A. C. Perillous Adventure of the Prince of Orange, but 1689. both ftrove to engrofs to themfelves the Benefits of King William's fuccefsful Enterprize. On the other Hand the equitableMonarch was enclin❜d to difpenfe his Favours without diftinguishing Parties, that by a Coalition and Union of his Subjects Interests, he might fettle his Throne on a firm and folid Foundation; but he found through the whole Courfe of his Reign, that the Reconciling jarring Factions is a more difficult Work than Storming Towns, or Vanquishing embattled Foes.

Character

The first Person that felt the ill Effects of Divifion of the Mwas theM-----efs of H --fax, who during the laft Sef of H-fax fion of Parliament perform'd theOffice of Speaker to the Houfe of Lords, for whilft by Trimming he avoided Efpoufing either Party, he made himfelf Ob. noxious to both; though it must be confeft his peevifh domineering Temper was the principal cause of it. He was a good Statesman in Speculation, but being incapable of thofe fubtle Infinuations, feign'd Confidences, and politick Managements, which are neceffary to carry on a great Defign, what he had wifely projected in his Closet, generally miscarry'd in the Senate-Houfe. King William finding how ill his Affairs went in the Mefs of H-fax's Hands, granted a Commiflion to Sir Robert Atkins, Sir Robert Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer, to fupply the Place of Lord Chancellor, or Lord Keeper, and as fuch to be Speaker to the Houfe of Lords; and on the 19th of October, to which Day the Parliathe House of Lords, ment was Prorogued, his Majefty open'd this SeOcto. 19 cond Seffions by the following Speech.

Atkins

made

Speaker to

The King's"

My Lords and Gentlemen,

Hough the laft fitting continued fo long, "that perhaps it might have been more Speech to the Parli-" agreeable to you, in relation to your Private ament, "Concerns, not to have met again fo foon, yet 0&o. 19." the Intereft of the Publick lays an Indifpenfable "Obligation upon me to call you together at this

66

❝ time.

"In your last meeting you gave me fo many "Testimonies of your Affection, as well as Confi

"dence

"dence in me, that I do not at all question, but in "this I fhall receive frefh Supplies of both.

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"I efteem it one of the greateft Misfortunes can "befall me, that in the beginning of my Reign I am forc'd to ask fuch large Supplies; though I "have this Satisfaction, that they are defired for no "other purposes, than the carrying on thefe Wars in which I entered with your Advice, and affurance "of your Affiftance; nor can I doubt of the Blef fing of God, upon an Undertaking wherein I did not engage out of a vain Ambition, but from the neceffity of oppofing their Designs of destroying 66 our Religion and Liberties.

"It is well known how far I have expofed my "felf to rescue this Nation from the Dangers that "threatn❜d it, not only your Liberty, but the Proteftant Religion in general, of which the Church of England is one of the greatest Supports, and for "the Defence whereof I am ready again to venture my Life.

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My Lords and Gentlemen,

"That which I have to ask of you at present is, "That what you think fit to give towards the "Charges of the War for the next Year may be "done without delay; and there is one Reason "which more particularly obliges me to prefs you

66

to a fpeedy Determination in this matter, because "the next Month there is appointed, at the Hague, a General Meeting of all the Princes and States "concern'd in this War against France, in order to "concert the Meafures for the next Campaign; and "till I know your Intentions, I fhall not only be un"certain of my felf what Refolutions to take, but "our Allies will be under the fame Doubts, unlefs

they fee me fupported by your Afliftance; be"fides, if I know not in time what you will do, I cannot make fuch Provifions as will be requifite, "but shall be expofed to the fame Inconveniences "the next Year, which were the caufe that the Preparations for this were neither fo Effectual or Expeditious as was neceffary. The Charge will be "alfo confiderably leffn'd by giving time to provide "things in their proper Season, and without Confu" fion. LA

"I

A. C.

1689.

66

"I have no other Aim in this but to be in a "Condition to attack our Enemies in fo vigorous a manner, as, by the help of God. may, in a little time, bring us to a lafting and honourable Peace, "by which my Subjects may be freed from the extraordinary Expence of a lingring War; And that "I can have no greater Satisfaction than in contributing to their Ease, I hope I have already given "Proof of.

દ

66

"That you may be fatisfied how the Money has "been laid out, which you have already given, I have directed the Accounts to be laid before you whenever you thall think fit to call for *them.

cr

My Lords and Gentlemen,

"I have one thing more to recommend to you, "which is the difpatch of a Bill of Indemnity, that "the Minds of my good Subjects being quieted, "we may all Unanimoufly concur to promote the "Wellfare and Honour of the Kingdom.

'Tis remarkable that this Speech, which met with Univerfal Applaufe, and was acknowledg'd by the Solemn Thanks of both Houfes, was compos'd by the King himself, who the day before produc'd it to the Council, written with his own Hand. telling them, He knew most of his. Predeceffors were us'd to commit the drawing up of fuch Speeches to their Minifters, who generally had their private Aims and Interefts in view, to prevent which he had thought fit to write it himfelf in French, because he was not fo great a Mafter of the English Tongue; therefore he defir'd them to look it over, and change what they found amifs, that it might be Tranflated into English. This Speech being Read, was approv'd by all the Board fave only the Earl of M who excepted against that part of it wherein his Majefty faid, That the Church of England was the greatest Support, &c. alledging that Expreffion would not found well in English. Sir Thomas Clarges, a Member of the Houfe of Commons, did alfo find fault with his Majefty's not mentioning the Church of England, as by Law Establish'd. But thefe were Punctilios At the fame Council the Marquefs of Halifax defir'd, for feveral Reafons which

he

2

he forbore to mention, to be excufed from doing A. C. the Office of Speaker of the Lords, which was 1689. readily granted him.

The Bufinefs of Oates and fome other Matters, which had raised fuch dangerous Heats and Animofities between both Houfes, being only fuperfeded by the repeated Adjournment of the Parliament, it was mov'd in Council to put a final end to them by a Prorogation; but the King thought fit to do nothing in fo nice an Affair without the Advice of both Houfes, The Lords readily confented to his Majefty's Defire, and as for the Commons, though fome of their Members pretended, that fuch a Prorogation was Irregular, after his Majefty had made a Speech, wherein he had propos'd new Matters to their Confideration, yet the contrary Opinion carried it by a great Majority; fo that his Majefty being come to the Houfe of Lords on Monday the 21ft of October,Sir Robert Atkins,their new Speaker, acquainted both Houfes, that it was His Majefty's Pleafure, that the Parliament fhould be Prorogued to the Wednesday following. Before this Prorogation the Bishop of Durham, against moft People's Expectation, took the Oaths, and fubfcribed the Declaration appointed by Law,

The Parliament being met on the 23d of October, his Majefty reter'd them to what he had faid to both Houfes four Days before. Thereupon the Speaker of the H.of Commons having read his Majefty's Speech, the Confideration of the fame was put off to the next Day, when they unanimously refolv'd effectually to aflift his Majefty, both to reduce Ireland, and to profecute the War against France. And becaufe the Act for Detaining feveral fufpected Perfons in Prifon, notwithstanding the Statute of Habeas Corpus, was expir'd, and that thofe Perfons had Petition'd the Houfe to be tried at the King's Bench Bar; a Committee was appointed to enquire into the Informations that had been given against them, and to infpect the Journals of the Houfe in order to find out Precedents relating to Commitments by order of the Commons. Another Committee was alfo L 1 2

nam'd

A. C.

1689.

nam'd to report what Bills were depending in the laft Seffion, wherein they had chiefly in view the Bill of Rights.

Whilft the Court was bufie in fecuring the most fufpected Perfons, the Commons granted the Benefit of Habeas Corpus to the Lords Prefton and Forbes, and Sir John Fenwick, upon fufficient Bail. The Earls of Salisbury, Peterborough, and Castlemain, Sir Edw. Hales, Baron Jenner, and Mr. Walker, were upon the point of enjoying the fame Favour, but after the reading the Informations against them, the Commons remanded the three foremention'd Lords to the Tower, fuppofing they might be profecuted for HighTreafon,the two firft for reconciling themfelves to the Church of Rome, and the third for endeavouring to reconcile the Kingdom to that Communion, and other Crimes. Sir Edw. Hales and Baron Jenner, befides the Treafon in turning Roman Catholicks, were accus'd of high Mifdemeanors; but the latter having been already fet at Liberty, had eight days given him to make his Defence, during which he was to remain in the Cuftody of a Serjeant at Arms. This eafte Confinement was alfo granted to Grahani and Burton.

On the the 29th of October 1689, came on the ufual Solemnity of the Lord Mayor of London, and Sir Thomas Pilkinton being continued for the Year 1690, and the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Denmark, and both Houfes of Par liament, having been pleas'd to accept his Invitation to his Dinner, their Majefties attended by their Royal Highneffes, and a numerous Train of Nobility and Gentry, went first to a Balcony prepared for them in Cheapfide to fee the Spectable which for the great Numbers of the Citizens of the feveral Guilds, the full Appearance of the Artillery, the rich Adornments of the Pageants, and the Splendor and good Order of the whole Proceeding, out-did all that had been feen before on the like occafion; but that which deferv'd to be particularly mention'd was the Royal City Regiment of Volunteer Horfe, which being very richly Accoutred, and led by the Earl of Monmouth, attended their Majefties from

Whitehall