was a strange Time for Flight For whilst the King fled from Salisbury and the Prince of Denmark from the King the Princess also took her Flight from the Cock-pit Her Royal Highness then big of the Duke of Glocester not being able to bear the King's Displeasure upon the Princes account or her own withdrew her self Nov. 26. early in the Morning and went with the Ladies Churchill and Berkley and the Lord Bishop of London to the North where the Forces were in Arms for the Prince of Orange Upon which her Royal Highness left a Letter for the Queen in these following Words MADAM The Princess of Denmark her Letter to the Queen I beg Your Pardon that I am so deeply affected with the surprizing News of the Prince's being gone as not to be able to see Your Majesty However I leave this Paper to express my humble Duty to the King and Your self and to let You know that I am gone to Absent my self to avoid the King's Displeasure which I am not able to bear either against the Prince or my Self intending to stay at so great a Distance as not to Return before I hear the happy News of a Reconcilen ent And as I am confident the Prince did not leave the King with any other Design than to use all possible Means for his Majesties Preservation so I hope You will do me the Justice to believe that I am uncapable of following him for any other End Never was any one in such an unhappy Condition so divided between Duty to a Father and Affection to a Husband that I know not what to do but to follow One to preserve the Other I see the general Falling off of the Nobility and Gentry who avow to have no other End than to prevail with the King to secure their Religion which they saw so much in danger by the violent Counsels of the Priests who to promote their own Religion cared not to what Dangers they exposed his Majesty I am fully persuaded that the Prince of Orange designs the King's Safety and Preservation and hop all Things may be composed without more Blood-shed by the Calling a Parliament God grant a happy End to these Troubles that the King's Reign may be prosperoâ—s and that I may shortly meet You in perfect Peace and Safety Till when let me beg of You the Continuance of that favourable Opinion you have hitherto had of Your Majesties most obedient Daughter and Servant ANNE The same Day the Princess went the King returned to Whitehall from Salisbury Who seeing how Things went first turned Sir Edward Hales out of his Government of the Tower who being a Papist had threatned to Bomb the City and made Colonel Bevile Skelton Lieutenant of the Tower who had been a Prisoner there but a few Days before Then his Majesty gave Order to the Lord Chancellour to Issue out Writs for summoning a Parliament to meet at Westminster the 15th day of January next Which was a great Step towards a Reconcilement if so be the King had really intended it But it proved a meer Amusement For his Heart did beat for Versailles and the Pretence of a Parliament was only to posses the People with an Opinion that he was resolved to be Reconciled with them at any Rate and in the mean time to Prepare himself under hand for a Retreat Nov. 30. He signed the Proclamation for the speedy Calling of a Parliament and ordered it with all speed to be Published Never was false Coin better plated than this Proclamation was worded to amuse the People These are the VVords JAMES R. We have thought fit as the best and most proper Means to Establish a lasting Peace to this Our Kingdom to Call a Parliament The King's Proclamation for the speedy Calling of a Parliament and have therefore Ordered our Chancellour to cause Writs to be Issued forth for Summoning a Parliament to Meet at Westminster upon the 15th day of January next ensuing the Date of this Our Royal Proclamation And that nothing may be wanting on Our part towards the Freedom of Elections as We have already Restored all Cities Towns Corporate and Boroughs throughout Our Kingdom to their ancient Charters Rights and Priviledges so we Require and Command all Persons whatsoever that they presume not by Menace or any other undue Means to Influence Elections or Procure the Vote of any Flector And We do also strictly Require and Command all Sheriffs Mavors Bailiffs and other Officers to whom the Execution or Return of any Writ Summons Warrant or Precept for Members to the insuing Parliament shall belong that they cause such Writ Summons Warrant and Precept to be duly Published and Executed and Returns thereupon to be fairly made according to the true Merits of such Elections And for the Security of all Persons both in their Election and Service in Parliament We do hereby Publish and Declare That all Our Subjects shall have free Liberty to Elect and all Our Peers and such as shall be Elected Members of Our House of Commons shall have full Liberty and Freedom to Serve in Parliament Notwithstanding they have taken up Arms or committed any Act of Hostility or been any way Aiding or Assisting therein And for the better Assurance hereof We have Graciously directed a General Pardon to all Our Subjects to be forthwith prepared to pass Our Great Seal And for the Reconciling all Publick Breaches and Obliterating the very Memory of all past Miscarriages We do hereby Exhort and Kindly Admonish all Our Subjects to dispose themselves to Elect such Persons for their Representatives in Parliament as may not be Biassed by Prejudice or Passion but Qualified with Parts Experience and Prudence proper for this Conjuncture and agreeable to the Ends and Purposes of this Our Gracious Proclamation His Highness the Prince of Orange having staid some Days at Sherborn moved towards Salisbury by the VVay of Mere. At his Entrance into Salisbury which was in great State he was met by the Mayor and Aldermen in all their Formalities the Bells ringing the People shouting and the whole City in a Transport of Joy at the sight of their Deliverer His Highness rode into the City with the Prince of Denmark at his right hand and the Duke of Ormond on his left and took up his Quarters at the Bishop's Palace Here his Highness made a Halt for some Days VVhich the Princess of Denmark having notice of she came to Oxford attended by a select Troop of Country Gentlemen well Armed where Prince George went to meet her Royal Highness All the way the Army marched Care was taken to disperse the Prince's Declaration and where they hapned to Quarter upon Sundays there it was read in the Churches By this time the King's Army was much broken most of the Protestant Officers and Souldiers come away and Joyned his Highnesses Forces So that there was no Prospect of a Field-Battel After some Stay here the Prince came away and marched to Amsbury from
of England Party which stood stifly for the Succession The Tide now began to turn and the Popish Party to have a fair Prospect The Duke was called home and His Majesty disbanded Parliament after Parliament in hopes to get a healing one But failing thereof he published a plausible Declaration touching the Causes that moved him to Dissolve the two last Parliaments Which being read in all Churches and Chappels did very much strengthen the Court Party and turned the Hearts of many People against the late Proceedings of the House of Commons as having over-short the Mark. Which House consisting most of Dissenters gave a Jealousy to the House of Lords and indeed to all the Church-Party that under colour of rooting out Popery they design'd nothing less than the Ruin of the Church and so to kill two Birds with one Stone The Dissenters on the other side seeing the Church Party so stiff for the Dukes Right to the Succession tho upon the Grounds of Justice and Equity fail'd not to clamour against them as Abettors of Popery and Papists in Mascarade In short the Fewd grew so great between both Parties row distinguished by the Nicknames of TORIES and WHIGS that had not his Majesty who now bestirred himself in these difficult Times prevented it by his great Care and Wisdem it had certainly broke out into a Flame In the mean time these unhappy Differences gave fair play to the Papists who know best how to fish in troubled Waters The Popish Plot grew now out of date and lost much of its Credit Then up starts another called the Presbyterian Plot which proved fatal to several Persons of Quality and others of a lower Rank The King now exasperated in the highest degree against the Dissenting Party ordered the Penal Laws to be put in execution which made the Breach so much the wider betwixt Them and the Church Party And whilst the poor Dissenters lay under the lash an officious sort of Church of England Ministers made it their business to preach the stupid Doctrine of Non-Resistance with as much Zeal and Fervency as if there had been no Salvation without it Which some were hired for with a Promise of Church-Preferment whilst others did it meerly to shew their Parts but all wonderfully to the purpose of the Roman Catholick Party and to help forward the Designs of the next Reign The City of London which had strongly appeared against the Dukes Interest was now called to an Account and a Writ of Quo Warranto a dreadful piece of Latin before which no Reason could stand issued out against them to take away their Charter which was accordingly done Then other Corporations were prevailed upon fairly to surrender their Charters in expectation of new ones whereby all their Magistrates and Officers were dependant upon the King 's Will. And by the Duke's Interest many false Protestants were got into Places of Trust who upon the push would be ready to join with the Papists and lend them their helping hands Thus all Things were finely prepared against his Majesties Exit to make room for his Brother And which is observable at the very time when the King was resolved to sift out some Miscarriages and much inclined to call a new Parliament an odd kind of Fit seiz'd upon him which in four days time bereav'd him of his Life and Crown Thus died King Charles a Prince who was neither a sound Papist nor a zealous Protestant Admired for his great Sagacity beloved for his Clemency and the fittest Prince in the World to Reign had not his over-Indulgence to Ease and Pleasures made him averse from Business In which unhappy Temper he was too much followed by his Subjects of both Sexes THE HISTORY Of the LATE REVOLUTION PART II. Shewing Our Imminent Ruin in the Reign of the late King James With an Account of the suppos'd Great Belly KING Charles being dead the Lord knows how some wept upon his Tomb for Joy but most for Sorrow The Popish Party were the most concerned in the first and the Protestants whatever he was in the last We were but threatned before with the Danger of a Popish Succession now we had it The Papists had a blessed but doubtful prospect of it and now they were in possession To Secure which the Blood of the deceased King was hardly chilled in his Veins when his next Successor James Duke of York was Proclaimed King at White-hall and in the City in great haste that no Man might pretend Ignorance So that King Charles was scarce gone off the Stage when his Brother to play the last Act enters and ascends the Throne No Prince more courteous more obliging or more promising at first than he was to his new Subjects but particularly to the Church of England Party He came in like a Lamb but reigned like a Lion and followed in all things the Steps of King Lewis Not but that he had innate Vertues of his own but none that could stand proof against the precipitate Suggestions of the Roman Clergy and the irresistible Influence of those hot-brain'd States-men the Jesuites So great was the Opinion of his Justice and Valour when Duke of York that many Protestants durst rely upon his Justice and most promised themselves great Matters from his Valour Especially when upon his Accession to the Crown he declared to his Council that he would protect and favour the Church of England for her unshaken Loyalty and to his Parliament that he would carry the Glory of England beyond all his Predecessors Upon these Assurances he allayed for some time the Fears of his Protestant Subjects but especially the Church of England which thereupon Addressed him from all Parts of the Kingdom as their Tutelar Angel In short so great on a sudden were the Hopes of this King that Edward III and Henry V. the most glorious Monarchs of England were like upon his Account to be hissed out of our English Chronicles But it was not long before he pulled off the Mask And first to gratifie the Roman Catholick Party he declar'd himself of their Communion and made open Profession of it Which some Protestants lookt upon as a good Omen and the product of a generous Soul above Dissimulation whilst others more clear-sighted lookt upon it as an effect of a wilful Nature that thought it needless to Dissemble now the Power was in his own hands To Establish his Religion here was I confess a difficult Task considering how small the Popish Party was the Protestants then by the best Computation being reckon'd 200 to one But the Advantage of a Crown is a great Bait and has a mighty Influence The Hopes of worldly Preferment and the Dread of Majesty would in all probability draw in a great Party Besides what was expected by way of Persuasion from the Industry and Activity of Popish Emissaries Nor do I doubt but the King promised himself great Matters from the Church of England Party which having ventured so much to secure his
thence to Collingburn and so to Littlecot where he came on Saturday Decemb. 8. In the mean time the Lords Commissioners viz. the Marquess of Hallifax the Earl of Nottingham and the Lord Godolphin appointed by the King to treat with the Prince of Orange were come to Hungerford being the Place agreed on for that purpose by the Prince To whom a VVriting subscribed by their Lordships was delivered in these following VVords SIR The King has commanded us to acquaint you That he observeth all the Differences and Causes of Complaint alledged by your Highness seem to be Referred to a Free Parliament His Majesty as he has already declared was resolved before to Call one but thought that in the present State of Affairs it was Advisable to Defer it till Things were more composed Yet seeing that his People still continued to desire it he hath put forth his Proclamation in order to it and has issued forth his Writ for Calling of it And to prevent any Cause of Interruption in it he will consent to every Thing that can be reasonably required for the Security of all those that shall come to it His Majesty has therefore sent us to attend your Highness for the Adjusting of all Matters that shall be agreed to necessary for the Freedom of Elections and the Security of Sitting and is ready immediately to enter into a Treaty in order to it His Majesty proposeth that in the mean time the respective Armies may be Restrained within such Limits and at such Distance from London as may prevent the Apprehensions that the Parliament may in any Kind be Disturbed being desirous that the Meeting of it may be no longer Delay'd than it must be by the usual and necessary Forms In Answer to which these following Proposals were made by the Prince with the Advice of the Lords and Gentlemen Assembled with his Highness 1. That all Papists and such Persons as were not Qualified by Law should be Disarmed Disbanded and Removed from all Imployments Civil and Military 2. That all Proclamations which Reflected upon his Highness or any that was come over to him or had declared for him should be Recalled and if any Persons for so doing had been Committed they should be forthwith set at Liberty 3. That for the Security and Safety of the City of London the Custody and Government of the Tower be immediately put into the hands of the said City 4. That if his Majesty shall think to be at London during the Sitting of the Parliament his Highness might be there also with equal Number of Gards Or if his Majesty should rather chuse to be in any Place from London his Highness might be at a Place of the same Distance 5. That the Respective Armies should Remove 30 Miles from London and no more Foreign Forces should be brought into the Kingdom 6. That for the Security of the City of London and their Trade Tilbury-Fort be put into the hands of the said City 7. That to prevent the Landing of French or other Foreign Troops Portsmouth be put into such hands as by the King and Prince should be agreed upon 8. That some sufficient Part of the Publick Revenue be assigned his Highness for the Maintaining of his Forces till the Meeting of the Parliament The King upon the View of these Proposals Resolved upon a speedy Retreat into France The Prince of Wales so called was sent for before-hand to go thither along with the Queen who accordingly set out December 10. And the next Day early in the Morning the King attended by Sir Edward Hales went away from White-kall Incognito Before his Departure he sent Notice of it to the Earl of Feversham by a Letter framed in these Words MY LORD Things being come to that Extremity that I have been forced to send away the Queen and my Son the Prince of Wales that they might not fall into my Enemies hands which they must have done if they had staid I am obliged to do the same Thing and to indeavour to Secure my self the best I can in hopes it will please God out of his infinite Mercy to this unhappy Nation to touch their hearts again with true Loyalty and Honour If I could have relyed on all my Troops I might not have been put to the Extremity I am in and would at least have had one Blow for it But tho I know there are many loyal and brave Men amongst you both Officers and Souldiers yet you know that both your Self and several of the General Officers and others of the Army told me it was no ways advisable for me to venture my self at their Head or think to fight the Prince of Orange with them What remains is only for me to Thank you and all those both Officers and Souldiers who have stuck to Me and been truly Loyal not doubting in the least but that you will still retain the same Fidelity to Me. And tho I do not expect you should expose your selves by Resisting a Foreign Army and a Poisoned Nation yet I hope your former Principles are so inrooted in You that you will keep your selves free from Associations and such pernicious Things Time presses so that I can say no more J. R. The Earl of Feversham upon the Receipt of the Letter immediately dispatched a Messenger to the Prince to let him know That having received a Letter from the King with the Vnfortunate News of his Going out of England and his Majestics Order as he expresses it to make no Opposition against any body he thought himself obliged to acquaint his Highness with it as soon as it was possible to prevent Effusion of Blood To which purpose he had given the last Order to all the Troops that were under his Command Before the King's Departure several Papists foreseeing the Revolution had withdrawn themselves beyond Sea Now the Priests and Jesuites who expected no Quarter began to shift for themselves and run some one Way some another Those among the Protestants who were the most Obnoxious and had so basely comply'd with the Times were also put to their Shifts Some of both sorts were Apprehended but most made their Escape or lay Undiscovered The Lord Chancellor Jeffreys a Mezzo-tinto Protestant as forward as any Papist to Comply with King James's Designs was taken in a Disguise at Wapping Dec. 12. and committed to the Tower where he pined away and died some time after The Earl of Peterborough being secured in Kent as he was making his Escape was also sent to the Tower In the mean time the Disbanded Army dispersed it self up and down the City and Country in an unusual and unwarrantable manner to the great Disturbance of the Publick Peace and Quiet The Mobile on the other side taking an Advantage of this State of Anarchy fell to work by burning pulling down and otherwise defacing several Houses and publick Buildings of the Roman Catholicks rifling and plundering the same And without any Regard to the Character of Embassadours
power to order them as he thought most sutable to the present Juncture Therefore it did not any way consist with his Honour to suffer this part of the said Forces to act independently from him in so critical aâ— Time which might have occasioned a general Disturbance and Breach of the Peace the Keeping whereof was the principal Care of his Highness Who clapt his Gards upon the King not out of any Design upon his Person but rather to Secure him from any Attempts of a rude and incensed Rabble I would fain know what Harm befell him from this Change It appears on the contrary by what follows that notwithstanding these Dutch Gards the King might dispose of himself as he pleased 'T is for this the Lord without Doors clamoured and kept a heavy Splutter in his Speech to the House of Lords Wherein under pretence that the King was not gone out of his Territories and that he might be where he would in his own Kingdom he concludes there was no Desertion in the Case But this is perfect Shuffling 'T is well known that if he had staid a Parliament must be had and that he dreaded nothing more than a Parliament that would rake up old Sores and find out who made them 'T is well known that his Heart panted after the Queen and that he had no Business at Feversham The Time and Manner of his Setting out are a plain Demonstration that he was quitting a Kingdom which was now grown Uneasy to him and his Casting the Great Seal into the Thames adds much to the Argument Had he but weathered the Point and got clear off out of the River 't is ten to one that he had not been put to the trouble of a second Flight In order to which seeing now his Case desperate and the Prince at his Heels he went about Noon from White-hall Dec. 18. to Sir Richard Head's nigh Rochester still steering his Course towards France That very Day his Highness parted from Windsor dined at Sion-House and came in the Evening to S. James's Where he received the Compliments of all the Nobility and other Persons of the chiefest Quality in Town And at Night the Streets were filled with Bonesires with Ringing of Bells and other Publick Demonstrations of Joy The next Day Decemb. 19. Their Royal Highnesses Prince George and the Princess Ann of Denmark returned from Oxford to the Cock-pit where They were presently after Visited by his Highness the Prince of Orange Who that Afternoon went also to Visit the Queen Dowager at Somerset-House Decemb. 20. The Lord Mayor Sir John Chapman being indisposed the Aldermen and their Deputies with some of the Common Council of each Ward by Order of the Common Council Waited on the Prince of Orange to Congratulate his Highness on his happy Arrival at S. James's Which was performed by Sir George Treby the Recorder in an Eloquent Speech and very favourably received by his Highness The Speech was thus May it please Your Highness Sir George Treby his Speech from the City to the Prince of Orange The Lord Mayor being Disabled by Sickness Your Highness is attended by the Aldermen and Commons of the Capital City of this Kingdom deputed to congratulate Your Highness upon this great and glorious Occasion In which We cannot but come short in Expression Reviewing our late Danger we remember our Church and State over-run by Popery and Arbitrary Power and even brought to the Point of Destruction by the Conduct of some Men our true Invaders who brake the Sacred Fences of our Laws and which was worst the very Constitution of our Legislature So that there was no Remedy left but the last The only Person under Heaven that could apply this Remedy was Your Highness You are of a Nation whose Alliance in all Times has been agreeable and prosperous to us You are of a Family most Illustrious Benefactors to Mankind To have the Title of Soveraign Prince and Stadtholder and to have worn the Imperial Crown are among their lesser Dignities They have long injoyed a Dignity singular and transcendent viz. To be Champions of Almighty God sent forth in several Ages to Vindicate his Cause against the greatest Opressions To this Divine Commission our Nobles our Gentry and among them our brave English Souldiers rendred themselves and their Arms upon your Appearing GREAT SIR when we look back to the last Month and contemplate the Swiftness and Fulness of our present Deliverance astonished we think it Miraculous Your Highness led by the Hand of Heaven and called by the Voice of the People has preserved our greatest Interests The Protestant Religion which is Primitive Christianity restored Our Laws which are our ancient Title to our Lives Liberties and Estates and without which this World were a Wildâ—rness But what Reâ—ribution can we make to Your Highness Our Thoughts are full charged with Gratitude Your Highness has a lasting Monument in the Hearts in the Prayers in the Praises of all good Men amongst us And late Posterity will celebrate your ever glorious Name till Time shall be no more Decemb. 1. The Prince of Orange published an Order for Returning into the Publick Store the Arms of divers Souldiers that were lost or imbezelled since the Disbanding of the Royal Army At the same time he appointed Quarters for the English Scotch and Irish Forces to which all Officers and Souldiers belonging thereto were ordered forthwith to Repair Decemb. 23. Was the Day when the King notwithstanding his Dutch Gards about him made shift to give them the slip So that he got safe into France where the Queen was arrived before with the supposed Prince of Wales Thus he left us again in an unsetled Condition But Care was taken to secure the Peace In this Condition had the Prince of Orange had any Design to take the Government upon him this was the Time He was now come to the Capital City of the Kingdom through a perpetual Croud of Applauses and Benedictions and had the Hearts of all true English Protestants Being a Prince of the Royal Blood that stood so near to the Immediate Succession and having besides a good Army with him he had nothing to do but what he might easily have done that is to make a Party to support his Interest and withstand all Opposition The Law it self could have afforded him a Claim it being an undoubted Maxim among Lawyers That the Success of a Just War gives a Lawful Title to that which is acquired in the Progress of it And as the Learned Bishop of Salisbury says in his Pastoral Letter if at Common Law an Heir in Remainder has just Cause to Sue him that is in Possession if he makes Wasts on the Inheritance which is his in Reversion much more ought the Heir of the Crown to Interpose when he sees him that is in Possession hurried on blind-fold to subject an Independent Kingdom to a Foreign Jurisdiction and thereby to Rob it of it's Glory and Security