and Exeter about five miles off the City sundry Companies of young Men met them with each a Club in his Hand and as they approched near they gave sundry Shouts and Huzza's saying God bless the Prince of Orange and grant him victory over all his Enemies We are his true Servants and came to fight for him as long as we are able So we all bid them welcome Here the Army passed by a Popish Lady's House which was cruel to all her Protestant Tenants she forced some to turn Papists or Apostates But had the French King's Army passed thus by a Protestant House it should soon have been fired the People put to the Sword or burnt But we have not so learn'd Christ nor been thus taught by his Ministers in our Land for no Man molested this House nor did any visit it unless a Captain and some Gentlemen which would have bought themselves Horses there having lost their own at Sea and so constrained to walk on foot till they could supply themselves with more It must needs be acknowledged by all People that his Highness took special care in marching of the Army that no Disorders should be committed and never better Order could be kept in any Army than in this as all sorts of Men confess Nay they told us at Exeter that when we were there the City was more quiet in the Night and freer from debauch'd and disorderly Persons than 't was before The poor Souldiers began now to grow lame and so marched slip-shod which was irksome After the Prince of Orange had tarried two or three Nights at Sir Will. Courtney's he with a brave Train of Nobles Knights and Gentlemen to attend him rode unto Exeter they long'd much for his coming It was a very wet and rainy Day when he came into Exeter with his Army The manner of his coming into this City being so glorious was long since published so that I shall not speak much about it The Guards rode some before and some behind him with their Swords drawn their Colours flying Kettle-Drums beating and Trumpets sounding joyfully their Officers courteously bowing unto the People all sorts and conditions of Men thronging on each side the Streets making great Acclamations and Huzza's as the Prince passed by The Windows of every House were extreamly crowded and beautified the Bells ringing The Foot Souldiers did not appear well because they were sorely weather-beaten and much dabled in marching in the Dirt and Rain and look'd very pale and thin after such a hard days march which made some People conjecture that they were dull sluggish Men. As the Prince of Orange was riding thus towards the Deanary through the City attended with Mareschal Schomberg Count Solms Count Nassau Heer Zulustein Heer Bentein the Earl of Shrewsbury the Earl of Macclesfield Lord Viscount Mordant Lord Wiltshire Earl of Argile Colonel Sidney Sir Rowland Guyn and divers other Lords Knights and Gentlemen Such was the Resolution and Desire of an old Woman to seé the Prince that she throng'd in amongst the Horse Guards and tho she was divers times in Jeopardy of her Life yet for all says she I will see him tho it cost me my Life so coming at length to him she touched his Hand and said I pray God bless you Sir and so was thrust away by the Guards but as she was going from him she put her Hand to her Heart and spake out aloud Now my very Soul within me is the better for seeing him at which Speech and Humour of this Woman his Highness himself seem'd to smile After the Prince was come unto the Deanary and had refresh'd himself with all his Lords and Gentlemen then was he pleased to go and render his hearty Thanks to Almighty God in the Cathedral Church for his safe Arrival and the whole Fleet. The People thronged the Streets to see him as he went and crouded the Quire where he was to come very much Now there were sundry Men with Holbards who cleared the way besides Sentinels So being conducted to the Bishop's Seat he sat down with about six of his Life-Guar-dMen on his Right-hand and many more before him and about him in the Quire. As he came all along the Body of the Church the Organs played very sweetly tho 't was not the right Organist himself he being gone aside on purpose as I was inform'd there And being sat the Quire began and sung Te Deum for the safe Arrival of the Prince of Orange and his Army in England as also for his whole Fleet After the Collects were ended the Reverend Dr. Burnet began to read the Declaration of his Highness William Henry by the Grace of God Prince of Orange c. Of the Reasons inducing him to appear in Arms in the Kingdom of England for preserving of the Protestant Religion and for the restoring the Laws and Liberties of England Scotland and Ireland c. At the very beginning of which Declaration the Ministers of the Church there present rushed immediately out of their Seats and busled through all the Croud going out of the Church the People remained and were very attentive to the Doctor 's reading and the Declaration being ended he said God save the Prince of Orange unto which the major part of the Multitude answered Amen So his Highness return'd to the Deanary the People ecchoing forth Huzza's as he went along Another Evening at Service one of the Ministers reading that Prayer for the pretended Prince of Wales a certain Noble-Man or two being present stood up at the same and put on their Hats Kneeling down to all the other Collects and this they did to demonstrate their Abhorrence of it The Right Reverend Bishop of this place and Diocess as soon as he had learn'd for certain that the Prince of Orange was-landed with an Army at Tor-Bay in Devonshire took his Coach and came up to give the late King James Information thereof for which he gave him the Bishoprick of York The Reverend Dean likewise took his Coach and went about six or seven Miles in the Country where he remain'd some days but returned unto his own House or Deanary before the Prince came away for we tarried at Exeter many days to refresh the Army after it had been so long on Ship-board and to recover the Horses to their former Strength as also for the Gentlemen of the Country thereabout to come and joyn his Highness there The Train of Artillery Magazine and the whole Baggage of the Army was brought hither by Water there were one and twenty good Brass Pieces for the Field divers of which were too heavy for those Roads and more than sixteen Horses could draw Arms for sundry thousand Men were now given out here which we brought with us out of Holland The first Sunday after the Prince was come unto Exeter being Novemb. 11. the Reverend Dr. Burnet preached before him at the Cathedral Church in the Morning the Quire and Body thereof being extreamly throng'd with
House they concluded 't was their best course to call and drink there because it shew'd well to the Eye and People all along were very kind to the Souldiers and would make them drink and in many Places eat Hereupon these Straglers went to the House and asked for some Beer and the People there made them eat and drink freely saying Their Master had provided for them After they had eat and drank they hastned towards their Regiments lest the Enemies Party should happen to meet them Being come a little more than a quarter of a mile from the House they grew suddenly so weak and faint that they were not able to go any farther so they lay down under a Tree not suspecting what was the matter As they were in this desperate condition by meer Providence there came a Surgeon-Major that way who espying some Souldiers supposed they were some of the Prince of Orange's Men he went to speak with them and seeing them look so fearfully their Eyes being prodigiously swell'd he ask'd presently What was the matter with them or what did ail them they told him they knew not only they had eat and drank at the Gentleman's House behind pointing to the House The Surgeon having heard of their evil Preparations prepared immediately an Antidote and gave directions what they must do whereupon they presently began to vomit and after some time they waxed a little better and made shift to get to the Waggons which carried sick Souldiers and were under the Surgeon-Major's Hands for some time At the very next Town called Yetminster one Souldier died in the Night and none could tell what was the matter with him being very well when he went to bed which Souldier I buried there according to our Liturgy The others that were poisoned were strangely altered their Eyes being swell'd after an odd manner Now the Army being advanced near Sarum and the first Line being in the City the second at Wiltion and the Towns adjacent and the Rear Line at Tevent and Dinton one Line about two or three miles off the City and the other about seven or eight The Prince of Orange with his Highness the Prince of Denmark his Grace the Duke of Ormond Mareschal Schomberg Count Solms Count Nassau Heer Zulustein Heer Benting Heer Overkirk the Earl of Shrewsbury Lord Viscount Mordant the Earl of Macclesfield Lord Wiltshire Lord Cornbury Lord Colchester and sundry other Lords Sir Will. Portman Sir Rowland Gwynn Col. Sidney and many other Knights and Gentlemen rode into the famous City of Salisbury The manner of their Entrance into this City was far more glorious than that of Exeter For here the Mayor and Aldermen met his Highness the Prince of Orange in all their Formalities First of all marched the Regiment of Foot Guards belonging to Count Solms with their Colours flying Drums beating Hoitboys playing the People thronging in the Street and making great Acclamations Next some Troops of Horse with their Kettle-Drums beating Colours flourishing Trumpets sounding the Officers shewing their Courtesy to the People Then came his Highness the Prince of Orange with the Prince of Denmark on his right Hand and the Duke of Ormond on his Left. Never were Windows more crowded with Faces of both Sexes than here never were Bells ringing more melodiously than now at Sarum never were People shouting and ecchoing forth Huzza's in the Air more than now The Bishop's Palace there being the best and most meet place both the Princes rode thither altho afterwards his Highness Prince George went to the Quarters assign'd him The Princess Ann of Denmark was gone into the North with the Ladys Churchil and Berkley and the R. R. Bishop of London to those Forces there in Arms for the Prince of Orange And hearing that the Army was advanced to Sarum she came unto the City of Oxford where Prince George met her Royal Highness and conducted her safe to London having a Dutch Guard appointed them by the Prince of Orange The late King James's Army was now much broken most of the Protestant Officers and Souldiers come away and join'd his Highness's Forces So 't was apparent to all Men there would be no Field Battel Whilst the Prince of Orange remained in this City there was great resort from all the Country round about to see him who was the Nation 's Joy and the Peoples Delight because he had done so great Things for our Land And such was his exceeding wise Conduct that the the effusion of much Blood was prevented After some stay here the Prince of Orange went to Amsbury attended with the Duke of Ormond and many of the English Nobility and Gentry besides Dutch Scotch and French The first Line was advanced towards the most renowned City of London a considerable way the Roads here being good for marching And as the Regiments marched over the Plains they made pleasant Figures sometimes marching in Battalia and sometimes in a Line The Weather now was very favourable and the way very good And being to march near one of the Wonders of the World called Stonehenge most Regiments made an halt to view this strange Sight none that saw it could render any satisfactory Account concerning it Certain Officers ask'd the Minister of Amsbury what was his Opinion because they presumed 't was within the Bounds of his Parish who told them that he supposed it to be a Trophy or Monument erected in token of some notable Victory which was obtain'd there I must confess this is the general Opinion of the greatest Antiquaries of our Nation The Custom of erecting a Trophy or Monument in token of Victory is of great Antiquity and first began among the Greeks who used in that place where the Enemies were vanquish'd to cut down the Boughs of great Trees and in the Stocks or Bodies of them to hang up Armour or other Spoils taken from the Enemy Others argued strongly that these prodigious Stones were brought out of Ireland by Merlin's Magical Art and so curiously fram'd and put together To corroborate this Opinion they assured us that a piece broken off from these Stones and put into the Wall of any Well or cast into the Water shall for certain kill and destroy all the venemous Creatures therein To proceed the Army moved daily according to the Motion of his Highness who rode from Amsbury unto a certain Gentleman's House near Collingburn The late King James being almost past all hopes sent the Marquess of Hallifax Earl of Nottingham and the Lord Godolphin as Commissioners to treat with the Prince of Orange immediately and a Trumpeter was sent down to know his Highness's pleasure Whether he would admit of them as such And his Highness was pleased to grant them leave The place appointed them was Hungerford His Highness with all his Nobles c. went to Littlecott December 8 and remain'd there the Morrow being the Lord's Day for the Army never march'd on that Day but once in case of Necessity that the Souldiers should
lay the Peace and Security of the Cities of London and Westminster by taking care to disarm all Papists and secure all Jesuits and Romish Priests and in all things endeavour to promote his Highness's generous Intentions This Declaration they ordered to be presented to his Highness by the Earl of Pembrook the Lord Viscount Weymouth the Lord Bishop of Ely the Lord Culpeper The same Day the Lieutenancy of the City of London met there also and agreed upon and signed an humble Address to be presented to his Highness by a Committee appointed viz. Sir Robert Clayton Sir William Russel Sir Basil Firebrass Kts. and Charles Duncome Esq The substance of which Address was to acknowledg the great Danger his Illustrious Highness had expos'd himself to both by Sea and land for the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and the Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom and the happy Relief he had brought to us and therefore they humbly desired that his Highness would be pleased to repair unto the City of London with all the convenient speed he could for perfecting the great Work He had so happily begun to the general Joy and Satisfaction of all The same day the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Commons of the City of London in Common Council assembled agreed on and signed an Address to be presented to his Highness the Prince of Orange the Contents whereof was To acknowledg the peril his Highness had exposed himself to both by Sea and Land and the happy Deliverance he had brought to our Nation and therefore they in the name of their Capital City did implore his Highness's Protection and did humbly beseech his Highness to vouchsafe to repair to the City where his Highness should be received with universal Joy and Satisfaction All which Addresses were presented to his Highness the Prince of Orange by the Persons appointed the 14th of December at Henly being accompanied with a great number of Citizens c. But whilst all this was transacting the late King was surprised at Feversham in Kent in a small Vessel his Guards and Coach was sent for him and he returned to Whitehal Sunday Dec. 16. about six of the Clock in the Afternoon which was some surprise to the Prince of Orange however he pursued his Journey to London and from Henley went to Windsor and set up his Standard where we shall humbly crave the liberty to leave his Highness at this famous Castle with all the Nobility and Gentry attending him and proceed with his Highness's Puissant Army for a while The Rear Regiments coming up some were quartered in one Village and some in another at Tylehurston the Regiment of the Right Honourable Colonel Sidney commanded by the Honourable Colonel Cutts was now alarm'd that the Irish were coming and had burnt Kingston upon Thames putting Man Woman and Child to the Sword and that part of these Tories were gone unto Basing-stoke to do the fame there insomuch that a certain Person who was an Inhabitant of that Town was constrained to keep away from the Place and come to the Regiments There was now riding and posting from one Town to another all the Night long and People every where in a kind of confusion As part of our Regiments of Horse were coming to Reading the Irish Souldiers gave out great swelling Words and lofty Speeehes how they would hack them to pieces there and how they would defend the seven Bridges This was on the Lord's Day and as we were informed there by divers Persons of Credit they designed to massacre the People at their Worship had they not been prevented which obliged the Inhabitants to send to the advanc'd part of the Prince's Army then a few miles distant who readily came to their Assistance being conducted a by-way into the Town and fought so courathat in a few minutes they put the Irish to flight took some and kill'd about 20 upon the place with the loss only of the Officer that led them and the Guide that conducted them into the Town At Maidenhead there was such another Action performed by the Irish as we heard there from a Worthy Divine The Irish perceiving the Army of the Prince of Orange advanced so fast and with such speed towards London perswaded the late King James to fortify Maidenhead-Bridg it being the ready Road and a difficult Post to be taken Therefore in a new Brick House which is built between the Bridg and Town they made sundry Port-holes for their great Guns and put new Pales to blind them and sundry places above to shoot with Musquets And on the middle of the Bridg they planted a great Gun or two and here they were resolved to maul the Prince's Army as they said Indeed those that understand Fortification well have presumed that the Passage there might be so fortified that thousands of Men should not win it because the Water ran in the Road-way a considerable length or some hundred Yards and the Bridg is so narrow that a Man can hardly go along without falling except he hold by the Rails the Water too being up to a Man's middle here in the Road at the lowest Ebb So the Irish bravadoing here at this Post what they would do certain worthy Persons there consulted together how to disperse the Irish or cause them to go away for they perceived well the Hearts of all Protestants were set upon his Highness their Deliverer under God and by his Blessing and the End of their Consultation was this Sundry Persons of Courage and Resolution should go in the Dark about Midnight having each of them an old Barrel or an old Kettle standing at a certain equal distance from each other they should beat the Dutch March Which Stratagem took goodeffect for these Men being got within a small distance of the Irish began to beat a Dutch March they no sooner heard it but were prodigiously surprized crying Hark Hark and another presently made answer God damn my Blood if it be not the Dutch come upon us and forthwith they began to run and hasten away without minding their great Guns or taking away any thing nay happy was that Man that could get before his Comrade and whither they went no Man could tell So the Souldiers belonging to his Highness coming to Maiden-head hearing of this Exploit highly commended both the Contrivers and Actors in it brought away the Guns and all that was left to Windsor-Castle And so I have done with both the Armies in relation to Skirmishes or Actions His Highness being now at Windsor with all his Nobility and Gentry about him the Citizens of London flock'd mightily to visit Him and congratulate his safe Arrival so far The Army being now all about Windsor and the adjacent Towns and Villages the Souldiers through the perswasions of the Country People kill'd and destroy'd hundreds of Deer in the Forest and hundreds more had been destroy'd if so be his Highness had not given out his Royal Order to the contrary The Irish Tories
where they might most perfectly see him and pulling a Bible out of his Pocket he opened it and held it so in his right Hand making many flourishes with it unto the People whose Eyes were fix'd on him and duly observ'd him thereby signifying to the People the flourishing of the Holy Gospel by God's Blessing upon the Prince of Orange's Endeavours and calling out as loud as he was able faid unto them on the top of the Rock For the Protestant Religion and maintaining of the Gospel in the Truth and Purity thereof are we all by the Goodness and Providence of God come hither after so many Storms and Tempests Moreover said he It is the Prince of Orange that 's come a zealous Defender of that Faith which is truly Ancient Catholick and Apostolical who is the Supream Governonr of this very great and formidable Fleet. Whereupon all the People shouted for Joy and Huzza's did now eccho into the Air many amongst them throwing up their Hats and all making Signs with their Hands So after the Minister had given them some Salutations and they returned him the same again he came down from off the upper Deck unto the vulgar one among his Acquaintance who spoke to him about the People on the brow or side of the Mountain 'T is methinks impossible for any Man to be so blinded as not to discern the Finger of God in this Expedition from the beginning to the end thereof for a very favourable Wind now fill'd our Sails and brought us unto the long-desired Haven to the Joy of our Hearts and comfort of England and that the Wind should turn about from East to West when we came to the very place where we were to tack about is not to be forgotten It is in effect as if the living and true God should say unto the Prince of Orange our Joshua As I was with Moses so will I be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee There shall not any Man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy Life I have prov'd thee and thou art not faithless I have weighed thee in the Ballance and thou art not found wanting Behold now will I make the Heavens to rejoice and smile upon thee Now will I turn the Hearts of this great and strong Nation unto thee I will bless thee with my right and left-hand Blessings Enter therefore and possess this good Land and be thou Ruler among my People Israel The Prince of Orange being come into the middle of the Bay called Torbay attended with three or four Men of War only that is to say one or two failing before his Vessel and one on each side the Ship in which he was and all the Merchant Ships Pinks and Fly-boats coming round him as near as they durst for safety the rest of the Men of War being out in the Rear to secure all the little Pinks and Fly-boats and withal to prevent the English Fleet from disturbing us in our Landing Here we all rode at Anchor for a little while before we landed At the upper end of Torbay there is a fair House belonging to one Mr. Carey a very rigid Papist who entertained a Priest in his House This Priest going to recreate himself on the Leads on the top thereof it being a most delightsome day as he was walking there he happended to cast his Eyes towards the Sea and espying the Fleet at a distance withal being pur-blind in his Eyes as well as blinded by Satan in his Mind he presently concludes that 't was the French Navy because he saw divers white Flags come to land the Sons of Belial which should cut off the Children of God or as they call us the Hereticks And being transported with Joy he hastned to inform his own Disciples of the House and forthwith they sung Te Deum This was second grand Mistake the third time will fall to our Lot to sing Te Deum for our safe Landing as the Prince had it done at Exeter Cathedral in the Quire And because false Reports were spread abroad that the People of this House had shot several of the Prince of Orange's Souldiers and thereupon they had burnt down the House I must inform the candid Reader that there was nothing at all in it for our People did not give them one reviling word nor they us some lodged there while we were at Torbay The major part of the Fleet being come into the Bay Boats were ordered to carry the Prince on Shore with his Guards and passing towards the Land with sundry Lords the Admiral of Rotterdam gave divers Guns at his Landing the Boat was held length-ways until he was on Shore So after he had set his Feet on Land then came all the Lords and Guards some going before his Sacred Person and some coming after There are sundry little Houses which belong unto Fisher-men between the two Hills at Tor-Bay where we landed The People of these Houses came running out at their Doors to see this happy Sight So the Prince with Mareschal Schomberg and divers Lords Knights and Gentlemen marched up the Hill which all the Fleet could see over the Houses the Colours flying and flourishing before his Highness the Trumpets sounding the Hoitboys played the Drums beat and the Lords Knights Gentlemen and Guards shouted and sundry Huzza's did now eccho in the Fleet from off the Hill insomuch that our very Hearts below on the Water were even ravished for Joy thereof On this Hill you could see all the Fleet most perfectly and the Men of War sailing up and down the Seas to clear them of all Enemies the Ships in the Rear making all the fail and speed they could The Navy was like a little City the Masts appearing like so many Spires The People were like Bees swarming all over the Bay and now all the Schievelingers are set to work to carry the Men and Horses unto Shore with speed for as yet they had done nothing The Officers and Souldiers crowded the Boats extreamly many being ready to sink under the Weight happy was that Man which could get to Land soonest And such was the eagerness of both Officers and Souldiers that divers jeoparded their Lives for haste sundry Oars were broken in rowing because too many laid hands on them some jump'd up to their Knees in Water and one or two were over Head and Ears Extraordinary pains was now taken by all sorts of Men to get their necessary things to Shore every one minding his own Concern The Night was now as the Day for Labour and all this was done left the Enemy should come before we were all in a readiness to receive them The Country Harmony was ringing of Bells for our arrival The Officers and Souldiers were continually marching up the Hill after the manner of the Guards with their Colours flying and flourishing Hoitboyes playing Drums beating and all shouting and ecchoing forth Huzza's As soon as the Prince had viewed well the