صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

tion of the damnable popish plot, the fum of two thousand pounds was offered him, by one Mrs. Price, and divers great perfons named by her to be fecurity for the payment of it, in case he would fign fuch a recantation, and affix the odium of a proteftant or prefbyterian plot on fome of the proteftant peers, and others of known loyalty and integrity to their prince and country; particularly on the right ho nourable the earl of Shaftsbury of which barbarous defign, Mr. Dugdale (being at that time touched with fome remorfe at fuch a horrid villainy) gave his lordship an account, which occafioned the mifcarrying of that foul and traiterous enterprize.

:

Nor were they wanting in their famous method and artifice in calumniating and throwing dirt on the reputation of this noble peer, which is a faculty they are very famous for, and on the account of which they may particularly value themfelves; for a pacquet of base libels, and treasonable reflections, were, by the penny-poft, tranfmitted to a printer, and copies of the fame difperfed about the parts of Weftminster, full of venomous and malicious" flanders, and imputations, tending to take away the life of that proteftant earl, and divers other peers of right honourable account; but the printer detefting fo black a defign, published an invitation to any perfon that would detect the author or publisher of that infamous libel.

[ocr errors]

In October, during the feffion of the laft parliament, it was very remarkable, that Francifco de Faria, interpreter to the Portugal ambaffador, amongst other high matters relating to the popish plot, gave it in his information, at the bar of the houfe, he declared, that the faid ambaffador had tempted him to kill the earl of Shatfbury, by throwing a hand grenado into his coach as he was paffing the road into the country: and, about the twentieth of November, one Zeal being called to the bar of the house, delivered his information at the bar; That, being a prifoner in the Marshalfea, Mrs. Cellier came divers times to him, and treated with him, not only to be inftrumental himself, but to procure others to affift him, to fire his majefly's fhips as they lay in the harbour; as alfo to fwear against the earl of Shaftsbury fuch articles of high-treafon as fhe fhould get ready prepared for him; or to that purpose. To fum up the various methods and ways that were devifed, and put execution, to cut off the life of this noble peer, would be task enough to fill up many volumes.

in

Upon the king's fummoning a parliament to meet at Oxford, on the twenty-first of March, 1680 1, he joined with feveral lords in a petition to prevent its meeting there; which, however, failed of fuccefs. He was prefent at that parliament, and ftrenuously fupported the exclufion-bill; but the duke and his friends foon contrived to make him feel the weight

of

[ocr errors]

of his refentments; for his lordship was apprehended for high-treafon on the fecond of July, 1681; and, after being examined by his majesty in council, was committed to the Tower, where he remained upwards of fourmonths.

He was at length tried, acquitted, and difcharged; yet did not think himself fafe, as his bittereit enemies were now in the zenith of their power. He thought it high time, therefore, to feek for fome place of retirement, where, out of the reach of their endeavours to injure him, he might wear out the fmall remainder of his life in peace. It was with this view, that, in November, 1682, he em→ barked for Holland; and arriving fafely at Amfterdam, after a very dangerous voyage, hetook a house there, propofing to live in a manner fuitable to his quality, being visited by perfons of the firft diftinction, and treated with all the deference and refpect he could defire; but being feized by his old diftemper, the gout, it immediately flew up into his fto. mach, and foon became mortal; fo that he expired on the twenty- fecond of January, 1682-3, in the fixty fecond year of his age.

His body being embalmed, was transported to England, and interred with his ancestors at Winborne St. Giles; and, in 1732, a noble: monument, with a large infcription to his honour, was erected by the prefent earl of Shaftfbury.

It was a misfortune to this noble perfonage, that those who were angry with him have tranfmitted to pofterity the hiftory of the times in which he lived, and of that government in which he had fo large a fhare; and this may, in fome measure, account for his making for amiable a figure in hiftory; and, that, while his prodigious abilities ftand confeffed by all, the goodness and integrity of his intentions, are hardly acknowledged by any. It is alfo not to be imagined, at this distance, what arts and contrivances were fet on foot by his enemies in his life-time to render his name odious and deteftable.

Marchmont Needham, who had been employed by the Regicides and the parliament to vilify the royal family in the most fcandalous and barbarous manner, was paid by the mi nifters to abuse and defame the earl of Shaftf bury. This he did with great pleafure, in a quarto pamphlet, intitled, A Pacquet of Advices, and Animadversions, sent from London to the Men of Shaftsbury; which is of Use for all his Majefty's Subjects in the Three Kingdoms. London, 1676. And, what is remarkable enough, his abufe is transferred, verbatim, into the account given of this noble perfon by the Oxford hiftorian.

The earl of Shaftsbury was also represented as having had the vanity to expect to be chofen king of Poland; and this made way for calling him count Tapfky, alluding to the tap which had been applied upon the breaking out

of

of the ulcer between his ribs when he was lordchancellor. It was also a flanding-jeft, with the lower form of wits, to ftile him Shiftsbury inftead of Shaftsbury.

It is remarked that Sir Paul Neal watered his mares with Rhenifh and fugar; that is, entertained his miftreffes. His lordship is fupposed to have been a little intemperate in this way; and it is recorded, that king Charles II. who would both take liberties and bear them, once faid to the earl at court, in a vein of raillery and good-humour, and in reference only to his amours, "I believe, Shaftsbury, thou art the wickedeft fellow in my dominions:" to which, with a low bow, and very grave face, the earl replied, "May it please your majefty, of a fubject I believe I am." At which the merry monarch laughed most heartily.

[ocr errors][merged small]
« السابقةمتابعة »