own Army having been disbanded by his own order, all December. the Forts in England, except Portfmonth, being in the Prince's hands, and London, and almoft all the Peers in lis abfence having fent their Submiffion, and inviting him to come forthwith to Town, to take upon him the Care of the City. This Letter being by the Prince referred to the Peers that were then at Windfor, they concluded that the shortness of the time could admit no better Expedient, than that the King might be defired to remove to fome place within a reafonable diftance from London; and Ham, a Houfe belonging. to the Dutchess of Lauderdale, was pitched upon, and a Note or Paper to that purpofe drawn up, which was ordered to be delivered after the Prince's Guards were in Poffeffion of: the Pofts about whitehall or novia mied (doi:14 21T WE defire you the Lord Marquifs of Hallifax, the Earl of Shrewsbury, and the Lord Delamere, to tell the King, That it is thought convenient, for the great quiet of the City, and the greater fafety of his Perfon, that he do remove to Ham, where he shall be attended by his Guards, who will be ready to preserve him from any difturbancer TRO 9 Given at Windfor, the Seventeenth of December, 1688. Monfieur Zuleftein followed the King to London, and there delivered his Letter, and the Sixteenth returned to Windsor.. The Earl of Feverfham went the fame day with the Leiter. to the Prince, which is mentioned above, and was by him committed to the Caftle of Windfor, aid w. A December. The King, fo foon as ever he came to whitehall, iffued out this Order of Councill."" At the Court at Whitehall, the Sixteenth day of December, 1688. Prefent HIS Majefty being given to understand, That divers Outrages and Dilorders are committed in feveral Parts of the Kingdom, by Burning, Pulling down, and otherwife defacing Houses, and other Buildings, and Rifling and Plundering the fame, to the great terror of His Majelly's Subjects, and manifeft Breach of the Peace, His Majefty in Council is pleafed to Direct and Command 'all Lord Lieutenants, Deputy Lieutenants, Juftices of the 'Peace, Mayors, Conftables, and all other Officers whom it may concern, to ufe their utmioft endeavours for, the preventing of fuch Outrages and Disorders for the future, and for the fuppreffing all riotous and tumultous Meetings and Affemblies whatsoever. William Bridgeman. There having been fufficient care taken for this by the Council before, it was not confiftent with his Intereft thus to fhew his Zeal for the Popish Party in the very firft Act he did upon his return, as if he had come back only to ferve them. During the time the King ftay'd at whitehall, it was crowded with Irithmen, Priefts, Jefuits, and Roman Catholicks, afrer the old wont; and it is faid one of the Priests fent an imperious Meffage to the Earl of Mulgrave the Lord Chamberlain, to furnish his Lodgings with new Furniture, for for he meant to continue in them. And the King alfo December. (as was faid) difcharged Leiburn a Popish Bishop, out of Newgate, on Monday the Seventeenth of December: So that all things were returning apparently into the old Chanel, and we were to expect nothing but what we had already feen and felt; and fome that wifhed well to the King, faid, he was cunningly invited back to whitehall, with a defign to ruine him the more effectually, and without any pity from his Proteftant Subjects. The Peers at Windfor did not think it reafonable, hearing this, that the Prince of Orange fhould accept the King's Invitation, and venture his Perfon in the fame place: for this they had another good reason, the Duke of Grafton marching through the Strand, on the Fourteenth day, at the Head of a Foot Regiment of Guards, to take the Fort of Tilbury out of the hands of the Irish, by the Order of the Council, an Irish Trooper came riding up to him, and being beaten off by the Soldiers, drew a Piftol against him; for which he was fhot dead upon the place. And it was not improbable there were more of the fame temper. Hereupon the Peers at Windfor refolved to fend the Prince's Guards to take Poffeffion of the Pofts about Whitehall, to prevent all poffibility of a Disturbance from: Guards belonging to two feveral Mafters; which, befides other ill Confequences, might have perhaps involved the King's own Perfon in the danger that might have arifen from any Difpute. Thefe Guards got not to London before Ten at Night, being commanded by Count Solmes; and the Guards then on Duty not being willing to diflodge,. it was Twelve at Night before the Lords could deliver the Paper they had brought from Windfor, of which they -first fent this Account to Secretary Middleton. My Lord, Here is a Meffage to be delivered to His Majefty from: the Prince, which is of fo great Importance, that: we who are charged with it, defire we may be immediately admitted; and therefore defire to know where we December. we may find your Lordship, that you may introduce, My 'Lord, He accordingly prefently introduced them, the King being by that time in Bed. Where they made an Apology for coming at fo unfeasonable a time; and delivering him the Paper, the King read it, and faid he would comply with it. Upon which the Lords humbly defired he would remove fo early as to be at Ham by Noon, to prevent meeting the Prince in his way to London, where he was to come the fame day: His Majefty readily agreed to this too, and asked whether he might not appoint what Servants fhould attend him; to which the Lords replied, That it was left to him to give order in that as he pleased, and fo took their leave of him. When they were gone as far as the Privy-Chamber, the King fent for them again, and told them, He had forgot to acquaint them with his Refolutions before the Meffage came, To fend my Lord Godolphin next Morning to the Prince, to propofe his going back to Rochester, he finding by the Meffage Monfieur Zulefteins was charged with, the Prince had no mind he fhould be at London; and therefore he now defired he might rather return to Rochefter, than go to any other place. The Lords replied, That they would immediately fend an Account to the Prince of what His Majesty defired, and they did not doubt of fuch an Anfwer as would be to his Satisfaction: Accordingly they fent to him, who was then at Sion, and before Eight next Morning there came a Letter from Monfieur Benting, by the Prince's Order, agreeing to the King's Propofal of going to Rochefter: whereupon he went (the Guards being made ready and Boats prepared) that Night to Gravefend, in his own Barge, attended by the Earl of Arran, and fome few others. The The fame day, Dec. the 18th. about Three in the Af December. ternoon, his Highness the Prince of Orange came to St. James's, attended by Monfieur Schomberg, and a great number of the Nobility and Gentry, and was entertain'd with a Joy and Concourfe of the People which appeared free and unconstrained, and all the Bells in the City were rung, and Bon-fires in every Street. The King continued at Rochefter till the 23. of December, and then about one or two in the morning privately withdrew himself, taking only with him Mr. Ra. Sheldon and Mr. DeLabady, he went towards Dover, and embarqued in a Veffel laid ready for his Transportation for France. The Queen, who went hence the 10th. arrived the 11th. at Calais, and was in great pain (not knowing what had happened in England) for the King, whom the expected every tide. The King, before he withdrew this fecond time, wrote and left behind him this following Letter, which was afterwards printed by his Order in London. His Majesty's Reasons for withdrawing Himfelf from Rochester; Writ with bis own Hand, and ordered by bim to be Published. HE World cannot wonder at my withdrawing my felf now this fecond time. I might have expected fomewhat better ufage after what I writ to the Prince of Orange, by my Lord Feversham, and the Inftructions I gave him; but inftead of an Answer, fuch as I might have hoped for, what was I to expect after the ufage I received, by the making the faid Earl a Prifoner, a'gainst the Practice and Law of Nations; the fending his own Guards at Eleven at Night, to take Poffeffion of the Pofts at "Whitehall, without advertising me in the leaft manner of it; the fending to me at One of the Clock at midnight, P ઢ . when |