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
giving all his Estate to those that would take it promising upon the word of a King and as the Minister of Almighty God That if any would deliver him alive or dead or else take away his Life he would give to him or his Heirs Five thousand Crowns of Gold and the free pardon of all the Crimes that he had been before guilty of and if they were not Noble to make them so and to reward all that shall assist them therein and likewise that all his Adherents should be banisht and their Lives and Estates given for a prey to any that would take them The Prince of Orange made a very smart Apology in answer hereunto wherein he fully vindicates himself from all the Crimes objected against him proving at large That all the Miseries of the Netherlands ought to be imputed to the Council of Spain who endeavoured to reduce those Countreys to absolute Slavery both as to Religion and Civil Liberties and acting more like Mad-men than Politicians and like that foolish King Rehoboam following the silly Advice of a weak Woman and Cardinal Granval the Pope's Creature telling the King That his Father had chastized the People with Whips but the Son ought to whip them with Scorpions and therefore they endeavoured to bring in the Inquisition and the new Bishops which were the occasion of all these commotions And as to his taking Arms against his Soveraign he sheweth that Henry Bastard of Castile the King 's great Grandfather had with his own hands slain the King Don Pedro the Cruel his lawful Brother and possest his Kingdom whose Successor King Philip was and enjoyed it to this day And that there was a Reciprocal Bond between a Prince and a Subject and if the Prince infringes his Oath the Subject is freed from his Allegiance that the King of Spain was admitted to be Duke of Brabant upon certain conditions which he had sworn to maintain and yet had notoriously violated and if the Nobility did not endeavour by Arms since no other means was to be found to preserve and defend their Liberties they ought to be accounted guilty of Perjury Treachery and Rebellion to the States of the Countrey And whereas the King had offered Money to take away his Life he did not doubt of God's protection yet certainly he could never be accounted a Gentleman by Persons of Honour who would be so wicked and infamous to murder a Man for Money except they were such Spaniards who being descended from the Mores and Jews might retain that quality from their Ancestors who offered Money to Judas to betray our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ into their hands that they might crucifie him The Prince concluded his Apology by telling the States General That since their peace and quiet seemed to depend upon his death he was willing to lay down his life to free them from the Calamities under which they suffered having already for their sakes lost his Estate his Brethren yea and his own Son and that his Head over which no Prince or Potentate on Earth had any power was yet at their command and that he would be a willing Sacrifice to procure their Tranquillity But if they thought fit still to use his Service he would employ his Life Counsel and all he had in the World for the defence and preservation of the Netherlands In answer to this the States declare That they are fully satisfied that the Crimes and Slanders charged upon the Prince are altogether false and malicious and that all the Honours that had been conferred on him were so far from being sought for or desired by him that he only accepted them at their earnest request and intreaty with the full consent and by the free Election of the Countrey and therefore they humbly intreated him still to continue his Administration and likewise to accept of a Guard for his Person against any villanous attempts upon his Life The States General of he United Provinces perceiving that notwithstanding the Intercession both of the Emperor the French King the Queen of England and other Princes and States of Christendom to King Philip on their behalf yet he still continued obstinately resolved to yield to nothing but what might reduce their Countrey absolutely to Popery and Slavery thereupon in 1581. they publisht an Edict of Renunciation against him wherein they declare That it being acknowledged by all Mankind that a Prince is ordained of God to preserve his Subjects from all Injuries and Violence even as a Shepherd defends his Sheep and that the people were never created to be Bond-men and Slaves to his will and pleasure whether his Commands are right or wrong but that he is advanced to that dignity to govern them by equity and reason and to cherish them as a Father doth his Children even with the peril of his life If a King therefore fail herein and instead of protecting his Subjects shall strive to destroy them and deprive them of their Ancient Laws and Priviledges and endeavour to make them Bond-slaves His Subjects are thereupon discharged from all Subjection and Obedience to such a Soveraign and are to reckon and esteem him a Tyrant and that he is absolutely fallen from his former Dignity and Soveraignty and the Estates of the Countrey may lawfully and freely abandon him and Elect another Prince to protect and defend them in his place especially when his Subjects neither by Prayers nor Petitions can mollifie his heart nor divert him from his Tyrannical and Arbitrary courses Since they have then no other way to preserve their Ancient Liberties Lives Wives Children and Estates which according to the Laws of God and Nature they are bound to defend and which hath been practisied in divers Countreys especially in those where the King was obliged by Oath to govern according to Law and was admitted to the Soveraignty upon certain conditions and special contracts Now it being apparent to all the World that Philip King of Spain giving ear to certain wicked Counsellors hath in every particular broken all the Oaths and Obligations which he had entred into for the defence of those Provinces and hath determined to enslave ruine and destroy them and all their Interests therein c. We the States General being prest by extream necessities do by a general resolution and consent declare the King of Spain to be fallen from the Government Dominion and Jurisdiction of these Countreys and we are resolved never hereafter to acknowledge him for our Prince and Soveraign Lord but do hereby declare our selves and all the Inhabitants of these Provinces to be for ever discharged from all manner of Oaths and Allegiance to the said King c. In witness whereof we have caused our our Seals to be hereunto annexed July 26. 1581. The Duke of Anjou having been in England to make a Visit to Q. Elizabeth returned again to Antwerp after three months splendid Entertainment in the English Court the Queen at his departure earnestly recommending to him
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
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