the French King to Reason the English Parliament at the same time declaring strongly for it and offering the King considerable Summes of Mony to carry on the projected Design against the Disturber of Christendom The Alliance was to be carried on in order to the recovering a satisfaction by such means as should be thought most expedient and best agreeable and indeed for a time it was vigorously maintained the Parliament of England pressing it with a more than ordinary Ardour and the King sent the Lord Montague his Ambassadour to France once more to press that King to a Compliance making at the same time new Levies of Horse and Foot However the French King rejecting the Propositions was not idle but made great preparations for War whereupon the King of Great Britain recalled his Forces that were in the French Service who were sent home without their Arrears But whilst the Confederates were agreeing about their Quota's or Levies the French early in the Spring besieged Gaunt which being taken by reason of the insufficiency of the Garison to maintain a place of that vast Circuit they sate down before Ypre which after a resolute defence surrendred These Places thus lost for want of succour made the Confederates draw out from all Parts the Prince of Orange being the first that took the Field and the Duke of Monmouth arrived at Bruges with about 3000 English Horse and Foot but the French King having done as much as he thought convenient at that time putting the greater part of his numerous Armies into Garisons to refresh them he retired to Paris but hearing the League against him continually strengthened by new Alliances and a Prohibition of the growth of his Kingdom he thought it no longer convenient to delay but formed himself a Project of Accommodation to this purpose viz. That the Prince and Bishop of Strasburgh should be entirely restored to all his Territories Honours Prerogatives and Goods and Prince William of Furstemburgh his Brother be set at Liberty That in relation to the Emperour he would stand to his Declarations insisting upon the Treaties of Westphalia offering to restore Philipsburgh or Friburgh That to the King of Spain he would restore Charleroy Aeith Courtray Gaunt Oudenard and St. Guilain together with Chastlerains and all their Dependencies but reserve to himself Conde Bouchain Air Cambray Valenciennes and Saint Omers with all their Castles and Dependencies with La Frenche Conte entire That he would restore Charlemont or Dinant to the Spaniard with the Emperour and Bishop of Liege's consent That the Confines between Spain the Low Countrys from the Sea should be the Meuse Newport Courtray Aeith Dixmund Mons Oudenard Namur and Charleroy and those Bounds to be assured by those Places That moreover to the States General he would restore Maestricht and allow the Commerce as formerly granted That he would restore to the Duke of Lorain according to the Pyrenean Treaty or surrender to him excepting Nancy all his Territories and in lieit of that City he would give him Toul thereby only reserving to himself a free passage into Alsatia And farther demanded satisfaction for his Allies The proposals were not generally liked yet after many Difficulties and Refusals the Treaty was at length signed by the Plenipotentiaries of France and Holland on the 11th of August 1678. yet the delays of the French King proved extremely prejudicial to his Affairs especially in lessening the Reputation his Arms had gained for whilst the Treaty held with indifferency and wavered without any certainty of coming to a conclusion the Prince of Orange having joyned the Confederate Forces they called a Council of War in which it was concluded that seeing Mons a City of the Province of Hainault had been a long time Blocked up by the French and that the Duke of Luxemburgh was on his March with the Army under his Command to prevent any Succours being put into the City that it was convenient to intercept him and with this Resolution the Prince and the Confederate Army set forward about the beginning of August and was joyned in his March by six thousand Munsterians and Brandenburghers under the Command of General Spaen The French upon notice of his Approach removed from Soignes where they had lain for some time encamped where the next day the Prince decamped with the Confederate Army and from thence marched toward Rockless advancing the left Wing as far as the Abby of St. Dennis that Place being the Duke of Luxemburgh's chief Quarters facing with his Right Wing Casteau possessed likewise by the French and although the Passes were extreme difficult which rendred the French more secure yet the Army being embatteled his Highness commanded a Party to drive the French from a Hillock they had possessed which was performed with little difficulty and then he caused the great Guns to play upon the Enemy that had posted themselves near the Cloister adjacent to the Town and though they strove to defend it with their Cannon yet after a considerable Battery a Party of Dragoons advanced and after a sharp dispute drove them thence and possessed the Place when in the mean time Adjutant General Collyer seconded by General Delwick passed the Defiles or narrow dirty Lanes with admirable courage contrary to the expectation of the French and drove them after a strenuous resistence into their own Lines when the Prince accompanied by the Duke of Monmouth who fought by his side that day fell in with great resolution and bravery encouraging by words and actions the Regiments that were advanced and signallizing his Valour above Report which so animated the Regiments of the left Wing that they followed each other till the Evening charging with great resolution and Count Horn bending the Cannon under his Charge against the Battalions of French that were drawn up in the Valley it greatly endamaged them by battering their Ranks The Fight being thus begun was carried on and maintained with much resolution and bravery the Prince forcing his Passage to Casteau which had been Attacked by the Spaniards in the right Wing where his Regiments of Foot-Guards had the Van-Guard under the Command of Count Solms and was seconded by the Regiments of Holstein Roques Sereres and they supported by the English who through the natural aversion they had to the French charged with such fury that the obstinate resistence the Enemy made could not sustain their impetuosity for after five hours dispute the French were driven from their Post by the Regiments of Guards who pursued them to the River Haines on the other side of Casteau And in this Battel it was that the renowned Earl of Ossory who commanded the English signalized his Valour and indeed the whole stress of the Battel lay upon the Infantry the Cavalry not being very serviceable in a Place of such narrow access and so full of precipices Night putting an end to the Slaughter the Duke of Luxemburgh finding his loss great and that he was no longer capable of
chief at that Siege The Prince of Orange having drawn off his Forces from before Maestricht and given the Mareschal de Schomberg who commanded the French Forces all the opportunity imaginable to engage which he declined thinking it sufficient that he had relieved the Town he decamped from Lenaken and marched to St. Tron and there he sent the Regiments that had sustained the greatest Loss in this Siege into Holland to refresh and recruit and so with the rest of the Cavalry and Infantry took his way towards Janche and Partuise his Excellency the Duke De Villa Hermosa leading the Van the Duke of Osnaburgh the main Battel and his Highness the Rear-Guard and although the French Army marched after him yet they attempted nothing upon his Forces however the Troups being allarm'd drew up in Battalia to expect them And now the Winter-season advancing and the time of Action over his Highness left the Army under the Command of Count Waldeck and returned to Holland where he was received with many Demonstrations of joy and proceeded to give the general Assembly of States an Account of that Summers Campaign so much to their satisfaction that the President in a most solemn manner congratulated his safe Return in his own and in the names of all the States there assembled As likewise did the States of Holland by the Pensioner Fagel acknowledging all the Kindness and Gratitude imaginable for the Care and Pains he had taken and the Danger he had exposed his Person to for the Honour and Service of the State. In the year following after a bloudy and doubtfull War great were the expectations of the People that a Peace would ensue and the sooner to bring it to pass his Majesty of Great Britain laboured by his Ambassadours and Envoys in the Court of the Princes and engaged for an Accommodation after the expence of so much Bloud and Treasure as this vigorous War had exhausted but it went not on so prosperously as was wished by reason the French in the dead of the Winter were upon their March towards the Netherlands which retarded the Negotiation and by the first of March they had invested Valenciennes with between fifty and sixty thousand Men under the Command of the Duke of Luxemburgh and the Count of Montal nor was it long before the King came to the Army with a great number of Voluntier Gentlemen The Garison of that City consisted at that time of no more than 2000 Italians Spaniards and Walloon Foot and of about one thousand Horse and Dragoons Commanded by the Marquess of Resburg so that before any considerable Force of the Confederates could take the Field this City was formally besieged and the Siegâ— carried on with extraordinary vigour as well by throwing Granadoes into it as battering it with Cannon running Trenches Mining c. which so far facilitated the Enterprize by continually allarming and wearying out the besieged that the besiegers made themselves Masters of the Counterscarp and Horne-work with little difficulty and turned the Guns they found there upon the City which created such a Consternation that the Governour finding the Soldiers and Inhabitants no longer willing to hazard themselves against the encroaching Enemy and not expecting any timely relief he being at the same time wounded and obliged to keep his Bed the Place surrendred upon discretion yet the French King commanded the Soldiers not to pillage it and gave the Count of Risburg his Liberty when hightened with this success he divided his Army and at once besieged Cambray and St. Omers the former of which though well Garisoned he took without much difficulty viz the Town but the Castle whither the Soldiers retired to make their last Effort held him in play much longer The Prince of Orange having by this time taken the Field marched with the Army under his Command to the Relief of St. Omers of which the French King had no sooner notice but he sent away part of his Army to strengthen that Leagure maintained by the Duke of Orleance Nor was it unseasonable for the Prince having passed many difficult ways as also the River Pene gave the Duke Battel who had drawn off the greatest part of his Army to oppose him and though by the ill Discipline and Conduct of the left Wing the disadvantage of Ground and superiour number of the French after a long and doubtfull Fight wherein he extremely hazarded his Person and received two shots upon his Armour he found himself obliged to retire with some Loss Yet such was the Action that the Duke returned not to the Siege in eight days after for fear of a second Attack nor till he was assured his Highness had passed the Chanel of Gaunt and then after a furious Battery the Garison who considered the encrease of his Army and the little hopes they had of Relief surrendred upon advantageous Articles and about this time News came that the Cittadel or Castle of Cambray after an obstinate resistence had surrendred upon very advantageous or honourable Conditions This early success of the French King roused the Confederates who hastened their Armies from all Parts and rendezvouzing near Alost made a formidable Body all but the Army the Duke of Lorain had brought into the Field submitting to the Command of the Prince which so amazed the French King that leaving the Mareschal de Crequi and the Duke of Luxemburgh the former to attend the motion of the Duke of Lorain and the latter to observe the Prince he left the Field and returned to Paris whereupon his Highness marched towards Aeth accompanied with the Duke De Villa Hermosa and the Duke of Osnaburgh in order to dislodge the French that were quartered under its Walls or oblige them to Battel but finding the Duke of Luxemburgh who commanded there advantageously encamped between two Rivers and well fortified showing no inclination to leave his Post he at that time contented himself with the making a flying Camp to prevent the French Parties straggling abroad and harrasing the nighbouring Countries and with the reft of the Army set down before Charleroy an important City strongly Garisoned by the French which obliged the Duke of Luxemburgh for the better strengthening his Army to draw the Soldiers out of divers Garisons and by that means formed a Body of 40000 Men with which he first endeavoured to cut off their Forage and Provision coming from beyond the Sambre and there the better to effect it he strongly entrenched himself as knowing the cutting off the Forage must of necessity distress the Prince which accordingly succeeded and was one of the chief occasions that induced his Highness to draw off the Army and march to Sombrief and finding he could not oblige the French to a Battel without great disadvantage their chief aim being only to hinder his laying Siege to any Place of note he drew nearer Brussels and there having given necessary Orders and left the Charge of the Armies to Count Waldeck he passed from
making good his Post drew off under the favour of the darkness of the Night in much Silence and Confusion and took a new Post nearer Mons covering his Army with a Wood on the one side and on the other it was secured by a River leaving behind him most of the wounded Men with many Tents and much Baggage and Ammunition The Prince upon this advantage would have pursued the French to have given them a total Defeat and free the Town of Mons from the apprehension of Danger But whilst he was preparing to make a second Attack an Express was sent him that the Treaty was signed between the States and the French King however they congratulated his Highness upon this Success in an extraordinary manner intreating him to be more sparing of their safety than to hazard himself in the midst of danger and the better to demonstrate at how dear a rate they esteemed his preservation they sent to Mr. Owerkirks a Person who had enterposed himself between the Prince and a French Captain that in the heat of the Fight was in a full Carier to charge him at adisadvantage a Sword whose Hilt was of Massy Gold a pair of Pistols inlay'd with Gold and a pair of golden Horse-buckles Upon the News that the Treaty was signed a Cessation of Arms ensued and upon the Duke of Luxemburgh's drawing off to the Country between the Muse and Sambre the Prince marched to Escousines upon the Road to Nivelle and there being no farther Business in relation to warlike Action he came to the Hague where he was received by the People with the highest demonstration of Joy and Acclamation and this last success no doubt hastened the Conclusion of the Treaty between France and Spain which was agreed on the 17th of November following yet it lasted not long before the French King upon the claiming several places in the Spanish Netherlands as Dependencies blocked up Luxemburgh which obliged the King of Great Britain Guarrantee of the Peace to interpose his Authority as likewise did the States by way of Mediation but the French King would not hearken to the quitting the claim he had laid unless the City of Luxemburgh might be put into his Possession with all its Dependencies three Leagues round it which being long debated and the time the French King gave to come to a Resolve being expired without concluding any thing of that Affair the Mareschal d' Humieres fell into the Spanish Provinces with a numerous Army and put them under Contribution making great spoil and ravage in many places and not so contented but upon the Prince of Chimai's Governour of Luxemburgh acting some Hostilities in their Territories the Mareschal laid Siege to and took Courtray burning many places of lesser note constraining others to pay a Ransome for saving themselves from Fire and in conclusion the Mareschal d' Crequi came before Luxemburgh with an Army of 30000 Men and cast a great number of Bombs into that City which burnt and demolished about Five hundred Houses and so retired to put his Army into Winter Quarters and in the mean while the Negotiation continued between the Arbritours to settle the Differences between the two Crowns nor did they spare any Diligence to create a good understanding by proposing Equivalents but the Spaniards at that time were so much averse that the Mediatours began to give over the hopes they had conceived of accommodating Matters in dispute nay the Spanish Ambassadour proceeded so far as to press the King of Great Britain to send over Forces to the Assistence of his Master but the King told him That the urgency of his Affairs at home could not admit of sending Forces abroad but that he was willing to doe the King of Spain all the good Offices that lay in him c. as also to use his utmost Endeavours for the Peace and Repose of Europe But not satisfied with this Answer they again applyed themselves to the States General but they being not willing to enter into any new Engagement of War with France the Ambassadours could not persuade them to make new Levies or to send any Forces to the Assistence of His Catholick Majesty nor could the Emperour give any assistence by reason of the storm that threatened him at that time in Hungary so that indeed the whole State of Europe being unwilling or not in a condition to enter into a new War it was greatly hoped that this would oblige those that stood out to a compliance And the better to perfect an Alliance a general Congress was held at the Hague where it was thought somewhat reasonable that the True of Twenty years which the French King had offered should be accepted including the Allies on all parts which coming to a Resolve and the Articles of Treaty agreed amongst other things it was thought fit that the French King should restore to the King of Spain Dixmuyden and Courtray with their Dependencies having liberty to demolish the Fortifications as likewise the other Places taken by force since the 30th of August 1683. and that in consideration thereof the King of Spain should Surrender to him Beaumont Luxemburgh Chimai and Bovines with all their Dependencies and to this purpose the Articles between the two Crowns were concluded on at Ratisbon And now the French King being at leisure began to grow exceeding troublesome to his Protestant Subjects having during the former Transactions put a very sensible Affront upon his Highness the Prince of Orange for whilst the Differences lasted between the French the Spaniards they extremely wasted his Patrimony in Brabant Burgundy and Luxemburgh where the Prince of Isenguyn supported by the French Interest and Arms had seized upon his Possession of Warnesson Desburgh Vianden St. Vith Budgenback c. yet out of a generosity to his Country in preferring their Peace and Tranquillity before his own interest he forbore at that time to put in for Reparation nor could the Violences the French King unjustly offered in entring upon his Principality of Orange be less resented by which Act he seemed to have this farther design viz. To hinder the Protestant Religion from flourishing there for upon the Persecution he raised in all parts of his own Territories many of the Protestants sent their Children to this Sovereign Principality to be Educated in Learning but this greatly displeasing him he sent his Orders to Monsieur Moran Super-intendent of Provence to March a Body of 2000 Men thither under the Command of his Lieutenant-General in Languedock to command the Magistrates of the Principality of Orange to send away all the Children to their Parents and not for the future to receive any more into their Schools or Academies To this unjust and unreasonable Demand they found themselves constrained to consent promising to give notice to the Parents of the Children that they might send for them home hoping by this means they had given the King satisfaction But what can satisfie an ambitious spightfull Mind for
Faith is to be kept with Hereticks as they call the Protestants for the same cruelty and inhumanity continued with as great Rage and Fury where there was any plunder to be had or people of Note dwelling In Picardy Normandy Le Berry Campaigne Orleance Neivernois Belessois and the Isles of France nay in Paris it self after the Edict was published the Procurator-General and some other Magistrates sent for the Heads of divers Families and declared to them That it was the King's positive Will that they should change their Religion and that if they would not comply they should be made to doe it and so proceeded by Letters under the Princes Seal to banish the Elders of the Consistory and such persons as they found or at least conceived inflexible One thing is remarkable viz. Monsieur Saignelay Secretary of State having sent for to his House under divers pretences about 100 Merchants and others he caused the Doors to be shut upon them and instead of the business they expected presented them with an Abjuration commanding them in the King's name to sign it declaring with a stern Countenance they should not stir out at the Door till they had done it The purport of it was this That they should not only abjure the Heresie of Calvin and enter into the Catholick Church but declare that they did it voluntarily or without being forced or compelled to it and although they many ways excused it yet being sharply reprimanded and terrified by his Threats not being fore-warned of such a danger and doubting the ill consequence that might attend it they at last not voluntarily but by constraint signed that Abjuration Nor by the power and influence of the Clergy did the Magistrates refrain to take away Children from their Parents to bring up in their superstitious way of idolatrous Worship frequently separating the Man and Wife where they could gain upon the one or the other to Apostatize Nor did they spare to doe this in Orange the sovereign Principality of his Highness the Prince where the French King by Right has no power but taking away the Ministers by force committed them to Prison the Dragoons as it has been already hinted doing there mischiefs much in likeness as in other Places as well to the people as to the Officers of his Highness to whom that Principality belongs And much in this nature the Calamity of the suffering Protestants continued in the Kingdom of France to the year 1685. Nor do they fail at this day to make good as much as in them lies what their Clergy threaten in their Pastoral Letters by making it their study to invent new manner of Torments the Magistrates being ever ready to assist them in the Execution I might go on with this melancholy Story to the swelling of a large Volume and add to it the Cruelty of the Savoyards against the Protestants in the Countries under that Duke whose Miseries equal if not exceed that I have mentioned as likewise in sundry other places and indeed in all places where the Papists have power but that the digression will seem too long and therefore I only give the Reader a taste of what has been served up in full Banquets of Cruelty and Revenge thereby to let those that are at this day un-informed know what they must expect if they come into the hands of such as account it meritorious to destroy Hereticks nor think it any Crime to break the most solemn Oaths and make void all Protestations and Engagements when they suppose it advantageous to their Interest or Church's Cause And note by the way that all of the Reformed Religion who have separated from the Traditions Errours and Idolatrous Worship of Rome pass with them for no other These Proceedings however turned at last to the disadvantage of the Persecutors for though for a time it enriched them yet the number of People that fled or were ruined occasioned the decay of Trade and Commerce so that those Revenues that supplied the French King's Coffers and enabled him to vex all Europe by a tedious War being exhausted notwithstanding he had taken Luxemburgh from the Spaniards he found himself in a low condition for money being the very sinews of War and his Subjects not forward to lend as appears by the Answer of the Bankers of Paris when he sent to them the last year for several Millions of Livres viz That they humbly begged his Excuse forasmuch that if they so far weakened the Bank they could not support their Credit in answering the Bills that should be drawn upon them He then I say found that when by such unjust means he depopulated his Kingdom he fought against himself but to return The Prince of Orange all this while highly disapproved his Proceedings and if in Arms he did not oppose them it was not for want of Will but rather that he on his part would keep the Peace inviolable and rather bear till a farther opportunity the affront and injury done him in the wrong his Subjects of the Principality of Orange had received than involve the States in a new War which might have been justly excused since the French were the Aggressors But to come yet nearer to the purpose Whilst his Highness was diverting and reposing himself from the Toils of War which now ceased by the conclusion and ratifying of the Treaty with France His Majesty of Great Britain King Charles II. after five or six days indisposition departed this Life at his Palace Royal of White-Hall on the 6th of February 1684. not only to the extraordinary Grief of his Subjects but of all Europe their Highnesses more especially bearing a superlative part in the sorrow the loss of that good King occasioned whose Funeral was privately solemnized on the 14th of February towards the Evening in King Henry the Seventh's Chapell where it was interred in Vault under the East-end of the South-Isle Service being ended and the Officers of his Houshold having broke their Staves the Royal Style was proclaimed by another of the Kings at Arms according to the Custome And thus set this great Monarch who had been so usefull and dear to the Interest of Christendom making way thereby for his Brother who was immediately proclaimed c. and accordingly was Crowned at Westminster on the twenty third of April following with much splendour and magnificence as is usual at the Royal Ceremonies of the Coronation of the Kings of Great Britain c. and had the Condolement and Congratulation the one for the Death of King Charles and the other for His Majesty's Accession to the Throne not only from the States-General but from most of the European Princes And now the States of Holland being in frequent Consults about the Affairs of that Republick between the Adjournments his Highness the Prince of Orange diverted himself in visiting the Towns and Fortifications and settling Military Affairs and the better to remove the Melancholy the Death of the King his Uncle had occasioned recreated
himself at his Country Palace when in the mean while the Duke of Monmouth and Earl of Argile going from Holland with an inconsiderable number of Men the former to invade England and the latter Scotland their Expeditions proved altogether successless for being severally routed and taken by the King's Forces they suffered Death together with divers others of their Adherents and Abettors In July 1687. his Highness returning from Hounstyrdyke to the Hague he there gave Audience to several foreign Ministers and then parted thence to visit the Garisons of Maestricht Boisleduck and others belonging to the States and in his Return was met by Her Royal Highness at Loo he having in his Progress given necessary Orders for the well governing and strengthening of those Places In December the Marquess d' Albeville Envoy extraordinary from his Majesty of Great Britain had Audience of his Highness the Prince of Orange and the States of Holland but they adjourning to the 7th of January great preparations of Fire-works were made in the mean while to entertain Her Royal Highness the Princess of Orange on New-years-day representing a Battel with four lines ranged with several Batteries lively expressing the manner of an Engagement Now the foreign Priests coming again into remembrance and being looked upon as Enemies to the Common-wealth notwithstanding the intercession that had been made on their behalf the Court of Justice at the Hague drew up a Decree commanding them to retire out of the Country and never to return again promising a Reward of 100 Ducatoons to any that should make discovery and settling a penalty of 600 Florins upon those that should harbour and conceal any of them for the first time 1200 for the second and corporal punishment for the third Offence whereupon a great many of them fled into England where indeed there was but too many before And now the Spring coming on the Prince and Princess of Orange went to their Palace at Loo The King of England for private Reasons of State being about this time desirous to call home the English Regiments in the Service of the States-General the Marquess d' Albeville made it known immediately to their Lordships but they not willing to part with those Forces he proceeded to put in his Memorials representing not only his Resentment of that Refusal but the danger of Officers and Soldiers might incurr but the States having before-hand disbanded them and listed them under their own Command as many as would enter themselves which was the greatest Part of them as well Officers as Soldiers this business came to nothing and although his Majesty had ordered the Masters and Captains of Ships and Vessels to give such as would return free Passage with promise of Advancement yet not many came over In May the Elector of Saxony was splendidly entertained by his Highness the Prince of Orange at Hounslaerdyke and the next day his Highness accompanied him to Scheveling where they went on Board a small Vessel that carried them to a Squadron of 17 Men of War arrived from Schonevelt under the Command of Vice-Admiral Allemond who sent upon their Approach two light Frigats and a Shallop to meet them and were saluted with the Cannon of all the Ships when having Dined on board the Vice-Admiral they returned to Scheveling and from thence his Electoral Highness of Saxony went to visit Delf Rotterdam Dort Maestricht Leige Aix and Cologne and so returned home by the way of Francfort when in the mean while the Heer Van Diest acquainted the Prince of Orange and the States with the Death of the Elector of Brandenburgh a person most firm to the Protestant Interest and whose Death was regretted by the Protestant Princes and States so that both the Prince and the States of Holland immediately nominated a fit person to go and make their Complement of Condolence to the present Elector The next month the Marquess d' Albeville acquainted the Prince and Princess of Orange as also the States with the News of the Queen of England's being delivered of a Son at their Royal Palace of St. James's on Sunday the 10th of June and soon after the News by sundry Expresses was likewise made known to the King's Ministers in all the Courts of Christendom who at a vast Expence and Magnificence proclaimed it and the Conduits in London were commanded to run with Wine and a Thanksgiving day was likewise held for the Queens safe Delivery Congratulations were made upon this occasion by all the Foreign Ministers and the Infant soon after ordered to be prayed for in the publick Prayers of the Church Some Addresses were likewise presented upon that occasion and the Romanists flattered themselves with a lasting Tranquillity and so sure they thought they were of gaining the point that the Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Lord Bishops of Ely Peterborough St. Asaph Chichester Bath and Wells and Bristol who had been committed by an Order of Council to the Tower for humbly beseeching his Majesty by Petition to remit his Commands of enjoyning his Declaration for Liberty of Conscience to be read in the Churches in time of Divine Service were brought to their Tryalls at the King's-Bench Court Westminster where notwithstanding all that was alledged against them and the pressing Arguments of a Popish Judge then upon the Bench their Candour and Innocence so fairly and plainly appeared that instead of their Adversaries proving that Petition a Libel it was evidently demonstrated that they had done nothing but their The Papists to leave no stone unturned that they might secure themselves for the future as well as the present used many Arts and Insinuations to sound the Intentions and thoughts of their Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Orange whereupon Mr. James Stewart took upon him that not without the King's knowledge and approbation as appears by the Letter writ to Minn Heer Fagel Pentionary of Holland and West-Friezeland upon the King 's publishing his Declaration for Liberty of Conscience and intention to take away the Test and Penal Laws which occasioned his Answer in substance this though little to the satisfaction of the Roman Catholicks viz. That their Highnesses have often declared as they did more particularly to the Marquess Albeville his Majesties Envoy extraordinary to the States That it is their Opinion that no Christian ought to be persecuted for his Conscience or be ill used because he differs from the publick and established Religion and therefore they could be content that even the Papists in England Scotland and Ireland might be suffered to continue in their Religion with as much Liberty as is allowed them by the States of the Vnited Provinces and as for the Protestant Dissenters their Highnesses did not only consent but heartily approved of their having an entire Liberty for the full Exercise of their Religion without any trouble or hindrance c. That their Highnesses were ready in case his Majesty of England should desire it to declare their willingness to concurr
confidence they had reposed in him Assuring them that he would never do any thing that might lessen their good Opinion of him putting them in mind of the Allies abroad and the hazard they may run especially Holland unless some speedy Care were taken That a good Settlement was necessary at Home particularly recommending to them the dangerous State of Ireland and the Methods to their spedy consideration On the 2d of February the Lord Bishop on London with the Clergy of the City to the number of an 100 waited on their Majesties with an humble Tender of their Fidelity and Duty and being Graciously received were admitted to kiss their Majesties Hands the King at the same time being pleased to give them a full Assurance of of his great Affection to the Church of England and of all the Protection and Encouragement to them for which he gave them his Royal Word concluding with Assuring them that they should ever find it so and they might depend upon it the Houses resolved into a free Parliament His Majesty went on the 23d of February by Water to the House of Lords attended with the usual Solemnity and being in his Royal Robes with the Crown on his Head seated on the Throne and the Commons being sent for His Majesty gave the Royal Assent to an Act for removing and preventing all Questions and Disputes about the Assembling and Sitting of the present Parliament And having disrobed himself he was attended to the Water-side with the like Ceremony as before and in the afternoon their Majesties went to Hampton-Court On the 28th of February two Proclamations were issued forth by the King and Queen the one at the Request of the Honourable House of Commons to apprehend Robert Brent Gentleman late of the Inner Temple charged with High Treason who procuring himself to be Bailed had left them and fled from Justice with the Reward of 200 l. to any person that should discover or apprehend him and those that should conceal or further his Escape to be proceeded against with the utmost severity according to Law. The other for the bringing in and restoring of Arms that had been Embezled or Lost during the Disorders and Disbandings amongst the Soldiers that had been in pay under the late King James and upon advice that the Earl of Tyrconnel laboured to draw the Irish more and more to his Party and confirm those that were already in Arms with him by laying before them the Danger already incurr'd their Majesties to leave them that should obstinately persist without excuse issued forth a Proclamation offering amongst other things Pardon and Indemnity for all things by those of the Earl's Party if they laid down their Arms and retired themselves to their respective Habitations and Places of Abode and there peaceably behaved themselves as good Subjects ought to doe as likewise that they should upon this ondition enjoy in full freedom their Estates according to Law and those of the Roman Church upon such Consideration to have all the Favour for the private Exercise of their Religion that the Law allows with a promise speedily to call a Parliament in that Kingdom but on the Contrary declaring them Rebels and Traytors c. and their Lands and Possessions forfeited and to be disposed and distributed to those that should be Aiding and Assisting in reducing the Kingdom to its due Obedience This Proclamation 't is thought whether hindred by Tyrconnel's violence from coming to the knowledge of the Vulgar or creating a fear in his followers made him fly to his Last refuge of more strictly disarming the Protestants as well those in Cities that fell into his hands as Gentlemen who were retired to their Houses where his Soldiers committed sundry Outrages of an high Nature Robbing and Pillaging without remorse or pity though under a colour excused himself by giving directions to the Magistrates to see that no wrong should be done however when Complaints were made he urged necessity compell'd his Men to doe what they did yet the Protestants especially in the North stood to their Arms and repelled force by force getting some supplies of Ammunition out of Scotland keeping the Town of Sligo and other places of strength with a Longing expectation of the Arrival of the Forces and necessary Provisions from England to be thereby enable to carry on the War and recover what has been taken from them by the Irish Papists And now the duty of Hearth mony being looked upon by the Commons as a grievance to the Subjects and represented as such to his Majesty the King was pleased to send a message that he left it to their considerations either to regulate it or to take it away which was received with great satisfaction and forthwith the thanks of the House were ordered to be returned his Majesty for his gracious Message and on the 1st of March in the Afternoon the Knights Citizens and Burgesses in Parliament assembled Waited upon his Majesty in the Banqueting-house and and there presented an Address of thanks wherein they expressed the Joy and Satisfaction they conceived at so unpresidented an offer humbly craving leave to present their Assurance that they-would make such gratefull and affectionate returns as were suitable to his Majesties most Gracious Intentions and be so carefull of the Support of the Crown that the World should see to the discouraging his Enemies that his Majesty reigns in the Hearts of his People c. The Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons Assembled in Parliament made likewise and Address to his Majesty expressing therein how highly they were sensible of their great and Signal deliverance c. And that being fully convinced of the restless Spirits and continued Endeavours of his Majesties and the Nations Enemies for the Extirpation of the Protestant Religion and the Subversion of the Laws and Liberties they unanimously declared that they would Stand by and Assist his Majesty with their Lives and Fortunes in Supporting his Allies abroad in reducing Ireland and in defence of the Protestant Religion of the Kingdom To this his Majesty was pleased to return them a very Gracious Answer expressing therein the valuable Esteem he had for Parliaments and especially for this expressing his Satisfaction of the Confidence and Trust they had reposed in him and that it should be his Care never to give any Parliament cause of distrust and withall recommending to them the care of the Allies abroad and minding them of the greate Expence the States of Holland had been at in the Expedition and Zeal they had to promote it and to second his Majesties Endeavours even with a neglect of their own Safety not doubting but their Generosity would not only enable him to make good his treaty with those States and repay what they actually layd out and of which an account should be given but support them to their utmost Ability against the power of their Enemies considering both Interests were upon one and the same Bottom As to safety his