it was As the next meeting of Parliament drew near, rumoured that Bristol intended to revive his charges, and Pepys was told that Lord Ashley and Lord Lauderdale, the Secretary of State for Scotland, " open high against the Chancellor." But the matter was not again brought forward. M. de Ruvigny, who had succeeded the Count de Comminges as French Ambassador, wrote on February 4, 1664, that the great enemies of Clarendon were Bristol, Lauderdale, and Ashley; and he adds that Clarendon's old friend Ormond is joined to them, though Clarendon cannot believe it. In a later letter from Ruvigny it is mentioned that Clarendon had persuaded Ormond to come over to London from Ireland, that he might converse with him and receive his confidence as against "the cabal of Lord Lauderdale, which has swindled him (escroqué) out of knowledge of all the affairs of the kingdom." Ruvigny proceeds to say that Lauderdale is "united with Ashley, Lord Roberts, and some others, who spare no pains to ruin Clarendon in the free convivial entertainments which are of daily occurrence. They do not scruple to speak of him with freedom in the presence of the King, who has had his own witticism (mot) like the rest in the excitement of conviviality, thus giving free scope to all his guests, each of whom has spoken part of what was on his mind."2 Pepys's description of Lord Ashley as “a man of great business, and yet of pleasure and drolling too," has been quoted; and some other notices of him occur VOL. I. 1 Pepys's Diary, ii. 279, Feb. 1, 1664. 2 Archives of French Foreign Office. T in Pepys's Diary. Pepys went to him on business on the twenty-seventh of May, 1663, and wrote down: "I find my Lord, as he is reported, a very ready, quiet, and diligent person." The Russian Minister Resident took as high a measure of him as the French Ambassador, Comminges. Pepys writes, June 6, 1663: "Sir John Hebden, the Russia Resident, did tell me how he is vexed to see things at Court ordered as they are by nobody that attends to business, but every man himself or his own pleasures. He cries up my Lord Ashley to be almost the only man that he sees to look after business, and with the ease and mastery that he wonders at him."1 Lord Ashley had now thrown himself, heart and soul, with all the ardour of his nature, into administrative duties. His latest biographer, Lord Campbell, unable now to taunt him with turbulence, ridicules him for diligence. and regularity in public business. "After the Restoration," says Lord Campbell, "his conduct for the next seven years seems wholly inexplicable, for he remained quite regular, and seemingly contented. He had a little excitement by sitting as a Judge on the trial of the regicides, and joining in the sentence on some of his old associates. These trials being over, he seemed to sink down into a Treasury drudge." The duties of a Chancellor of the Exchequer two hundred years ago may not have been so numerous and arduous as now; but the office was a high office of state, and the station of Privy Councillor was one of greater responsibility and dignity than it is in the present day. To speak 1 Pepys's Diary, ii. 169. contumeliously of Shaftesbury as a a mere Treasury drudge, because, with brilliant talents, he was a laborious Chancellor of the Exchequer, is unworthy of a serious biographer.1 1 Two letters of this period written to Lord Ashley, preserved among Lord Shaftesbury's papers, may be printed here. The first is from the Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia, soliciting his good offices for a pension: her mother, the ex-Queen of Bohemia, aunt of Charles II., had died in London in February 1662. The Princess had entered the Protestant nunnery of Herfort or Herworden in Prussia, and she became ultimately its Abbess. 66 "Herfort, Sept. 13, 1662. MY LORD,-The kindness you have expressed to the Queen my mother, and my brothers, since their being in England, makes me hope you will continue the like to me, in reference of the pension which his Majesty has been pleased to confirm upon me, there being none of her Majesty's children at the present more in need of this benefit than myself, nor anybody in the world that shall be more sensible of your goodness and more desirous to appear, "My Lord, "Your affectionate friend to serve you, "For the Lord Ashley Cooper, Chancellor of the Exchequer to His Majesty at London." The other letter is from the Secretary, Sir Henry Bennet, soon to be made Lord Arlington, praying Lord Ashley's aid for confirmation of a possession, the King having, it appears, been bribed with a share in the property; and Shaftesbury has docketed this letter, "Papers for my justification." Shaftesbury declared always that he had never jobbed for grants for himself; and this declaration has never been discredited. "MY LORD,—I have sought your Lordship this day to beseech you to move in the House of Lords the obtaining an order for the quiet possession of Wildmore Fen to the proprietors, wherein his Majesty hath accepted of a share, and upon the same account to procure my Lord Treasurer to be favourable to it; and this to be done to-morrow, if Mr. Attorney be present, otherwise that your Lordship would defer it till another day. "May 11, 1663." "I am, my Lord, "Your Lordship's most humble servant, "HENRY BENNET. CHAPTER X. 1664-1667. Lord Ashley's position at the beginning of 1664-Attention to revenue and trade-Dutch war-Opposed by Clarendon, Southampton, and Ormond and supported probably by Ashley-Appointed Treasurer of Prizes-Clarendon's hostility to the appointment-Affectionate letter to his wife, February 26, 1665-Grant of Carolina to Lord Ashley and seven others—The Plague-The King visits Lord Ashley at Wimborne St. Giles's-Session of Parliament at Oxford, October 1665-Appropriation Clause in Supply Bill unsuccessfully opposed by Clarendon and Ashley-The Five Mile Act-Opposed strongly by Southampton and Ashley but prosecuted by Clarendon -Bill for general imposition of oath against endeavouring change in Church or State opposed by Ashley-Letter to his wife from Oxford, November 23, 1665-Beginning of acquaintance with Locke -Friendship of Locke and Shaftesbury-Session of 1666–67— Complaints of expenditure and misappropriation-Act against importation of Irish cattle-Supported by Ashley-Earl of Ossory's insult and apology-Discussion with Viscount Conway-Rumoured possible Lord Lieutenant of Ireland-Secret treaty between Louis XIV. and Charles II.-Dutch fleet enters the Thames and burns three men-of-war at Chatham-Peace of Breda-Death of Earl of Southampton-Office of Lord High Treasurer put in commission and Lord Ashley one of the Commissioners-Clarendon's account of the appointment of the Commission-Proceedings of the Commissioners-Sir William Temple and Lady Fanshawe blame Shaftesbury for their economies-Clarendon removed from the Chancellorship -Lord Ashley unjustly accused of conspiring against ClarendonOpposes the impeachment of Clarendon without specific treason assigned and falls into disgrace with the King for supporting Clarendon-Clarendon's exile-Lord Campbell's misstatementsCharge of licentiousness against Shaftesbury. THE end of the last chapter has brought us to the beginning of 1664. The subject of this biography is now Lord Ashley, a Peer, a Privy Councillor, and Chancellor of the Exchequer. His abilities and independence, the favour of the King and his intimacy with Arlington, Lauderdale, Bristol, and others, who in various ways thwarted Clarendon and menaced his ascendancy, have made him already formidable to the too jealous and imperious Chancellor. In the House of Lords he has distinguished himself by strenuous and eloquent opposition to all the measures of Church exclusiveness and oppression of Protestant Dissenters which were enacted after the Restoration. He was very diligent as a Minister, and gave the greatest attention to all matters of revenue and trade. Papers of his have been preserved which show his minute care and industry in collecting details as to the Exchequer, the customs and excise, the navy, the merchant companies, and all branches of our trade, manufactures and revenue.1 In the study of details he did not lose sight of principles, and some of his views were in advance of the time. He was an enemy of monopoly, and said that "the restraining of a general trade was like the damming of increasing waters, which must either swell them to force their boundaries, or cause them to putrefy where they are circumscribed.” 2 3 In the session of Parliament from March 16 to May 17, 1664, the Conventicle Act, already mentioned, was passed, the famous Triennial Act of the Long Parliament, making a new parliament every three years compulsory on the King, was repealed, to please 1 Martyn's Life, 289–293. Ibid. 292; and see in Appendix I. of the second volume Shaftesbury's memorial addressed to the King, probably in 1669, and Mr. Martyn's account of his recommendations in 1672 for a Council of Trade, paraphrased from a paper of Shaftesbury's. 3 See p. 270. |