366 HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

CHAT.

LXVIII.

I«7S-

State of theministry.

Sept.

kindle a civil war in the kingdom. Either theirentire success, or entire failure , or even thebalance and contest of parties , seemed all of themevents equally fatal. The king’s chief counsellors,therefore, Essex, Halifax, and Sunderland, whostood on bad terms with Shaftestiury and thepopular party, advised him to send secretly for theduke , that, in case of any sinister accident, thatprince might be ready to assert his right againstthe opposition , which he was likely to meetwith. When the duke arrived , be found hisbrother out of danger; and it was agreed toconceal the invitation, which he had received.His journey-, however, was attended with im-portant consequences. He prevailed on the kingto disgrace Monmouth, whose projects were nowknown and avowed; to deprive him of his com-mand in the army ; and to fend him beyondsea. He himself returned to Brussels ; but madea short stay in that place. He obtained leave toretire to Scotland , under pretence still of quietingthe apprehensions of the English nation ; but inreality with a view of securing that kingdom inhis interests.

Though Essex and Halifax had concurred inthe resolution of inviting over the duke, theysoon found , that they had not obtained his con-fidence, and that even the king, while he madelife of their service, had no sincere regard fortheir persons. Essex in disgust resigned the trea-sury : Halifax retired to his country-seat: Temple,despairing of any accommodation among such