Book IV. 1689. PART II. tee upon it should be by the nomination of particular perfons, but the tories over-ruled the motion by a majority of 17; the numbers being 190 to 173. The tories alfo difappointed feveral attempts to get reparation for fufferers in the reign of Charles the Second, out of the eftates of their judges and profecutors. Yet they gave way to the expulfion of Sir Robert Sawyer the late King's attorney-general, and to a vote which claffed almoft all the malverfations of the late reign under certain heads of exceptions from indemnity; unwilling, on the one hand, to undertake the unpopular tafk of defending the late King's measures; and, on the other, confcious of the King's promife to grant an act of grace to those who had been concerned in them. A project to keep the King from going to Ireland. In the mean time, a project was formed for an address against his going to Ireland, by the whigs, in order to embarrafs him; by the malcontents to his title, left his prefence in Ireland fhould crufh that intereft which in private they efpoufed; and by both, under pretence that his health might be endangered in a climate in which his army had laft fummer perifhed. But, while this project was forming, and even at an hour when the commons were debating upon the incorporated bill of indemnity and pains, the King fent for them to the houfe of Lords, and under pretence of applying himself to preparations for his expeJan. 27. dition to Ireland, prorogued the parliament. A few days Difappointed by his after, he diffolved it. And he, and the majority of the diffolving commons, parted with mutual accufations of ingratitude 1. the parlia ment. *Journ. houfe of commens, Jan. 21. The In the year 1739, the Bentinck family in Holland printed a few copies of a letter from King William to Lord Portland, dated at Kenfington 10-20th January 1690, in order to clear up fome part of that Lord's con. duct, with regard to Dutch affairs. Lord Elibank, whofe lady was daughte to Mr. Elimut, high treasurer of the United Provinces, and connected PART H. Book IV. 1689. Victory of The tories of the house of commons fignalized their victory, according to a custom frequent in England, by dining in a tavern together. From thence they fent a verbal message to the King by Sir John Lowther, a country the whigs. gentleman of vaft fortune; in which, among other compliments, they affured him that his fupplies fhould be fpecdily and effectually given: A meffage which was fpread through the nation by the tories, to difplay their loyalty, and by the whigs to point out the abuse of it. Soon after the King removed many of the whigs from their places, and put tories in their ftead. The most remarkable of the former were Lord Godolphin, Lord Delamere, Lord Mordaunt from the head of the treasury, and Lord Torrington from that of the admiralty; the firft, because he was deemed too much attached to the with the Bentinck family, was fo obliging as to give me one of thefe printed copies. In the two following paffages of this letter, written at different times of the day, there is a curious picture of the state of the King's mind at that time. "C'est aujourd'huy le grand jour a la Ch. Bas, fur le Bill des Corporations; a la fin de ma lettre je vous en manderes l'iffue, puis que je vous "eferis a prefent avant midi : Je trouve que les gens commencent a eftre fort en peine de mon voyage en Irlande, fur tout les Wigs, qui ont peur "de me perdre trop toft avant qu'ils n'ayent fait avec moy ce qu'ils veu"lent; car pour leur amitie vous faves ce qu'il y a conter la dessus en ce "Pais ici; je n'ay encore rien dit de mon deffein au Parlement, mais je "crois de le faire la femaine prochaine; cependant je commence a faire preparer mon equipage, et tout le monde en parle publiquement: Il fera "neceffaire que vous difies a Mr. de Ginckel et autres officiers, qui doivent ❝ revenir ici avec ce que leur eft neceffaire de recrues tant d'hommes que "de chevaux, s'ils en achetent en Hollande, de ce preparer a parti de la, au commencement de Fevrier vieu ftile, puifque certainement ils com"menceront de marcher d'ici au commencement de Mars, 11 eft "a prefent onze eures de nuit et a dix cures la Ch. Bas eftoit encore enfemble; ainfi je ne vous puis ecrire par cette ordinaire l'iffue de l'affaire. "Les previos queftions les toris l'ont emporte de cinq vois ; ainsi vous pouvez juger que la chofe eft bien difputee; j'ay fi grand fommeil, et mon tous “m'incommede, que je ne vous en fourois dire d'advantage. Jufques a "mourir a vous." Compare Clarendon's Diary, Jan. 10. Princess Book IV. 1689. PART II. Princefs of Denmark, the two next, because they oppofed the court without ceremony, and the laft, chiefly with a view, by giving an object to the clamours of the nation, against the conduct of the marine department, to take them off the King. Sir John Lowther, in return for the meffage he had brought, was placed at the head of the treasury, though he did not afk, and for fome time refufed, the ftation *. The Lieutenancy of London was directed to be put entirely into tory-hands, in order to fhow, that the King trufted the safety of his own person, and of most of the wealth of the kingdom, to that party. Lord Cornbury's and the Duke of Ormond's regiments were taken from them, because Lord Cornbury was in the Princess of Denmark's family, and both had acted with keenness as her friends. Lord Halifax loft the privy seal, an event in which no party took an intereft, because he was steady to none. Lord Shrewsbury, irritated + by the difgrace of his friends and of his party, threw up the feals. This alone hurt the King, because he felt that he had drawn the breach of private friendship 'upon himfelf. Thus, in the fpace of little more than a year after William was upon the throne, he difmiffed that parliament, and broke with that party which had placed him upon it. Sir John Lowther's Manufcript Memoirs in the hands of the Earl of Lonsdale. Clarendon's Diary, May 13, 1690. April 28, 29. June 3, 1690. APPENDIX то PART II. BOOK IV. N° I. Duke of Schomberg's Letters. HE difpatches of the Duke of Schomberg, in Ire THE land, to King William, are in the cabinet. I print the following ones, because they paint in lively colours the ftate of the army in that country, clear Schomberg of the imputation of inactivity, which has been unjustly thrown upon him, and do honour to the talents of a man who wrote with the elegant fimplicity of Cæfar, and to whose reputation and conduct, next to those of King William, the English nation owes the revolution. Tranflation. Part of a letter from the Duke of Schamberg to King William.-Things not in order. Heyleck, 9 of Aug. 1689. I HAVE been forced to give five hundred mufkets to almost every regiment, both because the new foldiers break them, and because they are ill enough made, and very old, and because perhaps Mr. Henry Shales, who had the inspection of them, may have taken presents to receive bad arms. Tranflation. Part of Duke Schomberg's letter to King William.-The burden of every thing lies on him. Carrickfergus, 27 Aug. 1689. HITHERTO I have been obliged to take upon me all the burden of the provifions, the veffels, the artillery, the cavalry, all the payments, and all the detail of the attack of the place. If we came nearer the enemy, we fhould have difficulty to furnish officers for all these duties. The officers of artillery are ignorant, lazy, and timorous. I difcover that in the artillery there has been a great deal of roguery: The bombs ill charged, the cannon ill caft, the arms ill made, and many other things too long to tell your Majefty; to which, I believe, Mr. ́ Henry Shales has contributed much; for even the miners could not be got to fix themselves to the walls: An officer and four French foldiers did it, and fucceeded: Three of them were wounded by our own people. Tranflation. Duke of Schomberg to King William.-State of the two armies. 27th September. THIS HIS collection of people (the Irish army) have ftill fome cattle to live upon, and burn the fraw in which the grain is, by which it becomes hard, and corn is made of it, and then they make it into bread, according to the custom of the country. Our wants hitherto are in clothes and fhoes, which I believe contri 6 butes |