A. D. 1671-2. Farther vindication of Lord Ashley. Principles of the court. duct with respect to Mr. Holles, when accused in the house of commons, and what Mr. Locke says of him, "that he thought every man was under an obligation to secrecy in private conversation, though not asked to it," will see, by the caution observed in the foregoing letter, (where he says, he will speak only of those who favoured the scheme without doors,) and by his answer to the lord chancellor, that he steadily adhered to the same principles in his behaviour here, where, indeed, he was under a stricter tie,-his oath in council. Could he have dispensed with this, and the obligation which he thought himself under to secrecy even on the smallest occasions, he might easily have cleared himself to the world of the suspicions raised against him, and have pointed out the authors of the pernicious counsels which had been given. Those who consider the conduct of the court can, however, be at no loss to discover the source of these counsels. From the beginning of King Charles the Second's reign, popery was the principal agent; and, though its operations were at first secret, its influence was always great, and its power constantly increasing. The zealots for it were inflamed with their design, and were fond 1671-2. of the most violent measures. The interest of A. D. France was promoted to advance that of Rome. The penal laws against the dissenters, the division of the protestants, the wars with Holland and league with France, the prorogations of parliament and the shutting up of the exchequer, all came from the same fountain. They had the same tendency, the same air of violence; as was, likewise, the case with regard to the subsequent actions of this reign. Everything was conducted with a view to carrying on the scheme of government begun at the Restoration, and settled by the treaty at Dover. For the effectually promoting of the scheme a French mistress of state was given to King Charles. By this means a door was opened for a more convenient access of the emissaries from France; the secrets of our counsels were better known, and discovered to the French king; and the severest of his commands were more softly conveyed. Sir Thomas Clifford was zealous for bringing in 89 It is scarcely necessary to observe that this was Louisa de Querouaille, the celebrated Duchess of Portsmouth. The articles of impeachment against her, published in the 8th volume of Lord Somers' Tracts, contain some curious instances of her influence over Charles, and of the manner in which it was exercised. Mrs. Jameson,. in her "Beauties of the Court of Charles the Second," has sketched this lady in her usual happy manner. A. D. 1671-2. Declaration of indulgence. the popish religion; and as the Duke of York adhered to his interest, and earnestly promoted him, Sir Thomas made his way to the chief ministry. By his avdice, on the 15th of March 1671-2, a declaration was published for suspending the execution of the penal laws against the nonconformists and recusants. This, Sir Thomas Clifford, who was a bold enterprising man, proposed with a design to favour the papists: his reason for it was, as he said, that, when the king was engaging in a foreign war, it was necessary to make all his subjects easy at home. Lord Ashley, who had as much boldness as Sir Thomas, but more sagacity, presently closed in with his proposal, but upon different views, as being in principles and interest diametrically opposite to him. Lord Ashley was acquainted with the secret of the king's religion, and perceived that numbers of people were turning to it at that time. He knew that great multitudes frequented the chapels of the queen, the Duke of York, and the foreign ministers, as well as many oratories in other houses; and that they had, underhand, sufficient liberty and encouragement to profess popery without obstruction from any magistrates; so that it was, almost insensibly, A.D. 1671-2. increasing very fast in the kingdom. He thought it requisite that the nation should be alarmed in time, and informed who the persons were that protected the papists. He foresaw the clamours which the public indulgence of them would raise, and knew that those clamours would be the surest foundation for an opposition to the interest which prevailed at court. His policy succeeded so well, that the most considerable papists were soon after much disturbed at the declaration. They thought that Lord Clifford had betrayed them, by setting them so open to view, when they got nothing by it, having before all the advantages which they could expect without being observed; whereas this raised a storm in the kingdom, which they were afraid would fall heavy upon them. The clergy were angry with Discontent regard both to the dissenters and the papists. by it. The public saw that it was principally designed in favour of the last; a circumstance which, for a time, united all the protestants, whether members of the established church or nonconformists, closely together. The pulpit exclaimed against the indulgence, and the parliament afterwards fell upon it with vehemence. Among many reasons which Lord Ashley gave occasioned A. D. 1671-2. to justify his support of the declaration,* were, "That it was for the interest of the Church of ley's reasons England: for the narrow bottom they had placed Lord Ash it. themselves upon, and the measures they had proceeded by, were so contrary to the properties and liberties of the nation, that they must needs, in a short time, prove fatal to them; whereas this led them into another way, to live peaceably with the dissenting and differing protestants both at home and abroad, and so by necessary and unavoidable consequences to become the head of them all.— As to the protestant religion, he said, it was for the preserving of that, and that only, that he heartily joined in the declaration; for besides that *Bishop Burnet, speaking of this declaration, says, "Bridgeman refused to put the seals to it, as judging it contrary to law; so he was dismissed, and the Earl of Shaftesbury was made lord chancellor." This carries an insinuation that the seals were put to it by Lord Shaftesbury, and that he was made chancellor for that purpose. What the bishop says can be taken in no other light; but he was mistaken in the fact, for Bridgeman did affix the seal to it, and Lord Shaftesbury was not made lord chancellor till eight months after the declaration was published. The following extracts from the London Gazette will render the matter undeniable. "Whitehall, March 18, 1671. "His majesty did, on the 15th instant, with the advice of his privy council, issue a declaration for the maintaining of the Church of England in its doctrine, discipline, and government, as it is established, and for indulging of nonconformists and dissenting per |