« time, and upon the fame occafion; for though "the retreat I hear you have made from business "muft needs be a trouble and a lofs to us all, <c yet I know it is an ease and happiness to your"felf, or else a wife man as you are ought not to "have chofen it. I will not tell you how great a contentment I had in knowing my business "lay fo much in your way, because I never "intend to pursue more than what his Majefty "pleases to make my due; and I have ever "reckoned both upon your juftice and your kind"nefs; but I must bear this disappointment fince

you are the author of it, which is the best confolation I can think of. In the mean time, "I hope you do not intend to retire from the 66 commerce of your friends, as well as that of "bufinefs; for, though you should lock yourself "up within your walls of Frogpool *, I shall ever "pretend to have a share in you there itself, and “ never omit any occafion of affuring you, that no change you can make in your courfe of life can ever make any in the refolution I have ❝taken of being always

66

"Yours, &c.

" WM. TEMPLE."

Now called Frognell, the feat of Lord Viscount Sidney.

THOMAS HOBBES

ufed to fay, that evil Government was like a tempeft, which may throw down a tree, here and there a fruitful tree; but Civil War, or Anarchy, like a deluge, would fweep all away before them.

"The Papacy," faid he, "is the Ghost of the "deceased Roman Empire, fitting crowned upon "the grave. It is a fhuttle-cock kept up by the "difference between Princes.

"Ambitious men wade through the blood of other perfons to their own power.

"Words are the counters of wife men, they "do but reckon by them; but they are the money "of fools, that value them by the authority of "Cicero, Ariftotle, and Thomas Aquinas."

CHARLES THE SECOND,

KING OF ENGLAND.

"HAD this King but loved bufinefs as well "as he understood it," fays Sir Richard Bulftrode, "he would have been the greatest Prince in "Europe." Of his own country he used to

fay,

fay, that it was the moft comfortable climate to live under, that he had ever experienced; as there were more days in the year, and more hours in the day, that a man could take exercise out of doors in it, than in any country he had ever known. He faid one day to Sir Richard Bulftrode, that during his exile he had feen many countries, of which none pleafed him fo much as that of the Flemings, who were the most honeft and truehearted people he had ever met with: and then added, "I am weary of travelling, I am refolved "to go abroad no more; but when I am dead << and gone, I know not what my brother will do; "I am much afraid that when he comes to the "Throne he will be obliged to travel again."

An Address being once prefented from the City to this Monarch by the Lord Mayor, attended by Sir Robert Clayton, Mr. Bethell, and Mr. Cornish, the King returned an anfwer by the Lord Chancellor, which concluded thus:

"The King doth not believe this to be fo una"nimous a vote of the City as is pretended, and "he commands me to tell you, that if he did be«lieve it were fo (as he does not), that you "have meddled with a thing which is none of your "business" and fo difmiffed them.-Memoirs of the Reign of Charles the Second, by Sir Richard Bulftrode, Refident at Bruffels to the Court of Spain from Charles the Second.

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LORD

LORD CHANCELLOR SHAFTESBURY.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM THIS NOBLEMAN TO LORD CARLISLE.

"March 29, 1675.

"IT is certainly all our duties, and particularly "mine, who have borne fuch offices under the "Crown, to improve any opportunity of a good (6 correfpondence and understanding between the

Royal family and the people, and to leave it "impoffible for the King to apprehend that we "stand upon any terms that are not as good "for him as neceffary for us; neither can we "fear to be accounted undertakers at the next

meeting of Parliament, for I hope it shall never "be thought unfit for any number of Lords to "give the King privately their opinion, when "afked; whilft in former days, through all the "Northern kingdoms, nothing of great moment "was acted by their Kings without the advice of "the moft confiderable and active Nobility that "were within diftance, though they were not of "the Privy Council; fuch occafions being not "always of that nature as did require the af

fembling the great Council, or Parliament.

"Befides,

"Befides, there are none fo likely as us, nor time "so proper as now, to give the only advice I "know truly ferviceable to the King, affectionate "to the Duke, and secure to the Country, which " is a new Parliament.

"I hear from all quarters of letters from « Whitehall, that do give notice that I am coming "up to town, that a great office with a strange 66 name is preparing for me, and fuch like. I "am afhamed I was thought so easy a fool by "those who should know me better; but I affure 66 your Lordship, that no condition will invite me "to Court during this Parliament, nor until I fee "the King thinketh frequent Parliaments as much "his interest as they are the people's right. "When our great men have tried a little longer, "they will be of my mind."

Lord Shaftesbury was twice committed to the Tower under an accufation of treason. "Soon "after he was committed the second time," says Sir Richard Bulftrode, "I was affured from a "very good hand, that a petition was prefented "to the King, in the name of this Nobleman, "wherein he prayed his liberty, and offered to "transport

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