THE COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF ENGLAND. BOOK IX. PERIOD FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE DEATH OF GEORGE II.-72 YEARS. CHAPTER I.-CIVIL AND MILITARY HISTORY.-A.D. 1688-1689. INTERREGNUM.-A.D. 1688-1689. Question about the succession to the crown-A convention assembled-Their decree that James had abdicatedThey declare the Prince and Princess of Orange King and Queen of England. B Y the flight of James, the work of | by the stated rules of the English government the Revolution was not completed; and laws, but by the general rights of mankind.' the crown was in a state of abey- The Prince of Orange, who had taken up his ance for nearly two months, or residence, not at Whitehall, but at St. James's, from the 23d of December, 1688, seemed to leave the nation to settle the business to the 13th of February, 1689, dur- in their own way, most scrupulously avoiding ing which time the Whigs were any assumption of right and any symptom of brought to the enunciation or admission eagerness. On the 25th of December, the lords of principles bold and wise, which were equally spiritual and temporal, to the number of about new to the people. Up to a certain point all ninety, who had taken their places in the House parties seemed to agree (the Papists were too in- of Lords, requested William to take upon him considerable to merit the name of a party); but the administration of affairs and the disposal of the Tories and high churchmen soon hung back, the public revenue, and to issue writs for a "Conand left the danger and the honour of settling vention," to meet on the 22d of January; and on the problem to the Whigs, who proceeded, not 1 Hallam, Constitutional History. VOL. III. 207 The the following day an assembly of such persons "My lords and gentlemen, I am glad that what I have done hath pleased you; and since you 1 Ralph; Roger Coke; Narcissus Luttrell, Diary. 2 "Some," says Burnet, "intended to bring King James back; and went into this as the most probable way for laying the nation asleep, and for overcoming the present aversion that all people had to him. That being once done, they reckoned it would be no hard thing, with the help of some time, to compass the other." sumed spurious;' and, without that deep-rooted conferences, came, on the 12th of February, was belief in the minds of the people, this revolution would certainly not have been so easy of accomplishment. After long arguments about the propriety of substituting the word deserted for abdiexted, and upholding the hereditary character of the succession, which would allow of no vacancy, the lords took time to debate among themselves, and the commons adjourned. The capital was in a ferment. Yielding to the force of circumstances, and the steadiness of the commons, the lords gave up their amendments; and then, by a majority of sixty-two to forty-seven, they resolved that the Prince and Princess of Orange should be declared King and Queen of England and all the dominions thereunto belonging. This vote, passed on the 6th of February, was sent down to the commons on the 7th. The final resolution to which both houses, after several 'That William and Mary, Prince and Princess of Orange, be, and be declared King and Queen of England, France, and Ireland, and the dominions thereunto belonging, to hold the crown and dignity of the said kingdoms and dominions to them, the said prince and princess, during their lives, and the life of the survivor of them; and that the sole and full exercise of the regal power be only in and executed by the said Prince of Orange, in the names of the prince and princess, during their joint lives; and, after their decease, the said crown and royal dignity of the said kingdoms and dominions to be to the heirs of the body of the said princess; for default of such issue, to the Princess Anne of Denmark and the heirs of her body; and for default of such issue, to the heirs of the body of the said Prince of Orange." CHAPTER II.-CIVIL AND MILITARY HISTORY.-A.D. 1689-1691. WILLIAM AND MARY.—ACCESSION, A.D. 1689-DEATH OF MARY, A.D. 1694-DEATH OF WILLIAM, 1702. Arrival of Mary in England-Proclamation of the reign of William and Mary-Meeting of the Scottish Convention of Estates-Viscount Dundee attempts to interrupt its proceedings-Difficulties at the commencement of William's reign-New oath of allegiance administered-It produces the schism of the Nonjurors-Revenue settled on William by parliament-He proposes a repeal of the test act-His tolerant views in church government thwarted-Measures in Ireland for the restoration of King James-He lands in Ireland-Decrees passed by his Irish parliament-Viscount Dundee's efforts in the cause of James in Scotland-Battle of Killiecrankie -Death of Dundee Siege of Londonderry-Its brave resistance-The town relieved-Treachery of William's ministers Quarrels in the royal family-Parliamentary proceedings-Contentions of the Whigs and Tories— Controversy on the abjuration bill-William repairs to Ireland-Necessity of his arrival-State of James's affairs in Ireland-Battle of the Boyne-Defeat of James-His flight from Ireland-Attempts of his partizans to rally-Progress of the war-Naval engagements with the French-Battle at sea off Beachy Head-The French fleet retires-Irish war continued-Miseries of the country-Proceedings for the entire reduction of Ireland, and for the war with France-William repairs to Holland to prosecute the French war-Members of the confederacy who meet him in the neighbourhood of the Hague-His triumphal entry into the Hague. 0 N the same busy day, Mary, the King and Queen of England, France, and Ireland, new queen, arrived from Holland, "with great acclamation and general good recepat Whitehall; and, on the morrow, tion, with bonfires, bells, great guns, &c."* the prince and she being seated in The Scottish Convention of Estates met on the the Banqueting House, both houses 14th of March; and, through the ingenious manof the convention waited upon agement of Sir James Dalrymple (afterwards them in a body, when the clerk of the crown Lord Stair), hardly any were returned to it exread the declaration and resolution of the two cept Whigs and Presbyterians. The Duke of houses, and the Marquis of Halifax, in their Hamilton was appointed president : the waverers name, made a solemn tender of the crown to were fixed by the success of the Revolution in their highnesses. On the same day, being Ash England, and everything proceeded with rapidity Wednesday, William and Mary were proclaimed and spirit. The sheriff's were ordered to seize all persons found in arms without the authority "This, at least," says Mr. Hallam, "was a necessary supposition for the Tories, who sought in the idle rumours of the time an excuse for abandoning his right. As to the Whigs, though they were active in discrediting the unfortunate boy's legitimacy, their own broad principle of changing the line of socession rendered it, in point of argument, a superfluous inquiry."-Const. Hist. 2 "She seems," says Evelyn, "to be of a good nature, and that she takes nothing to heart; whilst her husband has a thoughtful countenance, is wonderful serious and silent, and seems to treat all persons alike gravely, and to be very intent on affairs: Holland, Ireland, and France calling for his care" of the convention, and the Duke of Hamilton | all Protestants found in office on the 1st of Dewas invested with a dictatorial power of securing cember last should continue in their places until all suspected persons. The fiery Dundee did | further notice. On the 17th of February he what he could to dissolve the convention by published a list of the privy counsellors, at the cannon-balls. He urged the Duke of Gordon, head of whom was Est-il possible, who was conwho held out in Edinburgh Castle, to fire upon siderable in nothing except in being the husband the city. Gordon refused, or hesitated, and of the Princess Anne.' The number of disinthen Dundee attempted to get up a counter-con-¦terested patriots was exceedingly small: every vention at Stirling; but he was ill seconded man of any consequence that had assisted in by his friends, the Marquis of Athole and the making the Revolution put in his claim for reLords Balcarras and Mar. Dundee was eager ward; and there was a general scramble for pento be in the field; but James had instructed sions and places and court distinctions. If Enghim to remain quiet until assistance should be land had been El Dorado, and William the most sent over from Ireland, where he had landed giving and liberal of princes, there would have on the 12th of March, two days before the been no satisfying all those claimants; and, of opening of the Scottish convention. Urged on, the dissatisfied, too many were prone to extend however, by his natural impetuosity, or fearing their dissatisfaction to the whole Revolution, with for his life, which he said was threatened by the principles it established, and were soon ready some of the Covenanters, upon whom he had to undo what they had done. Under almost any practised infamous severities "aforetime," he other sovereign the effect would soon have been mounted his horse, and galloped through Edin- seen in the worst of all revolutions-a restoraburgh with a troop of cavalry, consisting of some tion; but William, whose vices no less than his fifty men, who had deserted to him from his virtues-whose strange imperturbable, cold manregiment in England. In passing under the ners, no less than his extraordinary abilities— outer walls of the castle, on the road that leads fitted him for the crisis, conjured the worst part to Dalkeith, he dismounted, scrambled up the of the storm, and turned some of its conflicting precipice at a place where it is almost perpendi- elements to the advantage of himself and of the cular, and held a conference with the Duke of nation, which, perhaps, never more than at this Gordon, whom he vainly pressed to retire with moment depended upon the character and talent him into the Highlands. While the conference of a single individual. On the 18th of February lasted, a crowd collected at the foot of the pre- he made his first speech from the throne to the cipice. A rumour reached the convention, which two houses. It was short and cogent. The comwas then sitting, that Dundee was at the gates mons returned a solemn vote of thanks, which with an army, and that Gordon was going to passed nemine contradicente; but on the next day bombard the town. The Duke of Hamilton, who the lords brought in a bill to remove and prevent was better informed, turned the panic to the all questions and disputes concerning the legality advantage of his party. He ordered the doors of the assembling and sitting of this present parof the house to be shut, and the keys to be laid liament. There was hot debating, for the Tories on the table-exclaiming, that there was danger and the Jacobites were eager for a new election; within as well as without doors-that traitors but, in the end, a bill was passed declaring the must be held in confinement until the danger convention to be to all intents and purposes a was over-but that the friends of liberty had legal parliament. On the 1st of March the new nothing to fear, as thousands were ready to start oath of allegiance was tendered. It was conup in their defence at the stamp of his foot. At ceived in the simplest form : the words "rightful his order drums beat and trumpets sounded, and and lawful sovereigns" being, upon mature deswarms of west-country Covenanters, who had liberation, omitted. But, notwithstanding this been brought into Edinburgh by Hamilton and modification, several lords and several members Sir John Dalrymple, started from their hiding- | of the House of Commons withdrew without places in garrets and cellars, and showed themselves in the streets with arms in their hands. When the doors of the convention were thrown open for the members to retire, the few Tories present were assailed with threats and curses; which had such an effect, that some of the adherents of James fled at once into the country, and still more adapted themselves to circumstances and changed sides. The Revolution over both England and Scotland was now complete. William's first measure was to announce that 1 This is the list:-The Prince of Denmark, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Duke of Norfolk, the Marquises of Halifax and Winchester; the Earls of Danby, Lindsay, Devonshire, Dorset and Middlesex, Oxford, Shrewsbury, Bedford, Bath, Macclesfield, and Nottingham; the Viscounts Falconberg, Mordaunt, Newport, and Lumley; the Bishop of London; the Lords Wharton, Montagu, Delamere, and Churchill; Mr. Bentinck, Mr. Sidney, Sir Robert Howard, Sir Henry Capel, Mr. Poole, Mr. Russell, Mr. Hampden, and Mr. Boscawen. The majority were men who had ventured farthest in the revolution: and as for the archbishop and that sturdy Tory Nottingham, they were named "by way of sweetener to the church," it being thought advisable to do something to conciliate that great body.-Burnet; Raiph. permission, and the Earls of Clarendon, Lichfield, vote. Upon a careful examination of accounts, and Exeter, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and they had discovered that the real value of the seven of the bishops, refused the oath. Among late king's revenue was far above its nominal these spiritual lords were five of the seven who amount; that James had been in the receipt, had been sent to the Tower for refusing obedience altogether, of £2,000,000 per annum; and that in to the mandates of James. Above 400 of the the expenditure nearly £90,000 per annum was clergy, including some of the highest distinction, set down under the suspicious head of secret serfollowed the example set by the primate and vice money. They now voted £1,200,000 for the these seven bishops; and thus began the schism current year, only one-half to be appropriated to of the Nonjurors-a term which now becomes as the civil list, the other half to the public defence, prominent as that of Nonconformists had been &c.; but they soon improved upon their original under the two last Stuarts.' scheme of a definite revenue by taking a close and constant superintendence of the navy, army, and ordnance, having estimates regularly laid before them, and seeing, as far as was possible, that the supply granted was appropriated to the services to which it was voted. This great and fundamental principle became henceforward an invariable usage, and by means of it the House The first parliament of Charles II., in the heat of their loyalty, had settled upon him a revenue for life of £1,200,000; and this precedent was followed on the accession of James. William, it appears, expected to have the same kind of grant for life; but the commons had learned a good lesson, and both Whigs and Tories opposed the of Commons acquired that controlling position which it now maintains; and this alone will make Englishmen grateful for the Revolution of 1689. For the current year, the commons fixed the allowance for the navy at £700,000 instead of at £1,100,000, as proposed by ministers; and they made only provision for six months for the army which was to defend, or, rather, recover Ireland. They voted £600,000 as compensation to the Dutch for the services rendered, in ships and men, at the Revolution. William had only demanded £700,000, but the reduction displeased him much; and generally he complained of parsimony and a want of confidence. William had been bred a Calvinist, a circum Cole: Ralph; Burnet; Luttrell's Diary: Ecelyn: Life of King James II.: Hallam. pro stance which did not endear him to the Church 2 Hallam, Parl. Hist. |