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a private meeting with Lord Arundel, Lord Ar- A.D. 1670. lington, and Sir Thomas Clifford, at the duke's closet, to advise on the methods to advance the catholic religion in his kingdoms. They met on 25th of January (1669). The king declared his mind in matters of religion with great zeal to the duke and other three persons at this private meeting. The result of the consultation was, that the work should be done in conjunction with France. The Lord Arundel was accordingly sent to treat with the French king; and the treaty was concluded the beginning of the year 1670. The French king was to give two hundred thousand pounds a year. The Duke of Buckingham seeks to support himself by favour of Madame, with whom he manages a treaty with France. He sent over Sir Ellis Leighton to treat with her. Neither the duke nor Arlington knew anything of this treaty. The duke, after Leighton's return, had an account of it from himself.

"In the mean time, the king kept the secret of his agreement with France, and suffered a mock treaty to go on that he might the better cover the real one; of which neither Madame nor the Duke of Buckingham had the least knowledge. Buckingham's chief drift was to keep himself at the

A.D. 1670. head of the ministry. This management of the

mock treaty was kept a secret to the Duke of York and Arlington."*

Sir John Dalrymple has printed this secret treaty from the draft in the depôt at Versailles. Charles was to have two hundred thousand pounds for declaring himself a catholic, and an annual subsidy of eight hundred thousand pounds during the projected Dutch war; and as the fulfilment of the articles would naturally excite the opposition of his subjects, Louis engaged to assist him with all his forces" till the rebellion should be ended."+

The infamy of this transaction attaches exclusively to Charles, the Duke of York, and Lord Arlington; but the subsequent conduct of Buckingham, Lauderdale, and Ashley was scarcely less criminal. The mock treaty, spoken of by James, was a contrivance by which Charles proposed to obtain the support of those of his ministers whom he could not induce to join him in his designs for the introduction of the catholic religion, for all the articles of the treaty which did not involve that object. The result showed that he had not over-estimated their compliance. The original

*Macpherson, vol. i. p. 51.

+ Dalrymple, p. 54.

conspirators were delighted by a proposition from A.D. 1670. Buckingham that he should be sent into France to try to bring about an alliance between the French and English courts. The offer was immediately accepted, and the duke communicated his design to Lords Lauderdale and Ashley; the former agreed to it, but Ashley asked time to consider.

Lord Ashley's scruples do not seem to have been very obstinate. A very few days after Buckingham's first proposition, we find Colbert writing to his master, that Buckingham had the direction of Ashley Cooper, who had been raised by him; and immediately afterwards the duke departed on his embassy. Upon his return, Lauderdale, Ashley, and the Duke of York were appointed commissioners for conducting this traité simulé, as it is styled by Colbert. The treaty now concluded differed from the first only by the omission of the clause by which Charles had engaged to declare himself a catholic, and the transfer of the price of his conversion to the first year's subsidy for the Dutch war. The interest and honour of the country, and the security of her institutions, were as unhesitatingly sacrificed by these commissioners as they had been by

A.D. 1670. Charles himself. Nothing was respected but the established religion, and the characters of the parties sufficiently testify, that in this reservation they were actuated by policy rather than principle.

There is but one redeeming circumstance in Lord Ashley's conduct upon this occasion. We may infer from the circumstance of an act having passed, during this year, to enable his son, who was not yet of age, to levy fines and suffer recoveries of certain entailed estates, that his circumstances were somewhat embarrassed; yet he alone, of all those concerned in the negotiation of these treaties, stands acquitted of having been corrupted with French gold. Arlington obtained a pension of ten thousand crowns; and Buckingham hinted that he expected two hundred thousand pounds. The commissioners of the first treaty received proportionate gratifications, although the amount is not stated; and in every instance the money was paid and received with the sanction of Charles.

The golden shower fell even upon the wives and mistresses of the conspirators. The Duke of Buckingham was governed by the Countess of Shrewsbury, who had inspired in him a moment

ary fit of courage of which his contemporaries A.D. 1670. thought him incapable. It is said, that when the earl her husband discovered the intrigue, which she was carrying on with Buckingham, and called the duke to account, the countess, disguised as a page, was present at the combat, and held her paramour's horse.82 The earl fell, and the duke sought the widow's embraces while yet literally stained with the blood of her husband.#83

This paragon of feminine tenderness now received a pension of ten thousand livres, and promised in return to make Buckingham comply with King Charles in all things.

It is true, that among this mass of corruption we find Ashley included as one who was to receive a present; that is to say, was to be offered one: but Colbert appears pretty accurate in detailing to his master every disbursement he had made in this manner; and as we nowhere again find any mention of Lord Ashley in this disgraceful catalogue, we may fairly infer that the money, if offered, was refused.

82 Walpole's Royal and Noble Authors.

83 But there is some doubt thrown upon this story, so current at the time, by a MS. note of Sir W.Musgrave, in a copy of Count De Grammont's Memoirs, preserved in the British Museum.

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