Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- BOOK XVI THE LATER YEARS OF CHARLES II, 1675—1685 WHIGS AND TORIES
- INTRODUCTION
- CHAP. I Parliament in 1675. Formation of new parties
- CHAP. II The fourteen months' prorogation. Parliamentary Session of 1677
- CHAP. III Dynastic and political alliance of Charles II with the Prince of Orange
- CHAP. IV Complications at the conclusion of the Peace of Nimuegen. Alliance of Louis XIV with the Parliamentary opposition in England
- CHAP. V Denunciation of a Jesuit conspiracy. Last Session of the Parliament of the Restoration
- CHAP. VI Parliament of 1679
- CHAP. VII Parliamentary interim, 1679, 1680
- CHAP. VIII The Parliamentary Session of 1680
- CHAP. IX Parliament at Oxford, March 1680, 1681
- CHAP. X Antagonism of the Prince of Orange and the Duke of York
- CHAP. XI Reaction against the Whigs. Rye-House Plot. Execution of Lord William Russell
- CHAP. XII End of Charles II's Government
- BOOK XVII REIGN OF JAMES II, FEBRUARY 1685 TO SEPTEMBER 1688
- BOOK XVIII THE FALL OF JAMES II IN ITS CONNEXION WITH THE EUROPEAN CONFLICTS WHICH MARKED THE CLOSE OF 1688
- BOOK XIX COMPLETION OF THE REVOLUTION IN THE THREE KINGDOMS, 1688—1691
CHAP. I - Parliament in 1675. Formation of new parties
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 September 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- BOOK XVI THE LATER YEARS OF CHARLES II, 1675—1685 WHIGS AND TORIES
- INTRODUCTION
- CHAP. I Parliament in 1675. Formation of new parties
- CHAP. II The fourteen months' prorogation. Parliamentary Session of 1677
- CHAP. III Dynastic and political alliance of Charles II with the Prince of Orange
- CHAP. IV Complications at the conclusion of the Peace of Nimuegen. Alliance of Louis XIV with the Parliamentary opposition in England
- CHAP. V Denunciation of a Jesuit conspiracy. Last Session of the Parliament of the Restoration
- CHAP. VI Parliament of 1679
- CHAP. VII Parliamentary interim, 1679, 1680
- CHAP. VIII The Parliamentary Session of 1680
- CHAP. IX Parliament at Oxford, March 1680, 1681
- CHAP. X Antagonism of the Prince of Orange and the Duke of York
- CHAP. XI Reaction against the Whigs. Rye-House Plot. Execution of Lord William Russell
- CHAP. XII End of Charles II's Government
- BOOK XVII REIGN OF JAMES II, FEBRUARY 1685 TO SEPTEMBER 1688
- BOOK XVIII THE FALL OF JAMES II IN ITS CONNEXION WITH THE EUROPEAN CONFLICTS WHICH MARKED THE CLOSE OF 1688
- BOOK XIX COMPLETION OF THE REVOLUTION IN THE THREE KINGDOMS, 1688—1691
Summary
The French influence did not at first extend so far that King Charles would have allowed himself to be restrained from summoning Parliament. The French offers, even an autograph letter which Louis XIV wrote for that purpose, had, this time, no effect upon him. For he could have no doubt that an understanding with Parliament, if it could be brought about without loss to the crown, was far preferable to a French alliance. Charles II said to the French ambassador, that he must give Parliament another trial, but that he would defend the outworks of the crown against all its attacks; he would not allow it to interfere either with his ministers or with the succession to the kingdom, or let it meddle with political matters; he would never allow himself to be separated from the King of France: Parliament might still be very useful; should he see that nothing could be done with it, he would decide upon dissolution. On the 13th April, 1675, the fourteenth session of Parliament was opened.
The King had from the first determined on a change in the conduct of affairs. Buckingham had retired; Arlington fell into disfavour immediately after the first debates, in which his friends took up a factious position. The King no longer asked his advice, and no longer attended to him when he gave his opinion unasked. The chief ground for this lay in the fact that Arlington's advice had led to the most serious complications, and the King was of opinion that he would not be able to do anything with Parliament, unless he avoided all Catholic tendencies.
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- A History of EnglandPrincipally in the Seventeenth Century, pp. 7 - 19Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1875