YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

THE

HISTORY

OP

ENGLAND

FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE DEATH OF GEORGE II.
(Designed as a continuation of Mr. Hume's History.)
IN FIVE VOLUMES.
By T. SMOLLETT, M.D.

TO WHICH IS PREFIXED,
THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR,
WITH CRITICAL OBSERVATIONS ON HIS WORKS,
By ROBERT ANDERSON, M. D.

Volume 1.

EDINBURGH :
TRINTED FOR LACKINGTON, ALLEN, AND CO. S. BAQSTER, ANO
CUTH1LL AND MARTIN, LONDON ; AND FOR J. FAIRBAIRN,
MUNDELL AND SON, AND ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE
AND CO. EDINBURGH ; AND J. AKD
A. DDNCAN, GLASGOW.
1805

THE

^LIFE

OF

TOBIAS SMOLLETT, M. D.

JLtt every age in which literature has been held in
estimation, trie lives of eminent writers have been in
teresting to curiosity, and persons have taken pains
to collect facts respecting them> which might grati
fy this natural propensity, and hold out an incentive
to the love of fame and the cultivation of the mind.
, It has been long perceived, that this is an act of
gratitude ; for, in every nation, they who have for
feited their time, their health, and their fortune in
composing writings, which, as they instruct by their
intelligence, or please by their elegance, either faci
litate the attainment of knowledge, or smooth the
asperities of life, may be numbered among the bene
factors of mankind, and are entitled to remembrance
and applause.
Of the writers of the present age, eminent for their
intellectual endowments, who have reflected honour
upon human nature in general, or upon our own na
tion in particular, few will be found more deserving
of biographical notice, .than the subject of this nar
rative, whether we consider the utility and elegance
, of his literary compositions, the force and vivacity of
VOL. I. A

2 THE LIFE OF
his mind, or the disinterestedness and independence
of his spirit.
In associating the Author of the Ode to Indepen
dence with the poets of our nation, to whose lives the
public attention has been called by the Collection of
their' Works, I have undertaken to award him the
justice which the envy and ingratitude of his con
temporaries denied him, by collecting the incidents
of his life which are transmitted by tradition, and
stating his pretensions as a man and an author, in
order that his character may be more fully understood
and illustrated, and his example may be followed.
Of the personal history of Smollett, less is known
than the celebrity of his name, and his rank in En
glish literature, might give reason to expect. It is
said, that the chief incidents in the early part of hi|
life were given to the world in his novel of Roderi$&
Random. Whether that report is well founded or
notj it is not easy nor necessary to know. The in
cidents, if real, are certainly heightened by invention,
and disguised by the decorations of fiction *. No
credit, therefore, is due to them as . authorities in a
work of truth ; and they are not followed in this at
tempt to relate, with the fidelity of biographical nar
ration, what is known of his. personal history and li
terary productions.
I earnestly regret, that the information concerning
him which my inquiries have obtained, is so general
and scanty, that I must give the history of his life to
the world much more 'imperfectly than his qualifica
tions deserve ; but I have this gratification from re
lating it, that however inadequate to his merits, or
unsatisfactory to his friends, it may not be altogether
unacceptable to the public, who always take an in-
* " I have not deviated from nature in the facts, .which are all
true in the main, although the circumstances are altered and dis
guised, to avoid personal satire." Preface to Rod. Rand.

DR SMOLLETT. &
terest in those persons, from whose writings they
have derived pleasure or instruction.
The ancestors of Smollett have been long settled
in the county of Dumbarton, where, in the different
changes of government, they acquired considerable
property, and were distinguished by the most ho
nourable offices in the state *. By the records of
the town of Dumbarton it appears, that one of them,
in the direct line, of the name of Tobias Smollett,
was, early in the fifteenth century, married to a
daughter of Sir Patrick Houston of Houston, a re
spectable family in the copnty of Renfrew. In 1588,
he informs us, the Florida, a ship of the Spanish Ar
mada, that had the military chest on board, was blown
up by one of his ancestors in one of the bays of ithe
Island of Mull ¦f*. In 1 688, his grandfather, Sir James
Smollett of Bonhill, appeared in the honourable band
of Scottish patriots who espousedthe principlesupon
which the Revolution was effected, and co-operated
in the preservation and security of civil and religious
liberty against the encroachments of the Sovereign.
He had the character of being a man of great
sagacity ; he was originally bred to the profession
of the law, and distinguished for his knowledge in
it ; he was one of the Commissaries of Edinburgh ;
he represented the burgh of Dumbarton in the Scot
tish Parliament, and was chosen one of the commis
sioners for framing the treaty of Union. He married
Jane, daughter of Sir Auky Maeaulay, Bart, of Ar~
dincaple, by whom he had four sons and two daugh
ters* All his sons were sent to complete their edu
cation at the University of Leyden, according to a
M' ¦.ill.' ' .'¦ '¦ . ., .-.-.';1
*! It- is remarkable, that neither the origin of the surname of
Smollett, or, as it is commonly pronounced, Smallet/, though of
considerable antiquity and distinction, nor the arms of Smollett of
Bonhill, the only family of that name existing in Scotland, are
given by Nisbet, our best genealogist, in his " System of Heraldry*?'
f Expedition of Humphry Clinker.

A THE LIFE OF
fashion which prevailed in Scotland at that time. The
eldest, Tobias, went early into the, army, obtained
the rank of Captain, and died a young .man ; the se
cond, James, was bred to the law, and succeeded his
father in the office of Commissary of Edinburgh ;
the third, George, was also bred to the law, practised
for some time at the Scottish bar, and succeeded his
brother James as Commissary of Edinburgh *.
. The fourth son, Archibald, received a liberal edu
cation, but was bred to no profession. Soon after
his return fpom Leyden, he married, without previ
ously consulting his father, Barbara Cunningham,
daughter of Mr Cunningham of Gilbertfield -{-, in
the neighbourhood of Glasgow ; a woman of distin
guished understanding, taste, and elegance. As she
was of an amiable character, and respectable family,
his father Jiad no reason to be displeased with, the
alliance,, except that it had been entered iuto with
out consulting him,, and that she had little or no por
tion. Sir James gave his son, however, a liferent, of
the house and farm of Dalquhurn, on the banks of
the Leven, and near the family mansion of Bonhill,
which, with an annuity, made his income about 3001.
a-year. They had, two sons and a daughter. A
short time after the birth of the youngest of these
children, Archibald died, and left his family entirely
dependent on the bounty of their grandfather. . The
eldest of the sons, whose name, was James, embraced
the military, profession, in which he attained the rank
of a Captain; the. regiment to which he belonged
was ordered abroad ; the transport in which he was,
with part of the troops, was lost off the coast of A-
merica. He was a. young man of distinguished spi-
* The names of George and 'James Smollett appear at an " Act
of the Faculty of Advocates, in favour of Mr Ruddiman, 15th
July 17 10," with fac similes of their signatures, in Chalmers's
" Life of Ruddiman," Appendix, No. 3.
f The celebrated residence of Lieutenant William Hamilton,
the poetical friend and correspondent of Allan Ramsay.

DR SMOLLETT. S
rit, and an excellent character; his brother never
mentioned him but in the most affectionate terms. ,
The daughter, whose name was Jane, married in
J 739, Alexander Telfer, Esq. a man of considerable
fortune. He was at that time lessee of the lead-
mines at Wanlockhead, and resided many years at;
Leadhills in Lanarkshire. He afterwards purchased
the estates of Scotston in Peebles-shire, and Syming
ton in Lanarkshire, and died in 1760, leaving three
Sons, Alexander, James, and Archibald, and one
daughter, Jane. Mrs Telfer was a woman of ad
mirable good sense, and highly esteemed. Upon the
death of her cousin, James Smollett, Esq. of Bon-
liill, one of the Commissaries of Edinburgh, in 1776,
she succeeded to the family estate of Bonhill, about
one thousand pounds a-year ; for which it was ne
cessary for her to resume her maiden name' of Smol
lett, and died in 1789, in the 70th year of her age.
Her eldest son] Alexander Telfer, Esq. of Syming
ton]' succeeded to the estate ;pf Bonhill, * and assum
ed the name of Smollett. He married Miss Renton,
daughter of John Renton, Esq. of Blackadder, in
Berwickshire, and1 niece of the Earl of Eglinton, and
died in 1799> leaving 'two sons, Alexander and John,
and six daughters. His eldest son,, Alexander, a
Lieutenant-colonel in the army] arid member of Par
liament for the t?6unty of Dumbarton, siigceeded to
the family estates of Symington and .'Bonhill *, of a-
bout sixteen hundred pounds a-year; and was; killed
at the battle of Alkhiaer, irr Holland, in 1799. His
brother, John Smollett, Esq. is the representative of
the family.- .¦¦'¦'
TobtAs Smollett, the youngest son of' Archibald,
was born in the old, house of Dalquhurn, near the
modern village of Renton -\P in the parish of Cardross,
. -.' ...-.¦Jsax ¦'-•"<¦ ¦'• " \ ;'
* His father had sold the estate of Scotston some time before.
f 'Extensive bleacbfields, afid' considerable fabrics for the print
ing of linen and cotton, have been established near the old house"
of Dalquhurn. It became necessary to build a village for the sts»
A 3

6 THE LIFE OF
. ¦ i,
in 1721 ; and baptized Tobias George, as appears
from, the register of the parish, to which that part of
the valley of Leven, lying between Lochlomond and
the town of Dumbarton, belongs.
Thevalley of Leven, in which Smollett drew his
first breath, and spent the years of his childhood, is
distinguished, perhaps, beyond any other spot in this
island, by comprehending objects the most beautiful
and most; (sublime, and by possessing the rarely unit
ed advantages of being striking from its natural beau
ties, and interesting from being the birth-place and
residence of eminent men, and the scene of heroic
actions. His own description of this romantic valley, through
which, £f devolving from the parent lake," the Wa
ters of the Leven flow, merits some attention in the
history of his mind, as it is highly probable, that the
beautiful and sublime objects which presented them
selves on all sides to his eyes, tended to enliven his
fancy, and to pherish that taste for poetry, of which
he gave early proofs by his descriptive verses.
" The water of Leven, though nothing near so
considerable as the Clyde, is much more transparent,
pastoral, and delightful. This charming stream is the
outlet of Lochlomond, and, through a tract of four
miles, pursues its wincjung course, murmuring over a
bed of pebbles, till it joins the Frith of Clyde at
Dumbarton. On this spot stands the castle, former
ly called* Alcluyd, washed by these two rivers on all
sides, except a narrow isthmus, which at every spring
tide is overflowed ; the whole is a great curiosity, from
the quality and form of the rock, as well as from the
nature of its situation. A very little above the source
of the Leven, on the lake, stands the house of Ca-
commodation of the great numbers of people in those works. Mrs
Smollett furnished a part of the farm for that purpose ; the village
was, on her death, built under the patronage of Mr Smollett, her
eldest son ; and, in compliment to his lady, is called Renton.

DE 'SMOLLETT*

meron, belonging to Mr Smollett*, so embosomed in
.an oak wood, that we did not see it till we were with
in fifty yards 'of the door. I The lake approaches on
one side to within six or seven yards of the window.
It might have been placed in a higher site, which
would have affQiidefl a more extensive prospect, and
*a drier atmosimere ;"but this imperfection is not
? chargeabk jmi the bres&nt proprietor, who purchased
it ready <||ju4»,ratlier than be at the trouble of repair
ing his aw$Tamily-house Of Bonhill, which stands
( two mfles. from hence on the Leven, so surrounded
with pl|tp:ations, that it used to be known by tb^e
name of the Mavis .'or thrush) Nest. ,QAbove that
house is a romantic glen, or cleft of a mountain, co
vered with hanging woods, having at bottom a stream
of fine water that forms a number of cascades in its
descent to join the Leven,1 so that the scene is quite
enchanting;. -Jit ' i *.
" I have seen the Logo di Gardi, AlbanO'deVico,
jBolsena, and Geneva, and I prefer Lochloinond to
them all ; a preference which is certainly owing to
the verdant islajids Ijhat se^fta to float upon its sur
face, affording; tj§e°most^ieffihrfritinfr objects of re-
pose to the excursive .ViSwr VlKor are the banks des-
titnte of beauties wKicl|teveffirpnrtake of the sublime.
On this side theyjliSplay a sweet variety of wood
land, corn field, ana 'pasture, with several agreeable
villas., emerging, as it were, out of the lake ; till at
some distance, the prospect terminates in huge
mountains, covered with heath, which, being in the
l^pom, affords a very rich covering of purple. Eve-
jr^f^ug here is r^iantic beyond irriagination. This
ji^unti-y is justjv 'styled the Arcadia of Scotland: I
Mot, no.t doubt nut it niay vie -with Arcadia in cverv
' thinsr Dutacfiinale?^I am sure it excels it in ver-
dure, wood, and water. What say you to a na
tural bason of pure water, near thirty miles long,
* The late Commissary Smollett.
A 4

g THE LIFE OF
and, in some places, seven miles broad, and in many
above a hundred fathom deep, having four-and-twen-
ty habitable islands, some of them stocked with deer,
and all of them covered with wood, containing im
mense quantities of delicious fish, salmon, pike, trout,
perch, flounders, eels, and powans, the last a delicate
kind of fresh-water herring peculiar to this lake ;
and finally communicating with the sea, by sending
off the Leven, through which all those species (ex
cept the powan), make their exit and entrance occa
sionally * ?"
The impressions which his mind had received, at
this early period of his life, of the romantic beauties
of his native valley, he has himself delineated, with
incomparable elegance and simplicity, in his pic
turesque and accurately descriptive Ode to Leven Wa
ter, to which the above description is introductory.
On Leven's banks, while free to rove,
And tune the rural pipe to love,
I envied not the happiest swain
That ever trod th' Arcadian plain.
Pure stream! in whose transparent wave
My youthful limbs I wont to lave :
No torrents stain thy limpid source ;
No cocks impede thy dimpling course,
That sweetly warbles o'er its bed,
With white, round, polish'd pebbles spread j
While, lightly pois'd, the scaly brood
In myriads cleave the crystal flood ;
The springing trout in speckled pride ; '
The salmon, 'monarch" of the tide ;
The ruthless pike, intent oh war ;
The silver eel, and motled parf.
Devolving from thy parent lake,
A charming maze thy waters make.
By bow'rs of birch, and groves of pine,
And hedges flower'd with eglantine.
* Expedition of Humphry Clinker.
f The par is a small fish, not unlike the smelt, which it rivals
A\ delicacy and flavour. Small,

DE SMOLLETT. Q
Still on thy banks, • so gay ly green, : " '"
May num'rous herds and flocks be seenj
And lasses chanting.o'er thepail,
And shepherds piping in the dale,
And ancient f&ith that knows no guile,
1 And industry fembrown'd witli toil,
And'hearts resolv?d, and hands prepar'd>-
The blessings they -enjoy to guard f.
If the beauty and grandeur of the scenery, which
was continually before -him, in the earliest part of
his1 life*? had a^ tendency to awaken poetical ideas in
his mind, the surrounding objects, which recalled
the rnemoTy of great and distinguished men, were
equally calculated for exciting, . in his susceptible
mind, that enthusiasm which iis. the foundation of
every kindof honourable distinction, and that ener
gy^ which renders freebornmen superior to the rest
of mankind. . c. ~: _i^i.^> .^.^l ,.
The heroic King Robert, Bruce spmetiraes,. resid
ed at Cardross Castle, .wfiere he ts,sa,id to have died.
When King Edward I. held the greatest part of
Scotland in temporary subjection ^Wallace, .whose
wonderful exploits, revived the dying srjjrits( of his
countrymen, and" enabled them to expel jtheuMnvad-
ers, often found an asylum bettween^the itwo pg&ks of
the famous fortress of Dumbarton, believed, l>y the
fond admiration of the neighbouring inhabitants, to
be impregnable *.
f In the character of Bramble, , the, poet speaks of his- " little
ode," in the following, term? :^,"vThere is art idea of truth in an
agreeable landscape taken from nature, which pleases me more than
the gayest fiction which the most, luxuriant fancy can display."
Unhappily, the rural virtues^ occupations, and pastimes of his native
valley, have, within these few years, been gradually giving way to
the prevalence of manufacture's,, wealth, and corruption of manners.
* All the attempts ever made to reduce it have been ineffectual,
except two. The first happened in 756, when the garrison was
obliged by famine to capitulate. The second in 1 571, when an
officer of the name of Crawford made the daring proposal to the
Earl of Lennox, then regent of Scotland, of attempting it by
escalade, which he executed successfully. Buchan. Rer. Scot. Hist.
lib. xx,

10 THE LIFE OP
Across the lake, overshaded, by the gigantic
height of Benlomond, the residence of the noble fa
mily of Giaharn § naturally recals to the memory the
striking qualities of Montrose, whose exertions and
deportment are characterized by. something too. vast
and unbounded for the narrow theatre on which he
acted*. , .
The Leven issues from Lochlomond, into which
the river Endrick' falls, running through Strath-En-
drick, close to the ruins of an old castle, in which
Napier of Merchiston is said to have resided when
he invented the Logarithms -J- . This river receives
the Blane, on the side of which Buchanan, the
greatest name in Scottish literature, was born, and
near which an obelisk has been erected to his me
mory ^.
§ Buchanan-house, the seat of the Duke of Montrose, -stands on
the south-east corner -of the ,' lake, where the Grampian mountains
terminate. * " It was merely by an, heroic effort of duty that he brought
his mind, impatient of superiority, and even of equality, to pay
such unlimited submission to the will of his sovereign." Hume's
" Hist, of Great-Britain," vol. vii.
f Napier resided much for some years, when he was making his
calculations, at Gartnessj where there are some remarkable lulls of
the Endrick.
, y J Buchanan, was born. in the farm-house of the Moss, in the
parish of Killearn, now the property of Mr William Finlay. Hav
ing lost his parents in hi? infancy, he was educated by George
Heriot, his maternal uncle. The first suggestion of the Obelisk,
as it is now executed, was by the late Robert Dunmore, Esq., in
a very numerous company, among whom was Professor Richardson
of Glasgow, in the house of a gentleman in the neighbourhood.
A subscription for the purpose was then begun, and nearly filled
up ; and the design, furnished, as his contribution, by the late Mr
Craig of Edinburgh, nephew of Thomson the poet, who also was
present on the occasion. It is situated in the village of Killearn,
19 feet square at 'the base, >rtd reaching to the height of [63 feet
above the ground. The foundation wa:. laid in the month of June
1788, by the reverend James Graham, minister of the parish. In
the foundation-stone was deposited a chrystal bottle, hermetically
scaled, containing a silver medal, on which was engraved the foj-

DK SMOLLETT. H
The scenery of the country in which Smollett
caught his first ideas, and the interesting objects
which made a deep impression on his imagination,
are finely described by an elegant modern poet,-r—
himself a native, and, in the. intervals of relaxation
from academic toil, an inhabitant of the romantic
country which he describes * :
Eair Leven» m soft?$owing verse,
Exults in Smollett's name,
Nor fails triumphant to rehearse
' The islands whence she came ;
The woody islands, the surrounding caves,
And rocks that Lomond's hoary billow laves.
Th' Endrick, in wildly lyric mood,
Displays her laurel crown,
And tells that, musing by her flood,
Sage Napier earn'd renown :
That oft she paus'd, and mark'd at midnight hour
The pale lamp glimm'ring in his ivy'd'tower.'
Triumphant, ev'n the yellow Blanef " •¦'
Tho' by a fen defac'd, •>!.::
Boasts that Buchanan's early strain
Consol'd her troubl'd breast :
f hat often, muse -struck, in her loneliest nook,
The orphan boy por'd pn some metred book f.
lowing inscription, written by Dr Adam of the High School,
Edinburgh, In Memot-iatn
GEORGill BuCHAKANI,
¥oetce_ et Historici celeberrimi,
jiccolis hujus loci ultro conferentibus,
Hcec column a posit a est,
M,DCC,LkxXVlti.
Jacobus Craig, Architect,
Edinlurgen.
* Croy-House, the seat of William Richardson, Esq., Profes
sor of Humanity in the University of Glasgow, author of " Poems,
chiefly Rural," " Essays on some of Shakespear's Dramatic Cha
racters," and various other works, stands on the side of the river
Dowalt, which enters the Blane near its junction with the Endrick.
f " Maid of Lochlin, a Lyrical Drama, with Legendary Ods
and other Poems :" i2mo, i8oj, p. 118.

12 THE LIFE OF
In his early childhood Smollett discovered the
most promising indications of a lively wit and vigor
ous understanding, which were cultivated, not only
by the fond partiality of his mother, but by a fre
quent intercourse with his venerable grandfather,
whose long experience in " courts and great affairs,'-
conspired with his natural inclination in directing
his attention to the study of the conduct and cha
racters of men, and the science of life.
He was instructed in the rudiments of classical
learning at the school of Dumbarton, then taught by
Mr John Love, an eminent scholar, an -excellent
teacher, and a good man *; where he exhibited
proofs of the acut^ness. of understanding, fertility
of imagination, and independence of spirit, which
characterized his future life.
The first blossoms of his poetical genius appeared'
while he' was at the school of Dumbarton ; they were
chiefly satires on his school-fellows, whose charac
ters and conduct disgusted him, and verses to the
memory of the renowned Wallace, of whom he be
came an early admirer, from the popular stories of
the marvellous stratagems and brilliant exploits of
* Mr Love was born at Dumbarton in 1695, educated at the
University of Glasgow, became Master of the school at Dumbar
ton in 1720, of the High School of Edinburgh in 1735, and of the
school of Dalkeith in 1739, where he died in 1750. He is the
author of " Animadversions on the Latin Grammar lately publish
ed by Mr Robert Trotter, schoolmaster at Dumfries ;" Edinburgh,
8yo, 1733. to which the learned Ruddiman appended a " Disser
tation upon the Way of Teaching, of the.. Latin Language :"_ And
of " A Explication of Mr George Buchanan 5" Edinburgh, 8vo,
1749 ; against his f riend* Ruddirnan, in- his. prejudices as a politi
cian.. To thjs pamphlet Ruddiman replied, in " Animadversions,"
Sji. -Edinburgh ,8,vd. 1749. In recording- his < death! in the Cale
donian Mercury, 24th September 1-730,: Ruddiman had; the libera
lity .to give the. following character of his antagonist: " For his
uncommon knowledge in classical learning, his indefatigable dili
gence, and^stiictness ;of- discipline,, without severity, he:was justly
accounted one of the most sufficient masters in this country."

I>K SMOLLETT. 13
that heroic patriot, repeated, with fond credulity, by
every peasant in that part of the country.
Here, too, he became acquainted with the writ
ings of Buqhanan, whose eyes first opened on . the
same sublime scenery that first struck those of
Smollett, and whose history of Scotland became an
incitement to his studying, and a means of his at
taining a knowledge of the Latin language.
After the ordinary course of,1 school education at
Dumbarton, he was removed to Glasgow ; where he
prosecuted his studies with diligence and success,
proportioned to his opportunities. of improvement. ,
In Glasgow he formed an intimacy with some stu
dents of medicine, which, more than any predilec
tion for the study, determined him. to embrace the.
profession of physic, and by the advice of his rela
tions, he was put apprentice to Mr John Gordon, a
Surgeon of extensive practice, and a man of good
sense, integrity, and benevolence f:. .-..
Being born to the prospect of no hereditary riches,
and brought up amidst scenes, which chiefly recalled
the memory of ..warriors and military exploits, he
had early imbibed rgrnan tic . ideas, and expressed a
strong inclination for the profession of arms, rather
thatfr..-. . : ,- r- :..:¦ ¦."<.--'-¦- .vroJ; .,.' -

- to wait on Pain,

'-\ And silent arts to urge, inglorious f .
* Mr Gordon, a few years after, having received a diploma
from the University of Glasgow, practised with great reputation as
a physician. . 'Smollett is supposed,, in spite of the most incorapati-
bje circumstances, to have drawn the character' of this worthy man
under the name of Potion, > in his 'Roderick Random. In the charac
ter, of Bramble, in Hutkphry Clinker, he declares his real opinion of
him iri the following terms':' " I: was intrjoducedtb Mr Gordon, a
patriot of a truly noble spirit, who fe-father of the linen manufac
tory in that place, and was the great promoter of the city work
house, infirmary, and other works of public utility. Had he lived
in ancient Rome, he would have been honoured with a statue at the
public expence." f Akenside,— Pleasures of Imagination.

14 THE LIFE OF
But the particular bias which his mind had received
from early impression, was thwarted by his situa
tion ; for his elder brother having chosen the pro
fession of a soldier, his grandfather prudently dis
couraged the inclination he expressed to follow his
brother's example, thinking he should be able to
promote their advancement in separate professions
more effectually than in the same line.
During his apprenticeship he studied anatomy and
medicine, under the different professors of the Uni
versity, with sufficient diligence and reputation.
Their lectures, however, did not engross his whole
attention. He found leisure to cultivate the study
of the belles lettres and poetry ; and found opportu
nities also of enlarging his knowledge of the charac
ters of mankind ; which afterwards became his fa-
vourite study on a larger theatre.
At Glasgow, Dr Moore informs us, he began to
direct the edge of his boyish satire agamst Such green
and scanty shoots of affectation and ridicule as the
soil produced. The shafts of his wit were not even
then confined to the coquetry and' foppery of the
youthful and fashionable only, but were sometimes
aimed at the selfishness and hypocrisy of the more
formal and serious part of the citizens, among whom
the chief means of acquiring importance were the
possession of wealth, and the decent observance of
the duties of religion.
These early productions of his muse afforded much
entertainment to his young companions, but they
gave offence to many pious and industrious persons,
who were accused of being hypocrites, and exposed
to his satire. Some of them, it is said, possessed a
considerable portion of that species of humour for
which he was afterwards £0 miich distinguished. It
would have been curious to seje the fij-st blossoms of
genius, struggling with poverty and neglect. None

DBr SMOLLETT. 15
of them* however^ have been thought worthy of pre
servation*, n , -
. One of his juvenile frolics is related by Dr Moore,
from the information of one of his earliest comrades;
— -" On a winter evening, -when the streets were co
vered v^vith snow, Smollett happened to be engaged
in_ a:snow-ball fight with a few, boys! of his own age.
Among his associates was the apprentice of that sur
geon^ -who is supposed to have been delineated un
der the name of Crab in " Roderick Random/' He
entered his shop, while his apprentice was in the
heat of the engagement. On the return of the lattery
the master remonstrated severely with him for his
negligence in quitting the shop. The youth excus
ed himself by saying, that while he was employed in
making up a prescription, a fellow had: hit him with
a snow-ball ; and that he had been in pursuit of the
delinquent. ri/< ;
rJ( A mighty probable, story, truly," said the master,
in an -ironical tone ; " I wonder how long I should
s£and here," added he, -fJ before it would enter into
any mortal's, rhead, to throw a snow-ball at me."—
While he was v, holding his head erect, with a most
scornful air-, her received a very severe blow in the
face by a snow-ball.
"¦ Smollett, who stood concealed behind the pillar
at the shop-?door,^ had heard jthej dialogue, and per
ceiving that his companion was puzzled for an an
swer, he=,gx^|?,ated him; by a repartee equally smart
&fi^ira proposfJ",,r ?
r * The late Mr Colquhoun of Carastraddam, a neighbour of the
Sinblletts, infermed'Mr Ramsay of Ochtertyre, that Smollett, while
at college, "wrofte satires on his Cotisinfc. Mr Colquhoun promised
Mr' Ramsay copies of the satires which he had preserved, but could
nof find them .^t the time. The same Gentleman told Mr Ramsay
that Smollett's conversation, though lively, was i, one continued
string of epigrammatic sarcasms against one or other of the com
pany, for whiett he* tefents could 'compensate. ' '
f Moore's Life of Smollett.

l6 THE LIFE OF
While he attended the anatomical and medical
lectures in the University, and had already produced
some verses that met with a very favourable recep
tion among his companions, he was tempted to
try his powers in dramatic poetry, and wrote a tra
gedy, founded on the affecting circumstances related
by Buchanan, of the assassination of James the First
of Scotland, at the instigation of his uncle the Earl of
Atholl, in a convent at Perth, in the presence of the
queen, after a young lady of the name of Douglas
had fixed her arm as a bar to prevent the assassins
from entering the chamber in which the king and
queen were. This tragedy, which he afterwards pu
blished under the title of The Regicide, may be just
ly regarded as an extraordinary production, at so early
a period of his life -j-.
Smollett was now in the. eighteenth year of his
age? and had hitherto been maintained in a decent
manner by his grandfather, who, had he lived, would,
in all probability, have continued to support and push
him forward in the world. At his death, which hap
pened about this period, he was in an unfortunate
situation ; for it was found, that he had made little
or no provision for the children of his youngest son.
His elder brother was then with his regiment, his
f " Interim dum intenti illic expectant, quod in mora futurum
videbatur, nempe ut cubiculi fores perfringerent, absque eorum o-
pera fortuna expedivit. Valterus enim Stratonius, qui vinum paulo
ante intulerat, egrediens cum cemeret armatos, intro se proripcre
conatus, quanta potuit contentione vocis proditores adesse clamat.
Hunc dum sicarii conficiunt, adolescentula nobilis e gente Duglas-
sia, ut plures tradunt (alii * Lovelliam edunt), cum objecta valva
pessulum fraude ministri ablatum non inveniret, brachium in fora
men loco pessuli inservh : sed co celeriter confracto, intromissi si
carii in regem irruunt. Eum regina suo corpore objecto,'cum pro-
tegere conaretur, ac prostrato se superfudisset, duobus vulneribus
acceptis, vix abstrahi potuit. Tum ipsum ab omnibus reliftum
viginti octo plagis confossum, aliquot recta in cor dire&is truci-
dant.' Buchan.Rerum Scotic. Histor. lib. x.
* The name of the young lady was Catharine Douglas ; she was afterwards
married to Alexander Lovdl of Ballumbie.

DK SMOLLETT. 17
sister lived with her mother, but was, soon after,
married to Mr Telfer ; from which time Mrs Smol
lett commonly lived with her daughter, first At Lead-
hills, and afterwards at Scotston and 'Edinburgh.
At the age of nineteen, his apprenticeship being
finished,- and having gone through the Usual course
of anatomy and medicine in the University, he de
termined to leave Scotland, and1 try his fortune
in London, the great field* of genius and exertion.
He set out, accordingly, to solicit employment
in the army or the navy, and to bring his tra
gedy upon the stage, with no other helps than a
small sum of money, a very large assortment of let
ters of recommendation, the fruitful resources of a
mind stored with professional knowledge and gene
ral literature, a rich vein of humour, a lively imagi
nation, and an en gaging, person- and address.
On his arrival in London, his tragedy, he tells us,
with some recommendations from his literary friends,
" was taken into the protection of one of those little
fellows who are sometimes called great men, and,
like other orphans, neglected accordingly.
" Stung With' resentment, which I mistook for
contempt, I resolved to ^punish- this barbarous indif
ference, and actually discarded my patron ; consol
ing myself with the,. barren praise of ,a. few associ
ates, who, in, ,t^ea most indefatigable manner, em
ployed their time and influence in collecting from
all quarters observations on my piece, which, incon
sequence of those suggestions^ put on a new appear
ance almost, every, day,, until m.y occasions. called me
out of the, kingdom *." , , <
Although hiSr.friends were unsuccessful in using
their influence to 'get his tragedy recommended to
the Managers of the Theatres, they succeeded in
procuring for him the situation of surgeon's mate to
a ship of thV line. * Preface to the Regicide.
B

18 THE LIFE OP
In this situation he entered on board one of the
largest ships of the fleet, in the unfortunate expedi
tion to Carthagena, under Admiral Vernon and Ge
neral Wentworth, in 1741, of which he published a
brief, but spirited account in his Roderick Random,
and afterwards a more circumstantial narrative, dis
tinguished by acuteness of observation and depth of
reflection, in A Compendium of Voyages, in 7 vols,
12mo, 1756.
Smollett continued only a short time in the ser
vice of the Navy, being soon disgusted with the
drudgery to which his professional duty exposed
him ; and although he had a certainty of being
promoted, he quitted the service in the West-In
dies, and resided for. some time in the Island of Ja
maica, where he first became acquainted with Anne
Lascelles, a beautiful and accomplished woman,
whom he afterwards married.
He returned to London in 1746, after the sup
pression of the rebellion, by the memorable victory
obtained over the rebels by the Duke of Cumber
land at Culloden. The accounts circulated at that
time in England of the excessive severities exercised
upon the Highlanders after the battle, though pro
bably exaggerated, excited his honest indignation,
and awaked those affectionate feelings which he ever
retained for his native country.
He had been bred a whig, and the natural inde
pendent turn of his mind was congenial to the ear
ly principles in which he was educated ; but when
he reflected on the sufferings of the misguided ad
herents of the unfortunate House of Stuart, the sen
sibility of his heart gave him the feelings of a Jaco
bite ; ideas of national independence arose in his
mind, and he expressed his resentment of his coun
try's fate in his pathetic and sublime ode, The Tears
of Scotland, beginning,
Mourn, hapless Caledonia ! mourn,
Thy banish'd peace, thy laurels torn i

fcR SMOLLETT. If)
Some copies of the Ode, which consisted origi
nally of six stanzas, having been imprudently circu
lated in London, With the name Of the author, his
friends, thinkihg it might offend the leaders of the
Whig party, advised him to suppress it, or conceal
his being the author ; but the caution of his advi
sers made him aVow it more openly ; an'd after the
remonstrances to suppress it he added the seventh
stanza, beginning, While the warm blood bedews my veins,
And unimpair'd remembrance reigns,
Resentment of my Country's fate '
Within my filial breast shall beat. *
Such is the account of the composition of this
Ode, as given by Dr Moore, and which, seems suf
ficiently credible ; though, from the following anec
dote concerning it, communicated by the late Robert
Graham, Esq. of Gartmore, who was one of his trus
tees, to Professor Richardsorr of Glasgow^ it will ap
pear that there are some objections to the credibility
of this statement. The anecdote, which Mr Gra
ham received from one of those who were present
when the incident occurred, it would seem, might
easily be reconciled to Dr Moore's account, except
in the circumstance of the extemporaneous compo
sition of the Ode, which it strips of probability, and
invests with wonder.
" Some gentlemen having met at a tavern, were
amusing themselves before, Supper with a game at
cards ; while Smollet, not choosing to play, sat down
to write. One of the company, who also was no-^
• The ode was printed, without the author's name, in " A
Collection of the most esteemed Pieces of Poetry that have appear
ed for some Years, with Variety of Originals," &c. l2mo; Rich
ardson and Urquhart, i"]6"j; 1770. This Collection is commonly,
but erroneously, ascribed to Moses Meridez, Esq. who died in 1758.
The Ode has been sometimes printed ih the Miscellanies, with the
name of Dr ftrmstrbrig.
B2

20 THE LIFE OP
minated by him one of his trustees *, observing his
earnestness, and supposing he was writing, verses,
asked him if it was not so. He accordingly read
them the first sketch of his Tears of Scotland, con
sisting only of six stanzas ; and on their remarking
that the termination of the poem, being too strong
ly expressed, might give offence to persons whose
political opinions were different, he sat down, with
out replying, and, with an air of great indignation,
subjoined the concluding stanza -J~."
There is no reason to suppose that Smollett en
tertained any wish for the restoration of the House
of Stuart ; but the recollection of fallen greatness,
and of the heroic valour, worthy of a better cause,
which vainly strove to maintain it, mingling with his
nationality and romantic sensibility, seems to have
perverted his political principles, and made him a
keen opponent of the Whig ministers of George II.,
whom he considered as the enemies of his country,
and stigmatized as a set of selfish, sordid knaves,
though they were associated in the support of that con
stitution which their ancestors established in 1688,
and gave additional security to liberty by the sup-"
pression of the rebellion in favour of the Pretender,
and by maintaining the Protestant succession in the
House of Hanover.
In Autumn 1746 Smollett began his literary ca
reer, and published his Advice, a Satire, in 4to. The
plan of this performance is similar to that of one of
Pope's satires ; a dialogue is supposed to be carried
on between the Poet and his Friend, who is repre
sented as giving him advice, to which he answers
with great spirit, and, in his replies, attacks, with all
the severity of Juvenal, several individuals of rank
* The late Thomas Bontein, Esq. of the Island of Jamaica,
second son of Mr Bontein of Boglass in Stirlingshire, and a near
•relation of Mr Graham of Gartmore.
-(- Maid of Lqchlin, Legendary Odes, and other Poems, p. p.
122 — 3, l802.

DR SMOLLETT. 21
and fortune, who were suspected of some of the
most odious vices of the times, and indulges his ironi
cal vein with no small degree of freedom, in pointing
out to the scorn and reproach of the nation, the
most powerful persons, at that time in the adminis
tration of the government.

The question only, whether

These names and virtues* ever dwelt together * ?
This performance, though possessed of much
poetical merit, gave great uneasiness to those who
wished well to Smollett, as, from its peculiar acri
mony, it was far more calculated to injure his self-
happiness, by raising him powerful enemies, than to
advance his reputation by the display of his talent
in satire. The talent of prying into the follies and vices of
mankind, though frequently useful to the public, is
always dangerous to the possessor. The satirist
cannot declaim against the world without dreading
some retribution ; in the full career of. triumph, he
trembles at the thought of being hated by those he
pretends to despise, and commonly meets with the
contempt which he so liberally bestows.
Smollet was aware of the danger and obloquy
attending the office of a general satirist, and of the
resentment which his poem might kindle in the
breasts of individuals ; but he was little influenced,
through the whole course of his life, by considera
tions of prudence, and never intimidated from avow
ing his sentiments of public men, by the fear of
making powerful enemies.
Soon after the appearance of this satire, he wrote
for Mr Rich, at that time Manager of Covent-Gar-
* The names of the Dukes of Newcastle and Grafton.' the
Earls of Bath, Granville, and Cholmondely, and Sir William
Yonge, and Mr Pitt, " th' unshaken Abdiel," are pointed out by
the Friend who holds the dialogue with the Poet, in a manner not
to be mistaken,
B3

22 THE LIFE OE
den Theatre, an opera, entitled, Alceste ; but a dis
pute taking place between the author and the ma
nager, it was never acted, nor printed. The music
to this opera was composed by Handel, who, finding
that no use was intended to be made of it, afterwards
adapted it to Dryden's lesser " Ode for St- Cecilia's
Day*." About the beginning of the year 1747 he pub
lished his Reproof, a Satire, in 4 to, a second part of
the former, and written with equal energy of ex
pression, and acrimony of censure -j-. In this satire
he unkennels, and lashes with redoubled severity,
the whole pack of military cowards, army contrac
tors, usurersj gamesters, poetasters, pimps, and pros
titutes ; and nqt only renews his attack on an unpo
pular General of that time,
The vanquish'd knight, who triumph'd in his trial J ;
but also exposes the proceedings of the Board of In
quiry, who acquitted him, in a strain of allegorical
sarcasm and invective that cannot easily be exceeded.
His recent quarrel with Mr Rich obtained for
him the distinction of being mentioned for his pe
culiar excellence in the composition of those per
formances which demand show and expence.
Fraught with the spirit of a, Gothic monk,
Let Rich, with dulness and devotion drunk,
Enjoy the peal, so barbarous and loud,
While his brain pours new monsters, on the crowd 5 .
Mr Rich had felt the shafts of Pope's satire be
fore |j, and was not of a temper to be much disturb-;
* Hawkins's " History of Music," Vol. I. p. 28, Vol. V.
p. 324. f A new edition of Advice and Reproof, two Satires, &c. wa.s
printed together, for W. Owen, 4*0, 1748.
t Sir John Cope. Smoll.
§ Reproof.
|| He look'd, and saw a sable sorcerer rise,
Swift to whose hand a winged volume flies -t

DR SMOLLET. 23
ed by Smollett's vengeance, which only injured him
self, as it procured him the enmity of a manager of
one of the theatres, at a time when his friends were
using their influence to get his tragedy acted, when
he was yet unknown in the town, and when his pe
cuniary resources were very slender.
At this period, his tender attachment for Miss
Lascelles, which began in the Island of Jamaica, and
had been endeared by a long reciprocal affection,
was at length rewarded by the possession of her
hand, and the expectation of a fortune of 3000L in
West-Indian property.
The marriage-ceremony was performed in Lon
don, and to a person in Smollett's circumstances the
fortune of his wife made it a desirable connexion ;
but it proved less happy, m many respects, than
might be expected from his union with a woman of
an affectionate disposition, and an elegant mind.
He now hired a genteel house, and lived in a style
of elegance and hospitality, agreeable to his own ge
nerous disposition, and suitable to the taste and edu
cation of his wife, in expectation of receiving the
fortune that belonged to her, of which, however, he
obtained little or nothing, after a vexatious and ex
pensive litigation, which impaired her constitution,
naturally delicate, and involved him' in considerable
pecuniary- difficulties. '
He again had recourse to his: pen for subsistence,
and in the year 1748 published his Adventures of Ro
derick Random, in 2 vols, 12mo, an historical novel,
executed upon the plan of Le Sage's " Adventures
of Gil Bias ;" a work replete with humour and en-
All sudden, Gorgons hiss, and dragons glare,
And ten-horn'd fiends and -giants rush to war.
Hell rises, heaven descends, and dance on earth,.
Gods, imps, and monsters, music, rage, and mirth ;
A fire, a jig, a battle, and-a ball,
Till one wide conflagration swallows all. Dunciad.
B A

24 THE LIFE OP
tertainment, which had a rapid and extensive sale,
and brought him both reputation and money *.
This novel was supposed, at the time of its appear
ance, to contain the real history of the author's life,
the incidents and characters only altered and dis
guised in some of the circumstances, to prevent ap
plication being made to himself or his acquaintance.
The adventures in which Smollett was engaged
during his early youth, were easily found in the boy
ish pranks of Roderick Random. Crab and Potion,
the two apothecaries, were believed, and asserted to
have been intended for two respectable surgeons in
in Glasgow. Squire Gawky was a character well
known in that part of the kingdom where the scene
is laid. Captains Oakum and Whiffle were also said
to be real persons. A bookbinder and barber are
said to have been long contended for being designed
under the ideal character of Strap, but their names
are now forgotten.
Dr Moore, himself a delightful novelist -J~, ac
knowledges that Smollett was not sufficiently care
ful to prevent such applications. Roderick Random,
he justly observes, is unquestionably sometimes
placed in situations similar to those in which Smol
lett had been ; but' it is equally certain, that other
circumstances in Random's story are so different
from those which belonged to the author himself,
that he believed the application would never have
been made.
*' On the first appearance of this work, it was attributed by
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu to the celebrated author of " Tom
Jones." In a letter to her daughter, the Countess of Bute, she
observes, " Fielding has really a fund of true humour. I guessed
R. Random to be his, though without his name." She adds " I
cannot think Ferdinand Fathom wrote by the same hand, it is every
way so much below it." Works of Lady M. W. Montagu, vol. iv.
p. 26 r.
f Three works of this lively and agreeable writer, " Zeluco "
" Edward," and " Mordaunt," rank with the most instructive and
entertaining novels in the English language.

DR SMOLLETT. 25
The father of Random, for example, is met by his
son in the Spanish West Indies ; the father of
Smollett- died before the latter left Scotland. Ran
dom is thfi only child of his parents ; Smollett had
a brother and sister. The mother of Random has a
brother who is a lieutenant in the navy, one of the
most distinguished characters in the work ; Smollet
had no uncle in the navy. Many other incompati
ble circumstances convinced Smollett that his own
character, and those of his relations, would not be
confounded with the persons described in Roderick
Random *.
In the story of Melopoyn, the severe reflections
which are directed against the theatrical managers,
Mr Lacy and Mr Garrick, who are designed under
the characters of Brayer and Marmoset, confirm the
opinion which prevailed at the time, that Melopoyris
tragedy and Smollett's were the same.
In the year 1 740, his tragedy of The Regicide, af
ter having been exposed during a period of ten years
to the censure of critics of all degrees, and, " after a
cajoling dream of good fortune," finally rejected by
the managers of the theatres, was published in 8vo,
by subscription, very much to his emolument.
To this unfortunate play, which is certainly supe
rior in merit to most of the dramatic productions of
that period, he prefixed a Preface, in which, with
persevering bitterness, he complains, as he had done
before in Roderick Random, of the insolence of pre
tended patrons, and the duplicity of theatrical ma
nagers, and dwells, with a tedious and unavailing
minuteness, on the numerous difficulties and disap
pointments he encountered, in attempting to get it
represented on the stage.
" I and my production were introduced to a late
patentee, of courteous memory, who found means to
amuse me a whole season, and then declared it im-
* Moore's Memoirs, &c.

26 THE LIFE OP
practicable to bring it on till next year, advising me
to make my application more early in the winter,
that we might have time to correct such alterations
as should be thought necessary for its successful ap
pearance on the stage. But I did not find my ac
count in following this wholesome advice; for to me
he was always less and less at leisure. In short, al
ter sundry promises, and many evasions, in the
course of which he practised upon me the whole art
of procrastination, I demanded his final answer, with
such obstinacy and warmth, that he could no longer
resist my importunity, and refused my tragedy in
plain terms. Not that he mentioned any material
objections to the piece itself, but seemed to fear my
interest was not sufficient to support it in the repre
sentation ; affirming, that no dramatic composition,
however perfect, could succeed uith an English audi
ence by its oivn merit, but must entirely depend upon a
faction raised in its behalf*."
The uncandid and unjust reflections into which the
warmth and impetuosity of his temper hurried him
on this occasion against Lord Lyttleton and Mr
Garrick, he afterwards regretted ; and, in handsome
terms, retracted the hasty expressions of his disap
pointment, in giving a sketch of the characters of
Lord Lyttleton and Mr Garrick, the principal ob
jects of his resentment, in his Complete History of
England. In the summer 1750, Smollett went to -Paris, to
survey the characters of mankind on a new theatre,
and in greater variety than he had hitherto had any
opportunity of viewing them in the capital of Eng
land. At Paris he formed an acquaintance with Mr
Hunter of Burnside, and some other Scottish gen
tlemen, who had been engaged in the rebellion
1745, and renewed his acquaintance with Dr Moore,
* Preface to the Regicide.

BH SMpLLETT. 27
Who had been introduced to him in England, and
accompanied him in some excursions to St. Cloud,
Versailles, and other places in the environs of the
capital of France.
Though Smollett was an accurate observer of hu
man nature, and an acute investigator of character,
yet he had imbibed some of the common English
prejudices against the French nation, of which he
never got entirely free. Dr Moore informs us, he
never attained the power of speaking their language
with facility, which prevented him from mixing in
their society, and deciding from his own observation
on their national character *.
, The success attending his novel of Roderick Ran
dom having encouraged him to exercise his abilities
in that species of composition, about that time, or
while he was in France, he wrote his Adventures of
Peregrine Pickle, with the Memoirs of a Lady of. Qua
lity ; a work replete with humour, character, and
sentiment, which was published in 1751, in 4 vols,
12mp, and received with such extraordinary avidity,
that a very large impression was quickly sold in Eng
land, another was bought up in Ireland, a transla
tion was executed into the French language, and it
soon made its appearance in & second edition, with an
apologetical Advertisement, and Two Letters, relating
to the Memoirs of a Lady of Quality, sent to the Edi
tor by a Person of H'onqiir, inserted at the beginning
of the second volume.
In the Advertisement prefixed to the new edition,
he complains bitterly of the art's and industry that
were used to stifle Peregrine Pickle in the birth, by
certain booksellers and others, who were at uncom
mon pains to misrepresent the work, and calumni
ate the author. i
" It was the author's duty, therefore," he says,
iC as well as hia interest, to oblige the public with
* Moore's Memoirs, &.c.

28 THE LIFE OF
this edition, which he has endeavoured to render
less unworthy of their acceptance, by retrenching
the superfluities of the first, reforming its manners,
and correcting its expression. Divers uninteresting
incidents are wholly suppressed ; some humorous
scenes he has endeavoured to heighten ; and he flat
ters himself that he has expunged every adventure,
phrase, and insinuation, that could be construed by
the most delicate reader into a trespass upon the
rules of decorum.
t( He owns with contrition, that, in one or two
instances, he gave way too much to the suggestions
of personal resentment, and represented characters,
as they appeared to him at that time, through the
exaggerating medium of prejudice. But he has in
this impression endeavoured to make atonement for
these extravagancies. Howsoever he may have err
ed in point of judgment or discretion, he defies the
whole world to prove that he was ever guilty of one
one act of malice, ingratitude, or dishonour. This
declaration he may be permitted to make without
incurring the imputation of vanity or presumption,
considering the numerous shafts of envy, rancour,
and revenge, that have lately, both in public and
private, been levelled at his reputation."
In the Adventures of Peregrine Pickle, Smollett
observed the same historical arrangement which, in
imitation of Le Sage, he had adopted in the Adven
tures of Roderick Random, and inserted in it, as he
had done in his former novel, many real incidents
and characters, exhibited sometimes with the fideli
ty of history, and sometimes in the broad style of
caricature. The Memoirs of Lady Fane*, the materials of
which she herself furnished, and for inserting which
* Lady Vane was the daughter of Francis Hawes, Esq. of Pur-
ley-Hall, near Reading in Berkshire, one of the South-Sea Direc
tors in 1720, and married, about the beginning of 1732, at the age

DR SMOLLETT. 2Q
Smollett received a very handsome reward, excited
much attention at that time, and contributed great
ly to the success of Peregrine Pickle.
To the fate of this lady, who in personal charms
and accomplishments was reckoned inferior to no
woman that had appeared in England in the eight
eenth century, Dr Johnson has a striking allusion in
his " Vanity of Human Wishes :"
Yet Vane could tell what ills from beauty spring;
And Sedley f cu'rs'd the form that pleas 'd a king.
Her life afforded a melancholy instance of the mise
ries inseparable from a misapplication of superior ta
lents and elegant accomplishments. The misunder
standings, elopements, and various disgraceful situa
tions to which she exposed herself, are too well
known to be concealed, but may now, with no im
propriety, be buried in oblivion.
The story of the Scottish exiles, whom Pickle
meets at Boulogne, on their return from their diur
nal pilgrimage to the sea-side to view the white cliffs
of Britain, which they were never more to approach,
is attested by Dr Moore. Mr Hunter of Burnside
was the individual among them who is mentioned as
having wept bitterly over the misfortune of having
involved a beloved wife and three children in misery
of seventeen, to Lord William Hamilton, who dying July u, 1734,
she married, May 19, 1735, Lord Viscount Vane, of the kingdom
of Ireland, with whom she had various scandalous law- suits,
and died in London, March 31, 1788, in the 72d year of her
age. The anecdotes respecting Lady Vane, which are inserted in Pere
grine Pickle, produced, " A Letter to Lady V. on her Memoirs in
Peregine Pickle," 8vo, 1751. " History of Lady Frail," i2mo,
1.751. Parallel between the Character of Lady Frail and the La
dy of Quality in Peregrine Pickle," 8vo, 1751 ; and " Apology
for the Conduct of Lady Frail," 8vo. 1751 ; and other perform
ances, now deservedly neglected.
f Catharine, only child of Sir Charles Sedley, Bart* though not
handsome, had unfortunately captivated King James II., who cre
ated her Baroness of Darlington and Countess of Dorchester.

30 THE LIFE OF
and distress, and in the impatience of his grief, hav^
ing cursed his own fate with frantic imprecations.
Dr Moore heard Mr Hunter express himself in this
manner to Smollett, and at the same time relate the
affecting visit which he and his companions daily
made to the sea-side when they resided at Boulogne*.
Among the several instances which are given ih
Peregrine Pickle of the arbitrary nature of the French
government, and of the intolerable insolence of the
higher classes of society towards the inferior, the
story of the king's horsedealer, who stabbed a barber
for having accidentally cut his face in shaving, Dr
Moore remembers, was much talked of at that time
in Paris. Whether the barber actually died of his
wound, as stated by Smollett, is not certainly known f.
In the5description of the painter, designed under
the name' Of Pallet in this performance, Smollett
glanced at the^character of an English artist whom
he met at Paris, arid who used to declaim on the
subject of virtu, and often -used the following expres
sion : " Paris is very rich in the arts, London is a
Goth, and Westminster a Vandal, compared to Paris."
This preference, with the pert manners of the man,
disgusted Smollett, and he exhibited Pallet in Pere
grine Pickle %.
In the carricature of Pallet's companion, the Phy^
sician, Smollett's whig opponent, Dr Akenside, a maa
of superior genius, worth, and learning, he is less jus
tifiable in giving way to personal resentment, and re
presenting his character as it appeared to him through
the medium of political prejudice. His pique at A-
kenside, according to Dr Moore's information, arose
from some reflections he had thrown Out against
Scotland after his return from Edinburgh, where he
had studied. However inexpiable such an. offence
may appear in the eyes of a young North ^Briton,
the world in general will think it highly blameable
'* Moore's Memoirs, &c< + Ibid. % Ibid.

DE SMOLLETT. 31
to have given any grounds for the application of so
ridiculous a character as the Physician in Peregrine
Pickle, to a man of so much genius and real worth
as Dr Akenside *.
In the interesting stOry of Mr M- — , Pickle's fellow-
prisoner in the Fleet, Smollett exhibited in more fa
vourable colouring the character of his friend Daniel
Mackercher, Esq. " the melting Scoty," a man
well known, from the active and benevolent part he
took in supporting the pretensions of Mr Annesley,
the unfortunate claimant of the Anglesea title and
estate. At this period, Smollett seems to have obtained the
degree of Doctor of Physic, probably from a foreign
University £, and announced himself a candidate for
fame and fortune as a physician, by a publication
entitled, An Essay on the External use of water, in a
Letter to Dr.  — - with particular remarks upon
the present method of using the mineral waters at Bath
in Somersetshire, and a plan for rendering them more
safe, agreeable, and efficacious ; 4to, 1752. The per
formance advanced his reputation as a man of science
and taste, but failed to conduct the physician to pro
fessional eminence and wealth. This is the only
publication in the line of his profession which is
known to have proceeded from his pen.
In the practice of physic, Smollett, though pos
sessed of superior endowments, and eminent scienti
fic qualifications, had the mortification, from what
ever cause, to be unsuccessful, at a moment when
perhaps the neglect he experienced was, aggravated
by the unaccountable success of many a superficial
unqualified contemporary, reaping the harvest of
wealth and reputation.
* Moore's Memoirs, &c.
f Reproof, a Satire.
X The researches which have hitherto been made have not dis
covered his name in the Lists of Graduates in the Scottish Un£,
versities.

32 THE LIFE OF
It has been supposed, that this want of success in
a profession where merit cannot always ensure fame
and affluence, was owing to his failing to render him
self agreeable to the fair sex, whose favour is certainly
of great consequence to all candidates for eminence,
whether in physic or -divinity. But his figure and
'address, which were uncommonly elegant and pre
possessing, and his unsullied manners, renders this
supposition highly improbable. It is more likely that
his irritable temper, mcreased by the teaming and un
comfortable circumstances of the profession, and his
contempt for the low arts of servility, suppleness^ and
dinning, were the ¦real' causes of his failure/ It may
be supposed also," that his publications, as a general
-satirist and censor of manners, -were far more calcu
lated- to retard his progresses a physician, than to
augment his practice. - " *ft
- ¦•* Having been disappointed, or -perhaps, too soon
discouraged, in soliciting employment aS a physician,
he gave up all thoughts of practice, and resolved to
assume the character and avocation* 06* an author by
--profession, and to dedicate his -life- to the cultivation
of general literature. -¦ v«.. ; u:
'" -Accordingly, he now fixed his residence^at Chel-
*seaj a situation* at a sufficient distance from Londofi,
to prevent his literary occupations-frOm being inter
rupted by too many visitors^nd suffieiently "near to
¦i permit him to see his friends, at hi? intervals of lei
sure, and to preserve an . easy communication with
his employers. At this period, -lie Reckoned Dr Asm-
' strong and Mr Wilkes in the number of his most
intimate friends, and most*-welG6rhe visitors. *
As an author by profession, his genius, learning,
and industry, unaided by external help, were equal
ly conspicuous in the several ^departments' of nov'dl-
writing, of writing for the booksellers, of writing fbr
the stage, and of writing for a party in ;the name of
i- the community. • „••£.,•¦

BR SMOLLETT*. 38
At the time he assumed the avocation of an author,
the patronage of the court and of the nobility, which
was conspicuous at a former periodj and gave rise to
a more refined taste in literature and the arts, had
fallen into disuse ; and authors of literary productions
of intrinsic and original merit, depended chiefly on
the public, whose taste and interest they consulted?
ibr the remuneration, of their labours.
Some writers, indeed, of considerable merit, in the
department of poetry and polite literature, that spe
cies of learning and talent which has been most fa
voured by rrion archs and the great, were rewarded
by the government, though not in the splendid style
of former times ; but the motive for their remunera
tion was not their literary merit only, but the in
fluence of their names, in giving currency to certain,
political opinions among the people.
Smollett, in the progress of his authorship, ex
perienced no substantial encouragement from the
Whig*administration of George II. , to which he was
almost uniformly and often indecently hostile ; and
his partiality for the Tory-party failed to procure
him the liberal patronage of the leaders of opposi
tion, at the end of the late reign. The enmity of
the theatrical managers, which he had drawn on him*-
.self, as well as that of the state managers, precluded
him from the encouragement he might have expect
ed in dramatic poetry, which is the most profitable
branch of literature, and comes immediately under
the patronage of the public.
The booksellers were his principal resource for
employment and subsistence-. For them he held the
pen of a ready writer, in the walk of general litera
ture, comprehending compilations, translations, cri
ticism, and • miscellaneous essays, and towards him
they were always as liberal as the patronage of the
public enabled them to be. They were almost his
only patrons ; and indeed a more generous set' of
men can hardly be pointed, out in the, trading world.

34 THE LIFE Of
By their liberality, wit and learning have perhaps re
ceived more ample, more substantial encouragement,
than from all their princely or noble patrons. Ac
cusations indeed of injustice, selfishness, and mean
ness, have been long reiterated against them, by dis
appointed authors : and, in some instances, they may
*e well-founded ; but the large sums which have
been paid for manuscripts by our Tonsons, our Lin-
tots, our Millars, our Cadells, our Johnsons, and our
Robinsons, are sufficient to rescue the venders of li
terature from the reproach of suffering the dispensers
of knowledge to consume themselves in the operation.
In the year 1753, he published his Adventures of
Ferdinand Count Fathom, in 2 vols. 12mo. This no
vel Was not so generally read, on its first appearance,
and has not since obtained such an extensive popu
larity as his former novels. The principal character
is chosen from the purlieus of treachery and fraud,
and exhibited in a series of vicious actions which ex
cite the reader's abhorrence. Fathom is riot only less
amiable and interesting than either Random or Pickle,
who unite agreeable qualities with profligate manners,
but is utterly void of principle, perfidious, and su
perlatively wicked. In his Dedication to Dr ****#r
Smollett makes an apology for following a character
of this kind through the intricacies of fraud, and jus
tifies the introduction of vicious characters into works
of fiction, by way of rendering them detestable and
odious, with considerable energy and effect.
" Let me not therefore be condemned for having
chosen my principal character from the purlieus of
treachery and fraud, when I declare my purpose is to
set him up as a beacon for the benefit of the inex
perienced and unwary, who, from the perusal of these
memoirs, may learn to avoid the manifold snares with
which they are continually surrounded in the paths
of life, while those who hesitate on the brink of ini
quity may be terrified from plunging into that irre*

DR SMOLLETT* 35
meable gulf, by surveying the deplorable fate of Fer
dinand Count Fathom *."
The self-accusation of Fathom, on a retrospective
view of his conduct, affords a striking, but melan
choly proof, drawn from the genuine compunctions
of human nature, that the representation of surfyi
character may serve the purposes of morality. W>
" To what purpose have I deserted the pathjrof
integrity and truth, and exhausted a fruitful im»na-
tion in contriving schemes to betray my felloe-crea
tures ; if, instead of acquiring a splendid fortune,
which was my aim, I have suffered such a series of
misfortunes, and at last brought myself to the brink
of inevitable destruction ? By a virtuous exertion of
those talents I inherit from nature and education, I
' might, early before this time, have rendered myself
independent, and perhaps conspicuous in life ; I
might have grown up like a young oak, which be
ing firmly rooted in its kindred soil, gradually raises
up its lofty head, expands its leafy arms, projects a
noble shade, and towers the glory of the plain ; I
should have paid the debt of gratitude to my bene
factors, and made their hearts sing with joy for the
happy effects of their benevolence ; I should have
been a bulwark to my friends, a shelter to my neigh
bours in distress ; I should have run the race of ho
nour, seen my fame diffused like a sweet-smelling
odour, and felt the ineffable pleasure of doing good :
Whereas I am, after a vicissitude of disappointments,
dangers, and fatigues, reduced to misery and shame,
aggravated by a conscience loaded with treachery
and guilt.
" I have abused the confidence and generosity of
my patron : I have defrauded his family under the
mask of sincerity and attachment ; I have taken the
most cruel and base advantage of virtue in distress :
I have seduced unsuspecting innocence to ruin and
despair : I have violated the most sacred trust repos-
* Dedication.
02

36 THE LIFE OF
ed in me by my friend and benefactor : I have be
trayed his love, torn his noble h -art asunder, by
means of the most p'.-rli li ous slander and filse insi
nuations ; and, finally, brought to an untimely grave
the fairest pattern of hum in beauty and perfection.
Shall the author of these crimes pass with impunity ?
Shall he hope to prosper in ihe midst of such enor
mous guilt ? It were an imputation on providence
to suppose it. Ah ! No ! I oegin to feel myself o-
vertaken by the etern-il untice of heaven ! I totter
on the edge of wr-tch hie s and woe, without one
friendly hand to -. tve me from the terrible abyss."
The history of a law-suit, inserted in this perform
ance, seems to h lve drawn on S nollett, at the time
of its appearance, the resentment of the lawyers, a
class of men, which he found as dangerous to offend
as the managers of the state and of the theatres.
Soop after the appearance of Count Fathom, he
displayed the impetuosity of his temper ly the rash
manner in which he chastised his cou.lrvman, Peter
Gordon, Esq. who had behaved towards him with
rudeness and ingratitude. " A simple blow," given
to this person, " after repeated provocation, and that
of the most flagrant kind," was exaggerated by him
and his counsel into an intended assassination ;,and
a prosecution in the King's Bench commencedc ac
cordingly. Of that intention he was honourably ac
quitted by the good sense of an English jury, who,
in spite of all the artifices of calumny and the mis
representation of malice, distinguished between a
premeditated assault, and the sudden impulse of a
gentleman, in repelling unprovoked rudeness, by a
few strokes with a c me across the shoulders.
The Honourable Alexander Hume Campbell, the
prosecutor's counsel, having, in Smollett's opinion,
exceeded the licence of the liar in intemperance of lan
guage, he drew up the following rough draught of a
letter, demanding an adequate reparation for the in
jurious treatment he had received at his hand, which

DR SMOLLETT. 3/
lie communicated to his friend Mr Mackercher *,
with a note, dated Chelsea, Feb. U'J. 1753, signify
ing his intention to send it to Mr Hume-Campbell,
provided he thought it contained nothing actionable.
It is not known whether it was ever sent to Mr Hume-'
Campbell, or whether he retracted what he said to
Smollett's prejudice, on his receiving this indignant
aiod manly representation of the injustice he hatf
done him.
'*•*" I have waited several days in hope of receiving
fronvyou an acknowledgment touchii/g those harsh^
unjustifiable (and, let me add.) unmannerly expres
sions which you annexed to nn name, in the Court
Of King s Bench, when you opened the cause de
pending between v e and Feter Gordon : and'asl do
not find that you have discovered the least inclina
tion to retract what you said to my piejudice, 1 have
taken this method to refresh your memory, and to
demand such satisfaction as a gentleman^ injured as
I am, has a right to claim. J1
'- " The business of a counsellor, is, I apprehend, to
investigate the truth in behalf of his client ; but sure-i
fy he has' no privilege to blacken and asperse the
character of the other party, w ithout a'ny regard to
Veracity or decorum. That you assumed this un
warrantable privilege in commenting upon your brief>
I believe you will hot pretend- to deny, when I re
mind you of those peculiar flowers of elocution which
you poured forth on that notable occasion. — First
©f all, in order to inspire the Cburt with honor and
eontempt for the defendant, you gave the jury to un4
derstand, that you did not knOW this Dr Smollett";
* Smollett seems, by the following note, to have occasionally
assisted ' Mr Mackercher in his distress. " 1 am much mortified
that my rascally situation will not at present permit me to send
more than the trifle inclosed, as nothing could give more pleasure
than an opportunity of showing with how much friendship and es
teem l am," &c. This note, and the letter to Mr Hume-Campt
bell, are printed in the European Magazine, vol. v. from the origin
nal -copies in Smollett's hand-writing. '

S3 THE LIFE OF
and, indeed, his character appeared in such a light,
from the facts contained in your brief, that you ne
ver should desire to know him. — I should be glad to
learn of what consequence it could be to the cause,
whether you did or did not know the defendant, or
whether you had or had not an inclination to be ac
quainted with him ? — Sir, this was a pitiful persona
lity, calculated to depreciate the character of a gen
tleman to whom you was a -stranger, merely to gra
tify the rancour and malice of an abandoned fellow
who had feed you to speak in his cause. — Did I ever
seek your acquaintance, or court your protection ? —
I had been informed, indeed, that you was a lawyer
of some reputation, and, when the suit commenced,
would have retained you for that reason, had not I
been anticipated by the plaintiff; but, far from co
veting your acquaintance, I never . dreamed of ex
changing a word with you on that or any other sub
ject : you might therefore have spared your invidious
declaration, until I had put it in your power to mor
tify me with a repulse, which, upon my honour,
would never have been the case, were you a much
greater man than you really are.— Yet this was not
the only expedient you used to prepossess the jury
against me. — You was hardy enough to represent
me as a person devoid of all humanity and remorse ;
as a barbarous ruffian, who, in a coward! v manner,
had, with two associates as barbarous as myself, cal
led a peaceable gentleman out of his lodgings, and
assaulted him in the dark, with intent to murder. —
Such an horrid imputation, publicly fixed upon a per
son whose innocence you could hardly miss to know,
is an outrage, for which, I believe, I might find re
paration from the law itself, notwithstanding your
artful manner of qualifying the expression by saying,
provided the facts can be proved. This' low subter
fuge may, for aught I know, screen you from a pro
secution at law, but can never acquit you in that
pourt which every man of honour holds in his owi>

BR SMOLLETT. 30
breast. I say, you must have known my innocence
from the weakness of the evidence which you pro
duced, and with which you either was, or ought to
have been previously acquainted, as well as from my
general character and that of my antagonist, which
it was your duty to haye learned. — I will venture to
say, you did know my character, and in your heart
believed me incapable of such brutality as you laid
to my charge.' — Surely I do not over-rate my own
importance in affirming, that I am not so obscure in
life as to have escaped the notice of Mr Hume-
Campbell ; and I will be bold enough to challenge
him and the whole world to prove one instance in
which my integrity was called, or at least left in ques
tion.-— Have not I, therefore, reason to suppose that,
in spite of your own internal conviction, you under
took the cause of a wretch, ,whose ingratitude, vil-
lany, and rancour, are, I firmly believe, without ex
ample in this kingdom ; that you magnified a slight
correction bestowed by his benefactor, in consequence
of the most insolent provocation, into a deliberate
and malicious scheme of assassination ; and endea
voured, with all the virulence of defamation, to des
troy the character, and even the life, of an injured
person, who, as well as yourself, is a gentleman by
birth, education, and profession ? In favour of
whom, and in consequence of what, was all this zeaf
manifested, all this slander exhausted, and all this
scurrility discharged ? Your client, whom you dig-r
nified with the title of Esquire, and endeavoured to
raise to the same footing with me in point of station
and character, you knew to be an abject miscreant,
whom my compassion and humanity had lifted from
the most deplorable scenes of distress ; whom I had
saved from imprisonment and ruin ; whom I had
clothed and fed for a series of years ; whom I had
occasionally assisted with my purse, credit, and in
fluence.— -You knew, or ought to have known, that,
after having received a thou.sand marks of my bene-.
Ca

40 "fKE 'LIFE OP'
volerice/'arid prevailed upori me to indorse notes for
the support of his credit, he withdrew himself into
the verge of the Court, and took up his habitation
in a paltry alehouse; where he not only set me and
the rest of his creditors at defiance, but provoked
me, by scurrilous andlinsolent letters and messages,
to chastise him in such a manner as gave him an han
dle for this prosecution, in which you signalized
yourself as his champion for a very honourable con-
"sideration.- — There is something so palpably ungrate
ful, perfidious,' arid indeed diabolical, in the conduct
of the prosecutor, that, even iu these degenerate
days, I wonder how he could find an Attorney to
appear in his" hehalf. 0 tempera ! 0 mores .' — Af
ter having thus sounded the trumpet of obloquy in
your preamble, and tortured every circumstance of
"the plaintiff's evidence to my detriment and disho
nour,' ydu attempted to subject me to the ridicule of
the Court, by asking a question of my first witness,
"Which had no.more relation to the cause, than if you
liad desiredJto kriow the name of his grandmother.
-—^vVhat title hati you to ask of a tradesman, if he
knew me to*be an author? What affinity had this
question with the-circumstances of the assault ? VV as
not this foreign to the purpose I- Was it not imper
tinent,- and proposed with a view to put me out of
-countenance, and to raise the laugh of the specta--
tors at my expence ? There, indeed, you was disap
pointed, as you' frequently arc in tho^e little digres
sive efforts 'by which you make yourself remarkable.
— 'Though I do not 'pretend to possess that superla
tive -degree of erl rontery by which some people make
^n figure at the bar, I have assurance enough to stand
"the mention of my works without blushing, especi-
'ally 'when- 1 despise >the taste, and scorn the princi
ples of nun who .would turn them to my disgrace.—
^You succeeded; however, in one particular; I nit an,
l-1n. raising the indignation of my witness; of which
you took all imaginable advantage, puzzling, perplex-

DR SMOLLETT. 41
ing, and brow-beating him with such, artifice, eager
ness, and insult, as overwhelmed him with confusion,
and had well nigh deprived me of the bent fit of his
evidence. — Luckily for me, the next gentleman who
was called confirmed what the other had swore, and
proved to the satisfaction of the judge and jury, and
even to your own conviction, that this terrible deli
berate assassination was no more than a -simple blow
given to a rascal after repeated provocation, and that
of the most flagrant kind ; that no advantage was
taken in point of weapons ; and that two drabs,
whom they had picked up for the purpose, had af
firmed upon oath a downright falsehoodj with a view
to blast my reputation. — You yourself was so con^
scious of this palpable detection, that you endea
voured to excuse, them by a forced explanation,
which, you may depend upon it, shall not screen
them from a prosecution for perjury. — 1 will not say,
that this was like patronizing a couple of gypsies
who had forsworn themselves, consequently forfeit
ed all title to the countenance, or .indeed forbear
ance of the Court ; but this I will say, that your
tenderness for them, was of a piece with your whole
behaviour to me, which I think was-equally insolent
and unjust ; for, granting that you had really sup
posed me guilty of an intended assassination, before
the trial began, you saw me in the course of evi
dence acquitted of that suspicion, and heard the
judge insist upon my innocence in his charge to the
jury, who brought in their verdict accordingly. Then,
Sir, you ought in common justice to have owned
yourself mistaken, or to have taken some other op
portunity of expressing your concern for what you
had said to my disadvantage ; though even such an
acknowledgment would not have been a sufficient
reparation ; because, before my witnesses were call
ed, many persons left the Court with impressions to
my prejudice, conceived from the calumnies which
they heard you espouse and encourage. On the

42 THE LIFE OP
whole, you opened the trial with such hyperbolical
impetuosity, and conducted it with such particular
bitterness and rancour, that every body perceived
you was more than ordinarily interested ; and I
could not divine the mysterious bond of union that
attached you to Peter Gordon, Esq. until you fur
nished me with a key to the whole secret, by that
strong emphasis with which you pronounced the
words, Ferdinand Count Fathom. Then I discover
ed the source of your good-will towards me, which
is no other than the history of a law-suit inserted in
that performance, where the author takes occasion
to observe, that the counsel behaved like men of
consummate abilities in their profession ; exerting
themselves with equal industry, eloquence, and eru
dition, in their endeavours to perplex the truth,
brow-beat the evidence, puzzle the judge, and mis
lead the jury. — Did any part of this character come
home to your own conscience ? or did you resent it
as a sarcasm levelled at the whole bench without dis
tinction ? I take it for granted, this must have beea
the origin of your enmity to me ; because I can re
collect no other circumstance in my conduct, by
which I could incur the displeasure of a man whom
I scarce knew by sight, and with whom I never had
the least dispute, or indeed concern. If this was the
case, you pay a very scurvy compliment to your own
integrity, by fathering a character which is not ap
plicable to any honest man, and give the world a
handle to believe, that our courts of justice stand
greatly in need of reformation. Indeed, the petu
lance, licence, and buffoonery of some lawyers in
the exercise of their function, is a reproach upon
decency, and a scandal to the nation ; and it is sur
prising that the Judge, who represents his Majesty's
person, should suffer such insults upon the dignity
of the place. — But, whatever liberties of this kind
are granted to the counsel, no sort of freedom, it
geems, must be allowed to the evidence, who, by the

DR SiJOLLETT. 43
by, are of much more consequence to the cause. —
You will take upon you to divert the audience at
the expence of a witness, by impertinent allusions to
some parts of his private character and affairs ; but
if he pretends to retort the joke, you insult, abuse,
and bellow against him as an impudent fellow who
fails in his respect to the Court. — It was in this
manner you behaved to my first witness, whom you
first provoked into a passion by your injurious insi
nuations ; then you took an advantage of the con
fusion which you had entailed upon him ; and last
ly, you insulted him as a person who had shuffled in
his evidence. This might have been an irreparable
injury to the character of a tradesman, had not he
been luckily known to the whole jury, and many
other persons in Court, as a man of unquestioned
probity and credit. Sir, a witness has as good a ti
tle as you have to the protection of the Court ; and
ought to have more, because evidence is absolutely
necessary for the investigation of truth ; whereas,
the aim of a lawyer is often to involve it in doubt
and obscurity. Is it for this purpose you so fre
quently deviate from the point, and endeavour to
raise the mirth of the audience with flat jokes and
insipid similes ? or, have you really so miserably
mistaken your own talents, as to set up for the cha
racter of a man of humour r — For my own part,
were I disposed to be merry, I should never desire a
more pregnant subject of ridicule, than your own
appearance and behaviour ; but, as I am at present
in a very serious mood, I shall content myself with
demanding adequate reparation for the injurious
treatment I have received at your hands ; otherwise-
I will in four days put this letter in the press, and
you shall hear in another manner — not from a ruf
fian and an assassin — but from an injured gentleman,
.vho is not ashamed of subscribing himself*," &e<
* Europ. Mag. Vol. V.

44 THE LIFE OF
In the beginning of the year 1755 SmoHettpub-
lished, upon the encouragement of a liberal sub
scription* a new translation of The History" of the re
nowned Don Quixote, from the Spanish of Miguel cfe;
Cervantes Saavedra, with some Account of the Au
thors Life : illustrated with 2s new copper-plates, de
signed by Hayman, and engraved by tlt£ best Artists,
in- 2 vols, <ito. The translation of I km Quixote
is r preceded by a dedication to his Excellency Don
Ricardo Wall, Principal Secretary of State to his Most
Catholic Majesty, &c. who encouraged the under
taking, and had permitted Smollett to inscribe the
work to him, while he resided in London. a-< am
bassador and plenipotentiary at the Court of Great -
Britain. ,
He informs us, in a short Advertisement, that his
aim in this undertaking, was to maintain th.it ludi
crous solemnity and self-importance, b\ winch the
inimitable Cervantes has distinguished the character
of Don Quixote; without raising him to the insipid
rank of a dry philosopher, or debasing him to the
melancholy circumstances and unentertaming ca
price of an ordinary madman ; and to preserve the
native humour of Sancho Panza from degenerating
into mere proverbial phlegm, or affected buffoon
ery ; that he has endeavoured to retain the spirit
and ideas, without servilely adhering to the literal
expressions of the original, from which, however, he
has not co far deviated, as to destroy th;it formality
of idiom so peculiar to the Spaniards, and so essen
tial to the character of the work: that the satire and
propriety of many of the allusions, which had been
lost in the change of customs and lapse of time, is
restored in explanatory notes : and the whole con
ducted with that care and circumspection which
ought to, be exerted by every author, who, in at
tempting to improve upon a task already performed,
subjects himself to the most invidious comparison.

DR SMOLLETT. 43
If it should be thought that all those advantages
have not been attained by Smollett in this undertak
ing, it ought to be remembered, that Don Quixote is
the most difficult book in the ^world to translate,
from the extreme frequency of its idiomatic phrases,
especially in the colloquial part, which is studiously
filled with idioms; that few even of the Spaniards
of the present day understand all the beauties, or
can explain the obscurities which the lapse of time
has occasioned"; and that, to transfuse all the spirit
of Cervantes, the force of his humour, and the beauty
of his numerous allusions, into a foreign language,
it would be requisite that sthe translator had lived
some years in Spain, and that he had obtained, not
only a knowledge of the language of the Court and
polite society, but an' acquaintance with the vulgar
idioms, the popular proverbs) and the various cus
toms of that country. It would likewise be requisite,
that the translator should be~ a man possessed- of a
genius a-kin to the author, of a great native fund Of
humour, of a complete, knowledge of his own lan
guage, .and of the idioms, colloquial expressions,
provincial phrases, proverbial sayings, and local
customs of the people for whom the translation is"
intended. j v
: Smollett unquestionably possessed/! ia^an eminent
degree, rthe requisites last mentioned ; and though
he never was in Spain, he certainly- 'had acquired a
very considerable knowledge of the language' ;' arid
the explanatory notes .which.aecompany his transla
tion shew that hehad been at pams to inform him-
splf of many of the obsolete customs of the country,!
to which allusions are made.- . i-> -r&u -¦<¦' n> •¦ ;
..In undertaking a task which toad bieu already per- '
fprmed, .with; general approbation, Smollett challeng-"
ed,a comparison with -his immediate predecessors,- ¦
Motteux and Jaryis ; noth of-them translators of es~;
tablished reputation.;, ifcheone a French :mfuge's-Hiid

4& THE LIFE OF
dramatic writer, applauded in his time * ; and the
other a painter of this country, more known by the
praises of Pope and other wits, than by his own pic
tures f. If it should be thought that the palm of
superiority, in this contest, is due, in some respects,
to Motteux, the meanest of his rivals, it will certain
ly be allowed, that he has shewn himself eminently
qualified for the task he undertook, and that a bet
ter translation than Smollett's, upon the whole, can
not be expected to appear in our language. The
version of Jarvis may, indeed, be thought more exact,
but it is less spirited and elegant. In adhering to
the literal sense of the author, he often allows the
humour to escape. The version of Smollett comes
nearest to the original, though it fails him in pre
serving the formality of the Spanish idiom. In this
respect he is surpassed by Motteux, his inferior in
genius, who displays the ludicrous solemnity of Don
Quixote, and the native humour of Sancho Panza,
* Peter Anthony Motteux was a native of Normandy. On the
revocation of the edict of Nantz, he settled as a merchant in Lon
don, and died in 1718. He acquired a perfect knowledge of our
language, and, besides poems and translations, wrote fifteen plays.
His translaion of Don Quixote bears on the title-page, that it is the
work of several hands, but as of these he was the principal, and re
vised and corrected the parts that were, translated by others, the whole
work goes under his name. In the common editions of the English
Don Quixote, the name of Ozell, a noted translator, appears on the
title-page, in conjunction with that of Motteux
f Charles Jarvis, or Jervas, was a native of Ireland, and died
about 1740. Pope took instructions from him in the art of paint
ing, honoured him with his friendship, and immortalized him by his
panegyric. In the 8th number of the Tatler, he is mentioned as
" the last great painter Italy has sent us." Lord Orford speaks of
him much less favourably. Pope used to say of him, that he pro
duced his translation of Don Qukote, without understanding Spa
nish. It is the fate of Cervantes to be so represented in Britain,
for the same objection has been made to Smollett. Warburton ad
ded a supplement to Jarvis's Preface, on the origin of Romances,
which was praised at the time, but has since been ably and decisive
ly refuted by Mr Tyrwhitt. See Supplemental Observations on Love's
Labour Lost.

DR SM0LLET. 4;7
with more felicity of expression, and propriety of al
lusion. What proves that the romance of Cervantes
has been happily translated by both Motteux and
Smollett, is, that their versions of that work are high
ly relished and admired by readers of every descrip
tion. But the reader, who takes up an English Don
Quivote, merely to be diverted, will probably pro
nounce Motteux's version the most entertaining
book*. The comparative estimate of the merit of these
translations, by the learned author of an " Essay on
the Principles of Translation," is too valuable to be
withheld ; whether it be considered as the suffrage
of a competent judge on a controverted point of taste,
or as an honourable testimony to the character and
qualifications of Smollett.
" Smollett inherited from nature a strong sense of
ridicule, a great fund of original humour, and a hap
py versatility of talent, by which he could accommo
date his style to almost every species of writing. He
could adopt, alternately, the solemn, the lively, the
sarcastic, the burlesque, and the vulgar. To these
qualifications, he joined an inventive genius, and a
vigorous imagination. As he possessed talents equal
to the composition of original works of the same
species with the romance of Cervantes ; so it is not
perhaps possible to conceive a writer more complete
ly qualified to give a perfect translation of that novel.
" Motteux, with no great abilities as an original
writer, appears to me to have been endowed with a
strong perception of the ridiculous in human cha
racter, a just discernment of the weaknesses and fol
lies of mankind. He seems likewise to have had a
* " I am sorry my friend Smollett (says Lady Mary Wortley
Montagu) loses his time in translations ; he has certainly a talent
for invention, though I think it flags a little in his last work, (Count
Fathom). Don Quixote is a difficult work ; I shall never desire to
read any attempt to new-drass him." Works of Lady M. W. Mon
tagu, vol. iv. p. 283.

48 THE LTFE OP
great command of the various styles which are ac
commodated to the expression both of grave bur
lesque, and of low humour. Inferior to Smollett in
inventive genius, he seems to have equalled him in
every quality which was essentially requisite to a
translator of Dm Quixote. It may, therefore, be
supposed, that the contest between them will be
nearly equal, and the question of preference very dif
ficult to be decided. It would have been so, had
Smollett confided in hi^ own strength, and bestow
ed on his task that time and labour which the length
and difficulty of the work required : but Smollett
too often wrote in such circumstances, that dispatch
was his primary obj-ct. He found various English
translations at hand, which he judged might save him
the labour of" a new composition. Jarvis could give
him faithfully the sense of his author ; and it was ne
cessary only to polish his asperities., and lighten his
heavy and awkward phraseology. To contend with
Motteux, Smollett found it necessary to assume the
armour of Jarvis. This aui hor had purposely avoid
ed, through the whole of his work, the smallest coin
cidence of expression with Motteux, whom, with
equal presumption and injustice, he accuses in his
preface of having " taken his version wholly from
the French *." We find, therefore, both in the trans
lation of Jarvis, and that of Smollett, which is little
* The only French translation of Don Quixote I have ever seen,
is that to which is subjoined a continuation of the Knight's adven
tures in two supplemehtal volumes, by Le Sage. This translation
has undergone numberless editions, and is therefore, I presume, the
best, perhaps, indeed, the only one, except a very old version, w.iich
is mentioned in the preface, as being quite literal, and very anti
quated in its style It is therefore to be presumed, that when Jar
vis accuses Motteux of having taken his version entirely from the
French, he refers to that translation above mentioned, to whic l Le
Sage has given a supplement. If this be the case, we mav confi
dently affirm, that Jarvis has done Motteux the greatest injustice.
On comparing his translation with the French, there is a discrepan
cy »o absolute and universal, that there does not arise the smallest
suspicion that he had ever seen that version.

DR SMOLLETT. 40
else than an improved" edition of the former, that
there is a studied rejection of the phraseology of
Motteux. Now Motteux, though he has frequent
ly assumed too great a licence, both" in adding to_,
and retrenching from the ideas-' of his original, has,
upon the whole, a very high degree of merit as_&
translator. In the adoption of corresponding idioms",
he has been eminently fortunate ; and, as in these
there is no great latitude, he has, in general, pre-oc-
. copied the appropriated phrases ; so" that a succeed
ing translator, who proceeded on the,ruleJ~of inva;
riably rejecting his phraseology, nlust have, in ge
neral, altered for the worse. Such, I have said, was
the rule laid down by Jarvis,' and by1 his copyist and
improver Smollett, "Who, by thus absurdly rejecting
what his own judgment and taste must have approv
ed, has produced" a composition decidedly inferior,
on the whole, to that of Motteux. ,
" Smollett was ajgood poet, and most p£ the verse
translationsj interspersed through this work? are exe
cuted with ability. It is on this head that Motteux
has assumed to himself the greatest licence'. He has
very presumptuously mutilated the poetry of Cervan
tes, !by''leavihg out many entire, stanzas from, the
larger compositions, and suppressing some of the
smaller altogether. * Yer the ' translation of those
poems which Jhe -has^retajneds i%3>Q§§essed of much
poetical merit, and, in. particular, those verses which
are of a graver -cast,- are, irf my df^hieh, superior to
those of his rival. '."''.' T'-**~~
" On the" whole, I am^clin"ed^f^~think, the ver
sion of Motteux is .by far ihehestweiaveyet-seen
of the romance of -Cervantes, and that, if 'corrected"
in its licentious observations arid enlargements, and
in some Other particulars, which, "I. Rave noticed in the.
coufse'pf this comparison, we should have nothing to.
desire superioxfcQ ,it in the way of translation *."
* Professor Tytler's (now Lord Woodhouselee) Essay on the
Principles of Translation, 2d edit. 1797, PP- I7^> I^4' 3°3' 312'
VOL. I. D

50 THE LIFE OP
Immediately on his translation of Don Quixote be
ing finished, Smollett made a journey, which he had
long meditated, to his native country, to visit his mo
ther, who then resided with her daughter, Mrs Tel
fer, at Scotston in Peeblesshire ; where he passed
some time in the gratification of those fine feelings
of affection and gratitude towards his relations, and
the friends of his choice, which occupied so large a
portion of his heart.
On his arrival, Dr Moore informs us, he was in
troduced to his mother, with the connivance of Mrs
Telfer, as a gentleman from the West Indies, who
was •intimately acquainted with her son. The better
to support his assumed character, he endeavoured to
preserve a very serious countenance, approaching to
a frown ; but, while his mother's eyes were rivetted
on his countenance, he could not refrain from smil
ing : She immediately sprung from her chair, and,
throwing her arms around his neck, exclaimed, " All,
" my son ! my son ! I have found you at last !"
She afterwards told him, that if he had kept his
austere looks, and continued to gloom, he might have
escaped detection some time longer ; " but your old
"roguish smile," added she, "betrayed you at once*."
Before he returned to England, he gratified still
farther that affectionate prejudice in favour of his re- /
lations and countrymen, of which he had a large share,
by visiting various parts of his native country, parti
cularly the city of Glasgow, the scene of his early
friendships and boyish pastimes, where he spent
two very agreeable days with Dr Moore, then an
eminent surgeon there ^-, and some of his old com-
* The particulars of this interview were communicated to Dr
Moore by the late Lieutenant-Colonel Smollett.
f Dr John Moore succeeded Smollett, at the distance of some years,
as apprentice to Dr Gordon. When he had obtained knowledge of
the usual practice, he went abroad for improvement, and acted for
some time as hospital-mate at Maestricht, and afterwards as assist
ant-surgeon to the- Coldstream regiment of Guards. On the con-

*>R SMOLLETT. 51
-panions, to whom he was attached with Unshaken
steadiness. On his arrival in "London;, Smollett was prevailed
•upon.. to undertake the chief direction of The Critical
Review, a new literary journal, which commenced in
January 1756-jf-, undertaken in dependence upon the
patronage and encouragement of the tories, and the
the high church party, in opposition to " The Month
ly Review," a respectable literary journal, undertaken
in 1749 %, by Dr R. Griffiths, the present proprietor,
j and conducted upon the principles of civil and reli
gious liberty, favourable to the measures of the whigs,
and the sentiments of the low church party and the
dissenters. In the plan of the Critical Review, Smollett and
his literary coadjutors, estimated the duties of the of
fice they had assumed with justice and moderation ;
elusion of the peace 1748, he repaired to Paris, where he resided
two years. On his return to Glasgow, Dr Gordon assumed him as
a partner. Two years after, his partner having obtained a diploma
from the University, the partnership was dissolved, and he chose
Mr Hamilton as his associate. In 1769, having obtained a diploma
from the University, he was invited to accompany James George
Duke of Hamilton in his travels. In 1778, he returned to England,
and settled his family in London. He died at Richmond, Feb. 20.
1802. f The first number of The Critical Review, or Annals of Litera
ture^ for January and Fehruary, was published 1st March 1756, by
R. Baldwin, Paternoster- Row. It was afterwards published by A.
Hamilton, Falcon-Court, Fleetstreet, and continued by his son S.
Hamilton, the present proprietor, with some deviation from the ori
ginal plan. In support of the principles on which it had been es
tablished, modified by the circumstances of the times, The British
Critic was undertaken by some gentlemen of the University of
Oxford, and published by F. and C. Rivington, St Paul's Church'.
yard, in 1,793.
% The Monthly Review was reinforced by The Analytical Review,
undertaken on similar principles, and published by J. Johnson, St.
Paul's Church-yard, in 1788, but discontinued in 1799. Other li
terary journals have appeared and disappeared since the commence
ment of The Monthly Review, the most considerable of which were
The London Review, (Kenrick's) 1774, The New Review (Maty's),
-1782, The English Review 1,783, and The London Review, 1799.
Da

¦52 THE LIFE OF
they made strong professions of impartiality and in*
dependence, and solemnly promised, that they would
revive the true spirit of criticism, that they would
never condemn or extol, without having first careful
ly perused the performance ; that they would never
act under the influence of connection or prejudice ;
that they would not venture to criticise a translation,
without understanding the original ; that they would
never wrest the sense, nor misinterpret the meaning,
of any author ; that they would never, without re
luctance, disapprove even of a bad writer, who had
the least title to indulgence ; and that they would
not exhibit a partial and unfair assemblage of the
blemishes of any production.
Although these promises, solemnly made to the
public, were not strictly observed, in every particular,
by the authors, the Review was conducted with much
ability, and met with considerable success. Smollett
engaged in the undertaking with honest zeal, and
wrote his share ; his critical strictures evinced, as
might be expected, sufficient taste and judgment in
works of literature, but too much irritability and im
patience, when any of the incensed authors, whose
performances he had censured, attempted to retaliate,
and a degree of acrimony of style, and intemperance
of language, that involved him in a variety of dis
putes, frequently more vexatious than creditable.
Soon after the commencement of the Critical Re
view, he published, without his name, A Compendium
cf Authentic and Entertaining Voyages, digested in a
chronological series ; the whole exhibiting a clear View
of the Customs, Manners, Religion, Government, Com
merce, and Natural History of most Nations of the
Known World; illustrated ivith a variety of Genuine
Charts, Maps, Plans, Heads, &c. in 7 vols, 12mo;
a popular compilation, undertaken at the expence of
Mr Dodsley, a man who had sense and spirit to re
ward authors according to their genius and capacity.
This useful collection of voyages, deviating from the

DR SMOLLETT.. 53
pkn of other collections, begins with the discoveries
of Columbus, and, tracing the spirit of adventure in
a regular progress through all the various streams of
discovery, introduces the subsequent voyages of Vas-
co de Gama, Pedro Alvarez de Gabral, Magellan,
Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Thomas
Rowe, Captain John Monk, Captain- James, Mr John
Nieuhoff, Mr Lionel Wafer, Captain Dampier, Dr
Gemelli, Captain Rogers, and Lord Anson, in chro
nological order, so as to form, as it were, the Annals
of Navigation. To these are added, the histories of
the conquest of Mexico and Peru ; the voyages made
for the discovery of Florida ; the curious relation of
eight men who were preserved, and of seven others
who wintered in Greenland ; descriptions of Iceland.
and Ceylon ; Baldaeus's account of Malabar and Co-
romandel ; authentic memoirs relating to Russia ;
and his own well-written Account of the Expedition
against Carthagena in 1741 *, never before pu^-
blished. In forming this collection of voyages, and interest
ing the reader in a succession of incidents and ad
ventures that at once improve the mind, and delight
the imagination, Smollet has unquestionably disen
cumbered this useful species of history from a great
deal of unnecessary lumber, that tended to clog the
narration, and fatigue the memory ; and has not on
ly retrenched the superfluities, and rendered the nar
rative less embarrassed, and more succinct, but has
polished the style, strengthened the connection of
incidents, animated the narrative, and interspersed
a variety of original observations and characters.-1—
* The failure of this expedition Smollett ascribes, from actual
observation, to the incapacity and misconduct of the commanders.
*' The Admiral was a man of weak understanding, strong prejudi
ces, boundless arrogance, and overboiling passions ; and the Gene
ral, though he had some parts, was wholly defective in point of ex
perience, confidence, and resolution." Account of the Exped. to
farthagena.
D3

54 tme life op
The well drawn character of Sir Francis Drake, in
particular, is worthy of the pencil of Smollett.
In the year 1757, at a period of national disaster,
Smollett, indignant at the pusillanimous conduct of
the ministry, and the disgrace of the British arms,
wrote his comedy of The Reprisal, or the Tars of
Old England, an after-piece of two acts, designed to
rouse the warlike spirit of the nation, and to point
the vengeance of his countrymen against their inso
lent and perfidious foes.
What heart will fail to glow, what eye to brighten,
When Britain's wrath arous'd begins to lighten !
Her thunders roll—her fearless sons advance,
And her red ensigns wave o'er the pale flow'rs of France.
Such game our fathers play'd in days of yore,
When Edward's banners fann'd the Gallic shore j
When Howard's arm Eliza's vengeance hurl'd,
And Drake diffus'd her name around the world :
Still shall that godlike flame your bosoms fire, - , »
The gen'rous son shall emulate the sire :
Her ancient splendor England shall maintain, ")
O'er distant realms extend her genial reign, )•
And rise— th' unrivall'd empress of the main *. J
The comedy of The Reprisal, written professedly
for the stage, was offered to Mr Garrick, with whom
Smollett had been previously reconciled, and per
formed early in the season at the theatre-royal in
Drury-Lane, and met with good success, yet not
equal to what its merit might have justly claimed.
It was afterwards printed in 8vo, and is still a fa
vourite after-piece.
The Prologue acquaints us with the principal cha
racters, in the following lines :
A stout Hibemians a ferocious Scot,
Together boil in our enchanted pot ;
To taint these viands with the true fumet,
He shreds a musty, vain, French — martinet.
This stale ingredient might our porridge mar
Without some acid juice of English tar
* Prologue to the Reprisal.

»R SMOLLETT. 55
To rouse the appetite the drum shall rattle,
And the desert shall be a bloodless battle.
The characters of Oclabber, Maclaymore, Champig
non, and Block, are natural and entertaining, and as
finely distinguished as in any dramatic piece in the
English language. The piece concludes with a spi
rited song in honour of the tars of Old England.
While British oak beneath us rolls,
And English courage fires our souls,
To crown our toils, the fates decree
The wealth and empire of the sea.
The satisfaction which the author derived from
the success of his comedy was enhanced by the ge
nerous behaviour of the manager. Mr Garrick not
only acted with candour and cordiality in preparing
it for the stage, but allowed his benefit on the sixth
night instead of the ninth, to which authors are en-
title'd*for after-pieces ; exempted him from the pay
ment of the advance that had been made at that
time in the charge of the theatre on benefit nights * ;
and also appeared himself in the part of Lusignan,
in the tragedy of Zara, in the evening of its perform
ance. By this generous behaviour on the part of Mr
Garrick, the breach between Smollett and the ma
nager was entirely closed. Understanding, however,
from Mr Derrick, that some officious persons had
circulated reports in his name, with a view to preju
dice him in Mr Garrick's opinion, he wrote the fol
lowing letter to him, justifying himself from those
misrepresentations. " In justice to myself, I take the liberty to assure
you, that if any person accuses me of having spoken
disrespectfully of Mr Garrick, of having hinted that
he solicited for my farce, or had interested views in
* From the information of J. P. Kemble, Esq. manager of Co-
vent-Garden theatre. The sum abated, in favour of Smollett, was
ten pounds.
D4

56 THE LIFE OF
bringing It forward, he does me wrong, upon the
word of a gentleman. The imputation is altogether
false and malicious. Exclusive of other considera
tions, I could not be such an idiot to talk in that
strain, when my own interest required a different
sort of conduct. Perhaps the same insidious me
thods have been taken to inflame former animosities,
which, on my part, are forgotten, and self-condemn
ed. I must own you have acted in this affair of the
farce, with that candour, openness, and cordiality,
which even mortify my pride, while they lay me un
der the most sensible obligations ; and I shall not
rest satisfied until I have an opportunity to convince
Mr Garrick that my gratitude is as warm as any o-
ther of my passions."
A short time before the representation of The
Reprisal, the following panegyric on Mr Garrick,
mingled with some disparaging reflections on Mr
Moore and Dr Brown, appeared in the Critical Review,
unquestionably with the approbation of Smollett,
and probably intended by him as a public retracta
tion of the very unfair representation he had given
in Roderick Random of his treatment of him respect
ing The Regicide.
" We often see this inimitable actor labouring
through five tedious acts to support a lifeless piece,
with a mixture of pity and indignation, and cannot
help wishing there were in this age good poets to
write for one who so well deserves them.
" Quicquid calcaverit hie rosa fiet."
" He has the art, like the Lydian king, of turning
all that he touches into gold, and can ensure ap
plause to every fortunate bard, from inimitable Shak-
speare and old Ben, to gentle Neddy Moore, and the
author of " Barbarossa*." * Critical Review, 1756.

DR SMOLLETT. 57
His engagements in the Critical Review, which
from the beginning had been a source of disquiet,
continued to diminish his self-happiness ; for, as he
was at no pains to conceal his having the chief di
rection of the work, the vengeance of the incensed
authors was directed against him in particular, though
it frequently happened that he had not written the
article that gave offence. Among others, he incur
red, at this time, the resentment of Dr Shebbeare,
a well-known political and miscellaneous writer, who
had been chastised in the Review for his insolent and
seditious publications. The incensed author sus
pected Smollett, and retaliated in a pamphlet, en
titled, " The Occasional Critic, or the Decrees of
the Scotch Tribunal in the Critical Review, rejudged,"
Svo,T757, written with all the presumption of Den
nis, without his learning, with all his rage, without
his integrity.
Although the " Occasional Critic," in many in
stances, stumbled on the truth, the whole animation
of the performance arose from the vivacity and viru
lence with which the enraged writer maintained, that
the authors of the Critical Review were Scotch scrubs.
and rascals, barbers, taylors, apothecaries, and sur
geons mates, who understood neither Greek, Latin,
French, nor English, nor any other language ; and
that Scotland never produced any one man of genius,
learning, or integrity *.
The acrimony of Dr Shebbeare's retaliation was
greater than Smollett's patience, which was not his
most shining virtue, could bear, without resistance or
* With the " Occasional Critic," the authors of the " Monthly
Review," coincided in opinion respecting their brethren. " They
appear to be physicians without practice, authors without learning,
men without decency, and writers without judgment." M. R. 1757.
The Critical Reviewers replied in an " Address to the Old Gen
tlewoman who directs the Monthly Review," containing many
strokes of wit, and much spirited recrimination. C. R. Nov. 1757.

58 ' THE LIFE OP
reply ; and it immediately drew from him, or one of
his literary associates, the following observations.
" Whatever regard we may have for our fellow-
subjects in North Britain, and surely we do regard
them not only as our brethren, but also as a people
distinguished by their learning and capacity, we have
no call to enter the lists as their champions, against
an antagonist whom they themselves would hardly
deign to oppose.
" We cannot help, however, taking this opportu
nity of declaring, that of five persons concerned in
writing the Critical Review, one only is a native of
Scotland ; so that our hypercritic's national rancour
against that kingdom seems to have mistaken its ob
ject ; unless he levelled the whole at one member of
our society, whom indeed he has reviled, bespattered,
and belied, with all the venom of low invidious ma
lice, and all the filth of vulgar abuse. These at
tacks, however, we forgive, as the natural effects of
resentment. That person has occasionally detected
and chastised him, as an ignorant and presumptuous
quack in politics, an enemy to his king and country,
and a desperate incendiary, who, by misrepresenting
facts and aspersing characters, endeavoured to raise
a ferment in the nation, at a time when a concur
rence of unfortunate incidents had produced a spirit
of discontent among the people *."
He had no sooner repelled the illiberal abuse of a
writer whose talents and character he despised, than
he was thrown into a more vexatious, and less cre
ditable dispute with Dr Grainger, a man of genius
and a poet, who suspected him to be the writer of
the article in the Critical Review, in which his
" Translation of Tibullus'' had been treated with
unjustifiable severity. Whether Grainger's suspicions
were well or ill founded, he thought his translation
had been criticised in the Review with malignity, an4
* Critical ' Revieiv, 17?;.

DR SMOLLETT. 5l)
published an angry " Letter to Tobias Smollett, M.
D. occasioned by his criticism upon a late transla
tion of Tibullus," 8vo, 1758, in which, after refuting
the criticisms of the reviewer, he proves by exam
ples, principally taken from the article on his own
work, that the authors of the Critical Review had
broken, in every particular, their promises solemnly
made to the public in the plan of their journal, men
tions Smollett in contemptuous terms, and indulges
himself in some ludicrous reflections on the unlucky
diminutive of his christian name.
These personal reflections and pleasantries which
mingled in the controversy between the poet and
the critic, who mutually respected each other's ta
lents and character, were not forgotten when Dr
Grainger's " Letter" fell under the animadversions
of Smollett, or one of his associates, in the Critical
RevieiO) who, in ridiculing that playful species of
vengeance, was guilty of injustice if he meant to in
sinuate, that his antagonist could be classed among
the dunces of the age.
The reviewer observes, that " Dr Grainger had
found in Dr Smollett's christian name Tobias, and
its diminutive Toby, a very extraordinary fund of
humour and ridicule ; but that this species of wit,
however entertaining, was not new, for that others
had played on the cognomen with as much dexterity
as he had on the prenomen ; that Smollett had
been facetiously converted by that stupendous genius
Dr Hill into Small-head and Small-ivit ; that the
same happy thought had struck the dunces of a
former age, who had not only, punned successfully
on the name of Alexander Pope, but had even writ
ten a poem against him entitled Sawney. " Think
not, reader," he adds, " that we presume to compare
Dr Smollett, as a writer, with Mr Pope ; we are sen
sible of the infinite disparity ; but in one respect their
fate is similar ; they have both been abused, belied,
and accused of ignorance, malice, and want of genius,

60 THE LIFE OF
by the confessed dunces of the age, at a time when
their works were read and approved, at least, as much
as any other English contemporary author *."
Of the unjust suspicions which his concern in the
Critical Review excited in the breasts of Mr Home
and Dr Wilkie, and some other writers of his own
country, whose talents and character he respected,
he complains in a letter to Dr Moore, in the year
1758, in which is the following paragraph :
" I have for some time done very little in the
Critical Review. The remarks upon Home's Trage
dy I never saw until they were in print \ and yet
I have not read one line of " The Epigoniad." I
am told the work has merit ; and I am truly sorry
that it should have been so roughly handled. Not
withstanding the censures that have been so freely
bestowed upon these and other productions of our
country, the authors of the Critical Review have been
insulted and abused as a Scotch Tribunals
Besides these, many other disputes arose with dif
ferent writers, who considered themselves injured by
the severity of his criticisms. Seldom a month pass
ed without some complaints on that head, and those
not often expressed in the most decent terms ; but
whatever reason he had to complain of the abuse he
suffered from detected dullness, and mortified vani
ty, he afterwards found that the revenge of an au
thor was nothing compared to the rancour of the
politician, and the resentment of little men placed in
great stations.
In the beginning of the year 1758, Smollett gave
to the world his Complete History of England, de-
* Critical Review, 1759. The controversy which Smollett pro
voked with Dr Grainger, it is probable, did not originate jn any
personal animosity against his amiable and ingenious countryman,
but in a systematic opposition to the authors of " The Monthly
Review," in which Dr Grainger was known to be concerned. Sec
Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Dr Grainger, prefixed to his
Poetical Works, 2 vols, i:mo. 1803.

DR SMOLLETT. 01
ducedfrom the descent of Julius Ccesar, to the Treaty
of Aix-la-Chapelle, 17-48, containing the transactions
of one thousand three hundred and three years, in
4 vols. 4to *, preceded by a Plan of the work, writ
ten with great judgment and ability, and embellished
by engraved allegorical Frontispieces y, designed by
Hayman and Miller. It has been declared, and
never contradicted, that this work was composed and
finished for the press in fourteen months ; an effort
to which nothing but the most distinguished abilities,
and the most vigorous application, could have been
equal. The shortness of time bestowed on the Com
plete History of England, joined to the merit of the
performance, and the consideration of the infinite
pains and perseverance it must have cost him to form
and digest a proper plan, compile materials, compare
different accounts, collate authorities, and compose,
polish, and finish the work, will make it be regarded
as one of the most striking proofs of facility in writ
ing that is to be found in the annals of literature.
The work was reprinted the year following, in 8vo;,
in numbers, of which the weekly sale amounted tos
more than ten thousand, and published in 11 vols*
with engraved heads, and a Dedication to> Mr Pitt,
then one of the secretaries of state, a minister re
commended by the people, and the idol of the na
tion. The extensive sale of the Complete History of Eng
land alarmed the proprietors of Rapin's History,
who caballed, and encouraged his political opponents
to expose the absurdities, inconsistencies, contradic-
tions, and misrepresentations, which either diligence
or malignity could detect in the History, in pamph-
*"-
* Printed for Messrs Rivington and Fletcher, at the Oxford The
atre, Paternoster Row, price 3I. 3s. The three first volumes were
published separately, and the fourth given gratis to the purchasers
of the other three.
f Representing the Savage Stale, the Great Charter, -Wealth and
Liberty, Concord leading Britannia to the Temple of Liberty.

02 THE LIFE OP
lets, and the periodical publications of the time, in
which Smollett was represented as a partizan and
panegyrist of the family of Stuart, a papist and a
prostitute. The following pamphlet was circulated with un
common industry, and with considerable effect : " A
Vindication of the Revolution in A. D. 1688, and of
the character of King William and Queen Mary, to
gether with a Confutation of the Character of King
James II. as misrepresented by the author of the
Complete History of England, by extracts from Dr
Smollett : To which are added, some Strictures on
the said historian's account of the punishment of the
rebels in A. D. 1715 and 1746, and on the eulogium
given to the History of England by the Critical Re
viewers. By Thomas Comber *, A. B." 8vo, 1758.
In the several passages in the History of England,
animadverted upon in this pamphlet, particularly the
account of the Revolution, and the character of King
William, the writer has often reprehended the his
torian with judgment and propriety, but generally
with a profusion of zeal, and, in some instances,
without discretion. He is not content to defend the
principles of the Revolution, but he is an advocate
for corruption, and justifies the abuses which follow
ed that crisis. If the historian has exhibited a de
grading picture of King William, his vindicator has
erred in the other extreme, by representing him as
a perfect character ;
" A faultless monster, which the world ne'er saw f."
Smollett was not without his favourers and de
fenders, who declared, with justice, that he was, on
all occasions, a professed enemy to the religion of
Rome ; that, as an historian, he freely censured both
parties ; that he had praised each occasionally, as ei
ther were praise-worthy, and written with such a
* A clergyman, and relation of the Duke of Leeds.
f Buckingham's Essay on Poetry.

DR SMOLLETT. 463
¦spirit, resolution, and impartiality, as no slave to a
faction could manifest, as no other historian of this
country ever displayed.
He has himself ingenuously apologized for his de
fection from the whig principles in which he was
educated, in the following letter to Dr Moore, dated
Chelsea, January 2. 1758.
" I deferred answering your kind letter, until I
should have finished my history, which is now com
pleted. I was agreeably surprised to hear that my
work had met with any approbation at Glasgow, for
it was not at all calculated for that merichan. The
last volume will, I doubt not, be severely censured
by the west-country whigs of Scotland.
" I desire you will divest yourself of prejudice, at
least, as much as you can, before you begin to per
use it, and consider well the facts before you pass
judgment. Whatever may be its defect, I protest
before God I have, as far as in me lay, adhered to
truth, without espousing any faction, though I own,
I sat down to write with a warm side to those prin
ciples in which I was educated ; but in the course of
my inquiries, some of the whig ministers turned out
such a set of sordid knaves, that I could not help
-stigmatizing them for their want of integrity and
sentiment *."
In another letter to Dr Moore, dated Chelsea,
September 28. he expresses himself as follows :
" I some time ago was favoured with yours, which
I should have answered sooner, had 1 not been ex
tremely busied in correcting my history for a new
impression. That task is now finished, and the
book, I hope, rendered less unworthy of the public
acceptance. I am much obliged to you for the ge
nerous warmth which you have so often interposed
in behalf of my reputation ; of this, and of every o-
ther instance of friendship which I have experienced \
'*: Moorels Memoirs, &c.

64 THE LIFE OF
at youf hands, I shall ever retain a cordial remem
brance. I am not so much surprised at my book's
meeting with such censures and enemies in Glasgow,
as that it should find any number of friends and.
favourers. " I speak not of the few who think like philoso
phers, abstracted from the notions of the vulgar.
The little petulant familiarities of our friend I can
forgive, in consideration of the good will he has al
ways manifested towards me and my concerns. He
is mistaken, however, in supposing, that I have im
bibed priestly notions : I consider the church not as
a religious, but a political establishment, so minute
ly interwoven in our constitution, that the one can
not be detached from the other, without the most
imminent danger of destruction to both. The use
which your friend makes of the Critical Review is
whimsical enough * ; but I shall be glad if he uses
it at any rate. I have not had leisure to do much in
that work for some time past, therefore I hope you
will not ascribe the articles indiscriminately to me ;
for I am equally averse to the praise and censure
that belong to other men. Indeed, I am sick of
both, and wish to God my circumstances would al
low me to consign my pen to oblivion. I really be
lieve that mankind grow every day more malicious.
" You will not be sorry to hear, that the weekly
sale of the History has increased to above ten thou
sand. A French gentleman of talents and erudition
has undertaken to translate it into that language -j-,
and I have promised to supply him with correc
tions^." Without attempting to defend the consistency of
some parts of Smollett's history, with the principles
* Dr Moore's friend was so much ' enraged at some criticisms in
that Review, that he continued to take it, for m other purpose
than that he might read all the publications censured by it, and
none of those which it praised.
-f- The translation alluded to, it is probable, never was executed,
X Moore's Memoirs, &c.

BR SMOLLETT. 6S
he avows in others, Dr Moore justly and forcibly ob*
serves, that men who are not thought unsteady in
their political principles, when they contemplate the
headstrong absurdity of rulers, and see the arm of
government lifted too high, and the public money
squandered foolishly, are apt to wish the government
reduced to a state of weakness, which might prove
inconsistent with the safety of the country ; and yet
the same men, when terrified with the examples of
popular commotion, and the shocking effects of an
archy,, are inclined to yield to government a greater
degree of power than the constitution warrants, or
is compatible with the freedom they love ||.
At this period, Smollett availed himself of his in
timacy with Mr Wilkes^ who had hitherto manifest
ed a partiality for the acquaintance of North Britons,
to solicit his intercession with the Lords Commis*
sioners of the Admiralty, in procuring the liberty of
Dr Johnson's servant, Francis Barber, who had been
impressed, in the following letter, dated Chelsea,
March 16. 1750, printed in Mr BoswelFs " Life of
Dr Johnson."
" I am again your petitioner, in behalf of that
great Cham * of literature, Samuel Johnson.- His
black servant, whose name is Francis Barber, has
been pressed on board the Stag frigate, Captain An
gel, and our lexicographer is in great distress ; he
says, the boy is a sickly lad, of a delicate frame, and
particularly subject to a malady in his throat, which
renders him very unfit for his Majesty's service.^-
You know what matter of animosity the said John-
|! Moore's Memoirs, &e.
* " Tn the first edition, this Word Was printed Churn, as it appear^
in one of Mr Wilkes' Miscellanies, and I animadverted on Dt.
Smollett's ignorance, for which let me propitiate the manes of that
Ingenious and benevolent gentleman." Boswell. — Chum was cer
tainly a mistaken reading for Cham, the title of the sovesreign of
Tartary, which is well applied to Johnson, the .monarch of litera
ture, and was an epithet familiar to Smollett. See Red. Random^
chap. 56. ' x

f)& THE LIFE OF
son has against you, and I dare say you desire no
other opportunity of resenting it, than that of laying
him under an obligation. He was humble enough
to desire my assistance on this occasion, though he
and I were never cater-cousins ; and I gave him to
understand, that I would make application to my
friend Mr Wilkes, who, perhaps, by his interest with
Dr Hay and Mr Elliot, might be able to procure the
discharge of this laquey. It would be superfluous to
say more on the subject, which I leave to your own
consideration ; but I cannot let slip this opportunity
of declaring, that I am, with the most inviolable es
teem, dear Sir, your affectionate obliged humble ser
vant -f-," &c.
Mr Wilkes, with the most polite liberality, applied
to his friend Sir George Hay, then one of the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty, and Francis Barber
was discharged, and returned to Dr Johnson's service.
His connection with the Critical Revicic. in which,
for some time, he had done very little, involved him,
soon after the date of the foregoing letter, in a dis
pute with Admiral Knowles, in which the interfer
ence of Mr Wilkes was not so successful.
A secret expedition against Rochfort had been
planned in 1757, under Sir John Mordaunt. The
•expedition failed, and the commander in chief was
tried by a general court-martial, for disobeying his
instructions, and acquitted. In the proceedings up
on the trial, some blame was imputed to Admiral
Knowles, and he published a pamphlet in his own
vindication in 1758, entitled " The Conduct of Ad
miral Knowles on the late Expedition set in a true
light," Svo. On this pamphlet, and the character of
the Admiral, the writer of the article in the Critical
Review was so particularly and unguardedly severe*,
+ Boswell's Life of Johnson, vol. I. p. 309.
* Smollett, who was himself the writer of the article, expressed
his dislike against Admiral Knowles in the following words : " As
to his d) nr:cter, of them who knew him, they will not scruple to

DE SMOLLETT. ©7
that Admiral Knowles commenced a prosecution a^
gainst the printer ; declaring, at the same time, that
his only reason for commencing an action was to
know the author of the offensive article, and if he
proved to be a gentleman, to demand satisfaction of
another kind. In this affair Smollett behaved with
prudence and spirit. Desirous of compromising the
dispute in an amicable manner, he applied to his
friend Mr Wilkes, to interpose his good offices with
his opponent in the following letter, dated Chelsea,
March 24. 1759.
" Ecce iterum Crisping. — Your generosity with
respect to Johnson, shall be the theme of our ap
plause and thanksgiving. I shall be very proud to
find myself comprehended in your league, offensive
and defensive ; nay, I consider myself already as a
contracting party, and have recourse to the assistance
of my allies. It is not, I believe, unknown to you,
that Admiral Knowles has taken exception at a pa
ragraph in the Critical Review of last May, and com
menced a prosecution against the printer. Now,
whatever termination the trial may have, we shall in
fallibly be exposed to a considerable expence, and
therefore I wish to see the prosecution quashed.
Some gentlemen, who are my friends, have under
taken to find out, and talk with those who are sup
posed to have influence with the said Admiral ; may
I beg the same favour of you and your friends ? The
trial will come on in the beginning of May, and if
the affair cannot be compromised, we intend to kick
up a dust, and die hard. In a word, if that foolish
say, he is an admiral without conduct, an engineer without know
ledge, an officer without resolution, and a man without veracity."
The resentment which this intemperate paragraph kindled in the
breast of his prosecutor, instead of intimidating him from expressing
his dislike, made him avow it more openly in the Continuation of his
History. Admiral Knowles acted as Captain of the Weymouth, of
60 guns, in the unfortunate expedition to Carthagena, in which
Smollett served as surgeon's mate to a ship of the line.
E2

68 THE LIFE OF
Admiral has any regard to his own character, he will
be quiet, rather than provoke farther the resentment
of," &c.
Admiral Knowles continued inflexible ; the prose
cution went on, and sentence was about to be pro
nounced against the printer, when Smollett gallant
ly stood forth, avowed himself the writer of the stric
tures in question, and offered the Admiral any satis
faction he might demand. — The consequence was,
that a prosecution was immediately commenced a-
gainst him, and he was fined one hundred pounds,
and sentenced to three months imprisonment in the
King's Bench Prison. His spirited conduct on this
occasion gained him much credit and applause.
While Smollett was in confinement in the King's
Bench Prison, his unconquered spirit was consoled
for the temporary deprivation of liberty, by the cor
dial attachment of his friends and acquaintance, who
visited him very attentively ; and his abilities were
exercised in writing his Adventures of Sir Lancelot
Greaves, an English Don Quixote, in which he de
scribed some remarkable characters, then his fellow
prisoners. This novel, apparently executed with
precipitation, though in many parts delightfully writ
ten, was first printed in detached portions, in the
monthly numbers of the British Magazine, or Month
ly Repository, for 1760 and 1761, one of those publi
cations in which he was induced to engage *, that
promised to produce profit rather than praise, and
afterwards published in 2 vols. 12mo, 17 62.
Smollett seems to have been aware that his Sir
Lancelot Greaves must appear to great disadvantage
after the Don Quixote of Cervantes, and anticipates
the strongest objection that can be made to the plan
of the work, in the following dialogue : " What !"
said Ferret, addressing Sir Lancelot, " you set up for
* Smollett's name was appended to this publication, which com
menced in January 17^0, in all the advertisements.

DR SMOLLETT. 6§
a modern Don Quixote ! The scheme is too stale
and extravagant ; what was an humorous and well
timed satire in Spain near two hundred years ago,
will make but a sorry jest, when really acted from
affectation, at this time of day in England."
The knight, eyeing the censor, a knavish, worth
less fellow, with a look of disdain, replied in a so
lemn, lofty tone : " I am neither an affected imita
tor of Don Quixote, nor, as I trust in heaven, visit
ed by that spirit of lunacy so admirably displayed in
the fictitious character exhibited by the inimitable
Cervantes. I see and distinguish objects as they are
discerned and described by other men. I quarrel
with none but the foes of virtue and decorum, against
whom I have declared perpetual war, and them I wijl
every where attack as the'natural enemies of mankind.
I do purpose," continued the knight, eyeing Ferret
with a look of ineffable contempt, " to act as a coad
jutor to the law, and even to remedy evils which the
law cannot reach, to detect fraud and treason, abase
insolence, mortify pride, discourage slander, disgrace
immodesty, and stigmatize ingratitude."
When Cervantes wrote the history of the renown
ed knight of La Mancffa, the actual exercise of
knight-errantry as a profession no longer existed in
Europe. The aim of that inimitable writer, there
fore, in exhibiting a knight-errant of his own crea
tion, could only be to turn into ridicule the prevail
ing taste of his countrymen for books of chivalry,
filled with . marvellous and unnatural adventures of
invincible knights, peerless virgins, magicians, giants,
dwarfs, and dragons, misrepresenting historical facts,
perverting their understanding, and rendering them.
unfit for the necessary occupations and duties of
domestic life.
Ecco quei, che le charte empion di sogni,
Lancilotto, Tristano, e gli altri erranti,
E 3

70 THELIFE0F
But while this mighty magician, by the magic of
his wit, drove the absurdities of the old romance en
tirely out of Spain, he gave, in the same work, a re
presentation of the real state of manners in Spain,
at the time he wrote, intermixed with scenes of ex
quisite humour, and many admirable lessons of mo
rality. Smollett, after the example of Cervantes, has en
dowed the gentle knight of Greavesbury-hall with
the distinguishing qualities of genuine knights er
rant, as they were properly styled, their courtesy,
affability, and gallantry, their romantic ideas of jus
tice, their passion for adventures, their eagerness to
run to the succour of the disstressed, and the pride
they took in redressing wrongs and removing griev
ances ; he has led him out in quest of adventures,
and provided occasions on which to exercise his ge
nerosity and va'our, and displayed much of the spirit
and humour of his model ; but he has not attain
ed in an equal degree the moral purposes of this
species of romance ; an i, excepting the character of
the heroine Miss Aurelia Darnel, he has not exhi
bited a faithful picture of life and manners in Eng
land at the time he wrote *.
This year the publication of The Modern Part of
an Universal History, from the earliest account of
time; compiled from Original Writers, by the Autfwrs
of the Ancient Part, undertaken at the expence of
the London booksellers, commenced with the ap
pearance of the first, second, and third volumes, and
was completed in 1764, in 42 vols. Svo. In the
compilation of this great historical work, which does
honour to our nation, Smollett gave his assistance,
* The Adventures of Sir Lancelot Greaves has been followed by
similar imitations of Don Quixote ; " The Female Quixote, or the
Adventures of Arabella," by Mrs Lennox, 3 vols. i2mo, 1762;
?' Spiritual Quixote, or the Summer Rambles of Mr Geoffry Wild-
goose, a comical romance," by the Rev. Mr Graves, 3 vols. i2mo,
^7765 The Philosophical Quixote, 2 vols. 1783, &c.

KE SMOLLETT. 71
and is supposed, among other articles, to have con
tributed the Histories of France, Italy, and Gerr
many. The separate volumes, as they appeared,
were noticed at considerable length in the Critical
Review. In the year 1761, Smollett published, in detached
numbers, the first volume of his Continuation of the
History of England, which was completed in 4 vols,
8vo, in 1762, and a fifth volume in 1/65, which
brought down the history to that period. In 1766,
it was published in 2 vols, 4to, with his last correc
tions, and a general index. It has been assert
ed, and is generally believed, that Smollett sold this
work to his printer at a price * which enabled the
purchaser to sell it to Mr Baldwin the bookseller, on
the day the bargain was made, at a profit of no lesjs
than one thousand pounds.
In this undertaking, Smollett. encountered diffi
culties inseparable from the historian who relates pre
sent transactions. The pencil of genius, drawing
from living nature, is necessarily animated with a fire
unfelt by the transcriber of the history of remote
transactions : the historian of his own times sympa
thizes with the distress, and rejoices in the prospe
rity of his country, with heartfelt emotions, that ap
pear counterfeit should they be expressed by the wri
ter of a future age ; but the contemporary historian
cannot, like Cesar or Frederick, penetrate into the
causes of disgrace or triumph, nor develope the se
crets of the cabinet, and the motives of faction, upon
which time reflects light. Under this disadvantage,
Smollett has shewn, in this work, his regard for truth,
and his courage in asserting it ; but, hi delineating
the characters of individuals, and the motives of par-
'* He is said to have cleared 2000I. by his Hittory and the Con
tinuation,
E 4

71 THE LIFE OF
ties, he has some times mistaken the impulse of feel
ing for the decision of judgment, and the bias of per
sonal and political attachment, for the ardour of ge
nuine patriotism.
While he incurred the resentment of individuals
and parties, by the manly freedom with which he
characterised and described them in the Continuation
of his History, he convinced his friends, by the li
berality of his praise, that his gratitude was at least
as warm as any other of his passions. Among the
men of genius who flourished in the reign of George
II. he mentions Mr Garrick in the following terms :
" The exhibitions of the stage were improved to
the most exquisite entertainment, by the talents and
management of Garrick, who greatly surpassed all
his predecessors of this, and perhaps every other na
tion, in his genius for acting, in the sweetness and
variety of his tones, the irresistible magic of his eye,
the fire and vivacity of his action, the elegance of
attitude, and the whole pathos of expression."
Mr Garrick having expressed his sense of this pa
negyric, in a letter to Smollett, accompanying a pre
sent of his *' Winter's Tale," he repeats the public
declaration of his sentiments in still stronger terms,
in the following letter to Mr Qarrick, dated Chelsea,
January 27. 1762.
" I this morning received your fe Winter's Tale,"
and am agreeably flattered by this mark of your at
tention. What I have said of Mr Garrick in the
History of England, was, I protest, the language of
my heart. I shall rejoice if he thinks I have done
him barely justice. I am sure the public will think
I have done no more than justice. In giving a short
sketch of the liberal arts, 1 could not, with any pro
priety, forbear mentioning a gentleman so eminent
ly distinguished by a genius that has no rival. Be
sides, I thought it was a duty incumbent on me in
particular to make a public atonement, in a work of
truth, for wrongs done him in a work of fiction.

DR SMOLLETT. , 73
" Among the other inconveniericies arising from
ill health, I deeply regret my being disabled from
a personal cultivation of your good-will, and the un
speakable enjoyment I should sometimes derive from
your private conversation, as well as from the public
exertion of your talents ; but, sequestered as I am
from the world of entertainment, the consciousness
of standing well in your opinion, will ever afford sin
gular satisfaction to," &c.
In his sketch of the liberal arts, towards the- end
of the reign of George II. and about the beginning
of that of his present Majesty, he proceeds to enu
merate the most distinguished writers in the vari
ous branches of literature at that period ; and makes
a public atonement for wrongs done to Lord Lyttle
ton and Dr Akenside, by certain allusions in Pere**
grine Pickle.
" Genius in writing spontaneously arose, and
though neglected by the great, flourished under the
culture of a public whieh had pretensions to taste,
and piqued itself in encouraging literary merit. —
Young still survived, a venerable monument of po
etical talents. — Thomson, the poet of the seasons,
displays a luxuriancy of genius in. describing the
beauties of nature. Akenside and Armstrong excel
led in didactic poetry. Even the epopcea did not
disdain an English dress, but appeared to advantage
in the " Leonidas " of Glover, and " The Epigo-
tiiad " of Wilkie. The public acknowledged a con
siderable share of merit in the tragedies of Young,
Mallet, Home, and some other less distinguished
authors. Very few regular comedies, during this
period, were exhibited on the English theatre, which,
liowever, produced many less laboured pieces, a-
bounding with satire, wit, and humour : — " The
Careless Husband " of Cibber, and " The Suspi
cious Husband " of Hoadley, are the only very mo
dern comedies that bjd fair for reaching posterity.

74 THE LIFE OF
That Great Britain was not barren of poets at this
period, appears from the detached performances of
Mason, Gray, the two Whiteheads, and the two
Wartons, besides a great number of other bards
who have sported in lyric poetry. Candidates for li
terary fame appeared in the higher spheres of life,
embellished by the nervous style and extensive eru
dition of a Corke, by the delicate taste, the polished
muse, and tender feelings of a Lyttleton. King
shone unrivalled in Roman eloquence."
He mentions other eminent writers with the hap
piest discrimination of their merits, particularly Ro
bertson, Hume, and Johnson, with whom he had al
ways been upon a friendly footing *, and gives his
suffrage to the great talents of Fielding and Richard
son, who pursued the same line with himself.
" Even the female sex distinguished themselves
by their taste and ingenuity. Miss Carter rivalled
the celebrated Dacier in learning and critical knovv-
* Among the donations to the Massachussetts Historical Society
at Boston, is a collection of original letters of Hume, Robertson,
Armstrong, Garrick, and John Gray, to Smollett, presented by
the Rev. Thomas Hall, Chaplain to the British Factory at Leghorn.
On my application to the Society, through the obliging intervention
of Mr Larkin of Boston, to have copies of these letters, for the use
of this narrative, I was favoured with a polite letter from John Elias,
Esq. Corresponding Secretary, dated, Boston, January 27, 1802, of
which I subjoin the following paragraphs :
" These letters will be pub'ished in the 8th vol. of our Collec
tions, which I trust will be immediately put to the press, and as
soon as emitted shall be sent for your inspection,
" Mr Hall, Chaplain of the British Factory, Leghorn, a corre
sponding member of our Society, was so kind as to favour us with
these letters. Similar ones, part of the same correspondence, were
put into the hands of Mr Dennie, a gentleman who is Editor of
" The Port-Folio," a philological paper at Philadelphia : these
may be procured easily, if they can be of any service."
1 have,endeavoured to procure the printed volumes of the/Col
lections of the Massachussetts Historical Society, the letters addres
sed to Smollett, in the possession of Mr Dennie, and the printed vo
lumes of " The Port-FoKe," but thcy-have hitherto eluded my dir
ligence.

DR SMOLLETT. 75'
ledge, and Mrs Lennox signalized herself by many
successful effects of genius both in poetry and prose.
The field of history and biography was cultivated by
many writers of ability, among whom we distinguish
the copious Guthrie, the circumstantial Ralph, the la
borious Carte, the learned and elegant Robertson, and
above all, the ingenious, penetrating, and comprehen
sive Hume, whom we rank with the first writers of the
age, both as an historian and philosopher. Nor let us
forget the merit conspicuous in the works of Camp
bell, remarkable for candour, intelligence, and preci
sion. Johnson, inferior to none in philosophy, phi
lology, poetry, and classical learning, stands foremost
as an essayist, justly admired for the dignity, strength,
and variety of his style, as well as for the agreeable
manner in which he investigates the human heart,
tracing every interesting emotion, and opening all the
sources of morality. The genius of Cervantes was
transfused into the novels of Fielding, who painted
the characters, and ridiculed the follies of life, with
equal strength, humour, and propriety. Thelauda-*
l)lc aim of enlisting the passions on the side of vir
tue was successfully pursued by Richardson in his
" Pamela," " Clarissa," and " Grandison," a species
of writing equally new and extraordinary, where,
mingled with much superfluity and impertinence,
we lind a sublime system of ethics, an amazing
knowledge and command of human nature."
On the publication of " The Rosciad," in 1761,
without tin; name of the author, the writer of that
article in the Critical Review pronounced an unfa
vourable judgment of the performance, and dropped
an insinuation, that Mr Cohnan and Mr Lloyd were
concerned in writing it ; a hint founded on misin
formation. Mr Colman and Mr Lloyd took the
alarm, and solemnly denied the charge in the public
papers. Churchill set his name to the second cdi-
rion, and suspecting Smollett to be the writer of the

76 THE LIFE OF
offensive article in the Review, retaliated with great
spirit, in the " Apology to the Critical Reviewers *."
Whence could arise this mighty critic spleen,
The Muse a trifler, and her theme so mean ?
What had I done, that angry heav'n should send
The bitterest foe where most I wished a friend ?
Oft hath my tongue been wanton at thy name,
And hail'd the honours of thy matchless fame.
For me let hoary Fielding bite the ground,
So nobler Pickle stand superbly bound.
From Livy's temples tear th' historic crown,
Which, with more justice, blooms upon thine own, tec.
It appears, however, Churchill was mistaken in
his suspicion ; for Smollett, hearing that Mr Col-
man had also accused him of having made an attack
on his moral character in the Critical Review, excul
pated himself from the charge, in the following let
ter to Mr Garrick, dated Chelsea, April 5. l/6l.
" I see Mr Colman has taken offence at the arti
cle in the Critical Review which treats of the " Ros-
ciad," and I understand he suspected me to be the
author of that article. Had he asked me the ques
tion, I should have freely told him I was not the
author of the offensive article, and readily contri
buted to any decent scheme which might have been
proposed for his satisfaction : But as he has appeal
ed to the public, I shall leave him and the real au
thor to settle the affair between themselves, and
* The " Apology " of this merciless satirist was not so much a
defence, as an attack on the unfortunate journalists.
Fool beckons fool, and dunce awakens dunce ; —
To Hamilton's the ready lies repair ;
Ne'er was lie made that was not welcome there : 
Thence, on maturer judgment's anvil wrought,
The polish'd falsehood's into public brought ;
Quick circulating slanders mirth afford,
And reputation bleeds in every word.

DR SMOLLETT. 77
content myself with declaring to you, and that upon
my honour, that I did not write one word of the
article upon the " Rosciad," and that I have no ill
will nor envy to Mr Colman, whom I have always
respected as a man of genius, and whose genius I
shall always be ready and. pleased to acknowledge
either in private or in public. I envy no man of
merit ; and I can safely say I do not even repine at
the success of those who have no merit. I am old
enough to have seen and. observed that we are all
play-things of fortune, and that it depends upon
something as insignificant^and precarious as the toss
ing up of a halfpenny, whether a man rises to afflu
ence and honours, or continues to his dying clay
struggling with the difficulties and disgraces of life.
1 desire to live quietly with all mankind, and,. if pos
sible, to be upon good terms with all those who have
distinguished themselves by their merit. I must
own, that if I had examined the article upon the
" Rosciad " before it was sent to the press, I should
have put my negative upon some expressions in it,
though I cannot see in it any reflection to the pre
judice of Mr Colman's moral character ; but I have
been so hurried since my enlargement, that I had
not time to write one article in the Critical Review,
except that upon Bower's History, and perhaps I
shall not write another these six months. That
hurry, and a bad state of health, have prevented me
from returning in person the visit you favoured me
with in the King's Bench. I beg you will accept
this letter in lieu of it, and believe me that no man
respects Mr Garrick more than he is respected by
his obliged humble servant," &c.
In the year 1 762, Mr Wilkes, who had been re
turned member for Aylesbury in the parliament
which assembled November 3. 1761, and was known
as a man of a cultivated mind, lively talents, and
dissipated manners, entered on that career in poli-"
tics which he afterwards pursued with so much tur-

7S THE LIFE OF
bulence, and at last terminated with so much suc
cess, published, without his name, " Observations
on the Papers relative to the Rupture with Spain,
laid before both Houses of Parliament, in a Letter
from a Member of Parliament to a Friend in the
Country," 8vo. ; a copy of which he presented, in
the confidence of friendship, to Smollett, who, in
the following letter to him, dated Chelsea, March
28, 1762, expresses, with deference, a disapproba
tion of his political opinions.
" My warmest regard, affection, and attachment,
you have long ago secured. My secrecy you may
depend upon. When I presume to differ from you,
in any point of opinion, I shall always do it with
diffidence and deference. I have been ill these three
months, but hope soon to be in a condition to pay
my respects to Mr Wilkes in person. Meanwhile,
I must beg leave to trouble him with another packet,
which he will be so good as to correct at his leisure.
That he may continue to enjoy his happy flow of
spirits, and proceed through life with a flowing sail
of prosperity, is the wish, and the hope, and the
confident expectation of," &c.
The commencement of the reign of his present
Majesty had been attended with the introduction of
the Earl of Bute to the ministry ; and on the 2pth
of May 1762, he was appointed First Commissioner
of the Treasury, and assumed the management of
public affairs. The sudden advancement of this
nobleman, a native of North Britain, and a tory,
without any apparent experience in public business,
over those who had held the principal offices under
government during the greater part of the reigns of
the two preceding kings, rendered him an object of
national jealousy, suspicion, and aversion.
The new minister, happy in the smiles of his so
vereign, whom he had cultivated from his cradle,
but without possessing the confidence of the people,
found it necessary to employ some able writers to

DE SMOLLETT. 79
reconcile the public to his elevation, and to defend
the measures of his administration. Among others,
Smollett was prevailed upon to palliate the steps
which had led to his advancement, and to defend
the unpopular measures that had attended his ele
vation ; and, on the day of his patron's promotion,
he published the first number of a weekly paper,
entitled The Briton ; and did what he could to ob
viate that particular objection which had so much
weight with the multitude at that period, and which
was unsurmountable, — that he was a native of Scot
land. Soon after the publication of The Briton, Mr
Wilkes, who afterwards rendered himself conspicu
ously useful by his pen on the other side, happened
to be in a company where it was asserted that Lord
Bute had engaged Smollett to conduct that paper,
on which he observed, " After having distributed
among his adherents all the places under govern
ment, his Lordship is xietermined to monopolize the
wit also *."
To encounter The Briton, it was proposed that
Mr Wilkes should publish a paper, to be called
" The Englishman." He agreed to the proposal,
except that he did not adopt the title recommended,
but chose another, that of'" The North Briton,"
the first number of which appeared on the 5 th of June
1 762 -f.
* Moore's Memoirs, &c.
f The " North Briton" was followed on the 10th of June by
a weekly paper on the other side, entitled " The Auditor," con
ducted by Mr Murphy. " Mist's Journal" was the first party
paper that appeared against the government, after the accession of
the present royal family. It was followed by " Fog's Journal,"
" Common Sense," " The True Briton," written by the Duke of
Wharton, " The Craftsman," conducted by Mr Amhurst, " Old
England, or Jeffery Broadbottom's Journal," conducted by Mr
Guthrie and Mr Ralph, " The Remembrancer," conducted by
Mr Ralph, " The Test," and " The Contest," &c. " The North
Briton," like most of its predecessors, had properly no national
object of offence, an indispensible requisite in an opposition paper.

SO THE LIFE OF
This paper, in which he was assisted by Church-
hill, declared hostilities against the ministry and
the Scottish nation, and attracted the attention
of the public from the acrimonious boldness with
which it was written, and was read with avidity, be
cause its invectives were chiefly directed against an
unpopular minister.
In ability to wield the weapons of political alterca
tion, Mr Wilkes soon showed a manifest advantage
over Smollett, who was not formed with that insen
sibility and coolness that is necessary for political
controversy ; and, at last, by the force of elegant in
vective, popular argument, and concomitant personal
abuse, extended to the whole of the Scottish nation,
completely defeated his opponent, and dissolved the
connection which had previously subsisted between
him and Smollett, Armstrong, and other individuals
from the northern side of the Tweed, who consider
ed the abuse of Scotland as a mortal offence, and
suffered their friendship for an individual to yield to
the love of their native land.
The Briton, the suspicious vehicle of undeserved
praise, and misplaced panegyric, was laid down on
the 12th of February 1763 ; and on the 8th of April
following, 'the nobleman, in whose defence it was
undertaken, finding the stream of popular discontent,
and party violence, too strong to be resisted, resigned
his place of First Commissioner of the Treasury,
which had excited so much envy and clamour, and
spent the remainder of his life in retirement. What
ever his deserts may be, it is certain the tribute of
public applause was never paid to his merits. The
unfavourable impression which his conduct left on
the minds, of the multitude, remained undiminished
many a distant year, and acquired additional strenoth
from subsequent occurrences. Visible or invisible
the influence of Lord Bute was supposed to predo
minate, was repeatedly asserted in Parliament, and
added considerably to the popular discontents.

Bit SMOLLETT. 81
Although the zeal which Smollett displayed, in the
progress pf The Briton, was not:, like that of his oppon
ent, assumed from motives of private policy, but ge*-
nerous and sincere, and directed against such an in
undation of invective and abuse as has not been ex
ceeded by any thing which later times have witness
ed, yet this periodical publication was not so favour
ably received by the public as his former writings
had been ; and he had reason, Dr Moore justly ob
serves, to regret that he ever became a party writer^
by which he lost some of his old friends, and ac
quired but very cold-hearted new ones in their stead.
When Lord Bute seceded from the ostensible si
tuation of a minister, leaving his successors Mr
George Grenville and the Duke of Grafton, the vio
lent and unconstitutional punishment of his oppo
nents*, Smollett appears to have experienced un
merited neglect from that nobleman, who had} in
many instances, been found a generous patron of men
of inferior importance and ability.
In the year 1763, Smollett permitted his name to
appear, in conjunction with that of the Rev. T.
Francklin-f' and others, to a translation, undertaken
at the expence of Mr Newbery, of the Works of AL
de Voltaire, with notes historical and critical, in 27
vols. l2mo, to which, it is most probable, he gave
but little assistance.
His name also appears to a popular compilation,
published about this time, entitled, The Present State
of All Nations j containing a Geographical, Natural,
* It seems indeed, that in the early as well as the succeeding
parts of his political career, Mr Wilkes, whatever his views might
be, was determined to acquire the resentment of ministers. Church-
hill, on seeing No. 45. of the " North Briton" in manuscript, in
the most earnest manner intreated Mr Wilkes to withhold that
paper from the press, ai.d pointed out the obvious and certain con
sequences of its publication. It Was nevertheless immediately
printed. f Afterwards Dt Francklin, one of Smollett's coadjutors in The
Critical Review, and the translator of Sophocles, I-ucian, &c.
VOL. I. F

82 THE LIFE OF
Commercial, and Political History of all the Countries
of the known World, in 8 vols. 8vo; but little of it,,
it is probable, was done by his own hand. A second
edition of this work was printed in 1 7 38.
At this time Smollett had the misfortune to suffer
the heaviest of all calamities in the loss of his only
child, a daughter, named Elizabeth, of amiable dis^
positions, and elegant accomplishments, the solace
of his cares, and the object of his fondest affections
and fairest hopes, who died in the 15th year of her
age, and left him quite inconsolable.
This domestic calamity, which made a lasting im
pression upon his mind, his own ill health, impaired
by a sedentary life, and assiduous application to
study, the earnest request of his wife, with the ne
glect of his patron, and the uncomfortable state of
public affairs, determined him to leave England, and
spend some time in a foreign country and milder
climate. Accordingly, in June 1/63, he went a-
broad, and continued in France and Italy abont two
years. Soon after his return in 1766, he published his
Travels through France and Italy, containing Obser
vations on Character, Customs, Religion, Government,
Police, Commerce, Arts, and Antiquities, with a par
ticular Description of the Town, Territory, and Cli
mate of Nice; to which is added a Register of the
Weather, kept during a Residence of Eighteen Months
in that City ; in 2 vols. 8vo, in the form of letters to
his friends in England, from different parts of those
countries. In the first letter he describes the state
of his own mind, and the motives that induced him
to leave England, in these words :
" In gratifying your curiosity, I shall find some a-
musement to beguile the tedious hours, which, with
out some employment, would be rendered insupport
able by distemper and disquiet.
'¦ You knew, and pitied my situation ; traduced by
malice, persecuted by faction, and overwhelmed by

DR SMOLLETT. 83
the sense of a dometic calamity, which it was not in
the power of fortune to repair.
" My wife earnestly begged I would convey her
from a country where every object served to nourish
her grief. I was in hopes that a succession of new
scenes would engage her attention, and gradually call
off her mind from a series of painful reflections; and
I imagined the change of air, and a journey of near
a thousand miles, would have a happy effect upon
my own constitution."
In the course of his travels, Smollett seems to have
laboured under a constant fit of ill-humour ; and his
letters afford a melancholy proof of the influence of
bodily pain over the best disposition.
In describing certain objects in Italy, viewed
through the medium of disappointment and indig
nation, he deliberately hazarded the following re
marks, which exposed him to the reprehension of
the connoisseurs.
" With respect to the famous Venus Pontia, com
monly called de Medicis, I believe I ought to be en
tirely silent, or at least conceal my real sentiments,
which will otherwise appear equally absurd and pre
sumptuous. It must be want of taste that prevents
my feeling that enthusiastic admiration with which
others are inspired at sight of this statue. I cannot
help thinking there is no beauty in the features of
Venus, and that the attitude is awkward and out of
character *."
" I was much disappointed at sight of the Pan
theon, which, after all that has been said of it, looks
like a huge cock-pit open at the top .-j-"
The cynical style of the letters drew upon Smol
lett also the following severe censure, which he pro
bably felt more sensibly, from the liVelyi sarcastic pen
of Sterne.

* Letter XXVII, } Letter XXXI.
F 21 ¦

84 THE LIFE OF
" The learned Smelfungus travelled from Boulogne
to Paris — from Paris to Rome — and so on — but he
set out with the spleen and jaundice, and every ob
ject he passed by was discoloured and distorted.-^
He wrote an account of them, but it was nothing
but an account of his miserable feelings — I met
Smelfungus in the grand portico of the Pantheon —
he was just coming out of it — " It is nothing but a
huge cock-pit," said he, — " I wish you had said no
thing worse of the Venus Medicis," replied I, — for
in passing through Florence, I had heard he had fal
len foul upon the goddess, and used her worse than
a common strumpet, without the least provocation
in nature. — I popped upon Smelfungus again at Tu
rin, in his return home, and a sad tale of sorrowful
adventures he had to tell, wherein he spoke of mov
ing accidents by flood and field, and of the cannibals
which each other eat : the Anthropophagi — He had
been flayed alive, and bedeviled, and worse used than
St Bartholomew, at every stage he had come at —
" I'll tell it," said Smelfungus, " to the world."—
" You had better tell it," said I, " to your physi
cian * "
Although Sterne tripped along the same road more
cheerily than Smollett, and never allowed disease to
" tinge the objects which came in his way, either
with sable or sickly green -f-," yet Smollett feared
Death, " when at his heels," as little as this " fel
low of infinite jest, and most excellent fancy % ;'? and
met him at last, no distant date, with as much com
posure as any man
——this pleasing, .anxious being, e'er resigned ||.
Soon after the publication of his Travels, at a time
Avhen he felt his strength declining^ and his mind
* Sentimental Journey, Vol. I.
f Tristram Shandy, Vol.'VII.
% Shakespeare. || Gray.

DR SMOLLETT. 85
depressed with sorrow, he set out on a journey to
his native country ; a journey probably undertaken
from a sense of his approaching dissolution, and a
desire of seeing his mother and his other relations,
before he should be separated from them for ever,
rather than from, any sanguine hope that air and ex-
ercise: would restore his former health and spirits.
He arrived at Edinburgh about the beginning of
June 1766, and having passed some time with his
mother, who retained, at an advanced age, a strong
understanding, and uncommon share of humour, and
whom he loved with all the warmth of filial affection,
he proceeded with his sister Mrs Telfer, and. his ne
phew, a young officer in the army, to Glasgow,
" the pride of Scotland * ;" from whence, after they
had made a short stay, they went, accompanied by Dr
Moore, to Cameron, the residence of his cousin, Mr
Smollett of Bonhill, on the banks of Lochlomond.
"During the time of his stay in Scotland, Dr Moore
informs us, he was greatly tormented with rheuma
tic pains ; and he was afflicted besides with an ulcer
on 'his arm, which had been neglected on its first ap
pearance, and afterwards resisted every attempt to
heal it. These disorders confined him much to his
chamber, but did not prevent his conversation from
being highly entertaining, when the misery of which
they were productive* permitted him to associate with
his friends §. ¦••'•- ,1
He left Scotland about the latter end of August,
without any alleviation of his complaints, and pro-
* " There," Smollett observes, in the character of Melfofid in
Humphry Clinker, " we had the good fortune to be received into the
house of Mr Moore, an eminent surgeon. — Mr Moore is a merry
facetious1 compamon,'sensSble and shrewd, with a considerable fund
of- humour ; and his wife an agreeable woman, well-bred, kind, and
obliging. Kindness, which I take to be the essence of. good-nature
and humanity, is the. distinguishing characteristic °f the /Scotch la
dies in their own country."' • ".'', '
J Moore's Memoirs, &c.
F3

86 THfi LIFE OF
ceeded directly to Bath, with a pleasing impression
on his mind of the affectionate attention which had
been shown him by his relations, acquaintance, and
countrymen in general, of whom he had taken a last
farewell. He spent the winter in Bath ; for some months,
with an aggravation and increase of his complaints ;
but in the beginning of the year 1767, his health
and spirits were surprisingly restored, as appears by
the following letter to Dr Moore, dated Bath, Fe
bruary 8. 1767, which is transcribed here, because
the account he gives of his case is curious in itself,
and also because the first paragraph affords an in
stance of that benevolent and friendly interest he
took in the unfortunate, which is one of the leading
features of his character.
" I have been for some weeks resolved to write you
an account of my health, about which I know your
friendly solicitude ; but what hastens the execution
of my purpose, is a letter I received last post from
Commissary Smollett, desiring me to recommend a
poor relation of ours to your countenance and pro
tection. Her name is Mrs —  , sister to  .
This unfortunate gentlewoman married  , who
had a small estate in the Highlands, which having
squandered away, he made his retreat to Jamaica,
leaving his wife destitute, with a child upon her
hands. In this emergency, she had virtue enough
to study midwifery under Dr Young at Edinburgh,
who, I am told, has given ample testimony of her
capacity ; and she is represented to me as a person
of unblemished character. She has it seems resolv
ed to settle at Glasgow, and exercise her profession.
I need say no more, knowing, as I do, that you will
have a proper regard to the interest I take in her
concerns ; and that if you find her properly qualifi
ed, you will encourage her as much as your own
views and connections may permit. So much for
Mrs  . Now for Dr Smollett :— You must

DR SMOLLETT. 87
remember the miserable way in which I was at part
ing from you in August last ; at my return to Bath,
I caught a cold, in consequence of which my rheu
matic pains retired, and the disorder in my breast Re
curred, namely, an orthopnoea, with an ugly cough
and spitting, exclusive of a slow fever, from which
I had never been free. But these symptoms gave
me little disturbance, in comparison with the ulcer
on my fore arm, which continued to spread until it
occupied the whole space from about three, inches
above the wrist to the ball of the thumb, so that I
was entirely deprived of the use of my right hand,
and the inflammation and pain daily increased. In
the beginning of November, it was supposed to be
cancerous ; at that period I could not sleep without
an opiate, my fever became continual, my appetite
failed, and the rheumatism again invaded me from
the neck to the heel. In a word, I despaired of ever
seeing the end of winter ; and every night when I
went to bed, fervently wished that I might be dead
before morning. In this, uncomfortable situation, I
consulted with Messrs Middleton and Sharp, the two
most eminent surgeons in England, whq were then,
and are still, at Bath. I had my hand dressed before
them, and proposed a course for the cure, which
they approved. I forthwith began to dress the sore
with double mercurial ointment made without tur
pentine. I took a dose of Van Swieten's solution of
corrosive sublimate every morning, anddrankaquart
of strong decoction sarsae everyday. On. the second
day of this regimen, the matter was much mended,
and the pain considerably abated. In one , week I
was quite free of the fever and rheumatism,- and my
appetite returned in full perfection. In ten days I
left off taking the sublimate, for by this time the ul
cer was almost closed, and, in another week, skinned
over. It continues still hard and scaly;, but the ci
catrix seems quite firm, and I can now use my hand
almost as well as ever. I still drink the decoction,

88 THE LIFE OF
and never stirred out of my house till yesterday,
when I ventured out in a chair, and got a cursed
cold, which I find will produce an ugly fit of the
asthma ; this, however, I will bear without repining.
In a word, my cure is looked upon as something su
pernatural ; and I must own that I now find myself
better in health and spirits than I have been at any
time these seven years. Had I been as well in Sum
mer, I snould have exquisitely enjoyed my expedition
to Scotland, which was productive of nothing to me
but misery and disgust. Between friends I am now
convinced that my brain was in some measure af
fected ; for I had a kind of coma vigil upon me from
April to November without intermission. In consi
deration of these circumstances, I know you will
forgive all my peevishness and discontent, and tell
good Mrs Moore, to whom I present my most cor
dial respects, that, with regard to me, she has as yet
seen nothing but the wrong side of the tapestry.
Pray remember me kindly to your brother-in-law
Mr Simson, Drs Stevenson and Douglas, to honest
Robin Urie, and all my Glasgow friends. Write to
me with your first convenience, directing to Dr
Smollett, Gay-street, Bath ; and believe me, with the
warmest affection and esteem, &c.
During this interval of convalescence, Smollett a-
gain entered the thorny paths of political discussion,
and in 1760, published his History and Adventures of
an Atom, in 2 vols. 12mo, a work of a different na
ture from any of his other performances, being a
political romance, supposed to be written in 1748,
exhibiting, under Japanese names, the characters and
conduct of the leaders of party in Great Britain, from.
the commencement of the French war in J 754, to
the dissolution of Lord Chatham's administration in
17 07 -8. In this work he found reason for altering
his opinion of Lord Bute,1 the theme of his former
panegyric, as he did, in. the Continuation of his His-n

H"R SMOLLETT. 8(J
tory, for changing his sentiments with regard to Mr
Pitt, a servant " given by the people to the king *."
Soon after the publication of this work, his com
plaints recurred with violence, and his friends, Dr
Armstrong, Dr Hunter, and Dr Dickson, advised:
him to try again the influence of the Italian climate ;
but his circumstances not being deemed adequate to
the expence of the journey, and of his remaining
free from all care but what concerned his health,
application was made to obtain for him the office of
consul at Nice, Naples, or Leghorn. This' applica
tion, prompted by the anxiety of his friends to pre
serve his health, was unsuccessful, because^he was
not the panegyrist of men in power, and because he
could not stoop to practise the degrading arts of so
licitation. The neglect which Smollett experienced, on this
occasion, from those persons to whom he had ren
dered himself useful by his pen, aggravated his men
tal sufferings, already too great for his delicate frame
to bear; but he had pleasure, Dr Moore justly ob
serves, in the reflection that he never had deigned
to solicit the protection which ought to have come
spontaneously. The time was now at hand when
that reflection probably afforded him more satisfac
tion, and his want of riches less concern than ever.
No man feels remorse on his ^death-bed from the
thought of dying poor. Many have felt it, in a fear
ful degree, from the thought "of dying rich-|".
He set out for Italy, accompanied by his wife, ear
ly in the year 177CV with a constitution reduced to
the last state of debility ; and after residing a short
time at Leghorn, he retired to Monte Novo, a most
romantic* and salutary situation in the neighbour-
* Most of the reflections which gained' credit to that seasonable
pamphlet against continental connections, entitled, " Considerations
on the German War," may be found disseminated with a liberal
hand through every part of Smollett's Continuation.
f Moore's Memoirs? &c.

gO THE LIFE OF
hood, where he was visited by Dr Armstrong, then
on a tour through Germany, France, and Italy, with
Mr Fuseli, the painter, as appears by the following
letter to his ingenious friend Caleb Whiteford, Esq.
dated Monte Novo, May 18, 1770.
" You could not have made me a more agreeable
present than the papers I received by the hands of
our good friend Dr Armstrong. Some of the pieces
I had read with great pleasure in one of your even
ing papers ; but my own satisfaction is much in
creased by knowing you are the author ; for with
out flattery, I really think these fourteen letters con
tain more sense, spirit, wit, and humour, than all I
have as yet seen written on the other side of the
question ; and I am fully persuaded, that if you had
two or three coadjutors of equal talents, to play to
one another's hands, and keep up the ball of argu
ment and ridicule, you would actually, at the long-
run, either shame or laugh the people out of their
absurd infatuation. Your ideas, of characters and
things so exactly tally with mine, that I cannot help
flattering myself so far as to imagine, I should have
expressed my sentiments in the same manner on the
same subjects, had I been disposed to make them
public ; supposing still that my ability corresponded
with my ambition.
" I hope you will not discontinue your endea
vours to represent faction and false patriotism in
their true colours, though I believe the ministry lit
tle deserves that any man of genius should draw his
pen in their defence *. They seem to inherit the ab-
* Mr Whiteford's essays and squibs, of which Smollett expresses
his approbation, appeared in the " Public Advertiser, where the
celebrated letters of Junius were inserted, and all the squibs of par-
ty were thrown. He turned the various topics of the day into all
sorts of shapes ; horse-races, play-bills, auctions, exhibitions, and
female administrations, became the whimsical vehicles of his hu
mour. His " Cross-readings," " Ship-news Extraordinary," " Er
rors of the Press," &c. which excited much mirth, and occasion-

J>& SMOLLETT. Ql
surd stoicism of Lord Bute, who set himself up as a
pillory» to be pelted by all the blackguards of Eng
land, upon the supposition that they would grow
tired and leave off. I don't find that your ministers
take any pains even to vindicate their moral charac
ters from the foulest imputation : I would never de
sire a stronger proof of a bad heart, than a total dis -
regard of reputation. A late nobleman, who had
been a member of several administrations, owned to
me, that one good writer was of more importance to
the government than twenty placemen ih the House
of Commons.
" I do not know when I shall have an opportuni
ty of transmitting the papers to Mr Udney, neither
do I know in what part of Italy he resides. I should
have sent them by Dr Armstrong to Rome, had I
read your letter before he set out ; but as he stayed
at Leghorn only to dine with me, I did not open
your packet till he was gone ; however, I shall not
fail to comply with your directions as soon as pos
sible. I am at present rusticated on the side of a
mountain that overlooks the sea, in the neighbour
hood of Leghorn, a most romantic and salutary si
tuation, where I should be happy in receiving an
other such mark of your charity and good-will ; and
and if there is any thing in Tuscany that you desire,
I beg you will without ceremony put it in my power
to oblige you. Pray, who is Old Sly-boots ? Is not
Junius supposed to be Burke? What is become of
Mrs Macaulay ? They say she has been obliged to
retire; for what reason I know not. Do, pray,
throw away half an hour in giving me the political
ed many imitations, have been collected in the " Foundling Hos • '
pital for Wit." He ridiculed the ipetitioris-, ¦ remonstrances, and
grievances of Mr Wilkes, by giving a humorous history of peti
tions, and a ludicrous representation of modern grievances, answer
ing all these grievances, and advertising for a new grievance. Dr
Goldsmith's exquisite portrait of " Merry V. hiteford," in his po
em of " Retaliation," is well known to the readers of poetry.

92 THE LIFE OP
anecdotes of the times,' and direct a Monsieur Mon
sieur Smollett, chez Monsieur Renner negotiant a Li-
vourne. In the mean time, wishing you every com
fort and consolation that this rascally age affords, I
am, with great affection and esteem *," &c.
While he resided in Italy, he published, in 1771,
his Expedition of Humphry Clinker, in 3 vols, 12mo,
arranged in the form of letters ; in which, under the
character of Matthew Bramble, whimsically fretful
and misanthropic, he represented truly and humor
ously his own, and inserted the observations he
made on visiting his native country, and the scenes
of infancy, and his exquisite Ode to Leven Wa
ter. This novel was read with general approbation
on its first appearance, and is still considered by
good judges, as the most entertaining and agreeable
of all his works.
This was the last publication Smollett gave to the
world. He lingered through the summer, during- which
his strength sunk gradually, but he retained his live
ly humour, fortitude, and composure, as well as the
full use of his faculties, to the last, and died at his
house in the neighbourhood of Leghorn on the 21st
of October 1 77 1 , in the 51st year of his age.
Soon after his death, a plain monument was erect
ed to his memory by his widow, with the .following
inscription, written by Dr Armstrong, with whom
he lived in friendship from their first acquaintance
till his last breath, and to whose lot it fell to see
his friend's  cc neglected genius bloom,
Neglected die, and tell it on his tomb f,"
in a strain of energetic elegance, affectionate sorrow,
puu manly indignation, that reflects equal honour
on* his understanding and his heart.
* Moore's Memoirs, &c.
f Pope's Epistle to Dr Arbuthhot.

DR SMOLLETT. Q3
Hie ossa conduntur
Tobi^e Smollett, Scoti ;
Qui, prosapia generosa et antiqua natus,
Priscae virtutis exemplar emicuit ;
Aspectu ingenuo,
Corpore valido,
Pectore animoso,
Indole apprime benigna,
Et fere supra facultates munifica,
Insignis.
Ingenio feraci, faceto, versatili,
Omnigenae fere dictrinas mire capaci,
Varia fabularum dulcedine
Vitam moresque hominum,
Ubertate summa Iudens, depinxit.
Adverso, interim, nefas ! tali tantpque alumno,
Nisi quo satyrs opipare su'pplebat,
Seculo impio, ignavo, fatuo,
Qno musae vix nisi nothae
Mecasnatulis Britannicis
, . :, Fovebantur.
In memoriam
Optimi et amabilis omnino viri,
Permultis amicis desiderati,
- - -' ". Hocce marmor,
Dilectissima simul et.amantissima conjux
- i,..- L.M.
, r( .;, ^i, Sacravit.
Translation.
Here
Rest the remains
of
Tobias Smollett, ¦ ¦- .
A North Briton,
Who sprung
From an ancient and respectable family,
Shone forth an example
Of the virtue of former times.
• ¦ Of an ingenuous countenance,
:•.'. i .'• And manly make.
With a breast animated by the justest spirit.
He was eminently distinguished
For great benevolence of terriper,

p4 THE LIFE OF
And a generosity even above his fortune.
His wit had every character
Of fertile inventiveness,
Of true pleasantry,
Of flexibility to every subject,
From his aptness and wonderful capacity
For every kind of learning.
The exercise of these talents
Produced a variety of pleasing fictions,
In which,
With great exuberance of fancy,
And true humour, •
He laughed at, and described
The lives and manners of men :
While,
(Shameful to relate !)
This genius,
This honour to his country,
Met with nothing,
In these abandoned, worthless, insipid times,
But what was unfavourable to him,
Except indeed
Their abundance of supply to his pen
Of matter of satire :
Times !
In which
Hardly any literary merit,
But such as was in the most false or futile taste,
Received any encouragement
From the paltry mock Mecaenases of Britain.
In honour to the memory
Of this most worthy and amiable
Member of society,
Sincerely regretted by many friends,
This monument
Was, by his much beloved and affectionate wife,
Dutifully and deservedly
Consecrated.
In the year 177*4, a round column, of the Tuscan
order, with an urn on its entablature, was erected to
Smollett's memory on the banks of the Leven, near
the house in which he was born, by his cousin,
James Smollett, Esq. of Bonhill, with the following
nervous and classical inscription, written partly by

DR SMOLLETT. g"5
Professor George Stuart of Edinburgh, and partly
by John Ramsay, Esq. of Ochtertyre, and Dr John
son. The first four lines were adopted from an in
scription, written at the request of Lord Kames *,
by Mr Ramsay, in autumn 1773 ; the lines printed
in Italics were furnished by Dr Johnson, at the re
quest of Mr Smollett, when he passed a night with
him, in the latter end of the autumn of that year,
on his return from the Western Islands ; the re
mainder is the production of Professor Stuart. The
inscription, it is probable, received its form and ar
rangement, at that time, from the interposition of
Dr Johnson's advice.
[Siste viator !
Si leporis f ingeniique venam benignam,
Si morum callidissimum pictorem,
Unquam es miratus,]
Immorare paululum memorial
TOBI^E SMOLLETT, M. D.
Viri virtutibus hisce
Quas in homine et cive
Et laudes, et imiteris,
Haud mediocriter ornati :
Qui in Uteris variis yersatus,
Postquam felicitate sibi propria,
Sese posteris commendaverat,
Morte acerba raptus
Anno jetatis 51
Eheu ! quam procul a patria !
Prope Liburni portum in Italia,
Jacet sepultus.
Tali tantoque viro, patrueli suo,
Cui in decursu Lampada
* Lord Kames himself, Dr Moore informs us, wrote an inscrip
tion in English for this pillar, of which the late Lieutenant-Colonel
Smollett shewed him a copy, but the Latin one was preferred.
Though the fact seems to be indisputable, yet it is remarkable, that
Lord Kames, neither at that time, nor at any future period, ever
mentioned this English inscription to his friend and neighbour Mr
' Ramsay of Ochtertyre.
f Some editions have lepores for leporis ; either will do, but Mr
Ramsay prefers the genitive.

qQ the- life of
Se potius tradidisse decuit,
Hanc Columnam,
Amor'is, eheu! inane monument um
In ipsis Levince ripis,
Quas versiculis sub exitu vitas illustratas,
Primis infant vagitibus personuit,
Ponendam curavit
Jacobus Smollett de Bonhill.
Abi et reminiscere,
Hoc quidem honore,
Non modo defuncti memories,
Vcrum ctiam exemplo, prospectum esse :
Aliis\?enim, si modo digni sint,
- Idem erit yirtutis praemium !
Translation.
Stay, traveller !
If elegance of taste and wit,
If fertility of genius,
And an unrivalled talent
In delineating the characters of mankind,
Have ever attracted thy admiration,
Pause a while
On the memory of Tobias Smollett, m.d.
One more than commonly endued with those virtues,
Which, in a man and citizen,
You would praise, or imitate ;
Who
Having secured the applause
Of posterity
By a variety of literary abilities,
And a peculiar felicity of composition,
Was,
By a rapid and cruel distemper,
Snatched from this world in the 5 1st year of his age.
Far, alas ! from his country
He lies interred near Leghorn, in Italy.
In testimony of his many and great virtues,
This empty monument,
The only pledge, alas ! of his affection,
Is erected
On the banks of the Leven,
The scene of his birth, and of his latest poetry,
By James Smollett, of Bonhill,
His cousin ;

DR SMOLLETT* Qf
Who should rather have expected this last tribute from him.
Go, and remember
This honour was not given alone to the memory of the deceased,
But for the encouragement of others i
Deserve, like him, and be alike rewarded.
The inscriptions of Dr Armstrong and Professor
Stuart have each their appropriate excellence ; the
one for the fortune of Smollett, and the other for
his character. The inscription written by Mr Ram
say is of too much value to be withheld ; not only
for the connection it has with the composition of
two of the most eminent latinists of the present
age, but for the intrinsic merit it possesses as a
truly local inscription, which recais to every reader
what he feels on seeing his native spot. I have
prevailed on my learned friend to permit me to
insert it in this narrative. Siste, viator !
Si leporis ingeniiqui venam benigham,
Si morum callidissimum pictorem,
Unquam miratus es ;
Domum istam inornatam paulispcr intuefe.
Ibi enim nascebatur
Tobias Smollett, M. D.
In hocce agello, prope Lasvini marginem,
Saepissime lusit puer :
Illorum sub umbra arborum recubans felix,
Silvestris musae primitias olim meditatus est.
Denique, in patriam aliquantisper reversus,
Post varios casus, longamque perigrinationem,
Hujus anguli secura quiete,
Ac memoria Vitas puerilis, solum fallere nesciae,
Mirifice refectus est *.
Qualis, quantusque fuit in re literaria,
Non ignores, viator !
Neque te morari fas est.
Abi igitur, valeque ;
At semper reminiscere,
Quam dulcis et decorus est
Soli natalis natalis amor !
* See Humphry Clinker.
VOL. I. G

98 the life of
Translation.
Stop, passenger !
If a rich vein of genius and humour,
If exquisite drawings from life,
By the hand of a master,
Were ever admired by thee,
Fondly contemplate for a moment
Yon unadorned mansion ;
Under its roof,
Tobias Smollett, M. D.
Drew his first breath.
In those very fields, on the banks of Leven,
Did he often play while a boy ;
Under the shade of yonder trees
He first courted the rural muse.
After a variety of adventures,
And travelling much in foreign climes,
Having returned for a short space
To his native country,
He was wonderfully refreshed
With the quiet of this sequestered spot,
And with the recollection of his boyish years,
Which alone did not deceive.
Of his character and rank in the literary world
Thou canst not be ignorant,
Nor is it proper to detain thee :
Go then, fare thee well !
Always remembering, how sweet and becoming
Is the love of our native soil.
To add to the regret which every reader of
sensibility must feel at the untoward fortune that
attended Smollett through life, his widow was left
in indigent circumstances in a foreign country.
The desire of being independent had never disposed
Smollett to accumulate money, and his slender pro
perty had been considerably diminished by the fre
quent journies which he undertook for the recovery
of his health. Of the small portion which remain
ed foi the maintenance of his widow, he appointed
Mr Graham of Gartmore and Mr Bontein trustees.
The delicacy of her constitution, and the neglect of

DR SMOLLETT. 00
his relations, induced her to prefer the climate of
Italy to that of England, and to reside in the neigh
bourhood of Leghorn, near the place of his dust,
where she spent many years in friendless, cheerless
solitude, in sickness and in sorrow. To relieve
her from some temporary distress, whicli it would
seem might have been either prevented by the libe
rality of his cousin Mr Smollett *, or removed by
the well-timed application of a small portion of the
wealth of his more fortunate sister f , the tragedy of
" Venice Preserved" was performed at the Theatre
Royal in Edinburgh, March 3. 1784, for her bene
fit ; and the money, amounting, it is said, with pri
vate donations, to about 3001. remitted to Italy.
On this occasion, so interesting to patriotism and
to benevolence, the late Houston Sewart Nicholson,
Esq. of Carnock^, performed the part of Pierre, and
the following prologue, in which the various works
of Smollett are finely enumerated, was spoken by
Mr Woods of the Theatre Royal Edinburgh, written
* Although Smollett, when living, never experienced any Sub
stantial kindness from his cousin Mr Smollett, on occasions that
called for it ; yet, from motives which it is not difficult to analyse,
he erected a monument to his memory, after his death, and suffered
his widow to live in indigence in a foreign country !
" But still the great have kindness in reserve —
He help'd to bury, whom he help'd to starve 1" PoVEi
f Had Smollett lived a few years longer, he must have inherit
ed the estate of Bonhill, of about loool. a-year, by the death of
his cousin Mr Smollett, whose heir of entail he was ; and who
would, in all probability, have bequeathed him, what he could no
longer retain, the rest of his fortune, of nearly the same valuer
both of which fell to his sister, Mrs Telfer.
X Mr Stewart Nicholson was a man of rank and fortune, the
son of a Scottish Baronet, and generally known and well-remem
bered as the pride and ornament of elegant society. His fine' ad
dress and ready elocution qualified him to appear occasionally on
the stage to great advantage. As an actor, he personated charac
ters in tragedy, and excelled in dignity and declamation.
G 2

100 THE LIFE OF
by Mr Graham of Gartmore, who knew him well,
and held his memory in the highest veneration ^.
Though letter'd Rome, and polish'd Greece could boast
The splendid table, and the courteous host,-^-
The rites to strangers due ; — though poets sing
This mighty warrior, r r that powerful king,
The wand'rer's friend — yet still, whate'er is told
By modem poets, or by bards of old,
Is rivall'd here ; — for here, with joy, we see
The heart-felt bliss of heav'nly Charity !
See her, with rapture, spread her willing hands,
And throw her blessings into foreign lands ;
Dry up the tear she never saw to flow,
And eager catch the distant sigh of woe.
X Mr Graham was a favourite elevtf of Smollett's, and often
domesticated with him at Chelsea. He came very near his master
in the predominant excellencies of his mind and heart. A con
siderable portion of elegant and useful knowledge, a quick compre
hension, and a fertile fancy, a cultivated taste, a tender and bene
volent mind, and an aptitude to colloquial vivacity and convivial
hilarity, enlivened by wit, and chastened by gentlemany manners,
qualified him to rank among the first ornaments of social and do
mestic life. As a country gentleman, he is known by his spirited
opposition to the corruption of nominal and fictitious votes in the
election of the representatives of the Scottish counties in Parlia
ment, and his active support of the system of reform in the internal
government of the Scottish boroughs. As a Writer, his merit is
confined to his poetical compositions, produced, generally, without
effort, and on which he set no value. Besides the prologue spoken
on the Edinburgh Theatre, he wrote an incredible number of oc
casional poems, charaeterised by sprightliness and elegance, the
greater part of which he destroyed ; but some valuable pieces are
supposed to be in the possession of his family. Mr Ramsay of
Ochtertyre has a very elegant epistle of his in verse, written in the
West Indies, to a friend in Scotland, who sent him a copy of it in
1764. After a glowing picture of the scenery of Jamaica, he
prays, in a strain of diffusive benevolence, that " he might see
Black Senates enacting wholesome laws in the spirit of freedom."
Some beautiful lines of his to Mr Macneill are preserved in the
Collection of the works of that agreeable poet, vol. i. p. 158.
and a song, attributed to him, beginning, " O tell me how to woo
thee," is printed in Scott's " Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border,"
vol. 2. p. 304.

DE SMOLLETT. 101
In vain seas swell, and mountains rise in vain —
A widow's groans are heard across the main ;
— A widow now ! — Alas'! how chang'd the day! —
Once the Nakcissa * of your poet's lay ;
Now, fatal change ! (of ev'ry bliss bereft
Nor child, nor friend, nor kind protector left ,
Spreads on a distant shore her scanty board,
And humbly takes what strangers can afford.
Yet link*d to you by ev'ry tender tie,
To you she lifts the long-dejected eye,
And thus she speaks — " Who dar'd with manly rage,
" To lash the vices of an impious age f ?
" Who dar'd to seize the bold historic pen,
" Paint living kings, and ministers, as men J ?
<f Who sung sad Scotia's hapless sons forlorn,
tc Her broken peace, her freshest laurels torn § ?
fi Or who, on oaten reed, by Leven' s side,
fe Sung the fair stream, and hail'd the dimpling tide || ?
" Or who ? — say ye, for such, I'm sure, are here,
s< Whose honest bosoms never yet knew fear ;
" Sons of the north, who stem corruption's tide *,
ee Your country's honour, and your nation's pride —
te Lords of the lion heart and eagle eye,
" Who heed no storm that howls along the sky —
te Say ye — whose lyre, to manly numbers strung,
tc The glorious bliss of Independence sung f ?
" Who felt that pow'r, and still ador'd his shrine? —
" It was your Smollett ! Oh ! he once was mine !"
Tears stopp'd her. utterance, else she would have said,
" Like him be bold, in virtue undismay'd ;
ie Let Independence all your actions guide,
" Your surest patron, and your noblest pride."
In the year 1773, his Ode to Independence, with
Notes and Observations, was published at Glasgow,
in 4to, by Messrs Foulis-j:, printers" to the Univer-
* Her fictitious name in Roderick Random.
t " Advice and Reproof," a satire. $ The History of England.
§ Ode, I746",$beginnipg, " Mourn hapless Caledonia, mourn."
|J Ode to Leven water.
* Alluding to the opposition of the northern counties to the corruption
of fictitious votes.
t Ode to Independence.
X Classical and English Literature are indebted to the cele
brated Elzevirs of Glasgow for bringing forward, in the -course
G3

102 THE LIFE OF
sity, preceded by the following Advertisement from
the editors.
" The public may depend upon the authenticity
of the following Ode: It is printed from the au
thor's manuscript, which was communicated to the
editors by a gentleman with whom Dr Smollett was
much connected."
The Observations appended to this posthumous
publication, which is unquestionably authentic *, and
the most excellent of all Smollett's poetical compo
sitions, are dated Glasgow, Feb. 23. 1773, and pro
ceeded from the classical pen of Professor Richard
son, under whose inspection it was printed from the
original MS. in Smollett's hand-writing, left, with
other papers, to Mr Graham of Gartmore, who com
municated it to him for publication.
It ismecessary to perform an act of justice to the
author «nd the editpr of this admirable performance,
by stating, in the words of the ingenious editor him
self, in a late publication, his acknowledgment of
the liberty he took of altering a word in the original
MS.j- and his reasons for altering it, which, if they
should be thought unsatisfactory, sufficiently evince
his candour and-critical discernment.
" It is proper to mention, that, in the fifth line of
the third Antistrophe, the Editor took the liberty of
substituting one word in place of another : The line
in Smollett's MS. was —
of their profession, various useful, extensive, and elegant publica
tions, unattempted by any individual in Scotland, and worthy of an
association of opulent booksellers. They were succeeded in the
office of printer to the University, and in their spirited designs for
the advancement of Classical and English literature, by Mr
James Mundell of Edinburgh, who was cut off by the stroke of
death, in the full career of prosperous industry, and amidst many
unfinished literary undertakings, before he had completed the 30th
year of his age.
* From the allusions in the Ode to the noble stand made by the
Corsican patriots against the usurpations of the French king, it ap
pears to have been written a short time before his death.

DR SMOLLETT. 103
Where Insolence his wrinkl'd snout uprears.
No doubt, the word snout presents a more complete
image, and conveys, therefore, a more impressive
meaning than the word front, which was introduced
in its place ; but it did not seem so suitable to the
dignity of lyric poetry, or the peculiar loftiness of
the Ode to Independence. If, however, the more dis
tinct imagery, and consequent vigour, obtained by
retaining the original expression, are capable of
counterbalancing the considerations that urged the
editor to its exclusion, it is proper that future edi
tors may have it in their power to restore to the
poet what certainly belongs to him." *
In the year 1 770*, Smollett's name appeared to a
booksellers edition of a translation of the Adventures
of Telemachus, in 2 vols, 12mo, as it had appeared
in his life-time to a translation of the Adventures of
Gil Bias, in 4 vols, 12mo; but little of these ver
sions, it is probable, was done by his own hand.
In the year 1785, a farce, entitled The Israelites,
or the Pampered Nabob, which is said to have been
left by Smollett in the hands of a printer, was acted
at Covent Garden Theatre, on the '1st of April, for
the benefit of Mr Aickin. It contained, it is said,
many strokes of Smollett's peculiar humour ; but
owing to the severity of the weather, it was very ill
attended, and but indifferently received. It has not
since been performed or printed.
His Complete History of England, with the Conti
nuation, has been frequently reprinted since his
death. A new edition of the modern part of the
History, and the Continuation, from the Revolution
to the death of George II. was printed by Mr Tho
mas Cadell, Bookseller in London, in 8 vols, 8vo,
* The Maid of Lochlin, a Lyrical drama, with Legendary
Odes, and other Poems, i2mo. 1801. p. 122.
G4

101 THE LIFE OF
1785*, as a supplement to Hume's History, with
several omissions, transpositions, and additions, for
which no reason is assigned. In providing for the
public a connected series of English History, the as
sociation of the narratives of Hume and Smollett
was judicious ; but the practice of making one wri
ter speak by the sense of another, is dangerous, and
cannot easily be justified by any supposed perversion
of historical evidence, or mistake in opinion. la
the subsequent editions of this historical series, the
«ame plan has been followed, probably without ex
amining the original edition of Smollett, and, in all
the remaining part of the Continuation, from the ac
cession of his present Majesty to the year 1765,
has been unaccountably omitted. The republication
of a select portion of the History and Continuation,
on. the plan adopted by the booksellers, is obviously
calculated to diminish the value of the remainder,
and to retard the appearance of a new edition of the
whole work in 16 vols, 8vo.
The common editions of his novels, particularly of
Roderick Random, Peregrine Pickle, and Humphry
Clinker, are too numerous to be specified. New edi
tions of his Travels have been called for, from time
to time, and his translations of Don Quixote and Gil
Bias have been frequently reprinted.
A collection of his Plays and Poems, with Me
moirs of his Life and Writings, written with little
care or diligence, was published by Mr Thomas
Evans, bookseller in London, in one volume 12mo,
1784. His Miscellaneous Works, consisting of his plays,
poems, travels and novels, excepting The Adventures
of an Atom, were collected by Mr Davitf Ramsay,
the judicious and well-informed printer of the
(i Edinburgh Evening Courant," in 6 vols, 8vo,
17Q0, with humorous frontispieces by Rowlandson,
* The date of the edition before me is 1785, but I suspect there
may have been an earlier one.

DR SMOLLETT. 105
His Poetical Works were collected by the present
writer in the general edition of the " Works of the'
British Poets, with Prefaces, Biographical and Cri
tical," printed by Mundell and Son, Edinburgh, in
13 vols, 8vo, 1705.
A new edition of his Miscellaneous Works, com
prehending his plays, poems, travels, and all his no
vels, with Memoirs of his Life and Writings, by the
present writer, was printed by Mundell and Son, in 6
vols, 8vo. 1 7QQ. An edition of this partial collection,
somewhat differently arranged, was published by the
London booksellers, under the title of The Works
of Tobias Smollett, M.D. in 8 vols, 8vo, 1797, with
Memoirs of his Life ; to luhich is prefixed, A View of
the Commencement and Progress of Romance, by John
Moore, M.D. well known for his " Views of Society
and Manners on the Continent of Europe," and va
rious other works. This edition is valuable, as it
has been the means of procuring for the public a
short but faithful account of Smollett from the pen
of Dr Moore, to whom, in the course of this narra
tive, I have had many obligations. It was fortunate
for Smollett, that the office of memorialist of his life
was undertaken by one who knew him well, and had
such qualifications for the perfect execution of the
task which was imposed on him, as perhaps no other
man possessed in an equal degree. I am under no
apprehension of being charged with undue partiality
in my opinion of this lively and-ingenious writer, by
those who know my disposition. He is now beyond
the reach of praise and censure, and needs himself the
pen of a candid and affectionate biographer to record
the excellencies of his mind, and the virtues of his
heart.' One remark may be ventured upon here.
Though Dr Moore had the advantage of writing
from personal knowledge, yet it must be owned that
he has few new facts to embellish his narrative, and
has been less successful than might be expected,, in
bringing us acquainted with those minute anecdotes.

100 THE LIFE OF
of private and domestic life which show the ge
nuine man, on common and familiar occasions,
undisguised by the customs and ceremonies of the
world. But as the undertaking was unpremeditated,
and not of his own choosing, and as he engaged in it
when his health was declining, and the infirmities of
ago were increasing fast upon him, he may be sup
posed to have employed the materials which were at
hau<1, rather than such as might have been provided
by diligence and premeditation. In this situation,
the task which has been left him, of giving an ele
gant and instructive history of Smollett, has been
executed, in many respects, with such felicity of per
formance, as precludes the most distant hope of im
provement. As an historian, he has not always
evinced sufficient diligence and attention ; but as a
critic and a panegyrist, though his opinions may be
sometimes suspected to be erroneous, and his praise
may be thought to be sometimes improperly bestow
ed, he displays his taste, judgment, and candour.
The want of a complete account of Smollett's writ
ings, which, like the battles of a general, are the cir
cumstances which must fix the several aeras of his life,
is a material defect in his narrative. His preliminary
sketch of those variations of manners in Europe,
which gave rise to ancient and modern romance, in
which some very early customs and institutions are
comprehended, is ably executed, and may be regard
ed as a judicious abstract of the opinions of Bishop
Percy, Mr Warton, and Bishop Hurd * ; but it has
few pretensions to novelty of thought, or extent of
research, and can only with difficulty be found ap
plicable to the subject, and might with equal propriety
be added to the works of any other novelist, as to
those of Smollett -f\
* Rcliquesof Ancient English Poetry, History of English Poetry,
and Letters on Chivalry and Romance.
f Dr Moore has overlooked a work, with a similar title, not un
worthy of attention, " The Progress of Romance, through Time«,

DR SMOLLETT. 107*
A second edition of the collection of his Miscella
neous Works, published by Mundell and Son, in 17 Q6,
being called for in 1800, an opportunity was found
of inserting in it the Account of the Expedition to
Carthagena in 1741, omitted in the former edition,
and it might have been completed by the insertion of
his Essay on the external use of Water *, and his pa
pers in The Briton, and The Critical Review -f-.
The character of Smollett, at the present period,
when prejudice and partiality have, in a great mea
sure, subsided, will be better understood by this ac
count of his life, than by any laboured comment ;
yet, as he has had the lot to be more read than ap-
Countries, and Manners, &c. in a Course of Evening Conversa
tions, by Clara Reeve, author of " The English Baron," " The Two
Mentors," &c. in 2 vols, 8vo. 1785. An interleaved copy of this
work, with many additions and corrections, in the hand-writing of
the author, is in the possession of my vvorthy and ingenious friend
Mr Cooper Walker, of St Valeri, author of " Historical Memoirs
of the Irish Bards," &c.
* Smollett's medical pamphlet, the only performance he ever pub
lished in the line of his profession, ought not to have been excluded
from the collection of his works. It appears to have originated in a
dispute, then subsisting between Mr Cleland, a surgeon at Bath, and
the opposers of that gentleman's plan for remedying certain incon
veniences relating to the baths at that place. . Smollett engaged in
it, as was his practice, with some warmth, in vindication of Mr
Cleland, which does not seem the remotest design of his perform
ance ; but it contains sufficient proofs of his reading and reflection
on the subject. In his remarks on the method of using the waters
of Bath, he advances several hypothetical objections against the
supposed virtues of the mineral principles in hot springs ; which he
thinks have often, in the case of patients by bathing, usurped the
reputation which was really due to the simple element. He pre
fers pure water, both for warm and cold bathing,, in many cases ;
though he allows, that in vapour-bathing, the hot mineral springs
may be used to more advantage than simple hot water.
¦f Although Smollett's papers in The Briton, and The Critical
Review, if they could be ascertained, would not, it is believed, inte
rest the generality of readers, yet the collecting them with his
works, before the contemporary evidence be lost, would be, it is
presumed, an acceptable service to the admirers of his other writ
ings, and a favour not lightly regarded by the readers of political
Controversy, and periodical criticism.

108 THE LIFB OF
plauded, and less applauded than he deserves, it may
not be superfluous here to attempt to collect, into one
point of view, his most prominent excellencies and
defects, and to endeavour, by stating his literary pre
tensions, and estimating his worth, to ascertain the
rank to which he is entitled among the writers of
our nation.
In his person and manners, Smollett was fashioned
to prepossess all ''men in his favour. His figure was
manly, graceful and handsome, and in his air and
manner there was a dignity that commanded respect,
joined with a benignity that inspired affection. With
the most polished manners, and the finest address, he
possessed a loftiness and elevation of sentiment and
character, without vanity or affectation. His gene
ral behaviour bore the genuine stamp of true polite
ness, the result of an overflowing humanity and good
ness of heart. He was a man of upright principles,
and of great and extensive benevolence. The friend
of sense and of virtue, he not only embraced, but
sought occasions of doing good. He was the reliev
er of the distressed, the protector of the helpless,
and the encourager of merit. His conversation was
sprightly, instructive, and agreeable; like his writings,
pregnant with wit and intelligence, and animated with
sallies of humour and pleasantry. In his opinions of
mankind, except where his personal and political pre
judices were concerned, he was candid and liberal.
To those who were above him he allowed the due
superiority, but he did not willingly associate with
his superiors, and always with a consciousness of his
personal dignity, and with evident indications of pride
and reserve. To his equals and inferiors he behaved
with ease and affability, without the insolence of fa
miliarity, or the parade of condescension. With his
amiable qualities and agreeable manners, he united
courage and independence. In the declaration of his
opinions he was open ; in his actions he was intrepid,
and often imprudent ; a gentleman in principle, "in-

DR SMOLLETT. 100
dependent in spirit, and fearless of enemies, however
powerful from their malignity, or formidable from
their rank, no danger could prevent him from saying
or doing those things which he conceived in them
selves to be right, and in their consequences to be
useful to his friends or his country. He had been
bred a whig, and generally adhered to the principles
of that party, which suited the independent turn of
his mind ; but impressed with a regard for public or
der and national tranquillity^ he maintained a great
reserve on the principles of resistance and opposition,
amidst acknowledgments of their just foundation, and
a sense of the benefits which arise to mankind from
their seasonable operation. Regarding liberty as one
great basis of national prosperity, he was jealous alike
of encroachments on- political freedom, and of the
abuse of it. He was so far a tory, as to love and re
vere the monarchy ; he was so far a whig, as to laugh
at the notions of indefeasible right and non-resist
ance. He had a sincere love for his country, and a
diffusive benevolence for the whole human race.
His experience in the world inflamed his indignation
against oppression, and his detestation of vice and
corruption, in proportion to his love of virtue and
zeal for the public good ; and he thought it no vio
lation of charity to stigmatize fraud, profligacy, and
hypocrisy. But in his support of persons and mea
sures, he sometimes considered only the persons and
measures, without taking other objects and relations
into the account. He was more frequently influen
ced by personal attachment, and hurried on by pre
sent impulse, than guided by comparative views of
real advantage, examined by impartial reason. His
opposition to men in power, often, in its warmth, ex
ceeded the importance of the subject. He was occa
sionally misled, by a heated imagination, strong re
sentment, and the mortification of disappointed hope,
into bitterness and party violence, long kept alive by
the indecent and irritating provocations of trium-

llO THE LIFE OF
phant adversaries. Under these impressions, his de-
:<criptions as an historian were often distorted, and hlsr
decisions as a critic, on the literary productions of
some of his contemporaries, were sometimes warped
by personal prejudice, and expressed in the harsh
terms of contempt. He was jealous of his own fame,
almost the sole reward of his labours, but he was not
envious of that of others ; he was easily provoked,
and vindictive when provoked ; but the vengeance
he took was public, not circulated in whispers.
Whatever end he pursued, he followed with an ea
gerness that was not necessary to compass it. The-
defects in his temperament, natural or habitual, made
him unprosperous and unhappy. His sensibility was
too ardent ; his passions were too easily moved, and
too violent and impetuous. His disposition was irri
table, imprudent, and capricious ; his candour fre
quently became credulity -T his liberality often sub
jected him to deception ; his favours were generally
bestowed on the most undeserving of those who had
recourse to his assistance ; not so much from want of
discernment, as want of resolution ; for he had not
fortitude to resist the importunity of even the most
worthless and insignificant. He neglected some
times to make use himself of the acute remarks he
has made on the characters and conduct of others.
In the domestic relations, his conduct was tender, af
fectionate, and exemplary. In friendship, he was ar
dent and steady ; and the cordial esteem of his friends
and acquaintance, is an honourable testimony to his
moral and social character ; but in the latter part of
his life, he sometimes, very feelingly, bewailed the
neglect and ingratitude he had experienced, in con
sequence of the mistaken connections he had form
ed, and to which every man of warm attachments
will be exposed. He was known, however, to no
man by whom his loss was not sincerely regretted.
ki the practice of physic, for want of suppleness, ap
plication and perseverance, he never was eminent.

DR SMOLLETT. Ill
As an author, he was less successful than his happy
genius and acknowledged merit certainly deserved.
His connections were extensive, and his friends nu
merous and respectable ; he was intimately acquaint
ed with the most eminent of his literary and poetical
contemporaries ; he was respected by the world as a
man of superior talents, wit, and learning, and had
rendered himself serviceable to men in power ; but he
never acquired a patron among the great, who, by his
favour or beneficence, relieved him from the necessity
of writing for a subsistence. Booksellers may be said
to have been his only patrons ; and without doubt he
made a great deal of money by his connections with
them ; and had he been a rigid economist, and endowed
with the gift of retention, he might have lived and died
very independent. He was not of that turn of mind
which disposes men to become rich, and probably
could not have made a fortune in any situation of
life. But his difficulties, whatever they were, pro
ceeded not from ostentation or extravagance. He
was hospitable, but not ostentatiously so ; his table
was plentiful, but not extravagant. An irritable and
impatient temper, and a proud, improvident disposi
tion, were his greatest failings. In alleviation of his
defects, let it be remembered, that a composed and
happy temper, a heart at ease, and an independent
situation, the most favourable circumstances perhaps
in an author's fortune, were not the lot of Smollett.'
With a necessary indulgence for his frailties and
errors, and making due allowance for a spirit cramp
ed by a narrow fortune, wounded by ingratitude, and
irritated by the malignant shafts of envy, dulness,
and profligacy, it would be difficult to name a man
so respectable for the extraordinary powers of his
genius, and the generous qualities of his heart.
The predominant excellencies of his mind were
fertility of invention, vigorous sense, brilliant fancy,
and versatile humour. His understanding was quick
and penetrating, his imagination lively, his memory

il2 THE LIFE OF
retentive, and his humour original. In the course
of his literary career, he has written variously, and
much. His writings must be allowed as proofs of a
versatility, as well as a fecundity of talents, not to be
disputed, and perhaps seldom or ever exceeded by
any writer in the same period of years. In extent
and variety of science and erudition he has been
surpassed by many, but he shows in his compositions
that, he was intimately acquainted with Greek and
Roman literature, and had studied with success the
various branches of modern learning. He had an
extensive knowledge not only in physic, and the arts
and sciences in general, but in moral and political
philosophy, in ancient and modern history, in the
laws and institutions of Europe, and in the consti
tution and government of his country. But the
principal subject of his deliberate inquiry was the
human character ; and, in his literary progress,
the representation of life and manners his princi-,
pal object. Man he surveyed with the most ac
curate observation. His understanding, acute and
vigorous, was well fitted for diving into the human
mind. He had a strong sense of impropriety, and a
nice discernment, both of natural and moral beauty
and deformity. His humour, lively and versatile,
could paint justly and agreeably what he saw in ab
surd or ludicrous aspects. He possessed a rapid and
clear conception, with an animated, unaffected, and
graceful style. With much simplicity, he has much
purity, and is, at the same time, both forcible and
copious. His observations on life and manners arc
commonly just, strong, and comprehensive, and his
reasoning generally sound and conclusive. His
perceptions of beauty and deformity are vivid and
distinct, his feelings ardent, his taste correct. His
wit is prompt and natural, yet keen and manly. His
humour, though lively and pungent, is not perhaps
equal in strength and elegance to that of Congreve
and Swift. In chastity and delicacy, it is inferior to

DR SMOLLETT. 113
that of Addison, but equal in purity and moral ten,
dency to that of his contemporary, Fielding ; it is
poignant, sprightly, variegated, and founded on truth ;
it exposes successfully hypocrisy, impropriety, and
such vices as are objects of ridicule. To trace the
latent sources of human actions, and to develope the
various incongruities of conduct arising from them,
was the favourite bent of his mind ; and in describ
ing objects of this kind, whether in the way of fa
bulous narration, or dramatic composition, he is so
peculiarly happy, that as a natural and humorous
painter of life and manners, he has reflected the
highest honour on the place of his nativity, and must
ever be considered by his country among the first of
her sons in literary reputation.
The moral and literary character of Smollett has
been fondly, and not inaccurately delineated in the
Epitaph on his monument near Leghorn, written
by Dr Armstrong ; in the Inscription on the pillar e-
rccted to his memory on the banks of the Leven,
written by Professor Stuart and Dr Johnson ; and the
Inscription intended for that pillar, written by Mr
Ramsay of Ochtertyre.
Smollett has drawn his own character, and de
scribed his manner of living, in the Expedition of
Humphry Clinker, where young Melford, introduced
by Dick Ivy, is supposed to dine with him at his
house in Chelsea.
" He carried me to dine with S  , whom you
and I have long known by his writings. He lives in
the skirts of the town, and every Sunday his house
is open to all unfortunate brothers of the quill. I
was civilly received in a plain, yet decent habitation,,
which opened backwards into a very pleasant gar
den, kept in excellent order ; and indeed I saw none
of the outward signs of authorship, either in the
house, or in the landlord, who is one of the few wri
ters of the age that stand upon their own founda
tion, without patronage, and above dependence. If
vol. i. H

114 THE LIFE OF
there was nothing characterisic in the entertainer,
the company made ample amends for his want of
singularity. — After dinner we adjourned into the
garden, when I observed S  gave a separate au
dience to every individual, in a small remote filbert
walk, from whence most of them dropped off; but
they were replaced by fresh recruits of the same clan,
who came to make an afternoon's visit. — After cof
fee, I took my leave of S  , with proper acknow
ledgments of his civility, and was extremely well
pleased with the entertainment of the day, though
not yet satisfied with respect to the nature of the
connection betwixt a man of character in the litera
ry world, and a parcel of authorlings, who, in all
probability, would never be able to acquire any de
gree of reputation by their labours. On this head I
interrogated my conductor, who answered me to this
effect. " Those people, whom he knows to be bad men,
as well as bad writers, are cunning enough to make
him their property. There is not one of them who
does not owe him particular obligations. Those who
are in distress he supplies with money, when he has
it, and with his credit when he is out of cash. When
they want business, he either finds employment for
them in his own service, or recommends them to
booksellers to execute some project he has formed
for their subsistence. They are always welcome to
his table (which, though plain, is plentiful), and to
his good offices as far as they will go ; and, when
they see occasion, they make use of his name with
the most petulant familiarity; nay, they do not
scruple to arrogate to themselves the merit of some
of his performances, and have been known to sell
their own lucubrations as the produce of his brain.
" I still expressed a desire to know his real mo
tives for continuing his friendship to a set of rascals
equally ungrateful and insignificant. He said, he
did not pretend to assign any reasonable motive ;

DR SMOLLETT. 115
that, if the truth must be told, the man was, ii\
point of conduct, a most incorrigible fool ; that,
though he pretended to have a knack at hitting off
characters, he blundered strangely in the distribu
tion of his favours, which were generally bestowed
on the most undeserving of those who had recourse
to his assistance. — By all accounts, S  is not
without weakness and caprice ; yet he is certainly
good humoured and civilized ; nor do I find that
there is any thing overbearing, cruel, or implacable
in his disposition.*"
Dr Moore, the memorialist of his life, has estimat
ed his character with much candour and discrimina
tion of judgment, as well as strength and elegance
of expression.
" The person of Dr Smollett was stout and well
proportioned, his countenance engaging, his manner
reserved, with a certain air of dignity that seemed
to indicate that he was not unconscious of his own
powers. He was of a disposition so humane and
generous, that he was ever ready to serve the un
fortunate, and on some occasions to assist them be
yond what his circumstances could justify. Though
few could penetrate with more acuteness into cha
racter, yet none was more apt to overlook miscon
duct when attended with misfortune.
•" He lived in an hospitable manner, but he despised
that hospitality which is founded on ostentation,
which entertains only those whose situation in life
flatters the vanity of the entertainer, or such as can
make returns of the same kind ; that hospitality
which keeps a debtor and creditor account of din
ners. Smollett invited to his plain, but plentiful
table, the persons whose characters he esteemed, in
whose conversation he delighted ; and many for no
* Expedition of Humphry Clinker.— -The quotation given here is
taken from unconnected passages in Me/ford\ letter, descriptive of
Smollet's character. The description of his guests is highly cha
racteristic and entertaining, but in the broad style of caricature.
H 2

1 1 6 THE LIFE OF
other reason, than because they stood in need of his
countenance and protection.
" As nothing was more abhorrent to his nature
than pertness or intrusion, few things could render
him more indignant than a cold reception. To this,
however, he imagined he had sometimes been ex
posed on his applications in favours of others ; for
himself he never made an application to any great
man in his life.
" Free from vanitv, Smollett had a considerable
share of pride, and great sensibility ; his passions
were easily moved, and too impetuous, when roused ;
he could not conceal his contempt of folly, his detes
tation of fraud, nor refrain from proclaiming his in
dignation against every instance of oppression.
" Though Smollett possessed a versatility of stvle in
writing, which he could accommodate to every cha
racter, he had no suppleness in his conduct. His
learning, diligence, and natural acuteness, would have
rendered him eminent in the science of medicine,
had he persevered in that profession ; other parts cf
his character were ill-suited for augmenting his prac
tice. He could neither stoop to impose on credu
lity, nor humour caprice.
" He was of an intrepid, independent, imprudent
disposition, equally incapable of deceit and adula
tion, and more disposed to cultivate the acquain
tance of those he could serve, than of those who
could serve him. What wonder that a man of his
character was not, what is called, successful in life * !"
As an author, Smollett has distinguished himself
as an historian, a novelist, a journalist of travels, a
dramatist, and a poet ; and must be acknowledged
to have made a considerable addition to the stock
of elegant and useful literature.
As an historian, he ranks among the most pleasing,
though not among the most profound writers of our
nation, who have exercised their abilities in histori-
* Moore's Memoirs, &c.

DR SMOLLETT. 117
cal composition. When his Complete History of
England appeared, Hume had not given to the world
his narrative of the earlier events of English story,
which must be considered as the commencement of
his ingenious apology for the families of Tudor and
Stuart ; and the greater discernment or superior fri
volity of the age had almost consigned to oblivion;
Carte and Brady, Oldmixon and Rapin, Ralph and
Tindal. The public were in want of a concise, yet
full, a faithful, yet animated history of England ; and
he had the satisfaction of observing that his per
formance was received with general approbation, and
read with much greater pleasure and improve.nent
than the dull unaffecting narrations of preceding
writers. Considering the time and circumstances
in which it was written, it is, indeed, a great effort
of genius and application. Without entering into a
minute detail of obscure, disagreeable, and uninter
esting events, he has contented himself with a con
cise and animated abridgement of the barbarous pe
riods, and has only enlarged upon subjects that are
important and instructive. In dignity of historical
composition, and profoundness of philosophical re
search, he is inferior to Hume ; but in felicity of
sentiment, description, and expression, he may safely
contend with the most illustrious of his predecessors.
In the pages of Rapin, we find the principles of li
berty well explained, and every minute wheel of the
political machine accurately described , but we desi
derate the elegant uniformity of texture, the chaste
simplicity of diction, the flowing harmony of com
position, the unruffled, rapid narrative, in a word,
the life and soul of true history. In point of ge
nius, sentiment, style, and every beauty of historical
composition. Smollett is superior to Rapin, and chal
lenges a comparison with Hume. His style is less
close, energetic, and pointed, than that of Hume,
but it is more flowing, animated, and picturesque.
Hume seldom ventures upon figure or metaphor,
H 3

118 THE LIFE OF
' which always distinguishes a warm imagination, and
When introduced with discretion, and managed with
propriety, imparts great beauty and classical ele
gance to historical narration. The finest writers of
antiquity are no less admirable for the beauty of their
narrative, than for the richness of their imagination,
force and propriety of reflection. Livy and Pater-
culus animate and affect by the strength of painting
and height of colouring; they have, perhaps, carried
poetical beauty to excess ; while Sallust and Tacitus
open and enlarge the understanding by the reflective
powers. Smollett would seem to have imitated the
engaging manner of Paterculus, while Hume's genius
led him into the path marked out by the manly
Tacitus. While the historians of antiquity differ
from each other, the perfection of modern composi
tion can be regulated by no certain standard, it will
be in all, or neither, just as they happen to excel in
their several kinds of composition ; and the historian
who equals Livy or Paterculus, must be deemed On
a footing with him who is the exact copy of Sallust
or Tacitus, until the several pretensions of those
classics to superior merit be finally adjusted. It would
be as difficult for a philosopher or a politician to ac
quire eminence in description, as for a poet to excel
in refinement, subtlety, and argument. In the pages
of Smollett, we do not find so many applications of
philosophical inquiry to the investigation of facts, as
we find in those of Thucydides or Xenophon, Sal
lust or Tacitus, Hume or Gibbon ; but they exhibit
specimens of picturesque narration, and animated
expression, little inferior to any which the pencil of
Livy has sketched, or the pen of Robertson has
composed. We do not find the industry of the an
tiquary joined with the fire of imagination, and the
majesty and elegance of diction ; but a Robertson is
an uncommon person ; nor ought we to be offended
at an union which cannot ordinarily be expected. The
warmth of his temper cannot be considered as peculi-

DR SMOLLETT. 119
arly qualifying him for patiently weighing historical
evidence, or undergoing the labour of antiquarian re
search. He could not encounter weariness and per
plexity. Instead of searching with indefatigable la
bour into every record that can be met with, weighing
with patience the testimonies of transactions long
past, of which different accounts have been given,
settling doubtful points with accuracy, and bring
ing to light the most hidden facts, he seems princi
pally solicitous to adorn and render the most impor
tant events acceptable, by communicating them in a
graceful manner to the world. Nothing can be
more distinct than his descriptions, nothing more
entertaining than his incidents, and nothing more
striking than his characters. As the soul of histo
ry is truth, it were indeed greatly to be wished that
he had been at as much pains to procure authentic
information, as he has been to obtain the reputation
of an elegant writer. In this last respect he has all
possible merit ; but his narration is not so much dis
tinguished for the fidelity and diligence with which
it is written, as for beauty of composition. It
abounds with prejudices and misrepresentations,
which no lover of liberty can forgive, and for which
no force of genius or beauty of language can atone.
His partiality for the tory p1 arty is manifest in almost
every page ; and in stating the arguments which
passed on any subject, he generally relates those on
ly which were urged on one side ; which unavoida
bly creates a suspicion of his partiality. His reflec
tions, artfully interwoven with the texture of his nar
rative, in some instances are highly exceptionable ;
and in many places he seems to be inconsistent with
himself, and to argue against his own principles.
At one time he appears the sanguine friend of liber
ty, and applauds all opposition against the stretches
of prerogative ; and yet, at another, he censures the
resentment which the parliament expressed against
such encroachments. In his account of the methods
H 4

120 THE LIFE OF
used to extinguish the rebellion in 174:5, he has la
vished all the powers of the pathos in laboured de
scriptions of horror : but he seems more solicitous
to say what is brilliant and striking, than what is just
and authentic. The heart may be affected with pa
thetic representations, but the mind will always be
improved by solid reflections. In describing charac
ters he has infinite merit, but he appears sometimes
to have taken fancy rather than truth for his guide.
His character of Queen Mary is inaccurate and in
jurious ; and that of King William is, in many re
spects, falsified by the circumstances of his life.
The great excellence of his work, is the elegance
and spirit of the style ; and the reader who is con
tent with acquiring a general knowledge of our his
tory, cannot be more agreeably instructed ; for his
animated and picturesque power of describing is so
entertaining, that attention never sleeps over his
pages. But he has not performed the duties of an
historical writer with sufficient care, accuracy, and
impartiality, His imagination overpowers his judg
ment ; and he is tempted to employ his powers in
the vain glow of colouring, and is more studious to
dazzle the imagination with a gaudy display of splen
did ornaments, than to engage the understanding by
just reasoning and solid reflections.
The Continuation of his Complete History of Eng
land is not more imperfect and inaccurate than a his
tory of the transactions of his own times unavoidably
must be. A narrative which records recent events, and
delineates living characters, scarcely comes up to the
idea we form of a history. The writer is more likely
to adhere to veracity in his relation ; but wc are not to
expect all the freedom and impartiality we would
wish to find in his comment upon men and mea
sures. He who dares boldly to censure living char
acters, and to expose the corrupt motives of their
political conduct, may, perhaps, be thought to want
prudence as a man ; and he who is afraid to do ci-

DR SMOLLETT. 121
thef, may be deemed deficient in courage as an his
torian. Under such circumstances, Sinollet has ac
quitted himself with no small degree of spirit, ability,
and address. If he has not been able to give -all the
light and information which history should afford ; if
he has not always expressed himself with that fearless
spirit which distinguishes the unbiassed historian,
he has avoided those prejudices and partial attach
ments which render his History liable to censure.
In his reflections on public measures, he discovers
intelligence and acuteness, without the affectation
of sagacity ; and, with respect to personal characters,
he has not offered incense to the idols of popularity,
nor heaped calumny on the victims of public asper
sion. In the contradiction of living evidences, who
had seen in different lights, and of consequence va
ried in their representation of many transactions in
which they themselves had been principally concern
ed, he evinces his impartiality by stating both sides
of the question, and leaving the reader to determine
according to the force of his own conviction *. In
his account of the parliamentary debates, he is ex
tremely copious and interesting; but, in some in
stances, he deviates from the design, and stoops
below the dignity of historical composition. In his
portraiture of characters, though he must be acquit
ted of flattery and malice, yet his fancy is not always
under the due regulation of judgment. His paint
ing is bold, glowing, and animated ; yet it is some
times necessary to write the name over the pic
ture. The style is various, elegant and forcible ;
yet it is not always correct, and is now and then
too luxuriant and figurative. We cannot always
applaud the rectitude of his judgment, nor the pre
cision of his ideas ; yet we seldom fail to admire his
* See the Remarks of Commodore Moore and Major General
Barrington, on Smollett's account of the expedition to Martinique,
and the1 conquest of Guadaloupe, vol. 4. p. 371.

122 THE LIFE OF
vivacity of sentiment and peculiar glow of description.
In his reflections on the bill for the relief of debtors,
he has drawn a description of a man of sentiment
and sensibility labouring under the misery of im
prisonment, which is so exquisitely pathetic, that it
is impossible to read it without shedding tears of
sympathy at every line. At the same time, he is
greatly to be blamed for commemorating domestic
events too unimportant to fill the pages of history.
His character as an historian has been given by
Mr Bel sham, the memorialist of the British sove
reigns of the family of Brunswick, in a tone of deci
sion, unjustly contemptuous and disparaging, and
with a severity of censure, unauthorized by a fair
estimate of the universality of his genius, and dis
allowed by the general opinion of those who do not
think more favourably than his whig-opponent of
his political principles.
" Smollet had unquestionably talents, but his ge
nius was entirely turned to the low and the ludi
crous ; of the dignity and beauty of historic composi
tion, he had no conception, much less could he boast
of possessing any portion of its all-prevading and
philosophical spirit. His work is a dull and often
malignant compilation, equally destitute of instruc
tion and amusement *."
The testimony of Mr Belsham, expressed in terms
of coarse invective, may be contrasted with the judg
ment pronounced by Dr Moore, which is fair, candid,
and just.
" Though interspersed with few of those reflec
tions which constitute what is called the philosophy
of history, and which distinguish the histories of
Gibbon, Robertson, and Hume, the sprightly vein
of Smollet's rapid narrative, and the lively colours in
which many characters are painted, rendered it high
ly agreeable to the generality of readers. Few au-
* Preface to the Memoirs of the Reign of George I.

DE SMOLLETT. 123
thors have written so well, who have written so hasti
ly ; and none have left a stronger impression, that
many of their works are inferior to what it was in
their power to have rendered them *."
As a writer of that species of modern romance
which has been denominated a novel, he is entitled
to the praise of being one of the greatest that our
nation has produced. He ranks with Cervantes, Le
Sage, Marivaux, Rousseau, Richardson and Fielding,
the great masters of prosaic fiction ; and though we
cannot say he has surpassed them, he has entered
into .a noble competition. He proves himself to
have possessed, in an eminent degree, the powers
which are required to excel in this species of com
position ; an extensive acquaintance with human
nature, an acute discernment, and exact discrimina
tion of characters, a correct judgment of probability
in situations, an active imagination in devising and
combining incidents, with command of language
for describing them. His novels exhibit the fea
tures that give most dignity to this species of fiction,
the artful conduct of an interesting plot, the drama
tic delineation of characters drawn from actual ob
servation, the accurate and captivating representation
of real domestic life, without offending the modesty
of nature, which are found in great perfection in the
novels of Le Sage, professedly adopted by him as mo
dels of imitation. The vivacity of his characters, the
interesting nature of his incidents, the epigram
matic turn of his dialogues, and the sly elliptical
vein of satire by which he inculcates his moral, and
endeavours to reform the follies of various orders
in society, have perhaps been equalled, but certain
ly have not been surpassed, by Smolletf. In repre
senting the characters of men as they are, not as
they ought to be, which seems to have been the ob
ject of Le Sage in his various works, Smollett dis ¦
* Moore's Memoirs, &c.

124 THE LIFE O?
plays much the spirit and humour of his mcdel, and
copies from nature with the pleasantry and descrip
tive fidelity of a Hogarth. In the knowledge of
human nature, masculine humour, ^ust observations
on life, great variety of original characters and the
powers of his invention, he is equal to Richardson
and Fielding : hit he is inferior to them in t. .-:ho?,
sublimity, contract of character, and regularity of fa
ble. By perusing the page- of ¦• Ckinsss." and
" Tom Jone-," the passions are affected, the under
standing is instructed, mirth is excited, and all the
purposes of moral improvement are atta:;ied. The
roma'.ces of Smollett are equally di-tinguised by a
fertility of interesting incidents, and a strong-, lively,
and picturesque de-cription of characters. They ex
hibit a series of natural pictures of life and manners,
wh'ch rival the masterly productions of the moral,
the sublime, the pathetic, but the tiresome Richard
son, with all his profound and accurate knowledge of
the various movements of the pa^-ions : and the in
genious, the humourous, the diffuse Fiekling, with
all his wit, learning, and knowledge of mankind.
Though Fielding displays an intimate acquaintance
with human nature, and deserves the honest prai-e
for his humour, the very skilful management of his
fable, and the variety and contrast of his characters,
and innumerable passages may be pointed out in
Richardson, which do infinite credit to the goodness
of his heart and the depth of his understanding, su
perior to the best efforts of Smollett : vet, after per
using the wire-drawn history of " Clarissa,"' and the
diffuse narrative of '•' Tom Jone-." we never quit
them with so much reluctance as we feel in closing
the pages of Smollett, who, with less regularity of
fable, and without introducing so many observa
tion s of a moral tendency, or so much of what may
be called fine writing, po-sesses, in an eminent de
gree, the art of rousing the feelings and fixing the
attention of his readers. The sty le is characterised by

DE SMOLLETT. 125
a just selection of appropriate terms and descriptive
expressions, by turns, easy, elegant, and pathetic.
With so much merit, he is not without his faults.
His style is sometimes course, his characters are some
times overcharged, his humour is often indelicate,
and he has exhibited some scenes which may cor
rupt a mind unseasoned by experience. His system
of youthful profligacy, as exemplified in some of his
libertines, is without excuse : Of genteel life, he has
few portraits, and these are not executed in the
most successful manner ; his fine ladies and gen
tlemen are not favourites with his readers in general.
Profligates, misanthropes, gamblers, and duellists,
are among his favourite characters. His novels, how
ever, are of a moral tendency : they have spirit, hu
mour and morality, and display the beauties of that
genius which allures and rewards the attention of
the discreet reader. Unguarded as they are in many
of their representations, they are highly entertaining,
and will be always read with pleasure.
His Adventures of Roderick Random exhibit a na
tural, lively, and entertaining representation of the
difficulties to which a friendless orphan is exposed,
without steady principles, open to be duped by knave
ry, and perverted by example. The mean scenes in
which heis involved, from his own want of experience,
as well as from the selfishness, malice, and base in
difference of mankind, are described with true hu
mour and simple elegance; and every reader^ finds
entertainment in viewing those situations of life,
where the manners and passions are undisguised by-
affectation, ceremony, or education ; and the whim
sical peculiarities of disposition appear as nature has
implanted them. The base purposes of hypocrisy,
fraud, selfish plausibility, cunning, and pretended
friendship, are exposed in a masterly mariner, and
the circumstances that arise from the motley and
repugnant qualities which are often whimsically
blended together by the folly of men, are described

120 THE LIFE OF
with infinite humour and sagacity. Many of the
characters are drawn from real life ; but short as the
the time is since the publication of this novel, it at
present derives no advantage from that source, and
owes its celebrity to its intrinsic merit alone. In
describing the characters of seamen, he is peculiarly
happy. Lieutenant Bowling is a highly finished ori
ginal, and perhaps equals any character that has
yet been painted by the happiest genius of ancient
or modern times. This is nature itself. As well
as the ladder of promotion, his very name has
long become proverbial for an honest blunt seaman,
unacquainted with mankind and the ways of the
world. The phlegm of an old lawyer is happily il
lustrated in the conduct of Random's grandfather,
and forms the most striking contrast imaginable to
the ferocious benevolence of the naval veteran. The
disappointment of the maiden aunts on opening the
old man's will, is infinitely natural and amusing.
The character of Strap is universally interesting ;
that of Morgan is truly comic. It is partly borrow
ed from Shakspeare's Welchmen ; but still it is the
imitation of a great master, not the tame copy of a
common artist. The style of this novel is character
ised, with a few exceptions, by a beautiful simplicity.
It is written in such a manner as to please all times
and all people. The moral tendency of the story
none can deny. It is written with the purest inten
tions of promoting virtue, and correcting the ordina
ry follies of life ; but in the accomplishment of this
purpose, it is to be feared that scenes are laid open
which it would be safer to conceal from youthful and
inexperienced readers. There is more danger from
the indelicacy of particular passages, than hope of
its doing good by the satire and the morality. The
base purposes of fraud and duplicity are exposed ;
but a due attention to the common duties of life,
decent deportment, purity of manners, and the ap-

DR SMOLLETT. 12?
pearance of sobriety and seriousness, are brought
into discredit and suspicion. Such representations
of agreeable folly, and ridiculed rectitude, it is to be
feared, may be disadvantageous to early virtue, by
strengthening the attractions of gaiety and libertin
ism, and weakening the reader's abhorrence of pro
fligate manners and flagitious conduct.
The testimony of so elegant and instructive a no
velist as Dr Moore, must be agreeable to every ad
mirer of Roderick Random.
" It certainly never had been in Smollett's con
templation to give a model for imitation in the char
acter of Random. His object evidently was, in imi
tation of Le Sage, to lead a young man through a
variety of scenes, and put him into situations which
afforded opportunities of exhibiting human nature in
interesting points of view, of agitating the passions,
of amusing the imagination, and of instructing the
understanding of the reader.
" The character of Strap is accurately delineated
from nature. His remonstrance,, addressed to Ran
dom in the sixteenth chapter, is at once pathetic and
humourous ; and distinguishes him,.not only as a na
tive of North Britain, but also of that particular part
of Scotland from whence he came.
" Although the hint of the character of Morgan
was probably taken from the Fluellin and Sir Hugh
Evans of Shakespeare, yet it is admirably varied,
and highly entertaining. The scenes on board the
man of war, particularly that with Mackshane and
Oakum, in the thirteenth chapter, are written with
great spirit.
" In the character of Jack Rattlin, though short,
there are some admirable touches, highly character
istic of an English sailor ; and that of Tom Bowling
is considered as a masterpiece, exquisitely true to na
ture ; which Smollett himself never equalled in any
of his subsequent romances, and which was never
surpassed in any work of the kind *."
* Moore's Memoirs, &c.

12S THE LIFE OF
His Adventures of Peregrine Pickle relate, in easy,
appropriate language, a succession of events, forming
a natural and well-drawn picture of human life, which
the thoughtless and the imprudent may peruse with
advantage ; and the profligate and the vicious with
instruction and improvement. From the wild un
lucky boy, teazing his aunt and Commodore Trun
nion by mischievous pranks, and heading a rebel
lion at school against his master, we trace the
headstrong youth, of unbroken pride, and unbridled
appetite, plunging into follv, vice, and dissipation;
wasting his substance, injuring the woman of all
others he loved, and at last pining in prison. In this
forlorn situation, detesting the world, abhorring him
self, and loving Emilia to distraction, he protests to
her brother, " that he had broke off all connections
with mankind, and that he impatiently longed for the
hour of his dissolution, which, if it should not arrive
by the course of nature, he was resolved to hasten it
with his own hands^ rather than be exposed to the
contempt, and more intolerable pity of a rascally
world *." He remains for some time obstinately
bent on this frantic determination, notwithstanding
the'zealous efforts of expostulating friendship ; and
but for the unexpected payment of a large debt which
had been given up as lost, would probably have sa
crificed himself to that sullen, irrational indepen
dence, which leads the infatuated spendthrift into
habits of misery and ruin ; and without imparling to
him sufficient strength of mind to resist temptation,
or struggle with calamity, commences in folly, and
concludes with self-destruction. Roused by the voice
of friendship, and again restored to affluence, he re
turns, with a stern reluctance, founded on a sense of
his own unworthiness and vicious imprudence, to so
ciety and love ; convinced, that after all the bustle of
of pleasure, and the glitter of wealth, real happiness
* Peregrine Pickle, chap. ci.

DR SMOLLETT. 120
is only to be found in moderate enjoyment, domestic
tranquillity, arid social virtue. The story of rere-
grine Pickle is undoubtedly an effort of genius and
fancy, which rivals the romance of Roderick Random
in original invention, interesting combination of in
cident, fine ridicule, and useful application to the pur
suits of life ; and is perhaps superior to it in genuine
humour and profound learning* It is characterised by
the same elegant fluency of narration, and the same in
teresting minuteness, agreeable vivacity, andrinimita-
ble simplicity of description. That admirable faculty
of drawing sea characters with propriety, so conspicu
ous in Roderick Random, is here displayed with re
novated vigottr ; in the portraits of Trunnion, Hatch
way, and Pipes, he has lavished all the powers of his
genius ; their manners and dialect are purely those of
the watery element ; yet they are perfectly original -f-.
The caricature of the Physician is contrasted, in the
most laughable manner, with the portraits of Pallet
and Jolter; In the entertainment after the manner
of the ancients, given by the Physician to a French
Marquis, an Italian Count, and a German Bar,on,
he displays considerable extent of erudition, and
many rich strokes of humour and pointed satire,
directed, in the rancour of toryism, with eagerness^
against his whig opponent Dr Akenside. Yet in this
episode* and in that of Lady Vane, for which he is
responsible, and in, other parts of the work, he has
with justice been thought low, indelicate, and immo
ral. The slightest violation of morality in a work of
genius is reprehensible ; and no elegance* ingenuity,
or humour in the mode of expression* can palliate an
. v ¦
f I have it on the authority of Mr Kemble, manager of Covent-
Garden Theatre, that the late Mr Burke, one of the best of the
English writers, was particularly delighted with Pipes, and thought
it the most humorous and highly finished character that ever was
invented. VOL. I. I

13C> THE LIFE OF
indecency or indecorum in the idea represented*." Irti
this respect, the story of Lady Vane, which is littlei
more than an ingenious apology for adult -ry, admits>.
of no defence. It should be recollected* however,
that in delineations of certain circumstances,, and cer
tain characters, in a work purposely written to expose
vice and folly, it is difficult for the author who draws :
from nature and real life, to avoid shocking the fas
tidious eye of nicety and scrupulous decorum. The
path of humour is pleasant and inviting ; but it is a
dangerous one, and too often leads an author astray
into the by-roads of . indelicacy, as well as ill-nature.
Smollett's taste for humour and satire was strong,
but indelicate, which made him not overcurious in
the choice of his topics. His style in picturing his
characters, therefore, is sometimes without that ele
gance of execution which is required to correct and
allay the force of his colouring. In this respect, the
dialogue between Pipes and the hedge-nymph his mas
ter had accidentally picked up on the road, and after-
Wards introduced into company as a fine lady, is culp
ably obscene, though the story is well told, and the
character well imagined. The behaviour of Pickle to
Hornbeck is also highly unjustifiable; not satisfied
with injuring the unfortunate husband beyond repa
ration, he adds personal violence to insult. Yet, with
these, and other defects on the score of morality, which
will be allowed, this novel is entitled to rank far a-
bove the modern productions of frivolous vanity and
romantic sentiment, which fill up the languid' inter
vals of gaiety and fashion, and serve only to mislead
the judgment and fascinate the imagination f . It is*
* Several expressions, offensive to decency, have, I suspect, been
silently and properly withdrawn in the later editions of this novel.
f " All this sort of books have the same fault, being very mis
chievous. They place a merit in extravagant passions, and encou
rage young people to hope for impossible events, to draw them out
of the misery they choose to plunge themselves into, expecting le-

DR SMOLLETT. 131
not, however, to be put into the hands of yOung per
sons without distinction and reserve ; but to those
who have attained a considerable degree of steadiness
of mind* and a desire of knowledge, when the judg
ment is ripened by reflection, and the morals out of
danger, it will afford useful instruction, as well as ra
tional and elegant amusement.
Of the principal characters in this novel, the opi
nion of the ingenious author of " Zeluco" is entitled
to considerable attention.
" The character of Peregrine's mother has been
thought by some an extravagant production of
Smollett's imagination, for which there was no
prototype in nature : but it is infinitely more pro
bable, that by adhering closely to the conduct of
some very capricious individual woman of his ac
quaintance, he has been, in the drawing of her por
trait, led astray from general nature. This indeed,
he himself insinuates, in the last paragraph of chap- '
ter the twelfth. Peregrine's first meeting with Emi
lia, his falling in love, and the behaviour of the young
gacies from unknown relations, and generous benefactors to distres
sed virtue, as much out of nature as fairy treasures." — Lady Mary
Wortley Montagu's Works, vol. 4. p. 260.
Unquestionably there have been, for a considerable time, many fri
volous and pernicious novels written in this country ; but a few works
6f this nature have been produced by the English writers, under
taken with a moral intention, descriptive of English manners, and
in the highest degree instructive and entertaining. The novels of
Richardson, Fielding, and Smollett, exhibit a minute and satisfac
tory picture of the English manners of the last age. In the no
vels of Mrs D'Arhlay, Mrs Smith, and Dr Moore, we find the real
manners of the present age represented with discrimination and
delicacy, and men and women, of every station, especially those
of the higher ranks, acting their several, parts, in a great variety
of scenes, with all the* infinite modifications of vanity, the innu
merable despicable artifices of selfishness, the vast variety of shades
of ridicule, and those whimsical affectations and childish caprices,
the offspring of wealth and luxury, which distinguish the superior
circles of society in our nation. 12

132 THE LIFE OF
lady and her mother on that occasion, are well de
scribed. The verses he addresses' to his mistress are
in themselves pleasing, and such as a youth of warm
imagination might naturally be supposed to have com
posed. The manner in which these verses, with the
letter in which they were inclosed, were destroyed,
the expedient which Pipes fell on to repair their loss,
the misunderstanding this produced between the
lovers, and the reconciliation, are all admirably in
vented, and 'related in the happiest vein of humour.
" The character of Gamaliel Pickle, and the diffe
rent tempers with which he and Commodore Trun->
nion bore the tyranny of their respective wives, the
one with the submission of an ox, the other with the
growling of a bear, are delineated with the hand of a
master. The adventures of the gypsey girl introdu
ced by Pickle into fashionable assemblies as his re
lation, and received by them as a high-bred accom
plished lady, and the character of the misanthrope,
who pretended to be deaf, are happy inventions ;
but in the ardour of his satirical and humorous
chace, Dr Smollett sometimes leaves delicacy too far
behind. " The peculiar character of British seamen, their
language, inclinations, and manners, struck the fancy
of Smollett so forcibly, during the short period in
which he was on board a ship of war, that he has
been able to describe them with a degree of spirit and
pleasantry that has never been equalled. The cha
racters of Pipes, Hatchway, and Trunnion, are all
different from each other, yet all consonant with the
nature of that peculiar species of mortals, English
seamen ; all of the same blunt, thoughtless honesty,
with the same attachment to their own profession
and habits, yet each a most entertaining original.
The character of Trunnion, though pushed beyond
the modesty of nature in some particulars, is, on the
whole, admirably supported. His death, like that

DR SMOLLETT. 133
of FalstafF in Henry theJ'il'th, is as entertaining as
any part of his life ; but Shakespeare, has, with more
propriety, put the account of FalstafFs death in the
mouth of the hostess ; whereas Smollett makes Trun
nion speak too much, and apply the metaphoric sea-
language with too great minuteness and accuracy for
one in his condition.
" His sea-characters wore so entertaining to the
public, and he was universally thought to have suc
ceeded so wonderfully in drawing them, that he him
self became fond of the work; yet he was never so
exquisitely successful, as in his first attempt in Tom
Bowling. " It has been said, that Smollett was not success
ful in drawing female characters ; yet the principal
female in his romances is always of the strictest pu
rity of mind and manners. The character of Emilia
in Peregrine Pickle, the gayest perhaps of them all,
is at the same time watchful and spirited. She does
not indeed lecture on virtue like a professor of moral
philosophy, nor is she decked in all the flowery or
naments with which the heroines of romance are
sometimes adorned. She always appears in the sim
ple dress, so becoming, and so peculiarly natural to
young English ladies of virtue and go^d sense *."
The Memoirs of Lady Vane have been favourably
estimated, both in regard to the merit of the compo
sition, and the moral tendency, by Lady Mary Wort
ley Montagu, the most accomplished woman of rank
among her contemporaries.
" I think Lady Vane's memoirs contain more truth
and less malice than any I ever read in my life.
When she speaks of her own motives being disin
terested, I am apt to believe she really thinks herself
so ; as many highwaymen, after having no possibility
£>l retrieving the character of honesty, please them-
* Moore's Memoirs, &c.
I 3

134 THE LIFE OF
selves with that of being generous, because whatever
they get on the road, they always spend at the next
alehouse, and are still as beggarly as ever. Her his
tory, rightly understood, would be more instructive
to young women than any sermon I know. They
may see there what mortifications and varieties of mi
sery are the unavoidable consequences of gallantry.
I think there is no rational creature that would not
prefer the life of the strictest Carmelite to the round
of hurry aud misfortune she has gone through. Her
style is clear and concise, with some strokes of hu
mour which appear to me so much above her, I can't
help being of opinion the whole has been modelled
by the author of the book in which it has been in
serted *."
His Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fa thorn display
the same spirit and vivacity, the same facility and va
riety of expression, which characterise his other writ
ings. Invention, character, description, incident, and
knowledge of mankind, are to be found in this ro
mance ; it has many scenes of exquisite humour, many
admirable strokes of pointed satire, and many delicate
touches of genuine pathos ; yet there is no injustice
in placing it in a rank below Roderick Random and
Peregine Pickle, In many parts of the story, he has
delightfully copied the style and manner of his master
Le Sage ; but he has deviated from his model, in re
presenting the hero of the piece, not as an agreeable
libertine, but as a profligate adventurer, utterly devoid
of principle, and in conducting him through scenes,
which, if not altogether unexampled in modern life,
are at least, in many instances, incompatible with rea
son, nature, and probability. It is professedly written
to unfold the mysteries of fraud, to instruct the igno
rant, to subject folly to ridicule, and vice to in- -
dignation ; to rouse the spirit of mirth, wake the'soul
of compassion, and touch the secret springs that move
* Works of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Vol. IV. p. 124.

DR SMOLLETT. 135
the heart. If he has failed in the attempt to render
his work sufficiently instructive, interesting and af
fecting, it is, upon the whole,, entertaining, and not
immoral, though, in some places, indelicate. The
characters of the principal personage and his wicked
associates, are represented in such horrible features,
that humanity is shocked, and the imagination is dis
gusted. The representation of a virtuous character,
in opposition to the adventurer, contributes, it must
be. owned, in some degree, to relieve the attention
from a succession of vicious, objects ; and the awful
justice which is distributed to. him in the catastrophe,
is calculated to answer the moral ends which he
professes ; but the advantage of introducing vicious
and profligate characters into a moral production, by
way of exposing them to shame and ridicule, may be
reasonably doubted ; for a series of crimes and follies
may give a mind, unseasoned by experience, an in
sight into vice, which the infamy and punishment to
which it is liable from the laws and regulations of man
kind, may not prevent being put in practice. When
the deductions are made which morality requires, this
novel may be considered not only as a pleasing and
harmless production, but as affording a strong proof
of his knowledge of human nature, the powers of his
invention, and his talents for picturesque and pathetic
description. It may be asserted, without hazard of
contradiction, that his description of a storm, when
Fathom was benighted in a forest in Lorraine, and the
transactions at a cottage, frequented by a band of
' murderers, is wrought up to a pitch of horror which
exceeds the most terrible touches of the mighty ma
gicians of the " Castle of Otranto," " the Romance
of the Forest," or " the. Mysteries of Udolpho*."
Fathom is a highly finished villain, unrivalled by any
character that has been invented by the English
* Well known marvellous romanees, written by Horace WaJ-
pole Earl of Orford, and Mrs RadclifFe.
I 4

13(> THE LIFE OF
novelists, except perhaps that of " Zeluco." The si-.
tuations which afford him an opportunity of intro-r
ducing the history of a fashionable physician in the
metropolis, are described, perhaps, with injudicious
prolixity, for which he might have private reasons,
but with great force of humour and satire.
In the dedication of this novel, he has endeavoured
to obviate the objections to which it is liable, and of
fered a fair and impressive apology for representing a
character that seems calculated to smooth the passage
to vice.
" A novel is a large diffused picture, comprehending
the characters of life dispersed in different groupes,
and exhibited in various attitudes, for the purpose of
an uniform plan and general concurrence, to which
every individual figure is subservient. But his plan
cannot be executed with propriety, probability, or
success, without a principal personage to attract the
attention, unite the incidents, unwind the clue of the
labyrinth, and at last close the scene by virtue of his
own importance.
" Almost all the heroes of this kind who have suc
ceeded on the English stage, are characters of tran
scendent worth, conducted through the vicissitudes
of fortune to that goal of happiness which ever ought
to be the repose of extraordinary desert. Yet, the
same principle by which we rejoice at the remunera
tion of merit, will teach us to relish the disgrace and
discomfiture of vice, which is always an example of
extensive use and influence, because it leaves a deep
impression of terror upon the minds of those who
were not confirmed in the pursuit of morality and
virtue, and while the balance wavers, enables the right
scale to preponderate.
" In the drama? which is a more limited field of in
vention, the chief personage is often the object of our
detestation and abhorrence, and we are as well pleased
to see the wicked schemes of a Richard blasted, and

DR SMOLLETT. 137
the perfidy of a Maskwell exposed, as to behold a
Bevil happy, and an Edward victorious.
" The impulses of fear, which is the most violent
and interesting of all the passions, remain longer than
any other upon the memory ; and for one that is al
lured to virtue by the contemplation of that peace and
happiness which it bestows, an hundred are deterred
from the practice of vice, by that infamy and punish
ment to which it is liable from the laws and regular
tions of mankind."
To honour virtue, and to justify himself from the
suspicion of a partiality for vice, imputed to him by
superficial observers of human nature, he has intro
duced the adventurer Fathom into his Expedition of
Humphry Clinker, under the name of Grieve, settled
as a practitioner in surgery and physic in a village in
Yorkshire, and universally respected among the comr
monalty of the district as a prodigy o£ learning, piety,
and benevolence.
It will not be thought surprising, that the author of
fC Zeluco," a superlatively wicked character, should be
eager to refute the objections which have been made
to the author of Count Fathom, for having chosen his
principal character from the purlieus of treachery and
fraud. " Many have thought, that to render the principal
personage of the piece natural "and interesting, he
ought always to be of a mixed character.; accordingly,
most of the heroes of romances and comedies are a-
greeable libertines ; but to intermingle many amiable
qualities with profligate manners in those ideal cha
racters, may have done harm. The allurements of the
first are apt to have a tendency to weaken the reader's
abhorrence of the second. If the hero of a romance,
therefore, is described devoid of principle, and perfi
dious, the more detestable he is made in all other res
pects, the better will the work serve the purposes of
inorality.

138 THE LIFE OF
fl To relieve the mind from the continued horror
which a series of vicious actions would create,' this
work is varied by scenes of humour, by animated and
picturesque descriptions, by incidents of melting ten
derness. Of the first, however, the Doctor has been
more sparing in Ferdinand Fathom than in either of
his preceding novels ; but his description of a land
storm in a forest, and the transactions at a cottage,
frequented by a band of murderers, are essquisitely
calculated fo/exciting that species of horror which is
so interesting to many readers ; but in what he deno
ruinates a midnight pilgrimage to Mommia's tomb, it
must be acknowledged that the pathetic effect which
was intended, is greatly diminished by the romantic
improbabihty of the incidents *."
His Adventures of Sir Launcebot Greaves are related
with the same vivacity and felicity of expression which
characterise his other productions. The story, though
improbable, is conducted with much humour ; and
though the plan is borrowed from Don Quixote, it is
truly original in the execution. Notwithstanding
some extravagancies, which have not always even the
attractive surprise of fiction, it has many characters,
well drawn, many entertaining incidents, and many
fine strokes of genius, nature, and passion. The cha
racter of Sir Launcelot, a youth of elevated mind, ac
tuated by the noblest and most benevolent principles,
is formed on that of the grave knight of La Mancha ;
and 'Squire Crabshaw bears a ludicrous resemblance
to his facetious prototype, Sancha Panza ; yet they are
not tame, unentertaining copies. They resemble,
without imitating, and remind us of what imparted
exquisite enjoyment, without diminishing their own
novelty. Readers unacquainted with Don Ouixote
and his 'Squire, will be delighted with Sir Launcelot
and Crabshaw ; those who have attended that mirror
of chivalry through the course of his strange advenT
* Mocre's Merccir:, &c.

DE SMOLLETT. l3t)
tures, and listened with wonder to the shrewd re
marks of Sancho, will be surprised at the possibility
of giving originality to characters formed upon that
model. The portraits of Crowe, Ferret, Oakley, and
some others, are truly characteristic, and demostra-
tive of the genuine humour, satirical talents, and be
nevolent heart of the writer. Crowe is a seaman
.easily distinguished from Bowling, Trunnion, Pipes,
or Hatchway. It has been said, that Shakspeare has
drawn a natural character in Caliban, not to be found
in nature ; it may with equal reason be affirmed, that
Crowe is a true seaman that never existed,! who talks
in tropes and figures borrowed from his profession,
but never used before. Smollett may be said t^ have
invented a language for this amphibious specie's, so
extremely natural, that nothing can be better adapt
ed to express the character. The oration^ of Sir
Launcelot to an election-mob, is in the true spirit of
Cervantes. The night-scene in a private mad-house
is drawn with uncommon force of judgment and of
fancy. The ruin of Captain Clewline and his fami
ly, enforces, with astonishing eloquence, the folly
and infamy of paternal tyranny. With great merit,
this romance has many defects, some of which might
have been obviated, if he had bestowed more time
and reflection upon it. From diligently studying the
perfect model of his great master, he might have per
ceived that fiction is compatible with propriety, and
the marvellous reconcilable to probability. Cervan
tes leads his hero into that species of absurdity only
which was natural for an imagination heated by read
ing books of chivalry to fall into, and describes the
real manners of the age in which he lived *. With
such a guide, and his power of sketching directly
* " After Homer's Iliad, Mr Johnson confessed that the work of
Cervantes was the greatest in the world, speaking of it, I mean, as
a book of entertainment." Mrs PiozzPs Anecdotes of Dr Johnson,
P. 28{. - '

140 THE LIFE OF
from nature, the principal characters of his work, un
less we except the heroine, are altogether incompa
tible with modern manners, which ought not to be,
as the scenes are laid in modern times. His oaths
and execrations are indecent and unnecessary ; a fault
with which his novels are, in many instances, justly
chargeable. Many of the humorous characters are
exaggerated beyond all bounds of probability, and cer
tain persons are too often introduced, particularly
Captain Crowe, whose sea jargon, though character
istic, is sometimes disgusting.
His Adventures of an Atom belong to the class of
compositions in fictitious history, in the form rather
than the substance of the work, which consists of
real characters and historical incidents, aggravated
and embellished by humour and fancy, and tinged by
the dark hues of political prejudice. This species of
romance was first introduced into the English lan
guage by Mrs Manley, in the " Memoirs of the
New Atlantis," to stigmatize the whig administration
in the reign of Queen Anne *. It was afterwards
improved by Swift, who blended in his political alle
gories, humour and satire, ridicule and reality, with
inimitable art and originality, and advanced to perfec
tion by Dr Arbuthnot, in the " History of John
Bull." The plan of this performance combines the
wild extravagance of Rabelais, and the broad carica
ture of Mrs Manley, with the splendid humour of
Swift, and the brilliant wit and profound erudition of
Dr Arbuthnot. He takes the advantage of the Py
thagorean doctrine of transmigration to endue his
atom with reason and the organs of speech, which he
* Two political romances appeared, among others, in the same
»eign, with the following titles : " The Secret History of Arlus,
Fortunatus, and Odolphus, ministers of state to the Empress of
Grand-Insula." 8vo, 17 10. " The impartial Secret History of
Arlus, Fortunatus, and Odolphus, ministers of state to the Empress
r>,{ Grand-Insula." 8vo, 1710,

DE SMOLLETT. J4J
excites in the brain of Mr Nathaniel Peacock, who
writes down what it dictates of the history of one pe
riod, during which it underwent some strange revo
lutions in the empire of Japan (England), and was
conscious of some political anecdotes, to be divulged
for the instruction, of British ministers. He profes
ses to give a plain narrative of historical incidents,
" without pretending to philosophize like H — e, or
dogmatize like S  tt." The characters of the chiefs
who disputed the administration of Japan, are drawn
in the high style of recognisable caricature. The
portraits of King George II. and the Duke of Cum
berland are aggravated with strokes of satire ; and
the leaders of the whig party, with the exception of
the earl of Hardwicke, " the wisest man, and the
greatest cypher," are stigmatized as a set of sordid
knaves, utterly devoid of sentiment and integrity.
Even the Earl of Bute and Lord Mansfield, the fa-^
vourite subjects of his panegyric, are exposed to the
virulence of his satire, and the keen -shafts of his ri
dicule. From our knowledge of his character, we
expect, what we find in this work, ideas that indi
cate a firm and *lofty mind, irritated by disappoint
ment and neglect, and a diction ardent and energe
tic, corresponding to the strength and acuteness of
his feelings of indignation and resentment. Though
it is inferior, upon the whole, to his other novels,
for ingenuity and contrivance in the composition, and
for observation of life, it is written, for the most part,
with his usual humour, animation, and felicity of
expression. His comparison of the council board,
to' the allegorical table of Cebes, is well managed;
and his digressions on surnames, breeches, alchemy,
magic, necromancy, and sorcery, display that peculiar
combination of profound learning and genuine hu
mour, which forins the basts' of ludicrous composi
tion. In his representation of personal characters,
he was prejudicediay friendship, by passion, and by the

14'i THE LIFE OP
political maxims which concurred with and favouped
his own. In this respect, his portraits of all whose
opinions are opposite to his own, are liable to cen
sure. The lineaments are strong, and the figures
are animated ; but all the softer features, and more ,
amiable graces, are wholly omitted. Writing, the
most distinguished prerogative of mankind, when ex
erted in the cause of virtue and justice, never ap
pears more justly reprehensible than when it attempts
to cast a veil over distinguished merit, and loads ex
alted characters with obloquy. In censuring the mis
application of his talents, in this work> it should be
remembered, that the strength and acuteness of sen
sation which partly constitute genius, did not qua
lify him particularly to guard against the subtile insi
nuating influence of personal and political prejudice.
" In this performance," Dr Moore justly observes,
tf Smollett combines the manner of Swift and Rabe
lais ; while in many parts he equals their humour, he
has not always avoided their indelicacy, and has some
times followed the wild extravagance of the latter.
Prejudice has Certainly guided his pencil in drawing
the portraits, or rather caricatures, interspersed
through this work, some of which do the greatest
injustice to the originals for whom they were intend
ed ; yet the performance, on the whole, affords new
proofs of the humour, wit, learning, and powerful
genius of the painter; and it may be- asserted with
truth, that rio political allegory has been executed
with equal wit and pleasantry, since the days of Ar
buthnot*." In his Expedition of Humphry Clinker, he has a-
voided the extravagancies which may be justly charg
ed to Count Fathom, Sir Launcelot Greaves, and the
Adventures of an Atom, and adhered closely to nature
and probability. From the wild excursions of fancy,
invention is brought home to range through the pro-
* Moore's Memoirs, &c.

»K SMOLLETT. 143
bable occurrences of familiar life, and made suhservient
to the purposes of instruction. This novel has no ex
travagant characters, no unnatural situations ; on the
contrary, an admirable knowledge of life and man
ners is displayed, and most useful lessons are given,
applicable and interesting to the inferior societies and
private scenes of life. It possesses all the character
ristic excellencies of the best efforts of his genius ;.
strong sense and vigour of imagination, masculine
humour, variety of original characters, just cbserva-*
tions on life, picturesque description, and vivacity
and elegance of expression. It is the production of a
mind enriched and mellowed by experience, and soft-'
ened, not "soured by misfortune. After running a
long course, he appear® vigorous, fresh, and uneX-^
hausted, like the sun in a clear summer evening, re
taining its natural warmth and splendour, and setting
luminous and majestic. This work is characterised
by that facility and simple elegance, by that liveliness
and poignancy of imagination, which are almost pe*
culiar to himself. With him, an adherence to sim
plicity of fable has not produced the effects of dui-
ness, nor excluded the pleasure of novelty. The in
imitable descriptions of life, which distinguish his 6-
ther works, receive, if possible, an additional force
from the epistolary form in which this novel is writ
ten ; which is farther enhanced by the contrast that
arises from the general alternate insertion of the let
ters of the several correspondents* The style of. the
letters is adapted to the characters of the several per
sons he introduces,, in the; most successful manner^
Instead of visionary scenes and persons, the usual
subjects of -romance, we' arefrequently presented with
uncommon- anecdotes, afid Curious exhibitions of real
life, described in such a manner, as to afford a pfea-
sure even superior to what' arises from the portraits
of fancy. The character of Mauhem Bramble, at.
once so amiable, so distressful, and so ludicrous.

144 THE LIFE OF
and those of Tabitha and Lismahago, are painted!
with the highest touches of discriminating humour
and expression. As to Humphry Clinker, he is only
to be considered as the nominal hero of the piece ; but
his character, as well as that of Winifred Jenkins, is
almost unanticipated, and highly comic. The letters
from Bramble and Melford upon their tour to North
Britain, contain many delineations of scenery, and
representations of life and manners, that not only
gratify curiosity, but also tend to correct many wrong
notions entertained by their more philosophic neigh
bours, concerning the inhabitants of that part of the
island. We are every where entertained with the
narration or description of something interesting and
extraordinary, calculated at once to amuse the ima
gination and release the understanding from preju
dice. Every character appears what we see it in life,
and every circumstance of every person is copied with
the utmost accuracy from where it really exists, al
most without exaggeration. The whole correspond
ence is highly characteristic^ variegated and drama
tic; the incidents are replete with mirth and humour;
and it is one of the few works of invention producedby
the English writers, which will always be read with
delight by persons of taste and judgment of both sexes.
' A very curious similitude is observable between
the three heroes of Smollett's chief productions.
Roderick Random, Peregrine Pickle, and Matthew
Bramble, are all brothers of the same family. The
same generosity and benevolence, the same satirical^
cynical disposition, are the distinguishing and cha-
racteristical features of all three ; but they are far
from being servile copies, or imitations of each other.
These feigned characters, as they appeared in sue-
cession, seem to have been intended as a represen
tation of the author's own character, in the different
stages and situations of his life.

DR SMOLLETT, 145
The ingenious author of " Edward," distinguished
for his power of delineating from real life, and his
talent for humour, has done justice to the general
merit of this work, and praised its particular beauties.
" In Humphry Clinker he hardly attempts any
Story ; it is a mere vehicle for characters, and re
marks on life and manners. The characters of the
different correspondents are supported throughout
With the utmost propriety;, and the peculiar style
suitable to each writer is maintained with more pre
cision than in any romance ih the epistolary form
with which I am acquainted.
" If we except the character of Lismahago, some
features of which, though highly comic, are extra
vagantly stretched, Dr Smollett has avoided the mar
vellous, and adhered more closely to nature and to
familiar life, than in any of his other romances *. It
is peculiarly entertaining to observe his address and
attention to nature^ in the different representations
of the same places and people and transactions, by
the different characters.
" Many useful lessons are given for the Conduct
of life, particularly in the story of Mr Baynatd, who
is brought to the brink of ruin by the vanity of his
Wife, and the good-natured facility of his temper.
The whole of Bramble's account of the Temple of
Cold Reception is admirably taken from nature.
" The letters of Tabitha Bramble and Winifred
Jenkins are pleasingly characteristic, and capable of
surprising the most solemn of mankind into laugh
ter, if their features be not kept steady by stupidity
as well as pride.
*
* Though I do not transcribe his words, I estimate, as I ought,
the value of the -approbation which the ingenious author here ex
presses of my slight observations ; and, from higher motives than
vanity, 1 am happy to perceive the remarks of so judicious a
critic as Dr Moore, so frequently concur with and strengthen my
own. K

146 THE LIFE OF
" From the assemblies of high life, Dr Smollett
thought that humour was banished by ceremony,
affectation, and cards ; that nature being castigated
almost to still life, mirth never appeared but in an in
sipid grin. His extreme fondness for humour, there
fore, led him to seek it where it was to be found,
namely, in the inferior societies of life, which, in
despite of the acuteness with which he seized and
described it, has exposed him to the censure of the
fastidious. " Dr Smollett seems, whenv he wrote Humphry
Clinker, to have been conscious of the discontent
and fretfulness that appear in his Letters from France
and Italy ; and to have had a just notion of his own
character. Neither Le Sage nor Fielding, had they
been intimately acquainted with him, could have
drawn it more truly,- nor with more humour, than it
appears in the letters of Matthew Bramble.
" The similitude among the characters of Random,
Pickle, and Bramble? has been repeatedly remarked.
The two former display the same fondness for practi
cal jokes which was observed in Smollett when a boy,
the same spirit in exposing presumptuous ignorance,
stigmatizing hypocrisy y repelling pride, and applaud
ing, merit, that he displayed in his meridian ; and in
the letters of Matthew Bramble, the same peevish
ness that Smollett himself betrays in his Travels, with
that sensibility, benevolence, and generosity of dispo
sition which he possessed from the beginning to the
end of his life,*."
The character of Smollett as a novelist, has heen
drawn with discrimination and humour by Mr Cum
berland, an ingenious novelist, dramatist, essayist, and
. poet of the present age, in an allegorical representa
tion of the characters of the most eminent of his pre
decessors, Richardson, Fielding, and Smollett, as driv
ers of a stage-coach, ih his novel of " Henry."
* Moore's Memoir?, &c.

be smollett; 14?
u There was a third, somewhat posterior in time;
hot in talents, who was indeed a rough driver, and
rather too severe to his cattle ; but ih faith he carri
ed us at a merry pace, over land or sea ; nothing
came amiss to him, for he Was tip to both elements,
and a match for nature in every shape, character, and
degree ; he was not very courteous, it must be own
ed, for he had a capacity for higher things, and was
above his business ; he wanted only a little riiore sua
vity and discretion to have figured with the best -f-."
The relation of his Travels, written in low spirits,
bad health,' and ill-humOur; deserves to be mention
ed with respect, for that spirit of freedom, happily
tempered with judgment and sensibility; which ani
mates his Observations, and the energy and elegant
simplicity of the languages His descriptions, though
not luxuriant:, are, it must be owned, sometimes in
delicate ; and his remarks, though not superficial, are
sometimes peevish ; but these defects are amply com
pensated by the' insight he gives us into the genius;
manners, customs and government of the different
people whom he characterises ^ We see a man of
sense, and of an independent spirit; divested of par
tiality, reasoning with freedom upon every Occur
rence, and exhibiting a naked view of objects and
characters; If he is sometimes petulant and illiberal,
and on some occasions loses his temper, some excuse
is to be made for a frame convulsed by disease, a spi
rit wounded by ingratitude, and a life embittered by
disappointment and domestic calamity; Under such
impressions, perhaps, he ought not to have written ;
but it was' natural for him to seek for comfort and
consolation in a pursuit from which he had been ac
customed to receive solace, and upon which his sub
sistence depended: The consideration of his bodily
and mental sufferings need not, however, be offered
to extenuate faults,- but to increase Our admiration of
f Henry, Book III.
K2 -

l4& THE LIFE OF
his work. Though he had grief and distemper to
give a more sombre and less pleasant cast than usual
to his letters, yet they are, on the whole, highly in
structive and entertaining. With the exceptions a-
bove-mentioned, they are calculated not only to gra
tify every craving of rational curiosity, but to destroy
error and false taste, to improve our acquaintance
with men and things, to display a comparative sketch
of human nature, to establish true notions of life and
living, and to endear Britain and its free constitution
to Britons.
The testimony of the memorialist of his life respect
ing the relation of his Travels in. France and Italy is
valuable, as he himself travelled the same road, ob
served the same objects, conversed with the gay in
habitants of the same countries through which he
passed, and preserved his good humour and pleasant
ry the whole way.
" The ridicule, which he endeavours to throw on
French manners, and the exaggerations with which
he describes certain usages in France and Italy,
would be more entertaining if he had paid due
regard to the following remark, which he him
self makes ih the fifth letter : " There are cer
tain mortifying views of human nafnre, which ought
undoubtedly to be concealed as much as possible,
in order to prevent giving offence ;" for he after
wards adds some nasty customs of both the French
and Italians, with such energy of description, as ex
cite a nausea equal to what could have been raised
by the real presence of the objects described.
" In Smollett's letters, however, there are many
exccl'ent and uncommon observations; and on their
first appearance, they pleased in general, notwith
standing the cynic style in which they are written,
and they pleased some on that very account. But
after Sterne's sarcasm appeared, many who had ad
mired and praised them before, now condemned

DE SMOLLETT. 14§
them as devoid of taste ; and some who had relish
ed them on account of their high-coloured painting
of certain customs among the French and Italians,
now censured them as illiberal, and full of national
reflections *"
~if I chiefly consulted," says a late Scottish judge,
himself a valetudinarian tourist, distinguished by the
whimsical peculiarity of his taste, humour, and be
nevolence, " Keysler, Moore, and Smollett. I was
best pleased with my old and excellent friend Smol
lett. Testy and discontented as he is, he writes with
perspicuity; his observations are generally sensible,
and even his oddities are entertaining -j-."
" Smollett," says a late lively and agreeable
journalist of travels on the continent' of Europe,
" was little enamoured of the climate ; and, like
most invalids deprived of the comfort of one's
own fire-side, he was disposed to be fretful. It is
rather peevish to make the same mountains funnels
in winter, and screens in summer. J"
As a Dramatist, his genius is of a less considerable
character than might be expected from his unrivalled
talent for the description of life and manners. He
was in possession of humour and fancy ; his wit had
every character of fertile invention, true pleasantry,
and flexibility to every subject ; he was capable of
delineating the individual object with peculiar happi
ness ; but he beheld his powers in a light which de
ceived him, when he aimed at bringing his charac
ters into the business of the stage, and creating a
dramatic series of events, confined to the unities of
time and place. Here his knowledge of imitative
* Moore's Memoirs, &c.
-(-, Lord Gardenstone's Travelling Memorandums, Vol. I.
X Journals of Travels in parts of the late Austrian Low Coun^
tries, France, the Pays de Vaud, and Tuscany, in 1787 and '789,
by Lockhart Muirhead, A. M. Librariari to the University of Glas-.
gow. 8vo, 1803. p. 351.
K3

150 THE LIFE OF
representation,., and acquaintance with the jeu de
theatre failed him, but not his talents for personative
poetry. The tragedy of the Regicide will be thought a very
great effort of genius, considering the early age of
the author when he finished it. Though reckoned
undramatic, declamatory, and uninteresting, it un
questionably excels, in language, pathos, situation,
and every other dramatic requisite, most of the tra
gedies which were presented to the public at the time.
It exhibits not only a succession of just sentiments
in elegant language, but a representation of natural
affections. It is animated, nervous, and pathetic.
The conduct of the fable may be thought exception
able, but it possesses complication and variety. The
principal characters are skilfully discriminated, and
well supported, particularly the magnanimous and
enlightened King of Scotland, the wise and valiant
Angus, and the treacherous and cruel Athol. The
speech of this accomplished prince, in which he de
scribes the miserable state of Scotland at his ac
cession to the throne, exhibits a faithful picture of
the oppression and violence practised in the feudal
times in every part of this island, and indeed all
over Europe. .-;_..•
" I found your miserable state reduc'd
To nun and despair ; your cities drench'd
In mutual slaughter, desolate your plains }
All order banish'd, and all arts decay'd :
No industry, save what with hands impure
Distressed the commonwealth ; No laws in force.
To screen the poor, and check the guilty great ;
While squalid Famine join'd her sister fiend
Devouring Pestilence, to curse the scene !"
The genius and authority of this great prince were
zealously exerted in redressing the wrongs of the
people, and in maintaining union among his unruly
barons, who assumed the right of -supporting their.

»R SMOLLETT. 151
claims by force, and avenging their private quarrels
by mutual hostilities.
" I came, — I toil'd, — reform'd, — redress'dthe whole."
But law was ineffectual, and the power of the sove
reign in those times inadequate to secure any perma
nent benefit to society, to extinguish the impious
brand of rebellion, or to preserve
" a prince with every virtue gr&c'd r
That dignifies the throne,"
from the dagger of the assassin, uplifted .against his
life, at the instigation of his treacherous kinsman.
"  :  While Jtholhd

His royal kinsman thro' the dangerous path
Of sudden reformation, — th' unwary prince '
Sooth'dby his false professions, prown'd his guilt
With boundless confidence, and little thpughit
The very, confiden.ee supplied his fop
With piear^s to shake his throne."
The character of the virtuous,- brave, but unfor
tunate Dunbar, is finely contrasted with the head^
Strong, fierce, ambitious Stuart : while- the amiable
Ekonora, esteeming the first, but in spite of herself
loving the latter, is distracted between her passion
and her duty.
" Yes ; I were envious to refuse applause ;
When every mouth is open'd in thy praise,"
I were ungrateful to deny thee mine,
Distinguished'!)^ thy choice ; and tho' my heart-
Denies thee' love j thy virtues haye acquired
Th' esteem; of Eleonora.

If Athol's arm,

(Which heaven avert !) to treason add success,
My father's death will join his sovereign's fall,
And if the cause of royalty prevails,
I^ach languid hope with Stuart must expire^"
K4

152 THE LIFE OP
The Regicide may be added to some other plays in
our language, which, though possessed of consider
able merit, have never been able to procure admis
sion on the stage, but continue to please in the clo
set. It is censured by Churchill with great satirical
severity, in the following lines of his " Apology tq
the Critical Reviewers."
Who ever read the Regicide, but swore
The author wrote as man ne'er wrote before !
Others for plots and underplots may call,
Here's the right method —have no plot at all ;
Who can so often in his cause engage
The tiny pathos of the Grecian stage,
While horrors rise, and tears spontaneous flow,
At tragic ha ! and no less tragic oh 1
To praise his nervous weakness all agree,
And then for sweetness, who so sweet as he ?
Too big for utterance when sorrows swell,
The too big sorrows flowing tears must tell.
But when these flowing tears s! all cease to flow,'
Why — then the verse must speak again, you know.
The passage in the Regicide, on which the fine ri
dicule of a fault too common among dramatists, of
substituting the pomp of declamation, for the genuine
language of passion, is founded, occurs in the speech
of the Queen tp Eleonora, at the opening of the
third Act, in the deepest anxiety respecting the
event of a battle between the conspirators and the
royalists, in which the latter were victorious.
"i Eleon. Alas ! my Oueen,
What consolation can the wretched bring !
How shall I, from my own despair, collect
Assuasive balm ? Within my lonely breast
Mute sorrow and despondence long have dwelt !
And while my sire, perhaps, this instant bleeds,
The dim exhausted fountains of my grief
Can scarce afford a tear !
Quern. O luxury
Of mutual ill ; let us enjoy the feast !

DR SMOLLETT. 153
To groan, re-echo groan, in concert raise
Our lamentation ; and when sorrow swells
Too big for utterance, the silent streams
Shall flow in common 1 When the silent streams
Forbear to flow, the voice again shall wail."
In The Reprisal, he evinces dramatic powers, which,
if he had persevered in writing for the stage, might
have obtained him equal distinction in this depart
ment of literature. His comic genius has shown it
self very conspicuously in this after-piece. There is
throughout the performance a close imitation of na
ture. The blunders of the Irishman are none of them
forced ; they are such as cannot fail to strike, and pro
voke laughter, because there are none of them that
have not been heard, at some time or other, to fall
from, the mouth of such a character. There is a mix
ture of pride, pedantry, stiffness, -and humanity in the
Scotchman, that marks him very strongly. The
Frenchman is finely distinguished ; his gasconading,
his cowardice, his making love, and his rage, are high
ly comic. To flatter the common English prejudice
against the French, always our rivals and frequently
our enemies, he is perhaps too much debased,
and treated with illiberal contempt, though Lieute
nant Lyons concluding speech makes some amends
for this fault*. The character of the English Sailor,
* " The wars with France, in the reign of Edward III., gave the
English an antipathy to that nation, which seems never to have
been felt with equal inveteracy by the French. A philosophical
and candid historian endeavours to account for this. Ke observes,
" that France lies in . the middle of Europe; has* been , succes
sively engaged in hostilities with all its neighbours ; the popular
prejudices have been diverted into many channels, and with a people
of softer manners, they never rose to a great height against any.
particular nation." Whereas England was for a long series of
years engaged in hostilities with no nation but the French and
Scotch, their prejudices, according to Hume's idea, must of cpuxse
have been directed against these two nations. But before the
source of this prejudice sprung up, it is natural to think that the
nobility, at least of England, had a partiality for the French.- M{

154 THE LIFE OP
though very short, is drawn with great exactness, and
is perhaps equal to any now on the stage. If this
piece had been so planned as to furnish a few more
incidents, and if the scenes had been shorter, and
sometimes changed, the whole would have been more
entertaining. As a Poet, his flexible genius is adapted to various
kinds of composition ; to the sprightly as well as the
amatory ; to the severe energy of satire, as well as to
the higher tones, and more delicate effusions of the
lyre. Lively, humorous, witty, elegant, tender, sati
rical, pathetic, and sublime, he is happy and success
ful in whatever the universality of his genius prompts
him to undertake. Quicquid calcaverit hie rosafiet.
He strikes, with equal facility, the lyres of Pindar,
Anacreon, Horace, Tibullus, and Juvenal, and the
chords answer to the pulse of his heart. His spirit,
his sentiment, his language, are full of nature, enthu
siasm, and simplicity. Exquisite description, poignant
humour, and felicity of diction and versification, are
the characteristics of his lighter pieces ; an enthusias
tic, independent, and vigorous tone of sentiment, rich
ness of imagery, majesty of manner, boldness and
magnitude of conception, and warmth and energy of
expression, characterise his grave and more dignified
compositions, in the lpfty sphere of imagination.
His Ode to Independence, the greatest effort of his
genius, rivals, in spirit and sublimity, in strength of
conception and beauty of colouring, the Sublime odes
of Dryden, Akenside, Collins, and Gray, the great
masters of the British lyre. The lineage, education,'
and atchievements of Independence, are described with
Warton observes, that the court of England, for more than two him-
died years after the conquest, was totally French. {Hist. Erig.
Poetry, Vol. i.p. 86) Nothing but the long and bloody wars.
which afterwards arose between England and France, could have
converted that partiality into hatred." — Moore's View of the Pro
gress of Romance, p. 6,2.

DE SMOLLETT. 155
strength of judgment, and fertility of fancy ; and the
influence of that power on his own mind, in preserv
ing him from servility, and enabling him to look with
contempt on titled folly and dignified presumption,
is displayed with the energy of sublime sentiment, and
the charms of splendid and animated imagery.
" He, guardian genius, taught my youth
Pomp's tinsel livery to despise :
My lips by him chastis'd to truth,
Ne'er paid that homage which my heart denies.
Those sculptur'd halls my feet shall never tread,
Where varnish'd vice and vanity combin'd
To dazzle and seduce, their banners spread,
And forge vile shackles for the freeborn mind.
While Insolence his wrinkled front uprears,
And all the flowers of spurious fancy blow,
And Title his ill -woven chaplet wears,
Full often wreath'd around the miscreant's brow.
Where; ever-dimpling Falsehood, pert and vain,
Presents her cup of stale; profession's froth,
And pale Disease, with, all his bloated traces,
r Torment^ ^be sons of gluttony and sloth."
The stanzas are constructed with returns of tfie
strophe and antistrophe after the example of Pindar,
and his imitators, Gray, and other English lyrists.
Those changes in the measure were not originally in
tended to serve any purpose of poetical harmony, as
they merely had reference to changes in the dan
cing, with which the ancient ode was accompanied.
The adoption of the strophe r and antistrophe in
our lyric measures, has contributed to banish
from English poetry that monstrous species of com
position first introduced among us by Jonson, andr
Cowley, under" the1 name of Pindaric odes. Of odes
constructed according to this classical model, the stan
zas may be of any length, composed of verses the
most disproportionate, and of rhimes the most distant,

350 THE. LIFE OP
provided the same irregularity is observed in those
that correspond. The rhapsodies of Cowley and his
imitators, as irregular and wild, show the Englisli..
language to be with difficulty susceptible of the mixed
measures of Pindar and the ancient lyrists. The har
mony of our lyric measures arises from the just pro
portion of one line to another, because the ear natu
rally expects a return of the rhime upon an equal
number of syllables. The corresponding lines of the
, Ode to Independence, in which our most perfect lyric
measure has been employed, are of the same length,
and the stanzas at just and stated distances.
The beauties of the Ode to Independence, it is un
necessary to point out and comment upon, as they
have been selected with all the precision of taste, and
illustrated with all the force of eloquence, in the
Observations of my learned and ingenious friend Pro^
fessor Richardson, whose high qualifications for esti
mating its solid excellencies, will not be disputed by
those who are acquainted with his own elegant com
positions, in the same sphere of imagination, and his
philosophical view of the passions and affections of
the human mind, as they are happily illustrated by the
poet of Nature *.
They best can judge a poet's worth,
Who oft themselves have known
The pangs of a poetic birth,
By labours of their own f.
<( Lyric poetry imitates violent and ardent passions.
It is therefore bold, ardent, and impetuous. It a-
bounds with animated sentiments, glowing images,
and forms of speech, often unusual, but commonly
nervous and expressive. The composition and ar
rangement of parts may often appear disordered, and
* Essays on some of Shakespeare's Dramatic Characters, &c.
5th Edition, 8vo, 1796.
f Cowper's Verses to Dr Darwin.

DR SMOLLETT. 15^
the transitions sudden ; but they are always natural,
and are governed by the movements and variations of
the imitated passions. The Ode to Independence will
illustrate these observations.
" The introduction is poetical and abrupt.
.j Thy spirit, Independence, let me share,
Lord of the lion heart and eagle eye;
Thy steps I follow with my bosom bare,
Nor heed the storm that howls along the sky.
" The picture exhibited in these lines is striking,
because the circumstances are happily chosen, briefly
and distinctly delineated. It is sublime, because the
images are few, and in themselves great and magni
ficent. The " lion heart and eagle eye" suggest an
idea of the high spirit and commanding aspect of In
dependence : and the poet following with his " bo^
som bare," denotes, in a picturesque manner, the
eagerness and enthusiasm of the votary. The last
circumstance is peculiarly happy :
Nor heed the storm that howls along the sky.
It marks the scene : it is unexpected, and excites
surprise : it is great and awful, and excites astonish
ment. Combined with the preceding circumstance,
it conveys a beautiful allegorical meaning ; and sig
nifies, that a mind truly independent is superior to
adversity, and unmoved by external accidents. We
may observe too, in regard to the diction, that the
notions of sound and motion communicated by the
words " howf" and " along," contribute, in a pecu
liar manner, to the sublimity of the description..
Lord of the eagle heart and lion eye,
Thy steps I follow with my bosom bare,
Nor heed tire storm that howls along the sky.
These lines are written in the true style of lyrie
poetry. Without preparing the mind by a cool arti-

158 DR SMOLLETT*
ficial introduction, rising gradually to the impetudJ
sity of passion, they assail the imagination by an a-
brupt and sudden impulse ; they vibrate through the
soul, and fire us instantaneously with all the ardour
and enthusiasm of the poet. Many of the odes of Ho
race are composed in the same spirit, and produce
similar effects. Without any previous argument or
introduction, in the fulness of passion and imagina
tion, he breaks out into bold, powerful, and impetu
ous figures.
Quo me, Bacche, rapis, tui
Plenum ? Quee nemora aut quos ago in specus1
Velox rhente nova ? 

Qualem ministrum fulminis alitem 
The poet, full of enthusiasm and admiration, conti
nues his prosopopeia ; and, in a strain of poetry exceed-.
ingly wild and romantic, gives us the genealogy of
Independence. A goddess violated brought thee forth;
Immortal Liberty, whose look sublime
Hath bleach'd the tyrant's cheek in every varying clime*
" According to the acceptation of our author, Li
berty means the security of our lives and possessions;
and freedom from external force : Independence is
of higher import, and denotes that internal sense and
consciousness of freedom which beget magnanimity,
fortitude, and that becoming pride which leads us to
respect ourselves, arid do nothing unworthy of our
condition. Liberty therefore is, with perfect pro
priety, said to be the rhother of Independence, and
Disdain his father. Disdairi arisihg from indignation
against an oppressor, and triumph on having frustrated
or escaped his malice. This stern personage is
strongly characterised in the following direct descrip
tion.

DR SMOLLETT. 150
Of ample front the portly chief appear'd :
The hunted bear supply' d a shaggy vest ;
The drifted snow hung on his yellow beard ;
And his broad shoulders brav'd the furious blast.
" Men may enjoy liberty without independence :
theymay be secure in their persons and possessions,
'without feeling any uncommon elevation of mind,
or any sense of their freedom. But if their liberty
is attacked, they are alarmed, they feel the value of
their condition, they are moved with indignation a-
gainst their oppressors, they exert themselves, and if
they are successful, or escape the danger that threat
ened them, they triumph, they reflect on the hap
piness and dignity conferred by freedom, they ap
plaud themselves for their exertions, become magna
nimous and independent. There is therefore no less
propriety in deducing the origin of Independence from
Disdain and Liberty, than in fixing the aera of his
birth. The Saxons, according to our author, free,
simple, and inoffensive, were attacked, escaped the
violence of their adversary, reflected on the felicity of
their condition, and learned independence.
" The education of Independence, and the scene of
his nativity, are suited to his illustrious lineage, and to
the high achievements for which he was destined.
The light he saw in Albion's happy plains,
Where under cover of a flowering thorn,
While Philomel renewed her warbled strains,
The auspicious fruit of stol'n embrace was born— ¦
The mountain Dryads seized with joy,
The smiling infant to their charge consign'd ;
The Doric muse caress'd the favourite boy ;
The hermit Wisdom stor'd his opening mind. —
" The imagery in these lines is' soft and agreeable,
the language smooth, and the versification numerous.
" Independence thus descended, and thus divinely

160 THE LIFE OF
instructed and endowed, distinguishes himself accord*
ingly by heroic and beneficent actions.
Accomplish'd thus, he wing'd his way,
And zealous rov'd from pole to pole,
The rolls of right eternal to display,
And warm with patriot thoughts th' aspiring soul.
" The ode may be divided into three parts. The
poet sets out with a brief address to Independence,
imploring his protection. He sees, in idea, the high
object of his adoration, and, transported by an ardent
and irresistible impulse, he rehearses his birtht educa
tion, and qualities. He proceeds, in the second place,
to celebrate his office and most renowned achieve
ments ; and returns, at the end of the third stropfie,
to acknowledge with gratitude the protection he had
requested, and the power of independence in preserv
ing him untainted by the debasing influence of Gran
deur, and the admiration of vain magnificence; Ani
mated with this reflection, and conscious of the dig -
hity annexed to an independent state of mind, he in
veighs against thqse " Minions of Fortune" who would
impose upon mankind by the ostentation of wealth,
and the parade of pageantry.
In Fortune's car behold that minion ride.
With either India's glittering spoils opprest :
So moves the suinpter-mule, ih harness'd pride,
That bears the treasure which he cannot taste.
For him let venal bards disgrace the bav,
And hireling minstrels wake the tinkling string ;
Her sensual snares let faithless Pleasure lay,
And all her gingling bells fantastic Folly ring ;
Disquiet, Doubt, and Dread, shall intervene}
And Nature, still to all her feelings just,
In vengeance hang a damp on every scene.
Shook from the baleful pinions of Disgust.
These lines, embellished by fancy, and recommended
to the heart by harmony, are the invective of truth
and honest indignation.

DR SMOLLETT. iGl
*' In the last antistrophe the poet descends from
nis enthusiasm ; he is less impetuous ; the illustrious
passions that animated and impelled him are exhaust
ed ; but they leave his mind full of their genuine and
benign influences, not agitated and disordered, as if
their tendency had been vicious, bdt glowing with
self-approbation, soft, gentle, and composed *.''
In his Advice and Reproof, he appears in the cha
racter of a disinterested and indignant censor of the
slaves of vile passions, the perpetrators of detestable
vices, the dupes of folly, and the agents of fraud, cor
ruption, and villanyi He is keen, animated, moral,
vehement, and judicious ; he holds forth to public
execration the vices that degrade human nature, with
manly indignation ; he censures the reigning and
fashionable follies with great keenness of wit and force
Of ridicule ; his animadversions teem with moral zeal
and dauntless truth ; but his acrimony, in many in
stances, is too severe, his indignation too violent,
and his chastisement too indiscriminate, to produce
reformation, the true object of satire. In the midst
of his spleen, he is aware of the consequence of in
dulging it, and replies to the Friend who. held the
dialogue with the Poet, and censures his " petulance
" of style," and neglect of " prudent condescension,"
in the following animated apostrophe to conscience,
Hail, sacred power ! my glory and my guide,
Fair source of mental peace, whate'er betide,
Safe in thy shelter, let disaster roll
ptemal hurricanes around my soul,
My soul serene, amidst the storms shall reign,
And smile to see their fury burst in vain !
The Friend makes the following observation :
Too coy to flatter, and too proud to serve,
Thine be the joyless dignity to starve.
* Ode to Independence, &c. 4to, 1 773, p. 9.
Vol. I. p

i6a

THE LIFE OF

In reply to the Friend, who accuses the Poet of be
ing " a flagrant misanthrope,"
Sworn foe to good and bady tq great and small,
Thy rankling pen produces nought but gall >
Let virtue struggle, or let glory shine,
Thy verse affords not one approving line;
he asserts his pretensions to candour in the follow
ing spirited exclamation :
Hail, sacred theme ! the Muse's chief delight,
O ! bring the darling objects to my sight !
My breast with elevated thought shall glow,
My fancy brighten and my numbers flow !
Th' Aonian grove with rapture would I tread,
To crop unfading wreaths for William's head ;
But that my strain, unheard amidst the throng,
Must yield to Lockman's ode and Hanbury's song * :
Nor would th' enamour'd muse neglect to pay
To Stanhope's t worth the tributary lay,
The soul unstain'd, the sense sublime to paint,
A people's patron, pride, and ornament !
Did not his virtues eterniz'd remain.
The boasted theme of Pope's immortal strain.
Not even the pleasing task is left to raise
A grateful monument to Barnard's praise;
Else should the venerable patriot stand
Th' unshaking pillar of a sinking land.
The gladdening prospect let me still pursue,
And Dring fair Virtue's triumph to the view !
Alike to me, by Fortune blest or not,
From soaring Cobham to the melting Scot §,"
* Two productions, resembling one another very much in that
cloying mediocrity wliich Horace compares t© Crassitm unguen-
tum el sardo, cum melle papaver.
t The Earl of Chesterfield.
§ Daniel Mackercher, Esq. a man of such primitive integrity,
that he may be said to have exceeded the scripture injunction, by
not only parting with his cloak and coat, but with his shirt also,
to relieve a bi other in distress, — Mr Annesley, who claimed the
Anglesea title and estate.

DR SMOLLETT. 1^3
He ridicules courts, and censures ministers, with all
the dignity of independence, and all the loftiness of
a mind that would not debase itself; yet, in many in
stances, he seems to have little else in view than to
gratify private resentment, or party-prejudice. His
language is nervous, chaste, and elegant ; but the
grossness of some of his illustrations cannot fail to
nauseate. In his outrageous indignation against vice,
he attacks crimes that are punishable by the laws o(
his country ; even the weakness and incurable infir
mities of human nature do not escape his acrimony.
The strength and acuteness of his satirical genius,
are, however, efficaciously displayed in these compo
sitions, in the cause of virtue and decorum, by hold
ing forth to public indignation many offenders against
both, who are not amenable to any other tribunal,
and who, though they contemptuously defy all seri
ous reproof, tremble at the thoughts of seeing their
vices or follies attacked by the shafts of ridicule and
satire. His smaller poems, written chiefly on occasional
subjects, sometimes in an assumed character, and
dispersed up and down his novels and plays, are so
excellent as to make us regret that they are not more
numerous. His Verses on a young Lady playing on a Harpsichord
and singing, are amongst the most beautiful of his
compositions. It would be superfluous to point out
their beauties ; they are such as must be perceived, on
a single perusal, by every reader who is not blind to
the charms of exquisite delicacy of thought, simpli
city of expression, and melody of language.
When Sappho struck the quivering wire,
The throbbing breast was all on fire ;
And when she rais'd the vocal lay,
The captive-soul was charm'd away !
L2

l64 ' THE LIFE OF
But had the nymph possess'd with these
Thv softer chaster power to please,
Thy beauteous air of sprightly youth,
Thy native smiles of artless truth,
The worm of grief had never prey'd
On the forsaken love-sick maid ;
Nor had she mourn'd an hapless flame,
Nor dash'd on rocks her tender frame.
His elegantly-plaintive Love Elegy cannot be too
much admired. It has all the tender suavity and
plaintive simplicity of Tibullus. It is solemn, affect
ing and harmonious ; and the happy simplicity, and
unaffected manner, interest and charm the reader of
natural taste. The last stanza might have been o-
mitted with advantage, as the thought Which is
conveyed in it has been often used.
His Tears of Scotland ought not to be mentioned
without every commendation. The excellence of
this ode proves that he possessed a genius equal
ly fitted for the pathetic and sublime. Whatever
may be thought of the subject, it unites a glow of
poetical enthusiasm, with a high degree- of that elo
quent simplicity which appears so easy, and which is
yet so difficult to imitate. The deplorable extremity
to which the wretched>family of a Highland rebel \i
driven by the excessive severities exercised in the
Highlands after the battle of Culloden, is pathetically
expressed in the following lines :
Oh ! baneful cause ! Oh ! fata! morn !
Accurs'd to ages yet unborn !
The sons against their father stood,
The parent shed his children's blood !
Yet when the rage of batde ceas'd,
The victor's soul was not appeas'd.
The naked and forlorn must feel
Devouring flames, and murd'ring tied.

DR SMOLLETT. l6
The pious mother dopm'd to death,
Forsaken, wanders o'er the heath, '
The bleak wind whistles round her head ;
Her helpless orphans cry for bread !
Bereft of shelter, food, and friend,
She views the shades of night descend,
And, stretch'd beneath th' inclement skies,
Weeps o'er her tender habes — and dies !
Collins, a contemporary poet of the first order, in
his exquisitely pathetic " Ode written in the year
1746," has embalmed the memory of those heroes
who fell in defence of their country ;
the brave, who sink to rest,

By all their country's wishes blest ;"
and, in his sublime and beautiful " Ode to Mercy,"
written after the suppression of the rebellion, has
lavished all the powers of the pathos to excite senti
ments of compassion in favour of those unhappy and
deluded adherents of the Pretender who became a
sacrifice to public justice.
" See, Mercy, see, with loaded hand,
4 Before thy shrine my country's genius stands,
And decks thy altar still, tho' pierc'd with many a wound \
When he whom ev'n our joys provoke, <
The Fiend of Nature, join'd his yoke,
And rush'd in wrath to make our Tsle his prey.
Thy form, from out thy sweet abode,
O'ertook him an his blasted road,
And stopp'd his wheels, and look'd his rage away-*.'*
The sufferings of the last adherents of the unfor
tunate House of Stuart have excited the sympathy,
and employed the whole energy and enthusiasm of
* Works of the British Poets, with Prefaces Biographical and.
Critical, 8vo, 1795. Vol. IX. p. 524.
L3

l66 THE LIFE OP
my friend Mr Campbell's poetical powers, in his
" Loch i el's W ar n ing," a proph etic denunciation, which,
combining the dreadful solemnity of popular super
stition, with romantic ideas of loyalty and valour,
rivals The Tears of Scotland in sublimity and pathos.
The exordium of the Wizard's denunciation of the
terrible catastrophe of the rash insurrection in which
Lochiel was engaged, is so exceedingly animated and
interesting, that it is impossible to avoid transcribing
it. " Lochiel, Lochiel ! beware of the day,
When the Lowlands shall meet thee in battle array i
For a field of the dead rushes red on my sight,
And the clans of Culloden are scatter'd in fight :
They rally, they bleed for their kingdom and crown,
Woe, woe to the riders that trample them down !
Proud Cumberland prances, insulting the slain,
And their hoof-beaten bosoms are trod to die plain.
But, hark ! thro' the fast-flashing lightning of war.
What steed to the desert flies frantic and far ?
JTis thine, Oh Glenullin 1 whose bride shall await,
Like a love-lighted watch-fire, all night at the gate.
A steed comes at morning — no rider is there,
But its bridle is red with the sign of despair.
Weep, Albin ! to death and captivity led !
Oh weep ' but thy tears cannot number the dead ;
For a merciless sword on Culloden shall wave,
Culloden, that reeks with the blood of the brave 1
— Oh crested Lochiel ! the peerless in might !
Whose banners arise on the battlements height !
Heaven's fire is around thee to blast and to bum,
Return to thy dwelling, all lonely, return !
For the blackness of ashes shall mark where it stood,
And a wild mother scream o'er her famishing brood !"
The " death-telling seer," who holds the dialogue
with the " bonneted chieftain," predicts the flight of
his " fugitive king," and the severe execution of the
Highland rebels, in a strain of true poetry and strong
imagery.

DE SMOLLETT. l67
" I tell thee, Culloden's. dread echoes shall ring
With the blood-hounds that bark for thy fugitive king;
Lo ! anointed by heav'n with the vials of wrath,
Behold where he flies on his desolate path !
Now, in darkness and billows, he sweeps from the sight :
Rise ! rise ! ye wild tempests, and cover his flight ! . . . .
. . . 'Tis finish'd : their thunders are hush'd on the moors;
Culloden is lost, and my country deplores :
But where is the iron-bound prisoner ? Where ?
For the red eye of battle is shut in despair.
Say, mounts he the ocean- wave, banish' d, forlorn,
Like a limb from his country, cast bleeding and torn ?
Ah, no ! for a darker departure is near ;
The war-drum is muffled, and black is the bier ;
The death-bell is tolling : Oh, mercy 1 dispel
Yon sight, that it freezes my spirits to tell !
Life flutters convuls'd, in his quivering limbs,
And his blood- streaming nostril in agony Swims.
Accurs'd by the faggots that blaze at his feet,
Where his heart shall be thrown, ere it ceases to beat, <
With the smoke of its ashes to poison the gale *."....
His Ode to Leven Water is distinguished by
-delicacy of sentiment, picturesque description, and
simplicity of expression. The images are pastoral and
pleasing, and the numbers correct and harmonious.
The strain of the poet is yet softer than the music of
" the shepherds piping in the dale," or the murmur of
*' the dimpling wave." He celebrates his native
stream with all the elegant simplicity of an Arcadian
shepherd. His' Ode to Mirth possesses more elevation of
thought, and opulence of imagery ; it has energy,
enthusiasm, nervous and well selected description,
richness of expression, and harmony of numbers.
The description of Morning is an exquisite painting.
* Pleasures of Hope, with other Poems, zjto, 1803, PP' I07»
109, m. L4

1(58 THE LIFE OF
The Morning lifts on high
His universal eye,
And on the world doth pour
His glories in a golden shower.
Lo ! Darkness, trembling 'fore the hostile ray,
Shrinks to the cavern deep and wood forlorn,
The brood obscene that own her gloomy sway,
Troop in her rear, and fly th' approach of Morn.
Pale shivering ghosts, that dread th' all-cheering light,
Quick as the light'mng's flash, glide to sepulchral night."
The personifications of Mirth and her attendants
are appropriate and beautiful :
But whence the gladdening beam
That pours his purple stream
O'er the long prospect -wide ?
'Tis Mirth : I see her sit
I n majesty of light,
With Laughter at her side ;
Bright ey'd Fancy hovering near
Wide waves her glancing wing in air,
And young Wit flings his pointed dart
That guiltless strikes the willing heart.
His Burlesque Ode on the supposed death of hi$
grandmother, a kind of parody of certain passages in
Lqrd Lyttleton's beautiful Monody on the death of
his Lady, written in a moment of irritation, is in the
highest degree humorous and characteristic ; but the
ridicule of that excellent performance, the effusion of
a susceptible and deeply afflicted heart, is misapplied.
His Ode to Sleep is characterised by delicacy of
imagination, a judicious selection and combination of
images, elegance of sentiment, and propriety of ver
sification. His Ode to Blue Eyed Ann is the vehicle of some
jmpressive and beautiful thoughts, and has much of
the imagery, and many of the turns of expression
which belong to the ballad-style of composition,

DR SMOLLETT, l6Q
His Songs have the merit of wit, humour, imagi
nation and feeling, a natural ease and grace ; a few
of the amatory kind, particularly those beginning,
" While with fond rapture and amaze," and " Let the
(C nymph still avoid and be deaf to the swain," are
graced by simplicity of thought and felicity of ex
pression. On the whole, there is something in all his- poeti
cal compositions so nervpus, rich, and bold, some
thing so finished and removed from affectation, such
an attention to propriety both in sentiment and ex
pression, such an union of enthusiasm and correct
ness, animation and elegance, energy and simplicity,
strength and harmony, as cannot fail of securing hirq
a high reputation, as a poet, among posterity.

END OF THE LIFE OF DR SMOLLETT,

THE

THE

HISTORY

OF

E N G L A

THE REVOLUTION,

TO THE

DEATH OP GEORGE II.

th£
HISTORY »F
E JV & Ij id JV JB>9
FROM THE REVOLUTION,

DEATH OF GEORGE II.

BOOK I.

CHAP. I.

I. State of the nation immediately after the Revolution...,
§. II. Account of the new Ministry.... % III. The Conven
tion converted into a Parliament.... % IV. Mutiny in the
army....% V. The Coronation-oath, and abolition of hearth-
money  § VI. The Commons vote a sum>qf money to in
demnify the Dutch. ...§ VII. William's efforts in favour of
the Dissenters. ...§ VIII. Act for a toleration.... § IX. Vio
lent disputes about the hill for a comprehension.... § X. The
Commons address the King to summon a convocation of the
clergy. ...§ XI. Settlement of the revenue. ...§ XII. The
King takes umbrage at the proceedings of the Whig party.

4 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. CH. t.
 § XIII. Heats and animosities about the bill of indem
nity recommended by the King.,..§ XIV. Birth of the Duke
of Gloucester. ...§ XV. Affair $ of the^ontinent....% XVI.
War declared against France.... § XVII. Proceedings in the
Convention of Scotland, of which tha Duke of Hamilton is
chosen president  § XVIII. Letters to the Convention from
King William and King James.... § XIX. They recognise
the authority of King William.... § XX. They vote the
crown vacant, and pass an act of Settlement in favour of
William and Mary....§ XXI. They appoint commissioners
to make a tender of the Crown to William, who receives it
on the conditions they propose  § XXII. Enumeration of
their grievances. The Convention is declared a Parliament,
and the Duke of Hamilton King's commissioner. ..§ XXIII.
Prelacy abolished in that kingdom. The Scots dissatisfied
with the King's conduct — § XXIV. Violent disputes in the
Scotch Parliament....^ XXV. Which is adjourned. A re
monstrance presented to the King....§ XXVI. The castle of
Edinburgh besieged and taken.... § XXVII. The troops of
King William defeated at Killicrankie....§ XXVIII. King
James cordially received by the French King....§ XXIX.
Tyrconnel temporizes with King William.... § XXX. James
arrives in Ireland.... § XXXI. Issues five proclamations at
Dublin.. ..§ XXXII. Siege of Londonderry.... § XXXIII.
The inhabitants defend themselves with surprising courage
and perseverance.... § XXXIV. Cruelty of Rosene, the
French General.... § XXXV. The place is relieved by Kirke.
§ XXXVI. The InniskiUiners defeat and take General
Maccart i/....§ XXXVII. Meeting of the Irish Parliament.
...,§ XXXVIII. They repeal the act of settlement....
§ XXXIX. Pass an act of attainder against absentees....
§ XL. James coins base money. The Protestants of Ire
land cruelly oppressed.... § XLl. Their clmrches are seized.
by the Catholics, and they are forbid to assemble on pain of
death.. ..§ XLII. Admiral Herbert worsted by the French
fleet, in an engagement near Bantry -bay..., § XLIII. Di
vers sentences and attainders reversed in. Parliament....
§ XLIV. Inquiry into the cause of miscarriages in Ireland.
....§ XLV. Bills passed in this session of ' Parliuwent.

CHAP. I. WILLIAM AND KAET. &
§ I. HP'HE constitution of England had _8
_L now assumed a new aspect. The
maxim of hereditary, indefeasible right was at length
renounced by a free Parliament. The power of the
crown was acknowledged to flow from n,o other foun
tain than that of a contract with the people. Alle
giance and protection were declared reciprocal ties de
pending upon each other. The representatives of the
nation made a regular claim of rights in behalf of their
constituents ; and William III. ascended the throne in
consequence of an express capitulation with the peo
ple. Yet, on this occasion, the zeal of the Parlia
ment towards their deliverer seems to have over-shot
their attachment to their own liberty and privileges :
or at least they neglected the fairest opportunity that
ever occurred, to retrench those prerogatives of the
crown to which they imputed all the late and former
calamities of the kingdom. Their new monarch re
tained the old regal power over parliaments in its full
extent. He was left at liberty to convoke, adjourn,
prorogue, and dissolve them at his pleasure. He was
enabled to influence elections, and oppress corpora
tions. He possessed the right of choosing his own
council ; of nominating all the great officers' of the
state, and of the household, of the army, the navy,
and the church. He reserved the absolute command
of the militia : so that he remained master of all the
instruments and engines of corruption and violence,
without any other restraint than his own moderation,
and prudent regard to the claim of rights, and prin
ciple of resistance, on which the Revolution was found-
eel. In a word, the settlement was finished with some
precipitation, before the plan had been properly di
gested and matured ; and this will be the case in eve
ry establishment formed upon a sudden emergency in
the face of opposition. It was observed, that the
King, who was made by the people, had it in his

i HISTditY 6fc ENGLAND. BdoKMj
power to rule without them ; to govern jure divino,
though he wds created jure hiimano : and that, though
the change proceeded frorri a republican spirit, the
settlement was built upon Tory maxims : for the exe
cution of his government continued still independent
of his commission, While his own person remained
sacred and inviolable. The Prince of Orange had
been invited to England by a coalition of parties,
United by a common sense of danger : but this tie
was no sooner broken than they flew asunder, and
each resumed its original bias. Their mutual jealou
sy and rancour revived, and was heated by dispute
into intemperate zeal and enthusiasm. Those who
at first acted from principles of patriotism were in
sensibly warmed into partisans ; and King William
soon found himself at the head of a faction. As he
nad been bred a Calviriist, arid always expressed an
abhorrence of spiritual persecution, the Presbyterians,
arid other Protestant dissenters, considered him as
their peculiar protector, and entered into his interests
with the most zealous fervour and assiduitv. For
the same reasons, the friends of the church became
jealous of his proceedings, and employed all their in
fluence, first in opposing his elevation to the throne,
and afterwards in thwarting his measures. Their par
ty was espoused by all the friends of the lineal suc
cession ; bythe Roman Catholics ; by those who were
personally attached to the late king ; and by sufch as
were disgusted bv the conduct and personal deport
ment of William since his arrival in England. They
Observed, That, contrary to his declaration, he had
plainly aspired to'the crown, and treated his father-
in-law with insolence and rigour : That his army con
tained a number' of foreign papists, almost equal to
that of the English Roman Catholics whom James
had employed : That the reports so industriously cir
culated about the birth of the Prince of Wales, the
treaty with France for enslaving England, and the

m. f. William and marl *a
murder of the earl of Essex, reports cotmtenanced
by the Prince of Orange, now appeared to be with
out foundation : that the Dutch troops remained in
-London, while the Englisn forces were distributed
in remote quarters : that the prince declared the
first should be kept about his person, and the latter
sent to Ireland : that the two houses, out of com
plaisance to William, had denied their late sovereign
the justice of being heard in his own defence : and
that the Dutch had lately interfered with the trade
of London, which was already sensibly diminished.
These were the sources of discontent, swelled up
by the resentment of some noblemen, and other in
dividuals, disappointed in their hopes of profit and
preferment. ^ II. William began his reign with a gomS,s,s Colw_
proclamation, for confirming all protes- tmn. Reresbjj.
tants in the offices which they enjoyed Burnet-
on the first day of December t then he chose the
members of his council, who were generally staunch
to his interest, except the archbishop of Canterbury
and the earl of Nottingham ', and these were ad
mitted in complaisance to the church-party, which
it was not thought adviseable to provoke. Not
tingham and Shrewsbury were appointed secretaries
of state : the privy seal was bestowed upon the mar
quis of Hallifax : the earl of Danby was created pre
sident of the council. These two noblemen enjoy
ed a good share of the king's confidence, and Not
tingham was considerable, as head of the church-
party : but the chief favourite was Bentick, first
eommoner on the list of privy-counsellors, as well
l The council consisted of the viscounts Faueonberg, Mordaunt,
prince of Denmark, the archbishop of Newport, Lumley; the lords What-
Canterbury the duke of Norfolk* the ton, Montagu, Delamere, Churchill;
BJarquisses rff Hallifax and Winches- Mr Bentick. Mr S'dt ey. Sir Robert
ter,. the earls of Danby Lindsey, De.- Howard Sir Henry Ca^e!, Mr r'owJc,
vonshire, Dorset, Middlesex, Oxford, Mr Russel, Mr Bambden, and Mr
Shrewsbury, Bedford, Bath Mac- Boscawen. ,
{flcsfie d, and Nottingham ; the
Vol. L M

6- HISTORY OF ENGLAND. BOOK I.
as groom of, the stole ,£nd privy-purse. D'Auver-r
querque was made iriaster of the horse, Zuylsfein, of
the robes, and Schomberg of the ordinance ; the
treasury, admiralty, and chancery, were put in com
mission ; twelve able judges were chosen ' ; and the
diocese of Salisbury being vacated by the <Jeath of
Dr Ward, the king, of his own free motion, filled
it with Burnet, who had been a zealous stickler for
his interest; and, in a particular manner, ir^s'tru,-.
mental in effecting the revolution. Sancroft, arch
bishop of Canterbury, refused to consecrate this, ec
clesiastic, though the reasons of his refusal are not,
specified ; but, being afraid of incurring the penal
ties of a premunire,he granted a commission to the.
bishop of London, and three other suffragans, tos
perform that ceremony. < Burnet was a prelate of.
some parts, and great industry ; moderate in his no
tions of church- discipline, inquisitive, meddling,
vain, and credulous. In consequence of having in
curred the displeasure of the late king, he had re-.
tired to the continent, and fixed his residence in
Holland, where he was naturalised, and attached
himself to the interest of the prince of Orange, who
consulted him about the affairs I of England, He-
assisted in" drawing up the prince's manifesto, and
w/qte some other papers and pamphlets (in defence
of his design. He was demanded of the States, by
the English ambassador, as a British fugitive, out
lawed by King James, and excepted in the act of
indemnity; nevertheless, he came over with V^il-
liam, in quality of his chaplain; and, by Ins in
trigues, contributed ih some measure to the success
of that expedition. The principal individuals that
composed this ministry have been characterised in
the history of the preceding reigns. We have had
occasion to mention the fine talents, the vivacity*
I Sir Jojin Holt \vas appointed lord made lord, steward of the household,
chief justice of the king's bench, and afid the earl of Dorset lord chamber.
Sir Henry Pollexfen of the common lairi.— Ralph.
pleas ; the earl of Ikyonshire was

'•dw'Y.'' wfLEi'Afer' and Vary.1'' 7
the ^flexibility of Hallifax; the plausibility, the en
terprising genius^ the Obstinacy of Danby ; the pom
pous eloquence, the warmth, and ostentation of
Nottingham ; the probity and popularity of Shrews
bury. Godolphin, now brought into the treasury;
wa$ modest, silent, sagacious, and upright. Mor-
daunt, appointed first corn'missioqer of that board,
and afterwards created earl of Monmouth, was open,
generous, and a republican in his' principles. De-
lamere, chancellor of the exchequer, promoted in
the sequel to the rank of earl of Warrington^ was
close and mercenary. Obsequiousness^ fidelity, and
attachment to his master, composed the character
of Bentick, whom the king raised to the dignity of
earl of Portland. The English favourite, Sidney,
was a mail of wit and pleasure, possessed of the'
most engaging talents for conversation and private
friendship, but rendered unfit for public business by
indolence and inattention. He was ennobled, arid
afterwards created earl of Romney ; a title which he
enjoyed 'with several Successive posts of, profit and
importance. The streain of hondtu; and preferment
ran strong ih favour of the whigs, arid this ap
pearance1 of partiality confirmed the suspicion and
resentment of the opposite party.
§ III. The first resolution' taken iri the hew
council was to convert the convention into a par
liament, that the hew" settlefnent might be strength
ened bya legal sanction, which was now supposecf
to'be wanting, as the assembly had not been conf
voked by ffie Ring's writ of summons. The fexpe-
rirfient of & new election was deemed too hazardous;
therefore, the council'deterrniried that the king
should, by virtue of his own authority, change the
convention 'jfito a' parliament, by going to the house
of peers'wftn the uSual state of a sovereign, and pro
nouncing a speech from the throne to both h»use».
' * M2 ; •

8 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. BdOK^t.
This expedient was accordingly practised^'' Me
assured them he should never take any step that
would diminish the good opinion they had conceit
ed of his integrity. He told them that»Holland was
* This expedient was attended With and every individual has an egualrivht
in unsufmouritatle' absurdity. If the to his share in thegfUetal'dStlerrMhi-
rhajoiity of the convention, could not tion, whether ys opinion be signed
'grant a legal sanction to1 the establish- ' viva voce,' or by fc rtpreseritative
ment they h?d made, thcycouW never wrjom lie appoint* aflfi ,insp;uctsj >f9r
invest the Prince of Orange with a just that purpose. It may be suggested,
right to ascend the throne: for they 'that tluj prince of Orange was raised to
could not give what they had no right the throne without any convulsion, or
to bestow; and if he ascended the any such difficulties and1 irieonvenien-
throne without a just title, he epv&& . ces aswehayeaffirrnqd to be tbc.ue-
have no, right tosanctify that assembly cessary consequences of a measure sf
to winch he owed his elevation.. When •: tbjtt'natnre. To this , remark we.ahj-
t,he people are obliged by tyranny^ or wer, that since the revolution, these
other accidents, to have recourse td the kingdoms have been divided and' db-
, firsj principles of society, namely, their ' rassed , by violent and implacable fec-
'own* preservation, in electing a new tions, that eagerly seek the "destruction
.sovereign, it wijlcjeserye consideration, of each other ; that they |iaie)beeh>ej-
whether that choice is~ to be effected posed to plots, conspiracies, insurtec-
by the* majority of a parliament Which tions, civifvvars, arid soc«s8iW:rebel-
, has. been dissolved, indeed by any par-., lions, which have _n9£, been defeaftrd
liarrient Whatsoever, or by the body of arid quelled without vast ' effusion' of
..the, nation assembled in qoramurrities, ;blpqd, inflnke -mischief, fcajanfity^nd
corporations, by tribes or, centuaries, to expence to the nation .- that theyare
signify their assent or dissent h/ith re- still subjected to all those alarinsJaSd
spectto the person proposed as their dangers whiqh fTf engendered by a
sovereign. TMs kind of election1 Might ' disputed title to thethrbTiF, and tHe fcf-
,be attcSed, withi great inprovpnjenoe (fortsjo fan iart$f} pretender j that they
and dfipiculty, but these cannot possibly are* necessarily wedded to the affairs of
be avoided " Vrfian the donstftiitioni is the continent, arid their interest sacri-
^djssojyed by .setting aside .^he lineal ijficedto/breimconne<:tii?ns,from which
Succession 'to th^' throire. The cori-i they csineVer be disengaged. Perhaps
^titution of; B»gja;id, is- founded on a all these calamities ,niight hzrve b^cn
parliament, consisting crtttng, lords and prevented by the' interposition of the
commons j but when thereis no longer prince xrf Orange. King JaoieiiTWjvJi-
a Kin(:,theparUament-is defective.and out forfeiting the crown, might have
<:'rh£> constitution' unpaired; the liHe"ni-' been laid uriSef such restrictions' that
ijejrslqf.thc.Jpwer house, are the, repre- it could, nqtJW^b*6!? in -Ms, power, to
sentatives of the people, expressly cho- tyraruiize over ' his subjects either in
sen,, to njajnMii^nth^ constitution jjr< \spjri8iil« or tempoi'als, .Ttye.pqyjerof
church and state, and sw-^rn to support she militia might have been vested in
thetigh'tisbf Ihetcrown^ as-WelVus the two houses of parliament, as weM is
^bertlesof.tlif natiohj; but ttw»?h they -^, nominatiph, of persons Jo 611 the
are eletteeTto maintain, they Have no the great om«softhechnrch and state,
,ppwer|tp alter jthecpnsritirtioij. Wbflij( and superintend thg ecqncrrrj of; the
the king forfeits the allegiance of his administrator^ in tjie application of the
:MSbj©H, arid it becomes necessary to public money-t^a law might Kaii pass-
jtetu-pn^ Mm. the power of so doing ed foraxmualparliuniqnts, ancj^be, king
"Cannot po'sihly reside Ih the reprtseu- 'might have been deprived othis'power
Wives, wh.o arpcfcpseny.uriflei" certtiiji to cpowl^e,.i^<rtvn,pWogu,e,auddis-
rimitations, for the purpbses of a legis- solve them at his pleasure. f-Tad'these
laUUK whichf noJcinjjkfc- exists'! > their .measures, been 'taken, the KhigMrhiat
power is of cour.se at an end, and they . have been absolutely disabled fronjem-
ife1 reduced to a We! -with? Wth?i Sh-J piofirTgVithei1 fbrce or chrrirpti^ri'ln
> ^lyjduaU. that c«nstij\jtfi J;he coromu,m>v $h« ,,pro$ecutip$ pf ^ arbitrary designs,
ty. The right qf altering the'constitu- and the people must have been fairly
; t(f>m •thefefdrW or of deviating from tftie represented in a rotation of parliaments
established practice of itthentance jn? ,-wkose power and influence would
regard to the succession of the crown,-! have bocn but of one year's duration,
s Inherent in the body of the people,

CH. I. a WILLIAM *A.ND MARY. Q
jri such a situation as required their immediate at-
jjWflition and assistance;! that the posture of affairs
at home: likewise demanded their serious considera
tion; that a good settlement' was necessary,, not on
ly for the establishment of domestic peace, hut also
for the support of the protestant interest abroad :
that the affairs of Ireland were too critically sittiaft
ed to admit the least delay in their deliberations';
he therefore begged they would be speedy and "ef
fectual in concerting, such measures; as should be
judged indispensably necessary^ for the welfare qf
the nation. The commons returning to their fioase,
immediately passed a vote of thanks to his»&j|ips<tyj
and rrtkd'e an order that his speech sho^M^k;^!
into consideration. ''After the throne^hlSsIr ©eieta'*de-
d, , , ... ¦ ... ,.(,»'iioib 3i:dt Tadfnlw .
ared vacant by a, small majority of tae^aera^fteqae
who, apposed that measure hgd.gfadualjj^lf^a^n
themselves from the house, so that ver^few remain
ed but such as were devoted to the new' monarch.
These, ..therefore," bought in a bill .for preyeritifig
all disputes concerning; the present parliament;;"1. In
the mean time, Mr Mambden in the lower house
^put !f he ' que'stiort,'1 Whether a kiiig, elected by the
lords spiritual and temporal, ' and the conlibons as
sembled at 'Westminster, eoming toand consulting
with the said ferds and, commons, ,.dtd -/'hot; make as
cofrjpleto.a parHatfieht, andlegislative pbWer and au
thority, asifthe said king should cause new elections
to be made by writ 1,7' Many members affirmed', that
the* kjr/'g'S writ wasll'as necessary as his "presence to
=the'tjeiBg- of a legal pa»riiameritj andyastheconven-
^tioiiaW-as .defective in ithis particular,. it could not he
"ves^ejf; with' a -parl'Wrnentaty aujftdri'ff'by'irj^: ma-
iia^mwnt" whatsofe'ver. The' vvhfgS'replied^ That
the'ieasm^>M, aV parliament consisted in the meet-
Sng^^%^tibli(of;:thc)kingr lards, and cont-
B»^^fthdHha*- it was not material whether they
tvwm*&w$cm&fo'W<>w>nt or by letter: they proved
fclUOW SWl';OflUI fjlM TSWotj 380. TV* q ' HI1' " ''''I''
.noiJewb r'imx ->no lit »»o" naetf v , ,*** <3 ro ...j )o noieaMai,,; aaj b* Irwgai
¦ alijoacj arfj 1© '«'-.4 »di ni jansrfni »

10i HISTORY; Q-jR .ENGLAND. BOOK*,,,
this assertion , by examples de^Uppedfrom the history,
of England : they observed, that , a new .election ;
would be attended with great trouble, experice,, 3"d
loss of, time ; and that such, delay might prove fataf
to. the protestant h^erq$t\jn j^eland, ,as.,we^ as yt(fa
the allies on the contiqeqt. In the midst of thjst
d,ebj.te, the bill W^s brought 4°!wn fr°m -the, lords,
and being read, a committee was appointed tq make
some, amendments. These <were no sooner macle
than the commons sent it back to the upper house,
and it immediately received the royal assent. By
this act the lords and commons, assembled ^t West
minster, were declared, {he ,%wq houses of parlia
ment to .all intents and purposes : it likewise ordain
ed, that the-i present act, and. all other acts to which
the roy ali assent, should he. given before the nexjt,
prorogation, should be understqpd and adjudged in
law to- begin >on the thirteenth day of February :
that the members, instead of the ,old oaths of alle
giance and supremacy, should take the riew oath
incorporated in, this act, under the ancient penalty.^
and that the present parliament should be dissolv
ed in the usual manuer. Immediately after this
transaction, : a warm .debate arose in the house of
of commons about the revenue which, the courtiers
alledged had devolved with the crown upon Wil
liam, at Jeas£, during the life, of James; for which
term the greater part of it had been .granted,. The
members in,the opposition affirmed that these grants
were vacated with the throne : and at length it was
voted that the revenue had expired. Then. a mo
tion, was made, that a revenue should be settled or»
thinking and queen; and the, house resolved it
shouli) be taken into consideration. , While they
deliberated on this affair, they received a,naess£ige
from his majesty, importing, th.it the late king had
set sail from Brest with an armament tq. invade^ Jre-
land,, They forthwith resolved to assif.his, majesty
with their lives and fortunes : they voted a tern-

•CH. I. WILLIAM AND MARY. fyi
porary aid of fbur hundred and 'twenty thousand
pounds, 'to be levied by monthly assessments ; and
both 'houses waited on the -king' to signify this reso
lution. But this unanimity did' not" take place till
several lords spiritual as well as temporal had, ra-J
ther than take the oaths, absented themselves from '¦
parliament. The nonjuring' prelates were San-
croft archbishop of Canterbury^ Turner bishop of
Ely, Lake of Chichester, Ken of Bath and Wells,
White of Peterborough, Lloyd of !Norwichv Tho-
rims of Worcester, and Frampton of Glouces
ter. The temporal peers who refused the oath,
were the duke of Newcastle, the earls of :Cla*>
rendon, Litchfield, Exeter, Yarmouth, and Stafford ;
the lords Griffin and Stawel. Five of the bishops
withdrew themselves' frorn the house at one time :
but, before they retired, one of the number moved
for a bill df toleration, and another of comprehen
sion^ by which moderate dissenters might be recon-1
ciled to the church, and admitted into ecclesiastical
benefices. Such bills were actually prepared1 and
presented by the earl of Nottingham, who received
the thanks of the hbiise for the pains he had taken.
From this period, the party averse to the govern
ment of William were distinguished by the appel
lation of nonjurors. They rejected the notion of a
king de facto, as 'well as all other distinctions and
limitations ; and declared for the absolute power,
and 'divine hereditary indefeasible right of «ove-s
reigns.'1 \ IV: This faction had already begun to practise
against the new government. The king having re4
c'eived some intimation of their designs from inter-
cepted'letters, ordered the earl of Arran, Sir Robert
Hamilton, and some other gentlemen of the Scot
tish nation,1 to be apprehended and sent prisoner^
toHhe tower. Then he informed the two houses of
the step he had taken, and even craved their advice
with regard' to his conduct in such a delicate affair,,
M A

l<8ar HIS*OBT OP ENGtA H»i BOOK. t.
which had compelled him to trespass upon the faw
oi,England. : The lords thaoked him for the care*
hifltook of their liberties, and desired ho would se-
oure all disturbers of the peace :/but the commons.
empowered him by a bill to dispense with the* 'ha-
heas-corpus act tilljthe. seventeenth day pf April
next ensuing. i-rThis was a stretch of confidence in
the crown which had not been; made in favour of
the late king, even awhile Argyll and Monmouth
were in open rebellion, q A spirit of discontent had
by tins time diffused itself through the army, and
become so formidable to the court, that the king
resolved to retain the Dutch troops in England, and
send over to Holland in their room such.-re^iroeisfef
as were most tinctured with disaffection. • Of these
the Scottish regiment of Dumbarton, commandM
be Mureachal Schomberg, mutinied' on its march to
Ipswich, seized the^military chest, [disarmed the
officers who opposed their design, declared far king
Janes, and with four pieces of cannon began their
march for Scotland William, being informed of
this revolt, ordered General Giuckel to pursue thcrn
with three regi ients of Dutch dragoons.gand thcc-
mutineers surrendered at dicretion.1 As the delin-t
quents were natives of Scotland, which had not yet
sub i rutted in form to the new government, the
king did: not think proper to punish- them as: rebels,
but ordered them to proceed for Holland, accord-*
i'Jgl to his first intention. mThough this:* attempt
proved abortive, it made a strong impression upon I
the ministry, who were divided among themselves,
awl wavered in their principles. 'However, they
vised this opportunity -to bring in a bill for punish
ing^ mutiny and desertion, which in a little time
passed 'both houses, and received the*ro>al assent.
§ V.'«"The coronation -oath n» being altered and
ekpWiiied, that ceremony was performed on" the ele-
1 A w nit <fl " iuov o iju arfi uc 'UW '*
« i The new, form of the coronation- tions nnd answers. "Will iou so-
ojth consisted irj. the ipUowing ques- " lenwly yroinist und swear to govera
>. i lfl£«3joij sidl has. »

fjfr ..*.'«* WW. ft CAW -'AN© MJs»RY. <M J«f
venth day of April,- the bish'op of LbndotvorTieiat-t
ing, -at the king's desire, In theroofiiof the1 metro-
politanhif who'wHS'a malcontent! i'ffnd'next daythe'
commons? in* a body, waited on 'the ki<ngrand queen
at WhlteHiity widb .ah address of congratulation1.^
WijKarh, with a view to conciliate the affection 'of
his new subjects, and 'Check the prbgressof clamour
and discontent, signified, in a soleihri message to' the'
house of commons^ his readiness1 toacquiesce in 'awyj
measure they should think proper to take, for a new
regulation or total suppression of the hearth-money -,'
which he understood was a grievous imposition on1
the subjects; and this tax was afterwards abolished.-'
He was gratified with an address of thanks, couched'
in the ivArmest expressions of duty, gratitude, and
affection, declaring the/would take such measures'
in support of his crownj as would convince the world'
that he reigned in the hearts of his people, .doiv- jI
*-§ VI. He had, in this answer to their former ad
dress, assured tibwi of his icpm<t>anti regard tother
rights and prosperity of the nation: he had explain-'
edthe exhausted sfateof the Duttah ; expatiated upi-*
ottf the zeal of that republic for the interests7of Bri-y
tain} as well as the mahileftaho'e>of the protestant
religion ; arid ' expressed his hope that the English
parliament would not only repay the sums' they had
expended iftihiife expedition, but likewise further sup^
pdrt them to the 'utmost of their ability against the*
common enemies of <lHeir liberties and religion.oJ He
luadci observed) that avitonsiderable army and fleet;
" the peo|S!e:oi''thiskiriWo'ir/ofiE(il'ffivl,4g;6n »i' by"jaw esfa'blilned' ? %lr
" laotli, andithedomwtiJnstlKrato.be.. ,'!'Will[«9pJpreserve]unifovrtjeA)isrWfiR
" longing, according,, to the statutes in " and clergy otthU reajnuaad Hthe.'
''•pkfflkffrtH ^3\iK ; and th4 Iaw9: /M Mr$mMmm<MWr>{&
" and, ctMofoj jof tfte same ?: < ; w it #f-f^sf jglif5rfW*VlWK)Ug» asi|jyi
* I solemnly .promise so to Jo ' " law do or shall appertain umo
•« Will-you/totni utmost bf your a MU\ or^jHMefi !«« O'lh '¦ {
" cy to be executed iff all your judg- Then the king. or queen, layin? his
¦'mrhfsWnf'Viff'J"!'!1" A • ^nWrM^j^ W dcispels, sWp
" Will you, to the utmost of your say, " The things which I have here
" power, iWaWta'n the laws of God, " before-'pronriiied I will perforbi ahdt
«' the "tru'*.. HMRBsliW Wfn«m»jGosp..'l,'* " keep. ^Sffhelp-me' God '.'" -"<-'' ' "'¦'.'
'/' and the Protestant reformed reli-

14' HISTORY OP ENGLAND. BOOK I.
would be necessary for the reduction bf: Ireland,
and the protection of Britain ; and he desired they
would settle the revenue in such a manner, that it
might be collected without difficuty and dispute.
The sum total of the money expended by the states-
general in William's expedition, amounted to seven
millions of guilders, and the commons granted six
hundred thousand pounds for the discharge of this
debt, incurrfed for the preservation of their rights
and religion. They voted funds for raising and
maintaining an army of two-and-twenty thousand
men; as well as for equipping a numerous fleet1: but
they provided for no more than half a year's subsist
ence of the troops, hoping the reduction of Ireland
might be finished in that term ; and this instance
of frugality the king considered as a mark of their
diffidence of his administration. The whigs were
resolved to: supply him gradually, that he might be
the more dependent upon their zeal and attach
ment : but he was riot at all pleased Jwith their pre
caution. " ' ' •¦
§ VII. William w&s naturally biassed to Calvin
ism,' and averse to persecution. Whatever promi
ses he had made, and whatever sentiments of re
spect he had entertained for the church of England,
he seemed now in a great measure allienated from
it, by the deposition he had met with from its mem
bers, particularly from the oishops,1 who had thwart-
.ed1 his measures. By absenting themselves from
parliament, and refusing the oath,?they had plainly
disowned his title, and' renounced'his government.
He therefore resolved to mortify the church, and
gratify his own friends at the same time, by remov
ing the obstacles affixed to nonconformity, that all
protestant dissenters should bo rendered capable of
enjoying and exercising civil employments. When
he gave his assent to the bill for suspending the ha-
beas-corpus act, he recommended the establishment
of a new oath in lieu of those of allegiance and su-

Clf. I. WJcLJ-IAM :AN;B MARY. 15
premacy : he expressedhis hope thatthey wouldleave
room for the admission of all hjls protestant subjects
v^hOiiShou.ld;.^, found ,, qualified for the service ; he
said, such; a conjunction would unite them the more.
firmly among themselves, aqd, strengthen them
against bheir common adversaries. In consequence
of this hint, a clause was inserted in the bill for ab
rogating the old and appointing the new oaths, by
w^ichthe sacramental test was declared unnecessary
in rendering any person capable of enjoying any of-
fjce or employment. It was, however, rejected by
as, great majority in the, house of lords. Another
clause for .the .same purpose, though in , different
terms, was proposed by the king's direction,, and
met with the same fate, ; though in both cases se
veral noblemen. entered a protest against the resolu
tion of the-house. These fruitless efforts, in favour
ofdissenters, augmented the prejudice of Jthechurch-
men against King William, who would have willingly
compromised tho difference, by excusing the clergy,
from the oaths, provided the dissenters might.be ex
empted from the sacramental test : but this; was
deemed th£>ehief bulwark of the church,, and, there-.
fore the proposal was rejected. . The church-party
in the house of lords moyed, that instead of insert
ing a clause, obliging the clergy to take the oaths,
thaX/ing.should be empowered to tender^them ; and,
in case of their refusal, they should incur, the penal
ty.; because deprivation, or the, apprehensions pf it,.
mightmake them desperate,, and excite them to form
designs against the government. This argument
Ijiad no weight with the commons, who, thought it
w$& indispensably necessary to exact -the . oaths of
the e-Jergy, as their example influenced the kingdom
vq, general, and the youth of the nation 'were form
ed under their instructions. After a long, and warm
debate,; all the mitigation that, could be obtained,
was. a clause empowering the king to indulge any
twelve clergymen, deprived; by virtue of this act,.

Jd HISTORY OF ENGLAND. BOOK. I*
with a third part of Jrhsar benefices during pleasure;
Thus the ancient oaths of allegiance and supremacy
were abrogated :¦ the declaration of non-resistance
in the act of uniformity was repealed': the new oath
of allegiance was reduced to its primitive simplicity^
and the> coronation- oath rendered; more explicit.
The clergy were enjoined to take the new oaths be
fore the first day of August, ron pain of being sus
pended from their office for six months, and of entire
deprivation, in case they should not take thegn before
the expiration of this. term. a<Thev generally compil
ed, though with such reservations and distinctions
as were not much for the honour of their sincerity.
¦§,VIII. The king, though baffled: in fhis! design
against irrfiisacrfunental test, resolved to indulge the
dissenters witn a toleration ;_ and a .bill for this pur
pose being prepared by the earl of Nottingfoanq
was, after some debate, passed into a ]$m, undeg
the title of, An act for exempting their majesties?
protestant subjects dissenting from the church of
England from the penalties of certaijvi laws. It en
acted, .That none of the penal laws shouldrbe con^
struwl Jto extend to those dissenters who should
take the oaths to[ih§ present goveritaeetfj\and sub
scribe, the declaration of the thirtieth, year'of the
reign of Charles II. , provided that they shqrrfdchtdci
no private assemblies or conventicles with thexloors
shut : that nothing should be construed, to exempt
them from the payment of. tithes, or other- paroch^
iaf duties', that, in. case, of being chostn into the
office* of -constable, church- Mandej), overseer, &&;
aqdsftf sciupling to •• take the oaths annexed itogufd*
offices, they should be; allowed toiexeeuto the- &tim
ploytnent by deputy. ,:| thatthe^preachersandljejwhr.
ersiin congregations df idissentittg ptxfcteslaafcs, wdro
shoaidi take the oaths-, subscribe the rideifkrajt<waii#
together with all, the iw&efes of religic/nyfascApt the
thirty-fourth, and ^he- two succeeding .articles, .and
|iart of the twentieth* shod d be exempted.1 from/ th?

CK.5SIi a WILLIAM AND MARY. If
penalties decreed against non-conformists, as well
asfrom serving upon juries, or acting in parish-of
fices : yet all justices of the peace were empowered
to require such 'dissenters to subscribe the declara*
tion, and take the oaths; and, in case1 of refusal,
to commit i them to prison, without bail or maiii'-
prize.ii The same indulgence was extended to ana<-
baptists, and even to quakers, on their solemn prb^
mise, before God, to be faithfuhto the king and
queen, and their assenting by profession and asse
veration to those articles which the others ratified
upon oath : they were likewise required to profess
their belief in the Trinity and the Holy Scriptures^
Even the papists felt the benign influence of Wil-
liem's moderation in spiritual matters : he rejected
theproposal of some zealots, who exhorted him to
enact severe laws against popish*ijreGusants^<i Such
a measure, he observed, would alienate all 'the pa
pists of Europe from the interests of England, and
might produce a new catholic league, which would
render the war a religious quarrel : besides, he would
not pretend to screen the protestants of Germany
and Hungary, while he himself should persecute
the catholics of- England.' He therefore resolved
to treat them wkhMenity : and though they were.
hot comprehended in the act,' they enjoyed the be-.
BBfillof the toleration, .no j io 83t, tit- faeas itevn: on
Kj^TX. We-have- obsef\Mdi that, in consequence?
of the motion made by) the bishops when they with-J
drew: from -parliament, a bill was brought into the*
lwsSseiofcrofds for uniting their majesties' protestant
subjects. This was extremely agreeabletothekihg,'
wbo hall the scheme of comprehension very muck
attoewtknfilfiithe progress of the' bill a warm debate,;
mbse tStaaitaifeei posture of kneelirtgat the sacra-)
)pgMto}"i«foi&h vt'ds 'given' Up in favour of the dissent-,
erfel iqA*Kfth^rpi^O-iess violenty d^nsued upon the*
iu~bse<quent < :qcpstion', « -Whether 1 there should be?
" an addition jof laity in the commission to be^givei&

J8 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. SdOK'f.
" by the king to the bishops ario'others of the cler-
" gy, for preparing such a reformation of ecclesias-
" tical affairs as might be the means of healirfg''a0?-
" visions, and correcting whatever might be errb-
*' neons or defective in the constitution." A great
number of the temporal lords insisted warmly oh
this addition, and whenf it was rejected, four peei's
entered a formal protest. Bishop Burnet -was ".#
warm stickler for the exclusion of the laity ;' andj
in all probability, manifested this warmth in hopes
of ingratiating himself with his brethren, among
whom his character was very far from being popu
lar. But the merit of this sacrifice was destroyed
by the arguments he had used for dispensing with
the postiire of kneeling at the sacrament ; and by
his proposing, in another proviso of theblH, that the
subscribers, instead of expressing assent or consent,
should only submit, with a- promise of conformity.
§ X. The bill was with difficulty passed in the
house of lords ; but the commons treated it with
neglect. By this time, a great nbmber of malcon
tent members, who had retired from parliament,
were returned with1 a view to thwart the adminis
tration, though they could not prevent the settle
ment. Instead of proceeding with the bill, they
presented an address to the king, thankfn^ him for
his gracious declaration, and repeated assurances
that he would maintain the church of England a&'
by law established ; a church whose doctrine arid
practice had evinced its loyalty beyond all contra
diction. They likewise humbly besought his ma
jesty to issue writs for calling a convocation'-1 'iff the
clergy, to be consulted in ecclesiastical matters, ac
cording to the ancient usage of parliament ; and
they declared they would forthwith take into con
sideration proper methods for givirig easeto prb-
testant dissenters. Though -the king was'displeas-
cd at this address, in which the lords also had con
curred^ he returned a civil answer, by the mouth

CH. I. W,;ILLIA.M AND MARY. ijfc)
of the earl of Nottingham, professing his regard for
tfye church, of England, which, should always he- his
peculiar care, recommending the dissenters to, their
protection, and promising ,to summon a convoca
tion as< soon as such a measure should be conveni
ent. This message produced no effect in favour of
the bill, which lay neglected on the table. , Those
wliQ~moved for , it, had no other view than that of
displaying their moderation ; and now they excited
their friends to oppose it with all their interest.
Others were afraid of espousing it, lest they should
be stigmatized as enemies to, the church ; and a
great number of the most eminent presbyterians
were averse to a scheme of comprehension, which
diminished their strength, and weakened the im
portance qfi the party. Being therefore violently
opposed on one hand, and but faintly supported on
the pther, no wonder it miscarried. The king,.
however, was so bent upon the execution of his
design, that it was next session revived in another
form, thoiigh. with, no better success.
§ XL The next object that engrossed the atten
tion of the parliament, was the. settlement of a re
venue, for the support of the government. Hither
to there had been no distinction of what was allot
ted ,fpr the king's use, gndi what was assigned for
the service of the public ; so that the sovereign was, ;
entirely master of the whole supply. As the reve
nue in the late reigns; had been often; embezzled j
an,d misapplied, it was now resolved that a certain .;
sum should be set apart for the 'maintenanceiiof
the king's household, anil,- the support of his-
dignity; and that the restof the >, public money
should t>e employed under the inspection of parlia
ment. Accordingly,, since i this period; the com
mon? have appropriated' the yearly supplies to cer
tain specified services,; and an account of the appli
cation has been, constantly submitted to both house*..
at the next session-.-, At this juncture* the prevail-

20 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. BOOK X.
ing party, or the whigs, determined that the reve
nue should be granted from year to year, or at leagt
for a small term of years ; that the king might find
himself dependent upon the parliament, and merit
the renewal of the grant by a just and popular ad
ministration. In pursuance of this maxim, when
the revenue fell under consideration, they, on pre
tence of charges and anticipations which they had
not time to examine, granted it by a provisional act
for one year only. The civil list was settled at six
hundred thousand pounds, chargeable with the ap
pointments of the queen-dowager, the prince and
princess of Denmark, the judges, and Mareschal
Schomberg, to whom the parliament had already
granted one hundred thousand pounds, in conside
ration of his important services to the nation. The
commons also verted, that a constant, revenue of
twelve hundred thousand pounds should be esta
blished for the support of the crown in time of
peace. ^ XII. The king took umbrage at these restraints
- laidupontbe application of the public money, which
were the most salutary fruits of the revolution.
He considered them as marks of diffidence, by
which he was distinguished from his predecessors;
and thought them an ungrateful return for the ser
vices he had done the nation. The Tories perceiv
ed his disgust, and did not fail to foment his jea
lousy against their adversaries, which was confirm
ed by a fresh effort of the whigs in relation to a
militia. A bill was brought into the house for re
gulating it in such a manner as would have render
ed it in a great measure independent both of the
Icing and the lords-lieutenants of counties Theie
being generally peers, the bill was suffered to lie
neglected on the table : but the attempt confirmed
the suspicion of the king, who began to think him
self in danger- of being enslaved by a republican
party. The tories had, by tfee channel of Netting-

IpSt-fc i. WILLIAM AND MAR*, £1
.ham, cinade proffers of service to his. Majesty : but
complained at the same .time, that as they were in
danger of being prosecuted for their lives and for
tunes, they could not, without, an act of indemnity,
exert.,j|hernselves in favour of the crown, lest they
should, incur a .persecution from their implacable
enemies. - ...
4 XIII. ..These remonstrances made such, im
pression on the king, that he sent a message to. the
.house by Mr Hsmabden, recommending a bill, of in
demnity as the most effectual means for putting an
end to all controversies, distinctions, and. occasions
of discord. He desired it might be prepared with
all convenient expedition, and with such exceptions
only as should seem necessary for the vindication of
public justice*., the safety of him and his consort, a^<l
the settlement and welfare of the nation. Au ad
dress d.f thanks to his majesty was unanimously vot
ed.,,, Nevertheless, his design was frustrated by the
backwardness of the whigs, who proceeded so- slow
ly on the bill, that, it could uot.be brought $0 'ma
turity before the end of the session. They -wanted
,to keep the. scourge over the heads of their ene
mies, until they should, find a proper opportunity
for revenge ; and, in the mean time, restrained them
from, opposition by the terror of impending ven
geance- They.^jSected to insinuate that the king's
design was to raise the prerogative as; high as it had
been in the preceding reigns,; and that he for this
purpose pressed an act of indemnity, by virtue of
which he might legally, use the instruments : of the
late tyraeny. The earls, of Monmouth and W^f-
rington;.industrrousjy infused these jealousies into
theniinfeof their party : on the, other hand,., tjle
earl>of,|4ottinghafn .inflamed William's, distrust of
,;his old friends :• both sides succeeded in kindling aii
animosity, whiqh had like. to have produced c$fi~
-.fusiort,- notwithstanding the. endeavours used by»:y$s
Foi: I. ...... ,., N ..„

dl HISTORY 0? ENGLAND. 'BOoK'/l'
earls of Shrewsbury arid Devorfehlffe to ^lay^btfse
Heats, arid remove the suspicions that1Hilitti^lVrpre*
Vailed. ¦ .
¦-^' XIV. If was 'flow tjtidge'd expedient to pass an'
act for settling the succession oPthe crown, ac£OTcr-
ing to the former resolution of theooflveritibn. A
bill for this purpose was brought into tee lower bbusey
\vith a clause disabling papists from succeeding to5
the throne: and to this'the lords added, '^ or Such
"as should marry papists," absolving tfJesub^Sft'rn
that case froffi allegiance. The bishop ofifeft&d?yy
by the king's direction, proposed that the princes^
Sophia, duchess of Hanover, and her posterity,1
shouldhe nominated in the act of succession, asfhe
next protestant heirs, failing issue of the feing, and
Anne prirtcess of Denmark. These atrieildrrienfer
gave rise to warm debates in the lower house, where
they were vigorously Opposed, not only by those
who wished weH in secret to the late king and the
Kneal succession ; but likewise by the republican
party, who hoped to se^ monarchy altogether extin
guished in England, by the death of the three per
sons" already named in the bill of'succession. The"
lords insisted upon their amendments, and several
fruitless conferences were held between the two
houses. At length the bill was drbpt for the present,
in consequence^ of an event which in a" great mea
sure dissipated the fears of a popish succesors. Tbrs
\vas the delivery of the princess Anne, who on the
twenty-seventh day of July brought forth a son,
christened by the name of William, and afterwards
Created duke of Gloucester.
§ XV. In the midst of these domestic disputes*
William did not neglect the affairs of the continent.
He! retained all his former influence in Holland, as
his countrymen had reason to confide in his" repeat
ed assurances of inviolable affection. The great
scheme which he had projected of a confederacy
against France, began at this period to take effect.

OH. I. WILLIAM AND MARY. 23
TJ'he princes of the empire, assembled in the diet,
solemnly exhorted the emperor to declare war against
the French king, who had committed numberless
infractions of the treaties of Munster, Osnabruek,
Nimiguen, and the truce; invaded their country
without provocation, and evinced himself an inve
terate enemy of the . holy Roman- empire. They
therefore besought his imperial majesty to conclude
a treaty of peace with the Turks, who had offered
advantageous terms, and proceed to an open rupture
with Louis : in which case they would consider it
as a war of the empirej and support their head in
the most effectual manner. The stafes-general pub
lished a declaration against the common enemy,
taxing Mm with manifold infractions of the treaty
of commerce ; with having involved the subjects o/
the republic in the persecution which, he had raised
against the protestants ; with having .cajole^and in*-
suited theni.with deceitful promises and,insolent
threats ; with having plundered and. oppressed? the
Dutch merchants and traders in France'; and final
ly, with having declared war against the states, with
out Lany plausible reason assigned. The elector of
Brandenbtirgh denounced war .against France, as a
power whose perfidy, cruelty, and ambition,, it was
the duty of every prince to oppose. The inarquis
de Castanaga, -governor of the Spanish Netherlands,
isstied a counter-declaration to -that of Louis, who
hgd rdecja;red against his master. He accused the
French king of having laid waste the empire, wifhr
@ut any regard to the obKgations of religion and; hu
manity, or even to the laws of war; of h^ing^oun-
tenaneed the most .barbarous acts of cruel tysgd op-
pnefsj^n, ; and of having intrigued with the enemies
@f CifRiSTrfor the destruction^ of the; empire. The
emperor .negotiated^ an (alliance, offensive j ^ and <Je-
fen^irej vqkh the stafes-general, bjoding^^co^.
trae ting par ties>to co-operate with their whole pqwer
'-: ..:¦¦!¦¦¦? !¦'['¦ N 2. '¦ V-Jm,

'24 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. SOOK. I„
**. Oi'-'ir, brW'A MXu-H "= "''•
against France and her allies. It Was .stipulated^
that neither side should engage in' a separate'tre&byj?
on any pretence whatsoever : that no peace shoula-
be admitted, until the treaties of Westphalia, Osna'^
bruck, Munster, and the Pyrenees, should have been
vindicated : that, in case of a negotiation for a peace
or truce, , the transactions on both sides should be
communicated bona fide :'¦ and that Spain and Engs
land, should be invited to accede to the treaty. "In
a separate article, the contracting powers agreed,
that, in case of the Spanish king's dying without1
issue, the states-general should- assist the emperor
with all their forces to take possession of that mo<-
narchy: that they should use their friendly endea
vours- with the? princes electors, their allies, towards
elevating his son Joseph to the dignity of king of
the Romans ; and* employ their utmost force against
France, should she attempt to oppose his elevation,
§ XVI. b William, who was the soul of this con
federacy, found no difficulty in persuading the Eng
lish to undertake a war against their old enemies and
rivals. iJiOn the sixteenth day of April," Mr Hamb-
den made a motion for taking intoconsideraion the
fctate of»'the kingdom with respect to France "&tfd
foreign alliances ; and the commonsfnnanimously
resolved, that, in case his majesty should think' fit
to engage in a war with France,v'1they<Cwould, in a
parliamentary way, enable him to carry it on with
vigour. "An address was immediately drawn up, and
presented to the king, desiring he "would seriously
consider the destructive methods taken of late years
by the French king against the trade, qfoiet, and in
terest of the nation, particularly his present invasion
of Ireland, and supporting the rebels in that king
dom. J They did not doubt but the alliances already
made, and those that might hereafter be concluded
by his majesty, would be sufficient to reduce the
French king to such a condition that it should not
be in his power to violate the peace of christen-
S VI

CH. I. WILLIAM AND MARY. 25

u'

dom ; nor prejudice the trade and prosperity of
England ;,,in the mean time they assured his majes
ty he might depend upon the assistance of his par
liament, according to the vote which had passed- in
the house of commons. This was a welcome ad
dress to King William- He assured them, that no,
part of the supplies which they might grant for the,
prosecution of the war should be misapplied ; and,,;.
on tlie seventh day of May he. declared ;war against
the French monarch. On this occasion, Louis was
charged with having ambitiously invaded the terri
tories of the emperor, and denounced war against
the allies of England, in violation of. the treaties
confirmed under the guarrantee of the English
crown ; with having encroached upon the fishery
of Newfoundland, invaded the Caribbee , islands,
taken forcible possession of New- York and Hud-
son's-bay, made depredations on the English at sea,
prohibited the importation of English manufactures,
disputed the right of the) flag, persecuted many
English subjects, on 'account of religion, contrary to.
express treaties and the law of nations, jandl sent on
armament to Ireland, in support of the rebels of
that kingdom. »
i§.,;XVII. Having thus described the progress ofi
the (revolution in England, we .shall, now briefly exw
plain the measures that ivere prosecuted in Scot
land, towards the establishment of William on the
throng of that kingdom- The meeting of tbe.Scot-
tish- convention was fixed for the fburteenthidayiof
March ;, and both parties employed alb their idfcer^
egtioto influence the election of members^ u j,The
duk'ejof Hamilton, andtallrthepresfoyteriaiisjQ&rlar^
ed for William.. The duke of Gordon maintained
tJbfejff&adile-.Qf Edinburgh for his. oM. master;, but aa
he had neglected to lay in a sthre of provisions, bef
ifepehdedientirely upon the. citizens for subsistence!
The, partisans of James were headed by the earl of
- N3

%Q HISTORY OF ENGLANt). BOOK I«
BalcarraS, and Graham Viscount Dundee, who em
ployed their endeavours to preserve union among
the individuals of their party ; to confirm the duke1
of Gordon, who began to waver in his attachment
to their sovereign ; and to manage their intrigues in
such a mariner as to derive some advantage to their
cause from the transactions of the ensuing session,
When the'lords and commons assembled at Edin
burgh, the bishop of that diocese, who officiated, as
chaplain to the convention, prayed for the restora
tion of King James. The first dispute turned up
on the choice of a president. The friends of the
late king set up the marquis of Athol in opposition
to the duke of Hamilton ; but this last was elected
by a considerable majority ; and a good number of
the other party, finding their cause the weakest, de
serted it from that moment. The earls of Lothian
and Tweedale were sent as deputies, tp require the
duke of Gordon, in the name of the estates, to quit
the castle in four-and-twenty hours, and leave the
charge of it to the protestant officer next in com*
rnand. The duke, though in himself irresolute, was
animated by Dundee to demand such conditions as
the convention would not grant. The negotiation
proving ineffectual, the states ordered the heralds,
in all their formalities, tp summon him to surrendet
the castle immediately, on pain of incurring the pe
nalties of high treaspn ; and he refusing to obey
their mandate, was proclaimed, a traitor. All per
sons were forbid, under the same penalties, to aid,
succour, or correspond with him ; and the castle
was blocked up with the troops of the city.
§ XVIII. Next day an express arrived from Lonr
cloq, with a letter from King William to the estate^ ;
and, at thejsame time, another from James was pre
sented, by pile Crane, an English domestic of the
abdicated queen. William observed, that he had
called q meeting of their estates at the desire of the
npbjlity and gentry of Scotland assembled at "Lon.-

dpn, cwfop teques^e^fhaJi^he wpuld ..tfke, up^n him
self tfcie admipistra.tion of their afiiiirsu lie exhort
ed, them to jcqr^ce,r^measuxes.:'fpr setf ling the fieace;
of. the kingdpm upo^.&js'ojid foundatipn ; rand to lay
aside animosities and factions, which served drily, to
impede that salutary settlement. He professed, him
self .sensible. of the good effects that would* arise
from an union of the two Kingdoms';', and assured
themjjhe would use his best end.eaypqrjto promote
suqb.j.a^coalitiop. A eptimoittee being ^p pointed to
draw.j up a, respecfful answer to these' assurances, a
debase, ensued about" the. letter froth Jtne' late King
James. This ,t,hey resolyse.4.to fayPur. , wUh a reach
ing, . .-after ,jtbeF members should have subscribed. "aif
act,. . declaring, ^tb^at notwithstanding any thing ihaff
might be contained in'the lefjer for dissolvmg'the
convention, or impedihgftheir procedure, they were
arfree-and lawful meeting of the.gf^tes,: fand .would
continue undissolve^ ..until they shquld liave settled
and sepuredlhe pr^eptant religio|i^^e government
laws, and Ubiertiejs.j.gfl t^e ^Wg'-'S^-,-,,^2^^ ,t,akt;-n
tljjs p/,ecautiop?f|peypproceeded to e^h^ne thelefc-
ter of the late sovereign,. who conjured them to siip-
pOF^his interest asr|a^thfu,l subjects, and eternize.
their ,nameiS j by ta^ loyajty suitable, to ||ieir former
professions, Lie ri^id, h^ would not fail fogive
themjsuch^ speedy and po\yer,ful',as|istanGe as wbutd
enabig-them . to .defend them£eiye|, fr'ojm.' any" foreign
flj^rayt ; and ^ev^n ^^sp^ihi^r^n't.aga^sl thofe
enemies, who had depressed it by' the blackest usuf-
pations and unnatural attein^s^.v^pich the Auoi&n-
ty God would not allow to^pass ^yiipunishfecL , Tie
pj^jqd pardon to al)( , those'T , who sboulpl ret^r^f id
th^ar duty before the Jast day ^pf ,th^.,rnbnth ; ;hnd
jthreatened to punish pgpipusly such ai should stand
put >m rebellion against him ap4^s^horJ.f|.9 \
• firXlX., This, address oroduced very little effect
/ 'J- ¦-'¦' h'Mre . -< ™ £ it; .;.::,-,3 bfJK VJllrdof*

28 HrSTOfcVV'OF ENGLAND. BO0EII.
were greatly out-numbered ifr this assembly. -Mis
messenger was. ordered into; custody,- and aftervvards
dismissed with a pass instead of an answer. James,
foreseeing this contempt, had, by an instrument
dated inl Ireland, authorised the archbishop of Glas
gow, the earl of Balcarras, and the viscount Dun
dee, to call a convention of the estates'at Stirling.
These three depended on the interest of the mar
quis of Athol and the earl of Mar, who professed
the warmest -affection for the late king ; arid' they
hoped a secession of their friends would embarrass
the convention, so as to retard the settlement bf
King William. Their expectations, howeverj, were
disappointed. Athol deserted their cause ; rand
Mar suffered himself to, be intercepted in his re
treat. The rest of their party were, by the vigi
lance of the duke of Hamilton, prevented from
leaving the convention, except the viscount' Dim-
dee, who retreated to the mountains with about fif
ty horse, and was pursued by order of the estates.
This design being frustrated, the convention ap
proved and recognised, by a solemn act, the con
duct of the nobility and gentlemen who had intreat
ed the king of England to take upon him the admi
nistration. . iThey acknowledged their obligatiomto
the prince of Orange, who had prevented the de
struction of 'their laws, religion, and fundamental
constitution : they besought his highness to assume
the reins of government for that kingdom : thev
pissued a proclamation, requiring all persons, from
sixteen to sixty, to be in readiness totakearms
when called upon for that purpose : they conferred
the command of their horse militia upon Sir Patrick
jHume, who was formerly attainted for having been
"concerned in Argyle's insurrection • they levied
weight hundred men for a guard to the city of Edin
burgh, and constituted the carl of Leven their pofn-
mander ; they put the'militia all over the kingdom
into the hands of those on whom they could rely :

CH. I.' n WILLI AM -AND ¦ MATEY. &§
they created the earl- of Mar governor of Stirling-
castle : they received a reinforcement of five regi
ments from- England, under the command of.Mac-
kay, whom they appointed their general ; and th$y
issued orders for securing, all disaffected persons.
Then they dispatched Lord Ross, with ah- answer
to King WilliamV letter, professing fcljlein gratitude
totheir deliverer,' and congratulating him upon his
success. They thanked him for; assuming the ad
ministration of their affairs, and assembhng>a cdn-
•-vention of their estates. They, declared they would
take effectual and speedy measures fbris^eoflhig the
protesta-nt religion*, as \\t\l as <for .establishing frhe
government,- laws,' .and-clibertiifik of the kingdom.
They assured -hiim they • would j as 'mtioh as layin
their power, .avoi-.-l'-.i'ieputes and- animosities1; ar.d
desired the continuance' of his majosty'si care '-and
protection.-/' ^m" ,non ovnoD srti gm-vsal
§ XX. After the departure, of Lord Ross,, -they
.^appointed a committee, consisLiug of eigfetolpprfs,
eight knights, and fas many buigeSses, to prepare
the plan of a new-settlement :• -butithia resolution- was
not taken without n vigorous opposition iffainisobae
remairiingaliherentsof the late king,, fo^adeslfbyithe
•archbishop of Glasgow %.c.A\ the other prelate^' ex
cept he of Edinburgh/ haying already deserted the
convention.!, After, warm debates,; the committee
agreed in the f following vote j* " The estatest of -the
^ kingdom tiof Scotland- find :and declare,- 9rh"at
a ^ King James -Vli. -being a .protest! papist, did as^
gr"isume the royal power, and act^asha king, iwiih-
b "out: ever i taking, the oatht(A<qfto^eclbib^Bla*'}dffind
i'5hhrfS,^rthe)advii,ceiof evil and'wickeri counseH&t-s,
*'¦< invaded' the fundamental constitution ; Of tbisikJrlg-
ff /dbmy and alterfaibit from a legal arid limited' mo-
^hhdoliyto-ian arbitrary despotic powers -and .had
.*'• 'governed- thd same -toithe^subversaonhof titer pj*o-
"fi^faht. religion/ and Violation' of the laws> and<Ji-
f berties of the nation,., inverting, all -the; ends' ©Ago-

$0^ HISTOKY OP ENGLAND. BOOK, t&
" vernment ; whereby he had forfeited the right of
"the crown, and the throne was become, vacant."
When this vote was reported, the bishop of Edin
burgh argued strenuously against it, as containing a
charge of whichtheking was innocent ; and he pro
posed that his majesty should be invited to return to
his Scettish dominions. All his arguments were
defeated or over-ruled, and the house corifirmed the-
vote, which was immediately enacted into a law by
a great majority. The lord-president declared the
throne vacant, and proposed that it might be filled
with William and Mary, king and^queen of Eng
land. The committee was ordered to prepare an
act for settling the crown upon their majesties, to
gether with an instrument of government for secur*
ing the subjects from the grievances under which,
they laboured.
§ XXI. On the eleventh day of April, this act,,
with the conditions of inheritance, and the instru
ment, were reported, considered, unanimously ap
proved, and solemnly proclaimed at. the market*
cross of Edinburgh, in presence pf.the lord-presi-
dent^ assisted by the lord-provost and magistracy of
the city, the duke of Queensberry, the ma-quisses,
of Athol and Douglas, together with, a great num
ber of the nobility and gentry. At the same time
they published another proclamation, foi bidding all
persons to acknowledge, obey, assist, or correspond
with the late King James; or, by word, writing, or
.sermon, to dispute or disown the royal authority of
King William and Queen Mary ; or to misconstrue
the proceedings of the estates, or create jealousies or
misapprehensions with regard to the transactions, of
the government, on pain of incurring the most .;er
vere penalties., Then, having settled the corona
tion-oath, they granted a commission to the earl of
Argylefor the lords, to Sir James Montgomery ifor
the knights,- and, to Sir John Dairy mple for the,bo<-
r-pugbs, empowering them to repair to London, and

CH..I. OS WILLIAM -ANB -MARY. 81 .« 31
invest their majesties with *tfie government. This
affair being discussed, theiifonvention-'appointed a
committee to take' care of theltp'ublic peace, and ad
journed to the twenty- first dHPf of May. On the
eleventh day of that montb,tihe Scottish commis
sioners being introduced to their majesties at White
hall, presented first a'preparatory letter from the
estates, then the instrument of government, with a
paper containing a recital of the grievances of the
nation ; and an address, desiring his majesty to con
vert the convention into a parliament: The king
having graciously promised to concur with them in
all just measures for the interest of the kingdom;
the coronation-oath was tendered to their majesties
by the earl ofi Argyle.^oAs it contained a clause,
importing, that they should root* out heresy, the
king declared that he did not mean by these words,
that he should be under an obligation 'to act as a
persecutor : the commissioners replying, that such
was not the meaning or import of the oath, he de
sired them, and others present, to bear witness to
the exception he had made. tr^ioch _A___>' .
1o ^ XXII. In the mean time,dLord Dundee ex
erted himself with uncommon activity in behalf of
his master. i>He had been summoned by aitirturnpet
¦to return to the'- convention, nrefused toiibbey the
citation, on pretence that the whagis shad) inadejaaa
attempt upon his life : and that the deliberationsarf
the estates were influenced byUhe. neighbourhood
"of English troops,Qunder the command- of Mackay*
He was forthwith declared a fugitive/ outMw, and
rebel. I^He was rancorously hated by -the presby?
terians, on whom he had; exercised'someieruBlties,
as an officer under the former government : and for
this reason the states resolved' td inflict! upon him
"exemplary punishment. t> Parties Were ' detached in
pursuit of him and Balcarras. This last fell into
their hands, and Wasi committed to a common prii-
jgon ; but Ddndee tought his way through the troops

32 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. BOOK t.
¦ . ' • '¦ ' ¦, UiMrC»
that surrounded him, and escaped to the Highlands,
where he determined to take arms', in favour of
James, though that prince had forbid him to. make
arty attempt of this nature, until he should receive
a reinforcement from Ireland, While this officer
Was employed in assembling the clans of his party,
King William appointed the duke of Hamilton com
missioner to the convention-parliament. The post
of secretary for Scotland was bestowed upon Lord
Melvil, a weak and servile nobleman, who had taken
refuge in Holland from the violence of the late
reigns; but the king depended chiefly for advice
upon Dalrymple Lord Stair, president of the college
of justice, an old crafty fanatic, who for fifty years.
had complied in all things with all governments.
Though these were rigid presbyterians, the king, to
humour the opposite party, admitted some indivi
duals of the episcopal nobility to the council-board ;
arid this intermixture, instead of allaying animosi^
ties, served only to sow the seeds of discord and
confusion. The Scottish convention, in their de
tail of grievances, enumerated the lords of the arti
cles ; the act of parliament in the reign of Charles
II. by which the king's supremacy was raised so
high that he could, prescribe any mode of religion
according to his pleasure ; and the superiority of
any1 office in' the church above that of presbyters.
The king, in his instructions tp the Iprd-commis-
sioner, consented tp the regulation, of the lords of
tlie articles, though he would notallow theinstitutiqrtj
tb be abrogated; he was contented that the, act re
lating to the king's supremacy should be rescinded,
and thafthe church-government .should be esta^
Wished in such a manner as would be most agreea
ble to 'the m'clinatipns of the people. , -, .qr..
VXXIIf On the seventeenth da'vbf Jmle,T>ifk'liri
Hamiltori'Opehed the Scottish parliament, after the
cdnVTiition had assumed this name, "in consequence'"
fif an act passed by his majesty's direction ; but the

CH. I. ' WILLIAM AND MARY. 35
,i'3tno-2 'id-w*'" "'vr- t> rat 'im
members in general were extremely chagrined when
they found the commissioners So mdcV'restricted
in the affair of the lords of the articles? which they
considered as their chief grievancjei!^'" The king
permitted that the estates should choose the lords
by their own suffrages ; and that they^should be at
liberty to re-consider* any subject which the said
lords might reject. He afterwards indulged the
three estates with 'the choice of eleven delegates
each; for this committee, to be elected monthly, or
oftener, if they should think fit : but even these con
cessions proved unsatisfactory, while the institution
itself remained. Their discontents were hot even
appeased by the passing of an act abolishing prelacy.
Indeed their resentment was inflamed by anbtteiv
consideration ; namely, that of the king's hayings
given seats in the council to some individuals at-*
tached to the hierarchy.1' "They manifested tRejr
sentiments on this subject by bringing in a bill ex-*
eluding from any public trust, place, or employment--
under their majesties', all such as had beeri^concgjrn^
ed fn the encroachments of the fate reigrii°orlia^
discovered disaffection to the late1 happy cnallge, qr
in- any way retarded or obstructed the 'U^slgtis of*
the convention. This measure u4s.pro^c\iiteo>wit*h[
great warmth ; and the bill paaWWugTOW
forms of the house, but provda^ffffit^l^otwanf?
of the -royal assent. * 3 rfoianVsflJ m. sorffp vna
§ XXIV. Nor were they l«3J6fefiffiMw«r
fair of the judges, .whom thellnf WjA^ffi1'
appoint: by Q Virtue Of his own F^^aifve.^K*^^
malcontents brought in a bill' ddclarnWlKe Bemtfir
f - ¦- , , • msiv ¦ a e^ririf^m of^mM
I The lords of the article,, b? 'felf^°frf^jir!af,P¥*n,?ff* *W«3
gradtial-usiirpation of the crown, 'a,<v 'jstittHea thelorcs of the .articles.r
taaUK^Kt^tiJsd a »rievancec^o^BI^hJrfWBBrlttaB ^SeSecHllhfc&f&SLd
lerafefe in<4' free nation. 'LhXJ^%J^JY%^^VA\^^Y^j'<<HiS^s5
empowered the commis-fione^Mter'qni tribrtOriV ruling orertures, for je~
cr^o|e^ht,Jfshp|>s^iomhef^^1cfr^s^

34! HIS-tOIlY OP ENGLAND. BPOfciL
\^acant, as it was at the restoration' ; asserting tlhein
own right to examine and approve those whoshpuldl
be appointed to fill it ; providing, that if in time to.
cbmeany such total vacancy should oixur, thenomi^
nation should be in the king or queen, or regentdaii
the time being, and the parliament retairi therighofe
of approbation ; and that all the clauses in 'the; several!
acts relating to, the admission of the ordinary lordsiofj
session, and their qualifications for that office, should:
be ratified land confirmed for perpetual observationL
Such was the interest L6f this party, that! theJHilb-
was carried by a great majority, notwithstandirigl
the opposition of the ministers, who resolved toi
maintain the king's nomination, even in defiance
of a parliamentary resolution. The majority* •ex-K,
asperated at this open violation of theirJprivileges-,r
forbade the judges whom the king had appointed
to open their commissions, or hold a, session amtill
his majesty's further pleasure should^ be knowhfq
on the other hand, they were, compelled, toactibyt
the ! menaces! of the privy 'council! The Sd&pubSv
was carried on with great acmrkimy On bolh sidesyf
and produced such a ferment,1 that before^ the.' jses-*.*
sion opened, the ministry thought, proper! tojd«tafl!«a&
great number of forces into the> neigbh^irjadfodiofii
Edinburgh, to support the judges in the dxdrei|firi
of their functions. ¦¦_•" s^v/ nofagae sriT JVXX \
,$ XXV. The lord-commissioner^ ahaftriedtat fcbMi
scene of tumult and xonfusidMaj, iadjouri^addsiMI
house till the eighth day of October ; astep wliieb^j
added to the other unpopular inieasures^oifeiheicduEfjrS
incensed the opposition to a iviblemto degiee. oTdaey/
drew up a remonstrances to the kingy cornplafiningfii
of this, adjournment while the nation was jjietiii^j
settled* recapitulating the several jjastancesfjinwhicfeb
they had expressed their Zealand afF^csliBMaqfor his
majesty ; explaining! i their;, reasons for idifeseistteigj
from the ministry in some articles ; besaeehiiigahim
to consider what they had represented, tasgiKbfeBS*

«H;iva wiEtrAMt a*d Mary. S3
royal assent to the" acts of parliament 'which they
had prepared, and i take measures for redressing all
the othters grieVailces' Of the nation. This addressl
wagi'preserited to the king at' Hampton- court. uWil-
liarhtwas sotouched with the reproachesit implied,
as >if he bad not fulfilled the conditions on which
hVadcepted the crown of Scotland, that' he, in his
own {vindication/ published his instructions to the
d»i[«fttiniffi§io*ier /and by these it appeared that the
dabelr.might have proceeded to greater lengths ini
obliging his'countrymen. Before the adjournment,
raiwevef, the parliament had granted the revenue
for life ; janri ^raised-" money for maintaining a body
of forces, as well as for supporting the incidental
expence: of the government ' for' some months ; yet
part 'of the troops in that kingdom were supplied
akd sutjsjstbdd by the administration of Englartd.i
Ihicoas%us9iee,> of these .disputes in the Scottish J
parijament? tHeS* 'church was, left without any set*-!
tledtform of'gbvernmeirt ; for, though the hierarchy
wasiabdished, the presbyterran discipline?was not
yetfestabiishedi and'ecclesiastical affairs were occa-
sionallvijregiula^ed bji 'the privy^corinchV deriving its
a^tfto^tylfiratja) itjh&ti very act of supremacy \vhic*h;
ated^ngfJt^thpgalafliitofrightsj ought to have- been,
repeaferh oiiJr ni 83gbri[ Hi Jiaqqusro* ,'ri;- uc, : '
§ XXVI. The session was no sooriersadjowrried
thaiif ^rbsJnhirlE Lanier converted the* blockade of
BaBhboEgihHe^&fle 4«»tor ^regular siege, 'Whiehavas
ptJri3(^l^tqdi^th^^«^0/i^0UT, th'at in a litUla time
tfiterjfifl-iafl4!altiai»9uaiBKei Ti^^rfand<tkey works ad*
V^i*i3d aJStli^afoMiaofivtbeoJttails!,! iniqwhidh the be-
s^getfel^Rlaaiiadffridvsiidl latgKtoaa'ehesoeti'Eheiduke
ofnf&ch^oj^wfiraliteg lnslJBrQfiabnit«iaaiiieixpe^ted?ifhis
dK&kl«esi(fexttt3ye»k Ihisinieil^eiidfeiartiifetyB-cvteofF,
aaiifl deSrjaaiitagftjf liefctf'afrotroiwi^aKlbffiqeatsbe^ $tis'
rtgjKtta^aid&ir^torta^ffllafo^^ yefy^ipti
vouA^iwil^wsdfargilisiJgaKrisoa yib^fciwroMlii matt
siaphbtEgaD^ (gfacrtittamfsfoibiiii^self, i ddelatibgy that

36 HISTORY Pfr ENGLA&|1. feOQlt,,!,,
he had so much respect for, all the princes descends
,ed from King, James VI. that Ihe would hot. affront
any of th/em so far as to insist upon terms for has
own particular : he therefore, on the thirteenth day
of June, surrendered the castle and himself at ,o^
Jicretion. All the hopes of James and his party were
now concentred in the Viscount Dundef, who had
assenjb led a body of Highlanders, and resolved ^P
.attack Mackay on an assurance he. had received, by
message, that the regiment of Scottish dragoons
would desert that officer, and join him in the ac
tion. Mackay, having received intimation of tf$s
design, , decamped immediately, and by long marches
retired before Dundee, until he was reinforced by
Ramsey's, dragoons,, and another regiment of Eng
lish infantry : then he faced about, and Dundee in
his, turn retreated into Lochaber. Lord Murray,
son of the marquis of Athol, assembled his vass$s
-to the number of twelve hundred men for the serr
.yice of the regency ; but he was. betrayed b.y oneof
his own dependents, who seised the castle of Bi^y:
for Dundee, and prevailed upon the Athol men to
disperse, rather than fight against James. their law^
fuj sovereign. , , r.
, ^, XXVII. a The viscount was by this time XPffa?
ced to great, difficulty and distress. His men ha^J
not ,fpr many weeks tasted bread or salt, or any
drink, but water : instead of five hundred infantry,
.three hundred horse, with a, supply of arms, ain/
.munition, and provision, which James had promis
ed to send from Ireland, he received a. reinforce
ment of three hundred naked ( recruits;, but, the
transports with the. stores fell into the hands of the
^riglish- Though this was a mortifying disappoint-
menf»lie bore it without repining; and, far. from
abandoning bj.uself to despair, began his march, to
the^castjc o/$Jair, which wafl '.threatened with a
siege, liy, Genqjal Mackay. ^heji he, reached, tl^is
fortressj he received intelligence that the enemy had

fcjft. I; WILLIAM AND MARY*. &f
entered the pass of Killycrajakie, and he resolved to
give them battle without delay. He accordingly
advanced againstthemi and a furious engagement
ensuedj.though it was not of long duration. The
Highlanders having received and returned the fire
of the English, fell in among them sword in hand
with such impetuosity, that the foOt were utterly
broke in seven minutes. The dragoons fled at the
first dhafge in the utmost consternation : Dundee's
horse, not exceeding one hundred, broke through
Mackay's own regiment : the earl of Dumbarton, at
the head of a few volunteers, made himself master
of the artillery : ; twelve hundred of Mackay's fbrees
were killed on the spot, five hundred taken prison
ers, and the rest fled with great precipitation for
some hours, until they were rallied by their general,
who was an officer or approved courage* conduct,
and experience. Nothing could be more complete
or decisive than the victory which the Highlanders
obtained ;'; yet it was dearly purchased with the
death of their beloved chieftain the Viscount Dun
dee, who fell by a random-shot in the engagement,,
and his fate produced such confusion in his army as-
prevented all pursuit. He possessed an enterpris
ing spirit^ undaunted courage, inviolable fidelity, arid
was peculiarly qualified to command the people who
fought under his banner. He was the life and sOul
Of that cause Which he espOused, aridrafter his death
it daily declined into ruin and disgrace. He waa
succeeded in command by Colonel Canrion, who
landed the reinforcement from Ireland j but all his
designs miscarried : so that the clans, wearied with
repeated misfortunes, laid down their arms by de
grees, and took the benefit of a pardon which King
William offered to those who should submit With
in the time specified in his proclamation.
§ XXVIII. After this sketch of Scottish affairs,
it will be necessary to take a retrospective View of
Vol. I. 6

38 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. EOpi ty
James, and .relate the particulars of his expedition::
to Ireland. That unfortunate prince and his queen
were received with* the most cordial hospitality by
the Freftch monarch,' who assigned the castle of St
Germain for the place of their residence, supported
their household With great magnificence, enriched
them with presents, and undertook to re-establish
them on the throne of England. Uames, however*
conducted himself in such a manner as conveyed
no favourable idea of his spirit and understanding.
He seems to have -been -emasculated by religion :
he was. deserted by that courage and magnanimity
for which his youth had been distinguished. He
did not discover great sensibility at the loss of his
kingdom. All his faculties were swallowed up, in
bigotry. Instead of contriving plans for retrieving"
his crown, he held conferences with the Jesuits on
topics of religion. The pity which his misfortunes-
excited in Louis was mingled with contempt. The,
pope supplied him with indulgences, while the Ro •
mans laughed at him in pasquinades : " There is *r
" pious man, (said the archbishop of Rheims, ironi-
" cally) who has sacrificed three crowns for a mass!"
In a word, he subjected himself to the ridicule afid
raillery of the: French nation.
-i § XXIX All the hope of reascending the, Bri
tish throne ^depended upon his friends in Scotland"
and Ireland, Tyrconnel, who commanded in this
last kingdom, was confirmed in his attachment to
James/ by the persuasions of Hamilton, who had
undertaken for his submission to the prince of
Orange. Nevertheless, he disguised his sentiments,
and temporised with William, until James should
be able to supply him with reinforcements from
France, which he earnestly solicited by private mes
sages. In the mean time, with a view to cajole th*"1
prolestants of Ireland, and amuse King William with-
hope of his submission, he persuaded the Lord
Mountjoy, in whom the protestahts chiefly confid-

3h. i. Wtti.iAM and Mary. B§
ed, and Baron Rice, to go in persori with a com->
mission to James, representing the ^necessity of
yielding to the times, and of waiting a fitter oppor
tunity to make use of his Irish subjects. Mount-*
joy, on his arrival at Paris, instead of being favour-'
ed with an audience by James, to explain the rea-i
sons which Tyreonnel had suggested touching thdk
inability of Ireland to restore his majesty, was com
mitted prisoner to the Bastile, on account of the
zeal with which he had espoused the protestant in-i
terest. Although Louis was sincerely disposed to
assist James effectually^ his intentions were obstruct
ed by the disputes of his ministry. Louvois pos^
sessed the chief credit in council : but Seignelat eri^J
joyed a greater share ofhpersonal favour both with
the king and Madame de Maintenon, the favourite
Concubine. To this nobleman, as secretary for ma-j
rine affairs, James made his chief application ; and
he had promised the command of the troops destin
ed for his service to Lausun, whom Louvois hatedj
Wot' these; reasons this minister thwarted his mea-»
sures, and 'retarded the assistance which Louis had
promised toward his restoration.
>'§' XXX. Yet, notwithstanding all his opposi*
tion, the succours were prepared, and. the fleet ready
to put to sea by the latter end of February. The
French king is said to have offered ari army of fif
teen thousand natives of France to serve in this ex
pedition ; but James replied, that he would succeed
by the help of his own subjects, or perish in the at
tempt;!' Accordingly, he contented himself with
about twelve hundred British subjects i, and a< good-
1 Jamts in this expedition wa? at- arid Gakvay ;' the' late lord 'chief- jai£
tendediby the-dulfe of Berwiqk, and . ticeHjsrbertilntfrnara^iisiyi^tradeji'
by his brother Mr Fit£james, grand M. de Rosene, Mareschal de Campi
prior, the doke of Powis, the earls' of Mamoe, Puslgnan, and tori, lieuten-*'
Dover, Melfort, Abercorn, and Sea- ant-genenls; Prontce, engincei-ge^
forth ; the lords Henry and Thomas neral; the marquis '.d'AbJeville, Sir
Howard, the lords Drummond, Dun- John Sparrow, SirUoger Strictland/
gan,Trendraught,,Bnehan, Hunsdon, Sir William Jennings, Sit Henry
slid Brittas ; th* bishops of Chester Bond, Sir Charles Carney, Sir E&
-" •¦ ' '• "* ' ,,L Q 2'" ¦ " " ' '" ;"

<*0 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. SQffiL>fy
number Of French officers, who were emba'rke'd in
the fleet at Brest, consisting of fourteen ships of the>s
line, seven frigates, three fire ships, with a good-
number of transports. 'The French king also sup
plied him with a considerable quantity of arms for
the use of his adherents in Ireland ; accommodated
him with a large sum of money, superb equipages,
store ofpktejarid necessaries of all kinds forthecamp
and the household. At parting) he presented him
with his own cuirass^ and embracing him affection
ately, " The best thing I can wish you (said he) is,'
" that I may never see you again-.'V On the seventh
day of March, James embarked at Brest, together
with the Count D'Avaux, who accompanied him in
quality of ambassador, and his principal officers;
He was detained in the harbour by contrary winds
till the seventeenth day of the month, when he set
sail, and on the twenty second landed at Kinsale in
Ireland. By this time, Kings William, perceiving
himself.amused by Tyrconnel, had published a de
claration, requiring the Irish to lay down their arms,
and submit to the new governments On the twen*
ty-secOnd day of February, thirty 'sflips of war had
been put in commission, and the command of them
conferred upon Admiral Herbert ; but the anna*
ment was retarded in such a mariner by the disputes
of the Council, and the king's attention to the af
fairs Of the continent, that the admiral was not in a
condition to sail till the beginning of April, and
then with part of hisfleet only: James was received
with Open arrris 'HtKirisale, and the whole country
seemed to be at his devotion ; for, -< although the
protestants in the north had declared for the new
government, their strength and number was deem
ed irieotosMeraMe when- compared with the power
buela. ; 11 '>.< r>o-8in9!MU>B srii' . ^X2. .'>
nrard yaudrey, Sjr 'Charles Murray, mi^tonj |Sira.on t8rtd, Henryt JLriitrel,
Sir Robert Parker, Sir Alphoriso Ramsay, ' Dorrifurtort, Sut-Kirrlanlil,
Maiolo, Sir SaMuol Fo'xon, and Sir ClifforoVPa^ten rVTcej^CaririQij^afd
William Wallis; hy the rolon'elj Por- fielding, with about nvo-and-twea-
ter, Sarsfield, Anthony and John Ha- ry other officers ot inferior rank.

€&. 1,0-11 WILLIAM^ANB MARY.fJ| 41-
of Tyreoftnel. This minister had disarmed all the
other protestant subjects in one day, and assembledi
an army of thirty thousand foot, and eight thousand
cavalry, for the service of his master. T «->. ^j,^
i § XXXI. v In the latter end of March, James
made his public -entry into Dublin'* amidst the ac
clamations of the inhabitants. Me was met at the
castle-gate by a procession of popish bishops and
priests in their pontificals, bearing the host, which
he publicly adored. He dismissed from the ,coun»
cil-board the Lord Granard, Judge Keating, and-
other protestants, who had exhorted the lord-lieu
tenant to an accommodation with the new govern
ments In their room he admitted the French am
bassador, the bishop of Chester, Colonel Dorring^
ton, and, by degrees, the principal , noblemen who
accompanied him in the expedition. On the second
dayjafter his arrival in Dublin, he issued fiye pro
clamations : the first recalled all the subjects of
Ireland; who had abandoned the kingdom, by a cer
tain time, , on pain of outlawry and confiscation, and
requiring ail persons to join him against the prince
of. Orange. *rThe second contained expressions of
acknowledgement to his, catholic subjects for their
lagitarueef and fidelity, arid an inunction to such as
were not actually in his service, "¦ to retain and.^ajf
Up their arms until it^should be found ,- necessary $o
use libera for his advantage. By the third he in
vited the subjects to. supply his army with.. proyi-
;«^ons.$)an,d prohibited the soldiers to take any thing
without payment. By the fourth he raised the,; va?-
lue of thetouKrent coin ; and „in the-fifth; he,sum>-
moned a parliament to.meet on the seventh* day, of
MayfatDubBa^ Finally, he created Tyrconnelva
dwke, inoonsideration of hi&#^M#i§£ry<ice&i- j^
$ XXXII. The adherents of James in England
pressed him tp ^ttle the affairs Of Ireland imtrfe-
diately, and bring over hisarmv either to-the north
0 3

41? HISTORY OP ENGLAND. BOOlt If.
pf England, or the west of Scotland, where it might
be joined by his party, and act without delay against
the usurper -x but his council dissuaded him from
complying with their solicitations, until Ireland
should be totally reduced, to obedience. On the
firsi alarm of an intended massacre, the protestants
of Londonderry had shut their gates against the re
giment commanded by theearl of Antrim, and resolv
ed to defend themselves against the lord lieutenant..
They transmitted this resolution to the government
of England, together with an account Of the dan
ger they incurred by such a vigorous measure, arid
implored, immediate assistance. They were accord
ingly supplied with some arms and ammunition,
but did not receive any considerable reinforcement
till the middle of April, \vhen two regiments arriv
ed in Loughfpyl, under the command of Cunning
ham, and Richards. By this time, King James had
taken Colerarne, invested Killrnore, and was almost
jn sight of Londonderry. George Walker, rector
of Donaghmore, who had raised a regiment for the
defence of the protestants, conveyed this intelli
gence, to, Lundy the, governor. This officer direct
ed him tp join Colonel Crafton, and take post at
the Longcausey, which he maintained a whole night
against the advanced guard of the enemy ; until be
ing overpowered by numbers, he retreated to Lon
donderry, and exhorted the governor to take the
field, as the army of King James was not yet com
pletely formed. Lundy assembling a conncil of
\var, at which Cunningham arid Richards assisted,
they agreed, that as the place was not tenable, Xrt
would be imprudent to land the two regiments ; and
that) the principal officers should withdraw them
selves, from Londonderry, the inhabitants of which
would obtain the more favourable Capitulation in
consequence of their retreat, An officer was im
mediately dispatched to King James, 'with pfopo-;
Sals of a negotiation ; and Lieutenant-General Ha-

fnjjton agreed that the a/my should^ halt at the dis-r
tanc$ of four nliles from the town. Notwithstand
ing this: preliminary, ,James advanced at the head 'of
Hs troops ; but met with such, a ^warm reception
from the besieged, that, he was fain to retire to j|t
Jobn's'T,pwnltin S°iue" .disorder, The inhabitants
land, soldiers in garrison at Londonderry were sq'i$l
censed at", the members of the, council of war,' who
had resplyed to abandon the place, that they threat
ened immediate vengeance. Cunningham a^
Richards retired to their ships, and Lundy locked
himself in his chamber. ,jn, vain did Walke,r and
^aj^r/Bsker exhort him to maintain liis govern
ment.' Such was his cowardice or treachery, that
he absolutely refused to be concerned iri the de
fence .of the place, and he was suffered to 'escape in
disguise, ,with a load of match upon hjsback ; but
he was afterwards apprehended in Scotland, from
whence he. was sent to London to aiis^yer for his
perfidy or misconduct,
§ XXXIIL After his retreat, the towns-men
chose Mr Walker and Major Baker ' for their go
vernors, with joint authority ; but thjs' office/ they
would not undertake ,ur)til it , had been offered to
Colonel Cunningham,, #s the officer next in corn-
mandto Lundy*. He rejected the proposal, and with
Richards returned fo England, where they were
immediately cashiered. . The two new' governors,
thus abandoned to their fate, began to prepare for
,oa vigorous rdefence; indeed their Courage seems lo
"^jaye^trariscended jthe bouqds 6f di^c/etfoh,' for the
( , place jyas very ill fortified : their cap n on, which did
not exceed twenty pieces, were wretchedly 'mount
ed ; they had not orie engineer to direct f heir ope
rations : they had a very Srftall number pf horse :
. the garrison consisted of people unacqiiai'ri ted with
military discipline:' they were destitute of provi-
siofis : they were besieged by a , king in person, at

44 HISTORY OF E«gl,jtoN1»» BOOK -I,
the head of a formidable army, directed-ll3y2g#od
officers, and supplied with all the necessary imptal
roents for a seige or battle. \ This town was invest4
ed on the twentieth day of April : the batteries were
soon opened, and several attacks were made with
great impetuosity '.(jbut the besiegers were'rihteya
repulsed with considerable loss. The townsmen
gained divers advantages in ; repeated sallies, and
would have held their enemies in the utmost con
tempt, had they not been afflicted with a contagf-r
pus distemper, as well as reduced to extremity by
want of provision.^ They were even tantalized, in
their distress ; for they had the mortification to see
some ships which had arrived with supplies from
England, prevented from Sailing up the river by the
batteries the enemy had raised on both sides, and a
"boom with which they had blocked up the channel.
At length a reinforcement arrived in the Lough,
under the command of General Kirke, who had de
serted his master, and been employed in the service
of King;William. . He found means to convey in
telligence to Walker, that he had troops and pro*
visions pn board for theirgrelief, but found it im
practicable to sail up the river : he promised, how*-
ever, that he would land a body of forces at the
Inch, and endeavour to make a diversion in their
favour, when joined by n the troops at Inskilling,
which amounted tp five thpusand men, including
two thousand ^cavalry. gHe said he! expected :-six,
^thousand men from England, where they were eras-
barked before he set sad. i & He exhorted them ,to
persevere in their courage,$nd loyalty, and assured
Jibem he would come to their relief at all [hazards.
.'J'hese assurances enabled t them to bear their mi-
series a little longer, though their numbers daily
diminished. Major Baker dying, his place was fit
Jjediwith Colonel Mjch#wn?:'\vho1.now. acted 34
.golleague to Mr Walker. p, p8 <,r';i hr-r>iou vnL

6)Hjaftr>a- tmflLl&M ; a*% f^k<k^. ¦[» ^
**>§ XXXIV. 9l^ng$iarae§ having returned 10 D ub-
liTt^ to be present SP^tWi parliament,- tHe1 command
his /arm y<- devolved to the French J general Rosene^
who was exasperated at'such ah obeltfcffia're' Opposition.
by1 a hiaadfui of halfrstarvM m8itiaV«fiHe threatened
fcOTaze the town: to its foundations, aridr^8stMoJ^fK8
rcdsabatawfcs', without distinctiottofq»geior' se^/ tiffl-
fess they 'would-- immediately submit ^ttetifee^s1^
their lawful sovereign.^ The ¦g&Mernofs ^«^te\iP<fcrfs
menaces iwithi contempt, Snw published an <.#rHfe1*
that no personyon pain of death<, should talk Of sii'ft-
jffinHesihgCifi. They had 'now consumed' the las't^
seams ofiittheir provision, and supported' life by eaii
ingilheflesh of horses, dogs, catsy rats,' mieej'tfa?*.
low, starch, and salted hides^ ari&%veri-this4oa^h«-
sdme food began to fail. Rosene^firidiflgf them deaf
to all his proposals, threatened tfif^WreaMthis verit
•gl^mai on all the protestants of" that 'country,' : arid
dMesdhem under the walls of ftio«a©tt^eftfy^ Where
they should be suffered to perMi by' faming. b^Tfife
•bishop of Meath, being informed 'of this -design1,
<B!»f plained to king James of the - barbarous1 intend
-tion, entreating'hi&vmajesty to p^vfe'lflPifefs'b%i*@>p€
in execution. iti That prince asspeu4Mt^#$1phlr(tl
already ordered Rosene to desist from $§k&ffcoc££(&
irrg. Nevertheless, the Frenchman ^k^te$?HrS
greats with the utmost f-igour.: ¦ Parties Of 'draj*@i5¥rS
revere (dettaqhed (tefiehw' cruel' service : 'aTCes ttSVkb
itriftp&tefijll the protestants for ^Mftybiffiie^omli,
tihey xfroverthfef^rihappy peoplgoHlfefef&i (ftoeSftU'Jrlk
<ehttlev without, e^ei^ sparing^ tHetenfeeWeddjl^ifeg^
nurses with infants'a* their breast^ tended cSrlMre'rl,
.ftoflWjife delivered. i '3rid s6nW(ev6n4rtv'tlHl P*S&
^ls&dfr.is^lbstfe four thousand of^hrJs^iffiileeSbte
^pbjeceS9isf«eitiMv»e^ dldtrltheSSt^Ms oPlibrfddM®&.
ik> 'ETMsBe^p^ieaty {hv?&^miMeuM(\ft&$\!fou
The besieged were so exasf&MT aMh1s,a{JgWf!&
humanity, that they resolved to perish rather than

40 HISTORY OP ENGLAND-, BOOK.*,
submit to such a barbarian. , : They erected a gibbet
in sight of the enemy and sent a message to the
French general, importing, that they , would, hang
all the prisoners they had taken during the <seig^
unless the protestants whom they had driven unde/
the walls should be immediately dismissed. This
threat produced a negotiation, in consequence; pf
which the protestants were released, after they had
been detained three days without tasting food. Some
hundreds died of famine or fatigue ; and those who
.lived to, return to their own habitations found then?
plundered and sacked by the papists, so that thp
greater number perished for want, or were murder
ed by the straggling parties of the enemy ; yet thej^p.
yery people had for the most part obtained protec
tions frpm king James, to which no respect vya^s
paid by his general,
§ XXXV. ' The garrison of Londonderry was
now reduced from seven to five thousand seven hun
dred men, and these were driven to such extremj^-
of distress, that they began to talk of killing thjp
popish inhabitants, and feeding on their bodies. In
this emergency, Kirke, who had hitherto lain inac
tive, ordered two ships laden with prpvisonsto sajl
up the river, under convoy of the Dartmouth" fri
gate. One of them, called the Mountjoy, brokf
the enemy's boom ; and all the three, after hayipg
sustained a very hot fire from both sides of the river^
arrived in safety at the town, to the inexpressiblejoy
of the inhabitants. The army of James werfc so,
dispirited by the success of this enterprise, that they
abandoned the seige in the night, and retired yvito
precipitation, after having lost about nine thousand
men before the place. Kif kp no sooner took posses^
sion of the town, than Walker was prevailed upon, to
embark for England, with an address of thanks from
the inhabitants to their majesties for the seasonable
-relief they had received,. ,-

it.i.*'t WILLIAM ANTD taARY. 4f
§ XXXVI. The Iriniskiliihers were nO less re
markable than the people of Londonderry for the
valour and perseverance 'with which they Opposed
the papists. They raised twelve companies, which
they regimented under the command of Gustavus
Hamilton, whom they chose for their governor.
They proclaimed William and Mary on the eleventh
day of March ;- and resolved in a general council to
maintain their title against all opposition. The
lord Gilmoy invested the castle of Crom belonging
to the protestants in the neighbourhood of Innis-
kiliin, the inhabitants of which threw succours into
the place, and compelled Gilmoy to retire to Beltur-
bet. A detachment of the garrison, commanded
by Lieutenant-Colonel Lloyd, took and demolished
the castle of Aughor, and they gained the advantage
in several skirmishes with the enemy. On the day
that preceded the relief of Londonderry, they, de
feated six thousand Irish papists at a place called
Newton- Blitler, andtook their commander Macarty,
Commonly called Lofd Moncashel.
§ XXXVII. The Irish parliament being assem
bled at Dublin, according to the proclamation of
king James, he, in a speech from the throne, thank
ed them for the zeal, courage, and loyalty they had
manifested; extolled the generosity of the French
king, who -had enabled him to visit them in person1;
insisted upon executing his design of establishing
liberty of conscience as a step equally agreeable to
the dictates of humanity and discretion, and pro-
rrftsed to concur with them in enacting such laws
as would Contribute to the peace, affluence, and se
curity, of his subjects. Sir Richard Neagle, being
chosen speaker of the Commons, moved for an ad*-
dress of thanks to his majesty,-1 and that 'the1 count
fD'Avaux should be desired to make their acknow
ledgements to the most christian king, for the gev
nerous assistance he had given to their sovereign.
These addresses being drawn up, with the concur-

*4?> history of England/ Booie.-S?
rericeof both houses, a bill was brought in to re^
cognize the king's title, to express their abhorrencef
Qf'the usurpation by the prince of Orangey as well;
as of the defection of the English. Next day James;
published a declaration, complaining of the calum
nies which his enemies had spread to his prejudice f
expatiating upon his own impartiality in preferring
his protestamt subjects ; his care in protecting them;
from their enemies, in redressing their grievanoesb
and in granting liberty of conscience ; promising
that he would take no step but with the approbation"
pf parliament ; offering a free pardon to all persons;
who should desert his enemies,fand join with him
iu four and-twenty-days after his landing in Ireland,
and charging all the blood that might be shed, up-'
on those who should continue in rebellion. orisa
'fy. XXXVIII. His conduct, however, very ill;
agreed with this declaration ; nor can it be excused
on any other supposition, but that of his being go
verned, in some cases against his own inclination,
by the Count D'Avaux, arid the Irish catholics, on
whom his whole dependence was placed. As both
houses were chiefly filled with members of that per
suasion, we ought not to wonder at their bringing
in a bill for repealing the act of settlement, by which1
the protestants of the kingdom had been secured in
the possession of their estates. These were by this
few divested of their lands, which reverted to the
heirs of those catholics' to whom they belonged be-r
fore their rebellion. ?cThis iniquitous bill was fraro^
, ed in such a manner, that no regard was paid to
„*such protestant owners as had purchased ^t&teS
for valuable considerations; no allowance was mado
for improvements, nor any provision for protestant
widows: 'the possessor and tenants1 were not eve^i
allowed- ^0' remove their stock and corn. nWfttt!?
the bjlf was sent up to the lords, DrDo^pingi -biu
shop' of*1 Meath, opposed it with equal Courage and
ability S' and an address hvbehalf of jthfe purohasera

G.W- "v-'OH WILLIAM AND-MAlTe nH> 4Q.
under the act of settlement was presented to the.
king by the earl of Gran ard ; but, notwithstanding
these remonstrances, it received the royal assent?;
and the protestants of Ireland were mostly ruined.; s
-i§ XXXIX. Yet, in order to complete their de-;
struction, an act of attainder was passed againstalls
protestants, .whether* male or female, ^whether- of
high or low degree, who were absent from the kingri
tjom ; as well as against all those who. retired into
any part of thev.three kingdoms which did not own
the authority , of king James, or correspond witb
rebelssiOUiiweje! any ways aiding, abetting, or assist-,
ing to them; from the first, day of August in the pre-
peding1iyear.,iiThe number of protestants attainted;
by ..name ln»this act amounting to about, three thour:
sand, including two archbishops* one duke,, seven™
teen earls, seven countesses, as many bishops,, eight-
teen, barons, three-and-thirty baronets, one-ancffif*
ty knights, eighty-three, clergymen, who were de
clared- traitors, and adjudged to suffer the; paiuis of
death.and forfeiture. .jThe individuals subjected to
this dreadful proscription wereeyen cut off from all
hope of pardon, and all benefit of appeal : for by ai
clausein the act, the king's pardon was deemed null,
unless enrolled before the first day of , December;,
A subsequent law, was enacted* declaring, Ireland
independent of the English parliamept. This as
sembly passed , another act, granting, twenty thou-
s^df^«^dp^ annum' out of the forfeited , estates;
toL^mwWtk?}n acknowledgement of ihi^gnal
j$r$im i: they^ imposed a tax of twenty: thousand
f§*yai^ perm°nt|i for the -seryipe, of ticking; the
©fepJiassent was girfeento an, apt for liberty of B^onit
3«kfii§loiiqth§y enacted that the tytbes-. payable by
p^tfpShQuid/be, delivered, to, priests? Qfitha,f;cor%;
ITOiiu#h : jWorn^ftteiiajigetp/f the protestant okrg^
in cit^^CfOCfo^i§E>S3J*fi« Mken away ; and jftfir
dissenters were,- ejEefUptedt |ori , ecclesiastical oj^gsfo
diofeions*, . SR)jt^iferje^bli§hed. churygfe wa^j^

30 History" of* enSlanR W book, f^
privedofall power and prerogative ; notwithstanding
the 'express promise of James, who had declared,1 r
immediately after his landing', that he would mairt^'-
tain the clergy in their rights and privileges, <jq rti
§ XL. Nor was the king less arbitrary in the
executive part of hisvgovernriient, if we suppose'
that he countenanced the grievous acts of PppreS-d
sion that were daily committed upon the protestantn
subjects of Ireland : but the tyranny of his proceeds !*
ings may be justly imputed to the temper of his mi
nistry, consisting of men abandoned to all sense »&tfq
justice and humanity, who acted from the dictates'*
of rapacity and revenge, inflamed with all the acri-3
mony of religious rancour. Soldiers were permit-"9.
ted to live upon free quarter : the people were rob
bed and plundered: licences and protections Were15
abused, in order to extort money from the trading'
part of the nation. The king's old stores were ran-;
sacked : the shops of tradesmen, and the kitchens *
of burghers, were pillaged to supply the mint with
a quantity of brass, which was converted into cur
rent coin for his majesty's occasions : an arbitrary
value was set upon it, and all persons were requir-
edand commanded to take it inpayment under the
severest penalties, though the proportion betweeft'
its intrinsic worth and currency was nearly as one
to three hundred. o A vast sum of this counterfeit
coin was issued in the course of one year, and forded11
upon the protestants in payment -of merchandise,-
provision, >and necessaries, ton the king's I service."1
James, not content with the supply granted by par- ?
liament, imposed, by his own authority, a tax of1
twenty thousand pounds per month on chatties,- as56
the former was laid upon lands. This seems to have"9
beena temporary exedient during ihe'adjOurnment
of the two houses, as the term of the assessment'-'
was limited to three months : it was however levi-'
ed by virtue of a commission under the seals ; and
seems to have been^a stretch of prerogative/ the

titt. f-oSa William and MAEY*«tH Si*
less excuseable, as he might have obtained the mo-q
ney in a parliamentary way. '^Understanding that
the protestants had laid out all their brass money,
in purchasing great quantities of rhides,-> tallow^ i
wood, and corn, he assumed the despotic power of
fixing the prices of these commodities,* and then
bought them for his own use. >t. One may see fiis
ministers were bent upon the utter destruction of
those unhappy people.^! <*•<' Jr= > lift' 'en! 1o eioajdue
§ XLI. All vacancies in public schools were sup
plied with popish teachers. The pension allowed
from the exchequer to the university of Dublin was r
cut-off: the vice-provost, fellows, and scholars, were .
expelled : their furniture, .plate, and public library,
were seized, without the least shadow of pretence^ t
and in direct violation of a promise the ;king, had-f
made to preserve their privileges and immuriitieSi'
His officers converted the college into a garrison, j-
the chapel into a magazine, and the apartments
fnto prisons : a popish priest was appointed provost : -»
one Maccarty of the same persuasion was made lib- £
rary-keeper; and the whole foundation was chang-i
ed into a catholic seminary, .if When bishoprics/
and benefices in the gift of the crown became va-*>
cant, the king ordered the profits to be lodged in
the exchequer, and suffered the cures to be totally
neglected, sp The revenues jjwere chiefly employed
in the maintenance of Romish bishops and priests, i
who grew„so insolent under this idulgence, that in
several places they forcibly seized the protestant ]
churches. ,,When complaint was made of this oiiil-r
rage, the king promised to do justice to the injur
ed ; and in some places actually ordered the church
es to be restored : but the popish clergy refused to
comply with this order, alledging that in spirituals
they, owed obedience to no earthly power , but the.
holy see.; and ' Jame6 found- himself unable to pro* /
tect his protestant subjects against a powerful b^djeib
which he-durst -not -disoblige* -Some ships appear*,

#«" HIST(OKY OF EKGLANTB* BOOK 1»
ing in the bay of Dublin, a proclamation was issu
ed, forbidding the protestants to assemble in any
place of worship, or elsewhere, on pain of death*
By a second they were commanded to bring in
their arms, on pain of being treated as rebels and
traitors. Luttrel, governor of Dublin, published an
Ordinance by beat of .drum, requiring the farmers
to bring in their corn for his majesty's horses with
in a certain day, otherwise he would order them to,
be hanged before their own doors. Brigadier Sars-
field commanded all protestants of a certain distrid
to retire to the distance of ten miles from their ha
bitations, on pain of death ; and, in order to keep
Up the credit of the brass money, the same penalty
was denounced, in a proclamation, against any per^-
son who should give more than one pound eighteen
shillings for a guinea.
$ XLII. All the revenues of Ireland, and all the
schemes contrived to bolster up the credit of the
base, coin, would have proved insufficient to sup
port the expences of the war, had not James re
ceived occasional supplies from the French mo
narch. After the return of the fleet which had
conveyed him to Ireland, Louis sent another strong
squadron, commanded by Chateau Renault,- as a
convoy to some transports laden with arms, ammu
nition, and a large sum of money for the use of
King James. Before they sailed from Brest, King
William, being informed of their destinatio% de
tached Admiral Herbert from Spithead with twelve
ships of the line, one fireship, and four tenders, in
order to- intercept the enemy. He was driven by
stress of weather into Mil ford-haven, from whence
he steered his course, to Kinsale, on the supposition
that the French fleet had sailed from Brest ; and
that in all probability he should fall in with them
on the coast of Ireland. On the first day of May,
he discovered them at anchor in* Bantry-bay, and
Btoodjn to engage them, though they, were great-r

«H.-I. WILLiAM-iAND MARY. 53
ly -superier to him in number. They no sooner
perceived him at day-break, than they weighed,
stood! out to windward, formed their line, bore down,
and? began the action which' was maintained for
two. hours, with equal valour on both sides, though
the English fleet sustained considerable damage
from the superior fire of the enemy. Herbert tack
ed several times, in hope of gaining the weather-
gage j. but the French Admiral kept his wind with
uncommon skill and perseverance. At length the
English squadron stood off to sea, and maintained
a running fight till five in the afternoon, when Cha
teau Renault tacked about, and returned into the
bay, content with the honour he had gained. The
loss of men was inconsiderable on both sides ; and,
where the odds were so great, the victor could not
reap much glory. Herbert retired to the isles of
Scilly^ where he expected a reinforcement ; but be
ing disappointed in this expectation, he returned
to Portsmouth in very ill humour, with which his
officers and men 'were infected. The common
sailors still retained some attachment to James, who
had formerly been a favourite among them j. and'
the officers complained that they had been sent up
on this service with a force so much inferior to that
of the enemy. King William; in order
i ^i-i- i ' Burnet, Reres-
to appease their discontent, made an by, King, Bc-i.
excursion to Portsmouth, where he din- "rr"> *>e &
ed with the admiral on board the ship tairc. '"'
Elisabeth; declared his intention of crea
ting him an earl, in consideration of his good con
duct and services ; conferred the honour of knight
hood on the -Captains Ashby and Shovel, and be
stowed a donation of ten shillings on every private
sailor. . »- ,
m^ XLIIL The' parliament of England thought it
incumbent jipon them, not only to raise supplies
for the maintenance of the war in which the nation
FoL F. P

54 HlSTdflY OF Erf6'LAND. BOOK, li
was involved,* but also to do justice With respect to
those Who' had been injured by illegal or oppres
sive' sentences' in the late reigns. The attainders
of Lord Russel, Algernon Sidney; Alderman Gar
nish, and Lady Lisle, were nOw reversed. A com
mittee of privileges were appointed by the lords to
examine the case of the earl of Devonshire, who hi
the lave reign had been fined thirty thousand pounds,
for assaulting Colonel Culpepper in the presence-
chamber. They reported that the court of king's-
bench, in over-ruling the earl's plea of privilege of
parliament, had committed a manifest breach of pri
vilege : that the fine was excessive and exorbitant,
against the great charter, the common right of the
subject, and the law of the realm. The sentence pro
nounced upon Samuel Johnson, chaplain to Lord
Russel, in consequence of which he had been de
graded, fined, scourged, and set in the pillOry, was
now annulled, and the commons recommended him
to his majesty for some ecclesiastical preferment.
He received One thousand pounds m money, with a
pension of three hundred pounds for his own life
and that of his son, who was moreover gratified
with a place of one hundred pounds a year : but the
father never obtained any ecclesiastical benefice.
Titus Oates seized this Opportunity of petitioning
the house of lords for a reversal of the judgement
given against him on his being convicted of per
jury. The opinions of all the judges and counsel
at the bar were heard on this subject, and a bill of
reversal passed the commons : but the peers having
inserted some amendments and a proviso, a con
ference was demanded, and violent heats ensued.
Oates, however, was released from confinement;
and the lords, with the consent of the Commons,
recommended him to his majesty for a pardon,
which he obtained, together with a comfortabte
pehsion. The committee appointed todnquire into
the cases of the state prisoners, found Sir Robert

rfH. I. WILLIAM ANP MARY. 55
Wright, late lord chief-justice, to have been con
cerned in the, cruelties committed in the west after
• the insurrection of Monmouth ; as also one of the
ecclesiastical .commissioners, and guilty, of manifold
enormities. Death had by this time delivered Jef-
feriesifrom the resentment of the nation. Graham
and Burton had acted as solicitors in the illegal pro
secutions carried on against those who opposed the
Court in the, reign of Charles II; these were now
reported guilty of having been instrumental in taking
away the lives and estates of those who had suffer
ed the loss of either under colour of Jaw for eight
years last past ; of having, by malicious indictments,
informations and prosecutions of quo warranto, en
deavoured; the subversion of the protestant religion,
andi the government, of the realm,; and of haying
wasted many thousand pounds of the public reve
nue in the course of their infamous practices.
§ XLTV". Nor did the misconduct of the present
ministry escape the animadversion of the parliament.
The lords having addressed the king to put the
Isle of Wight, Jersey, Guernsey, Scilly, Dover-cas
tle, and the other fortresses of the kingdom, in a
posture of defence, and tp disarm the papists., em
powered a committee to, inquire into the, miscar
riages in Ireland, which were generally imputed to
the neglect of the marquisses of Caermarthen and
Hallifax. They presented an address to the king,
desiring the minute-book of the committee^for Irish
affairs might be put into their hands"; but, his ma
jesty declined gratifying them in *this particular:
then $ie commons voted, that those, persons .who
had advised the king to delay this -satisfaction ,were
enemies to the kingdom. Willi am,-, alarmed at- this
resolution, allowed them to,, inspect the- book, in
whiohf they found very little for their purpose.
Wfbe house resolved that an address should be
presented to his majesty, -,d©Glaring, thatthfiiSuc™
n<- >,¦;,. P 2 ..'-;,

5(3 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. BOOK 1-
cour of Ireland had been retarded by unnecessary
delays ; that the transports prepared were not suf
ficient to convey the forces to that kingdom ; and
that several ships had been, taken by the enemy,
for want of proper convoy. At the same time the
question was put, whether or not they should ad
dress the king against the marquis Of Hallifax ? but
it was carried in the negative by a small majority.
Before this period, Howe, vice-chamberlain to the
queen, had moved for an address against such
counsellors as had been impeached in parliament,
and betrayed the liberties of the nation. — This mo
tion was levelled at Caermarthen andiHaiiifax, the
first of .whom had been formerly impeached of high
treason, under the title of the earl of Danby ; and
the other was, charged, with all the misconduct of
the present administration. Warm debates ensued,
and in all probability the motion would have been
carried in the affirmative, had not those who spoke
warmly in behalf of it suddenly cooled jn the course
of the dispute. Some letters from King James to
his partisans being intercepted, and containing some
hints of an intended invasion, Mr Hambden, chair
man of the committee of the whole house, enlarged
upon the imminent danger to which the. kingdom
was exposed, and moved for a further supply to his
majesty. In this unexpected motion, he was not
seconded by one member. The house, however,
havirig taken the lettersinto consideration, resolved
to draw up all address'to the king, desiring him to
secure and disarm all papists of riote ; and they
brought in a bill for attainting several persons in re
bellion against their majesties : but it was not finish
ed during this session. ;
§ XLV. Another bill being prepared in the
house of lords, enjoining the subjects to wear the
woollen manufacture at certain seasons of the year,
a petition was presented against it by the silk-weav-7
ers of London and Canterbury, assembled in a tu-r'

v -i .: ; , - ') ; ;f -"• f - :.
CH. I. WILLIAM AND MARY. 57
k f v. ,
multuous manner p,t, Westminster. ; The lords re
fused their petition, because thjs, wa,s an unqsal
rnanner of application. They were persuaded to
return to their respective places of apode : precau
tions were taken against a second r;lpt ; and the.bjll
was unanimously rejected in the upper house. This
parliament passed an act,, vesting ill the two univerr
sities the presentations belonging tppapists: , those
of the southern counties being giveri tp Oxford ;
and those of the northern to, Cambridge, on certain
specified conditions. Courts, of conscience were
erected.at Bristol, Gloucester, and Newcastle ; and
that of the marches of Wales was abolished, a§ an
intolerable oppression. ^ The protesfanji, clergymen,
who had been forced to leave, their benefices in
Ireland, we're rendered capable of hpjding any living
in England, without forfeiting .their title to their
fo-rm.er' preferment, with the proviso that they!shopjh|
resign their English benefices when restored, to
those they had been 'obliged to relinquish. The
statute (pf Hefiry IV. against multiplying gold and
silver w^as,.i>p,w repealed : thre. subjects ,we,re$liowed
to melt arid refine rnetals and ores, and extract gold
and silver from- them, on condition that .rj;, should
be brought to the mint, "Und converted inf^ money,
the owner receiving 'its full value in current,' coin.
1 hese and several other bills, of ..srnaller importance
being passed, the two houses adjourned to, the twe(nr
tieth day, of September, and, afterwards totfj^ nin^j
teenth day of October..

P3

58

CHAP. n.

§ I. Duke of Schomberg lands with an army in Ireland. ;. .
§ II. The Lntiski Hirers obtain a victory ovr the Irish. j . .
§ III. Schomberg censured for his inactivity...^ IV.
The French wonted at Walcourt. . ."§ V. Success of the
Confederates in Germany. . .The Turks defeated at Pato-
chin, Nissa, and Widen. . \% VI. Death of' Pope Innocent
XI. . § VII. King William becomes unpopular... .§ VIII,
A good number of the Clergy refuse to take the paths i . .
§ IX. Tfie King grants a commission for reforming 'church
discipline. ..§ X. Meeting of the Convocation. . .§ XI.
Their session discontinued by repeated prorogations. . . §
XII. Proceedings in Parliament  § XIII. The Whigs
obstruct the Mil of indemnity. . . § XIV. The Commons
resume the inquiry into the cause of the miscarriages in
Ireland. . .§ XV. King William irritated against the
WliigS, . . § XVI. Plot against the government by Sir
James Montgomery discovered by Bishop Burnet 
§ XVII Warm debates in Parliament about the Corpora-
, tion-bill ..§ XVIII. The King resolves to finish the Irish
war in person. . . § XIX. General Ludhw arrives in Eng
land, but is obliged to withdraw. . .§ XX. Efforts of the
Jacobites in Scotland. ,. .§ XXI. The Court interest
triumphs over all opposition in that country. . .§ XXII.
The Tory interest prevails in the new Parliament of Eng^
land. . .§ XXIII. Bill for recognizing their Majesties. . .
§ XXI V. Another violent contest about the bill of adju
ration  § XXV. King William lands in Ireland.
. . . .§ XXVI. King James marches to the Boyne, ....
§ XXVII. William resolves to give him battle 
' " f XXVIII. Battle of the Boyne. . . § XXIX. Death and
cllaracter of Schomberg. . .§ XXX. James embarks for
France. . .$ XXXI, William enters Dublin and publishes
his declaration. . .§ XXXII. The French obtain a victory
over the English and Dutch fleets of Beechy-head, . . §
XXXIII. Torrington committed prisoner to, the Tower.
§ XXXIV. Progress of William in Ireland. . : § XXXV.
He invests Limerick ; but is obliged to raise the siege, arid
returns to England. . . § XXXVI. Cork and Kinsale re
duced by the Earl of Marlborough, . .§ XXXVII, laur.

CH. II. WILLIAM AND MARY. 59
ssun and the Frenchforces quit Ireland .... § XXXVIII.
The Duke of Savoy joins the confederacy . ... § XX X IX .
Prince Waldeck defeated at Fleurus .... § XL. The Arch
duke Joseph elected King tf the Romans. . .Death of the
Duke of Lorraine . . Progress of the war against the Turks.
. . . .§ XLI. Meeting of the Parliament . . . .§ XLII.
The Commons comply with all the King's demands ....
§ XLIII. Petition of t,he Tories, in the cit, of £on,dqq, 
$ XLIV. Attempt against the Marquis of '.aermarlhen
. . . .'§ XLV. The King's voyage to Holland . . .5 XLVI.
ffe assists at a Congress . . . .Returns to England. •J
A. n. l6sg, \>.vi
§1. npHOUGH the affairs, of Ireland were |x-
JL trernely pressing, and the protestantsfof
that country had made repe$edi application for re
lief, <the succours were retarded either by disputes
among the ministers, or the neglect of those who
had the management of the expedition^ in such a
manner, that King James had been six 'months, in
Ireland before the army was embarked for Aat
kingdom. At length, eighteen regiments of infan
try, anel five of dragoons, being raised for that ser
vice, a train of artillery provided, and inmsports
prepared, the duke of Schomberg, on whom King
William had conferred the chief command, of this
armament, set out for Chester, after , he had in per
son thanked the commons for the uncommon ^re
gard they had paid to his services,!and received as
surances from the house, that they would pay par
ticular attention to. him and his army./ On the thir
teenth day of August he landed in the neighbour
hood of Garrick Fergus with about, ten thousand foot
and dragoons, and took possession of Bejfast^from
whence the enemy retired at his approach >to"Car-
rickfergus, where they resolved to make a stand.
The duke having refreshed his men., rninrcfy-d '^.thi
ther, and invested,. fb,e place :' th^,su;g<s;,y/as turned
@n till, the twenty-sixth day. of the n^qipth,... when the
al»%u\. i P4 ,'V' i,... .* fcw.. s^n . ,

0®' HISTORY OF ENGLAND. BOOK. T.
breaches being practicable, the besieged capitulated,
on condition of marching out with their arms, and
as much baggage as they could carry on their backs :
and of their being conducted to the next Irish' gar
rison, which was at Newry. During this siege the
duke was joined by the rest of his army from Eng
land : but he had left orders for conveying the
greater part of the artillery and stores frdnrC Hester
directly to Carlirigford. He now began his march
through Lisburne and Hillsborough, and encamp*
ed at Drummore, where the protestants of the north
had been lately routed by Hamilton: thence he
proceeded to Loughbrillane, where he was joined
by the horse and dragoons of Inniskillin. Then the
enemy abandoned l^ewry arid Dnndalk, in the
neighbourhood of which Schomberg encamped on a
low, damp, ground, having the town and river on
the south, and surrounded on every other part by
hills,. bogs, and mountains.
§ II. His army, consisting chiefly of new raised
men little inured to hardship, began to flag under
the fatigue of marching, the inclemency of the wea
ther, and scarcity of provision. Here he was rein
forced by the regiments of Ktrke, Hanmer, and
Stuart; and would have continued his march to
Drogheda, where he understood Rosene lay with
about twenty thousand men, had he not been oblig*
ed to wait for the artillery, which was not yet arriv
ed at Carlingford. King James, having assembled
all his forces, advanced towards Schomberg, and ap
peared before his entrenchments in order of battle- :
but the duke, 'knowing they were greatly superior
in number of horse, and that his own army was un
disciplined, and weakened by death and sickness,
restrained his men within the lines, and in a little
time the enemy retreated. Immediately after their
departure, a conspiracy Was discovered in the Eng
lish camp, hatched by some French papists, who
had insinuated, themselves into the protestant regiT

CH. II. WILLIAM AND MARY. 6l
ments. One of these, whose name was du PI essis,
had written a letter to the ambassador d'Avaux,
promising to desert with all the papists of the three
French regiments in Schomberg's army. This let
ter being founds du Plessi9 - and five f accomplices
were tried by a court- martial, and executed. About
two hundred and fifty papists being discovered in
the French regiments, they were sent over to Eng
land, from therice to Holland. While Schomberg
remained in this situation, the Iuniskilliners made
excursions in the neighbourhood, under the com*
mand of Colonel Lloyd ; and on the twenty-seventh
day of September they obtained axfomplete victory
over five times their number of .the Irish. They
killed seven hundred on the spot, and took O'Kelly
their commander, with about fifty officers, ' and a
considerable booty of cattle. The dukej was' so
pleased with their behaviour on this occasion, that
they received a very honourable, testimony of his
approbation. >'¦<-¦¦¦ -,-¦¦• ' •-- iV
( $ III. Meanwhile the enemy took possession of
James-town, and reduced Sligo, one of the forts of
which was gallantly defended by St Sauver, a French
captain, and his company of grenadiers, untifhe
was obliged to capitulate for want of water and pro
visions. A contagious distemper still' continued to
j-age in Schomherg's camp, and swept off a great
number of officers and soldiers ; so that in the be
ginning of next spring, not above half the number
of those who went over with the general reraairied
alive. He was censured for his inactivity, i arid the
king, in repeated letters, desired him to haridrdtan.
engagement, provided any opportunity should oc
cur ; but he did not think proper to run the risk of
a battle against an enemy that was above thrice his
number, well disciplined, healthy, and conducted
by^able officers. Nevertheless, -he was certainly
blameable for' having chosen such an unwholesome
situation. - At the approach of winter he retired irt-

62 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. BOOK I,
to quarters, in hopes of being reinforced with seven
thousand Danes, who had already arrived in Britain.
These auxiliaries were stipulated in a treaty which
William had just concluded with the king of Den
mark. The English were not more successful at
sea than they had proved in their operations by land.
Admiral Herbert, now created earl of Torringtori,
having sailed to Ireland with the combined squa->
drons of England and Holland, made a fruitless at
tempt upon Cork, and lost a great number of seaT
men by sickness, which was imputed to bad provi
sion. The Dartmouth ship of war fell into the
hands of the enemy, who infested the channel with
such a number of armed ships and privateers, that
the trade of England sustained incredible damage.
§ IV. The affairs of France wore but a gloomy
aspect on the continent, where all the powers of
Europe seemed to have conspired her destruction.
King William had engaged in a new league with
the states-general, in which former treaties of peace,
apd commerce were confirmed. It was stipulated,
that in case the king of Great Britain should be at
tacked, the Dutch should assist him with six thou
sand-infantry, and twenty ships of the line; and
that, provided hostilities should be committed
agai.ist the states-general, England should supply
them witfi ten thousand infantry and twenty ships
of war. This treaty was no sooner ratified than
King William dispatched the Lord Churchill, whom
he nad by this time created earl of Marlborough^
to, Holland, in order to command the British auxi
liaries in that service, to the number of eleven thou
sand, the greater part of which had been in the ar-
jnv o( King James when the prince of Orange land
ed in England. The. earl forthwith joined the Dutch
army under the command of Prince Waldeck, who
had fixed his rendezvous, in the county of Liege, with
a view to act against the Ifrench army commanded by
the mareschal d'Huinieres ; while the princefof Vaitr

C'H.lI. WILLIAM AND MARY. 6&
demont headed a little army of observation, consist
ing of Spaniards, Dutch, and Germans,. to watch the
motions of Calvo in another part of the Low-Coun
tries. The city of Leige was compelled to renounce
the neutrality, and declare for the allies. Mareschal
d'Humieres attacked the foragers belonging to the
army of the states at Walcourt, in the month of
August; an obstinate engagement ensued, and the
French were obliged to retreat in confusion with
the loss of two thousand men, and some pieces of
artillery. The army of observation levelled part of
the French lines on the side of Courtray, and rais
ed contributions on the territories of the enemy.
§ V. The French were almost entire masters
of the three ecclesiastical electorates of Germany.
They possessed Ment^, I'riers, Bonne, Keiserswaert,
Philipsburgh, and Landau. They had blown up the
castle of Heidelberg, in the Palatinate, and destroy
ed ' Manheim. They had reduced Worms and
Spiers to ashes ; and demolished Frankendahl, to
gether with several other fortresses. These con
quests, the fruits of sudden invasion, were covered
with a numerous army, commanded by the mare-?
schal de Duras ; and; all his inferior generals were
officers of distinguished courage and ability. Ne
vertheless, he -found it difficult to maintain his
ground against the different princes of the empire.
The duke of Lorraine, who commanded the impe
rial troops, invested Mentz, and took it by capitu
lation : the elector of Brandenburgh, having re
duced Keiserswaert, undertook the siege of Bonne,
which the garrison surrendered, after having made
a long arid vigorous defence. Nothing contributed
more to the union of the German princes than their
resentment of the shocking barbarity with which
the French had plundered, wasted, and depopulated
their country. Louis having, by ''his intrigues in
Poland, and at Constantinople, prevented a pacifi
cation between the emperor and the Ottoman Porte,

6i HISTORY OP ENGLAND. BOOK I.
the campaign was opened in Croatia, where five
thousand Turks were defeated by a body of Croats
between Vihitz and Novi. The prince of Baden,
who commanded the imperialists on that side, hay
ing thrown a bridge over the Morava at Passarowit?,
crossed that river, and marched in quest of the Tur
kish army, amounting to fifty thousand men, head
ed by a Seraskier. On the thirteenth day of Au
gust he attacked the enemy in their entrenchments
near Patochin, and forced their lines, routed them
with great slaughter, and took possession of their
camp, baggage, and artillery. They retreated to
Nissa, where the general, finding them still more
numerous than the imperialists, resolved to make a
stand : and encamped in a situation that was inac
cessible in every part except the rear, which fie left
open for the convenience of a retreat. Through
this avenue he was, on the twenty-fourth day of
September, attacked by the prince of Baden, who,
after a desperate resistance, obtained another com
plete victory, enriched his troops with the spoil of '
the enemy, and entered Nissa without opposition.
There he found above three thousand horses and a
vast quantity of provision. Having reposed his ar
my for a few days in this place, he resumed his
march against the Turks, who had chosen an ad
vantageous post at Widen, and seemed ambitious
of retrieving the honour they had lost in the two
former engagements. The Germans attacked their
lines without hesitation ; and though the Mussul-
men fought with incredible fury, they were a third
time defeated with great slaughter. This defeat
was attended with the loss of Widen, which being.
surrendered to the victor, he distributed his troops
in winter-quarters, and returned to Vienna, cover
ed with laurels. - Ti
§ VI. The, French were likewise baffled in their
attempt upon Catalonia, where the duke de Noailles .
had taken Campredon, ill the month of May.

OH, II. WILLIAM AND MARY. <55
Leaving a garrison in this place, he retreated to the
frontiers of France, while the Duke de Villa Her-
mosa, at the head of a Spanish army, blocked up
the place, and laid Rousillon under contribution.
He afterwards undertook the siege in form, and
Noailles marched to its relief; but he was so hard
pressed by the Spaniards, that he withdrew the gar
rison, dismantled the place, and retreated with great
precipitation. The French king hoped to derive
some considerable advantage from the death of Pope
InnocentXI. which happened on the twelfth day
of August. That pontiff had been an inveterate
enemy to Louis ever sincc„the affair of the fran
chises, and the seizure of Avignon *. Cabals were
immediately formed at Rome by; the French faction
against the Spanish and imperial interest. The
French cardinals ,.de Bouillon and^ ,Bonz|i,-i(accom-
panied by Fursternberg, repaired to ,Pvon}ft>with a
large 'sum of money. Peter Ottoboni,; a Venetian,
was elected pope, arid assumed the narne of Alex
ander VIII, The duke de Chaulncs, ambassador
from France, immediately signified in the name of
his master, that Avignon should be restored to the
patrimony of the church ; and Louis renounced the,
franchises, in a letter written by his own haftd to.
;,, . ,, >ri b ¦ w j 1 o J ixi' h'lisni
*'The franchises were privileges of of jFrpnce was not the irnitatpr, but a,
asylum, annexed not only to the arn- pattern and example for other princes.
liassadors at Rome, but evijn to the He rejected with disdain the mild'
¦whole district in which any ambassa- representations of the pope ; he, sent
dm- Chanced to' live. This privilege the marquis 'de Lavcrden as his 'am-'
w;|s bi-como a terrible; nuisart-e, in as bassader to Rome, with 'it formidahtH
much as it afforded protection to the train, to insult Innoccrrt even, ifl.his
rftdJt' atrrtciods Criminals, who (Hied ' own city. That nbbfc'man swagjrer'-
tlf'\a cj.t j( .with rjapine -and murder, *id through ithe stJreels:of Rame like
Innocent, XT. rciplving to remote this a bravo, taking alt ojipprtunities tp.
e>II,' published' a bull; aHe.llsh'ing flic affront the p6pe, who e'xeommunicat-
fra^nchines,; an4 ajrnpst.all the Cathpj-, ed him Jn revenge- " On the other
lie powers of1 Kurope , arcpiiesccd in hand the parliament of Paris appeal-.
whath'Aiiad (tone1, up/m' rjt-ir>£'d\rly''''ed from' the' rjdpri's 'bull to a future
informed of the grievance. Louis council. Louis caused the pope'g
XIV. however, frpm a, spirit of pqd? nuncio to be put under arrest, took
arkHHiMeittb.hfMAbM' to '(JirrV with precision d? A'vrfrnon, whicnbelonjr-
a*\y Mag^ffat /ppkf4iVKB'*f',cl!<'?"r! ¦ p(' t0 ;t^c sp' ^ ftome, and let the hist
tire otni» crown. . lie said, tucking ly father at deClaacq. .,«» Jnt hfid

6& HISTORY OF fiNGLAWD; BOOK I.
the pontiff. Alexander received these marks of
respect with the warmest acknowledgments ; but,
when the ambassador and Furstemberg besought him
to re-examine the election of the bishop of Cologia,
which had been the source of so much calamity to
the empire, he lent a deaf ear to their solicitations.
He even confirmed the dispensations granted by
his predecessor to the prince of Bavaria, who was
thus empowered to take possession of the electo
rate, though he had not yet attained the age re
quired by the canons. Furstemberg retired in dis
gust to Paris, where Louis immediately gratified
him with the abbey of St Germains.
§ VII. King William found it an easier task to
unite the councils of Europe against the common
enemy, than to conciliate and preserve the affec
tions of his own subjects, among whom he began
visibly to decline in point of popularity. Many
¦were dissatisfied with his measures: and a great
number even of those who exerted themselves for
his elevation, had conceived a disgust from his per
sonal deportment, which was very unsuitable to the
manners and dispositions of the English people.
Instead of mingling with his nobility in social amuse
ments and familiar conversation, he maintained a
disagreeable reserve which had all the air of sullen
pride ; he seldom or never spoke to his courtiers or
attendants, he spent his time chiefly in the closet,
retired from all communication ; or among his
troops, in a camp he had formed at Hounslow ; or
in the exercise of hunting, to which he was immo
derately addicted. This had been prescribed to
him by physicians as necessary to improve his con
stitution, which was naturally weak, andi by prac
tice had become so habitual, that he could not lay
it aside. His ill health, co-operating with his na
tural aversion to society, produced a peevishness
which could not fail of being displeasing to those
who were near his person: this was increased. by

CH. II. WILLIAM AND MARY. 6f
the disputes in his cabinet, and the opposition of
those who were professed enemies to his govern
ment, as well as by the alienation of his former
friends. As he could not breathe without difficulty
in the air of London, he resided chiefly at Hamp
ton-court, and expended considerable sums in beau
tifying and enlarging that palace : he likewise pur
chased the house at Kensington of the earl of Not
tingham ; and such profusion, in the beginning of
an expensive war, gave umbrage to the nation in
general. Whether he was advised by his counsel
lors, or his own sagacity pointed out the expedi
ency of conforming- with the English humour, he
now seemed to change his disposition, and in some
manner adopt the manners of his predecessors. In
imitation of Charles II. he resorted to the races at
Newmarket : he accepted an invitation to visit
Cambridge, where he behaved himself wjth remark
able affability to the members, of the university : he
afterwards dined with the lord-mayor of London,
accepted the freedom of the city, and condescend
ed so far as to become sovereign- master of the com
pany of grocers.
§ VIII. While-William thus endeavoured to re
move the prejudices which had been conceived
against- his person, the period arrived which the
parliament had prescribed for -taking the oaths to
the new government. Some individuals of the
clergy sacrificed their benefices to their scruples of
conscience; and absolutely refused to' take oaths
that were contrary to those they had already sworn
in favour of their late sovereign. These, were dis
tinguished by the epithet of nonjurors: but their
number bore a very small proportion , to - that- of
others, who took them with, such reservations
and distinctions as redounded very little to the hor
nour of their integrity. Many of those who had
been the warmest advocates for non-resistance and
passive obedience, made no scruple of renouncing

00 HISTpSX^OP^NGL^Nff^ BOO^. Ij
their allegianpe to King James, andcorflplyipgwith
the present act, after having declared that they took
the oaths, in no other sense than that.pfa peaceable
submission .to the powers that were. They even,
afErrned that, the legislature .itself ,h,ad allowed the
distinction between a king de facto and a king de
jure, as,, they had dropped the word " rightful,'*
when the form was under debate. They alleged,
that as prudence obliged them to conform to, the
^tter of the oath, ^ so conscience required th^rn to
give it, their own interpretation. Nothing could be
more, infamous (aq,d of worse tendency, ,than,tfus
practice of equivocating in the most sacred, pf ajl
obligations. It introduced a general disregard of
oaths, which hath been the source of universal per
jury and corruption. Though this. , set of tempo-
risers Were bitterly upbraided both by the nonjuror?
and the papists, they all concurred in representing
William as an enemy to, the , church ; as a prince
educated |n the doctrines pf Calvin, which he plain
ly espoused,. by limiting his favour and preferment
to such as.'Wfere Jatitudinarians in religion,,. and by
his abojishing episcopacy in Scotland. The pres^
byteriaiii in that kingdom, now tyrannised in, .their
,,turn:ii They were;headed by the earl of Crawford,
a, nobleman of a violent .temper and strong preju
dices,. He was chosen president of the parliament
by the interest of Melvil, and oppressed the epis
copalians in such a manner, that the greater part
of them, frpm.resp^tinent, became well-wishers to
King James. . (Every circumstance of .the hardships
they underwent was reported in England ; and the
earl of Clarendon, as well as, the suspended bishops,
circulated these particulars with great assiduity.
The. oaths being rejected by the archbishop of Can^
terbury, the bishops of Ely, Chichester^Bath, and
Wells, Peterborough and Gloucester, jt&ey were
suspended from their functions, arid .threatened
with deprivation. Lake qf Chichester, being seized

fcH. H. WILLIAM ANb MARf. '§g
with a dangerous distemper, signed a solemn de
claration, in which he professed his adherence to
the doctrine of non-resistance and passive obedi
ence, which he believed to be the distinguishing
characteristic of the church of England. After his
death this paper was published, industriously circu
lated, and extolled by the party as an inspired ora
cle pronounced by a martyr to religious truth and
sincerity. .§ IX. All the clamour that was raised against the!
king could not divert him from prosecuting the
scheme of comprehension. He granted a commis
sion under the great seal to ten bishops, arid twenty
dignitaries of the churchy anthorising them to meet
from time to time in the Jerusalem-chamber, to
prepare such alterations of the liturgy and the ca-*
nonSj and such proposals for the reformation of ec
clesiastical courts, as might most conduce to the good
order, edification, and uniting of the church, and
tend to reconcile all religious differences among the
protestant subjects of the kingdom1. Aery was im
mediately raised against this commission as an ec
clesiastical eourt illegal and dangerous. At their
first meeting, the authority of the commission was*
questioned by Sprat, bishop of Rochester, who re->
tired in disgust, arid was followed by Mew of Win
chester, and the doctors Jane and Aldrich. These
were averse to any alteration of the forms and con
stitution of the church in favour of an insolent and
obstinate party, which ought to have been satisfied
with the toleration they enjoyed. They pbstrved,
that an attempt to make such alteration would di->
vide the clergy, and bring the liturgy into disesteem
with the people, as it would be a plain acknowledge
ment that it Wanted correction. They thought
they should "violate the dignity of the church, by
condescending to ;make offers which the dissenters
were at liberty to refuse : arid they suspected s6vm'
Foi. I. &

70 HIS^OBY Of ENfefA^D. SOfSfc/t
of their colleagues of a design11 to give up episcopal
ordination— a Step inconsistent with their honour,
duty, oaths, and subscriptions.
§ X. The commissioners, notwithstandi'rig!TriFs
secession, proceeded to debate with moderation on
the abuses of which the dissenters had cbmplamed,
andi corrected every article that seemed liable' to any
just objection ; but the opposite party employed aH
their art and industry to inflame the minds of the
people. The two universities declared agarhst all
alterations, and those who promoted them. The
king himself was branded as an enemy to the hie
rarchy ; and they bestirred themselves so success
fully in the election of members for the convocation,
that they procured a very considerable majority.
At their first meeting, the friends of the compre
hension scheme proposed Dr Tillotsori, clerk of the
closet to his majesty, as prolocutor ; but the other
party carried it in favour of Dr Jane, who was count
ed the most violent churchman in the whole assem
bly. In a Latin speech to the bishop- of London as
president, he, in the name of the lower house, as
serted that the liturgy of England needed no amend
ment, and concluded with the old declaration 6f the
barons, '•"• Nolumus leges Anglian mntari. We will
" not suffer the laws of England to he changed."
The bishop, iri his reply, exhorted them to modera
tion, charity, and indulgence towards their brethren
the dissenters, and to make such abatements in
things indifferent as might serve to open a door of
salvation to multitudes of straying christians. His
injunctions, however, produced no favourable effect.
The lower house seemed to be animated by a spirit
of opposition. Next day the president prorogued
them, on pretence that the royal commission, by
which they were to act, was defective' for want of
lieing seajedj and that a prorogation was necessary
until that sanction should be obtained. In this in
terval means were used to molify their non-com-

t|H. If. WILLIAM AMD MARY- ^1
pliant tempers, but all endeavours proved ineffectual.
When, they met again, the earl of Nottingham de-*
livered the king's commission to both houses, with
a speech of his own> and a message from his majes
ty, importing, that he had summoned them out of
a pious. zeal to do every thing that might tend to the
best establishrnent of the church of England, which
should always enjoy his favour and protection. *He
exhorted them to lay aside all prejudice, and-corisU
den calmly and impartially whatever should be pro
posed ; he assured them he would offer nothing but
what should be for the honour, peace, and advan
tage of the protestant religion in general, arid par
ticularly of the church of England.
§ XI. The bishops, adjourning to the Jerusalem*
chamber, prepared a zealous address of thanks to
his majesty, which, being sent to the lower house
for their concurrence, met with violent opposition.
Amendments were proposed ; a conference ensued,
and, after warm debates, they agreed upon a cold
address, which was accordingly presented. The fnaj
jority of the lower house, far from taking any -mea
sures in favour of dissenters, con-verted all their at
tention-, to the relief of their nonjttring brethren.
Jealous speeches were made in behalf of the sus
pended bishops ; and Dr Jane p'roposed that some*
thing might beidone to qualify them to sit in the
convocation. Th is, j however, was such a danger*
ous point as they would not venture to discuss:
yet, rather than proceed upon the business for whieh-
they had been assembled, they began to take 'cog
nizance of some pamphlets -lately published, ..jwhieh
they,£pnceived to be of dangerous consequence to
tlie christian religion. The president and his par»
ty,; perceiving the disposition of toe- house, did not
think proper to communicate any proposal touch*
mg, the intended reformation, and the king *u^eF*
_¦¦ ;,' Z:^ ¦ ' ¦ ¦¦ -

/2 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. BOCK, ti
ed the session to be discontinued by repeated pro-* __
rogations. <jj : -"-it >'..m jj m. .sar-rtH
•§ XII. The parliament meeting on the nineteenth
day of October, the kingpin a speech of his own
/composing, explained the necessity of a presentsup-
ply to carry on the war.?- He desired that they,
might be speedy in their determinations on this sub
ject, for these would in a great measure influence
the deliberations of the princes and states concerned
in the war against France, as a general meeting of
them wajs.apppinted to be held next month at the
Hague, to settle the operations of the ensuing cam
paign. He concluded with recommending' the dis
patch of a bill of indemnity, that the minds of his
subjects might be quieted, and that they might una
nimously concur in promoting thebcEne*Hr,and welrj
fare of the kingdom. As several inflammatory i)Sls
and disputes, which had produced heats and animo
sities inithe last -session, were still depending,1- the
king, after having consulted both houses, resolved
to put an end to. those disputes by a prorogation.
He accordingly went to the house of lords, and
prorogued the parliament till the twenty-first day
of October y by the mouth of the new speaker,. Sir
Robert Atkins, the marquis of Hallifax having re
signed that office. ,oWhen theyijre^assembled, ibsi
king referred ^them to his, former speech: then the
commons unanimously resolved to assist his majesty
in, reducing Ireland, and in joining with hts albes
abroad for a. vigorous prosecution of the war against
France : for these purposeTthey voted a stqrply of .
two millions. icno;, '«rl on *u! •tui-' fo^uoiBruadi
f-^ XIII. During this session the whigs employed
all their influence and intrigues in obstructing the
bill o£ indemnity, which they knew -would open a-
door for favour and preferment to the opposite "par* -,
ty, which. began to gain ground in the king's good
graces. *n With this view they revived the prosecu
tion of the state prisoners/"' A committee was ap~

CH.II.Jli WFLLIAM AND MARY.5'" 73'
pointed to prepare a charge against Burton and
Graham. The commons resolved to impeach 'the '
earls of Peterborough,111 Salisbury, and Castlemain,
Sir Edward Hales, and Obadiah Walker, Of high
treason, forhavingioeen reconciled to the church
of Rome, contrary to the laws of the realm. A bill
was ordered to be brought in, to declare the estate
of the late lord chancellor Jefferies forfeited to the
crown, and attaint his blood ; but it met with such'
opposition that the measure was dropped : the house i
however agreedjthat the pecuniary penalties incur-*1
red by those persons who had exercised offices con
trary to the laws against popish rescusants should'
be speedily levied, and applied to the public service.
The lord Griffin being detected in maintaining a
correspondence with king James and his -partisans,!'
was committed to the tower ; but, as no other evi
dence appeared against him than ^written letters,
found in the false bottom of a pewer bottle, they
could not help consenting to his being released up
on baiL as they had' lately resolved that Algernon 1
Sidney wa6 unjustly condemned in the '"reign of
Charles II. because nothing but writings had been H
produced against him at his trial. ~> The two houses
concurred in appointing a committee to inquire who
were the advisers .and prosecutors iri' taking away'
the lives of Lord Russel, Colonel Sydney, Sir Thom
as* Armstrong, Alderman Cornish, and others; and >
who were chiefly concerned in the arbitrary practii ¦
ctHitc^ching the writs of Quo Warranto, and^thet
sbir^h^prgof charters;: tThis inquiry was levelled at
the marquis of Hallifax, who had concurred with the
ministry of Charles in all tl"«?se severities. Though
neriprgaifcapp'edredj upon Vhich votes or addresses
couideJaelfbuDrMled^ that nobleman saw it was neces-:
saityqfcKlibit|q<lica«Wtshdfaw> himself from the admini
stration \, be therefore resigned the privy seal, which!
was- put'jin'Commission,' and reconciled himself to-;
v sew 3-ij;mrao3 h Q 3 > jewq sJsJ« sdi i« noi,

JT4 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. BOOK I-
the tories, Pf whom he became the patron and pro
tector. 7
§ XIV. The commons likewise resumed the ex
amination of the miscarriages in Ireland, and desir
ed the king would appoint commissioners, to gtr
dt^r and inquire irito the condition of the army^ih
that kingdom. Schomberg understanding that he
had beeri blamed in the house of commons for his'
inactivity, transmitted to the king a satisfactory
vindication of his own conduct ; and it appeared
that the miscarriages' in Ireland were wholly owing*
to', John Shales purveyor-general to the army. The
cdmmdhs immediately presented an address to his
majesty, praying that Shales might be taken into
custody ; that all his papers, accounts, and stores
should be secured ; and that duke Schomberg might
be empowered to fill his place with a more able pur
veyor. The king gave them to understand, that he
had already sent orders to the general for that pur
pose. Nevertheless, they in another petition re
quested his majesty to name those who had recom
mended Shales to his service, as he had exercised
the same office under king James, and was suspec
ted of treasonable oractices against the government.'
William declined gratifying their request; but he
afterwards sent a message- to the house, desiring
them to recommend i certain number of commis
sioners to superintend such provisions and prepara
tions as might be necessary for that service, as wdl
as' to nominate certain persons to go over arid ex^
amine the state of the army in Ireland. The coin-
riipns were so molifled by this instance of his Con
descension, that they left the whole affair to his
own direction, and proceeded to examine othea
branches of misconduct. Instances of mismanage-
rheht appeared so numerous and so flagrant, that
they" resolved Up6n a subsequent address, to explain
the ill' conduct and success of his army "and^navy ;
stp desire he wpuld find out the author of these mis*

«H..ir., WTLLI^M.AIJB, MA^, ,, 7$
carriages, ,and for the ., future entrust .nnsnjspected
persons with the management of affairs. They or
dered the vitualler,s,of ithe #>eet~to be taken into
custody, on suspicion of their, having furnished ,fh,e
navy with unwholesome provisions, arid ne\vc com
missioners were appointed. Bitter reproaches were
thrown out against the ministry. Mr Hambden
expressed his .surprize that the administration shpuld
consist of those very persons whom king James
had, employed, when his affairs, were desperate} tp
-tjr^at wiith the prince of Orange, and mpved that
the king .shpuld be petitioned in an address .to re-,
move such persons from his presence, and councils.
This was a stroke aimed at: the earl of Nottingham,
whose office of secretary Jjambden desired to pos^,
ses ; but his motion was not secpnded, the court-
. members observing that James did not depute those
lords to tfie prince, of Orange because they were at
tached to his pwn interest, but for a very different
reaspn, namely,, that they were welfknown to dis
approve of hisrineasures, andthereforewouklbethe.
more agreeable to his highness. The house, how
ever, voted an address to the king, desiring that the
authors of the miscarriages might be, brought tp
condign punishment. . , . , ,.;
$ XV. In the sequel, the question was, prepens
ed, whether a placeman ought to have a seat in thiej
boused and, a, very warm debate ensued; but it was
carried in the affirmative, on tbe^ supposition, that
by such exclusion ^cQmmpnvveaLth, wpuid pe der-
priygfi of some of the, ablest senators of =the^king^
dpm> i^utvwhat chiefly irritated? William aga,m,st.
|foe whigs wasjthejr backwardness in. .promoting tfi,e,
public .serv-icej and their disregard 9,f the earnest
desire-he expressed to see his revenue settled for
life.! He said his title was no more, to;ana,pagea^,
and the worst of alLgovern.ia^ntsrwas that of&kin£
without nifeasure. , Nevertheless,, they wpul4i;iiQjt
QA

f $ HISTORY COS*. EN G LAN D . BOpH3<
grant the civil list for a longer term4hancbher!yfias.
.They began to think there was something aehateHH^
jn his dispositidn. His sullen behaviour, in all^ajb-
babilrtyfirstinfusedthisopinion, which was strength
ened and confirmed by the insinuations of 'his, enid-
mies.riiTheScotB, who had come up to I^ddoqito
give an account of the pfdceediqgs in their jpariid-
ment, were infeoted with the sameinotion. s Ohe
Simpson;, a presbyterian of that country, wjbrsH the
Earl of Portland employed as a spy, had msihuated
himself into the confidence of Nevil Payne, an ac
tive and intelligent partisan and agentof King James,
by which means he 'Supplied the earl with •such in
telligence as raised him to some degree of credit
with that minister. This he used in prepossessing
¦it he Earl against the king's best friends, and infus
ing jealousies which were soon kindled into .mutual
distrust and animosity. jqta dl 'lies ¦ .larifn
no § XVI. Sir JarnesaMontgomery, who had beeh
a warm advocate for the revolution, received advice
that the court suspected him andothersof disaffec
tion, and was employed in seeking evidence by whftm
they might be prosecuted. They were equally pkrfra-
ed and incensed1 at this intimation, and >Baynei^era-
ed the opportunity , of seducing them, into a cor
respondence with the exiled king; . They demand
ed the settlement of presb^eryinScotlaiiidpanAaiJ-
tually engaged in. a treaty for his restoration. bTdidy
reconciled themselves to the duke of Otieurfsberfry/,
and the other noblemen of theiepistavpailpBrtyi: fcknsy
wrote to James for a supply <rfnr»0*KryJv'Jarn^ii*fcl
ammunition, together with a reinforcement of?g&Hflde
thousand men from Dunkirk- Montgbmefybhad
acquired great interest among the whigs of EhgWnil,
and this he employed in animating them ^fargsmst
the kingv and iblie ministry; t ,He» represented them
as- a set of wicked men,: who employed infamous
'㤠pies to ensnare and ruin the fast' friends ofijheQgo-
yernment, and found means to alienate them ^

CH. II. WILLIAM AINU MAKY, K fyf
much'from William, that they began to think in
earnest of recalling their, banished prince. The
duke of Bolton, and the earl of Monmouth, were
almost persuaded intoa conspiracy for this purpose:;
they, seemed to think James, was. now so well con
vinced of his former errors, that they might trust
him without scruple. Montgomery and Payne were
the chief managers of the; scheme, and they admit-
ed Ferguson into their councils, as a veteran in the
arts of treason. *dn order to blast William's credit in
the city, they circulated a report that James would
grant a full indemnity, separate himself entirely from
the French interest, and ,be contented with a se
cret connivance in favour of the Roman, catholics.
.Montgomery's brother assured the.tbishopof Salis
bury, that a treaty with King James was absolutely
concluded, and an invitation subscribed by the whole
cabal. He said this paper wouldfbesent to Ireland
by <the way' of France, as the direct communication
wasidifficult ; and he proposed-a method for seizing
it before it '-should be conveyed out of the kingdom.
Williamson,^ the supposed bearer of it, had obtain
ed a pass for Flanders, 'and. a messenger being sent
in pursuit of him, secured his clothes and portman
teau ; butj after a very strict examination, nothing
appeared to justify the intelligence. Williamson
had previously delivered the papers to Simpson^ who
'hired afboatat Deal,: and arrived in :safetyat France.
He returned withlarge assurances, and twelve thous
and pounds were remitted to the Scottish under
takers. -Montgomery, the informer, seeing his in
telligence falsified, lost his credit with the bishop-,
¦ and dreading the resentment of tnet©fcher party, re
tired to <th& continent. .The conspirators loudly
complained of the;false imputations they had incur
red. The pretended discoveries were looked upon
as. fictions of the ministry, and' the king on this
occasion, suffered -greatly in the opinion of :his sub*
jects. . ::• - tifltjftia/.

?S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. BOOK U
$ XVII. The tories still continued, to carry on
a secret negotiation with the court. They took ad*
vantage of the ill-humour subsisting between the;
Jring and the whigs; and promrised large supplies of
money, provided this parliament, should be dissolved,
said another immediately convoked* The opposite
party, being apprised of their intention, brought a
bill into the house of commons for restoring cor
porations to their ancient rights and privileges..
They knew their own strength at elections consist
ed in these corporations; and they ipserted two ad
ditional severe clauses against those who were, ia
any shape concerned in surrendering; charters. The
whole power of the tories was exerted against this.
clause ; and now. the whigs vied with them in mak
ing court to his majesty, promising to manifest the
most submissive obedience should this bill be enacx
ted into a law. The strength of the tories was now^
become so formidable to the house, that they outf
voted the other party, and the clauses were'rejec-
ted ; but the bill passed in its original form. The.
lords debated upon the point, Whether a corpora
tion could be forfeited or surrendered ? Lord Chief
Justice Holt and two other judges declared their
opinion in the affirmative ; the rest thought othec-^
wise, as no precedents could be produced farther
back than the reign of Henry VIII. when the abbies
Were surrendered ; and this instance seemed too viq-
lent to authorise such a measure in a regular course.
of administration. The bill, however, passed by one
Yoiee only. Then both parties quickened their ap
plications to the king, who found himself so per
plexed and distracted between two factions which
he equally feared, that he resolved to leave the go
vernment in the queen's hands, and retire tp. Hol
land.. He communicated this .design to the Ma*h-
tyiis of Caermarthen, the earl of Shrewsbury, and
some: other noblemen, who pressed him to lay aside

CH.fi. WILLIAM AND MARY. fQ
his resolution, and even mingled tears- with their re
monstrances. .-..¦-. .-,-.,
-¦ ¦§ XVIII. He at length complied with their re
quest, and determined to finish the Irish war in
person. j This design was far from being agreeable
to the parliament. His friends dreaded the climate
of Jthat country, which might prove fatal to his
weak constitution. The well-wishers of James were
afraid of that prince's being1 hard pressed, should
Wllffim take the field against him in person : both
houses,' therefore, uegan to prepare an address
against this expedition. In order to prevent this
rernOnstrahee, the king went to the parliament, and
formally signified his resolution. After his speech
they were prorogued to the second day of April.
On the1 sixth day of February they were dissolved by
proclamation, and a new parliament was summoned
to meet on ; the - twentieth day of -March. »- During
this session the commons, in an address to the king,
desired that a revenue of fifty thousand pounds
might be Settled upon the ^prince snd princess of
Denmark, out of the civil list : arid his majesty gra
tified them-in this particular: yet, the warmth and
industry with which" the friends of the princess ex
erted themselves iri promoting the settlement, pro
duced a coldness and misunderstanding between the
t^VO3 sisters: and the subsequent disgrace of the earl
of Marlborough was imputed to the part which his
wife aeted on the occasion. She was lady of the
bed-chamber, and chief confident to" the princess,
whom she strenuous!}' advised to insist upon the set
tlement, rather than depend upon the generosity of
the king and queen.
-°$ XTX. About this period, General Ludlow, who
aCLf|^ restoration had been excepted from the act
of -indemnity, as "one of those who sat hi judgment
upon Charles I. arrived in England, and offered
his service' in reducing Ireland, where he had for
merly commanded. Though a rigid republican, he

8ft HIST0KY OF \ENGLANB. BOOK F.
was reputed a conscientious man, and a good offi-i
cer. ^ He had received some encouragement to.
come over, and probably would have been employ
ed, had not the commons interposed.'/ Sir Edward
Seymour, who enjoyed by grant an estate in Wilt-;
shire, which had formerly belonged to. LudlowJ
hegau. to be. in pain for his possession. He observed
in the house, that the nation woirid be disgraced,.
shPuld one of the parrieides be sufferedjto Eveinithej
kf^ggioKJi,!. An address was immediately presented to /
the king, desiring a proclamation might be issued,
promising arewardforapprehendingGeneralLudlow.f
This was accordingly, published ; but; not before he'
had landed in Holland, from whence he returned tai
Vevay in Switzerland, where he wrote; the memoirs
of his life, and died after an exile of thirty years.
j^XX. While King William fluctuated' between
two parties in England, his interest in Scotland had!
well nigh given way to a coalition between the ori
ginal Jacobites and Montgomery's party ef discon
tented presbyterians. Colonel Cannon, who suc
ceeded the- Viscount Dundee in command', after
having made several unsuccessful efforts , in favour
of the late king's interest, retired into Ireland-; ands
the highlanders chose Sir Hugh Cameron for their
leader. Under him they.renewed, their incursions'
with; the better prospect of success, as severaL regi
ments of the regular troops.had been sent to reinforce
the, army of Schpuaberg. o James assisted them with
clothes, arms, and ammunition, together with some!
officers, amongst whom was Colonel Button, appoint
ed, to act as their chief commaaderi! This officer,
at the head of fifteen hundred nien^ advanced intathen
shire of Murray, in hopes, of being joined by other'
rn^tonfcents :ibut be was surprised and routed byt J
Sir.iThomas Livingstone, while Major Ferguson dsl-"
steoyed the places they possessed.' fn the isle of Mull ;i
so ¦ thatitthejhighlandera -. were obliged ¦ to retire,
and* conceal themselves -among their hills and fasU

«53. it.^ WlLLliMUlfD MAkV.'S Sf-
nesses.jpcThe friends of James, despairing of doing
any thing effectual for his service in the field, con
verted all their attention to theQproceedingS in
parliament ; where they imagined their interest was"
much stronger than it appeared to be upon trial.'
They took the oaths without hesitation, and hoped,'-
by the assistance of their new allies, to embroil the
government in such a manner that the minority of
the people would declare for a restoration. But the
views of these new-cemented parties were altogether
incompatible ; and their principles diametrically op
posite. Notwithstanding their concurrence in par-
Irament^the earl of Melvil procured a small majo
rity.' The opposition was immediately discouraged :
some' individuals retracted, rather than fall with ar
sinking cause ; and- mutual jealousies began to pre
vail. The leaders of the coalition treated separate
ly with king James; made inconsistent demands;
reciprocally concealed their negotiations : in a word,
they distrusted and hated one another with the most
implacable resentmSnt. r-^> .a:i3.'(i .-¦a-u nsi
§>XXI. The earls of Argyle, Anandale, and
Braidalbin, withdrew from their councils, and repair
ed to England. Montgomery, terrified at their de^-
fection, went privately to London, after he had hinted
something of the plot to Melvil, and solicited a pass1
from the queen, which was refused.^ Anandale,
having received information that Montgomery had
disclosed all the particulars of the hegotiation,i threw*
himself upon the. queen's mercy, and discovered all '
he knew of ibeoconspiracy. ''As he had not treated »
W?itia;^ny-oflthe' malcontents in England,"' they re
mained secure from his evidence ; 'butt he informed
against yNevil i Payne, J who. had been sent down as^
thteirbagent to Scotland, where he now resided. He*
wasbiBBBafi^ia641y apprehended by the council of that
kirigdMriju in consequence of a letter from the eanl
of? -Nottingham ; and twice put to the^orturey
which he resolutely bore without discovering' his

82 tilS TOBY OF "ENGLAND. BppK. h
employers. Montgpmery still abscQnded' i"j Lon
don, soliciting a. pardon ; but, finding he could.nofc
obtain it, except on condition of making a full dis
covery, he abandoned his country, and chose todie
in exile, rather than betray his confederates. This
disunion of the conspirators, and discovery of the
plot, left the earl of Melvil in possession of a great
er majority ; though even this he was. fain to secure
by overstraining his instructions in the, articles;©! .
patronage, and the supremacy of the crown, wh^cbj
he, yielded up to the fury of the fanatic presbyteriaus*
contrary to the intention of King William. In lieii
of these, however, they indulged him with the; taXj
of chimney or hearth-money : as well, as with &¦ test
to be imposed upon all persons in office and parlia
ment, declaring. William and Maryftheir lawful sove
reigns, and renouncing the pretended title of King
James. All the laws in favour of episcopacy were
repealed. Threescore of the presbyterian ministerfil
who had been ejected at the Restoration, were still
alive; and these the parliament declared the only;
sound part of the church. The government of it
was lodged in their hands ; and they were empovv,-
ered to admit such as they should think, proper to
their assistance. ,'A few furious fanatics (being thus
associated, proceeded with ungovernable violence;
to persecute the episcopal party, exercising the y,ery
same tyranny against them which they . themselves
had so loudly exclaimed. >
A. d 1&90 § XXII. While the presbyterian in
terest thus triumphed in Scotland, -|hej
two parties that divided England employed :their,s
whole influence and attention in managing the
ejections for a new parliament ;, and thei tories ob
tained the victory. The king seemed gradually faK
ling into the arms of this party. They eomrjfaifteflb
of their having been totally excluded from the lieu
tenancy pf London at the king's {accession to the
crown ; andnow,a considerable number of the most
violent tories 'in the city were admitted into the

«JR.-tt'. WittrAte-^Nb' lit Aft V. %t
commission by the interest and address of the bi
shop of London, the Marquis of Caermarthen, and
the earl of Nottingham. To gratify that party ^ the
eftrls of Monmouth and Warrington were dismissed
from their employments : nay, when the parliament
met on the twentieth day of March, the BumeCBei-
commons chose for their speaker Sir John canes, ken-
Trevor, a violent partisan of that faction,' ™l\P\\™iA
who had been created master of the rolls
by the late king. He was a bold, artful man, and
arid undertook to procure a majority to be at the
devotion of the court, provided he should ibe sup
plied with the nicessary sums for the purposes of
corruption. William,- finding there was'no other
way of maintaining his administration in peace,
thought proper to countenance the practice of pur
chasing votes, and appointed Trevor first commis
sioner of the great seal. In his speech to the par
liament, he gave them to understand, that he still
persisted in his resolution of going in person to
Ireland. He desired they wduld make a settlement
of ibe" revenue, or establish it fdr the present, as a
fund Of credit, upon which the necessary sums for
the service of the government might be immediate
ly advanced : he signified his intention of sending
to them an act of grace, with a few exceptions, that
he might manifest his readiness to extend his pro
tection to all his subjects, and "leave no colour of
excuse for raising disturbances in his absence, as
he knevv how busy some ill-affected men were in.
the'lV -endeavours to alter the established govern
ment': he recommended an union with Scotland,
the parliament of which had appointed commission
ers for that purpose : Tie told them he should leave
the administration in the hands of' the queen, and
desired they would prepare an act to confirm her
authority : he exhorted them to dispatch the1 busi
ness for which they were assembled, to avoid de-
Hates, and expressed his hope that they shbvild soon

S4 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. BOOK Li
meet again, to finish what might be now left im
perfect. § XXIII. The Commons, in compliance with his
request, voted a supply of twelve hundred thousand^
pounds, one million of that sum to be raised by a
clause of credit in the revenue-bills ; but he could
not prevail upon them to settle the revenue for life.
They granted, however, the hereditary excise for
that term, but the customs for four years only.
They considered this short term as the best securi
ty the kingdom could have for frequent parlia
ments ; though this precaution was not at all agree
able to their sovereign. A poll-bill was likewise
passed ; Pthef supplies were granted, and both par
ties seemed to court his majesty, by advancing mo
ney on those funds of credit. The whigs, however,
had another battery in reserve. They produced in
the upper house a bill for recognizing their ma
jesties as the rightful and lawful sovereigns of these
realms, and for declaring all the acts of the last par
liament to be good and valid. The tories were now
reduced to a very perplexed situation. They could
not oppose the bill without hazarding the interest
they had so lately acquired, nor assent to it with
out solemnly renouncing their former arguments
and distinctions. They made no great objections
to the first part, and even proposed to enact, That
those should be deemed good laws for the time to
come ; but they refused to declare them valid for
that which Was past. After a long debatey the bill
was committed ; yet the whigs lost their majority
on the report ; nevertheless, the bill was recovered
and passed with some alteration in the words ; in.
consequence of a nervous, spirited protest, signed
Bolton, Macclesfied, Stamford, Newport, Bedford,
Herbert, Suffolk, Monmouth, Delamere, and Ox
ford. The whole interest of the court was thrown
into the scale with this bill, before it could prepon
derate against the tories, the chiefs of whom, with

CH; II. WILLIAM AND MARY. 89
the earl of Nottingham at their head, protested in
their turn. The same party in the house of commons
were determined upon a vigorous opposition ; and in
the meantime some trifling objections were made,.
that it might be committed for amendment ; but
their design was prematurely discovered by one of
their faction, who chanced to question the legality of
the convention, as it was not summoned by the king's
writ. This insinuation was answered by Somers, the
solicitor-general, who observed, that if it was not a
legal parliament, they who were then met, and who
had taken the oaths enacted by that parliament, were
guilty of high-treason : the laws repealed by it were
still in force : it was their duty, therefore, to return
to King James ; and all concerned in collecting and
paying the money levied by the acts of that parlia
ment were highly criminal. The tories were so struck
with these arguments, that the bill" passed without
further opposition, and immediately received the
royal assent. Thus the settlement was confirmed by
those very people who had so loudly exclaimed against
it as illegal : but the whigs with all their management,
would not have gained their point, had not the court
been interested in the dispute.
§ xxiv. There was another violent contest be
tween the two parties, on the import of a bill requir-
ing all subjects in office to abjure King James, on
pain of imprisonment. Though the clergy were at
first exempted from this test, the main body of the
tories opposed it with great vehemence ; while the
whigs, under countenance of the ministry, supported
it with equal vigour. It produced long and violent
debates ; and the two factions seemed pretty equally
balanced. At length, the tories represented to the
king, that a great deal of precious time would be
lost in fruitless altercation ; that those who declared
against the bill would grow sullen and intractable,
so as to oppose every other motion that might be
Foi. I. R

$&. HIS'l'ORY OF ENS1AHJ). 'S,l,<
made i for the king's service : that, in case of its be
ing carried, his majesty must fall again into the hand
of the whigs, who would renew their former practices.
against the prerogative ; and many individuals, who
were bow either well affected to him, or at least-neu
tral, would become Jacobites from resentment. These
suggestions had such weight with King William, tha^.
he sent an intimation to the commons, desiring they
would drop the debate, and proceed to matters that
were more pressing. The whigs, in general, were
disgusted at this interposition ;. and the earl of Shrews
bury, who had interested himself warmly in behalf of
the bill, resented it so deeply, that he insisted on re
signing his • office of secretary of state. The king,
who revered his talents and integrity, employed Dr.
Tillotson .and others, who were supposed to have,
credit with the earl, to dissuade him from quitting
his employment : but he continued deaf to all their
remonstrances, and would not even comply with; the
request of his majesty, who, pressed him to keep the
seals until be should return from Ireland. Long de
bate?- were likewise managed in the house of lords,.
upon the bill of abjuration, or rather an oath of spe
cial fidelity to William, in opposition to James. The
tories professed themselves willing to enter into a
negative--engagement against the late king and his?
adherents : but they opposed the oath of abjuration
with all their- might: and the house \\ as so equally
divided that neither side was willing to hazard a de
cision : so that all the fruit of their debates was a
prolongation of the session.
§ xxv. An act was prepared for investing the5
queen with the administration during the king's ab
sence; another for reversing the judgment oha^s'
warranto against the city of. London, and restoring
it to its ancient rights and privileges ; and at length,
the bill of indemnity, so cordially recommended by

clL, n. William and MAfit. 8f
the king, passed both housed '. On the 21st day of
May^ the king closed the session With a short speech,
in which he thanked them for the supplies they had
granted ; and recommended to them a punctual dis
charge of their duties in their respective counties,
that the peace of the nation might not be interrupt
ed in his absence. The houses were adjourned to the
7th day of July, when the parliament was prorogued
and adjourned successively. As a farther security for
the peace of the kingdom, the deputy-lieutenaftts"
were authorized to raise the militia in case of neces
sity. All papists were prohibited to stir above five*
miles from their respective places of abode : a procla
mation was published for apprehending certain dis
affected persons : Sir John Cochran and Fergusoil
were actually arrested., on suspicion of treasonable
practices. On the 4th day of June the king set out
for Ireland, attended by Prince George of Denmark^
th^ duke of Ormond, the earls pf Oxford, Scarborough,
Manchester, and many other persons of distinction i
on the 14ts day of the month he landed at Carrick-
fergus, from whence he immediately proceeded to
Belfast, where he was met by the duke of Schom
berg, the prince of Wirtemberg, Major-general Kirke^
arid other officers. By this time* Colonel Wolsey/
at the head of 1,000 men, had defeated a strong de
tachment of the enemy near Belturbat : Sir John
Lanier had takeri Bedloe caStle fand that of Charle-
1 Thefollpwing persons, ware ex- wych, Sir Thomas' Jenner, Sir Nicho-
cepred from the benefit of this act :— la,s Bijtler, Sir William Herbert, Sir
WiUiarn, marquis of Powis; Theo- RichardHollowayjSirRi'chaifdf&atni
philus, earl of Huntingdon ; Robert Sir Roger L'Estrange, William Moli-
earl of Sunderland; John, earl of neux, Thomas Tyndesly, Colonel
Mclfort; -Roger, earl of Caftlemain ; Townly, Colonel Lundy, Robert.
Nathaniel, lord bishop of Diirham; Brent, Edward Morgan, Philip Bur-
Thomas, lord birhop of St. David's; " ton, R"ichard'Graham, Edward Petre,
Henry, Lord Dover; Lord Thomas OUa'dlah Walker, Matthew Crone,
Howard ; Sir Edward Hales, Sir . and George Lord Jeffries, deceased.
Francis Withers, Sir Edward Lut-
R2

88 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
mont, a strong post of great importance, together
with Balingary, near Cavan, had been reduced King
William having reposed himself for two or three days
at Belfast, visited the duke's head-quarters at Lis-
burn : then advancing to Hillsborough, published
an order against pressing horses, and committing
violence on the country people. When some of hi§
general-officers proposed cautious measures, he de
clared he did not come to Ireland- to let the grass
grow under his feet. He ordered the army to en
camp and be reviewed at Loughbrilland, where he
found it amount to 36,000 effective men, well ap
pointed. Then he marched to Dundalk : and after
wards advanced to Ardee, which the enemy had just
abandoned. § xxvi. King James trusted so much to the dis-
fiutes in the English parliament, that he did not be-
ieve his son-in-law would be able to quit that king
dom ; and William had been six days in Ireland be-
fore he received intimation of his arrival. This was
no sooner known, than he left Dublin under the
guard of the militia commanded by Luttrel, and with
a reinforcement of 6,000 infantry, which he had
lately received from France, joined the rest of his
forces, which now almost equalled William's army
in number, exclusive of about 15,000 men who re
mained in different garrisons. He occupied a very
advantageous post on- the bank of the Boyne, and,
contrary to the advice of his general officers, resolved
tp stand battle. They proposed to strengthen their
garrisons, and retire to the Shannon, to wait the ef
fect of the operations at sea. Lewis had promised to
equip a powerful armament against the English fleei,
and send over a great number of small frigates to de
stroy William's transports, as soon as their convoy
should be returned to England. The execution of
this scheme was not at all difficult, and must have
proved fatal to the English army ; for their stores and

CH. II. WILLIAM AND MARY. ' Sv>'
ammunition were still ori-hoard ; the ships sailed
along the Coast as the troops advanced in their,
march ;' and there was not one secure harbour into
which they could retire on any emergency. James,
however, was bent upon hazarding an engagement ;
and expressed uncommon confidence and alacrity.
Besides the river, which was deep, his1 front was se
cured by a morass, and a rising ground: ,so that the
English army could not attack him'witho'ut manifest
disaavantage. § xxvu. King William marched up to' the op-
pPsite bank of the river, and, as he reconnoitred their
situation, was exposed to the fire of some field pieces,1
which the enemy purposely planted against his per
son. They killed a man and two horses close by
him ; and, the second bullet, rebounding from the
earth, grazed upon his right shoulder, so as to carry
off part of his clothes arid skin, and produce a con
siderable contusion. This accident, which he bore
without the least eniotiori, created some confusion
among his attendants, which the enemy perceiving,
concluded he was killed, and shouted aloud in token
of their joy. The whole camp resounded with accla
mation ; and several squadrons of their horse were
drawn down, towards the river, as if they had intended
to pass it immediately and attack the English army.
The report was instantly communicated from, place
to place, until it reached Dublin ; from thence it was
conveyed to Paris, where, contrary to the custom of
the French court, the people were encouraged to ce
lebrate the event with bonfires and illuminations.
William rode along the line to shew himself to the
army after this narrow escape. At night he called a
council of war ; and declared his resolution to attack
the enemy in the morning. ' Schomberg at first op
posed his design : but, finding the king determined,
he advised that 'a strong detachment of horse and
foot should that night pass the Boyne at Slane bridge,
R3

Q.0 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B, I,
and take post between the enemy and the pass of
Duleck, that the action might be the more decisive.
This counsel being rejected, the king determined, that,
early in the morning, Lieutenant-general Douglas,
with the right wing of infantry, and young Schom
berg, with the horse, should pass at Skne bridge,
while the main body of foot should force their pas
sage at Old bridge, and the left at certain fords be
tween the enemy's camp and Drogheda. The duke,
perceiving his advice was not relished by the Dutch
generals, retired to his tent, where the order of bat
tle- beirig brought to him, he received it with an air
pf discontent, saying, it was the first that had ever
been sent him in that manner. The proper disposi
tions being made, William rode quite through the
army by torch-light, and then retired to his tent, af
ter having given orders for the soldiers to distinguish
themselves from the enemy, by wearing green boughs
in their hats during the action,
§ xxvui.^ At six o'clock in the morning, General
Douglas, with young Schomberg,. the earl of Port
land, and Auverquerque, marched towards Slane-
bridge> and passed the river with very little opposi
tion. When they reached the farther bank, they
perceived the enemy drawn up in two lines, to a con
siderable number of horse and foot, with a morass in
their front; so that Douglas was obliged to wait for
a reinforcement. This being arrived, the infantry
was led on to the charge through the morass, while
Count Schomberg rode round it with his cavalry, to
attack the enemy in flank. The Irish, instead of
waiting the assault, faced about, and retreated towards
Duleck with some precipitation ; yet not so fast, but
that Schomberg fell in among their rear, and did
considerable execution. King James, however, soon
reinforced his left wing from the centre; and the
count was in his turn obliged to send for assistance.
At this juncture, King WilljanYs main, body, consist-

CH.-H. WILLIAM AND MARY. 0-1
ing of the Dutch guards, the French regiments, and
-some battalions of English, passed the river, whidh
was waist high, under a general discharge of artillery.
King James had; imprudently removed his cannon
from the other side ; but he had posted a strong bo
dy of musqueteerS along the bank, behind hedges,
houses, and- some works raised for the occasion.
These poured in a close fire upon the English troops
before they reached the Shore; but it produced very
little. effect : then the Irish gave way ; and some bat
talions landed without further opposition. Yet, be
fore they could form, they were charged with great
impetuosity by a squadron ' of the enemy's horse;
and a considerable ' body of their cavalry and foot;
commanded by General Hamilton, advanced from
behind some little hillocs, to attack those that were
landed, as well as to prevent the rest from reaching
the shore. - His infantry turned their backs and fled
immediately ; but the horse charged with incredible
fury, both upon the bank and in the river, so' as to
put the unformed regiments in confusion. Then the
duke of Schomberg, passing the river in1 pei'son, put
himself at the head of the French protestants, and
pointing to the enemy — ' Gentlemen, (said he), those
'¦are your persecutors-:' with these words he advanced
to the attack, where he himself sustained a violent
onset from a party of the Irish horse, which had
broke through one of the regiments, and were now
on their return. They were mistaken for English,
arid allowed to gallop up to the duke, who received
two severe wounds in the head : but the French re
giments being now sensible of their mistake,- rashly
threw in their fire upon the Irish while they were
erigaged with the duke; and, instead of saving, shot
him dead upon the spot. The fate of this- general
had well nigh proved fatal to the English army,
which was immediately involved in tumult and dis
order; while the infantry of King James rallied, and
R4

92 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. . B. I.
returned to their posts with a face of resolution.
They were just ready to fall upon the centre, when
King William, having passed with the left wing,
composed of the Danish, Dutch, and Inniskillin,
Jiorse, advanced to attack them on the right. They
were struck with such a panic at his appearance,
that they made a sudden halt, and then facing about,
retreated to the village of Dunore. There they made
such a vigorous stand, that the Dutch and Danish
horse, though headed by the king in person, recoiled ;
even the Inniskilliners gave way; and the whole wing
would have been routed, had not a detachment of
dragoons, belonging to the regiment of Cunningham
and Levison, dismounted, and lined the hedges on
each side of the defile, through which the fugitives
were driven. There they did such execution upon
the pursuers, as soon checked their ardour. The
horse, which were broken, had now time to rally,
'and returning to the charge, drove the enemy before
¦ them in their turn. In this action General Hamilton,
who had been the life and soul of the Irish during
the whole engagement, was wounded and taken : an
-incident which discouraged them to such a degree,
ithat they made no further efforts to retrieve the ad
vantage they had lost. He was immediately brought
to the king, who asked him if he thought the Irish
would make any further resistance ; and he replied,
- ' upon my honour, I believe they will ; for they
e have still a good body of horse entire.' William,
eyeing -him with a look of disdain, repeated, ' your
' honour 1 your honour !' but took no other notice
. of his having acted contrary to 'his engagement, when
he was permitted to go to Ireland, on promise of per
suading Tyrconnel to submit to the new government.
, The Irish now abandoned the field with precipitation ;
but the French and Swiss troops, that acted as their
auxiliaries, under Lauzun, retreated in good Order,

OH. II. WILLIAM AND MARY. Q3
after havirig maintained the battle for some time with
intrepidity and perseverance.
§ xxix. As King William -did not think proper
to pursue the enemy, the carnage was not great.
The Irish lost 1,500 men, and the English about
one third of that number ; though the- victory was
dearly purchased, considering the death of the gallant
duke of Schomberg, who fell in the eighty-second
year of his age, after having rivalled the best generals
of the time in military reputation. He was descended
of a noble family in the Palatinate, and his mother
was an English woman, daughter of Lord Dudley.
Being obliged to leave his country, on account of the
troubles by which it was agitated, he commenced a
soldier of fortune, and served successively in the ar
mies of Holland, England, France, Portugal, and
Brandenburg. He attained to the dignities of mare-
schal in France, grandee in Portugal, generalissimo
in Prussia, and duke in England. He professed the
protestant religion ; was courteous and humble in his
deportment ; cool, penetrating^ resolute, and saga-
^cious : nor was his probity inferior to his courage.
This battle likewise proved fatal to the brave Caille-
mote, who had followed the duke's fortunes,.; and
commanded one of the protestant regiments. After
having received a mortal wound, he was carried back
through the river by four soldiers, and though almost
in .the agonies of death, he, with, a cheerful counte
nance, encouraged those who were crossing to do
their duty, exclaiming, ' A la gloire, mes.enfans ; a
la gloire ! To glory, my lads ; to glory !' iThe third
remarkable person who lost his life on this occasion,
was Walker the clergyman, who had so valiantly de
fended Londonderry against the whole army of King
James. He had been very graciously received by King
William, who gratified him with a reward of ^"5,000,
and a promise of further favour: but, his military
genius still predominating, he attended his royal pa,-

%4i HISTORY OF ENGLAND. S.I.
tron in this battle, and, being shot in the belly, died
in a {ew minutes. > The persons of distinction who
fell on the other side were, the lords Dongan and
Carlingford, Sir Neile O'Neile, and the marquis of
Hocquincourt. James himself stood aloof during the
action, on the hill of Dunmore, surrounded with some
squadrons of horse ; and seeing victory declare against}
him, retired to Dublin, without having made the least
effort to reassemble his broken forces. Had he pos
sessed either spirit or conduct, his army might have
been rallied, and reinforced from his garrisons, so as
to be in a condition to keep the field, and even act
upon the offensive ; for his loss was inconsiderable,
and the victor did not attempt to molest his troops
in their retreat,— an omission which has been charged
upon him as a flagrant instance of misconduct. In
deed, through the whole of this engagement, Wil
liam's personal courage was much more conspicuous
than his- military skill.
§ xxx. King- James no sooner arrived at Dublin,
than he assembled the magistrates and council of the
city, and, in a short speech, resigned them to the
fortune of the victor. He complained of the cowardice
of the Irish ; signified his resolution of leaving the
kingdom immediately ; forbade them, on their alle
giance, to burn or plunder the city after his depar
ture ; and assured them, that, though he was obliged
to yield to force, he would never cease to labour for
their deliverance. Next day he set out for Water-
ford, attended by the duke of Berwick, Tyrconnel,
and the marquis ofPowis. He ordered all. the bridges
to be broken down behind him, and embarked in a
vessel which had been prepared for his reception. At
sea he fell in with the French squadron, commanded
by the Sieur de Foran, who persuaded him to go on
board one of his frigates, which was a prime sailer.
In this he was safely conveyed to France, and returned
to the place of his former residence at S\ Germain's,

CH- II. WILLIAM AND MARY. Q5
He5 had no sooner quitted Dublin, than it was also
abandoned by all the papists. The protestants imme
diately took possession of the arms belonging to the
militia, under the conduct of the bishops of Meath
and Limerick. A committee was formed to take
charge of the administration ; and an account of these
transactions was transmitted to King William, to
gether with a petition, that he would honour the city
with his presence.
§ xxxi. On the morning after the battle of the
Boyne, William sent a detachment of horse and foot,
under the command of M. Mellionere, to Drog-
heda, the governor of which surrenderee! the place
without opposition. The king, .at the head of the
army, began his march for Dublin, and halted the
first night at Bally-Breghan, where, having received
advice of the enemy's retreat .from the capital, he
sent the duke of Ormond, with a body of horse, to
take possession, These were immediately followed
by the Dutch guards, who secured the castle. In a
few days the king encamped at Finglas, in the neigh
bourhood of Dublin, where he was visited by the
bishops of Meath and Limerick, at the head of the
protestant clergy, whom he assured of his favour
and protection. Then he published a declaration of
pardon to all the common people who had served
against him, provided they should return to their
dwellings arid surrender their arms by the first. day
of August. Those that rented lands of popish 'pro
prietors who had been, concerned in the rebellion
were required to retain their rents in their own hands,
until they should have notice from the commissioners
of the revenue to whom they should be paid. The
desperate leaders of the rebellion, who had violated
the laws of the kingdom, called in the French, au
thorized the depredations which had been committed
upon protestants, and rejected the pardon offered
to them on the king?s first proclamation, were left to

96 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. R. I.
the event of war, unless by evident demonstrations of
repentance they should deserve mercy, which would1
never be refused to those who were truly penitent.
The next step taken by king William was to issue a
proclamation, reducing the brass money to nearly its
intrinsic value. In the meantime, the principal of
ficers in the army of James, after having seen him
embark at Waterford, returned to their troops, de
termined to prosecute the war as long as they could
be supplied with means to support their operations.
^ xxxn. During these transactions, the queen^
as regent, found herself surrounded with numberless
cares and perplexities. Her council was pretty equal
ly divided into whigs and tories, who did not al
ways act with unanimity. She was distracted be
tween her apprehensions for her father's safety and
her husband's life : she was threatened with an in
vasion by the French from abroad, and with an in
surrection by the Jacobites at home. Nevertheless,
she disguised her fears, and behaved with equal pru
dence and fortitude. Advice being received that a-
fleet was ready to sail from Brest, Lord' Torringtpn
hoisted his flag in the Downs, and sailed round to S .
Helen's, in order to assemble such a number of ships
as would enable him to give them battle. The enemy
being discovered off Plymouth, on 'the 20th day of
June, the English admiral, reinforced with a Dutch
squadron, stood out to sea with a view to inter
cept them at the back of the isle of Wight, "should
they presume to sail up the Channel : not that he
thought himself strong enough to cope with them in
battle. Their fleet consisted of seventy-eight ships
of war, and two-and-tvventy fireships ; whereas, the
combined squadrons of England and Holland did
not exceed six-and fifty ; but he had received orders'
to hazard an engagement, if he thought it might be
done with any prospect of success. After the hostile'
fleets had continued five days in sight of each other.

CH. II. -WILLIAM AND MARY. g?- .
Lord Torrington bore down upon the enemy off
Beachy head, on the 30th day of June, at day-break.
The Dutch squadron, which composed the yari, be
gan the engagement about nine in the morning :
in about half an hour the blue division, of the Eng
lish were close engaged with the rear of the French :
but the red, which formed the centre, under the
command of Torrington in . person, did not fill the
line till ten o'clock, so that the Dutch were almost
surrounded by the enemy, and, though they fought
wjth great valour, sustained considerable damage.
At length, the admiral's division drove between them
and the French, and in that situation the fleet
anchored about five in the afternoon,., when the
action was interrupted by a calm. The Dutch had
suffered; so severely, that Torrington thought it
would be imprudent to renew the battle ;: he, there
fore, weighed anchor in, the nig"t, arid with the tide
of flood retired to the eastward. The next day the
disabled ships were destroyed, that they might not
be rejtarded in their retreat. They were pursued as
far as Rye ; an English ship of 70 guns being strand
ed near Winchelsea, was set on fire, and- deserted,
by the, captain's command., A Dutch ship of 64
guns met with the same accident, and some French
frigates attempted to burn her ; but the captain
defended her so vigorously that they were obliged
to desist,, and he» afterwards, found means to carry
her safe to Holland. In this engagement the Eng
lish lost twp ships, two sea captains, and about 40O
men; but; the Dutch were, more unfortunate: six of
tjieir great ships were destroyed. Dick and BrackeL
rear-admirals, were slain, together with a great num
ber of inferior officers and seamen. . Torrington re
treated without further interruption into the mouth
of the Thames,; and, having taken precaution against
any attempts of the enemy in that quarter, returned

08 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. S. J*
to London, the inhabitants of which were overwhelm
ed with consternation.
§ xxxui. The government was infected with the
same panic. The ministry pretended to believe
that the French acted in concert with the malcon
tents of the nation ; that insurrections in the different
parts of the kingdom had been projected by the
Jacobites ; and that there* would be a general revolt
in Scotland. These insinuations were circulated by
the court agents, in order to justify, in the opinion
of the public, the measures that were deemed ne
cessary at this juncture ; and they produced the de
sired effect. The apprehensions thus artfully raised
among the people inflamed their aversion to nonju*
rors and Jacobites. Addresses were presented to the
queen by the Cornish tinners, by the lieutenancy of
Middlesex, and by the mayor, aldermen, and lieu
tenancy of London, filled with professions of loyal
ty, and promises of supporting their majesties, as
their lawful sovereigns, against all opposition. The
queen at this crisis, exhibited remarkable proofs of
courage, activity, and discretion. She issued out
proper orders and directions for putting the na
tion in a posture of defence, as well as for refitting
arid augmenting the fleet : she took measures for
appeasing the resentment of the states-general, who
exclaimed against the earl of Torrington for his be
haviour in the late action. He was deprived of his
command, and sent prisoner to the Tower ; and
commissioners were appointed to examine the par
ticular circumstances of his conduct. A camp was
formed in the neighbourhood of Torbay, where the
French seemed to threaten a descent. Their fleet*
which lay at anchor in the bay, cannonaded a small
village called Tingmouth. About 1000 of their
men landed without opposition, set fire to the place,
arid burned a few coasting vessels ; then they re-
embarked, and returned to Brest, so vain of this

tfn. ii. William and mart. gp
achievement, that they printed a pompous account
of their invasion. Some of the whig partisans pub
lished pamphlets, and diffused reports implying, that
the suspended bishops were concerned in the conspi
racy against the government : and these arts proved'
so inflammatory among the common people, that
the prelates thought it necessary to print a paper, in
which they asserted their innocence in the most solemn
protestations. The court seems to have harboured
no suspicion against them, otherwise they would not
have escaped imprisonment. The queen issued a pro
clamation for apprehending the earls of Litchfield^
Aylesbury, and Castlemain ; Viscount Preston ; the
lords Montgomery and Bellasis ; Sir Edward Hales,
Sir Robert Tharold, Sir Robert Hamilton, Sir Theo*
philus Oglethorpe, Colonel Edward Sackville, and
some other officers.- These were accused of having
conspired with other disaffected persons to disturb
and destroy the government, and of a design to con
cur with, her majesty's enemies in the intended inva
sion. The earl of Torrington continued a prisoner in
the Tower till next session, when he was brought
into the house of commons, and made a speech in
his own defence. His case produced long debates in
thenpper house, where the form of his commitment-
was judged illegal : at length he was tried by a court-
martial, appointed by the commissioners of the ad
miralty, though not before an act had passed, de
claring the power of a lord-high-admiral vested in
those commissioners. The president of the court
was Sir Ralph Delaval, who had acted as vice-admi
raf of the blue in the engagement. The earl was ac
quitted, butsthe king dismissed him from the service ;
and the. Dutch exclaimed against the partiality of his
judges. § xxxiv. William is said to have intercepted all
the papers of his father-in-law and Tyrconnel, and
to. have learned- from them, not only the design pro-

100 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. E. I.
jected by the French to burn the English transports,
but likewise the undertaking of one Jones, who en*,
gaged to assassinate King William. No such at
tempt, however, was made, and, in all probability,
the whole report was a fiction, calculated to throw
an odium on James's character. On the Qth day of
July, William detached General Douglas with a con
siderable body of horse and foot towards Athlone,
while he himself, having left Trelawny to command
at Dublin, advanced with the rest of his army to
Inchiquin, in his way to Kilkenny. Colonel Grace,
the governor of Athlone for King James, being sum
moned to surrender, fired a pistol at the trumpeter,
saying, ' these are my terms.' Then Douglas re
solved to undertake the siege of the place, which
was naturally very strong, and defended by a reso
lute garrison. An inconsiderable breach was made,
when -Douglas receiving intelligence that Sarsfield
was on his march to the relief of the besieged,
abandoned the enterprise, after having lost above 400
men in the attempt. The king continued his march
to the westward ; and, by dint of severe examples,
established such order and discipline in his army,
that the peasants were secure from the least vio
lence. At Carlow he detached the duke of Ormond
to take possession of Kilkenny, where that noble
man regaled him in his own castle, which the ene
my had left undamaged. While the army encamped
at Carrick, Major-general Kirke was sent to Water-
ford, the garrison of which, consisting of two regi
ments, capitulated, upon condition of marching out
with their arms and baggage, and being conducted
to Mallow. The fort of Duncannon was surrender
ed on the same terms. Here the lord Dover and
the lord George Howard were admitted to the bene
fit of the king's mercy and protection.
§ xxxv. On the ist day of August, William be
ing at Chapel-Izard, published a sqcond declaration

CH*. II. WILLIAM AND MARY. 101
of mercy, cpnfirming the former, and everi extend
ing it to persons of superior rank and station, whe
ther natives or foreigners, provided they would, by
the 25tl1 day of the month, lay down their arms,
arid submit to certain conditions. This offer of in
demnity produced very little effect ; for the Irish
were generally governed by their priests, and, the
news of the victory which the French fleet had ob
tained over the English and Dutch was circulated
with such exaggerations as elevated their spirits,! and
effaced all thoughts of submission. The king had
returned to Dublin, with a view to embark for
Erigland ; but receiving notice that the designs of
his domestic enemies were discovered and frustrated,
that the fleet was repaired, and the French navy
retired to Brest, he postponed his voyage, and re
solved to reduce Limerick ; in which Monsieur Bois-
seleau commanded as governor, and the duke of
Berwick and Colonel Sarsfield acted as inferior of
ficers. On' the gth day of August, the king having
called in his detachments, and advanced into the
neighbourhood of the place, summoned the com-
marider to deliver the town ; and Boisseleau an
swered, that he imagined the best way to gain the
good opinion of, the prince of Orange would be a
vigorous defence of the town which his majesty had
committed to his charge. Before the place was fully
invested, Colonel Sarsfield, with a body of horse and
dragoons, passed the Shannon in the night, inter
cepted the king's train of artillery on its way to the
camp, routed the troops that guarded it, disabled
the cannon, destroyed the carriages, waggons, and
ammunition, and returned in safety to Limerick.
Notwithstanding this disaster, the trenches were
opened on the 17th day of the month, and a battery
was raised with some cannPn brought from Water-
ford. The siege was carried on with vigour, and
the place defended with great resolution. At length,
Vol. I. S

102 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. B.
the king ordered his troops to make a lodgement
in the covered way or counterscarp, which was ac
cordingly assaulted with great fury : but the assail
ants met with such a warm reception from the be
sieged, that they were repulsed with the loss of 1200
men, either killed on the spot or mortally wounded.
This disappointment concurring with the badness of
the weather, which became rainy and unwholesome,
induced the king to renounce his undertaking. The
heavy baggage and cannon being sent away, the ar
my decamped, and marched towards Clon-mel. Wil
liam having constituted the lords Sidney and Tho
mas Coningsby lords justices of Ireland, and left the
command of the army with Count Solmes, embarked
at Duncannon with Prince George of Denmark, on
the 5th of September, and next day arrived in King-
road, near Bristol, from whence he repaired to
Windsor. § xxxvi. About the latter end of this month
the earl of Marlborough arrived in Ireland, with
5,000 English troops to attack Cork and Kinsale,in
conjunction with a detachment from the great army,
according to a scheme he had proposed to King Wil
liam. Having landed his soldiers without much op
position in the neighbourhood of Cork, he was join
ed by 5,000 men, under the prince of Wirtemberg,
between whom and the earl a dispute arose about
the command ; but this was compromised by the in
terposition of La Mellionere. The place being in- •
vested, and the batteries raised, the besiegers pro
ceeded with such rapidity that a breach was soon ef
fected. Colonel Mackillicut, the governor, demand
ed a parley, and hostages were exchanged ; but he
rejected the conditions that were offered, and hos
tilities recommenced with redoubled vigour. The
duke of Grafton, who served on this occasion as a
volunteer, was mortally wounded in one of the at
tacks, and died regretted as a youth' of promising ta-

ch. n. William and mary. 103
lents. , Preparations being made for a general assault,
the besieged thought proper to capitulate, and sur
rendered themselves prisoners of war. Besides the go
vernor and Colonel Ricaut, the victor found the earls
of Clancarty and Tyrone among the individuals of
the garrison. Marlborough having taken possession
of Cork, detached Brigadier Villiers with a body
pf horse and dragoons to summon the town and
forts of Kinsale, and next day advanced with the
rest of the forces. The old fort was immediately
taken by assault ; but Sir Edward Scott, who com
manded the other, sustained a regular siege, until
the breach was practicable, and then obtained an
honourable capitulation. These maritime places be
ing reduced, all communication between France and
the enemy, on this side of the island, was cut off,
and the Irish were confined to Ulster, where they
could not subsist without great difficulty. The earl
of Marlborough having finished this expedition in
thirty days, returned with his prisoners to England,
where the fame of this exploit added greatly to his
reputation. § xxxvii. .During these transactions, count de
Lauzun, commander of the French auxiliaries' in
Ireland, lay inactive in the neighbourhood of Gal-
way, and transmitted such a lamentable account of
his situation to the court of France, that transports
were sent over, to bring home the French forces.
In these he embarked with his troops, and the com
mand of the Irish forces devolved to the duke of
Berwick, though it was afterwards transferred to M.
S'. Ruth. Lauzun was disgraced at Versailles for
having deserted the cause before it was desperate :
Tyrconnel, who accompanied him in his voyage,
solicited the French court for a further supply of
officers, arms, clothes, and ammunition} for the Irish
army, which, he said, would continue firm to the
interest of King James, if thus supported. Mean-
S 2

104 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.T.
Wliile they formed themselves into separate bodies
of freebooters, and plundered the country, under
the appellation of rapparies : while the troops of
King William either enjoyed their ease in quarters,
or imitated the rapine of the enemy ; so that, be
tween both, the poor people were miserably harassed.
§ xxxvm. The affairs of the continent had not
yet undergone any change of importance, except in
the conduct of the duke of Savoy, who renounced his
neutrality, engaged in an alliance with the emperor
and king of Spain, and, in a word, acceded to the
grand confederacy. He had no sooner declared him
self, than Catinat, the French general, entered his
territories at the head of 18,000 men, and defeated
him in a pitched battle near Saluces, which immedi
ately surrendered to the conqueror. Then he redu
ced Savillaha, Villa Franca, with several other places,
pursued the duke to Carignan, surprised Suza, and
distributed his forces in winter-quarters, partly in
Provence, and partly in the duchy of Savoy, which
S1. Ruth had lately reduced under the dominion of
France. The duke finding himself disappointed in
the succours he expected from the emperor and the
king of Spain, demanded assistance of the states-gen
eral and King William : to this last he sent an am
bassador, to congratulate him upon his accession to
the throne of England. The confederates, in their
general congress at the Hague, had agreed that the
army of the states, under Prince Waldeck, should
oppose the forces of France, commanded by the duke
of Luxemburg1, in Flanders, while the elefctor of
Brandenburg should observe the marquis de Bouf-
flers on the Moselle ; but, before the troops of Bran
denburg could be assembled, Bouffiers encamped be
tween the Sambre arid the Meuse, and maintained a
free communication with Luxemburg.
§ xxxix. Prince Waldeck understanding that
this general intended to cross the Sambre between
Namur and Charleroy, in order to lay the Spanish

CH, II. WILLIAM AND MARY. 105
territories under pontriburion, decamped frpm 'the
river Pieton, and detached the count of Berlo,. with
a great body of horse, to observe the motions pf thq
enemy. He was encountered by the French army
near Fleurus, and slain ; and his troops, though supr
ported by two other detachments, were hardly, able
to rejoin the main body, which continued all night
in order of battle. Next day they were attacked by
the French, who were greatly superior tp them in
number. After a very obstinate engagement the al
lies gave way, leaving about 5,000 rqen dead upon
the field of battle. The enemy took about 4,000 pri
soners, and the greatest part of their artillery ; but
the victory, was dearly bought. The Dutch infantry
fought with surprising resolution and success. The
duke of Luxemburg owned, with surprise, that they
had surpassed the Spanish foot at the battle of Ro-
croy. ' Prince Waldeck, said he, ought always to
' remember the French horse, and I shall never for-
e get thq Dutch infantry.' The Dutch general ex
erted himself with such activity, that the French de
rived very little advantage from their victory. The
prince being reinforced with the five English regi
ments, 9,000 HanoveriariS, 10,000 from the bishop-
ric-.pf Liege and Holland, joined the elector of Bran
denburg ; so that the confederate army amounted to
55,000 men, and they marched by the way of Genap
to Bois-Seigneur-lsaac, , They were now superior to
Luxemburg, who thought proper to fortify his camp,
that he might not be obliged to fight except with con
siderable advantage. Nevertheless, Prince Waldeck
would have attacked him in bis entrenchments', had
he not been prohibited from hazarding another en
gagement by an express order of ,the states-general;
and, when this restriction was removed, the elector
would not venture a battle.
, § xl. By this time the emperor's son Joseph was,
by the' electoral college, chosen king of the Romans ;
but bis interest sustained a, rude shock in the death
S3

106 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. J.
of the gallant duke of Lorraine, who was suddenly
seized with a quinsey, at a small village near Lintz,
and expired, not without suspicion of having fallen
a sacrifice to the fears of the French king, against
whom he had formerly declared war, as a sovereign
prince unjustly expelled from his territories. He
possessed great military talents, and had threatened
to enter Lorraine, at the head of 40,000 men, in
the course of the ensuing summer. The court of
France, alarmed at this declaration, is said to have
had recourse to poison, for preventing the execution
of the duke's design. At his death the command
of the imperial army was conferred upon the elector
of Bavaria. This prince having joined the elector
of Saxony, advanced against the dauphin, who had
passed the Rhine at Fort Louis, with a considerable
army, and intended to penetrate into Wirtemberg ;
but the duke of Bavaria checked his progress, and
he acted on the defensive during the remaining part
of the campaign. The emperor was less fortunate
in his efforts against the Turks, who rejected the
conditions of peace he had offered, and took the
field, under a new visir. In the month of August,
Count Tekeli defeated a body of imperialists near
Cronstadt, in Transylvania; then convoking the states
of that province at Albajulia, he compelled them to
elect him their sovereign ; but his reign was of short
duration. Prince Louis of Baden, having taken the
command of the Austrian army, detached four regi
ments into Belgrade, and advanced against Tekeli,
who retired into Valachia, at his approach. Mean
while the grand visir invested Belgrade, and carried
on his attacks with surprising resolution. At length,
a bomb falling upon a great tower in which the pow
der magazine of the besieged was contained, the
place blew up with a dreadful explosion. Seventeen
hundred soldiers of the garrison were destroyed ; the
Wells and ramparts were overthown ; the ditch was
filled up, and so large a breach was opened, that the

€H. -II. WILLIAM AND MARY. ' 107
Turks entered by squadrons and battalions, cutting
in pieces all that fell in their way. The fire spread
from magazine to magazine until eleven were destroy- •
ed ; and, in the confusion, the remaining part of the
garrison escaped to Peterwaradin. By this time the
imperialists were in possession of Transylvania, and
cantoned at Cronstadt and Clausinburg. Tekeli
undertook to attack the province on one'side, while
a body of Turks should invade it on the other : these
last were totally dispersed, by Prince Louis of Baden :
but Prince Augustus of Hanover, whom he had de
tached against the count, was slain in a narrow de
file, and his troops were obliged to retreat with pre
cipitation. Tekeli, however, did not improve this
advantage. Being apprized of the fate of his allies,
and affraid of seeing his retreat cut off by the snow,
that frequently choaks up the passes of the moun
tains, he retreated again to Valachia, and Prince
Louis returned to Vienna.
§ xli. King William having published a pror
clamation, requiring the attendance of the members
on the 2* day of October, both houses met accord
ingly, and he opened the session with a speech to
the usual purport. He mentioned what he had done
towards, the reduction of Ireland ; commended the
behaviour of the troops ; told them the supplies were
not equal to the necessary expence : represented the
danger to which the nation would be exposed, unless
the war should be prosecuted with vigour ; conjured
them to clear his revenue, which was mortgaged for
the payment of former debts, and enable him to pay
off the arrears of the army ; assured them that the
success of the confederacy abroad would depend
upon the vigour and dispatch of their proceedings ;
expressed his resentment against those who had beeri
guilty of misconduct in the management of the fleet ;
recommended unanimity and expedition ; and de
clared, that whoever should attempt to divert their
attention from those subjects of importance which

108 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.T.
he had proposed, could neither be a friend to him ,
nor a well-wisher to his country. The late attempt
of the French upon the coast of England, the ru
mours of a conspiracy by the Jacobites, the personal
valour which William had displayed in Ireland, and
the pusillanimous behaviour of James, concurred in
winning the resentment of the nation against the
adherents of the late king, and in raising a tide of
lo) alt v in favour of a new government. Both houses
presented separate addresses of congratulation to the
king and queen, upon his courage and conduct in
the field, and her fortitude and sagacity at the helm,
in times of danger and disquiet. The commons,
pursuant to an estimate laid before them of the next
year's expences, voted a supply of ^4,000,000 for
the maintainance of the army and navy, and settled
the funds for that purpose.
§ \lii. They proposed to raise ^1,000,000 by
the sale of forfeited estates in Ireland : they resolved
that a bill should be brought in for confiscating
those estates, with a clause empowering the king to
bestow a third part of them on those who had served
in the war, as well as to grant such articles and ca
pitulations to those who were in arms, as he should
think proper. This clause was rejected ; and a great
number of petitions were offered against the bill,
by creditors and heirs, who had continued faithful
to the government. These were supposed to have
been suggested by the court, in order to retard the
progress of the bill ; for the estates had been already
promised to the king's favourites : nevertheless, the
bill passed the lower house, and was sent up to the
lords, among whom it was purposely delayed by the
influence of the ministry. It was at this juncture
that Lord Torrington was tried and acquitted, very
much to the dissatisfaction of the king, who not only
dismissed him from the service, but even forbade
him to appear in his presence. When William came
to the house of lords, to give the royal assent to a

CH. II. WILLIAM AND MARY. 10g
bill for doubling the excise, he told the parliament,
that the posture of affairs required his presence at
the Hague ; that, therefore they ought to lose no
time in perfecting such other supplies as were still
necessary for the maintenance of the army and navy ;
and he reminded them of making some provision
for the expence of the civil government. Two bills
were accordingly passed for granting to their majes
ties the duties on goods imported for five years ; and
these, together with the mutiny-bill, received the
royal assent : upon which occasion the king observ
ed, that if some annual provision could be made
for augmenting the navy, it would greatly conduce
to the honour and safety of the nation. In conse
quence of this hint, they voted a considerable sup
ply for building additional ships of war 8, and proceed
ed with such alacrity and expedition, as even seem
ed to anticipate the king's desires. This liberality
and dispatch were in a great measure owing to the
management of Lord Godolphin, who was now placed
at the head of the treasury, and Sir John Sofners,
the solicitor general. The place, of secretary of state,
which had remained vacant since the resignation of
the earl of Shrewsbury, was now filled with Lord
Sidney ; and Sir Charles Porter was appointed one of
the justices of Ireland, in the room of this' nobleman.
§ xliii. Notwithstanding the act for reversing
the proceedings against the city-charter, the whigs had
made shift to keep possession of the magistracy : Pil-
kington continued mayor, and Robinson retained the
office of chamberlain. The tories of the city, presum
ing upon their late services, presented a petition to the
s This supply was raised by the ed for, should be applicable to the
additional duties upon be.er, ale, and payment of the debts contracted by
other liquors. They also provided the war: and, that it shoujdbelaw-
in the bill, that the impositions on ful for their majesties to m:.ke ufe of
wines, ,vinegar, and tobacco, should £500,000 out of the said grants, on
be made a fund of credit: that the condition of that sum being repaid
surplus of the grants they had made, from the revenue. — Ralph.
after the current service was provid- 4

110 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
house of commons, complaining, that the intent of
the late act of parliament, for reversing the judge
ment on the quo warranto, was frustrated by some
doubtful expression ; so that the old aldermen elect
ed by commission under the late king's great seal still
acted by virtue of that authority : that Sir Thomas
Pilkington was not duly returned as mayor by the
common-hall : and, that he and the aldermen had
imposed Mr. Leonard Robinson upon them as cham
berlain, though another person was duly elected into
that office : that divers members of the common-
council were illegally excluded, and others, duly elect
ed, were refused admittance. They specified other
grievances, and petitioned for relief. Pilkington and
his associates undertook to prove that those allega
tions were either false or frivolous ; and p'resented
the petition as a contrivance of the Jacobites, to dis
turb the peace of the city, that the supply might be
retarded, and the government distressed. In the late
panic which overspread the nation, the whigs had
appeared to be the monied men, and subscribed large
ly for the security of the settlement they had made,
while the tories kept aloof with a suspicious caution.
For this reason the court now interposed its influ
ence in such a manner, that little or no regard was
paid to their remonstrance.
§ xliv. The marquis of Caermarthen, lord-pre
sident, who was at the head of the tory interest in
the ministry, and had acquired great credit with the
king and queen, now fell under the displeasure of
tl\e opposite faction ; and they resolved, if possible,
to revive his old impeachment. The earl of Shrews
bury, and thirteen other leading men, had engaged
in this design. A committee of lords was appointed
to examine precedents, and inquire whether impeachr
ments continued /// statu quo from parliament to par
liament. Several such precedents were reported ;
and violent debates ensued: but the marquis eluded
the vengeance of his enemies, in consequence of the

CH. II. WILLIAM AND MARY. Ill
following question : ' Whether the earls of Salis-
' bury and Peterborough, who had been impeached
' in the former parliament, for being reconciled to
f the church of Rome, shall be discharged from their
f bail ?' The house resolved in the affirmative,' and
several lords entered a protest. The commons hav
ing finished a bill for. appointing commissioners
to take and state the public accounts, and having
chosen the commissioners from among their own
members, sent it up to the house of lords. There
the earl of Rochester moved, that they should add
some of their number to those of the commons :
they accordingly chose an equal number by ballot ;
but Rochester himself being elected, refused to act :
the others followed his example, and the bill passed
without alteration. On the 5th day of January, the
king put an end to the session with a speech, in which
he thanked them for the repeated instances they
had exhibited of their affection to his person and go
vernment. He told them, it was high, time for him
to embark for Holland ; recommended unanimity ;
and assured them of his particular favour and protec
tion.- Then Lord-chief- baron Atkins signified his
majesty's pleasure, that the two houses should ad
journ themselves to the 31st day of march '.
§ xlv. a. d. 1691. — William, having settled the
affairs of the nation, set out for Margate on the 6**
day of January ; but the ship in which he proposed
to embark being detained by an easterly, wind and
hard frost, he returned to Kensington. On the 16th,
however, he embarked at Gravesend with a nume
rous retinue, and set sail for Holland, under convoy of
twelve ships of war, commanded by Admiral Rooke.
Next day, -being informed by a fisherman that he
was within a league and a half of Goree, he quitted
the yacht, and went into an open boat, attended by
' In this year the English planters island of St. Christophers, from which
repossessed themselves of part of the they had been driven by the French.

112 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ; $. I.
the duke of Ormond, the earls of Devonshire, Dor
set, Portland, and Monmouth, with Auverquerque,
and Zuylestein. Instead of landing immediately,
they lost sight of the fleet, and, night coming on,
were exposed in very severe weather to the danger
of the enemy, and the sea, which ran very high for
eighteen hours, during which the king and all his
attendants were drenched with sea- water. When
the sailors expressed their apprehensions of perishing,
the king asked if they were afraid to die in his
company ? At day-break, he landed on the isle of
Goree, where he took some refreshment in a fisher
man's hut ; then he committed himself to the boat
again, and was conveyed to the shore in the neigh
bourhood of Maeslandsluys. A deputation of the
states received him at Houndslardyke ; about six in
the evening he arrived at the Hague, where he was
immediately complimented by the states-general,
the states of Holland, the council of state, the
other colleges, and the foreign ministers. He af
terwards, at the request of the magistrates, made
his public entry with surprising' magnificence ; and
the Dutch celebrated his arrival with bonefires, illu
minations, and other marks of tumultuous joy. He
assisted at their different assemblies ; informed them
of his successes in England and Ireland ; and assured
them of his constant zeal and affection for his native
country. ^ xlvt. At a solemn congress of the confederate
princes, he represented, in a set speech, the dangers
to which they were exposed from the power and
ambition of France ; and the necessity of acting with
vigour and dispatch. He declared he would spare
neither his credit, forces, nor person, in concurring
with their measures ; and that in the spring he would
come at the head of his troops to fulfil his engage
ments. They forthwith resolved to employ 222,000
men against France in the ensuing campaign. The
proportions of the different princes and states were

CH. II. WILLIAM AND MARY. US
regulated ; and the king of England agreed to fur
nish 20,000. He supplied the duke of Savoy so
liberally, that his affairs soon assumed a more pro-.
mising aspect. The plan of operations was settled,
and they transacted their affairs with such harmony,
that no dispute interrupted their deliberations. In
the beginning of March, immediately after the con
gress broke up, the siege of MPns was undertaken
by the French king in person, accompanied by
the dauphin, the dukes of Orleans and Chartres.
The garrison consisted of about 6000 men, com
manded by the prince of Bergue : but the besiegers
carried on their works with such rapidity as they
could not withstand. King William no sooner un
derstood that the place was invested, than he order
ed Prince Waldeck to assemble the army, determined
to march against the enemy in person. Fifty thou
sand men were soon collected at Halle, near Brus
sels : but when he went thither, , he found the Spa
niards had neglected to provide carriages, arid other
necessaries for the expedition. Meanwhile, the burgh
ers of Mons, seeing their town in danger of being
utterly destroyed by the1 bombs and cannon bf the
enemy, pressed the governor to capitulate, and even
threatened to introduce the besiegers : so that he was
forced to comply, and obtained very honourable con
ditions. William, being apprised of this event, re
turned to the Hague, embarked for England,' and
arrived at Whitehall On the 30th day of April V
2 A few da*ys before his arrival, hall was cbnfumed by fire, thrtrtigh
great part of the palace of White- $he negligence of a female, servant,

114

CHAP. III.

i i. Conspiracy against the government by Lord Preston and othets
.... ^ ii. The King fills up the vacant lishoprics. . . . § in. Af
fairs of Scotland. . . . § iv. Campaign in Flanders. ... J v. Pro- '
gress of the French in Piedmont. . . . § vi. Election of a new pope
.... J vn. The emperor's success against the Turks. ... § vm.
Affairs of Ireland. . . . § ix. General Ginckel reduces Athlone
. . . . J x. Defeats the Irish at Aghrim. . . . § xi. Undertakes the
siege of Limerick. . . . § xn. The French and Irish obtain an ho
nourable capitulation. . . . § xni. Twelve thousand Irish catholics
are transported to Fiance. ... § xiv. Meeting of the Englishpar-
liament. . . . § xv. Discontent of the nation. . . . § xvi. Transac
tions in parliament. . . . j xvn. Disputes concerning tbe bill for
regulating trials in cases of high treason. . . . § xvm. The
English and Dutch fleets worsted by the French in an engage
ment off Beachy-head. . . . § xix. The king disobliges thepres-
byterians of Scotland. ... § xx. The earl of Breadalbane under
takes for the submission of the Highlanders. ... § xxi. Massacre
of Glencoe. ... § xxn. Preparations for a descent upon England
.... § xxiii. Declaration of King James. . . . $~xxiv. Efforts
of his friertds in. England. . . . § xxv. Precautions taken by the
queen for the defence of the nation. ... § xxvi. Admiral Rus-
selputs to sea. ... § xxvn. He obtains a complete victory over
the French fleet off La Hogue. ... J xxvm. Troops embarked at
St. Helens for a descent upon France. . . . § xxix. The design
laid aside. The troops landed at, Ostend. ... § xxx The French
King lakes Namur in sight of Kin* William  § xxxi. The
allies are defeated at Steenkirk. . . . § xxxn. Extravagant re
joicings in France on account of this victory. . . . : xxxm. Con
spiracy against the life of King William, hatched by the French
ministry. . . . xxxiv. Miscarriage of a design upon Dunkirk
.... § xxxv. The campaign is inactive on the Rhine and in
Hungary. .. . § xxxvi. Ike duke of Savoy invades Dauphine
... § xxxvu* The duke of Hanover treated an elector of the
empire.

CHill. \VILLIAM AND MARY. 115

A. D. I69I.
§ 1. A conspiracy against the government had
been lately discovered. In the latter end of Decem
ber, the master of a vessel who lived at Barking, in
Essex, informed the marquis of Caermarthen, that
his wife had let opt one of his boats to carry over
some persons^to France; and that they would em
bark on the 13th day of the month. This intelli
gence being communicated to the king and ^council,
an order was sent to Captain Billop, to watch the
motion of the vessel, and secure the passengers. He
accordingly boarded her at Gravesend, and .found in
the hold Lord Preston, Mr Ash ton, a servant of
the late queen, and one Elliot. He likewise seized
a bundle of papers, some of which were scarce intel
ligible ; among the rest, two letters, supposed to be
written by Turner, bishop of Ely, to King James
and bis queen under fictitious names. The whole
amounted to an invitation to the French king, to
assist King James in reascending the throne, upon
certain conditions, while William should be absent
from the kingdom : but the scheme was ill laid, and
countenanced but by a very few persons of consider
ation, among whom the chiefs were the earl of Cla
rendon, the bishop of Ely, Lord Preston, his bro
ther, Mr. Graham, and Penn, the famous quaker.
"Notwithstanding the outcries which had been made
against the severities of the late government, Pres
ton, and his accomplice Ashton, were tried at the
Old-Bailey for compassing the death of their majes
ties King William and Queen Mary ; and their trials
were hurried on, without any regard to their peti
tions for delay. Lord Preston alleged, in his. de
fence, that the treasons charged upon him were not
committed in the county of Middlesex, as laid in.
the indictment ; that none of the witnesses de-

Il6 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. E. I.
clared he had any concern in hiring the vessel ; that
the papers were not found upon him;, that there
ought to be two credible witnesses to every fact,
whereas, the whole proof against him rested on simi
litude of hands, and mere supposition. He was, ne
vertheless, found guilty. Ashton behaved with great
intrepidity and composure. He owned his purpose
of going to France, in pursuance of a promise he
had made to General Worden, who, on his death
bed, conjured him to go thither, and finish some
affairs of consequence which he had left their de
pending ; as well as with a view to recover a consi
derable sum of money due to himself. He denied
that he was privy to the contents of the papers found
upon him : he complained of his having been denied
time to prepare for his trial ; and called several per
sons to prove him a protestant of exemplary piety
and irreproachable morals. These circumstances had
no weight with the court. He was brow-beaten by
the bench, and found guilty by the jury, as he had
the papers in his custody : yet there was no privity
proved ; and the whig party themselves had often
expressly declared, that of all sorts of evidence, that
of finding papers in a person's possession is the weak
est, because no man can secure himself from such
danger. Ashton suffered with equal courage and
decorum. In a paper which he delivered to the
sheriff, he owned his attachment to King James ;
he witnessed to the birth of the prince of Wales ;
denied his knowledge of the contents of the papers
that were committed to his charge : complained of
the -hard measure he had met with from the judges
and the jury, but forgave them in the sight of Hea
ven. This man was celebrated by the nonjurors as
a martyr to loyalty, and they boldly affirmed, that
his chief crime in the eyes of the government, was his
having among his baggage an account of such evi
dence as would have been convincing to all the world,
concerning the birth of the prince of Wales, which

CH..III. WILLIAM AUI) MARY; 117
by a great number of people was believed suppositi
tious '. Lor(i Preston obtained a pardon: Elliot was
not tried, because no evidence appeared against him :
the earl of Clarendon was sent to the Tower, where
he remained some months, and he was afterwards con
fined to his own house in the country : an indul
gence which he owed to his consanguinity with
the queen, who was his first cousin. The bishop
of Ely, Graham, and Penn, absconded ; and a procla
mation was issued for apprehending them as traitors. *
fy n. This prelate's being concerned in a conspi
racy, furnished the king with a plausible pretence
for filling up the vacant bishoprics. The deprived
bishops had ,been given to rinderstand, that an act of
parliament might be obtained to excuse them from
taking the oaths, provided they would perform their
episcopal functions : but, as they declined this expe
dient, the king resolved to fill up their places at
his return from Holland. ACCOI"dingly, the archbi
shopric of Canterbury was conferred upon Dr. Til-
lotson, 3 one of the most learned, moderate, and vir
tuous, ecclesiastics of the age, who did not accept of
this promotion without great reluctance, because he
foresaw that he should be exposed to the slander
and malevolence pf that party which espoused the
cause of his predecessor. The other vacant sees
were given to divines of unblemished character ; arid
the public in general seemed very well satisfied with
, this exertion of the king's supremacy. The deprived
1 To one of the pamphlets p ubljsh- that could be made to this fusimons, -
ed on this occasion, is annexed a pe- was Locke's book upon government, '
titipn to the present government, in which appeared at this' period. —
Ciie name of King James's adherents, Ralph.
importing, that some grave and learn- 2 Burnet. State tracts. Burchet.
ed persdn should be authorized to Tindal. Ralph.
compile a treatise, shewing thegrounds 3 Beveridge was promoted to the
qji William's title; and declaring, that see of Bath and Wells, Fowler to
Jh case the performance should carry that of Gloucester, Cumberland to,
conviction along with it, they would Peterborough,' Mpor to Norwich, ,,
submit to that title, as they had hi- Grove to Chichester, and Patrick to
therto opposed it from a principle Ely. . ',
of conscience. The best an.yyer
Vol L T

US HISTORY OF ENGLAND. -X.l.
bishops at first affected all the meekness of resigna
tion. They remembered those shouts of popular ap
probation, by which they had been animated in the
persecution they suffered under the late government ;
and they hoped the same cordial would support them
in their present affliction ; but, finding the nation.
cold in their concern, they determined to warm it by
argument and declamation. The press groaned with
the efforts of their learning and resentment ; and
every essay was answered by their opponents. The
nonjurors affirmed, that Christianity was a doctrine
of the cross ; that no pretence whatever could justi
fy an insurrection against the sovereign ; that the
primitive christians thought it their indispensable du
ty to be passive under every invasion of their rights ;
and, that non-resistance was the doctrine of the Eng
lish chursh, confirmed by all the sanctions that could
be derived from the laws of God and man. The
other party not only supported the natural rights of
rnankind, and explained the use that might be made
of the doctrine of non-resistance, in exciting fresh
commotions, but they also argued, that if passive
obedience was right in any instance, it was conclu
sively so with regard to the present government;
for the obedience required by scripture was indiscri
minate, — e the powers that be, are ordained of God — r
'Met every soul be subject to the higher powers.'
From these texts they inferred, that the new oaths
ought to be taken without scruple ; and that those
who refused them, concealed party under the clqajj;
of conscience. On the other hand, the fallacy and
treachery of this argument were demonstrated. They
said, it levelled all distinctions of justice and duty ;
that thpse who taught such doctrines, attached them
selves solely to possession, however unjustly acquired ;
that, if, twenty different usurpers sljipuld succeed,' pno,
ajipther, they would recognise the last, notwithstand
ing the allegiance they had so solemnly sworn to his,
predecessor, liken the fawning spaniel that followed '

CH/tll. WILLIAlVt and mary; lit)
the thief who mounted his master's horse, after hav
ing murdered the right owner. They also denied the
justice of a lay-deprivation, and with respect to church-
government started the same distinctions, ' de jure
and de facto j which they had formerly1 made in
the civil administration. They had even recourse to
all the bitterness of invective against Tillotson and
the new bishops, whom they reviled as intruders and
usurpers : their acrimony was chiefly drected against
Dr.JSherlock, who had been one of the most violent
sticklers against the revolution, but thought proper
td take the oaths upon the retreat of King James
from Ireland. They branded him as an apostate^
who had betrayed his cause, and published a review
of his whole conduct, which proved a severe satire
upon his character. Their attacks upon individuals
were mingled with their vengeance against the gd-'
vernment : and indeed the great aim of their divines,
as well as of their politicians, who sap the found
ation of the new settlement. In order to alienate
the minds of the people from the interests of the
reigning prince, they ridiculed his character: in
veighed against his measures: they accused him of
sacrificing the concerns of England to the advantage
of his native country ; and drew invidious compari
sons between the wealth, the trade, the taxes, of the
last and of the present reign. To frustrate these ef
forts of the malcontents, the court employed their
engines to answer and recriminate ; all sorts of in
formers were encouraged and caressed ; in a procla
mation issued against papists and other disaffected
persons, all magistrates were enjoined to make search,
and' apprehend those who should, by seditious dis
courses andMibels, presume to defame the govern
ment. "Thus the revolutioners commenced the pro
fessed enemies of those very arts and practices
which had enabled ,them to bring their- scheme td
perfection.
-> T 2

120 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B» I.
^ in. The presbyterians in Scotland acted with
such folly, violence, and tyranny, as rendered them-
equally odious and contemptible. The transactions.
in their general assembly were carried on with such-
peevishness, partiality, and injustice, that the king
dissolved it by an act of state, and convoked another
for the month of November in the following year.
The episcopal party promised to enter heartily into
the interests of the new government, to keep the
Highlanders quiet, and induce the clergy to acknow
ledge and serve King William, provided he would
balance the power of Melvill and his parti zans, in
such a manner, as would secure them from violence
and oppression ; provided the episcopal ministers
should be permitted to perform their functions
among those people by whom they were beloved;
and that such of them as were willing to mix with
the presbyterians in their judicatories, should be ad
mitted without any severe imposition in point of opi
nion. The king, who was extremely disgusted at the
presbyterians, relished the proposal : and young Dal-
rymple, son of Lord Stair, was appointed joint-secre
tary of state with Melvill. He undertook to bring
over the majority of the Jacobites, and a great num
ber of them took the oaths : but, at the same time,
they maintained a correspondence with the court of
S\ Germains, by the connivance of which they sub
mitted to William, that they might be in a condition
to serve James the more effectually. The Scottish
parliament was adjourned by proclamation to the 16th
day of September. Precautions were taken to prevent
any dangerous communication with the continent: a
committee was appointed to put the kingdom in a
posture of defence ; to exercise the powers of the re
gency, in securing the enemies of the government ;
and the earl of Home, with Sir Peter Fraser, and
Sir iEneas Macpherson, were apprehended and im
prisoned.

,CH. III. WILLIAM AND MARY. 121
§ iv. The king, having settled the operations oi the
ensuing campaign in Ireland, where General Ginckel
exercised the supreme command, manned his fleet
-by dint of pressing sailors, to the incredible annoy
ance of commerce : then, leaving the queen, as be
fore, at the helm of government in England^ he re
turned to Holland, accompanied by Lord Sidney, se
cretary of state, the earls of Marlborough and Pori>
land, and began to make preparations for taking the
field in person. On the 30th day of May, the duke
of Luxemburg, having passed the Scheld at the
iiead of a large army, took possession of Halle, and
gave it up to plunder, in sight of the confederates,
who were obliged to throw up entrenchments for
their preservation. At the same time, the marquis
de Bouffiers, with a considerable body of forces^ en
trenched himself before Liege, with a view to bom
bard that city. In the beginning of June, King Wil
liam took upon himself the command of the allied
army, by this time reinforced in such a manner as to
be superior to the enemy. He forthwith detached
the count de Tilly, with 10,000 men, to the relief of
Liege, which was already reduced to ruins arid deso,-
Jation by the bombs, bullets, and repeated attacks of
Bouffiers, who now thought proper to retreat to Di-
nant. Tilly, having thus raised the siege, and thrown
a body of troops into Huy, rejoined the confederate
army, which had been augmented ever since his de
parture with 6,000 men from Brandenburg, and
10,000 Hessians, commanded by the landgrave in
person. Such was the vigilance of Luxemburg,
that William could not avail himself of his superiori
ty. In vain he exhausted his invention in marches,
oounter-marches, and stratagems, to bring on a gen
eral-engagement: the French marshal avoided it
with such dexterityjas baffled all his endeavours. In
tiae-. course of J thiss campaign, -the two armies twice
confronted each other: but they were situated m
T3

122 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. r.
such a manner, that neither could begin the attack
without a manifest disadvantage. While the king lay
encamped at Court-sur-heure, a soldier, corrupted
by the enemy, set fire to the fusees of several bombs,
the explosion of which might have blown up the
whole magazine, and produced infinite confusion in
the army, had not the mischief been prevented by
the courage of the men who guarded the artillery ;
even while the fusees were burning, they disengaged
the waggons from the line, and overturned them
down the side of a hill ; so that the communication
of the fire was intercepted. The person who made
this treacherous attempt being discovered, owned he
had been employed for this purpose by the duke of
Luxemburg. He was tried by a court-martial, and
suffered the death of a traitor. Such perfidious prac
tices not only fix an indelible share of infamy on the
French general, but prove how much the capacity of
William' was dreaded by his enemies. King William,
quitting Court-sur-heure, encamped upon the plain
of St. Girard, where he remained till the 4th day of
September, comsuming the forage, and exhausting the
country. Then he passed the Sambre near Jemeppe,
while the French crossed it at La Busiere, and both
armies marched towards Enghien. The enemy, per
ceiving the confederates were at their heels, proceeds
ed to Gramont, passed the Dender, and took posse*.
sion of a strong camp between Aeth and Oudenarde:
William followed the same route, and encamped be
tween Aeth and Leuse. While he continued in his
post, the- Hessian forces and those of Liege, amount
ing to about 18,000 men, separated from the army;
and passed the Meuse at Namur; then the'king re
turned to the Hague, leaving the command to Prince
Waldeck, who forthwith removed to Leuse, and, on
the 20th day of the month, began his march to Cam-
bran. Luxemburg, who watched his motion with a
euriouseye, found means to attaek*him in his retreat
go suddenly, that his rear was surprised and defeated,

CBN- HI. WILLIAM AND MARY. 123
though the French were at last obliged to retire : the
prince continued his route to Cambron, and in a lit
tle time both armies retired into winter.quarters. In
the meantime, the duke de Noailles besieged and took
Urgel in Catalonia, while a French squadron, com
manded by the count d'Etrees, bombarded Barcelona
and Alicant.
§ v. The confederates had proposed to act vigor
ously in Italy against the French; but the season
was far advanced before they were in a condition to
take the field. The emperor and Spain had under
taken to furnish troops to join the duke of Savoy ;
and the maritime powers contributed their proportion
in money. The elector of Bavaria was nominated to
the supreme command of the imperial forces in that
country : the marquis de Leganez, governor of the
Milanese, acted as trustee for the Spanish monarch :
Duke Schomberg, son of that great general who lost
his life at the Boyne, lately created duke of Leinster,
managed the interest of William, as king of England
and stadtholder, and commanded a body of the Vau-
dois, paid by Great Britain. Before the German auxi
liaries arrived, the French had made great fprogress
in their conquests. Catinat besieged and took Villa-
Franca,. Nice, and some other fortifications; then he
reduced Villana and Carmaglona, and detached the
marquis, de Feuquieres to invest Coni, a strong fort
ress, garrisoned by the Vaudois and French refugees.
The duke of Savoy was now reduced to the brink of
ruin. He saw almost all his places of strength in the
possession of the enemy : Coni was besieged ; and
La Hoguette, another French general, had forced
the passes of the valley of Aoste, so that he had free
admission into the Verceillois, and the frontiers of
the Milanese. Turin was threatened with a bomr
bardment ; the people were dispirited and clamorous,
and' their sovereign lay with his little army encamped
on the hill of Montcallier, from whence he beheld
T4 -,.,

124 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. 1.
his towns taken, and his palace of Rivoli destroyed!
Duke Schomberg exhorted him to act on the offend
sive, and give battle to Catinat, while that officer's
army was weakened by detachments, and Prince Eu
gene ' supported his remonstrance : but this proposal
was vehemently opposed by the marquis de Leganez,
who foresaw that, if the duke should be defeated, the
French would penetrate into the territories of Milan.
The relief of Coni, however, was undertaken by
Prince Eugene, who began his march for that place
with a convoy guarded by 2,200 horse : at Magliano
he was reinforced by 5,000 militia : Bulonde, . who
commanded at the siege, no sooner heard of his ap
proach than he retired with the utmost precipitation,
leaving behind some pieces of cannon, mortars, bombs,
arms, ammunition, tents, provisions, utensils, with
all his sick and wounded. When he joined Catinat,
he was immediately put under arrest, arid afterwards
cashiered with disgrace. Hoguette abandoned the
valley of Aoste: Feuquieres was sent with a detach
ment to change the garrison of Casal : and Catinat
retired with his army towards Villa Nova d'Aste.
§ vi. The miscarriage of the French before Coni
affected Louvois, the minister of Lewis, so deeply,
that he could not help shedding tears when he com
municated the event to his master, who told him,
with great composure, that he was spoiled bv good
fortune. But the retreat of the French from Pied
mont had a still greater influence over the resolutions
1 Prince Eugene, of Savoy, who, cini, niece of Cardinal Mazarine.
in the sequel, rivalled the fame of Prince Eugene, finding himself ne-
the greatest warriors of antiquity, glected at the cdurt of France, en-
was descended on the father's side gaged as a soldier of fortune in the
from the house of Savoy, and on the service of the empeior, and soon dis-
mothcr's, from the family of Soissons, tinguished himself by his' great mi-
;i bratich of the house of Bourbon, litary talents : he was, nioreoner,' an
His father was Eugene Maurice, accomplished gentleman, learned, li-
of Savoy, count of Soissons, polonel bcral, mild, and courteous- ali'un-
of the' Switzcm, and governor of shaken friend ; a generous enemy ;
Champagne and ,'Prie : hi^, mother an invincible captain ; a consummate
was tlu- celebrated Olympia de Man- politician.

CH.TII. WILLIAM AND MARY. 125
of the conclave at Rome, then sitting for the election
of a new pope, in the room of Alexander VIII, who
died in the beginning of February. Notwithstanding
the power and intrigues of the French faction, head
ed by Cardinal D'Etrees, the affairs of Piedmont had
no sooner taken this turn, than the Italians joined
the Spanish and imperial interest, and Cardinal Pig-
natelli, a Neapolitan, was elected pontiff. He as
sumed the name of Innocent, in honour of the last
pope, known by that appellation, and adopted all his
maxims against the French monarch. When the
German auxiliaries arrived, under the command of
the debtor of Brvaria, the confederates resolved tp
give battle to Catinat ; but he repassed the Po, and
sent couriers to Versailles, to solicit a reinforcement.
Then Prince Eugene invested Carmagnola, and car
ried on the siege with such vigour, that in eleven days
the garrison capitulated. Meanwhile the marquis de
Hoquincourt undertook the conquest of Montmeiian,
and reduced the town without much resistance. The
castle, however, made such a vigorous defence, that
Catiriat marched thither in person ; and, notwith
standing all his, efforts, the place held out till the 2?
day of December, when it surrendered on honourable
conditions. § vir. This summer produced nothing of import-
auce on the Rhirie, The French., endeavoured, to
surprise Mentz, by maintaining a correspondence
with one of the emperor's commissioners : but this
being discovered, their design was frustrated. The
imperial army, under the elector of Saxony^passed
the Rhine in the neighbourhood of Manheim ; and
the French, crossing the same river at Philipsburg,
reduced the town df Pbrtzheim in the marquisate of
Baden-Dourlach. The execution ofthe scheme.jpro-
jected by tbe emperOr for this campaign,' was pre
vented by the death: of his general, the elector of
Saxony, which happened on the 2d day Of SeptemT
ber. His affairs wore a more favourable aspect in

126 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
Hungary, where the Turks were totally defeated by
Prince Louis of Baden on the banks of the Danube.
The imperialists afterwards undertook the. siege of
Great Waradin, in Transylvania; but this was turn
ed into a blockade, and the place was not surrender
ed till the following spring. The Turks were so di
spirited by the defeat by which they had lost the
grand visir, that the emperor might have made peace
upon very advantageous terms ; but his pride and
ambition overshot his success. He was weak, vain,
and superstitious; he imagined that now the War
of Ireland was almost extinguished. King William,
with the rest of his allies, would be able to humble
the French power, though he himself should not co
operate with heretics, whom he abhorred ; and that,
in the meantime, he should not only make an en
tire conquest of Transylvania, but also carry his vic
torious arms to the gates of Constantinople, accord
ing to some ridiculous prophecy by which his vanity
had been flattered. The Spanish government was
become so feeble, that the ministry, rather than be
at the expence of defending the Netherlands, offered
to deliver the wholecountfy to King William, either
as monarch of England, or stadtholder of the United
provinces. He declined this offer, because he knew
the people- would never be reconciled to a protestant
government ; but he proposed that the Spaniards
should confer the administration of Flanders upon the
elector of Bavaria, who was ambitious of signalising
his courage, and able to defend the country with his
own troops and treasure. This proposal was relish
ed by the court of Spain ; the emperor imparted it
to the elector, who accepted the office without hesi
tation ; and he was immediately declared governor of
the Low countries by the council of state at Madrid.
King William, after his return from "the army, con
tinued some time at the Hague, settling the opera
tions of the ensuing campaign. That affair being

CHi III. WILLIAM AND MARY. \<2f
dismissed, he embarked in the Maese, and landed in
England on the 1-C)th day of October.
§ viii. Before we explain the proceedings in par
liament, it will be necessary to give a detail of the
¦late transactions in Ireland. In the beginning of the
season, the French king had sent a large supply of
provision, clothes, and ammunition, for the use of
the Irish at Limerick, under the conduct of Monsieur
Sl. Ruth, accompanied by a great number of French1
officers, furnished with commissions from King James,
though Sc. Ruth issued all his orders in the name of
Lewis. Tyrconnel had arrived in January, with three
frigates and nine vessels, laden with succours of the
same nature : otherwise the Irish could not have
been so long kept together. Nor, indeed, could
these supplies prevent them from from forming se
parate and independent bands of rapparees, who plun
dered the country, and committed the most shock
ing barbarities. The lords-justices, in conjunction
with General Ginckel, had taken every step their
prudence could suggest, to quiet the disturbances of
the country, and prevent such violence and rapine, of
which the soldiers in King William's army were not
entirely innocent. The justices had issued procla
mations, denouncing severe penalties against those
who shpuld countenance or conceal such acts of cruel
ty and oppression : they promised to protect all,
papists who should live quietly within a certain fron
tier line ; and Ginckel gave the catholic rebels to un
derstand, that he was authorized to treat with them,
ifthey were inclined to return to their duty. Before
the armies took the field, several skirmishes had been
fought between. parties ; and these had always turned
out so unfortunate to the enemy, that their spirits
were quite depressed, while the confidence of the
English rose in the same proportion.
§ ix. St. Ruth and Tyrconnel were joined by the
rapparees;J arid . General Ginckel . was reinforced by
JVIackay, with those troops which had reduced the

128 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I,
Highlanders in Scotland. Thus strengthened, he,
in the beginning of June, marched from Mullingar to
Ballymore, which was garrisoned by 1,000 men under
Colonel Bourke, who, when summoned to surrender,
returned an evasive answer. But, when a breach
was made in the place, and the besiegers began to
make preparations for a general assault, his men laid
down their arms, and submitted at discretion. The
fortifications of this place being repaired and aug
mented, the general left a garrison for its defence, and
advanced to Athlone, situated on the other side of
the Shannon, supported by the Irish army, encamped
almost under its walls. The English town, on the
hither side of the river, was taken sword in hand,
and the enemy broke down an arch of the bridge in
their retreat. Batteries were raised against the Irish
town, and several unsuccessful attempts were made
to force the passage of the bridge, which was defend
ed with great vigour. At length, it was resolved, in
a council of war, that a detachment should pass at
a ford a little to the left of the bridge, though the
river was deep and rapid, the bottom foul and stony,
and the pass guarded by a ravelin, erected for that
purpose. The forlorn hope consisted of sixty grena
diers in armour, headed by Captain Sandys and two
lieutenants. They were seconded by another detach
ment, and this was supported by six battalions of in
fantry. Never was a more desperate service, nor was
ever exploit performed with more valour and intrepi
dity. They passed twenty a-breast, in the face of
the enemy, through an incessant shower of balls,
bullets, and granades. Those who followed them
took possession of the bridge, and laid planks over the
broken arch. Pontoons were fixed at the same time,
that the troops might pass in different places. The
Irish were amazed, confounded;, and abandoned the
town in the utmost consternation ; so that, in half
an hour it was wholly secured by the English, who
did not lose above fifty men in this attack. Mackay,

CH. III. WILLIAM AND MARY. 22$
Teteau,and Ptolemache, exhibited proofs of the most
undaunted courage in passing the river ; and General
Ginckel, , for his conduct, intrepidity, and success,
on this occasion, was created earl of Athlone. IWhen.
S'. Ruth was informed, by express, that the English
had entered the river, he said, it was impossible they
.should pretend to take a town which he covered with
•his army, and that he would give 1,000 pistoles they
would attempt to force a passage. Sarsfield insisted
upon the truth of the intelligence, and pressed him
to send succours to the town : he ridiculed this of
ficer's fears, and some warm expostulation passed be
tween them. Being at length convinced that the
English were in possession of the place, he ordered
some detachments to drive them out again : but, the
cannon of their own works being turned against
them, they found the task impracticable, and that
very night their army decamped. S'. Ruth, after a
a march often miles, took post at Aghrim ; and hav
ing, by draughts from garrisons, augmented his army
to 25,000 men, resolved to hazard a decisive engage
ment. § x. Ginckel having put Athlone in a posture of
.defence, passed the Shannon, and marched up to
the enemy, determined to give them battle. : though
the forces did not exceed 1 8,000, and the Irish were
posted in a very advantageous situation. , Sc. Ruth
had made an admirable disposition, and taken every
precaution that military skill could suggest. His
centre extended along a rising ground, uneven in
many places, intersected with banks and ditches,
joined by lines of communication, and fronted bya
large hog- almost impassable. His right was fortified
with entrenchments, and his left secured by ithe castle
of Aghrim. He harangued his army in the most
pathetic strain, conjuring them to exert their courage
in defence of their holy religion,,: in the extirpation .of
heresy; in recovering their ancient honours and estates,
and in restoring-^ pious king to, /the- throne, from

130 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.T*
whence he had been expelled by an unnatural usurper.
He employed the priests to enforce his exhortations;
to assure the men that they might, depend upon the
prayers of the church ; and that, in case they should
fall in battle, the saints and angels would convey
their souls to heaven. They are said to have sworn
upon the sacrament, that they would not desert their
colours, and to have received an order that no quarter
should be given to the French heretics in the army
of the prince of Orange. Ginckel had encamped on
the Roscommon side of the river Sue, within three
miles of the enemy : after having reconnoitered their'
posture, he resolved, with the advice of a council
of war, to attack them on Sunday the 12th day of
July. The necessary orders being given, the army
passed the river at two fords and a stone bridge,
and advancing to the edge of the great bog, began
about twelve o'clock to force the two passages, in
order to possess the ground on the other side. The
enemy fought with surprising fury, and the horse
were several times repulsed ; but, at length, the
troops upon the right carried their point by means
of some field pieces. The day was now so far ad
vanced, that the general determined to postpone
the battle till next morning ; but perceiving some
disorder among the enemy, and fearing they would
decamp in the night, he altered his resolution, and
ordered the attack to be renewed. At six o'clock
in the evening the left wing of the English advanced
to the right of the Irish, from whom ihey met with
such a warm and obstinate reception, that it was not
without the most surprising efforts of courage and
perseverance that they at length obliged them to
give ground ; and even then they lost it by inches.
S1. Ruth, seeing them in danger of being over-""
powered, immediately detached succours to them
from his centre and left wing. Mackay no sooner
perceived them weakened by these detachments,
tluui -he ordered three battalions to skirt the bog,

CH'TIi; WILLIAM AND MARY. 131
and attack them on the left, while the centre ad
vanced through the middle of the morass, the men
wading up to the waist in mud and water. After
they had reached the other side, they found them
selves obliged to ascend a ruggid hill, fenced with
hedges and ditches ; and these were lined with mus
keteers, supported at proper intervals with squadrons
of cavalry. They made such a desperate resistance,
and fought with such impetuosity, that the assailants
were repulsed into the middle of the bog with great
loss, and S\ Ruth exclaimed- — e Now will I drive
* the English to the gates of Dublin.' In this
critical conjuncture Ptolemache came up with a
fresh body to sustain them, rallied the broken troops,
and renewed the charge with such vigour, that the
Irish gave way in their turn, and the English re
covered the ground they had lost, though they
found it impossible to improve their advantage.
Mackay brought a body of horse and dragoons to
the assistance of the left wing, and first turned the
tide of battle in favour of the English. Major-
general Rouvigny, who had behaved with great
gallantry during the whole action, advanced , with
five regiments of cavalry to support the centre,
when S\ Ruth perceiving his design, resolved to
fall upon him in a dangerous hollow way, which he
was obliged to pass. For this purpose, he began to
despend Kircommodon hill with his whole reserve
of horse: but in his way was killed by a cannon-.
bajl. His troops immediately halted, and his guards
retreated with his. body. His fate dispirited the,
tropps, and produped such confusion as ^Sarsfield
cpuldnpt remedy ; for though he wag, next in, com
mand, he had been, at variance with S\ Ruth since
the affair at Athlone, and was ignorant of the plan
he, had concerted. Rouvigny, having passed the
hollow way without opposition, charged the enemy in
flank,, and -bpre down all before him with .surprising
impetuosity :T the centre redoubled their efforts and

132 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ,-B. -I*
pushed the Irish to the top of the hill, and, then
the whole line giving way at once from right to left,
threw down their arms. The foot fled towards a
bog in their rear, and the horse took the route by
the highway to Loughneagh : both were pursued
by the English cavalry, who for four miles made a
terrible slaughter. In the battle which lasted two
hours, and in the pursuit, above 4,000 of the ene
my were slain, and 600 taken, together with an t
their baggage, tents, provision, ammunitiqn, and
artillery, nine-and-twenty pair of colours, twelve
standards, and almost all the arms of the infan
try. In a word, the victory was decisive, and
not above 800 of the English were killed upon
the field of battle. The vanquished retreated . in
great confusion to Limerick, where the resolved*.
to make a final stand, in hope of receiving such
succours from France, as would either enable them
to retrieve their affairs, or obtain good terms from
the court of England. There Tyrconnel died of
a broken heart, after having survived his authori
ty and reputation. He had i incurred the contempt
of the French, as well as the hatred of the Irish,,
whom he had advised to submit to the new govern
ment, rather than totally ruin themselves and their
families. § xi. Immediately after the battle, detachments
were sent to redq.ee Portumriy, Bonnachar, and
Moor castle, considerable passes on the Shannon,
which were accordingly secured. Then Ginckel
advanced to Galway, which he summoned to sur
render ; but he received a defiance from Lord Dillon
and, General D'Ussone, who commanded the gar
rison. The trenches were immediately opened ; a
fort which, commanded the approaches to the town
was taken, by assault ; six regiments of foot, and
four, Squadrons of horse, passed the river on pon
toons ; .and the place being wholly invested, the
governor thought proper to capitulate. The' gar-

CH. IH. WILLIAM AND MARY. ]33
rison marched out with the honours of war, and was
allowed safe conduct to Limerick. Ginckel directed
his march to the same town, which was the only post
of consequence that now held out for King James.
Within four miles of the place he halted, until the
heavy cannon could be brought from Athlone.
Hearing that Luttrel had been seized by the French
general D'Ussone, and sentenced to be shot for hav
ing proposed to surrender, he sent a trumpet to tell
the commander, that if any person should be put to
death for such a proposal he would make retaliation
on the Irish prisoners. On the 25th day of August
the enemy were driven from all their advanced
posts : Captain Cole, with a squadron of ships,
sailed up the Shannon, and his frigates anchored
in sight of the town. On the 26th day of the
month, the batteries were opened and a line of
contravallation was formed : the Irish army lay en
camped on the other side of the river, on the road
to Killalow, and the fords were guarded with four
regiments of their dragoons. On the 5th day of
September, after the town had been almost laid in
ruins by the bombs, and large breaches made in
the walls by the battering cannon, the guns were
dismounted, the out-forts evacuated, and such other
motions made as indicated a resolution to abandon
the siege. The enemy expressed their joy in loud.
acclamations ; but this was of short continuance.
In the night the besiegers began to throw a bridge
of pontoons over the river, about a mile higher up
than the camp ; and this work was finished before
morning. A considerable body of horse and foot
had passed when the alarm was given to the enemy,
who were seized with such consternation, that they
threw down their arms and betook themselves to
flight, leaving behind them their tents, baggage,
two pices of cannon, and one standard. The bridge
was immediately removed nearer the town, and for-
VohL U

134 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.'J.
tifiedj all the> fords and passes were secured, arid
the -batteries- continued firing incessantly till the
22d day of the month, when Ginckel passed over
with a division of the army, and fourteen pieces
of cannon. About four in the afternoon, the gre
nadiers attacked the forts that commanded Tho-
mond bridge, and carried them sword in hand,, af
ter an obstinate resistance. The garrison had made
a sally from the town to support them ; and this de
tachment was driven back with such precipitation,
that the French officer on command in that quarter,
fearing the English would enter pell-mell with the
fugitives, ordered the bridge to be drawn up, leaving
his own men to the fury of a victorious enemy. Six
hundred were killed, 200 taken prisoners, including
many officers, and a great number were drowned in
the* Shannon.
> § xu. Then the English made a lodgement within
ten paces of the bridge foot ; and the Irish, seeing
themselves surrounded on all sides, determined to
capitulate. General Sarsfield and Colonel Wahop
signified their resolution to Scravenmore and Rou
vigny : hostages were exchanged ; a negociation was
immediately begun, and hostilities ceased on both
sides of the river. The lcrds-justices arrived in
the camp on the 1st day of October, and on the
4th the capitulation was executed, extending to
all the places in the kingdom that were still in the
hands of the Irish. The Roman catholics were
restored to the enjoyment of such liberty in the
exercise of religion as was consistent with the laws
of Ireland, and conformable with that which they
possessed in the* reign of Charles II. All persons-
whatever were entitled to the protection of these
laws, and restored to the possession of their estates,
privileges, and immunities, upon their submitting to
the present government, and taking the oath of al
legiance to their majesties King William and Queen
Mary, excepting, however, certain persons who were

CH.'III.- WILLIAM AND MARY. ef3S
forfeited or exiled. This article even extended to all
merchants of Limerick, or any other garrison possess
ed by the Irish, who happened* to be abroad, and had
not borne arms since the declaration in the first year
of the present reign, provided ¦> they should return
within the term of eight months, f- All the persons
comprised in this and the foregoing article were in
dulged with a general pardon of; all attainders^ out
lawries, treasons, misprisions of treason, premiinires,
felonies, trespasses, and other crimes- and misdemean
ours whatsoever, committed since the beginning Of
the reign of James II; and the lords-justices promis
ed to use their best endeavours towards the reversal
of such attainders and outlawries as had passed against
any of them in parliament. In order to allay the
violence of party, and' extinguish private animosities,
it was agreed, that no person should be sued or im
pleaded- on either side, for any trespass, or made ac
countable for the rents, tenements, larids, or houses,
he had received or enjoyed since the beginning of the
war. Every nobleman and "gentleman comprisedin
these articles was authorized to keep a sword, a case
of pistols/ and a gun, for his defence or amusement.
The inhabitants of Limerick and other garrisons were
permitted to>i remove their goods arid chattels, with
out search, visitation, or payment of duty. :,The lords-
justices promised to .-use their best endeavours, that
3) all persons comprehended in this capitulationsbauld,
v for eight months, be protected from aHairreils. arid
executions for debt and damage: f hep ufmskrJtaok,
that their majesties should ratify these s articlesjwifebin
the Space of eight months, and *use their jsundeafdurs,
thatfthey might be ratified' and. confirmed, in parlia
ment. The subsequent artiele Was oafoulated • to in-
-.'- deirinify Colonel John BrownjOtvlaaJBffitBest&tej and ef-
•": foots had' been- seized, for the use of the Irish army by
-I Tyrconnel* and Sarsfield, wjhadarilast had ibeen creaited
ni Lord Lucan by Wing iJSii«es^aa^rwastflk>wt i
* » 01 , moi vy \ am Ji3D ti3V3wori ,gfiLT72, ;. ., ^ibM

130 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. r.
by that title. All persons were indulged with free
leave to remove with their families and effects to any
other country except England and Scotland. All of
ficers and soldiers in the service of King James, com
prehending even the rapparees, willing to go beybnd
sea, were at liberty to inarch in bodies to the place
of embarkation* to be conveyed to the continent with
the French oili'cers and troops.' They were furnish
ed with passports, convoys, and carriages by land and
water ; and General Ginckel engaged to provide
seventy ships, if necessary, for their transportation,
with two men of war for the accommodation of their
officers, and to serve as a convoy ,to the fleet.., It
was' stipulated, that the provisions and forage of their
subsistence should be paid for on their arrival in
France : that hostages should be given for this in
demnification, as well as for the return of the ships :
that all the garrisons should march out of their re
spective towns and fortresses with the honours of
war : 'that the Irish should have liberty to transport
900 horses : that those who should choose to stay be
hind, might dispose of themselves according to their
own fancy, after having surrendered their arms to
such commissioners as the general should appoint :
that all prisoners of war should be set at liberty on
both sides :¦ thatthe general should provide two ves
sels to 1 carry Over two different persons to France,
with intimation of this treaty ; and that none of
those who were willing to quit the kingdom should
be detained on account of debt, or any other pretence.
— This I is the substance of the famous treaty of
Limerick, which the IrishRoman catholics considered
as the great charter of their civil and religious liber
ties. 'The town of Limerick was surrendered to
Ginckel;- <but both sides agreed,, that the two armies -
should "en trench themselves till the Irish could em-
bsirkj that! no disorders might arise from a comrau-
lliCMti'OUiMf ! . . , .,- ,v -,.;•;, ,,- , , ,,.
§ xiii. The protestant subjects of Ireland were

CH. III. WILtlAM AND MARY. 13£
extremely disgusted at these concessions, made in
favour of vanquished rebels, who had exercised such
acts of cruelty and rapine. They complained, that
they themselves, who had suffered for their loyalty
to King William, were neglected, and obliged to sit
down 'with their losses, while thein enemies, who had
shed so much blood in opposing his government,
were indemnified by the articles of the capitulation,
and even favoured with particular indulgences. They
were dismissed! with the honours of war : they were
transported at the government's expence, to fight
against the English in foreign countries : an honour
able provision was made for the rapparees, who were
professed banditti : the Roman catholic interest in
Ireland obtained the sanction of regal authority : at
tainders were overlooked, forfeitures annulled, pardons
extended, arid' laws set aside, in order to effect a pa
cification. Ginckel had received orders to put an
end to the war at any rate, that William might con
cert- his whole influence and attention to the affairs of
the .continent. When the articles of capitulation
Were ratified, and hostages exchanged for their being
duly executed, about 2,000 Irish foot, and 300 horse,
began their march for Cork, where they proposed to
take shipping for France, under the conduct of
Sarsfield : but three regiments refusing to quit the
kingdom, delivered 'Up their arms, and dispersed1 to
their former habitations. Those who remained at
Limerick, embarked dn the 7th day of November, in
French transports ; and sailed immediately to France,
Under the convoy of a French squadron, which had
arrived in the bay of Dangle, immediately after the
•capitulation was sigried. Twelve thousand men
fchdst* -to undergo exile from their native country,
rather than submit to the government of King Wil
liam; When they arrived in France, they were
welcomed by a letter from James, who thanked
them for their loyalty ; assured them they should
ww kisb'il , lo ; afc Mm hmr&}- Us f .-d;*.. I

138 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 'i.l.
still serve under his commission and' command ; and
that the king of France had already given orders for*
their being new clothed, and put into quarters of re
freshment. Cji ¦ ' " U(l" » DiU1<
§ xiV. The reduction of Ireland being thus corny
pleted, Baron Ginckel returned to England, where
he was solemnly thanked by the house of commons*
for his great services, after he had been created earl
of Athlone by his majesty. When the parliament
met o&THe1 22d rtday of October, the king, in his
speech; 'Insrs'tfed upon the necessity of sending a strong
:treet to sea early "ih the season, and of maintaining a
considerable army to annoy the enemy abroad, as
well as to protect the kingdom from insult and in
vasion ;,B¥or which purposes, he said,| 65,000 men
would be barely sufficient"! Epch house presented an
address of borigratulatldn Vrbpii his majesty's safe re
turn to England'," '§nd''on the reduction of Ireland"?
they proffS«£3.'1ip assisfrhim, to the utmost of their
power, 'tPfrosyfcutftt^J the war with France ; and, at
the sarde1 xl^ef firey Jopl|addresses to1 the queen, ac-
knowledgT'ng^tfe'^rWderfr administration during his
/naipctn'c k"M£ftUS ^'iW^if.i-ithct-nn/llnn- rV.ic irmP'ir!Tri/-(.

arid even .0^B&i0i part of the nation. '«
, § xv, aMSiiW'fldrrVber of individuals, who wished
fvell tc)5K^V pODTm^y^conld not, without anxiety ahd

ffeB^^todAe'Sffl^re^bfbQfe nation sacri-
ficed^Welin'Wpfioris^h^^ k^gs favour so
partial^' HeWgd 'upofi ^tcnm^^'prejudice to
his English sn^e^.^Th^ totf^, frMtbe num
ber of forces' 'he'Vlehiahded WOTSabkbty greater
thari that of any army "whidh'fikd^evelHeeri paid by
the public, 'fejren whennfHe"Tiatipri'i,'Avi;siin'the most
imminent danger ; that^stea'dbf contributing as al
lies to the ; rrfaWenahce cjf r^fcHvafti^ofithe continent,
they had ehioarked as dri^cipls,u%itt bore the great
est part of the bu'rthcx§*«SWig^4h^' had the least

GH. III. WLLXIAM AND, MARY. 130.
share of the profit. They even insinuated, that such
a standing army was more calculated.tG make the king .
absplute at hpmp, than to render him formidable
abroad ; and the secret friends of the late king 'did
not fail to inforce these .insinuations. They renew
ed their animadversions upon the disagreeable, part of
his character : they, dwelt upon his proud reserve, his;
sullen silence, his imperious disposition, and his base
ingratitude, particularly to the earl.pf Marlborough,
whorn he ih#d dismissed from all his employments,
immediately after the signal exploits he had perform
ed in ^Ireland. ; The . disgrace of tins nobleman was..
partly, ascribed tp the, freedom with which hp had."
complained of the king's undervaluing hjs ( services,
and partly to the intrigues of his wife, who had gaiii-?,
ed an ascendency over the princess Anne of Denmark,,.
and is said to have employed her influence in foment
ing a jealousy between the twp, sisters. The mal
contents of: the whiggish faction,, enraged to find
their ^redit. declining at. court, joined! in the cry which,.
the Jacobites had raised against the government^
They scrupled not to say, that, the arts of corruption
were shamefully practised, to secure ^majority .jn par
liament : that the king w<is as tender o,f rtfi9, preroga-.
tive as any of his predecessors ha^l ever heen ; and
that he even, ventured, tp adn^t Jacobites, info his
council, because they were- the known, tools p,f arbi
trary powpr.,, These reflections alluded fo, the searjs
of Rochester ,andj(Ranejagh, who, with Sir ^dward
Seyrnour,,. had beenjkutely created, privy-cpunsellQr^.
Rochester entertained very high notions, of .regal
authority ; hje proposed severity as. one of the .best
supports of government ; was cjear in hj& under^-
standing, violent in his.ternper, and incorrupt .in, his
principles. Ranelaghwas a man, of parts and pleasure,
Whf) pPS,seSSpd the most plausible and, winning f^dp
dress ; arid was, capable ^pf transacting the rnpst, , im.-i
pprtant, and^tri,cate afliiirs, in the niidst, pf t xipt/a^id
4ebauqhery. He, had managed tfie; revenue ,pf^re»

140 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. < B. I.
land in the reign of Charle9 II. He enjoyed the of
fice of pay-master in the army of King James.; and
now maintained the same footing under the govern
ment of William and Mary. Sir Edward Seymour
was the proudest commoner in England, and the
boldest orator that, ever filled the speaker's chair.
He was intimately acquainted with the business of
the house, and knew every individual member so ex
actly,, that with one glance of hiseye hecouldprog-
nosticate the fate of every motion. , , Hehad opposed
the court with great acrimony,' questioned the king's
title, censured his conduct, and t reflected ugon his
character. Nevertheless, he now became aproselyte,
and was brought into the treasury. 9t
e. § xvj. The commons voted ^3,411,675, for
the use of the ensuing year : but the establishment
of funds for raising these supplies was retarded, part
ly by the ill-humour of the opposition, and partly
by intervening affairs, that diverted the attention
of the commons. Several eminent merchants pre
sented a petition to the house against the East-Jndia
company, charging them with manifold abuses;. at
the same time, a counter-petition was delivered by the
company, and, the affair referred to the examination
of a committee, appointed for that purpose. After a
minute inquiry into the nature of the complaints, the
commons voted certain regulations with respect to
the stock and the traffic : and resolved to petition his
majesty, that, according to the said regulations, tfee
East- India company should be incorporated by char
ter.. The committee was ordered to bring in; a bill
for this establishment ; but divers petitions being pre
sented against it, and the company's answers proving
unsatisfactory, the house addressed the king to dis
solve it, and grant a charter to mnew company. Hfe
said it was an affair of great importance to the trade
pf the, kingdom j, therefore, he would consider the
subject, and in a little time return a positive answer.
The parliament w\i£ likewise amused by a pretended

H.'III. WILLIAM AND MARY.TH 14 1
conspiracy of the papists in Lancashire, to raise a rer
bellion, and restore James to the1 throne. ^Several
persons were seized, and some witnesses examined :
but nothing appeared to justify Jthe information.' At
Jerigthyone Fuller, a prisoner in the ^King's vBench,
offered his^ evidence, and was brought to the liar of
the house of 'commons, where he; produced 'sorqe
papers. He obtained a blank pass from the king for
two persons, who, he said, would come from the
continent to give evidence.1^ He was afterwards ex
amined at his own lodgings, where he affirmed, that
Colonel Thomas Delaval, and James Hayes, weife
the witnesses for whom be had procured the pass 'arid
the protection. Search Was made 'for them, accord
ing to his direction 5 but no such persons were found.
Then the house declared Fuller a notorious impostor,
cheat, and false accuser. »aHe was/' at the request of
the commons, prosecuted by the 'attorney-general,
and sentenced to stand in the pillory ; a disgrace,
which he accordingly underwent. — '-¦
§ xvh. A' bill for regulating trials in cases of
high treason having been laid aside-: by the lords in
the preceding session, was now'agam brought upon
the carpet, and passed the lower house. The design
of this bill was to secure the subject frbrri'tfte rigours
to. wiiich he- had been exposed in 'the late reigns' l.
it provided, that the prisoner should be furriisli'dd
with a copy of his indictment, as also of the panned
ten days before his trial :; and, ; that his witnesses
should be examined upon 'oath,' as well as those of the
crown. The lords, in their own behalf, added a'clause,
eanap^ngJ/1 that' upon the trials of any peer or peeress,
for treason or misprision of treason, all the peers who
havea.Qght to sit and vote in parliament should be
duly summoned to assist at 'the trial : that* this nPtice
should be given twenty days before the trial -."and, that
every peer so summoned, and appearing, should vote
upon theoocasion. The commons' rejected this amend
ment ; and a free conference ensued. The point \va^

142 HISTORY? OF ENGLAND- B.I.
argued with great vivacity on both sides, which, serv
ed only to inflame the dispute, and render each party
the more tenacious of their own opinion. After
three conferences, that produced nothing but ani
mosity, the bill was dropped; for the commons re
solved to bear the hardships of which they complain-' -
ed, rather than be relieved at the expence of pur
chasing a new privilege to the lords ; and without
this advantage, the peers would not contribute tp,
their relief.
^ xviii. The next object that ingrossed the at
tention of the lower house, was the miscarriage of
the fleet during the summer expedition. Admiral,*
Russel, who commanded at sea, having been joined;
by a Dutch squadron, sailed in quest of the enemy f
but, as the French king had received undoubted,
intelligence, that the combined squadrons were.
superior to his navy in number of ships and' weight
of metal, he ordered Tourville to avoid an engage
ment. This officer acted with such vigilance, cau
tion j. and dexterity, as baffled all the endeavours of
Russel, who was, moreover, perplexed with obscure
and contradictory orders. Nevertheless, he cruis
ed all summer, either in the Channel pr in sound
ings, for the protection of the trade, and, in particular,
secured the homeward bound Smyrna fleet, in which ,
the English and Dutch had a joint concern, amount
ing to ^g4,OQO,000 sterling. Having scoured the
Channel, and sailed along great part pf the French
coast, he returned to, Torbay in the beginning of
August, and received fresh orders to put tp sea again,
notwithstanding his repeated remonstrances against,
exposing large ships to the storms that always blow
about the time of the equinox. Pie therefore sailed
back to soundings, where he continued cruising till
the 2d day of September, when he was overtaken
by- a violent tempest, which drove him into the
Channel, arid obliged him to make for the port of
Plymouth. The weather ;being. hazy, lip reached

QH. III. WILLIAM AND MARY. 143
the Sound with great , difficulty : the- Coronation, a
second-rate, foundered at anchor off the Ram-head :
the; Harwich, a third-rate, bulged upon the rocksy
and perished : two others ran ashore, but were got
off with little damage : but the whole fleet was.
scattered and distressed. The nation murmured at
the supposed misconduct of the admiral, and the
commons subjected him to an inquiry : but,, when
they examined his papers ¦, orders, and instructions; ¦
they perceived he had adhered to them with great
punctuality, and thought proper to drop- the prosecu
tion, out of tenderness to the ministry. Then the
house took into consideration some letters which had
been intercepted in a French ship taken by Sir Ralph
Delaval. Three of these are said to have been
written by King James, and the rest sealed with his
seal. They related to the plan of an insurrection in
Scotlarid, and in the northern parts of England;
Legge, Lord Dartmouth, with one Crew, being men
tioned in them as agents and abettors in the design,
warrants were immediately issued against them ;
Crew absconded, but Lord Dartmouth was com
mitted to 'the Tower. Lord Preston was examined
touching some cyphers which they could not explain,
and, pretending ignorance, was imprisoned in New
gate, from whence, however, he soon obtained ihis •
release. The"' funds for theisupplies of the ensuing
year being established, and several acts ' passed re
lating' to domestic regulations, the king, on the
24th day of February, closed the sessipn with a short
speech, thanking the parliament for their demon--
strations of affection in the liberal supplies' they had
' - ', '{ i. '7 i I* . i > i i i ,,!:',','-" - ,, , , . ¦ j .
_ , '.JThe law^n.a.cK^Lin. this session , carriage of good's; an act for the re-
were these : ah 'act for abrogating lief of creditors against' fraudulent
th'd '¦ oath! of supremacy' in Ireland, devisees ; , an act for explaining and'
and, appointing o\ he/ oaths; an act supplying the defects of former laws
JFor taking away clergy" from 9om'e for the settlement of the poor ; an act
offenders, 'and 'bringing others to for the encouragement of the breed-
punishment 5, , an a,ct against deer ing; and' feeding of cat tie , apd, an act
stealing; an act for repairing the for ascertaining the tithes" of hemp
h'igh*ays, - and' settling the rates of and flax. 3

144 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.il.
granted, and communicating his intention of repair
ing speedily to the continent. Then the twty.houses;
at his desire, adjourned themselves to the 12th daji
of April, and the parliament was afterwards proro
gued to the 29th of May by proclamation z.
§ xix. The king had Buffered so much in his re
putation by his complaisance to the presbyterians of
Scotland, and was so displeased with the conduct
of that Stubborn sect of religionists, that he thought
proper to admit some prelatists into the administrate
tbn. (Johnston, who had been sent envoy to the
elector of Brandenburg, was recalled, and rath the
master of Stair, made joint secretary' of - Scotland);
Melvill, who had declined in his importance, was
made lord privy-seal^of that kingdom : Tweedcfale
was constituted lord chancellor : Crawford retained
the office of -president of the council ; and Lothian
was appointed high commissioner ^to the general
assembly. The parliament was adjourned to the
15^ day of April, because it waa not iyet compliant
enough to be-assembled with 'safety): and the episc&*
pal clergy were admitted to a share of the church-
govemmeriti These measures,! instead of ; healing
the divisions, Served1 only to -inflame the animosity
of the 'two parties. The episcopalians triumphed
in the king's favouiy and- began to treat their anta^-
goriists with insolence and scorn :i the presbyterians
were incensed to see their friends disgrated, and
their enemies- distinguished by the royal indialgerice.
They insisted upon the authoritytof the law, which
.?. In the, course of this session, Dr. ho^se of commons by his fine ^alenis
Wclwood, a Scottish physician, was and eloquence. The privy-seal wat
taken into custody, and reprimanded committedto the £arl of Pembroke*;
sit the, bar of the house of, commons, Lord-Viscount x Sidney was created^
for having reflected upon that house lord-lieutenant of Ireland ; Sir Jolif^
in- a weekly Jiapety entitled Mer- Somers appointed attorney-general;
curu$ , Reformatus ; , . but, as it was |hd thjsoeof Lincoln, vacanthy^f-
written in, defence of the government, death of BarloWj conferred upon flr.
the king* appointed ' him one of his Thomas Tennison, who had been re-
phyaiciaris , inordinary. Atthispefipdl ;cqmnjended to the, king. as a divint
Charles Moijtagu, afterwards earl. of rjemar^ab^/prhis piety and me^era-
J-Iajifax,' distinguished himself in the tron.'

CrI. III. WILLIAM AND MARY. 145
happened to be upon their ;side : they became more
than ever sour, . surly, and' implacable ; they re
fused to concur with the prelatists, or abate in the
least circumstance of discipline ; and the assembly
was dissolved, j without any time- or place assigned
for the next meeting. The presbyterians pretended
an independent right of assembling annually, even
without a call from his majesty : they therefore
adjourned themselves, after having protested against
the dissolution. The king resented this measure,
as an insolent invasion of the prerogative, and con
ceived an aversion to the whole sect, who in their
turn began to lose all respect for his perspn and
government. <d t* bsd iw ^TV
' ^ xx. As the Highlanders were not yet totally
reduced, the earl of Breadalbane undertook to bring
them over, .by '. distributing sums of money among.
their chiefs; and £ 15,000 was remitted from
England for this purpose. The clan.s being inform
ed of this remittance, suspected that the earl's design
waa to appropriate to himself the best part of jthe
money, and when he began to treat, with them made
such extravagant demands, tfacii he found his scheme
impracticable. He was therefore obliged to re
fund; the sum hejhad received ; and > he resolved
tot wreak his vengeance, with the first opportunity,
on those who had frustrated ' his intention. He
who chiefly thwarted his negociation, was Macdonald
of: Glencoe, whose opposition rose from a private
circumstance, which ought to have had no effect
upon a treaty that regarded the public weal. Mac-
d'Pftald had plundered the lands of Breadalbane dur
ing 'the course of hostilities; and c this nobleman
insisted Upon 'being indemnified for his losses,1' from
theL,.pthpi!s cShare, pf the money which he was, em*
ployed- to ¦-' distribute. k The "Highlander s; not only
refu's^^to'apqiii.eSce in these terms, but* by his in
fluence among theolans, defeated the whole scheme,'
arichr he earl in revenge .devoted,, hifo /to. d;e,sf riicfip^

146 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. i.
King William had, by proclamation, offered an in
demnity to all those who had been in arms against
him, provided they would submit, and take the
oaths by a certain day ; and this was prolonged to
the close of the present year, with a denunciation of
military execution against those who should hold
out after the end of December. Macdonald intimi
dated by this declaration, repaired on the very last
day of the month to Fort William, and desired that
the oaths might be tendered to him by Coloriel Hill,
governor of that fortress. As this officer was not
vested with the power of a civil magistrate, he
refused to administer them ; and Macdonald set
out immediately for Inverary, the county towh of
Argyle. Though the ground was covered with
snow, and the weather intensely cold, he travelled
with such diligence, that the term prescribed by the
.proclamation was but one day elapsed when he
reached the place, and addressed himself to Sir
John Campbell, sheriff" of the county, who, in con
sideration of his disappointment at Fort William,
was prevailed upon to administer the oaths to him
and his adherents. Then they returned to their
own habitations in the valley of Glencoe, in full con
fidence of being protected by the government, to
which they had so solemnly submitted.
§ xxi. Breadalbane had represented Macdonald
; at court as an incorrigible rebel, as a ruffian inured
to bloodshed and rapine, who would never be obe
dient to the laws of his country, nor live peaceably
under any sovereign. He observed, that he had
paid no regard to the proclamation, and proposed
that the government should sacrifice him to the
quiet of the kingdom, in extirpating him with his
family and dependents, by military execution. His
advice was supported by the suggestions of the other
Scottish ministers : and the king, whose chief virtue
was not humanity, sigried a warrant for the des
truction of those unhappy people, though it does

CH. III. WILLIAM AND MARY. 147
not appear -that; he knew of Macdonald' s submissioq.
,An order for .this barbarous execution, signed and
counter-signed by his majesty's own hand, being
transmitted to the master of Stair, secretary for
.Scotland, this minister sent particular directions to
Livingstone, who. commanded the troops in, that
kingdom, to put the inhabitants of Glpncoe to the
sword, charging him to take no prisoners, that the
^ceng. niight be more terrible. In the month of
"February, Captain Campbell of Glenlyon, by vir-
.tue^pf an order from Major Duncanson, marched
into the valley of Glencoe, with a company of sol
diers belonging to Argyle's regiment, on pretence
of levying , the arrears of the land tax and hearth -
rpppey. When Macdonald demanded whether they
came as friends or enemies, he answered, as friends,
and promised, upon his fipnpur, that neither he nor
his people should sustain the least injury. In cbn-
. sequence of this declaration, he and his men were
received with the most cordial hospitality, and lived
fifteen days with the men of the valley, in all the
^appearance. of the most unreserved friendship. At
length the fatal period approached. Macdonald and
Campbell having passed the day together, parted
-about seven in the evening, with mutual professions
of the warmest affection. The younger Macdonald,
-perceiving the guards doubled, began tOL. suspect
'o, some treachery, and communicated his suspicion to
his brother ; but neither he nor the father would
harbour the least doubt of Campbell's sincerity : ne
vertheless, the two young men went forth privately,
¦ to make further pbservatiPns. They overheard the
common soldiers say they liked not the work ; that
- thpugh the would have willingly fought the Macdo-
nalds of the Glen fairly in the field, they held it base
to murder them in cool blood, but that their officers
were answerabje for the treachery. When the youths
tiasted back to, apprise their father ofc the imperiding
danger,, .they, saw the house already surrounded :

148 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. &. I.
they heard the discharge of muskets, the shrieks of
women and children ; and, being destitute of arms,
secured their own lives by immediate flight. The
savage ministers of vengeance had entered the old
man's chamber, and shot him through the head.
He fell down dead in the arms of his wife, who died
next day, distracted by the horror of her husband's
fate. The laird of Auchintrincken, Maedonald's
guest, who had three months before this period sub
mitted to the government, and at this very time had
a protection in his pocket, was^put to death without
question. A boy of eight year's, who fell at Camp
bell's feet, imploring mercy, and offering to serve
him for life, was stabbed to the heart by one '
Drummond, a subaltern officer. Eight-and-thirty '
persons suffered in this manner, the greater part of "
whom were surprised in their beds, and hurried into
eternity before they had time to implore the Divine
mercy. The design was to butcher all the males
uflder seventy that lived in the valley, the num
ber of whom amounted to 20O; but some of the
detachments did not arrive soon enough to se
cure the passes, so that 160 escaped. Campbell,
having perpetrated this brutal massacre, ordered alt
the houses to be burned, made a prey of all the
cattle and effects that were found in the vallev,
and left the helpless women and children, whose.
fathers and husbands he had murdered, naked and
forlorn, without covering, food, or shelter, in the
midst of the snow that covered the whole face of
the country, at the distance of fix long miles from
any inhabited place. Distracted with grief and
honor, surrounded with the shades of night, shiver
ing with cold, and appalled with the apprehension of
immediate death from the swords of those who had
sacrificed their friends and kindsmen, they could not
endure such a complication of calamities, but gen
erally perished in the waste, before they could
receive theleas.t comfort or assistance. This barbarous

8H. III. WILLIAM AND MARY- 14@
massacre, performed under the sanction of King Wil*
Ham'st authority, answered the immediate purpose of
the court, by striking terror into the hearts of the
Jacobite Highlanders ; but at the same time excited
the horror of all those who had not renounced every
sentiment of humanity, and produced such an
aversion to the government as all the arts of a
ministry could never totally surmount. A detail of
theupartieulars was published at Paris, with many
exaggerations, and the Jacobites did not fail to
expatiate upon every circumstance, in domestic
libels and, private conversation. The king, alarmed
at the outcry which was raised upon this occasion,
ordered an inquiry to be set on foot,- and dismissed
the master of Stair from his employment of secre
tary ; he likewise pretended that he had subscribed
the order amidst a heap of other papers, without
knowing the purport of it ; but as he did not severely
punish those who had made his authority subservient
to their own cruel revenge, the imputation stuck fast
to .his character; and the- Highlanders, though
terrified into silence- and submission, were inspired
with the most implacable resentment against his per-
so-n.and administration. '
§xxn. a. d. 1692. — A great number in both king
doms waited impatiently for an opportunity to declare
in. behalf of their exiled monarch, who was punctu
ally,; informed, of all these transactions, and endea
voured to. make his advantage of- the growing dis
content. - King William having settled the domes
tic affairs of the nation, and exerted uncommon
care and assiduity in equipping a formidable fleet,
embarked for Holland on the 5fh day of March,
and was received by the states-general with ex
pressions of the most cordial regard. While he was
:¦'.!( :tU-.: > ' ¦
1 gurnet., Story. JCennet. Life of King William. Naval hiltorjr. •
Ralph. '"/ Voifaire.
Vol.1,., - x-

15® HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. ?„
here employed in promoting the measures of the
grand confederacy, the French king resolved to in
vade England in his absence, and seemed heartily
engaged in the interest of James, whose emissaries
in Britain began to bestir themselves with uncom
mon assiduity, in preparing the nation for his re
turn. One Lant, who was imprisoned on suspicion
of distributing his commissions, had the good for
tune to be released, and the papists of Lancashire
dispatched him to the court of Sl. Germains, with
an assurance that they were in a condition to receive
their old sovereign. He returned with advice that
King James would certainly land in the spring ; and
that Colonel Parker and other officers should be
sent over with full instructions, touching their con
duct at and before the king's arrivaL Parker ac
cordingly repaired to England, and made the Jaco
bites acquainted with the whole scheme of a descent,,
which Lewis had actually concerted with the late king.
He assured them that their lawful sovereign would
once more visit his British dominions, at the head
of 30,000 effective men, to be embarked at La
Hogue ; that the transports were already prepared,,
and a strong squadron equipped for their convoy;
he, therefore, exhorted them to be speedy and se
cret in their preparation, that they might be in
readiness to take arms, and co-operate in effecting
his restoration. This officer, and one Johnson, a
priest, are said to have undertaken the assassination
of King William ; but, before they could execute
their design, his majesty set sail for Holland.
§ xxiii. Meanwhile James addressed a letter
to several lords who had been formerly members of
his council, as well as to divers ladies of quality and
distinction, intimating the pregriancy of his queen,,
and requiring them to attend as witnesses at the
labour. He took notice of the injury his family
and honour had sustained from the cruel aspersions-
of his enemies concerning the birth of his son, and

CH. III. WILLIAM AND MARY* 151
as Providence had now favoured him with an oppor
tunity of refuting the calumhy of those who affirmed
that the queen was incapable of child-bearing, he
assured them in the name of his brother, the French
king, as well as upon his Own royal word, that they
should have free leave to visit his court, and return
after the labour.' This invitation, however, no
person would venture to accept. He afterwards
employed his emissaries in circulating a printed
declaration, importing that the king of France
had enabled him to make another effort to re
trieve his crown ; and that, although he was fur
nished with a number of troops sufficient to untie
the hands of his subjects, he did not intend to
deprive them of their share in the glory of restoring
their lawful king' and their ancient government.
He exhorted the people to join his standard. He
assured them that the foreign auxiliaries should
behave with the most regular discipline, and be sent
back immediately after his re-establishment. He
observed, that when such a number of his subjects
were so infatuated as to concur with the unnatural
design of the prince of Orange, he had chosen to
rely upon the fidelity of his English army, and re
fused considerable succours that were offered to
him by his most christian majesty ; that when he
was ready td oppose force with force, he neverthe
less offered to give all reasonable satisfaction to his
subjects who had been misled, and endeavoured to
open their eyes, with respect to. the vain pretences
of his adversary, whose aim was not the reformation,

1 The letter was directed not only speaker of the house of commons,
for privy counsellors, but also to the Sir Edward Seymour, JSir Christo-
ducliesses of, Somerset and Beaufort, pher. Musgrave, the. wives of, .Sir
the marchioness of Hallifax, the coiin- Thoma3 Stamford, lord-mayor of
fess of Derbyf Mulgrave, Rutland, London, Sir, William Ashhurst, and
.Uwoks, Notgingham, Lumley, and Sir Richard Levert, the sheriffs, and.
Dauby, the ladies Fitzharding, aftd, lastly, to Dr. Chamberlain,. the famous
iretchville, those o£S»r John Trevor,' practitioner w.mjdwifery, „ ,
X a

152 HISTGRY OF'ENGLAND. B. I.
but the subversion, of the government : that when
he saw himself deserted by his army, betrayed by
his ministers, abandoned by his favourites, and even
his own children, and at last rudely driven from his
own palace by a guard of insolent foreigners, he
had, for his personal safety, taken refuge in France :
that his retreat from the malice and cruel designs of
the usurper had been construed into an abdication,
and the whole constitution of the monarchy de
stroyed by a set of men illegally assembled, who in
fact, had no power to alter the property of the
meanest subject. He expressed his hope that by
this time the nation had fairly examined the account,
and, from" the losses and enormous expence of the
three last years, were convinced that the remedy
was worse than the disease ; that the beginning,
like the first years of Nero's reign, would, in all pro
bability be fourid the mildest part of the usurpation,
and the instruments of the new establishment live
to suffer severely by the tyranny they had raised ;
that even , though the usurpation should continue
during his life, an indisputable title would survive in
his issue, and expose the kingdom to all the miseries
of a civil war. He not only solicited, but command
ed, his good subjects to join him, according to their
duty, and the oaths they had taken. He forbade
them to pay taxes or any part of the revenue to the
usurper. He promised pardon, and even rewards,
fto all those who should return to their duty, and to
procure in his first parliament an act of indemnity,
with an exception of certain persons* whom he now
* Those excepted were, the duke Sir Basil Dixwell, Sir James Oxendfcn,
pf Ormond, the marquis; of Winches- Dr John 'H^otson, Dr, Gilbert Bur-
ter, the earls of Sunderland, Bath, net ; Francis Russel, Richard Levi-
Dahhy, and Nottingham, the lords son; John Trenchard, Charles Dun-
Newport, Delamete, Wiltshire, Col- comb, citizens uf London -. Edwards,
chester, Cornbury, Dunblain, and Stapleton, and Hunt, fishermen, and
Churchill; the bishops of London- and all others who had, offered personal
St. Asaph, Sir Robert Howard, Sir indignities to him at Feversham; or
John Worden, Sir Samuel Grimstone, had tieen concerned in the barbarous.
Sir Stephen Foi, Sir George Treby, murder of John Ashton Cross , or

CH. III. WILLIAM AND MARY. 153
enumerated. He declared that all soldiers who
should quit the service of the usurper, and inlist
under his banners, might depend upon receiving
their pardon and arrears ; and that the foreign'
troops, upon laying down their arms, should be
paid and transported to their respective , countries,,
He solemnly protested that he would protect and
maintain the church of England, as by law esta
blished in all her rights, privileges, and possessions ;
he signified his resolution to use his influence with
the parliament for allowing liberty of conscience to
all his subjects, as an indulgence agreeable to the
spirit of the christian religion, and conducive to the
wealth and prosperity of the nation. He said his
principal care should be to heal the wounds of the
late distractions ; to restore trade by observing the
act of navigation, which had been lately so much
violated in favour of strangers ; to put the navy in
a flourishing condition 5 and to take every step that
might contribute to the greatness of the monarchy
and the happiness of the people. He concluded
with professions of resignation to the Divine Will,
declaring, that all who should reject his offers of
mercy, and appear in arms against him, would fie
answerable to Almighty God for all the blood that
should be spilt, and all the miseries in which these
kingdoms might be involved by their desperate and
unreasonable opposition.
§ xxiv. While this declaration operated, various
ly on the minds of the people, Colonel Parker,' with
some other officers, inlisted men privately for the
service of James in the counties of York, Lancaster,
and in the bishopric of Durham : at the same time,
Fountaine and Holeman were employed in raising
or any other who had suffered death during his late absence frorfl Eng-
lor their loyalty; and - all spies, or land. .- ¦ ,j -,!,- (;,
such as had betrayed Us^ council , , -3 .

154t History op ekgland. e. i."
two regiments of horse at London,' that. they might
join their master immediately after his landing. His
partisans sent Captain Lloyd with an express to Lord'
Melfoot, containing a detail of these particulars, with
an assurance that they had brought over Rear-ad
miral Carter to the interest of his majesty. They
likewise transmitted a list of the ships that composed
the English fleet, and exhorted James to use his in
fluence with the Frerich king, that the count de
Tourville'- 'might be ordered to attack them before'
they should be joined by the Dutch squadron. It
was in cdnsequence of this advice, that Lewis com
manded Tourville to fall upon the English fleet,
even without waiting for the Toulon squadron, com
manded by the Marquis D'Etrees. By this time
James had repaired to La Hogue, and was ready to
embark with his army, consisting of a body of French
troops, together with some English and Scotch re
fugees, and the regiments which had beeri trans
ported from Ireland by virtue of the capitulation of
Limerick. § xxv. The ministry of England was informed
of all' these particulars, partly by some agents of
James, who betrayed his cause, and partly by Ad
miral Carter, who gave the queen to understand he
had been tampered with ; and was instructed to
amuse the Jacobites with a negociation. King Wil
liam no sooner arrived in Holland, than he hastened
the naval preparations of the Dutch, so that their
fleet was ready for sed sooner than was expected ;
and when he received the first intimation of the pro
jected descent, he detached General Ptolemache
with three of the. English regiments from Holland,
These, reinforced with other troops remaining' in
England, were ordered to encamp in the neighbour
hood of Portsmouth, The queen issued a procla
mation, commanding all papists to depart from Lon
don and Westminster : the members of both houses
pf parliament were required to ineet on the 24'ft

Clj[. III. WILLIAM AND, .MARY, 155-
day of May,; that she might avail herself. pf their
advice in such a perilous conjuncture. Warrants '.
were expedited for apprehending divers disaffected
persons ; , and they withdrawing themselves from
their respective places of abode, a proclamation was.
published for discovering and bringing them to jus
tice. The earls of Scarsdale, .Litchfield, and New-
tmrgh ; the lords Griffin, Forbes, Sir John Fenwick^
Sir Theophilus Oglethorpe, and others, found means
to elude the search. The earls of Huntingdon and
Marlborough were sent to the Tower : Edward Rid
ley, Kneyitt, Hastings, and Robert Ferguson, were
imprisoned in Newgate. The bishop of Rochester
was confined to his own house : the lords Brudenei
aud Fanshaw were secured : the earls , pf Dunmore,
Middleton, , and Sir Andrew Forrester, were disr
covered in a quaker's house, and committed to
prison, with several other persons of distinction.
The train-bands of London and Westminster were
armed by the queen's, direction, and she review
ed them in person : Admiral Russel was ordered
to put to sea with all possible expedition j and Qaf-.
ter with a squadron of eighteen sail, continued to
cruise along the French coast tp observe the motions
of the enemy.
§ xxvi. On the 11th day of May, Russel sailed
from Rye to Sc. Helens, where he was joined by the
squadron , under Delaval and Carter. There he re
ceived a letter from the earl of Nottingham, intimat
ing, that a report having been spread of the queen's
suspecting the fidelity of the sea officers, her majesty
had ordered him to declare in her name, that she re
posed the most entire confidencejn their attachment^
and believed the report was raised by the enemies of
the government. The flag officers" and captains
forthwith drew up a very loyal ;an<J .dutiful address,,
which was graciously received by the, queen, and pub
lished for the satisfaction of the natipn. Russel, be-
wg reinforced, by the Dutch squadrons,. commanded

15& HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
by Allemonde, Callemberg, and Vandergoes, set sail
for the coast of France on the 18th day of May, with
a fleet of ninety-nine ships of the line, besides frigates^
and fire ships. Next day, about three o'clock in the
morning, he discovered the enemy, under the count1
de Tourville, and threw out the signal for the line of
battle, which by eight o'clock was formed in good or
der, the Dutch in the van, the blue division in the
rear, and the red in the centre. The French fleet
did not exceed sixty-three ships of the line, and, as
they were to windward, Tourville might have avoid-'
ed an engagement : but he had received a positive1
order to fight, on the supposition that the Dutch and'
English squadrons had not joined. Lewis, indeed^
was apprised of their junction before they were, de
scried by his admiral, to whom he dispatched a
countermanding order by two several vessels : but
one of them was taken by the English, and the other .
did not arrive till the day after the engagement.
§ xxvu. Tourville, therefore, in obedience to
the first mandate, bore down alongside of Russel'*
own shipj which he engaged at a very small distance^
He fought with great fury till one o'clock, when his
rigging and sails being considerably damaged, his ship,
the Rising-Sun, which carried 104 cannon, was towed
out of the line in great disorder. Nevertheless, the
engagement continued till three, when the fleets were
parted by a thick fog. When this abated, the enemy i
were descried flying , to the northward; and Russell
made the signal for chasing. Part of the blue squad
ron came iip with the enemy about eight in the*
evening, and engaged them half an hour, during
which Admiral Carter was mortally wounded. Find
ing himself in extremity, he exhorted his captain to
light as long as the ship, could swim ,; and expired
with great composure. At length,, the French bore
away for Conquet road, having lost four ships inthis^
day's action. Next day, about eight hi the morning,
they were discovered crowding away to the westward*

«H. III. WILLIAM AND MARY. 157
and the combined fleets chased with all the sail they
could carry, Until Russel's fore-top mast came by the
board. Though he Was retarded by this accident,
the fleet still continued the pursuit, and anchored near
Cape La Hogue. On the 22d of the mouth, about
seven in the morning, part of the French fleet was
perceived near the Race of Alderney, some at anchor,
and some driving to the eastward with the tide of
flood. Russel, and the ships nearest him, imme-
- diately slipped their cables, arid chased. The Rising-
Sun, having lost her masts, ran ashore near Cher-
burg, ' Where she was burned by Sir Ralph Delaval,
together with the Admirable, another first" rate, and
the Conquerant of 80 guns. Eighteen other ships*
of their fleet ran into La Hogue, where they were
attacked by Sir George Rooke, who destroyed them,*
and a great number of transports laden with ammu
nition, in the midst of a terrible fire from the ene
my, and in sight of the Irish camp. Sir John Ash-
by, with his own squadron, and some Dutch ships,
pursued the rest of the French fleet, which escaped.
through the Race of Alderney, by such a dangerous
passage as the English could not attempt, without
exposing their ships to the most imminent hazard.
This was a very mortifying defeat to the French
kirig, who had been so long flattered with an unin
terrupted series of Victories : it reduced James to the
lowest ebb of despondence, as it frustrated the whole
scheme of his embarkation, and overwhelmed his
friends in England with grief and despair.* Some
historians allege, that Russel did not improye his
victory, with all advantages that might have been
obtained, before the enemy recovered their conster
nation. They say his affection to the service was in
a^good measure cooled by the disgrace of his friend,
the earl of Marlborough : that he hated the earl of
Nottingham, by whose channel he received his or
ders ; and, that he adhered to the latter, rather fnirv"
to'the spirit, of his instructions. But this is a mali.--

15S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I*
cious imputation ; and a very ungrateful return for his,
manifold services to the nation. He acted in this whole,
expedition with the genuine spirit of a British admiral.
He plyed from the Nore to the Downs with a very
scanty wind, through the dangerous sands, contrary.
to the advice of all his pilots ; and by this bold pas
sage effected a junction of the different squadrons,
which otherwise the French would have attacked
singly, and perhaps defeated. He behaved with
great gallantry during the engagement ; and destroy
ed about fifteen of the enemy's capital ships: in a
word, he obtained such a decisive victory, that dur
ing the remaining part of the war, the French would
not hazard another battle by sea with the English.
§ xxvm. Russel having ordered Sir John Ash-
by, and the Dutch admiral Callemberg, to steer to
wards Havre de Grace, arid endeavour to destroy the
remainder of the French fleet, sailed back to S".
Helens, that the damaged ships might be refitted,
ana the fleet furnished with fresh supplies of provi
sion and ammunition : but his principal motive was,
to take on-board a number of troops provided for a
descent upon France, which had been projected by
England and Holland, with a view to alarm and dis
tract the enemy in their own dominions. The queen
was so pleased with the victory, that she ordered
,^30,000 to be distributed among the sailors. She
caused medals to be struck in honour of the action ;
and the bodies of Admiral Carter and Captain Hast
ings, who had been killed in the battle, to be in
terred with great funeral pomp. In the latter end of
July 7*000 men, commanded by the duke of Lein-
ster, embarked on-board transports, to be landed
at S/. Maloes; Brest, or Rochefort ; and the nation
conceived the most sanguine hopes of this expedition?
A, council, of war, consisting of land and sea officers,
being held on-board the Breda, to deliberate upon the
scheme pf the ministry, the members unanimously
.agreed, that the season , was too far advanced to put

CH. III. WILLIAM AND MARY. 15§
it in execution. Nevertheless, the admiral having
detached Sir John Ashby with a squadron, to inter
cept the remains of the French fleet, in their passage
from S~. Maiofes t& Brest, set sail for La Hogue with
the rest of the fleet and transports ; but, in a few
days the wind shifting, he was obliged to return to
Sc. Helens.
§ xxix. The queen immediately dispatched the
marquis of Caerniarthen, the earls of Devonshire,
Dorset, Nottingham, and Rochester, together with
the' lords Sidney and Cornwallis, to consult with the
admirali who demonstrated the impracticability of
making an effectual descent upon the coast of France
at that season of the year. The design was there
fore laid aside; arid the forces were transported to
Flanders. The higher the hopes of the nation had *
been raised by this armament, the deeper they felt
their disappointment. A loud clamour was raised;
against the ministry, as the authors of this miscar
riage. The people complained, that they were plun
dered and abused : that immense sums were extorted
from them by the most grievous impositions f that,
by the infamous expedient of borrowing upon estab
lished funds, their taxes wereperpettiated': that their
burthens would daily increase : that their treasure
was either squandered away in chimerical projects,
or expended in foreign connections, of which Eng
land was naturally independent. They were the
more excusable for exclaiming in this manner, as
their trade had suffered grievously by the French
privateers, which swarmed in the Channel. In vain
the merchants had recourse to the admiralty, which
eould-hot spare particular convoys, while large fleets
were required for the defence of the nation. The
French king, having nothing further tp apprehend
from the English armament, withdrew his troops
from the coast of Normandy ; and James returned
}.ri;- despair to Sc. Germains, where his queen had
been in his absence delivered of a daughter,' whip-

100 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B. I.
was born in the presence of the archbishop of Paris, -
the keeper of the seals, and other persons of dis
tinction. § xxx. Lewis had taken the field in the latter end
of May. On the 20th day of that month, he arrived
at his camp in Flanders, with all the effeminate pomp
of an Asiatic emperor, attended by his women and
parasites, his band of music^ his dancers, -his opera,
and, in a word, by all the ministers of luxury and
sensual pleasure. Having reviewed his army, which
amounted to about 120,000 men, he undertook the
siege of Namur, which he invested on both sides of
the Sambre, with about one half of his army, while
the other covered the siege under the command of
Luxembourg. Namur is situated on the conflux of
the Meuse and the Sambre. The citadel was deemed
one of the strongest forts in Flanders, strengthened
with a new work, contrived by the famous engineer
Coehorn, who now defended it in person. The prince
de Barbason commanded the garrison, consisting of
0,000 men. The place was well supplied-: and the
governor knew that King William would make strong
efforts for its relief ; so that the besieged were ani
mated with many concurring considerations. Not
withstanding these advantages, the assailants carried
on their attacks with such vigour, that in seven days
after the trenches were opened the town capitulated*
and the garrison retired into the citadel. King William,
being joined by the troops of Brandenburg andLiege
advanced to the Mehaigne, at the head of 100,000
effective men, and encamped within cannon shotof
Luxembourg's army, which lay on the other side of
the river. That general, however, had taken such
precautions, that the king of England could not in
terrupt the siege, nor attack the French lines with
out great disadvantage. The besiegers, encouraged
by the presence of their monarch, and assisted by the
superior abilities of Vauban, their, engineer, repeated
their attacks with such impetuosity, that the fort of

CH III. WILLIAM AND MARY. 1*61
Coehorn was surrendered, after a very obstinate de
fence, in which he himself had been dangerously
wounded. The citadel being thus left exposed to the
approaches of the enemy, could not long withstand
the violence of their operations. The two covered
ways were taken by assault : on the 20th of May, the
governor capitulated, to the unspeakable mortifica
tion of King William, who saw himself obliged to lie
inactive at the head of a powerful army, and be an
eye-witness of the loss of the most important fortres
in the Netherlands. Lewis, having taken possession-
of the place, returned in triumph to Versailles, where
he was flattered with all the arts, of adulation ; while
William's reputation suffered a little from his mis
carriage, and the prince of Barbason incurred the sus
picion of treachery or misconduct.
§ xxxi. Luxembourg having placed a strong
garrison in Namur, detached BoufBerS with a body
of troops to La Bassiere, and with the rest of his
army encamped at Soignies. The king of England
sent off detachments towards Liege and Ghent ;
and on the 6th day of July posted himself at Genap,
resolved to seize the first Opportunity of retrieving his
honour, by attacking the enemy. Having received
intelligence that the French general was in motion,
and intended to take post between Steenkerke and
Enghien, he passed the river Senne, in order to an
ticipate his purpose : but, in spite of all his diligence,"
Luxembourg gained his point : and William en
camped at Lembecq, within six miles of the French
arm}'.' Here he resolved, in a council of war, to
attack the enemy; and every disposition was made
for that purpose. The heavy baggage he ordered to
be conveyed to the other side of the' Senne ; and one
Millevoix, a detected spy;, was compelled by menaces
to mislead Luxembourg with false intelligence, im
porting that he need not be alarmed at the motions
of the allies, who intended the next day to make a
general forage. Oh the 24* day of July, the army-

102 HISTORY OF EN.GLAXD. B. L,
began to move from the left, in two columns, as
the ground would not admit of their marching in
an extended front. The prince of Wirtemberg
began the attack on the right of the enemy, ati
the head of ten battalions, of English, Danish, and
Dutch, infantry : he was supported by a consider
able body of British horse and foot, command
ed by Lieutenant-general Mackay. Though the
ground was intersected by hedges, ditches, and
narrow defiles, the prince marched with such dili
gence, that he was in a condition to begin the battle
about two in the afternoon, when he charged the
French with such impetuosity, that they were driven
from their posts, and their whole camp became a scene
of tumult and confusion. Luxembourg, trusting to
the intelligence he had received, allowed himself to
be surprised ; and it required the full exertion of his
superior talents, to remedy the consequences of his
neglect. He forthwith forgot a severe indisposition
under which he then laboured : he rallied his broken
battalions : he drew up his forces in order of battle,
and led thein to the charge in person. The duke
de Chartres, who was then in the fifteenth year of
his age, the dukes of Bourbon and Vendome, the
prince of Conti, and a great number of volunteers of
the first quality, put themselves at the head of the
household troops, and fell with great fury upon
the English, who were very ill supported by Count
Solmes, the officer who commanded the centre of the
allies. The prince of Wirtemberg had taken one of
the enemy's batteries, and actually penetrated into
their lines ; but finding himself in danger of being
overpowered by numbers, he sent an aide-du-camp
twice to demand succours from Solmes, who derided
his distress, saying, * let us see what sport these Eng-
' lish bull-dogs will make.' At length, when the
king sent an express order, commanding him to sus
tain the left wing, he made a motion with his horse,
which could not act while his infanta kept their

CH. III. WILLIAM AND MARY. l6»
ground ; and the British troops, With a few Dutch
and Danes, bore the whole brunt of the engagement.
They fought with surprising courage and perseverance
against dreadful odds ; and the event of the battle-
continued doubtful, until Bouffiers joined the French
army with a great body of dragoons. The allies
could not sustain the additional weight of this rein
forcement, before which they gave way, though the
retreat was made in tolerable order ; and the enemy
did not think proper to prosecute the advantage they
had gained. In this action the confederates ldst the
earl of Angus, General Mackay, Sir John Lanier,
Sir Robert Douglas, and many other gallant officers,
together with about 3,000 men left dead on the spot,
the same number wounded or taken, a great many
colours and standards, and several pieces of cannon.
• § xxxn. The French, however, reaped no so
lid advantage from this victory, which cost them
about 3,000 men, including the prince of Turenne,
the marquis de Bellefond, Tilladet, and Fernacon,
with many officers of distinction ; as for Mille-
voix the spy, he was hung upon a tree, on the
right wing of the allied army. King William re
tired unmolested to his own camp : and notwith
standing all his overthrows, continued a respectable
enemy, by dint of invincible fortitude, and a geniua
fruitful in resources. That he was formidable to the
French nation, even in- the midst of his ill success^
appears from divers undeniable testimonies, and from
none more than from the extravagance of joy ex
pressed by the people of France, on occasion of this
unimportant victory. -When the princes who served
in the battle returned to Paris, the roads through
Whicb they passed were almost blocked up with mul
titudes ; and the whole air resounded with acclama
tion. .All the ornaments of the fashion peculiar to
both sexesi adopted the name of Steenkerke i every
individual, who had. been personally engaged in the
action waS revered as a being of a superior species >

lC4 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 3.1.
and the transports of the women rose almost to a
degree of frenzy.
§ xxxiii. The French ministry did not entirely
depend upon the fortune of the war for the execu
tion of their revenge against King William. They
likewise employed assassins to deprive him of life, in
the most treacherous manner. When Louvois died,
liis son, the marquis de Barbesieux, who succeeded
him in his office of secretary, found, among his pa
pers, the draft of scheme for this purpose, and imme
diately revived the design, by means of the Chevalier
de Grandval, a captain of dragoons in the service.
He and Colonel Parker engaged one Dumont, who
undertook to assassinate King William. Madame
de Maintenon, and Paparel, paymaster to the French
army were privy to the scheme, which they encou
raged : the conspirators are said to have obtained an.
audience of King James, who approved of their un
dertaking, and assured them of his protection ; but
that unfortunate monarch, was unjustly charged
with the guilt of countenancing the intended mur
der, as they communicated nothing to him but an
attempt to seize the person of the prince of Orange.
Dumont actually inlisted in the confederate army,
that he might have the better opportunity to shoot
the king of England when he should ride out to
visit the lines, while Grandval and Parker repaired
to the French camp, with orders to Luxembourg
to furnish them with a party of horse for the rescue
of Dumont, after the blow should be struck. Whe
ther this man's heart failed him, or he could not
find the opportunity he desired, after having resided
some weeks in the camp of the allies, he retired to
Hanover ; but still corresponded with Grandval and
Barbesieux. This last admitted one Leefdale, , a
Dutch baron, into the secret, and likewise imparted
it to Monsieur Chanlais, quarter-master-general of
the French army, who annimated Grandval and Leef
dale with the promise of a considerable reward, and

CH. III. WILLIAM AND MARY* 105
promised to co-operate with Parker for bringing off
Dumont ; for this assassin still persisted in his under
taking. Leefdale had been sent from Holland, on pur
pose to dive to the bottom of this conspiracy, in
consequence of advice given by the British envoy at
Hanover, where Dumont had dropped some hints
that alarmed his suspicion. The Dutchman not only
insinuated himself into the confidence of the conspi
rators, but likewise inviegled Grandval to Eynd- -
hoven, where he was apprehended. Understanding
that Dumont had already discovered the design to
the duke of Zell, and that he himself had been be
trayed by Leefdale, he freely confessed all the parti
culars, without enduring the torture; and being
found guilty by a court-martial, was executed as a
traitor. § xxxiv. About this period the duke of Leinster
arrived at Ostend, with the troops which had been
embarked at Sr. Helens. He was furnished with
cannon sent down the Meuse from Maestricht ; and
reinforced by a large detachment from the king's
camp at Gramont, under the command of General
Ptolemache. He took possession of Fumes, was
joined by the earl of Portland and M. d'Auverquer-
que, and a disposition was made for investing Dun
kirk : but on further deliberation, the enterprise was
thought very dangerous, and therefore laid aside.
Furnes and Dixmuyde, lately reduced by Brigadier
Ramsay, were strengthened with new works, and se
cured by strong garrisons. The cannon were sent
back, arid the troops returning to Ostend, re-embark
ed for England. This fruitless expedition, added to
the inglorious issue of the campaign, increased the
ill humour of the British nation. They taxed Wil
liam with having lain inactive at Gramont with an
army of 100,000 men, while Luxembourg's posted
at Courtray wi£h half that number. They said, if
he had fouiid the French lines too strong to be
Vol I. Y

100 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B.I.
forced, he might have passed the Scheld higher up,,
and not only laid the enemy's conquests under con
tribution, but even marched into the bowelsof France j
and they complained that Furnes and Dixmuyde
were not worth the sums expended in maintaining
their garrisons. On the 26th day of September
King William left the army under the command of
the elector of Bavaria, and repaired to his house at
Loo : in two days after his departure the camp at
Gramont was broke up ; the infantry marched to
Marienkerke, and the horse to Caure. On the l6tlv
day of October, the king receiving intelligence, that
Bouffiers had invested Charleroy, and Luxembourg!
taken post in the neighbourhood of Conde, ordered
the troops to be instantly reassembled between the
village of Ix'ells and Halle, with design to raise the
siege, and repair to Brussels, where he held a coun
cil of war, in which the proper measures were con.
certed. He then returned to Holland, leaving the
command with the elector of Bavaria, who forthwith
began his march for Charleroy. At his approach
Bouffiers abandoned the siege, aud moved towards
Philipville. The elector having reinforced the place;
and thrown supplies into Aeth, distributed his forces
into winter-quarters. Then Luxembourg, who had
cantoned his army between Conde, Leuzet, and;
To'urnay, returned , to Paris, leaving Bouffiers to
command in his absence.
§ xxxv. The allies had been unsuccessful in
Flanders*, and they were not fortunate in Germany.
The landgrave of Hesse Cassel undertook the siege
of Eberemburg, which, however, he was obliged
, to abandon. The duke de Lorges, who command*-
ed the French forces on the Rhine, surprised, de
feated, and took, the duke of Wirtemberg, who
had posted himself with 4,000 horse near Eidel-r
sheim, to check the progress of the enemy. Count
Tallard having invested Rhinefield, the landgrave,
marched to its relief vuth such expedition, that

GH.''III. WTLLLAM AND MARY. 167
the French Were obliged to desist and retreat with
considerable damage. The elector of Saxony had
engaged to bring an army into the field : but he
complained that the emperor left the burthen of the
war with France upon the princes, and converted!
his chief power and attention to the campaign in
Hungary. A jealousy and misunderstanding erisued :
Schoening, the Saxon general, in his way to the
hot-baths at Dablitz! in Bohemia, was seized by the1
emperor's order, on suspicion of having maintained
a private correspondence With the enemy, and very
warm expostulations on this subject passed between
the courts of Vienna arid Dresden. Schoening was
detained two years' in custody ; and at length released,
on condition that he should never be employed
again iri the empire. "The war in Hungary pro
duced no event of importance. The ministry of the
Ottoman Porte was distracted by factions, and the
seraglio threatened with tumults. The people Were
tired of maintaining an unsuccessful war ; the visir
was deposed , and in the midst of this confusion:,
the garrison of Great Waradin, which had been
blocked up by the imperialists during the whole
winter, surrendered on capitulation. Lord Paget,
the English ambassador at Vienna, was sent to Con
stantinople, with powers to mediate a peace: but
the terms offered by the emperor were rejected at
the Porte : the Turkish , army lay Upon the defen
sive, and the seasori Was'spent iri a fruitless negocia-
tiori. § xx xvl. The, prospect of affairs in Piedmont
was favourable for the' allies ; but the court of France
had brought the pope to an accommodation, and
began totamper with the dukebf Savoy. M.J Chan-
lais was sent to Turin', with advantageous propo
sals, which, however, the :dtfM$ would not accept,
because he thought himself entitled to 'better terms',
«tas-idering that the allied army -in 'Piedmont amounf;-
v2

168 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. R, I.1
ed to 50,000 effective men, while Catinat's forces
were not sufficient to defend his conquests in that.
country. In the month of July the duke march-
ed into Dauphine, where he plundered a number
of villages, and reduced the fortress of Guillestre ;
then passing the river Darance, he invested Am
brun, which, after a siege of nine days, sur
rendered on capitulation : he afterwards laid all
the neighbouring towns under contribution. Here
Duke Schomberg, who commanded the auxiliaries
in the English pay, published a declaration, in the
name of King William, inviting the people to join
his standard, assuring them that his master had no
other design in ordering his troops to invade France,
but that °f restoring the noblesse to their ancient
splendour, their parliaments to their former autho
rity, ,and the people to their just privileges'. He
even offered his protection to the clergy, and prc>-
mised to use his endeavours for reviving the edict pf
Nantes, which had been guaranteed by the kings oi'
England. These , offers, however, produced little
effect ;<and the Germans ravaged the whole country j
in revenge for the cruelties which the French had
eommitted in the Palatinate. The allied army ad
vanced from Ambrun to Gap, on the frontiers of
Provence, and this place submitted without oppo
sition. The inhabitants of Grenoble, the capital of
Dauphine,; and even of Lyons, were overwhelmed
with consternation; and ,& fairer opportunity of
humbling France could never occur, as that part of
the kingdom had been left almost quite defenceless :
hut this was fatally neglected, either from the spirit
ofi .dissension which began to prevail in the allied
army, .or from the indisposition of- the duke-of;
Savoy, who was seized with the small-pox in the
midst of this expedition ; oij lastly, from bis want
of sincerity, which was shrewdly suspected. He is
said to have maintained a constant correspondence

OH; III. WILLIAM AND MARY. 169
with the court of Versailles, in complaisance to
which he retarded the operations of the confederates.
Certain it is, he evacuated all his conquests, and
about the middle of September quitted the French
territories, after having pillaged and laid waste the
country through which he had penetrated.1 In Ca
talonia the French attempted nothing of importance
during this campaign, and the Spaniards were wholly:
inactive in that province.
^ § xxxvu. The protestant interest in Germany
acquired an accession of strength, by the creation of
a- ninth electorate in favour of Ernest Augustus,
duke of Hanover. He had, by this time, renounc
ed all his connections with France, and engaged
to enter heartily into the interest of the allies, in
consideration of his obtaining the electoral dignity.
King William exerted himself so vigorously in his
behalf at the court of Vienna, that the emperor
agreed to the proposal, in case the consent of the
other electors could be procured. This assent,
however was extorted by the importunities of the
king of England, whom he durst not disoblige.
Leopold was blindly bigotted to the religion of
Rome, and consequently averse to a new creation,
that would weaken the catholic interest in the
electoral college. He, therefore, employed his
emissaries to thwart the duke's measures. Some
protestant princes opposed him from motives of
jealousy, and the French king used all his artifice
and influence, to prevent the elevation of the house
of Hanover. When the duke had surmounted all
this opposition, so far as to gain over a majority of
the electors, new objections were started. The em
peror-suggested that another popish electorate should
--.i At this period Queen Mary, tablished a fund from her own
understanding .that ,thc protestant privy purse, to maintain ten preach-
V'audois were destitute of ministers ers, and as many schoolmasters, ill
to. preach, or .teach; the gospel, es- the vallies of -Piedmont. . . . . <,>
3 y 3

170 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. 1.
be created to balance the advantage which the
lutherans would reap from that of Hanover: and
he proposed that Austria should be raised to the
same dignity : but violent opposition was made to
this expedient, which would have vested the em
peror with a double vote in the electoral college.
At length, after a tedious negociation, the duke of
Hanover, on the 1 Qtb day of December, was honour
ed with the investiture, as elector of Brunswick ;
created great marshal of the empire, and did homage
to the emperor : nevertheless, he was not yet ad
mitted into the college, because he had not been
able to procure the unanimous consent of all the
electors.* * In the beginning of September happened about two months before
the shock of an earthquake was felt in Sicily and Malta ; and the town
in London, and many other parts of of Port-Royal in Jamaica was almost
England, as well as in France, Ger- totally ruined by the earthquake :
many, and the Netherlands. Vio- the place was so suddenly overflowed ,
jcnt, agitations of the same kind had that about l,joo persons perished.

' :m

CHAP. IV.
§ i. False information against the earl of Marlborough, 'the
bishop.of Rochester, and others  § u. Sources of national dis
content.. § m. Dissension between the queen and the princess
Anne of Denmark  § iv. The house of lords vindicate their
privileges in behalf of their imprisoned members,. . . § v. The
commons present addresses to the king and queen. . . . § vi. Tfiey
acquit Admiral Russel, and resolve to advise his majesty.
§ vn. They comply with all the demands of the ministry. .'. .
§ vui The lords present : an address of advice to the king.
§ ix. Dispute between the lords and commons concerning Ad-
¦miral Russel. ... § x. The commons address the king. They
establish the land-tax and other impositions. ... § xi. Burnet's
pastoral letter burned by the1 hangman. . .-.'§ xn. Proceedings
of the lower house against the practice of kidnapping men for
the service . . . § xiii. The two houses address the king on the
grievances of Ireland. . . . § xiv. An account of the place-bill,
and that for triennial parliaments. . . . § xv. The commons pe
tition his majesty that he would dissolve the East-Ind{a company.
. . . . § xvi. Trial of Lord Mohun. for murder- Alterations in
the ministry. ... § xvn. The king repairs to the continent, and
assembles the confederate army in Flanders. . . . §- xv uu' The
French reduce Huy. ... § xix„ Luxembourg resolves to attack
the allies. . . . § xx. Who are defeated at Landen. . . . § xxi.
Charleroy is besieged and taken by the enemy. ... § xxn. Cam- N
paign on the Rhine. The duke of Savoy is defeated by Catinat
in the plain of Marsaglia. . . . § xxm. Transactions in Hun
gary and Catalonia. ... § xxiv. Naval affairs. . . . § xxv. A
fleet of merchant ships, under convoy of Sir George Rooke, at- ¦
tacked, and partly destroyed by the French squadrons. . . .§ xxvr.
Wheeler's expedition to the West-Indies. .. .§ xxvn. Benbow
bombards St. Maloes. ... § xxviu. The French king hat re
course to the mediation of Denmark  $ xxix. Severity of the
government against the •jacolites. .. .^xxx. Complaisance of

1?2 "-'¦
?Ae Scottish 'parliament  § xxxi. TAi; £i«g retards to Eng-'.
land, makes some changes in the ministry, and opens the session
of parliament. . . . § xxxn. Both houses inquire into the miscar^Z
riages by sea. . . .§ xxxm. The commons grant a vast sum for
Ike services of the ensuing year,. . . § ixxiv. The king rejects
the hill against free and impartial proceedings in parliament ;
and the lower house remonstrates on this subject. ... § xxxv, *
Establishment of the bank of England. ... § xxxvi. The East-
India company obtain a new charter. ... § xxxvn. Bill for a
^general naturalization dropped. ... §x xxviii. Sir Francis
! Wheeler perishes in a storm. . . § xxxix. The English attempt
to make a descent in Camaret bay, but are repulsed with loss.
. . - . § xl. They bombard Dieppe, Havre de Grace, Dunkirk?
and Calais. . . . § xli. Admiral Russel sails for the Mediterra-
7ieanx$elieyes Barcelona, and winters at Cadiz. ... § xi-n. Cam-
paignin Flanders. ... § xnir. The allies reduce Huy. • . • § slit.
flhf prince of Baden passes the Rhine, but is obliged to repass (
$hat river. Operations in Hungary. . . . § x lv. Progress of the i,
French in Catalonia. State of the war in Piedmont. . . . §.xlvi.'
The king returns to England. Tlie parliament meets. The bilk
¦for triennial parliaments receives the royal assent. ... J xlvii.-J
Death of Archbishop TiMotson and, of Queen Aflary. ... § xltiii.
Reconciliation between, the king,qnd the princess of JOenmark.

A. n. 1692.
§ 1. While Kmg William seemed wholly en
grossed byithe affairs pf the continent, England was.
distracted- by .domestic dissension, and overspread
with vice, corruption, and profaneness. Over and
above the Jacobites, there was a set of malcontents,
whose, number daily increased. They not only
inurmured at the grievances of the nation, but com
posed and published elaborate dissertations upon the
E>f me subject. These made such impressions upon;
the people, ^lready irritated by heavy: burdens, dis-J
tre.ssed! in tJtei' trade, and disappointed in their san-;
guine. expectations, jtliat (the queen thought it neT

CH. VI. WILLIAM AND MARY. 173
cessary to check thei progress ofrthose::writersj by
issuing out a proclamation, offering a reward to such
as, would discover seditious libellers. The earl pf
Marlborough had been committed to the Tower,
on the information of one Robert Young, a,prisoner
in Newgate, who had forged that nobleman's hand-
. writing, and contrived the scheme of an association
in favour of King Jamess to which he affixed the
names, of the earls of Marlborough, and Salisbury,
Sprat, bishop of Rochester^ the lord Cornbury> and
Sir Basil Firebrace. One of his emissaries had found
means to conceal this paper in a Certain part of the
bishop's house at Bromley in Kent, where it was
found by the king's messengers, who secured the
prelate in consequence of Young's informatiori,
But he vindicated himself to the satisfaction of the
whole council ; and the forgery of the informer was
detected by the confession of his accomplice.' The
bishop obtained his release immediately, and the earl
of Marlborough was admitted to bail in the court pf
king's bench.
§ n. ¦ So many persons of character and distinc
tion had been imprisoned during; this reign, upon
the slightest suspicion, that the diseontented part of
the nation had some reason to insinuate, they had
only exchanged one tyrant for -another. They af
firmed, that the habeas-corpus act was either insuf
ficient to protect the subject from ' false imprison
ment, or had been shamefully misused. They expa
tiated upon the loss of ships, which had^ lately fallen
a prey to the enemy ; the consumption of seamen ;
the neglect of the fisheries ; the interruption of com
merce, in which the nation was supplanted by her
allies, as well as invaded by her enemies ; the low
ebb of the kingdom's treasure exhausted in hiring
foreign bottoms, and paying foreign troops to fight
foreign quarrels ;• and the slaughter of the best arid
bravest of their countrymen, whose blood had been
lavishly spilt in support of connections, with which^

17-* HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B. I.
they ought to have had no concern. They demon
strated the mischiefs that necessarily arose from the
unsettled state of the nation. They observed, that
the government could not be duly established, until
a solemn declaration should confirm the legality of
that tenure by which their majesties possessed the
throne ; that the structure of parliaments was de
ficient i;: point of solidity, as they existed entirely
at fhe pleasure of the crown, which would use
them no longer than they should be found neces
sary in raising supplies for the use of the govern
ment. They exclaimed against the practice of
quartering soldiers in private house:?, contrary to
the ancient laws of the land, the petition of rights,
and the subsequent act on that subject passed in the
reign of the second Charles. They enumerated
among their grievances the violation of property, by
pressing transport ships into the service, without settl
ing any fund of payment for the owners ; the con
dition of the militia, which was equally burthensome
'and useless; the flagrant partiality in favour of allies,
who carried on an open commerce with France, and
supplied the enemy with necessaries, while the Eng
lish laboured under the severest prohibitions, and
were in effect the dupes of those very powers whom
they protected. They dwelt upon the ministry's
want of conduct, foresight, and intelligence, and in
veighed against their ignorance, insolence, and ne
glect, which were as pernicious to the nation as if
they had formed a design of reducing it to the lowest
ebb of disgrace and destruction. By this time, indeed,
public virtue was become the ohject of ridicule,
and the whole kingdom was overspread with immo
rality and corruption ; towards the increase of which
many concurring circumstances happened to contri
bute. The people were divided into three parties,
namely, the Williamites, the Jacobites, and the dis
contented revolutioners : these factions took all op
portunities to thwart, to expose, and to ridicule, the

CH. IV. WILLIAM AND MARY. 175
measures and principles of each other : so that pa
triotism was laughed out of doors, as an hypocritical -
pretence. This contention established a belief, that
every man consulted his own private interest at the
expence of the public : a belief that soon grew into
a maxim almost universally adopted. The practice of
bribing a majority in parliament had a pernicious
influence upon the morals of all ranks of people, from
the candidate to the lowest borough-elector. The
expedient of establishing funds of credit for raising
supplies to defray the expeiiees of government, threw
large premiums and sums of money into the bands
of low sordid usurers, brokers, and jobbers, who
distinguished themselves by the name of the monied-
interest. Intoxicated by this jflow of wealth, they
effected to rival the luxury and magnificence of their
superiors ; but, being destitute of sentiment aud
taste, to conduct them in their new career, they ran
into the most absurd and illiberal extravagances.
They laid aside all decorum ; became lewd, insolent,
intemperate, and riotous. Their example was caught
by the vulgar. All principle, and even decency, was
gradually banished ; talent lay uncultivated, and the
land was deluged with a tide of ignorance and profli
gacy. § in. King William having ascertained the
winter-quarters of the army, and concerted the opera
tions of the ensuing campaign with the states-gen
eral, and the ministers of the allies, set sail for Eng^.
Jand on the J 5th day of October : on the 18th landed
-at Yarmouth, was met by the queen atNewhall, and
passed through the city pf London to Kensington,
amidst the acclamations of , the populace. He re
ceived a congratulatory address from the lord-mayor
and aldermen, with whom he dined in public by in
vitation. A day of thanksgiving was appointed for
the victory obtained at sea. The lustring com
pany was established- by patent, and the parliament
rnet pn. the 4th day of November. The house pf

176 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.' T,
lords was deeply infected with discontent, which in
some measure proceeded from the dissension be
tween the queen and her sister the princess of Den
mark, which last underwent every mortification that
the court could inflict. Her guards were taken away ;
all honours which had been paid to her rank by the
magistrates of Bath, ' where she sometimes resided,
and even by the ministers of the church where she
attended at divine service, were discontinued, by the
express order of his majesty. Her cause was na
turally espoused by those noblemen who had adhered
to her in her former contest with the king, about an
independent settlement ; and these were now rein
forced by all the friends of the earl of Marlborough,
united for a double tie : for they resented the disgrace
and confinement of that lord, and thought it their duty
to support the princess Anne, under a persecution
incurred by an attachment to his countess. The
earl of Shrewsbury lived in friendship with Marl
borough, and thought he had been ungratefully treat
ed by the king : the marquis of Hallifax befriended
him, from opposition to the ministry : the earl of
Mulgrave, for an opportunity to display his talents,-
and acquire that consideration which he thought due
to his merit. Devonshire, Montague, and Bradford,
joined in the same cause from principle : the same
pretence was used by the earls of Stamford, Mon
mouth, Warrington, and other whigs, though in ef
fect they were actuated by jealousy and resentment
against those by whom they had been supplanted^ -
As for the Jacobites, they gladly contributed their
assistance to promote any scheme that had a tenden
cy to embroil the administration.
§ iv. The king, in his speech to parliament,
thanked them for their last supplies, congratulated
them upon the victory obtained at sea, condoled
them on the bad success of the campaign by land,
magnified the power of France, represented the ne
cessity of maintaining a great force to oppose, it

GH. IV. WILLIAM AND MARY, i:JJ
and demanded subsidies equal to the occasion. He
expressed his reluctance to load them with additional
burthens, which, he said, could not be avoided,
without exposing his kingdom to inevitable destruc
tion. He desired their advice towards lessening the
inconvenience of exporting money for the payment
pf the forces. He intimated a design of |makmg a
descent upon France ; declared he had no aim but
to make his subjects a happy people : and that he
would again cheerfully expose his life for the wel
fare of the nation. The lords, after an adjourn
ment of three days, began with great warmth to as
sert their privileges, which they conceived had been
violated in the cases of the earl of Marlborough and
the other noblemen who had been apprehended,
committed to prison, and afterwards admitted to bail,
by the court of king's bench. These circumstances
being fully discussed in a violent debate, the house
ordered Lord Lucas, constable of the Tower, to pro
duce the warrants of commitment, and the clerk of
the king's bench - to deliver the affidavit of; Aaron
Smith, the court-solicitor, upon which the lords had
been remanded to prison. At the same time, the
whole affair was referred to a committee, empowered
to send for persons, papers, and records. The judges;
were ordered to attend : Aaron Smith was examined,
touching the evidence against the committed lords.
The committee reported their general, resolution,
which produced a. vehement dispute. The opinion'
- of the judges was unsatisfactory to both parties.; the
debate was referred to a committee of the whol&
house, in which it was resolved, and declared,! as the
sense of that assembly, that iri pursuance of the
habeas-corpus act, it was the duty of the judges and
jaildelivery to discharge, the prisoner on bail, if
committed for high treason, unless it be made appear,
upon, oath, that there are two witnesses against the
said prisoner, who cannot be produced in that term,
session, pr general ,< jail-delivery. ;They likewise: re**

178 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. - B. L
solved, it was the intention of the said statute, 'that
in case there should be more than one prisoner to beJ
bailed or re nanded, there must be oath made that
tilers are two witnesses against each prisoner, other
wise he cannot be remanded to prison. These re
solutions were entered in the books, as standing di
rections to all future judges, yet not without great
opposition from the court members. The next, de
bate turned upon the manner in which the imprison
ed lords should be set at liberty. The contest be
came so warm, that the courtiers began to be afraid^
and proposed an expedient, which was put in practice.
The house adjourned to the 17 th day of the month,
and at its next meeting was given to understand,
that the king had discharged the imprisoned noble
men. After another warm debate, a formal entry was
made in the journals, importing, that the house be
ing informed of his majesty's having given directions
for discharging the lords under bail in the king's
bench, the debate about that matter ceased. The
resentment of the peers being thus allayed, they pro
ceeded to take his majesty's speech into consider
ation. fy v. The commons having voted an address of'
thanks, and another, praying that his majesty's
foreign alliances should be laid before them, deter
mined on a bill for regulating trials in cases of high--
treason. They passed a vote of thanks to Admiral
Russel, his officers, and seamen, for the victory they
had obtained, and then proceeded to an inquiry, why
that victory had not been pursued ; why the descent
had not been made ; and why the trade had not been
belter protected from the enemy's cruizers. The
admiral having justified his own conduct, they com
manded the lords of the admiralty to produce copies
of all the letters and orders which had been sent to
the admiral : they ordered Russel to lay before them
his answers, and the commissioners of the transports,
victuallers,- and office of ordnance, to deliver in an

CH. IV. . WILLIAM AND MARY. Yfty
account of their proceedings. They then presented
•addresses to the king and queen, acknowledging the
favour of God in restoring him to his people ; con
gratulating him upon his deliverance from the snares
of his open and secret enemies ; and assuring him
they would, according to his majesty's desire, in bis
most gracious speech, be always ready to advise and
assist him in the support of his government. The
queen was thanked, for her gracious and prudent ad
ministration during his majesty's absence : they con
gratulated her on their signal deliverance from a bold
and cruel design formed for their destruction, as well
as. on the glorious victory which her fleet had gain
ed ; and they assured her, that the grateful sense
they had of their happiness under her government,
should always be manifested in constant returns of
duty and obedience.
§ vi. After this formal compliment, the house,
instead of proceeding to the supplies, insisted upon
perusing the treaties, public accounts, and estimates,
that they might be in a condition to advise, as well
as to assist, his majesty. Being indulged with those
papers they passed a previous vote, that a supply
should be given ; then they began to concert their
articles of advice. Some of the members loudly
complained of partiality to foreign generals, and par
ticularly reflected upon the insolence of Count Solmes,
and his misconduct at Steenkerke. After some warm
altercation, the house resolved one article of their
advice should be, that his majesty would be pleased*
to. fill, up the vacancies that should happen among
the general officers, with such only as were natives
of his dominions, and that the commander in chief'
of the English should be an Englishman. Their
next resolution implied, that many of the great af
fairs of the government having been for some time
past unsuccessfully managed, the house should ad
vise his majesty to prevent such mischiefs for the'
future, by employing men of knowledge, ability^ and

186 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. «. t.
integrity. Individual members inveighed bitterly
against cabinet councils, as a novelty in the British
system of government, by which the privy-council
was jostled out of its province. They complained,
that all the grievances of the nation proceeded from
the vicious principles of the ministry : they observed*
that he who opposed the establishment could not be
expected to support it with zeal. The earl of Not
tingham was mentioned by name, and the house re
solved, that his majesty should be advised to employ
in his councils such persons only whose principles
obliged them to support his rights against the late
king, and all other pretenders. Marlborough's in
terest still predominated among the commons. His
friend Russel acquitted himself to the satisfaction of
the house, and shifted the blame of the miscarriage
upon his enemy, the earl of Nottingham, by de
claring, that twenty days elapsed between his first
letter to that nobleman and his lordship's answer.
The earl's friends, of whom there was a great num
ber in the house, espoused his cause with great
vigour, and even recriminated upon Russel ; so that
a very violent debate ensued. Both parties agreed,
that there had been mismanagement in the scheme
of a descent. It was moved, that one cause of the
miscarriage was the want of giving timely and neces
sary orders by those to whom the management of
the affair was committed. The house divided, and
it was carried in the affirmative by one voice only.
At the next sitting of the committee, Sir Richard
Temple proposed they should consider how to pay
the forces abroad, by means of English manufactures,
without exporting money. They resolved, that the
house should be moved to appoint a committee to
take this expedient into consideration. Sir Francis
Winningtou was immediately called upon to leave the
chair, and the speaker resumed his place. All that
had been done was now void, as no report had been
made : and the committee was dissolved. The house,

GH. IV. WILLIAM AND MARY." 181
however, revived it, and appointed a day" for its
sitting : but before it could resume its deliberations,
Admiral Russel moved for its being adjourned, and
all its purposes were defeated.
§ vn. The court agents had by this time interpos
ed, and secured a majority by the infamous arts of
corruption. The commons no longer insisted upon
their points of advice. Their whole attention was
now centered in the article of assistance. They grant
ed about ,^2,000,000 for the maintenance of 33,000
seamen, the building of some additional ships of war,
and the finishing of Plymouth-dock; and ^750,000
to supply the deficiency of the quarterly poll. The
estimates of the land service were not discussed
without tedious debates, and warm disputes. The
ministry demanded 54,000 men, 20,000 of whom
should be kept at home for the defence of the nation,
while the rest should serve abroad in the allied army.
Many members declared their aversion tp a foreign
war, in which the nation had no immediate concern,
arid so little prospect of success. Others agreed, that
the allies should be assisted on the continent with a
proportion of British forces ; but that the nation
should act as an auxiliary, not as a principal, and pay
no more than what the people would cheerfully con
tribute to the general expence. These reflections,
however, produced no other effect than that of pro
longing the debate. Ministerial influence had sur
mounted all opposition. The house voted the num
ber of men demanded. Such was their servile com
plaisance, that when they examined the treaties by
which the English and Dutch contracted equally
with the German princes, and found that, notwith
standing these treaties, Britain bore two thirds of
the expence, they overlooked this flagrant instance ..
of partiality, and enabled the king to pay the pro- ,
portion. Nay, their maxims were so much altered,
that,- instead of prosecuting their resentment against
Vol. I. % " '

183 HISTORY OF ENGLAND* B..&
foreign generals, they assented to a motion, that
the prince of Wirtemberg, the major-generals Tet-
teau and La Forest, who commanded the Danish
troops in the pay of the states-general, should be
indulged with such an addition to their appoint
ments, as would make up the difference between the
pay of England and that of Holland. Finally, they
VPted above ,§£'2,000,000 for the subsistence of the
land forces, and for defraying extraordinary ex-
pences attending the war upon the continent, inn
eluding, subsidies to the electors of Saxony and Han
over. , § vm. Thb house of lords, meanwhile, was noC
free from animosity and contention. The Mar -
borough faction exerted themselves w ith great viva
city. They affirmed, it was the province of their'
house to advise the sovereign : like the commons,,
they insisted upon the king's having asked their ad
vice, because he had mentioned that word in his
speech, ¦. though he never dreamed that they would
catch: at it with such eagerness. They moved, that the
task of digesting the articles of advice should be un
dertaken by a joint committee of both houses : but,
all the dependents of the court, including the whole
bench of bishops, except Watson of Sc. Davids, were
marshalled to oppose this motion, which was reject
ed by a majority of twelve ; and this victory was fol
lowed with a protest of the vanquished. Notwith
standing this defeat, they prosecuted their scheme of
giving advice ; and, after much wrangling and, de
clamation, the house agreed in an address or re«
monstrance, advising and beseeching his majesty,.
that the commanding officer of the British forces
should be an Englishman : that English officers might
take rank of those in the confederate armies, who
did; not belong to crowued heads : that the 20,000-
men to be left for the defencs .of the kingdom should
be all English, and commanded by an. English gen
eral : that the practice of pressing men for the fleet

fcH. IV; \VILLlAM AND MARY. I$3
should be remedied : that such officers as were guilty
of this practice shouki be cashiered and punished:
and, lastly, that no foreigners should sit at the board
of ordnance. This address was presented to the king,
who received it coldly, arid Said he would' take it in
to consideration.
'§ ix. Then the lords resolved to inquire into the
miscarriage of the purposed descent, and called for
all the papers relating to that affair ; but the aim
of the majority was not so much to rectify the errors
of the government,, as to screen Nottingham, and
censure Russeh That nobleman produced his own
book of? entries, together with the whole correspon
dence between him arid the admiral^ whom he ver
bally charged with having contributed to the mis
carriage of the expedition. This affair was referred
to a committee. Sir John Ashby was examined.
The house directed the earl to draw up the sub
stance of his charge ; and these papers were after
wards delivered to a committee of the eonlmons,
at a conference by the lord-president, and the rest
of the committee above. They were offered for the
inspection of the commons^ as they concerned some
members of that house, by whom they might be in
formed more fully of the particulars they contain
ed. At another conference, which the commons
demanded, their committee declared, in the name
of the house, that they had read and well coflsi-
dered the papers which their lordships had serit
them, and which they now returned : that finding
My. Russel, one of their members, often mention
ed in' the said papers, they had unanimously resolved,
tot Admiral Russel* in his command of^the fleets,
during the last summer's expedition, had behaved
with fidelity, courage, and conduct. '-'¦ The lords ir
ritated at this declaration, and disappointed in their
resentment against Russel, desired a free conference
between the committees of both houses. The earl
*v-». i ipt. ii'J:n ga^ttsiq fo a^oosZ 2 i'-;K . iBis

184 HISTORY Or ENGLAND. S.I,
of Rpchester told the commons, he was command
ed by the house of lords to inform them, that their
lordships looked upon the late vote and proceeding
of the lower house, in returning their papers, to be
irregular and unparliamentary, as they had not com
municated to their lordships the lights they had re
ceived, and the reasons upon which their vote was
founded. A paper to the same purport was deli
vered to Colonel Granville, who promised to pre
sent it to the commons, and make a faithful report
of what his lordship had said. Thus the conference
ended, and the inquiry was discontinued.
§ x. The lower house seemed to be as much ex
asperated against the earl of Nottingham as the
lords were incensed at Russel. A motion was made
that his majesty should be advised to appoint such
commissioners of the board of admiralty as were
of known experience in maritime affairs. Although
this was over-ruled, they voted an address to the
king, praying,, that, for the future, all orders for
the engagement of the fleet might pass through
the hands of the said commissioners ; a protest by
implication against the conduct of the secretary.
The consideration of ways and means was the next
object that engrossed the attention of the lower
house. They resolved that a rate of four shillings in the
pound, for one year, should be charged upon all lands,
according to their yearly value ; as also upon all per
sonal estates, arid upon all offiees and employments
of profit, other than military offices in the army or
navy. .The act founded on this resolution empower
ed the king to borrow money on the credit of it, at
seven per cent. They further enabled him to raise
^1,000,000 on the general credit of the exchequer,
by granting annuities. They laid several new duties
on a variety of i mports. They renewed the last quar
terly poll, providing, that in case it should not pro
duce ,gg3O0,OOO, the deficiencies might be made, up
by borrowing on the general credit of the exchequer.

«H.IV. WILLIAM AND MARY. 185
They continued the impositions on wine, vinegar,
tobacco, and sugar, for five years ; and those on East-
India goods for four years. They laid a new imop-
sition of eight per cent, on the capital stock of the
East- India company, estimated at ^7-44,000 ; of
one per cent, on the African ; of five pounds on
every share of the stock belonging to the Hudsoris-
bay company ; and they empowered his majesty to
borrow j^=500,000 on these funds, which were ex
pressly established for maintaining the war with vi
gour. '
§ xr. The money-bills were retarded in the up
per house, by the arts of Hallifax, Mulgrave, and
other malcontents. They grafted a clause on the
land-tax bill, importing, that the lords should 'tax
themselves. It was adopted by the "majority,, and
the bill sent with this amendment to the commons",
by whom it was unanimously rejected, as a flagrant
attempt upon their privileges. They demanded a
conference, in which they declared that the clause
in question was a notorious encroachment upon the
right the commons' possessed, of regulating all
matters relating to supplies granted by parliament.
When this report was debated in the house of
lords, the earl of Mulgrave displayed uncommon.
powers of eloquence and argument, in persuading
the house, that, by yielding to this claim of the
commons, they would divest themselves of their
true greatness, and nothing would remain but the
name and shadow of a peer, which was but a
pageant. Notwithstanding all his oratory, the lords
relinquished their clause, declaring at the same time,
that they had agreed to pass the* bill without altera
tion, merely in regard to the present urgent state
of affairs, as being otherwise of opinion, that they
¦..' The French king hearing ho* ' < little-coirtin the prince' of Orange is
liberally; William ,was suppphecj, ex- ' Used injthi-^ saddle — bur,<r,q matter,
claimed with sonie emotion, ' My' ' the List loius d'or must carry it.',
.. : - -.¦.'.- lk". ' ^-3'V!'"-"'-'-' M

1&6 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. R* I,
had a right to insist upon their clause. A formal
complaint being made in the house of commons
against the pamphlet, entitled, ' King William and
Queen Mary conquerors,' as containing assertions
of dangerous consequence to their majesties, to
the liberty of the subject, and the peace of the king
dom, the licencer and printer were taken into custo
dy. The book being examined, they resolved that
it should be burned by the hands of the common
hangman : and that the king should be moved to
dismiss the licencer from his employment. The
same sentence they pronounced upon a pastoral let
ter of Bishop Burnet, in which this notion of con
quest had been at first asserted, The lords, in order
to manifest their sentiments on the same subject,
resolved, that such an assertion was highlyjinjurious to
their majesties, inconsistent with the principles on
which the government was founded, and tending to
the subversion of the rights of the people. Bohun,
the licencer, was brought4to the bar of the house, and
discharged upon bis own petition, after having been
reprimanded on his knees by the speaker.
§ xii. Several members having complained that
Jdieir servants had been kidnapped, and sent to serve
£s soldiers in Flanders, the house appointed a com-r
mittee to inquire into the abuses committed by
press-masters ; aud a suitable remonstrance was pre
sented to the king, who expressed his indignation
at this practice, and assured the house that the de
linquents should be brought to exemplary punish
ment. Understanding, however, in the sequel, that
the methods taken by his majesty for preventing
this abuse, had not prc//ed effectual, they resumeq
{heir inquiry, and proceeded with uncommon vigour
pn the information they received. ' A grent number
of persons who had been pressed were discharged
by order of the house ; and Captain Winter, the
chief undertaker for this method of recruiting the
army, was carried by the serjeant before the lord-

CH. IV. WILLIAM AND MARY. 187
:chief-justice, that he might be prosecuted according
to law.
§ xhi. Before the heats occasioned by this un
popular expedient were allayed, the discontent of
the natipn was further inflamed by complaints- from
Ireland, where Lord Sidney was said to rule with
.despotic authority. These complaints were exhi
bited by Sir Francis Brewster, Sir William Gore,
Sir John MacgilL Lieutenant Stafford, Mr. Stone,
and Mr. Kerne. They were examined at the bar of
the house, and delivered an account of their griev
ances in writing. Both houses concurred in this
inquiry, which being finished, they severally pre
sented addresses to the king. The lords observed,
that there had been great abuses in disposing of the
forfeited estates : that protections had been granted
to the Irish not included in the articles of Limerick ;
so that protestants were deprived of the .benefit of
the law against them : that the quarters of the army
had not been paid according to the provision made
by parliament : that a mayor had been imposed upon
the city of Dublin for two years successively, con
trary to the ancient privileges and charter : that
several persons accused of murder had been executed
without proof; and one Sweetman, the most guilty,
discharged without proseetreion. The commons
spoke more freely in their address : they roundly
explained the abuses' and mismanagement of that
government by exposing the protestant subjects to
the free quarter and violence of a licentious army" ;
by recruiting the troops with Irish papists, who had
been in open rebellion against his majesty ; by grant
ing protections to Irish Roman catholics, whereby
the course of the law was stopped : by reversing out
lawries for high treason, not comprehended in the
articles of Limerick: by letting the forfeited estates
at under value, to the prejudice of his majesty's
revenue : by embezzling- the stores left 'in the towns

}88 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.-I.
and garrisons by the late King James, as well as the
effects belonging to the forfeited estates, which
might have been employed for the better preserva
tion of the kingdom ; and finally, by making addi
tions to the articles of Limerick, after the capitulation
was signed, and the place surrendered. They most
humbly besought his majesty to redress these abuses,
which had greatly encouraged the papists, and
weakened the protestant interest in Ireland. The
king graciously received both addresses, and pro
mised to pay a particular regard to all remonstrances
that should come from either house of parliament :
but no material step was taken against the lords
Sidney, Athlone, and Coningsby, who appeared to
have engrossed great part of the forfeitures by grants
from the crown ; and even Commissioner Culliford,
who had been guilty of the most grievous acts of op
pression, escaped with impunity.
§ xiv. The old whig principle was not yet wholly
expelled from the lower house. The undue in
fluence of the court was exerted in such an open
scandalous manner, as gave offence to the majority
pf the commons. In the midst of all their conde
scension, Sir Edward Hussey, member for Lincoln,
brought in a bill touching free and impartial pro
ceedings in parliament. It was intended to disable
all members of parliament from enjoying places of
tryst and profit, and particularly levelled against the
officers of the army and navy, who had insinuated
themselves into the house in such numbers, that
this was commonly called the officers parliament.
The bill passed the house of commons, and was
sent up to the lords, by whom it was read a second
tirne, and Committed : but the ministry employing"
their whole strength against it, on the report it was
thrown out by a majority of two voices. The earl
of Mulgrave again distinguished himself by his elo
cution, in a speech that was held in great veneration
by;, the' people ; and, among those who entered a

*H. IV. WILLIAM AND MARY. igtj
protest in the journals of the house, when the ma
jority rejected the bill, was Prince George of Den
mark, duke of Cumberland. The cburt had not
recollected themselves from the consternation pro
duced by such a vigorous opposition, when the earl
of Shrewsbury produced another bill for triennial
parliaments, providing that there should be an an
nual session ; that if at the expiration of three years,
the crown should not order the writs to be issued,
the lord-chancellor, or keeper, or commissioner- of
the great seal, should issue them ex officio, and by
authority of this act, under severe penalties. The
immediate object of this bill was the dissolution of the
present parliament, which had already sat three ses
sions, and began to be formidable to the people
from its concessions to the ministry. The benefits
that would accrue to the constitution from the esta-.
blishments of triennial parliaments were very well
understood, as these points had been frequently dis
cussed in former reigns. The courtiers now ob
jected, that frequent elections would render the ;
freeholders proud and insolent, encourage faction
among the electors, and entail a continual expence
upon the member, as he would find himself obliged,
during the whole time of his sitting, to behave like a
candidate, conscious how soon the time of election
would revolve. In spite of the minsterial interest
in the upper house, the bill passed, and contained
a proviso, that the present parliament should not
continue any longer than the month of January-
next ensuing. The court renewed its 'efforts against
it -in the house of commons, where, nevertheless,
it was carried, with some alterations, which the
lords approved. But nil these endeavours were
frustrated by the prerogative of the king, who by,
refussing his assent, prevented its being enacted into
a law. § xv. a. d. 1693. — It was at the instigation of
the ministry, that the commons brought' in a bill

If)0 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. R. \.
for continuing and explaining certain temporary
laws then expiring or expired. Among these was
an act for restraining the liberty of the press, which
owed its original to the reign of Charles II, and had
been revived in the first year of the succeeding reign".
Toe bill passed the lower house without difficulty,
but met with warm opposition in the house of lords,
a good number of whom protested against it, as a
law that subjected all learning and true information
to the arbitrary will of a mercenary, and, perhaps,
ignorant, licencer, destroy the properties of authors,
and extended the evil of monoplies. The bill for re
gulating trials was dropped, and in lieu of it, an-r
other produced for the preservation of their majes
ties' sacred persons and government : but this too was
rejected by the majority, in consequence of the mi
nistry's secret management. The East-India com
pany narrowly escaped dissolution. Petitions and
counter-petitions were delivered into the house of
commons : the pretensions on both sides were
carefully examined : a committee of the whole
house resolved, that there should be a new subscrip
tion of a joint stock, not exceeding ,^=2,500,000
to continue for one-and-twenty years. The report was
•made and received, and the public expected to see.
the affair brought to a speedy issue; but the com
pany had recourse to the same expedients, which
had lately proved so successful in > the hands of the
ministry. Those who had been the most warm in
detecting their abuses suddenly cooled ; and the
prosecution of the affair began to languish. Not
Jjut that the house presented an address to bis ma
jesty, praying that he would dissolve the company
upon three years warning, according to the condi
tion of their charter, He tokl them he wQuld con
sider their address ; and they did not further urge
their remonstrance. The bill for ascertaining the
commissions and salaries of the judges, to which the
king had refused the royal assent in the last session,

<5H. IV. WILLIAM AND MARY. 1Q%
Was revived, twice read, and rejected ; and another,
for preventing the exportation and melting of the
coin, they suffered to lie neglected on the table.
,Qn the 14th day of March, the king put an end to
the session, after having thanked the parliament for
so great testimonies of their affection, and promised
the supplies should not be misapplied. He observ
ed, that the posture of affairs called him abroad ;
but that he would leave a sufficient number of
troops for the security of the kingdom ; he assured
them be would expose his person upon all occasions
for the advantage of these kingdoms ; and use his
utmost endeavours to make them a flourishing na
tion.* § xvi, During the course of this session, Lord
Mohun was indicted and tried by his peers, in West
minster hall, as an accomplice in the murder pf one
Montford, a celebrated comedian, the marquis of
Caermarthen acting as lord-steward upon this occa
sion. The judges having been consulted, the peers
Eroceeded to give their judgments seriatim, andMo-
un was acquitted by a great majority. The king,
who, from his first accession tp the throne, had en
deavoured to trim the balance between the whigs and
tones, by mingling them together in his ministry,
made some alterations at this period that savoured
pf the same policy. The great seal, wjth the title of
1 The othar law^ made in. thisses- Greenland trac|e; an act to , prevent
sion were these that follow: An' act malicious informations in the court
for preventing suits against such as of king's bench, and for the more, easy
had acted for their majesties -service reversal of outlawriesinytjhatcourt: an
in defence of this kingdom; an act act for the better discovery of judg-
for raising the mi'fttia in the, year roents in the courts of law; an act
1693; an act authorizing the- judges for delivering declarations to prison.
to empower such persons, other than ers for debt ; an act jior regulating
common, attomies an<J solicitors, as proceedings in the crown office ; an
thty should think fit, to take special act for the n^oi;e easy discovery and
bail, except in London,' Westminster, conviction of such as should destroy
and ten miles round; an act to en- tfce gwe of this kingdom; and an
courage the apprehending of high- act for continuing the acts for prohi-
¦Wayrrieii; an act for preventing clan- biting all 'trade and commerce with,
destine marriages; an act for there- France, and for the, encou.ragem.enS
gaining, encouraging, andsettling, the of privateers,

I§2 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B. I.
lord-keeper, was bestowed upon Sir John Somers,
who was well skilled in the law, as in many other
branches of polite and useful literature. He pos
sessed a remarkable talent for business, in which he
exerted great patience and assiduity; was gentle, can
did, and equitable : a whig in principles, yet mode-,
rate, pacific, and conciliating. Of the same temper
was Sir John Trenchard, now appointed secretary
of state. He had been concerned with the duke of
Monmouth, and escaped to the continent, where he
lived some years ; was calm, sedate, well acquainted
with foreign affairs, aud considered as a leading man
in his party. These two are said to have been pro
moted at the recommendation of the earl of Sun
derland, who had by this time insinuated himself
into the king's favour and confidence ; though his
success confirmed the opinion which many enter
tained, of his having betrayed his old master. The
leaders of the opposition, were Sir Edward Seymour,
again become a malcontent, and' Sir Christopher
Musgrave, a gentleman of Cumberland, who, though
an extravagant tory from principle, had refused to
concur, with all the designs of the late king. He
was a person of a grave and regular deportment,
who had rejected many offers of the ministry, which
he opposed with great violence ; yet on some critical
occasions, his patriotism gave way to his avarice, and
he yielded up some important points, in considera
tion of large sums which he received from the court
in secret. Others declared war against the admi
nistration, because they thought their own talents
were not sufficiently considered. Of these, the chief
were Paul Foley and Robert Harley. The first was
a lawyer of good capacity, extensive learning}-' and
virtuous principles, but peevish, obstinate, and mo
rose. He entertained a very despicable opinion of
the court ; and this he propagated with equal assi
duity and success. Harley possessed a good fund of
fearning; was capable of uncommon application,

GH. IV. WILLIAM AND MARY. ig3
particularly turned to politics. He knew the forms
of parliament, had a peculiar dexterity at protracting
and perplexing debates ; and cherished the most as
piring ambition. Admiral Russel was created trea
surer of the household ; but the command of the
fleet was vested in the hands of Killigrew, Delaval,
and Shovel. Sir George Rooke was declared vice-
admiral of the red, and John, Lord Berkeley, of the
blue, division ; their rear-admirals were Matthew
Aylmer and David Mitchel.3
§ xvn. The king having visited the fleet and for
tifications at Portsmouth, given instructions for an
noying the enemy by sea, and left the administra^
tion in the hands of the queen, embarked on the
last day of March, near Gravesend, and arrived in
Holland on the 3d day of April. The troops of the
confederates were forthwith ordered to assemble: but
while he was employed in making preparations for
the campaign, the French king actually took the
field,, attended by| Madame de Maintenon, and all
the court ladies. His design was supposed to be
upon some town in Brabant : his army amounted
tp 120,QO0 men, completely armed, and abundantly
supplied with all necessaries for every sort |of mili
tary operation. King William immediately took
possession of the strong camp at Parke near Lous-
vain, a situation which enabled him to cover the
places that were most exposed. Understanding that.
the French emissaries had sown the seeds of dis
sension between the bishop and chapter of Liege,
he sent the duke of Wirtemberg thither, to recon
cile the different parties, and concert measures for
the further security of the place. He reinforced
the garrison with nine battalions ; and the elector
palatine lay with his troops in readiness to march
to its relief. William likewise threw reinforce-
,3 Burnet. History of King William. Burchet. Lives of the admirals.
Slone's Nar. Feuquieres. Voltaire. Ralph. Tindal, State tracts.

lf)4 iflSTPRY OP ENGLAND. B. ft
ments into Maestricht, Huy, and Charleroy ; and he
himself resolved to remain on the defensive at the"
head of 60,000 men, with a numerous train of ar
tillery. §. xvur. Lewis having reviewed his army at
Gemblours, and seen his designs upon Brabant de
feated by the diligence of his antagonist, detached
Bouffiers with 20,000 men to the Upper Rhine,
to join the dauphin, who commanded in that quar
ter ; then leaving the conduct of his forces in the
Netherlands to the duke de Luxembourg, he return
ed with his court to Versailles. Immediately after
his departure, Luxembourg fixed his head-quarters
at Mildert : and King William strengthened his
camp on that side with ten battalions, and eight-
and-twenty pieces of cannon. The enemy's con
voys were frequently surprised by detachments from
the garrison of Charleroy; and a large body of horse,
foot, and dragoons, .being drafted out of Liege and
Maestricht, took post at Huy, under the command
of the count de Tilly, so as to straiten the French
in their quarters. These, however, were dislodged
by Luxembourg in person, who obliged the count
to pass the Jaar with precipitation, leaving behind
three squadrons and all his baggage, which fell into
the hands of the enemy. This check, however; was
balanced by the success of the duke of Wirtemberg,
who, at the head of thirteen battalions of infantry,
and twenty squadrons of horse, forced the French
lines between the Scheldt and the Lys ; and laid
the whole country as far as Lisle under contribu
tion. On that very day, which was the 18th of
July, Luxembourg marched towards Huy, vihich
was next morning invested by M. de Villeroy. The'
other covered the siege, and secured himself from
the allies by lines of contravallation. Before their
batteries' began to play, the town capitulated. On
the 23d day of the month, the garrison mutinied ;

C.H. IV. WILLIAM AND MARY*. lg&
the castles were surrendered ; the governor remain
ed a prisoner, and his men were conducted to
Liege. The confederate army advanced in orcler
to relieve the town : but the king being apprised
of its fate, detached ten battalions to reinforce the
garrison of Liege, and next day returned to Neer-
Hespen. % § xix. Luxembourg made a motion towards
Liege, as if he had intended to besiege the place ;
and encamped at Hellecheim, about seven leagues
from the confederates. Knowing how much they
were weakened by the different detachments which
liad been made from their army, he resolved to at
tack them jin their camp, or at least fall upon their
rear, should they retreat at his approach. On the
28th day of July, he began his march in four co
lumns, and passed the Jaar near its source, with an
army superior to the allies, by 35,00O men. The king
of England, at first looked upon this motion as a
feint to cover the design upon Liege : but receiving
intelligence that their whole army was in fall march
to attack him in his camp, he resolved to. keep his
ground: and immediately drew up his forces in
order of bait tie. His general officers advised him to
repass the Geete : but he chose to risk a battle
rather than expose the rear of his army in repassing
that river. His right wing extended as far as Neer-
Winden, along the Geete, covered with hedges.,,
hollow ways, and a small rivulet : the left reached
to Neer-Landen ; and these two' villages were join
ed by a slight entrenchment, which the king order
ed to, be thrown up in the evening. Brigadier
Ramsay, with the regiments of O-'Farrel, Mackay,
Lauder, Leven, and Monro, were ordered to
the- right of the whole army, to line some hedges'
and hollow ways on the farther side of the village
of Lare., Six battalions of Brandenburg were post-.
ed to, the left of this village!; and General Dumont,

1Q6 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B. I.
with the Hanoverian infantry, possessed the village
of Neer-Winden, which covered part of the camp,
between the main body and the right wing of the
cavalry. Neer-Landen, on the left, was secured by
six battalions of English, Danes, and Dutch. The
remaining infantry was drawn up in one line behind
the entrenchment. The dragoons upon the left
guarded the village of Dormal upon the brook of
Beck ; and from thence the left wing of horse ex
tended to Neer-Landen, where it was covered by this
rivulet. § xx. The king having visited all the posts on
horseback, and given the necessary orders, reposed
himself about two hours in his coach ; and early in
the morning sent for his chaplain, whom he joined
in prayer with great devotion. At sun-rising the
enemy appeared drawn up in order of battle ; and
the allies began to play their cannon with good suc
cess. About eight in the morning they attacked
the villages of Lare and Neer-Winden with great
fury ; and twice made themselves '.rasters of these
posts, from whence they were as often repulsed,
The allies still kept their ground ; and the duke of
Berwick was taken by his uncle Brigadier Churchill.
Then the French made an attack upon the left wing
of the confederates at Neer-Landen ; and after a
very obstinate dispute, were obliged to give way.
though they still kept possession of the avenues,
The prince of Conti, however, renewed the charge
with the flower of the French infantry; and the con
federates being overpowered, retreated from the vil-,
lage, leaving the camp in that part exposed. Ville-
roy marching this way with a body of horse, was
encountered and repulsed by the count dArco,
general of the Bavarian cuirassiers ; and the duke
de Chartres narrowly escaped being taken. Mean
while Luxembourg, the prince of Conti, the count
de Marsin, and the marshal de Joyeuse, charged on

<5H. IV. WILLIAM AND MARY. ig^
the right, and in different parts of the line, with
such impetuosity as surmounted all resistance. The
camp of the confederates was immediately filled
with French troops : the Villages of Lare and Neer-
Winden were taken, after a long and desperate dis
pute. The Hanoverian and Dutch horse being
broken, the king in person brought the English ca
valry to their assistance. They fought with great
gallantry ; and for spme time retarded the fate of the
day. The infantry were rallied and stood firm until
all their ammunition was expended. In a word, they
were scarce able to sustain the weight of such a su
periority in point of number, when the marquis
d'Harcourt joined the enemy from Huy, with
two-and-twenty fresh squadrons, which immediately
turned the scale in their favour. The elector of
Bavaria, after having made extraordinary efforts,
retreated with great difficulty over the bridge- to the
other side of the river, where he rallied the troops,
in order to favour the retreat of those who had not
passed. The king seeing the battle lost, and the
whole army in confusion, retired with the infantry
to Dormal on the brook of Beck, where the dra
goons of the left wing were posted, and then ordered
the regiments of Wyndham, Lumley, and Galway,
to cover his retreat over the bridge at Neer-Hespen,
which he effected with great difficulty. Now all
was tumult, rout, and consternation; and a great
number of the fugitives threw themselves into the
river, where they were drowned. This had like to
have been the fate of the brave earl of Athlone : the
duke of Ormond was wounded in several places,
and taken prisoner by the enemy ; and the count de
Solmes was mortally wounded. Ptolemache brought
off the greater part of the English infantry with
great gallantry and conduct : as for the baggage, it
had been sent to Liege before the engagemerit : but
the corifederates lost sixty pieces of cannon, and nine
Vol I. " A a

1Q& HISTORY OP ENGLANB. B» &¦
mortars, a great number of standards and colours,*
with about 75000 men killed and wounded in the
action. It must be owned that the allies fought
with great valour and perseverance ; and that King
William made prodigious efforts of courage and ac
tivity to retrieve the fortune of the day. He was
present in all parts of the battle : he charged in per
son both on horseback and on foot, where the danger-
was most imminent. His peruke, the sleeve of hig'
coat, and the knot of his scarf were penetrated by
three different musket-bullets ; and he saw a grea£
number of soldiers fall on every side of him. The
eriemy bore witness to his extraordinary valour. The
prince of Conti, in a letter to his princess-, which
was intercepted, declared that he saw the prince of
Orange exposing himself to the greatest dangers; and'
that such valour richly deserved the peaceable pos
session of -. the crown he wore. Yet here, as in every-
other battle he fought, his conduct and disposition
were severely censured. Luxembourg having ob
served the nature of his' situation immediately before
the engagement, is said to have exclaimed, e Now
I believe Waldeck is really dead ;' alluding to that
general's known sagacity in choosing ground for an-
encampment. Be that as it will, he paid dear for
his victory. -¦ His loss in officers and men exceeded
that of the .allies ; and he reaped no solid advantage
from the battle. He remained fifteen days inactive
at Waren, while King William, recalling the duke of
Wirtemberg, and drafting troops from Liege and
other garrisons, was, in a few days, able to hazard an
other engagement.
§ xxi. Nothing remarkable happened during the
remaining part of the campaign, until Luxembourg,
beiag rejoined by Bouffiers, with a strong reinforee-
*;,The duke of Luxembourg s«nt called him the upholtterer of None
such a number pf standards and en- Dame, a church in whi-Ji taose tro-
signs to Paris, during the course of phies were displaysd.
this war, that tjie prince of Conti

CH. IV. WILLIAM Atttf MARY, j® §
ment from the Rhine, invested Charleroy i He had
taken his measures with such caution and dexterity^
that the allies could not frustrate hi* operation^ withi
out attacking hte lines at a great disadvantage. THfe
king detached the elector of Bavaria and the duke of
Wirtemberg, with thirty battalions arid forty squad
rons? to make a diversion in Flanders : but they re
turned iri a few days, without having attempted any
thing of consequence. The garrison of Charleroy de-i-
fended the place with surprising valour, from the
10th of September to the 11th of October, during
which period they had repulsed the assailants in se
veral attacks : but, at length, despairing of relief, the
governor capitulated on the most honourable con«-
ditions i the reduction of" the place w'as Celebrated
with a te Deum, and other rejoicings at Paris. Lewis,
however, in the midst of all bi§ gfory, was extremely
mortified, when he reflected upon the little advantage
hehad reaped from all his late victories. The allies,* had
been defeated successively at Flerus, Steenkerke, and*
Landen : yet in a fortnight after each of those battles^
William was always in a condition to risk another
engagement. Formerly, Lewis had conquered halff
of Holland, Flanders, and Franche-Comte, without
a battle ; whereas now hte could not, with fids' ut
most efforts, and after the most signal victories,
pass the frontiers of the United provinces: Thg
conquest of Charleroy concluded the campaign in th6'
Netherlands, and both armies went into winter-
quartersi § xxn. The French army on the Rhirie, under
De Lorges, passed that river in the month of May
at Phillipsburg, and invested the city of Heidelberg,
which they took, plundered;, and reduced to ashes;
This general coriimitted nufnberless barbarities iri^
the Palatinate, which he ravaged without even spar*
ing- the tombs of the dead. The' French soldiers, on5
thi£ occasion, seerif to haye been actuated by thfcf
* A*0 ¦

209' history op England e. r*
most brutal inhumanity. They butchered the in
habitants, violated the women, plundered the houses,
rifled the churches, and murdered the priests at the
altar. They broke open the electoral vault, and
Scattered the ashes of that illustrious family about the.
streets. They set fire to different quarters of the
city :, they stripped about 15,000 of the inhabitants,
without distinction of age or sex, and drove them
naked into the^eastle, that the garrison might be the
sooner induced to capitulate. There they remain
ed like cattle in the open air, without food or cover
ing, tortured between the horrors of their fate and
the, terrors of a bombardment. When they were
set at liberty, in consequence of the fort's being sur
rendered, a great number of them died alpn'g the banks
qftheNecker, from cold, hunger, anguish, and de
spair. These enormous cruelties, which would have
disgraced the arms of a Tartarian freebooter, were
acted by , the express command of Lewis XIV of
France, who has been celebrated by so many venal
pens, not only as the greatest monarch, but also as
the most polished prince of Christendom. DeLorges
advanced towards the Necker against the prince of
Baden, who lay encamped on the other side of the
river ; ; bujt in attempting to pass, he was twice re
pulsed with considerable damage. The dauphin join
ing the army:, which now amounted to 70,000 men,
crossed without opposition ; but found the Germans
so advantageously posted, that he would not hazard
an attack: having therefore passed the river, he
secured Stutgard with a garrison, sent detachments
into Flanders and Piedmont, and returned in August
to Versailles. In Piedmont the allies were still mote
unfortunate. The duke of Savoy and his confeder
ates seemed bent upon driving the French from
Casal and Pignerol. The first pf these places was
hlocked up, and the other actually invested. The
fort of S': Bridget,, that covered the place, was taken,
and the towr^bombarded. Meanwhile Catinat be-

«H. IV. WILLIAM AND MARYl gOl
ing reinforced, descended into the plains. The.duke
was so apprehensive of Turin, that he abandoned the
siege pf Pignerol, after having blown fup the fort,
and marched in quest of the enemy to the plain of
Marsaglia, in the neighbourhood of his Capital. On
the 4th day of October, the French advanced upon
them from the hills,- between Orbasson' and Prdsr
asque ; and a desperate engagement ensued. The
enemy charged the left wing of the confederates
sword in hand with incredible fufy: though- they
were once repulsed, they renewed the attack' with
such impetuosity, that the Neapolitan and Milanese
horse were obliged to give way, and disordered the
German cavalry. These falling upon the foot, threw
the whole wing into confusion. Meanwhile, the main
body and the other wing sustained the charge with
out flinching, until they were exposed in flank by
the defeat of the cavalry : then the whole front gave
way. In vain the second fine was brought up to sus
tain them : the horse turned their backs, and the in
fantry was totally routed. In a word, the confeder
ates were obliged to retire with precipitation, leaving
their cannon, and about 8,000 men killed or wound
ed on the field of battle. The duke of Schomberg
having1; been denied the post which was his due, in
sisted upon fighting at the head of the troops main
tained by the king of Great Britain, who were posted
in the centre, and behaved with great gallantry under
the eye of their commander.' When the left wing
was defeated, the count de los Torres desired- he
•would take upon him the command, and retreat with
the infantry and right wing : but he refused to act
without the order of his highness, and said, things
were come to such a pass, that they must either con-r
-quer or die. He continued to animate his men with
his voice and example, until he received a shot in the
thigh. His valet seeing him fall, ran to his assist;
ance, and called for quarter, but was killed by the,
3 Aa|

?$# HISfPRY 0F;ENqLAND. B-. i.
enemy before, he could be understood. : The .duke
being taken at the same instant, was aftepward^ dis
missed upon his parole, and, in a few days died at
Turin, universally lamented on account of his gifeai
and amiable qualities. The earl of Warwick and
Holland, who accompanied hiin as a volunteer, Shar
ed his fate in being wounded and tafcen prispner : bq|
he soon recovered his health and liberty. This vic
tory was as unsubstantial as that of Landen, and j^
most as dear in the purchase ; for the cpnfed§r«|tg§,
made an obstinate defence, and yielded solely to su
perior number. The duke of Savoy retreated to,
Moncalier, and tfirew a reinfqrqenient into Coni,
which Catinat would npt venture to bje^iege, so se
verely had he been handled in t^e battle. He there
fore contented himself with laying the country under
contribution, reinforcing the garrisons of Casal, Pig-
nerol, and §usa, and making preparations for re
passing the mountains, Tfie news of the victory no
sooner reached Paris, than Lewis despatched M- ds
Chanlai^ to Turin, with proposals for dptaglnng the
duke pf Savoy from the jntergst qf the allies ; and th©
pope, who was now become a partisan of France,
supported the negociation with his whole influence :
but the French king had not yet touched upon the.
right string. The duke continued deaf to alf hj^s ad
dresses. § xxm. F'RA^tce had been alike successful in her
intrigues at the courts of Rome and Constantinople,
The vi?ir at the Porte had bqsp, converted into a. pe:n,t
sionary and creature of Lewis j but the war in which.
the Turks had been so long and HOsuccgssfully e%
gaged, rendered him so odious to the peogfe, that $&*;
grand signior deposed him^ in order to anpes^e then*
clamours. The English and Dutch ambassadors a$
Constantinpple forthwith renewed their rnedia^jj,1 fqp
a, peace with the emper,px ; but • the., terms, sl|^ pro
posed were still rejected with disdain, hi ttie> mean
time Geneyai Heusler, who cpmrnanded *b$ imperial

CSU IV. ' WJLLIAM AND MARY.
Isis in Transylvania, reduced the fortresses of Jeno
and Villaguswar. In the begirining of July the due
de Croy assumed the chief command of the Germm
army, passed the Danube and the Saave, and inrsesltr-s
ed Belgrade. The siege was carried on for soma
time with great vigour : but, at length, abandoned
at the approach of the visir, who obliged the impe
rialists to repass the Saave, and sent out parties which
made incursions into Upper Hungary. The power
of France had never been so conspicuous as at this
juncture, when she maintained a fornsadahle navy -at'
'Sea, arid four greet armies in different parts of Eu
rope. Exclusive of the operations in Flanders, Ger
many, and Piedmontj the count de Noailles: invested
,Rbses in. Catalonia, about the latter end of May,
While at the same time it was blocked up by the French
Jlleet, under the command of the Count d'Etrees. In
a. few days, the place was surrendered by capitulation,
and the castle of Ampurias met With the same fate.
The .Spanish power was reduced to such a degree,
that Noailles might have proceeded in his conquests
without interruption, had not he been obliged to de>-
taeh part of his army to reinforce Catinat in Pied
mont. § xxiv. Notkcin© could be snore inglorious for
the Esgfisb: tfean thW operations by sea in the coursf
of this summer. The king had ordered the adteiifals
•to use all possible dispatch in equipping the fleets^
that they might block up the enemy in their own
ports, and protect the commerce, which had suffered
severely from the ¦ French prkaleers.; They-ware^
however, so dilatory -in their proceedings, that the
squadrons, of the enemy sailed from their !harfeoMTS
before the English fleet could put to sea. About the
Eiiddte1 of May it was, assembled at S*. Helens, and
took on-board five segliaentsy intended for a descent
on Brest ; hat this enterprise was never attempted.
When the English -and Dutch squadrons joined, -sp
«s to farm a very numerous fleet, the public expected

204- HISTORY. OR ENGLAND. B.I.
they would undertake some expedition of import
ance : but the admirals were divided in opinion, nor
did their orders warrant their executing any scheme
of consequence. Killigrew and Dalaval did not es
cape the suspicion of being disaffected to the service ;
and France was said to have maintained a secret cor
respondence with the malcontents in England. Lewis
had made surprising efforts to repair the damage which
his navy had sustained. He had purchased several
large vessels, and converted them into ships of war :
he had laid an embargo on all the shipping of his
kingdom, until his squadrons were manned ; he had
made a grand naval promotion, to encourage the
officers and seamen ; and this expedient produced a
wonderful spirit of activity and emulation. In the
month of May his fleet sailed to the Mediterranean,
in three squadrons, consisting of seventy-one capital
• ships, besides bomb-ketches, fire-ships, and tenders. ¦
§ xxv. In the beginning of June, the English and
Dutch fleets sailed down the Channel. On the 6th, Sir
George Rooke was detached to the Straits with a
squadron of twenty-three ships, as convoy to the Medi
terranean trade. The grand fleet returned to Torbay,
while he pursued his voyage, having under his pro*
tection about 400 mercfiant ships, belonging to Eng
land, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Hamburg, and
Flanders. On the 16th, his scouts discovered part of
the French fleet under Cape Sc. Vincent : next day
their whole navy appeared, to the amount of eighty
sail. Sixteen of these plied up to the English squads
ron, while the vice-admiral of the white stood off to
sea, to intercept the ships under convoy. Sir George
Rooke, by the advice of the Dutch vice-admiral
Vandergbes,. resolved, if possible, to avoid an en
gagement, which could only tend to their absolute
ruin. He forthwith sent orders to the small ships
that were near the land, to put into the neighbour
ing ports of Faro, Sr. Lucar, and Cadiz, while he
fcimsejf stood off With an easy sail for the protection

OH. IV. WILLIAM AND MARY.- 205
of the rest. About six in the evening, ten sail of the
enemy came up with two Dutch' ships of war, com
manded by the captains Schrijver and Vander-Poel,
who seeing no possibility of escaping, tacked ih
shore; and, thus drawing the French after them,
helped to save the rest of the fleet. When attacked
they made a most desperate defence, but at last were
overpowered by numbers, and taken. An English
ship of war arid a rich pinnace were burned ; twenty-
nine merchant vessels were' taken, and about fifty
destroyed by the counts de Tourville arid d'Etrees.
Seven of the largest Smyrna ships fell into the hands
of M. de Coetlegon, and four he sunk in the bay' of
Gibraltar. The value of 'the loss sustained on this
occasion amounted to ,^1,000,000 sterling. Mean
while Rooke stood off with a fresh gale, and on the
19th sent home the Lark ship of war with the news of
his misfortune ; then he bore away for the Madeiras,
where having taken in wood and water, he set sailfor
Ireland, and on the 3d day of August arrived at Cork,
with fifty sail, including ships1 of war and trading ves
sels. He detached Captain Fairborne to-Kinsale;
with all his squadron, except six ships of the line,
with which, ¦ in pursuance of orders, he joined the
great fleet then cruising in the chops of the Channel.
Ori the 25th day of August, they returned to S'.
Helens, and the four regiments were landed. On
the 19cil day of September, fifteen Dutch ships of the
line, and two frigates, set sail for Holland ; and
twenty-six sail, with seven fire-ships, were assigned as
guard-ships during the winter.
§ xxvi. The French admirals, instead of pursuing
Rooke to Medeira, made an unsuccessful attempt
upon Cadiz, and bombarded Gibraltar, where the
merchants sunk their ships, that they might not fall
into the hands of the enemy. Then they sailed along
the coast of Spain, destroyed some English and.
Dutch vessels at Malaga, Alicant, and other places ;
and returned in triumph to Toulon. About thia

308 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ©, I,
period, Sir Francis Wheelef returned to' 'England
with his squadron, from an unfortunate expedition
in the West-Indies. In conjunction with Colonel
Codrington, governor of the Leeward islands* he made
unsuccessful attempts upon the islands of Martinique
and Dominique. Then he sailed te Boston in New-
England, with a view to concert an expedition againgft
Quebec, which was judged impracticable. He af
terwards steered for Placentia in Newfoundland
which he would have attacked without hesitation ;
but t-he design was rejected by a majority of voices in
the council of war. Thus disappointed, he set sail
for England ; and arrived at Portsmouth in a very
shattered condition, the greater part pf his men hav*
ing died in the course qf this voyage* '
§ xxvu. In November another effort was mft^e
to annoy the enemy. Commodore Benbow sailed
witfi a squadron of twelve capital ships, four bomb*
ketches, and ten brigantines, to the coast of S'. Ma*
Ipes, and anchoring within half a mile of the town,
cannonaded and bombarded it for three days s«c#
cessively. Then his men landed on an island, where
they burned a convent, On the 19/- they took the
advantage qf a dark night, a. fresh gale, and a
strong fide, to send in a fire-ship of a particular con
trivance, styled the Infernal, in order to burn the towrt :
but, she struck upon, a rock before she arrived at the
place, and the engineer was obliged to set her on fire,
ajftd; retreat. She continued burning for some tirae,
and at last blew up? with such an explosion as shook
the whole town like an earthquake, unroofed 30Q
houses, and broke all the gtass and earthen ware for
three -leagues around. A capstan that weighed 20®
pounds was transported into the place, and falling upon
k house, levelled it to the ground : the greatest part
of the wall towards the sea tumbled down : and thtt
inhabitants were overwhelmed with consternation :
so that a srnaH number of troops might have taken
possession without resistance; but there -was 'not" *

Pfl.1V. WILLIAM AND MARY< SO?
soldier on&oajid. Nevertheless, the sailors tapfc and
demolished Quince fort, and did considerable damage
to the town of S', Maloes, which had been a nest
of privateers that infested the -English commerce.
Though this attempt was executed with great spirit,,
and some success, the clamours of the people became
louder and- louder. They scrupled not to say, that
the councils of - the nation were betrayed; and thehr
suspicions rose even to th©:' secretary's office. They
observed, that the French were previously acquainted
with ail the motions of the English, and. took their
measures accordingly for- their destruction. They
collected and compared a good number of pawjkulars*
that i seemed to, justify their suspicion of treaehpsyi.
But the misfortunes of the nation, in all probability^
arose from a motley ministry, divided amoqg- them
selves, who* instead of acting in concert for the public
good, employed all their influence to thwart the views,
2nd blacken the reputations, of sadi other.,-- The
people in general exclaimed against the marquis. of
Caermarthen, the earls of Nottingham ^nd fiocfeeate*,
w^q had acquired great credit with the queesi^ and,
from their hatred to fcbe whigs, betrayed tha.-interests
of she nation. -¦-
§ xxvin. But if the English were discontented,
the prenih were miserable, in spite. of [ all their vie*
tories. The kingdom laboured under a dreadful
famine, occasio&ed partly from- unfavourable seasons,
?nd partly from the war, which had not left handf
sufficient to cultivate the ground. Notwithstanding
^hthe diligence ^djfXOKidexice of their ministry, in
bringing supplies of corn from Sweden and Denmark,
their care in regulating- the price, and furaiskirig tke
markets, their liberal contributions for tke relief of
the indigent ; multitudes perished of want, and the
whole kingdom, was reduced, to. poverty and distressi
Lewis pined in the midst of fhis: success. . Hesaw.<hi$
subjects exhausted by a ruinous war, in which they
haej ^ b^en,; involved, , by luV ambition. ; He pampered,

208 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I.
with "the allies apart, in hopes of dividing and de
taching them from the grand confederacy : he so
licited the northern crowns to engage as mediators
for a general peace. A memorial was actually pre
sented by the Danish minister to King William, by
which it appears, that the French king would have
been contented to purchase a peace with some con
siderable concessions ; but the terms were rejected
by the king of England, whose ambition and revenge
were not yet gratified ; and whose subjects, though
heavily laden, could still bear additional burthens.
§ xxix. Thb Jacobites had been very attentive
to the progress of dissatisfaction in England, which
they fomented with their usual assiduity. The late
declaration of King James had been couched in
such imperious terms as gave offence even to some
of those who favoured his interest. The earl of
Middleton, therefore, in the beginning of the year
repaired to Sc. Germains, and obtained another,
which contained the promise of a general pardon
without exception, and every other concession that
a British subject could demand of his sovereign.
About the latter end of May, two men, named
Canning and Dormer, were apprehended for dis
persing copies of this paper, tried at the Old-bailey,
found guilty of not only dispersing, but also of
composing, a false and seditious libel, sentenced to
pay 500 marks a-piece, to stand three times in the
pillory, and find sureties for their good behaviour.
But no circumstance reflected more disgrace on this
reign, than the fate of Anderton, the supposed print
er of some tracts against the government. He was
brought to trial for high treason : he made a vi
gorous defence, in spite of the insults and dis
couragement he sustained from a partial bench.
As nothing but presumptions appeared against him,
the jury scrupled to bring in a verdict that would
affect his life, until they were reviled and repri
manded by Judge Treby ; then they found hiiji

GH. IV. WILLIAM ANU MARY. 20§
giiilty. In vain recourse was had to the queen's
mercy ; he suffered death at Tyburn : and left a
paper, protesting solemnly against: the proceedings
of the court, which he affirmed was appointed,
hot to try, but to convict, him \ and petitioning
Heaven to forgive his penitent jury. The seve
rity of the government was likewise exemplified in
the case of some adventurers, who having equip
ped privateers to cruize upon the English, under
joint commissions from the late King James and
Louis XIV, happened to be taken by the English
ships of war. Dr. Oldys, the king's advocate, be
ing commanded to proceed against them as guilty
of treason and piracy, refused to commence the pro
secution; and gave his opinion in writing, that they
were neither traitors nor pirates. He supported this
opinion by arguments before the council: these
were answered by Dr. Littleton, who succeeded him
in the office from which he was dismissed ; and the
prisoners were executed as traitors. The Jacobites
did not fail to retort those arts upon the govern
ment, which their adversaries had so successfully
practised in the late reign. They inveighed against
the vindictive spirit of the administration, and taxed
it with encouraging informers and false witnesses ; a
charge for which there was too much foundation.
§ xxx.! The friends of James iri Scotland still
continued to Concert designs in his favour : but their
correspond-ence was detected, and their aims defeated,
by the vigilance? of the ministry in that kingdom.
Secretary Johnston not only kept a watchful eye over
all theirftransactions, but by a dexterous management
of court liberality and favour, appeased the discon
tents of the presbyterians so effectually, that the
king ran no risk iri assembling the parliament.
Some offices were bestowed upon the leaders of- the
kirk party ; and the duke of Hamilton being) recon
ciled to the government, was appointed commis
sioner. On the 18th day of April, the session was

,310 HiSTORY 6V ENGLAND. B. I i
opened, arid the king's letter, replete with the most
cajoling expressions, beirig read, the parliament pro-'
ceeded to exhibit undeniable specimens of their
good .humour. They drew up a very affectionate
ansivei' to .his majesty's letter: they voted an addi-
, wlj^jpf six new regiments to the standing forces'
^itJw'kingdom : they granted a supply of above
^5j5O,000 sterling to his majesty : they enacted
a/lhtor for levying men to serve on-board the royal
rlavy : they fined all absentees, whether lords or
commons ; and vacated the seats of all those com
missioners who refused to take the oath of assurance,-
which was equivalent to an abjuration of King James:
they set on foot an inquiry about an intended inva
sion : they published some intercepted' letters, sup-^
posed to be written to King James by Neville Payne,
whom thfey committed to prison, and threatened with
a trial for high treason ; but he eluded the danger/
by threatening in his turn to impeach those who had
made their peace with the government : they passed
an act for the comprehension of such of the Ppiscor
pal clergy as should condescend to take the oaths by
the 10'" day of July. All that the general assembly
required of them, was, an offer to subscribe the con
fession of faith, and to aknowledge the presbytery a8
the only government of the Scottish church : bull.
they neither Submitted to these terfos, nor took the.
oaths within the limited time, so that they forfeited
all legal right to their benefices. Nevertheless, they
continued in possession, and even received private'
assurances of the king's protection. It was one of
William's political maxims, to court his domestic
enemies ; but it was never attended with any good
effect. This indulgence gave offence to the presby-1
terians, and former distractions' began to revive.
fy xxxi. The king having prevailed upon the
states-general to augment their land forces and navy
for the service of the ensuing campaign, embarked
for England, and arrived at Kcnsingtori on the 30tfc

eH.1V.' WTLLIA^. AND' MARY. /Stt'.'S
day of, October.' Finding the people clamorous
and discontented, the trade of the nation decay
ed, the affairs of state mismanaged* and the mi*.
nisters recriminating upon one another, he perceived
the necessity of changing hands j and resolved to take
his measures accordingly. Sunderland, h4& chief
counsellor, represented that the tories were averse
to th^fianjinuance -of a war, which had been pro
ductive of%fefcj|0g but, damage and disgrace ;, where-?
is the whigs were much more tractable, and wouk|
bleed freely, partly from the terrors of invasion and
popery, partly from the ambition of being courted
by the crown, and partly frpm the prospect of ad-
vantage, in "advancing money to the government oft'
the funds established by parliament : for that sort of
traffic which obtained the appellation of. the monied-
interest, was altogether a whiggish institution. The
king revolved these observations in his own mind j.
and, iri the meantime, the parliament met on th6
7th day of November, pursuant to the last prorogation.
In his speech, he expressed his resentment against
those who were the authors of the miscarriages at
Sea ; represented the necessity of- increasing the
land forces and the navy ; and demanded a suitafcte
supply for thesex purposes. In order to pave the
Way to their condescension, he had already dismissed
from his council the earl of Nottingham, who, of
all his ministers, was the most odious to the people*
His place would have been immediately filled with
the earl of Shrewsbury ; but that nobleman^ suspect
ing this was a change of men rather than of measures,
stood aloof for some time, until he received such.
assurances from the king as quieted his scruples,
and then he accepted the office of secretary. Tl>8
lieutenancy for the city of London, and all other
commissions over England, were altered With a vie***
to favour the whig interest; and fcfee individuals of
that party w<ere indulged with many places of trust
a$d profit : but the tories- were two power&il ia the

212 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B. I.
house Of commons to be exasperated, and therefore
a good number of them were retained in office.
§ xxxn. On the sixth day of the session, the
commons unanimously resolved to support their
majesties and their government ; to inquire into
miscarriages ; and to consider of means for preserv
ing the trade of the nation. The Turkey company
were summoned to produce the petitions they had
delivered to the commissioners of the admiralty for
convoy : Lord Falkland, who sat at the head of the
board, gave in copies of all the orders and directions
sent to Sir George Rooke concerning the Straits
fleet, together with a list of all the ships at that
time in commission. It appeared, in the course of
this inquiry, that the miscarriage of Rooke's fleet
was in a great measure owing to the misconduct of
the admirals, and neglect of the victualling-office ;
but they were screened by a majority. Mr. Har
ley, one of the commissioners for taking and stating
the public accounts, delivered a report, which con
tained a charge of peculation against Lord Falkland.
Rainsford, receiver of the rights and perquisites of
the navy, confessed that he had received and paid
more money than that which was charged in the ac
counts ; and, in particular, that he had paid ^4,000
to Lord Falkland, by his majesty's order. This
lord had acknowledged before the commissioners, that
he had paid one half of the sum, by the king's or
der, to a person who was not a member of either.
house ; and that the remainder was still in his hands.
Rainsford owned he had the original letter which he
received from Falkland, demanding the money ;
and this nobleman desiring to see it, detained the
voucher ; a circumstance that incensed the com
mons to such a degree, that a motion was made
for committing him to the Tower, and debated
with great warmth, but at last over-ruled by the
majority. Nevertheless, they agreed to make hirri
sensible of their displeasure, and he was reprimand-

6H.' IV. WILLIAM AND MARY. 213
ed in his place. The house of lords having also
inquired into the causes of the miscarriage at sea;
very' violent debates arose, and at length the ma
jority resolved, that the admirals had done well iri
the execution of the orders they had received.
This was a triumph over the whig lords, who had
so eagerly prosecuted the affair, and now protested
against the resolution, not without great appearance
of reason. The next step of the lords, was to ex
culpate the earl of Nottingham, as the blame seemed
to lie with him, on the supposition that the ad
mirals were innocent. With a view, therefore, to
transfer this blame to Trenchard the whiggish se
cretary, the earl gave the house to understand, that
he had received intelligence from Paris in the begin
ning of June, containing a list of the enemy's fleet,
and the time of their sailing ; that this was eomuni-
cated to a committee of the council, and particu
larly imparted to Secretary Trenchard, whose pro
vince it was to transmit instructions to the admirals.
Two conferences passed on this subject between the
lprds and commons. Trenchard delivered in his
defence in writing ; and was in his turn screened by
the whole efforts of the ministry, in which the whig
influence now predominated. Thus an inquiry of
such national consequence, which took its rise from
the king's own expression of resentment against the
delinquents, was stifled by the arts of the court, be
cause it was likely to affect one of its creatures : for,
though there was no premeditated treachery in the
case, the ' interest of the public was certainly sacri
ficed to the mutual animosity of the ministers. The!
charge of Lord Falkland being resumed in the house
of commons, he appeared to have begged and re
ceived of the king the remaining ,^2,000. of the
money which had been paid by Rainsford : he was
therefore declared guilty of a high misdemeanour, arid
breach of trust, and committed to the Tower ; from
FolL Bb

%l& HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B, U
whence, hpwever, he was in two days discharged
upon his petition.
$ xxxin. Harley, Foley, and Harcourt, pre
sented to the house a state of the receipts and issues
of fhe revenue, together with two reports from the
commissioners of accounts, concerning sums issued
for secret services, and to members of parliament.
This was a discovery pf the most scandalous prac
tices in the mystery of corruption, equally exercised
on the individuals of both parties, in occasional
bounties, grants, places, pensions, equivalents, and
additional salaries. The malcontents, therefore, just
ly observed, the house of commons was so managed
that the king could baffle any bill, quash all griev
ances, stifle accounts, and rectify the articles of Li
merick. When the commons took into considera
tion the estimates and supplies of the ensuing year,
the king demanded 40,000 men for the navy, and
above 100,000 for the purpose of the land service.
Before the house considered these enormous demands,
they granted ag400,000 by way of advance, to quiet
the clamours of the seamen, who were become mu
tinous and desperate for want of pay, upwards of
^1,000,000 being due to them for wages. Then
the commons voted the number of men required
for the navy : but they were so ashamed of that for
the army, that they thought it necessary to act in
such a manner as should imply that they still retained
some regard for their country. They called for all ,
the treaties subsisting between the king and his al
lies : they examined the different proportions of the
troops furnished by fhe respective powers : they con
sidered the intended augmentations, and fixed the
establishment of the year at 83,1,21 men, including
officers. For the maintenance of these they'' allotted'
the sum of ^2,530,590. They granted ^2,000,000.
for the nayy, and about ,^500,000 to make good
$he deficiencies pf the annuity and. poll bills ; so.
that the supplies pf the' year amounted to about

CU. IV. WILLIAM AND MARY. 215
^5,500,000, raised by a land*tax' of four shillings
in the pound, by two rnore lives in the annuities, a
further excise on beer, a new duty on salt, arid a
lottery. § xxxiv. Though the malcontents iri parlia
ment could not withstand this torrent of profusion,
they endeavoured to, distress the court interest, by
reviving the popular bills of the preceding session ;
such as that for .regulating trials in cases of high
treason, the other for the more frequent calling and
meeting of parliaments, and that concerning free
and impartial proceedings in parliament. The first
was rieglected in the house of lords : the secohdV
was rejected ; the third was passed by the commons^
on the supposition that it would be defeated in the
other house. The lords returned it with- certain
amendments, to which the commons would not
agree : a conference ensued ; the peers receded from
their corrections, and passed the bill, to which the
kirtg, however, refused his assent, Nothing could
be more unpopular and dangerous than such a step
at this juncture. The commons, in order to recover
some .credit with the people, determined to disapprove
of his majesty's conduct. The house formed itself
into a committee, to take the state of the kingdom,
into consideration. They resolved that whoever
advised the king to refuse the royal assent to that bill,
was an enemy to their majesties and the kingdom,
They likewise presented an address, expressing their
concern that lie had riot given his consent to the bilk ,
arid beseeching his majesty to hearken for the future
to the advice of his parliament, rather than to the
councils of particular persons, who might have pri
vate interests of their own, separate from those of his
majesty and his people. The king thanked thefn
for their zeal, professed a warm regard for their con
stitution, and assured them he would look upon all
parties' ds enemies, who should endeavour to' lessen

Ql(j HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I.
the confidence subsisting between the sovereign and
people. The members in the opposition were not
at ail satisfied with this general reply. A day being
appointed to take it into consideration, a warm de
bate was maintained with equal eloquence and acri
mony. At length, the question being put, that an
address should be made for a more explicit answer,
it passed in the negative by a great majority.
§ xxxv. The city of London petitioned that a
parliamentary provision might be made for the or
phans whose fortunes they had scandalously squan
dered away. Such an application had been made in
the preceding session, and rejected with disdain, as
an imposition on the public : but now those scru
ples were removed, and the house passed a bill for
this purpose, consisting of many clauses, extending
to different charges on the city lands, aqueducts,
and personal estates ; imposing duties on binding
apprentices, constituting freemen, as also upon wines
and coals imported into London. On the 23d day
of March, these bills received the royal assent ; arid
fbe king took that opportunity of recommending
dispatch, as the season of the year was far advanced,
and the enemy diligently employed in making pre
parations for an early campaign, The scheme of a
national bank, like those of Amsterdam and Genoa,
had been recommended to the ministry, as an ex
cellent institution, as well for the credit and security
pf the government, as for the increase of trade and
circulation. One project was invented by Dr. Hugh
Chamberlain, proposing the circulation of tickets
on lapd security : but William Paterson was author
of that which was carried into execution by the in
terest of Michael Godfrey, and other active project
ors. The scheme was founded on the notion of a
transferable fund, and a circulation by bill on the
credit of a large capital. Forty merchants subscrib
ed to the amount of ,^=500,000, as a fund of ready
^noney, to circulate ,§£ 1,000,000 at eight per cent".

CH. IT. WILLIAM AND MARY. 2]^
to be lent to the government ; and even this fund
of ready money bore the same interest. When it
was properly digested in the cabinet, and a majority
in parliament secured for its reception, the under
takers for the court introduced it irito the house of
commons and expatiated upon the national advan
tages that would accrue from such a measure;
They said it would rescue the nation out of the
hands of extortioners and usurers, lower interest,
raise the value of land, revive and establish public
credit, extend circulation, consequently improve
commerce, facilitate the annual supplies, and con
nect the people the more closely with the govern
ment. The project was violently opposed by a strong
party, who affirmed that it would become a mo
nopoly, and engross the whole money of the king
dom ; that, as it must infallibly be subservient to
government views, it might be employed to the
worst purposes of arbitrary power: that, instead
of assisting, it would weaken, commerce, by tempt
ing people to withdraw their money from trade,
and employ it in stock-jobbing : that it would produce
a swarm of brokers and jobbers to prey upon their
fellow-creatures, encourage fraud and gaming, and
further corrupt the morals of the nation. Notwith
standing these objections, the bill made its way
through the two houses, establishing the funds for the
security and advantage of the subscribers ; empower
ing their majesties to incorporate them by the name of
the Governor and company of the bank of England,,
under a proviso, that at any time after the 1st day of
August, in the year 1 705, upon a year's notice, arid
the repayment of the ^1,200,000, the said corpor
ation should cease and determine. The bill likewise
contairied clauses of appropriation for the service of
the public. The whole subscription was filled in ten
days after its being open ; and the court of directors
com Dieted the payment before the expiration oftfje
B b 3

21S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. , \X* h
time prescribed by the act, although they did not
call in more than ^7*20,000 of the money subscrib
ed. All these funds proving inadequate to the esti
mates, the commons brought in a bill to impose
stamp duties upon all vellum, parchment, and paper,
used in almost every kind of intercourse between man
and man ; and they crowned the oppressions of the
year with another grievous tax upon carriages, under
the name of a bill for licencing and regulating hack
ney arid stage coaches.
§ xxxvi. Ttt-E commons, in a clause of the bill
for taxing several joint stocks, provided, that in case
of a default in the payment of that tax, within the
time limited by the act, the charter of theoompany
so ^failing should be deemed void and forfeited. The
East-India company actually neglected their payment,
arid the public imagined the ministry would seize
this opportunity of dissolving a monopoly against
which so many complaints had been made ; but
the directors understood- their own strength.; and, in
stead of being broken, obtained the promise of a
new charter. This was n© sooner known, than the
controversy between them and their adversaries was
revived with such animosity, that the council thought
proper to indulge both parties with a hearing. As
this produced no< resolution, the merchants who op
posed tl^e company petitioned, that, in the. mean
while, the new charter might be suspended. Ad
dresses of the same kind were presented by a great
number of clothiers, linen-drapers, and other
dealers. To these a written answer was published
by the company : the merchants printed a reply, ia
which they undertook to prove, that the company
had been- guilty of unjust and unwarrantable actions,
tending to- the scandal of religion, the dishonour of
the nation, the reproach of our laws, the oppression
of the people, and the ruin of trade. They observ
ed, that t ho private ships had exported in one year
three times as- many cloths as the company had ex-

CH. IV. WILLIAM AND MARY- 210
ported in three years. They offered to send more
cloth and English merchandize to the Indies in one,
year, than the company had exported in five ; to
furnish the government with 5O0 tons .of salt-petre
for less than one half of the usual price ; and they
represented, that the company could neither lade the
ships they petitioned for in England^ nor re-lade them
in the East-Indies; In spite of all these remon
strances, the new charter passed the great seal j
though the grants contained in it were limited in
Such a maimer, that they did not amount to an ex
clusive privilege, and Subjected the company to such
alterations, restrictions, and qualifications, as the
king should direct before the' 29th day of September.
This indulgence, and other favours granted to the
company, were privately purchased of the ministry^
and became productive of a loud outcry against the ,
government. The merchants published a journal
of the whole transaction, and petitioned the house of
commons, that their liberty of trading to the Easts-
Indies might be confirmed- by parliament* Another
petition was presented by the company,, praying, that
their charter might receive a parliamentary sanction.
Both parties employed all their address in making
private application to the members.- The house
having examined the. different charters, the book of
their new subscriptions, and- every particular relating,
tp the company, resolved that all the subjects of
England had an equal right to trade to the East-Indies,
unless prohibited by act of parliament;.
§ xx-xvii. But nothing- engrossed the attention
of the public more than a bill, which was brought in
to the house for a general naturalization of all foreign.-
protestants. The advocates for this measure alleg
ed, that great part of the lands of England lay un
cultivated : that the strength, of a nation consisteddn
the number of inhabitants : that the people were
thinned by the war and foreign voyages, arid requir'-
ed an extraordinary' supply.;1 that a grea* number ©f

220 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. E. f-
protestants, persecuted in France and other coun
tries, would gladly remove to a land of freedom*
and bring along with them their wealth and manu
factures : that the community had been largely re
paid for the protection granted to those refugees;
who had already settled in the kingdom. They had
introduced several new branches of manufacture,
promoted industry, and lowered the price of labour:
a circumstance of the utmost importance to trade,
oppressed as it was with taxes, and exposed to un
common hazard from the enemy. The opponents
of the bill urged with great vehemence, that it would
cheapen the birthright of Englishmen : that the
want of culture was owing to the oppression of the
times : that foreigners being admitted into the pri
vileges of the British trade, would grow wealthy at
the expence of their benefactors, and transfer the
fortunes they had gained into their native country :
that the reduction in the price of labour would be a
national grievance, while many thousands of Eng
lish manufrcturers were starving for want of employ
ment, and the price of provisions continued so high,
that even those who were employed could scarce sup
ply their families with bread : that the real design of
the bill was to make such an accession to the dissent-r
ers as would render them an equal match in the body-
politic for those of the church of England ; to create
a greater dependenee on the crown, and, in a word,
to supply a foreign head with foreign members. Sir
John Knight, a member of the house, in a speech. -
upon this subject, exaggerated the bad consequences
that would attend such a bill, with all the wit and
virulence of satire ; it was printed and dispersed1
through the kingdom, and raised such a flame among
the people as had not appeared since the revolution.!
They exclaimed, that all offices would be conferred
npon Dutchmen, who would become lord-danes^
and prescribe the modes of religion and government ;
and they extolled Sir John Knight, as the saviour of

6H. IV. WILLIAM AND MfARY.
the nation. The courtiers, incensed at the progress^
of this clamour, complained in the house of the
speech which had been printed : and Sir John was4
threatened with expulsion and' imprisonment. He
therefore thought proper to disown the paper, which
was burned by the hands of the common hangman.
This sacrifice served Only to increase the popular dis
turbance, which rose to such height of violence,
that the court-party began to tremble; and the bilr
was dropped for the present.3
§ xxxvni. Lord CoNiNsRY'arid Mr. Porter' had
committed the most flagrant acts of oppression in
Ireland. These had been explained, during the last
session, by the gentlemen who appealed against the
administration of Lord Sidney : but they were screen
ed by the ministry ; arid therefore1 the earl of Bella-
mont now impeached them in the house of com
mons, of which he arid they were members. After
an examination of the articles exhibited against them,
the commons, who were by this time at" the devotion
of the court, declared, that, corisideriug the state of
affairs in Ireland, they did not think them fit grounds
for an impeachment. In the course of this session,
the nation sustained another misfortune in the fate of
Sir Francis Wheeler, who had been appointed com
mander in chief of the Mediterrarieart squadron. Pie
received instructions to take under his convoy the ¦
merchant ships bound to Turkey, Spain, and Italy;
to cruize thirty days in a certain latitude, for the pro
tection of the Spanish plate-fleet homeward bound ;
to leave part of his squadron at Cadiz as convoy tb
the trade for England ; to proceed with the rest to
the Mediterranean ; 'tojoin the Spanish fleet in his
return ; arid to act in concert with them, until he
should be joined by the fleet from Turkey and the .
Straits, and accompany the'rn back to England.
About the latter end of October he setsail from S\
5 Bufnet. ' 'Feuquiercs. " Life of iCing William. TmisL State , tiW
Ralph.: Voltaire. ', .._ „,y ;,jJ," ,* V^i .> -i-i

222 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. "Biti
Helens, and in January arrived at Cadiz with the.
ships under his convoy. There leaving Rear-admiral
Hopson, he proceeded for the Mediterranean. In the
bay of Gibraltar he was overtaken, by a dreadful tem
pest, under a lee-shore, which he could not possibly
weather, and where the ground was so foul that no
anchor would hold. This expedient, however, was
tried. A great number of ships were driven ashore,
and many perished. The admiral's ship foundered at
sea, and he and all his crew were buried in the deep,
except two Moors, who were miraculously preserved.
Two other ships of the line, three ketches, and six
merchant ships, were lost. The remains of the fleet
were so much shattered, that instead of prosecuting
their yoyage they returned to Cadiz, in order to be
refittedj and sheltered from the attempts of the
French squadrons, which were still at sea, under the
command of Chateau-Renaud and Gabaret. On the
25th day of April, the king closed the session with
a speech in the usual style, and the parliament was
prorogued to the 18th day of September.4
* Resides the bills already men- land. The carl of Shrewsbury was
tioried, the parliament in this session honoured w irh the title of duke.
passed an act for taking and stating The earl of Mulgrave, being recon-
tHe public accounts, another to en- ciled to the court measure*, was gra-
cour;.ge ship building, a third for the tified with a pension of £3,cco, and
better disciplining, the , navy, the the title of marquis of Normatiby.
usual" militia act, arid an act enabl- Henry Herbert was ennobled by the
5ng his majesty to make grants and title of Ujron Herbert, of Cherbury.
lea-.es in; the duchy of Cornwall. The earls of Bedford, Devonshire,
One vn^ also' passeu for renewing a and Clare, were promoted to the rank
clause in aii' old statute, limit-ng the of dukes. The marquis of Caermar-
min-.t-tr of justices of the, pece in the then was made duke of Leeds ; Lord
jiriiK-ipnIiiy' of Wales. The duke'of Vkcouiu Snine;-, created earlofRom-
Ncrioita- i-.u'.ivht an action' in the ney; and Viscount Ne.'.poit, earl of
court of k" i,'° bench against ?lr. Bedford. Russel was advanced to
Gi-mlaioe for criminal conversariqii the head of the admiralty-board.
¦wirh' his dnehe^s. The cause waa Sir George Rooke and Sir John
tried, and the jury brought in t^ieir Hpubloa were appointed joint cora-
vevdict for ioo marks, and costs of inissioners, in the room of Kiiligrew
euit, in favour of the plaintiff. and Dcl.ival. Charles Montague was
Before the king i-inliarked, he gra- rinde chancellor of the exchequer ;j
tified a good numbei of his friends and' Sir William Truhibal and John
with promotion*. Lord Charlqs B(m- Smith commi"ioners bf the treasury,
ler, brother to tlie duke of Ormond, in the room of. Sir Edward Seymour
was created Lord Butler, of Weston in rjri^ Mr. Hambckn.
England,' and ciiri of Arran in Ire- I y ¦

OH.TV. WILLIAM ANO MART. 223
§ xxxix., Lewis of France being tired of the waTj
which had impoverished his country, continued to
tamper \s5ith' the duke of Savoy, and, by the canal of
the pope, made some offers to the king of Spain, which
were rejected. Meanwhile he resolved to stand- upon
the defensive during the ensuing campaign, in every
part but Catalonia, where his whole naval force might
co-operate with the count de Noailles, who command
ed the land army. King William having received in
telligence of the design upon Barcelona, endeavoured
to prevent the junction of the Brest and Toulori
squadrons, by sending Russel to. sea as early as the
fleet could be in a condition to sail ; but before he
arrived at Portsmouth, the Brest squadron had quitt
ed that harbour. On the 3d day of May the admiral
sailed from Sf. Helens, with the combined squadrons
of England and Holland, amounting to ninety ships
of the line, besides frigates, fire-ships, and tenders.
He detached Captain Pritchard of the Monmouth,
with two fire-ships, to destroy a fleet of French
merchant ships near Conquet-ba-y ; and this service
being performed, he returned to &\ Helens, . where
he had- left Sir Cloudesley Shovel with a squadron^ to
take on-board a body of land forces, intended for a.
descent upon the coast of France. These being em
barked, under the command of General Ptolemache,
the whole fleet sailed again on the 29th of May. The
land and. sea officers, in a council of war, agreed that
part of the fle2t designed for this expedition, should
separate from the rest, and proceed to Gamaret bay,
where the forces should be landed. On the 5fh day
of June, Lord Berkeley, 'who corrfmanded -this squad
ron, parted with the grand fleet, and on the 7th an
chored between the bays of Camaret and Ber-taume.
Next day the marquis of Caermarthen, afterwards
duke of Leeds, who served under Berkeley, as rear-
admiral of the blue, entered Camaret bay, with two
large ships and six frigates, to cover the troops in
landing. The French had received intelligence, of

224 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I.
the d,es'gn> and taken such precautions, under the
conduct of the celebrated engineer Vauban, that the
English were exposed to a terrible fire from new-
erected batteries, as well as from a strong body of
troops ; and though the ships cannonaded them with
great vigour, the soldiers could not maintain any re
gularity in: landing. A good number were killed in
the open boats before they reached the shore ; and.
those who landed were soon repulsed, in spite of all
the endeavours of General Ptolemache, who received
a wound in the thigh, which proved mortal. Seven
hundred soldiers are said to have been lost on this oc
casion, besides those who were killed on-board of
the ships. The Monk ship of war was towed off
with great difficulty : but a Dutch frigate of thirty
guns fell into the hands of the enemy.
§ xl. After this unfortunate attempt, Lord Berke
ley, with the advice of a council of war, sailed back
for England, and at S'. Helens received orders from
the queen to call a council, and deliberate- in what
manner the ships and forces might be best employed.
They agreed to make some attempt upon the coast of
Normandy. With this view, they set sail on the
5,th day of July. They bombarded Dieppe, and re
duced the greatest part of the town to ashes. Thence
they steered to Havre de Grace, which met with the
same fate. They harassed the French troops, who
marched after them along-shore. They alarmed the
whole coast, and filled every town widi such conster-
natiofi, that they would have been abandoned by the
inhabitants, had not they been detained by military
force. On the 26th day of July, Lord Berkeley re
turned to S*. Helens, where he quitted the fleet, and
the command devolved upon, Sir Cloudesley Shovel.
This, officer haying received instructions to make an
attempt upon Dunkirk, sailed round to the Downs,
where ; he.; was joined by M. Meesters, with twenty-
six Dutch pilots. On the 12th of September he ap
peared before Dunkirk ; and next day sent in the

CH. IV. WILLIAM AND MARY. 225
Charles galley, with two bomb-ketches, arid as many
of the machines called infernals. These were set on
fire without effect ; and the design miscarried : then
Shovel steered to Calais, which having bombarded
with little success, he returned to the coast of Eng
land ; and the bomb-ketches and machines were sent
into the river Thames.
§ xli. During these transactions, Admiral Rus
sel, with the grand fleet, sailed for the Mediterranean ;
and being joined by Rear-admiral Neville from Cadiz,
together with Callemberg and Evertzen, he steered
towards Barcelona, which was besieged by the French
fleet and army. At his approach, Tourville retired
with precipitation into the harbour of Toulon ; and
Noailles abandoned his enterprise. The Spanish af
fairs were in such a deplorable condition, that with
out this timely assistance, the kingdom must have
been undone. While he continued in the Mediter
ranean, the French admiral durst not venture to ap
pear at sea ; and all his projects were disconcerted.
After having asserted the honour of the British flag
in those seas during the whole summer, he sailed in
the beginning of November to Cadiz, where, by an
express order of the king, he passed the winter, dur
ing which, he took such precautions for preventing
Tourville from passing the Straits, that he did not
think proper to risk the passage.
§ xl'il. It will now be necessary to describe the
operations on the continent. In the middle of May
ICing William arrived in Holland, where he consult
ed with the states-general. On the 3d day of June
he repaired to Bethlem-abbey near Louvain, the
place appointed for the rendezvous of the army ;
and there he was met by the electors of Bavaria and
Cologne. In a few days a numerous army was asT
sembled ; and every thing seemed to promise an ac
tive campaign. On the 3d day of June the dauphin
assumed the command of the French forces, with
which Luxembourg had taken post between' Mon$

226 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B. I.
and Maubeuge ; and passing the Sambre, encamped
at Fleurus : but on the 18th, he removed from
thence, and took up his quarters between St. Tron
and Wanheim : while the confederates lay at Roos-
beck. On the 1 1th of July, the dauphin marched in
four columns to Oerle upon the Jaar, where he pitched
his camp. On the 22d, the confederates marched to
Bomale: then the dauphin took the route to Vignamont,
where he secured his army by entrenchments, as his
forces were inferior in nqmber to those of the al
lies ; and he had been directed by his father to avoid
an engagement. In this situation, both armies re
mained till the 15* day of August, when King Wil
liam sent the heavy baggage to Louvain ; and on the
1 8th made a motion to Sombref. This was no sooner
known to the enemy, than they decamped ; and hav-r
ing marched all night, posted themselves between
Temploux and Masy, within a league and a half of
the confederates. The king of Erigland resolved to
pass the Scheld ; and with this view marched, by
the way of Nivelle and Soignies, to Chievres : from
thence he detached the duke of Wirtemberg, with a
strong body of horse and foot, to pass the river at
Oudenarde, while the elector of Bavaria advanced
with another detachment to pass it at Pont de Espkres,
Notwithstanding all the expedition they could make,
their purpose was anticipated by Luxembourg, who
being apprised of their route, had detached 4,000
horse, with each a foot soldier behind the trooper, to
reinforce M. de Valette, who commanded that part of
the French line. These were sustained by a choice
body of men, who travelled with great expedition,
without observing the formalities of a march. MaresT
chal de Villeroy followed the same route, with all
the cavalry of the light wing, the household troops,
and twenty field pieces ; and the rest of the army was
brought up by the dauphin in person. They march
ed with such incredible diligence, that the elector of
Bayaria could scarce believe his own eyes, when he

«H. IV. WILLIAM AND MAR Y; 227
arrived in sight of the Scheld, and saw them entrench?
ing themselves on the other side of the river.
King William having reconnoitred their disposition,
thought it impracticable to pass at that place ; and
therefore marched down the river to Oudenarde,
where a passage had been already effected by the duke
of Wirtemberg. Here the confederates passed the
Scheld on the 27* day of the month ; and the king
fixed his head-quarters at Wanneghem. His inten-
tion was to have taken possession of Courtray, and
established winter-quarters for a considerable part of
his army in that district: but Luxembourg having
posted himself between that place and Menin, ex
tended his lines in such a manner, that the confederates
could not attempt to force them, nor even hinder
him from subsisting his army at the expence of the ¦
Castellany of Courtray, during the remainder of the
campaign. This surprising march was of such im
portance to the French king, that he wrote with his
own hand a letter of thanks to his army ; and order
ed that it should be read to every particular squadron.
and battalion.
§ xliil The king of England, though disappoint
ed in his scheme upon Courtray, found means to make
some advantage of his superiority in number. He
draughted troops from the garrisons of Liege and
Maestricht. ; and, on the 3d day of September, rein?
forced his body with a large detachment from his own
Camp, conferring the command upon, the duke of
Holstein-Ploen, with orders to undertake the siege of
Huy. Next day the whole confederate forces passed
the Lys, and encamped at Wouterghem. From
thence the king, with part of the army, marched to
Roselaer : this diversion obliged the dauphin to make
considerable detachments, for the security of Ypres
and Menin on one side, and to cover Furnes and
Dunkirk on the other. At this juncture, a French
man being seized in the very act of setting fire to one
of the ammunition, waggons in the allied army, con*.

2 28 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. £.
fessed he had been employed for this purpose by some
of the French generals, and suffered death as a traitor.
On the 1 6th day of the month, the duke of Holstein-
Ploen invested Huy, and carried on the siege with
such vigour, that in ten days the garrison capitulated.
The king ordered Dixmuyde, Deynse, Ninove, and
Tirlemont, to be secured for winter-quarters to part
of the army : the dauphin returned to Versailles :
William quitted the camp on the last day of Septem
ber ; and both armies broke up about the middle of
October. § xliv. The operations on the Rhine were pre
concerted between King William and the prince of
Baden, who had visited London in the winter. The
dispute between the emperor and the elector of Saxony
was compromised ; and this young prince dying dur
ing the negociation, the treaty was perfected by his
brother and successor, who engaged to furnish 12,000
men yearly, in consideration of a subsidy from the
court of Vienna. In the beginning of June, Mareschal
de Lorges passed the Rhine at Philipsburg, in order
to give battle to the imperialists, encamped at Hail-
bron. The prince of Baden, who was not yet joined
by the Saxons, Hessians, nor by the troops of Minis
ter and Paderborn, dispatched couriers to quicken the
march of these auxiliaries, and advanced to Eppingen,
where he proposed to wait till they should come up :
but, on the 15th, received undoubted intelligence, that
the eriemy were in motion towards him, he advanced
to meet them in order of battle. De Lorges con*
eluded, that this was a desperate effort, and imme
diately halted, to make the necessary preparations for
an engagement. This pause enabled Prince Lewis
to take possession of a strong pass near Sintzheim,
from which he could not easily be dislodged. Then
the mareschal proceeded to Viseloch, and ravaged
the adjacent country, in hopes of drawing the im
perialists from their intrenchments. The prince., be
ing joined by the Hessians, resolved to, beat up the

CH. IV. WILLIAM AND MARY* 22Q
quarters of the enemy ; and the French general being
apprised of his design, retreated at midnight with the
utmost precipitation. Having posted himself at Ruth,
he sent his heavy baggage to Philipsburg : then he
moved to Gonsberg, in the neighbourhood of Man-
heim, repassed the Rhine, and encamped between
Spiers and Worms. The prince of Baden being
joined by the allies, passed the river 'by a.< bridge of
boats near Hagenbach, in the middle of September j
and laid the . country of Alsace under contribution.
Considering the advanced season of the year, this was
a rash undertaking ; and the French general resolv*
edto profit by his enemy's temerity. He forthwith id-
yanced against the imperialists, foreseeing that should
they be worsted in ba- tie, their whole army Would
be ruined. Prince Lewis, informed of his Intention, *
immediately passed the Rhine ; and this retreat was
no sooner effected, than the river swelled to such a
degree, that the island in the middle, and great part
of the Camp he had occupied, was overflowed. Soon
after this incident, both armies retired into winter-
quarters. The campaign in Hungary produced no
event of importance. It was opened by the new
visir, who arrived at Belgrade in the middle of
August ; and about the same time Caprara assembled
the imperial army in the neighbourhood of Peter*
Waradin. The Turks passed the Saave, in order to
attack then* camp, and carried on their approaches
with 500 pieces of cannon ; but made very little pro
gress. The imperialists received reinforcements ; the
season wasted away ; a feud arose between the visir
and the cham of the. Tartars ; and the Danube, being
swelled by heavy rains, so as to interrupt the opera*
tions of the Turks, their general decamped in the
night of 'the 1st of October. They afterwards made
an unsuccessful attempt upon Titul, wfiile the im
perial general made himself master of Giula. In the
course of this summer, the Venetians, who were als^
Vol, L . C e

230 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. BVf
at war with the Turks, reduced Cyclut, a place of
importance on the river Naranta, and made a conquest
of the island of Scio in the Archipelago. . .
§ xlv. We have already observed, that the French-
king had determined to act vigorously in Cata
lonia. In the beginning of May the duke de Noaille*
advanced at the head of 28,000 men to the river
Ter, on the opposite bank of which the viceroy of
Catalonia was encamped with-l6,00OSpaniards. The
French general passed the river in the face of this
army, and attacked their entrenchments with such
impetuosity, that in less than an hour they were to
tally defeated. Then he marched to Palamos, and
undertook the siege of that place, while at the same
time it-was blocked up by the combined squadrons of
Brest and Toulon. Though' the besieged made an
obstinate defence, the town was taken by storm,-the
houses were pillaged, and the people put to the sword,
without distinction of age,- sex, or condition. Then
he invested Girrone, which in a- few days capitu
lated. Ostalric met with the same fate, and Noailles
was created viceroy of Catalonia by the French king...:
In the beginning of August he distributed his-forces
into quarters of "refreshment, along the river Ten*
dore, resolving to undertake the siege of Barcelona^.
which was saved by the arrival of Admiral RusseL
The war languished in Piedmont, on account of a
secret negociation between the king of France and.
the duke of Savoy ; notwithstanding the remons
trances of Rouvigny, earl of Galway, who had suc
ceeded the duke of Schomberg in the command of
the British forces in that country. Casal was close
ly blocked up by the reduction of Fort Sc. George,
and the Vaudois gained the advantage in some skiiv
mishes in the valley of Ragelas ; but no design o£
importance was executed.'
1 In the course of this year, M. du made an unsuccessful attempt irpori
Caste, governor of St. Domingo, the intend of Jamaica'; and M. Stf

CH. IV. WILLIAM AND MARY. 231
.§ xlvi.- England had continued very quiet un
der the queen's administration, if we except some,
little commotions occasioned by the practices, or
pretended, practices, of the Jacobites. Prosecutions
were revived against certain gentlemen of Lanca7:i
shire ., and. Cheshire, for having been concerned in :
the conspiracy formed in favour of the late king's
projected invasion from Normandy. These steps
were owing to the suggestions of infamous informers,
whom the ministry countenanced. Colonel Par
ker and one Crosby were imprisoned, and bills of
treason found against them ; but Parker niade his
escape from the Tower, and was never retaken,
though a reward of ,^400 was set upon his head.
The king having settled the affairs of the confe
deracy at the Hague, embarked for England on the ,
8th of November, and next day landed at Mar-,
gate. On the 12th he opened the session of parlia- ,
ment,swith a speech, in which he observed that the,,
posture of affairs was improved both by sea and land
since they last parted ; in particular, that a stop was
put to the progress of the French arms. He desired.
they would continue the act of tonnage and pound
age, which would expire at christmas ; he remind- f
ed them of the debt for the, transport ships employ*
ed in the reduction of Ireland ; and exhorted them
to prepare some good bill for the encouragement, of
seamen, c A majority in both houses was already.
secured.; aud in all probability he bargained for,
their condescension, by agreeing to the bill for trien-;f
nial parliaments. This Mr. Harley brought in, by
order of the lower house, immediately after their
first adjournment ; and it kept pace with the con-<
sideration of, the supplies. The commons hav
ing examined the estimates and accounts, voted,

j,< .

Clair, with four men of wa -, formed foundland ; but he was^repulsed with.
s de»ign again. £ , St. Johns, New- loss, by the valour of the inhabitants,
Cc 2

232 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. T„
3^4,764,712 for the service of the army and navy.
In order to raise this sum, they continued the land- '
tax ; they renewed the subsidy of tonnage and pound
age for five years, and imposed new duties on dif
ferent commodities.* The triennial bill enacted, that
a parliament should be held once within three years
at least : that within three years at farthest after the
dissolution of the parliament then subsisting, and
so from time to time, for ever after, legal writs
under the great seal should be issued, by the di
rection of the crown, for calling, assembling, and
holding, another new parliament : that no parliament
should continue longer than three years at farthest,
to be accounted from the first day of the first ses
sion : and, that the parliament then subsisting should
cease and determine on the 1st day of November
next following, unless their, majesties should think
fit to dissolve it sooner. The duke of Devonshire,
the marquis of Hallifax, the earls of Weymouth and
Aylesbury, protested against this bill, because it
tended to the continuance of the present parliament
longer than, as they apprehended,, was agreeable to
the constitution of England.
§ xlvti. While this bill was depending, Dr. John
Tillotson, archbishop of Canterbury, was siezed
with a fit of the dead palsy, in the chapel of White*
hall, and died on the 22d day of November, deeply
regretted by the king and queen, who shed tears of
sorrow at his decease ; and sincerely lamented by the
public, as a pattern of elegance, ingenuity, meek
ness, charity, and moderation. These qualities1 he
must be allowed to have possessed, notwithstanding
the invectives of his enemies, who accused him of
puritanism, flattery, and ambition ; arid charged
him with having conduced to a dangerous schism
* "They imposed certain rates and towards paying the debt due for the,
duties upon marri.iges, births, and transport ships; and another iropos-'
btirials,bachelor*,anH widows. They ing duties on glass ware, stone, and
passed an act or laying additional earthen bottles, coal, and culm.
duties upon coffee, ten, and chocolate,

CH. IV. WILLIAM AND MARY, 233,
in the church, by accepting the archbishopric dur-.
ing the life of the deprived Sancroft, He was suc
ceeded in the metropolitan see by Dr. Tennison,
bishop of Lincoln, recommended by ,the whig party,
which now predominated in the cabinet, The queen
did not long survive her favourite prelate. In about
a month after his decease, she was taken ill of the
small-pox, and the symptoms proving dangerous, she
prepared herself for death with great composure:
She spent some time in exercises of devotion, an4
private conversation with the new archbishop ; she.
received the sacrament with all the bishops who were
in attendance ; and expired on the 28th day of De
cember in the thirty-third year of her age, and in
the sixth of her reign, to the inexpressible grief of
the king, who for some weeks after her death could
neither see company, nor attend to the business of
state. Mary was in her person tall and well-pro*
portioned, with an oval visage, lively eyes, agreeable
features, a mild aspect, and an air of. dignify. Her
apprehension was clear, her memory tenacious, and
her judgment solid. She was a zealous protestant,
scrupulously exact in all the duties of devotion, of
an even temper, and of a calm and mild conversa
tion. She was ruffled by no passion, and seems to
have been a stranger to the emotions of natural affecr
tion : for she ascended without compunction, the
throne from which her father had been deposed,
arid treated her sister as an alien to her blood. In a
word, Mary seems to have imbibed the cold disposi -
tion and apathy of her husband ; and to have cen
tered all her ambition in deserving the epithet of an
humble and obedient wife.3
§ xlviii. The princess Anne being informed of
3 Her obsequies were performed aldermen of fhe city Of London, and
with great magnificence. The body both houfes of parliament ; and the
was attended from Whitehall to funeral sermon was preached by Dr.
Westminster abbey by all the judges, Tennison, archbishop of Canterbury:
Serjeants at law, the lord mayor and Dr, Kenn, the deprived bishop of
Cc3

234

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

B.I.

the queen's dangerous indisposition, sent a lady of
her bed-chamber to desire she might be admitted
to her majesty ; but this request was not granted.
She was thanked for her expression of concern ;
and given to understand that the physicians had
directed that the queen should be kept as quiet as
possible. Before her death, however, she sent a for
giving message to her sister ; and, after her decease,
the earl of Sunderland effected a reconciliation be-
- tween the king and the princess, who visited him
at Kensington, where she was received with uncom
mon civility. He appointed the palace of Sl. James
for her residence, and presented her with the greater
part of the queen's jewels. But a mutual jealousy
and disgust subsisted under these exteriors of friend
ship and esteem. The two houses of parliament
waited on the king at Kensington, with consolatory
addresses on the death of his consort : their ex
ample w.as followed by the regency of Scotland, the
city and clergy of London, the dissenting ministers,
and almost all the great corporations in England.4

Bath and Wells, reproached him in a
letter, for not having called upon her
majesty on her death-bed to repent of
the share she had in the revolution.
This was anwered by another pamph
let;. One of the Jacobite clergy in
sulted the queen's memory, by preach
ing on the following text : ' Go now,
' see this cursed woman, aud bury
¦ her, for she is a king's daughter.'
On (the other hand, the lord mayor,

aldermen, and common-council, of
London came to a resolution to erect
her statue, with that of the king, in
the Royal Exchange. »
+ The earls of Rochester and Not
tingham are said to have started a
doubt whether the parliament was
not dissolved by the queen's death ;
but this dangerous motion met with
no countenance. '

235.

CHAP. V.
i i. Account of the Lancashire plot. . . . § ti.' The commons in
quire into the abuses which had crept into the army • . .<i $¦ hi.
They expel and prosecute some of their own members for corrup
tion in tke affairs of the East-India company  § iv. Exami
nation of Cook, ¦ Acton, and others. ... § v. The commons im
peach the duke of Leeds.. . . . § vi. The parliament is prorogued.
.... § vn. Session of the Scottish parliament. . . . § vm- Fhey
inquire into the massacre qf Glencoe  ,§ i x . They pass an act
for erecting a trading company to Africa and the Indies. .. .
§ x. Proceedings in the parliament of Ireland. ¦. ¦¦ ¦ § xi. Dispo
sition of the armies in Flanders. . . . § xit. King William under
takes the siege of Namur  § xni. Famous retreat qf Prince
Vaudemont. Brussels is bombarded by Ftfleroy. . . . § xiv. Pro
gress of the siege of Namur. . . . § xv. Vitleroy attempts to re
lieve it. The besiegers make a desperate assault. . . . § xvi. The
place capitulates ; Bouffiers is arrested by order of King Wil
liam. ...§ xvn. Campaign on the Rhine, and in Hungary.
.... § xvm. The duke of Savoy takes Casal... . . § xix. Trans
actions in Catalonia. . . . § xx. The English fleet bombards St.
Maloes and other places on the coast of France. . . . § xxi. Wit-
mot's expedition to the West-Indies. ... § xxii.A new parliament.
'.',..§ xxm. They pass the billfor regulating trials in cases qf
high-treason. . , . § xxiv. Resolutions witlf respect, to anew coin
age. . . . § xxv. The commons address tke king, to fecal a grant
he had made to the earl qf Portland. ... § xxvi. Another against
the new Scottish company. . ..§ xxvn. Intrigues of the Jacobites,
.... §xxvni. Conspiracy against the life qf William. . . . §xxix.
Design qf an invasion defeated. ... § xxx. The two houses en
gage in an association for the defence of his majesty. . ._.§ xxxi.
Establishment qf a land-bank. ... § xxxn. Trial qf the conspi
rators. .. .§ xxxm. The allies burn the magazine at Givet.
, . . \ xxx iv. Lewis XIV makes advances towards a peate
fifth Holland, . ., j xxxv. He detaches the duke of Savoy jroip

236
the confederacy. ... § xxxvi. Naval transactions. . . .§ xxxrit.
Proceedings in the parliaments of Scotland and Ireland. . . .
§ xxx ,111. Zeal of the English commons in their affection to the
king. . . J xxxix. Resolutions touching the coin, and the sup
port of pub lie credit. . . § xl. Enormous impositions. . . .§ xli.
Sir John Fenwick is apprehended. ... § xlii. A bill of attainder
being brought into the house against him, produces violent debates.
... . J xliii. His defence. ... § xi.iv. Tke bill passes. . • . § xlv
Sir John Fenwick is beheaded. ...}xin. The earl of Monmouth
sent to the Tower. . . . J x i.vn Inquiry into miscarriages by sea.
. . . . § x lvi < 1 . Negotiations at Ryswick. ... § xlix. The French
take Barcelona. . . , § l. Fruitless expedition af Admiral Neville
to the West-Indies. . . . $ li. The elector qf Saxony is chosen king
qf Poland. . . . § lii. Peter :he czar of Muscovy travels in dis
guise with his own ambassadors. ... § lii i. Proceedings in the
congress at Ryswuk. ... J liv. The ambassadors of England,
Spain, and HoUqnd, sign the treaty .... § lv. A general paci
fication,

A. D. 10Q4.
§ 1. -I he kingdom now resounded with the com- ,
plaints of the, papists and malcontents, who taxed
the ministry with subornation of perjury, in the case
of the Lancashire gentlemen who had been prose
cuted for the conspiracy. One Lunt, an Irishman,
had informed .(Sir John Trenchard, secretary of
state, that he had been sent from Ireland, with
commissions from King Jjmes to divers gentlemen
in Lancashire and Cheshire : that he had assisted in
buying arms, and inlisting.men to serve that king
in his projected invasion of Erigland ; that he had
been twice dispatched by those gentlemen to the court >
of Sp. Gcrniains, assisted many Jacobites in repair-
ing to France, helped to conceal others that came
from that kingdom ; and that all those persons told
him they were furnished with money, by Sir John
Friepd to. defray the expence of their expeditiops.

CH, V. WILLIAM. 237
His testimony was confirmed by other infamous
emissaries, who received but too much countenance
from the government. Blank warrants were issued,
and filled up occasionally with such names as the
informers suggested. These were delivered to Aaron
Smith, solicitor to the treasury, who, with mes
sengers, accompanied Lunt and his associates to
Lancashire, under the protection of a party of Dutch
horse guards, commanded by one Captain Baker.
They were empowered to break open houses, seize
papers, and apprehend persons, according to their
pleasure ; and they committed many acts of violence
and oppression. The persons against whom these
measures were taken, being apprised of the impend
ing danger, generally retired from their own habita
tions. Some, however, were taken and imprisoned :
a few arms were secured ; and, in the house of Mr.
gtandish, at Standish hall, they found the draft of a
declaration to be published by King James at his
landing. As this prosecution seemed calculated to
revive the honour of a stale conspiracy, and the evi
dences were persons of abandoned characters, the.
friends of those who were persecuted found no
great difficulty in rendering the scheme odious to
the nation. They even employed the pen of Fer
guson, who had been concerned in every plot that
was hatched since the Rye-house conspiracy. . This
veteran, though appointed housekeeper to the ex
cise-office, thought himself poorly recompensed for
the part he had acted in the revolution, became dis
satisfied, and, upon this occasion, published a letter
to Sir John Trenchard on the abuse of power. It
was replete with the most bitter invectives against
the ministry, and contained a great number pf
flagrant instances, in which the court had counte
nanced the vilest corruption, perfidy, and oppres
sion. This -production was in every body's hand,
and had such an effect upon the people, that when-.;
fche prisoners were brought to trial at Manchester,

¦23S HISTORY OF- ENGLAND. B.I,
i
the; populace would have put the witnesses to death?
had they not been prevented by the interposition pf
those who were friends to the accused persons, and
had already taken effectual measures for their safety.
Lunt's chief associate in the mystery of information
was one Taaffe, a wretch of the most profligate
principles, who finding himself disappointed in his
-hope of reward from the ministry, was privately
gained over by the agents for the prisoners. Lunt,
when desired in court to point out the persons whorri
he had accused, committed such a mistake as greatly
invalidated his testimony ; and Taaffe declared be
fore the bench, that the pretended plot was no other
than, a contrivance between himself and Lunt, in
order to procure money from the government.
The prisoners were immediately acquitted, and the
ministry incurred a heavy load of popular odium, as
the authors or abettors of knavish contrivances to
insnare the innocent. The government, with a
view to evince their abhorrence of such practices,-
ordered the witnesses to be prosecuted for a con
spiracy against the lives and estates of the gen
tlemen who had been accused ; and at last the af
fair was brought into the house of commons. The
Jacobites triumphed in their victory. They even
turned the battery of corruption upon the evidence
for the crown, not without making a considerable
impression. But the cause was now debated be
fore judges, who were not at all propitious to their
views. The commons having set on foot an in
quiry, and examined all the papers and circum
stances relating to the pretended plot, resolved,
that there was sufficient ground for the prosecution
and trials of the gentlemen at Manchester ; and
that there was a dangerous conspiracy against the
king and government. They issued an order for
taking Mr. Standish into custody ; and the mes
senger reporting that he was to be- found, -they
> ©resented an address to the king, desiring a procla-

CH. T. WILLIAM. 2S9j
mation might be '¦ published, offering a reward for
apprehending his person. The peers concurred
with the commons in their sentiments of this affair ;
for complaints having been laid before their house
also, by the persons who thought themselves ag
grieved, the question was put, whether the govern
ment had cause to prosecute them ; and carried in
' the affirmative ; though a protest was entered against
this vote by the earls of Rochester and Notting
ham. Notwithstanding these decisions, the accused
v gentlemen prosecuted Lunt and two of his accom
plices for perjury, at the Lancaster assizes ; and all
three were found guilty. They were immediately
indicted fty the crown, for a conspiracy against the
lives and liberties of the persons they had accused.
The intention of the ministry, in laying this indict
ment, was to seize the opportunity of punishing some
of the Witnesses for the gentlemen, who had preva
ricated in giving their testimony : but the design be
ing discovered, the Lancashire men refused to pro
duce their evidence against the informers : the pro
secution dropped of consequence, and the prisoners
1 were discharged.
§ rf.' When the commons were employed in ex
amining the state of the revenue, and taking mea
sures for raising the necessary supplies, the inhabi
tants of Rbystoh presented a petition, complaining,
3that the bffieers and soldiers of the regiment belong
ing to Colonel Hastings, which was quartered upon
them, exacted subsistence-money, even on pain of
military ; execution. The house was immediately
• kindled into a flame by this information. The of
ficers, and Pauncefort, agent for the regiment, were
examined : then it was unanimously resolved, that
such a practice was arbitrary, illegal, and a violation
of the rights and liberties of' the subject. Upon fur
ther inquiry, Pauncefort and some other agents were
committed to the custody of the Serjeant, for having
' neglected to pay the subsistence-money they had re-

240* HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B.I.
ceived for the officers and soldiers. He was after
wards sent to the Tower, together with Henry Guy,
a member of the house, and secretary to the treasury,
the one for giving, and the other for receiving, a
bribe to obtain the king's bounty. Pauncefort's bro
ther was likewise committed, for being concerned in
the same commerce. Guy had been employed, to,
gether with Trevor, the speaker, as the court-agent
for securing a majority in the house of commons;
for that reason, he was obnoxious to the member*
in the opposition, who took this opportunity to brand
him : and the courtiers could not with any decency
screen him from their vengeance. The house hav
ing proceeded in this inquiry, drew up an address to
the king, enumerating the abuses which had crept
into the army, and demanding immediate redress.
He promised to consider the remonstrance, and re
dress the grievances of which they complained. Ac
cordingly, he cashiered Colonel Hastings ; appoint
ed a council of officers to sit weekly aud examine
all complaints against any officer and soldier ; and
published a declaration for the maintenance of strict
discipline, and the due payment of quarters. Not
withstanding these concessions, the commons pro
secuted their examinations : they committed Mr.
James Craggs, one of the contractors for clothing
the army, because he refused to answer upon oath
to such questions as might be put to him by the
commissioners of accounts. They brought in a bill
for obliging him and Mr. Richard Harnage, the other
contractor, together with the two Paunceforts, to
discover how they had disposed of the sums paid in
to their hands on account of the army ; and for
punishing them, in case they should persist in their
refusal. At this period, they received a petition
•gainst the commissioners for licencing hackney-'
coaches. Three of them, by means of an address to
the king, were removed with disgrace, for having
4

CH. Y. WILLIAM, 241
acted arbitrarily, corruptly, and contrary to the trust
reposed in them by act of parliament.3
$ in. a.d. 1695.— Those who encouraged this
spirit of reformation, introduced another inquiry
about the orphans bill, which was said to have pass
ed into an act, by virtue of undue influence. A
committee being appointed to inspect the chamber-
Iain's books, discovered that bribes had been given
to Sir John Trevor, speaker of the house ; and Mr. >
Hungerford, chairman of the grand committee.
The first being voted guilty of a high crime and mis
demeanour, abdicated the chair, and Paul Foley
was appointed speaker in his room. Then Sir
John and Hungerford were expelled the house 1-
one Nois, a solicitor for the bill, was taken into,;
custody, because he had scandalized the commons,
in pretending he was engaged to give great sums'
to several members,- and denying this circumstance
on his examination. The reformers in the houses
naturally concluded, that the same arts had been
practised in obtaining the new charter of the East-
India company, which had been granted so much
against the sense of the nation. Their books were
subjected to the same committee that carried on the
former inquiry, and a surprising scene of venality and
corruption was soon disclosed. It appeared, that
the company, in the course of the preceding year,
had paid near ^90,000 in secret services ; and
that Sir Thomas Cooke, one of the directors,
and a member of the house, had been the chief
manager of this infamous commerce. Cooke, re
fusing to . answer, was committed to the Tower,
and a bill of pains and penalties brought in, oblig
ing him to discover how the sum mentioned in the
report of the committee had been distributed. The
bill was violently opposed in the upper house by thq,
s Burnet. . Boyer; pldthixon. State tracts. Tindal. Ralph,. Lives o£:
the admirals. Daniel. Voltaire..

'242 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. R. I,
duke of Leeds, as being contrary to law and equity,
and furnishing a precedent of a dangerous nature.
Cooke, being agreeably to his own petition brought
to the bar of the house of lords, declared, that he
was ready and willing to make a full discovery, in
case he might be favoured with an indemnifying vote,
to secure him against all actions and suits, except
those of the East-India company, which he had
never injured. The lords complied with his request,
and passed a bill for this purpose, to which the com
mons added a penal clause ; and the former was laid
aside. § iv. When the king went to the house, to give
the royal assent to the money-bills, he endeavoured
to discourage this inquiry, by telling the parliament,
that the season of the year was far advanced, and
the circumstances of affairs extremely pressing : he
therefore desired they would dispatch such business
as they should think of most importance to the
public, as he should put an end to the session in a
few days. Notwithstanding this shameful interpo- --
sition, both houses appointed a joint committee to
lay open the complicated scheme of fraud and iniquity.
Cooke, on his first examination, confessed, that he :
had delivered tallies for ^? 10,000 to Francis Tyssen,
deputy-governor, for the special service of the com
pany ; an equal sum to Richard Acton, for employ
ing his interest in preventing a new settlement, and> •
endeavouring to establish the old company ; besides
^2,000 by way of interest, and as a further gra
tuity ; 1 ,000 guineas to Colonel Fitzpatrick, 500 to
Charles Bates, and 310 to Mr. Molineux, a merch
ant, for the same purpose ; and he owned that' Sir
Basil Firebrace had received ,§£40,600 on, various-
pretences. He said, he believed the =g 1 0,000- paid
to Tyssen had been delivered to the king by Sir
Josiah Child, as a customary present which former
kings had received ; and that the sums paid to Acto&!
were distributed among some members of parka-

&#. V. WILLIAM. £4^
ment. Firebrace being examined, affirmed, that he
had received the whole ^40,000 for his own use
and benefit; but that Bate6 had received sums of
money, which he understood were offered t© some
persons of the first quality. Acton declared, that
^10,000 of the sum which he had received were
distributed, among persons who had interest with
members of parliament ; and that great part of the
money passed through the hands,; of Craggs, who
Was acquainted with some colonels in the house, and
northern menibers. Bates„owneq\ he^ had received
the money, 'in consideration of using his interest
with the duke of Leeds in favour of the company :
that this nobleman knew of the gratuity ; and that
the sum was reckoned by his grace's domestic, one
Robart, a foreigner, who kept it in his possession un
til this inquiry was talked of, and then it was return
ed. ; In a word, it appeared by this man's testimony,
as well as by that of Firebrace on his second exa
mination, that the duke of Leeds was not free from
eorruption, and that Sir John Trevor was a hireling
prostitute. § v. The report of the committee produced violent
altercations, and the most severe strictures upon the
conduct of the lord-president. At length, the house
resolved, that there was sufficient matter to impeach
Thomas, duke of Leeds, of high crimes and misde
meanours ; and that he should be impeached there
upon. Then it was ordered, that Mr. Comptroller
Wharton should impeach him before the lords, in the
najne of the house, and of all the commons in Eng
land. The duke was actually in the middle; of a
speech for his own justification, in which he assured
the house, upon his honour, that he was not guilty
of the corruptions laid to his charge, when one of his
friends gave him intimation of the votes which had
passed in .the epmmons. He concluded his speech
abruptly, and repairing to the lower house, desired he
niight be indulged with a hearing. He was accord-

244 HISTORY OP ENGLAND *.!.'
ingly admitted, with the compliment of a chair, and
leave to be covered. Aftenhaviiig sat a few minutes,
he took off his hat, and addressed himself to the
commons, in very extraordinary terms. Having
thanked them for the favour in indulging him with
a hearings he said, that house would not have been
then sitting but for him. He protested his own in
nocence, with respect to the crime laid to his charge.
He complained, that this, was the effect of a design,
which had been long formed against him. He ex
pressed a deep sense of his being under the displea
sure of the parliament and nation, and demanded
s,peedy justice. They forthwith drew up the articles
of impeachment, which being exhibited at the bar of
the upper house, he pleaded not guilty, and the com
mons promised to make good their charge : but, by
this time, such arts. had been used, as all at once
ohecked ;the violence of the prosecution. Such a
number of considerable persons were involved in this
rbystery of corruption, that a full discovery was
dreaded by both parties. The duke sent his domestic,'
Robart, out of the kingdom, and his absence fur
nished a pretence for postponing the trial. In a
word, the inquiry" was dropped; but the scandal
stuck fast to the duke's character.
§ vi. IN the midst Of these deliberations, the king,
went to the house on the 3d day of May, when he
thanked the parliament for the supplies they had
granted ; signified his intention of going abroad ; as
sured them he would place the administration of af
fairs in persons of known care and fidelity , and de
sired that the members of both houses would be more
than ordinarily vigilant in preserving the public
peace. The parliament was then prorogued to the
18th of June. The king immediately appointed a
6 In the course of this session, the daring that tne fleet in those seai
lordb had inquired into the particulars had conduced to the honour and ad
of the Mediterranean expedition, and vantage of the nation. On the other
presented an address tithe king-, de- hand, the commons in an address, be-

CH. t.

WILLIAM.

24#

regency to govern the kingdom in his absence : but
neither the princess of Denmark nor her husband
Were intrusted with any share in the administration %
a circumstance that evinced the king's jealousy, and
gave offence to a great part of the nation.*
§ vn. A session of parliament was deemed ne
cessary in Scotland, to provide new subsidies for
the maintenance of the troops of that kingdom,
which had been so serviceable in the prosecution of
the war. But, as a great outcry had been raised
against the government, on account of the massacre
of' Glencoe, and the Scots were tired of contributing
towards the expence of a war from which they could
derive no advantage, the ministry thought proper to
cajole them with the promise of some national in
dulgence. In the meantime, a commission passed
the great seal, for taking a precognition of the mas
sacre, as a previous step to the trial of the persons

sought his majesty to take care that
the kingdom might be put on an
equal footing and proportion with
the allies in defraying the expence of
the war.
The coin of the kingdom being
greatly diminished and adulterated,
the earls of Rochester and Notting
ham expatiated upon this national
evil in the house of lords ; an act was
passed, containing severer penalties
against clippers; but this produced
no good effect. The value of money
sunk in the exchange to such a de
gree, that a guinea was reckoned ade
quate to thirty shillings ; and this
public disgrace lowered the credit of
the funds and of the government.
The nation was alarmed by the cir
culation of fictitious wealth, instead
of gold and silver, such as bank-bills,
exchequer tallies, and government se
curities. The malcontents took this
opportunity to exclaim against the
bank, and even attempted to shake
the credit of it in parliament ; but
their endeavours only proved abor
tive ; the monied interest preponder
ated in both houses.
Pel. I.

2 The regency was composed of
the archbishop of Canterbury ; Som-
ers, lord-keeper of the great seal ; the
earl of Pembroke, lord-privy-seal ;
the duke of Devonshire, lord-stew*
ard of the household ; the duke of
Shrewsbury, secretary of state; the
earl of Dorset, lord chamberlain tand
the lord Godolphin, first commissions
er of the treasury. Sir John Trench
ard dying, his place of secretary was
filled with Sir William Trumbal, an.
eminent civilian, learned, diligent,
and virtuous, who had been envoy
at Paris and Constantinople. Wil
liam Nassau de Zuylestein, son of
the king's natural uncle, was created
baronof Enfield, Viscount Tunbridge,
and earl of Rochford, Ford, Lord
Grey of Werke, was made Viscount
Glendale, and earl of Tankerville.
The month of April of this year was
distinguished by the death of the
famous George Saville, marquis of
Hallifax, who had survived in a good
measure, his talents and repute-
tion.

Dd

246 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B. I.
concerned in that perfidious transaction. On the gth
of May, the session was opened by the marquis of
ofTweeddale, appointed commissioner, who, after
the king's letter had been read, expatiated on his
majesty's care and concern for their safety and wel
fare ; and his firm purpose to maintain the presby-
terian discipline in the church of Scotland. Then
he promised, in the king's name, that if they would
pass an act for establishing a colony in Africa, Ame
rica, or any other part of the world where a colony
might be lawfully planted, his majesty would in
dulge them with such rights and privileges as he
had granted in like cases to the subjects of his other
dominions. Finally, he exhorted them to consider
ways and means to raise the necessary supplies for
maintaining their land farces, and for providing a
competent number of ships of war to protect their
commerce. The parliament immediately voted an
address of condolence to his majesty on the death of
the queen; and they granted ,^120,000 sterling
for the service of the ensuing year, to be raised by
a general poll-tax, a land-tax, and an additional ex
cise. § viii. Their next step was to desire the com
missioner would transmit their humble thanks to the
king, for his care to vindicate the honour of the go
vernment and the justice of the nation, in ordering
a precognition to be taken with respect to the slaugh
ter of Glencoe. A motion was afterwards made,
that the commissioners should exhibit an account of
their proceedings in this affair : accordingly, a re
port, consisting of the king's instructions, Dal-
rymple's letters, the depositions of witnesses, and the
opinion of the committee, was laid before the par
liament. The motion is said to have been privately
influenced by Secretary Johnston, for the disgrace of
Dalrymple, who was his rival in power and interest.
The written opinion of the commissioners, who were
4

CH. V. WILLIAM. 24*7
creatures of the court, imported, that Macdonald
of Glencoe had been perfidiously murdered ; that the
king's instructions contained nothing to warrant the
massacre ; and that Secretary Dalfymple had ex
ceeded his orders. The parliament concurred with
this report. They resolved, that Livingston was
not to blame, for havirig giVeri the orders contained
in his letters to Lieutenant-colonel Hamilton ; that
this last was liable to prosecution : that the king
shouldjjbe addressed to give orders, either for examin
ing Major Duncanson in Flanders, touching his
cencern in this affair ; or for sending him home to
be tried in Scotland : as also, that Campbell of Glen-
lyon, Captain Drummohd, Lieutenarit Lihdsey, En
sign Lundy, and Serjeant Barber, should be sent to
Scotland, and prosecuted according to law, for the
parts they had acted in that execution. In consequence
of these resolutions, the parliament drew up an ad
dress to the king,' in which they laid the whole blame
of the massacre upon the excess iri the master of
Stair's letters concerning that transaction. They
begged that his majesty would give such orders about
him, as he should think fit for the vindication of his
government ; that the actors in that barbarous slaugh
ter might be prosecuted by the king's advpcate, ac7
cording to law ; and that some reparation might be
made to the men of Glencoe who escaped the rfias-
sacre, for the losses they had sustained in their effects
Upon that occasion, as their habitations had been
plundered and burned, their lands Wasted, and their
cattle driven away : so that they were reduced to ex
treme poverty. Notwithstanding this address of the
Scottish parliament, by which the king was so solemn
ly exculpated, his memory is still loaded with the
suspicion of having concerted, countenanced, and
inforced, this barbarous execution, especially as the
master of Stair escaped with impunity, and the other'
actors of the tragedy, far from being punished, were
Dd2

248 HISTORY Of ENGLAND. B. I.
>
preferred in the service. While the commissioners
were employed in the inquiry, they made such dis
coveries concerning the conduct of the earl of Bread
albane, as amounted to a charge of high treason ;
and he was committed prisoner to the castle of
Edinburgh : but it seems fie had dissembled with
the Highlanders, by the king's permission, and now
sheltered himself under the shadow of a royal par
don. § ix. The committee of trade, in pursuance of
the powers granted by the king to his commissioner,
prepared an act for establishing a company trading tp
Africa and the Indies, empowering them to plant
colonies, hold cities, towns, or forts, in places unin
habited, or in others, with the consent of the natives ;
vesting them with an exclusive right, and an exemp
tion for twenty -one years from all duties and imposi
tions. This act was likewise confirmed by letters-
patent under the great seal, directed by the parlia
ment, without any further warrant from the crown.
Paterson, the projector, had contrived the sdiqme of
a, settlement upon the isthmus of Darien, in such a
njanner as to carry on a trade in the South sea, as
well as in the Atlantic ; nay, even to extend it as far
as the East-Indies ,:, a great number pf London mer
chants, allured by the prospect of gain, were eager to
engage in such a, company, exempted from all manner
of imposition and. restriction. The Scottish^ parlia
ment likewise. passed an act in favour of the epis*
copal .clergy, decreeing, .that those, who should enter,
into such engagements t;o, the king, as were by law
required, .might continue in their benefice under his
majesty's protection, without being, subject rtp the-
power^of presbytery. , Seventy of, the most note4
ministers of that persuasion took the benefit of this in,*
dulgence. Another law was enacted, for raising 9,000
men; yearly, to recruit the .Scottish reghnents abrqa^;
and an act for greeting a public bank : 'then the par-

CH. V. WILLIAM. 243
liament was adjourned to the 7'* day of Novem
ber. § x. Ireland began to be infested with the same
¦factions which had broke out in England since the re
volution : Lord Capef, the lord-deputy, governed in a
very partial manner, oppressing the Irish papists,
without any regard to equity or decorum. He un
dertook to model a parliament in such a manner, that
they should comply with all the demands of the mi
nistry ; and he succeeded in his endeavours, by mak
ing such arbitrary changes in offices as best suited his
purpose. These precautions being taken, he convok
ed a parliament for the 27th day of August, when he
opened the session with a speech, expatiating upon
their obligations to King William, and exhorting
them to make suitable returns to such a gracious so
vereign. He observed, that the revenue had fallen
short of the establishment f so that both the civil and
military lists were greatly in debt : that his majesty
had sent over a bill for an additional excise, and ex
pected they- would find ways and means to answer the
demands of the service. They, forthwith Voted an
address of thanks, and resolved to assist his majesty
to the utmost of their power, against all his enemies,
foreign and domestic. They passed the bill for an ad«
ditional excise, together with an act for taking away
the writ ' de heretico comburendo ;' another annulling
all attainders and acts passed in the late pretended
parliament pf King James : a third to prevent foreign
education: a fourth for disarming papists: and a
fifth, for settling the estates pf intestates.- Then they
resolved, that a sum not exceeding ^168,325 should
be granted to his majesty, to be raised by a poll-bill,
additional customs, and a 'continuation of the addi
tional excise. Sir Charles Porter, the chancellor,
finding his importance diminished, if not entirely de
stroyed, by the assuming disposition and power of the
krrd-deputy^begatt to court popularity by espousing
Dd3

250 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I.
the cause of the Irish, against the severity of the ad
ministration ; and actually formed a kind of tory in
terest, which thwarted Lord Capel in all his mea
sures. A motion was made in parliament to impeach
the chancellor, for sowing discord and division among
his majesty's subjects : but, being indulged with a
hiiring by the house of commons, he justified him
self so much to their satisfaction, that he was voted
clear of all imputation, by a great majority. Never
theless-, they, at the end of the session, sent over an
address, in which they bore testimony to the mild and
just administration of their lord-deputy.
§ xi. King William having taken such steps as
were deemed necessary for preserving the peace of
England in his absence^ crossed the sea to Holland
in the middle of May, fully determined to make some
great effort in the Netherlands, that migh# aggran
dize his military character, and humble the power of
France, which was already on the decline. That
kingdom was actually exhausted in such a manner,
that the haughty Lewis found himself obliged to
stand upon the defensive against enemies over whom
he had been used to triumph with uninterrupted suc
cess. He heard the clamours of his people, which
he could not quiet : he saw his advances to peace
rejected ; and to crown his misfortunes, he sustained
an irreparable loss in the death of Francis de Mont
morency, duke of Luxembourg, to whose military
talents he owed the greatest part of his glory and suc
cess. That great officer died in January at Versailles,
in the sixty-seventh year of his age ; and Lewis la
mented his death the more deeply, as he had not
another general left in whose understanding he could
confide. The conduct of the army in Flanders was
intrusted to Mareschal Villeroy ; and Bouffiers com
manded a separate army, though subject to the odier's
orders. As the French king took it for granted, that
the con-federates would have a superiority of numbers
in the field, and was well acquainted with the enter-

-CH. V. WILLIAM. 251
prising genius of their chief, he ordered a new line
to be drawn between Lys and the Scheld : he caused
a disposition to be made for covering Dunkirk, Ypres,
Tournay, and Namur; and laid injunctions on his
general to act solely on the defensive. Meanwhile,
the confederates formed two armies in the Nether
lands. The first consisted of seventy battalions of
infantry, and eighty-two squadrons of horse and dra
goons, chiefly English and Scots, encamped at Aer-
seele, Caneghem, and Wouterghem, between Thield
and Deynse, to be commanded by the king in person,
assisted by the old prince of Vaudemont. The other
armyj composed of sixteen battalions of foot, and
130 squadrons of horse, encamped at Zellich and
HarUme, on the road from Brussels to Dendermonde,
under the command of the elector of Bavaria, second
ed by fce duke of Holstein-Ploen. Major-general
Ellemberg was posted near Dixmuyde with twenty
battalions and ten squadrons ; and another body of
Brandenburg and Dutch troops, with a reinforcement
from Liege, lay encamped on the Mehaigne, under
the conduct of the baron de; Heyden, lieutenant-
general of Brandenburg, and the count de Berlo,
general of the Liege cavalry. King William arrived
in the camp on the 5th -day of July; and remained
eight days* at Aerseele. Then he marched to Bekelau,
while Villeroy retired behind his lines ^between Menin
and Ypres, after having detached 10,000 men tp
reinforce Bouffiers, who had; advanced to Pont id'Es-
pkres : but he too retreating within his- lines, the
elector of Bavaria psissed the Scheld, and took post
at Kirkhoven- : at; the same time the body under Hey
den advanced towards Namur.
*t§ , xh. ¦ The king of England^ having < by his mo
tions drawn the forces of the enen^y On the side of
Flandersi,! directed the baron de Heyden and the- earl
of Athlone, who Commanded forty squadrons from
the camp of the elector of Bavaria, to invest Namur :
and this-- service was; -performed on the 3d day of July ;

252 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I,
but, as thetplace was not entirely surrounded, Mares*
chal Bouffiers threw himself into it, with such a reinr
forcement of dragoons as augmented the garrison to
the number of 15,000 chosen men* King William
and the elector brought up the rest of the forces,
which encamped on both sides of the Sambre and
Maese ; and the lines of circumvallation were begun
on the 6th day of July, under the direction of the
celebrated engineer General Coehorn. The place was
formerly very strong, both by situation and art ; but
the French, since its last reduction, had made such
additional works, that both the town and citadel seem
ed impregnable. Considering-the number of the gar
rison, and the quality of the troops, commanded by
a mareschal of France, distinguished by his valour
and conduqt, the enterprise was deemed an undeni
able proof of William's temerity. On the 11th the
trenches were opened, and next day the batteries be
gan to play with incredible fury. The king receiv
ing intelligence of a motion made by a body of French
troops, with a view to intercept the convoys, detached
twenty squadrons of horse and dragoons to observe
the enemy.
§ xin. Prince Vaudemont, who was left at
Roselaer with fifty battalions, and the like number of
squadrons, understanding that Villeroy had passed the
Lys, in order to attack him, took post with his left
near Grammen, his right by Aerseele and Caneghem,
and began tp fortify his canip, with a view to expect
the enemy. Their vanguard appearing on the even
ing of the 13th at Dentreghero, he changed the. dig,-.
position of his camp, and entrenched himself on both:
sides, Next day, however* perceiving Villeroy's de
sign was to surround him, by means of another body
of troops commanded by M. Montal,,who had already
passed the Thieldt for that purpose, he resplved to
*ivoid,an engagement, and effected a retreat to Ghent,
which ;s celebrated as one of the most capital efforts
o.tj jnjlitary conduct He forthwith detached tweh/g

«H;V. e«t& -WILLJAM.J VT>'-'tH £53.
battalions and twelve pieces of cannon, to secure New
port, which Villeroy had intended to invest : but that
general now changed his resolution, and Undertook
the siege of Dixmuyde, garrisoned by eight battalions
of foot, and a regiment of dragooris, commanded by
Major-general Ellemberg, who, in thirty-six hours
after the trenches were opened, surrendered himself
and his soldiers prisoners of war. ' This scandalous
example was followed by Colonel Ofarrel, who yield
ed up Deynse on the same shameful conditions, eveii
before a battery was opened by the besiegers/'* In the1
sequel j they were both tried for their misbehaviour 'i
Ellemberg suffered death, and Ofarrel was broke with
infamy* The prince of Vaudemont sent a message to
the French general, demanding the garrisons of those
two places, according to a cartel which had > been
settled between the powers at war ; but no regard
was paid to this 'remonstrance." Villeroy, after several
marches and countermarches,' appeared before Brus~.
sels on the 13th day of August, and sent a letter to-
the prince of Berghem, governor of that city, im
porting, ' that the king his master had ordered him to"
bombard the town, by way of making reprisals for
the damage done by the English fleet "to the maritime
towns of France : he likewise desired to know iri
what part the electress of Bavaria resided, that he
might not fire into that quarter. After this declara
tion, which was no more tfian an unmeaning cofn-
pliment, he began to bombard and cannonade- the
place with red-hot bullets, which produced confla- '
grations in many different parts of the- city, and
frightened the electress into a miscarriage. On the I
15tb, theiFrench discontinuedHtheir firing, and retir
ed to Enghein.to gui^m . ,mirl - ;w
' , § xiv. During these transactions^ the siege of
Namur was prosecuted with great ardour, under the
eye of the king of England;- while the garrison de-,
fended the place with equal spirit and perseverance.
Cm the 1 8th day of July, Major-general Ramsay an.4

-^54 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. <I»
Lord Cutts, at the head of five battalions, English,
Scots, and Dutch, attacked the enemy's advanced
works, on the right of the counterscarp. They were
sustained by six English battalions, commanded by
Brigadier-general Fitzpatrick ; while eight foreign
regiments, with 9,000 pioneers, advanced on the left,
under Major-general Salisch. The assault was des
perate and bloody, the enemy maintaining their
ground for two hours with undaunted courage : but
at last they were obliged to give way, and were pur
sued to the very gates of the town, though not before
they had killed or wounded 1 ,200 men of the con
federate army. The king was so well pleased with
the behaviour of the British troops, that during the
action he, laid his hand upon the shoulder of the elec
tor of Bavaria, and exclaimed with emotion, ' See my
' brave English.' On the 27 th, the English and
Scots, under Ramsay and Hamilton, assaulted the
counterscarp, where they met with prodigious oppo
sition from the fire of the besieged. Nevertheless,
being sustained by the Dutch, they made a lodgement
on the foremost covered way before the gate of Sl.
Nicholas, as also upon part of the counterscarp. The
valour of the assailants on this occasion was altogether
unprecedented, and almost incredible ; while, on the
other hand, the courage of the besieged was worthy
of praise and admiration. Several persons were
killed in the trenches at the side of the king, and
among these Mr. Godfrey, deputy-governor of the
bank of England, who had come to the camp, to con
fer with his majesty about remitting money for the
payment of the army. On the 30th day of July,.the
elector of Bavaria attacked Vauban's line that sur
rounded the works of the castle. General Coehora
was present in this action, which was performed with
equal valour and success. They not only brokeithe
line, but even took possession of Coehorn's fort, in
which, however, they found it impossible to effect a
lodgement. On the 2d day of August, Lord Cutts*,

CH. V. WILLIAM. 255
with 400 English and Dutch grenadiers, attacked the
saillant-angle of a demi-bastion, and lodged himself
on the second counterscarp. The breaches being
now practicable, and preparations made for a general
assault, Count Guiscard, the governor, capitulated
for the town on the 4th of August ; and the French
retired into the citadel, against which twelve batteries
played upon the 13th. The trenches, meanwhile,
were carried on with great expedition, notwithstand
ing all the efforts of the besieged, who fired without
ceasing, and exerted amazing diligence and intrepidi
ty in defending and repairing the damage they sus
tained. At length, the annoyance became so dreadful
from the unintermitting showers of bombs and red-
hot bullets, that Bouffiers, after having made divers
' furious sallies, formed a scheme for breaking through
the confederate camp with his cavalry. This, how
ever, was prevented by the extreme vigilance of King
William. § xv. After the bombardment of Brussels, Ville
roy being reinforced with all the troops that could
be drafted from garrisons, advanced towards Na
mur, with an army of g0,000 men ; and Prince
Vaudemont being joined by the prince of Hesse,
with a strong body of forces from the Rhine^ took
possession of the strong camp at Masy, within five
English miles of the besieging army. The king,
understanding that the enemy had reached Fleurus,
where they discharged ninety pieces of cannon, as a
signal to inform the garrison of their approach, left
the conduct of the siege to the elector of Bavaria,
and took upon himself the command of the cover
ing army, in order to oppose Villeroy, who being fur*
ther reinforced by a detachment from Germany, de
clared1 that he \vould hazard a battle for the relief pf
Namur. But, when he viewed the posture of the
allies near Masy, he changed his resolution, and re
tired in the night without noise. On the 30th day
pf August,' the besieged were summoned to surren-

256 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B' I.
der, by Count Horn, who, in a parley with the count
de Lamont, general of the French infantry, gave him
to Understand, that Mareschal Villeroy had retired
towards the Mehaigne ; so that the garrison could
riot expect to be relieved. No immediate answer
being returned to this message, the parley was broke
off, and the king resolved to proceed without de
lay to a general assault, which he had already planned
with the elector and his other generals. Between
one and two in the afternoon, Lord Cutts, who de
sired the command, though it was not his turn of
duty, rushed out of the trenches of the second line,
at the head of 300 grenadiers, to make a lodge
ment in the breach of Terra-nova, supported by the
regiments of Coulthorp, Buchan, Hamilton, and
-Mackay ; while Colonel Marselly, with a body of
Dutch, the Bavarians, and Brandenburgers, at
tacked at two other places. The assailants met with
such a warm reception, that the English grenadier^
were repulsed, even after they had mounted the
breach, Lord Cutts being for some time disabled by
a shot in the head. Marselly was defeated, taken,
and afterwards killed by a cannon-ball from the bat
teries of the besiegers. The Bavarians, by mistaking
their way, were exposed to a terrible fire, by which
their general, Count Rivera, and a great number of
their officers, were slain : nevertheless, they fixed
themselves ' on the outward entrenchment, on the
point of the Coehbrn next to the Sambre, and main
tained their ground with amazing fortitude. Lord
Cutts, when' his wound was dressed, returned to
the scene of action, and ordered 200 chosen men
of Mackay's regiment, commanded by Lieutenant
Cockle, to attack the face of the saillant-angle next
to the breach, sword in hand, while the ensigns
of the same regiment should advance, and plant
their colours on the pallisadoes. Cockle and his de
tachment executed the command he had received
vvith admirable intrepidity. They broke through the

CHi v. William. 257
pallisadpes, drove the French from the Covered-way^
made a lodgement in one of the batteries, and
turned the cannon against the enemy. The Bava
rians being thus sustained, made their post good.;
The major-generals La Cave and Schwerin lodged
themselves at the same time on the covered- way ;
and though the general assault did not succeed in its
full extent, the confederates remained masters of a
very considerable lodgement, nearly an English mile
in length. Yet this was dearly purchased with the
lives of 2,0Q0 men, including many officers of great
rank and reputation. During the action the elector
of Bavaria signalized his courage in a very remark
able manner, riding from place to place through the
hottest of the fire, giving his directions with notable
presence of mind,, according to the emergency of
circumstances, animating the officers, with praise and
promise of preferment, and distributing handfuls of
gold, among the private soldiers,
§ xvi. On the 1st day of September the besieged
having obtained a cessation of arms, that their dead
might be buried, the count de Guiscard appearing
on the breach, desired to 6peak with the elector of
Bavaria. . His highness immediately mounting the
breach, the French governor offered to surrender the
fort of Cpehorn ; but was. given to, understand, that
if, he intended to capitulate, ne must tr,e.af for the
- whole. This reply being communicated to Bouffiers,
he. agreed to the proposal : the cessation was pro
longed, and. that very evening the , capitulation was
finished-, ; Villeroy, who lay qncamped at Gemblours,
was, no sooner apprised of this, event, by a triple dis
charge of all the artillery, and a running fire along
the line^pf the confederate army, than he passed the
Sambre near Charleroy, with great precipitation ;
and -having reiruojjeed, the .garrison of Dinant, re
treated, towards the lines in ,tbe neighbourhood of ,,
JVjIpp,^ On the ,5th day of September the French.
garrison, which,, was now reduced from, 15,000 to.

258 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
5,500 men, evacuated the citadel of Namur. Bouf
fiers, in marching out, was arrested in the name
of his Britannic majesty, by way of reprisal for the
garrisons of Dixmuyde and Deynse, which the French
king had detained, contrary to the cartel subsist
ing between the two nations. The mareschal was
not a little discomposed at this unexpected inci
dent, and expostulated warmly with Mr. Dyck-
velt, who assured him the king of Great Britain
entertained a profound respect for his person and
character. William even offered to set him at li
berty, provided he would pass his word that the
garrisons of Dixmuyde and Deynse should be sent
back, or that he himself would return in a fortnight.
He said, that he could not enter into any such en
gagement, as he did not know his master's reasons
for detaining the garrisons in question. He was,
therefore, re-conveyed to Namur ; from thence re
moved to Maestricht, and treated with great rever
ence and respect, till the return of an officer whom
he had dispatched to Versailles with an account of
his captivity. Then he engaged his word, that the
garrisons of Dixmuyde and Deynse should be sent
back to the allied army. He was immediately re
leased, and conducted in safety to Dinant. When
he repaired to Versailles, Lewis received him with
very extraordinary marks of esteem and affection.
He embraced him in public with the warmest ex
pressions of regard ; declared himself perfectly well
satisfied with his conduct ; created him a duke and
peer of France ; and presented him with a very
large sum, in acknowledgement of his signal ser
vices. § xvn. After the reduction of Namur, which
greatly enhanced the military character of King Wil
liam, he retired to his house at Loo, which was
his favqurite place of residence, leaving the com
mand to the elector of Bavaria ; and about the
latter end of September both armies began to se-

CH. V. WILLIAM. 250
parate. The French forces retired within their lines.
A good number of the allied troops were distributed
in different garrisons ; and a strong detachment
marched towards Newport, under the command of
the prince of Wirtemberg, for the security of that
place. Thus ended the campaign in the Nether
lands. On the Rhine nothing of moment was at
tempted by either army. The mareschal de Lorges,
in the beginning of June, passed the Rhine at Phi-
lipsburg ; and posting himself at Brucksal, sent out
parties to ravage the country. On the 1 1 •11 of the
same month, the prince of Baden joined the Ger
man army at Steppach, and on the 8th of July was
reinforced by the troops of the other German con
federates, in the neighbourhood of Wiselock. On the
19th, the French retired without noise, in the night,
towards Manheim, where they repassed the river,
without any interruption from the imperial general :
then he sent off a large detachment to Flanders.
The same step was taken by the prince of Baden ;
and each army lay inactive in their quarters for the
remaining part of the campaign. The command of
the Germans in Hungary was conferred upon the
elector of Saxony : but the court of Vienna was so di
latory in their preparations, that he was not in a con
dition to act till the middle of August. Lord Paget
had been sent ambassador from England to the Ot
toman Porte, with instructions relating to a paci
fication : but before he could obtain an audience,
the sultan died, and was succeeded by his nephew«
Mustapha, who resolved to prosecute the war in
person. The warlike genius of this new emperor
afforded' but an uncomfortable prospect to his people,
considering that Peter, the czar of Muscovy, had
taken the opportunity of the war in Hungary, to
invade the Crimea, and besiege Azoph ; so that the
Tartars were too much employed at home to spare
the succours which the sultan demanded. Never
theless, Mustapha and his visir took the field before

260 HISTORY OF ENGLANB. B.I.
the imperialists could commence the operations of
the campaign, passed the Danube, took Lippa and
Titul by assault, stormed the camp of General Ve-
terani, who was posted at Lugos with 7>000 men,
and who lost his life in the action. The infantry
were cut to pieces, after having made a desperate
defence : but the horse retreated to Carousebes, .
under the conduct of General Tr usehes. The Turks,
after this exploit, retired to Orsowa. Their navy^
meanwhile, surprized the Venetian fleet at Scio,
where several ships of the republic were destroyed^
and they recovered that island, which the Vene
tians thought proper to abandon : but in order t»
balance this misfortune, these last obtained a com
plete victory over the bashaw of Negropont in the
Morea. § xvni. The French king still maintained a se
cret negociation with the duke of Savoy, whose con
duct had been for some time mysterious and equivo
cal. Contrary to the opinion of his allies, he under
took the siege of Casal, which was counted one of
the strongest fortifications in Europe, defended by
a numerous garrison, abundantly supplied with am
munition and provision. The siege was begun about
the middle of May ; and the place was surrender
ed by capitulation in about fourteen days, to the
astonishment of the confederates, who did not know
that this was a sacrifice by which the French court
obtained the duke's forbearance during the remain
ing part of the campaign. The capitulation im
ported, that the place should be restored to the duke
of Mantua, who was the rightful proprietor : that
the fortifications should be demolished at the ex-
pence of the allies : that the garrison should remain
in the fort till that work should be completed : and
hostages were exchanged for the performance of
these conditions. The duke understood the art of
procrastination so well, that September was far ad
vanced before the place was wholly dismantled ; and

GH. V. WILLIAM. 26l
then he was seized with an ague, which obliged him
to quit the army.
§ xix. In Catalonia the French could hard
ly maintain the footing they had gained; Admiral
Russel, who wintered at Cadiz, was created admi
ral, chief-commander, and captain-general, of all his
majesty's ships employed, or to be employed, in the
narrow seas, and in the Mediterranean. He was
reinforced by 4,500 soldiers, under the command of
Brigadier-general Stewart ; and 7^000 men, imperi
alists as well as Spaniards, were drafted from Italy
for the defence of Catalonia. These forces were trans
ported to Barcelona, under the convoy of Admiral
Mevil, detached by Russel for that purpose. The
affairs of Catalonia had already changed their aspect;
Several French parties had been defeated. The. Spai
niards had blocked up Ostalric and Castel-Follit i
Noailles had been recalled, and the command de
volved to the duke de Vendome, who no sooner
understood that the forces from Italy were landed,
than he dismantled Ostalrie and Castel-Follit, and
retired to Palamos. The viceroy of Catalonia, and
the English admiral having resolved to give battle to
the enemy, and reduce Palamos, the English troops
were landed on the Qlt> day of August, and the"
allied army advanced to Palamos. The French ap
peared in order of battle : but the viceroy declined
an engagement. Far from attacking the enemy^
he withdrew his forces, and the town was bom
barded by the admiral. The miscarriage of this ex
pedition was in a great measure owing to a misun
derstanding between Russel and the court of Spain*
The admiral complained that his catholic majesty
had made no preparations for the campaign ; that
he had neglected to fulfil his engagement? w;th
respect to the Spanish squadron, which ought to
have joined the fleets of Lugland and Holland s
that he had taken no care to provide tents and pro-
Fol. I, Ee

262 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. ». Iw
vision for the British forces. On the 27th day- of
August he sailed for the coast of Provence, where
the fleet was endangered by a terrible tempest:
then he steered down the straits, and towards the
latter end of September arrived in the bay of Cadiz.
There he left a number of ships under the command
of Sir David Mitchel, until he should be joined by
Sir George Rooke, who was expected from Eng
land, and returned home with the rest of the com
bined squadrons.^
^ xx. While Admiral Russel asserted the Bri
tish dominion in the Mediterranean, the French
coasts were again insulted in the Channel by a sepa
rate fleet, under the command of Lord Berkeley
of Stratton, assisted by the Dutch admiral Alle-
rnonde. On the 4"1 day of July they anchored be
fore S*. Maloes, which they bombarded from nine
ketches covered by some frigates, which sustained
more damage than was done to the enemy. On
the 6th, Granville underwent the same fate, and
then the fleet returned to Portsmouth. The bomb-
vessels being refitted, the fleet sailed round to the
Downs, where 400 soldiers were embarked for an
attempt upon Dunkirk, under the direction of Mees-
ters, the famous Dutch engineer, who had prepar
ed his infernals and other machines for the service.
On the 1st day of August the experiment was tried
without success. The bombs did some execution :
but two smoke ships miscarried. The French had
secured the Risbank and wooden forts with piles,
bombs, chains, and floating batteries, in such >a
manner, that the machine-vessels could not ap
proach near enough to produce any effect. Besides,
the councils of the assailants were distracted by
violent animosities. The English officers hated
Meesters, because he was a Dutchman,, and had
acquired some credit with the king ; he, on the
other hand, treated them with disrespect. He re
tired with his machines in the night, and refused to

CHiV. WILLIAM.' 263
co-operate with Lord Berkeley in his design upon
Calais, which was now put in execution. On the
16th he brought his batteries to bear upon this place,
and set fire to it in different quarters : but the enemy
had taken such precautions as rendered his scheme
abortive. § xxi. A squadron had been sent to the West-1
Indies under the joint command of Captain Robert
Wilmot and Colonel Lilingston, with 1,200 land
forces. They had instructions to co-operate with the
Spaniards in Hispaniola, against the French settle
ments on that island, and to destroy their fisheries
on the banks of Newfoundland, in their return.
They were accordingly joined by 1,700 Spaniards
raised by the president of Sc. Domingo ; but instead
bf proceeding against Petit-Guavas, according to the
directions they had received, Wilmot took pos
session of Port Franqois, and plundered the country
for his own private advantage, notwithstanding the
remonstrances of Lilingston, who protested against
his conduct. In a word, the sea and land officers
lived in a state of perpetual dissension; and both
became extremely disagreeable to the Spaniards; who
soon renounced all connection with them and their
designs. In the beginning of September the com
modore set sail for England, and lost one of his
ships in the gulf of Florida. He himself died in
his passage ; and the greater part of the men being
swept off by an epidemical distemper, the squadron
returned to Britain in a most miserable condition.
Notwithstanding the great efforts the nation had
made to maintain such a number of different squad
rons for the protection of commerce, as well as to .
annoy the enemy, the trade suffered severely from
the French privateers, which swarmed in both chan
nels, and made prize of many rich vessels. The
marquis of Caermarthen, being stationed with a
squadron off the Scilly islands; mistook a fleet of
; -_i  ;¦ , , Ee2 .

264. HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
merchant ships for the Brest fleet, and retired with
precipitation to Milford haven. In consequence of
this retreat, the privateers took a good number of
ships from Barbadoes, and five from the East-indies,
valued at gg 1 ,000,000 sterling. The merchants re
newed their clamour against the commissioners of the
admiralty, who produced their orders and instruc
tions in their own defence. The marquis of Caer-
marthen had been guilty of flagrant misconduct on
this occasion ; but the chief source of those national
calamities was the circumstantial intelligence trans
mitted to France from time to time, by the mal
contents of England ; for they were actuated by a
scandalous principle, which they sitll retain, namely,
that of rejoicing in the distress of their country.
§ xxn. King William, after having conferred
with the states of Holland, and the elector of Bran
denburg, who met him at the Hague, embarked
for England on the 1 9th day of October, and ar
rived in safety at Margate, from whence he pro
ceeded to London, where he was received as a
conqueror, amidst the rejoicings and acclamations
of the people. On the same day he summoned
a council at Kensington, in which it was deter
mined to convoke a new parliament. While the
nation was in good humour, it was supposed that
they would return such members only as were well
affected to the government ; whereas the present
parliament might proceed in its inquiries into cor
ruption and other grievances, and be the less in
fluenced by the crown, as their dependence was of
such short duration. The parliament was, therefore,
dissolved by proclamation, and a new one summon
ed to meet at Westminster on the 22d day of No
vember. While the whole nation was occupied in
the elections, William, by the advice of his chief con
fidents, laid .his own disposition under restraint, in
another effort to acquire popularity. He honour
ed the diversions of Newmarket with his presence,

CH.- V. WILLIAM. 265
and there received a compliment of congratula
tion from the university of Cambridge; Then he
visited the earls of Sunderland, Northampton, ancf
Montague, at their different houses in the coun
try ; and proceeded with a splendid retinue to
Lincoln, from whence he repaired to Welbeak,
a seat belonging to the duke of Newcastle in Not
tinghamshire, where he was attended by Dr. Sharp,
archbishop of York, and his clergy. He lodged
one night with Lord Brooke, at Warwick castle>
dined with the duke of Shrewsbury at Eyefort,
and, . by the way of Woodstock, made a solemn
entry into Oxford, having been met at some dis
tance from the city by the duke of Qrmond, as
chancellor of the university, the vice-chancellor,
the doctors in their habits, and the magistrates in
their formalities. He proceeded directly to the
theatre, where he was welcomed in an elegant Latin
speech ; he received from the chancellor on his
knees the usual presents of a large English Bible,
and book of Common prayer, the cuts of the uni
versity, and a pair of gold-fringed gloves. The con
duits ran with wine, and a magnificent banquet was
•prepared ; but an anonymous letter being found in
the street, importing, that there was a design to
poison his majesty, William refused to eat or drink
in Oxford, and retired immediately to Windsor.
Notwithstanding this abrupt departure, which did
not savour much of magnanimity, the university
chose Sir William Trumbal, secretary of state, as one
of their representatives in parliament.
§ xxui. The whig interest generally prevailed
in the elections, though many even of that party
were malcontents ; and when the parfiament met,
Foley was again chosen speaker of the commons.
The king, in his first speech, extolled the valour
of the English forces ; expressed his concern at be
ing obliged to demand such large supplies from his
Ee 3

266 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B; T,
people ; observed, that the funds had proved very
deficient, and the civil list was in a precarious con
dition ; recommended to their compassion the miser
able situation of the French protestants : took no
tice of the bad state of the coin : desired they
would form a good bill for the encouragement arid
increase of seamen ; and contrive laws for the ad
vancement of commerce. He mentioned the great
preparations whioh the French were making for
taking the field early : intreated them to use dis
patch : expressed his satisfaction at the choice which
his people had made of their representatives in the
house of commons ; and exhorted them to pro^
ceed with temper and unanimity. Though the two
houses presented addresses of congratulation to the
king upon his late success, and promised to assist
him in prosecuting the war with vigour, the na
tion loudly exclaimed against the intolerable bur
thens and losses to which they were subjected, by a
foreign scheme of politics, which, like an unfa
thomable abyss, swallowed up the wealth and blood
of the kingdom. All the king's endeavours to
cover the disgusting side of his character had proved
ineffectual : he was still dry, reserved, and forbid
ding ; and the malcontents invieghed bitterly against
his behaviour to the princess Anne of Denmark.
When the news of Namur's being reduced, arrived
in England, this lady congratulated him upon his
success in a dutiful letter, to which he would not
deign to send a reply, either by writing or message ;
nor had she or her husband been favoured with
the slightest mark of regard since his return to
England. The members in the lower house who
had adopted opposing maxims, either from princi
ple or resentment, resolved, that the crown should
purchase the supplies with some concession in fa
vour of the people. They therefore brought in the
so long contested bill for regulating trials in cases
pf high treason., and misprision of treason ; and4

CH. V. WILLIAM.
considering the critical juncture of affairs, the
courtiers were afraid of obstructing such a popular
measure. The lords inserted a clause, enacting,
that a peer should be tried by the whole peerage ;
and the commons at once assented to this amend
ment. The bill provided, that persons indicted for
high treason, or misprision of treason, should be
furnished with a copy of the indictment five days
before the trial ; and indulged with counsel to plead
in their defence; that no person should be indicted
but upon the oaths of two lawful witnesses swearing
to overt-acts : that in two or more distinct treasons
of divers kinds, alleged in one bill of indictment,
one witness to one, and another witness to another,
should not be deemed two witnesses: that' no person
should be prosecuted for any such crime, unless the
indictment be found within three years after the
offence committed, except in case of a design or
attempt to assassinate or poison the king, where this
limitation should not take place : that persons in
dicted for treason, or misprision of treason, should
be supplied with copies of the pannel of the jurors,
two days at least before the trial, and have process to
compel their witnesses to appear : that no evidence
should be admitted of any overt-act not expressly
laid in the indictment: that this act should not' ex
tend to any impeachment, or other proceeding in
parliament ; nor to any indictment for counterfeiting
his majesty's coin, his great seal, privy seal, sign.
^manual, or signet.
. § xxiv. This important affair 'being discussed^
the commons proceeded to examine the accounts
and estimates, and voted above ,^5, 000,000 for
the service of the ensuing year. The state of the
coin was by. this time become such a national griev
ance as could not escape the attention of parlia
ment. The lords prepared an address to the throne,
ibr a proclamation to put a stop to the currency of
¦diminished coin ; and to this they desired the con-

20S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. r,
currence bf the commons. The lower house, howr
ever, determined to take this affair under their own
inspection. They appointed a committee of the
who}e house, to deliberate on the state of the na
tion with respect to the currency. Great opposi*
tion was made to a recoinage, which was a mea
sure strenuously recommended and supported by
Mr. Montague, who acted on this occasion by
the advice of the great mathematician Sir Isaac
Newton. The enemies of this expedient argued;
that should the silver coin be called in, it would
be impossible to maintain the war abroad; or pro
secute foreign trade, inasfnuch as the merchant
could not pay his bills of exchange, nor the soldier
receive his subsistence : that a stop would be put to
all mutual payment ; and this would produce uni
versal confusion and despair. Such a reformation
could not be effected without some danger and dif
ficulty ; but it was become absolutely necessary,
as the evil daily increased, and in a little time must
have terminated in national anarchy. After long
and vehement debates, the majority resolved to pro
ceed with all possible expedition to a new coinage.
Another question arose, whether the new coin, in
its different denominations, should retain the ori
ginal weight and purity of the old, or the esta
blished standard be raised in value I The famous
Locke engaged in this dispute against Mr. Lowndes,
who proposed that the standard should be raised :
the arguments of Mr. Locke were so convincing,
that the committee resolved the established standard
should be preserved with respect to weight and fine
ness. They likewise resolved, that the loss accru
ing to the revenue from clipped money, should be
borne by the public. In order to prevent a total
stagnation, they further resolved, that after an
appointed day, no clipped money should pass in
payment, except to the collectors of the revenue
arid taxesj of upon loans or payment into the ex-

CH. T. WILLIAM. 26g
chequer: that; after another day, to be appointed,
no clipped money of any sort shoijd pass jn any
payment whatsoever ; and that a third day should
be fixed for all persons to bring in their clipped
money, to be recoined, after which, they should
have no allowance upon what they might offer.
They addressed the king to issue a proclamation
agreeably to these resolutions 5 and, on the 19th
day of December, it was published accordingly.
Such were the fears of the people, augmented
and inflamed by the enemies of the government,
that all payment immediately ceased, and a face
of distraction appeared through the whole com
munity. The adversaries of the bill seized this
opportunity to aggravate the apprehensions of the
public. They, inveighed against, the ministry, as
the authors of this national grievance; they le
velled their satire particularly at Montague ; and it
required uncommon fortitude and address to avert
the most dangerous consequences of popular discon
tent. The house of commons agreed to the fol
lowing resolutions : that^l,200;000 should be rais
ed by a duty on glass windows, to make up the loss
on the clipped money : that the recompense for sup
plying the deficiency of clipped money should ex
tend to all silver coin, though of a coarser alloy than
the standard : that the collectors and receivers of
his majesty's aids and revenues should be enjoined to
receive all such monies : that a reward of five per
cent, should be given to all such persons as should
bring in either milled or broad undipped money
to be applied in exchange of the clipped money
throughout the kingdom : that a reward of three
pence per ounce should be given to all persons who
should bring in wrought plate to the mint to be
coined ¦:¦ that persons might pay in their whole next
year's land-tax in clipped money, at one convenient
time to be appointed for that purpose : that com-
ririssioners should be appointed in every county, to,

270 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
pay and distribute the milled and broad undipped
money, and the new coined money, in lieu of that
which was diminished. A bill being prepared agrees
ably to these determinations, was sent up to thq
house of lords, who made some amendments, which
the commons rejected : but, in order to avoid cavils
and conferences, they dropped the bill, and brought
in another without the clauses which the lords had
inserted. They were again proposed in the upper
house, and over-ruled by the majority ; and, on the
21" day of January, the bill received the royal as
sent, as did another bill, enlarging the time for pur
chasing annuities, and continuing the duties on low
wines. At the same time, the king passed the bill
of trials for high treason, and an act to prevent mer
cenary elections. Divers merchants and traders pe
titioned the house of commons, that the losses in
their trade and payments, occasioned by the rise of
guineas, might be taken into consideration. A bill
was immediately brought in for taking off the obli
gation and encouragement for coining guineas, for a
certain time ; and then the commons proceeded to
lower the value of this coin : a task in which they
met with great opposition from some members, who
alleged, that it would foment the popular, disturb
ances. At length, however, the majority agreed,
that a guinea should be lowered from thirty to
twenty-eight shillings, and afterwards to twenty-six :
at length a clause was inserted in the bill for en
couraging people to bring plate to the mint, settling
the price of a guinea at twenty-two shillings, and it
naturally sunk to its original value of twenty shil
lings and sixpence. Many persons, however, sup
posing that the price of gold would be raised the
next session, hoarded up their guineas : and, upon
the same supposition, encouraged by the malcontents,
the new coined silver money was reserved, to the
great detriment of commerce. The king ordered
.mints to be erected in York, Bristol, Exeter, and

CH.'T. WILLIAM. 271
Chester, for the purpose of the recoinage, which was
executed with unexpected success ; so that in less
than a year, the currency of England, which had
been the worst, became the best, coin in Europe.
§ xxv. At this period the attention of the com
mons was diverted to an object of a more private
nature. The earl | of Portland, who enjoyed the
greatest share of the king's favour, had obtained a
grant of some lordships in Derbyshire. While the
warrant was depending, the gentlemen of that county
resolved to oppose it with all their power. In conse
quence of a petition, they were indulged with a hear
ing by the lords of the treasury. Sir William Wil
liams, in the name of the rest, alleged, that the lord
ships in question, were the ancient demesnes of the
prince of Wales, absolutely unalienable : that the re
venues of those lordships supported the government
of Wales, in paying the judges and other salaries :
that the grant was of too large an extent for any fo
reign subject ; and that the people of the county were
too great to be subject to any foreigner. Sundry
other substantial reasons were used against the grant,
which, notwithstanding all their remonstrances, would
have passed through the offices, had not the Welsh
gentlemen addressed themselves by petition to the
house of commons. Upon this occasion, Mr. Price,
a member of the house, harangued with great severi
ty against the Dutch in general, and did not even
abstain from sarcasms upon the king's person, title,
and government. The objections started by the pe
titioners being duly considered, were found so rea
sonable, that the commons presented an address to
the king, -representing, that those manors had been
•usually annexed to the principality of Wales, and
• settled on the princes of Wales for their support : that
, many persons in those parts held their estates by royal
tenure, under great and valuable compositions, rents,
royal payments, and services, to the crown and princes
of Wales -f ] and enjoyed great privileges and ad?

272 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. f.
vantages under such tenure. They therefore be
sought his majesty to recal the grant, which was in
diminution of the honour and interest of the crown ;
and prayed, that the said manors and lands might not
be alienated without the consent of parliament. This
address met with a cold reception from the king^
who promised to recal the grant which had given
such offence to the commons ; and said, he would
find some other way of shewing his favour to the earl
of Portland.
§ xxvi. The people in general entertained a na
tional aversion to this nobleman ; the malco-tntP in
culcated a notion, that he made use of his interest
and intelligence to injure the trade of England, that
the commerce of his own country might flourish with->
out competition. To his suggestion:-: they imputed
the act and patent in favour of the Scottish company;
which was supposed to have been thrown in as a bone
of contention between the two kingdoms. The sub
ject was first started in the house of lords, who invit--
ed the commons to a conference : a committee was
appointed to examine into the particulars of the act
for erecting the Scottish company : and the two houses
presented a joint address against it, as a scheme that
would prejudice all the subjects concerned in the
wealth and trade of the English nation. They repre
sented, that, in consequence of the exemption from
taxes, and other advantages granted to the Scottish
company, that kingdom would become a free port
for all East and West India commodities : that the
Scots would be enabled to supply all Europe at a
cheaper rate than the English could afford to sell
their merchandize for ; therefore, England would lose
the benefit of its foreign trade : besides, they "observ
ed, that the Scots would smuggle their commodities
into England, to the great detriment of his majesty1
and his customs. To this remonstrance the king re
plied, that he had been ill served in Scotland ; but
jfhat he hoped some remedies would be found to pre*

CH. V. WILLIAM. 273
vent the inconveniences of which they were appre
hensive. In all probability he had been imposed upon
by the ministry of that kingdom ; for, in a little time,
he discarded the marquis of Tweeddale, and dismissed
both the Scottish secretaries of state, in lieu of whom
he appointed Lord Murray, son to the marquis of
Athol. Notwithstanding the king's answer, the com
mittee proceeded on the inquiry, and, in consequence
of their report, confirming a petition from the East-
India company, the house resolved, that the directors
of the Scottish company were guilty of a high crime
and misdemeanour, in administering and taking an
oath defdeli in this kingdom : and that they should be
impeached for the same. Meanwhile, Roderick Mac
kenzie, from whom they had received their chief in
formation, began to retract his evidence, and was or
dered into custody : but he made" his escape, and
could not be retaken, although the king, at their re
quest, issued a proclamation for that purpose. The
Scots were extremely incensed against the king, when
they understood he had disowned their company,
from which they had promised themselves such wealth
and advantage. The settlement of Darien was already
planned, and afterwards put in execution, though it
miscarried in the sequel, and had like to have produc
ed abundance of mischief.
§ xxvn. The complaints of the English merchants
who had suffered by the* war were so loud at this
juncture, that the commons resplved to take their
case irito consideration. The house resolved itself in
to a committee, to consider the state of the nation
with regard to commerce, and having duly weighed
all circumstances, agreed to- the following resolutions :
that a council of trade should be established by act of
parliament, with powers to take measures for the
more effectual preservation of commerce : that the
comrriissioners should be nominated by parliament,
but none of them have seats in the house : that they
should take- an, oath, acknowledging the title of King

2?4 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I.
William as rightful and lawful ; and abjuring the pres
tensions of James, or any other person; The king
considered these resolutions as an open attack upon
his prerogative, and signified his displeasure to the
earl of Sunderland, who patronised this measure:
but it was so popular in the house, that in all pro
bability it would have been put in execution, had not
the attention of the commons been diverted from it at
this period by the detection of a new conspiracy. The
friends of King James had, upon the death of Queen
Mary, renewed their practices for effecting a restora
tion of that monarch, on the supposition that the in
terest of William was considerably weakened by the
decease of his consort. Certain individuals, whose
zeal for James overshot their discretion, formed a de
sign to seize the person of King William, and con
vey him to France, or put him to death in case of re
sistance. They had sent emissaries to the court of
Sc. Germains, to demand a commission for this pur
pose, which was refused. The earl of Aylesbury,
Lord Montgomery, son to the marquis of Powis, Sir
John Fenwick, Sir John Friend, Captain Charnock,
Captain Porter, aud one Mr. Goodman, were the
first contrivers of this project. Charnock was de
tached with a proposal to James, that he should pro
cure a body of horse and foot from France, to make
a descent in England, and they would engage not
only to join him at his landing, but even to replace
him on the throne of England. These offers being
declined by James, on pretence that the French king
could not spare such a number of troops at that
juncture, the earl of Aylesbury went over in person,
and was admitted to a conference with Lewis, in which
the scheme of an invasion was actually concerted. In
the beginning of February, the duke of Berwick re
paired privately to England, where he conferred
with the conspirators, assured them that King James
was ready to make a descent with, a considerable'
number of French forces, distributed commissions^

CH. V. WILLIAM. 27S
and gave directions for providing men, arms, and
horses, to join him at his arrival. When he return
ed to France, he found every thing prepared for the
expedition. The troops were drawn down to the
sea side : a great number of transports were assembl
ed at Dunkirk : Monsieur Gabaret had advanced as
far as Calais, with a squadron of ships, which, when
joined by that of Du Bart at Dunkirk, was judged a
sufficient convoy ; and James had come as far as Calais
in his way to embark. Meanwhile, the jacbbites in
England were assiduously employed in making pre
parations for a revolt. Sir John Friend had very
near completed a regiment of horse. Considerable
progress was made in levying another by Sir Wil
liam Perkins. Sir John Fenwick had inlisted four
troops. Colonel Tempest had undertaken for one
regiment of dragoons : Colonel Parker was preferred
to the command of another : Mr. Curzon was com
missioned for a third ; and the malcontents intended
to raise a fourth in Suffolk, where their interest chief
ly prevailed. § xxvin. While one part of the Jacobites pro
ceeded against William in the usual way of exciting
-an insurrection, another, consisting of the most des
perate conspirators, had formed a scheme of assassina
tion. Sir George Barclay, a native of Scotland, who
had served as an officer in the army of James, a man
»f undaunted courage, a furious bigot in the religion
of Rome, yet close, circumspect, and determined,
was landed, with other officers, in Romney-marsh,
by one Captain Gill, about the beginning of January,
.and is said to have undertaken the task of seizing or
assassinating King William. He imparted his design
to Harrison, alias Johnston, a priest, Charnock, Porter,
-and- Sir William Perkins, by whom it was approved ;
iiuid he pretended to have a particular commission for
this service. . After various consultations, they resolv
ed to attack the king on his return from Richmond;

* _-. - '- '

276 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I.
where he commonly hunted on Saturdays ; and the
scene of their intended ambuscade was a lane between
Brentford and Turnham green. As it would be ne
cessary to charge and disperse the guards that attend
ed the coach, they agreed that their number should
be increased to forty horsemen, and each conspirator
began to engage proper persons for the enterprise.
When their complement was full, they determined to
execute their purpose on the 15th day of February.
They concerted the manner in which they should
meet in small parties without suspicion, and waited
with impatience for the hour of action. In this inter
val, some of the underling actors, seized with horror
at the reflection of what they had undertaken, or cap
tivated with the prospect of reward, resolved to pre
vent the execution of the design by a timely discovery.
On the 1 ltb day of February, one Fisher informed the
earl of Portland of the scheme, and named some of
the conspirators ; but his account was imperfect. On
the 13th, however, he returned with a circumstantial
detail of all the particulars. Next day, the earl was
accosted by one Pendergrass, an Irish officer, who told
his lordship he had just come from Hampshire, at the
request of a particular friend, and understood that he
had been called up to town with a view of engag
ing him in a design to assassinate King William. He
said, he had promised to embark in the undertaking,
though he detested it in his own mind, and took this
first opportunity of revealing the secret, which was
of such consequence to his majesty's life. He owned
himself a Rpman catholic, but declared, that he did
not think any religion could justify such a treacher
ous purpose. At the same time he observed, that as
he lay under obligations to some of the conspirators;
his honour and gratitude would not permit him to ac
cuse them by name ; and that he would upon no con
sideration appear as an evidence. The king had been
so much used to fictitious plots, and false discoveries,
that he paid little regard to the informations, until

BH. V. • WILLIAM. 277
they were confirmed by the testimony of another
conspirator, called La Rue, a Frenchman, who com
municated the same particulars to Brigadier Levison,
-without knowing the least circumstance of the other
discoveries. Then the king believed there was some
thing real in the conspiracy ; and Pendergrass and
La Rue were severally examined in his presence. He
thanked Pendergrass in particular for this instance of
his probity ; but observed, that it must prove inef
fectual, unless he would discover the names of the
conspirators ; for, without knowing who they were,
he should not be able to secure- his life against their
attempts. At length Pendergrass was prevailed upon
to give a list of those he knew, yet not before the
king had solemnly promised that he should not be
used as an evidence against them, except with his,
own consent. As the king did not go to Richmond
on the day appointed, the conspirators postponed the
execution of their design till the Saturday following.
They accordingly met at different houses on the Fri
day, when every man received his instructions. There
they agreed, that after the perpetration of the parricide,
they should ride in a body as far as Hammersmith, and
then dispersing, enter London by different avenues^
But, on the rriorning, when they understood that the
guards were returned to their quarters, and the king's
coaches sent back to the Mews, they were seized with a
sudden damp, on the suspicion that their plot was dis
covered. Sir George Barclay withdrew himself, and
every one began to think of providing for his owri
safety. Next night, however, a great number of them
were apprehended, and then the whole discovery was
communicated to the privy-council. A proclamation
was issued against those that absconded ; and great
diligence was used to find Sir George Barclay, who
was supposed to have a particular commission from
James for assassinating the prince of Orange ; but he
Vol. I. Ff

278 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. '-BW.-
made good- his retreat, and it wag neverips&ved that
any such commission had been granted, id 'iqs-
§ xxix. This design, and the projected invasion,
proved equally abortive. James had scarce reached
Calais, wheii the duke of Wirtemberg dispatched
his aide-de-camp from Flanders to King William with
an account of the purposed descent. Expresses with
the same tidings arrived from the elector of Bavaria
and the prince de Vaudemont. Two considerable
squadrons being ready for sea;. Admiral Russel em
barked at. Spithead, and stood' over to the Freneft
coast with about fifty sail of the line. The enemy
were confounded at his appearance, and hauled' in
their vessels under the shore, in such- shallow water,,
that he could not follow and destroy them : but he
absolutely ruined their design,, by cooping- them up
in their harbours.. King*- James, after having tarried
some weeks at Calais,, returned to S'. Germakif.
The forces were sent back to the garrisons from
which they had been drafted : the people of France
exclaimed, that the malignant star which ruled the
destiny of James had blasted1 this,, and every other,
project formed for his restoration. By means of the
reward offered in the proclamation, the greater part
of the conspirators were betrayed or taken. George
Harris, who had been -sent from France, with orders
to obey Sir George Barclay, surrendered -himself to
Sir William Trumbal, and confessed the scheme 6f
assassination in which he had been enea*red. Porter
and Pendergrass were apprehended together. This
last insisted upon the king's promise, that he should
not be compelled to give evidence ; but, when Por
ter owned himself guilty, the other observed; he was
no longer bound to be silent, as his friend' had made
a confession ; and they were both admitted* as evi-t-
deuces for the crown. ' ifigs.
§ xxx. After their examination, the king, in a
speech to both houses, communicated the nature of
the conspiracy against his life, as well as the advices

#H.-V. - VtIlliaM. £7$
heihad received touching the invasion : he explained
the steps he had taken to defeat the double design,
and professed his confidence in their readiness and
zeal to concur with him in every thing that should
appear necessary for their common safety. That
Same evening the two houses waited upon him at
Kensington, in a body, with an affectionate address,'
by which they expressed their abhorrence of the vil
lainous and barbarous design which had been formed
against fite sacred person, of which they besought
him to take more than ordinary care. They assured
foifti they would to their utmost defend his life, and
support his goVerntneht against the late King James,
and all other enemies ; and declared, that, in case his
majesty should come to a, violent death, they would
revenge it upon his adversaries and their adherents.
He was extremely well pleased with this warm ad
dress, and assured them, in his turn, he would take
all Opportunities of recommending himself to the
eon tirra'ance. of their loyalty and affection. The com
mons forthwith empowered him, by bill, to secure
al persons suspected of conspiring against his person;
Ma government. They brought in another, pro
viding; that, in case of his majesty's death, the par
liament then in being should continue until dissolved
b-yt-henext heir in succession to the crown, esta^
fens-feed- by aet of parliament : that if his majesty
should eha«ee to die between two parliaments, that
which hEkt been last dissolved should immediately re
assemble, and sit for the dispatch of national affairs.
They voted an address; to desire that his majesty
would banish, by proclamation, all papists to the dis
tance of ten miles from the cities of London and
Westminster ; and give instructions to the judges"
goirig on the circuits; to put the laws in execution
against Roman catholics arid nonjurors. They drew*
up an association, binding themselves to assist each
©iher iri support of the king and his government;
r~- . Ff2

2^0 History of englanb. >b.i,
and to revenge any violence that should be com
mitted on his person. This was signed, by all the
members then, present : but, as some had absented
themselves on frivolous pretences, the house order
ed, that in sixteen days the absentees should either
subscribe or declare their refusal. Several members
neglecting to comply with this injunction within the
limited time, the speaker was ordered to write to
those who were in the country, and demand a per
emptory answer ; and the clerk of the house attend
ed such as pretended to be ill in town. The absen
tees, finding themselves pressed in this manner,
thought proper to sail with the stream, and sign the
association, which was presented to the king by the
commons in a body, with a request, that it might be
lodged among the records in the Tower, as a per
petual memorial of their loyalty and affection. The
king received them with uncommon complacency ;
declared, that he heartily entered into the same as
sociation ; that he should be always ready to venture
his life with his good subjects, against all who should
endeavour to subvert the religion, laws, and liber
ties, of England ; and he promised that this, and all
other, associations, should be lodged^among the re
cords of the Tower of London. Next day the com
mons resolved, that whoever should affirm an asso
ciation was illegal should be deemed a promoter of
the designs of the late. King James, and an enemy
to the laws and Jiberties of the kingdom. >. The
lords followed the example, of the lower hpuse; in
drawing up an association ; but the earl of Nuttings
ham, Sir Edward Seymour, and Mr. Finch, object
ed to the words rightful and lawful, as applied to
his majesty. They said, as the crown and its pre
rogatives were vested in him, they would yield obe
dience, though they could not. acknowledge him as
their rightful and lawful king. , Nothing could be
more absurd than this distinction, started by men
who had actually constituted part of the'adrninistra-

EH. V. WILLIAM. 281
tion ; unless they supposed that the right of King
William expired with Queen Mary. The earl of
Rochester proposed an expedient in favour of such
tender consciences, by altering the words that gave
offence ; and this was adopted accordingly. Fifteen
of the peers, and ninety-two commoners, signed the
association with reluctance. It was, however; sub
scribed by all sorts of people in different parts of
the kingdom ; and the bishops • drew up a form for
the clergy, which was signed by a great majority.
The commons brought in a bill, declaring all men
incapable of public trust, or of sitting in -parliament,
who would not engage in this association. At the
same time, the council issued an order for renewing
all the commissions in England, that those who had
not signed it voluntarily should be dismissed from
the service as disaffected persons.1
§xxxi.; a. d. 160,6. — ApTERtbese warm demons
trations of loyalty, ¦ the commons proceeded upon
wayS' and means for raising the supplies. A new
bank was constituted as a fund, • upon which the sum
of ,^2,564,000 should be raised ; and it was called
the land bank, because established on land securi
ties. This scheme, said to have been projected by
the famous Dr. Chamberlain, was patronized by
the earl of Sunderland; and managed by Foley and
Harley; so that it seemed to be a toryplan, which
Sunderland supported, in order to reconcile himself
to that party.* The bank] of England petitioned
' * Burnet. Oldsnixon. Boyer. Tin- lending money but iipori land secu-
dal. , Ralph. Lives of the admirals. rities,or to the government in the ex-
2 The commons resolved, that a chequer: that for making up the fund
fund redeemable by parliament be of interest for the capital stock, cer-
setfled in a national land bank, to be tain duties upon glass wares, stone
raised by new subscriptions; that no and earthen bottles, granted before
person be concerned in both banks at to the king for a term of years, be
the same time: that the duties upon continued to his majesty, his heirs,
coals', culm, and tonnage of ships, be and successors : that a further duty-
taken off, from the 17th day of be laid upou stone and earthen ware,
March: that the sum of £2,564,000 and another upon tobacco-pipes.
be raised on this perpetual fund, re- This bank was to lend out £500,003
deemable by parliament: that the a year upon land securities, at £3 : iq
.new bank ihould be restrained from per cent, per annum, and to cease and
Ff3

282 HISTORY Of EKGLAND. B. U
against this hill, and were heard by their council :
but their representations produced no effect, and the
bill having passed through both houses, received the
royal assent. On the TT" day of April the king clos
ed the session with a short, but gracious, speech; and
the parliament was prorogued to the 16th day of June.
§ XXxn. Before this period some of the conspi»
rators had been brought to trial. The first who suf
fered was Robert Charnock, one of the two fellows
of Magdalen college, who, in the reign of James,
had renounced the protestant religion : the next were
Lieutenant King, and Thomas Keys, which last had
been formerly a trumpeter, but of late servant te
Captain Porter. They were found guilty of high
treason, and executed at Tyburn. They deliver
ed papers to the sheriff, in which they solemnly
declared, that they had never seen or heard of any
commission from King James for assassinating the
prince of Orange : Charnock, in particular, observ
ed, that he had received frequent assurances of the
king's having rejected such proposals when they
had been offered, ; and that there was no other com
mission but that for levying war in the usual form.
determine, unless the subscripiion The parliament likewise passed an
should be full, by the 1st day of act, for preventing the exy ortation of
August next ensuing. wool, and encouraging the importa-
Tbe most remarkable laws enacted tion thereof from Ireland. An act for
in this session were these : an act for encouraging the linen manufactures
voiding all the elections of parlia- of Ireland. An act for regulating
n.ent-men, at which the elected had juries. An act for encouraging
been at any expence in meat, drink, the Greenland trade. AnactoTin-
or money, to procure votes. Ano- dulgence to the quakers, that their
tlier against unlawful and double re- solemn affirmation should be acccpt-
turns. A third, for the more easy ed instead of an oath. And an act
recovery of small tithes. A fourth, for continuing certain other acts that
to prevent marriages, without )i- were near expiring. Another bill
cence or banns. A fifth, lor enahl- had passed for thelietter regulating
ing the inhabitants of Wales to dis- elections for members of parliament ;
pose of all their personal estates as but the royal assent was denied.
they should think fit : this law was The question was put in thehouseof
in bar of a custom that had prevailed commons, that whosoever advised his
in that country : the widows and majesty not to give his assent to that
younger children claimed a share of hill was an enemy to his country ;
the effects, called their reasonable hut it was rejected by a great ma-
part, although the effects had been jority.
otherwise disposed of by will ct dexd. a

CH. V. WllI-LIAM. 283
Sir John Friend and Sir William Perkins were tried
in April. The first, from mean beginnings, had
acquired great wealth and credit, and always, firmly
adhered to the interests of King James. The other
was likewise a man of fortune, violently attached to
the Same principles, though he had taken the oaths
t© the present government, as one of the six clerks
in chancery. Porter and Blair, another evidence,
deposed, that Sir John Friend had -been concerned
in levying men under a commission from King James;
and that he knew of the assassinatipn plot, though
not -engaged , in it -as a personal actor. He endea
voured to invalidate the testimony of -BJair, by
proving him guilty of the most shocking ingratitude-.
He observed, that both the evidences* were reputed
papists. The curate of Hackney, who officiated
as chaplain in the prisoner's house, declared upon
oath, that after the revolution, he used to pray for
King William, and that he had often heard Sir John
Friend say, that though he could not comply with
the present government,, he would h\e peaceably
under it, and never engage -in any conspiracy. Mr.
Hoadley, father of -the present bishop of Winchester,
added, that the prisoner was a good protestant, and
- frequently expressed his detestation of king- kill ing
principles. Friend himself owned he had been with
some of the conspirators at a meeting- in Leadenhall
street, but heard nothing of raising men, or any de
sign against the government. He likewise affirmed,
that a consultation to levy war was not treason ; and
that his being at a treasonable consult could amount
to no more than a misprision of treason. Lord-
chief-justice Holt declared, that although a ;bare
conspiracy, or design to levy -war, was not treason.
within the statute of Edward III, yet, if the design
or conspiracy be to kill, or depose, or imprison, the
king, by the means of levying war, then the con
sultation and conspiracy to levy war becomes high-
Ireason, though no war be actually levied. The same

284 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I.
inference might have been drawn against the authors
and instruments of the revolution. The judge's ex
planation influenced the jury, who, after some deli
beration, found the prisoner guilty. Next day Sir-
William Perkins was brought to the bar, and upon
the testimony of Porter, Ewebank, his own grOom,i
and Haywood, a notorious informer, was convicted .
of having been concerned not only in the invasion,
but also in the design against the king's life. The
evidence was scanty, and the prisoner having been
bred to the law, made an artful and vigorous de
fence : but the judge acted as counsel for the crown ;
and the jury decided by the hints they received from
the bench. He and Sir John Friend underwent the
sentence of death, and suffered at Tyburn on the
3d day of April. Friend protested before God, that
he knew of no immediate descent purposed by King
James, and therefore had made no preparations :
that he was utterly ignorant of the assassination
scheme ;" that he died in the communion of the
church of England, and laid down his life cheer
fully iii the cause for which he suffered. Perkins
declared, upon the word of a dying man, that the
teriour of the king's commission, which he saw, was
general, directed to all his loving subjects, to raise
and levy war against the prince of Orange and his
adherents, and to seize all forts, castles, &c. but
that he neither saw nor heard of any commission par
ticularly levelled against the person of the prince of
Orange. Lie owned, however, that he was privy
to the design : but believed it was known to few or
none but the immediate undertakers. These two,
crirninals were in their last moments attended by
Collier, Snatt, and Cook, three nonjuring clergy
men, who absolved them in the view of the popu
lace, with an imposition of hands : a public insult
on the government, which did not pass unnoticed.
Those three clergymen were presented by the grand
jury, for having countenanced the treason by ab-,

CH. V. WILLIAM. 2r35 '
solving 'the traitors, and thereby encouraged other
persons to disturb the peace of the kingdom. An
indictment being preferred against them, Cook and
Snatt were committed to Newgate ; but Collier ab
sconded, and published a vindication of their con
duct, in which he affirmed, that the imposition of
hands was the general practice of the primitive
church. On the other hand, the two metropolitans,
and twelve other bishops, subscribed a declaration,
condemning the administration bf absolution without
a previous confession made, and abhorence expressed,
by the prisoners, of the heinous crimes for which
they Suffered.
In the course of the same month, Rookwood,
Cranborne, and Lowick, were tried as conspirators,
by a special commission, in the king's bench ; and
convicted on the joint testimony of Porter, Harris,
La Rue, Bertram, Fisher, and Pendergrass. Some
favourable circumstances appeared in the case of
Lowick. The proof of his having been concerned
in the design against the king's life was very defec
tive ; many persons of reputation declared he was an
honest, good-natured, inoffensive,' man ; and he
himself concluded his defence with the most solemn-
protestation of his own innocence. Great interces
sion was made fpr his- pardon by some nobleman ;
but all their interest proved ineffectual. Cranborne
died in a transport of indignation, leaving a paper,
which the government thought proper to suppress.
Lowick and Rookwood likewise delivered declara
tions to the .sheriff, the contents of which, as being
less inflammatory, were allowed to be published.
Both solemnly denied any knowledge of a commis
sion from King1 James to assassinate the prince of
Orange ; the one affirming, that he was incapable
of granting such an order ; and the other asserting
that he, the best of kings, had often rejected pro
posals of that nature. Lowick owned that he would
have joined the king at his landing ; hut declared,

1SS$ HISTORY OE, ENGLAND. B. U
he -had never been concerned in any -bloody -affair
during the whole course of his life. On-theoani-'
trary, he said, he had endeavoured to prevent blood
shed as much as lay in his power ; and that he would
not kill the most miserable creature in the world,
even though such an act would save his life, restore
his sovereign, and make him ope of the greatest
men in England. Rookwood alleged he wag* en
gaged by his immediate commander, whom be
thought it was his duty to obey, though the service
was much against his judgment and inclination^
Lie professed his abhorrence of treachery even to an
enemy. He forgave all mankind, even the prince
of Orange, who as a soldier, he said, ought to have
considered his case before he signed his death-war
rant : .he prayed God would open -his eyes,' and ren
der him sensible of the blood that was from all parts
crying against him, so as he might avert a heavier
execution than that which he now ordered to be in
flicted. The next person brought to trial, was Mr.
Cooke, son of; Sir Miles Cooke, one of the six
•cjerks in chancery. Porter and Goodman deposed,
that he had been present at two meetings at the
King's-head tavern in Leadenhall street, with the
lords Aylesbury and Montgomery, Sir William
Perkins, Sir John Fenwick, Sir John- Friend, Char
nock, and Porter. The evidence of Goodman was
invalidated -by the testimony of the landlord and
two drawers belonging to the tavern, who swore that
Goodman was not there while the noblemen were
present. The prisoner himself solemnly protested,
that he was never averse to the introduction of foreign
forces : that he did not so much as hear of" the in
tended invasion, until it became the common topic
of conversation ; and that he had never seen Good
man at the King's-head. He declared his inten
tion of receiving the blessed sacrament, and wished
he might perish in the instant, if he now spoke un
truth. No respect^ was- paid to these • asseveratidas.

EH. V. WILLIAM. 2S?
Th# solieitorTgeneral Hawles, and Lord-chief-justice
Treby, treated him with great severity in the pro-
secutien and charge fco the jury, by whom he was
capitally convicted. After his condemnation, the
court agents tampered with him to make further
discoveries j and after his fate had beeia protracted
by divers short reprieves, he was sent into banish
ment. From the whole tenour of these discoveries
and proceedings, it appears that James had actually
meditated an invasion : that his partisans in England
had made preparations for joining him on his arriv
al: that a few desperadoes of that faction had con
certed a scheme against the life of King William :
that jn prosecuting the conspirators, the court had
countenanced informers : that the judges had strain
ed the law, wrested circumstances, and even deviated
from the function of their office, to convict the pri
soners : in a word, that the administration had used
the same arbitrary and unfair practices against those
unhappy people, which they themselves had in the
late reigns numbered among the grievances of the
kingdom. .r" > i ,[ , ' \ i.
§ xxxiii. The warmth, however, manifested; on
this occasion may have been owing to national re
sentment of the purposed invasion. Certain it is,
the two houses of parliament,' and the people ih
general, were animated with extraordinary indigna
tion against France at this juncture. The lords
besought his: majesty, in a solemn address, to ap-'
point a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God, for
having defeated the barbarous purpose of his ene
mies ; and this was observed with uncommon zeal
and devotion. Admiral Russel, leaving a squadron
for observation on the French coast, returned to the
Downs : but Sir Cloudesley Shovel, being properly
prepared for the expedition, subjected Calais to an
other bombardment, by which the town was set on
fire in different parts, and the inhabitants were over
whelmed with consternation. The g&ie$#s of the

288 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I.
allied army in Flanders resolved to make some im
mediate retaliation upon the French for their un
manly design upon the life of King William, as they
took it for granted that Lewis was accessary to the
scheme of assassination. That monarch, on the sup
position that a powerful diversion would be made by
the descent on England, had established a vast ma
gazine at Givet, designing when the allies should
be enfeebled by the absence of the British troops, to
strike some stroke of importance early in the cam
paign. On this the confederates now determinedtro
wreak their vengeance. In the beginning of March
the earl of Athlone and Monsieur de Coehorn, with
the concurrence of the duke of Holstein -Ploen, who
commanded the allies, sent a strong detachment of
horse, drafted from Brussels and the neighbouring
garrisons, to amuse the enemy on the side of Char
leroy : while they assembled forty squadrons, thirty
battalions, with fifteen pieces of cannon, and six
mortars, in the territory of Namur. Athlone with
part of this body invested Dinant, while Coehorn^ -
with the remainder, advanced to Givet. He forth
with began to batter and bombard the place, which
in three hours was on fire, and by four in the after
noon wholly destroyed, with the great magazine it
contained. Then the two generals joining their
forces, returned to Namur without interruptionr;
Hitherto the republic of Venice had deferred ac
knowledging King William ; but now they,sent an
extraordinary embassy for that purpose, consisting
of Signiors Soranzo and Venier, who arrived in
London, and on the 1st day of May had a public
audience. The king, on this occasion, knighted
Soranzo, as the senior ambassador, and presented
him with the sword, according to custom. On that
day, too, William declared in council, that he had
appointed the same regency which had governed the
kingdom during his last absence ; and, embarking
•n the 7 th at Margate, arrived at Orange-Polder in

CH. V. WILLIAM. 28Q
in. the evening, under convoy of Vice-admiral Aly—
mer. This officer had fieen ordered to attend with
a -squadron, as the famous Du Bart still coritinued
at Dunkirk, and some attempt of importance was
apprehended from his enterprising genius.4
§ xxxiv. The French had taken the field be
fore the allied army could be assembled: but no
transaction of consequence distinguished this cam-
paigiv either upon the Rhine or in Flanders. The
scheme of Lewis was still defensive on the side of the.
Netherlands, while the active plans of King William
were defeated by want of money. All the funds for
this, year proved defective : the land bank failed,
and the national bank sustained a rude shock in its
credit. The4ossof the nation upon the recoinage
amounted to ^2,200,000 ;. and though the differ
ent mints were employed without interruption* they
could not for some months supply the circula-.
tion, especially as great part of the new money
was kept up .by thosei who received, it in payment,
or disposed of it at an unreasonable/advantage., The
French king having exhausted the wealth and pa
tience of his .subjects, and greatly diminished 'their
number in the course of this war, began.to.be
diffident of hisr arms, and employed all the arts
of private negociation. _ While his minister D'Avaux
pressed the king of Sweden ,, to , offer his media
tion, he sent Gallieres to Holland with , proposals,
for settling the preliminaries of a treaty. He took
it for granted that as the Dutch? were a trading
people, whose commerce , had greatly goffered in
the .war, they could not- be averse tOt a -pacifica
tion ; and" he instructed his emissaries to tamper
>W .- V 'LI ¦,:'. .--"I K.'ll-Id Jl'u r\, . _,.t- ._,.,¦
-A Some promotions .were made be- ^owther, and, Viscount. Lonsda^jj
fore tne'kmg left England. George' Sir John Thompson was made baron
Hamilton," third son - of, the duke of of Haversham, and the celebrated
tjia^ narrie, was, for his military ser- John Locke appointed one, of flic.
vices" in Ireland and Flanders, c'reat- corrimissioners of trade &ii'd planta-L'
ed earj; of Orkney. Sir John Lawther- tion.
w»« enijpbkd by the title of Baron

2t)€f HISTORY Of ENGLAND. IU k
with the malcontents ©f the republic, eap&aally with
the remains of the Loutestein faction-} which ha«i
always opposed^ the schemes of the sGadtteolderi
Callieres met with a favourable Feeeption fitMsi tlie
states, which began to treat witW hJnft atont the
preliminaries, though not without the consent and
concurrence of King William and the rest of thd
allies. Lewis, with a view to quicken the effect off
this negdciatrdn, pursued offensive measures in Ca-
talorita, where his general, the duke de' Vetsdame,,
attacked and worsted the Spaniards in. their eamji
near Ostarric, though the action- was- not decisive /
for that genera*! was obliged! te retreat, afteu having
made Vigorous efforts against their entrenchments.
On the 20* day of June, Maresrjba4 de Lorges pass
ed- the Rhirte at PhiFfpsburg, and eneaS»pgd with
in a league- of Eppirrgeti, where the imperial tKxJps
Were obliged to entrench themselves^ under tstee
command of the prince of Baden, as they were not
yet joined by the auxiliary forces. The French
general, after having fecedf him about a month*
thought proper to repass the river.- Then h© de-
tacheda body of horse to Fta-nders, and- cantoned the
rest of his troops' at Spiers, Frackendahl, Woroasy
antr Ostofen. Ori the last day of August the prince
of Efoderf retafiated the insult, by passing the Rhirie
at Mentzand Corsheim. On t-he 10th lie Was join
ed by General Thtrogen, who commanded a separ
ate body, together with the militia of Stisbia and
Frarrconia, and advanced to the camp of the enemy,
who had re-.tssembled ; but they were posted in such
a manner, that he would not hazard an attack. Hav
ing therefore eamaona'ded them for some days, scour
ed the adjacent country by detached parties, and
taken the little castle, of Weizertgen, he repassed the
river at Worms, on the 7th day of October: the
French likewise crossed at Philip.4iurg, in hopes of
surprising General Thungen, who had taken post in
the neighbourhood of Strasburg: but he retired to

CH."VV. lF WILLIAM. 20 J
Eppingert before their arrival, and in a little time
both armies were distributed in winter-quarters. Pe-
ter', the czar of Muscovy, earried on the siege of
Azoph with such vigour, that the garrison was oblig
ed to capitulate after the Russians had defeated a great
convoy sent tO'its relief. The court of Vienna forth
with engaged in an alliance with the Muscovite em
peror; but they did not exert themselves in taking
advantage of the disaster which the Turks had un
dergone. The imperial army, commanded by the
elector of Saxony, continued inactive on the river
Marosch till the \{fh day of July, then they made
a feint of attacking Temiswaer : but they march
ed' towards Betzkerch, in their route to Belgrade,
on receiving- advice that the grand signor intended
to besiege Tirol. On the 21st day of August the
two armies Were in sight of each other. The Turk
ish horse attacked the imperialists in a plain near
the river Begue ; but were repulsed. The Germans
next day made a show of retreating, in hopes of draw
ing the enemy from, their entrenchments. The stra
tagem succeeded. On the 26th, the Turkish army
was in motion. A detachment of the imperialists-
attacked them in flank, as they marched through a
wood. A very desperate action- ensued, in which
the generals Heusler and Poland,, with many other
gallant officers, lost their lives. At length the
Ottoman horse were routed : but the Germans were
so roughly handled, that on the second day after
the engagement they retreated at midnight, and the
Turks remained quiet in their entrenchments.
^ xxxv. In Piedmont the face of affairs under
went a strange alteration. The duke of Savoy, who
Irad for' some time been engaged in a secret negoci
ation with France, at length embraced the offers of
that crown, and privately signed' a separate treaty of
peace at Loretto, to which place he repaired on a
pretended pilgrimage. The French king engaged
tor present him with 4;000;000 of livers, byway of

292 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. i.
reparation for the damage he had sustained, to assist
him with a certain number of auxiliaries against all
his enemies ; and to effect a marriage between the
duke of Burgundy and the princess of Piedmont, as
soon as the parties should be marriageable. The treaty,
was guaranteed by the pope and the Venetians, who
were extremely desirous of seeing the Germans driv-
en out of Italy. King William being apprised p|
this negociation, communicated the intelligence to
the earl of Galwav, his ambassador at Turin, who
expostulated with the duke upon this defection : but
he persisted in denying any such correspondence, un
til the advance of the Fiench army enabled him to
avow it, without fearing the resentment of the allies,
whom he had abandoned. Catinat marched into the
plains of Turin, at the head of 50,000 men ; an
army greatly superior to that of the confederates.
Then the duke imparted to the ministers of the
allies the proposals which France had made : repre
sented the superior strength of her army; the danger
to which he was exposed ; and finally his inclination
to embrace her offers. On the 12th of July a truce
was concluded for a month, and afterwards pro
longed till the 15th day of September. He wrote to all
the powers engaged in the confederacy, except
King William, expatiating on the same topics, and
soliciting their consent. Though each in particidar
refused to concur, he, on the 2 3 d dav of August,
signed the treaty in public, which he had before
concluded in private. The emperor was no sooner
informed of his design, than he took every step
which he thought could divert him from his pur
pose. He sent the count Mansfeldt to Turin, with
proposals for a match between the king of the Ro
mans and the princess of Savoy, as well as with of
fers to augment his forces and iris subsidy : but the
duke had already setded his terms with France; from
which he would not recede. Prince Eugene, though
his kinsman, expressed great indignation at his con-

CH. V. WILLIAM. 2t)3
duct. The young prince de Conwnercy was so pro
voked at 'his defection, that 'he challenged him to
single combat, and the duke accepted of his chal
lenge : but the quarrel was compromised by the in
tervention of friends, and they parted in an amicable
manner. He had concealed the treaty until he
should receive the remaining part cf the subsidies due
to him from the confederates. A considerable surri
had been remitted from England to Genoa for his
use : but Lord Galway no sooner received intima
tion of his new -engagement, than he put a stop to
the payment of this money, which he employed in
the Milanese, for the subsistence of those troops that
were in the British service. King William was en
camped at Gemblours when the duke's envoy noti
fied the separate peace which his master had con
cluded with the king of France. Thougn he wa£
extremely chagrined at the information, he dis
sembled his anger, and listened to the minister
without the least emotion. One of the Conditions
of this treaty was, that within a limited time the al
lies should evacuate the duke's dominions, otherwise
they should be expelled by the joint forces of France
and Savoy. A neutrality was offered to the confe
derates ; and this being rejected, the contracting
powers resolved to attack the Milanese. Accordingly,
when the truce expired, the duke, as generalissi
mo of the French 'king, entered that duchy, and
undertook the siege of Valentia : so that, in one
campaign, he commanded two contending armies.
The garrison of Valentia, consisting of 7^000 men,
Germans, Spaniards, and French protestants, made'
an obstinate defence ; and the duke of Savoy pro -
secuted the siege with uncommon impetuosity.
But, after the trenches had 'been open for thir
teen days, a courier arrived from Madrid, with an
account of his catholic majesty's having agreed to
the neutrality for Italv. This agreement imported,
Foil. '. Gg

2Q4 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. E. r.
that there should be a suspension of arms until
a general peace could be effected ; and, that the
imperial and French troops should return to their
respective countries. Christendom had well nigh
been embroiled anew by the death of John Sobieski,
king of Poland, who died at the age of seventy, in
the course of this summer, after having survived
his faculties and reputation. As the crown was elec
tive, a competition arose for the succession. The
kingdom was divided by factions ; and the different
powers of Europe interested themselves warmly in
the contention.
§ xxxvi. Nothing of consequence had been late
ly achieved by the naval force of England. When
the conspiracy was first discovered, Sir George Rooke
had received orders to return from Cadiz ; and he
arrived in the latter end of April. While he took
his place at the board of admiralty, Lord Berkeley
succeeded to the command of the fleet ; and in the
month of June set sail towards Ushant in order to
insult the coast of France. He pillaged and burn
ed the villages on the islands Grouais, Houat, and
Heydic; made prize of about twenty vessels ; bom
barded Sr. Martins on the isle of Rhe, and the town
of Olonne, which was set on fire in fifteen different
places with the shells and carcasses. Though these
appear to have been enterprises of small import, they
certainly kept the whole coast of France in perpetual.
alarm. The ministry of that kingdom were so much
afraid of invasion, that between Brest and Goulet
they ordered above 100 batteries to be erected, and
above 60,000 men were continually in arms for
the defence of the maritime places. In the month
of May, Rear-admiral Benbow sailed with a small,
squadron, in order to block up Du Bart in the har
bour of Dunkirk : but that famous adventurer found.
means to escape in a fog, and steering to the east
ward, attacked the Dutch fleet in the Baltic,, under

CH. V. .WILLIAM; 20/^
a convoy of five frigates. These last he took, to
gether with half the number of the trading ships :
but, falling in with the outward-bound fleet, con
voyed by thirteen ships of the line, he was obliged to
burn four of the frigates, turn the fifth adrift, and part
with all his prizes, except fifteen, which he carried in
to Dunkirk.
§ xxxvn. The parliament of Scotland met on
the 8th day of September ; and Lord Murray, se
cretary of state, now earl of Tullibardine, presided
as king's commissioner. , Though that kingdom
was exhausted by the war, and two successive bad
harvests, which had driven a great number of the
inhabitants into Ireland, there was no opposition to
the court measures. The members of parliament
signed an association like that of England. They
granted a supply of ^120,000 for maintaining
their forces by sea and land. They passed an act
for securing their religion, lives, and properties,
in case his majesty should come to an untimely
death. By another, they obliged all persons in
public trust to sign the association ; and then the
parliament was adjourned to the 8th day of De
cember. The disturbances of Ireland seemed now
to be entirely appeased. Lord Capel dying in May,
the council, by virtue of an act passed in the
reign of Henry VIII, elected the chancellor, Sir
Charles Porter, to be lord^-justice and chief governor
of that kingdom, until his majesty's pleasure should
be known. The parliament met in June: the
commons expelled Mr. Sanderson, the only mem
ber of that house who had refused to sign the
association ; and adjourned to the 4th day of Au
gust. By that time Sir Charles Porter, and the
earls of Montrath and Drogheda, were appointed
lords-justices, and signified the king's pleasure that
they should adjourn. In the beginning of December
the chancellor died of an apoplexy.
. Gg a

2g6 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B.i„
§ xxxvui. King William being tired of an in
active campaign, left the army under the command
of the elector of Bavaria, and about the latter end
of August repaired to his palace at Loo, where he
enjoyed his favourite exercise of stag hunting. He
visited the court of Brandenburg at Cleves ; con
ferred with the states of Holland at the Hague;
and, embarking for England, landed at Margate
on the 6th day of October. The domestic econo
my of the nation was extremely perplexed at this
juncture, from the sinking of public credit, and
the stagnation that necessarily attended a recoinage.
These grievances were with difficulty removed by
the clear apprehension, the enterprising genius, the
unshaken fortitude, of Mr. Montague, chancellor of
the exchequer, operating upon a national spirit of
adventure, which the monied interest had produced.
The king opened the session of parliament on the
20tb day of October, with a speech, importing,
that overtures had been made for a negociation ;
but that the best way of treating with France would
be sWord in hand. He, therefore, desired they
would be expeditious in raising the supplies for
the service of the ensuing year, as well as for
making good the funds already granted. He de
clared that the civil list could not be supported
without their assistance. He recommended the
miserable condition of the French protestants to
their compassion. He desired they would contrive
the best expedients for the recovery of the national
credit. He observed, that unanimity and dispatch
were now more than ever necessary for the honour,
safety, and advantage, of England. The commons
having taken this speech into consideration, re
solved, that they would support his majesty and his
government, and assist him in the prosecution' of the
war : that the standard of gold and silver should
not be altered ; and, that they would make good
all parliamentary funds. Then they presented an

CH. V. WILLIAM. 2g7
address, in a very spirited strain, declaring, that
notwithstanding the blood and treasure of which
the nation had been drained, the commons of
England would not be diverted from their firm reso
lutions of obtaining by a war a safe and honourable
peace. They, therefore, renewed their assurances,
that they would support his majesty against all his
enemies at home and abroad. The house of lords
delivered another to the same purpose, declaring,
that they would never be wanting or backward, on
their parts, in what might he necessary to his
majesty's honour, the good of his kingdoms, and
the quiet of Christendom. The commons, in the
first transports of their zeal, ordered two seditious
pamphlets to be burned by the hands of the common
hangman. They deliberated upon the estimates,
and granted above ^6,000,000 for the service of
the ensuing year. They resolved that a supply should
be granted for making good the deficiency of parlia
mentary funds ; and appropriated several duties for
this purpose.
§ xxxix. With respect to the coin, they brought
in a bill repealing an act for taking off the obliga
tion and encouragement of coining guineas for a
certain time, and for importing and coining guineas
and half guineas, as the extravagant price of those
coins, which occasioned this act, was now fallen.
They passed a second bill for remedying the ill
state of the coin ; and a third, explaining an act
in the preceding session, for laying duties on low
wines and spirits of the first extraction. In order to
raise the supplies of the year, they resolved to tax all
persons according to the true value of their real and
personal estates, their stock upon land and in trade,
their income by offices, pensions, and professions.
A duty of one penny per week, for one year, was
laid upoij all persons not receiving alms. A further
imposition pf one farthing in the pound per week
G g , S

298 history of England. b. i.
was fixed upon all servants receiving ^4 per an
num, as wages, and upwards, to ^=8 a-year in
clusive. Those who received from ^8 to ^£i6
were taxed at one halfpenny per pound. An aid
of three shillings in the pound for one year was laid
upon all lands, tenements, and hereditaments, ac
cording to their true value. Without specifying
the particulars of those impositions, we shall only
observe, that in the general charge, the commons
did not exempt one member of the commonwealth
that could be supposed able to bear any part of
the burthen. Provision was made, that hammered
money should be received in payment of these du
ties, at the rate of 5s. 8d. per ounce. All the de
ficiencies on annuities and monies borrowed on the
credit of the exchequer were transferred to this aid.
The treasury was enabled to borrow ,^1,500,000 at
eight per cent, and to circulate exchequer bills to the
amount pf as much more. To cancel these debts,
the surplus of all the supplies, except the three shil
ling aid, was appropriated. The commons voted
^125,000 for making good the deficiency in recoin-
ing the hammered money, and the recompense for
bringing in plate to the mint. This sum was raised
by a tax or duty upon wrought plate, paper, paste
board, vellum, and parchment, made or irriported.
Taking into consideration the services, and the pre
sent languishing state of the bank, whose notes were
at twenty per cent, discount, they resolved, that it
should be enlarged by new subscriptions-, made by
four fifths in tallie, struck on parliamentary funds',
and one fifth in bank-bills or notes ; that effectual
provision should be made by parliament for paying
the principal of all such' tallies, as should be sub
scribed into the bank, out of the funds agreed to
be continued ; that an interest of eight per cent.
should be allowed on all such tallies : and, that the
continuance of the bank should be prolonged to the
1st day of August, in the year J 7 10. That all as-

CH. V. WILLIAM. - 299
signments of orders on tallies subscribed into the
bank, should be registered in the exchequer ; that,
before the day should be fixed for the beginning of
the new subscriptions, the old should be made ] 00
per cent, and what might exceed that value should
be divided among the old members : that all the
interest due on' those tallies which. might be sub
scribed into the bank-stock, at that time appointed
for subscriptions, to the end of the last preceding-
quarter on each tally, should be allowed as principal :
that liberty should be given by parliament to enlarge
the number of bank-bills, to the value of the sum
that should be so subscribed, over and above the
^1,200,000; provided they should be obliged to an
swer such bills on demand ; and in default thereof,
be answered by the exchequer out of the first money
due to them : that no other bank should be erected
or allowed by act of parliament, during the continu
ance of the bank of England : that this should be
exempted from all tax or imposition : that no act of
the corporation should forfeit the particular interest
of any person concerned therein.; that provision
should be made to prevent the officers of the ex
chequer, and all other officers and receivers of the
revenue, from diverting, delaying, or obstructing,
the course Of payments to the bank; that care
should be taken to prevent the altering, counter
feiting, or forging, any bank-bills or notes :,. that
the estate and interest of each member in the stock
of the corporation should be made a personal estate :
that no contract made for any bank-stock to be
bought or sold should be, valid in law or equity,
unless actually registered in the bank books within
seven days, and actually transferred within fourteen
days after the contract should be ,niade. A bill
upon these .resolutions was brought in, under the
direction of the chancellor of the exchequer: it
related to the continuation of tonnage arid poundage
'3

300 HISTORY OP ENGLAND." B. I.
upon wine, vinegar, and tobacco ; and comprehend-;
ed a clause for laying an additional duty upon salt,
for two years and three quarters. All the several
branches constituted a general fund, since known by
the name of the general mortgage, without prejudice;
to their former appropriations. The bill also provid
ed, that the tallies should bear eight per cent, inter--
est : that from the 10th of June for five years theyr
should bear no more than six percent, interest; and,;
that no premium or discount upon them should be
taken. In case of the general fund's proving insuf
ficient to pay the whole interest, it was provided!,
that every proprietor should receive his proportion!
of the product, and the deficiency be made good
from the next aid : but should the fund produce more
than the interest, the surplus was destined to ope
rate as a sinking fund for the discharge of the prin
cipal. In order to make up a deficiency of above
^§800,000, occasioned by the failure of the land,
bank, additional duties were laid upon leather : the
time was enlarged for persons to come in and pur
chase the annuities payable by several former acts,
and to obtain more certain interest in such annui
ties'. § xl. Never were more Vigorous measures, taken
to support the credit of the government ; and never
was the government served by such a set of enter
prising undertakers. The commons having received
a message from the king, touching the condition of
the civil list, resolved, that a sum not exceeding
^515,000 should be granted for the support of the
civil list for the ensuing year, to be raised by a malt-
tax, and additional duties upon mum, sweets, cy
der; and perry. They likewise resolved, that an ad
ditional aid of one shilling in the pound should be
laid upon land, as an equivalent for the duty of
ten per cent, upon mixed goods. Provision was made
for raising ^gl, 400,000 by a lottery. The treasury;

eH. V. WILLIAM. SOI
was empowered to issue an additional number of ex
chequer-bills, to the amount of ^1,200,000 j every
^= lOObearing interest at the rate of five pence a day,
and ten per cent, for circulation : finally, in order
to liquidate the transport-'debt, which the funds
established for that purpose had not been sufficient
to defray, a money-bill was brought in, to oblige
pedlars and hawkers to take out licences, and pay
for them at certain stated prices. One cannot with
out astonishment reflect upon the prodigious efforts
that were made upon this occasion-, or consider
without indignation the enormous fortunes that were
raised up by usurers and extortioners from the*
distresses of their country. The nation did not
seem to know its own strength, until it, was put to
this extraordinary trial ; and the experiment of mort
gaging funds succeeded so well, that later ministers
have proceeded in the same system, imposing burthen
upon burthen, as if they thought the sinews of the
nation could never be overstrained.
§ xli. The public credit being thus bolstered up
by the singular address of Mr. Montague, and the
bills passed for the supplies of the ensuing year, the
attention of the commons was transferred to the case
of Sir John Fenwick, who had been apprehended in the
month of June at New Romney, in his way to France.
He had, when taken, written a letter to his lady by
one Webber, who accompanied him ; but this man
being seized, the letter was found, containing such a
confession, as plainly evinced him guilty. He then
entered into a treaty with the court for turning evi
dence, and delivered a long information in writing,
which was sent abroad to his majesty. He made no
discoveries that could injure any of the Jacobites,.
who, by. his account, and other concurring testi
monies, appeared to be divided into two parries,
known by the names of compounders and nonrcom-
pounders. The first, headed by the earl of Middle-?
fpn, insisted upon receiving security from King James,

302 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, B. I.
that the religion and liberties of England should be,
preserved : whereas, the other party, at the head of
which was the earl of Melfort, resolved to bring him
in without conditions, relying upon his own honour
and generosity. King William having sent over an
order for bringing Fenwick to trial, 'unless he should
make more material discoveries, the prisoner, with
a view to amuse the ministry, until he could take
other measures for his own safety, accused the earls
of Shrewsbury, Marlborough, and Bath, the lord
Godolphin, and Admiral Russel, of having made
their peace with King James, and engaged to act
for his interest. Meanwhile his lady and relations
tampered with the two witnesses, Porter and Good
man. The first of these discovered those practices
to the government ; and one Clancey, who acted as
agent for Lady Fenwick, was tried, convicted of sub
ornation, fined, and set in the pillory : but they had
succeeded better in their attempts upon Goodman,
who disappeared ; so that one witness only remained,
and Fenwick began to think his life was put of danger.
Admiral Russel acquainted the house of commons,
that he and several persons of quality had been re
flected upon in some informations of Sir John Fen
wick : fie therefore desired, that he might have an
opportunity to justify his own character. Mr. Se
cretary Trumbal produced the papers, which having
been read, the commons ordered that Sir John Fen
wick should be brought to the bar of the house.
There he was exhorted by the speaker to make an
ample discovery ; which, however^ he, declined, ex
cept with the proviso, that he should first receive
some security that w fiat he might say should not pre
judice himself. He was ordered to vithdraw, until
they should have deliberated on his request. Then
he was called in again, and the speaker told him, he
might deserve the favour of the house, by making
<* full discovery. He desired he might be. indulged
¦".'rib. a little time to recollect himself, and promised

CH. V. WILLIAM. 303
to obey the command of the house. This favour be
ing denied, he again insisted upon having security ;
which they refusing to grant,5? he chose to be silent,
and was dismissed from the bar. The house voted,
that his informations, reflecting upon the fidelity of
several noblemen, members of the house, and others,
upon hearsay, were false and scandalous, contrived
to undermine the government, and create jealousies
between the king and his subjects, in order to stifle
the conspiracy.
§ xlii. Amotion being made, for leave to bring
in a bill to attaint him of high treason, a warm debate
ensued, and the question being put, was carried in
the affirmative by a great majority. He was furnish
ed with a copy of the bill, and allowed the use of
pen, ink, paper, and council. When he presented
a petition, praying, that his council might be heard
against passing the bill, they made an order, that his
counsel should be allowed to make his defence at
the bar of the house : so that he was surprised into
an irregular trial, instead of being indulged with an
opportunity of offering objections to their passing the
bill of attainder. He was accordingly brought to the
bar of the house ; and the bill being read in his hear
ing, the speaker called upon the king's counsel to
open the evidence. The prisoner's counsel objected
to their proceeding to trial, alleging, that their client
had not received the least notice of their purpose,
and therefore could not be prepared for his defence ;
but that they came to offer their reasons against the
bill. The house, after a long debate, resolved, that
he should be allowed further time to produce wit
nesses in his defence ; that the counsel for the king
should likewise be allowed to produce evidence to
prove the treasons of which he stood indicted ; and
an order was made for his being brought to the bar
again in three days. In pursuance of this order he
appeared, when the indictment which had been found
against him by the grand jury was produced ; and

304« HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
Porter was examined as an evidence. Then the
record of Clancey's conviction was read ; and one
Roe testified, that Dighton, the prisoner's solicitor,
had offered him an annuity of ^100, to discredit the
the testimony of Goodman. The king's counsel
moved, that Goodman's examination, as taken by
Mr. Vernon, clerk of the council, might be read.
Sir J. Powis and Sir Bartholomew Shower, the pri
soner's counsel, warmly opposed this proposal : they
affirmed, that a deposition taken when the party af
fected by it was not present to cross-examine the de-
poser, could not be admitted in a case of five shillings
value : that though the house was not bound by the
rules of inferior courts, it was nevertheless bound by
the eternal and unalterable rules of justice : that no
evidence, according to the rules pf law, could be ad
mitted in such a case, but that of living witnesses j
and that the examination of a person who is absent was
never read to supply his testimony. The dispute be
tween the lawyers on this subject gave rise to a very
violent debate among the members of the house. Sir
Edward Seymour, Sir Richard Temple, Mr. Harley,
Mr. Harcourt, Mr. Manly, Sir Christopher Musgrave,
and all the leaders of the tory party, argued against the
hardship and injustice of admitting this information as
an evidence. They demonstrated, 4hat it would be a
step contrary to the practice of all courts of judicature,
repugnant to the common notions of justice and hu
manity, diametrically opposite to the last act for re
gulating trials in cases of high treason, and of dan
gerous consequences to the lives and liberties of the
people. On the other hand, Lord Cutts, Sir Thomas
Lyttleton, Mr. Montague, Mr. Smith of the treasury,
and Trevor, the attorney-general, affirmed, that the
house was not bound by any form cf law whatso
ever: that this was an extraordinary case, in which
the safety of the government was deepl) concerned, :
that though the common law might require two evi
dences in cases of treason, the house had a power of

ch. v. William!. 305
deviating from those rules in extraordinary cases ;
that there was no reason to doubt of Sir John Fen-
wick's being concerned in the conspiracy : that he
or his friends had tampered with Porter ; and that
there were strong presumptions to believe the same
practices had induced Goodman to abscond. In a
word, the tories, either from party or patriotism,
strenuously asserted the cause of liberty and huma
nity,' by those very arguments which had been used
against them in the former reigns ; while the whigs,
with equal violence and more success, espoused the
dictates of arbitrary power and oppression, in the face
of their former principles, with which they were now
upbraided. At length, the question was put, Whe
ther or not the information of Goodman should be
read ? and was carried in the affirmative by a ma
jority of seventy-three voices. Then two of the grand
jury who had found the indictment, recited the evi
dence which had-been given to them by Porter and
Goodman : lastly, the king's counsel insisted upon
producing the record of Cooke's Conviction, as he
had been tried for the same conspiracy. The pri
soner's counsel objected, that", if such evidence was
admitted, the trial of one person in the same cbtttpany
would be the trial of all ; and it could not 'be expect
ed, that they who came to defend Sir John Fenwick
only, should be prepared to answer the charge
against Cooke. This article produced another vehe
ment debate among the members; and the whigs
obtained a second victory. The record wa's read,
and the king's counsel proceeded to call some of the
jury who served on Cooke's trial, .to affirm that he
had been convicted on Goodman's evidence. 'Sir
Bartholomew Shower said, he would submit it to the
consideration of the house, whether it was just that
the evidence against One person should conclude
against another standing at a different bar, in defence
of his life ? The ^parties were again ordered to with
draw ; and front this point arose a third debate,

30S HISTORY OF ENGLAND* B. L
which ended, as the two former, to the disadvantage
of the prisoner. The jury being examined, Mr. Ser
jeant Gould moved, that Mr. Vernon might be de
sired to produce the intercepted letter from Sir John
Fenwick to his lady. The prisoner's counsel warm
ly opposed this motion, insisted upon their prov*
ing it to be his hand-writing before it could be used
against him ; and no further stress was laid on this
evidence. When they were called upon to enter on
his defence, they pleaded incapacity to deliver mat
ters of such importance after they had been fatigued
with twelve hours attendance.
§ xliii. The house resolved to hear such evi
dence as the prisoner had to produce that night. His
counsel declared, that they had nothing then to pro
duce but the copy of a record ; and the second re
solution was, that he should be brought up again
next day at noon. He accordingly appeared at the
bar, and Sir J. Powis proceeded on his defence. He
observed, that the bill under consideration affected
the lives of the subjects ; and such precedents were
dangerous : that Sir John Fenwick was forthcoming,
in order to be tried by the ordinary methods of jus
tice : that he was actually under process, had plead
ed, and was ready to stand trial : that if there was
sufficient clear evidence against him, as die king's
serjeant had declared, there was no reason for
his being deprived of the benefit of such a trial as was
the birthright of every British subject ; and if there
was a deficiency of legal evidence, he thought this
was a very odd reason for the bill. He took notice,
that even the regicides had the benefit of such a trial :
that the last act for regulating trials in cases of treason
proved the great tenderness of the laws which af
fected the life of the subject ; and he expressed his
surprise, that the very parliament which had passed
that law, should enact another for putting a person
to death without any trial at all. He admitted, that
there had been many bills of attainder, but they were

CH. V. WILLIAM. 307
generally levelled at outlaws and fugitives : and some
of them had been reversed in the sequel, as arbitrary
and unjust. He urged, that this bill of attainder
did not allege or say, that Sir John Fenwick was
guilty of the treason for which he had been in
dicted ; a circumstance which prevented him from
producing witnesses to that and several matters upon
which the king's counsel had expatiated. He said,
they had introduced evidence to prove circum
stances not alleged in the bill, and defective evidence
of those that were : that Porter was tnot examined
upon oath : that nothing could be more severe than
to pass sentence of death upon a mail, corrupt his
blood, and confiscate his estate, upon parole evi
dence ; especially of such a wretch, who, by his own
confession, had been engaged in a crime of the
blackest nature, not a convert to the dictates of con
science, but a coward, shrinking from the danger
by which he had been environed, and even now
drudging for a pardon. He invalidated the evi
dence of Goodman's examination. He observed,
that the indictment mentioned a conspiracy to call
in a foreign power ; but, as this conspiracy had not
been put in practice, such an agreement was not a
sufficient overt-act of treason, according to the opi
nion of Hawles, the solicitor-general, concerned in
this very prosecution. So saying, he produced a
book of remarks, which that lawyer had, published
on the cases of Lord Russel, Colonel Sidney, and
others, who had suffered death ui the reign of, Charles
II. This author, said he, takes notice, that a con
spiracy or agreement to levy war, is not treason with
out actually levying war ; a sentiment in which he
concurred with Lord Coke and Lord-chief-justice
Hales. He concluded with - saying, ' we know at
e present on what ground we stand ; by the statute
* of Edward III we know what treason is ; by the
* two , statutes of Edward VI, and the late act, we
' know what is proof ^ by the magna charta, we

508 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
' know we are to be tried per legem terree et per
* fudicium parium, by the law of the land and the
* judgment of our peers ; but, if bills of attainder
* come into fashion, we shall neither know what is
c treason, what is evidence, nor how, nor where, we
' are to be tried.' — He was seconded by Sir Bartho
lomew Shower, who spoke with equal energy and
elocution ; and their arguments were answered by
the king's counsel. The arguments in favour of the
bill imported, that the parliament would not inter
pose, except in extraordinary cases ; that here the
evidence necessary in inferior courts feeing defective,
the parliament, which was not tied down by legal
evidence, had a right to exert their extraordinary
power in punishing an offender, who would other
wise escape with impunity : that, as the law stood,
he was but a sorry politician that could not ruin the
government, and yet elude the statute of treason;
that if a plot, after being discovered, should not be
thoroughly prosecuted, it would strengthen and grow
upon the administration, and probably at length sub
vert the government : that it was notorious that par
ties were forming for King James ; persons were
plotting in every part of the kingdom, and an open
invasion was threatened ; therefore, this was a pro*
per time for the parliament to exert their extraordi
nary power : that the English differed from all other
nations, in bringing the witnesses and the prisoner
face to face, and requiring two witnesses in cases of
treason-: nor did the English law itself require the
same proof in some cases, as in others ; for one wit
ness was sufficient in felony, as well as for the treason
of coining : that Fenwick was notoriously guilty,
and deserved to feel the resentment of the nation :
that he would have been brought to exemplary
punishment in the ordinary course of justice, had he
not eluded it, by corrupting evidence, and withdraw
ing a witness. If this reasoning be just, the house
of commons has a right to act in diametrical oppo-

CH. T. WILLIAM. 30^,
sition tp the laws in being ; and is vested with a des
potic power- over the fives and fortunes of their con-
stkueritSj for whose protection they are constituted.
Let us therefore reflect upon the possibility of a par
liament, debauched by the arts of corruption itttb
servile compliance with the designs of art arbitrary
prince, afld tremble for the consequence. The debate
being finished, the prisoner was, at the desire of Ad
miral Russel, questioned with regard to the imputa*
tion* he had fixed upon that gentleman and others,
from hearsay : but he desired to be excused on ac
count of the risk he ran while under a double prose*-
cutioftf if any thing which should escape him might
be tui*he<i to his prejudices
§ xliv. Aeter he was removed from the bar,
Mr. Vernon, at the desire of the house, recapitulated
the arts and practices of Sir John Fenwick and his
friends, to procrastinate the trial. The bill was read
a second time ; and the speaker asking, if the question.
should be put for its feeing committed ? the house was
immediately kindled into a new flame of contention.
Hawles, the solicitor-general, affirmed, that the
house, in trie present case, should act both as judge
and jury. Mr. Harcourt said, he knew no trial for
treason but what was confirmed by magna charta,
by a jury, the birthright and darling privilege of an
Englishman, or per legum terra?, which includes im
peachments in parliament : that it was a str&nge trial
where the person accused had a chance to be hanged,
but none to be saved : that he never heard of a jury
man who was not on his oath, nor of a judge who
had not power to examine witnesses upon oath, and
who was not empowered tP save the innocent as well
as to condemn the guilty. Sir Thomas Lyttleton was
of opinion, that the parliament ought not to stand
t*pOn little niceties and forms of other courts^ when
the, government was at stake. Mr. Howe asserted,
that to- do^ a thing of this nature, because the parlia
ment had power to do it, was a strange way of rea-.
Vol. I. H h

S10 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ' Bvt,
soning : that what was justice' and equity at West
minster hall, was justice and equity everywhere ; that
one bad precedent in parliament was of worse con
sequence than an hundred in Westminster hall, be
cause personal or private injuries did not foreclose
the claims of original right ; whereas the parliament
could ruin the nation beyond redemption,) because it
could establish tyranny by law. Sir Richard Temple,
in arguing against the bill, observed, that the power
of parliament is to make any law, but the jurisdiction
of parliament is to govern itself by the law : to make
a law, therefore, against all the laws of England, was
the ultimum remedium el pessimum, never to be. used
but in case of absolute necessity. He affirmed, that
by this precedent the house overthrew all the laws
of England ; first, in condemning a man upon one
witness ; secondly, in passing, an -act without any
trial. The commons never did nor can assume- a
jurisdiction of trying any person : they may, for their
own information, hear what can be offered ; but it is
not a trial where witnesses are not upon oath. All
bills of attainder have passed against persons that were
dead or fled, or without the compass of the law :
some have been brought in after trials in Westmin
ster hall ; but none of those .have been called trials,
and they were generally reversed. He denied, that
the parliament had power to declare any thing trea
son which was not treason before. When inferiqr
courts were dubious, the case might be brought be
fore the parliament, to judge whether it was treason
or ftlony ; but then they must judge by the laws.in
being ; and this judgment was not in the parliament
by bill, but only in the house of lords. Lord,- Dig-
by, Mr. Harley, and Colonel Granville, > spoke, to
the same purpose. But their arguments and remons
trances had no effect upon the majority, by , whom
the prisoner was devoted to destruction. The bill was
committed, passed, and sent up to the house of lords,
where it produced the longest and warmest debates

CH. y. william: 311
which had been known since the restoration. Bishop
Burnet signalized his zeal for the government, by a
long speech in favour of the bill, contradicting some
of the fundamental maxims which he had formerly
avowed in behalf of the liberties of the, people. At
length it was carried by a majority of seven voices ;
and forty-one lords, including eight prelates, enter
ed a protest, couched in the strongest terms, against
the decision.
§ xlv. When the bill received the royal assent,
another act of the like nature passed against Barclay,
Holmes, and nine other conspirators, who had fled
from justice, in case they should not .surrender them
selves on or before the 25th day of March next en
suing. Sir John Fenwick solicited the mediation of
the lords in his behalf, while, his friends implored the
royal mercy. The peers, gave him to understand,
that the success of his suit would, depend upon the
fullness of his discoveries. He would have previous
ly stipulated for a pardon ; and they insisted uppri
his depending on their favour. He hesitated some
time between the fears of infamy and, the terrors of
death, which last he at length chose to undergo,, ra
ther than incur the .disgraceful character of an in
former. He was complimented with the axe, in con
sideration of his rank and alliance with the house of
Howard, and suffered on Tower hill with great com
posure. In the, paper which he deliyered to the
sheriff, he took God to witness, that he knew not of
the intended invasion, until it was, the common sub
ject of discourse ; nor was he engaged in any shape
for the service of King James. He : thanked those
noble and worthy persons who had opposed his at
tainder in parliament ; protested before God, that
the information he gave to the ministry he had re
ceived in letters and messages, from France ; and
observed, that he , might have expected mercy from
the prince of Orange, as he had been instrumental
Hh2

312 HISTORYOF ENGLAND. B**v
in saving his life, by preventing the execution of &
design which had been formed against it ; a circum
stance which in all probability induced the late con
spirators to conceal their purpose of assassination-
nom his knowledge. He professed his loyalty to
King James,, and prayed Heaven for his speedy re
storation. § xlvi. A. D. \6§7.— While Fenwick's affair was'
in agitation, the earl of Monmouth had set on foe*
some practices against the duke of Shrewsbury. One
Matthew Smith, nephew to Sir William Perkins, had
been entertained as a spy by this nobleman, who
finding his intelligence of very little use or import
ance, dismissed him as a ..troublesome dependent.
Then he had recourse to the earl of Monmouth,
into whom he infused unfavourable sentiments of
the duke ; insinuating, that he had made great dis
coveries, which, from sinister motives, were suppress
ed. Monmouth communicated those impressions
to the earl of Portland, who inlisted Smith as one of
his intelligencers. Copies of the letters he had Sent
tos the duke of Shrewsbury, were delivered to Se
cretary Trumball, sealed up for the perusal of his
majesty at his return from Flanders. When Fen
wick mentioned the duke of Shrewsbury in his dis
coveries, the earl of Monmouth resolved tc seize the
opportunity of ruining that nobleman. He, by the
channel of the duchess of Norfolk,' exhorted. Lady
Fenwick to prevail upon her husband to persist in his
accusation, and even dictated a paper of directions.
Fenwick rejected the proposal with disdain, as a
scandalous contrivance ; and Monmouth was so, in
censed at his refusal, that when the bill of attainder
appeared in the house of lords, he spoke in favour of
it with peculiar vehemence. Lady Fenwick, pro
voked at this cruel outrage, prevailed upon her ne
phew, the earl of Carlisle, to move the house that
Sir John might be examined touching any advices
that had been serit to him, with relation to his dis-

«SH. V. WILLIAM. 313
coveries. Fenwicfc: being interrogated ,acccfrdingly,
gave an account of ail the particulars Of .Monmouth's
scheme, which was calculated to ruin the duke of
Shrewsbury, by bringing Smith's letters on the car
pet. The duchess of Norfolk and a confident were
examined, and confirmed the deteotiqn. The house
called. for Smith's letters, which were produced by
Sir William Trumball. The earl of Monmouth
was committed to the Tower, and dismissed from
all his employments. . He was released, however, at
the end of the session ; and the court made up all
his losses in private, lest he should be tempted #»
join the opposition. :
§ xlvii. The whigs, before they were glutted
with the sacrifice of Fenwick, had determined to let
loose their vengeance upon Sir George Rooke, who
was a leader in the opposite interest. Sir Cloudesley
Shovel had been sent with a squadron to look into
©rest, where, according to the intelligence which the
government had received,- the French were employ
ed in preparing for a descent upon England; bat
this information was false. They were busy in equip
ping an armament for the West -Indies., under the
command of M. Pointis, who actually sailed to the
coast of New Spain, and took the city of Carthagena.
•Rooke had been ordered to intercept the Toujpn
squadron in its way to Brest ; but his endeavours
miscarried. The commons, in a committee of the
whole house, resolved to inquire why this fleet, was
not intercepted; Rooke underwent a tang exa
mination, and was obliged to produce his journal,
orders, and letters. Shovel and Mitchel were like
wise examined ; but nothing appearing to the pre
judice of the admiral, the house thought proper to
desist from their prosecution. After they had de
termined on the fate of Fenwick, they proceeded to
enact several laws for regulating the domestic eco-
aoroy of the nation : among others they passed1 an
Hh3

314 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I.
act for the more effectual relief of creditors, ih cases
of escape, and for' preventing abuses in prisons and
pretended privileged places. Ever since the reform
ation, certain places in and about the city of Lon-.
don, which had been sanctuaries during the preva
lence of the popish religion, afforded asylums to
debtors, and were become receptacles of desperate
persons, who presumed to set the law at defiance.
One of these places, called White-Friars, was filled
with a crew of ruffians, who every day committed
acts of violence and outrage; but this law was so
vigorously put in execution, that they were obliged^
to abandon the district, which was soon filled with
more creditable inhabitants. On the 16th day of
April, the king closed the session with a short
speech, thanking the parliament for the great sup
plies they had so cheerfully granted, and expressing
his satisfaction at the measures they had taken for
retrieving the public credit. Before he quitted the
kingdom, he ventured to produce upon the scene
the earl of Sunderland, who had hitherto prompted
his councils behind the curtain. That politician
was now sworn of the privy-council, and grati
fied with the office of lord chamberlain, which
had been "resigned by the earl of Dorset, a noble
man of elegant talents and invincible indolence ;
severe and poignant in his writings and remarks up
on mankind in general, but humane, good natured,
and generous to excess, in his commerce with indi
viduals.' § xlvhi. William having made some promo
tions,* and appointed a regency, embarked on the
26th day of April for Holland, that he might be
1 Burnet. Kenpet. Oldmixon. ruary the cail of Aylesbury, whp
State trials. TiRdal. Ralph, Lives had been committed on account of
of the admirals. the conspiracy, was released upon
- Somers was created a baron, and bail ; but this privilege was denied to
appointed lord chancellor of England; Lord Montgomery, who had been
Admiral Russel was dignified with imprisoned in Newgate on the san,e
the title of carl of Qfford. In Feb- account.

CH. V. WILLIAM.- ... 3,15
at hand to manage fhe negociation fpr a general
peace. By this time the preliminaries were settled,'
between Callieres, the French minister, and Mr.
Dykveldt, in behalf of the states- general, who re-j
solved, in consequence of the concessions made by
France, that, in concert with their allies, the me
diation of Sweden might be accepted. The emper-r
or, and the court of Spain, however, were not satis-
t\ed wjth those concessions : yet, his imperial ma
jesty declared he would embrace the prpffered me
diation, provided the treaty of Westphalia should
be re-established ; and provided the king of Sweden
would engage to join his troops with those of the
allies,) in case France should break through this
stipulation. This proposal being delivered, the mi
nisters of England and Holland at Vienna presented
a joint memorial, pressing his imperial majesty to
accept the mediation without reserve, and, name a
place at which the congress might be opened. The
emperor complied with reluctance. On the 14*
day of February, all ,the, ministers (of fhe allies, ex
cept the ambassador, of Spain, agreed to the pro-;
posal ; and next day signified their assent in form to
M. Lillienroot, the Swedish plenipotentiary. Spain
demanded, as a, preliminary, that France would agree
to restore all, the places mentioned in, a, long list,
which the minister of that crown presented to the
assembly. The emperor, proposed, tha£ the con-
gressushou!d be held at Aix-la-Chapelle, or Franckr
fort, or some other town in Germany. The, other
allies, were more, disposed to negociate in Holland.
At length the French king suggested, .that no place
would be more proper than a, palace belonging to
King William, called Newburg- house, situated her
tween the Hague and Delft> close by the village of
Ryswick ; aiid , to this proposition the ministers
agreed. Those of England were the earl of Pem
broke, a virtuous, learned, and popular,' nobleman,
the Lord Villiers, and Sir Joseph Williamson :

310 HISTORY QF ENGLAND. B. 3&
Francs) sent Harlay and Creey to the assistance of
Callieres. Lewis was not only tired of the war, on
account of the misery in which it bad involved hk
kingdom ; but in desiring a peace lie was actuated
by another motive. The king of Spaini had been
for some time in a very ill state of health, and the
French monarch had an eye to the succession. This
aim could not be accomplished while the confe
deracy subsisted ; therefore he eagerly sought a peaces
that he might at once turn his whole power against
Spain, as soon as Charles should expire. The em
peror harboured the same design upon the Spanish
crown, and for that reason interested himself in the
continuance of the grand alliance. Besides, he fore
saw he should in a little time be able to act against
France with an augmented force. The czar of
Muscovy had engaged to find employment for the
Turks and Tartars. He intended to raise the elec
tor of Saxony to the throne of Poland ; and he had
made some progress in a negociation with the cir
cles of the Rhine, for a considerable body of aux
iliary troops. The Dutch had no other view but
that of securing a barrier in the Netherlands. King
William insisted upon the French king's acknowr
ledgipg his title ; and the English nation wished for
nothing so much as the end of a ruinous war. On
the 10^ day of February, Callieres, in the name of
his master, agreed to the following preliminaries :
that the treaties of Westphalia and Nimeguen should
be the basis of this negociation : that Strasburg
should be restored to the empire, and Luxem
burg to the Spaniards, together with Mons, Char
leroy, and all places taken by the French in Cata
lonia since the treaty of Nimeguen : that Dinant
should be ceded to the bishop of Liege, and all
, re-union since the treaty of Nimeguen be made
void: that the French king should make restitu
tion of Lorraine, and, upon conclusion of the peace,
acknowledge the prince of Orange as king of Great

CH.- V. WILLIAM. 3 If
Britain, without condition or reserve. The con
ferences were interrupted by the death of Charles
XI, king of Sweden, who was succeeded by his son
Charles, then a minor : but the queen and five se
nators, whom the late king had by will appointed
administrators of the government, resolved to pur
sue the mediation, and sent a new commission to
Lillienroot for that purpose. The ceremonials be
ing regulated with the consent of all parties, the ple
nipotentiaries of the emperor delivered their master's
demands to the mediator, on the 22d day of May,
and several German ministers gave in the preten
sions of the respective princes' whom they represented.
^ xlix. Meanwhile, the French king, in the
hope of procuring more -favourable terms, resolved
to make his last effort against the Spaniards in Ca
talonia and in the Netherlands, and to elevate the
prince of Conti to the throne of Poland ; an event
which would have greatly improved the interest of
France in Europe. Lewis had got the start of the
confederates in Flanders, and sent thither a very
numerous army, commanded by Catinat, Villeroy,
and Bouffiers. The campaign was opened with the
siege of Aeth, which was no sooner invested than
King William, having recovered of an indisposition,
took the field, and had an interview with the diike
Of Bavaria, who commanded a separate body. He
did not think proper to interrupt the enemy in their
¦operations before Aeth, which surrendered in a few
days after the trenches were opened ; but contented
himself with taking possession of an advantageous
camp, where he covered Brussels, which Villeroy
and Bouffiers had determined to besiege. In Cata
lonia, the duke of Vendome invested Barcelona, in
which there ;was a garrison of 10,OQO regular sol
diers, besides 5,000 burghers, who had voluntarily
taken arms on this occasion. The governor of the
place was the prince of Hesse d'Armstadt, who
|wd served in Ireland, and been vested with the

518 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
cbmmand of the imperial troops which were sent
into Spain. The French general < being reinforced
from " Provence and Languedoc, carried on .his1
approaches, with surprising impetuosity ; and. was
repulsed in several attacks by the valour of the de
fendants. At length the enemy surprised and rout
ed the viceroy of Catalonia ; and, flushed with this
victory, stormed the outworks, which had been long
battered with their cannon. The dispute was very
bloody and obstinate ; but the French, by dint of •
numbers, made themselves masters Of the covered
way and two bastions. There they erected batteries
of Gannon and mortars, and fired furiously o;i the
town, which, however, the prince of Hesse resolved
to defend to the last extremity. The court of Mad
rid1, however, unwilling to see the place entirely
ruined, as in all probability it would .be restored at
the peace, dispatched an order to the prince to ca
pitulate ;• and he obtained very honourable terms,
after having made a glorious defence for nine weeks ;
in consideration of which he was appointed viceroy
of the province. France was no sooner in possession
of this important place, than the Spaniards became
as eager for peace as they had been before averse to
i' negociation.' § l. Their impatience was not a little inflamed
by the success of Pointis in America, where he took
Carthagena, in which he found a booty amounting
to 8,000,000 of crowns. Having ruined the for
tifications of the place, and received advice that
an English squadron under Admiral Nevil had arriv
ed in the West-Indies, with a design to attack him
in his return, he bore away for the straits of Ba
hama. On the 22d day of May he fell in with the
English fleet, and one of his fly-boats was taken:
Jbut such was his dexterity, or good fortune, that he
escaped, after having been pursued five days, during
which the English and Dutch rear-admirals sprang
Iheir fore-topmasts, and received Other damage, 90

ch. v. William. 319
that they could not proceed. Then NeviJ steered
to Carthagena, which he found quite abandoned by
the inhabitants, who, after the departure- of, Pointis,
had been rifled a second time by 'the buccaneers,
on pretence that they had been defrauded pf their
share of the plunder. This was really the case ;
they had in a great measure contributed to the suc
cess of Pointis, and were very ill rewarded. In a
few days the English admiral discovered eight sail
of their ships, two of which were forced on shore and
destroyed, two taken, and the rest escaped. Then
he directed his course to Jamaica, and, by the ad-?,
vice of the governor, Sir William Beeston detached
Rear-admiral Meeze with some ships and forces to
attack Petit-Guavas, which he accordingly surprised,
burned, and reduced to ashes. After this small expe
dition, Nevil proceeded to:the Havannah, on purpose
to take the galleons under his convoy for Europe,
according* to the instructions he had received frpm
the king ; but the governor of the place, and the
general of the plate-fleet suspecting such an offer,
would neither suffer him to enter the harbour, nor
put the galleons under his protection. • -He now
sailed through the gulf of Florida tp Virginia, where
he died of chagrin, and the command of the fleet
devolved on, Captain Dilkes, who arrived in England
on the 24s1' day of October, with a shattered squad
ron, half manned, to the unspeakable -mortification
of the people, who tflattered themselves with the
hopes of wealth ,and glory from thisj expedition.
Pointis, steering to , the banks of -Newfoundland,
entered the bay of Conceptione, .at a time when a
stout English squadron, commanded by Commodore
Norris lay at anchor in the bay of S',. John. This
officer; being informed of the arrival of a French
fleet, at first concluded, that it was the squadron of
M. Nesmond come to attack him, and exerted his
Utmost endeavours ito put fhe place in a posture of
defence.: hut, afterwards understanding that it wa?

320 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.1I,
Pointis returning with the spoil of Carthegena, hq
called a council of war, and proposed to go imme
diately in quest of the enemy. He wals, bowever,
over-ruled by a majority, who gave it as their opi
nion that they should remain where they were,
without running unnecessary hazard. By virtue
of this scandalous determination, Pointis was per
mitted to proceed on his voyage to Europe : hut he
had not yet escaped every danger. On the 14"1 day
of August he fell in with a squadron under the com
mand of Captain Harlow, by whom he was boldly
engaged till night parted the combatants. He was
pursued next day : but his ships sailing better than
those of Harlow, he accomplished his escape, and
on the morrow entered the harbour of Brest. That
his ships, which were foul, should outsail the Eng
lish squadron, which had just put to sea, was a mys
tery which the people of England could not explain.
They complained of having been betrayed through
the whole course of the Weat-lndian expedition.
The king owned he did not understand marine af
fairs, the entire conduct of which he abandoned to
Russel, who became proud, arbitrary and unpopular,
and was supposed to be betrayed by his dependents.
Certain it is, the service was greatly obstructed by
faction among the officers, which with respect to
the nation had all the effects of treachery and mis
conduct. § li. The success of the French in Catalonia,
Flanders, and the West-Indies, was balanced by their
disappointment in Poland. Lewis, encouraged by
the remonstrances of the abbe de Polignac, who
managed the affairs of France in that kingdom, re
solved to support the prince of Conti as a candidate
for the crown, and remitted great sums of money,
which were distributed among the Polish nobility.
The emperor had at first declared for the son of the
late king", but, finding the French party too strong
for his competitoi', he entered into a negociation

CH.V. WILLIAM. 321
with the elector of Saxony, who agreed to change
his religionj to distribute- 8,000,000 of florins among
the Poles, to confirm their privileges, and advance
with his troops to the frontiers of that kingdom.
Having performed these articles,- he declared himself
a candidate, and was publicly espoused by the impe
rialists. The duke of Lorraine, the prince of Baden,
and Don Livio Odeschalchi, nephew to Pope Inno
cent, were likewise competitors ; but, finding their
interest insufficient, they united their influence with
that of the elector, who was proclaimed king of
Poland. He forthwith took the oath required,
procured an attestation from the imperial court of
his having changed his religion, and marched with
his army to Cracow, where he-was, crowned with
the usual solemnity. Lewis persisted in maintaining
the pretensions of the prince of Conti, and equipped
a fleet at Dunkirk for his convoy to Dantzick, in his
way to Poland. But the magistrates of that city,
who had declared for the new king, would not suf
fer his men to land, though they offered to admit
himself with a small retinue* He, therefore, went
on shore at Marienburg, where be. was met by some
chiefs of his own party ; but the new king, Augus
tus, acted with such vigilance, that he found it im-
. practicable to form an army: besides he suspected
the fidelity of his own Polish partisans..: she, there
fore, refused to part with the treasure he had
brought, and in the beginning of winter returned to
Dunkirk. - ¦ ;¦
§ lh. The establishment of Augustus on. the
throne of Poland was in some measure owing to the
.conduct of Peter, the czar of Muscovy, (tyho having
formed great designs against trie- Ottoman Porte,
was very unwilling to see the crown of Poland pos
sessed bya partisan of France, which was in alliance
with- the grand signior. He, therefore,: interested
himself warmly, in the dispute, and ordered his gen
eral to assemble an army on the frontiers of Lithu-

322 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
ania, which, by overawing the Poles that were^in
the interest of the prince of Conti, considerably in
fluenced the election. This extraordinary legislator,
who was a strange compound of heroism and barba
rity, conscious of the defects in his education and
of the gross ignorance that overspread his dominions,
resolved to extend his ideas, and improve his judg
ment, by travelling ; and that he might be the less
restricted by forms, or interrupted by officious curio
sity, he determined to travel in disguise. He was
extremely ambitious of becoming a maritime power,
and in particular of maintaining a fleet in the Black
sea ; and his immediate aim was , to learn the princi
ples of ship-building. He appointed an embassy for
Holland to regulate some points of commerce with
the states-general. Having entrusted the care of
his dominions to persons in whom he could confide^
he now disguised himself, and travelled as one of
their retinue. He first disclosed himself to the elec
tor of Brandenburg in Prussia, and afterwards to
King William, with whom he conferred in private
at Utrecht. He engaged himself as a common la
bourer with a ship-carpenter in Holland, whom he
served for some months with wonderful patience and
assiduity. He aftervvards visited England, where he
amused himself chiefly with the same kind of occu
pation. From thence he set out for Vienna, where
receiving advices from his dominions, that his sister
was concerned in managing intrigues against his
government, he returned suddenly to Moscow, and
found the machinations of the conspirators were
already baffled by the vigilance and fidelity of the
foreigners to whom he had left the care of the admi
nistration. His savage nature, however, broke out
upon this occasion : he ordered some hundreds to be
hanged all round his capital : and a good number
were beheaded, he himself withhis own hand perform r
ing the office of executioner.

GH. V. WILLIAM. 323-
§ Ltii. The negociations at Ryswick proceeded
very slowly for some time. The ¦> imperial minister-
demanded, that France should make; restitution of
all the places and dominions she had wrested frona
the empire since the peace of Munster, whether by
force of arms or pretence of -right. The Spaniards
claimed all they could demand by virtue of the
peace of Nimeguen and the treaty of the Pyrennees.
The French affirmed, that if the preliminaries, of
fered by Callieres were accepted, these propositions
could not be taken into consideration. The impe
rialists persisted in demanding a circumstantial an
swer, article by article. The Spaniards insisted
upon the same manner of ¦ proceeding, and called
upon the mediator and. Dutch ministers to support
their -pretensions. , The plenipotentiaries of France
declared, they would not admit any demand or pro
position, . contrary to the preliminary articles : but
were willing to deliver in a project of peace, in
order to shorten the negociations, and the. Spanish
ambassadors consented to < this expedient. During
these transactions, the earl of Portland held a con
ference with Mareschal Bouffiers, near Halle, in
sight of the two opposite armies,; which was con
tinued in five successive meetings. On the 21 day
of August they retired together to a house in the
suburbs of Halle, and mutually signed a paper, in
which the ¦ principal articles of the peace between
France and England were adjusted. Next day King
William quitted the camp, and retired to his house
at Loo, confident of .having taken such, measures fpr
a pacification as could not be disappointed..- The
subject of this field negociation is said to have
turned upon the interest of King James, which the
French monarch promised to abandon : others,
however, suppose that the first foundation > of the
partition treaty was laid in this conference. But, in all
probability, William's sole aim was to put an end- to

324 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. * E. L
an expensive and unsuccessful war, which had ren
dered him very unpopular ill his own dominions*
and to obtain from the court of France an acknow
ledgement of his title, which had, Since the qoeet^s
death, become the subject of dispute. He perceived
the emperor's backwardness towards a pacification,
and foresaw numberless difficulties in difcetissing such
a complication of interests by the common method
of treating: he, therefore, chose 9uch a step as he
thought would alarm the jealousy of the allies, and
quicken the negociation at Ryswick. Before thft
congress was opened, King James had published
two manifestoes, addressed to the catholic and ptfe*
testant princes of the confederacy, representing his
wrongs, and craving redrfess : but his remonstranees
being altogether disregarded, he afterwards issued
a third declaration, solemnly protesting against all
that might or should be negociated, regulated;- of
stipulated, with the usurper of his realms, as being
void of all rightful and lawful authority. On the
20th day of July the French ambassadors produced
their project of a general peace, declaring at the same
time, that should it not be accepted before the last
day of August, France would not hold herself bound
for the conditions she now offered: but Caunitz,
the emperor's plenipotentiary, protested he would
pay no regard to this limitation. On the 30th of
August, however, he delivered to the mediator* an
ultimatum, importing^ that he adhered to the treaties
of Westphalia and' Nimeguen, and accepted of Stras-
burg with its appurtenances; that he insisted upon the
restitution of Lorraine to the prince of that name ;
and demanded, that the church and chapter of Liege
should be re-established in the possession of their in-
eontestible rights. Next day the French plenipc*
tenti»ries! declared, that the month of August being1
now expired, all their offers were vacated : that,
therefore, the king of France would reserve Stras-

*3H. % WILLIAM. -&2S
burg, aad unite it, with its dependencies, to his crown
for ever : that in other respects he would adhere to
the project, and restore Barcelona to the crown of
Spain ; but that those terms must be accepted in
twenty days, otherwise he should think himself at
liberty to recede. The ministers of the electors and
princes of the empire joined in a written remonstrance
to the Spanish plenipotentiaries, representing the in
conveniences and dangers that would accrue to the
tjernwac body from France's being in possession of
Luxemburg, and exhorting them in the strongest
terms to reject all offers of an equivalent for that pro.
prince. They likewise presented another to the sjates-
general, requiring them to continue the war, accord
ing to their engagements, until France should have
complied with the preliminaries. No regard, how
ever, was paid to either of these addresses. Then the
imperial ambassadors demanded the good offices of
the mediator, on certain articles : but all that he
could obtain of France was, that the term for adjust
ing the peace between her and the emperor sJbould be
prolonged till the 1st day of November, and in the
meantime an armistice be punctually observed. Yet
even these concessions were made, on condition that
trie treaty with England, Spain, and Holland, should
be signed on that day, even though the emperor and
empire should not concur.
§ liv. Accordingly, on the 20th day of Sep
tember, the articles were subscribed by the Dutchj,
English, Spanish, and French, ambassadors, while the
imperial ministers protested against the transaction,
observing, this was the second time that a separate
peace had been concluded with France ; and theft
the states of the empire, who had been imposed upon
through their own credulity, would not fer the
future be so easily persuaded to engage in. confeder
acies* In certain preparatory articles settled between
jSngland and France, King William promised to pay
Vol I. li

326 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
a yearly pension to Queen Mary d'Este*, of ^50,00b,
or such sum as should be established 'for that pur
pose -by act of parliament. The treaty itself consist
ed of seventeen articles. The French king engaged,
that he would not disturb or disquiet the king of
Great Britain in the possession of his realrhs or go
vernment : nor assist his enemies, nor favour con
spiracies against his person. This obligation was re
ciprocal.. A free commerce was restored. Com
missaries were appointed to meet at London} and
settle the pretensions of each crown to Hudsons bay,
taken by the French during the late peace, and) re
taken by the English in the course of the war ; and
to regulate the limits of the places to be restored, as
well as the exchanges to be made. It was likewise
stipulated, that, in case of a rupture, six months
should be allowed to the subjects of each power for
removing their effects.: that the separate articles of
the treaty of Nimeguen,1 relating to the principality of
Orange, should be entirely executed ; and, that the
ratifications should be exchanged in three weeks from
the day of signing. The treaty between France and
Holland imported a general armistice, a perpetual
amity, a mutual restitution, a reciprocal renunciation
of all pretensions upon each other, a confirmation of
the peace with Savoy, are-establishment of the treaty
conduced between France and Brandenburg, in the
year 1679, a comprehension of Sweden, and all those
powers that should be named before the ratification,
Or in - six months after the conclusion of the treaty.
Besides, the Dutch ministers concluded a treaty of
, commerce with France, which was immediately put
in. execution. Spain had great reason to be satisfied
with the pacification, by which she recovered Gironne,
Roses, Barcelona, Luxemburg, Charleroy, Mons,
Courtray,1 and all the towns, fortresses, and territories,
taken by the French in the province of Luxemburg,
Namur, Brabant, Flandersj and Hainault, except
eighty-two towns and villages claimed by the French :

¦c h. v. yf 1 1 li a sk o -' -. • ;-227
this* dispute was left to the decision of commissaries;;
or,i in case they should not agree, to; the determina
tion of the states-general. A remonstrance in favour
cf the French protestant refugees riv England, Hol
land, and Germany* --was delivered by the earl rbf
Pembroke to the mediators, in the name of the pro
testant allies, on the day that preceded the conclusion
of the treaty ; but the French plenipotentiaries de
clared, in the name cf their master, that as; he did
,not pretenditoprescribe rules to King William about
-the English subjects, he expected the samei liberty
with respect to his own. No other effort was made
.in. behalf of those conscientious exiles: the -treaties
were ratified, and the peace proclaimed at Paris -and
London. : -.:-,_*/.,:
jpvv. Tuei emperor still Jaelch out, and perhaps
was encouraged to persevere in his obstinacy by the
^success of his arms in Hungary, where hi§generak,
Prince Eugene of Savoy, obtained a complete, victory
at Zenta over the; forces of Jthe grand sigruorj. who
commanded his army in person. In this battle, which
was fought on the 11 'ft day of September, the, grahd
visir, theagaof the janissaries, twenty-seven bashaws,
and about 30,000 men, were killed ton drowned in
the river Theysse : 6,000 were wounded or takeh,
together: with rail their artillery, tents, baggage,, prdt
vision, and ammunition,.- the grand /signitot himself
•escaping witftf .difficulty : a victory the .more glorious
and. acceptable, as; the Turks had a great superiority
in point of number, and as the Tmperiaiis&fdid! not
lose 1,000 men duriag the whole action.: Theeril-
peror, perceiving that the event of this ibattle had <no
effect in retarding the treaty, thought proper to snake
use of the armistice, and continue the negociation af
ter the fore-mentioned treatiesJiacLbaen signed. This
was likewise the case with the princes, of the empire?;
though those of the protestant persuasion complained,
that ci-their interest was neglected. In one of- tricar*.
,' ',.' ':?,) . . ' li 2

328 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, B. I,
tieljes of, the treaty, it was stipulated, that in the places
tp be restored by France, the Roman catholic reli*
gion should, continue as it had been re-established.
The ambassadors of the protestant princes joined in a
^monstrance, demanding, that the Lutheran reli
gion should be restored in those places where it had
formerly prevailed ; but this demand was rejected,
3s. being equally disagreeable to France and the em
peror. Then they refused to, sign the treaty, which
was now concluded between France, the emperor,
and the catholic princes of the empire. By this pa
cification, Triers, the Palatinate, and Lorraine, were
restored to their respective owners. The countries
pf Spanheim and Valdentz, together with the duchy
of Deux Fonts, were ceded to the king of Sweden.
Francis Lewis, palatine, was confirmed in the electorate
pf Cologne ; and Cardinal Furstemberg restored to
all his rights and benefices. The claims of the duchess
of Orleans upon the Palatinate were referred to the
arbitration of France and the emperor ; and in the
meantime the elector palatine agreed to supply her
highness with an annuity of 100,000 florins. The
ministers of the protestant princes published a formal
declaration against the clause relating to religion,
and afterwards solemnly protested against the man
ner in which the negociation had been conducted.
Such was the issue of a long and bloody war, which
had drained England of her wealth and people, al
most entirely ruined her commerce, debauched her
morals, by encouraging venality and corruption, and
entailed upon her the curse of foreign connections, as
well as a national debt, which was gradually increas
ed to an intolerable burthen. After all the blood
.and treasure which had been expended, William's
ambition and revenge remained unsatisfied. Never
theless, he reaped the solid advantage of seeing him,-
self firmly established on the English throne ; and the
confederacy, though not successful in every instance,
accomplished their great aim of putting a stop to the^

-52H.i:V. WILLIAM. 32Q
encroachments of the French monarch. They mor^
tified his vanity, they humbled his pride and arro-
gancej and compelled him to disgorge the acqui
sitions which, like a robber, he had made, in violation
of public faith, justice, and humanity. Had the al
lies been true to one another ; had they acted from
genuine zeal for the common interest of mankind 4,
and prosecuted with vigour the plan which was ori
ginally concerted, Lewis would in a few campaigns
have been reduced to the most abject state of dis
grace, despondence, and submission ; for he was desf.P-
tute of true courage and magnanimity. King William
having -finished this important transaction, returned to
England about the middle of November, and was
received in London amidst the acclamations of the
people, who now again hailed him as their deliverer
from a war, by the continuance of Which they must
have been infallibly beggared.

iO-

CHAP. VI.
ft? Stale nf part in. . . . § n. Characters of the ministers, . . . § in-
The commons reduce the numFer qf standing forces to IOjOOO-
. . P. § iv. They establish the civil list; and assign funds for pay-
' ing the national debts. ... § v. They take cognizance qf fraudu
lent endorsements qf exchequer bilh.\". . § vi, A new East-India
company constituted by act of parliament. ... § vii. Proceedings
against a bonk written by William Molineaux qf Dublin. ...
§ vi n. And against certain smugglers of a-la-modes ana lustrings
from' France. . '. .§ ix. Society for the reformation qf manners.
"*J. . . f x. The carl qf Portland resigns his employments....
§ xl.' The king disowns the Scottish trading company. . . . § xn.
He embarks for Holland . ..$ xm. First treaty qf partition.
. . . . § xtv. ^Intrigues of France at thex court qf Madrid 
§ xv. King William is thwarted by his new parliament. .. .
$ xvi. He is obliged to send away his Dutch guards. ... J xvn.
. Tke aarmndns address the king against the papists. . . . §, xvm.
The .parliament prorogued. ... § xix. The Scottish company
make a settlement on the isthmus qf Darien. . . . § xx. Which,
however, they are compelled to abandon. ...§ xxi. Remon
strances of the Spanish court against the treaty qf partition.
§xxn. The commons persist in their resolutions to mortify the
¦, king. . . . § xxm. Inquiry into the expedition of Captain Kidd.
.... § xxiv. A motion made against Burnet, bishop of Sarum.
. . . . § xxv. Inquhy into the lrUh Joifeitures. "\ . . § xxvi. The
commons pass a bill qf resumption. . . . J xxvn. And a severe
bill against papists. ... § xXvm-'T^ old Ehst-fndia company
re-established. ... § xxix. Dangerous ferment in Scotland. i'V.
§xxx. Lotd Sonars dismissed from his employments. . . . f, xxxi.
Second treaty of partition™* . § xxxn. Death cf the duke of
Gloucester. . . . § xxxm. The king sends a fleet into the Bal
tic, to the assistance of the Swedes. . . . § xxxiv. The second
t*ezty of partition gcncralh/ dim^i e: a! >e to the European fio/rem

331
. . . ; § xxxv. The French interest prevails at the court of Spain.
.... § xxxv i. King William finds means to allay the heats iri
Scotland. ... § xxxvu. Tke king of Spain dies, after having be
queathed his dominions by will to the duke of Anjou. . . ,
§ xxxvlu. The French king's apology for accepting the will.
,...§xxxix.. The states-general own Philip as king qf Spain.
... 4 § xl. A new ministry and a new parliament. . . . J xli. The
commons unprapitious to the court. ... § xlij,, Tfenlqrd§. are
more condescending. ...§ xliii. An intercepted fetttr\ from fke
earl of Milfort to his brother. . . . , § % l i V .', S,up£essi®n of the crown
settled upon tke princess Sophia, MectresS dowager of Hanover,
and tke protestant heirs of her body, . . . § xlv. The duchess of
iSavoy protests against this act. . ..§ xlvi. Ineffectual negotia
tion with France  § x lvii. Severe addresses from bothfiguses ,
in relation to the partition treaty. . . .. § xlviji. ftfUliam is oblig
ed to acknowledge the king of Spain. , . , §,xlix. The, two houses
seem to enter into the king's measures. . :,j §- j.. The commons re
solve to wreak, their vengeance on the oldministry. , . . § u., The
earls of Portland and Oxford,^ the lords Somers, and Hallifax,
are impeached. ... § lii. Disputes between the two houses. . . .
§ liii. The house of peers acquits the, impeached fords,. ..<
§-liv. Petition qf Kent. — § lv. Favourable end of the session.
V ... § lvi. Progress of Prince Eugene in Italy. . . . §- l vii. Sketch
of the situation qf affairs in Europe. . . "";§ 'tviir. Treaty of alli
ance between the emperor and the mqrititne powers. . . . § lix.
Death of King James. . . . § tx.' The French Jlirig Owns the pre
tended prince of Wales as king of England. . . ¦.' J lxi. Addresses
to King William on that subject. . . . § l'xii." New parliament.
. ... ^txiii. The king's' last speech to both kouseS received with
great applause. .. .§ lxiv. , Great harmony between the king
and parliament. . ,.§,lxv. The two. houses pass the billofabju-
7aijq», . ,,§lxvi, TJie lower house justifies the proceedings of
the commons in the preceding parliament. ... § Lxyii, Alffairs of
fjehpfjl. ... J lxviii. The king recommends an union of the two
kingdoms. . . . lxix. He falfs from his hope,, , ...5 lxi, His
4^lki .<..<.§ ,lxxi. And character .,, ( t '; ;

832 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I.

A. D. 1697n
§ r. Vr hen the king opened the session c€ parlia
ment, on the 3d day of December, he told them the
war was brought to the end they all proposed, name
ly an honourable peace. He gave them to under
stand there was a considerable debt on account of
the fleet and army ; that the revenues of the crown
had been anticipated : he expressed his hope, that
they would provide for him during his life, in such
a manner as would conduce to his own honour, and
that of the government. He recommended the
maintenance of a considerable navy ; and gave it as
his opinion, that for the present England could not
be safe without a standing army. He promised to rec
tify such corruptions and abuses as might have crept
into any part of the administration during the war ;
and effectually to discourage profaneness and immor
ality. Finally, he assured them, that as he had res
cued their religion, laws, and liberties, when they
were in the extremest danger, so he should place the
glory of his reign in preserving and leaving them
entire to latest posterity. To this speech the com
mons replied in an address, by a compliment of con
gratulation upon the peace, and an assurance, that
they would be ever ready to assist and support his
majesty, who had eonfirmrd them in the quiet pos
session of their rights and liberties, and, by putting an
end to the war, fully completed the work of their de
liverance. Notwithstanding these appearances of
good humour, the majority of the house, and in
deed of the whole nation, were equally alarmed and
exasperated at a. project for maintaining a standing
army, which was countenanced at court, and even
recommended by the king, in his speech to the par
liament. ¦ William's genius was altogether military.
He could not bear the thoughts of being a king with-

CH. VI. 0 .. ¦ WILLIAltf. 33®
out power. He could' not without reluctance dis
miss those officers who had given so many proofs of
their courage and fidelity. He olid not think himself
safe upon the naked throne, in a kingdom that
swarmed with malcontents, who' had so. often con
spired against his person and government. He dread
ed the ambition and known perfidy of the French
king, who still retained a powerful army. He fore*
saw that a reduction, of the < (forces wouldlessen his
importance both) at home and abroad ; diminish the
dependence upon his government ; and disperse those
foreigners in- whose attachment he chiefly confided.
He communicated his sentiments on this aubject to
his confident, the earl of Sunderland, who knew by
experience the aversiori of the people to a standing
army ; nevertheless, he encouraged him with .hope of
success, on the supposition, that the commons would
see the difference between an army raised by the
king' sprivate authority, and a body of veteran troops
maintained by consent of parliament for the security
of the kingdom. This was a distinction to which the
people paid no regard. All the jealousy of former
parliaments seemed to be. roused by the bare pro
posal ; and this was inflamed by a national prejudice
against the refugees, in whose favour the king had
betrayed repeated marks of partial indulgence. They
were submissive, tractable, and wholly dependent
upon his will and generosity. The Jacobites failed
not to cherish the seeds of dissatisfaction, andi re
proach the whigs who countenanced this measure.
They branded that party with /apostacy from ' their
former principles. They observed, that the very per
sons who in the late reigns ? endeavoured to abridge
the prerogative, and deprive the king off that share
of power which was absolutely necessary "tsj actuate
the machine of government, were now become ad
vocates for maintaining a standing -army in time of
peace; nay, and' impudently avowed, that their catri-
plaisance to, the court in this particular was owing to

334 HISTORY, OF- ENGLAND. rB< I. .,
to their desire of excluding from all share in the ad
ministration a faction disaffected to, his majesty,
which might mislead him into more pernicious mea-r
sure?. The majority of those who really entertained
revolution principles opposed the courts from ap
prehensions, that a standing army, once established,
would take root, and grow into an habitual maxim pf
government : that should the people be disarmed,
and the sword left in the hands of mercenaries, the
liberties of the nation must be entirely at the mercy
of him by whom those mercenaries should be corij7
manded. They might overawe elections, dictate tp
parliaments, and establish a tyranny, before the people
could take any measures for their own protection.
They could not help thinking it was possible to form ,
a militia, that with the concurrence pf a fleetmight
effectually protect the kingdom from; the dangers of
an invasion. They firmly believed, that a militia
might be regularly trained to arms^ so as to acquire
the dexterity of professed soldiers ; and they did not
doubt they would surpass those hirelings in courage,
considering that they would be animated by every
concurring motive of interest,, sentiment, and affec
tion. Nay, they argued, that Britain, surrounded
as it was. by a boisterous sea, secured by floating bul
warks, abounding with stout and hardy inhabitants,
did not deserve tp be free, if her song could not pro
tect their liberties without the assistance of mercen
aries, who were indeed the only slaves of the king
dom. Yet, among the genuine friends of their,
country, some individuals espoused the opposite
maxims. They observed, that the military system
of every government in Europe was now altered :
that war was become a trade, and discipline a science
not to be learned but by those who made it their sole
profession : that therefore, while France kept up ¦. a;
large, standing army of veterans, ready to embark on
the opposite qoast, it would be absolutely necessary,
for the., safetv of the nation, to maintain a, small '

CH,'VI. WILLIAM. $3&
standing force, which should be voted in parliament
frotn year to year. They might have suggested an
other expedient, which in a few years would have pro
duced a militia of disciplined men. Had the soldiers
of this small standing army been inlisted for a term
of years, at the expiration of which they might have
claimed their discharge, volunteers would have offer
ed themselves from ;all parts of the kingdom, even
from the desire ©f learning the use and exercise of
arms, the ambition of being concerned in scenes of
actual service, and the chagrin of little disappoint
ments or temporary disgusts, whicb yet would not
have impelled them, to inlist as soldiers on the com
mon terms of perpetual slavery. In consequence of
such a succession, the whole kingdom would soon-
have been stocked with members of a disciplined
militia, equal, if not superior, to any army of profess
ed soldiers. But this scheme would have defeated
the purpose of the government, which was more
afraid of domestic foes than of foreign enemies; and
industriously avoided every plan of this nature, which
could contribute to render the malcontents of the
nation more formidable.
§ n. Before we proceed to the transactions of
parliament in this session, it may not be amiss to
sketch the outlines of the ministry, as it stood at
this juncture. The king's affection for the earb of
Portland had begun to abate, in proportion as; his
esteem for Sunderland increased, together with his-
consideration for Mrs. Villiers, who had been dis
tinguished by some particular marks of his -majesty's
favour. These two favourites are said to have sup
planted Portland, whose place in the king's bosom
was now filled by Vart Keppel, a gentleman of Guel-
derland, who had first served his majesty as a page!,
and afterwards acted as private secretary. The earl
of Portland growing troublesome, from his jealousy
of this rival, the king resolved to send him into
honourable exile, in quality of' an ambassador ex-

336 HISTORY OFENGLANDi Bvli
traordinary to the court of France -; and Trttmballj
his friend and creature, was dismissed from the office
of secretary, which the king conferred upon Vefno&y
a plpdding man of business, who had acted as under
secretary to the duke of Shrewsbury. This noble
man rivalled the earl of Sunderland in his credit at
the council-board, and was supported by Somers,
lord-chancellor of England, by Russel, now earl of
Orfordj first lord of the admiralty, and Montague,
chancellor of the exchequer. Somers was an up
right, judge, a plausible statesman, a consummate
courtier, affable, mild, and insinuating. Orford ap--
pears to have been rough, turbulent, factious, and
shallow. Montague had distinguished himself early
by his poetioal genius; but he soort convened' his
attention to the cultivation of more solid talents.
He rendered himself remarkable for JiiS eloquence,
discernment* and knowledge of the English constt^
tution. To a delicate taste, he united an eager ap
petite for political studies. The first catered for the
enjoyments of fancy; the other was subservient t©
his ambition. He, at the same time, was the dis
tinguished encourager of the liberal arts, and th*
professed patron -of projectors! In his private de
portment he was1 liberal, easy, and entertaining : as ft
statesman; bold, dogmatical, and aspiring.
^ in. The"- -terror?! of a standing army had pfG'-
duced such an universal ferment in the nation, that
the dependents of the court in the house of com
mons durst not openly oppose the reduction of th«
forces : but they shifted the battery, and employed
all1 their address in persuading the house to agree,
that a very small number should be. retained. Wheft
the commons voted, that all the forces raisaf sirtee
the year l680 should be disbanded, the courtiers d§*
sired the vote might be recommitted, on pretence
that itJ restrained the king to the old tory regiments^
on whose fidelity he Could not rely. This motion^
however, was cveF-ruled by a considerable nsajotity*

PHt VI. WILLIAM. 337
Then they proposed an amendment, which was re
jected, and afterwards moved, that tries sum qf
^?5O0,00O per annum should be granted for the
maintenance of guards and garrisons. This pro
vision would have maintained a very considerable
number ; but they were again disappointed, and fain,
to embrace a composition with the other party, by
which ,^=3 $0,000 were allotted for the maintenance
of 10,000 men ; and they afterwards obtained ana;, ad
dition of 3,000 marines. The king was extremer
ly mortified at these resolutions of. the com
mons ; and even declared to his particular. friends,
that he would never have intermeddled wiih the af
fairs of the nation, had he foreseen they -ySould make
such returns of ingratitude and distrust. His disr-
pleas-ure was aggravated by the resentment expressed
against Sunderland, who was supposed to have ad-
vised the unpopular measure of retaining a standing
army. This nobleman, dreading the vengeance of
the commons, resolved to avert the, fury of the im
pending storm, by resigning bis. office, and. retiring
from court, contrary, to the intreaties of his friends,
and the earnest desire of his majesty-
,Ȥ. iv. The house of commons, in order tasweeten
the unpalatable cup, they had presented to the king,
voted the sum of ^=700,000. per annum for ;thesupj-
port of the, civil list, distinct. from all other services.
Then they passed an act prohibiting , the currency of
silver hammered coin, including a, clause for making
put new exchequer bills, in lieu of those which were
or might be filled, up with indorsements : they framed
another to open the correspondence' with France,: un
der a variety of provisos: a thiyd.for continuing the
imprisonment of certain persons, who bad been con
cerned in the late conspiracy : a fourth, granting.
further time for administering oaths with respect t»
-taffies arid orders in the exchequer and bank of Eng
land' These bills having received the royal assent,
they resolved to grant a supply, iW.hich-> together with.

838 HISTORY OF. r.HGLANB. B.I.
'the >funds already settled for that purpose;, should ibe
sufficient to answer and cancel all exchequer bills, cro
the amount of =£2,700,000. Another supply vzas
voted for the payment and reduction of the army;, in
cluding half-pay to such commission-officers' as were
natural-born -subjects of England. They granted
=f= 1,400,000 to make good deficiencies. They re
solved, that the sum of ,^2,348,102 .was necessary
to pay off arrears, subsistence, contingencies, general
officers, guards, and garrisons-; of which sura
.^855^,502 remained in the hands of the paymaster.
Then they took into consideration the subsidies due
toiforeign powers, and the sums owing to contractors
for bread and forage. Examining further fhedehte
-of the nation, they found the general debt of the Bavy
amounted to ^1,392,742. That of tee ordnance
was equal to ^204,157. The transport debt con
tracted for the reduction of Ireland, and: other ser
vices, did not fall short of ^466,493 ;' and they
«wed ^£49,929, for quartering and clothing the army,
:which had been raised by one act ofparliaiaent in the
year 1677, and disbanded by another in the year 1679.
As this enormous load of debt could not be discharg
ed at once, the commons passed a number, of votes
.for raising sums of money, by which it was consider
ably lightened ; and settled the funds for thosepur-
poses by the continuation of the land-tax, and other
impositions. With respect to the civil list, it was
raised by a new subsidy of tonnage and poundage,
trie hereditary and temporary excise, a weekly portion
from the revenue c-f the post-office, the first fruits
and tenths of the clergy, the fines in the alienationi!-
office, and post-fines, the revenue of the wine- licence,
money arising by sheriffs, proffers,' and. compositions,
in the exchequer, and seizures ; the income of trie
duchy of Cornwall, the rents of all other crown-lands
in England and Wales ; and the duty of four and a
balfper cent, upon specie from Barbadocs andiithe
Leeward islands. The bill imported, that the over-

CIt. VI. WILLIAM. 339
plus arising from these funds should be accounted for
to parliament. ^§600,000 of this, money was allott
ed for the purposes of the civil list : the rest was
granted for the jointure of ,^50,000 per annum, to
be paid to Queen Mary d'Este, according to the
atipulation at Ryswick ; and to maintain a court for
the duke of Gloucester, son of the princess Anne of
Denmark, now in the ninth year of his age : but the
jointure was never paid ;. nor would the king allow
above ,^15,000 per annum for the use of the duke
of Gloucester, to whom Burnet, bishop of Salisbury,
"Was appointed preceptor.
§ v. The commons having discussed the ways and
means ifor raising the -supplies of the ensuing year,
which rose almost to ^5,000,000, took cognizance
of some fraudulent indorsements of exchequer bills, a
species of forgery which had been practised by a con
federacy, consisting of Charles Duncomby receiver-
general of the excise, Bartholomew Burton, who pos
sessed a place in that branch of - the revenue, John
Knight, treasurer of the customs, and Reginald
Mariot, a deputy teller of the exchequer. This last
became evidence, and the proof turning out very
strong and full, the house resolved to make examples
of the delinquents. Duncomb and Knight, botri
members of parliarrientij were expelled, and committ
ed to the Tower :. Burton was sent to Newgate ; and
bills of pains and penalties were ordered to be brought
in against them. The first!, levelled at Duncomb, pass
ed the lower house, though npt without great Oppo
sition : but was rejected in the house of lords by the
majority of one voice. Duncomb, who was extreme
ly rich, is said to have paid dear for his'escape. The
other two bills met with the same fate. The peers
discharged Duncomb from his confinement ; but he
was recommitted by the commons, and remained iri
custody till the end of the session. While the. com
mons were employed in ways and means, some of the
members in the opposition proposed, that one fourth

3-fsQ history of englanb. s. l
part of the money arising from improper grants of
the crown should be appropriated tp the service of
the public, but this was a very unpalatable expedient,
as it affected not only the whigs of King William's
r"eign, but also the tories who had been gratified by
Charles II, and his brother. A great number of pe»
titions were presented against this measure, and so
many difficulties raised, that both parties agreed to lay
it aside. In the course of this inquiry, they dis.
covered that one Railton held a grant in trust for
Mr. Montague, chancellor of the exchequer. A mo«
tion was immediately made, that he should withdraw ;
but passed in the negative by a great majority. Far
from prosecuting this minister, the house voted it
was their opinion, that Mr. Montague, for his good
services to the government, did deserve his majesty'*
favour.' § vi. a. d. 1698.— -This extraordinary vote was
a sure presage of success in the execution of a scheme
which Montague had concerted against the East-In
dia company. They had been sounded about ad
vancing a sum of money for the public service, by
way of loan, in consideration of a parliamentary set
tlement ; and they offered to raise ^700,000 on
that condition : but, before they formed this reso
lution, another body of merchants, under the aus
pices of Montague, offered to lend ^2,000,000 at
eight per cent, provided they might be gratified with
an exclusive privilege of trading to the East-Indies.
This proposal was very well received by the majori
ty in the house of commons. A bill for this pur
pose was brought in, with additional clauses of re
gulation. A petition was presented by the old
company, representing their rights and claims un
der so many royal charters ; the regard due to the
property of above 1,000 families interested in the
1 Burnet. Kennet. State tracts. Burchet. Lives of the admirals. Tiudal.
p.alph. Voltaire.

CHiT VI. WILLIAM. 341
stock : as also to the company's property in India*
amounting to ^44,000 of yearly revenue. They
alleged they had expended ^1,000,000 in forti*
fications, that during the war they had lost twelve
great ships worth \ggl, 500,000 : that since the last
subscription, they had contributed ,^295,000 to the
customs, with above ,^=85,000 in taxes : that they
had furnished 6,000 barrels of gunpowder on a very
pressing occasion '; and ^80,000 for the circulation
of exchequer- bills at a very critical juncture, by desire
of the lords of the treasury, who owned, that their
compliance was a very important service to the go
vernment. No regard being paid to, their re
monstrances, they undertook to raise the loan of
,§£2,000,000, and immediately subscribed ^200,000
as the first payment. The two proposals being com
pared and considered by the house, the majority de
clared for the bill, which was passed, arid sent up tp the
.house of lords. There the old company delivered an
other petition, and was heard by counsel : neverthe
less, the bill made its way, though not without opposi
tion, and a formal protestation by operand-twenty
lords, who thought it was a hardship upon the pre
sent company; and doubted . whether the separate
trade allowed in the bill, concurrent with a joint stock,
might not prove such an inconsistency as would dis
courage the subscription. This act, by which the
old company was dissolved, in a great measure
blasted the reputation of the whigs, which had for
some time been on the decline with the people. They
had stood up as advocates for a standing army : they
now unjustly superseded the East-India company :"
they were accused of having robbed the public by
embezzling the national treasure, and amassing
wealth by usurious contracts, at the expence of their
fellow-subjects, groaning under the most oppressive
burthens. Certain it is, they were at; this period
the most mercenary and corrupt undertakers that
Vol L K k

343 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
ever had been employed by any king or administra
tion since the first establishment of the English mo
narchy. ^ vii. The commons now transferred their atten
tion to certain objects in whidh the people of Ireland
were interested. Colonel Mitchelborne, who had
been joint governor of Londonderry with Dr. Walk
er, during the siege of that place, petitioned the
house in behalf of himself, his officers, and sol
diers, to whom a considerable sum of money was
due for subsistence ; and the city itself implored the
mediation of the commons with his majestv, that
its services and sufferings might be taken into con
sideration. The house having examined the allega
tions contained in both petitions, presented an ad
dress to the king, recommending the citizens of
Londonderry to his majesty's favour ; that they
might no longer remain a ruinous spectacle to all, a
scorn to their enemies, and a discouragement to
well-affected subjects : they likewise declared, that
tlie governor and garrison did deserve some special
marks of roval favour for a lasting monument to
posterity. To this address the king replied, that
he would consider them according to the desire of
the commons. William Moiineux, a gentleman of
Dublin, having published a book to prove that the
kingdom of Ireland was independent of die parlia
ment of England, the bouse appointed a commit
tee to inquire into the cause and nature of this
performance. An address was voted to the king,
desiring he would give directions for the discovery
and punishment of the author. Upon the report of
the committee, the commons in a body presented
¦mi address .tod i is majestv, representing the dangerous
attempts which hid been latelv made bv some of his
subjects in Ireland, to shake off their subjection and
dependence upon England ; attempts which appeared
not onlv.from the bold and pernicious assertions
contained in a. book lately published, but more fully

CH. VI. WILLIAM. 343
and authentically by some votes and proceedings
of the commons in Ireland. These had, during
their last session, transmitted an act for the better se
curity of his majesty's person and government, where
by an English act of parliament was pretended to
be re-enacted, with alterations obligatory on the
courts of justice and the great seal of England. The
English commons, therefore, besought his majesty
to give effectual orders for preventing any such en
croachments for the future, and the pernicious con
sequences of what was past, by punishing those who
had been guilty thereof: that he would take care to
see the laws which direct and restrain the parliament
of Ireland punctually observed, and discourage every
thing which might have a tendency to lessen the de
pendency of Ireland upon England. This remon
strance was graciously received, and the king pro
mised to comply with their request.
§ vm. The jealousy which the commons enter
tained of the government in Ireland, animated them
to take other measures* that ascertained the sub
jection of that kingdom. Understanding that the
Irish had established divers woollen manufactures,
they, in another address, intreated his majesty to
take measures for discouraging the woollen manu
factures in Ireland, as they interfered with those of
England, and promote the linen manufacture, which
would be profitable to both nations. At the same
time, receiving information that the1 French had
seduced some English manufacturers, and set up a
great work for cloth-making in Picardy, they brought
in a bill for explaining and better executing former
acts for preventing the exportation of wool, fullers-
earth, and scouring clay ; and this Was immediately
passed into a law. A petition being presented to the
house, by the lustring company, against certain mer
chants who had smuggled a-la-modes and lustrings
from France, even during the war, the committee
4 Kka

344 HISTOBY OP ENGLAND. B. L,
of trade was directed to inquire into the allegations ;
and all the secrets of this traffic were detected.
Upon the report the house resolved, that the manu
facture of a-la-modcs and lustrings set up in England,
had been beneficial to the kingdom : that there had
l>een a destructive and illegal trade carried on during
the war, for importing these commodities, by which
the king had been defrauded of hfs customs, and
the English manufactures greatly discouraged : that,
by the smuggling vessels employed in this trade, in
telligence had been carried into France during the
war, and the enemies of the government conveyed
from justice. Stephen SeignoFet, Rhene, Baudoin,
John Goodet, Nicholas Santini, Peter de Hearse,
John Pierce, John Dumaitre, and David Barreau,
were impeached at the bar of the house of lords;
and pleading guilty, the lords imposed fines upon
them according to their respective circumstances.
They were in the meantime committed to New
gate, until those fines should be paid ; and the com
mons addressed the king, that the money might be
appropriated to the maintenance of Greenwich hos
pital. The house having taken cognizance of this
affair, and made some new regulations in the prose
cution of the African trade, presented a solemn ad
dress to the king, representing the general dege
neracy and corruption of the age, and beseeching
his majesty to command all his judges, justices, and
magistrates, to put the laws in execution against
profaneness and immorality. The king professed
himself extremely well pleased with this remonstrance,
promised to give immediate directions for a reform
ation, and expressed his desire that some more
effectual provision might be made for suppressing
impious books, containing doctrines against the
Trinity : doctrines which abounded at this period,.
and took their origin from the licentiousness and pro
fligacy of the times.

JCHVVI. WILLIAM, 345
§ ix. In the midst of such immorality, Dr,
Thomas Bray, an active divine, formed a plan for
propagating the gospel in foreign countries. , Mis
sionaries, »catechisms, liturgies, and other books for
the instruction of ignorant people, were sent to the
English colonies in America. This laudable design
was supported by voluntary contribution ; and the
bill having been brought into the house of com
mons, for the better discovery of estates given to
superstitious uses, Dr. Bray presenteda petition, pray
ing, that some part of these estates might be set a-
part for the propagation of the reformed religion in
Maryland,. Virginia, and the Leeward islands. About
this period, a society for the reformation of manners
was formed under the king's countenance and en
couragement. Considerable collections were made
for maintaining clergymen to read prayers at cer,
tain hours in places of public worship, , and sdmj-
nister the sacrament- ever Sunday. The members
of this society resolved to inform the: magistrates of
all vice and immorality that should fall under their
cognizance ; and with that part of the fines allowed
by law to the informer constitute a fund of charity.
The business of the session being terminated, the
king, on the 3d day of July, prorogued the parlia
ment, after having thanked them, in a short speech,
for the many testimonies of their affection he had
received ; and in two days after the prorogation it was
dissolved.* § x. In the month of January, the earl of Port
land had set out on his embassy to France, where
he was received with very particular marks of distinc
tion. He made a public entry into Paris with such
magnificence, as is said to have astonished the French
* On the jth day of January, ,a fire wiih the new gallery, council-chain-
brea'King out at Whitehall, through be'r, and several adjoining apartments,
the carelessness of a laundress, the was entirely consumed ; hut the Ban-
whole body of the palace, together queuing house was not affcc.ted, , , --.¦
Kk3

34$ HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B. I.
nation. He interceded for the protestants in that
kingdom, against whom the persecution had beeri
renewed with redoubled violence : he proposed that
King James should be removed to Avignon, in which
case his master would supply him with an honour
able pension : but his remonstrances on both sub
jects proved ineffectual. Lewis, however, in a pri
vate conference with him at Marli, is supposed to
have communicated his project of the partition-
treaty. The earl of Portland, at his return to Eng
land, finding himself totally eclipsed in the king's
favour, by Keppel, now created earl of Albemarle,
resigned his employments in disgust ; nor could the
king's solicitations prevail upon him to resume any
office in the household ; though he promised to serve
his majesty in any other shape, and was soon em
ployed to negotiate the treaty of partition. If this
nobleman miscarried in the purposes of his last em
bassy at the court of Versailles, the agents of France
were equally unsuccessful in their endeavours to re
trieve their commerce with England, which the war
had interrupted^ Their commissary, sent over to
London with powers to regulate the trade between
the two nations, met with insuperable difficulties.
The parliament had burthened the French commor
dities with heavy duties, which were already appro
priated to different uses ; and the channel of trade
was in many respects entirely altered. The English
merchants supplied the nation with wines from Italy,
Spain, and Portugal ; with linen from Holland and
Silesia ; apd manufactures of papers, hats, stuffs,
and silks, had been set up and successfully carried
on in England, by the French refugees.
§ xi. By this time a ferment had been raised in
Scotland, by the opposition and discouragements
their new company had sustained. They had em
ployed agents in England, Holland, and Hamburg,
to receive subscriptions. The adventurers in Eng
land were intimidated by the measures which had.

«!CH. VI. WILLIAM  347
been taken in parliament against the Scottish com
pany. The Dutch East-India company took the
alarm, and exerted all their interest to prevent their
countrymen from subscribing ; and the king per-
mitted his resident at Hamburg to present a memo
rial against the Scottish company to the senate of that
city. The parliament of Scotland being assembled
by the earl of Marchmont as king's commissioner,
the company presented it with a remonstrance, con
taining a detail of their grievances, arising from the
conduct of the English house of commons, as well
as from the memorial presented by the king's mi
nister at Hamburg, in which he actually disowned'
the act of parliament and letters patent which had
passed in their favour, and threatened the inhabitants
of that city with his majesty's resentment, in case they
should join the Scots in their undertaking. They
represented, that such instances of interposition had
put a stop to the subscriptions in England and Ham
burg, hurt the credit of the company, discouraged
the adventurers, and threatened the entire ruin of a
design in which all the most considerable families of
the nation were deeply engaged. The parliament
having taken their ease into consideration, .sent an
address to his majesty, representing the hardships to
which the company had been exppsed, explaining
how far the nation hi general was concerned in the
design, and entreating that he would take such mea
sures as might effectually vindicate the undoubted
rights and privileges, of the company. This address
was seconded by a petition from the company itself,
praying, ,that his majesty would give some intima
tion to the senate of Hamburg, permitting the in
habitants of that pity tp renew the subscriptions they
had withdrawn ; that, as, a gracious mark of his
royal favour to the company, he would, bestow
upon them two small frigates, then lying .useless in
the harbour of Burntisland ; and that, in consider
ation of the obstructions thev had, encountered, he

348 history of England. b. r;
would continue their privileges and immunities for
such longer time as should seem reasonable to his
majesty. Though the commissioner was wholly de
voted to the king, who had actually resolved to ruin
this company, he could not appease the resentment
pf the nation ; and the heats in parliament became
so violent, that he was obliged to adjourn it to the
5th day of November. In this interval the direc
tors of the company, understanding from their agent
at Hamburg, that the address of the parliament,
and, their own petition, had produced no effect in
their favour ; they wrote a letter of complaint to the
lord Seafield, secretary of state, observing, that
they had received repeated assurances of the king's
having given orders to his resident at Hamburg
touching their memorial ; and intreating the inter
position of his lordship, that justice might be done
to the company. The secretary, in his answer, pro
mised to take the first convenient opportunity of re
presenting the affair to his majesty ; but he said this
could not be immediately expected, as the king was
much engaged in the affairs of the English parlia
ment. This declaration the directors considered, as it
really was, a mere evasion, which helped to alienate
the minds of that people from the king's person and
government, § xii. King William at this time revolved in his
own mind a project of far greater consequence to
the interest of Europe ; namely, that of settling the
succession to the throne of Spain, which in a little
time would be vacated by the death of Charles II,
whose constitution was already exhausted. He had
been lately reduced to extremity, and his situation
was no sooner known in France, than Lewis de
tached a squadron towards Cadiz, with orders to
intercept the plate-fleet, in case the king of Spain
should die before its arrival. William sent another
fleet to protect the galleons ; but it arrived too late
for that service, and the nation loudly exclaimed

CH. VI. WILLIAM. ' 34^-
against the tardiness of the equipment, m His catho>-
lie majesty recovered from his disorder,, contrary
to the expectation of his people; but continued in"
such an enfeebled and precarious state of health,
that a relapse was every moment apprehended.-' In
the latter end of July, King William embarked for
Holland, on pretence of enjoying a recess frotn-
business, which was necessary to his constitution.
He was glad of an opportunity, to withdraw himself
for some time from a kingdom in which he had been
exposed to such opposition and chagrin. But the
real motive of his voyage was a-design of treating
with the French king, remote from the observation
ofithose who might have penetrated into the nature
of his negociation. He had appointed a regency to-.
govern the kingdom in his absence, and as one of
the number nominated the earl of Marlborough,
who had regained his favour, and been constituted !
governor of the duke of Gloucester. Ati his ma
jesty's departure, sealed orders were j left with the
ministry, directing that 1 6,000, men should be re-a
tained in the service, notwithstanding' the vote of
the commons, by which the standing army was
limited to 10,000. He alleged, that the apprehen
sion of troubles which might arise at; the death
of King Charles, induced him to transgress this li-. a
mitation; and he hoped that, the new parliament
would be more favourable. His enemies, however, c
made a fresh handle of this step, to .depreciate' his
character in the eyes of the people. ui '-"vxmi
§ xm. Having assisted at the assembly of theij
states-general, and given audience to divers ambassa-'*
dors at the Hague, he repaired to his house at Loo,»c
attended by the earls of Essex, Portland, and Selkirk. '«
There he was visited i by Count Tallard, the French.! -
minister, who had instructions to negoeiate^the
treaty concerning the Spanish succession. The.
earl of Portland, by his majesty's order had com- p
municated to Secretary Vernon the principal con-

350 ' HISTORY OF ENGLAND^ Bi I„
ditions which the French king proposed : he him
self wrote a letter to Lord-chancellor Somers, de
siring his advice with regard to the propositions,
and full powers under the great seal, with blanks to
be filled up occasionally, that he might immediately
begin the treaty with Count Tallard. At the same
time, he strictly enjoined secresy. The purport of
Portland's letter was imparted to the duke of Shrews
bury, and Mr. Montague, who consulted with the
chancellor and Vernon upon the subject ; and the
chancellor wrote an answer to the king, as the is
sue of their joint deliberation : but, before it reach
ed his majesty, the first treaty of partition was sign
ed by the earl of Portland, and Sir Joseph William
son. The contracting powers agreed, that, in case the
king of Spain should die without issue, i the kingdom
of Naples and Sicily, with the places depending on
the Spanish monarchy, and situated on the coast of
Tuscany, or the adjacent islands, the marquisate of
Final, the province of Guipuscoa, all places on the
French side of the Pyrenees, or the other mountains
of Navarre, Alva, or Biscay, on the other side of
the province of Guipuscoa, with all the ships, ves
sels, and stores, should devolve upon the dauphin,
in consideration of his right to the crown of Spain,
which, with all its other dependencies, should de
scend to the electoral prince of Bavaria, under the
guardianship of his father : that the duchy of Milan
should be settled on the emperor's second son, the
archduke Charles : that this treaty should be com
municated to the emperor and the elector of Bava
ria by the king of England and the states-general :
-that if either should refuse to agree to this partition,
his proportion should remain in sequestration, until
the dispute could be accommodated : that in case
the electoral prince of Bavaria should die before his
father, then the elector and his other heirs should
succeed him in those dominions; and, should the
archduke reject the duchy of Milan, they agreed

CH. VI. WILLIAM. 351
that it should be sequestered, and governed by the
prince of Vaudemont. It may be necessary to ob
serve, that Philip IV, father to the present king of
Spain, had settled his crown by will on the emper
or's children : that the dauphin was son to Maria
Theresa, daughter of the same monarch, whose right
to the succession Lewis had renounced in the most
solemn manner : as for the electoral prince of Ba
varia, he was grandson to a daughter of Spain. This
treaty of partition was one of the most impudent
schemes of encroachment that tyranny and injustice
ever planned. Lewis, who had made a practice of
sacrificing all ties of honour and good faith to the
interest of his pride, vanity, and ambition, foresaw
that he should never be able to accomplish his de
signs upon the crown of Spain, while William was
left at liberty to form another confederacy against
them. He therefore resolved to amuse him with a
treaty in which he should seem to act as umpire in
the concerns of Europe. He knew that William
was too much of a politician to be restricted by
notions of private justice; and that he would make
no scruple to infringe the laws of particular coun
tries, or even the rights of a single nation, when
the balance of power was at stake. He judged
right in this particular. The king of England lent
a Willing ear to his proposals, and engaged in a
plan for dismembering a kingdom, in despite of the
natives, and in violation of every law human or di
vine. § xiv. While the French king cajoled William
with this negociation, the marquis d'Harcourt, his
ambassador to Spain, was engaged in a game of a
different nature at Madrid. The queen of Spain,
suspecting the designs of France, exerted all her
interest in behalf of the king of the Romans, to
whom she was nearly related. She new- modelled
the council, ; bestowed the government of Milan on
Prince Vaudemont, and established the prince of

S52 HISTORY OF ENOLAND. B. L
Hesse d'Armstadt as viceroy of Catalonia. Not
withstanding all her efforts, she could not prevent the
French minister from acquiring some influence in
the Spanish councils. He was instructed to pro
cure the succession of the crown for one of the
dauphin's sons, or at least to hinder it from de
volving upon the emperor's children. With a view
to give weight to his negociations, the French king
ordered an army of 60,000 men to advance towards
the frontiers of Catalonia and Navarre, while a great
number of ships and gallies cruized along the coast,
and entered the harbours of Spain. Harcourt im
mediately began to form his party ; he represented
that Philip IV had no power to dispose of his crown
against the laws of nature and the constitution of the
realm : that, by the order of succession, the crown
ought to descend to the children of his daughter, in
preference to more distant relations: that, if the Spa
niards would declare in favour of the dauphin's second
son, the duke of Anjou, they might train him up
in the manners and customs of their country. When
he found them averse to this proposal, he assured
them his master would approve of the electoral prince
of Bavaria, rather than consent to the successions de
volving upon a son of the emperor. Nay, he hint
ed, that if they would choose a sovereign among
themselves, they might depend upon the protection
of his most christian majesty, who had no other view
than that of preventing the house of Austria from be
coming too formidable to the liberties of Europe.
The queen of Spain having discovered the intrigues
of this minister, conveyed the king to Toledo, on
pretence that the air of Madrid was prejudicial to his
health. Harcourt immediately took the alarm. He
supposed her intention was to prevail upon her hus
band, in. his solitude, to confirm the last will of his
father ; and his doubts were all removed, when he
understood that the count de Harrach, the imperial
ambassador, had privately repaired to Toledo. He,

CH.VI. WILLIAM. 353
forthwith took the same road, pretending to have re
ceived a memorial from his master, with a positive
order to deliver it into the king's own hand. He was
given to understand, that the management of foreign
affairs had been left to the care of Cardinal Corduba
at Madrid, and that the king's health would not per
mit him to attend to business. The purport of the
memorial was, an offer of French forces to assist in
raising the siege of Ceuta in Barbary, which the
Moors had lately undertaken, but this offer was civilly
declined. Harcourt, not yet discouraged, redoubled
his efforts at Madrid, and found means to engage
Cardinal Portocarrero in the interest of his master.
In the meantime Lewis concluded an alliance with
Sweden, under the pretext of preserving and secur
ing the common peace, by such means as should be
adjudged most proper and convenient.. During these
transactions, King William was not wanting in his
endeavours to terminate the war in Hungary, which
had raged fifteen years without intermission. About
the middle of August, Lord Paget and Mr. Collier,
ambassadors from England and Holland, arrived in
the Turkish camp near Belgrade ; and a conference
being opened under their mediation, the peace pf
Carlowitz was signed on the 26th day of January.
By this treaty j the emperor remained in possession
of all his conquests : Caminieck was restored to the
Poles : all the Morea, with several fortresses in Dal-
matia, were ceded to the Venetians ; and the czar of
Muscovy retained Azoph during a truce of two years :
so that the Turks, by this pacification, lost great part
of their European dominions. The cardinal primate
of Poland, who had strenuously adhered to the prince
of Conti, was prevailed upon to acknowledge Augus
tus: and the commotions in Lithuania being appeas
ed, peace was established through all Christendom.
§ xv. In the beginning of December the king
arrived in ^England, where a new parliament had
been chosen, and prorogued on account of his ma-

354 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I.
jesty's absence, which was prolonged by contrary
winds and tempestuous weather. His ministry had
been at very little pains to influence the elections,
which generally fell upon men of revolution prin
ciples, though they do not seem to have been much
devoted to the person of their sovereign : yet their
choice of Sir Thomas Lyttleton for speaker seemed
to presage a session favourable to the ministry. The
two houses being convened on the 6th day of De
cember, the king in his speech, observed, that the
safety, honour, and happiness, of the kingdom, would
in a great measure depend upon the strength which
they should think proper to maintain by sea and
land. He desired they would make some further
progress in discharging the national debt ; contrive
effectual expedients for employing the poor; pass
good bills for the advancement of trade, and the dis
couragement of profaneness ; and act with unani
mity and dispatch. The commons of this new parlia
ment were so irritated at the king's presuming to
maintain a greater number of troops than their pre
decessors had voted, that they resolved he should feel
the weight of their displeasure. They omitted the
common compliment of an address : they resolved,
that all the forces of England, in English pay, ex
ceeding 7,000 men, should be forthwith disbanded ;
as also those of Ireland, exceeding 12,000; and that
those retained should be his majesty's natural-born
subjects. A bill was brought in on these resolutions,
and prosecuted with peculiar eagerness, to the un
speakable mortification of King William, who was
not only extremely sensible of the affront, but also
particularly chagrined to see himself disabled from
maintaining his Dutch guards, and the regiments
of French refugees, to which he was uncommonly
attached. Before the meeting of the parliament, the
ministry gave him to understand, that they should
be able to procure a vote for 10,000 or 12,000 ; but
they would not undertake for a greater number. He

¦•weefe.-
«?H. VI. WILLIAM. 355.
professed himself dissatisfied with the proposal, ob
serving, that they might as well disband the whole,
as leave so few. The ministers would not run the
risk of losing all their credit, by proposing a greater
number ; and, having received no directions on this
subject, sat silent when it was debated in the house
of commons.
§ xvi. Such was the indignation of William, kindl
ed by this conduct of his ministry and his parliament,
that he threatened to abandon the government ; and
had actually penned a speech to be pronounced to
both houses on that occasion : but he was diverted
from this purpose by his ministry and confidents,
and resolved to pass the bill, by which he had been
so much offended. Accordingly, when it was ready
for the royal assent, he went to the house of peers,
where, having sent for the commons, he told them,
that although he might think himself unkindly used,
in being deprived of his guards, which had constantly
attended him in all his actions : yet, as he believed
nothing could.be more fatal to the nation than any
distrust or jealousy between him and his parliament,
he was come to pass the bill, according to their de
sire. At the same time, for his own justification,
and in discharge of the trust reposed in him, he de
clared, that in his own judgment, the nation was
left too much exposed ; and that it was incumbent
upon them to provide ' such a strength as might be
necessary for the safety of the kingdom. They
thanked him, in an address, fpr this undeniable proof
of his readiness to comply \yith the desires of his
parliament. They assured him, he should never
have reason to think the commons were undutiful
or unkind ; for they would, on all occasions, stand
by, and assist, him in the preservation of his sacred
person, and in the support7 of his government, against
all his enemies whatsoever. The lords presented an
address to the same effect ; and *he, king assured
both bouses, he entertained 'no doubts of their loyal-

356 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B.I.
ty and affection. He forthwith issued orders for re
ducing the army to the number of 7,000 men, to
be maintained in England under the name of guards
and garrisons ; and, hoping the hearts of the com
mons were now mollified, he made another effort in
favour of his Dutch guards, whom he could not dis
miss without the most sensible regret. Lord Rane-
lagh was sent with a written message to the com
mons, giving them to understand, that the necessary
preparations were made for transporting the guards
who came with him into England, and that they
should embark immediately, unless, out of considera
tion to him, the house should be disposed to find a
way for continuing, them longer in the service; a
favour which his majesty would take very kindly.
The commons, instead of complying with his incli
nation, presented an address, in which they profess
ed unspeakable grief, that he should propose any
thing to which they could not consent with due re
gard to the constitution, which he had come over to
restore, and so often hazarded his royal person to
preserve. They reminded him of the declaration, in
which he had promised, that all the foreign forces
should be sent out of the kingdom. They observed,
that nothing conduced more to the happiness and
welfare of the nation, than an entire con fidenee» be
tween the king and people, which could no way be
so firmly established as by entrusting his sacred per
son with his own subjects, who had so eminently sig
nalized themselves during the late long and expensive
war. They received a soothing answer to this ad
dress, but remained firm to their purpose, in which
the king was fain to acquiesce ; and the Dutch
guards were transported to Holland. At a time
when they declared themselves so well pleased with
their deliverer, such an opposition, in an affair of
very little consequence, savoured more of clownish
obstinacy than of patriotism. In the midst of^ all
their professions of regard, they entertained a na*

CH. VI. WILLIAM. 3'57
tional prejudice against himself, and all the foreign
ers in his service. Even in the house of commons,
his person was treated with great disrespect in virul
ent insinuations. They suggested, that he neither
loved nor trusted the English nation : that he treat
ed the natives with the most disagreeable reserve ;
and chose his confidents from the number of
strangers that surrounded him : that, after every ses
sion of parliament, he retired from the kingdom, to
enjoy an indolent and inglorious privacy with a few
favourites. These suggestions were certainly true.
He was extremely disgusted with the English,
whom he considered as malicious, ignorant, and
ungrateful, and he took no pains to disguise his
sentiments. § xvii. The commons having effected a dissoT
lution of the army, voted 15,000 seamen, and a pro
portionable fleet, for the security of the kingdom :
they granted =^1,484,015, for the services of the
year, to be raised by a tax of three shillings in the
pound upon lands, personal estates, pensions, and
offices. A great number of priests and Roman
catholics, who had been frightened away by the re
volution, were now encouraged, by the treaty of
Ryswick, to return, and appeared in all public
places of London and Westminster, with remark
able effrontery. The enemies of the government
whispered about, that the treaty contained a secret
article in favour of those who professed that religion ;
and some did not even scruple to insinuate, that
William was a papist in his heart. The commons,
alarmed at the number and insolence of those re
ligionists, desired the king, in an address, to remove,
by proclamation, all papists and nonjurors from the
city of London and parts adjacent, and put the laws
in execution against them, that the wicked de
signs they were always hatching might be effectual
ly disappointed. The king gratified them in their
Vol. L. LI

358 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I.
request of a proclamation, which was not much re
garded : but a remarkable law was enacted against
papists in the course of the ensuing session. The
old East-India company, about this period, peti
tioned the lower house, to make some provision
that their corporation might subsist for the residue
pf the term of twenty-one years, granted by his ma
jesty's charter : that the payment of the five pounds
per cent, by the late act for settling the trade tp the
East-Indies, might be settled and adjusted in such a
manner, as not to remain a burthen on the peti
tioners : and that such further considerations might
be had for their relief, and for the preservation of
the East-India trade, as should be thought reason
able. A bill was brought in upon the subject of this
petition ; but rejected at the second reading. Dis
contents had risen to such a height, that some mem
bers began to assert, they were not bound to main
tain the votes and credit of the former parliament ;
and, upon this maxim, would have contributed their
interest towards a repeal of the act made in favour
of the new company ; but such a scheme was of too
dangerous consequence to the public credit, to be
carried into execution.1
§ xviii. a. d. 1699. — That spirit of peevishness
which could not be gratified with this sacrifice, pro^
duced an inquiry into the management of naval af
fairs, which was aimed at the earl of Orford, a
nobleman whose power gave umbrage, and whose
wealth excited envy. He officiated both as treasurer
of the navy, and lord-commissioner of the admiralty,
and seemed to have forgot the sphere from which he
had risen tp title and office. The comrnons drew
up an address, complaining of some unimportant
articles of mismanagement in the conduct of the
navy ; and the earl was wise enough to avoid further
prosecution, by resigning his employments. On the
• Burnet. Kennet. Lamberty. State tracts. Tindal. Ralph.

<CH. VI. WILLIAM. 35-9
4th day of May, the king closed the session, with a
short speech, hinting dissatisfaction at their having
neglected to consider some points which he had
recommended to their attention ; and the parlia
ment was prorogued to the 1st of June.* In ,a little
time after this prorogation, his majesty appointee} a
regeqey ;?' and on the 2d day of June embarked for
Holland. , "'
§ xix, In Ireland nothii^g of moment was trans
acted,. The parliament of that kingdom passed an
act for raising^ 120,000 on lands, tenements, and
hereditaments^ to defray the expence pf maintaining
] 2,000 men, who had been voted by the ppmmpns
of England ; then the assembly was prorogued. A
new commission afterwards arrived at Dublin, con
stituting the duke of Boltqn, the earls of Berkeley
and ^al way, lords-justices of Ireland. The clamour
in Scotland increased against the ministry, who had
disowned their company, and in a great measure de
feated the design from which they had promised
themselves such heaps of treasure. Notwithstand
ing the discouragements to which their company
had been exposed, they fitted out two of four large
ships, which had been built at Hamburg for their
service. These were laden with a cargo for traffic,
with some artillery and military stores : and the ad
venturers embarking, to the number of 1,200, they
sailed from the frith of Edinburgh, with some teti-
z About the latter end of March, chamberlain; the earl pf Manchester
the carl of Warwick and Lord Mo- was sent ambassador extraordinary to
hun were tried by their peers in France; the ear( of Pembroke was
Westminster hall, for the murder of declared lord-president of the council.;
Captain RichardCoote.whohadbeen and Lord-viscount Lonsdale, keeper
killed in a midnight combat of three of the privy-seal.
on each side. Warwick was found 3 Consisting of the lord-chancellor,
guilty of manslaughter, and Mohun the lord-president, the lord privy-
acquitted, seal, the lord-steward of the house--
Villers, 'earl of Jersey, who had hold, the earl of Bridgew'aMr,' first
been sent ambassador to France, was commissioner of the , admiralty, the
appointed secretary of state, in the earl of Marlborough, the earl of'jer-
i-oom of the duke of Shrewsbury, sey, and Mr; Montagu.
'J'liis nobleman wjs created lord
Li a

360 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B.I,
ders, on the 17 th day of July in the preceding year.
At Madeira they took in a supply of wine, and then
steered to Crab island in the neighbourhood of S{.
Thomas, lying between Santa-Cruz and Porto-Rico.
Their design was to take possession of this little
island ; but, when they entered the road, they saw
a large tent pitched upon the strand, and the Danish
colours flying. Finding themselves anticipated in
this quarter, they directed their course to the coast
ofDarien, where they treated with the natives for
the establishment of their colony, and taking pos
session of the ground, to which they gave the name
of Caledonia, began to execute their plan of erecting
a town, under the appellation of New Edinburgh, by
the direction of their council, consisting of Patterson,
the projector, and six other directors. They had
no sooner completed their settlement, than they
wrote a letter to the king, containing a detail of their
proceedings. They pretended they had received un
doubted intelligence, that the French intended to
make a settlement on that coast ; and that their
colony would be the means of preventing the evil
consequences which might arise to his majesty's
kingdom and dominions frpm the execution of such
a scheme. They acknowledged his goodness in
granting those privileges by which their company
was established : they implored the continuance of
his royal favour and protection, as they had punctual
ly adhered to the conditions of the act of parliament,
and the patent they had obtained.
§ xx. By this time, however, the king was re
solved to crush thein effectually. He understood that
the greater part of their provisions had been consum
ed before they set sail, from Scotland, and foresaw
j hat they must . be reduced to a starving condition, if
apt supplied from the English colonies., That, they
migfit.be debarred pf all such assistance, he sent er-
ders to the governors of Jamaica, and the other Eng
lish settlements, in America, to issue proclamations.

an. VI. WILLIAM. 36l"
"prohibiting, under the severest penalties, all his ma
jesty's subjects from holding any correspondence with
the Scottish colony, or assisting it in any shape, with
arms, ammunition, or provision ; on pretence that
they had not communicated their design to his ma
jesty, but had peopled Darien, in violation of the
peace subsisting between him and his allies. Their
colony was, doubtless, a very dangerous encroach
ment upon the Spaniards, as it would have command
ed the passage between Porto-Bello and Panama,
and divided the Spanish empire in America. The
French king complained of the' invasion, and offered
to supply the court of Madrid with a fleet to dislodge
the interlopers. Colonna, marquis de Canales, the
Spanish ambassador at the court of London, present
ed a memorial to King William, remonstrating against
the settlement of this colony, as a mark of disregard,
and a breach of the alliance between the two crowns ;
and declaring, that his master would take prop'eri
measures against such hostilities. The Scots affirm
ed, that the natives of Darien were a free people,
whom the Spaniards had in vain attempted to sub
due : that therefore they had an original and incon
trovertible right to dispose of their own lands, part
of which the company had purchased for a valuable
consideration. But there was another cause more
powerful than the remonstrances of the Spanish
court, to which this colony fell a sacrifice ; and that
was the jealousy of the English traders and planters.
Darien was said to be a country abounding with gold,
which wpuld in a little time enrich the adventurers.
The Scots were known to be an enterprising and per
tinacious people : _and their harbour near Golden
island was already declared a free port. The English
apprehended that their planters would be allured into
this new colony, by the double prospect of finding
gold, and plundering the Spaniards ,: that the bucca
neers in particular would choose it as their chief re
sidence: that the plantations of England would be
LIS

362 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. .B.-Iy
deserted : that Darien would become another Algiers;
and that the settlement would produce a rupture with
Spain, in consequence of which the English effects in
that kingdom would be confiscated. The Dutch, too,
are said tp have been jealous of a company, which in
tirrie might have proved their competitors in the illicit
commerce to the Spanish main : and to have harden
ed the king's heart against the new settlers, whom he
abandoned to their fate, notwithstanding the repeated
petitions and remonstrances of their constituents.
Famine compelled the first adventurers to quit the
coast : a second recruit of men and provisions was;
sent thither from Scotland : but, one of their
ships, laden with provision, being burnt by accident,,
they likewise deserted the place : another reinforce
ment arrived, and being better provided than the two
former, might have maintained their footing ; but
they were soon divided into factions, that rendered all
their schemes abortive. The Spaniards advanced
against them-; when, finding themselves incapable of
withstanding the enemy, they- solicited a capitulation,
by virtue of which- they were permitted to retire.
Thus vanished all the golden dreams of the Scottish
' nation, which had engaged, in this design with in
credible eagerness, and even embarked a greater
sum of money than ever they 'had advanced upon any
other occasion; They were now not only disappoint
ed in their expectations of wealth and affluence, but
,a' great number of -families were absolutely ruined by
the miscarriage of the design, which they imputed
solely to the conduct of King William. The whole
kingdom of Scotland seemed to join in the clamour
that was raised against their sovereign, taxed him with
double-dealing, inhumanity, and bttee ingratitude, to
a people who had lavished their treasure and best
bloodjin support of his' government, and in the gra
tification of his ambition : ahd had their power been
equal to their animosity, in all probability a rebellion
¦would have ensued. ¦ -' . -

CH. Vt.- WILLI A Mk 363
§ xxi. William, meanwhile, enjoyed himself at
Loo, where he was visited by the duke of Zell, with
whom he had long cultivated an intimacy of friend
ship. During his residence in this place, the earl of
Portland and the grand pensionary of Holland fre
quently conferred with the French ambassador, Count
Tallard, upon the subject of the Spanish succession.
The first plan of the partition being defeated by the
death of the young prince of Bavaria, they found it
necessary to concert another, and began a private ne
gociation for that purpose. The court of Spain, ap
prised pf their intention, sent a written remonstrance
to Mr. Stanhope, the English minister at Madrid,
expressing their resentment at this unprecedented
method of proceeding, and desiring that a stop might
be put to those intrigues, seeing the king of Spain
would of himself fake the necessary steps for pre
serving the public tranquillity, in case he should die
without heirs of his body. A representation of the
same kind was made to the ministers of France and
Holland : the marquis de Canales, the Spanish am
bassador at London, delivered a memorial to trie
lords-justices, couched in the most virulent terms,
against this transaction, and even appealing from the
king to the parliament. This Spaniard was pleased
with an opportunity to insult King William, who hat
ed his person, and had forbid him the court, on ac
count of his appearing covered in his majesty's pre
sence. The regency had no sooner communicated
this paper to the king, than -he ordered trie ambassa
dor to quit trie kingdom in eighteen days, and to re
main within his own house till the time of his de
parture. He was likewise given to understand, that
no writing would be received from himor any of his
domestics. Mr. Stanhope was directed to; complain
at Madrid of the affront offered to his master, which
he stiled an insolent and saucy attempt to stir up se
dition in the kingdom, by appealing to the people
and parliament of England against his, majesty

3G-£ HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
The court of Spain justified what their minister had
done, and in their turn ordered Mr. Stanhope to
leave their dominions. Don Bernardo de Quiros,
the Spanish ambassador in Holland, prepared a me
morial on . the same subject, to the states-general ;
which, however, they refused to accept. These re
monstrances did not interrupt trie negociation, in
which Lewis was so eager, that he complained of
William, as if he had not employed his whole in
fluence in prevailing upon the Dutch to signify their
accession to the articles agreed upon by France and
England : but his Britannic majesty found means to
remove this jealousy.
§ xxn. About the middle of October, William
returned to England, and conferred upon the duke
of Shrewsbury the office of chamberlain, vacant since
the resignation of Sunderland. Mr. Montagu at the
same period resigned his seat at the treasury-board,
together with the chancellorship of the exchequer ;
either foreseeing uncommon difficulty in managing
a house of commons, after they had been dismissed
in ill-humour, or dreading the interest of his ene
mies, who might procure a vote that his two places
were inconsistent. The king opened the session of
parliament, on the 16111 day of November, with a long
speech, advising a further provision for the safety of
the kingdom by sea and land, as well as the repairs
of ships and fortifications ; exhorting the commons
to make good the deficiencies of the funds, discharge
the debts of the nation, and provide the necessary
supplies^ He recommended some good bill for the .
more effectual preventing and punishing unlawful and-
clandestine trading ; and expressed a desire, that
some method should be taken for employing the poor,
which were become a burthen to the kingdom., . He -
assured them, his resolutions were to countenance
virtue and discourage vice ; and that he would de--
cline no difficulties and dangers, where the welfare
and prosperity pf the nation might be concerned. -

l.Ii. VI. WILLIAM. 36£
He concluded with these words: ' Since: then, our
4 aims are only for the general good, let us act with
' confidence in one another ; which will not fail,
' with God's blessing, to make me a happy king, and
* you a great and flourishing people.' The com
mons were now become wanton in their disgust.
Though they had received no real provocation, they
resolved tp mortify him with their proceedings. They
affected to put odious interpretations.- on the very
harmless expression of, ' let us act with confidence
in one another.' Instead of an address of thanks,
according to the usual custom, they presented, a
sullen remonstrance, complaining that a jealousy and
disgust "had been raised of their duty and affection ;
and desiring he would shew marks of his high dis
pleasure towards all i persons who had presumed to.
misrepresent! their proceedings to his majesty.. He
declared, in his answer, that no- person had ever
dared to misrepresent their , proceedings, and j. that:
if any should presume to impose upon him by such
calumnies, he would treat them as his. worst ene
mies. . ,,,,
§ xxni. The house was notjn a 'humour.' to be
appeased with soothing promises and protestations :
they determined to distress him, by prosecuting his
ministers. During the war, the colonies of Nortri
America had grown rich, by piracy., One Kidd, the
master of a sloop, undertook, to suppress the pirates,
provided the ^government would furnish him with a
ship of thirty guns, well, manned. The board of
admiralty declaring triat .such a number : of seamen
could, not be spared from the public service, Kidd
was equipped by the private subscription of the
lord-chancellor, the duke of Shrewsbury, the earls-
of Romney, Or ford, _; and; Bellamont, Sir Edward
Harrison, .and Colonel Livingstone, of <N.ew York.
The king promised ;to. contribute one half of -, the
expence, and reserved to. himself bne tenth of trie
profits; but fig never advanced thecmoney. Kidjifc

866 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. V
being thus equipped, and proviaed with a com
mission to act against the French, as well as to
make war on certain pirates therein mentioned by
name, set sail from Plymouth : but, instead of
cruising on the coast of America, he directed his
course to the East-Indies, where he himself turned
pirate, and took a rich ship belonging to the Moors.
Having divided his booty with his crew, ninety of
whom ieft him, in order to join other adventurers,
he burned his own ship, and sailed with his prize to
the West-Indies. There he purchased a sloop, in
which he steered from North America, leaving part
of his men in the prize, to remain in one of the
Leeward islands until they should receive further
instructions. Arriving on the coast of New York,
he sent one Emmet to make his peace with the earl
of Bellamont, the governor of that province, who
inveigled him into a negociation, in the course of
which he was apprehended. Then his lordship sent
an account of his proceedings to the secretary of
state, desiring that he would send for the prisoners
to England, as there was no law in that colony for
punishing piracy with death, and the majority of
the people favoured that practice. The admiralty, by
order of the lords-justices, dispatched the ship Ro
chester to bring home the prisoners and their ef
fects ; but, after having been tossed for some time
with tempestuous weather, this vessel was obliged to
return to Plymouth in a shattered condition. This
incident furnished the malcontents with a colour to
paint the ministry as the authors and abettors of a
piratical expedition, which they wanted to screen
from the cognizance of the public. The old East-
India company had complained to the regency, of
the capture made by Kidd in the East-Indies, ap
prehending, as the vessel belonged to the Moors,
they should be exposed to the resentment of the
mogul. In the beginning of December, this sub-

CH. VI. WILLIAM. S6?
ject being, brougrTt abruptly into the house of com
mons, a motion was made, that the letters patent
granted to the earl of Bellamont and others, of pirate's
goods, were dishonourable to the king, against the
laws of nations, contrary to the laws and statutes of
the land, invasive of property, and destructive of trade
and commerce. A warm debate ensued, in the course
of which, some members declaimed with great bit
terness against the chancellor and the duke of
Shrewsbury, as partners in a piratical scheme : but
these imputations were refuted, and the motion was
rejected by a great majority. Not but they might
have justly stigmatized the expedition as a little mean
adventure, in which those noblemen had embarked
with a view to their own private advantage.
§ xxiv. While this affair was in agitation among
the commons, the attention of the upper house was
employed upon the case of Dr. Watson, bishop of
Sl. Davids. This prelate was supposed to have paid
a valuable consideration for his bishopric ; and, after
his elevation, had sold the preferments in his gift,
with a view of being reimbursed. He was accused
of simony ; and, after a solemn hearing before the
archbishop of Canterbury and six suffragans, con
victed and deprived.' Then he pleaded his privi
lege : so that the affair was brought into the house
of k>rds, who refused to own him as a peer after
he had ceased to be a bishop. Thus disappointed
he had recourse to the court of delegates, by whom
the archbishop's sentence was confirmed. The next
effort that the commons made, with a view of mor
tifying King William, was to raise a clamour against
Dr. Burnet, bishop of Sarum. He was represented
in the house as a very unfit perceptor for the duke
of Gloucester, both as a Scotchman, and author
of that pastoral letter which had been burned by
order of the parliament, for asserting that William
had a right to the crown from conquest. A mo
tion was made for addressing his majesty, that this

36$ HISTORY OF ENGLAND. &, ti
prelate might be dismissed from his employment;
but rejected by the great majority. Burnet had
acted with uncommon integrity in accepting the
trust. He had declined the office, which he was in
a manner forced to accept. Fie had offered to re
sign his bishopric, thinking the employment of a tutor
would interfere with the duty of a pastor. He in
sisted upon the duke's residence all the summer at
Windsor, which is in the diocese of Sarum ; and
added to his private charities the whole income of
his new office.
§ xxv. The circumstance on which the anti-courti
ers built their chief hope of distressing or disgrac
ing the government, was the inquiry into the Irish
forfeitures which the king had distributed among
his own dependents. The commissioners appoint
ed by parliament to examine these particulars, were
Annesley, Trenchard, Hamilton, Langford, the earl
of Drogheda, Sir Francis Brewster, and Sir Rich
ard Leving. The first four were actuated by all the
virulence of faction : the other three were secretly
guided by ministerial influence. They began their
inquiry in Ireland, and proceeded with such severi
ty as seemed to flow rather from resentment to the
court, than from a love of justice and abhorrence
of corruption. They in particular scrutinized a
grant' of an estate which the king, had made to
Mrs. Villiers, now countess of Orkney, so as to
expose his majesty's partiality for that favourite,
and subject him to an additional load of popular
odiumv In the course of their examination, the
earl of Drogheda, Leving, and Brewster, opposed
the res;t, of the commissioners in divers articles of the
report, which they refused to sign, and sent over
a -memorial to the house of commons, explaining
their reasons for dissenting from their colleagues.
By this>! time, however, they were considered as
hirelings of the court, and no regard was paid to
their representations. The others delivered their

CH. VI. WILLIAM. 369
report, declaring that ^1,500,000 might be raised
from the sale of the confiscated estates ; and a
bill was brought in for applying them to the
use of the public. A motion being made to re
serve a third part for the king's disposal, it was
over- ruled : then the commons passed an extraordi
nary vote, importing that they would not receive
any petition from anv person whatsoever concerning
the grants ; and that they would consider the great
services performed by the commissioners appointed
to inquire into the forfeited estates. They resolved,
that the four commissioners who had signed the
report had acquitted themselves with understanding-,
courage, and integrity ; and, that Sir Richard Lev
ing, as author of groundless and scandalous asper
sions cast upon his four colleagues, should be com
mitted prisoner to the Tower. They afterwards
came to the following resolution, which was pre
sented to the king in form of an address : that the
procuring and passing those grants had occasioned
great debts upon the nation, and heavy taxes upon
the people, and highly reflected upon the king's
honour ; and, that the officers and instruments con
cerned in the same had highly failed in the perform
ance of their trust and duty. The king answered,
that he was not only led by inclination, but thought
himself obliged injustice to reward those who had
served well in the reduction of Ireland, out of the
estates forfeited to him by the rebellion in that
kingdom. He observed, that as the long war had
left the nation much, in debt/ their taking just and
effectual ways for lessening that debt, and sup
porting public credit, was what, in his opinion,
would best contribute to the honour, interest, and
safety, of the kingdom. This answer kindled a flame
of indignation in the house. They forthwith re
solved, that the adviser of it had used his utmost en
deavours to create a misunderstanding and jealousy
between the king and his people.

870 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. E. I.
§ xxvi. They prepared, finished, and passed, a
bill of resumption. They ordered the report of the
commissioners, together with the king's promise and
speeches, and the former resolutions of the house
couching the forfeited estates in Ireland, to be print
ed and published for their justification ; and they re
solved, that the procuring or passing exorbitant
grants by any member, now of the privy-council,
or by any other that had been a privy-counsellor in
this or any former reign, to his use or benefit, was
a high crime and misdemeanour. That justice might
be done to purchasers and creditors in the act of
resumption, thirteen trustees were authorized and
empowered to hear and determine all claims relating
to those estates ; to sell them to the best purchasers ;
and the money arising from the sale was appropri
ated to pay the arrears of the army. It passed under
the title of a bill for granting an aid to his majesty,
by the sale of forfeited and other estates and interests
in Ireland ; and that it might undergo no alteration
in the house of lords, it was consolidated with the
money bill for the service of the year. In the house
of lords it produced warm debates ; and some alter
ations were made, which the commons unanimous
ly rejected. They seemed to be now more than
ever exasperated against the ministry, and order
ed a list of the privy-council to be laid before trie
house. The lords demanded conferences, which
served only to exasperate the two houses against
each other ; for the peers insisted upon their
amendments, and the commons were so provoked
at their interfering in a money-bill, that they de
termined to give a loose to their resentment. They
ordered all the doors of their house to be shut, that
no members should go forth. Then they took into
consideration the report pf the Irish forfeitures, with
the list of the privy-counsellors ; and a question was
moved, that an address should be made to his ma
jesty, to remove John, Lord Somers, chancellor 06

<1H. VI. WILLIAM. 37 \
England, from his presence and councils for ever.
This, however, was carried in the negative by a
great majority. The king was extremely chagrined
at the bill, which he considered as an invasion of
his prerogative, an insult on his person, and an in
jury to his friends and servants ; and he at first re
solved to hazard all the consequences of refusing to
pass it into a law : but he was diverted from his
purpose by the remonstrances of those in whom he
chiefly confided. He could not, however, dissem
ble his resentment. He became sullen, peevish,
and morose ; and his enemies did not fail to make
use of this additional ill-humour, as a proof of his
aversion to the English people. Though the mo
tion against the chancellor had miscarried, the com
mons resolved to address his majesty, that no per
son who was not a native of his dominions, except
his royal highness Prince George of Denmark, should
be admitted into his majesty's councils in England
or Ireland. This resolution was levelled against the
earls of Portland, Albemarle, and Galway ; but, be
fore the address could be presented, trie king went
to the house of peers, and having passed the bill
which had produced such a ferment, with some
others, commanded the earl of Bridgewater, speak
er" of the house, in the absence of the chancellor,
who was indisposed, to prorogue the parliament to
the 23d day of May.4
§ xxvn. a. d. 1 700. — In the course of this ses
sion, the commons having prosecuted their inquiry
into the conduct of Kidd, brought in a bill for the
more effectually supressing of piracy, which passed
into a law. Understanding afterwards, that Kidd was
brought over to England, they presented an address
to the king, desiring that he might not be tried, dis
charged, or pardoned, till the next session of par-
* Burnet. Oldmixon. Cole's mem. State tracts. Lambert;-. Tinda!
Ralph.

372 HIST0RY-0F ENGLAND, B, I.
liament ; and his majesty complied with their re
quest. Boiling still with indignation against the
lord-chancellor, who had turned many disaffected per
sons out of the commission of the peace, the house
ordered a bill to be prepared for qualifying justices
of the peace; and appointed a committee to inspect
the commission. This, reporting that many dissent
ers, and men of small fortunes, depending on the
court, were put into those places, the commons
declared, in an address, that it would much con
duce to the service of his majesty, and the good of
this kingdom, that gentlemen of quality and good
estates, should be restored, and put into the comis-
sions of the peace and lieutenancy ; and that men of
small estates be neither continued, nor put into the
said commissions. The king assured them he was
of the same opinion ; and that he would give direc
tions accordingly. Thev were so molified by this
instanceof his condescension, that they thanked him
in a body for his gracious answer. They passed a bill
to exculpate such as had neglected to sign the asso
ciation, either through mistake or want of oppor
tunity. Having received a petition from the Lan
cashire clergy, complaining of the insolence and
attempts of popish priests, they appointed a com
mittee to inquire how far the laws against popish
refugees had been put in execution ; and upon the
report a bill was brought in, complying with the
prayer of the petition. It decreed a further reward
to such persons as should discover and convict popish
priests and Jesuits ; and perpetual imprisonment for
those convicted on the oath of one or more wit
nesses. It enacted, that no person born after the
'25th day of March next ensuing, being a papist,
should be capable of inheriting any title of honour
or estate within the kingdom of England, dominion
of Wales, or town of Berwick upo.1. Tweed ; and^
that no papist should be capable of purchasing any
lands, tenements, or hereditaments, either in his

CII. VI. WILLIAM. 373
own name, or in the name of any other person in
trust for him. Several alterations were made in this
first draft, before it was finished and sent up to the
lords, some of whom proposed amendments : these,
however, were not adopted ; and the bill obtained
the royal assent, contrary to the expectation of
those who prosecuted the measure, on the supposi-'
tion that the king was a favourer of the papists.'
After all, the bill was deficient in necessary clauses to
enforce execution ; so that the law was very little re
garded in the sequel.
§ xxvi 11. The court sustained another insult from
the old East-India company, who petitioned the
house that they might be continued by parliament
ary authority during the remaining part of the time
prescribed in their charter. They, at the same time,
published a state of their case, in which they ex
patiated upon the equity of their claims, and mag
nified the injuries they had undergone. The new
company drew up an answer to this remonstrance,
exposing the corrupt practices of their adversaries.
But the influence of their great patron, Mr. Mon
tagu, was now vanished : the supply was not yet dis
cussed, .and the ministry would not venture to pro
voke the commons, who seemed propitious to the
old company, and actually passed a bill in their fa
vour. This meeting with no opposition in the up
per-house, was enacted into a law, renewing their
establishment : so that now there were two rival
companies of merchants trading to the East-Indies.
The commons, not, yet satisfied with the vexations
to which they had exposed their sovereign, passed a
bill to appoint commissioners for taking and examin
ing the public accounts. Another law was made,
to prohibit the use of India silka, and stuffs, which
interfered with the English manufactures : a third,
to take off the duties on the exportation of woollen
manufactures, corn, grain, meal, bread, and biscuit ;
Vol. I. M m

3#«fe HI STOISYf 00 ENGLAND. 3. I*
audiajfourthj in which provision was madfe for pu
nishing governors, or commanders in chief' of planta
tions and colonies, in case they should commif? any?
crimes or acts of injustice and oppression in the exer
cise of their- administration.
§ xxnc, The people of Scotland still continued*
in violent agitation. They published- a pamphlety
containing a detail ofj their grievances, which they*
in ai great measure ascribed to his majesty; M com
plaint* being preferred; to the house- of commons
against this performance, it was voted- a false^ scan
dalous, anditraitorousj libel-, and ordered to be burn
ed by the hand* of the common hangman. The-
commons addressed his majesty, to issue his royat
proclamation foe apprehending the author, printer,
and' publisher, of tab© said libel ; and1 he complied
with their request. The Seotch company had sent
up an address* to the king, in behalf of some adven
turers who were w-rongfolly detained prisoners- in
Cartttagena : but Lord Basil Hamilton, who under
took the charge of this petition, was refused admit
tance to his majesty, on pretence of his being sus
pected of disaffection to the government. The king-,
however, wrote to his council for Scotland*, that he
would demand the enlargement of the* prisoners,
and countenance any laudable measure that could
advance the trade of that kingdom. The directors
of the company nob content with this declaration^
importuned their lord-chancellor, who was in Lon
don, to procure access for Lord' Basil Hamilton;
and «he ministry took shelter from their soticita-
tions behind a parliamentary inquiry. The subject
of the Scotch colony being introduced into the
house of lords, where the ministerial influence
preponderated, a vehement debate arose, not from
any regard to the interest of Scotlaand, but from mere
opposition to the court, which, however, triumphed
in the issue. A motion was made, that the settle--
ment of the Scotch colony at Darien was inconsis-

\

cblvj. _ . 5Htitf,%*&*.::o r,HK 87§
tent with the ggod of, the plantation, trade of England*
and passed in the affirmative- by a small majority.
Then they presented art address, declaring their sym
pathy with the losses of their fellow-subjectSj and
their opinion, that a prosecution of trie .design must
end, nQt only in far greater disappointments to them
selves, but also prove very inconvenient to the trade
qnd quiet of the. kingdom. They reminded him, ot
the; address of both houses, touching that, settlement-.!
a^d; they expressed their approbation of the orders
h$ had sent to the, governors of the plantations on
this subject.. The- kingx in Iris answer to ttjie ad>
dress, in which the coffliHjpps refused to. e©acui;>
took the opportunity of ^xhoj4ing; them to co^sid^-
of an> union between the^wo. kingdoms, <-#§ a me-ar
sure than? which; nothing could more contribute ty
their mutual security and advantage. The Iprds^
in pursuance of this, advice, prepared- & bill, a p.?
pointing certain cpmmissiojiers of the reakjia,of-£ng.r
Jand te treat with commisioners pf Scotland, for til®
wea^ of both kingdoms : but, if was obstEueted i$
tfee, hqujse^of commons,, w-ho. were detefArined tQ
thwart every step tfo&t might tend to lessen th% disr
gust, or appease the animosity,! of the- Scotch nay
tion. The malcontents insinuated,, that, trie king's
opposition tp the Scotch, coinpany flowed neither
from his regard tq the, interest of England, nor from
bis punctual observance^ of treaties with Spain.;' but
solely from his attachment to. the'Dutch,;wlK>rnainT,
taioed an advantageous, trade from the island of Cut
racoa to tfie Spanish plantations ,i$ America, and were
apprehensive that the Scotch company would depriye
them of this commerce. This interpr£j$tion served-
as fuel to the flame already kindled in Scotland, :an$
industriously blown: up by the calumnies of the Jacob
ites. Their parliament adopted the company: as a nar
tional concern, by voting,, that the- colony of Cale
donia in Darien was si legal andi rightful settioment,-
1 , Mm9r ¦¦ \o '< -«r

376 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I.
which the parliament Would maintain and support.
On account of this resolution the session was for
some time discontinued : but when the Scots under
stood their new settlement was totally abandoned,
their capital lost, and all their hope entirely vanished,
the whole nation was seized with a transport of fury.
They loudly exclaimed, that they had been sacri
ficed and basely betrayed in that quarter where they
were entitled to protection. They concerted an ad
dress to the king, couched in a very high strain,
representing the necessity of an immediate parlia
ment. It was circulated about the kingdom for sub
scriptions, signed by a great number of those who
sat in parliament, and presented to the king by
Lord Ross, who, with some others, was deputed for
that purpose. The king told them, they should
kpow his intention in Scotland ; and in the mean
time adjourned their parliament by proclamation.
The people exasperated at this new provocation, be
gan to form the draft of a second national address, to
be signed by the shires and boroughs of the king-,
dom : but, before this could be finished, the king
wrote a letter to the duke of Queensberry, and the
privy-council of that nation, which was published
for the satisfaction of the people. He professed him
self grieved at the nation's loss, and willing to grant,
what might be needful for the relief and ease of the
kingdom. He assured them, he had their interest
at heart ; and that his good subjects should have;
convincing proofs of his sincere inclination to advance
the wealth and prosperity of "that his ancient king
dom.- He said, he hoped this declaration would
be satisfactory to all good men : that they would not
suffer themselves to be misled ; nor give advantage
to enemies and ill- designing persons, ready to 6eize
every opportunity of embroiling the government. He
gave them to understand,, that his necessary absence
had occasioned the late adjournment ; but as soon as
God should bring him back, their parliament should

cm vi. williaji. &77
be assembled. Even this explanation, seconded by
all the credit and address of his ministers, failed in
allaying the national ferment, which rose to the very
verge of rebellion.
§ xxx. The king, who, from his first accession
to the throne, had veered occasionally from one party
to another, according to the circumstances of his
affairs, and the opposition he encountered, WaVat
this period so incensed and embarrassed by the ca
price and insolence of the commons, that he will
ingly lent an ear to the leaders of the tories, who
undertook to manage the parliament according to
his pleasure, provided he would part with some of
his ministers, who were peculiarly odious to the
commons. The person agairist whom their anger
was chiefly directed, was the lord-chancellor Som
ers, the most active leader of the whig party. They
demanded his dismission, and the king exhorted"
him to resign his office : but he refusing to take any
step that might indicate a fear of his enemies, or a
consciousness of guilt, the king sent a peremptory
order for the seals by the lord Jersey, to whom
Somers delivered them without hesitation. They
were successively offered to Lord-chief-justice Holt,
and Trevor, the attorney-general, who declined ac
cepting such a precarious office. Meanwhile the
king granted a temporary commission to three
judges to sit in the court of chancery ; and at
length bestowed the seals, with the title of lord-
keeper, on Nathan Wright, one of the Serjeants at
law, a man but indifferently qualified for the office
to which he was now preferred. Though William
seemed altogether attached to the. tories, and in
clined to a new parliament, no person appeared to
take the lead in the affairs of government ; and, in
deed, foi- some time the administration seemed to
be under no particular direction.
§ Xxxi.' During the transactions of the last ses^
Mm3 "

S/VS HISTORV'OF -ENG'LANij. K,'4i
sion, the negociation for a feeeowd partition -.treaty
bad been carried on in London bythe Frenoh minis*
tor, Ta'Hard, in conjunction with the earls Of Port
land and Jersey, and was soon brought to perfec
tion. -On the 21st day -of ¦P^roary the treaty Was
signed hvi London ; a-rtd, on the 2.5^ of the •weM
month, it was subscribed at the Hague by Briord,
Ihe French envoy, arid the ipleflipotentiaries of ma
States-general. By this convention the treaty of
Ryswick was confirmed. Tbe contracting pasties
Agreed, that, in -case of his toatholic m^esty's idy*
ing without -issue, the dsaiplim -should possess, f&f
himself and bis heirs-, the kingdaiws of Naples and
Sicily, the is%nds of S'.iStepbano, Porto Hercole, Qr-
bi-teUo, TefamoRe, P-drto Longonej Piombiwo, the
cfty afnd marquisate of Filial, trie province cf Gurpus-
e©a-, the- duchies of Lorraine and Bar, in exchange
for whfeh last !$»*- duke of Lerpaine -should ewj>Sy
-khe duchy of Milan ; bftt- that the county <bf Bkhe
sliould Tempi ft m sovereignty to the prince of Vaude
mont : that J the Archduke Ghar-les should inherit
the kingdom <>f -Spain and all its dependencies in arid
Out of Europe > but, in -case of his dying without
¦issuej it should devolve to some other child-Of the
emperor, excepting hiw» who might siiceeeti as effl-
jseror or king of the Romans: that this foofrarcby
•'should never desceiKft© a king of France or dauphin ;
and-tfeat three months should be allowed to the eftt^
peror, to consider- whether or ndbhe would aeceSte
to this treaty. - Whether the French ifeifag was really
¦ sincere in bis professions at this juncture, ©V proposed
•this treaty with a' vie!#-to -make a d^destine use &f
it -alUh^ court of Spain for -more interested pu*^OSt$>
it'is not easy to determine ; st first-, however, it was
concealed from the notice of the public, as if the
parties had resolved to take nfe step in Consequence
of it, during the life of his catholic majesty.
§ xxxil In the beginning of July the king em-
» barked for HoJlond, -after having appointed a iegen-

-im. vi. -will^am. 679
cyto^govem "the 'kingdom 'in his absence. 'On the
2g* day of 'the 'same month, the young duke of
'Gloucester, the ortly remaining Child of seventeen
which the princess Anne %atl born, died of -a ma
lignant ;fever, in 'the eleventh year<of"his age. His
'death was much -lamented fby the greater part 'Of the
English nation, mot only on account of his prom is-
*in*g talents *and gentle ^behaviour, but also, as iit
left the succession undetermined, and might create
disputes of fatal -'consequence to the -nation. The
Jacobites openly < exulted -in an 'event which they
imagined would remove the chief vbar 'to the' interest
"Of the prince- of Wales : Ibut the protestants generally
^turned their eyes upon the princess Sophia, electress
dowager1 of Hanover, and grand-daughter of James
I. *'It was ^with a view -to concert the 'establish
ment of !her -succession, 'that "the court of 'Bruns
wick "now returned' the visit of King William. The
present state pf affairs inJEngland, however, affordeu'
a very uncomfortable ^prospect. The -people were
generally alienated from the!jperson and government
Of trie reigning -king, -upon whom they :seem to
have surfeited. The vigour of their minds was de
stroyed 'by luxury and sloth: the severity of their
Tnorals wasre-kxed'by a long habit of venality arid
corruption. Trie-king's health began to decline, aflti
even his faculties decayed >apaee. No person was
appointed to ascend the ^throne when it should be-
- come vacant. The^jacobite faction alone wasveager,
-vigilant, "eitterprisiog, arid elate. They dispatched
-Mr. Graham, brother of Lord Prestan, to'the court
Of 6'. Germains, immediately after 'the - death 'Of
"the duke of Gloucester : -they began to bestir them
selves all- over8 the kingdom. -A. report was spread*
that the 'prineess Anne had -privately sent a message
to 'her father; and -Britain Was once more threat-
iened with civil war,: confusion, anarchy, and' ruin.
¦§ ^x-x-xiii. In the meantime, -King William was
not inactive. The kings of Denmark and Poland,

380 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. - B» I.
with the elector of Brandenburg, had formed a
league to crush the young king of Sweden, by in
vading his dominions on different sides. The Poles
actually entered Livonia, and undertook the siege
of Riga : the king of Deumark, having demo
lished some forts in Holstein, the duke of which
was connected with Sweden, invested Tonning-
hen. The Swedish minister in England demanded
that assistance of William which had been i stipiat-
lated in a date renewal of the ancient treaty be
tween England and Sweden. The states of Hot
land were soli^tri to the same purpose. Accord
ingly a fleet* of thirty sail, English and Dutch, was
sent to the Baltic, under the command of Sir
George Rooke, who joined the Swedish squadron,
and bombarded Copenhagen, to which the Danish
fleet had. retired. At the same time, the duke of
Lunepburg, with the Swedish forces, which happen
ed to be at Bremen, passed the Elbe, and marched
to the assistance of the duke of Holstein. The
Danes immediately abandoned the siege ofTonning-
hen ; and a body of Saxons, wbo had made an ir
ruption into the territories of the duke of Brunswick,
were obliged to retreat in disorder. By the media
tion of William, a negociation was begun for {a
treaty between Sweden and Denmark, which, in or
der to quicken, Charles the. young king of Sweden,
made a descent upon the isle of Zealand. This
was executed with great success. Charles was the
first man who landed ; and here he exhibited such
marks of courage and conduct, far above his years,
as equally astonished and intimidated his adversaries.
Then lie determined to besiege Copenhagen ; a re
solution that struck such terror into the Danes,
that they proceeded with redoubled diligence in the
treaty, which was brought to a conclusion', between
Denmark, Sweden, and Holstein, about the middle
of August. Then the Swedes retired to Schonen,
4

CH.yi. WILLIAM. 331
and the squadrons of the maritime, powers returned
from the Baltic.
§ xxxiv. ,When the new partition- treaty was
communicated, by fche i, ministers, of the, contracting
parties to the other powers of Europe, it generally
met with a very unfavourable construction. Saxony
and trie northern crowns were still ernbroiled wjth
their own quarrels, consequently could not give much
attention to such a remote transaction. ,, The princes
of Germany appeared; cautious and dilatory", in their
answers, unwilling to be, , concerned in any plan that
might excite the resentment of the*house of A,usj,rja.
•The elector of Brandenburg, in particular, had< set
his heart upon the regal dignity, which, lie hoped to
obtain from the favour and authority of the emperpr.
The Italian states were averse to the partition- treaty,
from their apprehension of seeingFraocein possession
of Naples, and other districts of their country. The
duke of Savoy affected a. mysterious neutrality, , in
hopes of being able to barter his, consent for some
considerable advantage. The.Swiss^.cantons declin
ed acceding as guarantees. ¦ The emperor expressed
his astonishment, that any disposition, should be,made
of the Spanish monarchy without the consent, of the
present possessor, , and the states of the kingdom.
-He observed, that neither justice nor decorum could
warrant the contracting powers to compel him, who
was the rightful heir, to, accept a part ofhisinhq-
ritance within three months, under penalty of for
feiting even that share tp a third perspn not yet
¦ named; and he declared, that he could take.no
final resolution, until he should know the sentiments
of his catholic majesty, on an affair in whjch their
mutual interest was so nearly concerned, .Leopold
was actually engaged in a negociation ,wifb4he king
of Spain, who signed a wifi, in, favour of his second
son Charles ; yet he took no measures to support the
disposition, either by sending the archduke with a

382 HISTORY OF %*TGLANI). <k.*i,
sufficient force to Spain, or by detaching troops «#t>
Italy. § xxxv. The people of Spain were exdSpMite! a
the insolence of the three foreign powers who ^pre
tended to parcel out their dominions. Their pride
took the alarm at the prospect of their monardhy.%
being dismembered : and their grandees repined at
the thought of losing so many lucrative govern
ments which they now enjoyed. The -king's life be
came every day more and more precarious, frorta
frequent returns of his disorder. The ministry was
weak and divijjffl, the nobility factious, and the
people discontented. Thehearts of the nationhati
been alienated from the house of Austria, -by the
insolent carriage and 'rapacious disposition of the
queen Mariana. The French had gained over to
their interests the cardinal Portocarrero, the marquis
de Monterey, with many other hOblefnen and per
sons of distinction. These, pereeiving the senti
ments of the people, employed their emissaries to
raise a general cry that France alone-eould maintain
the succession entire : that the house of jA«3tria was
feeble and exhausted, and any prince of that liife
must owe his chief support to detestable heretics.
Portocarrero ' tampered -with the weakness of his so
vereign. He repeated -and exaggerated ail thesfe
suggestions: he advised) him to consult Pope Inno
cent XII on this momentous point of regulating the
succession. That pontiff, Who was a Creature d*f
France, 'having taken the advice of a college of car
dinals, determined that the renunciation of Maria
Theresa was invalid and null, as being founded upon
compulsion, and contrary to the fundamental laws
Of the Spanish monarchy. He therefore exhorted
King Charles to Contribute to the prorogation of the
faith, and the repose of 'Christendom., in m-s- .^ a
new will in favour of a irrand^on of the tpi -fi
monarch. This admonition was secondtdu'r) ..e
remonstrances of Portocarrero : and the weak prir.ee

CH.'VI. WILLIAM. 383
complied %ith tbe proposal. In the meantime, the
king of France -seemed to act heartily, as a principal
rii the treaty of partition. "His ministers at foreign
courts co-operated with those of the maritime powers,
in soliciting the accession of the different potentates
in 'Europe. When Count Zinzeudorf, the imperial
ambassador at Paris, presented a memorial, desiring
to know what part France 'Would act, should the
king of Spain voluntarily place a grandson of Lewis
upon trie throne, the marquis de Torcy answered, ia
writing, that his most christian majesty would by -no
means listen to such a proposal : nay, when the em
peror's minister gave them to understand, that his
Piaster was ready to begin a separate negotiation
with the court of Versailles, touching the Spanish
succession, Lewis declared he could not 'treat on that
subject, without the concurrence of his allies.
§ xxxvi. Tite nature of the partition-treaty was
no -sooner known in England, than condemned by
the most intelligent part of the nation. They first
of all complained, that 'Such ao important affair
should be concluded without the advice of parliament.
They observed, that the scheme was unjust, and the
execution -of it hazardous : that, in concerting the
terms, the maritime powers seemed to haye acted
*as partisans of France ; for the possession of Naples
and the Tuscan ports Would subject Italy to her do-
minionj and interfere with the English trade to the
Levant and Mediterranean; while Guipuscoa, on
any future rupture, woiiild afford another inlet into
the heart of the Spanish dominions t they, for these
reasons, pronounced fhe treaty destructive of the
¦balance of power, and prejudicial to the interest of
England. All these arguments were trumpeted by
the malcontents, so that the whole kingdom echoed
with the clamour of disaffection. Sir Christopher
Musgrave, and others of the tory faction, began to
think in earnest of establishing the succession of the
-English crown tipon the person Of the prince of

Q$i> HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
Wales,. They are sa*d to have sent over Mr. Graham
to S\ Gerinains with overtures to this purpose, and
an assurance that a motion would be made in the
house of commons, to pass a vote, that the crown
should not be supported in the execution of the
partition-treaty. King William was not ignorant of
the censure he had undergone, and not a little alarm
ed to find himself so unpopular among his, own sub
jects. That he might be the more able to bestow
his attention effectually upon the affairs of England,
he resolved to take some measures for the satisfaction
of the Scottish nation. He permitted trie parliament
of that kingdom to meet on the 28th day of Octo
ber, and wrote a letter to them from his house at
Loo, containing an assurance, that he would concur
in every thing that could be reasonably proposed for
maintaining and advancing the peace and welfare of
their kingdom, He promised to give his royal as
sent to such acts as they, should frame for the better
establishment of the presbytcrian discipline ; for pre
venting the growth of popery, suppressing vice and
immorality, encouraging piety and virtue, preserving
aiid securing personal liberty, regulating and ad
vancing trade, retrieving the losses, and promoting
the kiterestj of their African and Indian companies.
Lie expressed his concern that he could not assert.
the company's right of establishing .a colony at Darien,
without disturbing the peace of Christendom, and
entailing a, ruinous war on that his ancient kingdom.
He recommended unanimity and dispatch in raising
competent taxes for their own defence ; and. told
them, he hud thought fit to continue the duke of
Queensberry in the office of , high-commissioner.
Kotwifhskuiding this, sppthing address,; the national
resentment continued to, rage, and the, parliament
seemeld altogether intractable. .By this time the
company had received certain tidings of the entire
surrender of their .settlement ; and on the first day
cf the session, they represented to parliament, that

CH.-VI. WILLIAM. 385
for want of due protection abroad, some persons had
been encouraged to break in upon trieir privileges
even at home. This remonstrance was succeeded
by another national address to the king, who told
them, he could not take any further notice of that
affair, since the parliament Was now assembled; and
he had already made a declaration, with which he
hoped all his faithful subjects wduld be satisfied.
Nevertheless, he' found it absolutely necessary to
practise other expedients for allaying the ferment of
that nation. His ministers and their agents bestirr
ed themselves so successfully, that the heats in par
liament were entirely cooled, and the outcry of the
peoplcsubsided into unavailing murmurs. The par
liament resolved, that in consideration of their great
deliverance by his majesty, and as, next under God,
their safety and happiness wholly depended on his
preservation, and that of his government, they would
support both to the utmost of their power, and main
tain such forces as should be requisite for those
ends. They passed an act for keeping on foot 3,000
men for two years, to be maintained by a land-tax.
Then the commissioner produced the king's letter,
desiring to have 1,100 men on his own account to
the* 1st day of -June following: they forthwith com-'
plied with his request, and were prorogued to the
0th of May. The supernumerary troops were sent'
over to the states-general ; and the earl of Argyle
was honoured with the title of duke,- as a recompense
forodiaving concurred with the commissioners in
managing this session of parliament.
§ xxxvli. King William had returned to Eng
land' on the IS'hday of October, not a little chagrin-*'
ed at the perplexities in whidh he found hito self in
volved ; and, in the'begkining of the next month, he
received advice that the king of Spain was actually
dead. - H&cduld not be surprised at this event, which
had been so long expected ; but it was attended with
a circumstance which he had not foreseen; Charles,

386 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [B.St.
by his last wilL had declared the duke of Anjou^
second son of the dauphin, the sole heir of the Spa-<
nisfr monarchy. In case this, prince should die with^
out issue, or inherit the crown of France, be willed;
that Spain should devolve to the duke of Be*ry,; >jft>
default of him, and children, to the archduke Qhaffefe
and his heirs; failing of whom, to the duke, of Savoys
and his posterity. He likewise recommended-* m
match between the duke of Anjou and one of the*
archduchesses. When, this testament, was first no.
tifaed to the French court,. Lewis seemed to. be&itate?
between his inclination and engagements, to Willia©-/
and the states-general. Madame de Maintenoa, is;
sai4 to have joined her influence to that of trie
dauphin, in persuading the ki#g to accept of the,
will ; and Pontchartrain was engaged, to support, the
same measure. A cabinet-council wa& called in- her'
apartment. The rest of the ministry declared for th%
treaty of partition ; the king affected: a kind of neu
trality. The dauphin spoke for his son, with an aw
of riesolution he had, never assumed before: Pont
chartrain seconded his argument : Madam de Marivrr
teapn, asked what the duke of Anjpu bad done tq
provoke the king, that he should, be barred, of his
right to that succession \ Then the rest of the mem»-
bers espoused the dauphin's opinion ; and the king
owned himself convinced by. their reasons, In all
probability, the decision of this council was previously:
settled in private. A/ter the will was accepted, Lewis
closeted the duke of Anjou, to whom he said, injpre-
sence of the marquis des Rois,-— ' Sir, the- king of,
' Spain has made you a king. The grandees demand
1 you ; the people wish for you, and I give my .con--
* sent. Remember only, you are a. prince of 5rance>:
c \ recommend to you to love your people, to gain-
' their aflectipn by the lenity of you* goveiKm^eBt^
f and- to render yourself worthy of thq throne you;
* are going to ascend.' The new monarch was, con-.
gratujated on his elevation by 3II the princes g>£ ^tfegj

oh. vi. ymhm'AM. 3S9'
blood; nevertheless, the duke of Orleans and hissot*
protested against the will, because the archduke was
placed next in succession to: the duke of Berry, in
bar of their right as descendant of Anne of Austria,
whose renunciatioiai could be of no more force than/
that of Maria Theresa. On the 4th day of De
cember, fhe new king- seb out for Spain, to the fron
tiers of which he was accompanied by his. two bro
thers. § xxxviii. When the will was accepted, the French
minister De Torcy endeavoured to justify his-jmas-
ter?s conduct to the eari of Manchester, who resided*
at Paris in the character of ambassador from th&
QQurt of London. He observed) that the treaty of
partition was not likely to answer the end for which,
it had been concerted : that the emperor had refused
to accede : that it was relished by none of the princes
to' whom- it had been communicated : that the people
of England and Holland bad expressed their discon
tent at the prospect of France's being in possession
of Naples and Sicily: that if Lewis, had rejected the
will, the archduke woufcbhave had a double title, de
rived from the former will and that of the late king:
that theSpaniards were so averse to'the division oftheir
monarchy, there would be- a necessity for conquering
the» whole kingdom before the treaty could be exe
cuted i that the ships to be furnished by Great Bri
tain- and Holland would not be sufficient for the pur^-
poses of such a war-; and it was doubtful whether
England and the states-general would engage- them
selves; in a greater expence. He concluded with say-
iftg, that the treaty wOuld have been more advantage*-
ous. to France than the- will, which the king accepted
purelyfrom a desire of preserving the peace of Eu
rope. His master hoped^ therefore, that a good un
derstanding would subsist between him and the- king;
Of Great Britain. Th© same reasons were commu
nicated by Briordj the French ambassador at the
j-Jague, to the states -general. Notwithstanding this:-

3iS3 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. E.I.
address, they.- ordered their envoy *at Paris ta deliver
¦d, memorial to. the French king; expressing their sur
prise athis having accepted the will ; and. their hope,?
that as the time specified for the emperof s-tacceding-
to the treaty was not expired, his most christian
majesty, would take the affair again into his consi
deration, and adhere to his engagements in every
article. Lewis, . in his answer to; this memorial,
which lie dispatched to all the courts of Europe*.
declared, that what he chiefly considered was trie
principal design of the contracting parties, namely^
the jmajntenance of peace in Europe ; and: that,
true to his principle, he only departed from the words,
tiiat he might the better adhere to the spirit. of the
treaty. . .§ xxxix. With this answer he sent a letter to the
states, giving them to understand, that the peace of
Europe was so firmly established by the will of the
king of Spain, in favour of his grandson, that he
did not doubt their approbation of his succession to
the Spanish crown. The states observed, that they
could not declare themselves upon an affair, of such
consequence, without consulting their respective
provinces. Lewis admitted the excuse, and assured
theuiofhis readiness to concur with whatever they
should desire for the security of the Spanish Ne
therlands. The Spanish ambassador at the Hague
presented them with a letter from his new master,
who likewise notified his accession to all the powers
of Europe, except the king of England. Trie em
peror loudly exclaimed against the will, as being
more iniquitous than the treaty of partition ; and
threatened to do himself justice by force of arms. '
The Spaniards, apprehending;, that a league would
be formed between his^iraperial majesty and the ma
ritime .powers, for setting aside the succession of the
duke of Anjou, and, conscious of their own inabi
lity to defend their dominions, resigned themselves
entirely to the protection of the French monarch.

GH.VI. WILLIAM. .180
The towns in the Spanish Netherlands and the duchy
of Milan admitted French garrisons : a French
squadron anchored in the port of Cadiz ; and an
other was detached to the Spanish settlements in the
West-Indies. Part of the Dutch army that was
quartered in Luxemburg, Mons, and Namur, were
made prisoners of war, because they would not own
the king of Spain, whom their masters had not yet
acknowledged. The states were overwhelmed with
consternation by this event, especially when they
considered their own naked situation, and reflected
that the Spanish garrisons might fall upon them
before theyvcould assemble a body of troops for
their defence. The danger was so imminent, that
they resolved to acknowledge the king of Spain with
out further hesitation, and Wrote a letter to the
French king for that purpose : this was no sooner
received, trian orders were issued for sending back
their battalions.
| xl. How warmly soever King William resented
the conduct of the French king, in accepting the
wiM so diametrically opposite to his engagements, he
dissembled his chagrin ; and behaved with such re
serve and apparent indifference, that some people
naturally believed he had been privy to the transac
tion. Others imagined that he was discouraged from
engaging in a new war by his bodily infirmities,
which daily increased, as well as by the opposition
in parliament, to which he should be inevitably ex
posed. But bis real aim was to conceal his senti
ments, until he should have sounded the opinions of
other powers in Europe, and seen how far he could
depend upon his new ministry. He now seemed to
repose his chief confidence in the earl of Rochester,
who had undertaken for the tories, and was declared
lord-lieutenant of Ireland. Lord Godolpliin was ap
pointed first commissioner of the treasury, Lord
Sfanker ville succeeded lLord Lonsdale, lately deceas-
! Vol. I. N ft -

3QQ HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B.,I.
ed, as keeper of .the privy-seal, and Sir Charles
Hedges was declared secretary of state, in the room;
of the ear} of Jersey: but the management of .thq
commons; was intrusted to Mr. Robert Harley, ,whoj
had hitherto opposed the measures, of the court, with
equal virulence and ability. These new undertakers,
well knowing they should find it very difficult, if not.
impossible, to secure a ma^rity in the present) par
liament, prevailed on the king to dissolve! it by pro
clamation : then the sheriffs were changed according
tp their nomination, and writs issued for a new
parliament to meet on the 6tbday of February. Dqrn
ing this interval, jGount Wratislaw arrived in{ Eng
land, as ambagsador frown the , emperor, to explain
Leopold's title to the Spanish, monarchy, supported
by repeated entails and renunciations, confirmed in
the 'ipo§t.i solemn treaties. This minister met with.
a very cold reception from those who stood at -the
helm of affairs. They sought to .avoid all connec
tions that might engage their country as a principal
in another war upon the continent ; smarting as they
were from -the losses and incumbrances which the
last bad entailed upon them and their posterity^
They seemed to (think that Lewis, , rather- than .in
volve himself; in fresh troubles, would give aH the
security that could be desired for maintainingthe
peace of Europe ; or even, should this be rgfijsed,
they, saws no reason for Britain's exhausting; her
wealth and strength to support a chimerical balance,
in which her interest was but remotely concerned.
It was their opinion, that, by keeping aloof,' she
might render herself more respectable. Her reserve
would overawe contending powers ;< they would in
their turn sue jfpr her assistance, and implore her
good offices ; and, instead of declaring herself a
party, she would have the. honour to decide as arbi-
tress of their' disputes. Perhaps they extended this
idea too far ; . and, in all probability, their notions
were inflamed by a spirit of faction. They hated

CH.'Vl. WILLIAM.-** ": 3tyl
the whigs as their political adversaries, and detested
the war; ¦ because it had been countenanced and sup-*
ported by the interest of that party.- The king be
lieved, thatra conjunction of the two monarchies of
France and Spain wOuld prove fatal to the liberties of
Europe; and that this could not be prevented 'by
any other method tnana general unibn of the other
European powers. He certainly was an enthusiast
in his sentiments of this equilibrium ; and fully cOnJ-'
vinced that he himself, of all the potentates in
Christendom; was the only prince capable of adjust-'
ing- the balance. The imperial ambassador' could
not, therefore, be long ignorant of his real purpose,
as he -Conversed with the Dutch favourites, who knew
and approved of their master's design,though he avoid
ed a declaration^- until he should bave rendered his
ministers more propitious to his aim. The true secret,
however, of that reserve with which Count Wratis-
law was treated at his first arrival, was "a private ne
gociation which the king had set on foot with the
te^miylof Spain, touching a barrier in the Nether-
lands'f-'hffe proposed, that certain towns should be
garrisoned with English and Dutch troops, by way
efrisglftfrityagainst the^ambitiouS' designs of France:
but the regency were so devoted to the French m-
tgfesfP'that they refused to listen to any proposal
ofJttfe'J nature. While this affair was in agitation,
William resolved to maintain a1, wary distance from
the ' emperor ; but,1- when his effort miscarried, the
ambassador found binvmu@h; more open and access
ible.3 - L-jcrji ' ;i - . .'-¦'.. 91 a ibeiar "• ¦¦¦;>, i,,;
i 3 "KiS-.J??"' was disringoisheciqby-^ share, the/fijojls of th? youthful>rnonr
a glerious victory "which the young, ~r arcl\. Gharleg landed at Revel, corn-
kmg of Swede'ri Obtained in the nine." pelled ''the Faxons "*to 'abandon' rhe
teeritfeiyear^of his age- Riga, con- siege of Riga, and having supplied
tlnued" invested oy the king of Poland, the place, marched with a handful of
•whHe Peter trie czar of-Muscbvyihiade troops ' against the Muscovites, who
his approaches to Narva, at the head j had undertaken, the^ siege of, Narva.
of a prodigious army, purposing, "in The czar cjuicted his'army with some
iiolation' ' of -al! "faith 4nil jussice, to precipitation, as it.he had Wen afrilS
•»" •<-.'.: :y:y :. . ' Nmiat' ¦ . : '- :,,«

3Q2 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B, 1.
§ xli. The parliament meeting on the 6th, was
prorogued to the 10th, day of Februarys when Mr.
Harley was chosen speaker by a great majority in op
position to .Sir Richard Onslow. The king had pre
viously told Sir Thomas Lyttieteav, it would' be for
his service that he should yield his pretensions to
Harley at this juncture ; and ¦ that gentleman agreed
to absent himself from the house on the day of elec
tion. The king observed, in his speech, that the
nation's loss in the death of the duke of Gloucester,
had rendered it absolutely < necessary for them to
make further provision for the succession of the
crown in the protestant line : that the death of the
king of Spain had made such an alteration in the af
fairs of the continent as required their mature , de
liberation. T he rest of his harangue turned upon trie
usual topics of demanding supplies for the ensuing
year, reminding them of the deficiencies and public
debts, recommending to their inquiry the state of the
navy and fortifications ; exhorting them to encourage
commerce, employ the poor, and proceed -with
vigour sand unanimity in all their deliberations.
Though the elections had been generally carried in
favour of the tory interest, the ministry:. had secured
but one part of that faction. Some of the most po
pular leaders, such as the duke of Leeds, the marquis
of Normanby, trie earls of Nottingham, Seymour.
Musgrave, How, Finch, land Showers, had- been
either neglected-or found refractory, and resolved to
oppose trie court measures with all their influence.
Besides, the French king, knowing that the peace of
Europe would in a great measure depend on the re
solutions of the English parliament,- is said to have
distributed great sums of money in England, by means
of hazarding his person, while. CJ>arles, them, after a short resistance. lie
advanced' through ways that were took a great number of prisoners,
thought/impracticable, and surprised with all then- baggage, tenls,' and
the enemy. He broke into their camp arullery, and entered , fj-arva ,. in
before they bad the least intimation uiuiripl,.
of his approach, ;nd totally routed

T

CH. VI. WILLIAM. 393
of his minister Tallard, in order to strengthen ' the
opposition in the house of commons. Certain, it is,
the nation abounded, at this period, with the French
coins, called louis-d'ors* and pistoles ; but whether
this redundancy was owing to a balance of trade in
favour of England, or to the largesses of Lewis, we
shall not .pretend to determine. We may likewise
observe, that the infamous practice of bribing electors
had never been so flagrant as in the choice of repre
sentatives for this parliament. This scandalous, traf
fic had; been chiefly carried on by the whig party,
and therefore their antagonists resolved.to spare no
pains in detecting their corruption. Sir Edward
Seymour distinguished ihimself by his zeal and acti
vity : he brought some of these practices to light,
and, in particular, stigmatized the new East-India
company, for having been deeply concerned in this
species of venality. An inquiry being set on foot-in
the house ®f commons, several -elections were de
clared void ; and divers persons, who had bgeiv il
legally returned, were; first expelled, the house, and
afterwards detained in prison. Yet thqse. prosecu
tions: were carried on with. , sucli partiality, , as plainly
indicated that they flowed rather from party zeal than
from patriotism.
¦i § xlii. Agreat body of trie commons hadre-
solved to present an address to his majesty, desiring
he would acknowledge the king of Spain ; and the
motion, in all probability, would riave been carried
by a considerable majority, had riot one bold and
lucky expression .given such a turn to the debate, as
induced the anti-courtiers to desist. One .Mr- Monck-
toni -in the heat of his declamation against this mea
sure, said, he expected the next vote would be. for
owning the pretended prince of Wales. Though
there was little or no connection between these two
subjects, a great many members were, startled at the
information, arid deserted the measure, which was
* N n 3 ,

$94 HISTORY OF r.NGLAND. Bv U
dropped accordingly. The king's speech being- taken
into consideration, the house resolved to support his
majesty and his government ; to take such effectual
measures as might best conduce to the interest and
safety of England, and the preservation of the pro
testant religion. This resolution was presented in an
address to the king, who received it favourably. At
the same time, he laid before them a memorial he
had received from the states-general, and desired
their advicer and assistance in the points that consti
tuted the substance of this remonstrance. The stated
gave him to understand, that they had acknowledged
the duke of Anjou as king of Spain : that France had
agreed to a riegociation, in which they might stipul
ate the necessary conditions for securing the peace of
Europe ; and that they were firmly resolved^ to do
nothing without the concurrence of his majesty arid
their other allies. They therefore begged he- would
send a minister to the Hague, with necessary powers
and instructions to co-operate with them in this ne
gociation : they told him that, in case it should
prove ineffectual, or Holland be suddenly invaded by
the troops which Lewis had ordered to advance to
wards their frontiers, they relied on the assistance of
" England, and-1 hoped his majesty would prepare the
succours stipulated by treaty, to be used, shoolddc-
casion require. 'Trie' memorial -was 'likewise comitiii-
-nicated to the house of lords. Meanwhile, the com
mons desired that the treaties between England and
the states-general should -be- laid before their riouse.
These being perused, they resolved upon an address,
to desire his majesty would eriter into such negocia
tions wriri'the states-general, and other potentates",1 as
might' most effectually conduce to the mutual safety
of Great Britain and the United provinces, as well as
to the preservation of trie peace of Europe, and to -as
sure him of their support and assistance, in perfortu-
ance of the treaty subsisting between England and the
states-general. This resolution^ however, was not

CH*-VI. WILLIAM;., ,,, 3c*4
carried without -great opposition frofn those, who were
averse to the nation's involving itself hi another war
Upon the continent- The,, king professed riiriiself. ex?
tJcemely well pleased with this address, 4n4 fodd ttiejrrs
he would immediately order his ministers abroad to
act in concert witi} the states-general and the oth^j:
powers, for the; attainfliej^t, gf^tiipse.ends they pro-
POSed* '» ¦ ¦!: ..; ¦ ,,.--, ¦','[''
,. § xliii, He communicated tor, the cqmnipns. a
letter, written by tlie earl of. Melfort to his, brother
.the cart of Perth, governor to the pretended prince of
Wales. It had been mislaid by accident, and, cairie
to London in tiie French mail. It contained a scheme
for another invasion of England, together with soriie
reflections on the character of trie earl of Middletqp,
who had supplantedhrinat the court of S', Cermains.
Melfort was a mere projector, and seems to ha^e
had no other, view than that of recpmuiending b,im-
self to King James, and bringing his ,rival into,^-
grace. The house of lords, to whom the letter.'vfas
also imparted, ordered it to be printed. Next day
they presented an address, thanking his majesty $>*
his care 'of the protestant religiori^. desiring all^he
treaties made since tfie last .war: , migfit De laidJfcie-
fore them ; requesting him to engage in such,, al
liances as he should fJnnlf proper for preserving
the balance of power in Europe: assuring him
of their concurrence ; expressing their acknowledg
ment fpr his having eomn^qiu^ated ,MelfortJs let
ter; desiring he would give orders, , for] ,, seizipg
the riorses and arms of disaffected -p?ergonij§,;..-/or
removing papists, from London.: and for seareri-
ing-iafteig those, arms and provisions, of war mentjpned
in the, letter : finally, they requested him fo,i,ecurip
speedily a, efficient fleet for trie defence of hpnself
and his kingdom . They received a , gracious answer
to .trii^ address, which Was a further encouragement
to ibefking to put his own private Resigns in Execu
tion : towards the^ same end the letter, contributed

396 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I.
not a little, by inflaming the fears apd resentment of
the nation against France, which in vain disclaimed
the earl of Melfort as a fantastical schemer, to whom
no regard was paid at the court of Versailles. The
French ministry complained of the publication of this
letter, as an attempt to §pw jealousy between the two
crpwns ; and, as a convincing proof of their sincerity,
banished the earl of Melfort to Angers.
§ xliv.. The credit pf exchequer bills was so
lowered by the change of the ministry, and the lapse
of the time allotted for their circulation, that they fell
near twenty per cent, to the prejudice of the revenue,
and trie discredit of the government in foreign count
tries. The commons having taken this affair. rijfo
consideration, voted that provision should be made
from time to time for making good the principle arid
interest due on all parliamentary funds- ; and after
wards passed a bill for renewing the bills of credit,
commonly called, exchequer bills. This was sent up
to the fords on the 6th day of March, and on the 13th
received the royal assent. The next object . that in-
grossed the attention of the commons, was the settle
ment of the succession, to the throne, wfiicri the king
had recommended to their consideration in the her
ginning of the session. Having deliberated on this sub
ject, they resolved, that for the preservation of the
peace and happiness of the kingdom, and the security
of the protestant religion, it was absolutely necessary
that a further declaration should be made of the li
mitation and sucession of the crown in the protestant
line, after his majesty and the princess, and the heirs
of their bodies respectively ; and, that further pro
vision, should be first made for the security of the
rkjrits and liberties of trie people. . Mr. Ffarley moved,
jtha|:iSome conditions of government might be settled
#s preliminaries, before they should proceed to the
nomination of the person, that their security might be
complete. Accordingly, they deliberated on this
subject, and agreeel to the follpwing resolutions;

CH..VI, WILLIAM. 397-
that whoever sriall hereafter come to the possession
of this crown, shall join in communion with the church
of England as by law established : that, in case the
crown and imperial dignity of this realm shall here
after come to any person, not being a native of this
kingdom of England, thjs nation be not obliged to
engage in any war for the defence of any dominions
or territories which do not belong to the crown of
England, without trie consent of parliament*: that no
person wlio shall hereafter come, to the possession of
the crown shall' go out of the dominions of England,
Scotland, or Ireland, without consent of parliament :
that, from and after the time that the further limita
tion by this act' shall take effect, all matters and
things relating to the well governing of this kingdom,
which are properly cognizable in the privy-council,
by the laws and customs of the realm, shall be trans
acted there, and all resolutions taken thereupon shall
be signed by such of the privy-council as shall ad
vise and consent to the same : that, after the limitation
shall take effect, no person born out of the kingdom
of England, Scotland, or Ireland, or the dominions
thereunto belonging, although he be naturalized, arid
made a denizen (except such as are born of English
parents) shall be capable to be of the privy-council,
or a member of either house of parliament, or to en
joy any office or place of trust, either civil or military,
or to have any grant of lands, tenements, or here
ditaments, from the crown to himself, or to any others
in trust for him : that no person who has an office
or place of profit under the king, or receives a pen
sion from the crown, shall be capable of serving as
member of the house of commons : that, after the
limitation shall take effect, judges commissions be
made quamdiu se bene gesserint, and their salaries
ascertained and established; but upon trie address of
both houses of parliamerit, it may be lawful to re
move them : that no pardon under the great seal of
England be pleadable to an impcacrirrienf by the coni-

3Q8 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
irtons in parliament. Having -settjfed these prelimi
naries, they resolved, that the princess Sophia,
4uches§ dowager of Hanover,- be.dedared the next in
succession to the crown of England,- in the protestant
line, after his. majesty, and the.princess, and the heirs
of their] bodies respectively : and, that the further li
mitation of the crown be to the saidlPrincess Sophia
and the heirs of her body, being protestants. A bill
being formed on these resolutions, was sent up to trie
house of lords, where it met with some opposition
frpm the marquis of Normanby : a protest was like
wise entered against it by the earls o£ Huntingdon and
Plymouth, and the lords Guilford and Jeffries. Ne*
verfheless, it passed without amendments, and on the
3 2th day of June received the royal assent : the king
was extremely mortified at the preliminary limitations,
which he considered.! as an open insult on his own
conduct and administration ; not but that they were
necessary precautions, naturally -.suggested by the ex
perience of those evils to which trie nation had been
already exposed, in consequence of raising a foreign
prince toi the throne of England. oA.S the tories lay
under thet imputation of favouring the! late king's in
terest, they exerted them zealously on this occasion,
to wipe off the aspersion, and insinuate themselves Let-
to the confidence of the people -r > hoping, that in the
sequel they should be able to restrain the i i&tioh.
from engaging too deep in the affairs of the conti
nent, without incurring the charge of d^affection to
the present king and government. The act of settle
ment being passed, the earl of Macclesfield was sent
to notify trie transactiori' td the electress Sophia, who
likewise received from his hands the ;order of the
garter.. .. iq.
L § xlv. The act of succession gave: umbrage to all
the popish princes, who were more nearly related to
trie crown than this lady, whom the parliament had
preferred to all others'. The duchess, of Savoy, grand
daughter to King Charles: I, by her mother, ordered

ch.'-vi. cviaib william. ram S99
her ambassador, Count Maffei, to make a protestation
to the parliament of England, in her name, against
all resolutions and 'decisions contrary to her title, as
sole daughter to the princess Henrietta, next hi suc-
cessibn to trie crown of England, after King William
and the princess -1 Anne- of Denmark. Two copies Of
this protest Maffei sent in letters to the lord-keeper
and the speaker of the lowerfhouse, by two of his
gentlemen, and a public notary to attest the delivery ;
but no notice was taken of the declaration. ?'• The
duke of Savoy, while his master was thus employed
in England, engaged in an alliance with the crowns
of France and Spain, on condition, that his catholic
majesty should espouse his youngest daughter without
a dowry : that he himself should command the allied
army in Itahjs, and furnish 8,000 infantry, with 2,500
horse, in icort4ideratio.% of aimonthijj^Mbgidy of 50,000
crowns, ted* 'on ¦ houm ainimbjB bms toubnoa
-xi § xlvi. During these transactions, Mr. Stan
hope, envoy extraordinary to the states-general, was
•empowered to treat with the ministers of France and
•Spain, according to the addresses of both houses of
--paidigflient.1 s" He; represented ,r that though his most
christian ui^festy "had thought fit to deviate from the
¦^paKtelifaBitKedty^aO-1 was :not reasonable that trie king
of Erigland should lose the effect of that convention :
ri^Jtterefbreacaapsctedt some security for the peace of
¦Eowopal} i&defibrnthaflb purpose insisted upon certairi
articles^ importing, that the French' king should im
mediately -withdraw his troops: from the Spanish Ne
therlands:' that, for trie security of England,- the cities
oaif<XDgtendjdnd Nieuport should be "delivered, into * the
aHarids Tofiibis Britannic majesty, that no kingdom,
provinces, cities, lands, or places, belonging to -the
crown of Spainvvs^ouldraasrbe^yieldedioT transferred
to the crown of ^France, on any pretence whatever :
1 that- the subjects Of his Britannic majesty should retain
all the privileges, 'rfiglks/i'and immunities^ with xre-
gard to ptfidtomvigatidn and commerce in trie;domri;

400 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. .¦& B. I.
nions of Spain, which they enjoyed at the. death of his
late catholic majesty ; and also all such immunities,
rights,' and franchises, as the subjects of France, or
any other power, either possess for trie present!, or
may enjoy for the future: that all treaties of
peace and conventions between England and Spain
should be renewed ; and, that a treaty formed ion
these demands should be guaranteed by such powers
as one or other of the contractors should solicit and
prevail upon to accede. Such likewise were the pro
posals made by trie states-general, with this difference*
that they demanded, as cautionary towns, all the
strongest places in the Netherlands. ¦ Count D'Avaux,
the French minister, was so surprised at these ex
orbitant demands, that he could not help saying, they
could not have been higher, if his master hadi-lost
four successive battles. He assured them, that his
most christian majesty would withdraw his troops
from tlie Spanish Netherlands as scon as the. king of
Spain should have forces of his own sufficient to
guard trie country : with respect to trie other articles,
he could give no other answer, but- that he would
immediately transmit them to Versailles. Lewis >was
filled with indignation at the insolent strain of those
proposals, which he considered as a sure mark of
William's hostile intentions. He refused to give any
other security for the peace -of Europe, than a renewal
of the treaty of Ryswick ; and he is, said to have
tampered, by means of his agents and emissaries, with
the members,,of the English „ parliament, that " they
might oppose all steps tending to a new war on the
continent. >cw 'iluu-oa lor bib 9v?oH
it§ xl vii. King, William certainly had no expect
ation that Franeel would close with such propo
sals; but he was not without hope,,! that her refusal
would warm the English ^nation into a concurrence
with his designs. He communicated to the^hous/a
of commons the demands which had been made by
him and the states-genera! ; and gave them to un-

Oil. VI. WILLIAM. 401
derstand, that he would from time to time make
them acquainted with the progress of the negocia
tion. The commons suspecting that his intention
was to m#ke them s parties in a congress. which he
might conduct to a different end from that which
they proposed,- resolved to signify their sentiments
in the answer to this message. They called for the
treaty of partition, which being read, they voted an
address > of thanks to his majesty, for his most gra
cious declaration, that he would make them ac^
quainted with the progress of the negociation :, but
they signified their disapprobation of the partition-
treaty, signed with the great seal of England, with
out the advice of the parliament- which was then
sitting, and productive of all ill consequences to the
kingdom as well as to the peace of Europe, as it
assigned over to* the French king such, a large por
tion of the Spanish dominion. Nothing could be
more mortifying to the king than '.this open attack
upon his own conduct : yet he suppressed his resent
ment, iSrtd without taking the least notice of their
sentiments with respect to the partition-party, as
sured them, that he should be always ready to re
ceive their advice on the negociation which he had
set on foot, according to 'their desire. The debates
in the house of commons lupon1 the subject of the
partition-treaty rose to such' violence, that divers
members in declaring1 against it, transgressed the
bounds of decency. Sir Edward Seymour compared
trie1 division which bad been made of the Spanish
teffi tories to a- 'robbery on the : highway y and Mr.
Howe did not scruple to say it was a felonious
tieaty : an expression, which the king (resented to
such a degree, that he declared he wodld have de
manded personal satisfaction with his sword, :had
he not been restrained by the < disparity of condi
tion between himself and the person who had offer
ed such an outrageous insult to his honour : whether
the tories intended to alienate the minds of the na-

403 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. -rB.Lr
tion from all foreign connections, or to^^reak'ftferr
vengeance on the late ministers, whomthey hated^
as the chiefs of the whig party, certain; it -is, they
now raised an universal outcry against the partition'-^
treaty, which was not only condemned in p'ub'lfe"'
pamphlets and private conversation, but even brbugfit
into the house of lords as an object of parliamentary1"
censure?*' In the month of March a warm debate ori
this: subject was begun by Sheffield marquis of Nori*
manby, and carried on with great vehemence by
other noblemen of the same faction. Thev exclaiml
ed against the article by which so many territories-
were added to the crown of France : they complained,
that the emperor had been forsaken : that the treaty
was not communicated to the privy-council or minis-0
try, but clandestinely transacted by the earls of 'FbffJ
land and Jersey : that the sanction of the greatt^^
had been unjustly and irregularly applied, first to-
blank^powers, and afterwards to the treatv itself.
The courtiers replied, tbat the king had engaged in
a treaty of partition at' the desire of the emperor,'-
who had agreed to every article, except that relating
to the duchy of Milan, and afterwards desired, that
his majesty would procure for him the best terms
he could obtain ; above all things recommending
secrecy, that he might not forfeit his interest in Spain;-
by seeming to consent to the treaty: that foreign
negociations being entrusted to the care of the crown',*
the king lay under » no legal obligationto commu
nicate such secrets of state to his council: far less
was he obliged to follow their advice : and that the
keeper of the great seal had no authority for refusing
to apply it to any powers or treaty which the king
should grant or conclude, unless they were contrary
to law, which had made no provision for such an
emergency.*. The earl of Portland, ^apprehending1
1 In the course of this debate, the the French king, observing, that if,
earl of Rochester reprehended' some was peculiarly incumbent on peers to
fiords for "speaking disrespectfully of treat monarchs with deeorurri"Sr]d re-

C». .VI. WILLIAM. : 403
tb%t this tempest would burst upon hjs head, declared,
on the second day of the debate, that he bad by the
king's order communicated the treaty, before it was
concluded, to the earls pf Pembroke and Marlbo
rough, tfie lords Lonsdale, Somers, Hallifax, and
Secretary Vernon. These noblemen owned, that
they had been made acquainted with, the substance of;
it: that when they excepted to some particulars^
they were told his; majesty had carried the matter i
as far as , if could be advanced, and that he cOuld
obtain no better terms : thus assured that every arti
cle was already settled, they said they no longer
insisted upon particulars, but gave their, advice that
his, majesty should- not .engage himself in any mea
sure that would produce a new war, seeing the nation
had been so uneasy under the last. After long de
bates, and great variety as well as virulence of alter
cation, trie house -agreed to an address, in which
they disapproved of the partition-treaty, as a scheme
inconsistent with the' peace and safety of Europe as;
well; as .prejudicial to the interest of Great Britain.
They complained, fhat neither the instructions given
to his plenipotentiaries, nor the draft of the treaty
itself, had been kiid before ,hi& majesty's council.
They humbly besought him, that for the future, he
wpuld^ in pall matters, of: importance, require and'
admit the advice of his natural-born subjects of known,
probity and fortune; and that he vyould constitute a
council of. such persons, tp; whom, he might impart
alfaffairs which should , any way concernrhim andihis
d?ff)'Wf1?s' They observed, that interest and natur-
aij.affeGtipn to theiri country would incline them to
eyrery measure that might tend to its welfare and
prosperity \ whereas strangers could not be so much
¦ - , . iq- Ci z>i3l.\\. -Oh'-t .'".HI'.'' ¦¦! --'-'
spect, as they derived their dignity -'^afraid). 0' .jhpiFreneh.^ng.j.imuch^
frorh- the crbWri." I Another affirming, ''Mess the peer who spite last, who
that the French king was not only to ' was too much a friend to that mo-
bs-respectgd^JjuUikewise to, be fear- , ' narch to lear any thing £epwhi$'te-
edi^*, c^^,Iord(repJ(iedi,;,Hehop,- ' sffltspegt,.-. > • '¦' it, •/
' eeL n^irian, , in" Jpnglgndi need, td be ;, '','.'...', 3 ' "'.

404 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. S. t.
influenced by these considerations ; that their know
ledge of the country would render them more cap-*
able than foreigners could be of advising his majesty
touching the true interests of his kingdom : that they
had exhibited such repeated demonstrations of their
duty and affection, as must convince his majesty of
their zeal in his service ; nor could he want the
knowledge of persons fit to be employed in all his
secret and arduous affairs : finally, as the French
king appeared to have violated the treaty of partU
tion, they advised his majesty, in future negociations
with that prince, to proceed with such caution as
might imply a real security.4
§ xlviii. a. d. 1701. — The king received this se
vere remonstrance with his usual phlegm ; saying, it
contained matter of very great moment : and he
would take care that all treaties he made should be
for the honour and safety of England. Though he
deeply felt this affront, he would not alter his con
duct towards the new ministers : but, he plainly per
ceived their intention was to thwart him in his fa
vourite measure, and humble him into a dependence
upon their interest in parliament. On the last day
of March, he imparted to the commons the French
king's declaration, that he would grant no other se
curity than a renewal of the treaty of Ryswick : so
that the negociation seemed to be at an end. He
likewise communicated two resolutions of the states-
general, with a memorial from their envoy in Eng
land, relating to the ships they had equipped with a
view to join the English fleet, and the succours sti
pulated in the treaty concluded in the year l&77>
which they desired might be sent over with all con
venient expedition. The house having considered
this message, unanimously resolved to desire his ma
jesty would carry on the negociations in concert with
* Burnet. Oldnitxon. Cole. Lamberty. State tracts. Tkidal. ?.»¦;>!>.
Voltaire.

CH. VI. WILLIAM. 405
the states-general, and take such measures therein
as might most conduce to their safety : they assured
him, they would effectually enable him to support
the treaty of 1677, by which England was bound to
assist them with 10,000 men, and twenty ships of
war, in case they should be attacked. Though the
king was nettled at that part of this address, which,
by confining him to one treaty, implied their disap
probation of a new confederacy, he discovered no signs
of emotion; but thanked them for the assurance they
had given, and told them he had sent orders to his
envoy at the Hague, to continue the conferences with
the courts of France and Spain. On the 19th day
of April, the marquis de Torcy delivered to the earl
of Manchester, at Paris, a letter from the new king
of Spain to his Britannic majesty, notifying his ac
cession to that throne, and expressing a desire of
cultivating a mutual friendship with the king and
crown of England. How averse soever William
might have been to any correspondence of this sort,
the earl of Rochester and the new ministers impor
tuned him in such a manner to acknowledge Philip,
that he at length complied with their entreaties, and
wrote a civil answer to his most catholic majesty.
This was a very alarming incident to the emperor,
who was bent upon a war with the two crowns, and
had determined to send Prince Eugene with an army
into Italy, to take possession of the duchy of Milan,
as a fief of the empire. The new pope, Clement XI,
who had succeeded to the papacy in the preceding
year, was attached to the French interest : the Vene
tian's favoured the emperor ; but they refused to de
clare themselves at this juncture.
§ xlix. The French king consented to a re
newal of the negociations at the Hague ; but, in
the meantime, tampered with the Dutch deputies,:
to engage them in a separate treaty. Finding them
determined to act in concert with the king of EngJ
Vol L O o ' :

4Qf5 H1STOSY OP ENGLAND. Kil.
land; he protracted the conferences, in order "trj'gafri
time, while h© erected fortifications and drew lines
on the frontiers of Holland, divided the princes- of
the empire by his intrigues, and endeavored to gain
over the states of Italy. The Dutch, meanwhile
exerted themselves in providing for their own secu
rity. They reinforced their garrisons, purchased
Supplies, and solicited succours from foreign poten
tates. The states wrote a letter to King William,
explaining the danger of the situation, professing
the most inviolable attachment to the interest of
England, and desiring that the stipulated number of
troops should be sent immediately to their assistance.
The three Scotch regiments which he had retake*!
in his own pay were immediately transported froth
Scotland. The letter of the states-general he com
municated to the house of commons, who having
taken it into consideration, resolved to assist his
majesty to support his allies in maintaining the liberty
of Europe ; and to provide immediate succours for
the states-general, according to the treaty of 1677.
The:i house of peers, to whom the letter was also
communicated, carried their zeal still farther. They
presented an address, in which they desired his ma
jesty would not only perform the articles of any form
er treaty with the states-general, but salso engage
with them in a strict league offensive and defensive,
ibr their common preservation ; and invite into it all
the princes and states that were concerned in the
present visible danger arising from the union of
France and Spain. They exhorted him to enter in
to such alliances with the emperor, as his majesty
should think necessary, pursuant to the ends of the
treaty concluded in the year 1689. They assured
him of their hearty and sincere assistance, not dottbd-
ing that Almighty God would protect his sacred per
son in so righteous a cause ; and that the unanimi
ty, wealth, and courage, of his subjects would carry
him with honour and success though all the dit-

CH. VI. aHAJIi WILLIAM. 407
ficulties of a just war. .% Lastly, . they took leave
humbly to represent, that the dangers to which his
kingdom and allies had been exposed, were chiefly
owing to the, fatal counsels that prevented his ma
jesty's sooner meeting his people in parliament, -jovo
j"§ l. These proceedings of both houses could
noi-kmt be very agreeable to the king, who expressed
his satisfaction in bis answer to each a part. ... They
were the more remarkable, as at this very time con
siderable progress was made in a design to impeach
the old ministry. This {deviation, therefore, from
the tenour of their j former conduct could be owing
to no other motive than; a sense of their own danger,
and resentment against France, which, even during
the negociation, had been secretly employed in mak
ing preparations tocsurprise and distress the states-
general. The commons having expressed their sen
timents on this subject, resumed the consideration
of the partition-treaty, ni They had appointed a com
mittee to examine the journals i of the house of
lords, and to report their proceedings in ; relation
to the treaty of partition. jWhen the report was
made by Sir Edward Seymour, the house resolved
itself into a- committee, to consider the state of the
nation : after warm debates they resplved, that
¦William Carl of Portland, by negotiating and con
cluding the treaty of partition ;Was guilty of a high-
crime and misdemeanour. They ordered Sri John
Leveson Gower to impeach him at the bar, of the
house of lords ;> and named a committee to pre
pare the articlesi-of his impeachment.' Then, in 9
conference withjthe lords,: they desired to know
the particulars of what had passed between the, earl
of Portland and Secretary Vernon, in relation to the,
partition 1 treaty, as also what other information they
had Obtained ( concerning negociations or treaties, qf
partition of the! 'Spanish monarchy. nThedords ,de»
mnurring to this; demand, the jte^y^uffi; revived-
"rib.sdJ lit f jorli BiQoom >¦: . O ov2: rjjiw .Xi!:i

408 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I.
tp:i address the king, that copies of both treaties
of partition, together with all the powers and instrueV-
tions for negociating those treaties should be 1ai<i
before them. The copies were accordingly, pro
duced, and the lord's sent down to the commons
two papers, containing the powers granted to the
earls of Portland and Jersey, for signing both trea
ties of partition. The house afterwards ordered,
that Mr. Secretary Vernon should lay before them
all tfie letters which had passed between the earl Of
Portland and him, in relation to those treaties ; and
he thought proper tp obey their command. No
thing could be mor scandalously partial than' the
conduct of the commons on this occasion. They
resolved to-screep the earl of Jersey, Sir Joseph
Williamson, and Mr. Vernon, who had been as
deeply concerned as ariy others in that transaction';
and; pointed, all the vengeance against the earlsef
Portland and Orford, and the fords Somers and
Hallifax. Some of the members even tampered
with Kidd', who was pwa prisoner in "Newgate, to
aecuse Lofd Somers as having encouraged him iri
his piracy. He was brought to the bar of the he-Use,
and examined : but he declared that he had riever
spoke, to Lord Somers ; and their he had no order
from those concerned in fhe ship, but that of pu'rslf-
ing his voyage against. "the pirates in Madagascar.
Finding him unfit for that" purpose, they left hirii
to the course 6f law; and he was hanged, with sbrrie
. of bis accomplices. ' ' ''''' '
§' li. Lp;ed Somers, understanding that he, 'was
accused in the house of commons of having' con
sented to the partition-treaty, desired that he might
be admitted and heard in. his own; defence. His' re
quest being granted', he told the house, that when
he. received the king's letter concerning the parti
tion-treaty, with ari prd'er to send over the necessary
powers in the iposf secret mariner, he' thought it
would have been faking too much upon him to put a

OH. VI. WILLIAM. 40Q
stop to, a treaty of such consequence, when the life of
the king of Spain was so precarious: for, had the
king died before the treaty was finished, and he
been burned for delaying the necessary powers, he
could not have justified his own conduct, since the
king's letter was .rCally a warrant: that, neverthe
less, he had written a, letter to his majesty, object
ing tp several particulars in the treaty, and proposing
other articles which he thought, were for the interest
of his country : that he thought himself bound to put
the great seal to the treaty when it was concluded ;
that as a privy-connsellor, he had offered his best
advice, and as chancellor, executed his office ac
cording to bis duty. After he had withdrawn, his
justification gave rise to a long debate, which ended
in a resolution, carried by a. majority of seven voices,
that John Lord Somers, by advising his majesty
to conclude trie treaty of partition, whereby large
territories of the, Spanish monarch were' to be de
livered up to France, Was guilty of a high crime
and misdemeanour. Votes to the same effect were
.passed -against the earl Of Orford, and Charles Lord
Hallifax ; and all three were impeached at the bar
of the upper house. But the commons knowing
that those impeachments would produce nothing
in the house pf lords, where the opposite interest
predominated, they resolved to proceed against the
accused noblemen in a more expeditious and ef
fectual way of branding their reputation. They
voted and presented an address to the king, de
siring he would remove them from his councils
and presence for ever, as advisers of a treaty so per
nicious to the trade and welfare of England. They
concluded, by repeating their assurance, that they
would always stand by and support his majesty to
the utmost of their power, against all his enemies
both at home and abroad. The king, in his answer,
artfully overlooked the first part of the remonstrance.
4 Oo3

4 1'6 history Of England. b. 1.
He thanked 'them for their repeated assurances ; and
told them he would employ none in his service but
slieh as should be thought most likely to improve
that rfintual "trust and confidence between him and
hi1> people, 'which was sfcf necessary at that conjunc
ture, both for their^ OWn security and thepreserva*
tion of their allies.
§ Lii. The lords, incensed at this step of the
commbris, which they considered as an insult upon
rriijr* tribunal, arid a violation of edmmOn justice,
drew up and delivered a counter-address, humbly
beseeching his majesty.; that he would'- not pass any
ceqsrite upon the accused lords until they should be
tried oh the impeachments, and judgments bcgivM
according to the usage of parliament. The king wa%
so perplexed by these opposite representations, that
he knew not well what course to follow. He made
no reply to- the counter-address ; but allowed the
names of the impeached lords to remain in theeoto-
cil-books. The commbris haying carried their point,
which was to stigmatize, those noblemen, and pre
vent their being' employed for the future, suffered
the impeachments to be neglected, Until they tbem^
selves moved for trial. On the 5th day of May, the
house: of lords sent a message to the commons, im
porting, that rib1 articles had as yet been exhibited
kgainst the noblemen whom they had impeached.
The charge was" immediately drawn up against the
earl of Orford :' him they accused of having received
exorbitant grants from the crown : of having been
concerned with Kidd the^ pirate : of having com
mitted abuses in managing and victualling the fleet,
when it lay on the coast- of Spain; and lastly, of
having advised the partition-treaty. The earl>- in
his own defence, declared, that he had received no
grant from the king, except a very distant reversion,
and a present of ,§4fl 0,000, after he had defeated the
French at La- Hogue : that in Kidd's affair he had
acted legally, and with a good intention towards,

CH. VI, WILLIAM. 411
the public, though to bis ownloss^; that his accounts
with regard to the fleet which he commanded had
been examined and passed; yet he was regdy to
wave the advantage, and justify himself in every paiv
ticular ; and he absolutely denied that he had given
any^ advice concerning the treaty of partition. Lord
Somers was accused of having set. the seals -to the
powers, and afterwards to the treaties : of having .ac
cepted some grants:, of having been an accomplice
with Kidd ; .and of having some guilt of partial and
dilatory proceedings in [chancery. He answered
every article in the charge; but no replication
was made by fhe commons, either to turn or to the
carl of Orford. When the commons were stimulat
ed by another message from -the peers, relating to
the impeachments of the earl of Portland and Lord
Hallifax, they declined exhibiting articles against
the former, on pretence of respect for his majesty,;
but on the 14th of June, the charge against Hallifax
was sent, up tp the lords*- He ,wa$ taxed with pos
sessing a grant in Ireland, without paying the pro
duce of it, according to. the law lately enacted con
cerning those grants j 'with enjpying ^otlier grant
out of the forest of Deane, to the waste of the timl-
ber and, the prejudice of the navy : with having held
places th^t were incompatible, by being at the same
time commissioner of the treasury, and chancellor of
the exchequer; and with having advjsed the two
: treaties of partition. He answered, that .his. grant
in Ireland was of debts and sums, of money, and
within theact concerning confiscated estates ; that.all
phe had ever received firorn.it dulnot exceed ^400,
iwhichi if he was, bound to.-, repay, ^a. common action
would lie against him ; but every man was.npt.to be
impeached who , did not discharge his debts at the
very day of payment. ; He- observed, that as his
grant in the forest of Deane extended to^weediqgs
only, it could occasion no waste of timber, nor pre
judice to the navy ; that the auditor's place was held

4.19 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B* I.
b^anotjaer. person, -unti^ he obtajhped the, king's. leave
to" withdraw., from., the treasury: that , he never saw
the. first tiraafy of partition, nor,, was bis advice a^kf
ed upon, the, subject :' that he had never heard;of the
second buf, once before it was concluded : (.an^fthea
he spoke tiis sentiments freely on th#1 subject, , iThis
answer, like the others,, would have been neglected
by the, commons, whose, aim was now. to evade the
trials, had not, the lords pressed, them by messages
to expedite the articles. They even, appointed; 3 day
for Orford's trial, and signified,!, their resolution, to
the commons. These desired ,that a committee ci
bpth bouses should be nanied; for sett! ing, preli
minaries, one of . which was, that the lord toj^e
tried should, not sit as a peer ; , and the other imported,
that tfiose lords, impeached for the same mattgp-
should not vote in the trial of each other. They
likewise desired, that Lord Somers sriouid. he- first
tried. The lords niade no objection to this fast de
mand ; but, they rejected the proposal of a conimM^
tee consisting of, both houses,, alleging, that the
commons were parties, and had no title > toi sit in
equality' with the judges, or to settle matters relating
to trie trial : that this , was, a demand contrary, tp the
principles of }aw and rules of justice, and never pr#§-
tised in any court or nation. The lords, indeed,
had yielded to this expedient, in the popish plot, ,b&-
cause., it was a case of treason, in which the king.'s
life and safety of the kingdom were concer/ned,
while the people were jealous of the court, and the
..whole nation was in a ferment: but at present the
times were quiet, and the charge , amounted to
nothing mpre than misdemeanours ; therefore, the
lords could not assent to such a proposal as was de
rogatory, from their jurisdiction. Neither would they
agree to the preliminaries ; but, on the 1 2'-. day ot
June, resolved, that no peer impeached for high
.pritnes and misdemeanours, should upon his trial,
.be without the bar ; and;, that no peer impeached

CH.'-iVI. WILLIAM. 413
cemld be precluded from voting on any occasion, ex
cept in his own- trial. Divers' messages passed be
tween the two bouses; the' commons still insisting
upon a committee to settle preliminaries: at length
the dispute was brought to a free conference.
^";§ liii. Meanwhile, the king going to the house
Of' peers, gave the royal' assent tb the bill of succes
sion. In his speech, he expressed hiswarm acknow
ledgments for their repeated assurances of support
ing him in such alliances as should be most proper
for the preservation of the liberties of Europe, and
for the security of England and the- states-general.
He observed, that the season Of the year was ad
vanced : that the posture of affairs absolutely requir
ed his presence abroad : and lie recommended dis
patch of the public business, especially of those mat
ters which were of the greatest importance. The
commons thanked him in an address for having ap
proved of their proceedings : they' declared they
would support him in such alliances as he should
think- fit to make in conjunction with the emperor
and the states-general, for thepeace of Europe, and
reducing the exorbitant power of France. Then
they resumed trieir dispute with the' upper house.
In the free conference, Lord Haversham happened
to tax the commons with partiality, in impeaching
some lords, and screening others who were equally
fuilty of the Same misdemeanours. ' Sir Christopher
lusgrave and the mafl^ersfor the commons im
mediately withdrew : this unguarded sally being re
ported to the house, they immediately fesdlved, that
John Lord Haversham had uttered most scandalous
reproaches and false expressions, highly' reflecting
Upori the honour and justice of the "Souse of com
mons, tending to a breach in the good correspondence
between the two houses, and to the interruption of
the public justice of the nation j that the said Lord
Haversham • should be charged before the lords for
the said -words.: that the lords should be desired to.

414 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I.
proceed-in, justice against him, and to-jfinflfGt upon
him such punishment as so high an offence against
the commons did deserve. The commons had now
found a pretence to justify their delay ; and declared
they would not renew the conference -until? they
should have received satisfaction. Lord Haversham
offered to submit to atrial; but insisted on their
first proving the words which he was said fto have
spoken. When this declaration was imparted to the
commons, they said, the, lords ought to have censur
ed him in a summary way, and still refused to renew
the conference. The lords, on the other hand, came
tpia resolution, that there should not be a committee
of both houses concerning the trial of the impeached
lords* Then they resolved, that Lord Somers should
be: tried at Westminster hall on Tuesday the 1^ day of
June, and signified this resolution to the lower house;
reminding them, at the same time, of the articles
against the earl of Portland. The commons refused
to appear, alleging, they were trie only judges, and
that trie evidence was not yet prepared. Triey sent
up the reasons of their non-appearance to the house
of lords, where they were supported by the new inip
nistry and all the malcontents, and produced very
warm debates. The majority carried trieir^ point
piece-meal, by dint 'of different votes* against wriicri
very Severe protests were entered. On the day ap
pointed for the trial, they sent a message to the com
mons, that they were going to Westminster hall.
The other impeached lords asked leave, and were
permitted to withdraw. The articles of. impeach
ment against Lord Somers, and his answers, being
read in Wesminster hall, and the commons not ap
pearing to prosecute, the lords adjourned to their own
house, where they debated concerning the question
that was to be put. This being settled, they return
ed to Westminster hall ; and the question being put,
* that John Lord Somers be, acquitted of the articles
* of impeachment! against him, exhibited by the

CH. VI. WILLIAM. 415
'house of commons, and all things therein contain-
* ed, and that the impeachment be dismissed,* rip
was carried by a majority of thirty-five. The com-1
mons, exasperated at these proceedings, resolved,
that the lords had refused justice to the commons :-
that they had endeavoured to overturn the right of
impeachment lodged in the commons' by the ancient
constitution of the kingdom : 'that alt' the ill conse
quences which might attend the delay of the supplies
given for the preservation of the public peace, and
the maintenance of the balance of Europe, would-be
owing to those who, to procure an indemnity for
their own "crimes, had used their utmost endeavours
to make a breach between the two houses. The lords
Sent a message to the commons, giving them to un
derstand, that they had acquitted Lord Somers, and!
dismissed the impeachment, as nobody had appeared
to support the articles ; and that they had appointed
next Mondav for the trial of the earl of Orford.
. Triey resolved, that unless the charge against Lord
Haversham should be prosecuted by the commons be
fore trie end of trie session^ the lords would adjudge
him innocentTtbat the resolutions of the commons
oil ' their late votes' contained most unjust reflections
on the honour and justice of the peers : that' they were
contrived to cover their affected and unreasonable
delays in prosecuting the impeached lords : that they
manifestly tended to the destruction of the- judicature
of trie lords ; to the Tendering trials on impeachments
impracticable for the future, and to the subverting
the constitution pf the ^English government : that
therefore, whatever ill consequence might arise from
the so long deferring the supplies for this year's ser
vice, were to be attributed to the fatal counsel of the
putting off the meeting of a parliament so long, 'arid
to the unnecessary delays of the hoUfee of commons;
On the 23d day of June, the articles of impeachment
against Edward earl of Orford, were read in West
minster ball : but tfre house of commons "having;

4lS HISTORY OP EN/OLAND. .-«,'!?
previously ordered, tbatinope,of the -members should
appear at this, pretended trial., those articles were not
supported: so that his , lordship was acquitted, and
the impeachment disjmiseed. Next day, the im
peachments against the dnkeof Leeds, wNeh had
lain sevten years neglected, together with those against
the earl of Portland and Lord Hallifax, as well trie
charge against Lord Haversham, were dismissed
for want of prosecution. Each bouse ordered a nar
rative of these proapedings to be published ; and
their mutual animosity had proceeded to such a de
gree of rancour, as seemed to preclude all possibility
of reconciliation. Trie commons, in the . whole
course, of this transaction, bad i certainly acted from
motives of* faction and revenge : = for nothing could
be; more unjust, frivolous, and partial, than the
charge exhibited in the articles of impeachment,
their anticipating address to, the king, and their af
fected delay in the prosecutions. Their conduct on
this occasion was so flagrant as to attract the notice
of the common people, and inspire the generality of
the nation with disgust. This trie whigs did not
fail to augment by the arts of calumny, and 'ill. par
ticular,' by insinuating, that the court of Versailles
lhad found means to engage the majority of the com
mons in its interest.- - , _-., *
§ liv. This faction liad, since thebeginning of this
session, employed tfaoir emisaries in exiting a popular
aversion to the tory ministers amd members, and suc
ceeded so well in their endeavours, thatthey formed
¦a scheme of obtaining petitions from different coun
ties, and corporations, that1 should induce trie com
mons to alter their conduct, on, the supposition that
it was contrary to the sense of the- nation. In exe
cution of this scheme, a petition, signed by the de
puty-lieutenants, above twenty justices of the peace,
the grand jury and freeholders of the county of Kent,
had been presented to the house of commons on the
Jft* day of May, by five gentlemen of fortune and

CH.VI. WILLIAM. 417
distinction. The purport of this remonstrance was
to recommend union among themselves, and con
fidence in his majesty, whose great actions for the
nation could never be forgotten without the blackest
ingratitude : to beg they would have regard to the
voice of the people ; that their religion and safety
might be effectually provided- for ; that their loyal
addresses might be turned into bills of supply. ; and
that- his most sacred majesty might be enabled power
fully to assist his allies before it should be too late.
The hpuse was so incensed at the petulance of the pe
tition, that t-hey voted it scandalous, insolent, and
seditious ; and ordered the gentlemen who had pre
sented it to be taken' into custody. They were af
terwards committed to the Gate-house, where they
remained till- the prorogation of parliament : but
they had no reason to repine- at their imprisonment,
which recommended them to the notice and esteefn
of the public. They were visited and caressed by
the chiefs of the whig J interest, and considered as
martyrs to the liberties- of the people. Their con
finement gave rise to a very extraordinary paper,
entitled,' ' -A memorial from the gentlemen, free-
' holders, and inhabitants of the counties of  -,
' in behalf of themselves, and many thousands of
'the good people of England.' --"'It was signed
Hegion, "and --sent-'! to the speaker in a letter, com
manding him, iri trie name- of 200,000 Englishmen^
to- deliver it to tile house of commons. In ¦this
strange expostulation, the house was charged with
illegal and unwarrantable '• practices, ¦ in fifteen par
ticulars : a new claim of right was ranged -Under
seven heads ; and the commons were admonished
to -act according to their duty, as specified in- this
memorial,1 on pain of incurring the resentment of an
injured nation. It was concluded in these words :
< For Englrsflfneri are no more to' be slaves to paiy
* 'liament's" than to kings : our name is Legion,* and
* we are many.' The commons were equally- pro-'

„j4l& HISTORY OE jBjN#LANr>. B.I.
voked and intimidated, by this "libel, which., was
the production of one Daniel de Foe, a [scurrilous
party writer,, in very little estimation. They would
not, however, deign to take notice of it in the
house : but a complaint being/ made, of endeavours
to raise tumults and seditions, a committeeiWasap-
pointed to draw up an address to bis majesty, in
forming him of those seditious endeavours, and be
seeching him to provide for the public peace and se-
curity. .-.:.,
, ,. § lv. The house, however, perceiving plainly
triat they had incurred the odium, pf the nation,
whjch began to clamour for a war with France, and
dreading the popular resentment, thought fit to
change their measures with respect to-.this; object,
and present thq address we have already; mentioned,
in which they promised to support him in the alli
ances he should contract with the emperor and
other states, in order to bridle the exorbitant power
pf France. They likewise proceeded in earnest upon
the supply, and voted funds for raising ,aboMt
^2,700,000 to defray the expeneprif the ensuing
year. They . voted ,30,000 seamen, and resolved
that ] 0,000 troops should be transported from Ire
land- to Holland, as the auxiliaries stipulated in the
treaty of 1677 with the states-general. The fundswere
constituted of a land-tax, certain duties on merchan
dize, and a weekly deduction from the.excise, so -as
to bring down the civil list to ^600,000 ; as die
duke of Gloucester was dead, and James's- queen re
fused her allowance. They passed a bill for taking
away all privileges, of parliament iii legal prosecu
tions, during the intermediate prorogations; their
lasjt struggle with the lords was concerning a bjllfor
appointing commissioners to examine and state the
public accounts. The persons nominated; forj this
purpose were extremely bbnpxipus, to the majority of
the peers, as violent partisans of the tory faction ;
when the bilk therefore, was se^tiUprfo, the lords,

OH. VI. WILLIAM. 419
they made some, amendments, which the commons
rejected. ^The former animosity between the two
houses began to revive. When the king-interrupted
their disputes, by putting an end to trie session,1 On
the 24th day of June, after having thanked trie par
liament for their zeal in , the public service, and exhort
ed them to af discharge of their, duties in their seve
ral counties. He:was, no doubt, extremely, pleased
with such an issue of a -session that had begun with
a very inauspicious aspect. His health daily decliri-
ed'f but he concealed the decay of his Constitution,
that his allies mlgtef riot be discouraged from en
gaging in a eodifeoerae^ of which he was deemed the
head and chief suppdrt. He conferred the com
mand of the 10,000 troop's destined Tor1 Holland up
on the" earl of Marlborough,; and appointed hint
at < the same time his plenipotentiary to the StateS-
¦-getieral-^ a choice1 that evinced his discerftment
and discretion $- for; that nobleman 'surpassed all his
contemporaries/ -both as a general and a politician.
He was cool, penetrating, intrejaidy and persevering;
plausible, insinuating, -artful,' and- dissembling.
§Tlvi. A hEgE^cy being established,- 'the king
embarked for Holland in the-' beginning of July.
On his arrival at the Hague he assisted' at aft as
sembly of the stateS-genefaly whbrii* he harangued
in very' affectioriate terms, and was answered with
great cordiality ; then he inade a, progress round tfi'e
frontiers, to examine the state of the garrisons ; and
-gave such orders- and directions'" as '"he judged neces
sary for the defence of the country. Meanwhile,
the French minister,' D'Avauxy being recalled from
the Hague, delivered a letter to the states from
the French king, who eOni plained thafe triey had
often -interrupted trie conferences, from which no
^good fruits were to be expected : but he assured
them it wholly defended upon themselves, whether
they should continue to receive riiarks of his ancient
efrieudship fori theit rrip'ublic. The letter was ac-

HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
companied by an insolent memorial* to which the
states- general returned a very spirited answer. As
they expected nothing now but hostilities from
France, they redoubled their diligence in making
preparations for their own defence, They repaired
their fortifications, augmented their army, and hired
auxiliaries. King William and triey had already en
gaged in an alliance with trie king of Denmark, who
undertook to furnish a certain number of troops, in
consideration of a subsidy ; and they endeavoured to
mediate a peace between Sweden and Poland ; but
this they could not effeet. France had likewise of
fered her mediation between tho§e powers, in hopes'
of bringing over Sweden to her interest ; and trie
court of Vienna had tampered with the king of Po*
land i but he persisted in his resolution to prosecute
the war. The Spaniards began to be very uneasy
under the dominion of their new master. They
were shocked at the insolence of his French mini
sters and attendants, and much more at the man
ners and fashions which they introduced. The
grandees found themselves very little considered
by their sovereign, and resented his ecpnomy ; for
he had endeavoured to retrench the expence of the
court, which had used to support their magnificence.
Prince Eugene, at the head of the imperial army,
had entered Italy by Vicenza, and passed the Adigts
near Carpi, where he defeated a body of 5,000
French forces. The enemy were commanded by
the duke of Savoy, assisted by Mareschal Catinat
and the prince of Vademont, who djd not think
proper to hazard an engagement; but Mareschal
Villeroy arriving in the latter end of August with
orders to attack; the imperialists, Catinat retired
in disgust. The new general marched immediately
towards Chiari, where Prince Eugene was entrench
ed, and attacked his camp; but met with such a
reeepftion, that lie was obliged to retire with the
loss of 5,000 men. Towards the end of the cam-

CH» VI. WILLIAM., . 421
paign the prince took possession of*all the Mantuan
territories, except Mantua itself, and Goito, the
blockade of which he formed. He reduced all the
places on the Oglio, and continued in the field dur
ing the whole winter, exhibiting repeated marks
of the most , invincible courage, indefatigable vigi
lance, and extensive capacity, in the art of war. In
January he had well nigh surprised Cremona, by riir
troducing a body of men through an old aqueduct.
They forced one of the gates, by which the prince
and his followers entered : Villeroy being awakened
by the noise, ran out into the street, where he was
|aken :, and the town must have been infallibly re
duced, ; had Prinee Eugene been joined by. another
bpdy of troops, which he had ordered to march
from the Parmesan, and secure the bridge. These
not arriving at the time appointed, an . Irish regi
ment in the French service took possession of the
bridge, and the prince was obliged to retire with his
prisoner. § lvii. The French king, alarmed at the activity
and military genius of the imperial general, sept a
reinforcement to his army in Italy, and the duke of
Vendome, to command his forces in that country:
he likewise importuned the duke of Savoy to assist
him effectually : but that prince having obtained all
he could expect from France, beeame.cold and back
ward. His second daughter was by this time mar
ried to the new king of Spain, who met her at Bar
celona, where he found himself involved in disputes
wi|h the states of Catalonia, who., refused to pay a
tax he had imposed, until their privileges should be
confirmed ; , and he was obliged to gratify them in
this particular. The war continued to rage in the
north., The young king of Sweden routed the
Saxons upon the rivpr. Danu :,. thence he marched
into Courland, and took possession of Mittau with
out opposiUqn ; while the king of Poland retired jn~
Vol I. P p

All HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I«
to Lithuania. In Hungary the French emissaries
endeavoured to Sow the seeds of a new revolt. They
exerted themselves with indefatigable industry in al
most every court of Christendom. They had already
gained over the elector of Bavaria, and his brother,
the elector of Cologne, together with the dukes of
Wolfenbuttle and Saxa-Gotha, who professed neu
trality, while they levied troops, and made such pre
parations for war, as plainly indicated that they had
received subsidies from France. Lewis had also ex
torted a treaty of alliance from the king of Portugal,
who was personally attached to the Austrian interest:
but this weak prince was a slave to his ministers,
whom the French king had corrupted. During this
summer, the French coasts were over-awed by the
combined fleets of England and Holland, under the
command of Sir George Rooke, who sailed down
the Channel in the latter end of August, and de
tached Vice-admiral Benbow with a strong squadron
to the West- Indies. In order to deceive the French
king, with regard to the destination of this fleet,
King William demanded the free use of the Spanish
harbours, as if his design had been to send a squad
ron to the Mediterranean: but - he met with a re
pulse, while the French ships were freely admitted.
About this period the king revoked his letters-
patent to the commissioners of the admiralty, and
constituted the earl of Pembroke lord high-admiral
of England, in order to avoid the factious, the dis
putes, and divided counsels, of aboard. The earl
was no sooner promoted to this office, than he sent
Captain Loades with three frigates to Cadiz, to
bring home the sea stores and effects belonging to
the English in that place, before the war should
commence ; and this piece of service was success
fully performed, The French king, in order to en
joy all the advantages that could be derived from his
union with Spain, established a company, to open a
|f fide with Mexico and Peru ; and concluded a new

CH. VI. WILLIAM. 423
assiento treaty for supplying- the Spanish plantations
with negroes. At the same time, he sent a strong
squadron to the port of Cadiz. The French dress
was introduced into the court of Spain';' and, by a
formal edict, the grandees of that kingdom and the
peers of Frkrice were put on a level in each nation,.
There was no vigour left in the councils of Spain : her
finances were exhausted; and her former spirit seem
ed to be quite extinguished; the nobility were beggars,
and the common people overwhelmed with indigence
and distress. The condition of France was not much
more prosperous. She had been harassed by a long
war, and now saw herself on the eve of another, which
in all probability would render her completely miser
able. § lviii. These circumstances were well known
to the emperor and the maritime powers, and served
to animate their negociations for another grand al
liance. V Conferences were opened at the Hague;
and, On the 7th day of September, a treaty was
concluded between his imperial majesty, England,
and the states-general. The objects proposed, were
to procure satisfaction to the emperor in the Spanish
succession, and sufficient security for the dominions
and Commerce of the allies. They engaged to use
their endeavours for recovering the Spanish Nether
lands, as a barrier between Holland and France ;
and for putting the emperor in possession' of the
duchy of Milan, Naples, and Sicily, with the lands
and islands upon the coast of Tuscany belonging to
the Spanish dominions. They agreed, that trie king
of England, and the states-general, should keep
and possess Whatever lands' and cities they should
conquer from the Spaniards in the Indies : that the
confederates should faithfully communicate their' de
signs to one another : that no 'party should treat of
peace, Or1 truce, but jointly with the jest :wthat they
should concur iri preventing the union of France
:#*)-. i -¦¦< p"B"'#" »*•

224 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. I.
and Spain under the same government ; and hinder
the French from possessing the Spanish Indies: that;*
in concluding a peace, the confederates should pro
vide fpr the maintenance of the commerce carried
on by trie maritime powers to the dominions taken
from the Spaniards, and secure the states by a bar
rier : that they should, at the same time, settle the
exercise of religion in the new conquests : that they
should assist one another with all their forces, in ease
of being invaded by the French king, or any other
potentate, on account of this alliartce : that a de
fensive alliance should remain between them, even
after the peace : that all kings, princes, and states,
should be at liberty to engage in this alliance. They
determined to employ two months, to obtain, by
amicable means, the satisfaction and security which
they demanded ; and stipulated, that witriin six weeks
the treaty should be ratified.
§ lix. On the 16th day of September, King James
.expired at S'. Germains, after having laboured un
der a tedious indisposition. This unfortunate mo
narch, since the miscarriage of his last attempt for
recovering his throne, had laid aside all thoughts of
worldly grandeur, and devoted his whole attention
to the. concerns of his soul. Thouo-h he could not
* prevent the busy genius of his queen from planing
new schemes of restoration, he was always best pleas
ed when wholly detached from such chimerical pro
jects. Hunting was his chief diversion ; but reli
gion was his constant care. Nothing could be more
harmless than the life he led ; and, in the course of
it, he subjected himself to uncommon penance and
mortification. He frequently visited the poor monks
of La Trappe, who were' much edified by his hum
ble and pious deportment. His pride and arbitrary
temper seem to have vanished with his greatness.
He became affable, kind, and- easy, to^ his depend
ents ; and his religion certainly opened and imr
proved the virtues of his heart, though it seemed

CH. VI. WILLIAM. 425
to impair the faculties of his soul. In his last ill
ness he conjured his son to prefer his religion to
every worldly advantage, and even to renounce all
thoughts of a crown, if he could not enjoy it with
out offering violence to his faith. He recommended
to him the practice of justice and christian forgive
ness : he himself declaring, that he heartily forgave
the prince of Orange, fhe emperor, and all his ene
mies. He died with great marks of devotion, and
was interred, at his own request, in the church of
the English benedictines in Paris, without any funer
al solemnity." j-
§ lx. Before his death he was visited by the
French king, who seemed touched at his condi
tion, and declared, that, in case of his death, he
would own his son as king of England* Tjiis' pro
mise James's queen had already extorted from him,
by the interest of Madame de Maintenon and the
dauphin. Accordingly,? when- James died, the pre
tended prince of Wales was proclaimed king of
England at Sc. Germains, and treated as such atJ the
court of Versailles. His title was likewise recog
nized by the king of Spain, the duke of Savoy, and
the pope. William was no sooner, informed of this
transaction, than he dispatched a courier to the king
of Sweden, as guarantee pf the, treaty of Ryswick,
to complain of this manifest violation. At the same
time, he recalled the earl of Manchester from Paris,
and ordered him to return without taking an audi
ence of 'leave. That nobleman immediately with*
drew, after having intimated to; + the marquis de
Torcy the order he had received. Lewis, in vindi
cation of, his own conduct, dispersed through all the
courts of Europe a manifesto, in which rip. affirmed,
that in owning the prince of Wales as king of Eng
land he bffd not* infringed any article of the treaty
of Ryswick. He confessed, that in the fourth arti
cle >hg had promised that he would not disturb the

426 HISTORY &F ENGLAND. S. Iv
king of Great? Britain in the peaceable possession of
hisi dominions ; and he declared his intention was to
observe that promise punctually. He observed, that
his generosity would not allow him to abandon the
prince of Wales or his family:' that he could not
refuse him a title which was due to him by birth ;
that he had more reason to complain of the king of
Great Britain, and the states-general, whose decla
rations and preparations in favour- of trie emperor
might be regarded as real contraventions to treaties :
filially, he quoted some instances from history, in
which the children enjoyed the titles Of kingdoms*
which their fathers had lost. These reasons, how
ever, would hardly have induced the French king?
to-Mke Mich a step, had not he perceived that a war
with England was inevitable ; and that he should be
adle to reap some advantages in the course of it, front
espousing the cause of the pretender. *'?'
§ lxi. The substance of the French manifesto-
was'publisheri in London, by Poussin, the- secretary
of Tallard, who had been left in England, as agent
for the court of Versa illes/l He was:now ordered to-
l&Uie the; kingdom , which was-filled with indignation
at Lewis, for having pretended to declare who ought
t'p- be their sovereign. The city cf London pre
sented an address to the lords-justices, expressing-
the' deepest resentment of the French king's pre
sumption' V assuring his -majesty that they would, at
all times e^ert the utmost of their abilities for the
preservation of his person, and the defence Of his
just rights,' in opposition to all invaders of his crown-
and dignity. Addresses of the same nature were sent
up from all parts of the kingdom, and-' could not but
be agreeable io William, lie had now concerted
meosurem for acting with vigour against France; and
he resolved to revisit his kingdom, after having
made a considerable progress in the treaty of perpe
tual alliance between England and' the states. general,
which was- aftervvards brought- to perfection by his

CH. Vi. WILLIAM. 427
plenipotentiary, the earl of MarlbOrough. The
king's return, however, was delayed a whole month
by a severe indisposition, during which, the Spanish
minister De Quiras hired certain physicians, to con
sult together upon the state and nature of his dis
temper. They declared, that he could not live many
weeks ; and this opinion was transmitted to Madrid.
William, however, baffled the prognostic, though
his constitution had sustained such a rude shock, that
he himself perceived his end was near. He told the
earl pf Portland he found himself so weak, that he
could not expect to live another summer : but
charged him to conceal this circumstance until he
should be dead. Notwithstanding this near ap
proach -to dissolution, he exerted himself with sur
prising diligence and spirit in establishing the con
federacy, and settling the plan^ of operations. A
subsidiary treaty was concluded with the king of
Prussia, who engaged to furnish a certain number of
troops. The emperor agreed to maintain Q0,00G
men in the field against France : the proportion of
the states was limited to J 02,000; and that of Eng
land did not exceed 40,000, to act in conjunction
with the allies.
§ lxii. On the 4,1> day of November the king
arrived in England, which he found in a strange
ferment, produced from the mutual animosity of the
two factions. They reviled each other in words and
writing with all the falsehood of calumny, and all
the bitterness of rancour : so that truth, candour, and
temperance, seemed- to be banished by consent of
both parties. The king had found himself deceived
in his new ministers, who had opposed his measures
with all their influence. He was particularly dis
gusted with the deportment of the Carl of Roches
ter, who proved altogether imperious and untract-
able ; and, instead of moderating, inflamed, the
violence of his party. The king declared, the. year
in which that nobleman directed his councils was the

428 HISTORYOF ENGLAND. B. L.
uneasiest of his r whole life.. He could not help
expressing his displeasure in such a coldness of re
serve, that Rochester told him he; would serve his
majesty no longer, since he did not enjoy his con
fidence. William made no answer to this expostu
lation, but resolved he should see him no more;
The earl, however, at the. desire of Mr. Harley,
became more pliant and submissive; and, after the
king's departure for Holland, repaired to -his go
vernment of Ireland, in which he now remained,
exerting, all his endeavours to acquire popularity.
William,, foreseeing nothing but opposition from the
present spirit of the house of commons, closeted
some of their leaders, with a view to bespeak their
compliance : but findingthem determined to pursue
their former principles, iand to insist upon their
impeachments, he resolved, with the advice of his
friends, to dissolve the parliament. This step he
was the j imore easily induced to take, as the com
mons were become extremely odious to the nation in
general; which-, breathed nothing but war and (de
fiance against the French -monarch. The parlia--
ment wasjaccordingly dissolved by proclamation, and
another summoned to meet on the 30th day of De-r
cember. " ¦ .':-¦" '
§ lxiii^ Never did the two parties proceed with.
such freat and violence against each other, as in their
endeavours to; influence the new elections. The
whigs;: however, obtained the victory, as they in-
cludedthe monicd- interest, i which will always pre
vail among the borough-electors. Corruption was
now reduced into an open and avowed commerce ;
and, had r not the people been so universally venal
and profligate, that, no sense- of shame remained, the
victors musthaveblushed for their success. Though
the'-majarity thus obtained was stauncri to the mea
sures of the court, the choice of speaker fell upon
Mr. Harley, contrary to the inclination of the king,;
who favoured Sirs Thomas Lyttleton : but his ma»

CH. VI. WILLIAM. 42^
jesty's speech was received with universal applause.
It was so^much admired by the well-wishers to the
revolution, that they printed it with decorations, in
theEnglish, Dutch, and French, languages. It ap
peared as a piece of furniture in all their houses, and
as the;king's last legacy to his own and all protestant
people. In this celebrated harangue, he expatiated;
upon the indignity offered to the nation < by the
French king's ^acknowledging the pretended prince of
Wales: he explained the dangers to1 which it was
exposed, by his- placing his grandson on the throne
of Spain: he gave them to understand he hadicon^
eluded several alliances, according to the encourage
ment given him by both houses of parliament, which
alliances should be laid before them, together with
other treaties-still depending. He' observed, that
thei eyes^of fall Europe were upon this parliament 5
and all matters at a stand, until'! their resolution
should be known : therefore no- time ought to be
lost' ¦ He told them, they had; yet an opportunity to
secure- for themselves and their posterity, the quiet
enjoyment of their .religion' and liberties, if triey Were
notr wanting, to themselves, but" would exert the
ancient vigour of the English nation ; but he de
clared his opinion was, that should they neglect this
occasion, they had no reason to hope for another.
He said, it would be necessary to maintain a great
strength at sea, .: and a force on land proportionable
to that of their* allies. He pressed the commons to
support, the public credit, which could not be prei
served without keeping sacred that maxim,, that they
shall never be losers who trust to the parliamentary
security.. He declared, that he never asked aids
from his people without regret :' that what he desir
ed was for their owmsafety and honour, at such a
critical time ; and that the whole should h be appro
priated to the purposes for which it was intended.
He expressed his willingness that the accounts should
be yearly submitted to the inspection of parliament.

430 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.,h
He again recommended dispatch, together with good
bills for employing the poor, encouraging trade, and
suppressing vice. He expressed his hope that they
were come together, determined to avoid disputes
and differences, and to act with a hearty concurrence
for promoting the common cause. He said, he
should think it as great a blessing as could befal
England, if they were as much inclined to lay aside
those unhappy fatal animosities which divided and
weakened them, as he was disposed to make all his
subjects safe and easy, as to any, .even the highest,
offences committed against his person. , He con
jured them to disappoint the hopes of their enemies
by their unanimity. As he had always shewn, and
always would shew, how desirous he was to be the
common father of all his people, he desired they
would, lay aside parties and divisions, so as that no
distinction should be heard of amongst them, but of
those who were friends to the protestant religion
and present establishment, and of those who wished
for a popish . prince and a French government. He
concluded by affirming, that if they, in good earnest,
desired to see England hold the balance of Europe,
and be indeed at the head of the protestant interest,
it would appear by their improving the present op
portunity. The lords immediately drew up a warm
and affectionate address, in whicli they expressed
their resentment of the proceedings of the French
king, in owning the pretended prince Gf Wales for
king of England They assured his majesty, they
would assist him to the utmost of their power against
all his enemies ; and when it should please God to
deprive them of his majesty's protection, they would
vigorously assist and defend against the pretended
prince of Wales, and all other pretenders whatso
ever, every person and persons who had right to
succeed to the crown of England, by virtue of the
acts of parliament for establishing and limiting the
succession. On' the 5"! day of January, .an address

CH. VI. WILLIAM. 431
to the same effect was presented by the commons,
and both met with a very gracious reception from
his majesty. The lords, as a further proof of their
zeal, having taken into consideration the dangers
that threatened Europe, from the accession of the
duke of Anjou to the crown of Spain, drew up another
address, explaining their sense of that danger ;
stigmatizing the French king as a violator o
treaties ; declaring their opinion, that his majesty,
his" subjects, and allies, could never be safe and
secure, until the house of Austria should be re
stored to their rights, and the invader of the Spa
nish monarchy brought to reason ; and assuring
his majesty, that no time should be lost, nor any
thing wanting on their parts, which might answer
the reasonable expectations of their friends abroad ;
not doubting but to support the reputation of the
English name, when engaged under so great a
prince, in the glorious cause of maintaining the li
berty of Europe.
§ lxiv. The king, in order to acquire the con
fidence of the commons, ordered Mr. Secretary
Vernon to lay before them copies of the treaties and
conventions he had lately concluded, which were so
well approved, that the house unanimously voted the
supply. By another vote, they authorized the ex
chequer to borrow ^600,000 at six per cent, for
the service of the fleet, and ,^50,000 for the sub
sistence of guards r1 and garrisons. Triey deliberated
upon the state of the navy, with a debt due upon
it, and examined an estimate of what would be: ne
cessary for extraordinary repairs. They called for
an account of that part of trie national debt for
whicfi no provision had been made. They order
ed the speaker to write to the trustees for the for
feited estates in Ireland, to attend the house with
a full detail of their proceedings in the execution
of that act of parliament. On the 9th day of
January, they unanimously resolved, that leave be

'432 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
given to bring in a bill for securing his majesty's
person, -and the succession of the crown in the
protestant line,- for- extinguishing the hopes of the
pretended prince of Wales,* and all other pretend
ers, and their . open and secret, abettors. They re
solved to address his majesty, that he would insert
an article in all his treaties ¦¦ of alliance, importing,
that no peace should be made with France, until
his majesty and the nation have reparation for the
great indignity offered by the French king, in own
ing, and declaring, the pretended prince of Wales
king of England, Scotland, and Ireland. They
agreed; to maintain 40,000 men for the sea ser
vice, and. a like number by land, to act in con
junction with the forces of the allies, according to
the proportions settled by the contracting powers.
The supplies were raised by an imposition of four
shillings in the pound upon lands, annuities, pen
sions, and stipends, and on the profits arising from
the different professions : by a tax of two and one-
half per cent, on all stock in trade, and money at
interest ;• of five shillings in the pound on all salaries,
fees, and perquisites ; a capitation tax of four shil
lings : an impositition of one per cent, on all shares
tin the capital stock of any corporation or company
which should be bought, sold, or bargained for; a
duty of six pence per bushel on malt, and; a further
duty on mum,- cyder, and perry.
§ lxv. The commons seemed to vie. with the lords
in their zeal for the government. They brought
in a, bill for attainting the pretended prince of Wales,
^vhich being aent up to the other house, passed
with an additional clause of attainder against the
queen, who acted as regent for the pretender. This,
however, was not carried without great opposition
in the house of lords. When the bill was sent back
tothe commons, they excepted to the amendment
as irregular. They observed, that attainders by
bill constituted the most rigorous part of the law ;

CH. VI. WILLIAM. 433
and triat the stretching of it ought to be avoided.
They proposed that the queen should be .attainted
by- a separate bill. The lords assented to the pro-:
posal ; and the bill against the pretended prince of
Wales passed. The lords passed another for attaint
ing the queen ; however, it was neglected in the house
of commons. .-uBut the longest and warmest de
bates of this session were produced by a bill which
the lords brought in, for abjuring the pretended
prince of Wales, and swearing to the king, by. the
title of rightful and lawful king, and .his heirs, ac
cording to the act of settlement. It was proposed,
that this oath should be voluntary, tendered to all
persons, and their subscription or refusal record
ed without any other penalty. This; article was
violently opposed by the earl of Nottingham, and
other lordsof the tory interest. They observed that
the government was first settled with another oath,
which was like an original contract: so that there
was no occasion for a new imposition :; that oaths re
lating to men's opinions had been always considered
as severe impositions ; and that a voluntary oath
was in its own nature unlawful. During these dis
putes, another bill of abjuration was. brought into
the house of commons by Sir Charles Hedges, that
should be obligatory on all persons who enjoyed em
ployments in church or state ; it likewise included
an obligation to maintain the government in king,
lords, and commons, and to maintain the church of
England, together with the toleration for dissenters.
Warm debates arose upon the question^ whether
the oath should be imposed or voluntary; and at
length it was carried for imposition, by the majori
ty of one voice. They agreed to insert ah-additional
clause, declaring it equally penal to compass or im
agine the death of her royal highness the princess
Anne of Denmark, as it was to compass or imagine
the death of the king's eldest son 'and heir. Intifae
house of peers; this bjll was strenuously opposed <by

434 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 'S.'L.
the1 tories; and, when after long debates it parsed,
on the 24th day of February, fen lords entered-^
protest against it, as an unnecessary and severe im
position. § lxvi. The whole nation now seemed to join
in the cry for a war with France. Party heats be
gan to abate: the factions1 in the city of London
were in a great measure moderated by the union of
the two companies trading to the East-Indies, which
found their mutual interest requited a coalition. The
tories in the house of commons, having concurred
sd heartily with the inclinations of the people, re
solved, as far as it lay in their power, to justify the
conduct of their party in the preceding parliament.
They complained of some petitions and addresses
which had reflected upon the proceedings of the last
house of commons, and particularly of the Kentish
petition. The majority, however, determined, that
it was the Undoubted right of the people of England
to petition or address the king, for the Calling, sit
ting, or dissolving, of parliaments, and 'for there-
dressing of grievances ; and that every subject under
any accusation, either by impeachment or otherwise,
had a right to be brought to a speedy trial. A com
plaint being likewise made, that the lords had de
nied the commons justice in the matter Of the late
impeachments, a furious debate ensued ; and it was
carried by a very small majority that justice had not
been denied. In some points, however, they suc
ceeded : in the case of a Controverted election at
Maidsfonej between Thomas Blisse and Thomas
Culpepper,' the house resolved, that the latter had
been not only guilty of corrupt, scandalous, and in
direct, practices, 'hi endeavouring to procure himi
self to be elected a burgess ; but likewise being one
of the instruments in promoting and presenting the
scandalous, insolent, and seditious, petition, com
monly called the Kentish petition, to the last house
of eoriimons, was guilty of promoting a scandalous

CH. VI. .WILLIAM, 333
villainous, and groundless, reflection upon that bouse,
by aspersing the members with receiving French
money, or being in the interest of France ; for which
offence he was ordered to be committed to Newgate,
and to be prosecuted by his majesty's attorney-
general. They also resolved, that to assert that the
house of commons is not the only representative of
trie commons of England, tends to the subversion
of the rights and privileges of the house of com
mons, and the fundamental constitution of the go
vernment of this kingdom : that to assert, the
house of commons have no power Of commit
ment but of their own members, tends to the sub
version of the constitution of the house of com
mons : that to print or publish any books, or libels,
reflecting upon the proceedings of the house of
commons, or any member thereof, for or relating
to his service therein, is a high violation of the
rights and privileges of the house of commons.
Notwithstanding these transactions, they did not
neglect the vigorous prosecution of the war. They
addrepsed his majesty to interpose with his allies, that
they might increase their quotas of land forces, to be
put on-board the fleet in proportion to the numbers
his majesty should epbark. When they had settled
the sums appropriated to the several uses of the war,
they presented a second address, desiring he would
provide for the half-pay officers in the first place, in
the recruits and, levies to be made. The king as
sured them, it was always his intention to provide
for those officers. He went to the house of peers,
and gave the royal assent to an act, appointing com
missioners to take, examine, and determine, the debts
due to the army, navy, and the transport service ;
and also to take an account of prizes taken during
the war,
§ lxvii, The affairs of Ireland were not a little
embarrassed by the conduct of the trustees appointed
|q take cognizance of the forfeited estates. Their

436 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
office was extrernely odious to, the people, as well as
to the court, and their deportment was arbitrary and
imperious. Several individuals of that kingdom,
provoked by the insolence of the trustees on one
hand, and encouraged by the countenance of the
cqurtiers on the other, endeavoured, by a circular
letter, to spirit up the grand jury of Ireland agajnst
the act of resumption : petitions were presented to
the king, couched in, very strong terms, affirming,
that it. was injurious to the protestant interest, and
had been obtained by gross mis-informations. The
king having communicated these addresses to the
house, they were immediately voted scandalous,
false, and groundless : and the commons resolved,
that, notwithstanding the complaints and clamours
against the trustees, it did not appear to the house
but those complaints were groundless : rievertrieless,
they afterwards received several petitions, imploring
relief against the said *act ; and they ordered that
the petitioners should be relieved accordingly. Pro
posals were delivered in for incorporating such as
should, purchase the said forfeitures, on certain terms
therein specified, according to the rent-roll, when
verified and made good to the purchasers : but,
whereas m this rent-roll the value of the estates had
been estimated at something more than £7\ 6,000,
those who undertook to make the, purchase affirm
ed they were not worth ,§£500,000 ; and thus the
affair remained in suspense.
§ lxviii. With respect to Scotland, trie, cla
mours of that kingdom had not yet subsided. Wh^n
the bill of abjuration passed in the house of peers,
the earl of Nottingham had declared, that although
he differed in opinion, from the majority in many
particulars relating to that bill, yet he was a friend
to the design of it ; and in order to secure a pro
testant succession, he thought an union of trie whole
island was absolutely necessary. He therefore mov
ed for an address to the king, that he would -idis*

en. Vi. William. 437
solve the parliament of Scotland now sifting, as the
legality of it might be called in question, on ac
count of its having been originally a convention ;
and that atiew parliament should be summoned, that
they might treat about an union of the two king
doms. The king had this affair so much at heart,
that even "When he Was disabled from going to the
parliament in person, he sent a letter to the corn-*
mOns, expressing an eager desire that a treaty for
this purpose might be set on foot, and earnestly re
commending this affair to the consideration of the
house : but, as a new parliament in Scotland could
not be called without a great risk, while the nation
was in such a ferment, the project was postponed to
a more favourable opportunity.
§ lxix. Before the king's return from Holland;,
he had concerted with his allies the operations of the
ensuing campaign. He had engaged in a negoci
ation with the prince of Hesse-D'Arnistadt, who
assured him, that if he would besiege and take Ca-;
diz, the admiral of Castile, and divers other gran
dees of Spain, would declare for the house of Austria.
The allies had also determined upon the siege of
Keyserswaert, which the elector of Cologne had de
livered into the hands of the French : the elector
of HanOver had resolved to disarm' the princes of
Wolfenbuttle : the king of the Romans and Prince
Louis of Baden undertook to invest Landau ; and
the emperor promised to send a powerful reinforce
ment "to Prince Eugene in Italy : but William did
not live to see these schemes put ih execution. His
constitution was by this time almost exhausted,
though he endeavoured to conceal the effects of his
fl»alady, and to repair his health by exercise. ' On
the 21st day of February; in riding to Hampton
court, from Kensington, ' his horse fell under him,
arid he himself -was thrown ' upon the ground with
auch violence, as produced a fracture in his col-
Vol. I. Q q

438 HISTORY of englanb. B. II.
laivbone. His attendants conveyed him to -the
palace of Hampton court, where the fracture, was
reduced by Ronjat, his serjeant-surgeon. In the
evening lie returned to Kensington in hisjcoach, and
the twp .ends of the fractured bone having been dis--
united by the jolting of the carriage^ were replaced
under the inspection of Bidloo, his physician. He
seemed to be in a fair way, of recovering till the 1"
day of March, when his knee appeared to be inflam
ed, with great pain and weakness. Next daybe
granted a commission under the great seal to several
peers, for passing the bills, to which both houses of
parliament had agreed ; namely, the act of attainder
against the pretended prince of Wales, and another
in favour ofthequakers, enacting, that their solemn
affirmation and declaration should be accepted in
stead of an oath in the usual form.
§ lxx. On the 4th day of March, the king was so
well recovered of his lamehess, that he took several
turns in the gallery at Kensington; but sitting
down on a couch where he ftll asleep, he was seized
with a shivering, which terminated in a fever and
diarrhoea. He was attended by Sir Thomas Millings
ton, Sir Richard Blackmore, Sir Theodore Colledon,
Dr. Bidloo, $nd other eminent physicians ; but their
prescriptions proved ineffectual. On the 6th he
granted another commission for passing the bill for
the malt-tax, and the act of abjuration ; and being
so weak that he could not write his name, he, in
presence of trie lord-keeper and the clerks of par
liament, applied a stamp prepared for the purpose.
The earl of Albemarle arriving from Holland, con-r
ferred with him in private on the posture of affairs
abroad : but he received his informations with great
coldness, and said, ' Je tire vers ma Jin. — I approach
' ¦- the end of my life.' In the evening he thanked
Dr. Bidloo for his care and tenderness, saying, ' I
'..know that you and the other learned physicians
' have done all that your art can do for my relief ;

CH. VI. WILLIAM. 439
' but, /finding all means ineffectual, I submit.' He
received spiritual consolation from Archbishop Ten
nison, and Burnet, bishop of Salisbury : on Sunday
morning the. sacrament was administered to him".
The lords of the privy-council,, and divers noblemen
attended in the adjoining apartments, and1 to some
of them, who were admitted he spoke a little. He
thanked Lord Auverquerque for his long and faith
ful services: he delivered to Lord Albemarle the
keys of his closet and scrutoire, telling trim he knew
what to do with them. . He inquired for, the earl of
Portland ; but, being speechless before that nobler
man arrived, die grasped his hand, and laid it to his,
heart,; with marks of the most tender affection. On
the 8m day of March he expired, in the fifty-
second year of his age, after having reigned thirteen
years. The lords Lexington and Scarborough, who
were in waiting, no sooner perceived the king was
dead, than they ordered, Ronjat to untie, from his
left arm a black ribbon, to which was; affixed a ring,
containing some hair, of the late Queen Mary. The
body being opened- and embalmed, lay instate for
some time at Kensington; and on the! 12th day of
April was deposited in a vault of Henry's chapel in;
Westminster abbey.. In the beginning of May, a
. will which he had intrusted with Monsieur Scriuyl-,
emberg was opened at the Hague. In this hej had
declared his cousin, Prince Prison of Nassau,, stadt-
holder of Friesland, his sole and universal heir,;, and
appointed the states-generah his executors. *• By a
codicil annexed, he had" bequeathed the lordship of
Breevert, and a legacy of 200,000 guilders, to the
earl of Albemarle. ... o '
. § lxxi. William; III was. in his person of the
middle stature, a thin body, a delicate constitution, -
subject to .an asthma and continual cough from his
infancy. He had an aquiline nose, sparkling eyes, a;
large forehead, and a. grave solemn aspect. He was"
: r Qq2,

440 HISTOEY OF ENGLAND. Bi B.
very Sparing of speech: his conversation was dry,
and his manner disgusting, except in battle, when
his deportment was free, spirited, and animating.
In courage, fortitude, and equanimity, he «iyalled
the most eminent warriors of antiquity; and his na
tural sagacity made amends for the . defects in bis-
education, which had not been properly superintend
ed. He was religious, temperate, generally just
and sincere, a stranger to violent transports of pas
sion, and might have passed for one of the best
princes of the age in which he lived, had he never
ascended the throne of Great Britain. But the dis
tinguishing criterion of his character was ambition^
To this he sacrificed the punctilios of honour and
decorum, in deposing his own father-in-law and:
uncle ; and this he gratified at the expence of trie
nation that raised him to sovereign authority. He
aspired to the honour of acting as umpire in all the
contests of Europe ; and the second object of his at
tention was, the prosperity of that country to which
he owed his birth and extraction. Whether he really
thought the interests of the continent and Great
Britain were inseparable, or sought only to drag Eng
land into the confederacy as a convenient ally, certain
it is, he involved these kingdoms in foreign con
nections, which, in all probability, will be pro
ductive of their ruin. In order to establish this fa
vourite point, he scrupled not to employ all the
engines of corruption, by which the morals of the
nation were totally debauched. He procured a par
liamentary sanction for a standing army, which now
seems to be interwoven in the constitution. He in
troduced the pernicious practice of borrowing upon
remote funds ; an expedient that necessarily hatched
a brood of userers, brokers, contractors,, and stoekjob-
ers, to prey upon the vitals of their country. He en
tailed upon the nation a growing debt, and a system of
politics big with misery, despair and destruction.
4

<3H. VI. WILLIAM. 441
To sum up bis character in a few words— William
•was a fatalist in religion, indefatigable in war, enter
prising in politics, dead to all the warm and generous
emotions of the human heart, a cold relation, an in
different husband, a disagreeable man, an ungracious
prince, and an imperious sovereign.1
', Burnet. OWmixon. Boyer. Lamberty. Statfe tracts. Tindali Ralph.
jUoItaise.

44£

CHAP. VII.
* i. Anne succeeds to the throne. . . . § n. She resolves to fulfil the
engagements of her predecessor with his allies, . . . j iii. A French
memorialpresented to the states-general. ... § iv. The queen's
inclination to tke tories. . . § v. War declared against France.
.... § vi. The parliament prorogued. . . . § vii. Warm oppo
sition to tke ministry in the Scottish parliament. ... § vin.
They recognize her majesty's authority. . . . § ix. The queen apr
points commissioners to treat of an union between England and
Scotland. ¦ ¦ ¦ § x. State of affairs on the continent. . . . § xi.
-Keyserswaert and Landau taken by the^allies. . . ^ § xn. Progress
qf the earl of Marlborough in Flanders. .. . § xjli. lie narrowly
"escapes being taken by a French partisan. . . . § xiv. The impe
rialists are worsted at Fridlinguen. . . .^§-^V. Battle of Luxxara,
in Italy. . . . § xvi. The king of Sweden defeats Augustus at
Lissou, in Poland. ... J xvn. Fruitless expedition to Cadiz by
the duke of Orniond and Sir George Rooke. ... § xvm. They
take and destroy the' Spanish galleons at Figo  £ xix'. Ad-.
miral Benbow's\ engagement with Ducasse, in the West-Indies.
.'. . . $Jjxx. The queen assembles a new parliament. . . .'$xxi.
Disputes between the two houses. .'. . | xxn. The lords inquire
into the conduct of Sir George Rooke..*. ;§ xxm. The parlia
ment make a settlement on Prince George of Denmark 
$ xxiv. Tke earl of Marlborough created a dilke. . .-.fxxv.
All commerce and correspondence prohibited1 between Holland
and the' two crowns of France and Spain. ..§ xxvi. A bill for
preventing, occasional conformity. ... J xxvu. It viiscar-ries. . . .
§ Xxviiii. Violent animosity between the two- liouses prodiiced
Ay the inquiry <. into the public accounts. .. .§ xxix. Disputes
between ihe-.two house* qf 'convocation. . . .§xxx. Account ofthe
pai ties in Scotland* . . . § xxxi. Dangerous kep,t.S' in the parliar
ment of 1 that kingdom. . . . § xxxii. Th$ cammisswienis aban
doned by the cqvaliprs. .,,.$, xxxm. He is in .danger of his life>
and suddenly prorogues tjie parliament. . ,.lt.$ xxaiv. Proceedings
of the Irish parliament. . , . § xxxv- They pass a severe, act

443 \
Mgainst papists  § xxxvi. fhe elector of Bavaria defeats the
imperialists at Scardingen, and takes possesssion ofRatisbon. . . .
§ xxx vii. The allies reduce Bonne. . . . § xxxvm. Battle of
Eckeren  § xxxix. The-prince of Hesse is defeated by tke
French at Spireback. ... § xl. Treaty between the emperor and
the duke of Savoy. Thefeng qf Portugal accedes tq„th.e grand
-.alliance. .. . § xti. Sir Cloudesley Shovel sails tvithajfeetto
the Mediterranean. . . iv§,xi.u. Admiral Graydon's bootless ex
pedition to the West-Indies. ... § xliii. Charles, king of Spain,
.arrives, in England,

A. D. 1701.
§ i. W illiAm was succeeded as sovereign of Eng
land by Anne, princess of Denmark, who ascended
the throne in the thirty-eighth year of her age, to
the general satisfaction of all parties. Even the Ja
cobites seemed pleased with her elevation, on the sup
position, that as in all probabafity she would leave no
heirs of her own body, the dictates of natural affection
would induce her to alter the succession in favour of
her own brother. She had been taught to cherish
warm sentiments of the tories, whom she considered
as trie friends of monarchy, and the true sons of the
church ; and they had always professed an inviolable
attachment to her person, and interest ; but hercon-
,duct was wholly influenced by the countess of Marl
borough, a. woman of , an imperious temper and in
triguing genius-,, wfio had been intimate with the prin
cess from her tender iyears, and gained a surprising
ascendency over her. Anne had undergone some
strange vicissitudes of fortune in consequence of her
father's expulsion, and sustained a variety of morti--
fications in the late reign, during which she conduct- :
ed herself with -such discretion^ as left fittle or no pre
tence for censure or ' resentment; Such conduct, in-
deed> was in a great measure owing to a natural tern--

444 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, B,T,
perance of disposition, not easily ruffled or Inflamed,
She was zealously devoted to trie church of England,
from which her father had Used some' endeavours to
detach her before the revolution ; and she lived in
great harmony with her husband, to whom she bore
six children, all of whom she had already survived,
William had no sooner yielded up bis breath, than
the privy-council in a body waited on the new queen,
who, in a short but sensible speech, assured them,
that no pains nor diligence should be wanting on her
part, to preserve and support the religion, laws, and
liberties, of her country, to maintain the succession in
the protestant line, and the government in church
and state, as by law established. She declared her
resolution to carry on the preparations for opposing
the exorbitant power of France, and to assure the
allies, that srie; would pursue the true interest of
England, together with ; their's, for the support of
trie common cause. The members of trie privy.
council having taken the oaths, she ordered a pro
clamation to be published, signifying her: pleasure,
that all persons in office of authority or government,
at the decease of the late king, should so continue
till further directions. By virtue of an act, passed in
the late -reign, the parliament continued sitting even
after trie king's death. Both houses met immediate
ly, and unanimously voted an address of condolence
and congratulation j and, in the afternoon, the queen
was proclaimed* Next day the lords and commons
severally attended her with an address, congratulating;
her majesty's accession to the throne; and assuring
her of their firm resolution to support her against aSil
her enemies whatsoever. The lords acknowledged,
that their great loss was no otherwise; to be repaired
but by a vigorous adherence to her majesty and her
allies, in the prosecution of those measures already
concerted to reduce the exorbitant power of France.'
The commons, declared, they would' maintain trie,
succession of the crown in the protestant line, and,

OH. VII. 'XAJOIiANNEJac-TSIH 3.43
effectually provide for the public credit of trie* nation.
These addresses were graciously received by trie queen,
whoj on the 11th day of March, went to trie house
of peers with the usual solemnity, where, in a speech
to both houses, she expressed her satisfaction at their
unanimous concurrence with her eopinion, that too
much could not be done for the encouragement of ^
' thestfpllies in humbling the power of France ;q and
desired they wotild consider of proper methods to
wards obtaining an union between England atfid Scot
land. She observed to the commons, that the revenue
fox defraying the expences of civil government was
expired ; and that she relied entirely on their affec
tion for its being supplied in such a manner as should
be most suitable to the honour and dignity of the
crown. She declared it .sriouid , be rier constant en
deavour to make them the best return for their duty
and affection, .by a careful and diligent administration
for trie good of all her subjects, ' And as I know
' my own heart to be entirely English,' continued she,
'. X can very sincerely assure you, there is not any
' thing you can expect Or desire from me,^ which f
« shall not be ready to do for the happiness and pros-
* parity of England 5 and you shall always find me
' a strict and religious observer of my word.' The3e
assurances -Were- extremely agreeable to the parlia
ment j aed srie received the thanks of both houses.
Addresses of congratulation were presented by the
bishop and clergy of London, by the dissenters in
and about that city, and by all the counties, cities,
towns, and corporations, of England. She 'declared
her attachment to, the church :>8' she promised rier
protection to the dissenters ; and received trie com
pliments of all her subjects with such affability as insur
ed, their affection, rs ' ' ' " • zi*slo$pi s vd ud
§ 11. Williams' sf death was no sooner knowa ate
the Hague, than all Holland was filled with conster
nation. The states immediately assembled^and, for
some time, gazed at each other in silent fear and

,446 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
astonishment. They sighed, wept, and interchanged
embraces and vows, that they would act with una
nimity,, and expend their dearest blood in defence of
their country. Then they dispatched letters to trie
cities and provinces, informing them of this unfor
tunate event, and exhorting them to union and per
severance. The express from England having brought
the queen's speech to her privy-council, it was trans
lated and published, to revive the drooping spirits of
the people. Next day Pensionary Fagel impartedto
the states of Holland a letter which he had received
from the earl of Marlborough, containing assurances,
in the queen's name, of union and assistance. In ; a
few days, the queen wrote a letter in the French
language to the states, confirming these assurances ;
it was delivered by Mr. Stanhope, whom she had
furnished with fresh credentials as envoy from Eng-
larid. Thus animated, the states resolved to prose
cute vigorous measures : their resolutions were still
more inspirited by the arrival of the earl of Marl
borough, whom the queen honoured with the order
of the garter, and invested with the character of am
bassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to trie
states-general : : he was likewise declared captain-gen
eral of her forces both at home and abroad. He as-
,t surged the states, that her Britannic majesty wpu^d
maintain the alliances which had been concluded by
trie late king, and do every thing that the common
, concerns of Europe required. The speech was an
swered, by Dickvelt, president of the week, who, in
the name of the, state?, expressed their hearty thanks
to ,her majesty, and their resolutions of concurring
with her in a vigorous prosecution of the common in
terest. § 111. The importance of William's life was evinc
ed by the joy that diffused itself through the king
dom of France at; the news of, his decease. The per
son who first brought the tidings to Calais was im
prisoned by the governor, until his information was

CH. VII. ANNE. 447
confirmed. 'The court of Versailles could hardly re
strain their transports so as to preserve common de
corum : the people of Paris openly rejoiced at the
event : all decency was' laid aside at Rome, where
triis incident produced such indecent raptures, that
Cardinal Grimani, the imperial minister, complain
ed of them to the pope, as an insult on his master
the!emperor,! who was William's friend, confederate,
-and ally. The French king dispatched credentials to
Barre, whom the count d'Auvaux had left at the
Hague to manage the affairs of France, together with
instructions to renew the negociation with the states,
in mope of detaching them from the alliance. This
minister presented a memorial, implying severe re
flections on King William, and trie past conduct of
the Dutch ;• and insinuating, that now they had re
covered their liberty, the court of France hoped
triey would consult their true interest. The count
de Goes, envoy from the emperor, animadverted 8n
these expressions, in another memorial, which was
likewise published : the states produced in public an
answer to the same remonstrance, expressing their
¦resentment at the insolence of such insinuations, and
their veneration for the memory of their late stadt-
holder. The earl of Marlborough succeeded in every
part of his negociation. He animated the Dutch to
a full exertion of their vigour : he concerted the
operations of the campaign:- he agreed with the
states-general and the imperial minister, that War
should be declared against France on the same day,
at Vienna, London, and the Hague: and on the 3*
, of April embarked for England, after having acquir
ed trie entire confidence of those who governed the
United provinces.
§ iv. 'A. d. 1702. — By this time the house of com
mons in England had settled the civil-list upon the
queen for. her life. When the bill received the royal
assent, she assured them, that ,§£100,000 of this re-
• yenue" should be applied to the public service of

44$ HISTORY OF ENGLAND. $.- L,
the current year : at the same time, she passed an-
otrier bill, for receiving and examining the public ac
counts. A commission for this purpose was granted
in the preceding reign, but had been for some years
discontinued ; and indeed always proved ineffectual
to detect and punish those individuals whs shamefuli
ly pillaged their country. The villany was so com
plicated, the vice so general, and the delinquents so
powerfully screened by artifice and interest, as to elude
all inquiry. On the 24'* day of March, the oath of
abjuration was taken by the speaker'and members*
according to an act for the further security of her
majesty's person, and the. succession of the crown in
*he protestant line, and for extinguishing the hopes
of the pretended prince of Wales. Trie queen's in
clination to trie tories plainly appeared in her choice
of ministers. Doctor John Sharp, arcribishop of
York, became her ghostly director and counsellor in
all ecclesiastical affairs. The earl of Rochester was
continued lord-lieutenant of Ireland, and enjoyed a
great share of rier majesty's confidence : the privy-
seal was intrusted to the marquis of Normanbys
the earl of Nottingham and Sir Charles Hedged were
appointed secretaries of state: the eariof Abingdon*
Viscount Weymouth:, Lord Dartmouth, Sir Chris
topher Musgrave, Grenville, Howe, Gower, and
Harcourt, were admitted as members cf the privy*
council, together with Sir Edward Seymour, now
declared comptroller of the household. The lord
Godolphin declined accepting trie office of lord high-
treasurer, until he was over-ruled by the persuasions
of Marlborough* to whose eldest daughter his son
was married. This - nobleman refused to command
the forces abroad, unless the treasury should be put
into the' hands of Godolphin, on whose punctuality
in point of remittances he knew he could depends
George, prince of Denmark, was invested with the
title of generalissimo of all the queen's forces by sea
and land ; and afterwards created lord high-admiral;,

CH. VII. ANNE. 440
the earl ofPembroke having been dismissed from this
office, with the offer of a large pension, which he
generously refused. Prince George, as admiral, was
assisted by a council, consisting of Sir George Rooke,
Sir David Michel, George Churchill, and Richard
Hill. Though the legality of this board was doubt
ed, the parliament had such respect and veneration
for the queen, that it was suffered to act without
question. § v. A rivalship for the queen's favour already
appeared between the earls of Rochester and Marl
borough. The former, as first cousin to the queen,
and chief of the tory faction, maintained considerable
influence in the council : but even there the interest
of his rival predominated. , Marlborough was not
only the better courtier, but by trie canal of his
Countess, actually directed the queen in all her re
solutions. Rochester proposed in council, that the
English should avoid a declaration of war with France,
and act as auxiliaries only. He was seconded by
some other members : but the opinion of Marl
borough preponderated. He observed, that the
rionour of the nation was concerned to fulfil the late
king's engagements ; and affirmed, that France could
never be reduced within due bounds, unless the Eng
lish would enter as principals in the quarrel. This
allegation was supported by the dukes of Somerset
and Devonshire, the earl of Pembroke, and the ma
jority of the council. The queen being resolved to
declare war, communicated her intention to the house
of commons, by whom it was approved ; and on the
4th day of May, the declaration was solemnly pro
claimed The king of France was, in this procla
mation, taxed with having taken possession of great
part of the Spanish dominions; with designing to in
vade trie liberties of Europe, and obstruct the free
dom of navigation and commerce ; with having of
fered an unpardonable insult to the queen and her
throne, by taking upon him to declare the pretended

450 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
prince of Wales king of England, Scotland and Ire
land. The three declarations of the emperor, Eng
land, and the states-general, which were published
in one day, did not fail to disconcert, as well as to
'provoke, the French monarch. When his minister,
De Torcy, recited them in his hearing, he spoke of
the queen with some acrimony ; but with respect to
the states-general, he declared with great emotion,
that ' Messieurs the Dutch merchants should one
' day repent of their insolence and presumption in
* declaring war against so powerful a monarch :' he
did not, however, produce his declaration till the 3d
day of July.
§ vu The house of commons, in compliance with
the queen's desire, brought in a bill, empowering her
majesty to name commissioners to treat with the
Scots for an union of the two kingdoms. It met with
warm opposition from Sir Edward Seymour, and
otrier tory members, who discharged abundance of
satire and ridicule upon the Scottish nation : but the
measure seemed so necessary at that juncture, to se
cure the protestant succession against the practices of
France, and the claims of the pretender, that the
majority espoused the bill, which passed through both
houses, and on the 6tn day of May received the royal
assent, together with some bills of less importance.
The enemies of the late king continued to revile his
memory.1 Triey even charged him with having
formed a design of excluding the princess Anne from
the throne, and of introducing the elector of Hanover
as his own immediate successor. This report had
been so industriously circulated, that it began tp
gain credit all over the kingdom. Several peers in-
1 In their hours of debauch they had formerly belonged to Sir John
drank to the health of Sorrel, mean- Fenwick, they insinuated that Wil
ing the horse that fell with tue k,ng; liam's late was a judgment upon
and, under the appellation of the little him, for his cruelty to that gentle-
pentieman in velvet, toasted the mole man : and a Latin epigram was wiLl-
that raised the hill over which* the tenon the occasion.
horse hid stumbled. As the beast

CH. VII. ANNE. 451
terested themselves in William's character; and a
motion was made in the upper house, that trie truth
of this report should be inquired into. The house
immediately desired that those, lords who had visited
the late king's papers, would intimate whether or not
they,! had found any among them relating to the
queen's succession, or to the succession of the house
of Hanover. They forthwith declared, that nothing
of that sort appeared. Then the house resolved^
that the report was groundless, false, villainous, and
scandalous ; to the dishonour of the late king's me
mory, and highly tending to the disservice of her pre
sent majesty, whom they besought to give order that
the authors or , publishers of such scandalous reports
^should be prosecuted by the attorney-general. The
same censure was passed upon some libels and
pamphlets, tending to inflame the factions of the king
dom, and to propagate a spirit of irreligion.* On trie
21st day of May, trie commons, in an address, advis
ed her majesty to engage the emperor, the states-
.general, and rier other allies, to join with her in pro
hibiting dl intercourse with France and Spain ; and
to concert such methods with the states-general as
niight most effectually secure the trade of. her sub
jects and allies. The lords presented another ad
dress, desiring the queen would encourage her sub
jects to. equip privateers, as the preparations of the
enemy seemed to be made for a piratical war, to the
interruption of commerce : they likewise exhorted
her majesty to grant commissions or charters to all
persons who should make such acquisitions in the
Indies, as she in her great wisdom should judge most
expedient for the good of her kingdoms. On the
25th day of May, the queen having passed several
1 Doctor Binkes, in a sermon and those pf King Charles, to which
poached before the convocation, on last he gave the preference, in point
thij'soth.. day of January, drew a par- of right,. character,, and station.
a'llel between, the suffering* of. Christ

452 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. S.U
public and private bills,3 dismissed the parliament by
prorogation, after having, in a short speech, thanked
them for their zeal, recommended unanimity-, and
declared she would carefully preserve and maintain
trie act of toleration.
§ vn. In Scotland a warm contest arose between
the rcvolutioners and those in trie opposition, con
cerning the existence of the present parliament. Trie
queen bad signified her accession to the throne, in
a letter to her privy-council for Scotland ; desiring
they would continue to act in that office, until she
should send a new commission. Meanwhile, she
authorized them to publish a proclamation, ordaining
all officers of state, counsellors, and magistrates, to
act in aft things conformably to the commissions
and instructions of his late majesty, until new
commissions should be prepared. She likewise as
sured them of her firm resolution to protect them in
their -religion, laws, and liberties, and in the estab
lished government of the church. She had already,
in presence of twelve Scottish counsellors, taken the
coronation-oath for that kingdom : bat those who
wanted to embroil the affairs of their country, affirm
ed, that this was an irregular way of proceeding, and
that the oath ought to have been tendered by persons
deputed for that purpose, either by trie parliament,
or the privy-council of the kingdom. The present
ministry, consisting of the duke of Queensberry, the
earls of Marehmont, Melvil, Searield, Hyndfcrd,
and Selkirk, were devoted to revolution principles,
and desirous that the parliament should continue, in
pursuance of a late act for continuing the parliament
.? Dnrfeg this short session, the spirators against King William; to
queen gave her assent to an act for a fifth for the relief of protestant
laying a duty upon land s to another purchasers of the fotfeited e»tates_ of
lor encouraging the Gretnland trade ; Ireland; to a sixth, enlarging the.
to a third for making good the de- time for taking the oath ofabjura-
1k iencics and the public credit ; to a tion ; to a seventh, obliging the Jc ,vs
fourth for continuing the imprison- to maintain aud provide for tuck
m'tfnt of Counter, and other con. protestant children.

CH. VII. ANNE. 453
that should be then in being, six months after the
death of the king ; and that it should assemble in
twenty days after that event. The queen had, by
several adjournments, , deferred the m.eeti ng almost
three months after the king's decease ; and therefore
the anti-revolutioners affirmed that it was dissolved.
The duke of Hamilton was at the head of this party,
which clamoured loudly for a new parliament. This
nobleman, together with the marquis of Tweeddale,
the earls Marshal and Rothes^ and many other noble
men, repaired to London, in order to make the queen
acquainted with their objections to the continuance
of the present parliament. She admitted them to
her presence, and calmly heard their allegations :
hut she was determined, by the advice of her privy-
council for that kingdom, who were of opinion that
the nation was in too great a ferment to hazard the
convocation of a new parliament. According to the
queen's last adjournment, the parliament met at
Edinburgh on the 9th day of June, the duke of
Queensberry having been appointed high comfnis-
sioner. Before the queen's commission was read,
the duke of Hamilton, for himself and his adherents,
declared their satisfaction at her majesty's accession
to the throne, not only on account of her -undoubted
right by descent, but likewise because of her many
personal virtues and royal qualities. He said, they
were resolved to sacrifice their lives and fortunes 'in
defence of her majesty's right, against all her ene
mies whatever ; but, at the same time, they thought
themselves bound in duty to give their opinion, that
they were not warranted by law to sit-and act as a
parliament. He then read a paper to the following
effect : — That forasmuch as, by the fundamental laws
and constitution of this kingdom, all parliaments do
dissolve On the death of their sovereign, except "in
so far as innovated by an act in the preceding reign ;
that the parliament in, being at his majesty's decease/
Vol. I. R r.- *

454 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B. L,
should meet, and act what might be needful for the-
defence of the true protestant religion, < as by law es
tablished, and for the maintenance of the succession
to the crown, as Settled by the claim of right, and
for the preservation and security of the public peace :
and seeing these ends are fully answered by her
majesty's succession to the throne, we conceive our
selves not now warranted by law to meet, sit, or act ;
and therefore do dissent from any thing that shall
be done or acted. The duke having recited this
paper, and formally protested against the proceed
ings of the parliament, withdrew with seventy-nine
members, amidst the acclamations of the people. -
§ vm. Notwithstanding their secession, the
commissioner, who retained a much greater numbery
produced the queen's letter, signifying her resolu
tion to maintain and protect her subjects in the full
possession of their religion, laws, liberties, and the
presbyterian discipline. She informed them of her
having declared war against FreWce : she exhorted
them to provide competent supplies for maintain
ing such a number of forces as might be necessary
for disappointing the enemy's designs, and preserv
ing the present happy settlement ; and she earnest
ly recommended to their consideration an union of
the two kingdoms. The duke of Queensberry and
the earl of Marehmont having enforced the different
articles of this letter, committees were appointed for
the security of the kingdom, for controverted elec
tions, for drawing up an answer to her -mejesty's
letter, and for revising the minutes. Meanwhile,
the duke of Hamilton and his adherents sent the
lord Blantyre to London, with an address to the
queen, who refused to receive it, but wrote another
letter to the parliament, expressing her resolution to
maintain their dignity and authority against all op-
posers. They, in answer to the former, had assur
ed her, that the groundless secession of some mem
bers should increase and strengtheu their care and

£H. VII. ANNE. 455
eeal for her majesty's; service. They expelled Sir
Alexander Bruce, for having given vent to some re
flections against presbytery. The loroUadvQcate pro
secuted the faculty of advocates before the parlia
ment, for having passed a vote among themselves in
favour of , the protestation and address of the dissent
ing members. The faculty was severely reprimand
ed; but the whole nation seemed, to resent the pro
secution. The parliament ,passed an act for recog
nizing her majesty's royal .authority : another for
adjourning the court of j udicature called the session :
a third, declaring this meeting of parliament legal ;
and forbidding any person ,to disown, quarrel with.,
or impugn trie dignity and authority thereof, under
trie penalty of high treason : .a fourth, for securing
the true protestant religion and presbyterian church
government: a fifth, for a land-tax ; and a sixth,
enabling her majesty .to appoint commissioners for an
union between the two kingdoms. _,..,
§ ix. The earl of Marchmont, of his own accord,
and even contrary . to the advice of; the high-com
missioner, brought in a bill for abjuring, the pretend
ed prince, of Wales : but this was not supported by
the court party, as the commissioner had no. instruc
tions how to act on the occasion. ' x Perhaps the queen
and her English ministry resolved to keep the suc
cession open in Scotland, -as acheckupon the whigs
and house of Hanover. On the 30th day of June,
the commissioner adjourned the parliament,, after
having thanked them for their cheerfulness and un
animity in their proceedings ; and the chiefs of the
.opposite parties hastened to London, tp make, their
different representations tp the queen and her mi
nistry. In < the meantime, she appointed commis
sioners foi- treating about- the union ; apd they met
at the Cockpit on the 224 day of October. On trie
(20th day of the next month, they adjusted prelimin
aries^- importing that nothing agreed on among
Rr2

45(3 HISTORY" OF ENGLAND. B-.L.
themselves should be binding, except ratified by hei*
majesty and the respective parliaments of both na
tions ; and that, unless all the heads proposed for
the treaty were agreed to, no particular thing 2greed
on should be binding. The queen visited them in
December, in order to quicken their mutual1 'en
deavours. They agreed,1 that the two kingdoms
should be inseparably united into one monarchy, un
der her majesty, her heirs, and successors, and un
der the same limitations, according to the acts of
settlement : but, when the Scottish commissioners
proposed, that the rights and privileges of their
company trading to Africa and the' Indies, should
be preserved and maintained, such a difficulty arose
as could not be surmounted, and no further progress
was made in this commission. The tranquillity of
Ireland was not interrupted by any new commotion.
That kingdom was ruled by: justices whom the earl
of Rochester had appointed; and; the trustees for
the forfeited estates maintained their authority.
§ x. While' Britain was engaged in these civil
transactions, rier allies were not idle on the con
tinent. The old duke' of Zell, and his nephew, the
elector of Brunswick, Surprised the dukes of Wolf-
enbottle and Saxe-Gotba,- whom they compelled to
renounce their attachments to France, and concur
in the tiorii'moh councils of the empire. Thus the
iiorth of Germany was re- united to the interest of
the confederates .;' and trie princes would have been
in a condition to assist them effectually, had not the
neighbourhood of the war in Poland deterred -thera
from parting with their forces. England and' the
ctatcs-general endeavoured in vain to mediate -a
peace between the kings' of Sweden and Poland*
Charles was become enamoured of wan, and- ambi
tious of conquest. He threatened to invade Saxony
through the dominions of Prussia. Augustus retired
to Cracow, while diaries penetrated to Warsaw, and
even ordered trie cardinal-primate to summon a diet

CM. VII. xANNE., , 45;
for chposing a new king. The. isituation of affairs,
at this juncture, was far from being favourable to
the allies. The court of Vienna had tampered in
vain with the elector of Bavaria, who made use of
this negociation tp raise his terms with Lewis. ; His
brother, trie , elector of Cologne, admitted , French
garrisons into Liege, and alibis places on the Rhine;,
Trie elector of Saxony was two hard pressed by die
king, of Sweden, to spare his- full proportion of troops
to trie allies : the -king, of Prussia was pver-awed by
the vicinity of the ; Swedish conqueror : the, duke of
Savoy liad .joined his forces to these of r$ ranee, and
over-run the whole state of Mikm--; and -trie pope,
though he professed a . neutrality, ' evinced himself
strongly biassed tp trie French interests.
§ xi. The war was begun in the name of trie
elector palatine with the .siege of Keyserswaert, which
was invested in trie month, ef April by trie prince of
Nassau-Saarburg, mareschal-du-camp tp=the emper
or : under this officer the Dutch troops served as^
auxiliaries, because war had not yet been declared
by the Lstates-generaL The French garrison made
a desperate defence. They worsted the besiegers in; '
divers sallies, and maintained tb.e , place until it as
reduced to a heap of ashes. At. length the allies
made a general attack upon the counterscarp and
ravelin, whicri they carried after a very obstinate er^
gagement, with the lossrof; 2,000 men.; ', Tji'enj trie
garrison capitulated on honourable terms, and. trie
fortifieations were razed. During this siege, -,whlc|i
lasted from the 18*? day of April to the .middle
of June, Count .[Tallard posted himself on the op
posite side of trie; Rhine, .from .winces', he supplied
the town withj- fresh troops and ammunition, and
annoyed the besiegers with ^his, artillery : butr findr
ing ir? impossible to; save the place, he joined trie
grand army, commanded by the duke pf Burgundy
aa. the Netherlands* The siege of Keyserswaert was
4 Rr3

458 , HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.T.'
covered by a bpdy of Dutch troops under the earl
of Atlilonej who lay encamped in the duchy of
Cleve. Meanwhile Gerieral Coehorn, at the head
of another detachment, entered Flanders, demolish--
ed the French lines between the forts of Danot
and Isabella, and laid trie chatellanie of Bruges uh$
der cdijtributipn : but a considerable body of French
troops advancing under the marquis de Bedrrrarp
and the count de'la Motte, he overflowed the couri-'
try, and retired u'rider the walls of Sluys. The duke
of Burgundy, who had taken the' command of trie
French army under Bouffiers, ericamped at Zattteh,
near Cleve, and laid a scheme for surprising Nime
guen ; in which, however, rie was baffled by trie
vigilance and activity of Athlone, Who, guessing his
design, marched thither, and encamped under the
cannon of the town. In the beginning of June,
Landau was invested by Prince Louis of Baden : in
July, the king of the Romans arrived in the camp
of the besiegers, with such pomp and magnificence'
Z$ exhausted his father's treasury. On the 9th day
of -September, the citadel was taken by assault ; and
then the town surrendered.
§ xii. When the earl of Marlborough arrived
in, Holland, the earl of Athlone, in quality of
Veldt-mareschal, insisted Upon an equal command
with the English general : but the states obliged riitii
to yield this point in favour of Marlborough, whom
they declared generalissimo of all their forces. Ill
the beginning pf July he' repaired to the camp at
Nimeguen, where he soon assembled an army of
'6o,000 men, well - provided with all necessaries ;
then he convoked a council of the general officers,
,to concert the operations cf the campaign. On
tlie 16th day of the month he passed the Maese,
.and encamped at Over-asselt, within two leagues
and a half of the enemy, who had entrenched triem-
•selves between Goch and Gedap. v He afterwards
repassed the; river, below the Grave, and removed

CH. VII. ANNE. 450
to Gravenbroeck, where he was joined by the Bri
tish tram of artillery from Holland. On the & day
of August, he advanced to Petit BrugeL, arid the'.
French retired before him, leaving Spanish, Guel-
derland to his direction. He had resolved to haz
ard an engagement, and issued orders accordingly :
but lie was restrained by the Duteh deputies, who
were afraid of trieri* own interest, in case trie battle
should have proved unfortunate. Trie duke of Bur
gundy, finding himself obliged to retrfeat before
the allied army, rather than, expose himself longer
to such a mortifying indignity, returned to Ver
sailles,, leaving the command to . Bouffiers, who lost
t|ie confidence of Lewis by the ill success of this
campaign. The deputies of the states-general hav
ing represented to the earl of Marlborough the ad
vantages that would accrue to Holland, froth his
dispossessing the enemy of the places triey maintained
in the Spanish Guelderland, by which the navigation
of the Maese was obstructed, . and the important
town of Maestricht in a manner blocked uri,' he
resdif ed to deliver them from such a troublesome
neighbourhood. He detached General Schuitz with
a body of troops to reduce the town and castle !of
Werk, which were surrendered after a slight re
sistance. In the beginning of September, he un
dertook the siege of Venlo, which capitulated on
the 25th day of the month, after Fort S\ Michael
bad been stormed and taken by Lord Cutts and the
English volunteers, ,among whom the young earl of
Huntingdon distinguished himself by very extraori-
dinary acts of valour. Then the general invested
'Ruremonde, winch he reduced after a very obsti
nate defence, together with trie fort of Stevensuaert,
'situated on trie same river. Bouffiers, confounded
at the rapidity of Marlborough's success, retired to
wards Liege, in prder to cover that city.: but, at
ih\e approach of trie confederates, he retired With
!j>re,ch^tatipn to, Tongeren, from whence, lie directed

460 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 11,1.
his, route towards Brabant, with a view to defend
such places as the allies -bad no design to attack!
When the earl of Marlborough arrived at Liege, he
found the suburbs of Sc. Walburg had been set on
fire by the French garrison, who had retired into the
citadel and, the Chartreux. The allies took immediate
possession of the city ; and in a few o"ays opened the
trenches against the citadel, which? was taken by as
sault. , On this . occasion, the' hereditary prince of
Fiesse- Cassel charged at the head <of trie grenadiers,
and was the first, person who, mounted the breach.
Violani.the governor, and the duke of Charost, were
made prisoners. Three hundred thousand florins in
gold and silver, were found in the citadel, besides
notes for above one million, drawn upon substantial
merchants in Liege,- who paid trie money. Immedi
ately after this exploit, the garrison of the Char
treux capitulated on honourable terms, and were con
ducted to. Antwerp. By the success of this campaign,
the earl of Mar lborougri raised his military character
above all. censure, and confirmed himself in the en-
lire confidence, of the states-general ; who, in trie
Beginning of trie, season, had trembled for Nimeguen,
and now saw the enemy driven back into their own
domains. - - 7-
. § xih. When the army broke up in November,
trie general repaired to Maestricht, from whence he-
proposed to return to the Hague by water.. Ac
cordingly, he embarked in a large boat,, with five-
ancj-twenty soldiers, under the command of a lieu
tenant. Next morning he was joined at Rure
monde by Coehorn, in a larger vessel, with sixty
jnen ; and they were moreover escorted by fifty
troopers, who rode along the bank of the river. The
large boat outsailed the other,, and the. horsemen
mistook, their way in the dark. A French partisan,
wjth five-and-thirty men from Gueldres, who lurked
among the rushes in wait for prey, seized the rope
by which the boat was drawn, hauled it ashore,

CH.-VII. ANNE. 46l
discharged their . small arms and hand-grenades,
then rushing into it, secured the soldiers before they
could putthemselves in a posture of defence. The
earl of Marlborough was accompanied by General
Opdam,' and Mynheer dieldermalsen, one of the
deputies, who were provided with-passports. The
earl triad neglected this precaution : but recollect
ing he had an old passport- for his brother General
Churchill, he produced it without any emotion ; and
the partisan was in such confusion that he never ex
amined the date. Nevertheless, he rifled their'1 bag
gage, carried -off the guard as prisoners, and allowed
the boat to proceed. 'The governor of Venlo re
ceiving information that the earl was surprised by
a party, and conveyed to Giieldres, immediately
marched out' with his whole garrison to invest that
place.' The same imperfect account being transi-
mitted to Holland, filled the whole province "With
consternation. Trie states forthwith assembling,
resolved that all their -forces- should march imme
diately to Gueldfes, and threaten the garrison of trie
place with* the utmost extremities, unless they would
immediately deliver the general. But, before these
orders could -be* dispatched-, the earl arrived at the
Hague, to the inexpressible joy of the people, who
already looked upon him as their saviour and pro
tector;' ' ,; '" >
§ xiv. The French arms were not quite so un
fortunate on the Rhine as ill Flanders. The elec
tor of Bavaria surprised the city of'Ulm in Suabia,
by a stratagem, and then declared for France, which
had f by this time complied ' with all his demands.
The diet of the empire assembled at -Ratisbon, were
so incensed at his conduct5 in seizing the city of
Ulm by; perfidy, that they1 presented a memorial
to his imperial majesty, 'rlq' nesting be' would pro
ceed against the elector according' to the constitu
tions of the empire. They resolved, by a plurality
of voices, to declare war in the name of tbe'emf

40a HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B* I,
pire, against the French king and the duke of An
jou, for having invaded several fiefs of the empire in
Italy, the archbishopric of Cologne, and the diocese
of Liege : and they forbad the ministers of Bavaria
and Cologne to appear in the general diet. In vain
did these powers protest against their proceedings.
The. empire's declaration of war was published and
notified in the , name of the diet, to trie cardinal pf
Limberg, the emperor's commissioner. Meanwhile
the French made themselves masters of Neuburg, in
the circle of Suabia, while Louis prince of Baden,
being weakened by sending off detachments, was
obliged to lie inactive in his camp near Fndlinguen.
The French army was divided into two bodies, com
manded by the marquis de Villars and the count de
Guiscard ; and the prince thinking himself in dan
ger of being inclosed by the enemy, resolved to de
camp. Villars immediately passed the Rhine,, to
fall upon him in his retreat, apd an obstinate engage
ment ensuing, the imperialists were overpowered by
numbers. The prince having lost 2,000 men, aban
doned the field of battle to the enemy, together
with his baggage, artillery, and ammunition, and
retired towards Stauffen, without being pursued.
The French army, even after they had gained the
battle, were unaccountably seized with such a panic,
that if the imperial general had faced them with.
two regiments, he would have snatched the victory
from Villars, who was upon this occasion saluted
mareschal of France by the soldiers ; and, next
day the town of Fridlinguen surrendered. The
prince being joined by some troops under General
Thungen, and other reinforcements, r.esol,ved to'
give battle to the enemy : but Villars declined an
engagement, and repassed the Rhine. Towards the
latter end of -October, Count Tallard, and the marr
quis de Lonnarie, with a body of 18jOOO men, re
duced Triers and Traerbach : on, the other hand,
the prince of Hesse- Cassel, with a detachment from

(GH. VII. ANNE. 463
the allied army at Liege, retook from the French
the towns of Zinch, Lintz, Brisac, and Artdernach.
§ xv. In Italy^ Prince Eugene laboured under
a total neglect of the imperial court, where his ene
mies, on pretence of supporting the king of the
Romans in "his first campaign, weaned the emper
or's attention entirely from- his affairs on the other
side-of the Alps i so that he left his best army to
moulder away for want of recruits and reinforcements.
The prince,- thus abandoned, could not prevent the
duke de Vendome from relieving Mantua, and was
obliged to relinquish some other places he had takeh.
Philip, king of Spain, being inspired with the ambi
tion of putting an end to the war in this country,
sailed in person for Naples where he was visited by"
the cardinal-legate, with a compliment from the
pope : yet he could not obtain the investiture Of the
kingdom from his holiness. The empeior, how
ever/was so disgusted at the embassy which the
pope had sent to Philip, that he ordered his ambas
sador at Rome to withdraw. Philip proceeded from
Naples to Final, under convoy of- the French fleet
which had brought him to Italy -. here-'he had an
interview with the duke 6f Savoy, who ^egan to
be alarmed at the prospect of the French king's be
ing3 master of the Milanese \ kid, in a fetter to the
dfike de Vendome, he forbade him to engage Prince
Eugene until he himself should arrive W trie camp.
Prinze Eugene, understanding that 'the French army
intended to attack "Luz-zara and Guast-aila, passed
trie Po, with an army of about k\a\f the number of
trie 'enemy, ahd ' pos"ted himself behind the dike of
Zero, in such a manner that the French were ignori-
aiit Of his situation. _ He concluded, that on their
arrival at the ground they had chosen, the horse
would march out to forage, while the rest of the
airmy would be employed in pitching tents, and pro
viding for their refreshment. His design was to
seize that opportunity of attacking them, not doubt-

404 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
ingt hat he should obtain a coiuplefe victory;: but
he was disappointed by mere accident. An adjutant,
with an advanced guard, had the curiosity to ascend
the dike, in order to view the country, when he
discovered the imperial infantry lying on their faces
and their horse in the rear, ranged in order of bat
tle. The French camp was immediately alarmed ;.
and as the intermediate gound was covered with
hedges, which obliged the assailants to defile, the
enemy were in a posture of defence before the: im
perialists could advance to action : nevertheless, the
prince attacked them with great vivacity, in hopes
of disordering their line, which gave way in several
places : but night interposing, he was obliged to de
sist ; and in a few days the French reduced Luzzara
and Guastalla. The prince, however, maintained
his post, and Philip returned to Spain, without hav
ing obtained any considerable advantage,
§ xvi. The French king employed all Ris arti
fice and intrigues in raising up new enemies against
the confederates. He is said to have bribed Count
Mansfeldt, president of the council of war at Vienna,
to with-hold the supplies from Prince Eugene in
Italy* At the Ottoman Porte he had actually gairi*.
ed over the visir, who engaged to renew the war
with the emperor. But the mufti and all the other
great officers ' were averse to this design, and the
visir fell a sacrifice to their resentment. Lewis con
tinued to embroil the kingdom of Poland by means
of the cardinal-primate. The young king of Swe
den advanced to Lissau, where he defeated Au
gustus. Then he took possession of Cracow, and
raised 'Contributions ; nor could he be persuaded to
retreat, although the Muscovities and Lithuanians
had ravaged Livonia, and even made an irruption in
to Sweden.
§ xvii. The operations of the combined squad
rons at sea did hot fully answer the expectation of
the -public. On trie 12th day of May, Sir John

CH^VII. .ANNE. - ,,, 405
Munden sailed with twelve ships, to intercept a
French squadron appointed as a convoy to a new
viceroy of Mexico, from Corunna to the West-In
dies. -On the 28tu day of the month, he chased
fourteen sail of French ships into Corunna. Then
be called a council of war, in which it was agreed,
that as the place was strongly fortified, .and by the
intelligence they had received, it appeared tiiat-se-
venteenof the enemy's ships of war rode at anchor
in the harbour, it would be expedient for them
to follow the latter part ; of their instructions, by
which they were directed to cruize sn; soundings
for the protection of the trade. They returned ac
cordingly, and being distressed by want of provi
sions came into port, -to the general discontent of
the nation. For the satisfaction of the people, Sir
John Munden was tried by a court-martial, and ac
quitted ; but as this miscarriage had rendered him
very unpopular, Prince George dismissed him from
trie service. We have already i hinted, that King
William had projected a scheme to reduce Cadiz:,
with intention to act afterwards against the: Spanish
settlements in the West-Indies. This design Queen
Anne resolved to put in execution. Sir George Rooke
commanded the fleet, and the duke of Ormond
was appointed general of the land forces destined for
this expedition. The combined squadrons amount
ed to fifty ships of the line, exclusive of frigates,
fire-ships, and smaller vessels ; and the number of
soldiers embarked was not far, short of 14,000.
In the latter end of June the- fleet sailed from SJ.
Helens : on the 12th of August, they anchored a$.
the distance of two leagues from Cadiz. Next day
the, duke of Ormond summoned the duke de Bran-
caccicy who was governor, to submit to the house
of Austria ; but that officer answered, he would ac
quit himself honourably of the trust reposed in him
by the king. On the 15th, the duke of Ormond
landed with his forces, in. the bay of Bulls, under

4>66 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. If; I.
coyer of a smart fire from some frigates,' and re
pulsed a body of Spanish cavalry : then he summon
ed the governor of Fort S\ Catharines to surrender ;
and received an answer, importing, ibat the garri
son was prepared for his reception. A declaration
was published in the Spanish language, intimating,
that the allies did not come as enemies to Spain ;
but only to free them from the yoke of France, and
-assist them in establishing themselves under the go
vernment of the house of Austria. These professions
produced very little effect among the Spaniards, who
were either cooled is their attachment to that family,
or provoked by the excesses of the English troops.
These having taken possession of Fort Sr. Catharine,
and port S'.- Marys, instead of protecting, plun
dered, the natives, notwithstanding the strict orders
issued by the duke of Ormond, to prevent this
.¦scandalous practice : even some general officers were
concerned in the pillage. A battery was raised
against Montagorda fort opposite to the Puntal ;
but the attempt miscarried, and the troops were
reimbarked. § xviii. Captain Haedy having been sent to
¦water in Lagos bay, received intelligence that the
galleons from the West-Indies had put into Vigo,
under convoy of a French squadron;.' He sailed
immediately in quest of Sir George Rooke, who
was now on his voyage back to England, and falling
in with him on the 6'* day of October, commu
nicated the substance of what he had learned. Rooke
immediately called a council of war, in which- it
was determined to alter their course, and attack
the enemy at Vigo. Fie forthwith detached some
small vessels for intelligence, and received a con
firmation, thai! the galleons and the squadron
commanded by -Chateau Renault, were actually in
the harbour. They sailed thither, and appeared
before trie place on the 11th day of October. The
passage into the harbour was narrow, secured by

CH. VII. ANNE. HIP 467
batteries, forts, and breast- works on each side; by
a strong boom, consisting of iron chains, top-masts,
and cables, moored at each end to a seventy-gun
ship ; and fortified within by five ships of the same
strength, lying athwart the channel, with their brbad-
sides to trie offing. As the first and second rates
of the combined fleets were too large to enter, the
admirals shifted their flags into smaller ships ; and a
division of rive-and-twenty English and Dutch ships
of the line, with their frigates, fire-ships and ketches,
was destined for the service. In order to facilitate
the attack, the duke of Ormond landed with 2,5.00
men, at the distance of six. miles from Vigo, and
took by assault a fort and platform , of forty pieces
of cannon, at the entrance of the harbour. The
British ensign was no sooner seen flying at the top
of .this fort, than the ships advanced to the attack.
-Vice-admiral Hopson, in the Torbay, crowding all his
sail, ran directly against the boom, which was brok-
. en- by the first shock : then the whole squadron en
tered the harbour, through a prodigious fere from
the enemy's ships and batteries. These last, bow-
ever,? weresoon stormed and taken by the grenadiers
who had been: landed. The great ships lay against
the forts at each side of the harbour, which in a lit
tle time they silenced ; though Vice-admiral Hopson
narrowly escaped from a ,fireship by which he was
iboarded. After a very vigorous engagement, the
'French finding themselves unable to cope with such'
an adversary, resolved to destroy their ships and gal-
| leons, that they might not fall into the hands of the
•victors., They accordingly burned and ran ashore
„eight ships and as many advice-boats ; but ten ships
;sef> war were taken, together with eleven galleons.
• Though they had secured the best part of their plate
and merchandize before the English fleet arrived,
>the value of 14,000,000 of pieces of eight, in plate
and rich; commodities, was destroyed in six galleon:,
that perished ; and about half that, value was brought

46S HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B. I.
off by the conquerors: so that this was a dreadful
blow to the enemy, and a noble acquisition to the
allies. Immediately after this exploit, Sir George
Rooke wvs joined by Sir Cloudesly Shovel, who
had been sent out with a squadron to intercept the
galleons. This officer was left to bring home the
prizes, and dismantle the fortifications, while Rooke
returned in triumph to England.
§ xix. The glory which the English acquired
in this expedition was in some measure tarnished by
the conduct of some officers in the West-Indies.
Thither Admiral Benbow had been detached with a
squadron of ten sail, in the course of the preceding
year. At Jamaica he received intelligence, that
Monsieur Du Casse was in the neighbourhood of
Hispaniola, and resolved to beat up to that island.
At Leogane he fell in with a French ship of fifty
guns, which her captain ran ashore and blew up.
He took several other vessels, and having alarmed
Petit-Guavas, bore away for Donna Maria bay,
where he understood that Du Casse had sailed for
the coast of Carthagena. Benbow resolved to follow
the same course ; -and on the l0'h of August, dis
covered the enemy's squadron near Sr. Martha, con
sisting often sail, steering along shore. He formed
the line, and an engagement ensued, in which he
was \tery ill seconded by some of his captains. Ne
vertheless, the battle continued till night, and he
determined to renew it next morning, when he per
ceived all his ships at the distance of three or four
miles astern, except the Ruby, commanded by Cap
tain George Walton, who joined him in plying the
enemy with chase-guns. On the 21st these two ships
engaged the French squadron ; and the Ruby was
so disabled, that the admiral was obliged to send her
back to Jamaica. Next day the Greenwich, com
manded by Wade, was five leagues astern ; and the
wind changing, the enemy had the advantage of the
weather-gage. On the 23d the admiral renewed the

CH. VII. \ : ANNE. jffig
battle with his single ship, unsustained by the rest
of the squadvon. On the 24th his leg was shattered
bya chain-shot; notwithstanding which accident,
be remained on the quarter-deck in a cradle, and
continued the engagement. One of the largest ships
of the enemy lying like a wreck upon the water,
four t sail, of the English squadron pOured their
broadsides into her, and then ran to leeward, with
out paying any regard to the signal for battle. Then
the French bearing down upon the admiral with
their whole force, shot away his main-top-sail-yard,
and damaged his rigging in such a manner, that he
was obliged to lie by and refit, while they took their
disabled ship in tow. During this interval, he called
a council of his captains, and expostulated with them
on their behaviour. They observed, that the French
were very strong, and advised him to desist. He
plainly perceived that he was betrayed, and with the
utmost reluctance returned to Jamaica, having not
only lost a leg, but also received a large wound in his
face, and another in his arm, while he in person
attempted to board the French admiral. Exasper
ated at the treachery of his captains, he granted a
commission to Rear-admiral Whetstone, and other
officers, to hold a court-martial, and try them for
cowardice. Hudson, of the Pendennis, died before his
trial : Kirby and Wade were convicted, and sentenc
ed to be shot : Constable,, of the Windsor, Wfis
cashiered and imprisoned : Vincent; of the Fal
mouth, and Fogg, the admiral's own captain, of the
Breda,, were convicted of having signed a paper, that
they would not fight under Benbow's command ;
but, as they behaved gallantly in the action, the
court inflicted upon them no other punishment than
that Of a provisional suspension. Captain Walton
had likewise joined in the conspiracy, while he was
heated with the fumes of intoxication ; but he after
wards renounced the engagement, and fought with
- Vol. I. S s

470 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
admirable courage until his ship was disabled. The
boisterous manner of Benbow had produced this base
confederacy. He was a rough seaman ; but re
markably brave, honest, and experienced.4 He took
this miscarriage so much to heart, that he became
melancholy, and his grief co-opera ting with the fever
occasioned by his wounds, put a period to his life.
Wade and Kirby were sent home in the Bristol ;
and, on their arrival at Plymouth, shot on-board of
the ship, by virtue of a dead warrant for trieir imme-
. diate execution, which had lain there for some time.
The same precaution had' been taken in all the west
ern ports, in order to prevent applications in their
5 favour. § xx. During these transactions, the queen
seemed to be happy in the affection of her subjects.
Though the continuance of the parliament was limit
ed to six months after the king's decease, she dis
solved it by proclamation before the term was ex
pired ; and issued writs for electing another, in which
the tory interest predominated. In the summer the
queen gave audience to the count de Platens, envoy
extraordinary from the elector of Hanover ; then
she made a progress with her husband to Oxford,
Bath, and Bristol, where she was received with all
the marks of the most genuine affection. The new
parliament meeting on the 20thday of October, Mr.
Harley was chosen speaker. The queen, in her
speech, declared, she had summoned them to assist
her in carrying on the just and necessary war in
which the , nation was engaged. She desired the
* When one of his lieutenants ex- wrote a letter to Benbow to this
A-'pressed his s6rrow for the loss of the effect!
admiral's leg, f I am sorry for it too," 'sir, ,-
replied 'the gallant Benbow, « but 1 ' I had little hope on Monday last
*, had rather hate lost them both ' but to have supped in your cabin ;
' than have seen this dishonour ' but it pleased God to order it other-
• brought' uptin the English nation. « wise. 1 am thankful for it. 'As
i* But, dp you hear f If another shot ' for those , cowardly captains who
' should take me off, behave like ', deserted iyou, hang them, for, by
' brave men, and fight it out.' When' « God, they deserve it. Your's, '
du Casse arrived at Carthagcna, he ' du casse.'

CHk VII. ANNE. 471
commons would inspect the accounts of the public
receipts and payments, that if any abuses had crept
into the management of the finances, they might be
detected, and the offenders punished. She told them,
that the funds assigned in the last parliament had
not produced the sums " granted ; and that the de
ficiency was not supplied even by the ^g 100,000
which she had paid from her own revenue for the
public service. She expressed her concern for the
disappointment at Cadiz, as well as for the abuses
committed at Port Sc. Marys, which had obliged
her to give directions for the strictest examination
of the particulars. She hoped they would find
time to consider of some better and more effectual
method to prevent the exportation of wool, and
improve that manufacture, which she was determin
ed to encOurage. She professed a firm persuasion^
that the affection of her subjects was the surest
pledge of their duty and obedience. She promised
to defend and maintain the church as by law es
tablished ; and to protect her subjects in ' the full
enjoyment of all their rights and liberties.' She
protested, that she relied on their care Of her : she
said, her interest and theirs were inseparable; and
that her endeavours sriouid never be wanting' to
make them all safe and happy. She was presented
with a very affectionate address from either house,
congratulating her upon the glorious success of her
arms, and those of her allies, under trie command
of the earl of Marlborough : but that of the com
mons was distinguished by an implicated reproach
on the late reign, importing, that the wonderful
progress of her majesty's arms under the earl of
Marlborough had signally ' retrieved' the ancient
honour and glory of the English nation. This ex
pression had excited a warm debate in the , house, in
the course of which many severe reflections were
made on the memory of King William. , At length,
S's 2 ;;" ¦'•-'--' '¦-

472 HISTORY OP ENGLAND ]fc fe
the question was put, whether the word f retrieved^
should remain ? and carried in the affirmative, by a
majority of 1 00.
^ xxi. The strength of the torries appeared in
nothing more conspicuous than in their inquiry con
cerning controverted elections. The horough of
Hindon, near Salisbury, was convicted of bribery,
and a bill brought in for disfranchising the townr
yet no vote passed against the person who exercised
this corruption,, because he happened to be a tory.
Mr. Howe was declared duly elected for Gloucester
shire,, though the majority of the electors had voted
for the other candidate. Sir John Packingtoa ex
hibited a complaint against the bishop of Worcester
and his son, for having endeavoured to prevent hi&
election t the commons having taken it into con
sideration, resolved, that the proceedings of Wil
liam, lord -bishop of Worcester, and his son, had
been malicious, unchristian, and arbitrary, in high
violation of the liberties and privileges of the com
mons of England. They voted an address to trie
queen,, desiring her to remove the father from the
office of lord-almoner; and triey ordered the at
torney-general to prosecute the son, after his pri
vilege as member of the ] convocation should be
expired. A counter-address was immediately voted,
and presented by the lords, beseeching her majesty
would not remove the bishop of Worcester from the
place of lord-almoner, until rie should be found
guilty of some crime by due course of law ; as it was
the undoubted right of every lord of parliament, and
of every subject of England, to have an opportunity
to make his defence before lie suffers any sort of
punishment. The queen said she bad not as yet re
ceived any complaint against the bishop of Worcester :
but she looked upon it as her undoubted right to con
tinue or displace any servant attending upon her
own person, when she should think proper. The
peers having received this answer, unanimously re-

CHi VII. ANNE. 473
solved, that no lord of their house ought to suffer any
sort of punishment by any proceedings of the house
of commons, otherwise than according to the known
and ancient rules and methods of parliament When
the eommons attended the queen with their address
against the bishop, she said she was sorry there was
occasion for such a remonstrance, and that the bishop
<of Worcester should no longer continue to supply the
ylace of her almoner. This regard to their address
was a flagrant proof of her partiality to the tories,
who seemed to justify her attachment by their com
pliance and liberality.
§ xxn. In deliberating on the supplies, they
agreed to all the demands of the ministry. They
voted 40,000 seamen, and the like number of land
forces, to act in conjunction with those of trie allies.
For the maintenance of these last, they granted
,§£833,826 ; besides ^350,000 for guards and gar
risons ; ,^70,973 for ordnance ; and ,^51,843 for
subsidies to the allies. Lord Shannon arriving with
the news of the success at Vigo, the queen appoint
ed a day of thanksgiving for the signal success of her
arms under the earl of Marlborough, the duke of Or-
aaond, and Sir George Rooke ; and, on that- day,
„which was the 12th of November, she went instate
to Sc. Pauls church, attended by both houses, of par-
. liament. Next day the peers voted : trie thanks., of
their house to the duke of Ormond for riis servicesat
Vigo ; and, at the same time, drew up an address to
the queen, desiring she would order the duke of Or
mond and Sir George Rooke to lay before them an
account of their proceedings: a request with which
her majesty complied. Those two officers were, like
wise thanked by the house of commons : Vice-jap-
miral Hopson was knighted, and gratified with, a con
siderable pension. The duke of Ormond, at, his re
turn from the expedition, complained openly pf
Rooke's conduct, and seemed determined to subject
s s 3 .',; .. ;

474 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. E. L,
him to a public accusation ; but that officer was such
a favourite among the commons, that the court was
afraid to disoblige them by an impeachment, and took
great pains to mitigate the duke's resentment. This
nobleman was appointed lord-lieutenant of Ireland,
and Rooke was admitted into the privy-council. A
motion, however, being made in the house of lords,
that the admiral's instructions and journals relating to
the last expedition might be examined, a committee
was appointed for that purpose, and prepared an un
favourable report : but it was rejected by a majority
of the house ; and they voted, that Sir George
Rooke had done his duty, pursuant to the councils
of war, like a brave officer, to the honour of the
British nation.
§ xxm. On the 21st day of November, the queen
sent a message to the house of commons by Mr. Se
cretary Hedges, recommending further provision foy
the prince her husband, in case he should survive
her. This message being considered, Mr. Howe
moved, that the yearly sum of ^g 100,000 should be
settled on the prince, in case he should survive her
majesty. No opposition was made to the proposal :
but warm debates were excited by a clause in the
bill, exempting- the prince from that part of the act
of succession by which strangers, though naturalized,
were rendered incapable of holding employments.
This clause related only to those who should be na
turalized in a future reign : and indeed was cal
culated as a restriction upon the house of Hanover.
Many members argued against the clause of ex
emption, because it seemed to imply, that persons
already naturalized would !be excluded from em
ployments in the next reign, though already pos
sessed of the right of natural-born subjects, a con
sequence plainly contradictory to the meaning1 of the
act.' Others opposed it, because the lords had al
ready resolved by a vote, that they would never pass
any bill sent ' up from the commons, to which a

SIL VII. ANNE. 475
clause foreign to the bill should be tacked ; and this
clause they affirmed to be a tack, as an incapacity
to hold employments was a circumstance altogether
distinct from a settlement in money. ...-The queen
expressed uncommon eagerness in behalf of this bill ';
and the court influence was managed so successful?
ly, that it passed through both houses, though nqt
without an obstinate opposition, and a formal protest
by, twenty-seven peers.
...'.§ xxiv. The earl of Mar lborougri_ arriving in Eng
land about the latter end of November, received the
thanks of the commons for his great and, signal ser
vices, which were so acceptable to the queen, that
she created him a duke, gratified him with a pension
of ^5,000 upon the revenue of the post-office dur
ing his natural life ; and, in a message tq the, com
mons, expressed, a desire that they would find, spine
t method to settle it on the heirs-male of his body.
This intimation .was productive of warm debates,
during whicli Sir Christopher Musgrave observed,
that he would not derogate from the duke/s eminent
services ; but he affirmed his grace riad been very
well paid for them, by the. profitable employments
which he and his1 duehess enjoyed,/ The du,ke, .nn-
derstanding that , the commons were heated by trie
subject, begged her majesty would rather forego,, her
gracious message in his behalf, than create. any un
easiness on his account, which might embarrass rier
affairs,, and be, of ill consequence to the public. Trien
she sent another message to thebouse, signifying, that
the duke of Marlbot-ough had (declined her inter
position. Notwithstanding this declaration, tile com
mons, in a body, presented an address, acknowledgi
ng trie eminent services of the duke of Marlborough,
yet expressing their apprehension of making a pre
cedent to alienate the revenue qf the crown, ,wrhich
had (been so much reduced day, the exorbitant grants
of the la,fe reign, and so lately settled and secured by
her majesty's unparalleled grace and gopdnesg., Trie

476 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. 1«
queen was satisfied with this apology ; but their re
fusal in all probability helped to alienate the duke
from the tories, with whom he had been hitherto con-.
nected. § xxv. In the beginning of January, Ithe queen
gave the house of commons to understand, that the
states-general had pressed her to augment her forces,
as the only means to render ineffectual the great and
early preparations of the enemy. The commons
immediately resolved, that 10,000 men should be
hired, as an augmentation of the forces to act in
conjunction with the allies ; but on condition that an
immediate stop should be put to all commerce and
correspondence with France and Spain on the part of
the states-general. The lords presented an address
to the queen on the same subject, and to the same
effect ; and she owned that the condition was abso
lutely necessary for the good of the whole alliance.
The Dutch, even after the declaration of war, had
carried on a traffic with the French; and, at this.
very juncture, Lewis found it impossible to make re
mittances of money to the elector of Bavaria in Ger
many, and to his forces in Italy, except through
the channel of English, Dutcli, and Geneva, mer
chants. The states-general, though shocked at the
imperious manner in which the parliament of Eng
land prescribed their conduct, complied with the de-^
mand without hesitation, and published a prohibition
of all commerce with the subjects of France and
Spain. § xxvi. The commons of this parliament had
nothing more at heart than a bill against occasional
conformity. The tories affected to distinguish them
selves as. the only true friends to the church and
monarchy ; and they hated the dissenters with a mix-?
turepf spiritual and political disgust. They looked
upon these last as an intruding sect, which constiT
tuted great part of the whig faction that extorted
such immense sums of money from the nation in

•H.VII. AXNK. 477
the late reign, and involved it in pernicious engage
ments, from whence it had no prospect of deliver
ance. They considered them as encroaching schis
matics, that disgraced and endangered the hier
archy ; and those of their own communion who re
commended moderation, they branded with the
epithets of lukewarm christians, betrayers, and apos
tates. They now resolved to approve themselves
zealous sons of the church, by seizing the first op
portunity that was in their power to distress the dis- '
senters. In order to pave the way to this persecution,
sermons were preached, and pamphlets were printed,
to blacken the character of the sect, and inflame the
popular resentment against them. On the 4th day of
November, Mr. Bromley, Mr. S1. John, and Mr. An
nesley, were ordered by the house of commons to r
bring in a bill for preventing occasional conformity.
In the preamble, all persecution for conscience-
sake was condemned ; nevertheless, it enacted, that
all those who had taken the sacrament and| test for
offices of trust, or the magistracy of corporations, and
afterwards frequented any meeting of dissenters,
should be disabled from holding their employments,
pay a fine of ^'100, and g£5 for every day in
which they continued to act in their employments
after havirig heen at any such meeting: they were
also rendered incapable of holding any other em
ployment, till after one whole year's conformity ; and,
upon a relapse, the penalties and time of incapacity
were doubled. The promoters of the bill alleged,
that an established religion and national church were
absolutely necessary, when so many impious men
pretended to inspiration, and deluded such numbers
of the people : that the most effectual way to preserve
this national church, would be the maintenance of
the civil power in the hands of those who expressed
their regard - to the church in their principles and
practice : that the parliament, by trie corporation and' '
test, acts, thought they had raised a -sufficient 'barrier

476 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 3. 1.
to the hierarchy, never imagining that a set of men
would rise up, whose consciences would be too tender
to obey the laws, but hardened enough to break
I hem : that, as the last reign began with an act in
favour of dissenters, so the commons were desirous,
that in the beginning of her majesty's auspicious go
vernment, an act should pass in favour of the church
of England : that this bill did not entrench on the
act of toleration, or deprive the dissenters of any pri
vileges they enjoyed by law, or add any thing to the
legal rights of the church of England : that occasional
conformity was an evasion of the law, by which the
dissenters might insinuate themselves into the ma
nagement of all corporations : that a separation from
the church, to which a man's conscience will allow
funi occasionally to conform, is a mere schism, which
in itself was sinful, without the super-addition of a tem
poral law to make it an offence : that the toleration
was intended only for the ease of tender consciences,
and not to give a licence for occasional conformity ;
that conforming and non-conforming were contradict
tions ; for nothing but a firm persuasion that the terms
of communion required are sinful and unlawful could
justify the one ; and this plainly condemns the other.
The members who opposed the bill argued, that the
dissenters were generally well affected to the present
constitution : that to bring any real hardship upon
them, or give rise to jealousies and fears at such a
juncture, might be attended with dangerous conse
quences : that the toleration had greatly contributed
to the security and reputation of the church, and
plainly proved, that liberty of conscience and gentle
measures were the most effectual means for increas
ing the votaries of the church, and diminishing the
number of dissenters : that the dissenters could not be
termed schismatics without bringing a lieavy charge
upon the church of England, which had not only
tolerated such schism, but even allowed communion
with the reformed churches abroad : that the penalties

CH, VII. - ANNE. 47§
of this bill were, more severe than those which the
laws imposed on papists, for assisting at the most so
lemn act of their religion : in a word, that toleration
and tenderness had been always productive of peace
and union, whereas persecution had never failed to
excite . disorder, and extend superstition. Many al
terations and mitigations were proposed, without ef
fect. In the course of the debates, the dissenters
were mentioned and reviled with great acrimony ;
and the bill passed the lower* house by virtue of a
considerable majority,
§ xxvii. Ths lords, apprehensive that the com
mons would tack it to some money-bill, voted, that
the annexing any, clause to a money-bill was contrary
to the constitution of the English government, and
the 'usage of parliament. The bill met with a very
warm opposition in the upper house, where a con
siderable portion of the whig interest still remained.
These members believed that the intention of the bill
was to model corporations, so as to eject all those
who would not vote in elections for the tories. Some
imagined this was a preparatory step towards a re
peal of the toleration : and. others concluded, that
trie promoters of the bill designed to raise such dis
turbances at home, as would discourage the allies
abroad, and render the prosecution of the war im
practicable. The majority of the bishops, and among
these Burnet of Sarum, .objected against it on the
principles of moderation, and from motives of con
science. Nevertheless, as the court supported this
measure with its whole power and influence, the bill
made its way through the house, though not with
out alterations and amendments, which were rejected
by the commons, The lower house pretended, that
the lords had no right to alter any fines and penalties
that the commons should fix in bills sent up. for their
concurrence, on the supposition, that those were
matters concerning money, the peculiar province of
the lower house : the lords; ordered a minute inquiry

480 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B.I.
to be made into all the rolls of parliament since the
reign of Henry VII ; and a great number of in
stances were found, in which the lords had begun
the clauses imposing fines and penalties, altered the
penalties which had been fixed by the commons,
aod even changed the uses to which they were ap
plied. These precedents were entered in the books :
but the commons resolved to maintain their point
without engaging in any dispute upon the subject.
After warm debates, and a free conference between
the two houses, the lords adhered to their amend
ment, though this resolution was carried by a majori
ty of one vote only : the commons persisted in reject
ing them ; the bill miscarried, and both houses pub
lished their proceedings, by way of appeal to the
nation.* A bill was now brought into the lower
house, granting another year's consideration to those
who had not taken the oath abjuring the pretended
prince of Wales. The lords added three clauses,
importing, that those persons who should take the
oath within the limited time might return to their
benefices and employments, unless they should be
already legally filled ; that any person endeavouring
to defeat the succession to the crown, as now limit
ed by law, should be deemed guilty of high treason ;
and that the oath of abjuration should be imposed
upon the subjects in Ireland. The commons made
some opposition to the first clause ; but, at length,
the question being put, whether they should agree to
the amendments, it was carried in the affirmative by
one voice.
§ xxviii. No object engrossed more time, or pro
duced more violent debates, than did the inquiry
2 While this bill was depending, commons ordered it to be burned by
Daniel de Foe published a pamphlet the hands of the common hangman,
entitled, ' the shortest way with the and the author to be prosecuted, tie
* dissenters j or proposals for the cs- was accordingly committed to New-
* tablishment of the church.' The gate, .tried, condemned to pay a fine
piece was a severe satire on the of £»00, and stand in the pillory.1 '
violence of ¦ the church party. The ,

CHtf'VIl. ANNE,. 48J
into the public accounts. The commissioners ap
pointed for this purpose pretended to have made
great discoveries. They charged the earl of Rane-
lagh, paymaster-general of the army, with flagrant
mismanagement. He acquitted himself in such a
manner as screened him from all severity of punish
ment : nevertheless they expelled him from the
house for a high crime and misdemeanour, in mis
applying several, sums of the public money ; and he
thought proper to resign his employment. A long
address was prepared and presented to the queen,
attributing the national debt to mismanagement of
the funds; complaining that the old methods of the
exchequer had been, neglected; and that iniquitous
frauds had been committed by the commissioners
of the prizes. Previous to this remonstrance, the
house, in consequence of the report of the com
mittee, had passed several severe, resolutions, parti
cularly against Criarjes Lord Hallifax, auditor of ,the
receipt of the exchequer, as having neglected his
duty, and .being guilty of a breach of trust. For
these reasons, they actually besought the queen,, 4n.
an address, that she would give . directions to trie
attorney-general to prosecute him for the said of
fences; and. j she promised to comply withtheir re
quest. ¦ On th& other iiand, the lords appointed a
committee to examine all trie observations, whicfi
trie commissioners of accounts had offered to both
^houses. They scribed tile national debt tq defi
ciencies in the funds : they acquitted Lord Hallifax,
the lords of the treasury, and their officers, whom
the. commons .had ; accused ; and represented .-ti)ese
circumstances in an address tq the, queen, which .was
afterwards printed with the vouchers to every parti
cular. This difference ublew up a fierce flame -of
discord between the two houses, which manifested
their mutual animosity in speeches, votes, resolutions*
and conferences. Trie commons affirmed, triat 'fi^
cognizance the lords could take of the pubfio ac>

482 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B. t,
counts would enable them to supply any deficiency,
or appropriate any surplusage of the public money :
that they could neither acquit nor condemn any per
son whatsoever, upon any inquiry arising originally
in their own house ; and that their attempt to acquit
Charles Lord Hallifax was unparliamentary. The
lords insisted upon their right to take cognizances
originally of all public accounts : they affirmed, that
in their resolutions, with respect to Lord Hallifax,
they had proceeded according to the rules of justice.
They owned, however, that their resolutions did
not amount to any judgment or acquital ; but that
finding a vote of trie commons reflected upon a mem
ber of their house, they thought fit to give their
opinion in their legislative capacity. The queen in
terposed by a message to the lords, desiring they
woiild dispatch the business in which they were en
gaged. The dispute continued even after this in
timation : one conference was held after another, till
at length both sides despaired of an accommodaT
tion. The lords ordered their proceedings to be
printed, and the commons followed their example.
On the 27th day of February the queen, having
passed all the bills triat were ready for the royal
assent, ordered the lord-keeper to prorogue the par
liament, after having pronounced a speech, in the
usual stile. She thanked them for their zeal, affec
tion, and dispatch ; declared, she would encourage
and maintain the church as by law established ; de
sired they would consider some further laws for re
straining the great licence assumed for publishing
scandalous pamphlets and libels ; and assured them,
that all her share of the prizes which might be taken
in the war should he applied to the public service*
By this time the earl of Rochester was entirely re
moved from the queen's councils. Finding himself
out-weighed by the interest of the duke of Marlbo
rough and Lord Godophin, he had become sullen
and intractable : and, rather than repair to his gor

CH. VII. ANNE. 483
vernment of Ireland, chose to resign trie office,
which, as We have already observed, was conferred
upon the duke of Ormond, an accomplished noble
man, who had acquired great popularity by the suc
cess of the expedition to Vigo. The parties in the
house of lords were so nearly matched, that the
queen, in order to ascertain an undoubted majority
in trie next session, created four new peers,1 who had
signalized themselves by the violence of their speeches
in the house of commons.
§ xxix. The two houses cf convocation, which
were summoned with the parliament, bore a strong
affinity with this assembly, by the different interests
that prevailed in the upper and lower. The last, in
imitation of the commons, was desirous of brand
ing trie preceding reign ; and it was with great dif
ficulty that they concurred with the prelates in an
address of congratulation to her majesty. Then
their former contest was revived. The lower house
desired, in an application to the arcribishop of Can
terbury and his suffragans, that the matters in dis
pute concerning the manner of synonical proceed
ings, and the right of the lower house to hold in
termediate assemblies, might be taken into consider
ation and speedily determined. The bishops pro
posed, that in the intervals of sessions, the lower
house might appoint committees to prepare mat
ters ; and when business should be brought regularly
before them, the archbishop would regulate the
prorogations in such a manner, that they should have
sufficient time to sit and deliberate on the subject.
This offer did not satisfy the lower house, which
3 These' were John Granville, creat- mour, made Baron Conway of Ragley
ed Baron Granville of Potheridgd in in the county of Warwick. At the same
the county of Devon ;Heneage Finch, time, however, John Harvey, of the
Ifc'ron of Guernsey in the county of opposite faction, was created baron of
Southampton ;. Sir John ,- Leveson Ic-kworth in the county of Suffolk;
Gower, Baron Gowcr, of Sittenham in and the marquis of Normanby was ho-
Yt)i-kshire;andFrancisSe'ym6urCon- noured with the title of duke of Buck-
way , youngest son of Sir Edward Sey- inghamshire.

4S4 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. t
was emboldened to persist in its demand by a votetof
the commons. These, in consequence of an address
of thanks from the clergy, touching Mr. Lloyd, son
to the bishop of Worcester, whom they ordered to
be prosecuted, after his privilege as member of the
convocation should be expired, had resolved, that
they would on all occasions assert the just rights and
privileges ofthelo>ver house of convocation. The
prelates refused to depart from the archbishop's
right of proroguing the whole convocation with con
sent of his suffragans. The lower house proposed
to refer the controversy to the queen's decision.
The bishops declined this expedient, as inconsistent
with the episcopal authority, and the presidence of
the archbisriop. The lower house having incurred
the imputation of favouring presbytery, by this op
position to the bishops, entered in their books a de
claration, acknowledging the order of bishops as
superior to presbyters, and to be a divine apostolical
institution. Then they desired the bishops, in an
address, to concur in settling the doctrine of the
divine apostolical right of episcopacy, that it niight
be a standing rule of the church. , They likewise
presented a petition to the queen complaining, that
in the convocation called in the year 1700, after
an interruption of ten years, several questions hav
ing arisen concerning the rights and liberties of
the lower house, the bishops had refused a verbal
conference : and afterwards declined a proposal to
submit the dispute to her majesty's determination ;
they, therefore, fled for protection to her majesty,
begging she would call the question into her own
royal audience. The queen promised to consider
their petition, which was supported by the earl of
Nottingham ; and ordered their council to examine
the affair, how it consisted with law and custom.
Whether their report was unfavourable to thedower
house, or the queen was unwilling to encourage the
division, no other answer was made to their address.

CH. VII. ANNE. 485
The archbishop replied to their request presented to
the upper house, concerning the divine right of
presbytery, that the preface to the form of ordina
tion contained a declaration of three orders of mi
nisters from- the times of the apostles ; namely,
bishops, priests, and deacons, to which, they had
subscribed : but he and his brethren conceived, that,
without a royal licence, they had not authority to
attempt, enact, promulge, or execute, any canon
which should concern either doctrine or discipline.
The lower house answered this declaration in -very
petulant terms ; and the dispute subsisted when the
parliament was prorogued. But these dontests pro
duced divisions through fhe whole body of the
clergy, who ranged themselves in different factions,
distinguished by the names of high-church and low-
church. The first consisted of ecclesiastical tories ;
the other included those who professed revolution
principles, and recommended moderation towards
the dissenters. The high-church party reproached
the other as time-servers, and presbyterians in dis
guise ; and were, in their turn, stigmatised as the
friends and abettors of tyranny and persecution. At
present, however, the tories both in church and
state triumphed in the favour of their sovereign.
The right of parliaments, the memory of the late
king, and even the act limiting the succession of
the house of Hanover, became the subjects of ridi
cule. The queen was flattered as possessor of the
prerogatives of the ancient monarchy : the history
written by her grandfather, the* earl of Clarendon
was now for the first time published, to inculcate the
principles of obedience, and inspire the people with
an abhorrence of opposition to an anointed sove
reign. Her majesty's hereditary right was deduced
from Edward the Confessor, and, as heir of his
pretended sanctity and virtue, she was persuaded to
touch persons afflicted with the king's evil, accord-
• Vol. I. T t

480 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. IV
ing to the office inserted in the liturgy for this oc
casion. § xxx. The change of the ministry rii Scotland?
seemed favourable to the episcopalians and anti-
revolutioners of that kingdom. The earls of March-
mont, Melvil, Selkirk, Leven, and Hyndford, were
laid aside ; the earl of Seafield was appointed chan
cellor : the duke of Queensberry, and the lord-vis
count Tarbat, were declared secretaries of state : trie
marquis of Annandale was made president of the
council, and the earl of Tullibardin lord-privy-seal.
A new parliament having been summoned, the earl
of Seafield employed his influence so successfully
that a great number of anti-revolutioners "were re
turned as members. The duke of Hamilton had
obtained from the queen a letter to the privy-coun
cil in Scotland^ rii which she expressed her desire,
that fhe presbyterian clergy should live in brotherly-
love and communion with such dissenting ministers-
of trie reformed religion as were in possession of be
nefices,- and lived with decency and submission to
the law. The episcopal clergy, encouraged by these
expressions in their favour, drew up an address to the
queen, imploring her protection ; and humbly bq-
Iseeching her to allow those parishes in which triere
was a majority of episcopal freeholders to bestow the
benefice on ministers of their principles. This peti
tion was presented by Dr. Skeen and Dr. Scot, who
were introduced by the duke bf Queensberry to her
majesty. She assured them of 'tier protection and
endeavours to supply their necessities ; and exhorted
them to live inf> peace and christian love witri the
-Clergy, who were by law invested "with the church
government in rier ancient kingdom of Scotland.
A proclamation df indemnity having been published
in March, a great number of Jacobites returned from
''Frarice and other countries, pretended to have chang
ed their sentiments, and took the oaths, that they

fcri. vii. uLnnk. 487
might be qualified to sit in parliament. They form
ed an accession to the strength of the anti-revolu
tioners and episcopalians, who now hoped to out*
number the presbyterians, and outweigh their in
terest. But this confederacy was composed of dis
sonant parts, from : which no harmony could be ex
pected. The presbyterians arid revolutioners were
headed by the duke of Argyll; The country-party
of malcontents, which took its rise from the disap
pointments of the Darien settlement, acted under
trie auspices of the duke of Hamilton and marquis of
Tweeddale ; and the earl of Hume appeared as chief
of the anti-revolutioners. The different parties, who
how united, pursued the most opposite ends. The
majority of the country-party were friends to the
revolution, and sought only redress of the griev
ances which the nation had sustained in the late
reign. Trie anti-revolutioners considered the acces
sion and government of King William as an ex
traordinary event, which they were willing to forget,
•believing that all parties were; safe under the shel
ter of , her majesty's general indemnity. The Jacobites
submitted to the -queen, as tutrix or regent for the
prince of Wales;, whom they firmly believed she in
tended to establish on the throne; . The whigs under
Argyll, alarmed at the coalition, of all their enemies,
resolved to procure a parliamentary sanction for the
revolution.* § xxxi. a. D; 1703.— The parliament being open
ed on the 6th day of May at Edinburgh, by the duke
of Queensberry as commissioner^ the queen's letter
was read, in which she demanded a supply for the
.maintenance of the forces^ advised them to encourage
trade, and exhorted them to proceed with wisdom,
iprudenee, and unanimity. The duke of Hamilton
.,.-.-, -,.)) ...
*. Burnet, 01dra|?:on, Torcy'smem. of the .adrtliral^. History of the?duke!
Larnbefty's ifiem. Feuquieres. Bur- of Marlborough. Diichea of Marl-
cbst. Tindat Loclhart'S mem. Live* borough's apol.
Tt2

488 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. B. I.
immediately offered the draft of a bill for recogniz
ing her majesty's undoubted right and title to the
imperial crown of Scotland, according tq the de
claration of the estates of the kingdom, containing
the claim of right. It was immediately received ;
and at the second reading, the queen's advocate of
fered an additional clause, denouncing the penalties
of treason against any person who should question her
majesty's right and title to the crown, or her exer
cise of the government, from her actual entry to the
same. This, after a long and warm debate, was car
ried by the concurrence of the anti-revolutioners.
Then the earl of Hume produced the draft of a bill
for the supply : immediately after it was read, the
marquis of Tweeddale made an overture, that, before
all other business, the parliament would proceed to
make such conditions of government, and regula
tions in the constitution of the kingdom, to take
place after the decease of her majesty, and the heirs
of her body, as should be necessary for the preser
vation of their religion and liberty. This overture
and the bill were ordered to lie upon the table ; and,
in the meantime, the commissioner found himself
involved in great perplexity. The duke of Argyll,
the marquis of Annandale, and the earl of Marfch-
mont, gave him to understand in private, that they
were resolved to move for an act, ratifying the re
volution ; and for another, confirming the presbyte-
rian government : that they would insist upon their
being discussed before the bill of supply, and that
they were certain of carrying the points at which
they aimed. ; The commissioner now found himself
reduced to a very disagreeable alternative. There
was a necessity for relinquishing all hope of a supply,
or abandoning the anti-revolutioners, to whom he
was connected by promises of concurrence. The
whigs were determined to oppose all schemes of
supply that should come from the cavaliers ; and
these last resolved to exert their whole power in pre-

CH* VII. ANNE. 48Q
venting the confirmation pf the revolution and the
presbyterian discipline. He foresaw that on this oc
casion < the whigs would be joined by the du£e ,pf
Hamilton and his party, so as to preponderate against
trie cavaliers. He endeavoured to cajole both par
ties ; but found the task impracticable. He de
sired in parliament, that the apt for the supply might
be read, promising that they should, have full time
afterwards to deliberate on other subjects. The
marquis of Tweeddale insisted upon his overture ;
and, after warm debates, the house resolved to pro
ceed with such acts as migtjt.be necessary for secur
ing the religion, liberty, and trade, of the-natipn, be
fore any bill for supply or other business should be
discussed. The marquis of Athole; offered an act for
the security of the kingdom, in case of her; majesty's
decease : but, before it was read, the duke of Argyll
presented his draft of • a bill fur. ratifying the revo
lution, and all the acts following -thereupon. An
act for limiting the succession after the death of her
majesty, and the heirs ofc her body, was produced
by Mr. Fletcher of . Saltoum ¦ The earl of Rothes
recommended another,, importing, that, after her
majesty's death, and failing -, heirs of her body, no
person coming to- the crown of Scotland, being at
fhe same time king or queen of England, should, as
king or. queen of Scotland, have., power to make
peace or war without the consent of parliament.
The earl of Marchmont recited the draft of an act
for securing the true protestant religion and presby
terian government ;, one ; wa"fcj' also suggested by Sir
Patrick Johnston,, allowing the importation of wines,
and other foreign liquors. All these bills were or
dered to lie upon the table. Then the earl of Strath-
more produced an act for toleration to all protest
ants in-, the exercise of religipus worship, , But
against this the. .general assembly presented a most
violent remonstrance ; and.the,promo$ers 0f the '

ftt "¦

490 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. E.I.*
foreseeing that it would meet with great opposition,
allowed it to drqp for the present. On the 3* day
of June, the parliament passed the act for preserving
the true reformed protestant religion, and confirming;
the presbyterian church government, as agreeable to
the word of God, and the only government of
Christ's church within the kingdom. The same party
enjoyed a further triumph in the success of Argyll-s
act, for ratifying and perpetuating the first act of
King William's parliament ; for declaring it high
treason to disown the authority of that parliament,
or to alter or renovate the claim of right, or any ar
ticle thereof. This lasf clause was- strenuously Op
posed ; but at last the bill passed, with the concur
rence of all the ministry, except the marquis of Athole
and the viscount Tarbat, who began at this period
to correspond with the opposite party.
§ xxxn. The cavaliers thinking themselves be
trayed by the.duke of Queensberry, who had assent
ed to these acts, first expostulated with him ort his
breach of promise, and then renounced his interest,
resolving to separate themselves from the court, and
jointly pursue such measures as might be for the in
terest of their party. But o£ all the bills that were
produced in the course of this remarkable session,
that which produced the most violent altercation was
the act of security, calculated tp abridge the prero
gative of the crown, limit the successor, and throw
a vast additional power into the hands of the parlia
ment. ., It was considered paragraph by paragraph :
many additions and alterations were proposed, land
Some adopted : inflammatory speeches were uttered ;
bitter sarcasms retorted from party to party ; and dif
ferent votes passed on different clauses. At length,
in spite of , the most obstinate opposition from the
ministry and the cavaliers, it was passed by a majo
rity of fifty-nine voices. The commissioner was hri-
portuned to give it the royal assent; but- declined
Answering their entreaties till the 10th day of Sep-

..CH.VIL ANNE. 4gi '
,i! ' '' -"' - v' " VJIOT: 'f
tember. , Then ho made a speech, in parliament,
giving them to understand that he had received the
queen's pleasure, and was empowered to give the
royal assent to all the acts voted in this- session, ex
cept to the act for the security of the kingdom. A
motion was made to solicit the royal assent in an
address to her majesty ; but the question being put;
it was carried in the negative' by a small majority.
<)n the 6th day of the same month, the earl of
Mafchmont had produced a bill to settle the suc
cession, on the house of Hanover., At first theimi
port Of it was" not known ; but, when the clerk in
reading it mentioned the princess Sophia, the whole
house was kindled into a flame. Some proposed
that the overture should be burned ¦: others moved
that the earl might be sent prisoner to the castle ;
and a general dissatisfaction appeared in the whole
assembly. Not that the majority in parliament were
averse to the succession in the house of Hanover :
but ihey resolved to avoid a nomination without sti
pulating conditions ; and they had already provided,
in the act of security, that it should be high treason
to own any person as king or queen after her ma
jesty's decease, until he. Qr she should take the coro
nation-oath, arid accept the terms of the* claim of
right, and such conditions as should be settled iri this
"or any' ens ui ng parlia m en t. -
§ xxxiii. Andrew Fletcher> of Saltoun, a man
of undaunted courage and inflexible integrity, who
professed republican principles, and seemed design-
. jgdby nature as a- member of some Grecian com
monwealth, after having observed that the nation,
would be, enslaved, should it submit, either will
ingly ot by commission, to the successor of Eng
land, without such conditions' of government : as
^should secure them against the influence of an Eng
lish ministry, offered the draft of an act, importing,
,. that after '^he decease of her majesty,- without heirs
^|. her body, no person being successor to the Eng-

492 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. E. I.
lish throne should succeed to the crown of Scotland,
but under the following limitations, which, together
with the coronation oath and claim of right, they
should swear to observe : namely, that all offices
and places; civil and military, as well as pensions,
should for the future be conferred by a parliament
to be chosen at every Michaelmas head-court, to
sit on the 1st day of November, and adjourn them
selves from time to time, till the ensuing Michael
mas : that they should choose their own president :
that a committee' of thirty-six members, chosen
out of the whole parliament, without distinction of
estates, should, during the intervals of parliament,
be vested under the king, with the administration
of the government, act as his council, be account
able to parliament, and call it together on extra
ordinary occasions. He proposed that the succes
sor should be nominated by the majority: declar
ing for himself, that he would rather concur in no
minating the most rigid papist with those condi
tions than the truest protestant without them. The
motion was seconded by many members ; and though
postponed for the present, in favour of an act of
trade under the consideration of the house, it was. af
terwards resumed with great warmth. In vain the
lord-treasurer represented that no funds were as yet
provided for the army, and moved for a reading of
the act presented for' that purpose : a certain mem
ber . observed, that this was a very unseasonable
juncture to propose a supply, when the house had
so much to do for the security of the nation : he
said, they had very little encouragement to grant
supplies, when they found themselves frustrated of
all their labour and expence for these several months ;
and when the whole kingdom saw that supplies
served for no other use but to gratify the avarice
qf some insatiable ministers. Mr. Fletcher expa
tiated upon the good consequences that would arise
from the act which he had proposed. The.cha.n-.

CH. VII. ' ANNE. 493
cellor answered, that such an act was laying a scheme
for a commonwealth*, and tending to innovate the
constitution of the monarchy. The 'ministry pro
posed a state of a vote, whether they should first
give a reading to Fletcher's act or to the act of
subsidy. The country party- moved that the ques
tion might be, 'Overtures for subsidies, or over-
' tures for liberty.' Fletcher withdrew his act, ra
ther than people should pervert the meaning of
laudable designs. The house resounded with the
cry of ' liberty or subsidy.' Bitter invectives were'
uttered against the ministry. < One member said
it was now plain the nation was to expect no other
return for their expence and toil, than that of be
ing loaded with a subsidy, and being obliged to bend
their necks under the yoke of slavery, which was
prepared for them from that throne: another ob
served, that as their liberties were suppressed, so
the privileges of parliament-were dike to be torn
from them ; but that he would venture -his life in
defence of his birthright, and rather die a free man
than Jive a slave. When the vote was demanded,
and declined by the commissioner, the earl of Rox
burgh declared,.- that if there was no other way
of obtaining so natural and undeniable a privilege
Of parliament, they would demand it with their
swords in their hands. Trie commissioner forsee-
ing this spirit ;, of freedom and < contradiction, or
dered the foot-guard to be in; readiness, and placed1
a strong guard upon the eastern' gate of the city.
Notwithstanding these precautions, he ran the risk
of- being torn in pieces ; and, , in this apprehen
sion, ordered the chancellor to inform- the house,
that the parliament should proceed upon overtures
for > liberty at ¦ their next sitting; This promise al
layed the ferment which had begun to rise., Next
day the members prepared an overture, implying,
that the elective members should be chosen -for every
> seat at the Michaelmas bead-rcourts -: that a parlia-

49(4 HISTORY QF ENGLAND. , B. I.
ment -should be held once in twp years, afr, least ;
that' the short adjournments, de die indieiri, sjripuld
be made by the parliaments themselves, as in 'Eng
land. : and that no officer in the, army, customs,
or excise, nor any gratuitous, pensioner, should sit
as an elective member. Ths- commissioner being-
apprised of their proceedings, called for such acts
as he was empowered, to pass, and having given- the
royal assent to them, prorogued th$-garliament to
the 13th day of October.1 Such was the issue of
this remarkable session of the Scottish parliament
in which the duke of Queensberry was abandoned
by the, greatest part of the, ministry ; and such a
spirjt of ferocity and opposition prevailed, as threat
ened the whole kingdom with civil war and con
fusion. The queen/ conferred titles upon those ?
who appeared to have influence in the nation, andj
attachment to her gove.mroenti.and revived the orT
der of the thistle, which the late king had dropped.
§ xxxiv. Ireland was filled with discontent, by
the behaviour and conduct of the trustees for the
forked estates. The earl of Rochester had con
tributed to foment trie, troubles qf that kingdom, by
encouraging the factions which had been imported
1 Though the queen refused to pans other commission for. that purpose
the act of security, the royal assent' without consent of parliament ; and
was granted to an act of limitation, qn no supply having- been provided be-
the successor, in which it was declared fore the adjournment, the army an<l
that ho king or queen of Scotland expence of government were main-
should have power to make war or tained upon credit. * < .
peace without confent of parliament. 3 The marquis of Athole, and the
Another law was enacted, allowing marquis of Douglas, though this last
French wines and other liquors to be was a minor, were created dukes,;
imported in neutral bottoms: with- Lord Tarbat was invested with the
»ut this; expedient, it was alleged title ofcarl of Cromarty; the viscounts
that the revenue would have been inn Stairt and RossberfK.were promoted
tumcient to maintain the government, to tbe -urn dignity; Lord Boyle waq
An act passed in. favour' of the com- created earl of Glasgow ; James StU*
pany trading to Africa and the Indies ; art, of Bute, oarl of Bute j.ChaxlfS
another for a commission concerning Hope, of Hopetoun, earl of Hope-
the public accounts.; a third for pu- toun ; John CtawfutdJ of Kilbirniej
dishing slanderous speechesand writ- Viscount Garnock: and Sir Jam«s
ings. The commission for treating Primrose, of Carrib'gton, Vis«onn's
of a,n union with England -was vacat- Primrose. j
pel with " prohibition to grant afly

CH. VII, ANNE. 4^fSt
from England. The duke of Ormond was received
with open arms, as heir to the. virtues of his ancesi
tors, who riad been the bulwarks of the protestant
interest in Ireland. He opened the parliament on
the 21st' day of September, with a speech to both.
houses in which he told them, that his inclination,
his interest, and the examples of his progenitors,
were indispensable obligations upon him, to improve
every opportunity to the advantage and prosperity of
his native country. The commons having chosen
Allen Broderick to be; their speaker, proceeded to
draw up very affectionate addresses to the queen and
the lord-lieutenant. In that, to the queen they com-?
plained, triat their enemies. had misrepresented them,
as desirous of being independent of the crown of
England : they, therefore, to vindicate themselves
from such false aspersions, declared and acknow
ledged, that the kingdom of Ireland was annexed
and united to the imperial crown of England In
order to express their hatred of the trustees^ they re-
Solved, that all the protestant freeholders of that
kingdom had been falsely and maliciously misrepre-*
seated, traduced, and abused, in a book entitled,
' Trie Report of the commissioners appointed tc*
inquire into the Irish forfeitures ;' audit appearing
that Francis Annesley, member of the house, John
Trenchard, Henry Langford, and. James Hamilton,
were authors of that book, they further resolved,
that these persons had scandalously and maliciously
misrepresented aaid traduced the protestant freehold
ers of that kingdom, and endeavoured to create a
misunderstanding and jealousy between trie people of
England and the protestants of Ireland. Annesley
was expelled fhe house, Hamilton was dead, and
Trenchard had returned to England.' They had
finished the inquiry- before the-, meeting of this par*
liament ; and sold at an under- value, the best of trie
forfeited estates to the sword-blade company of Eng
land- This, in a petition to the Irish parliaments.

¦igQ HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.il.
prayed that heads of a bill be brought in for enabling
them to take conveyance of lands in Ireland ; but* the
parliament was very little disposed to confirm the bar
gains pf the trustees, and the petition lay neglected
on the table. The house expelled John Asgill, who,
as agent to the sword-blade company,, had offered to
lend money to the public in Ireland, on condition
that the parliament would pass, an act to confirm the
company's purchase of the forfeited estates. His
constituents disowned his proposal ; and when he, was
summoned to appear before the house, , and answer
for his prevarication, he pleaded his privilege, as
member of the English parliament. The commons,
in a representation of the state and grievances of the
ttatiop, gave her majesty to understand, that the con
stitution of Ireland had , been of late greatly shaken;
and their lives, liberties, and estates, called in question,
and tried in a manner unknown to their ancestors,;
that the expence to; which they had been unneces
sarily exposed by the late trustees for the forfeited
estates, in defending their just rights and titles, had
exceeded in value the cm-rent cash of ; the , kingdom ;
tjiat their trade was decayed, their. money, exhausted;
and that they were hindered from maintaining - their
own manufactures ; that many protestant families had
been constrained tp quit the kingdom, in order to
earn a livelihood in foreign countries ; that the want
of frequent parliaments in Ireland had encouraged
evil-minded men to oppress the subject : that many
civil officers had acquired .great fortunes in that im
poverished country, by the exercise of corruption and
oppression : that others, in considerable employments,
resided, in another kingdom, neglecting personal at
tendance on their duty, while their offices were ill
executed, to trie detriment of the public, and the
failure of justice. They declared, that it was from
her majesty's gracious interposition alone they pro
posed to themselves relief from those, their manifold
grievances and misfortunes. The commons after-

CH. VII. ANNE. 4^7
wards voted the necessary supplies, and granted
^150,000 to make good the deficiencies of the ne
cessary branches of the establishment.
§ xxxv. They appointed a committee to inspect
the public accounts; by which they discovered, that
above ^100,000 had been falsely charged as a debt
upon the nation.1 The committee was thanked by
trie house for having saVed this sum, and ordered to
examine what persons were concerned in such a mis
representation, which was generally imputed to those
who acted under the duke of Ormond. He himself
was a nobleman of honour and generosity, addicted
to ipleasUre, 'and fond of popular applause : but he
was surrounded by people of more sordid principles,
who had ingratiated themselves into his confidence
by the arts of adulation. The commons voted a
provision for the half-pay officers ; and abolished
pensions to the amount of ^17,000 a-year, as un
necessary branches of the establishment. They pass
ed an act settling the succession of the crown, after
the pattern set them by England : but the most im
portant transaction of this session was a severe bill
to prevent the growth of popery. ' It bore a strong
affinity to' that which had passed three years before
in England ; but contained more effectual clauses.
Among others, it 'enacted, that all estates of papists
should be equally divided among the children, not
withstanding any settlement to the contrary, unless
trie persons to whom they migrit be settled should
qualify themselves by taking the Oaths, and/ commu
nicating with the church of England. !The bill was
not at all agreeable to the ministry in England, who
expected large presents from the papists, by whom a
considerable sum had been actually raised for this
purpose. But, as they did riot think proper to re
ject Such a bill" while' the English parliament was
sitting, they added a clause which they hoped the
parliament of Ireland would refuse :' namely, that no
persons in that kingdom should be capable of any

^9$ HISTORY OF'*NGLANt). B.'fc
employment, or of being in the magistracy of a^jp.
city, who did not, qualify themselves by; receiving
the sacramant, according to/ the test act passed in
England. Though this was certainly a great hard
ship on the dissenters, the parliament of Ireland tsacrir
ficed this consideration to their common security
against the Roman catholics, and accepted the amend
ment without hesitation. This affair being discuss
ed, the commons of Ireland passed a vote against a
book entitled, ' Memoirs of the late King James<H>'
as a, seditious libeL They ordered it to be burned by
the hands of the common hangman ; and the book^
seller and printer to be prosecuted. When this
motion was made, a member informed the house,
that in the county of Limerick, the Irish papists had
begun to form themselves into bodies, to plunder
the protestants of their arms and money ; and to
riiaintain a correspondence with the dissaffeeted in
England. The, house immediately resolved, that
the papists of the kingdom still retained hopes of the
accession of the person known by the name of the
prince of Wales in the life-time of the late King
James, > and now by the name of James III. In the
midst of this zeal against popery and the pretender,
they were suddenly adjourned by the command of the
lord-lieutenant, and broke up in great animosity
against that nobleman.*
§ xxxvi. The attention of the English ministry
had been for some trine chiefly engrossed by the
affairs of the continent. The emperor agreed with/
the allies, that Iris son the archduke Charles should
assume the title of king of Spain, demand the infanta
of Portugal in marriage, and undertake something of
importance, with the assistance of the maritimeipow^
1 They had, besides the bills already from coming into the. kingdom : £
mentioned, passed an act for an ad- fourth securing the lirjerty of the
ditional excise on beer, ale, and other subject, and fpr prevention of iih-
liqtiors : another, encouraging the prisonvnent beyond seas; and.a^h
importation of [iron, and staves rja for nicnraHzirg all protestant'stran-
third for preventing popish , priests gcis. i

CH. VII. ANNE. 4#fjf
«rs. Mr. Methuen, the English minister at Lisbon,
had already made some progress in a treaty with his
Portuguese majesty ; and the court of Vienna promis
ed td send such an army into the field as would in a
fittte time drive the elector of Bavaria from his do
minions. But they were so dilatory in their prepara
tions, tfbat the French king broke all their measures,
by sending powerful reinforcements to the elector, in
whose ability and attachment Lewis reposed great
confidence. Mareschal Villars, who commanded an
army of 30,000 men at Strasburg, passed the Rhine,
and reduced Fort Kehl, the garrison of which was
conducted to Philipsburg. The emperor, alarmed
at this event, ordered Count Schlick to enter Bavaria
on the side of Saltsburg, with a considerable body of
forces ; and sent another under Count Stirufn, to in
vade the same electorate by the way of Newmark,
which was surrendered to him, after he bad routed a
party of Bavarians : the city of Amberg met with the
same fate. Meanwhile Count Schlick defeated a
body of militia that defended fhe lines of Saltsburg,
and made himself master of Riedt, and several other
places. The elector assembling his forces near Bren'au,
diffused a report, that he intended to besiege Pas'sau,
to cover wfiich place Schlick advanced with the greats
est part of his • infantry, leaving behind his cavalry
and cannon. The elector having by this feint di
vided the imperialists, passed the bridge of Scardin-
gen with 12,000 men, and, after an obstinate en
gagement, compelled the imperialists to abandon the
field of battle : then he marched against the Saxon
troops which guarded the artillery, and attacked them
with such impetuosity^ that they Were entirely de
feated. In a few days after these actions, he took
Newburg on the Inn by capitulation. He obtained
another advantage Over an advanced post of the im
perialists near Burgenfeldt, commanded by the young
prince of Brandenburg Anspach, who was mortally
wounded in the engagement. He advanced tb Ratife-

500 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. E.I.
bon, where the diet of the empire was assembled,
and demanded that he should be immediately put in
possession of the bridge and gate of the city. The
burghers immediately took to their arms, and plant
ed cannon on the ramparts : but when they saw a
battery erected against them, and the elector deter
mined to bombard the place, they thought proper to
capitulate, and comply with his demands. He took
possession of the town on the 8th day of April, and
signed an instrument, obliging himself to withdraw
his troops, as soon as the emperor should ratify the
diet's resolution for the neutrality of Ratisbon.
Mareschal Villars having received orders to join the
elector at all events, and being reinforced by a body
of troops under Count Tallard, resolved to break
through the lines which the prince of Baden had
made atStolhoffen. This general had been luckily
joined by eight Dutch battalions, and received the
Erench army, though double his number, with such
obstinate resolution, that Villars was obliged to re
treat with great loss, and directed his route towards
Offingen. Nevertheless, he penetrated through the
Black forest, and effected a junction with the elector.
Count Stirum endeavoured to join Prince Louis of
Baden : but being attacked near Scriwemmingen, re
tired under the cannon of Nortlingen.
§ xxxvu. The confederates were more successful
on the Lower Rhine and in the Netherlands. The
duke of Marlborough crossed the sea in the beginning
of April, and assembling the allied army, resolved,
that the campaign should be begun with the siege of
Bonne, which was accordingly invested on the 24tu
day of April. Three different attacks were carried
on against this place ; one by the hereditary prince
of Flesse-Cassel ; another by the celebrated Coehorn ;
and a third by Lieutenant-general Fagel. The gar
rison defended themselves vigorously till the 14th
day of May, when the fort having been taken by as
sault, and the breaches rendered practicable, the

CH. VIL ANNE. 5-Q1
marquis d'Alegre, the governor, Ordered a parley to
be beat : hostages were immediately exchanged : on
the 1 6* the capitulation was signed; and in three
days the. garrison evacuated the place, in order to be
conducted to Luxemburg. During the siege of
Bonne, the mareschals Bouffiers and Villeroy advanc
ed with an army of 40,000 men towards Tongeren,
and the confederate army, commanded by M. d'Au-
verquerque was obliged at their approach to retreat
under the cannon of Maestricht. The enemy having
taken possession of Tongeren, made a motion against
the confederate army, which triey found already
drawn up in order of battle, and so advantageously
posted, that notwithstanding their great superiority
in point of number, they would not hazard an at
tack; but retired to the ground from whence they
had advanced. Immediately after the reduction of
Bonne, the duke of Marlborough, who had been
present at the siege, returned to the confederate army
in the Netherlands, now amounting to 130 squadrons,
and fifty-nine battalions. On the 25th day of May,
the duke having passed the river Jacker, in order to
give battle to the enemy, they marched With precipita
tion to Boekwern, and abandoned Tongeren, after
having blown up the walls of the place with gun
powder. The duke continued to follow them to
Thys,, where he encamped, while they retreated to
Hannye, retiring as he advanced. Then he resolved
to force their lines : this service was effectually per
formed by Coehorn, at the point of Callo, and by
Baron Spaar, in the county ofWaes, near Stoken,
The duke had formed the design of reducing Ant
werp, which was garrisoned by Spanish troops, under
the command of the marquis de Bedmar. He in
tended, with the grand army, to attack the enemy's
lines on the side of Louvaine and Mechlin : he de
tached Coehorn with bis flying camp on the right of
£he Scheldt, towards Dutch Flanders, to amuse the
Vol, L V u

502 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. JJ, I,
marquis de Bedmar on that side ; and he ordered the
baron Opdam, with J 2,000 men, to. take post between
Eckeren and Capelle, near Antwerp, that he might
act against that part of the lines which was guarded
by the Spanish forces.
§ xxxvm. The French generals, in order to
frustrate the scheme of Marlborough, resolved to cut
off the retreat of Opdam. Bouffiers, with a detach
ment of 20,000 men from Villeroy's army, surprised
him at Eckeren, where the Dutch were put in dis
order ; and .Opdam, believing all was lost, fled to
Breda. Nevertheless, the troops . rallying under
General Schlangenburg, maintained their ground with
the most obstinate valour, till night, when the ene
my was obliged to retire, and left the communication
free with Fort Lillo, to which place the confederates
marched without further molestation, having lost
about 1,500 men in the engagement. The damage
sustained by the French was more considerable.
They were frustrated in their design, and had actually-
abandoned the field of battle : yet Lewis ordered te
Deum to - be sung for the victory : nevertheless,
Bouffiers was censured; for his conduct on triis occa
sion, and in a little- time totally disgraced. - Opdam
presented a justification of his. conduct to the states-
general : but by this oversight be. forfeited the fruits
of a long service, during which he had exhibited
repeated proofs of courage, zeal, and capacity. The
states honoured Schlangenburg with a letter of thanks
for the valour and skill he had manifested in this en
gagement : but in a littlejjitime they dismissed him
from his employment, on account of his having
r given umbrage to the duke of Marlborough, by cen
suring his grace for exposing such a small number, of
men to this disaster. After this action, Villeroy,
>>who lay encamped near Sc. Job, declared lie would
wait for the duke of Marlborough, who forthwith ad
vanced tp.-Hoogstraat, with a view to give him battle :
but, at his approach, the French general, setting

CH. VII. ANNE. 503
fire to his camp, retired1 within his lines with great
precipitation. Then the duke invested; Huy, the
garrison of which, after a vigorous defence, surrend
ered themselves prisoners of war, on the 27th day of
August. At a council of war, held in the campof
the confederates, the duke proposed to attack the
enemy's tines between the Mehaigne and Leuwe, and
was seconded by the Danish, HanOverian,and Hessian,
generals : but the scheme was opposed, by the Dutch
officers, and the deputies of the states, who alleged,
that the success was dubious, and the consequences
• of forcing the lines would be inconsiderable : they
therefore recommended the siege of Limburg, by the
reduction of which they would acquire a whole pro-
; Vince, and cover their own country, -as well as Juliers
and Gueldres, from the designs of the enemy. The
siege of Limburg was accordingly undertaken, if Trie
trenches were opened on the 25th day of September,
and in two days the- place was surrendered ; the gar-
, risen remaining prisoners of war. By this conquest
- the allies secured the country of Liege, and the
electorate of Cologne, from the incursions of the
fcnemy : before the end of the year^ they remained
"masters of the whole Spanish Guelderland, by the re
duction of Gueldres, which surrendered on the 17tfc
day of September; after having been long blockaded,
¦'•bombarded, and reduced to a heap of ashes, by the
Prussian general Lottum. Such was the campaign
in the Netherlands, which in all probability would
have produced events of greater importance, had* not
-trie duke of Marlborough been restricted by .the de
puties of the states-general, who began to be in
fluenced by the intrigues of the Louvestein faction,
ever averse to a single dictator.
¦§ xxxix. The French king redoubled his efforts;, in
Germany. The duke de Vendome was ordered to
inarch from the Milanese to Tyrol, and there join
the elector of' Bavaria who had already made him-
n , Ui-u-2 - (1ud

504 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. , B. I,
self master of Inspruck. But the boors rising in
arms^ drove him out of the country before he could
be joined by the French general, who was therefore
obliged to return to the Milanese. The imperialists
in Italy were so ill supplied by the court pf Vienna,
that they could not pretend to act offensively. The 7
French invested Ostiglia, which, however, they could
not reduce : but the fortress of Barsillo, in the duchy
of Reggio, capitulating after a long blockade, they
took possession of the duke of Modena's country.
The elector of Bavaria rejoining Villars, resolved to
attack Count Stirum, whom Prince Louis of Baden
had detached from his army. With this view, they
passed the Danube at Donawert, and discharged six
guns, as a signal for the marquis d'Usson, whom
they had left in the camp at Lavingen, to fall upon
the rear of the imperialists, while they should charge
them in front. Stirum no sooner perceived the sig
nal, than he guessed the intention of trie enemy, and
instantly resolved to attack d'lJsson before the elector
and the mareschal should advance. He accordingly
charged him at the head of sc-me select squadrons,
With such impetuosity, that trie-French cavalry were
totally defeated ; and all his infantry would have been
killed and taken, had not the elepfor pnd Villars
come Up in time to turn the fate qf trie day. The
action continued from six in the morning till four, in,
the afternoon, when Stirum, being overpowered by
numbers, Was obliged to retreat to Norlingen, with the
loss of 12,000 meq^ and. all his baggage and artillery,
In the meantime, the duke of Burgundy, assisted by
Tallard, undertook the 'siege of Old Brisac, with a
prodigious train of artillery. The place was very
strongly fortified, though the garrison was small,
and ill provided with necessaries. Jn fourteen, days,
the governor surrendered the place, and, was cqn-r
demiied to lose his head,, lor having made such a
slender defence. The duke of Burgundy returned iri
triumph to Versailles, and Tallard was ordered to iri-

CH. VH. ANNE. 505
vest Landau. The prince of Hesse- Cassel being de
tached from the Netherlands, for the relief of the
place, joined the count of Nassau-Weilburg, general
of the palatine forces, near Spires, where they re
solved to attack the French in their fines. But by
this time Monsieur Pracontal, With 10,000 men, had
joined Tallard, and enabled him to strike a stroke
which proved decisive. He suddenly quitted his
lines, and surprised the prince at Spirebach, where
the French obtained a complete victory, after a very
obstinate and bloody engagement, in which the
prince of Hesse distinguished himself by uncommon
marks of courage and presence of mind. Three
horses were successively killed under him, and he
slew a French officer5 with his own hand. After in
credible efforts, he was fain to retreat with the loss
of some thousands. The French paid dear for their
victory, Pracontal having been slain in the action.
Nevertheless, they resumed the siege, and the place
was surrendered by capitulation. The campaign in
Germany was finished with the reduction of Augsburg
by the elector of Bavaria, who took it in the month
of December, and agreed to its being secured by a :
French garrison. . , j>
§ xl. The emperor's affairs at this juncture wore
a very unpromising aspect. The Hungarians were
fleeced, and barbarously oppressed by those to whom
he entrusted the government of their country. They
derived courage from despair. They seized this op
portunity, when' the emperor's forces were divided,
and his councils distracted, to exert theniselves in.
defence of their liberties. They ran to arms, under,,
the auspices of Prince Ragotzki. They demanded
that their grievances' should be redressed, and their
privileges restored. Their resentment was kept up
by the emissaries of France and Bavaria, who fike^
wise encouraged them to persevere iff their revolt,
by repeated promises of protection arid assistance.
--r U u 3 *

506 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. « B. I.
The emperor's prospect, however, was soon mended
by two incidents of very great consequence to his in
terest. The duke of Savoy, foreseeing how much
he should be exposed to the mercy of the Frencri
king, should that monarch become master of the
Milanese, engaged in a secret negociation with the
emperor, which, notwithstanding all his caution, was
discovered by the court of Versailles. Lewis imme
diately ordered the duke de Vendome to disarm the
troops of Savoy that were in his army, to the number
of 22,000 men : to insist upon the duke's putting
him in possession of four considerable fortresses ; and
demand that the number of his troops should be re
duced to the establishment stipulated in the treaty of
l6g6. The duke, exasperated at these insults, or
dered the French ambassador, and several officers of
the same nation, to be arrested. Lewis endeavoured
to intimidate him bya menacing letter, in which he
gave him to understand, that since neither religion,
honour, interest, nor alliances, had been able to
influence his conduct, the duke de Vendome should
make known the intentions of the French monarch,
and allow him twenty-four hours to deliberate on
the measures he should pursue. This letter was
answered by a manifesto : in the meantime, the-
duke concluded a treaty with the court of Vienna ;
acknowledged the archduke Charles as king of
Spain; and sent envoys to England and Holland.
Queen Anne, knowing his importance, as well as
his selfish disposition, assured him of her friend
ship and assistance ; and both she and the states
sent ambassadors to Turin. He was immediately
joined by a body of imperial horse under ViscOnti,
and afterwards by Count Staremberg, at trie head
' of 15,000 1 nen, with whom that general marched
from the Modenese, in the worst season of the year,
through an enemy's country, and roads that were
deemed impassable. In vain the French forces ha-
assed hi m in his march, and even surrounded him

SH„ Mil. ANNE. 50?
in many different places on the route : he surmounted
all these difficulties with incredible courage and per-
severence, and joined the duke of Savoy at Canejli,
so as to secure the country of Piedmont. The other
¦ incident which proved so favourable to the imperial
interest, was a treaty by which the king of Portugal
acceded to the grand alliance. His ministry per
ceived, that should Spain be once united to, the
crown of France, their master would sit very inse
cure upon his throne. They were intimidated by the
united fleets of the maritime powers ; which main
tained the empire of the sea ; and they were allured
by the splendour of a match between their infanta
and the archduke Charles, to whom the emperor
and king of the Romans promised to, transfer all
their pretensions to the Spanish crown. By this treaty,,
concluded at Lisbon, between the emperor and the
queen of Great Britain, the king of Portugal, arid
the states-general, it was stipulated, that King Charles
should be conveyed to Portugal by a powerful fleet,
having on board 12,000 soldiers, with; a .great sup
ply of money, arms, and ammunition ; and that, he
should be joined immediately, upoa his landing by
an army of 28,000 Portuguese.
§ xli. The confederates reaped very little advan
tage from, the naval operatiqns of this summer. . Sir
Qgorge Rooke cruized .in the Channel, in, order to
alarm the coast of France, and protect the trade; of
England. On the 1st day of July, Sir Cloudesley
Shovel sailed from Sl. Helens, with . the combiried
squadrons of England and Holland;, .he directed his
course to the Mediterranean, and, being reduced to
great difficulty by want of water, steered to Alt ea,
on trie coast of Valentia, where Brigadier Seymour
landed, and encamped , .with 2,500 marines. ' l;he
admiral published p. short manifesto, signifying that
he was not come to disturb, but to, protect, the good
subjects of Spain, who should swear, allegiance, to
their ; lawful monarch, the archduke Charles^ and

508 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B. 1.
endeavour to shake off the yoke of France. This
declaration produced little or no effect ; and the fleet
being watered, Sir Cloudesley sailed to Leghorn.
One design of this armament was to assist the CeVen^
nois, who had in the course of the preceding year
been persecuted into a revolt on account of religion,
and implored the assistance of England and the states-
general. The admiral detached two ships into the
gulf of Narbonne, with some refugees: and French
pilots, who had concerted signals with the Ceven-
nois ; but the mareschal de Montrevil having re
ceived intimation of their design, took such mea
sures as prevented all communication ; and the Eng
lish captains having repeated their signals to no pur
pose, rejoined Sir Cloudesley at Leghorn. This
admiral, having renewed the peace with the pirati
cal states of Barbary, returned to England, without
having taken one effectual step for annoying the
enemy, or attempted any thing that looked like the
result of a concerted scheme for that purpose. The
nation naturally murmured at the fruitless expedt^
tion, by which it had incurred such a considerable
expence. The merchants complained that they were
ill supplied with convoys. The. sbips of war were
victualled with damaged provision ; and every -ar
ticle of the marine being mismanaged, the blame
fell upon those who acted as council to the lord- high-
admiral.. § xlii. Nor were the arms of England by sea
much more successful in the West-Indies. Sir
George Rooke, in the preceding year, had detached
from the Mediterranean Captain Hovenden Walker,
with six ships of the line and transports, Having; on
board four regiments of soldiers, for the Leeward
islands. Being joined at Antigua by some troops
under Colonel Codrington, they made a descent
upoA the island of Guadaloupe, where they razed
thevfort, burned the town* ravaged the country,
and reimbarked with precipitation^ in consequence

<CH. VII. ANNE. 50g
of a report that the French had landed 900 men
on the back of the island. They retired to Ne
vis, where they must have perished by famine had
they not; been providentially relieved by Vice-ad
miral Graydon, in his way to Jamaica. This of
ficer had been sent out with three ships to succeed
Benbow, and was convoyed about 150 leagues by
two Other ships of the line. He had not sailed
many days when he fell in with part of the French
squadron commanded by Du Casse, on their return
from the West-Indies, very foul, and richly laden.
Captain Cleland of the Montague, engaged the stern-
most; but he was called off by a signal from the
admiral, who proceeded on his voyage, without
taking further notice of the enemy. When he ar
rived at Jamaica, he quarrelled with the principal
planters of the island ; and his ships beginning to
be crazy, he resolved to return to England... He
accordingly sailed through the gulf of Florida, with
a view to attack the French at Placentia,- in New
foundland : . but bis ships were dispersed in a fog
that lasted thirty days : and afterwards the council
pf war which he convoked were of opinion that
fie could not attack the settlement with any pros
pect of success. At his return to England, the
house of lords then sitting, set on foot an inquiry
into his conduct. They presented an address to
the queen, desiring she would remove him from
his employments ; and he was accordingly dismiss
ed. The only exploit that tended to distress the
enemy was performed by Rear-admiral Dilkes, who,
in the month of July, sailed to the coast of France
with a small squadron ; and, in the neighbourhood
of Granville, took or destroyed about forty ships
and their convoy. Yet this damage -was inconsi
derable, when compared to that which the Eng
lish navy sustained from the dreadful tempest that
began to blow on fhe 27;"1 day of November, ac
companied with such flashes of lightning, and peats.

510 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 13. I.
of thunder, as overwhelmed the whole kingdom
with consternation. The houses in London shook
from their foundations, and some of them falling,
buried the inhabitants in their ruins. The water
overflowed several streets, and rose to a considerable
height in Westminster hall. London bridge wis
almost choaked up with the wrecks of vessels that
perished in the river. The loss sustained by the capi
tal was computed at ^1,000,000 sterling ; and the
city of Bristol suffered to a prodigious amount ; bat
the chief national damage fell upon the navy. Thir
teen ships of war were lost, together with 1,500
seamen, including Rear-admiral Beaumont, who had
been employed in observing the Dunkirk squad
ron, and was then at anchor in trie Downs, where
his ship foundered. This great loss, however, was
repaired with incredible diligence, to the astonish
ment of all Europe. The queen immediately issued
orders for building a greater number of ships than
that which had been destroyed; and she exercised
her bounty for the relief of the ship-wrecked sea
men, and the widows of those who were drowned,
in such a manner as endeared her to all her sub
jects. § xliii. The emperor having declared his second
son Charles, king of Spain, that young prince set
out from Vienna to Holland, and at Dusseldorp
was visited bythe duke of Marlborough, who,- in
the name of his mistress, congratulated him upon
his accession to the crown of Spain. Charles received
him with the most obliging courtesy. In the course
of their conversation, taking off his sword, he pre
sented it to the English general, with a very gracious
aspect,'' saying, in the French language, c I am not
'ashamed to own myself a poor prince. I possess
f nothing but my cloak and sword; the latter may
' he of use to your grace; and I hope you will not
c think it the worse for my wearing it one day..
5 On -the contrary, replied the duke, it will always

CH. VII. ANNE. 511
' put me in mind of your majesty's just right and
' title, and of the> obligations I lie under to hazard
* my life in making you the greatest prince in
' -Christendom.' This nobleman returned to Eng
land in October ; and King Charles embarking for
the same kingdom, under convoy of an English
and Dutch squadron, arrived at Spithead on the
26th day of September. There he was received by
the dukes of Somerset and Marlborough, who
conducted him to Windsor ; and on the road he
was met by Prince George of Denmark. The
queen's deportment towards him was equally noble
and obliging ; and he expressed the most profound
respect and veneration for this illustrious princess.
He spoke but little ; yet what he said was judicious ;
and he behaved with such politeness and affability ;
as conciliated the affection of the English nobility.
After having been magnificently entertained for three
days, he returned to Portsmouth, from whence,
on the 4"1 of January, he sailed for Portugal, with a
great fleet commanded by Sir George Rooke, hay
ing on-board a body of land, forces, under the duke
of Schomberg. When the admiral had almost reach
ed Cape Finisterre, he was driven back by a storm
to Spithead, where he was obliged to remain till
the middle of February. Then being favoured with
a fair wind, he happily performed the voyage to
Lisbon, where King Charles was received with
great splendour, though the court of Portugal was
overspread with sorrow, excited by the death of
the infanta, whom the king of Spain intended to
espouse. In Poland, all hope of peace seemed to
vanish. The cardinal-primate, by the instigation
of the Swedish king, whose army lay encamped in
the neighbourhood of Dantzick, assembled a diet
at Warsaw, which solemnly deposed Augustus, and
declared .the,, throne vacant. Their intentions was
to elect young Sobieski, son of their late monarch,
1 who resided atiBreslati, in Silesia : but their scheme

£12 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B.I.
was anticipated by. Augustus, who retired hastily
into his Saxon dominions, and seizing Sobieski,
with his brother, secured them as prisoners at Dres
den*

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