power to order them as he thought most sutable to the present Juncture Therefore it did not any way consist with his Honour to suffer this part of the said Forces to act independently from him in so critical aâ— Time which might have occasioned a general Disturbance and Breach of the Peace the Keeping whereof was the principal Care of his Highness Who clapt his Gards upon the King not out of any Design upon his Person but rather to Secure him from any Attempts of a rude and incensed Rabble I would fain know what Harm befell him from this Change It appears on the contrary by what follows that notwithstanding these Dutch Gards the King might dispose of himself as he pleased 'T is for this the Lord without Doors clamoured and kept a heavy Splutter in his Speech to the House of Lords Wherein under pretence that the King was not gone out of his Territories and that he might be where he would in his own Kingdom he concludes there was no Desertion in the Case But this is perfect Shuffling 'T is well known that if he had staid a Parliament must be had and that he dreaded nothing more than a Parliament that would rake up old Sores and find out who made them 'T is well known that his Heart panted after the Queen and that he had no Business at Feversham The Time and Manner of his Setting out are a plain Demonstration that he was quitting a Kingdom which was now grown Uneasy to him and his Casting the Great Seal into the Thames adds much to the Argument Had he but weathered the Point and got clear off out of the River 't is ten to one that he had not been put to the trouble of a second Flight In order to which seeing now his Case desperate and the Prince at his Heels he went about Noon from White-hall Dec. 18. to Sir Richard Head's nigh Rochester still steering his Course towards France That very Day his Highness parted from Windsor dined at Sion-House and came in the Evening to S. James's Where he received the Compliments of all the Nobility and other Persons of the chiefest Quality in Town And at Night the Streets were filled with Bonesires with Ringing of Bells and other Publick Demonstrations of Joy The next Day Decemb. 19. Their Royal Highnesses Prince George and the Princess Ann of Denmark returned from Oxford to the Cock-pit where They were presently after Visited by his Highness the Prince of Orange Who that Afternoon went also to Visit the Queen Dowager at Somerset-House Decemb. 20. The Lord Mayor Sir John Chapman being indisposed the Aldermen and their Deputies with some of the Common Council of each Ward by Order of the Common Council Waited on the Prince of Orange to Congratulate his Highness on his happy Arrival at S. James's Which was performed by Sir George Treby the Recorder in an Eloquent Speech and very favourably received by his Highness The Speech was thus May it please Your Highness Sir George Treby his Speech from the City to the Prince of Orange The Lord Mayor being Disabled by Sickness Your Highness is attended by the Aldermen and Commons of the Capital City of this Kingdom deputed to congratulate Your Highness upon this great and glorious Occasion In which We cannot but come short in Expression Reviewing our late Danger we remember our Church and State over-run by Popery and Arbitrary Power and even brought to the Point of Destruction by the Conduct of some Men our true Invaders who brake the Sacred Fences of our Laws and which was worst the very Constitution of our Legislature So that there was no Remedy left but the last The only Person under Heaven that could apply this Remedy was Your Highness You are of a Nation whose Alliance in all Times has been agreeable and prosperous to us You are of a Family most Illustrious Benefactors to Mankind To have the Title of Soveraign Prince and Stadtholder and to have worn the Imperial Crown are among their lesser Dignities They have long injoyed a Dignity singular and transcendent viz. To be Champions of Almighty God sent forth in several Ages to Vindicate his Cause against the greatest Opressions To this Divine Commission our Nobles our Gentry and among them our brave English Souldiers rendred themselves and their Arms upon your Appearing GREAT SIR when we look back to the last Month and contemplate the Swiftness and Fulness of our present Deliverance astonished we think it Miraculous Your Highness led by the Hand of Heaven and called by the Voice of the People has preserved our greatest Interests The Protestant Religion which is Primitive Christianity restored Our Laws which are our ancient Title to our Lives Liberties and Estates and without which this World were a Wildâ—rness But what Reâ—ribution can we make to Your Highness Our Thoughts are full charged with Gratitude Your Highness has a lasting Monument in the Hearts in the Prayers in the Praises of all good Men amongst us And late Posterity will celebrate your ever glorious Name till Time shall be no more Decemb. 1. The Prince of Orange published an Order for Returning into the Publick Store the Arms of divers Souldiers that were lost or imbezelled since the Disbanding of the Royal Army At the same time he appointed Quarters for the English Scotch and Irish Forces to which all Officers and Souldiers belonging thereto were ordered forthwith to Repair Decemb. 23. Was the Day when the King notwithstanding his Dutch Gards about him made shift to give them the slip So that he got safe into France where the Queen was arrived before with the supposed Prince of Wales Thus he left us again in an unsetled Condition But Care was taken to secure the Peace In this Condition had the Prince of Orange had any Design to take the Government upon him this was the Time He was now come to the Capital City of the Kingdom through a perpetual Croud of Applauses and Benedictions and had the Hearts of all true English Protestants Being a Prince of the Royal Blood that stood so near to the Immediate Succession and having besides a good Army with him he had nothing to do but what he might easily have done that is to make a Party to support his Interest and withstand all Opposition The Law it self could have afforded him a Claim it being an undoubted Maxim among Lawyers That the Success of a Just War gives a Lawful Title to that which is acquired in the Progress of it And as the Learned Bishop of Salisbury says in his Pastoral Letter if at Common Law an Heir in Remainder has just Cause to Sue him that is in Possession if he makes Wasts on the Inheritance which is his in Reversion much more ought the Heir of the Crown to Interpose when he sees him that is in Possession hurried on blind-fold to subject an Independent Kingdom to a Foreign Jurisdiction and thereby to Rob it of it's Glory and Security
of England Party which stood stifly for the Succession The Tide now began to turn and the Popish Party to have a fair Prospect The Duke was called home and His Majesty disbanded Parliament after Parliament in hopes to get a healing one But failing thereof he published a plausible Declaration touching the Causes that moved him to Dissolve the two last Parliaments Which being read in all Churches and Chappels did very much strengthen the Court Party and turned the Hearts of many People against the late Proceedings of the House of Commons as having over-short the Mark. Which House consisting most of Dissenters gave a Jealousy to the House of Lords and indeed to all the Church-Party that under colour of rooting out Popery they design'd nothing less than the Ruin of the Church and so to kill two Birds with one Stone The Dissenters on the other side seeing the Church Party so stiff for the Dukes Right to the Succession tho upon the Grounds of Justice and Equity fail'd not to clamour against them as Abettors of Popery and Papists in Mascarade In short the Fewd grew so great between both Parties row distinguished by the Nicknames of TORIES and WHIGS that had not his Majesty who now bestirred himself in these difficult Times prevented it by his great Care and Wisdem it had certainly broke out into a Flame In the mean time these unhappy Differences gave fair play to the Papists who know best how to fish in troubled Waters The Popish Plot grew now out of date and lost much of its Credit Then up starts another called the Presbyterian Plot which proved fatal to several Persons of Quality and others of a lower Rank The King now exasperated in the highest degree against the Dissenting Party ordered the Penal Laws to be put in execution which made the Breach so much the wider betwixt Them and the Church Party And whilst the poor Dissenters lay under the lash an officious sort of Church of England Ministers made it their business to preach the stupid Doctrine of Non-Resistance with as much Zeal and Fervency as if there had been no Salvation without it Which some were hired for with a Promise of Church-Preferment whilst others did it meerly to shew their Parts but all wonderfully to the purpose of the Roman Catholick Party and to help forward the Designs of the next Reign The City of London which had strongly appeared against the Dukes Interest was now called to an Account and a Writ of Quo Warranto a dreadful piece of Latin before which no Reason could stand issued out against them to take away their Charter which was accordingly done Then other Corporations were prevailed upon fairly to surrender their Charters in expectation of new ones whereby all their Magistrates and Officers were dependant upon the King 's Will. And by the Duke's Interest many false Protestants were got into Places of Trust who upon the push would be ready to join with the Papists and lend them their helping hands Thus all Things were finely prepared against his Majesties Exit to make room for his Brother And which is observable at the very time when the King was resolved to sift out some Miscarriages and much inclined to call a new Parliament an odd kind of Fit seiz'd upon him which in four days time bereav'd him of his Life and Crown Thus died King Charles a Prince who was neither a sound Papist nor a zealous Protestant Admired for his great Sagacity beloved for his Clemency and the fittest Prince in the World to Reign had not his over-Indulgence to Ease and Pleasures made him averse from Business In which unhappy Temper he was too much followed by his Subjects of both Sexes THE HISTORY Of the LATE REVOLUTION PART II. Shewing Our Imminent Ruin in the Reign of the late King James With an Account of the suppos'd Great Belly KING Charles being dead the Lord knows how some wept upon his Tomb for Joy but most for Sorrow The Popish Party were the most concerned in the first and the Protestants whatever he was in the last We were but threatned before with the Danger of a Popish Succession now we had it The Papists had a blessed but doubtful prospect of it and now they were in possession To Secure which the Blood of the deceased King was hardly chilled in his Veins when his next Successor James Duke of York was Proclaimed King at White-hall and in the City in great haste that no Man might pretend Ignorance So that King Charles was scarce gone off the Stage when his Brother to play the last Act enters and ascends the Throne No Prince more courteous more obliging or more promising at first than he was to his new Subjects but particularly to the Church of England Party He came in like a Lamb but reigned like a Lion and followed in all things the Steps of King Lewis Not but that he had innate Vertues of his own but none that could stand proof against the precipitate Suggestions of the Roman Clergy and the irresistible Influence of those hot-brain'd States-men the Jesuites So great was the Opinion of his Justice and Valour when Duke of York that many Protestants durst rely upon his Justice and most promised themselves great Matters from his Valour Especially when upon his Accession to the Crown he declared to his Council that he would protect and favour the Church of England for her unshaken Loyalty and to his Parliament that he would carry the Glory of England beyond all his Predecessors Upon these Assurances he allayed for some time the Fears of his Protestant Subjects but especially the Church of England which thereupon Addressed him from all Parts of the Kingdom as their Tutelar Angel In short so great on a sudden were the Hopes of this King that Edward III and Henry V. the most glorious Monarchs of England were like upon his Account to be hissed out of our English Chronicles But it was not long before he pulled off the Mask And first to gratifie the Roman Catholick Party he declar'd himself of their Communion and made open Profession of it Which some Protestants lookt upon as a good Omen and the product of a generous Soul above Dissimulation whilst others more clear-sighted lookt upon it as an effect of a wilful Nature that thought it needless to Dissemble now the Power was in his own hands To Establish his Religion here was I confess a difficult Task considering how small the Popish Party was the Protestants then by the best Computation being reckon'd 200 to one But the Advantage of a Crown is a great Bait and has a mighty Influence The Hopes of worldly Preferment and the Dread of Majesty would in all probability draw in a great Party Besides what was expected by way of Persuasion from the Industry and Activity of Popish Emissaries Nor do I doubt but the King promised himself great Matters from the Church of England Party which having ventured so much to secure his
with him But when they came to one of the Gates it was shut against them Upon which the Lord Mordant commanded the Porter on pain of Death to open the Gate Which being open his Lordship commanded him on the same Pain not to shut it again My Lord and the Doctor went to the Mayor to Know if he would meet the Prince at the Gate and govern the City under Him VVhich he excused telling him he was under the Obligation of an Oath to His Majesty and therefore desired the Prince would lay no Commands on him contrary to his Conscience Thus after some Debate of the Matter they parted whilst the Forces kept coming to Town The next Day being Friday Nov. 9th the Prince came into Exeter attended besides his Gards with a brave Train of Nobles Knights and Gentlemen Upon the Road he met with Multitudes of People who welcomed His Highness with their Shouts and Huzza's The same was done at Exeter where the Streets were thronged on each side the Windows beautified and full of joyful Spectators Being come to the Dean's House where He kept his Court He took some Refreshment and then was pleas'd to go and render Thanks to God in the Cathedral Church for his â—â—se Arrival VVhere being sat in the Bishops Seat then Absent the Quire began and Sung Te Deum and after the Collects were ended Dr. Burnet Read the Prince's Declaration Dr. Lamplugh then Bishop of this Diocess was fled to London upon the Prince's Landing at Torbay VVhere having waited upon the King at White-Hall His Majesty was pleased to reward this piece of his Loyalty by Translating him to the Archbishoprick of York which had been a long time Vacant The main Body of the Army marched in the mean time the Horse to the Neighbouring Parishes and the Foot to Clist-Heath where they Incamped Both Horse and Foot look'd very much Disabled and Weather beaten what with the Sea and what with their March hither through bad Ways and in Rainy Weather Their Hâ—râ—â—s were for the most part to Weak that they could scarce stâ—â—d upon their Legs So that if the K ng's Forces had been read at hanâ— it might have gone very hard in case o a Fight with he Prince's Army But it pleased God so to order it that while the King expected the Prince in the North the Prince gave him the Goâ—by and took his Course a grâ—at way to the West that being upon his Landing at a good distance from His Majesties Forces He might have time to Refresh His own before they could come to Action The Prince therefore thought fit to stay a while at Exeter but this was not the only Reason Not a Person of Quality and Interest in those Parts besides Sir William Courtney had joyned Him hitherto which His Highness did much wonder at Only on the Monday Nov. 12 one Captain Burrington came and offered him his Service who was accordingly very kindly received by His Highness But two Days after several noted Gentlemen of Dorset-Shire and Somersetshire came in to Joyn the Prince and waited on His Highness Thursday Nov. 15 To whom He spoke after this manner Gentlemen The Princes Speech to the Gentry that came to Joyn him at Exeter Tho' We know not all your Persons yet We have a Catalogue of your Names and remember the Character of your Worth and Interest in your Country You see We are come according to your Invitation and our Promise Our Duty to God obliges Vs to Protect the Protestant Religion and Our Love to Mankind your Liberties and Properties We expected you that dwell so near the Place of our Landing would have Joyned us sooner Not that it is now too late nor that we want your Military Assistance so much as your Countenance and Presence to justify our declared Pretensions in order to accomplish our good and gracious Design Tho' We have brought both a good Fleet and a good Army to render these Kingdoms happy by Rescuing all Protestants from Popery Slavery and Arbitrary Power by Restoring them to their Rights and Properties established by Law and by Promoting of Peace and Trade which is the Soul of Government and the Life of the Nation yet we rely more on the goodness of God and the Justice of our Cause than on any humane Force and Power whatever But since God is pleased that we should make use of humane Means and not expect Miracles for our Preservation and Happiness let us not neglect making use of this gracious Opportunity but with Prudence and Courage put in execution our so honourable Purposes Therefore Gentlement Friends and Fellow Protestants We bid you and all your Followers most Heartily Welcome to our Court and Camp Let the whole World now Judge if our Pretensions are not Just Generous Sincere and above Price since We might have even a Bridge of Gold to Return back But it is our Principle and Resolution rather to die in a good Cause than live in a bad one Virtue and true Honour being its own Reward and the Happiness of Mankind our great and only Design Both the Clergy and Gentry of this County were uneasy for fear that King James should prevail and therefore backward to declare for the Prince But the People were forward enough For when the Drums beat for Volunteers they came in apace from all Parts of the County insomuch that many Captains pickt and chose their Souldiers Thousands did list themselves to whom Arms were Given and many more would have done the same who were dismissed upon Mareschal Schombergs Advice that there was no need of them Thus the Citizens Fears of King James's Forces lessening every day they began to talk now more freely and to be more and more inclined towards the Prince The Mayor himself and Aldermen much taken up with their Consultations upon the present Juncture came at last to visit his Highness The Lord Lovelace coming through Cirencester in Glocestershire to joyn the Prince at Exeter with near 70 Horse very well appointed had the Misfortune to be stopt at that Town and seized with thirteen of his Party by the Officers of the Militia Who met however with so sharp a Resistance that several of them were killed and others wounded Amongst the first were Lorege Major of the Regiment and his Son Captain Lee a Deputy Lieutenant of the County and Williams a Lieutenant About the same time viz. on Monday Nov. 12 the Lord Cornbury Colonel of the Royal Regiment of Dragoons marched from Salisbury in order to bring over that Regiment and two more of Horse to the Prince of Orange Which two Regiments of Horse were the Royal Regiment and the Duke of S. Alban's then Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Langston They marched together first to Dorcester where they refreshed themselves and then went on to Bridport and Axmister Upon which several Officers mistrusting his Lordship asked him whither they were going Who answered he had the King's Orders to beat up the Enemies Quarters
you to defend the Laws Liberties and the Protestant Religion and to procure a Settlement in Church and State in concurrence with the Lords and Gentlemen in the North and pursuant to the Declaration of the Prince of Orange And so God Save the King In short the Genius of the whole Nation if you except the Papists and some false Protestants did run that Way and there was no stopping of so strong a Current Which his Highness the Prince of Orange was no sooner satisfied in but he marched from Exeter forward with his Army the Fort of Plimouth being already Surrendred to his Highness by the Earl of Bath At Exeter he only left a new raised Regiment to keep the City under the Command of Sir John Guyes then made Governour thereof The Army marching in three Lines and the Prince in the second Line his Highness marched out from Exoter Nov. 22. and came to Crook-horn on Saturday 24. Then the Gentlemen of the West came in apace and joined him almost at every Stage From Crook horn where he staid the 25th he came the next Day to Sherborn and lodged at the Castle where the Duke of Grafton and the Lord Churchill amongst others joyned him from the King's Army Whereupon the Lord Churchill who lay under particular Obligations to the King wrote a Letter to his Majesty in these following Terms SIR The Lord Churchills Letter to the King Since Men are seldom suspected of Sincerity when they act contrary to their Interests and though my dutiful Behaviour to Your Majesty in the worst of Times for which I acknowledge my poor Services much Over-paid may not be sufficient to Incline You to a charitable Interpretation of my Actions Yet I hope the great Advantage I injoy under Your Majesty which I can never expect in any other Change of Government may reasonably convince your Majesty and the World that I am acted by a higher Principle when I offer that Violence to my Inclination and Interest as to desert Your Majesty at a time when Your Affairs seem to challenge the strictest Obedience from all your Subjects much more from One who lyes under the greatest personal Obligations imaginable to Your Majesty This SIR could proceed from nothing but the Inviolable Dictates of my Conscience and a necessary Concern for my Religion which no good Man can oppose and with which I am instructed nothing ought to come in Competition Heaven knows with what partiality my dutiful Opinion of Your Majesty has hitherto represented those Vnhappy Designs which inconsiderate and self-interested Men have framed against your Majesties true Interest and the Protestant Religion But as I can no longer Joyn with such to give a pretence by Conquest to bring them to effect so will I always with the hazard of my Life and Fortune so much your Majesties Due indeavour to preserve Your Royal Person and Lawful Rights with all the tender concern and dutiful Respect that becomes SIR Your Majesties most Dutiful and most Obliged Subject and Servant CHURCHILL By this Desertion the King grew more and more sensible how little he was to depend upon an Army which daily mouldred away Not for want of natural Affection to his Majesty but only to bring him off from his evil Counsellors and into a necessity of Complying with the general Desire of the Nation to have all Things Rectified by a Free and Legal Parliament Before the King left Salisbury there hapned such a sudden Gust of Wind as hurried down the Crown which had stood many Years upon the top of a Spire of the Cathedral This was lookt upon as an ill Omen to the King And so was his Majesties violent Bleeding at the Nose that could not be stopt for a long time any manner of way The Vangards of both Armies being now near each other a Party of the Prince's appeared not far from Salisbury Upon which King James and his Army thinking the Prince's whole Force were coming upon them took the Alarm so that his Majesty in the midst of his Bleeding ordered his Coach forthwith to be made ready and drive away to Windsor Upon whose Departure his Forces in great haste and disorder marched some one way some another The King being come to Andover which was his first Stage homeward his Royal Highness Prince George of Denmark accompanied by his Grace the Duke of Ormond and the Lord Drumlangrig withdrew from his Majesty in the Night in order to joyn the Prince of Orange at Sherborn which they did the 29th From whence Prince George sent a most tender Letter to the King in these following Terms SIR Prince George his Letter to the King With a Heart full of Grief I am forced to write what Prudence would not permit me to say to your Face And way I ever find Credit with your Majesty and Protection from Heaven as what I now do it free from Passion Vanity or Design I am not ignorant of the frequent Mischiefs wrought in the World by factious Pretences of Religion but were not Religion the most Justifiable Cause it would not be made the most specious Pretence And Your Majesty has always shews too Vninterested a Sense of Religion to doubt the just Effects of it in One whose Practices have I hope never given the World cause to censure his real Conviction of it or his Backwardness to perform what his Honour and Conscience prompt him to I can therefore no longer disguise my just Concern for that Religion in which I have been so happily Educated which my Judgment throughly convinces me to be best and for the Support of which I am so highly interested both in my Native Country and in this your Kingdom Whilst the restless Spirits of the Enemies of the Reformed Religion backed by the cruel Zeal and the prevailing Power of France justly alarm and unite all the Protestant Princes of Christendom and ingage them in so vast an Expence for the Support of it can I act so degenerous and mean a part as to deny my Concurrence to such worthy Indeavours to disabuse Your Majesty by the Reinforcement of those Laws and Establishing of that Government on which alone depends the Well-being of your Majesty and of the Protestant Religion in Europe This SIR is that irresistible and only Cause that could come in Competition with my Duty and Obligations to your Majesty and be able to tear me from You whilst the same affectionate Desire of Serving you continues in me Could I secure your Person by the hazard of my Life I should think it could not be better imploy'd And would to God these your distracted Kingdoms might yet receive that satisfactory Compliance from your Majesty in all their Justifiable Pretensions as might upon the only sure Foundation that of the Love and Interest of your Subjects establish your Government and at strongly Vnite the Hearts of all your Subjects to You as is that of SIR Your Majesties most Humble and most Obedient Son and Servant This
thence to Collingburn and so to Littlecot where he came on Saturday Decemb. 8. In the mean time the Lords Commissioners viz. the Marquess of Hallifax the Earl of Nottingham and the Lord Godolphin appointed by the King to treat with the Prince of Orange were come to Hungerford being the Place agreed on for that purpose by the Prince To whom a VVriting subscribed by their Lordships was delivered in these following VVords SIR The King has commanded us to acquaint you That he observeth all the Differences and Causes of Complaint alledged by your Highness seem to be Referred to a Free Parliament His Majesty as he has already declared was resolved before to Call one but thought that in the present State of Affairs it was Advisable to Defer it till Things were more composed Yet seeing that his People still continued to desire it he hath put forth his Proclamation in order to it and has issued forth his Writ for Calling of it And to prevent any Cause of Interruption in it he will consent to every Thing that can be reasonably required for the Security of all those that shall come to it His Majesty has therefore sent us to attend your Highness for the Adjusting of all Matters that shall be agreed to necessary for the Freedom of Elections and the Security of Sitting and is ready immediately to enter into a Treaty in order to it His Majesty proposeth that in the mean time the respective Armies may be Restrained within such Limits and at such Distance from London as may prevent the Apprehensions that the Parliament may in any Kind be Disturbed being desirous that the Meeting of it may be no longer Delay'd than it must be by the usual and necessary Forms In Answer to which these following Proposals were made by the Prince with the Advice of the Lords and Gentlemen Assembled with his Highness 1. That all Papists and such Persons as were not Qualified by Law should be Disarmed Disbanded and Removed from all Imployments Civil and Military 2. That all Proclamations which Reflected upon his Highness or any that was come over to him or had declared for him should be Recalled and if any Persons for so doing had been Committed they should be forthwith set at Liberty 3. That for the Security and Safety of the City of London the Custody and Government of the Tower be immediately put into the hands of the said City 4. That if his Majesty shall think to be at London during the Sitting of the Parliament his Highness might be there also with equal Number of Gards Or if his Majesty should rather chuse to be in any Place from London his Highness might be at a Place of the same Distance 5. That the Respective Armies should Remove 30 Miles from London and no more Foreign Forces should be brought into the Kingdom 6. That for the Security of the City of London and their Trade Tilbury-Fort be put into the hands of the said City 7. That to prevent the Landing of French or other Foreign Troops Portsmouth be put into such hands as by the King and Prince should be agreed upon 8. That some sufficient Part of the Publick Revenue be assigned his Highness for the Maintaining of his Forces till the Meeting of the Parliament The King upon the View of these Proposals Resolved upon a speedy Retreat into France The Prince of Wales so called was sent for before-hand to go thither along with the Queen who accordingly set out December 10. And the next Day early in the Morning the King attended by Sir Edward Hales went away from White-kall Incognito Before his Departure he sent Notice of it to the Earl of Feversham by a Letter framed in these Words MY LORD Things being come to that Extremity that I have been forced to send away the Queen and my Son the Prince of Wales that they might not fall into my Enemies hands which they must have done if they had staid I am obliged to do the same Thing and to indeavour to Secure my self the best I can in hopes it will please God out of his infinite Mercy to this unhappy Nation to touch their hearts again with true Loyalty and Honour If I could have relyed on all my Troops I might not have been put to the Extremity I am in and would at least have had one Blow for it But tho I know there are many loyal and brave Men amongst you both Officers and Souldiers yet you know that both your Self and several of the General Officers and others of the Army told me it was no ways advisable for me to venture my self at their Head or think to fight the Prince of Orange with them What remains is only for me to Thank you and all those both Officers and Souldiers who have stuck to Me and been truly Loyal not doubting in the least but that you will still retain the same Fidelity to Me. And tho I do not expect you should expose your selves by Resisting a Foreign Army and a Poisoned Nation yet I hope your former Principles are so inrooted in You that you will keep your selves free from Associations and such pernicious Things Time presses so that I can say no more J. R. The Earl of Feversham upon the Receipt of the Letter immediately dispatched a Messenger to the Prince to let him know That having received a Letter from the King with the Vnfortunate News of his Going out of England and his Majestics Order as he expresses it to make no Opposition against any body he thought himself obliged to acquaint his Highness with it as soon as it was possible to prevent Effusion of Blood To which purpose he had given the last Order to all the Troops that were under his Command Before the King's Departure several Papists foreseeing the Revolution had withdrawn themselves beyond Sea Now the Priests and Jesuites who expected no Quarter began to shift for themselves and run some one Way some another Those among the Protestants who were the most Obnoxious and had so basely comply'd with the Times were also put to their Shifts Some of both sorts were Apprehended but most made their Escape or lay Undiscovered The Lord Chancellor Jeffreys a Mezzo-tinto Protestant as forward as any Papist to Comply with King James's Designs was taken in a Disguise at Wapping Dec. 12. and committed to the Tower where he pined away and died some time after The Earl of Peterborough being secured in Kent as he was making his Escape was also sent to the Tower In the mean time the Disbanded Army dispersed it self up and down the City and Country in an unusual and unwarrantable manner to the great Disturbance of the Publick Peace and Quiet The Mobile on the other side taking an Advantage of this State of Anarchy fell to work by burning pulling down and otherwise defacing several Houses and publick Buildings of the Roman Catholicks rifling and plundering the same And without any Regard to the Character of Embassadours
the King Daclared That he did not mean by these Words that he was under any Obligation to become a Persecutor To which the Commissioners Authorized thereto by the Estates of Scotland made Answer That neither the Meaning of the Oath nor the Law of Scotland did impâ—â—â— it Then the King replied That he took the Oath in that sense and called for Witnesses the Commssioners and others present And then both Their Majesties signed the said Coâ—onation Oath After which the Commissioners and several of the Scottish Nobility kissed Their Majesties Hands Thus WILLIAM and MARY Prince and Princess of Orange were by the Grace and Providence of God for the good of these Kingdoms made King and Queen of Great Britain in Opposition to all Malecontents A Race of Men content in no Condition who in a State of Slavery are eager for Liberty and when set at Liberty are again for Slavery These are the Tools hitherto made use of by King Lewis to distract these Kingdoms under the specious Pretence of Restoring the late King James to the Throne by their dark Plotting here against the Government and their open Rebellion in Scotland Where the Duke of Gourdon Governour of Edenburg Castle held it out for King James till the 13th of June and the Lord of Dundee at the Head of an Army of Rebels was killed in a Field-fight on the 1st of August From which time the Rebels there never thrived but were glad at last to imbrace Their Majesties most Gracious Pardon The greatest Difficulty was to Reduce Ireland then in the hands of Papists fortifyed with a great Army assisted by the French King and influenced by the late King James Who look'd upon ireland as a Back-door for him to return into England with a Crucifix in one hand and a Sword in the other Ireland that had been so often Conquered by the English was now to Conquer England and the Irish did not by their Shouls consider whether it was for King James or King Lewis They were pleased with the Notion of an Infallible Conquest and before they had drawn the Sword they fell forsooth dividing the Spoil amongst themselves Incouraged by King James's Presence now come from France to Dublin about the beginning of the Year 89 nothing was to stand before them London-Derry in the North of Ireland was the only place of Note that stood out for Their Majesties The French and Irish being resolved to reduce it by Fire Sword and Famine sat before it and brought it to that extremity that good part of the Town was by French Bombs reduced into Ashes and above 5000 of the Inhabitants died for want of Provisions Yet under these dismal Circumstances the Town held out under the Conduct of that Martial Clergy-Man the Reverend Dr. Walker till it was Relieved by Major General Kirk July 31. 1689. What happened since all the World knows The famous Battle at the River Boyne fought the next Year after is an eternal Monument of King William's incomparable Valour and Conduct and of God's wonderful Providence over his Royal Person By this Battle wherein he was blessed with a glorious Victory he drove King James with full speed out of Ireland he got possession of the Capital City of Dublin besides Drogheda Wexford Waterford and other places of less note so that two parts in three of Ireland were in a manner Reduced in one Campaign Afterwards Cork and Kingsale were happily Recovered by the Earl of Marlborough And this Years Expedition under the Chief Conduct of that Valiant Fortunate Wise and Skilful General the Baron de Gâ—â—okle will be eternally famous for Compleating so Successfully the Reduction of that Kingdom by the Surrender of Ballymore the Taking of Athlone by Storm the great Victory at Aghâ—im the surrender of Galloway and Slâ—gâ— and at last that of Limerick a Place lookt upon as almâ—st Impregnable So that we see now a Kingdom which besides its own Strength has been power-fully Assisted by the French and Countenanced by the late King James intirely Reduced to their Majesties Obedience at the end of two Campaigns Which I hope may convince the most Obstinate especially after a long Chain of unaccountable and unlookt for Providences that this great Revolution is not only by the Will or Permission of Almighty God but that it is his own Work who is free to dispose of Crowns and Kingdoms to shew Mercy and Judgment upon whom he pleases And if it be so I cannot imagine how Intailed Kings good or bad can be more de Jâ—â—e Divino than our Great King William Thus we see King James II. an Unfortunate Prince who might have been a most glorious Monarch fal'n with the Loss of three Crowns a Sacrifice to Priests and Jesuits and fain to creep under the Shelter of a King who is not like to hold out long himself if he must give an Account to God and Men of the abominable Transactions of his Reign Thus is the Curse of King James I. come upon King James II which he solemnly pronounced upon any of his Posterity that should forsake the Church of England to imbrace that of Rome And yet had it been possible for him to keep within some reasonable Bounds and his Religion to himself without trampling as he did upon the Laws he might have hitherto sat upon the Throne and 't is like the Nation upon his account would have been very Indulgent to the Roman Catholick Party But he would never be advised to Moderation and no Counsellors were welcome to him but such as prompted him to Violence The Issue whereof proved accordingly All Covet all Lose And 't is observable that as great as King James was with King Lewis yet the Court of France was allowed openly to declare his Errors to the World and passed this Verdict upon him That his whole Conduct had been very little Judicious The Emperor on the other side could not forbear in his Letter to him dated April 9. 1689. amongst his tender condoling Expressions to remind him of some of his false Politicks I am heartily sorry for his Fate but it is better so than to see three Kingdoms perish I remember one of his Expressions at his first coming to the Crown that he would carry the Glory of England beyond all his Predecessors which he has made good in some sense For by his Iâ—legal and Arbitrary Methods he has given us an Opportunity after some Years of tiresom Passive Obedience of shâ—wing to the World how loth we are to part with our Laws Religion and Liberties and impatient of that uneasy double Yoak which other Nations groan under Therefore far from deserving the Censure of Mankind we are applauded for it all the World over by all disinterested sensible and rational Men. And after two weak esseminate and inglorious Reigns which had sunk the Reâ—â—tation and Honour of this Nation and made us all over Europe an Object of Scorn and Contempt we have by this way of Reprisal recovered our Credit and