Gentleman Spectator - Monday March 30th

[Louis Killington]

Fire

 

As a cloud of smoke hovers over the city, it seems that God has spared London a repeat from the Great Fire of a decade prior. Though the extent of the damage is unknown at this time, it appears to have been started in the East End. Some blame Parliamentarians that are looking for a way to distract conversation away from support of the Navy. The Whig faction in Parliament has been known to oppose any taxes for the relief of the Navy unless their private political demands are met first. This fire could play into their hands, especially if they could blame the Catholics for it. Their agents have already convinced a number of uneducated Londoners that the Catholics are behind it.

 

Yet, if this was a Catholic threat, would not the palace have been the target? Rather, a fire in the East End suggests having been started by businessmen who hoped to burn out the rabble and spare their own houses -- the very same men that support the Whigs.

 

A few voices suggest, instead, that it was a fire intended to burn the docklands, but the winds shifted and blew the fire west instead. There has been plenty of talk about navy property being embezzled by some its men and officers, accounting for the great lack of funds to pay sailors. A fire to burn the docklands would destroy the evidence of missing goods in warehouses, and altered records. The Parliament Naval Commission has been called upon by some to investigate this corruption, as a service to the King. The name of Admiral Newbury has been prominently mentioned as a target of accusation. Yet, the King has yet to strip the Earl of his office. Perhaps, naval records survived the fire in sufficient good order so as to identify those responsible for profiting at the expense of our seamen.

 

Princesses in London

 

The big news in society has been the arrival of princesses from far and wide. It seems that most every kingdom and German state sent a candidate to be the next Queen of England.

 

Obviously, His Majesty will select the one that offers the greatest advantage to England. It is whispered at court that there are five front runners: Mignonette de la Rovere of Savoy; Marie Anne, Mademoiselle de Chartres, the niece of King Louis of France; Karoline von der Pfalz of the Rhine, niece of Prince Rupert; Maria Anna Josepha of Austria, Archduchess and daughter to the Emperor Leopold; and Sophia Alekseyevna, daughter of Tsar Alexei I of Russia. The first three candidates are all cousins to the King.

 

It is unclear when good King Charles will make his selection. It is thought that the visiting royalty will depart in a matter of a few weeks, suggesting a choice by then could be possible.

 

Politics

 

Parliament has created a naval committee to look into the funding of our woefully paid sailors. This committee has met and reported its findings that a new tax is required. To facilitate funding until the funds are raised, there is talk that a Royal Bank of England would be created to loan the necessary funds.

 

At the forefront of the lords fighting for fair pay to our Navy were the Earl of Basildon, as might be expected from a champion of the Navy, Viscount Mountjoy, Baron Brynfield, and Lord Southwick. Arrayed against decent treatment of our valuable seamen have been the Lord of Trade himself, Lord Shaftesbury and his henchman, Lord Carrington, a member of the Naval Committee.

 

The Committee has been requested to develop a more detailed proposal with respect to funding and report back to the Parliament in two weeks. Until the roadblock by the Opposition party is removed, our sailors are apt to begin starving and driven to extreme measures. His Majesty is doing all he can to find the funds necessary to fund the arrears in salary.

 

New Appointments

 

Representing a new generation of leaders, Lord Basildon, has been raised by the King to His Privy Council as Treasurer of the Royal Household. Likewise, Lord Mountjoy was named Solicitor General of the King's Bench; while, Lords Brynfield and Whittington were appointed to the Board of Plantations and Trade.

 

Justice

 

The King has been said to have sent his Life Guard into London to make a sweep of arrests. It is unknown at this time whether the arrests were as a result of the attack at Windsor Castle, the conspiracy to steal naval goods, or some other matter.