THE LIFE and REIGNE OF Our SOVEREIGN LORD KING CHARLES the II In a compendious Chronicle relating both to his Majesties Person and Affairs With the chief Transactions of State in the Three Kingdomes from his Birth to this present By a Lover of his Prince and Countrey LONDON Printed by R. DANIEL for FRANCIS EGLESFIELD at the Marigold 〈◊〉 â—t Paul's Church-yard 1660. To the Happy Preserver of his Sacred Majesty the LADY JANE LANE MADAME THis smal Volume humbly Offered to your Hand contains part of the Life and Reigne of one of the Greatest Monarchs in the World The rest 't is hoped as it will be the imployment of a more elegant Pen so it will not be accomplisht till it afford a Chronicle of more years Prosperities in these Nations then this is of Miseries That I have presumed to dedicate it to your Ladiship if I incurre the censure of boldness I am confident every one will commend the fitnesse of my Choice Since nothing could be more proper then to intitle your Ladiship to the Relation of that Life which next under the Divine Providence you were chiefly instrumental to preserve To you Madame we owe all that can be ow'd from Christians Subjects or Men to any person upon Earth by whose dangerous but ever memorable Fidelity we are at length restor'd to whatever is dear to us in those three capacities and which is no small consideration to the liberty of publishing the impartiall truths as far as the best Relations afforded in this Book Nor is the present Age onely oblig'd to you but your glory shall live upon Record and your Name embalmea with praises be preserved in the memory of thankfull Posterity In all which respects I have thought it my duty both in testimony of my particular Loyalty Gratitude to present this Piece to your Ladiship as the Person that ha's the greatest right to it withall publickly to acknowledge my self MADAME Your Ladiships most devoted Servant and Eternal Honorer FR. EGLESFIELD A true and accurate Relation of the LIFE and REIGN Of our Soveraign Lord and KING CHARLES the II. KING Charles the first of that name having soon after his coming to the Crown married Henrietta Maria youngest daughter of Henry the fourth and sister of Lewis the thirteenth Kings of France was blessed with a Son on the twenty ninth day of May one thousand six hundred and thirty Upon whose birth as the King was going in solemn manner to the Church of S. Paul in London to present his gratefull devotions to God for his own and the Nations happinesse in receiving so eminent a Pledge of his favour there was observ'd a new Star appearing in the time of mid-day as if the Heavens seem'd by an extraordinary Production to aemulate the new splendor of the Earth The young Prince was baptised at S. Iames's on the twenty seventh of Iuly next ensuing by the hand of Dr. Laud then bishop of London Dr. Abbot Archbishop of Canterbury being rendred uncapable by an unhappy accident of shooting a man and received his Father's name Charles his Godfathers were his two Uncles Lewis the thirteenth King of France and Frederick King of Bohemia and Prince Elector Palatine of the Rhine whose absence occasioning them to depute their substitutes the late Duke Hamilton represented his Majesty of France and the Duke of Richmond the King of Bohemia His Godmother was Marta de Medicis Queen dowager of France represented by the Dutchesse of Richmond It deserves our notice that he was born the greatest Prince that ever these Nations knew never any before him having been born heir apparent to the Crowns of England Scotland France and Ireland which was intimated in the Silver coynes made at the solemnity of his Baptism on the reverse side whereof were the Armes of those four Kingdomes with this Motto Hactenus Anglorum nulli On the fourth day of November one thousand six hundred thirty one it pleased the Divine Providence to enlarge the Royal Family by the birth of a Daughter the Lady Mary who was afterwards viz. 2. May 1641. married to VVilliam of Nassau Prince of Orange by whom she hath a posthume Son named VVilliam a Princess whose perfections qualifi'd her for the bed of the greatest Potentate in Christendome had not the interest of Religion been more consider'd in her match then amplitude of Territory or Title By the blessing of Heaven upon the Royal bed the King became father to another Son the most illustrious and renouned Iames Duke of York upon the thirteenth of October in the year One thousand six hundred thirty three he was solemnly baptised on S. Iames's day next following and within a few dayes after created Duke of York Title born by his Father during the life of Prince Henry his elder brother This Prince hath though yet in his youth so signalized himself by his valour in the Armies of the Kings of Spain and France that I think this Age nor perhaps any of old cannot afford his parallel His Majesty likewise had another Son brought forth to him by his Royal Consort upon the twentieth day of Iuly 1640. who was Christned Henry and created Duke of Glocester And a Daughter at Excester during the Warres upon the sixteenth of Iune 1644. named after her Royal mother Henrietta Maria. This is the surviving Issue of our late Soveraign of blessed memory And having thus briefly given an account of the Parentage and Birth of these Illustrious Princes I shall proceed to represent the Life of Him who is particularly the Argument of this Relation CHARLES Prince of Wales now our Soveraign Lord King of Great Britain France and Ireland c. The care of his Infancy was committed to the right honourable the Countess of Dorset wife to the last Earle 'till after some yeares having out-grown female conduct the present Marquess of Newcastle was chosen by the King as a fit person to imbue his Youth with all the accomplishments requisite to greatnesse and the Reverend Dr. Duppa Lord Bishop of Chichester and now of Salisbury as one able to form his tender mind to true Religion and Virtue Every year of his Childhood afforded new promises and hopes and even in that age which usually has not the advantage of discretion either totally to subdue or at least to dissemble the motions of passions he express'd on all occasions an extraordinary goodnesse and sweetness of nature seeming to have been born with that equal temper of mind which few men render themselves capable of by the help of Philosophy and Religion Nor were his inclinations to Virtue more remarkable then those he had to excellent and solâ—d Arts which the composednesse of his Genius render'd more acceptable to him then the levity of the most exquisite divertisements In the ninth year of his Age he hapned to break his arme and was very sickly falling first into a Feaver and shortly after into the Jaundies but by the favour of the divine providence he happily overcame
sent by the Lair Libberton The New Commonwealth in England in the mean time was modell'd thus The House of Peers as I said was voted down the Commons reduc'd to about 100 and a new kind of Senate set up called a Council of State who sate at Whitehall consisting of forty persons these indeed though deriv'd from the Parliament grew to have greater authority then their creators but though the supreme Power seem'd in appearance to be in these two Councils yet it was really in the hands of the Army the chief Officers of which rul'd them that rul'd the Nations Their principall business at Home was to fortify their new Government by making severall Acts of Treason and to terrifie others by putting to death divers of the Nobility as D. Hamilton E. of Holland L. Capel c. and such of the Gentry who had oppos'd their Barbarous and Tyrannicall Proceedings They also employ'd themselves in dividing the Patrimony of the Crown having murder'd the Father and expell'd the Son the same course also they took with many thousands of loyall persons either confiscating and selling their Estates or putting them to redeem the same upon great compositions by this meanes and prodigious Taxes together drawing all the Wealth of the Nation both Money Lands into their own hands and sharing the same among themselves their Lords the Officers of the Army His Majesty had small hopes of doing any good immediately upon England although he had friends enough in it However two noble Gentlemen Sir Iohn Berkly and Col. Slingsby offer'd themselves to serve their Prince in England and accordingly came from Iersey into the VVest and went about stirring up their Correspondents to Armes for their King Country but they were both accidentally discover'd taken The King had sent Ambassadours to severall great Princes and States as the Emperor the King of Spain the Duke of Moscovy the State of Venice the Grand Seignor and others to sollicite their ayd and contribution for the recovery of his Father's Kingdomes But from the most of them he received only complements pretenses of their good will to help him The most considerable Embasse and most probable to take effect was that to his Majesty of Spain by the Lord Cottington who at his Audience remonstrated in the name of his Master That the Parliament of England having been in Armes against his Father had prevailed against him and caused him to be put to dâ—ath That he being Son and heir to the late King was yet kept out of his Kingdomes by the said Parliament And therefore he desired his Aid and Assistance to establish him into his Rights and Dignities in his Kingdomes To this the King of Spain answer'd That he was sorry for his Father 's ill successe wishing he had been more prosperous That he condol'd with him for his Father's death and was much affected with sorrow at the manner of it That concerning the difference between him and the Parliament and the Rights on thâ— one or the other side they being matters out of his Territories and Iurisdiction he could not take cognizance of them nor should he meddle therein But for any thing within his own Dominions he should be ready to do him what lawful favour he could But such is the influence Self Interest has upon the minds even of the greatest Potentates that it many times excludes all considerations of generosity Had the Neighbour-States resented the unjustice done to this King and his Father as they ought I am confident the Spirits of the Iuncto would have soon been broken But the course of the world as I said is otherwise his Majesty of Britain is an Exile his Enemies are great and powerfull and therefore in stead of sending assistance to the unfortunate Prince the King of Spain sends and Embassadour to court the new Common wealth of Rebels to a League The King hearing of a Fleet of Ships preparing by the Parliament for the Island of Iersey thought fit to dispatch his answer to the Committee of Estates of Scotland in order to a Treaty which being drawn up with a Letter directed to the Committee of the Kirk Assembly the Laird Libberton departed with it to Scotland Soon after which his Majesty to avoid all danger went from Iersey back again into France where her resided with his Royal Mother till the time for the Scotch Treaty drew near Before his going thither he writ thus to the Lord Marq. of Montross Most Dear and well beloved Cousin We have received Letters from our Kingdome of Scotland of which you receive herewith a Copy by which our subjects demand of us that we would please to acknowledge for lawfull their Parliament and particularly the two last Sessions of that Assembly Which being obtained of our Grace they offer to send us their Deputies with full Commission to Treat with us of the means to reestablish Peace and obedience in that Kingdome We have made them an Answer That we have made known to their Envoy the place where we desired their Deputies should come to us with all diligence And to the end you should not apprehend that by our Letters or by the Treaty we had any design to hinder the affairs we hâ—ve committed to you we have thought fit to let you know that as we judge the Levies you have made for our service to have been a powerfull motive to oblige them to send their Deputies and to enter into Treaty with us So we also believe that the Progrese you shall make in your generous Designes will dispose them to Treat with the more moderation to the end the whole Realm may again happily return under our obedience We assure you we have not the least thought to derogate from that ample Commission which we have given you nor to diminish that Authority in which we have invested you by our Letters Patents And we doe promise you also if it shall come to passe that we shall enter into any good Intelligence with our subjects we shall have so much care of your proper Interest that all the world shall see how much we esteem your Person what confidence we have in your conduct your Courage whereof not only the late King our Father but Our self also have reciv'd Proofs both by what you have done suffer'd for Us. In the mean time you shall understand that we have qualified the Assembly of our Subjects with the Appellation of the Committee of Estates which we have done onely for this Treary Which if it shall not succeed as we desire As we know already this Qualification of the Privy Signet do's not at all authorise them to be such so we shall then forthwith declare for what we hold them notwithstanding this Title which we have given them both for their own proper satisfaction also to make known to all the World that we desire to bring back our Subjects of the Kingdome of Scotland to their Duty rather by wayes of
beheaded On Decemb. 24. Edenburgh Castle having endur'd a violent siege 3. Moneths surrender'd to Cromwel so did other strong Castles places as Nesbit Berthwick and Roswell c. so successfull were their Impious Armes by God's providence who was pleas'd to use them as a scourge for these sinfull Nations Preparations in the mean time were made for the Coronation of his Majesty for the celebrating of which the 1. of Ianuary had been long before design'd by the Estates The place was the Town of Scoon where 150. Kings of that Nation had formerly been Crown'd Thither therefore his Majesty with the Nobility Barons and Burgesses in their robes remove'd the whole Scotch Army standing all the way as a guard making a lane between those two places The solemnity was performed with as much Pompe and Ceremony as the present State of things would permit and with loud Acclamations Bonefires shooting of Guns c. His Majesty having first heard a Sermon preacht by Mr. Rob. Douglas sitting upon a Scaffold erected in the Church of Scoone took the ordinary Coronation Oath and subscribed the National Covenant with the solemn League and Covenant After which he ascended upon a Stage a little Higher then the former sate down in the Throne when the people being demanded four times by the King at Armes VVhether they were willing to accept of King CHARLES for their King becomâ— subject to his Commandments express'd their consent with loud Acclamations God save King CHARLES the Second This being done his Majesty was cloathed by the Lord Chamberlain with his Royall Robes the Crown was set upon his Head by the Marquiss of Argyle and the Scepter put into his hand the Sword was girt about him by the Earle Marshall and the Spurs put on by the Earle of Eglington Then the Nobility being called by the Herald one by one swore allegiance fealty to his Majesty touching the Crown upon his head with their right Hand in these Words By the Eternal Almighty God who liveth reigneth for ever I shall support thee to the uttermost The people also holding up their hands swore obedience to hiâ— Mâ—â—â—sty according to the usuall Oath And to conclude â—ll an exhortatory Oration was made by Mr. Rob. Duglasse and a Prayer Which being done his Majesty and the Nobility departed out of the Church in the former Order and Pompe the Earle of Glencarn carrying the Sword before him The Ceremonies being thus ended his Majesty and the Nobility were intertain'd at a Stately and Magnificent Dinner which done they all return'd to St. Iohnston's in the same manner they came in his Majesties Guard consisting of the Sons of divers great Scotch Lords and other Members of Parliament the Captain whereof was the Lord of Lorne Son to Argile I have omitted the full relation of all the passages at his Majesties Inauguration because they have been already frequently publish'd and lest they should adde too much to the bulk of this volume This business being over it behoved his Majesty to provide for the defence of his Crown and Kingdome in order whereunto he set up his Standerd at Aberdeen to which a considerable number of men in a short time repaired of whom himself was General Duke Hamilton Lieut. General of the Army David Lesley Major General Middleton Lieut. Gen. of the Horse and Massey Commander in chief of all the English Forces The Parliament of Scotland which had adjourn'd during his Majestie 's Coronation reassembled about the beginning of March and much contest there was for several Lords of the Royal Party to be admitted to their Seats in the House which by reason of the opposition of the Kirk-assemblies at Sterling and Aberdeen could not be obtain'd till they had pass'd the Stool of Repentance which Duke Hamilton did with some kind of splendour having a Table plac'd before him covered with black Velvet with a Cushion of the same and making a great Feast that day In this Session a Committee was appointed to consider of the State of Affairs and examine obstructions by whom severall persons that were found to hold correspondence with the English Army had their Estates sequestred and some were try'd for their lives Arguile at the same time and other Covenanteer Lords repining at the admission of the Royall Lords into the Parliament Army as if they should thereby become overpower'd or utterly discarded And indeed to these two pernicious qualities Treachery and particular Ambition peculiar almost to that Nation his Majestie 's and that Kingdome 's ensuing misfortunes ought to be ascrib'd In the mean time his Majesty was very active in modelling his new Army whose Rendezvouse was at the East of Fife encouraging them many times with his presence and speech the English gaine two very strong Castles Hume and Trimptallon lying between Berwick and Edenburgh the former by Colonel Fenwick and the other by Colonel Monck But to prevent their further progresse his Majesty personally visited all the Garrisons of Fife and put them in a posture to hinder the English from landing on that side the Frith after which he went to the Assembly at Aberdeen to endeavour by his presence and authority to compose Dissentions And having taken this order at home he imploy'd the Earle of Dumferling Ambassadour into Holland Mr. Crofts into Russia besides others into other Nations to solicite for assistance Thus he acquitted himself as far as humane prudence could reach but abroad his Ambassadours receiv'd nothing but fruitlesse promises and empty complements amongst whom Sir Henry Hide Lieger at Constantinople had the worst fortune for I know not upon what contest between him and Sir Thomas Bendish that lay there in behalf of the New State Bendish got him into his hands and sent him over into England where as other Loyall Subjects had formerly been he was formally tryed before a parcel of Murderers in apretended High Court of Iustice condemned and beheaded near the Old Exchange in London on March 4. 1650. A person he was of great parts honesty and loyalty Of the same cup also and from the same hands tasted Captain Brown Bushel an expert Seaman who had lately done notable service for his Majesty by sea He was beheaded on Tower-hill on the 25. of April 1651. But to proceed No considerations could unite the dissenting Covenanted Scots The Clergy like fire brands were as eager to ruine their Countrey with their tongues as the Sectarian Army could be with the sword Guthry Cant Duram Galespy men of hot spirits inflaming inconsiderable discontents to high outrages as if a spirit of division had wholly possess'd them and so perverted their judgements that petty animosities were prosecuted with greater zeal then the publick Cause Malignants it seems had commands given them and grew potent this was the ground of contest Some covenanted Lords too either for that they were Kirk-ridden or blinded with envy and ambition began to be dissatisfi'd whereupon Louden was discharged from being
strict command he had lay'd upon him at his departure out of France of the horrid injury offer'd to his conscience honour and family of the vanity of his perswaders motives and the falseness and emptiness of their promises He also declar'd to him the more eligiblenesse of any degree of suffering and urg'd to him the fidelity of God's promises whose love he must expect to loose together with that of himself a most affectionate Brother in case he yielded to the inveiglements of his Temptours Moreover he desir'd him to reflect on their dead Father's last charge solemnly given him the day before his Glorification with the entail of his blessing annexed And in conclusion added That if he either chang'd his Religion or put himself into the Iesuites Colledge he had the last Letter from him and must never look to see England or his face again And that if which God forbid their businesse miscarried for ever the whole ruining of their Family and all the Nations too must be laid with all the consequent mischiefs at his doore as the chief cause of it Assoon as his Highnesse had read this admonitory Letter he transcrib'd a copy of it and sent it to the Queen desiring her permission to come to Paris both in regard of these commands of the King and of his Brother the Duke of York's approching return from the Army To which her Majesty answer'd that she should not cease wishing his eternall good by his conversion to which nevertheless she would not force him but wish'd him to hearken to what Mr. Montagu should further deliver to him which was that he would be willing to go to the Iesuites Colledge where he should have extreme freedome in every thing But all would not prevail upon his resolution However he return'd to Paris whereabout the 18. of November the Marquis of Ormond arriv'd from Germany with Letters and new Instructions having taken a long and dangerous voyage by reason the lately dissolved French Army had betaken themselves to the robbing of all passengers Before the intent of his journey was known the Queen of France and the Cardinal very closely press'd him and so did her Majesty of England both her self apart and by Mr. Montagu Which importunities proving fruitlesse some severities were proceeded to which occasion'd his Highnesse to leave the Palace Royal and go to the House of the Lord Hatton's in the Fauxbourgs where the former solicitations were renew'd but with as little successe After which the Duke desir'd the favour to see the Q. his Mother before his departure but was refus'd which denial having receiv'd with much grief he went away with my Lord of Ormond to Collen where his Majestie resided But let us look back a little upon the actions of the Usurper of his Majestie 's Dominions Cromwel's new Instrument enjoin'd the summoning of Parliament every three years and accordingly he sent out his new fashioned Writs and new contriv'd Indentures for the returning of Members and that after a new way ten or a dozen for most Counties one or two for Cities and Burroughs and many of these left wholly out The reason of which was because it was easier to pack elections in Counties by the interest of Army-Officers and other Creatures then in Borroughs They assembled at Westminster on the 3. of Septemb. 1654. Cromwel meeting them in the Painted Chamber made a Speech in which he indevor'd to shew the necessity of his taking the Government upon him and recounted the excellencies of it telling them also that he did not designe to be a Lord over them but their Fellow-Servant to the publick After which they chose Lenthall for their Speaker and betook themselves to their business The first debate was Whether the Legislative Power should be in a siâ—gle peâ—Peâ—son and a Parliament It was bandied with some heat till Cromwel thinking them too busy in making a Question of that which he would have believ'd sufficiently determin'd by his Instrument resolv'd to make them sensible of it wherefore sending for them into the Painted Chamber about 8. dayes after their first assembling he check'd them severely telling them 1. That the Fundamentals in the Government viz. such as were constituted by the Instrument could not be altered whereof that which they dâ—bated was one and 2. that the Militia was not to be trusted in any one hand or power but so that the Parliament ought to have a check upon the Protector and He upon Them 3. That Parliaments should not be perpetuall nor alwaies sitting 4. That there ought to be Liberty of Conscience in Religion Other things in the Government were examinable and alterable according to the State of Affairs For his own part his heart was even overwhelm'd with grief to see any of them should go about to overthrow what was settled viz. by his Instrument contrary to their trust received from the people After this Preface he deliver'd them a Paper called a Recognition to be subscribed by such as intended to sit in which they were to engage to be faithfull to the Lord Protector and the Commonwealth and not to propose or give consent to alter the Government as it was setled in one Person and a Parliament Such as refus'd to subscribe were excluded from sitting the rest repair'd again to the House where they took the Instrument in hand again and prepar'd a Bill for the settling of the Government some others which they intended to present to the Protector to be sign'd together But he having information given him all the way of their proceedings by some false Members suffer'd them to spend 5. months allotted them by the Instrument to sit without interruption and the very next day after went to the Painted Chamber where upbraiding them with Parricide in not owning the Authority that called them thither and endeavouring to subvert the Government owned by God as being the dispensation of his Providence after 12. years VVar he dissolv'd this Parliament as he had done two before Ian. 22. 1654. Within two dayes after their Dissolution a Plot was discover'd which Cromwel said was occasioned if not hatched by the Parliament it self Sir Henry Littleton high Sheriff of Worcestershire and Sir Iohn Packington of the same County were committed to the Tower thereupon and severall persons more in the North and Northwest Counties of England where the design was laid for an Insurrection Shrewsbury and Chrik-Castle were to have been surprised but it was prevented the discovery of the whole Conspiracy having been made to Cromwel by some secret insinuating Agents of his from the first birth of it till it was mature to break out At Shrewsbury the Lord Newport Sir Thomas Harris who were the chief there was taken prisoners and sent up to London Neverthelesse others were not deterr'd from attempting something for the deliverance of their Native Country from Bondage for upon the 11. of March 1654. a body of 200. consisting most of Gentlemen surprised Salisbury and took away all