Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

was no small addition to his present diftrefs that the prince of Denmark, and Anne, his favourite daughter, perceiving the defperation of his circumftances, refolved to leave him, and take part with the prevailing fide. When he was told that the prince and princefs had followed the rest of his favourites, he was ftung with the most bitter anguifh. "God help me, cried hè, in the ex"tremity of his agony, my own children have "forfaken me."

During this distraction and perplexity, he embraced a fudden refolution of drawing off his army, and retiring towards London; a meafure which could only ferve to betray his fears, and provoke farther treachery. Thus driven to the precipice of his fortunes, invaded by one fon-in-law, abandoned by another, defpifed by his fubjects, and hated by those that had fuffered beneath his cruelty, he affembled the few noblemen that ftill adhered to his interests. There in his forlorn council he demanded the advice of thofe he moft con

fided in. Addreffing himself to the earl of Bedford, father to lord Ruffel, who had been executed in the former reign by the intrigues of James, "My lord, faid the king, you are an honeft man, "have credit, and can do me fignal fervice." "Ah, Sir, replied the earl, I am old and feeble; "I can do you but little fervice. I had indeed a "fon!" James was fo ftruck with this reply, that he could not speak for some minutes.

The king's fortune now expofed him to the contempt of his enemies, and his behaviour was fuch as could not procure him the esteem of his friends and adherents. He was naturally timid; and fome counsellors about him, either fharing his fears, or fecretly attached to the prince, contributed to encrease his apprehenfions. They reminded him of the fate of his father, and aggra

vated the turbulence and inconftancy of the people. They at length perfuaded him to fly from a nation he could no longer govern, and to seek for refuge at the court of France, where he was fure of affiftance and protection. The popifh courtiers, and above all the priests, were sensible that they would be made the firft facrifice upon the oppofite party's prevailing. They were therefore defirous of carrying the king along with them, as his prefence would be ftill their honour and protection abroad.

The prince of Orange was no leís defirous of the king's flying over to France than his most zealous counsellors could be. He was determined to use every expedient to intimidate the king, and drive kim out of the kingdom. He declined a perfonal conference with the king's commiffioners, and fent the earls of Clarendon and Oxford to treat with them. The terms which he propofed implied almoft a prefent participation of the fovereignty; and to urge his measures, he stopped not a moment in his march towards London.

The king, alarmed every day more and more with the profpect of a general difaffection, was refolved to hearken to those who advised his quitting the kingdom. To prepare for this he first fent away the queen, who arrived fafely at Calais, under the conduct of count Lauzun, an old favourite of the French king. He himself foon after difappeared in the night time, attended only by Sir Edward Hales, a new convert; and difguiling himfelf in a plain drefs went down to Fevertham, where he embarked on board a fmall veffel for France. But his misfortunes ftill continued to purfue him. The veffel in which he had embarked was detained by the populace, who, not knowing the perfon of the king, robbed, infulted, and abused him. He was now, therefore, perfuaded by the earl of Win

B 4

Winchelsea to return to London, where again the populace, moved by his diftreffes, and guided by their natural levity, received him contrary to his expectations, with fhouts and acclamations.

Nothing could be more difagreeable to the prince of Orange than to hear that James was brought back, and, in fome measure, triumphantly, to his capital. He had before taken measures to feize upon that authority, which the king's dereliction had put into his hands. The bishops and peers, who were now the only authorized magif trates in the ftate, gave directions, in the prefen diffolution of government, for keeping the peace of the city. They iffued orders, which were readily obeyed, to the fleet, the garrisons, and the army. They made applications to the prince, whofe enterprize they highly applauded, and whose fuccefs they joyfully congratulated. It was not therefore without extreme mortification that he found the king returned once more to embarrass his proceedings.

The prince of Orange, however, determined to diffemble, and received the news of his return with an haughty air. His aim from the beginning was to push him by threats and feverities to relinquish the throne; and his proceedings argued the refined politician. The king having fent lord Feverfham on a civil meffage to the prince, defiring a conference previous to the fettlement of the throne, that nobleman was put under an arreft on pretence of his wanting a paffport. The Dutch guards were ordered to take poffeffion of Whitehall, where the king then lodged, and to difplace the English. The king was foon after commanded by a message, which he received in bed at midnight, to leave his palace next morning, and to depart for Ham, a feat of the dutchefs of Lauderdale's. He defired permiffion to retire to Rochester, a town not far

from

from the fea-coaft, and oppofite France. This was readily granted him; and it was now perceived that the harsh measures of the prince had taken effect, and that James was meditating an escape from the kingdom.

The king while he continued at Rochester feemed willing to receive invitations once more to resume the crown; but the prince had not been at all this expence and trouble in taking him from a throne to place him there again. James, therefore, obferving that he was entirely neglected by his own fubjects, and oppreffed by his fon-in-law, refolved to feek fafety from the king of France, the only friend he had ftill remaining. He accordingly fled to the fea-fide, attended by his natural fon the duke of Berwick, where he embarked for the continent. He arrived in fafety at Ambleteuse in Picardy, from whence he haftened to the court of France, where he ftill enjoyed the empty title of a king and the appellation of a faint, which flattered him more.

After this manner, the courage and abilities of the prince of Orange, feconded by furprizing fortune, effected the delivery of the kingdom. It now remained that he should reap the rewards of his toil; and obtain that crown for himself, which had fallen from the head of his father-in-law. Previously, therefore, to any regular authority, he continued in the management of all public affairs. By the advice of the house of lords, the only member of the legislature remaining, he was defired to fummon a parliament by circular letters; but the prince, unwilling to act upon fo imperfect an authority, convened all the members, who had fat in the houfe of commons during any parliament of Charles the fecond, and to thefe were added the mayor, aldermen, and fifty of the commoncouncil. This was the most proper reprefentative

B 5

of

of the people that could be fummoned, during the prefent emergence. They unanimously voted the fame addrefs with the lords; and the prince being thus fupported by legal authority, wrote circular letters to the counties and corporations of England to choose a new parliament. His orders were univerfally complied with; every thing went on in the moft regular peaceful manner, and the prince became poffeffed of all authority, as if he had reguJarly fucceeded to the throne.

When the house met, which was mostly Jan. 22, compofed of the Whig party, after thanks 1689. were given to the prince of Orange for the deliverance which he had brought them, they then proceeded to the fettlement of the kingdom. In a few days they paffed a vote, by a great majority, which was fent up to the house of lords for their concurrence. It was to this effect. That king James the second having endeavoured to fubvert the conftitution of the kingdom, by breaking the original contract betwixt the king and people, and having by the advice of Jefuits, and other wicked perfons, violated the fundamental laws, and withdrawn himself out of the kingdom, had abdicated the government, and that the throne was thereby vacant. This vote readily paffed the house of commons; but it met with fome oppofition in the house of lords, and was at length carried by a majority of two voices only.

The king being thus depofed, the next confideration was the appointing a fucceffor. Some declared for a regent; others, that the princefs of Orange fhould be invefted with regal power, and the young prince confidered as fuppofititious. The debates ran high. A conference was demanded between the lords and commons, while the prince, with his ufual prudence, entered into no intrigues either with the electors or members; but kept a

total

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »