Page:English Historical Review Volume 37.djvu/58

 50 COUNCIL AND CABINET, 1679-88 January spoke long and violently against the dissolution ; and was followed by Lord Shaftesbury in the amplest manner, and most tragical terms ; Lord Anglesey followed them, by urging all the fatal consequences that could be ; the same style was pursued by Lord Chamberlain, and agreed to by the Marquis of Worcester, and pursued from the very top to the very bottom of the table by every man there, and at a very full council, the four conspirators excepted. 1 The debate was adjourned for a week, and in the meantime Charles still tried to win the approval of a majority by private conversations. Anglesey records in his diary that he was sent for by the king to Windsor, ' and was there a quarter before seven '. He continues : ' Had large discourse with him about the dissolution and opposed. . . Dined with Lord Newport and after were in councel with the King where Lord Chancellor, I and Lord Chamberlain argued against the dissolution, Earle of Essex and the Viscount Hallyfax reason- ing for it.' 2 When the council met again on 10 July Charles said that he had considered the question since their last meeting and had resolved to dissolve parliament immediately without again asking the opinions of the councillors. Shaftesbury protested that the world would very much take notice of his Majesty's late declara- tion, where he promised to do nothing without the advice of his Council ; notwithstanding which his Majesty had not only prorogued the Parliament without their advice, but had proceeded to a dissolution against it. To this the King replied that in matters of this nature, which were so plain, and wherein he was so fully convinced, as of the necessity of dissolving this Parliament, he could not divest himself of that power of resolving without the plurality of votes in the Council, and that he would in other things hearken as much as ever any other prince had done to his council. After this almost all the Lords spoke in the same style, and to the same purpose as the other day. 3 Protests were, however, in vain, and on 12 July a proclamation announced that ' the King's most excellent majesty being resolved to meet his people, and to have their advice in frequent parliaments, hath thought fit to dissolve this present parlia- ment '. 4 When the time for the new parliament to meet was at hand the king calmly told the council ' that for very important reasons 1 Temple, Works, i. 431-2. It seems clear that Temple has condensed the debates of two separate meetings into one. 8 Diary, 6 July, Add. MS. 18730. In a letter to Ormonde Anglesey wrote on 12 July : ' On Thursday last at Hampton Court in Council His Majesty declared his pleasure to dissolve this Parliament Some of us were sent for to Windsor last Lord's day (6 July), where, though we had large debate and discourse with His Majesty, nothing could divert this resolution ' (Ormonde MSS. v. 152 ; Henry Sidney's Diary, 3 and 6 July 1679). 3 Ormonde MSS. v. 530. 4 London Gazette, 10 July-14 July 1679, no. 1424. The same formula was employed oti 18 January 1681 (ibid. no. 1583).