royalty restored-第54部分

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s　brother。　　That　heaven　might　defend　the　country　from　being　overrun　by　popery；　the　House　of　Commons　besought　his　majesty　to　order　a　day　of　fasting　and　humiliation。　　And　by　way　of　adding　fury　to　the　gathering　tempest；　the　bishops；　Burnet　states；　〃charged　the　clergy　to　preach　against　popery；　which　alarmed　the　court　as　well　as　the　city；　and　the　whole　nation。〃

The　king　therefore　complained　to　Dr。　Sheldon；　Archbishop　of　Canterbury；　that　the　discourse　heard　in　every　pulpit　throughout　the　capital　and　the　kingdom　was　〃calculated　to　inflame　the　people；　and　alienate　them　from　him　and　his　government。　　〃Upon　which　Dr。　Sheldon　called　the　bishops　together；　that　he　might　consult　with　them　as　to　what　answer　he　had　best　make。　　Whereon　these　wise　men　declared　〃since　the　king　himself　professed　the　protestant　religion；　it　would　be　a　thing　without　a　precedent　that　he　should　forbid　his　clergy　to　preach　in　defence　of　a　religion；　while　he　himself　said　he　was　of　it。〃　　The　next　action　which　served　to　inflame　public　prejudice　against　catholicism；　was　the　marriage　of　the　Duke　of　York　to　a　princess　professing　that　faith。

Soon　after　the　death　of　his　wife；　it　was　considered　wise　and　well　his　royal　highness　should　marry　again。　　Of　the　four　sons　and　four　daughters　the　duchess　had　borne　him；　three　sons　and　one　daughter　had　died　before　their　mother；　and　the　surviving　son　and　another　daughter　quickly　followed　her　to　the　tomb；　therefore；　out　of　eight　children　but　two　survived；　Mary　and　Anne；　at　this　time　respectively　aged　nine　and　seven。　　It　being　desirable　there　should　be　a　male　heir…presumptive　to　the　crown；　the　king　was　anxious　his　brother　should　take　unto　himself　a　second　wife。　　And　that　a　lady　might　be　found　worthy　of　the　exalted　station　to　which　such　a　union　would　raise　her；　the　Earl　of　Peterborough　was　sent　incognito　to　report　on　the　manners　and　appearance　of　the　princesses　of　the　courts　of　Neuburg　and　of　Modena。　　Not　being　impressed　by　the　merits　of　those　belonging　to　the　former；　he　betook　himself　to　the　latter；　where；　seeing　the　young　Princess　d'Este；　then　in　her　fifteenth　year；　he　came　to　the　conclusion　no　better　choice　could　be　made　on　behalf　of　the　duke　than　this　fair　lady。　　On　communicating　this　opinion　to　his　royal　highness　and　to　his　majesty；　the　king　commissioned　him　to　demand　the　hand　of　the　princess　in　marriage　for　his　brother。

Difficulties　regarding　this　desired　union　now　arose。　　The　young　lady；　having　been　bred　in　great　simplicity　and　ignorance；　had　never　heard　of　such　a　country　as　England；　or　such　a　person　as　the　Duke　of　York；　and　therefore　had　no　mind　to　adventure　herself　in　a　distant　land；　or　wed　a　man　of　whom　she　knew　nought。　　Moreover；　she　had　betrayed　an　inclination　to　spend　her　days　in　the　seclusion　of　a　convent；　and　had　no　thought　of　marriage。　　Her　mother；　the　Duchess　of　Modena；　then　regent；　by　reason　of　her　husband's　death　and　her　son's　minority；　was　anxious　for　so　advantageous　an　alliance。　　And　being　unable　to　gain　her　daughter's　consent；　she　sought　the　interference　of　the　pope；　who　wrote　to　the　young　princess；　that　compliance　with　her　mother's　request　would　〃most　conduce　to　the　service　of　God　and　the　public　good。〃　　On　this；　Mary　Beatrice　Eleonora；　Princess　d'Este；　daughter　of　the　fourth　Duke　of　Modena；　consented　to　become　Duchess　of　York。　　Whereon　the　Earl　of　Peterborough　made　a　public　entry　into　Modena；　as　ambassador　extraordinary　of　Charles　II。；　and　having　agreed　to　all　the　articles　of　marriage；　wedded　her　by　proxy　for　the　royal　duke。

Meanwhile；　news　that　the　heir　to　the　crown　was　about　to　wed　a　papist　spread　with　rapidity　throughout　the　kingdom；　carrying　alarm　in　its　course。　　If　sons　were　born　of　the　union；　they　would；　it　was　believed；　undoubtedly　be　reared　in　the　religion　of　their　parents；　and　England　in　time　became　subject　to　a　catholic　king。　The　possibility　of　such　a　fate　was　to　the　public　mind　fraught　with　horror；　and　the　House　of　Commons；　after　some　angry　debates　on　the　subject；　presented　an　address　to　the　king；　requesting　he　would　abandon　this　proposed　marriage。　　To　this　he　was　not　inclined　to　listen；　his　honour　being　so　far　involved　in　the　business；　but　notwithstanding　his　unwillingness；　his　councillors　urged　him　to　this　step；　and　prayed　he　would　stop　the　princess；　then　journeying　through　France　on　her　way　to　England。　　This　so　incensed　him　that　he　immediately　prorogued　parliament；　and　freed　himself　from　further　interference　on　the　subject。

On　the　21st　of　November；　1673；　the　future　duchess　landed　at　Dover；　where　the　duke　awaited　her；　attended　by　a　scant　retinue。　For　the　recent　protestations；　made　in　the　House　of　Commons　against　the　marriage；　having　the　effect　of　scaring　the　courtiers；　few　of　the　nobility；　and　but　one　of　the　bishops；　Dr。　Crew　of　Oxford；　ventured　to　accompany　him；　or　greet　his　bride。　　On　the　day　of　her　arrival　the　marriage　was　celebrated；　〃according　to　the　usual　form　in　cases　of　the　like　nature。〃　　The　〃Stuart　Papers〃　give　a　brief　account　of　the　ceremony。　　〃The　Duke　and　Duchess　of　York；　with　the　Duchess　of　Modena　her　mother；　being　together　in　a　room　where　all　the　company　was　present；　as　also　my　Lord　Peterborough；　the　bishop　asked　the　Duchess　of　Modena　and　the　Earl　of　Peterborough　whether　the　said　earl　had　married　the　Duchess　of　York　as　proxy　of　the　duke？　　which　they　both　affirming；　the　bishop　then　declared　it　was　a　lawful　marriage。〃

This　unpopular　union　served　to　strengthen　the　gathering　storm；　Protests　against　popery　were　universally　heard；　an　article　in　the　marriage　settlement；　which　guaranteed　the　duchess　a　public　chapel；　was　broken；　and　the　duke　was　advised　by　Lord　Berkshire　to　retire　into　the　country；　〃where　he　might　hunt　and　pray　without　offence　to　any　or　disquiet　to　himself。〃　　This　counsel　he　refused　to　heed。　　Until　his　majesty　should　command　him　to　the　contrary；　he　said；　he　would　always　attend　upon　him；　and　do　such　service　as　he　thought　his　duty　and　the　king's　security　required　of　him。　　His　enemies　became　more　wrathful　at　this　reply；　more　suspicious　of　popery；　and　more　fearful　of　his　influence　with　the　king；　They　therefore　sought　to　have　him　removed　from　his　majesty's　councils　and　presence　by　act　of　parliament。

Consequently；　when　both　Houses　assembled　on　the　7th　of　January；　1674；　the　lords　presented　an　address　to　the　monarch；　praying　he　would　graciously　issue　a　proclamation；　requiring　all　papists；　or　reputed　papists；　within　five　miles　of　London；　Westminster；　or　Southwark；　to　depart　ten　miles　from　these　respective　cities；　and　not　return　during　this　session　of　Parliament。　　A　few　days　afterwards　an　act　was　introduced　into　the　House　of　Commons　proposing　a　second　test；　impossible　for　catholics　to　accept；　the　refusal　of　which　would　not　only　render　them　incapable　of　holding　any　office；　civil　or　military；　or　of　sitting　in　either　House　of　Parliament；　but　〃of　coming　within　five　miles　of　the　court。〃　　This　unjust　bill；　to　which；　if　it　passed　both　houses；　Charles　dared　not　refuse　assent；　threw　the　court　and　country　into　a　state　of　renewed　excitement。　　Knowing　it　was　a　blow　levelled　at　the　duke；　his　friends　gathered　round　him；　determined　to　oppose　it　by　might　and　main；　and　after　great　exertions　caused　a　clause　to　be　inserted　excepting　his　royal　highness　from　the　test。　　This　was　ultimately　carried　by　a　majority　of　two　votes；　which；　says　Clarke；　〃put　the　little　Earl　of　Shaftesbury　so　out　of　humour；　that　he　said　he　did　not　care　what　became　of　the　bill；　having　that　proviso　in　it。〃

This　noble　earl；　who　was　chief　among　the　royal　duke's　enemies；　was　a　prominent　figure　in　the　political　history　of　the　time。　　Mr。　Burnet　tells　us　his　lordship's　strength　lay　in　the　knowledge　of　England；　and　of　all　considerable　men。　　〃He　understood；〃　says　the　bishop；　〃the　size　of　their　understandings　and　their　tempers；　and　he　knew　how　to　apply　himself　to　them　so　dexterously；　that　though　by　his　changing　sides　so　often　it　was　very　visible　how　little　he　was　to　be　depended　on；　yet　he　was　to　the　last　much　trusted　by　all　the　discontented　party。　　He　had　no　regard　to　truth　or　justice。〃　As　rich　in　resources　as　he　was　poor　in　honour；　he　renewed　a　plan　for　depriving　the　Duke　of　York　from　succession　to　the　crown；　which；　though　it　had　failed　when　formerly　attempted；　he　trusted　might　now　succeed。　　This　was　to　declare　the　Duke　of　Monmouth　the　king's　legitimate　son　and　heir　to　the　throne　of　England；　a　scheme　which　the　ambitious　son　of　Lucy　Walters　was　eager　to　forward。

His　majesty's　affection　for　him　had　strengthened　with　time；　and　his　favours　had　been　multiplied　by　years。　　On　the　death　of　the　Duke　of　Albemarle；　Captain　General　of　the　Forces；　Monmouth　had　been　appointed　to　that　high　office；　and　some　time　later　had　been　made　General　of　the　Kingdom　of　Scotland；　posts　of　greatest　importance。　　Relying　on　the　monarch's　love　and　the　people's　admiration　for　this　illegitimate　scion　of　royalty；　Lord　Shaftesbury　hoped　to　place　him　on　the　throne。　　As　the　first　step　necessary　in　this　direction　was　to　gain　his　majesty's　avowal　of　a　union　with　Lucy　Walters；　he　ventured　on　broaching　the　subject　to　the　king；　at　which　Charles　was　so　enraged　that　he　declared；　〃much　as　he　loved　the　Duke　of　Monmouth；　he　had　rather　see　him　hanged　at　Tyburn　than　own　him　as　his　legitimate　son。〃　　There　was；　however；　another　man　engaged　in　a　like　design　to　the　noble　earl；　who；　if　not　les