Coventry laid open to them the consequences of doing that,
that the King would never have any honest and wise men ever to be
of his Council. They did here in the House talk boldly of the
King's bad Counsellors, and how they must all be turned out, and
many others, and better brought in: and the proceedings of the
Long-Parliament in the beginning of the war were called to
memory; and the King's bad intelligence was mentioned, wherein
they were bitter against my Lord Arlington, saying, among other
things, that whatever Morrice's was, who declared he had but
750l. a-year allowed him for intelligence, the King paid too dear
for my Lord Arlington's in giving him 10,000l. and a Barony for
it. Sir W. Coventry did here come to his defence in the business
of the letter that was sent to call back Prince Rupert after he
was divided from the fleet, wherein great delay was objected; but
he did show that he sent it at one in the morning, when the Duke
of York did give him the instructions after supper that night,
and did clear himself well of it; only it was laid as a fault,
which I know not how he removes, of not sending it by an express,
but by the ordinary post; it coming not to Sir Philip Honiwood's
hand at Portsmouth till four in the afternoon that day, being
about fifteen or sixteen hours in going.
Pages:
1392
1393
1394
1395
1396
1397
1398
1399
1400
1401
1402
1403
1404
1405
1406
1407
1408
1409
1410
1411
1412
1413
1414
1415
1416