fty, humbly to lay before her; That the Commons A. C, bad already dispatch'd all the neceffary Business before 1703.

them.

While the Occafional Conformity Bill was depending, one Mr. Defoe, (the Author of a fharp Satyr publifh'd.two Years before, and called the True born Englife-man) either to exafperate the Parliament against the Non Conformists, or as others would have it, to turn into Ridicule the immoderate Zeal of fome People

for the Church of England, publifh'd a fcandalous and TheShor feditious Pamphlet, entituled, the Shortest way with teft Way the Diffenters; wherein after many bitter Reflections with the upon them and their Principles he faid, "That theRe- Diffenters prefentatives of the Nation had now an Opportunity,order'd to be and perhaps the only one they should ever have, to burnt, and fecure the Church of England, and deftroy her Ene- its Author 'mies, under the Favour and Protection of a true profecuted. English Queen; That this was the time to pull up this Heretical Weed of Sedition, that had fo long ' disturb'd the Peace of the Church, and poifon'd the 'Good Corn: That if it fhould be objected, that this Renewing Fire and Faggot would be Cruelty, and 'accounted barbarous, he answer'd, That 'tis Cruelty to kill a Snake or a Toad in cold Blood, but thePoy'fon of their Nature makes it aCharity to ourNeigh'bour to destroy thofe Creatures, not for any perfo'nal Injury receiv'd, but for Prevention; not for 'the Evil they have done, but the Evil they may do. And that as Serpents, Toads and Vipers are noxious to the Body, and poifon the fenfitive Life; fo the Diffenters poifon the Soul, corrupt our Pofterity, 'enfnare our Children, deftroy the Vitals of our Happinefs, our future Felicity, and contaminate the whole Mafs; and therefore they are to be rooted out of this Nation, if ever we would live in Peace, ferve God, and enjoy our own. The Commons + Feb. 25 having taken thefe dangerous Infinuations into confideration,order'd the faid Book to be burnt by theHands of the Common Hangman, and the Author to be profecuted. The fame day the Lords rejected a Bill from the Commons, concerning the fale of the Hofpital of the Savoy And as for the Bill for Refuming King William's Grants, it was dropt by the Commons themfelves.

All

A. C.

1703.

All the other publick Bills being ready, the Queen went to the Houfe of Lords to give them her Royal Affent, which done, her Majefty made the folAt paft lowing Speech to both Houfes of Parliament, Feb. 27.

The Queen's My Lords and Gentlemen,

Speech to

bethHouses. Return you My hearty Thanks for the great Difpatch you have given to the publick Affairs in 'this Seffion, which is an Advantage extreemly Material at all times, and I Hope We fhall find the Fruit of it this Year, in the Forwardness of our Prepara'tions.

'I am to Thank you, Gentlemen of the House of Commons, in particular, for the great Supplies with which you Enable Me to carry on the War; It fhall be my Care to have them ftrictly applied to the "Ufes, for which you have defign'd them, and to the 'beft Advantage for the Publick Service: You have "Repofed great Confidence in Me by allowing fo "Unusual a Latitude, as you have done, in the Claufe of Appropriation; I fhall Improve all Opportuni'ties, in the Ufe of it, for the Honour and true Inte'reft of the Nation.

'I muft further take Notice to you, That the "Readiness you have fhewn in the Provifion made for the Prince is a very fenfible Obligation to 'Me.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

'I Defire and Expect from you, That you make it your Bufinefs in your feveral Countries, to continue and Preferve the Quiet and Satisfaction of all My Subjects; I hope that fuch of them, as have the Misfortune to Diffent from the Church of England, 'will reft Secure and Satisfied in the A&t of Toleration, which I am firmly refolved to Maintain: And that all thofe who have the Happiness and Advan"tage to be of our Church, will confider, That I have had my Education in it, and that I have been willing to run great hazards for its Preservation, and therefore they may be very fure I fhall always make it my own particular Care to Encourage and Maintain this Church as by Law Eftablished, and every 'the leaft Member of it, in all their juft Rights and Privileges; and upon all Occafions of Promotions

⚫ to

to any Ecclefiaftical Dignity, I fhall have a very juft A. C regard to fuch as are Eminent and Remarkable for 170 their Piety, Learning, and conftant Zeal for them Church; that by this and all other Methods which 'fhall be thought proper, I may Tranfmit it fecurely fettled to Pofterity.

•

'I think it might have been for the Publick Service to have had fome further Laws for reftraining the great Licence, which is Affumed, of Publishing and Spreading Scandalous Pamphlets and Libels; but as far as the prefent Laws will extend, I hope you will 'all do your Duty in your refpective Stations, to Prevent and Punifh fuch Pernicious Practices.

'Above all other things I do recommend to you Peace and Union among your felves, as the moft Ef"fectual Means that can be devifed, to difcourage and ⚫ defeat the designs of our Enemies.

'I must not conclude without Acquainting you I have given Directions, That my part of all the Prizes, which have been or fhall be taken during this 'War, be applied entirely to the Publick Service; ' and I hope my own Revenue will not fall fo fhort, but that I may be able, as I defire, to contribute yet further to the ease of my People.

After which the Lord Keeper (by her Majefty's Com mand) Prorogued the Parliament to Thursday the 22d. of April next.

The Parlia

ment Proro

gued.

ry

+ Feb. 28. Some time before were publish'd two Proclamati- Feb. 25. ons, the tone declaring her Majefty's Pleafure for the A Promoti Diftribution of the Prize Goods taken at Vigo; and on of Genethe other for the Encouragement of Piety and Vir-ral Officers. tue, and for the Preventing and Punifhing of Vice, Feb. 24. Prophanenefs and Immorality. On the 24th. of thet Sir Hen fame Month William Stewart and Thomas Erle, Efqs, Bellafis difmift the Lords Portmore, Cutts, Lumley and Tiviot, and from Her Ramsey, Efq; were promoted by her Majelly from the Majefties Poft of Major General, to that of Lieutenant Ge- Service,&. neral of her Majefty's Forces: And three days † af- Sir Cha. ter, upon the Report of the General Officers of her Hara Majelty's Army, who were directed to examine clear'd. into the Misdemeanors laid to the Charge of Sir Feb. 27. Henry Bellafis, Lieutenant General, and Sir Charles Hara, Major General, and who had found Sir Henry

Q

Bellafis

A. C.

170

Envoy's Memorial to the

Swifs Pro teftant Can

tons.

Bellafis Guilty of Plundering, and acquitted Sir
Charles Hara; her Majefty was pleas'd to declare her
Pleafure, that the former fhould be difmifs'd from her
Majefty's Service, and that the fufpenfion of the lat
ter be taken off.

Whilft thefe things paft in England, her Majefty who was no lefs concern'd for the fafety of her Allies, than for the Welfare of her own Subjects, directed Dr. Aglionby, her Envoy in Switzerland, to prefs the Proteftant Cantons, at this time Affembled at ATau, to Arm themselves to prevent the Junction of the French with the Bavarians; which Dr. Aglionby did, in concert with the Heer Valkenier, Envoy of the States General, by the following Memorial, which deferves a Place in thefe Annals.

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•

Magnificent and Mighty Lords,

The Queen's THE World is fo well inform'd of the Glorious Motives that induc'd her Majefty of Great Bri tain, and their High Mightineffes the States of the United Netherlands, to enter into the prefent War, that it appears needlefs to us to offer any thing to your Lordships on that Subject. Who is not con 'vinc'd by their Actions, that it was not a prospect of Aggrandizing themselves that engag'd them in it; That they can have no farther aim, than the main'taining themfelves in that flourishing Condition in 'which the Divine Providence has plac'd them? And that their readiness to fuítain the prodigious Expence of fuch a War, has no other Root than a generous defire to prevent the Establishment of the Houfe of Bourbon, in a Power ufurp'd against Right, Trea ties and Solemn Oaths; which, if not wrefted out of their hands, Europe muft of Course yield up her remains of Liberty, and feel the weight of their "Chains. Wherefore being thoroughly moved at the Unjuft Proceedings of that Houle, and the greatness of the impending Danger, they could find no furer 'Means of providing for their common Security, than the taking vigorous and effectual Refolutions to pu'nifh that Houfe for their Injustice, and reduce them to narrower and more equitable Bounds, during the only favourable juncture of time that could be 'wifh'd. So that 'tis not their own peculiar Intereft, but the general Safety that our Sovereigns feek to pre⚫ ferve

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ferve. Accordingly God has been fo propitious to thefe jast and good defigns, that we have hitherto feen our Armies and Fleets Victorious every where ' over thofe of the Enemy, and France reduc'd to fo low an Ebb in the very firft Campaign, that he ⚫ wanted strength to push on her Ambitious Defigns, till, practising with the Elector of Bavaria,fhe drew upon us that Mifchievous Diverfion, by fuch vile Arts as are peculiar to her felf. By this fhe hopes to 'make the Empire the Seat of War, which otherwife would have been carry'd into thofe Countries fhe has ufurp'd; and to prevent the fending needful Succours to keep up the Emperor's Intereft in Italy. By this France prefumes fhe may fix fuch a Line of Com'munication with the Bavarian, as fhall ftreighten and confine your Lordships withinfo narrow a Compafs, that it will not be difficult for her to prefcribe Laws to you; France will likewife by this Line, deprive you of the Freedom of Commerce with the High Allies; for the good of the Common Caufe, having already oblig'd them to prohibit all Traf fick, and even all Correfpondence by Letters with thofe Territories over which the Enemies Arms do or fhall extend; there will no paffage be left open thro' which your Lordships may tranfport your Manufactures into the Confederate Countries. At the fame time the Commerce between your Lordfhips and France, for Commodities of the Produce of that Country with which your People are wont to be fupplied, and indeed all Affairs that you may have to do with that Government, will be manag'd on their part with that Air of Infolence and Arrogance which they are fo apt to affume, and of which not long fince you had fuch provoking In'ftances in the laft Letter that was fent you by the Marquefs de Puifieux. Your Troops that are in their Service, who have already felt fo much ill Ufage, must then be abandon'd as a Prey to all the hardfhips they fhall think fit to lay upon them. When the Freedom of Commerce between your Lordships and the Confederates is obftructed, and no paflage ⚫left open into their Territories, you will be forc❜d, for want of Work for your Youth at home, to fend them into the French Service, where they will be employ'd to make Chains for your own Necks. • Should

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A. C

170.