PART II. He immediately concluded a fecret money-treaty with A. D.1681. France, in order to enable him to govern without parliamentary fupplies 45; and he published a declaration, in vindication of his late violent measure. That declaration was ordered to be read in all the churches and chapels in England: the eloquence of the clergy feconded the arguments of the monarch: addreffes, full of expreffions of duty and loyalty, were fent to him from all the legal focieties in the kingdom; and the people in general feemed to congratulate their fovereign on his happy escape from parliaments! The doctrines of paffive obedience and non-resistance were revived; and the bench and the pulpit feemed to contend with each other, which could fhew most zeal for unlimited power in the crown.

THIS was a strange and fudden revolution in the fentiments of the nation: yet, had the king pushed his victory no farther, had he been contented to enjoy his triumph without violence or injuftiee, his paft conduct might have admitted of fome apology, and the abettors of the prerogative might have awakened refentment without kindling indignation. But Charles was unfortunately at the head of a faction, who seemed to think that the hour of retaliation was come; and as he had formerly temporized to quiet his enemies, he now judged it neceffary to give way to the vehemence of his friends. In order to gratify the established clergy, a fevere perfecution was commenced against the Prefbyterians, and other Proteftant fec

45. Dalrymple's Append. James II. 1681.

46. This remarkable change, as Burnet very judiciously observes, fhews how little dependence can be placed on popular humours; which "have their ebbings and their flowings, their hot and cold fits, almost "as certainly as feas or fevers." Hift. of bis Own Times, vol. ii.

taries who had been the chief fupport of the Exclufionists in the house of commons; and the whole gang

LETTER

XIV.

of fpies, informers, and false witnesses, who had been A. D. 1681. retained by the popular party, in order to establish the reality of the popish plot, and whose perjuries had proved fatal to so many catholics, were now enlifted by the court, and played off as an engine against their former patrons. The royalists, to use the expreffion of a nervous writer, thought their opponents fo much covered with guilt, that injustice itself became juft in their punishment +7.

EVERY other fpecies of retaliation but this, my dear Philip, may perhaps be vindicated, or admit of fome excufe. Let force revenge the violences committed by force: let blood ftream for blood; let the pillage of one party repay the depredations of another; let the perfecuted, in their turn, become perfecutors, and the faggot mutually flame for the purgation of martyrs these are but temporary evils, and may foon be forgot; but let not the fountain of justice be poisoned in its fource, and the laws intended to protect mankind become inftruments of deftruction. This is the greatest calamity that can befal a nation, famine and peftilence not excepted, and may be confidered as the laft ftage of political degeneracy.

In those times of general corruption and abject fer- A. D. 1682. vility, when all men feemed ready to proftrate themfelves at the foot of the throne, the citizens of London still retained their bold spirit of liberty and independency. The grand jury had judiciously rejected an indictment against the earl of Shaftesbury on account of the improbability of the circumftances, after 47. Macpherson, Hi. Brit. chap. vi. K

VOL. IV.

perjury

A.D. 1682.

PART II. perjury had gone its utmost length. Enraged at this difappointment, the court endeavoured to influence the election of the magiftrates, and fucceeded; but as that conteft, it was perceived, might be to renew every year, something more decifive was refolved upon. A writ of Quo Warranto was accordingly issued against the city: that is, an enquiry into the validity of a corporation charter, which is prefumed to be defective, or to have been forfeited by fome offence, to be proved in the course of fuit. And although the cause of the city was powerfully defended, and the offences pleaded against it of the most frivolous kind, judgeA. D. 1683. ment was given in favour of the crown 48. The aldermen and common-council, in humble fupplication, waited upon the king; and Charles, who had now obtained his end, agreed to restore their charter, but on fuch terms as would put the proud capital entirely in his power. He referved to himself the approbation of the principal magiftrates; with this fpecial provifo, that should his majesty twice disapprove of the lord-mayor or fheriffs elected, he might, by his own commiffion, appoint others in their room.

FILLED with confternation at the fate of London, and convinced how ineffectual a contest with the court would prove, moft of the other corporations in England furrendered their charters into the king's hands, and paid large fums for fuch new ones as he was pleafed to frame. By these means a fatal ftab was given to the conftitution. The nomination of all the civil magistrates, with the difpofal of all offices of power

48. Soon after the Revolution, this judgment was reversed by act of parliament; and it was at the fame time enacted, that the privileges of the city of London shall never be forfeited by any delinquency whatever in the members of the corporation. Stat. 2 W, and M.

or

XIV.

or profit, in every corporation in the kingdom, was in LETTER a manner vested in the crown; and as more than threefourths of the house of commons are chosen by the A.D. 1683. boroughs, the court was made fure of an undisputed majority. A perfect defpotifm was established.

IN fuch times, when it was become dangerous even to complain, refiftance might be imprudent; but no attempt for the recovery of legal liberty could be criminal, in men who had been born free. A project of this kind had for fome time been entertained by a fet of determined men, among whom were fome of the heads of the Country Party, though various caufes had hitherto prevented it from being brought to maturity; particularly the impeachment of the earl of Shaftesbury, the framer of the plot, and his unexpected departure for Holland, where he foon after died. But the zeal of the confpirators, which had begun to languish, was rekindled by the feizure of the corporation charters, and a regular plan for an infurrection was formed. This bufinefs was committed to a council of fix; the members of which were, the duke of Monmouth, the king's natural fon, lord Ruffell, fon of the earl of Bedford, the earl of Effex, lord Howard, the famous Algernon Sidney, and John Hambden, grandfon of the illuftrious patriot of that name.

THESE men had concerted an infurrection in the city of London, where their influence was great; in Scotland, by an agreement with the earl of Argyle, who engaged to bring the Covenanters into the field; and in the West of England, by the affistance of the friends of liberty in that quarter. They had even taken measures for furprising the king's guards, though without any defign of hurting his perfon, the excluK 2

fion

PART II.

fion of the duke of York, and the redress of grievances, which they had found could not be obtained in a parliamentary way, being all they propofed by rifing in arms. Sidney and Effex, indeed, are faid to have embraced the idea of a republic; but Ruffell and Hambden, the more moderate and popular confpirators, had no views but the restoration of the broken conftitution of their country, and the fecuring of the civil and religious liberties of the nation.

WHILE thefe important objects were in contemplation, but before any blow had been ftruck, or even the time fixed for fuch a purpose, the patriotic confpirators were betrayed by one of their affociates, named Rumfey. Lord Howard, a man of no principle, and in needy circumstances, alfo became evidence for the crown, in hopes of pardon and reward. Others of lefs note followed the infamous example. On their combined evidence feveral of the confpirators were feized, condemned, and executed. Among these, the most diftinguished were Ruffell and Sidney. Both died with the intrepidity of men who had refolved to hazard their lives in the field, in order to break the fetters of flavery, and refcue themfelves and their fellow-fubjects from an ignominious defpotifm

Monmouth,

49. Lord Grey's Hift. of the Pye House Plot. State Trials, vol. iii. Law, if not justice, was violated in order to procure the condemnation of Sidney, whose talents the king feared. Ruffell's popularity proved no lefs fatal to him. He was univerfaily adored by the nation, and therefore a necessary victim in fach times. Charles accordingly refifted every attempt to fave him; for he fcorned, on his trial, to deny his fhare in the conce, ted infurrection. In vain did lady Ruffell, the daughter of the loyal and virtueus Southampton, throw herself at the royal fect, and crave mercy for her husband: in vain did the earl of Bedford offer an hundred thousand pounds, through the mediation of the all-prevailing

duchefs