A.D. 1661.

PART II. fuffer any trespass on their civil or religious liberties. If deftitute of the sense of justice or of gratitude, the imprudencies of his grandfather, the fatal catastrophe of his father, and ten years of exclufion, exile, and adverfity, were furely fufficient to have taught him moderation; while the affectionate expreffions of loyalty and attachment, which every where faluted his ears, demanded his moft warm acknowledgments.

WITH loyalty, mirth and gaiety returned. That gloom which had fo long overspread the island, gradually disappeared with those fanatical opinions that produced it. And if the king had made a proper ufe of his political fituation, and of those natural and acquired talents which he so abundantly poffeffed, he might have held, with a high hand, the balance of Europe, and at the fame time have restored the English nation (to ufe the memorable words of my lord Clarendon) to its primitive temper and integrity; to "its "old good manners, its old good humour, and its "old good nature." But an infatuated defire of governing without controul, and also of changing the religion of the two British kingdoms, accompanied with a wasteful prodigality, which nothing could fupply, loft him by degrees the hearts of his subjects, as we shall have occasion to see, and instead of the arbiter of Europe, made him a penfioner of France.

CHARLES was thirty years of age when he afcended the throne of his ancestors; and, confidering his adverse fortune, and the opportunities he had enjoyed of mingling with the world, might have been fuppofed to be paft the levities of youth and the intemperance of appetite. But being endowed with a ftrong conftitution and a great flow of fpirits, with a

manly

1

XII.

manly figure and an engaging manner, animal love LETTER was ftill his predominant paffion, and amusement his chief occupation. He was not, however, incapable A. D. 1660. of application to business, nor unacquainted with affairs either foreign or domeftic; but having been accustomed, during his exile, to live among his courtiers as a companion rather than a monarch, he loved to indulge, even after his restoration, in the pleasures of difengaged fociety as well as of unreftrained gallantry, and hated every thing that interfered with those favourite avocations. His example was contagious: a grofs fenfuality infected the court; and prodigality, debauchery, and irreligion, became the characteriftics of the younger and more fashionable part of the nation '.

THE king himfelf, who appears to have been little under the influence of either moral or religious principles, conscious of his own irregularities, could easily forgive the deviations of others, and admit an excufe for any system of opinions. Hence he gained the profligate by indulgence, at the fame time that he chofe to flatter, by attentions, the pride of religion and virtue. This accommodating character, which through his whole reign was Charles's chief fupport, at firft raised the highest idea of his judgment and impartiality. Without regard to former diftinctions, be admitted into his council the moft eminent men of all parties; the Prefbyterians equally with the Royalifts fhared this honour. Nor was he lefs impartial in the diftribution of honours. Admiral Montague was not only created earl of Sandwich, aud Monk duke of Albemarle, promotions that might have been expected;

PART II. but Annefley was created earl of Anglefcy; Ashley A. D. 1660. Cooper, lord Ashley; and Denzil Hollis, lord Hollis.

WHATEVER might be the king's motive for fuch a conduct, whether a defire of lafting popularity, or merely of serving a temporary purpofe, it must be allowed to have been truly political, as it contributed not only to banish the remembrance of past animofi. ties, but to attach the leaders of the Prefbyterians; who, befide having a principal fhare in the Restoration, were formidable by their numbers as well as by their property, and declared enemies to the Independents, and other republican fectaries. But the choice which Charles made of his minifters and principal fervants more especially prognofticated future happiness and tranquillity, and gave fincere pleasure to all the true friends of the conftitution. Sir Edward Hyde, created earl of Clarendon, was made lord chancellor. He had been bred to the law, poffeffed great talents, was indefatigable in bufinefs, and very fit for the place of prime minifter. The marquis, created duke of Ormond, lefs remarkable for his talents than his courtly accomplishments, his honour, and his fidelity, was conftituted fteward of the houthold; the earl of Southampton, a man of abilities and integrity, was appointed lord treafurer, and Sir Edward Nicholas and Mr. Morrice fecretaries of ftate. The fecretaries were both men of learning and virtue, but little acquainted with foreign affairs.

THESE minifters entered into a free and open correfpondence with the leading members of both houfes; in confequence of which the Convention (as the affembly that accomplished the Reflo ation had been hitherto called, by being fummoned without the king's au

XII.

A.D. 1960.

thority) received the name of a parliament. All LETTER juridical decrees, paffed during the commonwealth or protectorship, were affirmed; and an act of indemnity was paffed, conform ble to the king's declaration from Breda. In that declaration Charles had wirely referred all exceptions to the parliament, which excluded fuch as had any immediate hand in the late king's death. Only fix of the regicides, however, with four others, who had been abettors of their treason, were executed. The rest made their efcape, were pardoned, or confined in different prifons. They all behaved with great firmnefs, and feemed to confider themselves as martyrs to their civil and religious principles 3.

LAMBERT and Vane, though not immediately concerned in the late king's death, were alfo attainted. Lambert was pardoned, in confequence of his fubmifEon; but Vane, on account of his prefumptuous behaviour during his trial, was executed. The fame lenity was extended to Scotland; where only the marquis of Argyle, and one Guthery, a feditious preacher, were executed. Argyle's cafe was thought peculiarly hard; but as Guthery had perfonally infulted the king, as well as purfued a conduct fubverfive of all legal authority, his fate was lamented only by the wildest fanatics 5.

NOTWITHSTANDING thefe expiatory facrifices, Charles's government was, for a time, remarkably mid and equitable. The first measure that excited any alarm was the act of uniformity.

HAD the convention-parliament, from a jealoufy of royal power, exacled any conditions from the king, 3. State Trials, vol. ii, 4. Id. ibid. 5. Burnet, ubi fup.

A. D. 1660.

PART II. on his reftoration, the eftablishment of the Prefbyrian difcipline would certainly have been one of them; not only because more favourable to civil liberty than epifcopacy, in the opinion of the people, but more conformable to the theological ideas of the greater number of the members. No fuch ftipulation, however, having been required, the church of England had good reason to expect that the hierarchy would recover its ancient rights, and again appear with undiminished fplendour, as well as the monarchy. Charles, to whom the bufinefs of religion was wholly left, though inclined to revive epifcopacy, was at a lofs how to proceed. The Prefbyterians, from their recent services, had claims upon his gratitude, and the epifcopal clergy from their loyalty and former fufferings, in confequence of their attachment to the royal caufe. As he wished to gain all parties, by difobliging none, he conducted himself with great moderation. At the fame time that he restored the ejected clergy, and ordered the Liturgy to be received into the churches, he iffued a declaration, in which he promifed, That the bishops fhould all be regular and conftant preachers; that they fhould not confer ordination, or exercise any jurisdiction, without the advice and affiftance of Prefbyters, chofen by the diocefe; that fuch alterations fhould be made in the Liturgy as would render it totally unexceptionable; and that, in the meantime, the epifcopal mode of worship should not be impofed on thofe who were unwilling to receive it".

SUCH was the ftate of the church at the diffolution Dec. 29. of the convention-parliament; which, while it guarded the legal rights of the crown, lately fo violently in

6. Parl. Hif. vol. xxiii.