Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

OF

EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON,

LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR OF ENGLAND,

AND

CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD:

IN WHICH IS INCLUDED

A CONTINUATION

OF HIS

HISTORY OF THE GRAND REBELLION.

WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.

A NEW EDITION,

EXHIBITING A FAITHFUL COLLATION OF THE ORIGINAL MS.,
WITH ALL THE SUPPRESSED PASSAGES.

VOL. II.

OXFORD,

AT THE CLARENDON PRESS.

MDCCCXXVII.

[ocr errors][merged small]

THE

CONTINUATION

OF

THE LIFE

OF

EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON.

с

a

meets,

speech.

ALL this was done between the dissolution of the 1661. parliament in December, and the assembling the The new other in May following. And upon the first day of parliament its coming together, which was upon the eighth of May 8. May, the very day b that his majesty had been proclaimed the year before, he told them "that he had The king's "deferred it a week, that they might meet upon "that day, for the memory of the former day." The king, after some gracious expressions of his confidence in them, told them "that they would "find what method he thought best for their proceeding, by two bills which he had caused to be provided for them, which were for confirmation of "all that had been enacted in the last meeting;" and repeated what he had said to them when he

66

66

[blocks in formation]

1661. was last there: "that next to the miraculous blessHe presses "ing of God Almighty, and indeed as an immediate "effect of that blessing, he did impute the good dis

them to

confirm the act of in

demnity.

66

66

position and security they were all in, to the happy "act of indemnity and oblivion: that," his majesty said, "was the principal corner-stone that supported "that excellent building, that created kindness in "them to each other; and confidence was their joint "and common security." He told them," he was "still of the same opinion, and more, if it were pos"sible, of that opinion than he had been, by the experience he had of the benefit of it, and from the "unreasonableness of what some men said against "it." He desired them "to provide full remedies "for future mischiefs; to be as severe as they would against new offenders, especially if they were so upon old principles; and that they would pull up "those principles by the roots. But," his majesty said, “he should never think him a wise man, that "would endeavour to undermine and shake that "foundation of the public peace, by infringing that "act in the least degree; or that he could be his "friend, or wish him well, who would persuade him

66

66

66

66

ever to consent to the breach of a promise he had "so solemnly made when he was abroad, and had performed with that solemnity after, and because "he had promised it: and that he could not suspect any attempts of that kind by any men of "merit and virtue."

66

And this warmth of his majesty upon this subject was not then more than needed: for the armies being now disbanded, there were great combinations entered into, not to confirm the act of oblivion; which they knew without confirmation would sig

« ZurückWeiter »