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for, who fearing the spreading of this Example, 1688.
immediately commanded a Party of Horse down
to Portsmouth, to bring up into Custody Lieutenant
Colonel Beaumont, Captain Pafton, and Four other Protestant
Captains; and a Court-Martial was appointed to Officers
proceed against 'em as Mutineers. If the French cashier'd,
Ambassador's Memorial had not come in that Sept. 10.
very Morning, to shew the Danger the Popish Party

1688.
was in, some of these Officers would, in all Pro-
bability, have lost their Lives: But now the Court

The Mayor was contented to cashier 'em. About a Month before another Captain that was quarter'd at Scar-rough

of Scarboborough, caus'd the Mayor of that Town, thoa tofsd in a Man devoted to the Court, to be toss'd in a Blan- Blanket, ket by his Soldiers, for being sawcy to him ; which Aug. 12. Indignity the King did not think fit to punish at 1688. this Juncture. For now the Whispers of the Prince of Orange's coming began to revive the Spirits of the Nation ; insomuch, that the Bishops of Ely, Bristol, and Rochester, caution'd the People of their Diocesses from the very Pulpit, against the Repeal of the Penal Laws and Tests, in the ensuing Par. liament.

The King having by this time receiv'd so many concurring Advices from the Hague, as amounted to a moral Demonstration of the Prince of Orange's Designs, the fitting out of the

Fleet was carried on with redoubled Diligence; Commissions were giving out for augmenting the Army ;, Orders dispatch'd to Tyrconnel for sending over whole Regiments out of Ireland; and Barillon the French Ambassador made a Proposal, which those who wish'd well to the Prince were in great Fear the Court should accept; viz. that France should abandon the Design of belieging Philipsburgh, and carry the War into Holland. Four or Five of the Council approv'd this Overture, but others warmly oppos d it, alledging, That such a Violation of former Treaties with Holland would be sufficient to raise the Clamours of the whole Nation and to alienate the Minds of all the English Protestants from His Majesty This Suggestion being most plausible, did not miss of its Effect For it must be observd,

(that

1688. that those who favour'd the Prince's Expedition

had been very induttrious in spreading a Report, that the Dutch Armament was only delign'd to hinder the French from landing in England, where in Pursuance of a fecret Treaty made with King James, they were to extirpate the Protestant Re

ligion. Tö dillipate the Jealousies of the People, a *Sept. 21. Proclamation was issued * out, importing, That

His Majesty having already signified his Pleasure to call a Parliament, lest those whose Kight it was to chufe Members, lhould lye under any Prejudice and Mistakes, tbro' the Artifices of disaffected Persons, be thought fit to declare, That it was bus Royal Purpose to endeavour a legal Establishment of an Universal Liberty of Conscience for all bis Subječis; That it was also bis Refolution inviolably to preserve the Church of England, by such a Confirmation of the several Ads of Uniformity, that they should never be alter'd any other Ways than by repealing the several Clauses, which inflia Penalties upon Persons not promoted, or to be promoted to any Ecclesiastick Benefices within the Meaning of the Said Acts, for exercising their Religion, contrary to the Purpurt of the said Aås of Uniformity: And that for the further securing, not only the Church of EngTand, but the Protestant Religion in general, He was willing the Roman Catholicks should remain incapable to be Members of the House of Commons, whereby those Fears and Apprehensions would be removd, which many Perfons had had, That the Legislative Authority would be ingrossd by them, and turn'd against Protestants. This Proclamation was fo ambiguously worded as to the Repeal of the Penal Laws, the Confirming the Acts of Uniformity, and the Excluding of the Papists froin the lower House only, that it occasion'd several Disputes, and had but little Effect.

Upon the Arrival of the Marquis of Albyville's Steward, who brought certain News of the em. barking of several Regiments on board the Dutch Fleet, the Command of the Army was first offer'd to the Count de Royè, an experienc'd French General, and an Exile for his Religion, upon whose excusing of himself, it was bestow'd on the Earl of

Feverjam; but however, in case of a Descent the 1688.
King design d to head his Army himself, and
the Queen, with the Prince of Wales, were to re-
tire to Portsmouth, a well-fortified Sea-Port Town,
of which the Duke of Berwick was Governor.
The Command of the Fleet, which conlifted of
about 44. Men of War, was given to the Lord
Dartmou th; the Lord-Mayor and Aldermen of
London were order'd to prevent the spread-
ing of false News, and to keep the City
quiet ; and Two or Three Bishops were offer'd
Places in the Privy-Council, which they refus'd
to accept, upon account of the Papifts that fat
there. Besides these Precautions at home, it was
resolv'd in the Council, that the Marquis d'Alby- Marquis
ville should be order'd, to represent to the States-Gene- d'Alby-
ral, That altho' His Majesty had believed, that what ville's Me-
be had already declard to their Ambassador in Eng- the States,
land, and the Orders he had given to him upon the Sept. 25.
Same Subje&t, might have satisfied their Lordships, Oct. 5.
that there was no other Treaty between His Majesty and
the most Christian King, than those that were publick,
and in print; yet fince a great deal of Artifice and In-
dustry had been made use of to make the World believe
that His Majesty was entred into other Treaties and Alli.
ances with the most Christian King, His Majesty, to Shew
the great Regard he had to the Friendship and Alliances,
robich boere between him and their Lordships, and his
Desire to continue the same, bad commanded him, (his
Envoy Extraordinary) to assure their Lordships, that
there was no other Treaty between hinz and France,
than those that were publick: And farther, that as
His Majesty extreamly defir'd the Preservation of the
Peace and Repose of Christendom, so he would be also
glad to take such Measures with their Lordships, as
might be most convenient

for maintaining the Peace
of Nimeguen, and the Truce of 20 Years concluded
in 1684. Some Members of the Council were a.
gainst the presenting of this Memorial, it being
now preposterous, and exposing the King's Honour:
but the Majority were not only for it, but mov'd
befides, that the Lord Godolphin and the Bishop

1688. Winchester should be sent to Halland to back it ;

which latt Mution fell. As for the States, they took no Notice of the King's Orfers, but furtura the Prince of Orange to go on wich the snipping of

of his Men. Certain The next News the King receivá froin his EuNews of voy at the Higu, was, that the Pentioner Fazil the P. of had frankly own'd to him the Prince's Deiign; Orange's adding, that if the Dutch Ambassador in England Design.

had said any thing to the coutrary, he had done it out of his own Head, and without Orders. And at the same time the Marquis d'Albyville acquainted His Majelty that several English Lords and Gentlemen had already crots’d the Sea, and lurk'd in

Holland ready to accompany the Prince in his ExThe King's pedition. Upon the reading of this Letter the King Consterna. remain'd speechless, and, as it were, thunder-itruck. tion. The airy Caule of a Difpenting Arbitrary Power, rais'd by the Magick Spells of Jesuitical Counsels

, vanilh'd away in a moment, and the deluded Monarch, freed from his Inchantment by the Approach of the Prince of Orange, found himself on the Brink of a Precipice, whilit all his intoxicating Flatterers food amaz'd and confounded at a distance, without daring to offer bim a supporting Hand,

left his greater Weight Thould hurry both him and ple has Re- them into the Abyss. In this Extremity the totcourse 10 the Bi

tering Prince, whom the Presence of the Danger shops.

had render'd' clear-lighted, espied the best Prop of the English Monarchy, I mean the Bishops, and endeavour'd to lay hold on that. The Bilhop of Ely, who had lost the King's good Graces for fiding with his petitioning Brethren, was now rettor’d to his pristine Favour, and employ'd to manage a Reconcilement between His Majesty and the rest of the Prelates that were then in London. Accordingly the Bishops of Winchester, Chichester, Peterborough, Rochester, Ely, and Bath and Wells, waited upon His Majesty, who having receiv'd them with extraordinary Marks of Favour and Kindness, told them, that he desir'd the Alfistance of their Counsels in this present Exigency; afsuring them, that he was ready to do whatever they should think necessary

for for the Security of the Protestant Religion, and of 1688. his People's Rights, without derogating from his own Prerogatives. The Bishops aní werd the King's Confidence in them, by Expressions of their Duty and Loyalty to His Majelty, and would have given him nore particular Proofs of their Zeal for his Service, had not the King told them that he was not then at leisure, and therefore desir'd them to consult together about so weighty a Matter ; whereupon they took their Leaves. A little while after, the King presented the Bishop of Winchester to the Queen, telling her he was a very honest Man: Whereupon Her Majesty, who now endeavour'd to cast off her Imperiousnels, took notice of him with an affected smiling Look.

Proclama. In the mean time, to prepossess the People against the Prince of Orange, a Proclamation was issued out the p. of

tion against setting forth, That His Majesty had receiv’d undoub2 the P. of ted Advice, that a great and sudden Invafion from Invafion, Holland, with an armed Force of Foreigners, would Sept. 28. Speedily be made in an hostile Manner; and altho Some false Pretences relating to Liberty, Property and Religion, contrivd or worded with Art and Subtilty, might be given out, it was manifest however, that no less Matter by this Invasion nous propos’d, tban an absolute Conquest of tbese His Majesties Kingdoms, and the utter subdning and subjecting him, and all his People, to a foreign Power; which was promoted by Some of His Majesties Subjects, being Persons of wicked and restless Spirits, implacable Malice, and deSperate Designs ; who baving ng Sense of the Misery of former intestine Divisions, nor being mov’d by His Ma. jesties reiterated Acts of Mercy, did again endeavour to imbroil this Kingdom in Blood and Ruin, to gratifie their opon Ambition and Malice, proposing to them. félves Prey and Besty in such a publick Confusion. That tho His Majesty bad notice, that a foreign Force was preparing against him, yet' he had always declin'd any foreign Succours, but rather bad chosen to relye upon the true and ancient Courage, Faith and Allegiance of his own People, with whom he had often ventured his Life for the Honour of this Nation, and in whose Defence against all Enemies he was firmly

resolu'd