XXIX. If before this Capitulation is fully executed, there happens any change in the Government, or Command of the Army, which is now Commanded by General Ginckle; all thofe that fhall be appointed to command the fame, fhall be obliged to obferve and execute what is fpecified in thele Articles, or caufe it to be executed punctually: And fhall not act contrary on any Account whatfo ever. Octo. 3d. 1691. Baron De Ginckle. La Declaration du Duc de Schomberg, aux COMME les Violences que la France a exercées fur tous fes Voifins doivent falre craindre à fes Pen'd by Sujets, que fi les Alliez entrent dans fes Etats, ils Mr. du n'en tirent une vengeance proportionnée à ce qu'ils Bourdieu, en ont fouffert, Nous croyons les devoir informer the French Minister of des intentions du Roy noftre Maiftre. Church in Schom Toute la Terre fait qu'on l'a forcé à prendre les the Savoy Armes; S.s Etats de la Bourgogne étoient injufte-London, ment failis; Sa Principauté d'Orange étoit s'ac- and then cagée, & tout fes Sujets opprimez : Les Injuftices Chaplain qu'on lui faifoit étoient accompagnées de manieres to hisGrace lafches & indignes; & fes Ennemis portant leur Fu- the Duke of reur jufques dans l'avenir, travailloient à lui ôter ce que la Naiffance & la Succeflion devoient un jour lui donner. Ce n'eft donc que pour conferver fon Bien & fes Droits qu'il a efté contraint de recourir à la voye des Armes, & aufli ne pretend Il les employer que pour conferver tout le Monde dans fes Biens & dans fes Droits. C'eft pourquoy s'il me fait entrer en France, fon intention eft de retablir la Nobleffe, les Parlemens, & le Peuple dans leur ancien Luftre; Et les Provinces dans leurs Privileges; il fait que la Nobleffe eft foulée aux Pieds; Que les Parlemens font fans auEee 4 thorité, berg. thorité, que & le Peuple eft accablé par les Impots Mais fi aujourd'huy la Nobleffe, les Parlemens, & le Peuple n'abandonnent pas leurs interefts, & ne negligent pas une occafion, qu'ils ne retrouveront peutêtre jamais, Ils verront leurs Etats Generaux qui conferveront les Gentilhommes dans les Privileges de leur Naiffance, qui rendront aux Parlemens leur Eclat, & leur Autorité, & qui delivreront le Peuple des Taxes qui les devorent. Le Roy, mon Maiftre, n'ayant donc pris les Armes que pour maintenir les Droits d'autruy & les Siens; C'elt fans for dement que les Ennemis veulent faire pffer cette Guerre pour une Guerre deReligion; C'eft un Artifice pour allumer le faux zele des Peuples, & un Piege tendu à leur credulité, afin qu'ils fe laif fent Saignerjufques à la derniere Goute. Meffieurs du Clergé font trop habiles pour donner dans un Picge fi grother, les Caufes & les veritables Auteurs de cette Guerre ne leur étant pas inconnus: Quoi qu'il en foit, Je Declare à tous les Ecclefiaftiques, en quelque Dignité qu'ils foient, que le Roi. mon Maitre, les prend tous en fa Protection que leurs Immunitez eurs Prileges & leurs Biens leur feront exactement confervez; Que l'on chatiera exemplairement ceux qui leur feront le moindre outrage, & qu'il ne fera aporté aucun changement à l'égard de la Religion Romaine. Cependant les Rois d'Angleterre étant Guarans de l'Edit de Nantes par la Paix de Montpellier & plufieurs autres Traitez; Le Roi, mon Maiftre, croit être obligé de maintenir certe Guarantie, & de fai, re rétabli i Edit. Tous les bons François le doivent aider, puifque çet Edit eft le grand Ouvrage de la Sageffe de Henry IV. dont la Memoire leur eft fi chere. Les Catholiques Romains qui ont eu la generofité de voir avec compailion les fouffrances des Reformez, verront fans doute avec plaifir leur Rétabliffement. On efpere mefme que Methieurs du Clergé, ayant fait la deffus de plus ferieufes Reflections, feront bien aifes de témoigner aujourd'huy, par une conduite fage & Chrétienne, qu'ils n'ont eu aucune part à la Violation de l'Edit, & à toutes les Cruautez qui l'ont fuivie. D'ailleurs D'ailleurs ceux qui nous viendront joindre auront les recompenfes & les marques de diftinction que leurs fervices meriteront, & que nous ferons en Etat de leur donner Mais au contraire, ceux qui bien loin de nous aider fe joindront aux Opprefleurs de leur Patrie, dolvent s'attendre à toute la rigueur des Executions Militaires. Et nous Declarons à ceux qui voudront vivre en repos chez eux, qu'il ne leur fera fait aucun mal, ni en leurs Biens, ni en leurs Perfonnes. à Ambrun le 29 d' Aoust 1692. The Earl of M---rave's Speech in the Upper Houfe of Parliament upon the Bill for Freedom of Elections, and more Impartial Proceedings in Parliament, 1692. My Lords, THI HIS Debate is of fo great Confequence that I refolve to be filent, and rather to he advis'd by the Ability of others, than to fhew my own want of it: befides it is of fo nice a Nature, that I who fpeak always unpremeditately, apprehend extreamly, faying any thing which may be thought the leaft Reflecting; tho' even that ought not to restrain a Man here from doing one's Duty to the Publick,in a Bufinefs where it feems to be fo highty concern'd. I have always heard, I have always read that Foreign Nations, and all this part of the World have admir'd and envied the Conftitution of this Government. For not to fpeak of the King's Power, here is a Houfe of Lords to advife him on all Important Occafions, about Peace or War; about all things that may concern the Nation, the Care of" which is very much inftrusted to your Lordships. But yer, because your Lordships cannot be fo Converfiat with the generality of the People, nor fo conftancly in the Country as is neceffary for that purpofe, here here is a Houfe of Commons alfo chofen by the very People themfelves newly come from among them, or fhould be fo, to reprefent all their Grievances, to exprefs the true Mind of the Nation, and to difpofe of their Money, at leaft fo far as to begin all Bills of that Nature; and if I am not mistaken, the very Writ for Elections fent down to the Sheriffs does impower them to chufe; what? Their Reprefentatives. Now, my Lords, I befeech you to confider the meaning of that Word Reprefentative; is it to do any thing contrary to their Mind? It would be abfurd to propofe it: And yet how can it be otherwife, if they, after being chofen, change their Dependency, engage themfelves in Employments plainly inconfiftent with that great Truit repos'd in them? And that I will take the Liberty to demonstrate to your Lordships they now do, at least according to my humble Opinion. I will Inftance first in the least and loweft Incapacity, they must be under, who fo take Employ ments. Your Lordfhips know but too well what a general Carelefnefs there appears every Day, more and more in the publick Bufinefs; if fo, how is it likely that Men fhould be as diligent in their Duty in Parliament as that Bufinefs requires, where Employments, and a great deal of other Bufinefs fhall take up both their Minds and their Time? But then in fome Cafes 'tis worfe, as in Commands of the Army, and other Employments of that kind, when they must have a divided Duty: For it does admirably become an Officer to fit Voting away Money in the Houfe of Commons, while his Soldiers are perhaps taking it away at their Quarters for want of his Prefence to restrain them, and of better Difcipline among them; nay, perhaps his Troop or Regiment may be in fome Action abroad, and he muft either have the fhame of being abfent from them at fuch a time, or from that Houfe where he is intrufted with our Liberties. To this I have heard but one Objection by a Noble Lord, that if this Act should pafs, the King is not allow'd to make a Captain, a Colonel, without difabling him to fit in Parliament. Trucly, if a Captain has only deferv'd to be advanc'd for expofing himfelf in Parliament, I think the Nation wou'd have no great lofs in the King's letting alone fuch a Preferment. But, my Lords, there is another fort of Incapacity yet worse than this, I mean that of Parliament Men's having fuch Places in the Exchequer, as the very profit of them depends on the Money given to the King in Parliament. Would any of your Lordships fent and intruft a Man to make a Bargain for you, whofe very Intereft fhall be to make you give as much as he can poubly? It puts me in mind of a Farce, where an Actor holds a Dialogue with himfelf, fpeaking first in one Tone, and then Anfwering himself in another. Really, my Lords, this is no Farce, for 'tis no Jaughing matter to undo a Nation: But tis aitogether as unnatural for a Member of Parliament to ask firft in the King's Name for fuch a fort of Supply, give an Account from him how much is needful towards the paying fuch an Army, or fuch a Fleet, and then immediately give by his ready Vote what he had before ask'd by his Mafter's Order. Befides, my Lords, there is fuch a neceflity now for long Seffions of Parliaments, and the very Privileges belonging to Members are of fo grear Extent, that it would be a little hard and unequal to other Gentlemen that they fhould have all the Places alfo. All the Objections that have been made may be reduc'd to thefe. First, 'Tis told us, that 'tis a difrefpect to the King, that his Servants or Officers fhould be excluded. To this, I defire it may be confider'd, that 'tis in this Cafe, as when a Tenant fends up any Body to treat for him: Would any of your Lordfhips think it a difrefpect, nay, would the King himfelf think it any, if the Tenant would not wholly |