Charles II had five ministers – Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley and Lauderdale, who were at the bottom of various political intrigues in the early 1670s. According to history, these five defaulted on the national debt by closing the exchequer in 1670, started a war with Holland in 1672, and entered into an alliance with the hated French in 1673. This gave raise to the word ‘CABAL’ which coincidentally came from the first letters of these five people. Cabal in present context means a group of people promoting their private views or interests in public places, often by intrigue and is usually unknown to people outside their group.
