Later Stuart Court influence
1. Andrew Marvell, A Seasonable Argument To Perswade All the Grand Iuries in England, to
Petition for A New Parliament. OR, A LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL LABOURERS in the
Great Design of Popery and Arbitrary Power; Who have Betrayed their Country to the
Conspirators, and Bargain'd with them to Maintain a Standing Army in England, under the
Command of the Bigotted Popish D. Who by the Assistance of the L. L's Scotch Army, the
Forces in Ireland, and those in France, hopes to bring all Back to ROME.
Veritas non quaerit Angulos.
Nunc Omnia Romae Venalia.
Amsterdam, Printed in the Year, 1677.
Bedford.
SIR Humphry Winch, Baronet, hath from the Court, 500 l. per annum Sallery; and was of the
Council of Trade for Plan|tations.
Berk-Shire.
Windsor. Sir Thomas Higgons, Knight, hath a Pension of 500 l. per annum, and hath had 4000 l. in
Gifts; Married to the Earl of Bathes Sister.
Sir Francis Winnington, Knight, Solicitor General to the King, which place is worth 1500 l. per
annum.
Reading. Sir Thomas Doleman has 200 l. per annum Pension; and was assisted by the Court in the
Cheating-Will, whereby he got Quarles his Estate, valued at 16000, now Clerk of the Council,
which is worth 500 l. per annum, and is promised to be Secretary of State.
Richard Aldsvvorth, Esquire, Auditor in the Exchequer, which is worth 400 l. per annum, he is also
the Arch-Bishops
Secretary, and has got by Boones, at several times, 3000 l.
Wallingford. Sir Iohn Bennet, Knight of the Bath, has got of the poor indigent Cavaliers money
26000 l. and other|wayes near 40000 l. more.
Buckingham-Shire.
Sir Richard Temple Commissioner of the Customs, which is worth 1200 l. per annum.
Buckingham Town. Sir William Smith, as honest as Sir Richard Temple.
Chipping Wicham. Sir Robert Savvyer, a Lawyer of as ill reputation as his Father, has had for his
attendance this Sessi|on 1000 l. and is promised (as he insinuates) to be Attor|ney-General, and
Speaker of the House of Commons.
Agmondisham. Sir William Drake, Barronet, under the Command of his Father-in Law the Chief
Barron Montague, who enjoys 1500 l. per annum during the Kings pleasure.
Cambridg-Shire.
Sir Thomas Hatton a man of no Estate but his Pension.
Sir Thomas Chichley, Master of the Ordnance, and has had 2000 l. given him, and the Reversion of
his Place to his Son.
University. Sir Charles Wheeler, a Foot Captain, who once promised himself to be Master of the
Rolls, now Go|vernour of Mevis.
Town of Cambridge. William Lord Allington, in debt very much, a Court-Pensioner, and in hopes
of a White Staffe. A Cully.
Che-Shire.
Thomas Chelmodly, Promised a great Place at Court, but not only deceived, but laught at, poor
Gentleman.
Chester. Robert Worden, Esquire, a betrayer of the Old Cavaliers (with Willis) and of Sir George
Booth; the Duke of Yorks Creature, and Gentleman of his Bed Chamber.
Cornwall.
Sir Ionath. Trelavvney, Barronet, one that is known to have sworn himself into 4000 at least in his
account of the Prize-Office. Controller to the Duke, and has got in Gratuities to the value of 10000
l. besides what he is promised for be|ing an Informer.
Sir Iohn Compton, Barronet, a Commissioner of the Pri|zes, and besides a Patentee for setting up
Lights upon the Sea-Coast.
Lanceston. Sir Charles Harbord, Surveyor General has got 100000 l. of the King and Kingdom; he
was formerly a Solicitor of Staples-Inn, till his lewdness and poverty brought him to Court.
Leskeard. Bernard Greenvil, Esquire, a Bed-Chamber-Man, has got in Boons at several times
20000 l.
Helston. Sidney Godolphin, Esquire, a Bed Chamber-man.
Sir William Godolophin, Barronet, had 1200 l, per annum out of the Fee-farm Rents, and
Governour of Scilly Island.
Truro. Iohn Arundel, Esquire, his Father from a small fortune, raised to be a Lord, and hath now
2000 l. per annum Pension out of the Excise; and hath got in Boons 20000 l.
Cammelford. Sir VVilliam Godolphin, Knight, under Se|cretary to the Lord Arlington, now
Embassador in Spain and lately turn'd Papist; hath got in Boons, 30000 l.
VVest-Lovv. Iohn Trelavvny, Esquire, Cup-Bearer to the King, Captain to a Troop of Horse in
Ireland, and 200 l. per annum Pension.
Iohn Trelavvny, Esquire, own Son to honest Sir Ionathan Trelavvny.
East-Lovv. Charles Osborn, the Treasurers Brother, has an Office in the Customs.
Henry Seymour, Esquire, of the Bed-Chamber, has the Hanaper-Office, and is Controller of the
Customs at London, has got 40000 l. in Dutchy Leases, and other Boons.
Boffing. Robert Roberts, Esquire, Victuals and Protecti|on in VVhite-Hall, out of Priviledge Time,
and 50 l. a Ses|sion.
St. Michael. Francis Lord Havvly, Captain of his Ma|jesties Troop, Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber
to the Duke, and Court Buffoon; has got in Boons 20000 l.
St. Mavvs. Arthur Sprye, a Commissioner of the Prizes, 400 l. per annum Pension; has raised his
Estate from 100 per annum to 800 by being a Member.
Sir Ioseph Tredenham, the son of an Attorney, and by Marrying the Speakers Sister has got a
considerable Pen|sion.
Kellington. Sir Cyril VVych, Secretary to the Lieutenan|cy in Ireland; Brother in Law to the two
Earls of Bath, and St. Albans.
1.
A Short State of our Condition, with Relation to the present Parliament (printed about
November 1693)
…when think you shall we have a new election now, since the King has about six score members
that I can reckon who are in places, and who are thereby so entirely at his devotion, that although
they have mortal feuds when out of the House, though they are violently of apposite parties in their
notions of government, yet they vote as lumpingly as the Lawn Sleeves (bishops), never divide
when the Interest of the Family, as they call it, is concerned, that is to say when any Court-Project
is on foot. The House is so officered, that by those that have places and pensions, together with
their sons, brothers and kinsmen, and those who are fed with the hopes of preferment, and the too
great influence these have upon some honest mistaken country gentlemen (who are possibly
overfrighted with the French), the King can baffle any bill, quash all grievances, stifle accounts,
and ratify the Articles of Limerick…
I once thought to have affixed to this paper a list of those that are in office; which if I had, it would
not only have shown how many members are bought off, but would have pointed out many
amongst the number of favourites and pensioners who we expected should rather have been
punished. Had we intended to have justified what we have done to after-times; had anything but
personal grandeur been the real intention of him who we intended to have been, and valued himself
most upon being, our Deliverer (William III); these men must have been marked down as betrayers
of their country, who are now made the chief supporters of his throne. I thought we called over the
Prince of Orange to get or give us all the laws we wanted; to have made the elections of Parliament
secure and frequent, trials impartial, the militia our standing force, and the navy our strength. I
thought we had called him over to call ministers to account, and to have put it out of their power
impunibly to abuse us hereafter…
I could name a certain gentleman who exactly resembles Harry Guy (Secretary to the Treasury),
that the last sessions, when the House was a little out of humour, disposed of no less than sixteen
thousand pounds in three days' time, for secret service. Who are in places we may find out, but
God knows who have pensions; yet every man that made the least observation can remember that
some who opened loudly at the beginning of the last sessions, who came up as eager as is possible
for reformation, had their mouths soon stopped with Hush-money.
2. John Toland, The Danger of Mercenary Parliaments (1698)
(ii) Fatal experience has now more than enough convinced us that Courts have been the same in all
ages, and that few persons have been found of such approved constancy and resolution as to
withstand the powerful allurements and temptations which from thence have been constantly
dispensed for the corrupting of men’s minds, and debauching their honest principles. Such
instances of the frailty of human nature may be given within these few years past, as might make a
man ever ashamed of his own species, and which (were they not so open and notorious) ought out
of pity to mankind to be buried in perpetual silence. Who can enough lament the wretched
degeneracy of the age we live in? To see persons who were formerly noted for the most vigorous
assertors of their country’s liberty, who from their infancy had imbibed no other notions than what
conduced to the public safety, whose principles were further improved and confirmed by the
advantages of a suitable conversation, and were so far possessed with this spirit of liberty, that it
sometimes transported them beyond the bounds of moderation, even to unwarrantable excesses; to
see these men, I say, so infamously fall in with the arbitrary measures of the Court, and appear the
most active instruments for enslaving their country, and that without any formal steps or degrees,
but all in an instant, is so violent and surprising a transition from one extreme to another without
passing the mean as would have confounded the imaginations of Euclid or Pyrrho…
The necessity we have lain under of frequent meetings of Parliament during the war has taught our
managers so much dexterity and address in their applications to the members of that assembly that
they are now become consummate masters in that most detestable art of attaining or losing offices
and preferments. And though I here name offices, yet those offices are downright bribes and
pensions, since they are held precariously from the Court, and constantly taken away upon noncompliance with the Court-measures; though I am not ignorant that several considerable posts in
the kingdom; for either by splitting of offices among several persons, which were formerly
executed by one, or by reviving such as were sunk, or by creating others which were altogether
useless and unnecessary, or by promises of preferment to those who could not presently be
provided for, they had made above two hundred members absolutely dependent upon them. And
what points might not such a number carry in the House, who were always ready and constantly
attending with more diligence to destroy our constitution than the rest were to preserve it?; who
represented not their country but themselves, and always kept together in a close and un-divided
phalanx, impenetrable either by shame or honour, voting always the same way, and saying always
the same things, as if they were no longer voluntary agents, but so many engines merely turned
about by a mechanic motion, like an organ where the great humming basses as well as the little
squeaking trebles are filled but with one blast of wind from the same sound-board?