all the Sentiments of Respect for his Majesty and of Acknowledgment for the Obligations and considerable Advantages which they have received from his Majesty and the Kings his Predecessors it is at last come to pass that these good Dispositions seconded by the powerful Offices of the most High most Excellent and most mighty Prince the King of Great Britain who during these troublesom Times wherein all Christendom has been in War hath not ceased by his Counsels and good Advertisements to contribute to the Publick Weal and Repose induced as well his most Christian Majesty and the States-General as also all other the Princes and Potentates that are concerned in the Interest of this present War to consent that the Town of Nimeguen should be made Choice of for the Treaty of Peace to which end his most Christian Majesty named for his Embassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiaries the Sieur Comte d'Estrades Mareschal of France and Knight of his Orders the Sieur Colbert Knight Marquess of Croissi Counsellor in ordinary in his Council of State and the Sieur Mesmes Knight Comte d'Avaux Counsellor also in his Councils and the said States-General the Heer Hierosme Van Beverning Baron of Teylingen Curator of the University of Leyden late Counsellor and Treasurer-General of the Vnited-Provinces Heer Van Odyle Cortgene and first Noble and Representative of the Nobility in the States and Council of Zealand and the Heer Willem Van Haren Griedtman Van Bildt Deputies in their Assemblies on the behalf of the States of Holland and Zealand c. Which Embassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiaries duly instructed with the good Intentions of their Masters were to repair to the said Town of Nimeguen where after a mutual Communication of their Plenary Powers the Copies whereof are inserted Word for Word at the end of this Treaty it was agreed upon Conditions of Peace and Friendship according to this ensuing Tenour viz. I. There shall be for the future betwixt his most Christian Majesty and his Successors Kings of France and Navar and his Kingdoms on the one part and the Lords the States-General of the Vnited-Provinces of the Low-Countries on the other part a good firm faithful and inviolable Peace and all Acts of Hostility of what kind soever shall hereafter cease and be forborn betwixt the said King and the said Lords the States-General as well by Sea and other Waters as by Land in all their Kingdoms Countries Lands Provinces and Seigniories and for all their Subjects and Inhabitants of what Quality or Condition soever without exception of Places or Persons II. And if any Prizes are taken on either side in the Baltick-Sea or the North-Sea from Terneuse to the Channel 's Mouth within the space of 4 Weeks or from the said Mouth of the Channel to the Cape of St. Vincent within the space of Six Weeks and further in the Mediterranean-Sea and as far as the Aequinoctial within the space of 10 Weeks and beyond the Line and in all Parts of the World within the space of 8 Months to be computed from the Day on which the Peace shall be published at Paris and at the Hague the said Prizes and the Dammages that shall happen on either side after the Terms prefix'd shall be brought to Account and whatever shall have been taken shall be restor'd with Recompense for the Damages that shall have happened thereby III. There shall be moreover betwixt the said King and the said Lords the States-General and their Subjects and Inhabitants mutually a sincere firm and perpetual Friendship and good Correspondence by Sea and Land in all Things and in all Places within Europe and without and no resenting of the Offences or Damages that have been received either in Time past or by reason of the said Wars IV. And in Virtue of this Friendship and Correspondence as well his Majesty as the said Lords the States-General shall faithfully procure and further the Good and Prosperity of one another by all Support Aid Counsel and real Assistances upon all Occasions and at all Times and shall not consent for the future to any Treaties or Negotiations that may be to one anothers Damage and shall break them off and give notice of them to one another with Care and Sincerity as soon as ever they come to their Knowledge V. They that have had any of their Goods seized and confiscated by reason of the said War their Heirs or Assigns of what Condition or Religion soever shall enjoy such Goods and take them into Possession of their own private Authority and by Virtue of this present Treaty without standing in need to have recourse to Law and that notwithstanding any Appropriations to the Exchequer Engagements Gifts in Writing Sentences Preparatory or Definitive given by Default or Contumacy in the Parties Absence or without their being heard Treaties Accords and Transactions and any Renunciations that may have been made at such Transactions to exclude the right Owners from any part of such Goods and all and every the Goods and Rights which according to this present Treaty shall or ought to be restor'd on either side to the first Proprietors their Heirs and Assigns may be sold by the said Proprietors without obtaining any particular License so to do And likewise the Proprietors of such Rents as shall be settled by the Exchequer in lieu of Goods sold as also of such Rents and Actions as stand on Charge in the Exchequer may respectively dispose of the Propriety thereof by Sale or otherwise as of their other proper Goods VI. And since the Marquisate of Bergenopzome with all the Rights and Revenues thereunto appertaining and generally all the Lands and Goods of Monsieur le Comte d'Avergne Colonel-General of the Light-Horse of France that were under the Power of the said States-General of the Vnited-Provinces have been seized and confiscated by reason of the War to which the present Treaty ought to put an happy End it is agreed That the said Sieur Comte d'Auvergne shall be restored to the Possession of the said Marquisare of Bergenopzome its Appurtenances and Dependances and also to all the Rights Actions Privileges Usages and Prerogatives that he enjoy'd at the time when the War was declar'd VII Each shall continue seized of and shall actually enjoy the Countries Towns Places Lands Islands and Seignories within Europe and without which they now hold and possess without being disturb'd or molested directly or indirectly in any manner whatsoever VIII But his most Christian Majesty willing to give back to the Lords the States-General his Principal Friendship and to give them a singular Proof thereof upon this Occasion will immediately after the Exchange of the Ratifications put them into Possession of the Town of Maestricht with the Comte of Vronof and the Comtez and Countries of â—auquemond Aalhem and Rolleduc beyond the Maes together with the Villages of Redemption Banc d' St. Servais and whatever is belonging to the said Town IX The said Lords the States-General promise That whatever
concerns the Exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion and such as profess it enjoying their Goods shall be re-established and maintained in the said Town of Maestricht and its Dependances in the same State and in such Manner as was regulated by the Capitulation made in the Year 1632 and that such as shall have been endowed with any Ecclesiastical Goods Canons Places Parsonages Provostships and other Benefices shall continue settled in them and enjoy them without any Contradiction X. His Majesty restoring to the said Lords the States-General the Town of Maestricht and Countries thereunto belonging may yet take and carry away all the Artillery Powder Bullets Provisions and other Warlike Ammunition that shall be found there at the time of â—ts Restitution and they that his Majesty shall have appointed for this Purpose may if they please make use of the Boats and Carriages of the Country for 2 Months time and shall have free Passage by Water and Land for the Carrying away the said Ammunition And the Governours Commanders Officers and Magistrates of the said Town shall give them all the Facilities they can for the Carriage and Conduct of the said Artillery and Ammunition Also the Officers Soldiers Men of War and others that shall leave the said Place may take thence and carry away all their movable Goods but it shall not be lawful for them to exact any Thing from the Inhabitants of the Town of Maestricht or its Neighbourhood nor to do any hurt to their Houses or carry away any Thing belonging to the said Inhabitants XI All Prisoners of War on both sides shall be delivered without Distinction or Exception and without paying any Ransom XII The raising of Contributions demanded by the Governour of the Town of Maestricht of the Countries subjected shall continue for all that shall become due till the Ratification of the present Treaty and such Arrears as shall remain shall be paid within 3 Months after that at convenient times for which a valuable Caution shall be given in some Town within his Majesty's Dominion XIII The said Lords the States-General have and do promise not only to maintain a perfect Neutrality without being at Liberty to assist directly or indirectly the Enemies of France or its Allies but also to guarrant all such Engagements as Spain shall enter into by the Treaty that is to be betwixt their most Christian and Catholick Majesties and especially that whereby the Catholick King shall be held to the same Neutrality XIV If through Inadvertence or otherwise there happen any want of due Observance of this present Treaty or other Inconvenience relating thereunto on the Part of his said Majesty or of the Lords the States-General and their Successors this Peace and Alliance shall remain in full Force notwithstanding so as no Breach of Friendship or of good Correspondence shall ensue thereupon but such Contraventions shall be speedily repaired if they shall be occasioned by any particular Subjects Faults those Subjects only shall be punished XV. And for the better securing Commerce and Friendship hereafter between the Subjects of the said King and those of the States-General of the Vnited-Provinces of the Low-Countries it is agreed and accorded that in case there shall be in time to come any Interruption of Friendship or that a Breach shall happen between the Crown of France and the said Lords the States-General of the said Vnited-Provinces which God forbid then 6 Months after such Breach shall always be allowed to the Subjects of both Parties to retire with their Effects and transport them whithersoever they think fit which also they shall be permitted to do as likewise to sell or transport their Goods and Movables with all Freedom so as no Hindrance shall be given to them nor any Proceedings to seize their Effects much less to secure their Persons XVI As for the Pretences and Interests that concern the Prince of Orange upon which there has been a separate Treaty and Agreement by an Act this Day Signed the said Writing and all the Contents of it shall be effectual and shall be confirmed fulfilled and executed according to the Form and Tenour thereof neither more nor less than if all its Points in general and every one in particular were Word for Word inserted into this present Treaty XVII And as his Majesty and the Lords the States-General acknowledge the powerful Offices that the King of Great Britain has incessantly employ'd by his Counsels and good Advertisements for the publick Weal and Repose so it is agreed on both sides that his said Majesty of Great Britain and his Kingdoms be comprehended by Name within this present Treaty according to the best Form that may be XVIII Within this present Treaty of Peace and Alliance shall be comprehended on the part of the said most Christian King the King of Sweden the Duke of Holstein the Bishop of Strasburg and Prince William of Furstemburg as interested in the present War And there shall likewise be comprehended if they will themselves the Prince and Crown of Portugal the Duke and Seigniory of Venice the Duke of Savoy the Thirteen Cantons of the Ligue-Switzers and their Allies the Elector of Bavaria Duke John Frederick of Brunswick Hanover and all Kings Potentates Princes and States Towns and particular Persons to whom his most Christian Majesty shall grant at their Request to be comprehended within this Treaty on his part XIX And on the part of the Lords the States-General the King of Spain and all other their Allies that within 6 Weeks to be computed from the Exchange of the Ratifications shall declare their acceptance of the Peace and also the Thirteen laudable Cantons of the Ligue-Switzers and their Allies and Confederates the Town of Embden and moreover all Kings Princes and States Towns and particular Persons to whom they shall grant at their Request to be comprehended on their part XX. The said King and the said Lords the States-General do consent that the King of Great Britain as Mediator and all other Potentates and Princes that shall be willing to enter into the like Engagement may give his Majesty and the said States-General their Promise and tie themselves to guarrant the Performance of all that is contain'd in this present Treaty XXI This present Treaty shall be Ratified and Approved by the said King and the said Lords the States-General and each Parties Letters of Ratification shall be deliver'd in proper due Form within the Term of 6 Weeks or sooner if it may be reckoning from the Day of Signing In Witness whereof We the aforesaid Ambassadors of his Majesty and of the Lords the States-General by Virtue of their respective Powers have on their behalfs Signed these Presents with our ordinary Seals and have set our Coats of Arms to the same At Nimeguen Aug. 10. in the year of our Lord 1678. Le Ma' D'Estrates Colbert De Mesmes H. Beverning W. van Nassaw W. Haren WE liking well the aforesaid Treaty of Peace in all and every the
that no interruption may be given to an happy and lasting Settlement The dangerous Condition of the Protestants in Ireland requiring a large and speedy succour and the present state of things abroad oblige me to tell you that next to the danger of Vnseasonable Divisions amongst our selves nothing can be so fatal as too great a delay in your Consultations The States by whom I have been enabled to rescue this Nation may suddenly feel the ill Effects of it both by being too long deprived of the Service of their Troops which are now here and of your early Assistance against a powerful Enemy who hath declared a War against them And as England is by Treaty already engaged to help them upon such Exigencies so I am consident that their chearful Concurrence to preserve this Kingdom with so much hazard to themselves will meet with all the Returns of Friendship and Assistance which may be expected from you as Protestants and English Men when ever their Condition shall require it Given at St. James's the 22d Day of January 1688. Will. H. P. d' Orange Their first Act was an Address of Thanks to the Prince of Orange for what he had successfully undertaken for the Nation a desire he should continue the Administration of Publick Affairs and take particular Care of the Affairs of Ireland with a promise on their part to dispatch the Affairs that lay under their Consideration with utmost Application to which having received a very kind Answer on the Prince his part both Houses immediately fell to their Work and after 8 days the Commons past the following Vote Resolv'd That King James II. having endeavour'd 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 that the Throne is thereby vacant The Declaration of the Commons being sent up to the Lords for their Concurrence that House entered into a Debate upon it and so far agreed with it that they had only by way of amendment put in the word Deserted instead of Abdicated and left out and that the Throne is thereby vacant and sent a Message to the Commons to acquaint them therewith But they were so far from approving of what the Lords had done that they proceeded to give their Reasons against the Amendment alledging that they could not allow the word Deserted instead of Abdicated which their House had made choice of because it did not fully express the Conclusion necessarily inferred from the Premises viz. That K. James II. had endeavoured to subvert the Constitutions of the Kingdom as before in the former part of the Declaration to which their Lordships had agreed seeing Deserted only respected withdrawing whereas Abdicated did respect the whole Neither were the Commons better pleased with the Lords for leaving out the last words And that the Throne is thereby vacant and the Commons did so much the more insist upon it because that if they should admit of the Lord's Amedment that the King had only deserted the Government yet even thence it would follow that the Throne was vacant as to King James II. deserting the Government being in true Construction deserting the Throne Besides the Commons did conceive there was no necessity to prove to their Lordships or any other that the Throne was vacant since the Lords themselves both before and after their meeting in the said Convention had addrest the Prince of Orange to take upon him the Administration of Publick Affairs both Civil and Military and had appointed a Day of publick Thanksgiving to be observed throughout the Kingdom by all which the Commons understood it was their Lordships Opinion that the Throne was vacant and that they signified so much thereby to the People of England To which they added that it was from those who were upon the Throne of England where there was any fault that the People of England ought to receive Protection and to whom for that Cause they owed the Allegiance of Subjects but there being none then from whom they expected Regal Protection and to whom for that cause they owed the Allegiance of Subjects the Commons conceived the Throne vacant The Issue of these Reasons was a Conference held on Feb. 5. between the two Houses who appointed Managers accordingly The Lords insisted hard upon their Amendments and some of them run so far upon the Debate that they did in a manner seem to recede from the Premises which their House had allowed of viz. That the King had endeavoured to subvert the Constitutions of the Kingdom as before but the Commons stood stoutly to their Declaration and to the forementioned Reasons added a great many fine things to back the Argument which 't were pity to curtail any way and I have not room to insert the whole but in conclusion the Conference ended in appearance with less likelihood of Agreement than when it first began Yet though there was some further struggle made in the upper House for the Interest of the late King at length it was by Majority of Voices Feb 7th agreed to by the Lords to send a Message to the Commons that they had agreed to the Vote sent them up Jan. 25th touching which they had had a free Conference the Day before without any alteration So that the next thing that came under Consideration was the form of Government to be establish'd I do not remember that a Commonwealth was mentioned to be set up at all in either House though Father Orleans is pleased to say so in his History of the Revolutions of England the two main things then to be considered was whether to set up a Regency or to continue a Regal Dignity in a new Subject But the former of the two being well known to be attended with many publick Evils it was at last concluded for the latter and that in Favour of the Prince of Orange our Deliverer and her Royal Princess who was immediate Heiress In pursuance of this a 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 and asserting the Ancient Rights and Liberties of the People in these Words VVHereas the late King James the Second by the Assistance of divers evil Counsellors Judges and Ministers employ'd by him did endeavour to subject 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 a Parliament By committing and prosecuting divers worthy Prelates for humbly petitioning to be excus'd from concurring to the said assum'd Power By issuing and causing to be executed a Commission under the Great Seal for erecting a Court call'd The Court of Commission for
Ecclesiastical Affairs 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 the 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 arm'd and employ'd contrary to Law By violating the Freedom of Elections of Members to serve in Parliament By Prosecution in the Court of King's-Bench for Matters and Causes cognizable only in Parliament and by divers other Arbitrary and Illegal Courses And whereas of late Years partial corrupt and unqualified Persons have been returned and served on Juries 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 Benefit of the Laws made for the Liberty of the Subject 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 levied All which are utterly and directly contrary to the known Laws and Statutes and Freedom of this Realm And whereas the 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 Vniversities Buâ—â—oughs and Cinque-Ports for the chusing of such Persons to represent them as were of right to be sent to Parliament to meet and sit at Westminster Jan. 22d 1688. 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 have 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 Representation 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 Cases have usually done for the vindicating their Ancient Rights and Liberties declare That the pretended Power of suspending Laws or the execution of Laws by Regal Authority without Consent of Parliament is illegal That the pretended Power of dispensing Laws or the executing 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 the like Nature are illegal and pernitious That levying of Money to or for the use of the Crown by pretence 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 and keeping a standing Army within the Kingdom in time of Peace unless it be by Consent of Parliament is against Law That the Subjects being Protestants may have Arms for their Defence suitable to their Condition and as allowed by Law That the Election of Members of Parliament ought to be free That the Freedom of Speech or Debates and 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 requir'd nor excessive Fines imposed nor cruel and unusual Punishments inflicted That Jurors ought to be duly impannell'd and return'd 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 Premises 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 Premises ought in any wise to be drawn hereafter into Consequence or Example To which demand of their Rights they are particularly encouraged by the Declaration of his Highness the Prince of Orange as being the only means for obtaining a full Redress and Remedy therein Having therefore an intire Confidence that his said Highness the Prince of Orange will perfect the Deliverance so far advanced by him and will still preserve them from the violation of their Rights which they have here asserted and from all other Attempts upon their Religion Rights and Liberties The said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons assembled at Westminster do resolve That WILLIAM and MARY Prince and Princess of Orange be and be declared King and Queen of England France and Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging to hold the Crown and Royal Dignity of the said Kingdoms and Dominions to them the said Prince and Princess during their Lives and the Life of the Surviâ—or of them and that the sole and full Exercise of the Regal Power be only in and executed by the said Prince of Orange in the Names of the said Prince and Princess during their Lives and after their Deceases the said Crown and Royal Dignity of the said Kingdoms and Dominions to be to the Heirs of the Body of the said Princess and for default of such Issue to the Princess Anne of Denmark and the Heirs of her Body and for default of such Issue to the Heirs of the Body of the said Prince of Orange And the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons do pray the said Prince and Princess of Orange to accept the same accordingly And that the Oaths hereafter mentioned be taken by all persons of whom the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy might be required by Law instead of them and that the said Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy be abrogated I A. B. Do sincerely Promise and Swear That I will be Faithful and bear true Allegiance to Their Majesties King WILLIAM and Queen MARY So help me God I A. B. Do Swear That I do from my Heart Abhor Detest and Abjure as Impious and Heretical this damnable Doctrine and Position That Princes Excommunicated or Deprived by the Pope or any Authority of the See of Rome may be deposed or murthered by their Subjects or any other whatsoever And I do declare That no Foreign Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to have any Jurisdiction Power
Superiority Preheminence or Authority Ecclesiastical or Spiritual within the Realm So help me God This Declaration being tendered to the Prince and Princess of Orange and the Conditions being accepted by both they were soon after proclaimed King and Queen of England according to the Tenor of a Proclamation drawn by the Convention for that very purpose and so they took a peaceable Possession of the English Crown the few Soldiers of Dumbarton's Regiment that sometime after revolted being quickly brought to submit and no other Punishment inflicted upon them than to be sent into Holland without any deâ—alcation of their Pay But the King having now done his Work in England 't was his next Thoughts to make sure of Scotland whither he had sent a Body of Men sometime since under the Command of Major General Mâ—ckay and where notwithstanding the Duke of Gourdon still held Edinburgh Castle and that there was a disposition in the Northern Inhabitants of that Kingdom to adhere to the late King a Convention met also and notwithstanding King James writ to them as well as King William yet the formers Letter was so far from having any effect upon them in his Favour that the Throne of Scotland was declared vacant and an Act of Recognition drawn up in the Form following THat whereas James the Seventh being a professed Papist did assume the Regal Power and act as a King without ever taking the Oaths required by Law whereby every King at his Access to the Government was obliged to swear to maintain the Protestant Religion and to Rule the People according to the laudable Laws and by the Advice of wicked Counsellors did invade the Fundamental Constitutions of the Kingdom of Scotland and alter'd it from a Legal limited Monarchy to an Arbitrary and Despotick Power and in a publick Proclamation asserted an Absolute Power to annul and disable all Laws particularly by arraigning the Laws establishing the Protestant Religion and to the Violation of the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom By erecting publick Schools and Societies of the Jesuits and not only allowing Mass to be publickly said but also converting Protestant Chapels and Churches to publick Mass-Houses contrary to the express Laws against saying and hearing of Mass By allowing Popish Books to be printed and disposed by a Patent to a Popish Printer designing him Printer to his Majesty's Houshold Colledge and Chappel contrary to Law By taking the Children of Protestant Noblemen and Gentlemen and sending them abroad to be bred Papists and bestowing Pensions on Priests to pervert Protestants from their Religion by Offers of Places of Preferments By disarming Protestants while at the same time he employ'd Papists in Places of the greatest Trust both Civil and Military c. and entrusting the Forces and Magazines in their hands By imposing Oaths contrary to Law By exacting Money without Consent of Parliament or Convention of Estates By levying and keeping up a Standing Army in time of Peace without Consent of Parliament and maintaining them upon free Quarter By employing the Officers of the Army as Judges throughout the Kingdom by whom the Subjects were put to death without legal Trial Jury or Record Bp imposing exorbitant Fines to the value of the Parties Estates exacting extravagant Bail and disposing Fines and Forfeitures before any Process or Conviction By imprisoning Persons without expressing the Reason and delaying to bring them to Trial. By causing several Persons to be prosecuted and their Estates to be forfeited upon Stretches of old and forfeited Laws upon weak and frivolous Pretences and upon lame and defective Proofs as particularly the late Earl of Argyle to the Scandal of the Justice of the Nation By subverting the Rights of the Royal Boroughs the Third Estate of Parliament imposing upon them not only Magistrates but also the whole Town Council and Clerks contrary to their Liberties and express Charters without any pretence of Sentence Surrender or Consent So that the Commissioners to Parliaments being chosen by the Magistrates and Councils the King might in effect as well nominate that entire Estate of Parliament Besides that many of the Magistrates by him put in were Papists and the Boroughs were forced to pay Money for the Letters imposing those illegal Magistrates upon them By sending Letters to the Chief Courts of Justice not only ordering the Judges to stop sine die but also commanding them how to proceed in Cases depending before them contrary to the express Laws and by changing the Nature of the Judges Patents ad vitam or culpam into a Commission de bene placito to dispose them to a Compliance of Arbitrary Courses and turning them out of their Offices if they refus'd to comply By granting personal Protections for Civil Debts contrary to Law All which were Miscarriages of King James utterly and directly contrary to the known Laws Freedoms and Statutes of the Realm of Scotland Upon which Grounds and Reasons the Estates of the Kingdom of Scotland did find and declare That K. James the 7th being a profess'd Papist did assume the Regal Power c. as at the beginning whereby he had forfeited the Right of the Crown and the Throne was become vacant Therefore in regard his Royal Highness then Prince of Orange since King of England whom it pleas'd God to make the glorious Instrument of delivering these Kingdoms from Popery and Arbitrary Power by Advice of several Lords and Gentlemen of the Scots Nation then at London did call the Estates of this Kingdom to meet upon the Fourteenth of March last in order to such an Establishment as their Religion Laws and Liberties might not again be in danger of being subverted The said Estates being at that time assembled accordingly in a full and free Representative of the Nation taking into their most serious Consideration the best Means for attainâ—ng the Ends aforesaid did in the first place as their Ancestors in the like Cases had usually done for the Vindicating and Asserting their Ancient Rights and Liberties declare That by the Law of Scotland no Papist could be King or Queen of the Realm nor bear any Office whatever therein nor that any Protestant Successor could exercise the Regal Power till he or they had sworn the Coronation-Oath That all Proclamations asserting an Absolute Power to null and disable Laws in order to erecting Schools and Colledges for Jesuits converting Protestant Churches and Chappels into Mass-Houses and the allowing Mass to be said That the allowing Popish Books to be printed and dispersed was contrary to Law That the taking the Children of Noblemen Gentlemen and others and keeping them abroad to be bred Papists the making Funds and Donations to Popish Schools and Colledges the bestowing Pensions on Priests and the seducing Protestants from their Religion by offers of Places and Preferment was contrary to Law That the disarming of Protestants and the employing Papists in the greatest Places of Trust both Civil and Military c. was contrary to Law That the imposing
the Irish and their Army For freeing the said Lord Lucan of the said Engagement past on the publick Account for Payment of the said Protestants for preventing the Ruin of the said John Brown and for Satisfaction of his Creditors at the instance of the said Lord Lucan and the rest of the Persons aforesaid it is agreed That the said Lords Justices and Lieutenant General Ginckle shall interpose with the King and Parliament to have the Estates secured to Roman-Catholicks by Articles and Capitulations in this Kingdom charged with and equally liable to the Payment of so much of the said Debts as the said Lord Lucan upon stating Accompts with the said John Brown shall certifie under his Hand that the Effects taken from the said John Brown amount unto which Accompts are to be Stated and the Ballance certified by the said L. Lucan in 21 Days after the Date hereof For the true Performance hereof We have hereunto set our Hands Charles Porter Tho. Coningsby Present Bar. De Ginckle Scravenmoae H. Maccay F. Talmash Lucan Gallmoy N. Pursel N. Cusack Theob Butler John Brown Ger. Dillon The other Articles I. THAT all Persons without any Exceptions of what Quality or Condition soever that are willing to leave the Kingdom of Ireland shall have free leave to go beyond the Seas to any Country England and Scotland excepted where they think fit with their Families Household-Stuff Plate and Jewels II. THAT all the General Officers Colonels and generally all other Officers of Horse Dragoons and Foot-Guards Troops Dragoons Souldiers of all kind that are in any Garrison Place or Post now in the Hands of the Irish or encamped in the Counties of Cork Clare or Kerry as also those called Rapparees or Voluntiers that are willing to go beyond Seas as aforesaid shall have free Liberty to imbark themselves wheresoever the Ships are that are appointed to Transport them and to come in whole Bodies as they are now compos'd or in Parties Companies or otherwise without having any Impediment directly or indirectly III. THAT all Persons above-mentioned that are willing to leave Ireland and go into France have leave to declare it at the Places and Times hereafter mentioned viz. The Troops in Limerick on Tuesday next at Limerick the Horse at their Camp on Wednesday and the other Forces that are dispersed in the Counties of Clare Kerry and Cork the 18th day of this Instant and on none other before Monsieur Tumeron the French Intendant and Colonel Withers and after such Declaration so made the Troops that will go into France must remain under the Command and Discipline of their Officers that are to Conduct them thither And Deserters of each side shall be given up and punish'd accordingly IV. THAT all English and Scotch Officers that serve now in Ireland shall be included in this Capitulation as well for the Security of their Estates and Goods in England Scotland and Ireland if they are willing to remain here as for passing freely into France or any other Country to serve V. THAT all the General French Officers the Intendant the Ingeniers the Commissaries at War and other Artillery the Treasurer and other French Officers Strangers and others whatsoever that are in Sligo Ross Clare or in the Army or that do Trade or Commerce or are otherways employed in any kind of Station or Condition shall have leave to pass into France or any other Country and shall have leave to Ship themselves with all their Horses Equipage Plate Papers and all other Effects whatsoever and that General Ginkle will order Pass-ports for them Convoys and Carriages by Land and Water to carry them safe from Lymerick to the Ships where they shall be imbarked without paying any thing for the said Carriages or those that are employed therein with their Horses Carts Boats and Shallops VI. THAT if any of the aforesaid Equipages Merchandize Horses Money Plate or other Moveables or Houshold-Stuff belonging to the said Irish Troops or to the French Officers or other particular Persons whatsoever be robb'd destroy'd or taken away by the Troops of the said General the said General will order it to be restor'd or Payment to be made according to the Value that is given in upon Oath by the Person so Robbed or Plundered And the said Irish Troops to be Transported as aforesaid And all Persons belonging to them are to observe good Orders in their March and Quarters and shall restore whatever they shall take from the Country or make Satisfaction for the same VII THAT to facilitate the Transporting of the Troops the General will furnish 50 Ships and each Ship Burthen 200 Tuns for which the Persons to be Transported shall not be obliged to pay and 20 more if there shall be Occasion without their paying for them and if any of the said Ships shall be lesser Burthen he will furnish more in number to countervail and also give two Men of War to imbark the Principal Officers and serve for a Convoy to the Vessels of Burthen VIII THAT a Commissary shall be immediately sent to Cork to visit the Transport-Ships and what Condition they are in for Sailing and that as soon as they are ready the Troops to be Transported shall March with all convenient Speed the nearest way in order to be imbarked there And if there shall be any more Men to be Transported than can be carried off in the said 50 Ships the rest shall quit the English Town of Lymerick and march to such Quarters as shall be appointed for them convenient for their Transportation where they shall remain till the other 20 Ships are ready which are to be in a Months time and may imbark in any French Ship that may come in the mean time IX THAT the said Ships shall be furnished with Forrage for Horses and all necessary Provisions to subsist the Officers Troops Dragoons and Soldiers and all other Persons that are shipped to be Transported into France which Provisions shall be paid for as soon as all is disimbarked at Brest or Nants on the Coast of Brittany or any other Port in France they can make X. AND to secure the Return of the said Ships the Danger of the Seas excepted and the Payment for the said Provisions sufficient Hostages shall be given XI THAT the Garrisons of Clare-Castle Ross and all other Foot that are in Garrisons in the Counties of Clare Cork and Kerry shall have the Advantage of this Capitulation and such part of the Garrisons that design to go beyond Seas shall march out with their Arms Baggage Drums beating Ball in Mouth Match lighted at both ends Colours flying with all their Provisions and half the Ammunition that is in the said Garrison Towns with the Horse that march to be Transported or if then there 's not Shipping enough the Body of Foot that is to be Transported ne◠after the Horse General Ginckle will order that they 〈◊〉 furnished with Carriages for that purpose and what Provision they shall want
both sides and mutually and duly exchanged at the Royal Palace of Ryswick in the Province of Holland within the space of three Weeks to be reckoned from the Day of the Subscription or sooner if it may be In Testimony of all and every the things before mentioned and for their greater Force and to give them all the Vigour and full Authority they ought to have the Underwritten Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiaries together with the Illustirous and most Excellent the Extraordinary Ambassador Mediator have Signed and Sealed the present Instrument of Peace Done c. Signed by the English and French Ambassadors and by the Metâ—iator Separate Article Besides all that is Concluded and Stipulated by the Treaty of Peace Signed this present Day the 20th of Sptember it is moreover agreed by the present separate Article which shall have the same Force and Effect as if it was inserted word for word in the said Treaty That the most Christian King shall convenant and agree that it shall be free for the Emperor and Empire until the first Day of Novemher next to accept the Conditions of Peace lately proposed by the most Christian King according to the Declaration made on the first Day of this present Month unless in the mean time it shall be otherwise agreed between his Imperial Majesty and the Empire and his most Christian Majesty And in Case his Imperial Majesty does not within the time prefixed accept those Conditions or that it be not otherwise agreed between his Imperial Majesty and the Empire and his most Christian Majesty the said Treaty shall have its full Effect and be duly put in Execution according to its Form and Tenor And it shall not be lawful for the King of Great Britain directly or indirectly on any account or cause whatsoever to act contrary to the said Treaty Having thus premised the English Articles we shall next add those of the Dutch IN the Name of God and of the Holy Trinity Be it known to all present and to come That whereas after a long continuance of the most Bloody War that Europe time out of mind has been afflicted with it hath pleas'd Divine Providence to prepare for Christendom the end of her Miseries by cherishing a fervent Desire of Peace in the Heart of the Most High Most Excellent and Most Potent Prince Lewis XIV by the Grace of God Most Christian King of France and Navarr his Most Christian Majesty moreover not having any other Intention then to render it solid and perpetual by the Equity of the Conditions and the Lords the States General of the United Provinces of the Low-Countries being no less desirous sincerely and as much as in them lies to concur toward the Establishment of the publick Tranquility and return to the ancient Amity and Affection of his Most Christian Majesty have consented in the first place in order to it to acknowledge the Mediation of the Most High Most Excellent and Most Potent Prince Chares XI of Glorious Memory by the Grace of God King of Sweden the Goths and Vandals but a hasty Death having cross'd the Hopes that all Europe had justly conceiv'd of his Counsels and good Offices His Most Christian Majesty and the said Lords the States General persisting in their Resolution to stop as soon as may be the Effusion of so much Christian Blood thought they could not take a better Course than still to acknowledge under the same Character the Most High Most Excellent and Thrice Potent Prince Charles XII King of Sweden his Son and Successor who on his side has also continu'd the same Cares for the Advancement of the Peace between his Most Christian Majesty and the said Lords the States General in the Conferences held for this purpose in the Castle of Ryswick in the Province of Holland between the Extraordinary Embassadors and Plenipotentiaries appointed on both sides that is to say On the behalf of his Most Christian Majesty the Sieur Nicholas Augustus de Harlay Knight Lord of Bonnueil c. the Sieur Lewis de Verjus Knight Count of Crecy c. and the Sieur Francis de Callieres Knight Lord of Callieres c. And on the behalf of the Lords the States General the Sieurs Antony Heinsius Counsellor Pensionary of the States of Holland and West-Friese c. Everard de Weed Lord of Weede Dickvelt Rateles c. and William de Haren Grietman of Bilt c. who having implor'd the Assistance of Heaven and respectively imparted to each other their full Powers Copies of which shall be inserted at the end of this present Treaty and made Exchanges thereof in due form by the Interposition and Mediation of the Sieur Baron de Lillierooâ— Extraordinary Embassador and Plenipotentiary of the King of Sweden who acquitted himself of the Function of Mediator with all requisite Prudence Capacity and Equity agreed to the Glory of God and for the Welfare of Christendom upon the following Conditions I. There shall be for the future between his Most Christian Majesty and his Successors Kings of France and Nâ—varr and his Kingdoms of the one part and the Lords the States General of the United Provinces of the Low-Countriâ—â— on the other a good firm faithful and inviolable Peace in pursuance of which all Acts of Hostility shall cease 〈◊〉 be forborn of what Nature soever they may be betweeâ— the said Lord the King and the said States General as 〈◊〉 by Sea and other Waters as by Land in all their Kingdoms Countries Territories Provinces and Signories and between all their Subjects and Inhabitants of 〈◊〉 Quality or Condition soever they be without any Exception of Places or Persons II. There shall be a general Oblivion and Amnesty of 〈◊〉 that has been done on either side upon occasion of this 〈◊〉 War whether by those who being born Subjects of Fraâ—â—â— and engag'd in the Service of the Most Christian King 〈◊〉 their Employments and Estates which they possess'd 〈◊〉 in the Extent of France enter'd into and remain'd in 〈◊〉 Services of the Lords the States General of the United Provinces or by those who being born Subjects of the 〈◊〉 Lords the States General or engag'd in their Service by the Employments and Estates which they possess'd within the Extent of the United Provinces enter'd into and remain'd in the Service of his Most Christian Majesty and the said Persons of what Quality and Condition soever they may be without any Exception may re-enter and shall re-enter and shall be effectually re-admitted and re-establish'd in the peaceable Possession and Enjoyment of their Estates Honours Dignities Privileges Franchises Rights Exemptions Constitutions and Liberties without ever being prosecuted troubl'd or molested either in general or particular for any Cause or under any Pretence whatever by reason of whatever pass'd since the beginning of the said War and in consequence of the preseâ—â— Treaty and after it shall be ratify'd as well by his Most Christian Majesty as by the said Lords the States General it
present Treaty by his Majesty or the said Lords the States General and their Successors nevertheless this Peace and Alliance shall remain in its full Force without coming to a Rupture of the Amity and good Correspondence But the said Breaches shall be dresently repair'd and if they proceed from the Misdemeanor of any private Subjects they only shall suffer Punishment XIV And for the better Assurance for the future of the Trade and Amity between the Subjects of the said Lord the King and those of the said Lords the States General of the United Provinces of the Low Countries it is accorded and agreed That if hereafter any Interruption of Friendship or Rupture shall happen between the Crown of France and the said Lords the States General of the United Provinces which God forbid there shall be always nine Months time allowed after the said Rupture for the Subjects of each Party to retire with their Effects and to transport 'em whether they shall think fit Which it shall be lawful for 'em to do as also to sell and transport their Gods and Moveables with all Freedom without any Hindrance or Molestation or Proceeding during the said space of nine Months to any Seizure of their Goods much less to any Arrests of their Persons XV. The Treaty of â—eace between the deceas'd King and the Elector of Brandenburg concluded at St. German enlay the 29th of June 1697. shall be re-establish'd between his Most Christian Majesty and his present Electoral Highness of Brandenburg in all the Points and Articles of it XVI In regard it is of high Concernment to the publick Tranquility that the Peace concluded between his Most Christian Majesty and his Royal Highness the Duke of Savoy August the 9th 1696. should be exactly observ'd it is agreed That the same be confirm'd by this present Treaty XVII And in regard his Majesty and the Lords the States General acknowledge themselves beholding for the effectual good Offices which the King of Sweden has continually contributed by his good Counsels and Admonitions toward the publick Safety and Repose it is agreed on both sides That his said Swedish Majesty with his Kingdoms shall be expresly comprehended in the present Treaty in the most ample Form that may be done XVIII In this present Treaty of Peace and Alliance shall be comprehended on the part of the said Lord the Most Christian King all those that shall be nominated before the Exchange of the Ratifications and within the space of six Months after they shall have been Exchanged XIX And on the part of the Lords the States General the King of Great Britain and the King of Spain and all the rest of the Allies who in the space of six Weeks to reckon from the Exchange of the Ratifications shall declare themselves willing to accept of the Peace as also the Thirteen Laudable Cantons of the Confederate Switzers and their Allies and Confederates and particularly in the best Form and Manner that may be the Evangelick Republicks and Cantons of Zurig Berne Glaris Basle Schasthause and Appenzel with all their Allies and Confederates as also the Republick of Geneva and its Dependencies the City and County of Neufchastelle the Cities of St. Galles Milhause and Bienne also the Confederate Grizons and their Dependancies the Cities of Bremen and Embden and more-over all Kings Princes and States Cities and private Persons to whom the Lords the States General upon request to them made shall grant Liberty to be comprehended therein XX. The said Lord the King and the said Lords the States General consent That the King of Sweden as Mediator and all the rest of the Potentates and Princes who are desirous to enter into the same Engagement may give to his said Majesty and the said Lords the States General their Promises and Obligations of Guarranty for the performance of all that is contain'd in this present Treaty XXI The present Treaty shall be ratify'd and confirm'd by the Lord the King and the Lords the States General and the Letters of Ratification shall be deliver'd within the Term of Three Weeks or sooner if it may be to count from the Day of the Signing XXII And for the greater Security of Peace and of all Clauses and Articles therein contain'd the present Treaty shall be publish'd verify'd and register'd in the Court of Parliament in Paris and in all the other Parliaments of the Kingdom of France and Chamber of Accounts in Paris aforesaid as also in like manner the said Treaty shall be publish'd verify'd and register'd by the Lords the States General in the Courts and other Places where such Publications Verifications and Registers are accustom'd to be made In Faith of which We the Embassadors of his said Majesty and the Lords the States General by virtue of Our respective Powers have in the said Names sign'd these sents with Our usual Subscriptions and put thereto Our several Seals of our Coats of Arms. At Ryswick in Holland September the 20th 1697. The Separate ARTICLE BEsides what has been concluded and determin'd by the Treaty of Peace between the Embassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiaries of the Most Christian King and those of the Lords the States General of the United Provinces this 20th of September 1697. It is yet farther agreed by this Separate Article which shall have the same Force and Virtue as if it were Word for Word in the above-mention'd Treaty That his Most Christian Majesty shall consent as he does hereby consent by this present Article That the Emperor and Empire shall be allow'd till the 1st of November next to accept the Conditions of Peace propos'd as the last that are to be made by his said Most Christian Majesty according to his Declaration of the 1st of this present Month of September if his Imperial Majesty and the Empire cannot otherwise agree with his said Most Christian Majesty and in case that within the said time the Emperor and the Empire do not accept the said Conditions or do not otherwise agree with his said Most Christian Majesty the said Treaty of Peace shall have its full and entire Effect and shall be fulfill'd according to its Form and Tenor so that the said Lords the States General shall in no manner oppose it either directly or indirectly under any Pretence whatsoever In Faith of which We the Embassadors of his said Majesty and the States General by vertue of Our respective Powers have in the said Names sign'd this Separate Article with Our usual Subscriptions and seal'd it with Our Coats of Arms at Ryswick in Holland this 20th Day of September 1697. Sign'd L. S. N. A de Harlay Bonueil L. S. Verjus de Crecy L. S. De Callieres L. S. A. Hensius L. S. E. de Weede L. S. W. V. Haren Thus having inserted the English and Dutch Articles at full length nothing less can be expected than that I should do the like by the Spaniards who will be thought not to have fared the worse for the Peace
to stay Tho' the Emperor as believing himself much stronger thought to delude Henry of his projected Proportion the other grew too cunning for him for being in expectation that Henry would have advanced and so both of them hem in the French Army on each side he sent him Word He would not stir from Bologn and Monstreville till he had made himself Master of them which made Charles recoyl and clap up a Peace then he turned all his Thoughts upon the Reduction of the Protestants and with them the Liberty of Germany wherein tho' he went a great length yet he was at last so baffled by Maurice Elector of Saxony at Inspruck that he was glad to make a Peace with them also So that now being diffident of ever attaining his Ends and wearied with the Toils of Empire and the Infirmity of his Body he resigned up the Empire to his Brother Ferdinando who having been before chosen King of the Romans would not consent it should come to his Son Philip This Philip had at the same time all his Father 's Hereditary Dominions put into his Hands and being a Prince as Politick as Powerful and withal Married to Mary Queen of England had it not been for his Father's Error in dividing the Power of the Austrian Family by separating the Imperial Crown from the Spanish Monarchy I cannot see if we speak after the Manner of Men what could have hindred this Philip II. from attaining to the Dominion of Europe in a short time But besides this other Accidents quickly intervened and as Politick as this Prince seemed to be those very Methods he took to attain still to his desired Ends of Supream Sovereignty by introducing the Inquisition and an Arbitrary Power into the Netherlands and his Attempts to reduce the Kingdom of England under his Power proved to be the very Things that ruined his Empire and gave Rise to that State that for a long time gave an helping hand to bring Spain low but since the Peace of Munster in 1648. has proved the greatest Support of that Remainder of the Monarchy still continuing in the Netherlands against her growing Neighbours of any in the World We might here assign other Reasons for the Cadency of Spain as the bloody Inquisition the Depopulating of the Country by the Discovery of the West-Indies c. But waving this at present we shall enquire a little distinctly into the French Proceedings upon the said Account and take in somewhat of other Nations as they occur to our Purpose before we come to draw the whole into a Conclusion The Ancient Gallia which was of every extensive Bounds but subdivided into divers petty Kingdoms or Dynasties as indeed the State of the Infant World seemed every-where to be so fell under the Yoak of the Roman Empire under the Conduct of Julius Caesar and continued under the said Dominion till that vast Monarchy began to totter and then was one of first of those Countries that felt the Rage of those barbarous Nations the Goths and Huns but most of all the Franks out of Germany who about the Year 424 beginning to break in upon it did by degrees make themselves Masters of the greatest part of it and withal changed the old Name of Gaul into that of France The first Race of their Kings were valiant and brave Princes but some of them being too much taken up with the prevalent Humour of those Times made such a Division of the Kingdom as they had Number of Sons to govern them But being united again this Merovingian Family now at length strangely degenerating from their ancient Valour gave way to the Rise of the Carolovinian Race in the Person of Pepin and was so called from the Famous Charles Martel Mayor of the Palace in the last King's Reign and Father to this Pepin who proved a Warlike Prince and did great Feats in Italy against the Lombards He was succeeded by his Son Charles surnamed the Great who extended the French Monarchy beyond the Bounds even of the ancient Gallia For he made himself in a Manner Lord of all Italy by the entire Conquest he made of the Kingdom of the Lombards and overcame the Saxons and subdued Germany beat the Sclavonians Danes and Huns routed the Saracens and reduced Spain as far as the River Iberus under his Obedience and at Rome was proclaimed Emperor of the West And in Truth he was the greatest Prince that ever was in this Part of the World since the Dissolution of the Roman Empire and had his Successors been as Wise and Valiant as he and pursued the Steps he took I cannot see any Thing that could have hindred them in the Revolution of a few Years from erecting an Empire as extensive and formidable as that of old Rome it self But Charles his Successors falling into the Error of their Predecessors disjoined the Empire of Germany from the Kingdom of France and part of their Dominions being invaded and possest by the Normans and the Royal Authority decaying by degrees this Race also being enfeebled with Age tho' they were not yet 240 Years old made way for Hugh Capet to ascend the Throne This Man thinking to make amends for the Badness of his Title by the Goodness of his Concessions to the Nobles of his Kingdom that had been very Instrumental in his Advancement remitted a great many of the Ancient Royal Prerogatives and gave them the Titles of Dukes and Earls of the Provinces they govern'd upon Condition they should acknowledge themselves his Vassals but yet not to be obliged to depend absolutely upon his Commands Hence arose besides the Dutchy of Normandy on which also depended that of Britany the Dutchies of Burgundy Aquitain and Gascoigny the Earldoms of Flanders Champaign and Thoulouse to which if we add that the Counties of Vienna Provence Savoy and Dauphine belonged to the Kingdom of Arelate which was part of the German Empire we shall find the French Monarchy reduced from those most extensive Bounds it had in the Days of Charlemaign to a very narrow Compass and to reunite those again has been mainly the Struggle and Endeavour of the succeeding Kings of France About some of which they had a long and terrible Contest with the English which yet the French effected in a great measure by the Time of the Reign of our K. Henry VII when Charles VIII married Anne Inheritrix of the Dutchy of Britany tho' she had been solemnly married before to Maximilian K. of the Romans and afterwards Emperor And the Suffering of this to be accomplish'd was a foul Blot in K. H's Politicks and lesned very much the Reputation he had gained of being a Prince of great Wisdom and Foresight But though France thus strengthned her Vital Parts by the Acquisition of Britany which she took Care to retain even by the Marriage of Charles's Successor Lewis XII to this Ann of Bretaigne his Relict in Expectation of Issue though without Success and that notwithstanding this Francis I. Lewis's
be adjudged to hinder the Sittings of Parliaments and be responsible therefore in Parliament Things being brought to this desperate pass between them without any visible Hopes of a better Understanding the Thoughts of the Court now began to think of a Prorogation or Dissolution and the Commons were it seems aware of it For on Monday Jan. the 10th before the Usher of the Black-Rod came into the House to command their Attendance on the King in the House of Lords they had resolved That whosoever advised the King to prorogue this Parliament to any Purpose than in order to the Passing of a Bill for the Exclusion of James Duke of York was a Betrayer of the King the Protestant Religion and of the Kingdom of England a Promoter of the French Interest and a Pensioner to France Which was no sooner done but they were Prorogued to the 20th of Jan. and upon the 18th he Dissolved them And so ended this Sessions of Parliament with which having run out a few Days into the new Year we conclude the Year 1680 only we shall note first two or three Particulars On the 30th of July this Year died at Whitehall the Right and truly Honourable Thomas Earl of Ossory Son and Heir apparent to his Grace the Duke of Ormond after some few Days sickness of a violent Feaver whose Heroick Bravery and forward Zeal to serve his King and Country on all commendable Occasions was manifested by many brave and generous Actions Which as they made him be honoured and esteemed by all while living made him dying to be as generally lamented He was the Father of his Grace the present Duke of Ormond who to his great Glory has been so far from degenerating from him that he hath to the Height express'd his Vertues and Excellencies both in Peace and Way and is a Person that deserves as much and if all Circumstances be considered a great deal more of his Country than any other Nobleman whatsoever Sept. following was remarkable for the Death of Two Electors of the Empire viz. on the 2d John George Duke of Saxony dying at Friburg after a long Indisposition in the 68th Year of his Age leaving only one Son by his Wife Magdaline Sibille of Brandenburg Ansbach John George the Third of that Name who succeeded him in his Dominions and Dignities And but 5 Days after departed also this Life Charles Lovis Count Palatine of the Rhine suddenly in the Way between Manheim and Frankendal after a light Indisposition of 2 or 3 Days he was 63 Years old and left by his Wife Charlotte Daughter of William Landgrave of Hesse one Son Charles then in England and to whom an Express was immediately dispatch'd to give him advice of his Father's Death and a Daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Wife to the now Duke of Orleans And towards the middle of Nov. appeared a Comet with a prodigious Stream of Light in the West The Star from which the Blaze proceeded was but small and when first discovered seemed to be not much above the Horizon but every Night afterward it appeared higher and higher in the Beginning of the Night and consequently setting latter and latter its Magnitude and Lustre also proportionably decaying year 1681 The Nation at the Dissolution of the last Parliament upon the 18th of Jan. as already mentioned were strangely amazed and began now in general to be very doubtful of any good Issue in their common Concerns which the Court was not unaware of and therefore in some measure to allay Things the King summoned another to meet on the 21st of March following at Oxford which was no sooner publickly known but it rather heightned than alleviated the Jealousies of the more intelligent Persons that there might be some hidden Design nourished in the Court that might have dangerous Influences both upon the Nation and Parliament Whereupon several of the Nobility after mature Consideration of the Matter resolved to petition the King against the Meeting of the Parliament at the forementioned Place which Petition was delivered by the Earl of Essex with which he made a short pithy Speech and both which we have hereunto subjoined May it please your Majesty THE Lords here present together with divers others of the Peers of the Realm taking notice that by the late Proclamation Your Majesty has declared an Intention of calling a Parliament at Oxford and observing from History and Records how unfortunate many Assemblies have been when called at a Place remote from the Capital City as particularly the Congress in King Henry the II's Time at Clarendon 3 several Parliaments at Oxford in Henry the III's Time and at Coventry in Henry the VI's Time with divers others which have proved fatal to those Kings and have been followed with great Mischief on the whole Kingdom And considering the present Posture of Affairs the many Jealousies and Discontents that are among the People they have great Cause to apprehend that the Consequences of a Parliament now at Oxford may be as fatal to Your Majesty and the Nation as those others mentioned have been to them Reigning Kings And therefore we do conceive that we cannot answer it to God to Your Majesty or to the People if we being Peers of the Realm should not on so important an Occasion humbly offer our Advice to Your Majesty that if possible Your Majesty may be prevailed with to alter this as we apprehend reasonable Resolution the Grounds and Reasons of our Opinions are contained in this our Petition which we humbly present to Your Majesty TO THE KING'S most Excellent MAJESTY The Humble PETITION and ADVICE of the Lords undernamed Peers of the Realm Humbly Sheweth THAT whereas Your Majesty hath been pleased by divers Speeches and Passages to Your Houses of Parliament rightly to represent to them the Dangers that threatned Your Majesty's Person and the whole Kingdom from the mischievous and wicked Plots of the Papists and the suddain Growth of a Power unto which no Stop or Remedy could be provided unless it were by Parliament and an Union of Your Majesty's Protestant Subjects in one Mind and one Interest And the Lord-Chancellor in pursuance of your Majesty's Commands having more at large demonstrated the said Dangers to be as great as we in the midst of our Fears could imagine them and so pressing that our Liberties Religion Lives and the whole Kingdom would be certainly lost if a speedy Provision were not made against them And Your Majesty on the 21st of Apr. 1679 having called unto Your Council many Honourable and Worthy Persons and declared to them and the whole Kingdom that being sensible of the evil Effects of a Single Ministry or Private Advice or Foreign Committee for the general Direction of Your Affairs Your Majesty would for the future refer all Things unto the Council and by the constant Advice of them together with the frequent Use of Your Great Council the Parliament Your Majesty had hereafter resolved to govern the
Truth and even by the Confession of my Opposers for that OLD CAVSE in which I was from my Youth engaged and for which thou hast often and wonderfully declared thy self Yet notwithstanding all these Points gained there was something to be done before it could be be said That the King was a Despotical â—rince and would make his Will his Law For tho' the City of London was now absolutely dependant upon his Majesty in respect of the Magistracy thereof and that the naming of the other Sheriffs of all the Countles and Shires of the Kingdom belonged unto him yet there were many other Cities in England who still chose their own Sheriffs but something must have been done with these before the Constitution of the Parliament could be subverted which seemed to be the only White in the Butt they had been aiming at all this while For you are to note that the House of Commons consists of 513 Members whereof but 92 only are Knights of the Shires so that near 5 Parts in 6 are Burgesses Citizens and Barons of the Cinque-Ports and the generality of the Corporations which send these Members are poor decay'd Places and so not in a Condition as the City of London was to contest their Charters or if they should there were but little hopes to keep them now London had not been able to hold hers Yet it was considered also that it would cost the Court-Agents a great deal of time to bring Quo Warranto's against above 200 Corporations wherefore all Hands were set on work to induce these poor Inhabitants to surrender up their Rights and mighty Rewards proposed unto those who should shew themselves forward and instrumental therein But because Moneys were scarce there were Bargains made wiâ—h Multitudes of them to have Grants of Fairs for the Surrender of their Charters and those who refused must have Quo Warranto's brought against them However before these things were fully put in Execution it was thought necessary to augment the standing Forces in England who were already too many in time of Peace For some Umbrages were taken that Disturbances might arise before they could be brought to Perfection For tho' the Duke had secur'd Scotland and had 20000 Foot and 2000 Horse and a Years Pay to be assisting upon all Occasions and that greater Liberty than ever was given to the Irish yet all this was not thought enough and therefore Tangier part of Queen Catherine's hopeful Portion which cost the King her Husband above 100000 l. a Year the keeping for 20 Years together must now at last the Mould was near finished be utterly demolished and the Garrison brought over which had been a Nursery of Popish Officers and Soldiers and quartered in the most considerable parts of the Kingdom And in this pittiful State we shall leave England and see what mighty Changes have been made in the Face of Things in other Parts of Europe and more particularly in the Kingdom of Hungary where brake out the cruellest War between the Emperor and the Turks and that has been intermixt with such Variety of Actions and Fortune in the long Course of it as I think no Age nor History can parallel the exact Particulars whereof we shall endeavour to give as they shall fall out in due Series of Time and their proper Order But before we enter immediately upon that mighty Affair it will be necessary to premise somewhat in this place how things stood on this side the Empire towards France and in the Netherlands We have said something before concerning the Re-unions pretended to be made by France after the Treaty of Nimeguen But yet to be a little more particular It was not long after the Conclusion of the said Peace that that Crown possessed her self of Homhurg and Bisstel the only two Places remaining to the Duke of Lorain of all his Dutchy However tho' the Duke who had â—ut little Power of his own was forced tamely to submit to it yet it could not be thought that others would be so willing to do it And therefore First Monsieur Ravaux who had searched all the Monuments of the Parliaments of Metz and the Cities thereabouts endeavoured from thence to prove That in time of old all Alsatia Lorain the Counties of Chiney Arlon Vierton St. Armand all the Country of Luxemburg except the City of that Name divers Villages and Seigniories in Germany Flanders Brabant Hegenow and the Country of Liege did really and of just Right belong to the King of France as Dependences upon the three Bishopricks of Metz Toul and Verdun or upon other Places that had been yielded to them by the Treaty of Nimeguen In pursâ—ance hereof they erected in France 2 Tribunals of Justice or Sovereign Courts one at Metz and the other at Brisac by the Name of The Chambers of Re-unions where the Inhabitants and Lords of all the fore-mentioned Places were gravely cited to appear before the Commissioners Judges and Parties to see themselves condemned to make their Submission to the French King and to receive his Orders thereupon and in case of Refusal to be condemned for Default and Contumacy It was under such Pretensions that Strasburg was seized on by that Crown and by the same pretended Reasons Luxemburg had been blocked up in a manner ever since the Peace and that as it were by way of Reprisal because the Spaniards would not yield up to them several Places in Flanders which they laid claim to Which way of Procedure did at length alarm all the Potentates upon the Continent so that the Emperor Swedeland the States of Holland Franconia and several other Free and Imperial Cities entred into a mutual League of Defence which was called The League of Ausburg and to the Glory of the then Prince of Orange it must be said and is what his Enemies have own'd he was the greatest Instrument to bring it about of any in Europe Good God! What shall we think of England all this while But I have told you already our King had other Fish to fry and 't is very remarkable that he was by this time fallen into such an abject State in the Opinion of all the Neighbouring Princes and States that it does not appear they ever sought as much as his Concurrence in or Approbation of this League though otherwise generally speaking England was the only Kingdom that was wont to keep the Scales even between the contending Parties for many Ages together However whether it were out of the Apprehensions of the impending Storm upon Christendom from the Mahometan Quarters or out of a meer Act of Generosity this is certain that as soon as the French King came to know that the Turk was bending all his Forces against the Empire and to that End had ordered his Army to march towards Belgrade not only with a Design to possess himself of all Hungary but even to invade the Neighbouring Provinces he withdrew his Forces from before Luxemburg though almost ready
a Joy and Concourse of the People which appeared free and unconstrained and all the Bells in the City were rung and Bonfires made in every Street The King continued at Rochester till Dec. 23. and then about 1 or 2 in the Morning he privately withdrew himself and taking only with him Mr. Ra. Sheldon and Mr. Delabady he went towards Dover and embarked in a Vessel laid ready for his Transportation to France The Queen who went hence the 10th arrived at Calais on the 11th and was in great pain not knowing what had happen'd in England for the King whom she expected every Tide But the King before he withdrew the second time wrote and left behind him the following Letter which was afterwards printed by his Order in London His Majesty's Reasons for withdrawing himself from Rochester writ with his own Hand and â—ordered by him to be Published 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 11 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 of the Clock at Mid-night when I was in Bed a kind of Order by three Lords to be gone out of my Palace before Twelve the 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 own Declaration lay the greatest Aspersion on 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 hath seen by so general a Defection in my Army as well as in the Nation amongst all sorts of People I was born 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 Country 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 convenient to expose my self to be so secured as not to be at liberty to effect it and for that Reason to withdraw but so as to be within Call whensoever the Nation 's Eyes shall be opened so as to see how they have been imposed upon by the specious Pretences of Liberty 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 Persuasion may be so far considered and have such a Share of it as they may live peaceably and quietly as English Men and Christians ought to do and not be obliged to transplant themselves which would be very grievous especially to such who love their Country 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 what I have said but now is not the proper Time Rochester Dec. 22. 1688. The Prince being come to London the Common-Council met and in the Name of the City returned him Thanks and congratulated him upon his great and glorious Expedition Then was there an Association signed at St. James's by near 60 Peers And at the Princes Request the Lords met at Westminster who desired him to take the Publick Administration upon him and agreed a â—onvention should meet on the 22d of January The Prince also put out the following Paper WHereas the Necessity of Affairs does require speedy Advice We do desire all such Persons as have served as Knights Citizens or Burgesses in any of the Parliaments that were held during the Reign of the late King CHARLES the Second to meet Vs at St. James's upon Wednesday the Six and Twentieth of this Instant December by Ten of the Clock in the Morning And We do likewise desire That the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen of the City of London would be present at the same time and that the Common-Council would appoint Fifty of their Number to be there likewise And hereof We desire them not to fail Given at St. James's the Three and twentieth Day of December 1688. W. H. Prince of Orange By His Highness's especial Command G. HUYGENS. The Commons attended accordingly and concurring fully with the Lords the Prince sent out his Circular Letters for the meeting of the said Convention With which we shall conclude the Affairs of this Memorable Year Only I must observe that it proved fatal to one of the most generous and bravest Princes of Europe the Elector of Brandenburgh who died May 10. in the 69th Year of his Age. year 1689 THis Year cannot be begun with any thing more memorable than with the Meeting of the Convention Parliament which was on Jan. 22d and the manner of their Proceedings Upon which Occasion the Prince of Orange directed to them the following Letter My Lords and Gentlemen I Have endeavoured to the utmost of my Power to perform what was desired from me in order to the Publick Peace and Safety and I do not know that any thing hath been omitted which might tend to the preservation of them since the Administration of Affairs was put into my Hands It now lieth upon you to lay the Foundations of a firm security for your Religion your Laws and your Liberties I do not doubt but that by such a full and free Representative of the Nation as is now met the Ends of my Declaration will be attained And since it hath pleased God hitherto to bless my good Intentions with so great success I trust in him that he will compleat his own Work by sending a Spirit of Peace and Union to influence your Counsels
pretty flat The King gave order that the Counterscarp should be attackt that Afternoon and had it not been for one Errour which yet could not well be avoided the place had been infallibly carried However to shew you the bravery of our Men upon this occasion we will give you a few particulars About half an Hour after 3 the signal being given by firing 3 Pieces of Cannon and the Granadeers standing in the furthermost Angle of the Trenches they leapt over and ran toward the Counterscarp firing their Pieces and throwing in their Granadoes which gave the Irish the Allarm who had all their Guns ready and discharged great and small Shot upon them as fast as possible who were not behind with them in either so that in less than 2 Minutes there was such a terrible Noise that you would have thought the Skies ready to rent in sunder Captain Carlile of my Lord Drogheda's Regiment ran on with his Granadeers to the Counterscarp and though he was wounded twice between that and the Trenches yet he went bravely on and commanded his Men to throw in their Granadoes but leaping into the dry Ditch under the Counterscarp an Irish Man below shot him dead However the Lieutenant encouraged the Men and they boldly mounted the Counterscarp and all the rest of the Granadeers were as ready as they which so daunted the Irish that they began to throw down their Arms and ran as fast as they could into the Town our Men perceiving this entred the Breach with them pell-mell and above half the Earl of Drogheda's Granadeers with some others were actually within that Place and they had certainly carried it had not the Regiments that were to second the Granadeers upon the Counterscarp stopt there as having no orders to go any farther For the Irish were all running from the Walls quite over the Bridge into the English Town but seeing there were but a few of the English that entred they were with much a-do perswaded to rally And those that were in finding themselves not seconded and their Ammunition spent thought of nothing now but to retreat But some were shot others taken and very few of the rest who came out again but were wounded which so elaâ—ed the Spirits of the Irish that they ventured upon the Breach again and from the Walls and every other where did so pester our Men upon the Counterscarp that after nigh 3 Hours resisting Bullets Stones broken Bottles from the very Women who daringly stood on the Breach and were nearer our Men than their own and whatever else could be thought on to destroy it was at last thought safest to return to the Trenches But this was not our only Loss for while this Work was at the hottest a Brandenburg Regiment who behaved themselves very well being got upon the Black-Battery the Enemies Powder happened to take fire which unhappily blew up a great many of them the Men Faggots Stones and what not flying into the Air with a most terrible Noise and tho' my Lord Cuts who was commanded by the Duke of Wirtemberg to march towards the Spur at the S Gate beat in the Irish that appeared on that side yet he lost several of his Men and was himself wounded For he adventurously approaching within half Musket-shot of the Gate all his Men lay open to the Enemies Shot who lay secure within the Spur and the Walls The Danes demeaned themselves also gallantly at their Post but the mischief on 't was there was but one Breach The Action was very brisk every where and there was one continued fire both of great and small Shot from half an hour after 3 till 7 insomuch that the Smoke which went from the Town reached in one uninterrupted Cloud to the Top of a Mountain at least 6 Miles off The King who stood nigh Cromwel's Fort all the time when the business was over return'd to his Camp very much concerned at the Disappointment as indeed was the whole Army where a mixture of Anger and Sorrow might be seen in every body's Countenance as foreseeing the taking of the Place and the Reduction of the Kingdom would cost the Charge and Fatigue of another Campagne to say nothing of the present Loss which amounted at least to 500 slain upon the Spot besides wounded which were not less than double the number Wherefore the King resolved to raise the Siege and to that purpose after he had constituted the Lord Sidney and Thomas Conningsby Esq since Lord Conningsby Lords Justices of Ireland left the Command of the Army to Count Solms who some time after going for England it was conâ—igned into the Hands of the brave Lieutenant-General Ginkle He embarked with the Prince of Denmark and several other Lords at Duncannon on the 5th of 〈◊〉 arrived the next day in the Evening in Kings-Road near Bristol and on the 9th aâ— Windsor not without a more than ordinary Joy all over the Kingdom leaving the Army in Ireland to march into their Winter-Quarters and so at present we shall leave them and see what was doing in England all this while The Apprehensions of the Disaster that befel us from the French Fleet was no sooner over but the Queen set all hands on work and in a very short time fitted up such a Fleet of Men of War that the Enemy were so far from looking it in the Face upon the Main that they began now to be very apprehensive of their own Coast And indeed it was a general Supposition in England that there were some Designs formed at that time upon France it self and it might for ought I know be contrived so on purpose to amuse such as wished us not well For I remember very particularly that People were somewhat surprized to hear that the Fleet was arrived in Cork-Harbour in Ireland and that my Lord of Malburrough was landed there the 21st of Sept. with the Forces under his Command where on the day following 5 or 600 Seamen and others of the Marine Regiment were imployed to draw the Cannon along and to mount them before the Town which they did with great Cheerfulness and Bravery with the Duke of Graâ—â—on at the Head of them tho' 2 Troops of Dragoons and a Body of Foot appeared without the Town who upon our Mens firing some Field-pieces upon them retired The Eaâ—l was to act upon this Expedition in Concert with some other Troops that were towards that Part of Ireland before and therefore that very Day the Duke of Wirtemberg sent Dean Davis unto him and to Major-General Scravenmore to whom my Lord upon his Arrival had dispatch'd an Express that he would forthwith joyn him to give them an Account that he was upon his March to joyn them with a Detachment of 4000 Foot And because there was a Report that the Duke of Berwick design'd to raise the Siege Major-General Scravenmâ—re sent the Dean back to hasten the Duke's March and the day following ordered a Party of Horse to go and
had to Ships there or else that those they had would quickly be swallowed up by the French Fleet which they hourly expected But tho' the Siege was carried on with great Vigour and that in the interiâ— the Irish quitted several small places daily in the Country and Brigadier Levison routed several of their Parties in the County of Kerry and that the Cannon and Bombs did very great Execution upon their Camp and within the Town yet on the 17th of Sept. it was hotly disputed in a Council of War whether they should go on with the Siege or march over the River to destroy all the Enemies Forage in the County of Clare and then make a Blockade and it was so far carried for the latter that an Engineer was ordered to go with a Guard towards Kilmalock and fortifie that Place But before he got out of the Camp he was countermanded and a great many Palisado's brought to Mackay's Fort as if the Army intended to Winter there On the 19th it was resolved to pass the River with a Party either to prosecute the Siege or at least to burn the Forage And that same day a Battery was raised between Ireton's Fort and the old Church to flank the Irish in case of a Sally from St. John's Gate and Four Mortars were brought from the great Battery to Mackay's Fort that place being judged the fittest for bombarding since the whole Town lay in a Line from thence and Orders were given in case of an Allarm from the Irish Troops without that every Regiment should stand to the Posts assign'd them for that end But the Irish declined to hazzard any thing On the 20th most of the heavy Cannon that were not drawn off were now sent on Ship-board and I remember very well upon the News of this in England most intelligent Persons were of Opinion the Town would not be taken this Year tho' the News of Sligo's being surrendred to the Earl of Granard came confirmed at the same time But the General was indefatigable in his business For on the 22d he march'd with most of the Horse and Dragoous over the Bridge of Boats they had laid into the County of Clare leaving Mackay and Talmash to command on this side And all that Morning the Enemy continually fired upon them from several Batteries but without any great Harm In the Afternoon a Party of Colonel Matthews Dragoons was attack'd by a stronger Party of the Enemy till being sustained by a greater Force between whom continued some small firings till about 4 a Clock when the Foot came up which made the Irish retire till they were got under their Cannon Then all the English Granadiers sustained by 4 Regiments of Foot were commanded to advance and attack the Works that covered Thumond-Bridge being one Fort to the Right above a Musket-shot from the Bridge and another to the Left somewhat nearer besides several other natural Fortifications wherein the Enemy had posted a Detachment of about 200 Men between whom and the English there was a hot Dispute at first and their Cannon playing from the King's Castle and 2 or 3 more Batteries as also their small Shot from the Walls made the Attack seem very hazardous and the English were ordered not to approach so nigh the Town as they did However the Irish being now pressed upon by the Granadiers they quitted their first Posts and then were reinforced by another Detachment from the Town But all this could not do their business For the English Granadiers were so forward and despised all Danger to that degree that they put the whole Body to flight and pursued them so close that a French Major who commanded at Thumond-Gate fearing the English would enter the Town with the other ordered the Draw-bridge to be plucked up and left the whole Party to the Mercy of the English who shewed them little for all of them were either killed or taken except about 120 who got into the Town before the Bridge was drawn up There were also many of them drowned Hereupon the English lodged themselves within 10 yards of the Bridge notwithstanding an high Tower that stood near the end of the Bridge next to them and the Irish finding now all Communication cut off between them and their Horse and despairing of the French Succours began to think of giving up the Town whereof the English in general had no great Hopes who however push'd on the Siege next day being the 23d of Sept. with much â—ury and notwithstanding it proved very rainy yet the Guns and Mortars ceased not to play upon the Town nor the Enemy to fire more furiously than they had done for some time before But towards Night the Rain began to cease and both Storms ended together For about 6 the Enemy beat a Parley on both sides the Town and next day in the Morning Lieutenant-General Sarsfield and Major-General Waughup came out to the General and desired a Cessation of Arms might be continued for 3 Days till they could send to their Horse who then were encamped towards Clare in order to their being included in the general Capitulation which they then proposed which was agreed to and thereupon the Prisoners in the Town were released On the 29th Sarsfield and Waughup dined with the General and then it was agreed Hostages should be exchanged in order to a further Treaty which was done accordingly And next day the Irish sent out their Proposals but in such extravagant Terms that the General was so far from granting them that he returned Answer That tho' he was a Stranger to the Laws of England yet he understood that those things they insisted upon were so far contradictory to them and so dishonourable to himself that he could not grant any such thing And thereupon ordered a new Battery immediately to be raised but upon the Request of the Irish he sent them in 12 Articles which proved to be the Sum of the Capitulation for Sarsfield and others came on the 29th to the General and after long Debate agreed upon Articles not only for the Surrender of Limerick but all other Forts and Castles in the Kingdom then in possession of the Irish So that they were signed Oct. 3d by both Parties They consisted of two parts Civil and Military the first being signed by the Lords Justices and General but the latter on our Part only by the General and both here follow I. THE Roman-Catholicks of this Kingdom shall enjoy such Privileges in the Exercise of their Religion as are consistent with the Laws of Ireland or as they did enjoy in the Reign of King Charles the II And their Majesties as soon as their Affairs will permit them to Summon a Parliament in this Kingdom will endeavour to procure the said Roman-Catholicks such farther Security in that Particular as may preserve them from any Disturbance upon the Account of their said Religion II. ALL the Inhabitants or Residents of Limerick or any other Garrison now in Possession of the
to bethink themselves of a new Captain General and this Trust and Honour they unanimously devolved on the serene Doge Morosini who had formerly served the Republick so successfully and which nothing now but his great Age made him seem unwilling to accept of As for the Polish Army I think they made a shift to get into the Field by Sept. and in Oct. to block up Caminiec and 't is well had they done that to purpose for as to any thing else they never went about it And now having run thro' the several Transactions of Europe it 's time to close this Year with a few Particulars About the beginning of the Year died the famous Robert Boyle Esq who was a Philosopher under a particular Character as being addicted to the Study of Natural Philosophy and perhaps never any Man dived so deep into the Knowledge of Nature as himself which yet was so far from being attended in him with that Atheism that is too too usual for such speculative Heads that he was always in his Life time esteemed a very pious Man and sincere Christian of which he gave a most convincing Testimony at his Death by the Legacy he left to have a Monthly Sermon preached against Atheism On the 7th of June hapned a most terrible Earthquake in the Island of Jamaca in the West-Indies which did most prodigious Damage especially at the Town of Port-Royal the best of all the English Plantations and the greatest Mart in that part of the World which was in a manner entirely ruined and not only so but 't was computed no less than 1500 People perished in it And upon the 8th of Sept. following about 2 a Clock we felt an Earthquake also in England and particularly in London the like no Man living knew before but blessed be God it did no harm with us nor upon the Continent where it was felt in the same time and manner On the 24th of Dec. died the most serene Electress of Bavaria at Vienna in the 23d Year of her Age after she had undergone several Discomposures from the 28th of Oct. when she was brought to bed of an Electoral Prince This Year was also fatal to Prince Waldeck Camp-Master-General to his Imperial Majesty and the States and on whom the Emperor conferred the Dignity of a Prince by reason of his Merit for he was a Politick and Able as he was unfortunate and the Services he had done him in Hungary and other places but the same died with him Neither ought we to forget that this Year the Duke of Hanover a Protestant Prince had been advanced to an Elector of the Empire and so a Ninth Electorate constituted thereby year 1693 It may be remembred we left King William in the close of the Campaign going to his Diversions in Holland from whence he returned into England before whose Arrival things were so managed in Ireland by my Lord Sidney Lord Lieutenant of that Kingdom that the Parliament there made not only an Act of Recognition of their Majesty's title to that Crown and another to get other Protestants to settle in that Kingdom but one for an additional Duty of Excise upon Beer Ale and other Liquors for the Support of the Government And Scotland seemed very zealous and forward to contribute new Levies or whatever else their Majesties desired And to be sure the Parliament of England that had hitherto on all occasions been ready to promote the King's just designs would not be behind-hand now but took his Majesty's Speech so effectually into their Consideration that before the end of Jan. they passed the Act of Granting to their Majesties an Aid of 4 s. in the Pound for carrying on a vigorous War against France and soon after another that granted certain Rates and Duties of Excise upon Beer Ale or other Liquors for securing Recompences and Advantages in the said Act mentioned to such Persons as should voluntarily advance 1000000 l. for the purposes declared in the Act by paying into the Receipt of his Majesties Exchequer the fore-mentioned Summ before the 1st of May 1693. upon the terms expressly mentioned in the said Act neither did they stop their Handâ— here but proceeded chearfully to other Methods for compleating the necessary Supplies and by the 14th of March the King among others signed two Mony Acts more viz. An Act for Granting to their Majesties certain additional Impositions upon several Goods and Merchandizes for prosecuting the present War with France and an Act for a Review of the Quarterly Pole granted to their Majesties the last Session of Parliament After this the King made a Speech to thank them for what they had done to recommend the Publick Peace to them and Equity in levying what they had so freely given then prorogued the Houses to the 2d of May and in the mean time went himself for Holland But before his Departure did by what Advice I will not determine lay aside Admiral Russel who had beaten the French Fleet last Year and received the Thanks of the House of Commons for it whereof he was then a Member but since made a Peer by the Stile and Title of Earl of Oxford and last Year one of the Lords Justices of England and constituted Henry Killigrew Esq Sir Ralph Delavall and Sir Clovesley Shovel to command the Fleet this Summer The Fleet was numerous and ready pretty early as was also a great Fleet of Merchant-men near 400 Sail in all of English Dutch Hamburgers c. prepared to sail to the Streights under the Convoy of Sir George Rook with a strong Squadron of Men of War with whom the grand Fleet was to keep company till they came to such a Latitude or as was given out in those times by some till they had certain Information where the French Fleet was Which made their Orders discretionary and Sir George who seemed to have some foresight of the Danger exprest himself very loath to part with them But however seeing he could not help it he sailed on and leaving by the way the Vessels bound for Bilboa Lisbon Sr. Tubes and other Ports under Convoy of 2 Men of War which made Sir George have no more with him than 21 now The account of his Expedition as himself sent an Express of it was briefly thus That indeed he had discovered the French Fleet about 20 Leagues short of Cape St. Vincent which made him call a Council of War wherein it was resolved that the Wind being fresh Westerly and giving a fair opportunity to hasten their Passage to Cadiz the Merchants should make the best of their way That upon the Discovery of the Enemies whole Fleet upon the 16th he brought too and stood off with an easie Sail to give what time he could to the heavy Sailors to work away to the Windward sending away the Sheerness to order the small Ships that were under the Shore that they should endeavour to get along the Shore in the Night
Lorrain to the Duke of that Name in the same manner as it was offered in the Treaty of Nimeguen and the City of Nancy upon certain Conditions With the demolishing of divers Places such as Mont-Royal Trarbacâ— c. As for the Spaniards they offered to give up to them the City and County of Luxemburg and the County of Chinay or in lieu of them some other Places hereafter to be named for which there was at present a Blank left in the Project As to the Re-unions made the same Tender was offered as was to the Empire The City and Castle of â—â—inant to be delivered to the Bishop of Lieggeâ— And for all other Places taken either from the one or the other during the War the same likewise were 〈…〉 restored The Spaniards seemed in the main to have been pretty well satisfied with the French Concessions But the Emperor's Plenipotentiaries made a long and as some thought a some-what extravagant Answer to the Project which the others did not seem to regard so much their main Business being to make up with the rest upon what Terms they were willing to give to them and to save somewhat if possible of their great and long Acquisitions towards the Rhine since there was so little Prospect of saâ—ing any thing elsewhere Wherefore the French King finding much Time spent to little purpose by carrying on the Treaty in Writing and not knowing what Accidents might happen he ordered his Plenipotentiaries to receive no Pretensions nor Answers from the Allies in Writing but to treat viva voce with them And tho' the 10th of Sept. was the utmost Time the French would give to accept of their Offers yet it was observed that they began about this time to demit some-what of their accustomed Rigour Aug. the 16th was the first Day that an extraordinary Congress was held at Reswick which lasted almost the whole Day And next Day the Plenipotentiaries of the Allies were together for the first time in the great Hall of the Royal Palace Not long after this came the News of the Taking of Barcelona by the French after one of the most vigorous Sieges that had happen'd almost in any Age whatever This made the Spaniards very uneasie and very pressing to have the Peace signed upon the Conditions offered by France and more especially since by the Memorial given in to the Mediator on the first Day of Sept. there had been an Offer made of giving up this Place also to them upon a slight Consideration of a few Villages belonging to the Castelline of Aeth to be surrender'd to the French for the Conveniency of the Trade of the Inhabitants of Tournay But by how much the more easie the French seemed to be with the Spaniards they made so much the more bold with the Empire and now insisted positively upon the Detension of Strasburg and that the Emperor should rest contented with the Equivalent which they said would be more considerable to him since he would have the entire Sovereignty of those Towns France quitted whereas Strasburg it restored must have been set at its own Liberty as a Free Imperial City And if the Empire was startled at this new Pace they were not a whit less at the Definite Time fixed by France for their Answer which was the 20th of Sept. after which time they would be no longer obliged to those Offers And this was still the more mortifying since they began now to be superiour in Force to the French there and to act Offensively And to this that the Imperialists began also by this time to be a a little Jealous lest some of the Allies should sign a Separate Peace and leave them out and this occasioned some Heats between the Confederates which terminated in Conferences about the Subject Matter lying before them And tho' the Silence of the Allies concerning the Treaty did about this amaze the French Plenipotentiaries yet the Interview between my Lord Portland and the Mareschal de Boufflers at the Request of the latter occasioned various Speculations and was as a Dagger to the Hearts of our Jacks in England who still poor Fools flattered themselves against all common Sense and Reason that tho' a Treaty of Peace was held at the King 's own Palace yet he must be left out of it And if this and the succeeding Interviews that were between those two great Favourites of their Masters was so surprizing to most Men in general my Lord Portland who went from thence to the Hague his declaring by the King's Order to the Congress That as for what concerned His Majesty and his Kingdoms he was well satisfied that all Matters were so adjusted with France that his Concerns would occasion no delay in the General Peace and therefore he earnestly pressed the other Allies and particularly the Emperor to contribute all that in them lay towards concluding so great a Work was no less so At last the 20th of September came when either an happy Peace or a long and bloody War was like to determine the Fate of Europe when the English Spanish and Dutch Plenipotentiaries after a long Conference with those of France and having adjusted all Matters remaining in Difference between any of them mutually signed the Peace a â—ittle after Midnight and then complemented each other upon the finishing of that important Negotiation The Emperor and the Empire 's Plenipotentiaries were in the Hall the greatest part if not all the Time but they did not give their Consent to what was done nor in the least assisted iâ— bringing the Matter to a Period But on the contrary some of the Ministers of the Electors and other Princes of the Empire that were present required the Mediator to enter 〈◊〉 Protestation That this was the second time that a Separate Peace had been concluded with France meaning that of Nimeguen for one wherein the Emperor and Empire had been excluded And that the States of the Empire who as they said had been cheated through an Over-credulity would not for the future be so easily brought to make Alliances But the Spanish Plenipotentiaries and especially Don Beâ—nardo de Quiros excusing themselves replied That he haâ— for a long time been made acquainted with his Prince's Pleasure and that he had Orders for delaying the matter 〈◊〉 longer but to sign the Treaty which had been agreed on before And that if he had signed the same some time sooner according to his Master's Orders the French would not have taken Barcelona But that having been over-perswaded to it by the Imperial Ministers he had deferred the Execution of it and thereby not a little lessen'd his Master's Favour towards him I believe also the Spaniards perceived that the English and Dutch could have saved Barcelona this Year if they had pleased but that they rather declined it with an Intention to bring the Spaniards the more readily to comply with the Offers of the French and so much the rather since they said upon this
the 19th the Parliament of Scotland met and during the short time of their sitting which was but to the beginning of September made several good Acts and were then prorogued to the 25th of November following Neither were the Lords Justices in Ireland wanting in their Duties to his Majesty and the Country for they took a Progress this Summer in order to view the State of several Places in the Kingdom and give such Instructions as theâ— saw convenient for the Security of the Government and good of the Subject But how Prosperous soever things went with us at home the Apprehensions of the Death of the King of Spain who was sick more or less for a great part of this Year made all Europe uneasie for fear of another War It will be impertinent for me to enter upon the particulars of the King's Sickness and Distemper that being fitter for a Physitian 's Diary than an History However it is my part to observe that a Fleet of French Men of War and Gallies coming into Caâ—iz-Bay and afterwards their giving out they would Winter there to say nothing of those Gallies that went to Naples gave no small Umbrage to their Neighbours And tho' I will not say the Arrival of the English and Dutch Squadron in Cales-Bay some time after made them think fit to return to their own Ports yet it is certain that that with the King's Recovery made their Affairs in that Country look quite with another Aspect than they had done a little before when nothing was less expected than that the Duke of Berry should succeed the Marquess of Harcoâ—â— the French Embassador valuing himself much upon the Paces he thought he had made to that end But while all this was in Agitation towards Spain the French were busie in the North to perfect an Allyance with the Crown of Sweden which at length was brought to bear and the same was notified by M. de Lissenheim his Swedish Majesty's Minister to the Envoys of other Courts residing at Hamborough and other Places The main Intention of what was made publick of this Allyance is to preserve the Repose of Europe and the Articles were to this purpose I. THat the Ancient Alliance is renew'd between the two Kings their Heirs and Successors II. That the Aim and Intention of this Treaty is to preserve and secure the Common Peace by such means as shall be adjudg'd most proper and convenient III. If it should come to pass that it should be disturb'd by any Breaches and Hostilities that the two Kings will make it their Business to repair the wrongs in an amicable way IV. And if their Cares prove ineffectual they will joyntly consider of ways to defend the Rights of the Country injur'd V. In case any Prince or State will enter into this Treaty within a Year they shall be admitted by the consent of both Kings VI. Neither the one nor the other shall make Peace or Truce without comprehending the other therein VII The Articles of the Treaties formerly concluded by either of the two with other Kings Princes or States shall remain in their full Strength and Vertue so far as they shall not be contrary to this VIII The Freedom of Commerce between the Subjects of the two Kings shall be preserv'd as formerly without any Impeachment as well in time of War as in Peace paying the usual Duties IX In pursuance of which all Ports Cities and Provinces shall be open to the Subjects of both Crowns according as the Laws and Customs shall permit both to sell their Commodities in those Places and buy others X. This particular Treaty shall continue Ten Years with Liberty to prolong this Term if it be judg'd convenient by the two Kings who by consent shall have a watchful Eye upon the means to preserve the Peace against the Dangers that threaten it XI This Treaty shall be exchang'd by both sides within three Months after the Signing or sooner if it may be Given at Stockholm the 9 th of July O. S. 1698. I shall not meddle here with the Mock-Battle at Compeign nor the more violent persecution of the Reformed since the Peace both of them being Subjects ungrateful to my Pallate but pass on into Germany where to say nothing yet of the Discourse concerning the Marriage of the King of the Romans with the Princess of Hanover we find a mighty disposition in the Emperor and his Confederates also to a Peace with the Turks after the continuance of a War for above fifteen Years wherein perhaps there has been as much variety of Action as in any other whatsoever but now it seems to draw to a period and things look in the World as if Janus his Temple was once more to be shut up And tho the Armies in Huâ—gary on both sides were considerable in number and Strength yet there seemed no great disposition in either for Action but much more in the Parties concerned to set up a Treaty of Peace under the Mediation of his Britannick Majesty and the States General by their Ministers the Lord Paget and M. Colliers who towards the middle of August arrived in the Turkish Camp near Belgrade and by their good Offices got the Place to hold the Conferences to be between Peter Waradin and Salankemen the Emperor and Confederate Ministers being to reside at Câ—rlowitz the Sultan's at Salankamen and the Mediators between the two Places The Emperor's Plenipotentiaries were the Count of Ottengen General Sâ—â—lick and the Count de Marsigli those of the Port were the Effendi or Chancellor of the Ottoman Empire and Mauro Cordato for Venice came Signior Ruzzini Embassador in Ordinary from the Republick to the Court of Vienna and Seignior Wicolasi Secretary of the said Republick for Poland appear'd the Sieur Malokowski Palatine of Posnania and for the Moscovites Procopius Pogdanowitz Vosnicin I shall now leave the Plenipotentiaries to meet and not enter upon the Particulars of the Negotiation my design being to reserve that for the closing up of this Work nor shall I take any Notice of the Conspiracy which was said to have been formed by the Army under General Rabaâ—in in Transilvania to kill him and the rest of the Officers and then to go over to the Turks because I believe there was more Noise than Truth in it But I shall return where I left off last Year with the Polish Affairs and observe that tho' the King's Competitor was now gone without any likelihood of ever returning again and that the potent City of Danzick were firm to his Interest yet other Difficulties from the Obstinacy of the Cardinal Primate and his Adherents and from the present Necessity he lay under to be guarded in Poland with his own Troops made his Affairs much perplex'd However he set forward and arrived at Warsaw January the 14th in great State The King us'd all imaginable Endeavours to bring the Primate to submit and the Offices of the Brandenburg Minister were indefatigable to this
Points and Articles therein contained and declared have for our Selves our Heirs Successors Kingdoms Countries Lands Lordships and Subjects accepted approved ratified and confirmed and do accept approve ratifie and confirm the same and do promise upon the Word and Faith of a King to keep and observe the whole inviolably without ever acting to the Contrary directly or indirectly in any sort or kind whatsoever and thereto we oblige and mortgage all and every our Goods that are or shall be In witness whereof we have Signed these Presents with our own Hand and have made our Seal to be set thereto Given at St. Germain en Laye Aug. 18. in the Year of Grace 1678. and of our Reign the 36th Signed Lewis By the King And underneath Arnauld The ARTICLE concerning the Prince of Orange AS in pursuance of the War which for some Years has happened betwixt the most Christian King and the States-General of the Vnited-Provinces of the Low-Countries his Majesty caused to be seized all Things belonging to the Prince of Orange as well the Principality of Orange as other his Lands and Seignories lying in France and granted the Revenues thereof to Monsieur the Comte d' Auvergne who enjoys the same at present and since by the Grace of God a Peace is settled by the Treaty this Day concluded and so all the angry Effects of War ought to cease his Majesty hath promised to the said Prince and doth promise by this separate Act that immediately after the Ratifications exchanged his Majesty will take off the said Seisure and cause the said Prince to be restored to the Possession of the said Principality and of the Lands which belong to him in France Franche Comte Charleroy Flanders and other Countries depending upon his Majesty's Rule and to all his Rights Actions Privileges Usages and Prerogatives in such Estate and Manner as he enjoyed the same till he was dispossess'd by reason of the present War Nimeguen Aug. 10. in the Year of our Lord 1678. Marshal D'Estrades Colbert De Mesmes H. Beverning W. de Nassaw W. Haren WE well liking the separate Article aforesaid in all and and every Point thereof have by these Presents Signed with our Hand allowed approved and ratified and do allow approve and ratifie the same promising upon the Faith and Word of a King to fulfil observe and cause to be observed the same truly and faithfully without suffering any Thing to be acted directly or indirectly to the Contrary thereof for any Cause or upon any Occasion whatsoever In witness whereof we have Signed these Presents with Our Hand and have caused Our Seal to be put therto Given at St. Germain in Laye Aug. 18. in the Year of Grace 1678. and of our Reign the 36th Signed Lewis By the King And underneath Arnauld The Day after the Signing of this Peace came over the Ratification of the late Treaty between the King and States with Orders to Sir Will. Temple to proceed forthwith to see the Exchange of them which he did accordingly tho' after the Counter-pace made by the Dispatch sent by De Cross and the Consequences of it the same seemed now as unnecessary as it had been at first unresolved at the English Court and unexpected by the Dutch who many of them now were as unsatisfied with the Peace and especially with the Precipitation of Monsieur Beverning to Sign it upon the sudden Offer of the French Ministers to evacuate the Towns and before he had acquainted the States with it and received new Orders thereupon as the generality of that Nation were weary of the War but the Thing was done and after some Contestation the City of Amsterdam declaring her Approbation of it the rest of the Provinces came soon to acquiesce also in the same But while these Matters were transacted in the Cabinet there was a Work of another nature undertaken in the Field Mons had been straitly Blocked up for some time by the French Army under the Command of the Duke of Luxemburg who was so confident of the good Posture he was in that he sent the Mareschal d' Estrades one of the French Plenipotentiaries at Nimeguen word He was so Posted that if he had but 10000 Men and the Prince of Orange 40000 yet he was sure he could not be Forced whereas he took his Army to be stronger than that of the Prince But the Prince for all that and in spight of many Disadvantages from an Army drawn so suddenly together so hasty a March as that of the Dutch and Posts taken with so much Force and Fortified with so much Industry did upon Sunday the 17th of Aug. in the Morning Decampt with his own and the Confederate Armies from Soignes marched towards Roches and from thence resolved to advance towards the Enemy whose Right Wing was Posted at the Abby of St. Dennis and the Left at Mamoy St. Pierre with such advantage of Situation that they were almost thought unaccessible for besides the Woods there was only a Precipice led to them and that by narrow Paths About 12 the Cannon began to play upon St. Dennis and the Prince went to Dinner in the open Field just as the Duke of Monmouth arrived in the Camp when Dinner was ended the Battalions under the direction of Count Waldeck began to act on the side of the Abby and about 3 in the Afternoon made their Attack the Prince himself being there present and that with extraordinary Bravery all the Regiments of his Left Wing seconding one another in excellent Order In the mean time the Spanish Troops under the Command of the Duke de Villa Hermosa acted on the side of Chasteau being assisted by the Prince's Guards who had the Van and the English and Scots Troops Commanded by the brave Earl of Ossory The Action lasted from 3 in the Afternoon till 9 at Night during which the Prince rid toward Chasteau where the Dispute was likewise very sharp the Guards behaving themselves with extraordinary Vigour and the Earl of Ossory with his Troops doing Wonders The Prince himself was Ingaged among the foremost of the French who on such an occasion were not well to be distinguished from the Confederate Troops and Monsieur Overkirk shot a French Commander who attackt his Highness At last after a great Slaughter on both sides the Confederates remained Masters of St. Dennis Abby having thought fit to quit the Post at Chasteau by reason of the great difficulty they found to second their Attacks on that side The Duke of Luxemburg finding how things went on his side thought fit to Retire in the Night leaving his Dead many Wounded his Tents c. behind him and the Prince next Morning went to view the Camp the Enemy had Abandoned taking up his Quarters at the Abby of St. Dennis where the Duke of Luxemburg had had his the Day before But Advice of Signing of the Peace coming to the Prince next Morning from the States hindred the prosecution of this Advantage which