746 The HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANS. Vot. 11~ King an inundation of popery and flavery, but the thin fecurity of the king's Charles !I. l'fi t684. J e. . . ~· To return to England: When the ktng had made way for a popilh King Charles fuccelfor, by introducing an arbitrary and tyrannical government, his the 2d's · ll. death. maJeny began to think himfelf negl eCted, all the court being made to the rifing fun; upon which he was heard to fay in fame pailion, that if he lived a month longer, be would find a way to make him(e!f ea!y for the remainder of' his lifi. This was interpreted as a delign to change hands, by fending abroad the duke of York, and recalling the duke of MomJJOuth; which ftruck terror into the popilh party, and is thought to have haftened his death, for he was feized with a kind of apoplexy Bur net, p. Feb. 2, and died on the Friday following, Feb. 6, I 684-5, in the fifty 6og. fourth year of his age, not without violent fufpicion of poifon. either by fnuff, or an infufion in broth, as bilhop Burnet, and others of un– doubted credit have alfured us, the body not being fuffered to be tho– roughly examined. .lfnd charaller. King CHARLES II. was a gentleman of wit and good-nature, till his temper was foured in the latter part of life by his popilh counfellors. His court was a fcene of luxury, and all kinds of lewdnefs, and his pro– fufe expences upon unlawful pleafures, reduced him to the neceility of becoming a pe'!ftoner of France-- If he had any religion it was that of a difiuijed papijl, or rather a deijl; but he was firangely entangled during his whole life, with the obligations he had been brought under to the roman catho!ics. He aimed at being an abfolute monarch, but would be at no farther trouble to accomplilh it, than to give his corrupt mi– niftry liberty to do what they pleafed. The king had a great many vices (fays Burnet), but few virtues to correCt them. Religion was with him no more than an engine of ftate. He hated the non-conformijls, be– caufe they appeared againft the prerogative, and received the fire of all the enemies of the conftitution and of the protefiant religio n, with an un!haken firmnefs. His majefiy's chief concern at !aft was for his bro– "tber's fuccdfton; and when be came to die, he (poke not a word of re– ligion, nor !hewed any remorfe for his ill-fpent life: He expreffed no tendernefs for his fubjeCl:s, nor any concern for his queen, but only re– commended his miftrelfes and their children to his brother's regard; So that no englijh-man, or friend of his country, could weep at his death, from any other motive, than his keeping out a fuccelfor who was worfe than himfelf. CHAP.
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