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
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
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
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