fome Encroachments of the Lords. After the above and other Bills had received the Royal Affent, both Houfes adjourned.

1669. This year my Lord accompanied Mr. Montagu (afterwards Duke of Montagu) in his Embaffy to France, where an affair happened, which might have had very dangerous confequences; but our young Lord behaved in fo noble a manner, that every circumftance of it fets his perfonal character in the most amiable light. He had received an affront at the Opera in Paris, by fome Officers of the Guard, who, as it is faid, were in liquor, and one of them having particularly infulted him, his Lordship in return ftruck him on the face; upon which four or five of them all drew their fwords, and fell on him at once. Unterrified at fo unequal a combat, he made a very gallant defence, yet he received feveral wounds, and muft have been overpowered by his cowardly adversaries, had not a brave Swiss, a domeftic belonging to Mr. Montagu, caught him up in his arms, and thrown him into the Pit; the flesh of his arm, however, by the fall, was torn by one of the iron spikes of the orcheftra, which left a scar, that was visible to the day of his death. This brave action was reported all over Europe, as much to the honour of my Lord, as to the difgrace of the aggreffors. That great and able Minister, Sir William Temple, was at this time the English Ambaffador in Holland, who did, by an elegant letter, compliment his Lordship upon it, by which it fufficiently appeared, that Sir William thought that his spirit and behaviour on that occafion were even of national importance, as it gave the French the highest ideas of the English courage. Still it must be obferved, that the French King, when he was informed of this matter, ordered the offenders to be imprisoned.

It has been justly remarked, that none are more cruel and vindictive than cowards, and that the

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truly brave are incapable of infulting over a vanquifhed enemy, let the provocation have been ever fo great. Lord Cavendish fhewed, on this occafion, that the sweetnefs of his difpofition was equal to his courage; he applied for, and obtained their difcharge from the imprisonment. And however the French may pique themselves on their national politenefs, and charge the proud Infularies, as they are pleafed to call us, with roughnefs and barbarifm, we believe we may venture to affirm, that, had the fame incident happened to one of their country, we will not fay at our Opera-house, but even at Sadler'swells, or the Bear-garden, the whole company to a man would have refented the affront, and treated the aggreffors as they deserved.

On the 19th of October, this year, the Parliament met, after an intermiffion and recefs for one year and five months, to whom the King made a Speech. But inftead of taking the Speech into confideration, the Commons enquired into fome points of Privilege with relation to the two Houses, and were strict in the examination of the accounts of the monies expended in the publick affairs; in the paffing of which they found Sir George Carteret, who had the keeping of fome of the books relating to thofe accounts, fo blameable, that they expelled him the Houfe. Next they took Sir Samuel Barnardifton's cafe into confideration, and came to feveral refolutions relating thereto. Now had Lord Cavendish been at this time in England, we have no reafon to doubt but one of his public fpirit would have been one of the first in attending to these important enquiries. But we fhall fay no more on this head, than that the King by commiffion fuddenly put an end to this Seffion by a prorogation, without paffing any Act, tho' a supply of 400,000l. had been voted, for his fpecial occafions.

1670. On the 14th of February, the Parliament met again, after a fhort recefs, to whom the King made a Speech.

This

This Seffion did not laft much above feven weeks; the House of Commons were exactly attentive to four things, namely, the Difference between the two Houses, the Profecution of the Diffenters, the Union of the two Kingdoms, and the Supplies for his Majesty's fervice; the firft being revived to fuch a degree, that the King himself thought fit to interpofe, and to make a propofition, in order to put an end to it, which was accepted of by the House, who returned his Majefty their hearty Thanks for what he had done.

After this they proceeded with fuch great expedition in raising the Supplies, and other matters, that feveral Bills were got ready by the 11th of April, on which day his Majefty came to the Houfe of Peers, and paffed them, and then the House adjourned to the 23d of October.

On that day the King, according to custom, opened the Parliament with a Speech from the Throne to both Houses. But at this time there was a great complaint against the growth of Popery, infomuch that, as there were a greater number of Priests and Jefuits frequenting the cities of London and Westminfter, and most of the counties in these Kingdoms, than formerly, the House in the first place drew up the following remarkable Address, in which the Lords afterwards joined.

"We your Majesty's most humble and loyal fub"jects, the Lords and Commons in this prefent Parliament, being fenfible of your Majefty's conftancy to "the Proteftant religion both at home and abroad, "do hold ourselves bound in confcience and duty to "reprefent to your Majefty the dangerous growth of Popery in your dominions, the ill confequences "whereof we heartily defire may be prevented."

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After this Address was prefented, the King paid fo much regard to it, that he iffued a Proclamation against Papifts, wherein there was an order to the Magiftrates

Magiftrates and others, to put the laws in execution against them.

However, the Parliament was not so taken up in proceeding against Popery, but they found time to pafs two Bills; one for granting a Subfidy to his Majefty to fupply his extraordinary expences, and the other for an additional Excife upon beer, ale, and other liquors; which fhortly after received the Royal Affent, and then the Parliament was prorogued.

1670, Lord Cavendish was now returned to his native country, and finding that the nation was in great confufion through too many at Court encouraging Popery, he, as becoming a good patriot, exerted no lefs intrepidity in oppofing its domeftick enemies, than he had done against thofe abroad. The King, he saw, ftill perfifted in his favourite scheme, to facilitate which, he had established a Cabinet Council, confifting of five perfons only, to wit, Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Afbley, and Lauderdale, the initial letters of whofe names compofed the word CABAL, by which title they were from thenceforward diftinguifhed; for as to the Privy Council, which confifted of twenty-one of the moft confiderable perfons in the Kingdom, it was not thought proper to lay so destructive a project before them. In fhort, Pofterity has fully difcovered, from the ftate papers, and other fecret tranfactions, how dangerous a fituation the Conftitution was then in; and if it ftill continues on its antient bafis, we may thank the generous Cavendish, who, in conjunction with his fellow patriots, ftood in the gap, like another Curtius, to fave his country from impending ruin; in this, however, happier than that undaunted Roman, that, instead of perishing in the gap, he preferved at once both himfelf and the Conftitution, in whofe deftruction fuch champions muft inevitably have fhared.

1671. The Court having, under feveral fpecious pretences, obtained a large fupply from Parliament the preceding year, had no other view but to contract a close connection with France, in order to crush the Dutch more effectually. In purfuance of this pernicious defign, a league was, made the following year with our natural enemies, against those whom it will always be the intereft of Britain to protect. Every one knows how perfidiously the United Provinces were invaded, and how they were almost brought to the brink of ruin, by the rapid progress of the French arms, and what murmurs were univerfally raised here on this account, and how providentially the dark defigns of the Court were at last partly laid open and defeated.

1672. April the 16th the Parliament met, and was farther prorogued to October the 30th, and from thence to February.

Before its meeting, Afbley, one of the CABAL, who had been created Earl of Shaftesbury, and Lord High Chancellor, having fealed feveral Writs, founded upon arbitrary Proceedings, and fearing to be called to an account by the Parliament touching thofe matters, in order to ward off the blow, he quitted the King's party, and threw himself into the arms of those who opposed them, by which means my Lord Cavendish came to be acquainted with fome Court fecrets.

1673. On the 4th of February the Parliament met; to whom the King, as usual, made a Speech, and when the Commons were returned to their House to proceed on business, my Lord Cavendish, in the first place, took notice not only of the frequent Prorogations, but withal lamented the misfortune the nation laboured under through them, and at the fame time expreffed his fears, that that would generally be the cafe as long as evil Counsellors were about the King; he therefore moved, that they should, in the first place, use their best endeavours to get them removed.

But