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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 February 2009
There are few statesmen in English history who have been so completely the victim of their circumstances as Thomas Osborne, Lord Danby. He was Lord High Treasurer of England 1673–1679, an office which combined those of the Modern Chancellor of the Exchequer and Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as that of the Chief Executive Officer of the Realm. In all these duties Lord Danby displayed conspicuous ability, and attained considerable success. He was certainly one of the most able financiers of those times. He entered office just after the responsible government of the day had repudiated its national obligation to its creditors, and declared a “Stop of the Exchequer.” Trade was almost stagnant; every channel of revenue was drained at its source by Royal gifts and pensions; the financial ability of the Government was thoroughly discredited in commercial circles; the ordinary revenue of the country was inadequate to meet its needs. Yet out of this chaotic and insolvent condition Danby produced order, solvency, credit and prestige in the commercial world. His work in the Treasury would bear comparison with the ablest of the Chancellors of the Exchequer of England.
page 108 note 1 Cath. Record Society.
page 108 note 2 Portland MSS., Vol. 2.
page 108 note 3 Lindsey MSS.
page 108 note 4 Letter, Danby to Lord Conway. Hodgkin MSS.
page 109 note 1 Lindsey MSS. Letter, Danby to wife, 14 July 1681.
page 109 note 2 Letter, Danby to Charles, 1682. Lindsey MSS.
page 110 note 1 Sir N. W. Throckmorton MSS.
page 110 note 2 Portland MSS., Vol. III., 25 Aug. 1681.
page 110 note 3 Portland MSS., Vol. III.
page 110 note 4 Idem.
page 110 note 5 Hornby Castle Papers.
page 110 note 6 Idem.
page 111 note 1 Hornby Castle Papers.
page 111 note 2 Lindsey MSS., 13 May 1682.
page 111 note 3 Lindsey MSS., 13 July 1682.
page 112 note 1 Hornby Castle Papers.
page 112 note 2 Idem.
page 113 note 1 MSS. Lindsey.
page 113 note 2 Journals of Commons.
page 113 note 3 Lindsey MSS. Letter, Latimer to Danby, 1679.
page 114 note 1 Lindsey MSS. Earl of Bathe to Danby, 15 June 1679.
page 114 note 2 Letter, Sir Hy. Goodriche to Danby, 19 Aug. 1679.
page 114 note 3 Letter, Danby to son, 21 Aug. 1679.
page 114 note 4 Letter, Latimer to Danby.
page 115 note 1 Lindsey MSS.
page 115 note 2 Letter, King to Danby, Oct. 1679.
page 116 note 1 Letter, Earl of Lindsey to Danby, 4 Sept. 1680.
page 116 note 2 Journals of Lords.
page 116 note 3 Ormonde MSS., N.S., Vol. V.
page 116 note 4 Danby to Lindsey, 18 March 1681.
page 117 note 1 Latimer to Danby, March 1679. Lindsey MSS.
page 117 note 2 Danby to King. Hornby Castle Papers.
page 117 note 3 Journals of Lords.
page 118 note 1 Letter, Sir Cyril Wyche to Ormonde. Ormonde MSS., N.S., Vol. VI.
page 118 note 2 Journals of Commons.
page 118 note 3 Letter, Danby to Latimer. Lindsey MSS.
page 118 note 4 Journal of Lords.
page 119 note 1 Ormonde MSS.
page 119 note 2 Letter, Latimer to Danby. Lindsey MSS. Also Hornby Castle Papers.
page 119 note 3 Marquis of Worcester to March. Duke of Beaufort MSS.
page 119 note 4 Ormonde MSS.
page 119 note 5 Although advised by Danby.
page 120 note 1 Hornby Castle MSS.
page 120 note 2 Portland MSS., Vol. II.
page 123 note 1 State Trials, Vol. XI.
page 123 note 2 Hornby Castle Papers. The only direct case of bribery by Danby I have come across.
page 124 note 1 Hornby Castle Papers.
page 124 note 2 Idem.
page 125 note 1 Idem.
page 125 note 2 Lindsey MSS.
page 125 note 3 Memoirs.
page 125 note 4 Dalrymple.
page 125 note 5 Mons. Rapin de Thoyras.
page 125 note 6 Hornby Castle Papers.
page 126 note 1 Hornby Castle Papers.
page 127 note 1 State Trials, Vol. XI.
page 127 note 2 Journals of Lords.
page 127 note 3 Portland MSS.
page 127 note 4 Reresby, Memoirs.
page 128 note 1 Danby to wife, 21 July 1684. Lindsey MSS.
page 128 note 2 Journals of Lords.
page 129 note 1 Journals of Lords.
page 129 note 2 Ormonde MSS.
page 129 note 3 Danby to William of Orange.
page 129 note 4 Danby Correspondence.
page 130 note 1 Montague Correspondence.
page 130 note 2 Lindsey MSS.
page 130 note 3 Ormonde MSS.
page 130 note 4 Idem.
page 130 note 5 Idem.
page 130 note 6 York's own letter.
page 131 note 1 Dartmouth MSS.
page 131 note 2 Ormonde MSS., N.S., Vol. IV.
page 131 note 3 Idem.
page 131 note 4 Letter, York to Barillon, 30 Oct 1680.
page 131 note 5 Odrmonde MSS., N.S., Vol. V.
page 132 note 1 Life of James II (Clarke).
page 132 note 2 Idem.
page 132 note 3 Letter, Danby to son.
page 132 note 4 Letter, Barillon to Duke of York.
page 133 note 1 Dalrymple.
page 133 note 2 Letter, Danby to son.
page 133 note 3 Petition, Danby to King.
page 133 note 4 Reresby, Memoirs.
page 133 note 5 Not knowing that Danby had advised it.
page 133 note 6 Dalrymple.
page 133 note 7 Letter, Danby to son.
page 133 note 8 Dalrymple.
page 133 note 9 Lindsey MSS.
page 134 note 1 Reresby, Memoirs.
page 134 note 2 Rutland MSS.
page 134 note 3 Lindsey MSS.
page 134 note 4 Rutland MSS., Vol. II.
page 134 note 5 Lindsey MSS.
page 134 note 6 Journals of Lords.
page 135 note 1 Idem.
