HISTORY O F ENGLAND, FROM THE DESCENT of JULIUS CESAR, TO THE TREATY of AIX LA CHAPELLE, 1748. Containing the TRANSACTIONS of One Thousand Eight Hundred and Three Years. By T. SMOLLETT, M. D. THE THIRD EDITION. VOLUME THE EIGHTH. Non tamen pigebit vel incondita ac rudi voce memoriam prioris fervitutis, ac TACIT. Agricola. LONDON Printed for JAMES RIVINGTON and JA MIS FLETCHER, at the MDCCLIX. 1907 THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND. BOOK SEVENTH. From the Reftoration of CHARLES II. to C Promotiona HARLES II. was in the thirtieth year A. C. 1660, of his age when he took poffeffion of the throne with those advantages. He had taken pains at court. in cultivating his understanding. He understood mechanics and fhip-building; was well acquainted with the history and politics of the most remarkable states in Europe; he poffeffed a natural fund of humour and vivacity, together with the most infinuating addrefs, and the power of pleafing in converfation. He was a latitudinarian in religion, careless, indolent, and extremely addicted to pleafure. The people, partly in imitation of the king's jovial difpofition, and partly from the nature of the human mind, fo apt to be hurried from one extreme to another, gave a loose to intemperance, and the whole kingdom was filled with riot and excefs. The first object that ingroffed the attention of Charles after his restoration, was the choice of B 2 his Transier from Circ bag. 572023. |