Series 1 > Journals of Sir John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall, with his observations on public affairs and other memoranda, 1665-1676

OBSERVATIONS ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS 233
abolished and expunged both out of the Registers of Pari.,
Exchequer, Counsell, and out of all other monuments, that
the ages to come may not so much as know their was any
variance betuixt them. On the 28 of September 1670 was
Colonell Lockhart admitted a secret Counseller, and they say
that Lambert is also made a Counsellor in England.
The King in 1670 craving of his parliament a subsidie for
defraying his debt, they proposed that ere any new tax could
be granted account should be made of the former subsidies,
whow the same ware employed by Mr. Cotteridge and others,
whom the King made use of to that purpose. Sure this was
very grieveous to the King to sie himselfe so controlled in his
expence, and that he could give no gratuity to my Ladie
Castlemain (now Dutchesse of Cleveland, etc.) but that which
they behoved to get notice of, behold the stratagem he makes
use of. The Presbyterians at that tyme, hearing of the
Indulgence given to some ministers in Scotland, they offer to
the King to pay all his debt, and advance him a considerable
soume besyde, provydeing the same liberty be granted them.
At the nixt sitting doune of pari, his mai. in a speach
showed them whow harshly and uncivilly they had dealt with
him, and, after much plain language, he told them if they
would not grant his reasonable demands he know them that
would do it. After they had come to know his majesties
meaning by this,1 who ware more forward then they, they
passe fra craving any account of the former, they grant him a
new subsidy of a million, they consent their should be a treaty
wt Scotland anent ane union; yet onlie the dint of their fury
falls on the Presbyterians, and they enact very strict statutes
against them and against conventicles, because they had been
the pin by which his mai. had scrued them up to that willing-
nesse. So we sie its usefull sometymes (as Matchiavell teaches)
for a prince to entertaine and foment tua factions in his state,
and whiles to boast the one with the other.
In October 1667 did at last break out that inveterat hatred
of the wholle people of England against Chancellor Hide, and
1 His majesties meaning by this, i.e. ‘whatH.M. meant by this imtimation.’
As soon as they understood that, ‘ Who were more forward than they ? ’