Зображення сторінки
PDF
ePub

couched in a very unusual ftile. He complained of A. C. 1681, the infupportable proceedings of the last house of commons; and plainly told them, that as he never intended to exercife arbitrary power over others, fo he would not allow it to be exercised over himself. He faid, if they would confider the provocations he had undergone, they would find more caufe to wonder at his long patience, than at the refentment which he had lately expreffed. He obferved, that his affembling them upon this occafion plainly proved that no irregularities on their part fhould ever inspire him with a difguft for parliaments. He hoped the bad fuccefs of former animofities would difpofe them to more moderation, and induce them to confider what fteps it would be neceffary to take in the present conjuncture. He expreffed an earnest defire of removing all reasonable fears arifing from the poffibility of a popifh fucceffor; and added, that he would willingly liften to any practicable scheme for putting the government intirely into proteftant hands, during the life of any prince who should profess the catholic religion. Some expedients had been fuggefted for this purpose; but they were even more difagreeable to the duke than was the bill of exclufion.

A

The commons having chofen the fame fpeaker The comwho filled the chair in the last parliament, ordered mons impeach Fitzthe votes to be printed every day, that the public harris. might be acquainted with the fubject of their deliberations. Then they fet on foot a ftrict inquiry about the removal of the bill which had paffed both houses in the laft parliament, for repealing the ftatute of queen Elizabeth against nonconformifts. They took under their cognizance the affair of Fitzharris, who had by this time retracted his firft confeffion, on pretence that it was extorted by the country party. They refolved to try him by impeachment; and, to manifeft their contempt for N 2

the

A. C. 1681. the court, ordered fecretary Jenkins to carry up the articles to the house of lords. He was fo incenfed at being chofen for this employment, that he at first refused to comply with the order of the house; but he thought proper to fubmit, when they threatened to commit him for his difobedience. At the fame time they voted the thanks of the house to Waller for his having arrested Fitzharris.

Expedients proposed by

popish fuc

ceffor.

Their next step was to examine the expedients the king for propofed in lieu of the bill of exclufion. It was reftricting a propofed, That the duke fhould be banished, during life, to the diftance of five hundred miles from any part of the British dominions: That the government fhould be wholly vested in a regent: That this office fhould be conferred upon the princefs of Orange; and, in cafe of her death, devolve to her fifter Anne: That fhould the duke of York have a fon educated in the proteftant religion, the said regent fhould act during his minority: That, though the kingdom fhould be governed in the name of James II. yet no man fhould take arms for him, or by virtue of his commiffion, on pain of being capitally punished: and, That the fame penalty fhould be decreed against any person who fhould affirm that the fimple title of King takes away all defects mentioned in this act, or in any fhape eludes the obligation of it: That all officers, civil and military, should take an oath to obferve this ftatute: That acts of the fame nature fhould pafs in the parliaments of Scotland and Ireland: That, in cafe the duke of York fhould enter either of the three kingdoms, he fhould be excluded "ipfo facto," and the fovereignty devolve to the regent: That all papifts of any confideration should be banished by name, and their children educated in the proteftant religion. Rigorous as these expedients were, the commons rejected them, and refumed the bill of exclufion. In a word, the leaders of the oppo

fition were refolved to be diffatisfied with, every thing the king could propofe, in hope of humbling him into the most abject fubmiffion.

A. C, 1681.

The lords having rejected, the impeachment The parliaagainst Fitzharris, and remitted his trial to the ment is fuddenly dif ordinary courts of judicature, the commons ex- folved. claimed against this refufal, which indeed was unprecedented. They voted, that the commons affembled in parliament had an undoubted right to impeach any perfon, whether peer or commoner, before the lords, for high treafon, or any other crime whatsoever; and that the refusal of fuch an impeachment was a real denial of juftice that Edward Fitzharris having been impeached by the commons, the lords had denied juftice, and violated the conftitution of parliaments, in ordering him to be profecuted at common law; and that no inferior court of judicature could proceed against Fitzharris, without violating the privileges of parliament. These violent refolutions being taken, they converted their attention to the bill of exclufion, against which no member prefumed to speak, except fecretary Jenkins, who underwent the moft acrimonious raillery and derifion. They had actually ordered the bill to be read a fecond time, when Charles, feizing the pretence of the quarrel between the two houses, ftole upon them and diffolved the parliament, before they had the leaft intimation of his defign. He forthwith stepped into his coach, and retired to Windfor; from whence he next day repaired to London, where he published a declaration, containing his reafons for diffolving the two laft parliaments. He taxed the commons with having encouraged a fpirit of cabal and fedition, which fought to fhake the foundations of the monarchy, and raise an arbitrary power on the ruins of the conftitution. The demagogues were confounded and abashed at this inftance of vigour in a prince like

N 3

A. C. 168. like Charles, who had been always remarkable for facility and irresolution.

Charles tri

Their infolence and prefumption were inftanumphs over taneously fucceeded by fear and dejection; and they all oppofi retired quietly to their own homes, without having

ion.

concerted any measures for their future conduct. On the other hand, many perfons of confequence, who had hitherto adhered to a neutrality, declared for the king; convinced by his late refolute conduct, that he had courage to protect those who ferved him, against the perfecution of his enemies. His declaration was no fooner published, than addreffes were brought to him from all quarters of the kingdom, filled with the warmest expreffions of duty; inveighing against the prefumption of the commons; applauding the diffolution of the parliament; and extolling the king's conduct in the most abject strain of adulation. They were greedily received by the king, though he knew how little he could depend upon fuch profeffions; while fome addreffes, penned in a different ftyle, were rejected with marks of contempt or displeasure *. Fitzharris was, notwithstanding the vote of the commons, brought to his trial, found guilty of writing the libel, and condemned as a traitor. He pretended he had been fuborned by Bethel and Cornish the two fheriffs, and Treby the recorder of London, to forge difcoveries about the popifh confpiracy; and perfifted in this declaration at Tyburn. Neverthelefs, he had fent a letter to his wife, in which he declared this was altogether false; and indeed it was fuppofed to have been extorted from him by promife of pardon.

Charles did not enjoy his triumph with moderation. His temper, which had been always eafy

At this period the duke of Rich mond, the king's natural fon by the dutchefs of Portsmouth, was created

knight of the garter, in the tenth year of his age; and Laurence Hyde was created earl of Rochefter.

and

and merciful, became arbitrary, and even cruel. A. C. 1681, He entertained all the falfe witneffes and informers who had been fo infamously inftrumental in fhed-, ding innocent blood. They had formerly ferved the purposes of the oppofite faction. They now. offered their fervices to the court, and met with a very favourable reception. The ministry seemed determined to retaliate and retort upon the whigs all the forgery and inhumanity which they had fo long countenanced and fupported. Fitzharris fuffered in company with Oliver Plunket the titular archbishop of Armagh, a man of very moderate principles, who had always maintained a fair character, until he was accufed by fome profligate Irish priests,. who came over to drive the trade of evidence. They were encouraged by the earl of Shaftsbury, though their information was abfurd and contradictory, and their characters were in all refpects vile and infamous. They swore Plunket had collected a vast fum of money, enlifted an army, and expected a defcent from France to favour a maffacre of the proteftants. His defence confifted in an abfolute de- Execution of nial of all that was laid to his charge; notwith- Plunket, tistanding which he was convicted and condemned, bishop of and fuffered death with great compofure, protefting Armagh. his innocence to the laft moment of his life,

tular arch

to the

The king, in order to convince the world of the Shaftsbury fuperiority he had acquired, committed Shaftsbury committed to the Tower, and at the fame time imprifoned Tower.. feveral other perfons of inferior rank, who had diftinguished themselves as partizans. of that party. Among thefe was one College, known by the name Trial of of the Proteftant joiner," a factious zealot, who College the had been used as a tool by the leaders of the party, joiner. and often spoke of the king and royal family with the most provoking infolence. He had accompanied the city-members to Oxford, armed with fword and piftol, and was now prefented by the N 4 grand

Proteftant

« НазадПродовжити »