No More Learning

"

The chancellor discerned that the matter was
already concluded, what advice soever should be
given ; and that the three new commissioners of the
treasury, since they could find no way to procure
money, had been very importunate with the king to
try that expedient, and the more, because they well
knew that he was against it, he having not been at
all reserved upon several occasions in private dis-
courses, when they were present, to give many rea-
sons against it : and he knew as well, that they
would gladly make any use of any expressions which
might fall from him x , when the remembrance might
be applied to his prejudice. Yet his natural unwa-
riness in such cases with reference to himself, when
he thought his majesty's service concerned, to which
he did really believe the present advice would produce
much prejudice, prevailed with him to dissuade it.

He said, " he knew well upon what disadvantage The ci. an-

5 cellor op-

" he spake, and how unpopular a thing it was to poses it.
" speak against the convening the parliament in
" those straits, which seemed to be capable of no
" other remedy : yet since he thought the remedy

* from him] from them



256 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

16G7. " neither proper to the disease, nor that it could be
~ " applied in time, he could not concur with those
" who advised it. That most men who had any
" knowledge in the law did confess, that when the
" parliament stood prorogued to a certain day, the
" convening them upon a sooner day was very
doubtful ; and to him, upon all the disquisition he
" could make, it was very clear that it could not be
" done : and therefore he desired the judges might
" be consulted in that point, before any resolution
" should be taken. That the temper of both houses
" was well known ; and that it could not but be
" presumed, that when they came together, the first
" debate they would fall upon would be of the man-
" ner of their coming together, and whether they
" were in a capacity to act : and he doubted there
" would be very few who would be forward to pass
" an act in a season, when the validity of it might
" be questioned by those who had no mind to pay
" any obedience to it. And then if their meeting
" were only to confer together upon all occurrences,
" and they might presume of liberty to say what
" they had a mind to say, without power to conclude
" any thing ; it was well worth the considering, whe-
" ther, in so general a distemper such an assembly
' might not interrupt all other consultations and
" expedients, and yet propose none, and so increase
" the confusion. If the necessities were so urgent,
" that it was absolutely necessary that a parliament
" should be convened, and that which stood pro-
" rogued could not lawfully reassemble till the 20th
" of October, as he was confident it could not ;
" there was no question to be made, but that the
" king might lawfully by his proclamation presently



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 257

" dissolve the prorogued parliament, and send out 1667.
" his writs to have a new parliament, which might
" regularly meet a month before the prorogued par-
" liament could come together. " And many of the
council were of opinion, that it would most conduce
to his majesty's service to dissolve the one, and to
call another parliament.

This was an advice they believed no man had the
courage to make, and were sorry to find so many of
the opinion, which they had rather should have ap-
peared to be single. Many very warmly opposed
this expedient, magnified the affections and inclina-
tions of both houses : " and though there appeared
" some ill humour in them at their last being to-
" gether, and aversion to give any money for the
" present ; yet in the main their affections were
" very right for church and state. And that the
" king was never to hope to see a parliament better
" constituted for his service, or so many of the mem-
" bers at his disposal : but that he must expect that
" the presbyterians would be chosen in all places,
" and that they who were most eminent now for op-
" posing all that he desired would be chosen, and all
" they who were most zealous for his service would
" be carefully excluded ;" which was a fancy that
sunk very deep in the minds of the bishops, though
their best friends thought them like to find more
friends and a stronger support in any, than they would
have in that parliament. But the king quickly de-
clared his confidence in the parliament that was
prorogued, and his resolution not to dissolve it ;
which put an end to that debate. And the other
was again resumed, " what the king was to do to-
" wards the raising money ; or how he should be

VOL. III. S



258 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1 6(? 7. " able to maintain his army, if he should defer call-

" ing the parliament till the day upon which they

" were to assemble by the prorogation :" and all men
were to restrain their discourse to that point.

The old argumerit, " that there could be no other
*' way found out," was renewed, and urged with more
earnestness and confidence ; and that they who were
against it might be obliged to offer their advice
what other course should be taken : and this was
often demanded, in a manner not usual in that
place, as a reproach to the persons. His majesty
himself with some quickness was pleased to ask the
chancellor, " what he did advise. " To which he re-
plied, " that if in truth what was proposed was in
" the nature of it not practicable, or being practised
" could not attain the effect proposed, it ought to
** be laid aside, that men might unbiassed apply
" their thoughts to find out some other expedient.
" That he thought it very clear that the parlia-
" ment could not assemble, though the proclamation
" should issue out that very hour, within less than
" twenty days ; and that if they were met, and be-
" lieved themselves lawfully qualified to grant a
" supply of money, all men knew the formality of
" that transaction would require so much time, that
" money could not be raised time enough to raise an
" army, or to maintain that part of it that was
" raised, to prevent the landing of an enemy that
" was already upon the coast, and (as many thought
" or seemed to think) ready every day to make
" their descent : and yet the sending out a procla-
" niation for reassembling the parliament would in-
" evitably put an end to all other counsels. That
" for his part he did believe, that the Dutch had al-



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 259

" ready satisfied themselves in the affront they had? 1667.

" given, and could not be in any condition to pur-

" sue it, or have men enough on board to make a

" descent, without the king's having notice of it ;

" and that the Dutch, without a conjunction with

" the French, had not strength for such an under-

" taking : and that the French had no such purpose

" his majesty had all the assurance possible, and that

" their fleet was gone far from the coast of Eng-

" land. And his majesty had reason to believe, that

" the present treaty would put an end to this war in

" a short time, though the power and artifice of De

" Wit had prevented a cessation.

" However, for the present support of those
" troops which were necessary to guard the coasts,
" since money could not be found for their present
" constant pay, without which free quarter could
*' not be avoided ; the only way that appeared to
" him to be practicable, and to avoid the last evil,
" would be, to write letters to the lieutenants and
" deputy lieutenants of those counties where the
" troops were obliged to remain, that they would
" cause provisions of all kinds to be brought into
" those quarters, that so the soldiers might not be
" compelled to straggle abroad to provide their own
" victual, which would end in the worst kind of
" free quarter : and that the like letters might be
" written to the neighbour counties, wherein no
" soldiers were quartered, to raise money by way of
" contribution or loan, which should be abated out
" of the next impositions, that so the troops might
" be enabled to stay and continue in their z posts

> had] had already z their] the

S 2



260 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1 667. " where they were, for defence of the kingdom ; in

"" " which those other counties had their share in the

" benefit, and without which they must themselves

" be exposed to the disorder of the soldiers, and

" possibly to the invasion of the enemy. "

It is very probable, that in the earnestness of this
debate, and the frequent interruptions which were
given, he might use that expression, (which was
afterwards objected against him,) " of raising con-
" tribution as had been in the late civil war. *'
Whatever it was he said, it was evident at the time
that some men were well pleased with it, as somewhat
they meant to make use of hereafter, in which his
innocence made him little concerned.

Thepariia- The conclusion was, though many of the lords
moned 8 " spake against it, and much the major part thought
it not counsellable ; that a proclamation should
forthwith issue out, to require all the members of
parliament to meet upon a day appointed in the be-
ginning of August, to consult upon the great affairs
of the kingdom : and this proclamation was pre-
sently issued accordingly.

The treaty All this time the treaty proceeded at Breda, as
fast as the insolent humour of the Dutch would suf-
fer it. The French king declared himself much of-
fended with their proceedings at sea : and his am-
bassadors spake so loud, that the States gave order
to their deputies to bring the treaty to a conclusion ;
and sent such orders to De Ruyter, that there was
no more hostility of any moment ; only the fleet re-
mained at sea, that it might appear they were mas-
ters of it. It cannot be denied that the French am-
bassadors, except in what referred to Poleroone, be-
haved themselves as candidly as could be wished:



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 261

and it is probable, that the same reason which 1667.
moved the French to use all possible diligence to~
bring the treaty to an end, prevailed likewise with
the Dutch to use all the delays they could, that it
might be prolonged.

Though there was no war- declared, it had been
long notorious that Flanders would be invaded:
and it was as notorious, that there was no provision
made there towards a resistance or defence ; the
marquis of Castelle Roderigo, who came governor
thither with a great reputation, not making good
the expectation in the sagacity he was famed for,
nor offering at any levies of men, or mending fortifi-
cations, until the French army was upon the bor-
ders. Then he sent into England to press the king
to assist him with an army of horse and foot ; and
it easily appeared the nation would gladly have en-
gaged in that war, not being willing that Flanders
should be in the possession of France : but the king
was engaged not to give any assistance to the ene-
mies of France until the treaty should be ended,
which yet it was not. However, he suffered the
earl of Castlehaven, under pretence of recruiting a
regiment in Flanders which he had formerly, to
raise a body of one thousand foot, which he quickly
transported to Ostend.

The king of France a was impatient to march,
and yet desired the treaty might be first concluded,
that both himself and the king of England might be
at liberty to enter into such an alliance as they
should think proper for their interest : and the
Dutch, who had no mind that the expedition should

a of France] Not in MS.
s 3



262 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1667. be prosecuted, and as much feared the consequence
""of such an alliance, though they were not wise
enough to consider the right means to prevent it,
desired that the treaty might not be concluded till
The French the winter drew nearer. But the French quickly
Filnder. . put an end to that their hope by marching into the
heart of Flanders, and so giving them new matter
for their present consultations ; not without intima-
tion, " that if they would not finish the treaty, that
" king would conclude for what concerned himself:"
and this put an end to it. Yet there were some al-
terations of small importance in some articles of the
former treaty, besides that of Poleroone, which the
ambassadors would not consent to without further
knowledge of the king's pleasure: and so. one of
them (Mr. Henry Coventry) came to attend his ma
jesty, to give him an account of all particulars, and
receive his own final determination.

The king in the first place sent for the East India
company, and let them know, " that the Dutch
" would not consent to the former article for the re-
" delivery of Poleroone, nor give any recompense
" for it ; and that he was resolved not to depart
" from them b , and so release their right without
" their consent : and therefore that they should con*
" sider what would be for their good. " They an-
The East swered, " that they thought a peace to be so neces-
pan'y give" " sary for the kingdom, that they would not that
"hum to PO- " anv particular interest of theirs should give any in-
teiTuption to it :" and they acknowledged, " that
" if the war continued, they should in many respects
" be greater losers, than the redelivery of Poleroone

b them] him



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 263

" would repair; and that they would gladly sacrifice 1667.
" that pretence to the public peace. "

Upon which answer the ambassador made his re-
port of all the particulars which were consented to
on both sides in the treaty, and what remained yet
in suspense ; and made answer to all questions which
any of the council thought fit to ask. And the king
requiring him to deliver his own opinion upon his
observation, and " whether he believed, that if his
" majesty should positively insist upon what they
" had hitherto refused to consent to, the Dutch
" would choose to continue the war ; and whether
" the French would join with them in it :" he an-
swered, " that it was very evident that the Dutch
" did not at present desire the peace, otherwise than
" to comply with France and for fear of it ; and
" that France was obliged not to abandon them in
" the point of Poleroone, which the other would
" never part with, nor give any recompense for,
" though the French ambassadors had used all the
" arguments to persuade them to it. But if that
" were agreed, he was confident they would be com-
" pelled to consent to whatsoever was else of mo-
" ment. And that the French had used some
" threatening expressions, upon some insolent pro-
" positions made by the Dane, which they thought
" proceeded from the instigation of Holland. And
" that at his coming away, the French ambassadors
" had used great freedom with him, and advised in
<* what particulars which were yet unagreed they
" wished his majesty would not consent, and in
' which they could not serve him, but believed a
" time would come, in which he would be repaired
*' for those condescensions: in other particulars he

s 4



264 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1667. " should positively insist, at least with some little
- *' variation of expression ; in which he expressed
" both his own and the opinion of the other ambas-
" sador. "

And the whole being in this manner clearly
stated, the king required all the lords severally to
deliver their judgment what he was to do ; and
every man did deliver his opinion in more or fewer
words. And it may be truly said, that, though one
or two adorned their passion with some expressions
of indignation against the Dutch for their presump-
tion, and as if they c did believe that the parliament
would concur with the king in all things which
might vindicate his honour from their insolent de-
mands, the advice was upon the matter unanimous,
The privy- * that the ambassadors should immediately return,

council ad-

vises the " and conclude the peace upon those conditions

cuKhe " " which were stated at the board. " And he did

treaty. presently return : and all matters were, within few

days after his arrival, adjusted, and put into proper

ministerial hands for engrossment, and all forms and

The peace circumstances agreed upon for the proclamation of

the peace, and the day appointed for the proclaiming

thereof; and such forms of passes as should be given

on all sides to merchants' ships, (which would be im-

patient for trade before the days could be expired,)

in which all ships of war should be obliged to

take notice that the peace was proclaimed.

Tbe par- All this was done before the day of the parlia-

1 iament f



. t

ment's convening upon the king's proclamation: so
diateiy pro- that there being now no use of an army, and reason
ro$ued. enou gh to disband those regiments which had been

c they] he



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 265

raised towards it, his majesty thought it not reason- 1667.
able that they should enter upon the debate of any ~~
business, but be continued under the former proro-
gation to the day appointed ; and in this there ap-
peared not one person of a different opinion. And
so, upon the day, the king went to the house, and
told them, " that since the condition of his affairs
" was not so full of difficulty as it had been when
" he sent out his proclamation, and since many
" were of opinion, that there might be doubts arise
" upon the regualrity of their meeting ; he was con-
" tent to dismiss them till the 20th of October :"
and so they separated without any debate.

The public no sooner entered into this repose, The storm
than the storm began to arise that destroyed all the ^ ns to
prosperity, ruined the fortune, and shipwrecked all a & a i i ns e t n th r e
the hopes, of the chancellor, who had been the prin-
cipal instrument in the providing that repose. The
parliament, that had been so unseasonably called to-
gether from their business and recreations, in a sea-
son of the year that they most desired to be vacant,
were not pleased to be so soon dismissed : and very
great pains were taken by those, who were thought
to be able to do him the least harm, because they
were known to be his enemies, to persuade the
members of parliament, " that it was the chancellor
" only who had hindered their continuing together,
" and that he had advised the king to dissolve
" them ;" which exceedingly inflamed them.

And sir William Coventry was so far from being sir wiiiiam
reserved in his malice, that the very day that the i n clnse7thc
parliament was dismissed, after he had incensed "J e e l " 1 b e u r s s e of
them against the chancellor, in the presence of six of commons

against

or seven of the members, who were not all of the him.



266 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1667. same mind, he declared, "that if at their next meet-
~" ing, which would be within little more than two
" months, they had a mind to remove the chancellor
" from the court, they should easily bring it to
" pass :" of all which he had quickly information,
and had several other advertisements from persons
of honour, " that there was a strong combination
" entered into against him ;" and they d mentioned
some particulars to have been told the king concern-
ing him, which had exceedingly offended his majesty.
Ail which particulars, being without any colour or
ground of truth, he believed were inventions (though
not from those who informed him) only to amuse
him.

Yet he took an opportunity to acquaint the king
with it, who, with the same openness he had always
used, conferred with him about his present business,
but only of the business. He besought his majesty
to let him know, " whether he had received any in-
" formation that he had done or said such and such
" things," which he made appear to him to be in
themselves so incredible and improbable, that it
could hardly be in his majesty's power to believe
them 6 ; to which the king answered, ** that nobody
" had told him any such thing. " To which the
other replied, "that he did really think they had
" not, though he knew that they had bragged they
" had done so, and thereby incensed his majesty
" against him ; which they desired should be gene-
" rally believed. "

The truth is ; the chancellor was guilty of that
himself which he had used to accuse the archbishop

ttwjy] Omitted in MS. them] it



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 267

Laud of, that he was too proud of a good conscience. 1 667.

He knew his own innocence, and had no kind of ap- '

prehension of being publicly charged with any
crime. He knew well he had many enemies who
had credit with the king, and that they did him all
the ill offices they could : and he knew that the
lady's power and credit increased, and that she de-
sired nothing more than to remove him from his
majesty's confidence ; in which he never thought
her to blame, since she well knew that he employed
all the credit he had to remove her from the court.
But he thought himself very secure in the king's
justice : and though his kindness was much lessened,
he was confident his majesty would protect him
from being oppressed, since he knew his integrity ;
and never suspected that he would consent to his
ruin. He was in truth weary of the condition he
was in, and had in the last year undergone much
mortification ; and desired nothing more, than to be
divested of all other trusts and employments than
what concerned the chancery only, in which he
could have no rival, and in the administration
whereof he had not heard of any complaint : and
this he thought might have satisfied all parties ;
and had sometimes desired the king, " that he
" might retire from all other business, than that of
" the judicatory," for he plainly discerned he was
not able to contend with other struggles.

I cannot avoid in this place mentioning an acci- A P ar-

i i r- 11 i ' 11 ticuiar re-

dent that fell out in this time, and enlarge upon alljatingto

the circumstances thereof, which might otherwise Bucking
be passed over, but that it had an immediate JB" ^enl'the
fluence on the fate of the person who is so near his fate of thc

chancellor.

fall. The king had been very much offended with the



268 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1667. duke of Buckingham, who had behaved himself
"much worse towards him than could be expected
from his obligations and discretion, and had been in
truth the original cause of all the ill humour which
had been in both houses of parliament in the last
session ; after the end of which he went into the
country without taking his leave of the king, and
in several places spake with greater license of the
court and government, and of the person of the
king, than any other person presumed to do ; of all
which his majesty had intelligence and information,
and was at that time without doubt more offended
with him than with any man in England, and had
really great provocation to jealousy of his fidelity,
as well as of his respect and affection. The lord
Arlington, as secretary of state, had received several
informations of dangerous words spoken by him
against the king, and of his correspondencies with
persons the most suspected for seditious inclinations,
the duke having made himself very popular amongst
the levellers, and amongst them who clamoured for
liberty of conscience, which pretence he seemed very
much to cherish.

An account The king was very much awakened to be jealous
be- ^ ^* m besides his behaviour in the parliament, by
r. some informations he received from his own servants.
There was one Braythwaite, a citizen, who had
been a great confident of Cromwell and of the coun-
cil of state, a man of parts, and looked upon as hav-
ing a greater interest with the discontented party
than any man of the city. Upon the king's return
this man fled beyond the seas, and after near a
year's stay there came again to London, but re-
mained there as incognito, came not upon the ex-



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 269

change, nor was seen in public, and returned again 1667.
into Holland; and so made frequent journeys back-""
ward and forward for several months, and then
came and resided publicly in the city. This being
taken notice of by sir Richard Browne, who was
major general of the city, upon whose vigilance the
king very much and very justly depended, and the
man being well known to him, he had long endea-
voured to apprehend him f , till he understood that
he was a servant to the duke of Buckingham, and
in great trust with him, as he was ; for the duke
had committed the whole managery of his estate to
him, and upon his recommendation had received
many other inferior servants to be employed under
him, all of the same leaven with him, and all noto-
rious for their disaffection to the church and state.
The major general, being one day to give the king
an account of some business, told him likewise of
this man, " as one as worthy to be suspected for all
" disloyal purposes, and as like to bring them to
" pass, as any 'man of that condition in England;"
and seemed to wonder, " that the duke would en-
" tertain such a person in his service. "

At that time the duke had by his diligence, and
those faculties towards mirth in which he excelled,
made himself very acceptable to the king ; though
many wondered that he could be so, considering
what the king himself knew of him : insomuch that
his majesty told him what he had been informed of
his steward, and how much he suffered in his repu-
tation for entertaining such servants. The duke
received the animadversion with all possible submis-

f him] Omitted in MS,



270 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1G67. v "' n am ' acknowledgment of the obligation, and

then enlarged upon the commendation of the man,

" of his great abilities, and the benefit he received
" by his service ;" and besought his majesty, '* that
" he would vouchsafe to hear him, for he believed
" he would give an account of the state of the city,
" and of many particulars which related to his ma-
jesty's service, better than most men could do. "
And the king shortly after supping at the duke's
house, he found an opportunity to present Mr.
Braythwaite to him, who was a man of a very good
aspect, which that people used not to have, and of
notable insinuation. He made the king a narration
of the whole course of his life, in which he did not
endeavour to make himself appear a better man
than he had been reported to be ; which kind of in-
genuity, as men call it, is a wonderful approach to-
wards being believed. He related " by what degrees,
" and in what method of conviction, he had expli-
" cated himself from all those ill principles in which
" he had been entangled : and that it had been a
" principal motive to him to embrace the opportunity
" of serving the duke, that he might totally retire
" from that company and conversation to which he
" had been most accustomed. And yet he thought
" he had so much credit with the chief of them, that
" they could never enter into any active combina-
'* tion, but he should have notice of it : and assured
" his majesty that nothing should pass of moment
" amongst that people, but his majesty should have
" very seasonable information of it, and that he
" would always serve him with great fidelity. " In
fine, the king was well satisfied with his discourse,
and often afterwards upon the like opportunities



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 271

conferred with him, and believed him to be well ]G67.
disposed to do him any service.

During the last session of parliament, in which
the duke carried himself so disrespectfully to the
king, this man found an opportunity to get access
to his majesty, which he was willing to give him ;
when he said, " that he thought it his duty, and ac-
" cording to his obligation, to give his majesty an
" account of what he had lately observed, and of his
" own resolutions. " He told him, " that his lord
" was of late very much altered, and was fallen into
" the acquaintance and conversation of some men
" of very mean condition, but of very desperate in-
" tendons ; with whom he used to meet at unseason-
" able hours, and in obscure places, where persons
" of quality did not use to resort ; and that he
" frequently received letters from them : all which
" made him apprehend that there was a design on
" foot, which, how unreasonable soever, the duke
" might be engaged in. And for these and other
" reasons, and the irregular course of his life, he was
" resolved to withdraw himself from his service :
" and that he hoped, into what extravagancies so-
" ever the duke should cast himself, his majesty
" would retain a good opinion of him, who would
" never swerve from his affection and duty. "

The information and testimony, which the lord Ar-
lington brought to the king shortly after this adver-
tisement, made the greater impression ; and there
were many particulars in the informations that could
not be suspected to be forged. And it appeared that
there was a poor fellow, who had a poorer lodging
about Tower-hill, and professed skill in horoscopes,
to whom the duke often repaired in disguise in the



278 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1 667. night : and the lord Arlington had caused that fel-
low to be apprehended, and his pockets and his
chamber to be searched ; where were found several
letters to the duke of Buckingham, one or two
whereof were in his pocket sealed and not sent,
and the rest copies, and one original letter from the
duke to him, in all which there were many unusual
expressions, which were capable of a very ill inter-
pretation, and could not bear a good one. This
man and some others were sent close prisoners to
the Tower, where the lord Arlington and two other
privy counsellors, by the king's order, took their se-
veral examinations, and confronted them with those
witnesses, who accused them and justified their ac-
cusations ; all which were brought to the king.

And then his majesty was pleased to acquaint the
chancellor with all that had passed, who to that
minute had not the least imagination of any parti-
cular relating to it : nor had he any other prejudice
to the person of the duke, (for he behaved himself
towards him with more than ordinary civility,) than
what was necessary for any man to have upon ac-
count of the extravagancy of his life ; and which he
could not be without, upon what he had often re-
ceived from the duke himself upon his own know-
ledge. The king now shewed him all those examin-
ations and depositions which had been taken ; and
that letter to the fellow, " which," his majesty said,
" he knew to be every word the duke's own hand ;"
and the letters to the duke from the fellow, which
still gave him the style of prince, and mentioned
what great things his stars promised to him, and
that he was the darling of the people, who had set
their hearts and affections and all their hopes upon



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 273

his highness, with many other foolish and some fus- ice/.
tian expressions. His majesty told him in what"
places the duke had been since he left London ;
" that he stayed few days in any place ; and that he
" intended on such a day, that was to come, to be in
" Staffordshire at the house of sir Charles Wolsely,"
a gentleman who had been of great eminency in
Cromwell's council, and one of those who had been
sent by the house of commons to persuade him to
accept the crown with the title of king. Upon the
whole matter his majesty asked him, " what way
" he was to proceed against him :" to which he an-
swered, " that he was first to be apprehended ; and
" when he should be in custody and examined, his
" majesty would better judge which way he was to
" proceed against him. "

Upon further consideration with the chancellor The kins

. _ , MI issues out

and lord Arlington and others ot the council, the his warrant
king sent a sergeant at arms, with a warrant under |, e nd Wm.
his sign manual, " to apprehend the duke of Buck-
" ingham, and to bring him before one of the secre-
" taries of state, to answer to such crimes as should
" be objected against him ;" or to that purpose. The
sergeant made a journey into Northamptonshire,
where he was informed the duke was&: but still,
when he came to the house where he was said to
be, it was pretended that he was gone from thence
some hours before ; by which he found that he had
notice of his business. And therefore he concealed
himself, and appointed some men to watch and inform
themselves of his motions, it being generally reported
that he would be at the house of the earl of Exeter

K was] Omitted in MS.
VOL. III. T



274 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1667. at such a time. And notice was given him, that he
~ was then in a coach with ladies going to that house :
upon which he made so good haste, that he was in
view of the coach, and saw the duke alight out of
the coach, and lead a lady into the house ; upon
which the door of the court was shut before he
could get to it. He knocked loudly at that and
other doors that were all shut ; so that he could not
get into the house, though it were some hours be-
fore sunset in the month of May. After some hours'
attendance, one Mr. Fairfax, who waited upon the
duke of Buckingham, came to the door, and without
opening it asked him, " what he would have :" and
he answered, " that he had a message to the duke
" from the king, and that he must speak with him ;"
to which he replied, " that he was not there, and
" that he should seek for him in some other place. "
The sergeant told him, " that he saw him go into
" the house ; and that if he might not be admitted
" to speak with him, he would require the sheriff
" of the county to give him his assistance :" upon
which the gentleman went away, and about half an
hour after returned again, and threatened the ser-
geant so much, after he had opened the door, that
the poor man had not the courage to stay longer ;
but returned to the court, and gave a full relation
in writing to the secretary of the endeavours he had
used, and the affronts he had received.
He is re- Why all the particular circumstances of this af-

iimvcii from *

an hi* em- fair are so punctually related will appear anon. The

ployineuU.

king was so exceedingly offended at this carriage
and behaviour of the duke, that he made relation of
it to the council-board, and publicly declared, " that
" he was no longer of that number," and caused his



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 275

name to be left out in the list of the counsellors, and icG7.
" that he was no longer a gentleman of his bed-
" chamber," and put the earl of Rochester to wait
in his place. His majesty likewise revoked that
commission by which he was constituted lord lieu-
tenant of the east riding in Yorkshire, and granted
that commission to the earl of Burlington : so that
it was not possible for his majesty to give more
lively instances of his displeasure against any man,
than he had done against the duke. And at theAprocia-
same time, with the advice of the board, a pro- apprehend-
clamation issued out for his apprehension, and in- inghun '
hibiting all persons to entertain, receive, or conceal
him. Upon which he thought it fit to leave the
country, and that he should be less discovered in
London, whither he resorted, and had many lodg-
ings in several quarters of the city. And though
his majesty had frequent intelligence where he was,
and continued advertisements of the liberty he took in
his discourses of his own person, and of some others,
of which he was no less sensible ; yet when the ser-
geant at arms, and others employed for his appre-
hension, came where he was known to have been
but an hour before, he was gone from thence, or so
concealed there that he could not be found : and in
this manner he continued sleeping all the day, and
walking from place to place in the night, for the
space of some months.

At last, being advertised of renewed instances of
the king's displeasure, and that it every day in-
creased upon new intelligence that he received of
his behaviour, he grew weary of the posture he was
in, and employed several persons to move the king
on his behalf; for he was informed that the king

T 2



276 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1667. resolved to proceed against him for his life, and
The duke that his estate was begged and given. Upon this
r one n ight he sent his secretary, Mr. Clifford, to the



to interpose chancellor, with whom he had never entered into

in his be- .

hmif. any dispute, with some compliments and expressions
of confidence in his friendship. He professed "great
" innocence and integrity in all his actions with re-
" ference to the king, though he might have been
" passionate and indiscreet in his words ; that there
" was a conspiracy against his life, and that his es-
" tate was granted or promised to persons who had
" begged it :" and in conclusion he desired " that he
" would send him his advice what he should do, but
" rather, that he would permit him to come to him
" in the evening to his house, that he might confer
" with him. "

The chsn- '. The chancellor answered his secretary, who was
. wel1 known to him, " that he might not confer with
" him till he rendered himself to the king ; that he
" was confident, having seen testimony enough to
" convince him, that the duke was not innocent ;
" and that he had much to answer for disrespectful
" mention of the king, which would require much
" acknowledgment and submission : but that he did
" not know that his crimes were of that magnitude
" as would put his life into danger ; and that he
" was most confident that there was no conspiracy
" to take that from him, except his faults were of
" another nature than they yet appeared to be ;
" and which no conspiracy, which he need not fear,
" could deprive him of. And he did not believe
" that there had been any attempt to beg his estate :
" but he was sure there had not been, nor could
" be, any grant of it to any man, which must have



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 277

" passed by the great seal. " He did advise him, 1667.
and desired him to follow his advice, " that if he did ~~
" know himself innocent as to unlawful actions and
" designs, and that his fault consisted only in indis-
" creet words, as he seemed to confess ; he would
" no longer aggravate his offence by contemning
" his warrants, which he would not be long able to
" avoid, but deliver himself into the custody of the
" lieutenant of the Tower, which he was at liberty
" by the proclamation to do, and send then a petition
" to the king, that he might be heard: and that when
" he had done this, he would be ready and willing
" to do him all the offices which would consist with
" his duty. "

And the next day he gave his majesty a particu-
lar account of the message which he had received,
and of the answer which he had returned ; which
his majesty approved, and shewed him a letter that
he had received from the duke that morning, which
seemed to have been written after his secretary
had returned from the chancellor. The letter con-
tained a large profession of his innocence, and
complaint of the power of his enemies, and a very
earnest desire " that his majesty would give him
" leave to speak with him, and then dispose of
" him as he pleased ;" to which his majesty had
answered to the person who brought the letter,
who, as I remember, was sir Robert Howard, " that
" the duke need not fear the power of any ene-
" mies, but would be sure to have justice, if he
" would submit to it. "

But his majesty in his discourse seemed to be as The king
weary of the prosecution, as the duke was of thefy 7thc
concealing himself to avoid it, and to have much P rosecutlon -

T 3



278 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

l<>67. apprehension of his interest and power in the parlia-
~~ ment ; and to be troubled that the principal witness,
upon whose testimony he relied, was at that h time
sick of the smallpox, and in danger of death, and
that another retracted part of that evidence that he
had given. In a word, his majesty appeared less
angry than he had been, and willing that an end
should be put to the business without any public
prosecution. To which the chancellor made no
other answer, than " that no advice could be given
" with preservation of his majesty's dignity, till the
" duke rendered himself into the hand of justice :"
which he was very unwilling to do, and sent again
to the chancellor by sir Robert Howard, to press
him, " that he might be admitted first to the king's
" presence, and then sent to the Tower. " The
other told him, " that if the king were inclined to
" admit him in that manner, he would dissuade him
" from it, as a thing dishonourable to him after ^so
" long a contest ;" and repeated the same to him
that he said formerly to Mr. Clifford : nor could he
be persuaded by any others (for others did speak to
him to the same purpose) to recede a tittle from
what he had insisted upon, " that he should put
" himself in the Tower. " In 1 all which he still gave
the king a faithful account of every word that pass-
ed: for he knew well that the lord Arlington endea-
voured to persuade the king, " that the chancellor
" favoured the duke, and desired that he should be
" at liberty ;" when at the same time he used all
the ways he could to have it insinuated to the duke's
friends, " that he knew nothing of the business, but

11 that] Omitted in MS. j In] Of



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 279

" that the whole prosecution was made by the infor- 1 667.
" mation and advice of the chancellor. "



In the end, the duke was persuaded to render The duke
himself to the Tower: and from thence he sent a ? { en
petition to the king, who presently appeared very
well k inclined to give over any further prosecution ;
which alteration all men wondered at, nor could
any man imagine the ground or reason of it. For
though the principal witness was dead, as the lord
Arlington declared he was, and that so much could
not be proved as at the first discovery was reason-
ably suspected ; yet the meanness and vileness of
the persons with whom he kept so familiar corre-
spondence, the letters between them which were
ready to be produced, the disrespectful and scandal-
ous discourses which he often held concerning the
king's person, and many other particulars which had
most inflamed the king, and which might fully have
been proved, would have manifested so much vanity
and presumption in the duke, as must have lessen-
ed his credit and reputation with all serious men,
and made him worthy of severe censure. But whe-
ther the king thought not fit to proceed upon the
words and scandalous discourses, which he thought
would more disperse and publish the scandals ; or
whether he did really believe that it would disturb
and obstruct all his business in parliament ; or what
other reason soever prevailed with his majesty, as
without doubt some other there were : his majesty 1
was very impatient to be rid of the business, and
would have been easily persuaded to have given pre-

k well] Not In MS. ' liis majesty] but his majesty

T 4



280 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF
1667. sent order for setting the duke at liberty, and so to



silence all further discourse. But he was persuaded,
" that that would most reflect upon his own honour,
" by making it believed, that there had been in truth
" a foul conspiracy against the person of the duke,
" which would give him more credit in the parlia-
" ment and every where else ;" for the king had not
yet, with all his indulgence, a better opinion of his
affection and fidelity than he had before.
He is ex- i n conclusion ; it was resolved, " that the lieute-

amined at

the couucii- " nant of the Tower should bring the duke of Buck-
" ingham to the council chamber, his majesty being
" present ; and there the attorney and solicitor gene-
" ral should open the charge that was against him,
" and read all the examinations which had been
" taken, and the letters which had passed between
" them :" all which was done. And the duke deny-
ing " that he had ever written to that fellow, though
" he knew him well, and used to make himself merry
" with him," the letter was produced (which the
king and the lord Arlington, who both knew his
hand well, made no doubt to be his hand) and de-
livered to the duke ; who, as soon as he cast his eye
upon it, said, " it was not his hand, but he well
" knew whose it was. " And being asked whose
hand it was, he said, " it was his sister's, the duchess
" of Richmond, with whom," he said, " it was known
" that he had no correspondence. " Whereupon the
king called for the letter, and, having looked upon
it, he said, " he had been mistaken," and confessed
" that it was the duchess's hand ;" and seemed much
out of countenance upon the mistake: though the
letter gave still as much cause of suspicion, for it



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 281

was as strange that she should write to such a fel- 1667.
low in a style very obliging, and in answer 1 to a let-~
ter ; so that it seemed very reasonable still to be-
lieve, that she might have written it upon his desire
and dictating.

The duke denied most of the particulars con-
tained in the examinations : and for the other let-
ters which had been written to him by the fellow
who was in the Tower, (whereof one was found in
his pocket sealed to be sent to the duke, and the
others were copies of others which had been sent ;
and the witness who was dead had delivered one of
them into the duke's own hand, and related at large
the kindness he expressed towards the man, and the
message he sent to him by him,) he denied that he
had ever received those letters ; but acknowledged,
" that the man came often to him, and pretended
" skill in horoscopes, but more in distillations,
" in which the duke delighted and exercised him-
" self, but looked upon the fellow as cracked in his
" brain, and fit only to be laughed at. " When the The king
duke was withdrawn, the king declared, " that hej"^^
" had been deceived in being confident that the let- his defence -
" ter had been written by the duke, which he now
" discerned not to be his hand, and he knew as well
" to have been written by the duchess ;" and there-
upon seemed to think that there was nothing else
worth the examining : and so order was given to set
the duke at liberty, who immediately went to his
own house, and went not in some days afterwards to
the court.

About this time, or in a few days afterwards, a

1 in answer] being in answer



282 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1 667. great affliction befell the chancellor in his domestics,
The chan- wn ' c ^ prepared him to bear all the unexpected acci-
bis'wife *" dents * na * suddenly succeeded that more insupport-
able misfortune. His wife, the mother of all his
children, and his companion in all hjs banishment,
and who had made all his former calamities less
grievous by her company and courage, having made
a journey to Tunbridge for her health, returned
from thence without the benefit she expected, yet
without being thought by the physicians to be in
any danger ; and within less than three days died :
which was so sudden, unexpected, and irreparable a
loss, that he had not courage to support ; which no-
body wondered at who knew the mutual satisfac-
tion and comfort they had in each other. And he
might possibly have sunk under it, if his enemies
had not found out a new kind of consolation to
him, which his friends could never have thought
of.

Within few days after his wife's death, the king

vouchsafed to come to his house to condole with him,

The duke and used many gracious expressions to him : yet

bythek! ng within less than a fortnight the duke (who was sel-



a ^ay without doing him the honour to see
to resign, him) came to him, and with very much trouble told
him, " that such a day, that was past, walking with
" the king in the park, his majesty asked him how
" the chancellor did : to which his highness had
" made answer, that he was the most m disconsolate
" person he ever saw n ; and that he had lamented
" himself to him not only upon the loss of his wife,
" but out of apprehension that his majesty had of late

m most] Omitted in MS. " saw] Omitted in MS.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 283
"withdrawn his countenance from him: to which 1667.
" his majesty replied, that he wondered he should"
" think so, but that he would speak more to him of
" that subject the next day. And that that morn-
" ing his majesty had held a long discourse with
" him, in which he told him, that he had received
" very particular and certain intelligence, that when
" the parliament should meet again, they were re-
" solved to impeach the chancellor, who was grown
" very odious to them , not only for his having op-
" posed them in all those things upon which they
" had set their hearts, but that they had been in-
" formed that he had proposed and advised their dis-
" solution ; which had enraged them to that degree,
" that they had taken a resolution as soon as they
" came together again to send up an impeachment
" against him ; which would be a great dishonour
" to his majesty, and obstruct all his affairs, nor
" should he be able to protect him or divert them :
" and therefore that it would be necessary for his
" service, and likewise for the preservation of the
" chancellor, that he should deliver up the seal to
" him. All which he desired the duke" (who con-
fessed that he had likewise received the same adver-
tisement) " to inform him of : and that the chancel-
" lor himself should choose the way and the manner
" of delivering up the seal, whether he would wait
" upon the king and give it into his own hand, or
" whether the king should send a secretary or a
" privy counsellor for it. " When the duke had said
all that the king had given him in charge, he de-
clared himself "to be much unsatisfied with the

" them] linu



284 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1 667. " king's resolution ; and that : ' though he had re-

~ " ceived the same advertisement, and believed that

there was a real combination and conspiracy

" against him, yet he knew the chancellor's inno-

" cence would not be frighted with it. "

The chancellor was indeed as much surprised
with this relation, as he could have been at the
sight of a warrant for his execution. He told the
duke, " that he did not wonder that the king and
" his highness had been informed of such a resolu-
" tion ; for that they who had contrived the conspi-
" racy, and done all they could to make it prevalent,
" could best inform his majesty and his highness of
" what would probably fall out. " And thereupon
he informed the duke " of what had passed at the
" day of the last prorogation, and the discourse and
" promise sir William Coventry had made to them,
" if they had a mind to be rid of the chancellor :
" but," he said, " that which only afflicted him was,
" that the king should have no better opinion of his
", innocence and integrity, than to conclude that
such a combination must ruin him. And he was
" more troubled to find, that the king himself had so
" terrible an apprehension of their 1 power and their 1 "
u purposes, as if they might do any thing they had
" a mind to do. He did not believe that he was so
" odious to the parliament as he was reported to
" be ; if he were, it was only for his zeal to his ma-
" jesty's service, and his insisting upon what his ma-.
" jesty had resolved : but he was confident that
" when his enemies had done all that their malice
" could suggest against him, it would appear that

' that] Not in MS. 1 their] the r their] the



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 285

" the parliament was not of their mind. He wished i G67.
" that he might have the honour to speak with the"
" king, before he returned any answer to his com-
" mands. " The duke was pleased graciously to re-
ply, " that it was the advice he intended to give
" him, that he should desire it ; and that he doubted
" not but that he should easily prevail with the king
" to come to his house, whither he had used so fre-
" quently to come, and where he had been so few
" days before :" and at this time the chancellor was
not well able s to walk ; besides that it was against
the common rules of decency to go so soon out of
his house. When the duke desired the king, that
he would vouchsafe to go to Clarendon-house, his
majesty very readily consented to it ; and said, " he
" would go thither the next day. " But that and
more days passed ; and then he told the duke, " that
" since he resolved to take the seal, it would riot be
" so fit for him to go thither ; but he would send
" for the chancellor to come to his own chamber in
" Whitehall, and he would go thither to him. "

In the mean time it began to be the discourse of
the court : and the duchess, from whom the duke
had yet concealed it, came to be informed of it ;
who presently went to the king with some passion ;
and the archbishop of Canterbury and the general Man x i' er -

sonsofemi-

accompanied her, who all besought the king not to nence in-
take such a resolution. And many other of the hls'behaif.
privy-council, with none of whom the chancellor had
spoken, taking notice of the rumour, attended the
king with the same suit and advice. To all whom
his majesty answered, " that what he intended was

s not well able] not only not well able



286 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1067. " for his good, and the only way to preserve him. "
~ He held longer discourse to the general, " that he
" did believe by what his brother had told him, of
" the extreme agony the chancellor was in upon the
" death of his wife, that he had himself desired to
" be dismissed from his office ;" and bade the general
" go to him, and bid him come the next morning
" to his own chamber at Whitehall, and the king
" would come thither to him. " And the general
came to him with great professions of kindness,
which he had well deserved from him, gave him
a relation of all that had passed with the king, and
concluded, " that what had been done had been
" upon mistake ; and he doubted not, but that upon
" conference with his majesty all things would be
" well settled again to his content ;" which no doubt
he did at that time believe as well as wish.
The chan- Upon Monday, the 26th of August, about ten of
tends the the clock in the morning, the chancellor went to his
Whitehall, chamber in Whitehall, where he had not been many
minutes, before the king and duke by themselves
came into the room. His majesty looked very gra-
ciously upon him, and made him sit down ; when
conference the other acknowledged " the honour his majesty
them? " " had done him, in admitting him into his presence
" before he executed a resolution he had taken. "
He said, " that he had no suit to make to him, nor
" the least thought to dispute with him, or to divert
" him from the resolution he had taken ; but only
" to receive his determination from himself, and
" most humbly to beseech him to let him know
" what fault he had committed, that had drawn this
" severity upon him from his majesty. " The king
told him, " he had not any thing to object against



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 287

" him ; but must always acknowledge, that he had 1 667.
" always served him honestly and faithfully, and ~
" that he did believe that never king had a better
" servant, and that he had taken this resolution for
" his good and preservation, as well as for his own
" convenience and security ; and that he had verily
" believed that it had been upon his consent and
" desire. " And thereupon his majesty entered upon
a relation of all that had passed between him and
the duke, and " that he really thought his brother
" had concurred with him in his opinion, as the
" only way to preserve him. " In that discourse the
duke sometimes positively denied to have said some-
what, and explained other things as not said to the
purpose his majesty understood, or that he ever im-
plied that himself thought it fit.

The sum of what his majesty said was, " that he
" was most assured by information that could not
" deceive him, that the parliament was resolved, as
" soon as they should come together again, to im-
" peach the chancellor ; and then that his innocence
" would no more defend and secure him against
" their power, than the earl of Strafford had de-
" fended himself against them : and," he said, " he
" was as sure, that his taking the seal from him at this
" time would so well please the parliament, that his
" majesty should thereby be able to preserve him,
" and to provide for the passage of his own business,
" and the obtaining all that he desired. " He said,
" he was sorry that the business had taken so much
" air, and was so publicly spoken of, that he knew
" not how to change his purpose ;" which he seemed
to impute to the passion of the duchess, that had
divulged it.



288 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

Ifi67. The chancellor told him, " that he had not con-
""" tributed to the noise, nor had imparted it to his
" own children, till they with great trouble informed
" him, that they heard it from such and such per-
" sons," whom they named, " with some complaint
" that it was concealed from them : nor did he then
" come in hope to divert him from the resolution he
" had taken in the matter itself. " He said, " he had
" but two things to trouble him with. The first,
" that he would by no means suffer it to be believed
" that he himself was willing to deliver up the seal ;
" and that he should not think himself a gentleman,
" if he were willing to depart and withdraw himself
" from the office, in a time when he thought his
" majesty would have need of all honest men, and
" in which he thought he might be able to do him
" some service. The second, that he could not ac-
" knowledge this deprivation to be done in his fa-
" vour, or in order to do him good ; but on the con-
" trary, that he looked upon it as the greatest ruin
" he could undergo, by his majesty's own declaring
" his judgment upon him, which would amount to
" little less than a confirmation of those many lil>el-
" lous discourses which had been raised, and would
" upon the matter expose him to the rage and fury
" of the people, who had been with great artifice and
" industry persuaded to believe, that he had been
" the cause and the counsellor of all that they liked
" not. That he was so far from fearing the justice
" of the parliament, that he renounced his majesty's
" protection or interposition towards his preserva-
" tion : and that though the earl of Strafford had
" undergone a sentence he did* not deserve, yet he
" could not acknowledge their cases to be parallel.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 289

" That though that great person had never com- 1CG7.

" mitted any offence that could amount to treason, ~

" yet he had done many things which he could not jus-

" tify, and which were transgressions against the law:

" whereas he was not guilty of any action, whereof

" he did not desire the law might be the judge.

" And if his majesty himself should discover all that

" he had said to him in secret, he feared not any

" censure that should attend it : if any body could

" charge him with any crime or offence, he would

" most willingly undergo the punishment that be-

" longed to it.

" But," he said, " he doubted very much, that the
" throwing off an old servant, who had served the
" crown in some trust near thirty years, (who had
" the honour by the command of his blessed father,
" who had left good evidence of the esteem he had
" of his fidelity, to wait upon his majesty when he
" went out of the kingdom, and by the great bless-
" ing of God had the honour to return with him
" again ; which no other counsellor alive could say,)
" on the sudden f , without any suggestion of a crime,
u nay, with a declaration of innocence, would call
" his majesty's justice and good-nature into ques-
" tion ; and men would not know how securely to
" serve him, when they should see it was in the
" power of three or four persons who had never
" done him any notable service, nor were in the
" opinion of those who knew them best like to do,
" to dispose him to so ungracious an act. "

The king seemed very much troubled and irre-
solute ; then repeated " the great power of the par-

1 on the sudden] should on a sudden
VOL. III. U



290 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1667. " liament, and the clear information he had of their

" " purposes, which they were resolved to go through

" with, right or wrong ; and that his own condition

" was such, that he could not dispute with them,

" but was upon the matter at their mercy. "

The chancellor told him, " it was not possible for
" his majesty to have any probable assurance what
" the parliament would do. And though he knew
" he had offended some of the house of commons, in
" opposing their desires in such particulars as his
" majesty thought were prejudicial to his service ;
" yet he did not doubt but his reputation was much
" greater in both houses, than either of theirs who
" were known to be his enemies, and to have this
" influence upon his majesty, who were all known
" to be guilty of some transgressions, which they
" would have been called in question for in parlia-
" ment, if he had not very industriously, out of the
" tenderness he had for his majesty's honour and
" service, prevented it ; somewhat whereof was not
" unknown to his majesty. " He concluded " with
" beseeching him, whatever resolution he took in
" his particular, not to suffer his spirits to fall, nor
" himself to be dejected with the apprehension of
" the formidable power of the parliament, which
" was more or less or nothing, as he pleased to make
" it : that it was yet in his own power to govern
" them; but if they found it was in theirs to go-
" vern him, nobody knew what the end would be. "
And thereupon he made him a short relation of the
method that was used in the time of Richard the
Second, " when they terrified the king with the
" power and the purposes of the parliament, till they
" brought him to consent to that from which he



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 291

" could not redeem himself, and without which they 1667.
" could have done him no harm. " And in the
warmth of this relation he found a seasonable op-
portunity to mention the lady with some reflections
and cautions, which he might more advisedly have
declined.

After two hours' discourse, the king rose without The king
saying any thing, but appeared not well pleased i n dispie'a?
with all that had been said ; and the duke of York sure '
found he was offended with the last part of it. The
garden, that used to be private, had now many in
it to observe the countenance of the king when he
came out of the room : and when the chancellor re-
turned, the lady, the lord Arlington, and Mr. May,
looked together out of her open window with great
gaiety and triumph, which all people observed.

Four or five days passed without any further pro-
ceedings, or the king's declaring his resolution : and
in that time the chancellor's concern was the only
argument of the court. Many of the council, and
other persons of honour and interest, presumed to
speak with the king, and to give a very good testi-
mony of him, of his unquestionable integrity, and of
his parts, and credit with the sober part of the na-
tion : and to those his majesty always commended
him, with professions of much kindness ; but said,
" he had made himself odious to the parliament,
" and so was no more capable to do him service. "
On the other side, the lady and lord Arlington, and
sir William Coventry, exceedingly triumphed, the
last of which openly and without reserve declared,
" that he had given the king advice to remove him
f( as a man odious to the parliament, and that the
" king would be ruined if he did it not ; that he

u 2



1667. " was so imperious, that he would endure no con-
~* " tradiction ;" with many other reproaches to that
purpose. But except those three, and Mr. May and
Mr. Brounker, there seemed none of name in the
court who wished that the resolution should be
pursued.

The duke The duke of York concerned himself wonderfully
teresuh! m-on the chancellor's behalf, and with as much warmth



as anv private gentleman could express on the be-
behaif. half O f jjjg f r i en d. He had great indignation at the
behaviour of sir William Coventry and Mr. Brounker,
that being his servants they should presume to shew
so much malice towards a person they knew he had
kindness for. And the former had so much sense
of it, that he resolved to quit the relation by which
he had got vast wealth, and came to him, and told
him, " that since he was commissioner for the trea-
" sury, he found he should not be able to attend his
" service so diligently as he ought to do ; and there-
" fore desired his highness's favour in l)is dismission,
" and that he would give him leave to commend an
" honest man to succeed him in his service:" to
which his highness shortly answered, " that he
" might dispose himself as he would, with which
" he was well content ; and that he would choose
" another secretary for himself without his recom-
" mendation. " And his highness presently went to
the chancellor, and informed him of it, with displea-
sure enough towards the man, and much satisfaction
that he was rid of him ; and asked him " whom he
" would recommend to him for a secretary. " He
told his highness, " that if he would trust his judg-
" ment, he would recommend a person to him, who
" he beb'eved was not unknown to him, and for



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 293

" whose parts and fidelity he would pass his word, 1667.
" having had good experience of both in his having ~
" served him as a secretary for the space of above
" seven years ;" and named Mr. Wren. The duke
said, " he knew him well, being a member of the
" Royal Company, where he often heard him speak
" very intelligently, and discerned him to be a man
" of very good parts, and therefore he would very
" willingly receive him ; and the rather, that he
" knew it would be looked upon as an evidence of
" his kindness to him, which he would always own
" and testify to all the world :" and within two days
after, he received him into his service with the
king's approbation, the gentleman's abilities being
very well known, and his person much loved.

In this suspension, the common argument was,
" that it was not now the question whether the
" chancellor was innocent ; but whether, when the
" king had so long resolved to remove him, and had
" now proceeded so far towards it, he should retract
" his resolution, and be governed by his brother : it
" was enough that he was not beloved, and that the
" court wished him removed. " And Mr. Brounker
openly declared, " that the resolution had been taken
" above two months before ; and that it would not
" consist with his majesty's honour to. be hectored
" out of it by his brother, who was wrought upon
" by his wife's crying. " And this kind of argu-
mentation was every moment inculcated by the lady
and her party : insomuch as when the duke made
his instances with all the importunity he could use,
and put his majesty in mind " of many discourses
" his majesty had formerly held with him, of the
" chancellor's honesty and discretion, conjuring him

u 3



294 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1667. " to love and esteem him accordingly, when his

~~ " highness had not so good an opinion of him ;" and

complained u , " that now he had found by good ex-

" perience that he deserved that character, his ma-

" jesty would withdraw his kindness from him, and

" rather believe others, who he knew were his ene-

" mies x , than his own judgment :" the king gave

no other answer, than " that he had proceeded too

" far to retire ; and that he should be looked upon

" as a child, if he receded from his purpose. "

uiiSkea ^ nc * so being reconfirmed, upon the 30th of

from the August in the year 1667 he sent secretary Morrice,

chancellor.

who had no mind to the employment, with a war-
rant under the sign manual, to require and receive
the great seal; which the chancellor immediately
delivered to him with all the expressions of duty to
the king. And as soon as the secretary had deli-
vered it to the king in his closet, Mr. May went
into the closet, and fell upon his knees, and kissed
his majesty's hand, telling him " that he was now
" king, which he had never been before. "

The chancellor believed that the storm had been
now over ; for he had not the least apprehension of
the displeasure of the parliament, or of any thing they
could say or do against him : yet he resolved to stay
at his house till it should meet, (without going thi-
ther, which he was informed would be ill taken,)
that he might not be thought to be afraid of being
questioned ; and then to retire into the country, and
to live there very privately. And there was a re-
port raised without any ground, that he intended to
go to the house of peers, and take his precedence as

u complaiqed] Not in MS. * his enemies] in his enemies.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 295

chancellor, with which the king was much offended: 16<>7.
but as soon as he heard of it, he desired the lord ~
chamberlain to assure his majesty, " that he never
" intended any such thing, nor would ever do any
" thing that he believed would displease him ;" with
which he seemed well satisfied.

However, a new tempest was quickly raised
against him. Many persons of honour and quality
came every day to visit him with many expressions
of affection and esteem ; and most of the king's
servants, except only those few who had declared
themselves his enemies, still frequented his house
with the same kindness they had always professed :
but they were looked upon quickly with a very ill
countenance by the other party, and were plainly
told, " that the king would take it ill from all his
" servants who visited the chancellor ;" though when
some of them asked his majesty ; " whether their vi-
" siting him, to whom they had been formerly much
" beholden, would offend his majesty ;" he answer-
ed, " No, he had not forbid any man to visit him. "
Yet it appeared more every day, that they were best
looked on who forebore going to him, and the other
found themselves upon much disadvantage; by
which however many were not discouraged.

The chief prosecutors behaved themselves with
more insolence than was agreeable to their dis-
cretion : and the lord Arlington, who had long before
behaved himself with very little courtesy towards
all persons whom he believed to be well affected to
the chancellor, even towards ambassadors and other
foreign ministers, now when any of his friends came
to him for the despatch of business in his office,
asked them " when they saw the chancellor," and

u 4



296 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1667. bade them "go to him to put their business into a
" method. " The duke of Buckingham, who had
after his enlargement visited the chancellor, and
acknowledged the civilities he had received from
him, came now again to the court, and was received
with extraordinary grace by the king, and restored
The duke of to all the honours and offices of which he was de-
ham r* prived ; and was informed and assured, " that all
the proceedings which had been against him were
U p On the information and advice of the chan-
" cellor :" and whatever he had spoken in council
was told him in that manner (and without the true
circumstances) that might make most impression
on him.

One day whilst that matter was depending,
(which is not mentioned before,) the lord Arlington,
after he found the king had acquainted the chancel-
lor with the business, and shewed him the informa-
tion and examinations which had been taken, pro-
posed, there being more or the same witnesses to be
further examined, " that the chancellor might be
" present with the rest who had been formerly
" employed at their examining :" which the king
seeming to consent to, the other desired to be ex-
cused, " for that the office he held never used to be
" subject to those employments ;" and in the debate
added, " that if the testimony of witnesses made
" good all that was suggested, and the duke should
" be brought to a trial, it might probably fall out,
" that the king might command him to execute the
" office of high steward, as he had lately done in
" the trial of the lord Morley ; and in that respect
" it would be very incongruous for him to be
" present at the examinations. " The duke was now



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 297

informed, without any of the circumstances, that the 1 C67.
chancellor had said that he was to be high steward He is in _
at the trial of the duke. flamed t

against the

The duke, who always believed, and could not cliancellor 5
but upon the matter know, that the lord Arlington
(with whom he had enmity) had been very solicit-
ous in his prosecution, had, after his having visited
the chancellor, sent a friend, whom he thought he
would trust, to him, " to desire him to deal freely
" with him concerning the lord Arlington, whom he
" knew to be an enemy to both of them ; and that
" he must have him examined upon that conspiracy,
" which he hoped he would not take ill :" to which
he answered, "that he neither would nor could be
" examined concerning any thing that had been
" said or done in council ; but that he would, as his
" friend, and to prevent his exposing himself to any
" new inconvenience, very freely and faithfully as-
" sure him, that he did not believe that there had
" been any conspiracy against him, nor did know
" that the lord Arlington had done any thing in the
" prosecution, but what was according to the obli-
' gation and duty of his office ; which testimony,"
he said, " could proceed only from justice, since he
" well knew that lord did not wish him well. "
This answer, it seems, or the despair of drawing
any other from him to his purpose, disposed him to
give entire credit to the other information ; and the
king took great pains to reconcile him to the lord
Arlington, who made many vows to him of his fu-
ture service, and desired his protection: and here- Ami in-
upon the duke openly professed his resolution of J^ r * n
revenge, and frankly entered into the combination f]'J 1)rosecu ~



298 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1667. with the lord Arlington and sir William Coventry
~~ against the chancellor.

But the knowledge of all this did not give him
much trouble, (so much confidence he had in his
own innocence, and so little esteem of the credit and
interest of his enemies,) until he heard that the king

The king himself expressed great displeasure towards him,
and declared, " that he had misbehaved himself
" towards his majesty, and that he was so imperious

chancellor. that he wou \^ endure no contradiction ; that he
" had a faction in the house of commons, that op-
** posed every thing that concerned his majesty's
" service, if it were not recommended to them by
" him ; and that he had given him very ill advice
" concerning the parliament, which offended him
" most :" all which they to whom his majesty said
it divulged to others, that they might thereby
lessen the chancellor's credit and interest. It is very
true, they who had taken all advantages to alienate
the king's affections from him, had at first only pro-
posed his removal, " as a person odious to the parlia-
" ment, and whom they were resolved to impeach,
" which would put his majesty into a strait, either
" to renounce and ? desert an old servant, which
" would not be for his honour, or, by protecting
" him, to deprive himself of all those benefits which
" he expected from the parliament ; whereas the re-
" moving him would so gratify the houses, that
" they would deny nothing that his majesty should
** demand of them ;" and his majesty did believe it
the only way to preserve him. But when they

y and] or



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 299

had prevailed so far, and rendered themselves more 1667.
necessary to him, they prosecuted what they had
begun with more visible animosity, and told him,
" that if the parliament suspected that his majesty
" retained still any kindness towards him,, they
" would not be satisfied with his removal, but
" apprehend that he would be again received into
" his favour ; and he would in the mean time have
" so much credit in both houses, especially if he sat
" in the house of peers," which they undertook to
know he intended to do, " that he would be able to
" obstruct whatsoever his majesty desired : and
" therefore it was necessary that his majesty should
" upon all occasions declare, and that it should be
" believed, that he had so full a prejudice against
" him, that nobody should have cause to fear, that
" he would ever again be received into any trust. "
And this disposed his majesty to discourse to many
in that manner that is before set down.

And when the duke of York lamented to his
majesty the reports which were generally spread
abroad, of the discourses which he made to many
persons of the chancellor's misbehaviour towards
himself, and his own displeasure against him ; the
king denied many of the particulars, as that con-
cerning his ill counsel against the parliament, which
he denied to have spoken : but said withal, " that if
" the chancellor had done as he advised him, and
" delivered up the seal to him as of his own inclina-
" tion, all would have been quiet. But since he in-
" sisted so much upon it, arid compelled him to send
" for it in that manner, he was obliged in the vindi-
" cation of his honour to give some reasons for
" what he had done, when other men took upon



300 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF
1667. " them so loudly to commend the chancellor, and to



" justify his innocence, not without some reflection
" upon his own honour and justice, which he could
* not but take very ill : but he should not suffer,"
he said, . " for what other men did, and that he
" would use his two sons as kindly as ever he had
" done. " And it must be always acknowledged,
that though great importunity was used to his ma-
jesty, to discharge his two sons from his service, as
a thing necessary by all the rules of policy, not to
suffer the sons to remain so near his person, when
their father lay under so notorious a brand of his
displeasure, (in which they believed they had so far
prevailed, that they took upon them to promise
their places to other men :) yet z the king positively
refused to yield to them, and continued his favour
still to them both in the same manner he had done.
And though he was long after persuaded to suspend
his eldest son from waiting, under which cloud he
continued for many months, yet at last he was re-
stored to his place with circumstances of extra-
ordinary favour and grace : nor did his majesty
afterwards recede from his goodness towards either
of them, notwithstanding all the attempts which
were made.

The pariiii- The parliament met upon the 10th of October,
mt: the when the king in a short speech told them, "that
kiog reflects there had been some former miscarriages, which

on the

chancellor, tt had occasioned some differences between him and
" them : but that he had now altered his counsels,
" and made no question but that they should hence-
M forward agree, for he was resolved to give them

yet] but



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 301

" all satisfaction; and did not doubt but that they 1GG7.
" would supply his necessities, and provide for the ~~
" payment of his debts ;" with an insinuation, " that
" what had been formerly done amiss had been by
" the advice of the person whom he had removed
" from his counsels, and with whom he should not
" hereafter advise. "

When the house of commons came together, one unfair me-

m i r> M -i ^thods used

1 omkins, a man of very contemptible parts and of to induce
worse manners, (who used to be encouraged by mento^^ 8 * 1
of design to set some motion on foot, which they the kmg for

J removing

thought not fit to appear in themselves till they dis- hinl -
cerned how it would take,) moved the house, " that
" they might send a message of thanks to the king
" for his gracious expressions, and for the many
" good things which he had done, and particularly
" for his removing the chancellor ;" which was se-
conded by two or three, but rejected by the house
as a thing unreasonable for them who knew not the
motives which had disposed his majesty : and so a
committee was appointed to prepare such a message
as might be fit for them to send. And the house
of lords a the same day sent to the king, without con-
sulting with the house of commons, to give his ma-
jesty thanks for the speech he had made to them in
the morning, which commonly used to be done.
The king declared himself very much offended that
the proposition in the house of commons for return-
ing thanks to him had not succeeded, and more that
it had been opposed by many of his own servants ;
and commanded them " to press and renew the mo-
" tion : that his honour was concerned in it ; and

a lords] commons by mistake in MS.



302 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1GG7. " therefore he would expect thanks, and would take
" it very ill of any of his own servants who refused
" to concur in it. " Hereupon it was again moved :
but notwithstanding all the labour that had been
used contrary to all custom and privilege of par-
liament, the question held six hours' debate, very
many speaking against the injustice and irregularity
of it ; they on th6 other side urging the king's ex-
pectation of it. In the end, the question being put,
it was believed the noes were b the greater number :
but the division of the house was not urged for
many reasons ; and so the vote was sent to the
house of lords, who were desired to concur with
them.

But it had there a greater contradiction. They had
already returned their thanks to the king ; and now
to send again, and to add any particular to it, would
be very incongruous and without any precedent :
and therefore they would not concur in it. This
obstinacy very much displeased the king: and he
was persuaded by those who had hitherto prevailed
with him, to believe that this contradiction, if he
did not master it, would run through all his busi-
ness that should be brought into that house. Where-
upon his majesty reproached many of the lords for
presuming to oppose and cross what was so abso-
lutely necessary for his service : and sent to the
archbishop of Canterbury, " that he should in his
" majesty's name command all the bishops' bench to
" concur in it ; and if they should refuse it, he would
" make them repent it ;" with many other very se-
vere reprehensions and animadversions. This being

b were] to be



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 303

done in so extraordinary a manner, the duke of 1GG7.
York told his majesty, " how much it was spoken of"
" and wondered at :" to which his majesty replied,
" that his honour was engaged, and that he w r ould
" not be satisfied, if thanks were not returned to
" him by both houses ; and that it should go the
" worse for the chancellor if his friends opposed it. "
And he commanded his royal highness that he
should not cross it, but was contented to dispense
with his attendance, and gave him leave to be ab-
sent from the debate ; which liberty many others
likewise took : and so when it was again moved,
though it was still confidently opposed, it was car-
ried by a major part, many c being absent.

And so both houses attended the king and gave
him thanks, which his majesty graciously received
as a boon he looked for, and said somewhat that im-
plied that he was much displeased with the chancel-
lor ; of which some men thought they were to make
the best use they could. And therefore, after the
king's answer was reported to the house of peers, as
of course whatsoever the king says upon any mes-
sage is always reported, it was proposed, " that the
" king's answer might be entered into the Journal
" Book ;" which was rejected, as not usual, even
when the king himself spoke to both houses : nor
was what he now said entered in the house of com-
mons. However, when they had consulted to-
gether, finding d that they had not yet so particular
a record of the displeasure against the chancellor,
as what he had said upon this message did amount
unto, they moved the house again, " that it might

c many] and many d finding] they found



304 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

C67. " be entered in the book :" and it was again reject-
ed. All which would not serve the turn ; but the
duke of Buckingham a third time moved it, as
a tiling the king expected : and thereupon it was
entered.

And his majesty now declared to his brother and
to many of the lords, " that he had now all he de-
*' sired, and that there should be no more done to
" the chancellor. " And without doubt the king
had not at this time a purpose to give any further
countenance to the animosity of his enemies, who
thought that what was already done was too easy
a composition, and told his majesty, " that, if he
" were not prosecuted further, he would gain repu-
" tation by it : for that the manner in which all
" votes had been yet carried was rather a vindication
" than censure of him ; and he would shortly come
" to the house with more credit to do mischief, and
" to obstruct whatsoever related to his service.
" But that such things would be found against him,
" as soon as men were satisfied that his majesty
" had totally deserted him, (which yet they were
" not,) that he would have no more credit to do
Persons " good or harm. " Hereupon there were several ca-
entered into, who invited and sent for persons



matter of Q f a jj conditions, who had had any business depend-

iin peach-

ment n- ing before the chancellor, or charters passed the

gainst him. .

seal ; and examined them whether he had not re-
ceived money from them, or they were otherwise
grieved by him, promising that they should receive
ample reparation.

The duke of Buckingham, and some others with
him, sent for sir Robert Harlow, who had the year
before gone to the Barbadoes with the lord Wil-



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 305

loughby, who had much friendship for him ; yet J667.
after they came thither, they grew unsatisfied with
each other to that degree, that the lord Willoughby,
who was governor of those islands, removed him
from the office he had conferred on him, and sent
him by the next shipping into England ; where he
arrived full of vexation for the treatment he had re-
ceived, and willing to embrace any opportunity to
be revenged on the governor. Him the duke of
Buckingham sent for, who he knew was privy to all
the lord Willoughby 's counsels, and asked him,
" what money the lord Willoughby had given the
" chancellor for that government," (for it was well
known that the chancellor had been his chief friend
in procuring that government for him, and in dis-
countenancing and suppressing those who in Eng-
land or in the islands had complained of him,) " and
" what money he had received from those islands ;
" and that it was probable that he had some in-
" fluence upon the lord Willoughby towards the dis-
" grace himself had undergone :" and added, " that
" he would do the king a very acceptable service, in
" discovering any thing of the chancellor's miscar-
" riages, of which his majesty himself knew so
" much. " To which the gentleman answered, "that
" he had no obligation to the chancellor that would
" restrain him from declaring any thing that might
" be to his prejudice ; but that he was not able to
" do it : nor did he believe that he had ever receiv-
" ed any money from the lord Willoughby or from
" the islands. " And this kind of artifice and inqui-
sition was used to examine all his actions ; and they
who were known to be any way offended with him,
or disobliged by him, were most welcome to them.
VOL. in. x



306 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1667. After many days spent in such close contrivances
Mr. sey-' an d combinations, Mr. Seymour, a young man of
mour ac- great confidence and boldness, stood up in the house

cuses him

of high of commons, and spake long and with great bitter-
treason in
the bouse ness against the chancellor, and " of his great cor-

mom " ruption in many particulars, by which," he said,
" he had gotten a vast estate. That he had receiv-
" ed great sums of money from Ireland, for making
" a settlement that every body complained of, and
" that left that kingdom in as great distraction as
" ever it had been. That he had gotten great sums
" of money indirectly and corruptly from the planta-
" tions, the governments whereof he had disposed ;
" by preferments in the law and in the church ;
" and for the passing of charters : and that he had
" received four thousand pounds from the Canary
" company for the establishing that company, which
" was so great and general a grievance to the king-
" dom. And, which was above all this, that he
*' had traitorously persuaded, or endeavoured to
" persuade, the king to dissolve the parliament, and
" to govern by a standing army ; and that he had
" said, that four hundred country gentlemen were
" only fit to give money, and did not understand
" how an invasion was to be resisted. " He men-
tioned many other odious particulars, " which," he
said, "he would prove," and therefore proposed,
" that they would presently send up to the lords
" to accuse him of high treason, and require that
" his person might be secured. " Some others se-
conded him with very bitter invectives : and as
many gave another kind of testimony, and many
reasons which made it improbable that he could be
guilty of so many heinous crimes ; and " that it



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. SOT

" would be unreasonable that he should be accused 1 667.
** of high treason by the house, before such proofs
" should be presented to them of crimes, that they
" had reason to believe him guilty. " And so after
many hours' debate, what they proposed for the
present accusing him was rejected, arid a committee
appointed to consider of all particulars which should
be presented against him ; " upon reporting whereof
*' to the house, it would give such further order as
" should be just. "

The confident averment of so many particulars,
and the so positively naming the particular sums of
money which he had received, with circumstances
not likely to be feigned ; and especially the mention-
ing of many things spoken in council, "which," they
said, " would be proved by privy counsellors ;" and
other particular advices given in private to the king
himself, " which," they implied, and confidently af-
firmed in private, "the king himself would acknow-
" ledge ;" made that impression upon many who
had no ill opinion of the chancellor, and upon others
who had always thought well of him, and had in
truth kindness for him, that of both sorts several
messages of advice were secretly sent to him, "thatManyad-
" he would preserve his life by making an escape, make'hu
" and transporting himself into foreign parts; f O r esca i >( '
" that it was not probable there could be so extreme
" and violent a prosecution, if they had not such
" evidence against him as would compass their
" ends. " To all which he answered. " that he winch he
" would not give his enemies that advantage as to 0i " M
" fly from them : and in the mean time desired his
" friends to retain the good opinion they had always
" had of him, until they heard somewhat proved

x 2



308 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1667. " that would make him unworthy of it; and then
""" he would be well contented they should withdraw
" it. " And it appeared afterwards, that though
some of his good friends had advised that he should
secure himself by flight, it proceeded from the ad-
vertisements that they had received through other
hands, which came originally from his chiefest ene-
mies, who desired that he might appear to be guilty
by avoiding a trial ; and who confidently informed
many men, " that the impeachment was ready, and
" had been perused by the king, and that his ma-
" jesty had with his hand struck out an article
" which related to the queen's marriage, and another
" that concerned the marriage of the duke ; but that
" there was enough left to do the business; and that
" the duke of Buckingham should be made high
" steward for the trial. "

These reports, being spread abroad, wrought
- upon the duke to desire the king, " that he would
in " " let him know what he did intend ; and whether

i

" he desired to have the chancellor's life, or that he
" should be condemned to perpetual imprisonment :"
to which his majesty protested, " that he would
" have neither, but was well satisfied ; and that he
" was resolved to stop all further prosecution
" against him," which his majesty likewise said to
many others. The duke then asked the king,
" whether the chancellor had ever given him coun-
" sel to govern by an army, or any thing like it ;
" which," he said, " was so contrary to his humour,
" and to the professions which he had always made,
" and the advices he had given him, that if he were
" guilty of it, he should doubt his sincerity in all
" other things :" to which his majesty answered,



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 309

" that he had never given him such counsel in his 1667.
" life; but, on the contrary, his fault was, that he~~
" always insisted too much upon the law. " Where-
upon his royal highness asked him, " whether he
" would give him leave to say so to others;" and his
majesty replied, " with all his heart. "

The duke then told it to his secretary Mr. Wren,
and to many other persons, and wished them to
publish it upon any occasion : upon which it was
spread abroad, and Mr. Wren informed many of the
members of the house of commons of all that had
passed between the king and the duke in that dis-
course ; which so much disheartened the violent
prosecutors, that when the committee met that was
to present the heads of a charge against him to the
house, nobody appeared to give any evidence, so that
they adjourned without doing any thing. Here-
upon sir Thomas Osborne, a dependant and creature
of the duke of Buckingham, and who had told
many persons in the country before the parliament
met, " that the chancellor would be accused of high
" treason ; and if he were not hanged, he would be
" hanged himself;" this gentleman went to the king,
and informed him what Mr. Wren confidently re-
ported in all places, " which very much dissatisfied
" that party that desired to do him service ; so that
" they knew not how to behave themselves :" to
which his majesty answered, " that Wren was a which he
" lying fellow, and that he had never held any such
" discourse with his brother. " This gave them
new courage, and they resolved to call Mr. Wren to
an account for traducing the king. And his majesty
expostulated with the duke for what Mr. Wren had
so publicly discoursed : and his highness declared,

x 3



310 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1667. " that Mr. Wren had pursued his order, his majesty
" having not only said all that was reported, but
" having 6 given him leave to divulge it ;** to which
the king made no other answer, "but that he
** should be hereafter more careful of f what he said
" to him. "

All this begat new pauses, and no advance was K
made in many days ; so that it was generally l>eliev-
ed that there would be no further prosecution : but
the old argument, that they were gone too far to re-
tire, had now more force, because many members of
both houses were now joined to the party in declar-
ing against the chancellor, who would think them-
selves to be betrayed and deserted, if no more
should be done against him. And hereupon the
committee was again revived, that was appointed to
prepare heads for a charge, which sat many days,
there being little debate upon the matter ; for such
of the committee, who knew him well, were so well
pleased to find him accused of nothing but what all
the world did believe him not guilty of, that they h
thought they could not do him more right, than to
suffer all that was offered to pass, since there
appeared no person that offered to make proof of
any particular that was suggested. But three or
four members of the house brought several papers,
containing particulars, " which," they said, " would
" be proved :" all which they reported to the
house.

The heads were ;

I. " That the chancellor had traitorously, about



e having] had s was] Not in MS.

' of] Not in MS. h that they] Not in MS.