Charles II's Restoration

“I took up my politics,” said Sir Walter Scott of his school-days, “as King Charles II did his religion, from an idea that the Cavalier creed was the more gentlemanlike persuasion of the two.”

This quote of Walter Scott’s is found on the Bartleby.com website.  May 29^th was a significant date for Charles II, for more than one reason.  It was his birthday, and his restoration day.  Diarist John Evelyn records the restoration:

‘29th May, 1660. This day, his Majesty, Charles II 

came to London, after a sad and long exile and calami- 

tous suffering both of the King and Church, being seven- 

teen years. This was also his birthday, and with a 

triumph of above 20,000 horse and foot, brandishing their 

swords, and shouting with inexpressible joy; the ways 

strewn with flowers, the bells ringing, the streets hung 

with tapestry, fountains running with wine; the Mayor, 

Aldermen, and all the companies, in their liveries, chains 

of gold, and banners ; Lords and Nobles, clad in cloth of 

silver, gold, and velvet; the windows and balconies, all 

set with ladies; trumpets, music, and myriads of people 

flocking, even so far as from Rochester, so as they were 

seven hours in passing the city, even from two in the 

afternoon till nine at night. 

I stood in the Strand and beheld it, and blessed God. 

And all this was done without one drop of blood shed, 

and by that very army which rebelled against him : but it 

was the Lord's doing, for such a restoration was never 

mentioned in any history, ancient or modem, since the 

return of the Jews from their Babylonish captivity; nor 

so joyful a day and so bright ever seen in this nation, 

this happening when to expect or effect it was past all 

human policy.’

Charles II of England Born

‘In Charles the Second's time, the representative of this ancient family was Sir Geoffrey Peveril, a man who had many of the ordinary attributes of an old-fashioned country gentleman, and very few individual traits to distinguish him from the general portrait of that worthy class of mankind. He was proud of small advantages, angry at small disappointments, incapable of forming any resolution or opinion abstracted from his own prejudices--he was proud of his birth, lavish in his housekeeping, convivial with those kindred and acquaintances, who would allow his superiority in rank--contentious and quarrelsome with all that crossed his pretensions--kind to the poor, except when they plundered his game--a Royalist in his political opinions, and one who detested alike a Roundhead, a poacher, and a Presbyterian. In religion Sir Geoffrey was a high-churchman, of so exalted a strain that many thought he still nourished in private the Roman Catholic tenets, which his family had only renounced in his father's time, and that he had a dispensation for conforming in outward observances to the Protestant faith. There was at least such a scandal amongst the Puritans, and the influence which Sir Geoffrey Peveril certainly appeared to possess amongst the Catholic gentlemen of Derbyshire and Cheshire, seemed to give countenance to the  rumour.’

The passage above, from Sir Walter Scott's "Peveril of the Peak", discuss Charles Stuart's time.  England’s Charles II was born this day, May 29^th , in 1630.  Charles was 18 when his father, Charles I was executed, and he spent many years in exile, before returning during the Restoration to become king.

Charles II of England

"...But we had not gone two hours on our way but the mare .1 rode on cast a shoe; so we were forced to ride to get another shoe at a scattering village, whose name begins with something like Long . And as I was holding my horse's foot, I asked the smith what news ? He told me that there was no news that he knew of, since the good news of the beating of the rogues the Scots. I asked him whether there was none of the English taken that joined with the Scots ? He answered, that he did not hear that that rogue Charles Stewart was taken; but some of the others, ho said, were taken, but not Charles Stewart. I told him, that if that rogue were taken he deserved to be hanged, more than all the rest, for bringing in the Scots. Upon which he said, that I spoke like an honest man, and so we parted..."

From "Memoirs of the court of Charles the Second"  by Anthony Hamilton (Count), Charles II (King of England), Thomas Blount - Edited by Sir Walter Scott.

The Merrie Monarch, Charles II of England, was born on May 29, 1630.  The section of text above, in his own words, refers back to Charles' escape from England in 1651, when he evaded capture by hiding in the Royal Oak at Boscobel House.  Charles did not stand much of a chance of returning to England, so long as Oliver Cromwell was in power.  But Oliver's son and successor as Lord Protector, Richard, held a less firm grip on the country.  Charles was restored to the throne subsequent to Richard's resignation as Lord Protector.  Image is from fromoldbooks.org