that they might not be fufpected of difaffection or A. C. 1673. unfeasonable resentment, they voted a tax of twenty thousand pounds per month, for eighteen months, to answer the king's extraordinary occafions. But they did not even mention the war, and refolved that the money-bill should go hand in hand with the redress of grievances. They prefented an address against the king's declaration for liberty of confcience, obferving that the penal laws could not be fufpended but by act of parliament; and befeeching his majesty to remove all doubts and fears from the hearts of his faithful fubjects. He answered, that he was forry a step he had taken for the peace of the kingdom fhould produce any uneafinefs in the house of commons, or give them caufe to call in queftion his undoubted power in ecclefiaftical matters, which he fhould never have thought of ufing, but for the advantage of his fubjects. He declared his intention was not to invade or renounce the advice of his parliament; and, that if they would prepare a bill for the fame purposes, that should be more effectual for preferving the tranquillity of church and ftate, and prefent it in a fuitable manner, he would convince them of his readiness to concur with every measure that fhould be judged neceffary for the benefit of the kingdom. In another addrefs, the commons gave him to understand, that his anfwer was not fufficient to remove their fears and suspicions, arifing from his arrogating a power of difpenfing with penal laws a power, which they said his predeceffors had never pretended to exercise a claim, by which he might interrupt the courfe of the laws, and change the whole legislative power, refiding in the king and the two houses of parliament; they therefore implored a more clear and fatisfactory anfwer. He replied, it was an affair of confe quence, and he would take time to confider their addrefs. Charleton, the speaker, defiring to refign the 4.C. 1673 the chair, on account of his ill ftate of health, was fucceeded by Sir Edward Seymour. The presbyThe cabal had mifreckoned on the intereft of the terians op- prefbyterians, which they thought to fecure by the claration for declaration of indulgence. That fect perceived the liberty of drift of the court was, under fhelter of them, to fa pofe the de confcience. vour the Roman-catholics; that the miniftry purfued arbitrary measures; that the king had involved the nation in an unjust and expensive war with their natural allies, and affembled an army, which was encamped in the neighbourhood of London, in all probability to over-awe the deliberations of the parliament. Alderman Love, one of the chiefs of the prefbyterian party, fpoke in the houfe with great spirit against the declaration; and his difinterested behaviour on this occafion made fuch impreffion on the commons, that they brought in a bill for the relief of proteftant nonconformifts. It paffed the lower houfe without oppofition; but the lords propofed fome amendments, with which the commons would not comply; and, before the affair could be compromifed, the king prorogued the parliament. In the mean time, the lords and commons joined in an address against the Roman catholics, defiring that the laws might be rigorously executed against priefts and jefuits that all officers and perfons in public employments in the army, fhould take the oaths of allegiance and fupremacy, and receive the communion according to the form of the church of England. He published a proclamation according to cuftom; but this did not fatisfy the commons, who refolved to prepare a bill that fhould effectually remedy the evil of which they complained; and they were determined against paffing the fupplies, until the declaration for liberty of conlcience fhould be recalled. Charles now found his affairs at a very delicate crifis: the queftion was, whether he should pull off the lent coun the mask, and break with his parliament, or facri- A. C. 1673. fice his prerogative, and own himself dependent The king upon their power and affection. The cabal were rejects viodivided in opinion. The majority advised him to fels. fhake off all restraint, and avail. himself of the army which lay encamped on Black-heath, under the command of Schomberg, a German proteftant, of great reputation in war. Lauderdale undertook to bring a ftrong body of forces from Scotland, to affift in fubduing the parliament. Buckingham offered to feize thofe members of the lower house who opposed the court-measures. The fame violent counfels were espoused by Shaftsbury and Clifford but Arlington, from a timorous temper, was for more moderate measures. The French king exhorted Charles to make peace with the parliament, as he could not of himself maintain the whole war. The concubines, afraid of fuffering in the general confufion that would enfue, importuned him to embrace pacific measures; and this conduct being the best fuited to his own indolent and unwarlike difpofition, he refolved to gratify the commons. Shaftsbury perceiving the king's want of refolution, began to dread a parliamentary inquiry; from the danger of which, that he might fkreen himself in time, he in the most abrupt manner, entered into all the violence of the oppofition. He was received with open arms by the chiefs of those who were diftinguished by the name of the Country Party they knew his ftrength, and triumphed in the acquifition. He now preffed the king to a compliance with the parliament; and Charles, fending for the declaration, broke the feal with his own hand. On the eighth day of March, he repaired to the house of peers, where he defired the commons to dispatch the bufinefs of the fupply; and affured them, that he would grant his affent A. C. 1673. affent to every bill calculated to redress their grie vances. The parliaThe two houses were fo well pleased with this af ment pafs the test-act, furance, that they went in a body to thank his majefty for his moft gracious declaration. Neverthelefs, they foon paffed the famous teft-act, importing, That every perfon in office or employment, fhould take the oaths of allegiance and fupremacy; receive the facrament in fome parish-church before competent witneffes, and fubfcribe a declaration, renouncing all belief of the real prefence in the eucharift. They likewife brought in another bill for preventing marriages between protestants and papifts this was levelled against a match now in agitation between the duke of York and the archdutchess of Infpruck. Then the commons prefented two addreffes upon grievances; one relating to England, and the other to Ireland. In the firft, they demanded that a new duty laid upon coals, by order of council, fhould be fuppreffed; that foldiers fhould not be quartered in private houses; that the forces fhould be difbanded at the conclufion of the war; and that the practice of preffing men into the fervice fhould be difcontinued. The petition concerning Ireland related chiefly to religious grievances; but, among other articles, they requefted that colonel Richard Talbot, agent for the catholics in that kingdom, fhould be divefted of all employment, civil or military, and be denied accefs to his majesty's perfon. The king made a favourable answer; and then the money-bill paffed without oppofition. When the teft-act received the royal affent, a bill of indemnity likewife paffed. to skreen the minifters from all inquiry: then the catholic officers quitted their employments; the duke of York refigned the lucrative office of lordhigh-admiral; and lord Clifford gave up his trea furers furers-ftaff, which was bestowed upon Sir Thomas A. C. 1673, Ofborne, afterwards created earl of Danby. gagements Dutch Prince Rupert being appointed admiral of the Three enfleet, began to make preparations for going to fea, between the but was thwarted by his captains, who were gene- English and rally devoted to the duke, and refented his difmif- fleets. fion Sir Edward Spragge and the earl of Offory acted as inferior admirals. Having been joined by the French fquadron under D'Etrées, they fteered towards the coafts of Holland, to the number of one hundred and forty fail, comprehending frigates and firefhips, and, on the twenty-eighth day of May, attacked the Dutch fleet, under De Ruyter, near Schoenvelt; but neither fide had cause to boast of the victory. The enemy retired into their own harbours, and used fuch diligence in refitting their fhips, that in a week they again prefented themselves to the combined fleets of England and France. On the fourteenth of June they met off Flushing, where they cannonaded one another without coming to a clofe engagement, and were parted by tempeftuous weather before any confiderable damage was done on either fide. Prince Rupert was averfe to the war, and for that reason perhaps acted with the lefs activity. The duke ftill influenced the conduct of the admiralty; and, from private pique to prince Rupert, kept the fleet in continual want of neceffaries and provifion; fo that he was obliged to return into harbour to be fupplied. He was no fooner in condition to go to fea, than he fteered his courfe to the Texel; and, on the eleventh day of Auguft, fell in with the Dutch fleet, commanded by De Ruyter and Tromp, who were now perfectly reconciled by the mediation of the prince of Orange. When the action began, De Ruyter fingled out prince Rupert; Tromp oppofed himself to Sir Edward Spragge; and Brankert, their rear-admiral, bore up to the marechal D'Et rées. |