Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 10.djvu/103

 dered to the king had been to bring over to England his illegitimate son, known under the name of James Crofts, whom Charles II, against Clarendon's advice, soon afterwards created Duke of Monmouth (, Life, ii. 384, 252–6). The plague followed the court to Salisbury, the air of which moreover disagreed with the king (Cal. 1664–5, 11 Sept.), and in September he moved to Oxford, where parliament had been summoned to meet 10 Oct. It passed a patriotic address and a painfully significant act attainting all Englishmen in the Dutch service, as well as a large additional supply, to be strictly applied to the purposes of the war—a proviso introduced by collusion between the king and the astute Sir George Downing, so as to defeat the claims of the few London bankers to whom Charles II had been in the habit of resorting for ready money. Clarendon's opposition was in vain; his power was sinking, though he was able to prevent the king from carrying out his wish to dismiss Southampton (Life, iii. 1–33). Albemarle, whom Clarendon hated, was appointed with Prince Rupert to the command of the fleet in Sandwich's place. The king's return to Whitehall early in 1666 restored confidence to London, where the plague rapidly decreased; but the war reopened in this year anything but hopefully. In January France, Denmark, and the great elector of Brandenburg allied themselves with the United Provinces; our only ally, 'Munster's prelate,' had made his peace with the Dutch; Sweden had been pacified by France; the negotiations for a league with Spain had proved sterile. The isolation of England was absolute (, iv. 284–6). Nor was the campaign successful. A public thanksgiving was ordered for the four days' battle in the Downs (1–4 June), because it had not ended in the destruction of the English armada. The great fire of London raged from 2–6 Sept., and destroyed two-thirds of the capital. The court (Cal. 1666–7, xii.) and the king himself (, i. 458), Jews hired by French money, the presbyterians, other nonconformists, and pre-eminently the catholics, were all suspected of its authorship. The king, who had of late been subjected to many pasquils and libels on the score of Lady Castlemaine and other grievances {Cal. 1665–66, xxxviii.), showed great zeal on the occasion, sitting constantly in council, ordering measures of relief (ib. 1666–7, 107 et al.; Somers Tracts, vii. 659), and otherwise exerting himself (cf. , 2–7 Sept.) Charles was less successful in his attempt, by an inquiry before the privy council, to expose the baselessness of the rumours concerning the origin of the fire (, Life, iii. 92–3). He is said by a courtly pen to have likewise shown a warm interest in the rebuilding of London, and a pious care for the restoration of the churches (, 331–2). Though parliament had with much spirit voted a further supply for the purposes of the war, there was arising a widespread desire for peace, and Charles was growing weary of the war since it had ceased to be popular. Moreover, he was galled by the strict control which parliament was inclined to exert over the public expenditure. In May 1667 peace negotiations were opened at Breda, and the English government, hampered in addition by the defects of the naval administration, restricted its action to the defensive. The Dutch resolved to put pressure upon the English government such as might bring the negotiations to a point, and prevent an understanding between England and France. On 10 June De Ruyter appeared at the Nore, on the 11th he sailed up the river, and on the 13th, forcing the chain at the mouth of the Medway, burnt several men-of-war, including the Royal Charles, lying at Chatham. In the panic which ensued, the report spread that the King had abdicated and escaped, no one knew whither (Cal. 1667, xxvii.) Burnet (i. 458) mentions a different rumour, that on the fatal night he was very cheerful at supper with his mistresses. On the 21st he sent a circular letter to Clarendon and other authorities, urging a general subscription, on the part of the nobility, gentry, and professions, to a voluntary loan (Cal. 1667, xl.); but on the 29th the Dutch, who had advanced nearly as far as Gravesend, took their departure. Their exploit undoubtedly hastened the peace concluded 21 July, though it was essentially due to fear of France. To appease the indignation of the English public Clarendon was sacrificed. For a long time intrigues against the chancellor had been in progress in Lady Castlemaine's clique; in May his staunchest supporter, Southampton, died, and the treasury had been put into commission. Beyond a doubt Charles had grown tired of his mentor, and had been annoyed by advice concerning his private life honourable to the giver. In his own narrative of the circumstances of his fall (Life, iii. 282–376; cf. ;, 170–1; and the letter of Charles II in , 2nd ser. iv. 39) Clarendon pretends that it was only the decisive command of the king which induced him to quit England (29 Nov.)

The second period of the reign of Charles II (1667–74) may be described as that of the Cabal ministry, though that administration was not fully formed till 1672. This period exhibits a marked progress on the king's part in dissimulation, and in a daring readiness to