nence, both men of ferious lives, who efteemed a holy retirement above all the parade of courts, yet fought out by the King, as worthy of the highest marks of favour he could bestow.

Shortly after, James opened Parliament with a speech, in which he promised to fupport and defend the Church of England, and the people feemed difposed to rely on his pledges. The Commons, by unanimous vote, settled upon him during his life the revenues enjoyed by the late King. The Speaker, in presenting the Bill for the Royal affent, expreffed the fatisfaction of the House in his "Majefty's gracious and facred word, repeated declarations, and afsurance to fupport and defend the religion of the Church of England, as is now by law established: and we humbly befeech your Majefty to accept this revenue, and along with it our hearty prayers, that God Almighty would bless you with a long life and happy reign to enjoy it." The King thanked them very heartily for the Bill, declaring that their readiness and cheerfulness in the dispatch of it was as acceptable to him as the Bill itself and that he could not exprefs his thoughts more fuitably than by affuring them he had "a true English heart, as jealous of the honour of the nation as you can be; and I please myself with the hopes that, by God's bleffing, and your affistance, I may carry the reputation of it yet higher in the world than ever it has been in the time of any of my ancestors."

CHAPTER XI.

The Duke of Monmouth; his life and character-Invades England-Lands in the Weft of England-Defeated in the battle of Sedgemoor-Cruelties of Lord Feversham, and Colonel Kirke-Ken's appeal to the King on behalf of the prifoners-Monmouth condemned to death- Ken attends him on the scaffold.

N the midft of this interchange of civilities between the King and Parliament, intelligence arrived that the Duke of Monmouth, an illegitimate fon of the late King, had landed at Lyme, in Dorsetshire, and fet up the ftandard of rebellion in the western counties. The Parliament immediately paffed a Bill of attainder against him, offered a reward of 5,000l. to any who fhould bring him in, and having voted 400,000l. to the King for the prefent emergency, both Houses adjourned on the 2nd of July, the members being difmiffed to their feveral counties, where their prefence was required to encourage the loyal, and control the difaffected. Ken was prefent in the House of Lords on this occafion;* but within

* It does not appear that Ken ever spoke in the House of Lords. After this prorogation James never affembled the Parliament again, except for a few days in Auguft and November following. On the laft occafion Compton, Bishop of London, spoke against the employment of Popish officers, and declared that he expreffed, not only his own fentiments, but thofe of his brethren.

a few days after we find him in his Diocese, a mesfenger of charity amidst the din of war, raised by the invafion.

This period of Monmouth's history forcibly illuftrates the Bishop's character in two particulars,—his compaffion for fufferers, and his ftedfastness in carrying out the injunctions of the Church, even when his benevolent feelings would have prompted him to relax the ftrictness of her rule. It is, therefore, neceffary to enter into a brief review of Monmouth's eventful life. He was the eldest son of Charles II., born at Rotterdam during the King's exile. He first went by the name of James Crofts, received his education at Paris under the care of Henrietta Maria, and was brought up a Roman Catholic. At the At the age of fourteen, soon after the Restoration, the King sent for him to Court, provided him a stately equipage, appointed for his use apartments in the Privy Gallery at Whitehall, and by warrant authorized him to bear the royal arms of England and France. He caufed him alfo to be reconciled to the English Church.

He was a youth of lovely form and countenance, perfected in all the graces and accomplishments of the Court, and fo great a favourite with the King, that for many years he lavifhed upon him every honour and endearment that an over-indulgent parent could bestow. Having already created him a Peer of Parliament, and a Knight of the Garter, before he was eighteen years old, he secured for him in marriage the richest heiress of the kingdom, the beautiful Countess of Buccleuch, then only fixteen years of age. The mere lift of his titles and offices would fuffice to

fhow the entire devotion of the King's heart to this Abfalom of his house.*

Charles feemed to delight in his fociety:-wherever he went Monmouth was his chofen companion, or if he fent him occafionally to ferve in the French army, he was everywhere received with the honours due to royalty. The Diaries of Evelyn and Pepys abound with notices of the over-weening attachment of his father, who seemed to love him for his very faults. These were indeed too like his own; for he was a profligate youth, owning no law but his own will. Pepys fays, "the little Duke of Monmouth is ordered to take place of all Dukes, and fo follow Prince Rupert, before the Duke of Buckingham or any elfe:"-" the King fo fond of the Duke of M. that everybody admires it: and the Duke fays he would be the death of any man, who fays the King was not married to his mother:"-" the Duke of Monmouth spends his time most viciously and idly of any man, nor will be fit for any thing: yet fpeaks confidently of his mother having been married to the King:" "talk of the D. of Monmouth being made Prince of Wales not true:" &c. &c.

We cannot wonder that the King's brother should be alarmed at fuch indications of an ill-regulated par

* Duke of Monmouth and Buccleuch, Earl of Doncaster and Dalkeith, Lord Scott of Tindale, Whitchester, and Ashdale. Lord Great Chamberlain of Scotland, Lord Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire, Governor of Kingston-upon-Hull, Chief Juftice in Eyre of all the Forefts, Chafes, Parks, and Warrens fouth of the River Trent, Lord General of all the King's Land Forces, Captain of the Life Guards of Horfe, Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, Master of the Horse, and Lord of the Privy Council, &c.

tiality; and the more fo because Monmouth, grown bold by indulgence, began openly to aspire to the fucceffion, aiming at popularity as "the Proteftant Duke,” and lending himself to the Whig party, whose aim was to exclude James from the throne as a Popish Recufant." We may pass over the details of these feuds, which have afforded to political writers fo fertile a theme of mutual recrimination. One thing is certain, that Monmouth's fagacity and prefence of mind were unequal to his ambition: his folly was exceeded only by his moral cowardice, and ingratitude: he became a tool in the hands of Shaftesbury,* and others, who were engaged in defigns against his father's Government.

The King, being now aware of his dangerous views, and to prevent any future difpute concerning the fucceffion, entered with his own hand in the Council book a declaration, "as in the presence of Almighty God, that he never gave, nor made, any contract of marriage whatsoever, but to her present Majesty Queen Catherine, now living." This was attested by fixteen Privy Counsellors. He afterwards caufed a like declaration to be enrolled in Chancery, especially disclaiming, "on the word of a king, and the faith of a Christian, that he was ever married to Mrs. Barlow, alias Walters, the Duke of Monmouth's mother."†

Rerefby's Memoirs, p. 95.

A Letter to a Perfon of Honour concerning the King's dif avowing, &c. Somers's Tracts, vol. i. p. 82. Six months afterwards finding the fame rumour of this marriage "fpread abroad with great

industry and malice," the King published his Declarations in the Lon

t