not signed it voluntarily should be dismissed from the service as disaffected persons.

ESTABLISHMENT OF, A LAND-BANK.

After these warm demonstrations of loyalty, the commons proceeded upon ways and means for raising the supplies. A new bank was constituted as a fund, upon which the sum of two millions five hundred and sixtyfour thousand pounds should be raised; and it was called the land-bank, because established on land securities. This scheme, said to have been projected by the famous Dr. Chamberlain, was patronised by the earl of Sunderland, and managed by Foley and Harley; so that it seemed to be a tory plan which Sunderland supported, in order to reconcile himself to that party. [See note O, at the end of this Vol.] The bank of England petitioned against this bill, and were heard by their counsel; but their representations produced no effect, and the bill having passed through both houses, received the royal assent. On the twenty-seventh day of April the king closed the session with a short but gracious speech; and the parliament was prorogued to the sixteenth day of June.

bound to be silent, as his friend had made a confession; | Nothing could be more absurd than this distinction, and they were both admitted as evidences for the crown. started by men who had actually constituted part of the administration; unless they supposed that the right of THE TWO HOUSES FORM AN ASSOCIATION king William expired with queen Mary. The earl of FOR THE DEFENCE OF HIS MAJESTY. Rochester proposed an expedient in favour of such tender consciences, by altering the words that gave offence; After their examination, the king, in a speech to both and this was adopted accordingly. Fifteen of the peers, houses, communicated the nature of the conspiracy and ninety-two commoners, signed the association with against his life, as well as the advices he had received reluctance. It was, however, subscribed by all sorts of touching the invasion; he explained the steps he had people in different parts of the kingdom; and the bishops taken to defeat the double design, and professed his con- drew up a form for the clergy, which was signed by a fidence in their readiness and zeal to concur with him great majority. The commons brought in a bill, dein every thing that should appear necessary for their claring all men incapable of public trust, or of sitting in common safety. That same evening the two houses parliament, who would not engage in this association. waited upon him at Kensington in a body, with an At the same time the council issued an order for renewaffectionate address, by which they expressed their ab-ing all the commissions in England, that those who had horrence of the villanous and barbarous design which had been formed against his sacred person, of which they besought him to take more than ordinary care. They assured him they would to their utmost defend his life, and support his government against the late king James and all other enemies; and declared, that in case his majesty should come to a violent death, they would revenge it upon his adversaries and their adherents. He was extremely well pleased with this warm address, and assured them in his turn he would take all opportunities of recommending himself to the continuance of their loyalty and affection. The commons forthwith empowered him by bill to secure all persons suspected of conspiring against his person and government. They brought in another, providing, that in case of his majesty's death, the parliament then being should continue until dissolved by the next heir in succession to the crown, established by act of parliament; that if his majesty should chance to die between two parliaments, that which had been last dissolved should immediately re-assemble, and sit for the despatch of national affairs. They voted an address to desire that his majesty would banish by proclamation all papists to the distance of ten miles from the cities of London and Westminster; and give instructions to the judges going on the circuits to Before this period some of the conspirators had been put the laws in execution against Roman catholics and brought to trial. The first who suffered was Robert nonjurors. They drew up an association, binding them- Charnock, one of the two fellows of Magdalen-college, selves to assist each other in support of the king and his who, in the reign of James, had renounced the protesgovernment, and to revenge any violence that should tant religion; the next were lieutenant King and Thomas be committed on his person. This was signed by all Keys, which last had been formerly a trumpeter, but of the members then present; but as some had absented late servant to captain Porter. They were found guilty themselves on frivolous pretences, the house ordered, of high treason, and executed at Tyburn. They delithat in sixteen days the absentees should either subscribe vered papers to the sheriff, in which they solemnly or declare their refusal. Several members neglecting declared, that they had never seen or heard of any comto comply with this injunction within the limited time, mission from king James for assassinating the prince the speaker was ordered to write to those who were in of Orange; Charnock in particular observed, that he had the country, and demand a peremptory answer; and the received frequent assurances of the king's having rejecclerk of the house attended such as pretended to be ill ted such proposals when they had been offered; and that in town. The absentees finding themselves pressed in there was no other commission but that for levying war this manner, thought proper to sail with the stream, in the usual form. Sir John Friend and sir William and sign the association, which was presented to the Perkins were tried in April. The first, from mean beking by the commons in a body, with a request that it ginnings, had acquired great wealth and credit, and might be lodged among the records in the Tower, as a always firmly adhered to the interests of king James. perpetual memorial of their loyalty and affection. The The other was likewise a man of fortune, violently atking received them with uncommon complacency; de-tached to the same principles, though he had taken the clared that he heartily entered into the same association; that he should be always ready to venture his life with his good subjects against all who should endeavour to subvert the religion, laws, and liberties of England; and he promised that this and all other associations should be lodged among the records of the Tower of London. Next day the commons resolved, that whoever should affirm an association was illegal, should be deemed a promoter of the designs of the late king James, and an enemy to the laws and liberties of the kingdom. The lords followed the example of the lower house in drawing up an association; but the earl of Nottingham, sir Edward Seymour, and Mr. Finch, objected to the words rightful and lawful as applied to his majesty. They said as the crown and its prerogatives were vested in him, they would yield obedience, though they could not acknowledge him as their rightful and lawful king.

oaths to the present government as one of the six clerks in chancery. Porter and Blair, another evidence, deposed, that sir John Friend had been concerned in levying men under a commission from king James, and that he knew of the assassination plot, though not engaged in it as a personal actor. He endeavoured to invalidate the testimony of Blair, by proving him guilty of the most shocking ingratitude. He observed that both the evidences were reputed papists. The curate of Hackney, who officiated as chaplain in the prisoner's house, declared upon oath, that after the revolution he used to pray for king William, and that he had often heard sir John Friend say that though he could not comply with the present government, he would live peaceably under it, and never engage in any conspiracy. Mr. Hoadley, father of the present bishop of Winchester, added, that the prisoner was a good protestant, and frequently ex

denied any knowledge of a commission from king James to assassinate the prince of Orange; the one affirming that he was incapable of granting such an order; and the other asserting that he, the best of kings, had often rejected proposals of that nature. Lowick owned that he would have joined the king at his landing; but declared he had never been concerned in any bloody affair during the whole course of his life. On the contrary, he said he had endeavoured to prevent bloodshed as much as lay in his power; and that he would not kill the most miserable creature in the world, even though such an act would save his life, restore his sovereign, and make him one of the greatest men in England. Rookwood alleged he was engaged by his immediate commander, whom he thought it was his duty to obey, though the service was much against his judgment and inclination. He professed his abhorrence of treachery even to an enemy. He forgave all mankind, even the prince of Orange, who as a soldier, he said, ought to have considered his case before he signed his death warrant; he prayed God would open his eyes, and render him sensible of the blood that was from all parts crying against him, so as he might avert a heavier execution than that which he now ordered to be inflicted. The next person brought to trial was Mr. Cooke, son of sir Miles Cooke, one of the six clerks in chancery. Porter and Goodman deposed that he had been present at two meetings at the King's-head tavern in Leadenhall-street, with the lords Aylesbury and Montgomery, sir William Perkins, sir John Fenwick, sir John Friend, Charnock, and Porter. The evidence of Goodman was invalidated by the testimony of the landlord and two drawers belonging to the tavern, who swore that Goodman was not there while the noblemen were present. The prisoner himself solemnly protested, that he was ever averse to the introduction of foreign forces; that he did not so much as hear of the intended invasion until it became the common topic of conversation; and that he had never seen Goodman at the King's-head. He declared his intention of receiving the blessed sacrament, and wished he might perish in the instant if he now spoke untruth. No respect was paid to these asseverations. The solicitor-general Hawles, and lord chief-justice Treby, treated him with great severity in the prosecution and charge to the jury, by whom he was capitally convicted. After his condemnation, the court-agents tampered with him to make further discoveries; and after his fate had been protracted by divers short reprieves, he was sent into banishment. From the whole tenour of these discoveries and proceedings, it appears that James had actually meditated an invasion; that his partisans in England had made preparations for joining him on his arrival; that a few desperadoes of that faction had concerted a scheme against the life of king William; that in prosecuting the conspirators, the court had countenanced informers; that the judges had strained the law, wrested circumstances, and even deviated from the function of their office, to convict the prisoners; in a word, that the administration had used the same arbitrary and unfair practices against those unhappy people, which they themselves had in the late reigns numbered among the grievances of the kingdom.

pressed his detestation of king-killing principles. Friend | flammatory were allowed to be published. Both solemnly himself owned he had been with some of the conspirators at a meeting in Leadenhall-street, but heard nothing of raising men, or any design against the government. He likewise affirmed that a consultation to levy war was not treason; and that his being at a treasonable consult could amount to no more than a misprison of treason. Lord chief justice Holt declared, that although a bare conspiracy, or design to levy war, was not treason within the statute of Edward III., yet if the design or conspiracy be to kill, or depose, or imprison the king, by the means of levying war, then the consultation and conspiracy to levy war becomes high treason though no war be actually levied. The same inference might have been drawn against the authors and instruments of the revolution. The judge's explanation influenced the jury, who, after some deliberation, found the prisoner guilty. Next day sir William Perkins was brought to the bar, and upon the testimony of Porter, Ewebank, his own groom, and Haywood, a notorious informer, was convicted of having been concerned not only in the invasion, but also in the design against the king's life. The evidence was scanty, and the prisoner having been bred to the law, made an artful and vigorous defence: but the judge acted as counsel for the crown; and the jury decided by the hints they received from the bench. He and sir John Friend underwent the sentence of death, and suffered at Tyburn on the third day of April. Friend protested before God that he knew of no immediate descent purposed by king James, and therefore had made no preparations; that he was utterly ignorant of the assassination scheme; that he died in the communion of the church of England, and laid down his life cheerfully in the cause for which he suffered. Perkins declared, | upon the word of a dying man, that the tenour of the king's commission which he saw was general, directed to all his loving subjects, to raise and levy war against the prince of Orange and his adherents, and to seize all forts, castles, &c., but that he neither saw nor heard of any commission particularly levelled against the person of the prince of Orange. He owned, however, that he was privy to the design; but believed it was known to few or none but the immediate undertakers. These two criminals were in their last moments attended by Collier, Snatt, and Cook, three nonjuring clergymen, who absolved them in the view of the populace, with an imposition of hands; a public insult on the government which did not pass unnoticed. Those three clergyman were presented by the grand jury for having countenanced the treason by absolving the traitors, and thereby encouraged other persons to disturb the peace of the kingdom. An indictment being preferred against them, Cook and Snatt were committed to Newgate; but Collier absconded, and published a vindication of their conduct, in which he affirmed that the imposition of hands was the general practice of the primitive church. On the other hand, the two metropolitans and twelve other bishops subscribed a declaration, condemning the administration of absolution without a previous confession made, and abhorrence expressed, by the prisoners of the heinous crimes for which they suffered.

THE ALLIES BURN THE MAGAZINE AT
GIVET.

In the course of the same month, Rookwood, Cranborne, and Lowick, were tried as conspirators by a special commission in the king's-bench, and convicted on the joint testimony of Porter, Harris, La Rue, Bertram, Fisher, and Pendergrass. Some favourable circumstances appeared in the case of Lowick. The proof of his having been concerned in the design against the The warmth, however, manifested on this occasion king's life was very defective; many persons of reputa- may have been owing to national resentment of the tion declared he was an honest, good natured, inoffen-purposed invasion. Certain it is, the two houses of sive man; and he himself concluded his defence with parliament and the people in general were animated the most solemn protestation of his own innocence. with extraordinary indignation against France at this Great intercession was made for his pardon by some noblemen; but all their interest proved ineffectual. Cranborne died in a transport of indignation, leaving a paper which the government thought proper to suppress. Lowick and Rockwood likewise delivered declarations to the sheriff, the contents of which as being less in

juncture. The lords besought his majesty in a solemn address to appoint a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God for having defeated the barbarous purpose of his enemies; and this was observed with uncommon zeal and devotion. Admiral Russel, leaving a squadron for observation on the French coast, returned to the Downs;

but sir Cloudesley Shovel, being properly prepared for He took it for granted that as the Dutch were a trading the expedition, subjected Calais to another bombard- people, whose commerce had greatly suffered in the war, ment, by which the town was set on fire in different they could not be averse to a pacification; and he inparts, and the inhabitants were overwhelmed with con- structed his emissaries to tamper with the malcontents sternation. The generals of the allied army in Flanders of the republic, especially with the remains of the Louresolved to make some immediate retaliation upon the vestein faction, which had always opposed the schemes French for their unmanly design upon the life of king of the stadtholder. Callieres met with a favourable reWilliam, as they took it for granted that Louis was ception from the states, which began to treat with him accessary to the scheme of assassination. That mon- about the preliminaries, though not without the consent arch, on the supposition that a powerful diversion would and concurrence of king William and the rest of the be made by the descent on England, had established a allies. Louis, with a view to quicken the effect of this vast magazine at Givet, designing, when the allies negotiation, pursued offensive measures in Catalonia, should be enfeebled by the absence of the British troops, where his general the duke de Vendome attacked and to strike some stroke of importance early in the cam- worsted the Spaniards in their camp near Ostalrick, paign. On this the confederates now determined to though the action was not decisive; for that general wreak their vengeance. In the beginning of March was obliged to retreat after having made vigorous efforts the earl of Athlone and monsieur de Coehorn, with the against their intrenchments. On the twentieth day of concurrence of the duke of Holstein-Plon, who com- June, mareschal de Lorges passed the Rhine at Philipsmanded the allies, sent a strong detachment of horse, burg and encamped within a league of Eppingen, where drafted from Brussels and the neighbouring garrisons, the Imperial troops were obliged to intrench themselves, to amuse the enemy on the side of Charleroy, while under the command of the prince of Baden, as they were they assembled forty squadrons, thirty battalions, with not yet joined by the auxiliary forces. The French fifteen pieces of cannon, and six mortars, in the territory general after having faced him about a month, thought of Namur. Athlone with a part of this body invested proper to repass the river. Then he detached a body Dinant, while Coehorn with the remainder advanced to of horse to Flanders, and cantoned the rest of his troops Givet. He forthwith began to batter and bombard the at Spires, Franckendahl, Worms, and Ostofen. On the place, which in three hours was on fire, and by four in last day of August the prince of Baden retaliated the the afternoon wholly destroyed, with the great maga-insult, by passing the Rhine at Mentz and Cocsheim. zine it contained. Then the two generals joining their On the tenth he was joined by general Thungen, who forces returned to Namur without interruption. Hither- commanded a separate body, together with the militia to the republic of Venice had deferred acknowledging king William; but now they sent an extraordinary embassy for that purpose, consisting of signiors Soranzo and Venier, who arrived in London, and on the first day of May had a public audience. The king on this occasion knighted Soranzo as the senior ambassador, and presented him with the sword according to custom. On that day, too, William declared in council that he had appointed the same regency which had governed the kingdom during his last absence, and embarking on the seventh at Margate, arrived at Orange-Polder in the evening, under convoy of vice-admiral Aylmer. This officer had been ordered to attend with a squadron, as the famous Du Bart still continued at Dunkirk, and some attempt of importance was apprehended from his enterprising genius.*

|

of Suabia and Franconia, and advanced to the camp of the enemy, who had reassembled; but they were posted in such a manner that he would not hazard an attack. Having therefore cannonaded them for some days, scoured the adjacent country by detached parties, and taken the little castle of Wiezengen, he repassed the river at Worms on the seventh day of October: the French likewise crossed at Philipsburgh in hopes of surprising general Thungen, who had taken post in the neighbourhood of Strasbourg; but he retired to Eppingen before their arrival, and in a little time both armies were distributed in winter quarters. Peter, the czar of Muscovy, carried on the siege of Azoph with such vigour, that the garrison was obliged to capitulate after the Russians had defeated a great convoy sent to its relief. The court of Vienna forthwith engaged in an alliance with the Muscovite emperor; but they did not exert

LOUIS MAKES ADVANCES TOWARDS A PEACE themselves in taking advantage of the disaster which

WITH HOLLAND.

The French had taken the field before the allied army could be assembled; but no transaction of consequence distinguished this campaign either upon the Rhine or in Flanders. The scheme of Louis was still defensive on the side of the Netherlands, while the active plans of king William were defeated by want of money. All the funds for this year proved defective: the land-bank failed, and the national bank sustained a rude shock in its credit. The loss of the nation upon the recoinage, amounted to two millions two hundred thousand pounds; and though the different mints were employed without interruption, they could not for some months supply the circulation, especially as great part of the new money was kept up by those who received it in payment, or disposed of it at an unreasonable advantage. The French king having exhausted the wealth and patience of his subjects, and greatly diminished their number in the course of this war, began to be diffident of his arms, and employed all the arts of private negotiation. While his minister D'Avaux pressed the king of Sweden to offer his mediation, he sent Callieres to Holland with proposals for settling the preliminaries of a treaty.

Some promotions were made before the king left England. George Hamilton, third son of the duke of that name, was for his military services in Ireland and Flanders created earl of Orkney. Sir John Lowther was ennobled by the title of baron Lowther and viscount Lonsdale; sir John Thompson made baron of Haversham;

and the celebrated John Locke appointed one of the commissioners of trade and plantation.

the Turks had undergone. The Imperial army, commanded by the elector of Saxony, continued inactive on the river Marosch till the nineteenth day of July, then they made a feint of attacking Temiswaer; but they marched towards Betzkerch, in their route to Belgrade, on receiving advice that the grand seignor intended to besiege Titul. On the twenty-first day of August, the two armies were in sight of each other. The Turkish horse attacked the Imperialists in a plain near the river Begue, but were repulsed. The Germans next day made a show of retreating, in hopes of drawing the enemy from their intrenchments. The stratagem succeeded. On the twenty-sixth the Turkish army was in motion. A detachment of the Imperialists attacked them in flank as they marched through a wood. A very desperate action ensued, in which the generals Heusler and Poland, with many other gallant officers, lost their lives. At length the Ottoman horse were routed; but the Germans were so roughly handled, that on the second day after the engagement they retreated at midnight, and the Turks remained quiet in their intrenchments.

In Piedmont the face of affairs underwent a strange alteration. The duke of Savoy, who had for some time been engaged in a secret negotiation with France, at length embraced the offers of that crown, and privately signed a separate treaty of peace at Loretto, to which place he repaired on a pretended pilgrimage. The French king engaged to present him with four millions of livres by way of reparation for the damage he had sustained, to assist him with a certain number of aux

iliaries against all his enemies, and to effect a marriage | arose for the succession. The kingdom was divided by between the duke of Burgundy and the princess of factions; and the different powers of Europe interested Piedmont, as soon as the parties should be marriage- themselves warmly in the contention.

able. The treaty was guaranteed by the pope and the Venetians, who were extremely desirous of seeing the Germans driven out of Italy. King William being apprized of this negotiation, communicated the intelligence to the earl of Galway, his ambassador at Turin, who expostulated with the duke upon this defection; but he persisted in denying any such correspondence, until the advance of the French army enabled him to avow it without fearing the resentment of the allies whom he had abandoned. Catinat marched into the plains of Turin at the head of fifty thousand men, an army greatly superior to that of the confederates. Then the duke imparted to the ministers of the allies the proposals which France had made; represented the superior strength of her army; the danger to which he was exposed; and, finally, his inclination to embrace her offers. On the twelfth of July a truce was concluded for a month, and afterwards prolonged till the fifteenth of September. He wrote to all the powers engaged in the confederacy, except King William, expatiating on the same topics, and soliciting their consent. Though each in particular refused to concur, he on the twenty-third day of August signed the treaty in public which he had before concluded in private. The emperor was no sooner informed of his design, than he took every step which he thought could divert him from his purpose. He sent the count Mansfeldt to Turin with proposals for a match between the king of the Romans and the princess of Savoy, as well as with offers to augment his forces and his subsidy; but the duke had already settled his terms with France, from which he would not recede. Prince Eugene, though his kinsman, expressed great indignation at his conduct. The young prince de Commercy was so provoked at his defection that he challenged him to single combat, and the duke accepted of his challenge; but the quarrel was compromised by the intervention of friends, and they parted in an amicable manner. He had concealed the treaty until he should receive the remaining part of the subsidies due to him from the confederates. A considerable sum had been remitted from England to Genoa for his use; but lord Galway no sooner received intimation of his new engagement, than he put a stop to the payment of this money, which he employed in the Milanese for the subsistence of those troops that were in the British service. King William was encamped at Gemblours when the duke's envoy notified the separate peace which his master had concluded with the king of France. Though he was extremely chagrined at the information, he dissembled his anger and listened to the minister without the least emotion. One of the conditions of this treaty was, that within a limited time the allies should evacuate the duke's dominions, otherwise they should be expelled by the joint forces of France and Savoy. A neutrality was offered to the confederates; and this being rejected, the contracting powers resolved to attack the Milanese. Accordingly when the truce expired, the duke, as generalissimo of the French king, entered that duchy and undertook the siege of Valentia; so that in one campaign he commanded two contending armies. The garrison of Valentia, consisting of seven thousand men, Germans, Spaniards, and French protestants, made an obstinate defence; and the duke of Savoy prosecuted the siege with uncommon impetuosity. But after the trenches had been open for thirteen days, a courier arrived from Madrid with an account of his catholic majesty's having agreed to the neutrality for Italy. This agreement imported that there should be a suspension of arms until a general peace could be effected; and that the Imperial and French troops should return to their respective countries. Christendom had well nigh been embroiled anew by the death of John Sobieski, king of Poland, who died at the age of seventy in the course of this summer, after having survived his faculties and reputation. As the crown was elective, a competition

NAVAL TRANSACTIONS.

Nothing of consequence had been lately achieved by the naval force of England. When the conspiracy was first discovered, sir George Rooke had received orders to return from Cadiz, and he arrived in the latter end of April. While he took his place at the board of admiralty, lord Berkeley succeeded to the command of the fleet, and in the month of June set sail towards Ushant in order to insult the coast of France. He pillaged and burned the villages on the islands Grouais, Houat, and Heydic; made prize of about twenty vessels; bombarded St. Martin's on the isle of Rhé, and the town of Olonne, which was set on fire in fifteen different places with the shells and carcasses. Though these appear to have been enterprises of small import, they certainly kept the whole coast of France in perpetual alarm. The ministry of that kingdom were so much afraid of invasion, that between Brest and Goulet they ordered above one hundred batteries to be erected, and above sixty thousand men were continually in arms for the defence of the maritime places. In the month of May rear-admiral Benbow sailed with a small squadron in order to block up Du Bart in the harbour of Dunkirk; but that famous adventurer found means to escape in a fog, and steering to the eastward attacked the Dutch fleet in the Baltic under a convoy of five frigates. These last he took, together with half the number of the trading ships; but falling in with the outward bound fleet convoyed by thirteen ships of the line, he was obliged to burn four of the frigates, turn the fifth adrift, and part with all his prizes except fifteen, which he carried into Dunkirk.

PROCEEDINGS IN THE PARLIAMENTS OF
SCOTLAND AND IRELAND.

The parliament of Scotland met on the eighth day of September, and lord Murray, secretary of state, now earl of Tullibardine, presided as king's commissioner. Though that kingdom was exhausted by the war and two successive bad harvests, which had driven a great number of the inhabitants into Ireland, there was no opposition to the court measures. The members of parliament signed an association like that of England. They granted a supply of one hundred and twenty thousand pounds for maintaining their forces by sea and land. They passed an act for securing their religion, lives, and properties, in case his majesty should come to an untimely death. By another they obliged all persons in public trust to sign the association, and then the parliament was adjourned to the eighth day of December. The disturbances of Ireland seemed now to be entirely appeased. Lord Capel dying in May, the council, by virtue of an act passed in the reign of Henry VIII., elected the chancellor, sir Charles Porter, to be lord justice and chief governor of that kingdom, until his majesty's pleasure should be known. parliament met in June: the commons expelled Mr. Sanderson, the only member of that house who had refused to sign the association, and adjourned to the fourth day of August. By that time sir Charles Porter and the earls of Montrath and Drogheda were appointed lords justices, and signified the king's pleasure that they should adjourn. In the beginning of December the chancellor died of an apoplexy.

The

ZEAL OF THE ENGLISH COMMONS IN THEIR
AFFECTION TO THE KING.

King William being tired of an inactive campaign, left the army under the command of the elector of Bavaria, and about the latter end of August repaired to his palace at Loo, where he enjoyed his favourite exercise of stag-hunting. He visited the court of Branden.

burgh at Cleves; conferred with the states of Holland | the burden. Provision was made that hammered money at the Hague; and, embarking for England, landed at should be received in payment of these duties at the Margate on the sixth day of October. The domestic rate of five shillings and eightpence per ounce. All the economy of the nation was extremely perplexed at this deficiencies on annuities and monies borrowed on the juncture from the sinking of public credit, and the stag-credit of the exchequer, were transferred to this aid. nation that necessarily attended a recoinage. These The treasury was enabled to borrow a million and a grievances were with difficulty removed by the clear half at eight per cent. and to circulate exchequer bills apprehension, the enterprising genius, the unshaken to the amount of as much more. To cancel these debts fortitude of Mr. Montague, chancellor of the exchequer, the surplus of all the supplies, except the three-shillingoperating upon a national spirit of adventure, which the aid, was appropriated. The commons voted one hunmonied interest had produced. The king opened the dred and twenty-five thousand pounds for making good session of parliament on the twentieth day of October, the deficiency in recoining the hammered money, and with a speech importing that overtures had been made the recompence for bringing in plate to the mint. This for a negotiation, but that the best way of treating with sum was raised by a tax or duty upon wrought plate, France would be sword in hand. He therefore desired paper, pasteboard, vellum, and parchment, made or imthey would be expeditious in raising the supplies for ported. Taking into consideration the services and the the service of the ensuing year, as well as for making present languishing state of the bank, whose notes were good the funds already granted. He declared that the at twenty per cent. discount, they resolved that it civil list could not be supported without their assistance. should be enlarged by new subscriptions, made by fourHe recommended the miserable condition of the French fifths in tallies struck on parliamentary funds, and oneprotestants to their compassion. He desired they would fifth in bank-bills or notes; that effectual provision contrive the best expedients for the recovery of the na- should be made by parliament for paying the principal tional credit. He observed that unanimity and despatch of all such tallies as should be subscribed into the bank, were now more than ever necessary, for the honour, out of the funds agreed to be continued; that an insafety, and advantage of England. The commons hav- terest of eight per cent. should be allowed on all such ing taken this speech into consideration, resolved that tallies; and that the continuance of the bank should be they would support his majesty and his government, prolonged to the first day of August, in the year one and assist him in the prosecution of the war; that the thousand seven hundred and ten. That all assignments standard of gold and silver should not be altered; and of orders or tallies subscribed into the bank should be that they would make good all parliamentary funds. registered in the exchequer; that before the day should Then they presented an address in a very spirited strain, be fixed for the beginning of the new subscriptions, the declaring, that notwithstanding the blood and treasure old should be made one hundred per cent., and what of which the nation had been drained, the commons of might exceed that value should be divided among the England would not be diverted from their firm resolu- old members; that all the interest due on those tallies tions of obtaining by war a safe and honourable peace. which might be subscribed into the bank-stock, at that They therefore renewed their assurances that they time appointed for subscriptions, to the end of the last would support his majesty against all his enemies at preceding quarter on each tally, should be allowed as home and abroad. The house of lords delivered another principal; that liberty should be given by parliament to the same purpose, declaring that they would never to enlarge the number of bank-bills to the value of the be wanting or backward on their parts in what might sum that should be so subscribed over and above the be necessary to his majesty's honour, the good of his twelve hundred thousand pounds, provided they should kingdoms, and the quiet of christendom. The commons, be obliged to answer such bills on demand, and in dein the first transports of their zeal, ordered two seditious fault thereof be answered by the exchequer out of the pamphlets to be burned by the hands of the common first money due to them; that no other bank should be hangman. They deliberated upon the estimates, and erected or allowed by act of parliament during the congranted above six millions for the service of the ensuing tinuance of the bank of England; that this should be year. They resolved that a supply should be granted exempted from all tax or imposition; that no act of the for making good the deficiency of parliamentary funds, corporation should forfeit the particular interest of any and appropriated several duties for this purpose. person concerned therein; that provision should be made to prevent the officers of the exchequer, and all other officers and receivers of the revenue, from diverting, delaying, or obstructing the course of payments to the bank; that care should be taken to prevent the

RESOLUTIONS TOUCHING THE COIN, &c. With respect to the coin they brought in a bill repealing an act for taking off the obligation and encour-altering, counterfeiting, or forging any bank bills or agement of coining guineas for a certain time, and for importing and coining guineas and half guineas, as the extravagant price of those coins which occasioned this act was now fallen. They passed a second bill for remedying the ill state of the coin; and a third, explaining an act in the preceding session for laying duties on low wines and spirits of the first extraction. In order to raise the supplies of the year, they resolved to tax all persons according to the true value of their real and personal estates, their stock upon land and in trade, their income by offices, pensions, and professions. A duty of one penny per week for one year was laid upon all persons not receiving alms. A further imposition of one farthing in the pound per week was fixed upon all servants receiving four pounds per annum as wages, and upwards to eight pounds a-year inclusive. Those who received from eight to sixteen pounds were taxed at one halfpenny per pound. An aid of three shillings in the pound for one year was laid upon all lands, tenements, and hereditaments, according to their true value. Without specifying the particulars of those impositions, we shall only observe that, in the general charge, the commons did not exempt one member of the commonwealth that could be supposed able to bear any part of

notes; that the estates and interest of each member in the stock of the corporation should be made a personal estate; that no contract made for any bank stock to be bought or sold, should be valid in law or equity unless actually registered in the bank books within seven days, and actually transferred within fourteen days after the contract should be made. A bill upon these resolutions was brought in under the direction of the chancellor of the exchequer: it related to the continuation of tonnage and poundage upon wine, vinegar, and tobacco, and comprehended a clause for laying an additional duty upon salt for two years and three quarters. All the several branches constituted a general fund, since known by the name of the general mortgage, without prejudice to their former appropriations. The bill also provided that the tallies should bear eight per cent. interest; that from the tenth of June for five years they should bear no more than six per cent. interest; and that no premium or discount upon them should be taken. In case of the general funds proving insufficient to pay the whole interest, it was provided that every proprietor should receive his proportion of the product, and the deficiency be made good from the next aid; but should the fund produce more than the interest, the surplus was