4.The Restoration and the“Glorious Revolution”

When CharlesⅡwas restored to the throne of England，the English began a period of 28years of submission to the absolutism of the Stuarts.The Cavaliers got back some of their lands.They had most of the seats in the new parliament and they used this power to take revenge on their enemies.They would not let any Roundhead work in local government，or as a priest or schoolmaster，unless he belonged to the Anglican Church.The Cavaliers also dismissed most of Cromwell’s army but they kept the royal horse guards；these still guard the Queen today when she drives through London on State occasions.

A series of disasters struck the country early in the reign of CharlesⅡ.Dunkirk was lost when CharlesⅡsold it back to France four years after Cromwell had acquired it.In 1665the Great Plague caused nearly 70，000 deaths in London out of a total population of 460，000.The Great Fire of London，which raged for four days in Sept.1666，devastated a large part of the city.A war with Holland went badly，and in 1667the Dutch sailed up the Medway¹⁰ and burned the dockyard at Chatham¹¹.

Later the country began to blame the King’s friendship with France for all its troubles.Charles was now thoroughly frightened and turned to parliament for help.By this time the Cavaliers and Roundheads had settled down to become England’s first political parties，the Tories and the Whigs.Charles made friends with the Tory party；on their advice he married his brother’s daughter Mary to his nephew William，the ruler of Holland.The Whigs were still not satisfied and began to stir up popular feeling against the King’s brother，James，who was a Catholic and was likely to be the next king.Most people did not want a Catholic king，but the Whigs’violent behavior reminded England too much of Cromwell.Some of them were caught planning to murder the King and his brother，and this broke up the party leadership.Later the Whigs continued to demand that Parliament pass an act excluding the Catholic James from the throne，but Charles refused to agree to the exclusion.Yet，it was during the struggle with the king over the Exclusion Bill that the Parliament passed the Habeas Corpus Act，which has been called one of the four pillars of the British Constitution—the other three being Magna Carta，the Petition of Right¹² of 1628，and the Bill of Rights of 1689.The Habeas Corpus Act provided that any person arrested or detained should be brought before a court or judge within 24hours.

CharlesⅡdied in 1685.His Catholic brother James succeeded to the throne as King James Ⅱof England.The Nonconformists¹³ in the Whig party raised a revolt against him，which was put down with bloody cruelty.James began a policy of public terror，and turned to France for aid.He replaced many high officials who refused to accept the Roman Catholic faith，and attempted to override the decrees of Parliament.Such behavior lost him the support of even the Tories.When both houses of parliament opposed him，he dismissed the House of Commons.

WilliamⅢand MaryⅡ

In June 1688，both Whigs and Tories united in an invitation to James’s son-in-law and his daughter，William and Mary in Holland，to intervene on behalf of English liberty.James suddenly found himself deserted by every sector of his people.On Nov.5，1688，William landed with an army on English soil amidst the enthusiastic support of Englishmen.James fled to France.Parliament met and voted that James“has abdicated the government”.A Parliamentary committee drew up a Declaration of Rights，affirming the liberty of Englishmen，denying the King and privilege to supersede law，ensuring free worship to all Protestants and binding the new monarchs（William and Mary）to maintain the Protestant religion and obey the laws of the land.This is the famous bloodless or so-called“Glorious Revolution”of 1688.The next year the Declaration of Rights became the Bill of Rights，and the theories of divine or hereditary right to the throne were ended.Since then every English monarch rules by permission of Parliament.

Notes

1.Calvinists：followers of John Calvin（1509-1564）.John Calvin，French reformer and theologian，spread the protestant reformation in France and Switzerland，where he set up a strict Presbyterian government in Geneva.He thought that it was right and duty of State to aid the church，and that biblical authority was to be set above church tradition.He equated material success with Godliness，an idea that is widely accepted today in western countries.

2.Divine right：This is a doctrine which states that the king derives his authority from God，not people.The supreme authority of the state is personified in the king，but God could eliminate any king He did not like.It arose in France at the time of the Renaissance and gave kings a basis for absolute power.

3.Duke of Buckingham（1592-1628）：English courtier，a favorite of James Ⅰ.He was impeached by Parliament in 1626，and was assassinated in 1628.

4.Authorized Version of the Bible：an English Bible produced in 1611by 54scholars appointed by James Ⅰ.The version is also called King James Bible.The powerful and poetic language of the Bible has made it one of the most influential books on writers in English from the early 17th century on.

5.John Pym（1584-1643）：English statesman.He was the leader of the parliamentary opposition in the Long Parliament，and was one of the five members James Ⅰtried to arrest in 1642.

6.Stratford，Thomas Wentworth（1593-1641）：English statesman.He was Lord Deputy of Ireland（1632-1639）and James Ⅰ’s chief adviser from 1639.He encouraged the King’s absolutism；he was tried and executed by the Long Parliament.

7.Laud，William（1537-1645）：English churchman，Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633.He supported James Ⅰ’s rule，persecuted the Puritans and tried to force the Scots to accept the English Prayer Book.This last action led to a rebellion and the Civil War.Laud was impeached by Parliament and later executed.

8.City livery company：the guild of the city of London，which was descended from medieval associations of craftsmen.Such companies were named for their“livery”or special uniforms worn by their staffs on ceremonial occasions.

9.Judas：one of the 12apostles of Jesus Christ，who betrayed Christ to the Jewish high priests for 30pieces of silver.

10.the Medway：a river through East Sussex and Kent to the Thames estuary.

11.Chatham：aport in Kent on River Medway.It is a shipbuilding center and naval dockyard from the 17th century.

12.Petition of Right（1628）：This was a bill which Parliament forced James Ⅰto sign，stating，among other things，that it was illegal for the King to get money from the people without Parliament’s consent.It was a step in limiting monarchial power and strengthening Parliament’s.It is usually considered by the English as the greatest charter

of liberties，next to the Magna Carta.13.Nonconformists：the members of any Protestant church except the Church of England.

Exercises

Ⅰ.Choose the correct answer.

1.GuyFawkes was________.

A.a Protestant　　　B.a Presbyterian

C.an Anglican 　　　D.a Catholic

2.Which is incorrect to describe King James Ⅰ？

A.He believed that kings were responsible to parliament.

B.He believed that king derived his authority from God.

C.He tried to make the Church of England subservient to his will.

D.He was quite learned and was remembered by the English for the compiling of the Authorized Version of the Bible.

3.The trouble of James Ⅰ，which led to the first Civil War，came at first when he________.

A.dissolved Parliament

B.persecuted Protestants

C.asked people for“loans”

D.wanted to reform the Presbyterian Church in Scotland

4.Which group in the following were inclined to support the King during the Civil War？

A.Merchants.　　　B.Yeomen and artisans.

C.Catholics.　　　D.Extreme Protestants.

5.James Ⅰwas tried by the High Court mainlybecause________.

A.he was an absolute king

B.he wanted to reform the Church of Scotland

C.he started the Second Civil War

D.he wanted to establish Presbyteriarism in England

6.The Rump Parliament was dispersed by Cromwell in________.

A.1649　　　B.1651　　　C.1653　　　D.1658

7.The Great Fire of London broke out in________.

A.1660　　　B.1665　　　C.1666　　　D.1667

8.The Glorious Revolution marked the________.

A.beginning of the crown supremacy over parliament

B.end of the Civil War

C.failure of the Parliament

D.beginning of the constitutional monarchy

Ⅱ.Fill in the blanks.

1.When ElizabethⅠdied in________，the son of Mary Stuart became king of both countries as________of Scotland and ________of England.He thought Calvinism and Presbyterianism were a ________to the royal authority，and was determined not to allow the Church of England to become________like the Church of Scotland.

2.To raise________for the sudden war with Scots，Charles I summoned a parliament in April________.This parliament made use of money problem to start a fierce ________of the king’s policy.Charles，full of anger，dissolved the parliament that had been in existence for only________ weeks.This Parliament has thus become known in English historyas the________.

3.The LongParliament lasted for ________years.During the Civil War，the supporters of Parliament were called________，while the supporters of the Kingwere Called________.

4.In Dec.1648，the________were expelled from the House of ________by Colonel Pride，and the remainder continued to sit under the nickname of“________”.On Jan.30，1649，________was beheaded on the balcony of his palace at Whitehall London.

5.The ________Act has been called one of the four pillars of the British Constitution.The other three include________，the Petition of Right of________，and the ________of 1689.

6.In June 1688，both Whigs and ________invited ________and ________to become the joint rulers of England.This is the famous bloodless or so-called ________Revolution of 1688.Since then every English monarch rules the country by ________of Parliament.

Ⅲ.Questions for Discussion.

1.What was the absolutist rule of James Ⅰ？

2.How did the first Civil War break out？

3.What was the Commonwealth under Cromwell？

4.Why was Cromwell’s name hated in Ireland for many years？

5.Why did the Restoration take place？

6.What do you know about the Glorious Revolution？