'It is needful alsoe that the Secretary keep a correspondence in all the most frequented PORTS of England, France, Portugall, Spaine, Italy, and Turkie, the better to gaine an accompt of the dilligence and behavior of the King's Comanders appointed for a guard and convoyes in those seas, viz. What time they arrive. How much time they spend in each port, and for what occasion; whether by negligence opportunities of sailing out of any ports have been lost. And chiefly this may serve to correct the debauched and scandalous lives of any Commanders, Officers, and seamen in those seas; to the dishonour of the King and the nation; and also by keeping them to their duty, prevent a mighty. losse, which for many years the King has sustained. For his Shipps of warr have misspent their time in Spaine and Italy for their own. private gaines when they should have otherwise employed them for his honour, and the protection and careful convoy of his subjects.

2ND IN TIME OF WARR.

'Nothing is of more indispensible necessitie than that the Secretary of the Lord Admirall should have true, frequent, and punctuale advices and intelligence from the enemy's PORTS; and this not from ignorant. and slight hands, but from people of good understanding, and whose qualities and nearness to busynesse may capacitate them to give an accompt of the secret intentions and designs of the fleets or squadrons of Men-of-Warr, besides what else may be found out by his owne experience and observation.

'In time of Warr with FRANCE.

'For to defend ourselves or annoy the enemy, its needful the Secretary know the whole state of their NAVIES, where they are, and when they may bee ready to sail from their respective ports of Brest, Rochel, Rochford, Dunkirke, Haure de grace, and St. Malo in these seas; and from Toulon and Marseilles in the Mediterranean. Where the rendezvous is to be; if they intend to keepe in a bodie or disperse, in squadrons or parties.

'It's alsoe reasonable to know if any shipps are sent from France to Norway, Sweden, or the Baltique, and to what ports for NAVALL STORES; the time of their departure and arrival at the said Ports, and when they may be dispatched from thence, and where: and what number, and what force: Soe as the better to be provided for to intercept. them.

'It's reasonable alsoe that the Secretary be informed of the several times of departure and arrival of the FRENCH FISHERMEN of Newfound Land and Green Land, and other fleets and shipps to the American plantations and of what force they are; and whether with or without convoys-the better to disturb them in their trades and weaken them

by takeing off their shipps. And because Privateers doe more harm to Merchantmen than the King's Men of Warr (the former having nothing else to mind), the better to preserve our coasts and seas from being infested by them, it's good to keepe a watchful eye over them, and to nipp them in the bud at first before they grow considerable; and for this purpose before a warr at any time breake out, it's needfull to know whence Privateers are sett out, their number and force; what kind of build they are, what markes they may be known by, and what stations they keepe; if they consort or separate, and the times of their setting to sea and returns, and whether they increase or decrease.

'In time of warr with HOLLAND.

'The same rules for Intelligence to be observed. But, as by how much their ports-and by consequence their navall forces-are nearer one another, and for that reason they can more readily joyne themselves, soe a most watchful eye must be kept upon them; and the Intelligences must from thence be as perfect to all intents and purposes as is possible to be had. And the better to annoy and weaken them is to know the times of the departures and returns of their GREEN LAND FLEETE and FISHING FLEET for HERRINGS; and to disturb and discourage all that may be the whole course of their trade. Alsoe to prevent the increase of their PRIVATEERS which are almost solely fitted out in Zealand. To have a true Intelligence from Middlebourgh and Flushing of all things relating to them as before; the better, by taking them or their prizes as they come out or goe in (and this upon the first beginning of the warr), to stop their increase.

'Which thing was neglected in our late warrs to the grievous destruction of the English merchants and dishonour to our nation. Which mischiefe might at first have been in great measure prevented, if by good Intelligence from those ports, the Lord Admirall had had an exact accompt of them, that he might have applyed some few Friggatts to have curbed them at their first starting. For being necessitous people that sett up those trades of stealing, the takeing of their shipps putts them quite out of capacitie to make new equipages: whereas on the contrary being covetous of gaines and people of great hopes and expectations, they generally employ all the produce of their prizes in fitting out more shipps. Insomuch that the Lamsines of Middleburgh and Vlushing had, the second warr with England, fourteen men of warr of their owne, to prey upon the English-of from ten to forty guns apiece.

'Alsoe, when we happen to be in warr with other nations as SPAINE, PORTUGALL, SWEDEN, or DENMARK, etc. As before; nothing can be of greater use to us-soe as to make the King's fleet of that effect

it ought to bee, to us or our enemies-as that the Secretary to the Lord High Admirall be fully capacitated in a handsome and plentifull manner to purchase Intelligence in the courts of our neighbours concerning their navall affairs; and above all, to maintain by pensions (in the severall ports of Europe where the navall forces, communications, provisions and stores are), understanding prying men, to give him an accompt of all matters relating to them, as hath been said before. Soe that at any time when warrs breake out we may be soe farr from being ignorant of what is done among our neighbours, as to this point, that we may have a full knowlege of it, which will certainly with great satisfaction and profit, recompense the charge that shall be laid out to obtain it.'

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VOL. I.

CHAPTER XV

WHIGS AND THEIR WORK

'We made shift to gather out of one [of our guides] that this island was very much infested with a monstrous kind of animal in the shape of men, called Whigs. . . . These two creatures [Whigs and Tories] it seems are born with a secret antipathy for one another.'-ADDISON: Spectator, No. 50.

'THE City is loyal to their princes, but yet jealous of the invasion of their religion and liberty. This was the cause the citizens so readily received the Prince of 1688 Orange, An° 1688, and that in their address they thanked him for his glorious design of rescuing England, Scotland, and Ireland from slavery and popery, and implored his highness' protection.' The long-awaited chance of the City had come, and, full of hope, it looked forward not only to freedom from that fear which had oppressed it, but to reaping the golden fruit that was to be the outcome of the new régime.

We now find a new class of men advancing to the front. The patient waiting of the great merchant princes was at length rewarded, and their weight and influence were henceforth felt in government councils. The Houblons were all Whigs, and now, for the first time, their name is mentioned in connection with municipal government and with parliamentary representation; while they were also to be concerned in fresh financial developments of great importance. John Houblon at

1 Strype, Stow's Survey, I. ii. 302, 304.

once stepped into a place amongst the foremost of his fellow-citizens, and from this time till his death in 1712 he remained a prominent figure in all that appertained to the City, in which, of late years, royal influence had found a way to intervene. During the troubles which followed the scare of the Popish Plot, John took a strong line in City affairs as one of the whig supporters of the Earl of Shaftesbury in his bold struggle with King Charles II. for parliamentary supremacy, and such a toleration as should exclude Roman Catholics while admitting Dissenters. When the rashness of Shaftesbury had already brought about a reaction in the country, due to the fear lest a breach with the King should result in civil war, the City still clung to their 'daring pilot,' as he was called by Dryden,' and saved his life when he was impeached for high treason, through the refusal of 1681 the Grand Jury of Middlesex to find a true bill against him. By a letter from Lord Fauconberg to Sir William Frankland,-written on the 22nd of November 1681, a few days before the trial was to take place-it is plain that this acquittal was regarded as a foregone conclusion, owing to the composition of the Grand Jury. For, on the list of 'forty substantial men' offered for a jury to the court by the Sheriffs, were to be found the names of the most prominent and influential of the city Whigs, of whom John Houblon was one. Of these forty,' writes Lord Fauconberg, Sir Sam: Barnadiston, Dubois, Papillon, Rudge, Houblon, Boneale and the two Godfreys make a part; by which you may judge what we are to expect.'2

The City of London alone possessed the privilege, through their charter, of electing their sheriffs; in all other cities these officers were nominated by the King. Hence this Grand Jury was composed of Whigs, and the

1 In Absalom and Achitophel.

Treasury Papers. Report on the MSS. of Mrs. Frankland RussellAstley, of Chequers Court, Bucks, p. 47.