more intolerance than they had complained of in others. “They interdicted (says a recent writer), under heavy penalties, the Book of Common Prayer. It was a crime in a child to read by the bedside of a sick parent one of those beautiful collects which had soothed the griefs of forty generations of Christians. Severe punishments were denounced against such as should presume to blame the Calvinistic mode of worship"." At length Presbyterianism gave way to Independency, that is, to the more open avowal of the principle that every man may make a religion for himself. Sects multiplied daily; and each new sect seemed to endeavour to surpass its predecessor in extravagance. Most daring claims were made to special Inspiration from the Almighty; and he was esteemed most spiritual whose heresy was most startling. The very names of the greater number of these sects have passed away; but it is worth noticing, that the origin of Quakerism is to be traced to this period. George Fox, the son of a Lancashire weaver, was the founder of a body of persons who named themselves "Friends." They were called "Quakers," in consequence of the distortions and convulsions with which their devotional exercises were not unfrequently accompanied.

Such, in matters of religion, were the Puritans. It need not be a subject of wonder, that in neither of its forms, whether of Presbyterianism or of Independency, was Puritanism the parent of men of taste and literature. One great exception exists, it is true. John Milton was secretary to the usurping council of state; he attacked Prelacy; he even defended the murder of Charles I.: but he was the author of "Paradise Lost." A few other names might be cited; but, in general, the learned men of the day were Churchmen. At any rate, Clarendon, Jeremy Taylor, Hammond, Usher, Cowley, Boyle, Chillingworth, and Davenant, were not Puritans-Dryden was at one time a Cromwellite, but he soon gave up that side of politics and religion. The fine arts were sadly neglected during the whole time of the rebellion. It was not uncommon to regard them as a perversion of the faculties which God has given to man. Under the

7 Macaulay, Hist. of England, vol. i. p. 160.

8 The Royal Society was not incorporated until after the Restoration.

influence of this feeling, cathedrals were defaced, and paintings, statues, and ancient monuments and brasses ruthlessly destroyed.

It may surely be hoped that the kingdom learnt a lesson which will never be forgotten, from the iron rule of Oliver Cromwell, as well as from the anarchy and fanaticism which it superseded. England was thus taught the value of an hereditary monarchy, and the blessedness and moderation of that Church on which it had so madly trampled. The Great Rebellion, which caused such misery to our forefathers, will not have been fruitless of good, if it makes us cling more fondly to that ancient constitution in Church and State which was now so happily restored.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

CHARLES II. (AFTER THE RESTORATION.)

CHARLES rewarded General Monk by making him Duke of Albemarle. Hyde, who had attended the king in his exile, and afterwards became Earl of Clarendon, was appointed chancellor; and Lord Southampton treasurer. The royalists, in general, complained of the king's ingratitude, and many who had lost their all in his service were left in neglect. On the other hand, Charles was averse to severity; and though some persons who had signed the warrant for his father's execution were brought to the scaffold or confined for life, the royalists (on the whole) did not disgrace their triumph by showing a vindictive temper. In arranging the royal revenue, many abuses which had arisen from the feudal system were done away with; and a permanent income was settled on the crown, instead of the profits which had been derived from wardships, and the other incidents of military tenure. A conference was held at the Savoy Palace' to settle the affairs of religion; the result of which was unfavourable to the wishes of the Presbyterians. A few alterations indeed were made in the Prayer Book, but they were rather improvements of

1 So called from Peter of Savoy, uncle of the queen of Henry III., by whom it was built.

arrangement than changes of doctrines; and the judicious preface by which it is introduced was composed. This is the last revision which our excellent Liturgy has undergone.

Having been thus revised, the Prayer Book was approved by convocation, and confirmed by the king under the great seal. It was next adopted by the parliament in the Act of Uniformity, called the Bartholomew Act. The principal provisions of this Act were as follows:- All who were not duly ordained were excluded from performing acts of ministry in the Church; assent and consent to all things contained in the Book of Common Prayer was required from all who would hold ecclesiastical preferment; and the right to rebel against the king, or the lawfulness of taking the covenant, were to be disowned. Whosoever refused to comply with the terms of this Act by St. Bartholomew's day, was declared to be ipso facto deprived of his living. About 2000 Presbyterian or Independent ministers refused, and were deprived accordingly; but very many had conformed already, among whom was Reynolds, who was raised to the see of Norwich.

The bishops who had survived the rebellion had resumed their sees, or had been advanced to others immediately on the king's return. Juxon, bishop of London, whom we have seen with Charles I. on the scaffold, though in extreme old age, was made Archbishop of Canterbury; Sanderson was consecrated bishop of Lincoln; and other men of high character were placed in other sees. The clergy, who had suffered for conscience sake, returned to their livings; and the property of the Church, which had been confiscated by the rebels, was given back to it. These arrangements were effected within two years of the restoration, and for a short time every thing seemed to be going on prosperously. It was, however, soon discovered that the character of Charles was some alloy to the blessings which the country enjoyed in the revival of their ancient government in Church and State. Though affable and witty, the king was unprincipled and selfish. A Romanist at heart, he had not the courage to follow the example which his brother James (Duke of York) soon gave him, of avowing his religion. During his exile, he had contracted the most dissolute habits; and on his return, he copied the disregard

for the decencies of life for which the court of Louis XIV. then king of France, was infamous. He married an infanta of Portugal, but did not the less connect himself with other women; on whom, as well as on his illegitimate children, he bestowed the highest titles. He had no issue by his queen.

Charles was always secretly aiming to bring in popery, and to make himself an absolute king: not that, like his father, he thought unlimited power his rightful heritage, but that he wished to be under no restraint in the indulgence of his pleasures; nor was the Duke of York exempt from the same licentious tastes, while he was far more zealous than the king in promoting the interest of the Church of Rome. This prince married a daughter of the Earl of Clarendon; by whom he became the father of the Princesses Mary and Anne. He afterwards married a sister of the Duke of Modena. Being made lord high admiral, he seems to have induced his brother to declare war very needlessly with the United States of Holland. Many naval battles were fought without very decided advantage to either side; though on one occasion the Dutch fleet under De Ruyter sailed up the Thames, burned the ships of war which lay at Chatham, and threatened London itself. (A.D. 1667.)

The country was at this time visited with two great calamities in succeeding years. The first (A.D. 1665) was a plague, which spread through many parts of the kingdom, and carried off in London alone upwards of one hundred thousand people. The inhabitants were summoned by a bell to bring out their dead; which were thrown, without any religious rite, into a pit prepared in the nearest churchyard. The other calamity (A.D. 1666) was the most extensive fire with which London was ever visited. It broke out in Pudding-lane, near the only bridge which London then possessed, and raged with fury for five days, consuming more than thirteen thousand houses, eighty-nine churches, and the cathedral of St. Paul's. But London rose from its ashes in greater beauty than before, and the streets were rebuilt with more attention to health and regularity. The column, called The Monument, was raised to commemorate this awful fire; in checking which the king exerted himself with energy and humanity.

At this time Louis XIV. was pushing his conquests in Flanders, and aiming at an universal rule in Europe. The Dutch were alarmed at his progress, and sued for peace. A treaty, called "The Triple Alliance," was formed by the agency of Sir William Temple between England, Sweden, and Holland, against the French king; and well would it have been for Charles's honour, had he been true to the engagements which he thus contracted. Anxious, however, to dispense with parliaments, and to raise by other means the money required for his pleasures, he stooped (through a great part of his reign) to become the pensioner of Louis; who thus bought from a king of England the promise that he would declare himself a member of the Roman Church, and make war with the United States of Holland.

Charles had some little time before formed a ministry which was called the " Cabal," because the first letters of the names of its members were ingeniously arranged into that word. These were Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley, Lauderdale. Buckingham was the son of the late king's favourite. Ashley was afterwards made Earl of Shaftesbury. A more profligate ministry was never at the head of affairs: but their corruption was exceeded by the venality of Charles himself; of which a second war with Holland was the fruit. In this war, the young Prince of Orange greatly distinguished himself against the armies of Charles's ally, the King of France. A marriage was, however, arranged between this prince and the Princess Mary, the daughter of the Duke of York; whose second daughter. (the Princess Anne) was afterwards married to Prince George of Denmark.

Peace was at length concluded with the United States of Holland on favourable terms to England, but only that Charles might return to his dishonourable engagements with Louis, who himself made peace with Holland by the treaty of Nimeguen (1678).

The country, which had hailed the king's return had long learnt to distrust his principles, and was alarmed at the prospect of a popish successor in the person of his brother.

At the meeting of the parliament in 1673, this temper displayed itself in a manner not to be mistaken. Charles had issued the year before a proclamation, generally called "the declaration of indulgence." It professed to suspend