justly, as an act of indemnity to the king's ene mies, and of oblivion to his friends.

The loyalty of the parliament induced them. to repeal the triennial act, and to content themselves with a clause, that parliaments should not be discontinued above three years at most. The commons likewise passed a vote, that the indignities offered to the English, by the subjects of the United States, were the greatest obstructions to all foreign trade. This paved the way to a Dutch war. Sir Robert Holmes was secretly dispatched with a squadron of twenty-two ships to the coast of Africa, where he expelled the Dutch from cape Corfe, and seized their settlements at cape Verde and Goree. Then sailing to America, he possessed himself of Nova Belgia, since called New York, which had been granted by patent to the earl of Stirling, in the reign of James I. but had never been planted except by the Hollanders.

When the Dutch complained of these hostile measures, the king pretended to deny that Holmes had any authority, for his proceedings; but this evasion not satisfying them, they dispatched de Ruyter with a fleet, to retaliate on the English. This admiral not only A. D.

recovered what had been lost, but took some of the old settlements belonging to the English.

1665.

After this, the Dutch in vain attempted to avert the horrors of war by negotiation. John de Witt, who then directed their measures, by his conduct and capacity, caused a fleet to be pipped, surpassing any that had ever sailed

re from the ports of Holland. The Eng Ish Bleet consisted of one hundred and fourteen

sail, and was commanded by the duke of York, and under him by prince Rupert, and the earl of Sandwich. Obdam, the Dutch admiral, had nearly an equal force, and on meeting, he declined not the combat. In the heat of action, when engaged in close fight with the duke of York, Obdam's ship blew up.. This accident disconcerted the Dutch, and they fled towards their own coast, the son of the famous admiral Tromp gallantly protecting the rear of his countrymen. The vanquished had nineteen ships sunk or taken, the victors lost only one. In this action, the duke of York behaved with great bravery; the earl of Falmouth, lord Muskerry, and Mr. Boyle, were killed by one shot at his side, and covered him with their brains and gore.

The declining courage of the Dutch was again revived by de Witt, who soon remedied ail the disorders occasioned by the late misfortune; but his chief reliance was on the king of France, who, in conformity to treaty, was resolv ed to support the States in this unequal contest.

The English, however, had now a more dreadful calamity than war to contend with. The plague had carried off ninety thousand persons in London; and the king, to escape this awful visitation, was obliged to call a parliament at Oxford.

A. D.

The king of France having ordered his admiral, the duke of Beaufort, to pro1666. ceed with forty sail, to the support of his allies, that squadron was now supposed to be entering the channel. The Dutch fleet, under the command of de Ruyter, to the number of seventy-six sail, was at sea, in order to join the

French.

French. The duke of Albemarle and prince Rupert commanded the English fleet, which did not exceed seventy-four sail. Albemarle, consulting only his courage, dispatched prince Rupert with twenty ships, to oppose the duke of Beaufort; and with the remainder, set sail to give battle to the Dutch. Never did a more memorable engagement take place; whether we consider its long duration, or the desperate courare with which it was fought.

On the first day, the loss was nearly equal, and darkness parted the combatants: vice admiral sir William Berkeley fell on the side of the English, and admiral Evertz, on that of the Dutch. On the second day, during the action, the Dutch were joined by sixteen fresh ships, while the English had not more than twentyeight in a situation for fighting. This induced Albemarle to draw towards the English coast, which he did with an undaunted countenance, protesting to the earl of Ossory, son of the duke of Ormond, that he would sooner blow up his ship than strike.

As the Dutch had come up to the English, and were about to renew the engagement, the squadron of prince Rupert was descried steering to the assistance of Albemarle. The battle now began afresh, and continued with great violence till suspended by a mist. The English retired first, into their own harbours.

De Ruyter now posted himself at the mouth of the Thames; but it was not long before Rupert and Albemarle approached to attack him. The engagement was again fierce and obstinate, and three Dutch admirals fell; but de Ruyter, though pressed on all sides, retained his station, till night ended the engagement.

very improper use of their authority; for a letter being intercepted from lord Lorne to lord Duffus, in which he complained that his enemies had endeavoured, by falsehood, to prepossess the king against him, the noble writer was tried on an old tyrannical and absurd law against leasing making, or in plain English, telling falsities, and being convicted, was condemned to die, but afterwards pardoned.

Many other similar instances of violence occurred; but the chief circumstance, from which were derived all the subsequent tyranny and disorders in Scotland, was the execution of the laws for the establishment of episcopacy. Above one third of the livings in the kingdom, were at once declared vacant for nonconformity in the incumbents; and as new ministers were to be searched for and appointed, neither profligacy nor ignorance was a bar to preferment.

Charles, at length disgusted with the violence of Middleton, recalled him, and made Rothes commissioner in his place. Lauderdale sull continued secretary of state for Scotland, and commonly resided at London.

Affairs now went on with some degree of quietness, till a severe law was made in England against conventicles: the Scottish parliament passed one with similar provisions, and such disorders arose in consequence, that military force was obliged to be employed. Several fell in the conflict: but though the insurgents were soon suppressed, the spirit that actuated them was not evaporated.

The settlement of Ireland, after the restoration, was a work of great difficulty. To the numerous loyalists, who had been expelled by

Cromwell,

Cromwell, some recompence was due; and to enable Charles to make it, besides the unappropriated lands in Ireland, the soldiers and adventurers were prevailed on, by the duke of Ormond, to relinquish one third of their possessions, which effected a kind of temporary tranquillity. Since the restoration, the king had been in continual want of a supply from the parliament; and though they had been much more liberal to him than his predecessor, his dissipated pleasures rendered all ineffectual, Charles, A. D. however, had again recourse to them, when the commons, besides some votes and grants, passed a law, empowering him to sell the fee-farms rents, the last remains of the demesnes, by which the ancient kings of England had been supported. By this expedient, he probably procured upwards of a million sterling.

1669.

The king's councils, which had always been negligent and fluctuating, now became actually criminal. Men of honour and integrity were excluded from any deliberations; and the whole secret of government was entrusted to five persons, Clifford, Ashley, Buckingham, Ar lington, and Lauderdale, called the CABAL, a word which the initial letters of their names happened to compose. These men were notorious for their bad principles in public and private life; and when armed with so much power, they became truly dangerous.

By the dark counsels of the cabal, the king was inspired with a jealousy of parliaments, and they insinuated, that it would be for his interest to break the triple alliance, not long before concluded between him, Holland and Sweden,

YOL. XX.

BB