so far successful, that Sir Philip was summoned to appear before the House of Lords.

His position was now most critical, though he escaped immediate danger by representing that his presence in Jersey was necessary, as the island was threatened by an invasion from Brittany. The interest of Prynne being again exerted in his favour, he was given permission to return. Thus was this zealot made the instrument in the hands of Providence, by which Jersey was preserved to the king, and a loyal subject saved from the block.

On Sir Philip's return, he found the articles which had been prepared by his enemies for the purpose of being laid before the House, printed and in circulation. These were the cause of his ultimate ruin, and of the troubles that afflicted Jersey from 1643 until the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. But Sir Philip's loyalty was not to be shaken. He openly declared for the king, appointed trustworthy officers in the garrison and militia, and, furnished with a royal commission, called upon all loyal subjects to assist him in defending the islandfortresses against the rebels. Those who refused to espouse the royal cause, he stigmatised as traitors.

In the mean time the parliament was not idle; bent upon his ruin, it appointed the Earl of Warwick to supersede him in his office of governor; but Warwick's authority was ignored by De Carteret, who announced his determination to fortify the castles for the king, and endeavoured to bind the islanders by an oath to assist him in carrying out his design, though the majority refused to subscribe to it. He received important assistance from his nephew, Captain George de Carteret, who caused to be prepared for sea some small frigates and privateers, to cruize against ships trading under passports from the Parliament. These cruizers created great alarm in the Channel, and few vessels would venture to sea without a convoy. Their prizes were sold at S. Malo, and with their proceeds the castles were furnished with provisions, their garrisons reinforced, arms distributed, and magazines replenished. This was done under a royal commission, but a counter commission was issued by the Committee for the defence of the kingdom, which VOL. VI. (N. S.)

authorized Captain De Carteret's apprehension, and required him to repair to London to answer for his conduct before the House of Commons. All popular demonstrations in his favour were prohibited, and any who espoused his cause were threatened with loss of office. This commission concluded by peremptorily forbidding His Majesty's subjects to acknowledge the authority of Sir Philip de Carteret. The crisis was hastening on. Reports were industriously circulated by the king's enemies that he inclined to Popery, that his Queen Henrietta was already a Papist. These induced many to espouse the cause of the Parliament.

A Parliamentary commission requiring the apprehension of Sir Philip de Carteret was secretly transmitted to Jersey, and every opportunity sought to put it into execution; but although warned by his friends of his danger Sir Philip could not be persuaded that (as long as he acted by the authority of the king) his enemies would dare to deprive him of liberty. He therefore proceeded fearlessly to the royal court where "the States" were assembled, accompanied by a body of soldiers to guard the doors. No sooner had he entered, and produced the royal commission, with which he was armed, than Michael Lemprière, one of the jurats, rose to say that he had a commission in his possession from the Parliament, authorizing the seizure of Sir Philip's person, and requiring his presence in London to answer the charges brought against him.

The States refused to listen to Lemprière, and ordered him to sit down, declaring his commission a counterfeit, and requiring that of the king to be read. High words ensued, Lemprière accusing Sir Philip of duplicity, the latter retorting, by calling him traitor and apostate, and giving orders to the officers of the court to turn him out of the assembly. Lemprière finding it impossible to enforce his warrant, endeavoured to escape, but was prevented by the soldiers, who drove him back at the point of their swords. Great excitement prevailed outside the court-house. A colonel of one of the militia regiments, mounting his horse, galloped through the parish of S. Saviour's, to which Lemprière belonged, and

called upon the parishioners to hasten to his assistance. This they did without delay, and before long detachments from the other parishes were on their way to S. Helier's for the same object.

Sir Philip's friends secretly warned him of his danger, upon which, hastily dismissing the states, he precipitately retreated to Elizabeth Castle. From that day he never entered S. Helier's again. He convened the states to meet within the fortress, and there a petition to the two Houses of Parliament was drawn up, in which he expressed his readiness to answer to the king the charges brought against him, but refused to do so to the Parliament. This petition was intercepted, and laid before the Committee for the defence of the kingdom, by which it was suppressed.

The whole island, (except the two fortresses of Elizabeth Castle and Mont Orgueil,) was now in the hands of the parliamentary commissioners; the former occupied by Sir Philip de Carteret, and the latter by his wife Lady de Carteret; both these castles being strictly blockaded by their enemies. Once only before his death, which occurred shortly after, was the unfortunate governor able to leave the fortress which had become his prison. On that occasion, escorted by a body of horse, he visited his wife at Mont Orgueil, and, strange to say, returned without molestation.

On the eighteenth of June he addressed a letter to the commissioners, in which he stated how deeply he deplored the evils hanging over his unhappy country, adding that he was ready to vindicate his conduct before the Parliament whenever his Majesty should provide for the government of the island during his absence, and further that if nothing short of a loss of his office would satisfy the people, he was willing to resign it, and to submit his life to the decision of the law. But this did not satisfy the commissioners. They incited the islanders to raise additional defences to secure themselves against sorties from Elizabeth Castle; and left the written offers of negociation unanswered. On the 18th of June, 1643, Sir Philip received a letter couched in most insulting language, in which the troubles of the island were

attributed solely to his want of principle, and again summoning him to answer for his misdemeanours.

At length his health began to give way, and his hitherto undaunted spirit to succumb to the difficulties of his position. To add to his misfortunes, one of his sons died within the fortress, and the unhappy father obtained with difficulty permission for his tenants to receive the body outside the walls for the purpose of depositing it in the family vault at S. Ouen. Perceiving his weakness daily increase, and feeling that death was approaching, he wrote the following letter to the parliamentary commissioners on the 6th of August, 1643, in which he enclosed the royal pardon which had been for some time in his possession, but which the sheriff had not been permitted to read.

"Gentlemen,

"I having received the king's gracious pardon, I embraced it with a great deal of joye, hoping that before GOD shall call me awaye, I should see some beginning of the quiet of those disorders of this countrie, which seeing it is not likely to prove, it being God's pleasure to call me to His mercie, that I may not see the further increase and miseries of this countrie, I desire in your Christian charitie, that you would permit Mr. La Cloche, or any other that you will send with him, to administer unto me such comforts as are necessarie and usual in these extremities, and that you will permitt my poor wife to come unto me, to do me that last duty as to close up my eyes. The LORD forgive you, as I doe forgive you all. I pray, suffer this bearer to go to the old castle to fetch my wife, and send some other to Mr. La Cloche with all speed. This is the last request I shall ever make unto you. The LORD be merciful unto you all."

This letter gave great satisfaction to the commissioners; their answer was characteristic. It ran thus:

"The LORD is wise in council, and wonderful in strength. The LORD open the eyes of your understand

ing, that you, though it be late, may bewail all the miseries you have brought on this people. As for our part, we heartily desire GOD to forgive you all that is past, washing all your sins away, by a sincere repentance in the blood of CHRIST. You should do very well, sir, in case GOD should call you, to remit the custodie of the castle into the hands of this estate, to keep it for his Majestie's service."

The ministrations of Mr. La Cloche were refused him, nor was it until Sir Philip's end was fast approaching, that the Rev. Mr. Mottet was allowed to visit him.

A few hours before his death, his mother, bowed down by age and sorrow, accompanied by his favourite sister, whom he had expressed an earnest desire to see, were permitted to visit the dying man. This indulgence had been previously sought for, though in vain.

His other friends were denied the melancholy gratification of bidding a last farewell to one whom they loved and respected. They made an effort to have conveyed to him a bottle of spring water, (a luxury not to be obtained within the castle,) a basket of fruit, and a little sugarcandy; but their messenger was rudely repulsed from the walls.

A religious book which his heart-broken wife endeavoured to send with a hope of affording him some comfort in his last hours, was returned to her. At the last moment she was allowed to visit him. As she entered his apartment, he raised his dying hands in token of recognition, and immediately after he expired.

Thus died Sir Philip de Carteret, Seigneur of S. Ouen, and governor of the island of Jersey. He was an honest upright gentleman, and a loyal subject of his king.

"The clergyman who attended him in his last moments," says the old chronicler, "was struck and edified with the Christian spirit of this great and good man, who died forgiving as he hoped to be forgiven !"