famous Colonel Knight received the Salutations and Respects of the Forces in their Arms and having praised them for their dutifulness and affection proceeded forwards the people strewing Flowers and Leaves of Trees in the way and in all places offering him the choicest marks of their Honour When he was come near the City the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London welcomed him upon their knees The Mayor delivered his Majesty the Sword the Badge of his Dignity which the King graciously gave him back again and being conducted into a large and richly-adorned Pavillion was entertained at a splendid Collation From thence with a magnificent train of Persons of all quality over London-bridge he entered the City amidst such a glorious appearance of brave and great men that scarcely in any Age the triumphal Bridge of Rome ever bore a greater Pomp or victorious Tyber saw or Euphrates of old or the yet more ancient Tygris Along the Streets from London-bridge to White-hall on the one side in a continued order the Trained-bands of the City were drawn up and on the other the Companies in their Livery-gowns the houses on each side being hung with Tapistry The tops of the houses and windows were filled with vast multitudes of Spectators the People from all places flocking to this glorious and joyful Show There were no less than twenty thousand richly attired on horseback The first that led the Cavalcade were some Troops of young Gentlemen in a various most rich dress and shining Arms with Trumpets sounding before them The Sheriffs of London's men with their Spears followed after next after whom marched six hundred of the chief Citizens in Velvet-coats and Gold-chains Then followed the Kings Horse-guards led by the Lord Gerrard their Captain With the chearful musick of Drums Trumpets and Waits next advanced the Sheriffs and Aldermen of London in their Scarlet-gowns and their Horses richly deckt with Trapings their Footmen attending them shining with Gold and Silver Then followed the Kings of Arms and Heralds in their rich Coats and next to them the Lord Mayor carrying in his right hand the naked Sword and after him the Illustrious Duke of Buckingham and the renowned General Monk And now appeared Charles the Wishes of all good men and the Joys of the happy conspicuous in a triumphant Majesty On the right hand rode the Duke of York on the left the Duke of Gloucester he himself on a stately horse in the middle carrying all Triumphs and Diadems in his looks which seemed then more than humane After his Majesty came his chief Courtiers and Servants General Monk's Life-guard commanded by Sir Philip Howard and then five Regiments of Horse of Monk's Army led by Colonel Knight This Triumphal Procession was brought up by a vast body of Noblemen and Gentlemen with red Colours fringed with Gold in rich Attire shining Arms their Swords drawn and Plumes of Feather in their Hats In this order the King marched slowly through the City amidst the shouts acclamations and joyful looks of his Subjects which he triumphantly heard and beheld And now entring his Royal Palace he mounted the Throne of his Forefathers on the twenty ninth of May heretofore the day of his Birth and now of his Restauration after he had been since Worcester-fight ten years banished his Country The Members of both Houses of Parliament came to wait on his Majesty in the Banquetting-house there to express their joyful Congratulations for his Return and unfeigned Loyalty to the Government which was eloquently done by the Earl of Manchester for the House of Lords and Sir Harbotle Grimstone for the Commons The King tired out with the Fatigues of his triumphant Journey made them this short Answer I Am so disordered by my Journey and with the noise still sounding in my ears which I confess was pleasing to me because it expressed the Affections of my People as I am unfit at the present to make such a Reply as I desire yet thus much I shall say unto you That I take no greater satisfaction to my self in this my Change than that I find my heart really set to endeavour by all means for the restoring of this Nation to their Freedom and Happiness and I hope by the advice of my Parliament to assert it Of this also you may be confident That next to the honour of God from whom principally I shall ever own this Restauration to my Crown I shall study the welfare of my People and shall not onely be a true Defender of the Faith but a just Assertor of the Laws and Liberties of my Subjects The night following was consecrated to Joy The Conduits running Wine and the whole City lighted by Bonfires The loyal Citizens willing to lull asleep the memory of twenty years Calamities merrily spent the night in the noise of Trumpets Drums and Volleys of shot The providence of God Almighty never appeared more visible in humane affairs for now the Golden Age returns a Happiness too good for our times the blessed day shone forth wherein King Charles being restored to his Country restored his Country to it self and united Liberty and Monarchy two things thought incompatible under the traiterous Usurpers The honour of the Laws which makes all things firm and durable returned The splendour of the Church of England and the ancient Rites of Worship also returned Piety coming in place of Sectarian Superstition The King having tasted a little of the delights of his Return seriously set about the setling of the State entangl'd with so many Civil Dissentions and rent by Divisions and in the first place appointed a Privy-Council and disposed of the chief places of his Kingdom and Court The King makes the most Illustrious James Duke of York Lord High Admiral a Prince renowned at home and abroad and crowned with many Victories Edward Hide Earl of Clarendon was made Lord Chancellor in Eloquence not inferiour to the most famed Orators nor in Prudence to the greatest Statesmen The uncorrupted Earl of Southampton with Honour and Integrity discharged the Office of Lord High Treasurer The Illustrious charge of Steward of the Kings Houshold was conferred upon the Duke of Ormond a Peer of a steddy Judgment of the Honesty of elder times and renowned both in Peace and War The Earl of Manchester whose Loyalty had been proved was created Lord Chamberlain of the House Nicholas and Morrice two aged Knights and consummated in business were the Principal Secretaries of State Monk the Restorer formerly by the Kings Commission made General of all the British Forces is now advanced to be Master of the Horse and honoured with the Illustrious Title of Duke of Albemarle For his noble Extraction gave him a claim to the Honour of the Albemarlian Family and the bounty of the King in rewarding his good Services an Estate to support it Nor was the most Religious King less careful of the
overthrow of his Fleet and the English redoubling their courage bore in more furiously amongst the Enemies But the Dutch Fleet wanted both strength and courage to continue the Engagement longer and with full sail run for it Now it was no more an Engagement but a Pursuit accompanied with slaughter and the usual calamities of Fugitives for four of the Enemies Ships in the haste and consternation of the flight falling foul of one another were by an English Fire-ship burnt all together Three more of their Ships being afterward in the same manner pestered together were by the next Fire-ship likewise set on fire and burnt Then were many of the Dutch Ships taken and more sunk nor was there any end of destroying and pursuing till it was dark night The Pursuit continued next day with the same vigour and the Dutch fled with the less shame that they had the Duke of York to follow them This was a famous Victory nothing short of the ancient Atchievements of the English five thousand of the Enemies being killed or taken and Opdam Cartener Stillingwolfe and Stamp the chief Commanders of the Dutch Fleet dying in the Engagement There were about eighteen Ships burnt sunk and taken Many of the Enemies swimming in the Sea after the Ships were burnt or sunk his Royal Highness who is merciful in his anger caused them to be taken up having for that purpose ordered out Boats For why should they die who hardly deserved to live It was a greater than joyful Victory to the English the flower of the Honorary Volunteers being slain Just by the Duke fell the Earls of Portland and Fulmouth the Lord Mufcarrey and a Warlike Youth the Son of the Earl of Burlington who joyfully sacrificed their lives to the Honour of their Country and to that Victory wherein they had the Duke of York for a Witness of their Valour and a Bewailer of their Destiny The valiant Earl of Malborough and Rear-Admiral Sanson died also in the Bed of Honour Lawson being wounded in the thigh six weeks after died with Honour and Reputation And though being in a dying condition he could not make use of the Triumphant Victory to which he had largely contributed yet he tasted of the pleasure of it There were not many killed nor slain and onely one Ship lost And thus his Royal Highness brought home the Royal Fleet loaded with Triumph and the Spoils of Victory And whilst the States of the Vnited Provinces were taken up in punishing the cowardise of Commanders King Charles in the mean time conferred Honours upon his deserving Officers and knighted Alan Smith Jordan Meens Tiddeman and Spragg for their brave and good services The Dutch Fleet in the mean time fighting ill having been soundly-beaten De Ruyter in his Piracies abroad had somewhat better fortune After the action at Guiny he attempted other English Islands in America From Barbadoes an Island well fortified and defended he was repulsed with disgrace From thence sailing to New-found-land and having easily mastered it he made prize of all he found there and having cruelly used the Inhabitants plundered them of all and wasted the Island he returned home Upon his return he was immediately from a Pirat advanced to be Admiral being the onely person judged worthy to succeed Opdam in the command of the Navy But for this year the Dutch were sufficiently cowed as no more to fight the Victorious English by Sea Wherefore the Duke of York who liked better to overcome than to spoil his Enemies seeing there was no hopes of any farther Engagement spent the remaining part of the year on shoar But Sandwich being made Admiral of the Royal Fleet set sail again towards the Coast of Holland and offered though in vain a second Engagement but the Enemy could not be overcome till they were found The States in the mean time after their Fleet of War was disabled and beaten off of the Sea were in no small fear and apprehension for their East India Fleet which was upon the way homeward richly laden nor was the eagerness of the English less to catch the Booty But that Fleet having intelligence that Holland was blockt up by the English and thinking it safer to shelter themselves in another Dominion put into Bergen a famous Harbour in Norway Part of the Royal Navy hastened thither and sending five Frigats into the Harbour they attacked the Dutch Ships that lay secure under the protection of the Castle and shore nor did it seem difficult to have taken them had not the English contrary to expectation found another Army to deal with the Danes firing upon them from the Castle The English greedy of the Prey were a little too rash in running themselves into the danger of a double Enemy but their Valour made amends for their boldness A sharp Dispute continued for almost six hours to the vast damage of the Goods on board the shattered and torn Ships and to no small loss on our side especially from the Castle but at length after a proof of great but unseasonable courage to prevent greater loss and slaughter the Fleet retreaâ—ed and seeing they could not enjoy the spoils of the Enemy they had the satisfaction to embezile and sink them as if they had got when the Enemy lost But amidst the Triumphs of War the Joys of the Victorious English were short and interrupted for this was a doleful year through the breaking out of a raging Plague not occasioned by an influx of the Stars nor the French Pox degenerating into a Contagion as some idle men dreamt but as it was more credibly reported by the infected Goods that were brought from Holland into England so that when the Dutch Arms could not beat us their Contagion overcame us After it had by the space of almost one whole year raged in London and swept away infinite numbers of people it spread over many other and far distant Cities and Towns of England Nor could the Contagion be stopt by any humane arts or skill of Physicians before it had carried away above two hundred thousand Souls within less than two years time neither were the days and nights long enough for the dying to expire in nor Church-yards big enough to contain the bodies of the dead though they were heaped together into Graves The King and Court leaving the desolate City removed to Oxford as yet clear from infection and seated in a wholsome Air thither also went the Judges and Courts of Justice The Nobility Gentry and rich Citizens in the mean time avoiding all confluence of people lurked everywhere in Country-houses and Villages The onely persons of great Quality that stayed in London were the Duke of Albemarle and Earl of Craven which was both a comfort and safety to the City in so great a Desolation and Mortality of the Citizens The Plague at length ceasing in London the earnest desires of the Citizens invited back
the Duke of Ormond with unanimous consent of the Heads Fellows and Students of Colledges is chosen Chancellour of the University of Oxford and so being taken off from the care and troubles of the Irish affairs he had the direction of the softer and more peaceful Muses About the beginning of September Mary the Queen Mother of England having for two and twenty years in Banishment and Widowhood lived without the enjoyment of the King her Husband and with the comfort of a flourishing Off-spring having beheld her Son setled in the Throne died at Paris in France full of years and of glory in all the changes of humane condition About the end of this and beginning of next year the Duke of Albemarle also finished his course And being now to speak the last of a man born for the publick good famous in a high and famous in a lower degree I shall take a short review of his Birth Manners and Fortune George Monk the Son of a Knight was born in Devonshire in the West of England in the year One thousand six hundred and eight He had an elder Brother who inherited his Fathers Estate and Honour and a younger who being bred a Scholar after the Restauration of the King was made Bishop of Hereford George the middlemost pushing his Fortune in the Camp followed the Wars wherein he was first initiated in his youth at Cadis against the Spaniards and shortly after in an Expedition against the French at the Isle of Ré both unfortunate in their issue but with better success he served under the Earl of Oxford in Holland The Civil Wars afterwards breaking out occasioned first by the accursed madness of the Scottish Presbyterians he returned into England and listed himself under Charles the First who then marched against the Scots and next year after was made a Colonel in the Army against the Irish Rebels But the Civil War of England raging more furiously afterwards whilst the Parliament called in the Scots their Brethren in Iniquity to their assistance the King on the other hand having made a Truce with the Irish Rebels called over his Forces from Ireland for his own defence at home and Monk being one of the Commanders of that Army with the rest joyned the King at at Oxford but whilst by orders from the King he mustered the Irish Forces in the Camp he was unexpectedly surprized and taken by Fairfax who served the Parliament and being carried to London lay there almost four years Prisoner in the Tower Whilst he was there shut up and in distress the King sent him secretly an hundred Pieces of Gold which considering the streights his Majesty was then put to was no small Argument of his Royal Affection towards him But being at length tired out with an irksome imprisonment and for the sake of liberty changing sides he took in with the Parliament and went again over into Ireland where he did many brave actions against the Irish Rebels not without Presages of becoming sometime a great General as being the onely person who seemed to have carried with him Honesty and Civility to the Civil War Here it was that first of all he gained the good esteem of Cromwel who then commanded the Parliament-Forces in Ireland having performed an action more advantageous to his General than honourable to himself The Irish War being ended the Summer following he marched with Cromwel against the Scots and did not a little contribute to his fortunate Successes in Scotland Having been so often victorious at Land and now an old Commander he tried his fortune at Sea and under the Rump-Parliament was very successful against the Dutch having in two Engagements beaten them and put them to flight At length when Cromwel got into Supreme Power he was made Governour of Scotland which Trust with equal reputation of Equity and Prudence he discharged during the space of almost five years until Quarrels and Animosities happening at London betwixt the Rumpers and Colonels of the Army he laid hold on the occasion for restoring of the King But at what time first he framed the designe of restoring Charles to the Throne I shall hardly presume to determine Cavillers and those that make the worst of things gave it out that his dutiful services to the King were but fortuitous but they who judge impartially affirm that it was a designe laid many years before Certainly the best of Kings more mindful of the effects of his Loyalty than of its beginning received the duty of Albemarle as extraordinary and kind services and honourably and liberally rewarded them The year before his death he fell into a Dropsie and being weary of the ordinary methods and advice of Physicians he made use of a certain Quack-Medicine which in appearance recovered him but his body being opened after his death a great deal of Water was found in his Bowels and much congealed Bloud in both the Ventricles of his Heart and other neighbouring Vessels For the motion both of the Heart and Bloud being weakened by an inveterate Dropsie gave occasion to the stagnating of the chylous juyce about the Heart which stopping the Fountain of the circulating Bloud put at length a stop to his last breathings for life The Marriage of his onely Son was in a manner the last thing he minded in this life who a few days before his death was married to the Daughter of the Earl of Ogle and Grand-daughter to the Duke of Newcastle thereby to settle as well as honour his Family by an Alliance with so Noble a House After he had seen Britain rejoycing in Triumphs beheld Charles confirmed in the Throne by ten years happy Reign and after he had administred the greatest Offices of Trust under the King both in Peace and War being upwards of sixty years of age he yielded to Destiny which he willingly and undauntedly submitted unto that after the Trophies of a past Life he might at length triumph over Death He left but one onely Son the Illustrious Inheritour of his Fathers Fame hopeful to the State and cherished by the King as his own Charles who had often visited and condoled with him in his sickness was with him to the last and expressed the same affection for dying Albemarle that he had testified to him during his life From Somerset-house where he had lain in state he was with a splendid pomp of solemn Funerals at the Kings charges conveyed to Westminster-Abbey and there amidst the Tears and Condolings of all good men interred amongst the August Monuments of Kings being the last Triumph due to his memory They who are curious to have a description of the shapes and countenance of so great a man may know that he was a person more graceful than beautiful of a middle stature strong and well comparted with a comely presence and of a composed rather than severe or stern aspect He may easily be reckoned a
publick whilst the Parliament were at a stand wondering whither he might have fled his Majesty wrote to them sending therewith Concessions that were too easie and great to be expected or indeed to be wished for by any adding thereto invincible Arguments why he could not consent to the Proposals lately sent him by the Parliament He proposes his own Concessions and the Demands of the Army as a fit subject for a personal Treaty and for the sake of the People and Kingdom earnestly desires it being willing on his own part to condescend to any thing that by any means he might procure Peace and Tranquillity to his languishing Kingdoms The Republicans of both sorts as well they that were for a few as for a many-headed Commonwealth endeavouring by all means to put a stop to the Peace proposed and offered by the King take hereby occasion to oppose to his Majesties most just desires four unreasonable Demands as preliminary cautions which if his Majesty would consent to they promise to treat about the rest I. That the Parliament should have power to raise settle and maintain the Forces by Sea and Land within the Kingdoms of England and Ireland c. without the Kings consent it being declared High-Treason for any others to the number of thirty to meet together without the authority of Parliament II. That it should be lawful to the two Houses to sit and adjourn themselves when and where they pleased III. That all Oaths Declarations Proclamations and other proceedings against either House of Parliament during the War should be declared void and null IV. That all Titles and Honour of Peerage conferred on any by the King since his Majesty left the Parliament and since the great Seal was carried away should he declared void All these things they demand that the King would consent might be past into Law if not that things must remain as they were In the mean time the Scottish Commissioners who were then at London give in their Reasons in writing against these Demands and when nevertheless they saw that they were sent to the King they protest against them in his Majesties presence as being flatly opposite to Religion the Crown and the Agreements made betwixt the Kingdoms of England and Scotland What can the King do to get out of these streights If he grant the Demands he voluntarily resignes up the Government and if he refuse he must be deposed with the ignominious brand of Obstinacy The King though wanted neither greatness of Soul nor Wisdom and therefore sends presently back an Answer That the necessity of complying with all engaged interests in these great distempers for a perfect settlement of Peace his Majesty finds to be none of the least difficulties he hath met with since the time of his afflictions which is too visible when at the same time that the two Houses of the English Parliament do present to his Majesty several Bills and Propositions for his consent the Commissioners for Scotland do openly protest against them so that were nothing in the case but the consideration of that difference his Majesty cannot imagine how to give such an answer to what is now proposed as thereby to promise himself his great end A Perfect Peace And when his Majesty farther considers how impossible it is in the condition he now stands to fulfil the desires of his two Houses since the onely ancient and known ways of passing Laws are either by his Majesties personal assent in the House of Peers or by Commission under his great Seal of England he cannot but wonder at such failings in the manner of address which is now made unto him unless his two Houses intend that his Majesty shall allow of a great Seal made without his authority before there be any consideration had thereupon in a Treaty which as it may hereafter hazard the security it self so for the present it seems very unreasonable to his Majesty And though his Majesty is willing to believe that the intention of very many of both Houses in sending those Bills before a Treaty was onely to obtain a Trust from him and not to take any advantage by passing them to force other things from him which are either against his conscience or honour yet his Majesty believes it's clear to all understandings that these Bills contain as they are now penned not onely the divesting himself of all Soveraignty and that without possibility of recovering it either to him or his Successors except by repeal of these Bills but also the making his Concessions guilty of the greatest pressures that can be made upon the Subject as in other particulars so by giving an arbitrary and unlimited power to the two Houses for ever to raise and levy for Land and Sea-service of what persons without distinction and quality and to what numbers they please and likewise for the payment of the Arrears to levy what moneys in such sort and by such ways and means and by consequence upon the Estates of whatsoever persons as they shall think fit and appoint which is utterly inconsistent with the Liberty and Property of the Subject and his Majesties trust in protecting them so that if the major part of both Houses shall think it necessary to put the rest of the Propositions into Bills his Majesty leaves the world to judge how unsafe it would be for him to consent thereunto and if not what a strange condition after passing those four Bills his Majesty and all his Subjects would be cast into And here his Majesty thinks it not unfit to wish his two Houses to consider well of the manner of their proceeding that when his Majesty desires a personal Treaty with them for the setling of a Peace they in answer propose the very subject matter of the most essential part thereof to be first granted a thing which will be hardly credible to Posterity Wherefore his Majesty declares that neither the desire of being freed from this tedious and irksome condition of life his Majesty hath so long suffered nor the apprehension of what shall befal him in case his two Houses shall not afford him a personal Treaty shall make him change his resolution of not consenting to any Act till the whole be concluded Yet then he intends not onely to give full and reasonable satisfaction in the particulars presented to him but also to make good all other Concessions mentioned in his Message of the 16th of Novemb. last which he thought would have produced better effects than what he finds in the Bills and Propositions now presented unto him And yet his Majesty cannot give over but now again earnestly presseth for a personal Treaty so passionately is he affected with the advantages which Peace will bring to his Majesty and all his Subjects of which he will not at all despair there being no other visible way to obtain a well-grounded Peace However his Majesty is very much at ease within himself for having fulfilled the offices
for the deceased or sung their Praises in hanging Elegies his Poetry surpassing his Oratory especially when he treated of such monstrous subjects Strangers may perhaps wonder and no less our Posterity at home that such base and contemptible fellows many of them Brewers others who drank as they had brewed and spent their Estates and some again whose ignominious Poverty was a scandal to the Nation should overturn the flourishing state of England and get to the top of Authority and Government Would we know the cause of it These were the Spoils and these the Trophies of Heresie which taking its rise from the Sermonizing Presbyterian Ministers increased by the Independants hurried on by the Kennel of all the Sectarians and by a kind of flying Contagion spread over all the Forces could not be stopt till they had shed the Royal Bloud subverted the Parliament and made one ruinous heap of all good Subjects Some time before September the twenty third the Princess of Orange was come into her Native Country more fatal to her than a foreign Land to congratulate his Majesties return but falling sick of the Small Pox at London on Christmas-Eve she died being snatched away amidst the Triumphs and fresh Lawrels of her Brother Charles she onely shared in the adverse fortune of her Family and renewed the Mourning wherein the Court still was for the untimely death of the Duke of Gloucester I shall begin the year with the Solemnities of the Coronation of King Charles On the two and twentieth of May the King from the Tower of London as the custom is at the Coronation of our Kings passed through the City where in honour of so great a Solemnity the Citizens of London in the more eminent places of the streets erected four Triumphal Arches of a vast height and bigness elaborate Pieces of Art and exquisite Engines of Pomp bearing Inscriptions and Devices and adorned with Painting and gilding The first Arch bore in its Frontispice the Triumph of Charles upon his return To CHARLES the II. By the grace of G. K. of G. Brit. To the Best and Greatest And ever most Venerable Ever most August The most Happy most Pious Who was born for our Good Who of his Native Britain And of Mankind in general Has deserved most To the Father of our Country The Extinguisher of Tyranny The Restorer of our Liberty The Founder of our Quiet In memory of his happy And long-desired Restitution We Willingly and Joyfully Have placed this S. P. Q. L. CAROLO II. D. G. Britanniarum Imp. Optim Maxim Vbique Venerando Semper Aug. Beatissimo Piissimo Bono Reip. Nato De Avitâ Britan. De omnium Hominum genere Meritissimo P. P. Extinctori Tyrannidis Restitutori Libertatis Fundatori Quietis Ob Faelicem Reditum Ex voto L. M. P. S. P. Q. L. The second being a Naval bore this Inscription To the British Neptune CHARLES the II. By whose Authority The Sea Is free or restrain'd NEPTVNO Britannico CAROLO II. Cujus Arbitrio Mare Vel Liberum vel Clausum The third placed in the middle of the City represented the Temple of Concord with this Inscription The Temple of CONCORD Erected in honour of the best of Princes By whose return The British Sea and Land being appeas'd and By its ancient Laws reform'd He has restored Enlarged and adorned it S. P. Q. L. Aedem CONCORDIAE In Honorem Optimi Principis Cujus Adventu Britannia Terrâ Marique Pacata Et Priscis Legibus Reformata est Ampliorem Splendidioremque Restituit S. P. Q. L. The last exhibited the Garden of Plenty and Cornucopia's with the Statues of Bacâ—bus Ceres Flora and Pomana with this Inscription To Plenty and to Augustus The fire of Civil War Being Extinguished And the Temple of War shut This Lofty Altar Was built by the S. A. P. O. L. VBERTATI Aug. Extincto Belli Civilis Incendio Clausoque Jani Templo Aram Celsiss Construxit S. P. Q. L. Under all these the King rode on horse-back streight to his Palace in a triumphant manner with Trumpets Musick and the joyful Acclamations of the People being attended by the Nobility his Majesties Ministers and Servants the Heralds Kings at Arms the Kings Judges and Knights of the Bath The solemnity of this day though it was not so great in the number of Attendents yet in richness and splendour of Cloaths and Arms it surpassed the triumphant Entry of the King upon his return Next morning the King was in great pomp conducted to Westminster-Abbey where in his Imperial Robes the Prelates in their Myters and the Nobles in their Parliament-Robes conducted him to his Throne and the Archbishop of Canterbury anointed him with the sacred Oyl Afterwards all the ancient and usual Ceremonies upon such occasions were performed ¶ The Author of this History designing the utmost brevity hath not mentioned any of these Ceremonies but Mr. Philips in his Continuation of Dr. Richard Baker's Chronicle has very exactly set forth all the Rituals then used but hath omitted the Coronation-Oath and onely given an Epitom of it and there having of late years been strange Pretences raised upon the account of this Oath it is thought fit to insert the same here from Mr. Sanderson's History of Charles the First with that variety of Circumstances which were used in the Coronation here mentioned expressed by Mr. Philips Coronation-Oath SIR said the Bishop of London will you grant and keep and by your Oath confirm to the People of England the Laws and Customs to them granted by the Kings of England your Lawful and Religious Predecessors and namely the Laws Customs and Franchises granted to the Clergie by the Glorious King St. Edward your Predecessor according to the Laws of God the true Profession of the Gospel established in this Kingdom agreeable to the Prerogative of the Kings thereof and the ancient Customs of the Realm The King's Answer I grant and promise to keep them Bishop Sir Will you keep Peace and goodly Agreement according to your power both to God the holy Church the Clergie and the People King I will keep it Bishop Sir Will you to your power cause Law Justice and Discretion with Mercy and Truth to be executed to your Judgment King I will Bishop Sir Will you grant to hold and keep the Laws and rightful Customs which the Commonalty of this Kingdom have and will you defend and uphold them to the honour of God so much as in you lieth King I grant and promise so to do Then the Bishop of Rochester read this Admonition to the King before the People with a loud voice Our Lord and King we beseech you to pardon and to grant and to preserve unto us and to the Churches committed to your charge all Canonical Priviledges and do Law and Justice and that you would protect and defend us as every good King to his Kingdoms ought to be Protector and Defender of the Bishops and the
the King who on the first of February returned from Oxford to London where the Bonfires during the night expressed the hearty Joys of the People glad to see their Prince and that he saw the City now again in health Neighbouring Nations as yet looked at a distance upon the bloudy War betwixt the English and Dutch But Louis the French King powerful in men and money after he had for some time stood neutral thought and hoped that the Dutch and we having mutually weakened and tired our selves out in War he might have a fair opportunity to raise his power at Sea though the genius of that Nation seems not to be cut out for that profession He therefore smoothed up the Dutch with promises of assisting them with his Fleet being willing that they should have the dominion over the Seas whom he intended to conquer by Land and thereupon declared War against the English which was reciprocally proclaimed in London against the French In the same condition we stood with Denmark that the triumphs of Charles might be the larger Now besides the Dutch our Rivals at Sea the English Valour alone as yet unshaken resisted the threatning French and Denmark then alied with Holland as was equal to them all The affairs of England never succeeded better at Sea than under the auspicious conduct of his Royal Highness James Duke of York who always prefered the welfare of his Country before his own life yet he was dearer to the King and Kingdom being the second hopes of Britain than that his Princely person born to the highest Honours should be any more exposed to so mean and base an Enemy Therefore in the year one thousand six hundred and sixty six Prince Rupert and the Duke of Albemarle were pitched upon for the command of the Royal Navy who going on board equal in Power and Concord they put to Sea with a Fleet well appointed for War but presently after Prince Rupert by Letters from the Privy-Council has orders sent him in all haste with twenty good Frigats of the Fleet and others lying at Portsmouth to stand over for the Coast of France and hinder the French Fleet from joyning the Dutch I would to God it had not been judged of such an importance to make so great an effort to hinder the coming up of an Enemy who would not have much injured us nor assisted their Friends nor was there any thing to be feared from the French Fleet after the late overthrow of the Dutch But they laying hold of the opportunity of the English Fleet being divided and never fighting but by wiles and upon the advantage of number with fourscore and five Men of War attack the Royal Navy now much diminished in number With Albemarle there were not above fifty Frigats but he being a General without fear unacquainted with flight and judging nothing too hard for his fortune despised the Enemy which so far surpassed him as if they had been inferiour to him in number so confident a thing is Courage and preferring Glory before Safety on the first of June the day being pretty far advanced he drew up his Fleet and bravely engaged the Dutch Here number strove with Valour but the Sea being rough the English could not then use their lower tire of Guns which never failed to shatter and tear their Enemies Albemarle did great actions in this Engagement and everywhere behaved himself bravely being fearless amidst the thickest dangers and bold to admiration for bearing down with his own Ship upon the Enemies main Fleet he broke quite through them furiously firing on both sides till at length having given and received great loss and being disabled in his Masts Sails and Rigging he bore off Part of the Royal Fleet defended the Duke whilst he refitted his Ship and the rest continued obstinate in the Engagement till they were parted by the night In this Engagement four Dutch Ships were burnt and a Vice-Admiral and another of a less value sunk And the Dutch took three English Ships who being separated from the rest of the Fleet were engaged at a distance The Royal Fleet in the mean time suffered most in their Rigging and Tackle but all things by the diligence of the Sea-men being repaired in the night-time next morning the second of June Albemarle having called the Commanders to a Council of War on board his own Ship spake to them to this purpose HAd we been afraid of the double number of the Enemy we should have ran for it yesterday but though we be inferiour to them in Ships in all things else we have the better on 't Number made the Dutch bold and Courage us let us reflect upon that Fortune upon that Valour which heretofore the Dutch have felt to their woful experience we have the same Enemy to deal with whom we have so often beaten and made it our custom so often to overcome Let our Adversaries find to day that though our Fleet be divided our Courage is entire and when we consider our own Glory and ancient Renown how much more honourable will it be to die not unrevenged upon the Seas than to be carried Prisoners in our own Ships as a Spectacle of Triumph to the Dutch It is less disgrace to be overcome than to flie and Death is to be preferred before Fear The Fleet thus encouraged equally despising their own safety and their too numerous Enemy and being eager to retrieve their Honour all desire an Engagement and Albemarle confident in his own Valour and in the eagerness of his Souldiers declined not the Fight so that both Fleets fell to it afresh and engaged Pell-mell The English whose courage is redoubled by danger put the Enemy hard to it though they had had a fresh supply of Ships Men and Ammunition from Holland The Royal Fleet being incompassed by so many Dutch Ships had nothing else to trust to but to fight stoutly and make way for themselves in the best manner they could till at length many of the English Ships being disabled in their Sails and Rigging stood away and left the rest to deal with and maul the Enemy The Dutch sunk one Ship of the Royal Fleet and we our selves destroyed another that could not be brought off The Dutch in the mean time had but one Vice-Admiral Ship burnt and in this days Engagement with so numerous an Enemy it was a harder thing for us to keep our selves from being beaten than it was many times heretofore to have overcome them But after that with more than humane force and courage they had asserted their own Honour and the Glory of Britain lest they might make that Engagement which the resolution of the English had rendred famous by an inconsiderate boldness to be thought rash it was next day resolved in a Council of War to send off first the disabled Ships draw up the rest that were in a condition of fighting which were not above sixteen to make head