Exercise of their Religion as by Law Established and in the Quiet and full Enjoyment of all their Possessions without any Molestation on Disturbance whatsoever We do likewise declare That it is Our Royal Will and Pleasure That from henceforth the Execution of all and all manner of Penal Laws in Matters Ecclesiastical for not coming to Church or not Receiving the Sacrament or for any other Non-conformity to the Religion Established or for or by Reason of the Exercise of Religion in any manner whatsoever be immediately suspended And the further Execution of the said Penal Laws and every of them is hereby suspended And to the End that by the Liberty hereby granted the Peace and Security of Our Government in the Practice thereof may not be indangered We have thought fit and do hereby straitly Charge and Command all our Loving Subjects That as We do freely give them Leave to Meet and Serve God after their own Way and Manner be it in Private Houses or Places purposely Hired or Built for that Use so that they take especial Care that nothing be Preached or Taught amongst them which may any ways tend to Alienate the Hearts of Our People from Us or Our Government And that their Meetings and Assemblies be peaceably openly and publickly held and all Persons freely admitted to them And that they do signifie and make known to some one or more of the next Justices of the Peace what Place or Places they set apart for those Uses And that all Our Subjects may enjoy such their Religious Assemblies with greater Assurance and Protection We have thought it requisite and do hereby Command That no Disturbance of any kind be made or given unto them under Pain of Our Displeasure and to be further proceeded against with the uttermost Severity And forasmuch as We are desirous to have the Benefit of the Service of all Our loving Subjects which by the Law of Nature is inseparably annexed to and inherent in Our Royal Person And that none of Our Subjects may for the future be under any Discouragement or Disability who are otherwise well inclined and fit to serve Us by Reason of some Oaths or Tests that have been usually administred on such Occasions We do hereby further declare That it is Our Royal Will and Pleasure that the Oaths commonly called The Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance and also the several Tests and Declarations mentioned in the Acts of Parliament made in the 25th and 30th Years of the Reign of Our late Royal Brother Charles the Second shall not at any time hereafter be required to be Taken Declared or Subscribed by any Person or Persons whatsoever who is or shall be imployed in any Office or Place of Trust either Civil or Military under Us or in Our Government And We do further declare it to be Our Pleasure and Intention from time to time hereafter to Grant Our Royal Dispensations under Our Great Seal to all Our loving Subjects so to be Imployed who shall not take the said Oaths or subscribe or declare the said Tests or Declarations in the above-mentioned Acts and every of them And to the End that all Our Loving Subjects may receive and enjoy the full Benefit and Advantage of Our gracious Indulgence hereby intended and may be acquitted and discharged from all Pains Penalties Forfeitures and Disabilities by them or any of them incurred or forfeited or which they shall or may at any time hereafter be liable to for or by reason of their Non-conformity or the Exercise of their Religion and from all Suits Troubles or Disturbances for the same We do hereby give Our free and ample Pardon unto all Non-conformists Recusants and other Our Loving Subjects for all Crimes and Things by them committed or done contrary to the Penal Laws formerly made relating to Religion and the Profession or Exercise thereof Hereby declaring That this Our Royal Pardon and Indemnity shall be as good and effectual to all Intents and Purposes as if every individual Person had been therein particularly named or had particular Pardons under Our Great Seal which We do likewise declare shall from time to time be granted unto any Person or Persons desiring the same Willing and Requiring Our Judges Justices and other Officers to take Notice of and Obey Our Royal Will and Pleasure herein before declared And although the Freedom and Assurance We have hereby given in relation to Religion and Property might be sufficient to remove from the Minds of our Loving Subjects all Fears and Jealousies in relation to either yet We have thought fit further to declare That We will Maintain them in all their Properties and Possessions as well of Church and Abby-Lands as in any other their Lands and Properties whatsoever Given at Our Court at Whitehall the Fourth Day of April 1687. In the Third Year of Our Reign The Generality of Protestant Dissenters having for near 7 Years together been so severely treated by the Tory Party were as forward to congratulate the King for his Indulgence in several Addresses as the Tories were in King Charles his Time in their Addresses of Abhorrence to Petition the King to call a Parliament to settle the Grievances of the Nation However this Declaration was drawn up so in sight of every Bird that most part of the Thinking sort of Dissenters did dread and detest it But yet to make it more passable Popish Judges were made in Westminister-Hall and Popish Justices of the Peace and Deputy-Lieutenants all England over while the Privy-Council was filled up with Popish Councellors nay the Savoy was laid open to instruct Youth in the Popish Religion and Popish Principles which gave Occasion to that good Man Dr. Tenison now Archbishop of Canterbury and it ought to be remembred always to his Honour to erect his Free School at St. Martins in opposition to it But this would not stop the Popish Zeal for other Schools to the same End were encouraged in London and all other Places in England and 4 Foreign Popish Bishops as Vicars Apostolical were allowed in Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction all England and Wales over And because his Majesty would not be wanting to pay his Duty as well as other Catholick Princes to the common Father of them all the Pope the Earl of Castlemain was sent Embassador to Rome to tender the King's Obedience to the Holy and Apostolical See with great Hopes of extirpating the Northern pestilent Heresie In return whereof the Pope sent his Nuncio to give the King his Holy Benediction and that without sending before-hand as his Predecessors were wont to do for leave to enter the Kingdom To all this we may add that the Judges in their Circuits had their private Instructions to know how Men stood affected towards the King's Dispensing Power and those who shewed the least Dislike of it were turned out of their Offices and Employments without any more ado And that these Things might be acted with Security Tyrconnel having disbanded the English Army in
against it basely or inhumanely but what would well consist with the Christian Religion and the Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom And I thank God I have examined all my Actions in that matter with so great Care that I can appeal to God Almighty who knows my Heart that I went on sincerely without being moved either by Passion By-Ends or ill Design I have always loved my Countrey much more than my Life and never had any Design of changing the Government which I value and look upon as one of the best Governments in the World and would always have been ready to venture my Life for the preserving it and would suffer any Extremity rather than have consented to any Design of taking away the King's Life Neither had any Man the Impudence to propose so base and barbarous a thing to me And I look upon it as a very unhappy and uneasie part of my present Condition that there should be so much as Mention made of so vile a Fact though nothing in the least was said to prove any such Matter but the contrary by my Lord Howard Neither does any Body I am confident believe the least of it So that I need not I think say more For the King I do sincerely pray for him and wish well to him and to the Nation that they may be happy in one another that he may be indeed the Defender of the Faith that the Protestant Religion and the Peace and Safety of the Kingdom may be preserv'd and flourish under his Government and that himself in his Person may be happy both here and hereafter As for the Share I had in the Prosecution of the Popish Plot I take God to Witness that I proceeded in it in the Sincerity of my Heart being then really convinced as I am still that there was a Conspiracy against the King the Nation and the Protestant Religion And I likewise profess that I never knew any thing directly or indirectly of any Practice with the Witnesses which I look upon as so horrid a thing that I never could have endured it For I thank God Falshood and Cruelty were never in my Nature but always the farthest from it imaginable I did believe and do still that Popery is breaking in upon the Nation and that those that advance it will stop at nothing to carry on their Design I am heartily sorry that so many Protestants give their helping hand to it But I hope God will preserve the Protestant Religion and this Nation though I am afraid it will fall under very great Trials and very sharp Sufferings And indeed the Impiety and Profaneness that abounds and appears so scandalously bare-faced every where gives too just an Occasion to fear the worst thing that can befal a People I pray God prevent it and give those who have shewed a Concern for the publick Good and have appeared hearty for the true Interest of the Nation and the Protestant Religion Grace to live so that they may not cast a Reproach on that which they endeavour to advance which God knows has often given me sad Thoughts And I hope such of my Friends as may think they are touched by this will not take what I say in ill Part but will endeavour to amend their ways and live suitable to the Rules of the true Reformed Religion which is the only thing can administer true Comfort at the latter end and relieve a Man when he comes to die As for my present Condition I bless God I have no reâ—pining in my Heart at it I know for my Sins I have deserved much worse at the Hands of God so that I chearfully submit to so small a Punishment as the being taken off a few Years sooner and the being made a Spectacle to the Worlâ— I do freely forgive all the World particularly those concerned in taking away my Life and I desire and conjure all my Friends to think of no Revenge but to submit to the Holy Will of God into whose Hands I resign my self entirely But to look back a little I cannot but give some touch about the Bill of Exclusion and shew the Reasons of my appearing in that Business which in short is this That I thought the Nation in such Danger of Popery and that the Expectation of a Popish Successor as I have said in Parliament put the King's Life likewise in much Danger that I saw no way so effectual to secure both as such a Bill As to the Limitations that were proposed if they were sincerely offered and had passed into a Law the Duke then should have been excluded from the Power of a King and the Government quite altered and a little more than the Name of a King left So I could not see either Sin or Fault in the one when all People were willing to admit of the other But thought it better to have a King with his Prerogative and the Nation easie and safe under him than a King without it which bred perpetual Jealousies and a continual Struggle All this I say only to Justifie my Sâ—ir and not to enâ—lame others Though I cannot but think my earnestness in that matter has had no small Influence in my present Sufferings But I have now done with this World and am going to a Kingdom which cannot be moved And as to the conspiring to seize the Guards which is the Crime for which I am Condemned and which is made a Constructive Treason for taking away the King's Life to bring it within the Statute of Edw. 3. I shall give this true and clear Account I never was at Mr. Shepheard's with that Company but once and there was no undertaking then of securing or seizing the Guards nor none appointed to view or examine them Some Discourse there was of the feasibleness of in and several times by Accident in general Discourse elsewhere I have heard it mentioned as a thing might easily be done but never consented to as a thing fit to be done And I remember particularly at my Lord Shaftsbury's there being some general Discourse of this kind I immediately flow out and exclaimed against it and asked if the thing succeeded what must be done next but mastering the Guards and killing them in cold Blood which I looked upon as a detestable thing and so like a Popish Practice that I could not but abhor it And at the same time the Duke of Monmouth took me by the Hand and told me very kindly My Lord I see you and I are of a Temper did you ever hear so horrid a thing And I must needs do him Justice to declare that I ever observed in him an Abhorrence of all base things As to my going to Mr. Shepheard's I went with an Intention to taste Sherry For he had promised to reserve for me the next very good Piece he met with when I went out of Town And if he recollects himself he may remember I asked him about it and he went and fetch'd a Bottle but
steering a Channel Course Westward the Wind at E. N. E. a fresh Gale and on the 5th passing by Dartmouth it being hazy Weather they overshot Torbay where the Prince designed to Land But about 9 a Clock the Weather cleared up and the Wind changed to W. S. W. and the Fleet stood Eastward with a moderate Gale being about 4 or 500 Sail whereof there was 51 Men of War and 18 Fireships This Change of Wind was observed by Dr. Burnet to be of no long Duration but it immediately choped into another Corner when it had executed its Commission While the Prince was landing his Army and advanced to Exeter the King was vainly endeavouring to sooth the People by redressing the Disorders committed by the Soldiers and Promises of a Parliament which several of the Bishops and Nobility petitioned might be a Free Regular one in all its Circumstances wherewith His Majesty to discover his good Disposition did not appear by his Answer to be well-pleased And all Endeavours were used to make the Prince and his Army contemptible in the sight of the People by Printing a List of them and giving out That none of the Nobility and Gentry but only a few Rabble appeared for him and that the Prince's Declaration might be kept close from the Knowledge of the People yet it did not continue so long with the Prince whose Army was considerably augmented by the Junction of divers Persons of good Quality with him Neither could the Court any longer keep the Declaration suppress'd and therefore they suffered the same to be Printed with a Preface and some modest Remarks as the Author pretends on it VVhich Declaration was this that follows The Declaration of His Highness WILLIAM HENRY by the Grace of God Prince of Orange c. of the Reasons inducing him to appear in Arms in the Kingdom of ENGLAND for preserving of the Protestant Religion and for Restoring of the Laws and Liberties of England Scotland and Ireland I. IT is both certain and evident to all Men That the Publick Peace and Happiness of any State or Kingdom cannot be preserved where the Laws Liberties and Customs Established by the Lawful Authority in it are openly transgressed and annulled More especially where the Alteration of Religion is endeavoured and that a Religion which is contrary to Law is endeavoured to be introduced Upon which those who are most immediately concerned in it are indispensably bound to endeavour to maintain and preserve the Established Laws Liberties and Customs and above all the Religion and Worship of God that is Established among them and to take such an Effectual Care that the Inhabitants of the said State or Kingdom may neither be deprived of their Religion nor of their Civil Rights which is so much the more necessary because the Greatness and Security both of Kings Royal Families and of all such as are in Authority as well as the Happiness of their Subjects and People depend in a most especial manner upon the exact Observation and Maintenance of these their Laws Liberties and Customs II. Upon these Grounds it is that we can't any longer forbear to declare That to our great Regret we see that those Counsellors who have now the chief Credit with the King have 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 VVays but in an open and undisguised Manner III. These Evil Counsellors for the Advancing and Colouring this with some plausible Pretexts did invent and set on Foot the King 's 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 the King and Parliament for the Security and Happiness of the Subject and so have rendred those laws of no effect though there is nothing more certain than that as no Laws can be made but by the joynt Concurrence of the King and Parliament so likewise Laws so Enacted which secure the Publick Peace and Safety of the Nation and the Lives and Liberties of every Subject in it cannot be repealed or suspended but by the same Authority IV. For though the King may pardon the Punishment that a Transgressor has incurred and for which he is condemned as in the Cases of Treason or Felony yet it cannot be with any colour of Reason inferred from thence that the King can entirely suspend the Execution of those Laws relating to Treason or Felony unless it is pretended that he is cloathed with a Despotick and Arbitrary Power and that the Lives Liberties Honours and Estates of the Subjects depend wholly on his Good Will and Pleasure and are entirely subject to him which must infallibly follow on the King 's having a Power to suspend the Execution of the Laws and to dispense with them V. Those Evil Counsellors in order to the giving some Credit to this strange and execrable Maxim have so conducted the Matter that they have obtained a Sentence from the Judges declaring That this Dispensing Power is a Right belonging to the Crown as if it were in the Power of the Twelve Judges to offer up the Laws Rights and Liberties of the whole Nation to the King to de disposed of by him Arbitrarily and at his Pleasure and expresly contrary to Laws Enacted for the Security of the Subjects In order to the obtaining of this Judgment those Evil Counsellors did before-hand examine secretly the Opinion of the Judges and procured such of them as could not in Conscience concur in so pernicious a Sentence to be turned out and others to be substituted in their Rooms till by the Changes that were made in the Courts of Judicature they at last obtained that Judgment And they have raised some to those Trusts who make open Profession of the Popish Religion tho' those are by Law render'd incapable of all such Employments VI. It is also manifest and notorious that as His Majesty was upon his coming to the Crown received and acknowledged by all the Subjects of England Scotland and Ireland as their King without the least Opposition tho' he made then open Profession of the Popish Religion so he did then promise and solemnly swear at his Coronation That he would maintain His Subjects in the free Enjoyment of their Laws and Liberties And in particular That he would maintain the Church of England as it was Established by Law It is likewise certain that there have been at divers and sundry times several Laws Enacted for the Preservation of those Rights and Liberties and of the Protestant Religion And among other Securities it has been Enacted That all Persons whatsoever that are advanced to any Ecclesiastical Dignity or to bear Office in the University as likewise all others that should be put into any Employment Civil or Military should declare that they were not Papists but were
of the Protestant Religion and that by their Taking of the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and the Test yet these evil Counsellors have in effect annulled and abolished all those Laws which relate to Ecclesiastical and Civil Employment VII In order to Ecclesiastical Dignities and Offices they have not only without any colour of Law but against most express Laws to the contrary set up a Commission of a certain number of Persons to whom they committed the Cognisance and Direction of all Ecclesiastical Matters in the which Commission there has been and still is one of His Majesty's Ministers of State who makes now 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 By all this the deplorable State to which the Protestant Religion is reduced is apparent since the Affairs of the Church of England are now put into the Hands of Persons who have accepted of a Commission that is manifestly illegal and who have executed it contrary to all Law and that now one of their chief Members has abjured the Protestant Religion and declared himself a Papist by which he is become uncapable of holding any Publick Imployment The said Commissioners have hitherto given such Proof of their Submission to the Directions given them that there is no Reason to doubt but they will still continue to promote all such Designs as will be most agreeable to them And those Evil Counsellors take care to raise none to any Ecclesiastical Dignities but Persons that have no Zeal for the Protestant Religion and that hide their unconcernedness for it under the specious pretence of Moderation The said Commissioners have suspended the Bishop of London only because he refused to obey an Order that was sent him to suspend a worthy Divine without so much as citing him before him to make his own Defence or observing the common Forms of Process They have turnd out a President chosen by the Fellows of Magdalen College and afterwards all the Fellows of that College without so much as citing them before any Court that could take legal Cognisance of that Affair or obtaining any Sentence against them by a competent Judge And the only Reason that was given for turning them out was their refusing to chuse for their President a person that was recommended to them by the Instigation of those Evil Counsellors though the Right of a Free Election belonged undoubtedly to them But they were turned out of their Free-Holds contrary to Law and to that express provision in the Magna Charta That no Man shall lose Life or Goods but by the Law of the Land And now these Evil Counsellors have put the said College wholly into the Hands of Papists tho' as is abovesaid they are incapable of all such Employments both by the Law of the Land and the Statutes of the College These Commissioners have also cited before them all the Chancellors and Arch Deacons of England requiring them to certifie to them the Names of all such Clergy-men as have Read the King's Declaration for Liberty of Conscience and of such as have not Read it without considering that the Reading thereof was not enjoyned the Clergy by the Bishops who are their Ordnaries The Illegality and Incompetency of the said Court of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners was so notoriously known and it did so evidently appear that it tended to the Subversion of the Protestant Religion that the Most Reverend Father in God William Archbishop of Canterbury Primate and Metropolitan of England seeing that it was raised for no other End but to oppress such Persons as were of eminent Vertue Learning and Piety refused to sit or to concur in it VIII And tho' there are many express Laws against all Churches or Chapels for the Exercise of the Popish Religion and also against all Monasteries and Convents and more particularly against the Order of the Jesuites yet those Evil Counsellors have procured Orders for the Building of several Churches and Chapels for the Exercise of that Religion They have also procured divers Monasteries to be Erected and in contempt of the Laws they have not only set up several Colleges of Jesuites in divers places for the corrupting of the Youth but have raised up one of the Order to be a Privy-Counsellor and a Minister of State By all which they do evidently shew that they are restrained by no Rules of Law whatsoever but that they have subjected the Honours and Estates of the Subjects and the Established Religion to a Despotick Power and to Arbitrary Government In all which they are served and seconded by those Ecclesiastical Commissioners IX They have also followed the same Methods with relation to Civil Affairs for they have procured Orders to examine all Lord-Lieutenants Deputy-Lieutenants Sheriffs Justices of Peace and all others that were in any Publick Employment if they would concur with the King in the Repeal of the Test and Penal Laws and all such whose Consciences did not suffer them to comply with their Designs were turned out and others were put in their Places whom they believed would be more compliant to them in their Designs of defeating the Intent and Execution of those Laws which had been made with so much Care and Caution for the Security of the Protestant Religion And in many of these Places they have put professed Protestants tho' the Law has disabled them and warranted the Subjects not to have any Regard to their Orders X. They have also invaded the Privileges and seized on the Charters of most of those Towns that have a Right to be Represented by their Burgesses in Parliament and have procured Surrenders to be made of them by which the Magistrates in them have delivered up all their Rights and Privileges to be disposed of at the Pleasure of those Evil Counsellors who have thereupon placed new Magistrates in those Towns such as they can most entirely confide in and in many of them they put Popish Magistrates notwithstanding the Incapacities under which the Law has put them XI And whereas no Nation whatsoever can subsist without the Administration of good and impartial Justice upon which Mens Lives Liberties Honours and Estates do depend those Evil Counsellors have subjected these to an Arbitrary and Despotick Power In the most important Affairs they have studied to discover before-hand the Opinions of the Judges and have turned out such as they found would not conform themselves to their Intentions and have put others in their Places of whom they were more assured without having any regard to their Abilities And they have not stuck to raise even professed Papists to the Courts of Judicature notwithstanding their Incapacity by Law and that no Regard is due to any Sentences flowing from them They have carried this so far as to deprive such Judges who in common Administration of Justice shewed that they were governed by their Consciences
and not by the Directions which the others gave them By which it is apparent that they design to render themselves the Absolute Masters of the Lives Honours and Estates of the Subjects of what Rank or Dignity soever they may be and that without having any Regard either to the Equity of the Cause or to the Consciences of the Judges whom they will have to submit in all things to their own VVill and Pleasure hoping by such Ways to intimidate those who are in Employment as also such others as they shall think fit to put in the room of those whom they have turned out and to make them see what they must look for if they should at any time act in the least contrary to their good liking and that no Failings in that kind are pardoned in any Person whatsoever A great deal of Blood has been shed in many Places of the Kingdom by Judges governed by those Evil Counsellors against all the Rules and Forms of Law without so much as suffering the Persons that were accused to plead in their own Defence XII They have also by putting the Administration of Civil Justice in the Hands of Papists brought all the Matters of Civil Justice into great Uncertainties with how much Exactness and Justice soever these Sentences may have been given For since the Laws of the Land do not only exclude Papists from all Places of Judicature but have put them under an Incapacity none are bound to acknowledge or to obey their Judgments and all Sentences given by them are null and void of themselves So that all Persons who have been cast in Trials before such Popish Judges may justly look on their pretended Sentences as having no more Force than the Sentences of any private and unauthorized Person whatsoever So deplorable is the Case of the Subjects who are obliged to answer to such Judges that must in all things stick to the Rules which are set them by those Evil Counsellors who as they raised them up to those Employments so can turn them out at Pleasure and who can never be esteemed lawful Judges so that all their Sentences are in the Construction of the Law of no Force and Efficacy They have likewise disposed of all Military Employments but have in particular provided that they should be disarm'd yet they in contempt of these Laws have not only armed the Papists but have likewise raised them up to the greatest Military Trust both by Sea and Land and that Strangers as well as Natives and Irish as well as English that so by those means having rendred themselves Masters both of the Affairs of the Church of the Government of the Nation and of the Courts of Justice and subjected them all to a Despotick and Arbitrary Power they might be in a capacity to maintain and execute their wicked Designs by the Assistance of the Army and thereby to enslave the Nation XIII The Dismal Effects of this Subversion of the Established Religion Laws and Liberties in England appear more evidently to us by what we see done in Ireland where the whole Government is put in the Hands of Papists and where all the Protestant Inhabitants are under the daily Fears of what may be justly apprehended from the Arbitrary Power which is set up there which has made great numbers of them leave that Kingdom and abandon their Estates in it remembring well that cruel and bloody Massacre which fell out in that Island in the Year 1641. XIV Those Evil Counsellors have also prevailed with the King to declare in Scotland That he is cloathed with Absolute Power and that all the Subjects are bound to Obey him without Reserve Upon which he assumed an Arbitrary Power both over the Religion and Laws of the Kingdom from all which it 's apparent what is to be looked for in England as soon as Matters are duly prepared for it XV. Those great and insufferable Oppressions and the open Contempt of all Law together with the Apprehensions of the sad Consequences that must certainly follow upon it have put the Subjects under great and just Fears and have made them look after Lawful Remedies as are allow'd of in all Nations yet all has been without effect And those Evil Counsellors have endeavoured to make all Men apprehend the Loss of their Lives Liberties Honours and Estates if they should go about to preserve themselves from this Oppression by Petition Representations or other Means Authorized by Law Thus did they proceed with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the other Bishops who having offered a most Humble Petition to the King in Terms full of Respect and not exceeding the Number limited by Law in which they set forth in short the Reasons for which they could not obey that Order which by the Instigation of those Evil Counsellors was sent them requiring them to appoint their Clergy to read in their Churches the Declaration for Liberty of Conscience were sent to Prison and afterwards brought to a Trial as if they had been guilty of some enormous Crime They were not only obliged to defend themselves in that pursuit but to appear before professed Papists who had not taken the Test and by consequence were Men whose Interest led them to condemn them and the Judges that gave their Opinions in their Favours were thereupon turned out XVI And yet it cannot be pretended that any Kings how great soever their Power has been and how Arbitrary and Despotick soever they have been in the Exercise of it have ever reckoned it a Crime for their Subjects to come in all Submission and Respect and in a due number not exceeding the Limits of the Law and represent to them the Reasons that made it impossible for them to obey their Orders Those Evil Counsellors have also treated a Peer of the Realm as a Criminal only because he said That the Subjects were not bound to obey the Orders of a Popish Justice of Peace though it 's Evident that they being by Law rendred incapable of all such Trusts no regard is due to their Orders This being the Security which the People have by the Law for their Lives Liberties and Estates that they are not to be subjected to the Arbitrary Proceedings of Papists that are contrary to Law put into any Employments Civil or Military XVII Both we our selves and our dearest and most entirely Beloved Consort the Princess have endeavoured to signifie in Terms full of Respect to the King the just and deep Regret which all these Proceedings have given us and in Compliance with His Majesty's Desires signified to us We declared both by Word of Mouth to his Envoy and in Writing what our Thoughts were touching the Repealing of the Test and Penal Laws which we did in such a manner that we hop'd we had proposed an Expedient by which the Peace of those Kingdoms and a happy Agreement among the Subjects of all Perswasions might have been settled but those Evil Counsellors have put such ill Constructions on
again to their Ancient Prescriptions and Charters And more particularly that the Ancient Charter of the Great and Famous City of London shall again be in Force And that the Writs for the Members of Parliament shall be Addressed to the proper Officers according to Law and Custom That also none be suffered to chuse or to be chosen Members of Parliament but such as are qualified by Law And that the Members of Parliament being thus chosen they shall meet and sit in full Freedom that so the Two Houses may concur in the preparing such Laws as they upon full and free Debate shall judge necessary and convenient both for the Confirming and Executing the Law concerning the Test and such others Laws as are necessary for the Security and Maintenance of the Protestant Religion as likewise for making such Laws as may Establish a good Agreement between the Church of England and all Protestant Dissenters as also for the Covering and Securing of all such who live peaceably under the Government as becomes good Subjects from all Persecution upon the Account of their Religion even Papists themselves not excepted and for the doing of 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 Nation 's falling at any time hereafter under Arbitrary Government To this Parliament we will refer the Enquiry into the Birth of the pretended Prince of Wales and of all things relating to it and to the Right of Succession XXII And We for our part will concur in every thing that may procure the Peace and Happiness of the Nation which a Free and Lawful Parliament shal determine since we have nothing before our Eyes in this our Undertaking but the Preservation of the Protestant Religion the Covering of all Men from Persecution for their Consciences and the Securing the whole Nation the Free Enjoyment of all their Laws Rights and Liberties under a just and legal Government XXIII This is the Design that We have proposed to our selves in appearing upon this Occasion in Arms in the Conduct of which we will keep the Forces under our Command under all the Strictness of Martial Discipline and take special Care That the People of the Countries through which we must march shal not suffer by their Means and as soon as the State of the Nation will admit of it we promise That we will send back all those Foreign Forces that we have brought along with us XXIV We do therefore hope That all People will judge rightly of us and approve of these our Proceedings But we chiefly rely on the Blessing of God for the Success of this our Undertaking in which we place our whole and only Confidence XXV We do in the last place invite and require all Persons whatsoever all the â—eers of the Realm both Spiritual and Temporal all Lords-Lieutenants Deputy-Lieutenants and all Gentlemen Citizens and other Commons of all Ranks to come and assist Us in order to the Executing of this our Design against all such as shall endeavour to oppose us that so we may prevent all those Miseries which must needs follow upon the Nations being kept under Arbitrary Government and Slavery And that all the Violences and Disorders which have overturned the whole Constitution of the English Government may be fully redressed in a Free and Legal Parliament XXVI And we do likewise resolve That as soon as the Nation is brought to a state of Quiet we will take care that a Parliament shall be called in Scotland for Restoring the Ancient Constitution of that Kingdom and for bringing the Matters of Religion to such a Settlement that the People may live easie and happy and for putting an end to all the unjust Violences that have been in a Course of so many Years committed there We will also study to bring the Kingdom of Ireland to such a State that the Settlement there may be Religiously observed and that the Protestant and British Interest there may be secured And we will endeavour by all possible means to procure such an Establishment in all the Three Kingdoms that they may all live in a happy Union and Correspondence together and that the Protestant Religion and the Peace Honour and Happiness of those NATIONS may be Established upon Lasting Foundations Given under Our Hand and Seal at Our Court in the Hague the 10th Day of October in the Year of Our Lord 1688. WILLIAM HENRY Prince of Orange By His Highness's Special Command C. HUYGENS. To this Declaration the Prince upon further Information of things thought fit to add another to this purpose AFter we had Prepared and Printed this Our Declaration we have understood that the Subverters of the Religion and Laws of these Kingdoms hearing of our Preparations to assist the People against them have began to retract some of the Arbitrary and Despotick Power 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 Re-establishment of their Religion and Laws under the shelter of our Arms They do also give out That we do intend to Conquer and Enslave the Nation and therefore it is we have thought fit to add a few Words to our Declaration VVe are confident That no Persons can have such hard Thoughts of us as to imagine we have any other Design in this our Undertaking 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 Nation 's Relapsing into the like Miseries at any time hereafter And as the Forces we have brought along with us are utterly disproportioned 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 us in this Expedition and have earnestly sollicited us to it will cover us from all such Malicious Insinuations For it is not to be imagined that either those who have invited us or those who are already come to assist us can join 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 Engagements that can be now made since there has been so little regard had in the time past to the most solemn Promises And as that imperfect Redress that is now offer'd is a plain
Order they shall receive from Feversham This was directly a clear and full Abdication or Desertion of the Army which unavoidably necessitated them to submit to the Prince of Orange they having no Body to lead or head them against him And it is not conceivable how they could avoid entring into an Association or Oath of Allegiance to the Prince now the King had left them without exposing themselves by resisting a Foreign Army and a poisoned Nation For neither would the Nation continue long without a Prince nor would any Person who should have succeeded in that Capacity have suffered them to live within his Government without giving him Security by Oath for their Submission and Loyaly to him So that the whole Design of this Letter seems to be the Sowing Division in the Nation that when he left us we might not unite or settle our selves under the other but be divided by our Principles that so we might the more easily reduce us again into the State we are in when the Prince first designed his Expedition against England The King being gone as above-said Decem. 11. in the Morning the Principal Officers of the Army about the Town thereupon met about 10 a Clock at Whitehal and sent an Express to the Prince of Orange to acquaint him with the Departure of the King and to assure him that they would assist the Lord Mayor to keep the City quiet till his Highness came and made the Souldiery to enter into his Service Much about the same time the Lords Spiritual and Temporal about the Town came to Guildhal and sending for the Lord Mayor and Aldermen made the following Declartion The Declaration of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in and about the Cities of London and Westminster Aâ—â—â—mbled at Guild Hall the 14th of December 1688. VVE doubt not but the World believes that in this great and dangerous Conjuncture we are heartily and zealously concerned for the Protestant Religion the Laws of the Land and the Liberties and Properties of the Subject And we did reasonably hope that the King having issued out his Proclamation and Writs for a Free Parliament we might have rested secure under the Expectation of that Meeting But His Majesty having withdrawn himself and as we apprehend in order to his Departurâ— out of this Kingdom by the pernicious Counsels of Persons ill affected to our Nation and Roligion we cannot without being wanting to our Duty be silent under those Calamities wherein the Popish Counsels which so long prevailed have miserably involved these Realms We do therefore unanimously resolve to apply our selves to his Highness the Prince of Orange who with so great Kindness to these Kingdoms so vast Expence and so much Hazard hath undertaken by endeavouring to procure a Free Parliament to rescue us with as little effusion of Christian Blood as possible from the eminent Dangers of Popery and Slavery And we do hereby declare That we will with our utmost Endeavours assist his Highness in the obtaining such a Parliament with all speed wherein our Laws our Liberties and Properties may 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 may be supported and encouraged to the Glory of God the Happiness of the Established Government in these Kingdoms and the Advantage of all Princes and States in Christendom that may be herein concerned In the mean time we will endeavour to preserve as much as in us lies the Peace and Security of these great and popalous Cities of London and Westminster and the parts adjacent by taking care to disarm all Papists and secure all Jesuits and Romish Priests who are in or about the same And if there be any thing more to be performed by Us for promoting his Highnes's Generous Intentions for the Publick Good we shall be ready to do it as occasion requires Signed W. Cant. T. Ebor. Pembrook Dorset Mulgrave Thanet Carlisle Craven Ailesbury Burlington Sussex Berkeley Rochester Newport Weymouth P. Winchester W. Asaph F. Ely Thoâ— Roffen Tho. Petriburg P. Wharton North and Gray Chandois Montague T. Jermâ—n Vaughan Carbery Culpeper Crewe Osulston Whereas His Majesty hath privately this Morning withdrawn himself we the Lords Spiritual and Temporal whose Names are hereunto Subscribed being Assembled in Guild-Hall in London having agreed upon and signed a Declaration of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in and about the Cities of London and Westminster Assembled at Guildhall the 11th of Decemb. 1688. do desire the Right Honourable the Earl of Pembrook the Right Honourable the Lord Viscount Weymouth the Right Reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of Ely and the Right Honourable the Lord Culpeper forthwith to attend His Highness the Prince of ORANGE with the said Declaration and at the same time to acquaint his Highness with what we have further done at this Meeting Dated at Guild-Hall Decemb. 11. 1688. The same Day the Lieutenancy of London signed this following Address to the Prince of Orange at Guild-Hall and sent it by Sir Robert Clayton Kt. Sir Will. Russel Sir Basil Firebrace Kts. and Charles Duncomb Esq May it please your Highness VVE can never sufficiently express the deep Sense we have conceived and shall ever retain in our Hearts that your Highness has exposed your Person to so many Dangers by Sea and Land for the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and the Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom without such unparalleled Undertaking we must probably have suffered all the Miseries that Popery and Slavery could have brought upon us We have been greatly concerned that before this Time we had not any reasonable Opportunity to give Your Highness and the World a Real Testimony That it has been our firm Resolution to venture all that is dear to us to attain those Glorious Ends which your Highness has proposed for Restoring and Settling these Distracted Nations We therefore now unanimously present to your Highness our Just and Due Acknowledgments for that happy Relief you have brought to us and that we may not be wanting in this present Conjuncture we have put our selves into such a posture that by the Blessing of GOD we may be capable to prevent all ill Designs and to preserve this City in Peace and Safety till your Highness's happy Arrival We therefore humbly desire that your Highness will please to repair to this City with what convenient speed you can for the perfecting the Great Work which your Highness has so happily begun to the general Joy and Satisfaction of us all The Prince of Orange in the mean time finding the Kings Troops now without Head to commit many Disorders put forth the following Declaration By the Prince of Orange A Declaration VVHereas We are informed That divers Regiments Troops and Companies have been incouraged to disperse themselves in an Vnusual and Vnwarrantable Manner whereby the Publick Peace is very much disturbed We have thought fit hereby
Superiority Preheminence or Authority Ecclesiastical or Spiritual within the Realm So help me God This Declaration being tendered to the Prince and Princess of Orange and the Conditions being accepted by both they were soon after proclaimed King and Queen of England according to the Tenor of a Proclamation drawn by the Convention for that very purpose and so they took a peaceable Possession of the English Crown the few Soldiers of Dumbarton's Regiment that sometime after revolted being quickly brought to submit and no other Punishment inflicted upon them than to be sent into Holland without any deâ—alcation of their Pay But the King having now done his Work in England 't was his next Thoughts to make sure of Scotland whither he had sent a Body of Men sometime since under the Command of Major General Mâ—ckay and where notwithstanding the Duke of Gourdon still held Edinburgh Castle and that there was a disposition in the Northern Inhabitants of that Kingdom to adhere to the late King a Convention met also and notwithstanding King James writ to them as well as King William yet the formers Letter was so far from having any effect upon them in his Favour that the Throne of Scotland was declared vacant and an Act of Recognition drawn up in the Form following THat whereas James the Seventh being a professed Papist did assume the Regal Power and act as a King without ever taking the Oaths required by Law whereby every King at his Access to the Government was obliged to swear to maintain the Protestant Religion and to Rule the People according to the laudable Laws and by the Advice of wicked Counsellors did invade the Fundamental Constitutions of the Kingdom of Scotland and alter'd it from a Legal limited Monarchy to an Arbitrary and Despotick Power and in a publick Proclamation asserted an Absolute Power to annul and disable all Laws particularly by arraigning the Laws establishing the Protestant Religion and to the Violation of the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom By erecting publick Schools and Societies of the Jesuits and not only allowing Mass to be publickly said but also converting Protestant Chapels and Churches to publick Mass-Houses contrary to the express Laws against saying and hearing of Mass By allowing Popish Books to be printed and disposed by a Patent to a Popish Printer designing him Printer to his Majesty's Houshold Colledge and Chappel contrary to Law By taking the Children of Protestant Noblemen and Gentlemen and sending them abroad to be bred Papists and bestowing Pensions on Priests to pervert Protestants from their Religion by Offers of Places of Preferments By disarming Protestants while at the same time he employ'd Papists in Places of the greatest Trust both Civil and Military c. and entrusting the Forces and Magazines in their hands By imposing Oaths contrary to Law By exacting Money without Consent of Parliament or Convention of Estates By levying and keeping up a Standing Army in time of Peace without Consent of Parliament and maintaining them upon free Quarter By employing the Officers of the Army as Judges throughout the Kingdom by whom the Subjects were put to death without legal Trial Jury or Record Bp imposing exorbitant Fines to the value of the Parties Estates exacting extravagant Bail and disposing Fines and Forfeitures before any Process or Conviction By imprisoning Persons without expressing the Reason and delaying to bring them to Trial. By causing several Persons to be prosecuted and their Estates to be forfeited upon Stretches of old and forfeited Laws upon weak and frivolous Pretences and upon lame and defective Proofs as particularly the late Earl of Argyle to the Scandal of the Justice of the Nation By subverting the Rights of the Royal Boroughs the Third Estate of Parliament imposing upon them not only Magistrates but also the whole Town Council and Clerks contrary to their Liberties and express Charters without any pretence of Sentence Surrender or Consent So that the Commissioners to Parliaments being chosen by the Magistrates and Councils the King might in effect as well nominate that entire Estate of Parliament Besides that many of the Magistrates by him put in were Papists and the Boroughs were forced to pay Money for the Letters imposing those illegal Magistrates upon them By sending Letters to the Chief Courts of Justice not only ordering the Judges to stop sine die but also commanding them how to proceed in Cases depending before them contrary to the express Laws and by changing the Nature of the Judges Patents ad vitam or culpam into a Commission de bene placito to dispose them to a Compliance of Arbitrary Courses and turning them out of their Offices if they refus'd to comply By granting personal Protections for Civil Debts contrary to Law All which were Miscarriages of King James utterly and directly contrary to the known Laws Freedoms and Statutes of the Realm of Scotland Upon which Grounds and Reasons the Estates of the Kingdom of Scotland did find and declare That K. James the 7th being a profess'd Papist did assume the Regal Power c. as at the beginning whereby he had forfeited the Right of the Crown and the Throne was become vacant Therefore in regard his Royal Highness then Prince of Orange since King of England whom it pleas'd God to make the glorious Instrument of delivering these Kingdoms from Popery and Arbitrary Power by Advice of several Lords and Gentlemen of the Scots Nation then at London did call the Estates of this Kingdom to meet upon the Fourteenth of March last in order to such an Establishment as their Religion Laws and Liberties might not again be in danger of being subverted The said Estates being at that time assembled accordingly in a full and free Representative of the Nation taking into their most serious Consideration the best Means for attainâ—ng the Ends aforesaid did in the first place as their Ancestors in the like Cases had usually done for the Vindicating and Asserting their Ancient Rights and Liberties declare That by the Law of Scotland no Papist could be King or Queen of the Realm nor bear any Office whatever therein nor that any Protestant Successor could exercise the Regal Power till he or they had sworn the Coronation-Oath That all Proclamations asserting an Absolute Power to null and disable Laws in order to erecting Schools and Colledges for Jesuits converting Protestant Churches and Chappels into Mass-Houses and the allowing Mass to be said That the allowing Popish Books to be printed and dispersed was contrary to Law That the taking the Children of Noblemen Gentlemen and others and keeping them abroad to be bred Papists the making Funds and Donations to Popish Schools and Colledges the bestowing Pensions on Priests and the seducing Protestants from their Religion by offers of Places and Preferment was contrary to Law That the disarming of Protestants and the employing Papists in the greatest Places of Trust both Civil and Military c. was contrary to Law That the imposing
shall remain in the quiet Possession of the Ecclesiastical Estates and Rents belonging to 'em and that they shall not be molested by any Process of Law upon that Occasion as more especially to the Peace of Westphalia which ought to be look'd upon as the Basis and Foundation of this Treaty For that the express Words of that Treaty are That the sole and only Foundation of the Restitution and of the performance which ought to follow it by reason of the Ecclesiastical Affairs ought to be the Year 1624. and respectively in the Palatinate before the Commotions in Bohemia till the Controversies about Religion shall be amicably terminated II. To the Capitulations of the Emperor and the King of the Romans whereby the Conclusion of the said Peace of Religion and of the Peace of Westphalia that follow'd it are confirm'd III. To the Instruction given to the Deputies of the Empire at the present Treaty of Peace which prescribes both to the One and the Other as well Catholicks as Evangelicks after what manner they ought to Act. And for as much as the same Instruction was confirm'd by his Imperial Majesty the Tenor of that Instruction is That all things as well Ecclesiastical as Political of which any Alteration may have been made shall be restor'd to their first Condition according to the Regulation of the Peace of Westphalia IV. Moreover that Clause is contrary to the particular Instruction which the Deputies of the Confession of Ausburg have receiv'd from the Evangelick Body V. To the particular Orders of their Masters tending to the same end VI. To the Guarranty of the Peace of Westphalia with which the Most Christian King is intrusted VII To the Preliminaries of that Peace which were the Foundation of the Treaties that follow'd VIII To the Project and Declaration which their Excellencies the Embassadors of France deliver'd the 20th of July and 1st of September wherein no mention is made of any such dangerous Alteration in the Peace of Westphalia And when the said Embassie some days before the Peace was sign'd gave the Imperial Embassie their Choice to sign the Project and Declaration upon the Subject of the Peace it appear'd by those two Pieces as they are worded and the same appear'd afterwards that the Most Christian King had not then given any Order in reference to that Clause IX That Clause is also opposite to the preceding Article of the Peace of Ryswick according to which the Treaties of Westphalia and Nimeguen are look'd upon as the Basis and Foundation of the present Peace and because it is also added immediately after the Ratifications the said Treaties 〈◊〉 be duly put in Execution in respect of Spiritual and Temporal and shall be inviolably observ'd for the future For as to the Clause which is added if it shall not be expresly derogated from it by the present Treaty Certain it is that it was only to be understood of the Temporal and not of the Spiritual as may be manifestly inferr'd from the Passage already cited and by many others of the Westphalian Treaty For it was there concluded and more-especially in the Vth Article Paragraph 9. of the Treaty of the Peace of Osnabrug That they of the Confession of Ausburg should not be molested for the time to come in any manner whatever in the Possession of such Estates of the Church which they enjoy'd but that they should be for ever secure from all Prosecutions of Law and Violence till the Contests about Religion should be determin'd X. This Clause that has been already several times alledg'd is also contrary to the Separate Articles of the Treaties past with the King of Great Britain and the States-General of the United Provinces by which His Sacred Imperial Majesty and the Empire were left at liberty to conclude or not conclude the Peace by a time prefix'd in the Conditions which had been stipulated in the Project and Declaration of France XI Moreover such a Clause gives too great a Shog to the Union and Tye of Concord that reigns in all the States of the Empire XII And since his Imperial Majesty's Embassie has refus'd to take notice of the General Remonstrance of the Evangelicks concerning the Execution only of the III. Article of the Peace because the said Execution in the Empire no way concerns France but only the Emperor and the Empire XIII Seeing also that the Embassie of his Imperial Majesty has not only refus'd to take any Cognizance of the particular Remonstrances of some of the Evangelicks by which they desire to provide for the Re-establishment of their Religion in the Provinces which are to be restor'd to the Roman Empire looking upon those Remonstrances as superfluous seeing they no way concern'd the Most Christian King and as being already compriz'd under the Regulation of the III Article Besides that they rejected a General Remonstrance of the Evangelicks for the Preservation of the Evangelick Religion in the Cities of Strasburgh and Alsatia upon the Stipulations of the Peace of Westphalia there is no reason that the Embassie of France should pretend the Admittance of this Clause or that the Emperor's Embassie should admit it and make an Alteration so contrary to the said Peace in the Territories of the Empire in reference to Ecclesiastical Affairs XIV The said Embassadors and Plenipotentiaries here present cannot give their Consent to the Clause so often mention'd contrary to their Orders and their Consciences without doing some notable Prejudice both to their Masters and all the rest who uphold the Peace of Westphalia and who are oblig'd to defend it more-especially perceiving upon reading the Treaty of Ryswick after it was sign'd that certain Things were inserted not only in this Article but in several other Places without their Knowledge and at the same time omitted other things which do not slightly concern the Evangelicks and of which Report will be made to the States of the Empire XV. And tho' it was propos'd by way of Expedient that the Evangelicks should sign the Treaty of Peace in hopes the Affair would be accommodated there were but Three who did it having particular Reasons for so doing the rest of the Embassadors and Plenipotentiaries refusing their Consent as already has been said because their Instructions expresly enjoyn'd 'em the contrary the Dispute being aboâ—t a Change of State in regard of Ecclesiastick Affairs within the Territories of the Empire And they thought they might the better do it because the Embassies of France had very often excus'd themselves during the course of the Negotiation because they had not his most Christian Majesty's Orders in Things of less Importance XVI Thus after mature Deliberation another Expedient was propounded which was to defer signing the Treaty till our Sovereigns should be inform'd of all things and should declare themselves upon this Affair either at Ratisbonne or at the Time of the Pacification Now to the end that in an Affair of so much Delicacy and of so high Importance
all Places of Trust That it was as much in the Power of the People to depose a Popish Possessor as a Popish Successor and seeing there was no Hopes the Parliament when they met at Oxford could do any Good the People were bound to provide for themselves This was no sooner ended but they agreed to meet the next Day there again And Everard sent Sir William Waller a Letter to be present secretly and to whom Everard upon his coming gave 2 Copies of the Instructions abovesaid which Sir William marked Sooner after came Fitz-Harris who enquiring of Everard what he had done he answered He had drawn 2 Copies of the Business and prayed Fitz-Harris to see how he liked them Who upon perusal altered one of them yet thought it not full enough but would have it fair wrote over for the French Embassador's Confessor After this Everard desired him to give him Instructions in Writing which Fitz-Harris did and in which Paper he wrote this Passage That it was in the Peoples Power to depose a Popish Possessor as well as a Popish Successor and other Treasonable Headâ— and left the same with him but came next Day again for a Copy fair writ out which Everard delivered to him who thereupon promised him a Recompence which was to be the Entrance into the Business And that he should be brought into the Cabal where several Protestants and Parliament-Men were to give an Account to the French Embassador of what was transacted But before Fitz-Harris was to receive the Libel he was to go to my Lord Howard of Escrick between whom before this and the Dutchess of Portsmouth he had carried several Messages and went a great way to bring my Lord over to the Court-Interest But for the Reader 's farther Satisfaction and for fear the Libel it self might be lost I shall adventure to give it place here TREASON in GRAIN That most Traiterous Paper or Libel of Fitz-Harris whereby he design'd to raise a Rebellion amongst us the better to make Way for a French Invasion and our utter Destruction as it was Read in both Houses of Parliament at Oxford and upon which the House of Commons Impeached him of High-Treason Falsly and Malitiously called by him The True English-man speaking plain English in a Letter from a Friend to a Friend I Thank you for the Character of a Popish Successor which you sent me wherein our just Fears and the Grounds of them are justly set out But I am in a greater Fear of the present Possessor Why do we frighten our selves about the Evil that is to come not looking to that which is at hand We would cut off the Budding Weeds and let the Poysonous Root lie still we would stop the Channel of our Evils and let the Fountain still run My Meaning is this Can Pylades Know and Act all these bloody Conspiracies and not impart them to his dear Orestes if James be Conscious and Guilty Charles is so too Believe me these Two Brethren in Iniquity they are in Confederacy with Pope and French to introduce Popery and Arbitrary Government as all their Actions demonstrate The Parliament Magna Charta and Liberty of the Subject are as heavy Yoaks which they would cast off to be as Absolute as their Br. of France and if this can be proved to be their only Aim and Endeavour why should not every True Britain be a Quaker thus far Let the English rise and move as one Man to Self-defence to open Action and fling off their intolerable Riders Blow the Trumpet stand on your Guard and withstand them as Bears and Tygers And since there can be no Trust given to this goodly Couple of Popish Brethren nor no Relief expected from a Parliament Trust to your Swords in Defence of your Lives Laws Religion and Properties like the stout Earl of Old who told a King That if he could not be defended by Magna Charta he would be relieved by Longa Spada Yet to convince the World that this Scottish Race is Corrupt Root and Branch and Popish from the very Beginning be pleas'd to consider these Reasons following The Grandfather of these Men James the Scot was of no Religion at the Bottom but entred by a Pretence of a Sham-Plot of the Papists against his Life whilst really he collogued with the Popish Party under-hand his Mother his Kindred and Companions were French and Papists when he came into England he wrote to the Pope with great Submission yet afterwards thinking it for his Purpose to Cajole the Parliament and write against the Pope and Cardinals he sends a Scot's Bird to blind the Eyes of the Vatican Keeper with Money and to steal his Letters from off the Roman File and then he crows as boldly as an unsuspected Harlot for the Protestant Religion and Interest That Man's Son Charles the First held a Secret Correspondency with the Pope calling him his Dear and Holy Father as is to be seen in his Letters recorded in Rushworth's Collections Did he not countenance and promote the Rebellion in Ireland as the Irish Grandees and his very Commissions testifie and declare Was there not a Popish Plot and an Universal Conspiracy of the Papists discovered to him and his Confessor Laud And did they not piously stifle it left they should have discovered the Nakedness of their Mother-Church Whilst that goodly Protestant Prince pretended to relieve the poor besieged Protestants at Rochel by his Confident Buckingham Did he not hold Correspondence with the French Cardinal how to betray them for a Sum of Money which his Obstinacy with his Parliament made him stand in need of But they who so ill approved themselves to be Heads of the Protestant Church Charles and Laud Did they not loose their own Heads by a manifest Judgment of God And was not the false Heart of their Emissary Buckingham found out by an Assassine's Knife But to come nearer to our Purpose these Two goodly Imps of our Days are stark naught arrived at the Heighth of Wickedness and of professed Arbitrariness and Popery As for James he was a Papist whilst he had a Regiment in the French and afterwards in the Spanish Service beyond Seas And for Charles he was reported e're he came into England to have been reconciled to the Church of Rome in one of the French King's Country-Houses and since they came in How have they wheedled and played Fast and Loose in their Profession of Religion as Occasion and their Affairs requir'd Have they not all along maintained Secret Correspondence with France and Rome As Coleman's Letters may sufficiently instruct such who have not seen more Secret Memoirs But let us come to Examine their Actions which are a better Proof of their Hearts Were not the Duke's Servants and Confidents all Papists Witness his Talbots Patricks and other Irish Teagues Were not the Duke and such of his Creatures as were known Papists promoted to all Publick Offices of Trust both at Sea and Land Witness Bellasis
the Town This gave the Christians an Opportunity not only to advance but to possess themselves of an Hill near the Place And this was succeeded with a Summons from the General to surrender But the Governour Saban Basha who was gone to put himself at the Head of a Body of Turks to observe the Motion of the Christians as not believing they durst undertake the Siege of Prevesa The Officer that commanded in his Absence would not receive the General 's Letter but rudely fired upon the Person that carried it Thereupon they landed 4. Pieces of Cannon and as many Mortars on the 22d and next Day shot above 300 Bombs into the Town which burnt several Houses and before Night dismounted all the Enemies Cannon but one and had all this while but one Man killed and few wounded On the 24th they made a Lodgment in the Ditch and began to Mine under the Great Tower of the Place towards the Terra Firma but they were somewhat disturbed by a Sally of the Turks who yet had no great Success So that the Besiegers the 3 following Days advanced their Works notwithstanding the Enemy plyed them very warmly with their small Shot so far that the Mine being ready by the 28th and a considerable Breach made by the Cannon Orders were given for a general Assault But next Morning the Turks prevented them by hanging out a White Flag and sending 5 Deputies to capitulate who required the same Conditions as had been granted to Sancta Maura But the General would allow them no other save that 30 of the most considerable of the Garrison should march out with their Arms and Baggage and the rest without Arms taking only along with them what they could carry which the Turks were forced to submit to And so they marched out of the Place on the 30th of Sept. leaving 44 Pieces of Cannon 14 whereof were large and would shoot a 50 Pound Ball with a considerable Quantity of Ammunition and Provisions to the Conquering Venetians who after this went to Winter at Corâ—u But their Troops in Dalmatia did not yet do so they and the Morlaques under the Dominion of the Republick had all along the War been very successful not only in several Rencounters with the Turks but in divers Incursions into their Country from whence they always returned with good Booty besides possessing themselves of some Places in those Parts But my Design will not admit me to descend to such Minute Particulars and therefore I shall only observe that before the Expiration of this Year they took in the Isle of Narenta and the Castle of Narini And were thereupon joined by a great many of the Neighbouring Greeks But the advanced Season confined them now to their Winter Quarters as I am also confined to close up the History of this Year without superadding any remarkable Adventure as I have hitherto been â—ted to do There is nothing occurs year 1685 worthy of Consideration this Year before the Death of Charles II. King of England who was seized as they gave out of a violent Fit of an Apoplexy on Monday the 2d of Feb. and on the 7th departed this Life in the 37th Year of his Reign computing it from his Father's Death after he had lived 54 Years 8 Months and 8 Days His Character I will not attempt it has been done so well already by a Learned Pen But for his Religion if we believe his Brother that succeeded him he was however otherwise he appeared outwardly in his Life Heart and Soul a true Roman Catholick not only by his Dying in the Communion of the Church of Rome and other Ceremonies of that Church But the Papers taken out of his Strong Box and which his Brother took Care to Publish to the World plainly proved him to be so in his Judgment However be this as it will he had little Regard to any Thing that favoured of Sincere Religion for he would occasionally in his ordinary Conversation ridicule most Opinions and that Religion most of all wherein it was said he died I know not whether it be to his Praise to say He was a Prince the most fit to Govern of any other and applied himself the least to it which was great pitty since he had such an Insight into Men and Things that no Monarch of his Age could pretend to compare with him besides a mild Disposition which made him at his Death be so universally lamented by all sorts of his Protestant Subjects but more by those that dissented from the Publick Church out of the Fear they had of the Religion and Temper of his Successor than any real Kindness for his Government which of latter Years especially had not been very mild towards them But for my part I think a witty Quaker made a truer Judgment of that Conjuncture than any other for appearing very merry and jovial when all about him discovered all the Marks of Sorrow imaginable for the King's Death and being asked the Reason of it he replied He had no Occasion to grieve but the Contrary for that having two to deal withal before 〈◊〉 God be thanked there was but one And now James Duke of York ascends the English 〈◊〉 and having the same Day of his Brother's Death assembled the Council he declared to them That since it had pleased God to place him in that Station to succeed so good and gracious a King as well as so kind a Brother he thought 〈◊〉 to Declare his Endeavours to follow his Brother's Example more especially in that of his great Clemency and Tenderness to his People and make it his Business to preserve the Government both in Church and State as by Law established Commended the Church of England's Principles and Members and said He knew the Laws of England were sufficient to make the King as great a Monarch as he could wish and therefore as he would never depart from the just Rights and Prerogatives of the Crown so he would never invade any Man's Property It was well enough spoke of him and as well acted that he did not dissemble his Religion which was Popish and for which some in his Brother's Reign were severely used for but saying he was so for the very next Sunday after his Brother's Death he went publickly to Mass But his taking the Customs and Excise granted only for the Life of his Brother before they were given him by Parliament did ill Correspond with that part of his Speech that he would never invade any Man's Property and as little did the severe and barbarous Usage of Dr. Oates whom they endeavoured to prove Guilty of Perjury tho' the Contrary has since manifestly appeared by Ben. Hinton's Books agree with his saying He would imitate his Brother in his Clemency and Tenderness to his People But to leave these Things pass His Majesty being solemnly Crowned the 23d of April at Westminster he appointed a Parliament to meet the 22d of May to whom after having
King's Foragers which greatly perplexed him So that understanding at last that the main Body of the Tartars commanded by Sultan Nuradin was come near his Camp yet without being able precisely to learn the Place where they were he caused it to be published among the Moldavians That whoever brought him certain Intelligence of them should have the Reward of 200 Crowns Whereupon one that was well acquainted with the Country went into the Enemies Camp and having observed it returned and gave the King an Account that they lay within a Mile of his Army and that a Party of 4000 Tartars was advanced at some distance from the rest The King being thus informed of the Posture the Enemy were in detached the Court-Marshal and the Court-Treasurer about Midnight to attack those advanced Troops and followed himself with the whole Army This Detachment with the Help of the Moldavian who was their Guide came upon the Enemy before they had time to retire to their main Body and after a sharp Dispute entirely routed them taking about 300 Prisoners among whom were several Murza's and other Persons of considerable Note among the Tartars While this was doing the King also advanced and attacked the Serasquier and Sultan who not knowing of the Defeat of their advanced Troops expected they would have fallen upon the Poles in their Rear and Flank and with this Encouragement they put themselves into a Posture to oppose him However they were deceived and after a short fight were routed and forced to flee leaving a great many Slain and Prisoners behind them but not without Loss also on the Poles side there being several Officers and Persons of Quality and particularly the Palatine Podolskie among the Number of the Slain But while these Things were doing by the Polish Army abroad the Country nearer Home was cruelly ravaged by the Garrison of Caminiec who made frequent Incursions into the Polish Territories Which together with the King 's marching homeward after this last Action and demolishing the fore-mentioned Forts in his Return which he had raised as he went onwards made this Expedition to be little thought of and as little Advantage to redound to the Poles from it as they hitherto had reaped by their Alliance with the Moscovites who made a mighty Smoak this Campaign but very little Fire of whom we shall have more Occasion to talk hereafter year 1687 Now we are come to another Year and the Affairs of England fall of Course under our Consideration And as we left off with taking Notice of the King's Kindness to his Roman Catholick Subjects in a more particular Manner in the Letter he wrote to the Parliament of Scotland we are now to tell you of a more general Act of his and that was upon the 12th of February to issue out his Proclamation for a Toleration of Religion unto all Wherein by the by you are to observe that he exerted his Absolute Power which he said his Subjects ought to obey without Reserve But the Toleration he allowed his Roman Catholick Subjects in Scotland he would scarce allow to his Protestant Subjects in Ireland for Tyrconnel so did Talbot merit for reforming the Army was not only made an Earl but Lord-Lieutenant in Ireland to boot in the room of my Lord Clarendon and one Fitton an infamous Person detected for Forgery not only at Westminster but Chester too was brought out of the King 's Bench Prison in England to be Chancellor and Keeper of the King's Conscience in Ireland Sir Charles Porter being turned out to make way for him Now Talbot being thus advanced in Honour and Office began to exert his Authority and his first Proclamation towards the End of Feb. imported a Promise to defend the Laws Liberty and Established Religion but fairly left out the Preservation of the Act of Settlement and Explanation However though at first he only left them out being resolved to out the Protestants first and to let the Irish into their Forfeited Estates yet he did not stop there We told you last Year what Efforts were made to propagate the King's Power in Westminster-Hall and what Instructions the Judges had in their Circuits to dispense with the Penal Laws and Tests against Dissenters from the Church and now these Things being brought pretty well to bear upon the 25th of April out came the King's Declaration for Liberty of Conscience which was conceived in the following Terms His MAJEETY's Gracious DECLARATION to all His Loving Subjects for LIBERTY of CONSCIENCE JAMES R. IT having pleased Almighty God not only to bring Us to the Imperial Crown of these Kingdoms through the greatest Difficulties but to preserve Us by a more than ordinary Providence upon the Throne of Our Royal Ancestors there is nothing now that We so earnestly desire as to Establish our Government on such a Foundation as may make Our Subjects happy and unite them to Us by Inclination as well as Duty which We think can be done by no Means so effectually as by granting to them the free Exercise of their Religion for the Time to come and add that to the perfect Enjoyment of their Property which has never been in any Case invaded by Us since Our coming to the Crown Which being the Two Things Men value most shall ever be preserved in these Kingdoms during our Reign over them as the truest Methods of their Peace and Our Glory We cannot but heartily wish as it will easily be believed that all People of Our Dominions were Members of the Catholick Church yet We humbly thank Almighty God it is and hath of long time been Our constant Sense and Opinion which upon divers Occasions We have declared that Conscience ought not to be constrained nor People forced in Matters of meer Religion It has ever been directly contrary to Our Inclination as We think it is to the Interest of Government which it destroys by spoiling Trade depopulating Countries and discouraging Strangers and finally that it never obtained the End for which it was employed And in this We are the more Confirmed by the Reflections We have made upon the Conduct of the Four last Reigns For after all the frequent and pressing Endeavours that were used in each of them to reduce this Kingdom to an exact Conformity in Religion it is visible the Success has not answered the Design and that the Difficulty is invincible We therefore out of Our Princely Care and Affection unto all Our Loving Subjects that they may live at Ease and Quiet and for the Increase of Trade and Incouragement of Strangers have thought fit by Virtue of Our Royal Prerogative to issue forth this Our Declaration of Indulgence making no doubt of the Concurrence of Our Two Houses of Parliament when we shall think it convenient for them to meet In the first Place We do declare That We will Protect and Maintain Our Archâ—bishops Bishops and Clergy and all other Our Subjects of the Church of England in the free
so indeed it proved For our Forces now lying so near them and two Detachments being kept there against their Wills made every thing so very scarce that they were reduced to great straits And no hopes of relief appearing the Governour upon the 12th of May having leave from the Officer commanding without and a Guard for them sent a Lieutenant Collonel and a Captain with Terms of Surrender to the Duke which with some Alterations were agreed to For the Duke had an Account that the Place was very strong and therefore he chose rather to give them Terms than to spend much time about it since there were greater matters in agitation The Articles were no sooner signed and a Truce published but the General sent Robert Alloway Esq Commissary of the Train to take an account of the Stores in the Garrison which marched out at the time appointed and then drew up before the Gate 4 Companies of Collonel Babington's marched in and most of the English Regiments thereabouts were drawn up as the Irish march'd along towards Armagh and being all well clothed and armed it made the Irish a little out of Countenance to see it who were otherwise which made the Collonel of the Brandenburg Regiment seem very much concerned that he should go to Fight against such Scoundrels as the Irish seemed to be The General himself went that Morning from Legacory to see the Castle of Charlemont and after the Irish had march'd about half a Mile from it they drew up in 2 Battalions about 400 Men in each and there stood till the General came to see them Old Teague was mounted upon an old ston'd Horse and he very lame with the Scratches Spavin Ring-bones and other Infirmities but withal so vitious that he would fall a kicking and squeeling if any Body came near him Teague himself had a great Bunch upon his Back a plain red Coat an old weather-beaten Wig hanging down at full length a little narrow white Beaver cocked up a yellow Cravat-string but all of one side his Boots with 1000 Wrinles in them and though it was a very hot Day yet he had a great Muff hanging before him and to Crown all was almost tipsie with Brandy Thus mounted and equipp'd he drew near the Duke with a Complement but his Horse would not allow him to make it a long one for he fell to work preâ—ently and the Duke had scarce time to make him a â—civil return but smiled afterwards and said Teague's Horse was very mad and himself very drunk The General then view'd the Irish Battalions who all both Officers and Soldiers after they had made him a great many Legs stared upon him as if they knew not whether he was a Man or some other strange Creature For the Irish were generally wont to ask one another What is that sham-bear that all this talk is of The Duke seeing so many Women and Children among them ask'd the reason of keeping such a Number in the Garrison which no doubt destroy'd their Provisions He was answered that the Irish were naturally very hospitable and that they all fared alike But the greatest reason was the Soldiers would not stay in the Garrison without their Wives and Mistresses The Duke reply'd there was more Love than Policy in it and in a little while return'd to the Castle Where my Author says himself saw in Teague's own Room several Papers and among the rest a Copy of a Letter writ formerly by some Persons about King James giving an Account of the State of the Garrison and withall a very true relation of the English proceedings in several things which was an Argument they did not want intelligence Among others there were two Priests in the Garrison and there happened a very pleasant Adventure between one of them and a Dragoon of Collonel Heaford's Regiment as they were guarding the Irish towards Armagh For falling into Discourse about Religion at last they fixed upon a Topick and what should it be but Transubstantiation The Dragoon being a pleasant witty Fellow drolled upon the Priest and put him so to it that he had little to say for himself upon which he grew so angry that he struck the Dragoon who being not used tamely to submit to Blows it came to a Combat and he thrash'd his Fatherhood very severely Upon this complaint being made to Teague as he sat at Dinner with the English Officers at Armagh all that he said was That he was very glad on 't What the Deel had he to do to dispute Religion with a Dragoon Thus matters stood in Ireland when the King went over who landed as you have been told before at Carrigfergus on the 14th of June being attended by Prince George the Duke of Ormond Earâ—s of Oxford Scarborough and Manchester the honourable Mr. Boyl and many other Persons of Quality and went in Duke Schomberg's Coach to Belfast that Evening and next Day being Sunday Dr. Royce preached before him on Heb. 6. 11. Through Faith they subdued Kingdoms and some days after he went to Lisburn and dined with the General The King from thence passed to Hilsburough where he set out an Order on the 20th forbidding the pressing of Horses from the Country People But finding things did not go on so fast as he desired he exprest some dissatisfaction saying He did not come there to let Grass grow under his Feet and he made his words good For the whole Army now received Orders to march into the Field and encamped at a Place called Loughbritland where the King arrived on the 22d having given Orders before his coming for removing the Camp from the S. side to the N. W. of the Town that he might take a view of the Regiments as they march'd and though the Weather was very dry and windy and the Dust exceeding troublesome Yet the King was no sooner come up but he was within the Throng of them and afterwards view'd every Regiment very Critically which pleased the Soldiers mightily and every one was ready to give all possible Demonstration of their Courage and Duty From hence they march'd to Newry and on the 27th to Dundalk where the whole Army English Dutch Danes Germans and French joyned making in all 36000 Men as well provided in all respects for the Number of Men as any Kingdom of the World ever had one and from whence they marched to Ardee which the Enemy had abandoned The King being ever upon Action and observing the Country as he rid along said It was worth fighting for and on the last Day of June understanding that all the Irish Army were passed over the Boyne the Night before he ordered the whole Army to move in 3 lines toward that River which was about 3 Miles distant from them The Enemy being near our advanced Guards of Horse commanded by Sir John Lanier made their approaches very regularly and by 9 they had got within 2 Miles of Drogheda The King was in the Front of them who observing
speak once more the Language of Nimeguen came hereby very far short of their Expectations However neither this nor the Siege of Barcelonâ— was designed by them to retard but rather to quicken the Spaniards pace towards a Peace So that the Conferences between their Plenipotentiaries and the Allies went on under the Mediation of the Young King of Sweden now his Father Charles XI of that Name had died on the 17th of April this Spring by the intervention of the Baron de Lillieroot his Ambassador who went between the one and the other for the said purpose After the Allies had made their Pretensions they drew up a large Deduction in justification of them of which they resolved to give the French Plenipotentiaries no Copy until they had Declared that they had received the King's Orders to make theirs But these same Plenipotentiaries having Declared that they had nothing to ask or pretend to and that they were ready to Answer the others The Allies changed their Thoughts the French Plenipotentiaries having in the mean time had several separate Conferences with those of the States General about Commerce and a Cessation of Arms which the former shewed themselves very eager for But there was but little appearance that this last point should then have been agreed to seeing the Peace was more likely to be Retarded than Advanced thereby Towards the end of May the Spanish Ambassadors presented their grievances to the Mediator who received them with a promise of having the same shortly Debated But the said Mediator did at the same time Declare that he was of Opinion that it would very much contribute to the advancement of the Peace if a Truce was agreed on by common consent seeing the Clamour and Fury of War did more harm than good to the Negotiation Mens minds being so much â—he less composed by how much they were Distracted and 〈◊〉 out of order by the daily â—venâ—â— of War This Opinion seemed then to be approved by silence but other things intervened and none of all the Allies made so much ado about having all the Names of the Confederate Princes exprest and particularly inserted in the Treaty as the Brandenburg Ambassador who insisted very much upon it as some of the Allies took it also very ill that both the one and the other pretentions of the Empire were proposed by the Emperor's Ambassador only in his Name but they had satisfaction given them in respect to these complaints for the said Ambassadorâ— replied that every one of the Allies was free to propose separate Articles concerning his own Affairs Several Princes did about the same time give in their Grievances to the Mediator while all Parties were in mighty Expectations oâ— News from divers parts that might favour their respective interests but more especially from Poland where the Frenâ—â— were Cocksure the Prince of Conti would carry that Crown whereas the Confederates had apparently all their Eyes turn'd upon Prince James but there was a third Person who ran away with the Bone in Contention whom no body eveâ— Dreamt to have any thoughts that way and that was the Elector of Saxony who in the end of the Spring took a Journey to Vienna under pretence of settling matters in Relatiâ—â— to the Campaign in Hungary where 't was given out he would Command the Emperor's Army again this Year But the Event proved that in reality the Design was to Concerâ— with the Emperor how the Elector might obtain the Crowâ— of Poland which his Religion could be no bar to since â—e was already privately reconciled to the Church of Rome 〈◊〉 at least given out so afterwards But whether in order 〈◊〉 the wearing of a Crown the Elector has obtained as mâ—â— Reputation and Glory by the Abjuration as the Gentlemeâ— of the Church of Rome are pleased to phrase it of the Proâ—â—stant Religion as his great Ancestor did in the Propagation of that Faith Preached by Martin Luther and the first Priâ—â— in Europe that avowedly tho' it was with the hazzard of aâ—â— took both him and it under his Protection I 'le leave otheâ— to Judge However it be the Design was certainly carried on with wonderful secrety and address for all of a suddâ—â— the Elector leaves Vienna which was attended with varioâ— Reports spread abroad immediately of some mis-understanâ—ing between the Emperor and Him which no body coâ—assign a cause for But when they saw the Elector muste◠〈◊〉 a Body of his Troops it wrought I know not what suspitioâ— and the Brandenburgers so far took the Allarm as suddenly 〈◊〉 get what Froces they could together to oppose any atteâ—â— that might be made that way But the Electors sudden maâ—â— towards Silesia and the Frontiers of Poland quickly ocâ—â—oned other Speculations and in Truth the next News thâ—â— had at Reswick was his being chosen on the 26th of 〈◊〉 King of Poland by a great majority of Voices above the Prince of Conti who was also Proclaimed King though the Expedition afterwards made into that Country by that brave Man proved little to his or the French King's satisfaction the Elector having in a manner weathered all his point before the other's Arrival The first news of it was a great mortification to the French Plenipotentiaries at Reswick however the Treaty went on and the Ceremonial part being in a manner all adjusted the French who had daily Conferences with the Ministers of the States General and of the other Allies made an offer of an Equivalent again for Luxemburg and Strasburg they being willing for the former to give up to his Catholick Majesty Conde Tournay Melen and Ipres as they were for the other ready to consign into the Emperor's hands Brisac Phillipsburg and Friburg But the French Plenipotentiaries had in the mean time sent the Pretensions of the Allies to their King while the Confederates protested That they would not be put by their right but that they should have liberty allowed them every one to present his Grievance to the Mediator The Princes of the Empire desiring also to â—e comprehended in the Treaty demanded the same things whereof neither the Imperialists nor the French made any great difficulty whether they were willing to have all their different Interests and concerns terminated together or every one of them by themselves in particular About this time it was the Plenipotentiaries of the States General Declared aloud with some sort of Indignation That it was an unjust and false Report that was spread abroad concerning their Masters having underhand concluded upon their Affairs with France And that they might still make a greater appearance of their just Comportment and Sincerity they openly diswaded the Ministers of the Allies from consenting to a Truce with France to which they were of themselves deaf enough and the rather for that the French had rejected the Pretentions of the Imperialists and Spaniards as being not willing to answer the same before the Confederates gave their Opinions concerning the
were detach'd to go and make themselves Masters of this Booty But as it usually happens in such Hurries the Ammunition took Fire that Day beyond the Bridge as it had done the Night before on this side the Bridge so that a good part of it was consumed with a great quantity of Victuals and other Booty In the Morning a Transilvanian Commissary brought the Grand Seignior's Seal a curious Piece of Workmanship which never happened before in any Battle that had been fought during this War Which confirm'd what the Prisoners and Fugitives reported That the Grand Visier was kill'd because he is bound always to carry the Seal about his Neck In the mean time the Hussars and some other Troops of the Army pursued the Enemy for above 4 or 5 Leagues together from the Place where the Battle was fought who found store of Booty by the way and some lazy Turks whom they took Prisoners The same day Colonel Gleckelsberg was sent out in pursuit of the Infidels with 600 Horse and to pick up what Booty and Prisoners he could He pursued the flying Enemy as far as Aranga within half a Mile of Temeswaer and after his return with a considerable Booty which he met with all along the Road he confirm'd what had been reported of the Grand Seignior's Consternation and of the small number of Foot that was left him As for the Loss which the Turks sustained it augmented every day by new Relations the last of which gave an Account That besides the Grand Visier and the Aga of the Janisaries there were 27 Bassa's slain upon the Spot above 20000 Men killed and about 10 or 12000 drowned in the Theysse 6000 wounded and several taken Prisoners The Booty consisted of 6000 Waggons laden with Ammunition and Provision 6000 Camels 6000 Horses 12000 Oxen and a very great number of other Spoils with 160 Pieces of Cannon among which there were 70 of a larger Size for Artillery 500 Drums and as many Colours 74 Pair of Kettle-Drums the Grand Seignior's Tent valued at about 4000 Florins and a Coach or Chariot with Six Horses wherein were 10 Women of the Sultan's Seraglio It was said that the whole Booty amounted to several Millions This Victory was so much the more Glorious because it was gained with so little Loss to the Imperialists A loss so small that it is a rare thing to read of so great a Battle fought and wun with so little Effusion of Blood on the Victors Side some Regiments not loosing above 1 2 or 3 others not above 14 15 or 29 at most But how Glorious soever this Action was there was this unhappiness that did attend it that it was so late in the Year that the Germans could go upon no considerable Undertaking and follow the Blow So that all they did the remainder of the Campaign was to make an Incursion into Bosnia from whence they returned with a considerable Booty So we shall leave them and being so near will take a step into Poland and see how their Affairs stood there before we return to prosecute the remaining Negotiations of the Peace We have hinted before that the Elector of Saxony was chosen King of Poland as much contrary to most Men's Expectations as the Change of his Religion was thereupon And that for all this the Prince of Conti his Competitor's Expedition thither who was in like manner proclaimed King was at length undertaken However Saxony was by much before-hand with him for besides other Paces made the Baron de Fleming as early as July 13th in his Master's Name signed the Pacta Conventa the same being done also by a great Number of the Senators and Principal of the Nobility The Articles were these I. THE Kingdom of Poland shall be always preserv'd in its Right of Electing a Sovereign King so that it may never become Hereditary II. No King shall be elected who shall not be devoted to the Roman Catholick Church and who shall not take an Oath constantly to persevere in her Communion III. Liberty of Conscience shall be preserv'd inviolably in its full Strength and Vigour and as for the Greek Religion that shall be taken into Consideration after the Coronation IV. No Presents shall be taken from those who shall sue for any Offices or Starâ—sties V. The Queen not to intermeddle with Affairs of Government VI. As to the Administration of the Military Affairs the Presidents of Vladistaus IV. and John 〈◊〉 to be follow'd VII Alliances shall be renew'd VIII Endeavours shall be us'd to recover the Vkraine and to conclude a perpetual Peace with the Muscovites IX The Revenues in Money shall not be employ'd to the particular Benefit of the King nor shall any Money be Coin'd without the Consent of the Republick X. No Foreign Forces shall be brought into the Kingdom without the knowledge of the Republick XI None shall be employ'd in Embassies but Gentlemen of good Fortunes XII No body shall purchase the Right of Naturalization but such as have done the Republick important Services XIII No body shall be admitted to any Preferment in the Royal Houshold unless he have first serv'd the Crown XIV Nor shall any Person by the Connivance of the Senators enjoy any petty Revenues of the Crown without the Consent of the Republick XV. No Person shall enjoy two considerable Offices at one time such as are those of the Mareschal and General but they who now enjoy any Offices shall continue in the Exercise of 'em and enjoy the Revenues of 'em without any Defalcation XVI The accustom'd Order in the Administration of Justice shall be preserv'd without any alteration XVII The King when he has re-taken Caminiec shall cause it to be fortify'd at his own Charges but after that the Republick shall keep the said Fortifications in Repair XVIII The Court and the King's Guards shall consist of the Natives of the Kingdom XIX If the King has a desire to Marry he shall advise with the Senators about the Choice of a Wife and if he takes a Foreigner she shall not have above six Foreigners in her Service at Court XX. Only the Latin and Polish Languages shall be made use of for the King's Letters and Orders XXI The Laws call'd Pacta Henricea shall be observ'd in the Judgments call'd Postcurialia and when any Difficulty shall arise Judgment shall be given with the Counsellors Assessors XXII The Differences which are in the shall be determin'd with all speed that may be XXIII That no new Custom or Novelty shall be admitted in the Order of the King's Table but that the ancient Custom shall be exactly observ'd XXIV Places becoming vacant in the Intervals of Dyets shall be supply'd in six Weeks XXV The Militia shall be so regulated at the Dyet of the Coronation that is to come that there shall be no need of Foreign Troops and Military Discipline shall be exactly observ'd XXVI That the Salt shall be tax'd and shar'd out in all the Palatinates according to the
ancient Custom XXVII That all Gentlemen shall have the Freedom of the Salt Mines XXVIII The ancient Privileges of the Palatinates shall remain inviolable XXX All the Privileges which belong to the Universities of Cracow and other Cities as well Ecclesiastick as Secular as also all the Articles which were promis'd upon Oath at the Coronations of the Kings Henry Stephen Sigismond Vladistaus John Casimir and others shall be renew'd at this Election which if it be not done or any thing endeavour'd to the contrary of these Articles then the Inhabitants of Poland and Lithuania to be free and disingag'd from their Obedience This being over the new King advanced towards Poland and upon the Frontiers was harangued by the Embassy sent to him by the Republick or at least a Party of it And having himself Swore to the Pacta Conventa and given sufficient Testimony of his being reconciled to the Romish Church he deliver'd himself to the Nobility that attended him in the following manner MY Dear and Good Friends You have chosen Me to be Your King You are come to offer Me the Crown and You have brought Me hither I am come and have quitted my Territories and my Country for Love of You. 'T is not with a Design to be a Burthen to You but to bring abundance along with Me my Wealth my Forces and all that belongs to Me to augment as much as in Me lies the Glory and Honour of Your Nation by fighting against the Enemies of the Kingdom more-especially those of Christendom Be assur'd that my Heart shall be always constant and sincere towards my Faithful Subjects and that my Sword shall only be employ'd in the Defence of Your Liberty and the Authority with which You have invested Me. From Piccari the King continued his March towards Cracow And tho' all Circumstances consider'd he had by far the Advantage over his Adversary yet there were still innumerable Difficulties not only to struggle with in Poland but Saxony it self was also to be taken care of wherefore least the sudden Change of his Religion should occasion any Innovations there he caused the following Declaration to be affixed upon the Gates of Dresden FRederick Augustus by the Grace of God King of Poland c. Elector of Saxony c. We notifie and make known That having long since by Divine Inspiration resolv'd to return to the Bosom of the Roman Church wherein our Ancestors liv'd and whereas for that purpose without any Allurement of Interest or Profit but only having God before our Eyes we have embrac'd the Catholick Apostolick and Roman Religion and that in the mean while it has pleased his Divine Majesty to advance our Person to the Throne of Poland for which reason we find our selves oblig'd by Affairs of so great Importance to absent our selves for some time from our Dear Country the Electorate of Saxony and seeing that for these Reasons and because of our Change the States of our said Country and our Dear Subjects may believe that we have a Design to abolish their ancient Priviledges we have thought fit to declare That we have not any the least Thought to over-charge 'em in any manner whatsoever contrary to their aforesaid ancient Priviledges but rather graciously to maintain our said States and Subjects in all their Liberties assuring 'em that as we promis'd 'em when we enter'd into Possession of our Estates and were settl'd in the Government and now that we have embrac'd the Roman Religion that we will maintain and protect our Dear States and Subjects in their Ausburg Confession in their ancient Possession of Liberty of Conscience of Churches of Religious Worship of Religious Exercise of Universities of Schools and of all other Priviledges which they now enjoy that in pursuance of this we will not constrain any Person to embrace our present Catholick Religion but will leave every Body free in his own Conscience as we assure 'em upon our Royal and Electoral Word assuring our selves in the mean time that our Dear States and Subjects will continue their just Affection Love Esteem and Fidelity which they have hitherto testify'd to our Person as their Lawful Elector and Sovereign and that they will live in Peace in Repose and in Union during our Absence for a while so that the Blessing of God and all manner of Happiness may more and more increase to which purpose we will assist our People with all our Power and at all times give 'em Demonstrations of our Royal and Electoral Affection And to the end that our present Assurance and Promise may be known to all our States and Subjects of our Electorate and other Countries we ordain that being Printed it be affix'd in all Places of our Electorate and Country and that Copies of it be every where distributed and dispers'd And for the greater Confirmation of what is above written we have Sign'd this present Act and Promise with our Hand and Seal'd it with our Seal At Lobsow August 6. 1697. â— AVGVSTVS K. of Poland and E. of Saxony The Prince of Conti in the mean time being buoy'd up by the Primate and his Party September the 6th left France and on the 25th arrived before Danzick but while that City refused his Men the liberty of Landing and adher'd firmly to the Interest of the Elector this last was solemnly crowned King at Cracow September 15. This undoubtedly must be a great Mortification to the Prince of Conti However not to be totally discouraged and in assurance that the Lithuanian Army would not submit to the new crown'd King with an Intention farther still to embroil Matters he wrote the following Letter and his Party were very sedulous to disperse Copies of it FRancis Lewis de Bourbon Prince of Conti and by the Grace of God and the Affection of the Polish Nation Elect King of Poland and the Dutchy of Lithuania made no haste to come sooner in order to testifie his Acknowledgment that he might not do any Prejudice to the Customs of the Kingdom For the same Reason it is that he still remains on Board his Ship and that he has brought no Men along with him He does not apprehend that the Coronation of the Elector of Saxony can any way Prejudice his Right according to the Maxim That whatever is originally invalid can never be of any force in the Consequences that attend it Hence it comes to pass besides the Irregularities of His Electoral Highness's Coronation that there is an indispensible Necessity according to the Pacta Conventa that the Electress should embrace the Roman Catholick Religion before the Elector can be crown'd He puts all his Confidence in the Poles having a Design to avoid Effusion of Blood But in case of Necessity he Promises as many Forces as shall be necessary and continues still dispos'd to spend his Estate and to expose his own Person for the Polish Religion and Liberty But tho' this Stratagem had not the desired Effect the new King did not defer the
will permit The Fortress of Chonin will present her Flank on that side next Croatia as far as the Confines of the Emperor's Territories without doing any Prejudice to the Three Potentates whose Confines shall join to the said Limits But they shall be oblig'd inviolably to observe the Right which belongs to every one of the Three Potentates according to the Agreements of this Universal Peace Both Parties shall be equally bound to observe the said Line and if it should happen that in the Neighbourhood of the said Line or in the Line it self there should be any Fortress depending upon the High Empire the Territory seated behind that Place shall remain entire to the Empire and in Front a Space of Ground taken in the Circumference of the said Line shall be mark'd out in a Circular Line and which shall also have the Extent of an Hour's March As for the Fortress of Ciclut there shall be in like manner assign'd it in Front the Circuit of a League without the Line drawing out a strait Line to the Seaward and when the Limits shall be once fix'd and the Bounds and Territories settl'd in Manner and Form aforesaid they shall be inviolably observ'd without the least Alteration And if any one shall have the Boldness to violate the said Bounds and Marks of the said Frontires or to pass beyond the said Limits or that the Officers themselves should fail in their Duty and Care in that particular by punishing the Offenders according to their Deserts they shall themselves be severely punish'd on both Sides And in case the Commissioners shall meet with any Difficulties or should not agree among themselves they shall faithfully and exactly inform their Masters thereof to the end such Differences may be amicably compos'd by the Good Offices and Interposition of those that represent his Imperial Majesty and the Lords Mediators at the Ottoman Court. 9. The Territory and Dependencies of the Signory of Ragusa shall be annex'd to the Territories and Cantons of the High Empire and all Obstacles that hinder the joining and Communication of the Lands of the said Signory with the Lands of the High Empire shall be taken away 10. Castelnovo and Lisano which are in the Neighbourhood of Cattero being actually in the Possession of the Republick of Venice she shall remain in the peaceable Enjoyment of those Places and Territories Which is likewise to be understood of some other Fortress whatever it be seated in that Canton and of which the same Republick is in actual Possession And the Commissioners which shall be chosen on both Sides shall be Persons of known Integrity without Passion or private Interest to the end they may determine this important Affair with all possible Equity by making a Separation of the Limits of the Country by evident and undeniable Marks 11. The Commissioners shall give reciprocal Notice of their meeting and shall meet in a Place proper and convenient for their Business with an equal Number of armed Attendants Men of Peace and not given to create Trouble and they shall begin their Conferences upon the first Day of the Equinox that is to say the 14 22 of March of this present Year now running on 12. Neither Party shall give Sanctuary or Protection to Fugitives on either side but shall cause 'em to be apprehended and imprison'd that they may be brought to condign Punishment 13. Both Parties shall be permitted to repair and fortifie the Fortresses in their Possession but not to build any new ones upon the Frontiers not to rebuild such as are demolish'd The Subjects also of both Parties are permitted to build Towns and Villages in order to live in Peace and as good Neighbours one with another 14. As for what concerns Religion the release and exchange of Slaves and matter of Trade and Commerce the Conditions of the last Treaty shall be observ'd according to their Form and Tenor and the Sacred Imperial Edicts formerly granted to the Republick are confirm'd by this present Peace 15. All Hostilities to cease from the Day of the signing the Treaty concluded between the High Empire and the Republick and for the Information of the Governours of the Frontiers Thirty Days are allow'd for the Provinces of Bossina Albania and Dalmatia and Forty for Candy the Morca c. And a general Amnesty is to be allow'd to the Subjects of both Parties for any Action or Crime committed during the War 16. The Duration of this present Peace shall be determin'd upon the Delivery of the Acts of this present Treaty By these respective Treaties may be seen the several Acquisitions of the Confederates from the Turk during this long and bloody War now fully terminated How vastly the Emperor has increased his Territories no Man that understands any thing of Geography but must agree to it The Poles cannot but be satisfy'd with the Restitution of Caminiec in its present State with other Advantages The Moscoviâ—es have been also Gainers by the Detention of Asoph and other Places and Countries leading to it And tho' the Venetians seemed to have fared hardest in this Negotiation as indeed is usual with those who make their Terms last witness the German Empire in the late Treaty of Ryswick Yet how many strong Fortresses and what vast Tracts of Land are hereby conceded to them is exceeding manifest the Morea to say nothing of the rest wherein there had been so many famous Kingdoms and States being now entirely theirs So that upon the whole if you consider the Extent of Land the Fertility of the Soil and the Numbers and the Strength of the Garrisons which the Turks have lost and set them against the Nakedness of their Frontiers the cold Climate of Thrace the Barrenness of Macedon and other Parts and indeed against the whole they have now left in Europe It will appear they lost little less than one Moiety of their Dominions on this side the Tâ—racian Bosphorus and I cannot think a Truce of Five and Twenty Years will be sufficient to put them into a Condition to regain them again but should rather incline to believe that another War should drive them over to the Asiatick Shoar as a step on their way to those Barren Desarts from whence they first came But while this our European World may now justly sing a Râ—quiem for the Universal Peace that is establish'd between the several Nations that compose its Inhabitants what a pitty is it and how worthy of Lamentation that the poor Protestants abroad should fare the worse for it their Calamities encrease and as it were a new War proclaimed against them both in France Savoy and Germany I wish we may not hear the same in a short time from Hungary and Traâ—silvania from the foolish Bigottry of those Princes whose true Interest it is to protect and tolerate them and who after all can never sit easie in their Throâ—es nor one should think in their Consciences neither till they have learnt that true Principle that Conscience