Papists, however, should make him a saint, for he was certainly the
cause of the taking of Rochelle.
His son, Charles the Second, though he passed his youth in the
school of adversity, learned no other lesson from it than the
following one--take care of yourself, and never do an action,
either good or bad, which is likely to bring you into any great
difficulty; and this maxim he acted up to as soon as he came to the
throne. He was a Papist, but took especial care not to acknowledge
his religion, at which he frequently scoffed, till just before his
last gasp, when he knew that he could lose nothing, and hoped to
gain everything by it. He was always in want of money, but took
care not to tax the country beyond all endurable bounds; preferring
to such a bold and dangerous course, to become the pensioner of
Louis, to whom, in return for his gold, he sacrificed the honour
and interests of Britain. He was too lazy and sensual to delight
in playing the part of a tyrant himself; but he never checked
tyranny in others save in one instance. He permitted beastly
butchers to commit unmentionable horrors on the feeble, unarmed,
and disunited Covenanters of Scotland, but checked them when they
would fain have endeavoured to play the same game on the numerous
united, dogged, and warlike Independents of England.
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