i cept Mr. Thomas Smith, and Mr. Charnock, with 1687. whofe Behaviour the King is fo well fatisfied, that be expects no more from them. The abovemention'd . Submiflion being Read to the Fellows, all, except Dr. Tho. Smith and Mr. Charnock, refus'd to Sign it; Mr. Thompson being call'd in in his turn, alledg'd he had always been Obedient to the King's Commands; that he was not concern'd in the Election of Dr. Hough; that he Voted for Mr. Farmer, and was ready to fubmit to the Bishop of Oxon, and fo he was excus'd. After a fhort time, all who refus'd to Sign the Submiffion, being 25 in Number, were call'd in, and by Sentence of their Lordships depriv'd and expell'd from their Fellowships, for their Difobedience to His Majefty's Commands, and obftinately contemning his Royal Authority; against which they all protefted, Declaring they would ufe all Juft and Legal ways of being relieved. This Sentence was confirm'd by a Decree made at Whitehall by the Ecclefiaftical Commiffioners, Declaring, That Dr. Dr. Hough Hough, who had been depriv'd before, and the and 25. faid 25 Fellows, Should be incapable of receiving, or Fellow's exbeing admitted into any Ecclefiaftical Dignity, Bene- pell'd. fice or Promotion; and fuch of them who were not yet in Holy Orders, they adjudged incapable of receiv ing or being admitted into the fame. Thus by a Sentence of an illegal Court, were a Society of Learned and Worthy Proteftants turn'd out of their Freeholds, to make room for a Popish Seminary; and thus was King James prevail'd with by his Evil Minifters to affume a Power, not only to Difpence with Laws, but with Oaths alfo. After the Expulfion of the Fellows, moft of the Demy's were likewife turn'd out of Magdalen-Colledge by the Bishop of Oxford, and Mr. Charnock, his Vice-Prefident, and Roman Catholicks put in their Places. To acknowledge the King's Favours, the Bishop of Oxford publifh'd a Book containing Reafons for abrogating the Teft and Penal Laws, and His Majefty commanded the Stationers, not to Print any Anfwer to the fame. The 1687. The numerous Addreffes which were daily prefented to the King by the Diffenters, upon Account of the late Declaration for Liberty of Confcence, could not but mortifie the Sound Party of the Church of England, who juttly look'd upon that Declaration as a Jefuitical Invention to advan Papifts to Places of Trutt, and by degrees, to m troduce them into the L-gulature. But to aggra vate their Affliction, the Court Creatures gave 'em to understand that they ought themselves to imitate the Non-Conformilis, and fill up the Chorus of the grateful Acknowledgers of the King's Indulgence; urging, as an undifputable Motive, thet His Majesty had Gracioufly been pleased to D clare, That he would Protect and Maintain his Archbishops. Bilhops, Clergy, and all other bis Subjects of the Church of England, in the free Exercife of their Rel gion, and in the quiet and full Enjoyment of all their Peffeffions, without any Moleftation or Disturbance whatfoever. The Bishop of Durham, Chefter, Lin coln, Coventry and Litchfield, and St. David's, prevail ed the first with the City of Durham, and the reft with the Clergy under their Pattoral Care, to Sign Addreffes of Thanks, which they prefented to His Majefty; the Dean and Chapter of Kipon, and fome few Corporations, did the like; but yet thefe Proteftant Addrefles were to dry and jejune, that they feem'd rather like the fore'd Thanks, which a corrected Child gives to a levere Parent, whilft he till holds the Rod in his Hand; or the awkward Compliments we Pay to fuch as have injur'd us, when 'tis in their Power to do us further Mischief; than like the hearty and unforç'd Acknowledgments which flow from the Senfe of a Favour receiv'd. The Bishop of Oxford was not fo fuccefsful as the reft of the Court Prelates; for notwithstanding the extraordinary Zeal he fhew'd upon this Occafion, his Clergy fill refus'd to Sign an Addrefs which might prove of fo dangerous Confequence; Yet to let the World know, that 'twas not either out of a fullen Caprice, or Difloyalty, that they denied to Pay that Homage to His Majefty, they gave their Reasons 1687. in Writing to their Bifhop. * Whilt the Priviledges and Liberties of the Na- Pope's tion were affaulted on every fide; whilt the Nunció in Diffenters fawn'd upon the Hand that was putting England. Chains about their Necks, and whilft the corrup ted Bithos endeavour'd to decoy their Flocks into the fame Compliance, the King gave a Spectacle to his Subjects, which made 'em fuficiently to understand that he defign'd to keep no more Meafures, with them, nor thew the leaft Regard to the establifh'd Laws. For Signior Ferdinando d'Adda, Domeftick Prelate and Afliftant to the Pope, who was the Queen's Favourite, had follow'd the Court ever fince the King's Acceffion to the Crown, was declar'd Apoftolick Nun- 1686. cin the Year before, and Confecrated Archbishop of Amafia in the Royal Chappel at Whitehall, by Bishop Leyburn, Vicar Apoftolical in England, and two other Irish Bishops, did now make his publick Entry at Windfor, tho' by Law it was July 23. High Treafon for any to affume the Character of 1687. the Pope's Nuncio. There having been no fuch Sight in England for about a Hundred and Fifty = Years before, the concourfe of People was extra= ordinary great upon this Occafion and 'tis hard to fay whether their furprize at the Pomp and Magnificence of the Solemnity, was greater than their Indignation to behold the Nuncio in all his Pontificalibus, preceded by a Cross-bearer, and attended with Priefts and Monks in the Habits of their Respective Orders. This Ceremony cccafion'd the Difgrace of that Illuftrious Patriot, the Duke of Somerfet, firft Gentleman of the Bed- The Duke Chamber to the King. For as it happen'd. being of Somthen in Waiting, and the King having order'd, him merfet dif to attend the Nuncio to his Audience, he defir'd graced. His Majesty to excufe him from an Office which the Laws of the Land made Criminal. The King reiterated his Orders; but his Grace perfifting in his Denial, His Majefty told him in a Patlion, that he would trouble him no more with any Commands, and therefore expected he should ré fign His Cha racter. 1687. fign his Places of Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber, and Collonel of Dragoons; the Duke obey'd the very fame Day, without the leaft concern, as one whofe unthaken Principle is, to serve his King and Country as far as neither of them endeavour to encroach upon the Prerogatives of the other; and to be contented with that Reward which Virtue brings along with it. The Duke of Grafton was more Complaifant, and made no fcruple to Conduct the Nuncio to his Audience. Soon after Signior d'Adda appear'd publickly in London, and on the Lord Mayor's Day was received at TempleBar by Sir John Pafton, and Sir Bafil Firebrafs, the two Sheriffs, and was one of those who Din'd with His Majefty at Guildhall. Some have been of Opinion that the Nuncio was an Inftrument to push things to Extremities; yet 'tis certain that he had a greater fhare in the Intrigues of the Ruelle, than in thofe of the Cabinet; and had Popish much Senfe to approve of all the Measures that were taken. And therefore he often defir'd to be recall'd, left he fhould be thought to have a hand in them. To maintain the King's Declaration for Liberty Judges,De- of Confcience, Sir Richard Allibone *, and fome oputy Lieu- ther Romaniits, were made Judges in Westminstertenants, &c. Hall; and Popish Juftices of the Peace, and Deputy* April 28. Lieutenants establish'd all England over; the Judg1687. es in their Circuits had their private Inftructi- 1 LAW * Law according to the King's Defire, he was put 1687. out of his Place; and fo was Sir Edward Herbert from being Chief Justice of the King's Bench to April 22, make way for Sir Kobert Wright to Hang a Soldier upon the faid Statute. * 1687. The Court and their Emiffaries having hitherto parliament: vainly endeavour'd to raife a prevailing Party in diffolu'd the House of Commons, that would give Sanction July 2d, to the King's Difpenting Power, and Repeal the 1687. Penal Laws, His Majefty was advis'd to Diffolve his Parliament, and to Maintain his Supream Authority by his Land and Sea-Forces. Yet as Men who follow wrong Measures are always Fluctuating in their Councils, it was not long before. they Confider'd that the Superftructure they were erecting upon an illegal Foundation, would tumble to the Ground affoon as the Legal Power fhould. take place; that the Army and Fleet encreafing every Day, the King's: Neceflities would at. laff inevitably oblige him to call a Parliament; and that the longer the Meeting of that Auguft Affembly was put off, and their Authority difregarded, the more Fatal to the King's Defigns their Refolutions would prove. Thefe Reflections made the Popish Party fenfible of the Neceffity of calling a Parliament, and therefore all the Methods and Artifices imaginable, were us'd to procure fuch a LowerHoule as would confirm all the King's Proceedings; in Order to that Writs, of Quo Warranto were again iffued out againft Corporations, and the Magiftrates thereof terrified with His Majesty's Difpleasure, if they dared to infift upon their Legal Right, and contend with him at Law. Befides that, Judges were prepar'd to over-rule the Pleas of all fuch Cities and Towns as would ftand upon their Franchifes and Priviledges; Withefs the Cities of Oxford and Winchester, which were de clar'd to be diffolv'd at the King's Pleafure. In fhort, by a Decree of the Court of the King's-Bench moft Cities and Burroughs were order'd to Surrender their Charters, which reduc'd them to that Condition as to have no Magiftrates or Off cers but at His Majefty's Will. About |