who were quartered about Tiverton Culhampton Honyton and other places The Sunday following his Highness went to the Cathedral where his Highness Declaration of the Reasons inducing him to appear in Arms in the Kingdom of England for preserving the Protestant Religion and for restoring the Liberties of England Scotland and Ireland was read by Dr. Burnet before a numerous Auditory the Substance whereof was That ' it was certain and evident to all men that the publick Peace and Happiness of any Kingdom and State could not be preserved where the Laws Liberties and Customs established by the lawful Authority in it were openly transgrest and annull'd more especially where the Alteration of Religion was endeavoured and a Religion contrary to the Law Design'd to be introduced whereas they who were most immediately concerned therein were indispensibly bound to preserve the establisht Laws Liberties and Customs and above all the Religion and Worship of God establisht among them and to take effectual Care that the Inhabitant of such State or Kingdom might neither be deprived of their Religion nor outed of their Civil Rights more especially since the greatness of Kings Royal Families and all in Authority as well as the Happiness of their Subjects and People depended in a more especial manner upon an exact Observation of those their Laws Liberties and Customs upon which ground his Highness further declared That he could no longer forbear to let the World know how apparently he saw with regret that they who had then the chief Credit with the King had overturned the Religion Laws and Liberties of these Realms and subjected them in all things relating to their Consciences Liberties and Properties to Arbitrary Government and that not only by secret and indirect ways but in an open and undisguised manner that those Evil Councellors for advancing and colouring this with some plausible pretences did invent and set on foot the Kings Dispensing Power by virtue of which they pretend that according to Law he can suspend and dispense with the Execution of the Laws that have been enacted by the Authority of King and Parliament for the Security and Happiness of the Subject and to render these Laws of no effect though it is most certain that they cannot be suspended but by the same Authority that made them for though the King may pardon the punishment of a Transgressor in Cases of Treason and Felony yet it cannot with any colour of Reason be thence inferred that he can intirely suspend the Execution of those Laws unless he has such an Arbitrary Power that the Laws Liberties Honours and Estates of the Subjects depend wholly upon his good Will and Pleasure and though they have obtained a Sentence for asserting this Dispensing Power to be a Right depending on the Crown yet it cannot be imagined that it should be put in the Power of twelve Judges to offer up the Laws Rights and Liberties of the whole Nation to the Arbitrary Will of the King especially such as are first advanced and then threatned to be turned out if they do not comply therein and some Papists who are incapable by Law are made Judges That the King though known to be a Papist was yet received and acknowledged by the People to be their King and did solemnly Swear and Promise at his Coronation that he would maintain their Laws and Liberties and the Church of England as it was establisht by Law and though several Laws have been lately made for preserving their Liberties and the Protestant Religion and to prevent all Papists from being put into any Imployment yet these evil Councillors have in effect Annulled and Abolished all those Laws and in direct Opposition thereto have set up as Illegal Commission for Ecclesiastical Affairs in which one of the Kings Ministers who is a Papist sits and Acts though by Law uncapable of any publick Imployment that these Commissioners have suspended the Bishop of London only for refusing to obey an Order to suspend a Worthy Divine without Citation or Process they have turned out the President and Fellows of Hagdalen Colledge without citing them before any Legal Court or Comperent Judge only for refusing to chuse for their President a Person recommended by these Evil Councillors contrary to the Right of Free Election and contrary to Magna Charta That no man shall lose Life or Goods but by the Law of the Land and afterward put the Colledge wholly into the hands of Papists They have cited before them all the Chancellors and Arch-deacons of England to certifie the Names of the Clergy who did not read the Kings Declaration for Liberty of Conscience though the reading of it was not enjoined them by the Bishops who are their Ordinaries These Evil Councillors have procured Orders for building several Popish Churches Chappels Monasteries Colledges of Jesuits for corrupting of youth and raised one to be a Privy Councillor and Minister of State contrary to several express Laws by the Rules of which they evidently shew they are no way restrained and wherein they are served and seconded by these Ecclesiastical Commissioners They have also followed the same Methods in Civil Affairs by procuring Orders to examine all Lord Lieutenants Deputy Lieutenants Sheriffs Justices of Peace and all others that were in any publick Imployment whether they were for taking away the Penal Laws and Tests and those who in Conscience could not comply were turned out and divers unqualified Persons put in their Rooms they have seized upon the Charters of several Towns and procured the surrender of others which Elect Parliament men and placed new Magistrates many of them Papists in divers Corporations They have removed such Judges as would not in all things Conform to their Designs and put in others whose Compliance they disowned beforehand whereby much Blood hath been shed in many places of the Kingdom against all the Forms and Rules of Law without Suffering the Persons accused to plead in their own Defence They have put the Administration of Justice into the Hands of Papists though all their Sentences are Null and Void in Law and have disposed of all Military Imployments in the same manner both by Sea and Land to Strangers as well as Natives and Irish as well as English to maintain and execute their wicked Designs of inslaving the Nation by their Assistance In Ireland the whole Government is put into the Hands of Papists so that the Protestants through terror have in great numbers left that Kingdom and abandoned their Estates in it remembring well that Cruel and Bloody Massacre in 1641. In Scotland the King has declared himself clothed with such an Absolute Power as to be obeyed without Reserve These great Oppressions and open Contempts of all Laws being insufferable have put the Subjects under great Fears and to look out for such Lawful Remedies as are allowed of in all Nations but to deter them from endeavouring to preserve their Lives and Estates by Petition or other means Authorized by Law these
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
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
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
Evil Councillors proceeded with all Rigor against those that used those Methods particularly the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and others who humbly offering their Reasons why they could not Order the Declaration of Liberty of Conscience to be read in the Churches were sent to Prison and after Tried as if guilty of some enormous Crime and obliged to appear before profest Papists and those Judges that gave their Opinion in their favour were turned out They have also Treated a Peer of the Realm as a Criminal for saying that the Subjects were not bound to obey the Orders of a Popish Justice of Peace because they are put into Imployments contrary to Law That his Highness and his Dearest and most Beloved Consort the Princess have signified to the King in Terms full of respect the just and deep Regret these Proceedings have given them and in compliance with His desires have declared their Thoughts about Repealing the Penal Laws and Tests whereby they hoped there might have been an happy agreement among the Subjects of all Perswasions which yet these Evil Councillors have so misrepresented as to endeavour to alienate the King more and more from them as if they designed to disturb the Quiet and Happiness of the Kingdom and the last and great Remedy for all these Evils being the calling of a Parliament for securing the Nation against the Practices of these Evil Councillors cannot be easily brought about since by a Parliament duly chosen they doubt to be called to account for all their open Violations of the Laws their Plots and Conspiracies against the Protestant Religion and the Lives and Liberties of the Subjects their designing under the specious pretence of Liberty of Conscience to sow Divisions among Protestants and from their mutual quarrels to carry on their own Designs to prevent which the Electors and Elected for Parliament men are to be beforehand ingaged to comply with their wicked Desires and the returns are to be made by Popish Sheriffs and Mayors of Towns so that this only remedy of a Free Parliament is hereby made impracticable And to Crown all There are great and violent Presumptions inducing their Highnesses to believe that these Evil Councillors to gain more time to carry on their ill Designs for incouraging their Complices and discouraging all good Subjects they have published that the Queen hath brought forth a Son though there appeared both during the Queens pretended bigness and in the manner in which the Birth was managed so many just and visible grounds of Suspition that not only their Highnesses but all the good Subjects of this Kingdom vehemently suspect that the pretended Prince of Wales was not born of the Queen and since their Highnesles have both so great an Interest in this matter and such a Right as all the World knows to the Succession of the Crown and since the English Nation had ever testified a most particular Affection and Esteem to them both their Highnesses cannot excuse themselves from espousing their Interests in a matter of such high consequence and from contributing all that in them lies for the maintaining both of the Protestant Religion and of the Laws and Liberties of those Kingdoms and for securing to them the continual Enjoyment of all their just Rights To the doing of which his Highness is most earnestly sollicited by a great many Lords both Spiritual and Temporal and by many Gentlemen and other Subjects of all Ranks Therefore it is that his Highness hath thought fit to go over into England and to carry over a Force sufficient by the Blessing of God to defend him from the Violence of those Evil Councillors His Highness declaring that this Expedition is intended for â—o other design but to have a Free and Lawful Parliament Assembled as soon as is possible and that in Order thereto all the late Charters limiting of Elections contrary to Ancient Custom shall be considered as null and of no force and all Magistrates to return to their former Imployments and particularly the Ancient Charter of London to be again in force and none to be suffered to chuse or be chosen Parliament men but those qualified by Law and that the Members of Parliament so chosen shall sit in full Freedom for making Laws to secure the Protestant Religion and to establish a good Agreement between the Church of England and all Protestant Dissenters as also for the securing and covering of Papists and all others who will live peaceably from all Persecution for Religion and for doing all other things which the two Houses of Parliament shall find necessary for the Peace Honour and Safety of the Nation so that there may be no more danger of the Nations falling at any time hereafter under Arbutrary Government to which Parliament his Highness will also refer the Inquiry into the Birth of the pretended Prince of Wales and of all things relating to it and to the Right of Succession And his Highness declares That for his Part be will concur in every thing that may produce the Peace and Happiness of the Nation which a Free and Lawful Parliament shall determine since his Highness hath nothing before his Eyes in this His Undertaking but the Preservation of the Protestant Religion the covering of all men from Persecution 〈◊〉 their Consciences and the securing to the whole Natâ—on the Free Enjoyment of all their Laws Rights anâ— Liberties under a Just and Legal Government His Highness further declares that this is the Design he has proposed in appearing upon this occasion in Arms in the Conduct of which his Highneâ— would keep the Forces under his Command undeâ— all the strictness of Martial Discipline and take a special care that the People of the Countreys througâ— which He shall March shall not suffer by their meanâ— and as soon as the State of the Nation will permit iâ— his Highness promises that he will send back all thoâ— Foreign Troops that He hath brought along witâ— him his Highness does therefore hope that all People will judge rightly of his Proceedings though 〈◊〉 does chiefly rely on the Blessing of God for the sâ—â—cess of this his Undertaking in which he places 〈◊〉 whole and only Confidence Lastly his Highness doth invite and require all Perâ—ons whatsoever all the Peers of the Realm both Spâ—ritual and Temporal all Lords Lieutenants Depâ—â— Lieutenants and all Gentlemen Citizens and otheâ— Commons of all Ranks to come and assist him in Order to the executing of this His Design against all suâ—â— as shall endeavour to oppose Him that so all thoâ—â— Miseries which must needs follow upon the Nation being kept under Arbitrary Government and Slaveâ— may be prevented and that all the Violences anâ— Disorders which have overturned the whole Cons tâ—tution of the English Government may be fully Redressed in a Free and Legal Parliament his Highness likewise Resolving that as soon as the Nations are brought to a State of Quiet He will take care that a Parliament shall be called in Scotland
Dispensing and Suspending Power and the Ecclesiastical Commission to promote his future Designs when he had once baffled the Prince of Orange the Nation saw through the Project and he lost all As for the English in general their Interest Centers in the maintaining the Rights and Franchises of their Kingdom which renders them this Day the freest Nation in Europe A Character so far from supposing them to be like other Nations a People Head-strong and unconstant that it shews them to be the most Considerate and Understanding People in the World in short though the example of a Neighbouring Prince had served for a Platform for other Crowned Heads to enlarge their Power beyond the Limits prescribed by the Constitutions of the Kingdom We see that at the very Moment that the King began to act like his Neighbour they presently put a Sâ—op to his Designs without the least respect to his Dignity They saw how Soveraign Authority Reigned in France as Independent from the Laws as in Turkey They beheld the face of the Kingdom of Sweden and Denmark changed by Introducing Hereditary Succession whereas they were Elective before They viewed the Face of the Kingdom of Hungary heretofore the Seat of Liberty Disfigured by the same Innovation and Poland that boasts to have preserved the Ancient Laws entire has notwithstanding suffered Injurious Alterations In short which way soever we cast our Eyes we shall find Attempts of the same Nature prosper only in England they have failed whence we may conclude that maugre all which has been said of the English Nation they are the Wisest and most Prudent People that we know of under the Sun THE HISTORY OF King William Queen Mary King William and Queen Mary being Proclaimed in all the Counties and chief Cities of England with the general Joy of the People Addresles were daily presented them from several Parts to testifie their extream Satisfaction and Content in their being advanced to the Throne and the Convention being by an Act figned by the King turned into a Parliament in the same manner as the Convention was upon the Restoration of Charles II. 1660. They proceeded to enact several Laws for setling the Government upon its true and ancient Basis and several vacant Offices and Imployments were supplied by their Majesties and Dr. Gilbert Burnet was made Bishop of Salisbury in the room of Dr. Seth Ward Deceased I have been very brief upon the Affairs in England till the Happy Revolution in 1688. because I have lately Published a Book of the same value with this Intituled The History of the two late Kings Charles II. and James II. being an Impartial Account of the most Remarkable Transactions and observable Passages during their Reigns and the secret French and Popish Intrigues managed in those Times Neither shall I inlarge upon the Affairs of Ireland intending suddenly to publish the History of that Kingdom from the first Conquest thereof by King Henry II. to its total Reduction by the Arms of their present Majesties And now both Houses of Parliament present an humble Address to his Majesty about the speedy relief of Ireland in pursuance whereof the King sent over a Proclamation of Pardon to all the Irish Papists that would lay down their Arms and live Peaceably under the Government with the full enjoyment of their Estates and the private Exercise of their Religion which if they refused they were declared Rebels and Traytors to the Crown of England and their Estates to be forfeited and distributed among those that should and and assist in reducing them to Obedience but Tyrconnel endeavoured to hinder the effect thereof by promising them speedy succors from France and that King James would come in Person with a numerous Army to their Assistance and sent several Detachments of his tattered Regiments to seize divers considerable Protestants in their Houses who upon notice escaped into the North and strengthned their Party the Priests stirr'd up these Raseally Vermin that were armed with Pitchforks Bills Staves and other weaponâ— to commit all manner of outrages to the damage of some Papists as well as Protestants and it was reported that at a Consult in the Council wherein some Popish Bishops assisted it was moved that the only way to clear the Countrey of Hereticks was by a general Massacre but Tyrconnel opposed it In March the late King James took Post from Paris to Brest and soon after landed in Ireland with a numetous Train of Officers but very few Souldiers The Estates of Scotland met the same Month at Edenburgh in pursuance of his Majesties Circulary Letters and King William sent them the following Letter MY Lords and Gentlemen We are very sensible of the kindness and concern which your Nation has evidenced towards us and our undertaking for the Preservation of your Religion and Liberty which were in such imminent danger Neither can we in the least doubt your Confidence in us after having seen how far so many of your Nobility and Gentry have owned our Declaration countenancing and concurring with us in our endeavours and desiring us that we would take upon us the Administration of Affairs Civil and Military and to call a Meeting of the Estates for securing the Protestant Religion and the ancient Laws and Liberties of that Kingdom which accordingly we have done Now it lies on you to enter upon such Consultations as are most proper to settle you on sure and lasting Foundations which we hope you will set about with all convenient speed with regard to the publick good and to the general Interest and Inclinations of the People that after so much Trouble and great Suffering they may live happily and in Peace and that you may lay aside all Animosities and Factions that may impede 10 good a Work we are glad to find that so many of the Nobility and Gentry when here in London were to much inclined to a Union of both Kingdoms and that they did look upon it as the best means for procuring the Happiness of both Nations and setling of a lasting Peace among them which would be advantagious to both they living in the same Island having the same Language and the same common Interest of Religion and Liberty especially at this Juncture when the enemies of both are so ressess in endeavouring to make and increase Jealousies and Divisions which they will be ready to improve to their own advantage and the ruin of Brittain we being to the same oprnion as to the usefulness of this Union and having nothing so much before our eyes as the Glory of God establishing the Reformed Religion and the Peace and Happiness of these Nations are resolved to use our utmost endeavours in advancing every thing that may conduce to the effectuating the same So we bid you heartily Farewell From our Court at Hampton March 7. 1689. This Letter being read Commissioners were named to draw an Answer full of Acknowledgment and Respect the late King James had likewise sent a Letter
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
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
giving all his Estate to those that would take it promising upon the word of a King and as the Minister of Almighty God That if any would deliver him alive or dead or else take away his Life he would give to him or his Heirs Five thousand Crowns of Gold and the free pardon of all the Crimes that he had been before guilty of and if they were not Noble to make them so and to reward all that shall assist them therein and likewise that all his Adherents should be banisht and their Lives and Estates given for a prey to any that would take them The Prince of Orange made a very smart Apology in answer hereunto wherein he fully vindicates himself from all the Crimes objected against him proving at large That all the Miseries of the Netherlands ought to be imputed to the Council of Spain who endeavoured to reduce those Countreys to absolute Slavery both as to Religion and Civil Liberties and acting more like Mad-men than Politicians and like that foolish King Rehoboam following the silly Advice of a weak Woman and Cardinal Granval the Pope's Creature telling the King That his Father had chastized the People with Whips but the Son ought to whip them with Scorpions and therefore they endeavoured to bring in the Inquisition and the new Bishops which were the occasion of all these commotions And as to his taking Arms against his Soveraign he sheweth that Henry Bastard of Castile the King 's great Grandfather had with his own hands slain the King Don Pedro the Cruel his lawful Brother and possest his Kingdom whose Successor King Philip was and enjoyed it to this day And that there was a Reciprocal Bond between a Prince and a Subject and if the Prince infringes his Oath the Subject is freed from his Allegiance that the King of Spain was admitted to be Duke of Brabant upon certain conditions which he had sworn to maintain and yet had notoriously violated and if the Nobility did not endeavour by Arms since no other means was to be found to preserve and defend their Liberties they ought to be accounted guilty of Perjury Treachery and Rebellion to the States of the Countrey And whereas the King had offered Money to take away his Life he did not doubt of God's protection yet certainly he could never be accounted a Gentleman by Persons of Honour who would be so wicked and infamous to murder a Man for Money except they were such Spaniards who being descended from the Mores and Jews might retain that quality from their Ancestors who offered Money to Judas to betray our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ into their hands that they might crucifie him The Prince concluded his Apology by telling the States General That since their peace and quiet seemed to depend upon his death he was willing to lay down his life to free them from the Calamities under which they suffered having already for their sakes lost his Estate his Brethren yea and his own Son and that his Head over which no Prince or Potentate on Earth had any power was yet at their command and that he would be a willing Sacrifice to procure their Tranquillity But if they thought fit still to use his Service he would employ his Life Counsel and all he had in the World for the defence and preservation of the Netherlands In answer to this the States declare That they are fully satisfied that the Crimes and Slanders charged upon the Prince are altogether false and malicious and that all the Honours that had been conferred on him were so far from being sought for or desired by him that he only accepted them at their earnest request and intreaty with the full consent and by the free Election of the Countrey and therefore they humbly intreated him still to continue his Administration and likewise to accept of a Guard for his Person against any villanous attempts upon his Life The States General of he United Provinces perceiving that notwithstanding the Intercession both of the Emperor the French King the Queen of England and other Princes and States of Christendom to King Philip on their behalf yet he still continued obstinately resolved to yield to nothing but what might reduce their Countrey absolutely to Popery and Slavery thereupon in 1581. they publisht an Edict of Renunciation against him wherein they declare That it being acknowledged by all Mankind that a Prince is ordained of God to preserve his Subjects from all Injuries and Violence even as a Shepherd defends his Sheep and that the people were never created to be Bond-men and Slaves to his will and pleasure whether his Commands are right or wrong but that he is advanced to that dignity to govern them by equity and reason and to cherish them as a Father doth his Children even with the peril of his life If a King therefore fail herein and instead of protecting his Subjects shall strive to destroy them and deprive them of their Ancient Laws and Priviledges and endeavour to make them Bond-slaves His Subjects are thereupon discharged from all Subjection and Obedience to such a Soveraign and are to reckon and esteem him a Tyrant and that he is absolutely fallen from his former Dignity and Soveraignty and the Estates of the Countrey may lawfully and freely abandon him and Elect another Prince to protect and defend them in his place especially when his Subjects neither by Prayers nor Petitions can mollifie his heart nor divert him from his Tyrannical and Arbitrary courses Since they have then no other way to preserve their Ancient Liberties Lives Wives Children and Estates which according to the Laws of God and Nature they are bound to defend and which hath been practisied in divers Countreys especially in those where the King was obliged by Oath to govern according to Law and was admitted to the Soveraignty upon certain conditions and special contracts Now it being apparent to all the World that Philip King of Spain giving ear to certain wicked Counsellors hath in every particular broken all the Oaths and Obligations which he had entred into for the defence of those Provinces and hath determined to enslave ruine and destroy them and all their Interests therein c. We the States General being prest by extream necessities do by a general resolution and consent declare the King of Spain to be fallen from the Government Dominion and Jurisdiction of these Countreys and we are resolved never hereafter to acknowledge him for our Prince and Soveraign Lord but do hereby declare our selves and all the Inhabitants of these Provinces to be for ever discharged from all manner of Oaths and Allegiance to the said King c. In witness whereof we have caused our our Seals to be hereunto annexed July 26. 1581. The Duke of Anjou having been in England to make a Visit to Q. Elizabeth returned again to Antwerp after three months splendid Entertainment in the English Court the Queen at his departure earnestly recommending to him
Interest and thereby forcing the Dutch to comply with that King almost upon his own Terms and therefore to divert the humour King Charles pretended to be in earnest for engaging in a War against France which for some time hinder'd the Ratification of the Treaty and English Forces were daily transported into Flanders as if the War were really to have been carried on which encouraged those that were against the Peace in Holland and occasioned the Spaniards to use their utmost endeavours to prevent the concluding it But the French King being unwilling to lose the great Advantages he had obtained by this Treaty resolved to remove all difficulties and satisfie the States in their demands Yea he dispatched Ambassadors to the Hague with full Authority to remit all the differences about the Treaty with Spain and himself to their Determination which raised in the States such a good Opinion of the sincerity of that Kings proceedings that they quickly adjusted all matters in contest between the two Crowns so that the Treaty was signed September 20. 1678. The other Confederates as the Emperor the King of Denmark the Duke of Brandenburg c. were very much inraged that they were left to treat singly with their potent Enemy who demanded very severe Conditions from them so that the Ratification of the Treaty with Spain being hereby delayed the French King to quicken it sent Marshal de Humieres with a great Army into Fianders plundering and burning all before them and putting these Countries under Contribution with so much fury and insolence that the common people complained heavily of the Calamities and Miseries which they undeservedly suffered by the flowness of the Spanish Conncils so that at length both the Spaniard and Emperor were obliged to comply with the offers of France who else threatned in a few days to make the Terms much higher The other Princes though they very much resented this sudden Conclusion of a Peace at such disadvantage yet knowing their own inability were forced to be contented to make a separate Peace for themselves The King of England observing that he could not hinder it sent his Plenipotentiaries again to Nimegen to sign the General Treaty but in the interval some new pretences arising between the Spaniards and French the States General were very diligent to compose them the Transactions being seldom managed by them but in the presence of His Highness the Prince of Orange whose prudence was still consulted in matters of gre atest difficulty he himself discovering an extraordinary Generosity that while others preferr'd Points of Honour before the publick Peace His Highness quitted his own Interest in post-poning his demands for Reparation of the devastations in his own Estates and Territories so as not to impede the Tranquillity of his Countrey many of his Lands being ruined and destroyed in the Spanish Netherlands and other adjacent parts Of which and several other injustices in seizing upon His large possessions in other places though the Provinces of Guelderland Zealand and Utrecht made loud complaints against the French in his Highness behalf yet could the Prince obtain no satisfaction But the States and their Subjects being quite tired out out with the War the General Peace was signed in January 1678. And the English Mediators were called home by that King who was fully imployed at home about the matter of the Popish Plot which both Houses of Parliament and the generality of the Nation believed to be real though the King and some of the Court credited no more of it than what themselves were concerned in and the Prince of Orange at that time told a publick Minister That He had reason to be confident that the King was a Roman Catholick though he durst not profess it Thus Europe for the present was left in a General Peace though the French King soon after made such shameful pretences to the Dependancies upon his late Conquests both in Flandets and Germany that he gained more after the Peace than by his Arms in the War no Prince nor State being either willing or able to oppose him therein These disputes began in 1681 and continued some years at which time that King likewise began to raise a violent Persecution against his own Protestant Subjects proceeding from the Perfidiousness and ingratitude peculiar to Lewis the XIV For it is well known that for the signal Services which they performed to Henry IV. His Grand-Father in asserting the Rights of the Crown against the Papists who were then in rebellion against him that great Prince in acknowledgment thereof confirmed to them an Edict for the free exercise of their Religion which was called the Edict of Nants whereby they were to enjoy all Liberties and Priviledges both in Religious and Civil matters and to be as capable of all Offices and Imployments as his other Subjects This he declared should be inviolable and it was accordingly confirmed both by his Son Lewis XIII and likewise by the present King upon a very remarkable occasion For he being very Young when he ascended the Throne the Prince of Conde soon after raised a Civil War in the Kingdom against him but the Protestants by their unshaken Loyalty to him defeated the designs of his enemies and setled that Crown upon His Head which he wears this day of which eminent Service he seemed to be so sensible that in 1652. he made a publick Declaration of it at St. Germans and every one endeavoured to exceed in proclaiming the merits of the Protestants the Queen Mother her self acknowledging that they had preserved the State But since by the Maxims of the Roman Religion No Faith is to be kept with Hereticks the Jesuits and Ministers of State endeavoured to instil into the Kings mind this Treacherous Notion That since the Protestants were so potent to advance the King they might likewise upon another occasion remove him again from this infernal reasoning without their having given the least umbrage or suspition of disloyalty it was resolved they must be supprest and ruined Therefore so soon as the Kingdom was setled in Peace the Protestant Towns of Rochel Montauban c. Which had shewed the greatest Zeal for the Kings service were plundred by the Souldiers and otherwise impoverisht Then their Churches and Exercises of Religion were prohibited them under false pretences that they exceeded the Grants allowed them Yea in matters of Law Religion was urg'd by the Advocates at the instigation of the Priests so that they cryed out I plead against a Heretick an enemy to the State and to the Kings Religion whom he would have to be destroyed So that the Judge durst not do them justice for fear of being counted a Favourer of Hereticks and upon complaint they were told You have your remedy in your own hands why do not you turn Catholicks This was succeeded by Processes throughout the Kingdom to inquire what the Protestants had said or done for twenty years past about Religion or other matters and there being no
several open violations upon the Laws of the Land and the Properties of his Subjects Some time before his Highness returning from Hounsleyrdike to the Hague gave audience to several Forreign Ministers and parted thence to visit the Garrisons of Maestricht Boisleduck and other Places and in his return was met by the Princess at Loo having in his progress given all necessary Orders for the well governing and strengthning of those Places In December 1687. the Marquess de Albeville Envoy Extraordinary from the King of England had Audience of his Highness and the States of Holland and about the same time the States considering the danger that might arise from the great number of Forreign Popish Priests notwithstanding the intercession of the Envoy of the Emperor of Germany on their behalf they made a Decree commanding them to retire out of the Netherlands and never to return again promising a reward of 100 Ducatoons to any that should make discovery and laying a penalty of 600 Florins upon those that should harbour or conceal any of them for the first offence 1200 for the second and corporeal punishment for the third whereupon many of them went over into England where their hopes and expectations of having their Religion setled daily increased The King of England being unwilling to afford any assistance to the Heretical States against his dear Ally the French King published a Proclamation in March 1687. commanding the return of all Subjects then in the Service of the States General either by Sea or Land with no other Allegation but that the King thought it fit for his service The States raised some dispute with the Marquess de Albeville about this matter refusing to let them return into England insomuch that the Marquess soon after delivered in a Memorial to the States by express Orders from the King signifying That his Master was much surprized to find that their Lordships persisted in their Resolution in refusing leave to his Subjects to return into England and that whereas their Lordships alledged that there was nothing so agreeable to nature as that he who was born free should have the right and liberty to settle himself wherever he should think it most advantageous to him and that it was in his power to be Naturalized and become a Subject to them under whose Soveraignty he submits his Person and that the Government receiving him thereby acquire over him the same Right it has over its own proper and natural Subjects The Marquess replied That this pretended Natural Liberty could not subsist after Obedience and Dominion had been introduced so that the Rights of Soveraignty and Obedience were now only to be considered and that in virtue of those Rights it had been the common opinion in all times that no natural subject could withdraw himself from the Obedience he owed to his Lawful Prince from whence it was that the Kings of Great Britain had in all times prohibited their Subjects to ingage in any Forreign service and had recalled them from it when and as often as they thought fit The Marquess further instanced a Capitulation made between the Earl of Ossory and his Highness the Prince of Orange That in case the King of Great Britain should recal his Subjects in the Service of the States they should be permitted to retire by Virtue of which Capitulation and his Reasons alledged the Marquess demanded their dismission from which the King would never depart neither was he willing to doubt of their Lordships compliance with it But it seems few or none were willing for very few returned judging it may be that they might do more service where they were for the interest of their Countrey than in fighting at home against their own Countreymen and Fellow Protestants and as their unwillingness justified the resolution of the States General so it rendred the endeavours of the Marquess ineflectual For the States having disbanded them the greatest part listed themselves again under their Command as well Officers as Souldiers though the King had ordered the Masters and Captains of Ships and Vessels to give such as would return free passage with promise of advancement when they came to England In May 1688. The Prince Elector of Saxony was splendidly entertained by his Highness the Prince of Orange at Homslaer Dyke and the next day his Highness accompanied him to Scheveling where they went on board a small Vessel that carried them to a squadron of 17 Men of War which arrived from Schonvelt under the command of Vice Admiral Allemond who upon their approach sent two light Frigats and a Shallop to meet them and they were saluted with the Cannon of all the Ships when having dined aboard the Vice-Admiral they returned to Scheveling and from thence his Electoral Highness went to visit Delft Rotterdam Dort Maestricht Leige Aix and Cologne and so returned home by the way of Franckfort About which time the Envoy of Brandenburg acquainted the Prince of Orange and the States with the Death of the Elector his Master a Prince extream firm to the Protestant Interest and whose Death was much regretted by the Protestant Princes and States The Prince and States sending a Gentleman with Complements of Condoleance to his Son and Successor The King of England having obtained the opinion of his Judges for the Dispensing Power soon made use of it For first he employ'd Popish Officers and put them into chief Command the Earl of Clarendon being recalled from the Government of Ireland and the Earl of Tyrconnel a Papist sent to succeed him to the great terror of the Protestants of that Kingdom The Earl of Castlemain was sent Ambassador to Rome An Army was raised and Mustred at Hunslow Heath The Lord Bishop of London was convented before a New and Illegal Court of Judicature for Ecclesiastical Affairs and suspended from his Office for refusing to suspend the Reverend Dr. Sharp under pretence that he had uttered seditious words in his Sermons Then a Declaration is published for Liberty of Conscience and suspending all the Penal Laws in matters of Religion and acquitting all Persons from taking the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy both in England Scotland and Ireland The Popes Nuncio arrived in England being received with much respect by the King and Dined with the King and the Lord Maver at Guild-hall Popish Chappels were erected in several places in London and other Cities and Towns in England The Charters of several Corporations that were yet unseized were now taken away These and divers other Illegal proceedings put the Nation into a ferment and they were inraged at the Authors of them Nay they do not stop here for after this the King again renewed his Declaration for Liberty of Conscience with a peremptory Order to command all the Clergy to read it in their several Churches and Chappels throughout the Kingdom and that the Bishops should distribute them through their several Diocesses But the rigorous proceedings against the Lord Bishop of London the last year
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
lay such Motives and Arguments before him as by the Blessing of God might bring him back to the Communion of the Church of England into whose Catholick Faith he had been Baptized Not long after the Lords Spiritual and Temporal presented the King the following Petition VVE your Majesties most Loyal Subjects in a deep Sence of the Miseries of a War now breaking forth in the Bowels of this your Kingdom and of the Danger to which your Majesties Sacred Person is thereby like to be Exposed and also of the Distractions of your People by Reason of their present Grievances do think our selves bound in Conscience of the Duty we owe to God and our Holy Religion to your Majesty and our Countrey most humbly to offer to your Majesty That in our Opinion the only visible way to preserve your Majesty and this your Kingdom would be the Calling of a Parliament Regular and Free in all its Circumstances We therefore do most earnestly beseech your Majesty that you would be graciously pleased with all speed to Call such a Parliament wherein we shall be most ready to promote such Counsels and Resolutions of Peace and Settlement in Church and State as may conduce to your Majesty's Honour and Safety and to the quieting the Minds of your People We do likewise Humbly beseech your Majesty in the mean time to use such means for the preventing the Effusion of Christian Blood as to your Majesty shall seem most meet And your Petitioners shall ever Pray c. W. Cant. Grafton Ormond Dorset Clare Clarendon Burlington Anglesey Rochester Newport Nom. Ebor. W. Asaph Fran. Ely Tho. Roffen Th. Petriburg T. Oxon. Paget Chandois Osulston Presented by the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Arch-Bishop of York Elect the Bishop of Ely and the Bishop of Rochester the 17th of November 1688. To which the King returned the following Answer My Lords VVHat You ask of Me I most passionately desire And I Promise You UPON THE FAITH OF A KING That I will have a Parliament and such an One as You ask for as soon as ever the Prince of Orange has Quitted this Realm For How is it possible a Parliament should be Free in all its Circumstances as You Petition for whilst an Enemy is in the Kingdom and can make a Return of near an Hundred Voices His Highness lay some days at Exeter expecting that such Gentlemen as resided nearest his Court should have come to him sooner than those at a Distance but finding something of an unexpected slowness he could not forbear to signifie some little Resentment to some of the Principal Gentlemen of Somersetshire and Devonshire that came to join him Nov. 15. 1688. in the following Speech THo' we know not all your Persons yet we have a Catalogue of your Names and remember the Character of your Worth and Interest in your Countrey You see we are come according to your Invitation and our Promise Our Duty to God obliges us to Protect the Protestant Religion and our Love to Mankind your Liberties and Properties We expected you that dwels so near the Place of our Landing would have join'd us sooner not that it is now too late nor that we want your Military Assistance so much as your Countenance and Presence to justifie our Declar'd Pretensions rather than accomplish our good and gracious Designs Tho' we have brought both a good Fleet and a good Army to render these Kingdoms Happy by Rescuing all Protestants from Popery Slavery and Arbitrary Power by Restoring them to their Rights and Properties Established by Law and by Promoting of Peace and Trade which is the Soul of Government and the very Life-Blood of a Nation yet we rely more on the Goodness of God and the Justice of our Cause than on any Humane Force and Power whatever Yet since God is pleased we shall make use of Humane means and not expect Miracles for our Preservation and Happiness Let us not neglect making use of this Gracious Opportunity but with Prudence and Courage put in Execution our so honourable purposes Therefore Gentlemen Friends and Fellow-Protestants we bid you and all your Followers most heartily Welcome to our Court and Camp Let the whole World now Judge if our Pretentions are not Just Generous Sincere and above Price since we might have even a Bridge of Gold to Return back But it is our Principle and Resolution rather to die in a Good Cause than live in a Bad one well knowing That Virtue and True Honour is its own Reward and the Happiness of Mankind our Great and Only Design But quickly after his Highness found the English Nobility and Gentry no less faithful to him than he had been to them and that His several Declarations had the wished Effect the Lord Wharton and the Lord Colchester with a strong Party marched through Oxford to his Highnesses Camp without Opposition The Lord Lovelace with another Party out of Oxfordshire got as far as Cirencester but were opposed and himself taken Prisoner by the County Militia yet his whole Party except four or five that were slain or maimed in the Skirmish broke there way through and his Lordship was soon after released out of Glocester Prison by a Young Gentleman of that County who took up arms for the Prince and drove out all the Popish Crâ—â—â— that were setled in that City the Lord Delamere having raised a Considerable Force in Cheshire advanced to Nottingham to join the Gentlemen of that County who were ready to receive him And Nov. 22. at the Rendezvous there the following Declaration was publisht VVE the Nobility Gentry and Commonalty of these Northern Counties Assembled together at Nottingham for the defence of the Laws Religion and Properties according to those Free-born Liberties and Priviledges descended to us from our Ancestors as the undoubted Birth-right of the Subjects of this Kingdom of England not doubting but the Infringers and Invaders of our Rights will represent us to the rest of the Nation in the most malicious dress they can put upon us do here unanimously think it our Duty to declare to the rest of our Protestant Fellow-Subjects the Grounds of our present Undertaking We are by innumerable Grievances made sensible that the very Fundamentals of our Religion Liberties and Properties are about to be rooted out by our late Jesuitical Privy-Council as hath been of late too apparent 1. By the Kings Dispensing with all the Establisht Laws at his Pleasure 2. By displacing all Officers out of all Offices of Trust and Advantage and placing others in their room that are known Papists deservedly made incapable by the Establisht Laws of our Land 3. By destroying the Charters of most Corporations in the Land 4. By discouraging all Persons that are not Papists preferring such as turn to Popery 5. By displacing all honest and conscientious Judges unless they would contrary to their Consciences declare that to be Law which was meerly Arbitrary 6. By branding all men with the Name of Rebels that but
offered to justifie the Laws in a legal Course against the Arbitrary Proceedings of the King or any of his corrupt Ministers 7. By Burthening the Nation with an Army to maintain the Violation of the Rights of the Subjects 8. By discountenancing the Establisht Reform'd Religion 9. By forbidding the Subjects the Benefit of Petitioning and Construing them Libellers so rendring the Laws a Nose of Wax to serve their Arbitrary Ends. And many more such like too long here to enumerate We being thus made sadly sensible of the Arbitrary and Tyrannical Government that is by the Influence of Jesuitical Councels coming upon us do unanimously declare That not being willing to deliver our Posterity over to such a Condition of Popery and Slavery as the aforesaid Oppressions inevitably threaten we will to the utmost of our Power oppose the same by joining with the Prince of Orange whom we Hope God Almighty hath sent to rescue us from the Oppressions aforesaid will use our utmost Endeavours for the recovery of our almost ruin'd Laws Liberties and Religion and herein we Hope all good Protestant Subjects will with their Lives and Fortunes be assistant to us and not be bugbear'd with the Opprobrious Terms of Rebels by which they would fright us to become perfect Slaves to their Tyrannical Insolencies and Usurpations for we assure our selves that no rational and unbyassed Person will Judge it Rebellion to defend our Laws and Religion which all our Princes have Sworn at their Coronations which Oath how well it hath been observed of late we desire a Free Parliament may have the Consideration of We own it Rebellion to resist a King that governs by Law but he was always accounted a Tyrant that made his Will the Law and to resist such an one we justly esteem no Rebellion but a necessary Defence and in this Consideration we doubt not of all Honest Mens Assistance and humbly hope for and implore the great God's Protection that turneth the Hearts of his People as pleaseth him best it having been observed That People can never be of one Mind without his Inspiration which hath in all Ages Confirmed that Observation Vox Populi est Vox Dei The present restoring of Charters and reversing the oppressing and unjust Judgment given on Magdalen Colledge Fellows is plain are but to still the People liâ—e Plums to Children by deceiving them for a while but it they shall by this Stratagem be fooled till this present storm that threatens the Papists he past affoon as they shall be resetled the former Oppression will be put on with greater vigour but we hope in vain is the Neâ— spread in the sight of the Birds For 1. The Papists old Rule is That Faith is not to be kept with Hereticks as they term Protestants tho' the Popish Religion is the greatest Heresie And 2. Queen Mary's so ill observing her Promises to the Suffolk-men that helpt her to her Throne And above all 3 The Popes Dispensing with the breach of Oaths Treaties or Promises at his Pleasure when it makes for the Service of Holy Church as they term it These we say are such convincing Reasâ—ns to hinder us from giving Credit to the aforesaid Mock-Shews of Redress that we think our selves bound in Conscience to rest on no Security that shall not be approved by a freely Elected Parliament to whom under God we refer our Cause The Lord Delamere being assured of the Resolution and Couragious Zeal of all his Followers continued a while in those Parts to watch the Morions of the Papists in Lancashire who began to take Arms under the Lord Molineux and for a time assisted to Guard Chester for the King but upon the surprizal of that Garrison for the Prince were soon after beaten or rather run away out of the Town and disbanded of themselves In the North the Earl of Danby the Lord Fairfax and other Persons of Quality seized upon the City of York and turned out the Lord Mayor and other Magistrates that were Papists or ill-affected Collonel Copley the Deputy Governour of Hull seized upon all the Guards of that Garrison and with the Assistance of some of the Townsmen and some Seamen made the Lord Langdale the Governour and the Lord Montgomery the Marquess of Powis his Sons Prisoners till he had secured the Citadel wherein was a plentiful Magazine of Powder and all sorts of Provisions with a Train of Artillery ready fixed to be drawn out into the Field Plymouth also with the Earl of Huntington and all the Popish Officers and Souldiers was seized by the Earl of Bath for his Highness and at the same time all the chief Sea-Port Towns in Cornwal declared for the Prince so that there was no Enemy behind him to disturb the Râ—re of his advancing Army But the King being as yet in hopes to force his way through all the great Opposition made him by the whole Kingdom having sent his Army before to Salisbury goes thither to them yet before he went he thought it requisite to provide for the Safety of the pretended Prince of Wales and not daring to trust to the Validity of the forementioned Affidavits for more Security he sent him away with a strong Guard to Portsmouth that if things went ill he should be conveyed over to France when the King came to Salisbury he began to bleed at the Nose and was observed to continue bleeding for some time which seened at that time Ominous to him But in the midst of these sarprizes more ill News arrives to increase his Astonishment for besides the Lord Cornbury who had carried off a consideraâ—â—â— Party of Horse to the Prince some time before several other Regiments of Foot had now Deserted and were gone the same way upon His arrival near to Salisbury he was met by the Duke of Berwick the Earl of Feversham and several other Officers on Horseback and by them attended to the Gates of the Town being met by the Mayor and Aldermen in their Formalities and Conducted to the Bishops Pallace but these flatteâ—ing appearances soon vanisht He quickly perceiving that his English Forces were generally dissatisfied and seem'd unwilling to engage in Civil Bloodshed against their own Countreymen and of their own Religion which was to Fight with their Bodies against their Consciences and likewise discovered the Discontents of the People who supplied the Machels very sparingly for his Army so that not judging himself safe among them and upon a false Alarm that Marshal Schomberg was within thirty or twenty Miles of him he returned back in all haste to Windsor and from thence to London being extreamly discouraged that Prince George and the Lord Churchil were gone both to the Prince and that the Princess Ann of Denmark was also retired from the Court The Prince of Denmark and the Lord Churchil left each of them the following Letters behind them directed to the King SIR with a Heart full of Grief am I forced to write that Prudence will not permit me
sides the Irish Dragoons bearing the Brunt of the Encounter and though the Scotch Horse in small Detached Bodies made some Fire yet they were over-poured driven out of Town and obliged to Retreat to Twyford-Bridge and at length many of the Kings Party Deserted and the rest were Constrained to quit the Pass and make the best of their Retreat there being about thirty killed and several wounded in this Skirmish Upon this ill Success and the King having no Considerable Forces left the Day before his going away he sent a Letter to his General the Earl of Feversham to this Effect That things being come to that Extremity that he had been forced to send away the Queen and his Son the Prince of Wales lest they should fall into his Enemies Hands He was resolved to secure himself the best he could that if he could have relyed on all his Troops he was resolved to have had at least one Blow for it But that his Lordship knew that both his Lordship and several of the General Officers of the Army had told him that it was not safe to venture himself at the Head of his Troops or to think to fight the Prince of Orange with them and therefore it only remained for him to thank those Officers and Souldiers that had been truly Loyal to him not expecting they sheuld farther expose themselves in resisting a Foreign Enemy and a Poysoned Nation In pursuance of this Letter the Earl of Feversham sent another to his Highness the Prince of Orange to let him understand That he had received a Letter from the King with the unfortunate News of his Resolution to go out of England and he was actually gone with Orders to make no Opposition against any Body which he thought Convenient to let his Highness know so soon as it was possible to hinder the effusion of Blood having already given Order to that purpose to all the Troops under his Command which would be the last Order they should receive from him c. The Kings Departure being publickly known the Multitude got together in divers places as is usual in such Disturbances and Dissolutions of Government Spoiling and Demolishing the new erected Mass-Houses and Chappels pulling down Burning and Destroying all before them they pluckt down the New Convent for Monks at St. John's which had been two years in Building at vast Expence and burnt the greatest part of the Timber and Materials in Smithfield having before Seized upon the Goods as they were Removing and burnt them in Holborn they likewise Defaced the Chappels in Limestreet and Lincolns Inn Fields with that of the Spanish Ambassadors at Wild-House where some common Thieves mixing with the more harmless Boys they got great store of Plunder in Plate Money and Rich Goods They likewise committed Violences at the Lodgings of the Resident of the Duke of Florence and much Defaced the Dwelling-Houses of several Eminent Papists who were fled for fear of being Secured and though the Magistrates Laboured to quiet these Tumults and Disorders Yet they found their Authority too weak till the Mobile had in some measure vented their Rage they being grown so Numerous that neither the Watches nor Trained Bands thought it safe to oppose their Fury Therefore for Redress of these Mischiefs the Lords Spiritual and Temporal then in Town Repaired to Guild-Hall and sending for Colonel Skelton then Lieutenant of the Tower Demanded the Keys which being by him readily Resigned they committed the Charge of that Important Place to the Lord Lucas a Person of known Honour and Integrity to his Country Nor were they less Active in Suppressing those Lawless Rioters So that in a short time they were all Dispersed and Quelled and some of the Principal committed to Prison and then taking into Consideration the Great and Dangerous Conjuncture of the Time in regard of the Kings having withdrawn himself they drew up a Declaration to this Effect That they did Reasonably hope that the King having Issued out his Proclamation and Writs for Calling a Free Parliament they might have rested securely under the Expectation of that Meeting but that the King having withdrawn himself as they apprehended in Order to his Departure out of the Kingdom by the Pernicious Councils of Persons ill Affected to the Nation they cannot without being wanting to their Duty be silent under the Calamities wherein the Popish Councils which have so long prevailed had miserably involved them and therefore unanimously resolved to apply themselves to his Highness the Prince of Orange who with so great Kindness to these Kingdoms so vast Expence and so much Hazard to his own Person had undertaken by endeavouring to procure a Free Parliament to Rescue them with as little Effusion of Christian Blood as possible from the Imminent Dangers of Popery and Slavery Declaring further that they would with their utmost Endeavours Assist his Highness in the Obtaining of such a Parliament with all Speed wherein their Laws Liberties and Properties might be secured the Church of England in particular with a due Liberty to Protestant Dissenters and in General the Protestant Religion and Interest over the whole World might be Supported and Encouraged to the Glory of God the Happiness of the Established Government and the Advantage of all Princes and States in Christendom that may be therein Concerned This was Signed by the Archbishops of York and Canterbury 22 Temporal Lords and 5 Bishops and the Earl of Pembroke Lord Weymouth Lord Bishop of Ely and the Dord Culpeper were Ordered to Attend his Highness with the said Declaration at Henley upon Thames the same Day the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Common Council Assembled in the same place and Drew up an Humble Address to be Presented to his Highness in their Names on the behalf of the City of like Effect with the Declaration four Aldermen being appointed to Wait upon the Prince therewith and the Lieutenancy of London meeting that Day also Drew up an Address to his Highness on the behalf of themselves and the rest of the Militia to the like purpose which were accordingly Presented to the Prince and very favourably Received Imploring his Highness Protection and beseeching him to Repair to the City where he would be received with Universal Satisfaction The next day the Tumults being somewhat allayed search was made in divers places for such as were fled from Justice and among others to the great Rejoicing of the People the Lord Chancellor Jeffery's was taken in an obscure House at Wapping Disguised like a Saylor and endeavouring to make his Escape in a Vessel that lay there for Hamburg who being brought before the Lord Mayor with a Numerous and inraged Guard of Attendants his Lordship was suddenly Seized with such a frightful Indisposition that he was incapable of examining the Matter So that the Chancellor was carryed to the Tower by his own Consent to preserve himself from the Fury of the Rabble Dec. 14. His Highness by easy Marches came to Windsor where
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
full Redress and Remedy therein Having therefore an intire Confidence That his said Highness the Prince of Orange will perfect the Deliverance so far advanced by him and will still preserve them from the Violation of their Rights which they have here Asserted and from all other Attempts upon their Religion Rights and Liberties the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons Assembled at Westminster do Resolve That William and Mary Prince and Princess of Orange be and be Declared King and Queen of England France and Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging to hold the Crown and Royal Dignity of the said Kingdoms and Dominions ' to them the said Prince and Princess during their Lives and the Life of the Survivor of them And that the sole and full Exercise of the Regal Power be only in and executed by the said Prince of Orange in the Names of the said Prince and Princess during their joint Lives And after their Deceases the said Crown and Royal Dignity of the said Kingdoms and Dominions to be to the Heirs of the Body of the said Princess And for default of such Issue to the Princess Ann of Denmark and the Heirs of Her Body and for default of such Issue to the Heirs of the Body of the said Prince of Orange And the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons do pray the said Prince and Princess to accept the same accordingly And that the Oaths hereafter mentioned be taken by all Persons of whom the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy might be required by Law instead of them And that the said Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy be Abrogated I A. B. Do sincerely Promise and Swear That I will be Faithful and bear true Allegiance to Their Majesties King WILLIAM and Queen MARY So help me God I A. B. Do Swear That I do from my Heart Abhor Detest and Abjure as impious and Heretical this damnable Doctrine and Position That Princes Excommunicated or Deprived by the Pope or any Authority of the See of Rome may be Deposed or Murdered by their Subjects or any other whatsoever And I do Declare That no Foreign Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to have any Jurisdiction Power Superiority Preeminence or Authority Ecclesiastical or Spiritual within this Realm So help me God This Declaration being Presented to their Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Orange in the Banqueting House at White-Hall on Wednesday Feb. 13. 1688. and their Consent thereunto Received they were both the same Day Proclaimed King and Queen of England France and Ireland c. at White-Hall Gate Temple-Bar and the Royal Exchange many of the Lords and Commons attending and the People proclaiming their Joys by Repeated Shouts and Acclamations The Tenor of the Proclamation was as followeth Whereas it hath pleased Almighty God in his great Mercy to this Kingdom to vouchsafe us a Miraculous Deliverance from Popery and Arbitrary Power and that our Preservation is due next under God to the Resolution and Conduct of his Highness the Prince of Orange whom God hath chosen to be the Glorious Instrument of such an Inestimable Happiness to us and our Posterity And being highly Sensible and fully perswaded of the Great and Eminent Virtues of Her Highness the Princess of Orange whose Zeal for the Protestant Religion will no doubt bring a Blessing along with her upon this Nation and where as the Lords and Commons now Assembled at Westminster have made a Declaration and presented the same to the said Prince and Princess of Oranâ—e and therein desired them to accept the Crown who have accepted the same accordingly We therefore the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons together with the Lord Mayor and Citizens of London and others of the Commons of this Reaim do with full Consent Publish and Proclaim according to the said Declaration William and Mary Prince and Princess of Orange to be King and Queen of England France and Ireland with all the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging who are accordingly so to be owned Deemed and taken by all the People of the afore said Realms and Dominions who are from hence forward bound to acknowledge and pay unto them all Faith and True Allegiance Beseeching God by whom Kings Reign to Bless King William and Queen Mary with long and Happy Years to Reign over us God Save King William and Queen Mary John Brown Clericus Parliamentorum It is Reported that his Majesty should thus generously express himself upon this Occasion That though the Regulations seem'd somewhat harsh they were easy to him that desired only to be a great King But in respect to one that Aim'd to be a Tyrant they were not strict enough Having thus brought their Majesty to the Throne let us make a few Remarks upon this Wonderful and Unparallel'd Revolution and so conclude the History of the House of Orange Had a Prince of less Secresie Prudence Courage and Interest undertaken this mighty Affair it might probably have miscarryed but as his Cause was better so his Reputation Conduct and Patience infinitely exceeded that of King James He would not stir till he saw the French Forces sit down before Philipsburg and that he was sure France and Germany were irrecoverably ingaged and that he should have no other Opposition than what the Irish and English Roman Catholicks could make against him For no English Protestant would fight his Country into Vassalage and Slavery to Popish Priests and Italian Women when a Parliament sooner or later must have Determined every thing in Controversy except they were Resolved once for all to have given up their Religion Laws Liberties and Estates to the Will of their Arbitrary Kings and submitted for ever to a French Government and indeed a Nation of less Sense than the English might have been imposed upon Of less Bravery and Valour might have been frighted Of a more Servile Temper might have neglected their Liberties till it had been too late to recover them again And none but a parcel of Jesuits unacquainted with their Temper and Constitution would ever have hoped to have carryed two such things as Popery and Arbitrary Power both at once upon a People so Jealous as the English are and who hate Idolatry and Tyranny above any Nation in the World As for King James II. had he undertaken any thing but these two his vast Revenue his Reputed Personal Valour and the Fame he had gained both at Home and Abroad by the Defeat of Monmouths Invasion would have gone near to have effected it And after all if he had in the beginning of October freely granted all the Proposals made him by the Nobility and suffered a Parliament to have met and given up his Evil Ministers to Justice and permitted the Birth of the pretended Prince of Wales to have been freely Debated and Determined in Parliament it would in all probability have prevented this Expedition of the Prince of Orange But whilst he thought to preserve the pretended Succession the
willing to assist them in every thing that concerns the Well and Interest of that Kingdom by making what Laws shall be necessary for the Security of their Religion Property and Liberty and to ease them of what may be justly grievous to them After which the Coronation Oath was tendered to Their Majesties which the Earl of Argile spoke word by word distinctly and the King and Queen repeated it after him holding their Right Hands up after the manner of taking Oaths in Scotland The Meeting of the Estates of Scotland did Authorise their Commissioners to represent to his Majesty That that Clause in the Oath in relation to the rooting out of Hereticks did not import the destroying of Hereticks and that by the Law of Scotland no Man was to be Persecuted for his private Opinion and even Obstinate and Convicted Hereticks were only to be Denounced Rebels or Outlawed whereby their Moveable Estates are Confiscated His Majesty at the repeating that Clause in the Oath did declare That he did not mean by these words that he was under any Obligation to become a Persecutor To which the Commissioners made answer That neither the meaning of the Oath or the Law of Scotland did import it Then the King Replyed that he took the Oath in that Sense and called for Witnesses the Commissioners and others present and theâ— both their Majesties Signed the said Coronation Oath After which the Commissioners and several of the Scotch Nobility Kissed their Majesties Hands The Parliament in England proceeded to enact many Laws for the ease of the People and Security of the Kingdom One for taking away the Revenue arising from the Hearth-Money by his Majesties own desire who willingly resigned up his Right therein because it was found grievous to the People though it occasioned a great Diminution to the Revenue of the Crown another Act was passed for exempting their Majesties Protestant Subjects Dissenting from the Church of England from the Penaltier of certain Laws another for Abrogating the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance and appointing other Oaths another for Prohibiting all Trade and Commerce with France with divers more and about the same time the House of Commons presented His Majesty the following Address We your Majesties most Loyal and Dutiful Subjects the Commons in Parliament Assembled most Humbly lay before your Majesty our earnest Desires that your Majesty would be pleased to take into your most Serious Consideration the Destructive Methods taken of late years by the French King against the Trade Quiet and Interest of your Kingdom and particularly the present Invasion of your Kingdom of Ireland and Supporting your Majesty Rebellious Subjects and we not doubting in the least but through your Majesties Wisdom the Alliances already made as well as those that may be hereafter concluded on this occasion by your Majesty may be effectual to Reduce the French King to such a Condition that it may not be in his Power hereafter to violate the Peace of Christendom nor prejudice the Trade and Prosperity of this your Majesties Kingdom To this end we most humbly beseech your Majesty to rest assured upon this our Hearty and Solemn Promise and Ingagement That when your Majesty shall think fit to enter into a War with the French King we will give your Majesty such Assistance in a Parliamentary way as may enable your Majesty under the Protection and Blessing that Almighty God has ever afforded you to support and go through with the same To this Request and Resolution of the House of Commons which was so graceful to the Nation in general his Majesty was pleased to return this Answer Gentlemen I receive this Address as a Mark of the Confidence you have in me which I take very kindly and shall endeavour by all my Actions to Confirm you in it I assure you that my own Ambition shall never be an Argument to incline me to ingage in a War that may expose the Nation either to Danger or Expence but in the present Case I look upon the War so much already declared in effect by France against England that it is not so much an Act of Choice as an inevitable necessity in our own Defence I shall only tell you that as I have ventured my Life and all that is Dear to me to rescue the Nation from what it suffered so I am ready still to do the same in order to the preserving it from all its Enemies and as I doubt not of such an Assistance from you as shall be Suitable to your Advice to me to Declare War against a powerful Enemy so you may Rely upon me that no part of that which you shall give for the carrying it on with Success shall by me be Diverted to any other use Soon after a Declaration of War was published against France and the Reasons thereof Namely The unjust Methods of the French King these late years to gratifie his Ambition by Invading the Territories of the Empire now in Amity with us and in manifest Violation of the Treaties Confirmed by the Guaranty of the Crown of England His Majesty therefore can do no less than joyn with his Allies in Opposing that Kings Designs as the Disturber of the Peace and the Common Enemy of the Christian World Likewise the many Injuries done to his Majesty and his Subjects are a sufficient Justification for their taking Arms since they have called upon his Majesty so to do and though no notice has been taken nor Reparation demanded of late years for Reasons well known to the World yet his Majesty will not pass them over without a publick and just Resentment of such Outrages Also the Incroachments and Invasions of the French on our Trade and Fishing of Newfound Land and their Hostilities upon the Charibbee Islands New York and Hudsons-Bay Seizing the Forts burning the Houses Robbing the English of their Goods imprisoning some inhumanly killing others and driving the rest to Sea in a small Vessel without Food or Necessaries and this even at a time when that King was Negotiating a Treaty in England of Neutrality and good Correspondence in America also his Countenancing the Seizure of English Ships by French Privateers His Disputing the Right of the Flag in the Narrow Seas which in all Ages has been asserted by his Majesties Predecessors and which he is resolved to maintain for the Honour of the Crown and of the English Nation And that which most nearly touches his Majesty is His Unchristian Persecution of many English Protestants in France contrary to the Law of Nations and express Treaties forcing them to abjure their Religion by strange and unusual Cruelties imprisoning some English Masters and Seamen and Condemning other to the Gallies upon pretence of having on Board either the Persons or Goods of some of his own Miserable Protestant Subjects Lastly as he has for some years past endeavoured by Insinuation and Promises of Assistance to overthrow the Government of England so now by Open and Violent Methods
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
to their Majesties then called and known by the Names and Stile of William and Mary Prince and Princess of Orange being present in their proper Persons a certain Declaration in writing made by the said Lords and Commons Of which you have already an account Upon which their said Majesties did accept the Crown and Royal Dignity of these Kingdoms according to the Resolution and desire of the said Lords and Commons contained in the said Declaration and thereupon their Majesties were pleased that the Lords and Commons being the two Houses of Parliament should continue to sit and with their Royal Concurrence to make effectual Provision for the settlement of the Religion Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom so that the same for the Future might not be in danger again of being subverted Now in pursuance of the Premisses the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in Parliament Assembled for the Ratifying Confirming and Establishing the said Declaration and the Articles Clauses Matters and Things therein contained by the Force of a Law made in due Form by Authority of Parliament do pray that it may be Declared and Enacted That all and Singular the Rights and Liberties Asserted and Claimed in the said Declaration are the true Ancient and Indubitable Rights and Liberties of the People of this Kingdom and so shall be esteemed allowed adjudged deemed and taken to be and that all and every the particulars aforesaid shall be firmly and strictly holden and observed as they are expressed in the said Declaration and all Officers and Ministers whatsoever shall serve their Majesties and their Successors according to the same in all times to come and do further declare that King James II. having Abdicated the Government and their Majesties having accepted the Crown and Royal Dignity as aforesaid did become were are and of Right ought to be by the Laws of this Realm our Soveraign Leige Lord and Lady King and Queen of England France and Ireland c. And for preventing all Questions and Divisions by Reason of any pretended Titles to the Crown and to preserve a certainty in the Succession the Lords and Commons beseech their Majesties that it may be Enacted Established and Declared that the Crown and Royal Dignity shall be and continue in their Majesties during their Lives and the Life of the Survivor of them and after their Deceases to the Heirs of Her Majesty and in default of Issue to the Princess Ann of Denmark and her Heirs and for default of such Issue to the Heirs of the Body of His Majesty and that the Parhament in the Name of the People will submit themselves and their Heirs and Posterities for ever and stand by Maintain and Defend this Limitation and Succession of the Crown to the utmost of their Powers with their Lives and Estates against all that shall attempt any thing to the contrary and whereas it hath been found by Experience that it is inconsistent with the Safety and Welfare of this Protestant Kingdom to be governed by a Popish Prince or by any King or Queen Marrying a Papist they do further pray that it may be enacted that all Persons that are or shall be reconciled to or hold Communion with the See of Rome or shall profess the Popish Religion or shall Marry a Papist shall be Excluded and be for ever uncapable to possess inherit or enjoy the Crown and Dignity of this Kingdom or Ireland c. And that in all such Cases the People are absolved from their Allegiance and the Crown shall descend to the next Heir being a Protestant as should have inherited and enjoyed the same as if the Person so reconciled or marrying were naturally dead and that every King and Queen that shall succeed hereafter shall on the first day of the meeting of their first Parliament sitting on the Throne in the House of Peers in the Presence of the Lords and Commons or at their Coronation which shall first happen audibly repeat the Declaration in the Statute of the 30 King Charles II. Intituled an Act for the more effectual preserving the Kings Person and Government c. But if such King and Queen shall be under the Age of Twelve years then to perform the same the first Parliament after that Age all which are by their Majesties by and with the Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons declared Enacted and Established to stand remain and be the Law of this Realm for ever About this time the Queen of Spain was Convoyed by a Squadron of English Men of War from Holland to the Groin in Spain Feb. 6. The Parliament was Dissolved and another summoned to appear at Westminster March 20. following who accordingly met and confirmed all the Acts of the Preceding Parliament passing many others both for raising Money for carrying on the present War and for the Benefit of the People in Scotland some attempts were made by the Rebels for in May 1690 the Colonels Bucan and Cannon being with 2000 men which they expected to be 4000 in a few days at their Rendevous at Stratspey Sir Thomas Levingstone upon notice thereof Marched toward them with his Forces and surprizing them in the Night in their Camp killed 400 and took 100 prisoners most Gentlemen and Officers Bucan and Cannon hardly escaping upon which the Castle of Lethindy in which the Enemy had a Garrison under Colonel Bucan's Nephew surrendered at Discretion in which was found store of Arms and Ammunition with 400 Bolls of Meal and the Standard designed to have been set up by the late King James and yet in this whole Action it was very remarkable that the English lost not one man and had only four or five wounded In Ireland Affairs proceeded very successfully for May 11 the strong Garrison of Charlemont surrendered upon Articles the Governor Teage of Regan and the Irish about 800 strong havingal most consumed all their Provisions marched out leaving a good quantity of Ammunition 17 Brass Cannon and two Mortars the King now resolved if possible to make a sudden Feduction of Ireland that it might no longer be a Diversion from his attacking the French vigorously in Flanders and in pursuit of this â—agnanimous design his Majesty concluded to go thither in Person by his Presence and Conduct to facilitate the same and accordingly June 4 1690 with a splendid Equipage parted from Whitehall and coming to Chester Embâ—â—â—ed on the Fleet attending him and June 14 landed at Carickfergus being received by Duke Schomberg the army and all the Protestants with general Joy and loud Acclamations and from thence His Majesty marched with his Forces in two bodies and incamped at Dundalk intending to go for Dublin or else oblige the Enemy to a battle which the late King James was aware of and therefore with his Army which consisted of about thirty-six thousand Irish and French besides 15000 in Garrisons He marched from Dublin towards Drogheda but seemed to distrust his success for to provide for the
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
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