And both houses
concurred in renewing the former vote, that the Papists had undoubtedly
entered into a _horrid_ and _treasonable_ conspiracy against
the king, the state, and the Protestant religion.
It must be owned, that this extreme violence, in prosecution of so
absurd an imposture, disgraces the noble cause of liberty, in which the
parliament was engaged. We may even conclude from such impatience
of contradiction, that the prosecutors themselves retained a secret
suspicion, that the general belief was but ill grounded. The politicians
among them were afraid to let in light, lest it might put an end to so
useful a delusion: the weaker and less dishonest party took care, by
turning their eyes aside, not to see a truth, so opposite to those
furious passions by which they were actuated, and in which they were
determined obstinately to persevere.
Sir William Temple had lately been recalled from his foreign
employments; and the king, who, after the removal of Danby, had no one
with whom he could so much as discourse with freedom of public affairs,
was resolved, upon Coventry's dismission, to make him one of his
secretaries of state. But that philosophical patriot, too little
interested for the intrigues of a court, too full of spleen and delicacy
for the noisy turbulence of popular assemblies, was alarmed at the
universal discontents and jealousies which prevailed, and was determined
to make his retreat, as soon as possible, from a scene which threatened
such confusion.
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