29.

[(a) Instructions to Sir George Downing, who was sent to the Hague to inflame the Dutch against the English by citing such grievances as the failure to salute the English Flag, etc. Minutes of the Foreign Committee of the Privy Council. S.P.F., Entry Books, Miscellaneous, 176.]

29 October 1671. Foreign Committee at Whitehall. Present. King's Maty.

Instructions to Sir George Downing knt going Ambr. to Holland offered by Mr. Sec. Trevor. Adds. To bring reparacōn upon Van Ghent for refusing to salute ye yacht. That this be ye final point upon weh to be satisfied before anything else be done.

5th November 1671. [Same members present except that Buckingham is present and Monmouth is absent.]

Mr. Secry. Trevor produces Sir George Downing's Instructions adds in ye complaint against Medalls as well as scandalous Bookes 1 etc.

1

Order to ye Dk [as Ld. High Admiral] that whereas his Maty has received no satisfaction from ye States Generall for ye offences done His Flagg and after some dayes

expectation, To give ord1 that what shipps are now ready at Portsmouth forthwith to take ye sea and make stopp of all Dutch vessells and to bring them into Port till further ord". And if they shall resist then to fight, Sinke, Burne or destroy them, and to have strict charge over them that they touch nothing of ye lading or what shall be on board.

[(b) The Declaration of War, 17 March, 1671-2. P.C.R., Ixiii. 195.]

We have been alwaies so zealous for ye quiet of Christendome and so careful not to invade any Kingdome or State, that wee hope ye would will do us the justice to believe, that it is nothing but inevitable necessity forceth us to ye Resolution of taking up arms.

[Account here follows of the causes of the First Dutch War, 1665-7, and the subsequent violation of the Treaty of Breda by the Dutch in Surinam.]

But it is no wonder that they venture these outrages upon our subjects in remote parts when they dare be so bold with Our Royall Person and ye Honour of this Nation so near us as in their Owne Country, their being scarce a Towne within their Territoryes, that is not filled with abusive Pictures and false Historicall Medalls and Pillars.

The right of the Flagg is so ancient .. it was never questioned and it was expressly acknowledged in the Treaty of Breda, and yet this last Summer it was not only violated by their Comanders at Sea, and that violation afterwards justified at the Hague, but it was also represented by them in most Courts of Christendome as Ridiculous for us to demand. . . . An Ungrateful Insolence.

We have therefore thought fit to declare and do hereby Declare, That wee will prosecute warr both by Sea and Land against the States General of the United Provinces

and all their Subjects and Inhabitants,

willing and

Requiring all our Subjects to take notice of the same.

30.

[The appointment of Shaftesbury to the office of Lord Chancellor. "Shaftesbury Papers," x. 515.]

Immediately after Lord Shaftesbury received ye seals he was commanded by the king to issue writts for Electing Ministers of ye House of Commons before the meeting of Parliament in the room of others who were deceased.

31.

[Further "Stop of the Exchequer," 11 December, 1672, and Declaration of Indulgence. P.C.R., lxiii. 353.]

It was this day ordered by his Matie in Councell that the Rt Honble the Earle of Arlington, his Matie's Principall Secry of State doe forthwith cause his Matie's order and declaration touching the farther stop of all payments of money out of the Exchequer untill the first day of May next ensuing, which was this day read and approved at the Board, to be forthwith printed and published. . .

It was this day ordered by his Matie in Councell that the Rt Honble Anthony Earle of Shaftesbury Lord Chancellor of England doe cause the greate Seale of England to be affixed to his Matie's Declaration for Indulgence in matters of religion bearing date this 15 of March last past.

32.

[Resignation of Clifford and promotion of Osborne (Danby) after the Test Act. "Evelyn's Diary," ii. 84, 19 June, 1673.]

Congratulated the new Treasurer Sir Thomas Osborne, a gentleman with whom I had been intimately connected at Paris, and who was every day at my father-in-law's

house and table there; on which account I was too confident of succeeding in his favour, as I had done in his predecessors; but such a friend shall I never find and I neglected my time, far from believing that my Lord Clifford would have so rashly laid down his staff as he did, to the amazement of all the world, when it came to the test of his receiving the Communion, which I am confident he forbore more from some promise he had entered into to gratify the Duke than from any prejudice to the Protestant religion, though I found him wavering a pretty while.

33.

[Reply of the Commons to the King's demand of "A Supply," for the carrying on of the war, after 1673. The following extracts illustrate the antagonism of the Commons to the Second Dutch War. (a) Friday, 31 October, 1673. The House resolved itself into a Grand Committee. Anchitel Grey, "Debates of the House of Commons," 1667-94, ii. 197-209.]

Mr. Russel.

The business of this day is "Money."

Would not

vote things hand over head; let us consider what we give this money for, and consider what we give as destructive to the nation (by maintaining this war) and the Protestant religion. The French king calls this war a Catholic war" and seeing we are upon so wrong a bottom, and if betrayed by those about the king let us tell him plainly of it. Former Parliaments have done it; and moves to pass a negative vote upon "Money."

Mr. Secretary Coventry.

Knows not that ever the House of Austria had the name of Hugonot among them, though Holland joined with them. We can have war with Holland without Religion in the case, they once had with the French as we have Consider they (the Dutch) have provided a great fleet against the Summer, and you will give no

now.

money, and so have no fleet; which way will you secure the Plantations and Tangier?

Mr. Sacheverell.1

Is one of those that think "giving of money giving of money " one of the greatest grievances. It seems to him that those villainous Counsellors, that persuaded the king to make this war, have deceived him in this speech; do not they know of the unpaid taxes granted this last Session with the Prizes and the Customs? . . . It was said before Give money and Grievances shall be redressed."

.. The army

is so insolent that they may turn you out of doors. If Redress of Grievances be an argument for "Money you will never want grievances. Will you not heighten France by giving more money, that he may have

dominion at sea which we now contend for? negative we may deliver ourselves both from Rome.

Mr. Attorney Finch.2

And by this

France and

The king

This is an English and no other war. may engage in a war; but when his people shall storm him out of it, the hour will come that his enemies wish for, for the Dutch will now be upon greater terms, having ever desired such a storm as the king could not allay.

Mr. Powle.

3

Shall never think that Privilege of Parliament is not violated so long as a Privy Counsellor sits in the Chair. He that was Contriver of the Declaration made Lord Privy Seal and another as much concerned made Chief Governor of Scotland. This is to bring in popery in Triumph.

5

1 See Sitwell, G. R., "The Sitwells and the Sacheverells " (1900), vol. i. ch. 5.

2 His adherence to the king caused him to be made Lord Keeper, 9 November, 1673, and Lord Chanc llor in 1674.

3 Sir E. Seymour. One of the Naval Commissioners.

4

* Anglesey.

5 Lauderdale.