Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/291

 Struggle for Constitutional Government 253 VIII. The Restoration of the Stuarts : Charles II It would be difficult to imagine a more satisfactory description than that given of Charles II at the time of his accession by the distinguished historian of the period, Burnet. The king was then thirty years of age, and, as might 324. A pic- have been supposed, past the levities of youth and the ture of extravagance of pleasure. He had a very good understand- ra y Gilbert ing : he knew well the state of affairs both at home and Burnet, in abroad. He had a softness of temper that charmed all who his mstor y°t r t my own Time.) came near him, till they found out how little they could depend on good looks, kind words, and fair promises, in which he was liberal to excess, because he intended nothing by them but to get rid of importunity and to silence all further pressing upon him. He seemed to have no sense of religion ; both at prayers and sacrament, he, as it were, took care to satisfy people that he was in no sort concerned in that about which he was employed ; so that he was very far from being an hypocrite, unless his assisting at those performances was a sort of hypoc- risy, as no doubt it was ; but he was sure not to increase that by any the least appearance of devotion. He said once to myself, he was no atheist, but he could not think God would make a man miserable only for taking a little pleasure out of the way. He disguised his popery to the last ; but when he talked freely he could not help letting himself out against the liberty that under the Reformation all men took of in- quiring into matters, for from their inquiring into matters of religion they carried the humor further to inquire into matters of state. He said often he thought government was a much safer and easier thing where the authority was believed infallible, and the faith and submission of the peo- ple was implicit; about which I had once much discourse with him. He was affable and easy, and loved to be made so by all about him. The great art of keeping him long was the