within three Moneâ—â—s and that he himself will ratify is within six Weeks And this ended thus long and bloody War in Europe But with much dissâ—isfaction to almost all the Allies Especidly Denmark and Bâ—andeâ—burg but many wayes advantagious to France and withal not very Honoâ—â—rable to England whose Mediation contiâ—ed even to the last and yet had not the happiness of Signing any one of the Treanes SECT 5. Sect. 5 Now let us return home And enquire what has been doing in England all this while In the preceeding year Popish-Plot in England â—â—ptember 29. 1678. about the 29 of September 1678. Doctor Oates made a Discovery of a Popish Plot agâ—inst the Life of the King the Protestant Religion and for the Subversion of the Government on which Sir George Wakeman the Queens Physician Coleman Secretary to the Dutchess of York and several Jesuites and Preists were apprehended and committed As were not long after the Earl of Powis Viscount Stafford Lord Arundel of Warder Lord Petre and Lord Bâ—asis these last five were all committed Prisoners in the Tower of London Sir Edmundbury Godfrey a Justice of peace Sir Edmundbury Godfrey Murdered who was appointed to Examine the Prisoners first committed was Murdered on the 12 of October which confirmed all Men in beliefe of the Conspiracy and on the 1st of November the Parliament Nemine Contradicente did declare themselves fully perswarded of the same Soon after Godfreys Murther came to be discovered by one Bedlow prompted thereto by his Conscience on whose evidence and one Prance's Green Berty and Hul were Convicted and Executed Examinations And farther Inquiries relating to the Plot going on for two or three Moneths The long Parliament dissolved and and another called to sit the 6th of March in all which time the King continued seâ—mingly doubtful and incredulous of the same and finding the Parliament more Zealous and forward in prosecuting that Affair then he approved of on the 24th of January Dissolves them after they had sat seventeen Years and above eight Moneths And called another to sit the 6th of March following On the 28th of February He requires the Duke of York by a Letter to withdraw from England Duke of York leaves England which he obeys and retires with his Family first to the Hague and then to Brussels To make all things appear more pausible The King choses a New Council viz. Names of the Privy Councillers 1 Prince Rupert 2 Arch Bishop of Canterbury 3 L. Finch Chancellor 4 Earl of Shalsburry Lord President of the Council 5 Earl of Anglesay Privy Seal 6 Duke of Albemarle 7 Duke of Monmouth Master of Horse 8 Duke of Newcastle 9 Duke of Lauderdale Secretary of State for Scotland 10 Earl of Salisbury 11 Earl of Bridgewater 12 Earl of Sunderland Secretary of Stato for England 13 Earl of Essex 1 st Commissioner of the Treasury 14 E. of Bath Groom of the Stool 15 Viscount Falconbridge Viscount Hallifax 16 Lord Bishop of London 17 Lord Roberts 18 Lord Hollis 19 Lord Russel 20 Lord Cavendish 21 Henry Coventry Esquire Secretary of State 22 Sir Francis North Lord Cheif-Justice of Common Pleas. 23 Henry Capel Knight of the Bath and 1st Commissioner of the Admirality 24 Sir John Ernley Knight Chancellor of the Exchequer 25 Sir Thomas Chichely Knight Mr of the Ordinance 26 Sir William Temple 27 Edward Seymor Esqr 28 Henry Poule Esqr Take notice We have stept back to bring up the the English Plot and other Affairs of Brittain begun in 1678 and join them now to the year 1679. The King finding his new Parliament slow in advancing Money for disbanding the Army Parliament dislolved and one called to sit the â—7 of October 1679 and withall beginning to nible at a Bill for Excluding the Duke of York first he prorogues them from the twenty seventh of May to the fourteenth of August and in the mean time July the twelth he dissolves them So as this Parliament proved as short lived as the former was long And another Parliament is called to sit the seventeenth of October following SECT 6. Sect. 6 At this time troubles began to arise in Scotland for on the first of June a great party of the Presbeterions to the Number of fifteen Hunder'd Rendevouz'd under the Command of Robert Hamilton at Lowden-hill and Marching to Glasgow from thence Issued a Declaration Covenanters up in Armes in Scotland giving their reasons for taking up of Armes But this business has been so often and so fully published and so universally known as I think a repetition or a particular Relation of the progress and event altogether unnecessary farther then to tell you that the King sent the Duke of Monmouth speedily down to Scotland who so managed the matter Defeated by the Duke of Monmouth June 22. 1679. that on the twenty second of June Encountering this ill governed multitude at Bothuel-bridge he defeated them totally near eight Hundered being killed and a greater Number taken And so an end was put to this undertaking Tho the main designe was to render the Duke of Monmouth Odious to the Presbiterians Duke of Monmouth declared a Baâ—â—aâ—d by sending him on this expedition yet it proved quite otherwayes for the whole Protestant party were now so affrayed of a Popish Successor that they cast their eyes on Monmouth so favourably as they lookt on him as the only Person after the Kings death to stave off the Succession of his Brother whom they so much dreaded so this project failing the next was to declare him â—llegitâ—â—te which on the third of March following the King did very solemnly giving it in writing with his own hand it these words Given under the Kings hand For the avoyding of any dispute which may happen in time to come Concerning the Succession of the Croun I do hereby declare in the presence of Almighty GOD that I never gave nor made any Contract of Marriage noâ— was Married to any Woman in whatsoever but to my present wife Queen Kathaâ—â—â—e now living CHARLES REX Whitehall March the third 1679. CHAP. V. Anno 1680. An. 1680. Duke of York returns to England About the latter end of August 1680 the King fell sick which the Duke of York heâ—ing of he came to England and on the second of September went to the King at Windsor the Consequent whereof was the Banishment of the Duke of Monmouth Monmouth banished who reteired to Vtrecht and a little after the Duke of York went back to Bruss is but with no design to stay long there for on the twelth of October he with his whole Family arrived at St James's to the astonishment of many And on the twenty seventh of November after Both return soon to England All Monmouths places taken from him the Duke of Monmouth came to London being welcomed by the Citizens with all possible expressions of Joy which so displeased the Court and Irritated the King as all his
places of prosite and trust are Immediatly taken from him And soon after the Duke of York is sent down High Commissioner into Scotland Duke of York goes to Scotland Well the Parliament in England meeting the seventeen of October as was ordered by the King The first Compliment they met with The Parliament proroged 5 times in one year was a prorogation to the twenty sixt of January and from thence to the fifth of April 1680. and from thence to the seventeenth of May and again to the first of July and again to the twenty first of October graciously declaring they should then sit and do business The whole Nation being deeply greived with these strange proceedings especially that of hindering the Parliament to sit several Addresses were made by three or four Counties Addresses from several Counties to the King but all rejected humbly beseeching his Majesty to case them of their greivances but no satisfactory answer was given nor to be expected Things going on at this rate in England and the Duke ruleing all as he pleased in Scotland there could be no serious prosecution of the Popish Hot nay it was so ridiculed by Estrange The Plot ridiculed and others of the Court party as indifferent men began to doubt if any such thing was or no. While in the mean time the Popish Faction began to trump up a new Plott upon the dissenters King Charles finding himself weak at home King Charles makes Alliance with Holland and indeed having made himself so thought it necessary to strengthen himself by some Foreign Alliance And to that end sends Mr. Henry Sidney now Earl of Rumney Embassador to Holland to propose to the States the making a Treaty of Guarranty for the Peace Concluded at Nimeguen The French King hearing of this earnestly indeavours to defate the design and by his Embassador Monsieur D'avaux then resident in Holland proposes an Alliance with them the same being moved at the same time by Monsieur Colbert to the States Embassador in Paris Mr. Sidney gives in a Memorial against this motion with many insinuating Arguments which was answered by Count D'avaux but in more threatening Tearms The States haveing weighed the Arguments on both sides in the Scales of security and interest at last the ballance was cast in favour of England all the Provinces unanimously agreeing thereto except Gronningen and Ommelands who inclined more to the French but being over-ruled by plurality of votes Alliance with England is Concluded The Dauphing Married to the Duke of Bavaria sister The French King failing in this project proposes Alliance with the Duke of Bavaria by Marrying the Dauphin to the Dukes sister which is agreed on and soon-after Consummated SECT 2. Sect. 2 In February 1680. The Emperor and Empyr by several Letters and Memorials acquainted the dyet at Rattibone The Emperour complains of the French Kings breach of the late Treaty that they found themselves aggrieved that the French had already Contraveened the Peace in no less then twelve Material Particulars and that quite contrary to all the Treaties both of Westphaita and Nimeâ—uâ—n And the dyet Examining the matter fully and finding it to be so intreated the Emperor in behalfe of himself and the Empyr by his Letters or Embassie to require reparation of the same from the French King But for all these Remonstrances he was so far from giving the proposed Satisfaction as he began to enlarge his limits in Alsatia And soon after a paper was published as was pretended by the French King bearing that in case the Dauphin were chosen King of the Romans most of the Towns detained from the Emperor should be restored that ane Army of sixty Thousand French should be maintained in Hungary against the Turks without any Charge to the Empyre and a Considerable Fleet should be imployed against the Turks towards the Dardanello's with many other plausible propositions but these being little taken notice of the French King incroaches severely on the Prince Palatine which makes the Emperor and Empyr complain in every Court where there was any hope of releif particularly the States of Holland were solicited to Employ their bâ—st Offices at the French Court that these Contraventions might cease and be abolished but the States finding that notwithstanding all the French Kings Caressess and fair promises that their addresses to him in behalfe of the King of Spain their Alliâ— had taken so little effect they thought it needless to expect any better sâ—ccesse in this and therefore they made no progress in it Flanders and Italy allarmed by the French Nor was iâ— Germany only that thought her self Injured for in the Spring the French made incursions in the province of Nâ—muâ— possessing themselves of above fourty villages and the Princes of Italy were Allarmed also by the French Troops marching to take Possession of Cassâ—l sold by the Duke of Mantua to the French King for four Millions of Livers SECT 3. Sect. 3 About this time King Charâ—es makes an Alliance with Spain as he had done with Holland And at the sitting of the Parliament which was on the twentieth first of October 1â—80 As he had formerly promised he desires Money of them for the releif of Tanâ—â—er and that they should not medle with the Succession of the Croun but to proceed to the discovery of the Hot and Tryal of the Popish Lords Bill of Exclusion by the house Commons The Parliament taking this into Consideration and finding no expedient for securing of the Protestant Religion while the Duke of York had any Prospect of the Crown they resolve on a Bill for his Total Exclusion which passed in the House of Commons the eleventh of November 1680. The bill of Exclusion is so universally known in these Kingdomes as I thought it but needless to insert it here Rejected by the Lords The Bill being presented to the House of Lords was by them rejected and after the first Reading a vote passed that it should not be allowed a second Reading which gave it such a dash as the House of Commons did not farther insist on it Lord Stafford executed And then the Parliament prâ—ceeded to the Tryal of the Lord Stafford who being convicted was Executed on the seventh of December 1680 The next thing they fell on was the prosecuting and displaceing all Abhorrers of petitioning the King for the meeting of the Parliament the Chief of those were Sir Francis Withens Sir George Jeffâ—â—yes Recorder of London Sir Thomas Iones a Judge of the Kings Bench Sir Richard Westone a Barron of the Exchequer and Sir Francis North Chief Jâ—stâ—ce of the Common pleas who for his good service in Sentenceing to Death Steven Colledge at Oxford had the great Seal of England Committed to his Custody As to the Kings demand of Money for releife of Tangieâ— The Commons refuse mâ—ney to the King or what ever pretended occasion the Parliament altogether declined it giving in many
King of Great Britain he would take it as a Rupture of the Peace and resent it accordingly SECT 4. Sect. 4 Soon after this King James is informed more certainly of the preparations in Holland and that the design was against him England and believed it so And now began to turn Car in pan declaring in Council on the 2d of October that he would restore the Charter of London and on the 5th declared that he would dissolve the Commission for Ecclesiastical Causes King James allarm'd And impowers the Bishop of Winchester to resettle all the Affairs of Magdalen Colledge but hearing of the disaster of the Dutch Fleet at Sea he recalled that Commission and hearing afterward of their approach he renewed it again so sickle was he and so at last the said Bishop perfected that business The Wind continued for three Weeks still at west and in London the question every Morning was have we a Protestant Wind yet and a Seaman cursed openly the Dragon on Bow steeple for turning his Head where his Tayle should be But about the latter end of October the Wind came Easterly Prince of Orange lands at Torbay and the Dutch Fleet consisting of near five hundred Saile whereof there were fifty one Men of War and eighteen Fire Ships came with a fair Gale upon the English Coast and Landed all safe at Torbay the 5th of November And in a short time the Princes Army was encreased by the Junction of diverse persons of good quality with him And soon after his Declaration was published Which was dated at the Hague the 10th of October 1688. His Declaration published The substance whereof was a Relation of the Subversion and Violation of all the Laws of England both in Church and State all which he imputed to the Kings Evil Councellors which disorders could not possibly be rectified nor Affairs regulated but by a lawful and Free Parliament the calling and sitting whereof was the main cause of his coming to England The Declaration being very large and withal supposing it well known to all intelligent observing persons I thought the transcribing of it unnecessary Prince of Orange writes to the Protestant Officers in England About the same time The Prince wrote a Letter to all the Protestant Officers in the Kings Army laying before them their Error in joining with a Popish party and their dauger if they persisted and earnestly invited them to concurr with him for preservation of the Protestant Religion and freedom and Priviledges of the Subjects This Letter did very much influence most of those to whom it was directed About the midle of November the Lord Delamare came to the Prince with a considerable â—arty Association at Exeter Before the Prince left Exeter there was an Association drawn and Sworn to by all the Nobleâ—en and Gentlemen then present for a close adherence to the Prince of Oranâ—e and to one another an prosecuting of that work they now engaged in and for avengeing the Princes Death if done by any barbarous indirect means The 1st Bloodshed On the 20th of November a Skirmish happened at Winâ—anton between eighty Horse and Dragoons Commanded by Sarsfield and thirty of the Princes Horse Commanded by one Campbel where notwithstanding the inequality of the Number the former were defeated which much daunted King James's Army and as much encouraged the other party Associâ—â—ion aâ— Notâ—ingham On the 22d of November The Nobility and Gentry assembled at Nottingham delaring their just greivances in eight material points and implying many moe indefinitly Associate and bind themselves much to the same purpose as these at Exeter had done The Nobility about the King labour earnestly to perswade him to call a free Parliament but he continued inexorable Prince George Dukes of Graslon and Ormond and other Nobles go to the Prince On which the Duke of Graston the Lord Churchil and several other Noblemen lest him and went over to the Prince then as Sherbâ—â—â— And on the 25th of November Prince George the Duke of Ormond and Sir George Hewet followed them Before Prince George went off he wrote to the King a very pertinent Letter for his Excuse as did also the Lord Churchil and Princess Ann withdrawing privatly from London after the Princes departure left a very passionate Letter to the Queen begging her Majesties pardon for leaving the City without her leave and waiting upon her The King comes to London The 26. of November the King returns to London and Issuâ—s writes for a free Parliament to sit the 15 of January but this was too late for by this time the Nation was generally in such a ferment as nothing he could either do or promise would appease them The Prince of Orange understanding that most of the considerable Cities and Towns in England had complyed published as was said another Declaration at Sheâ—burne Castle the 28. of November But it appeared soon after by the Princes disowning it that this Declaration was contrived by some private person who had put his name to it to give it Authority The main purport of the Declaration was a strict order to all Magistrates both in the Cities and Countrey to disarme and secure all Papists and tho this was a bold and presumptuous attempt of a private person yet it happened to have very good effects Proposals by the King to the Prince The Prince of Orange being at Windsor the King sends â—aâ—â—â—sax Nottingham and Godolphine to him desiring him to make what proposals he thought necessary for sitting of the Parliament and for their security while they sat The King leavs London They return the next day with seven Proposals which were so unsatisfying to the King as that night he left London and went to Rochester Before he went he wrote to the Lord Feversham Exhorting him and all the Officers to continue him in their Loyal Principles but gives him no orders for any Action On Receipt of which Letter Feversham disbands his Forces being about Four thousand and presently after acquaints the Prince therewith by a Letter Returning the 16 of December On the 16 of December the King returns to London being advised and invited thereto by some Lords On the 17. at twelve at Night he receives a Letter from the Prince advising his removal to Ham Goes to Rochester but he inclining rather to go to Rochester moves that to the Prince who assented and so on the 18. he goes thither accompanyed with the Earl of Arran and some others That same day the Prince came to St. James's innumerable Acclamations The Prince comes to London Bells and Bon-fires signifying how welcome a Guest he was to London King James and the Queen go to France On the 23 of December the King Embarked at Dover for France the Queen Landing there the 10th Before he went he left a Letter written with his own hand declaring his Reasons for leaving the Kingdom desiring it
Douglas and his party joined him the day following SECT 12. Sect. 12 From thence the King Marches towards Lamrick And on the 9th the Army made their approach to the City in excellent order Seige of Lamrick And though the Irish had considerable parties of Horse Dragâ—ons and Foot posted advantagiously in inclosed Grounds and behind hedges for near two Miles from the Walls of the Town the English went resolutely on beating and driving the Enemy from hedge to hedge to their very Walâ—s losing but 11 or 12 Men in that difficult and hazardous enterprize and before five at Night the Army was posted and the Seige formally laid That Night the King sent a Summonds to the Governour to yeild which he utterly rejected and so they went to Work It 's Reported that a French Man and a Gunner deserted the Army the day before and getting into Limrick gave a particular account of the Artillery which was coming from Dubline Whereon Sarsfieâ—ld with a body of Horse passed the River in the Night time Sarsfeid takes the Artillery at Cullin far above Limrick and marching about through the Hills on the 12. of August fell in upon the Train by day break at Cuâ—len killed about sixty of the Guard and of the Waggoners The Troopers pickt up as much of the best of the Baggage as they could carry away with them and then drew together the Carriages Waggons Tin-boats Ammunition and all the provisions into a heap about the Cannon and filling them full of Powder and putting their Muzles under the Ground laid a short Train and at their marching off fired it which blew up the whole heap with a hideous noise The Night before Sir John Lanter was ordered out to Cullen being within 9 Miles with Six hundred Horse to bring the Artillery safe into the Camp but he came too late by an hour in which time Sarâ—fiâ—â—ld was got out of his reach This unhappy adventure was very unpleasing to the whole Army however the Seige went on and the Trenches were opened on the 17 Batteries are presently raised and it happening that at the blowing up of the Train at Cullin Two of our Cannon Twenty four Pounders escaped spliting these were brought up and mounted which did special good service dureing the Seige My Author says That it would be an endless task to trace particularly all the attacks and defences made at this Seige And I say so too being present at it so passing by circumstances of the proceedings I shall as he does give you an account of the most material Action and of the Conclusion of this unsuccessful enterprise After a breach had been made over the black Battery Limrick attackt nigh St. Johns Gate of about twelve Yards in length On Wednesday the 27th of August the King ordered the Counterscarp to be attackt and the signal being given half an hour after three afternoon the Granadeers went boldly on and in a Trice beat the Irish quite from the Coâ—nterscrap they flying to the breach the Granadeers pursued and lodged themselves upon the breach whereon many of the Irish forefook both the breach and the Walls and fled in to the Town and had not the Regiments that were to second the Granadeers The Asseliants beaten off stopt by some unhappy mistake they might undoubtedly have carryed the Town at that first Assault but the Irish observing that the attack was not pursued and pushâ— on with that vigour as they expected and feared return'd to the Breach and so pepper'd the English with incessant fireing as after three houres resistance they were forced to retreat The Brandenhurgers at this time had got upon the Black battery closs by the Breach where a great deal of the Enemies Powder lay which unhappily taking sire blew a great many of them into the Air and falling down again on the hedge-stakes which were fixed round the Battery there they hung like Skar-Crows At this Attack there were killed five hundered and above a Thousand Wounded and the Army was so greived at this unexpected repulse and the King himself so much concern'd as he resolved to raise the Seige The King goes for England And so the very next day he went to Dunâ—annon accompanyed with the Prince of Denmark and several other Lords and on the 5th of September took ship and arrived at Kings-road near Bristol the day following and on the 9th he went to Windsor Before he left Limrick he appointed the Lord Sidney and Thomas Conninâ—by Esquier Lord Sidney and Thomas Coninsby Esqueir Lord Justices Lords Justices of Ireland and Count Solms General of the Army who going to England soon after left the Command to the brave General Ginkle Within three days after the Kings departure General Solms breaks up the Seige and dispersed the Army into Winter Quarters The Seige broak up On the 21 of Septermber The Earl of Marelborough with some Forces arrived in Cork â—arbour and being joyned by the Duke of Wirtemberg Major General Scravenmore Major General Tetteau and Four thousand of their Forces on the 26 He presently formed the Seige Cork yeilded which continued not long for they plyed the Town so warmly as Collonel Mckillicut the Governour came to a Parley and surrendered the Garison consisting of Four thousand were made Prisoners of War Kinsale yeilded and all the Ammunition and Armes in the Town delivered up to the Victors And before the fifteenth of October Kinsale and both the Forts were surrendered to Marlburrough Leaving Ireland We step over now to inspect how Affairs go between the Confederates and the French King The Duke of Savoy having continued neutral hitherto The French King presses him to declare And in the mean time for security of his Neutrality requires the Citadeâ—s of Verceil and Turin to be put into his hands which motion being declin'd by Savoy and France becoming more and more suspicious of him Monsieur Catinat is commanded to march the French Troops as far as Turin which he did yet forbearing for a time all Acts of Hostility Duke of Savoy joins with the Confederates The Duke of Savoy having spun out the time as long as he could by some unsatisfying Overtures to the French King at last openly declares himself and allying himself first with the Empeperour and the King of Spain soon after he Embarques with all the Confederates The first Article of his Treaty with the Emperour was this He engages not to enter into any Treaty of Allyance with the most Christian King without consent of the Emperour show he kept this Article the World knows and the next Article was he engages himself to act jointly with the Emperour and the rest of the Confederate Princes against France and her Adherents The Articles betwixt the Emperour the King of Spain and the Duke of Savoy are written at length by my Authour The Summ of all being a full and firm mutual Confederacy against France Defensive and Offensive together with some