CHA P. XXXVIII.

JAMES II. (Continued.)

WILLIAM, prince of Orange, had

married Mary, the eldest daughter of king James. This princess had been bred a protestant; and as fhe was for a long time heir apparent to the throne, the people tamely bore the encroachments of the king, in hopes that his proteftant fucceffor would rectify those measures he had taken towards the establishment of popery, and the extenfion of the prerogative of the crown. For this reafon, the prince gave the 'king not only advice but affiftance in all emergencies, and had actually supplied him with fix thousand troops upon Monmouth's invafion. But now, when a young prince was born, that entirely excluded his hopes by fucceffion, he lent more attention to the complaints of the nation; and began to foment those discontents, which before he had endeavoured to fupprefs.

William was a prince who had, from his earliest entrance into business, been immerfed in dangers, calamities, and politics. The ambition

I

bition of France, and the jealousies of Holland, had ferved to fharpen his talents, and to give him a propenfity to intrigue. This great politician and foldier concealed, beneath a phlegmatic appearance, a moft violent and boundless ambition; all his actions were levelled at power, while his difcourfe never betrayed the wishes of his heart. His temper was cold and fevere; his genius active and piercing; he was valiant, without oftentation, and politic without addrefs. Difdaining the elegance and pleasures of life, yet eager after the phantom of pre-eminence; through his whole life he was indefatigable; and though an unfuccessful general in the field, yet he was still a formidable negociator in the cabinet. By his intrigues he faved his own country from ruin; he restored the liberties of England, and preferved the independence of Europe. Thus, though neither his abilities nor his virtues were of the highest kind, yet there are few perfons in history whose actions and conduct have contributed more eminently to the general interests of fociety, and of mankind.

This politic prince now plainly faw that A.D. 1688. James had incurred the most violent hatred of his fubjects. He was minutely informed of their discontents; and, by feeming to discou

rage,

rage, ftill farther encreased them. He therefore began by giving one Dykevelt, his envoy, inftructions to apply in his name to every sect and denomination in the kingdom. To the church-party he fent affurances of favour and regard; and protefted that his education in Holland had no way prejudiced him against epifcopacy. To the non-conformifts he fent exhortations not to be deceived by the infidious careffes of their known enemy; but to wait for a real and fincere prote&or. Dykeveltexecuted his commiffion with fuch dexterity, that all orders of men caft their eyes towards Holland, and expected from thence a deliverance from those dangers with which they were threatened at home.

The prince foon found that every rank was ripe for defection, and received invitations from fome of the most confiderable perfons in the kingdom. Admiral Herbert, and admiral Ruffel, affured him in perfon of their own and the national attachment. Henry Sidney, brother to Algernon, and uncle to the earl of Sunderland, came over to him with affurances of an univerfal combination against the king. Lord Dumblaine, fon to the earl of Danby, being mafter of a frigate, made several voyages to Holland, and carried from many of the nobility

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bility tenders of duty and even confiderable fums of money to the prince of Orange. Soon after the bishop of London, the earls of Danby, Nottingham, Devonshire, Dorset, with feveral other lords, gentlemen, and principal citizens, united in their addreffes to him, and entreated his speedy defcent.

The people of England, though long divided between Whig and Tory, were unanimous in their measures against the king. The Whigs hated upon principles of liberty, the Tories upon principles of religion. The former had ever fhewn themselves tenacious of their political rights; the latter were equally obftinate in defence of their religious, tenets. James had invaded both; fo that for a time all factions were laid asleep, except that general one of driving the tyrant from a throne, which, upon every account, he was fo ill qualified to fill. William, therefore, determined to accept of the invitations of the kingdom, and still more readily embarked in the cause, as he saw that the malcontents had conducted their measures with prudence and fecrecy.

The time when the prince entered upon his enterprize was just when the people were in a flame from the recent infult offered to their bishops. He had before this made confiderVOL. IV. D

able

f

able augmentations to the Dutch fleet, and the fhips were then lying ready in the harbour. Some additional troops were also levied, and fums of money raised for other purposes were converted to the advancement of this expedition. The Dutch had always repofed an entire confidence 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 fhould be employed in England; and the troops of fome of the German powers were actually marched down to Holland for that purpose. Every place was in motion; all Europe faw and expected the descent, except the unfortunate James himself, who, fecure in the piety of his intentions, thought nothing could injure his schemes calculated to promote the cause of heaven.

The king of France was the first who apprifed him of his danger, and offered to affist 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 autho