies:”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>and that</p> +<blockquote><p>“Succeeding times did equal folly call,<br +/> +Believing nothing, or believing all.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>and Dryden will not, by those who are conversant in the +history and works of that immortal writer, be suspected either of +party prejudice in favour of Shaftesbury and the Whigs, or of any +view to prejudice the country against the Duke of York’s +succession to the crown. The king repeatedly declared his +belief of it. These declarations, if sincere, would have +some weight; but if insincere, as may be reasonably suspected, +they afford a still stronger testimony to prove that such belief +was not exclusively a party opinion, since it cannot be supposed +that even the crooked politics of Charles could have led him to +countenance fictions of his enemies, which were not adopted by +his own party. Wherefore, if this question were to be +decided upon the ground of authority, the reality of the plot +would be admitted; and it must be confessed, that, with regard to +facts remote, in respect either of time or place, wise men +generally diffide in their own judgment, and defer to that of +those who have had a nearer view of them. But there are +cases where reason speaks so plainly as to make all argument +drawn from authority of no avail, and this is surely one of +them. Not to mention correspondence by post on the subject +of regicide, detailed commissions from the pope, silver bullets, +&c. &c., and other circumstances equally ridiculous, we +need only advert to the part attributed to the Spanish government +in this conspiracy, and to the alleged intention of murdering the +king, to satisfy ourselves that it was a forgery.</p> +<p>Rapin, who argues the whole of this affair with a degree of +weakness as well as disingenuity very unusual to him, seems at +last to offer us a kind of compromise, and to be satisfied if we +will admit that there was a design or project to introduce popery +and an arbitrary power, at the head of which were the king and +his brother. Of this I am as much convinced as he can be; +but how does this justify the prosecution and execution of those +who suffered, since few if any of them, were in a situation to be +trusted by the royal conspirators with their designs? When +he says, therefore, that that is precisely what was understood by +the conspiracy, he by no means justifies those who were the +principal prosecutors of the plot. The design to murder the +king he calls the appendage of the plot: a strange expression +this, to describe the projected murder of a king; though not more +strange than the notion itself when applied to a plot, the object +of which was to render that very king absolute, and to introduce +the religion which he most favoured. But it is to be +observed, that though in considering the bill of exclusion, the +militia bill, and other legislative proceedings, the plot, as he +defines it—that is to say, the design of introducing popery +and arbitrary power—was the important point to be looked +to; yet in courts of justice, and for juries and judges, that +which he calls the appendage was, generally speaking, the sole +consideration.</p> +<p>Although, therefore, upon a review of this truly shocking +transaction, we may be fairly justified in adopting the milder +alternative, and in imputing to the greater part of those +concerned in it rather an extraordinary degree of blind credulity +than the deliberate wickedness of planning and assisting in the +perpetration of legal murders, yet the proceedings on the popish +plot must always be considered as an indelible disgrace upon the +English nation, in which king, parliament, judges, juries, +witnesses, prosecutors, have all their respective, though +certainly not equal, shares. Witnesses, of such a character +as not to deserve credit in the most trifling cause, upon the +most immaterial facts, gave evidence so incredible, or, to speak +more properly, so impossible to be true, that it ought not to +have been believed if it had come from the mouth of Cato; and +upon such evidence, from such witnesses, were innocent men +condemned to death and executed. Prosecutors, whether +attorneys and solicitors-general, or managers of impeachment, +acted with the fury which in such circumstances might be +expected; juries partook naturally enough of the national +ferment; and judges, whose duty it was to guard them against such +impressions, were scandalously active in confirming them in their +prejudices and inflaming their passions. The king, who is +supposed to have disbelieved the whole of the plot, never once +exercised his glorious prerogative of mercy. It is said he +dared not. His throne, perhaps his life, was at stake; and +history does not furnish us with the example of any monarch with +whom the lives of innocent or even meritorious subjects ever +appeared to be of much weight, when put in balance against such +considerations.</p> +<p>The measures of the prevailing party in the House of Commons, +in these times, appear (with the exception of their dreadful +proceedings in the business of the pretended plot, and of their +violence towards those who petitioned and addressed against +parliament) to have been, in general, highly laudable and +meritorious; and yet I am afraid it may be justly suspected that +it was precisely to that part of their conduct which related to +the plot, and which is most reprehensible, that they were +indebted for their power to make the noble, and, in some +instances, successful struggles for liberty, which do so much +honour to their memory. The danger to be apprehended from +military force being always, in the view of wise men, the most +urgent, they first voted the disbanding of the army, and the two +houses passed a bill for that purpose, to which the king found +himself obliged to consent. But to the bill which followed, +for establishing the regular assembling of the militia, and for +providing for their being in arms six weeks in the year, he +opposed his royal negative; thus making his stand upon the same +point on which his father had done; a circumstance which, if +events had taken a turn against him, would not have failed of +being much noticed by historians. Civil securities for +freedom came to be afterwards considered; and it is to be +remarked, that to these times of heat and passion, and to one of +those parliaments which so disgraced themselves and the nation by +the countenance given to Oates and Bedloe, and by the persecution +of so many innocent victims, we are indebted for the Habeas +Corpus act, the most important barrier against tyranny, and best +framed protection for the liberty of individuals, that has ever +existed in any ancient or modern commonwealth.</p> +<p>But the inefficacy of mere laws in favour of the subjects, in +the case of the administration of them falling into the hands of +persons hostile to the spirit in which they had been provided, +had been so fatally evinced by the general history of England, +ever since the grant of the Great Charter, and more especially by +the transactions of the preceding reign, that the parliament +justly deemed their work incomplete unless the Duke of York were +excluded from the succession to the crown. A bill, +therefore, for the purpose of excluding that prince was prepared, +and passed the House of Commons; but being vigorously resisted by +the court, by the church, and by the Tories, was lost in the +House of Lords. The restrictions offered by the king to be +put upon a popish successor are supposed to have been among the +most powerful of those means to which he was indebted for his +success.</p> +<p>The dispute was no longer, whether or not the dangers +resulting from James’s succession were real, and such as +ought to be guarded against by parliamentary provisions, but +whether the exclusion or restrictions furnished the most safe and +eligible mode of compassing the object which both sides pretended +to have in view. The argument upon this state of the +question is clearly, forcibly, and, I think, convincingly, stated +by Rapin, who exposes very ably the extreme folly of trusting to +measures, without consideration of the men who are to execute +them. Even in Hume’s statement of the question, +whatever may have been his intention, the arguments in favour of +the exclusion appear to me greatly to preponderate. Indeed, +it is not easy to conceive upon what principles even the Tories +could justify their support of the restrictions. Many among +them, no doubt, saw the provisions in the same light in which the +Whigs represented them, as an expedient, admirably, indeed, +adapted to the real object of upholding the present king’s +power, by the defeat of the exclusion, but never likely to take +effect for their pretended purpose of controlling that of his +successor, and supported them for that very reason. But +such a principle of conduct was too fraudulent to be avowed; nor +ought it, perhaps, in candour to be imputed to the majority of +the party. To those who acted with good faith, and meant +that the restrictions should really take place and be effectual, +surely it ought to have occurred (and to those who most prized +the prerogatives of the crown it ought most forcibly to have +occurred), that in consenting to curtail the powers of the crown, +rather than to alter the succession, they were adopting the +greater in order to avoid the lesser evil. The question of +what are to be the powers of the crown, is surely of superior +importance to that of who shall wear it? Those, at least, +who consider the royal prerogative as vested in the king, not for +his sake but for that of his subjects, must consider the one of +these questions as much above the other in dignity as the rights +of the public are more valuable than those of an +individual. In this view the prerogatives of the crown are, +in substance and effect, the rights of the people; and these +rights of the people were not to be sacrificed to the purpose of +preserving the succession to the most favoured prince much less +to one who, on account of his religious persuasion, was justly +feared and suspected. In truth, the question between the +exclusion and restrictions seems peculiarly calculated to +ascertain the different views in which the different parties in +this country have seen, and perhaps ever will see, the +prerogatives of the crown. The Whigs, who consider them as +a trust for the people—a doctrine which the Tories +themselves, when pushed in argument, will sometimes +admit—naturally think it their duty rather to change the +manager of the trust than to impair the subject of it; while +others, who consider them as the right or property of the king, +will as naturally act as they would do in the case of any other +property, and consent to the loss or annihilation of any part of +it, for the purpose of preserving the remainder to him whom they +style the rightful owner. If the people be the sovereign +and the king the delegate, it is better to change the bailiff +than to injure the farm; but if the king be the proprietor, it is +better the farm should be impaired—nay, part of it +destroyed—than that the whole should pass over to an +usurper. The royal prerogative ought, according to the +Whigs (not in the case of a popish successor only, but in all +cases), to be reduced to such powers as are in their exercise +beneficial to the people; and of the benefit of these they will +not rashly suffer the people to be deprived, whether the +executive power be in the hands of an hereditary or of an elected +king, of a regent, or of any other denomination of magistrate; +while, on the other hand, they who consider prerogative with +reference only to royalty, will, with equal readiness, consent +either to the extension or the suspension of its exercise, as the +occasional interests of the prince may seem to require. The +senseless plea of a divine and indefeasible right in James, which +even the legislature was incompetent to set aside, though as +inconsistent with the declarations of parliament in the statute +book, and with the whole practice of the English constitution, as +it is repugnant to nature and common sense, was yet warmly +insisted upon by the high church party. Such an argument, +as might naturally be expected, operated rather to provoke the +Whigs to perseverance than to dissuade them from their measure: +it was, in their eyes, an additional merit belonging to the +exclusion bill that it strengthened, by one instance more, the +authority of former statutes in reprobating a doctrine which +seems to imply that man can have a property in his +fellow-creatures. By far the best argument in favour of the +restrictions, is the practical one that they could be obtained, +and that the exclusion could not; but the value of this argument +is chiefly proved by the event. The exclusionists had a +fair prospect of success, and their plan being clearly the best, +they were justified in pursuing it.</p> +<p>The spirit of resistance which the king showed in the instance +of the militia and the exclusion bills, seems to have been +systematically confined to those cases where he supposed his +power to be more immediately concerned. In the prosecution +of the aged and innocent Lord Stafford, he was so far from +interfering in behalf of that nobleman, that many of those most +in his confidence, and, as it is affirmed, the Duchess of +Portsmouth herself, openly favoured the prosecution. Even +after the dissolution of him last parliament, when he had so far +subdued his enemies as to be no longer under any apprehensions +from them, he did not think it worth while to save the life of +Plunket, the popish Archbishop of Armagh, of whose innocence no +doubt could be entertained. But this is not to be wondered +at, since, in all transactions relative to the popish plot, minds +of a very different cast from Charles’s became, as by some +fatality, divested of all their wonted sentiments of justice and +humanity. Who can read without horror, the account of that +savage murmur of applause, which broke out upon one of the +villains at the bar, swearing positively to Stafford’s +having proposed the murder of the king? And how is this +horror deepened, when we reflect, that in that odious cry were +probably mingled the voices of men to whose memory every lover of +the English constitution is bound to pay the tribute of gratitude +and respect! Even after condemnation, Lord Russell himself, +whose character is wholly (this instance excepted) free from the +stain of rancour or cruelty, stickled for the severer mode of +executing the sentence, in a manner which his fear of the +king’s establishing a precedent of pardoning in cases of +impeachment (for this, no doubt, was his motive) cannot +satisfactorily excuse.</p> +<p>In an early period of the king’s difficulties, Sir +William Temple, whose life and character is a refutation of the +vulgar notion that philosophy and practical good sense in +business are incompatible attainments, recommended to him the +plan of governing by a council, which was to consist in great +part of the most popular noblemen and gentlemen in the +kingdom. Such persons being the natural, as well as the +safest, mediators between princes and discontented subjects, this +seems to have been the best possible expedient. Hume says +it was found too feeble a remedy; but he does not take notice +that it was never in fact tried, inasmuch as not only the +king’s confidence was withheld from the most considerable +members of the council, but even the most important +determinations were taken without consulting the council +itself. Nor can there be a doubt but the king’s +views, in adopting Temple’s advice, were totally different +from those of the adviser, whose only error in this transaction +seems to have consisted in recommending a plan, wherein +confidence and fair dealing were of necessity to be principal +ingredients, to a prince whom he well knew to be incapable of +either. Accordingly, having appointed the council in April, +with a promise of being governed in important matters by their +advice, he in July dissolved one parliament without their +concurrence, and in October forbade them even to give their +opinions upon the propriety of a resolution which he had taken of +proroguing another. From that time he probably considered +the council to be, as it was, virtually dissolved; and it was not +long before means presented themselves to him, better adapted, in +his estimation, even to his immediate objects, and certainly more +suitable to his general designs. The union between the +court and the church party, which had been so closely cemented by +their successful resistance to the Exclusion Bill, and its +authors, had at length acquired such a degree of strength and +consistency, that the king ventured first to appoint Oxford, +instead of London, for the meeting of parliament; and then, +having secured to himself a good pension from France, to dissolve +the parliament there met, with a full resolution never to call +another; to which resolution, indeed, Louis had bound him, as one +of the conditions on which he was to receive a stipend. No +measure was ever attended with more complete success. The +most flattering addresses poured in from all parts of the +kingdom; divine right, and indiscriminate obedience, were +everywhere the favourite doctrines; and men seemed to vie with +each other who should have the honour of the greatest share in +the glorious work of slavery, by securing to the king, for the +present, and after him to the duke, absolute and uncontrollable +power. They who, either because Charles had been called a +forgiving prince by his flatterers (upon what ground I could +never discover), or from some supposed connection between +indolence and good nature, had deceived themselves into a hope +that his tyranny would be of the milder sort, found themselves +much disappointed in their expectations.</p> +<p>The whole history of the remaining part of his reign exhibits +an uninterrupted series of attacks upon the liberty, property, +and lives of his subjects. The character of the government +appeared first, and with the most marked and prominent features, +in Scotland. The condemnation of Argyle and Weir, the one +for having subjoined an explanation when he took the test oath, +the other for having kept company with a rebel, whom it was not +proved he knew to be such, and who had never been proclaimed, +resemble more the acts of Tiberius and Domitian, than those of +even the most arbitrary modern governments. It is true, the +sentences were not executed; Weir was reprieved; and whether or +not Argyle, if he had not deemed it more prudent to escape by +flight, would have experienced the same clemency, cannot now be +ascertained. The terror of these examples would have been, +in the judgment of most men, abundantly sufficient to teach the +people of Scotland their duty, and to satisfy them that their +lives, as well as everything else they had been used to call +their own, were now completely in the power of their +masters. But the government did not stop here, and having +outlawed thousands, upon the same pretence upon which Weir had +been condemned, inflicted capital punishment upon such criminals +of both sexes as refused to answer, or answered otherwise than +was prescribed to them to the most ensnaring questions.</p> +<p>In England, the city of London seemed to hold out for a +certain time, like a strong fortress in a conquered country; and, +by means of this citadel, Shaftesbury and others were saved from +the vengeance of the court. But this resistance, however +honourable to the corporation who made it, could not be of long +duration. The weapons of law and justice were found feeble, +when opposed to the power of a monarch who was at the head of a +numerous and bigoted party of the nation, and who, which was most +material of all, had enabled himself to govern without a +parliament. Civil resistance in this country, even to the +most illegal attacks of royal tyranny, has never, I believe, been +successful, unless when supported by parliament, or at least by a +great party in one or other of the two houses. The court +having wrested from the livery of London, partly by corruption, +and partly by violence, the free election of their mayor and +sheriffs, did not wait the accomplishment of their plan for the +destruction of the whole corporation, which, from their first +success, they justly deemed certain, but immediately proceeded to +put in execution their system of oppression. Pilkington, +Colt, and Oates, were fined a hundred thousand pounds each for +having spoken disrespectfully of the Duke of York; Barnardiston, +ten thousand, for having in a private letter expressed sentiments +deemed improper; and Sidney, Russell, and Armstrong, found that +the just and mild principles which characterise the criminal law +of England could no longer protect their lives, when the +sacrifice was called for by the policy or vengeance of the +king. To give an account of all the oppression of this +period would be to enumerate every arrest, every trial, every +sentence, that took place in questions between the crown and the +subjects.</p> +<p>Of the Rye House plot it may be said, much more truly than of +the popish, that there was in it some truth, mixed with much +falsehood; and though many of the circumstances in +Kealing’s account are nearly as absurd and ridiculous as +those in Oates’s, it seems probable that there was among +some of those accused a notion of assassinating the king; but +whether this notion was over ripened into what may be called a +design, and, much more, whether it were ever evinced by such an +overt act as the law requires for conviction, is very +doubtful. In regard to the conspirators of higher ranks, +from whom all suspicion of participation in the intended +assassination has been long since done away, there is +unquestionably reason to believe that they had often met and +consulted, as well for the purpose of ascertaining the means they +actually possessed as for that of devising others for delivering +their country from the dreadful servitude into which it had +fallen; and thus far their conduct appears clearly to have been +laudable. If they went further, and did anything which +could be fairly construed into an actual conspiracy to levy war +against the king, they acted, considering the disposition of the +nation at that period, very indiscreetly. But whether their +proceedings had ever gone this length, is far from certain. +Monmouth’s communications with the king, when we reflect +upon all the circumstances of those communications, deserve not +the smallest attention; nor indeed, if they did, does the letter +which he afterwards withdrew prove anything upon this +point. And it is an outrage to common-sense to call Lord +Grey’s narrative written, as he himself states in his +letter to James II., while the question of his pardon was +pending, an authentic account. That which is most certain +in this affair is, that they had committed no overt act, +indicating the imagining of the king’s death, even +according to the most strained construction of the statute of +Edward III.; much less was any such act legally proved against +them. And the conspiring to levy war was not treason, +except by a recent statute of Charles II., the prosecutions upon +which were expressly limited to a certain time, which in these +cases had elapsed so that it is impossible not to assent to the +opinion of those who have ever stigmatised the condemnation and +execution of Russell as a most flagrant violation of law and +justice.</p> +<p>The proceedings in Sidney’s case were still more +detestable. The production of papers, containing +speculative opinions upon government and liberty, written long +before, and perhaps never even intended to be published, together +with the use made of those papers, in considering them as a +substitute for the second witness to the overt act, exhibited +such a compound of wickedness and nonsense as is hardly to be +paralleled in the history of juridical tyranny. But the +validity of pretences was little attended to at that time, in the +case of a person whom the court had devoted to destruction, and +upon evidence such as has been stated was this great and +excellent man condemned to die. Pardon was not to be +expected. Mr. Hume says, that such an interference on the +part of the king, though it might have been an act of heroic +generosity, could not be regarded as an indispensable duty. +He might have said with more propriety, that it was idle to +expect that the government, after having incurred so much guilt +in order to obtain the sentence, should, by remitting it, +relinquish the object just when it was within its grasp. +The same historian considers the jury as highly blamable, and so +do I; but what was their guilt in comparison of that of the court +who tried, and of the government who prosecuted, in this infamous +cause? Yet the jury, being the only party that can with any +colour be stated as acting independently of the government, is +the only one mentioned by him as blamable. The prosecutor +is wholly omitted in his censure, and so is the court; this last, +not from any tenderness for the judge (who, to do this author +justice, is no favourite with him), but lest the odious +connection between that branch of the judicature and the +government should strike the reader too forcibly; for Jeffreys, +in this instance, ought to be regarded as the mere tool and +instrument (a fit one, no doubt), of the prince who had appointed +him for the purpose of this and similar services. Lastly, +the king is gravely introduced on the question of pardon, as if +he had had no prior concern in the cause, and were now to decide +upon the propriety of extending mercy to a criminal condemned by +a court of judicature; nor are we once reminded what that +judicature was, by whom appointed, by whom influenced, by whom +called upon, to receive that detestable evidence, the very +recollection of which, even at this distance of time, fires every +honest heart with indignation. As well might we palliate +the murders of Tiberius, who seldom put to death his victims +without a previous decree of his senate. The moral of all +this seems to be, that whenever a prince can, by intimidation, +corruption, illegal evidence, or other such means, obtain a +verdict against a subject whom he dislikes, he may cause him to +be executed without any breach of indispensable duty; nay, that +it is an act of heroic generosity if he spares him. I never +reflect on Mr. Hume’s statement of this matter but with the +deepest regret. Widely as I differ from him upon many other +occasions, this appears to me to be the most reprehensible +passage of his whole work. A spirit of adulation towards +deceased princes, though in a good measure free from the +imputation of interested meanness, which is justly attached to +flattery when applied to living monarchs, yet, as it is less +intelligible with respect to its motives than the other, so is it +in its consequences still more pernicious to the general +interests of mankind. Fear of censure from contemporaries +will seldom have much effect upon men in situations of unlimited +authority: they will too often flatter themselves that the same +power which enables them to commit the crime will secure them +from reproach. The dread of posthumous infamy, therefore, +being the only restraint, their consciences excepted, upon the +passions of such persons, it is lamentable that this last defence +(feeble enough at best) should in any degree be impaired; and +impaired it must be, if not totally destroyed, when tyrants can +hope to find in a man like Hume, no less eminent for the +integrity and benevolence of his heart than for the depth and +soundness of his understanding, an apologist for even their +foulest murders.</p> +<p>Thus fell Russell and Sidney, two names that will, it is +hoped, be for ever dear to every English heart. When their +memory shall cease to be an object of respect and veneration, it +requires no spirit of prophecy to foretell that English liberty +will be fast approaching to its final consummation. Their +department was such as might be expected from men who knew +themselves to be suffering, not for their crimes, but for their +virtues. In courage they were equal, but the fortitude of +Russell, who was connected with the world by private and domestic +ties, which Sidney had not, was put to the severer trial; and the +story of the last days of this excellent man’s life fills +the mind with such a mixture of tenderness and admiration, that I +know not any scene in history that more powerfully excites our +sympathy, or goes more directly to the heart.</p> +<p>The very day on which Russell was executed, the University of +Oxford passed their famous decree, condemning formally, as +impious and heretical propositions, every principle upon which +the constitution of this or any other free country can maintain +itself. Nor was this learned body satisfied with +stigmatising such principles as contrary to the Holy Scriptures, +to the decrees of councils, to the writings of the fathers, to +the faith and profession of the primitive church, as destructive +of the kingly government, the safety of his majesty’s +person, the public peace, the laws of nature, and bounds of human +society; but after enumerating the several obnoxious +propositions, among which was one declaring all civil authority +derived from the people; another, asserting a mutual contract, +tacit or express, between the king and his subjects; a third, +maintaining the lawfulness of changing the succession to the +crown; with many others of a like nature, they solemnly decreed +all and every of those propositions to be not only false and +seditious, but impious, and that the books which contained them +were fitted to lead to rebellion, murder of princes, and atheism +itself. Such are the absurdities which men are not ashamed +to utter in order to cast odious imputations upon their +adversaries; and such the manner in which churchmen will abuse, +when it suits their policy, the holy name of that religion whose +first precept is to love one another, for the purpose of teaching +us to hate our neighbours with more than ordinary rancour. +If <i>Much Ado about Nothing</i> had been published in those +days, the town-clerk’s declaration, that receiving a +thousand ducats for accusing the Lady Hero wrongfully, was flat +burglary, might be supposed to be a satire upon this decree; yet +Shakespeare, well as he knew human nature, not only as to its +general course, but in all its eccentric deviations, could never +dream that, in the persons of Dogberry, Verges, and their +followers, he was representing the vice-chancellors and doctors +of our learned university.</p> +<p>Among the oppressions of this period, most of which were +attended with consequences so much more important to the several +objects of persecution, it may seem scarcely worth while to +notice the expulsion of John Locke from Christ Church College, +Oxford. But besides the interest which every incident in +the life of a person so deservedly eminent naturally excites, +there appears to have been something in the transaction itself +characteristic of the spirit of the times, as well as of the +general nature of absolute power. Mr. Locke was known to +have been intimately connected with Lord Shaftesbury, and had +very prudently judged it advisable for him to prolong for some +time his residence upon the Continent, to which he had resorted +originally on account of his health. A suspicion, as it has +been since proved unfounded, that he was the author of a pamphlet +which gave offence to the government, induced the king to insist +upon his removal from his studentship at Christ Church. +Sunderland writes, by the king’s command, to Dr. Fell, +bishop of Oxford and dean of Christ Church. The reverend +prelate answers that he has long had an eye upon Mr. +Locke’s behaviour; but though frequent attempts had been +made (attempts of which the bishop expresses no disapprobation), +to draw him into imprudent conversation, by attacking, in his +company, the reputation, and insulting the memory of his late +patron and friend, and thus to make his gratitude and all the +best feelings of his heart instrumental to his ruin, these +attempts all proved unsuccessful. Hence the bishop infers, +not the innocence of Mr. Locke, but that he was a great master of +concealment both as to words and looks; for looks, it is to be +supposed, would have furnished a pretext for his expulsion, more +decent than any which had yet been discovered. An expedient +is then suggested to drive Mr. Locke to a dilemma, by summoning +him to attend the college on the first of January ensuing. +If he do not appear, he shall be expelled for contumacy; if he +come, matter of charge may be found against him for what he shall +have said at London or elsewhere, where he will have been less +upon his guard than at Oxford. Some have ascribed +Fell’s hesitation, if it can be so called, in executing the +king’s order, to his unwillingness to injure Locke, who was +his friend; others, with more reason, to the doubt of the +legality of the order. However this may have been, neither +his scruple nor his reluctance was regarded by a court who knew +its own power. A peremptory order was accordingly sent, and +immediate obedience ensued. Thus, while without the shadow +of a crime, Mr. Locke lost a situation attended with some +emolument and great convenience, was the university deprived of, +or rather thus, from the base principles of servility, did she +cast away the man, the having produced whom is now her chiefest +glory; and thus, to those who are not determined to be blind, did +the true nature of absolute power discover itself, against which +the middling station is not more secure than the most +exalted. Tyranny, when glutted with the blood of the great, +and the plunder of the rich, will condescend to bent humbler +game, and make a peaceable and innocent fellow of a college the +object of its persecution. In this instance one would +almost imagine there was some instinctive sagacity in the +government of that time, which pointed out to them, even before +he had made himself known to the world, the man who was destined +to be the most successful adversary of superstition and +tyranny.</p> +<p>The king, during the remainder of his reign, seems, with the +exception of Armstrong’s execution, which must be added to +the catalogue of his murders, to have directed his attacks more +against the civil rights, properties, and liberties, than against +the lives of his subjects. Convictions against evidence, +sentences against law, enormous fines, cruel imprisonments, were +the principal engines employed for the purpose of breaking the +spirit of individuals, and fitting their necks for the +yoke. But it was not thought fit to trust wholly to the +effect which such examples would produce upon the public. +That the subjugation of the people might be complete, and +despotism be established upon the most solid foundation, measures +of a more general nature and effect were adopted; and first, the +charter of London, and then those of almost all the other +corporations in England, were either forfeited or forced to a +surrender. By this act of violence two important points +were thought to be gained; one, that in every regular assemblage +of the people in any part of the kingdom the crown would have a +commanding influence; the other, that in case the king should +find himself compelled to break his engagement to France, and to +call a parliament, a great majority of members would be returned +by electors of his nomination, and subject to his control. +In the affair of the charter of London, it was seen, as in the +case of ship-money, how idle it is to look to the integrity of +judges for a barrier against royal encroachments, when the courts +of justice are not under the constant and vigilant control of +parliament. And it is not to be wondered at, that, after +such a warning, and with no hope of seeing a parliament assemble, +even they who still retained their attachment to the true +constitution of their country, should rather give way to the +torrent than make a fruitless and dangerous resistance.</p> +<p>Charles being thus completely master, was determined that the +relative situation of him and his subjects should be clearly +understood, for which purpose he ordered a declaration to be +framed, wherein, after having stated that he considered the +degree of confidence they had reposed in him as an honour +particular to his reign, which not one of his predecessors had +ever dared even to hope for, he assured them he would use it with +all possible moderation, and convince even the most violent +republicans, that as the crown was the origin of the rights and +liberties of the people, so was it their most certain and secure +support. This gracious declaration was ready for the press +at the time of the king’s death, and if he had lived to +issue it, there can be little doubt how it would have been +received at a time when</p> +<blockquote><p> “nunquam libertas gratior +extat<br /> +Quam sub rege pio,”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>was the theme of every song, and, by the help of some +perversion of Scripture, the text of every sermon. But +whatever might be the language of flatterers, and how loud soever +the cry of a triumphant, but deluded party, there were not +wanting men of nobler sentiments and of more rational +views. Minds once thoroughly imbued with the love of what +Sidney, in his last moments, so emphatically called the good old +cause, will not easily relinquish their principles: nor was the +manner in which absolute power was exercised, such as to +reconcile to it, in practice, those who had always been averse to +it in speculation. The hatred of tyranny must, in such +persons, have been exasperated by the experience of its effects, +and their attachment to liberty proportionably confirmed. +To them the state of their country must have been intolerable: to +reflect upon the efforts of their fathers, once their pride and +glory, and whom they themselves had followed with no unequal +steps, and to see the result of all in the scenes that now +presented themselves, must have filled their minds with +sensations of the deepest regret, and feelings bordering at least +on despondency. To us, who have the opportunity of +combining in our view of this period, not only the preceding but +subsequent transactions, the consideration of it may suggest +reflections far different and speculations more +consolatory. Indeed, I know not that history can furnish a +more forcible lesson against despondency, than by recording that +within a short time from those dismal days in which men of the +greatest constancy despaired, and had reason to do so, within +five years from the death of Sidney arose the brightest era of +freedom known to the annals of our country.</p> +<p>It is said that the king, when at the summit of his power, was +far from happy; and a notion has been generally entertained that +not long before his death he had resolved upon the recall of +Monmouth, and a correspondent change of system. That some +such change was apprehended seems extremely probable, from the +earnest desire which the court of France, as well as the Duke of +York’s party in England, entertained, in the last years of +Charles’s life, to remove the Marquis of Halifax, who was +supposed to have friendly dispositions to Monmouth. Among +the various objections to that nobleman’s political +principles, we find the charge most relied upon, for the purpose +of injuring him in the mind of the king, was founded on the +opinion he had delivered in council, in favour of modelling the +charters of the British colonies in North America upon the +principles of the rights and privileges of Englishmen. +There was no room to doubt (he was accused of saying) that the +same laws under which we live in England, should be established +in a country composed of Englishmen. He even dilated upon +this, and omitted none of the reasons by which it can be proved +that an absolute government is neither so happy nor so safe as +that which is tempered by laws, and which limits the authority of +the prince. He exaggerated, it was said, the mischiefs of a +sovereign power, and declared plainly that he could not make up +his mind to live under a king who should have it in his power to +take, when he pleased, the money he might have in his +pocket. All the other ministers had combated, as might be +expected, sentiments so extraordinary; and without entering into +the general question of the comparative value of different forms +of government, maintained that his majesty could and ought to +govern countries so distant in the manner that should appear to +him most suitable for preserving or augmenting the strength and +riches of the mother country. It had been, therefore, +resolved that the government and council of the provinces under +the new charter should not be obliged to call assemblies of the +colonists for the purpose of imposing taxes, or making other +important regulations, but should do what they thought fit, +without rendering any account of their actions except to his +Britannic Majesty. The affair having been so decided with a +concurrence only short of unanimity, was no longer considered as +a matter of importance, nor would it be worth recording, if the +Duke of York and the French court had not fastened upon it, as +affording the best evidence of the danger to be apprehended from +having a man of Halifax’s principles in any situation of +trust or power. There is something curious in discovering +that even at this early period a question relative to North +American liberty, and even to North American taxation, was +considered as the test of principles friendly or adverse to +arbitrary power at home. But the truth is, that among the +several controversies which have arisen there is no other wherein +the natural rights of man on the one hand, and the authority of +artificial institution on the other, as applied respectively by +the Whigs and Tories to the English constitution, are so fairly +put in issue, nor by which the line of separation between the two +parties is so strongly and distinctly marked.</p> +<p>There is some reason for believing that the court of +Versailles had either wholly discontinued, or, at least, had +become very remiss in, the payments of Charles’s pension; +and it is not unlikely that this consideration induced him either +really to think of calling a parliament, or at least to threaten +Louis with such a measure, in order to make that prince more +punctual in performing his part of their secret treaty. But +whether or not any secret change was really intended, or if it +were to what extent, and to what objects directed, are points +which cannot now be ascertained, no public steps having ever been +taken in this affair, and his majesty’s intentions, if in +truth he had any such, becoming abortive by the sudden illness +which seized him on the 1st of February, 1685, and which, in a +few days afterwards, put an end to his reign and life. His +death was by many supposed to have been the effect of poison; but +although there is reason to believe that this suspicion was +harboured by persons very near to him, and, among others, as I +have heard, by the Duchess of Portsmouth, it appears, upon the +whole, to rest upon very slender foundations.</p> +<p>With respect to the character of this prince, upon the +delineation of which so much pains have been employed, by the +various writers who treat of the history of his time, it must be +confessed that the facts which have been noticed in the foregoing +pages furnish but too many illustrations of the more unfavourable +parts of it. From these we may collect that his ambition +was directed solely against his subjects, while he was completely +indifferent concerning the figure which he or they might make in +the general affairs of Europe; and that his desire of power was +more unmixed with love of glory than that of any other man whom +history has recorded; that he was unprincipled, ungrateful, mean, +and treacherous, to which may be added, vindictive and +remorseless. For Burnet, in refusing to him the praise of +clemency and forgiveness, seems to be perfectly justifiable, nor +is it conceivable upon what pretence his partisans have taken +this ground of panegyric. I doubt whether a single instance +can be produced of his having spared the life of any one whom +motives either of policy, or of revenge, prompted him to +destroy. To allege that of Monmouth as it would be an +affront to human nature, so would it likewise imply the most +severe of all satires against the monarch himself, and we may +add, too, an undeserved one; for, in order to consider it as an +act of meritorious forbearance on his part, that he did not +follow the example of Constantine and Philip II., by imbruing his +hands in the blood of his son, we must first suppose him to have +been wholly void of every natural affection, which does not +appear to have been the case. His declaration that he would +have pardoned Essex, being made when that nobleman was dead, and +not followed by any act evincing its sincerity, can surely obtain +no credit from men of sense. If he had really had the +intention, he ought not to have made such a declaration, unless +he accompanied it with some mark of kindness to the relations, or +with some act of mercy to the friends of the deceased. +Considering it as a mere piece of hypocrisy, we cannot help +looking upon it as one of the most odious passages of his +life. This ill-timed boast of his intended mercy, and the +brutal taunt with which he accompanied his mitigation (if so it +may be called) of Russell’s sentence, show his +insensibility and hardness to have been such, that in questions +where right feelings were concerned, his good sense, and even the +good taste for which he has been so much extolled, seemed wholly +to desert him.</p> +<p>On the other hand, it would be want of candour to maintain +that Charles was entirely destitute of good qualities; nor was +the propriety of Burnet’s comparison between him and +Tiberius ever felt, I imagine, by any one but its author. +He was gay and affable, and, if incapable of the sentiments +belonging to pride of a laudable sort, he was at least free from +haughtiness and insolence. The praise of politeness, which +the stoics are not perhaps wrong in classing among the moral +virtues, provided they admit it to be one of the lowest order, +has never been denied him, and he had in an eminent degree that +facility of temper which, though considered by some moralists as +nearly allied to vice, yet, inasmuch as it contributes greatly to +the happiness of those around us, is in itself not only an +engaging but an estimable quality. His support of the queen +during the heats raised by the popish plot ought to be taken +rather as a proof that he was not a monster than to be ascribed +to him as a merit; but his steadiness to his brother, though it +may and ought, in a great measure, to be accounted for upon +selfish principles, had at least a strong resemblance to +virtue.</p> +<p>The best part of this prince’s character seems to have +been his kindness towards his mistresses, and his affection for +his children, and others nearly connected to him by the ties of +blood. His recommendation of the Duchess of Portsmouth and +Mrs. Gwyn, upon his death-bed, to his successor is much to his +honour; and they who censure it seem, in their zeal to show +themselves strict moralists, to have suffered their notions of +vice and virtue to have fallen into strange confusion. +Charles’s connection with those ladies might be vicious, +but at a moment when that connection was upon the point of being +finally and irrevocably dissolved, to concern himself about their +future welfare and to recommend them to his brother with earnest +tenderness was virtue. It is not for the interest of +morality that the good and evil actions, even of bad men, should +be confounded. His affection for the Duke of Gloucester and +for the Duchess of Orleans seems to have been sincere and +cordial. To attribute, as some have done, his grief for the +loss of the first to political considerations, founded upon an +intended balance of power between his two brothers, would be an +absurd refinement, whatever were his general disposition; but +when we reflect upon that carelessness which, especially in his +youth, was a conspicuous feature of his character, the absurdity +becomes still more striking. And though Burnet more +covertly, and Ludlow more openly, insinuate that his fondness for +his sister was of a criminal nature, I never could find that +there was any ground whatever for such a suspicion; nor does the +little that remains of their epistolary correspondence give it +the smallest countenance. Upon the whole, Charles II. was a +bad man and a bad king; let us not palliate his crimes, but +neither let us adopt false or doubtful imputations for the +purpose of making him a monster.</p> +<p>Whoever reviews the interesting period which we have been +discussing, upon the principle recommended in the outset of this +chapter, will find that, from the consideration of the past, to +prognosticate the future would at the moment of Charles’s +demise be no easy task. Between two persons, one of whom +should expect that the country would remain sunk in slavery, the +other, that the cause of freedom would revive and triumph, it +would be difficult to decide whose reasons were better supported, +whose speculations the more probable. I should guess that +he who desponded had looked more at the state of the public, +while he who was sanguine had fixed his eyes more attentively +upon the person who was about to mount the throne. Upon +reviewing the two great parties of the nation, one observation +occurs very forcibly, and that is, that the great strength of the +Whigs consisted in their being able to brand their adversaries as +favourers of popery; that of the Tories (as far as their strength +depended upon opinion, and not merely upon the power of the +crown), in their finding colour to represent the Whigs as +republicans. From this observation we may draw a further +inference, that, in proportion to the rashness of the crown in +avowing and pressing forward the cause of popery, and to the +moderation and steadiness of the Whigs in adhering to the form of +monarchy, would be the chance of the people of England for +changing an ignominious despotism for glory, liberty, and +happiness.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER II.</h2> +<p>Accession of James II.—His declaration in council; +acceptable to the nation—Arbitrary designs of his +reign—Former ministers continued—Money transactions +with France—Revenue levied without authority of +Parliament—Persecution of Dissenters—Character of +Jeffreys—The King’s affectation of +independence—Advances to the Prince of Orange—The +primary object of this reign—Transactions in +Scotland—Severe persecutions there—Scottish +Parliament—Cruelties of government—English +Parliament; its proceedings—Revenue—Votes concerning +religion—Bill for preservation of the King’s +person—Solicitude for the Church of England—Reversal +of Stafford’s attainder rejected—Parliament +adjourned—Character of the Tories—Situation of the +Whigs.</p> +<p>Charles II. expired on the 6th of February, 1684-85, and on +the same day his successor was proclaimed king in London, with +the usual formalities, by the title of James the Second. +The great influence which this prince was supposed to have +possessed in the government during the latter years of his +brother’s reign, and the expectation which was entertained +in consequence, that his measures, when monarch, would be of the +same character and complexion with those which he was known to +have highly approved, and of which he was thought by many to have +been the principal author, when a subject left little room for +that spirit of speculation which generally attends a demise of +the crown. And thus an event, which when apprehended a few +years before had, according to a strong expression of Sir William +Temple, been looked upon as the end of the world, was now deemed +to be of small comparative importance.</p> +<p>Its tendency, indeed, was rather to ensure perseverance than +to effect any change in the system which had been of late years +pursued. As there are, however, some steps indispensably +necessary on the accession of a new prince to the throne, to +these the public attention was directed, and though the character +of James had been long so generally understood as to leave little +doubt respecting the political maxims and principles by which his +reign would be governed, there was probably much curiosity, as +upon such occasions there always is, with regard to the conduct +he would pursue in matters of less importance, and to the general +language and behaviour which he would adopt in his new +situation. His first step was, of course, to assemble the +privy council, to whom he spoke as follows:—</p> +<p>“Before I enter upon any other business, I think fit to +say something to you. Since it hath pleated Almighty God to +place me in this station, and I am now to succeed so good and +gracious a king, as well as so very kind a brother, I think it +fit to declare to you that I will endeavour to follow his +example, and most especially in that of his great clemency and +tenderness to his people. I have been reported to be a man +for arbitrary power; but that is not the only story that has been +made of me; and I shall make it my endeavour to preserve this +government, both in Church and State, as it is now by law +established. I know the principles of the Church of England +are for monarchy, and the members of it have shown themselves +good and loyal subjects; therefore I shall always take care to +defend and support it. I know, too, that the laws of +England are sufficient to make the king as great a monarch as I +can wish; and as I shall never depart from the just rights and +prerogatives of the crown, so I shall never invade any +man’s property. I have often heretofore ventured my +life in defence of this nation and I shall go as far as any man +in preserving it in all its just rights and liberties.”</p> +<p>With this declaration the council were so highly satisfied, +that they supplicated his majesty to make it public, which was +accordingly done; and it is reported to have been received with +unbounded applause by the greater part of the nation. Some, +perhaps, there were, who did not think the boast of having +ventured his life very manly, and who, considering the +transactions of the last years of Charles’s reign, were not +much encouraged by the promise of imitating that monarch in +clemency and tenderness to his subjects. To these it might +appear, that whatever there was of consolatory in the +king’s disclaimer of arbitrary power and professed +attachment to the laws, was totally done away, as well by the +consideration of what his majesty’s notions of power and +law were, as by his declaration that he would follow the example +of a predecessor, whose government had not only been marked with +the violation, in particular cases, of all the most sacred laws +of the realm, but had latterly, by the disuse of parliaments, in +defiance of the statute of the sixteenth year of his reign, stood +upon a foundation radically and fundamentally illegal. To +others it might occur that even the promise to the Church of +England, though express with respect to the condition of it, +which was no other than perfect acquiescence in what the king +deemed to be the true principles of monarchy, was rather vague +with regard to the nature or degree of support to which the royal +speaker might conceive himself engaged. The words, although +in any interpretation of them they conveyed more than he possibly +ever intended to perform, did by no means express the sense which +at that time, by his friends, and afterwards by his enemies, was +endeavoured to be fixed on them. There was, indeed, a +promise to support the establishment of the Church, and +consequently the laws upon which that establishment immediately +rested; but by no means an engagement to maintain all the +collateral provisions which some of its more zealous members +might judge necessary for its security.</p> +<p>But whatever doubts or difficulties might be felt, few or none +were expressed. The Whigs, as a vanquished party, were +either silent or not listened to, and the Tories were in a temper +of mind which does not easily admit suspicion. They were +not more delighted with the victory they had obtained over their +adversaries, than with the additional stability which, as they +vainly imagined, the accession of the new monarch was likely to +give to their system. The truth is that, his religion +excepted (and that objection they were sanguine enough to +consider as done away by a few gracious words in favour of the +Church), James was every way better suited to their purpose than +his brother. They had entertained continual apprehensions, +not perhaps wholly unfounded, of the late king’s returning +kindness to Monmouth, the consequences of which could not easily +be calculated; whereas, every occurrence that had happened, as +well as every circumstance in James’s situation, seemed to +make him utterly irreconcilable with the Whigs. Besides, +after the reproach, as well as alarm, which the notoriety of +Charles’s treacherous character must so often have caused +them, the very circumstance of having at their head a prince, of +whom they could with any colour hold out to their adherents that +his word was to be depended upon, was in itself a matter of +triumph and exultation. Accordingly, the watchword of the +party was everywhere—“We have the word of a king, and +a word never yet broken;” and to such a length was the +spirit of adulation, or perhaps the delusion, carried, that this +royal declaration was said to be a better security for the +liberty and religion of the nation than any which the law could +devise.</p> +<p>The king, though much pleased, no doubt, with the popularity +which seemed to attend the commencement of his reign, as a +powerful medium for establishing the system of absolute power, +did not suffer himself, by any show of affection from his people, +to be diverted from his design of rendering his government +independent of them. To this design we must look as the +mainspring of all his actions at this period; for with regard to +the Roman Catholic religion, it is by no means certain that he +yet thought of obtaining for it anything more than a complete +toleration. With this view, therefore, he could not take a +more judicious resolution than that which he had declared in his +speech to the privy council, and to which he seems, at this time, +to have steadfastly adhered, of making the government of his +predecessor the model for his own. He therefore continued +in their offices, notwithstanding the personal objections he +might have to some of them, those servants of the late king, +during whose administration that prince had been so successful in +subduing his subjects, and eradicating almost from the minds of +Englishmen every sentiment of liberty.</p> +<p>Even the Marquis of Halifax, who was supposed to have +remonstrated against many of the late measures, and to have been +busy in recommending a change of system to Charles, was continued +in high employment by James, who told him that, of all his past +conduct, he should remember only his behaviour upon the exclusion +bill, to which that nobleman had made a zealous and distinguished +opposition; a handsome expression, which has been the more +noticed, as well because it is almost the single instance of this +prince’s showing any disposition to forget injuries, as on +account of a delicacy and propriety in the wording of it, by no +means familiar to him.</p> +<p>Lawrence Hyde, Earl of Rochester, whom he appointed lord +treasurer, was in all respects calculated to be a fit instrument +for the purposes then in view. Besides being upon the worst +terms with Halifax, in whom alone, of all his ministers, James +was likely to find any bias in favour of popular principles, he +was, both from prejudice of education, and from interest, +inasmuch as he had aspired to be the head of the Tories, a great +favourer of those servile principles of the Church of England +which had been lately so highly extolled from the throne. +His near relation to the Duchess of York might also be some +recommendation, but his privity to the late pecuniary +transactions between the courts of Versailles and London, and the +cordiality with which he concurred in them, were by far more +powerful titles to his new master’s confidence. For +it must be observed of this minister, as well as of many others +of his party, that his <i>high</i> notions, as they are +frequently styled, of power, regarded only the relation between +the king and his subjects, and not that in which he might stand +with respect to foreign princes; so that, provided he could, by a +dependence, however servile, upon Louis XIV., be placed above the +control of his parliament and people at home, he considered the +honour of the crown unsullied.</p> +<p>Robert Spencer, Earl of Sunderland, who was continued as +secretary of state, had been at one period a supporter of the +exclusion bill, and had been suspected of having offered the +Duchess of Portsmouth to obtain the succession to the crown for +her son, the Duke of Richmond. Nay more, King James, in his +“Memoirs,” charges him with having intended, just at +the time of Charles’s death, to send him into a second +banishment; but with regard to this last point, it appears +evident to me, that many things in those “Memoirs,” +relative to this earl, were written after James’s +abdication, and in the greatest bitterness of spirit, when he was +probably in a frame of mind to believe anything against a person +by whom he conceived himself to have been basely deserted. +The reappointment, therefore, of this nobleman to so important an +office, is to be accounted for partly upon the general principle +above-mentioned, of making the new reign a mere continuation of +the former, and partly upon Sunderland’s extraordinary +talents for ingratiating himself with persons in power, and +persuading them that he was the fittest instrument for their +purposes; a talent in which he seems to have surpassed all the +intriguing statesmen of his time, or perhaps of any other.</p> +<p>An intimate connection with the court of Versailles being the +principal engine by which the favourite project of absolute +monarchy was to be effected, James, for the purpose of fixing and +cementing that connection, sent for M. de Barillon, the French +ambassador, the very day after his accession, and entered into +the most confidential discourse with him. He explained to +him his motives for intending to call a parliament, as well as +his resolution to levy by authority the revenue which his +predecessor had enjoyed in virtue of a grant of parliament which +determined with his life. He made general professions of +attachment to Louis, declared that in all affairs of importance +it was his intention to consult that monarch, and apologised, +upon the ground of the urgency of the case, for acting in the +instance mentioned without his advice. Money was not +directly mentioned, owing, perhaps, to some sense of shame upon +that subject, which his brother had never experienced; but lest +there should be a doubt whether that object were implied in the +desire of support and protection, Rochester was directed to +explain the matter more fully, and to give a more distinct +interpretation of these general terms. Accordingly, that +minister waited the next morning upon Barillon, and after having +repeated and enlarged upon the reasons for calling a parliament, +stated, as an additional argument in defence of the measure, that +without it his master would become too chargeable to the French +king; adding, however, that the assistance which might be +expected from a parliament, did not exempt him altogether from +the necessity of resorting to that prince for pecuniary aids; for +that without such, he would be at the mercy of his subjects, and +that upon this beginning would depend the whole fortune of the +reign. If Rochester actually expressed himself as Barillon +relates, the use intended to be made of parliament cannot but +cause the most lively indignation, while it furnishes a complete +answer to the historians who accuse the parliaments of those days +of unseasonable parsimony in their grants to the Stuart kings; +for the grants of the people of England were not destined, it +seems, to enable their kings to oppose the power of France, or +even to be independent of her, but to render the influence which +Louis was resolved to preserve in this country less chargeable to +him, by furnishing their quota to the support of his royal +dependant.</p> +<p>The French ambassador sent immediately a detailed account of +these conversations to his court, where, probably, they were not +received with the less satisfaction on account of the request +contained in them having been anticipated. Within a very +few days from that in which the latter of them had passed, he was +empowered to accompany the delivery of a letter from his master, +with the agreeable news of having received from him bills of +exchange to the amount of five hundred thousand livres, to be +used in whatever manner might be convenient to the king of +England’s service. The account which Barillon gives, +of the manner in which this sum was received, is altogether +ridiculous: the king’s eyes were full of tears, and three +of his ministers, Rochester, Sunderland, and Godolphin, came +severally to the French ambassador, to express the sense their +master had of the obligation, in terms the most lavish. +Indeed, demonstrations of gratitude from the king directly, as +well as through his ministers, for this supply were such, as if +they had been used by some unfortunate individual, who, with his +whole family, had been saved, by the timely succour of some kind +and powerful protector, from a gaol and all its horrors, would be +deemed rather too strong than too weak. Barillon himself +seems surprised when he relates them; but imputes them to what +was probably their real cause, to the apprehensions that had been +entertained (very unreasonable ones!) that the king of France +might no longer choose to interfere in the affairs of England, +and consequently that his support could not be relied on for the +grand object of assimilating this government to his own.</p> +<p>If such apprehensions did exist, it is probable that they were +chiefly owing to the very careless manner, to say the least, in +which Louis had of late fulfilled his pecuniary engagements to +Charles, so as to amount, in the opinion of the English +ministers, to an actual breach of promise. But the +circumstances were in some respects altered. The French +king had been convinced that Charles would never call a +parliament; nay, further perhaps, that if he did, he would not be +trusted by one; and considering him therefore entirely in his +power, acted from that principle in insolent minds which makes +them fond of ill-treating and insulting those whom they have +degraded to a dependence on them. But James would probably +be obliged at the commencement of a new reign to call a +parliament, and if well used by such a body, and abandoned by +France, might give up his project of arbitrary power, and consent +to govern according to the law and constitution. In such an +event, Louis easily foresaw, that, instead of a useful dependent, +he might find upon the throne of England a formidable +enemy. Indeed, this prince and his ministers seem all +along, with a sagacity that does them credit, to have foreseen, +and to have justly estimated, the dangers to which they would be +liable, if a cordial union should ever take place between a king +of England and his parliament, and the British councils be +directed by men enlightened and warmed by the genuine principles +of liberty. It was therefore an object of great moment to +bind the new king, as early as possible, to the system of +dependency upon France; and matter of less triumph to the court +of Versailles to have retained him by so moderate a fee, than to +that of London to receive a sum which, though small, was thought +valuable, no as an earnest of better wages and future +protection.</p> +<p>It had for some time been Louis’s favourite object to +annex to his dominion what remained of the Spanish Netherlands, +as well on account of their own intrinsic value, as to enable him +to destroy the United Provinces and the Prince of Orange; and +this object Charles had bound himself, by treaty with Spain, to +oppose. In the joy, therefore, occasioned by this noble +manner of proceeding (for such it was called by all the parties +concerned), the first step was to agree, without hesitation, that +Charles’s treaty with Spain determined with his life, a +decision which, if the disregard that had been shown to it did +not render the question concerning it nugatory, it would be +difficult to support upon any principles of national law or +justice. The manner in which the late king had conducted +himself upon the subject of this treaty, that is to say, the +violation of it, without formally renouncing it, was gravely +commended, and stated to be no more than what might justly be +expected from him; but the present king was declared to be still +more free, and in no way bound by a treaty, from the execution of +which his brother had judged himself to be sufficiently +dispensed. This appears to be a nice distinction, and what +that degree of obligation was, from which James was exempt, but +which had lain upon Charles, who neither thought himself bound, +nor was expected by others to execute the treaty, it is difficult +to conceive.</p> +<p>This preliminary being adjusted, the meaning of which, through +all this contemptible shuffling, was, that James, by giving up +all concern for the Spanish Netherlands, should be at liberty to +acquiesce in, or to second, whatever might be the ambitious +projects of the court of Versailles, it was determined that Lord +Churchill should be sent to Paris to obtain further pecuniary +aids. But such was the impression made by the frankness and +generosity of Louis, that there was no question of discussing or +capitulating, but everything was remitted to that prince, and to +the information his ministers might give him, respecting the +exigency of affairs in England. He who had so handsomely +been beforehand, in granting the assistance of five hundred +thousand livres, was only to be thanked for past, not importuned +for future, munificence. Thus ended, for the present, this +disgusting scene of iniquity and nonsense, in which all the +actors seemed to vie with each other in prostituting the sacred +names of friendship, generosity, and gratitude, in one of the +meanest and most criminal transactions which history records.</p> +<p>The principal parties in the business, besides the king +himself, to whose capacity, at least, if not to his situation it +was more suitable, and Lord Churchill, who acted as an inferior +agent, were Sunderland, Rochester, and Godolphin, all men of high +rank and considerable abilities, but whose understandings, as +well as their principles, seem to have been corrupted by the +pernicious schemes in which they were engaged. With respect +to the last-mentioned nobleman in particular, it is impossible, +without pain, to see him engaged in such transactions. With +what self-humiliation must he not have reflected upon them in +subsequent periods of his life! How little could Barillon +guess that he was negotiating with one who was destined to be at +the head of an administration which, in a few years, would send +the same Lord Churchill not to Paris, to implore Louis for +succours towards enslaving England, or to thank him for pensions +to her monarch, but to combine all Europe against him in the +cause of liberty, to rout his armies, to take his towns, to +humble his pride, and to shake to the foundation that fabric of +power which it had been the business of a long life to raise, at +the expense of every sentiment of tenderness to his subjects, and +of justice and good faith to foreign nations. It is with +difficulty the reader can persuade himself that the Godolphin and +Churchill here mentioned are the same persons who were afterwards +one in the cabinet, one in the field, the great conductors of the +war of the succession. How little do they appear in one +instance! how great in the other! And the investigation of +the cause to which this excessive difference is principally +owing, will produce a most useful lesson. Is the difference +to be attributed to any superiority of genius in the prince whom +they served in the latter period of their lives? Queen +Anne’s capacity appears to have been inferior even to her +father’s. Did they enjoy in a greater degree her +favour and confidence? The very reverse is the fact. +But in one case they were the tools of a king plotting against +his people; in the other, the ministers of a free government +acting upon enlarged principles, and with energies which no state +that is not in some degree republican can supply. How +forcibly must the contemplation of these men, in such opposite +situations, teach persons engaged in political life that a free +and popular government is desirable, not only for the public +good, but for their own greatness and consideration, for every +object of generous ambition!</p> +<p>The king having, as has been related, first privately +communicated his intentions to the French ambassador, issued +proclamations for the meeting of parliament, and for levying, +upon his sole authority, the customs and other duties which had +constituted part of the late king’s revenue, but to which, +the acts granting them having expired with the prince, James was +not legally entitled. He was advised by Lord Guildford, +whom he had continued in the office of keeper of the great seal, +and who upon such a subject, therefore, was a person likely to +have the greatest weight, to satisfy himself with directing the +money to be kept in the exchequer for the disposal of parliament, +which was shortly to meet; and by others, to take bonds from the +merchants for the duties, to be paid when parliament should +legalise them. But these expedients were not suited to the +king’s views, who, as well on account of his engagement +with France, as from his own disposition, was determined to take +no step that might indicate an intention of governing by +parliaments, or a consciousness of his being dependent upon them +for his revenue, he adopted, therefore, the advice of Jeffreys, +advice not resulting so much, probably, either from ignorance or +violence of disposition, as from his knowledge that it would be +most agreeable to his master, and directed the duties to be paid +as in the former reign. It was pretended, that an +interruption in levying some of the duties might be hurtful to +trade; but as every difficulty of that kind was obviated by the +expedients proposed, this arbitrary and violent measure can with +no colour be ascribed to a regard to public convenience, nor to +any other motive than to a desire of reviving Charles I.’s +claims to the power of taxation, and of furnishing a most +intelligible comment upon his speech to the council on the day of +his accession. It became evident what the king’s +notions were, with respect to that regal prerogative from which +he professed himself determined never to depart, and to that +property which he would never invade. What were the +remaining rights and liberties of the nation, which he was to +preserve, might be more difficult to discover; but that the laws +of England, in the royal interpretation of them, were sufficient +to make the king as great a monarch as he, or, indeed, any prince +could desire, was a point that could not be disputed. This +violation of law was in itself most flagrant; it was applied to a +point well understood, and thought to have been so completely +settled by repeated and most explicit declarations of the +legislature, that it must have been doubtful whether even the +most corrupt judges, if the question had been tried, would have +had the audacity to decide it against the subject. But no +resistance was made; nor did the example of Hampden, which a half +century before had been so successful, and rendered that +patriot’s name so illustrious, tempt any one to emulate his +fame, so completely had the crafty and sanguinary measures of the +late reign attained the object to which they were directed, and +rendered all men either afraid or unwilling to exert themselves +in the cause of liberty.</p> +<p>On the other hand, addresses the most servile were daily sent +to the throne. That of the University of Oxford stated that +the religion which they professed bound them to unconditional +obedience to their sovereign without restrictions or limitations; +and the Society of Barristers and Students of the Middle Temple +thanked his majesty for the attention he had shown to the trade +of the kingdom, concerning which, and its balance (and upon this +last article they laid particular stress), they seemed to think +themselves peculiarly called upon to deliver their opinion. +But whatever might be their knowledge in matters of trade, it was +at least equal to that which these addressers showed in the laws +and constitution of their country, since they boldly affirmed the +king’s right to levy the duties, and declared that it had +never been disputed but by persons engaged, in what they were +pleased to call rebellion against his royal father. The +address concluded with a sort of prayer that all his +majesty’s subjects might be as good lawyers as themselves, +and disposed to acknowledge the royal prerogative in all its +extent.</p> +<p>If these addresses are remarkable for their servility, that of +the gentlemen and freeholders of the county of Suffolk was no +less so for the spirit of party violence that was displayed in +it. They would take care, they said, to choose +representatives who should no more endure those who had been for +the Exclusion Bill, than the last parliament had the abhorrers of +the association; and thus not only endeavoured to keep up his +majesty’s resentment against a part of their +fellow-subjects, but engaged themselves to imitate, for the +purpose of retaliation, that part of the conduct of their +adversaries which they considered as most illegal and +oppressive.</p> +<p>It is a remarkable circumstance, that among all the adulatory +addresses of this time, there is not to be found, in any one of +them, any declaration of disbelief in the popish plot, or any +charge upon the late parliament for having prosecuted it, though +it could not but be well known that such topics would, of all +others, be most agreeable to the court. Hence we may +collect that the delusion on this subject was by no means at an +end, and that they who, out of a desire to render history +conformable to the principles of poetical justice, attribute the +unpopularity and downfall of the Whigs to the indignation excited +by their furious and sanguinary prosecution of the plot, are +egregiously mistaken. If this had been in any degree the +prevailing sentiment, it is utterly unaccountable that, so far +from its appearing in any of the addresses of these times, this +most just ground of reproach upon the Whig party, and the +parliament in which they had had the superiority, was the only +one omitted in them. The fact appears to have been the very +reverse of what such historians suppose, and that the activity of +the late parliamentary leaders, in prosecuting the popish plot, +was the principal circumstance which reconciled the nation, for a +time, to their other proceedings; that their conduct in that +business (now so justly condemned) was the grand engine of their +power, and that when that failed, they were soon overpowered by +the united forces of bigotry and corruption. They were +hated by a great part of the nation, not for their crimes, but +for their virtues. To be above corruption is always odious +to the corrupt, and to entertain more enlarged and juster notions +of philosophy and government, is often a cause of alarm to the +narrow-minded and superstitious. In those days particularly +it was obvious to refer to the confusion, greatly exaggerated of +the times of the commonwealth; and it was an excellent watchword +of alarm, to accuse every lover of law and liberty of designs to +revive the tragical scene which had closed the life of the first +Charles. In this spirit, therefore, the Exclusion Bill, and +the alleged conspiracies of Sidney and Russell, were, as might +naturally be expected, the chief charges urged against the Whigs; +but their conduct on the subject of the popish plot was so far +from being the cause of the hatred born to them, that it was not +even used as a topic of accusation against them.</p> +<p>In order to keep up that spirit in the nation, which was +thought to be manifested in the addresses, his majesty ordered +the declaration, to which allusion was made in the last chapter, +to be published, interwoven with a history of the Rye House Plot, +which is said to have been drawn by Dr. Spratt, Bishop of +Rochester. The principal drift of this publication was, to +load the memory of Sidney and Russell, and to blacken the +character of the Duke of Monmouth, by wickedly confounding the +consultations holden by them with the plot for assassinating the +late king, and in this object it seems in a great measure to have +succeeded. He also caused to be published an attestation of +his brother’s having died a Roman Catholic, together with +two papers, drawn up by him, in favour of that persuasion. +This is generally considered to have been a very ill-advised +instance of zeal; but probably James thought, that at a time when +people seemed to be so in love with his power, he might safely +venture to indulge himself in a display of his attachment to his +religion; and perhaps, too, it might be thought good policy to +show that a prince, who had been so highly complimented as +Charles had been, for the restoration and protection of the +Church, had, in truth, been a Catholic, and thus to inculcate an +opinion that the Church of England might not only be safe, but +highly favoured, under the reign of a popish prince.</p> +<p>Partly from similar motives, and partly to gratify the natural +vindictiveness of his temper, he persevered in a most cruel +persecution of the Protestant dissenters, upon the most frivolous +pretences. The courts of justice, as in Charles’s +days, were instruments equally ready, either for seconding the +policy or for gratifying the bad passions of the monarch; and +Jeffreys, whom the late king had appointed chief justice of +England a little before Sidney’s trial, was a man entirely +agreeable to the temper, and suitable to the purposes, of the +present government. He was thought not to be very learned +in his profession; but what might be wanting in knowledge he made +up in positiveness; and, indeed, whatever might be the +difficulties in questions between one subject and another, the +fashionable doctrine, which prevailed at that time, of supporting +the king’s prerogative in its full extent, and without +restriction or limitation, rendered, to such as espoused it, all +that branch of law which is called constitutional extremely easy +and simple. He was as submissive and mean to those above +him as he was haughty and insolent to those who were in any +degree in his power; and if in his own conduct he did not exhibit +a very nice regard for morality, or even for decency, he never +failed to animadvert upon, and to punish, the most slight +deviation in others with the utmost severity, especially if they +were persons whom he suspected to be no favourites of the +court.</p> +<p>Before this magistrate was brought for trial, by a jury +sufficiently prepossessed in favour of Tory politics, the Rev. +Richard Baxter, a dissenting minister, a pious and learned man, +of exemplary character, always remarkable for his attachment to +monarchy, and for leaning to moderate measures in the differences +between the Church and those of his persuasion. The +pretence for this prosecution was a supposed reference of some +passages in one of his works to the bishops of the Church of +England; a reference which was certainly not intended by him, and +which could not have been made out to any jury that had been less +prejudiced, or under any other direction than that of +Jeffreys. The real motive was, the desire of punishing an +eminent dissenting teacher, whose reputation was high among his +sect, and who was supposed to favour the political opinions of +the Whigs. He was found guilty, and Jeffreys, in passing +sentence upon him, loaded him with the coarsest reproaches and +bitterest taunts. He called him sometimes, by way of +derision, a saint, sometimes, in plainer terms, an old rogue; and +classed this respectable divine, to whom the only crime imputed +was the having spoken disrespectfully of the bishops of a +communion to which he did not belong, with the infamous Oates, +who had been lately convicted of perjury. He finished with +declaring, that it was a matter of public notoriety that there +was a formed design to ruin the king and the nation, in which +this old man was the principal incendiary. Nor is it +improbable that this declaration, absurd as it was, might gain +belief at a time when the credulity of the triumphant party was +at its height.</p> +<p>Of this credulity it seems to be no inconsiderable testimony, +that some affected nicety which James had shown with regard to +the ceremonies to be used towards the French ambassador, was +highly magnified, and represented to be an indication of the +different tone that was to be taken by the present king, in +regard to foreign powers, and particularly to the court of +Versailles. The king was represented as a prince eminently +jealous of the national honour, and determined to preserve the +balance of power in Europe, by opposing the ambitious projects of +France at the very time when he was supplicating Louis to be his +pensioner, and expressing the most extravagant gratitude for +having been accepted as such. From the information which we +now have, it appears that his applications to Louis for money +were incessant, and that the difficulties were all on the side of +the French court. Of the historians who wrote prior to the +inspection of the papers in the foreign office in France, Burnet +is the only one who seems to have known that James’s +pretensions of independency with respect to the French king were +(as he terms them) only a show; but there can now be no reason to +doubt the truth of the anecdote which he relates, that Louis soon +after told the Duke of Villeroy, that if James showed any +apparent uneasiness concerning the balance of power (and there is +some reason to suppose he did) in his conversations with the +Spanish and other foreign ambassadors, his intention was, +probably, to alarm the court of Versailles, and thereby to extort +pecuniary assistance to a greater extent; while, on the other +hand, Louis, secure in the knowledge that his views of absolute +power must continue him in dependence upon France, seems to have +refused further supplies, and even in some measure to have +withdrawn those which had been stipulated, as a mark of his +displeasure with his dependant, for assuming a higher tone than +he thought becoming.</p> +<p>Whether with a view of giving some countenance to those who +were praising him upon the above mentioned topic, or from what +other motive it is now not easy to conjecture, James seems to +have wished to be upon apparent good terms, at least, with the +Prince of Orange; and after some correspondence with that prince +concerning the protection afforded by him and the states-general +to Monmouth, and other obnoxious persons, it appears that he +declared himself, in consequence of certain explanations and +concessions, perfectly satisfied. It is to be remarked, +however, that he thought it necessary to give the French +ambassador an account of this transaction, and in a manner to +apologise to him for entering into any sort of terms with a +son-in-law, who was supposed to be hostile in disposition to the +French king. He assured Barillon that a change of system on +the part of the Prince of Orange in regard to Louis, should be a +condition of his reconciliation: he afterwards informed him that +the Prince of Orange had answered him satisfactorily in all other +respects, but had not taken notice of his wish that he should +connect himself with France; but never told him that he had, +notwithstanding the prince’s silence on that material +point, expressed himself completely satisfied with him. +That a proposition to the Prince of Orange, to connect himself in +politics with Louis would, if made, have been rejected, in the +manner in which the king’s account to Barillon implies that +it was, there can be no doubt; but whether James ever had the +assurance to make it is more questionable; for as he evidently +acted disingenuously with the ambassador, in concealing from him +the complete satisfaction he had expressed of the Prince of +Orange’s present conduct, it is not unreasonable to suppose +that he deceived him still further, and pretended to have made an +application, which he had never hazarded.</p> +<p>However, the ascertaining of this fact is by no means +necessary for the illustration, either of the general history or +of James’s particular character, since it appears that the +proposition, if made, was rejected; and James is, in any case, +equally convicted of insincerity, the only point in question +being, whether he deceived the French ambassador, in regard to +the fact of his having made the proposition, or to the sentiments +he expressed upon its being refused. Nothing serves more to +show the dependence in which he considered himself to be upon +Louis than these contemptible shifts to which he condescended, +for the purposes of explaining and apologising for such parts of +his conduct as might be supposed to be less agreeable to that +monarch than the rest. An English parliament acting upon +constitutional principles, and the Prince of Orange, were the two +enemies whom Louis most dreaded; and, accordingly, whenever James +found it necessary to make approaches to either of them, an +apology was immediately to be offered to the French ambassador, +to which truth sometimes and honour was always sacrificed.</p> +<p>Mr. Hume says the king found himself, by degrees, under the +necessity of falling into an union with the French monarch, who +could alone assist him in promoting the Catholic religion in +England. But when that historian wrote, those documents had +not been made public, from which the account of the +communications with Barillon has been taken, and by which it +appears that a connection with France was, as well in point of +time as in importance, the first object of his reign, and that +the immediate specific motive to that connection was the same as +that of his brother; the desire of rendering himself independent +of parliament, and absolute, not that of establishing popery in +England, which was considered as a more remote contingency. +That this was the case is evident from all the circumstances of +the transaction, and especially from the zeal with which he was +served in it by ministers who were never suspected of any leaning +towards popery, and not one of whom (Sunderland excepted) could +be brought to the measures that were afterwards taken in favour +of that religion. It is the more material to attend to this +distinction, because the Tory historians, especially such of them +as are not Jacobites, have taken much pains to induce us to +attribute the violences and illegalities of this reign to +James’s religion, which was peculiar to him, rather than to +that desire of absolute power which so many other princes have +had, have, and always will have, in common with him. The +policy of such misrepresentation is obvious. If this reign +is to be considered as a period insulated, as it were, and +unconnected with the general course of history, and if the events +of it are to be attributed exclusively to the particular +character and particular attachments of the monarch, the sole +inference will be that we must not have a Catholic for our king; +whereas, if we consider it, which history well warrants us to do, +as a part of that system which had been pursued by all the Stuart +kings, as well prior as subsequent to the restoration, the lesson +which it affords is very different, as well as far more +instructive. We are taught, generally, the dangers +Englishmen will always be liable to, if, from favour to a prince +upon the throne, or from a confidence, however grounded, that his +views are agreeable to our own notions of the constitution, we in +any considerable degree abate of that vigilant and unremitting +jealousy of the power of the crown, which can alone secure to us +the effect of those wise laws that have been provided for the +benefit of the subject: and still more particularly, that it is +in vain to think of making a compromise with power, and by +yielding to it in other points, preserving some favourite object, +such, for instance, as the Church in James’s case, from its +grasp.</p> +<p>Previous to meeting his English parliament, James directed a +parliament which had been summoned in the preceding reign, to +assemble at Edinburgh, and appointed the Duke of Queensbury his +commissioner. This appointment is, in itself, a strong +indication that the king’s views, with regard to Scotland +at least, were similar to those which I have ascribed to him in +England; and that they did not at that time extend to the +introduction of popery, but were altogether directed to the +establishment of absolute power as the <i>end</i>, and to the +support of an episcopal church, upon the model of the Church of +England, as the <i>means</i>. For Queensbury had explained +himself to his majesty in the fullest manner upon the subject of +religion; and while he professed himself to be ready (as, indeed, +his conduct in the late reign had sufficiently proved) to go any +length in supporting royal power and in persecuting the +Presbyterians, had made it a condition of his services, that he +might understand from his majesty that there was no intention of +changing the established religion; for if such was the object, he +could not make any one step with him in that matter. James +received this declaration most kindly, assured him he had no such +intention, and that he would have a parliament, to which he, +Queensbury, should go as commissioner, and giving all possible +assurances in the matter of religion, get the revenue to be +settled, and such other laws to be passed as might be necessary +for the public safety. With these promises the duke was not +only satisfied at the time, but declared, at a subsequent period, +that they had been made in so frank and hearty a manner, as made +him conclude that it was impossible the king should be acting a +part. And this nobleman was considered, and is handed down +to us by contemporary writers, as a man of a penetrating genius, +nor has it ever been the national character of the country to +which he belonged to be more liable to be imposed upon than the +rest of mankind.</p> +<p>The Scottish parliament met on the 23rd of April, and was +opened by the commissioner, with the following letter from the +king:—</p> +<blockquote><p>“My Lords and Gentlemen,—The many +experiences we have had of the loyalty and exemplary forwardness +of that our ancient kingdom, by their representatives in +parliament assembled, in the reign of our deceased and most +entirely beloved brother of ever blessed memory, made us desirous +to call you at this time, in the beginning of our reign, to give +you an opportunity, not only of showing your duty to us in the +same manner, but likewise of being exemplary to others in your +demonstrations of affection to our person and compliance with our +desires, as you have most eminently been in times past, to a +degree never to be forgotten by us, nor (we hope) to be +contradicted by your future practices. That which we are at +this time to propose unto you is what is as necessary for your +safety as our service, and what has a tendency more to secure +your own privileges and properties than the aggrandising our +power and authority (though in it consists the greatest security +of your rights and interests, these never having been in danger, +except when the royal power was brought too low to protect them), +which now we are resolved to maintain, in its greatest lustre, to +the end we may be the more enabled to defend and protect your +religion as established by law, and your rights and properties +(which was our design in calling this parliament) against +fanatical contrivances, murderers, and assassins, who having no +fear of God, more than honour for us, have brought you into such +difficulties as only the blessing of God upon the steady +resolutions and actings of our said dearest royal brother, and +those employed by him (in prosecution of the good and wholesome +laws, by you heretofore offered), could have saved you from the +most horrid confusions and inevitable ruin. Nothing has +been left unattempted by those wild and inhuman traitors for +endeavouring to overturn your peace; and therefore we have good +reason to hope that nothing will be wanting in you to secure +yourselves and us from their outrages and violence in time +coming, and to take care that such conspirators meet with their +just deservings, so as others may thereby be deterred from +courses so little agreeable to religion, or their duty and +allegiance to us. These things we considered to be of so +great importance to our royal, as well as the universal, interest +of that our kingdom, that we were fully resolved, in person, to +have proposed the needful remedies to you. But things +having so fallen out as render this impossible for us, we have +now thought fit to send our right trusty and right entirely +beloved cousin and councillor, William, Duke of Queensbury, to be +our commissioner amongst you, of whose abilities and +qualifications we have reason to be fully satisfied, and of whose +faithfulness to us, and zeal for our interest, we have had signal +proofs in the times of our greatest difficulties. Him we +have fully intrusted in all things relating to our service and +your own prosperity and happiness, and therefore you are to give +him entire trust and credit, as you now see we have done, from +whose prudence and your most dutiful affection to us, we have +full confidence of your entire compliance and assistance in all +those matters, wherein he is instructed as aforesaid. We +do, therefore, not only recommend unto you that such things be +done as are necessary in this juncture for your own peace, and +the support of our royal interest, of which we had so much +experience when amongst you, that we cannot doubt of your full +and ample expressing the same on this occasion, by which the +great concern we have in you, our ancient and kindly people, may +still increase, and you may transmit your loyal actions (as +examples of duty) to your posterity. In full confidence +whereof we do assure you of your royal favour and protection in +all your concerns, and so we bid you heartily +farewell.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>This letter deserves the more attention because, as the +proceedings of the Scotch parliament, according to a remarkable +expression in the letter itself, were intended to be an example +to others, there is the greatest reason to suppose the matter of +it must have been maturely weighed and considered. His +majesty first compliments the Scotch parliament upon their +peculiar loyalty and dutiful behaviour in past times, meaning, no +doubt, to contrast their conduct with that of those English +parliaments who had passed the Exclusion Bill, the Disbanding +Act, the Habeas Corpus Act, and other measures hostile to his +favourite principles of government. He states the granting +of an independent revenue, and the supporting the prerogative in +its greatest lustre, if not the aggrandising of it, to be +necessary for the preservation of their religion, established by +law (that is, the Protestant episcopacy), as well as for the +security of their properties against fanatical assassins and +murderers; thus emphatically announcing a complete union of +interests between the crown and the Church. He then bestows +a complete and unqualified approbation of the persecuting +measures of the last reign, in which he had borne so great a +share; and to those measures, and to the steadiness with which +they had been persevered in, he ascribes the escape of both +Church and State from the fanatics, and expresses his regret that +he could not be present, to propose in person the other remedies +of a similar nature, which he recommended as needful in the +present conjuncture.</p> +<p>Now it is proper in this place to inquire into the nature of +the measures thus extolled, as well for the purpose of +elucidating the characters of the king and his Scottish minsters, +as for that of rendering more intelligible the subsequent +proceedings of the parliament, and the other events which soon +after took place in that kingdom. Some general notions may +be formed of that course of proceedings which, according to his +majesty’s opinion, had been so laudably and resolutely +pursued during the late reign, from the circumstances alluded to +in the preceding chapter, when it is understood that the +sentences of Argyle and Laurie of Blackwood were not detached +instances of oppression, but rather a sample of the general +system of administration. The covenant, which had been so +solemnly taken by the whole kingdom, and, among the rest, by the +king himself, had been declared to be unlawful, and a refusal to +abjure it had been made subject to the severest penalties. +Episcopacy, which was detested by a great majority of the nation, +had been established, and all public exercise of religion, in the +forms to which the people were most attached, had been +prohibited. The attendance upon field conventicles had been +made highly penal, and the preaching at them capital, by which +means, according to the computation of a late writer, no less +remarkable for the accuracy of his facts than for the force and +justness of his reasonings, at least seventeen thousand persons +in one district were involved in criminality, and became the +objects of persecution. After this letters had been issued +by government, forbidding the intercommuning with persons who had +neglected or refused to appear before the Privy Council, when +cited for the above crimes, a proceeding by which not only all +succour or assistance to such persons, but, according to the +strict sense of the word made use of, all intercourse with them, +was rendered criminal, and subjected him who disobeyed the +prohibition to the same penalties, whether capital or others, +which were affixed to the alleged crimes of the party with whom +he had intercommuned.</p> +<p>These measures not proving effectual for the purpose for which +they were intended, or, as some say, the object of Charles +II.’s government being to provoke an insurrection, a demand +was made upon the landholders in the district supposed to be most +disaffected of bonds, whereby they were to become responsible for +their wives, families, tenants, and servants, and likewise for +the wives, families, and servants of their tenants, and, finally, +for all persons living upon their estates, that they should not +withdraw from the Church, frequent or preach at conventicles, nor +give any succour, or have any intercourse with persons with whom +it was forbidden to intercommune; and the penalties attached to +the breach of this engagement, the keeping of which was obviously +out of the power of him who was required to make it, were to be +the same as those, whether capital or other, to which the several +persons for whom he engaged might be liable. The +landholders, not being willing to subscribe to their own +destruction, refused to execute the bonds, and this was thought +sufficient grounds for considering the district to which they +belonged as in a state of rebellion. English and Irish +armies were ordered to the frontiers; a train of artillery and +the militia were sent into the district itself; and six thousand +Highlanders, who were let loose upon its inhabitants, to exercise +every species of pillage and plunder were connived at, or rather +encouraged, in excesses of a still more atrocious nature.</p> +<p>The bonds being still refused, the government had recourse to +an expedient of a most extraordinary nature, and issued what the +Scotch called a writ of Lawburrows against the whole +district. This writ of Lawburrows is somewhat analogous to +what we call “swearing the peace” against any one, +and had hitherto been supposed, as the other is with us, to be +applicable to the disputes of private individuals, and to the +apprehensions which, in consequence of such disputes, they may +mutually entertain of each other. A government swearing the +peace against its subjects was a new spectacle; but if a private +subject, under fear of another, hath a right to such a security, +how much more the government itself? was thought an unanswerable +argument. Such are the sophistries which tyrants deem +satisfactory. Thus are they willing even to descend from +their loftiness into the situation of subjects or private men, +when it is for the purpose of acquiring additional powers of +persecution; and thus truly formidable and terrific are they, +when they pretend alarm and fear. By these writs the +persons against whom they were directed were bound, as in case of +the former bonds, to conditions which were not in their power to +fulfil, such as the preventing of conventicles and the like, +under such penalties as the Privy Council might inflict, and a +disobedience to them was followed by outlawry and +confiscation.</p> +<p>The conduct of the Duke of Lauderdale, who was the chief actor +in these scenes of violence and iniquity, was completely approved +and justified at court; but in consequence probably of the state +of politics in England at a time when the Whigs were strongest in +the House of Commons, some of these grievances were in part +redressed, and the Highlanders, and writs of Lawburrows were +recalled. But the country was still treated like a +conquered country. The Highlanders were replaced by an army +of five thousand regulars, and garrisons were placed in private +houses. The persecution of conventicles continued, and +ample indemnity was granted for every species of violence that +might be exercised by those employed to suppress them. In +this state of things the assassination and murder of Sharp, +Archbishop of St. Andrews, by a troop of fanatics, who had been +driven to madness by the oppression of Carmichael, one of that +prelate’s instruments, while it gave an additional spur to +the vindictive temper of the government, was considered by it as +a justification for every mode and degree of cruelty and +persecution. The outrage committed by a few individuals was +imputed to the whole fanatic sect, as the government termed them, +or, in other words, to a description of people which composed a +great majority of the population in the Lowlands of Scotland; and +those who attended field or armed conventicles were ordered to be +indiscriminately massacred.</p> +<p>By such means an insurrection was at last produced, which, +from the weakness, or, as some suppose, from the wicked policy of +an administration eager for confiscations, and desirous of such a +state of the country as might, in some measure, justify their +course of government, made such a progress that the insurgents +became masters of Glasgow and the country adjacent. To +quell these insurgents, who, undisciplined as they were, had +defeated Graham, afterwards Viscount Dundee, the Duke of Monmouth +was sent with an army from England; but, lest the generous +mildness of his nature should prevail, he had sealed orders which +he was not to open till in sight of the rebels, enjoining him not +to treat with them, but to fall upon them without any previous +negotiation. In pursuance of these orders the insurgents +were attacked at Bothwell Bridge, where, though they were +entirely routed and dispersed, yet because those who surrendered +at discretion were not put to death, and the army, by the strict +enforcing of discipline, were prevented from plunder and other +outrages, it was represented by James, and in some degree even by +the king, that Monmouth had acted as if he had meant rather to +put himself at the head of the fanatics than to repel them, and +were inclined rather to court their friendship than to punish +their rebellion. All complaints against Lauderdale were +dismissed, his power confirmed, and an act of indemnity, which +had been procured at Monmouth’s intercession, was so +clogged with exceptions as to be of little use to any but to the +agents of tyranny. Several persons, who were neither +directly nor indirectly concerned in the murder of the +archbishop, were executed as an expiation for that offence; but +many more were obliged to compound for their lives by submitting +to the most rapacious extortion, which at this particular period +seems to have been the engine of oppression most in fashion, and +which was extended not only to those who had been in any way +concerned in the insurrection, but to those who had neglected to +attend the standard of the king, when displayed against what was +styled, in the usual insulting language of tyrants, a most +unnatural rebellion.</p> +<p>The quiet produced by such means was, as might be expected, of +no long duration. Enthusiasm was increased by persecution, +and the fanatic preachers found no difficulty in persuading their +flocks to throw off all allegiance to a government which afforded +them no protection. The king was declared to be an apostate +from the government, a tyrant, and an usurper; and Cargill, one +of the most enthusiastic among the preachers, pronounced a formal +sentence of excommunication against him, his brother the Duke of +York, and others, their ministers and abettors. This +outrage upon majesty together with an insurrection contemptible +in point of numbers and strength, in which Cameron, another +field-preacher, had been killed, furnished a pretence which was +by no means neglected for new cruelties and executions; but +neither death nor torture were sufficient to subdue the minds of +Cargill and his intrepid followers. They all gloried in +their sufferings; nor could the meanest of them be brought to +purchase their lives by a retractation of their principles, or +even by any expression that might be construed into an +approbation of their persecutors. The effect of this heroic +constancy upon the minds of their oppressors was to persuade them +not to lessen the numbers of executions, but to render them more +private, whereby they exposed the true character of their +government, which was not severity, but violence; not justice, +but vengeance: for example being the only legitimate end of +punishment, where that is likely to encourage rather than to +deter (as the government in these instances seems to have +apprehended), and consequently to prove more pernicious than +salutary, every punishment inflicted by the magistrate is +cruelty, every execution murder. The rage of punishment did +not stop even here, but questions were put to persons, and in +many instances to persons under torture, who had not been proved +to have been in any of the insurrections, whether they considered +the archbishop’s assassination as murder, the rising at +Bothwell Bridge rebellion, and Charles a lawful king. The +refusal to answer these questions, or the answering of them in an +unsatisfactory manner, was deemed a proof of guilt, and immediate +execution ensued.</p> +<p>These last proceedings had taken place while James himself had +the government in his hands, and under his immediate +directions. Not long after, and when the exclusionists in +England were supposed to be entirely defeated, was passed (James +being the king’s commissioner), the famous bill of +succession, declaring that no difference of religion, nor any +statute or law grounded upon such, or any other pretence, could +defeat the hereditary right of the heir to the crown, and that to +propose any limitation upon the future administration of such +heir was high treason. But the Protestant religion was to +be secured; for those who were most obsequious to the court, and +the most willing and forward instruments of its tyranny, were, +nevertheless, zealous Protestants. A test was therefore +framed for this purpose, which was imposed upon all persons +exercising any civil or military functions whatever, the royal +family alone excepted; but to the declaration of adherence to the +Protestant religion was added a recognition of the king’s +supremacy in ecclesiastical matters, and a complete renunciation +in civil concerns of every right belonging to a free +subject. An adherence to the Protestant religion, according +to the confession of it referred to in the test, seemed to some +inconsistent with the acknowledgment of the king’s +supremacy and that clause of the oath which related to civil +matters, inasmuch as it declared against endeavouring at any +alteration in the Church or State, seemed incompatible with the +duties of a counsellor or a member of parliament. Upon +these grounds the Earl of Argyle, in taking the oath, thought fit +to declare as follows:—</p> +<p>“I have considered the test, and I am very desirous to +give obedience as far as I can. I am confident the +parliament never intended to impose contradictory oaths; +therefore I think no man can explain it but for himself. +Accordingly I take it, as far as it is consistent with itself and +the Protestant religion. And I do declare that I mean not +to bind up myself in my station, and in a lawful way, to wish and +endeavour any alteration I think to the advantage of the Church +or State, not repugnant to the Protestant religion and my +loyalty. And this I understand as a part of the +oath.” And for this declaration, though unnoticed at +the time, he was in a few days afterwards committed, and shortly +after sentenced to die. Nor was the test applied only to +those for whom it had been originally instituted, but by being +offered to those numerous classes of people who were within the +reach of the late severe criminal laws, as an alternative for +death or confiscation, it might fairly be said to be imposed upon +the greater part of the country.</p> +<p>Not long after these transactions James took his final leave +of the government, and in his parting speech recommended, in the +strongest terms, the support of the Church. This gracious +expression, the sincerity of which seemed to be evinced by his +conduct to the conventiclers and the severity with which he had +enforced the test, obtained him a testimonial from the bishops of +his affection to their Protestant Church, a testimonial to which, +upon the principle that they are the best friends to the Church +who are most willing to persecute such as dissent from it, he +was, notwithstanding his own nonconformity, most amply +entitled.</p> +<p>Queensbury’s administration ensued, in which the maxims +that had guided his predecessors were so far from being +relinquished, that they were pursued, if possible, with greater +steadiness and activity. Lawrie of Blackwood was condemned +for having holden intercourse with a rebel, whose name was not to +be found in any of the lists of the intercommuned or proscribed; +and a proclamation was issued, threatening all who were in like +circumstances with a similar fate. The intercourse with +rebels having been in great parts of the kingdom promiscuous and +universal, more than twenty thousand persons were objects of this +menace. Fines and extortions of all kinds were employed to +enrich the public treasury, to which, therefore, the +multiplication of crimes became a fruitful source of revenue; and +lest it should not be sufficiently so, husbands were made +answerable (and that too with a retrospect) for the absence of +their wives from church; a circumstance which the Presbyterian +women’s aversion to the episcopal form of worship had +rendered very general.</p> +<p>This system of government, and especially the rigour with +which those concerned in the late insurrections, the +excommunication of the king, or the other outrages complained of, +were pursued and hunted sometimes by bloodhounds, sometimes by +soldiers almost equally savage, and afterwards shot like wild +beasts, drove some of those sectaries who were styled +Cameronians, and other proscribed persons, to measures of +absolute desperation. They made a declaration, which they +caused to be affixed to different churches, importing, that they +would use the law of retaliation, and “we will,” said +they, “punish as enemies to God, and to the covenant, such +persons as shall make it their work to imbrue their hands in our +blood; and chiefly, if they shall continue obstinately and with +habitual malice to proceed against us,” with more to the +like effect. Upon such an occasion the interference of +government became necessary. The government did indeed +interfere, and by a vote of council ordered, that whoever owned, +or refused to disown, the declaration on oath, should be put to +death in the presence of two witnesses, though unarmed when +taken. The execution of this massacre in the welvet +counties which were principally concerned, was committed to the +military, and exceeded, if possible, the order itself. The +disowning the declaration was required to be in a particular form +prescribed. Women, obstinate in their fanaticism, lest +female blood should be a stain upon the swords of soldiers +engaged in this honourable employment, were drowned. The +habitations, as well of those who had fled to save themselves, as +of those who suffered, were burnt and destroyed. Such +members of the families of the delinquents as were above twelve +years old were imprisoned for the purpose of being afterwards +transported. The brutality of the soldiers was such as +might be expected from an army let loose from all restraint, and +employed to execute the royal justice, as it was called, upon +wretches. Graham who has been mentioned before, and who, +under the title of Lord Dundee, a title which was probably +conferred upon him by James for these or similar services, was +afterwards esteemed such a hero among the Jacobite party, +particularly distinguished himself. Of six unarmed +fugitives whom he seized, he caused four to be shot in his +presence, nor did the remaining two experience any other mercy +from him than a delay of their doom; and at another time, having +intercepted the flight of one of these victims, he had him shown +to his family, and then murdered in the arms of his wife. +The example of persons of such high rank, and who must be +presumed to have had an education in some degree correspondent to +their station, could not fail of operating upon men of a lower +order in society. The carnage became every day more general +and more indiscriminate, and the murder of peasants in their +houses, or while employed at their usual work in the fields, by +the soldiers, was not only not reproved or punished, but deemed a +meritorious service by their superiors. The demise of King +Charles, which happened about this time, caused no suspension or +relaxation in these proceedings, which seemed to have been the +crowning measure, as it were, or finishing stroke of that system, +for the steady perseverance in which James so much admired the +resolution of his brother.</p> +<p>It has been judged necessary to detail these transactions in a +manner which may, to some readers, appear an impertinent +digression from the narrative in which this history is at present +engaged, in order to set in a clearer light some points of the +greatest importance. In the first place, from the summary +review of the affairs of Scotland, and from the complacency with +which James looks back to his own share of them, joined to the +general approbation he expressed of the conduct of government in +that kingdom, we may form a pretty just notion, as well of his +maxims of policy, as of his temper and disposition in matters +where his bigotry to the Roman Catholic religion had no +share. For it is to be observed and carefully kept in mind, +that the Church, of which he not only recommends the support, but +which be showed himself ready to maintain by the most violent +means, is the Episcopalian Church of the Protestants; that the +test which he enforced at the point of the bayonet was a +Protestant test, so much so indeed, that he himself could not +take it; and that the more marked character of the conventicles, +the objects of his persecution, was not so much that of heretics +excommunicated by the Pope, as of dissenters from the Church of +England, and irreconcilable enemies to the Protestant liturgy and +the Protestant episcopacy. But he judged the Church of +England to be a most fit instrument for rendering the monarchy +absolute. On the other hand, the Presbyterians were thought +naturally hostile to the principles of passive obedience, and to +one or other, or with more probability to both of these +considerations, joined to the natural violence of his temper, is +to be referred the whole of his conduct in this part of his life, +which in this view is rational enough; but on the supposition of +his having conceived thus early the intention of introducing +popery upon the ruins of the Church of England, is wholly +unaccountable, and no less absurd, than if a general were to put +himself to great cost and pains to furnish with ammunition and to +strengthen with fortifications a place of which he was actually +meditating the attack.</p> +<p>The next important observation that occurs, and to which even +they who are most determined to believe that this prince had +always popery in view, and held every other consideration as +subordinate to that primary object, must nevertheless subscribe, +is that the most confidential advisors, as well as the most +furious supporters of the measures we have related, were not +Roman Catholics. Lauderdale and Queensbury were both +Protestants. There is no reason, therefore, to impute any +of James’s violence afterwards to the suggestions of his +Catholic advisers, since he who had been engaged in the series of +measures above related with Protestant counsellors and +coadjutors, had surely nothing to learn from papists (whether +priests, jesuits, or others) in the science of tyranny. +Lastly, from this account we are enabled to form some notion of +the state of Scotland at a time when the parliament of that +kingdom was called to set an example for this, and we find it to +have been a state of more absolute slavery than at that time +subsisted in any part of Christendom.</p> +<p>The affairs of Scotland being in the state which we have +described, it is no wonder that the king’s letter was +received with acclamations of applause, and that the parliament +opened, not only with approbation of the government, but even +with an enthusiastic zeal to signalise their loyalty, as well by +a perfect acquiescence to the king’s demands, as by the +most fulsome expressions of adulation. “What prince +in Europe, or in the whole world,” said the chancellor +Perth, “was ever like the late king, except his present +majesty, who had undergone every trial of prosperity and +adversity, and whose unwearied clemency was not among the least +conspicuous of his virtues? To advance his honour and +greatness was the duty of all his subjects, and ought to be the +endeavour of their lives without reserve.” The +parliament voted an address, scarcely less adulatory than the +chancellor’s speech.</p> +<blockquote><p>“May it please your sacred +majesty—Your majesty’s gracious and kind remembrance +of the services done by this, your ancient kingdom, to the late +king your brother, of ever glorious memory, shall rather raise in +us ardent desires to exceed whatever we have done formerly, than +make us consider them as deserving the esteem your majesty is +pleased to express of them in your letter to us dated the +twenty-eighth of March. The death of that our excellent +monarch is lamented by us to all the degrees of grief that are +consistent with our great joy for the succession of your sacred +majesty, who has not only continued, but secured the happiness +which his wisdom, his justice, and clemency procured to us: and +having the honour to be the first parliament which meets by your +royal authority, of which we are very sensible, your majesty may +be confident that we will offer such laws as may best secure your +majesty’s sacred person, the royal family and government, +and be so exemplary loyal, as to raise your honour and greatness +to the utmost of our power, which we shall ever esteem both our +duty and interest. Nor shall we leave anything undone for +extirpating all fanaticism, but especially those fanatical +murderers and assassins, and for detecting and punishing the late +conspirators, whose pernicious and execrable designs did so much +tend to subvert your majesty’s government, and ruin us and +all your majesty’s faithful subjects. We can assure +your majesty, that the subjects of this your majesty’s +ancient kingdom are so desirous to exceed all their predecessors +in extraordinary marks of affection and obedience to your +majesty, that (God be praised) the only way to be popular with us +is to be eminently loyal. Your majesty’s care of us, +when you took us to be your special charge, your wisdom in +extinguishing the seeds of rebellion and faction amongst us, your +justice, which was so great as to be for ever exemplary, but +above all, your majesty’s free and cheerful securing to us +our religion, when your were the late king’s, your royal +brother’s commissioner, now again renewed, when you are our +sovereign, are what your subjects here can never forget, and +therefore your majesty may expect that we will think your +commands sacred as your person, and that your inclination will +prevent our debates; nor did ever any who represented our +monarchs as their commissioners (except your royal self) meet +with greater respect, or more exact observance from a parliament, +than the Duke of Queensbury (whom your majesty has so wisely +chosen to represent you in this, and of whose eminent loyalty and +great abilities in all his former employments this nation hath +seen so many proofs) shall find from</p> +<p>“May it please your sacred majesty, your majesty’s +most humble, most faithful, and most obedient subjects and +servants,</p> +<p style="text-align: right">“<span +class="smcap">Perth</span>, Cancell.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>Nor was this spirit of loyalty (as it was then called) of +abject slavery, and unmanly subservience to the will of a despot, +as it has been justly denominated by the more impartial judgment +of posterity, confined to words only. Acts were passed to +ratify all the late judgments, however illegal or iniquitous, to +indemnify the privy council, judges, and all officers of the +crown, civil or military, for all the violences they had +committed; to authorise the privy council to impose the test upon +all ranks of people under such penalties as that board might +think fit to impose; to extend the punishment of death which had +formerly attached upon the preachers at field conventicles only, +to all their auditors, and likewise to the preachers at house +conventicles; to subject to the penalties of treason all persons +who should give or take the covenant, or write in defence +thereof, or in any other way own it to be obligatory; and lastly, +in a strain of tyranny, for which there was, it is believed, no +precedent, and which certainly has never been surpassed, to enact +that all such persons as being cited in cases of high treason, +field or house conventicles, or church irregularities, should +refuse to give testimony, should be liable to the punishment due +by law to the criminals against whom they refused to be +witnesses. It is true that an act was also passed for +confirming all former statutes in favour of the Protestant +religion as then established, in their whole strength and tenour, +as if they were particularly set down and expressed in the said +act; but when we recollect the notions which Queensbury at that +time entertained of the king’s views, this proceeding forms +no exception to the general system of servility which +characterised both ministers and parliament. All matters in +relation to revenue were of course settled in the manner most +agreeable to his majesty’s wishes and the recommendation of +his commissioner.</p> +<p>While the legislature was doing its part, the executive +government was not behindhand in pursuing the system which had +been so much commended. A refusal to abjure the declaration +in the terms prescribed, was everywhere considered as sufficient +cause for immediate execution. In one part of the country +information having been received that a corpse had been +clandestinely buried, an inquiry took place; it was dug up, and +found to be that of a person proscribed. Those who had +interred him were suspected, not of having murdered, but of +having harboured him. For this crime their house was +destroyed, and the women and children of the family being driven +out to wander as vagabonds, a young man belonging to it was +executed by the order of Johnston of Westerraw. Against +this murder even Graham himself is said to have remonstrated, but +was content with protesting that the blood was not upon his head; +and not being able to persuade a Highland officer to execute the +order of Johnston, ordered his own men to shoot the unhappy +victim. In another county three females, one of sixty-three +years of age, one of eighteen, and one of twelve, were charged +with rebellion; and refusing to abjure the declaration, were +sentenced to be drowned. The last was let off upon +condition of her father’s giving a bond for a hundred +pounds. The elderly woman, who is represented as a person +of eminent piety, bore her fate with the greatest constancy, nor +does it appear that her death excited any strong sensations in +the minds of her savage executioners. The girl of eighteen +was more pitied, and after many entreaties, and having been once +under water, was prevailed upon to utter some words which might +be fairly construed into blessing the king, a mode of obtaining +pardon not unfrequent in cases where the persecutors were +inclined to relent. Upon this it was thought she was safe, +but the merciless barbarian who superintended this dreadful +business was not satisfied; and upon her refusing the abjuration, +she was again plunged into the water, where she expired. It +is to be remarked that being at Bothwell Bridge and Air’s +Moss were among the crimes stated in the indictment of all the +three, though, when the last of these affairs happened, one of +the girls was only thirteen, and the other not eight years of +age. At the time of the Bothwell Bridge business, they were +still younger. To recite all the instances of cruelty which +occurred would be endless; but it may be necessary to remark that +no historical facts are better ascertained than the accounts of +them which are to be found in Woodrow. In every instance +where there has been an opportunity of comparing these accounts +with records, and other authentic monuments, they appear to be +quite correct.</p> +<p>The Scottish parliament having thus set, as they had been +required to do, an eminent example of what was then thought duty +to the crown, the king met his English parliament on the 19th of +May, 1685, and opened it with the following speech:—</p> +<blockquote><p>“My lords and gentlemen,—After it +pleased Almighty God to take to his mercy the late king, my +dearest brother, and to bring me to the peaceable possession of +the throne of my ancestors, I immediately resolved to call a +parliament, as the best means to settle everything upon these +foundations as may make my reign both easy and happy to you; +towards which I am disposed to contribute all that is fit for me +to do.</p> +<p>“What I said to my privy council at my first coming +there I am desirous to renew to you, wherein I fully declare my +opinion concerning the principles of the Church of England, whose +members have showed themselves so eminently loyal in the worst of +times in defence of my father and support of my brother (of +blessed memory), that I will always take care to defend and +support it. I will make it my endeavour to preserve this +government, both in Church and State, as it is by law +established: and as I will never depart from the just rights and +prerogatives of the crown, so I will never invade any man’s +property; and you may be sure that having heretofore ventured my +life in the defence of this nation, I will still go as far as any +man in preserving it in all its just rights and liberties.</p> +<p>“And having given this assurance concerning the care I +will have of your religion and property, which I have chose to do +in the same words which I used at my first coming to the crown, +the better to evidence to you that I spoke them not by chance, +and consequently that you may firmly rely upon a promise so +solemnly made, I cannot doubt that I shall fail of suitable +returns from you, with all imaginable duty and kindness on your +part, and particularly to what relates to the settling of my +revenue, and continuing it during my life, as it was in the +lifetime of my brother. I might use many arguments to +enforce this demand for the benefit of trade, the support of the +navy, the necessity of the crown, and the well-being of the +government itself, which I must not suffer to be precarious; but +I am confident your own consideration of what is just and +reasonable will suggest to you whatsoever might be enlarged upon +this occasion.</p> +<p>“There is one popular argument which I foresee may be +used against what I ask of you, from the inclination men have for +frequent parliaments, which some may think would be the best +security, by feeding me from time to time by such proportions as +they shall think convenient. And this argument, it being +the first time I speak to you from the throne, I will answer, +once for all, that this would be a very improper method to take +with me; and that the best way to engage me to meet you often is +always to use me well.</p> +<p>“I expect, therefore, that you will comply with me in +what I have desired, and that you will do it speedily, that this +may be a short session, and that we may meet again to all our +satisfactions.</p> +<p>“My lords and gentlemen,—I must acquaint you that +I have had news this morning from Scotland that Argyle is landed +in the West Highlands, with the men he brought with him from +Holland: that there are two declarations published, one in the +name of all those in arms, the other in his own. It would +be too long for me to repeat the substance of them; it is +sufficient to tell you I am charged with usurpation and +tyranny. The shorter of them I have directed to be +forthwith communicated to you.</p> +<p>“I will take the best care I can that this declaration +of their own faction and rebellion may meet with the reward it +deserves; and I will not doubt but you will be the more zealous +to support the government, and give me my revenue, as I have +desired it, without delay.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>The repetition of the words made use of in his first speech to +the privy council shows that, in the opinion of the court, at +least, they had been well chosen, and had answered their purpose; +and even the haughty language which was added, and was little +less than a menace to parliament if it should not comply with his +wishes, was not, as it appears, unpleasing to the party which at +that time prevailed, since the revenue enjoyed by his predecessor +was unanimously, and almost immediately, voted to him for +life. It was not remarked, in public at least, that the +king’s threat of governing without parliament was an +unequivocal manifestation of his contempt of the law of the +country, so distinctly established, though so ineffectually +secured, by the statute of the sixteenth of Charles II., for +holding triennial parliaments. It is said Lord-keeper +Guildford had prepared a different speech for his majesty, but +that this was preferred, as being the king’s own words; +and, indeed, that part of it in which he says that he must answer +once for all that the Commons giving such proportions as they +might think convenient would be a very improper way with him, +bears, as well as some others, the most evident marks of its +royal origin. It is to be observed, however, that in +arguing for his demand, as he styles it, of revenue, he says, not +that the parliament ought not, but that he must not, suffer the +well-being of the government depending upon such revenue to be +precarious; whence it is evident that he intended to have it +understood that if the parliament did not grant, he purposed to +levy a revenue without their consent. It is impossible that +any degree of party spirit should so have blinded men as to +prevent them from perceiving in this speech a determination on +the part of the king to conduct his government upon the +principles of absolute monarchy, and to those who were not so +possessed with the love of royalty, which creates a kind of +passionate affection for whoever happens to be the wearer of the +crown, the vindictive manner in which he speaks of Argyle’s +invasion might afford sufficient evidence of the temper in which +his power would be administered. In that part of his speech +he first betrays his personal feelings towards the unfortunate +nobleman, whom, in his brother’s reign, he had so cruelly +and treacherously oppressed, by dwelling upon his being charged +by Argyle with tyranny and usurpation, and then declares that he +will take the best care, not according to the usual phrases to +protect the loyal and well disposed, and to restore tranquillity, +but that the declaration of the factious and rebellions may meet +with the reward it deserves, thus marking out revenge and +punishment as the consequences of victory, upon which he was most +intent.</p> +<p>It is impossible that in a House of Commons, however composed, +there should not have been many members who disapproved the +principles of government announced in the speech, and who were +justly alarmed at the temper in which it was conceived. But +these, overpowered by numbers, and perhaps afraid of the +imputation of being concerned in plots and insurrections (an +imputation which, if they had shown any spirit of liberty, would +most infallibly have been thrown on them), declined expressing +their sentiments; and in the short session which followed there +was an almost uninterrupted unanimity in granting every demand, +and acquiescing in every wish of the government. The +revenue was granted without any notice being taken of the illegal +manner in which the king had levied it upon his own +authority. Argyle was stigmatised as a traitor; nor was any +desire expressed to examine his declarations, one of which seemed +to be purposely withheld from parliament. Upon the +communication of the Duke of Monmouth’s landing in the west +that nobleman was immediately attainted by bill. The +king’s assurance was recognised as a sufficient security +for the national religion; and the liberty of the press was +destroyed by the revival of the statute of the 13th and 14th of +Charles II. This last circumstance, important as it is, +does not seem to have excited much attention at the time, which, +considering the general principles then in fashion, is not +surprising. That it should have been scarcely noticed by +any historian is more wonderful. It is true, however, that +the terror inspired by the late prosecutions for libels, and the +violent conduct of the courts upon such occasions, rendered a +formal destruction of the liberty of the press a matter of less +importance. So little does the magistracy, when it is +inclined to act tyrannically, stand in need of tyrannical laws to +effect its purpose. The bare silence and acquiescence of +the legislature is in such a case fully sufficient to annihilate, +practically speaking, every right and liberty of the subject.</p> +<p>As the grant of revenue was unanimous, so there does not +appear to have been anything which can justly be styled a debate +upon it, though Hume employs several pages in giving the +arguments which, he affirms, were actually made use of, and, as +he gives us to understand, in the House of Commons, for and +against the question; arguments which, on both sides, seem to +imply a considerable love of freedom and jealousy of royal power, +and are not wholly unmixed even with some sentiments +disrespectful to the king. Now I cannot find, either from +tradition, or from contemporary writers, any ground to think that +either the reasons which Hume has adduced, or indeed any other, +were urged in opposition to the grant. The only speech made +upon the occasion seems to have been that of Mr. (afterwards Sir +Edward) Seymour, who, though of the Tory party, a strenuous +opposer of the Exclusion Bill, and in general supposed to have +been an approver, if not an adviser, of the tyrannical measures +of the late reign, has the merit of having stood forward singly, +to remind the House of what they owed to themselves and their +constituents. He did not, however, directly oppose the +grant, but stated, that the elections had been carried on under +so much court influence, and in other respects so illegally, that +it was the duty of the House first to ascertain who were the +legal members, before they proceeded to other business of +importance. After having pressed this point, he observed +that if ever it were necessary to adopt such an order of +proceeding, it was more peculiarly so now, when the laws and +religion of the nation were in evident peril; that the aversion +of the English people to popery, and their attachment to the laws +were such, as to secure these blessings from destruction by any +other instrumentality than that of parliament itself, which, +however, might be easily accomplished, if there were once a +parliament entirely dependent upon the persons who might harbour +such designs; that it was already rumoured that the Test and +Habeas Corpus Acts, the two bulwarks of our religion and +liberties, were to be repealed; that what he stated was so +notorious as to need no proof. Having descanted with force +and ability upon these and other topics of a similar tendency, he +urged his conclusion, that the question of royal revenue ought +not to be the first business of the parliament. Whether, as +Burnet thinks, because he was too proud to make any previous +communication of his intentions, or that the strain of his +argument was judged to be too bold for the times, this speech, +whatever secret approbation it might excite, did not receive from +any quarter either applause or support. Under these +circumstances it was not thought necessary to answer him, and the +grant was voted unanimously, without further discussion.</p> +<p>As Barillon, in the relation of parliamentary proceedings, +transmitted by him to his court, in which he appears at this time +to have been very exact, gives the same description of +Seymour’s speech and its effects with Burnet, there can be +little doubt but their account is correct. It will be found +as well in this, as in many other instances, that an unfortunate +inattention on the part of the reverend historian to forms has +made his veracity unjustly called in question. He speaks of +Seymour’s speech as if it had been a motion in the +technical sense of the word, for inquiring into the elections, +which had no effect. Now no traces remaining of such a +motion, and, on the other hand, the elections having been at a +subsequent period inquired into, Ralph almost pronounces the +whole account to be erroneous; whereas the only mistake consists +in giving the name of motion to a suggestion, upon the question +of a grant. It is whimsical enough, that it should be from +the account of the French ambassador that we are enabled to +reconcile to the records and to the forms of the English House of +Commons, a relation made by a distinguished member of the English +House of Lords. Sir John Reresby does indeed say, that +among the gentlemen of the House of Commons whom he accidentally +met, they in general seemed willing to settle a handsome revenue +upon the king, and to give him money; but whether their grant +should be permanent, or only temporary, and to be renewed from +time to time by parliament, that the nation might be often +consulted, was the question. But besides the looseness of +the expression, which may only mean that the point was +questionable, it is to be observed, that he does not relate any +of the arguments which were brought forward even in the private +conversations to which he refers; and when he afterwards gives an +account of what passed in the House of Commons (where he was +present), he does not hint at any debate having taken place, but +rather implies the contrary.</p> +<p>This misrepresentation of Mr. Hume’s is of no small +importance, inasmuch as, by intimating that such a question could +be debated at all, and much more, that it was debated with the +enlightened views and bold topics of argument with which his +genius has supplied him, he gives us a very false notion of the +character of the parliament and of the times which he is +describing. It is not improbable, that if the arguments had +been used, which this historian supposes, the utterer of them +would have been expelled, or sent to the Tower; and it is certain +that he would not have been heard with any degree of attention or +even patience.</p> +<p>The unanimous vote for trusting the safety of religion to the +king’s declaration passed not without observation, the +rights of the Church of England being the only point upon which, +at this time, the parliament were in any degree jealous of the +royal power. The committee of religion had voted +unanimously, “That it is the opinion of the committee, that +this House will stand by his majesty with their lives and +fortunes, according to their bounden duty and allegiance, in +defence of the reformed Church of England, as it is now by law +established; and that an humble address be presented to his +majesty, to desire him to issue forth his royal proclamation, to +cause the penal laws to be put in execution against all +dissenters from the Church of England whatsoever.” +But upon the report of the House, the question of agreeing with +the committee was evaded by a previous question, and the House, +with equal unanimity, resolved: “That this House doth +acquiesce, and entirely rely, and rest wholly satisfied, on his +majesty’s gracious word, and repeated declaration to +support and defend the religion of the Church of England, as it +is now by law established, which is dearer to us than our +lives.” Mr. Echard, and Bishop Kennet, two writers of +different principles, but both churchmen, assign, as the motive +of this vote, the unwillingness of the party then prevalent in +parliament to adopt severe measures against the Protestant +dissenters; but in this notion they are by no means supported by +the account, imperfect as it is, which Sir John Reresby gives of +the debate, for he makes no mention of tenderness towards +dissenters, but states as the chief argument against agreeing +with the committee, that it might excite a jealousy of the king; +and Barillon expressly says, that the first vote gave great +offence to the king, still more to the queen, and that orders +were, in consequence, issued to the court members of the House of +Commons to devise some means to get rid of it. Indeed, the +general circumstances of the times are decisive against the +hypothesis of the two reverend historians; nor is it, as far as I +know, adopted by any other historians. The probability +seems to be, that the motion in the committee had been originally +suggested by some Whig member, who could not, with prudence, +speak his real sentiments openly, and who thought to embarrass +the government, by touching upon a matter where the union between +the church party and the king would be put to the severest +test. The zeal of the Tories for persecution made them at +first give into the snare; but when, upon reflection, it occurred +that the involving of the Catholics in one common danger with the +Protestant dissenters must be displeasing to the king, they drew +back without delay, and passed the most comprehensive vote of +confidence which James could desire.</p> +<p>Further to manifest their servility to the king, as well as +their hostility to every principle that could by implication be +supposed to be connected with Monmouth or his cause, the House of +Commons passed a bill for the preservation of his majesty’s +person, in which, after enacting that a written or verbal +declaration of a treasonable intention should be tantamount to a +treasonable act, they inserted two remarkable clauses, by one of +which to assert the legitimacy of Monmouth’s birth, by the +other, to propose in parliament any alteration in the succession +of the crown, were made likewise high treason. We learn +from Burnet, that the first part of this bill was strenuously and +warmly debated, and that it was chiefly opposed by Serjeant +Maynard, whose arguments made some impression even at that time; +but whether the serjeant was supported in his opposition, as the +word <i>chiefly</i> would lead us to imagine, or if supported, by +whom, that historian does not mention; and, unfortunately, +neither of Maynard’s speech itself, nor indeed of any +opposition whatever to the bill, is there any other trace to be +found. The crying injustice of the clause which subjected a +man to the pains of treason merely for delivering his opinion +upon a controverted fact, though he should do no act in +consequence of such opinion, was not, as far as we are informed, +objected to or at all noticed, unless indeed the speech above +alluded to, in which the speaker is said to have descanted upon +the general danger of making words treasonable, be supposed to +have been applied to this clause as well as to the former part of +the bill. That the other clause should have passed without +opposition or even observation, must appear still more +extraordinary, when we advert, not only to the nature of the +clause itself, but to the circumstances of there being actually +in the House no inconsiderable number of members who had in the +former reign repeatedly voted for the Exclusion Bill.</p> +<p>It is worthy of notice, however, that while every principle of +criminal jurisprudence, and every regard to the fundamental +rights of the deliberative assemblies, which make part of the +legislature of the nation, were thus shamelessly sacrificed to +the eagerness which, at this disgraceful period, so generally +prevailed of manifesting loyalty, or rather abject servility to +the sovereign, there still remained no small degree of tenderness +for the interests and safety of the Church of England, and a +sentiment approaching to jealousy upon any matter which might +endanger, even by the most remote consequences, or put any +restriction upon her ministers. With this view, as one part +of the bill did not relate to treasons only, but imposed new +penalties upon such as should, by writing, printing, preaching, +or other speaking, attempt to bring the king or his government +into hatred or contempt, there was a special proviso added, +“that the asserting and maintaining, by any writing, +printing, preaching, or any other speaking, the doctrine, +discipline, divine worship, or government of the Church of +England as it is now by law established, against popery or any +other different or dissenting opinions, is not intended, and +shall not be interpreted or construed to be any offence within +the words or meaning of this Act.” It cannot escape +the reader, that only such attacks upon popery as were made in +favour of the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England, +and no other, were protected by this proviso, and consequently +that, if there were any real occasion for such a guard, all +Protestant dissenters who should write or speak against the Roman +superstition were wholly unprotected by it, and remained exposed +to the danger, whatever it might be, from which the Church was so +anxious to exempt her supporters.</p> +<p>This bill passed the House of Commons, and was sent up to the +House of Lords on the 30th of June. It was read a first +time on that day, but the adjournment of both houses taking place +on the 2nd of July, it could not make any further progress at +that time; and when the parliament met afterwards in autumn, +there was no longer that passionate affection for the monarch, +nor consequently that ardent zeal for servitude which were +necessary to make a law with such clauses and provisoes palatable +or even endurable.</p> +<p>It is not to be considered as an exception to the general +complaisance of parliament, that the Speaker, when he presented +the Revenue Bill, made use of some strong expressions, declaring +the attachment of the Commons to the national religion. +Such sentiments could not be supposed to be displeasing to James, +after the assurances he had given of his regard for the Church of +England. Upon this occasion his majesty made the following +speech:—</p> +<blockquote><p>“My lords and gentlemen,—I thank you +very heartily for the bill you have presented me this day; and I +assure you, the readiness and cheerfulness that has attended the +despatch of it is as acceptable to me as the bill itself.</p> +<p>“After so happy a beginning, you may believe I would not +call upon you unnecessarily for an extraordinary supply; but when +I tell you that the stores of the navy and ordnance are extremely +exhausted, that the anticipations upon several branches of the +revenue are great and burthensome; that the debts of the king, my +brother, to his servants and family, are such as deserve +compassion; that the rebellion in Scotland, without putting more +weight upon it than it really deserves, must oblige me to a +considerable expense extraordinary: I am sure, such +considerations will move you to give me an aid to provide for +those things, wherein the security, the ease, and the happiness +of my government are so much concerned. But above all, I +must recommend you to the care of the navy, the strength and +glory of this nation; that you will put it into such a condition +as may make us considered and respected abroad. I cannot +express my concern upon this occasion more suitable to my own +thoughts of it than by assuring you I have a true English heart, +as jealous of the honour of the nation as you can be; and I +please myself with the hopes that by God’s blessing and +your assistance, I may carry the reputation of it yet higher in +the world than ever it has been in the time of any of my +ancestors; and as I will not call upon you for supplies but when +they are of public use and advantage, so I promise you, that what +you give me upon such occasions shall be managed with good +husbandry; and I will take care it shall be employed to the uses +for which I ask them.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>Rapin, Hume, and Ralph observe upon this speech, that neither +the generosity of the Commons’ grant, nor the confidence +they expressed upon religious matters, could extort a kind word +in favour of their religion. But this observation, whether +meant as a reproach to him for his want of gracious feeling to a +generous parliament, or as an oblique compliment to his +sincerity, has no force in it. His majesty’s speech +was spoken immediately upon, passing the bills which the Speaker +presented, and he could not therefore take notice of the +Speaker’s words unless he had spoken extempore; for the +custom is not, nor I believe ever was, for the Speaker to give +beforehand copies of addresses of this nature. James would +not certainly have scrupled to repeat the assurances which he had +so lately made in favour of the Protestant religion, as he did +not scruple to talk of his true English heart, honour of the +nation, &c., at a time when he was engaged with France; but +the speech was prepared for an answer to a money bill, not for a +question of the Protestant religion and church, and the false +professions in it are adapted to what was supposed to be the only +subject of it.</p> +<p>The only matter in which the king’s views were in any +degree thwarted was the reversal of Lord Stafford’s +attainder, which, having passed the House of Lords, not without +opposition, was lost in the House of Commons; a strong proof that +the popish plot was still the subject upon which the opposers of +the court had most credit with the public. Mr. Hume, +notwithstanding his just indignation at the condemnation of +Stafford, and his general inclination to approve of royal +politics, most unaccountably justifies the Commons in their +rejection of this bill, upon the principle of its being impolitic +at that time to grant so full a justification of the Catholics, +and to throw so foul an imputation upon the Protestants. +Surely if there be one moral duty that is binding upon men in all +times, places, and circumstances, and from which no supposed +views of policy can excuse them, it is that of granting a full +justification to the innocent; and such Mr. Hume considers the +Catholics, and especially Lord Stafford, to have been. The +only rational way of accounting for this solitary instance of +non-compliance on the part of the Commons is either to suppose +that they still believed in the reality of the popish plot, and +Stafford’s guilt, or that the Church party, which was +uppermost, had such an antipathy to popery, as indeed to every +sect whose tenets differed from theirs, that they deemed +everything lawful against its professors.</p> +<p>On the 2nd of July parliament was adjourned for the purpose of +enabling the principal gentlemen to be present in their +respective counties at a time when their services and influence +might be so necessary to government. It is said that the +House of Commons consisted of members so devoted to James, that +he declared there were not forty in it whom he would not himself +have named. But although this may have been true, and +though from the new modelling of the corporations, and the +interference of the court in elections, this parliament, as far +as regards the manner of its being chosen, was by no means a fair +representative of the legal electors of England, yet there is +reason to think that it afforded a tolerably correct sample of +the disposition of the nation, and especially of the Church +party, which was then uppermost.</p> +<p>The general character of the party at this time appears to +have been a high notion of the king’s constitutional power, +to which was superadded a kind of religious abhorrence of all +resistance to the monarch, not only in cases where such +resistance was directed against the lawful prerogative, but even +in opposition to encroachments which the monarch might make +beyond the extended limits which they assigned to his +prerogative. But these tenets, and still more the principle +of conduct naturally resulting from them, were confined to the +civil, as contra-distinguished from the ecclesiastical polity of +the country. In Church matters they neither acknowledged +any very high authority in the crown, nor were they willing to +submit to any royal encroachment on that side; and a steady +attachment to the Church of England, with a proportionable +aversion to all dissenters from it, whether Catholic or +Protestant, was almost universally prevalent among them. A +due consideration of these distinct features in the character of +a party so powerful in Charles’s and in James’s time, +and even when it was lowest (that is, during the reigns of the +two first princes of the House of Brunswick), by no means +inconsiderable, is exceedingly necessary to the right +understanding of English history. It affords a clue to many +passages otherwise unintelligible. For want of a proper +attention to this circumstance, some historians have considered +the conduct of the Tories in promoting the revolution as an +instance of great inconsistency. Some have supposed, +contrary to the clearest evidence, that their notions of passive +obedience, even in civil matters, were limited, and that their +support of the government of Charles and James was founded upon a +belief that those princes would never abuse their prerogative for +the purpose of introducing arbitrary sway. But this +hypothesis is contrary to the evidence both of their declarations +and their conduct. Obedience without reserve, an abhorrence +of all resistance, as contrary to the tenets of their religion, +are the principles which they professed in their addresses, their +sermons, and their decrees at Oxford; and surely nothing short of +such principles could make men esteem the latter years of Charles +II., and the opening of the reign of his successor, an era of +national happiness and exemplary government. Yet this is +the representation of that period, which is usually made by +historians and other writers of the Church party. +“Never were fairer promises on one side, nor greater +generosity on the other,” says Mr. Echard. “The +king had as yet, in no instance, invaded the rights of his +subjects,” says the author of the Caveat against the +Whigs. Thus, as long as James contented himself with +absolute power in civil matters, and did not make use of his +authority against the Church, everything went smooth and easy; +nor is it necessary, in order to account for the satisfaction of +the parliament and people, to have recourse to any implied +compromise by which the nation was willing to yield its civil +liberties as the price of retaining its religious +constitution. The truth seems to be, that the king, in +asserting his unlimited power, rather fell in with the humour of +the prevailing party than offered any violence to it. +Absolute power in civil matters, under the specious names of +monarchy and prerogative, formed a most essential part of the +Tory creed; but the order in which Church and king are placed in +the favourite device of the party is not accidental, and is well +calculated to show the genuine principles of such among them as +are not corrupted by influence. Accordingly, as the sequel +of this reign will abundantly show, when they found themselves +compelled to make an option, they preferred, without any degree +of inconsistency, their first idol to their second, and when they +could not preserve both Church and king, declared for the +former.</p> +<p>It gives certainly no very flattering picture of the country +to describe it as being in some sense fairly represented by this +servile parliament, and not only acquiescing in, but delighted +with the early measures of James’s reign; the contempt of +law exhibited in the arbitrary mode of raising his revenue; his +insulting menace to the parliament, that if they did not use him +well, he would govern without them; his furious persecution of +the Protestant dissenters, and the spirit of despotism which +appeared in all his speeches and actions. But it is to be +remembered that these measures were in nowise contrary to the +principles or prejudices of the Church party, but rather highly +agreeable to them; and that the Whigs, who alone were possessed +of any just notions of liberty, were so outnumbered and +discomforted by persecution, that such of them as did not think +fit to engage in the rash schemes of Monmouth or Argyle, held it +to be their interest to interfere as little as possible in public +affairs, and by no means to obtrude upon unwilling hearers +opinions and sentiments which, ever since the dissolution of the +Oxford parliament, in 1681, had been generally discountenanced, +and of which the peaceable, or rather triumphant, accession of +James to the throne was supposed to seal the condemnation.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER III.</h2> +<p>Attempts of Argyle and Monmouth—Account of their +followers—Argyle’s expedition discovered—His +descent in Argyleshire—Dissensions among his +followers—Loss of his shipping—His army dispersed, +and himself taken prisoner—His behaviour in +prison—His execution—The fate of his +followers—Rumbold’s last declaration +examined—Monmouth’s invasion of England—His +first success and reception—His delays, disappointment, and +despondency—Battle of Sedgmoor—He is discovered and +taken—His letter to the king—His interview with +James—His preparations for death—Circumstances +attending his execution—His character.</p> +<p>It is now necessary to give some account of those attempts in +Scotland by the Earl of Argyle, and in England by the Duke of +Monmouth, of which the king had informed his parliament in the +manner recited in the preceding chapter. The Earl of Argyle +was son to the Marquis of Argyle, of whose unjust execution, and +the treacherous circumstances accompanying it, notice has already +been taken. He had in his youth been strongly attached to +the royal cause, and had refused to lay down his arms till he had +the exiled king’s positive orders for that purpose. +But the merit of his early services could neither save the life +of his father, nor even procure for himself a complete +restitution of his family honours and estates; and not long after +the restoration, upon an accusation of leasing-making, an +accusation founded, in this instance, upon a private letter to a +fellow-subject, in which he spoke with some freedom of his +majesty’s Scottish ministry, he was condemned to +death. The sentence was suspended and finally remitted, but +not till after an imprisonment of twelve months and +upwards. In this affair he was much assisted by the +friendship of the Duke of Lauderdale, with whom he ever +afterwards lived upon terms of friendship, though his principles +would not permit him to give active assistance to that nobleman +in his government of Scotland. Accordingly, we do not, +during that period, find Argyle’s name among those who held +any of those great employments of State to which, by his rank and +consequence, he was naturally entitled. When James, then +Duke of York, was appointed to the Scottish government, it seems +to have been the earl’s intention to cultivate his royal +highness’s favour, and he was a strenuous supporter of the +bill which condemned all attempts at exclusions or other +alterations in the succession of the crown. But having +highly offended that prince by insisting, on the occasion of the +test, that the royal family, when in office, should not be +exempted from taking that oath which they imposed upon subjects +in like situations, his royal highness ordered a prosecution +against him, for the explanation with which he had taken the test +oath at the council-board, and the earl was, as we have seen, +again condemned to death. From the time of his escape from +prison he resided wholly in foreign countries, and was looked to +as a principal ally by such of the English patriots as had at any +time entertained thoughts, whether more or less ripened, of +delivering their country.</p> +<p>James, Duke of Monmouth, was the eldest of the late +king’s natural children. In the early parts of his +life he held the first place in his father’s affections; +and even in the height of Charles’s displeasure at his +political conduct, attentive observers thought they could discern +that the traces of paternal tenderness were by no means +effaced. Appearing at court in the bloom of youth, with a +beautiful figure and engaging manners, known to be the darling of +the monarch, it is no wonder that he was early assailed by the +arts of flattery; and it is rather a proof that he had not the +strongest of all minds, than of any extraordinary weakness of +character, that he was not proof against them. He had +appeared with some distinction in the Flemish campaigns, and his +conduct had been noticed with the approbation of the commanders +as well as Dutch as French, under whom he had respectively +served. His courage was allowed by all, his person admired, +his generosity loved, his sincerity confided in. If his +talents were not of the first rate, they were by no means +contemptible; and he possessed, in an eminent degree, qualities +which, in popular government, are far more effective than the +most splendid talents; qualities by which he inspired those who +followed him, not only with confidence and esteem, but with +affection, enthusiasm, and even fondness. Thus endowed, it +is not surprising that his youthful mind was fired with ambition, +or that he should consider the putting himself at the head of a +party (a situation for which he seems to have been peculiarly +qualified by so many advantages) as the means by which he was +most likely to attain his object.</p> +<p>Many circumstances contributed to outweigh the scruples which +must have harassed a man of his excellent nature, when he +considered the obligations of filial duty and gratitude, and when +he reflected that the particular relation in which he stood to +the king rendered a conduct, which in any other subject would +have been meritorious, doubtful, if not extremely culpable in +him. Among these, not the least was the declared enmity +which subsisted between him and his uncle, the Duke of +York. The Earl of Mulgrave, afterwards Duke of +Buckinghamshire, boasted in his “Memoirs,” that this +enmity was originally owing to his contrivances; and while he is +relating a conduct, upon which the only doubt can be, whether the +object or the means were the most infamous, seems to applaud +himself as if he had achieved some notable exploit. While, +on the one hand, a prospect of his uncle’s succession to +the crown was intolerable to him, as involving in it a certain +destruction of even the most reasonable and limited views of +ambition which he might entertain, he was easily led to believe, +on the other hand, that no harm, but the reverse, was intended +towards his royal father, whose reign and life might become +precarious if he obstinately persevered in supporting his +brother; whereas, on the contrary, if he could be persuaded, or +even forced, to yield to the wishes of his subjects, he might +long reign a powerful, happy, and popular prince.</p> +<p>It is also reasonable to believe, that with those personal and +private motives others might co-operate of a public nature and of +a more noble character. The Protestant religion, to which +he seems to have been sincerely attached, would be persecuted, or +perhaps exterminated, if the king should be successful in his +support of the Duke of York and his faction. At least, such +was the opinion generally prevalent, while, with respect to the +civil liberties of the country, no doubt could be entertained, +that if the court party prevailed in the struggle then depending +they would be completely extinguished. Something may be +attributed to his admiration of the talents of some, to his +personal friendship for others among the leaders of the Whigs, +more to the aptitude of a generous nature to adopt, and, if I may +so say, to become enamoured of those principles of justice, +benevolence, and equality, which form the true creed of the party +which he espoused. I am not inclined to believe that it was +his connection with Shaftesbury that inspired him with ambitious +views, but rather to reverse cause and effect, and to suppose +that his ambitious views produced his connection with that +nobleman; and whoever reads with attention Lord Grey’s +account of one of the party meetings at which he was present, +will perceive that there was not between them that perfect +cordiality which has been generally supposed; but that Russell, +Grey, and Hampden, were upon a far more confidential footing with +him. It is far easier to determine generally, that he had +high schemes of ambition, than to discover what was his precise +object; and those who boldly impute to him the intention of +succeeding to the crown, seem to pass by several weighty +arguments, which make strongly against their hypothesis; such as +his connection with the Duchess of Portsmouth, who, if the +succession were to go to the king’s illegitimate children, +must naturally have been for her own son; his unqualified support +of the Exclusion Bill, which, without indeed mentioning her, most +unequivocally settled the crown, in case of a demise, upon the +Princess of Orange; and, above all, the circumstance of his +having, when driven from England, twice chosen Holland for his +asylum. By his cousins he was received, not so much with +the civility and decorum of princes, as with the kind familiarity +of near relations, a reception to which he seemed to make every +return of reciprocal cordiality. It is not rashly to be +believed, that he, who has never been accused of hardened +wickedness, could have been upon such terms with, and so have +behaved to, persons whom he purposed to disappoint in their +dearest and best grounded hopes, and to defraud of their +inheritance.</p> +<p>Whatever his views might be, it is evident that they were of a +nature wholly adverse, not only to those of the Duke of York, but +to the schemes of power entertained by the king, with which the +support of his brother was intimately connected. Monmouth +was therefore, at the suggestion of James, ordered by his father +to leave the country, and deprived of all his offices, civil and +military. The pretence for this exile was a sort of +principle of impartiality, which obliged the king, at the same +time that he ordered his brother to retire to Flanders, to deal +equal measure to his son. Upon the Duke of York’s +return (which was soon after), Monmouth thought he might without +blame return also; and persevering in his former measures and old +connections, became deeply involved in the cabals to which Essex, +Russell, and Sidney fell martyrs. After the death of his +friends, he surrendered himself; and upon a promise that nothing +said by him should be used to the prejudice of any of his +surviving friends, wrote a penitentiary letter to his father, +consenting, at the same time, to ask pardon of his uncle. A +great parade was made of this by the court, as if it was designed +by all means to goad the feelings of Monmouth: his majesty was +declared to have pardoned him at the request of the Duke of York, +and his consent was required to the publication of what was +called his confession. This he resolutely refused at all +hazards, and was again obliged to seek refuge abroad, where he +had remained to the period of which we are now treating.</p> +<p>A little time before Charles’s death he had indulged +hopes of being recalled; and that his intelligence to that effect +was not quite unfounded, or if false, was at least mixed with +truth, is clear from the following circumstance:—From the +notes found when he was taken, in his memorandum book, it appears +that part of the plan concerted between the king and +Monmouth’s friend (probably Halifax), was that the Duke of +York should go to Scotland, between which, and his being sent +abroad again, Monmouth and his friends saw no material +difference. Now in Barillon’s letters to his court, +dated the 7th of December, 1684, it appears that the Duke of York +had told that ambassador of his intended voyage to Scotland +though he represented it in a very different point of view, and +said that it would not be attended with any diminution of his +favour or credit. This was the light in which Charles, to +whom the expressions, “to blind my brother, not to make the +Duke of York fly out,” and the like, were familiar, would +certainly have shown the affair to his brother, and therefore of +all the circumstances adduced, this appears to me to be the +strongest in favour of the supposition, that there was in the +king’s mind a real intention of making an important, if not +a complete, change in his councils and measures.</p> +<p>Besides these two leaders, there were on the continent at that +time several other gentlemen of great consideration. Sir +Patrick Hume, of Polworth, had early distinguished himself in the +cause of liberty. When the privy council of Scotland passed +an order, compelling the counties to pay the expense of the +garrisons arbitrarily placed in them, he refused to pay his +quota, and by a mode of appeal to the court of session, which the +Scotch lawyers call a bill of suspension, endeavoured to procure +redress. The council ordered him to be imprisoned, for no +other crime, as it should seem, than that of having thus +attempted to procure, by a legal process, a legal decision upon a +point of law. After having remained in close confinement in +Stirling Castle for near four years, he was set at liberty +through the favour and interest of Monmouth. Having +afterwards engaged in schemes connected with those imputed to +Sidney and Russell, orders were issued for seizing him at his +house in Berwickshire; but having had timely notice of his danger +from his relation, Hume of Ninewells, a gentleman attached to the +royal cause, but whom party spirit had not rendered insensible to +the ties of kindred and private friendship, he found means to +conceal himself for a time, and shortly after to escape beyond +sea. His concealment is said to have been in the family +burial-place, where the means of sustaining life were brought to +him by his daughter, a girl of fifteen years of age, whose duty +and affection furnished her with courage to brave the terrors, as +well superstitious as real, to which she was necessarily exposed +in an intercourse of this nature.</p> +<p>Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun, a young man of great spirit, had +signalised himself in opposition to Lauderdale’s +administration of Scotland, and had afterwards connected himself +with Argyle and Russell, and what was called the council of +six. He had, of course, thought it prudent to leave Great +Britain, and could not be supposed unwilling to join in any +enterprise which might bid fair to restore him to his country, +and his countrymen to their lost liberties, though, upon the +present occasion, which he seems to have judged to be unfit for +the purpose, he endeavoured to dissuade both Argyle and Monmouth +from their attempts. He was a man of much thought and +reading, of an honourable mind, and a fiery spirit, and from his +enthusiastic admiration of the ancients, supposed to be warmly +attached, not only to republican principles, but to the form of a +commonwealth. Sir John Cochrane of Ochiltree had fled his +country on account of the transactions of 1683. His +property and connections were considerable, and he was supposed +to possess extensive influence in Ayrshire and the adjacent +counties.</p> +<p>Such were the persons of chief note among the Scottish +emigrants. Among the English, by far the most remarkable +was Ford, Lord Grey of Wark. A scandalous love intrigue +with his wife’s sister had fixed a very deep stain upon his +private character; nor were the circumstances attending this +affair, which had all been brought to light in a court of +justice, by any means calculated to extenuate his guilt. +His ancient family, however, the extensive influence arising from +his large possessions, his talents, which appear to have been +very considerable, and above all, his hitherto unshaken fidelity +in political attachments, and the general steadiness of his +conduct in public life, might in some degree countervail the +odium which he had incurred on account of his private +vices. Of Matthews, Wade, and Ayloff, whose names are +mentioned as having both joined the preliminary councils, and +done actual service in the invasions, little is known by which +curiosity could be either gratified or excited.</p> +<p>Richard Rumbold, on every account, merits more particular +notice. He had formerly served in the republican armies; +and adhering to the principles of liberty which he had imbibed in +his youth, though nowise bigoted to the particular form of a +commonwealth had been deeply engaged in the politics of those who +thought they saw an opportunity of rescuing their country from +the tyrannical government of the late king. He was one of +the persons denounced in Keeling’s narrative, and was +accused of having conspired to assassinate the royal brothers in +their road to Newmarket, an accusation belied by the whole tenor +of his life and conduct, and which, if it had been true, would +have proved him, who was never thought a weak or foolish man, to +be as destitute of common sense as of honour and probity. +It was pretended that the seizure of the princes was to take +place at a farm called Rye House, which he occupied in Essex, for +the purposes of his trade as maltster; and from this circumstance +was derived the name of the Rye House Plot. Conscious of +having done some acts which the law, if even fairly interpreted +and equitably administered, might deem criminal, and certain that +many which he had not done would be both sworn and believed +against him, he made his escape, and passed the remainder of +Charles’s reign in exile and obscurity; nor is his name, as +far as I can learn, ever mentioned from the time of the Rye House +Plot to that of which we are now treating.</p> +<p>It is not to be understood that there were no other names upon +the list of those who fled from the tyranny of the British +government, or thought themselves unsafe in their native country, +on account of its violence, besides those of the persons above +mentioned, and of such as joined in their bold and hazardous +enterprise. Another class of emigrants, not less sensible +probably to the wrongs of their country, but less sanguine in +their hopes of immediate redress, is ennobled by the names of +Burnet the historian and Mr. Locke. It is difficult to +accede to the opinion which the first of these seems to +entertain, that though particular injustices had been committed, +the misgovernment had not been of such a nature as to justify +resistance by arms. But the prudential reasons against +resistance at that time were exceedingly strong; and there is no +point in human concerns wherein the dictates of virtue and +worldly prudence are so identified as in this great question of +resistance by force to established government. Success, it +has been invidiously remarked, constitutes in most instances the +sole difference between the traitor and the deliverer of his +country. A rational probability of success, it may be truly +said, distinguishes the well-considered enterprise of the +patriot, from the rash schemes of the disturber of the public +peace. To command success is not in the power of man; but +to deserve success, by choosing a proper time, as well as a +proper object, by the prudence of his means, no less than by the +purity of his views, by a cause not only intrinsically just, but +likely to insure general support, is the indispensable duty of +him who engages in an insurrection against an existing +government. Upon this subject the opinion of Ludlow, who, +though often misled, appears to have been an honest and +enlightened man, is striking and forcibly expressed. +“We ought,” says he, “to be very careful and +circumspect in that particular, and at least be assured of very +probable grounds to believe the power under which we engage to be +sufficiently able to protect us in our undertaking; otherwise I +should account myself not only guilty of my own blood, but also, +in some measure, of the ruin and destruction of all those that I +should induce to engage with me, though no cause were never so +just.” Reasons of this nature, mixed more or less +with considerations of personal caution, and in some, perhaps, +with dislike and distrust of the leaders, induced many, who could +not but abhor the British government, to wait for better +opportunities, and to prefer either submission at home, or exile, +to an undertaking which, if not hopeless, must have been deemed +by all hazardous in the extreme.</p> +<p>In the situation in which these two noblemen, Argyle and +Monmouth, were placed, it is not to be wondered at if they were +naturally willing to enter into any plan by which they might +restore themselves to their country; nor can it be doubted but +they honestly conceived their success to be intimately connected +with the welfare, and especially with the liberty of the several +kingdoms to which they respectively belonged. Monmouth, +whether because he had begun at this time, as he himself said, to +wean his mind from ambition, or from the observations he had made +upon the apparently rapid turn which had taken place in the minds +of the English people, seems to have been very averse to rash +counsels, and to have thought that all attempts against James +ought at least to be deferred till some more favourable +opportunity should present itself. So far from esteeming +his chance of success the better, on account of there being in +James’s parliament many members who had voted for the +Exclusion Bill, he considered that circumstance as +unfavourable. These men, of whom, however, he seems to have +over-rated the number, would, in his opinion, be more eager than +others to recover the ground they had lost, by an extraordinary +show of zeal and attachment to the crown. But if Monmouth +was inclined to dilatory counsels, far different were the views +and designs of other exiles, who had been obliged to leave their +country on account of their having engaged, if not with him +personally, at least in the same cause with him, and who were +naturally enough his advisers. Among these were Lord Grey +of Wark, and Ferguson; though the latter afterwards denied his +having had much intercourse with the duke, and the former, in his +“Narrative,” insinuates that he rather dissuaded than +pressed the invasion.</p> +<p>But if Monmouth was inclined to delay, Argyle seems, on the +other hand, to have been impatient in the extreme to bring +matters to a crisis, and was of course anxious that the attempt +upon England should be made in co-operation with his upon +Scotland. Ralph, an historian of great acuteness as well as +diligence, but who falls sometimes into the common error of +judging too much from the event, seems to think this impatience +wholly unaccountable; but Argyle may have had many motives which +are now unknown to us. He may not improbably have foreseen +that the friendly terms upon which James and the Prince of Orange +affected at least to be, one with the other, might make his stay +in the United Provinces impracticable, and that, if obliged to +seek another asylum, not only he might have been deprived, in +some measure, of the resources which he derived from his +connections at Amsterdam, but that the very circumstance of his +having been publicly discountenanced by the Prince of Orange and +the states-general, might discredit his enterprise. His +eagerness for action may possibly have proceeded from the most +laudable motives, his sensibility to the horrors which his +countrymen were daily and hourly suffering, and his ardour to +relieve them. The dreadful state of Scotland, while it +affords so honourable an explanation of his impatience, seems to +account also, in a great measure, for his acting against the +common notions of prudence, in making his attack without any +previous concert with those whom he expected to join him +there. That this was his view of the matter is plain, as we +are informed by Burnet that he depended not only on an army of +his own clan and vassals, but that he took it for granted that +the western and southern counties would all at once come about +him, when he had gathered a good force together in his own +country; and surely such an expectation, when we reflect upon the +situation of those counties, was by no means unreasonable.</p> +<p>Argyle’s counsel, backed by Lord Grey and the rest of +Monmouth’s advisers, and opposed by none except Fletcher of +Saltoun, to whom some add Captain Matthews, prevailed, and it was +agreed to invade immediately, and at one time, the two +kingdoms. Monmouth had raised some money from his jewels, +and Argyle had a loan of ten thousand pounds from a rich widow in +Amsterdam. With these resources, such as they were, ships +and arms were provided, and Argyle sailed from Vly on the 2nd of +May with three small vessels, accompanied by Sir Patrick Hume, +Sir John Cochrane, a few more Scotch gentlemen, and by two +Englishmen, Ayloff, a nephew by marriage to Lord Chancellor +Clarendon, and Rumbold, the maltster, who had been accused of +being principally concerned in that conspiracy which, from his +farm in Essex, where it was pretended Charles II. was to have +been intercepted in his way from Newmarket, and assassinated, had +been called the Rye House Plot. Sir Patrick Hume is said to +have advised the shortest passage, in order to come more +unexpectedly upon the enemy; but Argyle, who is represented as +remarkably tenacious of his own opinions, persisted in his plan +of sailing round the north of Scotland, as well for the purpose +of landing at once among his own vassals, as for that of being +nearer to the western counties, which had been most severely +oppressed, and from which, of course, he expected most +assistance. Each of these plans had, no doubt, its peculiar +advantages; but, as far as we can judge at this distance of time, +those belonging to the earl’s scheme seemed to +preponderate; for the force he carried with him was certainly not +sufficient to enable him, by striking any decisive stroke, to +avail himself even of the most unprepared state in which he could +hope to find the king’s government. As he must, +therefore, depend entirely upon reinforcements from the country, +it seemed reasonable to make for that part where succour was most +likely to be obtained, even at the hazard of incurring the +disadvantage which must evidently result from the enemy’s +having early notice of his attack, and, consequently, +proportionable time for defence.</p> +<p>Unfortunately this hazard was converted into a certainty by +his sending some men on shore in the Orkneys. Two of these, +Spence and Blackadder, were seized at Kirkwall by the bishop of +the diocese, and sent up prisoners to Edinburgh, by which means +the government was not only satisfied of the reality of the +intended invasion, of which, however, they had before had some +intimation, but could guess with a reasonable certainty the part +of the coast where the descent was to take place, for Argyle +could not possibly have sailed so far to the north with any other +view than that of making his landing either on his own estate, or +in some of the western counties. Among the numberless +charges of imprudence against the unfortunate Argyle, charges too +often inconsiderately urged against him who fails in any +enterprise of moment, that which is founded upon the circumstance +just mentioned appears to me to be the most weighty, though it is +that which is the least mentioned, and by no author, as far as I +recollect, much enforced. If the landing in the north was +merely for the purpose of gaining intelligence respecting the +disposition of the country, or for the more frivolous object of +making some few prisoners, it was indeed imprudent in the highest +degree. That prisoners, such as were likely to be taken on +this occasion, should have been a consideration with any man of +common sense is impossible. The desire of gaining +intelligence concerning the disposition of the people was indeed +a natural curiosity, but it would be a strong instance of that +impatience which has been often alleged though in no other case +proved to have been part of the earl’s character, if, for +the sake of gratifying such a desire, he gave the enemy any +important advantage. Of the intelligence which he sought +thus eagerly, it was evident that he could not in that place and +at that time make any immediate use; whereas, of that which he +afforded his enemies, they could and did avail themselves against +him. The most favourable account of this proceeding, and +which seems to deserve most credit, is, that having missed the +proper passage through the Orkney Islands, he thought proper to +send on shore for pilots, and that Spence very imprudently took +the opportunity of going to confer with a relation at Kirkwall; +but it is to be remarked that it was not necessary for the +purpose of getting pilots, to employ men of note, such as +Blackadder and Spence, the latter of whom was the earl’s +secretary; and that it was an unpardonable neglect not to give +the strictest injunctions to those who were employed against +going a step further into the country than was absolutely +necessary.</p> +<p>Argyle, with his wonted generosity of spirit, was at first +determined to lay siege to Kirkwall, in order to recover his +friends; but, partly by the dissuasions of his followers, and +still more by the objections made by the masters of the ships to +a delay which might make them lose the favourable winds for their +intended voyage, he was induced to prosecute his course. In +the meantime the government made the use that it was obvious they +would make of the information they had obtained, and when the +earl arrived at his destination, he learned that considerable +forces were got together to repel any attack that he might +meditate. Being prevented by contrary winds from reaching +the Isle of Islay, where he had purposed to make his first +landing, he sailed back to Dunstafnage in Lorn, and there sent +ashore his son, Mr. Charles Campbell, to engage his tenants and +other friends and dependants of his family to rise in his behalf; +but even there he found less encouragement and assistance than he +had expected, and the laird of Lochniel, who gave him the best +assurances, treacherously betrayed him, sent his letter to the +government, and joined the royal forces under the Marquis of +Athol. He then proceeded southwards, and landed at +Campbelltown in Kintyre, where his first step was to publish his +declaration, which appears to have produced little or no +effect.</p> +<p>This bad beginning served, as is usual in such adventures, +rather to widen than to reconcile the differences which had early +begun to manifest themselves between the leader and his +followers. Hume and Cochrane, partly construing, perhaps +too sanguinely, the intelligence which was received from +Ayrshire, Galloway, and the other Lowland districts in that +quarter, partly from an expectation that where the oppression had +been most grievous, the revolt would be proportionably the more +general, were against any stay, or, as they termed it, loss of +time in the Highlands, but were for proceeding at once, weak as +they were in point of numbers, to a country where every man +endowed with the common feelings of human nature must be their +well-wisher, every man of spirit their coadjutor. Argyle, +on the contrary, who probably considered the discouraging +accounts from the Lowlands as positive and distinct, while those +which were deemed more favourable appeared to him to be at least +uncertain and provisional, thought the most prudent plan was to +strengthen himself in his own country before he attempted the +invasion of provinces where the enemy was so well prepared to +receive him. He had hopes of gaining time, not only to +increase his own army, but to avail himself of the Duke of +Monmouth’s intended invasion of England, an event which +must obviously have great influence upon his affairs, and which, +if he could but maintain himself in a situation to profit by it, +might be productive of advantages of an importance and extent of +which no man could presume to calculate the limits. Of +these two contrary opinions it may be difficult at this time of +day to appreciate the value, seeing that so much depends upon the +degree of credit due to the different accounts from the Lowland +counties, of which our imperfect information does not enable us +to form any accurate judgment. But even though we should +not decide absolutely in favour of the cogency of these +reasonings which influenced the chief, it must surely be admitted +that there was, at least, sufficient probability in them to +account for his not immediately giving way to those of his +followers, and to rescue his memory from the reproach of any +uncommon obstinacy, or of carrying things, as Burnet phrases it, +with an air of authority that was not easy to men who were +setting up for liberty. On the other hand, it may be more +difficult to exculpate the gentlemen engaged with Argyle for not +acquiescing more cheerfully, and not entering more cordially into +the views of a man whom they had chosen for their leader and +general; of whose honour they had no doubt, and whose opinion +even those who dissented from him must confess to be formed upon +no light or trivial grounds.</p> +<p>The differences upon the general scheme of attack led, of +course, to others upon points of detail. Upon every +projected expedition there appeared a contrariety of sentiment, +which on some occasions produced the most violent disputes. +The earl was often thwarted in his plans, and in one instance +actually over-ruled by the vote of a council of war. Nor +were these divisions, which might of themselves be deemed +sufficient to mar an enterprise of this nature, the only adverse +circumstances which Argyle had to encounter. By the forward +state of preparation on the part of the government, its friends +were emboldened; its enemies, whose spirit had been already +broken by a long series of sufferings, were completely +intimidated, and men of fickle and time-serving dispositions were +fixed in its interests. Add to all this, that where spirit +was not wanting, it was accompanied with a degree and species of +perversity wholly inexplicable, and which can hardly gain belief +from any one whose experience has not made him acquainted with +the extreme difficulty of persuading men who pride themselves +upon an extravagant love of liberty, rather to compromise upon +some points with those who have in the main the same views with +themselves, than to give power (a power which will infallibly be +used for their own destruction) to an adversary of principles +diametrically opposite; in other words, rather to concede +something to a friend, than everything to an enemy. Hence, +those even whose situation was the most desperate, who were +either wandering about the fields, or seeking refuge in rocks and +caverns, from the authorised assassins who were on every side +pursuing them, did not all join in Argyle’s cause with that +frankness and cordiality which was to be expected. The +various schisms which had existed among different classes of +Presbyterians were still fresh in their memory. Not even +the persecution to which they had been in common, and almost +indiscriminately subjected, had reunited them. According to +a most expressive phrase of an eminent minister of their church, +who sincerely lamented their disunion, the furnace had not yet +healed the rents and breaches among them. Some doubted +whether, short of establishing all the doctrines preached by +Cargill and Cameron, there was anything worth contending for; +while others, still further gone in enthusiasm, set no value upon +liberty, or even life itself, if they were to be preserved by the +means of a nobleman who had, as well by his serviced to Charles +the Second as by other instances, been guilty in the former parts +of his conduct of what they termed unlawful compliances.</p> +<p>Perplexed, no doubt, but not dismayed, by these difficulties, +the earl proceeded to Tarbet, which he had fixed as the place of +rendezvous, and there issued a second declaration (that which has +been mentioned as having been laid before the House of Commons), +with as little effect as the first. He was joined by Sir +Duncan Campbell, who alone, of all his kinsmen, seems to have +afforded him any material assistance, and who brought with him +nearly a thousand men; but even with this important +reinforcement, his whole army does not appear to have exceeded +two thousand. It was here that he was over-ruled by a +council of war, when he proposed marching to Inverary; and after +much debate, so far was he from being so self-willed as he is +represented, that he consented to go over with his army to that +part of Argyleshire called Cowal, and that Sir John Cochrane +should make an attempt upon the Lowlands; and he sent with him +Major Fullarton, one of the offices in whom he most trusted, and +who appears to have best deserved his confidence. This +expedition could not land in Ayrshire, where it had at first been +intended, owing to the appearance of two king’s frigates, +which had been sent into those seas; and when it did land near +Greenock, no other advantage was derived from it than the +procuring from the town a very small supply of provisions.</p> +<p>When Cochrane, with his detachment, returned to Cowal, all +hopes of success in the Lowlands seemed, for the present at +least, to be at an end, and Argyle’s original plan was now +necessarily adopted, though under circumstances greatly +disadvantageous. Among these, the most important was the +approach of the frigates, which obliged the earl to place his +ships under the protection of the castle of Ellengreg, which he +fortified and garrisoned as well as his contracted means would +permit. Yet even in this situation, deprived of the +co-operation of his little fleet, as well as of that part of his +force which he left to defend it, being well seconded by the +spirit and activity of Rumbold, who had seized the castle of +Ardkinglass, near the head of Loch Fin, he was not without hopes +of success in his main enterprise against Inverary, when he was +called back to Ellengreg, by intelligence of fresh discontents +having broken out there, upon the nearer approach of the +frigates. Some of the most dissatisfied had even threatened +to leave both castle and ships to their fate; nor did the +appearance of the earl himself by any means bring with it that +degree of authority which was requisite in such a juncture. +His first motion was to disregard the superior force of the men +of war, and to engage them with his small fleet; but he soon +discovered that he was far indeed from being furnished with the +materials necessary to put in execution so bold, or, as it may +possibly be thought, so romantic a resolution. His +associates remonstrated, and a mutiny in his ships was predicted +as a certain consequence of the attempt. Leaving, +therefore, once more, Ellengreg with a garrison under the command +of the laird of Lochness, and strict orders to destroy both ships +and fortification, rather than suffer them to fall into the hands +of the enemy, he marched towards Gareloch. But whether from +the inadequacy of the provisions with which he was to supply it, +or from cowardice, misconduct, or treachery, it does not appear, +the castle was soon evacuated without any proper measures being +taken to execute the earl’s orders, and the military stores +in it to a considerable amount, as well as the ships which had no +other defence, were abandoned to the king’s forces.</p> +<p>This was a severe blow; and all hopes of acting according to +the earl’s plan of establishing himself strongly in +Argyleshire were now extinguished. He therefore consented +to pass the Leven, a little above Dumbarton, and to march +eastwards. In this march he was overtaken, at a place +called Killerne, by Lord Dumbarton, at the head of a large body +of the king’s troops; but he posted himself with so much +skill and judgment, that Dumbarton thought it prudent to wait, at +least, till the ensuing morning, before he made his attack. +Here, again Argyle was for risking an engagement, and in his +nearly desperate situation, it was probably his best chance, but +his advice (for his repeated misfortunes had scarcely left him +the shadow of command) was rejected. On the other hand, a +proposal was made to him, the most absurd, as it should seem, +that was ever suggested in similar circumstances, to pass the +enemy in the night, and thus exposing his rear, to subject +himself to the danger of being surrounded, for the sake of +advancing he knew not whither, or for what purpose. To this +he could not consent; and it was at last agreed to deceive the +enemies by lighting fires, and to decamp in the night towards +Glasgow. The first part of this plan was executed with +success, and the army went off unperceived by the enemy; but in +their night march they were misled by the ignorance or the +treachery of their guides and fell into difficulties which would +have caused some disorder among the most regular and +best-disciplined troops. In this case such disorder was +fatal, and produced, as among men circumstanced as Argyle’s +were, it necessarily must, an almost general dispersion. +Wandering among bogs and morasses, disheartened by fatigue, +terrified by rumours of an approaching enemy, the darkness of the +night aggravating at once every real distress, and adding terror +to every vain alarm; in this situation, when even the bravest and +the best (for according to one account Rumbold himself was +missing for a time) were not able to find their leaders, nor the +corps to which they respectively belonged; it is no wonder that +many took this opportunity to abandon a cause now become +desperate, and to effect individually that escape which, as a +body, they had no longer any hopes to accomplish.</p> +<p>When the small remains of this ill-fated army got together, in +the morning, at Kilpatrick, a place far distant from their +destination, its number was reduced to less than five +hundred. Argyle had lost all authority; nor, indeed, had he +retained any, does it appear that he could now have used it to +any salutary purpose. The same bias which had influenced +the two parties in the time of better hopes, and with regard to +their early operations, still prevailed now that they were driven +to their last extremity. Sir Patrick Hume and Sir John +Cochrane would not stay even to reason the matter with him whom, +at the onset of their expedition, they had engaged to obey, but +crossed the Clyde, with such as would follow them to the number +of about two hundred, into Renfrewshire.</p> +<p>Argyle, thus deserted, and almost alone, still looked to his +own country as the sole remaining hope, and sent off Sir Duncan +Campbell, with the two Duncansons, father and son—persons, +all three, by whom he seemed to have been served with the most +exemplary zeal and fidelity—to attempt new levies +there. Having done this, and settled such means of +correspondence as the state of affairs would permit, he repaired +to the house of an old servant, upon whose attachment he had +relied for an asylum, but was peremptorily denied entrance. +Concealment in this part of the country seemed now impracticable, +and he was forced at last to pass the Clyde, accompanied by the +brave and faithful Fullarton. Upon coming to a ford of the +Inchanon they were stopped by some militia-men. Fullarton +used in vain all the best means which his presence of mind +suggested to him to save his general. He attempted one +while by gentle, and then by harsher language, to detain the +commander of the party till the earl, who was habited as a common +countryman, and whom he passed for his guide, should have made +his escape. At last, when he saw them determined to go +after his pretended guide, he offered to surrender himself +without a blow, upon condition of their desisting from their +pursuit. This agreement was accepted, but not adhered to, +and two horsemen were detached to seize Argyle. The earl, +who was also on horseback, grappled with them till one of them +and himself came to the ground. He then presented his +pocket pistols, on which the two retired, but soon after five +more came up, who fired without effect, and he thought himself +like to get rid of them, but they knocked him down with their +swords and seized him. When they knew whom they had taken +they seemed much troubled, but dared not let him go. +Fullarton, perceiving that the stipulation on which he had +surrendered himself was violated, and determined to defend +himself to the last, or at least to wreak, before he fell, his +just vengeance upon his perfidious opponents, grasped at the +sword of one of them, but in vain; he was overpowered, and made +prisoner.</p> +<p>Argyle was immediately carried to Renfrew, thence to Glasgow, +and on the 20th of June was led in triumph into Edinburgh. +The order of the council was particular: that he should be led +bareheaded in the midst of Graham’s guards, with their +matches cocked, his hands tied behind his back, and preceded by +the common hangman, in which situation, that he might be more +exposed to the insults and taunts of the vulgar, it was directed +that he should be carried to the castle by a circuitous +route. To the equanimity with which he bore these +indignities, as indeed to the manly spirit exhibited by him +throughout, in these last scenes of his life, ample testimony is +borne by all the historians who have treated of them, even those +who are the least partial to him. He had frequent +opportunities of conversing, and some of writing, during his +imprisonment, and it is from such parts of these conversations +and writings as have been preserved to us, that we can best form +to ourselves a just notion of his deportment during that trying +period; at the same time a true representation of the temper of +his mind in such circumstances will serve, in no small degree, to +illustrate his general character and disposition.</p> +<p>We have already seen how he expresses himself with regard to +the men who, by taking him, became the immediate cause of his +calamity. He seems to feel a sort of gratitude to them for +the sorrow he saw, or fancied he saw in them, when they knew who +he was, and immediately suggests an excuse for them, by saying +that they did not dare to follow the impulse of their +hearts. Speaking of the supineness of his countrymen, and +of the little assistance he had received from them, he declares +with his accustomed piety his resignation to the will of God, +which was that Scotland should not be delivered at this time, nor +especially by his hand; and then exclaims, with the regret of a +patriot, but with no bitterness of disappointment, “But +alas! who is there to be delivered! There may,” says +he, “be hidden ones, but there appears no great party in +the country who desire to be relieved.” Justice, in +some degree, but still more that warm affection for his own +kindred and vassals, which seems to have formed a marked feature +in this nobleman’s character, then induces him to make an +exception in favour of his poor friends in Argyleshire, in +treating for whom, though in what particular way does not appear, +he was employing, and with some hope of success, the few +remaining hours of his life. In recounting the failure of +his expedition it is impossible for him not to touch upon what he +deemed the misconduct of his friends; and this is the subject +upon which of all others, his temper must have been most +irritable. A certain description of friends (the words +describing them are omitted) were all of them without exception, +his greatest enemies, both to betray and destroy him; and . . . +and . . . (the names again omitted) were the greatest cause of +his rout, and his being taken, though not designedly, he +acknowledges, but by ignorance, cowardice, and faction. +This sentence had scarce escaped him when, notwithstanding the +qualifying words with which his candour had acquitted the +last-mentioned persons of intentional treachery, it appeared too +harsh to his gentle nature, and declaring himself displeased with +the hard epithets he had used, he desires they may be put out of +any account that is to be given of these transactions. The +manner in which this request is worded shows that the paper he +was writing was intended for a letter, and as it is supposed, to +a Mrs. Smith, who seems to have assisted him with money; but +whether or not this lady was the rich widow of Amsterdam, before +alluded to, I have not been able to learn.</p> +<p>When he is told that he is to be put to the torture, he +neither breaks out into any high-sounding bravado, any premature +vaunts of the resolution with which he will endure it, nor, on +the other hand, into passionate exclamations on the cruelty of +his enemies, or unmanly lamentations of his fate. After +stating that orders were arrived that he must be tortured, unless +he answers all questions upon oath, he simply adds that he hopes +God will support him; and then leaves off writing, not from any +want of spirits to proceed, but to enjoy the consolation which +was yet left him, in the society of his wife, the countess being +just then admitted.</p> +<p>Of his interview with Queensbury, who examined him in private, +little is known, except that he denied his design having been +concerted with any persons in Scotland; that he gave no +information with respect to his associates in England; and that +he boldly and frankly averred his hopes to have been founded on +the cruelty of the administration, and such a disposition in the +people to revolt as he conceived to be the natural consequence of +oppression. He owned, at the same time, that he had trusted +too much to this principle. The precise date of this +conversation, whether it took place before the threat of the +torture, whilst that threat was impending, or when there was no +longer any intention of putting it into execution, I have not +been able to ascertain; but the probability seems to be that it +was during the first or second of these periods.</p> +<p>Notwithstanding the ill success that had attended his +enterprise, he never expresses, or even hints, the smallest +degree of contrition for having undertaken it: on the contrary, +when Mr. Charteris, an eminent divine, is permitted to wait on +him, his first caution to that minister is, not to try to +convince him of the unlawfulness of his attempt, concerning which +his opinion was settled, and his mind made up. Of some +parts of his past conduct he does indeed confess that he repents, +but these are the compliances of which he had been guilty in +support of the king, or his predecessors. Possibly in this +he may allude to his having in his youth borne arms against the +covenant, but with more likelihood to his concurrence, in the +late reign, with some of the measures of Lauderdale’s +administration, for whom it is certain that he entertained a +great regard, and to whom he conceived himself to be principally +indebted for his escape from his first sentence. Friendship +and gratitude might have carried him to lengths which patriotism +and justice must condemn.</p> +<p>Religious concerns, in which he seems to have been very +serious and sincere, engaged much of his thoughts; but his +religion was of that genuine kind which, by representing the +performance of our duties to our neighbour as the most acceptable +service to God, strengthens all the charities of social +life. While he anticipates, with a hope approaching to +certainty, a happy futurity, he does not forget those who have +been justly dear to him in this world. He writes, on the +day of his execution, to his wife, and to some other relations, +for whom he seems to have entertained a sort of parental +tenderness, short, but the most affectionate letters, wherein he +gives them the greatest satisfaction then in his power, by +assuring them of his composure and tranquillity of mind, and +refers them for further consolation to those sources from which +he derived his own. In his letter to Mrs. Smith, written on +the same day, he says, “While anything was a burden to me, +your concern was; which is a cross greater than I can +express” (alluding probably to the pecuniary loss she had +incurred); “but I have, I thank God, overcome +all.” Her name, he adds, could not be concealed, and +that he knows not what may have been discovered from any paper +which may have been taken; otherwise he has named none to their +disadvantage. He states that those in whose hands he is, +had at first used him hardly, but that God had melted their +hearts, and that he was now treated with civility. As an +instance of this, he mentions the liberty he had obtained of +sending this letter to her; a liberty which he takes as a +kindness on their part, and which he had sought that she might +not think he had forgotten her.</p> +<p>Never, perhaps, did a few sentences present so striking a +picture of a mind truly virtuous and honourable. Heroic +courage is the least part of his praise, and vanishes as it were +from our sight, when we contemplate the sensibility with which he +acknowledges the kindness, such as it is, of the very men who are +leading him to the scaffold; the generous satisfaction which he +feels on reflecting that no confession of his has endangered his +associates; and above all, his anxiety, in such moments, to +perform all the duties of friendship and gratitude, not only with +the most scrupulous exactness, but with the most considerate +attention to the feelings as well as to the interests of the +person who was the object of them. Indeed, it seems +throughout to have been the peculiar felicity of this man’s +mind, that everything was present to it that ought to be so; +nothing that ought not. Of his country he could not be +unmindful; and it was one among other consequences of his happy +temper, that on this subject he did not entertain those gloomy +ideas which the then state of Scotland was but too well fitted to +inspire. In a conversation with an intimate friend, he says +that, though he does not take upon him to be a prophet, he doubts +not but that deliverance will come, and suddenly, of which his +failings had rendered him unworthy to be the instrument. In +some verses which he composed on the night preceding his +execution, and which he intended for his epitaph, he thus +expresses this hope still more distinctly</p> +<blockquote><p>“On my attempt though Providence did +frown,<br /> +His oppressed people God at length shall own;<br /> +Another hand, by more successful speed,<br /> +Shall raise the remnant, bruise the serpent’s +head.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>With respect to the epitaph itself, of which these lines form +a part, it is probable that he composed it chiefly with a view to +amuse and relieve his mind, fatigued with exertion, and partly, +perhaps, in imitation of the famous Marquis of Montrose, who, in +similar circumstances, had written some verses which have been +much celebrated. The poetical merit of the pieces appears +to be nearly equal, and is not in either instance considerable, +and they are only in so far valuable as they may serve to convey +to us some image of the minds by which they were produced. +He who reads them with this view will, perhaps, be of opinion +that the spirit manifested in the two compositions is rather +equal in degree than like in character; that the courage of +Montrose was more turbulent, that of Argyle more calm and +sedate. If, on the one hand, it is to be regretted that we +have not more memorials left of passages so interesting, and that +even of those which we do possess, a great part is obscured by +time, it must be confessed, on the other, that we have quite +enough to enable us to pronounce that for constancy and +equanimity under the severest trials, few men have equalled, none +ever surpassed, the Earl of Argyle. The most powerful of +all tempters, hope, was not held out to him, so that he had not, +it is true, in addition to his other hard tasks, that of +resisting her seductive influence; but the passions of a +different class had the fullest scope for their attacks. +These, however, could make no impression on his well-disciplined +mind. Anger could not exasperate, fear could not appal him; +and if disappointment and indignation at the misbehaviour of his +followers, and the supineness of the country, did occasionally, +as surely they must, cause uneasy sensations, they had not the +power to extort from him one unbecoming or even querulous +expression. Let him be weighed never so scrupulously, and +in the nicest scales, he will not be found, in a single instance, +wanting in the charity of a Christian, the firmness and +benevolence of a patriot, the integrity and fidelity of a man of +honour.</p> +<p>The Scotch parliament had, on the 11th of June, sent an +address to the king wherein, after praising his majesty, as +usual, for his extraordinary prudence, courage, and conduct, and +loading Argyle, whom they styled an hereditary traitor, with +every reproach they can devise—among others, that of +ingratitude for the favours which he had received, as well from +his majesty as from his predecessor—they implore his +majesty that the earl may find no favour and that the +earl’s family, the heritors, ringleaders, and preachers who +joined him, should be for ever declared incapable of mercy, or +bearing any honour or estate in the kingdom, and all subjects +discharged under the highest pains to intercede for them in any +manner of way. Never was address more graciously received, +or more readily complied with; and, accordingly, the following +letter, with the royal signature, and countersigned by Lord +Melford, Secretary of State for Scotland, was despatched to the +council at Edinburgh, and by them entered and registered on the +29th of June.</p> +<blockquote><p>“Whereas, the late Earl of Argyle is, by the +providence of God, fallen into our power, it is our will and +pleasure that you take all ways to know from him those things +which concern our government most, as his assisters with men, +arms, and money, his associates and correspondents, his designs, +etc. But this must be done so as no time may be lost in +bringing him to condign punishment, by causing him to be demeaned +as a traitor, within the space of three days after this shall +come to your hands, an account of which, with what he shall +confess, you shall send immediately to us or our secretaries, for +doing which this shall be your warrant.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>When it is recollected that torture had been in common use in +Scotland, and that the persons to whom the letter was addressed +had often caused it to be inflicted, the words, “it is our +will and pleasure that you take all ways,” seem to convey a +positive command for applying of it in this instance; yet it is +certain that Argyle was not tortured. What was the cause of +this seeming disregard of the royal injunctions does not +appear. One would hope, for the honour of human nature, +that James, struck with some compunction for the injuries he had +already heaped upon the head of this unfortunate nobleman, sent +some private orders contradictory to this public letter; but +there is no trace to be discovered of such a circumstance. +The managers themselves might feel a sympathy for a man of their +own rank, which had no influence in the cases where only persons +of an inferior station were to be the sufferers; and in those +words of the king’s letter which enjoin a speedy punishment +as the primary object to which all others must give way, they +might find a pretext for overlooking the most odious part of the +order, and of indulging their humanity, such as it was, by +appointing the earliest day possible for the execution. In +order that the triumph of injustice might be complete, it was +determined that, without any new trial, the earl should suffer +upon the iniquitous sentence of 1682. Accordingly, the very +next day ensuing was appointed, and on the 13th of June he was +brought from the castle, first to the Laigh Council-house, and +thence to the place of execution.</p> +<p>Before he left the castle, he had his dinner at the usual +hour, at which he discoursed, not only calmly, but even +cheerfully, with Mr. Charteris and others. After dinner he +retired, as was his custom, to his bed-chamber, where it is +recorded that he slept quietly for about a quarter of an +hour. While he was in his bed, one of the members of the +council came and intimated to the attendants a desire to speak +with him: upon being told that the earl was asleep, and had left +orders not to be disturbed, the manager disbelieved the account, +which he considered as a device to avoid further +questionings. To satisfy him, the door of the bed-chamber +was half opened, and he then beheld, enjoying a sweet and +tranquil slumber, the man who, by the doom of him and his +fellows, was to die within the space of two short hours! +Struck with this sight, he hurried out of the room, quitted the +castle with the utmost precipitation, and hid himself in the +lodgings of an acquaintance who lived near, where he flung +himself upon the first bed that presented itself, and had every +appearance of a man suffering the most excruciating +torture. His friend, who had been apprised by the servant +of the state he was in, and who naturally concluded that he was +ill, offered him some wine. He refused, saying, “No, +no, that will not help me: I have been in at Argyle, and saw him +sleeping as pleasantly as ever man did, within an hour of +eternity. But as for me—.” The name of +the person to whom this anecdote relates is not mentioned, and +the truth of it may therefore be fairly considered as liable to +that degree of doubt with which men of judgment receive every +species of traditional history. Woodrow, however, whose +veracity is above suspicion, says he had it from the most +unquestionable authority. It is not in itself unlikely; and +who is there that would not wish it true? What a +satisfactory spectacle to a philosophical mind, to see the +oppressor, in the zenith of his power, envying his victim! +What an acknowledgment of the superiority of virtue! What +an affecting and forcible testimony to the value of that peace of +mind which innocence alone can confer! We know not who this +man was; but when we reflect that the guilt which agonised him +was probably incurred for the sake of some vain title, or, at +least, of some increase of wealth, which he did not want, and +possibly knew not how to enjoy, our disgust is turned into +something like compassion for that very foolish class of men whom +the world calls wise in their generation.</p> +<p>Soon after his short repose Argyle was brought, according to +order, to the Laigh Council-house, from which place is dated the +letter to his wife, and thence to the place of execution. +On the scaffold he had some discourse, as well with Mr. Annand, a +minister appointed by government to attend him, as with Mr. +Charteris. He desired both of them to pray for him, and +prayed himself with much fervency and devotion. The speech +which he made to the people was such as might be expected from +the passages already related. The same mixture of firmness +and mildness is conspicuous in every part of it. “We +ought not,” says he, “to despise our afflictions, nor +to faint under them. We must not suffer ourselves to be +exasperated against the instruments of our troubles, nor by +fraudulent, nor pusillanimous compliances, bring guilt upon +ourselves; faint hearts are ordinarily false hearts, choosing sin +rather than suffering.” He offers his prayers to God +for the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and +that an end may be put to their present trials. Having then +asked pardon for his own failings, both of God and man, he would +have concluded; but being reminded that he had said nothing of +the royal family, he adds that he refers, in this matter, to what +he had said at his trial concerning the test; that he prayed +there never might be wanting one of the royal family to support +the Protestant religion; and if any of them had swerved from the +true faith, he prayed God to turn their hearts, but, at any rate, +to save His people from their machinations. When he had +ended, he turned to the south side of the scaffold, and said, +“Gentlemen, I pray you do not misconstruct my behaviour +this day; I freely forgive all men their wrongs and injuries done +against me, as I desire to be forgiven of God.” Mr. +Annand repeated these words louder to the people. The earl +then went to the north side of the scaffold, and used the same or +the like expressions. Mr. Annand repeated them again, and +said, “This nobleman dies a Protestant.” The +earl stepped forward again, and said, “I die not only a +Protestant, but with a heart-hatred of popery, prelacy, and all +superstition whatsoever.” It would perhaps have been +better if these last expressions had never been uttered, as there +appears certainly something of violence in them unsuitable to the +general tenor of his language; but it must be remembered, first, +that the opinion that the pope is <i>Antichrist</i> was at that +time general among almost all the zealous Protestants in these +kingdoms; secondly, that Annand being employed by government, and +probably an Episcopalian, the earl might apprehend that the +declaration of such a minister might not convey the precise idea +which he, Argyle, affixed to the word Protestant.</p> +<p>He then embraced his friends, gave some tokens of remembrance +to his son-in-law, Lord Maitland, for his daughter and +grandchildren, stripped himself of part of his apparel, of which +he likewise made presents, and laid his head upon the +block. Having uttered a short prayer, he gave the signal to +the executioner, which was instantly obeyed, and his head severed +from his body. Such were the last hours, and such the final +close, of this great man’s life. May the like happy +serenity in such dreadful circumstances, and a death equally +glorious, be the lot of all whom tyranny, of whatever +denomination or description, shall in any age, or in any country, +call to expiate their virtues on the scaffold!</p> +<p>Of the followers of Argyle, in the disastrous expedition above +recounted, the fortunes were various. Among those who +either surrendered or were taken, some suffered the same fate +with their commander, others were pardoned; while, on the other +hand, of those who escaped to foreign parts, many after a short +exile returned triumphantly to their country at the period of the +revolution, and under a system congenial to their principles, +some even attained the highest honours of the State. It is +to be recollected that when, after the disastrous night-march +from Killerne, a separation took place at Kilpatrick between +Argyle and his confederates, Sir John Cochrane, Sir Patrick Hume, +and others, crossed the Clyde into Renfrewshire, with about, it +is supposed, two hundred men. Upon their landing they met +with some opposition from a troop of militia horse, which was, +however, feeble and ineffectual; but fresh parties of militia as +well as regular troops drawing together, a sort of scuffle +ensued, near a place called Muirdyke; an offer of quarter was +made by the king’s troops, but (probably on account of the +conditions annexed to it) was refused; and Cochrane and the rest, +now reduced to the number of seventy took shelter in a fold-dyke, +where they were able to resist and repel, though not without loss +on each side, the attack of the enemy. Their situation was +nevertheless still desperate, and in the night they determined to +make their escape. The king’s troops having retired, +this was effected without difficulty; and this remnant of an army +being dispersed by common consent, every man sought his own +safety in the best manner he could. Sir John Cochrane took +refuge in the house of an uncle, by whom, or by whose wife, it is +said, he was betrayed. He was, however, pardoned; and from +this circumstance, coupled with the constant and seemingly +peevish opposition which he gave to almost all Argyle’s +plans, a suspicion has arisen that he had been treacherous +throughout. But the account given of his pardon by Burnet, +who says his father, Lord Dundonald, who was an opulent nobleman, +purchased it with a considerable sum of money, is more credible, +as well as more candid; and it must be remembered that in Sir +John’s disputes with his general, he was almost always +acting in conjunction with Sir Patrick Hume, who is proved, by +the subsequent events, and indeed by the whole tenor of his life +and conduct, to have been uniformly sincere and zealous in the +cause of his country. Cochrane was sent to England, where +he had an interview with the king, and gave such answers to the +questions put to him as were deemed satisfactory by his majesty; +and the information thus obtained whatever might be the real and +secret causes, furnished a plausible pretence at least for the +exercise of royal mercy. Sir Patrick Hume, after having +concealed himself some time in the house, and under the +protection of Lady Eleanor Dunbar, sister to the Earl of +Eglington, found means to escape to Holland, whence he returned +in better times, and was created first Lord Hume of Polwarth, and +afterwards Earl of Marchmont. Fullarton, and Campbell of +Auchinbreak, appear to have escaped, but by what means is not +known. Two sons of Argyle, John and Charles, and Archibald +Campbell, his nephew, were sentenced to death and forfeiture, but +the capital part of the sentence was remitted. Thomas +Archer, a clergyman, who had been wounded at Muirdyke, was +executed, notwithstanding many applications in his favour, among +which was one from Lord Drumlanrig, Queensbury’s eldest +son. Woodrow, who was himself a Presbyterian minister, and +though a most valuable and correct historian, was not without a +tincture of the prejudices belonging to his order, attributes the +unrelenting spirit of the government in this instance to their +malice against the clergy of his sect. Some of the holy +ministry, he observes, as Guthrie at the restoration, Kidd and +Mackail after the insurrections at Pentland and Bothwell Bridge, +and now Archer, were upon every occasion to be sacrificed to the +fury of the persecutors. But to him who is well acquainted +with the history of this period, the habitual cruelty of the +government will fully account for any particular act of severity; +and it is only in cases of lenity, such as that of Cochrane, for +instance, that he will look for some hidden or special +motive.</p> +<p>Ayloff, having in vain attempted to kill himself, was, like +Cochrane, sent to London to be examined. His relationship +to the king’s first wife might perhaps be one inducement to +this measure, or it might be thought more expedient that he +should be executed for the Rye House Plot, the credit of which it +was a favourite object of the court to uphold, than for his +recent acts of rebellion in Scotland. Upon his examination +he refused to give any information, and suffered death upon a +sentence of outlawry, which had passed in the former reign. +It is recorded that James interrogated him personally, and +finding him sullen, and unwilling to speak, said: “Mr. +Ayloff, you know it is in my power to pardon you, therefore say +that which may deserve it:” to which Ayloff replied: +“Though it is in your power, it is not in your nature to +pardon.” This, however, is one of those anecdotes +which are believed rather on account of the air of nature that +belongs to them, than upon any very good traditional authority, +and which ought, therefore when any very material inference with +respect either to fact or character, is to be drawn from them, to +be received with great caution.</p> +<p>Rumbold, covered with wounds, and defending himself with +uncommon exertions of strength and courage, was at last +taken. However desirable it might have been thought to +execute in England a man so deeply implicated in the Rye House +Plot, the state of Rumbold’s health made such a project +impracticable. Had it been attempted he would probably, by +a natural death, have disappointed the views of a government who +were eager to see brought to the block a man whom they thought, +or pretended to think, guilty of having projected the +assassination of the late and present king. Weakened as he +was in body, his mind was firm, his constancy unshaken; and +notwithstanding some endeavours that were made by drums and other +instruments, to drown his voice when he was addressing the people +from the scaffold, enough has been preserved of what he then +uttered to satisfy us that his personal courage, the praise of +which has not been denied him, was not of the vulgar or +constitutional kind, but was accompanied with a proportionable +vigour of mind. Upon hearing his sentence, whether in +imitation of Montrose, or from that congeniality of character +which causes men in similar circumstances to conceive similar +sentiments, he expressed the same wish which that gallant +nobleman had done; he wished he had a limb for every town in +Christendom. With respect to the intended assassination +imputed to him, he protested his innocence, and desired to be +believed upon the faith of a dying man; adding, in terms as +natural as they are forcibly descriptive of a conscious dignity +of character, that he was too well known for any to have had the +imprudence to make such a proposition to him. He concluded +with plain, and apparently sincere, declarations of his +undiminished attachment to the principles of liberty, civil and +religious; denied that he was an enemy to monarchy, affirming, on +the contrary, that he considered it, when properly limited, as +the most eligible form of government; but that he never could +believe that any man was born marked by God above another, +“for none comes into the world with a saddle on his back, +neither any booted and spurred to ride him.”</p> +<p>Except by Ralph, who, with a warmth that does honour to his +feelings, expatiates at some length upon the subject, the +circumstances attending the death of this extraordinary man have +been little noticed. Rapin, Echard, Kennet, Hume, make no +mention of them whatever; and yet, exclusively of the interest +always excited by any great display of spirit and magnanimity, +his solemn denial of the project of assassination imputed to him +in the affair of the Rye House Plot is in itself a fact of great +importance, and one which might have been expected to attract, in +no small degree, the attention of the historian. That Hume, +who has taken some pains in canvassing the degree of credit due +to the different parts of the Rye House Plot, should pass it over +in silence, is the more extraordinary because, in the case of the +popish plot, he lays, and justly lays, the greatest stress upon +the dying declarations of the sufferers. Burnet adverts as +well to the peculiar language used by Rumbold as to his denial of +the assassination; but having before given us to understand that +he believed that no such crime had been projected, it is the less +to be wondered at that he does not much dwell upon this further +evidence in favour of his former opinion. Sir John +Dalrymple, upon the authority of a paper which he does not +produce, but from which he quotes enough to show that if produced +it would not answer his purpose, takes Rumbold’s guilt for +a decided fact, and then states his dying protestations of his +innocence, as an instance of aggravated wickedness. It is +to be remarked, too, that although Sir John is pleased roundly to +assert that Rumbold denied the share he had had in the Rye House +Plot, yet the particular words which he cites neither contain nor +express, nor imply any such denial. He has not even +selected those by which the design of assassination was denied +(the only denial that was uttered), but refers to a general +declaration made by Rumbold, that he had done injustice to no +man—a declaration which was by no means inconsistent with +his having been a party to a plot, which he, no doubt, considered +as justifiable, and even meritorious. This is not all: the +paper referred to is addressed to Walcot, by whom Rumbold states +himself to have been led on; and Walcot, with his last breath, +denied his own participation in any design to murder either +Charles or James. Thus, therefore, whether the declaration +of the sufferer be interpreted in a general or in a particular +sense, there is no contradiction whatever between it and the +paper adduced; but thus it is that the character of a brave and, +as far as appears, a virtuous man, is most unjustly and cruelly +traduced. An incredible confusion of head, and an uncommon +want of reasoning powers, which distinguish the author to whom I +refer, are, I should charitably hope, the true sources of his +misrepresentation; while others may probably impute it to his +desire of blackening, upon any pretence, a person whose name is +more or less connected with those of Sidney and Russell. It +ought not, perhaps, to pass without observation, that this attack +upon Rumbold is introduced only in an oblique manner: the rigour +of government destroyed, says the historian, the morals it +intended to correct, and made the unhappy sufferer add to his +former crimes the atrocity of declaring a falsehood in his last +moments. Now, what particular instances of rigour are here +alluded to, it is difficult to guess: for surely the execution of +a man whom he sets down as guilty of a design to murder the two +royal brothers, could not, even in the judgment of persons much +less accustomed than Sir John to palliate the crimes of princes, +be looked upon as an act of blameable severity; but it was +thought, perhaps, that for the purpose of conveying a calumny +upon the persons concerned, or accused of being concerned, in the +Rye House Plot, an affected censure upon the government would be +the fittest vehicle.</p> +<p>The fact itself, that Rumbold did, in his last hours, solemnly +deny the having been concerned in any project for assassinating +the king or duke, has not, I believe, been questioned. It +is not invalidated by the silence of some historians: it is +confirmed by the misrepresentation of others. The first +question that naturally presents itself must be, was this +declaration true? The asseverations of dying men have +always had, and will always have, great influence upon the minds +of those who do not push their ill opinion of mankind to the most +outrageous and unwarrantable length; but though the weight of +such asseverations be in all cases great, it will not be in all +equal. It is material therefore to consider, first, what +are the circumstances which may tend in particular cases to +diminish their credit; and next, how far such circumstances +appear to have existed in the case before us. The case +where this species of evidence would be the least convincing, +would be where hope of pardon is entertained; for then the man is +not a dying man in the sense of the proposition, for he has not +that certainty that his falsehood will not avail him, which is +the principal foundation of the credit due to his +assertions. For the same reason, though in a less degree, +he who hopes for favour to his children, or to other surviving +connections, is to be listened to with some caution; for the +existence of one virtue does not necessarily prove that of +another, and he who loves his children and friends may yet be +profligate and unprincipled; or, deceiving himself, may think +that while his ends are laudable, he ought not to hesitate +concerning the means. Besides these more obvious +temptations to prevarication, there is another which, though it +may lie somewhat deeper, yet experience teaches us to be rooted +in human nature: I mean that sort of obstinacy, or false shame, +which makes men so unwilling to retract what they have once +advanced, whether in matter of opinion or of fact. The +general character of the man is also in this, as in all other +human testimony, a circumstance of the greatest moment. +Where none of the above-mentioned objections occur, and where +therefore the weight of evidence in question is confessedly +considerable, yet is it still liable to be balanced or outweighed +by evidence in the opposite scale.</p> +<p>Let Rumbold’s declaration, then, be examined upon these +principles, and we shall find that it has every character of +truth, without a single circumstance to discredit it. He +was so far from entertaining any hope of pardon, that he did not +seem even to wish it; and indeed if he had had any such +chimerical object in view, he must have known that to have +supplied the government with a proof of the Rye House +assassination plot, would be a more likely road at least, than a +steady denial, to obtain it. He left none behind him for +whom to entreat favour, or whose welfare or honour was at all +affected by any confession or declaration he might make. +If, in a prospective view, he was without temptation, so neither, +if he looked back, was he fettered by any former declaration; so +that he could not be influenced by that erroneous notion of +consistency to which it may be feared that truth, even in the +most awful moments, has in some cases been sacrificed. His +timely escape in 1683 had saved him from the necessity of making +any protestation upon the subject of his innocence at that time; +and the words of the letter to Walcot are so far from containing +such a protestation, that they are quoted (very absurdly, it is +true) by Sir John Dalrymple as an avowal of guilt. If his +testimony is free from these particular objections, much less is +it impeached by his general character, which was that of a bold +and daring man, who was very unlikely to feel shame in avowing +what he had not been ashamed to commit, and who seems to have +taken a delight in speaking bold truths, or at least what +appeared to him to be such, without regarding the manner in which +his hearers were likely to receive them. With respect to +the last consideration, that of the opposite evidence, it all +depends upon the veracity of men who, according to their own +account, betrayed their comrades, and were actuated by the hope +either of pardon or reward.</p> +<p>It appears to be of the more consequence to clear up this +matter, because if we should be of opinion, as I think we all +must be, that the story of the intended assassination of the +king, in his way from Newmarket, is as fabulous as that of the +silver bullets by which he was to have been shot at Windsor, a +most singular train of reflections will force itself upon our +minds, as well in regard to the character of the times, as to the +means by which the two causes gained successively the advantage +over each other. The Royalists had found it impossible to +discredit the fiction, gross as it was, of the popish plot; nor +could they prevent it from being a powerful engine in the hands +of the Whigs, who, during the alarm raised by it, gained an +irresistible superiority in the House of Commons, in the City of +London, and in most parts of the kingdom. But they who +could not quiet a false alarm raised by their adversaries, found +little or no difficulty in raising one equally false in their own +favour, by the supposed detection of the intended +assassination. With regard to the advantages derived to the +respective parties from those detestable fictions, if it be +urged, on one hand, that the panic spread by the Whigs was more +universal and more violent in its effects, it must be allowed, on +the other, that the advantages gained by the Tories were, on +account of their alliance with the crown, more durable and +decisive. There is a superior solidity ever belonging to +the power of the crown, as compared with that of any body of men +or party, or even with either of the other branches of the +legislature. A party has influence, but, properly speaking, +no power. The Houses of Parliament have abundance of power, +but, as bodies, little or no influence. The crown has both +power and influence, which, when exerted with wisdom and +steadiness, will always be found too strong for any opposition +whatever, till the zeal and fidelity of party attachments shall +be found to increase in proportion to the increased influence of +the executive power.</p> +<p>While these matters were transacting in Scotland, Monmouth, +conformably to his promise to Argyle, set sail from Holland, and +landed at Lyme in Dorsetshire, on the 11th of June. He was +attended by Lord Grey of Wark, Fletcher of Saltoun, Colonel +Matthews, Ferguson, and a few other gentlemen. His +reception was, among the lower ranks, cordial, and for some days +at least, if not weeks, there seemed to have been more foundation +for the sanguine hopes of Lord Grey and others, his followers, +than the duke had supposed. The first step taken by the +invader was to issue a proclamation, which he caused to be read +in the market-place. In this instrument he touched upon +what were, no doubt, thought to be the most popular topics, and +loaded James and his Catholic friends with every imputation which +had at any time been thrown against them. This declaration +appears to have been well received, and the numbers that came in +to him were very considerable; but his means of arming them were +limited, nor had he much confidence, for the purpose of any +important military operation, in men unused to discipline, and +wholly unacquainted with the art of war. Without examining +the question whether or not Monmouth, from his professional +prejudices, carried, as some have alleged he did, his diffidence +of unpractised soldiers and new levies too far, it seems clear +that, in his situation, the best, or rather the only chance of +success, was to be looked for in counsels of the boldest +kind. If he could not immediately strike some important +stroke, it was not likely that he ever should; nor indeed was he +in a condition to wait. He could not flatter himself, as +Argyle had done, that he had a strong country, full of relations +and dependants, where he might secure himself till the +co-operation of his confederate or some other favourable +circumstance might put it in his power to act more +efficaciously. Of any brilliant success in Scotland he +could not, at this time, entertain any hope, nor, if he had, +could he rationally expect that any events in that quarter would +make the sort of impression here which, on the other hand, his +success would produce in Scotland. With money he was wholly +unprovided; nor does it appear, whatever may have been the +inclination of some considerable men, such as Lords Macclesfield, +Brandon, Delamere, and others, that any persons of that +description were engaged to join in his enterprise. His +reception had been above his hopes, and his recruits more +numerous than could be expected, or than he was able to furnish +with arms; while, on the other hand, the forces in arms against +him consisted chiefly in a militia, formidable neither from +numbers nor discipline, and moreover suspected of +disaffection. The present moment, therefore, seemed to +offer the most favourable opportunity for enterprise of any that +was likely to occur; but the unfortunate Monmouth judged +otherwise, and, as if he were to defend rather than to attack, +directed his chief policy to the avoiding of a general +action.</p> +<p>It being, however, absolutely necessary to dislodge some +troops which the Earl of Feversham had thrown into Bridport, a +detachment of three hundred men was made for that purpose, which +had the most complete success, notwithstanding the cowardice of +Lord Grey, who commanded them. This nobleman, who had been +so instrumental in persuading his friend to the invasion, upon +the first appearance of danger is said to have left the troops +whom he commanded, and to have sought his own personal safety in +flight. The troops carried Bridport, to the shame of the +commander who had deserted them, and returned to Lyme.</p> +<p>It is related by Ferguson that Monmouth said to Matthews, +“What shall I do with Lord Grey?” To which the +other answered, “That he was the only general in Europe who +would ask such a question;” intending, no doubt, to +reproach the duke with the excess to which he pushed his +characteristic virtues of mildness and forbearance. That +these virtues formed a part of his character is most true, and +the personal friendship in which he had lived with Grey would +incline him still more to the exercise of them upon this +occasion; but it is to be remembered also that the delinquent +was, in respect of rank, property, and perhaps too of talent, by +far the most considerable man he had with him; and, therefore, +that prudential motives might concur to deter a general from +proceeding to violent measures with such a person, especially in +a civil war, where the discipline of an armed party cannot be +conducted upon the same system as that of a regular army serving +in a foreign war. Monmouth’s disappointment in Lord +Grey was aggravated by the loss of Fletcher of Saltoun, who, in a +sort of scuffle that ensued upon his being reproached for having +seized a horse belonging to a man of the country, had the +misfortune to kill the owner. Monmouth, however unwilling, +thought himself obliged to dismiss him; and thus, while a fatal +concurrence of circumstances forced him to part with the man he +esteemed, and to retain him whom he despised, he found himself at +once disappointed of the support of the two persons upon whom he +had most relied.</p> +<p>On the 15th of June, his army being now increased to near +three thousand men, the duke marched from Lyme. He does not +appear to have taken this step with a view to any enterprise of +importance, but rather to avoid the danger which he apprehended +from the motions of the Devonshire and Somerset militias, whose +object it seemed to be to shut him up in Lyme. In his first +day’s march he had opportunities of engaging, or rather of +pursuing, each of those bodies, who severally retreated from his +forces; but conceiving it to be his business, as he said, not to +fight, but to march on, he went through Axminster, and encamped +in a strong piece of ground between that town and Chard in +Somersetshire, to which place he proceeded on the ensuing +day. According to Wade’s narrative, which appears to +afford by far the most authentic account of these transactions, +here it was that the first proposition was made for proclaiming +Monmouth king. Ferguson made the proposal, and was +supported by Lord Grey, but it was easily run down, as Wade +expresses it, by those who were against it, and whom, therefore, +we must suppose to have formed a very considerable majority of +the persons deemed of sufficient importance to be consulted on +such an occasion. These circumstances are material, because +if that credit be given to them which they appear to deserve, +Ferguson’s want of veracity becomes so notorious, that it +is hardly worth while to attend to any part of his +narrative. Where it only corroborates accounts given by +others, it is of little use; and where it differs from them, it +deserves no credit. I have, therefore, wholly disregarded +it.</p> +<p>From Chard, Monmouth and his party proceeded to Taunton, a +town where, as well from the tenor of former occurrences as from +the zeal and number of the Protestant dissenters, who formed a +great portion of its inhabitants, he had every reason to expect +the most favourable reception. His expectations were not +disappointed.</p> +<p>The inhabitants of the upper, as well as the lower classes, +vied with each other in testifying their affection for his +person, and their zeal for his cause. While the latter rent +the air with applauses and acclamations, the former opened their +houses to him and to his followers, and furnished his army with +necessaries and supplies of every kind. His way was strewed +with flowers; the windows were thronged with spectators, all +anxious to participate in what the warm feelings of the moment +made them deem a triumph. Husbands pointed out to their +wives, mothers to their children, the brave and lovely hero who +was destined to be the deliverer of his country. The +beautiful lines which Dryden makes Achitophel, in his highest +strain of flattery, apply to this unfortunate nobleman, were in +this instance literally verified:</p> +<blockquote><p>“Thee, saviour, thee, the nation’s +vows confess,<br /> +And, never satisfied with seeing, bless.<br /> +Swift unbespoken pomps thy steps proclaim,<br /> +And stammering babes are taught to lisp thy name.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>In the midst of these joyous scenes twenty-six young maids, of +the best families in the town, presented him in the name of their +townsmen with colours wrought by them for the purpose, and with a +Bible; upon receiving which he said that he had taken the field +with a design to defend the truth contained in that Book, and to +seal it with his blood if there was occasion.</p> +<p>In such circumstances it is no wonder that his army increased; +and, indeed, exclusive of individual recruits, he was here +strengthened by the arrival of Colonel Bassett with a +considerable corps. But in the midst of these prosperous +circumstances, some of them of such apparent importance to the +success of his enterprise, all of them highly flattering to his +feelings, he did not fail to observe that one favourable symptom +(and that too of the most decisive nature) was still +wanting. None of the considerable families, not a single +nobleman, and scarcely any gentleman of rank and consequence in +the counties through which he had passed, had declared in his +favour. Popular applause is undoubtedly sweet; and not only +so, it often furnishes most powerful means to the genius that +knows how to make use of them. But Monmouth well knew that +without the countenance and assistance of a proportion, at least, +of the higher ranks in the country, there was, for an undertaking +like his, little prospect of success. He could not but have +remarked that the habits and prejudices of the English people +are, in a great degree, aristocratical; nor had he before him, +nor indeed have we since his time, had one single example of an +insurrection that was successful, unaided by the ancient families +and great landed proprietors. He must have felt this the +more, because in former parts of his political life he had been +accustomed to act with such coadjutors; and it is highly probable +that if Lord Russell had been alive, and could have appeared at +the head of one hundred only of his western tenantry, such a +reinforcement would have inspired him with more real confidence +than the thousands who individually flocked to his standard.</p> +<p>But though Russell was no more, there were not wanting, either +in the provinces through which the duke passed, or in other parts +of the kingdom, many noble and wealthy families who were attached +to the principles of the Whigs. To account for their +neutrality, and, if possible, to persuade them to a different +conduct, was naturally among his principal concerns. Their +present coldness might be imputed to the indistinctness of his +declarations with respect to what was intended to be the future +government. Men zealous for monarchy might not choose to +embark without some certain pledge that their favourite form +should be preserved. They would also expect to be satisfied +with respect to the person whom their arms, if successful, were +to place upon the throne. To promise, therefore, the +continuance of a monarchical establishment, and to designate the +future monarch, seemed to be necessary for the purpose of +acquiring aristocratical support. Whatever might be the +intrinsic weight of this argument, it easily made its way with +Monmouth in his present situation. The aspiring temper of +mind which is the natural consequence of popular favour and +success, produced in him a disposition to listen to any +suggestion which tended to his elevation and aggrandisement; and +when he could persuade himself, upon reasons specious at least, +that the measures which would most gratify his aspiring desires +would be, at the same time, a stroke of the soundest policy, it +is not to be wondered at that it was immediately and impatiently +adopted. Urged, therefore, by these mixed motives, he +declared himself king, and issued divers proclamations in the +royal style; assigning to those whose approbation he doubted the +reasons above adverted to, and proscribing and threatening with +the punishment due to rebellion such as should resist his +mandates, and adhere to the usurping Duke of York.</p> +<p>If this measure was in reality taken with views of policy, +those views were miserably disappointed; for it does not appear +that one proselyte was gained. The threats in the +proclamation were received with derision by the king’s +army, and no other sentiments were excited by the assumption of +the royal title than those of contempt and indignation. The +commonwealthsmen were dissatisfied, of course, with the principle +of the measure: the favourers of hereditary right held it in +abhorrence, and considered it as a kind of sacrilegious +profanation; nor even among those who considered monarchy in a +more rational light, and as a magistracy instituted for the good +of the people, could it be at all agreeable that such a +magistrate should be elected by the army that had thronged to his +standard, or by the particular partiality of a provincial +town. Monmouth’s strength, therefore, was by no means +increased by his new title, and seemed to be still limited to two +descriptions of persons; first, those who, from thoughtlessness +or desperation, were willing to join in any attempt at +innovation; secondly, such as, directing their views to a single +point, considered the destruction of James’s tyranny as the +object which, at all hazards, and without regard to consequences, +they were bound to pursue. On the other hand, his +reputation both for moderation and good faith was considerably +impaired, inasmuch as his present conduct was in direct +contradiction to that part of his declaration wherein he had +promised to leave the future adjustment of government, and +especially the consideration of his own claims, to a free and +independent parliament.</p> +<p>The notion of improving his new levies by discipline seems to +have taken such possession of Monmouth’s mind that he +overlooked the probable, or rather the certain, consequences of a +delay, by which the enemy would be enabled to bring into the +field forces far better disciplined and appointed than any which, +even with the most strenuous and successful exertions, he could +hope to oppose to them. Upon this principle, and especially +as he had not yet fixed upon any definite object of enterprise, +he did not think a stay of a few days at Taunton would be +materially, if at all, prejudicial to his affairs; and it was not +till the 21st of June that he proceeded to Bridgewater, where he +was received in the most cordial manner. In his march, the +following day, from that town to Glastonbury, he was alarmed by a +party of the Earl of Oxford’s horse; but all apprehensions +of any material interruptions were removed by an account of the +militia having left Wells, and retreated to Bath and +Bristol. From Glastonbury he went to Shipton-Mallet, where +the project of an attack upon Bristol was communicated by the +duke to his officers. After some discussion, it was agreed +that the attack should be made on the Gloucestershire side of the +city, and with that view to pass the Avon at Keynsham Bridge, a +few miles from Bath. In their march from Shipton-Mallet, +the troops were again harassed in their rear by a party of horse +and dragoons, but lodged quietly at night at a village called +Pensford. A detachment was sent early the next morning to +possess itself of Keynsham, and to repair the bridge, which might +probably be broken down to prevent a passage. Upon their +approach, a troop of the Gloucestershire horse-militia +immediately abandoned the town in great precipitation, leaving +behind them two horses and one man. By break of day, the +bridge, which had not been much injured, was repaired, and before +noon, Monmouth, having passed it with his whole army, was in full +march to Bristol, which he determined to attack the ensuing +night. But the weather proving rainy and bad, it was deemed +expedient to return to Keynsham, a measure from which he expected +to reap a double advantage; to procure dry and commodious +quarters for the soldiery, and to lull the enemy, by a movement, +which bore the semblance of a retreat, into a false and delusive +security. The event, however, did not answer his +expectation, for the troops had scarcely taken up their quarters, +when they were disturbed by two parties of horse, who entered the +town at two several places. An engagement ensued, in which +Monmouth lost fourteen men, and a captain of horse, though in the +end the Royalists were obliged to retire, leaving three +prisoners. From these the duke had information that the +king’s army was near at hand, and, as they said, about four +thousand strong.</p> +<p>This new state of affairs seemed to demand new councils. +The projected enterprise upon Bristol was laid aside, and the +question was, whether to make by forced marches for Gloucester, +in order to pass the Severn at that city, and so to gain the +counties of Salop and Chester, where he expected to be met by +many friends, or to march directly into Wiltshire, where, +according to some intelligence received [“from one +Adlam”] the day before, there was a considerable body of +horse (under whose command does not appear) ready, by their +junction, to afford him a most important and seasonable +support. To the first of these plans a decisive objection +was stated. The distance by Gloucester was so great, that, +considering the slow marches to which he would be limited, by the +daily attacks with which the different small bodies of the +enemy’s cavalry would not fail to harass his rear, he was +in great danger of being overtaken by the king’s forces, +and might thus be driven to risk all in an engagement upon terms +the most disadvantageous. On the contrary, if joined in +Wiltshire by the expected aids, he might confidently offer battle +to the royal army; and, provided he could bring them to an action +before they were strengthened by new reinforcements, there was no +unreasonable prospect of success. The latter plan was +therefore adopted, and no sooner adopted than put in +execution. The army was in motion without delay, and being +before Bath on the morning of the 26th of June, summoned the +place, rather (as it should seem) in sport than in earnest, as +there was no hope of its surrender. After this bravado they +marched on southward to Philip’s Norton, where they rested; +the horse in the town, and the foot in the field.</p> +<p>While Monmouth was making these marches, there were not +wanting, in many parts of the adjacent country, strong symptoms +of the attachment of the lower orders of people to his cause, and +more especially in those manufacturing towns where the Protestant +dissenters were numerous. In Froome there had been a +considerable rising, headed by the constable, who posted up the +duke’s declaration in the market-place. Many of the +inhabitants of the neighbouring towns of Westbury and Warminster +came in throngs to the town to join the insurgents; some armed +with fire-arms, but more with such rustic weapons as opportunity +could supply. Such a force, if it had joined the main army, +or could have been otherwise directed by any leader of judgment +and authority, might have proved very serviceable; but in its +present state it was a mere rabble, and upon the first appearance +of the Earl of Pembroke, who entered the town with a hundred and +sixty horse and forty musketeers, fell, as might be expected, +into total confusion. The rout was complete; all the arms +of the insurgents were seized; and the constable, after having +been compelled to abjure his principles, and confess the enormity +of his offence, was committed to prison.</p> +<p>This transaction took place the 25th, the day before +Monmouth’s arrival at Philip’s Norton, and may have, +in a considerable degree, contributed to the disappointment, of +which we learn from Wade, that he at this time began bitterly to +complain. He was now upon the confines of Wiltshire, and +near enough for the bodies of horse, upon whose favourable +intentions so much reliance had been placed, to have effected a +junction, if they had been so disposed; but whether that +Adlam’s intelligence had been originally bad, or that +Pembroke’s proceedings at Froome had intimidated them, no +symptom of such an intention could be discovered. A +desertion took place in his army, which the exaggerated accounts +in the Gazette made to amount to near two thousand men. +These dispiriting circumstances, added to the complete +disappointment of the hopes entertained from the assumption of +the royal title, produced in him a state of mind but little short +of despondency. He complained that all people had deserted +him, and is said to have been so dejected, as hardly to have the +spirit requisite for giving the necessary orders.</p> +<p>From this state of torpor, however, he appears to have been +effectually roused by a brisk attack that was made upon him on +the 27th, in the morning, by the Royalists, under the command of +his half-brother, the Duke of Grafton. That spirited young +nobleman (whose intrepid courage, conspicuous upon every +occasion, led him in this, and many other instances, to risk a +life, which he finally lost in a better cause), heading an +advanced detachment of Lord Feversham’s army, who had +marched from Bath, with a view to fall on the enemy’s rear, +marched boldly up a narrow lane leading to the town, and attacked +a barricade, which Monmouth had caused to be made across the way, +at the entrance of the town. Monmouth was no sooner +apprised of this brisk attack, than he ordered a party to go out +of the town by a by-way, who coming on the rear of the Grenadiers +while others of his men were engaged with their front, had nearly +surrounded them, and taken their commander prisoner, but Grafton +forced his way through the enemy. An engagement ensued +between the insurgents and the remainder of Feversham’s +detachment, who had lined the hedges which flanked them. +The former were victorious, and after driving the enemy from +hedge to hedge, forced them at last into the open field, where +they joined the rest of the king’s forces, newly come +up. The killed and wounded in these encounters amounted to +about forty on Feversham’s side, twenty on +Monmouth’s; but among the latter there were several +officers, and some of note, while the loss of the former, with +the exception of two volunteers, Seymour and May, consisted +entirely of common soldiers.</p> +<p>The Royalists now drew up on an eminence, about five hundred +paces from the hedges, while Monmouth, having placed, of his four +field-pieces, two at the mouth of the lane, and two upon a rising +ground near it on the right, formed his army along the +hedge. From these stations a firing of artillery was begun +on each side, and continued near six hours, but with little or no +effect. Monmouth, according to Wade, losing but one, and +the Royalists, according to the Gazette, not one man, by the +whole cannonade. In these circumstances, notwithstanding +the recent and convincing experience he now had of the ability of +his raw troops to face, in certain situations at least, the more +regular forces of his enemy, Monmouth was advised by some to +retreat; but upon a more general consultation, this advice was +over-ruled, and it was determined to cut passages through the +hedges and to offer battle. But before this could be +effected the royal army, not willing again to engage among the +enclosures, annoyed in the open field by the rain which continued +to fall very heavily, and disappointed, no doubt, at the little +effect of their artillery, began their retreat. The little +confidence which Monmouth had in his horse—perhaps the ill +opinion he now entertained of their leader—forbade him to +think of pursuit, and having stayed till a late hour in the +field, and leaving large fires burning, he set out on his march +in the night, and on the 28th, in the morning, reached Froome, +where he put his troops in quarter and rested two days.</p> +<p>It was here he first heard certain news of Argyle’s +discomfiture. It was in vain to seek for any circumstance +in his affairs that might mitigate the effect of the severe blow +inflicted by this intelligence, and he relapsed into the same low +spirits as at Philip’s Norton. No diversion, at least +no successful diversion, had been made in his favour: there was +no appearance of the horse, which had been the principal motive +to allure him into that part of the country; and what was worst +of all, no desertion from the king’s army. It was +manifest, said the duke’s more timid advisers, that the +affair must terminate ill, and the only measure now to be taken +was, that the general with his officers should leave the army to +shift for itself, and make severally for the most convenient +sea-ports, whence they might possibly get a safe passage to the +Continent. To account for Monmouth’s entertaining, +even for a moment, a thought so unworthy of him, and so +inconsistent with the character for spirit he had ever +maintained—a character unimpeached even by his +enemies—we must recollect the unwillingness with which he +undertook this fatal expedition; that his engagement to Argyle, +who was now past help, was perhaps his principal motive for +embarking at the time; that it was with great reluctance he had +torn himself from the arms of Lady Harriet Wentworth, with whom +he had so firmly persuaded himself that he could be happy in the +most obscure retirement, that he believed himself weaned from +ambition, which had hitherto been the only passion of his +mind. It is true, that when he had once yielded to the +solicitations of his friends so far as to undertake a business of +such magnitude, it was his duty (but a duty that required a +stronger mind than his to execute) to discard from his thoughts +all the arguments that had rendered his compliance +reluctant. But it is one of the great distinctions between +an ordinary mind and a superior one, to be able to carry on +without relenting a plan we have not originally approved, and +especially when it appears to have turned out ill. This +proposal of disbanding was a step so pusillanimous and +dishonourable that it could not be approved by any council, +however composed. It was condemned by all except Colonel +Venner, and was particularly inveighed against by Lord Grey, who +was perhaps desirous of retrieving, by bold words at least, the +reputation he had lost at Bridport. It is possible, too, +that he might be really unconscious of his deficiency in point of +personal courage till the moment of danger arrived, and even +forgetful of it when it was passed. Monmouth was easily +persuaded to give up a plan so uncongenial to his nature, +resolved, though with little hope of success, to remain with his +army to take the chance of events, and at the worst to stand or +fall with men whose attachment to him had laid him under +indelible obligations.</p> +<p>This resolution being taken, the first plan was to proceed to +Warminster, but on the morning of his departure hearing, on the +one hand, that the king’s troops were likely to cross his +march, and on the other, being informed by a quaker, before known +to the duke, that there was a great club army, amounting to ten +thousand men, ready to join his standard in the marshes to the +westward, he altered his intention, and returned to +Shipton-Mallet, where he rested that night, his army being in +good quarters. From Shipton-Mallet he proceeded, on the 1st +of July, to Wells, upon information that there were in that city +some carriages belonging to the king’s army, and +ill-guarded. These he found and took, and stayed that night +in the town. The following day he marched towards +Bridgewater in search of the great succour he had been taught to +expect; but found, of the promised ten thousand men, only a +hundred and sixty. The army lay that night in the field, +and once again entered Bridgewater on the 3rd of July. That +the duke’s men were not yet completely dispirited or out of +heart appears from the circumstance of great numbers of them +going from Bridgewater to see their friends at Taunton, and other +places in the neighbourhood, and almost all returning the next +day according to their promise. On the 5th an account was +received of the king’s army being considerably advanced, +and Monmouth’s first thought was to retreat from it +immediately, and marching by Axbridge and Keynsham to Gloucester, +to pursue the plan formerly rejected, of penetrating into the +counties of Chester and Salop.</p> +<p>His preparations for this march were all made, when, on the +afternoon of the 5th, he learnt, more accurately than he had +before done, the true situation of the royal army, and from the +information now received, he thought it expedient to consult his +principal officers, whether it might not be advisable to attempt +to surprise the enemy by a night attack upon their +quarters. The prevailing opinion was, that if the infantry +were not entrenched the plan was worth the trial; otherwise +not. Scouts were despatched to ascertain this point, and +their report being that there was no entrenchment, an attack was +resolved on. In pursuance of this resolution, at about +eleven at night, the whole army was in march, Lord Grey +commanding the horse, and Colonel Wade the vanguard of the +foot. The duke’s orders were, that the horse should +first advance, and pushing into the enemy’s camp, endeavour +to prevent their infantry from coming together; that the cannon +should follow the horse, and the foot the cannon, and draw all up +in one line, and so finish what the cavalry should have begun, +before the king’s horse and artillery could be got in +order. But it was now discovered that though there were no +entrenchments, there was a ditch which served as a drain to the +great moor adjacent, of which no mention had been made by the +scouts. To this ditch the horse under Lord Grey advanced, +and no farther; and whether immediately, as according to some +accounts, or after having been considerably harassed by the enemy +in their attempts to find a place to pass, according to others, +quitted the field. The cavalry being gone, and the +principle upon which the attack had been undertaken being that of +a surprise, the duke judged it necessary that the infantry should +advance as speedily as possible. Wade, therefore, when he +came within forty paces of the ditch, was obliged to halt to put +his battalion into that order, which the extreme rapidity of the +march had for the time disconcerted. His plan was to pass +the ditch, reserving his fire; but while he was arranging his men +for that purpose, another battalion, newly come up, began to +fire, though at a considerable distance; a bad example, which it +was impossible to prevent the vanguard from following, and it was +now no longer in the power of their commander to persuade them to +advance. The king’s forces, as well horse and +artillery as foot, had now full time to assemble. The duke +had no longer cavalry in the field, and though his artillery, +which consisted only of three or four iron guns, was well served +under the directions of a Dutch gunner, it was by no means equal +to that of the royal army, which, as soon as it was light, began +to do great execution. In these circumstances the +unfortunate Monmouth, fearful of being encompassed and made +prisoner by the king’s cavalry, who were approaching upon +his flank, and urged, as it is reported, to flight by the same +person who had stimulated him to his fatal enterprise, quitted +the field accompanied by Lord Grey and some others. The +left wing, under the command of Colonel Holmes and Matthews, next +gave way; and Wade’s men, after having continued for an +hour and a half a distant and ineffectual fire, seeing their left +discomfited, began a retreat, which soon afterwards became a +complete rout.</p> +<p>Thus ended the decisive battle of Sedgmoor; an attack which +seems to have been judiciously conceived, and in many parts +spiritedly executed. The general was deficient neither in +courage nor conduct; and the troops, while they displayed the +native bravery of Englishmen, were under as good discipline as +could be expected from bodies newly raised. Two +circumstances seem to have principally contributed to the loss of +the day; first, the unforeseen difficulty occasioned by the +ditch, of which the assailants had had no intelligence; and +secondly, the cowardice of the commander of the horse. The +discovery of the ditch was the more alarming, because it threw a +general doubt upon the information of the spies, and the night +being dark they could not ascertain that this was the only +impediment of the kind which they were to expect. The +dispersion of the horse was still more fatal, inasmuch as it +deranged the whole order of the plan, by which it had been +concerted that their operations were to facilitate the attack to +be made by the foot. If Lord Grey had possessed a spirit +more suitable to his birth and name, to the illustrious +friendship with which he had been honoured, and to the command +with which he was entrusted, he would doubtless have persevered +till he found a passage into the enemy’s camp, which could +have been effected at a ford not far distant: the loss of time +occasioned by the ditch might not have been very material, and +the most important consequences might have ensued; but it would +surely be rashness to assert, as Hume does, that the army would +after all have gained the victory had not the misconduct of +Monmouth and the cowardice of Grey prevented it. This rash +judgment is the more to be admired, as the historian has not +pointed out the instance of misconduct to which he refers. +The number of Monmouth’s men killed is computed by some at +two thousand, by others at three hundred—a disparity, +however, which may be easily reconciled, by supposing that the +one account takes in those who were killed in battle, while the +other comprehends the wretched fugitives who were massacred in +ditches, corn-fields, and other hiding-places, the following +day.</p> +<p>In general, I have thought it right to follow Wade’s +narrative, which appears to me by far the most authentic, if not +the only authentic account of this important transaction. +It is imperfect, but its imperfection arises from the +narrator’s omitting all those circumstances of which he was +not an eye-witness, and the greater credit is on that very +account due to him for those which he relates. With respect +to Monmouth’s quitting the field, it is not mentioned by +him, nor is it possible to ascertain the precise point of time at +which it happened. That he fled while his troops were still +fighting, and therefore too soon for his glory, can scarcely be +doubted; and the account given by Ferguson, whose veracity, +however, is always to be suspected, that Lord Grey urged him to +the measure, as well by persuasion as by example, seems not +improbable. This misbehaviour of the last-mentioned +nobleman is more certain; but as, according to Ferguson, who has +been followed by others, he actually conversed with Monmouth in +the field, and as all accounts make him the companion of his +flight, it is not to be understood that when he first gave way +with his cavalry, he ran away in the literal sense of the words, +or if he did, he must have returned. The exact truth, with +regard to this and many other interesting particulars, is +difficult to be discovered; owing, not more to the darkness of +the night in which they were transacted, than to the personal +partialities and enmities by which they have been disfigured, in +the relations of the different contemporary writers.</p> +<p>Monmouth with his suite first directed his course towards the +Bristol Channel, and as is related by Oldmixon, was once +inclined, at the suggestion of Dr. Oliver, a faithful and honest +adviser, to embark for the coast of Wales, with a view of +concealing himself some time in that principality. Lord +Grey, who appears to have been, in all instances, his evil +genius, dissuaded him from this plan, and the small party having +separated, took each several ways. Monmouth, Grey, and a +gentleman of Brandenburg, went southward, with a view to gain the +New Forest in Hampshire, where, by means of Grey’s +connections in that district, and thorough knowledge of the +country, it was hoped they might be in safety, till a vessel +could be procured to transport them to the Continent. They +left their horses, and disguised themselves as peasants; but the +pursuit, stimulated as well by party zeal as by the great +pecuniary rewards offered for the capture of Monmouth and Grey, +was too vigilant to be eluded. Grey was taken on the 7th in +the evening; and the German, who shared the same fate early on +the next morning, confessed that he had parted from Monmouth but +a few hours since. The neighbouring country was immediately +and thoroughly searched, and James had ere night the satisfaction +of learning that his nephew was in his power. The +unfortunate duke was discovered in a ditch, half concealed by +fern and nettles. His stock of provision, which consisted +of some peas gathered in the fields through which he had fled, +was nearly exhausted, and there is reason to think that he had +little, if any other sustenance, since he left Bridgewater on the +evening of the 5th. To repose he had been equally a +stranger; how his mind must have been harassed, it is needless to +discuss. Yet that in such circumstances he appeared +dispirited and crestfallen, is, by the unrelenting malignity of +party writers, imputed to him as cowardice and meanness of +spirit. That the failure of his enterprise, together with +the bitter reflection that he had suffered himself to be engaged +in it against his own better judgment, joined to the other +calamitous circumstances of his situation, had reduced him to a +state of despondency, is evident; and in this frame of mind, he +wrote, on the very day of his capture, the following letter to +the king:</p> +<blockquote><p>“Sir,—Your majesty may think it the +misfortune I now lie under makes me make this application to you; +but I do assure your majesty, it is the remorse I now have in me +of the wrong I have done you in several things, and now in taking +up arms against you. For my taking up arms, it was never in +my thought since the king died: the Prince and Princess of Orange +will be witness for me of the assurance I gave them, that I would +never stir against you. But my misfortune was such as to +meet with some horrid people, that made me believe things of your +majesty, and gave me so many false arguments, that I was fully +led away to believe that it was a shame and a sin before God not +to do it. But, sir, I will not trouble your majesty at +present with many things I could say for myself, that I am sure +would move your compassion; the chief end of this letter being +only to beg of you, that I may have that happiness as to speak to +your majesty; for I have that to say to you, sir, that I hope may +give you a long and happy reign.</p> +<p>“I am sure, sir, when you hear me, you will be convinced +of the zeal I have of your preservation, and how heartily I +repent of what I have done. I can say no more to your +majesty now, being this letter must be seen by those that keep +me. Therefore, sir, I shall make an end in begging of your +majesty to believe so well of me, that I would rather die a +thousand deaths than excuse anything I have done, if I did not +really think myself the most in the wrong that ever a man was, +and had not from the bottom of my heart an abhorrence for those +that put me upon it, and for the action itself. I hope, +sir, God Almighty will strike your heart with mercy and +compassion for me, as he has done mine with the abhorrence of +what I have done: wherefore, sir, I hope I may live to show you +how zealous I shall ever be for your service; and could I but say +one word in this letter, you would be convinced of it; but it is +of that consequence, that I dare not do it. Therefore, sir, +I do beg of you once more to let me speak to you; for then you +will be convinced how much I shall ever be, your majesty’s +most humble and dutiful</p> +<p>“<span class="smcap">Monmouth</span>.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>The only certain conclusion to be drawn from this letter, +which Mr. Echard, in a manner perhaps not so seemly for a +Churchman, terms submissive, is, that Monmouth still wished +anxiously for life, and was willing to save it, even at the cruel +price of begging and receiving it as a boon from his enemy. +Ralph conjectures with great probability that this unhappy +man’s feelings were all governed by his excessive affection +for his mistress and that a vain hope of enjoying, with Lady +Harriet Wentworth, that retirement which he had so unwillingly +abandoned, induced him to adopt a conduct, which he might +otherwise have considered as indecent. At any rate it must +be admitted that to cling to life is a strong instinct in human +nature, and Monmouth might reasonably enough satisfy himself, +that when his death could not by any possibility benefit either +the public or his friends, to follow such instinct, even in a +manner that might tarnish the splendour of heroism, was no +impeachment of the moral virtue of a man.</p> +<p>With respect to the mysterious part of the letter, where he +speaks of one word which would be of such infinite importance, it +is difficult, if not rather utterly impossible, to explain it by +any rational conjecture. Mr. Macpherson’s favourite +hypothesis, that the Prince of Orange had been a party to the +late attempt, and that Monmouth’s intention, when he wrote +the letter, was to disclose this important fact to the king, is +totally destroyed by those expressions, in which the unfortunate +prisoner tells his majesty he had assured the Prince and Princess +of Orange that he would never stir against him. Did he +assure the Prince of Orange that he would never do that which he +was engaged to the Prince of Orange to do? Can it be said +that this was a false fact, and that no such assurances were in +truth given? To what purpose was the falsehood? In +order to conceal from motives, whether honourable or otherwise, +his connection with the prince? What! a fiction in one +paragraph of the letter in order to conceal a fact, which in the +next he declares his intention of revealing? The thing is +impossible.</p> +<p>The intriguing character of the Secretary of State, the Earl +of Sunderland, whose duplicity in many instances cannot be +doubted, and the mystery in which almost everything relating to +him is involved, might lead us to suspect that the expressions +point at some discovery in which that nobleman was concerned, and +that Monmouth had it in his power to be of important service to +James, by revealing to him the treachery of his minister. +Such a conjecture might be strengthened by an anecdote that has +had some currency, and to the truth of which, in part, King +James’s “Memoirs,” if the extracts from them +can be relied on, bear testimony. It is said that the Duke +of Monmouth told Mr. Ralph Sheldon, one of the king’s +chamber, who came to meet him on his way to London, that he had +had reason to expect Sunderland’s co-operation, and +authorised Sheldon to mention this to the king: that while +Sheldon was relating this to his majesty, Sunderland entered; +Sheldon hesitated, but was ordered to go on. +“Sunderland seemed, at first, struck” (as well he +might, whether innocent or guilty), “but after a short time +said, with a laugh, ‘If that be all he (Monmouth) can +discover to save his life, it will do him little +good.’” It is to be remarked, that in +Sheldon’s conversation, as alluded to by King James, the +Prince of Orange’s name is not even mentioned, either as +connected with Monmouth or with Sunderland. But, on the +other hand, the difficulties that stand in the way of our +interpreting Monmouth’s letter as alluding to Sunderland, +or of supposing that the writer of it had any well-founded +accusation against that minister, are insurmountable. If he +had such an accusation to make, why did he not make it? The +king says expressly, both in a letter to the Prince of Orange, +and in the extract, from his “Memoirs,” above cited, +that Monmouth made no discovery of consequence, and the +explanation suggested, that his silence was owing to Sunderland +the secretary’s having assured him of his pardon, seems +wholly inadmissible. Such assurances could have their +influence no longer than while the hope of pardon remained. +Why, then, did he continue silent, when he found James +inexorable? If he was willing to accuse the earl before he +had received these assurances, it is inconceivable that he should +have any scruple about doing it when they turned out to have been +delusive, and when his mind must have been exasperated by the +reflection that Sunderland’s perfidious promises and +self-interested suggestions had deterred him from the only +probable means of saving his life.</p> +<p>A third, and perhaps the most plausible, interpretation of the +words in question is, that they point to a discovery of +Monmouth’s friends in England, when, in the dejected state +of his mind at the time of writing, unmanned as he was by +misfortune, he might sincerely promise what the return of better +thoughts forbade him to perform. This account, however, +though free from the great absurdities belonging to the two +others, is by no means satisfactory. The phrase, “one +word,” seems to relate rather to some single person, or +some single fact, and can hardly apply to any list of associates +that might be intended to be sacrificed. On the other hand, +the single denunciation of Lord Delamere, of Lord Brandon, or +even of the Earl of Devonshire, or of any other private +individual, could not be considered as of that extreme +consequence which Monmouth attaches to his promised +disclosure. I have mentioned Lord Devonshire, who was +certainly not implicated in the enterprise, and who was not even +suspected, because it appears, from Grey’s narrative, that +one of Monmouth’s agents had once given hopes of his +support; and therefore there is a bare possibility that Monmouth +may have reckoned upon his assistance. Perhaps, after all, +the letter has been canvassed with too much nicety, and the words +of it weighed more scrupulously than, proper allowance being made +for the situation and state of mind of the writer, they ought to +have been. They may have been thrown out at hazard, merely +as means to obtain an interview, of which the unhappy prisoner +thought he might, in some way or other, make his advantage. +If any more precise meaning existed in his mind, we must be +content to pass it over as one of those obscure points of +history, upon which neither the sagacity of historians, nor the +many documents since made public, nor the great discoverer, Time, +has yet thrown any distinct light.</p> +<p>Monmouth and Grey were now to be conveyed to London, for which +purpose they set out on the 11th, and arrived in the vicinity of +the metropolis on the 13th of July. In the meanwhile, the +queen dowager, who seems to have behaved with a uniformity of +kindness towards her husband’s son that does her great +honour, urgently pressed the king to admit his nephew to an +audience. Importuned, therefore, by entreaties, and +instigated by the curiosity which Monmouth’s mysterious +expressions, and Sheldon’s story, had excited, he +consented, though with a fixed determination to show no +mercy. James was not of the number of those, in whom the +want of an extensive understanding is compensated by a delicacy +of sentiment, or by those right feelings, which are often found +to be better guides for the conduct than the most accurate +reasoning. His nature did not revolt, his blood did not run +cold, at the thoughts of beholding the son of a brother whom he +had loved embracing his knees, petitioning, and petitioning in +vain, for life; of interchanging words and looks with a nephew, +on whom he was inexorably determined, within forty-eight short +hours, to inflict an ignominious death.</p> +<p>In Macpherson’s extract from King James’s +“Memoirs,” it is confessed that the king ought not to +have seen, if he was not disposed to pardon the culprit; but +whether the observation is made by the exiled prince himself, or +by him who gives the extract, is in this, as in many other +passages of those “Memoirs,” difficult to +determine. Surely if the king had made this reflection +before Monmouth’s execution, it must have occurred to that +monarch, that if he had inadvertently done that which he ought +not to have done, without an intention to pardon, the only remedy +was to correct that part of his conduct which was still in his +power, and since he could not recall the interview, to grant the +pardon.</p> +<p>Pursuant to this hard-hearted arrangement, Monmouth and Grey, +on the very day of their arrival, were brought to Whitehall, +where they had severally interviews with his majesty. +James, in a letter to the Prince of Orange, dated the following +day, gives a short account of both these interviews. +Monmouth, he says, betrayed a weakness which did not become one +who had claimed the title of king; but made no discovery of +consequence.</p> +<p>Grey was more ingenuous (it is not certain in what sense his +majesty uses the term, since he does not refer to any discovery +made by that lord), and never once begged his life. Short +as this account is, it seems the only authentic one of those +interviews. Bishop Kennet, who has been followed by most of +the modern historians, relates, that “This unhappy captive, +by the intercession of the queen dowager, was brought to the +king’s presence, and fell presently at his feet, and +confessed he deserved to die; but conjured him, with tears in his +eyes, not to use him with the severity of justice, and to grant +him a life, which he would be ever ready to sacrifice for his +service. He mentioned to him the example of several great +princes, who had yielded to the impressions of clemency on the +like occasions, and who had never afterwards repented of those +acts of generosity and mercy; concluding, in a most pathetical +manner, ‘Remember, sir, I am your brother’s son, and +if you take my life, it is your own blood that you will +shed.’ The king asked him several questions, and made +him sign a declaration that his father told him he was never +married to his mother: and then said, he was sorry indeed for his +misfortunes; but his crime was of too great a consequence to be +left unpunished, and he must of necessity suffer for it. +The queen is said to have insulted him in a very arrogant and +unmerciful manner. So that when the duke saw there was +nothing designed by this interview but to satisfy the +queen’s revenge, he rose up from his majesty’s feet +with a new air of bravery, and was carried back to the +Tower.”</p> +<p>The topics used by Monmouth are such as he might naturally +have employed, and the demeanour attributed to him, upon finding +the king inexorable, is consistent enough with general +probability, and his particular character; but that the king took +care to extract from him a confession of Charles’s +declaration with respect to his illegitimacy, before he announced +his final refusal of mercy, and that the queen was present for +the purpose of reviling and insulting him, are circumstances too +atrocious to merit belief, without some more certain +evidence. It must be remarked also, that Burnet, whose +general prejudices would not lead him to doubt any imputations +against the queen, does not mention her majesty’s being +present. Monmouth’s offer of changing religion is +mentioned by him, but no authority quoted; and no hint of the +kind appears either in James’s Letters, or in the extract +from his “Memoirs.”</p> +<p>From Whitehall Monmouth was at night carried to the Tower, +where, no longer uncertain as to his fate, he seems to have +collected his mind, and to have resumed his wonted +fortitude. The bill of attainder that had lately passed +having superseded the necessity of a legal trial, his execution +was fixed for the next day but one after his commitment. +This interval appeared too short even for the worldly business +which he wished to transact, and he wrote again to the king on +the 14th, desiring some short respite, which was peremptorily +refused. The difficulty of obtaining any certainty +concerning facts, even in instances where there has not been any +apparent motive for disguising them, is nowhere more striking +than in the few remaining hours of this unfortunate man’s +life. According to King James’s statement in his +“Memoirs,” he refused to see his wife, while other +accounts assert positively that she refused to see him, unless in +presence of witnesses. Burnet, who was not likely to be +mistaken in a fact of this kind, says they did meet, and parted +very coldly, a circumstance which, if true, gives us no very +favourable idea of the lady’s character. There is +also mention of a third letter written by him to the king, which +being entrusted to a perfidious officer of the name of Scott, +never reached its destination; but for this there is no +foundation. What seems most certain is, that in the Tower, +and not in the closet, he signed a paper, renouncing his +pretensions to the crown, the same which he afterwards delivered +on the scaffold; and that he was inclined to make this +declaration, not by any vain hope of life, but by his affection +for his children, whose situation he rightly judged would be +safer and better under the reigning monarch and his successors, +when it should be evident that they could no longer be +competitors for the throne.</p> +<p>Monmouth was very sincere in his religious professions, and it +is probable that a great portion of this sad day was passed in +devotion and religious discourse with the two prelates who had +been sent by his majesty to assist him in his spiritual +concerns. Turner, bishop of Ely, had been with him early in +the morning, and Kenn, bishop of Bath and Wells, was sent, upon +the refusal of a respite, to prepare him for the stroke, which it +was now irrevocably fixed he should suffer the ensuing day. +They stayed with him all night, and in the morning of the 15th +were joined by Dr. Hooper, afterwards, in the reign of Anne, made +bishop of Bath and Wells, and by Dr. Tennison, who succeeded +Tillotson in the see of Canterbury. This last divine is +stated by Burnet to have been most acceptable to the duke, and, +though he joined the others in some harsh expostulations, to have +done what the right reverend historian conceives to have been his +duty, in a softer and less peremptory manner. Certain it +is, that none of these holy men seem to have erred on the side of +compassion or complaisance to their illustrious penitent. +Besides endeavouring to convince him of the guilt of his +connection with his beloved lady Harriet, of which he could never +be brought to a due sense, they seem to have repeatedly teased +him with controversy, and to have been far more solicitous to +make him profess what they deemed the true creed of the Church of +England, than to soften or console his sorrows, or to help him to +that composure of mind so necessary for his situation. He +declared himself to be a member of their Church, but, they denied +that he could be so, unless he thoroughly believed the doctrine +of passive obedience and non-resistance. He repented +generally of his sins, and especially of his late enterprise, but +they insisted that he must repent of it in the way they +prescribed to him, that he must own it to have been a wicked +resistance to his lawful king, and a detestable act of +rebellion. Some historians have imputed this seemingly +cruel conduct to the king’s particular instructions, who +might be desirous of extracting, or rather extorting, from the +lips of his dying nephew such a confession as would be matter of +triumph to the royal cause. But the character of the two +prelates principally concerned, both for general uprightness and +sincerity as Church of England men, makes it more candid to +suppose that they did not act from motives of servile compliance, +but rather from an intemperate party zeal for the honour of their +Church, which they judged would be signally promoted if such a +man as Monmouth, after having throughout his life acted in +defiance of their favourite doctrine, could be brought in his +last moments to acknowledge it as a divine truth. It must +never be forgotten, if we would understand the history of this +period, that the truly orthodox members of our Church regarded +monarchy not as a human, but as a divine institution, and passive +obedience and non-resistance, not as political maxims, but as +articles of religion.</p> +<p>At ten o’clock on the 15th Monmouth proceeded in a +carriage of the lieutenant of the Tower to Tower Hill, the place +destined for his execution. The two bishops were in the +carriage with him, and one of them took that opportunity of +informing him that their controversial altercations were not yet +at an end, and that upon the scaffold he would again be pressed +for more explicit and satisfactory declarations of +repentance. When arrived at the bar which had been put up +for the purpose of keeping out the multitude, Monmouth descended +from the carriage, and mounted the scaffold, with a firm step, +attended by his spiritual assistants. The sheriffs and +executioners were already there. The concourse of +spectators was innumerable; and if we are to credit traditional +accounts, never was the general compassion more affectingly +expressed. The tears, sighs, and groans, which the first +sight of this heartrending spectacle produced, were soon +succeeded by a universal and awful silence; a respectful +attention and affectionate anxiety to hear every syllable that +should pass the lips of the sufferer. The duke began by +saying he should speak little; he came to die, and he should die +a Protestant of the Church of England. Here he was +interrupted by the assistants, and told, that if he was of the +Church of England, he must acknowledge the doctrine of +non-resistance to be true. In vain did he reply that if he +acknowledged the doctrine of the Church in general it included +all: they insisted he should own that doctrine, particularly with +respect to his case, and urged much more concerning their +favourite point, upon which, however, they obtained nothing but a +repetition in substance of former answers. He was then +proceeding to speak of Lady Harriet Wentworth, of his high esteem +for her, and of his confirmed opinion that their connection was +innocent in the sight of God, when Goslin, the sheriff, asked +him, with all the unfeeling bluntness of a vulgar mind, whether +he was ever married to her. The duke refusing to answer, +the same magistrate, in the like strain, though changing his +subject, said he hoped to have heard of his repentance for the +treason and bloodshed which had been committed; to which the +prisoner replied, with great mildness, that he died very +penitent. Here the Churchmen again interposed, and renewing +their demand of particular penitence and public acknowledgment +upon public affairs, Monmouth referred them to the following +paper, which he had signed that morning:</p> +<blockquote><p>“I declare that the title of king was forced +upon me, and that it was very much contrary to my opinion when I +was proclaimed. For the satisfaction of the world, I do +declare that the late king told me he was never married to my +mother. Having declared this, I hope the king who is now +will not let my children suffer on this account. And to +this I put my hand this fifteenth day of July, 1685.</p> +<p>“<span class="smcap">Monmouth</span>.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>There was nothing, they said, in that paper about resistance; +nor, though Monmouth, quite worn-out with their importunities, +said to one of them, in the most affecting manner, “I am to +die—pray my lord—I refer to my paper,” would +those men think it consistent with their duty to desist. +There were only a few words they desired on one point. The +substance of these applications on the one hand, and answers on +the other, was repeated over and over again, in a manner that +could not be believed, if the facts were not attested by the +signatures of the persons principally concerned. If the +duke, in declaring his sorrow for what had passed, used the word +invasion, “Give it the true name,” said they, +“and call it rebellion.” “What name you +please,” replied the mild-tempered Monmouth. He was +sure he was going to everlasting happiness, and considered the +serenity of his mind in his present circumstances as a certain +earnest of the favour of his Creator. His repentance, he +said, must be true, for he had no fear of dying; he should die +like a lamb. “Much may come from natural +courage,” was the unfeeling and stupid reply of one of the +assistants. Monmouth, with that modesty inseparable from +true bravery, denied that he was in general less fearful than +other men, maintaining that his present courage was owing to his +consciousness that God had forgiven him his past transgressions, +of all which generally he repented with all his soul.</p> +<p>At last the reverend assistants consented to join with him in +prayer, but no sooner were they risen from their kneeling posture +than they returned to their charge. Not satisfied with what +had passed, they exhorted him to a true and thorough +repentance. Would he not pray for the king, and send a +dutiful message to his majesty to recommend the duchess and his +children? “As you please,” was the reply; +“I pray for him and for all men.” He now spoke +to the executioner, desiring that he might have no cap over his +eyes, and began undressing. One would have thought that in +this last sad ceremony, the poor prisoner might have been +unmolested, and that the divines would have been satisfied that +prayer was the only part of their function for which their duty +now called upon them. They judged differently, and one of +them had the fortitude to request the duke, even in this stage of +the business, that he would address himself to the soldiers then +present, to tell them he stood a sad example of rebellion, and +entreat the people to be loyal and obedient to the king. +“I have said I will make no speeches,” repeated +Monmouth, in a tone more peremptory than he had before been +provoked to; “I will make no speeches. I come to +die.” “My lord, ten words will be +enough,” said the persevering divine; to which the duke +made no answer, but turning to the executioner, expressed a hope +that he would do his work better now than in the case of Lord +Russell. He then felt the axe, which he apprehended was not +sharp enough, but being assured that it was of proper sharpness +and weight, he laid down his head. In the meantime many +fervent ejaculations were used by the reverend assistants, who, +it must be observed, even in these moments of horror, showed +themselves not unmindful of the points upon which they had been +disputing, praying God to accept his imperfect and general +repentance.</p> +<p>The executioner now struck the blow, but so feebly or +unskilfully, that Monmouth, being but slightly wounded, lifted up +his head, and looked him in the face as if to upbraid him, but +said nothing. The two following strokes were as ineffectual +as the first, and the headsman, in a fit of horror, declared he +could not finish his work. The sheriffs threatened him; he +was forced again to make a further trial, and in two more strokes +separated the head from the body.</p> +<p>Thus fell, in the thirty-sixth year of his age, James, Duke of +Monmouth, a man against whom all that has been said by the most +inveterate enemies both to him and his party amounts to little +more than this, that he had not a mind equal to the situations in +which his ambition, at different times, engaged him to place +himself. But to judge him with candour, we must make great +allowances, not only for the temptations into which he was led by +the splendid prosperity of the earlier parts of his life, but +also for the adverse prejudices with which he was regarded by +almost all the contemporary writers, from whom his actions and +character are described. The Tories, of course, are +unfavourable to him; and even among the Whigs, there seems, in +many, a strong inclination to disparage him; some to excuse +themselves for not having joined him, others to make a display of +their exclusive attachment to their more successful leader, King +William. Burnet says of Monmouth, that he was gentle, +brave, and sincere: to these praises, from the united testimony +of all who knew him, we may add that of generosity; and surely +those qualities go a great way in making up the catalogue of all +that is amiable and estimable in human nature. One of the +most conspicuous features in his character seems to have been a +remarkable, and, as some think, a culpable degree of +flexibility. That such a disposition is preferable to its +opposite extreme, will be admitted by all who think that modesty, +even in excess, is more nearly allied to wisdom than conceit and +self-sufficiency. He who has attentively considered the +political, or, indeed, the general concerns of life, may possibly +go still further, and rank a willingness to be convinced, or in +some cases even without conviction, to concede our own opinion to +that of other men, among the principal ingredients in the +composition of practical wisdom. Monmouth had suffered this +flexibility, so laudable in many cases, to degenerate into a +habit which made him often follow the advice, or yield to the +entreaties, of persons whose characters by no means entitled them +to such deference. The sagacity of Shaftesbury, the honour +of Russell, the genius of Sydney, might, in the opinion of a +modest man, be safe and eligible guides. The partiality of +friendship, and the conviction of his firm attachment, might be +some excuse for his listening so much to Grey; but he never +could, at any period of his life, have mistaken Ferguson for an +honest man. There is reason to believe that the advice of +the two last-mentioned persons had great weight in persuading him +to the unjustifiable step of declaring himself king. But +far the most guilty act of this unfortunate man’s life was +his lending his name to the declaration which was published at +Lyme, and in this instance Ferguson, who penned the paper, was +both the adviser and the instrument. To accuse the king of +having burnt London, murdered Essex in the Tower, and, finally, +poisoned his brother, unsupported by evidence to substantiate +such dreadful charges, was calumny of the most atrocious kind; +but the guilt is still heightened, when we observe, that from no +conversation of Monmouth, nor, indeed, from any other +circumstance whatever, do we collect that he himself believed the +horrid accusations to be true. With regard to Essex’s +death in particular, the only one of the three charges which was +believed by any man of common sense, the late king was as much +implicated in the suspicion as James. That the latter +should have dared to be concerned in such an act, without the +privacy of his brother, was too absurd an imputation to be +attempted, even in the days of the popish plot. On the +other hand, it was certainly not the intention of the son to +brand his father as an assassin. It is too plain that, in +the instance of this declaration, Monmouth, with a facility +highly criminal, consented to set his name to whatever Ferguson +recommended as advantageous to the cause. Among the many +dreadful circumstances attending civil wars, perhaps there are +few more revolting to a good mind than the wicked calumnies with +which, in the heat of contention, men, otherwise men of honour, +have in all ages and countries permitted themselves to load their +adversaries. It is remarkable that there is no trace of the +divines who attended this unfortunate man having exhorted him to +a particular repentance of his manifesto, or having called for a +retraction or disavowal of the accusations contained in it. +They were so intent upon points more immediately connected with +orthodoxy of faith, that they omitted pressing their penitent to +the only declaration by which he could make any satisfactory +atonement to those whom he had injured.</p> +<h2>FRAGMENTS.</h2> +<p><i>The following detached paragraphs were probably intended +for the fourth chapter</i>. <i>They are here printed in the +incomplete and unfinished state in which they were found</i>.</p> +<p>While the Whigs considered all religious opinions with a view +to politics, the Tories, on the other hand, referred all +political maxims to religion. Thus the former, even in +their hatred to popery, did not so much regard the superstition, +or imputed idolatry of that unpopular sect, as its tendency to +establish arbitrary power in the State, while the latter revered +absolute monarchy as a divine institution, and cherished the +doctrines of passive obedience and non-resistance as articles of +religious faith.</p> +<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p> +<p>To mark the importance of the late events, his majesty caused +two medals to be struck; one of himself, with the usual +inscription, and the motto, <i>Aras et sceptra tuemur</i>; the +other of Monmouth, without any inscription. On the reverse +of the former were represented the two headless trunks of his +lately vanquished enemies, with other circumstances in the same +taste and spirit, the motto, <i>Ambitio malesuada ruit</i>; on +that of the latter appeared a young man falling in the attempt to +climb a rock with three crowns on it, under which was the +insulting motto, <i>Superi risere</i>.</p> +<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p> +<p>With the lives of Monmouth and Argyle ended, or at least +seemed to end, all prospect of resistance to James’s +absolute power; and that class of patriots who feel the pride of +submission, and the dignity of obedience, might be completely +satisfied that the crown was in its full lustre.</p> +<p>James was sufficiently conscious of the increased strength of +his situation, and it is probable that the security he now felt +in his power inspired him with the design of taking more decided +steps in favour of the popish religion and its professors than +his connection with the Church of England party had before +allowed him to entertain. That he from this time attached +less importance to the support and affection of the Tories is +evident from Lord Rochester’s observations, communicated +afterwards to Burnet. This nobleman’s abilities and +experience in business, his hereditary merit, as son of Lord +Chancellor Clarendon, and his uniform opposition to the Exclusion +Bill, had raised him high in the esteem of the Church +party. This circumstance, perhaps, as much, or more than +the king’s personal kindness to a brother-in-law, had +contributed to his advancement to the first office in the +State. As long, therefore, as James stood in need of the +support of the party, as long as he meant to make them the +instruments of his power, and the channels of his favour, +Rochester was, in every respect, the fittest person in whom to +confide; and accordingly, as that nobleman related to Burnet, his +majesty honoured him with daily confidential communications upon +all his most secret schemes and projects. But upon the +defeat of the rebellion, an immediate change took place, and from +the day of Monmouth’s execution, the king confined his +conversations with the treasurer to the mere business of his +office.</p> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A HISTORY OF THE EARLY PART OF THE +REIGN OF JAMES THE SECOND***</p> +<pre> + +***** This file should be named 4245-h.htm or 4245-h.zip****** + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/2/4/4245 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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