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 treaty; but the other members of the Cabal were kept in ignorance. Then followed another disgraceful act. The goldsmiths and bankers of London had lent the king about £1,300,000, expecting to be repaid out of the revenue. Charles now refused to pay back this money, and so brought ruin on the lenders, who had borrowed the money from others. This money was not repaid till William III. came to the throne.

8. Declaration of Indulgence and the Test Act—To carry out part of his agreement with Louis, Charles, in 1672, declared -war with Holland, and issued a “Declaration of Indulgence,” which allowed all Dissenters and Roman Catholics to worship as they pleased, and released from prison thousands of the victims of religious persecution. Bunyan was released at this time from his long imprisonment in Bedford jail. The war with Holland was not successful, for William of Orange, the brave young leader of the Dutch, opened the dykes of his native land, and let in the water from the sea. In this way he succeeded in forcing his enemies to retire.

Charles now had to summon his Parliament to get more money. The Commons were very angry that Charles should suspend the laws against Dissenters and Roman Catholics, and they forced him to withdraw his “Declaration of Indulgence,” and to give his assent to a “Test Act” which compelled every man holding office to take an oath against transubstantiation, and to receive the sacrament according to the rites-of the English Church. The Duke of York avowed himself a Roman Catholic, and had to give up his command of the fleet. Clifford and Arlington, also, had to leave the king’s service. Ashley, now Earl of Shaftesbury, became the leader of the “country party " in Parliament, and sought to compel the king to give religious freedom to the Protestant Dissenters, but not to Roman Catholics.

9. Danby Administration.—Charles now thought it prudent to please the Church party, and therefore chose the Earl of Danby as his minister. He made peace with Holland, and allowed Danby to arrange, much against Louis XIV’s wishes, a marriage between Mary, daughter of James, Duke of York, and William of Orange, her cousin. This pleased the people, for as Charles had no legitimate children, and James had no son, it was expected that Mary,