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mouth, the king still more openly pursued his plans in favour of Romanism. He gave himself up to the counsels of his confessor, father Peters; introduced papists into every civil and military office; insisted on forcing a papist as president on Magdalen College, Oxford, and when disobeyed by the fellows, who chose a Protestant as their chief, he expelled twenty-five of them, with their new president Mr. Hough, though he had no legal right to do any thing of the kind. Then he issued an order for universal toleration, and caused seven of the bishops, who refused to read this proclamation, to be imprisoned in the Tower; but they were very soon acquitted, to the great joy of the people and the unbounded indignation of the king. He also declared his right and his intention to free himself entirely from the trammels of a parliament, and rule alone.

Although much and justly displeased at this conduct, his subjects bore it with tolerable patience, because they believed themselves secure of a Protestant successor to this bigoted king. James was first married to Anne Hyde, daughter of the earl of Clarendon, and had two daughters; Mary, married to William, prince of Orange; and Anne, to George, prince of Denmark. Both these daughters and their

husbands were Protestants. James's second wife was Mary Beatrice of Modena, a beautiful and clever, but not very prudent woman. As they had been married some years without children, the nation looked to the princess Mary of Orange as their future queen; when, unexpectedly, a little son was born to James, to his very great joy, for he thought it would tend to secure him on the throne. But now, deprived of their hope of Protestant succession, the people began to think of dethroning the king, as the only means of preserving their liberties and the established church.

While James, then, was rejoicing over his baby son, and getting the Pope to be his godfather, many persons of high rank entered into communication with the prince of Orange. Every thing was prepared for his arrival before the king awoke from his dream of security; and when at last the information was communicated to him, that he might expect an invasion from his son-in-law, he was so stunned as at first to be unable either to think or act. Then he set about repealing all his offensive measures in favour of Romanism; but the people gave him no credit for sincerity, believing that he only acted from fear. All his papist advisers now fled

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from him, and James sent away his wife and child, under the care of the count de Lauzun, to France. Then, without a single effort to preserve his throne, the unhappy king tried to make his own escape, as soon as he knew William was in England. The people, thus left without a ruler, committed many excesses. They destroyed all the Romanist chapels, and so pelted the wicked judge Jefferies, that he is said to have died in consequence of their ill usage.

William of Orange landed at Torbay, November 5, 1688, and was soon joined by numbers of all ranks, and proceeded to London. James did not succeed in escaping, but was brought back to London, to the great annoyance of William, who wished to avoid meeting him. He desired him to live at Rochester, from which place he made his escape to France, by the connivance of William, and was assigned a residence at St. Germains by Louis the fourteenth.

A council was assembled, which declared that James had abdicated the throne, and that William and Mary were chosen by the nation to reign jointly, the chief authority being placed in the hands of the prince. And thus was brought about the English Revolution, which was as honourable to the country as the Rebellion had been the reverse. It was rendered absolutely

necessary, by the blind determination of James to restore popery and establish despotism, and was conducted with a calm resolution that calls forth equal admiration and respect. Still Aunt Anne cannot help pitying the poor, misguided James. He was really well-meaning, though mistaken; and it must have wounded him deeply to find his children made the means of punishing him. "God help me! my own children are forsaking me!" he is said to have exclaimed, when told that the princess Anne had joined her sister. Doubtless it was this sorrowful feeling which so stunned him as to render him incapable of exertion.

Although so imprudent a king, James, while duke of York, had done good service to his country by the improvements he made in the navy, and is said to have been the inventor of the system of sea-signals, so useful to sailors. His son, whose birth cost his father so dearly, was named James Francis Edward, and was afterwards known as the Pretender; we shall hear more of him in the next reign.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

WILLIAM THE THIRD AND MARY-FROM 1688 TO 1702.

THE prince who had been called by the English to reign over them, was worthy of their choice; a man of upright character and honourable feeling, of undaunted bravery in war, and wise and prudent in the administration of government. But he was not

at first a popular king; his manners were cold and reserved, contrasting unfavourably with the easy familiarity and sociability to which the people had been accustomed in Charles the second. But this reserve entirely disappeared in the battle-field. Once upon his charger, William became all animation and spirit : and on one occasion, when prince of Orange, having been shot in the arm, and observing that the soldiers were, in consequence, a little dispirited, he took off his hat, and waved it in the air with his wounded arm, to cheer and re-assure them. His health was delicate, and he was very thin, having been wasted from childhood by a perpetual cough and asthma. Queen Mary was sincerely attached to her husband,