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A31743 Numerus infaustus a short view of the unfortunate reigns of William the Second, Henry the Second, Edward the Second, Richard the Second, Charles the Second, James the Second. Caesar, Charles, 1636-1707. 1689 (1689) Wing C203; ESTC R20386 35,156 134

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having got matter enough against the King at least to justifie their taking up Armes march'd directly to London with forty thousand men and some of them going to the King in the Tower they shew'd him the very Letter which he had writ to the Duke of Ireland to levy an Army for their destruction as also the Letters writ to him by the French King importing a safe Conduct for him to come into France there to do Acts tending to his own dishonour and the prejudice of the Kingdom which being done they civilly retreated upon the Kings promise to come next day to Westminster to concert all matters but the fickle King alter'd his mind before he went to Bed and discover'd his purpose to avoid the meeting next day The Lords being advertis'd of this sent a peremptory message to him That if he did not come according to his promise they would choose another King that should hearken to the faithful Counsel of his Lords The King sensibly touch'd with this sharp message gave them a meeting and they positively insisting that the Traytors so often complain'd of should be removed from the Court he at last with much reluctancy consented to their Desires and so the whole Nest of Vipers was dissipated some expell'd the Court some bound by good Sureties to appear and answer and some committed to Prison When the Parliament met they proceeded roundly the corrupt Judges were arrested in their Seats of Judicature and carried to the Tower for acting contrary to the Agreement made in the preceding Parliament the Duke of Ireland and the rest of that Crew cited to appear and answer to certain Articles of High Treason and for non-appearance banish'd and their Lands and Goods seized to the Kings use Sir Robert Tresilian was hang'd Sir Nicholas Brember beheaded several others executed and the Judges condemned to die and the King obliged by Oath to stand to such order as the Lords should set down Some years after upon a Riot committed in London the King seised on their Liberties and took away their Charter which could not be restored till they paid a Fine of ten thousand pounds I intend a compendious Abstract and not a compleat History therefore I studiously omit the recital of many Transactions and Occurrences coincident with this relation as not having a direct and principal concernment in the Estate and Life of King Richard. Unstable Fortune had the Ascendent over all the Affairs of the poor King and the course of his Reign was imbroiled with a strange Vicissitude of prosperous and adverse Accidents The Duke of Gloucester and other Lords entring into a combination to seise upon the King the Plot was detected and their lives taken away for the assurance of his safety A Parliament was call'd wholly conformable to the Kings will they that opposed him were banish'd confiscated and executed and the whole power of it devolved on a certain select number of Commissioners to the great prejudice of the State and a dangerous example to future Times a Pardon was granted to all the Subjects except fifty whose Names not being expressed he kept the Nobility under an awe that if any of them offended him they might come under the notion of exempted persons and thus the King seem'd secure against all mischances But an unforeseen Accident grounded on a very slight occasion produced an extraordinàry Revolution by which the whole frame of Government was unhinged and that Cloud which at first appear'd but of the bigness of a hand soon overspread the sky and dissolved in a tempestuous shower of Blood. The Duke of Hereford was banish'd the Kingdom for six years and several Persons of Note and Quality either by voluntary withdrawing or a compulsory Exile went beyond the Seas The Duke within a short time was advertis'd that his Father was dead and thereby he became Duke of Lancaster and that King Richard had seised into his hands all the Estate descended to him by his Fathers death And meeting often with the Archbishop of Canterbury then in Exile and mutually lamenting the deplorable condition of England the enormous actions of the King and the Impossibllity of ever reclaiming him they began to enter into Consulation by what means best to get him removed and in the very Nick Solicitations came from several Parts of England to urge the Duke to hasten over and to take the Government upon him promising all ready Assistance to that work The Duke presently grasp'd the Opportunity and without further Deliberation prepared for his Return and with a very few Lords and Gentlemen and about threescore Persons presently put to Sea and landed in York-shire which was no sooner known but several Lords and great Numbers of the Gentry and Common sort flockt into him And tho he was invited to come and take the Government upon him yet he pretended no other cause but to take Possession of the Inheritance descended from his Father and most unjustly seized and detain'd by King Richard. His Forces increased dayly and a mighty Army was got together and all the Kings Castles forthwith surrendred to him many of the Kings Friends were Arrested and some put to death All this while King Richard was in Ireland and for six weeks by reason of contrary Winds had no Notice of the Dukes Landing After which time wasting many daies in a dilatory Preparation he landed in Wales but hearing that all the Castles from the Borders of Scotland and Bristol were delivered up to the Duke of Lancaster that the greatest Part of the Nobility and Commons were joynd with him and his principal Counsellors taken and executed he fell into absolute Despair dismissed his Army bidding every one to shift for himself and the next Night stole away and got to the Castle of Couwey The Duke proceeded on his March and every day some Lords and Gentlemen of account came in to him and having proferred Conditions to the King with which he seem'd to be content he agreed to meet the Duke but upon his Journy was seis'd by an Ambush laid for him and carried to Flint-Castle Thither the Duke came and carri'd the King with him by easie Journeys to London and the next Day lodged him in the Tower. Presently a Parliament was called by the Duke but in the Name of King Richard aad many heynous Crimes laid to his Charge ingrost and sum'd up in three and thirty Articles for which the Parliament adjudg'd him to be deposed from all Kingly Honour and Princely Government thereupon the King by a formal Instrument made a Solemn Resignation of his Crown and Authority making it his Request that the Duke of Lancaster might be his Successor and in token thereof taking the signet from his Finger and puting it upon that of the Dukes Which being reported to the Parliament they approved of it and appointed the Sentence of his Deposition to be publickly proclamed We have followed this most unfortunate Prince to the last Scene of his Life but the manner
proclaimed her and the Prince who was at that time also in France Enemies to the Kingdom banish'd them and their Adherents and strongly guarded the Seas with three Fleets to intercept their passage The Queen by the help of Foreign Friends got together a considerable Army and landed near Harwich and was presently reinforced by the conjunction of the Earl Marshal the Earl of Lancaster the Earl of Leicester and many other Lords and Bishops The King was astonish'd at the News being utterly irresolute what course to take He had no Counsellors about him but the Spencers London was not to be trusted his Army was wavering the people from all Counties flocking in to the Queen In this perplexity he secretly withdraws from the Court attended by the two Spencers and a very few others and being disappointed of his Retreat to the Isle of Lundy He hides himself in the Abby of Nethe where within a short time he was taken his Followers all apprehended and the two Spencers publickly and ignominiously executed and himself committed to the custody of the Earl of Leicester After Christmas a Parliament was call'd wherein it was agreed to Depose the King and set up his Son who refusing to take the Crown unless his Father would freely resign it the poor King as tamely surrender'd the Scepter as he had before unworthily weilded it and having formally renounced and abdicated the Government and the Speaker of the Parliament renounced all Allegiance to him in the Name of the whole Kingdom he was taken from the Earl of Leicester from whom his Enemies thought he had too kind usage and being hurried from place to place and wearied with all manner of severity and indignity wasted by starving tormented by noisome stinks and attempted by Poyson he was at last barbarously and inhumanely stifled to death between two Pillows The Murder being disavow'd by the Queen the Executioners of it fled and died miserably THE LIFE and REIGN OF RICHARD the Second IF Magnanimity Valour Piety Gentleness Liberty and other Heroick and Princely Qualities were communicable by Generation if vertue could be intayl'd If the gifts of the mind descended by Inheritance or were demisable hy Will or inseparably annex'd to the Body no man could ever have a juster Pretension to Glory and Fame than Richard the Second the only Son of that incomparable Hero Edward the black Prince and grand Son of that most illustrious and victorious Edward the Third But Children do not always resemble the Features of the Father to the great shame and scandal of the Mother Wit and Vigor are seated in the Brain and Children are not begotten by the Head. Richard was a Child at the death of his Father and never acted like a man during his own Life A Crown was too heavy a Load for his tender Brows and the Reflection of its Brightness daizled his Eyes The Transactions of State during his Minority are not to be the Subject of my Recital since the Event of all Affairs that were prosperous is to be imputed to the Conduct of his Guardians and where any Accidents interrupted his Prosperity it ought not to be attributed to his misfortune I shall therefore pass over such Occurrences as are recounted by Historians during his pupillage and begin my Remarks at that Period when he assumed the Regal Government And first he deposed the Lord Scroop from his Chancellor-Ship because he refused to seal some extravagant grants made by the King and receiving the Seal from his Hands he kept it for a certain Time and with it seal'd such Grants and Writings as he thought fit at his own absolute will and pleasure His Army sent against France commanded by the Bishop of Norwich was not very prosperous but laying Seige to Ypres as they past through Flanders were forced by the Power of a French Army coming to their Relief to raise the Seige and retreat And tho the Bishop advised the King to lay hold on that Opportunity to try the Fortune of a Battle with the French and he pretended over Night to be in a mighty hast and Eagerness to ingage in that enterprise yet in the Morning the Humor was off and consulting his own ease and safety he appointed the Duke of Lancaster to go on that Inployment who spinning out the Time with dilatory Preparations till the Bishop was return'd the Project was disappointed the undertaking came to Nothing and the Dispute was ended in a short lived Truce Neither did the Expedition into Scotland tend to the Honour of the King or Advantage of the Kingdom for the Scots having made Incursions into England taken and burnt divers Towns upon the Borders and enriched themselves by a general depredation of the Country The Duke of Lancaster with the Earl of Buckingham was dispatcht with a mighty Army to repress them but having entred Scotland and not being able by any Art or Stratagem to provoke the Scots to Battel they returned without obtaining any further Satisfaction then a suitable Revenge in burning and destroying many Towns there And tho a truce was made with the Scots yet without any Regard to the Stipulation they again entred the Borders and took Berwick But now the unfortunate King began to form Plots against his own honour and Quiet for being incensed against the Duke of Lancaster whether upon real or upon imaginary Provocations a design was laid to have that great man Arrested and arraign'd of Treason before Sir Robert Tresilian chief Justice tho by the Law of the Land his Tryal ought to have been by his Peers and it is easie to imagin what would have been the Issue of such irregular Proceedings but the Duke having timely intimation of the mischief and contrivance against him withdrew himself opportunely to his Castle of Pomfret where he stood upon his guard till by the laborious travel and powerful intercession of the Kings Mother tho by reason of her Corpulency she was most un-fit for such an Imployment the King was pacified and reconciled to the Duke The Scots still meditating Revenge and the French King still ready to foment the quarrel prepared for a fresh Invasion of England and receiving auxiliary Ayds of great Number and strength from the French once more entred the English Borders King Richard receiving Advertisement of it with great Speed rais'd a mighty Army and marching in Person at the Head of them entered Scotland burnt Edingburgh proceeding without Control but could by no means draw the Scots to Battle they in the mean Time to divert the Kings progress made a descent into Cumberland and Besieged Carlisle to the relief of which the King approaching with so formidable an Army obliged the Scots to retreat into their own Country and upon their Recess the King returned into England bringing with him neither Honour nor Advantage by so fruitless an Expedition After these things and some other passages not so directly appertaining to the History of his Life King Richard began to hasten his own
of his death is so variously reported that it is hard to pitch upon that Author on whose credit we may safely rely It is most certain that he did not long Survive his Resignation but being carried to Leeds and from thence to Pomfret soon after a Period was put to his Life and Miseryes together in the three and thirtieth year of his Age. If he did not imitate his Father yet he resembled His Mother and was the Goodliest Person alive His Disposition was good but corrupted by Education his Inclinations prompted him to Vertue but were perverted by Flatterrers and Evil Counsellors Crafty men made Advantage of his Credulity and he was ruined by too strict a Constancy If he had not been deficient to himself his Opposer had not so easily prevail'd his Timidity apeared in not fighting for his Crown his Moderation in the Surrendred of it and his Courage in surviving the Loss THE LIFE and REIGN OF CHARLES the Second IAm now ingaged in a difficult Task divided between Truth and Respect being to describe the Life of a Prince who contrary to the custom of the World was better spoken of while he lived than he has been since his Death His Fame had suffer'd a great diminution by succeeding so admirable a Father had it not recover'd by the prospect of such a Brother who was to be his Successor If in the Lives of former Kings any mistake was committed the Records and Ancient Writers must vouch the Relation and the present Age cannot confute it But to give an Account of a Life so lately ended requires an exactness beyond my Reach wherein the least Trip overthrows the Credit of the Reporter To enumerate the Vertues of a Prince without taking notice of his Failings is but to flatter his memory and deceive Posterity to reckon up his Vices without intermingling the mention of his laudable Actions is but so sully his Fame and deduce no Benefit to the Curiosity of Observers I resolve to tread lightly on his Grave and not press too hard upon the Heels of Truth I may pursue my Topic in recounting the Instances which justly denominate him unfortunate and Note the Errors of his Government without reflection on his Person That he was of extraordinary Parts that he had a quick mercurial Wit a great insight into the liberal Sciences and even the mechanical Arts no man will deny He had a piercing if not a solid Judgment his intellect was comprehensive if not profound His Lenity and Clemency were very conspicuous and recommended him to the Love and Praise of the Spectators yet it so fell out that such egregious Acts of Severity and Injustice were exercised upon all sorts of men as will puzzle Posterity to comprehend the meaning In his time no Man had the Reason to set a Value on himself for any promotion nor no man had cause to despair of a preferment The Cards were daily shuffled and unexpected chance turn'd up the Trump Upon all occasions he profest a great Zeal for the Protestant Religion yet every day that profession lost ground Popery was not allow'd yet it hover'd among us The Frogs did not cover the Land yet the Jesuitical Vermin swarm'd in every Corner Tho' the Papists were not shelter'd by a legal Indemnity yet they grew numerous and confident upon the expectation of an approaching Jublie His Brother and Successour had a mighty Ascendent over his Genius catching at all opportunities to gratifie his Ambition and propagate the Faith while the other indulged himself in pleasure and avoided the fatigue of Government There are so many living Monuments of his Incontinency that if I forbear to mention it I shall render the Truth and Impartiality of my other Remarks suspected It is usual with Kings and Princes to prosecute prohibited Amours but so great was his generosity that he thought it a disparagment to manage a secret Intrigue His Liberality was so extraordinary that he spared not to give a Thousand years purchase for a Moments Fruition He lost the Love of his Friends by too fond a Love of his Brother and by too stiff a Refusal to consent to his Exclusion he endanger'd the Interest of his Family and gave a shock to Monarchy it self The first and greatest misfortune that befell Charles the Second was the Cruel and Ignominious Death of his Father that incomparable Charles the First Sentenced to die and publickly Executed before his own Palace by a Jancto of flagitious men garbled out of a Parliament by the Usurper From his Fathers Martyrdom to his own Restauration was one continued Scene of misery and sorrow In the year 1648 Charles the First was deprived of Life by his Evil Subjests his Friends looking on and not able to prevent it In the year 1660. Charles the Second was brought to the Throne by his Good Subjects his Enemies looking on and not able to hinder it The one an inhumane Action and unparallel'd the other wholly surprising and miraculous In the one no Blood shed but that of the King himself in the other not one Drop of Blood drawn even of the meanest Subject Charles the second was then beyond the Seas and succeeded immediately to the Right of three Kingdoms but did not actually possess them for many years And now behold a King truly unfortunate His Father barbarously destroy'd and he in no capacity to call to account the bloody Actors of that Tragedy three potent Kingdoms usurped by violence and by force detain'd from him and he not able to put in a claim for his Right or contend for the recovery His Enemies insulting in their success abjuring his Title and metamorphosing a glorious Monarchy into an Anarchical Commonwealth His Friends harassed imprison'd plunder'd sequestred executed no man daring to own his Allegiance or capable to contribute advice or aid toward his Restoration Himself a deserted Exile wandring from one Princes Court to another to seek for shelter and subsistence while the subtle machinations of the Usurpers did not more sensibly aggravate and advance his unhappiness than the improsperous Attempts of his loyal Subjects to compass his Restitution In Scotland the Heroick Acts of the most renown'd Marquis of Montross who with an inconsiderable handful of men traversed the Kingdom and performed such Exploits as may justly denominate his History the Moral of a Romance only ended in his destruction while he became a sacrifice to his Enemies implacable malice and a glorious Martyr for Loyalty but with an irreparable detriment to his Masters cause In Ireland the most Noble Duke then Marquis of Ormond was so successful in his Undertakings that he had reduced the whole Kingdom to the obedience of the King except Dublin and London-Derry to the first of which having laid a close Siege and beleagured it with a Royal Camp he was disarry'd by a fatal Sally from the Town his Army totally routed and himself obliged to a hasty and hazardous escape which disaster was follow'd by the Rendition of Drogheda