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fatisfactions and enjoyments; that dare deny themfelves for the good of their prince and of this fort, without encroachment on the just acquirements of any other minifter, with what admirable policy did he influence and manage the councils he was concerned in during the inter-regnum, towards his majefty's intereft! With what exquifite fubtilty did he turn all the channels of their councils to fwell this ftream! And how unweariedly did he tug at the helm of ftate, till he had brought his great mafter fafe into the defired port!

A fenfe of thefe great abilities, and firmness to the public good, ftill kept him up in the esteem of his country, who would always chufe him one of their reprefentatives in the great exigencies of ftate. They knew him to be one of thofe that could not believe prerogative to be incompatible with property, but as he believed that motto Rex legis tutamen, so he would not have that other, Grex regis tutamen, to be rejected.

By this may be eafily difcerned the opinion he had of the illegal and arbitrary proceedings of Oliver Cromwell, and how much of the fufferings of the royal party would have been prevented, has that point of a free parliament been then gained. His majefty's restoration' must have been the natural confequence of it. The conftant correfpondence he always kept with the royal party, and that almost to the hazard of his life and family, are fufficient

teftimonies

teftimonies of his fincerity to his master's intereft and fervice.

His houfe was a fanctuary for distressed Roy-alifts, and his correfpondence with the king's friends (though clofely managed, as the neceffities of thofe times required) are not unknown to thofe that were the principal ma-nagers of his majesty's affairs at that time. This made that great politician, Oliver Cromwell, fo apprehenfive of this great af fertor of his country's rights, and oppofer of arbitrary government and enthusiasm, that, though his vaft abilities were known, at least,、 to equal the ableft pilot of the ftate, yet we cannot find him among the creatures of his cabinet, or council; nor amongst the eleven major-generals, to whom the care of the-nation was committed: no, their principles, their aims, and defigns, were incompatible;.. one was for fubverting, the other for maintaining, the antient standing fundamentals of the nation; which once diffolved, it were impoffible but an univerfal deluge of confufion,. blood and rapine, must enfue.

This made our brave patriot, with divers of the heroic English race, to the utmost oppofe the growth of a protectorian power: so that we find Sir Anthony Ahley Cooper accufed before the parliament, in the year 1659, for keeping intelligence with the king, and for having provided a force of men in Dorfetshire to join with Sir George Booth in attempting to restore and bring his majesty to D 5

his

his rightful throne. And we find him one of the nine of the old council of ftate who fent that encouraging letter to general Monk, to promote his undertaking for the advantage of the three nations.

Again, we find him in the list of that council of ftate confifting of thirty-nine, upon whom an oath was endeavoured to be impofed for the abjuration of the royal line; but, by the influence of Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper, and general Monk, upon colonel Morley, that oath was oppofed in council, as being a fnare and against their confciences. This ⚫ was

ftrongly pleaded by the foberer part of the council, whereof this great patriot was one; and fo an end was put to that oath and to the council.

He was returned a member for Dorfetfhire in that which was called the, Healing Parlia ment, which fat upon the twenty-fifth of April, 1660; and a refolution being taken to restore the conftitution, he was named one of the twelve members of the house of commons to carry their invitation to the king. It was in performing this fervice that he had the misfortune to be overturned in a carriage upon a Dutch road, and thereby to receive a dangerous wound between the ribbs,, which ulcerated many years after, and was opened when he was lord chancellor.

Upon the king's coming over, he was fworn of his majesty's most honourable privy-council. He was alfo one of the commiffioners for the

trial of the Regicides; and, though the Oxford hiftorian is very fevere upon him on this occafion, yet he is not believed to have been any ways concerned in betraying or shedding the blood of his fovereign.

By letters patent, dated April 20, 1661, he was created baron Ashley, of Winborn St. Giles's; foon after made chancellor and under-treasurer of the Exchequer, and then one of the lords commiffioners for executing the office of high treasurer. He was afterwards made lord lieutenant of the county of Dorfet; and, on the twenty-third of April, 1672, created baron Cooper, of Pawlet, in the county of Somerfet, and earl of Shaftfbury.

On the fourth of November following, he was raifed to the poft of lord high-chancellor of England; which office he executed with great ability and integrity. He fhone particularly in his fpeeches in parliament; and, if we judge only from thofe which he made upon the fwearing in of the lord high-treafurer Clifford, his fucceffor, Sir Thomas Ofborne, and Mr. baron Thurland, we must conclude him one of the ableft men and moft accomplished orators this nation ever bred. The fhort time he was at the helm, was a feafon of ftorms and tempefts; and it is but doing him ftrict juftice to fay, that they could not either affright or diftract him.

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Upon the ninth of November, 1673, He refigned the great-feal, and with fome partiD. 6

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cular circumstances, which the reader may like to hear. Soon after the breaking up of the parliament, as Mr. Echard relates, the earl was fent for on Sunday morning to court, as was alfo Sir Heneage Finch, attorney-general, to whom the feals were promised. As foon as the earl came, he retired with the king into the clofet, while the prevailing party waited in triumph to fee him return without the purfe. His lordship being alone with the king, faid, "Sire, I know you intend to give the feals to the attorney-general, but I am sure your majesty never intended to difmifs me with contempt." "The king, who could not do an ill-natured thing, replied, "God's fifh, my lord, I will not do it with any circumftance that may look like an affront." “Then, fire,” said the earl, "I defire your majefty will permit me to carry the feals before you to chapel, and then fend for them afterwards from my houfe." To this his majesty readily confented, and the earl entertained the king with news and entertaining ftories till the very minute he was to go to chapel, purposely to amufe the courtiers and his fucceffor, who he believed was upon the rack, for fear he should prevail upon the king to change his mind.

The king and the earl came out of the closet, talking together and smiling, and went together to chapel, which greatly surprised them all; and fome ran immediately to tell the duke of York that all their measures were

broken.

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