1688. more Wefterly, there arofe a violent Storm in the Night, which continu'd with so much Fury for Twelve Hours, that they were forc'd either to return to Helvoit-Sluys, the Road from whence they parted, or to put into the Neighbouring Harbours; except fome few Veffels, which were driven towards the North, and were miffing for seven or eight Days. The Papifts Rea joice. Although this Difafter ought not to have been furprifing in that Seafon of the Year, which Nature feems to have allotted for Tempeftuous Weather, yet did it caft the Proteftants, both in Holland and England, into a deep Confternation. On the contrary, the Roman Catholicks, whom this prodigious Armament had kept in Alarms, thinking the Danger entirely over, gave everywhere free Scope to their infulting Joy, and began to Sing their Triumph, boafting that God Almighty had now recompenced them for the Lofs of the Spanish Armada, which a Hundred Years before was deftin'd to Conquer the English Hereticks. The French efpecially, who forefaw how fatal the Prince's Expedition would prove to the towring Designs of their Monarch, and who by the Levity of their Temper are as rafhly elevated, as they are groundlefly caft down, made very fevere Reflections_on his Highnefs's Attempt: Among the reft, a Jefuit of that Nation vented his Eloquent Spleen in the following Latin Epigram. In Britannicam Expeditionem Arauficani Principis Bella movet Socero Gener impius, inque Parentis Pays The Reign of King JAMES II. The Fleet had not receiv'd fo much Damage as was induftrioully reported in the English Gazette, but rather as it was manag'd, turn'd to their Advantage; for immediately to make the English Court more Remifs in their Preperations, the Harlem and Amfterdam Gazettes were order'd to make a lamentable Relation of the great Damages the Dutch Fleet and the Army Aboard them, bad fuftain'd. Nine of the Men of War loft, befides others of lefs Value, 1000 Horfes caft Over-board, Dr. Burnet and feveral English Gentlemen drown'd; what an ill Opinion the States-General had of the Expedi tion; and that it was next to an Impoffibility that the Prince could be in a Condition to pursue his Defign till the next Spring. 229 1688. on. About the fame Time Captain Langham, who Bishops exbelong'd to one of the English Regiments in Hol- poftulated land and was just arriv'd from thence, was with about feiz'd upon Sufpicion, and in his Portmantle were the Prince's found a Parcel of the Prince of Orange's De- Declaraziclarations, which were the first that were brought over. When that Expreffion came to be Read, That the Prince was moft earnestly invited hither by divers of the Lords, both Spiritual and Temporal, and by many Gentlemen and others, the King fent for the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishops of London, Winchester, and two or three more, that happen'd to be then in Town, and ask'd them, whether the Contents of the Prince's Declaration, relating to their inviting him hither, were true? The Bifhops were put to a ftand, but at laft anfwer'd His Majefty, That they never would own any other King as long as he liv'd. His Majefty then requir'd a Paper under their Hands in Abhorrence of the Prince's intended Invafion: Which they promis'd to Subfcribe after they had confulted with their other Brethren, and therefore defir'd Time to confider of it, which His Majefty allow'd. P 3 1688. low'd. Some few Days after, upon the News of the Prince being landed, feveral Peers were likewife queftion'd about the fame Claufe in the Prince's Manifefto, particularly the Marquis of Hallifax, and the Earls of Nottingham, Clarendon, Burlington, and Abingdon, who all made great Proteftations of Loyalty: As for the Bishops, though they feem'd very much difpleas'd with their being mention'd in his Highness's Declaration, yet being call'd upon to perform their Promife, they alledg'd, That the Prince of Orange giving it out, that he was invited by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, They being but five or fix in Number, could not Sign a Paper, which concern'd not only the whole Epifcopal Body, but also all the Peers of England, and therefore defir'd His Majefty to refer that Matter to a Free Parliament. The King was highly diffatisfied with this Answer, and the Lord Prefton, who was then with the King, told the Bishops, His Majefty expected more from their Loyalty, and from the Principles of their Church. The Archbishop of Canterbury, accompanied by the Bishops of London, Rochester and Piterborough, feeing the Bishops of Chefter and St. Davids in the King's Chamber, told the Lord Prefton, that if His Majefty would have him fpeak, he fhould be pleas'd to bid these two to withdraw, which being granted, the King ask'd them again if they had brought their Declaration of Abhorrence according to Promife? They anfwer'd, they had never promis'd any fuch thing pofitively, but only to confider of it; which the Lord Prefton confirmed. That it was contrary to their Peerage and their Profeffion to promote War against a Prince fo nearly allied to the Crown; however they added, that if their verbal difowning of the Allegations of the Prince of Orange, relating to the Spiritual Lords, could be of any Service to His Majefty, they confented it should be printed, though they could not give it under their Hands for the Reafons abovemention'd. The King replied, that People would never give Credit to any fuch printed Declaration without Names, but perceiving perceiving they remain'd firm in their Refusal, 1688. To keep the Prince's Declaration from the Nov. 2. Gentlemen and Friends, "We have given you fo full and fo true an The Prince Account of our Intentions in this Expediti- of Orange's on, in our Declaration, that as we can add Letter to nothing to it, fo we are fure you can defire the English nothing more of us. We are come to Pre- Arım. "ferve your Religion, and to Reftore and Efta"blifh your Liberties and Properties; and there"fore we cannot fuffer our felves to doubt, but that all true English Men will come and concur with us in our Defire to fecure thefe Na"tions from Popery and Slavery. You must all "plainly fee, that you are only made ufe of CC as Inftruments to enflave the Nation, and "ruin the Proteftant Religion; and when that "is done, you may judge what you your felves ought to expect, both from the cashiering all the Proteftant and English Officers "and Soldiers in Ireland, and by the Irish P 4 ' "Sol (. 1688. Soldiers being brought over to be put in "in your Places, and of which you have seen fo CO frefh an Inftance, that we need not put you in Mind of it. You know how many of GC your Fellow-Officers have been us'd for their ftanding firm to the Proteftant Religion, and to the Laws of England: And you cannot "flatter your felves fo far as to expect to be better us'd, if thofe who have broke their Word fo often, thould by your Means be brought out of thofe Streights, to which they ' are at prefent reduc'd. We hope likewife that 26 you will not fuffer your felves to be abus'd 66 by a falfe Notion of Honour; but that you "will in the firft Place confider what you owe 26 to Almighty God, and next to your Counแ try, your Selves, and your Pofterity; which 60 you, as Men of Honour, ought to prefer to all private Confiderations and Engagements "whatsoever. We do therefore expect that GO you will confider the Honour that is now 66 fet before you, of being the Inftruments of 6: ferving your Country, and fecuring your Religion; And we fhall ever remember the Service you fhall do us upon this Occafion, and will promife you that we fhall place fuch particular Marks of our Favour on every one of you, as your Behaviour at this time fhall "deferve of us and the Nation, in which we will make a great Diftinction of thofe tha: fhall come feafonably to join their Arms with ours; And you fhall find us to be, 63 66 Your Well-wishing, i And affured Friend, W. H. P. O This Letter was fpread under-hand over the whole Kingdom, and the Suggestions of it being undeniable, and well couched, it had a wonder fu |