The French Alliance made the war, though with Holland, unpopular.  Writers had to be hired to defend it.  France was supposed to look on with much composure as her two maritime competitors battered each other’s fleets.  At sea the honours were divided between the Dutch and the English.  On land Louis had it all his own way.  Besides, rumours got abroad of an uncomfortable plot to restore Popery.  Jesuits seemed to abound.  Roman Catholics asserted themselves, the laws being suspended.  An army was collected at Blackheath.  The Treasury was closed.  Charles had been badly bled by the goldsmiths or bankers, who had charged him L12 per cent.; but in commercial centres Acts of Bankruptcy are seldom popular, and though the bankers were compelled to be content with L6 per cent., the closing of the Treasury brought ruin into many homes.

When Parliament met in February 1673, its temper was bad.  It would have nothing to do with the Declaration of Indulgence, and though the king had told them, in the round set terms he could so well command, that he was resolved to stick to his declaration, he had to give way and to see the House busy itself with a Test Bill that drove all Roman Catholics, from the Duke of York (who had “gone over” in the spring of 1672) downwards, out of office.  The only effect of Charles’s policy was to mitigate the hostility of the House of Commons to Protestant Dissenters, and to drive it to concentrate its jealousy upon the Catholics.  Any lurking idea of the king declaring himself a Romanist had to be abandoned.  His hatred of Parliament increased.  He lost all sense of shame, and frankly became a pensioner of France.  In 1676 he concluded a second secret treaty, whereby both Louis and himself bound themselves to enter into no engagements with other powers without consent, and in case of rebellion within their realms to come to each other’s assistance.  Louis agreed to make Charles an annual allowance of a hundred thousand, afterwards increased to two hundred thousand livres.  This money was largely spent in bribing the House of Commons.  The French ambassador was allowed an extra grant of a thousand crowns a month to keep a table for hungry legislators.[189:1] Did not Marvell do well to be angry?

Some of Marvell’s letters belonging to this gloomy period are full of interest.

To William Ramsden, Esq.
“Nov. 28, 1670.

“DEAR WILL,—­I need not tell you I am always thinking of you.  All that has happened, which is remarkable, since I wrote, is as follows:  The Lieutenancy of London, chiefly Sterlin the Mayor, and Sir J. Robinson, alarmed the King continually with the Conventicles there.  So the King sent them strict and large powers.  The Duke of York every Sunday would come over thence to look to the peace.  To say truth, they met in numerous open assemblys, without any dread of government.  But the train bands in the city, and soldiery in Southwark