Sir Roger L'Estrange; a contribution to the history of the press in the seventeenth century

Introduction

L'EsTRANGE has of late years emerged somewhat into public notice — that is of the small public which can approach the seventeenth century by more direct means than those provided by the popular novelist. After Sir Sidney Lee's great article in the Dictionary of National Biogra'phy a separate life was inevitable sooner or later. Then Mr. J. B. Williams' work on the history of the Press, pointed more precisely to the distressed cavalier as the central figure in the journalistic piece. And quite recently we have had the Times Printing Supplement of 10th September 1912 largely devoting its story of Kestoration journalism to a tale of L'Estrange and his works. On the other side — that which concerns the art of prose — the late Professor Earle pointed out the extremely important place L'Estrange truly occupies in the history of English literature. So that the merest shadow of a type — a vicious type according to all tradition — has at length entered the penumbra at least of learned, if not popular, curiosity. No one need expect, however, that his cumbrous folios and pamphlets, full as they are of a certain salt decidedly non- Attic, will ever be pored over even by the scholarly class. As a writer he is a Goth of the Goths, almost uncultured in the classic sense, and for this, as a corrective to the learned fluency of the age which preceded him, he is to be chiefly valued. The native element must have been intensely strong in the man who dressed Seneca and Cicero in homespun. Even his titles have an extraordinary force. No Blinde Guides for Milton, The Relaps'd Apostate and Holy Cheat for the Presbyterians, have a

266643 vi INTRODUCTION

terseness which we are too apt to think of as a late acquisition of journalism.

But few even of those who are capable of relishing the distinction between fine classical work and the rude incult native will have the patience to read his political works. Gnarled, bitter, black, and wasted, are these products of seventeenth - century strife. Their great quality is one which is generally lacking in present-day writing, they are virile. Their abuse — the staple of the kind — is virile. There is no verbal finesse^ none of the tricks of the sophist. They are almost lacking in rhetoric in the popular sense. But for late events in "the north-east corner of Ireland," we might have said that the causes they championed are forgotten. The minor characters at least are lost to all save the special student.

But his story may still attract the historically-minded. He had the gift or misfortune which some men have of entangling themselves with every interest of the day — music, the Royal Society, cavalier song and wit at the one end of the social scale, at the other, war, intrigue, imprisonment, office and the thousand bitternesses of public life. A mere instrument he was not. He went further and more rapidly than his masters. In a sense he became the mind of his party. A picturesque figure is all the relations of life !

It has not, however, been the plan of this book to present him in a picturesque light, which is generally a fallacious one. The sobriety of modern history is unfriendly to romantic colour. The deadly footnote stifles the imagination. L'Estrange in some way foretold his fate as the victim of modern research. He somewhere imagines the scribe, one hundred and fifty years hence, busy with his and his enemies' pamphlets in Bodley's library. In a fit of pessimism he assumed that their lies would carry more weight with the historian than his own. As so often happens, and in proportion as the causes excite men's minds, the truth is found to be no longer discoverable. The historian can generally

INTRODUCTION vii

only present their contradictory stories and leave the matter to conjecture. But out of the medley of lies and mixed motives, there arises something on which we can give a modern judgment.

That judgment, it must be confessed, is on the whole the traditional one. It may indeed be doubted if history affords more than half a dozen examples of a genuine reversal of the popular verdict, when that verdict has been long enough left unquestioned. In L'Estrange's case the judgment of posterity was singularly clear, and — what is rare in political cases — singularly unanimous. When a jury consisting of Swift, Hume, and Johnson on the one side, and Fox, Hallam, and Macaulay on the other is agreed on its verdict, little doubt would seem to remain of the defendant's guilt. It has been left for the present age to question the verdict. But love of paradox and the revival of the extreme Tory point of view in historical literature are no doubt more responsible for this trend of judgment in L'Estrange's favour than a new and broader discussion of the facts and documents. So far as this Life presents new documentary evidence, or attempts a new reading of the hitherto known facts, it will be found that his fame rather suffers, if that were possible, than recovers. That is, of course, entirely in the region of political life. In private life he was ever regarded as a staunch friend, a man of fashion, and a lover of the social pleasures and amenities. But in the halfdozen crises of his fate he displayed a curious mingling of daring and timidity. He had the misfortune too often to appear at the critical moment, after much vaunting, a solitary skulker, or the foremost in flight. So was it at King's Lynn, so after Kent, and so after his examination before the Council in 1680. Perhaps this precipitancy in flight only amounts to an intelligent anticipation of the sauve-qui-peut. If it can be shown that he brought things to a head and gave his party a reasonable chance of success before deserting the field, his courage may still, despite Whiggish jeers, be afiirmed. On the whole the fuller story viii INTRODUCTION

given here will tend to establish this. And if we remark that his courage and vigour were always more noticeable when his party was in the ascendant, as in the final prosecution of Titus Oates, and the earlier Restoration persecution of obscure printers, it is no more than saying that he was human.

It is not his loyalty or his courage that will be questioned

here. It is his humanity. Even granting the whole Tory

position in the Stuart reigns — a position which later Tories

would scarcely grant — his vindictive and unappeasable thirst

for a petty vengeance is the most observable feature of his

character. He could be, and habitually was, meanly cruel.

After the Rye House Conspiracy, he participated in a party

triumph as complete as any our history can show. The

fate of the Whig scribes and plotters was pitiable enough.

It aroused in L'Estrange, however, no generous emotion. His

pursuit of the lesser instruments, of Care, Hunt, Milton's

nephew John Phillips, Fergusson ' the Plotter ', Hickeringill,

and the factious Stationers, had more of personal malice in it

than of public service. His intrigue with young Tonge, a

creature whose misery in prison ought to have moved him,

is perhaps the worst blot on his name. Having no intention

of relieving Tonge 's condition, he set himself with hints of

the King's mercy, to extort for party and personal purposes an

exposure, true or false, of the Whig leaders from that wretched

youth.

But there is no need to multiply instances in the case of one who wrote No Blinde Guides against Milton, who harried Richard Baxter, pursued Bagshawe, Jenkins, Crofton, and Delaune with abuse and hardship even within the walls of their prison, and conducted those pitiful harryings of the poor printers which went far beyond even the limits observed by Stuart tyranny. Baxter, Bagshawe, Jenkins, Crofton, and Delaune may have been — Bagshawe and Crofton certainly were — contumacious firebrands, but not even by the standards of that age can we excuse the rigours of his malice.

As to his honesty and sincerity there is not much doubt.

INTRODUCTION ix

It was generally charged against him in the days of his licensing that he allowed non-conformist books or 'libels' to appear in the official catalogue Mercurius Idbrarius for the money's sake. So far the charge is true, that works of a modified dissent appear in that catalogue in the years following the ruin of the Cabal ministry. And on the whole, there is no doubt of his extortionate behaviour in office. But mere venality on the part of a poor gentleman would not then weigh very heavily against him.

Altogether the picture of him given in the Times Printing Supplement, as a high-minded English gentleman, incapable of fraud or disloyalty is somewhat fanciful. A name associated with that of Chas. Hanse and the notorious Burton and Graham could scarcely be free from their quality. Somewhere between Macaulay's black portrait and that given in the Times supplement lies the true L'Estrange. It may be hoped that the reader will be able from the material given in those pages to determine where.

The present writer undertook the life of L'Estrange at the suggestion of Professor Firth and Sir Walter Raleigh at Oxford. To the former his debt is very great. Whatever merits the work may have are as much owing to his close supervision and unrivalled knowledge of the period as to the industry of the author, while the constant and sympathetic interest of Professor Raleigh and of Professor Saintsbury of Edinburgh, the author's first guide in the literary path, and his present chief, has done much to inspire in a somewhat laborious task. The kind and ever helpful suggestions of Mr D. Nicol Smith, Goldsmiths'" Reader in English literature at Oxford, has also to be most gratefully acknowledged.

Lastly for aid of a more material kind he must express his indebtedness to the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, one of whose Research Scholarships he held during the years 1909 and 1910.

CHAPTER I (introductory) EARLY CAVALIER DAYS

Family— Early education— Outbreak of hostilities in the north— East Anglia and the Civil War — Importance of King's Lynn — L'Estrange at Oxford — Proposals for the recapture of Lynn — L'Estrange betrayed — Condemned by Court-martial — A cavalier in prison — First step of freedom into Kent — The Kentish Rising — L'Estrange's ambiguous part in the fiasco — He is followed into exile by detraction .....

Chapter II (1648-60) Protectorate And Interregnum Passages

L'Estrange in exile — Is followed by calumny — Vindication to Kent — Visits the court of Cardinal van Hesse — Returns to England under the Act of Oblivion — doubtful relations with Cromwell — Life in Covent Garden — Musical powers in request — Death of Sir Hamon — Scandalous rumours of L'Estrange — Death of the Protector — View of his character not unfavourable — Renewed Royalist and Presbyterian activity — L'Estrange in demand as Royalist pamphleteer and incendiary— His numerous 'manifestoes' and addresses — Rising of Sir G. Booth — Addresses to Parliament and to Monk — Attacks Milton in No Blinde Guides — Livewell Chapman and first brush with the Stationers — Eve of the Restoration — Renewed suspicion of L'Estrange — Restoration 33

Chapter III (1660-2) Puritan Divines And Seditious Printing

Situation of parties at the Restoration — 'Ranting' cavaliers offend all parties — L'Estrange's Apology— Vtvcicv^Xq of Vae Victim discouraged — Cavalier clamour — Corbet's Interest of Englmid — L'Estrange's Holy Cheat — He is accused of violating the Act of Oblivion — Savoy Conference — Presbyterian Apologies — Bagshawe and the Bishop of Worcester — L'Estrange attacks Bagshawe — Crof ton and the Baxterians — L'Estrange's Memento — Howell's Cordial and L'Estrange's Caveat for the Cavaliers — The Caveat famous — Brush with Birkenhead— Ajjology to Clarendon 67

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Chapter IV The Bloodhound Of The Press Pags

The Press — Contemporary views of its functions — A Crown monopoly — Origin of the imprimatur in England — Kise of the patentees — Brief survey of Press legislation — Rigour of the Laudian period — Commonwealth Statutes and Ordinances — Areopagitica — Restoration views — The Press ' very foul ' — Nature of libels — Presbyterian and Re5)ublican — The ' feminine part of revolt ' — Petition for Peace — Regicide speeches — Nedham, Chapman, Tytan, etc. — The 'Confederates ' and The Plwenix — F. Smith and The Year of Prodigies — Smith's narrative — Trial of the ' Confederates ' — Twynn's case exceptional— Fate of the ' Confederates ' — Other severities — Methods of secret publication — A widespread propaganda 95

Chapter V

The New Press Act — Novelties in the Act — Their far-reaching effect — General futility of the Act — L'Estrange's (and other) criticisms — Attempts to modify it — Considerations and Proposals — Atkyn's attack on the Stationers — L'Estrange's conduct of the Netvshooh — His view of news-mongering — General dissatisfaction with the Newsbook — The Newsletter a serious rival — Intrigue of Williamson with Jas. Hickes of the Post Office— The Plague and the Dxxtcla.— Newsbook relinquished by L'Estrange — The Press and the Conventicles during the Plague . . 126

Chapter VI (1666-70) State Of The Printing Houses

Annus Mirdbilis the signal for a new growth of libels — Popish fears and jealousies — Lampoons on the King — Satires on the conduct of the Dutch War — Marvell's Advice to a Painter — Poor Whore's Petition — Trade tracts — Their veiled attacks on the Church — Persecution renewed — Contempt of the clergy — Narratives of the fire — Trap ad Crucem — L'Estrange inactive 1666-8 — Catholic apologies — The Scotch plotters, Pergusson, Forbes, Nesbit, in the city — L'Estrange recalled April 1668 — List of libels and his comments — Inquest of the printers 1668 and 1669 — Monopolists and the Universities — King intervenes — Temporary lull — L'Estrange and the Stationers . 157

Chapter VII (1672-7) L'estrange And The Stationers — Lords' Libel Committee

The Quo Warranto, 1670 — Survey of the printing houses 1672— Inaction 1672-5 — Mearne and Frank Smith — Mearne and the Rehearsal Transprosed — L'Estrange's authority disappears with the fall of Arlington — Williamson appoints him one of his licensers, 6th February 1674-75 — Oldenburg introduced, February 1675-6, as 'one of my deputies for licensing ' — His failure — L'Estrange called in by Williamson in 1676 — Misdemeanours of the stationers — The surveyor frustrated in his attempted negotiations — Renewed quarrel with Mearne — Mearne's history and honours — Accusation against the Stationers — Counter-

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complaints against L'Estrange — His tyranny and exactions — Prorogation libels and discovery by L'Estrange of Nat. Thompson's midnight printing — Lords' Committee determined on a brief history of its investigation — Quarrel between Stationers and L'Estrange comes to a height 190

Chapter VIII

The * Popish Plot ' by no means novel — Previous workings of the No-Popery frenzy — Immediate effects on the Press — Popular manifestations — The literature of the Plot — L'Estrange enters the field — His veiled attacks on Gates — His confederates — Castlemaine and Mrs Collier — Clamour for a Parliament — L'Estrange on ' Petitioning ' — Freeborn ETiglishman, Further Discovery, and Discovery upon Discovery — Harry Care and Ben Harris — The Whig Journals — Trial of Castlemaine — Position of the Church — Citt and Bumpkin — Young Tonge's Sham Plot — L'Estrange accused by Gates before the Council — Attacks in Parliament—Flight 222

Chapter IX The Observator And The Whig Journals

Exile in Edinburgh, and the Hague— Followed by reviling— Counterfeit letter from Edinburgh— Votes of 10th January 1681 for relief of the Dissenters — Reaction in favour of the Church — UEstrange's Sayings provokes the first part of Dissenters' Sayings— The Oxford Parliament— King's Declaration — Observator started (21st April 1681) to support Declaration — Comparison with Heraclitus Ridens — The Whig journalists — Ben Harris and F. Smith — Robert Stephens, Messenger of the Press — Petitions and addresses — Observator presented, August 1681— Death of Stephen Colledge— Trial of Shaftesbury— Loyal prentice feasts 260

Chapter X (1682-4) The Press And The Rye House Plot

Effect of severities — Trials of Colledge and Shaftesbury — Young Tonge again — Prance — Persecution of Dissenters — French refugees — L'Estrange's Apology for the Protestants — Habin the Informer — Trial of Farwell and Nat. Thompson for ridiculing the 'Plot' — Sheriffs' elections, 1682 — Hunt and Petyt — The Rye Hoiase Conspiracy — Dissenting Clergy and the Plot — Forbes, Fergusson, Collins, and Nesbit — Ambitions of the plotters — L'Estrange's services — As writer, spy, and Magistrate — His allies on the Bench — Charles Hanse and Graham and Burton — Katherine Menzies — Sam Starkey and Aaron Smith — Various communications from L'Estrange to Jenkins — Hartshorn and Eastwood — L'Estrange and the submission of Harry Care — Spies' letters — Dejection of the Whigs — The Newsletter writers examined 289

Chapter XI (1684-9) The Whig Debacle

L'Estrange in three characters— Government spy on the city— Some letters —Seizure of HoUoway— Last political trials of the reign— Their effect xiv CONTENTS on public opinion — Death of Charles — L'Estiange the avenger of the ' Plot ' victims — Gates and Prance since 1681 — Failing credit of their ' Plot ' — The Observator's share in the disillusionment — Trial of Gates for libel, 1684 — He complains of L'Estrange's attacks to the King and Bancroft — Prance replies to the Observator — L'Estrange's History of the Times — The Church and the French Refugees — L'Estrange and the new Conformists — He attacks the Trimmers in the Church — Symthies — Hughes — More attacks on the Observator — Observator Proved a Trimmer — Elections for a new Parliament, March 1685 — L'Estrange elected for Winchester — His position in the party — He loses the favour of the Church— The Revolution 331