A.D. 1660.]

NEW PARLIAMENT SUMMONED.

187

ment. He did so, and with it fell his own authority. He retired from public life, and was soon entirely forgotten.1 Utter confusion following, the Republican leaders determined to call together the old members of the Long Parliament-men faithful to the idea of Parliamentary supremacy, to which the army should be subordinate, its officers receiving their commissions from the hands of the Speaker of the House.

Although able and moderate men were amongst the members of this Rump Parliament, as in derision it was called, yet the country felt ill at ease at the instability of things. No agreement could be arrived at on the question of the proper form of governinent for the Commonwealth. The Royalists increased the confusion by getting up an insurrection, which Lambert speedily quelled. This incident was followed by further jealousies and disagreements between the Parliament and army, the former demanding entire control over the forces. The differences ended in the dispersion of the House by Lambert.

From this moment the game was in the hands of George Monk, who had been in command of the army in Scotland since Cromwell's great victory at Worcester. Monk's character continues to be an enigma to historians, as his plans and conduct were to his cotemporaries. Although a military commander, he determined to maintain and defend parliamentary government, and to keep the army in obedience to the civil power. London was crying out for a free parliament, and the fleet joined in the outcry. The parliament accordingly again sat, and the presbyterian members, who had been violently ejected by Colonel Pride in 1648, now claimed admission. Although they clung to the idea of the Presbyterian form of worship in opposition to Prelacy and Papacy, yet they were known to be favourable to the restoration of monarchy, and accordingly the Republican "Rump," as might have been expected, refused the claim of their old colleagues. But Monk sent an escort of soldiers with them, and they took their seats on the 21st February. On the 16th March 1660, this 'Long Parliament' which had first

1 He died in 1713, at the age of eighty-six

assembled nineteen and a half years before, dissolved itself by its own vote, and fixed the 26th April for the opening of the new Parliament, which assembled on that day, and was found to be composed mainly of Presbyterians and Cavaliers, representing very fairly the state of opinion throughout the country. The Peers also took possession of the Upper House.

On the 1st of May Sir John Granville presented to the Speaker of the House of Commons a letter from Charles II., and another to the Lords, each containing a document addressed to the nation, called the Declaration of Breda, in all of which Charles expresses his esteem and respect for Parliament as a vital part of the constitution. Commissioners were sent to him conveying replies from both Houses, and on the 8th May the Houses of Lords and Commons proclaimed Charles II. king of England, Ireland, and Scotland. Wearied out with the struggles of twenty years, the country longed for repose and order. Unfortunately the Parliament, at this important crisis, neglected the stipulation of conditions, or the definition of their rights and of the king's prerogative. The country paid the penalty of this oversight, in having to submit to the most ignoble and shameless government ever inflicted on it, and the Royal House in its final expulsion from the kingdom. Charles entered London on the 29th May 1660, amidst the most enthusiastic demonstrations of joy.

Cotemporary Sovereigns.-France: Louis XIV. Sweden

Charles x.

Questions.-1. What was the state of things in Ireland and Scotland immediately after the institution of the Commonwealth? 2. Between whom was the battle of Worcester fought; and what was the result? 3. What led to the quarrel with the Dutch; what battles were fought; and what was the result of this trial of naval strength? 4. What step did Cromwell take with the Rump Parliament; and how was the "Little Parliament" elected? 5. What was the "Instrument of Government;" and what power did it give to the Lord Protector? 6. What test did Cromwell apply to the first Parliament summoned after his elevation to the office of Lord Protector? 7. What character did England bear abroad during Cromwell's supremacy; and what was the character of his government? 8. What led to the Long Parliament being recalled after the Protector's death? 9. How did General Monk act with regard to it? 10. What was the first act of the New Parliament of 1660

A.D. 1660.1

CHARLES IL

189

4. Charles II. (Son of Charles I.)

A.D. 1660-1685.

ACT OF INDEMNITY-THE NEW PARLIAMENT CORPORATION, CONVENTICLE, AND FIVE MILE ACTS-RE-IMPOSITION OF PRELACY ON SCOTLAND-THE WAR WITH THE DUTCH-THE GREAT PLAGUE AND FIRE-RESISTANCE OF PARLIAMENT TO THE KING AND THE CABAL MINISTRY-HABEAS CORPUS ACT-TITUS OATES -SCOTCH COVENANTERS-REMONSTRANCE OF PARLIAMENT AND REFUSAL OF SUPPLIES ARBITRARY ACTS-RYE-HOUSE PLOT.

Charles at once formed a Council of the most eminent men without distinction of parties. The Parliament not having been called by the king's consent, was at first named a Convention. An Act of indemnity passed both Houses, from which those who had an immediate hand in the late king's death were alone excepted. The estates of Cromwell, Ireton, and Bradshaw, all three dead, were confiscated. Six of the late king's judges, Harrison,

Scot, Carew, Clement, Jones, and Scrope, were executed, with a few others. The army was reduced to 5000 men. Nine bishops, still surviving, were restored to their sees, and the ejected clergy to their livings, and a declaration issued with a view to calm the apprehensions of the Presbyterians.

The betrothed wife of Charles-Catherine of Braganza-arrived at Portsmouth, and the marriage was celebrated on the 20th May 1662. Charles acted with caution while the Parliament of the Restoration, composed mainly of Presbyterians, continued sitting; but, after its dissolution, a new House was returned, composed mainly of Cavaliers, which enabled the king to carry out his reactionary measures. He then imposed on the Scotch Parliament a repeal of the Acts in favour of Presbyterianism, and Prelacy was forcibly re-established. The Cromwellians in Ireland had to give up a third of their estates to those who had forfeited them under the Commonwealth-not certainly a very harsh requirement. By the Corporation Act (1661), it was enacted that no officer should be

190 THE ACT OF UNIFORMITY AND CONVENTICLE ACT. [A D. 1662-6.

retained in cities and boroughs who did not renounce the Covenant, and that none should in future be appointed who had not received the communion, according to the rubric of the Established Church, during the year preceding his election. The Act of Uniformity (1662) required all clergymen, on pain of deposition, to use the Book of Common Prayer, and to signify their unfeigned assent to everything contained in it; while the Conventicle Act (1664) interdicted all religious assemblies, except those held under the Established Church. When the day arrived for the clergy to sign the new Articles imposed by Parliament, 2000 Presbyterians resigned their livings. The attempt to reimpose Prelacy in Scotland led to determined resistance and cruel persecution. The oath declaring the duty of non-resistance to the sovereign, no matter how he might act, was imposed on all magistrates. A more severe law was passed against Nonconformists. Dissenting ministers, already deprived of the means of living, were forbidden to approach within five miles of corporate towns sending members to Parliament, or any place where they had exercised their ministry, unless they took an oath of passive obedience, and bound themselves not to attempt any change in Church or State. This was called the "Five Mile Act."

The king added to his already numerous unpopular acts that of selling Dunkirk to the French, in order to procure money for his pleasures. War against the Dutch was resolved upon on account of the alleged obstructions which they threw in the way of British trade. The largest fleet England ever sent to sea, numbering 114 sail, commanded by the king's brother, the Duke of York, with Prince Rupert and Lord Sandwich, attacked the Dutch fleet, of equal force, under Opdam and young Tromp, 21st April 1665, and gained a victory. At this time the great Plague broke out in London, carrying off 90,000 inhabitants in one year, and the Parliament had to remove to Oxford. Notwithstanding this, and the fact that France had declared for the United Provinces (16th January 1666), the war was continued with unabated vigour. On the 1st June, Monk, now Duke of Albemarle, unexpectedly descrying the Dutch fleet under De Ruyter and Tromp, although

A.D. 1667.]

GREAT FIRE IN LONDON.

191

he had been considerably weakened by having despatched Prince Rupert in search of the French squadron, rashly engaged. The combat lasted three days, at the end of which the English retired, but the Dutch were too shattered to follow, and the victory remained doubtful. In another action, on the 25th July, at the mouth of the Thames, De Ruyter, after a most obstinate combat, was defeated, and the English fleet rode mistress of the seas.

Another calamity at this time happened in London, falsely attributed to the Roman Catholics: a great fire broke out (3d September) and destroyed 13,000 houses.

Negotiations for peace with Holland were now opened, but, while they were proceeding, a Dutch fleet sailed up the Thames (10th June 1667), took Sheerness, burned several vessels, and threw London into a fever of alarm. This unlucky event did not prevent peace being signed at Breda (10th July), to the advantage of the English, to whom the Dutch ceded New York. To appease the wrath of the people, smarting under the indignities inflicted by the Dutch in the Thames, the Chancellor Clarendon was made a scape-goat. Being accused of having given evil advice for his own interested purposes, and thus caused the recent misfortunes, he was impeached, and obliged to leave the country. At Calais, he wrote a vindication, addressed to the House of Lords, in which he declared that he had opposed the Dutch war, the source of all the public grievances, and that the real causes of the hostility against him was his opposition to place-hunters and "jobbing." The Lords sent this paper to the Commons, and both Houses agreed in pronouncing it a libel, and ordered it to be burned by the hangman. They then passed a bill of banishment against Clarendon, which received the royal assent. During his exile, he wrote that history of the civil wars which is so much admired. He was a man of too pure morals for the court of Charles; while the austerity of his manners prevented his being much liked by those who came in contact with him.

The Parliament had soon reason to court the Dutch as allies against the ambition of France; and the king sent over Sir William