venture to strike at those whom he regarded as his enemies. Yet he would not deprive himself of the power of striking at some future time. It was not in his nature to throw himself frankly on his subjects' loyalty, and to evoke the sympathies which he had lost by a hearty co-operation with the Commons in the work which they had on hand. If he could have done that he might have saved himself, and might, perhaps, have saved Strafford as well. By weakness and hesitation, by hankering after the employment of a force which he had neither the power nor the resolution to wield, he was raising the barrier between himself and his subjects higher and higher every day. Distrust at last would make the breach inevitable by driving the Commons to demands which it was impossible for a king to concede, but which would never have been made if they had been able to repose confidence in him. The wisdom of coming quickly to an agreement with his adversary was never understood by Charles

CHAPTER XCVI.

THE TRIENNIAL ACT, AND THE ECCLESIASTICAL DEBATES.

1641. January. Charles's

First

THERE was nothing in Charles's mind repugnant to the idea of asking for foreign support against the English nation. Twice already he had attempted to procure foreign troops to serve him against the Scots, and he was equally ready feeling about to make use of foreign troops to serve him against the accepting foreign aid. English. The habit of regarding his own authority as something distinct from the nation, prevented him from feeling, as Elizabeth would have felt, that there was anything disgraceful in appealing to foreigners for assistance against his own subjects. When, on January 6, the Dutch ambassadors, who had come to make a formal demand for his daughter's hand, had their Jan. 6. first audience, there can be little doubt that he was audience of by this time under the impression that, in case of extremity, the Prince of Orange would be ready to give him material assistance in the maintenance of his authority in England. But though he had no objection to accept that assistance if things came to the worst, he was not quite certain that things had yet come to the worst. Appearances were against the Parliament; but, after all, a better spirit might prevail. On three points he would never give way. (He would never consent to pass a Bill for Annual Parliaments, or one for the abolition of Episcopacy, or to allow any of his ministers to be put to death without his free consent. If any one of these points were insisted on, he would at once dissolve Parliament, and obtain aid from Holland to protect him against the popular insurrection which was likely to follow. As yet, however, matters had not come to this pass. There was even hope that the King's chief opponents would

the Dutch ambassadors.

Scots.

come to blows with one another. Now that the question of the incendiaries had been settled, the negotiators on the part of EngProgress of land and Scotland were disputing over the amount of the negotiation with the money to be paid to the Scots in compensation for their expenses in the war. It was thought at Court that the English Parliament was likely to take offence at the exorbitance of the Scottish demands. If a breach ensued, the King would have everything to gain. He would find himself engaged in a national war against the Scots, and would be in a far stronger position than if he were merely at the head of a Dutch force sent to defend the Royal authority against his recalcitrant subjects.1

1 There is nothing in any published documents which throws further light on this offer of the Prince of Orange, and no engagement to assist Charles with troops is known to have been afterwards given. It will be seen, however, that there are strong reasons for thinking that money was paid by the young Prince at the time of the marriage, and at a later time actual assistance seems to have been contemplated. Rossetti says that Father Philips came to ask him whether he had yet written to Rome on the subject of the money which had been asked for. The Father expressed satisfaction on hearing that the request had been forwarded, and told him that the Queen had spoken about it again, adding ‘che il Rè ancora non sapeva quali aiuti gli fussero potuti bisognore, non essendo totalmente disperato del Parlamento, ma quando succedesse il caso que da Nostro Signore gli si somministrasse in qualche maniera forze, il Rè almeno s'indurebbe a permettere la libertà di conscienza in tutt' i suoi Regni, non importando la qualità del tempo il far in ciò maggior dichiaratione et, a questo dal Padre Filippo mi fu aggiunto che egli havrebbe havuto ancora ottima speranza del Rè medesimo, il quale, oppresso così malamente dallo spirito di questi Puritani contumaci, hora maggiormente conosce non haver eglino altro fine se non la distruttione dell'autorità Regia, non havendo egli voluto credervi o aplicarvi per il passato, e però esso mi diceva pensare che l'intentione di S. Mtà fosse di voler vedere à che segno sia per mettersi questo Parlamento, e che cosa ne possa cavare con minor pregiuditio possibile della Corona, poi determinarsi a quelli espedienti che credesse essere piu adequati alla qualità del bisogno, poichè se il Parlamento premerà per levare i Vescovi (benchè ciò non si creda) o voler similmente che ogni anno si tenga Parlamento, quando anchè non vi concorra il consenso di S. Mtà, e condannare alla morte senza che la sentenza sia sottoscritta di mano Regia, in questo caso so tiene che il Rè vi si vorra opponere con disciogliere il Parlamento, sperando di poter in ciò prevalersi delle forze al presente delli Olandesi promesseli per conditione matrimoniale, et in simil maniera assicurarsi dalle sollevationi popolari, e sottrahere la casa Reale dai pericoli che potrebbono

1641

THE QUEEN'S OVERTURES.

259

That the Queen had her full share in these resolutions-if at least, any of Charles's imaginings can be dignified with the name of a resolution-is beyond all doubt. By this time she had more cause than ever for personal irritation. So great were the straits to which the Court was reduced by the poverty of the Crown, that Charles had been forced to announce that he could no longer keep open table, according to custom, for the members of the Upper House during the session of Parliament. What was more annoying still, he had

Poverty of the Court.

The Queen

Mother's

allowance

stopped.

been unable to pay to the Queen Mother the allowance which he had granted to her, and she had consequently been obliged to sell her jewels and her horses,

and to dismiss her servants.1

Jan. 8. Henrietta

Some time would elapse before an answer could be received from Rome, or the question of peace or war with the Scots could be finally determined. The possibility that Parliament might demand the dismissal of Rossetti drove Henrietta Maria to open a negotiation with some of the leading members of both Houses. She had some hope that they would be ready to please her in opposing the agitation for the removal of the Papal Agent,

Maria negotiates with

the Parlia

mentary leaders.

soprastare, se non si trovasse prontamente armato, ma perchè gli Olandesi promettono queste forze, acciò venga conservata l'autorità Regia che il Rè non sia strapazzato, et che il popolo non si sollevi, dicendo che quando si trattava di queste tre cose saranno sempre dalla parte del Rè con l'armi, ma mentre le medesime cessaranno non intendono che prende principio la guerra, se bene hora il Parlamento procura di darli ogni sodisfattione, havendo ancora aggiustato che per un altro mese la tregua debba durare, et hanno già pagato il danaro per mantenimento del essercito Scozzese. Tutta la difficultà starà sopra le pretensioni che hanno delle spese già fatte, e sin hora sta in ambiguo che cosa ne debba seguire, ma ben presto si sentirà, come vien creduto, qualche risolutione ; et se venissero rotture tra gl' Inglesi et Scozzesi sarebbe molto avantaggioso per il Rè, poichè la guerra diventarebbe nationale, et in questo modo potrebbe S. Mtà sostenerla là dove, quando fosse particolare, gl' Olandesi per conditione del matrimonio faranno partiali a difendere l'autorità Regia.' Rossetti to

Giustinian to the Doge, Jan. Ven. Transcripts, R. O. Rossetti

17'

Rumours of official changes.

because she knew that they were anxious to remain on good terms with France, and she believed that the new French ambassador, who was expected shortly to arrive in succession to Bellièvre, would bring instructions to insist that her intercourse with the Pope should not be disturbed.1 The Queen's overtures were shortly followed by rumours of impending official changes.2 Cottington, anxious to escape from the storm, was ready to surrender the Chancellorship of the Exchequer and the Mastership of the Court of Wards. The simple-minded Juxon would certainly not cling to the Lord Treasurer's staff; and the vacancies thus made might be filled with some of the lords who had hitherto taken part against the Crown. The rumours thus raised died away almost as soon as they were heard of. There is nothing to induce the belief that any serious concession to the popular demands was intended. No doubt the persons to whom application was made refused to make any promise about Rossetti, and for the present the negotiations came to an end.

Jan. 12.

The hope that the English Parliament would quarrel with the Scots was next in order. On the 12th the Scottish demands were formally announced to the two Houses by the special direction of the King. It is no wonder that he The Scottish counted on the provocation which they would give. demands. The Scots reckoned their expenses in the late war at 785,6287. Of this they were willing to put 271,500l. out of account. Of the remainder, or 514,1287., they offered to bear as much as the Parliament should find reasonable, or us able.' The claims thus made did not take account of the now considerable sum due for the maintenance of their army, which had been accruing since the signature of the Treaty of Ripon at the rate of 850l. a day. The claim of the Scots on this head had now been running on for many weeks, and was likely to run

8 18'

1 Rossetti to Barberini, Jan. R. O. Transcripts.

2 The first mention of these proposed changes which I have met with is in Salvetti's News-Letter of Jan. As this contains a week's news, the

15

25

rumour may have sprung up on any day between the 8th and the 15th.