Page:Public School History of England and Canada (1892).djvu/120

 died. Every person that could get away fled from London in terror, leaving but few to care for the sick and dying. To add to her misfortunes, a great fire broke out in London the following year, 1666, in which over 13,000 houses and public buildings were destroyed, among others St. Paul’s Cathedral. The fire was a blessing in disguise, for it burnt down many old wooden houses, and helped to clear away the remains of the plague. After this better houses were built, the streets were made wider, and purer water was brought into the city.

Meanwhile the Dutch war went on. Charles neglected his fleet and spent the public money on his court, and when Clarendon asked for a grant to carry on the war, Parliament insisted on knowing what had become of former grants. Charles now thought it best to make peace with the Dutch, but while arranging the terms the Dutch fleet sailed up the Medway and burnt three men-of-war. This was looked upon as a national disgrace, and Clarendon became so unpopular that he had to leave the country.

7. The Cabal.—Charles now took for his chief advisers five men, the initials of whose names made the word “cabal.” These were Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley, and Lauderdale, and as their intrigues and base actions made them hateful to the people, the word “cabal” has ever since had a bad meaning. They were made the tools of the king, and many of their misdeeds were due to the secret intrigues of Charles with Louis XIV. of France. Louis was the most powerful king in Europe, and he had cast covetous eyes on the Netherlands which belonged to Spain. He wanted Charles to help him to get this rich territory, and to prevent England and Holland from interfering with his plans. Holland became alarmed at Louis’ encroachments, and succeeded in 1668 in getting England and Sweden to join her in a “Triple Alliance,” which for the time forced Louis to keep the peace. And now a most shameful thing was done by the king. Charles, in spite of the “Triple Alliance” treaty, made a secret treaty with Louis at Dover, in 1670, by which he agreed to help Louis against Holland and to declare himself a Roman Catholic, in return for a large pension from Louis and the aid of French troops in case the English people should rebel. Clifford and Arlington, who were secretly Roman Catholics, knew of this