The History of England, from the Accession of James the Second - Volume 1 - Thomas Babington Macaulay (novel books to read TXT) 📗

VOL. I.


PHILADELPHIA

PORTER & COATES


CONTENTS


CHAPTER I.

Introduction

Britain under the Romans

Britain under the Saxons

Conversion of the Saxons to Christianity

Danish Invasions; The Normans

The Norman Conquest

Separation of England and Normandy

Amalgamation of Races

English Conquests on the Continent

Wars of the Roses

Extinction of Villenage

Beneficial Operation of the Roman Catholic Religion

The early English Polity often misrepresented, and why?

Nature of the Limited Monarchies of the Middle Ages

Prerogatives of the early English Kings

Limitations of the Prerogative

Resistance an ordinary Check on Tyranny in the Middle Ages

Peculiar Character of the English Aristocracy

Government of the Tudors

Limited Monarchies of the Middle Ages generally turned into

Absolute Monarchies

The English Monarchy a singular Exception

The Reformation and its Effects

Origin of the Church of England

Her peculiar Character7

Relation in which she stood to the Crown

The Puritans

Their Republican Spirit

No systematic parliamentary Opposition offered to the Government of Elizabeth


Question of the Monopolies


Scotland and Ireland become Parts of the same Empire with England

Diminution of the Importance of England after the Accession of James I

Doctrine of Divine Right

The Separation between the Church and the Puritans becomes wider

Accession and Character of Charles

Tactics of the Opposition in the House of Commons

Petition of Right

Petition of Right violated; Character and Designs of Wentworth

Character of Laud

Star Chamber and High Commission

Ship-Money

Resistance to the Liturgy in Scotland

A Parliament called and dissolved

The Long Parliament

First Appearance of the Two great English Parties

The Remonstrance

Impeachment of the Five Members

Departure of Charles from London

Commencement of the Civil War

Successes of the Royalists

Rise of the Independents

Oliver Cromwell

Selfdenying Ordinance; Victory of the Parliament

Domination and Character of the Army

Rising against the Military Government suppressed

Proceedings against the King

His Execution

Subjugation of Ireland and Scotland

Expulsion of the Long Parliament

The Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell

Oliver succeeded by Richard

Fall of Richard and Revival of the Long Parliament

Second Expulsion of the Long Parliament

The Army of Scotland marches into England

Monk declares for a Free Parliament

General Election of 1660

The Restoration

CHAPTER II.

Conduct of those who restored the House of Stuart unjustly censured

Abolition of Tenures by Knight Service; Disbandment of the Army

Disputes between the Roundheads and Cavaliers renewed

Religious Dissension

Unpopularity of the Puritans

Character of Charles II

Character of the Duke of York and Earl of Clarendon

General Election of 1661

Violence of the Cavaliers in the new Parliament

Persecution of the Puritans

Zeal of the Church for Hereditary Monarchy

Change in the Morals of the Community

Profligacy of Politicians

State of Scotland

State of Ireland

The Government become unpopular in England

War with the Dutch

Opposition in the House of Commons

Fall of Clarendon

State of European Politics, and Ascendancy of France

Character of Lewis XIV

The Triple Alliance

The Country Party

Connection between Charles II. and France

Views of Lewis with respect to England

Treaty of Dover

Nature of the English Cabinet

The Cabal

Shutting of the Exchequer

War with the United Provinces, and their extreme Danger

William, Prince of Orange

Meeting of the Parliament; Declaration of Indulgence

It is cancelled, and the Test Act passed

The Cabal dissolved

Peace with the United Provinces; Administration of Danby

Embarrassing Situation of the Country Party

Dealings of that Party with the French Embassy

Peace of Nimeguen

Violent Discontents in England

Fall of Danby; the Popish Plot

Violence of the new House of Commons

Temple's Plan of Government

Character of Halifax

Character of Sunderland

Prorogation of the Parliament; Habeas Corpus Act; Second General

Election of 1679

Popularity of Monmouth

Lawrence Hyde

Sidney Godolphin

Violence of Factions on the Subject of the Exclusion Bill

Names of Whig and Tory

Meeting of Parliament; The Exclusion Bill passes the Commons;

Exclusion Bill rejected by the Lords

Execution of Stafford; General Election of 1681

Parliament held at Oxford, and dissolved

Tory Reaction

Persecution of the Whigs

Charter of the City confiscated; Whig Conspiracies

Detection of the Whig Conspiracies

Severity of the Government; Seizure of Charters

Influence of the Duke of York

He is opposed by Halifax

Lord Guildford

Policy of Lewis

State of Factions in the Court of Charles at the time of his

Death

CHAPTER III.

Great Change in the State of England since 1685

Population of England in 1685

Increase of Population greater in the North than in the South

Revenue in 1685

Military System

The Navy

The Ordnance

Noneffective Charge; Charge of Civil Government

Great Gains of Ministers and Courtiers

State of Agriculture5

Mineral Wealth of the Country

Increase of Rent


The Country Gentlemen

The Clergy

The Yeomanry; Growth of the Towns; Bristol

Norwich

Other Country Towns

Manchester; Leeds; Sheffield

Birmingham

Liverpool

Watering-places; Cheltenham; Brighton; Buxton; Tunbridge Wells

Bath

London

The City

Fashionable Part of the Capital

Lighting of London

Police of London

Whitefriars; The Court

The Coffee Houses

Difficulty of Travelling

Badness of the Roads

Stage Coaches

Highwaymen

Inns

Post Office

Newspapers

News-letters

The Observator

Scarcity of Books in Country Places; Female Education

Literary Attainments of Gentlemen

Influence of French Literature

Immorality of the Polite Literature of England

State of Science in England

State of the Fine Arts

State of the Common People; Agricultural Wages

Wages of Manufacturers

Labour of Children in Factories

Wages of different Classes of Artisans

Number of Paupers

Benefits derived by the Common People from the Progress of

Civilisation

Delusion which leads Men to overrate the Happiness of preceding

Generations

CHAPTER IV.

Death of Charles II

Suspicions of Poison

Speech of James II. to the Privy Council

James proclaimed

State of the Administration

New Arrangements

Sir George Jeffreys

The Revenue collected without an Act of Parliament

A Parliament called

Transactions between James and the French King

Churchill sent Ambassador to France; His History

Feelings of the Continental Governments towards England

Policy of the Court of Rome

Struggle in the Mind of James; Fluctuations in his Policy

Public Celebration of the Roman Catholic Rites in the Palace

His Coronation

Enthusiasm of the Tories; Addresses

The Elections

Proceedings against Oates

Proceedings against Dangerfield

Proceedings against Baxter

Meeting of the Parliament of Scotland

Feeling of James towards the Puritans

Cruel Treatment of the Scotch Covenanters

Feeling of James towards the Quakers

William Penn

Peculiar Favour shown to Roman Catholics and Quakers

Meeting of the English Parliament; Trevor chosen Speaker;

Character of Seymour

The King's Speech to the Parliament

Debate in the Commons; Speech of Seymour

The Revenue voted; Proceedings of the Commons concerning Religion

Additional Taxes voted; Sir Dudley North

Proceedings of the Lords

Bill for reversing the Attainder of Stafford

CHAPTER V.

Whig Refugees on the Continent

Their Correspondents in England

Characters of the leading Refugees; Ayloffe; Wade

Goodenough; Rumbold

Lord Grey

Monmouth

Ferguson

Scotch Refugees; Earl of Argyle

Sir Patrick Hume; Sir John Cochrane; Fletcher of Saltoun

Unreasonable Conduct of the Scotch Refugees

Arrangement for an Attempt on England and Scotland

John Locke

Preparations made by Government for the Defence of Scotland

Conversation of James with the Dutch Ambassadors; Ineffectual

Attempts to prevent Argyle from sailing

Departure of Argyle from Holland; He lands in Scotland


His Disputes with his Followers

Temper of the Scotch Nation

Argyle's Forces dispersed

Argyle a Prisoner

His Execution.

Execution of Rumbold

Death of Ayloffe

Devastation of Argyleshire

Ineffectual Attempts to prevent Monmouth from leaving Holland

His Arrival at Lyme

His Declaration

His Popularity in the West of England

Encounter of the Rebels with the Militia at Bridport

Encounter of the Rebels with the Militia at Axminster; News of the Rebellion carried to London; Loyalty of the Parliament

Reception of Monmouth at Taunton

He takes the Title of King

His Reception at Bridgewater

Preparations of the Government to oppose him

His Design on Bristol

He relinquishes that Design

Skirmish at Philip's Norton; Despondence of Monmouth

He returns to Bridgewater; The Royal Army encamps at Sedgemoor

Battle of Sedgemoor

Pursuit of the Rebels

Military Executions; Flight of Monmouth

His Capture

His Letter to the King; He is carried to London

His Interview with the King

His Execution


His Memory cherished by the Common People

Cruelties of the Soldiers in the West; Kirke

Jeffreys sets out on the Western Circuit

Trial of Alice Lisle

The Bloody Assizes

Abraham Holmes

Christopher Battiseombe; The Hewlings

Punishment of Tutchin

Rebels Transported

Confiscation and Extortion

Rapacity of the Queen and her Ladies

Grey; Cochrane; Storey

Wade, Goodenough, and Ferguson

Jeffreys made Lord Chancellor

Trial and Execution of Cornish

Trials and Executions of Fernley and Elizabeth Gaunt

Trial and Execution of Bateman

Persecution of the Protestant Dissenters

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.


CHAPTER I.


I PURPOSE to write the history of England from the accession of

King James the Second down to a time which is within the memory

of men still living. I shall recount the errors which, in a few

months, alienated a loyal gentry and priesthood from the House of

Stuart. I shall trace the course of that revolution which

terminated the long struggle between our sovereigns and their

parliaments, and bound up together the rights of the people and

the title of the reigning dynasty. I shall relate how the new

settlement was, during many troubled years, successfully defended

against foreign and domestic enemies; how, under that settlement,

the authority of law and the security of property were found to

be compatible with a liberty of discussion and of individual

action never before known; how, from the auspicious union of

order and freedom, sprang a prosperity of which the annals of

human affairs had furnished no example; how our country, from a

state of ignominious vassalage, rapidly rose to the place of

umpire among European powers; how her opulence and her martial

glory grew together; how, by wise and resolute good faith, was

gradually established a public credit fruitful of marvels which

to the statesmen of any former