Nation other than the Militia, was illegal, and a great Grievance and Vexation to the People; ſo that Army was diſbanded. Beſides this, they complain'd of the Forces that were in France, and addreſſed the King again to recall them, which had ſome Effect; for he ſent over no more Recruits, but ſuffered them to wear out by degrees. The Eſtabliſhment upon the Diſſolution of this Army, which was in the Year 1679–80, were 5600 private Soldiers, beſides Officers. From this time he never agreed with his People, but diſſolved three Parliaments following for enquiring into the Popiſh Plot; and in the three laſt Years of his Reign called none at all.[1] And to crown the work, Tangier is demoliſhed, and the Garriſon brought over, and placed in the moſt conſiderable Ports in England; which made the Eſtabliſhment in 1683–4, 8482 private Men, beſides Officers. It is obſervable in this King's Reign, that there was not one Seſſions but his Guards were attacked, and never could get the leaſt Countenance from Parliament; but to be even with them the Court as much diſcountenanced the Militia and never would ſuffer it to be made uſeful. Thus we ſee the King huſbanded a few Guards ſo well, that in a ſmall Number of Years they grew to a formidable Army, notwithſtanding all the Endeavours of Parliament to the contrary; ſo difficult it is to prevent the growing of an Evil, that does not receive a check in the beginning.
He increaſed the Eſtabliſhment in Ireland to 7700 Men, Officers included; whereas they never exceeded in any former Reign 2000, when there was more occaſion for them: The Iriſh not long before having been entirely reduced by Cromwell, and could not have held up their Heads again without his Countenance. But the Truth of it was, his Army was to ſsupport the Iriſh, and the fear of the Iriſh was to ſupport his Army.
Towards the latter end of this King's Reign the Nation had ſo entirely loſt all ſenſe of Liberty, that they grew fond of their Chains; and if his Brother would have ſuffered him to have lived longer, or had followed his Example, by this time we had been as great Slaves as in France. But it was God's great Mercy to us that he was made in another Mold, Imperious, Obdinate, and a Bigot, puſhed on by the Conſels of France and Rome, and the
- ↑ Charles II called a total of four Parliaments—the Cavalier Parliament, the Habeas Corpus Parliament, the Exclusion Bill Parliament, and the Oxford Parliament. The last three were all called in a span of less than two years, and the last dissolved in March 1681, nearly four years before the end of Charles II's reign.
