1688. morial to Feversham; but however, in cafe of a Defcent the King defign'd to head his Army himself, and the Queen, with the Prince of Wales, were to retire to Portsmouth, a well-fortified Sea-Port Town, of which the Duke of Berwick was Governor. The Command of the Fleet, which confifted of about 44 Men of War, was given to the Lord Dartmouth; the Lord-Mayor and Aldermen of London were order'd to prevent the fpreading of falfe News, and to keep the City quiet; and Two or Three Bifhops were offer'd Places in the Privy-Council, which they refus'd to accept, upon account of the Papifts that fat there. Befides thefe Precautions at home, it was refolv'd in the Council, that the Marquis d'Alby- Marquis ville fhould be order'd, to reprefent to the States-Gene- d'Albyral, That altho' His Majefty had believ'd, that what ville's Mebe bad already declar'd to their Ambaffador in Eng- the States, land, and the Orders he had given to him upon the Sept. 25. Same Subject, might have fatisfied their Lordships, Oct. 5. that there was no other Treaty between His Majesty and the moft Chriftian King, than thofe that were publick, and in print; yet fince a great deal of Artifice and Induftry had been made use of to make the World believe that His Majesty was entred into other Treaties and Alliances with the moft Chriftian King, His Majesty, to fhew the great Regard he had to the Friendship and Alliances, which were between him and their Lordships, and his Defire to continue the fame, had commanded him, (his Envoy Extraordinary) to affure their Lordships, that there was no other Treaty between him and France, than thofe that were publick: And farther, that as His Majefty extreamly defir'd the Prefervation of the Peace and Repofe of Chriftendom, fo be would be alfo glad to take fuch 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 against the prefenting of this Memorial, it being now prepofterous, and expofing the King's Honour: but the Majority were not only for it, but mov'd befides, that the Lord Godolphin and the Bishop of Win 1688. Winchefter fhould be fent to Holland to back it; which latt Motion fell. As for the States, they took no Notice of the King's Offers, but furfer'd the Frince of Orange to go on with the fhipping off of his Men. Certain News of the P. of Orange's Defign tion. The next News the King receiv'd from his Envoy at the Hague, was, that the Penfioner Fagd had frankly own'd to him the Prince's Detign; adding, that if the Dutch Ambaffador in England had faid any thing to the contrary, he had done it out of his own Head, and without Orders. And at the fame time the Marquis d'Albyville acquainted His Majefty that feveral English Lords and Gentlemen had already crofs'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 Confterna remain'd fpeechlefs, and, as it were, thunder-ftruck. The airy Cattle of a Difpenting Arbitrary Power, rais'd by the Magick Spells of Jefuitical Counfels, vanifh'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 flood amaz'd and confounded at a distance, without daring to offer him a fupporting Hand, left his greater Weight fhould hurry both him and He has Re- them into the Abyfs. In this Extremity the totcourfe to tering Prince, whom the Prefence of the Danger the Bihad render'd clear-fighted, efpied the beft Prop of shops. the English Monarchy, I mean the Bishops, and endeavour'd to lay hold on that. The Bishop of Ely, who had loft the King's good Graces for fiding with his petitioning Brethren, was now reftor'd to his priftine Favour, and employ'd to manage a Reconcilement between His Majefty and the reft of the Prelates that were then in London. Accordingly the Bishops of Winchester, Chichester, Peterborough, Rochefter, Ely, and Bath and Wells, waited upon His Majefty, who having receiv'd them with extraordinary Marks of Favour and Kindness, told them, that he defir'd the Affiftance of their Counfels in this prefent Exigency; affuring them, that he was ready to do whatever they fhould think necessary for for the Security of the Proteftant Religion, and of 1688. his People's Rights, without derogating from his own Prerogatives. The Bifhops anfwer'd the King's Confidence in them, by Expreffions of their Duty and Loyalty to His Majefty, and would have given him more particular Proofs of their Zeal for his Service, had not the King told them that he was not then at leifure, and therefore defir'd them to confult together about fo weighty a Matter; whereupon they took their Leaves. A little while after, the King presented the Bishop of Winchefter to the Queen, telling her he was a very honest Man: Whereupon Her Majefty, who now endeavour'd to caft off her Imperioufnels, took notice of him with an affected fmiling Look. ProclamaIn the mean time, to prepoffefs the People against the Prince of Orange, a Proclamation was iffued out, the P. of tion against fetting forth, That His Majesty had receiv'd undoub- Orange's ted Advice, that a great and fudden Invafion from Invafion, Holland, with an armed Force of Foreigners, would Sept. 28. Speedily be made in an hoftile Manner; and altho Jome falfe Pretences relating to Liberty, Property and Religion, contriv'd or worded with Art and Subtilty, might be given out, it was manifeft however, that no lefs Matter by this Invafion was propos'd, than an abfolute Conquest of thefe His Majefties Kingdoms, and the utter fubduing and fubjecting him, and all his People, to a foreign Power; which was promoted by Some of His Majelties Subjects, being Perfons of wicked and reftlefs Spirits, implacable Malice, and deSperate Defigns; who having no Senfe of the Mifery of former inteftine Divifions, nor being mov'd by His Majefties reiterated Acts of Mercy, did again endeavour to imbroil this Kingdom in Blood and Kuin, to gratifie their own Ambition and Malice, propofing to themfelves a Prey and Booty in fuch a publick Confufi on. That tho' His Majefty had notice, that a foreign Force was preparing against him, yet he had always declin'd any foreign Succours, but rather had chofen 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 whofe Defence against all Enemies he was firmly refolu'd 1688. refolv'd to live and die: And therefore His Majefty folemnly conjur'd his Subjects to lay afide all manner of Animofities, Jealoufies and Prejudices, and heartily and chearfully to unite together, in the Defence of him and their native Country. That albeit the Defign had been carried on with all imaginable Secrecy, and Endeavours to furprize and deceive His Majefty, yet he bad not been wanting on his Part, to make fuch Provifion as did become him, and made no doubt of being found in fo good a Pofture, that His Enemies might have Caufe to repent their rash and unjuft Attempts. In the Conclufion His Majesty declar'd, That he did intend to have met His Parliament in November next, and that the Writs were iffusd forth accordingly, propofing to himself, amongst other things, that he might Parliament be able to quiet the Minds of all his People in Matters flopt. of Religion, but that in regard of this ftrange Attempt, defign'd to divert his faid gracious Purposes, he found it neceffary to recall his faid Writs. Writs for the meeting of a Befides this Proclamation, the Court us'd all posfible Means to regain the Affection and Confidence of the Church of England. The Bishop of London's Sufpenfion was taken off, Sir John Chapman, a Church-man, was nam'd to fucceed Sir John Eyles, the prefent Lord-Mayor of London, who was an Anabaptift; the Duke of Ormond had a Garter beftow'd on him, which perhaps he would never have obtain❜d from this King, but for the Fears of an A general Invafion; and a general Pardon was publish'd, from out of which Sir Robert Payton, Sir Rowland Gwin, Dr. Burnet, Samuel Johnson, Oates, Fergufon, and Eleven more, were excepted; which nevertheless, had little or no Effect; for ill-timed and forc'd Amnefties do rather argue a Prince's Weaknefs than his Clemency. Pardon, o&. 2. On the Third Day of October the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Bifhops of London, Winchefter, St. Afaph, Ely, Chichester, Rochefter, Bath and Wells, and Peterborough, waited upon the King, and the Archbishop addrefs'd himself to His Majetty in this manner. May te 66 66 May it pleafe Your Majefty, upon you, you were pleas'd briefly to acquaint me with what had pafsd Two Days before between your Majefty, and these my Reverend "Brethren By which, and by the Account which they themselves gave me, I perceiv'd, that in truth, there paft nothing, but in very general Terms and Expreffions of your Majefties gracious and favourable Inclinations to the Church of "England, and of our reciprocal Duty and Loyalty 66 66 66 1688. to your Majefty: Both which were fufficiently "understood and defir'd before, and (as one of my * The Bi "Brethren then told you) would have been in shop of Bath "the fame State, if the Bifhops had not ftirr'd one and Wells. Foot out of their Dioceffes. Sir, I found it griev'd 66 66 66 66 66 my Lords the Bishops to have come so far, and to have done fo little; and I am affur'd they came then prepar'd to have given your Majesty "fome more particular Inftances of their Duty and Zeal for Your Service, had they not appre"hended from fome Words which fell from your Majefty, that you were not then at Leifure to receive them. It was for this Reason that.I then befought your Majefty to command us once more to attend you all together, which your Majefty was pleas'd gracioully to allow and encourage. We therefore are here now before you, "with all Humility, to beg your Permiffion, that we may fuggeft to your Majefty such Advices as we think proper at this Seafon, and conducing to your Service, and fo leave them to your princely Confideration. 66 66 66 The King was no more that rough and untracta ble Monarch, who Four Months before anfwerd The Bishops the petitioning Bishops, That he expected to be obey- Advice to ed: For now being, as it were, transform'd into the King. another Prince, and taught Docility by the preffing Danger, he graciously permitted the Archbifhop to proceed, which he did, by advising His Majefty "1. To put the whole Management of “his Government, in the feveral Counties, into the |