The History of England, from the Accession of James II Volume II Part 30

[Footnote 303: Bonrepaux, July 11/21. 1687.]

[Footnote 304: Bonrepaux to Seignelay, Aug 25/Sept 4 1687. I will quote a few words from this most remarkable despatch: "je scay bien certainement que l'intention du Roy d'Angleterre est de faire perdre ce royaume (Ireland) a son successeur, et de le fortifier en sorte que tous ses sujets Catholiques y puissent avoir un asile a.s.sure. Son projet est de mettre les choses en cet estat dans le cours de cinq annees." In the Secret Consults of the Romish Party in Ireland, printed in 1690, there is a pa.s.sage which shows that this negotiation had not been kept strictly secret. "Though the King kept it private from most of his council, yet certain it is that he had promised the French King the disposal of that government and kingdom when things had attained to that growth as to be fit to bear it."]

[Footnote 305: Citters, Oct 28/Nov 7, Nov 22/Dec 2 1687; the Princess Anne to the Princess of Orange, March 14. and 20. 1687/8; Barillon, Dec. 1/11 1687; Revolution Politics; the song "Two Toms and a Nat;"

Johnstone, April 4. 1688; Secret Consults of the Romish Party in Ireland, 1690.]

[Footnote 306: The king's uneasiness on this subject is strongly described by Ronquillo, Dec. 12/22 1687 "Un Principe de Vales y un Duque de York y otro di Lochaosterna (Lancaster, I suppose,) no bastan a reducir la gente; porque el Rey tiene 54 anos, y vendra a morir, dejando los hijos pequenos, y que entonces el reyno se apoderara dellos, y los nombrara tutor, y los educara en la religion protestante, contra la disposicion que dejare el Rey, y la autoridad de la Reyna."]

[Footnote 307: Three lists framed at this time are extant; one in the French archives, the other two in the archives of the Portland family.

In these lists every peer is entered under one of three heads, For the Repeal of the Test, Against the Repeal, and Doubtful. According to one list the numbers were, 31 for, 86 against, and 20 doubtful; according to another, 33 for, 87 against, and 19 doubtful; according to the third, 35 for, 92 against, and 10 doubtful. Copies of the three lists are in the Mackintosh MSS.]

[Footnote 308: There is in the British Museum a letter of Dryden to Etherege, dated Feb. 1688. I do not remember to have seen it in print.

"Oh," says Dryden, "that our monarch would encourage n.o.ble idleness by his own example, as he of blessed memory did before him. For my mind misgives me that he will not much advance his affairs by stirring."]

[Footnote 309: Barillon, Aug 29/Sep 8 1687.]

[Footnote 310: Told by Lord Bradford, who was present, to Dartmouth; note on Burnet, i. 755.]

[Footnote 311: London Gazette, Dec. 12. 1687.]

[Footnote 312: Bonrepaux to Seignelay, Nov. 14/24.; Citters, Nov.

15/25.; Lords' Journals, Dec. 20. 1689.]

[Footnote 313: Citters, Oct 28/Nov 7 1687.]

[Footnote 314: Halstead's Succinct Genealogy of the Family of Vere, 1685; Collins's Historical Collections. See in the Lords' Journals, and in Jones's Reports, the proceedings respecting the earldom of Oxford, in March and April 1625/6. The exordium of the speech of Lord Chief Justice Crew is among the finest specimens of the ancient English eloquence.

Citters, Feb. 7/17 1688.]

[Footnote 315: c.o.xe's Shrewsbury Correspondence; Mackay's Memoirs; Life of Charles Duke of Shrewsbury, 1718; Burnet, i. 762.; Birch's Life of Tillotson, where the reader will find a letter from Tillotson to Shrewsbury, which seems to me a model of serious, friendly, and gentlemanlike reproof.]

[Footnote 316: The King was only Nell's Charles III. Whether Dorset or Major Hart had the honour of being her Charles I is a point open to dispute. But the evidence in favour of Dorset's claim seems to me to preponderate. See the suppressed pa.s.sage of Burnet, i. 263.; and Pepys's Diary, Oct. 26. 1667.]

[Footnote 317: Pepys's Diary; Prior's dedication of his poems to the Duke of Dorset; Johnson's Life of Dorset; Dryden's Essay on Satire, and Dedication of the Essay on Dramatic Poesy. The affection of Dorset for his wife and his strict fidelity to her are mentioned with great contempt by that profligate c.o.xcomb Sir George Etherege in his letters from Ratisbon, Dec. 9/19 1687, and Jan. 16/26 1688; Shadwell's Dedication of the Squire of Alsatia; Burnet, i. 264.; Mackay's Characters. Some parts of Dorset's character are well touched in his epitaph, written by Pope:

"Yet soft his nature, though severe his lay"

and again:

"Blest courtier, who could king and country please, Yet sacred keep his friends.h.i.+ps and his ease."]

[Footnote 318: Barillon, Jan. 9/19 1688; Citters, Jan 31/Feb 10]

[Footnote 319: Adda, Feb. 3/13 10/20 1688.]

[Footnote 320: Barillon,. Dec. 5/15 8/18. 12/22 1687; Citters, Nov 29/Dec 9 Dec 2/12]

[Footnote 321: Citters, Oct 28/Nov 7 1687; Lonsdale's Memoirs.]

[Footnote 322: Citters, Nov 22/Dec 2 1687.]

[Footnote 323: Ibid. Dec 27/Jan 6 1687/8.]

[Footnote 324: Ibid,]

[Footnote 325: Rochester's offensive warmth on this occasion is twice noticed by Johnstone, Nov. 25. and Dec. 8. 1687. His failure is mentioned by Citters, Dec. 6/16.]

[Footnote 326: Citters, Dec. 6/16. 1687]

[Footnote 327: Ibid. Dec. 20/30. 1687.]

[Footnote 328: Ibid March 30/April 9 1687.]

[Footnote 329: Ibid Nov 22/Dec 2 1687.]

[Footnote 330: Ibid. Nov. 15/25. 1687.]

[Footnote 331: Citters, April 10/20 1688.]

[Footnote 332: The anxiety about Lancas.h.i.+re is mentioned by Citters, in a despatch dated Nov. 18/28. 1687; the result in a despatch dated four days later.]

[Footnote 333: Bonrepaux, July 11/21 1687.]

[Footnote 334: Citters, Feb. 3/13 1688.]

[Footnote 335: Ibid. April 5/15 1688.]

[Footnote 336: London Gazette, Dec. 5. 1687; Citters, Dec. 6/16]

[Footnote 337: About twenty years before this time a Jesuit had noticed the retiring character of the Roman Catholic country gentlemen of England. "La n.o.bilta Inglese, senon se legata in servigio, di Corte, o in opera di maestrato, vive, e G.o.de il piu dell' anno alla campagna, ne' suoi palagi e poderi, dove son liberi e padroni; e cio tanto piu sollecitamente I Cattolici quanto piu utilmente, si come meno osservati cola."--L'lnghilterra descritta dal P. Daniello Bartoli. Roma, 1667.

"Many of the Popish Sheriffs," Johnstone wrote, "have estates, and declare that whoever expects false returns from them will be disappointed. The Popish gentry that live at their houses in the country are much different from those that live here in town. Several of them have refused to be Sheriffs or Deputy Lieutenants." Dec. 8. 1687.

Ronquillo says the same. "Algunos Catolicos que fueron nombrados per sherifes se han excusado," Jan. 9/19. 1688. He some months later a.s.sured his court that the Catholic country gentlemen would willingly consent to a compromise of which the terms should be that the penal laws should be abolished and the test retained. "Estoy informado," he says, "que los Catolicos de las provincias no lo reprueban, pues no pretendiendo oficios, y siendo solo algunos de la Corte los provechosos, les parece que mejoran su estado, quedando seguros ellos y sus descendientes en la religion, en la quietud, y en la seguridad de sus haciendas." July 23/Aug 2 1688.]

[Footnote 338: Privy Council Book, Sept. 25. 1687; Feb. 21. 1687/8]

[Footnote 339: Records of the Corporation, quoted in Brand's History of Newcastle. Johnstone, Feb. 21. 1687/8]

[Footnote 340: Johnstone, Feb. 21 1687/8]

[Footnote 341: Citters, Feb. 14/24 1688.]

[Footnote 342: Ibid. May 1/11. 1688.]

[Footnote 343: In the margin of the Privy Council Book may be observed the words "Second regulation," and "Third regulation," when a corporation had been remodelled more than once.]

[Footnote 344: Johnstone, May 23. 1688.]