No More Learning

He had no principles in religion or state ;
of one mind this day, and another to-morrow ; and
always very uneasy to those who were obliged to
consult with him; whose pride and insolence will
administer frequent occasions of mention throughout
the ensuing relation.

The king had not been many days in Oxford, ^" e cc ^ t of
when news arrived that the earl of Sandwich had& fterthe

. a m . i T-V n attempt at

been engaged in some conflict with the Dutch fleet ; Bergen.
of the particulars whereof there was a general long-
ing to be advertised. The truth was, that whilst
the earl rode, after the business of Bergen, as near
that coast as was safe, in expectation of the Dutch
fleet, the winds, which are always tempestuous in
that season of the year, September, made it abso-



462 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1665. lutely necessary for him to remove with his whole
~ fleet to the coast of Scotland, where there were har-
bours enough for him to ride safe ; and in this in-
terval of time De Ruyter was passed by towards
that of Norway. The news of their Indian fleet
having been attacked by the English in Bergen, and
the letters of some of their officers, which implied as
if they were not satisfied in the security of the port
and of the fidelity of the governor, produced a won-
derful consternation in Holland ; and if they should
be deprived of that wealth, the very company of the
East Indies would be in danger of being dissolved.

The fleet was ready to set sail, under the com-
mand of De Ruyter, well fitted and manned : but
there were still many m factions amongst the cap-
tains and other officers, that might upon any acci-
dents produce many mischiefs ; for the better pre-
vention whereof, the pensionary De Wit was willing
to venture his own person, believing himself to be
as secure any where as on shore, if any misfortune
should befall the fleet. And so he was by a special
commission made plenipotentiary, with an ample
allowance for his table, and a guard of halberdiers
for the safety of his person, with a good train of vo-
lunteers : and so he put himself on board the ship
of De Ruyter, who received orders from him.
Lord sand- The earl of Sandwich, after he had received ad-
abie'to * vertisements of the Dutch fleet's being passed by
come to an f or Norway, took all the care he could to put him-

engagement

with De self and his fleet in the way of their return. They
made a short stay on the coast of Norway, where
upon good consideration their ships were dismissed,

m many] so many



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 463

and loud clamour raised against the hostility of the 1665.
English. And notwithstanding all the vigilance the"
earl could use, the darkness and length of the nights
so favoured them, that he could not engage their
whole fleet, as he endeavoured to do : yet he had But takes

many of his

the good fortune in two encounters to take eight of ships in
their great ships of war, two of their best East India
ships, and about twenty of their other merchant
ships, which were all under the protection of their
fleet, or ought to have been. After which he was
by tempest driven to put the fleet into security in
the English harbours, it being already the month of
October.

It was a fair booty, and came very opportunely to
supply the present necessities of the navy, and to
provide for the setting out of the next fleet at
spring, and was in truth gotten with very good con-
duct, and without any considerable damage : but it
being much less than was expected, (for whatsoever
was upon the sea was looked upon as our own,) the
news no sooner arrived at Oxford, but intelligence
came with it of many oversights which had been
committed and opportunities lost, otherwise it had
been easy to have taken the whole fleet ; and that it
might have been pursued further when it was in
view, after those East India ships were taken, which
were indeed surprised and boarded at the break of
day, when they thought themselves in the middle
of their own fleet. And it is as true that the earl
did then pursue to engage the fleet, till they were
got so near the French shore, that the wind blowing
in to the land, it was by all the flag-officers thought
absolutely necessary to give over the chace.



464 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1665. Sir William Coventry, who had never paid a ci-
sirw. co- vility to any worthy man but as it was a disobliga-
ventry-s t j on to another whom he cared less for, and so had

unjust re-
flections only contributed to the preferment of the earl of

upon him. -. . ;,. . ',/,. ,. . , . .

Sandwich in the last expedition that he might cross
prince Rupert, received much intelligence from seve-
ral officers in the fleet, which he scattered abroad to
the prejudice of the earl, and was willing that it
should be believed that he had been too wary in
avoiding danger. But the king and the duke were
very just to the earl, and discountenanced all those
reports as scandals and calumnies : and the duke,
who had seen his behaviour in the most dangerous
action, gave him a loud testimony " of a prudent
" and brave commander, and as forward and bold in
" the face of danger as the occasion required or dis-
" cretion permitted. " And his highness undertook
" that he had in all this expedition done what a
" man of honour was pbliged to do," and was abun-
dantly satisfied (as his majesty likewise was) with
the rich prizes he had brought home, which had
caused equal lamentation in Holland, and almost
broke the heart of De Wit himself. But what suc-
cess soever the earl had at sea, it was his mis-
fortune to do an unadvised action when he came
into the harbour, that lessened the king's own
esteem of him, and to a great degree irreconciled
the duke to him, and gave opportunity to his ene-
mies to do him much prejudice.

An impm- It was a constant and a known rule in the admi-
of theeari" ralty, that of any ship that is taken from the enemy
wLh a after bulk * s not to ^ e Dr k eT1 till it be brought into the
his return; port and adjudged lawful prize. It seems that when



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 465

the fleet returned to the harbour, the flag-officers 1665.
petitioned or moved the earl of Sandwich, " in re-~~
" gard of their having continued all the summer
" upon the seas with great fatigue, and been en-
" gaged in many actions of danger, that he would
" distribute amongst them some reward out of the
" Indian ships ;" which he thought reasonable, and
inclined to satisfy them, and writ a letter to the
vice-chamberlain to inform the king of it, and " that
" he thought it fit to be done ;" to which the vice-
chamberlain, having shewed the letter to the king,
returned his majesty's approbation. But before the
answer came to his hand, he had executed the de-
sign, and distributed as much of the coarser goods
to the flag-officers, as by estimatitin was valued to
be one thousand pounds to each officer, and took to
the value of two thousand pounds for himself. This
suddenly made such a noise and outcry, as if all the
Indian and other merchant ships had been plundered
by the seamen : and they again cried out as much,^
that no care was taken of them, but all given to the
flag-officers ; which the other captains thought to be
an injury to them.

The general (who had nothing like kindness for which the
the earl of Sandwich, whose service he thought had
been too much considered and recompensed by the |j
king at his arrival) had notice of it before it came to
Oxford ; and, according to his universal care, (which
was afterwards found to proceed from private ani-
mosity,) sent orders to all the port towns, to seize
upon goods which were brought in shallops from the
fleet ; and gave advertisement to Oxford of the ex-
traordinary ill consequence of that action, and " that
" it would spoil the sale of all that remained of those

VOL. II. H h



466 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1665. " ships, since the East India company, which pro-

" bably would have been the best chapmen, would

" not now be forward to buy, since so much was

" disposed of already to other hands as would spoil

" their market. " And by this time the earl himself

had given an account of all that had been done, and

The king the motives, to the duke. The king was justly dis-

with tL pleased for the expedition he had used, " Why had

earl> " his approbation been desired, when he resolved to

" do the thing before he could receive an answer? "

yet n was glad that he had done so, because he

would have been more excusable if he had received

it.

The duke But the duke, who had been constantly kind to
against him. the earl, was offended in the highest degree, and
thought himself injured and affronted beyond any
precedent. " This most unjustifiable action could
" proceed only from two fountains : the one of ex-
" treme vanity and ambition, to make himself popu-
" lar amongst the officers of the fleet, who ought not
" to have been gratified by him at the king's charge.
" When any such bounty should be seasonable, it
" was the duke's province to have been the author,
" and the conduit to have conveyed it : he had him-
" self been an eyewitness of their behaviour in the
' greatest action ; and for the earl to assume the
" rewarding them by his own authority, was to de-
" fraud and rob him of his proper right and juris-
" diction. " And he looked upon his having desired
the king's allowance by the vice-chamberlain, as a
trick and an aggravation ; for he ought to have
asked his advice, as his superior officer: and the

n yet] and the] their



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 467

poor vice-chamberlain underwent his share in the 1G65.
reproach, for having presumed to move the king in ~~
a particular, that, if it was to be moved at all, had
been to be moved by the duke. " The other foun-
" tain which might produce this presumption might
" be avarice," which was the sole blemish (though it
never appeared in any gross instance) that- seemed
to cloud many noble virtues in that earl, who now
became a very pregnant evidence of the irresistible
strength and power of envy ; which though it feeds
on its own poison, and is naturally more grievous to
the person who harbours it, than to him that is ma-
ligned, yet when it finds a subject it can effectually
work upon, it is more insatiable in revenge than any
passion the soul is liable unto.

He was a gentleman of so excellent a temper and character of

the earl of

behaviour, that he could make himself no enemies ; sandwich.
of so many good qualities, and so easy to live with,
that he marvellously reconciled the minds of all men
to him, who had not intimacy enough with him to
admire his other parts : yet was in the general in-
clinations of men upon some disadvantage. They
who had constantly followed the king whilst he as
constantly adhered to Cromwell, and knew not how
early he had entertained repentance,. and with what
hazards and dangers he had manifested it, did be-
lieve the king had been too prodigal in heaping so
many honours upon him. And they who had been
familiar with him and of the same party, and
thought they had been as active as he in contribut-
ing to the revolution, considered him with some
anger, as one who had better luck than they without
more merit, and who had made early conditions :
when in truth no man in the kingdom had been

Hh 2



468 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1665. less guilty of that address; nor did he ever contri-
bute to any advancement to which he arrived, by
the least intimation or insinuation that he wished it,
He is very or that it would be acceptable to him. Yet upon
treated. this blast the winds rose from all quarters, reproaches
of all sorts were cast upon him, and all affronts con-
trived for him.

The earl had conveyed that part of the goods
which he had assigned to himself in a shallop to
Lynn, from whence it could pass* by water to his
own house. An officer in that port seized upon it
by virtue of the general's warrant, and would cause
it presently to be unladen, which he began to do.
But the servants of the earl appealed to the other
officers in equal authority, to whom they brought a
letter with them from the earl of Sandwich, in which
he owned all those goods to be his, (amongst which
were his bedding and furniture for his cabin, and all
his plate, and other things suitable,) and likewise a
note of all the other goods which might be liable to
pay custom ; and desired them " to send one of
" their searchers with the boat to his house, where
" he should receive all their dues, without being
" unladen in the port ;" which, besides the delay,
would be liable to many inconveniences. The officer
who had first arrested it, and who had dependance
upon a great man of the country, who was not un-
willing that any affront should be put upon the earl,
roughly refused to suffer it to pass without being
first unladen ; but being overruled by the other offi-
cers, vented his anger in very unmannerly language
against the earl : of all which he, being advertised
by his servants, sent a complaint to the lords of the
council, and desired " the fellow might be sent for



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 469

" and punished ;" which could not be refused, though 1665.
it proved troublesome in the inquiry. For the offi- ~~
cer, who was a gentleman of a fair behaviour and
good repute, denied all those words which carried in
them the worst interpretation ; but justified the ac-
tion, and produced the general's warrant, which had
unusual expressions, and apparent enough to have a
particular and not a general intention.

The general had quick advertisement of it, and
writ very passionately from London, " that an offi-
" cer should be sent for without having committed
" any other offence than in obeying and executing
" a warrant of his :" and the other great man, who
was of great importance to the king's service, and in
the highest trust in that country, writ several let-
ters, " how impossible it would be to carry on the
" king's service in that country, if that officer should
" be punished for doing that, when he ought to be
" punished if he had not done it ;" and therefore de-
sired, " that he might be repaired by them who had
" caused him to be sent for. "

Sir William Coventry had now full sea-room to
give vent to all his passions, and to incense the
duke, who was enough offended without such con-
tributions : " if this proceeded from covetousness, it
" was not probable that it would be satisfied with so
" little ; and therefore it was probable, that though
" the officers might not have received above the va-
" lue of one thousand pounds," which was assigned
to each, " yet himself would not be contented with
" so little as two thousand ; and they might there-
" fore well conceive that he had taken much more,
" which ought to be examined with the greatest
" strictness. " There had been nothing said before

Hh 3



470 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1665. of not taking advantage enough upon the enemy in
~ all occasions which had been offered, and of not
pursuing them far enough, which was not now re-
newed, with P advice, " that he might be presently
" sent for ;" though it was known that, as soon as he
could put the ships into the ports to which they
were designed, he would come to Oxford. And
there were great underhand endeavours, that the
house of commons might be inflamed with this mis-
carriage and misdemeanor, and present it as a com-
plaint to the house of peers, as fit to be examined
and brought to judgment before that tribunal. And
. they, who with all the malice imaginable did endea-
vour in vain to kindle this fire, persuaded the king
and the duke, " that by their sole activity and
" interest it was prevented for that time, because
" the session was too short, and that all necessary
" evidence could not be soon produced at Oxford ;
" but that, as soon as the plague should cease to
" such a degree in London that the parliament
" might assemble there, it would be impossible to
" restrain the house of commons from pursuing that
" complaint," of which nobody thought but them-
selves and they who were provoked by them.

The earl of Sandwich had so good intelligence

from Oxford, that he knew all that was said of him,

and began to believe that he had done unadvisedly

in administering occasion of speaking ill to those

He fuiiy who greedily sought for it : and as soon as his ab-

seifofthT sence from the fleet could be dispensed with, he



misconduct ma ^ e haste to Oxford, and gave so full an account
at sea ; o f every day's action, from the time that he went to

P with] without



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 471

sea to the day of his return, and of his having never J665.
done any thing of importance, nor having left any
thing undone, but with and by the advice of the
council of war, upon the orders he had received,
that both the king and the duke could not but ab-
solve him from all the imputations of negligence or
inadvertency.

But for the breaking bulk, and the circumstances And makes

11*11111 . an injjenu-

that attended it, they declared they were unsatis- ous acknow-
fied. And he confessed " that he had been much to e f hhHin-
" blame," and asked pardon, ,and with such excuses P mdence '
as he thought might in some degree plead for him.
He protested, " it seemed to him to have had some
" necessity : that the whole fleet was in a general
" indisposition, and complained, that for all that
" summer action" (which indeed had been full of
merit) " they had nothing given to them, not without
" some muttering that they would have somewhat
" out of those Indian ships before they would part
" with them ; insomuch as he had a real apprehen-
" sion that they had a purpose to plunder them.
" And he should have feared more, if he had. not
" complied with the flag-officers' importunity : and
" thereupon he consented that they should have
" each of them the value of one thousand pounds,
" and which he was most confident the goods which
" had been delivered to them did not exceed. " He
confessed " he had not enough considered the con->
" sequence, and that they who had not received any
" donative would be more displeased, than they who
" had it were satisfied with it ; which he acknow-
" ledged was the case : that he was heartily sorry
" for permitting any such thing to be done, and
" more for having taken any himself, and humbly

H h 4



472 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1 665. " asked 1 pardon for both ; and desired ' that his
"~ " own part, which remained entire, might be re-
" stored to the ship from whence it had been taken,
" which he would cause to be done. "

A more ingenuous acknowledgment could not be
made : and they who could not but observe many
persons every day excused for more enormous trans-
gressions, did hope that he, who had so few faults to
answer for, would have been absolved for that tres-
with which pass. And the king himself used him very gracious-
satisfied, ly, and so did the duke ; and he was sent back to
the fleet, to give order for the sending out a winter-
guard and ordering all other maritime affairs, and
for the sending up the India ships into the river, with
great care that none of the seamen should go on
shore, where the plague still raged little if at all less
than it had done in the summer : and so he himself
and most other men believed and were glad, that an
ill business was so well composed. But sir William
did not intend that it should end there.
The East The present business, that must admit no inter-

India prizes

sold for the ruption, was the raising what money might be to

service of . .

the war. supply the present necessities of the fleet, to pay the
seamen, and to make all preparations to set out the
fleet against the spring, when the French ships
would be infallibly ready to join with the Dutch ;
and the money that was given by the parliament
would not be paid till long after ; and the affairs of
the bankers were in such disorder by the death of
servants, and the plague having been in some of
their houses, that the usual course of advancing mo-
nies by assignations could not be depended upon.

( i asked] Omitted in MS. r desired] Omitted in MS.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 473

The general had written to the lord treasurer, " that J665.
" he thought that there could not be so good chap-""
" men for those ships as the East India company,
" some whereof had been with him to know the
" king's pleasure ; and if authority were granted to
" any men to treat upon that affair, they would
" send for members enough of their company, who
" were dispersed in the country, to be present at a
" court, which would authorize a committee to
" treat and contract with them :" and he said,
" that he was confident that half the money would
" be paid upon the making the bargain. " The king
was no sooner advertised of this overture, than he
sent sir George Carteret and Mr. Ashburnham to
London, to confer with the general and to be ad-
vised by him, and granted authority to them three
to sell those two prizes to those who would give
most. And they found no overtures to be so advan-
tageous as those which were made by that company:
and yet they made so much use of the advantage of
the time, when all men of notorious wealth were
out of the town, that they thought not fit to make
any agreement till they gave the king an account of
the whole transaction, with their opinions, upon
conference with other men of business ; and to that
purpose the two persons who had been sent to the
general returned safe to Oxford.

It hath been mentioned before, that it was
thought a great presumption in any body to pre-
sume to interpose in the maritime affairs, which
was interpreted to be an invasion of the duke's pe-
culiar province 8 ; and by this means the credit of sir

s province] Not in MS.



474 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1665. William Coventry was so absolute, that the disposal
The kin of all was in his power. He had persuaded the

persuaded duke, and the lord Arlington, who was in firm con-
to remove

lord sand- junction with him, had prevailed with the king to
the com believe, "that the house of commons was so in-
nandofthe cense( j a g a inst the lord Sandwich for his late pre-
" sumption, that it would not be possible to hinder
" them in their next assembling" (which was ap-
pointed or resolved to be in April, if it pleased God
to extinguish the sickness) " from falling* very se-
" verely upon the earl of Sandwich, which would
" be a very great dishonour to the king, if he were
" at that time in ttie command of the fleet ; and
" that -there was no way to preserve him" (for that
was their method when they had a mind to ruin a
man, to pretend a great care that he might not be
undone) "but by dismissing him from that charge,
" which probably might preserve him from being
" further questioned, since it would be interpreted
" a punishment inflicted on him by the king for his
" crime, and so might stop him from being further
" prosecuted for the same offence. " To which they
added, "that it would be necessary in another re-
" spect; for that many of the officers, as well as
" common seamen, had opened their mouths very
" wide against him, especially after it was gene-
" rally known that the king and the duke were of-
" fended with him, and had not been at all reserved
" in charging him with several reproaches : and that
" if the same command were still continued in him,
" it could not be presumed that those men would
" ever put themselves under his command whom
" they had so much provoked. "

1 from falling] to fall



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 475

These arguments, urged by men who were not 1665.
known, at least by the king and duke, to be his ene-
mies, and one of them thought to be (and in truth
was, but for his conjunction with the other) his
friend, and to wish him very well, prevailed upon
the judgments of both of them ; insomuch as they
resolved to confer with the chancellor, whom they
knew to be much the earl's friend. And they both
expressed " very much kindness to and confidence The king
" in the affection and integrity and courage of
" earl of Sandwich, though he was to be blamed
" his late indiscretion, and a resolution with their
" utmost power to defend him from undergoing any
" disgrace by it : but that it would contribute most
" to his preservation, that he quitted the employ-
" ment, and that some other persons should be sent
" to command the next fleet in the spring. For if
** he should again go to sea, and the u parliament
" should press to have him sent for, to answer what
" they had to object against him, his majesty must
" either refuse to consent to it, which would make
" a breach with his parliament, or by consenting dis-
" order his maritime affairs to that degree, that the
" enemy could not but take very great advantage of
" it. " Therefore they commanded the chancellor
to confer with him and discourse the whole matter
to him, to assure him x " of the king's and duke's fa-
" vour, and that they were in this particular moved
*' only by their tenderness to him ; and that some
" expedient should be first found out to remove him
" with honour, before any notice should be taken of
" the purpose to remove him, and before any other

11 the] Not in MS. * to assure him] secure him



476 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1665. "person should be deputed to the command; and

~ " that he himself should either propose the expe-

" dient, if any such occurred to him that would be

" grateful, or judge of any that should be proposed

" to him. "

The cban- The chancellor did presume to declare, " that he
against re- " thought that they were persuaded to apprehend
him? D " somewhat that could not fall out. That he would
" not take upon him to excuse the earl of Sandwich
" for any offence he had committed : if it were of
" that magnitude that his majesty thought fit to re-
" move him from his command, nobody could cen-
" sure it ; and it may be, in a time of so much li-
" cense, the severity might be thought seasonable.
" But the apprehension that the parliament would
" take more notice of what the earl had done, than
" they would of any other breach of order that was
" every day committed, was without any just rea-
" son. " But that argument was presently silenced
by their undertaking to know somewhat that the
other could not do, and that there was no other way
to preserve him y but that which was proposed.

There was at that time an opportunity in view,
that might give the earl of Sandwich an employ-
ment very worthy of him, and which no man could
imagine would be assigned to any man who was in
An account disgrace. Sir Richard Fanshaw, who was a gentle-
S Fan- nian very well known and very well beloved, had



1 been first ambassador in Portugal, and had behaved
Spain. himself so well there, that when he returned from
thence, he was recommended, and upon the matter
desired, by that crown to be sent to Spain, as the

y him] Omitted in MS.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 477

fittest person to mediate in the king's name between ] 665.
Spain and Portugal; and the king had before de-~~
signed to send him ambassador into Spain, as well
to settle a treaty between England and Spain, (for
there was none yet,) as to do all the offices between
those other crowns which were requisite to the end
aforesaid. No man knew that court better 2 , or
was so well versed in the language, having lived
many years before in that court in much better
times. He had remained now about two years,
with such frequent mortifications as ministers use to
meet with in courts irresolute and perplexed in their
own affairs, as the counsels of Madrid were in the
last years of the king, as his indisposition increased,
or by relaxing administered some hope. He had
made a journey to Lisbon upon the earnest desire
of Spain, and returned without eifect. The peace
was equally desired and equally necessary to both
nations : but the Portugal was a unmoveable in the
conditions of it, preferring the worst that could fall
out, even the abandoning their country, rather than
to be without the sovereignty of it ; and the Span-
iard as positive not to part with their title, though
they had no hope of their subjection. Nor did
Spain appear solicitous to conclude any treaty with
England, except either Portugal might be compre-
hended in it or abandoned by it.

On a sudden, when the recovery' 1 of the king
grew more desperate, (which is never a thing noto-
riously known in that court,) a project for a treaty
was sent to the ambassador, containing more advan-



z better] Not in MS. b recovery] recovery or long

1 was] Omitted in MS. continuance



478 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1665. tages in trade to the nation, (which are the most
~" important matters in all those treaties,) and insisting
upon fewer inconvenient conditions, than had ever
been in any former treaties ; without any mention
of Tangier or Jamaica, which had hitherto in the
entrance into any treaty since the king's return
made the progress impossible : only it was urged,
" that it might either be presently accepted and
" signed by the ambassador, with a covenant that it
" should be confirmed by the king within so many
" days after it should be presented to him, or
" else that there should be no more mention or dis-
" course of it. "

The ambassador, surprised with this overture,
compared what was offered with what he was to de-
mand by his instructions ; and what was defective
in those particulars he added to the articles present-
ed to him, with such additions as, upon his own ob-
servation and conference with the merchants, oc-
curred to him, or which seemed probable to be
granted from somewhat themselves had offered
more than had been demanded by him. These
alterations and amendments were approved and
consented to, and quickly returned engrossed and
signed by the king, on condition to be presently
signed by him, with the undertaking that is for-
merly mentioned. It had been wisely done by the
ambassador, and no more than his duty, if he had
first acquainted his master or the ministers with all
that had passed, and expected a particular order be-
fore he had signed it. But that being expressly re-
fused, without concealing the reason or the king's
weakness, " which," they declared, " might make
" such an alteration in counsels, that if it were not



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 479

" done in his lifetime, they knew not what might
" happen after :" this was thought as good an argu-
ment by him for the despatch, as it was to them ;
and that if he should not make use of this conjunc-
ture, there would never be the like advantageous
treaty offered again. Hereupon he presently signed
the treaty, with some secret article which was not
to the advantage of Portugal, otherwise than that
he concluded, by what had been said to him at Lis-
bon, it would have been acceptable to them.

This treaty was no sooner brought to the king by
the Spanish ambassador, (wljo had received it by an
express) and perused at the council-table, but many
gross faults were found to be in it. Besides the
gentleman's absence, who would with greater abi-
lities have defended himself than any of those who
had reproached him, it was no advantage to him
that he was known to be much in the chancellor's
confidence : and therefore the more pain was taken
to persuade the king that he was a weak man,
(which the king himself knew him not to be ;) and
they put such a gloss upon many of the articles, and
rejected others as unprofitable which were thought
to contain matters of great moment, that c they
would not consent that a trade to the West Indies
could be any benefit to England, and the like. In
the end, the king concluded that he would not sign
the treaty ; for which he had some access of reason
within a month after, by the death of the king of
Spain.

When all these reproaches were cast upon the He is re-
ambassador, and notice given that the king did dis- ca

c that] as



480 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1665. avow the treaty and refused to sign it; it was rea-
"sonably resolved that he ought not to remain there
longer as ambassador, but to be recalled. But the
plague driving the king from London and dispersing
the council, the pursuing this resolution was no
more assumed, till the business of the earl of Sand-
wich (1 made it thought on as a good expedient ; and
the chancellor was directed in his discourse with the
earl to mention it, as a proper expedient in his con-
dition to be laid hold on and embraced.

The chancellor entered upon the whole discourse
with that freedom and openness that became a man
who he knew was not suspected by him. He told
him all that himself knew of the affair, and the ap-
prehension the king had of the parliament, and the
expedient he had thought of to remove him out of
the reach or noise of clamour, of which he made him
the judge ; and " if he did not like this employment* 5
" for Spain, some other should be thought of and
" published before it should be known, and before
" the command of the fleet should be committed to
" any other. "

The earl of Sandwich lamented " that it had been
" in any body's power to make so ill impressions in
" the king and the duke, upon his having commit-
" ted a trespass, for which he was heartily sorry;"
and confessed " it was a presumption and indiscre-
" tion,the ill consequence whereof he had not had wit
" enough to discover : however, he did not yet think
" it so great, as to make him fear to give an account
" of it before the parliament, or any thing that they
" could do upon it. " He seemed not to be ignorant

d Sandwich] Not in MS. e employment] Omitted in MS.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 481

of the offices sir William Coventry did him, " in 1665.
" drawing complaints and reproaches from those ~
" who had neither cause nor inclination to speak to
" his disadvantage. He was sensible of the general's
" want of justice towards him, which he knew not
" to what to impute, but to his pride and weakness.
" He did acknowledge it great bounty in the king,
" since he thought him unfit and unworthy to con-
" tinue in the command he had, that he would
" yet assign him to so honourable an employment ;
" which, though it could not wipe off\the reproach
" of being dismissed from the other charge, was yet
" a sufficient evidence that he was not out of his
" majesty's good opinion and confidence : and there-
" fore he did with all cheerfulness submit to his ma-
" jesty's pleasure, and would be ready for his jour-
" ney to Spain as soon as his despatch should be pre-
" pared. " r . 1 ^

He told him then, " that he was in one respect
" glad to be removed from his present command, for
" he was confident that he would see no more great
" matters done at sea, for that the common men
". were weary of the war; and that sir William
" would never suffer any peace to be in the fleet,
" but had creatures ready to do all ill offices amongst
" them, whom he cherished and preferred before the
" best officers ;" and told him many other things
which fell out afterwards, and said, " sir William
" would make any man who should succeed him
" weary of his command, by sending such variety of
" orders that he would not know what to do. " And
shortly after, he gave him a perfect journal of his
last expedition, in whicli there were indeed many
orders which must needs startle and perplex a com-

VOL. II. I i



482 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1665. mander in chief, it being his usual course to sig-
~~nify the duke's pleasure in matters of the greatest
importance without the duke's hand; which yet
they durst not disobey, nor produce in their own jus-
tification, being such as in truth were no such war-
rants as they ought to obey, and yet would reflect
upon his royal highness : and told him likewise of
the ill inventions he had set on foot, by which prince
Rupert was stopped from being joined with him in
the command of the last fleet.
The eari of When the chancellor had informed the king of

Sandwich . . . .

sent ambas- the earl of Sandwich's submission to his pleasure,

ordinary and that he would be ready to undertake the em-

mto Spam. p} y me nt f or Spain as soon as his majesty pleased ;

hereupon the king declared his resolution in council

to send the earl of Sandwich his extraordinary am-

bassador, as well to correct and amend the mistakes

and errors in the late treaty, as f further to mediate

the peace with Portugal, which upon the death of

the king was in some respect more practicable. And

to that purpose he sent sir Robert Southwell, one of

the clerks of the council, envoy into Portugal, that

the earl might the better know the inclinations of

that people : and all instructions necessary were pre-

sently to be prepared to both those ends.

The king This first work being thus despatched, it remained

appointing to settle the command, for the ensuing year, of the



fleet; and there can be little doubt made, but that
general ^he king and the duke had resolved this at the same

joint iuhm-

rals ' time that they determined that the earl of Sandwich
should not continue in it : however, it was commu-
nicated to tfobody, till the designation of the other

f as] and



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 483

was published. Then the king told the chancellor, 1665.
" that his brother and he had long considered that ~~
" affair, and could not think of any expedient so
" good for the performance of that service, as a con-
" junction between prince Rupert and the general,
" and making them both joint commanders in chief
" of the fleet for the next expedition. " There had
many exceptions occurred to them against commit-
ting the charge to either of them singly ; nor were
they without apprehension of some which might
fall out by joining them together, which would be
much greater, if they were not both well prepared
to embrace the occasion, and themselves to like the
designation. For the doing this the chancellor was
again thought to be the fittest man, being believed
to have the greatest interest in both of them, and
most in him from whom the greatest difficulties
were expected to arise, which was prince Rupert.
It was easy to know prince Rupert's mind, who was
in the house : yet they were both in cases of that
nature desirous always to impart what they desired
by others, rather than to debate it first themselves.
But then the general was at London, besieged by
the plague ; and the matter was not fit to be com-
municated by letter, because, if he should make any
scruple of concurring in it, it was to be declined.

Upon these considerations it was resolved, first,
that the chancellor should prepare prince Rupert,
and then that the general should be sent for to Ox-
ford upon pretences, of which enough would occur.
The prince, though he was much more willing to Prince RU-
have gone alone, willingly conformed to the king's fingiyac-
pleasure: and so both the king and duke spake at 01
large with him upon all that was necessary to be

I i 2



joint com-
mission.



484 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1665. adjusted. And the general was sent to, " that it was
~~" necessary for the king to confer with him upon
" some propositions, which were made to him upon
" the East India ships," (which transaction was not
at that time yet concluded ;) " and therefore that on
" such a day he should come from London early
'* in the morning," (for it was deep winter,) " in his
" own coach to Beaconsfield, where he should find
" another coach ready to receive him, and another
" at another stage ; so that he might be with ease
" at Oxford the same night," as he was, and very
graciously received by the king, as he deserved to
be. But as he had no manner of imagination of the
true reason why he was sent for, so neither his ma-
jesty nor the duke would impart it to him, out of
real imagination that it would riot be grateful to
him ; but that was left to be imparted and dexterously
managed by the chancellor, in whom, as was said
before, it was generally believed that he had great
confidence.



The chan- jj e th e next morning entered into conference

cellor con-

fers with with him, and after general discourses told him,

6 a that the king had disposed the earl of Sandwich



subject. (( J. Q another employment, for which he did not
" seem sorry ; and that it must be now thought of,
" who was fit to command in his place : that there
" was no hope of peace, instead whereof there
" would be an entire conjunction between France
" and the Dutch; and that the French fleet" (the
ambassadors being about this time gone) " would
" be ready to join with them as soon as they should
" put to sea ; and there was much doubt that
" the Dane would betake himself to the same al-
" liance ; and all would be at sea before we should



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 485

" be, except extraordinary diligence were used, 1665.
*' which the continuance of the plague would hardly ~~
" admit. " The general presently answered, " that
" no person was so fit for that command as prince
" Rupert, who understood the seas well, and had
" that courage that was necessary in this conjunc-
" ture. "

The chancellor told him, " that the king had
" great confidence in the affection and unquestion-
" able courage of prince Rupert : but he was not
" sure, that the quickness of his spirit and the
" strength of his passion might not sometimes
" stand in need of the advice and assistance of a
" friend, who should be in equal authority with
" him ; and had therefore thought of finding some
" fit person to be joined with him, and so make one
" admiral of two persons. " To which the other not
replying suddenly, he continued his discourse, say-
ing, " that the king had such a person in his view,
" whom he would never acquaint with it, until he
" might find some way to discover that the propos-
" ing it would not be ingrateful to him ; and that
" he was obliged to make this discovery, and that
" the person in the king's view was himself; and
" that if he and prince Rupert were joined in the
" command of the fleet and undertook it, his majesty
" would believe that he had done all that was in his
" power, and would, with great hope, commit all the
" rest to God Almighty. " He said, " he thought he
" had behaved himself most like a friend in telling
" him shortly and plainly what the king's drift was,
" towards which, though the secret was known to
" none but the duke of York, yet such an advance



486 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1 665. W as made, that his majesty was well assured that
" prince Rupert would readily comply with his
" pleasure. " Upon the whole matter he desired him
" to deal as like a friend with him, and to tell him
" freely if he had no mind to the employment ; and
" he would take upon him to prevent the making
" the proposition to him, and that neither the king
" nor duke should take it unkindly. "

The general appeared really surprised and full of
thoughts ; and after a short pause he desired him
" not to believe that he made the least difficulty?
" in his thoughts of undertaking the service ; but
" many things had occurred to him in the discourse,
" which he would mention anon. " He said, " that
" for his own part he should be willing to go out of
" London to-morrow, and think himself much safer
" in any action against the Dutch than he could be
" in the post he was, where every day men died
" about him and in his view ; and as he thought
" that he had done the king better service by stay-
" ing in London, than he could have done in any
" other place, so he believed, if the sickness should
" continue," (as it was like enough to do, there ap-
pearing yet very little decrease,) " his majesty might
" think that his presence might be as necessary
" there as it had been.
" The chancellor replied,
" that his majesty had foreseen that contingency ;
" and had already resolved, that if that fell out to
" be the case, he should rather desire his residence
" should be where it had been (though he was much
" troubled to expose him to so much hazard) than

g difficulty] Omitted in MS.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 487

" in any other place: but that his majesty's confi- 1665.
" dence in the mercy of God, that he would take off ~~
" this heavy visitation before the end of winter, had
" suggested the other designation of him to the ser-
" vice of the fleet, upon the good conduct whereof
" his own and the kingdom's happiness so much de-
" pended. "

The general quickly replied, " that for that matter The gene-
" he was so willing to engage himself, that if the king to the "
" pleased, he would most readily serve under the com- ^ s plea ~
" mand of prince Rupert :" to which the other an-
swered as readily, " that the king would never con-
" sent to that. " And so they resolved presently to
go to the king, that his majesty and the duke might
know what would please them so much. And as they
were going, the general said smiling, " that he would
" tell him now what the true cause was, that had
" made that pause in him upon the first discourse of
" the business ; and that it would be necessary for
" him, after all things should be adjusted with the
" king and duke and prince Rupert, that what con-
" cerned him should still remain a secret, and prince
" Rupert be understood to have that command alone.
" For if his wife should come to know it, before he
" had by degrees prepared her for it, she would
" break out into such passions as would be very un-
" easy to him : but he would in a short time dis-
" pose her well enough ; and in the mean time no-
" thing should be omitted on his part, that was
" necessary for the advancement of the service. "
Hereupon the king, the duke, the prince, and the
general consulted of all that was to be done : and
he at the end of two days returned to London with



488 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE.

1665. the same expedition that he came to Oxford, to-
"gether with sir George Carteret the treasurer of
the navy, and all orders that were requisite for the
sale of the East India ships, upon which all provi-
sions for the fleet were to be made.



END OF VOL. II.


THE LIBRARY

OF

THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA

LOS ANGELES



FROM THE LIBRARY OF
ERNEST CARROLL MOORE



THE LIFE

OF

EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON,

LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR OF ENGLAND,

AND

CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD.



Ne quid f nisi dicere audeat, ne quid veri non audeat. CICERO.



THE LIFE



OF

EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON,

LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR OF ENGLAND,

f AND

CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD :

IN WHICH IS INCLUDED

A CONTINUATION

OF HIS

HISTORY OF THE GRAND REBELLION.



WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.



A NEW EDITION,

EXHIBITING A FAITHFUL COLLATION OF THE ORIGINAL MS. ,
WITH ALL THE SUPPRESSED PASSAGES.



VOL. III.

OXFORD,
AT THE CLARENDON PRESS.

MDCCCXXVII.



CoRege
Ubrary



V.

THE

CONTINUATION

OF

THE LIFE

OF

^

EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON



A HOUGH the parliament at Oxford had pre- 1665.
served that excellent harmony that the king had
proposed, and hardly wished any thing in which
they had not concurred, insomuch as never parlia-
ment so entirely sympathised with his majesty ; and
though a it passed more acts for his honour and se-
curity than any other had ever done in so short a
session : yet it produced b a precedent of a very un-
happy nature, the circumstances whereof in the
present were unusual and pernicious, and the conse-
quences in the future very mischievous, and there-
fore not unfit to be set out at large.

The lord Arlington and sir William Coventry, An attempt
closely united in the same purposes, and especially {J e remOTe
against the chancellor, had a great desire to find 811
some means to change the course and method of the
king's counsels ; which they could hardly do whilst

a though] Not in MS. b produced] introduced

VOL. in. B



S7C K



ie trea-
urer.



2 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1665. the same persons continued still in the same employ-
"ments. Their malice was most against the chan-
cellor : yet they knew not what suggestions to make
to the king against him, having always pretended
to his majesty, how falsely soever, to have a great
esteem of him. Their project therefore was to re-
move the treasurer, who was as weary of his office
and of the court as any body could be of him : but
his reputation was so great, his wisdom so unques-
tionable, and his integrity so confessed, that they
knew in neither of those points he could be im-
peached. And the king himself had kindness and
reverence towards him, though he had for some
years thought him less active, and so less fit for that
administration, than every body else knew him to
be: and these men had long insinuated unto his
majesty , " how ill all the business of the exchequer
" was managed by the continual infirmities of the
" treasurer, who, between the gout and the stone,
" had not ease enough to attend the painful function
" of that office, but left the whole to be managed
" and governed by his secretary sir Philip Warwick ;"
upon whose experience and fidelity he did in truth
much rely, as he had reason to do, his reputation
for both being very signal and universal. And to-
wards fastening this reproach they had the contribu-
tion of the lord Ashley, who was good at looking into
other men's offices, and was not pleased to see sir
Philip Warwick's credit greater than his with the
treasurer, and his advice more followed. And the
other two had craftily insinuated to him, that he
would make much a better treasurer ; which, whilst

majesty] Omitted in MS.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 3

he thought they were in earnest, prevailed with him iGf>r>
not only to suggest materials to them for that re-
proach, but to inculcate the same to the king upon
several occasions : but when he discovered that they
intended nothing of advantage to his particular, he
withdrew from that intrigue, though in all other
particulars he sided with them.

The king was too easy in making assignations
upon his revenue, which would make it uncapable
to satisfy others which were more necessary, and to
grant suits by lease or farm, (sometimes to worthy
men,) which were of mischievous consequence to all
the measures which could be taken ; and those the
treasurer found himself obliged to stop : and com-
monly, upon informing the king of it and of his
reasons, his majesty was very well pleased with
what he had done, and (as hath been said before)
did often give himself ease from the importunity of
many, by signing the warrants they brought to him,
in confidence that either the chancellor or treasurer
would not suffer them to pass. However, it raised
clamour ; and there were men enough who had the
same provocation to make a great noise ; and they
easily found countenance from others* who desired
it should be believed, " that it was a high arrogance
" and presumption in any subject to stop any sig-
" nature of the king, and so make his majesty's
" grace and bounty to be ineffectual, if his appro-
" bation and consent was not likewise procured. "
There was visibly great want of money, though
there were vast sums d raised ; which they laboured
to persuade the king proceeded from the unskilful-

d sums] sums of money
B 2



4 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

I6fr>. ness or unactivity of the treasurer, who was again
~ tired with the vexation and indignity, when he had
so frequently presented the king with the particulars
of the receipts and disbursements, and made it de-
monstrable how much his expenses exceeded all his
income; and how impossible it would be, without
lessening these, to provide wherewithal to supply
necessaiy occasions* : but this was an ungracious
subject, and opened more mouths than could easily
be stopped.

There was a man who hath been often named,
sir George Downing, who by having been some years
in the office of one of the tellers of the exchequer,
and being of a restless brain, did understand enough
of the nature of the revenue and of the course of
the receipt, to make others who understood less of
it to think that he knew the bottom of it, and that
the expedients, which should be proposed by him
towards a reformation, could not but be very per-
tinent and practicable. And he was not unhurt in
the emoluments of his own office, which were less-
ened by the assignations made to the bankers, upon
the receipts themselves, without the money's ever
passing through the tellers' office ; by which, though
they did receive their just fees, they had not what
they would have taken, if the money had passed
through their own hands. He was a member of
parliament, and a very voluminous sj>eaker, who
would be thought wiser in trade than any of the
merchants, and to understand the mystery of all
professions much better than the professors of them.
And such a kind of chat is always acceptable in a

e necessary occasions] Omitted in MS.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 5

crowd, (where few understand many subjects,) who f 1(^5.
are always glad to find those put out of countenance
who thought they understood it best : and so they
were much pleased to hear sir George Downing in-
veigh against the ignorance of those, who could only
smile at his want of knowledge.

This gentleman was very grateful to sir William
Coventry as well as to lord Arlington, and was ready
to instruct them in all the miscarriages and over-
sights in the treasury, and to propose ways of re-
formation to them. " The root of all miscarriage
" was the unlimited power of the lord treasurer, that
" no money could issue out without his particular
" direction, and all money was paid upon no other
" rules than his order; so that, let the king want as
" much as was possible, no money could be paid by
" his, without the treasurer's warrant ;" which, to
men who understood no more than they did, seemed
a very great incongruity. *' But," he said, "if there A project of
" were such a clause inserted into the bill which Downing to
" was to be passed in the house of commons for j 1 ,^""^ 61
" money. , it might prevent all inconveniences, and sur y-
" the king's money would be paid only to those
" persons and purposes to which his majesty should
" assign them ; and more money would be presently
" advanced upon this act of parliament, than the
" credit of the bankers could procure ;" for he fore-
saw that would be a very natural objection against
his clause and the method he proposed.

He made his discourse so plausible to them, that
they were much pleased with it ; and it provided
for so many of their own ends, that they neither did

1 who] and ~ no] any

B 3



6 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1665. nor were able to consider the reverse of it, but were
"most solicitous that there might no obstructions
arise in the way. If it should come to the know-
ledge of the chancellor, he would oppose it for the
novelty, and the consequences that might attend it ;
and if the treasurer had notice of it, he would not
consent to it for the indignity that his office was
subjected to : they therefore discoursed it to the king
as a matter of high importance to his service, if it
were secretly carried; and then brought the pro-
jector, who was an indefatigable talker, to inform
his majesty of the many benefits which would accrue
to his service by this new method that he had de-
vised, and the many mischiefs which would be pre-
vented.

There were many 1 ' things which were suggested,
that were agreeable to some fancies that the king
himself had entertained ; there would not need now
so many formalities, as warrants and privy seals, be-
fore monies could be paid ; and money might here-
after issue out and be paid without the treasurer's
privity ; in which many conveniences seemed to ap-
pear : though besides the innovation and breach of
all old order, which is ever attended by many mis-
chiefs unforeseen, there were very great inconveni-
ences hi view in those very particulars which they
fancied to be conveniences. But it was enough that
the king so well liked the advice, upon conference
with them three, that he resolved to communicate
it with no others ; but appointed, that when the bill
for supply should be brought into the house, (it be-
ing to be, as was said before, for the sum of ,)

h many] so many



EDWARD EARL OP CLARENDON. 7

at the commitment Downing should offer that pro- 1665.
viso, which had been drawn by himself, and' read to ""
the king and the other two. And because it was
foreseen, that it would be opposed by many of those
who were known to be very affectionate to the
king's service, they had all authority privately to
assure them, that it was offered with the king's
approbation.

Against the time that the bill was to be brought A clamour

, raised a-

m, they prepared the house by many unseasonable gainst the
bitter invectives against the bankers, called them
cheats, bloodsuckers, extortioners, and loaded them
with all the reproaches which can be cast upon the
worst men in the world, and would have them looked
upon as the causes of all the king's necessities, and
of the want of monies throughout the kingdom : all
which was a plausible argument, as all invectives
against particular men are ; and all men who had
faculties of depraving, and of making ill things ap-
pear worse than they are, were easily engaged with
them. The bankers did not consist of above the
number of five or six men, some whereof were alder-
men, and had been lord mayors of London, and all
the rest were aldermen, or had fined for aldermen.
They were a tribe that had risen ad grown up in
Cromwell's time, and never were 1 heard of before
the late troubles, till when the whole trade of money
had passed through the hands of the scriveners :
they were for the most part goldsmiths, men known
to be so rich, and of so good reputation, that all the
money of the kingdom would be trusted or depo-
sited in their hands.



were] Not in MS.
B 4



8 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

From the time of the king's return, when though
The Miran- great and vast sums were granted, yet such vast
from" 1 ,,'* 1 "''' debts were presently to IK? paid, the armies by land
bankers. anc j sca j o fe p resen tly discharged, that k the money
that was to be collected in six and six months would
not provide for those present unavoidable issues ;
but there must be two or three hundred thousand
pounds gotten together ih few days, before they
could begin to disband the armies or to pay the sea-
men off; the deferring whereof every month in-
creased the charge to an incredible proportion : none
could supply those occasions but the bankers, which
brought the king's ministers first acquainted^ with
them ; and they were so well satisfied with their
proceedings, that they did always declare, " that
" they were so necessary to the king's affairs, that
" they knew not how to have conducted them with-
" out that assistance. "
The method T ne method of proceeding with them was thus.

of treat ing

with them. As soon as an act of parliament was passed, the king
sent for those bankers, (for there was never any con-
tract made with them but in his majesty's pre-
sence :) and he ' being attended by the ministers of
the revenue, and commonly the chancellor and
others of the council, the lord treasurer presented a
particular information to the king of the most ur-
gent occasions for present money, either for disband-
ing troops, or discharging ships, or setting out fleets,
(all which are to be done together, and not by par-
cels ;) so that it was easily foreseen what ready mo-
ney must be provided. And this account being
made, the bankers were called in, and told, " that

k that] Not in MS. ' he] No/ in J/*'.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 9

" the king had occasion to use such a sum of ready 1665.
" money within such a day ; they understood the ~
" act of parliament, and so might determine what
" money they could lend the king, and what man-
" ner of security would best satisfy them. " Where-
upon one said, " he would within such a time pay
" one hundred thousand pounds," another more, and
another less, as they found themselves provided ; for
there was no joint stock amongst them, but every
one supplied according to his ability. They were
desirous to have eight in the hundred, which was
not unreasonable to ask, and the king was " willing
" to give :" but upon better consideration amongst
themselves, they thought fit to decline that demand,
as being capable of turning to their disadvantage,
and would leave the interest to the king's own
bounty, declaring " that themselves paid six in the
" hundred for all the money with which they were
" intrusted," which was known to be true.

Then they demanded such a receipt and assign-
ment to be made to them by the lord treasurer, for
the payment of the first money that should be pay-
able upon that act of parliament, or a branch of that
act, or tallies upon the farmers of the customs or ex-
cise, or such other branches of the revenue as were
least charged ; having the king's own word and the
faith of the treasurer, that they should be exactly
complied with ; for, let the security be what they
could desire, it would still be in the power of the
king or of the lord treasurer to divert what was as-
signed to them to other purposes. Therefore there
is nothing surer, than that the confidence in the
king's justice, and the unquestionable reputation of



10 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1665. the lord treasurer's honour and integrity, was the
" true foundation of that credit which supplied all his
majesty's necessities and occasions ; and his majesty
always treated those men very graciously, as his
very good servants, and all his ministers looked upon
them as very honest and valuable men. And in this
manner, for many years after his majesty's return,
even to the unhappy beginning of the Dutch war,
the public expenses were carried on, it may be, with
too little difficulty, which possibly increased some
expenses ; and nobody opened his mouth against the
bankers, who every day increased in credit and re-
putation, and had the money of all men at their dis-
posal.

The solicitor general brought in the bill for sup-
ply according to course, in that form as those bills
for money ought and used to be : and after it had
been read the second time, when it was committed,
Downing Downing offered his proviso, the end of which was,

offers a new

proviso in " to make all the money that was to be raised by

the suj. pi) ; " this bill to be applied only to those ends to which

" it was given, which was the carrying on the war,

** and to no other purpose whatsoever, by what au-

" thority soever ;" with many other clauses in it so

which is monstrous, that the solicitor, and many others who

tbrMtici-' were most watchful for the king's service, declared

tor gene- a g a j ns t ft, as iiitroductive to a commonwealth, and

not fit for monarchy. It was observed, " that the

** assignment of the money that was given by act of

" parliament to be paid in another manner and to

** other persons than had lieen formerly used, though

" there wanted not plausible pretences, was the be-

" ginning of the late rebellion, and furnished the



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 11

" parliament with money to raise a rebellion, when 1665.
" the king had none to defend himself; which had~~
" made Cromwell wise enough never to permit any
" of those clauses, or that the impositions which
" were raised should be disposed to any uses or by
" any persons but by himself and his own orders. 5 '
And by such and other arguments, which the con-
trivers had not foreseen, the proviso had been ab-
solutely thrown out, if sir William Coventry and
Downing had not gone to the solicitor and others
who spake against it, and assured them, " that it
" was brought in by the king's own direction, and
" for purposes well understood by his majesty. "
Upon which they were contented that it should be
committed, yet with direction " that such and such
" expressions should be reformed and amended. "

In the afternoon the king sent for the solicitor, The king

i P i i T . 1 commands

and iorbade him any more to oppose that proviso, i, im not to



for that it was much for his service. And when
would inform him of many mischiefs which would
inevitably attend it, some were of those which he
had no mind to prevent, being to lessen their power
who he thought had too much, and the other he
cared not to hear ; and said only, " that he would
" bear the inconveniences which would ensue upon
" his own account, for the benefits which would ac-
" crue, and which it was not yet seasonable to coni-
" municate with other members of the house of com-
" mons, whom he thought not to be so able to dis-
" pute it with him. " m

m Something seems to be ventry ; or, by the king to the

wanting here to make the sense solicitor. In the latter ease,

dear. Qu. Whether what fol- told them (as it is in the MS. )

lows was spoken by Downing should be altered to told him.

to the king, Arlington, and Co- [Note in the first edition. ]



12 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1665. He enlarged more in discourse, and told them,
" that this would be an n encouragement to lend mo-
" ney, by making the payment with interest so cer-
** tain and fixed, that there could be no security in
** the kingdom like it, when it should be out of any
" man's power to cause any money that should be
** lent to morrow to be paid before that which was
" lent yesterday, but that all should Ix? infallibly
** paid in order ; by which the exchequer (which was
** now bankrupt and without any credit) would be
** quickly in that reputation, that all men would de-
" posit their money there : and that he hoped in few
" years, by observing the method he now proposed,
" he would make his exchequer the best and the
** greatest bank in Europe, and where all Europe
** would, when it was once understood, pay in their
'* money for the certain profit it would yield, and
" the indubitable certainty that they should receive
" their money. " And with this discourse the vain
man, who had lived many years in Holland, and
would be thought to have made himself master of
all their policy, had amused the king and his two
friends, undertaking to erect the king's exchequer
into the same degree of credit that the bank of
Amsterdam stood upon i', the institution whereof he
undertook to know, and from thence to make it evi-
dent, " that all that should be transplanted into Eng-
" land, and all nations would sooner send their mo-
" ncy into the exchequer, than into Amsterdam or
" Genoa or Venice. " And it cannot be enough won-
dered at, that this intoxication prevailed so far, that

11 would be an] Omitted in c stood upon] Omitted in
MS. MS.

noj Omitted in MS.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 13

no argument would be heard against it, the king i6Gf>.
having upon those notions, and with the advice of""
those counsellors, in his own thoughts new-modelled
the whole government of his treasury, in which he
resolved to have no more superior officers. But this
was only reserved within his own breast, and not
communicated to any but those who devised the
project, without weighing that the security for mo-
nies so deposited in banks is the republic itself,
which must expire before that security can fail ;
which can never be depended on in a monarchy,
where the monarch's sole word can cancel all those
formal provisions which can be made, (as hath since
been too evident,) by vacating those assignations
which have been made upon that and the like acts
of parliament, for such time as the present necessities
have made counsellable ; which would not then be
admitted to be possible.

And so without any more opposition, which was If is i iasse < !

. by the com-

llOt grateful to the king, that act passed the house mom.

of commons, with the correction only of such absur-
dities as had not been foreseen by those who framed
the proviso, and which did indeed cross their own
designs : and so it was sent from the commons to
the house of peers for their consent.

Bills of that nature, which concern the raising of
money, seldom stay long with the lords ; but as of
custom, which they call privilege, they are first be-
gun in the house of commons, where they endure
long deliberation, so when they are adjusted there,
they seem to pass through the house of peers witli
the reading twice and formal commitment, in which
any alterations are very rarely made, except in any
impositions which are laid upon their own persons,



14 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

for which there are usually blanks left, the filling up
whereof is all the amendment or alteration that is
commonly made by the lords : so that the same en-
grossment that is sent up by the commons, is usually
the bill itself that is presented to the king for his
royal assent. Yet there can be no reasonable doubt
made, but that those bills of any kind of subsidies, as
excise, chimney-money, or any other way of impo-
sition, are as much the gift and present from the
house of peers as they are from the house of com-
mons, and are no more Valid without their consent
than without the consent of the other; and they
may alter any clause in them that they do not think
for the good of the people. But because the house
of commons is the immediate representative of the
people, it is presumed that they best know what
they can bear or are willing to submit to, and what
they propose to give is proportionable to what they
can spare ; and therefore the lords use not to put
any stop in the passage of such bills, much less di-
minish what is offered by them to the king.

And in this parliament the expedition that was
used in all business out of fear of the sickness, and
out of an impatient desire to be separated, was very
notorious : and as soon as this bill for supply was
sent to the lords, very many members of the house
of commons left the town and departed, conceiving
that there was no more left for them to do ; for it
was generally thought <>, that at the passing that act,
with the rest which were ready, the king would
prorogue the parliament. Yet the novelty in this
act so surprised the lords, that they thought it worthy

i thought] OmitM in HIS.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 15

a very serious deliberation, and used not their cus- i(i6f>.
tomary expedition in the passing it. It happened"
to lie in an ill conjuncture, when the terrible cold
weather kept the lord treasurer from going out of
his chamber for fear of the gout, of which the chan-
cellor laboured then in that extremity, that he was
obliged to remain in his bed ; and neither of them
had received information of this affair. Many of the some lords

. r> i remonstrate

lords came to them, and advertised them or this new to the king
proviso; and some of them went to the king, to let pfovUo.
him know r the prejudice it would bring him, and
censured the ill hand that had contrived it.

The lord Ashley, who was chancellor of the ex-
chequer, and had been privy in the first cabal in
which this reformation was designed, whether be-
cause he found himself left out in the most secret
part of it, or not enough considered in it, passion-
ately inveighed against it, both publicly and pri-
vately, and, according to the fertility of his wit and
invention, found more objections against it than any
body else had done, and the consequences to be more
destructive s ; with which he so alarmed the king, The king

. consults the

that his majesty was contented that the matter private
should be debated in his presence; and because the " "","'! e<
chancellor was in his bed, thought his chamber to
be the fittest place for the consultation : and the lord
treasurer 1 , though indisposed and apprehensive of
the gout, could yet use his feet, and was very willing
to attend his majesty there, without the least ima-
gination that he was aimed at in the least.

The king appointed the hour for the meeting,
where his majesty, with his brother, was present,

1 know] Omitted in MS. f treasurer] Omitted in MS.
s destructive] destruction



16 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

I66. r ). the chancellor in his l>ed, the lord treasurer, the
"lord Ashley, the lord Arlington, and sir William
Coventry ; the attorney general and the solicitor
were likewise present, to word any alterations which
should be fit to be made ; and sir George Downing
likewise attended, who the king still believed would
l>e able to answer all objections which could IK?
made. The chancellor had never seen the proviso
which contained all the novelty, (for all the other
parts of the bill were according to the course,) and
the treasurer had read it only an hour or two lx? -
fore the meeting : the lord Ashley therefore, who
had heard it read in the house of peers, and observed
what that house thought of it, opened the whole
business with the novelty, and the ill consequence
that must inevitably attend it ; all which he enforced
with great clearness and evidence of reason, and
would have enlarged with some sharpness upon the
advisers of it.

But the king himself stopped that by declaring,
" that whatsoever had been done in the whole trans-
" action of it had been with his privity and approba-
" tion, and the whole blame must be laid to his own
" charge u , who it seems was like to suffer most by
" it. " He confessed, " he was so fully convinced in
" his own understanding, that the method proposed
" would prove to his infinite advantage and to the
" benefit of the kingdom, that lie had converted
" many in the house who had disliked it ; and that
** since it came into the house of peers; he had
" spoken with many of the lords, who seemed most
" unsatisfied with it : and he was confident he had

" charge] Omitted in MS.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 17

" so well informed many of them, that they had 1GG5.
" changed their opinion, and would be no more"
" against that proviso. However, he confessed that
" some remained still obstinate against it, and they
" had given some reasons which he had not thought
" of, and which in truth he could not answer : he
" wished therefore that they would apply themselves
" to the most weighty objections which were in view,
" or which might probably result from thence, and
" think of the best remedies which might be applied
" by alterations and amendments in the house of
" lords, which he doubted not but that the com-
" mons would concur in. "

The first objection was " the novelty, which in objections
" cases of that nature was very dangerous, remem- gainst it
" bering what hath been mentioned before of the th
" beginning of the late rebellion, by putting the
" money to run in another channel than it had used
" to do : and that when once such a clause was ad-
" mitted in one bill, the king would hardly get it
" left out in others of the same kind hereafter ; and
" so his majesty should never be master of his own
" money, nor the ministers of his revenue be able to
" assign monies to defray any casual expenses, of
" what nature soever ; but that upon the matter the
" authority of the treasurer and chancellor of the
" exchequer must be invested in the tellers of the
" exchequer, who were subordinate officers, and qua-
" lifted to do nothing but by the immediate order of
" those their superior officers. And though there
" are four tellers in equal authority, yet sir George
" Downing would in a short time make his office
" the sole receipt, and the rest neither receive nor
" pay but by his favour and consent. "

VOL. III. C



18 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1 665. The king had in his nature so little reverence or
""esteem for antiquity, and did in truth so much
contemn old orders, forms, and institutions, that
the objections of novelty rather advanced than ob-
structed any proposition. He was a great lover of
new inventions, and thought them * the effects of
wit and spirit, and fit to control the superstitious
observation of the dictates of our ancestors : so that
objection made little impression. And for the con-
tinuance of the same clause in future bills, he looked
for it as necessary, in order to the establishment of
his bank, which would abundantly recompense for
his loss of power in disposal of his own money.
And though it was made appear, by very solid ar-
guments, that the imagination of a bank was a mere
chimera in itself, and the erecting it in the exche-
quer must suppose that the crown must be always
liable to a vast debt upon interest, which would be
very ill husbandry ; and that there was great hope,
_ that after a happy peace should be concluded, and
care should be taken to bring the expenses into a
narrower compass, the king might in a short time
be out of debt : yet all discourse against a bank was
thought to proceed from pure ignorance. And sir
George was let loose to instruct them how easy it
was to be established, who talked imperiously " of
" the method by which it came to be settled in
" Holland ? by the industry of very few persons,
" when the greatest men despaired of it as imprac-
" ticable ; yet the obstinacy of the other prevailed,
" and it was now become the strength, wealth, and
" security of the state : that the same would be

* them] Omitted in MS. * in Holland] Omitted in MS.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 19

" brought to pass much more easily here, and would 1665.
" be no sooner done, than England would be the ~~
" seat of all the trade of Christendom. " And then
assuming all he said to be demonstration, he
wrapped himself up, according to his custom, in
a mist of words that nobody could see light in, but
they who by often hearing the same chat thought
they understood it.

The next objection was " against the injustice of
" this clause, and the ill consequence of that injus-
" tice. The necessities of the crown being still
" pressing, and the fleet every day calling for sup-
" ply, money had been borrowed from the bankers
" upon the credit of this bill, as soon as the first
" vote had passed in the house of commons for so
" considerable a supply ; and the treasurer had
" made assignments upon several branches of the
" revenue, which had been preserved and designed
" for the army and the immediate expenses of the
" king's and queen's household, and the like una-
" voidable issues, upon presumption that enough
" would come in from this new act of parliament to
" be replaced to those purposes, before the time
" that would require it should come. But by this
" proviso especial care was taken, that none of the
" money that should be raised should be applied to
" the payment of any debt that was contracted be-
" fore the royal assent was given to the bill : so that
" both the money lent by the bankers upon the pro-
" mise made to them must be unpaid and un-
" secured, and the money that had been supplied
" from other assignations must not be applied to
" the original use ; by which the army and house-

c 2



20 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1665. " hold would be unprovided for, the inconveni-
~~ " ence whereof had no need of an enlargement.

" Besides that the hankers had the king's word,
" and the engagement of the ministers of the revenue,
" that all new bills of supply should still make good
" what former securities were not sufficient to do;
" as by this heavy visitation of the plague, the assig-
" nations which had been made upon the excise and
" chimney- money, and by the decay of trade that
" the war and sickness together had produced, the
" assignations made upon the customs had brought
" in so little money, that the debt to the bankers,
" which, but for those obstructions, might by this
" time have been much abated, remained still very
" little less than it was z near a year before. And
" when it should be known, that this sum of money
** that was to be raised was exempt from the pay-
" ment of any of those and the like debts, it would
" be a great heartbreaking to all those, who had
" not only lent all their own estates, but the whole
M estates of many thousands of other men, to the
** king, and must expect to be called upon by all
" who have trusted them for their money, which,
" by this invention, they have no means to pay :
" and for the future, let the necessities be what
" they will that the crown may be involved in,
" there is no hope of borrowing any money, since it
" is not in the power of the king himself to make
" any assignment upon this new imposition. "

Very much of this had been so absolutely un-
thought of by the king, that he was very much

7 was] was in



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 21

troubled at it; and he had in his own judgment a 1665.
just esteem of the bankers, and looked upon any pre-~~
judice 3 that they should suffer as hurtful to himself,
and a great violation of his honour and justice. But
it was plain enough that the principal design of the
contrivers was to prejudice the bankers, nor did
they care what ruin befell them, and so talked
loosely and bitterly " of their cozening the king, and
" what ill bargains had been made with them ;"
though it was made manifest, that no private gen-
tleman in England did, upon any real or personal
security, borrow money, but considering the brocage
he pays, and b the often renewing his security, it costs
him yearly much more than the king paid to the
bankers.

They slighted what was past as sufficiently pro-
vided for ; and for the future confidently undertook
the king should never more have need of the bank-
ers, " for that this act would be no sooner passed,
" but, upon the credit of it, money would be poured
" into the exchequer faster than it could be told. "
And when they were told, " that expectation would
" deceive them, and that great sums would not
" come in, and small sums would do hurt, because
" they would but stop up the security from giving
" satisfaction to others, because whatever was first
" paid in must be first paid :" all this was answered
confidently, " that vast sums were ready, to their
" knowledge, to be paid in as soon as the bill
" should pass ;" which fell out as was foretold.
For after ten or twenty thousand pounds were deli-



a prejudice] Not in MS. c should pass] Omitted in MS.

b and] Not in MS.

c 3



22 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF
1665. vered in by themselves and their friends to save



their credit, there was no more money like to come ;
and that sum did more harm than good, by inter-
rupting the security.

But notwithstanding all their answers, the king
remained unsatisfied in many particulars which he
had not foreseen, and wished " that the matter had
" been better consulted ;" and confessed " that
" Downing had not answered many of the ob-
" jections ;" and wished " that alterations might be
*' prepared to be offered in the house of peers as
" amendments, and transmitted to the commons,
" without casting out the proviso ;" the foundation
and end of which still pleased him, for those rea-
sons which he would not communicate, and for
which only it ought to have been rejected. But as
it had been very easy to have had it quite left out,
which was the only proper remedy ; so the mending
it would leave much argument for debate, and
would spend much time. . And it was to be appre-
hended, that there were so many of the best affected
members of the house of commons gone out of the
town, as having no more to do, that when it should
be sent down thither again, it might be longer de-
layed* 1 there than would be convenient for the pub-
lic ; and so the parliament be kept longer from a
prorogation, than would be grateful to them or
agreeable to the king.

it passed And therefore, upon the whole matter, his ma-
ioni' e jesty chose that no interruption should l>e given to
it in the house of peers, and only such small amend-
ments, which would be as soon consented to in

' delayed] detained



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 23

both houses as read, should be offered, rather than 1665.
run the other hazard of delay : and so accordingly it The lia _
was passed ; and upon the doing thereof, the parlia- ^ nt ' ro '
ment was prorogued to April following.

In this debate, upon the insolent behaviour of The king
Downing in the defence of that which could not "ended
be defended, and it may be out of the extremity ^nclnor
of the pain which at that time he endured in in this

affair.

his bed, the chancellor 6 had given some very sharp
reprehensions to Downing, for his presumption in
undertaking to set such a design on foot that
concerned the whole fabric of the exchequer, (in
which he was an inferior officer,) and such a branch
of the king's revenue, without first communicating
it to his superior officers, and receiving their advice ;
and told him, " that it was impossible for the king
" to be well served, whilst fellows of his condition
" were admitted to speak as much as they had a
" mind to ; and that in the best times such pre-
" sumptions had been punished with imprisonment
" by the lords of the council, without the king's
" taking notice of it :" which, with what sharpness
soever uttered, (in which he naturally exceeded in
such occasions,) in a case of this nature, in which,
with reference to any disrespect towards himself, he
was not concerned, he thought did not exceed the
privilege and dignity of the place he held ; and
for which there were many precedents in the past
times.

At the present there was no notice taken, nor
reply made to what he said. But they who knew
themselves equally guilty, and believed they were

e the chancellor] in MS. the charge

c 4



24 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1665. reflected upon, found quickly opportunity to incense
"the king, and to persuade him to believe, " that the
" chancellor's l)ehaviour was a greater affront to him
" than to Downing : that a servant should undergo
" such reproaches in the king's own presence, for no
" other reason but having, with all humility, pre-
" sented an information to his majesty, which was
" natural for him to understand in the office in which
" he served him, and afterwards followed and ob-
" served the orders and directions which himself
" had prescribed ; that this must terrify all men
" from giving the king any light in his affairs, that
" he may know nothing of his own nearest concern-
" ments but what his chief ministers thought fit to
" impart to him. " All which, and whatsoever else
was natural to wit sharpened with malice to suggest
upon such an argument, they enforced with warmth,
that they desired might be taken for zeal for his
service f and dignity, which was prostituted by those
presumptions of the chancellor.

And herewith they so inflamed the king, that he
was much offended, and expressed to them such a
dislike that pleased them well, and gave them op-
portunity to add more fuel to the fire ; and told them,
" that the chancellor should find that he was not
" pleased ;" as indeed he did, by a greater reserved-
ness in his countenance than his majesty used to
carry towards him ; the reason whereof his innocence
kept him from comprehending, till in a short time
he vouchsafed plainly to put him in mind of his be-
haviour at that time, and to express a great resent-
ment of it, and urged all those glosses which had

{ service] Omitted in MS.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 25
been made to him upon it, and " what interpretation 1665.



" all men must make of such an action, and be ter-
" rifled by it from offering any thing, of what im-
" portance soever to his service, if it would offend
" his ministers ;" and all this in a choler very unna-
tural to him, which exceedingly troubled the chan-
cellor, and made him more discern, though he had
evidence enough of it before, that he stood upon very
slippery ground.

He told his majesty, " that since he thought his The chan -

J J cellor satis-

" behaviour to be so bad in that particular, forfies his
" which till then his own conscience or discretion
" had not reproached him, he must and did believe
" he had committed a great fault, for which he did
" humbly ask his pardon ; and promised hereafter
" no more to incur his displeasure for such excesses,
" which he could never have fallen into at that time
" and upon that occasion, but upon the presumption,
" that it had been impossible for his majesty to have
" made that interpretation of it which it seems he
" had done, or that any body could have credit
" enough with him to persuade him to believe, that
" he desired that his majesty should not have a clear
" view, and the most discerning insight, into the
" darkest and most intricate parts of all his affairs,
" which they knew in their consciences to be most
" untrue. And he must with great confidence ap-
" peal to his majesty, who knew how much he had
" desired, and taken some pains, that his majesty
" might never set his hand to any thing, before he
" fully understood it upon such references and re-
" ports, as, according to the nature of the business,
" were * to be for his full information. "

P were] \va. s



26 CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF

1665. He besought him to remember, " how often he
~ " had told him, that it was most absolutely neces-
" sary that he should make himself entirely master
" of his own business, for that there would be no
" acquiescence in any judgment but his own ; and
" that his majesty knew with what boldness he had
" often lamented to himself, that he would not take
" the pains perfectly to understand all his own af-
" fairs, which exposed his ministers to the censures
" of half-witted men, and was the greatest discou-
" ragement to all who served him honestly : and he
" desired his pardon again for saying that. He
" would h hereafter find that they who had advised
" him in this late transaction, in the handling where-
" of he had taken the liberty that had offended his
" majesty, had but a very dim insight into that bu-
" siness which they took upon themselves to direct.