1684. ther's Ahes were cold in his Grave, he caus'd it to be publish'd and attefted by Father Huddleston, tha he died in the Communion of the Church of Rome, and printed it with the Papers taken out of his Brother's Strong Box; fhewing, That though be outwardly pretended otherwife in his Life, yet in his Heart be was truly a Roman Catholick. This could never be interpreted, maintaining the Church of England, no more than his publishing a Proclamation for levying that part of the Cuftoms, that had been granted to King Charles_only for Life, was an Argument he would never Invade any Man's Property; fo that the two great things h promis'd in his Speech to the Council, were the very first things in which he broke his Roya! Word; for railing Money without Confent of Parliament, could have no other Defign, but to thew that he intended to fet up an abfolute Government; for otherwife it was needles at that time, fince a Parliament was to meet within a few Days, which undoubtedly would, in a legal manner, continue the fame Cuttoms for his Life, as they had been for his Brother's, To juffife, at leaft to colour, this Arbitrary Proceeding, the Court induftrioufly procur'd the follow Address ing Addrefs from the Middle-Temple. Most dread Sove from the reign, We Your Majefty's moft Loyal Subjects, with all Middle Humility Congratulate the Legal and Peaceable Defcent Temple. of this Imperial Crown upon Your Majefty, the only Remedy for our unspeakable Sorrow, for the Death of our moft Gracious Sovereign of ever glorious and bleffed Memory. Your Majesty's unparallell'd Justice, Courage and Conduct (fignaliz'd to the World before they became Ornaments to the Crown) give a perfect Aurance of Happiness to thefe Nations under your Government. We cannot therefore but with the deepest Senfe of Gratitude, acknowledge Your Majesty's great Goodness and Condefcention in your late Declaration, and in particular that Tour Majefty has been graciously pleas'd, in purfuence of the fame, to extend your Royal Care of the Government to the Prefervation of the Cuftams, the Intermission whereof would not only have difabled Tour Majesty to maintain the Navy in De fence fence of the Realm, but by taking away the Ballance 1684. 'Tis a receiv'd Maxim of the common Law, The- We therefore think it our indifpenfible Duty to en- All this while the feveral Corporations of the humble 168 humble Addreffes to congratulate His Majefty's happy, Acceffion to the Throne. Nay, the very Quakers, tho' a People who profefs an Abhorrence for Complimenting, waited on the King with an Addrefs, which was fo artfully worded, as to confirm the Opinion of those who believed the Jesuits to be the Ringleaders of that Sect; and which was The Qua to this purpose. We are come to testifie our Sorrow kers Ad- for the Death of our good Friend Charles, and our dress. Joy for thy being made our Governour. We are told thou art not of the Perfwafion of the Church of England, no more than we; wherefore we hope thon wilt grant us the fame Liberty which thou alloweft thy felf: Which doing, we wish you all manner of Happiness. Oates's and Suf ferings. One might have expected, that a Prince, who had declared, be would endeavour to follow his Bro ther's Example, more efpecially in that of bis great Clemency, would have fignaliz'd the beginning of his Reign by fome Acts of Mercy; but inflead of that, at the Solicitation of the Jefuits, he caus'd Titus Oates, the famous Difcoverer and Evidence of the Pop Plot, to be profecuted with all the Rigour of the Law. In the Clofe of the laft Reign Two Bills of Indictment for Perjury were preferr'd against this Informer, to which he pleading not Guilty, the Iffues were to be try'd at Westminster the Term following, where now he was found guilty of Perjury upon both Indictments, and fentenced to be Whipp'd from Aldgate to Newgate the next Wednef day after, and the Friday following, but One Day between, from Newgate to Tyburn, which, throa fpecial Order from the Court, and the Rewards gi ven beforehand to the Executioner by feveral Pa pifts, was executed with the utmoft Severity, The Stripes of the firft Whipping were fo fore and green upon the fecond, that it was intolerable to behold, much more to fuffer; and to this was added in the Sentence, That be fhould ftand in the Pillory Five times in the Year, remain a Prifoner during A genuine Account of Life, and pay a Fine of a Thousand Marks for each. the Popish Perjury. That in King Charles the IId's time there Plot. was a Popish Plot, and that there always has been One One fince the Reformation, to fupport, if not re- 1685. ftore the Romish Religion, is acknowledg'd by all: And how far the nearer Profpect of a Popish Succeffor, ripen'd the Hopes, and gave new Vigour to the Defigns of that Party, and what finifter Methods they were then upon, to bring those Designs about, Coleman's Letters are a fufficient Demonftration. But what Superftructures were afterwards rais'd upon an unquestionable Foundation, and how far fome of the Witneffes of that Plot, either thro Covetoufnels, Malice, or Revenge, might darken Truth, by fubfequent Additions of their own, is ftill, and will, perhaps, ever remain undetermin'd. 'Tis true, fome have lately endeavour'd to juftifie Dr. Oates's Depofitions by Ben. Hinton's Books, and alledg'd, that if he was perjur'd, 'twas only thro' a Miftake of the Old Stile for the New; yet all muft agree, that his brutish Animofity against the Duke of York made him often trefpafs upon the Refpect which is ever due to Princes; but then again, a Man whom all the Nation began to abhor, was too poor a Victim for a Monarch, and the King of England ought to have difregarded the Injuries that had been offer'd to the Duke of York. The Coronation of King James II. and his Queen was perform'd at Westminster with great Solemnity and Magnificence on the 23d of April, being the Feftival of St. George. And immediately after His Majefty iffued out Writs for the fitting of a Parliament on May the 22d; to whom, after having repeated the fame Declaration he had before made to the Council, he proceeded to tell them, That af- The King's ter having given them fuch Affurances, he could not Speech to doubt of a fuitable Return on their part, and particu- the Parlia larly in what related to the fettling of his Revenue, as it was in bis Brother's time, for which he might ufe many Arguments to enforce his Demands, from the Be nefit of Trade, Supply of the Navy, the Neceffity of the Crown, and the Well-being of the Government, which he would not fuffer to be precarious; that he forefan a popular Argument, which might be us'd against what be ask'd, from the Inclinations Men bad for frequent Parliaments, which some would think might be beft fecur'd, ment. 1685. fecur'd, by feeding him from time to time, by fuch Proportions as they should think convenient: But that Argument, it being the first time he spake to them from the Throne, he would answer once for all, that that would be a very improper Method to take with him; but on the contrary, that the best way to engag him to meet them often, was to ufe him always well. and therefore be expected a fpeedy Compliance with his Demands now, that he might meet them again to all their Satisfactions. The Par liament gives him a great deal of Money. This new way of carelling a Parliament, furpriz every Body, except the Parliament it felf; for mos of its Members being, in a manner, moulded bey forehand to the King's Will, they were fo far from taking notice of His imperious manner of demanding, and what was more, of the grievous and dau! gerous State of the Nation, (as 'tis ufual at a fift Sitting of a Parliament,and was now moft neceffary upon the Death of King Charles II.) that inftead of redreffing any Grievance, they immediately gav His prefent Majefty a Revenue to enable him to Ruin both Church and State upon the Foundation his Brother had laid for him; for befides their fet ling the Cuftoms and Temporary Excife upon him, as they were before upon the late King, they laid a new Duty upon Wines and Vinegars, made an Act to lay an additional Cultom upon Sugars and Tobacco, another laying an Impolition upon all East-India Linnen, and feveral other Indian Manufactures; alfo upon all French Linnens, wrought Silks, and Stuffs, and Brandies. And that there might be a greater Correfpondence between His Majefty and France, (tho' the Nation thought it too great already) the Act for prohibiting the Importation of French Goods and Manufactures was now fully repeal'd. There was alfo Five Shillings per Tun granted upon every Voyage, which any Foreign Ship fhould make from Port to Port in England, and Twelve-pence per Tun for every Voyage which a Foreign-built Ship, not free, should make; fo that in fhort, this Revenue, with the Hereditary Excife, and other Revenues of the Crown, have been computed to amount to Twe Millions, |