with him But when they came to one of the Gates it was shut against them Upon which the Lord Mordant commanded the Porter on pain of Death to open the Gate Which being open his Lordship commanded him on the same Pain not to shut it again My Lord and the Doctor went to the Mayor to Know if he would meet the Prince at the Gate and govern the City under Him VVhich he excused telling him he was under the Obligation of an Oath to His Majesty and therefore desired the Prince would lay no Commands on him contrary to his Conscience Thus after some Debate of the Matter they parted whilst the Forces kept coming to Town The next Day being Friday Nov. 9th the Prince came into Exeter attended besides his Gards with a brave Train of Nobles Knights and Gentlemen Upon the Road he met with Multitudes of People who welcomed His Highness with their Shouts and Huzza's The same was done at Exeter where the Streets were thronged on each side the Windows beautified and full of joyful Spectators Being come to the Dean's House where He kept his Court He took some Refreshment and then was pleas'd to go and render Thanks to God in the Cathedral Church for his â—â—se Arrival VVhere being sat in the Bishops Seat then Absent the Quire began and Sung Te Deum and after the Collects were ended Dr. Burnet Read the Prince's Declaration Dr. Lamplugh then Bishop of this Diocess was fled to London upon the Prince's Landing at Torbay VVhere having waited upon the King at White-Hall His Majesty was pleased to reward this piece of his Loyalty by Translating him to the Archbishoprick of York which had been a long time Vacant The main Body of the Army marched in the mean time the Horse to the Neighbouring Parishes and the Foot to Clist-Heath where they Incamped Both Horse and Foot look'd very much Disabled and Weather beaten what with the Sea and what with their March hither through bad Ways and in Rainy Weather Their Hâ—râ—â—s were for the most part to Weak that they could scarce stâ—â—d upon their Legs So that if the K ng's Forces had been read at hanâ— it might have gone very hard in case o a Fight with he Prince's Army But it pleased God so to order it that while the King expected the Prince in the North the Prince gave him the Goâ—by and took his Course a grâ—at way to the West that being upon his Landing at a good distance from His Majesties Forces He might have time to Refresh His own before they could come to Action The Prince therefore thought fit to stay a while at Exeter but this was not the only Reason Not a Person of Quality and Interest in those Parts besides Sir William Courtney had joyned Him hitherto which His Highness did much wonder at Only on the Monday Nov. 12 one Captain Burrington came and offered him his Service who was accordingly very kindly received by His Highness But two Days after several noted Gentlemen of Dorset-Shire and Somersetshire came in to Joyn the Prince and waited on His Highness Thursday Nov. 15 To whom He spoke after this manner Gentlemen The Princes Speech to the Gentry that came to Joyn him at Exeter Tho' We know not all your Persons yet We have a Catalogue of your Names and remember the Character of your Worth and Interest in your Country You see We are come according to your Invitation and our Promise Our Duty to God obliges Vs to Protect the Protestant Religion and Our Love to Mankind your Liberties and Properties We expected you that dwell so near the Place of our Landing would have Joyned us sooner Not that it is now too late nor that we want your Military Assistance so much as your Countenance and Presence to justify our declared Pretensions in order to accomplish our good and gracious Design Tho' We have brought both a good Fleet and a good Army to render these Kingdoms happy by Rescuing all Protestants from Popery Slavery and Arbitrary Power by Restoring them to their Rights and Properties established by Law and by Promoting of Peace and Trade which is the Soul of Government and the Life of the Nation yet we rely more on the goodness of God and the Justice of our Cause than on any humane Force and Power whatever But since God is pleased that we should make use of humane Means and not expect Miracles for our Preservation and Happiness let us not neglect making use of this gracious Opportunity but with Prudence and Courage put in execution our so honourable Purposes Therefore Gentlement Friends and Fellow Protestants We bid you and all your Followers most Heartily Welcome to our Court and Camp Let the whole World now Judge if our Pretensions are not Just Generous Sincere and above Price since We might have even a Bridge of Gold to Return back But it is our Principle and Resolution rather to die in a good Cause than live in a bad one Virtue and true Honour being its own Reward and the Happiness of Mankind our great and only Design Both the Clergy and Gentry of this County were uneasy for fear that King James should prevail and therefore backward to declare for the Prince But the People were forward enough For when the Drums beat for Volunteers they came in apace from all Parts of the County insomuch that many Captains pickt and chose their Souldiers Thousands did list themselves to whom Arms were Given and many more would have done the same who were dismissed upon Mareschal Schombergs Advice that there was no need of them Thus the Citizens Fears of King James's Forces lessening every day they began to talk now more freely and to be more and more inclined towards the Prince The Mayor himself and Aldermen much taken up with their Consultations upon the present Juncture came at last to visit his Highness The Lord Lovelace coming through Cirencester in Glocestershire to joyn the Prince at Exeter with near 70 Horse very well appointed had the Misfortune to be stopt at that Town and seized with thirteen of his Party by the Officers of the Militia Who met however with so sharp a Resistance that several of them were killed and others wounded Amongst the first were Lorege Major of the Regiment and his Son Captain Lee a Deputy Lieutenant of the County and Williams a Lieutenant About the same time viz. on Monday Nov. 12 the Lord Cornbury Colonel of the Royal Regiment of Dragoons marched from Salisbury in order to bring over that Regiment and two more of Horse to the Prince of Orange Which two Regiments of Horse were the Royal Regiment and the Duke of S. Alban's then Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Langston They marched together first to Dorcester where they refreshed themselves and then went on to Bridport and Axmister Upon which several Officers mistrusting his Lordship asked him whither they were going Who answered he had the King's Orders to beat up the Enemies Quarters
Succession would not as he thought recoil and leave him now in the lurch who so lately had made unto them new Protestations of his particular Favour and Protection The Dissenters were then under the lash of the Law and not without some apprehension of the French Thus with this prospect of Things the King fell presently to work by feeling first under-hand the Pulse of Men in Credit and Authority amongst his Protestant Subjects But whilst he was taken up with these gentle Motions a Storm was raised all of a sudden in Scotland by the late Earl of Argile and at the same time another in the West of England by the late Duke of Monmouth Who both appeared in Arms with their Parties in their several Stations but so unsuccessfully that after the loss of many Mens Lives in the Field they lost their own upon the Scaffold These two Rebellions which startled so much the Popish Party till they saw the Issue of it gave them a great Advantage and raised their Expectations of Success to an Infallibility The King had now a great Army on foot And tho the VVork was done for which the same was raised yet he would not part with it but kept it still on foot contrary to Law for his further Designs and to keep the Nation in aw For the Preservation of our Laws Religion and Liberties it was provided by the Wisdom of our Parliaments upon the Growth of Popery in the late King's Reign That all Persons appointed to bear any Office in Church or State should declare themselves to be not Papists but Protestants by taking the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and the Test and receive thereupon the Sacrament according to the Church of England But upon the Raising of the foresaid Army the King was pleased to protect against those Laws many Popish Officers that served in the Army without taking the Oaths And in his Speech to both Houses of Parliament on the 9th of Novemb. 1685 he told the Parliament in plain words That though the said Officers were not Qualified according to the late Tests for their Employments yet he would neither expose them to Disgrace nor himself to the Want of them And tho the Parliament did highly except against it as an open Violation of those Laws which were our main Bulwark against Popery yet his Majesty would by no means recede from his Word A Debate was held to dispence those Unqualified Officers then actâ—ally in Service with the Fenalty of the Law provided no more were admitted But this would not serve the King's turn Who to prevent any further Heats about it prorogued the Parliament tâ—ll Feb. 10 following and so put it off by further Prorâ—gations till it was at last Dissolved Mean whiâ—e he made it his business to New-model his dearly beloved Army now consecrated to more pious I ses and kept on foot to accomplish the great Work of resturing Popery Both Officers and Soulâ—iers were Reformed and such of both sorts put in as would incourage and promote the Design â—o lose no Time whole Sholes of Priests and Jesuits with Multitudes of Lay-Papists came over daily from France and other Parts as often as the Wind would permit some to Convert us and others to Cut our Throats The first like the Pharisees came over by Sea and Land to make Proselytes and liked England so well that they stuck to it like Burr Whilst poor Lapland and other wretched Countries are left to their Temporal and Spiritual Darkness seldom visited by those Lights of the Roman Church And first to take off from our Minds the frightful Notions we had of Popery they laid aside the old way of Controversies from Scripture Tradition and Reason and so new-vamped their Roman Tenets after the Bishop of Meaux late invented Dress that it was hard to discern at first view the Popish from the Protestant Religion Such was their Resemblance that it was Alter Ego But the Cheat was quickly found out and hissed at here by all Men of Reason and Understanding Then was held a Disputation at White hall in the King's Presence wherein his Party came off so shamefully that his Majesty was fain to excuse their Weakness by saying That a good Cause might be baffled Yet notwithstanding these Repulses the Popish Emissaries having now contrary to Law the liberty of the Press ply'd it hard to get Proselytes but still with little Success Providence had so ordered it that the Church of England was never stocked with so many Sound Pious and Learned Divines as we had in this Juncture So that this Spiritual War begun by Priests and Jesuits ended to their Confusion The Church of England bore the brunt of it all and the Dissenters would not meddle for fear of giving Offence nor was there any need of it The King found by this time how little was to be expected from Roman Emissaries and that Compulsion at last must do the Work France shewed him the Way where the holy Design was now ripe for Execution without any fear of a Check from England For now King Lewis fairly pulled off the Mask and by his Edicts Anno 1â—85 told the World in plain terms that his Design of Reconciling his Protestant Subjects to the Holy Church was from his Coming to the Crown that all his former Edicts in their behalf his Acknowledging and Registring in Parliament their great Services to the Crown and his Advancement of many of them to the highest Dignities Civil and Military were but so many Blinds to cover his Design for which he calls God to witness to abolish their Religion by degrees And to shew what Opinion he had of Protestants he declared them Incapable to claim the benefit of Treaties Promises or Oaths made to them by the Papists According to these his Vnchristian Principles he broke the sacred Ties of Religious Oaths by Revoking his Protestant Subjects grand Charter of Priviledges the famous Edict of Nantes which from its very Foundation was counted Irrevocable and by forcing his Religion upon them through the miraculous Virtue of his Apostolick Dragoons Who 't is true had no Commission to take away their Lives but all the Comforts thereof by Want and barbarous Usage Spoiling and Plundering dark Prisons and loathsom Dungâ—oâ—s by parting the Husband and Wife and robbing Parents of their dearest Children But lest the VVorld should think that the French King's Zeal was confined within the Bounds of his Dominions he lost no Opportunity to make it known that his Design was against the whole Body of Protestants and first against the English whose Conversion would much facilitate that of other Protestant Nations This appears by that noted Speech made to him at Versailles in the Year 1685. by a French Bishop in the Name of the whole Clergy of France VVherein the Bishop having magnified the King for his Zeal in Suppressing the Protestant Religion in his Kingdom tells him that England offered to his Majesty one of the most glorious Occasions
your Country to your Selves and to your Posterity which You as Men of Honour ought to prefer to all private Considerations and Ingagements whatsoever VVe do therefore expect that you will consider the Honour that is now set before you of being the Instruments of Serving your Country and Securing your Religion And We will ever Remember the Service you shall do Vs upon this Occasion by placing such particular Marks of our Favour on every one of You as your Behaviour at this time shall deserve of Us in which VVe will make a great Distinction of those that shall come seasonably to joyn their Arms with Ours In short you shall find Us to be Your Well-wishing and Assured Friend William Henry Prince of Orange The Prince's Army began now to be in good heart and one Man was as good as two when they came first to Exeter Every day his Highness went out to view the Country with the Mareschal de Schomberg and went once as far as Autry 12 miles from Exeter In the mean time Mr. Seymour was made Governour and one Major Gibson Deputy-Governour For the managing the Revenue here the Lord Wiltshire Mr. Herbord and Mr. Row were appointed Commissioners The Prince's Court began also to swell For besides those great Persons which had attended his Highness from Holland hither viz. Mareschal Schomberg Count Nassaw Count Solms the Lords Zulestein Bentick and Overkirk of the English Nation the Earls or Shrewebury and Macclesfield Viscount Mordant Lord Wiltshire end Colonel Sidney and of the Scotch the Earl of Argile with several other Persons of Quality here came to his Highness the Lord Cornbury the Earl of Abington and the Lord Colchester besides a great Number of Gentry Who all entred together into an Association to Assist the Prince of Orange in the Defence of the Protestant Religion Laws and Liberties of the People of England Scotland and Ireland in these Words An Ingagement of the Nobility at Exeter to stand by the Prince of Orange We do Ingage to Almighty God and to his Highness the Prince of Orange and with one another to stick firm to this Cause and to one another in the Defence of it and never to depart from it until our Religion Laws and Liberties are so far Secured to us in a Free Parliament that We shall be no more in Danger of falling under Popery and Slavery And whereas we are ingaged in the Common Cause under the Protection of the Prince of Orange by which means his Person may be exposed to Danger and to the desperate and cursed Designs of Rapists and other bloody Men We do therefore solemnly Ingage to God and to one another That if any such Attempts be made upon Him We will pursue not only those that made them but all their Adherents and all We find in Arms against Us with the utmost Severity of just Revenge in their Ruin and Destruction and that the Executing any such Attempt which God of his infinite Mercy forbid shall not deprive Us from pursuing the Cause which We do now undertake but that it shall Incourage us to carry it on with all the Vigour that so barbarbous an Approach shall do serve By this strict Association the Prince saw how well these Noble Lords and Gentlemen were disposed towards his Highness and for the promoting the Good of the Common Cause In the mean time he received Intelligence of the first Skirmish that hapned between the two Armies at Wincanton To which Place a small Party of Major General Mackay's Regiment being advanced to provide Carriage Collonel Sarsfield having Notice of it marched thither with a Detachment of 70 Horse and 50 Dragoons and Granadiers in order to cut them off Who hearing of Sarsfield's Approach resolved upon a stout Defence notwithstanding their small Number being but 25. In order to which Cambel their Lieutenant posted them in a small Inclosure at the East end of the Town where there was a good Hedge between them and the Road. Here they made a vigorous Defence and several were killed and wounded on both sides when of a sudden upon a false Alarm of a strong Party of the Prince's Horse coming Sarsfield and his Men retreated with all speed and in some disorder And tho he had little Cause to boast of this Action yet our Gazette did so magnifie it that by it's Account of it 30 of the Prince's Men were killed out of 25 besides 6 taken and 15 that made their escape One would think the King by this time had done with Proclamations His Majesty was two to one at least as to the Number of Forces and yet to Ingross all to himself he put out a Proclamation at Salisbury Nov. 22. to Intice away all the Prince's Army and so leave him by himself By this Proclamation first He Offers and Grants his Pardon to all his Subjects that had taken up Arms with Foreigners and Strangers against Him and their Native Country And next to all such Foreigners as should come over to Him promising either to Entertain them in his Service or Grant them if they should desire it freedom of Passage and liberty to Return to the Respective Countries from whence they came But this Stratagem would not do And his Highness having now received an Account of the Motions and Proceedings in the North for the Support of the Common Cause prepared all Things for his March towards the King's Army The Lords concerned in the North were the Earls of Devonshire Stamford and Damby the Lord Delamere and others who being met at Nottingham with great Numbers of the Gentry and a competent Force of Horsemen well appointed to repel all Opposers unanimously subscribed to this Declaration Nov. 23. the same Day that the King put out his Proclamation The Declaration of the Nobility and Gentry c. at the Rendezvous at Nottingham We the Nobility Gentry and Commonalty of these Northern Counties assembled together at Nottingham for the Defence of our Laws Religion and Liberties according to those Free-born Liberties and Priviledges descended to Vs from our Ancestors as the Vndoubted Birth-right of the Subjects of this Kingdom of England not doubting but the Infringers and Invaders of our Rights will Represent us to the rest of the Nation in the most malicious Dress they can put upon us do here Vnanimously think it our Duty to Declare to the rest of our Protestant Fellow Subjects the Grounds of our present Vndertaking We are by innumerable Grievances made sensible that the very Fundamentals of our Religion Liberties and Properties are about to be Rooted out by our late Jesuitical Privy Council as has been of late too apparent 1. By the King 's Dispensing at his Pleasure with all the Established Laws 2. By Displacing all Officers out of all Offices of Trust and Advantage and Placing others in their Room that are Known Papists deservedly made Incapable by the Estabished Laws of our Land 3. By Destroying the Charters of most Corporations in
all that is in my power to advance the Welfare of the Glory of the Nation Whereupon the Prince and Princess of Orange were that very Day being the 13th of February 1688 9. Proclaimed at White-Hall and in the City King and Queen of England France and Ireland by the Name of WILLIAM and MARY each Proclamation being Ecchoed with Universal Acclamations of Joy by the Multitudes of People which crowded the Streets Windows and Balconies and the Streets lined all the Way from Temple-Bar to the Royal-Exchange with four Regiments of the City Militia The Night was concluded with Bonfires Ringing of Bells and all other Expressions of Duty and Affection to Their Majesties KING WILLIAM and QVEEN MARY with hearty Wishes for Their long and happy Reign April 11th Being appointed for their Coronation Their Majesties were accordingly Crowned that Day at Westminster with great Pomp and Solemnity by the Lord Bishop of London and the Day kept with great Ceremony in most of the chief Towns of England The Coronation Oath was tendred by the Bishop to the King and Queen in these several Articles Their Majesties giving a distinct Answer to each of them Bishop Will you solemnly Premise and Swear to Govern the People of this Kingdom of England and the Dominions thereto belonging according to the Statutes agreed on in Parliament and the Laws and Customs of the same King and Queen I solemnly promise so to do Bishop Will you to your power cause Law and Justice in Mercy to be executed in all Your Judgments King and Queen I will Bishop Will You to the utmost of your power Maintain the Laws of God the true Profession of the Gospel and the Protestant Reformed Religion established by Law And will you Preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of this Realm and to the Churches committed to their Charge all such Rights and Priviledges as by Law do or shall appertain unto them or any of them King and Queen All this I promise to do After this the King and Queen laying his and her Hand upon the Holy Gospels said The Things which I have here before Promised I will Perform and Keep So help me God Then the King and Queen kissed the Book In Scotland the same Course was taken for Settling the Government there by a Convention which met at Edenburg upon the 14th of March according to the Direction of the Prince of Orange now King and the Advice of several Lords and Gentlemen of Stotland then at London Which Convention voted also King James by his Misgovernment to have forfeited the Right to the Crown and the Throne to be Vacant For the filling up whereof they conferred the Crown upon WILLIAM and MARY King and Queen of England c. and fetled the Succession in the same manner as our Convention had done with a new Oath of Allegiance to Their Majesties Accordingly on the 11th of April 1689. being their Coronation-day at Westminster Their Majesties were proclaimed at Edenburg King and Queen of Scotland The 1â—th of May next ensuing being the Day appointed for the publick Reception of the Commissioners sent up by the Estates of Scotland viz. the Earl of Argyle Sir James Montgomery and Sir John Dalrymple to Offer the Crown of that Kingdom to their Majesties and tender unto Them the Scottish Coronation Oath they accordingly met at the Council Chamber at Three a Clock in the Afternoon and were from thence conducted by Sir Charles Cotterel Master of the Ceremonies to the Banqueting-House being attended by most of the Nobility and Gentry of that Kingdom then residing here The King and Queen went thither attended by many Persons of Quality the Sword being carried before them by the Lord Cardrosse And Their Majesties being placed on the Throne under a rich Canopy the Commissioners first presented a Letter from the Estates to the King then the Instrument of Government after that a Paper containing the Grievances to 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 Ingaged in this Vndertaking I had particular Regard and Consideration for Scotland and therefore I did omit 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 has expressed so much Confidence in and Affection to Me. They shall find Me willing to assist Them in every Thing that concerns the Weal and Interest of that Kingdom by making what Laws shall be necessary for the Security of their Religion Property and Liberty and to ease them of what may be justly Grievous to them This done the Coronation Oath was tendered to Their Majesties which the Earl of Argile spoke word by word distinctly and the King and Queen repeated it after him holding their right Hands up after the manner of taking Oaths in Scotland The Oath was thus We William and Mary King and Queen of Scotland faithfully Promise and Swear by this our solemn Oath in presence of the Eternal God That during the whole Course of our Life we will serve the same Eternal God to the uttermost of our Power according as he has requited in his most Holy Word revealed and contained in the New and Old Testament and according to the same Word shall Maintain the true Religion of Christ Jesus the Preaching of his Holy Word and the due and right Ministration of the Sacraments now Received and Preached within the Realm of Scotland and shall Abolish and Gainstand all false Religion contrary to the same and shall Rule the People committed to our Charge according to the Will und Command of God revealed in his aforesaid Word and according to the laudable Laws and Constitutions received in this Realm no ways repâ—gnant to the said Word of the Eternal God and shall procure to the utmost of our Power to the Kirk of God and whole Christian People true and perfect Peace in all time coming That we shall preserve and keep inviolated the Rights and Rents with all â—â—â—st Priviledges of the Crown of Scotland neither shall We Transfer nor Alienate the same That We shall forbid and repress in all Estates and Degrees Reis Oppression and alâ— kind of iâ—â—rong and We shall command and procure that Justice and Equity in all Judgments be keeped to all Persons without exception as the Lord and Father of Mercies shall be merciful to us That We shall be careful to Root out all Hereticks and Enemies to the true Worship of God that shall be Convilled by the true Kirk of God of the aforesaid Crimes out of Our Lands and Empire of Scotland And We saithfully Affirm the Things above-written by Our Solemn Oath But at the Repeating that Clause in thâ— Oath which relates to the Rooting out of Hereticks