preserve the Religion and Liberties of the People under the Glory and Greatness of a King But the Experince of King James his Reign shewed us sufficiently how easy it was for a King to break through the â—ence of the Laws and that they were but Cobwebs to a Prince whose Zeal or Ambition could not indure any Bounds What Ways could be found out so to â—ye up his Hands as to Secure his Subjects but such as must make him a meer Titular King which had been a greater Affront put upon Majesty than downright Deposing of him He therefore chose rather to quit the Crown than be turned from the sweet Exercise of an Absolute Power to the State of a Baby King to be turned and wound by his Subjects as they pleased to observe their Dictates and submit to their Motions Some were for making the Princess of Orange Regent Others the Prince Some again were for declaring the Crown forfeited or demised and proclaiming only the Princess of Orange Queen Others for making the Prince of Orange only King But the Plurality carryed it first for having the Government Dissolved then making the Prince and Princess of Orange joyntly King and Queen of England c. The publick Acts to run in the Name of Both but the Executive Power to be solely in the King Thus King James II. for having indeavoured to Subvert the Constitution of the Kingdom by breaking the Original Contract between King and People and by Advice of Jesuites and other wicked Persons Violated the Fundamental Laws and having at last Withdrawn himself out of this Kingdom was Voted by the House of Commons to have Abdicated the Government and the Throne to be Vatant And after several Days Debates about it the House of Lords at last fully Agreed all Things in Dispute So that King James having forfeited by his Male-Administration of the Regal Trust of the Executive Power both in himself and his Heirs Lineal and Collateral the same devolved back to the People Who might lawfully dispose thereof by their Representatives according to their good Will and Pleasure for their future Government and Peace Benefit and Security Which was a clear Assertion of the Peoples Right a firm Evidence of a Contract broken and a sure Precedent to all Ages when after a most solemn Debate the Estates of England declare That the King having Abdicated the Government and the Throne thereby Vacant They think fit to fill it again with One who is not Immediate in the Line Fesides that it will be a Caution to succeeding Kings of what satal Consequence a general Derogation from the Laws may be when they find by this Instance the Exercise of the Kingly Office in danger not only with Reference to Themselves but precarious to their Family And now to fill up the Throne what better Choice could the Convention make than of that very Prince who with so great Expence Hazard conduct Courage and Generosity had so wonderfully Rescued us both from Spiritual and Temporal Slavery and Restored us to our ancient Laws Religion and Properties In Prudence Honour and Gratitude they could do no less than Pray him to Accept the Crown Which was done accordingly But the Nation 's Gratitude and Generosity went further by making the Prince and Princess of Orange King and Queen joyntly it being a Demonstration of the Inestimable Value the People had for Her Highness notwithstanding the Male-Administration of her Unhappy Father Thus the Prince and Princess were made equal in Dignity but not in Authority For the Executive Power was solely lodged in the Prince First because two Persons equal in Authority might differ in Opinion and consequently in Command and it is evident no Man can serve two Masters Secondly because a Man by Nature Education and Experience is generally rendred more capable to Govern than a Woman And as the present State of Europe in general so that of these Kingdoms in particular required a vigorous and masculine Administration To recover what was lost to rescue what was in danger and rectify what was amiss could not be effected but by a Prince consummate in the Art both of Peace and War A Prince of known Honour profound Wisdom undaunted Courage and incomparable Merit naturally inclined to be Just Merciful and Peaceable and to do all publick Acts of Generosity for the good of Societies Therefore as the Convention thought fit out of Generosity to declare the Prince and Princess King and Queen joyntly that they might both equally share the Glory of a Crown and we the Happiness of their Auspicious Reign so out of Prudence they lodged the Executive Power in the Prince only as the fittest Person under Heaven to Govern in this difficult Juncture During these Transactions the Princess of Orange arrived from Holland and Landed at White-Hall on the 12th of February the welcome News whereof was received with all manner of Publick Demonstrations of Joy The next Day the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons Assembled at Westminister presented to the Prince and Princess their Declaration by the Marquess of Hallifax Speaker to the House of Lords Which Declaration contained a Sum of the late King James's Trespasses upon the Laws of the Kingdom and the Liberties of the People the Vindication of the Ancient Rights and Liberties of the People by declaring his assumed Power Illegal their Offer of the Crown to Their Highnesies and the new Oaths to be taken according to the late Resolves of the Grand Convention The Offer of the Crown with the Settlement thereof was thus expresied That William and Mary Prince and Princess of Orange be and be declared King and Queen of England France and Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging To hold the Crown and Royal Digâ—ity of the said Kingdoms and Dominions to them the said Prince and Princess during their Lives and the Life of the Surviver of them And that the sole and full Exercise of the Regal Power be only in and executed by the said Prince of Orange in the Names of the said Prince and Princess during their joynt Lives and after their Deceases the said Crown and Royal Dignity of the said Kingdoms and Dominions to be to the Heirs of the Body of the said Princess and for default of such Issue to the Princess Anâ— of Denmark and the Heirs of her Body and for default of such Issue to the Heirs of the Body of the said Prince of Orange To which his Highness gave this Gracious Answer My Lords and Gentlemen This is certainly the greatest Proof of the Trust you have in Vs that can be given which is the Thing that makes us Value it the more and we thankfully Accept what you have Offered And as I had no other Intention in coming hither than to preserve your Religion Laws and Liberties so you may be sure that I shall indeavour to support them and shall be willing to concur in any Thing that shall be for the Good of the Kingdom and to do
Papists attributed to the Kings Progress to St. Winifred's Wells others to the Bath but most to the Lady of Loretto who for the sake of a fine Present made forsooth made to her by the Queens Mother the Dutchess of Mâ—dena helped her to conceive a Son A Son it must be by all means for nothing would serve their turn but a Prince of Wales And tho it proved but a Daughter yet most Priests were of Opinion that it would set aside the Princess of Orange's Right to the Succession for which they had no better Argument than that a Daughter born after the King came to the Crown ought to succeed before a Daughter born before he came to it Which argued their Ignorance I grant without reflecting in the least upon the King That this pretended Conception to be real must be done by a Miracle The Queen as is before hinted had laboured a long time under great Infirmities and was so far from giving Life to another that with much a do she kept her self alive Nothing therefore but a Miracle could do that which her weak Condition made her incapable of But upon a strict Inquiry into those various Circumstances that attend a Woman with Child and the Want of them in the Queen 't is more than probable it was a meer Fiction and a Design on Foot to cut off the Princess of Orange from her Right to the Succession And 't is observable that some time before the Report of this unexpected and miraculous Pregnancy of the Queen the Prince and Princess of Orange had been very much pressed in the King's Name to declare themselves for the Abolishing the Penal Laws and the Tests Which his Majesty not being able to gain upon them he was heard to say with much anger that He would trouble himself no more with them but they should Repent it Soon after this the Rumor of the Queen's Conception was spread abroad with great Industry but believed by none but Papists or Persons Popishly affected For amongst others it became a Matter of Laughter and Derision and a Subjest for Poets Lampoons which grew so common that White-hall it self was full of them But the Papists who lookt upon it as a certain Way to procure their Settlement here triumphed nevertheless And the fruth is this was the best VVay they could find to lessen the growing Reputation and Power of Their Highnesses to weaken their Interest and thâ—t of the whole Body of Protestants to incourage the â—â—enâ— King in the Prosecution of his cruel Designs against them to strengthen the English Papist and make our Corrupt and Time-serving Protestants fall in with their Party and lastly to possess many weak Dissenters that their Liberty of Conscience must of necessity be fixt in a Popish Succession The King therefore to give the greater Credit to this pretended Conception ordered a Day of Thanksgiving for it with solemn Prayers to be offered unto God for the Preservation of the Queen and Infant Though he knew well enough that sew People besides his own Party gave any credit to it To come now to the usual Circumstances that attend a Conception the first natural Sign is the Stopping the Monthly Courses By the King's Speech in Council it seems Their Majesties had both thought fit to publish her Conception to have been at the Time of the Present made to the Ladies Image at Loretto upon his Return to the Queen at Bath Now 't is very well known that it was with Her afterward as formerly after the manner of Women and all the Industry used to conceal it proved Ineffectual because it came to the Knowledge of more than were made privy to the Plot. And whereas in four Months time the Breasts of a VVoman with Child begin to swell and yield Milk the Queens Breasts never swelled all the time of her pretended Child-bearing nor produced any Milk whatever one Court Lady affirmed to the contrary If the Queen had any Milk in her Breasts it was so much for her Interest and the Credit of her Cause to convince the VVorld of her real being with Child by giving that signal Demonstration of it that I had rather think her Majesty wanted Milk than so much common Prudence as to make it appear in case she had any And we are very well assured that none of the Ladies proper to be VVitnesses could ever obtain the satisfaction to see a drop of Milk from her Breasts The same Reason we have to disbelieve the Quickening of the Child in her VVomb however industriously it was spread abroad For the feeling of its Motion was never vouchsafed to any competent VVitnesses of it which would have been a main Proof of her Pregnancy had there been any such Thing And therefore 't was expected to give the suspicious Kingdom a Ground to believe the Queen to be really with Child that her Majesty would have made some of the Protestant Ladies of her Bed-Chamber sensible of so great a Proof of her being in the Codition she pretended Another manifest Sign of the true natural Progress of a Great Belly is the Distension of all the Parts of the Body that incompass the Womb. The Queen indeed had her Belly exceedingly copped up and high But as it was observed by skilful Matrons all the outward Parts of her Body that incircle the Womb were of the same proportion that they were at other times And when they minded her Majesty walking and lookt upon her behind and on each side they could see no appearance in her of a Great Bellied Woman Her Bodies were made without alteration And during all the last four Months when she was to change her Linnen She always withdrew from her Chamber with two or three Italian Women and retired into her Closet or some other private Room contrary to her former usual Course and would not suffer any of the Protestant Ladies of the Bed-Chamber to see her shift her self as they had constantly done All these are strong Presumptions that the Queen 's Great Belly was but a false Appearance to delude the Nation But there are other Circumstances that create as great a Prejudice against it In the Preparation for Her Majesties supposed Delivery it was expected that early Notice should be given to the Princess of the Blood of her expected Travel and of the Place of her Residence at such time that proper Noble Matrons and others might prepare themselves and attend there in their behalf who by their Testimonies might have for ever suppressed and silenced all Suspicions of Fraud or Imposture It was hoped at least that the Princess of Denmark would have been present to see what was brought forth But Care was taken to advise her when she wanted astringent Medicines to go to the loosening Waters of the Bath and to keep her 80 miles distant till the supposed Prince should be born To conceal the Time and intended Place for this fictitious Travel such Artifices were used that no body could tell when
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
are now able by the Grace of God to lift up our Heads beyond their expectation But if you inquire into the Causes of this sudden Change a Nameless Author will bring you in a parcel of Jesuits a sort of hair-brain'd Statesmen and yet bred up in a Cloyster who being unacquainted both with the English Temper and Constitution hoped to have carried two such things as Popery and Arbitrary Power both at once upon so Jealous a Nation as the English is which hates them above any other People in the World And yet these are the Men that bore the greatest sway in King James's Counsels I confess says he a Nation of less Sense might have been Imposed upon of less bravery and Valour might have been Frighted of a more servile Temper might have neglected its Liberties till it had been too late to have recovered them These Jesuits Manage with the Dissenters of one side and the Church of England Party on the other shews how shallow-brain'd they were One would think the cruel Slaughter they had caused to be made by the Course of Justice of the poor Wretches that were taken after the Defeat of Monmouth's Army near Bridgewater should have made them for ever despair of gaining any Credit with the Dissenters who rarely forgive but never forget any ill Treatment But on the contrary they had so little sense as to build all their hopes on them for having procured unto them a Liberty of Conscience Arbitrarily and Illegally granted and consequently Revocable at the Will of the Granter Thus these little Politico's rely'd upon the Dissenters Gratitude and pretended Insensibility as if for an uncertain Liberty of Conscience they would have sold themselves to everlasting Slavery On the other side if we look upon their Carriage towards the Church of England Party it will appear how little they were to be trusted by the whole Protestant Party First they pursued both Clergy and Laity with the utmost obloquy hatred oppression and contempt But when they sound the Dutch Storm coming upon them who but the Church of England Men Then the Bishops were presently sent for and all Places Presses and flying Papers fill'd with the Encomiums of the Church of England's Loyalty who but few days before were represented as Malecontents if not Rebels and Traytors for Opposing the King's Dispensing Power and the Ecclesâ—astical Commission To Compleat their Folly and Madness they perswaded King James to Throw up the Government and Retire into France For they pretended we should never be able to agree amongst our selves but would in a short time be forced to recall him and fairly yield to his Will and Pleasure or be compell'd to it by the Succours he might gain in France Had France been now in Peace there might have been says my Author some Colour for this But when all Europe was under a Necessity to Unite against him for its own Preservation then to perswade King James to desert his Throne and fly to France for Succour this was so silly a Project that there seems to have been something of a Divine Infatuation in it The Prince of Orange might have taught them cunctari who would not stir from Holland till he saw France and Germany irrevocably Ingaged in War as it happened by the Siege of Philipsburg Thus all Things considered either King James should have staid here and made as good Terms as he could with the Prince of Orange and his own Subjects Or if he would Abandon his Kingdoms he ought to have despaired of any Restitution and betaken himself to a private Life as Queen Christina did THE POSTSCRIPT By Way of Advice to the Jacobite Party NOw Ireland is Reduced and the Scotch Rebellions Suppressed 't is high Time for you Gentlemen to Capitulate Providence has declared it self against you your Idol the French King's Oracles are ceased and he has now at last most basely left you in the lurch In short there is no hopes or prospect of Relief You have done enough in Conscience and more than enough for King James You have out-done not only your Ancestors but Primitive Christianity it self in your fond Scruple of Conscience about the Oaths and have evidenced to the World how Impossible it is to serve two Masters Only some of you went too far and made shift for King James's Service to swear themselves true Subjects to King William and Queen Mary too To bring back King James with Popery Triumphant you have stuck at nothing and have over come even Nature it self by putting your selves under a King's Protection who ever was an Enemy to this Crown and Nation I mean the great King Lewis whose Quarrel you espoused whose Greatness you admired whose Successes you applauded too A Most Christian King in League with Turks and Tartars now become your Confederates against the Prefessors of the Name of Christ A Prince who has a great Account to give to God and Men of his infinite Extortions Rapines Violences Breach of Faith Bloodshed and Persecutions With this great Tyrant Usurper and Persecutor you have indeavoured to Overthrow the present Government by dark Plots and Conspiracies by bold Speeches and virulent Libels by filling the Nation with Fears and Jealousies But that which I chiefly admire you for is your Withstanding all Temptations of Plenty Ease and Liberty to become miserable Slaves even for Conscience sake Your being proof against the strongest Arguments of the best Pens of the Nation which could never make the least Impression upon you To which add your fervent but ineffectual Prayers and Supplications to God for a Blessing upon your â—â—â—â—al Indeavours and if they have not prospered 't is not your Fault In a Word so transcendent and meritorious has been your Loyalty to the late King James that no Age can parallel it So great that like Solomon's Wisdom never was the like before it nor I hope will ever be after So desperate that it made you willing to Sacrifice your Lives and Fortunes your Liberty Nation Posterity and some of you their Religion only to have the Satisfaction to sing Allelujah at the Return of King James All this was well enough according to your Principles as long as Limerick held out But now the Case is altered and it is time to Desist King James his Back-door is shut and the Great King having now withdrawn his powerful Arm t is in vain for you to hold out I advise you therefore to Surrender while it is time to Their Majesties Mercy and to become Their true and faithful Subjects under whose easy Scepter you may live happily Thus you will be no more lookt upon as you have been hitherto with Pity Scorn and Indignation With Pity as being Misguided by an erroneous Principle With Score for the greatest Infatuation that Men were ever guilty of to stand for Slavery when you are Free as you wished for Deliverance when you were in Captivity With Indignation as being the Bane of the Government under whose Protection you live When all is done you cannot but grant that the King is none of those frightful Princes that you took him to be from the Lords Speech without Doors and others of his Kidney Nor have we felt in the space of almost three Years any of those direful Influences of his Reign which those unlucky Fortune-tellers did once threaten us with He is a merciful King You have experienced it A Wise and Warlike Prince France it self does own it So great is his Fame and Interest abroad that He is in a manner the Oracle of most Christian Princes and the most likely King we have had since Henry Vâ—to make this Nation both Glorious and Happy As he is a Pattern for Princes in point of Government so in the Course of a Christian Life he is a Pattern for Subjects being both Good and Great and therefore the fittest Monarch to make this Nation so After so many esseminate and inglorious Reigns what greater Blessing could Heavens bestow upon us than a Prince so well qualified to Reign in these Kingdoms This is not all It has pleased God to redouble our Happiness by setting over us in Conjunction with his Majesty a Queen who is the Glory of her Sex and a Princess alone worthy of so great a Prince Let us therefore be Unanimous and say with one Voice God Save and Prosper King William and Queen Mary An Advertisement of some Books sold by Samuel Clement at the Lute in Paul's-Church-Yard 1. GOd's Revenge against Murther and Adultery expressed in Thirty several Tragical Histories The Third Edition By Thomas Wright M. A. of St. Peters College in Cambrâ—dge 2. The English Grammar setting sorth the Grounds of the English Tongue By Guy Miege Gent. The Second Edition 3. The Delightful History of Don Quixot the most Renowned Baron of Mancha With the Comical Humours of Sancho Panca The Second Edition