[472] His book, entitled God's Terrible Voice in the City, presents some most graphic accounts of the effects of the pestilence.

[473] Feb. 4, 1666. Many affecting particulars relative to the Plague may be found in the notes of this prince of diarists.

[474] Blomefield's Hist. of Norwich, i. 410.

[475] Life of Owen Stockton, 1681, p. 39.

[476] The story of Mompesson is fully told in Histories of Derbyshire. Most of what is known has been collected in a little work on the History of Eyam, by Mr. Wood, a resident in the village.

[477] For an account of Stanley and of Shaw, see Calamy.

[478] Burnet's Hist., i. 224.

[479] Collier, ii. 893.

[480] Clarendon, in his speech, at the opening of the Parliament in Oxford, spoke of the horrid murderers of his late Royal master being received into the secret counsels of Holland; and of other infamous persons, admitted to a share in the conduct of their affairs. Some persons, he said, had wantonly put themselves on board the enemy's fleet, "purely out of appetite and delight to rebel against their King."—Parl. Hist. iv. 326.

Burnet says that Algernon Sidney and others proposed to the United Provinces that they should invade England.—Hist. i. 226.

Sir G. Downing, writing to Clarendon (Lister's Life, iii. 144), remarks: "It is not to be believed what numbers of dissatisfied persons come daily out of England into this country. They have settled at Rotterdam, an Independent, an Anabaptist, and Quaker Church, and do hire the best house, and have great bills of exchange come over from England."

[481] July 7, 1665. Wilkins, iv. 582. See page 331 of this vol.

[482] 17 Car. ii. cap. 2.

[483] An anonymous correspondent writes on November 24, 1665 (State Papers), to Lord Arlington, that "all are amazed at the late Act against Nonconformity, judging it against the law of nature, and therefore void, but that the Presbyterians will defeat its design, for some of the chief incline to take the oath."

[484] Eccles. Hist., i. 500.

[485] He was present on each occasion of the Bill being read, Oct. 26, 27, and 30. See Lords' Journals.

[486] Eccles. Hist., ii. 112.

[487] Burnet, i. 224.

[488] Baxter's Life and Times, iii. 3.

[489] Parl. Hist., iv. 328.

[490] Ralph's Hist. of England. "The providence by which it was thrown out was very remarkable, for Mr. Peregrine Bertie, being newly chosen, was that morning introduced into the house by his brother, the now Earl of Lindsey, and Sir Thomas Osborne, now Lord Treasurer, who all three gave their votes against the Bill, and the numbers were so even upon that division that their three voices carried the question against it."—Locke's Letter from a Person of Quality.

[491] He was not made Lord Keeper until 1667.

[492] Neal, iv. 401, says it was moved that the word unlawfully might be inserted in the oath, before the word endeavour, but all was rejected. He refers for authority to Baxter, iii. 15, (it should be 13) but I find nothing there to that effect. If it was as Neal states, it is difficult to understand how Bates could have argued as he did.

[493] This account is given by Bates himself.—Baxter's Life, iii. 14.

[494] For those who took the oath see Baxter, iii. 13. See also Calamy's Abridgment, note 312.

[495] Baxter's Life and Times, iii. 13. His inquiries respecting the oath went far beyond the meaning of the word endeavour.

[496] Hunter's Life of Heywood, 173.

[497] Life of Philip Henry, 108.

[498] For his character by Burnet see Hist. of his Own Time, i. 100.

[499] The following story is given in a letter written just after the Duke's duel with the Earl of Shrewsbury. If the story be true, it is one of evanescent religious impression, or of unparalleled hypocrisy:—"The Duke of Buckingham is become a most eminent convert from all the vanities he hath been reported to have been addicted to; hath had a solemn day of prayer for the completing and confirming the great work upon him. Dr. Owen, and others of the like persuasion (Independents), were the carriers on of the work. He is said to keep correspondence with the chief of those parties. He grows more and more in favour and power."—Hunter's Life of Heywood, 198.

[500] February 28, Cal. Dom., 1665–66, pref. xxx.

[501] In the Record Office—besides many other papers under the year 1665 respecting plots in Yorkshire—there is a long one extending to eighteen pages, full of minute particulars on the subject, dated December 24th, entitled Information given to Mr. Sheriff.

[502] James' Life of Louis XIV., ii. 143.

[503] State Papers, Cal. 1665–66, pref. xix.-xxv. Historians have given inaccurate or incomplete accounts of these naval battles. Ample materials for a full description are afforded in these documents.

[504] Essay on Dramatic Poesie.

[505] State Papers, Dom. Cal., 1666-67, pref. xxvii.

[506] The booksellers near St. Paul's conveyed their property to the crypt for safety, but it was destroyed. The loss in books was estimated at £150,000.—Harl. Misc. vii. 330.

[507] Autobiography of William Taswell, D.D. Camden Miscellany, vol. ii. A bridge at Westminster, extending across the river, was not erected until the year 1738—opened 1750. By Westminster Bridge is here meant either a landing pier or a bridge over a creek.

[508] Compiled from Strype's Stow, Pepys, Evelyn, Baxter, Harl. Misc., vii., State Papers, 1666-7 (see Calendar), and Notes and Queries.

[509] State Papers, Dom. Charles II., Cal. 1666-67, pref. xii., xix.

[510] Commons' Journal, October 26, 1666.

[511] State Papers, Cal. 1666-67, pref. xiii.

[512] Life, ii. 396; iii. 165.

[513] Hist. of his Own Times, i. 270.

[514] Life and Times, iii. 162.

[515] Ibid., iii. 19.

[516] Burnet, i. 270.

[517] State Papers, Cal. 1666-7, Pref. xix.-xxiii., and references.

[518] Dom. Charles II. 1666, Dec. 3. Richard Browne to Williamson. Same date, John Allen to Williamson.

[519] Dr. Basire to Williamson, 1666, Dec. 17.

[520] State Papers, Dom. Charles II., 1666, Dec. 14. A further allusion is made to these strange people in a letter by Sanderson to Williamson, Feb. 5, 1667, in which, also, reference is made to Mr. Cocks, steward to Lady Vane, at Raby Castle, as a very dangerous person. There is likewise a previous letter on the same subject (1666, Nov. 6.) In another paper, attached to that of Feb. 5, allusions occur to persons of quality as engaged in plots. "They will try to get up Richard Cromwell as the only one who has a right to rule."

[521] State Papers. Letter by John Rushworth, 1667, June 15.

[522] "Chester, a stronghold of Nonconformity, was much perplexed. Some said we were asleep, or should have fortified ourselves, knowing the enemy near. All concluded there was treachery in the business, and hoped the contrivers would receive the reward due to those who betray King and country." Sir Geoffry Shakerley to Williamson, Chester, June 19, 1667.—State Papers.

"At Yarmouth the Presbyterian party raised the cry of treachery because there had been an attempt to leave the place in charge of Major Markham, who was disliked as being a Papist; and because the trained bands had been sent for to Newmarket, and none others sent in their room, and, therefore the town left defenceless."—June 21, 1667.

[523] State Papers. Same date.

[524] The peace with Holland, which was proclaimed August 24th, 1667, was very popular. At Weymouth "it, as it were, raised the dead to life, and made them rich in thought, though their purses are empty. At Lynn the bells have hardly lain still since the news of peace."—State Papers, Cal., 1667–8, pref. lv.

[525] Of the disgrace of Lord Chancellor Clarendon, the notes in the State Papers, as Mrs. Green says, are "provokingly few and unimportant."

[526] Hallam's Constit. Hist., ii. 69.

[527] Baxter, iii. 26. Holles the Presbyterian protested against the banishment of Clarendon—Hallam, ii. 69. The fall of Clarendon comes but incidentally within the range of this history. For a legal and constitutional view of his impeachment, I must refer the reader to Mr. Hallam, and Lord Campbell. In the Life of James II. edited by Clarke, vol. i. 431, it is stated that the Presbyterian party made overtures to Clarendon, to stand by him, if he would stand by himself, and join with the Duke in opposing his enemies; hoping thereby to separate the Duke from his brother, and to "bring low the regal authority." This is a very improbable story.

[528] Clarendon's State Papers, iii. Sup. xxxviii. Lister's Life of Clarendon, ii. 483.

[529] Historical Inquiries respecting the character of Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, by the Hon. George Agar Ellis, has just come in my way. He paints the Chancellor in very dark colours indeed: but adds nothing to the facts of his history as given by popular historians. I cannot adopt all Mr. Ellis' condemnatory conclusions.

[530] One great blot on Cecil's character was the perjury involved in his signing the Device of Edward VI. To say he signed as a witness is a subterfuge.

The following passage on Nonconformity from Clarendon's pen is equally deficient in charity and wisdom:—"Their faction is their religion: nor are those combinations ever entered into upon real and substantial motives of conscience, how erroneous soever, but consist of many glutinous materials, of will, and humour, and folly, and knavery, and ambition, and malice, which make men inseparably cling together, till they have satisfaction in all their pretences, or till they are absolutely broken and subdued, which may always be more easily done than the other."—Life of Clarendon by Lister, ii. 121.

[531] State Papers, Dom., under dates.

[532] Discourse on the Religion of England, 1667.

[533] Wood's Athen. Ox., iii. 1264.

[534] "It is said that an Act is preparing by some of the House for the dispensing with the Act of Uniformity, which is clearly against the Bishops' government,—another for the punishment of such as have been the occasions of misfortunes befallen this land—as also against those that counselled the dividing the fleet: so that all that find themselves guilty do make interest in the Parliament House. Some have recourse to the Presbyterian party, which they would not do if they were not brought to the utmost extremity."—State Papers, News Letter, Sept. 2/12, 1667.

[535] It is printed in Thorndike's Works, v. 302.

[536] Pepys, Jan. 20 and 31, 1668.

[537] Ibid., 5th Feb.

[538] The part taken by Hale is described in his Life, by Burnet.

[539] Made Bishop in 1675. Barlow's conduct as Bishop did not accord with the liberality which he showed at this period. See in the next volume a notice of his conduct in 1684.

[540] It is stated by Burnet, Hist. i. 259, that Tillotson and Stillingfleet took part in the scheme, but Baxter does not say so, though he alludes to them as friendly to the scheme of 1675. Perhaps Burnet confounded the two attempts.

[541] He did not publish what he wrote, but it is inserted in the Oxford Edition of his works, v. 309–344.

[542] Pepys' Diary, Feb. 10, 1668.

[543] Parl. Hist., iv. 404.

[544] Birch, as we have seen, informed Pepys that the King was for toleration, but the Bishops were against it. The great difficulty was about tolerating Papists.

[545] Pepys' Diary, Feb. 28, 1668.

[546] Life of Philip Henry, 112.

[547] Parl. Hist., iv. 413.

[548] Ibid., 414–422. These speakers were Colonel Sandys, Sir John Earnly, Sir W. Hickman, Mr. Ratcliffe, Sir Walter Yonge, Sir J. Littleton, Sir John Birkenhead, and Mr. Seymour.

[549] Constitutional History, ii. 70.

[550] Baxter's Life and Times, iii. 37.

[551] Concilia, iv. 588. The returns are found among the Tenison MSS., Lambeth, No. 639. They include accounts of Conventicles in the dioceses of Canterbury, Chichester, Ely, Exeter, Llandaff, Lichfield and Coventry, Lincoln, London, Norwich, Winchester, Worcester, York, Chester, Carlisle, and St. Asaph. There were returns from some dioceses in 1665.

[552] Sheldon complained that he could not obtain the returns that he wanted. Lambeth MSS., August 16, 1669.

[553] Own Times, i. 258. "He told me he had a chaplain, that was a very honest man, but a very great blockhead, to whom he had given a living in Suffolk, that was full of that sort of people. He had gone about among them from house to house, though he could not imagine what he could say to them, for he said he was a very silly fellow; but that he believed his nonsense suited their nonsense, for he had brought them all to church; and in reward of his diligence, he had given him a bishopric in Ireland." Burnet gives the other report on the authority of a letter written by Sir Robert Murray. I may observe here, that party writers on both sides treat Burnet according to their prejudices; the one party believing implicitly everything he says to the disadvantage of the Church; the other party rejecting his evidence on this subject as utterly worthless. It appears to me that,—remembering Burnet's gossiping habits, and that he was a strong party man, and also noticing that he often tells his stories in a loose way, and, like Clarendon, writes down his recollections long after the time when the incidents he records had occurred—we ought to read him with great care, and not place implicit reliance upon his unsupported testimony. Yet, on the whole, Burnet appears to me to have been an honest man. His character will come under review in a future volume of this history, should I be permitted to complete it.

[554] Life and Times, iii. 46.

[555] Lords' Journals, March 26. Referring to a Royal journey at this period, Dalrymple says:—"It was intended that the King and the Duke should have gone to Dover together; but by an accident, Charles went alone. For all the Conventicles were to be shut up in London upon the ensuing Sunday, and the Duke was left behind to guard the City against riots, which were dreaded upon that occasion."—Dalrymple's Memoirs, vol. i. 31.

[556] 22 Car. II. cap. i. It appears from a letter written by Colbert to Louis XIV. that Charles had a political end in view in connection with the Act. "The King designs to make the last Act of Parliament against the meetings of the sectaries be observed; and he hopes that their disobedience will give him the easier means of increasing the force of his troops and coming speedily to the end he proposes." 6th June, 1670.—Dalrymple's Memoirs, vol. iii., App. 60.

[557] See Wilkins Concilia, iv. 589.

[558] See Popes Life of Ward, 67, 69.

[559] Calamy, ii. 333.

[560] The trial is given in State Trials; and in Sewel's History of Quakers, ii. 195 et seq. There is a draft letter in the State Paper Office. Entry Book, June 29th, 1670, addressed to Reynolds, Bishop of Norwich, and another in the Lambeth Library, dated July 6th (No. DCLXXIV. No. 24), which when brought together and compared show how the Act of Uniformity was evaded, and how combined efforts were made after the second Conventicle Act had passed to bring the Church of England into correspondence with the laws. The letters relate to a case of irregularity at Bury St. Edmunds, when fanatics were said to make use of the Church.

[561] State Papers. Letter from James Douch, June 10, 1671.

[562] North calls it "a double-visaged Ministry, half Papist and half Fanatic." Lives, i. 178.

[563] Lauderdale had once made a great profession of religion. On the 14th of December, 1658, he wrote to Baxter saying, "I wish I knew any were fit to translate your books. I am sure they would take hugely abroad, and I think it were not amiss to begin with the Call to the Unconverted."—Baxter MS., Dr. Williams' Library.

[564] Clarendon says of Arlington that he knew no more of English affairs than of those of China, and believed France the best pattern in the world.—Life, 1095. I cannot enter into the political history of the Cabal. I would only repeat what Earl Russell says: there were two methods adopted of dealing with France—a sham treaty, and a secret negotiation. The part taken by the Cabal in this was not equal. Clifford and Arlington, the two Catholics, conducted the latter; Buckingham managed the former, to which Lauderdale gave a ready, Ashley a reluctant, consent. Clifford and Arlington were alone in the King's confidence.—Life of Lord William Russell, 50.

To Clifford, not to Shaftesbury, as is commonly supposed, belongs the disgrace of shutting the Exchequer. Evelyn settles the question.—Diary, March 12, 1672.

[565] Lords' Journal, Feb. 11, 1674.

[566] The measure was, in Council, moved and seconded by Clifford and Ashley.—Lingard, xii. 10.

[567] The catechism, says Cardwell (Documentary Annals, ii. 337) was probably Dean Nowel's small catechism, which was printed originally in 1570, and was generally used in schools down to the time of Strype.—See his Life of Parker, ii. 18.

[568] Burnet, i. 307.

[569] It is dated March 15, and is printed in Bunyan's Works, iii., Introduction, 21.

[570] Parl. Hist., iv. 515.

[571] "An answer unto certain objections formed against the proceedings of His Majesty to suspend the laws against Conventicles by His declaration, March 15, 1672."—State Papers, Dom. 1673, bundle 190, fol. 164.

[572] These were the Bishop of Durham's queries.—Cosin's Works, iv. 384.

[573] Baxter's Life and Times, iii. 99. Life of Philip Henry, 128.

[574] A short treatise on the lawfulness of the Oath of Supremacy and the power of the King in ecclesiastical affairs, by Philip Nye, was published in 1683. Nye died in 1672, and when this treatise was written does not appear on the title page. He ascribes to the magistrate, power "to send out preachers, to urge and constrain men to hear.... A coercive power of this nature is placed in no other hand but his." It is strange indeed to find an Independent writing thus. After exalting the civil power, and enforcing the duty of submitting to Royal Supremacy, the author, in a postscript, speaks of His Majesty's most gracious Declaration; and seemingly, without any idea that it could be inconsistent to accept the indulgence, maintains that there is nothing in the opinions of Independents that "should render us, in any sort, incapable of receiving the fruit and benefit of the King's majesty's favour and indulgence, promised to tender consciences." Probably Nye wrote this piece just about the time when the indulgence was issued—seven months before his death. Nye's tract (with many others, which I have found very instructive) is preserved in Dr. Williams' Library.

[575] Burnet, i. 308.

[576] Orme's Life of Owen, 272.

[577] Wilson's Hist. of Dissenting Churches, iii. 187.

[578] Bunyan's license is given in Offor's preface to Bunyan's Works. Numbers of entries from the Register, and copies of applications and licenses have been printed in local histories of Dissent. The original documents are preserved in the Record Office.

[579] State Papers, 1672.

[580] Hist. of his Own Time, i. 308.

[581] Life of Calamy, ii. 469, 470. I do not observe that Mr. Orme, in his Life of Owen, notices this statement.

In the volume published by the Camden Society entitled Moneys received and paid for secret services of Charles II. and James II., it appears that a physician who was in the confidence of the Presbyterian party, and who often represented them, was in the pay of the Court. For this reference, and other valuable suggestions on the subject, I am indebted to the Rev. R. B. Aspland.

[582] It is stated that the usual fees to certain officers in connection with this business were in some cases remitted.

[583] The particulars respecting Carver and Moore are taken from letters by Ellis Hookes written to the wife of George Fox, dated January, 1670, and preserved in the Records of the Quakers' Meeting House, Devonshire Square. The letters, or the substance of them, with entries in the Council Books, are given by Mr. Offor, in his introduction to the Pilgrim's Progress.

I have rested on the authority of so accurate a copyist without inspecting the originals. The statement, often repeated, that Bunyan owed his liberty to Bishop Barlow is quite a mistake.

[584] Parl. Hist. iv. 503, 506. The following letter in the State Paper Office, Dom. Charles II., is curious:—

"Yesterday morning we had a very fair choice for a burgess, and Sir Edward Spragg hath carried the day by 40 votes; but if my father and the rest of the Jurates and Common Councilmen had not thought to have made about 50 freemen the day before the election, the fanatic party had been too much for us; but we hope we have done them down to all intents and purposes; but still they threaten to have the Jurates up to London, for making those freemen the day before the election.

"Lawson Carlile.

Dover, February 2, 1673."

[585] The Country party consisted chiefly of Lords Russell and Cavendish, Sir W. Coventry, Colonel Birch, Mr. Powle, and Mr. Littleton. Lee and Garroway were suspected characters. Marvel says:

"Till Lee and Garroway shall bribes reject."

[586] Wilson's Life of Defoe, i. 58.

[587] Parl. Hist., iv. 517–526.

[588] Journals, February 10, 1672/3.

[589] Parl. Hist., iv. 527–533. Colbert, writing to Louis XIV., 9th of March, 1673, says, "The Chancellor, the Treasurer, and the Dukes of Buckingham and Lauderdale are of opinion to maintain this Declaration of the King, their master, in favour of the Nonconformists; and that if the Parliament persist in their remonstrances, as it is not doubted they will, to dissolve it, and call another. They do not even want good reasons to support their opinion. My Lord Arlington, who at present is single in his sentiments, says, that the King his master, ought not to do it."—Dalrymple's Memoirs, iii. 89.