XIV. 1655. BOOK every body; though, as to any thing of business, he appeared only in his old excellent faculty of raising doubts, and objecting against any thing that was proposed, and proposing nothing himself; which was a temper of understanding he could not rectify, and, in the present state of affairs, did less mischief than it would have done in a time when any thing was to have been done. Prince Rupert gives an ill ac count of his fleet. 66 66 Before the prince came to Paris he gave the king such an account, as made it evident that his majesty was to expect no money: " that what treasure had "been gotten together, which, he confessed, had "amounted to great value, had been all lost in the ship in which himself was," (that sprung a plank in the Indies, when his highness was miraculously preserved,)" and, in the boat, carried to another ship, when that the Antelope, with all the men, " and all that had been gotten, sunk in the sea; and "that much of the other purchase had been likewise "cast away in the ship in which his brother perished; "which was after his own misfortune:" so that all that was brought into Nantes would scarce pay off the seamen, and discharge some debts at Toulon, which the prince had contracted at his former being there, during the time that the king had been in Holland: and, "that the ships were all so eaten "with worms, even the Swallow itself, that there 66 was no possibility of setting them out again to "sea." This was all the account the king could receive of that whole affair, when the prince himself came to Paris; with which though the king was not satisfied, yet he knew not how to remedy it, the prince taking it very ill that any account should be required of him; and the keeper quickly persuaded XIV. his highness, that it was only the chancellor of the BOOK exchequer's influence, that disposed the king with. so much strictness to examine his account. 1655. concerning who pe restored to tary's There was another design now set on foot, by An affair which they concluded they should sufficiently mor- Mr. Long; tify the chancellor; who, they thought, had still too titions the much credit with his master. When the king went king to be into Scotland, Mr. Robert Long, who hath been the secrementioned before, was secretary of state; who, hav-place. ing been always a creature of the queen's, and dependent upon the lord Jermyn, had so behaved himself towards them, during his short stay in Scotland, (for he was one of those who was removed from the king there, and sent out of that kingdom,) that when his majesty returned from Worcester to Paris, they would by no means suffer that he should wait upon his majesty; and accused him of much breach of trust, and dishonesty, and, amongst the rest, that he should say, which could be proved, "that it was impossible for any man to serve the king honestly, and to preserve the good opinion of the queen, and keep the lord Jermyn's favour." The truth is, that gentleman had not the good fortune to be generally well thought of, and the king did not believe him faultless; and therefore was contented to satisfy his mother, and would not permit him to execute his office, or to attend in his councils. Whereupon he left the court, and lived privately at Rouen; which was the reason that the chancellor had been commanded to execute that place, which entitled him to so much trouble. Upon this conjunction between the lord Jermyn and the keeper, the last of whom had in all times inveighed against Mr. Long's want of fidelity, they agreed, that there could not be a 66 66 BOOK better expedient found out to lessen the chancellor's XIV. credit, than by restoring Long to the execution of 1655. the secretary's function. Whereupon they sent for 66 him, and advised him to prepare a petition to the king, "that he might be again restored to his office " and attendance, or that he might be charged with "his crimes, and be farther punished, if he did not "clear himself, and appear innocent." This petition was presented to the king, when he was in council, by the queen; who came thither only for that purpose, and desired that it might be read; which being done, the king was surprised, having not in the least received any notice of it; and said, "that her majesty was the principal cause that induced his majesty to remove him from his place, and that "she then believed that he was not fit for the "trust." She said, "she had now a better opinion Is refused "of him, and that she had been misinformed." The by the king thought it unfit to receive a person into so near a trust, against whose fidelity there had been such public exceptions; and his majesty knew that few of his friends in England would correspond with him; and therefore would not be persuaded to restore him. This was again put all upon the chancellor's account, and the influence he had upon the king. king. Whereupon chancellor chequer of Thereupon Mr. Long accused the chancellor of accuses the having betrayed the king; and undertook to prove of the ex- that he had been over in England, and had private his having conference with Cromwell: which was an aspersion so impossible, that every body laughed at it: yet and con- because he undertook to prove it, the chancellor Cromwell. pressed, " that a day might be appointed for him to "produce his proof:" and at that day the queen been in England, versed with XIV. 1655. The busi in council. as a hearsay came again to the council, that she might be pre- BOOK sent at the charge. There Mr. Long produced Massonet, a man who had served him, and afterwards been an under-clerk for writing letters and commis-ness heard sions, during the time of the king's being in Scot- Massonet is land, and had been taken prisoner at Worcester; produced and, being released with the rest of the king's ser- witness of vants, had been employed, from the time of the king's return, in the same service under the chancellor; the man having, before the troubles, taught the king, and the duke of York, and the rest of the king's children to write, being indeed the best writer, for the fairness of the hand, of any man in that time. 66 Massonet said, "that after his release from his imprisonment, and whilst he stayed in London, he "spoke with a maid, who had formerly served him, "that knew the chancellor very well, and who as"sured him, that one evening she had seen the "chancellor go into Cromwell's chamber at White"hall; and after he had been shut up with him "some hours, she saw him conducted out again." And Mr. Long desired time, that he might send over for this woman, who should appear and justify it. To this impossible discourse, the chancellor said, "he would make no other defence, than that there "were persons then in the town, who, he was con"fident, would avow that they had seen him once every day, from the time he returned from Spain "to the day on which he attended his majesty at "Paris;" as indeed there were; and when he had said so, he offered to go out of the room; which the a the best writer,] MS adds: in Latin as well as English, it. 1655. 66 66 BOOK king would not have him to do. But he told his XIV. majesty, "that it was the course; and that he ought not to be present at the debate that was "to concern himself;" and the keeper, with some warmth, said, "it was true;" and so he retired to his own chamber. The lord Jermyn, as soon as he was gone, said, "he never thought the accusation "had any thing of probability in it; and that he "believed the chancellor a very honest ́man: but "the use that he thought ought to be made of this calumny, was, that it appeared that an honest "and innocent man might be calumniated, as he "thought Mr. Long had likewise been; and there"fore they ought both to be cleared." The keeper said," he saw not ground enough to condemn the "chancellor; but he saw no cause neither to de"clare him innocent: that there was one witness "which declared only what he had heard; but that "he undertook also to produce the witness herself, "if he might have time; which in justice could not "be denied; and therefore he proposed, that a com 66 66 66 petent time might be given to Mr. Long to make "out his proof; and that in the mean time the "chancellor might not repair to the council:" with which proposition the king was so offended, that, with much warmth, he said, "he discerned well the design; and that it was so false and wicked a charge, that, if he had no other exception against "Mr. Long than this foul and foolish accusation, it was cause enough never to trust him." And therefore he presently sent for the chancellor, and, as soon as he came in, commanded him to sit in his The king place; and told him," he was sorry he was not in a "condition to do him more justice than to declare acquits the chancellor. 66 |