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Introduction
Following the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660, opponents of George Savile, Marquess of Halifax, dubbed him ‘the Trimmer’ for charting a nice course between the King’s claims on power and Parliament’s defence of liberties. Halifax gleefully embraced the label, and privately circulated The Character of a Trimmer (1685) to champion a liberal constitution years ahead of its time.
Our Trimmer owneth* a Passion for liberty, yet so restrained, that it doth not in the least impair or taint his Allegiance;* he thinketh it hard for a Soul that doth not love Liberty ever to raise itself to another World;* he taketh it to be the foundation of all vertue, and the only seasoning that giveth a relish to life,* and tho’ the laziness of a slavish subjection, hath its Charms for the more gross and earthly part of Mankind, yet to men made of a better sort of Clay, all that the World can give without Liberty hath no taste; it is true, nothing is sold so cheap by unthinking men; but that does no more lessen the real value of it, than a country fellow’s ignorance does that of a diamond in selling it for a pot of ale.
* Admits to.
* That is, a liberty that does not lead to sedition or republicanism. The ‘Trimmer’ jibe is taken from sailing: the steersman ‘trims’ (aligns) his sails to catch the wind most advantageously.
* This is quite a radical statement. Charles II believed that he possessed absolute power over his subjects by the Divine Right of Kings. But Halifax implies that civil liberty is an intrinsic element in Christianity, since the subject whose hopes and loyalties are satisfied by earthly politics can have no proper wish for a heavenly Kingdom.
* See also John Barbour: ‘Ah! Freedom is a Noble Thing’.
Précis
In the reign of King Charles II, Lord Halifax justified his reputation as ‘the Trimmer’, a political moderate, by declaring his love for liberty while protesting his loyalty to the Crown. Some, he acknowledged, were willing to give up their freedoms in exchange for a few creature comforts promised by Government, but he was not of their number. (58 / 60 words)
In the reign of King Charles II, Lord Halifax justified his reputation as ‘the Trimmer’, a political moderate, by declaring his love for liberty while protesting his loyalty to the Crown. Some, he acknowledged, were willing to give up their freedoms in exchange for a few creature comforts promised by Government, but he was not of their number.
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