DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51519#0031
editor’s introduction. xvii
Sandwich; and shortly after, the want of money and the discontent
of the people, obliged the King to make a separate peace with the
Dutch; which he excused to Louis, whose pensioner he was become;
as well as he could. In the session of parliament; which was now
called together; the expression of discontent and indignation was
so unanimous and so formidable; that the King; who was now
arrived at the point where he must either be master of the parlia-
ment or wive in, slunk from the struggle in defeat. The ministers
were in dismay; and began to think of saving themselves by joining
the popular party. The history of the remainder of his reign; till
the secret treaty with France; presents one series of attempts by
the King; not to awe the parliament, but to cheat it by every
species of falsehood and duplicity possible. The parliament; how-
ever; had no longer any faith in his promises; they were well
aware; that when he came to them and asked for supplies;
promising them on his royal word and honour that it was to support
a war against France; he was secretly making a league with
France to use the money in subverting the best interests of his own
country. Every trifling circumstance raised the suspicion of the
popular party; and new heats were blown up continually, until at
last, when his own constitution was beginning to give way by his
irregular life, and he was not able to live and enjoy the advantages
of it, he went so far as to sell the freedom of his country to the
French King for a pension, which would enable him to go on
without calling a parliament at all. The first part of Charles’s
reign, which may rather be called the reign of Lady Castlemaine,
was fruitful enough in calamities to the country, when the resources
of the state were consumed in waste and debauchery j but the
reign of the Duchess of Portsmouth struck more deeply at the
roots of English liberty and independence, though happily the
folly of the court party was itself continually thwarting and
rendering inefficient the blow.
A great cause of the violent heats and factions which arose
during the latter part of Charles’s reign, was the discovery that
the Duke of York and several of the ministers had turned to the
c
Sandwich; and shortly after, the want of money and the discontent
of the people, obliged the King to make a separate peace with the
Dutch; which he excused to Louis, whose pensioner he was become;
as well as he could. In the session of parliament; which was now
called together; the expression of discontent and indignation was
so unanimous and so formidable; that the King; who was now
arrived at the point where he must either be master of the parlia-
ment or wive in, slunk from the struggle in defeat. The ministers
were in dismay; and began to think of saving themselves by joining
the popular party. The history of the remainder of his reign; till
the secret treaty with France; presents one series of attempts by
the King; not to awe the parliament, but to cheat it by every
species of falsehood and duplicity possible. The parliament; how-
ever; had no longer any faith in his promises; they were well
aware; that when he came to them and asked for supplies;
promising them on his royal word and honour that it was to support
a war against France; he was secretly making a league with
France to use the money in subverting the best interests of his own
country. Every trifling circumstance raised the suspicion of the
popular party; and new heats were blown up continually, until at
last, when his own constitution was beginning to give way by his
irregular life, and he was not able to live and enjoy the advantages
of it, he went so far as to sell the freedom of his country to the
French King for a pension, which would enable him to go on
without calling a parliament at all. The first part of Charles’s
reign, which may rather be called the reign of Lady Castlemaine,
was fruitful enough in calamities to the country, when the resources
of the state were consumed in waste and debauchery j but the
reign of the Duchess of Portsmouth struck more deeply at the
roots of English liberty and independence, though happily the
folly of the court party was itself continually thwarting and
rendering inefficient the blow.
A great cause of the violent heats and factions which arose
during the latter part of Charles’s reign, was the discovery that
the Duke of York and several of the ministers had turned to the
c