Chapter VIII · (continued 3)
Reading edition
"The names of such Jesuits and Romish priests as have been apprehended and prosecuted by Capt James Wadsworth, Francis Newton, Thomas Mayo, and Robert de Luke, messengers, at our proper charge; whereof some have been condemned; some executed, and some reprieved since the beginning of the parliament (3 Nov. 1640); the like having not been done by any others since the reformation of religion in this nation:—
William Waller, als. Slaughter, als. Walker, executed at Tyburne.
Cuthbert Clapton, condemned, reprieved and pardoned.
Bartholomew Row, executed at Tyburne.
Thomas Reynolds, executed at Tyburne.
Edward Morgan, executed at Tyburne.
Thomas Sanderson, als. Hammond, executed at Tyburne.
Henry Heath, alias Pall Magdelen, executed at Tyburne.
Francis Quashet, dyed in Newgate after judgment.
Arthur Bell, executed at Tyburne.
Ralph Corbey, executed at Tyburne.
John Duchet, executed at Tyburne.
John Hamond, als. Jackson, condemned, reprieved by the king, and died in Newgate.
Walter Coleman, condemned and died in Newgate,
Edmond Cannon, condemned and died in Newgate.
John Wigmore, als. Turner, condemned, reprieved by the king, and is in custodie in Newgate.
Andrew Ffryer, alias Herne, als. Richmond, condemned and died in Newgate.
Augustian Abbot, als. Rivers, condemned, reprieved by the king, and died in Newgate.
John Goodman, condemned and died in Newgate.
Peter Welford, condemned and died in Newgate.
Thomas Bullaker, executed at Tyburne.
Robert Robinson, indicted and proved, and made an escape out of the King's Bench.
James Brown, condemned and died in Newgate.
Henry Morse, executed at Tyburne.
Thomas Worseley, alias Harvey, indicted and proved, and reprieved by the Spanish ambassador and others.
Charles Chanie (Cheney) als. Tomson, indicted and proved, and begged by the Spanish ambassador, and since taken by command of the councell of state, and is now in Newgate.
Andrew White, indicted, proved, reprieved before judgment, and banished.
Richard Copley, condemned and banished.
Richard Worthington, found guiltie and banished.
Edmond Cole, Peter Wright, and William Morgan, indicted, proved, and sent beyond sea.
Philip Morgan, executed at Tyburne.
Edmond Ensher, als. Arrow, indicted, condemned, reprieved by the parliament and banished.
Thomas Budd, als. Peto, als. Gray, condemned, reprieved by the lord mayor of London, and others, justices, and since retaken by order of the councell of state, and is now in Newgate.
George Baker, als. Macham, indicted, proved guiltie, and now in Newgate.
Peter Beale, als. Wright, executed at Tyburne.
George Sage, indicted by us, and found guiltie, and since is dead.
James Wadsworth.
Francis Newton.
Thomas Mayo.
Robert de Luke."
This catalogue tells a fearful but instructive tale; inasmuch as it shows how wantonly men can sport with the lives of their fellow-men, if it suit the purpose of a great political party. The patriots, to enlist in their favour the religious prejudices of the people, represented the king as the patron of popery, because he sent the priests into banishment, instead of delivering them to the knife of the executioner. Hence, when they became lords of the ascendant, they were bound to make proof of their orthodoxy; and almost every execution mentioned above took place by their order in 1642, or 1643. After that time they began to listen to the voice of humanity, and adopted the very expedient which they had so clamorously condemned. They banished, instead of hanging and quartering.
NOTE H, p. 493.
Revenue of the Protector.
When the parliament, in 1654, undertook to settle an annual sum on the protector, Oliver Cromwell, the following, according to the statement of the sub-committee, was the amount of the revenue in the three kingdoms:—
Excise and customs in England . . . . . . . . . . . £80,000 Excise and customs in Scotland . . . . . . . . . . 10,000 Excise and customs in Ireland . . . . . . . . . . . 20,000 Monthly assessments in England (at 60,0001.) . . . 720,000 Monthly assessments in Ireland (at 8,0001.) . . . . 96,000 Monthly assessments in Scotland (at 8,0001.) . . . 96,000 Crown revenue in Guernsey and Jersey . . . . . . . 2,000 Crown revenue in Scotland . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,000 Estates of papists and delinquents in England . . . 60,000 Estates of papists and delinquents in Scotland . . 30,000 Rent of houses belonging to the crown . . . . . . . 1,250 Post-office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,000 Exchequer revenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,000 Probate of wills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,000 Coinage of tin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,000 Wine licenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,000 Forest of Dean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,000 Fines on alienations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,000 ————- £1,200,000
[From the original report in the collection of Thomas Lloyd, Esq.]
NOTE I, p. 558.
Principles of the Levellers.
The following statement of the principles maintained by the Levellers is extracted from one of their publications, which appeared soon after the death of Cromwell, entitled "The Leveller; or, The Principles and Maxims concerning Government and Religion, which are asserted by those that are commonly called Levellers, 1659."
Principles of Government.
1. The government of England ought to be by laws, and not by men; that is, the laws ought to judge of all offences and offenders, and all punishments and penalties to be inflicted upon criminals; nor ought the pleasure of his highness and his council to make whom they please offenders, and punish and imprison whom they please, and during pleasure.
2. All laws, levies of moneys, war and peace, ought be made by the people's deputies in parliament, to be chosen by them successively at certain periods. Therefore there should be no negative of a monarch, because he will frequently by that means consult his own interest or that of his family, to the prejudice of the people. But it would be well if the deputies of the people were divided into two bodies, one of which should propose the laws, and the other adopt or reject them.
3. All persons, without a single exception, should be subject to the law.
4. The people ought to be formed into such a military posture by and under the parliament, that they may be able to compel every man to obey the law, and defend the country from foreigners. A mercenary (standing) army is dangerous to liberty, and therefore should not be admitted.
Principles of Religion.
1. The assent of the understanding cannot be compelled. Therefore no man can compel another to be of the true religion.
2. Worship follows from the doctrines admitted by the understanding. No man therefore can bind another to adopt any particular form of worship.
3. Works of righteousness and mercy are part of the worship of God, and so far fall under the civil magistrate, that he ought to restrain men from irreligion, that is, injustice, faith-breaking, oppression, and all other evil works that are plainly evil.
4. Nothing is more destructive to true religion than quarrels about religion, and the use of punishments to compel one man to believe as another.
NOTE K, p. 608.
That Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper was deeply engaged in the intrigues of this busy time is sufficiently manifest. He appears to have held himself out to every party as a friend, and to have finally attached himself to the royalists, when he saw that the royal cause was likely to triumph. Charles acknowledged his services in the patent by which he was created Lord Ashley, mentioning in particular "his prudent and seasonable advice with General Monk in order to the king's restoration."—Dugd. ii. 481. From this passage we may infer that Cooper was one of Monk's confidential advisers; but his admirers have gone much farther, attributing to him the whole merit of the restoration, and representing the lord-general as a mere puppet in the hands of their hero. In proof they refer to the story told by Locke (iii. 471),—a story which cannot easily be reconciled with the more credible and unpretending narrative of Clarges, in Baker's Chronicle, p. 602, edit. 1730. But that the reader may form his own judgment, I shall subjoin the chief heads of each in parallel columns.
CLARGES
1. Scot, Hazlerig, and others sought and obtained a private interview with Monk at Whitehall; and Clarges, from their previous conversation with himself, had no doubt that their object was to offer the government of the kingdom to the general.
2. The council of state was sitting in another room; and Clarges, sending for Sir A.A. Cooper, communicated his suspicion to him.
3. After some consultation it was agreed that, as soon as Monk, having dismissed Scot and Hazlerig, should enter the council-room, Cooper should move that the clerks be ordered to withdraw.
4. When this was done, Cooper said that he had received notice of a dangerous design; that some seditious persons had made "indecent proposals" to the general; and of such proposals he desired that the council might have a full discovery.
5. Monk, unwilling to expose them, replied that there was very little danger in the case; that some persons had, indeed, been with him to be resolved in scruples respecting the present transactions in parliament; but that he had sent them away well satisfied (p. 602).
6. Bordeaux offered to Monk through Clarges the aid of Mazarin, whether it were his object to restore the king, or to assume the government himself. Monk refused; but consented to receive a visit of civility from the ambassador, on condition that politics should not be introduced (p. 604).
LOCKE
1. Bordeaux, the French ambassador, visited Monk one evening, and Mrs. Monk, who had secreted herself behind the hangings, heard him offer the aid of Mazarin to her husband, if he was willing to take the government on himself, which offer the general accepted.
2. Mrs. Monk sent her brother Clarges to communicate the discovery of her husband's ambitious design to Sir A.A. Cooper.
3. Cooper caused a council to be called, and, when they were met, moved that the clerks should withdraw, because he had matter of consequence to communicate.
4. He then charged Monk, "not openly, but by insinuation, that he was playing false with them, so that the rest of the council perceived there was something in it, though they knew not what was meant."
5. Monk replied that he was willing to satisfy them that he was true to his principles. Then, said Ashley, replace certain officers of suspicious character by others of known fidelity. This was done on the spot; the command of the army by the change was virtually taken from Monk; and he was compelled to declare for Charles Stuart
It may be thought that Locke's narrative derives confirmation from another version of the same story in the Life of Lord Shaftesbury, lately edited by Mr. Cooke, with the following variations. Bordeaux is made to accompany the republicans; the greater part of the night is spent in consultation, and Monk not only consents to assume the government, but resolves to arrest in the morning Cooper and several other influential individuals (p. 233-235). But that life cannot be considered as an authority; for the documents from which it is said to have been compiled are neither quoted nor described by its author, nor have ever been seen by its present editor.