1655.] Petitions against the chancellor. 66 66 66 66 117 The lord Balcarris, with Dr. Frazier, and some other Scots about the court, thought themselves enough qualified to undertake in the name of all the presbyterians; and caused a petition to be prepared, in which they set out," that the presbyterian party had great affections to serve his majesty, and much power to do it; and that they had many propositions and advices to offer "to his majesty for the advancement thereof: but "that they were discouraged, and hindered from offering the same, by reason that his majesty intrusted his whole affairs to the chancellor of "the exchequer; who was an old known and "declared enemy to all their party; in whom they could repose no trust and therefore they be"sought his majesty, that he might be removed "from his council, at least not be suffered to be privy to any thing that should be proposed by them; and they should then make it appear "how ready and how able they were in a very "short time to advance his majesty's affairs." 66 66 66 Another petition was prepared in the name of his Roman catholic subjects; which said, that "all his majesty's party which had adhered to him, were now totally suppressed; and had, for "the most part, compounded with his enemies, "and submitted to their government: that the church-lands were all sold, and the bishops dead, except very few, who durst not exercise "their function: so that he could expect no more "aid from any who were concerned to support the "government of the church as it had been formerly "established: that by the defeat of duke Hamil 66 66 ton's army first, and then by his majesty's ill 118 66 66 Petitions against the chancellor. [B. XIV. success at Worcester, and the total reduction of "the kingdom of Scotland afterwards by Cromwell, his majesty might conclude what greater aid he was to expect from the presbyterian party. Nothing therefore remained to him of I hope for his restoration, but from the affection "of his Roman catholic subjects; who, as they "would never be wanting as to their persons, and "their estates which were left, so they had hope "to draw from the catholic princes, and the pope "himself, such considerable assistance both in men and money, that his majesty should owe his restitution, under the blessing of God, to the "sole power and assistance of the catholics. But they had great reason to fear, that all these hopes would be obstructed and rendered of no use, not only by there being no person about his majesty in whom the catholics could have any "confidence, but by reason that the person most "trusted by him, and through whose hands all "letters and despatches must pass, is a known enemy to all catholics; and therefore they besought his majesty, that that person, the chan"cellor of the exchequer, might be removed from him; whereupon he should find great benefit to accrue to his service." They concluded, that when these two petitions should be weighed and considered, the queen would easily convince his majesty, that a person who was so odious to all the Roman catholics, from whose affections his majesty had most reason to promise himself relief, and to all the protestants who could contribute to his assistance or subsistence, could not be fit to be continued in any trust about him. 66 66 1655.] Walsingham discovers them to the king. 119 When matters were thus adjusted, which were the longer in preparation, because the persons concerned could not, without suspicion and scandal, meet together, but were to be treated with by persons mutually employed, one Mr. Walsingham, a person very well known to all men who at that time knew the palace royal, who had been employed in the affair, came to the king, and, whether out of ingenuity, and dislike of so foul a combination, or as he thought the discovery would be grateful to his majesty, informed him of the whole intrigue, and gave a copy of the petitions to the king; who shewed them to the marquis of Ormond, and the chancellor of the exchequer; and informed them of the whole intrigue. And from this time his majesty made himself very merry with the design, and spoke of it sometimes at dinner, when the queen was present; and asked pleasantly, "when the two petitions would be brought "against the chancellor of the exchequer ?" which being quickly krown to some of the persons engaged in the prosecution, they gave it over, and thought not fit to proceed any farther in it; though both factions continued their implacable malice towards him, nor did he find any ease or quiet by their giving over that design, their animosities against him still breaking out one after another, as long as the king remained in France; the queen taking all occasions to complain to the queen regent of the king's unkindness, that she might impute all that she disliked to the chancellor; and the queen mother of France was like to be very tender in a point that so much concerned herself, 120 De Retz's conference with the king. [B. XIV. that any man should dare to interpose between the mother and the son. There was an accident fell out, that administered some argument to make those complaints appear more reasonable. The cardinal de Retz had always expressed great civilities towards the king, and a desire to serve him; and upon some occasional conference between them, the cardinal asked the king, "whether he had made any attempt to draw any assistance from the pope, and whether he thought that nothing might be done that way to "his advantage?" The king told him, "nothing "had been attempted that way; and that he was "better able to judge, whether the pope was like "to do any thing for a man of his faith." The cardinal smiling, said, he had no thought of "speaking of his faith;" yet in short, he spoke to him like a wise and honest man; "that if any "overtures were made him of the change of his religion, he must tell his majesty, it became him 66 as a cardinal to wish his majesty a catholic for "the saving his soul; but he must declare too, "that if he did change his religion, he would never be restored to his kingdoms." But he said," he did believe," (though the pope was old, and much decayed in his generosity; for Innocent the Tenth was then living,)" that if some proper 66 application was made to the princes of Italy, and "to the pope himself, though there would not be gotten wherewithal to raise and maintain armies, there might be somewhat considerable obtained for his more pleasant support, wherever he should choose to reside." He said, he had 66 1655.] De Retz sent to the Bastille. 121 "himself some alliance with the great duke, and "interest in other courts, and in Rome itself; and "if his majesty would give him leave, and trust "his discretion, he would write in such a manner "in his own name to some of his friends, as "should not be of any prejudice to his majesty, if "it brought him no convenience." The king had reason to acknowledge the obligation, and to leave it to his own wisdom, what he would do. In the conclusion of the discourse, the cardinal asked his majesty a question or two of matter of fact, which he could not answer; but told him, " he would “give a punctual information of it the next day " in a letter:" which the cardinal desired might be as soon as his majesty thought fit, because he would, upon the receipt of it, make his despatches into Italy. The particular things being out of the king's memory, as soon as he returned, he asked the chancellor of the exchequer concerning them; and having received a punctual account from him, his majesty writ a letter the next day to the cardinal, and gave him information as to those particulars. Within very few days after this, the cardinal coming one day to the Louvre to see the queen mother, he was arrested by the captain of the guard, and sent prisoner to the Bastille; and in one of his pockets, which they searched, that letter the king had sent to him was found, and delivered to the queen regent; who presently imparted it to the queen of England; and after they had made themselves merry with some improprieties in the French, the king having, for the secresy, not consulted with any body, they discovered some purpose of applying to the pope, and to other |