He told the prisoners, that if they would save him the trouble of trying them, they might expect some favour, otherwise he would execute the law upon them with the utmost severity. Many poor wretches were thus allured into a confession, and found that it only hastened their destruction. No less than eighty were executed at Dorchester; and, on the whole, at Exeter, Taunton, and Wells, two hundred and fifty-one are computed to have fallen by the hands of justice.

In ecclesiastical matters James proceeded with still greater injustice. Among those who distinguished themselves against popery was one doctor Sharpe, a clergyman of London, who declaimed with just severity against those who had changed their religion, by such arguments as the popish missionaries were able to produce. This being supposed to reflect upon the king, gave great offence at court; and positive orders were given to the bishop of London to suspend Sharpe till his majesty's pleasure should be farther known. The bishop refused to comply; and the king resolved to punish the bishop himself for disobedience.

To effect his design, an ecclesiastical commission was issued out, by which seven commissioners were invested with a full and unlimited authority over the whole church of England. Before this tribunal the bishop was summoned, and not only he, but Sharpe, the preacher, was suspended.

The next step was to allow a liberty of conscience to all sectaries; and he was taught to believe, that the truth of the catholic religion would then, upon a fair trial, gain the victory. He therefore issued a declaration of general indulgence, and asserted, that non-conformity to the established religion was no longer penal.

To complete his work, he publicly sent the earl of Castlemaine ambassador extraordinary to Rome, in order to express his obedience to the pope, and to reconcile his kingdoms to the catholic communion. Never was there so much contempt thrown upon an embassy that was so boldly undertaken. The court of Rome expected but little success from measures so blindly conducted. They were sensible that the king was openly striking at those laws and opinions which it was his business to undermine in silence and security.

The Jesuits soon after were permitted to erect colleges in different parts of the kingdom; they exercised the catholic worship in the most public manner; and four catholic bishops, consecrated in the king's chapel, were sent through the kingdom to exercise their episcopal functions, under the title of apostolic vicars.

Father Francis, a Benedictine monk, was recommended by

the king to the university of Cambridge, for the degree of master of arts. But his religion was a stumbling-block which the university could not get over; and they presented a petition, beseeching the king to recall his mandate. Their petition was disregarded, their deputies denied a hearing; the vice-chancellor himself was summoned to appear before the high-commission court, and deprived of his office; yet the university persisted, and father Francis was refused.

The place of president of Magdalen college, Oxford, one of the richest foundations in Europe, being vacant, the king sent a mandate in favour of one Farmer, a new convert to popery, and a man of bad character in other respects. The fellows of the college made very submissive applications to the king for recalling his mandate; they refused admitting the candidate, and James finding them resolute in the defence of their privileges, ejected them all except two.

1688.

A second declaration for liberty of conscience was A. D. published almost in the same terms with the former; but with this peculiar injunction, that all divines should read it after service in their churches. The clergy were known universally to disapprove of these measures, and they were now resolved to disobey an order dictated by the most bigotted motives. They were determined to trust their cause to the favour of the people, and that universal jealousy which prevailed against the encroachments of the crown. The first champions on this service of danger were Lloyde, bishop of St. Asaph; Ken, of Bath and Wells; Turner, of Ely; Lake, of Chichester; White, of Peterborough; and Trelawney, of Bristol; these, together with Sancroft, the primate, concerted an address, in the form of a petition, to the king, which, with the warmest expressions of zeal and submission, remonstrated that they could not read his declaration consistent with their consciences, or the respect they owed the protestant religion.

The king in a fury summoned the bishops before the council, and there questioned them whether they would acknowledge their petition. They for some time declined giving an answer; but being urged by the chancellor, they at last owned it. On their refusal to give bail, an order was immediately drawn for their commitment to the Tower, and the crown-lawyears received directions to prosecute them for a seditious libel. The 29th day of June was fixed for their trial, and their return was more splendidly attended than their imprisonment. The cause was looked upon as involving the fate of the nation; and future freedom, or future slavery, awaited the deci-, sion. The dispute was learnedly managed by the lawyers on both sides, Holloway and Powel, two of the judges, declared

themselves in favour of the bishops. The jury withdrew into a chamber, where they passed the whole night; but the next morning they returned into courts and pronounced the bishops Not guilty. Westminster-hall instantly rang with loud acclamations, which were communicated to the whole extent of the city. They even reached the camp at Hounslow, where the king was at dinner, in lord Feversham's tent. His majesty demanding the cause of those rejoicings, and being informed. that it was nothing but the soldiers shouting at the delivery of the bishops, "Call you that nothing," cried he; "but so much the worse for them!"

It was in this posture of affairs that all people turned their eyes upon William, prince of Orange, who had married Mary, the eldest daughter of king James. William was a prince who had, from his earliest entrance into business, been immersed in dangers, calamities, and politics. The ambition of France,

1688.

and the jealousies of Holland, had served to sharpen A. D. his talents, and to give him a propensity to intrigue. This politic prince now plainly saw that James had incurred the most violent hatred of his subjects. He was minutely informed of their discontents; and, by seeming to discourage, still farther increased them, hoping to gain the kingdom for himself in the sequel.

The time when the prince entered upon his enterprise, was just when the people were in a flame upon this recent insult offered to their bishops. He had before this made considerable augmentations to the Dutch fleet, and the ships were then lying ready in the harbour. Some additional troops were also levied; and sums of money, raised for other purposes, were converted to the advancement of this expedition. So well concerted were his measures, that in three days above four hundred transports were hired; the army fell down the rivers and canals from Nimeguen, with all necessary stores; and the prince set sail from Helvoetsluys with a fleet of near five hundred vessels, and an army of above fourteen thousand men.

It was given out that this invasion was intended for the coasts of France; and many of the English who saw the fleet pass along their coasts, little expected to see it land on their own shores. Thus, after a voyage of two days, the prince landed his army at the village of Broxholme, in Torbay, on the 5th of November, which was the anniversary of the gunpowder-treason.

But though the invitation from the English was very general, the prince, for some time, had the mortification to find himself joined by very few. He marched first to Exeter, where the country people had been so lately terrified with the executions which had ensued on Monmouth's rebellion, that they

continued to observe a strict neutrality. He remained for ten days in expectation of being joined by the malecontents, and at last began to despair of success. But just when he began to deliberate about reimbarking his forces, he was joined by several persons of consequence, and soon after the whole country came flocking to his standard. The nobility, clergy, officers, and even the king's own servants and creatures, were unanimous in deserting James. Lord Churchill had been raised from the rank of a page, and had been invested with a high command in the army; had been created a peer, and owed his whole fortune to the king's bounty: even he deserted among the rest, and carried with him the duke of Grafton, natural son to the late king, colonel Berkeley, and some others.

The prince of Denmark, and Anne, his favourite daughter, perceiving the desperation of his circumstances, resolved to leave him and take part with the prevailing side. When he was told that the prince and princess had followed the rest of his favourites, he was stung with the most bitter anguish. "God help me!" cried he, in the extremity of his agony, 66 my own children have forsaken me !"

The king alarmed every day more and more with the prospect of a general disaffection, was resolved to hearken to those who advised his quitting the kingdom. To prepare for this he first sent away the queen, who arrived safely at Calais, under the conduct of count Lauzun, an old favourite of the French king. He himself soon after disappeared in the night time, attended only by Sir Edward Hales, a new convert; but was discovered and brought back by the mob.

But, shortly after, being confined at Rochester, and observ ing that he was entirely neglected by his own subjects, he resolved to seek safety from the king of France, the only friend he had still remaining. He accordingly fled to the sea-side, attended by his natural son the duke of Berwick, where he embarked for the continent, and arrived in safety at Ambleteuse, in Picardy, from whence he hastened to the court of France, where he still enjoyed the empty title of a king, and the appellation of a saint which flattered him more.

A. D.

1689.

The king having thus abdicated the throne, the next consideration was the appointing a successor. Some declared for a regent; others, that the princess of Orange should be invested with regal power, and the young prince considered as suppositious. After a long debate in both houses, a new sovereign was preferred to a regent, by a majority of two voices. It was agreed that the prince and princess of Orange should reign jointly as king and queen of England, while the administration of government should be placed in the hands of the prince only.

H

W

WILLIAM was no sooner elected to the throne, than he began to experience the difficulty of governing a people, who were more ready to examine the commands of their superiors than to obey them. His reign commenced with an attempt similar to that which had been the principal cause of all the disturbances in the preceding reign, and which had excluded the monarch from the throne. William was a Calvinist, and consequently averse to persecution; he therefore began by attempting to repeal those laws that enjoined uniformity of worship; and though he could not entirely succeed, a toleration was granted to such dissenters as should take the oaths of allegiance, and hold no private conventicles.

In the mean time James, whose authority was still acknowledged in Ireland, embarked at Brest for that kingdom, and on May 22 arrived at Kinsale. He soon after made his public entry into Dublin, amidst the acclamations of the inhabitants. He found the appearance of things in that country equal to his most sanguine expectations. Tyrconnel, the lord-lieutenant, was devoted to his interests; his old army was steady, and a new one raised, amounting together to near forty thousand men.

As soon as the season would permit, he went to lay siege to Londonderry, a town of small importance in itself, but rendered famous by the stand which it made on this occasion. The besieged endured the most poignant sufferings from fatigue and famine, until at last relieved by a store-ship, that happily broke the boom laid across the river to prevent a supply. The joy of the inhabitants at this unexpected relief, was only equalled by the rage and disappointment of the besiegers. The army of James was so dispirited by this enterprise, that they abandoned the siege in the night; and retired with precipitation, after having lost above nine thousand men before the place.

It was upon the opposite banks of the river Boyne A. D. that both armies came in sight of each other, inflamed 1690. with all the animosities arising from religion, hatred, and revenge. The river Boyne, at this place, was not so deep but that men might wade over on foot; however, the banks were rugged, and rendered dangerous by old houses and ditches, which served to defend the latent enemy. William, who now headed the protestant army, had no sooner arrived, but he rode along the side of the river, in sight of both armies, to