Jacob Abbott

History of King Charles the Second of England Jacob Abbott

The indications and promises of returning peace and happiness which gave Prince Charles's motherso much animation and hope after the return of her husband from Scotland were all very superficialand fallacious. The real grounds of the quarrel between the king and his Parliament, and of thefeelings of alienation and ill will cherished toward the queen, were all, unfortunately, as deep andextensive as ever; and the storm, which lulled treacherously for a little time, broke forth soonafterward anew, with a frightful violence which it was evident that nothing could withstand. Thisnew onset of disaster and calamity was produced in such a way that Henrietta had to reproachherself with being the cause of its coming. She had often represented to the king that, in her opinion, one main cause of the difficulties he hadsuffered was that he did not act efficiently and decidedly, and like a man, in putting down theopposition manifested against him on the part of his subjects; and now, soon after his return fromScotland, on some new spirit of disaffection showing itself in Parliament, she urged him to act atonce energetically and promptly against it. She proposed to him to take an armed force with him, and proceed boldly to the halls where the Parliament was assembled, and arrest the leaders of theparty who were opposed to him. There were five of them who were specially prominent. The queenbelieved that if these five men were seized and imprisoned in the Tower, the rest would beintimidated and overawed, and the monarch's lost authority and power would be restored again. The king was persuaded, partly by the dictates of his own judgment, and partly by the urgency of thequeen, to make the attempt. The circumstances of this case, so far as the action of the king wasconcerned in them, are fully related in the history of Charles the First. Here we have only to speakof the queen, who was left in a state of great suspense and anxiety in her palace at Whitehall whileher husband was gone on his dangerous mission