Parties of Irish and Fortified London-Derry Slego the Isle of Inniskilling and other places which they thought Tenable For now Tyrconnel gave Order for stopping the Ports to prevent any more from going away and made many large and plausible Proposals to induce them to join with him though they had very little effect upon them The Convention at Westminster were still upon serious Debates about the present Condition of the Kingdom and in the mean time it was thought necessary to have the Presence of Her Royal Highness the Princess of Orange in England Whereupon a Squadron of English and Dutch Men of War were Ordered to wait upon her till her Equipage could be got ready and the Wind served to bring over her Highness And after the Lords and Commons had duly weighed the Circumstances of the Kings Departure they at length came to the following Resolution Resolved that King James II. Having endeavoured to Subvert the Constitution of this Kingdom by breaking the Original Contract between King and People and by the Advice of Jesuits and other wicked Persons having Violated the Fundamental Laws and having withdrawn himself out of this Kingdom hath Abdicated the Government and the Throne is thereby Vacant In pursuance of which Resolution the following Declaration was drawn up in Order to such an Establishment as that the Religion Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom might not again be in Danger and for Vindicating the Ancient Rights and Liberties of the People in these words VVHereas the Late King James the Second by the Assistance of divers Evil Councellors Judges and Ministers Employed by him did endeavour to Subvert and Extirpate the Protestant Religion and the Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom By Assuming and Exercising a Power of Dispensing with and Suspending of Laws and the Execution of Laws without Consent of Parliament By Committing and Prosecuting divers Worthy Prelates for humbly Petitioning to be Excused from Concurring to the said Assumed Power By Issuing and causing to be Executed a Commission under the Great Seal for Erecting a Court called The Court of Commissioners for Ecclesiastical Causes By Levying Money for and to the Use of the Crown by Pretence of Prerogative for other Time and in other Manner than the same was Granted by Parliament By raising and keeping a Standing Army within this Kingdom in time of Peace without Consent of Parliament and Quartering Soldiers contrary to Law By Causing several good Subjects being Protestants to be Disarmed at the same time when Papists were both Armed and Employed contrary to Law By Violating the Freedom of Election of Members to serve in Parliament By Prosecutions in the Court of Kings Bench for Matters and Causes cognizable only in Parliament and by divers other Arbitrary Illegal Courses And whereas of late years Partial Corrupt and Urqualified Persous have been Returned and Served on Juaries in Trials and particularly divers Jurors in Trials for High Treason which were not Freeholders And Excessive Bail hath been required of Persons Committed in Criminal Cases to elude the Benefiâ— of the Laws made for the Liberty of the Subjects and Excessive Fines have been imposed And illegal and cruel Punishments inflicted And several Grants and Promises made of Fines and Forfeitures before any Conviction or Judgment against the Persons upon whom the same were to be Levyed All which are utterly and directly contrary to the known Laws and Statutes and Freedom of this Realm And whereas the said late King James the Second having Abdicated the Government and the Throne being thereby Vacant His Highness the Prince of Orange whom it hath pleased Almighty God to make the Glorious Instrument of Delivering this Kingdom from Popery and Arbitrary Power did by the Advice of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and divers Principal Persons of the Commons cause Letters to be written to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal being Protestants and other Letters to the several Counties Cities Universities Boroughs and Cinque-Ports for the Choosing of such Persons to represent them as were of right to be sent to Parliament to meet and sit at Westminster upon the Two and twentieth day of January in this Year One thousand six hundred eighty and eight in Order to such an Establishment as that their Religion Laws and Liberties might not again be in danger of being Subverted Upon which Letters Elections having been accordingly made And thereupon the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons pursuant to their respective Letters and Elections being now assembled in a full and free Representative of this Nation taking into their most serious Consideration the best means for attaining the Ends aforesaid Do in the first place as their Ancestors in like Case have usually done for the Vindicating and Asserting their Ancient Rights and Liberties Declare that the pretended Power of Suspending of Laws or the Execution of Laws by Regal Authority without Consent of Parliament is Illegal legal That the pretended Power of Dispensing with Laws or the Execution of Laws by Regal Authority as it hath been assumed and exercised of late is Illegal That the Commission for Erecting the late Court of Commissioners for Ecclesiastical Causes and all other Commissions and Courts of like nature are Illegal and Pernicious That Levying Money for or to the Use of the Crown by protence of Prerogative without Grant of Parliament for longer time or in other manner than the same is or shall be granted is Illegal That it is the Right of the Subjects to Petition the King and all Commitments and Prosecutions for such Petitioning are Illegal That the raising or keeping a standing Army within the Kingdom in time of Peace unless it be with Consent of Parliament is against Law That the Subjects which are Protestants may have Arms for their Defence suitable to their Conditions and as allowed by Law That Election of Members of Parliament ought to be free That the Freedom of Speech and Debates or Proceedings in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any Court or Place out of Parliament That Excessive Bail ought not to be required nor Excessive Fines imposed nor cruel and unusual Punishments inflicted That Jurors ought to be duly Impannelled and Returned and Jurors which pass upon Men in Trials for High Treason ought to be Freeholders That all Grants and Promises of Fines and Forfeitures of particular Persons before Conviction are Illegal and Void And that for Redress of all Grievances and for the Amending Strengthening and Preserving of the Laws Parliaments ought to be held frequently And they do Claim Demand and Insist upon all and singular the Premisses as their undoubted Rights and Liberties And that no Declarations Judgments Doings or Proceedings to the Prejudice of the People in any of the said Premisses ought in any wise to be drawn hereafter into Consequence or Example To which Demand of their Right they are particularly Encouraged by the Declaration of his Highness the Prince of Orange as being the only means for obtaining a
the English Religion which his Majesty has also resolved to destroy Both which enterprises being so contrary to the Laws of God and Man and particularly of those of the Kingdom of which they threaten the utter Subversion the Prince of Orange instigated by the Motives of his own innate Piety which will not permit him to suffer the ruine of Religion nor the overturning of so fair a Kingdom has resolved to call a Free Parliament c. For which Reasons and because the Design of the King of England is manifestly apparent by the striâ—t Alliance which he has Contracted with the most Christian King who bears no good will to the United Provinces and whose Proceedings are justly therefore by them to be suspected so that if His Britâ—â—niek Majesty should be suffered to become Absolute in his Dominions the United Provinces could no longer be in Security and therefore it being their Interest that the Fundamental Laws of that Kingdom and the English Religion should be preserved they hoped that God would bless the Prince of Orange with Happy Success King James though at first he would not believe that the Vast Preparations in Holland concerned him though the French King had given him notice of them some time before was now fully convinced thereof by this Mâ—nifesto and all of a sudden the Bells 〈◊〉 to ring 〈…〉 at White-Hall and the first Nâ—â—â— we heard of thâ—â—â— disturbance was a Proclamatiâ—n 〈…〉 28 1688 by which it was intimated That the King had received undoubted Intelligence that a great and sudden Invasion from Holland was to be speedily made in an Hostile manner upon this Kingdom under the false pretences of Liberty Prop my and Religion but that an absolute Conquest of his Kingdoms and the subduing him and his Dominions to a Foreign Power c. However relying upon the Ancient Courage Faith and Allegiance of his People as he had formerly ventured his Life for she Honour and Safety of the Nation so he was now resolved to Live and Dye in Defence thereof against all Enemies whatsoever c. After this the King published a Proclamation of General Pardon with some few Exceptions Restored the injured Gentlemen of Oxford and Cambridge to their Rights Dissolved the Ecclesiastical Commissions Vacated the Quo Warranto against the City of London and issued forth a Proclamation for restoring all Corporations to their Ancient Charters Liberties Rights and Franchises In short He undid almost in one day all that he had been doing since his first coming to the Crown Yet such was the Folly of the Romish Party in the midst of this Consternation that the show of the Prince of Wales still went on and Oct. 15 the â—hild was Christned the Pope represented by his Nuncio being God-father and the Queen 〈◊〉 onâ—ger God-mother and two days after the King to secure his Territories commanded his Lord and Deputy-Leiutenants and all other Officers concerned to cause the Coasts to be strictly Guarded and that upon the first approach of the Enemy all the Oxâ—n Horses and Cattel which might be fit for Draught should be driven twenty Miles from the Place where the Enemy should attempt to Land Oct. 22. The King commanded a particular Assâ—mbly of his Privy Council and sent for all such Peers Spiritual and Temporal as were in Town together with the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London the Judges and several of his Council Learned in the Law telling them That he had called them together upon a very extraordinary Occasion but that extraordinary Diseases must have extraordinary Remedies that the Malicious Endeavours of his Adversaries had so poysoned the Minds of some of his Subjects that very many of them did not believe that the Child wherewith God had blest him was his but a supposed Child However he could say that by a particular Providence scarce ever any Prince was born where there were so many Persons present that he had taken time to have the matter heard and examined expecting that the Prince of Orange with the first Easterly Wind would Invade the Kingdom and therefore as he had often ventured his Life for the Nation before he came to the Crown so he thought himself more obliged to do the same being King and did intend to go against him in Person by which in regard he might be exposed to various Accidents he therefore thought it necessary to have this done first to satisfie his Subjects and prevent the Kingdoms being ingaged in Blood and Confusion after his Death After this the Affidavits of several Ladies were produced of which some swore that they saw Milk upon her Majesties Smock for they did not think fit to mince the matter others that they saw the Midwife take the Child out of the Bed another that she stood by the Bedside when her Majesty was delivered of the Prince another swore that having had the Honour to put on her Majesties Smock she saw the Queens Milk another deposed that she saw the Queen in Labour and heard her cry out much another that she saw the Midwife give the Prince three drops of the Blood of the Navel-string mixt with Black Cherry-water with a great deal of other Nauseous stuff Then the Affidavits of the Lords were produced among whom one swore that he saw Mistris Labadie carry the Child into another Room whither he followed her and saw the Child when she first opened it and that it was Black and Reeking another swore that he saw the Child and that it had the Marks of being new Born another that he heard the Queen make three Groans or Squeeks and that at the last of the three the Queen was delivered of a Child the Physicians swore what was proper but not fit to be repeated However the whole was at length published to the shame and scandal of all modest Eyes and Ears And now my Lords said the King after all the the Depositions were read although I did not Question but that every Person here present was satisfied before yet by what you have heard you will be the better able to satisfie others Besides could I and the Queen have been thought so wicked as to impose a Child upon the Nation we saw how impossible it would have been neither could I my self have been imposed upon having constantly been with the Queen during her being with Child and the whole time of her Labour and therefore there is none of you but will easily believe that I who have suffered so much for Conscience-sake cannot be capable of so great a Viliany to the prejudice of my own Children I thank God that those that know me know well that it is my Principle to do as I would be done by and that I would rather die a thousand Deaths than do the least wrong to any of my Children Yet this Zealous Harangue had but little Influence upon the Generality of the People with whom the King by his late Actions had wholly forfeited his Reputation who
and the actual Invasion of Ireland and Supporting the Rebels there he is promoting the utter Extirpation of the Protestants there His Majesty being therefore thus Necessitated to take up Arms and Relying on the help of Almighty God in his just undertaking hath thought fit to declare War against the French King and will in Conjunction with his Allies vigorously prosecute the same by Sea and Land since he hath so unrighteously begun it being assured of the hearty Concurrence and Assistance of his Subjects in Supporting of so good a Cause forbidding all Correspondence or Communication with that King or his Subjects and that all the French Nation in his Majesties Dominions who shall Demean themselves Dutifully and not Correspond with his Enemies shall upon the Kings Royal word be safe in their Persons and Estates and free from all Molestation and Trouble of any Kind About the same time the King of Spain proclaimed War against France and the Emperor of Germany sent a Letter to his Majesty wherein after he has returned thanks to the King for taking care that no Violence should be offered to the Roman Catholicks he promises the same thing in respect to the Protestants His Majesty gave Advice to the Switzers of his Advancement to the Throne So that now King William and Queen Mary were acknowledged for lawful Soveraigns of Great Brittain by all the Protestant and the greatest part of the Roman Catholick Princes and States for besides the Emperor and the King of Spain the Duke of Bavaria the three Ecclesiastical Electors the Duke of Newburg the Elector Palatine and the Bishops of Leige and Munster all Roman Catholicks declared themselves Enemies to France and by this we may observe that the French Polititians were greatly deceived in their Measures for upon notice of the Prince of Oranges Expedition into England it is reported some of them thus Discourst King Lewis Sir said they There is a Civil War kindling in England which will last this two or three years and Disable that Island and the United Provinces from Acting In this time your Majesty will have Conquered all or the greatest part of Germany If King James has the worst we will perswade all the Catholick Princes to Unite and Restore him All this while your Majesty will be Head of the League will preserve your Conquests and King James cannot refuse you Ireland or any other portion of his Kingdom for the Expences of the War This done your Majesty shall fall upon Holland which will be weak and unprovided of Men and Money and shall be able in a little time to oppress the Remainder of the Protestanâ—s and so become Emperor of all Europe But unfortunately for them King James II. too soon forsook his Country and then they cryed Religion is ruined unless all endeavours are used for his Restoration Upon which some would fain know what Religion the French King is of who persecutes and invades Papists as well as Protestants and think that he must be either a Pagan or Mahumetan or else of a Christianity all of his own Contriving to carry on his Perjuries and Usurpations upon his Neighbours May 1. A Squadron of English Men of War under Admiral Herbert Sailing toward the Coast of Ireland to prevent the French from Landing Forces and Provisions there understanding they were got to Sea under favour of the Night they got sight of them lying in the Bay of Bantree in the West of Ireland and resolved to Attack them with Nine Ships in the Harbor they being about 44 Sail in all whereupon the next Morning the Fight began we continued Fattering upon a Stretch till five in the Afternoon when the French Admiral Tackt from us and stood farther into the Bay In this Action Captain Aâ—lmeâ— and 94 Seamen were killed and about 250 wounded but the Enemy were Reported to have 200 Slain and many more Wounded and having Landed some few Men for fear of a second Ingagement Retreated after which our Squadron returned to Portsmouth whither His Majesty came soon after and declared his Royal Intention of Conferring the Title of Earl upon the Admiral and accordingly he was afterward Created Earl of Torrington Baron of Torbay c. and the Captain Shovell and Ashby were Knighted and Ten Shillings a Man was given to those Seamen that had been ingaged against the French King James found himself at this time greatly mistaken in Scotland which he called his Ancient Kingdom where he thought himself absolute Master by making so many Creatures and Friends whereas that Kingdom in general now owned King William and the Rebels whose number is inconsiderable and Discovered and Secured The Lord Dundee only escaped who roam'd about the North parts with some few followers and General Mackay at his Heels Letters about this time were intercepted from the late King and his Secretary Melfort to the Lord Belcarris and others wherein were some Expressions that highly incensed the Scots against them You will ask me without question says Melfort to Claverhouse How we intend to pay our Army but never fear that so long as there are Rebels Estates we will begin with the Great Ones and end with the Little Ones In another Letter to Belcarris says he The Estates of the Rebels will Recompence us Experience hath taught our Illustrious Master that there are a good Number of People that must be made Gibeonites because they are good for nothing else you know there are several Lords that we markt out when we were both together that deserve no better These will serve for Examples to others after the Reading of these Letters the President of the Convention Addressing himself to the Members of the Assembly You hear Gentlemen said he Our Sentence Pronounced and that it behoves us either to Defend our Selves or Dye Upon which the Lords Belcarris and Lochore and Lieutenant Colonel Balfour were Committed to Prison and being thus forewarned they Resolved to keep the Army afoot which they thought of Disbanding As to the Hopes of the Enemies of that Kingdom that the Abolishing of Episcopacy may occasion another Revolution there is no reason to believe it since the late Carriage of the Scotch Bishops has utterly Alienated the Affections of the greater part of the People from them so that if they were Protestants at the bottom of their Souls yet they appeared to be Men of no Policy nor Conduct For they sent an Address to King James wherein they Highly Congratulated the Birth of the pretended Prince of Wales they read that Kings Declaration for Liberty of Conscience in favour of the Papists and for the Abolition of Penal Laws and how could they imagine that when they knew it was a long timebefore they could gain that single Point of the Superiority of Bishops above private Ministers that the Scots would ever endure Popery and Arbitrary Power to Domineer over them Experience shews us that they only wanted a Leader before this time So that when the Prince of Oranges Design
THE HISTORY OF THE House of Orange OR A Brief Relation of the Glorious and Magnanimous Atchievements of His Majesties Renowned Predecessors and likewise of His own Heroick Actions till the Late Wonderful Revolution Together with The HISTORY of William and Mary King and Queen of England Scotland France and Ireland c. Being an Impartial Account of the most Remarkable Passages and Transactions in these Kingdoms from Their Majesties Happy Accession to the Throne to this time By R. B. LONDON Printed for Nath. Crouch at the Bell in the Poultrey near Cheapside 1693. TO THE READER I Am very sensible that the greatness of the Subject is a sufficient reason to deter me from adventuring to publish my mean endeavours in Relating the Glorious and Magnanimous Atchievements of His Majesties Renowned Ancestors as well as His own Or of the excellent Conduct of Their Majesties since Their happy Accession to the Throne But because we have such a furious Generation of Murmurers who if they had their desires would ruine both themselves and their Countrey and reduce us to French Popery and Slavery It may seem to be the Interest of every man to strive to undeceive those whom these Miscreants would delude since both our Eternal and Temporal happiness very much depends upon the supporting the present Government against all its Forreign and Domestick Enemies A Government founded upon Law and Justice A Government calculated for the support of the Protestant Interest throughout the World wherein we have a King and Queen of the same excellent Religion with our selves a happiness which we have been deprived of for almost an Age past Princes of such exemplary Virtue and Piety that they discourage Vice and Prophaneness and constantly endeavour to support Goodness and Modesty which seem'd lately designed to be hissed out of the Nation God grant that our ingratitude and impenitence may never deprive us of such inestimable blessings and that we do not fall a Sacrifice to our stupendious folly and discontents THE HISTORY OF THE House of Orange THE Family of Nassau from whom our Gracious Soveraign is descended is not undeservedly accounted one of the most Antient and Honourable in Europe not only for its great Allianceâ— and Branches but also by the Advancement of one of this House to the Empire of Germany Adolphus Nassau by name about the Year 1200 and that there has been a Succession of the Family in a direct Line for above a thousand years past and among them OTHO Count of Nassau who lived about six hundred years since and had two Wives with the first of whom he had the Province of Gueldres and with the other that of Zutphen About three hundred years after a second Count OTHO of Nassau married the Countess of Vranden whereby he became possest of several other Territories in the Netherlands In the Year 1404. Engilbert who was his Grandchild married the Heiress of the Town of Breda and Loeke and was Grandfather to Engilbert 2d Earl of Nassau who in 1491. was by Maximilian King of the Romans going into Hungary made Governour Lieutenant and Captain General of Flanders and afterwards in 1501. Arch-Duke Philip going into Spain constituted him Governour General of the Netherlands an experienced Prince both in War and Peace but dying Childless left his Brother John his large Territories this John had two Sons upon Henry the eldest he bestowed all his Possessions in the Low-Countries and to his youngest Son William he bequeathed all his Inheritance in Germany By the earnest Endeavours of Henry Nassau Charles the 5th was advanced to the Empire against the pretensions of Francis I. the French King and at his Coronation placed the Crown on his Head And yet when upon concluding Peace between these two Monarchs Henry was sent by the Emperor to do Homage to King Francis for the County of Flanders and Artois that Prince forgetting former differences and being fully sensible of his extraordinary Merits married him to Claudia only Sister to Philibert Chalon Prince of Orange by which Marriage his only Son Revens of Orange and Chalons became Prince of Orange William Earl of Nassau Brother to Prince Henry profâ—ssed the Protestant Religion and expell'd Popery out of his Territories and was Father to the great William of Nassau who attained to be Prince of Orange and Lord of all the Possessions of the House of Chalens by the Last Will of Revens de Nassau who died Childless The Emperor Charles the 5th having a favour for the House of Orange and received great services from them was concerned that the young Prince William should be educated in the Reformed Religion and therefore took him with much regret from his Father and endeavoured to instruct him in the Romish Faith but afterward the former Opinions which he had suckt in with his Mothers Milk prevailed upon him so that he became an earnest Professor of Protestantism William Count of Nassau his Father had five Sons and seven Daughters by Juliana Countess of Stolberg WILLIAM the eldest was born in 1533. at the Castle of Dillemberg in the County of Nassau and being taken from his Father by the Emperor Charles as we said he became a great Favourite by his extraordinary Wisdom and Modesty so that the Emperor confest this young Prince often furnisht him with notions and hints he should else never have thought of and upon giving of private Audiences to Ambassadors when the Prince would discreetly offer to withdraw the Emperor mildly remanded him saving Stay Prince and it was admired by the whole Court that a Prince not above twenty years old should be intrusted with all the Secrets of the Empire and carry the Imperial Crown upon his resignation to his Brother Ferdinand though the Prince with some reluctancy seemed to refuse the Imployment by alledging That it was no ways proper for him to carry to another that Crown which his Uncle Henry of Nassau had set upon his Head Yea the Emperor had so much confidence in his Conduct that in the absence of the D. of Savoy his General of the Low Countries though the Prince were not above 22 years old yet contrary to the Advice of all his Council rejecting all other experienc'd Generals he constituted him Generalissimo who managed that great Imploy with such discretion and courage that he caused Philipville and Charlemont to be built in the fight of the French Army which was then commanded by Admiral Castillon that great Captain These Magnanimous actions caused the Emperor to recommend the Prince of Orage to Philip II. his Son but his Virtue and Courage were so emulated by the Spaniards that all his most innocent words and actions were misinterpreted and the opposition that the Provinces made to the Kings Will and Pleasure in defence of their Priviledges were attributed to his contrivance which King Philip made him sensible of when he was imbarking from Flushing for Spain charging him with preventing all his private Intrigues with a furious countenance And when
longer able to suffer the continual Invasions of the French upon his Cities and Towns in Flanders and his cruel Treatment of his Subjects for not paying unjust and unreasonable Contributions he proclaimed War against him both by Sea and Land and ordered all the Effects of the French Merchants in his Dominions to be seized And sent to the States General to assist him in this just defensive War who thereupon concluded to raise a considerable Force both for his aid and their own security and accordingly his Highness gave out several Commissions and sent 8000 men toward Flanders In the mean time the French King according to his usual method having ordered great Detachments to be sent from all the Conquered Places toward Valenciennes in April 1684. he himself accompanied with the Dauphin and Dauphiness came from Paris thither The P. was very desirous to have perfected the new Levies and to have marcht at the Head of them to oppose him but the obstinacy of Amsterdam and some other Towns which refused to allow their Quota for maintaining them prevented his Highness worthy designs The French King having mustred his Army between Conde and Valenciennes he immediately inrested the City of Luxemburg and though the Governor made a very notable defence and the French lost a considerable number of Men yet the greatness of their Army which was posted so as to prevent any relief at length obliged the Town to Capitulate and June 7. following it was surrendred upon Articles and soon after a Trace being made with Spain they were forced to suffer the loss of this City with the same temper as they had done many before And as the French King continued thus Tyrannically to injure his Neighbours so he Treacherously proceeded to exercise horrid cruelties upon his own Protestant Subjects for though he had resolved upon their destruction yet at the same time he declared That he had not the least intention to infringe the Edict of Nants and accordingly in 1684. he absolutely concluded to cancel and make void that Edict and to banish all the Ministers out of the Kingdom and several young Priests were sent about the Country to inflame the Mobile against the Protestants and it was declared in Print That the Catholick Faith must be planted by Fire and Sword alledging the example of a King of Norway who converted the Nobles of his Countrey by threatning them to slay their Children before their Eyes if they would not consent to have them Baptized and to be Baptized themselves The Protestants were very sensible of the mischiefs design'd against them and exposed their grievances to the K. with all humility and submission which produced no other effect upon his Tyrannical Temper than to hasten their destruction by open force and violence in so terrible a manner as is scarce to be parallell'd At first they quartered Troops of bloudy and desperate Dragoons upon them who loudly bellowed That the K. would no longer suffer any Protestants in his Kingdom and that they must resolve to change their Religion or else to suffer the utmost cruelty that could be inflicted upon them To which these innocent Souls replied That they were ready to Sacrifice their Lives and Estates for the Kings Service but their Consciences being Gods they could not in the same manner dispose of them This answer did but inrage their hellish Adversaries so that they first seized their goods and then fell on their Persons inflicting all the Barbarities imaginable to induce them to renounce their Religion They hung up Men and Women by the Hair of the Head or by the Feet within their Chimneys smoaking them with wisps of wet Straw They threw them into great fires pluckt them thence half roasted They tied them on the Rack poured wine down their Throats till the fame had deprived them of their reason and then made them say they would be Catholicks They stript them stark naked larded them all over with Pins from head to foot They kept them from sleeping 7 or 8 days and nights together They tied Parents to Bed posts and ravished their Daughters before their eyes They pluckt off the Nails from the Hands and Toes of others with most intolerable pain and after these and a thousand other horrid indignities if they refused to abjure their Religion they threw them into close dark stinking Dungeons exercising upon them all manner of inhumanity And yet after all these barbarous usages they compelled those wretched People who had not courage and constancy enough to persist in the Faith and therefore turned Catholicks or new Converts as they called them to acknowledge That they had imbraced the Roman Religion of their own accord And had the impudence to declare even against the evidence of Millions of Witnesses That force and violence had no share in the Conversions but that they were soft calm and voluntary and that if there were any Dragoons concerned therein it was because the Protestants themselves desired them that they might have a handsome pretence to change their Religion In the mean time their Houses were demolished their Lands destroyed their Woods cut down and their Wives and Children seized and put into Monasteries and an Edict was published for plucking down all the Protestant Churches in the Kingdom and all for promoting the Catholick Peligion Yea the mischief did not terminate here for the French King being too potent to be resisted by the Duke of Savoy He compell'd that Prince to publish an Edict for prohibiting the poor Waldenses and Vaudois to exercise their Religion upon pain of death and being assisted with a great number of French Troops under Monsieur Catinat the Souldiers committed the like Violences and Barbarities against them as they had done in France His Highness the Prince of Orange highly disapproved of these Proceedings and was a silent Mourner for the miseries of the Protestant Church which now seemed to be threatned more than ever for King Charles II. dying in February 1685. the D. of York succeeded him who instantly declared himself a Roman Catholick And June 10 following the Duke of Monmouth landed with 150 Men at Lime in Dorsetshire declaring That he had taken Arms for the defence and vindication of the Protestant Religion and of the Laws Rights and Priviledges of England from the Invasion made upon them and for delivering the Kingdom from the Tyranny of James Duke of York About the same time the Earl of Argile setting sail from the Vlye in Holland landed in the West of Scotland publishing a Declaration to the same purpose but either by weakness or treachery they were both soon defeated and both beheaded and a multitude of their followers executed For which great success King James published a Proclamation for a Thanksgiving and among other expressions says That nothing now remained which could possibly disturb the future quiet of his Reign In confidence whereof he with the advice of his Popish Counsellors and their Adherents proceeded to commit
had largely promised the Protection of both And at the same time seeing Popery and Arbitrary Power hovering over their Heads and ready to seize on their Liberties and Properties and that both were designed to be perpetuated and enâ—ailed upon them and their Posterity by a succession of Popish Princes Mrs. Cellier having declared in Print before the pretended Birth That it would be a Prince and that the Queen would likewise bring forth a Duke of York and a Duke of Glocester After several consultations whither to fly for succour at length they resolved to apply themselves to His Highness the Prince of Orange to whose Illustrious Family it had been an Inherent Glory for some Ages to relieve the Distressed and support the Protestant Cause His Highness they saw inherited all the surpassing Qualities of his Ancestors Their matchless Prudence Justice Courage their Truth and Magnanimity and besides all these excellent Endowments they were well assured of the fair Title he had to the Crown it self To him therefore the Lords Spiritual and Temporal with a great number of the Chiefest Gentry of the Kingdom make their application and in an humble Memorial represent their Grievances to their Highnesses to this effect That their Highnesses cannot be ignorant that the Protestants of England who continue True to the Government and Religion have been many ways troubled and vexed by many Devices and Machinations of the Papists carried on under pretence of Royal Authority and things required of them unanswerable before God and Man Several Ecclesiastical Benefices of Churches taken from them without any other Reason given than the Kings Pleasure themselves Summoned and Sentenced by Commissioners appointed contrary to express Law deprived of their free choice of Magistrates divers Corporations dissolved The Legal Security of their Religion and Liberty established by King and Parliament abolished and taken away by a pretended Dispensing Power New and unheard of Maxims broached That Subjects have no Right but what is founded and derived from the Kings Will and Pleasure the Militia put into the Hands of Persons unqualified by Law and a Popish Mercenary Army maintained in the Kingdom in times of Peace directly contrary to Law executing of ancient Laws against several Crimes and Misdemeanors obstructed and prohibited and the Statutes against corresponding with the Court of Rome against Papal Jurisdictions and Popish Priests suspended in the Courts of Justice those Judges displaced who acquit any whom the Court would have condemned as happened to the Judges Holloway and Powel for acquitting the seven Bishops the free choice of Members of Parliament wholly taken away notwithstanding all the Care and Provision made by the Law in that behalf by the Quo Warranto's against Charters and proposing ensnaring Questions all things levell'd at the Propagation of Popery for which the Courts of England and France have now for a long time so strenously bestirr'd themselves Endeavours and Practices used to perswade their Highnesses to Consent to the abolishing the Penal Laws and Tests though herein disappointed The Queens being with Child first Proclaimed and Divulged by Popish Priests and in the Sequel thereof a Child produced without any clear Proof or Evidence of sufficient and unsuspected Witnesses besides that it cannot be believed that the said Child was ever born of the Queen by Reason of her known Sickness and Indisposition and many other Arguments as not being confirmed by any certain foregoing Signs of Conception the place of her lying in being often changed and her pretended Delivery Celebrated in the absence of the Princess of Denmark and while the English Ladies were at Church in a Bedstead which was provided with a Convenient Passage in the side of it by which means the Child was conveyed to the Queen by the Ladies L' Abadie and Teurarier that these be matters left to the Discretion of a Free Parliament and that in the Name of your Highnesses and the whole Nation the Queen may be desired to prove the real Birth of the pretended Prince of Wales by a competent number of credible Witnesses of both Sexes or in Case of a failure herein that the reports of any such Birth may be supprest for the time to come That they humbly crave the Protection of their Highnesses in this matter as well as with respect to the Abolition and Suspension of the Laws made to maintain the Protestant Religion their Civil Rights Fundamental Liberties and Free Government and that their Highnesses would be pleased to insist that besides the business of the Child the Government of England according to Law may be restored the Laws against Papal Jurisdiction Priests c. be put in Execution the Suspending and Dispensing Power be declared Null and Void and the Priviledges of the City of London Free Choice of Magistrates and all the other Liberties as well of that as other Corporations be restored and maintained Their Highnesses with no less Willingness than Generosity and out of their Zeal for the Protestant Religion and Compassion of the Oppressed listned to their Complaints And his Highness well weighing the justness of their Requests and the Reality of their Grievances instantly began to take Measures in Order to their Deliverance And soon after his Highness went to meet the Elector of Brandenburgh and some other Princes and Noblemen of Germany at Minden which so alarmed the French King that Monsieur D' Avaux his Ambassadour presented a Memorial to the States General intimating that the King his Master being informed of the Motions and Conferences that were made and held towards the Frontiers of Cologne against the Cardinal of Furstemburgh and the Chapter He was resolved to maintain the Cardinal and their Priviledges against all those who should go about to trouble them but herein the Politicks of King Lewis fail'd him his Highness the Prince of Orange managing his Affairs with such an exact Secrecy that neither that King nor his Sagacious Council could penetrate into the Design till it was upon the Point of Execution and out of danger of being Defeated For upon his Highness return from that Conference to Loe Orders were given for drawing the Forces the States had raised for his Highness Assistance and incamping them upon the Mocker Hyde and the Forces of those other Princes whom his Highness had ingaged to aid him in this Glorious Expedition had Orders to be upon their March as those of Brandenburgh Hesse-Cassel c. And the States General assembled at the Hague where his Highness was present and their Debates and Consultations having been kept very Private for some days at length they published the following Manifesto That the States had resolved with their Ships and Men to assist the Prince of Orange who being invited by the Reiterated Importunities of the Nobility and Gentry of England to oppose that Arbitrary Government which His Britannick Majesty is designing to introduce into that Kingdom has fully determined to go over to that Countrey as well for that Reason as to save
Chrissians ought to do and not to be obliged to Transplant themselves which would be very grievous especially to such as love their own Countrey and I appeal to all Men who are considering Men and have had Experience Whether any thing can make this Nation so great and flourishing as Liberty of Conscience Some of our Neighbours dread it I could add much more to confirm all I have said but now is not the proper time Rochester Decemb. 22. 1688. Upon these Reasons we may make these few Cursory Remarks That as to the detaining of the Earl of Feversham who was sent without a Pass in a time of open War it may be very well justified He having likewise disbanded the Army and left them at large to lie upon the Countrey The Message for his removal from Whitehall was managed as we have heard with all the respect and decency imaginable and absolutely necessary upon several accounts as well as for the preservation of his own Person whose late Actions especially his extraordinary Severity in the West had raised him many inveterate Enemies who now might have taken the opportunity of offering Violence to him that his Highness had sufficient Reason for this Glorious Expedition the King had made the Nation too sensible of and as to the business of the Child it is well known that his Zeal for the Catholick Cause made him shut his Eyes to all other Considerations whatsoever and besides it was managed with such a number of Suspitious Circumstances that we are told one of his own Commanders in Ireland should say That the Prince of Orange had one plausible pretence for his Invasion namely that of the Prince of Wales since if it was a real Birth the Court managed the matter so as if they had Industriously contrived the Nation should give no Credit to it as to his Hopes of Conquering is we have as great Hopes and better Reason to believe the contrary since the People will scarce be ever fond of giving up their Religion Laws Liberties and Estates to the Will of an Arbitrary Prince or ever submit to a French Government as to a Parhament we may think he did not design to call any since some time before his departure he ordered all the Writs that were not sent out to be burnt and a Caveat to be entred against the making use of such as were already sent into the Countreys as to Liberty of Conscience which he seems so much to value his Proceedings in freland and against the Universities together with his recalling the Protestant Ministers from Preaching to the English Merchants in Popish Countreys with many other Instances that might be given are sufficient Demonstrations of the reality of his Intentions therein Soon after we had an account that the King was arrived in France and gone to the Court where his Queen came some time before having as soon as she landed sent as it is said the following Letter to that King An unfortunate Queen all bathed in Tears has Deemed it no trouble to expose her self to the greatest Perils of the Sea on purpose to seek an Asy lum and Protection in the Dominions of the greatest and most Glorious Monarch in the World Her bad Fortune has procured her a Happiness which far distant Nations have sought with eagerness nor does the necessity lessen the value while she makes choice of this same Sanctuary before any other that she might have found in any other place She is perswaded his Majesty will look upon it as a Demonstration of the singular Esteem she has of his Great and Royal Qualities that she intrusts him with the Prince of Wales who is all she has most dear and precious in the World He is too Young to partake with her in the acknowledgments due for his Protection that acknowledgment is entirely in the Heart of his Mother who in the midst of all her sorrows enjoys this Consolation to live sheltred under the Lawrels of a Prince who surpasses all that ever was of most Exalted and Mighty upon Earth These fulsom Flatteries which are so admired by that King doubtless moved him to entertain her with great Tenderness and made way for the Reception of the King her Husband who soon after Arrived there and had St. Germains allowed for their Residence with such a Revenue as that King can spare from his other mighty Expences for their Subsistance though it is a question whether King James consulted his own Interest in Flying to the French King for certainly after all that he had done at home to see him Harbour himself with the Enemy of the English Name the Contriver and Adviser of all the Mischiefs for several years perpetrated in the Kingdom what could more Convict him of the Oppressions of his Reign or more Inveterately Alienate the Peoples Affections from him Upon the Kings second withdrawing Portsmouth that held out with some Obstinacy under the D. of Berwick and Sir Edward Scot Deputy Governor submitted and Received a Garrison sent thither by the Princes Order And now to fill up this Breach and Rupture in the Government the Lords Spiritual and Temporal immediately met in the House of Peers at Westminster where they drew up an Humble Address which they presented to his Highness Requesting him in this Conjuncture to take upon him the Administration of Publick Affairs both Civil and Military and the Disposal of the Publick Revenue for the Preservation of the Protestant Religion Rights Laws Liberties Properties and the Peace of the Nation and to take into his particular Care the present Condition of Ireland and to use Speedy and Effectual means to prevent the danger threatning that Kingdom At the same time these Honourable Lords further Humbly Requested That His Highness would please to cause Letters to be Written Subseribed by himself and the Lords Spiritual and Temporal being Protestants to the several Counties Universities Cities and Boroughs c. directed to the Chief Magistrates of each within Ten Days after the Receipt thereof to chuse such a Number of Persons to Represent them as are of Right to be sent to Parliament Both which Addresses were Presented to the Prince at St. Jamese's who answered that he had considered their Advice and that he would endeavour to secure the Peace of the Nation till the meeting of the Convention Jan. 22. next and that he would forthwith Issue out Letters to that purpose and that he would apply the Publick Revenues to their proper use and likewise Endeavour to put Ireland into such a Condition as that the Protestant Religion and the English Interest might be maintained in that Kingdom Further assuring them that as he came hither for the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom so he should always be ready to Expose himself in any Hazard for the Defence of the same His Highness likewise sent for all such as had been Members of Parliament in the Reign of Charles the II. together with
rising in divers places demolished the Mass Houses and burnt the Popish Trinkets yea proceeded to several Violences and Disorders which occasioned the Death and Wounding of many Persons even in Edenburg it self of which the Scots Noblemen and Gentlemen in London having notice they resolved to attend his Highness the Prince of Orange and lay before him the willingness of the People of Scotland to submit to his Protection and his Highness having notice of their Intentions caused such of them as were in Town to be advertiz'd to meet him at St. Jameses Jan. 7. to whom he made the following Speech MY Lords and Gentlemen the only Reason that Induced me to undergo so great an undertaking was that I saw the Laws and Liberties of these Kingdoms overturned and the Protestant Religion in imminent Danger and seeing you are so many Noblemen and Gentlemen I have called you together that I may have your Advice what is to be done for the securing of the Protestant Religion and restoring your Laws and Liberties according to my Declaration After which the Lords and Gentlemen went to the Council-Chamber at Whitehall and chusing Duke Hamilton their President they drew up an Address which they presented to the Prince to this Effect That they rendred his Highness their humble Thanks for his pious and generous Undertaking c. Desiring him to take upon him the Administration of Affairs Civil and Military in Scotland till the general Meeting of the Estates which they humbly prayed his Highness to call to be held at Edenburg March 14. following This Address was subscribed by thirty Lords and eighty Gentlemen his Highness assured them that He would do all that they required and the news thereof coming to Edenburgh was received with the utmost Demonstrations of Joy and Satisfaction The Elections for the Convention at Westminster had in some places been generally made without those strivings and hears that are usual upon such Occasions and seemed to be a good Prognostick that their Debates would be calm and tend to a speedy Settlement and accordingly the 〈◊〉 of January being come the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons Assembled at Westminster the Lord Marquess of Hallifax Officiated as Speaker in the House of Lords and the Commons chose Henry Poule Esquire to be their Speaker after which a Letter from his Highness the Prince of Orange was read in both Houses on the Occasion of their Meeting wherein his Highness declared That he had endeavoured to the utmost of his Power to perform what was dented of him in Order to the Publick Peace and Safety and that he did not know any thing which had been omitted that might tend to the Preservation of them since the Administration of Affairs was put into his hands and that it now lay upon them to lay the Foundation of a firm Security for their Religion Laws and Liberties That he did not doubt but that by such a full and free Representative of the Nation as was then met the ends of his Declaration would be attained and since it had pleased God hitherto to bless his good Intentions with so great Success He trusted in Him that he would Compleâ—â— his own work by sending a Spirit of Peace and Union to influence their Councils that no interruption might be given to a Happy and lasting Settlement He then represented to them the dangerous Condition of the Protestants in Ireland and the present State of things abroad which required their early Assistance against a Powerful Enemy who had declared War against them and which he did not doubt but without any unseasonable Divisions among themselves they would take that Effectual care about This Letter being read and approved of the Lords and Commons presented an Address to his Highness That being highly sensible of the great Deliverance of this Kingdom from Popery and Arbitrary Power and that their Preservation next under God was oweing to his Highness they returned Him their humble Thanks as the glorious Instrument of so great a blessing and did further acknowledg the great care he had taken in the administring the publick Affairs to that time humbly desiring that his Highness would continue the Administration thereof till further Application should be made by them which should be expedited with all convenient speed This Address being presented Jan. 23. 1688. His Highness returned them this Answer MY Lords and Gentlemen I am glad that what I have done hath pleased you and since you desire me to continue the Administration of Affairs I am willing to accept it I must recommend to you the Consideration of Affairs abroad which maketh it fit for you to expedite your business not only for making a Settlement at home upon a good Foundation but for the Safety of all Europe After this the Lords and Commons Ordered a day of publick Thanksgiving to be kept throughout the Kingdom to render Praise to Almighty God for having made his Highness the Prince of Orange the glorious Instrument of the great Deliverance of this Kingdom from Popery and Arbitrary Power As to the Condition of Ireland the Earl of Tyrconnel a violent Papist being made Lord Lieutenant of that Kingdom by King James as a fit Instrument to carry on his Designs gave the Irish great Hopes of Subduing the English by his first Cashiering the Protestant Officers and Souldiers that were in Arms and then by turning out the Officers and Ministers of Justice and though Complaints were made against his proceedings in the Court of England yet they were not regarded but he rather incouraged in his Enterprizes which occasioned such Dread of future Mischiefs that divers left the Kingdom some going for Holland others for Scotland and England things continued in this Dangerous posture till the News of the intended Enterprize of the Prince of Orange Arrived there upon which Tyrconnel was very active to secure the Roman Catholick Interest in Ireland Imprisoning and Disarming the Protestants and sending over 3000 of the Choicest Irish Souldiers to Assist King James But upon notice of his Flight into France he called his Popish Council together and told them That now was the time for their standing up for their Country to secure it against all their Enemies and as for his part if his Master himself should command him to deliver up the Sword he should think it his Duty to refuse it in this Juncture and thereupon spreading the News all over the Country he caused the Irish every where to Arm themselves with such Weapons as they could get This Tumultuous Rabble Herding together plundred the Protestants Houses drove away their Cattle fired their Stack of Corn and Hay Murthered some and Barbarously used others insomuch that the Protestants being extreamly affrighted many of them fled for their Lives leaving their Estates behind them and though several of the Protestant Nobility and Gentry made Head in the North Yet they found themselves unable to Resist the Fury of their Numerous Adversaries However they Defeated several
to the Estates but before they proceeded to read it they passed an Act that notwithstanding any thing that might be contain'd in the Letter for Dissolving or impeding their Procedure yet they were a Free and Lawful Meeting of the States and would continue undissolved till they had setled the Government which done the Letter was read but the Convention took so little notice of the late Kings Exhortations to declare for him that the Messenger was first secured and then not being thought worthy detaining dismist with a Pass instead of an Answer After this Commissioners were chosen for drawing up the Settlement of the Government out of which the Bishops were lest as having disgusted the Generality of the States by their Prayers at the beginning of the Session That God would have Compassion on King James and restore him and other Passages which discovered their disaffection to their Majesties and the Government then about to be erected The Duke of Gordon who had the Command of Edenburgh Castle after he had for sometime amused the Convention by his delays so soon as he heard the late King was arrived in Ireland set up his Standard to signifie his Resolution to hold out that place and fired all the Cannon without Bullets to the gâ—â—â—â— Terror of those that lay under the Mercy of his great shot Aâ—â— 12. Both Houses of Parliament in England presented an humble Address to the King wherein they declare that being highly sensible of their late great Deliverance from Popery and Arbitrary Power whereof it had pleased God to make his Majesty the glorious Instrument and desiring to the utmost of their abilities to express their Gratitude for so great and generous an Undertaking no less necessary for the support of the Protestant Interest in Europe than for recovering and maintaining the Civil Rights and Liberties of these Nations so notoriously invaded and undermined by Popish Councils and Counsellors and being likewise fully convinced of the restless Spirits and the continued endeavours of their Majesties and the Nations Enemies for the Extirpation of the Protestant Religion and the Subversion of our Laws and Liberties unanimously declared that they would stand by and assist his Majesty with their Lives and Fortunes in supporting His Alliances abroad in reducing Ireland and in desence of the Protestant Religion and of the Kingdom In answer hereto the King assured them of his great esteem and affection for Parliaments especially for this which would be much increased by the kindness they shewed to him and their zeal for the publick good and that he would never abuse the Confidence they put in Him nor give any Parliament cause to distrust Him because he would never expect any thing from them but what it was their Interest to grant that He came hither for the good of the Kingdom and since by their desire he was in that Station he would full pursue the same ends that brought him that God had been pleased to make him instrumental to redeem them from the Ills they feared and it was still his desire as well as his duty to endeavour to preserve their Religion Laws and Liberties which were the only inducements that brought him into England and to those he did ascribe the Blessings that had attended this undertaking he then remainded them of Assisting his Allies especially the Dutch and to consider the Deplorable Condition of Ireland which by the Zeal and Violence of the Popish Party and the Assistance and Incouragement of the French required a considerable force to Reduce it c. and that a Fleet may be likewise provided which in Conjunction with the States might make us entire Masters of the Seas and as they freely offered to Hazard all that is dear to them so he should as freely expose his Life for the Support of the Protestant Religion and the Safety and Honour of the Nation In Scotland the Viscount Dundee having made his escape from Edinburgh went to the North where he stirred up the Highlanders to joyn with him and declare for King James upon which the Convention ordered a number of Horse Foot and Dragoons to march against them and in the mean time the Lord Ross who was sent with a Letter to King William in England returned and brought an answer thereto After which the Estates drew up an Instrument of Government for Setling the Crown upon King William and Queen Mary Wherein they Recapitulate their Grievances and propose Remedies for the same And then declare That King James the 7th being a professed Papist did Assume the Royal Power and acted as King without ever taking the Oath required by Law and hath by Advice of Evil and Wicked Councellers Invaded the Fundamental Constitutions of the Kingdom and altered it from a Legal Limited Monarchy to an Arbitrary Despotick Power and did exercise the same to the Subversion of the Protestant Religion and the Violation of the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom inverting all the ends of Government whereby he hath Forefaulted the Right to the Crown and the Throne is become Vacant And they do pray the King and Queen of England to accept the Crown and Royal Dignity of the Kingdom of Scotland c. And an Oath of Allegiance was drawn up to be taken by all Persons to them together with a Coronation Oath and April 11. being the Day of the Coronation of their Majesties at Westminster they were Proclaimed at Edenburgh with universal Joy and Acclamations Commissioners were also Dispatcht for London that is the Earl of Argyle Sir James Mountgomery of Skelmerly and Sir John Dalrymple of Stair younger from the meeting of the Estates with an offer of the Crown of that Kingdom to their Majesties and May 11. 1689. They accordingly at three of the Clock met at the Council Chamber and from thence were Conducted by Sir Charles Cottrel Master of the Ceremonies attended by most of the Nobility and Gentry of that Kingdom who resided in and about this place to the Banquetring-House where the King and Queen came attended by many Persons of Quality the Sword being carryed before them by the Lord Cardross and their Majesties being placed on the Throne under a rich Canopy they first presented a Letter from the Estates to His Majesty then the Instrument of Government thirdly a Paper containing the Grievances which they desired might be Redressed And lastly An Address to his Majesty for turning the Meeting of the said Estates into a Parliament All which being Signed by his Grace the Duke of Hamilton as President of the Meeting and Read to their Majesties the King returned to the Commissioners the following Answer When I Engaged in this Undertaking I had particular Regard and Consideration for Scotland and therefore I did emit a Declaration in relation to that as well as to this Kingdom which I intend to make good and effectual to them I take it very kindly that Scotland hath expressed so much Confidence in and Affection to Me They shall find me
was once Discoursed of it caused an Universal Joy over Edenburgh and the whole Kingdom only the Prelates writ to King James That they looked upon this Enterprize as a Detestable Invasion and after the same manner they behaved themselves to the end some Absenting from the Convention others attending only to Thwart their Proceedings and shew their Disaffection by their publick 〈◊〉 So that some wise Men have affirmed Had thâ—â—â—â—hops of Scotland shew'd the same Constancy 〈◊〉 those of England their Zeal and Virtue had gain'd the Hearts of the Scots and given them opportunity to continue Episcopacy but their ill Conduct during the two last Reigns in their Obstinate Supporting the Roman Catholick Party that had already Invaded all the Liberties of the People annull'd their Priviledges and changed a Government limited by Law into Arbitrary Power rendred them the Abomination of the People who were convinced that their Dignities were the only things they regarded which made them deviate from the Rules of the Gospel looking no farther then their present enjoyments little minding the betraying the Interests of Religion and the Kingdom out of a Treacherous Compliance with the Will and Pleasure of a Popish Court to whom they made themselves Slaves June 15. The Estates of Scotland met after their late Adjournment and the Duke of Hamilton acquainted them that his Majesty had been pleased to send him a Commission to represent his Royal Person and that he had Orders to give his Consent to an Act for the turning the Meeting of the Estates into a Parliament which was done accordingly and soon after they made an Act for Recognizing and Asserting their Majesties Royal Authority and Right to the Crown and another for all Persons to take an Oath of Faith and Allegiance to them and about the same time the English Forces under General Mackay and others being entred that Kingdom the Duke of Gordon who till this time had Possession of the Castle finding no hopes of Relief surrendred it upon Articles to Sir John Lanier and so that important place which so long had been a Terror to the City of Edenburgh was put into safe hands the Duke casting himself upon the Kings Mercy without making any Article for himself and it was reported he said That he had so much respect for all the Princes of King James VI. line as not to make Conditions with them for his own particular Interest after this a Reward of 18000 Marks was by Proclamation promised to those that should apprehend Dundee dead or alive and indeed he survived not long after for July 26. Major General Mackay Marching from St. Johnstown with 4000 Foot and 4 Troops of Horse and Dragoons and coming within two Miles of the Blair of Athol had notice that Dundee advanced toward him with 6000 Foot and 100 Horse the Fight began between four and five of the Clock in the Afternoon and lasted till Night with great Courage and Resolution on both sides but at length Mackay's Forces being over-powered with number he retired toward Sterling with a Body of 1500 men in good Order many were killed on both sides but the Enemies loss was greater by the Death of Viscount Dundee who charging furiously in the Head of the Highlanders to inconrage them was slain with a shot though he had Armour after which a Division happened between the Lord Dumfermling and Colonel Cannon who shall succeed in the Command of the Rebel at which time Major General Mackay hearing that 500 of their Foot and two Troops of Horse were sent to St. Johnstown to surprize the Stores of Provisions there resolved to be revenged for his late loss and Marching out of Sterling with a Party of Horse and Dragoons met the Rebels and gave them a total Rout killing and taking Prisoners the greatest part of them and Captain Hacket their Commander Soon after another Defeat was given to Collonel Cannons men consisting in about 4000 with the Addition of the Countrey by the Earl of Angus his Regiment under Lieuterant Colonel Cieland who after three hours sherp dispute forced the Rebels to fly back with the loss of aboâ—e 300 and not above thirty of the Kings men among whom was the Liâ—utenat Collonel this Defeat put an effectual stop to the Incursions of the Highlanders who lost all their Courage with the Death of their Commander being never able to make any considerable Head afterward and though the Earl of Damfermling pretended to manage them yet several of the Câ—ief Nobility and Gentry came in and craved the Benefit of the Proclamation of Indemnity which the King had Published some time before to all those who before September third should lay down their Arms and swear Fidelity to King William and Queen Mary and Colonel Cannon who only maintained the Interest of the late King retreated with his few Followers to the Isle of Mall doubtful whether to continue longer there or return to Ireland Lieutenant General Mackay having put a Garrison into the Castle of Blair returned to Edenburgh where several Earls that were in Prison had their Liberty giving sufficient Security for their Peaceable Behaviour so that several Troops of the Kings Forces in that Kingdom were embarkt for heland and about the same time the Parliament there pussed several Acts which were touched with the Royal Scepter by the Lord High-Commissioner and among others An Act for abolishing Prelacy purporting That whereas the Estates of the Kingdom by their Claim of Right April 11. last had declared That Prelacy and Supremacy in any Office in the Church above Presbytery had been a grievous burden to the Nation ever since the Reformation That therefore the King and Queens Majesty did abolish Episcopacy c. and would establish that Church Government which was most agreeable to the People And now the Parliament of England having given the King plentiful supplies for the Reduction of Ireland the Army Marcht from all Parts toward Chester and Highlake to imbark under the Duke of Schomberg consisting in near 30000 men with great store of all sorts of Ammunition and Provisions and considerable summs of Money and His Majesty appointed a Camp on Hounslow Heath for the Remainder of the Forces Aug. 14. which continued only two or three days and in the mean time a Declatation of War was Published against France in Scotland and now several English Protestants in the North of Ireland having got Possession of the Isle of Innis-killing and the City of London-Derry they resolved to defend them against King James and his Army of Irish Papists who were Marching from Dublin against them and hearing that Lieutenant General Macarry was abroad with a strong Detachment Plundering and Ravaging the Countrey Lieutenant Collonel Berry fell upon them with such Vigor that it is judged 3000 of the Irish were slain and drown'd in the Lough near Newton-Butler into which they desperately threw themselves to escape the Sword King James arriving at London-Derry imagined the Terror of his Arms would
surprisingly that they made little Resistance but fled with all imaginable Confusion and being pursued 400 of them were kill'd and the rest totally routed and taken Prisoners with a great quantity of Claret and other Provisions and a great number of Officers were brought to Edenburg and committed to the Tolbooth soon after the remaining Rebels who escaped designed to have surprized the Garrison of Inverness but were happily prevented and deseated by the Earl of Drumlanerig and Major General Mackay In Ireland the King having secured Dublin in safe Hands caused his Army to march toward Limerick where Tyrconnel and Lauzun had drawn together the late Kings broken Forces and having made their approaches against all Opposition His Majesty ordered the Trenches to be opened and planted several Batteries of Cannon which made great breaches in the Walls and a general Assault was expected but Aug. 28. at Night the Rains fell so excessively that the Rivers overflowed and the Garrison being extream strong the King to spare his Men and to avoid the many Inconveniences of the approaching Season was pleased to Order the raising the Seige and refer the reducing the City till a more favourable opportunity after which His Majesty returned for England and was received with all imaginable Expressions of Joy throughout the Kingdom About this time a Fleet was prepared by His Majesties Order consisting in thirty two English and twenty eight Dutch men of War aboard of whom were imbarked eight Regiments of Foot besides the Marine Regiments commanded by the Earl of Marlborough as General and Mr. Trelawny as Major General who Sept. 21. arrived at Cork in Ireland which was obliged to surrender upon Articles and soon after Kingsale ran the same Fate an horrible design of the Irish was now discovered to have set the City of Dublin on Fire but it was happily discovered and prevented In October the Parliament met again at Westminster and Congratulated His Majesties safe return and likewise returned their humble acknowledgments to Her Majesty for Her Goodness Wisdom and Courage manifested in the greatest Dangers even when a powerful Enemy was upon the Coasts the Earl of Torrington was tryed on board the Kent in the River Medway by a Jury of Sea Captains and after a long hearing of the Witnesses and his Defence upon a long debate he was acquitted The Parliament continued to sit and passed many Acts both for supplying His Majesty for the War and setling the Kingdom to whom the King gave an account that the posture of Affairs abroad required his Presence at the Hague and accordingly Jan. 6. His Majesty left White-Hall attended by the great Officers of his Household and divers others of the Nobility and Gentry and soon after arrived in Holland though with some difficulty by reason of the Ice at the Hague His Majesty was received with great Joy which they exprest by erecting several Triumphal Arches redounding to the Glory of his Gallant Achievements since His Majesty left that Countrey And now a Conspiracy was discovered managed by several Persons for introducing our former Bondage and Slavery and the Lord Preston John Ashton and Edmond Eliot were seized as they were designing to go for France with Letters and Papers of Pernicious Consequence and Jan. 17. the Lord Preston was Tryed for High Treason at the Old-Bailey and two days after Mr. Ashton and were both found Guilty and Mr. Ashton was Executed for the same but the Lord Preston was Reprieved together with one Crone formerly Sentenced upon the same account and the Trial of Eliot was deferred after which a Proclamation was issued out for apprehending Dr. Turner late Bishop of Ely William Pen and James Graham Esquires The Duke of Savoy whose Family had for above an hundred years past been trampled on by France and would at this day have been entirely enslaved by that King took this favourable occasion to set himself at Liberty while all Europe almost lends him a helping hand and thereupon some Months since he declared openly against that Crown and Released and gave Liberty to all his Protestant Subjects and entertained them into his Service entering likewise into the Confederacy with the Princes and States of Christendom now in Arms to reduce that Grand Vsurper to Reason and incapacitate him from being any longer dangerous to his Neighbours and in the latter end of 1690. His Highness sent an Envoy to Congratulate their Majesties Accession to the Throne and to express his Passionate desire to unite himself to His Majesties Friendship by an indissoluble Vnion Vpon the Kings Arrival at the Hague several Princes daily came thither as well to have the Honour to wait upon his Majesty as to confer about the state of Affairs March 5. the King accompanied by the Duke of Zell and several of his own Nobility departed for Loo and by the way had news that the French had invested the City of Mons the day before upon which his Majesty ordered the Dutch Troops to march immediately into Flanders to the general Rendezvous and soon after followed in Person being received in the Camp with extraordinary Joy that they should fight under the Banners of so undaunted a Prince the French King arrived before the Town five days after the Siege began having amassed all his Forces together upon this Enterprize leaving only sufficient to defend their Garrisons so that by their continual firing and attacks and the Folly of the Burghers who would not admit above 6000 men into the Town whereas they ought to have had at least 4000 Horse and 10000 Foot this important Place was taken in eight days time the Governor not being able to make such vigorous Sallys as he might have done because he was willing to spare his men but the Burghers being by this means stronger than the Garrison obliged the Prince of Berghes to a surrender before the Confederates could â—ossibly have leisure to relieve the Town after which the French King returned to Versailles and King William came back to England viewing some part of the Fleet in his return and arrived safe at White-Hall where His Majesty nominated several new Bishops to succeed those that had forfeited their bishopricks by refusing to swear Allegiance to their Majesties he likewise took a view of the Troops that were to go to Flanders and having provided for the Security of the Kingdom and happily settled all affairs in Scoland and Ireland His Majesty declared his Resolution of returning into Flanders and arrived May 2 1691. in the Army Encamped within two Miles of Brussels being about 70000 strong and the French under the Duke of Luxemburg no less numerous And in July Baltimore and Athlone in Ireland were taken by General Giukle and the Prince of Wirtemburg Monsieur St. Ruth the French Kings General being killed in the great Battle at Agram soon after with the loss of 7000 of the Irish and the taking of Galloway which followed with most of the other Forts and Castles and Towns except