the Prince ar Exeter; as did alfo the Lord A. 1688. bingdon, Mr. Ruffel, Captain Clargis, and many others. About the fame time His Highness was inform'd from Cheshire, That the Lord Delamere having receiv'd certain Intelligence of his * Nov. 16a Landing in the Weft, and feeing the Irish throng over in Arms, under Pretence of affifting the King, but in Reality to enflave the Nation, had thereupon affembled Fifty Horfemen, and at the Head of them march'd to Manchester; And that the next Day he went to Bodon-Downs, his Forces being then 150 ftrong, declaring his Design was to join the Prince, and inviting all his Tenants to follow him in this Honourable Enterprize.

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The Lord Lovelace was alfo marching towards Exeter, with Defign to bring to His Highness a Reinforcement of 60 or 70 Horsemen; but going thro' the Town of Cirencester, he was by the Duke of Beaufort's Orders made Prifoner by the Militia of that Country, with Thirteen of his Followers, after an obftinate Skirmish, in which Ten or Twelve Men were kill'd on both fides.

The Joy the Court conceiv'd at the taking cf the Lord Lovelace, was foon deftroy'd by the melancholy News of my Lord Cornbury's Defection, which was like to break all their Meafures ; for upon the first hearing of it, both the Artillery, the reft of the Troops, and the King's Equipage, that were moving towards Salisbury, had Orders to flop their March, it being now uncertain whether His Majefty would go to the Army or not. However, after feveral Confultations, which the Earl of Feversham held with the general Officers, and at which Count de Roye aflifted, it was thought neceffary, that the King fhould haften his Departure, to keep firm to their Duty by his Prefence those who began to ftagger.

On the other Hand, moft of the Proteftant Lords, both Spiritual and Temporal, who were then in London, to wit, the Archbishops of Canterbu

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1688. ry and York, the Bishops of St. Asaph, Ely, Rochester, Peterborough and Oxford; the Dukes of Grafton The Lords and Ormond; the Earls of Clare, Clarendon, Burpetition for lington, Anglefey and Rochester; Viscount Newport, a Partia and the Lords Paget, Chandois and Offulton, drew

ment.

up a Petition, wherein they told the King, That in a deep Senfe of the Mijeries of a War now breaking out in the Bowels of this Kingdom, and of the Danger to which His Majefties Sacred Perfon was thereby like to be expos'd, and alfo of the Di fractions of bis People, by reafon of their prefent Grievances, they did think themselves bound in Confcience, and out of the Duty they ow'd to God, their Holy Religion, to His Majefty, and their Coun try, not humbly to offer to His Majesty, That in their Opinions, the only visible Way to preferve His Majefty and this Kingdom, would be the Calling of a Parliament Regular and Free in all its Circumstances; That therefore they did moft earnestly befeech His Majesty that he would be pleas'd with all speed to call fuch a Parliament, wherein they hould be most ready to promote fuch Counfels and Refolutions of Peace and Settlement in Church and State, as might conduce to His Majefties Honour and Safety, and to the Quieting the Minds of his People; And likewife they did most humbly befeech His Ma jefty, in the mean time, to use fuch Means for the preventing the Effufion of Chriftian Blood, as to His Majesty hould em mot meet and proper. The Duke of Norfolk, the Marquis of Halifax, the Earls of Oxford and Nttingham, and the Lord Carbury, who were at the drawing up of this Petition, refus'd to fet their Hands to it, because they would have inferted in it, That the Peers who had join'd the Prince might fit in that free Parliament, for which they petition'd His Majesty, which Claufe was rejected by the reft. Howe*Nov. 17. ver, the Petition being prefented to the King by the Two Archbishops, and the Bishops of Ely and Rochester, His Majefty, who was advis'd by the Popish Lords about him, to rely on his Army rather than truft himself with a Parliament, an

fwer'd

fwer'd thofe Reverend Prelates: That what they 1688. askd of him he most paffionately defir'd: And he w promis'd them upon the Faith of a King, That he The King's would have a Parliament, and fuch an one as they Answer. ask'd for, affoon as ever the Prince of Orange had I quitted this Realm: For how was it poffible a Parliament should be free in all its Circumstances, as they petition'd for, whilst an Enemy was in the KingIdom, and could make a Return of near an Hundred Voices? By this unfatisfactory, tho' plaufible, Anfwer, the King intirely ruin'd his Intereft; for the leaft difcerning Perfons could not but perceive, that the Prince of Orange's Army was the only humane Security the Nation had for the calling of a free Parliament; and that if King James fhould force His Highness to leave the Kingdom, all their Laws and Liberties must become precarious, and lye at the Mercy of the Conqueror.

The King being prefs'd by the Earl of Fever-The King ham to make all the hafte he could to his Army, goes to the began his Journey the fame Day the Bishops waited Army. on him with the foremention'd Petition; but before he left Whitehall, His Majefty, who was apprehenfive that the Example of the Lords Colchefter and Cornbury would prove contagious, affembled the Officers that were fill in London, amongft whom were the Duke of Grafton, the Lord Churchill, Colonel Trelawny, and Colonel Kirk, and fpoke to them in this manner: According to the Lords Petition I have engag'd my Royal Word to call a free Parliament affoon as ever the Prince of Orange has quitted the Kingdom; and am refolv'd to do all that lyes in my Power to quit the Minds of my People, by fecuring their Religion, Iaws and Liberties if you defire any thing more, I am ready to grant it. But (added he) if after all this any of you is not Satisfied, let him declare himfelf: I am willing to grant Paffes to all fuch as have a mind to go over to the Prince of Orange, and Spare 'em the Shams of deferting their lawful Sovereign. At the fame tinic the Lord-Mayor of London having waited on King to wish him a good Journey, His Majesty re commended

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1688. commended to him the Care of the City, tel

ling him he left a fufficient Number of Troops for their Defence; and that in cafe of need he might apply himfelf to the Privy Council; affuring him withal, that if he return'd victorious, he would punctually perform what he had already promis'd for the Security of their Religion and Liberties. But the Council His Majefty left at Whitehall fpoil'd all thefe fine Proteftations: For it confifted of five Perfons, of whom Three were odious to the Nation, viz. the Chancellor, and the Lords Arundel and Bellafis, Two Roman Catholicks, the fourth the Lord Prefton, who was fufpected of favouring Popery; and the fifth, the Lord Godolphin, who was the only Perfon against whom there was no Exception. Tho' the Court was fenfible of the ill Condition of their Affairs. yet they put on a Face of Affurance, and fent the Duke of Hamilton toScotland, giving out, that he would foon return with a confiderable Body of Forces, which the Nobility of that Kingdom had rais'd for the King's Service. But Father Petre having had the greatest Share in the irregular Proceedings of this Reign, fo he was most intimately afraid of the threatning Danger, and thought it high time for him to retreat to France, which he did under the Protection of the Lord Waldegrave, who was fent Ambaffador thither in the room of Colonel Skelton.

Befides the ifair Hopes King James had given the Peers and the Head-Officers of his Army, of maintaining the Church of England, His Majefty thought fit to carry along with him a Proteftant Chaplain to Salisbury, thereby to fatistie the whole Army of his good Intentions. For this Purpose he pitch'd upon Mr. Chetwood, of whom 'tis neceffary I fhould give the following Account, to let the Reader into His Majefties Reasons for fixing his Choice upon that Reverend Doctor, preferrably to any other.

Mr. Chetwood was a Perfon, who befides the Advantage of his Birth, had distinguish'd himfelf at the Univerfity by his great Literature, and by an unconstrain'd and agreeable Way of con

verfing,

verfing, which is feldom found in a good Scholar, 1688. and which made his Company courted by all the Ingenious and Polite. His Character having reach'd the Princess of Denmark's Ears, Her Royal Highness, in the Year 1684. order'd the Countefs of Clarendon, then Groom of the Stole, to fend for him out of the Country, where fhe heard he was at that time. Upon Mr. Chetwood's coming up to London, Her Royal Highnefs gave Directions that he fhould befworn her Chaplain in Ordinary, both at Whiteball and St. James's Chappel; this occafion'd a Controverfie with fome of the other Chaplains, which however both the King and the Princefs determin'd in Mr. Chetwood's Behalf. Being fenfible of this Favour, Mr. Chetwood defir'd the Earl of Mulgrave, then Lord Chamberlain, to return his dutiful Thanks to the King, and humbly to affure His Majefty that he would ever ferve him faithfully in every thing, as far as the Duty of a Clergyman of the Church of England would permit him; at which the King was fo well fatisfied, that he exprefs'd it publickly, and faid, He knew he could rely upon his Honefty. Some time afterwards the Doctor was fent for, and the Archdeaconry of Canterbury was bestowed upon him, the Enjoyment whereof was for fome time permitted to the then Bishop of Oxford. Mr. Chetwood having taken out his Patent, and not doubting the Goodness of his Title, Dr. Tennifon (now Lord Archbishop of Canterbury) came to him, and told him, That if he infifted on this Matter, it might occafion the Sufpenfion or Deprivation of my Lord of Canterbury; whereupon Mr. Chetwood affur'd him, That if he thought in Confcience that the pursuing the Execution of his Patent would turn any way to the Prejudice of the Church, he would freely give it up; which he did afterwards, upon the preffing Inftances of Dr. Tennifon, as one who never fuffer'd the Courtier to encroach upon the Divine. Towards the latter end of 1687. the Arch-deaconry of Tark coming to be void, Mr. Chetwood was fent for to Windfor; but being unwilling to have it, he delayed going down; however fome of his Friends prevail'd with him to accept it; and then he had