and make no haste into the Boat they called to him to come away Gentlemen said he I intreat you to excuse my going with you for I now call to mind some extraordinary business which obliges me to stay in Town But his company was too pleasant to be so easily relinquish'd wherefore one of them stepping out of the Boat endeavoured by his importunity to alter his resolution and perswade him to go with them according to his first intention but being not able to prevail he protested he would carry him into the Boat if he would not go willingly so that being unwilling to disoblige them he adventur'd to go although with much reluctancy As they were shooting the Bridge it being low Water the force of the Ebb carried their Boat with such violence against a Loyter that was just gone through before them that she sunk but several Boats presently making towards them they were all sav'd however their design for Bowling at Greenwich was spoiled for that day Having spent some considerable time in the Inns of Court his Relations began to think of disposing of him in Marriage and a suitable Match was enquired after that might answer the largeness of his Fortune At length a Marriage is agreed by the consent of both Families between him and Margaret Daughter to Thomas Lord Coventry sometime Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England whose agreeable Conversation render'd his Life the more pleasant and delightful He had no Issue by this Wife His second Wife was the Lady Frances Daughter to the Earl of Exeter by whom he had Issue his only Son and Heir Anthony Lord Ashly now Earl of Shaftesbury who married the virtuous and ingenious Lady the Lady Dorothy Daughter to John Earl of Rutland by whom he hath Issue two Sons Anthony a Youth of about Twelve years of Age extreamly like his Grandfather both for Person and Parts for which reason he was so dear to him that his Life seemed to be bound up in this Grandsons as Jacobs was said to be in his Son Benjamin's His last Wife was Margaret Daughter to William Lord Spencer a most accomplished and Virtuous Lady whose exemplary Piety is so extraordinary that she may very well be proposed as a pattern for other Noble Personages to imitate her constant custom being to rise by Five of the Clock in the Morning and she usually spends two or three hours there in her private Devotions No sooner did the Fame of his great Abilities reach the Royal Ear but his late Majesty cast a favourable Eye upon him employing him in several eminent Services which he performed with an exact Loyalty to the satisfaction of his Majesty from whose Interest he never departed otherwise then as Hushai from King David when the Tribes of Israel revolted from him in order to the using his Interest for the Service of his Prince and endeavour by his Wisdom and Counsel so to order and influence the Councils and Designs of the Conspirators that they might be the less hurtful to his Soveraign and tend to the overthrow of themselves And it is admirable to contemplate with what dexterous Skill and exquisite Policy he so managed all their Councils as to make them run directly towards and naturally tend to swell the Royal Stream which immediately upon their Ebb flowed so suddenly and swiftly that like a swelling Sea it easily overflowed all those Banks which were cast up to impede its Flux and by its irresistable force bore down all before it until at last it terminated in the full Tide of his Majesties Restoration Like the Generous Hushai never resting until he saw his Ejected Soveraign like the glorious Sun newly escaped from a total Eclipse return to the possession of his Crown and Kingdom His Majesty having December 5. 1639. upon the advice of the Earl of Strafford and Marquess of Hamilton and Doctor Land Archbishop of Canterbury declared his resolution for the calling a Parliament After 11 years interval he was by the unanimous consent of the Inhabitants of the Borough of Tewkesbury in Gloucester-shire chosen to serve as Burgess for that Town Sir Edward Alford being chosen for the other On Monday April 13. 1640. this Parliament opened and were acquainted by his Majesty That he thought never any King had greater cause to call his People together nor more weighty Affairs to confer with them about then himself the particulars whereof he referred to the Lord Keeper By whom they were recommended to the Parliament in an elegant Speech The Parliament sate in debate of those things recommended to them till the fifth of May when his Majesty concluding they were too slow in giving those Supplies he demanded Dissolved them publishing a Declaration thereupon containing an account of his Reasons for that Dissolution This was the fourth Parliament which had been Dissolved by his Majesty In the beginning of our unhappy Troubles he raised a Regiment for the Service of his Majesty and was by him upon the Rupture with the Parliament made Governour of Waymouth being at the same time High Sheriff of the County of Dorset And when he saw that the War would unavoidably break out he summoned by virtue of his Pesse Contitatus the whole County from sixteen years old to meet at Dorchester which is the County Town thereby to engage them to stand by his Majesty But before that day appointed for their Meeting his Majesty sent down Colonel William Ashburnham with a Commission to be Governour of the County of Dorset whereupon he repaired presently to Dorchester and shewed his Commission to the High Sheriff At which time the Sheriff acquainted the Colonel with what he had done in reference to his Majesties Interest by summoning the County wherewith the Colonel was very well pleased But Sir Anthony concluding that the Colonel's being sent to command as Governour of the County notwithstanding his being Governour of Weymouth and high Sheriff of Dorset-shire proceeded from some secret suspition which his Majesty had conceiv'd of his Fidelity perhaps occasioned by the malicious whisperings of some about the King who grew Jealous of him lest the greatness of his Parts should in time have raised him higher in his Majesties Favour and good Opinion then would have consisted with their Interest took Horse the next Morning and went to his own House about 20 Miles from thence the next day he went to his Brothers and from thence to London The day being come for the Counties Meeting they flocked in vast numbers to Dorchester there being scarce a Man in the whole County wanting whereupon the Colonel being informed that the High Sheriff was not in Town went up to the Guild-Hall being accompanied with several of the chief of the Town and told the People That he was glad to see so great an appearance and that they yielded so ready Obedience to the Summons of their Sheriff who was at that time absent telling them that the occasioning of Summoning of them was to engage them to
RAWLEIGH Redivivus OR THE Life Death OF THE Right Honourable ANTHONY Late EARL of SHAFTSBURY Humbly Dedicated to the Protesting Lords By Philanax Misopappas Virtuti Pompeij quae potest Par Oratio inveniri Cicero LONDON Printed for Thomas Malthus at the Sun in the Poultrey 1683. TO THE Most Illustrious and High-born Prince James Duke of Monmouth And to the Right Honourable Anthony Earl of Kent Theophilus Earl of Huntington William Earl of Bedford James Earl of Salisbury Gilbert Earl of Clare Thomas Earl of Stamford Robert Earl of Sunderland Arthur Earl of Essex Charles Earl of Macklesfield Charles Viscount Mordant Philip Lord Wharton William Lord Pagett Ford Lord Grey of Wark John Lord Lovelace Henry Lord Herbert of Cherbury Charles Lord Cornwallis Thomas Lord Crew Who enter'd their Protestation against the Lords rejecting the Impeachment of Edward Fitz-Harris and generously asserted the Commons Right to Impeach any Subject whatsoever Great Sirs THe following Tract humbly offered to your Lordships and for which the Author implores your Patronage is a brief but yet true and impartial History of the Life and Policies the Rise and Fortunes Troubles and Exit of the late Earl of Shaftsbury whose great Actions constant Loyalty and successful Councils certainly are worthy the transmitting to Posterity for whose sake as well as the vindicating his Name and Honour from the bold and confident although ridiculous and groundless Calumnies wherewith the Roman Achitophels have maliciously aspersed him I have endeavour'd to Decipher him and draw his Image according to the best of my skill although infinitely below his Deserts which justly merit the being pourtray'd by a more skilful hand and one whose extraordinary acquirements and admirable proficiency in Politicks renders capable of representing his Lordships wonderful Parts and Abilities in the most apt and lively Touches Especially in regard the malice of 〈…〉 hath somewhat 〈◊〉 his best Feature and unâ—â—â—fully sullyed the most Beautiful and Loyalest of his Actions My Lds. It was the extraordinary Endowments wherewith this Earl was inrich'd that drew upon him so much Envy and swell'd his Adversaries to such an heighth of Malice and Fury fearing lest he might prove their Rival and acquire a greater Interest in the Favour of his Soveraign then they were willing he should Or else it was his imitation of the magnanimous Roman who being Commanded by the Emperor to forbear coming to the Senate and threaten'd with Imprisonment if he presumed to appear in that Assembly boldly answer'd You may do as you will but I must do as I ought Nor had ever any Man larger Experience then his Lordship of the truth and reality of what the famous Sir Walter Raleigh so long since wisely observed That he who follows Truth too near at the Heels may have his Teeth struch out thereby and that he who goes after her oft loseth her sight and himself too Most Noble Patriots I acknowledge that it is no small persecution of your Illustrious Greatness to be thus troubled with the impertinent Address of one so much below you And am very sensible that the Generosity and good Nature of persons who like your selves shine with Glory and Splendor in a superiour Orb frequently draw upon them unnecessary and needless Dedications And therefore I should not have been guilty of presuming to six your Honourable Names to any trifle of mine had not the nature of the thing laid a kind of necessity upon me and furnished me with an unanswerable Argument and sufficient Apology for so doing May it please your Lordships You are all under the same Circumstances and you have like him adventur'd to stem the Stream and dared to be Virtuous when to be wicked and debauch'd is in Fashion And have presumed to be Loyal under the disadvantage of exposing your selves thereby to the malice and rage of a sort of Men who with an Hellish Industry have long endeavour'd to Metamorphise your very Virtues into Vices and Transubstantiate your Loyalty into a Crime You have with a firm resolution and undaunted courage opposed in the very face of danger the ambitious and growing designs of a bloody and malicious Crew who have Burned our City Assassinated our Magistrates Forged Shame Blots and invented Meal-Tub Conspiracies to ruine our Nobility and Gentry And if Divine Goodness had not protected us and disappointed them would have murther'd our Soveraign Massacred our Persons Extirpated our Religion Plunder'd our Houses seized our Estates trampled upon our Laws inslaved our Wives and Children and subjected our Posterity to a Bondage infinitely worse then that of Egypt And whatsoever is Sacred and Dear to us as English Men or Christians must have been sacrific'd to their Revenge for the satiating whereof and to give vent to their fury they would have turn'd the Paradise of the World into an Acheldama And moreover my Lords his Enemies are your Enemies his Reproaches are all directed at and centre in You. You were all to be involved in the same Guilt and made Parties in the same pretended Conspiracy And You were by an imaginary Power derived from that Infallible Fop the Pope all condemned to the same Fate in the secret Consults and private Cabals of Rome as appears by the Scheme found in the Meal-Tub and afterwards more fully discovered by Mr. Dangerfield Nor is it unworthy Your consideration that the time when that cursed Conspiracy was hatching and some Circumstances in the management thereof renders it not altogether improbable that it derived its Original from and was ingaged in upon the success of a certain Story upon the account whereof the greatest of You stands at this day strip'd of all Your Honorary Places But that which further encourag'd me to make this Address to Your Lordships was Your being his intimate Acquaintance and constant Companions his familiar Friends and only Associates with whom he maintained an exact Correspondence and almost daily conversed withal whereby You must necessarily be better acquainted with and have a clearer prospect of the Principles and Temper Designs and Inclinations of his Lordship than any of his detractors can possibly pretend to since many of them never had any personal knowledge of and much less intimate Acquaintance with him and most of them never saw him in their Lives Nor have many of his Accusers notwithstanding their formal and confident charging him with Treason ever born a Part or made a Figure large enough in the World to procure them admittance to his Person or imbolden them to appear in his presence or so much as exchange two words with him in their whole Lives You know his Loyal Behaviour towards and constant cleaving to the Interest of his Soveraign and are surviving Testimonies of the extraordinary Reverence and profound Veneration wherewith he always made mention of His Majesty whensoever you had occasion to speak of him in Your publick or private Discourses nor can You have forgotten his frequent lamenting his own unhappiness in being so strangely mis-represented
find him amongst the Creatures of his Cabinet Council nor amongst the Eleven Major Generals to whom the Care of the Nation was committed No their Principles their Aims and Designs were incompatible one was for Subverting the other for Maintaining the Antient standing Fundamentals of the Nation which once dissolved it was impossible but an Universal Deluge of Confusion Blood and Rapine must ensue This made our brave Patriot with divers of the Heroick English Race to the utmost oppose the growth of a Protectorian Tyranny And when the Rump had again usurped the Power into their hands they endeavoured to oblige him by nominating him to be one of their Council of State and one of the Commissioners for the managing their Army Notwithstanding which he continued his Intelligence with and Endeavours for the Restoration of his Soveraign So that we find him accused before them for keeping Intelligence with the King and for having raised Men to joyn with Sir George Booth in attempting to restore and bring His Majesty that now is to his Rightful Throne Many persons of great note were imprisoned on the account of this Plot and amongst the rest Sir Anthony Ashly Cooper who was really guilty if there could be any Guilt in Loyalty and an honest endeavour to free his Country from those deplorable miseries under which it then groaned for indeed he was a principal contriver of the Business being one of the secret Cabal and had always kept Intelligence with Sir George and had raised a party in Dorset-shire to joyn with him which upon the miscarrying of the Design timely dispersed themselves And although no man knew better then he how to obviate the Reasons of the House and plead his own Cause yet he was not without great difficulty cleared and discharged of that Imputation by the Rump who shortly after intrusted him with the Custody of the Tower of London the Command of a Regiment of Horse and gave him with six others to assist him the Government and Command of their Army So that now he began to advance the great work of Restoring his Majesty with more success and speed than before To which end he and Eight more who had been of the Old Council of State sent a Letter to General Monke to proceed in his generous Undertakings for the advantage and settlement of the three Nations and perswaded him to come to London in order to the better prosecuting what he had so well begun Whereupon the General having disposed and ordered all things according to his desire advanced towards England accompanied with several English Gentlemen who held correspondence with him and being acquainted with the Generals Designs went thither on purpose to accompany him hither where he was no sooner arrived but he was highly Honoured and Complemented by the Rump and made one of the Council who was to order and dispose of publick Affairs but to qualifie them for this Trust they were to have an Oath imposed upon them wherein they were to abjure the Royal Family But that being directly contrary to the generous Designs of those two Noble Patriots of the Royal Cause and bold Adventurers for the Interest of their injured Soveraign the one by his Head to contrive and the other by his Arms to execute what was contrived as well as assist in Counselling and Advising They opposed it as unreasonable and a Snare to their Consciences and by their influence upon Colonel Morly procured it to be so warmly opposed that both Oath and Council fell and came to nothing Doctor Clarges having happily discovered that Lambert and others were making parties and drawing Forces together to oppose their Loyal Designs repaired immediately to Sir Anthony accounting him the fittest person to be acquainted with a business of that nature being not only firm to the Kings Interest but by his Wisdom and Policy knew how to undermine those who were averse to it wherefore having related the particulars to him desiring him to communicate it to the Council and prevail with them to take speedy care about it lest if neglected it should prove of dangerous consequence Which he did accordingly and so managed the Council that timely care was taken in it and even that attempt of Lamberts which in it self threatened the contrary was by his Skill dexterously managed for the advantage of his Majesties Interest and the hastening his happy Restoration General Monke having forced the Parliament to admit the secluded Members they were no sooner seated in the House but they fell to such kind of work as plainly discovered to all intelligent Men what would be the Issue of those things which were then transacted for they ordered the Release of all those who were Imprisoned for Petitioning for a Free Parliament together with the Members of the Common-Council of London They inlarged the Generals Commission constituting him one of the Generals at Sea Discharged Sir George Booth and others committed upon the account of his Rising and ordered the Examination of him and his Lady to be taken off the File and given to them Then having appointed a free Parliament to meet in the April following they Dissolved themselves appointing a Council of State to govern in the mean while consisting for the most part of Loyal Gentlemen whose Names were as follows Arthur Ansley Lord President William Pierpoynt John Crew Richard Knightly Colonel Popham Colonel Morley Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper Sir Gilbert Gerard Lord St. John Sir Thomas Widdrington Sir John Evelin Sir William Waller Sir Richard Onslow Serjeant Maynard Sir William Lewis Colonel Montague Colonel Hanly Colonel Norton Denzill Hollis Sir John Temple Colonel Tompson Sir John Trever Sir John Holland Sir John Poltis Colonel Birch Sir Harbottle Grimston John Swinton John Weaver Colonel Rossiter Lord Fairfax Lord General Monke This Council was so influenc'd by the two great Contrivers and Managers of the happy change that everything done by them tended to the furthering thereof And April 25. 1660. the new Parliament met in both Houses which was the most considerable step they had yet made towards the accomplishing their great End and gave an entrance to and made way for the perfecting the whole Contrivance For His Majesty immediately hereupon dispatcht away Sir John Greenvil who was afterwards created Earl of Bath with Letters to both Houses of Parliament and General Monke which were delivered to them upon the first day of May being but the seventh day after the opening of the Parliament together with his Majesties gracious Declaration to all his Loving Subjects Wherein he expresses abundance of compassion and tenderness to the Nation which had been so long harrass'd by an unnatural War These Letters and the Declaration were received by the Parliament with a Joy and Veneration so extraordinary that I find my self at a loss for words wherewith to express it And their pleasure and satisfaction was such that in an extasie of Joy they suddenly drew the Curtain and exposed the Beautiful and Glorious Scene to the
cannot long continue in the English hands if some better care be not taken of it This is in your Power and there is not bing there but is under your Laws Therefore I beg that this Kingdom at least may be taken into consideration together with the State of England for I am sure there can be no safety here if these Doors are not shut up and made sure But His Majesty had another kind of esteem for his Lordship for not long after the making of this Speech having Dissolv'd His Privy Council and chosen a new one he was pleased to constitute the Earl President thereof a Place so considerable for Honour and Trust that it hath not been enjoyed by any Subject for many years and was improv'd by him as much to the advantage of His Majesty and the Protestant Interest as possible And when the Bill for excluding the Duke of York had passed the House of Commons as the only expedient they could find out to suppress the Designs of the Papists and prevent their ever introducing the Popish Religion into England they sent it up to the House of Lords where his Lordship was one of those Honourable Lords who Voted for its passing that House in order to its being offered to His Majesty for His Royal Assent The Grand Jury returned for the Hundred of Osalstone in the County of Middlesex in June the 2d 1680. finding the Constables defective in not presenting the Papists as they ought it was ordered they should make further presentments by the 16th of that Instant upon which day they met again to receive them when likewise a Bill against D. Y. for not coming to Church was brought before them together with the following Reasons for his being indicted subscribed by the persons undernam'd First Because the 25th Car. 2d when an Act was made to throw Popish Recusants out of all Offices and Places of Trust the Duke did then lay down several great Offices and Places as Lord High Admiral of England Generalissimo of all His Majesties Forces both by Land and Sea Governour of the Cinque Ports and divers others thereby to avoid the punishmant of that Law against Papists Secondly 30. Car. 2d when an Act was made to disable Papists to sit in either House of Parliament there was a Proviso incerted in that Act That it should not extend to D. Y. on purpose to save his right of sitting in the Lords House though he refused to take those Oaths which the Protestant Peers ought to do Thirdly That His Majesty in His Speech March 6th the 31st year of his Reign doth give for a Reason to the Parliament why he sent His Brother out of England Viz. Because he would leave no Man Room to say that he had not remov'd all Causes which might influence him to Popish Councils Fourthly That there hath been divers Letters read in both Houses of Parliament and at the secret Committee of both Houses from several Cardinals and others at Rome and also from other Popish Bishops and Agents of the Pope in other Forreign Parts which do apparently shew the great Correspondencies between him and the Pope and how the Pope could not choose but weep for joy at the reading of some of his Letters and what great satisfaction it was to the Pope to hear that he was advanced to the Catholick Religion as likewise that the Pope hath granted him Briefs sent him Beads and ample Indulgencies with much more to this purpose Fifthly The whole House of Commons hath Declared him to be a Papist in their Votes Sunday April 6th 1679. wherein they resolv'd nemine contradicente that the Duke of York's being a Papist and his hopes of coming such to the Crown had given the greatest countenance and encouragement to the present Conspiracy and Designs of the Papists against the King and the Protestant Religion Sixthly That besides all this Proof and much more to this purpose it is most notorious and evident he hath for many years absented from Protestant Churches during Religious Worship These are the Reasons why we believe him to be a Papist this was subscribed and delivered by his Lordship together with the Earl of Huntington and the Lords Grey of Wark Russel Cavendish Brandon and Wharton as also by Sir William Cowper Barronet Sir Gilbert Gerrard Barronet Sir Edward Hungerford Knight of the Bath Sir Scroop How Thomas Thinn Esq William Forrester Esq and John Trenchard Esq But whilst the Jury were in debate of the Matter they were sent for up by the Court of Kings-Bench and dismist so that nothing was done upon it more than the Juries having receieved the presentment Wherefore on Wednesday July the Thirtieth the former Lords Knights and Gentlemen with the addition of the Lord Clare Sir John Cope Barronet Sir Rowland Gwynne and Mr. Wandsford presented the same to a second Grand Jury who were discharged as the former But whilst his Lordship was thus vigorously prosecuting the Popish Plot in the face of danger the Papists were as vigilent in contriving his ruine though with somewhat more secrecy and silence resolving to seize the Prey before they gave the least Alarm or Notice of their intention as appear'd by their close Caballistical Designs carryed on against this Earl and all the rest of the Protestant Nobility and Gentry in England wherein Mr. Dangerfield was a considerable Agent having been for that purpose fetcht out of Newgate by the Papists who hoping to reap a vast advantage by having him to manage their Affairs willingly disburst a large sum to discharge his Debts The first sangunary work they imployed him in was to attempt the Murther of his Lordship promising him 500 pounds for so acceptable a service as they apprehended it to be he inquired the Reason why they thirsted after his Life and how there might be any probable way proposed whereby it might be accomplished to which it was answered That as to the first they should be glad to have him out of the way because if they were rid of him as they were of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey it would be no difficult thing to bear down all the rest of their Opposers As to the second They affirmed it to be as easie as desirable since said the Lord P s my Man Wood was at Thannet House two nights since upon pretence of an Errand but his business was to view the House and observe what conveniences there were to make his escape after the fact was done assuring him that Wood found the thing so feasable that after he came back he declar'd himself sorry that he was not provided to have done it then And to encourage him to undertake this sanguinary enterprise with the more chearfulness he gave him Ten Guinneys in hand as an assurance that the full reward should be paid so soon as the fatal stroak should be given Promising moreover that Mr. Regaut a Virginia Merchant of Mrs. Celliers acquaintance should come to him on Sunday following to instruct him in