Facts and historians for the Cabal 1667-73

He was the 'mmerry monarch' who helped parliament to climb out of the mess of the Interregnum and regroup so that by 1688 they were able to meet head on the challenges faced by James II. 

A more complex and difficult to read character who was very self-motivated, manipulative and cynical to his own ends. 

Very much influenced by outside factors such as luck, and maintain that in some cases, such as the Exclusion crisis, he had no choice but to act as he did. 

The dismissal of Clarendon in 1667 marked 'the end of administration and of a policy'.

1. Diffs between them 

2. Approach of C II 

3. Nature of having a gov' @ the hands of many men

4. Removal of the dominance of Clarendon

1. Extend religious tol' to Caths + dissenters 

2. An alliance with the French  

It was the end of the 3rd DW + the fall of Buck + Arl in 1674 that marked the end of the attempt to broaden tol'. 

Things went wrong, took the tarnish off the Restoration. Religion + FP = @ the heart of disputes. 

Religion: Promised tol', Parl' wanted a strict Anglican church, DoI questioned parl's right to rule, not quite believe. 

Foreign Policy: 2nd Dutch War, Medway Disaster June 1667, failure 

Also dissapoints Rs: Restoration not look after them.

Signed by all the cabal, but only Cliff + Arl know about the Cath clause. 

L gives C £375,000 

@ Some point C would declare his Catholicism

To create a personal connection between CII + LXIV

'gambling man'.

C 'wanted to steer his ship of state alone'. 

1. Step on the road to a French allaince, forcing L to need to detach Eng from the UPs. 

2. To please Parl' and anti-Cath pub opinion. 

3. To counter his attempts to gain greater religious tol'.

'There is really no satisfactory explanation' especially since L had reservations.

1. A sincere convert? 

2. To get Arl's support for a French alliance? 

3. To get an extra £150,000 from L? 

4. To please his family? 

5. Personal link between the two kings - prof Harley 'a special relationship'

They wanted to help dissenters and NCs. 

J, Cliff and Arl might also have had an influence on C as they wanted to extend Tol' to Caths. 

Battle of Southwold Bay June 1672 - indecisve + if there was a winner it was the French. 

FRENCH OCCUPATION OF UTRECT June 1672 - Led to the blooody downfall of Johan de Witt, this turned Eng pub opinion against French allaince for fear of French expansionalism. 

LIKE THE 2ND DW IT WAS A CATALYST FOR TROUBLE

In 1673 the Liscencing Act expired. 

Therefore the market became flooded with prop, especially after the TA 1673 - J = a Cath. 

Dutch prop = surprisingly effective due to anti-Cath mania, fear = particularly strong in London.

In Whiltshire more papists were convicted in 1673 than in the previous 12 years. 

The worst period in Parl' - more tension/confrontation than with Clarendon.  

French allaince directly critised. 

J's marraige to Mary of Moderna = criticised. 

New TA proposed, list of meausres to limit power of future Cath monarch - Children's education.

King's principle ministers -= attacked as dangerous.

1. Resolved that Laud + Buck should be removed from the council. 

2. Articles of impeachment against Arl. 

3 Nov 1673 - Shafts led op to Cath successor, campiaign for Monmouth to be legitimised, divorce CofB, Exclusion of J II, Pro-Dutch, Anti- tol'. 

4. Treaty of Westminster 1674 - fears of raising an army against the Dutch + in the face of op, C made peace with the Dutch. 

5. Rule of Thomas Osborne, Earl of Danby. 

1. 'Court' and 'country' emerge. - 1673 Sir Thomas Meres 'this side and that side'. 

2. Horror of popery and arb gov' became ever more entrenched - Smith. 

Sept 1671: The crown resumed direct administration of customs duties. 

1672: Charles was forced to introduce a Stop on The Exchequer. 

1670-2: The crown's ordinary revenue totalled at about £840,000 

1678-9: The Crown's revenue totalled at just over £1 mill

1. Consequence of Spainish decline. 

2. L-T French reconstruction after the disastrous CWs of the 16th century.

They used their financial power and refused to grant £300,000 

And they forced C to issue a much more rigid conventicle Act in 1670.

1. Anglo-French attack on the Dutch. 

2. DoI 

3. J, DofY being Cath

Imposed oaths designed to exclude Caths from Pub office: 

• Required all office holders to swear the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy + to take a dec against the Cath doctrine of transubstantiation. 
• Office holders also need docs that they had recently recieved communion in the CofE.    

Impact of the Test Act: 

• J + Cliff have to resign 
• Parl's grant C £1.1 mill over 18 months

'England's appeal from the private cabal at Whitehall to the Great Council of the nation'. 

Key theme = link between France, Popery + absolutism, in accordance with trad. Eng belief about the link between Cath + absolutism. - Even greater threat when J married Mary of Moderna in Sept 1673.