登陆注册
5246300000251

第251章 CHAPTER V(57)

No. 2, Appendix C. No 1, 1848. Of the two estimates of the poor rate mentioned in the text one was formed by Arthur Moore, the other, some years later, by Richard Dunning. Moore's estimate will be found in Davenant's Essay on Ways and Means; Dunning's in Sir Frederic Eden's valuable work on the poor. King and Davenant estimate the paupers and beggars in 1696, at the incredible number of 1,330,000 out of a population of 5,500,000. In 1846 the number of persons who received relief appears from the official returns to have been only 1,332,089 out of a population of about 17,000,000. It ought also to be observed that, in those returns, a pauper must very often be reckoned more than once.

I would advise the reader to consult De Foe's pamphlet entitled "Giving Alms no Charity," and the Greenwich tables which will be found in Mr. M'Culloch's Commercial Dictionary under the head Prices.

203 The deaths were 23,222. Petty's Political Arithmetic.

204 Burnet, i. 560.

205 Muggleton's Acts of the Witnesses of the Spirit.

206 Tom Brown describes such a scene in lines which I do not venture to quote.

207 Ward's London Spy.

208 Pepys's Diary, Dec. 28, 1663, Sept. 2, 1667.

209 Burnet, i, 606; Spectator, No. 462; Lords' Journals, October 28, 1678; Cibber's Apology.

210 Burnet, i. 605, 606, Welwood, North's Life of Guildford, 251.

211 I may take this opportunity of mentioning that whenever Igive only one date, I follow the old style, which was, in the seventeenth century, the style of England; but I reckon the year from the first of January.

212 Saint Everemond, passim; Saint Real, Memoires de la Duchesse de Mazarin; Rochester's Farewell; Evelyn's Diary, Sept. 6, 1676, June 11, 1699.

213 Evelyn's Diary, Jan. 28, 1684-5, Saint Evremond's Letter to Dery.

214 Id., February 4, 1684-5.

215 Roger North's Life of Sir Dudley North, 170; The true Patriot vindicated, or a Justification of his Excellency the E-of R-; Burnet, i. 605. The Treasury Books prove that Burnet had good intelligence.

216 Evelyn's Diary, Jan. 24, 1681-2, Oct. 4, 1683.

217 Dugdale's Correspondence.

218 Hawkins's Life of Ken, 1713.

219 See the London Gazette of Nov. 21, 1678. Barillon and Burnet say that Huddleston was excepted out of all the Acts of Parliament made against priests; but this is a mistake.

220 Clark's Life of James the Second, i, 746. Orig. Mem.;Barillon's Despatch of Feb. 1-18, 1685; Van Citters's Despatches of Feb. 3-13 and Feb. 1-16. Huddleston's Narrative; Letters of Philip, second Earl of Chesterfield, 277; Sir H. Ellis's Original Letters, First Series. iii. 333: Second Series, iv 74; Chaillot MS.; Burnet, i. 606: Evelyn's Diary, Feb. 4. 1684-5: Welwood's Memoires 140; North's Life of Guildford. 252; Examen, 648;Hawkins's Life of Ken; Dryden's Threnodia Augustalis; Sir H.

Halford's Essay on Deaths of Eminent Persons. See also a fragment of a letter written by the Earl of Ailesbury, which is printed in the European Magazine for April, 1795. Ailesbury calls Burnet an impostor. Yet his own narrative and Burnet's will not, to any candid and sensible reader, appear to contradict each other. Ihave seen in the British Museum, and also in the Library of the Royal Institution, a curious broadside containing an account of the death of Charles. It will be found in the Somers Collections.

The author was evidently a zealous Roman Catholic, and must have had access to good sources of information. I strongly suspect that he had been in communication, directly or indirectly, with James himself. No name is given at length; but the initials are perfectly intelligible, except in one place. It is said that the D. of Y. was reminded of the duty which he owed to his brother by P.M.A.C.F. I must own myself quite unable to decipher the last five letters. It is some consolation that Sir Walter Scott was equally unsuccessful. (1848.) Since the first edition of this work was published, several ingenious conjectures touching these mysterious letters have been communicated to me, but I am convinced that the true solution has not yet been suggested.

(1850.) I still greatly doubt whether the riddle has been solved.

But the most plausible interpretation is one which, with some variations, occurred, almost at the same time, to myself and to several other persons; I am inclined to read "Pere Mansuete ACordelier Friar." Mansuete, a Cordelier, was then James's confessor. To Mansuete therefore it peculiarly belonged to remind James of a sacred duty which had been culpably neglected. The writer of the broadside must have been unwilling to inform the world that a soul which many devout Roman Catholics had left to perish had been snatched from destruction by the courageous charity of a woman of loose character. It is therefore not unlikely that he would prefer a fiction, at once probable and edifying, to a truth which could not fail to give scandal.

(1856.)

It should seem that no transactions in history ought to be more accurately known to us than those which took place round the deathbed of Charles the Second. We have several relations written by persons who were actually in his room. We have several relations written by persons who, though not themselves eyewitnesses, had the best opportunity of obtaining information from eyewitnesses. Yet whoever attempts to digest this vast mass of materials into a consistent narrative will find the task a difficult one. Indeed James and his wife, when they told the story to the nuns of Chaillot, could not agree as to some circumstances. The Queen said that, after Charles had received the last sacraments the Protestant Bishops renewed their exhortations. The King said that nothing of the kind took place.

同类推荐
  • 先天玄妙玉女太上圣母资传仙道

    先天玄妙玉女太上圣母资传仙道

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 沧海遗珠

    沧海遗珠

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • THE CRICKET ON THE HEARTH

    THE CRICKET ON THE HEARTH

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上除三尸九虫保生经

    太上除三尸九虫保生经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 孟夏纪

    孟夏纪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 举手之劳的环保小事

    举手之劳的环保小事

    《举手之劳的环保小事》主要收录了不吸烟或少吸烟、少吃口香糖、计算机缓更新、集约使用物品、不乱燃放烟花爆竹、不乱扔烟头、不乱焚烧秸秆、不在野外烧荒、燃烧物品要慎重、不随地取土、拒绝使用一次性用品等内容。
  • 起点直播

    起点直播

    一个为梦想来到首都的女孩。打拼三年却还在为温饱发愁。偶然得以自称未来的系统。开启了不一样的人生。这是一个直播。种田。空间。系统。玄幻多样不同的文章,女主善良勇敢、敢爱敢恨、有仇必报(原谅诺之简介无能、请看正文)
  • Secret base

    Secret base

    “我回来了。”玄关处传来了三上崇水的声音,他匆忙换了运动鞋,鞋架旁的指针已经转到了十二点过半,过了三上家午餐开饭的时间。 “哥,你好慢。”干净的声音自里屋传来,那是崇水的弟弟三上雪哉,“菜都冷得差不多了。”“抱歉,整理资料慢了一点儿。”崇水并没有露出多歉疚的表情,他本来就是个不擅长表达感情的人。“我刚才把锅子热了一下,”父亲笑眯眯地从厨房走出来,他把手里的青绿色石锅放在木桌上,招呼崇水赶快坐下吃。
  • 迷途

    迷途

    工作是嘉兴市中级法院的一名法官。已发表小说100万余字,散见于《小说选刊》、《中篇小说选刊》、《中国作家》、《江南》、《山花》、《百花洲》等期刊。
  • THE SHADOW LINE

    THE SHADOW LINE

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 夺情旧爱,宋先生别来无恙

    夺情旧爱,宋先生别来无恙

    宋佚这朵高岭之花,别说摘了,就是碰都碰不得。后来,宋佚谈了一场不被众人看好的恋爱。结果被对方甩了。这一甩时隔五年。找不到人影。大家都觉得是宋佚甩了女方,而女方伤心欲绝提前毕业了。多年之后,万年不更微博和朋友圈的宋老板,竟然两处都更新了同一条动态。内容如下:遇见她之前,我从来不知道爱情是什么样子。遇见她之后,我才明白爱情原来可以这么理解。只要她留在我身边,再坏,我都爱她。文字下面配了一张图,图里面是一个姑娘趴在桌子上睡觉的图片。角度明显的偷拍。有同校的人发现,这姑娘不就是当初被宋老板甩了的禾粒吗?
  • 倾天下之商女为后

    倾天下之商女为后

    (新文病娇毒妃狠绝色,求收)现代女高管溺水,穿越到寄居宁王府的小小孤女身上。为生存,抱王妃大腿代掌家,与侧妃合作挣银子,解王府之忧惊众生!当拥有一身经商天赋的莫安生崭露头角时,王爷“姐夫”眼神不对了。想纳她为二十三姨娘?没门!一把大火,抛弃一切,从头来过!屯粮炼铁,挑起战争,发难国财;建商行,玩兼并,搞垄断,建立庞大的商业帝国!天下大半资源尽握手中的莫安生,索性与某个狼狈为奸的妖孽男建立商国。只是说好的,立国后你为董事长我为总经理,将商国当成集团公司管理,为何变成了你为帝,我为后?某人无赖一笑:你为皇,我为皇夫也可!…………他是北夜国第一美男子,风华绝代,惊艳绝伦,一笑倾人城。因受万民爱戴被皇兄嫉妒,被迫敛去周身本领。表面上成了游玩五国的纨绔浪荡子,实际上一步一步掌控着五国所有的黑暗势力,人称“暗夜王”。某天,他遇见了她......初见时,她是宁王府卑微瘦弱的小丫头;再见时,“他”是潇洒坚韧的少年郎;再后来,她是艳惊天下的美少女,与初见时的她判若两人!夜九歌彻底凌乱,对天长啸:你,你,你!到底是谁?!…………架空、商战、权谋、爽文、互宠、双处一对一
  • 错惹豪门:甜妻要离婚

    错惹豪门:甜妻要离婚

    【初见时】她即将跌入绝望深渊,遭人欺凌,而这个男人却气宇轩昂如神明降临在她身边。【再见时】一纸契约,她成了他为期两年的妻子……“在我不需要你之前,你得一直呆在我身边,随时满足我。”就在她即将沦陷在他的温情中时,才得知她不过是一个可笑的替身。“池天锐,我们离婚吧!“一个生孩子的工具,谁给了你做主的权利?”
  • 九阙梦华:绝情蛊

    九阙梦华:绝情蛊

    赋予江湖最新层面的诠释——有关大义、正邪、友情、爱情。风舞九天。烈马狂歌。刀光闪处。又起烟波。有一种蛊,以情为名。它将赋予你倾城的容颜,绝世的力量,不老的青春。每一个看到你的人,都会顶礼膜拜。因为他们从你眼中,看到了一生的爱。七日七夜后,它凝结成一滴眼泪,坠落在你所爱者心头。那一刻,美貌、智慧、力量、青春……都将灰飞烟灭。唯有那个人,将永远爱上,苍老、丑陋、孱弱的你,至死不渝。在世间,总会流传着很多传说。如七道彩虹,如绝情之蛊,如苗疆圣母,如昆仑魔山。有的太过离奇,有的太过诡异,有的太过悲伤。所以,大家只是姑妄听之,在茶余饭后,将这些传说一传再传。那些多年前的悲伤与惨烈就这样万口传颂。
  • 站在时光彼端的你

    站在时光彼端的你

    亲爱的怪草,你还好吗……“拍毕业照的时候,一定要叫上我。”这句话你在最后一次离开学校的时候说过。你一直是一个说话算话的人,但后来你爽约了。拍照走位时,我身边特地空出了属于你的位置,可你到最后都没有出现。这是早就知道的事情,但我还是一个人躲在狭小的厕所间里哭了很久。