downe's

ii. p. 161.

reftoration, as it was free and independent, to their () Landf-fole management (†).' — Thus was an exiled prince, Works, vol. by the diffimulation, treachery, and falfhood of Moncke, admitted to the government of three flourishing and renowned kingdoms, without conditions, contrary to the fenfe and expectations of the most intelligent perfons of all parties! For who could have imagined, that a people, who had fo long and fuccefsfully ftruggled for their liberties, would, in one hour, without striking a blow, fubmit to the vanquished, and tamely yield to the yoke of those whom they knew to be their determined foes? Who could have thought, that an English parliament, a name which had lately, very lately, obtained fo much renown, fhould, by one fingle vote, deliver up themfelves, and all that was dear to them, into the hands of one from whom they had reafon to expect not overkind treament? But patriotism no longer actuated the breafts of the English fenators: every thing was unminded, but perfonal fafety, perfonal honors, or rewards; which were judged beft obtained, by thus making early court to the king, in a matter moft acceptable to him. Mr. Hume fays, 'After the conceffions made by the late king, the conftitution feemed to be fufficiently fecured; and the additional conditions infifted on, as they had 'been framed during the greateft ardor of the contest, amounted rather to an annihilation than a limitation. (x) Hift. of monarchy (u).' What is meant by this, is hard Britain, vol. to fay. Would the infifting on the power of the militia; the abolishing the court of wards; the confirma

of Great

ii. p. 113.

Lond. 1757.

4

tion

• heir of the blood royal of this realm; and that, by the goodness and providence of Almighty God, he is, of England, Scotland,

tion of public fales; the afferting the neceffity and juftice of the late war; and the reftraining the prerogative, that very prerogative which had brought fo many mischiefs on the nation, within the bounds of law, and fettling the rights of the people on an immoveable foundation; would, I fay, the doing of these things have been an annihilation of monarchy? Many of them ought to have been done: and had they been done, the Revolution, perhaps, had never taken place. For Charles, and his brother, would thereby have been taught their duty; and restrained from those excesses, which shewed men the neceffity of a more limited government than had before been established.

To the kings coming in without conditions,' fays Burnet, may be well imputed all the errors of his reign. And when the Earl of Southampton came to fee what he was like to prove, he said once, in great wrath, to Chancellor Hide, it was to him they owed all they either felt or feared: for if he had not poffeffed ⚫ him, in all his letters, with fuch an opinion of the king, ' they would have taken care to have put it out of his power, either to do himself or them any mifchief; ' which was like to be the effect of their trusting him fo entirely. Hide answered, that he thought the king had fo true a judgment, and so much good-nature, that, when the age of pleasure should be over, and the • idleness of his exile, which made him feek new diver

i.

(x) Journal.

() Vol. p. 89.

• Scotland, France, and Ireland, most potent, mighty, and undoubted king (x).' Such a fudden change was there in the language

of

• fions for want of other employment, was turned to an 'obligation to mind affairs, then he would have fhaken off thofe entanglements (y). A very poor excufe for fo much mifchief! Conditions and limitations would have 'made both prince and people fafe and eafy: the want of ❝ them made the greater part of the reign of King Charles "the Second bear that gloomy profpect, which the noble ' writer [Landfdowne] has fo elegantly fet forth. An ' unlimited power of doing good, and an incapacity of doing wrong, would bring fovereigns nearer the image of that Being, from whom all power is derived, and 'whofe vicegerents they are frequently ftiled. Reftraints from evil will never be felt as chains by good princes; and, furely, bad ones cannot have too many (z).' – The following paper fhall put an end to this long note. It was fent to Thurloe, from Leghorn, by Mr. Longland, the English agent, Ap. 23, 1660, N. S.I must Lond. 1732. not omit to let you know, what difcourfe happened,

(x) Remarks on

Landfdowne's

Letter, P. 32. 4to.

-

yesterday, with a couple of Italians, concerning the affairs of England, who were very knowing men, as ⚫ that nation generally is. The opinion of the one was, ⚫ that the approaching parliament would affuredly call in the king, feeing the fecluded members had prepared a way for it, by turning out the commonwealthfmen ⚫ from commanding the militia, and being sheriffs of the 'counties, and putting into their places the kings friends and cavaliers; inftancing the city of London,

'who,

of the people of England! It probably, however, was the language of the heart: for the joy, expressed on this occafion, was incon

'who, of itself, had an army able to bring in the king; ' and Sir George Boothe, who hath now the parliaments authority for that, for which he was fo lately apprehended. The other anfwered, Although this be true, yet it cannot be imagined, that fo grave and wife a body, as the parliament, will foon so forget the late great < expence of blood and treasure, as again to set up the 'faid government that caused it; which would be an action of fuch levity, not to fay folly, that fo wise a body could not poffibly be guilty of. When the Athenians, Tufcans, and Romans, caft off kingly government, they never willingly re-affumed it; and yet it never 'coft all thofe nations together half the blood it has in England. He further faid to the other Italian, you and I have wives and children. How foon it may please death, we know not. to leave our children

• God to fend fickness and Would it be discretion in us, and eftates in the tuition of one of the princes (the 'great Dukes brothers); or in the hands of a merchant ' of our own rank and quality, who may be accountable for his adminiftration? Ovum non ovo fimilius: and

that great and wife body, the parliament of England, not only deliver up their own, but the eftates, wives, children, religion, and liberties too, of three great • nations, into the hands and custody of one man in'controulable; and not rather put these precious jewels into the hands and keeping of twenty or thirty of their

(a) Thur loe, vol. vii. p. 897.

(b) See note (LL).

(c) See the

on from Cla

rendon, in

the preceding note.

inconceivable. Every thing was done which was thought acceptable to the king (PP), who

' own members, of whom they may freely demand an ' account at all times. This certainly is confiftent with C right reason, and the true intereft of that nation. To 'fay, that they will bind the king to such conditions as no opportunity shall be left him; all fuch muft needs • vanish with time, and peoples liberties must again be· come inthrall'd, whereof the world is full of witnesses and examples (a).' ---- This, it is true, might have been the case: if it had, the parliament would still have had the fatisfaction of reflecting on their own honeft intentions; and pofterity would have applauded them.

(PP) The joy was inconceivable. Every thing was done which was thought acceptable to the king, who was viewed as the faviour and deliverer of his people.] In pursuance of the act of the commonwealth-parliament, writs were iffued out, and a parliament returned; who met at Weftminster, Ap. 25, 1660, O.S. And the lords, who had been fo long oufted from their power, re-entered their house, and were acknowledged by the commons as part of the legiflature. To these houses, to the general, to the city of London, did the king apply, in a very infinuating manner, by letters; and fent alfo a declaration, in which, after claiming his right, he promised all those things which have been before mentioned (b). Clauses, however, were inserted, which left him much at liberty, in the future, to confirm, retract, alter, or amend, as he should fee fit (c). Nothing of this, however, was animadverted upon at that time. All was joy, and glad

nefs;