and against the Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge and the Follows of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford this year were such evident breaches of his Indulgence to Tender Consciences that it gave still greater dissatisfaction to the Nation and portended some sudden alteration The Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge being deprived of his Office and suspended of his Headship or refusing to admit one Alban Francis a Benedictine Monk to be Master of Arts without taking the Oaths by virtue of the Dispensing power though contrary to the Statutes which he was sworn to maintain And the fellows of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford being 26 in number for refusing to admit one Farmer a scandalous Popish Priest to the Presidentship of that Colledge and Electing Dr. Hough were pronourced guilty of disobedience to his Majesties Commands and deprived and expelled from their respective Fellowships And the Bishops judging that their distributing the Declaration would be an owning and asserting the Kings assumed Dispensing Power and foreseeing the pernicious consequences thereof the Archbishop of Canterbury and six others drew up a Petition in behalf of themselves and their Brethren setting forth the Reasons why they could not comply therewith This was so ill resented by the King and his Popish Councellors that the Petition was judged Tumultuary and all the seven Bishops were committed Prisoners to the Tower And now the Jesnits acted their Master piece of Policy as they imagined though it proved very fural to them For knowing that the King grew old and that on his life the hopes of Restoring their Religion depended since the Heir Apparent was a Protestant who would soon ruin all their Machinations They resolved if possible to advance a Popish Successor and thereby ensure Popery and Slavery to the Nation Hereupon they raised a report sometime before that the Queen was with Child though the People did not believe it and several Lampoons were made upon that Subject And the Bishops being now secured this was thought the proper time for the Queen to fall in Labour and accordingly June 10. 1683. It was published that she was Delivered of a Frince for which the King ordered all signs of rejoicing to be made and a day of Thanksgiving was appointed as being a thing of mighty consequence for advancing the Catholick Cause though the joy was somewhat abated by the Acquittal of the seven Bishops five days after who being Tried at the Kings Bench Bar were brought in Not Guilty at which the People yea the Kings own Army at Hounslow Heath shouted for joy to the severe mortification of the Court. The King having declared that he intended to call a Parliament to turn his Declaration of Liberty of Conscience into a Law and likewise to abrogate all the Penal Laws and Tests both against the Dissenters and the Roman Catholicks the Jesuits had a great desire to sound the intentions and thoughts of their Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Orange upon that Subject To which purpose Mr. James Steward undertook to write a Letter to Pensionary Fagell not without the knowledge and approbation of the King which occasioned Minheer Fagels answer to this effect That Their Highnesses had often declared as they did more particularly to the Marquess Albeville His Majesties Envoy Extraordinary to the States That it is their Opinion that no Christian ought to be persecuted for his Conscience or be ill used because he dissers from the Publick and Established Religion and therefore they could be content that even the Papists in England Scotland and Ireland might be suffered to continue to their Religion with as much Liberty as is allowed the by the States of the United Provinces And as for the Protestant Dissenters Their Highnesses did not only consent but heartily approve of their having an Intire Liberty for the full exercise of their Religion without any trouble or hindrance That Their Highnesses were ready in case His Majesty of England should desire it to declare their willingness to concur in the setling and confirming this Liberty as far as it lay in them and were ready if desired to concur in Repealing the Laws provided always that those Laws remain still in their full force and vigor whereby the Roman Catholicks are excluded out of both Houses of Parliament and out of all publick Imployments Ecclesiastical Civil and Military as likewise all those other Laws which confirm the Protestant Religion and which secure it against all the attempts of the Roman Catholicks But that Their Highnesses could not agree to the Repealing of the Tests or those Penal Laws that tend to the security of the Protestant Religion since the Roman Catholicks receive no other prejudice from these than the being excluded from Parliaments or from Publick Imployments and that by them the Protestant Religion is covered from all the designs of the Roman Catholicks against it or against the publick safety and neither the Tests nor those other Laws can be said to carry in them any severity against the Roman Catholicks upon account of their Consciences they being only Provisions Qualifying men to be Members of Parliament or to be capable of bearing Offices by which they must declare before God and Men that they are for the Protestant Religion so that all this amounts to no more than a securing the Protestant Religion from any prejudice that it may receive from the Roman Catholicks That Their Highnesses have thought and do still think that more than this ought not be asked nor expected from them since by this means the Roman Catholicks and their Posterity would be for ever secured from all Troubles in their Persons and Estates or in the Exercise of their Religion and that the Roman Catholicks ought to be satisfied with this and not to disquiet the Kingdom because they cannot be admitted to sit in Parliament or to be in imployment or because those Laws wherein the security of the Protestant Religion chiefly consists are not repealed by which they may be in a condition to overturn it That their Highnesses also believed that the Dissenters would be for ever satisfied when they should be for ever covered from all danger of being disturbed or punished for the free Exercise of their Religion upon any pretence whatsoever This was the substance of the Letter written by that Great Minister of State as discovering the just sentiments of Their Highnesses which did no ways please the Papists who had high expectations of carrying all before them and therefore Mr. Steward in his second Letter to the Pensioner a while after says That the Court was quite beyond it and had taken other measures And what they were soon after appeared namely to defeat their Royal Highnesses of their just Interest and Right to the Succession of the Crown by pretending that the Queen was delivered of a Prince of Wales But the Nobility and Gentry of England beholding the deplorable State of the Nation and foreseeing the subversion of their Ancient Laws and Established Religion to be designed by him who
had largely promised the Protection of both And at the same time seeing Popery and Arbitrary Power hovering over their Heads and ready to seize on their Liberties and Properties and that both were designed to be perpetuated and enâ—ailed upon them and their Posterity by a succession of Popish Princes Mrs. Cellier having declared in Print before the pretended Birth That it would be a Prince and that the Queen would likewise bring forth a Duke of York and a Duke of Glocester After several consultations whither to fly for succour at length they resolved to apply themselves to His Highness the Prince of Orange to whose Illustrious Family it had been an Inherent Glory for some Ages to relieve the Distressed and support the Protestant Cause His Highness they saw inherited all the surpassing Qualities of his Ancestors Their matchless Prudence Justice Courage their Truth and Magnanimity and besides all these excellent Endowments they were well assured of the fair Title he had to the Crown it self To him therefore the Lords Spiritual and Temporal with a great number of the Chiefest Gentry of the Kingdom make their application and in an humble Memorial represent their Grievances to their Highnesses to this effect That their Highnesses cannot be ignorant that the Protestants of England who continue True to the Government and Religion have been many ways troubled and vexed by many Devices and Machinations of the Papists carried on under pretence of Royal Authority and things required of them unanswerable before God and Man Several Ecclesiastical Benefices of Churches taken from them without any other Reason given than the Kings Pleasure themselves Summoned and Sentenced by Commissioners appointed contrary to express Law deprived of their free choice of Magistrates divers Corporations dissolved The Legal Security of their Religion and Liberty established by King and Parliament abolished and taken away by a pretended Dispensing Power New and unheard of Maxims broached That Subjects have no Right but what is founded and derived from the Kings Will and Pleasure the Militia put into the Hands of Persons unqualified by Law and a Popish Mercenary Army maintained in the Kingdom in times of Peace directly contrary to Law executing of ancient Laws against several Crimes and Misdemeanors obstructed and prohibited and the Statutes against corresponding with the Court of Rome against Papal Jurisdictions and Popish Priests suspended in the Courts of Justice those Judges displaced who acquit any whom the Court would have condemned as happened to the Judges Holloway and Powel for acquitting the seven Bishops the free choice of Members of Parliament wholly taken away notwithstanding all the Care and Provision made by the Law in that behalf by the Quo Warranto's against Charters and proposing ensnaring Questions all things levell'd at the Propagation of Popery for which the Courts of England and France have now for a long time so strenously bestirr'd themselves Endeavours and Practices used to perswade their Highnesses to Consent to the abolishing the Penal Laws and Tests though herein disappointed The Queens being with Child first Proclaimed and Divulged by Popish Priests and in the Sequel thereof a Child produced without any clear Proof or Evidence of sufficient and unsuspected Witnesses besides that it cannot be believed that the said Child was ever born of the Queen by Reason of her known Sickness and Indisposition and many other Arguments as not being confirmed by any certain foregoing Signs of Conception the place of her lying in being often changed and her pretended Delivery Celebrated in the absence of the Princess of Denmark and while the English Ladies were at Church in a Bedstead which was provided with a Convenient Passage in the side of it by which means the Child was conveyed to the Queen by the Ladies L' Abadie and Teurarier that these be matters left to the Discretion of a Free Parliament and that in the Name of your Highnesses and the whole Nation the Queen may be desired to prove the real Birth of the pretended Prince of Wales by a competent number of credible Witnesses of both Sexes or in Case of a failure herein that the reports of any such Birth may be supprest for the time to come That they humbly crave the Protection of their Highnesses in this matter as well as with respect to the Abolition and Suspension of the Laws made to maintain the Protestant Religion their Civil Rights Fundamental Liberties and Free Government and that their Highnesses would be pleased to insist that besides the business of the Child the Government of England according to Law may be restored the Laws against Papal Jurisdiction Priests c. be put in Execution the Suspending and Dispensing Power be declared Null and Void and the Priviledges of the City of London Free Choice of Magistrates and all the other Liberties as well of that as other Corporations be restored and maintained Their Highnesses with no less Willingness than Generosity and out of their Zeal for the Protestant Religion and Compassion of the Oppressed listned to their Complaints And his Highness well weighing the justness of their Requests and the Reality of their Grievances instantly began to take Measures in Order to their Deliverance And soon after his Highness went to meet the Elector of Brandenburgh and some other Princes and Noblemen of Germany at Minden which so alarmed the French King that Monsieur D' Avaux his Ambassadour presented a Memorial to the States General intimating that the King his Master being informed of the Motions and Conferences that were made and held towards the Frontiers of Cologne against the Cardinal of Furstemburgh and the Chapter He was resolved to maintain the Cardinal and their Priviledges against all those who should go about to trouble them but herein the Politicks of King Lewis fail'd him his Highness the Prince of Orange managing his Affairs with such an exact Secrecy that neither that King nor his Sagacious Council could penetrate into the Design till it was upon the Point of Execution and out of danger of being Defeated For upon his Highness return from that Conference to Loe Orders were given for drawing the Forces the States had raised for his Highness Assistance and incamping them upon the Mocker Hyde and the Forces of those other Princes whom his Highness had ingaged to aid him in this Glorious Expedition had Orders to be upon their March as those of Brandenburgh Hesse-Cassel c. And the States General assembled at the Hague where his Highness was present and their Debates and Consultations having been kept very Private for some days at length they published the following Manifesto That the States had resolved with their Ships and Men to assist the Prince of Orange who being invited by the Reiterated Importunities of the Nobility and Gentry of England to oppose that Arbitrary Government which His Britannick Majesty is designing to introduce into that Kingdom has fully determined to go over to that Countrey as well for that Reason as to save
the English Religion which his Majesty has also resolved to destroy Both which enterprises being so contrary to the Laws of God and Man and particularly of those of the Kingdom of which they threaten the utter Subversion the Prince of Orange instigated by the Motives of his own innate Piety which will not permit him to suffer the ruine of Religion nor the overturning of so fair a Kingdom has resolved to call a Free Parliament c. For which Reasons and because the Design of the King of England is manifestly apparent by the striâ—t Alliance which he has Contracted with the most Christian King who bears no good will to the United Provinces and whose Proceedings are justly therefore by them to be suspected so that if His Britâ—â—niek Majesty should be suffered to become Absolute in his Dominions the United Provinces could no longer be in Security and therefore it being their Interest that the Fundamental Laws of that Kingdom and the English Religion should be preserved they hoped that God would bless the Prince of Orange with Happy Success King James though at first he would not believe that the Vast Preparations in Holland concerned him though the French King had given him notice of them some time before was now fully convinced thereof by this Mâ—nifesto and all of a sudden the Bells 〈◊〉 to ring 〈…〉 at White-Hall and the first Nâ—â—â— we heard of thâ—â—â— disturbance was a Proclamatiâ—n 〈…〉 28 1688 by which it was intimated That the King had received undoubted Intelligence that a great and sudden Invasion from Holland was to be speedily made in an Hostile manner upon this Kingdom under the false pretences of Liberty Prop my and Religion but that an absolute Conquest of his Kingdoms and the subduing him and his Dominions to a Foreign Power c. However relying upon the Ancient Courage Faith and Allegiance of his People as he had formerly ventured his Life for she Honour and Safety of the Nation so he was now resolved to Live and Dye in Defence thereof against all Enemies whatsoever c. After this the King published a Proclamation of General Pardon with some few Exceptions Restored the injured Gentlemen of Oxford and Cambridge to their Rights Dissolved the Ecclesiastical Commissions Vacated the Quo Warranto against the City of London and issued forth a Proclamation for restoring all Corporations to their Ancient Charters Liberties Rights and Franchises In short He undid almost in one day all that he had been doing since his first coming to the Crown Yet such was the Folly of the Romish Party in the midst of this Consternation that the show of the Prince of Wales still went on and Oct. 15 the â—hild was Christned the Pope represented by his Nuncio being God-father and the Queen 〈◊〉 onâ—ger God-mother and two days after the King to secure his Territories commanded his Lord and Deputy-Leiutenants and all other Officers concerned to cause the Coasts to be strictly Guarded and that upon the first approach of the Enemy all the Oxâ—n Horses and Cattel which might be fit for Draught should be driven twenty Miles from the Place where the Enemy should attempt to Land Oct. 22. The King commanded a particular Assâ—mbly of his Privy Council and sent for all such Peers Spiritual and Temporal as were in Town together with the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London the Judges and several of his Council Learned in the Law telling them That he had called them together upon a very extraordinary Occasion but that extraordinary Diseases must have extraordinary Remedies that the Malicious Endeavours of his Adversaries had so poysoned the Minds of some of his Subjects that very many of them did not believe that the Child wherewith God had blest him was his but a supposed Child However he could say that by a particular Providence scarce ever any Prince was born where there were so many Persons present that he had taken time to have the matter heard and examined expecting that the Prince of Orange with the first Easterly Wind would Invade the Kingdom and therefore as he had often ventured his Life for the Nation before he came to the Crown so he thought himself more obliged to do the same being King and did intend to go against him in Person by which in regard he might be exposed to various Accidents he therefore thought it necessary to have this done first to satisfie his Subjects and prevent the Kingdoms being ingaged in Blood and Confusion after his Death After this the Affidavits of several Ladies were produced of which some swore that they saw Milk upon her Majesties Smock for they did not think fit to mince the matter others that they saw the Midwife take the Child out of the Bed another that she stood by the Bedside when her Majesty was delivered of the Prince another swore that having had the Honour to put on her Majesties Smock she saw the Queens Milk another deposed that she saw the Queen in Labour and heard her cry out much another that she saw the Midwife give the Prince three drops of the Blood of the Navel-string mixt with Black Cherry-water with a great deal of other Nauseous stuff Then the Affidavits of the Lords were produced among whom one swore that he saw Mistris Labadie carry the Child into another Room whither he followed her and saw the Child when she first opened it and that it was Black and Reeking another swore that he saw the Child and that it had the Marks of being new Born another that he heard the Queen make three Groans or Squeeks and that at the last of the three the Queen was delivered of a Child the Physicians swore what was proper but not fit to be repeated However the whole was at length published to the shame and scandal of all modest Eyes and Ears And now my Lords said the King after all the the Depositions were read although I did not Question but that every Person here present was satisfied before yet by what you have heard you will be the better able to satisfie others Besides could I and the Queen have been thought so wicked as to impose a Child upon the Nation we saw how impossible it would have been neither could I my self have been imposed upon having constantly been with the Queen during her being with Child and the whole time of her Labour and therefore there is none of you but will easily believe that I who have suffered so much for Conscience-sake cannot be capable of so great a Viliany to the prejudice of my own Children I thank God that those that know me know well that it is my Principle to do as I would be done by and that I would rather die a thousand Deaths than do the least wrong to any of my Children Yet this Zealous Harangue had but little Influence upon the Generality of the People with whom the King by his late Actions had wholly forfeited his Reputation who
Parties of Irish and Fortified London-Derry Slego the Isle of Inniskilling and other places which they thought Tenable For now Tyrconnel gave Order for stopping the Ports to prevent any more from going away and made many large and plausible Proposals to induce them to join with him though they had very little effect upon them The Convention at Westminster were still upon serious Debates about the present Condition of the Kingdom and in the mean time it was thought necessary to have the Presence of Her Royal Highness the Princess of Orange in England Whereupon a Squadron of English and Dutch Men of War were Ordered to wait upon her till her Equipage could be got ready and the Wind served to bring over her Highness And after the Lords and Commons had duly weighed the Circumstances of the Kings Departure they at length came to the following Resolution Resolved that King James II. Having endeavoured to Subvert the Constitution of this Kingdom by breaking the Original Contract between King and People and by the Advice of Jesuits and other wicked Persons having Violated the Fundamental Laws and having withdrawn himself out of this Kingdom hath Abdicated the Government and the Throne is thereby Vacant In pursuance of which Resolution the following Declaration was drawn up in Order to such an Establishment as that the Religion Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom might not again be in Danger and for Vindicating the Ancient Rights and Liberties of the People in these words VVHereas the Late King James the Second by the Assistance of divers Evil Councellors Judges and Ministers Employed by him did endeavour to Subvert and Extirpate the Protestant Religion and the Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom By Assuming and Exercising a Power of Dispensing with and Suspending of Laws and the Execution of Laws without Consent of Parliament By Committing and Prosecuting divers Worthy Prelates for humbly Petitioning to be Excused from Concurring to the said Assumed Power By Issuing and causing to be Executed a Commission under the Great Seal for Erecting a Court called The Court of Commissioners for Ecclesiastical Causes By Levying Money for and to the Use of the Crown by Pretence of Prerogative for other Time and in other Manner than the same was Granted by Parliament By raising and keeping a Standing Army within this Kingdom in time of Peace without Consent of Parliament and Quartering Soldiers contrary to Law By Causing several good Subjects being Protestants to be Disarmed at the same time when Papists were both Armed and Employed contrary to Law By Violating the Freedom of Election of Members to serve in Parliament By Prosecutions in the Court of Kings Bench for Matters and Causes cognizable only in Parliament and by divers other Arbitrary Illegal Courses And whereas of late years Partial Corrupt and Urqualified Persous have been Returned and Served on Juaries in Trials and particularly divers Jurors in Trials for High Treason which were not Freeholders And Excessive Bail hath been required of Persons Committed in Criminal Cases to elude the Benefiâ— of the Laws made for the Liberty of the Subjects and Excessive Fines have been imposed And illegal and cruel Punishments inflicted And several Grants and Promises made of Fines and Forfeitures before any Conviction or Judgment against the Persons upon whom the same were to be Levyed All which are utterly and directly contrary to the known Laws and Statutes and Freedom of this Realm And whereas the said late King James the Second having Abdicated the Government and the Throne being thereby Vacant His Highness the Prince of Orange whom it hath pleased Almighty God to make the Glorious Instrument of Delivering this Kingdom from Popery and Arbitrary Power did by the Advice of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and divers Principal Persons of the Commons cause Letters to be written to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal being Protestants and other Letters to the several Counties Cities Universities Boroughs and Cinque-Ports for the Choosing of such Persons to represent them as were of right to be sent to Parliament to meet and sit at Westminster upon the Two and twentieth day of January in this Year One thousand six hundred eighty and eight in Order to such an Establishment as that their Religion Laws and Liberties might not again be in danger of being Subverted Upon which Letters Elections having been accordingly made And thereupon the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons pursuant to their respective Letters and Elections being now assembled in a full and free Representative of this Nation taking into their most serious Consideration the best means for attaining the Ends aforesaid Do in the first place as their Ancestors in like Case have usually done for the Vindicating and Asserting their Ancient Rights and Liberties Declare that the pretended Power of Suspending of Laws or the Execution of Laws by Regal Authority without Consent of Parliament is Illegal legal That the pretended Power of Dispensing with Laws or the Execution of Laws by Regal Authority as it hath been assumed and exercised of late is Illegal That the Commission for Erecting the late Court of Commissioners for Ecclesiastical Causes and all other Commissions and Courts of like nature are Illegal and Pernicious That Levying Money for or to the Use of the Crown by protence of Prerogative without Grant of Parliament for longer time or in other manner than the same is or shall be granted is Illegal That it is the Right of the Subjects to Petition the King and all Commitments and Prosecutions for such Petitioning are Illegal That the raising or keeping a standing Army within the Kingdom in time of Peace unless it be with Consent of Parliament is against Law That the Subjects which are Protestants may have Arms for their Defence suitable to their Conditions and as allowed by Law That Election of Members of Parliament ought to be free That the Freedom of Speech and Debates or Proceedings in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any Court or Place out of Parliament That Excessive Bail ought not to be required nor Excessive Fines imposed nor cruel and unusual Punishments inflicted That Jurors ought to be duly Impannelled and Returned and Jurors which pass upon Men in Trials for High Treason ought to be Freeholders That all Grants and Promises of Fines and Forfeitures of particular Persons before Conviction are Illegal and Void And that for Redress of all Grievances and for the Amending Strengthening and Preserving of the Laws Parliaments ought to be held frequently And they do Claim Demand and Insist upon all and singular the Premisses as their undoubted Rights and Liberties And that no Declarations Judgments Doings or Proceedings to the Prejudice of the People in any of the said Premisses ought in any wise to be drawn hereafter into Consequence or Example To which Demand of their Right they are particularly Encouraged by the Declaration of his Highness the Prince of Orange as being the only means for obtaining a
to the Estates but before they proceeded to read it they passed an Act that notwithstanding any thing that might be contain'd in the Letter for Dissolving or impeding their Procedure yet they were a Free and Lawful Meeting of the States and would continue undissolved till they had setled the Government which done the Letter was read but the Convention took so little notice of the late Kings Exhortations to declare for him that the Messenger was first secured and then not being thought worthy detaining dismist with a Pass instead of an Answer After this Commissioners were chosen for drawing up the Settlement of the Government out of which the Bishops were lest as having disgusted the Generality of the States by their Prayers at the beginning of the Session That God would have Compassion on King James and restore him and other Passages which discovered their disaffection to their Majesties and the Government then about to be erected The Duke of Gordon who had the Command of Edenburgh Castle after he had for sometime amused the Convention by his delays so soon as he heard the late King was arrived in Ireland set up his Standard to signifie his Resolution to hold out that place and fired all the Cannon without Bullets to the gâ—â—â—â— Terror of those that lay under the Mercy of his great shot Aâ—â— 12. Both Houses of Parliament in England presented an humble Address to the King wherein they declare that being highly sensible of their late great Deliverance from Popery and Arbitrary Power whereof it had pleased God to make his Majesty the glorious Instrument and desiring to the utmost of their abilities to express their Gratitude for so great and generous an Undertaking no less necessary for the support of the Protestant Interest in Europe than for recovering and maintaining the Civil Rights and Liberties of these Nations so notoriously invaded and undermined by Popish Councils and Counsellors and being likewise fully convinced of the restless Spirits and the continued endeavours of their Majesties and the Nations Enemies for the Extirpation of the Protestant Religion and the Subversion of our Laws and Liberties unanimously declared that they would stand by and assist his Majesty with their Lives and Fortunes in supporting His Alliances abroad in reducing Ireland and in desence of the Protestant Religion and of the Kingdom In answer hereto the King assured them of his great esteem and affection for Parliaments especially for this which would be much increased by the kindness they shewed to him and their zeal for the publick good and that he would never abuse the Confidence they put in Him nor give any Parliament cause to distrust Him because he would never expect any thing from them but what it was their Interest to grant that He came hither for the good of the Kingdom and since by their desire he was in that Station he would full pursue the same ends that brought him that God had been pleased to make him instrumental to redeem them from the Ills they feared and it was still his desire as well as his duty to endeavour to preserve their Religion Laws and Liberties which were the only inducements that brought him into England and to those he did ascribe the Blessings that had attended this undertaking he then remainded them of Assisting his Allies especially the Dutch and to consider the Deplorable Condition of Ireland which by the Zeal and Violence of the Popish Party and the Assistance and Incouragement of the French required a considerable force to Reduce it c. and that a Fleet may be likewise provided which in Conjunction with the States might make us entire Masters of the Seas and as they freely offered to Hazard all that is dear to them so he should as freely expose his Life for the Support of the Protestant Religion and the Safety and Honour of the Nation In Scotland the Viscount Dundee having made his escape from Edinburgh went to the North where he stirred up the Highlanders to joyn with him and declare for King James upon which the Convention ordered a number of Horse Foot and Dragoons to march against them and in the mean time the Lord Ross who was sent with a Letter to King William in England returned and brought an answer thereto After which the Estates drew up an Instrument of Government for Setling the Crown upon King William and Queen Mary Wherein they Recapitulate their Grievances and propose Remedies for the same And then declare That King James the 7th being a professed Papist did Assume the Royal Power and acted as King without ever taking the Oath required by Law and hath by Advice of Evil and Wicked Councellers Invaded the Fundamental Constitutions of the Kingdom and altered it from a Legal Limited Monarchy to an Arbitrary Despotick Power and did exercise the same to the Subversion of the Protestant Religion and the Violation of the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom inverting all the ends of Government whereby he hath Forefaulted the Right to the Crown and the Throne is become Vacant And they do pray the King and Queen of England to accept the Crown and Royal Dignity of the Kingdom of Scotland c. And an Oath of Allegiance was drawn up to be taken by all Persons to them together with a Coronation Oath and April 11. being the Day of the Coronation of their Majesties at Westminster they were Proclaimed at Edenburgh with universal Joy and Acclamations Commissioners were also Dispatcht for London that is the Earl of Argyle Sir James Mountgomery of Skelmerly and Sir John Dalrymple of Stair younger from the meeting of the Estates with an offer of the Crown of that Kingdom to their Majesties and May 11. 1689. They accordingly at three of the Clock met at the Council Chamber and from thence were Conducted by Sir Charles Cottrel Master of the Ceremonies attended by most of the Nobility and Gentry of that Kingdom who resided in and about this place to the Banquetring-House where the King and Queen came attended by many Persons of Quality the Sword being carryed before them by the Lord Cardross and their Majesties being placed on the Throne under a rich Canopy they first presented a Letter from the Estates to His Majesty then the Instrument of Government thirdly a Paper containing the Grievances which they desired might be Redressed And lastly An Address to his Majesty for turning the Meeting of the said Estates into a Parliament All which being Signed by his Grace the Duke of Hamilton as President of the Meeting and Read to their Majesties the King returned to the Commissioners the following Answer When I Engaged in this Undertaking I had particular Regard and Consideration for Scotland and therefore I did emit a Declaration in relation to that as well as to this Kingdom which I intend to make good and effectual to them I take it very kindly that Scotland hath expressed so much Confidence in and Affection to Me They shall find me
to their Majesties then called and known by the Names and Stile of William and Mary Prince and Princess of Orange being present in their proper Persons a certain Declaration in writing made by the said Lords and Commons Of which you have already an account Upon which their said Majesties did accept the Crown and Royal Dignity of these Kingdoms according to the Resolution and desire of the said Lords and Commons contained in the said Declaration and thereupon their Majesties were pleased that the Lords and Commons being the two Houses of Parliament should continue to sit and with their Royal Concurrence to make effectual Provision for the settlement of the Religion Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom so that the same for the Future might not be in danger again of being subverted Now in pursuance of the Premisses the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in Parliament Assembled for the Ratifying Confirming and Establishing the said Declaration and the Articles Clauses Matters and Things therein contained by the Force of a Law made in due Form by Authority of Parliament do pray that it may be Declared and Enacted That all and Singular the Rights and Liberties Asserted and Claimed in the said Declaration are the true Ancient and Indubitable Rights and Liberties of the People of this Kingdom and so shall be esteemed allowed adjudged deemed and taken to be and that all and every the particulars aforesaid shall be firmly and strictly holden and observed as they are expressed in the said Declaration and all Officers and Ministers whatsoever shall serve their Majesties and their Successors according to the same in all times to come and do further declare that King James II. having Abdicated the Government and their Majesties having accepted the Crown and Royal Dignity as aforesaid did become were are and of Right ought to be by the Laws of this Realm our Soveraign Leige Lord and Lady King and Queen of England France and Ireland c. And for preventing all Questions and Divisions by Reason of any pretended Titles to the Crown and to preserve a certainty in the Succession the Lords and Commons beseech their Majesties that it may be Enacted Established and Declared that the Crown and Royal Dignity shall be and continue in their Majesties during their Lives and the Life of the Survivor of them and after their Deceases to the Heirs of Her Majesty and in default of Issue to the Princess Ann of Denmark and her Heirs and for default of such Issue to the Heirs of the Body of His Majesty and that the Parhament in the Name of the People will submit themselves and their Heirs and Posterities for ever and stand by Maintain and Defend this Limitation and Succession of the Crown to the utmost of their Powers with their Lives and Estates against all that shall attempt any thing to the contrary and whereas it hath been found by Experience that it is inconsistent with the Safety and Welfare of this Protestant Kingdom to be governed by a Popish Prince or by any King or Queen Marrying a Papist they do further pray that it may be enacted that all Persons that are or shall be reconciled to or hold Communion with the See of Rome or shall profess the Popish Religion or shall Marry a Papist shall be Excluded and be for ever uncapable to possess inherit or enjoy the Crown and Dignity of this Kingdom or Ireland c. And that in all such Cases the People are absolved from their Allegiance and the Crown shall descend to the next Heir being a Protestant as should have inherited and enjoyed the same as if the Person so reconciled or marrying were naturally dead and that every King and Queen that shall succeed hereafter shall on the first day of the meeting of their first Parliament sitting on the Throne in the House of Peers in the Presence of the Lords and Commons or at their Coronation which shall first happen audibly repeat the Declaration in the Statute of the 30 King Charles II. Intituled an Act for the more effectual preserving the Kings Person and Government c. But if such King and Queen shall be under the Age of Twelve years then to perform the same the first Parliament after that Age all which are by their Majesties by and with the Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons declared Enacted and Established to stand remain and be the Law of this Realm for ever About this time the Queen of Spain was Convoyed by a Squadron of English Men of War from Holland to the Groin in Spain Feb. 6. The Parliament was Dissolved and another summoned to appear at Westminster March 20. following who accordingly met and confirmed all the Acts of the Preceding Parliament passing many others both for raising Money for carrying on the present War and for the Benefit of the People in Scotland some attempts were made by the Rebels for in May 1690 the Colonels Bucan and Cannon being with 2000 men which they expected to be 4000 in a few days at their Rendevous at Stratspey Sir Thomas Levingstone upon notice thereof Marched toward them with his Forces and surprizing them in the Night in their Camp killed 400 and took 100 prisoners most Gentlemen and Officers Bucan and Cannon hardly escaping upon which the Castle of Lethindy in which the Enemy had a Garrison under Colonel Bucan's Nephew surrendered at Discretion in which was found store of Arms and Ammunition with 400 Bolls of Meal and the Standard designed to have been set up by the late King James and yet in this whole Action it was very remarkable that the English lost not one man and had only four or five wounded In Ireland Affairs proceeded very successfully for May 11 the strong Garrison of Charlemont surrendered upon Articles the Governor Teage of Regan and the Irish about 800 strong havingal most consumed all their Provisions marched out leaving a good quantity of Ammunition 17 Brass Cannon and two Mortars the King now resolved if possible to make a sudden Feduction of Ireland that it might no longer be a Diversion from his attacking the French vigorously in Flanders and in pursuit of this â—agnanimous design his Majesty concluded to go thither in Person by his Presence and Conduct to facilitate the same and accordingly June 4 1690 with a splendid Equipage parted from Whitehall and coming to Chester Embâ—â—â—ed on the Fleet attending him and June 14 landed at Carickfergus being received by Duke Schomberg the army and all the Protestants with general Joy and loud Acclamations and from thence His Majesty marched with his Forces in two bodies and incamped at Dundalk intending to go for Dublin or else oblige the Enemy to a battle which the late King James was aware of and therefore with his Army which consisted of about thirty-six thousand Irish and French besides 15000 in Garrisons He marched from Dublin towards Drogheda but seemed to distrust his success for to provide for the
Interest and thereby forcing the Dutch to comply with that King almost upon his own Terms and therefore to divert the humour King Charles pretended to be in earnest for engaging in a War against France which for some time hinder'd the Ratification of the Treaty and English Forces were daily transported into Flanders as if the War were really to have been carried on which encouraged those that were against the Peace in Holland and occasioned the Spaniards to use their utmost endeavours to prevent the concluding it But the French King being unwilling to lose the great Advantages he had obtained by this Treaty resolved to remove all difficulties and satisfie the States in their demands Yea he dispatched Ambassadors to the Hague with full Authority to remit all the differences about the Treaty with Spain and himself to their Determination which raised in the States such a good Opinion of the sincerity of that Kings proceedings that they quickly adjusted all matters in contest between the two Crowns so that the Treaty was signed September 20. 1678. The other Confederates as the Emperor the King of Denmark the Duke of Brandenburg c. were very much inraged that they were left to treat singly with their potent Enemy who demanded very severe Conditions from them so that the Ratification of the Treaty with Spain being hereby delayed the French King to quicken it sent Marshal de Humieres with a great Army into Fianders plundering and burning all before them and putting these Countries under Contribution with so much fury and insolence that the common people complained heavily of the Calamities and Miseries which they undeservedly suffered by the flowness of the Spanish Conncils so that at length both the Spaniard and Emperor were obliged to comply with the offers of France who else threatned in a few days to make the Terms much higher The other Princes though they very much resented this sudden Conclusion of a Peace at such disadvantage yet knowing their own inability were forced to be contented to make a separate Peace for themselves The King of England observing that he could not hinder it sent his Plenipotentiaries again to Nimegen to sign the General Treaty but in the interval some new pretences arising between the Spaniards and French the States General were very diligent to compose them the Transactions being seldom managed by them but in the presence of His Highness the Prince of Orange whose prudence was still consulted in matters of gre atest difficulty he himself discovering an extraordinary Generosity that while others preferr'd Points of Honour before the publick Peace His Highness quitted his own Interest in post-poning his demands for Reparation of the devastations in his own Estates and Territories so as not to impede the Tranquillity of his Countrey many of his Lands being ruined and destroyed in the Spanish Netherlands and other adjacent parts Of which and several other injustices in seizing upon His large possessions in other places though the Provinces of Guelderland Zealand and Utrecht made loud complaints against the French in his Highness behalf yet could the Prince obtain no satisfaction But the States and their Subjects being quite tired out out with the War the General Peace was signed in January 1678. And the English Mediators were called home by that King who was fully imployed at home about the matter of the Popish Plot which both Houses of Parliament and the generality of the Nation believed to be real though the King and some of the Court credited no more of it than what themselves were concerned in and the Prince of Orange at that time told a publick Minister That He had reason to be confident that the King was a Roman Catholick though he durst not profess it Thus Europe for the present was left in a General Peace though the French King soon after made such shameful pretences to the Dependancies upon his late Conquests both in Flandets and Germany that he gained more after the Peace than by his Arms in the War no Prince nor State being either willing or able to oppose him therein These disputes began in 1681 and continued some years at which time that King likewise began to raise a violent Persecution against his own Protestant Subjects proceeding from the Perfidiousness and ingratitude peculiar to Lewis the XIV For it is well known that for the signal Services which they performed to Henry IV. His Grand-Father in asserting the Rights of the Crown against the Papists who were then in rebellion against him that great Prince in acknowledgment thereof confirmed to them an Edict for the free exercise of their Religion which was called the Edict of Nants whereby they were to enjoy all Liberties and Priviledges both in Religious and Civil matters and to be as capable of all Offices and Imployments as his other Subjects This he declared should be inviolable and it was accordingly confirmed both by his Son Lewis XIII and likewise by the present King upon a very remarkable occasion For he being very Young when he ascended the Throne the Prince of Conde soon after raised a Civil War in the Kingdom against him but the Protestants by their unshaken Loyalty to him defeated the designs of his enemies and setled that Crown upon His Head which he wears this day of which eminent Service he seemed to be so sensible that in 1652. he made a publick Declaration of it at St. Germans and every one endeavoured to exceed in proclaiming the merits of the Protestants the Queen Mother her self acknowledging that they had preserved the State But since by the Maxims of the Roman Religion No Faith is to be kept with Hereticks the Jesuits and Ministers of State endeavoured to instil into the Kings mind this Treacherous Notion That since the Protestants were so potent to advance the King they might likewise upon another occasion remove him again from this infernal reasoning without their having given the least umbrage or suspition of disloyalty it was resolved they must be supprest and ruined Therefore so soon as the Kingdom was setled in Peace the Protestant Towns of Rochel Montauban c. Which had shewed the greatest Zeal for the Kings service were plundred by the Souldiers and otherwise impoverisht Then their Churches and Exercises of Religion were prohibited them under false pretences that they exceeded the Grants allowed them Yea in matters of Law Religion was urg'd by the Advocates at the instigation of the Priests so that they cryed out I plead against a Heretick an enemy to the State and to the Kings Religion whom he would have to be destroyed So that the Judge durst not do them justice for fear of being counted a Favourer of Hereticks and upon complaint they were told You have your remedy in your own hands why do not you turn Catholicks This was succeeded by Processes throughout the Kingdom to inquire what the Protestants had said or done for twenty years past about Religion or other matters and there being no
longer able to suffer the continual Invasions of the French upon his Cities and Towns in Flanders and his cruel Treatment of his Subjects for not paying unjust and unreasonable Contributions he proclaimed War against him both by Sea and Land and ordered all the Effects of the French Merchants in his Dominions to be seized And sent to the States General to assist him in this just defensive War who thereupon concluded to raise a considerable Force both for his aid and their own security and accordingly his Highness gave out several Commissions and sent 8000 men toward Flanders In the mean time the French King according to his usual method having ordered great Detachments to be sent from all the Conquered Places toward Valenciennes in April 1684. he himself accompanied with the Dauphin and Dauphiness came from Paris thither The P. was very desirous to have perfected the new Levies and to have marcht at the Head of them to oppose him but the obstinacy of Amsterdam and some other Towns which refused to allow their Quota for maintaining them prevented his Highness worthy designs The French King having mustred his Army between Conde and Valenciennes he immediately inrested the City of Luxemburg and though the Governor made a very notable defence and the French lost a considerable number of Men yet the greatness of their Army which was posted so as to prevent any relief at length obliged the Town to Capitulate and June 7. following it was surrendred upon Articles and soon after a Trace being made with Spain they were forced to suffer the loss of this City with the same temper as they had done many before And as the French King continued thus Tyrannically to injure his Neighbours so he Treacherously proceeded to exercise horrid cruelties upon his own Protestant Subjects for though he had resolved upon their destruction yet at the same time he declared That he had not the least intention to infringe the Edict of Nants and accordingly in 1684. he absolutely concluded to cancel and make void that Edict and to banish all the Ministers out of the Kingdom and several young Priests were sent about the Country to inflame the Mobile against the Protestants and it was declared in Print That the Catholick Faith must be planted by Fire and Sword alledging the example of a King of Norway who converted the Nobles of his Countrey by threatning them to slay their Children before their Eyes if they would not consent to have them Baptized and to be Baptized themselves The Protestants were very sensible of the mischiefs design'd against them and exposed their grievances to the K. with all humility and submission which produced no other effect upon his Tyrannical Temper than to hasten their destruction by open force and violence in so terrible a manner as is scarce to be parallell'd At first they quartered Troops of bloudy and desperate Dragoons upon them who loudly bellowed That the K. would no longer suffer any Protestants in his Kingdom and that they must resolve to change their Religion or else to suffer the utmost cruelty that could be inflicted upon them To which these innocent Souls replied That they were ready to Sacrifice their Lives and Estates for the Kings Service but their Consciences being Gods they could not in the same manner dispose of them This answer did but inrage their hellish Adversaries so that they first seized their goods and then fell on their Persons inflicting all the Barbarities imaginable to induce them to renounce their Religion They hung up Men and Women by the Hair of the Head or by the Feet within their Chimneys smoaking them with wisps of wet Straw They threw them into great fires pluckt them thence half roasted They tied them on the Rack poured wine down their Throats till the fame had deprived them of their reason and then made them say they would be Catholicks They stript them stark naked larded them all over with Pins from head to foot They kept them from sleeping 7 or 8 days and nights together They tied Parents to Bed posts and ravished their Daughters before their eyes They pluckt off the Nails from the Hands and Toes of others with most intolerable pain and after these and a thousand other horrid indignities if they refused to abjure their Religion they threw them into close dark stinking Dungeons exercising upon them all manner of inhumanity And yet after all these barbarous usages they compelled those wretched People who had not courage and constancy enough to persist in the Faith and therefore turned Catholicks or new Converts as they called them to acknowledge That they had imbraced the Roman Religion of their own accord And had the impudence to declare even against the evidence of Millions of Witnesses That force and violence had no share in the Conversions but that they were soft calm and voluntary and that if there were any Dragoons concerned therein it was because the Protestants themselves desired them that they might have a handsome pretence to change their Religion In the mean time their Houses were demolished their Lands destroyed their Woods cut down and their Wives and Children seized and put into Monasteries and an Edict was published for plucking down all the Protestant Churches in the Kingdom and all for promoting the Catholick Peligion Yea the mischief did not terminate here for the French King being too potent to be resisted by the Duke of Savoy He compell'd that Prince to publish an Edict for prohibiting the poor Waldenses and Vaudois to exercise their Religion upon pain of death and being assisted with a great number of French Troops under Monsieur Catinat the Souldiers committed the like Violences and Barbarities against them as they had done in France His Highness the Prince of Orange highly disapproved of these Proceedings and was a silent Mourner for the miseries of the Protestant Church which now seemed to be threatned more than ever for King Charles II. dying in February 1685. the D. of York succeeded him who instantly declared himself a Roman Catholick And June 10 following the Duke of Monmouth landed with 150 Men at Lime in Dorsetshire declaring That he had taken Arms for the defence and vindication of the Protestant Religion and of the Laws Rights and Priviledges of England from the Invasion made upon them and for delivering the Kingdom from the Tyranny of James Duke of York About the same time the Earl of Argile setting sail from the Vlye in Holland landed in the West of Scotland publishing a Declaration to the same purpose but either by weakness or treachery they were both soon defeated and both beheaded and a multitude of their followers executed For which great success King James published a Proclamation for a Thanksgiving and among other expressions says That nothing now remained which could possibly disturb the future quiet of his Reign In confidence whereof he with the advice of his Popish Counsellors and their Adherents proceeded to commit
lay such Motives and Arguments before him as by the Blessing of God might bring him back to the Communion of the Church of England into whose Catholick Faith he had been Baptized Not long after the Lords Spiritual and Temporal presented the King the following Petition VVE your Majesties most Loyal Subjects in a deep Sence of the Miseries of a War now breaking forth in the Bowels of this your Kingdom and of the Danger to which your Majesties Sacred Person is thereby like to be Exposed and also of the Distractions of your People by Reason of their present Grievances do think our selves bound in Conscience of the Duty we owe to God and our Holy Religion to your Majesty and our Countrey most humbly to offer to your Majesty That in our Opinion the only visible way to preserve your Majesty and this your Kingdom would be the Calling of a Parliament Regular and Free in all its Circumstances We therefore do most earnestly beseech your Majesty that you would be graciously pleased with all speed to Call such a Parliament wherein we shall be most ready to promote such Counsels and Resolutions of Peace and Settlement in Church and State as may conduce to your Majesty's Honour and Safety and to the quieting the Minds of your People We do likewise Humbly beseech your Majesty in the mean time to use such means for the preventing the Effusion of Christian Blood as to your Majesty shall seem most meet And your Petitioners shall ever Pray c. W. Cant. Grafton Ormond Dorset Clare Clarendon Burlington Anglesey Rochester Newport Nom. Ebor. W. Asaph Fran. Ely Tho. Roffen Th. Petriburg T. Oxon. Paget Chandois Osulston Presented by the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Arch-Bishop of York Elect the Bishop of Ely and the Bishop of Rochester the 17th of November 1688. To which the King returned the following Answer My Lords VVHat You ask of Me I most passionately desire And I Promise You UPON THE FAITH OF A KING That I will have a Parliament and such an One as You ask for as soon as ever the Prince of Orange has Quitted this Realm For How is it possible a Parliament should be Free in all its Circumstances as You Petition for whilst an Enemy is in the Kingdom and can make a Return of near an Hundred Voices His Highness lay some days at Exeter expecting that such Gentlemen as resided nearest his Court should have come to him sooner than those at a Distance but finding something of an unexpected slowness he could not forbear to signifie some little Resentment to some of the Principal Gentlemen of Somersetshire and Devonshire that came to join him Nov. 15. 1688. in the following Speech THo' we know not all your Persons yet we have a Catalogue of your Names and remember the Character of your Worth and Interest in your Countrey You see we are come according to your Invitation and our Promise Our Duty to God obliges us to Protect the Protestant Religion and our Love to Mankind your Liberties and Properties We expected you that dwels so near the Place of our Landing would have join'd us sooner not that it is now too late nor that we want your Military Assistance so much as your Countenance and Presence to justifie our Declar'd Pretensions rather than accomplish our good and gracious Designs Tho' we have brought both a good Fleet and a good Army to render these Kingdoms Happy by Rescuing all Protestants from Popery Slavery and Arbitrary Power by Restoring them to their Rights and Properties Established by Law and by Promoting of Peace and Trade which is the Soul of Government and the very Life-Blood of a Nation yet we rely more on the Goodness of God and the Justice of our Cause than on any Humane Force and Power whatever Yet since God is pleased we shall make use of Humane means and not expect Miracles for our Preservation and Happiness Let us not neglect making use of this Gracious Opportunity but with Prudence and Courage put in Execution our so honourable purposes Therefore Gentlemen Friends and Fellow-Protestants we bid you and all your Followers most heartily Welcome to our Court and Camp Let the whole World now Judge if our Pretentions are not Just Generous Sincere and above Price since we might have even a Bridge of Gold to Return back But it is our Principle and Resolution rather to die in a Good Cause than live in a Bad one well knowing That Virtue and True Honour is its own Reward and the Happiness of Mankind our Great and Only Design But quickly after his Highness found the English Nobility and Gentry no less faithful to him than he had been to them and that His several Declarations had the wished Effect the Lord Wharton and the Lord Colchester with a strong Party marched through Oxford to his Highnesses Camp without Opposition The Lord Lovelace with another Party out of Oxfordshire got as far as Cirencester but were opposed and himself taken Prisoner by the County Militia yet his whole Party except four or five that were slain or maimed in the Skirmish broke there way through and his Lordship was soon after released out of Glocester Prison by a Young Gentleman of that County who took up arms for the Prince and drove out all the Popish Crâ—â—â— that were setled in that City the Lord Delamere having raised a Considerable Force in Cheshire advanced to Nottingham to join the Gentlemen of that County who were ready to receive him And Nov. 22. at the Rendezvous there the following Declaration was publisht VVE the Nobility Gentry and Commonalty of these Northern Counties Assembled together at Nottingham for the defence of the Laws Religion and Properties according to those Free-born Liberties and Priviledges descended to us from our Ancestors as the undoubted Birth-right of the Subjects of this Kingdom of England not doubting but the Infringers and Invaders of our Rights will represent us to the rest of the Nation in the most malicious dress they can put upon us do here unanimously think it our Duty to declare to the rest of our Protestant Fellow-Subjects the Grounds of our present Undertaking We are by innumerable Grievances made sensible that the very Fundamentals of our Religion Liberties and Properties are about to be rooted out by our late Jesuitical Privy-Council as hath been of late too apparent 1. By the Kings Dispensing with all the Establisht Laws at his Pleasure 2. By displacing all Officers out of all Offices of Trust and Advantage and placing others in their room that are known Papists deservedly made incapable by the Establisht Laws of our Land 3. By destroying the Charters of most Corporations in the Land 4. By discouraging all Persons that are not Papists preferring such as turn to Popery 5. By displacing all honest and conscientious Judges unless they would contrary to their Consciences declare that to be Law which was meerly Arbitrary 6. By branding all men with the Name of Rebels that but
offered to justifie the Laws in a legal Course against the Arbitrary Proceedings of the King or any of his corrupt Ministers 7. By Burthening the Nation with an Army to maintain the Violation of the Rights of the Subjects 8. By discountenancing the Establisht Reform'd Religion 9. By forbidding the Subjects the Benefit of Petitioning and Construing them Libellers so rendring the Laws a Nose of Wax to serve their Arbitrary Ends. And many more such like too long here to enumerate We being thus made sadly sensible of the Arbitrary and Tyrannical Government that is by the Influence of Jesuitical Councels coming upon us do unanimously declare That not being willing to deliver our Posterity over to such a Condition of Popery and Slavery as the aforesaid Oppressions inevitably threaten we will to the utmost of our Power oppose the same by joining with the Prince of Orange whom we Hope God Almighty hath sent to rescue us from the Oppressions aforesaid will use our utmost Endeavours for the recovery of our almost ruin'd Laws Liberties and Religion and herein we Hope all good Protestant Subjects will with their Lives and Fortunes be assistant to us and not be bugbear'd with the Opprobrious Terms of Rebels by which they would fright us to become perfect Slaves to their Tyrannical Insolencies and Usurpations for we assure our selves that no rational and unbyassed Person will Judge it Rebellion to defend our Laws and Religion which all our Princes have Sworn at their Coronations which Oath how well it hath been observed of late we desire a Free Parliament may have the Consideration of We own it Rebellion to resist a King that governs by Law but he was always accounted a Tyrant that made his Will the Law and to resist such an one we justly esteem no Rebellion but a necessary Defence and in this Consideration we doubt not of all Honest Mens Assistance and humbly hope for and implore the great God's Protection that turneth the Hearts of his People as pleaseth him best it having been observed That People can never be of one Mind without his Inspiration which hath in all Ages Confirmed that Observation Vox Populi est Vox Dei The present restoring of Charters and reversing the oppressing and unjust Judgment given on Magdalen Colledge Fellows is plain are but to still the People liâ—e Plums to Children by deceiving them for a while but it they shall by this Stratagem be fooled till this present storm that threatens the Papists he past affoon as they shall be resetled the former Oppression will be put on with greater vigour but we hope in vain is the Neâ— spread in the sight of the Birds For 1. The Papists old Rule is That Faith is not to be kept with Hereticks as they term Protestants tho' the Popish Religion is the greatest Heresie And 2. Queen Mary's so ill observing her Promises to the Suffolk-men that helpt her to her Throne And above all 3 The Popes Dispensing with the breach of Oaths Treaties or Promises at his Pleasure when it makes for the Service of Holy Church as they term it These we say are such convincing Reasâ—ns to hinder us from giving Credit to the aforesaid Mock-Shews of Redress that we think our selves bound in Conscience to rest on no Security that shall not be approved by a freely Elected Parliament to whom under God we refer our Cause The Lord Delamere being assured of the Resolution and Couragious Zeal of all his Followers continued a while in those Parts to watch the Morions of the Papists in Lancashire who began to take Arms under the Lord Molineux and for a time assisted to Guard Chester for the King but upon the surprizal of that Garrison for the Prince were soon after beaten or rather run away out of the Town and disbanded of themselves In the North the Earl of Danby the Lord Fairfax and other Persons of Quality seized upon the City of York and turned out the Lord Mayor and other Magistrates that were Papists or ill-affected Collonel Copley the Deputy Governour of Hull seized upon all the Guards of that Garrison and with the Assistance of some of the Townsmen and some Seamen made the Lord Langdale the Governour and the Lord Montgomery the Marquess of Powis his Sons Prisoners till he had secured the Citadel wherein was a plentiful Magazine of Powder and all sorts of Provisions with a Train of Artillery ready fixed to be drawn out into the Field Plymouth also with the Earl of Huntington and all the Popish Officers and Souldiers was seized by the Earl of Bath for his Highness and at the same time all the chief Sea-Port Towns in Cornwal declared for the Prince so that there was no Enemy behind him to disturb the Râ—re of his advancing Army But the King being as yet in hopes to force his way through all the great Opposition made him by the whole Kingdom having sent his Army before to Salisbury goes thither to them yet before he went he thought it requisite to provide for the Safety of the pretended Prince of Wales and not daring to trust to the Validity of the forementioned Affidavits for more Security he sent him away with a strong Guard to Portsmouth that if things went ill he should be conveyed over to France when the King came to Salisbury he began to bleed at the Nose and was observed to continue bleeding for some time which seened at that time Ominous to him But in the midst of these sarprizes more ill News arrives to increase his Astonishment for besides the Lord Cornbury who had carried off a consideraâ—â—â— Party of Horse to the Prince some time before several other Regiments of Foot had now Deserted and were gone the same way upon His arrival near to Salisbury he was met by the Duke of Berwick the Earl of Feversham and several other Officers on Horseback and by them attended to the Gates of the Town being met by the Mayor and Aldermen in their Formalities and Conducted to the Bishops Pallace but these flatteâ—ing appearances soon vanisht He quickly perceiving that his English Forces were generally dissatisfied and seem'd unwilling to engage in Civil Bloodshed against their own Countreymen and of their own Religion which was to Fight with their Bodies against their Consciences and likewise discovered the Discontents of the People who supplied the Machels very sparingly for his Army so that not judging himself safe among them and upon a false Alarm that Marshal Schomberg was within thirty or twenty Miles of him he returned back in all haste to Windsor and from thence to London being extreamly discouraged that Prince George and the Lord Churchil were gone both to the Prince and that the Princess Ann of Denmark was also retired from the Court The Prince of Denmark and the Lord Churchil left each of them the following Letters behind them directed to the King SIR with a Heart full of Grief am I forced to write that Prudence will not permit me
to say to your Face And may I e're find Credit with your Majesty and Protection from Heaven as what I now do is free from Passion Vanity or Design with which Actions of this Nature are too often accompanied I am not ignorant of the frequent Mischiefs wrought in the World by Factious Pretences of Religion but were not Religion the most justifiable Cause it would not be made the most specious Pretence And your Majesty has always shewn too uninterested a Sence of Religion to doubt the just Effects of it in one whose Practices have I hope never given the World cause to censure his real Conviction of it or his backwardness to perform what his Honour and Conscience prompt him to how then can I longer disguise my just concern for that Religion in which I have been so happily Educated which my Judgment throughly convinces me to be the best and for the Support of which I am so highly interested in my Native Countrey and is not England now by the most endearing Tye become so Whilest the restless Spirits of the Enemies of the REFORMED RELIGION back'd by the Cruel Zeal of France justly Alarm and Unite all the Protestant Princes of Christendom and engage them in so vast an Expence for the Support of it can I Act so Degenerous and mean a part as to deny my Concurrence to such worthy Endeavours for disabusing of your Majesty by the Re-inforcement of those Laws and Establishment of that Government on which alone depends the Well-being of your Majesty and of the PROTESTANT RELIGION in Europe This Sir is that irresistible and only Cause that could come in Competition with my Duty and Obligations with your Majesty and be able to tear me from you whilst the same Affectionate Desire of serving you continues in me Could I secure your Person by the Hazard of my Life I should think it could not be better employed And wou'd to God these your distracted Kingdoms might yet receive that satisfactory Complyance from your Majesty in all their justifiable Pretentions as might upon the only sure Foundation that of the Love and Interest of your Subjects establish your Government and as strongly unite the Hearts of all your Subjects to you as is that of Sir Your Majesties most Humble and most Obedient Son and Servant The Lord Churchil's Leâ—ter ran thus Sir Men are seldom suspected of Sincerity when they Act contrary to their Interests and tho' my dutiful Behaviour to your Majesty in the worst of times for which I acknowledge my Poor Services much over paid may not be sufficient so incline You to a Charitable Interpretation of my Actions yet I hope the great Advantage I enjoy under Your Majesty which I can never expect in any other Change of Government may reasonably convince Your Majesty and the World that I am acted by a higher Principle when I offer that Violence to my Inclination and Interest as to desert Your Majesty at a time when your Affairs seem to challenge the strictest Obedience from all Your Subjects much more from one who lies under the greatest personal Obligations imaginable to Your Majesty Thiâ— Sir could proceed from nothing but the inviolable Dictates of my CONSCIENCE and necessary concern for my RELIGION which no good Man can oppose and wiâ—h which I am instructed nothing ought to come in Competition Heaven knows with what Partiality my dutiful Opinion of Your Majesty hath hitherto represented those unhappy Designs which inconsiderate and self interested Men have framed against Your Majesties true Interest and the Protestant Religion But as I can no longer joyn with such to give a pretence by Conquest to bring them to effect so will I always with the hazard of my Life and Fortune so much Your Majesties due endeavour to preserve Your Royal Person and Lawful Rights with all the tender Concern and dutiful Respect that becomes Sir Your Majesties most dutiful and most obliged Subject and Servant The Princess Ann of Denmark likewise directed the following Letter to the Queen upon her withdrawing Madam I beg your Pardon if I am so deeply affected with the surprizing News of the Princes being gone as not to be able to see You but to leave this Paper to Express my humble Duty to the King and your Self and to let You know that I am gone to Absent my self to avoid the Kings Displeasure which I am not able to bear either against the Prince or my Self And I shall stay at so great a distance as not to return before I hear the Happy News of a Reconcilement And as I am Confident the Prince did not leave the KING with any other design than to use all possible means for his Preservation so I hope You will do me the Justice to believe that I am uncapable of following him for any other End Never was any one in such an unhappy Condition so divided between Duty and Affect on to a Father and a Husband and therefore I know not what to do but to follow one to preserve the other I see the general falling off of the the Nobility and Gentry who avow to have no other end than to prevail with the King to secure their Religion which they saw in so much danger by the Violent Counsels of the Priests who to promote their own Religion did not care to what dangers they exposed the King I am fully perswaded that the Prince of Orange designs the King's Safety and Preservation and hope all things may be Compâ—sâ—d without more Bloodshed by the Calling a Parliament God grant a Happy end to these Troubles that the King's Reign may be prosperous and that I may shortly meet You in perfect Peace and Safety till when let me beg You to continue the same favourable Opinion that You have hitherto had of Your most Obedient Daughter and Servant Ann. The King now issued out a Proclamation of Pardon to all his Subjects that had taken up Arms under the Prince if they returned in twenty days but very few or none came back and about the same time a Party of the Princes Men being abroad and advancing beyond their Strength were pursued and charged by Collonel Sarsfield with seventy horse and thirty Dragoons and Granadiers who overtaking them at Wincanton they posted themselves behind the Hedges Whereupon the Kings Party dismounted and marched up to them and they began to Fire â—riskly several being killed and wounded But â—olonel Sarsfield getting into the Field with his Horse and Charging them in the Reer they were most of them killed or taken Prisoners Lieutenant Cambel who commanded them being slain and of the Kings Party four were killed and Cornet Web mortally wounded This slender success was soon damped by an Address from the Fleet for a Free Parliament which now began to grow Cold in his Service and the continual Desertions of his Army So that the King not thinking it Convenient to hazard a Battel with them upon the approach of the Princes Forces with
Chrissians ought to do and not to be obliged to Transplant themselves which would be very grievous especially to such as love their own Countrey and I appeal to all Men who are considering Men and have had Experience Whether any thing can make this Nation so great and flourishing as Liberty of Conscience Some of our Neighbours dread it I could add much more to confirm all I have said but now is not the proper time Rochester Decemb. 22. 1688. Upon these Reasons we may make these few Cursory Remarks That as to the detaining of the Earl of Feversham who was sent without a Pass in a time of open War it may be very well justified He having likewise disbanded the Army and left them at large to lie upon the Countrey The Message for his removal from Whitehall was managed as we have heard with all the respect and decency imaginable and absolutely necessary upon several accounts as well as for the preservation of his own Person whose late Actions especially his extraordinary Severity in the West had raised him many inveterate Enemies who now might have taken the opportunity of offering Violence to him that his Highness had sufficient Reason for this Glorious Expedition the King had made the Nation too sensible of and as to the business of the Child it is well known that his Zeal for the Catholick Cause made him shut his Eyes to all other Considerations whatsoever and besides it was managed with such a number of Suspitious Circumstances that we are told one of his own Commanders in Ireland should say That the Prince of Orange had one plausible pretence for his Invasion namely that of the Prince of Wales since if it was a real Birth the Court managed the matter so as if they had Industriously contrived the Nation should give no Credit to it as to his Hopes of Conquering is we have as great Hopes and better Reason to believe the contrary since the People will scarce be ever fond of giving up their Religion Laws Liberties and Estates to the Will of an Arbitrary Prince or ever submit to a French Government as to a Parhament we may think he did not design to call any since some time before his departure he ordered all the Writs that were not sent out to be burnt and a Caveat to be entred against the making use of such as were already sent into the Countreys as to Liberty of Conscience which he seems so much to value his Proceedings in freland and against the Universities together with his recalling the Protestant Ministers from Preaching to the English Merchants in Popish Countreys with many other Instances that might be given are sufficient Demonstrations of the reality of his Intentions therein Soon after we had an account that the King was arrived in France and gone to the Court where his Queen came some time before having as soon as she landed sent as it is said the following Letter to that King An unfortunate Queen all bathed in Tears has Deemed it no trouble to expose her self to the greatest Perils of the Sea on purpose to seek an Asy lum and Protection in the Dominions of the greatest and most Glorious Monarch in the World Her bad Fortune has procured her a Happiness which far distant Nations have sought with eagerness nor does the necessity lessen the value while she makes choice of this same Sanctuary before any other that she might have found in any other place She is perswaded his Majesty will look upon it as a Demonstration of the singular Esteem she has of his Great and Royal Qualities that she intrusts him with the Prince of Wales who is all she has most dear and precious in the World He is too Young to partake with her in the acknowledgments due for his Protection that acknowledgment is entirely in the Heart of his Mother who in the midst of all her sorrows enjoys this Consolation to live sheltred under the Lawrels of a Prince who surpasses all that ever was of most Exalted and Mighty upon Earth These fulsom Flatteries which are so admired by that King doubtless moved him to entertain her with great Tenderness and made way for the Reception of the King her Husband who soon after Arrived there and had St. Germains allowed for their Residence with such a Revenue as that King can spare from his other mighty Expences for their Subsistance though it is a question whether King James consulted his own Interest in Flying to the French King for certainly after all that he had done at home to see him Harbour himself with the Enemy of the English Name the Contriver and Adviser of all the Mischiefs for several years perpetrated in the Kingdom what could more Convict him of the Oppressions of his Reign or more Inveterately Alienate the Peoples Affections from him Upon the Kings second withdrawing Portsmouth that held out with some Obstinacy under the D. of Berwick and Sir Edward Scot Deputy Governor submitted and Received a Garrison sent thither by the Princes Order And now to fill up this Breach and Rupture in the Government the Lords Spiritual and Temporal immediately met in the House of Peers at Westminster where they drew up an Humble Address which they presented to his Highness Requesting him in this Conjuncture to take upon him the Administration of Publick Affairs both Civil and Military and the Disposal of the Publick Revenue for the Preservation of the Protestant Religion Rights Laws Liberties Properties and the Peace of the Nation and to take into his particular Care the present Condition of Ireland and to use Speedy and Effectual means to prevent the danger threatning that Kingdom At the same time these Honourable Lords further Humbly Requested That His Highness would please to cause Letters to be Written Subseribed by himself and the Lords Spiritual and Temporal being Protestants to the several Counties Universities Cities and Boroughs c. directed to the Chief Magistrates of each within Ten Days after the Receipt thereof to chuse such a Number of Persons to Represent them as are of Right to be sent to Parliament Both which Addresses were Presented to the Prince at St. Jamese's who answered that he had considered their Advice and that he would endeavour to secure the Peace of the Nation till the meeting of the Convention Jan. 22. next and that he would forthwith Issue out Letters to that purpose and that he would apply the Publick Revenues to their proper use and likewise Endeavour to put Ireland into such a Condition as that the Protestant Religion and the English Interest might be maintained in that Kingdom Further assuring them that as he came hither for the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom so he should always be ready to Expose himself in any Hazard for the Defence of the same His Highness likewise sent for all such as had been Members of Parliament in the Reign of Charles the II. together with
THE HISTORY OF THE House of Orange OR A Brief Relation of the Glorious and Magnanimous Atchievements of His Majesties Renowned Predecessors and likewise of His own Heroick Actions till the Late Wonderful Revolution Together with The HISTORY of William and Mary King and Queen of England Scotland France and Ireland c. Being an Impartial Account of the most Remarkable Passages and Transactions in these Kingdoms from Their Majesties Happy Accession to the Throne to this time By R. B. LONDON Printed for Nath. Crouch at the Bell in the Poultrey near Cheapside 1693. TO THE READER I Am very sensible that the greatness of the Subject is a sufficient reason to deter me from adventuring to publish my mean endeavours in Relating the Glorious and Magnanimous Atchievements of His Majesties Renowned Ancestors as well as His own Or of the excellent Conduct of Their Majesties since Their happy Accession to the Throne But because we have such a furious Generation of Murmurers who if they had their desires would ruine both themselves and their Countrey and reduce us to French Popery and Slavery It may seem to be the Interest of every man to strive to undeceive those whom these Miscreants would delude since both our Eternal and Temporal happiness very much depends upon the supporting the present Government against all its Forreign and Domestick Enemies A Government founded upon Law and Justice A Government calculated for the support of the Protestant Interest throughout the World wherein we have a King and Queen of the same excellent Religion with our selves a happiness which we have been deprived of for almost an Age past Princes of such exemplary Virtue and Piety that they discourage Vice and Prophaneness and constantly endeavour to support Goodness and Modesty which seem'd lately designed to be hissed out of the Nation God grant that our ingratitude and impenitence may never deprive us of such inestimable blessings and that we do not fall a Sacrifice to our stupendious folly and discontents THE HISTORY OF THE House of Orange THE Family of Nassau from whom our Gracious Soveraign is descended is not undeservedly accounted one of the most Antient and Honourable in Europe not only for its great Allianceâ— and Branches but also by the Advancement of one of this House to the Empire of Germany Adolphus Nassau by name about the Year 1200 and that there has been a Succession of the Family in a direct Line for above a thousand years past and among them OTHO Count of Nassau who lived about six hundred years since and had two Wives with the first of whom he had the Province of Gueldres and with the other that of Zutphen About three hundred years after a second Count OTHO of Nassau married the Countess of Vranden whereby he became possest of several other Territories in the Netherlands In the Year 1404. Engilbert who was his Grandchild married the Heiress of the Town of Breda and Loeke and was Grandfather to Engilbert 2d Earl of Nassau who in 1491. was by Maximilian King of the Romans going into Hungary made Governour Lieutenant and Captain General of Flanders and afterwards in 1501. Arch-Duke Philip going into Spain constituted him Governour General of the Netherlands an experienced Prince both in War and Peace but dying Childless left his Brother John his large Territories this John had two Sons upon Henry the eldest he bestowed all his Possessions in the Low-Countries and to his youngest Son William he bequeathed all his Inheritance in Germany By the earnest Endeavours of Henry Nassau Charles the 5th was advanced to the Empire against the pretensions of Francis I. the French King and at his Coronation placed the Crown on his Head And yet when upon concluding Peace between these two Monarchs Henry was sent by the Emperor to do Homage to King Francis for the County of Flanders and Artois that Prince forgetting former differences and being fully sensible of his extraordinary Merits married him to Claudia only Sister to Philibert Chalon Prince of Orange by which Marriage his only Son Revens of Orange and Chalons became Prince of Orange William Earl of Nassau Brother to Prince Henry profâ—ssed the Protestant Religion and expell'd Popery out of his Territories and was Father to the great William of Nassau who attained to be Prince of Orange and Lord of all the Possessions of the House of Chalens by the Last Will of Revens de Nassau who died Childless The Emperor Charles the 5th having a favour for the House of Orange and received great services from them was concerned that the young Prince William should be educated in the Reformed Religion and therefore took him with much regret from his Father and endeavoured to instruct him in the Romish Faith but afterward the former Opinions which he had suckt in with his Mothers Milk prevailed upon him so that he became an earnest Professor of Protestantism William Count of Nassau his Father had five Sons and seven Daughters by Juliana Countess of Stolberg WILLIAM the eldest was born in 1533. at the Castle of Dillemberg in the County of Nassau and being taken from his Father by the Emperor Charles as we said he became a great Favourite by his extraordinary Wisdom and Modesty so that the Emperor confest this young Prince often furnisht him with notions and hints he should else never have thought of and upon giving of private Audiences to Ambassadors when the Prince would discreetly offer to withdraw the Emperor mildly remanded him saving Stay Prince and it was admired by the whole Court that a Prince not above twenty years old should be intrusted with all the Secrets of the Empire and carry the Imperial Crown upon his resignation to his Brother Ferdinand though the Prince with some reluctancy seemed to refuse the Imployment by alledging That it was no ways proper for him to carry to another that Crown which his Uncle Henry of Nassau had set upon his Head Yea the Emperor had so much confidence in his Conduct that in the absence of the D. of Savoy his General of the Low Countries though the Prince were not above 22 years old yet contrary to the Advice of all his Council rejecting all other experienc'd Generals he constituted him Generalissimo who managed that great Imploy with such discretion and courage that he caused Philipville and Charlemont to be built in the fight of the French Army which was then commanded by Admiral Castillon that great Captain These Magnanimous actions caused the Emperor to recommend the Prince of Orage to Philip II. his Son but his Virtue and Courage were so emulated by the Spaniards that all his most innocent words and actions were misinterpreted and the opposition that the Provinces made to the Kings Will and Pleasure in defence of their Priviledges were attributed to his contrivance which King Philip made him sensible of when he was imbarking from Flushing for Spain charging him with preventing all his private Intrigues with a furious countenance And when
his Government This new Governour had the fortune at his arrival to be an eye-witness of the deseat of his Masters Fleet by that of the Prince of Orange but yet was more fortunate by Land for Prince Lowis of Nassaw having brought a fourth Army out of Germany of seven thousand Foot and four thousand Horse was defeated by the Spaniards near Nimmeguen the Germans according to their usual custom calling for their pay just as the battle began and thereby were the ruine of themselves as well as of their Generals honour Prince Lowis with his brother Prince Henry and the Count Palatine being all three killed in this fight Upon which Victory the Spaniards besieged Leyden and reduced it to very great extremity so that they were ready to Capitulate But the Prince having an account of their condition by Letters tyed to Pigeons and sent into the Town Resolved to make the utmost effort possible to relieve it and having provided two hundred Flat bottom Boates of fourteen or sixteen Oars and two Guns a piece which he filled with Seamen and Provisions when all things were prepared the Hollanders broke down the Damm that kept out the Sea which thereupon entred with such fury into the Countrey that it was overwhelmed with water and and the Camp of the Spaniards was overflowed so that the City received supplies forty mile off by water and the Spaniards having sunk their Cannon after four months fruitless labour were forced to raise the Seige being pursued by the Dutch in their Boats with long grapling Irons wherewith they drowned and destroyed a great number of their enemies This deliverance from a Barbarous and Inhumane Enemy endeared the Prince of Orange to those of Leyden who to recompence their losses by the inundation erected a University there which he indowed with ample Revenues and Priviledges But to recompence this loss Requesones reduced Zurich-zee but the Spaniards and Germans falling at variance about their pay and Requesones dying at the same time the unruly Souldiers fell upon Mastriccht and Antwerp both which Towns they plundred and ransackt of an immense Treasure rated at above Twenty Millions The Robberies of those Forreign Mutineers caused such an abhorrence and detestation of the Government in the People that those which had hitherto continued obedient to the Spanish Government now declared the Spaniards enemies to their King and Countrey and called in the Prince of Orange to their assistance All the Provinces except Luxemburg entring into an Association and Solemnly Swearing to assist each other in delivering their Countrey from Spanish Slavery This happened in 1576. when King Philip to remedy these disorders sent Don John of Austria to be Governour of the Netherlands who by his Mild and Affable behaviour wheedled the Provinces for a time to desist from their gallant resolution and though the Prince of Orange who saw the bottom of the Spaniards designs continually forewarned them not to be deluded with guilded promises yet Don John having solemnly agreed That the States General should assemble and that the Spaniards and Germans should depart out of the Netherlands several of the Provinces again submitted to King Philip the Prince of Orange with the States of Holland and Zealand protesting against their proceedings especially as to the Articles about Religion But Don John was no sooner setled in his Government being received with much magnificence at Brussels but he quickly made good the Princes Premonitions for he seized upon Namur and Charlemont and sent for the Forreign Troops Whereupon the States finding themselves deluded they resolved to oppose him by Arms and having demolished the Castle of Antwerp they joyned with the Prince of Orange and sent to desire his presence at Brussels where he was received with all kinds of Joy and the Acclamations of the People and declared Governour of Brabant and Super-Intendant of the Revenues of the Provinces The States General having declared Don John of Austria the publick Enemy of their Countrey he thereupon recall'd the Italians and other Forreigners who were banished by the perpetual Edict as it was called and with them defeated the Army of the States at Gemblours though this loss was recompensed by the surrender of the famous City of Amsterdam eight days after which was then united to the Body of Holland In the year 1579. the Prince of Orange laid the Foundation of the Republick of the Low-Countreys by the strict Union he made between the Provinces of Gueldres Zutphen Holland Zealand Friezeland and the Ommelands consisting of 25 Articles the chief whereof was That these Provinces should mutually assist each other against the common Enemy and not treat of War or Peace without general consent This was called The Treaty of Vtrecht because signed in that City and to shew that Union was absolutely necessary for their preservation the States took this for their Motto Concordia parvae res crescunt By Concord little things grow great But the Prince finding the power of these few Provinces not sufficient to defend themselves against the other Provinces that had reconciled themselves to Spain nor against that potent Crown he thought it adviseable to chuse some Neighbour Prince to be their Protector and judged none more proper than the Duke of Anjou and Alenson the only Brother of Henry III. King of France and Commissioners being sent to him it was soon agreed that these six Provinces of Holland Zealand Brabant Flanders Utrecht and Friezeland should acknowledge him for their Soveraign upon condition That he should maintain them in their present Priviledges and Religion that he should assemble the States General once a year or oftner if they thought fit That he should not dispose of any Offices or Preferments without the consent of the States Lastly That if he should endeavour to infringe or violate this Treaty he should immediately forfeit his Soveraignty and they be fully absolved from any Allegiance to him and be at liberty to chuse another Soveraign This Agreement being made Arch-Duke Matthias Brother to Rodolphus Emperor of Germany who had been sent for some time before by some factious Lords who envied the Virtue and Glory of the Prince of Orange finding that the States sought for a more powerful Protector took his leave and retired into Germany though not without large Acknowledgment and Presents from the States General The Prince of Orange hastened the March of the Duke of Alenson whose presence he knew was very considerable especially since in this year 1580 the King of Spain had published a most bloody Proscription against him Reproaching him with the favours bestowed on him by his Father Charles the V and declaring him to be a Rebel Heretick Hypocrite like to Cain and Judas of an obdurate Conscience a Villain the Head of the Netherland Troubles a Plague to Christendom and an Enemy to all Mankind Declaring further That he did prosecute and banish him out of his Countreys and Estates forbidding any of his Subjects to converse with or relieve him
who were quartered about Tiverton Culhampton Honyton and other places The Sunday following his Highness went to the Cathedral where his Highness Declaration of the Reasons inducing him to appear in Arms in the Kingdom of England for preserving the Protestant Religion and for restoring the Liberties of England Scotland and Ireland was read by Dr. Burnet before a numerous Auditory the Substance whereof was That ' it was certain and evident to all men that the publick Peace and Happiness of any Kingdom and State could not be preserved where the Laws Liberties and Customs established by the lawful Authority in it were openly transgrest and annull'd more especially where the Alteration of Religion was endeavoured and a Religion contrary to the Law Design'd to be introduced whereas they who were most immediately concerned therein were indispensibly bound to preserve the establisht Laws Liberties and Customs and above all the Religion and Worship of God establisht among them and to take effectual Care that the Inhabitant of such State or Kingdom might neither be deprived of their Religion nor outed of their Civil Rights more especially since the greatness of Kings Royal Families and all in Authority as well as the Happiness of their Subjects and People depended in a more especial manner upon an exact Observation of those their Laws Liberties and Customs upon which ground his Highness further declared That he could no longer forbear to let the World know how apparently he saw with regret that they who had then the chief Credit with the King had overturned the Religion Laws and Liberties of these Realms and subjected them in all things relating to their Consciences Liberties and Properties to Arbitrary Government and that not only by secret and indirect ways but in an open and undisguised manner that those Evil Councellors for advancing and colouring this with some plausible pretences did invent and set on foot the Kings Dispensing Power by virtue of which they pretend that according to Law he can suspend and dispense with the Execution of the Laws that have been enacted by the Authority of King and Parliament for the Security and Happiness of the Subject and to render these Laws of no effect though it is most certain that they cannot be suspended but by the same Authority that made them for though the King may pardon the punishment of a Transgressor in Cases of Treason and Felony yet it cannot with any colour of Reason be thence inferred that he can intirely suspend the Execution of those Laws unless he has such an Arbitrary Power that the Laws Liberties Honours and Estates of the Subjects depend wholly upon his good Will and Pleasure and though they have obtained a Sentence for asserting this Dispensing Power to be a Right depending on the Crown yet it cannot be imagined that it should be put in the Power of twelve Judges to offer up the Laws Rights and Liberties of the whole Nation to the Arbitrary Will of the King especially such as are first advanced and then threatned to be turned out if they do not comply therein and some Papists who are incapable by Law are made Judges That the King though known to be a Papist was yet received and acknowledged by the People to be their King and did solemnly Swear and Promise at his Coronation that he would maintain their Laws and Liberties and the Church of England as it was establisht by Law and though several Laws have been lately made for preserving their Liberties and the Protestant Religion and to prevent all Papists from being put into any Imployment yet these evil Councillors have in effect Annulled and Abolished all those Laws and in direct Opposition thereto have set up as Illegal Commission for Ecclesiastical Affairs in which one of the Kings Ministers who is a Papist sits and Acts though by Law uncapable of any publick Imployment that these Commissioners have suspended the Bishop of London only for refusing to obey an Order to suspend a Worthy Divine without Citation or Process they have turned out the President and Fellows of Hagdalen Colledge without citing them before any Legal Court or Comperent Judge only for refusing to chuse for their President a Person recommended by these Evil Councillors contrary to the Right of Free Election and contrary to Magna Charta That no man shall lose Life or Goods but by the Law of the Land and afterward put the Colledge wholly into the hands of Papists They have cited before them all the Chancellors and Arch-deacons of England to certifie the Names of the Clergy who did not read the Kings Declaration for Liberty of Conscience though the reading of it was not enjoined them by the Bishops who are their Ordinaries These Evil Councillors have procured Orders for building several Popish Churches Chappels Monasteries Colledges of Jesuits for corrupting of youth and raised one to be a Privy Councillor and Minister of State contrary to several express Laws by the Rules of which they evidently shew they are no way restrained and wherein they are served and seconded by these Ecclesiastical Commissioners They have also followed the same Methods in Civil Affairs by procuring Orders to examine all Lord Lieutenants Deputy Lieutenants Sheriffs Justices of Peace and all others that were in any publick Imployment whether they were for taking away the Penal Laws and Tests and those who in Conscience could not comply were turned out and divers unqualified Persons put in their Rooms they have seized upon the Charters of several Towns and procured the surrender of others which Elect Parliament men and placed new Magistrates many of them Papists in divers Corporations They have removed such Judges as would not in all things Conform to their Designs and put in others whose Compliance they disowned beforehand whereby much Blood hath been shed in many places of the Kingdom against all the Forms and Rules of Law without Suffering the Persons accused to plead in their own Defence They have put the Administration of Justice into the Hands of Papists though all their Sentences are Null and Void in Law and have disposed of all Military Imployments in the same manner both by Sea and Land to Strangers as well as Natives and Irish as well as English to maintain and execute their wicked Designs of inslaving the Nation by their Assistance In Ireland the whole Government is put into the Hands of Papists so that the Protestants through terror have in great numbers left that Kingdom and abandoned their Estates in it remembring well that Cruel and Bloody Massacre in 1641. In Scotland the King has declared himself clothed with such an Absolute Power as to be obeyed without Reserve These great Oppressions and open Contempts of all Laws being insufferable have put the Subjects under great Fears and to look out for such Lawful Remedies as are allowed of in all Nations but to deter them from endeavouring to preserve their Lives and Estates by Petition or other means Authorized by Law these
Evil Councillors proceeded with all Rigor against those that used those Methods particularly the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and others who humbly offering their Reasons why they could not Order the Declaration of Liberty of Conscience to be read in the Churches were sent to Prison and after Tried as if guilty of some enormous Crime and obliged to appear before profest Papists and those Judges that gave their Opinion in their favour were turned out They have also Treated a Peer of the Realm as a Criminal for saying that the Subjects were not bound to obey the Orders of a Popish Justice of Peace because they are put into Imployments contrary to Law That his Highness and his Dearest and most Beloved Consort the Princess have signified to the King in Terms full of respect the just and deep Regret these Proceedings have given them and in compliance with His desires have declared their Thoughts about Repealing the Penal Laws and Tests whereby they hoped there might have been an happy agreement among the Subjects of all Perswasions which yet these Evil Councillors have so misrepresented as to endeavour to alienate the King more and more from them as if they designed to disturb the Quiet and Happiness of the Kingdom and the last and great Remedy for all these Evils being the calling of a Parliament for securing the Nation against the Practices of these Evil Councillors cannot be easily brought about since by a Parliament duly chosen they doubt to be called to account for all their open Violations of the Laws their Plots and Conspiracies against the Protestant Religion and the Lives and Liberties of the Subjects their designing under the specious pretence of Liberty of Conscience to sow Divisions among Protestants and from their mutual quarrels to carry on their own Designs to prevent which the Electors and Elected for Parliament men are to be beforehand ingaged to comply with their wicked Desires and the returns are to be made by Popish Sheriffs and Mayors of Towns so that this only remedy of a Free Parliament is hereby made impracticable And to Crown all There are great and violent Presumptions inducing their Highnesses to believe that these Evil Councillors to gain more time to carry on their ill Designs for incouraging their Complices and discouraging all good Subjects they have published that the Queen hath brought forth a Son though there appeared both during the Queens pretended bigness and in the manner in which the Birth was managed so many just and visible grounds of Suspition that not only their Highnesses but all the good Subjects of this Kingdom vehemently suspect that the pretended Prince of Wales was not born of the Queen and since their Highnesles have both so great an Interest in this matter and such a Right as all the World knows to the Succession of the Crown and since the English Nation had ever testified a most particular Affection and Esteem to them both their Highnesses cannot excuse themselves from espousing their Interests in a matter of such high consequence and from contributing all that in them lies for the maintaining both of the Protestant Religion and of the Laws and Liberties of those Kingdoms and for securing to them the continual Enjoyment of all their just Rights To the doing of which his Highness is most earnestly sollicited by a great many Lords both Spiritual and Temporal and by many Gentlemen and other Subjects of all Ranks Therefore it is that his Highness hath thought fit to go over into England and to carry over a Force sufficient by the Blessing of God to defend him from the Violence of those Evil Councillors His Highness declaring that this Expedition is intended for â—o other design but to have a Free and Lawful Parliament Assembled as soon as is possible and that in Order thereto all the late Charters limiting of Elections contrary to Ancient Custom shall be considered as null and of no force and all Magistrates to return to their former Imployments and particularly the Ancient Charter of London to be again in force and none to be suffered to chuse or be chosen Parliament men but those qualified by Law and that the Members of Parliament so chosen shall sit in full Freedom for making Laws to secure the Protestant Religion and to establish a good Agreement between the Church of England and all Protestant Dissenters as also for the securing and covering of Papists and all others who will live peaceably from all Persecution for Religion and for doing all other things which the two Houses of Parliament shall find necessary for the Peace Honour and Safety of the Nation so that there may be no more danger of the Nations falling at any time hereafter under Arbutrary Government to which Parliament his Highness will also refer the Inquiry into the Birth of the pretended Prince of Wales and of all things relating to it and to the Right of Succession And his Highness declares That for his Part be will concur in every thing that may produce the Peace and Happiness of the Nation which a Free and Lawful Parliament shall determine since his Highness hath nothing before his Eyes in this His Undertaking but the Preservation of the Protestant Religion the covering of all men from Persecution 〈◊〉 their Consciences and the securing to the whole Natâ—on the Free Enjoyment of all their Laws Rights anâ— Liberties under a Just and Legal Government His Highness further declares that this is the Design he has proposed in appearing upon this occasion in Arms in the Conduct of which his Highneâ— would keep the Forces under his Command undeâ— all the strictness of Martial Discipline and take a special care that the People of the Countreys througâ— which He shall March shall not suffer by their meanâ— and as soon as the State of the Nation will permit iâ— his Highness promises that he will send back all thoâ— Foreign Troops that He hath brought along witâ— him his Highness does therefore hope that all People will judge rightly of his Proceedings though 〈◊〉 does chiefly rely on the Blessing of God for the sâ—â—cess of this his Undertaking in which he places 〈◊〉 whole and only Confidence Lastly his Highness doth invite and require all Perâ—ons whatsoever all the Peers of the Realm both Spâ—ritual and Temporal all Lords Lieutenants Depâ—â— Lieutenants and all Gentlemen Citizens and otheâ— Commons of all Ranks to come and assist him in Order to the executing of this His Design against all suâ—â— as shall endeavour to oppose Him that so all thoâ—â— Miseries which must needs follow upon the Nation being kept under Arbitrary Government and Slaveâ— may be prevented and that all the Violences anâ— Disorders which have overturned the whole Cons tâ—tution of the English Government may be fully Redressed in a Free and Legal Parliament his Highness likewise Resolving that as soon as the Nations are brought to a State of Quiet He will take care that a Parliament shall be called in Scotland
most considerable Cities and Towns in England upon pretence that the Irish were Killing Burning and Destroying all before them which seem'd to be carried on industriously by Persons set on purpose to spread that false Report or else it can hardly be imagined how it should have been done at so many distant places at once which threw the People into a great Surprize and Consternation till the day appeared and Convinced them of the Fallacy But the real occasion hereof was never yet generally understood Upon the Arrival of his Highness the Common Council of London assembled and unanimously agreed that the Sheriffs and all the Aldermen of the City with their Deputies and two Common Council Men for each Ward should wait on and Congratulate his Highness upon his Happy Arrival in the Name of the City of London and accordingly Dec. 20 the Lord Mayor being indisposed by Sickness Sir George Treby the Recorder in a most Elegant Speech thus Addrest his Highness MAy it please your Highness The Lord Mayor being disabled by Sickness your Highness is attended by the Aldermen and Commons of the Capital City of this Kingdom Deputed to Congratulate your Highness upon this Great and Glorious Occasion in which labouring for Words we cannot but come short in Expression Reviewing our late Danger we remember our Church and State over-run by Popery and Arbitrary Power and brought to a point of Destruction by the Conduct of men that were our true Invaders that broke the Sacred Fences of our Laws and which was worse the very Constitution of our Legislature so that there was no Remedy left us The only Person under Heaven that could apply this Remedy was your Highness You are of a Nation whose Alliance in all times has been agreeable and prosperous to us You are of a Family most Illustrious Benefactors to Mankind To have the Title of Soveraign Prince Stadt-holder and to have worn the Imperial Crown are among their lesser Dignities they have long enjoyed a Dignity Singular and Transcendent that is To be Champions of Almighty God sent forth in several Ages to vindicate his Cause against the greatest Oppressions To this Divine Commission our Nobles our Gentry and amongst them our brave English Souldiers render themselves and their Arms upon your appearing Great Sir when we look back the last Month and Contemplate the Swiftness and Fulness of our Deliverance Astonished we think it Miraculous Your Highness led by the hand of Heaven and called by the Voice of the People has preserved our dearest Interest the Protestant Religion which is Primitive Christianbity Restored our Laws which are our Ancieut Title to our Lives Liberties and Estates and without which the World were a Wilderness but what Retribution can we make to Your Highness our Thoughts are full charged with Gratitude Your Highness has a lasting Monument in the Hearts in the Prayers in the Praises of all good men amongst us and late Posterity will celebrate your ever Glorious Name till time shall be no more At the same time the High Sheriff Nobility and Gentry of the County of Cambridge presented another Address to his Highness wherein they implored his Protection and aid to rescue the Nation from Popery and Slavery and assared him they would Contribute their utmost endeavours for perfecting so glorious a work returning his Highness their unfeigned Thanks for the progress he had made therein with so much cost labour and hazard both by Sea and Land But in the midst of these Transactions the King having continued some days at Rochester Dec. 23. between two and three in the Morning going a back way with great Secrecy and Caution hastned to the Sea-side taking only with him Mr. Ralf Sheldon and Mr. Delabody with whom he imbarqued in a vessel that lay for his Transportation to France to follow his Queen as had been agreed betwixt them leaving the following Paper of Reasons behind him for withdrawing himself from Rochester said to be written by his own hand and ordered by him to be Publisht THe World cannot wonder at My withdrawing My Self now this Second Time I might have expected somewhat better Usage after what I writ to the Prince of Orange by my Lord Feversham and the Instructions I gave him but instead of an Answer such as I might have hoped for What was I to expect after the Usage I received by the making the said Earl a Prisoner against the Practice and Law of Nations The sending his own Guards at Eleven at Night to take Possession of the Posts at Whitehall without advertising Me in the least manner of it The sending to Me at One a Clock after Midnight when I was in Bed a kind of an Order by Three Lords to be gone out of Mine Own Palace before Twelve that same Morning After all this How could I hope to be safe so long as I was in the Power of one who had not only done this to Me and Invaded My Kingdoms without any just Occasion given him for it but that did by his first Declaration lay the greatest Aspersion upon Me that Malice could invent in that Clause of it which concerns My Son I appeal to all that know Me nay even to himself that in their Consciences neither he nor they can believe Me in the least capable of so unnatural a Villany nor of so little common Sense to be imposed on in a thing of such a Nature as that What had I then to expect from one who by all Arts hath taken such pains to make Me appear as black as Hell to My Own People as well as to all the World besides What Effect that hath had at Home all Mankind have seen by so general a Defection in My Army as well as in the Nation amongst all sorts of People I was both Free and desire to continue so and tho I have ventured My Life very frankly on several Occasions for the Good and Honour of My Countrey and am as free to do it again and which I hope I shall yet do as Old as I am to redeem it from the Slavery it is like to fall under yet I think it not convenlent to expose My Self to be Secured as not to be at Liberty to effect it and for that Reason do withdraw but so as to be within Call whensoever the Nations Eyes shall be opened so as to see how they have been abused and imposed upon by the specious Pretences of Religion and Property I hope it will please God to touch their Hearts out of his Infinite Mercy and to make them sensible of the ill Condition they are in and bring them to such a Temper that a Legal Parliament may be called and that amongst other things which may be necessary to be done they will agree to Liberty of Conscience for all Protestant Dissenters and that those of my own Perswasion may be so far considered and have such a share of it as they may live Peaceably and Quietly as English Men and
the Aldermen and Common-Council of the City of London to meet him at St James's to advise the best manner how to pursue the ends of his Declaration in Calling a Free Parliament for the Preservation of the Protestant Religion the Restoring of the Rights and Liberties of the Kingdom and Setling the same that they may not be in Danger of being again Subverted Upon which they met accordingly and after his Highness had thus Graciously exprest himself to them they instantly Concluded to go to the House of Commons where being Sate they chose Henry Powle Esq their Chair-man and then drew up an Address to the Prince returning his Highness their hearty Thanks and expressing their Extraordinary Acknowledgment for the Care he had taken of their Religion Laws and Liberties Humbly Intreating him to take upon him the Administration of the Government c. which being presented to his Highness at St. James's he returned the same answer as he had done to the Lords The News of his Highness Snccess and Prosperous proceedings Arriving in Holland all the Persons of Quality that were at the Hague appeared at Court to Complement Her Royal Highness the Princess of Orange thereupon and soon after their Electoral Highnesses of Brandenburg arrived there and were Entertained very Splendidly upon that Occasion And the States General sent three Deputies to England to Congratulate his Highness who Landing at the Tower were received with the Discharge of the Cannon and Conducted to the Lodgings appointed for them with a very Spleudid Equipage Dec. 30. His Highness Issued out a Declaration to Authorize Sheriffs Justices of Peace and all other Officers except Papists to Continue and Act in their Respective Places till further Order And a second Declaration for the better Quartering of Souldiers That none should be Quartered upon Private Houses without the free and voluntary Consent of the Owner And a while after the following Association for the Preservation of his Highnesses Person which had been promoted and Signed through most Counties of England with great Cheerfulness and Alacrity was Signed also by several Noblemen and others at St. James's We whose Names are hereunto Subscribed who have Joyned with the Prince of Orange for the Defence of the Protestant Religion and for maintaining the Ancient Government and the Laws and Liberties of England Scotland and Ireland Do engage to Almighty God to his Highness the Prince of Orange and to one another to stick firm to this Cause and to one another in Defence of it and never to depart from it till our Religion our Laws and Liberties are so far secured to us in a Free Parliament that we shall be no more in Danger of Falling under Popery and Slavery And whereas we are ingaged in this Common Cause under the Protection of the Prince of Orange by which means his Person may be exposed to Dangers and to the Desperate and Cursed Attempts of the Papists and other Bloody Men We do therefore Solemnly engage both to God and to one another that if any such Attempts are made upon him we will pursue not only those that make them but all their Adherents and all that we find in Arms against us with the utmost Severities of a just Revenge to their Ruin and final Destruction and that the Execution of any such Attempt which God of his Mercy forbid shall not divert us from prosecuting this Cause which we do now undertake but that it shall ingage us to carry it on with all the vigor that so Barbarous a Practice shall deserve After this His Highness published a Declaration to Command all Papists to depart within three Days out of London and Westminster and Ten Miles about under penalty of Suffering the utmost Severity of the Law and about the same time the Country People Seized a great number of Persons in Kent and other places endeavouring to make their escape beyond Sea who were committed to several Prisons till further Order And to shew the readiness and zeal of the People to Support his Highness He had no sooner signified to the City of London that the necessary Expences he had been at had near exhausted the publick Revenues but that they instantly ordered a Committee to attend him to know what Sum might be necessary and 100000 l. being Named the Generous Citizens immediately came to Guild-Hall and made Subscriptions for 300000 l. which was paid in to Admiration within a very few days Affairs being now in a promising way of settlement in England let us take a brief view of Scotland to whom his Highness before his arrival had likewise sent a Declaration to the same effect with that sent to England some Expressions only being varied according to the different Circumstances of both Nations his Highness declaring That by the influence of those evil Counsellors who designed to render themselves the absolute Masters of the Lives Honours and Estates of the Subjects without being restrained by any Rule or Law a most exorbliant Power had been exercised in imposing Bonds and Oaths upon whole Shires In permitting Free Quarters to Souldiers In imprisoning Gentlemen without any Reason forcing them to accuse and witness against themselves In imposing Arbitrary Fines frighting and haressing many parts of the Countrey with intercommuning making some incur the forfeiture of Life and Fortune for the most general and harmless converse even with their nearest Relations Outlawed Impowering Officers and Souldiers to act upon the Subjects living in quiet and full Peace the greatest Barbarities in destroying them by Hanging Shooting and drowning them without any Form of Law or respect to Age or Sex not giving some of them time to pray to God for Mercy and this for no other Reason but because they would not answer or satisfie them in such Questions as they proposed to them without any warrant of Law and against the common Interest of mankind which frees all men from being obliged to discover their secret Thoughts besides a great many other Violences and Oppressions to which that poor Nation hath been exposed without any hope of having any end put to them or to have relief from them And that the Arbitrary and illegal Proceedings of there Evil Counsellors might be justified such a Declaration hath been procured by them as strikes at the root of the Government and overturns the most Sacred Rights of it in making all Parliaments unncressary and taking away all Defences of Religion Liberty and Property 〈…〉 assumed and asserted Absolute Power to which Obedience is required without reserve Which every good Christian is perswaded is due to God Almighty alone all whose Commandments are always Just and Good c. Upon his Highness Arrival and Happy Progress in England the Terror thereof wrought so effectually upon those Popish and Arbitrary Ministers of State in Scotland who were sensible of their own guilt that they thought of nothing but to make their escape from Justice which some had the luck to do others were seized and the Multitude
Dispensing and Suspending Power and the Ecclesiastical Commission to promote his future Designs when he had once baffled the Prince of Orange the Nation saw through the Project and he lost all As for the English in general their Interest Centers in the maintaining the Rights and Franchises of their Kingdom which renders them this Day the freest Nation in Europe A Character so far from supposing them to be like other Nations a People Head-strong and unconstant that it shews them to be the most Considerate and Understanding People in the World in short though the example of a Neighbouring Prince had served for a Platform for other Crowned Heads to enlarge their Power beyond the Limits prescribed by the Constitutions of the Kingdom We see that at the very Moment that the King began to act like his Neighbour they presently put a Sâ—op to his Designs without the least respect to his Dignity They saw how Soveraign Authority Reigned in France as Independent from the Laws as in Turkey They beheld the face of the Kingdom of Sweden and Denmark changed by Introducing Hereditary Succession whereas they were Elective before They viewed the Face of the Kingdom of Hungary heretofore the Seat of Liberty Disfigured by the same Innovation and Poland that boasts to have preserved the Ancient Laws entire has notwithstanding suffered Injurious Alterations In short which way soever we cast our Eyes we shall find Attempts of the same Nature prosper only in England they have failed whence we may conclude that maugre all which has been said of the English Nation they are the Wisest and most Prudent People that we know of under the Sun THE HISTORY OF King William Queen Mary King William and Queen Mary being Proclaimed in all the Counties and chief Cities of England with the general Joy of the People Addresles were daily presented them from several Parts to testifie their extream Satisfaction and Content in their being advanced to the Throne and the Convention being by an Act figned by the King turned into a Parliament in the same manner as the Convention was upon the Restoration of Charles II. 1660. They proceeded to enact several Laws for setling the Government upon its true and ancient Basis and several vacant Offices and Imployments were supplied by their Majesties and Dr. Gilbert Burnet was made Bishop of Salisbury in the room of Dr. Seth Ward Deceased I have been very brief upon the Affairs in England till the Happy Revolution in 1688. because I have lately Published a Book of the same value with this Intituled The History of the two late Kings Charles II. and James II. being an Impartial Account of the most Remarkable Transactions and observable Passages during their Reigns and the secret French and Popish Intrigues managed in those Times Neither shall I inlarge upon the Affairs of Ireland intending suddenly to publish the History of that Kingdom from the first Conquest thereof by King Henry II. to its total Reduction by the Arms of their present Majesties And now both Houses of Parliament present an humble Address to his Majesty about the speedy relief of Ireland in pursuance whereof the King sent over a Proclamation of Pardon to all the Irish Papists that would lay down their Arms and live Peaceably under the Government with the full enjoyment of their Estates and the private Exercise of their Religion which if they refused they were declared Rebels and Traytors to the Crown of England and their Estates to be forfeited and distributed among those that should and and assist in reducing them to Obedience but Tyrconnel endeavoured to hinder the effect thereof by promising them speedy succors from France and that King James would come in Person with a numerous Army to their Assistance and sent several Detachments of his tattered Regiments to seize divers considerable Protestants in their Houses who upon notice escaped into the North and strengthned their Party the Priests stirr'd up these Raseally Vermin that were armed with Pitchforks Bills Staves and other weaponâ— to commit all manner of outrages to the damage of some Papists as well as Protestants and it was reported that at a Consult in the Council wherein some Popish Bishops assisted it was moved that the only way to clear the Countrey of Hereticks was by a general Massacre but Tyrconnel opposed it In March the late King James took Post from Paris to Brest and soon after landed in Ireland with a numetous Train of Officers but very few Souldiers The Estates of Scotland met the same Month at Edenburgh in pursuance of his Majesties Circulary Letters and King William sent them the following Letter MY Lords and Gentlemen We are very sensible of the kindness and concern which your Nation has evidenced towards us and our undertaking for the Preservation of your Religion and Liberty which were in such imminent danger Neither can we in the least doubt your Confidence in us after having seen how far so many of your Nobility and Gentry have owned our Declaration countenancing and concurring with us in our endeavours and desiring us that we would take upon us the Administration of Affairs Civil and Military and to call a Meeting of the Estates for securing the Protestant Religion and the ancient Laws and Liberties of that Kingdom which accordingly we have done Now it lies on you to enter upon such Consultations as are most proper to settle you on sure and lasting Foundations which we hope you will set about with all convenient speed with regard to the publick good and to the general Interest and Inclinations of the People that after so much Trouble and great Suffering they may live happily and in Peace and that you may lay aside all Animosities and Factions that may impede 10 good a Work we are glad to find that so many of the Nobility and Gentry when here in London were to much inclined to a Union of both Kingdoms and that they did look upon it as the best means for procuring the Happiness of both Nations and setling of a lasting Peace among them which would be advantagious to both they living in the same Island having the same Language and the same common Interest of Religion and Liberty especially at this Juncture when the enemies of both are so ressess in endeavouring to make and increase Jealousies and Divisions which they will be ready to improve to their own advantage and the ruin of Brittain we being to the same oprnion as to the usefulness of this Union and having nothing so much before our eyes as the Glory of God establishing the Reformed Religion and the Peace and Happiness of these Nations are resolved to use our utmost endeavours in advancing every thing that may conduce to the effectuating the same So we bid you heartily Farewell From our Court at Hampton March 7. 1689. This Letter being read Commissioners were named to draw an Answer full of Acknowledgment and Respect the late King James had likewise sent a Letter
and the actual Invasion of Ireland and Supporting the Rebels there he is promoting the utter Extirpation of the Protestants there His Majesty being therefore thus Necessitated to take up Arms and Relying on the help of Almighty God in his just undertaking hath thought fit to declare War against the French King and will in Conjunction with his Allies vigorously prosecute the same by Sea and Land since he hath so unrighteously begun it being assured of the hearty Concurrence and Assistance of his Subjects in Supporting of so good a Cause forbidding all Correspondence or Communication with that King or his Subjects and that all the French Nation in his Majesties Dominions who shall Demean themselves Dutifully and not Correspond with his Enemies shall upon the Kings Royal word be safe in their Persons and Estates and free from all Molestation and Trouble of any Kind About the same time the King of Spain proclaimed War against France and the Emperor of Germany sent a Letter to his Majesty wherein after he has returned thanks to the King for taking care that no Violence should be offered to the Roman Catholicks he promises the same thing in respect to the Protestants His Majesty gave Advice to the Switzers of his Advancement to the Throne So that now King William and Queen Mary were acknowledged for lawful Soveraigns of Great Brittain by all the Protestant and the greatest part of the Roman Catholick Princes and States for besides the Emperor and the King of Spain the Duke of Bavaria the three Ecclesiastical Electors the Duke of Newburg the Elector Palatine and the Bishops of Leige and Munster all Roman Catholicks declared themselves Enemies to France and by this we may observe that the French Polititians were greatly deceived in their Measures for upon notice of the Prince of Oranges Expedition into England it is reported some of them thus Discourst King Lewis Sir said they There is a Civil War kindling in England which will last this two or three years and Disable that Island and the United Provinces from Acting In this time your Majesty will have Conquered all or the greatest part of Germany If King James has the worst we will perswade all the Catholick Princes to Unite and Restore him All this while your Majesty will be Head of the League will preserve your Conquests and King James cannot refuse you Ireland or any other portion of his Kingdom for the Expences of the War This done your Majesty shall fall upon Holland which will be weak and unprovided of Men and Money and shall be able in a little time to oppress the Remainder of the Protestanâ—s and so become Emperor of all Europe But unfortunately for them King James II. too soon forsook his Country and then they cryed Religion is ruined unless all endeavours are used for his Restoration Upon which some would fain know what Religion the French King is of who persecutes and invades Papists as well as Protestants and think that he must be either a Pagan or Mahumetan or else of a Christianity all of his own Contriving to carry on his Perjuries and Usurpations upon his Neighbours May 1. A Squadron of English Men of War under Admiral Herbert Sailing toward the Coast of Ireland to prevent the French from Landing Forces and Provisions there understanding they were got to Sea under favour of the Night they got sight of them lying in the Bay of Bantree in the West of Ireland and resolved to Attack them with Nine Ships in the Harbor they being about 44 Sail in all whereupon the next Morning the Fight began we continued Fattering upon a Stretch till five in the Afternoon when the French Admiral Tackt from us and stood farther into the Bay In this Action Captain Aâ—lmeâ— and 94 Seamen were killed and about 250 wounded but the Enemy were Reported to have 200 Slain and many more Wounded and having Landed some few Men for fear of a second Ingagement Retreated after which our Squadron returned to Portsmouth whither His Majesty came soon after and declared his Royal Intention of Conferring the Title of Earl upon the Admiral and accordingly he was afterward Created Earl of Torrington Baron of Torbay c. and the Captain Shovell and Ashby were Knighted and Ten Shillings a Man was given to those Seamen that had been ingaged against the French King James found himself at this time greatly mistaken in Scotland which he called his Ancient Kingdom where he thought himself absolute Master by making so many Creatures and Friends whereas that Kingdom in general now owned King William and the Rebels whose number is inconsiderable and Discovered and Secured The Lord Dundee only escaped who roam'd about the North parts with some few followers and General Mackay at his Heels Letters about this time were intercepted from the late King and his Secretary Melfort to the Lord Belcarris and others wherein were some Expressions that highly incensed the Scots against them You will ask me without question says Melfort to Claverhouse How we intend to pay our Army but never fear that so long as there are Rebels Estates we will begin with the Great Ones and end with the Little Ones In another Letter to Belcarris says he The Estates of the Rebels will Recompence us Experience hath taught our Illustrious Master that there are a good Number of People that must be made Gibeonites because they are good for nothing else you know there are several Lords that we markt out when we were both together that deserve no better These will serve for Examples to others after the Reading of these Letters the President of the Convention Addressing himself to the Members of the Assembly You hear Gentlemen said he Our Sentence Pronounced and that it behoves us either to Defend our Selves or Dye Upon which the Lords Belcarris and Lochore and Lieutenant Colonel Balfour were Committed to Prison and being thus forewarned they Resolved to keep the Army afoot which they thought of Disbanding As to the Hopes of the Enemies of that Kingdom that the Abolishing of Episcopacy may occasion another Revolution there is no reason to believe it since the late Carriage of the Scotch Bishops has utterly Alienated the Affections of the greater part of the People from them so that if they were Protestants at the bottom of their Souls yet they appeared to be Men of no Policy nor Conduct For they sent an Address to King James wherein they Highly Congratulated the Birth of the pretended Prince of Wales they read that Kings Declaration for Liberty of Conscience in favour of the Papists and for the Abolition of Penal Laws and how could they imagine that when they knew it was a long timebefore they could gain that single Point of the Superiority of Bishops above private Ministers that the Scots would ever endure Popery and Arbitrary Power to Domineer over them Experience shews us that they only wanted a Leader before this time So that when the Prince of Oranges Design