The Duke's impressions of current politics may be compared with those expressed in the memoirs and diaries of his contemporaries. Among these may be mentioned, "The Continuation" of Lord Clarendon's "Life" (written between 1667 and 1674, published 1759); Gilbert Burnet's "History of My Own Time (ed. O. Airy, 1897); the memoirs of Sir William Temple in "Works" (published 1720); the memoirs of Sir John Reresby, M.P. (1750), and of James Wellwood, M.D. (1700); the diaries of Samuel Pepys (ed.: Wheatley, 1903), and of John Evelyn (1850). The letters to and from the Earl of Arlington (published 1710), the letters from Algernon Sidney to Henry Savile (published 1700), and the letters from Andrew Marvell, M.P., to his constituents in "Works" (published 1868), afford further illustration of domestic and foreign affairs. The political philosophy of the period and the ideals animating both king and statesmen have been brilliantly delineated by George Savile, Marquis of Halifax, in such essays as "The Character of a Trimmer" (1685), and “A Character of Charles II" (published 1750). The career of the Earl of Shaftesbury has been described in volume 10 of the Shaftesbury Papers (manuscripts deposited at the Public Record Office, 1871), which, although erroneous in detail, afford an exceedingly vivid account of Shaftesbury's life. Political pamphlets, voicing the ideas of the Whig and Tory parties, defy enumeration, since between 1679 and 1684, when the Licensing Act was allowed to lapse, unlimited opportunity was given for the publication of pungent and satirical party tracts. This period saw the rise of newspapers as well as the increase of pamphlets and tracts. "The London Gazette," which dates its career from 1665, was until 1679 almost the only English newspaper, but after 1679 there appeared a large number of party organs, such as "The City Mercury," "The Observator," "The Protestant Intelligence," which have been enumerated in "The Times Hand-list of English and Welsh Newspapers," 1920. Ecclesiastical history has been illustrated by extracts from repressive acts of parliament and royal Declarations of Indulgence, and from the writings of such persecuted Nonconformists as George Fox (Journal, 1694) and Oliver Heywood (" Works," 1827). Typical letters contained in the State Papers Domestic have also been inserted, as they show the execution of the penal laws in many parts of England. Diplomatic negotiations are fully displayed in the State Papers Foreign, in the Paris Transcripts, and in the memoirs of Sir William Temple. The State Papers Foreign comprise very many uncalendared manuscript volumes, enumerated in the P.R.O." Lists and Indexes," No. 19. The letters and papers consist chiefly of correspondence from English ambassadors resident at foreign courts. The letters emanating from Versailles, 166088, comprise volumes 115-51, and should be used together with the Entry Books, volumes 176-80, which disclose the policy of the Foreign Committee of the English Privy Council between the years 1667 and 1678. Of far greater value are M. Baschet's transcripts of the letters written by French ambassadors resident at Whitehall, which may be found in the Baschet transcripts, bundles 106-77, 1660-88. Such astute diplomatic agents as Ruvigny, Colbert de Croissy, and Barillon wrote frequent letters to Louis XIV and Colbert describing their negotiations with Charles II, the bargains struck with him and his advisers, and commenting freely on court affairs and the king's relations with his ministers, his mistresses, his Parliaments and the Dutch ambassadors. The Baschet transcripts, the Parliamentary debates, and the State Papers Foreign, Holland, volumes 163-219, cover the period 1660 to 1688, and are especially important for the years immediately preceding the Dutch wars. For fuller understanding of the relations between England and Holland, the student must turn to the Memoirs of Sir William Temple, which include detailed accounts of the negotiations at Nimeguen, 1677-78. Naval and colonial development and the reorganization of the fleet are illustrated by the Admiralty papers, Privy Council register, and Pepysian manuscripts. The "Sea Manuscripts," collected by Pepys, from which extracts have been inserted in this book, are contained in 114 volumes of the collection preserved at the Pepysian Library, Magdalene College, Cambridge. They have been analysed by Dr. J. R. Tanner in his "Catalogue of the Library of Samuel Pepys, Bibliotheca Pepysiana, Part I.; Sea MSS." 1914, and in his "Catalogue of the Pepysian MSS., Vol. I.; Navy Records Society." These documents were collected by Pepys while he was Clerk of the Acts and Secretary to the Admiralty, to form the material for a history of the navy. They deal with every department of naval administration, record the work of the Admiralty Commissioners in regard to ship-building, the erection of guns, the issue of rules about salutes, the improvements in naval discipline and the earliest retention of naval officers in time of peace. The defection of the fleet to William of Orange (1688) has been indicated by quotations from the manuscripts of the Earl of Dartmouth (Admiral and Chief Commander of the English Fleet), contained in Historical Manuscripts Commission, Report XV, Appendix I. With regard to the commercial and colonial history of the period, the great collection of documents dealing, with both the general administration and the individual history of each colony is contained in the State Papers Colonial, or Colonial Office Papers. These comprise many hundreds of manuscript volumes, enumerated in “Lists and Indexes," No. 36, some of which are calendared in six printed calendars. General matters are discussed in series 1, volumes 14-65, in series 389, volumes 1-11 (Board of Trade, Commercial, Entry Books of Commissions, Instructions, Petitions and Correspondence) and in series 391, volumes 1-6 (Minutes or Journal of the Council, later Board, of Trade). From the many volumes devoted to the individual parts of the Empire only very few have been illustrated in this book. Series 138 (Entry Book of Jamaica) shows the type of documents which emanated from the American colonies; series 134 and 135 indicate the history of the Hudson's Bay Company, and series 77 affords material for the history of the East India Company. The documents relating to West African trade are classified separately, and may be found among the Treasury Papers, of which group they form series 70. The records of the African Companies comprise minutes of committees, journals, ledgers, letter books, reports, and various miscellaneous lists and volumes of accounts entered-up at the African House in London or at the various coastal factories. Together with these records of English and overseas history may be mentioned the documents relating to Scotland and Ireland. Scottish history has been illustrated in this volume by extracts from the Privy Council register of Scotland and Acts of the Parliament of Scotland and from the writings of English administrators and Scottish Covenanters. AngloIrish relations are illustrated by quotations from Irish Statutes, English Statutes of the Realm, State Papers, Ireland (volumes 303-51), and from the writings of Sir William Petty. The Ormonde manuscripts (Historical Manuscripts Commission, Report XIV, Appendix, Part 7: 1906) form the most comprehensive material for the history of Anglo-Irish relations and of the work undertaken by the Duke of Ormonde during his lord-lieutenancy (1661-9, and 1677-84). The Clarendon correspondence (ed. Singer, 1828) affords a valuable source for the years 1685-7, when Henry Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, was lord-lieutenancy, and describes the attempt of James II to establish Roman Catholicism in Ireland. No adequate illustration of the achievements of this age in science, art, literature, and philosophy, has been possible in this volume; the extracts in Book V are merely intended to suggest the many-sided activities of the period. For the purpose of convenience, a list of the official sources is appended, while for excellent critical bibliographies of the unofficial sources the student is referred to Longmans' "Political History," Volume VIII, by Sir Richard Lodge, and to the lists of works appended to the Cambridge Modern History, Volume IX, "The Age of Louis XIV.” In conclusion, the editor offers sincere thanks to Dr. J. R. Tanner and to Mr. Morshead for their kindness in facilitating research into the Pepysian manuscripts. Much gratitude is also due to Dr. Caroline Skeel for help and counsel, and for the valuable time she has devoted to reading this work in manuscript and in proof, and to compiling the index. OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS (USED IN COMPLING THIS VOLUME). 1. MSS. (a) Preserved at the Public Record Office. State Papers, Domestic. (Lists and Indexes, No. 43.) 1685-88. 5 vols. ; no calendars. King William's Chest, Bundles III and IV; Letters from State Papers, Foreign. (Lists and Indexes, No. 19.) Holland. 1660-88. Letters and Papers. Vols. 163-219. Journal of Committee of Foreign Affairs. 1667-78. Entry Books. Vols. 176-80. State Papers, Colonial. (Lists and Indexes, No. 36.) East Indies. C.O. 77. Original Correspondence. Hudson's Bay. C.O. 134. Original Correspondence. Hudson's Bay. C.O. 135. Entry Books. Board of Trade. C.O. 389. Entry Books. State Papers, Ireland. (Lists and Indexes, No. 43.) 1660-88. Vols. 303-51; 4 vols. of calendars. Privy Council Register. 1660-88. Vols. 54-72. Papers of the African Companies. Treasury Records. Series 70. Baschet Papers. Paris Transcripts. 1660-88. Vols. 106-77. |