The populace gave way, without restraint, to their feelings of hatred to the Roman Catholic party. They destroyed the popish mass-houses, plundered the residence of the Spanish Ambassador, and committed a great many other wrong and violent actions. Jeffreys, whose name you will remember, did not escape;he was so roughly treated that he died in consequence shortly after. He had disguised himself with the intention of leaving the country, but the populace soon discovered him, and executed their revenge in this dreadful manner.

The bishops and nobility now assembled, and endeavoured to put an end to these lawless proceedings. They charged the mayor and aldermen to preserve peace in the city of London; they sent orders to the army and the fleet, which were readily obeyed: and then they applied to the Prince of Orange, and begged him to take the government into his own hands.

Meantime, James had not succeeded in effecting his escape to France. He was seized by the populace at Feversham, and brought to London. Then he was taken to Whitehall, and afterwards permitted to go to Rochester. From thence he escaped again, and at last arrived safely at St. Germain's, in France, where he joined his wife and child, and was kindly received by King Louis.

So ended the reign of James II, the last of our sovereigns of the family of Stuart. You have seen that the love of arbitrary power was the great ruling passion in all of them; and that in two, that disposition led to fatal consequences,-depriving one of his life, and the other of his throne. With regard to our country, we have every reason to be thankful for the Great Revolution of 1688, for so the change of government which took place at this time is called in English History. It delivered us once more from Popery, which, as we have seen, James so much favoured, and would so gladly have re-established; and it prevented that increase of illegal power which the four sovereigns of the house of Stuart had for many years been endeavouring to promote. And therefore it is not without just cause, that we are taught to be grateful for a second mercy on the long celebrated fifth of November ;-to remember, on that day, not only our deliverance from the Gunpowder Treason, but also from the popish tyranny and arbitrary power which threatened us at the eventful period of the Revolution, and to thank God "for filling our hearts again with joy and gladness, and putting a new song in our mouths, by bringing his Majesty King William upon this day;" and for giving "him a safe arrival

here, and for making all opposition fall before him, till he became our king and governor."

But now, I can suppose that you may here be in some little difficulty. Perhaps you are ready to ask, why is this Revolution, and the putting down of James II, and the setting up of William III, to be considered a right thing, when the usurpation of Cromwell, and all the events which preceded that change of government were wrong? And how can we justify William Prince of Orange in taking possession of a crown which did not belong to him by inheritance? Now, in answer to these questions, I must say, that you will, I hope, see from what follows, that William may be freed from the charge of usurpation; and that the conduct of those who managed the matters connected with the Revolution, was very different from that of Cromwell and his party in the time of Charles I.

When James had departed, and the throne was left vacant, William was, as I told you before, invited by the people of England to take possession of it; but at first he hesitated, and he would not consent to do so, until his right to be called king could be established upon safe and certain grounds. A great deal of discussion ensued before it was decided of what nature his government should be, and

by what title he should be designated. There were two principal parties in the country at that time; both were anxious to have William for their ruler, but they differed as to the particular way in which he was to be made so. These two parties were known by the names of Whigs and Tories,-names which had at first been introduced in a way of ridicule; but they were afterwards adopted as convenient terms, for expressing the difference of opinion which existed on the subject of kingly authority and power. The term Whig was Scotch, and had been originally applied reproachfully to the conventiclers of Scotland. That of Tory was Irish, and had been bestowed upon the Romish banditti in Ireland, by those of the opposite side. The Whigs considered, that the king held the crown under certain conditions made between him and the people, and that if he violated these conditions, he forfeited that crown. And this, they said, in the present case, James had done, and so they considered that they would be fully justified in placing William on the throne with the title of king. But the opinion of the Tories, on the other hand, was that the king held his power by divine right, and that he could not forfeit that right whatever his administration might be. They therefore thought, that William should govern only as regent, during the

minority of the young prince. But then, the Whigs urged again, that, in all probability, James's son would be brought up in the principles of his father, that he would become a lover of Popery, and of arbitrary power, and that thus the nation would be involved in future perplexity; but that, if the succession to the crown were now altered by law, the claims of the family of Stuart would soon be passed over and forgotten, and all would go on in peace and tranquillity.

It will not be necessary for us to consider the differences of opinion of these two parties, nor to decide which of them is best. It is enough for me to say that, when the question was now put to the vote, the Whigs proved to be the majority, and so it was decided, that William should bear the title of king. To this decision the Prince was quite disposed to accede; the two princesses also, Mary the wife of William, and Anne the wife of George of Denmark, agreed to the plan. So the crown was finally settled on the Prince and Princess of Orange; but the sole administration was to remain in the Prince; and after their death, Anne was to succeed, and her children or heirs after those of the Princess of Orange. And thus quietly, and without bloodshed, was this great change made in the constitution of our and in the future line of succession.