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was at Church twice upon Christmasse day, and receaved the Sacrament.

In Scotland, my Lord Lauderdale hath issued a more severe Proclamation against Roman Catholicks then any of ours.

The Dutch have also conveyed over a printed Letter, by way of Reply to the King's answer, thinking thereby to insinuat to the Parliam their readinesse to give all manner of satisfaction and complyance. I have read the Letter, but could not get one to send yo Excelce

Keeper is to acquaint Parliam' that King leaves it to them to secure religion and property by the old or new Laws, and there will be private informations that King will breake the French allyance by Michelmas; all this is to get the French money, and to preserve our greate men, but if that will not doe, He will leave them. Keeper told me this, and that Arlington, Anglesey, Buckingham, Lodderdale, and possibly Ormond, are the men in danger.

The Dutchesse of Modena is gonne away this morning in great wrath and displeasure with most of the Ladys of our Court, and the Duke hath already made his visitts to Mrs. Churchill.

CIV.-LORD CONWAY TO THE EARL OF ESSEX.

MAY IT PLEASE YO EXCELCE,

London, January 10, 1673.

I have had the honor to receave yo' Excelcies Letter of the 30th past, and have delivered that enclosed to my Lord Tresurer. I doe acknowledge my selfe extreamly obliged to yor Excelce for it, and the same day that I delivered it, wch was last Thursday in the afternoone, I stayed with his Lords in discourse only till 2 or 3 a clock in the morning. Orrery came in, and was much dissatisfied that King had not given him directions how to governe himselfe in H.

of Comons. Buckingham came in and told us He should be impeached on Munday next in H. of Comons. King designes the Master of the Horse place to Monmouth. Ormond and Arlington will be impeached next week, one in H. of Lords, ye last in H. of Comons.

I would have enclosed the King's Speech and my Lord Keeper's, but that I am sure you will receave many of them from other hands. The Howse of Comons adjourned presently till Munday next. The Howse of Lords were entertained with a Petition against the Duke of Buckingham and my Lady Shrewsberry, setting forth the killing of the late Earle of Shrewsberry, their open and scandalous way of living together, and the publick enterment of their bastard child in Westminster as Earle of Coventree. This Petition was presented by 5 or 6 Unckles and Guardians to the present Earle of Shrewsberry; the Howse reed it, and required them to put in their answer next Thursday, but my Lady Shrewsberry is fled. I suppose the intention of this is only to usher in something else. Yet I cannot chuse but tell yor Excelce that I saw the Dutchesse of Buckingham crying and tearing her selfe, and doth solicit with the greatest passion both for the Duke of Buckingham and my Lady Shrewsberry that can be in the world.

After this the Howse of Lords voted their humble thanks to his Matie for his gratious Speech.

Next day they voted an Addresse to his Matie for banishing all Papists, or reputed Papists, who are not Howsekeepers or Meniall Servants attending the Peers, 10 miles from this city during this Session, with a Provisoe that 6 of the Cowncell may give License to such as they think fit. The Duke of Yorke was gonne to dinner when the Lords took up this debate, and my Lord Anglesey sent a Messenger after him to call him back to the Howse, where, after great contest, there were no other Negatives but these two, and my Lord Northampton.

Yesterday it was presented to the King, and his Matie promist to issue out his Proclamation accordingly.

I beseech Yor Excelce to consider the last part of King speech. It was the consultation of many days and nights that produced it. He fumbled in delivering it, and made it worse then in the print; yet there you may observe 'tis incoherent, and all this is for fear of D. of Yorke.

I doe beleeve the Howse of Comons will Vote the King a Supply when their grevances are redrest, but not particularise the sume, and I have great reason to hope they will carry themselves with moderation and affection to the King. I could say something of the hopes and fears of particular persons, but I suppose it will be more proper to acquaint you with them when they are reduced to certainty, and as they happen.

It is sayd my Lord Chancelor of Ireland will be questioned for some things, and I find it reported that I have a hand in it, and that I have procured Mr. Sacheverell to undertake it. I doe, therefore, assure Yor Excelce that I have never spoke a word to any man since I came into England to injure my Lord Chancelor. It is true Mr. Sacheverell came hither to me upon Tewsday last, but he did not speak to me, or I to him, either concerning my Lord Chancellor or any person or affaires of Ireland. I was employed by Treasurer to speak with him upon other matters. 'Tis thought there did not appeare lesse then 400 men in the Howse of Comons the first day of the Sessions. The Howse of Lords also is very full.

*

SR,

CV.—THE Earl of EsseX TO SIR WILLIAM SEARLE.

Dublin Castle, Jan. 10th, 73.

I have lately reed severall Lies from you concerning ye Torys, &

This is a notice of much interest. Hitherto Charles II. in his speeches to Parliament had not told any open and deliberate lie. On this occasion, however, Jan. 7, 167, he did; and Conway's note is the only record of his embarrassment.

CAMD. SOC.

Y

VOL. I.

am very glad to hear of ye good success that yr selfe & others employ'd in those parts have had agt them. In yr last, dated Jan. 6th, you make mention of one Owen More Magunshannan, who you tell me has bin som way instrumentall in discovering those sort of people; if this man, or any other we can finde not guilty of murther, will doe such considerable services for ye apprehension of others, who have committed robberys or Facts of that nature, as may deserve his Majesties mercy, I shall extend it towards two or three of them; but I conceive it a litle too far to engage them to bring in any man dead or alive, being ye last remedy, wch I am not willing to apply till I finde other means faile for reducing these lawless people to their due obedience. However, I desire you would give all reasonable encouragemt to such of this sort as you imagine will be assistant to ye finding out & apprehending of any of these Robbers.

CVI.-LORD AUNGIER TO THE EARL OF ESSEX.

MAY IT PLEASE YOR EXCYE,

*

Lond. Jan. y 17th, 1673.

On Wenesday the Duke of Bucks desired to be heard againe in ye Howse of Comons, where upon Recollection he spoake with more assurednesse & temper. But ye drift of all his discourse tended to cleare himselfe of breakeing the triple Allyance, frameing or advizeing the Declaration concerning Religion, and being ye authour of ye New Allyance wth France. But in doeing this he forgott his oath of a Privy Councellour haveing neither the Kings leave to reveale his Councill, nor ye leave of yo Howse of Peeres to attend ye Howse of Comons. And in endeavouring to cleare himselfe he layd all ye load he could upon my Lord Arlington, not only in his owne discourse, but in answereing severall questions were

a See Letter LXXXVII.

asked him. And in ye close of all desired ye Howse not to consider him as a Peere, but as a Gentleman of Engld, sayeing that if notwithstanding what he had sayd for himselfe they should conclude him a Greevance, He must saye & he hoped they would beleeve he was ye cheapest greevance Engld ever had. But I forgott to tell ye Exeye that when he was asked whom he meant by those who had gott from one to 5 hundred thousand pound, & by what meanes they gott it, He sayd that by ye 500000ld he meant my Lord of Ormond, wch was upon Record; And my Lord Arlington by ye Rest, but how they both procured such vast Grants to themselves he knew not, for he never understood the wayes of getting. Soone after His Grace was retired the Howse fell upon the Debate, & after 3 howres spent in it they came to this Vote, That the Howse should humbly Addresse to His Matie to remove His Grace the Duke of Buck, from all ye employmts wch he holds dureing His Maties pleasure, And from His Maties Councills & presence for ever. And ye reason why ye removeall from his Employmts was limïtted to such as he held during His Maties pleasure, was that there might be roome for his selling ye Mr of Horse's place, wch cost him so deare.

On Thursday the enclosed Articles agt my Lord Arlington were brought in by S Gilbert Gerrard, seconded by Sr Charles Wheeler. And my Lord Arlington haveing asked leave of His Matie & ye Howse of Lords upon his lf to Mr Speaker was admitted into ye Howse of Coñons, where in a very handsome discourse, exprest wth greate temper & prudence, he gave so good an acct of himselfe, that he not only wiped off all that dirt the Duke of Bucks had cast upon him the day before, But gave ye Howse a very good impression of his partes & capacitye for businesse, And had not his Generosity carryed him too farre in owning a concurrence in those councills wch have given so greate distaste to ye Nation, no parte else of his charge would have done him any greate harme. Yesterday was spent in debate upon ye last Article concerning treason, And upon a Motion of Sr Gilbert Gerrards to have time till this

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