Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 15.djvu/406

 brother to the Earl of Suffolk, was no doubt selected for this purpose because a number of compromising papers relating to him had fallen into Downing's power (, vii. 347). Downing laid the blame of his engagement in the Commonwealth service on his training in New England, ‘where he was brought up, and sucked in principles that since his reason had made him see were erroneous,’ promised if pardoned to endeavour to prevail with the army to restore the king, and communicated Thurloe's despatches to Charles. Thus at the Restoration Downing escaped with rewards, was continued in his post in Holland, made one of the tellers of the exchequer (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1660–1661, p. 74), and received a grant of land near Whitehall (ib. 1661–2, p. 408). A large number of his despatches from Holland between 1661 and 1565) are printed in the third volume of Lister's ‘Life of Clarendon.’ Downing was very eager to seize some of the regicides who had taken refuge on the continent, and obtained from the States-General permission to seize any to be found in Dutch territory. It is said that the States-General were unaware that any regicides were then in Holland, and intended secretly to favour the escape of any who might be in danger (, Jean de Witt, i. 281–3). Downing, however, had secret information of the presence of Barkstead, Okey, and Corbet at Delft, summoned the estates to keep their promise, and superintended the arrest of the three regicides himself. Some accounts represent Okey as relying on his old connection with Downing and trusting the latter's false assurances that he had no warrant for his arrest (The Speeches and Prayers of Col. Barkstead, Okey, &c., together with an Account of the occasion of their taking in Holland, 1662). Pepys remarks on Downing's conduct: ‘Though the action is good and of service to the king, yet he cannot with a good conscience do it,’ and again, ‘All the world takes notice of him for a most ungrateful villain for his pains’ (Diary, 12, 17 March 1662). Fifteen months later Charles created Downing a baronet (1 July 1663). In the autumn of 1663 the colonial and trade disputes between England and Holland came to a head, and Downing was instructed vigorously to demand redress for the losses suffered by English merchants (, iii. 258). Burnet represents him as purposely preventing satisfaction in order to bring on a war (Own Time, i. 343, ed. 1823). Temple, on the authority of De Witt, tells a long story to the same effect (Works, ed. 1754, iii. 93), and this seems to be to some extent confirmed by contemporary French despatches (, De Witt, i. 324). Clarendon, who is throughout hostile to Downing, describes him as strongly prejudiced against the Dutch on commercial grounds, and extremely unconciliatory as a diplomatist (continuation of Life, §§ 516–22). This is borne out by Downing's letters to Clarendon, which at the same time afford ample proof of his ability and knowledge of commercial questions (, iii. 249, 385). Thanks to judicious bribery he was extremely well informed of all the debates and counsels of the States-General, and boasted to Pepys that he had frequently had De Witt's pockets picked of his keys and read his most important papers (Diary, 27 Dec. 1668). During the war Downing played an important part in the management of the treasury. According to Clarendon he suggested to Sir William Coventry and Lord Arlington that the cause of all the miscarriages in that office was the unlimited power of the treasurer, and proposed the insertion of a clause in the Subsidy Bill ‘to make all the money that was to be raised by this bill, to be supplied only to those ends to which it was given, which was the carrying on the war, and to no other purpose whatsoever.’ The proviso was strongly opposed by Clarendon as an invasion of the prerogative, but supported by the king, and became law (1665, 17 Charles II, c. i.). This proviso, which began the custom of the appropriation of supplies, led to a violent quarrel between Downing and Clarendon (cont. of Clarendon's Life, pp. 779–805). When the treasury was put in commission (May 1667) the commissioners chose Downing as their secretary. ‘I think in my conscience,’ comments Pepys, ‘that they have done a great thing in it; for he is active and a man of business, and values himself upon having of things do well under his hand’ (Diary, 27 May 1667). Downing, who represented Morpeth, was a frequent speaker on financial and commercial subjects in the sessions of parliament in 1669–70 (, Debates, i. 100, 268, 313). In the autumn of 1671, when Charles had again determined to pick a quarrel with Holland, no fitter person could be found than Downing to replace the conciliatory Temple at the Hague. In addition to his official instructions ordering him to urge all the reasons for complaint which the states had given England since the treaty of Breda, he was secretly informed by the king that he was so offended by the conduct of the Dutch towards him that he had determined to treat with the king of France for declaring war at the earliest possible moment; that therefore he sent him, not to obtain satisfaction, but rather to employ all his wit and skill