The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume II.Cibber, Theophilus
History
The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume II.
Cibber, Theophilus
Poets, English -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Poets, Irish -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
and exclaiming for want of pay, while the people oppressed with taxes,
were cheated of their money by the great officers of the crown. Heydon
pretended to have been in all the duke's secrets, for near four years
past, and that he had been all that time designing against the King
and his government, that his grace thought the present reason
favourable for the execution of his design, and had his agents at work
in the navy and in the kingdom, to ripen the general discontents of
the people, and dispose them to action, that he had been importuned by
him to head the first party he could get together, and engage in an
insurrection, the duke declaring his readiness to appear and join in
the undertaking, as soon as the affair was begun. Some to whom Heydon
unbosomed himself, and had been employed by him to carry letters to
the duke of Buckingham, discovered the design. Heydon was taken up,
and a serjeant at arms sent with a warrant by his Majesty's express
order to take up the duke, who, having defended his house by force,
for some time at least, found means to escape. The King knew
Buckingham to be capable of the blackest designs, and was highly
incensed at him for his conduct last sessions, and insinuating that
spirit into the Commons, which had been so much to the detriment of
the public service. He could not forbear expressing himself with more
bitterness against the duke, than was ever dropped from him upon any
other occasion. When he was sollicited in his behalf, he frankly said,
that he had been the cause of continuing the war, for the Dutch would
have made a very low submission, had the Parliament continued their
first vigorous vote of supplying him, but the duke's cabals had
lessened his interest both abroad and at home, with regard to the
support of the war. In consequence of this resentment, the King put
him out of the privy council, bedchamber, and lieutenancy of York,
ordering him likewise to be struck out of all commissions. His grace
absconding, a proclamation was issued out, requiring his appearance,
and surrender of himself by a certain day.'
Notwithstanding this appearance of resentment against him, yet
Charles, who was far from being of an implacable temper, took
Buckingham again into favour, after he had made an humble submission;
he was restored to his place in the council, and in the bedchamber in
1667, and seemed perfectly confirmed in the good graces of the King,
who was, perhaps, too much charmed with his wit to consider him as an
enemy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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