formed the design of securing to the
Cavalier party the exclusive possession of all political power both
executive and legislative. In the year 1675, accordingly, a bill was
offered to the Lords which provided that no person should hold any
office, or should sit in either House of Parliament, without first
declaring on oath that he considered resistance to the kingly power as
in all cases criminal, and that he would never endeavour to alter the
government either in Church or State. During several weeks the debates,
divisions, and protests caused by this proposition kept the country in a
state of excitement. The opposition in the House of Lords, headed by
two members of the Cabal who were desirous to make their peace with the
nation, Buckingham and Shaftesbury, was beyond all precedent vehement
and pertinacious, and at length proved successful. The bill was not
indeed rejected, but was retarded, mutilated, and at length suffered to
drop.

So arbitrary and so exclusive was Danby's scheme of domestic policy. His
opinions touching foreign policy did him more honour. They were in truth
directly opposed to those of the Cabal and differed little from those of
the Country Party. He bitterly lamented the degraded situation to which
England was reduced, and declared, with more energy than politeness,
that his dearest wish was to cudgel the French into a proper respect
for her. So little did he disguise his feelings that, at a great banquet
where the most illustrious dignitaries of the State and of the Church
were assembled, he not very decorously filled his glass to the confusion
of all who were against a war with France. He would indeed most gladly
have seen his country united with the powers which were then combined
against Lewis, and was for that end bent on placing Temple, the author
of the Triple Alliance, at the head of the department which directed
foreign affairs. But the power of the prime minister was limited. In
his most confidential letters he complained that the infatuation of his
master prevented England from taking her proper place among European
nations. Charles was insatiably greedy of French gold: he had by no
means relinquished the hope that he might, at some future day, be able
to establish absolute monarchy by the help of the French arms; and for
both reasons he wished to maintain a good understanding with the court
of Versailles.

Thus the sovereign leaned towards one system of foreign politics,
and the mi