CHAP. Rising, Sir Robert Paston, a baronet of ancient family and large estate.* XI. 1664, We have no other account of these conferences than that which is given by Lord Clarendon; but such is his inaccuracy on some points, in which we can refer to the evidence of the Journalst, that it is plain that he trusted solely to a very fallible memory, and that his statement must be accepted with proportionate caution. On the 25th of November (the day after the meeting of the Parliament), the House of Commons took into consideration the matter of the King's speech and narrative; and the same being debated, they successively resolved, unanimously, "That there shall be a present supply considered "of for the King's Majesty. "That there shall be a certain sum for his *Life of Clarendon, ii. 307. + The following example will suffice:- "The Parliament still pro"mised fairly, and entered upon consultation how and what money to raise. "And now the King commanded the Chancellor and the Treasurer to "meet with those members of the House of Commons with whom they "had used to consult, and to whom the King had joined others, upon whom, he was told, he might more depend, and to adjust together "what sum should be proposed, and how, and in what manner, to propose and conduct it. It was about the month of January." (Life of Clarendon, ii. 302.) After this passage follows a description of the conferences respecting supplies, and the means taken to induce Sir R. Paston to move a vote of two millions and a half. Who, after reading such a statement, would imagine that the Parliament met on the 24th of November, and that on the following day (being the first day in which the question of supply was mooted), and not in January, Sir R. Paston made his motion! (See Commons' Journals.) These conferences, therefore, must have taken place before the Parliament could have promised" any thing, or "entered upon consultation" at all. XI. "restriction to the Committee of the whole House CHAP. "in the manner of raising the sum named by the "House." * 66 66 "After which," says Lord Clarendon, "no man adventuring to name the proportion that should "be given," and "while the House was in deep "silence, expecting that motion," Sir Robert Paston, as had been preconcerted, rose, and moved that a supply should be voted of two millions and a half. “The silence of the House," pursues Lord Clarendon, "was not broken: they sat as in amazement until a gentleman, who was be"lieved to wish well to the King, without taking "notice of what had been proposed, stood up and "moved that they might give the King a much "less proportion;" after which two other members, unconnected with the court, "who had pro"mised to second, renewed the motion, one after "the other." The House divided, and Paston's motion was carried by 172 to 102.‡ On the following day the House considered, in committee, "the method and manner of raising" this unprecedented sum; and while this difficult matter was under consideration, the King, on the strength of the munificent vote, obtained from the City, for present use, an immediate loan of 200,000l.§ A bill, to the provisions of which, and its important * Commons' Journals, Nov. 25. 1664. Commons' Journals, Nov. 25. 1664. 1664. XI. CHAP. changes in the system of finance, I shall afterwards advert, passed both Houses in the course of the winter*; and on the 22d of February, 1665, the King issued a declaration of war. 1665. Commons' Journals, Feb. 3. 166. Lords' Journals, Feb. 7. CHAP. XII. EXAMINATION OF THE CHARGE AGAINST CLARENDON, THAT TECTORATE. 1663-1665. XII. 1665. against BEFORE a narration of the events of the war with CHAP. Holland, and of the consequent negotiations with foreign powers, it is necessary to attend to some important matters of internal policy, under the Charges administration of Lord Clarendon, involving se- rendon rious charges against his character as a statesman. examined. He is accused of a grave offence—of having encouraged fictitious plots, and excited fears in the public mind, for the sake of rendering the supposed danger a plea for severity against Dissenters. This charge is not substantiated. It has not been proved that Clarendon was mistaken in his assertion of the existence of danger; much less that he asserted that which he did not believe to be true. His situation as minister did not exempt him from being deceived, or even from sharing in a popular delusion; yet even sensible and approved CHAP. 1665. writers are apt to exaggerate the degree of intuition which a minister, situated like Clarendon, was likely to possess. To unravel delusive tales is a task requiring not only sagacity but more time and patience than one, whose cares are many and weighty, is perhaps able or willing to bestow. It is also unjust to ascribe to the person at the head of affairs the sanction and direction of every false tale of conspiracy with which inferior agents may alarm the country, or to suppose that the rumour upon which he acted was originally propagated by his authority. Political hatred of a particular sect might actuate persons in inferior stations as strongly as it could actuate the first minister of the crown; and the desire of contributing, by false rumours, to their own advancement might influence them still more strongly. That Clarendon never tampered, even indirectly, with the infamous promulgators of false accusations, is almost proved by the circumstance of none such having ever avowed it. There was a time when any charge which would have served to load the fallen minister would have been favourably received by his numerous enemies; and men sufficiently infamous for such a service would not have scrupled to betray their employers. Yet no such accusation has ever appeared. Yarranton, (who in 1681 published a statement, professing to show that the Worcestershire plot, in November, 1661, alleged by Sir J. Packington, was fictitious,) although he appears to have been tampered with by Bristol, brings no charge |