Place of Lord Treasurer, and by the King's Nomination: A Circumftance hardly to be parallell'd in our Hiftory.

About three a-Clock in the Afternoon, the Queen relapfed into a kind of Lethargick or Apoplectick Fit, out of which fhe was hardly recover'd by the Application of the Spirit of Sal Armoniack to her Noftrils. Hereupon her Phyficians thought fit to apply Blifters to five or fix Parts of her Body; and in order to that, to get her Head fhav'd; and at the fame Time acquainted the Council, that her Majefty's Life was in the utmoft Danger, and entirely depended on the Effect of this laft Remedy. We may here take Notice, that the Duke of Ormond had, in all Hafte, fent Mr. Lowman, with one of the Queen's Coaches, to fetch Dr. Ratcliffe ; but whether that celebrated Phyfician thought he could do no Good, or expected to be call'd by an express Order from Council, he excus'd himself, upon Account of his having taken Phyfick that very Day.

In the mean Time, the Privy Council, which fat from One till about Four, and met again at Six in the Afternoon, took into Confideration the State of the Kingdom; and fome fevere Reflections were made on the late Administration, for leaving the Maritime Places, particularly the im portant Town of Portsmouth, unprovided both with Men and warlike Stores, and confequently uncapable to make any Defence in Cafe of a fudden Invafion, which might be reasonably apprehended, in Cafe of her Majefty's Demife. But the prefent Bufinefs not being to inquire into, but to mend Faults, the Council provided for the Security of the Cities of London and Westminster, in the first Place, afterwards of the Maritime Towns, and laft of all of Scotland and Ireland. The Duke of Ormond difpatch'd his Orders to the commanding Officers at Whitehall, for doubling the Horfe and Foot-Guards; and at the fame Time, two hundred Men were order'd to march, to reinforce the Garrifon of the Tower. The Privy Council wrote a B

Letter

Letter to the Lord Mayor of London, defiring him to take Care of the Peace of the City; which his Lordship did immediately, by fummoning the Lieutenancy, who order'd out the Trained-Bands. The Militia of the Hamlets were alfo order'd out; as were likewife the Trained-Bands of the City of Weftminster. Orders were immediately difpatch'd to four Regiments of Horfe and Dragoons, quarter'd in the adjacent Counties, to march up with all Speed to the Villages near London, to keep the difaffected in Awe. Brigadier Sutton and Captain Cole were fent with Orders for feven of the ten Battalions of British Forces, then in Flanders, to embark at Oftend, and fail for England with all poffible Speed. On the other Hand, the Lords of the Admiralty, by Order of the Council, dispatch'd Directions for laying an Imbargo on all Shipping, and for fitting out as many Men of War as could fooneft be got ready; for which Purpose all Sea-Officers and Seamen, who were not paid off, were order'd forthwith to repair to their respective Ships at Chatham, Portfmouth, Plymouth, and Sheernefs; and Orders from Council were alfo difpatch'd to all the Military Officers of Great Britain, to repair to their refpective Pofts, to fee that no Difturbance were offer'd to the publick Tranquillity.

Her Majefty continu'd all the Night, between the 30th and 31st of July, in a Kind of Lethargick Dozing, which encreas'd to fuch a Degree about ten a-Clock on Saturday Morning, that all her Phyficians defpair'd of her Life. Hereupon the Privy Council, who were juft affembled, fent Orders to the Heralds at Arms, and a Troop of the LifeGuards,to be in Readiness to mount at the firft Warn ing, in order to proclaim the Elector of Brunf wick King of Great Britain. At the fame Time, their Lordships caus'd a Letter to be written to his Electoral Highness, to acquaint him with the extream Danger the Queen's Life was in; with the Measures they had taken to fecure the Crown to him; and to defire his Electoral Highnefs to repai with all convenient Speed to Holland, where a Briti

2

British Squadron, that was fitting out with all poffi ble Expedition, would attend his Electoral Highnefs, and bring him over, in Cafe it pleas'd God to call the Queen to his Mercy. This Letter, fign'd by all the Council, was that very Morning fent Exprefs by James Craggs, Junior, Efq; and, at the fame Time, Orders were difpatch'd to the Earl of Strafford, to defire the States-General to get ready to perform the Treaty of Guaranty of the Protefant Succeffion, if Need fhould require. This done, the Privy Council refum'd the Confideration of the State of the Kingdom, particularly in relation to the ill Condition of the Sea-Port Towns, and it was refolv'd to reinforce, with all Speed, the Garrifon of Portsmouth; for which Purpofe, a Draught of 600 Men, pick'd out of the Out-Penfioners of Chelfea Hofpital, were fome Days after form'd into a Regiment, commanded by Colonel Pocock, and fuch Half-Pay Officers as were next at Hand. At the fame Time, the Council rightly judging, that if the Pretender's Friends ftirr'd any where in Great Britain, 'twould be most probably in Scotland, their Lordships order'd Brigadier Whetham to repair thither; and the fame Day appointed the Earl of Berkeley (formerly Lord Durfley) to com mand the Fleet.

In the mean Time, the Queen, who was generally thought, or at leaft reported to be, dead, gave fome Signs of Life between twelve and one a-Clock, and took fome Spoonfulls of Broth. Her Majefty continu'd in a dozing heavy Condition till about Six in the Afternoon, when her Pulfe beating fomewhat fafter and higher, thofe about her began to entertain fome Hopes. But this was but the Flath of a dying Light; for the Blifters not having the Effect that was expected, her Majefty expir'd on Sunday the first of Auguft, a little after feven aClock in the Morning, without being able to receive the Holy Viaticum, which the Bishop of London was ready to adminifter to her. She dy'd in the 50th Year of her Age, being born at St. James's on the 6th of February 1664, at 39 Minutes past

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Eleven

Eleven at Night. Thus dy'd the moft excellent Princess ANNE STUART, fecond Daughter of James Duke of York, afterwards King James II. by his firft Wife the Lady Anne, eldest Daughter to Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, Lord High Chancellor of England. She was chriften'd at St. James's Palace, her eldest Sifter the late Queen MARY, of ever glorious Memory, and the Dutchefs of Monmouth, being her Godmothers, and Dr. Sheldon, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, her Godfather. In the Year 1669, her Royal Highness was, for her Health, fent into France, and after her Return into England, the did not only acquire a heathful Conftitution of Body, but likewife thofe Accomplishments of Mind, which are feldom found in a Perfon of fo tender Years. She was, principally by the Care of Dr. Henry Compton, late Lord Bifhop of London, bred up and educated in the Religion and Principles of the Church of England, and, together with her Sifter the Lady Mary, confirm'd therein by the Dean of the Royal Chapel at Whitehall in 1676. King Charles II. her Uncle, to quiet the Minds of his People, who were under juft Apprehenfions of Popery, made it his Care to marry her to a Proteftant Prince, as he had done her Sifter the Lady Mary, and at length concluded a Marriage-Agreement with Prince George of Denmark, fecond Son to Frederick III. and younger Brother to Chriftian V. King of Denmark, to whom fhe was wedded the 28th of July 1683, in the Royal Chapel at St. James's, by Henry Lord Bithop of London. She had Iffue by him, 1. A Daughter, of whom her Royal Highness was deliver'd on the 12th of May, 1684, and being ftill-born, was privately interr'd. 2. Lady Mary, fecond Daughter, born at Whitehall the 2d of June, 1685, dy'd Febru ary 1690. 3. Lady Anne-Sophia, third Daughter, was born at Windfor the 12th of May, 1686, dy'd the February following. 4. William Duke of Gloucefter, born at the Royal Palace at Hampton-Court, the 24th of July, 1689; who, at his Baptifm, was declar'd by King William, Duke

of Gloucester. After the Death of his Queen, King William grew more particularly fond of this hopeful young Prince, and on the 6th of February, 1696, caus'd him to be elected a Knight Companion of the Moft Noble Order of the Garter; and on the 24th of July, (being his Birth-Day) he was inftall'd at Wind for in Perfon. This illuftrious Youth, tho' he was but of a weak and tender Conftitution, yet had a Manly Soul, and a very lively Genius. He began early with the Theory of War; understood the Terms of Fortification and Navigation; knew all the different Parts of a strong Place, and Ship of War; and could marshal a Company of Boys, who had lifted themselves to attend him. He likewife took much Pleasure in Hunting, and in martial Exercises; fo that in the Year 1698, being then entering the 10th Year of his Age, his Majefty thought fit to take him out of the Hands of the Lady Fitzharding, his Governess, and to appoint the Earl of Marlborough to be Governor to his Highnefs; and at the fame Time, appointed the Bishop of Salisbury to be his Highness's Preceptor, having under him Mr. Willis, Chaplain to his Majefty, and Mr. Prat, Chaplain to her Royal Highness, his Mother, who taught him the Rudiments of Learning with great Succefs. But after all these promifing Hopes, which this young Prince gave of a longer Life, and the early Virtues and good Qualities that fhined in him, he was fnatch'd away at the End of cleven Years and five Days, and was interr'd in Henry the Seventh's Chapel in Westminster-Abbey. 5. The Lady Mary, another Daughter, born at St. James's in October 1690, but dy'd foon after she was baptiz'd. 6. George, another Son of this Royal Pair, born at Sion-Houfe, April 1692, but dy'd as foon as born.

Thus much it was neceffary to premife by Way of Introduction; we proceed now to our intended History.