PART I. above twelve millions of fubjects, he had only five friends to attend him.

Book VI.

1688. The Prince

arrives in London.

of the peers.

The Prince arrived at St. James's, the evening of the day on which the King left it. The multitude was prepared to receive him with thofe acclamations which are always paid to fuccefs. Defpifing their levity, he went through the park to avoid them. But he received the congratulations of the bishops, of the London clergy, of the diffenters, of the city of London, and of the lawyers, with respect: A lively faying of Serjeant Maynard, then ninety years of age, who came at the head of the lawyers, is remembered: For the Prince having paid him this compliment on the vigour of his age, "That he had outlived "all the men of the law of his time:" Maynard answered, “I should have outlived the law itself, if your High"nefs had not come over." All ranks haftened to pay their refpects to the Prince. Lord Mulgrave was the foremost to press for admittance: Whilst he waited at the door of the Prince's chamber, Bentinck obferving him without his ftaff of Lord Chamberlain, faid, "Comment, "mi Lord, vous aves quitté votre baton ?"-" How,

my Lord, you have quitted your staff?" Mulgrave anfwered, partly with good, and partly with bad humour, "Il est bien temps."-" It is full time *."

Proceedings Three days after, the Prince affembled the peers in the palace, to the number of about feventy, laid his declaration before them, defired them to confider the best means to attain its ends, and, without explaining himself any further, retired. They inftantly returned him thanks for coming over, and most of them figned the Exeter affociation. But Lord Wharton of the Prince's party refused it, faying with a sarcasm which hit most of the affembly, he had figned so many affociations, that he looked upon them as trifles. In order to give the greater appearance

• Clarendon's Diary.

Book VI.

of folemnity and independence to their proceedings, they PART L then adjourned to their own houfe at Weftminster, where they chofe Lord Halifax their prefes, 'and iffued an order for all papifts to remove from London: Steps which pointed out to the people, that they were to act by their own authority, though the King was in the kingdom.

1688.

James lingered five days in England, fearful to ftay, James flies and yet unwilling to go. During this period the bishops, to France, whom he had formerly perfecuted, fufpecting that he in

tended to go beyond seas, advised him to conceal himself

Whilft Lord Bal-
him, an English

in the city, and to wait events there.
carras and Lord Dundee were with
Lord came in, and told him, there were ten thousand dif-

who could be brought to-
on the Dutch troops who

banded foldiers about London,
gether in a few hours, to fall
were difperfed in their quarters; and that he had a com-
miffion from many officers offering him their fervice for
that end. "My Lord," anfwered the King, " You, I
"know, have honour; but those who send you have not."
Yet, ignorant of the part which Lord Danby had fecretly
acted towards him, he offered to retire + into Yorkshire,
if that Lord would give him protection: An offer which
Danby prevented his repeating, by putting him in mind.
of the faults he had committed. A letter from the Queen,
infifting upon the honour of his promise to join her speedi-
Jy, at last determined his refolution; in which he was con-
firmed by Lord Middleton, who, being of a cautious
temper himself, infpired timidity into his mafter. This
letter had been intercepted, opened, and carried to the
Prince, who was too well pleafed with the contents, not
to forward it to the King. Orders were given to make
the guards, which were flight before, ftill flighter. On

* MS. Memoirs of the late Lord Balcarras. They do not mention the peer's name. His Lordship had the anecdote from his father.

† Reresby, 325.

VOL. II.

Ff

the

Boox VI.

$688.

PARTI the 23d of December, in the night, attended by the Duke of Berwick, and two other perfons, James went on horseback to a small veffel which was prepared for him, and which carried him to Ambleteufe in France, leaving a terrible example to all British Kings, not to invade the liberties or religion of Britain.

He left on his table at Rochester a paper, in which ftrokes of a high indignant fpirit, mixed with zeal for his own religion, appeared. When this paper was published, the adherents and the enemies of the King remarked, the former with reverence, the latter with contempt, that those projects about religion, which had loft him his kingdom, occupied his laft thoughts when he left it,

Lewis XIV. received him with the higheft marks of confideration and honour; either from policy, or fincere regard; perhaps from both. But the greatness shewn in this generofity made the Prince, who stood in need of it, appear in a light fo much the more humbling.

APPENDIX

то

воок

VI.

Letters and memoirs relative to the intrigues of the fleet at the Revolution; and relating to the conduct of the King and Prince of Orange, after the Prince landed.

Lord Hardwicke was fo obliging as to give me the ufe of manufcript memoirs in his poffeffion, of Byng Lord Torrington, which throw confiderable light upon a part of the story of the Revolution, hitherto very little understood.

In this manufcript there are the following paffages:

Extract from the MS. Memoirs of Byng Lord Torrington. -The intrigues of the fleet with the Prince of Orange.

Extract firft.

"Lord Dartmouth remained three weeks with the feet at the Nore, and then judging it most proper to lic off the Gunfleet, he therefore failed with it there. Here my Lord called a council of war, when it was propofed, and much infifted on by fome, that the fleet should go over to the coaft of Holland, and there wait the motions of the Dutch. But this propofition bad no effect; for the greater number of Captains were fteady in their principles for the King, yet the chiefcft and moft con fiderable of them were otherwife inclined, and were in frequent meetings and cabals at this time. By their

management they brought over a majority of the council to think it was hazarding the fleet, to lie on that dangerous coaft at this time of the year, and therefore much better to remain where they were, fending some frigates over to observe the Dutch fleet. So that to this opinion the council adhered, and the fleet only removed without the Ship Wash, Lord Dartmouth fending three frigates to obferve them. This was a point artfully gained by those that were induftrious to poffefs the fleet in favour of the Prince of Orange, and in ridiculing all the meafures taken to prevent his defigns. The Captains they were most defirous of bringing over to their party were, Afhby and Woolfred Cornwall, both of them zealous.for the King, and had great credit in the fleet: It was therefore agreed, that Mr. Byng fhould break it to them, for Afhby being his Captain, he had a particular regard for him, and Cornwall was his moft intimate friend. Mr. Byng himself had been early entrusted with what was then doing; for at a meeting in London, where the Duke of Ormond, General Kirk, Captain Aylmer, and others, were confulting of the defigns then on foot, and upon mentioning who of the fleet could be trufted, Kirk had recommended Mr. Byng as a perfon he would anfwer for, and Captain Aylmer was to acquaint him with it, which he did, as they went down to the fleet, in the beginning of October, trufting himself with him upon General Kirk's affurances of his faithfulness to them. Mr. Byng replied, that Mr. Kirk fhould lofe no honour by what he had faid, affured him he would not betray him, defired to confider about joining with them, and finding by further difcourfe, that General Kirk, Mr. Ruffel, and other particular perfons, were going over to the Prince of Orange, he then became willing to agree with them in their undertakings, and from that time was entrusted by them. Afhby was not foon prevailed

on,