with him But when they came to one of the Gates it was shut against them Upon which the Lord Mordant commanded the Porter on pain of Death to open the Gate Which being open his Lordship commanded him on the same Pain not to shut it again My Lord and the Doctor went to the Mayor to Know if he would meet the Prince at the Gate and govern the City under Him VVhich he excused telling him he was under the Obligation of an Oath to His Majesty and therefore desired the Prince would lay no Commands on him contrary to his Conscience Thus after some Debate of the Matter they parted whilst the Forces kept coming to Town The next Day being Friday Nov. 9th the Prince came into Exeter attended besides his Gards with a brave Train of Nobles Knights and Gentlemen Upon the Road he met with Multitudes of People who welcomed His Highness with their Shouts and Huzza's The same was done at Exeter where the Streets were thronged on each side the Windows beautified and full of joyful Spectators Being come to the Dean's House where He kept his Court He took some Refreshment and then was pleas'd to go and render Thanks to God in the Cathedral Church for his â—â—se Arrival VVhere being sat in the Bishops Seat then Absent the Quire began and Sung Te Deum and after the Collects were ended Dr. Burnet Read the Prince's Declaration Dr. Lamplugh then Bishop of this Diocess was fled to London upon the Prince's Landing at Torbay VVhere having waited upon the King at White-Hall His Majesty was pleased to reward this piece of his Loyalty by Translating him to the Archbishoprick of York which had been a long time Vacant The main Body of the Army marched in the mean time the Horse to the Neighbouring Parishes and the Foot to Clist-Heath where they Incamped Both Horse and Foot look'd very much Disabled and Weather beaten what with the Sea and what with their March hither through bad Ways and in Rainy Weather Their Hâ—râ—â—s were for the most part to Weak that they could scarce stâ—â—d upon their Legs So that if the K ng's Forces had been read at hanâ— it might have gone very hard in case o a Fight with he Prince's Army But it pleased God so to order it that while the King expected the Prince in the North the Prince gave him the Goâ—by and took his Course a grâ—at way to the West that being upon his Landing at a good distance from His Majesties Forces He might have time to Refresh His own before they could come to Action The Prince therefore thought fit to stay a while at Exeter but this was not the only Reason Not a Person of Quality and Interest in those Parts besides Sir William Courtney had joyned Him hitherto which His Highness did much wonder at Only on the Monday Nov. 12 one Captain Burrington came and offered him his Service who was accordingly very kindly received by His Highness But two Days after several noted Gentlemen of Dorset-Shire and Somersetshire came in to Joyn the Prince and waited on His Highness Thursday Nov. 15 To whom He spoke after this manner Gentlemen The Princes Speech to the Gentry that came to Joyn him at Exeter 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 Country You see We are come according to your Invitation and our Promise Our Duty to God obliges Vs to Protect the Protestant Religion and Our Love to Mankind your Liberties and Properties We expected you that dwell so near the Place of our Landing would have Joyned us sooner Not that it is now too late nor that we want your Military Assistance so much as your Countenance and Presence to justify our declared Pretensions in order to accomplish our good and gracious Design 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 Life of the Nation yet we rely more on the goodness of God and the Justice of our Cause than on any humane Force and Power whatever But since God is pleased that we should 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 Gentlement 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 Pretensions 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 Virtue and true Honour being its own Reward and the Happiness of Mankind our great and only Design Both the Clergy and Gentry of this County were uneasy for fear that King James should prevail and therefore backward to declare for the Prince But the People were forward enough For when the Drums beat for Volunteers they came in apace from all Parts of the County insomuch that many Captains pickt and chose their Souldiers Thousands did list themselves to whom Arms were Given and many more would have done the same who were dismissed upon Mareschal Schombergs Advice that there was no need of them Thus the Citizens Fears of King James's Forces lessening every day they began to talk now more freely and to be more and more inclined towards the Prince The Mayor himself and Aldermen much taken up with their Consultations upon the present Juncture came at last to visit his Highness The Lord Lovelace coming through Cirencester in Glocestershire to joyn the Prince at Exeter with near 70 Horse very well appointed had the Misfortune to be stopt at that Town and seized with thirteen of his Party by the Officers of the Militia Who met however with so sharp a Resistance that several of them were killed and others wounded Amongst the first were Lorege Major of the Regiment and his Son Captain Lee a Deputy Lieutenant of the County and Williams a Lieutenant About the same time viz. on Monday Nov. 12 the Lord Cornbury Colonel of the Royal Regiment of Dragoons marched from Salisbury in order to bring over that Regiment and two more of Horse to the Prince of Orange Which two Regiments of Horse were the Royal Regiment and the Duke of S. Alban's then Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Langston They marched together first to Dorcester where they refreshed themselves and then went on to Bridport and Axmister Upon which several Officers mistrusting his Lordship asked him whither they were going Who answered he had the King's Orders to beat up the Enemies Quarters
order to which the Hollanders must first be brought down and both Kings joyn in Arms to make them incapable of being any longer a Support or Refuge for Protestants Delenda est Carthago In short Anno 72 the Storm broke out upon Holland that Nest of Hereticks And in two Campaigns we saw that Potent State at that time our only Rival upon the Ocean brought by the French King's Land Forces to the last Extremity whilst we harassed them at Sea and fought them but without any great Advantage on our side We had indeed a Frenchy Squadron in conjunction with our Fleet but their business it seems was not to fight All their Care was to be Spectators of our Fights at a convenient distance and to see if the English did their Duty well In the mean time they learnt the Art of our Sea-fights and had the satisfaction to see these two Protestant Nations thus weaken one another which was the French King 's chief Aim This Conduct of the French at Sea with the amazing Progress of their Arms by Land happened to open our Eyes For till then we were possessed of the Justice of the War on our side considering the many Provocations of the States as they were mustered in the King's Declaration We could not imagine that King Charles had any other Design than to curb their Pride and lessen their Power at Sea for the benefit of our Trade and Navigation in order to which a little help tho' from France was not thought amiss The Dover-Treaty lay then under the Rose and we knew not what Snake lay in the Grass The King wanting Mony to prosecute the War convened his Parliament The Danger we were in by the apparent Ruin of a Neighbouring State of the same Religion with us and now become with our help a Prey to the French came soon under Debate The Parliament voted a Peace with the States And the King finding no Mony was to be had without it yielded to their Desire and made a separate Peace This startled King Lewis who from this very time concluded that King Charles was not to be relyed on for the execution of that grand Religious Design he had been so long big withal And to be even with him for his Desertion in this War he caused not long after the Dover Treaty to be published with his Priviledge by the Abbot Primi in his History of the War with Holland whereby he chiefly designed to make the King odious to his People The Duke of York upon this was look'd upon as the fitter Person for the Project in hand who wanting neither Zeal nor Ambition was a Vessel altogether prepared and moulded for his purpose Whereas King Charles was like the Church of Laodicea neither Cold nor Hot and therefore to be spued out The Dutchess of Orleans or rather the French King by her means had sent to King Charles a French Curtain Sollicitor but a true Member of the Holy Church as a Pledge or Memorandum of the Dover Treaty Who for her close and faithful Commerce with the King was made D. of P. The same Care he took of his R. H. to keep him in a right Cue and steady to his Principles but by way of Marriage So that he was both Procurer and Match-maker The Match was Mary the late Duke of Modena's Daughter an Italian Princess of no great Fortune but of an Ancient Family and which was most to the purpose a Princess intirely devoted to the present Interest The Duke had been three Years and a half a Widower And as the Case stood there was a Necessity for his R. H. to venture on a second Match that the Succession to the Crown might be Intailed either by Nature or Art to an Heir Male. The Lady Mary and the Lady Ann his two Daughters by Ann his first Wife were bred and born Protestants and such were not for the present Turn King Charles who was sensible how unacceptable this Match was to his People and fearing some ill Consequences of it upon himself resolved however to dispose of his Royal Nieces and to Marry them to Protestant Princes to allay the Jealousies and Fears from this New Match Which indeed were something the less for the then common Opinion That His Royal Highness was too much Frenchifi'd to get any durable Iâ—ue To the Lady Mary was given in Marriage to the Prince of Orange Anno 1677 and the Lady Ann to Prince George of Denmark in the Year 1683. But few days after the Lady MARY was married to the Prince of ORANGE the Dutchess of YORK was brought to bed of a Son created Duke of Cambridge who dying in four or five days the Popish Faction had but a short Joy of it In the mean time his R. H. being the next Heir to the Crown and the Papists resolved not to lose this Opportunity turned every Stone to make their Party good by Plotting and Conspiring even with Authority against the Government The KING was healthful and of a strong constitution but wanted zeal or boldness to secure their Interest The DUKE was zealous and bold but wanted a sound Body In short according to all humane probability the KING by the strength of Nature was the most likely to live These Considerations were like enough to give Birth to that famous Conspiracy which upon its breaking out made so great a Noise in the World I mean the Popish Plot. And tho I cannot believe it in all its Branches as made out by Dr. Oates yet in the main 't is more than probable that there was a Plot on foot against the Government Mr. Coleman the Dukes Secretary's intercepted Letters are a sufficient Proof of this who kept as appears by those Letters a close Correspondence with Father La Chaise the French King's Confessor for the Extirpating the Protestant Religion in these Kingdoms under the name of the Northern Heresy That to Extirpate imports a violent Act is a thing undeniable So that the Roman Religion was not to come in by fair means or by way of persuasion but by force and violence And 't is like a great deal more of that wicked Design had appeared if amongst Coleman's latest Letters for two years and a half that were brought to White-Hall many had not been there supprest and kept from the sight of the Parliament Yet upon his Trial he openly avowed the Design of Subverting the Protestant Religion wherein he owned himself a subordinate Minister This Plot kept for a while the Papists under Hatches and forced the Duke himself upon the King's Command to withdraw for some time out of the Kingdom so that he went first to Flanders and afterwards to Scotland Mean while the House of Commons who lookt upon him as the great Abettor and Supporter of the Popish Interest went so far as to attempt his Exclusion from the Crown But as vigorously as it was carried on in the House of Commons it was quashed in the House of Lords by the Church
Peer who made publick Profession of the Popish Religion and who at the time of his first professing it declared that for a great while before he had believed that to be the only true Religion 'T was by virtue of this Illegal Commission that the Lord Bishop of London was Suspended only because he refused to obey an Order sent him to suspend Dr. Sharp then Rector of S. Giles without so much as Citing him before him to make his own Defence or observing the common Forms of Process By the same Court was Dr. Hough President of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford turned out tho' duly chosen by the Fellows of the said College and afterwards all the Fellows of the said College only for refusing to chuse for their President a Person recommended to them by the Kings Evil Counsellors Iustigation Tho' the Right of a Free Election belonged uâ— oubtedly to the said Fellows and that it is expresly provided in Magna Charta that no Man shall lose Lâ—fe or Goods but by the Law of the Land More than that the said College was wholly put into the hands of Papists who by the Law of the Land and the Statutes of the College are altogether Incapable of such Imployments By the King's Declaration for Liberty of Conscience His Majesty Commanded the same to be Read in all Churches and Chappels whereby he would have the Clergy to be his Cryers to proclaim his pretended Power to Suspend at once the Force and Use of our Penal Laws made for the Security of our Religion and Property And when the late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and six other Bishops offered His Majesty an humble Petition in Terms full of Respect containing in short the Reasâ—ns why they could not Obey the Order sent them to appoint the Clergy to read the Declaration in their Churches the said Bishops were Committed to the Tower and afterwards brought to a Tryal whose Crime was only a due Regard to the Laws They were Acquitted and for that piece of Justice Judge Holloway and Judge Powel were Displaced And because their Acquittal had caused an universal Joy some were brought into Trouble for their innocent Expressions of it Then came out an Order from the Lords Commissioners requiring all the Chancellors and Arch-Deacons of England to return the Names of all such as had read the King's Declaration for Liberty of Conscience and of those that had not read it whether they were injoyned or not injoyned to do it by their respective Bishops And 't is observable that in the Bishoprick of Durham the Bishop whereof was one of the Commissioners near 200 Ministers were Suspended for not Reading the Declaration Hitherto the Court had carried on their Interest bare-fac'd at least since the Ill-tim'd Rebellion of Monmouth and Argile and Dissimulation unless it were to Dissenters had no share in their Transactions But whilst the Church of England was under Persecution it was thought convenient to Protect such of the French Refugees as ventured to fly hither from the now raging Persecution in France Insomuch that notwithstanding King James's strict Friendship and Correspondence with the French King His Majesty Protected them with his Favour and Relieved them with his Royal Briefs But the Reason of the Thing is plain The Court of France were got over the Dissembling Part and all Things there were ripe for Action Whereas in England the Persecution of some was thought fit for a while to be Palliated by the Toleration of Others though all equally design'd for Destruction The same however of this Indulgence to the French Protestants invited Multitudes of them hither to feel the benefit of it in their distressed Condition The Sight whereof stirred the Compassion of most People even of Sober Papists whilst the Plurality of them made it their business all over the Kingdom to stem our Charity by crying down the Persecution Which as fam'd as it was all over Europe for the unparallell'd Cruelty of it these Men had the Face to deny representing the Poor Refugees as so many Cut-throats and Vagabonds whom we must be forsooth aware of A base Inhumane Thing it was thus to insult over the Oppressed and to add so cruelly Persecution to Persecution But this is true Roman Zeal Two Things did prompt them to it First their just Apprehension that this Spectacle would be a Caution for us to look to our selves and stand upon our Gard. Secondly That such an Addition of incensed Protestants to so great a Party as that they must struggle with was not at all agreeable to their Interest The Truth is we ought to admire the singular Providence of God in our behalf that this French Persecution should be so timed as to give us a seasonable Alarm to prevent the same here that our Persecutors Precipitation and Folly should be so great as to open their wicked Designs so early and to send us over so many Thousands of Witnesses as it were to awaken us and to let us see what we ought to look for whenever their Bloody Religion should come to prevail among us Whereas 't is probable otherwise that the good Nature of some and the Weakness and Corruption of others had put us to use Dr. Burnet's Words to a more melancholy and troublesome After-game In the mean time Nothing was omitted to Incourage Popery upon all Accounts tho' never so much against Law New Popish Chappels and Mass Houses were set up New Popish Schools and Monasteries Erected four Popish Provincial Bishops establish'd Priests and Jesuits so Incouraged that England swarmed with them as Egypt did of old with Frogs Lice and Locusts the Privy Council made up of Popish Lords and some Protestants not much better the Jesuit Father Petre a Member thereof and the chief Director of the Cabal Council a Nuncio admitted and a solemn Embassy sent to Rome in the person of the Earl of Castlemain All this in open Defiance to the Laws Such was besides the Corruption and Depravation of Justice in the Courts of Judicature that the Judges must either be biassed by the King's Will or expect a Quietus est as in the Case aforesaid of Holloway and Powel The Juries commonly returned by secret Contrivances and illegal Nominations being neither as the Law Requires of the most sufficient nor most indifferent of the nearest Neighbours to the Facts in question nor by sworn Sheriffs So that any Mans Life or Estate not well affected to the then Government was in great Jeopardy if called into Question Besides that by putting the Administration of Justice into the hands of Papists all Matters of Civil Justice were brought to great Uncertainties Who being under an Incapacity by Law there lay no obligation upon any Man to acknowledge or obey their Judgments and all Sentences by them given were null and void of themselves Thus in few years the Popish Party being become Masters of the Affairs of the Church of the Government of the Nation and of the Course of Justice subjected them
them That out of his Concern for the Peace and VVelfare of the City and as a Mark of the great Confidence He had in them at this time that the Kingdom was threatned with an Invasion He had resolved to restore to them their Ancient Charter and Priviledges and to put them into the same Condition they were at the time of the Judgment pronounced against them upon the Quo Warranto that so they might be better enabled to serve him with that Duty and Loyalty which they had given the King his Brother and Himself so many Testimonies of and upon which His Majesty did depend VVhereupon the King was pleased to give express Commands to the Lord Chancellor of England and the Attorney General to prepare such Grant or Instrument of Restauration and Confirmation as should be requisite and that the same should be forthwith Dispatched Thus having been Exercised to the Right and to the Left Backward and Forward We found our selves at last much As we were at first And had there been any rational Hopes of Continuing thus without any further Breach these gentle Methods tho upon a forced Put would have gone perhaps a great way to turn the Stream and to quiet the People But what Assurance could be had of having these our Rights continued to us any longer than what would serve our Enemies Turn The Prince therefore hearing of these Retractations which proceeded more from Fear than any Principle of Justice published an Additional Declaration Given under his Hand and Seal at his Court at the Hague the 24th being our 14th of October The Prince of Orange's Additional Declatation in these following Words After VVe had prepared and printed Our Declaration VVe have understood That the Subverters of the Religion and Laws of those Kingdoms hearing of Our Preparations to assist the People against them have begun to Retract some of the Arbitrary and Despotick Powers that they had assumed and to Vacate some of their unjust Judgments and Decrees The Sense of their Guilt and the Distrust of their Force have induced them to Offer to the City of London some seeming Relief from their great Oppressions hoping thereby to quiet the People and to divert them from demanding a secure Re-establishment of their Religion and Laws under the shelter of our Arms. They do also give out that we intend to Conquer and Iâ—slave the Nation Therefore We have thought fit to add a few VVords to our Declaration We are confident that no Persons can have such hard Thoughts of Vs as to imagine that We have any other Design in this Vndertaking than to procure a Settlement of the Religion and of the Liberties and Properties of the Subjects upon so sure a Foundation that there may be no danger of the Nationâ— Relapsing into the like Miseries at any time hereafter And as the Forces We have brought along with Vs are utterly dispropertioned to that wicked Design of Conquering the Nation if We were capable of intending it So the great Numbers of the Principal Nobility and Gentry that are Men of Eminent Quality and Estates and Persons of known Integrity and Zeal both for the Religion and Government of England many of them being also distinguished by their constant Fidelity to the Crown who do both accompany Vs in this Expedition and have earnestly sollicited Vs to it will cover us from all such malicious Insinuations For it is not to be imagined that either those who have Invited Vs or those that are already come to assist Vs can joyn in a wicked Attempt of Conquest to make void their own lawful Titles to their Honours Estates and Interests We are also confident that all Men see how little weight there is to be laid on all Promises and Ingagements that can be now made since there has been so little Regard had in time past to the most solemn Promises And as that imperfect Redress that is now offered is a plain Confession of those Violations of the Government that We have set forth so the Defectiveness of it is no less apparent For they lay down nothing which they may not take up at pleasure reserving intire and not so much as mentioned their Claims and Pretences to an Arbitrary and Despotick Power which has been the Root of all their Oppression and of the Total Subversion of the Government And it is plain that there can be no Redress nor Remedy offered but in Parliament by a Declaration of the Rights of the Subjects that have been invaded and not by any pretended Acts of Grace to which the extremity of their Affairs has driven them Therefore it is that we have thought fit to Declare that we will refer all to a Free Assembly of the Nation in a Lawful Parliament King James having notice of these Declarations which touched him to the quick and made him very uneasy His Majesty forthwith put out a Proclamation dated Nov. 2d to forewarn all his Subjects not to publish disperse repeat or hand about the said Treasonable Papers and Declarations or any of them 〈◊〉 any other Paper or Papers of such like nature Nor presume to Read Receive Conceal or keep them or any of them without Discovering or Revealing the same with all speed to some of the Privy Council or to some of the Judges Justices of the Peace or other publick Magistrates upon Peril of being Prosecuted according to the utmost Severity of the Law A Fortnight before this a Proclamation was come out strictly charging all the Lords Lieutenants and Deputy Lieutenants of the Counties adjoyning to the Sea and all other Officers Civil and Military within the said Counties to cause the Coasts to be carefully watched and upon the first approach of the Enemy to cause all manner of Cattel sit for Burden and Draught and not actually imployed in His or the Countrey 's Service to be Driven and Removed by the space at least of twenty Miles from the Place where the Enemy should attempt to Land and to secure the same in such effectual Manner that they might not fall into the Hands or Power of any of His Enemies Another Proclamation was set forth under the Date of Octob. 26. to Restrain the Spreading of false News in this time of publick Danger by Charging all Officers and Magistrates whatsoever to take effectual Care for the speedy Apprehension Prosecution and severe Punishment of all Offenders herein Lastly there came out a Declaration dated Nov. 6. wherein His Majesty after some grievous Reflections on this pretended Vnchristian and Vnnatural Attempt of the Prince of Orange to Invade his Kingdoms and the many Mischiefs and Calamities which an Army of Foreigners and Robels must unavoidably bring upon His People Charges His Highness with Assuming the Regal Style in his Declaration by Requiring therein the Peers of the Realm c. to Obey and Assist him in the Execution of his Designs whereas the words are to Come and Assist him which alters the Case very much and makes the
your Country to your Selves and to your Posterity which You as Men of Honour ought to prefer to all private Considerations and Ingagements whatsoever VVe do therefore expect that you will consider the Honour that is now set before you of being the Instruments of Serving your Country and Securing your Religion And We will ever Remember the Service you shall do Vs upon this Occasion by placing such particular Marks of our Favour on every one of You as your Behaviour at this time shall deserve of Us in which VVe will make a great Distinction of those that shall come seasonably to joyn their Arms with Ours In short you shall find Us to be Your Well-wishing and Assured Friend William Henry Prince of Orange The Prince's Army began now to be in good heart and one Man was as good as two when they came first to Exeter Every day his Highness went out to view the Country with the Mareschal de Schomberg and went once as far as Autry 12 miles from Exeter In the mean time Mr. Seymour was made Governour and one Major Gibson Deputy-Governour For the managing the Revenue here the Lord Wiltshire Mr. Herbord and Mr. Row were appointed Commissioners The Prince's Court began also to swell For besides those great Persons which had attended his Highness from Holland hither viz. Mareschal Schomberg Count Nassaw Count Solms the Lords Zulestein Bentick and Overkirk of the English Nation the Earls or Shrewebury and Macclesfield Viscount Mordant Lord Wiltshire end Colonel Sidney and of the Scotch the Earl of Argile with several other Persons of Quality here came to his Highness the Lord Cornbury the Earl of Abington and the Lord Colchester besides a great Number of Gentry Who all entred together into an Association to Assist the Prince of Orange in the Defence of the Protestant Religion Laws and Liberties of the People of England Scotland and Ireland in these Words An Ingagement of the Nobility at Exeter to stand by the Prince of Orange We do Ingage to Almighty God and to his Highness the Prince of Orange and with one another to stick firm to this Cause and to one another in the Defence of it and never to depart from it until our Religion Laws and Liberties are so far Secured to us in a Free Parliament that We shall be no more in Danger of falling under Popery and Slavery And whereas we are ingaged in the Common Cause under the Protection of the Prince of Orange by which means his Person may be exposed to Danger and to the desperate and cursed Designs of Rapists and other bloody Men We do therefore solemnly Ingage to God and to one another That if any such Attempts be made upon Him We will pursue not only those that made them but all their Adherents and all We find in Arms against Us with the utmost Severity of just Revenge in their Ruin and Destruction and that the Executing any such Attempt which God of his infinite Mercy forbid shall not deprive Us from pursuing the Cause which We do now undertake but that it shall Incourage us to carry it on with all the Vigour that so barbarbous an Approach shall do serve By this strict Association the Prince saw how well these Noble Lords and Gentlemen were disposed towards his Highness and for the promoting the Good of the Common Cause In the mean time he received Intelligence of the first Skirmish that hapned between the two Armies at Wincanton To which Place a small Party of Major General Mackay's Regiment being advanced to provide Carriage Collonel Sarsfield having Notice of it marched thither with a Detachment of 70 Horse and 50 Dragoons and Granadiers in order to cut them off Who hearing of Sarsfield's Approach resolved upon a stout Defence notwithstanding their small Number being but 25. In order to which Cambel their Lieutenant posted them in a small Inclosure at the East end of the Town where there was a good Hedge between them and the Road. Here they made a vigorous Defence and several were killed and wounded on both sides when of a sudden upon a false Alarm of a strong Party of the Prince's Horse coming Sarsfield and his Men retreated with all speed and in some disorder And tho he had little Cause to boast of this Action yet our Gazette did so magnifie it that by it's Account of it 30 of the Prince's Men were killed out of 25 besides 6 taken and 15 that made their escape One would think the King by this time had done with Proclamations His Majesty was two to one at least as to the Number of Forces and yet to Ingross all to himself he put out a Proclamation at Salisbury Nov. 22. to Intice away all the Prince's Army and so leave him by himself By this Proclamation first He Offers and Grants his Pardon to all his Subjects that had taken up Arms with Foreigners and Strangers against Him and their Native Country And next to all such Foreigners as should come over to Him promising either to Entertain them in his Service or Grant them if they should desire it freedom of Passage and liberty to Return to the Respective Countries from whence they came But this Stratagem would not do And his Highness having now received an Account of the Motions and Proceedings in the North for the Support of the Common Cause prepared all Things for his March towards the King's Army The Lords concerned in the North were the Earls of Devonshire Stamford and Damby the Lord Delamere and others who being met at Nottingham with great Numbers of the Gentry and a competent Force of Horsemen well appointed to repel all Opposers unanimously subscribed to this Declaration Nov. 23. the same Day that the King put out his Proclamation The Declaration of the Nobility and Gentry c. at the Rendezvous at Nottingham We the Nobility Gentry and Commonalty of these Northern Counties assembled together at Nottingham for the Defence of our Laws Religion and Liberties according to those Free-born Liberties and Priviledges descended to Vs from our Ancestors as the Vndoubted 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 Vnanimously think it our Duty to Declare to the rest of our Protestant Fellow Subjects the Grounds of our present Vndertaking 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 has been of late too apparent 1. By the King 's Dispensing at his Pleasure with all the Established Laws 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 Estabished Laws of our Land 3. By Destroying the Charters of most Corporations in