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Obedience. By which moft vile and deteftable Counfels, her facred Majefty, contrary to her pious Intentions, the Faith of Nations, aud the Duties of Religion and Humanity itself, and contrary to her moft folemn Affurances, was prevail'd on to abandon a diftrefs'd People, drawn in and engag'd by her own Invitation, into an open War with the Duke of Anjou, for the Prefervation of the Liberties of Europe, and the Commerce of Great Britain, and the Perfons, Eftates, Dignities, Rights, Liberties, and Privileges of the Catalans, were given up as a Sacrifice to the implacable Resentment of their enrag'd and powerful Enemy; and the Honour of the British Nation, always renown'd for the Love of Liberty, and for giving Prorection to the diftrefs'd Affertors of it, was most bafely prostituted, and a free and generous People, the faithful and ufeful Allies of this Kingdom, were betray'd, in the moft unparallel'd Manner, into irrecoverable Slavery: And in Confequence of which most dishonourable and perfidious Counfels, the most execrable Hoftilities, Burnings and Plunderings were committed upon them throughout the whole Province, without fparing the Effufion of innocent Blood, and without the Diftinction of Age or Sex; and that unfortunate People were afterwards forc'd to undergo the utmost Mifèries of a Siege, in their Capital City of Barcelona, during which, great Multitudes of them perish'd by Famine and the Sword; many of them have fince been executed; and great Numbers of the Nobility of Catalonia, who for their Conftancy and Bravery, in Defence of their Liberties, and for their Services in Conjunction with her Majefty, and her Allies, had, in all Honour, Juftice, and Confcience, the higheft Claim to her Majefty's Protection, are now difpers'd in Dungeons, throughout the Spanish Dominions; and not only the Catalan Liberties extirpated, but, by thofe wicked Counfels of him the faid Robert Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer, Catalonia itself is almoft become defolate.

All which Crimes and Mifdemeanors were committed and done by him the faid Earl against our Sovereign Lady the Queen, her Crown, and Dignity, the Peace and Intereft of this Kingdom, and in Breach of the feveral Trufts repos'd in him the faid Earl.

And he the faid Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer was one of the Commiftioners of the Treafury, or Lord High Treasurer of Great Britain, and one of her Majesty's Privy Council, during the Time that all and eve

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ry the Crimes before fet forth were done and committed.

For which Matters and Things, the Knights, Citizens, and Burgeffes of the House of Commons in Parliament affembled, do, in the Name of themfelves, and of all the Commons of Great Britain, impeach the faid Robert Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer of High Treafon, and other High Crimes and Mifdemeanours in the faid Articles contain'd. And the faid Commons by Proteftation saving to themselves the Liberty of exhibiting at any Time hereafter, any other Accufations or Impeachments against the faid Earl, and alfo of replying to the Answers which the faid Robert Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer shall make to the Premifes, or any of them, or to any Impeachment or Accufation that fhall be by them exhibited, according to the Course and Proceedings of Parliament, do pray, that the faid Robert Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer, be put to answer all and every the Premises; and that fuch Proceedings, Examinations, Trials, and Judgments may be upon them, and every of them had and ufed, as fhall be agreeable to Law and Juftice. And they do further pray and demand, that the faid Robert Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer may be fequefter'd from Parliament, and, forthwith committed to fafe Cuftody.

Aug. 2. The Commons order'd the Thanks of their Houfe to be given to Dr. Linford, for the Sermon by him preach'd the Day before at St. Margaret's, Westminster, before the Houfe. Then the engrofs'd Bill from the Lords, entitled, An Act for making more effectual her late Majefty's gracious Intentions for augmenting the Maintenance of the poor Clergy, was read the third Time, and refolv'd, That the Bill with the Amendments do pafs. The fame Day the King went to the Houfe of Peers, and the Commons being fent for and attending, his Majefty gave the Royal Affent to the following Bills.

An Alt for the better preventing Mutiny and Defertion, by enforcing and making more effectual an Act of this present Parliament, entitled, An Act for the better regulating the Forces to be continu'd in his Majeffy's Service, and for the Payment of the faid Forces and their Quarters.

An Act for making more effectual her late Majefty's gracious Intentions for augmenting the Maintenance of the poor Clergy.

An

An Act to reftrain all Waggoners, Carriers and others, from drawing any Carriage with more than five Horses in Length. And to three private Bills.

On the 3d of Auguft, the Commons, before they went into a Committee of the whole Houfe upon the Bill for enlarging the Fund of the Bank of England, &c. order'd, that it be an Inftruction to the faid Committee, that they have Power to receive a Claufe for explaining the Act which paffed in the twelfth Year of the Reign of Queen Anne (of bleffed Memory) for Payment of Debts and Arrears to her Servants, Tradefmen, and others, fo far as the faid Act did relate, or was intended to relate, to the Debt which was owing by her Majefty for Works performed and Materials delivered for the Building at Blenheim, and was incurred within the time during which the faid Building was carried on at her Majesty's Expence. After this, the Committee went through the faid Bill, and made several Amendments to it, which, the next Day, were reported, agreed to, and the Bill order'd to be ingroffed.

On the 4th of Auguft, Mr. Walpole from the Committee of Secrecy acquainted the Houfe, that the Committee had in Obedience to the Commands of the Houfe, prepared Articles of Impeachment of High Treafon, and other High Crimes and Misdemeanours again ft Henry Viscount Bolingbroke; and that the Committee had commanded him, at the fame Time, to acquaint the House, that they shall, in a fhort Time, have further Articles to lay before the House against the said Viscount; and that the Committee had directed him to report the Articles already prepared, to the Houfe. Then Mr. Walpole read the faid Articles in his Place, and afterwards deliver'd them at the Table where they were once read, and afterwards a fecond Time, Article by Article, and upon the Question feverally put thereupon, agreed unto by the Houfe; and order'd first, that the faid Articles be ingroffed; 2dly, that a Clause be prepared, for faving Liberty to the Commons to exhibit any further Articles against the said Henry Viscount Bolingbroke; and that he may be fequeftred from Parliament and committed to fafe Custody.

On the 5th Mr. Secretary Stanhope acquainted the Commons, that their Addrefs of the 17th of June last relating to the Coining of Halfpence and Farthings, having been prefented to his Majefty, his Majefty was pleafed gracioufly to answer, that when his Majefly shall think proper to give Order for Coining new Halfpence and Farthings, he will

take

take Care that it be done in the most advantageous Manner for the Publick.

On the fame Day, Mr. Walpole, from the Committee of Secrecy, acquainted the Houfe, that the Committee had, in Obedience to the Commands of the Houfe, prepared Articles of Impeachment of High Treafon, and other High Crimes and Mifdemeanours, against James Duke of Ormond, which they had directed him to report to the Houfe. Then Mr. Walpole read the faid Articles in his Place, and afterwards deliver'd them in at the Table, where they were once read; and afterwards a fecond Time, Article by Article. A Motion being made, and the Queftion put, that the Houfe agree to the firft Article, there arofe a warm Debate, in which feveral remarkable Speeches were made. Among the reft, a Member faid, that the Report of the Committee of Secrecy had begun to open his Eyes; and that the Duke of Ormond's Flight had fully convinc'd him, that the Heads of the Tory Party were a Set of Knaves and Villains, who defign'd to have ruin'd their Country, and made it a Province of France. The Lord Stanhope eldest Son to the Earl of Chefterfield faid, he never wish'd to fpill the Blood of any of his Countrymen, much lefs the Blood of any Nobleman; but that he was perfuaded, that the Safety of his Country required that Examples fhould be made of those who had betray'd it in fo infamous a Manner. The Lord Finch, eldest Son to the Earl of Nottingham, fpoke alfo on the fame Side; and after fome other Speeches, the firft Article was agreed to by a Majority of 177 Voices against 78; and then the other Articles, upon the Question feverally put thereupon, were also agreed unto by the House: After which it was order'd, aft, that the faid Articles be in- ́ groffed; 2dly, that a Claufe be prepared for faving Liberty to the Commons to exhibit any further Articles against the faid James, Duke of Ormond, and that he may be fequefter'd from Parliament, and committed to fafe Cuftody.

August 6, the faid ingroffed Articles, against Henry Viťcount Bolingbroke, were read, after which it was order'd, ift, That Mr. Walpole do carry the faid Articles to the Lords; 2dly, That Mr. Walpole be directed (before he exhibits the faid Articles to the Lords) to impeach Henry Viscount Bolingbroke to the Effect following, viz.

My

My Lords,

The Commons affembled in Parliament having receiv'd Information of divers traiterous Practices and Designs of a great Peer of this House, Henry Viscount Bolingbroke, have commanded me to impeach the faid Henry Viscount Bolingbroke of High Treafon, and other High Crimes and Misdemeanours: And I do here in their Names, and in the Names of all the Commons of Great Britain, impeach the faid Henry Viscount Bolingbroke of High Treafon, and other High Crimes and Misdemeanours. I am further commanded by the House of Commons to pray and demand of your Lordships, that the faid. Henry Viscount Bolingbroke may be fequeftred from Parliament, and forthwith committed to fafe Custody.

Accordingly, the fame Day, Mr. Walpole accompanied by a great many Members of the Commons, at the Bar of the House of Lords, impeached Henry Viscount Bolingbroke of High Treafon, and other High Crimes and Mifdemeanours; and deliver'd in the Articles of Impeachment against him; and did pray and demand that the faid Vifcount might be fequeftred from Parliament; and forthwith committed to fafe Cuftody.

When we first fet about this Work, we propofed to our felves to reduce the Whole into one Volume; but finding our Subject grow upon our Hands, and that the Relation would be imperfect if we confin'd our felves to so narrow a Compafs, we are obliged to make two Volumes of this Hiftory; and therefore will here close the First, and begin the Second with the Articles abovemention'd.

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