fo he will have the misfortune of having the errors of his reign, if any there be, imputed likewife to himself.

We have been led, from one step to another, farther than the scope of a Preface to this Hiftory might properly have drawn us, were it not that the obfervation of the miscarriages in former times, continued down by degrees, as we conceive, from the like miftake, and the like root of animofity and discontent, had engaged us to make fome remarks on the most eminent of them, and to lay them together in one view, for every man's calm judgment and animadverfion, as the best means, in our opinion, to prevent any fuch for the future. Which makes us hope the reader will not be offended with fome excurfions, upon publishing such a work, that hath so much of information and instruction in it, that it must furnish to every one great variety of reflections; and, amongst others, the obfervation of this particular, and almoft continual misfortune to all Princes, who are apt to think that, out of the great numbers of their subjects, and the crowd of their courtiers and flatterers, they can never want a fupply of just and faithful fervants; which makes them fo little value, and fo often throw away, their best and ableft minifters; whereas there is in truth nothing fo difficult for a Prince, as to find a good, honeft, juft, well tempered, and impartial fervant; and it is almost impoffible to preserve him long. For whofoever comes

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to

to the yoke of true painful drudgery in his mafter's fervice, from that moment creates to himself so many induftrious enemies, as he cannot gratify in all their feveral wild pretenfions, to displace and deftroy him. So that fuch a man's station must be extreme flippery, and his favour oftentimes fhort-lived, whofe whole time being taken up in promoting the folid greatnefs of his mafter, and the good of his country, he cannot have leifure to take care of himself. For whilst he is watching the enemies of the state, and laying foundations for the happiness of future times, as well as for the fecurity of the present, and looking after all the parts of the administration; that the religion of the land may be reverenced; the justice of the nation unblemished; the revenues of the Crown carefully and honestly collected, and diftributed with an equal hand of generofity and good husbandry, according to the feveral occafions that may require either; how can fuch a minifter be watching the fecret machinations of the enviers and underminers of his credit and honefty? And therefore he may be forgiven, if, being confcious to himself of his own integrity towards the public, he contemns the little arts of ill defigning men; by which however, from the firft hour of his entering into the fervice of his master, he is continually purfued, till he is at length hunted down, and unavoidably destroyed at Court.

We do not intend here to write the particu

lars

lars of the life of this Author; but we may fay in short, that such a figure as is here described of a great and fuperior minifter, and, in fome degree, of a favourite too, this excellent man made, for about two years after the restoration of the King his master, who, during that time, relied entirely on his advice and conduct. There were indeed fome other great and wife men, whom the King, for fome confiderable time, confulted in his weightiest affairs. There was the Earl of Southampton, then Lord High Treasurer of England, with whom our Author had always an entire and fast friendship, and whom all men, that knew him, honoured for his great abilities, and eminent integrity. There was the Duke of Albemarle, then Lord General, who had the honour and good fortune of bringing most things, and men, at that time to bear together, for the restoration of that King, and the royal family to the feat of their ancestors. There was the then Marquis of Ormond, foon after his Majesty's return made Lord Steward of the Household, and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland; who had not only followed, but even graced his master's fortunes, in all the time of his exile, with the attendance of fo eminent and meritorious a fubject; who had often ventured his person, and lost all his large estate in the steady pursuit of loyalty and duty to the Crown, and zeal for the true religion. There was the Earl of Sandwich, who had, when Admiral, and General at fea, to his

fhare the glorious part of bringing the fleet of England, and the body of the English seamen, to concur in the King's restoration; and had, before that time, been very meritorious towards his Majefty, as is mentioned at large in the enfuing parts of this Hiftory. These were the principal; and befides thefe, there was one more, who, though in a different rank, was admitted, at that time, into the most intimate truft and confidence, old Secretary Nicholas; who had ferved his two mafters, King Charles the first and fecond, with fo much faithfulness and integrity, as to be juftly entitled to a part in the most important adminiftration. But, without the least design of detracting from the credit or interest of these great and honourable perfons, we may truly fay, our Author had the preference of them all in the King's favour and esteem; and by his prudence, knowledge, and experience, in which he fhared with the others, and his indefatigable labour and pains, wherein, it is most certain, they did not share with him, he had the happiness, without their envy, and with their concurrence, to have the greatest share in difpofing the minds of the people, and the King too, to agree then on fuch measures in Parliament, as laid the foundation of that peace, plenty, and profperity this nation hath enjoyed fince.

He had the happiness to have the greatest share in preferving the constitution of our government entire, when the then present temper of the peo

ple

ple was but too ready to have gone into any undue compliance with the Crown.

He had the happiness, amongst several other good acts of Parliament, to have the greates fhare in compaffing and perfecting the act of Oblivion and Indemnity; the act for confirming Judicial Proceedings; and the act of Uniformity; by which the people of England were quieted in their minds, and fettled in their poffeffions; and the Church of England redeemed from the oppreffions it had lain under, and established and fet up by the law of the land, as it was alfo by our bleffed Saviour's promife to all those that ferve him in holiness and truth, on that Rock, against which the gates of hell were not to prevail. This is that Church, which defires to have her doctrine understood, as well as obeyed; and which depends on the infallibility of Scripture for her guide; but never could be drawn to allow it to any mortal men, whether in a single perfon, or a greater number; and which, of all the Churches in the world, does moft rationally inform her members in the practice of pure religion and undefiled towards God, with decency in worship, without affectation, fuperftition, or oftentation; and obedience to the King, with due regard to the conftitution and the laws of the land. By God's bleffing on these means, our Author had the happiness to leave lasting monuments of his judgment and his piety; of