readily embarked in the caufe, as he faw that the malcontents had conducted their measures with prudence and fecrecy. The time when the prince entered upon his enterprize was juft when the people were in a flame from the recent infult offered to their bishops. He had before this made confiderable augmentations to the Dutch fleet, and the ships were then lying ready in the harbour. Some additional troops were alfo levied, and fums of money raised for other purposes were converted to the advancement of this expedition. The Dutch had always reposed an entire confidence in him; and many of the neighbouring princes regarded him as their guardian and protector. He was fure of their protection of his native government, while he should be employed in England; and the troops of fome of the German powers were actually marched down to Holland for that purpofe. Every place was in motion: all Europe faw and expected the defcent, except the unfortunate James himself, who, fecure in the piety of his intentions, thought nothing could injure his fchemes, calculated to promote the caufe of heaven. The king of France was the first who apprifed him of his danger, and offered to affift him in repelling it. He was willing to join a fquadron of French fhips to the English fleet, and to fend over any number of troops which James fhould judge requifite for his fecurity. James, however, could not be convinced that his fon-in-law intended an invafion; fully fatisfied himself of the facredness of his authority, he imagined a like belief had pof, feffed his fubjects. He therefore rejected the French king's propofal, unwilling perhaps to call in foreign aid, when he had an army fufficient at home. When this proffer was rejected, Lewis again offered to march down his numerous army VOL. IV. B to to the frontiers of the Dutch provinces, and thus to detain their forces at home to defend themfelves. This propofal met with no better reception. Still Lewis was unwilling to abandon a friend and ally, whose interest he regarded as closely connected with his own. He ventured to remonstrate with the Dutch against the preparations they were making to invade England. The Dutch accufed his remonftrance as an officious impertinence, and James himself declined his mediation. James having thus rejected the affiftance of his friends, and being left to face the danger alone, was aftonifhed, with an advice from his minifter in Holland, that an invafion was not only projected, but avowed. When he firft read the letter containing this information he grew pale, and the letter dropt from his hand. He faw the gulph into which he was fallen, and he knew not where to feek for protection. His only refource was in retreating from thofe various precipitate measures into which he had plunged himself. He paid court to the Dutch, and offered to enter into any alliance with them for their common fecurity. He replaced in all the counties the deputy-lieutenants and juftices, who had been deprived of their commiffions for their adherence to the teft and penal laws. He reftored the charters of fuch corporations as he had poffeffed himself of; he annulled the high-commiffion court; he re-inftated the expelled prefident and fellows of Magdalen College, and he was even reduced to carefs thofe bishops, whom he had fo lately perfecuted and infulted. But all his conceffions were now too late. They were regarded as the symptoms of fear, and not of repentance; as the cowardice of guilt, and not the conviction of error. Indeed he foon fhewed the people the infincerity of his reformation; for Acaring that the Dutch fleet was difperfed, he re called called those conceffions which he had made in favour of Magdalen College; and, to fhew his attachment to the Romish church, at the baptism of his new-born fon, he appointed the pope one of the fponfors. In the mean time the declaration of the prince of Orange was induftriously dispersed over the kingdom. In this he enumerated all the grievances of which the nation complained; he promised his affiftance in redreffing them; he affured the nation that his only aim was to procure them the lafting fettlement of their liberty and their religion; and that the only motive of his going over was to learn the sense of the people in a full and free parlia ment. This declaration he quickly followed by preparations for a vigorous invafion. So well concerted were his measures, that in three days above four hundred transports were hired, the army fell down the rivers and canals from Nimeguen, with all neceffary ftores; and the prince fet fail from Helveotfluys with a fleet of near five hundred veffels, and of above fourteen thoufand men. an army Fortune, however, feemed at first every way unfavourable to his enterprize. He encountered à dreadful ftorm, which put him back; but he foon refitted his fleet, and once more ventured for England. It was given out that this invafion was intended for the coast of France, and many of the English, who faw the fleet pafs along their coafts, little expected to fee it land on their own fhores. It happened that the fame wind which fent them to their deftined port detained the English fleet in the river, fo that the Dutch paffed the ftreights of Dover without moleftation. Thus after a voyage of two days, the prince landed his army at the village of Broxholme in Torbay, on the fifth of NoB 2 vember, vember, which was the anniversary of the gunpowder treafon. But though the invitation from the English was very general, the prince for fome time had the mortification to find himself joined by very few. He marched firft to Exeter, where the country people had been fo lately terrified with the executions which had enfued on Monmouth's rebellion, that they continued to obferve a strict neutrality. But flight repulfes were not able to intimidate a general, who had from his early youth been taught to encounter adverfity. He continued for ten days in expectation of being joined by the malcontents, and at last began to defpair of fuccefs. But juft when he began to deliberate about reimbarking his forces, he was joined by feveral perfons of confequence, and the whole country foon after came flocking to his ftandard. The first perfon who joined the prince was major Burrington, and he was quickly followed by the gentry of the counties of Devon and Somerfet. Sir Edward Seymour made propofals for an affociation, which every one figned. By degrees the earl of Abington, Mr. Ruffel, fon to the earl of Bedford, Mr. Wharton, Godfrey, Howe, all came to Exeter. England was in commotion. Lord Delamare took arms in Cheshire; the earl of Danby feized York; the earl of Bath, governor of Plymouth, declared for the prince; the earl of Devonshire made a like declaration in Derby; the nobility and gentry of Nottingham embraced the fame caufe; and every day there appeared fome effect of that univerfal combination into which the nation had entered against the measures of the king. But the most dangerous fymptom was the difaffection of the army, which feemed univerfally tinctured with the fpirit of the times. Lord Colchefter, fon to the earl of Rivers, was the firft officer officer who deferted to the prince. Lord Lovelace was taken in the like attempt by the militia, under the duke of Beaufort. Lord Cornbury, fon to the earl of Clarendon, carried off the greatest part of three regiments of cavalry to the prince. Several officers of diftinction informed Feverfham, the general, that they could not in confcience fight against the prince of Orange. The defection of the officers was followed by that of the king's own fervants and creatures. Lord Churchill had been raised from the rank of a page, and had been invested with an high command in the army; had been created a peer, and owed his whole fortune to the king's bounty; even he deferted among the reft, and carried with him the duke of Grafton, natural fon to the late king, colonel Berkely, and fome others. In this univerfal defection, the unfortunate James not knowing where to turn, and on whom to rely, began to think of requesting affiftance from France, when it was now too late. He wrote to Leopold, emperor of Germany, but in vain. That monarch only returned for anfwer, that what he had forefeen had happened. James had fome dependance on his fleet; but they were entirely difaffected. In a word, his interefts were deferted by all; for he had long deferted them. himself. He was by this time arrived at Salisbury, the head quarters of his army; and he found that this body amounted to twenty thousand men. It is poffible that had he led thefe to the combat, without granting them time for deliberation, they might have fought in his favour, and fecured him on the throne. But he was involved in a maze of fears and fufpicions; the defection of those he most confided in, took away his confidence in all, and deprived him even of the power of deliberation. It B 3 was |