and to prepare fo great Magazines, if you had not a design form'd anfwerable to the greatness of thefe Preparations. All thefe Circumstances, and many others that I may not here produce, perfuade the King, my Mafter, with reafon, that this Arming threatens England: Wherefore his Majesty bath com. manded me to declare to you on his part, That the Bands of FriendShip and Alliance between him and the King of Great Britain, will oblige him not only to affist him, but also to look on the first act of Hoftility that shall be committed by your Troops or your Fleet, a gainst his Majesty of Great Britain, as a manifest Rupture of the Peace, and a Breach with his Crown. I leave to your Lordships Prudence to reflect on the Confequences that fuch Enterprises may have, his Majesty not having ordered me to make you this Declaration on his Part, without his fincere Intention to prevent (as I have already had the Honour to tell you) all that may trouble the Peace of Europe. Given at the Hague the 9th. of September, 1688. September. In England all things were then in the utmoft degree of Disorder and Security; the Army committing the utmost degree of Infolence in all places where they were quartered, and the People making frequent and loud Complaints: Whereupon his late Majefty iffued out again an old Order which had been frequently, and to no good purpose published before, commanding that no Souldier fhould be lodged in any private House, without the free and voluntary Confent of the Owner; and that all Houfes fhould be deem'd private Houses except Victualling-Houfes, and Houfes of publick Entertainment, or fuch as have Licenfe to fell Wine or any other Liquor, &c. Under this pretence they brought in all Bakers, Coaks, &c. This Order bears date the 2d. of September at Windfor. Tho' the English Army were become thus intolerable to the Nation, and there was fo great a Storm gathering in Holland, yet fo ftupid were our Drivers, that nothing would ferve our then Mafters, but the filling the Army with Irish men, who were likely to be more diforderly, and more hated; to that end Major Slingsby, Lieutenant Governour of Portsmouth, under his Grace the Duke of Berwick, had ordered the Regi ment there quartered, to take in about thirty Irish Gentlemen, which was oppofed by John Beaumont, Lieutenant Coll. Thomas Paftor, Simon Parke, Thomas Orme, William Cook, and John Port, Officers and Commanders in that Regiment, which they had rais'd at their own Cofts and Charges, during the Monmouth Invafion. The firft of thefe made this Speech by their appointment, and in all their names to the Duke of Berwick. Sir, I am defired by thefe Gentlemen (with whofe Senfe I concur) to inform your Grace, that we do not think it confiftent with our Honours to have Foreigners impofed upon us, without being complain'd of, that our Companies were weak, or Orders to recruit them, not doubting but if fuch Orders had been given us, We that first in very ill times raifed them Hundreds, could eafily now have made them according to the Kings Complement: We humbly Petition we may have leave to fill up our Companies with fuch men of our Nation we may judge most fuitable for the Kings Service,and to fuppor our Honours; or that we may be permitted, with all imaganable Duty and Refpect, to lay down our Commissions. The Account of this Oppofition being_forthwith fent to Windfor, where the Court then was, the Rage and Fury against these rebellious, heretical Officers, was unspeakable; and in truth nothing could be more contrary to their Defigns, which was by degrees to fill up the English Army with Irifb and Roman Catholicks, because they found it was not poffible to do it at once, as they had done in Ireland: And now nothing would ferve them but the hanging the fix honeft Gentlmen by Martial Law; and accordingly a Party of Horfe were ordered to go down to Portsmouth to bring them up in cuftody, and a Court Martial was ordered to proceed against them; and if the Memorial of the French Ambassador had not come in that very Morning to fhew them their dan ger, in all probability they had been fo treated; but upon this, the 10th of September they were only cafheer'd, after they had on the Road been treated with great Severity and Indignity: However, this was one of thofe things which contributed very much to what followed. to.go The 20th. of September, the King being then returned with the Court to Whitehall, published this Declaration. Having H Aving already fignified Our pleasure to call a Parliament to meet at Our City of Westminster in November next, and Writs of Summon being iffued accordingly, left thofe whole Right it is to chufe Members of Parliament,fhould be under any Prejudices and Miftakes thro' the Artifices of dif"affected Perfons; We think fit to declare, That it is Our Roy'al Purpose to endeavour a legal Establishment of an Univer'fal Liberty of Confcience for all Our Subjects; it is alfo our Refolution inviolably to preferve the Church of England by fuch. a Confirmation of the feveral Acts of Uniformity, that they shall never be altered by any other ways than by repealing the feveral Claufes which inflict Penalties upon Perfons not promoted, or to be promoted to any Ecclefiaftical Benefices or Promotions within the meaning of the faid Acts, for using and exercifing their Religion contrary to the Tenor and Purport of the faid Acts of Uniformity. And for the further fecuring not only the Church of England, but the Proteftant Religion in general, We are willing the Roman Catholicks fhall remain incapable to be Mem 'bers of the Houfe of Commons; whereby thofe Fears and Ap'prehenfions will be removed, which many perfons have had, That the Legislative Authority would be engroffed by them, and turn'd against Proteftants. · "Wedo likewife affure all our loving Subjects,that We Chall 'be ready to do every thing elfe for their fafety and advantage, that becomes a King, who will always take care of his 'People; and if they defire the happiness of their Country, "We exhort them to lay by all Animofities, and difpofe themselves to think of fuch Perfons to reprefent them in Parliament, whofe Abilities and Temper render them fit for fo great and good a Work. And for the preventing any Diforders, Irregularities, or 'undue Proceedings w hatfoever that may happen either be fore, or at the time of Election of Members for the infuing 'Parliament, We do hereby ftrictly require and command all Mayors, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, and other Officers whatfoever, to whom the execution of any Writ, Summons, Warrant, or Precept for, or concerning the choice of Members for the enfuing Parliament fhall belong, That they caufe fuch 'Writ, Summons, Warrant, or Precept to be duly published and executed according to the Tenor thereof: And the 'Members 'Members that shall be chofen, to be fairly return'd accord- September. 'ing to the Merits of the Choice, The Nation was by this time become fo diftruftful of all the Proceedings of the Court, that this Declaration was thought abfolutely neceffary to affure them a Parliament fhould be holden, and yet after all it was little believed. The Preparations in Holland had made it neceffary to wheedle the Church of England-men, and therefore they were told only the Penalties of the Acts of Uniformity fhould be repeal'd, that an Univerfal Liberty of Confcience might be established: And the Roman Catholicks not being likely to be chofen for Members of the lower Houfe in this Parliament, they were contented to continue uncapable of being chofen in there, intimating, they intended however to fit in the House of Lords. The 26th of September there was an Order made to authorize and empower the Lords Lieutenants (many of which were Roman Catholicks, or unqualified perfons) of the feveral Counties, to grant Deputations to fuch Gentlemen as had been lately removed from being Deputy-Lieutenants; and his Majefty alfo gave directions to the Right Honourable the Lord Chancellor of England, to put into the Commiffion of the Peace fuch Gentlemen as had been lately laid afide, and fhall be recommended by the faid Lords-Lieutenants. In the Interim certain Intelligence being brought, that the Preparations in Holland were defigned against England: The 24th of September were fummoned the Bishop of London, Winchester, Ely, Chichester, Rochester and Bristol, and the Archbishop of Canterbury; and the 28th of Septemb. they appeared at Whitehall, and there waited accordingly that day upon the King in a Body; Winchester, Ely, Chichester, Rochefter, Bath and Wells, and Peterborough; but London and Briftel came not then to Town; and the Archbishop was fick, and came alone the next day. There paffed nothing then but general Expreffions of his Favour, and Promifes of Duty on the Bithops part. Whereupon they all defired the Archbishop to beg a fecond Admiffion, which was appointed on Tuesday the 2d. of October, but was put off till the next day. The 28th of September his Majefty put out this following Declaration. C We September. Wudden invafion from Holland with an armed Force of E have received undoubted Advice, That a great and 'Foreigners and Strangers, will speedily be made in an hoftile 'We cannot omit to make it known, that altho' We had ' notice fome time fince, that a foreign force was preparing against us, yet We have always declined any foreign Succours, but rather have chofen (next under God) to rely upon the true and ancient Courage, Faith and Allegiance of our own People,with whom we have often ventur'd Our life 'for the honour of this Nation, and in whofe defence against 'all Enemies We are firmly refolved to live and die: And 'therefore We folemnly conjure Our Subjects to lay afide all 'manner of Animofities, Jealoufies and Prejudices, and hearti'ly and chearfully to unite together in the defence of Us and their native Country, which thing alone will (under God) 'defeat and fruftrate the principal Hope and Defign of Our 'Enemies, who expect to find Our People divided, and by 'publishing |