it must have fallen if the King had died without Heir VI. If the Regality then be not Descended but thus Laps'd to the People and that this most Excellent Government is therein become Defective whether it be not of necessity that this defect be supplied by a speedy Constituting some Person to that Office Power and Trust to compleat the Government VII If that be so Then what Person in this present Juncture of Affairs is most proper to be therewith Invested Whetheâ— one who at the Nations charge at all Times and upon all Occasiâ—ns and to the utmost Extremities hath given undeniable Evidence to the World of his constant Resolution and endeavours to Subvert the Religion Laws and Liberties of his People Or one who at his own Charge and at the peril of his own Honour Life and Fortune hath Rescued and Delivered the Nation from that deploâ—able Condition and Danger and whose Wisdom Vertue Courage and Conduct is an Honour to the Age the Joy of all good Men and the Fear of Bad both here and abroad and who must adorn that People over whom he shall preside VIII If then the Crown be thus fallen and must be placed de novo Whether it was ever more necessary than now to settle and limit the Succession thereof as it hath been often done by Parliament in regard there are but Three Persons of the Protestant Religion anâ— oâ— the Royal Blood viz. his Highness and the Two Princesses not much different in Age beyond whom the Descendants are many and all Roman Catholicks IX Whether then it may not be adviseable it be limited to the Prince for Life the Remainder to his Princess and the Heirs of her Body the Remainder to the Princess Ann and the Heirs of her Body the Remainder to the Prince and the Heirs of his Body In Default of such Issue to such Person and Persons as the Lords and Commons then last sitting in Parliament shall Declare and Appoint X. Whether such Limitation will not avoid all Questions which may at present or hereafter arise touching the Title of the Crown either near or remote and settle and preserve the Peace of the Nation for ever XI Whether so doing will not prevent any scruple her Highness may have of accepting the Crown in her Father's Life-time as did arâ—se in the Son of King Edward the Second XII Whether thereby the Nation will not in some measure express its Duty and Gratitude to his Highness who under God hath â—redeemed and Delivered it from Popery and Slavery and raised his own Merit above the level of a Subject XIII Whether this Great Prince whom God hath advanced for the Conduct and Safety of the Protestant World will not be the steer to accomplish those Glorious Ends XIV Whether the Two Royal Daughters consâ—dering such his Highness's securing their Right and Succession to the Crown of these Realms against all Popish Endeavours to hinder the same will not see just Cause to promote the Limitations aforesaid XV. And lastly Whether the Wisdom and Interest of the Nation doth not oblige all good Men to concur with his Highness and his most Noble Declaration and Gracious Designs To Establish their Religion their Liberties and Properties beyond all Humane Power of Violation or Subversion for the Time to come A Modest PROPOSAL to the present CONVENTION THE thing that ofiers it self in this great Conjuncture is to have a Grand Committee of Lords and Commons Forty at least from each House to be as a Privy Council or Council of State or Governing Senate It were to be wished that Twenty of each Forty might be for Life and the other Twenty Biennial Ten going off every Year Or half might be changed Annually Each Senator or Counsellor to have for his Salary or Maintenance a Thousand Pounds a Year This would be such an Advancement to the Nobility and Gentry as England never saw And the Charge is a Trifle There is more spâ—nt in some Monarchies upon Hawks Hounds and Whores The Prince to preside in this Council or Senate or such Person as he shall appoint in his stead and to have Ten Votes at least He must also be General and Admiral and must have such further Powers and such a Maintenance or Revenue as his Great Merits require But withal such as are consistent with the Government he designs for us The Prince's Maintenance should equal or exceed that of all the Senators put together All that are of this Council and all that hope to be that is all the Considerable Men of the Nation will by this means be firm to the Prince And so will those others who have the great Priviledge of Choosing them whereby they may have Confidence in their Administration And this one thing will give the Prince so strong an Interest that he needs fear no Pretension that can be against him It will be better than a Standing Army The necessity whereof nothing can prevent but such a Standing Council The Parliament to be Chosen Triermially and to meet Annually It is believed that such a Constitution as this would effectually Secure us according to the Princes good Intentions from Popery and Tyranny And the Prince will be the glorious Author of the Britannick Liberty as his Great Grand-Father was of the Belgick The Genoeses to this day adore the Memory of Andrew Doria who chose rather to make them a Free State than to be their Prince Barely to change our Master would but revive the Feuds of York and Lancaster and involve us in the like Calamities These things to continue but during the Life of the King and not to prejudice a Protestant Successor A Short Historical Account touching the Succession of the CROWN IN the Heptarchy there was no sixt Hereditary Right one King tripping up the Heels of another as he had Power till one got all Afterward no sixt Hereditary Right for Althestan the Great King was a Bastard and so were several others why by then Courage and Policy got the Crown so that a Law was made under the Saxon Monarchy de Ordinatione Regnam that directed the Election of Kings prohibiting Bastards to be Elected Edward the Confessor was not King Iure Haereditario William the First called the Conqueror had no Right buâ— from the Peoples Election William Ruffus was Elected against the Right of his Elder Bâ—othâ—â— Henry the First came in by the same way King Stephen was Elected a Clero Populo and Confirmeâ— by the Popo Henry the Second came in by Consent yet he had no Hereditary Right for his Mother was living Richard the First was charged before God and Men by the Arch-Bishop upon his Coronation that he should not presume to take the Crown unless he resolved faithfully to observe the Laws King Iohn his Brother because his Elder Brother's Son was a Foreigner was Elected a Clero Populo and being Divorced from his Wife by his new Queen he had Henry the Third Henry the Third was Confirmed
and Setled in the Kingdom by the General Election of the People and in his Life-time the Nation was Sworn to the Succession of Edward the First before he went to the Holy Land. Edward the First being out of England by the Consent of Lords and Commons was declared King. Edward the Second being misled and relying too much upon his Favourites was Deposed and his Son was declared King in his Life-time Richard the Second for his evil Government had the Fate of the Second Edward Henry the Fourth came in by Election of the People to whom Succeeded Henry the Fifth and Henry the Sixth in whose time Richard Duke of York claimed the Crown and an Act of Parliament was made that Henry the Sixth should enjoy the Crown for his Life and the said Duke after him after which King Henry raises an Army by Assistance of the Queen and Prince and at Wakefield in Battel kills the Duke for which 1 Ed. 4. they were all by Act of Parliament Attainted of Treason and one principal Reason thereof was for that the Duke being declared Heir to the Crown after Henry by Act of Parliament they had killed him Edward the Fourth enters the Stage and leaves Ed. 5. to Succeed to whom Succeeds Richard the Third Confirmed King by Act of Parliament upon Two Reasons First That by reason of a Precontract of Edward the Fourth Edward the Fifth his Eldest Son and all his other Children were Bastards Secondly For that the Son of the Duke of Clarence second Brother to Edward the Fourth had no Right because the Duke was Attainted of Treason by a Parliament of Ed. the 4 th Henry the Seventh comes in but had no Title First Because Edward the Fourth's Daughter was then living Secondly His own Mother the Countess of Richmond was then living After him Henry the Eighth wore the Crown who could have no Title by the Father in his time the Succession of the Crown was Limitted several times and the whole Nation Sworn to the Observance Sir Thomas Moor declared That the Parliament had a Power to bind the Succession which was declared to be Law by 13 Eliz. cap. 1. and made a Praemunire to hold the contrary Edward the Sixth succeeded but his Mother was married to King Henry while Ann of Cleve his Wife was living Queen Mary was declared a Bastard and by Vertue of an Act of Parliament of Henry the Eighth she Succeeded which Act being Repealed in the First of her Reign and the Crown being Limitted otherwise by Parliament all the Limitations of the Crown in King Henry the Eighth's Reign were avoided so that Queen Elizabeth who was declared a Bastard by Act of Parliament in Henry the Eighth's time and limitted to Succeed in another Act in his time and that Act repealed by Queen Mary became Queen in the force of her own Act of Parliament which declares her Lawful Queen The Crown was Entail'd in Richard the Second's time again in the time of Henry the Fourth again in the time of Henry the Sixth again in the time of Edward the Fourth again in the time of Richard the Third again in the time of Henry the Seventh Thrice in the time of Henry the Eighth And upon the Marriage of Queen Mary to King Philip of Spain both the Crowns of England and Spain were Entailed whereby it was provided that of the several Children to be Begotten upon the Queen one was to have the Crown of England another Spain another the Low-Countries the Articles of Marriage to this purpose were Confirmed by Act of Parliament and the Pope's Bull. So that it was agreed by the States of both Kingdoms and the Low-Countries and therefore probably the Universal Opinion of the Great Men of that Age That Kings and Sovereign Princes with the Consent of their States had a Power to Alter and Bind the Succession of the Crown and never denied to be Law till the Reign of King Charles the Second True it is that this Doctrine doth not go down well with those that do pretend to Prerogative added as they say by the Act of Recognition made to King Iames and the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance which do make so much talk conceâ—ning Inheritance and Heirs But let these Gentlemen consider that the Act of Recognition made no Law for the future nor doth the same cross the Statute of 13 Eliz. nor doth it take away the power of the Parliament from over-ruling the Course of the Common-Law for after-Ages Nor do the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy hold forth any such Obligation unto Heiâ—s otherwise than as supposing them to be Successors and in that Relation only And therefore was no such Allegiance due to Edward the Sixth Queen Mary or Queen Elizabeth until they were actually possest of the Crown as may appear by the Oath forced by the Statute of H. 8. touching their Succession Nor did the Law suppose any Treason could be acted against the Heirs of Ed. 6. Queen Mary or Queen Eliz. until these Heirs were actually possest of the Crown and so were Kings and Queens as by the express words in the several Statutes do appear Nor did the Recognition by the Parliament made to Queen Elizabeth declare any engagement to the People to assist and defend Her and the Heirs of Her Body otherwise than with this Limitation being Kings and Queens of this Realm as by the Statute in that behalf made doth appear Moreover had these Oaths been otherwise understood the Crown had by virtue of them been preingaged so as it could never have Descended to Queen Mary Queen Elizabeth or King Iames but must have remained to the Heirs of Edward the Sixth for ever A Narrative of the Miseries of New-England by reason of an Arbitrary Government Erected there THat a Colony so considerable as New-England is should be discouraged is not for the Honour and Interest of the English Nation in as much as the People there are generally Sober Industrious Well-Disciplin'd and apt for Martial Affairs so that he that is Sovereign of New-England may by means thereof when he pleaseth be Emperor of America Nevertheless the whole English Interest in that Territory has been of late in apparent danger of being lost and ruined and the Miseries of that People by an Arbitrary Government erected amongst them have been beyond Expression great The original of all which has been the Quo Warranto's issued out against their Charâ—ers by means whereof they have been deprived of their ancient Rights and Priviledges As for the Massachusets Colony whose Patent beareth date from the Year 1628. There was in the Year 1683 a Quo Warranto and after that in the Year 1684 a Writ of Scire Facias against them and they were required to make their appearance at Westminster in October which they knew nothing of till the month before so that it was impossible for them to answer at the time appointed yet Judgment was entred against them Plimouth Colony
of the Law of Nature did not press us at this time to come to some speedy and pertinent Determinations as to the business especially of settling the Government that Nicety which seems to be promoted and set afoot in all our Counsels might considering the Weightiness of the business in hand rather claim the just Commendation and Applauses of every good Man than as it seems now fall under their Censure and I may say Indignation If the matter debated were extraneous and the Kingdom within it self peaceably and firmly settled if the Circumstances of our Affairs were ordinary and usual and could admit of an unlimited time for their Decision if we were secure from injurious Resolutions of our Enemies abroad or from the private Machinations of disaffected Persons at home If these â—hings were so it were worthy the Wisdom of those who by their unseasonable Scruples so generally resolv'd against and now again by them started may seem either ignorant of the desperate languishing condition of these Kingdoms at present or prejudic'd and dis-affected to the Eâ—ace and Settlement of them for the future I say it were then worthy the Wisdom of these Men to dissect every particular of so important an Affair before they made any Determination of the General As we all acknowledg the extraordinary Circumstances of this Juncture so they themselves have not been a little contributing to this happy Revolution The Prince's first Declaration tells us he had the Invitation of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal Was it Justice and agreeable to Conscience then to call for Foreign Arms to assist us against our own King in the recovery of those Rights Liberties and Properties which contrary to Law he had invaded and taken from us And is it now become a Scruple in those same Consciences to be confirm'd in those Rights c. by the same Arms and Power Is that pretended absolute unlimited Power which in their Prayers and Sermons they have so often nibbled at and endavoured to retrench now in its just Debasement become so Inviolable and Sacred that it must become a Point of Faith entirely to submit to it Has this small fit of Fear and Discouragement in our implacable Enemies so well secur'd us from any future Enchroachments that we need not be careful of any further Assurance Has these Men's Re-embellish'd Honours so obliterated the Memory of the Dangers some of them so lately have escap'd and the rest justly fear'd as to free them from all Apprehensions for the future What is it these Gentlemen would be at what do they fear Is it without Reason without Justice without Precedent that we desire to be everlastingly secur'd from Popery Slavery Not without Reason for when we have seen many of our fairest Branches lopp'd off many of our Liberties invaded many of our Laws perverted and the Axe at last laid to the Root of our Government 't is high time then I say to provide for our our Safety and to put a stop to that Current which would have quickly over-run and drowned us Not without Justice for where my Life and Property is hunted after and assaulted I may by the Law of God and Man â—epel the Injury and stand in my own Vindication Not without Precedent even in Protestant Kingdoms not to mention the Romanists who both teach and practise the Deposing of evil and wicked Magistrates and though in England we may perhaps think the Changes we have very lately seen among our selves admit of no Precedent it may easily be prov'd that which hath been done of late in this Nation hath been in great part formerly presented and allowed of upon Foreign Stages yea and not many Years out of the Memory of some yet living if we would but look into the Actions of other Regions and those too wherein the Reform'd Religion is professed we shall find that they by their publick Records acknowledged that in case of Tyranny and Oppression it was lawful not only to defend their Lives and Liberties against all Assaults but reduce and declare the Persons so offending incapable of holding the Government A lively Example of this and almost exactly parallel with ours was the Case of Sigismond the Third Hereditary King of Sweden who by a Convention of the States of that Kingdom was Excluded even with his Heirs a Severity which both the Honourable Houses of Parliament here have with great Justice and Wisdom declined from that Crown for ever Some of the Articles drawn up against him were these First For swerving from their received Christian Religion as also from his Oath and Promise and Solemn Engagement made to his People at his Coronation to preserve their Rights and Priviledges as also their Holy Reform'd Religion Inviolated For departing the Country without the Consent and unwilling to the States and Orders of the Realm For exporting several Acts of great Concernment out of the Cancellarie For prosecuting such as would not embrace or favour the Romish Superstition For contemning and endeavouring to undermine and annul those laudable Institutions and Laws made for the Security of the Realm and the Establishment of the Protestant Reformed Religion For raising up what Enemies he could against his Native Country thereby to involve his Subjects in a Deluge of Blood which he intended and had almost effected For inhumanely designing and suborning Russians and Villains to Murder and Assassinate one of the chief Nobles for no other Reason but that out of Conscience and Duty he would have perswaded him from those Irregularities and notorious Breaches of the known Laws of the Land. For these and many more Causes as the sending his Son out of the Land without the Consent of the States and causing him to be brought up and educated in the Romish Superstition did the Swedes submitting the same to the Judgment of all sincere and candid Arbitratours justify their Abdication for ever of King Sigismond the Third and his Heirs from the Crown of Sweden c. and proceeded strait to the Constituting and Electing of Charles Duke of Sudermannia vid. Spanheim 's Hist. of Sweden c. And in conclusion they pray for and doubt not of a candid Construction a benign and favourable Acceptation from all Christian Emperors Kings Princes States c. of this their Legitimate Defence and to vindicate them and their most equal Cause from all Calumny or eâ—il Interpretation whatsoever The Circumstances relating to this present Juncture in England bear so near a resemblance almost in all these Grievances objected against the said Sigismond that our late King by a sort of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to have breath'd his Soul rather than to have copy'd after him though indeed in some Cases he has plainly out-done the Original especially in relation to his supposed Son. And as our King thought fit to Copy a King of Sweden I cannot apprehend how it can lessen our Judgments or Integrity our Piety or our Loyalty to follow the Example of the Swedes excepting
manner following April 11 1689. THeir Majesties being come from Whitehal to Westminster and the Nobility c. being put in Order by the Heralds They came down in State into Westminster-hall where the Swords and Spurs were presented to them After which the Dean and Prebendaries of Westminster having brought the Crowns and other Regalia presented them severally to their Majesties which with the Swords and Spurs were thereupon delivered to the Lords appointed to carry them Then the Procession began in this manner Drums and Trumpets Six Clerks in Chancery two abreast as all the rest of the Proceeding went Chaplains having Dignities Aldermen of London Masters in Chancery Solicitor and Attorney General Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber Judges Children of Westminster and of the King's Chappel Choir of Westminster and Gentlemen of the Chappel Prebends of Westminster Master of the Jewel-house Privy Councellors not Peers Two Pursuivants Baronesses Barons Bishops A Pursuivant a Vicountess Vicounts Two Heralds Countesses Earls A Herald a Marchioness Two Heralds Dutchesses Dukes Two Kings of Arms The Lord Privy Seal Lord President of the Council Archbishop of York His Royal Highness Prince George of Denmark Two Persons representing the Dukes of Aquitain and Normandy Next the Lords who bore their Majesties Regalia viz. The Earl of Manchester St. Edward's Staff and the Lord Grey of Ruthin the Spurs The Earl of Clare the Queens Scepter with the Cross and the Earl of Northampton the King's The Earls of Shrewsbury Derby and Pembroke the 3 Swords Next Garter King of Arms between the Usher of the Black Rod and the Lord Mayor of London The Lord Great Chamberlain Single The Earl of Oxford with the Sword of State between the Duke of Norfolk Earl Marshall and the Duke of Ormond Lord High-Constable for that Day then the Earl of Bedford with the Queens Sceptre of the Dove and the Earl of Rutland with the King 's the Duke of Bolton with the Queen's Orb and the Duke of Grafton with the King 's the Duke of Somerset with the Queen's Crown and the Earl of Devonshire Lord Steward of his Majesties Houshold who was made Lord. High Steward of England for that Day with the King 's The Bishop of London with the Bible between the Bishop of St. Asaph with the Paten and the Bishop of Rochester with the Chalice Then the King supported by the Bishop of Winchester and the Queen by the Bishop of Bristol under a Canopy born by Sixteen Barons of the Cinque Ports His Majesties Train born by the Master of the Robes assisted by the Lord Eland Lord Willoughby Lord Landsdowne and the Lord Dunblaine and Her Majesties Train by the Dutchess of Somerset assisted by the Lady Elizabeth Pawlett Lady Diana Vere Lady Elizabeth Cavendish and the Lady Henrietta Hyde After the King a Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber and two Grooms of the Bed-Chamber and after the Queen a Lady of the Bed-Chamber and two of Her Majesties Women Lastly the Captain of His Majesties Guard between the Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard and the Captain of the Band of Pensioners followed by the Officers and Band of Yeomen of the Guard. The Sergeants at Arms going on each side of the Regalia and the Gentlemen Pensioners on each side of the Canopy Thus Their Majesties in Their Robes of Crimson Velvet the King with a Cap and the Queen a Circlet on her Head All the Nobility in Crimson Velvet Robes with their Coronets in their Hands and the rest of the Proceeding in their proper Habits marched on foot upon Blew Cloth to Westminster-Abby all the Way and Houses on each side being Crouded with vast Number of Spectators expressing their great Joy and Satisfaction by loud repeated Acclamations Being Entred the Church and all duly seated the Bishop of London who performed this great Solemnity began with the Recognition which ended with a mighty Shout Then Their Majesties Offered and the Lords who bore the Regalia presented them at the Altar The Litany was sung by two Bishops and after the Epistle Gospel and Nicene Creed the Bishop of Salisbury Preach'd on this Text 2 Sam. 23. 3 4. After Sermon Their Majesties took the Oath and being Conducted to their Regal Chairs placed on the Theater that they might be more Conspicuous to the Members of the House of Commons who were seated in the North Cross were Anointed and presented with the Spurs and Sword and Invested with the Palls and Orbs and then with the Rings and Scepters and at Four of the Clock the Crowns were put on their Heads At sight whereof the People shouted the Drums and Trumpets sounded the great Guns were discharged and the Peers and Peeresses put on their Coronets Then the Bible was presented to Them and after the Benediction They vouchsafed to Kiss the Bishops Being Inthroned first the Bishops and then the Temporal Lords did their Homage and Kissed their Majesties left Cheeks while the Treasurer of the Houshold threw about the Coronation Medals Next followed the Communion And Their Majesties having made their second Oblation received the Holy Sacrament Then the Bishop Read the final Prayers and Their Majesties retiring into St. Edward's Chappel and being new Arrayed in Purple Velvet returned to Westminster-Hall wearing Their Rich Crowns of State and the Nobility their Coronets The Nobility c. being seated at their respective Tables which were all ready furnished before their coming in The first Course for Their Majesties Table was served up with the proper Ceremony being preceded by the great Officers and the High-Constable High-Steward and Earl-Marshall And before the second Course Charles Dymoke Esq Their Majesties Champion between the High-Constable and the Earl-Marshall performed the Challenge After which the Heralds proclaimed Their Majesties Styles Dinner being ended and the whole Solemnity performed with great Splendor and Magnificence About Eight in the Evening Their Majesties returned to White-hall A Proclamation declaring WILLIAM and MARY King and Queen of England to be King and Queen of Scotland Edinburgh April 11. 1689. WHereas the Estates of this Kingdom of Scotland by their Act of the Date of these Presents have Resolved That William and Mary King and Queen of England France and Ireland Be and Be declared King and Queen of Scotland to hold the Crown and Royal Dignity of the said Kingdom of Scotland to them the said King and Queen during their Lives and the longest Liver of Them and that the Sole and Full Exercise of the Regal Power be only in and Exercised by the said King in the Names of the said King and Queen during their joynt Lives As also the Estates having Resolved and Enacted and Instrument of Government or Claim of Right to be presented with the Offer of the Crown to the said King and Queen They do Statute and Ordain that William and Mary King and Queen of England France and Ireland be accordingly forthwith Proclaimed King and Queen of Scotland at the Mercat Cross of Edinburgh by the Lyon King at Arms
Steeds managed and used to War in Head-Pieces Back and Breast bright Armour 2. 200 Blacks brought from the Plantations of the Netherlands in America having on Imbroider'd Caps lin'd with white Fur and Plumes of White Feathers to attend the Horse 3. 200 Finlanders or Laplanders in Bears Skins taken from the Wild Beasts they had slain the common Habit of that cold Climate with black Armour and broad flaming Swords 4. 50 Gentlemen and as many Pages to attend and support the Prince's Banner bearing this Inscrption GOD and the PROTESTANT RELIGION 5. 50 Led-Horses all manag'd and brought up to the Wars with two Grooms to each Horse and two Coaches of State. 6. After these Rid the Prince on a Milk-white Palfrey armed Cap-a-Pee a Plum of White Feathers on his Head all in bright Armour and forty two Foot-men running by him 7. After his Highness followed likewise on Horseback 200 Gentlemen and Pages 8. 300 Switzers with Fuzees 9. 500 Volunteers each two led-Horses 10. His Captain and Guards 600 armed Cap-a-Pee The rest of the Army brought up the Reer Saturday most part of the day and Sabbath-day and Monday and Tuesday the main Body of the Army came and most of them only some few Regiments of Foot marched to Tiverton Collumpton Honiton c. and to the Neighbouring Parishes and the Foot to Clist-beath where they incamped and pitch'd their Tents The Bishop fled and is come for London and we hear is made Arch-bishop of York the Dean likewise withdrew whose House the Prince took for his Lodgings The Lord's-day Dr. Burnet preach'd at the Cathedral on the last Verse of 107 th Psalm wherein he observed the wonderful Providence of God towards them in the whole Conduct of Affairs in this Undertaking and how they intended to have landed the 4 th of November if it had been possible it being the Prince's Birth-day and the Day of his Marriage to the Princess but they could not possibly make the Land and so could not get the Shoar till the 5 th that England's Deliverance might be begun on the same Day that it was formerly designed for Ruin and Destruction On Monday all the Canons that were in Town were summoned to appear in the Quire and likewise the Singing-Men when after they had sung Te Deum Dr. Burnet read the Prince's Declaration and after the Declaration a short Prayer for the Success of the Prince and so departed There was not one of the Canons appeared and when the Declaration was reading the Singing-Men went away they being commanded in the Service to forbear praying for the Prince of Wales Monday Captain Burrington who lives by Crediton came to the Prince and offered him his Service who was very kindly received by Him after that every day the Gentry from all parts of Devonshire Somersetshire c. flocked to him in great numbers it would take up too much time to name them few absenting themselves and those that did there is great notice taken of them they have entered into an Association to stand and fall with the Prince several Lords came to him while here as the Lord Colchester the Lord Abbington the Lord Cornbury the Lord Shrewsbury c. It is incredible to tell you what they have brought with them except you saw it there being 200 of their Ships come into the River of Topsham Plymouth Fort is surrendered to the Prince by the Lord of Bath and the Lord Huntington and the Popish Officers that were therein with Father Turner are seized and secured and the Popish Souldiers discharged and coming hither and owning themselves such are committed by Mr. Seamour who is made our Governour and one Major Gibson Deputy-Governour Here are several thousands of Souldiers that have listed themselves and many thousands more would have done the same but the Marschal de Schomberg told the Prince there was no need of them so were dismist again They have a vast Treasure with them I am certainly informed of 50 Waggons loaded with Cash They have landed about 120 Field-Guns several of which remain still here the other are gone with the Prince The last News we had was that the Prince was at the Earl of Bristol's which is by Sherborn where we are informed that Prince George the Duke of Grafton the Lord Churchill and Colonel Trelawny met him and that the Prince saluted them in the words of David to the Men of Iudah and Benjamin 1 Chron. 12.17 If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me mine Heart shall be knit unto you but if ye be come to betray me to mine Enemies seeing there is no Wrong in my Hands the God of our Fathers look thereon and rebuke it And they replied in the words of Amasai in the 18 th Verse Thine are we David and on thy side thou Son of Jesse Peace Peace be unto thee and Peace be unto thine Helpers for thy God helpeth thee Then David received them and made them Captains of the Band. The Prince at his going from hence gave the Mayor this Character That he was worthy to be trusted for being faithful to his Trust. A further Account of the Prince's Army in a Letter sent from Exon dated Nov. 24. HAD I not insensibly over-slipt my Time the last Post you had received this then When I came here I endeavoured to inform my self after the best manner I could as to the Number and Quality of the Prince's Army and all generally concluded them to be about 30000 all pick'd Men and many of them personally present at the Siege of Buda This I am certain of that they appeared to be Men resolute well Disciplined and Stout and of an extraordinary Stature and their Arms suitable Musquets Swords and Pikes being far larger than ever I yet saw and notwithstanding the Streets were thronged almost as thick as yours on a Lord-Mayor's Day yet was it even a rarity to see one of them shorter than six Foot and some of them were I am confident six foot and a quarter if not six foot and an half in Height So that were it lawful to trust in an Arm of Flesh they might have some cause to presume but the tenour of their words were otherwise their civil deportment and their honesty of paying for what they have and the strictness of their Discipline hinders them from being otherwise winning not a little the Affections of the Country-men who daily resort hither forty or fifty in a Gang to be Listed My Lord Mordent's Regiment was soon compleated which with two others was raised and maintained at the Charge of the Gentry in this County of which Edward Seymour Esq is by the Prince made Governour During his Highness stay here which was till last Wednesday there appeared a Court most splendid composed not only of Foreign but of many of the English Nobility and Gentry which came hither to wait on his Highness since his Arrival of both Ranks upwards to the number of Sixty all mighty Gallant in their Equipage
with Hereticks do watch for all Advantages and Opportunities to destroy them being commanded thereunto by their Councils and the principles of their Church and instigated by their Priests The History of the several Wars of the Barons of England in the Reigns of King Iohn Henry the Third Edward the Second and Richard the Second in Defence of their Liberties and for redressing the many Grievances under which the Kingdom groaâ—'d is a full representation of the Infidelity and Treachery of those Kings and of the Invalidity of Treaties with them how many Grants Amendments and fair Promises had they from those Princes and yet afterwards how many Ambuscades and Snares were laid to destroy those glorious Patriots of Liberty what Violations of Compacts and Agreements and what havock was made upon all Advantages and Opportunities that those false Kings could take Read their Histories in our several Chronicles FINIS A FOURTH Collection of Papers Relating to the Present Juncture of Affairs in England VIZ. I. The Prince of Orange's first Declaration from the Hague Octob. 10. 1688. With his Highnesses Additional Declaration from the Hague Octob. 24. 88. Corrected by the Original Copy printed there II. The Bishop of Rochester's Letter to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners III. The Prince of Orange's Speech to the Gentlemen of Somersetshire and Dorsetshire coming to joyn his Highness at Exeter Nov. 15. 88. IV. A true Copy of a Paper delivered by the Earl of Devonshire to the Mayor of Darby Nov. 20. 1688. V. An Address of the Mayor c. of Lyn-Regis in Norfolk to the Duke of Norfolk And the Duke's Answer Decemb. 6. 88. VI. A Declaration of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in and about the City assembled at Guild hall Decemb. 11. 1688. VII A Paper delivered to the Prince of Orange by the Commissioners sent by his Majesty VIII The King's Letter to the Earl of Feversham on his Majesties leaving White-hall with the Earl's Answer IX A Declaration of the Prince of Orange to the Commanders in Chief of the Dispersed Regiments Troops and Companies to keep them together in Order X. An Address of the Lieutenancy of London to the Pr. of Orange XI An Address of the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Common-Council of London to the Prince of Orange XII A Speech of Sir G. Treby on delivery of the City Address Licensed and Entred according to Order London printed and are to be sold by Rich. Ianeway in Queen's-head Court in Pater-Noster Row 1688. THE DECLARATION Of His HIGHNESS VVilliam 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 restoring the Laws and Liberties of England Scotland and Ireland IT is both certain and evident to all Men that the Publick Peace and Happiness of any State or Kingdom cannot be preserved where the Laws Liberties and Customs established by the Lawful Authority in it are openly Transgressed and Annulled More especially where the Alteration of Religion is endeavoured and that a Religion which is contrary to Law is endeavoured to be introduced Upon which those who are most immediately concerned in it are indispensably bound to endeavour to preserve and maintain the established Laws Liberties and Customs and above all the Religion and Worship of God that is established among them and to take such an effectual care that the Inhabitants of the said State or Kingdom may neither be deprived of their Religion nor of their Civil Rights Which is so much the more necessary because the Greatness and Security both of Kings Royal Families and of all such as are in Authority as well as the Happiness of their Subjects and People depend in a most especial manner upon the exact observation and maintenance of these their Laws Liberties and Customs Upon these Grounds it is that we cannot any longer forbear to declare That to our great regret we see that those Counsellors who have now the chief Credit with the King have overturned the Religion Laws and Liberties of those Realms and subjected them in all Things relating to their Consciences Liberties and Properties to Arbitrary Government and that not only by secret and indirect ways but in an open and undisguised manner Those Evil Counsellors for the advancing and colouring this with some plausible Pretexts did invent and set on foot the King 's Dispensing Power by virtue of which they pretend that according to Law he can Suspend and Dispense with the Execution of the Laws that have been enacted by the Authority of the King and Parliament for the Security and Happiness of the Subject and so have rendred those Laws of no effect Though there is nothing more certain than that as no Laws can be made but by the joint concurrence of King and Parliament so likewise Laws so enacted which secure the Publick Peace and Safety of the Nation and the Lives and Liberties of every Subject in it cannot be repealed or suspended but by the same Authority For though the King may pardon the Punishment that a Transgressor has incurred and to which he is condemned as in the Cases of Treason or Felony yet it cannot be with any colour of Reason inferred from thence that the King can entirely suspend the Execution of those Laws relating to Treason or Felony Unless it is pretended that he is clothed with a Despotick and Arbitrary Power and that the Lives Liberties Honours and Estates of the Subjects depend wholly on his good Will and Pleasure and are entirely subject to him which must infallibly follow on the King 's having a Power to suspend the Execution of the Laws and to dispense with them Those Evil Counsellors in order to the giving some credit to this strange and execrable Maxim have so conducted the Matter that they have obtained a Sentence from the Judges declaring that this Dispensing Power is a Right belonging to the Crown as if it were in the Power of the Twelve Judges to offer up the Laws Rights and Liberties of the whole Nation to the King to be disposed of by him Arbitrarily and at his Pleasure and expresly contrary to Laws enacted for the Security of the Subjects In order to the obtaining this Judgment those Evil Counsellors did before-hand examine secretly the Opinion of the Judges and procured such of them as could not in Conscience concur in so pernicious a Sentence to be turned out and others to be substituted in their Rooms till by the Changes which were made in the Courts of Judicature they at last obtained that Judgment And they have raised some to those Trusts who made open profession of the Popish Religion though those are by Law rendred incapable of all such Employments It is also manifest and notorious that as his Majesty was upon his coming to the Crown received and acknowledged by all the Subjects of England Scotland and Ireland as their King without the least Opposition though he made then
the Advice to be writ clean over according to the Amendments But as they were about to part for that Dyet the Earl of Arran proposed to them as his Lordship's Advice that they should move the Prince of Orange to desire the King to return and call a Free-Parliament which would the best way to Secure the Protestant Religion and Property and to Heal all Breaches This Proposal seemed to dissatisfy the whole Meeting and the Duke of Hamilton their President Father to the Earl but they presently parted Wednesday the Ninth of Ianuary they met at three of the Clock in the same Room and Sir Patrick Hume took notice of â—he Proposal made by the Earl of Arran and desired to know if there was any there that would second it But none appearing to do it he said That what the Earl had proposed was evidently opposite and inimicous to his Highness the Prince of Orange's Undertaking his Declaration and the Good Intentions of preserving the Protestant Religion and of Restoring their Laws and Liberties exprest in it and further desired that the Meeting should declare this to be their Opinion of it The Lord Cardross seconded Sir Patrick's Motion it was answered by the Duke of Hamilton President of the Meeting That their Business was to prepare an Advice to be offered to the Prince and the Advice being now ready to go to the Vote there was no need that the Meeting should give their Sense of the Earl's Proposal which neither before nor after Sir Patrick's Motion any had pretended to own or second so that it was fallen and out of doors and that the Vote of the Meeting upon the Advice brought in by their Order would sufficiently declare their Opinion This being seconded by the Earl of Sutherland the Lord Cardross and Sir Patrick did acquiesce in it and the Meeting voted unaâ—imously the Advice following To His HIGHNESS the PRINCE of ORANGE WE the Lords and Gentlemen of the Kingdom of Scotland Assembled at your Highness's desire in this Extraordinary Conjunction do give your Highness our humble and hearty Thanks for your Pious and Generous Undertaking for Preserving of the Protestant Religion and Restoring the Laws and Liberties of these Kingdoms In order to the Attaining these Ends our humble Advice and Desire is That your Highness take upon You the Administration of all Affairs both Civil and Military the Disposal of the Publick Revenues and Fortresses of the Kingdom of Scotland and the doing every Thing that is necessary for the Preservation of the Peace of the Kingdom until a General Meeting of the States of the Nation which we humbly desire your Highness to Call to be holden at Edinburgh the Fourteenth day of March next by your Letters or Proclamation to be published at the Market-Crosses of Edinburgh and other Head-Boroughs of the several Shires and Stewartries as sufficient Intimation to All concerned and according to the Custom of the Kingdom And that the Publication of these your Letters or Proclamation be by the Sheriffs or Stewart Clerks for the Free-holders who have the value of Lands holden according to Law for making Elections and by the Town-Clerks of the several Burroughs for the meeting of the whole Burgesses of the respective Royal Burroughs to make their Elections at least Fifteen Days before the Meeting of the Estates at Edinburgh and the Respective Clerks to make Intimation thereof at least Ten Days before the Meetings for Elections And that the whole Electors and Members of the said Meeting at Edinburgh qualified as above exprest be Protestants without any other Exception or Limitation whatsoever to Deliberate and Resolve what is to be done for securing the Protestant Religion and Restoring the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom according to Your Highness's Declaration Dated at the Council-Chamber in Whitehal the Tenth Day of January 1689. This Address being Subscribed by 30 Lords and about 80 Gentlemen was presented in their presence at St. Iames 's by the Duke of Hamilton their President to his Highness the Prince of Orange who thanked them for the Trust they reposed in him and desired a Time to consider upon so weighty an Affair Upon the Fourteenth of Ianuary his Highness the Prince of Orange met again with the Scots Lords and Gentlemen at St. Iames 's And spoke to them as follows My Lords and Gentlemen IN persuance of your Advice I will untill the Meeting of the States in March next give such Orders concerning the Affairs of Scotland as are necessary for the Calling of the said Meeting for the Preserving of the Peace the applying of the Publick Revenue to the most pressing Vses and putting the Fortresses in the Hands of Persons in whom the Nation can have a just Confidence And I do further assure you That you will always find me ready to concur with you in every Thing that may be found necessary for Securing the Protestant Religion and Restoring the Laws and Liberties of the Nation The Earl of Crawfourd desired of his Highness That himself the Earl of Louthian and others come to Town since the Address was presented might have an opportunity to subscribe it which was accordingly done His Highness retireâ— and all shewed great Satisfaction with his Answer A LETTER to a Friend advising in this Extraordinary Iuncture how to free the Nation from SLAVERY for ever SIR I Doubt not but the Wisdom of the Nation will take the most effectual way to secure our Religion our Liberties and Property However being a Lover of all these I can't forbear communicating my Thoughts unto you with an assurance you 'l consider them God hath done great things for us and yet the greatest thing is not yet done there are many Difficulties in the way and many more will be thrown into it Slavery is most to be dreaded at this time What is done must be chiefly to guard against it How to do it is the principal business of the Great Men in the next Convention To know where we are is the first step to be taken Is the Government dissolved or only under some Disorders If the latter Are the Disorders such as must be laid to the Charge of the King or to his Ministers or both If to the King Are they sufficient to depose him If that be done Are we more secure from Slavery than now Will there be more than a Change of Persons in the Throne A Child for a Father a Protestant for a Papist And in a few Years the Succession may fall to the Queen of Spain or Dutchess of Savoy both Roman Catholicks and we in as great or greater danger of Popery and Slavery than we were the other day the Constitution remains the same the Iura Majestatis viz. the Militia the Power to make War or Peace the choosing Judges Sheriffs c. still in the Person of the King or if only by one Parliament restored to the People another Parliament may give them the King again Leges Posteriores priores abrogant And
us We are to observe that to abdicate an Office always supposes the Consent of him who quits And this he affirms to be the meaning of the Word out of Salust Tully Livy and Grotius But both the Supposal and the Asseveration are false For Consent implies that the Question must be put Whether the Person will Abdicate or no Which never was put to any Abdicator in this World. Upon a forc'd Resignation it has But a forc'd Resignation is no Abdication Certain it is that Abdicare signifies to renounce forgoe or abandon And the Motives to this Abdication are various and generally prevailing upon the Reason of the Person that Abdicates himself according to the Condition of Affairs and the Circumstances he is under And therefore tho a Magistrate may abdicate with the consent of others yet he rarely does it out of a natural Inclination Thus it cannot be imagined that Lentulus one of the Conspirators with Catiline abdicated the Pretorship with the Consent of his own Will for he was one of the most aspiring Men in the Universe but because he found himself so obnoxious that he could hold it no longer Thus Sylla abdicated the Dictatorship out of a Vain-glorious Opinion of Felicity that attended him and to shew that he had such an awe over the Romans that tho he were a Private Person no body durst call him to an Account for the Cruelties he had committed History tells us that Dioclesian abdicated the Empire for madness that he could not have his Will of the Christians How does the Discusser know but that King Iames abdicated the Government because he could not have his Will of the Protestants Charles the V th abdicated the Empire because he found his wonted Good Fortune had left him Bernard Rasfield Bishop of Munster finding himself between two Grindstones the Persecution of the German Priests for going about to deprive them of their Concubines and the Pope's Excommunication if he did it not abdicated his Principality and Biâ—hoprick that he might be at quiet Lastly to shew that Abdication does not always imply Consent Brutus compell'd Tarquinius Collatinus to abdicate the Consulship only because his Praenomen was invisum Civitati And then as for what the Discusser adds out of Grotius That a Neglect or Omission in the Administration of Government is by no means to be interpreted a Renunciation of it there 's no Body censures the late King for any Omission or want of Diligence in the Administration of his Government for he was too diligent indeed and that Diligence was the main Grievance which disgusted the People his Diligence to extirpate the Protestant Religion his Diligence to subvert the Laws and Liberties of the Ringdom and his Diligence to introduce Popery And this Diligence 't is to be fear'd was one of the main Causes of his Abdication Had he omitted more he would have had less reason to have abdicated And therefore it is a Vanity to infer that there can be no Pretence for an Abdication because the Word as he says always that is very rarely or never supposes the Consent of him that quits For that it is not in the Nature of Man to abdicate Empires Kingdoms Wealth and Honours but there must be some compulâ—ive Reason within that moves them to it When Princes find the Times and Constitutions of the Kingdom will not bear their Government when Emperors grow stiff and stark with Age and begin to feel the Lashes of ill-Fortune when Ambitious Aspirers perceive they must take other Measures to compass their Designs then they swallow a self-denying Ordinance and think it convenient to retire from the Cares of the World or out of Harms way The Discusser says We have but two Instances with us which look like an Abdication since the Conquest which are in the Reigns of Edward II. and Richard II. both which were unjustly depos'd by their Subjects 'T is true they were so far from looking like Abdications that they were no Abdications at all For both those Princes being under a strict Confinement it was impossible for them to abdicate unless they could have made their Escapes Therefore they were forc'd Resignations and consequently formal Deposals Nor had the Queen or Henry of Lancaster any cause to declare the Throne Vacant as having already taken care to fill it themselves And whether those Princes would have resign'd or no it would have signified little to them that were by Claim in Possession But the Discusser has overslipp'd one Instance of a Perfect Abdication since the Conquest which the King would have certainly felt to his Cost had not the Pope and the Poictovins been his true Friends and the Case was much the same as at this Time. For the Lords and Barons of the Realm in the Reign of King Iohn having often desired the King to restore them their Ancient Rights and Liberties and finding nothing but Delusions resolve no longer to be abus'd but betake themselves to Arms. The King then lying at Windsor and perceiving himself too weak for the Lords thought it no good way to proceed by Force but rather by Fraud and therefore sends to the Lords that if they would come to Windsor he would grant their Demands Thither the Lords repairing tho in a Military Manner sor they durst not trust the King's Word he saluted them all kindly and promis'd to give them Satisfaction in all they demanded And to that Purpose in a Meadow between Stains and Windsor call'd Running-Mead he freely consented to confirm their former Charters and was content that some Grave Personages should be made choice of to see it confirm'd But the next Day when it was to be done he withdraws himself privately to South-Hampton and thence to the Isle of Wight Where it was concluded that he should send to the Pope acquaint him with the Mutiny of his Lords and require his Holinesses help In the mean time the King lay sculking up and down for three Months together in Corners that no Body knew where to find him or which was worse as some write roving and practising Pyracy upon the Neighbouring Seas Whether the Lords and Barons did in Words declare this to be a Vacancy of the Throne is not material to enquire Perhaps they were not so curious in those Days But what they did in Deeds amounted to the same as if they had done it in Words For perceiving themselves thus eluded they swore upon the Holy Altar to be reveng'd And what Revenge that was likely to have been is easy to conjecture by their swearing Allegiance afterwards to Lewis the French King's Son and bearing Fealty to him till the Death of the King. Whence it may be inferr'd That if a Prince in Hostility with his Subjects deserts his Kingdom upon any Account They who are next to the Government are not to hesitate as King Iohn's Barons did in expectation of the King's Return but immediately to take care of the Common Safety lest they should bring the