City and Suburbs for the Relief of many Thousand miserable Wretches who would otherwise have perished and to encourage others to so needful a charity by his own example ordered several great Sums of Money to be issued out of his Treasury for that Purpose On the 23d of January being the first day of Hillary Term the Lawyers went over the Ice to Westminster and back again as familiarly as on the Land some on Foot and others in Coaches and there was for above a fortnight together a Fair or Mart kept between the Temple and that part of Southwark which is opposite to it This Year Vienna the Imperial City of Germany was closely besieged and greatly distressed by the Turks who brought it to the very last extremity but were then beaten off and forced to raise their siege by the Blessing of God upon the Valour of the King of Poland and the Duke of Lorrain in which Action the Lord Landsdown Eldest Son to the Earl of Bath behaved himself with so much Valour that he was afterward as a Reward of his Courage created a Count of the Sacred Empire And Tangier having cost the King abundance of Treasure to defend it against the Moors and make the Mole there he now resolved in regard the charges were so very great and the Expectation of Advantage very uncertain to relinquish it and therefore ordered the Lord Dartmouth to repair thither wih about 20 sail of Ships and demolish the Town Castle and Mole choak up the Haven to render it useless to any who might otherwise have thought the Town worth rebuilding and bring off the Inhabitants which was done accordingly About the middle of February 1684. was the Earl of Danby after a long and tedious Imprisonment admitted to Bail by the Eminent and Loyal Sir George Jeffrys who succeeded Sir Edward Sanders in the Lord Chief Justiceship of England all the Judges of the Kings-Bench having first given their several opinions about it and delivered their Reasons why he ought to be bailed and the other four Lords one of them viz. Peters being dead sometime before having just before his Death in a Letter to the King denied upon his Salvation his being any way Guilty of what he stood accused of being within the like Reasons were admitted to the like advantage and so was the Earl of Tyrone who had been almost as long a Prisoner in the Gate-house as they had been in the Tower The King having about the Year 81 appointed under him certain Deputies or Commissioners of Ecclesiastical Offices viz. The Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Bishop of London the Lord Radnor Hallifax Hide and Mr. Seymor to whom he delegated his Power to dispose of all such Ecclesiastical Preferments as were within his immediate Patronage was pleased this Year to revoke their Commission and take those preferments again into his own immediate disposal as likewise a commission formerly granted to several Persons to execute the Office of Lord High Admiral of Eugland which was now again fully enjoyed and exercised by his Royal Highness Acts of Hostility being this Spring-fiercely pursued between the French and Spaniards by Sea and Land he commanded by Proclamation that being at Amity with both those Nations the Peace should be kept inviolably by them whilst they were in any Roads Creeks and Ports of his Dominions and that his Commanders and Officers should oppose themselves against those who should presume to assault any of the Ships of his Allies in any of his Roads or Places under his Protection Oates the Salamanca Doctor and Plot-Master-General not content with having falsly charged his Royal Highness the Kings only Brother and Heir with divers base and improbable Stories as tho he had plotted with the Papists against the King his Brother suffered his Spleen to boil to such an exorbitant degree that he saucily and impudently abused him with base and scurrilous Language calling him Traytor declaring That he hoped to see him hang'd with divers horrid devilish and abominable Expressions The Dukes patience not being easily provoked bore long with him but finding that forbearance did but render him more bold and increase his malignity at last he brought his Action of Scandalnm Magnatum against him upon which he was arrested at the Amsterdam Coffee-house on the back-side of the Royal Exchange and carried to Woodstreet Compter and from thence removed by Habeas Corpus to the Kings Bench and having let Judgment go in the next Term by default a Writ of Enquiry was issued out and executed before the Lord Chief Justice in the Kings-Bench Court when the Jury upon hearing the Evidence to shew their detestation of such an unheard of impudence gave 100000 Damages The Hambrough Company out of Gratitude for some great Favour received from the King did this Spring erect a most elaborate and curious Statue of him in Gray Marble in the very middle or Center of the Royal Exchange cut by Mr. Grinlin Gibbons the most Famous Statuary that England ever produc'd and equal if not superior to the best at this Time in Europe in the Garb and Habit of a Roman Caesar It was placed upon a curious Pedestal made of the same Marble upon which was the following Inscription Carolo II Caesari Britanico Patriae Patri Regnum optimo Clementissimo Augustissimo Generis Humani Deliciis Vtriusque fortunae Victori Pacis Europae Arbitro Maris Domino Vindici Societas Meâ—catorum Adventur Angliae Quae per CCCC jam prope Annos Regia Benignitate floret Fidei Intemerata Gratitudinis Aeternaâ— Hoc Testimonium Venerabunda posuit Anno sal Humanae MDCLXXXIV The Council sitting on the 28th of May at Hampton Court as it used frequently to do when he was at Windsor as the most convenient place for his coming to it he told them that he thought it fit and did intend his Brother should be present at the Meetings of the Council who accordingly took his Seat that Day and ever after during his Brothers Life And in October following the King made a Review or Muster of his Land-Forces upon Putney Heath where there was a most gallant Military Appearance the Horse consisting of the Three Troops of Guards the Granadeers the Earl of Oxford's Regiment of Horse and the Lord Churchels Regiment of Dragoons and the Foot of two Battalians formed and the Regiment of Guards with their Granadeers one from the Coldstream Regiment of Guards and Granadeers one from the Earl of Dumbartons Regiment and another from the Admiral Regiment with their Granadeers the whole Number of Horse and Foot between 4000 and 5000 being all exactly trained and well cloath'd most of the Horse march'd in the morning in Gallant Order through the Streets of London and so over the Bridg to Putney This Michaelmas Terms several Factious Persons were convicted of speaking scandalous and seditious Words against the Government for which one Best commonly call'd the Protestant Hop-Merchant was fined 1000 l. and ordered to stand in the Pillory
have you begin the best Government you can attain to is to be subject to his Word and Spirit swaying in your heart Your Glory will be the advancement of God's Glory in the maintenance of true Religion and of the Churches good and in the dispensation of Civil Justice and Honour for the publick good Piety will make you prosperous or at least not miserable whereby in the loss of all you save a Soul to which as to a Creature I see all these black Lines of Affliction drawn This Cup we tast is God's Physick having that in healthfulness in wants and pleasure I would have you above all well grounded in your Religion according to the best Profession of the Church of England which I wish may be judiciously your Religion sealed by your Judgment and Reason persevering iâ— it as the nearest to the Word of Goâ— for Doctrine and the Primitive Examples for Government with such amendment as I elsewhere expressed and often offered but in vain A fixation for Relâ—gion is necessary for your Souls and Kingdoms Peace The Devil of Rebellion can turn himself into such an Angel of Reformation and the Old Serpent can pretend such New Lights that when some mens Consciences accuse them for Sedition and Faction they stop their mouth with the name and noise of Religion When Piety pleads for Peace and Patience they cry out Zeal so that you must be settled or you shall never want Temptations to destroy you and yours Men are so good at putting the best of Princes for the worst of Designs especially when Novelty prevails much attended with Zeal for Religion and 't is a good way to hide their own Deformities by severe censures upon other mens Opinions and Actions Abet no publick Faction against your own and the Churches settled judgment least the advantage you gain in some Mens Hearts who are prone to be of their Kings Religion be lost in others who think themselves and their professions first dispised and then Persecuted by you Either calmly remove the seeming differences and offences by impartiality or order it so in point of power that you need not fear or flatter any else you are undone so quickly will the Serpent devour the Dove There is less Loyalty Justice or Humanity in none than in Religious Rebels whose Ambitious Policies march under the Colours of Piety with security and applause You may hear from them Jacobs Voice but you shall feel they have Esaus Hands The Presbyterian Faction in England while compliant with publick order was inconsiderable in Church and Sâ—ate When discontents drove Men to sideing as ill humors fall to the disaffected part so did all that affected Novelty adhere to that side as the most remarkable note of difference then in point of Religion all lesser Factions until time and success had discovered to them their several advantages being officious Servants to Presbytery What may seem at first but an hand-breadth in Religion by Seditious Spirits as by strong Winds are soon made to cover and darken the whole Heavens and therefore must be suppressed or reformed Next to your care for Religion take care for Justice according to the settled Laws of these Kingdoms which by an admirable temperament give very much to the Subject and yet reserve enough for any King who owns his People as Subjects and not as Slaves Never charge your Head with such a Crown as may oppress the whole Body that it cannot return any strength honour or safety to the head Your Prerogative is best exercised in remitting rather than exacting the just Vigour of the Laws I hope you will never think it safe for a King to gratify any Faction with the perturbation of the Laws in which is wrapt up the publick interest and the good of the Community My Counsel and charge to you is that if it please God to restore you you seriously consider the former real or objected miscarriages which might occasion my troubles that you may avoid them Never repose so much upon any Mans single fidelity and distraction in managing affairs of Religion and Justice as to create in your self or others a diffidence of your own judgment which will prove more faithful to your own and the Kingdoms interest than any Mans. Exasperate no Faction by the asperity of any Mans Passions or humors employed by you about differences in lesser matters wherein a charitable toleration dissipates that strength whom rougher opposition fortifieth provided the differences amount not to an insolent opposition of Laws and Governments our Religion Established as to the essentials of them Always keep up solid Piety and those fundamental Truths which mend both the hearts and lives of men with impartial Favour and Justice Take heed that outward Circumstances of Religion devour not all the Encouragements of Learning Industry and Piety but with an equal Eye and impartial Hand distribute Favours and Rewards to all men as you find for their real goodness both in abilities and fidelity worthy or capable of them This will give you the hearts of the best and most too who though they be not good themselves yet are glad to see the severer ways of Virtue at any time sweetned with Temporal Rewards Time will dissipate all Faction when the roughâ— Designs of some men shall discover themselves which were at first wrapt up under the smooth pretences of Religion Reformation and Liberty For as the Wolf is not less cruel so he will be more justly hated when he shall appear no better than a Wolf under Sheeps clothing And as for the secluded Train of the vulgar who in their simplicity follow those disguises my charge and counsel to you is That as you need no palliations for any Designs so you study really to exceed in true and constant demonstrations of Goodness Piety and Virtue toward the People even those men that make the greatest noise and ostentation of Religion So you shall neither fear any detection as they do who have but the face and mask of goodness nor shall you frustrate the just expectation of your People who cannot in reason promise themselves so much good from any Subjects Novelty as from the goodness of their King And when Factions are by God's Mercy and your Virtue dissipated the abused vulgar will then learn that none are greater Oppressors of their Estates Liberties and Consciences than those men that entitle themselves the Patrons and Vindicators of them only under that pretence to usurp Power over them Let no passion therefore betray you to any study of revenge upon those whose own sense and folly will sufficiently punish in due time But as soon as the Forked Arrows of Factious Emulations is drawn out use all Princely Arts and Clemency to heal the Wounds that the smart of the Cure may not equal the smart of the Heart Where-ever it shall be desired and accepted offer Indempnity to so great a latitude as may include all that can but suspect themselves to be any way
final period But that no revolution of time might obliterate or blot out the memory of those worthy and excellent things done by it The King at the time of his dissolution honour'd it by his Royal Mouth with the Epithite of the Healing Parliament which will undoubtedly recommend it to posterity and ought alwaies to provoke that great assembly to an imitation of them in their endeavour to heal and close the breaches of the Nation On the 30th of January the day on which his Father was murder'd he commanded Cromwel Ireton and Bradshaw to be taken out of those sumptuous monuments which they had usurpt in their Death as they had done the Throne in their Life-time and drawn in a Cart from Westminster to the Red Lyon in Holborn and from thence on Sledges to Tyburn where they were hanged from ten of the Clock till Sun set and then cut down and their Bodies buried in a deep hole under the Gallows their heads being cut off and plac'd upon Westminsterâ—Hall where they will continue the brand-marks of their posterity and the expiatory remains of their horrid and abominable Crimes About this time also notwithstanding Overton Courtney and other Fifth Monarchy-men had been taken up and secured yet those mad and hair-brain'd People still persisted in their design'd Insurrection which strange and unheard of action will afford the truest fight and judgment of that Brainsick Crew since a handful of those wild People presum'd to attempt the whole City of London For having arm'd themselves they came to St. Paul's in the dusk of the evening and having order'd and muster'd their small party plac'd Centinels one whereof kill'd an innocent Person as he was accidentally passing by for saying upon their demanding of him who he was for that he was for God and King Charles and having created great disturbance they kill'd some of the City Watch and repulst a party of the Train-bands that were sent to charge them and marcht through Aldersgate which they forc'd the Constable to open to Cane-wood where they lurkt for some time with a resolution to make another Insurrection in the City till they were routed by a party of Horse and Foot and about thirty of them taken Prisoners who being carried before the General the King being at that time from London was sent by him to the Gate-House Notwithstanding which defeat those who escaped after they had quitted the Wood returned for London with assurance of success in their Hellish Enterprize Venner who was a Wine-Cooper by Trade telling them in his Sermon which he Preacht to stir them up and encourage them therein That he was assured No Weapon fram'd against them should prosper nor a hair of their heads perish which their Impunity in their first attempt deluded them to believe And therefore so soon as the Watches Guards were removed On Wednesday morning they reinforced their first enterprize appearing at Thread-needle-Street and giving an Alarum to the Trained-Bands which was appointed to watch all that day A party of whom being sent against them were forced to retreat to their main Guard Whereupon the whole Company marching in a body towards them they fled into Bishops-gate-Street where happened a sharp dispute between them wherein two were killed and as many taken the like number being killed and wounded of the Train'd-Bands Their next appearance was at Colledg-Hill from whence they March't up into Cheap-side and so into Wood-street Venner himself with a Murrion on his head and a Halbird in his hand being their chief Leader where there was the fiercest action that happened during the whole Insurrection for they fought it out stoutly with two Companies of the Trayned-Bands and some of the Life-Guards Commanded by the Duke of York and the General in very good Order and Discipline putting them at first to the retreat till being over-power'd and Venner knockt down and wounded and Tufney and Cragg two more of their principal Teachers they began to give ground and soon after fled in great Confusion dispersing themselves several wayes but the greater of them went down Wood street towards Cripple-gate firing in their retreat at the Trained-Bands of Yellow who followed them in close pursuit ten of them took into the Blew-Anchor Ale House by the Postern which they briskly maintained for some time and when some of the Yellow having possest themselves of the next adjoyning House broke down some part of it and fired in upon them they notwithstanding desperately refused to accept of Quarter And when another File of Musqueteers firing their way up stayrs had shot down the door and entred the Room upon them six of them being kill'd before and one upon refusing quarter then knockt down and afterward shot with a Musquet the rest being demanded why they craved not Quarter before answered That it was because they durst not for fear lest their own fellows would have shot them to such a prodigious height had their resolution and desperation carried them The whole number of those who made this last Insurrection amounted not to about fifty Persons twenty whereof were taken besides those killed who were soon after brought to their Tryal at which it was proved that Venner Tufney and Crag had several times perswaded their Congregation to take up Armes for King JESUS against the Powers of the Earth meaning thereby the King the Duke of York and the General and that they were to have killed all that opposed them sixteen of them were found guilty and Condemned to be drawn hanged and quartered and eleven of them were executed accordingly the other five being repreived by the Kings Mercy And now lest any of the scattered Rayes of the Imperial Brightness and Glory that belong to him as a Monarch of Great Britain France and Ireland should suffer a diminution or be obscured by too long an interval greater preparations were made for the setling the Crown which alone of all the Ensigns of Majesty had escapt the Usurpation of Cromwell when he had impudently assumed all the other Regalities of his Rightful King and Soveraign but could no way fit this Sacred Symbol of Majesty to his impious and aspiring designation although he had made the most holiest things and even Scripture it self to truckle thereunto with all imaginable splendor upon his head a Ceremony that serves not so much for an excess of Pomp as a boundary of Government and was contrived at first more out of profoundness of State-Reason than for the transient Glory of the Ceremony it self In order whereunto the City of London Erected four Magnificent and tryumphal Arches the first whereof was in Leaden-hall-Street after the Dorick order on the North side whereof on a Pedestal before the Arch was placed a Woman personating Rebellion Mounted on a Hydra in a Crimson Robe torn in several places Snakes crawling on her habit and in her hair her Loynes girt with Serpents a Crown of Fire on her head a bloody Sword in one hand and a charming Rod
joyn with him therein went on by themselves and poll'd for Four Heads with a Salvo Jure to their former Election The next day the Mayor having caused his Books to be cast up and finding the Majority of Voices to be for Box he declared North and him to be Sheriffs But Box refusing to serve and paying in his Fine according to Custom the Mayor call'd another Common-Hall on the 19th of September and proposed Peter Rich Esq to be chosen in his stead who having the Majority of Voices and being declared Sheriff the Mayor dissolved the Court and returned home But the Two Sheâ—iffs notwithstanding the Mayor's dissolution continued this Assembly as they had done the former and demanding of their own Party the rest being departed with the Mayor whether they would abide by their former Choice for Papillion and Duboise proceeded likewise to a Poll and having cast up their Books declared them to be Sheriffs Elect. Whereupon the Mayor acquainting the King with their Proceedings he commanded them to attend him in Council where they were severely checkt and not dismist without giving sufficient Bail to answer to an Information which should be exhibited against them for their unwarrantable proceedings But notwithstanding this ill success they were not so discouraged as to desist from the like practices for the future For on Michaelmas-day when the Citizens met for the Election of a Mayor they mustered up their utmost strength and appeared with as much Violence against Sir William Pritchard the next in course as they had done against North and Box setting up Gold and Cornish against them altho Cornish had been Sheriff but the very year before However Pritchard carried it by the Majority of Voices In this year died the Illustrious Prince Rupert in the 63d year of his Age The Constableship of Windsor-Castle which had been enjoyed by him for many years being after his Death conferred by the King on the Earl of Arundel And on the 18th of December died Henâ—eage Earl of Nottingham and Lord High Chancellor of England who had enjoyed that place ever since it was taken from Shaftsbury in the year 73. and was succeeded by Sir Francis North Lord Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas This year was very remarkable also for the Arrival of Two Extraordinary and Famous Embassages from Two Princes never known to have sent any into England before one from the Emperor of Fez and Morocco who in his Letter exprest much Kindness and a great Veneration to the King His Name was Hamet Benhamet Benhaddu Otter a man of a Majestick Presence and great Wisdom His business was about setling a Peace in relation to Tangier and his Person and Conversation was so pleasant and taking that he was received and caressed with more Honour and Respect both by the King and his Nobles than any Embassador I ever knew at Court And so he was by both Universities which he visited seeming to have an equal Esteem and Valuation for our Nation Nor was there ever any Embassador before him so much admired by the common people great multitudes always attending before his House which was near Katherine-street in the Strand to gaze upon and wonder at the strange Garb worn by him and his Attendants one whereof was an English Renegado formerly a Barber somewhere about Temple bar but being afterward a Soldier in Tangier he ran away from that Garison to the Moors and was by them highly advanced for his perfidious directing them in their Wars against that Town The other Embassage was from the King of Bantham in the East-Indies whose business was about the East-India Trade who would have been as much admired as the former if he had come another time but all mens Eyes were so generally fixt upon the Morocco that they were less minded than otherwise they would have been They brought the King several rich presents of Diamonds and other things of great value But not long after their return we received ill news when we least expected it For the Dutch having under pretence of assisting the Rebel Prince who was commonly called The Young King of Bantham against his Father the Old King seized upon that Town turn'd out the English whom they found there and seized on their Factory to the great damage of the English Nation On the 24th of April hapned one of the most famous and extraordinary Exploits that was ever known in London For one Broome Clerk of Skinners-Hall and Coroner of Landon having a Latitat out of the Kings-Bench in an Action upon the Case at the Suit of Papillion and Duboise agaiâ—st the Lord Mayor Sheriff North and several Loyal Aldermen Upon acquainting them therewith they all submitted to his Arrest and went with him as Prisoners to Skinners-Hall where they remained till about midnight Eight Companies of the Trained Bands being raised by order of the Lieutenancy upon that altogether new and unusual attempt to prevent Tumults But one Fletcher a Serjeant of the Poultrey-Compter having an Action of Debt upon a Bond of 400. l. agaiust Broome who had the Week before promised to give Bail to it but neglecting it and seeing him act so imperiously against the Chief Magistrate of the City took him into custody and carried him forthwith to the Compter The Mayor and his Fellow-prisoners seeing Broome carried away by a Serjeant demanded if there were any in the house who had Orders to detain them which being answered in the Negative they all peaceably departed to their several homes In the next Month was tried at Guild-Hall before the Lord Chief Justice Saunders Pemberton having been removed to the Common-Pleas upon North's receiving the Seal the great Riot committed the year before at the Election of Sheriffs Fourteen being found Guilty thereof and Fined And the better part of the City both for Number and Quality Resolved at a Common-Council held on the 22d of that Month That notwithstanding the Action in which the Mayor was Arrested at the Suit of Papillion and Duboise was said to be prosecuted at the Instance of the Citizens of London yet they to deliver themselves and the said Citizens from that false imputation did declare they were no way privy or consenting to that Action and therefore did disown and disapprove the same But the City having in the Judgment of Lawyers forfeited their Charter by several illegal proceedings the King thought the best way to prevent such kind of Tumults which might be of ill consequence to the Nation in general for the future would be the taking that Forfeiture that so by having the Charter delivered up into his hands they might by a more absolute dependance upon his Goodness be obliged to a stricter performance of their Allegiance and take the greater care to preserve the publick peace and quiet Whereupon he ordered a Writ of Quo Warranto to go out against their Charter which was grounded chiefly on their illegal exacting of Tolls in their Markets and their having framed and printed a scandalous