[707] See what Temple says of this (p. 460): the king raised 20,000 men in the spring of 1678, and seemed ready to go into the war; but all was spoiled by a vote, on Clarges's motion, that no money should be granted till satisfaction should be made as to religion. This irritated the king so much that he determined to take the money which France offered him; and he afterwards almost compelled the Dutch to sign the treaty; so much against the Prince of Orange's inclinations, that he has often been charged, though unjustly, with having fought the battle of St. Denis after he knew that the peace was concluded. Danby also, in his vindication (published in 1679, and again in 1710; see State Trials, ii. 634), lays the blame of discouraging the king from embarking in the war on this vote of the Commons. And the author of the Life of James II. says very truly, that the Commons "were in reality more jealous of the king's power than of the power of France; for, notwithstanding all their former warm addresses for hindering the growth of the power of France, when the king had no army, now that he had one, they passed a vote to have it immediately disbanded; and the factious party, which was then prevalent among them, made it their only business to be rid of the duke, to pull down the ministers, and to weaken the Crown."—P. 512.
In defence of the Commons it is to be urged that, if they had any strong suspicion of the king's private intrigues with France for some years past, as in all likelihood they had, common prudence would teach them to distrust his pretended desire for war with her; and it is, in fact, most probable, that his real object was to be master of a considerable army.
[708] The memorial of Blancard to the Prince of Orange, quoted by Dalrymple (p. 201) contains these words: "Le roi auroit été bien faché qu'il eut été absolu dans ses états; l'un de ses plus constants maximes depuis son rétablissement ayant été, de le diviser d'avec son parlement, et de se servir tantôt de l'un, tantôt de l'autre, toujours par argent pour parvenir à ses fins."
[709] Ralph, p. 116; Œuvres de Louis XIV. ii. 204, and v. 67, where we have a curious and characteristic letter of the king to d'Estrades in Jan. 1662, when he had been provoked by some high language Clarendon had held about the right of the flag.
[710] The letters of Barillon in Dalrymple (pp. 134, 136, 140) are sufficient proofs of this. He imputes to Danby in one place (p. 142) the design of making the king absolute, and says: "M. le duc d'York se croit perdu pour sa religion, si l'occasion présente ne lui sert à soumettre l'Angleterre; c'est une entreprise fort hardie, et dont le succès est fort doutex." Of Charles himself he says: "Le roi d'Angleterre balance encore à se porter à l'extremité; son humeur répugne fort au dessein de changer le gouvernement. Il est néanmoins entrainé par M. le duc d'York et par le grand trésorier; mais dans le fond il aimeroit mieux que la paix le mît en état de demeurer en repos, et rétablir ses affaires, c'est à dire, un bon revenu; et je crois qu'il ne se soucie pas beaucoup d'être plus absolu qu'il est. Le duc et le trésorier connoissent bien à qui ils ont affaire, et craignent d'être abandonnés par le roi d'Angleterre aux premiers obstacles considérables qu'ils trouveront au dessein de relever l'autorité royale en Angleterre." On this passage it may be observed, that there is reason to believe there was no co-operation, but rather a great distrust at this time between the Duke of York and Lord Danby. But Barillon had no doubt taken care to infuse into the minds of the opposition those suspicions of that minister's designs.
[711] Barillon appears to have favoured the opposition rather than the Duke of York, who urged the keeping up of the army. This was also the great object of the king, who very reluctantly disbanded it in Jan. 1679. Dalrymple, 207, etc.
[712] This delicate subject is treated with great candour as well as judgment by Lord John Russell, in his Life of William Lord Russell.
[713] Parl. Hist. 1035; Dalrymple, 200.
[714] Louis XIV. tells us, that Sidney had made proposals to France in 1666 for an insurrection, and asked 100,000 crowns to effect it; which was thought too much for an experiment. He tried to persuade the ministers, that it was against the interest of France that England should continue a monarchy. Œuvres de Louis XIV. ii. 204.
[715] Dalrymple, 162.