CHARLES II.

49

t)f acquisitions j and so good a judge of his owninterests, thought, that he had made a hardbargain' 2 ; and this sum, in appearance so small,was the utmost, which he would allow his am-bassador to offer.

A NEW incident discovered such a glimpse ofthe king’s character and principles as, at first,the nation was somewhat at a loss how to inter-pret, but such as subsequent events, by degrees,rendered sufficiently plain and manifest. He issueda declaration on pretence of mitigating the rigors,contained in the act of uniformity. After ex-pressing his firm resolution to observe the generalindemnity , and to trust entirely to the affectionsof his subjects, not to any military power, forthe support of his throne ; he mentioned the pro-mises of liberty of conscience, contained in hisdeclaration of Breda. And he subjoined, that,“ as in the first place he had been zealous totc settle the uniformity of the church of England,tc in discipline, ceremony and government, andcc shall ever constantly maintain it : So as for£C what concerns the penalties upon those who,tc living peaceably, do not conform themselves

D’F.strades, jd of October r 662. The chief importanceindeed of Dunkirk to the English was , that it was ableto distress their trade, when in the hands of the French:But it was Lewis the XlVth who first made it a good sea-port. If ever England have occasion to transport armies tothe continent, it must be in support of some ally wholetowns serve to the same purpose as Dunkirk would, if inthe hands of the English.

Vol. XL E

CHAP.

LXIII.

1662 .

Declarationof intluUgencc.

26th Det^