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TObias GeOrge Smollett
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A COMPLETE

HISTORY

O F

ENGLAND,

FROM THE

Descent os Julius Cæsar*

TO THE

Treaty of Aix la Chapelle, 1748.

Containing the Tii ans actions of

One Thousand Eight Hundred and Three Years.

By T. SMOLLETT, M. D.

THE THIRD EDITION.

VOLUME THE NINTH.

Non tainen pigebit vel incondita ac nidi voce memoriam prioris fcrvitutit, ac
testimonium præsentium bonorum composiiiffe. Tacit. Agricola.

LONDON: r rJ^i V
Printed for James Rivington and J a m e s Fj. e lic-H e r, as vhs
Oxford-Theatre; and [Link], at the Rose, inPa#rW«r-jfow.
MDCCLIX. '
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THE

HISTORY

O F

ENGLAND.

BOOK EIGHTH.

From the Revolution to the Death of

queen ANNE.

: vf?^ t?" Ww™- wWW ™

WILLIAM III.

TH E old Whig principle was not yet wholly a-c- »s9».

expelled from the lower house. The Un- An account
due influence of the court was exerted in ^!!thepldace"
such an open scandalous manner, as gave offence to that so" h-
the majority of the commons. In the midst of all Jun
their condescension, Sir Edward HulTey, member a
for Lincoln, brought in a bill touching free and
impartial proceedings in parliament. It was in
tended to disable all members of parliament from
enjoying places of trust and profit, and particularly
levelled against the officers of the army and navy,
who had insinuated themselves into the house in
such numbers, that this was commonly called the
officers parliament. The bill passed the house of
commons, and was sent up to the lords, by whom
B 2 it
HISTORY of ENGLAND.
6s2, it was read a second time, and committed ; but the
ministry employing their whole strength against it,
on the report it was thrown out by a majority of
two voices. The earl of Mulgrave again distin
guished himself by his elocution, in a speech that
was held in great veneration by the people ; and
' among those who entered a protest in the journals
of the house, when the majority rejected the bill,
was prince George of Denmark, duke of Cumber
land. The court had not recollected themselves
from the consternation produced from such a vigo
rous opposition, when the-earl of Shrewsbury pro
duced another bill for triennial parliaments, pro
vided that there should be an annual session ; that
if, at the expiration of the three years, the crown
mould not order the writs to be issued, the lord
chancellor, or keeper, or commissioner of the great
seal, should issue them ex officio, and by authority
of this act, under severe penalties. The imme
diate object of this bill was the dissolution of the
present parliament, which had already sat three ses
sions, and began to be formidable to the people,
from its concessions to the ministry. The benefits
that would -accrue to the constitution from the esta
blishment of triennial parliaments were very well
understood, as these points had been frequently
discussed in former reigns. The courtiers now ob
jected, that frequent elections would render the
freeholders proud and insolent, encourage faction
among the electors, and intail a continual expence
upon the member, as he would find himself oblig
ed, during the whole time of his sitting, to hehave
like a candidate, conscious how soon the time of
election would revolve. In spite of the ministerial
interest in the upper house, the bill passed, arid con
tained a proviso, that the present parliament should
not continue any longer than the month of Jan
uary next ensuing. The coyrt renewed its efforts
against
WILLIAM III. s
against it in the house of commons, where, never- A-c- ,69f
theless, it was carried with some little alterations,
which the ,lords approved. But all these endea
vours were frustrated by the prerogative of the
king, who, by refusing his assent, prevented its
being enacted into a law.
It was at the instigation of the ministry, that the Ths com-
commons brought in a bill for continuing and ex- ™nn»;eti-
plaining certain temporary laws then expiring or jest, that he
expired. Among these was an act for restraining the ^°"eldt^s"
liberty of the press, which owed its origin to the East-india
reign of Charles II. and had been revived in the c1,mPan^
first year of the succeeding reign. The bill passed
the lower house without difficulty, but met with
warm opposition in the house of lords, a good num
ber of whom protested against it, as a law that sub
jected all learning and true information to the arbi
trary will of a mercenary, and perhaps ignorant
licenser, destroyed the properties of authors, and
extended the evil of monopolies. The bill for re
gulating trials was dropped, and, in lieu of it,
another produced for the preservation of their ma
jesties sacred persons and government ; but this too
was rejected by the majority, in consequence of the
ministry's secret management. The East-India com
pany narrowly escaped dissolution. Petitions and
counter-petitions were delivered into the house of
commons : the pretensions on both fides were
carefully examined : a committee of the whole
house resolved, that there should be a new subscrip
tion of a joint-stock, not exceeding two millions
five hundred thousand pounds, to continue for one
and twenty years. The report was made and re
ceived, and the public expected to fee the affair
brought to a speedy issue : but the company had
recourse to the same expedients, which had lately
proved so liiccessful in the hands of the ministry.
Those who had been the most warm in detecting
: ' B 3 then:
& HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. itgi. their abuses, suddenly cooled ; and the prosecution
of the affair began to languish. Not but that the
house- presented an address to his majesty, praying
that he would dissolve the company upon three
years warning, according to the condition of their
charter. He told them he would consider their ad
dress; and they did not further urge their remon
strance. The bill for ascertaining the commissions
and salaries of the judges, to which the king had
refused the royal assent in the last session, was re
vived, twice read, and rejected ; and another for
preventing the"exportationand melting of the coin,
they suffered to lie neglected on the table. On the
fourteenth day of March, the king put an end to
the session, after having thanked the parliament for
so great testimonies of their affection, and promised
the supplies should not be misapplied. He observed,
that the posture of affairs called him .abroad ; but
that he would leave a sufficient number of troops
for the security of the kingdom : he assured them
he would expose his person upon all occasions for
the advantage of these kingdoms ; and use his
utmost endeavours to make them a flourishing na
tion -f.
Trial of lord During the course of this session, lord Mohun
murder '" was indicted and tried by his peers, in Westminster
's The other laws msdc in this scf- trade. An act to prevent malicious
fion [Link] these thai follow. An act informations in' the court of King's-
for preventing suits against such as bench, and for the more easy reversal
had acted for their majesties service in of outlawries in that court. Anactfor
desence of this kingdom.- Anactfor the better discovery of judgments in
raising the militia in the year 1693. the courts of law. An act for deli--
An act, authorising the judges to im- vering declarations to prisoners for
power surh persdns, other than com- debt. An act for regular ng procted-
mon'attornies and folicitors, as they ings in the crown office. An act for
sticuld think fit, to take special bail, the more easy discovery and convic-
except in London, Weflminstr'r, and tion of such as should destroy thegame
ten mil-s round. An act to encourage of this kingdom. And an act for con-
the apprehending of highwaymen, tinning the acts for piohibiting all
An ait to prevent clandestine mar- trade and commerce with Franc.,, and
riages. An act for the rega:ning, en- for the encouragement ofprivateers,
touraging, and settling the Greenland.
hall,
Lord Sommers.
WILLIAM III. 7.
hall, as an accomplice in rhe murder of one Mont- A c- ,691-
ford, a celebrated comedian, the marquis of Car-
maerthen acting as lord-steward upon this occasion.
The judges having been consulted, the peers pro
ceeded to give their judgments seriatim; and Mo-
hun was acquitted by a great majority. The king,
who, from his first accession to the throne, had en- nistry.
deavoured to trim the balance between the Whigs
and Tories, by mingling them together in his mi
nistry, made some alterations at this period, that
savoured of the same policy. The great- seal, with
the title of lord-keeper, was bestowed upon Sir John
Somers, who was well skilled in the law, as in
many other branches of polite and useful literature.
He possessed a remarkable talent for business, in
which he exerted great patience and assiduity ; was
gentle, candid, and equitable ; a Whig in princi
ples, yet moderate, pacific, and conciliating. Of
the fame temper was Sir John Trenchard, now
appointed secretary of state. He had been con
cerned with the duke of Mon mouth, and escaped
to the continent, where he lived some years ; was
calm, sedate, well . acquainted with foreign affairs,
and considered as a leading man in his party. These
two are said to have been promoted at the recom
mendation of the earl of Sunderland, who had by
this time insinuated himself into the king's favour
and confidence ; though his success confirmed the
opinion which many entertained, of his having be
trayed his old master. The leaders of the opposition
were Sir Edward Seymour, again become a mal
content, and Sir Christopher Musgrave, a gentle
man of Cumberland, who, though an extravagant
Tory from principle, had refused to concur with
all the designs of the late king. He was a person
of a grave and regular deportment, who had re
jected many offers of the ministry, which he op
posed with great violence ; yet on [Link] oc-
B 4 casions,
io HISTORY of ENGLAND.
ac. 1693. however, was ballanced by the success of the duke
of Wirtemberg, who, at the head of thirteen batta
lions of infantry, and twenty squadrons of horse,
forced the French lines between the Schelde and
the Lys; and layed the whole country as far as
Lisle under contribution. On that very day, which
was the eighteenth of July, Luxembourg marched
towards Huy, which was next morning invested by
M. de Villeroy. The other covered the siege, and
secured himself from the allies by lines of contra-
vallation. Before their batteries began to play,
the town capitulated. On the twenty-thirdday of
, the month, the garrison mutinied ; the castles were
surrendered ; the governor remained a prisoner ;
and his men were conducted to Liege. The con
federate army advanced in order to relieve the
town ; but the king being apprized of its fate, de
tached ten battalions to reinforce the garrison of
Liege, and next day turned to Neer-Helpen.
Luxembourg Luxembourg made a motion towards Liege, as
"tt«kthc ^ ne na<^ intended, to besiege the place : and en-
inies, camped at Hellecheim, about seven leagues from
the confederates. Knowing how much they were-
weakened by the different detachments which had
been made from their army, he resolved to attack
them in their camp, or at least fall upon their rear,
should they retreat at his approach. On the twenty-
eighth day of July, he began his march in four
columns, and passed the Jaar near its source, with
an army superior to the allies by five and thirty
thousand men. The king of England, at first*
looked upon this motion as a feint to cover the
design upon Liege ; but receiving intelligence that
their whole army was in full march to attack him
in his camp, he resolved to keep his ground ; and
immediately drew up his forces in order of battle.
His general officers advised him to repass the Geet;
but he chose to risque a battle, rather than expose
• .•, the
WILLIAM III.
the rear of his army in repassi'ng that river. His A c- 1693-
right wing extended as far as Neer-Winden, along
the Geet, covered with hedges, hollow-ways, and a
small rivulet : the left reached to Neer-Landen ;
and these two villages were joined by a slight in-
trenchment, which the king ordered to be thrown
up in the evening. Brigadier Ramsey, with the
regiments of Ofarrel, Mackay, Lauder, Leven, and
Monroe, were ordered to the right of the whole
army, to line some hedges and hollow- ways, on the
farther side of the village of Lare. Six battalions
of Brandenburg were posted to the left of this vil
lage ; and general Dumont with the Hanoverian
infantry, possessed the village of Neer-Winden,
which covered part of the camp, between the main
body and the right wing of the cavalry. Neer-
Landen on the left, was secured by six battalions
of English, Danes, and Dutch. The remaining
infantry was drawn up in one line behind the in-
trenchment. The dragoons upon the left guarded
the village of Dormal upon the brook of Beck :
and from thence the left wing of horse extended
to Neer-Landen, where it was covered by this ri
vulet. . 1
The king having visited all the posts on horse- whoaredt-
back, and given the necessary orders, reposed him- sea<«i"
self about two hours in his coach ; and early in the *" e"'
morning sent for his chaplain, whom he joined in
prayer with great devotion. At fun-rising the ene
my appeared drawn up in order of battle ; and the
allies began to play their cannon with good success.
About eight in the morning they attacked the vil
lages of Lare and Neer-Winden with great fury ;
and twice made themselves masters of these posts,
from whence they were as often repulsed. At
length, the allies kept their ground ; and, the duke
of Berwick was taken by his uncle brigadier
Churchill. Then the French made an attack upon
- •» the
ii HISTORY of ENGLAND;
a. c. is9j- the left wing of the confederates at Neer-Landen \
and after a very obstinate dispute, were obliged
to give way, though they still kept possession of
the avenues. The prince of Conti, however, re
newed the charge with the flower of the French
infantry ; and the confederates being overpowered,
retreated from the village, leaving the camp in that
part exposed. Villeroy marching this way with a
body of horse, was encountered and repulsed by
the count D'Argo, general of the Bavarian cuiras
siers ; and the duke de Chartres narrowly escaped
being taken. Mean while, Luxembourg, the
prince of Conti, the count de Marsin, and the
marechal de Joyeuse, charged on the right, and
in different parts of the line, with such impetuosity
as surmounted all resistance. The camp of the con
federates was immediately filled with French
troops : the villages of Lare and Neer-Windenwere
taken, after a long and desperate dispute. The
Hanoverian and Dutch horse being broken, the
king in person brought the English cavalry to their
assistance. They fought with great gallantry ; and
for some time retarded the fate of the day. The
infantry was rallied, and stood firm until all their
ammunition was expended. In a word, they
were scarce able to sustain the weight of such a su
periority in point of number, when the marquis
D'Harcourt joined the enemy from Huy, with two
and twenty fresh squadrons, which immediately
turned the scale in their favour. The elector of
Bavaria, after having made extraordinary efforts,
retreated with great difficulty over the bridge to
the other side of the river, where he rallied the
troops, in order to favour the retreat of those who
had not passed. The king seeing the battle lost,
and the whole army in confusion, retired" with the
infantry to Dormal on the brook of Beck, where
the dragoons of the left wing were posted. Then
WILLIAM HI.
He ordered the regiments of Wyndham, Lumley, '
and Galway, to cover his retreat over the bridge at
Neer-Hespen, which he effected with great diffi
culty. Now all was tumult, rout, and consterna
tion ; and a great number of the fugitives threw
themselves into the river, where they were drown
ed. This had like to have been the fate of the
brave earl of Athlone the duke of Ormond was
wounded in several places, and taken prisoner by
the enemy ; and the count de Solmes was mortally
wounded. Tollemache brought off the greater
part of the English infantry with great gallantry
and conduct : as for the baggage, it had been sent
to Liege before the engagement : but, the confe
derates lost sixty pieces of cannon, and nine mor
tars, a great number of standards and colours -f-,
with about seven thousand men killed and wound
ed in the action. It must be owned that the allies
fought with great valour and perseverance ; and
that king William made prodigious efforts of cou
rage and activity to retrieve the fortune of the day.
He was present in all parts of the battle ; he charg
ed in person both on horseback and a-foot, where
the danger was most imminent. His peruke, the
sleeve of his coat, and the knot of his scarf were
penetrated by three different musket bullets ; and
he saw a great number of soldiers fall on' every side
of him. The enemy bore witness to his extraordi
nary valour. The prince of Conti, in a letter to
his princess, which was intercepted, declared, that
he saw the prince of Orange exposing himself to
the greatest dangers ; and that such valour richly
, deserved the peaceable possession of the crown he
" wore. Yet here, as in every other battle he fought,

\ The duke of Luxembourg sent tailed him the Upho'sterer of Notre-

•juch a number of standards arisen- Dame, a church in which those tro-
fijny .to Paris, during the course of phiee were displayed,
-Jhis war, that the prince of Conti
his
14 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a.c, :693. his conduct and disposition were severely censured.
Luxembourg having observed the nature of his
situation immediately before the engagement, is
said to have exclaimed, "Now I believe Waldeck.
" is really dead ;" alluding to that general's known
sagacity in choosing ground for an encampment. Be
that as it will, he payed dear for his victory. His
loss in officers and men exceeded that of the allies,
and he reaped no solid advantage from the battle.
He remained fifteen days inactive at Waren, while
king William recalling the duke of Wirtemberg,
and draughting troops from Liege and other gar
risons, was in a few days able to hazard another
engagement. : r .
chiriemy is Nothing remarkable happened during the remain-
takcTbyaod mS part of tne campaign, until Luxembourg be-
the enemy, ing rejoined by Boufflers with a strong reinforce
ment from the Rhine, invested Charleroy. He had
taken his measures with such caution and dexte
rity, that the allies could not frustrate his opera
tions, without attacking his lines at a great disad
vantage. The king detached the elector of Bava-
. ria and the duke of Wirtemberg, with thirty batta
lions and forty squadrons, to make a diversion in
Flanders ; but, they returned in a few days, with
out having attempted any thing of consequence.
The garrison of Charleroy defended the place with
surprising valour, from the tenth of September to
the eleventh of October, during which period they
had repulsed the assailants in several attacks : but,
at length, despairing of relies, the governor capitu
lated on the most honourable conditions ; and the
reduction of the place was celebrated with a Te
Deum, and other rejoicings at Paris. Lewis, how
ever, in the midst of all his glory, was extremely
mortified when he reflected upon the little advan
tage he had reaped from all his late victories. The
allies had been defeated successively at Fleurus,
Steen-

i
WILLIAM III. 15
Steenkirk, and Landen; but in a fortnight after A C-,6«-
each of those battles, William was always in a con
dition to risque another engagement. Formerly
Lewis had conquered half of Holland, , Flanders,
and FrancheComte, without a battle; whereas
now he could not with his utmost efforts, and after
the most signal victories, pass the frontiers of the
United Provinces. The conquest of Charleroy
concluded the campaign in the Netherlands ; and
both armies went into winter-quarters.
1, -The French army on the Rhine, under De campaign
Lorges, passed that river in the month of May, atonh'^ The
Philipsburg, and invested the city of Heidelberg, duke or s»-
which they took, plundered, and reduced to ashes. ™jjdsdbe"
This general committed numberless barbarities in catinatL
the Palatinate, which he ravaged without even $L)&,u^f
sparing the tombs of the dead. The French sol-- ' SU"
diers, on this occasion, seem to have been actuated
by the most brutal inhumanity. They butchered
the inhabitants, violated the women, plundered the
houses, rifled the churches, and murdered priests
at the altar. They broke open the electoral vault,
and scattered the ashes of that illustrious family
about the streets. They set fire to different quarters
of the city ; they stripped about fifteen thousand of,
the inhabitants, without distinction of age or sex,
and drove them naked into the castle, that the gar
rison might be the sooner induced to capitulate.
There they remained like cattle in the open air,
without food or covering, tortured between the
horrors of their fate and the terrors of a bombard
ment. When they were, set at liberty, in conse
quence of the fort's being surrendered, a great
number of them died along the banks of the Nec-
kar, from cold, hunger, anguish, and despair.
These enormous cruelties, which would have dis
graced the arms of a Tartarian free booter, were
acted
HISTORY of ENGLAND.
l693' acted by the express command of Lewis XIV. of
France, who has been celebrated by so many vena!
pens, not only as the greatest monarch, but also as
the most polished prince of Christendom. De Lorges
advanced towards the Neckar against the prince of
Baden, who lay encamped on the other side of that
river : but in attempting to pafe^tftoas twice re
pulsed with considerable" damagV.'The dauphin join
ing the army, which now amounted to seventy
thousand men, crossed without opposition ; but;
found the Germans so advantageously posted, that
lie would not hazard an attack : having therefore
repassed the river, he secured Stutgard with a gar*
rison, sent detachments into Flanders and pied
mont, and returned in August to Versailles. • ' ftt
Piedmont the allies were still more unfortunate.
The duke of Savoy and his confederates seemed
bent upon driving the French from Casal and Pig-
nerol. The first of these places was blocked up,
and the other actually invested. The fort of St.
Bridget that covered the place, was taken, and
the town bombarded. Mean while Catinat being
reinforced, descended into the plains. The duke
was so apprehensive of Turin, that he abandoned
the siege of Pignerol, after having blown up the
fort, and marched in quest of the enemy to the
plain of Marsaglia, in the neighbourhood of his
capital. On the fourth day of October, the French
advanced upon them from the hills, between Or-
basson and Prosasque ; and a desperate engage
ment ensued. The enemy charged the left wing
of the confederates sword in hand, with incredible
fury ; and though they were once repulsed, they
renewed the attack with such impetuosity, that the
Neapolitan and Milanese horse were obliged to give
way, and disordered the German cavalry. These
falling upon the foot, threw the whole wing into
confusion.
WILLIAM- Ut. 17
confusion. Mean while, the main body and the v c- lS9-3-
other wing sustained the charge without flinching,
until they were exposed in slank by the defeat
of the cavalry : then the whole front gave way. In
vain the second line was brought up to sustain
them : the horse turned their backs, and the infan
try was totally routed. In a word, the confederates
were obliged to retire with precipitation, leaving
their cannon, and about eight thousand men killed
or wounded on the field of battle. The duke of
Schomberg having been denied the post which was
his due, insisted upon fighting at the head of the
troops maintained by the king of Great-Britain,
who were posted in the center* and behaved with
great gallantry under the eye of their commander.
When the left wing was defeated, the count de los
Torres desired he would take upon him the com •
mand, and retreat with the infantry and right wing*
but he refused to act without the order of his high
ness, and said, things were eome to such a pass,
that they must either conquer or die. He continu
ed to animate his men with his voice and example,
until he received a shot in the thigh. His valet
feeing him fall, ran to his assistance, and called sot-
quarter but was killed by the enemy before he
could be understood. The duke being taken at the
iame instant, was afterwards dismissed upon his
parole ; and in a few days died at Turin, uni
versally lamented on account of his great and amia
ble qualities. The earl of Warwick and Holland,
who accompanied him as a volunteer, shared his
fate in being wounded and taken prisoner; but,
he soon recovered his health and liberty. This vic
tory was as unsubstantial as that of Landen, and
almost as dear in the purchase ; for the confede
rates made an obstinate defence, and yielded solely
to superior numbers. The duke of Savov retreat
ed to Montcalier, and threw a reinforcement inco
N°. 81. C Coni,
18 , HISTORY of ENGLAND.
A. c. ifi93. Coni, which Catinat would not venture to besiege j
so severely had he been handled in the battle. He
therefore contented himself with laying the coun
try under contribution, reinforcing the garrisons of
Casa), Pignero!, and Susa, and making prepara
tions for repasiing the mountains. The news of
the victory no sooner reached Par-is^then Lewis dis
patched Mr. de Chanlais to Tutfin, with proposals
tor detathing the duke of Savoy from the interest of
the allies ; and the pope, who was now become a
partisan of Francs, supported the negotiation with
h.s whole influence : but the French king had not
yet touched upon the right string. The duke con-
• tinued deaf to all his addrestes. ' ~
Transact'- France had bsen alike successful in her intrigues
garVanjca. at the courts of Rome and Constantinople. The
tiJon,*. vizir at the Porte had been converted into a pensio
nary and creature of Lewis ; but, the war in which
the Turks had been so long and unsuccessfully en
gaged, rendered him so odious to the people, that
the grand signor deposed him, in order to appease
their clamours. The English and Dutch ambassa
dors at Constantinople forthwith renewed their -me
diation for a peace with the emperor j but the terms
they propoled were still rejected with disdain. 1^
the mean time, general Heusleur, who commanded
the Imperialists in Transylvania, reduced the for
tresses of Jeno and Villaguswar. In the beginning
of July,- the duke de Croy assumed the chief com
mand of the German army, passed the Danube and
the Saave, and investid Belgrade. The siege was.
carried on for some time with great vigour; but at
length abandoned at the approach of the vifcir,- who
obliged the Imperialists to repafs -the Saave-, and
sent out parties which made incursions into Upper-
Hungary. The power of France had rtevfcr been
so conspicuous as at this juncture, when she main-
« • • tained
W I L LI AM III.
tained a formidable navy at sea, and four great* C l
armies in different parts of Europe. Exclusive of
the operations in Flanders, Germany, and Pied
mont, the count de Noailles invested Roses in Ca
talonia, about the latter end of May, while at the
fame time it was blcckfd up by the French fleet,
under the command of the count D'Etrees. In a
few days the place was surrendered by capitulation j
and the castle of Ampurias met with the fame fate.
The Spanish power Was reduced to such a degree",
that Noailles might have proceeded in his conquests
without interruption, had not he been obliged to
detach part of his army to reinforce Catinat in Pied
mont.
a?,,Noihing could be more inglorious for the Eng- Naval
!tsh than their operations by sea in the course of this*3"1"^
summer. The king had ordered the admirals to
We all possible dispatch in equipping the fleets, that
they might'block up the enemy in their own ports,
a(nd prorect the commerce, which had suffered se- 1
Verely1 From the French privateers. They were,
however, so dilatory in their proceedings, that the
squadrons of the enemy sailed from their harbours
before the English fleet could put to sea. About
the middle of May it was assembled at St. Helen's,
,md' took on board five regiments, intended for a
descent on Brest j but this enterprize was never at
tempted. When the English and Dutch squa
drons joined, so as to form a very numerous fleer;
the public expected they would undertake some ex
pedition of importance ; but the admirals were di
vided in their opinion, nor did their orders warrant
their executing any scheme cf cbn sequence. Killigrew
"and Delaval did hot escape the suspicion of being
disaffected to the service \ and France was said to
:have maintained a secret correspondence with thfc
malcontents in England. Lewis had made su'rpri-
ifngr efforts to repair the damage which his navy had
C 2 " sustained*
20 HISTORY ofENGLAND.
a c. is93. sustained. He had purchased several large vessels,
and converted them into ships of war; he had lay*
ed an embargo on all the shipping of his kingdom,
until his squadrons were manned : he had made a
grand naval promotion, to encourage the officers
and seamen ; and this expedient produced a won
derful spirit of activity and emulation. In the
month of May his fleet sailed to the Mediterraneans
in three squadrons, consisting of seventy-one capi
tal ships, besides bomb- ketches, fire-ships, and
tenders. ^no
m^chant *n tne begmning0f June, the English and Dutch
fhipr, under fleets failed down the channel. On the sixth, Sit
convoy of QC0TpS Rooke was detached to the Streiehts, with
Sir George <=« . O »
Kooke, at- a squadron ot three and twenty ships, as convoy to
partiyde1-''' tne Mediterranean trade. The great fleet return*
strayed by fid to Torbay, while he pursued his voyage, having
Jr!n<ch under n'* protection about four hundred merchant
mips belonging to England, Holland, Denmark,
Sweden, Hamburgh, and Flanders. On the six
teenth his scouts discovered part of the French fleet
under Cape St. Vincent : next day their whole navy
appeared to theiamount of eighty sail. Sixteen of
these plied up to the English squadron, while the
[Link] of the white stood off" to sea, to inter
cept the ships under convoy. Sir George Rooke,
by the advice of the Dutch vice-admiral Vauder-
goes, resolved, if possible, to avoid an engagement,
,. ... which could only tend to their absolute ruin. He
forthwith sent orders to the small ships that were
"'"'' nea/ the land, to put into the neighbouring ports
of Faro, St. Lucar, and Cadiz, while he himself
stood off with an easy sail for the protection of the
rest. About six in the evening, ten fail of the ene
my came up with two Dutch ships of war, com
manded by the captains Schrijver and Vander-Poel,
who seeing no possibility of escaping, tacked in
shore ., and thus drawing the French afeer them,
helped
* WILLIAM III. '• i » 1 at
helped to save the rest of the fleer. When attack- A 0 «'9J.
ed they made a most desperate defence y but at List
were overpowered by numbers, 1and taken. An
English ship of war, and a rich pinnace were burn
ed, nine and twenty merchant vessels were raken,
and about fifty destroyed by the counts de Tour-
ville and D'Etrees. Seven of the largest Smyrna
ships fell intO the hands of M. de Coetlcgon, and
four he funk in the bay of Gibraltar. The value
of the loss sustained on this occasion amounted to
one million sterling. Mean while Kooke stood off
with a fresh gale, and on the nineteenth sent home
the Lark ship of war, with the news of his misfor
tune ; then he bore away for the Maderas, where
having- taken in wood and water, he set fail for Ire-
Jftadv; and on the third day of August arrived at
<MOFki' with fifty fail, including ships of war and
trading veliels. He detached captain Fairborne to
Kmsale, with all his squadron, except six ships of
the line, with which, in pursuance' of orders, he
joined the great fleet then cruizing in the chops of
the channel. On the twenty filth day of August
they returned to St. Helen's, and the four regi-
giments were landed. On the nineteenth day of
September, fifteen Dutch ships of the line, and two
frigates, set sail for Holland; and twenty -six sail,
with seven fire- ships, were assigned as guard-ships
during the winter.
«*The French admirals, instead of pursuing Rooke wh«kr'»
to Madera, made an unsuccessful attempt upon "jjf^
Cadiz, and bombarded Gibraltar, where the mer- ^die*. '
chants funk their ships, that they might not fall in
to the hands of the enemy. Then they sailed along
the coast of Spain, destroyed some English and
Dutch vesteis at Malaga, Alicant, and other places ;
and returned in triumph to Toulon. About this
period, Sir Francis Wheeler returned to England
with his squadron, from an unfortunate expedi-
^ C 3 tion
tZ HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. 1693. tion in the West-Indies. In conjunction with colo
nel Codrington, governor of the Leeward islands,
he rmde unsuccessful attempts upon the islands of
Martinique and Dominique. Then he failed to
Boston in New-England, with a view to concert an
expedition against Quebec, which, was judged im
practicable. He 'afterwards steered for Piacentia
in Newfoundland, which he would have attacked
without hesitation ; but the design was rejected by
a majority of voices in the council of war. "Thiis
disappointed he set sail fqr England ; and arrived
at Portsmouth in a very shattered condition, the
greater part of his men having died in the course
of this voyage. . :. w.u-
In November another effort was made to annoy
ITm^o tIie enemy. Commodore Benbow failed, with jx
squadron of twelve capital sliips, four bomb-ketches,
and ten briganunes, to the coast 1of St. Makv and
anchoring within half a mile of the town, canno
naded and bombarded it for three days successively.
Then they landed on an island, where they burned a
convent. .On the' nineteenth, they took the ad
vantage of a dark night, a fresh- gale, and a strong
tide, to fend in afireship of a particular contrivance,
stiled the Infernal, in order to bfum the town; but,
she struck upon a rock before she' arrived at the
place, and the engineer was obliged to set her on
fire, and retreat. She continued burning for some
time, and at last blew up, with such an explosion
as shook the whole town like an earthquake, un
roofed three hundred houses, and broke all the glass
and earthen ware for three leagues round. A cap
stan that weighed two hundred pounds was trans
ported into the place, and falling upon a house,
level ied it to the ground,; the greatest part of the
wall towards the lea tumbled down ; and the inha
bitants were overwhelmed with consternation : so
that a small number of troops might have taken
pos
..! .- WILLIAM Hi. ;, | z3
f>ofleflion without [Link]; but there was not tL^.- c-.l6U-
soldier on b >ard, Nevertheless, the sailors took
and? demolished Quince-fort, and did considerable
damage to the town of $t. Malo, which had been a
aeÆ: of - privateers that .infested the English com
merce. Though- this attempt was executed with
great spirit, and some success, the clamours of the
people became louder and leuder. - They scrupled
not to say, that the councils of the nation were be
trayed ; and their suspicions rose eviinto the secre
tary's office. They observed, that the French were
previously acquainted with all the motions of the
English, and took their measures accordinglyjor
their destruction. They collected ar.d compared a
good number cf particulars, that seemed to jus
tify their suspicion of treachery. But the mis-
.fortunes of the nation, in all probability, arose from
a motley ministry, divided among themselves, who,
instead of acting in concert for the public good, em
ployed all their influence to thwart the views, and
Jblacken the reputations of each other. The people
in general exclaimed against the marquis of Ca'er-
marthen, the earls ,of Nottingham and Rochester,
who had acquired great credit with the queen ; and,
from their hatred to the Whigs, betrayed the in
terests of the nation. .
But if the English were discontented, the French jhe French
were miserable, in spite of all their victories. That k,"s nss r=-
' r courje to the
kingdom laboured under a dreadful famine, occa- meaiati-nof
sioned partly from unfavourable seasons, and partly De,lnurk-
.from the war, which had not left hands sufficient
to cultivate the ground. Notwithstanding all the
diligence and providence of their ministry, in
bringing supplies of corn from Sweden and Den
mark, their care in regulating the price, and
furnishing the markets, their liberal contributions
for the' relief of th- indigent; multitudes perished
of want, and the whole kingdom was reduced to
poverty and distress.- Lewis pined In the midst of
C 4 his
24 HISTORY of ENGLAND,
A.cti6?3. his success. - He saw his subjects exhausted by *
ruinous war, in which they had been involved by
his ambition. He tampered with the allies apart,
in hope cf dividing and detaching them from the
grand confederacy : he solicited the northern crowns
,to engage a,s mediators for a general peace. 'A:
memorial was actually presented by the Danish
minister to king William, by which it appears,,
that the French king would have b*er» contented
to purchase a peace with some considerable con-'
cessions. Bur the terms were rejected by the king
of England, whose ambition and revenge were not
yet grained j and whose subjects, though heavy
laden, could still bear additional burthens.- "pqt«
Fcvtitvof The Jacobites had been very attentive toritbib
the g..vem- progress of dissatisfaction in England, which they
rh'nT«o-"st fomented with their usual affiduiry. The l»te!d»h
tius. cjaration of king James had been couched in; such.
imperious terms as gave offence even to (omWrfr
those who favoured his. interest. The earl of Mid-
dleton therefore, in the beginning of the year^ rem
paired to St. Germain's, and obtained another^
wnich contained the promise of a general pardoAj
without exceptions ; and every vother concession
that a British subject could demand of his sove
reign. About tlu. latter end of May, two men*
named Canning and Dormer, were apprehended
for dispersing copies of this . paper, tried at the
Old Biiley, found guilty of not only dispersing,
but alio of composing a false and seditious libel,
sentenced to pay five hundred marks a piece, to
stand three times in the pillory, and find sureties for
their good behaviour. But, no circumstance re
flected more disgrace on this reign, than the fate of
Anderton, the supposed printer of some tracts
against the government. He was brought to trial:
for high-treason ; he made a vigorous defence, in:
spite of the insults and discouragements he sustained
from
: WILLIAM' III. *5
from a partial bench. As nothing but prefump-'A.c.is9J.
tions appeared against him, the jury serupled to
bring in a verdict that would affect his life, until
they were reviled and reprimanded by judge Treby;
then they found him guilty. In vain recourse was
had to the queen's mercy : he suffered death at
Tvburn; and left a paper, protesting solemnly
against the proceedings of the court, which he
affirmed, was appointed, not to try, but to con
vict him ; and petitioning h.-aven to forgive his
penitent jury. The severity of the government
was likewise exemplified in the case of some adven
turers, who having equipped privateers to cruize
,upon the English, under joint- commissions from
thdilate king James and Lewis XIV. happened to
be taken by the English ships of war. Dr. Oldys,
thtf» king's advocate, being commanded to proceed
against them as guilty of treason and pyracy, re
fused to commence the prosecution ; and gave his
opinion in writing, that they were neither traitors
nor pyrates. He supported this opinion by argu
ments before the council, and was answered by
Dr. Littleton, who succeeded him in the office,
from which he was dismissed ; and the prisoners
were executed as traitors. The Jacobites did not
fail to retort those arts upon the government, which
their adversaries had so successfully practised in the
late reign. They inveighed against the vindictive
spirit of the administration, and taxed it with en
couraging informers and false witnesses ; a charge
for which there was too mcch foundation.
The friends of J^mes in Scotland still continued Complai-
to concert designs in his favour; but, their corref- *
pondence Was detected, and their aims defeated, by Haaaoe.
the vigilance of th i ministry in that kingdom. Se
cretary Johnston not only kept a watchful eye over
all their transactions, but by a dextrous manage
ment of court liberality and favour, appeased the
nl dis-
HISTORY of E N GX A N D,
'<9S discontents of the preibyterians-so effectually, that
the king ran no risque m assembling the parliament.
Some offices were bestowed upon" the leaders of the
kirk '-'party ; and^ the duke of^Hamilton being re>-
conciled to the- government, was appointed com
missioner. On the eighteenth -dayof Aprils the
session' was opened j and the kirig*s. letter, replete
with* the most -cajoJing expressions, being .-ready the
parliament proceeded to exhibit undeniable -speci
mens of their good humour. They drew up a very
affectionate answer to his, majesty's .letter: They
voted an addition of six new regiments to the stand
ing forces of the kingdom : They granted a supply
of above one hundred and fifty thousand pounds
sterling to his majesty : They enacted a law' for levy
ing men to serve on board of the rfcyal: navy : 'They
fined all absentees, whether lords- or commons ;
and vacated che ieats of all those commissioners who
refused to take the oath of assurance, which-wefe
equivalent to an abjuration of king James : They
set on foot an enquiry about an: intended invasion,:
They published some intercepted letters, supposed
to b'e written to : king James by Nevil-Payne, whorii
they committed to prison,, and threatened with a
trial for . high treason' ; but he eluded the danger,
by threatening in his turn to- impeach those who
had made their peace with the government : They
passed an act for the comprehension of such of the
episcopal clergy as should condescend to take the
oaths by the tenth day of July AU that the gene
ral assembly required cf them, was an offer to iub-
• scribe the confession of faith, and to acknowledge
presbytery as the only government of the Scottish
church : but they neither submitted to these terms,
nor took the oaths within the limited time ; so that
they forfeited all legal right to their benefices. Ne
vertheless, they continued in possession, and even
received private assurances cf the king's protection.
It
W-J LL'IAM in." 27
It was one of William's political maxims to court A- C- #91-
his domestic enemies; but it was never attended
with any good effect. This indulgence gave of
fence to the preibyterians, and former distractions
began to revive, ' ... ,s :
. - . The
.. king,
,,,0, haying
"-"TD prevailed upon
r the Statesr- -rb-
o Th;t;ng
returns to
neral to augment their land-forces and navy for England,
$he service of the -enjuing campaign,. embarked :fo/^"/ome
England, and arrived at Kensington, -on . the this- the^is-
tieth day of October Finding,the people clamorous ^ ^
and discontented, the trade of the .nation decayed;, session of
[Link] of state, mismanaged, . and the ministers Parliams»lt-
recriminating upon one another, he perceived the
^scestity of changing hands, and resolved tp take
fcifc, measures accordingly. Sunderland his chief
counsellor represented, that the Tories were averse
to the [Link] of a war, which had been pro,-
-ductive of nothing but damage and disgrace
whereas the Whigs were much more practicable,
e#di would bleed freely, partly from the terrors of
invasion and popery, partly from the. ambition of
being courted by the crown, and partly from the
prospect of advantage, in advancing money to. the
government on the funds established by parliament.:
for that sort of traffic which obtained the appellation
of the monied-interest, was altogether a whiggish.
institution. The king revolved th^se observations
in his own mind ; and, in the mean time, the par
liament met on the. seventh day of November, pur
suant to the last prorogation. In his speech he ex
pressed his resentment against those who were authors
of the miscarriages at sea ; represented the necessity
of increasing the land-forces and! the navy, and de..
manded a suitable supply for these purposes. La
order to pave the way to their condescension, he
had already dismissed from his council, the earl of
Nottingham, who, of all his ministers, was the
most odious to the- people. [Link]. would have
3 teen
28 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
A,C. 1693 beefj immediately filled with the earl of Shrewsbury;
but that nobleman suspecting this was a change of
men rather than of measures, stood aloof for some
tijne, until he received such assurances from the
long as quieted his scruples, and then he accepted
the office of secretary. The lieutenancy for the
city of London, and all other commissions over
England, were altered with a view to favour the
Whig interest ; and the individuals of that party
were indulged with many places of trust and pro*
fit : but the Tories were too powerful in the house
of commons to be exasperated, and therefore a
good number of them were retained in office. '! bos
Both housi-s On the sixth day of the session the commons una»
inquire into nim0UQy ref0]ved to support their majesties and
mgttby their government; to inquire into miicarnages *
*»• and to consider means for preserving the trade of
the nation. The Turky company were summoned
to produce the petitions they had delivered to the
commissioners of the admiralty for convoy ; while
lord Falkland, who fat at the head of that board,
gave in copies of all the orders and directions sent
to Sir George Rooke concerning the Streights fleets
together with a list of all the ships at that time in
commission. It appeared, in the course of this in
quiry, that the miscarriage of Rooke's fleet was in
a great measure owing to the misconduct of the
admirals, and neglect of the victualling-office ; but
they were fkreened by a majority. Mr. Harley,
one of the commissioners for taking and stating the
public accounts, delivered a report which contained
a charge of peculation against lord Falkland. Rains-
ford, receiver of the rights and perquisites of the
navy, confessed that he had received and payed
more money than that which was charged in the
accompts ; and, in particular, that he had payed
four thousand pounds to lord Falkland, by his ma
jesty's order. This lord had acknowledged before
WI L L rAfc!°lfi.^- *9
the commissioners, that he had payed one half of c'
the sum, by the king's order, to a person who was
not a member of either house ; and that the remain
der was still in his hands. Rainsford owned he had
the original letter which he received fiom Falk
land, demanding the money 5 and this nobleman
desiring to see it, detained the voucher ; a circum
stance that incensed the commons to such a degree^
that a motion was made for committing him to the
Tower, and debated with great warmth, but ac
hist over- ruled by the majority. Nevertheless, they
agreed to make him sensible os their displeasure,
and he was reprimanded in his place. The house
©f dords having also inquired into the causes of the
mifearfiage at sea, very violent debates arose, and
af'-1fi>Sgth the majority resolved, that the admiral*
had done well in the execution of the orders they
had deceived. This was a triumph over the Whig
lords, who had so eagerly prosecuted the affair, and
rtow protested against the resolution, not without
great appearance of reason. The next step of the
lords, was to exculpate the earl of Nottingham, as
the blame seemed to lie with him, on the supposi
tion that the admirals were innocent. With a view
therefore to transfer this blame to Trenchard the
whiggish secretary, he gave the house to understand,
that he had received from Paris intelligence in the
beginning of June, containing a list of the enemy's
fleet, and the time of their sailing ; that this was
communicated to a committee of the council, and
particularly imparted to secretary Trenchard, whose
province it was to transmit instructions to the ad
mirals. Two conferences passed on this subject
bstween the lords and commons. Trenchard de
livered in his defence in writing ; and W2S in his
turn skreened by the whole efforts of the ministry,
iniwhich the Whig influence now predominated.
Thus an inquiry of such national consequence,
2 which •
3o HISTORY of fc N G L AN I).
a. c. 1 69j. which took its rife from the king's own expression
of resentment against the delinquents, was stifled by
the arts of the court, because it was likely to affect:
one of its creatures : for, though there was no pre
meditated treachery in the case, the interest of the
public was certainly sacrificed to the mutual animo
sity of the ministers. The charge of lord Falkland
being resumed in the house cf commons, he appear
ed to have begged and received of the king,' the
remaining two thousand pounds cf the money
which had been payed by Rainsfcrd : he was there
fore declared guilty of a high misdemeanor and
breach cf trust, and committed to the Tower ;
frOm whence, however, he was in two days dis
charged upon his petition.
roon< grant Harley, Foley, and Harcourt, presented to1 £ffe
avast sum heuse a state of the receipts and issues cf the re-
Vceto/the verme» together with two reports from the corri'-»
ensuing, misfioners of the accounts, concerning sums issued
Jear- for secret services, and to members of parliament.
This was a discovery of the most scandalous prac
tices in the mystery of corruption, equally exercised
bn the individuals of both parties, in occasional
bounties, grant?, places, pensions, equivalents*
and additional salaries. The malcontents there
fore justly observed, the house of commons was so .
managed that the king could baffle any bill, qu2sh
all grievances, stifle accounts, and rectify the ar
ticles of Limerick. When the commons took in
to consideration the estimates and supplies of the
ensuing year, the king demanded forty thousand
mf'n for the navy, and above one hundred thou
sand for the purposes of the land-service. Before
the house considered these enormous demands, they
granted four hundred thousand pounds by way of
advance, to quu-t the clamours of the seamen, who
were become mutinous and desperate for want of
pay, upwards of one million being due to them for
wages.
WILLIAM II*. 91
wages. Then the commons voted the number of A- c- ,699.
men required for the navy : but they were so
ashamed of that for the army, that they thought it
necessary to act in such a manner as should imply
that they still retained fume regard for their coun
try. They called for all the treaties subsisting be
tween the king and his allies : they examined the
different proportions of the troops furnished by the
respective powers : they considered the intended
augmentations, and sixed the establishment of the
year at fourscore and three thousand, one hundred
and one and twenty men j including officers. For
the maintenance of these they allotted the sum of
two millions five hundred and thirty thousand, five
hundred and ninety pounds. They granted two
millions for the navyj and about five hundred
thousand to make good the deficiencies of the an
nuity and poll- bills ; so that the supplies for the
year amounted to about five millions and a half,
raised by a land-tax of four shillings in the pound,
by two more lives in the annuities, a further ex
cise on beer, a new duty cn salt, and-a lottery.
Though the malcontents in parliament could not The king
withstand this torrent of profusion, they endeavour- j^f8 '!";
ed to distress the court-interest, by reviving the po- (4, ^Tm-
pular bills of the preceding sessions ; such as that P*[Link].°-
of regulating trials in cases of hig!i-treason, the parliament j
other for the more frequent calling and meeting of ?ndtn? ,
,. • •• V 1 P 1 • . . lower house
parliaments, and that concerning tree and impartial remonstrate*
proceedings in parliament. The first was neglected ?" ths sutr"
in the house of lords ; the second was rejected ; tha J* "•• .
third was passed by the commons, on the supposi
tion that it would be defeated in the other .house.
The lords 'returned it with certain amendments, to
which the commons would not agree ; a conference
ensued ; the peers receded from their corrections,
and passed the bill, to which, the king, however,
' , * •, refused
g2 HISTORYof ENGLAND.
a.c. 1693. refused his asient. Nothing could be more unpopu
lar and dangerous than such a step at this juncture.
The commons, in order to recover some credit
with the people, determined to disapprove of his
majesty's conduct. The house formed itself in-
self into a committee, to take the state of the king
dom into consideration. They resolved, that who
ever advised the king to refuse the royal assent to
that bill, was an enemy to their majesties and the
kingdom. They likewise presented an address,
expressing their concern that he had not given his
consent to the bil!, and beseeching his majesty to
hearken for the future to the advice of his parlia
ment, rather than to the counsels of particular per
sons, who might have private interests of their
own, separate from those of his majesty and his
people. The king thanked them for their zeal,
profesied a warm regard for their constitution ; and
assured them he would look upon all parties as ene
mies, who mould endeavour to lessen the confidence
subsisting between the sovereign and people. The
members in the opposition were not at all satisfied
, with this general reply. A day being appointed to
take it into consideration, a warm debate was main
tained with equal eloquence and acrimony. At
length the question being put, that an address
be made for a more explicit answer, it passed in the
negative by a great majority.
EstaHiA- The city of London petitioned that a parliamen
ts of the tary provision might be made for the orphans whose
Sngiand. fortunes they had scandalously squandered away.
Such an application had been made in the preceding
session, and rejected with disdain as an imposition
on the public : but now those scruples were remov.
ed, and they passed a bill for this purpose, consist
ing of many clauses, extending to different charges
on the city lands, aqueducts, personal estates, and
imposing
W ILL I A M Uh n
imposing duties on binding apprentices, consti- * c- l69V
tuting freemen, as also upon wines and coals
imported into London. On the twenty-third day
of March these bills received the royal assent ; and
the king took that opportunity of recomrhending
dhpatch, as the season of. the year was far advanced,
and the enemy diligently employed in making pre
parations for an early campaign. The scheme of a
national bank, like those of Amsterdam and Ge^
noa, had been recommended to the ministry, as an
excellent institution, as well for the credit and se
curity of the government, as for the increase of
.trade and circulation. One project was invented
jb.y doctor Hugh Chamberlain, proposing the cir
culation of tickets on land -security : but William
,jPa|grson was author of that which was carried into
jjpecutipn by the interest of Michael Godfrey, and
oJDther active projectors. The scheme was founded
the notion of a transferable fund, and a circu-
- lation by bill, on the credit of a large capital.
„.Forty merchants subscribed to the amount of .five
hundred thousand pounds, as a fund of ready mo
ney to circulate one million at eight per cent. to be ,
lent to the government; and even this fund of
ready money bore the fame interest. When it was
properly digested in the cabinet, and a majority in
parliament secured for its reception, the under^
takers for the court introduced it into the house
of commons, and expatiated upon the national ad-
Vantages that would accrue from such a measure. "
They said it would rescue the nation out of. the
hands of extortioners and usurers, lower interest,
• raise the value of land, revive and establish public
credit, facilitate the annual supplies, and connect
the people the more closely with the government'
The project was violently opposed by a strong
party, who affirmed that it would become a mono
poly, and engross the whole money of the king-
- N». 8 1, D dom:
34- -HISTORY of ENG LAND.
A.c. i69J. dom : that, as it must infallibly be subservient to
government views, it might be employed to the
worst purposes of arbitrary power : that, instead of
assisting, it would weaken commerce, by tempting
people to withdraw their money from trade, and
employ it in stock-jobbing : that it would produce
a swarm of brokers and jobbers to prey upon their
fellow-creatures, encourage fraud and gaming, and
further corrupt the morals of the nation. Notwith
standing these objections, the bill made its way
through the two houses, establishing the funds for
the security and advantage of the subscribers ; im-
powering their majesties to incorporate them by
the name of The governor and company of the bank
of England, under a proviso, that at any time after
the first day of August, in the year one thousand
seven hundred and five, upon a year's notice, and
the repayment of the twelve hundred thousand
pounds, the said corporation shouid cease and de
termine. The bill likewise contained clauses of ap
propriation for the services of the public. The whole
subscription was filled in ten days after its being,
opened ; and the court of directors completed the
payment before the expiration of the time prescrib
ed by the act, although they did not call in more
• than seven hundred and twenty thousand pounds
of the money subscribed. All these funds proving
inadequate to the estimates, the commons brought
in a bill' to impose stamp duties upon all velum,
parchment, and paper, used in almost every kind
of intercourse between man and man ; and they
crowned the oppreflions of the year with another
grievous tax upon carriages, under the name of a
bill for licensing and regulating hackney and stage-
. coaches.
The commons, in a clause of the bill for taxing,
several joint-stocks, provided, that in case of a de
fault in the payment of that tax, within the time
limited
w i L L 1 A M jit 15
limited by the act, the charter of the company so A- c- ,693«
failing should be deemed void and forfeited, 'she The £*"-
East-India company actually neglected their pay- JJ^JE,
ment ; and the public imagined the ministry would 1 new ch»-
seize this opportunity of dissolving a monopoly ttri
against which so many complaints had been made :
but they understood their own strength ; and, in
stead of being broke* obtained the promise of a
iiew charter. This was no sooner known, than the
controversy between them and their adversaries was
revived with such animosity, that the council
thought proper to indulge both parties with a hear
ing: As this produced no resolution, the mer
chants who opposed the company petitioned that,
in the mean while, the new charter might be sus
pended. Addresses of the fame kind were present
ed by a great number of clothiers, linen-drapers,
and other dealers. To these a written answer was
published by the company : the merchants printed 1
a reply, in which they undertook to prove, that
the company had been guilty of unjtist and un
warrantable actions, tending to the scandal of reli
gion, the dishonour of the nation, the reproach of
our Jaws, the oppression of the people, and the ruin
of the trade. They observed, that two private
ships had exported in ene year three times as many
cloaths as the company had exported in three years.
They offered to fend more cloath and English mer
chandise to the Indies in one year, than the com
pany had exported in five ; to furnish the govern
ment with five hundred tons of lak-petre for lesij
than one half of the usual price ; and they repre
sented, that the company could neithert load the
ships they petitioned for in England, nor reload
them in the East-Indies. In spite of all these re
monstrances, the new charter passed the great
seal ; though the grants contained in it were limited
in such a manner, that they did not amount to an
D 2 exclusive
S6 HISTORY of ENGLAND
ax. i693yjxckisive privilege, and subjected the company to
such alterations, restrictions,' and qualifications, as
the king should direct before the twenty-ninth day
of-September. This indulgence, and other favours
granted to the company, were privately purchased
of the ministry, and became productive of a loud
outcry against the government. The merchants
published a journal of the whole transaction : they
petitioned the house of commons, that their liberty
of trading to the East- Indies might be confirmed
by parliament. Another petition was presented by
the company, praying that their charter might re
ceive a parliamentary sanction. Both parties em
ployed all their address in making private applies •
tion to the members. The house having examined
the different charters, the book of their new
subscriptions, and every particular relating to the
company, resolved that all the subjects of England
had an equal right to trade to the East Indies, un-.
less prohibited by act of parliament- .
slnwlla. But nothing engrossed the attention of the pub-
turaiNation lie more than a bill which was brought into the
droppcd" house for a general naturalization of all foreign pro
testants. The advocates for this measure alledged,
That great part of the lands of England lay uncul
tivated : That the strength of a nation consisted in
' the number of inhabitants : That the people were
thinned by the war and foreign voyages, and re*
quired an extraordinary supply : That a great num
ber of protestants, persecuted in France and other
countries, would gladly remove to a land of freer
dom, and bring along with them their wealth and
manufactures : That the community had been
largely [Link] the protection granted to those
refugees who had already settled in the kingdom.
They had introduced several new branches of manu
facture, promoted industry, and lowered the price
of labour, a circumstance of the utmost impor
tance
WILLIAM IIL , 37
tance to trade, oppressed as it was with taxes, andA.c. '*93,
exposed to uncommon ' hazard from the enemy.
The opponents of the bill urged with great vehe
mence, That it would cheapen the birthright of
Englishmen : That the want of culture was owing
to the oppression of the times : That foreigners
being admitted into the privileges of the British
trade, would grow wealthy at the expence of their
benefactors, and transfer the fortunes they had
gained into their native country : That the reduc
tion in the price of labour would be a national
grievance, while many thousands of English manu •
facturers were starving for want of employment,
and the price of provisions continued so high, that
even those who were employed could scarce sup
ply their families with bread : That the real design
of the bill was to make such an accession to the . ,
dissenters as would render them an equal match in
the body-politic for those of the church of Eng
land ; to create a greater dependence on the crown,
and, in a word, to supply a foreign head with fo
reign members. Sir John Knight, a member of
the house, in a speech upon this subject, exagge
rated the bad consequences that would attend such
a bill, with all the wit and virulence of satire : it
was printed and dispersed through the kingdom,
and raised such a flame among the people as had
not appeared since the revolution. They exclaim
ed, that all offices would be conferred upon Dutch
men, who would become Lord-danes, and pre
scribe the modes of religion and government ; and
they extolled Sir John Knight as the saviour of the
.nation. The courtiers, incensed at the progress of
this clamour, complained in the house of the speech,
which had been printed ; and Sir John was threat- ^UTnrt-
enedwith expulsion and imprilonment. He there- Use of king
fore thought proper to disown the paper, which ^'n"'aa1m'
was burned by the hands- of the common hang- st»teTr«a»,
D l man. ^
38 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. 1693. man. This sacrifice served only to increase the po-
pular disturbance, which rose to such a height of
violence, that the court party began to tremble;
and the bill was dropped for the present.
Wh!d£c'" Lord Coningsby and Mr. Porter had committed
petifliesintthe most flagrant acts of oppression in Ireland,
iiorm. These had been explained during the last session,
by the gentlemen who appealed against the adminis
tration of lord Sidney : but they were screened by
the ministry ; and therefore the earl of Bellamont
now impeached them in the house of commons, of
' which he and they were members. After an exa
mination of the articles exhibited against them, the
commons, who were by this time at the devotion
of the court, declared, that considering the state of
affairs in Ireland, they did not think them fit
AX- '694- grounds for an impeachment. In the course of
this session, the nation sustained another misfortune
;n the fate of Sir Francis Wheeler, who had been
appointed commander in chief of the Mediterra
nean squadron. He received instructions to take
under his convoy the merchant ships bound to
Turkey, Spain, and Italy ; to cruise thirty days
in a certain latitude, for the protection of the Spa
nish plate-fleet homeward-bound ; to leave part of
his squadron at Cadiz, as convoy to the trade for
England j to proceed with the rest to the Mediter-
ranean; to join the Spanish fleet in his return; and
to act in concert with them, until he should be
joined by the fleet from Turkey and the Streights,
and accompany them back to England. About the
•latter end of October he set fail from St. Helen's,
and in January arrived at Cadiz with the ships un
der his convoy: There leaving fear-admiral Hop-
son, he proceeded for the Mediterranean. In the bay
of Gibraltar he was overtaken with a dreadful tem
pest, under a lee-shore,' which he could' not possi-
ply weather, and
•' where
"',•.c the
' • ground
» •" ' was
• - so foul
that
WILLIAM I1L 39
that no anchor would hold. This expedient, how- A« c. ?*H"
ever, was tried. A great number of lliips were
driven ashore, and many perished. The admiral's
fliip foundered at sea, and he and all his crew were
buried in the deep, except two Moors, who were
miraculously preserved. Two other ships of the
Jine, three ketches, and six merchant ships, were
lost. The remains of the fleet were so much shat
tered, that instead of prosecuting their voyage, they
returned to Cadiz in order to be refitted, and shel
tered from the attempts of the French squadrons,
which were still at sea, under the command of Cha
teau -Renaud and Gabaret. On the twenty fifth
day of April the king closed the session with a
speech in the usual stile, and the parliament was
prorogued to the eighteenth day of September -f.
Lewis of France being tired of the war, which j™* *ns-
had impoverished his country, continued to tarn- 1° makeT'
per with the duke of Savoy, and, by the canal of ^ ^ in
the pope, made some offers to the king of Spain, bay, but are
repulsed
y rMides the bills already mention- and earl of Arran in Ireland. The earl with loss,
ed, the parliament in this session passed of Shrewsbury «• honoured with the
an act for taking and fiating the pu- title of duke. The eari of Mulgrave
fclic accounts j another to encourage being reconci'ed to thecourt-measures,
fliip Voildirrg ; a third for the bitter was gratified with a prnsion of three
disciplining the navy ; the usual mili- thousand pounds, and the title of mar-
tia act, and an act enabling his majesty <jui* of Normanby. HemyHerbertwas
to make grants and leases inthc rlutchy eanstbled by the title of baron Herbert
es Cornwall. One Was alfa passed for of Cherbury The earls os Bedford,
renewing a clause in an old statute li- Devonshire and Clare, were promoted
uniting the number of justices of the to therank osdukesi The rrarq. is of
peace in the [Link] of Wales. The Carmaeithrn was made dokeof Leeds,
duke of Norfolk broughtan actioninto lord viscount Sidney earl of Rumney,
the court of kingVbench against Mr. and theviscoun Newpoit carl of Rrad-
Jermaine, for criminal conversation foid Russel was advanced tothehud
with hisdutcheft. The cause was tried, of the admiralty board. Sir [Link]
end the jury brought in their verdict Kooke and Sir John Houblon were ap.
for cne hundred marks and costs of pointed joint-commissioners in the
•suit, in se'onr of the plaintiff, roomof Killegrewand Delaval. Charlr.
Before the king embarked, he grati- Mon ague was made chan ellor of thr
fied a good number of his frienis with exchequer 4 Sr Wiiliam Trumbai and
promotions. Lord Charles Butler, bro- J ohn Smith comm ssioners of the Hea
ther to the duke of Ormond, was crea- fury, in the [Link] of Sir Edward Sey-
ted lord Butler of Weston in England, mour and Mr, Hamdcn.
D 4 which
I

4o ' HISTORY 01 ENGLAND.

a. c. i 694. which were rejected. Mean while he resolved to
stand upon the defensive during the ensuing cam
paign, in every part but Catalonia, where his whole
naval force might cooperate with the count de
Noailles, who commanded the land-army. King
William having received intelligence of their de
sign upon Barcelona, endeavoured to prevent th^
junction of the Brest and Toulon squadrons, by
sending Russel to sea as early as the fleet could be
in a condition to fail : but, before he arrived at
Portsmouth, the Brest squadron had quitted that
harbour, On ' the third day of May the admiral
sailed from St. Helen's, with the combined squa
drons of England and Holland, amounting to ninety
ships of the line, besides frigates, fire-ships, and
tenders. He detached captain Pritchard of the
Monmouth with two fire-ships to destroy a fleet of
French merchant-ships near Conquet-bay ; and this
service being performed, he returned to St. Helen's,
where he had left Sir Cloudesiey Shovel with a,
squadron, to take on board a body of land-forces,
intended for a descent upon the coast of France.
These being embarked, under the command of
general Tollemache, the whole'fleet sailed again on
the twenty- ninth os May. The land and sea- of
ficers, in a council of war, agreed that part of the
fleet designed for this expedition, Ihould separate
from the rest, and proceed to Camaret-bay, where
the forces should be landed. On the fifth day of
June, lord Berkeley, who commanded this squa
dron, parted with the grand fleet, and on the se
venth anchored between the bays of Camaret and
Bertaume. Next day the marquis of Carmaerthen,
afterwards duke of Leeds, who served under
Berkeley, as rear-admiral of the blue, entered Car
maret-bay with two large ships and six frigates, to
cover the troops in landing. The French had re
ceived intelligence of the design, and taken such
mo
WILLIAM III. 41
precautions, under the conduct of the celebrated *• c. lfi9*'
engineer Vauban, that the English were exposed
to a terrible fire from new-erected batteries, as
well as from a strong body of troops ; and, though
the ships cannonaded them with great vigour, the
soldiers could not maintain any regularity in land
ing. A good number were killed in the open
boats before they reached the shore ; and those who
landed were soon repulsed, in spite of all the endea
vours of general Tollemache, who received a wound
in the thigh which proved mortal. Seven hundred
soldiers are said to have been lost on this occasion,
besides those that were killed on board of the ships.
The Monk ship of war was towed off with great,
difficulty ; but a Dutch frigate of thirty guns fell"
into the hands of the enemy.
After this unfortunate attempt, lord Berkeley,' TW !»«"
with the advice of a council of war, sailed back for Havo de1*'
England, and at St. Helen's received orders from pra"'rk.
the queen to call a council, and deliberate in what ua caiai,
manner the ships and forces might be best employ
ed. They agreed to make some attempt upon the
coast of Normandy. With this view they set sail
on the fifth day of July. They bombarded Dieppe,
,and reduced the greatest part of the town to ashes.
Thence they steered to Havre de Grace, which met -
with the fame fate. They harrassed the French
troops, who marched after them along snore. Th?y
alarmed the whole coast, and filled every town with
such consternation, that they would have been
abandoned by the inhabitants, had not they been
detained by military force. On the twenty- sixth
day of July, lord Berkeley returned to St. Helen's,
where he quitted the fleet, and the command de
volved upon Sir Cloudesiey Shovel, This officer
having received instructions to make an attempt , 1
upon Dunkirk, sailed round to the Downs, where
he was joined by M. Meesters, with fix and twenty
• - 6 Dutch
$2 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a.c. 1694 Dutch pilots. On the twelfth of September he ap
peared before Dunkirk ; and next day lent in the
Charles galley, with two bomb-ketches, and. as
many of the machines called infernals. These
were set on fire without effect; ; and the design mis
carried : then Shovel steered for Calais, which hav
ing bombarded with little success, he returned to
the coast of England ; and the bomb ketches and
machines were sent into the river Thames.
Admiral During these transactions, admiral Ruflel with
sor?hesMe- ^e gran<i Aeet &&ed for the Mediterranean ; and
ditcrranean, being joined by rear-admiral Neville from Cadiz,
"^""f^" together with Callembergh and Evertzen, he steer-
winters at %td towards Barcelona, which was besieged by the
Cidn. French fleet and army. At his approach Tour-
ville retired with precipitation into the harbour of
Toulon and Noailles abandoned his enterprize.
The Spanish affairs were in such a deplorable con
dition, that without this timely assistance the king
dom must have been undone. While he continued
1 in the Mediterranean, the French admiral durst not
venture to appear at sea ; and all his projects were
disconcerted. After having asserted the honour of
the British flag in those seas during the whole sum
mer, he sailed in the beginning of November to
Cadiz, where, by an express order of the king, he
passed the winter, during which he took such pre
cautions for preventing l ourville from passing the
Streights, thatjie did not think proper to risque the
passage.
Campaign • It will now be necessary to describe the opera-
Flanders tjons Qn t^ continent. In the middle of May king
William arrived in Holland, where he consulted
with the states- general. On the third day of June
he repaired to Bertheme-abbey near Louvain, the
place appointed for the rendezvous of the army;
and there he was met by the electors of Bavaria and
Cologne. In a few days a numerous army was as-
. sembled j
WILLIAM III. 4j
lerhbled ; and every thing seemed to promise an *-c- s*9f.
active campaign. On the third day of June the
the dauphin took the command of the French
forces, with which Luxembourg had taken post
between Mohs and Maubeuge; and passing the
Sambre, encamped at Fleurus : but, on the eigh
teenth, he removed from thence, and took up his
quarters between St. Troh and Wanheim ; while
the confederates lay at Roofbeck. On the eleventh
of July, the dauphin marched in four columns to
Perle upon the Jaar, where he pitched his camp.
.On the twenty-second, the confederates marched
to Bomale : then the dauphin took the route to
Vignamo'nr, where he secured his army by intrench-
ments, as his forces were inferior in number to
those of the allies; and he had been di,ected by
his father to avoid an engagement. In this situa
tion both armies remained till the fifteenth day
of August, when king William sent the heavy
baggage to Louvain ; and on the eighteenth made
a motion to Sombref. This was no sooner known
Jto the enemy, than they decamped ; and having
marched all night, posted themselves between
Tempioh and Masy, within a league and an half
of the confederates. The king of England resolved
to pass the Scheld ; and with this view marched by
the way of Neville and Soignies, to Chivere : from
thence he detached the duke of Wirtemberg, with
a strong body of horse and foot, to pass the river at
Oudenarde, while the elector of Bavaria advanced
with another detachment to pal's it at Pont D'Elpi-
eres. Notwithstanding all the expedition they could
make, their purpose was anticipated by Luxem
bourg, who being apprised of their route, had de
tached four thousand horie, with each a foot soldier
behind the trooper, to reinibrce Mr. de Valette,
who commanded that part of the French lines.
These were sustained by a choice body of men,
44 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c, 169*. 'who travelled with great expedition, without ob
serving the formalities of a march. The marechal
de Villeroy followed the fame route, with all the
cavalry of the right wing, the houshold-troops, and
twenty field-pieces ; and the rest of the army was
brought up by the dauphin in person. They
marched with such incredible diligence, that the
elector of Bavaria could scarce believe his own eyes,
when he arrived in sight of the Scheld, and saw
them entrenching themselves on the other side of
the river. King William having reconnoitred their
disposition, thought it impracticable to pass at that
place, and therefore marched down the river to
Oudenarde, where the passage had been already ef
fected by the duke of Wirtemberg. Here the con
federates passed the Scheld on the twenty-seventh,
day of the month ; and the king sixed his head
quarters at Wanneghem. His intention was to
have taken possession of Courtray, and establish
winter-quarters for a considerable part of his army
in that district : but, Luxembourg having posted
himself between that place and-Menin, extended
his lines in such a manner, that the confederates
could not attempt to force them, nor even hinder
him from subsisting his army at the expence of the
castellany of Courtray, during the remainder of
the campaign. This surprising march was of such
importance to the French king, that he wrote with
his own hand a letter of thanks to his army ; and
ordered that it should be read to every particular
squadron and battalion.
tik allies xhe king of England, though disappointed in
i«iuce Huy. ^ fcijeme up0n Courtray, found means to make
advantage of his superiority in number. He
draughted noops from the garrisons of Liege and
Maestiicht; and on the third day of September
reinforced this body with a large detachment from
his own camp, conferring the command upon the
, , . duke
" W I L L 1 A M Ml 4$.
duke of Holstein-Ploen, with orders to undertake ,69+-
the siege of Huy. Next day, the whole confede
rate forces passed the Lys, and encamped at Wen-
terghem. From thence the king, with part of the
army, marched to Roselaer ; and this division oblig
ed the dauphin to make considerable detachments
for the security of Ypres and'Menin, on one side,
and to cover Fumes and Dunkirk on the other. At
this juncture, a Frenchman being seized in the
very act of setting fire to one of the ammunition-
waggons in the allied army, confessed he had been
employed for this purpose by some of the French
generals ; and suffered death as a traitor. On the
sixteenth day of the month, the duke of Holstein-
Ploen invested Huy, and carried on the siege with
such vigour, that in ten days the garrison capitu
lated. The king ordered Dixmuyde, Deynse, Ni-
vove, and Tirlemont, to be secured for winter-
quarters to part of the army : the dauphin returned
to Versailles, William quitted the camp on the last
day ofSeptember; and both armies broke up about
the middle of October.
The operations on the Rhine had been precon- The prince
certed between king William and the prince of Ba- °™ef"e
den, who visited London in the winter. The dis- Rhine, but
pute between the emperor and the elector of Saxony «p°bfc diLt0
was compromised ; and this young prince dying river. oPe-
during the negotiation, the treaty was perfected by Hungary!
his brother and successor, who engaged to furnish
twelve thousand men yearly, in consideration of a
subsidy from the court of Vienna. In the begin
ning of June, the marechal de Lorges passed the
Rhine at Philipsburg, in order to give battle to the
Imperialists, encamped at Hailbron. The prince
of Baden, who was not yet joined by the Saxons,
Hessians, nor by the troops of Munster and Pader-
born, dispatched couriers to quicken the march
of
46 HISTORY ot ENGLAND.
a. c. ■694- of these auxiliaries, and advanced to Eppingeri,
where he proposed to wait until they mould come
up : but, on the fifteenth, receiving undoubted
- intelligence that the enemy were in motion towards
him, he advanced to meet them in order of battle.
De Lorges concluded, that this was a desperate
effort, and immediately halted, to make the ne
cessary preparations for an engagement. This
pause enabled prince Lewis to take possession of a
strong pass near Sintzheim, from which he could
not easily be dislodged. Then the marechal pro
ceeded to [Link], and ravaged the adjacent coun
try, in hope of drawing the Imperialists from their
intrenchments. The prince being joined by the
. - Hessians, resolved to beat up the quarters of the
enemy and the French general being apprised gf
his design, retreated at midnight with the utmost
precipitation. Having posted himself at Ruth, he
sent his heavy baggage to Philipsburg j then he
moved to Gonsbergh in the neighbourhood of
Manheim, repassed the Rhine, and encamped be
tween Spires and Worms. The prince of Baden
being joined by the allies, passed the river by a
bridge of boats near Hagenbach, in the middle of
September ; and layed the country of Alsace under
contribution. Considering the advanced season of
the year, this was a rash undertaking ; and the
French general resolved to profit by his enemy's
temerity. He forthwith advanced against the Im
perialists, foreseeing that should they be worsted in
battle, their whole army would be ruined. Prince
Lewis, informed of his intention, immediately re-
passed the Rhine ; and this retreat was no sooner
effected, than the river swelled to such a degree,
that the island in the middle, and great part of the
camp he had occupied, was overflowed. Soon after
this incident both armies retired into winter-quar-
/ _ ten.
WILLIAM HL 47
ters. The campaign in Hungary produced no*-0"'*?*'
event of importance. It was opened by the new
vizir, who arrived at Belgrade in the middle of
August j and about the fame time Caprara assem
bled the Imperial army in the neighbourhood of
Feterwaradin. The Turks passed the Saave, in
order to attack their camp, and carried on their
approaches with five hundred pieces of cannon, but
made very little progress. The Imperialists receiv
ed reinforcements ; the season wasted away ; a feud
arose between the vizir and the cham of the Tar
tars, and the Danube bejng swelled by heavy
rains, so as to interrupt the operations of the Turks,
their general decamped in the night on the first
day of October. They afterwards made an unfuc-.
ccssful attempt upon Titul, while the Imperial ge
neral made himself master of Giula. In the course
of this summer, the Venetians, who were also at
war with the Turks, reduced Cyclut, a place of
importance on the river Naranta, and made a con
quest of the island of Scio in the Archiepelago.
We have already observed, that the French king progiessof
had determined to act vigorously in Catalonia. In *«fftnc^
the beginning of May, the duke de Noailles ad- ' St°«
vanced at the head of eight and twenty thousand
men to the river Ter, on the opposite bank of K mo° '
which the viceroy of Catalonia was encamped with
sixteen thousand Spaniards. The French general
passed the river in the face of this army, and at
tacked their intrenchments with such impetuosity,
that in less than an hour they were totally defeat- »
ed. Then he marched to Palamos, and under
took the siege of that place, while at the fame
time it was blocked up by the combined squadrons
of Brest and Toulon. 1 hough the besieged made
an obstinate defence, the town was taken by storm,
the houses were pillaged, and the people put to
5 the'
4* HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. 1694. ^ sWord, without distinction of age? sex, or eori-i
dition. Then he invested Gironne, which in a few
days capitulated. Ostalric met with the fame fate ;
and Noailles was created viceroy of Catalonia by
the French king. In the beginning of August he
distributed his forces into quarters of refreshment,
along the river Terdore, resolving to undertake the
siege of Barcelona, which was saved by the arrival
of admiral Russel. The war languished in Pied
mont, on account of a secret negotiation between
the king of France and the duke of Savoy ; not^
withstanding the remonstrances of Rouvigny, earl
of Galway, who had succeeded the duke of Schom-
- berg in the command of the British forces in that
country. Casal was closely blocked up by the re
duction of fort St. George, and the Vaudois gain*
ed the advantage in some skirmishes in the valley
of Ragelas ; but no design of importance was exe
cuted -f.
The king England had continued very quiet under the
retums to nUeen's administration, if we except some little
England. n . ? r.
The pari;a- commotions occasioned by the practices, or pre-
Thebmefor tended practices of the Jacobites. Prosecutions
triennial were revived against certain gentlemen of Larrca-
?e«iv™?he ^"re anc* Cheshire, for. having been concerned in
royal assent, the conspiracy formed in favour of the late king's
projected invasion from Normandy. These steps
were owing to the suggestions of infamous infor
mers, whom the ministry countenanced. Colonel
Parker and one Crosby were imprisoned, and bills
of treason found against them ; but Parker made
his escape from the Tower, and was never retaken,
though a reward of four hundred pounds was sot

\ In the course of this year, Mr. Clair, with four men of war, formeda
Aa Casse, governor of St. Domingo, drsign against [Link]'s in Newfound-
Made an unsuccessful attempt upon land, but he was repulsed with los»
the island of Jamaica; and Mr, St. by the valour of the inhabitants-.
upon
WILLIAM III. 49
upon his head. The king having settled the affairs A- c- ,69V
of the confederacy at the Hague, embarked for
England on the eighth of November, and next day
landed at Margate. On the twelfth he opened the
session of parliament, with a speech, in which he
observed that the posture of affairs was improved
both by sea and land since they last parted ; in par
ticular, that a stop was put to the progress of the
•French arms. He demanded such supplies as would
enable him to prosecute the war with vigour. He
desired they would continue the act of tonnage and
poundage, which would expire at Christmas : he ,
reminded them of the debt for the transport-ships
employed in the reduction of Ireland • and exhort
ed them to prepare some good bill for the encou
ragement of seamen. A majority in both houses
was already secured ; and in all probability, he bar
gained for their condescension, by agreeing to the
bill for triennial parliaments. This Mr. Harley
brought in, by order of the lower house, imme
diately after their first adjournment; and it kept pace
with the consideration of the supplies. The com
mons having examined the estimates and accounts,
voted four millions, seven hundred sixty -four thou
sand, seven hundred and twelve pounds for the ser
vice of the army and navy. In order to raise this
sum, they continued the land-tax. They renewed
the subsidy of tonnage and poundage for five years,
and imposed new duties on different commodi
ties*. The triennial bill enacted, That a parlia
ment should be held once in three years at least :
That within three years at farthest, after the disso
lution of the parliament then subsisting, and so

* They imposed certain rates and towards paying the debt due for the
duties upon marriages, births, arid transport (hips j and another, impo-
burials, batchelois and widows. They sing duties on glass-wares, stone and
passed an act for laying additional du- earthen bottles, coal, and culm,
ties upon cosfee, tea, and chocolate,
Nump. LXXXII. E from
5o HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a c. 1694. from time to time, for ever after, legal writs under
the great-seal should be issued by the direction of
the crown, for calling, assembling, and holding
another new parliament : That no parliament
should continue longer than three years at the far
thest, to be accounted from the first day of the first
session : and, That the parliament then subsisting
should cease and determine on the first day of the
next following November, unless their majesties
should think fit to dissolve it sooner. The duke of
Devonshire, the marquis of Hallifax, the earl of
• Aylesbury, and viscourtt Weymouth, protested
against this bill, because it tended to the continu
ance of the present parliament longer than, as they
apprehended, was agreeable to the constitution of
England.
Death of While this bill was depending, Dr. John Tillot-
™oifo°P fon, archbishop of Canterbury, was seized with a
and ofqueen fit of the dead palsy, in the chapel of Whitehall,
Mary- and died on the twenty second day of November,
deeply regretted by the king and queen, who shed
tears of sorrow at his decease ; and sincerely lament
ed by the public, as a pattern of elegance, ingen
uity, meekness, charity, and moderation. These
qualities he must be allowed to have possessed,
notwithstanding the invectives of his enemies, who
accused him of puritanism, flattery, and ambition ;
and charged him with having conduced to a dan
gerous schism in the church, by accepting the
archbishopric during the life of the deprived San-
Croft. He was succeeded in the metropolitan see
by Dr. Tenison, bishop of Lincoln, recommended
by the Whig-party, which now predominated in the
cabinet. The queen did not long survive her fa
vourite prelate. In about a month after his de
cease, -she was taken ill of the small-pox, and the
symptoms proving dangerous, she prepared herself
for death with great composure. She spent some
time
WILLIAM HI. 51
time in exercises of devotion, and private conver- A c- ,694;
lation with the new archbishop : she received the
sacrament with all the bishops who were in atten
dance ; and expired on the twenty-eighth day, of
Decemher, in the thirty- third year of her age, and
in the sixth of her reign, to the inexpressible grief
of the king, who for some weeks after her death
could neither see company, nor attend to the busi
ness of state. Mary was in her person tall and
well-proportioned, with an oval visage, lively
eyes, agreeable features, a mild aspect, and an air
of dignity. Her apprehension was clear, her me
mory tenacious, and her judgment solid. She was
a zealous protestant, fcrupulousiy exact in all the
duties of devotion, of an even temper, of a calm
and mild conversation. She was ruffled by no pas
sion, and seems to have been a stranger to the
emotions of natural affection; for she ascended,
without compunction, the throne from which her
father had been deposed, and treated her sister as
an alien to her blood. In a word, Mary seems to
have imbibed the cold disposition and apathy cf
her husband ; and to have centered all her ambi
tion in deserving the epithet of an humble and obe
dient wife-f.
The pri ncess Anne being informed of the queen's Reconciiia-
dangerous indisposition, lent a lady of her bed- g;;;
chamber, to desire she might be admitted to her the princess
(f Den
•J- Her obsequies were performed the share ihe had in the revolution, mark.
with great magnificence. The body This was answered by another pamph-
was attended from Whitehall to West- let. One of the Jacobite clergy in-
minster- abbey, by ail the judges, ser- suited the queen's memory, by preach-
jeants at law, the . lord-mayor, and ing on the following text :" Go now,
aldermen of the city of London, and " see this cursed woman, and bury
both houses of parliament ; and the " her, for she is a king's daughter."
funeral sermon was preached by Dr. On the other hand, the lord- mayor,
[Link], archbishop of Canterbury, aldermen, and ccmmon-council of
Dr. Ken, the deprived bishop of Bath London, came to a refolution to erect
and Wells, reproached hrm in a letter, her statue w,th that of the king in.
for not hiving called upon her ma- the Royal-Enchange,
jesty on her death-bed, to repent of
E 2 ma-
5z HISTORY of ENGLAND. .
a. c. i69+. ma]esty : but, this request was not granted. She
was thanked for her expression of concern ; and
given to understand, that the physicians had di
rected that the queen should be kept as quiet as
possible. Before her death, however, she sent a
forgiving message to her sister ; and, after her de
cease, the earl of Sunderland effected a reconci
liation between the king and the princess, who vi
sited him at Kensington, where she was received
with uncommon civility. He appointed the palace
of St. James's for her residence ; and presented her
with the greater part of the queen's jewels. But a
mutual jealousy and disgust subsisted under these
exteriors of friendship and esteem. The two houses
of parliament Waited on the king at Kensington,
with consolatory addresses on the death of his con
sort ; and their example was followed by the re
gency of Scotland, the city and clergy of London,
the dissenting ministers, and almost all the great
corporations in England J.
Account of The kingdom now resounded with- the com-
ale™" plaints of the papists and malcontents, who taxed
the ministry with subornation of perjury, in the
case of the Lancashire gentlemen who had been
prosecuted for the conspiracy. One Lunt, an Irish
man, had informed Sir John Trenchard secre
tary of state, that he had been sent from Ireland
with commissions from king James to divers gen
tlemen in Lancashire and Cheshire ; that he had
assisted in buying arms, and enlisting men to serve
that king in his projected invasion of England :
that he had been twice dispatched by those gen
tlemen to the court of St. Germain's, assisted many
Jacobites in repairing to France, helped to conceal
others that came from that kingdom ; and that all
those perlbns told him they were furnished with
J The earls of Rochefier anJ Not- not dissolved by the queen's death ?
tin1rham are said to have started a but, this dangerous mo'ion met with
doubt, Whether the parliament was no countenance,
- .. money
WILLIAM III. 53
money by Sir John Friend for those expeditions. *«c.i69v
His testimony was confirmed by other infamous
emissaries, who received but two much countenance
from the government. Blank warrants were issued,
and filled up occasionally with such names as the
informers suggested. These were delivered to
Aaron Smith, sollicitor to the treasury, who, with
messengers, accompanied Lunt and his associates
to Lancashire, under the protection of a party of
Dutch horse- guards, commanded by one captain
Baker. They were impowered to break open
houses, seize papers, and apprehend persons,- ac
cording to their pleasure ; and they committed
many acts of violence and oppression. The persons
against whom these measures were taken, being
apprised of the impending danger, generally retir
ed from their own habitations. Some, however,
were taken and imprisoned : a few arms were se
cured, and, in the house of Mr. Standish, at Stan-
dish-hall, they found the draught of a declaration
to be published by king James at his landing. As
this prosecution seemed calculated to revive the ru
mour of a stale conspiracy, and the evidences were
persons of abandoned characters, the friends of
those who were persecuted found no great diffi
culty in rendering the scheme odious to the nation.
They even employed the pen of Ferguson, who had
been concerned in every plot that was hatched since
the Rye-house conspiracy. This veteran, though
appointed housekeeper to the excise-office, thought
himself poorly recompensed for the part he had
acted in the revolution, became dissatisfied, and,
upon this occasion, published a letter to Sir John
Trenchard, on the abuse of power, it was replete
with the most bitter invectives against the ministry,
and contained a great number of flagrant instahces,
in which the court had countenanced the vilest cor
ruption, perfidy, and oppression. This production
E 3 was
HISTORY of ENGLAND.
69+. was in every body's hand, and had such an effect:
upon the people that when the prisoners were
brought to trial at Manchester, the populace would
have put the witnesses to death, had not they beerr
prevented by the interposition of those who were
friends to the accused persons, and had already ta
ken effectual measures for their safety. Lunt's
chief associate in the mystery of information was
one Taaffe, a wretch of the most profligate pristci**
pies, who, finding himself disappointed in his hope
of reward from the ministry, was privately gained
over by the agents for the prisoners. Lunt, when
desired in court to point out the persons whom he
had accused, committed such a mistake as greatly
invalidated his testimony ; and Taaffe declared be
fore the bench, that the pretended plot was no
other than a contrivance between himself arid
Lunt, in order to procure money from the govern
ment. The prisoners were immediately acquitted,
and the ministry incurred a heavy load of popular
odium, as the authors or abettors of knavish con
trivances to ensnare the innocent. The govern
ment, with a view to evince their abhorrence of
such practices, ordered the witnesses to be prose
cuted for a conspiracy against the lives and estates
of the gentlemen who had been accused and at
last the affair was brought into the house of com
mons. The Jacobites triumphed in their victory.
They even turned the battery of corruption upon
the evidence for the crown, not without making a
considerable impression. But the cause was now
debated before judges who were not all propitious
so their views. The ctfmmons having set on foot
an enquiry, and examined all the papers and cir
cumstances relating to the pretended plot, resolved,
That there was sufficient ground for the prosecu
tion and trials of the gentlemen at Manchester ;
and that there was a dangerous conspiracy against
the
WILLIAM III. 55
the king and government. They issued an order for A c- ,69s-
taking Mr. Standish into custody and the messen
ger reporting that he was not to be found, they
presented an address to the king, desiring a procla
mation might be published, offering a reward for
apprehending his person. The peers concurred
with the commons in their sentiments of this affair;
for complaints having been laid before their house
also, by the persons who thought themlelves ag
grieved, the question was put, Whether the go
vernment had cause to prosecute them ? and car
ried in the affirmative ; though a protest was en
tered against this vote by the earls of Rochester
and Nottingham. Notwithstanding these deci
sions, the accused gentlemen prosecuted Lunt and
two of his accomplices for perjury, at the Lanca
ster assizes ; and all three were found guilty. They
were immediately indicted by the crown, for a con
spiracy against the lives and liberties of the per
sons they had accused. The intention of the mi
nistry, in laying this indictment, was to seize the
opportunity of punishing some of the witnesses for
the gentlemen, who had prevaricated in giving
their testimony : but the design being discovered,
the Lancashire-men refused to produce their evi
dence against the informers : the prosecution drop
ped of consequence, and the prisoners were dis
charged.
When the commons were employed in examin- The ci*-
ing the state of the revenue, and taking measures "."I^o
for raising the necessary supplies, the inhabitants of ^^"s*.
Royston presented a petition, complaining, that the into
officers and soldiers of the regiment befonging tothf irmv-
colonel Hastings, which was quartered upon them,
exacted subsistence- money, even on pain of mili
tary execution. The house was immediately kind
led into a flame by this information. The officers,
and Pauncefort, agent for the regiment, were exa-
E 4 mined ;
HISTORY of ENGLAND.
,694. mined; and it was unanimously resolved, That
such a practice was arbitrary, illegal, and a viola
tion of the rights andliberties of the subject. Upon
further inquiry, Pauncefort and some other agents
were committed to the custody of the serjeants,
for having neglected to pay the subsistence-money
they had received for the officers and soldiers. He
was afterwards sent to the Tower, together with
Henry Guy, a member of the house, and secretary
to the treasury, the one for giving, and the other
for receiving, a bribe to obtain the king's bounty.
Pauncefort's brother was likewise committed, for
being concerned in the same commerce. Guy had
been employed, together with Trevor the speaker,
as the court-agent for securing a majority in the
house of commons : for that reason he was obno
xious to the members in the opposition, who took
this opportunity to brand him ; and the courtiers
could not with any decency skreen him from their
vengeance. The house having proceeded in this
inquiry, drew up an address to the king, enume
rating the abuses which had crept into the army,
and demanding immediate redress. He promised
to consider the remonstrance, and redress the grie
vances of which they complained. Accordingly,
he cashiered colonel Hastings, appointed a council
, of officers to sit weekly and examine all complaints
against any officer and soldier ; and published a dd-
claration for the maintenance of strict discipline,
and the due payment of quarters. Notwithstand
ing these concessions, the commons prosecuted
their examinations : they committed Mr. James
Craggs, one of the contractors for cloathing the
army, because he refused to answer upon oath to
such questions as might be put to him by the com
missioners of accompts. They brought in a bill
for obliging him and Mr. Richard Harnage the
[Link] contractor, together with the two Paunce-
WILLIAM III. 57
forts, to discover how they had disposed of the *• c- ,694-
sums payed into their hands on account of the
army ; and for punishing them, in case they should Rurnet.
persist in their refusal. At this period, they re- "°Jrer;
ceived a petition against the commissioners for stared',,
licensing hackney-coaches. Three of them, by'fin11jl1'
means of an address to the king, were removed um of the
with disgrace, for having acted arbitrarily, corrupt- £^"ls'
ly, and contrary to the trust reposed in them by Voltaire,
act of parliament.
Those who encouraged this spirit of reformation, They e*Pti
introduced another inquiry about the orphans bill, "f/^Vof
which was said to have passed into an act, by vir- their own
tue of undue influence. A committee being ap- ™™or"p-
pointed to inspect the chamberlain's books, disco- tion in the
vered that bribes had been given to Sir John Trevor ^'iLu '
speaker of the house, and Mr. Hungerford chair- company,
man of the grand committee. The first being voted
guilty of a high crime and misdemeanour, abdicat
ed the chair, and Paul Foley was appointed speaker
in his room. Then he and Hungerford were ex
pelled the house ; while one Nois, a sollicitor for
the bill, was taken into custody, because he had
scandalized the commons, in pretending he was
engaged to give great sums to several members,
and denying this circumstance on his examination.
The reformers in the house naturally concluded a. c. 1695.
that the same arts had been practised in obtaining
the new charter of the East-India company, which
had been granted so much against the sense of the
nation. Their books were subjected to the same
committee that carried on the former inquiry, and
a surprising scene of venality and corruption was
soon disclosed. It appeared that the company, in
^the course of the preceding year, had payed near
ninety thousand pounds in secret-services ; and that
Sir Thomas Cooke, one of the directors, and a
member of the house, had been the chief mana
ger
58 HISTORY of ENGLAND
A4 e. 1695. ger 0f tnis infamous commerce. Cooke refufing
to answer, was committed to the Tower, and a bill
of pains and penalties brought in, obliging him to
discover how the sum mentioned in the report of
the committee had been distributed The bill was
violently opposed in the upper house by the duke
of Leeds, as being contray to law and equity, and
furnishing a precedent of a dangerous nature.
Cooke being, agreeably . to his own petition,
brought to the bar of the house of lords, declared
that he was ready and willing to make a full disco
very, in cafe he might be favoured with an indem
nifying vote, to secure him against all actions and
suits, except those of the East India company, which
he had never injured. The lords complied with his
request, and passed a bill for this purpose, to which
the commons added a penal clause ; and the former
was laid aside.
Btaminati- When the king went to the house to give the
Mofcooke, royjj assent to the money-bills, he endeavoured to
•.then.' " discourage this inquiry, by telling the parliament
that the season of the year was far advanced, and
the circumstances of affairs extremely pressing ; he
therefore desired they would dispatch such affairs as
they should think of most importance to the public;
as he mould put an end to the session in a few
days. Notwithstanding this shameful interposition,
both houses appointed a joint committee to lay
open the complicated scheme of fraud and iniquity.
Cooke on his first examination confessed, that he
had delivered tallies for ten thousand pounds to
Francis Tyffen deputy- governor, for the special
service of the company ; an equal sum to Richard
Acton, for employing his interest in preventing
a new settlement, and endeavouring to establish
the old company, besides two thousand pounds by
way of interest, and as a further gratuity ; a thou
sand guineas to colonel Fitzpatrick, five hundred
WILL I A M III. 59
to Charles Bates, and three hundred and ten to a. c. 1*95.
Mr. Molineaux, a merchant, for the fame pur
poses 5 and he owned that Sir Basil Firebrace had
received forty thousand pounds on various pre
tences. He said, he believed the ten thousand
pounds payed to Tyffen had been delivered to the
king by Sir Joflah Child, as a customary present
which former kings had received : and that the
sums payed to Acton were distributed among some
members of parliament. Firebrace being examined,
affirmed that he had received the whole forty thou-
land pounds for his own use and benefit ; but that
Bates had received sums of money, which he un
derstood were offered to some persons of the first
quality. Acton declared, that ten thousand pounds
of the sum which he had received, was distributed
among persons who had interest with members of
parliament ; and that great part of the money pas
sed through the hands of Craggs, who was ac
quainted with some colonels in the house, and
northern members. Bates owned he had received
the money, in consideration of using his interest
with the duke of Leeds in favour of the company :
that this nobleman knew of the gratuity ; and that
the sum was reckoned by his grace's domestic, one
Robart, a foreigner, who kept it in his possession
until this inquiry was talked of, and then it was
returned. In a word, it appeared by this man's
testimony, as well as by that of Firebrace on his
second examination, that the duke of Leeds was
not free from corruption ; and that Sir John Tre-
vor was a hireling prostitue
The report of the committee produced violent The com-
altercation, and the most severe strictures upon the
conduct of the lord president. At length the duke of
house resolved, That there was sufficient matter toLceds"
impeach Thomas duke of Leeds of high crimes
and misdemeanours j and that he should be im
peached
6o HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. 1695 peached thereupon. Then it was ordered, That
Mr. comptroller Wharton should impeach him be
fore the lords, in the name of the house, and of
all the commons in England. The duke was ac
tually in the middle of a speech for his own justifi
cation, in which he assured the house, upon his
honour, that he was not guilty of the corruptions
laid to his charge, when one of his friends gave
him intimation of the votes which had passed in
the commons. He concluded his speech abruptly,
and repairing to the lower house, desired he might
be indulged with a hearing. He was accordingly
admitted, with the compliment of a chair, and
leave to be covered. After having fat a few minutes,
he took off his hat, and addressed himself to the
commons in very extraordinary terms. Having
thanked them for the favour of indulging him with
a hearing, he said the house would not have been
then sitting but for him. He protested his own
innocence, with respect to the crime laid to his
charge. He complained that this was the effect of
a design which had been long formed against him.
He expressed a deep fense of his being under the
displeasure of the parliament and nation, and de
manded speedy justice. They forthwith drew up
the articles of impeachment, which being exhibited
at the bar of the upper house, he pleaded not
guilty, and the commons promised to make good
their charge : but, by this time, such arts had been
used, as all at once checked the violence of the
prosecution. Such .a number of considerable per
sons were involved in this mystery of corruption,
that a full discovery was dreaded by both parties.
The duke sent his domestic Robartoutof the king
dom, and his absence furnished a pretence for post
poning the trial. Jn a word, the inquiry was dropp
ed ; but the scandal stuck fast to the duke's cha
racter.
8 In
WILLIAM MI. 61
In the midst of these deliberations, the king went A- c ,695'
to the house on the third day of May, when heThepariia-
thanked the parliament for the supplies they had ™en^is pt°"
granted ; signified his intention of going abroad ; r°KUC '
assured them he would place the administration of
affairs in persons of known care and fidelity ; and
desired that the members of both houses would be
more than ordinarily vigilant in preserving the pub
lic peace. Then the parliament was prorogued to
the eighteenth of June -j-. The king immediately
appointed a regency to govern the kingdom in his
absence ; but neither the princess of Denmark nor
her husband was intrusted with any share in the
administration ; a circumstance that evinced the
king's jealousy, and gave offence to a good part of
nation J

f In the course of this session, the of fictitious wealth, instead of gold and
lords had enquired into the particulars stiver, such as bank bills, exchequer-
of the Mediterranean expedition, and tallies, and government-securities. The
presented an address to the king, de maleontents took this opportunity to
claring, that the fleet in those seas had exclaim against the bank, and even
conduced to the honour and advantage attempted to (hake the credit of it in
of the nation On the other hand, the parliament: but their endeavour?
commons, in an address, befought his proved abortive ; the monied-interest
majesty, to take care that the king preponderated in bnth houses,
dom might be put on an equal footing J The regency was composed of the
and proportion with the allies, in de archbishop of Camerhu.y j Somer1»
fraying the expence of the war. lord-keeper of the great-seal ; the eatl
The coin of the kingdom being of Pembroke, lord privy - seal j the
greatly diminished and adulterated, duke of Devonshire, lord- steward of
the earls of Rochester and Nottingham the houshold ; the ouke of Shrews
expatiated upon this national evil in bury, secretary of slate j the earl of
the house of lords and an act was Dorset, lord-chamberlain j and the
pasted containing severer penahits a- lord Godclphin, first commissioner of
gainst clippeis : but this produced no the treasury. Sir John Tren chard
good effect. The value of the money dying, his place of secretary was filled
funk in the exchange to such a degree, w:th Sir William Trumbal, an emi
that a guinea was reckoned adequate nent civilian, learned, diligent, and
to thirty millings ; and this public virtuous, who had teen envoy at Paris
disgrace lowered the credit of the and Constantinople. William Nassau
funds and of the government. The de Zuyleste'n, fon cf the king's na
nation was alarmed by the circulation tural uncle, was created baron of En-
field,
62 HISTORY of ENGLAN D.
a. c. i«95. A session of parliament was deemed necessity iri
Session of Scotland, to provide new subsidies for the mainte-
parliament!1 nance of the troops of that kingdom, which had
been so serviceable in the prosecution of the war.
But, as a great outcry had been raised against the
government, on account of the massacre of Glen-
coe, and the -Scots were tired of contributing to
wards the expence of a war from which they could
derive no advantage, the ministry thought proper
to cajole them with the promise of some national
indulgence. In the mean time, a commission passed
the great seal, for taking a precognition of the mas
sacre, as a previous step to the trial of the persons con
cerned in that perfidious transaction. On the ninth
of May, the session was orjened by the marquis of
Tweedale, appointed commissioner, who, after the
king's letter had been read, expatiated on his ma
jesty's care and concern for their safety and welfare ;
and his firm purpose to maintain the preibyterian
discipline in the church of Scotland. Then he
promised, in the king's name, that if they should
pass an act for establishing a colony in Africa, Ame
rica, or any other part of the world where a colony
might be lawfully planted, his majesty would in
dulge them with such rights and privileges as he
had granted in like cafes to the subjects of his other
dominions. Finally, he exhorted them to consider
ways and means to raise the necessary supplies for
maintaining their land-forces, and for providing a
competent number of ships of war to protect their
commerce. The parliament immediately voted an
address of condolence to his majesty on the death
of the queen, and they granted one hundred and

field, viscount TunWge, and earl of the death of the famous George Sa-
4tochs'orrl. Ford, lord Grey of Wcrke, ville, marquis of Hallifax, who had
was made viseount Glendale, and earl survived in a good measure his talents
of Tankcrville. The month of April snd reputation,
of this year »as distinguished by
. . twenty
WILLIAM 1IL. ;. 6j
twenty thousand pounds sterling for the services of *•.*, »*9>•
the ensuing year, to be raised by a general poll-
tax, a land-tax, and an additional excise.
Their next step was to desire the commissioner They in-
would transmit their humble thanks to the king for iuire incn
i . i- i i r i the mallacre
his care to vindicate the honour or the government of Glencoe.
and the justice of the nation, in ordering a precog- N
nition to be taken with respect to the slaughter of
Glencoe. A motion was afterwards made, that
the commissioners should exhibit an account of their
proceedings in this affair ; and accordingly a report,
consisting of the king's instructions, Dalrymple's
letters, the depositions of witnesses, and the opi
nion of the committee, was laid before the parlia
ment. The motion is said to have been privately
influenced by secretary Johnston, for the disgrace
of Dalrymple, who was his rival in power and in
terest. The written opinion of the commissioners,
who were creatures of the court, imported, That
Macdonald of Glencoe had been perfidiously mur
dered; that the king's intentions contained nothing
to warrant the massacre ; and that the secretary
Dalrymple had exceeded his orders. The parlia
ment concurred with this report. They resolved,
That Livingston was not to blame, for having
given the orders contained in his letters to lieute
nant-colonel Hamilton : that this last was liable to
prosecution ; that the king should be addressed
to give orders, either for examining major Dun- •
canson in Flanders, touching his concern in this
affair, or for sending him home to be tried in Scot
land : as also, that Campbel of Glenlson, captain
Drummond, lieutenant Lindscy, ensign Lundy,
and serjeant Barber, should be sent to Scotland, and
prosecuted according to law, for the parts they had
acted in that execution. In consequence of these
resolutions, the parliament drew up an address to
the king, in which they laid the whole blame of
6* HISTORYoiENGLAND:
a.c. 1695. the massacre upon the excess in the masterof Stair's-
letters concerning that transaction. They begged
that his majesty mould give such orders about him,
as he should think fit for the vindication of his go
vernment j that the actors in that barbarous (laugh
ter might be prosecuted by the king's advocate,
according to law ; and that some reparation might
be made to the men of Glencoe who escaped the
massacre, for the losses they had sustained in their
effects upon that occasion, as their habitations had
been plundered and burned, their lands wasted,
and their cattle driven away ; so that they were re
duced to extreme poverty. Notwithstanding this
address of the Scottish parliament, by which the
king was so solemnly exculpated, his memory is
still loaded with the suspicion of having concerted,
countenanced, and enforced this barbarous execu
tion, especially as the master of Stair escaped with
impunity, and the other actors of the tragedy, far
from being punished, were preferred in the service.
While the commissioners were employed in the in
quiry, they made such discoveries concerning the
conduct of the earl of Braidalbin as amounted to a
charge of high-treason ; and he was committed pri
soner to the castle of Edinburgh ; but it seems he
had dissembled with the Highlanders, by the king's
permission, and now sheltered himself under the
shadow of a royal pardon.
They yaft The committee of trade, in pursuance of the
erecting" powers granted by the king to his commissioner,
trading
compinjr to prepared
r f • an »iij-act for establishing
• a •company
1 trading
t°
Africa and to Africa and the Indies, impowering them to plant
the indies, colonies, hold cities, towns or forts, in places un
inhabited, or in others, with the consent of the na
tives ; vesting them with an exclusive right, and
an exemption for one and twenty years from ail
duties or impositions. This act was likewise con
firmed by letters-patent under the great-seal, di
rected
WILLIAM III.
rested by the parliament, without any further war- A c- v
rant from the crown. Paterson the projector had
contrived the scheme of a settlement upon the
Isthmus of Darien, in such a manner as to carry on
a trade in the South-sea, as well as in the Atlan
tic, nay even to extend It as far as the East-Indies ;
and a great number of London merchants, allured
by the prospect of gain, were eager to engage in
such a company, exempted from all manner of im
position and restriction. The Scottish parliament
likewise passed an act in savour of the episcopal
clergy, decreeing, That thole who should enter in
to such engagements to the king as were by law
required, might continue in their benefices under
his majesty's protection, without being subject to
the power of presbytery. Seventy of the most noted
ministers of that persuasion took the benefit of this
indulgence. Another law was enacted for railing
nine thousand men yearly, to recruit the Scottish
regiments abroad ; and an act for erecting a public
bank : then the parliament was adjourned to the
seventh day of November.
Ireland began to be infected with the same sac Proceeding(
tions which had broke out in England since the re-',n ,[Link]/
i • t i i i i i i Iiamem of
volution. Lord Lapel,- the lord-deputy, governed Ireland,
in a very partial manner, oppressing the Irish pa
pists, without any regard to equity or decorum.
He undertook to model a parliament in such a
manner, that they should comply with all the de
mands of the ministry ; and he succeeded in his en
deavours, by making such arbitrary changes in of
fices as best suited his purpose. These precautions
being taken, he convoked a parliament for the
twenty-seventh day of August, when he opened tht
session with a speech, expatiating upon their obli
gations to king William, and exhorting them to
make suitable returns to such a gracious sovereign.
He observed, that the revenue had fallen short of
N*.82. F the
66 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. 1695. tjie establishment ; so that both the civil and mili
tary lists were greatly in debt ; tha: his majesty had
sent over a bill for an additional excise, and ex
pected they would find ways and means to answer
the demands of the service. They forthwith voted
an address of thanks, and resolved to assist his ma
jesty to the utmost of their power, against all his
enemies foreign and domestic. They passed the
bill for an additional excise, together with an act
for taking away the writs " De heretico combu-
" rendo another annulling all attainders and
acts passed in the late pretended parliament of king
Jamts : a third to prevent foreign education ; a
fourth for disarming papists : and a fifth for set
tling the estates of intestates. Then they resolved,
That a sum not exceeding one hundred and sixty-
three thousand, three hundred and twenty-five
pounds, should be granted to his majesty, to be
raised by a poll-bill, additional customs, and a con
tinuation of the additional excise. Sir Charles Por
ter, the chancellor, finding his importance dimi
nished, if not intirely destroyed by the assuming
disposition and power of the lord-deputy, began to
court popularity, by espousing the cause of the
Irish, against the severity of the administration ;
and actually formed a kind of Tory- interest, which
thwarted lord Capel in all his measures. A motion
was made in parliament to impeach the chancellor,
for sowing discord and division among his maje-.
sty's subjects ; but being indulged with a hearing
by the house of commons, he justified himself so
much to their satisfaction, that he was voted clear
of all imputation, by a great majority. Neverthe
less, they at the end of the session sent over an ad
dress, in which they bore testimony to the mild
and just administration of their lord-deputy.
King William having taken such steps as were
deemed necessary for preserving the peace of Eng
land
WILLIAM III. 67
land in his absence, crossed the sea to Holland in a c. t695.
the middle of May, fully determined to make Disposition
some great effort in the Netherlands, that might °f *«.
aggrandize his military character, and humble the Fuid«».
power of* France, which was already in the decline.
That kingdom Was actually exhausted in such a
manner, that the haughty Lewis found himself
obliged to stand upon the defensive against enemies
over whom he had beeri vised to triumph with un
interrupted success. He heard the clamours of his
people, which he could not quiet ; he saw his ad
vances to peace rejected ; and to crown his misfor
tune's, he sustained an irreparable loss in the death
of Francis de Montmorency, duke of Luxem
bourg, to whose military talents he owed the
greatest part of his glory arid success. That great
general died in January at Versailles, in the sixty -
ieventh year of his age ; and Lewis lamented his
death the mote deeply, as he had not another gene
ral left, in whose understanding he could confide.
The conduct of the army in Flanders was intrusted
to the marechal Villeroy; and BoufHers command
ed a separate army, though subjected to the other's
Orders. As the French king took it for granted
that the confederates would have a superiority of
numbers in the field, and was well acquainted with
the enterprising genius of their chief, tie ordered a
new line to be drawn between the Lys and the
Scheld ; a disposition to be made for covering Dun
kirk, Ypfes,Tournay, andNamur; and layed injunc
tions on his general to act solely on the defensive.
Mean while, the confederates formed two armies
in the Netherlands. The first consisted of seventy
battalions of infantry, and eighty- two squadrons of
horse' and drago6ns, chiefly Englisti and Scots, en
camped at Aerfeele, Canegherri, and Wantergnem,
between Theildt and Deynse, to be commanded
by the king in person', assisted by the old prince of
F 2 Vau-
68 HISTORYofENGLAND.
a. c. 1695. Vaudemont. The other army, composed of fix-
teen battalions of foot, and one hundred and thirty
squadrons of horse, encamped at Zellich and Ham,
on the road from Brussels to Dendermonde, under
the command of the elector of Bavaria, seconded
by the duke of Holstein-Ploen. Major-general
Ellemberg was- posted near Dixmuyde with twenty
battalions and ten squadrons and another body of
Brandenburg and Dutch troops with a reinforce
ment from Liege, lay encamped on the Mehaigne,
under the conduct of the baron de Heyden, lieute
nant-general of Brandenburg, and the count de
Berlo, general of the Liege cavalry. King Wil
liam arrived in the camp on the fifth day of July.
After having remained eight days at Aerfeele, he
marched to Becelair, while Villeroy retired behind
his lines between Menin and Ypres, after having
detached ten thousand men to reinforce Boufflers,
who had advanced to Pont-Espiere ; but he too
retreated within his lines, when the elector of Bava
ria passed the Scheld, and took post at Kirkhoven :
at the fame the body under Heyden advanced to
wards Namur.
King wH- The king of England having by his motions
tak™8thf drawn tne forces of the enemy on the side of Flan-
sicg«ofi>Ta- ders, directed the baron de Heyden, and the earl of
Athlone, who commanded forty squadrons from the
Camp of the elector of Bavaria, to invest Namur j
and this service was performed on the third day of
July : but, as the place was not entirely surround
ed, marechal Boufflers threw himself into it, with,
such a reinforcement of dragoons as augmented the
garrison to the number of fifteen thousand chosen
men. King William and the elector brought up
the rest of the forces, which encamped on both
sides of the Sambre and the Maeze ,, and the lines
of circUmvallatiorf were begun on the sixth day of
July, under the direction of the . celebrated engi
neer
WILLIAM III. 6"9
neer general Coehorn. The place was formerly A C- ,6ss
very strong both by situation and art ; but, the
French, since its last reduction, had made such ad
ditional works, that both the town and citadel
seemed impregnable ; and considering the number
of the garrison, and the quality of the troops, com
manded by a marechal of France, distinguished by '
his valour and conduct, the enterprize was deemed
an undeniable proof of William's temerity. On
the elevenrh the trenches were opened, and the
next day the batteries began to play with incredible
fury. The king receiving intelligence of a motion
made by a body of French troops, with a view to
intercept the convoys, detached twenty squadrons
of horse and dragoons to observe the enemy.
Prince Vaudemont, who was left at Rouselaer Famous re-
with fifty battalions and the like number of squa- |,r^« v»u.
drons, understanding that Villeroy had passed the fcmont..
t • j ii- 1 n • 1 1 • 1 r Brussels is
Lys, in order to attack him, took polt with his left bomb^ed
near Grammen, his right by Aerseele and Caneg- by vi ^y-
hem ; and began to fortify his camp with a view
to expect the enemy. Their vanguard appearing
on the evening of the thirteenth at Dentreghem,
he changed the disposition of his camp, and in- ,
trenched himself on both sides. Next day, how
ever, perceiving Villcroy's design was to surround ' * „
him, by means- of another body of troops com
manded by Mr. Montal, who had alieady passed
the Thieldt for thafT .purpose, he resolved to avoid
an engagement, and effected a retreat to Ghent,
which is celebrated as one of the most capital ef
forts of military conduct. He forthwith detached
twelve battalions and twelve pieces of cannon, to
secure Newport, which Villeroy had intended to
invest j but, that general now changed his resolu
tion, and undertook the siege of Dixmuyde, gar
risoned by eight battalions of foot and a regiment
ef dragoons commanded by major gfneral hllein-
F 3 berg,
?o HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a.c. 1695. berg, who in six and thirty hours after the trenches
were opened, surrendered himself and his soldiers
prisoners of war. This scandalous example wa9
followed by colonel Ofarrel, who yielded up Deynse
on the fame shameful conditions, even before a
baittery was opened by the besiegers. In the„ se
quel they were both tried for their misbehaviour.
Ellemberg suffered death, and Ofarrel was broke
with infamy. The prince of Vaudemont sent a
message to the French general, demanding the gar
risons of those two places, according to a cartel
which had been fettled between the powers at war ;
but, no regard was payed to this remonflance.
Villeroy, after several marches and counter- marches,
appeared before Brussels on the thirteenth day of
August, and sent a letter to the prince of Berghem,
governor of that city, importing, that the king his
master had ordered him to bombard the town, by
way of making reprisals for die damage done by
the English fleet to the maritime towns of France :
he likewise desired to know in what part the electress
of Bavaria resided, that he might not fire into thai;
quarter. After this declaration, which was no more
than an unmeaning compliment, he began to bom
bard and cannonade the place with red hot bullets,
which produced conflagrations in many different
parts of the city, and frightened the electress into
a miscarriage. On the fifteenth, the French dif-
Progreft «f continued their firing, and retired to Enghien.
Iwif °f During these transactions, the siege of Namur
was prosecuted with great ardour, under the eye
of the king of England ; while the garrison defend
ed the place with equal spirit and perseverance. On
the eighteenth day of July, major-general Ramsay
and the lord Cutts, at the head of five- battalions,
English, Scots, and Dutch, attacked the enemy's
advanced works, on the right of the counterscarp.
They were sustained by six English battalions, com
manded by brigadier-general Fitzpatrick ; while
tight
WtLLIAM HI. >i
eight foreign regiments, with nine thousand pio- A c- ,69S-
neers, advanced on the left, under major-general
Salisch. The assault was desperate and bloody,
the enemy maintaining their ground for two hours
with undaunted courage ; but at last they were
obliged to give way, and were pursued to the very
gates of the town, though not before they had
killed or wounded twelve hundred men of the con
federate army. The king was so well pleased with
the behaviour of the British -troops, that during the
action he layed his hand upon the shoulder of the
elector of Bavaria, and exclaimed with emotion,
" See my brave English !" On the twenty- seventh,
the English and Scots, under Ramsay and Hamil
ton, assaulted the counterscarp, where they met
with prodigious opposition from the sire of the be
sieged. Nevertheless, being sustained by the Dutch,
they made a lodgment on the foremost covered-
way before the gate of St. Nicholas, as also upon
part of the counter-guard. The valour of the as
sailants on this occasion was altogether unprece
dented, and almost incredible ; while, on the other
hand, the courage of the besieged was worthy of
praise and admiration. Several persons were killed
in the trenches at the side of the king, and among
these Mr. Godfrey, deputy-governor of the bank of
England, who had come to the camp to confer with
his majesty about remitting money tor the payment
of the army. On the thirtieth day of Juty the ele
ctor of Bavaria attacked Vauban's line that sur
rounded the works of the castle. General Coehorn
was present in this action, which was performed
;with equal valour .and success. They not only
broke through the line, but even took possession
©fCoehorn's fort, irr which, however, they found
it impossible to effect a lodgment. On the second
day of. August, lord Cutts with four hundred Eng
lish and Dutch grenadiers, attacked th; saiSlant-
F 4 angle
72 HISTQRY of ENGLAND.
A-P. 1,695- angle of a demi-bastion, and lodged himself on the
second counterscarp. The breaches being now
practicable, and- preparations made for a general
assault, count Guiscard, the governor, capitulated
for the town on the fourth of August and the
French retired into the citadel, against which twelve
batteries played, upon the thirteenth. The trenches,
mean while, were carried on with great expedition,
notwithstanding all the efforts of the besieged, who
fifed without ceasing, and exerted amazing dili
gence and intrepidity in defending and repairing
the damage they sustained. At length, the annoy
ance became so dreadful from the unintermitting
fliowers of bombs and red hot bullets, that Bouf-
jflers, after having made divers furious sallies, form
ed a scheme for breaking through the confederate
carpp with his cavalry. This, however, was pre
vented by the extreme vigilance of king William,
yiiieroy at- After the bombardment of Brussels, Villeroy be-
'«iieveit° ing reinforced with all the troops that could be
Thse ^e-^ draughted from garrisons, advanced towards Na-
despJwe Is- rnur, with an army of ninety thousand men; and
Wt. prince Vaudemont being joined by the prince of
Hesse, with a strong body of forces from the Rhine,
took possession of the strong camp at Mazy, within
five English miles of the besieging army. The
king, understanding that the enemy had reached
Fleurus, where they discharged ninety pieces of
cannon, as a signal to inform the garrison of their
approach, left the conduct of the siege to the elec
tor of Bavaria,, and took upon himself the com
mand of the covering- army, in order to oppoip
Villeroy, who being further reinforced by a de
tachment from Germany, declared, that he would
hazard a battle for the relief of Namur. But when
he viewed the posture of the allies near Mazy, he
changed his resolution, and retired in the night
without noise. On the thirtieth day. of August,
william-UI. n
the besieged were summoned to surrender, by count A«c« ,6»-
Horn, who, in a parley with the count de Lamont,
general of the French infantry, gave him to under
stand, that the marecbal Villeroy had retired to
wards the Mehaigne ; so that the garrison could
not expect to be relieved. No immediate answer
being returned to this message, the parley was
broke off; and the king resolved to proceed with
out delay to a-general assault, which he had already
planned with the elector and his other generals.
Between one and two in the afternoon, lord Cutts,
who desired the command, though it was not his
turn of duty, rushed out of the trenches of the se
cond line, at the head of three hundred grenadiers,
to make a lodgment in the breach of Terra-nova,
supported by the regiments of Coulthorp, Buchan,
Hamilton, and Mackay ; while colonel Marselly,
with a body of Dutch, the Bavarians, and Branden-
burghers, attacked at two other places. The asiV-
lants met with luch a warm reception, that the Eng
lish grenadiers were repulsed even after they had
mounted the breach, lord Cutts being for some
time disabled by a shot in the head. Marselly was
defeated, taken, and afterwards killed by a cannon-
ball from the batteries of the besiegers. The Ba-
yarians, by mistaking their way, were exposed to a
terrible fire, by which their general count Rivera
and a great number of their officers were stain ; ne
vertheless, they sixed themselves on the outward
intrenchmei>t on the point of the Coehorn next to
the Sambre, and maintained their ground with ama •
sing fortitude. Lord Cutts, when his wound was
dressed, returned to the scene of action ; and or
dered two hundred chosen men of Mackay's regi
ment, commanded by lieutenant Cockle, to attack
the face of the faillant-angle next to the breach
sword in -hand, while the ensigns of the fame regi
ment should advance and plant their colours on the
•• ' i pallisadoes.
74 HISTORY op ENGLAND.
*.c. i<95. pallisadoes. Cockle and his detachment executed
the command he had. received with admirable in
trepidity. They broke through the pallisadoes,
drove the French from the covered-way, made a
lodgment in one of the batteries, and turned the
cannon against the enemy. The Bavarians being
thus sustained, made their post good. The ma
jor-generals la Cave and Schwerin lodged them
selves at the fame time on the covered-way ; and
although the general assault did not succeed in its
full extent, the confederates remained masters of a
very considerable lodgment, nearly an English mile
in length. Yet this was dearly purchased with the
Jives of two thousand men, including many officers
of great rank and reputation. During the action
the elector of Bavaria signalized his courage in a
very remarkable manner, riding from place to
place through the hottest of the fire, giving his
directions with notable presence of mind, accord
ing to the emergency of circumstances, animating
the officers with praise and promise of preferment,
'and distributing handfuls of gold among the pri
vate soldiers.
The place On the first day of September, the besieged hav-
Bwfflafb obtained a cessation of arms that their dead
arrested ty might be buried, the count de Guiscard appearing
Wng wu- on t^ie oreacn> desired to speak with the elector of
Ham. Bavaria. His highness immediately mounting the
breach, the French governor offered to surrender
the fort of Coehorn but was given to understand,
that if he intended to capitulate, he must treat for
the whole. This reply being communicated to
Boufflers, he agreed to the proposal : the cessation
was prolonged, and that very evening the capitu
lation was finiffied. Villeroy, who lay encamped at
Gemblours, was nosooner apprised of this event, by
a triple discharge of all the artillery, and a running
sire along the lines of the confederate army, than
WILLIAM III. 1
he passed the Sambre near Charleroy, with great A
precipitation ; and having reinforced the garrison
of Dinant, retreated towards the lines in the neigh
bourhood of Mons. On the fifth day of Septem
ber, the French garrison, which was now reduced
from fifteen to five thousand five hundred men,
evacuated the citadel of Namur ; and BourHers was
arrested in-the name of his Britannick majesty, by
way of reprisal for the garrisons of Dixmuyde and
Deynfe, which the French king had detained con
trary to the cartel subsisting between the two na
tions. The marechal was not a little discomposed
at this unexpected incident, and expostulated warmly
with Mr. Dyckvelt, who assured him the king of
Great-Britain entertained a profound respect for
his person and character ; and offered to set him at
liberty, provided he would pass his word, that the
garrisons of Dixmuyde and Deynfe should be sent
back, or that he himself would return in a fort
night. He said, that he could not enter into any
such engagement, as he did not know his master's
reasons for detaining the garrisons in question. He
was therefore re-conveyed to Namur, from whence
he was removed to Maestricht;- and treated with great
reverence and respect, till the return of ah officer
whom .he had dispatched to Versailles with an ac
count of his captivity. Then he engaged his word,
that the garrisons of Dixmuyde and Deynfe should
be sent back to the allied army. He was imme
diately released, and conducted in safety to Dinant.
When he repaired to Versailles, Lewis received
him with very extraordinary marks of esteem and
affection. He embraced him in public with the
warmest expressions of regard ; declared himself
perfectly well satisfied with his conduct ; created
him duke and peer of France ; and presented him
with a very large sum, in acknowledgment of his
signal services.
7 After
76 H I STORY or ENG LAND.
a.c. «s95. After the reduction of Namur, which gready/
Campaign inhanced the military character of king William, he
rm!!' and retired to his house at Loo, which was his favourite
in Hungary, place of residence, leaving the command to the
elector of Bavaria. About the latter end of Sep
tember both armies began to separate. The French
forces retired within their lines. A good number
of the allied troops were distributed in different gar,
rifons ; and a strong detachment marched towards
Newport, under the command of the prince of
Wirtemberg, for the security of that place. Thus
ended the campaign in the Netherlands. On the
Rhine nothing of moment was attempted by either
army. The marechal de Lorges in the beginning
of June passed the Rhine at Philipsburg, and post
ing himself at Brucksal, sent out parties to ravage
the country. On the eleventh day of the month
the prince of Baden joined the German army at
Steppach, and on the eighth of July was reinforced
by the troops of the other German confederates, in
the neighbourhood of Wiselock. On the nine
teenth, the French retired without noise, in the
night, towards Manheim, where they repassed the
river without any interruption from the Imperial
general : then he sent off a large detachment to
Flanders. The fame step was taken by the prince
of Baden ; and each army lay inactive in their quar
ters for the remaining part of the campaign. The
command of the Germans in Hungary was conferr
ed upon the elector of Saxony ; but the court of
Vienna was so dilatory in their preparations, that
he was not in a condition to act till the middle of
August. Lord Paget had been sent ambassador
from England to the Ottoman Porte, with instruc
tions relating to a pacification ; but, before he
could obtain an audience, the sultan died, and was
succeeded by his nephew Mustapha, who resolved
to prosecute the war in person. The warlike genius
of
WILLIAM E 77
of this. new emperor offered but an uncomfortable AC- ,*9s'
prospect to his people, considering that Peter, the
czar of Muscovy, had taken the opportunity of the
war in Hungary, to invade the Crimea, and be
siege Azoph : so that the Tartars were too much
employed at home to spare the succours which the
sultan demanded. Nevertheless, Mustapha and his
vizir took the field before the Imperialists could
commence the operations of the campaign, passed
the Danube, took Lippa and Titul by assault,
stormed the camp of general Veterani, who was
posted at Lugos with seven thousand men, and lost
his life in the action. The infantry were cut in
pieces, after having made a desperate defence •, but
the horse retreated to Carousebes, under the con
duct of general Trusches. The Turks after this
exploit retired to Orsowa. Their navy, mean while,
surprised the Venetian fleet at Scio, where several
ships of the republic were destroyed, and they re
covered that island, which the Venetians thought
proper to abandon ; but, in order to ballance this
misfortune, these last obtained a complete victory
over the bashaw of Negroponr., in the Morea.
The French king still maintained a secret nego- Thereof
tiation with the duke of Savoy, whose conduct had ^.°> uktS
been for some time mysterious and equivocal. Con
trary to the opinion of his allies, he undertook the
siege of Casal, which was counted one of the
strongest fortifications in Europe, defended by a
numerous garrison, abundantly supplied with am
munition and provision. The siege was begun about
the middle of May ; and the place was surrendered
by capitulation in about fourteen days, to the asto
nishment of the confederates, who did not know
that this was a sacrifice by which the French
court obtained the duke's forbearance during the
remaining part of the campaign. The capitula
tion imported, That the place mould be restored
to
78 HISTORY op ENGLAND.
a c 1f.95. the duke of Mantua, who was the rightful proprie
tor : That the fortifications should be demolished
at the expence of the allies : That the garrison
should remain in the fort until that work should be
compleated ; and hostages Were exchanged for trie
performance of these conditions. The duke under
stood the art of procrastination so well, that Sep
tember was far advanced before the place was
wholly dismantled ; and then he was seized with an-
ague which obliged him to quit the army. v
tTo^uu- Catalonia the French could hardly maintain1
talunia. the footing they had gained. Admiral RufTel, who
wintered at Cadiz, was created admiral, chief-com
mander, and captain- general of all his majesty's
ships employed, or to be employed in the Narrow
seas, and in the Mediterranean. He was reinforced
by four thousand five hundred soldiers, under the7 •
command of brigadier-general Stewart; and seven?
thousand men, Imperialists as well as Spaniards,
were draughted from Italy for the defence of Ca
talonia. These forces were transported to Barcelona,,
under the convoy of admiral Nevil, detached by
Uussel for that purpose. The affairs of Catalonia1
had already changed their aspect. Several French
parties had been defeated. The Spaniards had
blocked up Oftalric and Castel-Follit : Noailles"-
had been recalled, and the command devolved
to the duke de Vendome, who no sooner under
stood that the forces from Italy were landed, tharr
he dismantled Oftalric and Castel-Follit, and retir
ed to Palamos. The viceroy of Catalonia, and the
English admiral having resolved to give battle to
the enemy, and reduce Palamos, the English troops
were landed on the ninth day of August, and thef
allied army " advanced to Palamos. The French
appeared in order of battle ; but the viceroy de
clined an engagement. Far. from attacking th*
enemy, he withdrew his forces, and the town was
bom-
WILLIAM III. 79
bombarded by the admiral. The miscarriage of A C-»69s-
this expedition was in a great measure owing to a
misunderstanding between Russel and the court of
Spain. The admiral complained* that his catholie
majesty had made no preparations for the canv
paign : that he had neglected to fulfil his engage
ments with respect to the Spanish squadron* which
ought to have joined the fleets of England and Hoi,-
land : and, that he had taken no care to provide
tents and provision for the British forces. On the
twenty-seventh day of August he failed for the coast ,
of Provence, where his fleet was endangered by a
terrible tempest; then he steered down the Streights,
and towards the-latter end of September arrived in
the bay of Cadiz. Then he left a number of ships
under the command of Sir David Mitchel, until he
should be joined by Sir George Rooke, who was
expected from England, and returned home with
the rest of the combined squadrons.
While admiral Ruisel asserted the British domi- ti,^^^
nion in the Mediterranean-sea, the French coasts rU«t bom-
were again insulted in the channel by a separate ^
fleet, under the command of lord Berkeley of St-rat- other plan*
ton, assisted by the Dutch admiral Allemonde. On of Fran™."*
the fourth day of July they anchored before St.
Malo's, which they bombarded from nine ketches
covered by some frigates, which sustained more
damage than was done to the enemy. On the sixth,
Granville underwent the fame fate ; and then the
fleet returned to Portsmouth. The bomb-veslels
being refitted, the fleet sailed round to the Downs,
where four hundred soldiers were embarked for an
attempt upon Dunkirk, under the direction of
Meesters, the famous Dutch engineer, who had
prepared his infernals, and other machines for the
service. On the first day of August the experiment
was tried without success. The bombs did some
exe-
8o HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. is9i- execution but, two smoke-ships miscarried, and
the French had secured the Rihbank and wooden
forts, with piles, booms, chains, and floating bat
teries, in such a manner, that the machine-vessels
could not approach near enough to produce any ef
fect. Besides, the councils of the assailants were
distracted by violent animosities. The English of
ficers hated Meesters, because he was a Dutchman,
and had acquired some credit with the king : he, on
the other hand, treated them with disrelpect. He
retired with his machines in the night, and refused
to co-operate with lord Berkeley in his design upon
Calais, which was now put in execution. On the
sixteenth he brought his batteries to bear upon this
place* and set fire to it in different quarters : but,
the enemy had taken such precautions as rendered
his scheme abortive. 1
wiimot's A fq^dron had been sent to the West-Indies un-
cxpcditi.n der the joint command of captain Robert Wilmot
i^!«Wcst an^ colonel Lilingston, with twelve hundred land-
forces. They had instructions to co-operate with
the Spaniards in Hispaniola, against the French
settlements on that island, and to destroy their
fisheries on the banks of Newfoundland, in their
return. They were accordingly joined by seven
teen hundred Spaniards railed by the president of
St. Domingo ; but, instead of proceeding against
Petit-Guavas, acccording to the direction* they
had received, Wilmot took possession of Fort- Fran
cois, and plundered the country for his own pri
vate advantage, notwithstanding the remonstrances
of Lilingston, who protested against his conduct.
In a word, the sea and land-officers lived in a state
of perpetual dissension ; and both became extremely
disagreeable to the Spaniards, who loon renounced
all connexion with them and their designs. In the
beginning of September the commodore set sail
WILLIAM III. Si
for England, and lost one of his ships in the gulph A c ,6*s«
of Florida. He himself died in the passage, and
the greater part of the men being swept off by an
epidemical distemper, the squadron returned to
Britain in a most miserable condition. Notwith
standing the great efforts the nation'had made to
maintain such a number of different squadrons for
the protection of commerce, as well as to annoy the
enemy, the trade suffered severely from the French
privateers which swarmed in both channels, and
made prize of many rich vessels. The marquis of
Carmaerthen being stationed with a squadron off
the Scilly islands, mistook a fleet of merchant -
ships for the Brest-fleet, and retired with precipita
tion to Milford- Haven. In consequence of this
retreat, the privateers took a good number of ships '
from Barbadoes, and five from the East-Indies,
valued at a million sterling. The merchants re
newed their clamour against the commissioners of
the admiralty, who produced their orders and in
structions in their own defence. The marquis of
Carmaerthen had been guilty of flagrant miscon
duct on this occasion ; but, the chief sourse of
those national calamities was the circumstantial in
telligence transmitted to France from time to time,
by the malcontents of England; for, they were
actuated by a scandalous principle which they still
retain, namely, that of rejoicing in the distress of
their country.
King William, after having conferred with the a new par-
states of Holland, and the elector of Brandenburg, "ment"
who met him at the Hague, embarked for Eng
land on the nineteenth day of October, and arrived
m safety at Margate, from whence he proceeded
to London, where he was received as a conqueror,
amidst the rejoicings and acclamations Of - the peo
ple. On that fame day he summoned a council at
Kensington, in which it was determined to convoke
N°~. 82. G anew
HISTORY op ENGLAND.
1695. a new parliament. While the nation was in good
humour, it was supposed that they would return
such members only as were well affected to the go
vernment ; whereas the present parliament might
proceed in its inquiries into corruption and other
grievances, and be the less influenced by the crown,
as their dependance was of such short duration. The
parliament was therefore dissolved by proclamation,
and a new one summoned to meet at Westminster
on the twenty-second day of November. While
the whole nation was occupied in the elections,
"William, by the advice of his chief confidents,
layed his own disposition under restraint, in another
effort to acquire popularity. He honoured the di
versions of Newmarket with his presence, and there
received a compliment of congratulation from the
university of Cambridge. Then he visited the
earls of Sunderland, Northampton, and Montague,
at their different houses in the country ; and pro
ceeded with a splendid retinue to Lincoln, from
whence he repaired to Welbeclt, a seat belonging
to the duke of Newcastle in Nottinghamshire, where
he was attended by Dr. Sharp, archbishop of York,
and his clergy. He lodged one night with lord
Brooke at Warwick-castle, dined with the duke of
Shrewsbury at Eyefort, and, by the way of Wood
stock, made a solemn entry into Oxford, having
been met at some distance from the city by the duke
of Ormond, as chancellor of the university, the
vice-chancellor, the doctors in their habits, and the
magistrates in their formalities. He proceeded di
rectly to the theatre, where he was welcomed in an
elegant Latip speech ; and received from the chan
cellor, on his knees, the usual presents of a large
English Bible, and Book of Common Prayer, the
cuts of the university, and a pair of gold-fringe
gloves. The conduits ran with wine, and a mag
nificent banquet was prepared ; but, an anony
mous
WILLIAM III. 83
mous letter being found in the street, importing, A,c- 1495-
that there was a design to poison his majesty, Wil
liam refused to eat or drink in Oxford, and retired
immediately to Windsor. Notwithstanding this
abrupt departure, which did not savour much of
magnanimity, the university chose Sir William
Trumbal secretary of state, as one of their reprefen-
tives in parliament.
The Whig-interest generally prevailed in the I1"?^*
elections, though many even of that party were regaining
malcontents ; and when the parliament met, Foley ^a'*e^"
was again chosen speaker of the commons. The high-trea-
king in his first speech extolled the valour of the fou'
English forces ; expressed his concern at being
obliged to demand such large supplies from his
people ; observed, that the funds had proved very
deficient, and the civil list was in a precarious con
dition ; recommended to their compassion the
miserable situation of the French protestants ; took
notice of the bad state of the coin ; desired they
would form a good bill for the encouragement and
increase of seamen ; and contrive laws for the ad
vancement of commerce.' He mentioned the great
preparations which the French were making for
taking the field early; intreated them to use dis
patch j expressed his satisfaction at the choice
which his people had made of their representatives
in the house of commons ; and exhorted them to
proceed with temper and unanimity. Though the
two houses presented addresses of congratulation to
the king, upon his late success, and promised to
assist him in prosecuting the war with vigour, the
nation loudly exclaimed against the intolerable bur
thens and losses to which they were subjected, by
a foreign scheme of politics, which, like an un
fathomable abyss, swallowed up the wealth and
blood of the kingdom. All the king's endeavours
to cover the disgusting side of his character had
G 2 proved
84 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. tSjy. proved ineffectual: he was still dry, reserved, and
forbidding ; and the malcontents inveighed bitterly
against his behaviour to the princess Anne of Den
mark. When the news of Namur's being reduced
arrived in England, she congratulated him upon
his success in a dutiful letter : to which he would
not deign to fend a reply, either by writing or mes
sage ; nor had she or her husband been favoured
with the slightest mark of regard since his return to
England. The members in the lower-house, who
had adopted opposing maxims, either from princi
ple or resentment, resolved, That the crown should
purchase the supplies with some concession in favour
of the people. They therefore brought in the so
long contested bill for regulating trials in cases of
high-treason, and misprision of treason ; and, con
sidering the critical juncture of affairs, the courtiers
were afraid of obstructing such a popular measure.
The lords inserted a clause, enacting, That a peer
should be tried by the whole peerage, and the
commons at once assented to this amendment. The
bill provided, That persons indicted for high-trea
son, or misprision of treason, should be furnished
with a copy of the indictment five days before the
trial ; and indulged with counsel to plead in their
defence : That no person mould be indicted but
upon the oaths of two lawful witnesses swearing to
overt-acts : That in two or more distinct treasons
of divers kinds, alledged in one bill of indictment,
one witness to one, and another witness to another,
should not be deemed two witnesses : That no per
son mould be prosecuted for any such crime, unless
the indictment be found within three years after
the offence committed, except in case of a design
or attempt to assassinate or poison the king, where
this limitation should not take place : That persons
indicted for treason, or misprision of treason, should
be supplied with copies of the panel of the jurors,
two
V/ I L L I A M III. S5
two days at least before the trial, and have process * c'- ,695-
to compel' their witnesses to appear : That no evi
dence should be admitted of any overt-act not ex-
presly laid in the indictment : That this act should
not extend to any impeachment, or other proceed
ings in parliament ; nor to any indictment for coun
terfeiting his majesty's coin, his great- seal, privy-
seal, sign-manual, or signet.
This important affair being discussed, the COm- Ref.l'»ri'ini
mons proceeded to examine the aceompts and esti- J?*^1**
mates, and voted above five millions for the fer- coinage,
vice of the ensuing year. The state of the coin
was bv this time become such a national grievance
as could not escape the attention of parliament.
The lords prepared an address to the throne, for a
proclamation to put a stop to the currency of dimi
nished coin ; and to this they desired the concur
rence of the commons. The lower house, how
ever, determined to take this affair under their own
inspection. They appointed a committee of the
whole house, to deliberate on the state of the na
tion with respect to the currency. Great opposition
was made to a recoinage, which was a measure
strenuoufly recommended and supported by Mr.
Montague, who acted on this occasion by the ad
vice of the great mathematician Sir Isaac Newton.
The enemies of this expedient argued, that should
the silver coin be called in, it would be impossible
to maintain the war abroad, or prosecute foreign
trade, inasmuch as the merchant could not pay his
bills of exchange, nor the soldier receive his sub
sistence : that a stop would be put to all mutual
payment; and this would produce universal confusion
and despair. Such a reformation could not be effected
without some danger and difficulty, but it was be
come absolutely necessary, as the evil daily increas
ed, and in a little time must have terminated in na
tional anarchy. After long and vehement debates,
G 3 the
HISTORY of ENGLAND.
695. the majority resolved to proceed with all possible
expedition to a new coinage. Another question
arose, Whether the new coin, in its different deno
minations, should retain the original weight and
purity of the old ; or the established standard be
raised in value ? The famous Locke engaged in
this dispute against Mr, Lowndes, who proposed
that the standard should be raised ; and his argu
ments were so convincing, that the committee re
solved the established standard should be preserved
with respect to weight and fineness. They like
wise resolved, That the loss accruing to the revenue
from clipped money, should be borne by the pub
lic. In order to prevent a total stagnation, they
further resolved, That, after an appointed day,
, no flipped money should pass in payment, except
, to the collectors of the revenue and taxes, or upon
loans or payments into the exchequer : That, after
another day to be appointed, no clipped money of
any fort should pass in any payment whatsoever ;
•and that a third day should be sixed for all persons
to bring in their clipped money to be recoined, after
which they should have no allowance upon what
they might offer. They addressed the king to issue
a proclamation agreeable to these resolutions ; and
on the nineteenth day of December, it was publish
ed accordingly. Such were the fears of the peo
ple, augmented and inflamed by the enemies of
the government, that all payments immediately
ceased, and a face of distraction appeared through
the whole community. The adversaries of the bill
seized this opportunity to aggravate the apprehen
sions of the public. They inveighed against the
ministry, as the authors of this national grievance :
they levelled their satire particularly at Montague ;
and it required uncommon fortitude and address to
avert the most dangerous consequences of popular
diicontent. The house of commons agreed to 'the
following
WILLIAM III. 87
following resolutions, That twelve hundred thou- *• c ,69S-
sand pounds should be raised by a duty on glass-
windows, to make up the loss on the dipped mo
ney : That the recompence for supplying the de
ficiency of clipped money should extend to all silver
coin, though of a coarser alloy than the standard :
That the collectors and receivers of his majesty's
aids and revenues should be enjoined to receive all
such monies : That a reward of five pounds per
cent. should be given to all such persons as should
bring in either milled or broad undipped money,
to be applied in exchange of the clipped money
throughout the kingdom : That a reward of three
pence per ounce should be given to all persons who
should bring in wrought plate to the mint to be
coined : That persons might pay in their whole
next year's land-tax in clipped money, at one con
venient time to be appointed for that purpose :
That commissioners should be appointed in every
county to pay and distribute the milled and broad •
undipped money, and the new coined money in
lieu of that which was diminished. A bill being
prepared agreeable to these determinations, was
lent up to the house of lords, who made some
amendments, which the commons rejected : but,
in order to avoid cavils and conferences, they
dropped the bill, and brought in another, without
the clauses which the lords had inserted. They
were again proposed in the upper house, and
over-ruled by the majority ; and on the twenty-
first day of January, the bill received the royal as
sent, together with another bill, enlarging the time
for purchasing annuities, and continuing the duties
on low wines. At the fame time, the king passed
the bill of trials for high- treason, and an act to pre
vent mercenary elections. Divers merchants and
traders petitioned the house of commons, that the
G 4 losses
88 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
c.1695. losses in their trade and payments, occasioned by
the rise of guineas, might be taken into considera
tion. A bill was immediately brought in for tak
ing off the obligation and encouragement for coin-'
ing guineas, for a certain time : and then the com
mons proceeded to lower the value of this coin ; a
task in which they met with great opposition from
some members, who alledged that it would foment
the popular disturbances. At length, however,
the majority agreed, that a guinea should be lower
ed from thirty to eight and twenty shillings ; after
wards to six and twenty ; at length a clause was
inserted in the bill, for encouraging people to
bring plate to the mint, settling the price of a
guinea at two and twenty shillings, and it na
turally funk to its original value of twenty shillings
and sixpence. Many persons, however, supposing
that the price of gold would be raised in the next
session, hoarded up their guineas ; and, upon the
fame supposition, encouraged by the malcontents,
the new coined silver-money was reserved, to the
great detriment of commerce. The king ordered
mints to be erected in York, Bristol, Exeter, and
Chester, for the purpose of the recoinage, which
was executed with unexpected success ; so that,
in less than a year, the currency of England, which
had been the worst, became the best coin in Europe.
Thrcom- At this. period, the attention of the commons
Te T "he was diverted to an object of a more private nature,
king, to The earl of Portland, who enjoyed the greatest
r:cai a (have of the king's favour, had obtained a grant of.
m^c to the some lordships in Derbyshire ; and, while the
^1dof,'ort" warrant was depending, the gentlemen of that
county resolved to oppose it with all their power.
In consequence of a petition, they were indulged
with a hearing by the lords of the treasury. Sir
William Williams, in the name of the rest, alledged,
that
WILLIAM III. 89
that the lordships in question were the ancient de- A" c-
mesnes of the prince of Wales, absolutely unaliena-
ble : that the revenues of those lordships supported
the government of Wales in paying the judges and
other salaries : that the grant was of too large an
extent for any foreign subject : and that the people
of the county were too great to be subject to any
foreigner. Sundry other substantial reasons were
used against the grant, which, notwithstanding all
their remonstrances, would have pasted through
the offices, had not the Welsh gentlemen addressed
themselves by a petition to the house of commons.
Upon this occasion, Mr. Price, a member of the
house, harangued with great severity against the
Dutch in general, and did not even abstain from
sarcasms upon the king's person, title, and govern
ment. The. objections started by the petitioners
being duly considered, were found so reasonable,
that the commons presented an address to the king,
representing, That those manours had been usually
annexed to the principality of Wales, and fettled
on the princes of Wales for their support : That
many persons in those parts held their estates by
royal tenure, under gre"at and valuable composi
tions, rents, royal payments, and services to the
crown and princes of Wales, and enjoyed great pri
vileges and advantages under such tenure. They
therefore besought his majesty to recal the grant,
which was in diminution of the honour and interest
of the crown ; and prayed, that the said manours
and lands might not be alienated without the con
sent of parliament. This address met with a cold
reception from the king, who promised to recal the .
grant which had given such offence to the com
mons ; and said he would find some other way of
shewing his favour to the earl of Portland.
The people in geneial entertained a national
aversion to this nobleman and the malcontents
incul-
^o- HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a- c. ts95. inculcated a notion that he made use of his interest:
Another and intelligence to injure the trade of England,
*ew"slotie t^iat tne commerce of his own country might
tiA com- flourish without competition. To his suggestions
they imputed the act and patent in favour of the
Scottish company, which was supposed to hare
been thrown in as a bone of contention between the
two kingdoms. The subject was first started in
the house of lords, who invited the commons to a
conference : a committee was appointed to examine
into the particulars of the act for erecting the Scot-
tish company ; and the two houses presented a
joint address against it, as a scheme that would pre
judice all the subjects concerned in the wealth and
trade of the English nation. They represented,
that, in consequence of the exemption from taxes,
and other advantages granted to the Scottish com
pany, that kingdom would become a free port for
all East and West-India commodities ; the Scots
would be enabled to supply all Europe at a cheaper
rate than the English could afford to sell their mer
chandise for ; therefore England would lose the
benefit of its foreign trade : besides, the Scots would
smuggle their commodities into England, to the
great detriment of his majesty, and his customs.
To this remonstrance the king replied, That he
had been ill served in Scotland, but that he hoped
some remedies would be found to prevent the in-
conveniencies of which they were apprehensive. In
ail probability he had been imposed upon by the
ministry of that kingdom ; for, in a little time, he
discarded the marquis of Tweedale, and dismissed
both the Scottish secretaries of state, in lieu of
whom he appointed lord Murray, son to the mar
quis of Athole. Notwithstanding the king's an
swer, the committee proceeded on the inquiry, and,
in consequence of their report, confirming a peti
tion from the East-India company, the house re
solved,
WILLIAM III. 91
solved, That the directors of the Scottish company A- c- ,695«
were guilty of a high crime and misdemeanour, in
administering and taking an oath de fideli in this
kingdom; and that they should be impeached for
the lame. Mean while, Roderick Mackenzie, from
whom they had received their chief information,
began to retract his evidence, and was ordered into
custody : but he made his escape, and could not
be retaken, although the king, at their request,
issued a proclamation for that purpose. The Scots
were extremely incensed against the king, when
they understood he had disowned their company,
from which they had promised themselves such
wealth and advantage. The settlement of Darien
was already planned, and afterwards put in execu
tion ; though it miscarried in the sequel, and had
like to have produced abundance of mischief.
The complaints of the English merchants who intHguts of
had suffered by the war, were so loud at this junc- ^J'Q°'
ture, that the commons resolved to take their case
into consideration. The house resolved itself into
a committee to consider the state of the nation with
regard to commerce, and having duly weighed all
circumstances, agreed to the following resolutions,
That a council of trade should be established by
act of parliament, with power to take measures for
the more effectual preservations of commerce : That
the commissioners should be nominated by parlia?
m'ent, but none rf them have seats in the house :
That they should uke an oath, acknowledging the
title of king William as rightful and lawful ; and
abjuring the pretensions of James, or any other
p-.-rson. The king considered these resolutions as
an open attack upon his prerogative, and signified
his displeasure to the earl of Sunderland, who patro
nized this measure : but it was so popular in the
house, that in all probability it would have been
put in execution, had not the attention of the com
mons
9z HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a.c. 1695. mons been at this period diverted from it by the
detection of a new conspiracy. The friends of king
James had, upon the death of queen Mary, renew
ed their practices for effecting a restoration of that
monarch, on the supposition that the interest of
William was considerably weakened by the decease
of his consort. Certain individuals, whose zeal for
James overshot their discretion, formed a design to
seize the person of king William, and convey him
to France, or put him to death, in case or resis
tance. They had sent emissaries to the court of
St. Germain's to demand a commission for this pur
pose, which was refused. The earl of Aylesbury,
lord Montgomery, son to the marquis of Powis,
Sir John Fenwick, Sir John Friend, captain Char-
nock, captain Porter, and one Mr. Goodman, were
the first contrivers of this project. Charnock was
detached with a proposal to James, that he mould
procure a body of horse and foot from France, to
make a descent in England, and they would engage
not only to join him at his landing, but even to re
place him on the throne of England. These offers
being declined by James, on pretence that the
French king could not spare such a number of
troops at that juncture, the earl of Aylesbury went
over in person, and was admitted to a conference
with Lewis, in which the scheme of an invasion was
actually concerted. In the beginning of February,
the duke of Berwick repaired privately to, England,
where he conferred with the conspirators, assured
them that king James was ready to make a descent
with a considerable number of French forces, dis
tributed commissions, and gave directions for pro
viding men, arms, and horses, to join him at his
arrival. When he returned to France, he found
every thing prepared for the expedition. The
troops were drawn down to the sea-side ; a great
number of transports were assembled at Dunkirk j
3 Mon
WILLIAM III. 9J
Monsieur Gabaret had advanced as far as Calais A-c- 1695.
with a squadron of ships, which, when joined by
that of Du Bart at Dunkirk, was judged a sufficient
convoy, and James li ad come as far as Calais, in
his way to embark. Mean while, the Jacobites in
England were assiduously employed in making pre
parations for a revolt. Sir John Friend had very
near completed a regiment of horse. Considerable
progress was made in levying another by Sir Wil
liam Perkins. Sir John Fenwick had enlisted four
troops. Colonel Tempest had undertaken for one
regiment of dragoons ; colonel Parker was pre
ferred to the command of another ; Mr. Curzon
was commissioned for a third ; and the malcontents
intended to raise a fourth in Suffolk, where their in
terest chiefly prevailed.
While one part of the Jacobites proceeded Conspiracy
against William in the usual way of exciting an in-
surrection, another, consisting of the most despe- lUm,
rate conspirators, had formed a scheme of assassi
nation. Sir George Barclay, a native of Scotland,
who had served as an officer in the army of James,
a man of undaunted courage, a furious bigot in
the religion of Rome, yet close, circumspect, and
determined, was landed, with other officers, in
Romney-marsh, by one captain Gill, about the be
ginning of January, and is said to have undertaken
the task of seizing or assassinating king William.
He imparted his design to Harrison, alias Johnston,
a priest, Charnock, Porter, and Sir William Per
kins, by whom it was approved ; and pretended to
have a particular commission for this service. After
various consultations, they resolved to attack the
king on his return from Richmond, where he com
monly hunted on Saturdays ; and the scene of their
ambuscade was a lane between Brentford and
Turnham-green. As it would be necessary to
charge and diiperse the guards that attended the
coach,
HISTORY of ENGLAND.
'.• is95- coach, they agreed that their number mould be iri^
creased to forty horsemen, and each conspirator be
gan to engage proper persons for the enterprise.
"When their complement was full, they determined
to execute their purpose on the fifteenth day of Fe
bruary. They concerted the manner in which they
should meet in small parties without suspicion, and
waited with impatience for the hour of action. In
this interval, some of the underling actors, seized
with horror at the reflection of what they had un
dertaken, or captivated with the prospect of reward,
resolved to prevent the execution of the design by
a timely discovery. On the eleventh day of Fe
bruary, one Fisher informed the earl of Portlands
of the scheme, and named some of the conspira
tors ; but his account was imperfect. On the
thirteenth, however, he returned with a circum
stantial detail of all the particulars. Next day, the
earl was accosted by one Pendergrass, an Irish of
ficer, who told his lordship he had just come from
Hampshire, at the request of a particular friends
and understood that he had been called up to town
with a view of engaging him in a design to assassi
nate king William. He said, he had promised td
embark in the undertaking, though he detested k
in his own mind, and took this first opportunity of
revealing the secret, which was of such consequence
to his majesty's life. He owned himself a Roman
catholic, but declared, that he did not think any
religion could justify such a treacherous purpose.
At the fame time he observed, that as he lay under
obligations to some of the conspirators, his honour
and gratitude would not permit him to accuse
them by name ; and that he would upon no con ,
sideration appear as an evidence. The king had
been so much used to fictitious plots., and false
discoveries, that he payed little regafd to these in-
4 formations,
WILLIAM HI.
formations, until they were confirmed by the tefti- A-c. li95-
mony of another conspirator called La Rue, a
Frenchman, who communicated the same particu
lars to brigadier Levison, without knowing the least
circumstance of the other discoveries. Then the
king believed there was. something real in the con
spiracy ; and Pendergrass and La Rue were seve
rally examined in his presence. He thanked Pen
dergrass in, particular for this instance of his pro
bity ; but observed, that it must prove ineffectual,
unless he would discover the names of the conspi
rators ; for, without knowing who they were, he
should not be able to secure his life against their
attempts. At length Pendergrass was prevailed
upon to give a list of those he knew, yet not before
the king had solemnly promised that he mould not
be used as an evidence against them, but with his
own consent. As the king did not go to Rich
mond on the day appointed, the conspirators post
poned the execution of their design till the Satur
day following. They accordingly met at different
houses on the Friday, when every man received his
instructions. There they agreed, that after the
perpetration of the parricide, they should ride in a
body as far as Hammersmith, and then dispersing,
enter London by different avenues. But,- on the
morning, when they understood the guards were
returned to their quarters, , and the king's coaches
sent back to the Mews, they were seized with a
sudden damp, on the supposition that their plot
was discovered. Sir George Barclay withdrew him
self," and every one began to think of providing for
his own safety. Next night,' however, a good num
ber of them was apprehended, and then the whole
discovery was communicated to the privy-council.
A proclamation was issued against those that ab
sconded 5 and great diligence was used to find Sir
George
66 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
*• c- ,695- George Barclay, who was supposed to have a par
ticular commission from James tor assassinating the
prince of Orange ; bur, he made good his retreat,
and it was never proved that any such commission
had been granted,
,^lon de™ This design and the projected invasion proved
seated. equally abortive. James had scarce reached Calais,
when the duke of Wirtemberg dispatched his aid de
camp from Flanders to king William, with an ac
count of the purposed descent. Expresses with the
fame tidings arrived from the elector of Bavaria
and the prince de Vaudemont. Two considerable
squadrons being ready for sea, admiral Russel em
barked at Spithead, and stood over to the French
coast with above fifty fail of the line. The enemy
were confounded at his appearance ., they hauled
in their vessels under the shore, in such shallow water
that he could not follow and destroy them, but he
absolutely ruined their design, by cooping them
up in their habours. King James, after having
tarried some weeks at Calais, returned to St. Ger
main's. The forces were lent back to the garrisons
from which they had been draughted ; and the peo
ple of France exclaimed, that the malignant star
which ruled the destiny of James, had blasted this
and every other project formed for his restoration.
By means of the reward offered in the proclama
tion, the greater part of the conspirators were be
trayed or taken. George Harris, who had been
sent from France, with orders to obey Sir George
Barclay, surrendered himself to Sir William Trum-
ball, and confessed the scheme of assassination in
which he had been engaged. Porter and Pender-
grais were apprehended together. This last insist
ed upon the king's promise, that he should not be
compelled to give evidence j but, when Porter
owned himself guilty, the other observed, he
was
WILLIAM III. 97
was no longer bound to be silent, as his friend had Al c- ,69s«
made a confession ; and they were both admitted
as evidences for the crown.
After their examination, the king, in a speech to The two
both houses, communicated the nature of the con- £°gues" f"
spiracy against his life, as well as the advices he had asli-^tion
received touching the invasion; he explained the sence of Ua
steps he had taken to defeat the double design, and majesty-
professed his confidence in their readiness and zeal
to concur with him in every thing that should ap
pear necessary for their common safety. That same
evening the houses waited upon him at Kensington,
in a body, with an affectionate address, by which»
they expressed their abhorrence of the villainous
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 sup
port 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 af
fection. The commons forthwith impowered him
by bill to secure all persons suspected of conspiring
against [Link] and government. They brought
in another, providing, That in case of his majesty's
death, the parliament then in being should con
tinue until dissolved by the next heir in succession
to the crown, established by act of parliament:
and, That if his majesty should chance to die be
tween two parliaments, that which had been last
dissolved should immediately reassemble, and sit
for the dispatch of national affairs. They voted an
address to desire, That his majesty would banish
[Link], H by
HISTORY of ENGLAND.
695- 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 put the laws in execution against Ro
man catholics and nonjurors. They drew up an
association, binding themselves to assist each other
in support of the king and his government, and to
revenge any violence that mould be committed on
his person. This was signed by all the members
then present ; but, as some had absented them
selves on frivolous pretences, the house ordered,
that in sixteen days the absentees should either sub
scribe or declare their refusal. Several members
neglecting to comply with this injunction within
the limited time, the speaker was ordered to write
to those who were in the country, and demand a
peremptory answer, while the clerk of the house
attended such as pretended to be ill in town. The
absentees finding themselves pressed in this man
ner, thought proper to fail with the stream, and
sign the association, which was presented to the
king by the commons in a body, with a request
that it might be lodged among the records in the
Tower, as a perpetual memorial of their loyalty
and affection. The king received them with un
common complacency ; declared, that he heartily
entered into the fame association ; that he should be
always ready to venture his life with his good sub
jects, 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 in the Tower
of London. Next day the commons resolved,
That whoever should affirm an association was ille
gal, 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 >
6
WILLIAM III; 99
fessociation ; but the earls of Nottingham, Sir Ed-AC,,69s.
word Seymour, and Mr. Finch, objected to the
words, Rightful, and Lawful, as applied to his ma
jesty. 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. Nothing could be more
absurd than this distinction started by men who had
actually constituted part of the administration ; un
less they had supposed that the right of king Wil
liam expired with queen Mary. The earl of Ro
chester proposed an expedient in favour of such
tender consciences, by altering the words that gave
offence ; and this was adopted accordingly. Fif
teen of the peers, and ninety-two commoners signed
the association with reluctance. It was, however,
subscribed by all sorts of peeple in different parts
of the kingdom ; and the bishops drew up a form
for the clergy, which was signed by a great majo
rity. The commons brought in a bill, declaring
all men incapable of public trust, or of sitting in
parliament, who would not engage in this associa- 3.,met.
tion. At the fame time, the council issued an o^:ixon'
order for renewing all the commissions in Eng- lUndd.
land, that those who had not signed it voluntarily {^jf^ th4
should be dismissed from the service as disaffected Admirals,
persons.
After these warm demonstrations of loyalty, the eiumMi.
commons proceeded upon ways and means for rai- j"1^^
sing the supplies. A new bank was constituted as a "
fund, upon which the sum of two millions, five
hundred and sixty-four 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 doctor Chamber
lain, was patronized by the earl of Sundeiland, and
managed by Foley and Harley : so that it seemed
to be a Tory-plan, which Sunderland supported, in
H 2 order
oo HISTORY of ENGLAND.
c. is95- order to reconcile himself to that party *. The
bankof England petitioned against this bill, and were
heard by their counsel ; but, their representations
produced no other 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.
• The commons resolved, That a ney, to procure votes. Another again*
fund redeemable by parliament be set unlawful and double returns. A third,
tled in a national land-bank, to he for the more easy recovery of small
raised by new subscriptions ! That no tythet. A fourth, to prevent mar
perfon be concerned in both banks at riages, without license or banes. A
at the fame time : That the duties fifth for enabling the inhabitants of
upon coals, culm, and tonnage of Wales to dispose of all their personal
ihips, be taken off, from the seven estates as they should think fit. This
teenth day of March : That the sum Jaw was in bar of a custom that had
ef two millions, five hundred and prevailed in that country. The wi
sixty-four thousand pound<, be raised dows and younger children claimed
on this perpetual fund, redeemable by a Ihaie of the effect-, called their
pailiament: That the new bank reasonable part, although the effects,
should be restrained from lending mo had been otherwise "disposed of by will
ney but upon land-securities, or to the or deed. The parliament likewise
government in the exchequer : That passed an act, for preventing the expor
for making up the fund of interest for tation of woil, and to encourage the
the capital stock, certain duties upon importation thereof from Ireland. An
glass-wares, stone, and earthen bot act for encouraging the linnen manu
tles, granted before to the Icing for a factures of Irelind. , An act for re
term of years, be continued to his ma gulating juries. An act for encoura
jesty, his heirs, and successors : That ging the Greenland trade. An act of
a further duty be layed upon stone and indulgence to the quakers, that their
earthen-ware, and another upon tobac- folemn affirmation should be accepted
«o-pip«s. This bank was to lend out instead of an oath. And an act for
five hundred thousand pounds a-year continoins certain other acts that
upon land-securities, at three pounds were near expiring. Another bill had
and ten shillings per cent, per annum, passed, for the better regulating elec
and to cease and determine, unless the tions for members of paiiiament'j
subscription should be full by thd first but, the rcyal assent' was denied.
day of August next ensuing. The question was put in the house of
The most remarkable laws enacted common?, That w hofoever advised his
in this session wei e these : An act for majesty not to give his assent to that
voiding all the elections of parliament- bill, was an enemv to his country $.
Wen, at which the elected had b. en at but, it was rejected by a great majo
any expence in mc?.t, drink, or mo rity.
Before
<

WILLIAM III. ior

Before this period some of trie conspirators had A. c' ,6s*-
been brought to trial. The first: who suffered was [Link] the
Robert Charnock, one of the two fellows of Mag- consirir*tor,,
dalen-college, who in the reign of James had re
nounced the protestant religion, lieutenant King,
and Thomas Keys, who had been formerly a trum
peter, but of late servant to' captain Porter. They
were found guilty of high-treason, and executed at
Tyburn. They delivered papers to the sheriff, in
which they solemnly declared, that they had never
seen or heard of any commission from king James
for assassinating the prince of Orange : Charnock
in particular observed, that he had received fre
quent assurances of the king's having rejected such
proposals when they had been offered ; and that
there was no other commission but that for levying
war in the usual form. Sir John Friend and Sir
William Perkins were tried in April. The first
from mean beginnings had acquired great wealth
and credit, and always firmly adhered to the in
terests of king James. The other was likewise a
man of fortune, violently attached to the same prin
ciples, though he had taken the oaths to the pre
sent government, as one of the six clerks in chan
cery. Porter and Blair another evidence deposed,
that Sir John Friend had been concerned in levy
ing 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 endea- .
voured to invalidate the testimony of Blair, by prov
ing 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 peaceT
H 3 ably
rbi HISTORYofENGLAND/
a.c. tigs- ably under it, and never engage in any conspi
racy. Mr. Hoadley, father of the present bishop
of Winchester, added, that the prisoner was a
very good protestant, and frequently expressed
his detestation of king-killing principles. Friend
himself owned, he had been with some of the con
spirators at a meeting* in Leadenhall-street, but
heard nothing of raising men, or any design against
the government. He likewise affirmed, that a con
sultation to levy war was not trealon ; and, that his
being at a treasonable consult, could amount to no
more than a misprision of treason. Lord-chier-jus-
tice Holt declared, that although a bare conspiracy,
or design to levy war, was not treason within the
statute of Edward HI. yet if the design or conspi
racy 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, tho'
no war be actually levied. The fame inference
might have been drawn against the authors and in
struments of the revolution. The judge's explana
tion influenced the jury, who after some deliberation
round the prisoner guilty. Next day Sir William
Perkins was brought to the bar,, and upon the tes
timony of Porter, Ewebank his own groom, and
Haywood a notorious informer, convicted of hav
ing been concerned, not only in the invasion, but
also in the design against the king's life. The evi
dence was scanty, and the prisoner having been bred
to the law, made an artful and vigorous defence ;
but, the judge acted as council for the crown, and
the jury, 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 assaffination-
sekeme ;
WILLIAM1 III. io3
scheme : that he died in the communion of the * c- ,69s»
church of England, and layed down his life chear-
fully 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 clergy
men, who absolved them in the view of the popu
lace, with an imposition of hands : a public insult
on the government which did not pass unnoticed.
Those three clerymen were presented by the grand-
jury, for having countenanced the treason by ab
solving 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 con
duct, in which he affirmed, that the imposition of
hands was the general practice of the primitive
church. On the other hand, the two metropoli
tans, and twelve other bishops, subscribed a decla
ration, condemning the administration of absolu
tion without a previous confession made, and ab
horrence expressed by the prisoners of the heinous
crimes for which they suffered. In the course of
the same month, Rookwood, Cranborhe, and Lo-
wick, were tried as conspirators, by a special com
mission in the king's bench ; and convicted on the
joint- testimony of Porter, Harris, La Rue, Ber
tram, Fisher, and Pendergrass. Some favourable
H 4 cir-
i94 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. i69j. circumstances appeared in the cafe of Lowick. The
proof of his having been concerned in the design
against the king's life was very defective : many
persons of reputation declared, he was an honest,
good-natured, inoffensive man-, and, he himself
concluded his defence with the most solemn pro
testation of his own innocence. 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 Rookwood likewise delivered declara
tions to the sheriff, the contents of which, as being
less inflammatory, were allowed to be published.
Both solemnly denied any knowledge of a com
mission 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 pro
posals 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 crea
ture 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
alledged, he was engaged by his immediate com
mander, 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 man
kind, even the prince of Orange, who, as a soldier,
he said, ought to have considered his cafe before he
signed his death-warrant ,, he prayed God would
open his eyes, and render him sensible of the blood
5 that
r

william nr. i«5

that was from all parts crying against him, so as he c- »49S'
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. Por
ter and Goodman deposed, that he had been present
at two meetings in the King's-head tavern in Lea-
denhall-street, with the lords Aylesbury and Mont
gomery, Sir William Perkins, Sir John Fenwick,
Sir John Friend, Charnock, and Porter. The evir
dence 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 payed to these asseverations. The sollicitor-
general Hawles, and the 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 disco
veries ; and after his fate had been protracted by
divers short reprieves, he was sent into banishment.
From the whole tenour of these discoveries and pro
ceedings, it appears, that James had actually me
ditated an invasion : that his partisans in England
had made preparations forjoining him at 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 counte
nanced informers, the judges had strained the law,
wrested
io6 HISTORY or ENGLAND.
A.c. 1695. wrested circumstances, and even deviated from the
function of their office, to convict the prisoners.:
in a word, that the administration had used the
fame arbitrary and unfair practices against those
unhappy people, which they themselves had in the
late" reigns numbered among the grievances of the
kingdom.
The «nies The warmth, however, manifested on this occa-
komthe f10n) mav nave been owing to national resentment
civet!"'* of the purposed invasion. Certain it is, the two
houses of parliament, and the people in general,
were animated with extraordinary indignation
against France at this juncture. The lords besought
his majesty, in a solemn address, to appoint a day
of thanksgiving to almighty God, for having de
feated the barbarous purpose of his enemies ; and
this was observed with uncommon zeal and devo
tion. Admiral Russel leaving a squadron for ob
servation on the French coast, returned to the
Downs ; but Sir Cloudefley Shovel being properly
prepared for the expedition, subjected Calais to
another bombardment, by which the town was set
on sire in different parts, and the inhabitants were
overwhelmed with consternation. The generals
of the allied army in Flanders resolved to make
some immediate retaliation upon the French for
their unmanly design upon the life of king Wil
liam, as they took it. for granted that Lewis was
accessory to the scheme of assassination. That mo
narch, on the supposition that a powerful diversion
would be made by the descent on England, had
established a vast magazine at Givet, designing,
when the allies should be enfeebled by the absence
of. the British troops, to strike some stroke of im
portance early in the campaign. On this the con
federates now determined to wreak their vengeance.
In the beginning of March the earl of Athlone and
and monsieur de Coehorn, with the concurrence
of
WILLIAM III. • . •. 407
of the duke of Holstein-Ploen, who commanded the *• c- '69s-
allies, sent a strong detachment of horse, draughted .
from Brussels and the neighbouring garrisons, to
amuse the enemy on the side of Charleroy ; while '
they assembled forty squadrons, thirty battalions, * .
with fifteen pieces of cannon, and fix mortars, in
the territory of Namur. Athlone with part of
this body invested Dinant, while Coehorn with the
remainder advanced to Givet. He forthwith be
gan to batter and bombard the place, which in
three hours was on fire, and by four in the afternoon
wholly destroyed, with the great magazine it con
tained. Then the two generals joining their forces,
returned to Namur without interruption. Hither
to the republic of Venice had deferred acknow
ledging king William ; but now they sent an extra
ordinary embassy for that purpose, consisting of
signiors Soranzo and Venier, who arrived in Lon
don, and on the first day of May had a public . au
dience. The king on this occasion knighted So
ranzo as the senior ambassador, and presented him
with the sword, according to custom. On that day
too, William declared in council, that he had ap
pointed the same regency which had governed the
kingdom during his last absence ; and embarking
on the seventh at Margate, arrived at Orange-Pol
der in the evening, under convoy of vice-admiral
Aylmer, who had been ordered to attend with a
squadron, as the famous Du Bart still continued at
Dunkirk, and some attempt of importance was ap»
prehended from his enterprising genius *.
The French had taken the field before the allied
army could be assembled ; but no transaction of

• Some promotions were made be- was ennobled, by the title of baron
fore the king lest England. George Lowther, and viscount Lonsdale ; Sir
Hamilton, third fon of the duke of John Thompfon made baron of Ha-
that name, was, for his miliury ser- versham ; and ihe celebrated John
vices in Ireland and. Flanders, created Locke appointed one of the commissia-
tarl of Orkney. Sir John Lowther ners of toe tiade and plantations.
con-
,oS HISTORY or ENGLAND.
a.c. t<95. consequence distinguished this campaign, either up-
[Link]. on the Rhine or in Flanders. The scheme of
™an^"t9*d' Lewis was still defensive on the fide of the Nether-
wards a lands, while the active plans of king William were
liajiMd* 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 cre
dit. The loss of the nation upon the recoinage
amounted to two millions, two hundred thousand
pounds : and though the different mints were em
ployed without interruption, they could not for
some months supply the circulation, especially as
great part of the new money were kept up by those
who received it in payment, or disposed of, 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. He took it for granted, that as the Dutch
were a trading people, whose commerce had greatly
suffered in the war, they could not be averse to a
pacification ; ,and he instructed his emissaries to
tamper with the malcontents of the republic, es
pecially with the remains of the Lovestein faction,
which had always opposed the schemes of the stadt-
holder. Callieres met with a favourable reception
from the states, which began to treat with him
about the preliminaries, though not without the
consent and concurrence of king William and the
rest of the allies. Lewis, with a view to quicken,
the effect of this negotiation, pursued offensive
measures in Catalonia, where his general, the duke
de Vendome, attacked and worsted the Spaniards
in their camp near Ostalric, though the action was
not
WILLIAM III. ioj
hot decisive for he was obliged to retreat, after *• c' l69S-
having made vigorous efforts against their intrench-
ments. On the twentieth day of June the mare-
chal de Lorges passed the Rhine at Philipsburg,
and encamped within a league of Eppingerf, where
the Imperial troops were obliged to intrench them
selves, under the command of the prince of Baden,
as they were not yet joined by the auxiliary forces.
The French general, after having faced him about
a month, thought proper to repass the river. Then
he detached a body of horse to Flanders, and Can
toned the rest of his troops at Spires, Franckendal,
Worms, and Ostofen. On the last day of August
the prince of Baden retaliated the insult, by passing
the Rhine at Mentz and Cocsheim. On the tenth
he was joined by general Thungen, who command
ed a separate body, together with the militia of
Suabia and Franconia, and advanced to the camp
of the enemy, who had reassembled, and 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 de
tached parties, and taken the little castle of Wiezen-
gen, he repassed the river at Worms on the seventh
day ofOctober : the French likewise crossed at Phi-
lipsburgh, in hope of surprising general Thungen,
who had taken post in the neighbourhood of Stras
bourg ; but he retired to Eppingen before their
arrival, and in a little time both armies were distri
buted in winter- quarters. Peter the czar of Mus
covy, carried on the siege of Azoph with such
vigour, that the garrison was obliged to capitulate,
after the Ruffians had defeated a great convoy sent
to its 4-elief. The court of Vienna forthwith en
gaged' in an alliance with the Muscovite emperor ;
but, they did not exert themselves in taking advan
tage of the disaster which the Turks had under
gone. The Imperial army, commanded by the
elector
no HISTOR^ of ENGLAND.
A.e. 1695. 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 Bel
grade, on receiving advice that the grand fignor in
tended to besiege Titul. On the twenty-first day
of August the two armies were in sight of each
other. The Turkish horse attacked the Imperia
lists in a plain near the river Begue but were
repulsed. The Germans next day made a show
of retreating, in hope of drawing the enemy
from their intrenchments. The stratagem suc
ceeded. On the twenty sixth the Turkish army
was in motion ; a detachment of the Imperialists
attacked them in stank as they marched through a
wood. A very desperate action ensued, in which
the generals Heuster 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 intrench
ments.
H«dftache« In Piedmont the fate of affairs underwent 4
savoy from strange alteration. The duke of Savoy, who had
the console 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 auxiliaries
against all his enemies, and to effect a marriagq.'be-
tween the duke of Burgundy and the princess of
Piedmont, as soon as the parties should be mar
riageable. The treaty was guarantied by the pope
and the Venetians, who were extremely desirous
of
WILL I A M III. ' , in
of seeing the Germans driven out of Italy. King A- c- ,6?s.
William being apprised of this negotiation, com
municated the intelligence to the earl of Galway,
his ambassador at Turin, who expostulated with the
duke upon his defection ; but, he persisted in deny
ing 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
he imparted to the ministers of the allies the propo
sals which France had made, represented the supe
rior 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 fame topics, and folli- ,
citing 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
challeng« ; but, the quarrel was compromised by
the intervention of friends, and they parted in an
amicable
,12 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
A. c. 1695. amieable 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, thaft
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 infor
mation, 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 mould evacuate the duke's domi
nions, otherwise they should be expelled by the
joint-forces of France and Savoy. A neutrality was
offered to the confederates ; and, this being re
jected, the contracting powers resolved to attack
the Milaneze. Accordingly, when the truce ex^
pired, the duke, as generalissimo of the French
king, entered that dutchy, and undertook the siege
of Valentia; so that, in one campaign, he com
manded two contending armies. The garrison of
Valentia consisting of seven thousand men, Ger
mans, Spaniards, and French protestants, made an"
obstinate defence ; and the duke of Savoy prose
cuted 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 neutra
lity 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 em-
1 broiled
WILLIAM III, 113
broiled anew by the death of John Sobieslci king of a. 0.1695,
Poland, who died at the age of seventy, in the course
of this summer, after having survived his faculties
arid reputation. As the crown was elective, a com
petition arose for the succession. The kingdom
was divided by factions; and the different powers
.of Europe interested themselves warmly in the con
tention.
• Nothing of consequence had been lately atchieved
•by the naval force of England. When the con - a£w^ls's-
,fpiracy was first discovered, Sir George Rooke had
received orders to return from Cadiz ; and he ar
rived 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 Heydie ; made prize of about twenty
vessels ; bombarded St. Martin's on the ifle of
Rhee, 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 en-
terprizes 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 ; aqd
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 adven
turer found means to escape in a fog, and steering
to the eastward, attacked the Dutch fleet in the
Baltick, under a convoy of five frigates. These
last he took, together with half the number of the
trading ships j but, falling ia with the outward-
N* 83, I bound
ii4 HISTORY oi ENGLAND.
a. c. 1695. Sound 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 but
fifteen, which he carried into Dunkirk.
ufth^u8* "^he parliament of Scotland met on the eighth
liaments of day of September; and lord Murray, secretary of
and'lsrdand ftate, now easl of Tullibardine, presided as king's
commissioner. Though that kingdom was ex
hausted by the war, and two successive bad har
vests, which had driven a great number of the in
habitants 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 thou
sand pounds for maintaining their forces by sea and
land. They passed an act for securing their re
ligion, 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 of December. The disturbances of
Ireland seemed now to be intirely appeased. Lord
Capel dying in May, the council, by virtue of an act
passed in the reign of Henry VIII. elected the chan
cellor Sir Charles Porter to be lord justice and chief
governor of that kingdom^ until his majesty's
pleasure should be known. The 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 ap
pointed lords-justices, and signified the king's plea
sure that they should adjourn. . In the beginning of
December the chancellor died of an apoplexy.
King William being tried of an inactive cam
paign, left the army under the command of the
elector of Bavaria, and, about the latter end of
August,
WILLIAM III. ltQ
August, repaired to his palace at Loo, where he c- ,695-
enjoyed his favourite exercise of stag-hunting. Hez=aioftht
visited the court of Brandenburg at Cleves ; con- Ensusl'
ferred with the states of Holland at the Hague ; th^tea'i-
and, embarking for England, landed at Margate °? t° th<i
on the sixth day of October. The domestic oeco- "8
nomy of the nation was extremely perplexed at this
juncture, from the sinking of public credit, and the
stagnation that necessarily attended arecoinagej
grievances which were with difficulty removed by
the clear apprehension, the enterprising genius, the
unshaken fortitude, of Mr. Montague, chancellor
of the exchequer, operating upon a national spirit
of adventure,, which the monied-interest had pro
duced. The king opened the session of parlia
ment on the twentieth day of October, with a
speech, importing, That overtures had been made
for a negotiation but that the best way of treating
with France would be sword in hand. He there
fore desired they would be expeditious in raising
the supplies for the service of the ensuing year, as
well as for making good the funds already granted.
He declared, that the civil list could not be sup
ported without their assistance. He recommended
the miserable condition of the French protestants
to their compassion. He desired they would con
trive the best expedients for the recovery of the
national credit ; and observed, that unanimity and
dispatch were now more than ever necessary for the
honour, safety, and advantage of England. The
commons having taken this speech into considera»
tion, resolved, That they would iupport his ma -
jesty and his government, and assist him in the pro
secution of the war : that the standard of gold and
silver mould not be altered : and, That they would
make good all parliamentary funds. Then they
presented an address, in a very spirited strain, de
claring that, notwithstanding the blood and trea-
I 2 sure
n6 HISTORY of EN GLAND.
a. c. i695; fure of which the nation had been drained, the
commons of England would not be diverted from
their firm resolutions of obtaining by war a safe and
honourable peace. They therefore renewed their
assurances, that they would support his majesty
against all his enemies at home and abroad. The
house of lords delivered another to the fame pur
pose, declaring, that they would never be wanting
or backward on their parts, in what might be ne
cessary to - his majesty's honour, the good of his
kingdoms, and the quiet of Christendom. The
commons, in the first transports of their zeal, or
dered two seditious pamphlets to be burned by
the hands of the common hangman. They deli
berated upon the estimates, and granted above six
millions for the service of the ensuing year. They
resolved, that a supply should be granted for
making good the deficiency of parliamentary funds;
and appropriated several duties for this purpose.
Resolutions With respect to the coin, they brought in a bill,
thewi"! repealing an act for taking off the obligation and
and th^ sup- enCouragement of coining guineas for a certain
Sic'credit" 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 pro
fessions. 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 sixed upon all servants receiving
four pounds per annum, as wages, and upwards, to
WILLIAM III. jJ7
eight pounds a-year inclusive. Those two received l- c, i695.
from eight to sixteen pounds, were taxed at one
half-penny 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 common-wealth that could be
supposed able to bear any part of the burthen.
Provision was made, that hammered money should
be received in payment of these duties, at the rate
of five shillings and eight-pence per ounce. All
the deficiences on annuities and monies borrowed
on the credit of the exchequer, were transferred to
this aid. The treasury was enabled to borrow a
million and a half at eight per cent. and to circu
late exchequer- bills to the amount of as much
more. To cancel these debts, the surplus of all
the supplies, except the three- shilling aid, was
appropriated. The commons voted one hundred
and twenty-five thousand pounds for making good
the deficiency in recoining the hammered money,
and the recompence for bringing in plate to the
mint. This sum was raised by a tax of duty upon
wrought plate, paper, pasteboard, velum, and parch
ment, made or imported. Taking into considera
tion the services, and the present languishing slate
of the bank, whose notes were at twenty per cent.
discount, they resolved, That it should be enlarged
by new subscriptions, made by four- fifths in tallies
struck on parliamentary 'funds, and one fifth in
bank-bills or notes : That effectual provision Paould
be made by parliament, for paying the principal of
all such tallies as should be subscribed into the bank,
out of the funds agreed to be continued : That an
interest of eight percent. should be allowed on all
such tallies : and, That the continuance of the
I j bank
HISTORYof £ NGLAND.
a. c. 1695. bank should be prolonged to the first-day of August,
ist the year one thousand seven hundred and ten:
That all assignments of orders on tallies subscribed
into the bank, should be registered in the exche
quer : That, before the day should be sixed for the
beginning of the new subscriptions, the old should be
made one hundred per cent. and what might exceed
that value should be divided among the old mem
bers : That all the interest due on thole tallies
Which might be subscribed into the bank stock, at
the time appointed for subscriptions, to the end of
the last preceding quarter on each tally, should be
allowed as principal : That liberty should be given
by parliament to enlarge the number of bank bills,
to the value of the sum that should be so sob-
scribed, over and above the twelve hundred thou
sand pounds ; provided they should be obliged to
answer such bills ' and demands, and in default
thereof, be answered by the exchequer out of the
first money due to them : That no, other bank
should be erected or allowed by act of parliament,
during the continuance of the bank of England :
. That this should be exempted from all tax or im
position : That no act of the corporation should
forfeit the particular interest of any person concern
ed therein : That provision should be made to pre
vent the officers of the exchequer, and all other
officers and receivers of the revenue, from divert
ing, delaying, or obstructing the course of pay
ments to the bank : That care should be taken to /
prevent the altering, counterfeiting, or forging any
' bank-bills or notes :' That the estate 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
WILLIAM ML . , n9
mould be made. A bill upon these resolutions was *• c. ,695-
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 it comprehended a clause for, laying
an additional duty upon salt, for two years and
three quarters. All the several branches constitu
ted 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 fund's proving in
sufficient to pay the whole interest, it was provid
ed, That every proprietor should receive his pro
portion of the product, and the deficiency be made
good from the next aid ; but, should the fund pro
duce more than the interest, the surplus was des
tined to operate as a sinking fund for the discharge
of the principal. In order to make up a deficiency
of above eight hundred thousand pounds, occasi
oned by the failure of the land-bank, additional
duties were laid upon leather : the time was en
larged for persons to come in and purchase the an
nuities payable by several former acts, and to ob
tain more certain interest in such annuities.
Never were more vigorous measures taken to?norms""
- , ,. r ° . ' , impositions.
support the credit or the government ; and never
was the government served by such a set of enter
prising undertakers. The commons having re
ceived a message from the king touching the con
dition of the civil list, resolved, That a sum not
exceeding five hundred and fifteen thousand pounds
should be granted for the support of the civil list
for the ensuing year, to be railed by a malt tax and
additional duties upon mum, sweets, cyder, and
I 4 perry.
i2o HISTORY of ENGLAND;
a. c. 1695. perry, They likewise resolved, That an additional
aid of one shilling in the pound should be laid on
land, as an equivalent for the duty of ten per cent.
• upon mixed goods. Provision was made for raising
one million four hundred thousand pounds by a
lottery. The treasury was impowered to issue an
additional number of exchequer-bills to the amount
of twelve hundred thousand pounds, every hundred
pounds bearing interest at the rate of five pence
a-day, and ten per cent, for circulation ; and finally,
in order to liquidate the transport-debt, which the
funds established for that purpose had not been suf
ficient to defray, a money-bill was brought in to
oblige pedlars and hawkers to take our licences,
and pay for them at certain stated prices. One
cannot without astonishment reflect upon the pro
digious efforts that were made upon this occasion,
or consider without indignation the enormous for
tunes that were raised up by usurers and ex-
l tortioncrs from these distresses of their country.
The nation did not seem to know its own strength,
until it was put to this extraordinary trial ; and the
experiment of mortgaging funds succeeded so well^
that later ministers have proceeded in the fame
system, imposing burthen upon burthen, as if they
thought the sinews of the nation could never be
overstrained.
sir John _ The pubjic credit being thus bolstered up by the
(wprcbujd! singular address of Mr. Montague, and the bills
«l. passed for the supplies of the ensuing year, the at
tention of the commons was transferred to the case
of Sir John Fenwick, who had been apprehended
jn the month of June at New Romney, in his way
to France. He had, when taken, written a letter
to his lady by one Webber, who accompanied him ;
but, this man being seized, the letter was found,
containing i'uch a confession as plainly evinced him
guilty. He then entered into' a treaty with the
court
WILLIAM HI; 1 121
court for turning evidence, and delivered a long A c ,49S'
information in writing, which was sent abroad to
his majesty. He made no discoveries that could
injure any of the Jacobites, who, by his account
and other concurring testimonies, appeared to be
divided into two parties, known by the names of
Compounders and Noncompounders. . The first,
headed by the earl of Middleton, insisted upon re
ceiving security from king James, that the religion
and liberties of England mould be preserved ;
whereas, the other party, at the head of which was
the earl of Melfort, resolved to bring him in with
out conditions, relying upon his own honour and
generosity. King William having sent over an
order for bringing Fenwick to trial, unless he
should make more material discoveries, the prison
er, with a view to amuse the ministry, until he could
take other measures for his own safety, accused the
earls of Shrewsbury, Marlborough, and Bath, the
lord Godolphin, and admiral Russel, of having
made their peace with king James, and engaged
to act for his interest: Meanwhile his lady and re- .
lations tampered with the two witnesses, Porter and
Goodman. The first of these discovered those
practices to the government ; and one Clancey,
who acted as agent for lady Fenwick, was tried,
convicted of subornation, fined, and set in the pil
lory; but, they had succeeded better in their at
tempts upon Goodman, who disappeared : so that
one witness only remained, and Fenwick began to
think his life was out of danger. Admiral Russel.
acquainted the house of commons, that heandfe-
veral persons of quality had been reflected upon in
some informations of 'Sir John Fenwick ; he there
fore desired, that he might have an opportunity to
justify his own character. Mr. Secretary Yrumball
produced the papers, which having been read, the
commons ordered, That Sir John Fenwick should
:i be
122 HISTORY of ENGLAND;
A.c. 1695. be brought to the bar of the house. There he was
exhorted by. the speaker to make an ample dis-
, covery ; which, however, he declined, without ha
ving first received some security that what he might
say should not prejudice himself. 'He was ordered
to withdraw, until they should have deliberated on
his. request. Then he was called in again, and
the keeper told him, he might deserve the favour
of the house by making a full discovery. He de
sired he might be indulged with a little time to re
collect himself, and promised to obey the com
mand of the house. This favour being denied, he
again insisted upon having security ; which they
refusing to grant, he chose to be silent, and was
dismissed from the bar. The house voted, That
his informations reflecting upon the fidelity of se
veral noblemen, members of the house, and others,
upon hearsay, were false and scandalous, contrived
to undermine the government, and create jealou
sies between the king and his subjects, in order tq
stifle the conspiracy.
a bin of at- A motion being made, for leave to bring in a
tainder be - - - 0 - °-
_ brought bill to attaint him of high-treason, a warm debate
honsehe en^ue^' and the question being put, was carried in
gainst him, the affirmative by a great majority. He was fur-
mitatde "'^d witn a copy or' the bill, and allowed the use
tan. of pen, ink, paper, and counsel. When he pre7
sented a petition, praying, that his counsel might
be heard against passing the bill, they made an
order, that his counsel should be allowed to make
his defence at the bar of the house : so that he was
surprised into an irregular trial, instead of being
indulged with an opportunity of offering objections
to their passing the bill of attainder. He was ac
cordingly brought to the bar of the house ; and the
bill being read in his hearing, the speaker called
upon the king's counsel to open the evidence. The
prisoner's counsel objected to their proceeding to
. . . trial,
WILLIAM III.
trial, alledging, that their client had not received A- c- l69S.
the least notice of their purpose, and therefore could
not be prepared for his defence ; but, that they
came to 'offer their reasons against the bill. The
house, after a long debate, resolved, That he mould
be allowed' further time to produce witnesses in his
defence : that the counsel for the king should like-
wife be allowed to produce evidence to prove the
treasons of which he stood indicted : and, an order
was made for his being brought to the bar again in
three days. In pursuance of this order, he appear
ed, when the indictment which had been found
against him by the grand-jury was produced ; and
Porter was examined as evidence. Then the record
of Clancey's conviction was read ; and one Roe tes
tified, that Dighton, the prisoner's sollicitor, had
offered him an annuity of one hundred pounds, to
discredit the testimony of Goodman. The king's
counsel moved, that Goodman's examination, as
taken by Mr. Vernon, clerk of the council, might
be read. Sir J. Powis and Sir Bartholomew Shower,
the prisoner's counsel, warmly opposed this propo
sal ; they affirmed, that a deposition taken when
the party affected by it was not present to cross-exa
mine the depoier, could not be admitted in a case
of five shillings value : that though the house was
not bound by the rules of inferior courts, it was
nevertheless bound by the eternal and unalterable
rules of justice : that no evidence, according to the
rules of law, could be admitted in such a cafe, but
that of living witnesses : and, that the examination
of a person who is absent, was never read to supply
his testimony. The dispute between the lawyers
on this subject, gave rise to a very violent debate
among the members of ' the house. Sir Edward
Seymour, Sir Richard Temple, Mr. Harley, Mr.
Harcourt, Mr. Manley, Sir Christopher Mulgrave,
and all the leaders of the Tory-party, argued
7 against
1*4 H I S T O R Y or E N G L A N D.
A.c. i69j. against the hardship and injustice of admitting this
information as an evidence. They demonstrated,
that it would be a step contrary to the practice of
all courts of judicature, repugnant to the common
notions of justice and humanity, diametrically op-
polite to the last act for regulating trials in cafes of
„ high-treason, and of dangerous consequences to the
lives and liberties of the people. On the other
hand, k»rd Cutts, Sir Thomas Littleton, Mr. Mon
tague, Mr. Smith of the treasury, and Trevor the
attorney general, affirmed, that the house was not
Jjound by any form of law whatsoever : that this
was an extraordinary case, in which the safety of
the government was deeply concerned : that though
the common-law might require two evidences in
cases of treason, the house had a power of deviat
ing from those rules in extraordinary cases : that
there was no reason to doubt of Sir John Fenwick's
being concerned in the conspiracy : that he or his
friends had tampered with Porter : and, that there
were strong presumptions to believe, the fame prac
tices had induced Goodman to abscond. In a word,
the Tories, either from party or patriotism, strenu
ously afierted the cause of liberty and humanity,
by those very arguments which had been used
against them in the former reigns ; while the
Whigs, with equal violence and more success, es
poused the dictates of arbitrary power and oppres
sion, in the face of their former principles, , with
which they were now upbraided. At length, the
question was put, Whether or not the information
of Goodman mould be read ? and was carried in the
affirmative by a majority of seventy-three voices.
Then two of the grand-jury who had found the in
dictment, recited the evidence which had been given
to them by Porter and Goodman ; lastly, the king's
counsel insisted upon producing the record of
Cooke's conviction, as he had been tried for the
8 . fame
WILLIAM III. " tig
same conspiracy. The prisoner's counsel objected, a. c. i69i.
That if such evidence was admitted, the trial of
one person in the same company would be the trial
of all ,, and it could not be expected that they who
came to defend Sir John Fenwick only, should be
prepared to answer the charge against Cooke. This
article produced another vehement debate among
the members j and the Whigs obtained a second
victory. The record was read, and the king's counsel
proceeded to call on some of the jury who served on
Cooke's trial, to affirm, that he had been convicted
on Goodman's evidence. Sir Bartholomew Shower
said, he would submit it to the consideration of the
house, Whether it was just that the evidence against
one person should conclude against another standing
at a different bar, in defence of his life ? The par
ties were again ordered to withdraw; and from
this point arose a third debate, which ended as the
two former, to the disadvantage of the prisoner.
The jury being examined, Mr. serjeant Gould
moved, that Mr. Vernon might be desired to pro
duce the intercepted letter from Sir John Fenwick
to his lady. The prisoner's council warmly op
posed this motion, insisting upon their proving it to
be his hand- writing before it could be used against
him ; and no further stress was layed on this evi
dence. When they were called upon to enter on
his defence, they pleaded incapacity to deliver mat
ters of such importance after they had been fatigued
with twelve hours attendance.
The- house resolved to hear such evidence as the h;s desence;
prisoner had to produce that night. His counsel
declared, that they had nothing then to produce
but the copy of a record ; and the second resolution
-Was, That he should be brought up again next day
at noon. He accordingly appeared at the bar, and
Sir J. Powis proceeded on his defence. He ob
served, that the bill under consideration affected
HISTORY op ENGLAND.
l695' the lives of the subjects ; and such precedents were
dangerous: that Sir John Fenwick was forthcom
ing, in order to be tried by the ordinary methods
of justice : that he was actually under process, had
pleaded, and was ready to stand trial : that if there
was sufficient clear evidence against him, as the
king's serjeant had declared, there was no reason for
his being deprived of the benefit of such a trial as
was the birth-right of every British subject ; and if
there was a deficiency of legal evidence, he thought
this was a very odd reason for the bill. He took
notice that even the regicides had the benefit of
such a trial : that the last act for regulating trials
in cafes of treason, proved the great tenderness of
the laws which affected the life of the subject : and
he expressed his surprise that the very parliament
which had passed that law, should enact another
for putting a person to death without any trial at
all. He admitted that there had been many bills
of attainder, but they were generally levelled at
outlaws and fugitives ; and some of them had been
reversed in the sequel, as arbitrary and unjust. He
urged, that this bill of attainder did not alledge or
fay, that Sir John Fenwick was guilty of the trea
son for which he had been indicted ; a circumstance
which prevented him from producing witnesses to
that and several matters upon which the king's
counsel had expatiated. He said, they had intro
duced evidence t© prove circumstances not alledged
in the bill, and defective evidence of those that
were : that Porter was not examined upon oath :
that nothing could be more severe than to pass sen
tence of death upon a man, corrupt his blood, a-nd
confiscate his estate, upon parole evidence j espe
cially of such a wretch, who, by his own confession,
had been engaged in a crime of the blackest na
ture ; not a convert to the dictates of conscience,
but a coward, shrinking from the danger by which
W. I L L 1 A M III. 127
he had been environed, and even now drudging A c. ,6ts,
for a pardon. He invalidated the evidence of
Goodman's examination. He observed, that the in
dictment mentioned a conspiracy to call in. a foreign
power; but, as this conspiracy had not been put in
practice, such an agreement was not a sufficient
overt-act of treason, according to the opinion of
Hawles the sollicitor-general, concerned in this very-
prosecution. So saying, he produced a book of re
marks, which that lawyer had published on the cafes
of lord Russel, colonel Sidney, and others who had
suffered death in the reign of Charles. This author
(said he) takes notice, that a conspiracy or agree
ment to levy war, is not treason without actually
levying war ; a sentiment in which he concurred
with lord Coke, and lord chief-justice Hales : he
concluded with faying, " We know . at present on
. " what ground we stand ; by the statute of Edward
" III. we know what treason is ; by the two statutes
1 " of Edward VI. and the late act, we know what
" is proof; by the magna charta we know we are
" to be tried per legem terræ & per judicium pa-
" rium, by the law of the land and the judgment
" of our peers ; but, if bills of attainder come into
" fashion, we mall neither know what is treason,
" what is evidence, nor how, nor where we are to
.** be tried." He was seconded by Sir Bartholomew
Shower, . who spoke with equal energy and elocu-
. tion ; and their arguments were answered by the
king's council. The prisoner was afterwards, at
the desire of admiral Russel, questioned with re
gard to the imputations he had sixed upon that
gentleman and others, from hearsay ; but, he de
sired to be excused on account of the risque he
ran while under a double prosecution, if any thing
which should escape him might be turned to his
prejudice.

After
t2* HISTORY of ENGLAND.
*, c- '695- After he was removed from the bar, -Mr. Ver-
Thebiii non, at the desire of the house, recapitulated the
ias&». artS and practices of Sir John Fenwick and his
friends, to procrastinate the trial. The bill was
read a second time ; and the speaker asking, If the
question mould be put for its being committed ?
- the house was Immediately kindled into a new
flame of contention. Hawles the sollicitor, affirm
ed, that the house in the present case, should act
both as judge and jury. Mr. Harcourt said, he
knew of no trial for treason but what was confirm
ed by magna charta, by a jury, the birth-right and
darling privilege of an Englishman, or per legem
terræ, which includes impeachments in parliament :
that it was a strange trial where the person accused
had a chance to be hanged, but none to be saved :
that he never heard of a juryman who was not on
his oath, nor of a judge who had not power to exa-
. mine witnesses upon oath, and who was not irri-
powered to save the innocent as well as to condemn
the guilty. Sir Thomas Lyttleton Was of opinion,
that the parliament ought not to stand upon little
niceties and forms of other courts, when the go
vernment was at stake. Mr. Howe asserted, that
to do a thing, of this 'nature, because the parliament
. had power to do it, was a strange way of reasoning :
that what was justice and equity at Westminster-
hall, was justice and equity every where : that one
bad precedent in parliament was of worse conse
quence than an hundred in Westminster-hall, be-
, cause personal or private injuries did not foreclose
the claims of original right ; whereas the parliament
could ruin the nation beyond redemption, because
. it- could establish tyranny by law. Sir Richard
Temple, in arguing against the bill, observed, that
the power of parliament is to make any law, but
the jurisdiction of parliament is to govern itself by
the law : to make a law therefore against all the
laws
WILLIAM 1st 129 '
laws of England was the ultimum remedium &*-c,,6*6s
pessimum, never to be used but in case of absolute
necessity. He affirmed, that by this precedent the
house overthrew all the laws of England, first, ih
condemning a man upon' one witness ; secondly, in
passing an act without any trial. The commons
never did nor can assume a jurisdiction of trying
any person ; they may, for their own information,
hear what can be offered ; but, it is not a trial
where witnesses are not upon oath. All bills of
attainder have passed against persons that were dead
or fled, or without the compass of the law : some
have been brought in after trials in Westminster-
hall ; but none of those have been called trials, and
they were generally reversed. Ke denied that the
parliament had power to declare any thing treason
which was not treason before. When inferior courts
were dubious, the cafe might be brought before
the parliament, to judge whether it was treason or
felony : but, then they must judge by the laws in
being ; and this judgment was not in the parlia
ment by bill, but only ih the house of lords. Lord
Digby, Mr. Harley, and colonel Granville, spoke
to the same purpose. But their arguments and re
monstrances had no effect upon the majority, by
whom the prisoner was devoted to destruction. The
bill was committed, passed, and lent up to the house
of lords, where it produced the longest and warmest
debates which had been known since the restora
tion. Bishop Burnet signalized his zeal for the go
vernment, by a long speech in favour of the bill,
contradicting some of the fundamental maxims
which he had formerly avowed in behalf of the li
berties of the people. At length, it was carried by
a majority of seven voices ; and one and forty
lords, including eight prelates, entered a protest
couched in the strongest terms, against the deci
sion/
N°. 8$, K When
i3o HIST O R Y or ENGLAND.
a.c,«M- When- the bill received the royal assent, another'
S!r tnhn act of the like nature passed against Barclay, Holmes,
F«nwi«k is and nine other conspirators who had fled from juf-
uiiMdcd t|pe^ in, care they should not surrender themselves
on or before the twenty-fifth day of March next en
suing. Sir John Fenwick sollicited the mediation
of the lords in his behalf, while his friends implor
ed the royal mercy. The peers gave him to under
stand, that the success of his suit would depend up
on the fulness of his discoveries. He weuld have
previously stipulated for a pardon ,, and they insist
ed upon his depending on their favour. He hesi
tated some time between the sears of infamy and the
tenors of death, which last he at length chose to
undergo, rather than incur the disgraceful character
of an informer. He was complimented with the
ax, in consideration of his rank and alliance with
the house cf Howard, and suffered on Tower- hill
with great composure. In the paper which he de
livered to the sheriff, he took God to witness, that
he knew not of the intended invasion, until it was
the common subject of discourse; nor was he en
gaged in any shape for the service of king James;
He thanked those noble and worthy persons who
had oppoled his attainder in parliament ; protested
before God, that the information he gave to the
ministry, he had received in letters and messages
from France ; and observed, that he might have
expected mercy from the prince of Orange, as he
had been instrumental in laving his life, by pre
venting the execution of a design whisih had been
formed against it ; a circumstance which in all pro
bability induced the late conspirators to conceal
their purpose of assassination from his knowledge.
He profesied his loyalty to king James, and prayed
heaven for his speedy restoration.
While Fenwick's affair was in agitation, the earl
of Monmouth had set on foot some practices against
the
WULIAM m. tp
the 'duke of Shrewsbury. One Matthew Smith, *• c- ,6s*
nephew to Sit William Perkins, had been enter- Jjfc j^j*
tained as a spy by this nobleman, who finding his sent to the
intelligence of very little use or importance, dis- To*"'
dismissed him" as a troublesome dependent. Then
he had recourse to the earl of Monmouth, into '
whom he infused unfavourable sentiments of the
duke ; insinuating, that he had made great disco
veries, which, from sinister motives, were suppressed.
Monmouth communicated those impressions to the
earl of Portlands who insisted Smith as one of his
intelligencers. Copies of the letters he had sent to
tlie duke of Shrewsbury were delivered to secretary
Truraaball, sealed up for the perusal of his majesty
at his return from Flanders. When Fenwick men
tioned the duke of Shrewsbury in his discoveries,
the earl of Monmouth resolved to seize the oppor
tunity of ruining that nobleman. He, by the canal
of the dutchess of Norfolk, exhorted lady Fenwick
to prevail upon her husband to persist in his accusa
tion, amd even dictated a paper of directions. Fen
wick rejected the proposal with disdain, as a scan
dalous contrivance ; and Monmouth was so incensed
at his refusal, that -when the bill of attainder ap
peared in the house of lords, he spoke in favour of
it with peculiar vehemence. I -ady Fenwick, pro
voked at this cruel outrage, prevailed upon her
nephew the earl of Carlisle, to move the house, that
Sir John might be examined touching any advices
that had been sent to him with relation to his dis
coveries. He gave an account of all the particu
lars of Monmouth's scheme, which was calculated
to ruin the duke of Shrewsbury, by bringing
Smith's letters on the carpet. The dutchess of
Norfolk and a confident were interrogated, and con
firmed the detection. The house called for Smith's
letters, which were produced by Sir William Trum-
baU. The earl of Monmouth was committed to the
K 2 Tower,
i32 H I S T O R Y o f ENGLAND.
a. c. 1 656. Tower, and dismissed from all his employments.
He was released, however, ar the end of the session;
and the court made up all his losses in private, lelt
he should be tempted to join the opposition.
Silg* The Whigs, before they were glutted with the
byki. sacrifice of Fenwick, had determined to let loose
their vengeance upon Sir George Rooke, who was
a leader in the opposite interest. Sir Cloudestey
Shovel had been sent with a squadron to look into
Brest, where, according to the intelligence which
the government had received, the French were em
ployed in preparing for a descent upon England
but this information was false. They were busy in
equipping an armament for the West- Indies, under
the commandos Mr. Pointis, who actually sailed to
the coast of New- Spain, and took the city of Car-
thagene. Rooke had been ordered to intercept the
Toulon squadron in its way to Brest ; but his en
deavours miscarried. The commons, in a com
mittee of the whole house, resolved to inquire why
this fleet was not intercepted ? Rooke underwent
a long examination, and was obliged to produce his
journal, orders, and letters. Shovel and Mitchel
were likewise examined : but, nothing appearing
to the prejudice of the admiral, the house thought
Kelnet, proper to desist from their prosecution. After
oidmix. n, thCy had determined on the fate of Fenwick, they
TimLi!" ' proceeded to enact several laws for regulating the
Ralph. domestic oeconomy of the nation; and among
Admirals, others, passed an act for the more effectual relief of
creditors in cases of escape, and for preventing
abuses in prisons and pretended privileged places.
Ever since the reformation, certain places in and
about the city of London, which had been sanctua
ries during the prevalence of the popish religion,
afforded alylum to debtors, and were become re
ceptacles of desperate persons, who presumed to
set the law at defiance. One of these places, called
2 White:
WILLIAM III. 133
White-Fryars, was filled with a crew of ruffians, A. c- ,697'
who every day committed acts of violence and
outrage; but, this law was so vigorously put in
execution, that they were obliged to abandon
the district, which was footl filled with more credi
table inhabitants. On the sixteenth day of April
the king closed the session with a mart speech,
thanking the parliament for the great lupplies they
had so chearfully granted ; and expressing his satis
faction at the measures they had taken for retriev
ing the public credit. Before he quitted the king
dom, he ventured to produce upon the scene, the
earl of Sunderland, who had hitherto prompted his
councils behind the curtain. He was now sworn
of the privy- council, and gratified with the office of
lord-chamberlain, which had been resigned by the
earl of Dorset, a nobleman of elegant talents, and
invincible indolence, severe and poignant in his
writings and remarks upon mankind in general,
but humane, good-natured, and generous to ex
cess, in his commerce with individuals.
William having made foms promotions +, andNe^iia-
appointed a regency, embarked on the twenty- 5^,^,
sixth day of April for Holland, that he might be
at hand to manage the negotiation for a general
peace. By this time the preliminaries were set
tled, between Callieres the French minister, and
Mr. Dykveldt in behalf of the • States general,
who resolved, in consequence of the concessions
made by France, that, in concert with their allies,
the mediation of Sweden might be accepted. The
emperor and the court of Spain, however, were not
satisfied with those concessions ; yet, his Imperial

.j- Somers was created a baron, and committed on account of the" cons))!-,
appo'nted lord-chanceslor of England : racy, was released upon bail; hir,
admiral Russel was dignified with the this privilege was denied tol-Td Mor.t-
title of earl of Orfjrd. In February pomery, who bad been imprisoned 'in
♦he earl of Aylesbury, who had .bean Newgate on the same account.
K 3 . majesty .
i34 HISTORY op ENGLAND.
A.c. 1697. majesty declared, he would embrace the proffered
mediation, provided the treaty of Westphalia should
be re-established ; and the king of Sweden would
engage to join his troops with those of the allies,
in case France should break through this stipula
tion. This proposal being delivered, the ministers
of England and Holland at Vienna, presented a
joint-memorial, pressing his Imperial majesty tt>
accept the mediation without reserve, and name a
place at which the congress might be opened. The
emperor complied with reluctance. On the four
teenth day of February, all the ministers of the
allies, except the ambassador of Spain, agreed to
the proposal and next day signed their assent in
form to Mr. Lillienroot the Swedish plenipoten-
tary. Spain demanded, as a preliminary, that
France would agree to restore all the places men
tioned in a long list, which the minister of that
crown presented to the assembly. The emperor
proposed, that the congress mould be held at Aix-
la Chapelle., or Franokfort, or some other town in
Germany. The other allies were more disposed to
negotiate in Holland. At length, the French king
suggested, that no place would be more proper than
a palace belonging to king William, called New-
bourg- house, situated between the Hague and
Delft, close by the village of Ryswick ; and to this
proposition the ministers agreed. Those of England
were, the earl of Pembroke, a virtuous, learned,
and popular nobleman, the lord ViHiers, and Sir
Joseph Williamson ; and France sent Harlay and
Crecy to the assistance ofCatlieres. Lewis was not
only tired of the war, on account of the misery in
which it had involved his kingdom ; but, in desir
ing a peace he was actuated by another motive.
Tne king of Spain had been for some time in a 1
very ill state of health, and the French monarch had
an eye to the succession. This aim could not be
accomplished
WILLIAM III. 135
accomplished while the confederacy subsisted; there- Ac- ,697.
fore he eagerly sought a peace, that he might at
once turn his whole power against Spain, as soon as
"Charles should expire. The emperor harboured
'the same design upon the Spanish crown, and for
that reason interested himself in the continuance
of the grand alliance. Besides, he foresaw he should
in a little time be able to act against France with an
augmented force. The czar of Muscovy had en
gaged to find employment for the Turks and Tar
tars.' He intended to raise the elector of Saxony to ,
the throne of Poland ; and he had made some pro
gress in a negotiation with the Circles of the Rhine,
for a considerable body of auxiliary troops. The
Dutch had no other view but that of securing a bar
rier in the Netherlands. King William insisted up
on the French king's acknowledging his title ; and
the English nation wished for nothing so much
as the end of a ruinous war. On the tenth day of
February, Callieres, in the name of his master,
agreed to the following preliminaries : That the
treaties ofWestphalia and Nimeguen» should be the
basis of this negotiation: That Strasburg should be
•restored to the empire, and Luxemburg to the
Spaniards, together with Mons, Charleroy, and all
places taken by the French in Catalonia .since the
treaty of Nimeguen : That Dinant should be ceded
to the bishop of Liege, and all re- unions since the
treaty of Nimeguen, be made void : That the
French king should make restitution of Lorrain :
and, upon conclusion of the peace, acknowledge
the prince of Orange as king of Great-Britain with
out condition or reserve. The conferences were in
terrupted by the death of Charles XI. king of
Sweden, who was succeeded by his son Charles,
then a minor but the queen and five senators,
whom the late king had by will appointed adminis
trators of the government, resolved to pursue the
K 4 mediation,
j36 H I STORY of ENGLAND.
a.c. 1697. mediation, and sent anew commission to Lillienroot
for that purpose. The ceremonies being regulated
with the consent of all parties, the plenipotentiaries
of the emperor delivered their master's demands to
the mediator, on the twenty-second day of May,
and several German ministers gave in the preten
sions of the respective princes whom they repre
sented.
T! e Fre,cU Mean while, the French king, in the hope of
ukeBaic- procuring more favourable terms, resolved to make
his last effort against the Spaniards in Catalonia, and
in the Netherlands, and to elevate the prince of
Conti to the throne of Poland; an .event which
would greatly improve the interest of France in
Europe. Lewis had got the start of the confede
rates in Flanders, and lent thither a very numerous
army, commanded by Catinat, Villeroy, and Bouf-
flers. The campaign was opened with the siege of
Aeth, which was no sooner invested, than king Wil
liam having recovered of an indisposition, took the
field, and had an interview with the duke of Bava
ria, who commanded a separate body. He did not
think proper to interrupt the enemy in their opera
tions before Aeth, which surrendered in a few days
after the trenches were opened ; but, contented
himself with taking possession of an advantageous
camp, where he covered Brussels, which Villeroy
and Boufflers had determined to besiege. In Cata
lonia the duke of Vendome invested Barcelona, in.
which there was a garrison of ten thousand regular
soldiers, besides five thousand burghers, who had vo
luntarily taken arms on this occasion. The gover
nor of the place was the prince of Hesse d'Arm-
ftadt, who had served in Ireland, and been vested
with the command of the Imperial troops which
were sent into Spain. The French general being
reinforced from Provence and Languedoc, carried
on his approaches with surprising impetuosity ; and
was
WILLIAM III. 137
•was repulsed in several attacks by the valour of the A c- s*97«
defendants. At length the enemy surprised and
routed the viceroy of Catalonia ; and, flumed with
this victory, stormed the outworks, which had been
long battered with their cannon. The dispute was
very bloody and obstinate ; but, the French by
dint of numbers made themselves masters of the:
covered-way and two bastions. There they erected
batteries of cannon and mortars, and fired furiously
on the town, which, however, the prince of Hesse
resolved to defend to the last extremity. The court
of Madrid, however, unwilling to see the place in-
tirely ruined, as in all probability it would be re
stored at the peace, dispatched an order to the
prince to capitulate ; and he obtained very honour
able terms, after having made a glorious defence
for nine weeks ; in consideration of which he was
appointed viceroy of the province. France was no
sooner in possession of this important place, than
the Spaniards became as eager for peace as they had,
been averse to a negotiation.
Their impatience was not a little inflamed by the f
success of Pointis in America, where he took Car-
thagene, in which he found a booty amounting tOviitoth=
eight millions of crowns. Having ruined the forti- ^"In"
fications of the place, and received advice, that an
English squadron under admiral Nevil had arrived
in the West-Indies, with a design to attack him in
his return, he bore away for the streights of Baha
ma. On the twenty-second day of May he fell in
with the English fleet, and one of his fly- boats was
taken; but, such was his dexterity, or good fortune,
that he escaped, aster having been pursued five days,
during which the English and Dutch rear-admirals
sprang their foretop-masts, and received other da
mage, so as that they could not proceed. Then
Nevil steered to Carthagene, which he found
quite abandoned by the inhabitants, who, after the
departure
,38 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
A.c. i*97« departure of Pointis, had been rifled a second time
by the buccaneers, on pretence that they had been
defrauded of their share of the plunder. This was
really the case : they had in a great measure contri
buted to the success of Pointis, and were very iH
rewarded. In a few days the English admiral dis
covered eight sail of their ships, two of which were
forced on shore and destroyed, two taken, and the
rest escaped. Then he directed his course to Ja
maica, and by the advice of the governor, Sir Wil
liam Beefton, detached rear-admiral Meeze with
some ships and forces to attack Petit-Guavus, which
he accordingly surprised, burned, and reduced to
ashes. After this small expedition, Nevil proceed
ed to the Havannah, on purpose to take the gal
leons under his convoy for Europe, according to
the instructions he had received from the king;
but, the governor of the place, and the general of
the plate-fleet, suspecting such an offer, would nei
ther suffer him to enter the harbour, nor put the
galleons under bis protection. He now sailed
through the gulph ofFlorida to Virginia, where he
died of chagrin ; and the command of the fleet de
volved to captain Dilkes, who arrived in England
on the twenty-fourth day of October, with a shat
tered squadron half manned, to the unspeakable
mortification of the people, who flattered them
selves with the hopes of wealth and glory from this
expedition. Pointis steering to the banks of New
foundland, entered the bay of Conception at a
time when a stout English squadron, commanded
by commodore Norris, lay at anchor in the bay of
St. John's. This officer being informed of the
arrival of a French fleet, at first concluded, that it
W3S the squadron of Mr. Nesmond come to attack
them, and exerted his utmost endeavours to put the
place in a posture of defence ; but, afterwards un
derstanding that it was Pointis returning with the
spoil
WILLIAM HI. 139
spoil of Carthagene, he called a council of -war, and a c. js97.
proposed to go immediately in quest of the enemy.
He was, however, over-ruled by a majority, who
gave it as their opinion, that they should remain
where they were, without running unnecessary
hazards. By virtue of this scandalous determina
tion, Pointts was permitted to proceed on his voyage
to Europe ; but, he had not yet escaped every
danger. On the fourteenth day of August he fell
in with a squadron under the command of captain
Hariow, by whom he was boldly engaged till night
parted the combatants. He was pursued next day ;
buthis (hips failing better than those of Hariow, he
accomplished his efcape, and on the morrow enter
ed the harbour of Brest. That his ships which were
foul should outsail the Englisti squadron which had
just put to sea, was a mystery which the people of
England could not explain. They complained of
having been betrayed through the whole course of
the West- Indian expedition. The king owned lie
did not understand marine affairs, the iotire con
duct of which he abandoned to Russel, who became
proud, arbitrary, a nd unpopular, and was sopposed '
to be betrayed by his dependants. Certain it is, the
service was greatly obstructed by faction among the
officers, which with respect to the 1nation had ail
the effects of treachery and misconduct. •
The success of theFrench-in'Gataloma, Flanders, The elector
and the Weft- Indies, was ballanced by their difap- °^°^
pointment in Poland. Lewis, encouraged by the us Poland,
remonstrances of the abbe de Polignac, who ma
naged the affairs of ^France in that. kingdom, re
solved to support the prince of Conti as a candidate
for the crown, and remitted great sums of money,
which were distributed among the Polish nobility.
The emperor had at first declared for the son of the
late king ; but, finding the French party too strong
for this competitor, he entered into a negotiation
i40 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. 1697 with the elector of Saxony, who agreed to change
his religion, to distribute eight millions of florins
among the Poles, to confirm their privileges, and
advance with his troops to the frontiers of that king
dom. Then he declared himself a candidate, and
was publicly espoused by the Imperialists. The
duke of Lorrain, the prince of Baden, and Don
Livio Odefchalchi, nephew to pope Innocent, were
likewise competitors ; but, finding their interest
insufficient, they united their influence with that of
the elector, who was proclaimed king of Poland.
He forthwith took the oaths required, procured an
attestation from the Imperial court of his having
changed his religion, and marched with his army
to Cracow, where he was crowned with the usual
solemnity. Lewis persisted in maintaining the pre
tensions of the prince of Conti, and equipped a fleet
et Dunkirk for his convoy to Dantzick in his way
to Poland. But the magistrates of that city, who
had declared for the new king, would not suffer his
men to land, though they offered to admit himself
with a small retinue. He therefore went on shore
at Marienburg, where he was met by some chiefs of
- his own party : but the new king Augustus acted
with such vigilance, that he found it impracticable
to form an army : besides, he suspected the fidelity
of his own Polish partisans ; he therefore refused to
part with the treasure he had brought, and in the
beginning of winter returned to Dunkirk.
™"of'e she establishment of Augustus on the throne of
Muscovy Poland, was in some measure owing to the conduct
i^isewith of Pet^r the czar of Muscovy, who having formed
h\s own, great designs against the Ottoman-Porte, was very
aaibassjdors. unwiijing to fee j-ne crown of Poland possessed by a
partisan of France, which was in alliance with the
grand iignor. He therefore interested himselfwarmly
in the dispute, and ordered his general to assemble
an army on the frontiers of Lithuania, which, by
overawing
WILLIAM III. r4i
owerawing the Poles that were in the interest of the *, c- ,697-
prince of Conti, confiderably influenced the elec
tion. This extraordinary legislator, who was a
strange compound of heroism and barbarity, con
scious cf the defects in his education, and of the
gross ignorance that overspread his dominions, re
solved to extend his ideas, and improve his judg
ment by travelling ; and that he might be the less
restricted by forms, or interrupted by officious
curiosity, he determined to travel in disguise. He
was extremely ambitious of becoming a maritime
power, and in particular, of maintaining a fleet in ' •
the Black-sea ; and his immediate aim was to learn
the principles of ship-building. He appointed an
embassy for Holland, to regulate some points of
commerce with the States general. Having in
trusted the care of his dominions to persons in whom
he could confide, he disguised himself, and travelled
as one of their retinue. He first disclosed himself
to the elector of Brandenburgh in Prussia, and af
terwards to king William, with whom he conferred
in private at Utrecht. He engaged himself as a
common labourer with a ship- carpenter in Holland,
whom he served for some months with wonderful
patience and assiduity. He afterwards visited Eng
land, where he amused himself chiefly with the same
kind of occupation. From thence he set out for
Vienna, where receiving advices from his domi
nions, that his sister was concerned in managing
intrigues against his government, he returned sud
denly to Moscow, and found the machinations of
the conspirators were already baffled by the vigi
lance and fidelity of the foreigners to whom he had
left the care of the administration. His savage na
ture, however, broke out upon this occasion : he
ordered some hundreds to be hanged all round his
capital ; and a good number were beheaded, he
himself
14* HISTORY oi ENGLAND.
a.c tttj, himself with his own hand performing the office oi?
executioner.
iJthecm? The negotiations at Ryfwick proceeded very*
fress *t slowly for iome time. The Imperial ministers de-
Ryiwic . mandec}7 that France should make restitution of all
the places and dominions she had wrested from the
empire since the peace of Munster, whether by
force of arms or pretence of right. The Spaniards
claimed all that they could demand by virtue of the
peace of Nimeguen and the treaty of the Pyrenees.
The French affirmed, that if the preliminaries offer
ed by Caliieres were accepted, these propositions
could not be taken into consideration. The Im
perialists persisted in demanding a circumstantial
answer, article by article. The Spaniards insisted
upon the fame manner of proceeding, and called
upon the mediator and "Dutch ministers to support
their pretensions. The plenipotentiaries of France
declared, they would not admit any demand or pro
position, contrary to the preliminary articles ; but,
were willing to deliver in a project of peace in or
der to shorten the negotiation ; and the Spanrsh am
bassadors consented to this expedient. During
these transactions, the earl of Portland held a con
ference with marechal Boufflers near Halle, in fight
of the two opposite armies, which was continued
in five successive meetings. On the second day of
August they retired together to a house m the
suburbs , of Halle, and mutually signed a paper, in
which the principal articles of the peace between
France and England were adjusted. Next day king
William quitted the camp, and retired to his house
at Loo, confident of having taken such measures for
a pacification as could not be disappointed. The
subject of this field- negotiation is said to have turi>
ed upon the interests of king James, which the
French monarch promised to abandon ; and others
suppose,
WILLIAM III. i43
suppose, that th<6 first foundation of the partitions a.c. iCgr
treaty was layed in this conference. But in all pro
bability, William's! sole aim was to put an end to an
expensive and un-ruccefsfu war, which had rendered
him very unpopular in his own dominions, and to
obtain from the court of France an acknowledg
ment of his title,, which had since the queen's death
become the subject of dispute. He perceived the
emperor's backwardness towards a pacification, and
foresaw numberless difficulties in discussing such a
complication of interests by the common method
of treating : hs therefore chose such a step as he
thought would alarm' the jealousy of the allies, and
quicken the negotiation at Ryiwick. Before the
congress was opened king James had published two
manifestos,, addressed to the catholic and protestant
princes of the confederacy, representing his wrongs,
and craving redresa ; but, his remonstrances be
ing altogether disregarded, he afterwards issued a
third declaration, ,solemnly protesting against all that
might or should be negotiated, regulated, or stipu
lated with the usurper of his realms, as being void
of all rightful and lawful authority. On the twen
tieth day of July the French ambassadors produc
ed their project of a general peace, declaring at
the fame time, that should it not be accepted
before the last day of August, France wouldk not
hold herself bound* for the conditions she now offer
ed but Caunicz the emperor's plenipotentiary pro
tested, he would pay no regard to this limitation.
On the thirtieth of August, however, he delivered
to the mediator an ultimatum, importing, That he
adhered to the treaties of Westphalia and Nirne-
guen, and accepted of Strasburg with its appurte
nances : That he insisted upon the restitution of
Lorraine to the prince of that name : and demand
ed. That the church and chapter of Liege should
be re-established in the possession of their incontest-
3 able
,44 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c, 1697. able rights. Next day the French plenipotentia
ries declared, That the month of August being now
expired, all their offers were vacated : That there
fore the king of France would reserve Strasburg*
and unite it, with its dependencies, to his crown for
ever : That in other respects he would adhere to
the project, and restore Barcelona to the crown of
Spain ; but, that these terms must be accepted in
twenty days, otherwise he should think himself at
liberty to recede. The ministers of the electors
and princes of the empire joined in a written remon
strance to the Spanish plenipotentiaries, represent
ing the inconveniencies and dangers that would ac
crue to the Germanic body from France's being in
possession of Luxemburg, and exhorting them in
the strongest terms to reject all offers of an equiva
lent for that province. They likewise presented
another to the States-general, requiring them to
continue the war according to their engagements,
until France should have complied witli the preli
minaries. No regard, however, was payed to
either of these addresses. Then the Imperial am
bassadors demanded the good offices of the media
tor, on certain articles; but all that he could obtain
of France was, that the term for adjusting the
peace between her and the emperor should be pro
longed till the first day of November, and in the
mean time an armistice be punctually observed. Yet
even these concessions were made on condition that
the treaty with England, Spain, and Holland*
should be signed on that day, even though the em
peror and empire should not concur.
The ambas. Accordingly on the twentieth day of September,
fn^and" the articles were subscribed by the Dutch, English, '
Spain, and Spanish, and French ambassadors ; while the Im-
"gn'th'e' per'a* ministers protested against the transaction,
treaty. observing, this was the second time that a separate
peace had been concluded with France; and that
the
WILLIAM 111.
the states' of the empire, who had been imposed
upon through their own credulity, would not for^
the future be" so easily persuaded to engage in con
federacies. In certain preparatory articles settled
between {England and France, king William pro
mised to pay a yearly pension to queen Mary D'Este,
of fifty thousand pounds, or such sum as should be
established for that purpose by act of parliament.
The treaty itself consisted of seventeen articles. The
French king engaged, that he would not disturb
or disquiet the king of Great-Britain in the posses
sion of his realms or government ; nor assist his ene
mies, nor favour conspiracies against his person.
This1 obligation was reciprocal. A free commerce
was restored. Commissaries were appointed to meet
at London-, and fettle the pretensions of each crown
fo Hudson's- bay, taken by the French during the"
fete peace,- arid retaken by the English in the course
©f the war ; and to regulate the limits of places to
be restored, as well a$ the exchanges to be made.
It was likewise stipulated, That in cafe of a rup
ture, six- months should be allowed to the subjects
of each power for removing their effects : That the
separate article of the treaty of Nimeguen, relating
to- the' principality of Orange, should be intirely
executed : andj That the ratifications should be
exchanged' in three weeks from the day of signing.
The treaty between France and Holland imported a -
general armistice, a perpetual amity, a mutual re
stitution, a reciprocal renunciation of all pretensions
upon each other, a confirmation of the peace wi th
Savoy, a re-establishment of the treaty concluded
between France and Brandenburgh, in the year
one thousand six hundred and seventy-nine, a com
prehension of Sweden, and all those powers that
should be named before the ratification, or in six
months after the conclusion of the treaty. Besides,
the Dutch ministers concluded a treaty ot' coiiimerc'e
Numb. LXXXLV. L with
I46 HISTORY »f ENGLAND.
a. c. 1697. •with France which was immediately put in execu
tion. Spain had great reason to be satisfied with
the pacification, by which (he recovered Gironne,
Roses, Barcelona, Luxemburg, Charleroy, Mons,
Cou; tray, and ail the towns, fortresses, and territo
ries taken by the French in the province of Luxem-
\ burg, Namur, Brabant, Flanders, and Hainault,
except eighty-two towns and villages claimed by the
French : this dispute was left to the decision of
commissaries ; or, in cafe they should not agree, to
the determination of the States- general. A re-,
monstrance in favour of the French protestant re
fugees in England, Holland, and Germany, was de
livered by the earl of Pembroke to the mediator, in
the name of the protestant allies, on the day -that
preceded the conclusion of the treaty; but* the
French plenipotentiaries declared, in the name of
their master, that as he did not pretend to prescribe
rules to king William about the English subjects,
he expected the fame liberty with respect to his own.
No other effort was made in behalf of those con
scientious exiles : the treaties were ratified, and the
peace proclaimed at Paris and London.
a geneni xhe emperor still held out, and perhaps was en-
paemcaton. couraged to perfeVere in his obstinacy by the success
of his arms in Hungary, where his general, prince
Eugene of Savoy, obtained a complete victory at
Zenta over the forces of the grand signor, who
commanded his army in person. In this battle,
which was fought on the eleventh day of Septem
ber, the grand vizir, the aga of the janizaries, seven
and twenty bashaws, and about thirty thousand men,
were killed or drowned in the river Theyssej .six
. thousand were wounded or taken, together with all
their artillery, tents, baggage, provision, and am
munition, the grand signor himself escaping with
difficulty : a victory the more glorious and accept
able, as the Turks had a great superiority in point
• .• WILLIAM III. 147
of number, and as the Imperialists did not lose a *• c- '6n-
thousand men during the whole action. The em
peror perceiving that the event of this battle had no
effect in retarding the treaty, thought proper to,
make use of the armistice, and continue the nego
tiation after the forementioned treaties had been
signed. This was likewise the case with the princes
of the empire ; though those of the protestant per
suasion complained, that their interest was neglect
ed. In one of the articles of the treaty it was stipu
lated, That in the places to be restored by France,
the Roman catholic religion should continue as it
had been re-established. The ambassadors of the
. protestant princes joined in a remonstrance, demand
ing, That the Lutheran religion should be restored
in those places where it had formerly prevailed ;
but this demand was rejected, as being equally dis
agreeable to France and the emperor. Then they
refused to sign the treaty, which was now conclud
ed between France, the emperor, and the catholic
princes of the empire. By this pacification Treves,
the Palatinate, and Lorraine were restored to their
respective owners. The counties of Spanheim and
Veldentz, together with the dutchy of Deux Ponts,
were ceded to the king of Sweden, Francis-Lewis
Palatine was confirmed in the electorate of Cologne ;
and the cardinal of Furstenburg restored to all his
rights and benefices. The claims of the dutchess
of Orleans upon the Palatinate, were referred to the .
arbitration of France and the emperor ; and in the
mean time the elector Palatine agreed to supply her
highness with an annuity of one hundred thousand
florins. The ministers of the protestant princes
published a formal declaration against the clause rc»
lating to religion, and afterwards solemnly protest
ed against the manner in which the negotiation had
been conducted. Such was the issue of a long and
bloody war, which had drained England of her
L 2 wealth
U8 HISTORT ftr'ENQLAND.
A,t. ift97- wealth and people, almost intirely ruined her- com
merce, debauched her morals, by encouraging ve
nality and corruption, and entailed upon her efoe
curse of foreign connexions, as well as ai optional
debt, which has gradually increased to an intoler
able burthen. After ail the blood and treasure
which had been expended, William's ambition ancS
revenge remained unsatisfied. Neverthelessi he
reaped the solid advantage of seeing himself firmly
established on the English throne ; and the confe
deracy, though not successful: in every instance, ac
complished their great aim of putting a stop to the
encroachments of the French monarch. They- moc-
tified his vanity, they humbkd his pride and atro*
gance,. and: compelled him to disgorge the acquisi
tions, which* like a robber, he had made*, in violac-
tion of public faith, justice, and humanity. Had
the allies been true to one another, had they acted;
from genuine zealfor the common interests off man
kind, and prosecuted with vigour the plan- which
Yf,as originally concerted, Lewis would in a. few
campaigns have been reduced to. the most abject
state of disgrace, despondence and. submission ', fop
he was. destitute of true courage and magnanimity.
King William having finished this, important trans
action, returned to England about the middle of
November, and was received in London) amidst
the acclamations of the people, who now again
hailed him as their deliverer from a war, by the
continuance of which they must have been infall^
bly beggaredi
state of When the king opened the session of parliament
P«ties. on the third [Link] December, he told them the war
was brought, to the end they all proposed, namely,
an honourable peace. He gave them to . under
stand there was a considerable debt on account of
• the fleet and army : that the revenues of the crown:
had been anticipated : and. he expressed his hope,
WILLIAM III. i49
that they would provide for hirst during his life, in a c. i6>7.
such a manner as would conduce to his own ho^
r*eur, and that of the government. He recom
mended the maintenance of a considerable navy t
and gave it as his opinion, that for the present Erie-
land could not be safe without a standing army. He
promised to rectify such corruptions and abuses as
might have crept into any part of the administration
during the war ; and effectually to discourage prO-
phaneness and immorality. Finally, he assured
them, that as he had rescued their religion, laws,
and liberties, when they were in the extremest dan
ger, so he mould place the glory of his reign in
preserving and leaving them intire to latest poste
rity. To this speech the commons replied in ah
address, by a compliment of congratulation upon
thtf peace, and an assurance, that they would be
ever ready to assist and support his majesty, who had
confirmed them in the quiet possession of their rights
And liberties ; and, by putting an end to the war,
fully completed the work of their deliveranc e. Not
withstanding these appearances of good humour,
the majority of the house, and indeed of the whole
nation, were equally alarmed and exasperated at a
project for maintaining a standing army, which was
countenanced at court, and even recommended by
the king in his speech to the parliament. William's
genius was altogether military. He could not bear
the thoughts of being a king without power. He
could not without reluctance dismiss those officers
who had given so many proofs of their courage and
fidelity. He did not think himierf safe upon the
naked throne in a kingdom that swarmed with mal- - "
contents, who had so often conspired against his
person and government. He dreaded the ambition
and known perfidy of the French king, who still
retained a powerful army. He foresaw that 3 re
duction of the forces would lessen his importance
L 3 . both
HISTORY of ENGUAND.
«*97- both at home and abroad, diminish the dependence
upon his government, and disperse those foreigners
in whose attachments he chiefly confided. He com
municated his sentiments on this subject to his con
fident the earl of Sunderland, who knew by expe
rience the aversion of the people to a standing army;
nevertheless he encouraged him with hope of suc
cess, on the supposition that the commons would,
see the difference between an army raised by the
king's private authority, and a body of veteran
troops maintained by consent of parliament for the
security of the kingdom. This was a distinction to
which the people payed no regard. All the jealousy
of former parliaments seemed to be roused by the
bare proposal ; and this was inflamed by a national
prejudice against the refugees, in whose favour the
king had betrayed repeated marks of partial indul
gence. They were submissive, tractable, and
wholly dependent upon his will and generosity. The
Jacobites failed not to cherish the seeds of dissatis
faction, and reproach the Whigs who countenanced
this measure'. ' They branded that party with apos-
tacy from their former principles. They observed,
that the very persons who in the late reigns endea
voured to abridge the prerogative, and deprive the
king of that share of power which was absolutely
necessary to actuate the machine of government,
were now become advocates for maintaining a stand
ing army in time of peace ; nay, and impudently
avowed,' that their complaisance to the court in this
particular, was owing to their desire of excluding
from all share in the administration a faction disaf
fected to his majesty, which might mislead him in
to more pernicious measures. The majority of
those who really entertained revolution principles,
opposed the court, from apprehensions that a stand
ing army once established, would take root and
grow into an habitual maxim of government : that,
should
WILLI AM III. 151
should the people be disarmed, and the sword lest A- c- 16*7'
in the hands of mercenaries, the liberties of the na
tion must be entirely at the mercy of him by whom
those mercenaries mould be commanded. They,
might overawe elections, dictate to parliaments,
and establish a tyranny, before the people could
take any measures for their own protection. They
could not help thinking it was possible to form a
militia, that with the concurrence of a fleet might
effectually protect the kingdom from the dan
gers of an invasion. They firmly believed, that
a militia might be regularly trained to arms, so as
to acquire the dexterity ol professed soliiers, and
they did not doubt they. would surpass those hire- •
lings -in Courage ; considering that they would be
animated by every concurring motive of interest,
sentiment, and affection. Nay, they argued, that
Britain, surrounded as it was by a boisterous sea,
secured by Abating bulwarks, abounding with stout
and hardy inhabitants, did not deserve to be free, t .
if her sons could not protect their liberties without
tke assistance of mercenaries, who were indeed the
ojiiy slaves of the kingdom. Yet among the genuine
friends of their country, some individuals espoused
the opposite maxims, They observed, that the
military system of every government in Europe was
now altered : that war was become a trade, and dis
cipline a science not to be learned but by those who
made it their sole profession : that therefore, while
France kept up a large standing army os veterans,
ready to embark on the opposite coast, it would be
absolutely neceisary for the safety of the nation to
maintain a small standing force, which mould be
voted in parliament from year to year. They might
have suggested another expedient, which in a few
years wouid have produced a militia of disciplined
men. Had the soldiers of this small standing army
been inUstcd for a term of years, at the expiration
L + of
HISTORY ot ENGLAND.
s97- of which they might have claimed their discharge*
volunteers would have offered themselves from all
parts of the kingdom, even from the desire of
learning the use and exercise of arms, the ambition
of being concerned in scenes of actual service, and
the chagrin of little disappoinments or temporary
disgusts, which yet would not have impelled them
to enlist as soldiers on the common terms of perpe
tual slavery. In consequence of iuch a succession, the
whole kingdom would soon have been stocked with
members of a disciplined militia, equal, if not supe
rior to any army of professed soldiers. But, this
( scheme would have defeated the purpose of the gQr
vernment, which was more afraid of domestic foes,
than of foreign enemies, and industriously avoided
every plan of this nature, which could contribute
to render the malcontents of the nation more for
midable.
Before we proceed to the transactions pf parlia
ment in this session, it may not be amiss to sketch
the out-lines of the ministry as it stood at this juncr
ture. The king's affection for the earl of Pordand
had begun to abate, in proportion as his esteem for
Sunderland increased, together with his considera
tion for Mrs. Villiers, who had been distinguished
by some particular marks of his majesty's favour. ,
These two favourites are said to have supplanted
Portland, whose place in the king's bosom was now
filled by Van Kepple, a gentleman of Gueldetland,
who had first served his majesty as a page, and af
terwards acted as a priyate secretary, she earl of
Portland growing troublesome, from his jealousy of
this rival, the king resolved to send him into ho
nourable exile, in quality of ambassador extraordi
nary to the court of France; and Trymbal his
friend and creature, was dismissed from the office of
secretary, which the king conferred upon Vernon,
a plpdding man, of business, who had acted as un
it dcr-
' . "WILLIAM IH. i53
dee-secretary to the duke of Shrewsbury. This no- A-c- 1697-
bleman rivalled the earl of Sunderland in his credit
git the council-board, and was supported by Somers,
lord chancellor of England, Russel, now earl of
Orford, first lord of the admiralty, and Montague,
chancellor of the exchequer. Somers was an up
right judge, a plausible statesman, a consummate
courtier, affable, mild, and insinuating. Orford
appears to have been rough, turbulent, factious,
and shallow. Montague had distinguished himself
early by his poetical genius ; but he soon converted
his attention to the cultivation of more solid talents.
He rendered himself remarkable for his eloquence,
discernment, and knowledge of the English consti
tution- To a delicate taste, he united an eager ap
petite for political studies. The first cattred for
the enjoyment of fancy : the other was subservient
to his ambition. He, at the fame time, was the
distinguished encourager of the liberal arts, and
the professed patron of projectors. In his private
deportment he was liberal, easy, and entertaining :
as a statesman, bold, dogmatical, and aspiring.
The terrors of a standing army had produced. Therom_
such an universal ferment in the nation, that the reduce
dependents of the court in the house of commons of st"n™n^
durst not openly oppose the reduction of the forces ; f"r «• "« ««n
but, they shifted the battery, and employed all til°Uland•
their address in persuading the house to agree, that
a very small number should be retained. When
the commons voted, That all the forces raised since
the year one thousand six hundred and eighty, should
be disbanded, the courtiers desired the vote might
be recommitted, on pretence that it restrained the
king to the old Tory regiments, on whole fidelity
he could not rely. This motion, however, was
lever-ruled by a considerable majority. Then they
proposed an amendment, which was rejected, and
afterwards moved, that the sum of five hundred.
8 thousand
154 HISTORY o» ENGLAND.
a.c. rf97. thousand pounds per annum should be granted soo
the maintenance of guards and garrisons. This pro
vision would have maintained a very considerable
number, but they were again disappointed, and fain
to embrace a composition with the other party, by
which three hundred and fifty thousand pounds
were allotted for the maintenance of ten thousand
-men; and they afterwards obtained an addition of
three thousand marines. The king was extremely
mortified at these resolutions of the commons ; and
even declared to his particular friends, that he
would never have intermeddled with the affairs of
the nation, had he foreseen they would make such,
returns of ingratitude and distrust. His displeasure
was aggravated by the resentment expressed against
Sunderland, who was supposed to have advised the
unpopular measure of retaining a standing army.
This nobleman, dreading the vengeance of the com
mons, resolved to avert the vengeance of the impend
ing storm, by resigning his office, and retiring from
court, contrary to the intreaties of his friends, and
the earnest desire of his majesty. . , .1 .
They The house of commons, in order to sweeten the
biiHsthe^d unpalatable cup they had presented to the king,
assign furdl voted the, sum of seven hundred thousand pounds
*e Md^ai Per annum for the support of the civil list, distinct;
debts. from all other services. Then they passed an act,
prohibiting the currency of silvered hammered
coin, including a clause for making out new ex
chequer-bills, in lieu of those which were or might
be filled up with indorsements ; another to open
the correspondence with France, under variety of
provisos : a third for continuing the imprisonment
of certain persons who had been concerned in the
late conspiracy; and a fourth, granting further
time for administring oaths with respect to tallies
and orders in the exchequer, and bank of England.
These bills having received the royal assent, they
resolved
WILLIAM III. 155
resolved to grant a supply, which, together with the Ai r- 1697-
funds already settled for that purpose, should be
sufficient to answer and cancel all exchequer- bills,
to the amount of two millions seven hundred thou
sand pounds. Another supply was voted for the
payment and reduction of the army, including half-
pay «to such commission-officers as were natural born
subjects of England. They grante'd one million
four hundred thousand pounds, to make good de
ficiencies. They resolved, That thf sum of two
millions three hundred and forty- eight thousand
one hundred and two pounds, was necessary to pay
off arrears, subsistence, contingencies, "general-offi
cers, guards and garrisons, of which sum. eight
hundred and fifty-five thousand five hundred and
two pounds remained in the hands of the pay
master. Then they took into consideration the
subsidies due to foreign powers, and the sums
,owing to contractors for bread and forage. Exa
mining further the debts of the nation, they found
the general debt of the navy amounted to one mil
lion, three hundred and ninety- two thousand, seven
hundred and forty- two pounds. That of the ordi
nance was equal to two hundred and four thou
sand, one hundred and fifty-seven pounds. The
transport-debt contracted for the reduction of Ire
land and other services, did not fall sliort of four
hundred and sixty-six thousand, sour hundred and
ninety-three pounds ; and they owed nine and forty
thousand, nine hundred and twenty-nine pounds,
.for'quartering and cloathing the army, which had
been raised by one act of parliament in the year six
teen hundred and seventy-seven, and disbanded by
another in the year one thousand six hundred and
seventy-nine. As this enormous load of debt could
not be discharged at once, the commons passed a
number of votes for raising sums of money, by
which it was considerably lightened ; and settled
the
I56 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
A.C 1697. the funds for those purposes by the continuation of
the land tax and other impositions. With respect
to the civil-list, it was raised by a new subsidy of
tonnage and poundage, the hereditary and tempo
rary excise, a weekly portion from the revenue of
the post-office, the first-fruits and tenths of the clergy,
* the fines in the alienation-office, and post-fines, the
revenue of the' wine-licence, money arising by she-.
riffs, proffers, and compositions in the exchequer,
and seizures, die income of the dutchy of Cornwal,
the rents of all other crown-lands in England iqr-
Wales, and the duty of four and a half per cen*,
upon specie from' Barbadoes and the Leeward*;
islands. The bill imported, That the overplus
arising from these funds should be accounted for*o
parliament. Six hundred thousand pounds of this
money was allotted for the purposes of the civil-listj
the rest was granted for the jointure of fifty thou
sand pounds per annum, to be payed to queen Mary
of Este, according to the stipulation at RyswidcV
and to maintain a court for the duke of Gloucedtfc,-;
son of the princess Anne of Denmark, now in the
ninth year of his age : but the jointure was never
payed ; nor would the king allow above fifteen
thousand pounds per annum for the use of the duke
of Gloucester, to whom Burnet bishop of Salisbury
was appointed preceptor.
They take The commons having discussed the ways and
a8f»«d" means for raising the supplies of the ensuing year,
lentindorse- that rose almost to five millions, took cognizance
rfi^w/-" of 'ome fraudulent indorsements of exchequer bills,
bills. a species of forgery which had been practised by a
confederacy, consisting of Charles Duncomb, re
ceiver-general of the excise ; Bartholomew Burton,
who poliessed a place in that branch of the revenue;
John Knight, treasurer of the customs ; and Re
ginald Maariot, a deputy-teller of the exchequer."
This last turned evidence, and the proof turning
out
WILLIAM- III. I57
<mj$ very strong and full,, the house resolved to A-e- »*917'
make examples of the delinquents. Duncomb and Burner.
Knight, both members of parliament, were expel- j^^ff-
lejd and committed to the Tower Burton was sent
to Newgate. ; and bills of pains and penalties were ^mirths8
ordered to be brought against them. The first, Tindai.
levelled at Duncomb, passed the lower-house,^^
though not without great opposition, but was re
jected in the house of lords by the majority of one
voice. Duncomb, who was extremely rich, is laid
to- have paid dear for his escape. The other two
bilk rnet with the lame fate. The peers difcharged
Duncomb; from his confinement ; but he was re
committed by the commons, and remained in
custody till the, end of the session. While the
common* were employed on ways and means, some
of the members in the opposition proposed, that
one-fourth part of the money arising from impro
per grants of the crown* should be appropiated to
the service of the public : but this was a very un
palatable expedient, as it affected not only the
Whigs of king William'9 reign, but also the Tories
who- had. been gratified by Charles II. and. his bro
ther. A great number of petitions were presented
against this measure, and lb- many difficulties raised,
that both parties agreed to lay it aside. In the•
course of this inquiry, they, discovered that one
Railton held a grant in, trust for Mr. Montague,
chancellor of the exchequer. A motion was im
mediately made that he should withdraw ; hut pas
sed ia the. negative by a great majority. Far from
prosecuting this minister, the house voted it was
their opinion, That Mr. Montague, for his good
services to the government, did deserve his majesty's'
favour.
This extraordinary vote was a sure presage of
success in the execution of a scheme which Mon
tague had concerted against the East-India com
pany. -
158' HISTORY or ENGLAND.
A-c. i69«. pany. They had been sounded about advancing
a new East- f , Q£ monev for the public service, by way of
India com- ^ . " ' , * * '
pa;iyconsti- loan, m consideration or a parliamentary iectlemenc v •
•f plrui*a ant* tnev offered t0 rai,e seven hundred thousand
meat. pounds on that condition '. but, before they for- .'
med this resolution, another body of merchants,
under the auspices of Montague, offered to lend
two millions at eight per cent. provided they might
be gratified with an exclusive privilege of trading
to the East-Indies. This proposal was very well
received by the majority in the house of commons.
A bill for this purpose was brought in with addi
tional clauses of regulation. A petition was pre
sented by the old company, representing their rights
' and claims under so many royal charters ; the re
gard due to the property of above a thousand fami-
lies interested in the stock; as also to the com
pany's property in India, amounting to forty-four
thousand pounds of yearly revenue. They alledg
ed they had expended a million in fortifications:
that during the war they had lost twelve great ships,
worth fifteen hundred thousand pounds : that since
the last subscription they had contributed two hun
dred and ninety-five thousand pounds to the cu- "
stoms ; with above eighty-five thousand pounds in
taxes : that they had furnished six thousand barrels
of gunpowder on a very pressing occasion ; and
eighty thousand pounds for the circulation of ex
chequer- bills, at a very critical juncture, by de
sire of the lords of the treasury, who owned that
their compliance was a very important service to :
the government. No regard being paid to their
remonstrance, they undertook to raise the loan of
two millions, and immediately subscribed two hun
dred thousand pounds as the first payment. The
two proposals peing compared and considered by
the house, the majority declared for the bill, which
was passed and sent up to the house of lords. There
the
. : WILLIAM III.
the old company delivered another petition, and was A- ©. i69s.
heard by council ; nevertheless, the bill made its
way, though not without opposition, and a formal
protestation by one and twenty lords, who thought
it was a hardship upon the present company ; and
doubted whether the separate trade allowed in the
bill, concurrent with a joint stock, might not
prove such an inconsistency as would discourage the
subscription. This act, by which the olJ company
was dissolved, in a great measure blasted the repu
tation of the Whigs, which had for some time been
in the decline with the people. They had stood
up as advocates for a standing army : they now un
justly superseded the East-India company : they
were1 accused os having robbed the public, by em
bezzling the national treasure, and amassing wealth
by usurious contracts, at the expence of their fel
low-subjects, groaning under the most oppressive
burthens. Certain it is, they' were at this period
the most mercenary and corrupt undertakers that
ever had been employed by any king or admini
stration since the first establishment of the English
monarchy, w
The commons now transferred their attention to Procwdinp
certain objects in which the people of Ireland were te
interested. Colonel Mitchel borne, who had been b/wiitiam
joint-governor of Londonderry with doctor Walker, DubuiT"*
during the siege of that place, petitioned the house
in behalf of himself, his officers and soldiers, to
whom a considerable sum of money was due for
subsistence ; and the city itself implored the media
tion of the commons with his majesty, that its ser
vices and sufferings might be taken into considera
tion. The house having examined the allegations
contained in both petitions, presented an address to
the king, recommending the citizens of London
derry to his majesty's favour, that they might no
longer remain a ruinous spectacle to all, a scorn to
their
fGc* HiS T O R T 6 ^ ENGLAND. ,
a. c. their enemies, and a drfcowagerfteftf to weltafiRStf-1
ted subjects : they likew'se declared, that the go
vernor and garrifon did deserve some special mark's"
of royal favourr for a lasting monument to jMte-
rity. To this address the king replied!, that he"
would consider them, according to- Che delifef <S#
the commons. William Molyneux, a gentleman?
of Dublin, having published a book to prove tha€
the kingdom of Ireland was independent of the?
parliament of England;, the house appointed? as
committed to enquire into the cause and nature cfif
this performance. An address was voted' to the?
king, desiring he would give directions for the di£-,
covery and punishment of the author. Upon thcf
report of the committee, the commons in* $ body
presented an address to his majesty, representing the!
dangerous attempts which had been lately made by
some of his subjects in, Ireland, to (hake off th'eii1
subjection and dependence upon England-; at-1
tempts which appeared not only from the bold' and
pernicious assertions contained in a book lately pu-^
Wished, but more fully and1 authentically by 'sonic*
votes and proceedings of the commons in Ireland
during their last session, when they transmitted an
act for the better security of his majesty's person- arid
government ; whereby an English act of pariiav
ment was pretended to be re-enacted, with altera^
tions obligatory on the' courts of justice' and the?
great: seal of England. They therefore besought*
his majesty to give effectual orders for preventing
any such encroachments for the future, and the.
pernicious consequences- of -what' was past, by
punisliing those whohad been guilty thereof: that
he would take care to see the laws which direct and'
restrain the parliament of Ireland punctually obser-
ved, and discourage every thing which might have
a tendency to lessen the dependence of Ireland upon
England; This remonstrance was graciously re
ceived,
WILLIAM III. i6t
ceived, and the king promised to comply with their A- c- ,6'9*'
request.
, The jealousy which the commons entertained' of and against
the government in Ireland, animated them to take 5£r"!"ers of
other measures, that ascertained the subjection of alamodes
that kingdom. Understanding that the Irish had
established divers woollen manufactures, they, in
another address, intreated his majesty to take mea- ,
sures for discouraging the woollen manufactures in
Ireland, as they interfered with those of England,
and promote the linen manufacture, which would
be profitable to both nations. At the fame time
receiving information that the French had seduced
some English manufacturers, and set up a great
work for cloth-making in Picardy, they brought in
a bill for explaining and better executing former acts
for preventing the exportation of wool, fuller-'s-
earth, and scouring clay j and this was immediately
passed inter a'?4w> 'A" petition being presented to
the house by the'l^ftring company, against certain
merchants who had smuggled alamodes and lust
rings from France, even during the war, the com
mittee of trade was directed to inquire into the alle
gations ; and all the secrets of this traffic were de
tected. Upon the report, the house resolved, that-
the manufacture of alamodes and lustrings set up in
England, had been beneficial to the. kingdom':
that there had been a destructive and illegal trade
carried on during the war, for importing these
commodities, 4>y which the king had been defraud
ed of his customs, and the English manufactures
greatly discouraged : that, by the smuggling vessels
employed in this trade, intelligence had been' car
ried into France during the war, and the enemies
of the government conveyed from justice. Stephen
Seignoret Rhene Baudoin, John Goudet, Nicholas
Santini, Peter de Hearse, John Pierce, ^ohn
Dumaitre, andDavid Barreau, were impeached at
N*\ 84. M the
i6z HISTORYorENGLAND.
a. c. 1698. tne bar 0f tne house of lords ; and pleading guilty,
the lords imposed fines upon them according to
their respective circumstances. They were in the
mean time committed to Newgate, until those fines
should be paid ; and the commons addressed the
king, that the money might be appropriated to the
maintenance of Greenwich- hospital. The house hav
ing taken cognizance of this affair, and made some
new regulations in the prosecution of the African
trade, presented a solemn address to the king, re
presenting the general degeneracy and corruption
of the age, and beseeching his majesty to com-
mand all his judges, justices, and magistrates^ .^p-
put the laws in execution against profaneness ajid
immorality. The king professed himself extremely
well pleased with this remonstrance, promised to
1 give immediate directions for a reformation, and
expressed his desire that some more effectual pro
vision might be made for suppwffing impious
books, containing doctrines against the Trinity £
doctrines which abounded at this period, and took
their origin from the licence and profligacy of the
times.
s«?ety foir In the midst of such immorality, Dr. Thomas
tbarfra* Bray, an active divine, formed a plan for propaga-
»ers. ting the gospel in foreign countries. Missionaries,
catechisms, liturgies, and other books for the in
struction of ignorant people, were sent to the Eng
lish colonies in America. This laudable design
was supported by voluntary contribution. ; and the
bill having been brought into the house of com
mons, for the better discovery of estates given ,tcj>
superstitious uses, Dr. Bray presented a petition,
praying, that some part of these estates might te
set apart for the propagation of the reformed rel£
gion in Maryland, Virginia, and the Leeward
islands. About this period, a society for the re
formation of manners was formed under the king^s
WILLIAM E ,53
Countenance and encouragement. Considerable c 1*98.
collections were made for maintaining clergymen to
read prayers at certain hours in places of public
worship, and administer the sacrament every Sun
day. The members of this society resolved to in
form the magistrates of all vice and immorality '
that should fall under their cognizance ; and with
that part of the sines, allowed by law to the infor
mer, constitute a fund of charity. The business
of the session being terminated, the king, on the
third day of July, prorogued the parliament, after
having thanked them in a short speech for the many
testimonies of their affection he had received ; and ^
Ift^two days after the prorogation it was dissol
ved f. .
In the month of January, the earl of Portland ft* «ri 0r
had set out on his embassy to France, where he was £ort!*,?d re"
received witn^vferv Darticular marks of distinction, pioymonta.
He rnade a pubTicrentry into Paris with such mag
nificence as' is said to have astonished the French
nation. He interceded for the protestants in that
kingdom, against whom the persecution had been
renewed with redoubled violence ; he proposed
that king James should be removed to Avignon,
in which case his master would supply him with an
honourable pension : but his remonstrances on both
subjects proved ineffectual. Lewis, however, iii a
private conference with him at Marli, is supposed
to have communicated his project of the partition-
treaty. The: earl of Portland, at his return to
England, finding himself totally eclipsed in the
king's favour, by Keppel, now created earl of Albe
marle, resigned his employments in disgust ; nor

- -f On the filth day of January, a with the new gallery, council-«ham-

firebreaking out at Whitehall, through ber, and several adjoining apartments,
the carelessness of a laundress, the was intirely consumed j but the baa-
whole tady as the palace, together quetting-house was net affected.
M z could

4.-
1*4 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a.c. 1698. couid the king's solicitations prevail upon him to
resume any office in the houshold : though he pro
mised to serve his majesty in any other shape, and
was soon employed to negotiate the treaty of parti
tion. If this nobleman miscarried in the purposes
of his last embassy at the court of Versailles, the
agents of France were equally unsuccessful in their
endeavours to retrieve their commerce with Eng
land, which the war had interrupted. Their com
missary sent over to London with powers to regu
late the trade between the two nations, met with in
superable difficulties. The parliament had bur-
* thened the French commodities with heavy duties,
which were already appropriated to different uses ;
and the channel of trade was in many respects en
tirely altered. The English merchants supplied
the nation with wines from Italy, Spain, and Por
tugal, with linen from Holland and Silefia ; and
manufactures of paper, hats, stuffs, and silks-, had
been set up and successfully carried on in England,
by the French refugees.
•rf«* king By this time a ferment had been raised in Scot-
scottim ^ land, by the oppofition and discouragements their
ftadingeom- new company had sustained. They had employed
flny' agents in England, Holland, and Hamburgh, to
receive subscriptions. The adventurers in Eng
land were intimidated by the measures which had
been taken in parliament against the Scottish com -
pany. The Dutch East-India company took the
alarm, and exerted all their interest to prevent their
countrymen from subscribing; and the king per
mitted his resident at Hamburgh to present a me
morial against the Scottish company, to the senate
of that city. The parliament of Scotland being
assembled by the earl of Marchmont as king's com
missioner, the company presented it with a remon
strance, containing a detail of their grievances,
arising from the conduct of the English house of
com
W I L L l A M HL i£5
r
commons, as well as from the memorial presented A c. i698.
by the king's minister at Hamburgh, in which he
actually disowned the act of parliament and letters-
patent which had passed in their favour, and
threatened the inhabitants of that city with his
majesty's resentment, in case they should join the
Scots in their undertaking. They represented, that
such instances of interposition had put a stop to the
subscriptions in England and Hamburgh, hurt the
credit of the company, discouraged the adventurers,
and threatened the intire ruin of a design in which
all the most considerable families of the nation were
deeply engaged. The parliament having taken
their cafe into consideration sent an address to his
majesty, representing the hardships to which the
company had been exposed, explaining how sift
the nation in general was concerned in the design,
and intreating that he would take such measures as
might effectually vindicate the undoubted rights
and privileges of the company. , This address was
seconded by a petition from the company itself, '
praying, that his majesty would give some intima
tion to the senate of Hamburgh, permitting the
inhabitants of that city to renew the' subscriptions
they had withdrawn : that, as a gracious mark of
his royal favour to the company, he would bestow
upon them two small frigates, then lying useless in
the harbour of Burntisiand : and that, in conside
ration of the obstructions they had encountered, he
would continue their privileges and immunities, for
such longer time as should seem reasonable to his
majesty. Though the commissioner was wholly
devoted to the king, who had actually resolved to
ruin this company, he could not appease the re
sentment of the nation ; and the heats in parlia- '
ment became so violent, that he was obliged to adr
joujn to the fifth day of November. In this interval,
M 3 the
i66 HISTORYofENGLAND.
a.c. 1(98. the directors of the company understanding from
their agent at Hamburgh, that the address of the -
parliament, and their own petition, had produced
no effect in their favour ; they wrote a letter of
complaint to the lord Seafield, secretary of state,
observing, that they had received repeated as
surances of the king's having given orders to his
resident at Hamburgh touching their memorial j
and intreating the interposition of his lordship, that
justice might be done to the company. The fe-. v.
cretary, in his answer, promised to take the first:
convenient opportunity of representing the affair to
Tiis majesty ; but he said this could not be imme*>/i
diately expected, as the king was much engaged
«the affairs of the English parliament. This de-
aration the directors considered, as it really was, .
a mere evasion,which helped to alienate the minds of
that people from the king's person and government* .-^
fcrHoHmi8 King William at this time revolved in his [Link]-
mind a project of far greater consequence to the irv*-••-
terest of Europe ; namely, that of settling the siiOK • ;
cession to the throne of Spain, which in a little time. A
would be vacated by the death of Charles II. whose
constitution was already exhausted. He had been
lately reduced to extremity, and his situation was
no sooner known in France, than Lewis detached a
squadron towards Cadiz, with orders to intercept
the plate fleet, in case the king of Spain should die
before its arrival. William sent another fleet to
protect the galleons; but ,it arrived too late for
that service, and the nation loudly exclaimed
• against the tardiness of the equipment. His ca
tholic majesty recovered from his disorder, con-.
trary to the expectation of his people ; but con
tinued in such an enfeebled and precarious state of
health, that a relapse was every moment apprehend
ed. In the latter end of July, • king William em-
1 .„ barked,
6
WILLIAM III. 167
Marked for Holland, on pretence of enjoying a re-A- c- '*98-
cess from business, which was necessary to his con
stitution. He was glad of an opportunity to with
draw himself for some time from a kingdom in
which he had been exposed to such opposition and
chagrin. But the real motives of his voyage was a
design of treating with the French king, remote
from the observation of those who might have pe
netrated into the nature of his negotiation. He
had appointed a regency to govern the kingdom
in his absence, and, as one of the number, nomi
nated the earl of Marlborough, who had regained
his favour, and been constituted governor to the
duke of Gloucester. At his majesty's departure,
sealed orders were left with the ministry, directing,
that sixteen thousand men should be retained in
the service, notwithstanding the vote of the com
mons, by which the standing army was limited to
ten thousand. He alledged, that the apprehen
sion of troubles which might arise at the death of
king Charles, induced him to transgress this limi
tation ; and he hoped, that the new parliament
would be more favourable. His enemies, how- 1
ever, made a fresh handle of this step to depreciate
his character in the eyes of the people.
Having assisted at the assembly of the states- F;rstt?«tf
general, and given audience to divers ambassadors0 J>amaoa*
at the Hague, he repaired to his house at Loo, at
tended by the earls of Essex, Portland, and Selkirk.
There he was visited by count Tallard the French
minister, who had instructions to negotiate the
treaty concerning the Spanish succession. The earl
of Portland, by his majesty's order, had communi
cated to secretary Vcrnon the principal conditions
which the French king proposed : he himself wrote
a letter to lord chancellor Somers, desiring his-'ad* '
vice with regard to the propositions, and full powers
under the. great seal, with blanks to be filled up
M 4 occa-
HIST OR Y opENGLAND.
j69?- occasionally, that he might immediately begin the-
treaty with count Tallard. At the same time he
strictly injoined iecrecy. The purport of Portland's
letter was imparted to the duke of Shrewsbury and
Mr. Montague, who consulted with the chancellor
and Vernon upon the subject j and the chancellor
wrote an answer to the king, as the issue of their
joint deliberation : but, before it reached his ma
jesty, the first treaty of partition was signed by the
earl of Portland and Sir Joseph Williamson. The
contracting powers agreed, That in cafe the king
of Spain should die without issue, the kingdom of
Naples and Sicily, with the places depending on
the Spanish monarchy, and situated on the coast
of Tuscany, or the adjacent iflands, the marquisate
of Final, the province of Guipuscoa ; all places on
the French side of the Pyrenees, or the other
mountains of Navarre, Alva, or Biscay, on the
other side of the province of Guipuscoa, with all the
ships, vessels, and stores, should devolve upon the
dauphin, in consideration of his right to the crown
• of Spain, which, with all its other dependencies,
should descend to the electoral prince of Bavaria, un
der the guardianship of his father : That the dutchy
of Milan should be settled on the emperor's second
son the archduke Charles : That this treaty should
be communicated to the emperor and the elector of
Bavaria, by the king of England and the states-
general : That if either mould refuse to agree to
this partition, his proportion should remain in se
questration untill the dispute could be accommo
dated : That in case the electoral prince of Bavaria
should die before his father, then the elector and
his other heirs should succeed him in those domi
nions ; and, should the arch duke reject the dutchy
its Milan, they agreed that it should be sequestered
and governed by the prince of Vaudemorit. It
may be necessiry to observe, that Philip IV. father
"WILL I A M III. i69
to the present king of Spain, had settled his crown A c- ^s*.
by will on the emperor's children : that the dauphin
was son to Maria-Theresa, daughter of the same
monarch, whose right to the succession Lewis had
renounced in the most solemn manner :'as for the
electoral prince of , Bavaria, he was grandson to a
daughter of Spain. This treaty of partition was
one of the most impudent schemes of encroachment
that tyranny and injustice ever planned. Lewis,
who had made a practice of sacrificing all ties of
honour and good faith, to the interest of his pride,
vanity, and ambition, foresaw that he should never
be able to accomplish his designs upon the crown of
Spain, while William was left at liberty to form
another confederacy against them. He therefore
resolved to amuse him with a treaty, in which he
fliould seem to act as umpire in the concerns of
Europe. He knew that William was too much of
a politician to be restricted by notions of private
justice ; and that he would make no scruple to in
fringe the laws of particular countries, or even the
rights of a single nation, when the balance of
power was at stake. He judged right in this par
ticular. The king of England lent a willing ear
to his proposals, and engaged in a plan for disinem-
bring a kingdom, in despite of the natives, and in
violation of every law hm-nan or divine.
While the French king cajoled William with this intrigues of
negotiation, the marquis d'Harcourt, his ambas- fh™^ *of
sador at Spain, was engaged in a game of a diffe- Madrid,
rent nature at Madrid. The queen of Spain sus
pecting the designs of France, exerted all her in
terest in behalf of the king of the Romans, to whom
she was nearly related. She new- modelled the coun
cil, bestowed the government of Milan on prince
Vaudemont, and established the prince of Hesse
d'Armstadt as viceroy of Catalonia. Notwith*
standing
ro HISTORY of ENGLAND.
c. i69s. standing all her efforts, she could not prevent the
French minister from acquiring some influence in' \
the Spanish councils. He was instructed to pro
cure the succession of the crown for one of the
dauphin's sons, or at least to hinder it from devolv
ing upon the emperor's children. With a view to«
give weight to his negotiations, the French king
ordered an army of sixty thousand men to advance
towards the frontiers of Catalonia and Navarre",,-!
while a great number of ships and gallies cruisedH o
along the coast, and entered the harbours of Spain.-, >
Harcourt immediately began to form his party: hc^c
represented, that Philip Iv. had no power to di£r ;« »
pose of his crown, against the laws of nature, and :z
the constitution of the realm : that, by the order .of «.
succession, the crown ought to descend to the chii-?rn
dren of his daughter, in preference to more distant.-
relations : that, if the Spaniards would declare in-.. .
favour of the dauphin's second son the duke ojf .r.
Anjop, they might train him up in the manners
and customs of their country. When he found
them averse to this proposal, he assured them his
masterwould approve of the electoral prince of Bava
ria, rather than consent to the succession's devolv- %

that if they would chuse a sovereign among them

selves, they might depend upon the protection of
his most christian majesty, who had no other view
than that of preventing the house of Austria from
becoming too formidable to the liberties of Europe.•,.;>
The queen of Spain having discovered the intrigues
of his minister, conveyed the king to Toledo, on - g
pretence that the air of Madrid was prejudicial to, ,-t
his health. Harcourt immediately, took the alarm,,, • ••
He supposed her intention was to prevail upon. her; ^
husband, in his solitude, to confirm the last will of ,q
his father : and his doubts were all removed, when-,„
he
WILLIAM III. 171
he understood that the count de Harach, the Im- c- ,698>
perial ambassador, had privately repaired to Toledo.
He forthwith took the same road, pretending to ,
have received a memorial from his master, with a
positive order to deliver it into the king's own
hand. He was given to understand, that the 1
management of foreign affairs had been left to the
care of cardinal Corduba at Madrid, and that the
king's health would not permit him to attend to
business. The purport of the memorial was, an
offer of French forces to assist in raising the siege of
Ceuta in Barbary, which the Moors had lately un
dertaken : but this offer was civilly declined. Har-
cou'rt, hot yet discouraged, redoubled his efforts
at 'Madrid, and found means to engage cardinal
Portocarrero in the interests of his master. In the
mtiti time, Lewis concluded an alliance with Sweden,
under the pretext of preserving and securing the
common peace, by such means as mould be judged
most proper and convenient. During these trans
actions, king William was not wanting in his en
deavours to terminate the war of Hungary, which
had raged fifteen years without intermission. About
the middle of August, lord Paget and Mr. Colliers,
ambassadors from England and Holland, arrived in
the Turkish camp near Belgrade ; and a congress
being opened under their mediation, the peace of
Carlowitz was signed on the twenty-sixth day of
January. By this treaty, the emperor remained in
possession of all his conquests ; Caminiek was re
stored to the Poles ; all the Morea with several for
tresses in Dalmatia, were ceded to the Venetians ;
and the czar of Muscovy retained Azoph during a
truce of two years : so that the Turks by this paci
fication lost great part of their European dominions.
The, cardinal primate of Poland, who had strenu
ously adhered to the prince of Conti, was prevailed
span to acknowledge Augustus ; and the commo-
.:,« tions
,7s HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. j69s. t;ons in Lithuania being appeased, peace was esta~
Wished throughout all Christendom.
Kmgwn- In the beginning of December, the king arrived
lumu in England, where a new parliament had been
WsWMwpar- chosen, and prorogued on account of his majesty's
liaaieot. absence, prolonged by contrary winds, and tempes
tuous weather. His ministry had been at very little
pains to influence the elections, which generally fell
upon men of revolution-principles, though they do
not seem to have been much devoted to the person
of their sovereign ; yet their choice of Sir Thomas
Lyttleton for speaker, seemed to presage a session
favourable to the ministry. The two houses being
convened on the sixth day of December, the king,
in his speech, observed, That the safety, honour,
and happiness of the kingdom, would in a great
measure depend upon the strength which, they
should think proper to maintain by sea and land.
He desired they would make some further progress
in discharging the national debt, contrive effectual
expedients for employing the poor, pass good bills
for the advancement of trade, and the discourage
ment of profanity; and act with unanimity and dis
patch. The commons of this new parliament
were so irritated at the king's presuming to main
tain a greater number of troops than their prede
cessors had voted, that they resolved he should feel
the weight of their displeasure. They omitted the
common compliment of an address : they resolved
.that all the forces of England, in English pay, ex
ceeding seven thousand men, should be forthwith !
disbanded ; as also those in Ireland, exceeding twelve
thousand; and that those retained should be his
majesty's natural born subiects. A bill was brought
in on these resolutions, and prosecuted with peculiar
eagerness, to the unspeakable mortification of king
William, who was not only extremely sensible of
the affront, but also particularly chagrined to see ,
hirq-
WILLIAM HI. i7$
tiimself disabled from maintaining his Dutch guards, A- c- ,698.
-and the regiments of French refugees, to which he
,was uncommonly attached. Before the meeting of
the parliament, the ministry gave him to understand,
chat they should be able to procure a vote for ten or
twelve thousand men ; but they would not undertake
for a greater number. He professed himself dissa
tisfied with the proposal, observing, that they might
as well disband the whole, as leave so .few. The
ministers would not run the risque of losing all their
credit, by proposing a greater number and hav
ing received no directions on this subject, sat silent
,when it was debated in the house of commons.
• Such was the indignation of William, kindled He isobir8.
by this conduct of his ministry and his parliament, s«!«d
that he threatened to abandon the government ; and d!«k
had actually penned a speech to be pronounced to susr,*,«
both houses on that occasion : but he was diverted
from this purpose by his ministry and confidents,
and resolved to pass the bill by which he had been
so much offended. Accordingly, when it was ready
for the royal assent, he went to the house of peers,
where having sent for the commons, he told them,
that although he might think himself unkindly
ufed, in being deprived of his guards,' which con
stantly had attended him in all his actions, yet as
he believed nothing could be more fatal to the na-
- . tion, than any distrust or jealousy between him and
his parliament, he was come to pass the bill, ac
cording to their desire. At the fame time, for his
own justification, and in discharge of the trust re
posed in him, he declared, that in his judgment the
nation was lsft too much exposed ; and that it was
incumbent upon them to provide such a strength
as might be necessary for the safety of the 'king- '
dom. They thanked him in an address, for this
undeniable proofof his readiness to compiywith the
desires of his parliament. - They assured him;, he
c should
i74 HISTORY of ENGLAND,,^
a. c. 1698. should never have reason to think the common t
were undutiful or unkind ; for they would, on all
occasions, stand by, and assist him in the preserv*-
tion of his sacred person, and in the support of his
government, against all his enemies whatsoever. The
lords presented an address to the fame effect vaftid
the king assured both houses he entertained no
doubts of their loyalty and affection. He forth
with issued orders for reducing the army to the
number of seven thousand men, to be maintained
in England under the name of guards and garrisons^
and, hoping the hearts of the commons were flfcw
mollified, he made another effort in favour of his
Dutch guards, whom he could not dismiss without
the most sensible regret. Lord Ranelagh was sent
with a written message to the commons, giving them
to understand, that the necessary preparations were
made for transporting the guards who came with
him into England, and that they should embark
immediately, unless, out of consideration to him,
the house should be disposed to find a way for con
tinuing them longer in the service ; an expedient
which his majesty would take very kindly. The
commons, instead of complying with his inclination,
presented an address, in which they professed un
speakable grief, that he should propose any thing
to which they could not consent with due regard to
the constitution, which he had come over to restore,
and so often hazarded his royal person to preserve
They reminded him of the declaration, in which he
had promised, that all the foreign forces should be
sent out of the kingdom. They observed, that
nothing conduced more to the happiness and wel
fare of che nation, than an intire Confidence between
the king and people, which could no way be so
firmly established as by intrusting his sacred person
with his own subjects, who had so eminently signa
lized themselves during the late long and expensive
war.
WILLIAM III. . . i?s
war. They received a soothing answer to this ad- c- «'9*•
dress, but remained firm to their purpose, in which
the king was fain to acquiesce and the Dutch
guards were transported to Holland. At a time
Vhen they declared themselves so well pleased with
their deliverer, such an opposition in an affair of
very little consequence, savoured more of clownish
obstinacy than of patriotism. In the midst of all
their professions of regard, they entertained'a na
tional prejudice against himselfand all the foreigners
jnJus service. Even in the house of commons his
person was treated with great disrespect in virulent
insinuations. They suggested, that he neither loved
nor trusted the English nation : that he treated the
natives with the most disagreeable reserve; and
chose .his confidents from the number of strangers
that surrounded him : that after every session of par
liament, he retired from the kingdom to enjoy an
indolent and inglorious privacy with a few favou
rites. These suggestions were certainly true. He
^W, extremely disgusted with the English, whom
he considered as malicious, ignorant, and ungrate-
[Link] he took no pains to disguise his senti
ments, j-. \ .
nThe commons having effected a dissolution of The com-
die army, voted fifteen thousand seamen, and a.™e™,**"
proportionable fleet for the security of the kingdom-, king again*
and granted one million four hundred and eighty- the paf*stS'
four thousand fifteen pounds, for the services of she
year, to be raised by a tax of three shillings in the
pound upon lands, personal estates, pensions, and
offices. A great number of priests and Roman ca
tholics, who. had been frighted away by the revolu
tion, were now encouraged by the treaty of Rys-
wick to return, and appeared in all publick places;
of London and Westminster, with remarkable ef
frontery. The enemies of the government whisper
ed about, that the treaty contained a secret article
- ...... m
i76 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. 169?. in favour of those who profesied that religion ; and,
some did not even scruple to insinuate, that William
was a papist in his heart. The commons, alarmed
at the number and insolence of those religionists,
desired the king in an address to remove by procla
mation all papists and nonjurors, from the city of
London and parts adjacent, and put the laws in
execution against them, that the wicked designs
they were always hatching might be effectually dis
appointed. The king gratified them in their re
quest with a proclamation, which was not much re
garded ; but, a remarkable law was enacted against
papists in the course of the ensuing session. The
old East-India company, about this period, peti
tioned the lower house, to make some provision
that their corporation might subsist for the residue of
the term of twenty-one years, granted by his ma
jesty's charter : that the payment of the five pounds
. per cent. by the late act for settling the trade to the
East-Indies, might be settled and adjusted in such a
manner, as not to remain a burthen on the petitio
ners : and, that such further considerations might
be had for their relief, and for the preservation of
the East- India trade, as should be thought reason
able. A bill was brought in upon the subject of
this petition ; but rejected at the second reading.
Discontents had risen to such a height, that some
K^nrt members began to assert, they were not bound to
Lambc.'ty maintain the votes and credit of the former parlia-
Tindai"3'' mcnt » anc*, uPon tms maxim would have contri-
Raiph.' buted their interest towards a repeal of the act made
in favour of the new company : but such a scheme
was of too dangerous consequence to the public
credit, to be carried into execution.
Tht p»i;«- That spirit of peevishness which could not be gra-
ment fro" tified with this sacrifice, produced an inquiry into
the management of naval affairs, which was aimed
at the earl of Orford, a nobleman whose power gave
umbrage,
WILLIAM HI; to?
tjnirjrage, and whose wealth excited erivy. He * c- »6>V
officiated both as treasurer of the navy, and lord-
commissioner of the admiralty, and seemed to have
Forgot the sphere from which he had risen to title
and office. The commons drew up an address, /
complaining of some unimportant articles of mis
management in the conduct of the navy ; and the
carl was wise enough to avoid further prosecution,
* by resigning his employments. On the fourth day
of May the king closed the session, with a short
speech, hinting dissatisfaction at their having ne
glected to consider some points which he had recom
mended to their attention j and the parliament was
prorogued to the first of June -j-. In a little time
after this prorogation, his majesty appointed a re
gency J ; and on the second day of June embarked
for Holland.
In Ireland nothing of moment was transacted. T*>e Sc,*-
The parliament of that kingdom passed an act pVnyCmTke
for raising one hundred and twenty thousand a se't,tmi"*
i ' , i . , i on the istb-
pounds, on lands, tenements, and hereditaments, m«> of Ds-
to defray the expence of maintaining twelve thou- rien.
sand men who had been voted by the commons of
England : then the assembly was prorogued. A
new commission afterwards arrived at Dublin, con
stituting the duke of Bolton, the earls of Berkley

-f- About the latter end of March, chamberlain; the earl of Manchester,
the earl of Warwick and lord Mohun was sent ambassador extraordinary to
were tried by their peers in Westmlri- France ; the earl of Pembroke was
ster-hall for the murder of captain declared lord-president of the coun-
Richard Coote, who had been killed cil ; and the lord viscount Lonsdale,
in a midn:ght combat of three on keeper of ih'e privv-sca'l .
each side. Warwick was found guil- J Consisting of the lord-chancellor;
ry of manslaughter, and Mohtfn ac- the lord -president,' the lord privy- seal,
quitted the lord steward of the hnu ,hold, the
Villiers, ea-1 of j?rsey, who had earl of Bridgwater, first commissioner
been sent arribaiTador to F,anc-, was of the admiialtv, the earl of Mai'lbo-
appointed secretary of stjtfr, in the . rough, the eai! os Jersey,- and MM
room ot' th: duke of Shrewsbury. Montague,
This r. .b!eman was creatsd lord
N°. N and
HISTORY o» ENG LA N D.
s699 and Galway, lord-justices of Ireland. The clamour
in Scotland increased against the ministry, which
had disowned their company, and in a great mea
sure defeated the design from which they had pro
mised themselves such heaps of treasure. Notwith
standing the discouragements to which their com
pany had been exposed, they fitted out two of four
large ships which had been built at Hamburgh for
their service. They were loaded with a cargo for
traffic, with some artillery and military stores 5 and
the adventurers embarking, to the number of
twelve hundred, they sailed from the frith of Edin
burgh with some tenders, on the seventeenth day
of July in the preceding year. At Madera they
took in a supply of wine, and then steered to
Crab-island in the neighbourhood of St. Thomas,
lying between Santa Cruz and Porto Rico. Their
design was to take possession of this little island ;
but, when they entered the road, they saw a large
tent pitched upon the strand, and the Danish co
lours flying. Finding themselves anticipated in
this quarter, they directed their course to the coast
of Darien, where they treated with the natives for
the establishment of their colony, and taking pos
session of the ground, to which they . gave the name
of Caledonia, began to execute their plan of erect
ing a town under the appellation of New Edin
burgh, by the direction of their council, consisting
of Paterson the projector, and six other directors.
They had no sooner completed their settlement,
than they wrote a letter to the king, containing a
detail of their proceedings. They pretended they
had received undoubted intelligence, that the
French intended to make a settlement on that coast ;
and that their colony would be the means of pre
venting the evil consequences which might arise to
his majesty's kingdom and dominions from the exe
cution of such a scheme. They acknowledged hi*
4 goodness
W II L I A M III. i79
goodness in granting those privileges by which their c. i699.
company was established; and they implored the
continuance of his royal favour and protection, as
they had punctually adhered to the conditions of
the act of parliament, and the patent they had ob
tained.
By this time, however, the king was resolved tovhich,
crush them effectually. He understood that the thh™eav"'
greater part of their provisions had been consumed compelled
before they set sail from Scotland, and foresaw that1° abandon'
they must be reduced to a starving, condition, if not
supplied from the English colonies. That they
might be debarred of all such assistance, he sent or
ders to the governors of Jamaica, and the other
English settlements in America, to issue proclama
tions, prohibiting, under the severest penalties, all
his majesty's subjects from holding any correspon
dence with the Scottish colony, or assisting it in
any shape, with arms, ammunition, or provision, on
pretence that they had not communicated their de
sign to his majesty, but had peopled Darien, in
violation of the peace subsisting between him and
his allies. Their colony was, doubtless, a very
dangerous incroachment upon the Spaniards, as
it would have commanded the passage between
Porto Bello and Panama, and divided the Spanish
empire in America. The French king complained
of the invasion, and offered to supply the court of
Madrid with a fleet to dislodge the interlopers.
Colonna, marquis de Canales, the Spanish ambas
sador at the court of London, presented a memo
rial to king William, remonstrating against the -set
tlement of this colony, as a mark of disregard,
and a breach of the alliance between the two crowns ;
and declaring, that his master would take proper
measures against such hostilities. The Scots as- ,
firmed, that the natives of Darien were a free peo- ,
, pie,, whom the Spaniards had in vain attempted
-- N_ 2 to
180 H I S T O RY Of ENG L AND.
A..c. 1*59. to subdue : that therefore they had an original and
^incontrovertible right to dispose of their own lands,
part of which the company had purchased for a
valuable consideration. But, there was another
cause more powerful than the remonstrances of the
Spanish court, to which this colony fell a sacrifice :
and that was the jealousy of the English traders and
planters. Darien was said to be a country abound
ing with gold^ which would in a little time enrich
the adventurers. The Scots were krjown to be an
enterprising and pertinacious people ; and their
harbour near Golden- island was already declared a
free- port. The English apprehended that their
planters would be allured into this new colony, by
the double prospect of finding gold and plundering
the Spaniards : that the buccaneers in particular
would choose it as their chief residence : that the
plantations of England would be deserted : that
Darien would become another Algiers : and, that
the settlement would produce a rupture with Spain,
in consequeece of which the English effects in that
kingdom would be confiscated. The Dutch too are
said to have been jealous of a company, which in
time might have proved their competitors in their
illicit commerce to the Spanish main, and to have
hardened the king's heart against the new settlers,
whom he abandoned to their fate, notwithstanding
the repeated petitions and remonstrances of their
constituents. Famine compelled the first adven
turers to quit the coast : a second recruit of men
and provisions were sent thither from Scotiand -y
but, one of their ships laden with provisions being
burned by accident, they likewise deserted the
place : another reinforcement arrived, and being
better provided than the two former, might have
maintained their footing; but they were soon di
vided into factions that rendered all their schemes
abortive. The Spaniards advanced against them j
when
WILLIAM III.
when finding themselves incapable of withstanding *• c- ,6i9,
the enemy, they sollicited a capitulation, by virtue
of which they were permitted to retire. Thus va
nished all the golden dreams of the Scottish nation,
which had engaged in this design with incredible
eagerness, and even embarked a greater sum of
money than ever they had advanced upon any other
occasion. They were now not only disappointed
in their expectations of wealth and affluence, but a
great number of families was absolutely ruined by
the miscarriage of the design, which they imputed
solely to the conduct of king Willifrm. The whole
kingdom of Scotland seemed to join in the clamour
that was raised against their sovereign. They taxee",
him wjth de,uble:dealing, : inhumanity, and base
ingratitude',. to. a people who had lavished their trea
sure and best blood in support of his governmenu,
and in the gratification of his ambition ; and had
their power been equal to their animosity, in all
probability a rebellion would have ensued.
William, mean while, enjoyed himself at Loo, Rtmon.
where he Was visited by the duke of Zell, with fh"ng" ^
whom he had long cultivated an intimacy of friend- coun against
ship. During; his residence in this place, the earl th;e tr'a7
-r 1111 f c r-r 11 of paitmoH,
or Portland and the grand pensionary or Holland,
frequently conferred with the French ambassador
count Tallard, upon the subject of the Spanish suc
cession. The first plan of the partition being de
feated by the death of the young prince of Bavaria,
they found it necessary to concert another, and be
gan a private negotiation for that purpose. ,The
court of Spain, apprised of their intention, sent a
written remonstrance to Mr. Stanhope, the English
minister at Madrid, expressing their resentment at
this unprecedented method of proceeding, and de
siring that a stop might be put to those intrigues,
seeing the king of Spain would of himself take the
necessary steps for preserving the public tranquillity,
N 3 in
lit HISTORY or ENGLAND.
A,c. i<99. Jn case he should die without heirs of his body. A
representation of the same kind was made to the mi
nisters of France and Holland; and the marquis de
Canales, the Spanish ambassador at London, delivered
a memorial to the lords justices, couched in the
most virulent terms, against this transaction, and
even appealing from the king to the parliament.
This Spaniard was pleased with an opportunity to
insult king William, who hated his person, and
had forbid him the court, on account of his appear
ing covered in his majesty's presence. The regency
had no sooner communicated this paper to the king,
than he ordered the ambassador to quit the king •
dom in eighteen days, and to remain within his
own house till the time of his departure. He was
at the fame time given to understand, that no wri
ting would be received from him or any of his do
mestics. Mr. Stanhope was directed to complain
at Madrid of the affront offered to his master, which
he stiled an insolent and saucy attempt to stir up
' sedition in the kingdom, by appealing to the peo
ple and parliament of England against his majesty.
The court of Spain justified what their minister had
done, and in their turn ordered Mr. Stanhope to
leave, their dominions. Don Bernardo de Quiros,
the Spanish ambassador in, Holland, prepared a me
morial on the same subject, to the States-general,
which, however, they refused to accept. These
remonstrances did not interrupt the negotiation, in
which Lewis was so eager, that he complained of
William, as if he had not employed his whole in
fluence in prevailing upon the Dutch to signify
their accession to the articles agreed upon by France
and England ; but his Britannic majesty found
means to remove this jealousy.
About the middle of October he returned to Eng
land, and conferred upon the duke of Shrewsbury
the office of chamberlain, vacant since the resigna
tion
WILLIAM III. 183
tion of Sunderland. Mr. Montague at the fame A- c- l6w.
period resigned his feat at the treasury-board, to- The com*
gether with the chancellorship of the exchequer, j"™* .l"sist
either foreseeing uncommon difficulty in managing folution u."
a house of commons, after,they had been dismissed ™ni(ytl*
in ill humour, or dreading the interest of his ene- 'ns'
mies, who might procure a vote, that his two
places were inconsistent. The king opened the
session of parliament on the sixteenth day of No
vember, with a long speech, advising a further
provision for the safety of the kingdom by sea and
land, and the repairs of ships and fortifications j ex
horting the commons to make good the deficiencies
of the funds, discharge the debts of t'he|.' nation, and
provide the necessary supplies. He "recommended
some good bill for the more effectual preventing
and punishing unlawful and clandestine .trading ;
and expressed a desire, that some metho'd should be
taken for employing the poor, which were become
a burthen to the kingdom. He assured them,, his
resolutions were to countenance virtue and dis
courage vice : and, that he would decline no diffi
culties "and dangers, where the welfare and prospe
rity. of the nation might be concerned. He con
cluded with these words, " Since then our aims
" are only for the general good, let us act with
*< confidence in one another ; which will not fail,
" withGod's blessing, to make me ahappyking, and
« you a great and stourishing people." The com
mons were now become wanton in their disgust.
Though they had received no real provocation,
they relblved to mortify him with their proceed
ings. They affected to put odious interpretations
on the very harmless expression of, " Let us act
" with confidence in one another." Instead of an
address of thanks, according to the usual custom,
they presented a sullen remonstrance, complaining,
that a jealousy and disgust had been raised of their
N 4 duty
i84 H I S T O R Y of-E N G LAN D.
A. c. j699. [illty and affection; and desiring he would fliew
marks of his high displeasure towards all persons
, who had presumed to misrepresent their proceed
ings to his majesty. He declared in his answer,
that no person had eyer dared to misrepresent their
puoceediiigs ,, and, that if any should presume to
impose upon him by such calumnies, he would
treat them as his worst enemies.
!wxPyJi-° The house was not in an humour to be appeased
tion of cap- -with soothing promises and protestations : they de-
^[Link]. terrn;ned to distress him, by prosecuting his mini
sters. During the war the colonies of North- Ame
rica had grown rich by piracy. One Kidd, the
master of a (loop, undertook to suppress the pi
rates, provided the government would furnish him
with a ship of thirty guns, well manned. The
board of admiralty declaring, • that soch a number
of seamen could not be spared from the public ser
vice, Kidd was equipped by the private subscript
tion of the lord-chancellor, the duke of Shrewsbury,
the earls of Romney, Orford, and Bellamont, Sir
Edward Harrison, and colonel Levingstone of
New-York. The king promised to contribute one
half of the expence, and reserved to himself one
tenth of the profits ; but, he never advanced the
money. Kidd being thus equipped, and provided
with a commission to act against the French, as
well as to make war on certain pirates therein men
tioned by name, set sail from Plymouth ; but, in
stead of cruizing on the coast of America, directed
his course to the East-Jndies, where he himself turn
ed pirate, and took a rich sliip belonging to the
Moors. Having divided his booty with his crew,
ninety of whom left him, in order to join other ad
venturers, he burned his own ship, and sailed with
his prize to the West-Indies. There he purchased
a sioop, in which he steered for North-America,
leaving part of his men in the prize to remain in one
W I L L I A M III. : i»5
of the Le ward-islands, until they should receive *• c- x6si-
further instructions. Arriving on the coast of New-
York, he sent one Emmet to make his peace with
the earl of Bellamont, the governor of that pro
vince, who inveigled him into a negotiation, in the
course of which he was apprehended. Then his
lordstiip sent, an account of his proceedings to the
secretary of state, desiring, that he would send for
the prisoners to England, as there was no law in that
colony for punishing piracy with death, and the
majority of the people favoured that practice. The
admiralty, by order of the lords-justices, dispatched
the ship Rochester to bring home the prisoners and
. their effects ; but, after having been tossed for some
time with tempestuous weather, this vessel was
obliged to return to Plymouth in a shattered con
dition ; and the incident furnished the malcontents
with a colour to paint the ministry as the authors
and abettors of a piratical expedition, which they
wanted to screen from the cognizance of the pub- v
lie. The old East-India company had complained
to the regency of the capture made by Kidd in the
East-Indies, apprehending, as the vessel belonged
to the Moors, they should be exposed to the re
sentment of the Mogul. In the beginning of De
cember this subject was brought abruptly into the
house of commons, and a motion made, That the
letters patent granted to the earl of Bellamont and
others, of pirates goods, were dishonourable to the
king, against the law of nations, contrary to the
laws and statutes of the land, invasive of property,
and destructive of trade and commerce. A warm
debate ensued, in the course of which some mem
bers declaimed with great bitterness against the
chancellor and the duke of Shrewsbury, as partners
in a piratical scheme ; but these imputations were
refuted, and the motion was rejected by a great ma
jority. Not but that they might have justly stig
matized
186 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a c. i699-matized the expedition as a little mean adventure,
in which those noblemen had embarked with a view
to their own private advantage.
a motion - While this affair was in agitation among the
™',LT'° commons, the attention of the upper house was
biÆop of employed upon the case of Dr. Watson, bishop of
arum. gf David's. This prelate was supposed to have
payed a valuable consideration for his bishopric ;
and, after his elevation, had sold the preferments
in his gift, with a view of being reimbursed. He
was accused of simony •> and, after a solemn hearing
before the archbishop 'of Canterbury and six suffra
gans, convicted and deprived. Then he pleaded
his privilege : so that the affair was brought into
the house of lords, who refused to own him as a
peer after he had ceased to be a bishop. Thus dis
appointed, he had recourse to the court of dele
gates, by whom the archbishop's sentence was con
firmed. The next effort that the commons made,
with a View of mortifying king Willirm, was to raise
a clamour against Dr. Burnet, bishop of Sarum.
He was represented in the house as a very unfit
preceptor for the duke of Gloucester, both as a
Scottish man, and author of that pastoral letter
which had been burned by order of the parliament,
for asserting, that William had a right to, the crown
from conquest. A motion was made for addressing
his majesty, that this prelate might be dismissed
from his employment, but rejected by a great ma
jority. Burnet had acted with uncommon inte
grity in accepting the trust. He had declined the
office, which he was in a manner forced to accept.
He had offered to resign his bishopric, thinking
rhe employment of a tutor would interfere with the
- duty of a pastor. He insisted upon the duke's re
sidence all the summer at Windsor, which is in the
diocese of Sarum ; and added to his private charities
the whole ipcome of his new office.
The

,- )
WILLIAM III. 187
The circumstance on which the and -courtiers *-c- i*99.
built their chief hope of distressing or disgracing theIn(juiry into
government, was the inquiry into the Irish forfei-theiriih
tures, which the king had distributed among hisfotselture8-
own dependants. The commissioners appointed by
parliament to examine these particulars, were An-
nesley, Trenchard, Hamilton, Langford, the earl
of Drogheda, Sir Francis Brewster, and Sir Richard
Leving. The first four were actuated by all the
virulence of faction : the other three were secretly
guided by ministerial influence. They began their
inquiry in Ireland, and proceeded with such severity
as seemed to flow rather from resentment to the
court, than from a love of justice and abhorrence
of corruption. They in particular scrutinized a
grant of an estate which the king had made to Mrs.
Villiers, now countess of Orkney, so as to expose
his majesty's partiality for that favourite, and sub
ject him to an additional load of popular odium.
In the, course of their examination, the earl of Drog
heda, Leving, and Brewster, opposed the rest of
the .commissioners in divers articles of the report,
which they refused to sign, and sent over a memo
rial to the house of commons, explaining their rea
sons for djflfnting from their colleagues. By this
time, however, they were considered as hirelings
of the £913 ft, and no regard was payed to their re
presentations. The others delivered their report,
declaring, that a million and an half of money
might he raised from the sale of the confiscated es
tates ; and a bill was brought in for applying them
to the use of the public. A motion being made to
reserve a third part for the king's disposal, it was
over- ruled : then the commons passed anextraordi-
nary vote, importing, That they would not receive
any petition from any person whatsoever concerning
the grants : and, That they would consider the
great services performed by the commissioners ap
pointed
i39 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a', c. i«9?. pointed to inquire into the forfeited estates. They
resolved, That the four commissioners who had
signed the report, had acquitted themselves with
understanding, courage, and integrity : and, That
Sir Richard Leving, as author of groundless and
scandalous aspersions cast upon his four colleagues,
should be committed prisoner to the l ower. They
afterwards came to the following resolution, which
was presented to the king in form of an address :
That the procuring and passing those grants had
occasioned great debts upon the nation, and heavy
taxes upon the people, and highly reflected upon
the king's honour : and, That the officers and in
struments concerned in the fame, had highly failed
in the performance of their trust and duty. The
king answered, That he was not only led by incli
nation, but thought himself obliged in justice, to
reward those who had served well in the reduction
of Ireland out of the estates forfeited to him by the
rebellion in that kingdom. He observed, that as
the long war had left the nation much in debt,
their taking just and effectual ways for lessening
that debt, and supporting public credit, was what,
in his opinion, would best contribute to the honour,
interest, and safety of the kingdom. This answer
kindled a flame of indignation in the house. They
forthwith resolved, That the adviser of it had used
his utmost endeavours to create a misunderstanding
and jealousy between the king and his people.
»on»p"s"a They prepared, finished, and passed a bill of re-
HiiDof™- sumption. They ordered the report of the com-
Saa?t,«"1' missioners, together with the king's promise and
speeches, and the former resolutions of the house
touching the forfeited estates in Ireland, to be
printed and published for their justification ; and
they resolved. That the procuring or passing exor
bitant grants by any member, now of the privy-
eauricil, or by any other that had been a privy-
counsellor^
WILLIAM III. i«9
counsellor, in this, or any former reign, to his useA-c- l6ss-
or benefit, was a high crime and misdemeanour.
That justice might be done to purchasers and cre
ditors in the act of resumption, thirteen trustees
were authorised and impowered to hear and deter
mine all claims relating to thole estates, to fell them
to the best purchasers ; and the money arising from
the sale was appropriated to pay the arrears of the
army. It passed under the title of a bill for grant
ing an aid to his majesty, by the sale of the forfeited
and other estates and interests in Ireland ; and,
that it might undergo no alteration in the house of
lords, it was consolidated with the money-bill for
the services of the year. In the house of lords it
produced warm debates ; and some alterations were
made, which the commons unanimousiy rejected.
They seemed to be now more than ever ex-asperated
against the ministry, and ordered a list of the privy-
council to be layed before the house. The lords
demanded conferences, which served only to exas
perate the two houses against each other ; for the
lords insisted upon their amendments, and the com
mons were so provoked at their interfering in a
money-bill, Sthat they determined to give a loose to
th&r^ resentment. They ordered all the doors of
their house to" be shut, that no. members should go
forth. Then they took into consideration the re-^
port of the Irish forfeitures, with the list of the
privy-counsellors ; and a question was moved, That
an address should be made to his majesty, to re
move lord John Somers, chancellor of England,
from his presence and councils for ever. This, how
ever, was carried in the negative by a great majo
rity. The king was extremely chagrined at the,
bill, which he considered as an invasion of his pre
rogative, an insult on his person, and an injury to
his friends and servants ; and, he at first resolved
to hazard all the consequences of refusing to pass it
i96 HISTORYopENGLAND.
a. c. »<99. into a law : but, he was diverted from his purpose
by the remonstrances of those in whom he chiefly
©idm£on confided. He could hot, " however,' dissemble his
coie'sMem. resentment. He became sullen, peevish, and
lirabertf*" moro^c » his enemies did not fail to make use
-rindai' ' of this additional ill humour, as a proof of his aver-
sron to the English people. Though the motion
against the chancellor had miscarried, the commons
resolved to address his majesty, that no person who
was not a native of his dominions, except his royal
highness prince George of Denmark, should be
admitted into his majesty's councils in England or
Ireland. ; This resolution was levelled against the
earls of Portland, Albemarle, and Galway ,, but,
before the address could be presented, the king
went to the house of peers, and having passed the
bill which had produced such a ferment, with some
others, commanded the earl of Bridgewater, speaker
of the house in the absence of the chancellor, who
was indisposed, to prorogue the parliament to the
twenty-third day of May.
a.c. 17°°. 1° tste course of this session, the commons having
A severe bill prosecuted their inquiry into the conduct of Kidd,
■gtinst brought in a bill for the more effectual suppression of
p ' piracy, which passed into a law; and afterwards un
derstanding, that Kidd was brought over to England,
presented an address to the king, desiring, that he
might not be tried, discharged, or pardoned, till
the next session of parliament; and his majesty
complied with their request. Boiling still with
indignation against the lord-chancellor, who had
turned many disaffected persons out of the commis
sion of the peace ; the house ordered a bill to be
prepared for qualifying justices of the peace ; and
appointed a committee to inspect the commissions.
This reporting, that many dissenters, and men of
small fortunes depending on the court, were put
Into those places, the commons declared, in an ad
dress,
»
WILLIAM III. i9i
dress, That it would much conduce to the service A- w
of his majesty, and the good of this kingdom, that
gentlemen of quality and good estates should be
restored, and put into the commissionsof the peace
and lieutenancy: and,, that men of small estates
be neither continued, nor put into the said com
missions. The king assured them he was of the
fame opinion : that he would give directions ac
cordingly. They were so mollified by this instance
of his condescension, that they thanked him in a
body for his gracious answer. They passed a bill
to exculpate such as had neglected to sign the asso
ciation, either through mistake, or want of oppor
tunity. Having received a petition from the Lan
cashire clergy, complaining of the insolence and at
tempts of popish priests, they appointed a com
mittee to inquire how far the laws against popish
refugees had been put in execution ; and upon the
report a bill was brought in, complying with the
prayer of the petition. It decreed a further re
ward to such persons as mould discover and convict
popish priests and jeiuits ; and perpetual imprison
ment for those convicted on the oath of one or more
witnesses. It enacted, That no person bora after
the twenty-fifth day of March next ensuing, being
a papist, should be capable of inheriting any tide
of honour or estate within the kingdom of England,
dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick upon
Tweed : and, That no papist mould be capable o£
purchasing any lands, tenements, or hereditaments,
either in his own name, or in the name of any other
person in trust for him. Several alterations were
made in this first draught, before it was finished
and sent up to the lords, some of whom proposed
amendments : these, however, were not adopted j
and the bill obtained the royal assent, contrary to1
the expectation of those who prosecuted the mea
sure, on the supposition that the king was a favourer
i92 HISTORY ofENGLAND.
a. c. 17°°. of papists. After all, the bill was deficient in ne
cessary clauses to enforce execution ; so that the law
was very little regarded in the sequel.
The old The court sustained another insult from the old
East-indfa East-India company, who petitioned the house,
estaKed" that they might be continued by parliamentary au
thority during the remaining part of the time pre-
scribed in their charter. They, at the same time,
published a state of their case, in which they expa-
' fiated upon the equity of their claims, and magni
fied the injuries they had undergone. The new
company drew up an answer to this remonstrance,
exposing the corrupt practices of their adversaries.
But, the influence of their great patron, Mr. Mon*
tague, was now vanished : the supply was not yet
discussed, and the ministry would not venture to
provoke the commons, who seemed propitious to
the old company and actually passed a bill in their
favour. This meeting with no opposition in the
upper house, was enacted into a law, renewing
their establishment : so that now there were two
rival companies of merchants trading to the East-
Indies. The commons, not yet satisfied with the
vexations to which they had exposed their sovereign,
passed a bill to appoint commissioners for taking
and examining the public accounts. Another law
was made, to prohibit the use of India silks and
stufFs which interfered with the English manufac
tures : a third, to take off the duties on the expor
tation of woollen manufactures, corn, grain, meal,
bread, and biscuit: and afourth, in which provision
•was made for punishing governors, or commanders
in chief of plantations and colonies, in cafe they
should commit any crimes or acts of injustice and
oppression in the exercise of their administration.
Dan-er s ^e people of Scotland still continued in violent
se?mentin agitation. They published a pamphlet, contain-
scotiand. ing a detail of their grievances, which they in a
great
WILLIAM III.
great measure ascribed to his majesty. . A com
plaint being preferred to the house of commons
against this performance, it was voted a false, scan
dalous, and traitorous libel, and ordered to be
burned by the hands of the common hangman.
The commons addressed his majesty, to issue his
royal proclamation for apprehending the author,
.printer, and vpublisher, of the said libel; and he
complied with their request. The Scottish company
had sent up an address to the king, in behalf of
some adventurers who were wrongfully detained
prisoners in Carthagena ; but lord Basil Hamilton,
who undertook the charge of this petition, was re
fused admittance to his majesty, on pretence of his
being suspected of disaffection to the government.
The king, however, wrote to his council for Scot
land, that he would demand the enlargement of
the prisoners, and countenance any laudable mea
sure that could advance the trade of that kingdom.
The directors of the company, not content with
this declaration, importuned their lord chancellor,
who was in London, to procure access for lord
Basil Hamilton ; and the ministry took shelter from
their sollicitations behind a parliamentary inquiry.
The subject of the Scottish colony being introduced
into the house of lords, where the ministerial in
fluence preponderated, a vehement debate aiose,
not from any regard to the interest of Scotland, but
from mere opposition to the court, which however
triumphed in the issue. A motion was made, that
the settlement of the Scotch colony at Darien was
inconsistent with the good of the plantation-trade of
England ; and passed in the affirmative by a small
majority. Then they presented an address, de
claring their sympathy with the losses of their fel
low-subjects, and their opinion, that a prosecution
ipf the design must end, not only in far greater dis-
[Link]. O appoint-
f 9+ his'torV oj England.
a c. .7°°. appointments to themselves, but also prove vftry
inconvenient to the trade and quiet of the king
dom. They reminded him of the address of both
houses, touching that settlement ; and they (gib-
pressed their approbation of the orders he had sent
to the governors of the plantations on this subject.
The king, in his answer to the address, ih which
the commons refused to concur, totok the oppor
tunity of exhorting them to consider of an union
between the two kingdoms, as a measure, than
. which nothing could more contribute to thftir mu
tual security and advantage. The lords, "m pur
suance of this advice, prepared a bill, appointing
certain commissioners of the realm of England to
treat with commissioners of Scotland for the weal
of both kingdoms ; but it was obstructed In the
house of commons, who were determined to tlv\ arc
, every step that might tend to lessen the disgust, or
appease the animosity of the Scottish nation. The
malcontents insinuated, that the king's opposition to
the Scottish company flowed neither from- his re
gard to . the interest of England, nor from his
punctual observance of treaties with Spain ; but,
' solely from his attachment to the Dutch, who main
tained an advantageous trade from the island of
Curacoa to the Spanish plantations in America,
and were apprehensive that the Scottish colony
would deprive them of this commerce. This in
terpretation served as fuel to the flame already
kindsed in Scotland, and industriously blown up
by the calumnies of the Jacobites. Their parlia^
mtnt adopted the company as a national concern,
by voting, That the colony of Caledonia in Darien
was a legal and rightful settlement, which the par
liament would maintain and support. On account
of this resolution the session [Link] some time dis
continued ; but, when the Scots understood their
new
WILLIAM III. i95
new settlement was totally abandoned, their capital A- c- '7°°.
lost, and all their hope intirely vanished, the whole
nation was seized with a transport of fury. They
loudly exclaimed, that they had been sacrificed and
basely betrayed in that quarter where they were in-
titled to protection. They concerted an address to
the king, couched in a very high strain, represent
ing the necessity of an immediate parliament. It
was circulated about the kingdom for subscriptions, ,
signed by a great number of those who sat in par
liament, and presented to the king by lord Ross,
who with some others was deputed for that purpose..
The king told them, they should know his inten
tion in Scotland ; and, in the mean time, adjourned
their parliament by proclamation. The people, ex
asperated at this new provocation, began to form '
the draught of a second national address, to be
signed by the shires and boroughs of the kingdom :
but, before this could be finished, the king wrote
a letter to the duke of Queensberry, and the privy
council of that nation, which was published for the
satisfaction of the people. He professed himself
grieved at the nation's loss, and willing to grant
what might be needful for the relief and ease of the .
kingdom. He assured them he had their interestr
at heart ; and that his good subjects should have ,
convincing proofs of Kis sincere inclination to ad
vance the wealth and prosperity of that his antient
kingdom. He said he hoped this declaration would
be satisfactory to all good men : that they would
not suffer themselves to be misled ; nor give ad
vantage to enemies, and ill-designing persons, ready
to seize every opportunity of embroiling the go
vernment. He gave them to understand, that his
necessary absence had occasioned the late adjourn
ment ; but as soon as God mould bring him back,
their parliatn: nt, should be assembled. Even this
explanation, seconded by all the credit and address
O 2 Of

L.
t96 HISTORYofENGLAND.
a.c. 1 7oo. 0f his ministers, failed in allaying the national fer
ments which rose to the very verge of rebellion^,
tordSomew The king, who, from his first accession to the
dismissed throne, had veered occasionally from one party ib
em™oy- another, according to the circumstances of his as-
œ*nt' fairs, and the opposition he encountered, was at
this period so incensed and embarrassed by the ca
price and insolence of the commons, that he wil
lingly lent an ear to the leaders of the Tories, who
undertook to manage the parliament according to
his pleasure, provided he would part with some of
his ministers, who were peculiarly odious to the
commons. The person against whom their anger
•was chiefly directed, was the lord chancellor Somers,
the most active leader of the Whig party. They
demanded his dismission, and the king exhorted
him to resign his office ; but he refusing tolake
any step that might indicate a fear of his enemies,
or a consciousness of guilt, the king sent a peremp
tory order for the seals by the lord Jersey, to whom
Somers delivered them without hesitation. , Tstey
were successively offered to lord chief justice Holt,
and Trevor the attorney-general, who decliq^jftc-
cepting such a precarious office. Mean, while the
king granted a temporary commission [Link]
judges to sit in the court of chancery ; and at length
bestowed the seals, with the title of lord-keeper,
on Sir Nathan Wright, one of the serjeants at law,
a man but indifferently qualified for the office to
which he was now preferred. Though the king
seemed altogether attached to the Tories, and in-
, clined to a new parliament, no person appeared to
take the lead in the affairs of government ; and, .
indeed, for some time the administration seemed to
be under no particular direction.
Second trea- During the transactions of the last session, the ne-
tfon p'r£'' gotiation for a second partition -treaty was carried
pn in London by the French minister Tallard, in
WILLIAM III. ' 197
Conjunction with the earls of Portland and jersey, *, c. '7°°-
and soon brought to perfection. On the twenty-
first day of February, the treaty was signed in Lon
don : and on the twenty-fifth of the next month,
it was subscribed at the Hague by Briord the French
envoy, and the plenipotentiaries of the states-gene
ral. By this convention the treaty of Ryswick was
confirmed. The contracting parties agreed* That
in cafe of his catholic majesty's dying without issue,
the dauphin should possess, for himself and his heirs,
the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, the islands of
St. Stephano, Porto Her'cole, Orbitellp, Telamone*
Porto-Longone, Piombino, the city and marquisate
of Final, the province of Guipuscoa j the dutchies
of Lorrain and Bar, in exchange of which the duke
of Lorrain should enjoy the dutchy of Milan ; but
that the county of Biche should remain in sove
reignty to the prince of Vaudemont : That the
archduke Charles should inherit the kingdom of
Spain, and all its dependencies in and out of
Europe ,, but, in case of his dying without issue, it
should devolve to some other child of the emperor,
excepting him who should succeed as emperor or
king of the Romans : That this monarchy should
never descend to a king of France or dauphin ; and
that three months should be allowed to the em
peror, to consider whether or not he would accede
to this treaty. Whether the French king was really
sincere in his professions at this juncture, or pro-
posed this treaty with a view to make a clandestine
use of it at the court of Spain for more interested
purposes, it is not easy to determine : at first,
however, it was concealed from the notice of the
public, as if the parties had resolved to take no step
in consequence of it, during the life of his catholic
majesty.
In the beginning of July, the king embarked Death of tha
for Holland, after having appointed a regency to ciwoekn
O 3 govern
HISTORY of ENGLAND.
7ca. govern the kingdom in his absence. On the
twenty-ninth day of the same month, the young
duke of Gloucester, the only remaining child of
seven whom the princess Anne had borne, died
of a malignant fever, in the eleventh year of his
age. His death was much lamented by the greater
part of the English nation, not only on account of
his promising talents and gentle behaviour, but
also as it left the succession undetermined, and
might create disputes of fatal consequence to the
nation. The Jacobites openly exulted in an event
which they imagined would remove the chief bar
to the interest of the prince of Wales ; but the pro-
» testants generally turned their eyes upon the princess
Sqphia, electress dowager of Hanover, and grand
daughter of James I, It was with a view to con
cert the establishment of her succession, that the
court of Brunswick now returned the visit of king
William. The present state of affairs in England,
however, afforded a very uncomfortable prospect.
The people were generally alienated from the per
son and government of the reigning king, upon
whom they seem to have surfeited. The vigour of
their minds was destroyed by luxury and sloth : the
severity of their morals was relaxed by along habit
of venality and corruption. The king's health began
to decline, and' even his faculties decayed apace.
No person' was appointed to ascend the throne when
it should become vacant. The Jacobite faction
alone was eager, vigilant, enterprising, and elate.
They dispatched Mr. Graham, brother of lord
Preston, to the court of St. Germain's, immedi
ately after the death of the duke of Gloucester:
they began to bestir themselves all over the king
dom. A report was spread, that the princess Anne
had privately sent a message to her father; and
Britain was once more threatened with civil war,
confusion, anarchy, and ruin.
WILLIAM III. 199
In the mean time, king William was not inactive. A c '7°°-
The kings of Denmark and Poland, with the elec- The king
tor of Brandenburg, had formed a league to crush f^theM-
the young king of Sweden, by invading his domi- 1k. to the
nions on different fides. The Poles actually en- ^eSwedra*
tered Livonia, and undertook the siege of Riga ;
while the king of Denmark having demolished
some forts in Holstein, the duke of which was con
nected with Sweden, invested Tonninghen. The
Swedish minister in England demanded that assis
tance of William which had been stipulated in a
late renewal of the antient treaty between England
and Sweden. The states of Holland were follicited
to the fame purpose. Accordingly, a fleet of thirty
fail, English and Dutch, was sent to the Baltic, un
der the command of Sir George Rooke, who joined
the Swe'dish squadron and bombarded Copenhagen,
to which the Danish fleet had retired. At the
same time, the duke of Lunenburg, with the
Swedish forces which happened to be at Bremen,
passed the Elbe, and marched to the assistance of
the duke of Holstein. The Danes immediately
abandoned the siege of Tonninghen ,, and a body
of Saxons, who had made an irruption into the
territories of the duke of Brunswick, were obliged
to retreat in disorder. By the mediation of Wil
liam, a negotiation was begun for a treaty between
Sweden and Denmark, which, in order to quicken,
Charles the young king of Sweden made a descent
upon the isle of Zealand. This was executed with
great success. Charles was the first man who land
ed ; and here he exhibited such marks of courage
and conduct, far above his years, as equally astonish
ed and intimidated his' adversaries. Then he de
termined to besiege Copenhagen ; a resolution
which struck such terror into the Danes, that they
proceeded with redoubled diligence in the treaty,
which was brought to a conclusion, between Den-
O 4 mark.
200 HISTORY oi ENGLAND.
a c. 17°°. mirk, Sweden, and Holstein, about the middle of
August. Then the Swedes retired to Schonen, and
the squadrons of the maritime powers returned from
the Baltic.
-rhe second When the new partition-treaty was communi-
trcaty of cated Dy tne ministers of the contracting parties to
partition ge- J . . & r
neraiiydif- the other powers or Europe, it generally met with
theturop" a veT unfavourable construction. Saxony and^fKe
an powers, northern crowns were still embroiled with their own
quarrels, consequently could not give much atten
tion to such a remote transaction. The princes of
Germany appeared cautious and dilatory in their
answers, unwilling to be concerned in any plan that
might excite the resentment of the house of Austria..
The elector of Brandenburg in particular, had set
his heart upon the regal dignity, which he fcoped
to obtain from the favour and authority of the em
peror. The Italian states were averse to the parti
tion-treaty, from their apprehension oP ieeirig
France in possession of Naples, and other districts of
v their country. The duke of Savoy affected' a my
sterious neutrality, in hope of being ableto-barter
his consent for some considerable advantage.' The
Swiss cantons declined accedingas [Link]
emperor expressed his astonishment that arf^ dis
position should be made of the Spanish monarchy,
without the consent of the present possessory fetf the
"states of the kingdom. He observed, that 'rieither
justice or decorum could warrant the contracting
powers to compel him, who was the rightful heir,
to accept a part of his inheritance within three
months, under penalty offorfeiting even that share
to a third person not yet named ; and he declared,
that he could take no final resolution, until he should
know the sentiments of his catholic majesty, tiri an
affair in which their mutual interest was lb nearly
concerned. Leopold was actually engagecf1-in a
negotiation with the king of Spain, who signed a
will
WILLIAM in. 201
,will in favour of his second son Charles; yet heA c-»7°°'
took no measures to support the disposition, either
bysending the archduke with a sufficient force into
Spain, or by detaching troops into Italy.
The people of Spain were exasperated at the in- The French
solence of the three foreign powers who pretended
to parcel out their dominions. Their pride took °f
the alarm, at the prospect of their monarchy's being Sp"B'
dismembered ; and the grandees repined at the
thought of losing so many lucrative governments,
which they now enjoyed. The king's life became
every day more and more precarious, from frequent
returns of his disorder. The ministry was weak and
divided, the nobility factious, and the people dis
contented. The hearts of the nation had been ali
enated from the house of Austria, by the insolent
carriage and rapacious disposition of the queen
Mariana. The French had gained over to their in
terests the cardinal Portocarrero, the marquis de
Monterey, with many other noblemen and persons
of distinction. These perceiving the sentiments of
the people, employed their emissaries to raise a ge
neral cry that France alone could maintain the suc
cession intire ; that the house of Austria was feeble
and exhausted, and any prince of that line must
owe his chief support to detestable heretics. Por
tocarrero tampered with the weakness of his sove
reign. He repeated and exaggerated all these sug
gestions; he advised him to consult his holiness
pope Innocent XII. on this momentous point of re
gulating the succession. That pontiff, who was a
creature of France, taking the advice of a college
of cardinals, determined, that the renunciation of
Maria Theresa, was invalid and null, as being
founded upon compulsion, and contrary to the
fundamental laws of the Spanish monarchy. He
therefore exhorted king Charles to contribute to the
propagation of the faith, and the repose of Christen
dom,
ioz HISTORY «r ENGLAND.
**c tjoo. dom, by making a new will in favour of a grand
son os the French monarch. This admonition was
seconded by the remonstrances of Portocarrero ; and
the weak prince complied with the proposal. In
the mean time the king of France seemed to act
heartily, as a principal in the treaty of partition.
His ministers at foreign courts co-operated with
those of the maritime powers, in solliciting the ac
cession of the different powers in Europe. When
count Zinzendorf, the Imperial ambassador at Paris,
presented a memorial, desiring to know what part
France would act, should the king of Spain volun
tarily place a grandson of Lewis upon the throne,
the marquis de Torcy answered in writing, that his
most christian majesty would by no means listen to
such a proposal : nay, when the emperor's minister
gave them to understand that his master was ready
to begin a separate negotiation with the court of
Versailles touching the Spanish succession, Lewis
declared he could not treat on that subject without
the concurrence of his allies.
King wit- The, nature of the partition-treaty was no sooner
mcTnsto8 known in England, than condemned by the most
aiiay the intelligent part of the nation. They first of all corrr-
Scotiand. plained, that such an important affair should- bi
concluded without the advice of parliament. ThOf
observed, that the scheme was unjust, and the exe
cution of it hazardous : that, in concerting the
terms, the maritime powers seemed to have acted
as partisans of France ; for the possession of Naples
and the Tuscan ports would subject Italy to her do
minion, and interfere, with the English trade to the
Levant and Mediterranean.; while Guipuscoa, on
any future rupture, would afford another inlet into
the heart of the Spanish dominions : they, for these
reasons, pronounced the treaty destructive of the
balance of power, and prejudicial to the interest of
England. All these arguments were trumpeted by
' the
WILLIAM HI. e©3
the malcontents, so that the whole kingdom echoed *• c' ****v
with the clamour of disaffection ; while Sir Christo
pher Musgrave, and others of the Tory faction,
began to think in earnest of establishing the suc
cession of the English crown upon the person of
the prince of Wales. They are said to nave sent
over Mr. Graham to St. Germain's with overtures to
this purpose, and an assurance that a motion would
be made in» the house of commons, to pass a vote
that the crown should not be supported in the exe
cution of the partition- treaty. King William was
not ignorant of the censure he had undergone, and
not a little alarmed to find himself so unpopular
among his own subjects. That he might be the
more able to bestow his attention effectually upon
the affairs of England, he resolved to take some
measures for the satisfaction of the Scottish nation.
He permitted the parliament of that kingdom to
meet on the twenty-eighth day of October, and
wrote a letter to them from his house at Loo, con
taining an assurance that he would concur in every
thing that could be reasonably proposed for main
taining and advancing the peace and welfare of their
k^njgdpnV He promised to give his royal assent to
such acts as they should frame for the better esta
blishment of the presbyterian discipline, for pre
venting the growth of popery, suppressing vice and
immorality, encouraging piety and virtue, preserv
ing and securing personal liberty, regulating and
advancing trade, retrieving the losses, and promot
ing the interest of their African and Indian com
panies. He expressed his concern that he could
not assert the company's right of establishing a co
lony at Darien, without disturbing the peace of
Christendom, and entailing a ruinous war on that
his ancient kingdom. He recommended unani
mity and dispatch in raising competent taxes for
their own defence ; and told them he had thought
2<h HISTORY or ENGLAND.
a.c [Link] t0 continue the duke of Queensbury in the of
fice of high- commissioner. Notwithstanding this
soothing address, the national resentment continued
to rage, and the parliament seemed altogether in
tractable. By fchis time the company had received
certain tidings of the intire surrender of their settle
ment : and on the first day of the sessions they re
presented to parliament, that for want of due pro
tection abroad, some persons had been encouraged
to break in upon their privileges even at home.
This remonstrance was succeeded by another na
tional address to the king, who told them he could
not take any further notice of that affair, since the
parliament was now assembled ; and he had already
made a declaration, with which he hoped all his
faithful subjects would be satisfied. Nevertheless,
he found it absolutely necessary to practise other
expedients for allaying the ferment of that nation.
His ministers and their agents bestirred themselves
so successfully, that the heats in parliament were en
tirely cooled, and the outcry of the people subsided
into unavailing murmurs. The parliament resolved,
that in consideration of their great deliverance by
his majesty ; and in that, next under God, their
safety and happiness wholly depended on his pre
servation and that of his government, they would
support both to the utmost of their power, and
maintain such forces as should be requisite for those
ends. They passed an act for keeping on foot
three thousand men for two years, to be maintained
by a land tax. Then the commisiioner produced
the king's letter, desiring to have eleven hundred
men on his own account to the first day of June
following : they forthwith complied with his re
quest, and were prorogued to the sixth of May.
The supernumerary troops were sent over to the
States-general ; and the earl of Argyle was ho
noured with the title of duke, as a recompence for
having
WILLIAM III. 205
having concurred with the commissioner in manag- *• c- '7°1>.
ing this session of parliament.
King .William had returned to England on the STphJnkidnf„f
eighteenth day of October, not a little chagrined at »*«> having
the perplexities in which he found himself involv- his^omua-
cd ; and in the beginning of the next month, heons by
received advice that the king of Spain was actually ^ Anj»u.
dead. He could not be surprised at this event,
which had been so long expected ; but it was at
tended with a circumstance which he had not fore
seen. Charles, by his last will, had declared the
duke of Anjou, second son of the dauphin, the
sole heir of the Spanish monarchy. In case this
prince should die without issue, or inherit the
•frown of France, he willed that Spain should de
volve to the duke of Berry ; in default of him and
children, to the arch-duke Charles and his heirs ;
failing of whom, to the duke of Savoy and his pos-
jfefvcj." He likewise recommended a match between
the duke of Anjou and one of the archdutchesses.
'When this testament was first notified to the French
'court, Lewis seemed to hesitate between his inch,
'nation and engagements to William and the States-
^gene^l 'Madam de Maintenon is laid to have
joined her influence to that of the dauphin, in per-
!1%drhg the king to accept of the will ; [Link]-
chartrain was engaged to support the fame measure,
^caftinei- Council was called in her apartment. The
r'fert'tof the ministry declared for the treaty of parti
tion : the king affected a kind of neutrality. The
dauphin spoke for his son, with an air of resolu
tion he had never assumed before : Pontchartrain
seconded his arguments : Madam de Maintenon
asked what the duke of Anjou had done to provoke
. the king, that he should be barred of his right to
that succession ? Then the rest of the members es
poused the dauphin's opinion; and the king owned
- himself convinced by their reasons. In all probabi-
8 hty,
toS HISTORY o» ENGLAND.
a.c <?«• ]ity, the decision of this council was previously set
tled in private. After the will was accepted, Lewis
closetted the duke of Anjou, to whom he said, in .
the presence of the marquis des Rios, " Sir, the
" king of Spain has made you a king. The gran-
dees demand you ; the people wish for you ; and
" I give my consent. Remember only, you are a
" prince of France. I recommend to you to love
" your people, to gain their affection by the lenity
" of your government, and render yourself worthy
** of the throne you are going to ascend." The
new monarch was congratulated on his elevation by
all the princes of the blood : nevertheless, the duke,
of Orleans and his son protested against the wiiL !
because the archduke was placed next in succession' J
to the duke of Berry, in bar «f their right as de
scendants of Anne of Austria, whose renunciation! ,
could be of no more force than that of Maria-The-
resa. On the fourth day of December, she new
king set out for Spain, to the frontiers of which he J
was accompanied by his two brothers. ,
Th» French When the will was accepted, the French rrtinjU
i^y fo?* ^er ^e Torcy endeavoured to justify his master's
ceptii»g the conduct to the earl of Manchester, who resided at
mil. paris jn jjjg character Qf ambassador from the couii
of London. He observed, That the treaty of par
tition was not likely to answer the ends for which
it had been concerted : That the emperor had re.-,
fused to accede : That it was relished by none of
the princes to whom it had been communicated.
That the people of England and Holland had err
pressed their discontent at the prospect of France's
being in possession of Naples and Sicily: That if
Lewis had rejected the will, the archduke would
have had a double title, derived from the former
will, and that of the late king : That the Spaniards
were l'b averse to the division of their monarchy,
there would be a necessity for conquering the whole
kingdom
WILLIAM III. a»7
kingdom before the treaty could be executed: That A- c- 'T0?-
the ships to be furnished by Great-Britain and Hol
land would not be sufficient for the purposes of
such a war ; and it was doubtful whether England
and the States-general would engage themselves in
a greater expence. He concluded with laying,
That the treaty would have been more advantage
ous to France than the will, which the king accept-
fed purely from their desire of preserving the peace
of Europe. His master hoped therefore the good
understanding would subsist between him and the
king of Great-Britain. The same reasons were com
municated by Briord the French ambassador at the
Hague, to the States-general, who ordered their
envoy at Paris to deliver a memorial to the French
king, expressing their surprise at his having ac
cepted the will j and their hope, that as the time
specified for the emperor's acceding to the treaty
waV not expired, his most christian majesty would
take the affair again into his consideration, and ad
here to his engagements in every article. Lewis, in
his answer to this memorial, which he dispatched to
all the^courts of Europe, declared, That what he
chiefly considered was the principal design of the
confracHog parties, namely, the maintenance of
peace in Europe ; and that, true to this principle,
he Qhly departed from the words, that he might the
better adhere to the spirit of the treatyv
With this answer he sent a letter to the states, The stites-
giving them to understand, that the peace of Eu- p^™1™1*
rope was so firmly established by the wiH of the king king of
of Spain, in favour of his grandson, that he did not Spa n'
doubt their approbation of his succession to the Spa
nish crown. The states observed, That they could
not declare themselves upon an affair of such con
sequence, without consulting their respective pro
vinces. Lewis admitted the excuse, and assured
them' of his readiness to concur wfoh whatever they
sliould
4o8 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
Jr. c. :oo. should desire for the security of the Spanish Nether
lands. The Spanish ambassador at the Hague pre
sented them with a letter from his new master, who
likewise notified his accession to all the powers of
Europe, except the king of England. The em
peror loudly exclaimed against the will, as being
more iniquitous than the treaty of partition ; and
threatened to do himself justice by force of arms.
The Spaniards apprehending that a league would
be formed between his Imperial majesty and the
maritime powers, for setting aside the succession of
the duke of Anjou ; and conscious of their own in
ability to defend their dominions, resigned them
selves intirely to the protection of the French mo •
narch. The towns in the Spanish Netherlands and
the dutchy of Milan admitted French garrisons :
a French squadron anchored in the port of Cadiz,
and another was detached to the Spanish settle
ments in the West-Indies. Part of the Dutch army
that was quartered in Luxemburg, Mons and Na-
mur were made prisoners of war, because they
would not own the king of Spain, whom their ma
sters had not yet acknowledged. The states were
overwhelmed with consternation by this event, es
pecially when they considered their own naked situa
tion, and reflected that the Spanish garrisons might
fall upon them before they could assemble a body
of troops for their defence. The danger was so im
minent, that they resolved to acknowledge the king
of Spain without farther hesitation, and. wrote a
letter to the French king for that purpose. This
was no sooner recei ved, than orders were issued for
sending back their battalions.
a ntwmi- How warmly soever king William resented the
new pariia" conduct of the French king, in accepting the will,
>"ent. so diametrically opposite to his engagements, he
dissembled his chagrin, and behaved with such re
serve and apparent indifference, that some people
naturally
' W i £ L I a m iti.
Ir'aturally believed he had been privy to the transac
tion. Othefs imagined that he was discouraged
from engaging in a new war by his bodily infirmi
ties, which daily encreased ; and the opposition
in parliament, to which he should be "inevitably ex
posed. But his real aim was to conceal his senti
ments, until he should have sounded the opinions
of other powers in Europe, and leen how far he
could depend upon his new ministry. He now
seemed to repose his chief confidence in the earl of
Rochester, who had undertaken for the Tories, and
was declared lofd-lieutenant df Ireland. Lord Go-
dolphin was appointed first-commissioner of the
treasury : lord Tankerville succeeded lord Lonsdale
lately deceased, as keeper of the privy-seal, and Sir
Charles Hedges was declared secretary of state, ist
the room of the earl of Jersey: but the manage
ment of the commons was intrusted to Mr. Robert
Harley, who had hitherto opposed the measures of
the court with equal virulence and ability. These
new undertakers well knowing they should find it
very difficult, if not impossible, to secure a majority
in the present parliament, prevailed on the king to
dissolve it by proclamation ; then the sheriffs were
changed according to their nomination, and writs
issued for anew parliament to meet on the sixth day
of February. During this inteival, count Wra-
tiflaw arrived in England, as ambassador from the
emperor, to explain Leopold's title to the Spanish
monarchy, supported by repeated intaijs and renun
ciations, confirmed in- the most solemn treaties.
This minister1 met with a very cold reception from
those who stood at the helm of affairs. They
/sought to avoid all connexions that might en
gage their country as a principal in another v, ar
upon the continent, smarting as they were from the
losses and incumbrances which the last had intaiied
upon them and their posterity. They seemed to
N°. 85. * P , think
1
zio H ISTORY or ENGLAND.
a.c. 1700. think that Lewis, rather than involve himself in
fresh troubles, would give all the security that could
he desired for maintaining .the peace of Europe;
or even mould this be refused, they law no reason
for Britain's exhausting her wealth and strength to
support a chimerical balance, in which her interest
was but remotely concerned. It was their opinion,
that by keeping aloof, she might render herself
more respectable. Her reserve would overawe con
tending powers : they would in their turns sue for
her assistance^ and implore her good offices ; and,
instead of declaring herself a party, she would have
the honour to decide as arbitress of their disputes.
Perhaps they extended this idea too far ; and in all
probability, their notions were inflamed by a spirit
of faction. They hated the Whigs as their politi
cal adversaries, and detested the war, because it had
been countenanced and supported by the interest of
that parry. The king believed, that a conjunc
tion of the two monarchies of France and Spain
would prove fatal to the liberties of Europe ; and
1 that this could not be prevented by any other
method than a general union of the other Eu
ropean powers. He certainly was an enthusiast
in his sentiments of this equilibrium; and fully con
vinced that he himself, of all the potentates in
Christendom, was the only prince capable of adjust
ing the balance. The Imperial ambassador could
not therefore be long ignorant of his real purpose,
as he conversed with the Dutch favourites, who
knew and approved of their master's design, though
he avoided a declaration, until he should have ren
dered his ministers more propitious to his aim. The
true secret, however, ofthat reserve with which count
Wratiflaw was treated at his first arrival, was a pri
vate negotiation which the king had set on foot with
the regency of Spain, touching a [Link] the Ne
therlands. He proposed, that certain towns should
be garrisoned with English and Dutch troops, by
way

1 .
s •
. V WILLIAM Hi .. an
way of security against the ambitious designs ofA,c,,71w»
France; but the regency were so devoted to the
French intarest, that they refused to listen to any
proposal of this nature. While this affair was in
agitation, William resolved to maintain a wary dis
tance from the emperor ; but, when his effort mis
carried, the ambassador found him much more open
and accessible f. .
The parliament meeting on the sixth, was pro The eom-
rogued to the tenth day of February, when Mr. "^J.,™",
Harley was chosen speaker by a great majority, intothecou-...
opposition to Sir Richard Onflow. The king had
previously told Sir Thomas Lyttleton, it would be
for his service that he should yield his pretensions to
Harley at thisjuncture ; and that gentleman agreed
to absent himself from the house on the day of elec
tion. The king observed in his speech, That the
nation's loss in the death of the duke of Gloucester,
had rendered it absolutely necessary for them to
make further provision for the succession of the
crown in the protestant line : That the death of the
king of Spain had made iuch an alteration in the
affairs of the continent, as required their mature
deliberation. The rest of his harrangue turned
upon the usual topics of demanding supplies for the
ensuing year, reminding them of the deficiencies

.f Thii year was distinguished by a against the Muscovites, whe had un-
glorieus victory which the young king taken the siege of Narva. The czar
of Sweden obtained in the nineteenth quitted his army with fome precipita-
yearof his age.- Riga continued in- tion, asifhehad been afraid of ha-
vested by the king of Poland, while zarding his perfon, while Charles
Peter she ciar of Muscovy made his advanced through ways that were
approaches to Narva, at the head of thought impracticable, and surprised
a prodigious armv, purposing, in vio- the enemy. He broke into their camp
lation of all faith and justice, to share before they had the least int:mation of
the spoils of the youthful monarch, his approach, and totally routed them
Charlrs landed at Revel, compelled after a short resistance. He took a
the Saxons to abandon the siege of great number of prifoners, with all
Riga, and having supplied the place, their baggage, tents, and artillery,
inarched with a handful of troops and entered Narva in triumph. -
P 2 and
ai2 HISTORY or ENGLAND.
a. c. i7oo and public debts, recommending to their inquiry
the -state of the navy and fortifications, exhorting
them to encourage commerce, employ the poor,
and proceed with vigour and animosity in all their
, deliberations. Though the elections had been ge
nerally carried in favour of the Tory interest, the
ministry had secured but one part of that faction.
Some of the most popular leaders, such as the duke
of Leeds-, the marquis of Normanby, the earl of
Nottingham, Seymour, Musgrave, How, Finch,
and Showers, had been either neglected or found
refractory, and resolved to oppose the court-mea
sures with all their influence. Besides, the French
king knowing that the peace of Europe would in a
great measure depend on the resolutions of the Eng-
lisii parliament, is said to have distributed great sums
of money in England, by means of his minister
Tallard, in order to strengthen the opposition, in
the house of commons. Certain it is, the nation
abounded at this period with the French coins
called Louis d'or and pistoles ; but whether this
'redundancy was owing to a balance of trade in fa
vour -of England, or to the largesses of Lewis, we
shall nqt pretend to determine. We may likewise
observe, that the infamous practice of bribing elec
tors had sieyer been so flagrant as in the choice of
representatives for this parliament. The scanda
lous;, traffic had been chiefly carried on by the Whig-
party;' and ' therefore their antagonists resolved to
spare no. pains in detecting their corruption." Sir
Edward Seymour distinguished himself by his zeal
and activity, ' brought some of these practices to
light, arid, in particular, stigmatized the new East-
India company, for having been deeply concerned
nr 'this 'species of venality. An inquiry being set
911 'foot in; the house os commons, several elections
were declared void j and, divers persons who had
[Link] returned3-were first expelled the house,
- \ • and
r WILLIAM III. - 1 • '
and aftenyards detained in prison. Yet these pro-, A-S*»>1»»
seditions were carried on with such partiality as
plainly indicated that they flowed rather from party-
zeal than from patriotism.
A great body of the commons had resolved to Theiord*
present an address^to his majelty, desiring he would ™n™le,ni.
acknowledge the king of Spain ,, and- the motion, «"s-
in all probability, would have been carried by a
considerable majority; had not one- bold and Kicky
expression given such a turn to' the debate, as in
duced the anti-courtiers to desifl. One Mr. Monk-
ton, in the heat of his declamation against this mea
sure, said, he expected the next vote would be for
owning the pretended prince of Wales-.,' 'ThoogJi
there was little or rio connexion between these two
•subjects, a great many members were startled at
the insinuation, and deserted the measure^ which
[Link] accordingly. The king's speech being
taken into consideration, the house resolved to sup
port his majesty and his government ; to take such
effectual measures as might best conduce'to' the in-
terest and safety of England, and the preservation of
the protestant religion. : This resolufton was pre
sented in an address to the king, who- received it
favourably. At the fame time, he layed before
them a memorial he had received frOm- 'the States-
general, and desired their advice and assistance in
tlie 'points that constituted the substance of this
remonstrance. The states gave him to understand,
that they had acknowledged the duke of Anjou as •
king of Spain : That France had agreed to a nego» ••••
tiation, in which they might stipulate the necessary
conditions for securing the peace of Europe ; and,
That they were firmly resolved to do nothing with
out the concurrence of his majesty and their other
allies. They, therefore, begged he would fend a
minister to the Hague, with necessary powers and
instructions to co-operate with them in this ftego-
P 3 tiation
ti+ HISTORYo» ENGLAND.
A.c.»[Link] ; and, in case it should prove ineffectual, or
Holland be su lJcnly invaded by the troops which
Lewis had ordered to advance towards their fron
tiers, they relied on the assistance of England, and
hoped his majesty would prepare the succours sti
pulated by treaty, to be used, should occasion re -
quire. The memorial was likewise communicated
to the house of lords. Mean while the commons
desired, that the treaties between England and the
States- general should be layed before their house.
These being perused, they resolved upon an ad
dress, to desire his majesty would enter into such
negotiations with the States-general and other poten
tates, as might most effectually conduce to the mutual
safety of Great-Britain and the United-Provinces,
as well as to the preservation of the peace of Eu
rope and to assure him of their support and assis
tance, in performance of the treaty subsisting be
tween England and the States-general. This reso
lution, however, was not carried without great op
position from those who were averse to the nation's
involving itself in another war upon the continent,
The king professed himself extremely well pleased
with this address, and told them he would imme
diately order hjs ministers abroad to act in concert
with the States-general and other powers, for the
attainment of those ends they proposed. .
Aninttr ^e cornmurncated to the commons a letter writ
es" Utter ten by the earl of Melfort to his brother the earl of
of Mdfo"1 I>ertn' governor to the pretended prince of Wales,
to his bro- It had been miflayed by accident, and came to Lon-
don in the French mail. It contained a scheme for
another invasion of England, together with some
reflections upon the character of the earl of Mid-
dleton, who had supplanted him at the court of St.
Germain's. Melfort was a mere projector, and
seems to have had no other view than that of recom
mending himself to king James, and bringing his
rival
WILLIAM III. ii5
rival into disgrace. The house of lords, to whom
the letter was also imparted, Ordered it to be print
ed, and next day presented an address, thanking
his majesty for his care of the protestant religion' *
desiring all the treaties made since the last war might
belayed before them; requesting him ' to "engage
in such alliances as he mould think proper for pre
serving the balance of power in turope; assuring
him of their concurrence ; expressing their acknow
ledgment for his having communicated MeHbrt's
letter ; desiring he would give order for seizing the
horses and arms of disaffected persons ; for remov
ing papists from London; and for searching after
those arms and provisions of war mentioned in the
letter : finally, they requested him to equip speedily
a sufficient fleet for the defence of himself and his
kingdom. They received a gracious answer to this
address, which was a further encouragement to thfe
king to put his own private designs in execution ;
and towards the lame end the letter contributed ndt
a little, by inflaming the fears and resentment of
the nation against France, which in vain disclaimed
the earl of Melfort as a fantastical schemer^ to whorh
no regard was payed at the court of Versailles. The
French ministry complained of the publication of
this letter, as an attempt to sow jealousies between
the two crowns ; and, as' a convincing proof of
their sincerity, banished the earl of Melfort to
Angers.
The credit of exchequer bills was so lowered by succe/fionoi
the change of the ministry, and the lapse of the j£t|cTJ™
timfe allotted for their circulation, that they fell nC3T the priraeis
twenty per cent. to the prejudice of the revenue, SoPhlaelec-
J i i ' ' ti -is dowa -
and the discredit of the government in foreign eoun- gtrofHmo-
tries. The commons having taken this affair into v^|eastnadttht
consideration, voted, That provision should be nt-irs ot her
made from time to time for making good the prin- boil'
cipal and interest due on all parliamentary funds ;
P 4 and
2i6 H I S T O R Y of EN G L A N D
a- -c'>?°° and afterwards passed a bill for renewing the bills
of credit, commonly called Exchequer- bills. This
was sent up to the lords on the sixth day of March,
and on the thirteenth received the royal assent. The
next object that engrossed the attention of the com,
mons was the settlement of the succession to the
throne, [Link] the king had recommended to their
Consideration in the beginning of the session. Hav
ing deliberated on this subject, they resolved, That
for the preservation of the peace and happiness of
the kingdom, and the security of the protestant re
ligion,, -it was absolutely necessary, that a further
declaration , should be made of the limitation and
succession of the crown in the protestant- line, after
his majesty and the princess, and the heirs of their
bodies respectively : and, That further provision
shquld be first made for the security of the jights
and liberties of the people. Mr. Harley moved,
That some conditions of government might be fet
tled as preliminaries, before they mould proceed
to the nomination of the person, that their security
might be complete. According they deliberated
on this subject, and agreed to the following reso
lutions ti That whoever shall hereafter come to the
possession of this crown, mail join in communion
with the church of England as by law established ;
That, in cafe the crown and imperial dignity of
this realm shall hereafter come to any person, not
being a native of this kingdom of England, this
nation be not obliged to engage in any war for the
defence of any dominions or territories which do
not belong to the crown of England, without the
consent of parliaments That no person who shaW
hereafter come to the possession of the crown, shall
go out of the dominions of England, Scotland, or
Ireland, without consent of parliament : That, from
and after the time, thit the further limitation by this
act shall take essect, all matters and things relating
WILLH M HI. -417
to the well governing of this kingdom, which are 17°*
properly cognizable in the privy-council, by the
laws and customs of the realm, shall be transacted
there, and all resolutions taken thereupon, shall be
signed by such of the privy-council as shall advise
and consent to the same : That after the limitation
shall take effect, no person born out of the king
dom of England, Scotland, or Ireland, or the domi
nions thereunto belonging, although he be natura
lized, and make a denizen (except such as are born
of English parents) shall be capable to 'be of the v
privy-council, or a member of either house of par
liament, or to enjoy any office or place of trust,
either civil or military, or to have any grant of
lands, tenements, or hereditaments from the crown
to himself, or to any others in trust for him : That
no person who has an office or place of profit under
the king, or receives a pension from the crown,
shall be capable of serving as member of the house
of commons: That after the limitation shall take
effect, judges commissions be made, quamdiu fe
bene gesserint, and their salaries ascertained and
established ; but, upon the address of both houses
of patliament, it may be lawful to remove them :
That no pardon under the great leal of England be
pleadable to an impeachment by the commons in
parliament. Having settled these preliminaries, they
resolved, That the princess Sophia, dutchess dowager
of Hanover, be declared the next in succession to
the crown of England, in the protestant line, after
his majesty and the princess, and the heirs of their
bodies respectively : and, That the further limita-
* -tion of the crown be to the said princess Sophia and
the heirs of her body, *being protestants. A bill
being formed on these resolutions, was sent up to
the house of lords, where if met with some opposi
tion from the marquis of Normanby ; and a protest
was entered against it by the earls of Huntington
and
2i8 HISTOH-'or ENGLAND.
a.c. i?[Link] Pljhnoutlv the lords Guildford and Jeffries.
Nevertheless, it passed without amendments, and
on the twelfth day of June received the royal assent :
yet, the king was extremely mortified at the preli
minary limitations, which he considered as an open
insult on his own conduct and administration ; not
but that they were necessary precautions, naturally
suggested by the experience of those evils to which
the nation had been already exposed, in consequence
of raising a foreign prince to the throne of Eng
land. As the Tories lay under the imputation of
favouring the late king's interest, they exerted
themsdlves zealously on this occasion, to wipe off
the aspersion, and insinuate themselves into the con
fidence of the people ; hoping, that in the sequel
they should be able to restrain the nation from en
gaging too deep in the affairs of the continent,
without incurring the eharge of disaffection to the
present king and government. The act of settle
ment being passed, the earl of Macclesfield was
sent to notify the transaction to the electress Sophia,
who likewise received from his hand's the order of
the garter. i
The dutch- The act of succession gave umbrage to all the
protest!"^ popim princes who were more nearly related to the
gainst this crown than this lady, whom the parliament had pre
ferred to all others. The dutchess of Savoy, grand-
. daughter to king Charles I. by her mother, ordered
her ambassador count Maffei, to make a protesta
tion to the parliament of England, in her name,
against all resolutions and decisions contrary to her
title, as sole daughter to the princess Henrietta, next
in succession to the crown of England, .after king
king William and the princess Anne of Denmark,
Two copies of this protest Maffei sent in letters
to the lord keeper and the speaker of the lower
house, by two of his gentlemen, and a public notary
to attest .the delivery ; but, no notice was taken of
5 the
;. ,W I L L I A M III. ' *i9
the declaration. The duke of Savoy, while his Ac- v0*-
minister was ,thus employed in England, engaged
in an alliance with the crowns of France and Spain,
on condition, That his catholic majesty should es
pouse his -youngest daughter without a dowry :
That he himself should command the allied army
in Italy, and furnish eight thousand infantry, with
five and twenty hundred horse, in consideration of
a monthly subsidy of fifty thousand crowns.
During these transactions, Mr. Stanhope envoy ineffeauai
extraordinary to the States-general, was empowered ne.g°tiatio»
to treat with the ministers of France and Spain, ac- France,
cording to the addresses of both houses of parlia
ment. He represented, that though his most chris
tian majesty had thought fit to deviate from the par
tition-treaty, it was not reasonable that the king of
England should lose the effect of that convention :
he therefore expected some security for the peace
of Europe ; and for that purpose insisted upon cer
tain articles, importing, That the French king
should immediately withdraw his troops from the
Spanish Netherlands : That, for the security of
England, the cities of Ostend and Newport should
be delivered into the hands of his Britannic ma
jesty : That no kingdom, provinces, cities, lands,
or places belonging to the crown of Spain, should
ever be yielded or transferred to the crown of
France, on any pretence whatever : That the sub
jects of his Britannic majesty should retain all the
privileges, rights, and immunities, with regard to
their navigation and commerce in the dominions of
Spain, which they enjoyed at the death of his late
catholic majesty : and also all such immunities,
rights, and franchises, as the subjects of France, or
any other power, either possess for the present, or
may enjoy for the future : That all treaties of peace
and conventions between England and Spain should
be renewed ; and, Th^t a treaty formed on these
demands
2 2© HISTORY Of ENGLAND.
a. o. 17°°. demands should be guarantied by such powers as
one of other of the! contractors should sollicit and
prevail upon to accede. Such likewise were the
proposals made by rite- States- general* with this
difference, that they 'demanded .as cautionary towns
all the strongest places in the Netherlands. Count
D'AvMX, 'the French minister, was so -surprised at
these exorbitant demands, that he could not help
saying, They could nothaye been higher is his ma
ster-had 'lost four successive battles. He assured
c: them, that his most christian majesty would with
draw his; troops from the Spanish Netherlands, as
soon as the king of Spain should have forces of his
own sufficient to guard the country ; but, with re
spect to the other articles, he could give no other
answer, but that' he would immediately transmit
them to Versailles; Lewis was filled with indigna
tion &t*he insolent' strain of those proposals, which
he considered as a sure mark of William's hostile
intention's. He refused to give any other security
for the peace of Europe, than a renewal of the
treaty of Ryswick ; and he is said to have tamper
ed, by means of his agents and emissaries,' with the
members of the English parliament, that they
might oppose all steps tending to a new war on
the continent. « ..». i.'^i; , >3
srveread- King William certainly had no expectation that
tZh\c,Z France would close with such proposals ; butane
in [Link] was rtot'without hope, that her refusal would warm
tition-twa- trie English nation into a concurrence with his de-
lJ- signs. He communicated to the house. of com
mons the demands which had been made by him
and the States general ; and gave them to under
stand, that he would from time to time make them
acquainted with the progress of the negotiation.
-' The commons suspecting, that his intention was to
make them parties in a congress which he might
conduct to a different end from that which they
proposed,
W -I U 'L I A M III., lit
proposed, resolved to signify their sentiments in the A«c-
answer to this message. They- called for the treaty , .-
of partition, which being read, they voted an ad
dress of thanks to his majesty for his gracious de
claration, that he would make them acquainted
with the progress of the negotiation ; and they
signified their disapprobation of the partition-treaty,
signed with the great seal of England, without the
advice of the parliament which was then sitting,
and productive of ill consequences to the kingdom,
as well as to the peace of Europe5 as it assigned
over to the French king such a large portion of the
Spanish dominions. Nothing could be more mor
tifying to the king than this open attack upon his
own conduct ; yet he suppressed his resentment, and
without taking the least notice of their sentiments
with respect to the partition -treaty, assured them,
that he mould be always ready to receive their ad
vice on the negotiation which he had set On foot, ,
according to their desire. The debates in the house
of commons upon the subject of the partition-treaty,
rose tosuchviqlence,thatdivei\s members, in declaim
ing against it, transgressed the bounds of decency.
Sir Edward Seymour compared the division which
had been made of the Spanish territories, to a rob
bery on the highway ; and Mr. Howe did not
scruple to say it was a felonious treaty : an expres
sion,7 which the king
O resented to such a deeree,
O 7 that I
he declared he would have demanded personal sa
tisfaction with his sword, had not he been restrained
by the disparity of condition between himself and
the person who had offered such an outrageous in
sult to his honour. Whether the Tories intended
to alienate the minds of the nation from all foreign
connexions, or to wreak their vengeance on the
late ministers, whom they hated as the chiefs of :
the Whig party, -certain it is, they now raised an
universal outcry against the partition- treaty, which
was
ai2 HISTORY ot ENGLAND.
a,c. 17«0. Was not only condemned in public pamphlets and
private conversation, but even brought into the
house of lords as an object of parliamentary-cen-
sure. In the month of March a warm debate on
this subject was begun by Sheffield marquis of Nor-
manby, and carried on with great vehemence by
other noblemen of the fame faction. They ex
claimed against the article by which so many terri
tories were added to the crown of France : they
complained, that the emperor had been forsaken :
that the treaty was not communicated to the privy-
council or ministry, but clandestinely transacted by
the earls of Portland and Jersey : and, that the sanc
tion of the great seal had been unjustly and irregu
larly applied, first to blank powers, and afterwards
to the treaty itself. The courtiers replied, that the
king had engaged in a treaty of partition at the de
sire of the emperor, who had agreed to every arti
cle except that relating to the dutchy of Milan, and
afterwards desired, that his majesty would procure
for him the best terms he could obtain; above all
things recommending secresy, that he might not for
feit his interest in Spain, by seeming to consent to
the treaty : that foreign negotiations being intrusted
to the care of the crown, the king lay under no,
legal obligation to communicate such secrets of state
to his council ; far less was he obliged to follow
their advice : and, that the keeper of the great seal
had no authority for refusing to apply it to any
powers or treaty which the king should grant or
conclude, unless they were contrary .to law, which
had made no provision for such an emergency

J In the course of this debate, the French *:ing was not only to be re-
earl of Rochester reprehended fome spected, fcut likewise to be seared ; a
lord* for speaking disiespectfullyof the certainlord replied, he hoprd no man
French king,observ:ng, that it was pe- in England needed to be afraid of the
culiarly incumbent on peer« to treat French king, rr uch less the peer who
monarchs with decorum and respect, spoke last, who was too much a friend,
as they derived their dignity from the to that monarch to sear any thing
erown. Another affirming, that the from his resentment.
' , . WILLIAM III. 2*3
The earl of Portland apprehending that this tempest AC- 17«*
would burst upon his head* declared, on the second
day of the debate, that he had by the king's order
communicated the treaty before it was concluded,
to the earls of Pembroke and Marlborough, the
lords Lonfdale, Somers, IJaHifax, and secretary
Vernon. These . noblemen owned, that they, had
been made acquainted with the substance of it : that
when they, excepted to some particulars, they were
told, his majesty had carried the matter as far as it
could be advanced, and that he could obtain no
better terms : thus assured that every article was
already settled, they no longer insisted upon parti
culars, but gave their acjvice, that his majesty
should not engage himself in any measure that
would produce a new'war, seeing the nation had
been so uneasy under the last. After long debates,
and great variety as well as virulence of altercation,
they agreed to an address, in which they disapprov
ed of the partition- treaty, as a scheme inconsistent
with the peace and safety of Europe, as well as
prejudicial to the interest of Great-Britain. They
complained, that neither the instructions given to
his plenipotentiaries, nor the draught of the treaty ,
itself, had been laid before his majesty's counciL
They humbly besought him, that for the future,
he would in all matters of importance, require,
and admit the advice of his natural born subjects
of known probity and fortune : and, that he would
constitute a council of such persons, to whom he
might impart all affairs which should any way con
cern him and his dominions. They observed, that
interest and natural affection to their country, would
incline them to every measure that might tend to
its welfare and prosperity ; whereas strangers could
not be so much influenced by those considerations {
that their knowledge of the country would render
the/n more capable than foreigner could be, of
advising
244 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. i7ooi advising his majesty touching the true interests c>£
Bnrwt. his kingdom : thaf they had exhibited such repeat -
owon. cd demonstrations of their duty and affection, as
Lambeny. must convince his majesty of their zeal in his set-
Tindi "£''" vice » nor could he want the knowledge of persons
Kaith. fit to be employed in all his secret and arduous af-
" fairs : finally, as the French king appeared to have
violated the treaty of partition, they advised his
majesty in future negotiations with that prince, to
proceed with such caution as might imply a real
security.
wiiiiami» The king received this severe remonstrance with
acknotkdge his usual phlegm, saying, it contained matter of very
the king ot great moment; and that he would take care that
pun. treaties he made mould be for the honour and
safety of England. Though he deeply felt this
affront, he would not alter his conduct towards the
' new ministers ; but, he plainly perceived their in-
• tention was to thwart him in his favourite measure,
and humble him into a dependence upon their in-
a c 1 01 tereft ia parliament. On the last day of March he
imparted to the commons the French king's decla
ration, that ) he would grant no other security than
a renewal of the treaty of Ryswick : so that the
negotiation seemed to be at an end. He likewise
communicated two resolutions of the states-general,
with a memorial from their envoy in England, re-.
, lating to the mips they. had equipped with a view
to join the English fleet, and the succours stipu
lated in the treaty concluded in the year one thou
sand six hundred and seventy-seven, which they de
sired might be sent over with all convenient expedi
tion. The house having considered this message,
unanimously resolved, to desire his majesty would
carry on the negotiations in concert with the states-
general, and take such measures therein as might
most conduce to their safety ; and, they assured him,
they would effectually enable him to support the
treaty
7
William iit %v
treity of seventyrseven, by which England was A. c. 1701.
bound to assist them with ten thousand men, and
twenty ships of war, in case they should be attack
ed. Though the king was nettled at that part of
this address, which, by confining him to one treaty,
implied their disapprobation of a hew confederacy,
he discovered nO sighs of emotion ; but thanked
them for the assurance they had given, and told
them he had sent orders to his envoy at the Hague,
to continue the conferences with the courts of
France and Spain. On the nineteenth day of April
the marquis de Torcy delivered to the earl of
Manchester at Paris, a letter^ from the new king of
Spain to his Britannic majesty, notifying his acces
sion to that throne, and expressing a desire of culti
vating a mutual friendship with the king and crown
of England. How averse soever William might
have been to any correspondence of this fort, the
earl of Rochester and the new ministers, impor
tuned him in such a manner to acknowledge Philip,
that he at length complied with their intreaties ;
and wrote a civil answer to his most catholic ma
jesty. This was a very alarming incident to the
emperor, who was bent upon a war with the two
crowns, and had determined to fend prince Eugene
with ari army into Italy, to take possession of the
dutchy of Milan, as a fief of the empire. The
new Pope Clement XI. who had succeeded to the
papacy in the preceding year, was attached to the
French interest, while the Venetians favoured the
emperor ; but they refused to declare themselves
at this juncture.
The French king consented to a renewal of the Then™
negotiations at the Hague ; but, in the mean time k°»se*seeim
tampered with the Dutch deputies, to engage them ti,e k,nK'«
yi a separate treaty. Finding them determined to measure.,
act in concert with the king of England, he protrac
ted the conferences, in order to gain time, while
N°, 85. he
2i6 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
A.c. 17°1. crected fortifications, and drew lines on the froir-
tiers of Holland, divided the princes of the empire
by his intrigues, and endeavoured to gain over the
states of Italy. The Dutch, mean while, exerted
themselves in providing for their own security.
They reinforced their garrisons, purchased supplies,
and sollicited succours from foreign potentates. The
states "wrote a letter to king William, explaining the
danger of their situation, professing the most in
violable attachment to the interest of England, and
desiring, that the stipulated number of troops should
be sent immediately to their assistance. The three
Scottish regiments which he had retained in his
own pay, were immediately transported from Scot
land. The letter of the states-general he commu
nicated to the house of commons, who, having
' taken it into consideration, resolved to assist his ma
jesty to support his allies in maintaining the liberty
of Europe ; and to provide immediate suetpurs
for the states general, according to the treaty of
seventy-seven. The house of peers, to whom the
letter was also communicated, carried their Zeal
still farther. They presented an address, in which
they desired his majesty would not only perform
the articles of any former treaty with the states-ge
neral, but also engage with them in a strict league
offensive and defensive, fortheir common preserva
tion ; and invite into it all the princes and states
that were concerned in the present visible danger
arising from the union of France and Spain. They
exhorted him to enter into such alliances with the
emperor, as his majesty should think necessary, purj
suant to the ends of the treaty concluded in the
year one thousand six hundred and eighty nine.
They assured him of their hearty and sincere assist
ance, not doubting that almighty God would pro
tect his sacred person in so righteous a cause'; and,
that the unanimity, wealth, and courage of his sub
jects
WILLIAM III. 227
jects would carry him with honour and success A- c,w,K,Js
through all the difficulties of a just war. Lastly,
they took leave humbly to represent, that the dan
gers to which his kingdom and allies had been ex
posed, were chiefly owing to the fatal counsels that
prevented his majesty's sooner meeting his people ,
in parliament.
These proceedings of both houses could not but The com
be very agreeable to the king, who expressed his towreTk°^
satisfaction in his answer to each apart. They were &*»t venge.
the more remarkable, as at this very time consi- ^dmiaitoy,
derable progress was made in a design to impeach
.the old ministry. This deviation, therefore, from
the tenour of their former conduct, could be owing
i tpno other motive than a fense of their own dan
ger, and resentment against France, which, even
during the negotiation, had been secretly employed
in making preparations to surprise and distress the
states- general. The commons having expressed
their sentiments on this subject, resumed the con
sideration of the partition -treaty. They had ap
pointed a committee to examine the journals of the
house of lords, and to report vtheir proceedings in
.. Ration to the treaty of partition. When the re-
porf was made by Sir Edward Seymour, the house , /
jpsolved itself into a committee, to consider the
state of the nation ; and, after warm debates, re
solved, That William earl of Portland, by negoti
ating and concluding the treaty of partition, was
guilty of a high crime and misdemeanour. They
ordered Sir John Levison Gower to impeach him at
the bar os the house of lords ; and named, a com- '
mittee to prepare the articles of his impeachment.
Then, in a conference with the lords, they desired
,, X.Q know the particulars of what had passed between
the earl of Portland and secretary Vernon, in re
lation to the partition-treaty, as also what other in
formation they had obtained concerning negoti-
Qji ' atign's
248 HISTORY gf ENGLAND.
a.". »7°'-ations or treaties of partition of the Spanish mo
narchy. The lords demurring to this demand, the
lower house resolved to address the king, That
copies of both treaties of partition, together with
all the powers and instructions for negotiating those
treaties, mould be laid before them. The copies
were accordingly produced, and the lords sent down
to the commons two papers, containing the powers
granted to the earls of Portland and Jersey, for sign
ing both treaties pf partition. The house after
wards ordered, That Mr. secretary Vernon should
lay before them all the letters which had passed be
tween the earl of Portland and him, in relation to
those treaties ; and he thought proper to obey their
command. Nothing could be more scandalously
partial than the conduct of the commons on this
occasion. They resolved to flcreen the earl of
Jersey, Sir Joseph Williamson, and Mr. Vernon,
who had been as deeply concerned as any others in.
that transaction ; and pointed all their vengeance
against the earls of Portland andOrford, the lords
Somers and Hallifax. Some of the members even
tampered with Kidd, who was now a prisoner in
Newgate, to accuse lord Somers as having eft^
eouraged him in his piracy. He was brought to the
bar of the house, and examined ; but he. declared,
that he had never spoke to lord Somers ; and that
he had no order from those concerned in the ship,
but that of pursuing his voyage against the pirates
in Madagascar. Finding him unfit for their pur
pose, they left him to the course of law ; and he,
with some of his crew, were hanged.
The ewis of Lord Somers understanding that- he was accused
Tnforftrd 'n ^ nouk o^ cornmons-« of having consented to
the lords' ' the partition -treaty, desired, that he might be ad-
HaUisejTar ™tted and heard in his own defence. His request
impeached."5 being granted, he told the house, that when he re
ceived the king's letter concerning the partition-
treaty,
WILLIAM HI. 229
treaty, with an order to send over the necessary AC- '731,
powers in the most secret manner, he thought it
would have been taking too much upon him to
put a stop to a treaty of such coniequence, when
the life of the king of Spain was so precarious for,
had that king died before the treaty was finished,
and he been blamed for delaying the necessary
powers, he could not have justified his own con
duct, since the king's letter was really a warrant :
that, nevertheless, he had written a letter to his
majesty, objecting to several particulars in the treaty,
and proposing other articles which he thought were
for the interest of his country : that he thought
himself bound to put the great seal to the treaty
when it was concluded : that, as a privy-counsellor,
he had offered his best advice, and as chancellor,
executed his office according to his duty. After
he had withdrawn, his justification gave rife to a
Jong; debate, which ended in a resolution carried
by a majority of. seven voices, That John lord
Somers, by advising his maiesty to conclude the
treaty of partition, whereby large territories of the
Spanish monarchy were to be delivered up to
France, was guilty of a high: crime and misde
meanour. Votes to the fame effect wire passed
against Edward earl of Orford, and Charles lord
Hallifax ; and all three were impeached at the bar
of the upper house. But, the commons knowing
that those impeachments would produce nothing in
the house of lords, where the opposite interest pre
dominated, they resolved to proceed against the
accused noblemen in a more expeditious and effec
tual way of branding their reputation. They voted
and presented an address to the king, desiring he
would remove them from his councils and pretence
for ever, as advisers of a treaty so pernicious to the
trade and welfare of England. They concluded,
by repeating their assurances, that they would al-
53<$ HISTORY of ENGLAND.
A. c. 17°1. wavs stand by and support his majesty to the utmost
of their power, against all his enemies both at
home and abroad. The king, in his answer, art
fully overlooked the first part of the remonstrance.
He thanked them for their repeated assurances
and told them he would employ none in his service
but such as should be thought most likely to im
prove that mutual trust and confidence between him
and his people, which was so necessary at that con
juncture, both for their own security and the pre
servation of their allies. .;
frispote»be- The lords, incensed at this step of the commons,
two houses wh'cn they considered as an insult upon their tri
bunal, and a violation of common justice, drew up
and delivered a counter-address, humbly beseech
ing his majesty, that he would not pass any censure
upon the accused lords, until they should be tried
on the impeachments, and judgment be given ac
cording to the usage of parliament. The king was
so perplexed by these opposite representations, that
he knew not well what course to follow. He made
no reply to -the counter-address ; but allowed the
names of the impeached lords to remain in jthe
council-books. The commons having carriedstiteir
point, which was to stigmatize those noblemen, and
prevent their being employed for the future, suffer
ed the impeachments to be neglected, until they
themselves moved for trial. On the fifth day of
May the house of, lords sent a message to the com-
mons, importing, That no articles had as yet been
exhibited against the noblemen whom they had im
peached. The charge was immediately drawn up
against the earl of Orford, whom they accused of
having received exorbitant grants from the crown :
of having been concerned with Kidd the pirate : of
having committed abuses in managing and victual
ling the fleet when it lay on the coast of Spain : and
lastly, of having advised the partition- treaty. The
earl
WILLIAM III. 231
earl in his own defence declared, that he had receiv- *~ c- 17«'.
ed no grant from the king, except a very distant
reversion, and a present of ten thousand pounds after
he had defeated the French atLaHogue: that in
Kidd's affair he had acted legally, and with a good
intention towards the public, though to his owa
loss : that his accounts with regard to the fleet
which he commanded, had been examined and
passed ; yet, he was ready to wave that advantage,
• and justify himself in every particular: and he ab
solutely denied, that he had given any advice con
cerning the treaty of partition. Lord Somers was
accused of having set the seals to the powers, and
afterwards to the treaties : of having accepted some
grants: of having been an accomplice with Kidd:
and, of having been guilty of partial and dilatory
proceedings in chancery. He answered every article
of the charge ; but, no replication was made by the
commons, either to him or the earl of Orford.
When the commons were stimulated by another
message from the peers, releating, to the impeach
ments of the earl of Portland and lord Hallifax,
they declined exhibiting articles against the former,
on' pretence of respect for his majesty ; but, on the
fourteenth of June the charge against Hallifax was
sent up to the lords. He was taxed with possessing
a grarit in Ireland, without paying the produce of
it, according to the law lately enacted concerning
those grants : with enjoying another grant out of '
the forest of Dean, to the waste of the timber, and
the prejudice of the navy : with having held places
that were incompatible, by being at the fame time
commissioner of the treasury, arid chancellor of the
exchequer : and, with having advised the two trea
ties of partition. He answered, that his grant in
Ireland was of debts and sums of money, not within
the act concerning confiscated estates : that all he
•had ever received from it, did not exceed four hu.n-
232 HISTORY or ENGLAND.
a c. 17°1. dre{j pounds, which, if he was hound to repay, %
common action would lie against him ; but every
man was not to be impeached who did not discharge
his debts at the very day of payment. He observed,
that as his grant in the forest of Dean extended to
weedings only, it could occasion no waste of timber,
nor prejudice to the navy : that the auditor's place
was held by another perlbn, until he obtained the
king's leave to withdraw from the treasury : that he
never saw the first treaty of partition, nor was his.
advice asked upon the subject : that he had never
heard of the second but once before it was conclud
ed ; and then he spoke his sentiments freely on the
subject. This answer, like the others, would have
been neglected by the commons, whose aim was
.. how to evade the trials, had not the lords pressed
them by messages to expedite the articles. They
even appointed a day for OrsordV trial, and signi
fied their resolution to the commons, who desired
that a committee of bpth houses should be named
for settling preliminaries, one of which was, That
the lord to be tried should not "sit as a peer ; and the
other imported, That those lords impeached for the
fame matter should not vote in the trial of each
other., They likewise desired, that lord Somers
Ihould be first tried. The lords made no objection
to this last demand ; but they rejected the proposal
of a committee consisting of both houses, alledging,
that the commons were parties, and had no title to
sit in equality with the judges, or to settle matters
relating to the trial : that this was a demand con
trary to the principles of law and rules of jtiftice,
and ,never practised in any court or nation. The
- lords, indeed, had yielded to this expedient in the
popish plot, hecaule it was a case of treason, in
which the king's life and safety of the kingdom
were conqemed, while the people were jealous of
the court, and the whole nation was in a ferment :
but
z
WILLIAM siL 2j3
frut at present the times were quiet, and the charge Ar c? 'T9'r
amounted to nothing more than misdemeanours -f
therefore the lords could not assent to such a pro
posal as was derogatory from their jurisdiction.
Neither would they agree to the preliminaries j but
on the twelfth day of June, resolved, That no peer
impeached for high crimes and misdemeanour?,
should upon his trial be without the bar : and, Thai
po peer impeached- can be precluded from voting
on any occasion, except in his own trial. Divers
messages passed between the two houses ; the com-r
mons still infilling upon a committee to settle pre
liminaries : at length, the dispute was brought to a
free conference.
Mean while, the king going to the house ofThehou%
peers, gave the royal assent to the bill of succession; ofPee£ac*
and in his speech expressed his warm acknowledg- impeached
ments for their repeated assurances of supporting lord!'
. him in such alliances as should be most proper for
the preservation of the liberty of Europe, and for
the security of England and the states-general. He
observed, that the season of the year was advanced ;
that the posture of affairs absolutely required his
presence abroad : and, he recommended dispatch
of the public business^, especially of those matters
which were of the greatest importance. The com
mons thanked him in an address for having ap
proved of their proceedings : declared they would
support him in such alliances as he should think fk to
make in conjunction with the emperor and the states-
general, for the peace of Europe, and reducing
the exorbitant power of France. Then they re
sumed their dispute with the upper house. In the
free conference, lord Haversham happened to tax
the commons with partiality, in impeaching some
lords and screening others, who were equally guilty
of the fame misdemeanours. Sir Christopher Muf-
grave and the managers for the commons irnmedt-
HISTORY of ENGLAND.
•ately withdrew, and this unguarded sally being"
reported to the house, they immediately resolved,
That John lord Haversham had uttered most: scan
dalous reproaches and false expressions, highly re
flecting upon the honour and justice of the house
of commons, tending to a breach in the good cor
respondence between the two houses, and to the in
terruption of the public justice of the nation : That
the said lord Haversham should be charged before
the lords for the said words : That the lords mould
be desired to proceed injustice against him, and to in
flict upon him such punishment as so high an offence
against the commons did deserve. The commons
had now found a pretence to justify their delay ; and
declared they would not renew the conference un
til they should have received satisfaction. Lord
Haversham offered to submit to a trial ; but, in
sisted on their first proving the words which he was
said to have spoken. When this declaration waj$;
imparted to the commons, they said, the lords ought
to have censured him in a summary way ; and still
refused to renew the conference. The lordsyorr
the other hand, came to a resolution, That there
should not be a committee of both houses concerfi-^
ing the trial of the impeached lords. Then they
resolved, That lord Somers should be tried in West
minster-hall on Tuesday the seventeenth day of
June, and signified this resolution to the lower
house; reminding them, at the same time, of the
articles against the earl of Portland. The com
mons refused to appear, alledging, they were the
only judges, and that the evidence was nor yet
prepared. They sent up the reasons of their non-
appearance to the house of lords, where they were
supported by the new ministry and all the malcon
tents, and produced very warm debates. The ma
jority carried their point piecemeal, by dint of dif
ferent v6tes, against which very severe protests were
entered,
WILLIAM III.
entered. On the day appointed for the trial, they A
sent a message to the commons, that they were
going to Westminster- hall. The other impeached
lords asked leave, and were permitted to withdraw.
The articles of impeachment against lord Somers,
and his answers, being read in Westminster-hall,
and the commons not appearing to prosecute, the
lords adjourned to their own house, where they de
bated concerning the question that was to be put.
This being settled, they returned to Westminster-
hall and the question being put, " That John
" lord Somers be acquitted of the articles of im-
" peachment against him, exhibited by the house
" of commons, and all things therein contained :
" and, That the impeachment be dismissed ?" It
was carried by a majority of thirty-five. The com
mons, exasperated at these proceedings, resolved,
That the lords had refused justice to the commons :
That they had endeavoured to overturn the right
ofi impeachments lodged in the commons by the
antient constitution of the kingdom : and, That all
the ill consequences which might attend the delay
of. she supplies, given for. the preservation of the
public peace, and the maintenance of the balance
of:, ijiu^ope,,,, would be owing to those who, to pro
cure an indemnity for their own crimes, had used
their utmost endeavours to make a breach between
the two houses. The lords lent a message to the
commons, giving them to understand, that they
had acquitted lord Somers, and dismissed the im
peachment, as no "body had appeared to support the
articles : and, that they had appointed next Mon
day for the trial of the earl of Orford. They re
solved, that unless the charge against lord Haver-
iham should be prosecuted by the commons before
the end of the session, the lords would adjudge hinr
innocent. That the resolutions of the commons in
their late votes, contained most unjust reflections
- • * on
1

t36 HISTORY of ENGLAND.

a. c. »7or. on the honour and justice of the peers : That they
were contrived to cover their affected and unreason-
able delays in prosecuting the impeached lords ;
That they manifestly tended to the destruction of
the judicature of the lords ; to the rendering trials
on impeachments impracticable for the future ; and
to the subverting the constitution of the English
government: That therefore, whatever ill conse
quences might arise from the so long deferring the
supplies for this year's service, were to be attributed
to the fatal counsel of the putting off the meeting
of the parliament so long, and to the unnecessary
delays of the house of commons. On the twenty-
third day of June, the articles of impeachment
against Edward earl of Orford were read in West
minster-hall ; but the house of commons having
previously ordered that none of their members
should appear at this pretended trial, those articles
were not supported: so that his lordship was ac
quitted, and the impeachment dismissed. Next
day, the impeachment against the duke of Leeds,
which had lain seven years neglected, together with
those against the earl of Portland and lord Hallifax,
as well as the charge against lord Haveriham,, were
dismissed for want of prosecution. Each house or
dered a narrative of these proceedings to be publish-
• ed ; and their mutual animosity had proceeded to
such a degree of rancour, as seemed to preclude all
possibility of reconciliation. The commons, irt
the whole course of this transaction, had certainly
acted from the motives of faction and revenge ; for
nothing could be more unjust, frivolous, and par
tial, than the charge exhibited in the articles of
impeachment, their anticipating address to the king,
and their affected delay in the prosecutions. Their
conduct on this occasion was so flagrant as to attract
the notice of the common people, and inspire the
generality of the nation with disgust.. This the
Whig?
WILLIAM lit. i3f
Whigs did not fail to augment by the afts of ca- A. c. i71M.
lumny, and in particular, by insinuating that the
court of Versailles had found means to engage the
majority of the commons in its interest.
These had, since the beginning of this session, em- Petition of
ployed their emissaries in exciting a popular aversion Kem-
to the Tory ministers and members, and succeeded
fo well 'in their endeavours, that they formed a
scheme of obtaining petitions from different coun
ties and corporations, that should induce the com
mons to alter their conduct, on the supposition that
it was contrary to the sense of the nation. In exe
cution of this scheme, a petition signed by the de
puty-lieutenants, above twenty justices of the peace,
the grand jury and freeholders of the county of
Kent, had been presented to the house of commons
on the eighteenth day ot May, by five gentlemen
of fortune and distinction. The purport of this re
monstrance was, to recommend union among them
selves, and confidence in his majesty, whose great
actions for the nation could never be forgot with
out the blackest ingratitude : to beg they would
have regard to the voice of the people ; that their
religion and safety might be. effectually provided
for : that their loyal addresses might be turned into
bills of supply ; and that his most sacred majesty
might be enabled powerfully to assist his allies be
fore it should be too late. The house was so in
censed at the petulance of the petition, that they
voted it scandalous, insolent, and seditious ; and
ordered the gentlemen who had presented it to be
taken into custody. They were afterwards com
mitted to the Gate-house, where they remained
till the prorogation of parliament : but they had no
reason to repine at their imprilbnment, which re
commended them to the notice and esteem of the
public. They were visited and carassed by the
chief of the Whig interest, and considered as mar-
«, tyrs
233 H I S T O R Y of E N G LAN D.
A.c. »[Link] to the liberties of the people. Their confine
ment gave rife to a very extraordinary paper, in-
titled, " A memorial from the gentlemen, free-
" holders, and inhabitants of the counties of- ,
" in behalf of themselves, and many thousands of
" the good people of England." It was signed
Legion, and sent to the speaker in a letter, com
manding him, in the name of two hundred thou
sand Englishmen, to deliver it to the house of com
mons. In this strange expostulation, the house
was charged with illegal and unwarrantable prac
tices, in fifteen particulars ; a new claim of right
was ranged under seven heads ; and the commons
were admonished to act according to their duty, as
specified in this memorial, on pain of incurring the
resentment of an injured nation. It was concluded
in these words : " For Englishmen are no more to
" be (laves to parliaments than to kings ; our name
" is Legion, and we are many." The commons
were equally provoked and intimidated by this li
bel, which was the production of one Daniel de
Foe, a scurrilous party- writer, in veiy little estima
tion. They would not, however, deign to take no
tice [Link] in the houie ; but a complaint being made
of endeavours to raise tumults and seditions, a com
mittee was appointed to draw up an address to his
majesty, informing him of those seditious endea
vours, and beseeching him to provide for the pub-
1 lie peace and security.
Favourable The house, however, perceiving plainly that they
ftffion the mcurred tne odium of the nation, which began
to clamour for a war with France, and dreading
the popular resentment, thought fit to change their
. measures with respect to this object, and present
.the address 'we have already mentioned, in which
they promised to support him in the alliances he
should contract with the emperor and other states,
in order to bridie the exhorbkant power of France.
They
WILLIAM III.
They likewise proceeded in earnest upon the supply, A
and voted funds for raising about two millions
seven hundred thousand pounds, to defray the ex-
pence of the ensuing year. They voted thirty thou
sand seamen, and resolved that ten thousand troops
lhould be transported from Ireland to Holland, as
the auxiliaries stipulated in the treaty of seventy-
seven with the states-general. The funds were
constituted of a land-tax, ceftain duties on mer
chandise, and a weekly deduction from the excise,
so as to brins; down the civil list to six hundred
thousand pounds ; as the duke of Gloucester was
dead, and James's queen refused her allowance.
They passed a bill for taking away all privilege of
parliament in legal prosecutions, during the inter
mediate prorogations, and their last struggle with
the lords was concerning a bill for appointing com
missioners to examine and state the public accounts.
The persons nominated for this purpose were ex
tremely obnoxious to the majority of the peers, as
violent partisans of the Tory faction ,, when the bill
therefore was sent up to the lords, they made some
amendments which the commons rejected. The
former animosity between the two houses began to
revive, when the king interrupted their disputes by
putting an end to the session, on the twenty-fourth
day of June, after having thanked the parliament -
for their zeal in the public service, and exhorted
them to a discharge of their duties in their several
counties. He was no doubt extremely pleased with
such an issue of a session that had begun with a very
inauspicious aspect. His health daily declined; but
he concealed the decay of his constitution, that his
allies might not be discouraged from engaging in a
confederacy of which he was deemed the head and
chief support. He conferred the command of the
ten thousand troops destined for Holland upon the
earl of Marlborough, and appointed him at the
• 1 fame
240 H I S TO ft Y of £ N G L AND.
A.c. i7o» fame time his plenipotentiary to the states -general}
a choice that evinced his discernment and discre
tion ; for that nobleman surpassed all his cotempo-
raries, both as a general and a politician. He was
cool, penetrating, intrepid, and persevering, plausi
ble, insinuating, artful, and dissembling.
Progresses ^ regency being established, the king embarked
g?ne in " for Holland in the beginning of July ; and on his
arrival at the Hague, assisted at an assembly of the
States-general, whom he harangued in very affec
tionate terms, and was answered with great cordia
lity : then he made a progress round the frontiers*
to examine the state of the garrisons ; and gave
such orders and directions as he judged necessary
for the defence of the country. Mean while, the
French minister D'Avaux being recalled from the
Hague, delivered a letter to the states from the
French king, who complained that they had often1
interrupted the conferences* from which no good
fruits were to be expected : but he assured them
it wholly depended upon themselves, whether they
should continue to receive marks of his antient
friendship for their republic. This letter was ac-
, , companied by an insolent memorial, to which the
states-general returned a very spirited answer. AS
they expected nothing now but hostilities from
France, they redoubled their diligence in making
preparations for their own defence. They repaired
their fortifications, augmented their army, ,and
hired auxiliaries. King William and they had al
ready engaged in an alliance with the king of Den
mark, who undertook to furnish a certain number
of troops, in consideration of a subsidy ; and they
endeavoured to mediate a peace between Sweden
and Poland ; but this they could not effect. France
had likewise offered her mediation between those
powers, in hopes of bringing over Sweden to her
interest ; and the court of Vienna had tampered
with
r

WILLIAM III. C41

with the king of Poland ; but he persisted in his*-c >7°*"
resolution to prosecute the war. The Spaniards
began to be very uneasy under the dominion of
their new master. They were shocked at the inso
lence of his French ministers and attendants, and
much more at the manners and fashions which they
introduced. The grandees found themselves very
little considered by their sovereign, and resented
his oeconomy ; for he had endeavoured to retrench
the expence of the court, which had used to support
their magnificence. Prince Eugene, at the head of
the Imperial army, had entered Italy by Vicenza,
and passed the Adige near Carpi, where he defeat
ed a body of five thousand French forces. The
enemy were commanded by the duke of Savoy,
assisted by marechal Catinat and the prince of Vau-
demont, who did not think proper to hazard an en
gagement. But marechal Villeroy arriving in th«
latter end of August, with orders to attack the Im
perialists, Catinat retired in disgust. The new ge
neral marched immediately towards Chiari, where
prince Eugene was intrenched, and attacked his
camp, but met with such a reception that he was -
obliged to retire with the loss of five thousand men.
Towards the end of the campaign, the prince took
possession of all the Mantuan territories, except
Mantua itself, and Goits, the blockade of which
he formed. He reduced all the places on the Og-
lio, and continued in the field during the whole
winter, exhibiting repeated marks of the most in
vincible courage, indefatigable vigilance, and ex
tensive capacity in the art of war. In January he
had well nigh surprised Cremona, by introducing a
body of men through an old aqueduct. They forced
one of the gates, by which the prince and his
followers entered : Villeroy being wakened by the
noise, ran out into the street, where he was taken ;
and the town must have been infallibly reduced,
had prince Eugene been joined by another body of
[Link] R troops
24* HIS T O R Y o F ENGLAND.
a.c. 1701. tro0pS which he had ordered to march from the-
Parmesan, and secure the bridge. These not arriv
ing at the time appointed, an Irish regiment in the
French service took possession of . the bridge, and
the prince was obliged to retire with his prisoner.
sketch of yne Frencn king, alarmed at the activity and
thefituation . P» J
of affairs in military genius or the Imperial general, lent a
Europe. reinforcement to his army in .Italy, and the duke of
Vendome to command his forces in that country :
he likewise importuned the duke of Savoy to assist
him effectually ; but that prince, having obtained
all he could expect from France, became cold and
backward. His second daughter was by this time
married to the new king of Spain, who met her at
Barcelona, where he found himself involved in dis
putes with the states of'Catalonia, who refused to
,pay a tax he had imposed, until their privileges
should be confirmed : and he was obliged to gratify
them in this particular. The war continued, to rage
in the North. The young king of Sweden routed
the Saxons upon the river Danu ; thence he march
ed into Courland, and took possession of Mittau
without opposition while the king of Poland retir
ed into Lithuania. In Hungary the French emis
saries endeavoured to sow the seeds of a new revolt.
They exerted themselves with indefatigable indus
try in almost every court of Christendom. They
had already gained over the elector of Bavaria, and
his brother the elector of Cologne, together with
the dukes of Wolfembuttle and Saxe-Gotha, who
professed neutrality, while they levied troops, and
made such preparations for war as plainly indicated
that they had received subsidies from France. Lewis
. had also extorted a treaty of alliance from the king
of Portugal• who was personally attached to the
Austrian interest : but this weak prince was a slave
to his ministers, whom the French king had cor
rupted. During this summer, the French coasts
were overawed by the combined fleets of England
and
WILLIAM III.
and Holland, under the command of Sir Gdorge
Rooke, who sailed down the channel in the latter end
of August, and detached vice-admiral Benbow with
a strong squadron to the West-Indies. In order to
deceive the French king with regard to the desti
nation of this fleet, king William demanded the
free use of the Spanish harbours, as if his design
had been to fend a squadron to the Mediterranean :
but he met with a repulse, while the French ships
were freely admitted. About this period the king
revoked his letters-patent to the commissioners of
the admiralty, and constituted the earl of Pembroke
lord high-admiral of England, in order to avoid the
factions, the disputes, and divided counsels of a
board. The earl was no sooner promoted to this
office, than he sent captain Loades with three fri
gates to Cadiz, to bring home the sea-stores and
effects belonging to the English in that place, be
fore the war should commence ; and this piece of
service was successfully performed. The French
king, in order to enjoy all the advantages that
could be derived from his union with Spain, esta
blished a company to open a trade with Mexico and
Peru ; and concluded a new affiento treaty for sup
plying the Spanish plantations with negroes. At
the fame time he sent a strong squadron to the port
of Cadiz. The French dress was introduced into
the court of Spain ; and by a formal edict, the gran
dees of that kingdom and the peers of France were
put on a level in, each nation. There was no vigour
left in the councils of Spain : her finances were ex
hausted : her former spirit seemed to be quite ex
tinguished: the nobility were beggars, and the
common people overwhelmed with indigence and
distress. The condition of France was not much
more prosperous. She had been harrassed by along
war, and now saw herself on the eve of another,
which, in all probability, would render her com
pletely miserable.
R 2 These
244 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. 17°1. These circumstances were well known to the
emperor and the maritime powers, and served to
diunrebe- animate their negotiations for another grand al-
twt«i th= liance. Conferences were opened at the Hague ;
C™ and, on the seventh day of September, a treaty was
timepow- concluded between his Imperial majesty, England,
and the States-general. T he objects proposed, were
to procure satisfaction to the emperor in the Spanish
succession, and sufficient security for the dominions-
and commerce of the allies. They engaged to use
their endeavours for recovering the Spanish Nether
lands, as a barrier between Holland and France y
and for the emperor, the dutchy of Milan, Naples,
and Sicily, with the lands and islands upon the coast
of Tuscany, belonging to the Spanish dominions.
They agreed that the king of England and the
States-general should keep and possess whatever
lands, and cities they could conquer from the Spa
niards in the Indies : That the confederates should
faithfully communicate their designs to one another:
That no party should treat of peace or truce, but
jointly with the rest : That they should concur in
preventing the union of France and Spain under
the same government ; and hinder the French from
possessing the Spanish Indies : That, in concluding
a peace, the confederates should provide for the
maintenance of the commerce carried on by the
maritime powers to the dominions taken from the
Spaniards, and secure the states by a barrier : That
they should at the same time settle the exercise of
religion in the new conquests : That they should
assist one another with all their forces, in case of
being invaded by the French king, or any other
potentate, on account of this alliance : That a de
fensive alliance should remain between them even after
' the peace : That all kings, princes, and states should
be at liberty to engage in this alliance. They de
termined to employ two months, to obtain, by ami
cable means, the satisfaction and security which,
they
WILLIAM HI. 245
they demanded; and stipulated, that within six *• c. '7o.-
weeks the treaty should be ratified.
On the sixteenth day of September, king Death of
James expired at St. Germain's, after having la- ki
boured under a tedious indisposition. This unfor
tunate monarch, since the miscarriage of his last at
tempt for recovering his throne, had laid aside all. ,
thoughts of worldly grandeur, and devoted his
whole attention to the concerns of his foul. Tho'
he could not prevent the busy genius of his queen,
from planning new schemes of restoration, he was
always best pleased when wholly detached from such
chimerical projects. Hunting was his chief diver
sion ; but religion was his constant care. Nothing
could be more harmless than the life he led ; and
in the course of it, he subjected himself to uncom
mon penance and mortification. He frequently vi
sited the poor monks of La Trappe, who were
much edified by his humble and pious deportment.
His pride and arbitrary temper seem to have va
nished with his greatness. He became affable,
kind, and easy to all his dependents ; and his reli
gion certainly opened and improved the virtues of
his heart, though it seemed to impair the faculties
of his foul. In his last illness he conjured his son
to prefer his religion to every worldly advantage,
and even to renounce all thoughts of a crown, if
he could not enjoy it without offering violence to
his faith. He recommended to him the practice of
justice and christian forgiveness ; he himself de
claring, that he heartily forgave the prince of
Orange, the emperor, and all his enemies. He died
with great marks of devotion, and was interred, at
his own request, in the church of the English Be
nedictines in Paris, without any funeral solemnity.
Before his death he was visited by the French
king, who seemed touched with his condition; and
declared, that in cafe of his death, he would own
R 3 his
2461 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a.c 17°1. his son as king of England. This promise James's
The French queen had already extorted from him, by the in
king owns terest of Madam de Maintenon and the dauphin.
tdVrincTof Accordingly, when James died, the pretended
kTn' of5 p"nce of Wales was proclaimed king of England
Engljind. at St. Germain's, and treated as such at the court of
Versailles. His title was likewise recognized by
the king of Spain, the duke os Savoy, and the pope.
William was no sooner informed of this transac
tion, than he dispatched a courier to the king of
Sweden, as guarantee of the treaty of Ryswick,
to complain of this manifest violation. At the fame
time, he recalled the earl of Manchester from Paris,
and ordered him to return without taking an au
dience of leave. That nobleman immediately
withdrew, after having intimated to the marquis de
Torcy the order he had received. Lewis, in vin
dication of his own conduct, dispersed through all
the courts of Europe, a manifesto, in which he
affirmed, that in owning the prince of Wales as
king of England, he had not infringed any article
of the treaty of Ryswick. He confessed, that in
the fourth article, he had promised that he would
not disturb the king of Great-Britain in the peace
able possession of his dominions ; and he declared
his intention was to observe that promise punc
tually. He observed, that his generosity would
not allow him to abandon the prince of Wales, or
his family : that he could not refuse him a title
which was due to him by birth : that he had more.
reason to complain of the king of Great-Britain,
and the States-general, whose declarations and pre
parations in favour of the emperor might be re
garded as real contraventions to treaties : finally,
he quoted some instances from history, in which
the children enjoyed the titles of kingdoms which
their fathers had lost. These reasons, however,
would hardly have induced -the French king to
WILLIAM III. , a47
take such a step, had not he perceived that a war A-c-'71".
with England was inevitable ; and that he should
be able to reap some advantages in the course of it,
from espousing the cause of the pretender.
• The substance of the French manifesto was pub- kitg'wu-*
fished in London by Pouffin the secretary of Tal- lia™onth"
lard, who had been left in England, as agent for-si,b^ect'
the court of Versailles. He was now ordered to
leave the kingdom, which was filled with indigna
tion at Lewis, for having pretended to declare who
ought to be their sovereign. The city of London
prelented an address to the lords-justices, expressing
the deepest resentment of the French king's pre
sumption ; and assuring his majesty, that they
would at all times exert the utmost of their abili
ties for the preservation of his person, and the de
fence of his just rights, in opposition to all inva
ders of his crown and dignity. Addresses of the
fame nature were sent up from all parts of the king*
dom, ana could not but be agreeable to William.
He had now concerted measures for acting with
vigour against France ; and resolved to revisit hjs
kingdom, after having made considerable progreis
in ^treaty of perpetual alliance between England
and the States-general, which was afterwards brought
to perfection by his plenipotentiary the earl of Marl-
borough. The king's return, however, was de
layed a whole month by a severe indisposition ;
during which the Spanish minister De Quiros hired
certain physicians to consult together upon the state
and nature of his distemper. They declared that
he could not outlive many weeks ; and this opinion
was transmitted to Madrid. William, however,
baffled the prognostic; though his constitution. had
sustained such arude shock, that he himself perceived
his end was. near. He told the earl of Portland,
he found himself so weak that he could not expect
to live another summer ; but charged him to con-
< R a. ceal
»48 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. 17°1. ceal this circumstance until he should be dead.
Notwithstanding this near approach to dissolution,
he exerted himself with surprising diligence and spi
rit in establishing the confederacy, and settling the
plan of operations. A subsidiary treaty was con
cluded with the king of Prussia, who engaged to
furnish a certain number of troops. The emperor
agreed to maintain ninety thousand men in the
field to act against France : the proportion of the
states was limited to one hundred and two thousand;
and that of England did not exceed forty thousand,
to act in conjunction with the allies.
New par- On the fourth day of November the king arrived
himent jn £,^1^^ which he found in a strange ferment,
produced from the mutual animosity of the two
factions. They reviled each other in words and
writing with all the falshood of calumny, and all
the bitterness of rancour ; so that truth, candour,
and temperance, seemed to be banished by consent
of both parties. The king had found himfelf de
ceived in his new ministers, who had opposed his
measures with all their influence. He was par
ticularly disgusted with the deportment of the earl
of Rochester, who proved altogether imperious and
untractable j and, instead of moderating, inflamed
the violence of his party. The king declared, the
year in which that nobleman directed his councils,
was the uneasieft of his whole life. He could not
help expressing his displeasure in such a coldness of
reserve, that Rochester told him he would serve his
majesty no longer, since he did not enjoy his confi
dence. William made no answer to this expostula
tion, but resolved he should see him no more. The
earl, however, at the desire of Mr. Harley, be
came more pliant and submissive ; and, after the
king's departure for Holland, repaired to his go
vernment of Ireland, in which he now remained,
exerting all his endeavours to acquire popularity.
William,
, W I L L I A M III. 240
William, foreseeing nothing but opposition from the A C- *r&
present spirit of the house of commons, closetted
some of their leaders, with a view to bespeak their
compliance: but finding them determined to pur
sue their former principles, and to insist upon their
impeachments, he resolved, with the advice of his
friends, to dissolve the parliament. This step he
was the more easily induced to take, as the commons
were become extremely odious to the nation in ge
neral, which breathed nothing but war and defiance
against the French monarch. The parliament was
accordingly dissolved by proclamation, and ano
ther summoned to meet on the thirtieth day of De
cember. . "
Never did the two parties proceed with such heat The king.*
and violence against each other, as in their endea- lollST*
vours to influence the new elections. The Whigs, h°u<« «-
however, obtained the victory, as they included the ^Ta™
mo'nied-interest, which will always prevail among P1""^
the borough-electors. Corruption was now reduced
into an open and avowed commerce; and, had
not the people been so universally venal and profli
gate^ that no sense of shame remained, the victors
must have blushed for their success. Though the
majority thus obtained was staunch to the measures
of die court, the choice of speaker fell upon Mr.
Harley, contrary to the inclination of the king,
who favoured Sir Thomas Lyttleton : but his ma
jesty's speech was received with universal applause.
It was so much admired by the well-wishers to the
revolution, that they printed it with decorations,
in the English, Dutch, and French languages. It,
appeared as apiece of furniture in all their houses, '
and as the king's last legacy to his own and all pro
testant people. In this celebrated harangue, he
expatiated upon the indignity offered to the nation
by the French king's acknowledging the pretended
prince of Wales : he explained the dangers to which
*5<* HISTORY of EN GL AND.
A. c. i-oi. it was exposed, by his placing his grandson on the
throne of Spain ,, he gave them to understand he
had concluded several alliances, according to the
encouragement given him by both houses of par
liament, which alliances should be layed before
them, together with other treaties still depending.
He observed, that the eyes of all Europe were
upon this parliament ; and all matters at a stand,
until their resolution should be known : therefore
bo time ought to be lost. He told them they had
yet an opportunity to secure for themselves and
their posterity the quiet enjoyment of their religion
and liberties, if they were not wanting to them
selves, but would exert the antient vigour of the
English nation : but he declared his opinion was,
that should they neglect this occasion, they had no
reason to hope for another. He said it would be
necessary to maintain a great strength at sea, and a
force at land proportionable to that of their allies.
He pressed the commons to support the public cre
dit, which could not be preserved without keeping
sacred that maxim, that they shall never be losers
who trust to a parliamentary security. He declar
ed, that he neyer asked aids from his people with
out regret ; that what he desired was for their own
safety and honour, at such a critical time ; and that
the whole should be appropriated to the purposes
for which it was intended. He expressed his wil
lingness that the accounts should be yearly submitt
ed to the inspection of parliament. He again re
commended dispatch, together with good bills for
employing the poor, encouraging trade, and sup
pressing vice. He expressed his hope that they
v were come together determined to avoid disputes
and differences, and to act with a hearty concur
rence for promoting the common cause. He said
he should think it as great a blessing as could befal
England, it they were as much inclined to lay aside
those
; WILLIAM III.
those unhappy fatal animosities which divided and A c-
weakened them, , as he was disposed to make all his
subjects safe and easy, as to any, even the highest
offences committed against his person. He con
jured them to disappoint the hopes of their enemies
by their unanimity. As he had always shewn, and
always would shew, how desirous he was to be the
common father of all his people, he desired they
would lay aside parties and divisions, so as that no
distinctions should be heard of amongst them, but
of those who were friends to the protestant religion
and present establishment, and of those who wished
for a popish prince and a French government. He
concluded by affirming, that if they, in good ear
nest, desired to see England hold the balance of
Europe, and be indeed at the head of the protestant
interest, it would appear by their improving the pre
sent opportunity. The lords immediately drew up
a warm and affectionate address, in which they ex
pressed their resentment of the proceedings of the
French king, in owning the pretended prince of
Wales for king of England. They assured his ma
jesty they would assist him to the utmost of their
power against all his enemies ; and, when it should
please God to deprive them of his majesty's protec
tion, they would vigorously assist and defend against
the pretended prince of Wales, and all other pre
tenders whatsoever, every person and persons who
had right to succeed to the crown of England, by
virtue of the acts of parliament for establishing and
-limiting the succession. On the fifth day of Jan
uary, an address to the fame effect was presented by
the commons, and both met with a very gracious
reception from his majesty. The lords, as a fur
ther proof of their zeal, having taken into conside
ration the dangers that threatened Europe, from
the accession of the duke of Anjou to the crown
of Spain, drew up another address, explaining
their
i52 HISTORY of ENGLANDi
a.ci7oj. their sense of that danger; stigmatising the French
king as a violator of treaties; declaring their opi
nion, that his majesty, his subjects, and allies, could
never be safe and secure, until the house of Austria
mould be restored to their rights, and the invader
of the Spanish monarchy brought to reason ; and
assuring his majesty that no time should be lost,
nor any thing wanting on their parts, which might
answer the reasonable expectations of their friends
abroad ; not doubting but to support the reputation
of the English name, when engaged under so great
a prince, in the glorious cause of maintaining the
liberty of Europe.
Great har The king, in order to acquire the confidence of the
mony be
tween the commons, ordered Mr. secretary Vernon to lay before
king and them, copies of the treaties and conventions he had
parliament
lately concluded, which were so well approved, that
the house unanimously voted the supply. By an
other vote, they authorised the exchequer to borrow
six hundred thousand pounds at fix per cent. for the
service of the fleet, and fifty thousand pounds for
the subsistence of guards and garrisons. They de
liberated upon the state of the navy, with the debt
due upon it, and examined an estimate of what
would be necessary for extraordinary repairs. They
called for an account of that part of the national
debt for which no provision had been made. They
ordered the speaker to write to the trustees for the
forfeited estates in Ireland, to attend the house with
a full detail of their proceedings in the execution of
that act of parliament. On the ninth day of Jan
uary, they unanimously resolved, That leave be
given to bring in a bill for securing his majesty's
person, -and the succession of the crown in the pro-
testanrline, for extinguishing the hopes of the pre
tended prince of Wales, and all other pretenders,
and their open and secret abettors. They resolved
to address his majesty, that he would insert an ar
ticle
r
WILLIAM III. 253
ticle in all his treaties of alliance, importing, That A- c 'T"1-
no peace should be made with France, until his
majesty and the nation have reparation for the great
indignity offered by the French king, in owning
and declaring the pretended prince of Wales king
of England, Scotland, and Ireland. They agreed
to maintain forty thousand men for the sea-service,
and a like number by land, to act in conjunction
with the forces of the allies, according to the pro
portions settled by the contracting powers. The
supplies were raised by an imposition of four mil
lings in the pound upon lands, annuities, pensions,
and stipends, and on the profits arising from the
different professions : by a tax of two and one half
per cent. on all stock in trade, and money at in
terest ; of five shillings in the pound on all salaries,
fees, and perquisites ; a capkation-tax of four shil
lings ; an imposition of one per cent. on all shares
in the capital stock of any corporation or company
which should be bought, sold, or" bargained for :
a duty of sixpence per bushel on malt, and a fur
ther duty on mum, cyder, and perry.
The commons seemed to vie with the lords in The two"
their zeal for the government. They brought in j^,^
a bill for attainting the pretended prince of Wales, abjuration,
which being sent up to the other house, passed with
an additional clause of attainder against the queen,
who acted as regent for the pretender. This,
however, was not carried without great opposition
in the house of lords. When the bill was sent back
to the commons, they excepted to the amendment
as irregular. They observed, that attainders by
bill constituted the most rigorous part of the law j
and, that the stretching of it ought to be avoided.
They proposed, that the queen should be attainted
by a separate bill. The lords assented to the pro
posal : the bill against the pretended prince of
Wales
254- HISTORY op ENGLAND.
a. c 17°1. Wales passed. The lords passed another for at
tainting the queen ; however, it was neglected in
the house of commons. But, the longest and
warmest debates of this session were produced by a
bill, which the lords brought in for abjuring the
pretended prince of Wales, and swearing to the
king, by title of rightful and lawful king, and his
heirs, according to the act of settlement. It was pro
posed, that this oath should be voluntary, tendered
to all persons, and their subscription or refusal re
corded, without any other penalty. This article
was violently opposed by the earl of Nottingham,
and other lords of the Tory-interest. They observ
ed, that the government was first settled with
another oath, which was like an original contract ;
so that there was no occasion for a new imposition:
that oaths relating to men's opinions had been al
ways considered as severe impositions : and that a
voluntary oath was in its own nature unlawful.
During these disputes, another bill of abjuration
was brought into the house of commons by Sir
Charles Hedges, that should be obligatory on all
persons who enjoyed employments in church or
state ; it likewise included an obligation to main-
• tain the government, in king, lords, and commons,
and to maintain the church of England, together
with the toleration for dissenters. Warm debates
arose upon the question, Whether the oath should
be imposed or voluntary ? and at length, it was
carried for imposition, by the majority of one voice.
They agreed to insert an additional clause, declaring
it equally penal to compass or imagine the death
of her royal highness the princess Anne of Den
mark, as it was to compass or imagine the death of
the king's eldest son and heir. In the house of
peers this bill was strenuousiy opposed by the
Tories ; and when, after long debates, it passed on
W I LLIAM III. 255
the twenty-fourth day of February, ten lords enter- a. c.1701.
ed a protest against it as an unnecessary and severe
imposition.
The whole nation now seemed' to join in the cry The lower
for a war with France. Party-heats began to abate; g""^"^
the factions in the city of London were in a great cwding/of
measure moderated by the union of the two com- ^nSc°™"he
panies trading to the East-Indies, which found their preceding
mutual interest required a coalition. The Tories Parliame,l,:*
in the house of commons having concurred so
heartily with the inclinations of the people, resolved,
as far as it lay in their power, to justify the conduct
of their party in the preceding parliament. They
complained of some petitions and addresses which
had reflected upon the proceedings of the last house
of commons, and particularly of the Kentish peti
tion. The majority, however, determined, that it
was the undoubted right of the people of England,
to petition or address the king, for the calling,
sitting, or dissolving of parliaments, and for the re
dressing of grievances ; and, that every subject un
der any accusation, either by impeachment or other
wise, had a right to be brought to a speedy trial.
A complaint being likewise made, that the lords
had denied the commons justice in the matter of
the late impeachments, a furious debate ensued ;
and it was carried by a very small majority, that
justice had not been denied. In some points, how
ever, they succeeded. In the case of a controverted
election at Maidstone, between Thomas Blisse and
Thomas Culpepper, the house resolved, That the
latter had been not only guilty of corrupt, scan
dalous, and indirect practices, in endeavouring to
procure himself to be elected a burgess, but like
wise, being one of the instruments in promoting
and presenting the scandalous, insolent, and sedi
tious petition, commonly called the Kentisti peti
tion, to the last house of commons, was guilty of
pro-
256 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a.c. 1 7o i. promoting a scandalous, villainous, and groundless
reflection upon that house, by aspersing the mem
bers with receiving French money, or being in the
interest of France ; for which offence he was ordered
to be committed to Newgate, and to be prosecuted
by his majesty's attorney-general. They also re
solved, That to assert that the house of commons is
not the only representative of the commons of Eng
land, tends to the subversion of the rights and pri
vileges of the house of commons, and the funda
mental constitution of the government of this king
dom : That to assert, that the house of commons
have no power of commitment, but of their own
members, tends to the subversion of the constitution
of the house of commons : That to print or
publish any books or libels, reflecting upon the
proceedings of the house of commons, or any mem
ber thereof, for, or relating to his service therein,
is a high violation of the rights and privileges of
the house of commons. Notwithstanding these
transactions, they did not neglect the vigorous pro
secution of the war. They addressed his majesty
to interpose with his allies, that they might increase
their quotas of land-forces, to be put on board the
fleet in proportion to the numbers his majesty
should embark. When they had settled the sums
appropriated to the several uses of the war, they
presented a second address, desiring he would pro- '
vide for the half-pay officers in the first place, in
the recruits and levies to be made. The king as
sured them, it was always his intention to provide
for those officers. He went to the house of peers,
and gave the royal assent to an act, appointing com
missioners to take, examine, and determine the
debts due to the army, navy, and the transport-
service ; and also an account of prizes taken during
die war.

The
WILLIAM IIL a57
The affairs of Ireland were not a little embar- A-c- '7*'-
rassed by the conduct of the trustees appointed tO Affairs of
take cognizance of the forfeited estates., Their Irebad"
office was extremely odious to the people, as well
as to the court, and their deportment was arbitrary
and imperious. Several individuals of that king
dom, provoked by the insolence of the trustees on
one hand, and encouraged by the countenance of
the courtiers on the other, endeavoured by a cir
cular letter, to spirit up the grand-jury of Ireland
against the act of resumption ; and petitions were
presented to the king, couched in very strong terms,
affirming, that it was injurious to the protestant in
terest, and had been obtained by gross misinforma
tions. The king having communicated these ad
dresses to the house, they were immediately voted
scandalous, falie, and groundless ; and the com
mons resolved, That notwithstanding the com
plaints and clamours against the trustees, it did not
appear to the house but those complaints were
groundless ; nevertheless, they afterwards received
several petitions, imploring relief against the said
act ; and they ordered that the petitioners should
be relieved accordingly. Proposals were delivered
in for incorporating such as should purchase the said
forfeitures, on certain terms therein specified, ac
cording to the rent-roll, when verified and made
good to the purchasers ; but, whereas in this rent-
roll the value of the estates had been estimated at
something more than seven hundred and sixteen
thousand pounds, those who undertook to make
the purchase, affirmed, they were not worth five
hundred thousand pounds: and thus the affair re
mained in suspense.
With respect to Scotland, the clamours of that The vng
kingdom had not yet subsided. When the bill of ria-mmtau
abjuration passed in the house of peers, the earl Of thetwo"
Nottingham had declared, that although he- differed *-wSiom.
NT, 86. S in
2^8. HIS TtiRY of ENGLAN D.
A. (.-. 1701. jn opinion from the majority in many particulars re
lating to that bill, yet he was a friend to the design
of it ; and, in order to secure, a protestant succes
sion, he thought an union of the whole island was
absolutely necessary. He therefore moved for an
address to the king, that he would dissolve the par
liament of Scotland now sitting, as the legality of
it might be called in question, on account of its
having be^n originally a convention ; and, that a
new parliament mould be summoned, that they
riiight treat about an union of the two kingdoms.
The king had this affair so much at heart, that
even when he was disabled from going to the par
liament in person, he sent a letter to the commons,
expressing an eager desire that a treaty for this pur
pose might be set on foot, and earnestly recom
mended -this affair to the consideration of the house.
But, as a new parliament in Scotland could not be
called without a great risque, while the nation was
in such a ferment, the project was postponed' io a
more favourable opportunity.
Ht soils Before the king's return from Holland, he had
hurse h's concerted with his allies the operations of the fensu-
ing campaign. He had engaged in a negotiation
with the prince, of Hesse-D'Armstadt, who assured
him, that if he would besiege and take Cadiz, the
admiral of Castile and divers other grandees of
Spain, would declare for the house of Austria. The
allies had also determined upon the siege of Keyser-
swaert, which the elector of Cologne had delivered
into the hands of the French : the elector of
Hanover had resolved to disarm the princes of
. Wolfembuttle : the king of the Romans and prince
Lewis of Baden, undertook to invest Landau ; and
the emperor promised to fend a powerful reinforce
ment to prince Eugene in Italy ; but William did
not live to fee these schemes put in execution. His
constitution- was by this time almost exhausted,
'though
WILLIAM III. 7.59
though he endeavoured to conceal the effects of A-c-
his malady, and to repair his health by exercise.
On the twenty-first day of February, in riding to
Hampton-court from Kensington, his horse fell un
der him, and he himself was thrown upon the
ground with such violence, as produced a fracture
in his collar bone. His attendants conveyed him
to the palace of Hamptost-court, where the fracture
>Vas reduced by Ronjat his serjeant-surgeon. In
the evening he returned to Kensington in his coach,
and the two ends of the fractured bone having
been disunited by the joking of the carriage, were
replaced under the inspection of Bidloo his physi.
cian. He seemed to be in a fair way of recovering
till the first day of March, when his knee seemed
to be inflamed, with great pain and weakness,
Next day he granted a commission under the great
seal to several peers, for passing the bills to which
both houses of parliament had agreed, namely, the
act of attainder against the pretended prince of
Wales ; and another in favour of the Quakers, en
acting, That their solemn affirmation and declara
tion mould be accepted instead of an oath in the
usual form. • '
, : ,,On the fourth day of March the king was so well h;» death]
recovered of his lameness, that he took several turns"
in the gallery at Kensington ; but, sitting down on
a couch where he fell asieep, he was seized with a
shivering, which terminated in a fever and diarrhœa.
He was attended by Sir Thomas Millington, Sir
Richard Blackmore, Sir Theodore Colledon, Dr.
Bidloo, and other eminent physicians; but their
prescriptions ptoved ineffectual. On the sixth he
granted another commission for passing the bill for
the malt-tax, and the act of abjuration: arid, being
so weak that he could not write his name, he, irt
presence of the lord- keeper and the clerks of parlia
ment, applied a stamp prepared for the purpose,
S 2 The
26o HISTORT of ENGLAND.
*.e.»7°'-The earl of Albemarle arriving from Holland, con
ferred with him in private on the posture of affairs
abroad ; but he received his informations with
great coldness, and said, " Je tire vers ma fin." " I
" approach the end of life" In the evening hfc
thanked Dr. Bildoo for his care and tenderness, fay
ing, " I know that you and the other learned phy-
** sicians have done all that your art can do for my
•* relief ; but finding all means ineffectual, I sub-
** mit." He received spiritual consolation from
archbishop Tenison, and Burnet bishop of Salibury:
on Sunday morning the sacrament was administred
to him. The lords of the privy-council, and divers
noblemen attended in the adjoining apartments,
and to some of them who were admitted, he spoke
a little. He thanked lord Overkirk for his long
and faithful services : he delivered to lord Albe
marle the keys of his closet and scrutore, telling,
him, he knew what to do with them. He inquired
for the earl of Portland ; but being speechless be-:
fore that nobleman arrived, he grasped his hand*
and laid it to his heart with marks of the most ten
der affection, . On the eighth day of March he ex
pired, in the fifty- second year of his age, after
having reigned thirteen years. The lords Lexing
ton and Scarborough, who were in waiting, no
sooner perceived the king was dead, than they or
dered Ronjat to untie from his left arm a black
ribbon, to which was affixed a 'ring, containing;
some hair of the late queen Mary. The body be
ing opened and embalmed, lay in state for some
time at Kensington ; and on the twelfth day of
April was deposited in a vault of Henry's chapel irt
Westminster-abbey. In the beginning of May, a
will which he had intrusted with monsieur Schuylem-
berg, was opened at the Hague. In this he had
declared his cousin prince Frison of Nassau, 'stadt-
holder of Friesland, his sole and universal heir, and
' * appoint'-

.
WILLIAM III. tSi
appointed the states-general his executors. ByaA,c,,7°*
codicil annexed, he had bequeathed the lordship of
Breevert, and a legacy of two hundred thousand
guilders, to the earl of Albemarle.
William III. was in his person of the middle ™* ch»-
stature, a thin body and delicate constitution, subject ™cter'
to an asthma and continual cough from his infancy.
He had an aquiline nose, sparkling eyes, a large
forehead, and a grave solemn aspect. He was very ,
sparing of speech : his conversation was dry, and his
manner disgusting, except in battle, when his de
portment was free, spirited, and animating. In .
courage, fortitude, and equanimity, he rivalled the
most eminent warriors of antiquity ; and his natural
sagacity made amends for the defects in his educa
tion, which had not been properly superintended.
He was religious, temperate, generally just and sin
cere, a stranger to violent transports of passion, and
might have passed for one of the best princes of the
age in which he lived, had he never ascended the
throne of Great-Britain. But, the distinguishing
criterion of his character was ambition. To this
he sacrificed the punctilios of honour and decorum,
in- deposing his own father-in-law and uncle ; and
this he gratified at the expence of the nation that
raised him to sovereign authority. He aspired to
the honour of acting as umpire in all the contests
of Europe ; and the second object of his attention
was, the prosperity of that country to which he
owed his birth and extraction. Whether he really
thought the interests of the continent and Great-
Britain were inseparable, or sought only to drag
England into the confederacy as a convenient ally,
certain' it is, he involved these kingdoms in foreign
connexions, which, in all probability, will be pro
ductive of their ruin. In order to establish this
favourite point, he scrupled not to employ all the
engines of corruption, by which the morals of the
S 3 nation
262 HISTORY of ENGLAND,
a.c. 17°1. nation were totally debauched. He procured a par
liamentary sanction for a standing army, which now'
seems to be interwoven in the constitution. He in-
oidmfxon troduced the pernicious practice of borrowing upon
Boj-tr. remote funds ,, an expedient that necessarily hatched
staa?eTrlcts.a brood of usurers, brokers, and stock-jobbers, to
Tindai. prey upon the vitals of their country. He intailed
VclSre. uPon tne n^tlon a growing debt, and a system of
politics big with misery, despair, and destruction.
To sum up his character in a few words : William
was a fatalist in religion, indefatigable in war, en
terprising in politics, dead to all the warm and ge
nerous emotions of the human heart, a cold rela
tion, an indifferent' husband, a disagreeable man,
an ungracious prince, and an imperious sove-'/
reign.

ANNE.
[ 263 ]

• A N N E.

TTJILLIAM was succeeded as sovereign of A" c" 17°u

W England, by. Anne princess of Denmark, Anne sue-
who ascended the throne in the thirty eighth year th"
of her age, to the general satisfaction of all parties.
Even the Jacobites seemed pleased with her eleva
tion, on the supposition, that as in all probability
she would leave no heirs of her own body, the dic
tates of natural affection would induce her to alter
the succession in favour of her own brother. She
had been taught to cherish warm sentiments of the
Tories, whom she considered as the friends of mo
narchy, and the true sons of the church ; and they
had always professed an inviolable attachment to her
person and interest ; but, her conduct was wholly
influenced by the countess of Marlborough, a wo
man of an imperious temper and intriguing genius,
who had been intimate with the princess from her
tender years, and gained a surprising ascendancy over
her spirit. Anne had undergone some strange vicis
situdes of fortune in consequence of her father's
expulsion, and sustained a variety of mortifications
in the late reign, during which she conducted her
self with such discretion, as left little or no pretence
for censure or resentment. Such conduct, indeed,
was in a great measure owing to a natural tempe
rance of disposition, not easily ruffled or inflamed.
She was zealously devoted to the church of Eng
land, from which her father had used some endea
vours to detach her before the revolution and she •
lived in great harmony with her husband, to whom
she bore six children, all of whom she had already .
survived. William had no sooner yielded up his
breath, than the privy-council in a body waited on
S 4 the
264 HISTORYoi ENGLAND.
a.c. 170J. the new queen, who, in a short but sensible speech,
assured thern, that no pains nor diligence should be
wanting on her part, to preserve and support the
religion, laws, and liberties of her country, to
maintain the succession in the protestant line, and
the government in church and state, as by law
established. She declared her resolution to carry
on the preparations for opposing the exorbitant
power of France ; and to assure the allies, that she
would pursue the true interest ofEngland, together
with therrs, for the support of the common cause.
The members of the privy-council having taken
the oaths, she ordered a proclamation to be pub-
lished, signifying her pleasure, that all persons in
office of authority or government,- at the decease of
the late king, should so continue till further direc
tions. By virtue of an act passed in the late reign,
the parliament continued sitting even after the king's
death. Both houses met immediately, and unani-
mously voted an address of condolance and congra
tulation ; and, in the afternoon the queen was pro
claimed. Next day the lords and commons seve
rally attended her with an address, congratulating
her majesty's accession to the throne ; and, assuring
her of their firm resolution to support her against
all her enemies whatsoever. The lords acknow
ledged, that their great loss was no otherwise to be
repaired but by a vigorous adherence to her ma
jesty and her allies, in the prosecution of those mea
sures already concerted to reduce the exorbitant
power of France. The commons declared, they
would maintain the succession of the crown in the
protestant line, and effectually provide for the pub
lic credit of the nation. These addresses were gra-
ciously received by the queen, who, on the eleventh
day of March went to the house of peers with the
usual solemnity, where, in a speech to both houses,
slie expressed her satisfaction at their unanimous
con
i '", A N N E,' " 865
concurrence with her opinion, that too much could *• c- ,71SI"
not be done for the encouragement of their allies
in humbling the power of France ; and desired
they would consider of proper methods towards ob
taining an union between England and Scotland.
She observed to the commons, that the revenue for
defraying the expences of the civil government,
was expired : and, that me relied intirely pn their
affection for its being supplied in such a manner as
should be most suitable to the honour and dignity
of the crown. She declared, it should be her con
stant endeavour to make them the best return for
their duty and affection, by a careful and diligent ad
ministration for the good of all her subjects : " And
** as I know my own heart to be entirely English
" (continued she) I can very sincerely assure you,
** there is not any thing you can expect or desire
" from me, which I shall not be ready to do for
" the happiness and prosperity of England ; and
" you shall always find me a strict and religious ob-
" server of my word." These assurances were ex
tremely agreeable to the parliament ; and she re
ceived the thanks of both houses. Addresses of
congratulation were presented by the bishop, and
clergy of London j by the dissenters in and about
that city ; and, by all the counties, cities, towns,
and corporations of England. She declared her at
tachment to the church : she promised her protec
tion to the dissenters ; and, received the compli
ments of all her subjects with such affability as in
sured their affection.
William's death was no sooner known at the She resolves
Hague, than all Holland was filled with consterna- "/^f^,
tion. The states immediately assembled, and for of her preoe#»
some time gazed at each other in silent fear and asto- ^°r,i"!cl1
o • nis allies.
niihment. They sighed, wept, interchanged em
braces and vows, that they would act with unani
mity, and expend their dearest blood in defence of
their
a68 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
A. c, »7qt. t}jeir country. Then they dispatched letters to the
cities and provinces, informing them of this unfor
tunate event, and exhorting them to union and per
severance. The express from England having
brought the queen's speech to her privy-council,
it was translated and published, to revive the droop
ing spirits of the people. Next day pensionary
Fagel imported to the states of Holland, a letter
which he had received from the earl of Marlborough,
containing assurances in the queen's name of union
and assistance. In a few days, the queen wrote a
letter in the French language to the states, confirm
ing these assurances ; and, it was delivered by Mr.
Stanhope, who was now furnished with fresh cre
dentials as envoy from England. Thus animated,
the states resolved to prosecute vigorous measures;
and their resolutions were still more inspirited by the
arrival of the earl of Marlborough, whom the queen
honoured with the order of the garter, and invested
with the character of ambassador extraordinary, and
plenipotentiary to the States- general : he was like-'
wife declared captain general of all her forces both
at home and abroad. He assured the states, that her
Britannic majesty would maintain the alliances which
had been concluded by the late king, and do every
thing that the common concerns of Europe requir
ed; The speech was answered by Dickvelt presi
dent of the week, who, in the name of the states,
expressed their hearty thanks to her majesty, and
their resolution of concurring with her in a vigo
rous prosecution of the common interest. ',• .
a French The importance of William's life was evinced by
~idt° the joy that diffused itself through the kingdom of
the States- France at the news of his decease. The person who
general. brought tne tidings to Calais was imprisoned by
- the governor, until his information was confirmed.
The court of Versailles could hardly restrain- their
transports so as to preserve common decorum : the
. ', people
A N. N' E.
people of Paris openly rejoiced at the event; all de- A,c" 'i°*X
cency was laid aside at Rome, where this incident
produced such indecent raptures, that cardinal Gri-
mani the Imperial minister complained of them to
the pope, as an insult on his master the emperor,
who was William's friend, confederate, and ally.
The French king dispatched credentials to [Link],
whom the count D'Avaux had left at the Hague,
to manage the affairs of France, together with in
structions to renew the negotiation, with the states,
in hope of detaching them from the alliance. This
minister presented a memorial, implying severe re
flections on king William and the past conduct of
the Dutch ; and insinuating, that now they had reco
vered their liberty, the court of France hoped they
would consult their true interest. The count de
Goes envoy from the emperor, animadverted on
these expressions in another memorial, which was
likewise publislied : and, the states produced in
public an answer to the same remonstrance, expres
sing their resentment at the insolence of such insinu
ations, and their veneration for the memory of the
late stadtholder. The earl of Marlborough suc
ceeded in every part of his negotiation. He nn'u
mated the Dutch to a full exertion of their vigour :
he concerted the operations of the campaign : he
agreed with the States -general and the imperial mi
nister, that war should be declared against France,
on the fame day, at Vienna, London, and the
Hague : and, on the third day of April embarked
for England, after having acquired the intire con
fidence of those who governed the United Pro
vinces.
By this time the house of commons in England ^ c. r-oz..
had settled the, civil list upon the queen for her The uoen.(
life ; and, when the bill received the royal assent, incl'nation
she assured them, that one hundred thouland pounds J^!^
of this revenue should be applied to the public
iervice
268 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
A.c. 17°1. service of the current year : at the same time, she
passed another bill for receiving and examining the
public accounts. A commission for this purpose
was granted1 in the preceding reign, but had been
for iome years discontinued ; and indeed, always
proved ineffectual to detect and punish those indi
viduals, who shamefully pillaged their country.
The villainy was so complicated, the vice so gene
ral, and the delinquent so powerfully screened by
artifice and interest, as to elude all inquiry. On the
twenty-fourth day of March the oath of abjuration
was taken by the speaker and members, according
to an act for the further security of her majesty's
person, and the succession of the crown in the
protestant line, and for extinguishing the hopes of
the pretended prince of Wales. The queen's incli
nation to the Tories plainly appeared in her choice
of ministers. Doctor John Sharpe, archbishop of
York, became her ghostly director and counsellor
in all ecclesiastical affairs. The earl of Rochester
was continued lord-lieutenant of Ireland, and en
joyed a great share of her majesty's confidence :
the privy-seal was intrusted to the marquis of Nor-
manby : the earl of Nottingham and Sir Charles
Hedges were appointed secretaries of state : the earl
of Abingdon, Viscount Weymouth, lord Dart
mouth, Sir Christopher Musgrave, Greenvil, Howe,
Gower, and Harcourt, were admitted as members
of the privy-council, together with Sir Edward
Seymour, now declared comptroller of the hou-
stiold. The lord Godolphin declined accepting
the office of lord high-treasurer, until he was over
ruled by the persuasions of Marlborough, to whose
eldest daughter his son was married. This noble
man refused to command the forces abroad, unless
the treasury should be put into the hands of Godol
phin, on whose punctuality in point of remittances
he knew he could depend. George, prince of Den
mark,
• . : A • N N E. ' . ' i69
mark, was invested with the title of generalissimo a. c. »7#a,
of all the queen's forces by sea and land ; and,
afterwards created lord high admiral : the earl of
Pembroke having been dismissed from this office
with the offer of a large pension, which he generously
refused. Prince George, as admiral, was assisted by
a council, consisting of Sir George Rooke, Sir Da
vid Mitchel, George Churchil, and Richard Hill.
Though the legality of this board was doubted,
the parliament had such respect and veneration for
the queen, that it was suffered to act without ques
tion.
A rivalship for the queen's favour already ap- War dreUr.
peared between the earls of Rochester and Marl- again*
borough. The former, as first cousin to the queen, [Link]-
and chief of the Tory faction, maintained consider^
able influence in the council : but even there the
interest of his rival predominated. Marl borough
was not only the better courtier, but, by the canal
of his countess, actually directed the queen in .all
her resolutions. Rochester proposed in council,
that the English should avoid a declaration of war
with France, and act as auxiliaries only. He was
seconded by some other members.:, but the opinion
of Marlborough preponderated, He observed,
that the honour of the nation was concerned to ful
fil the late king's engagements ; and affirmed that
France could never be reduced within due bounds,
unless the English would enter as principals in the
quarrel. This allegation was supported by the
dukes of Somerset and Devonshire, the earl of
Pembroke, and the majority of the council. The
queen resolved to declare war, and communicated
her intention to the house of commons, by whom
it was approved ; and, on the fourth day of May,
the declaration was solemnly proclaimed. The king
of France was, in this proclamation, taxed with hav
ing taken possession of great part of the Spanish do
minions, y
iyo HISTORYoi EN6LAND.
fr.c. ifoi. minions ; with designing to invade the liberties of
Europe; to obstruct the freedom of navigation
and comrrierce and with having offered an unpar
donable insult to the queen and her throne, by ta
king upon him to declare the pretended prince of
Wales king of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
The three declarations, of the emperor, England,
and the States- general, which were published in one
day, did not fail to disconcert, as well as to pro
voke, the French monarch. When his minister de
Torcy recited them in his hearing, he spoke of the
queen with some acrimony ; but with respect to the
States-general, he declared with great emotion,
that " Messieurs the Dutch merchants should one
" day repent of their insolence and presumption,
u in declaring war against so powerful a monarch. "
He did not, however, produce his declaration till the
third day of July.
rn^t pro The house of commons, in compliance with the
rogued. queen's desire, brought in a bill, empowering her
majesty to name commissioners to treat with the
Scots for an union of the two kingdoms. It met
with warm opposition from Sir Edward Seymour,
and other Tory rnembers, who discharged abun
dance of satire and ridicule upon the Scottish na
tion ; but the measure seemed so necessary at that
juncture, to secure the protestant succession against
the practices of France, and the claims of the pre
tender, that the majority espoused the bill, which
passed through both houses, and, on the sixth day
of May received the royal assent, together with some
bills of less importance. The enemies of the late
king continued to revile his memory *. They even

* In their hnuts of debauch, they stumbled. As he had formerly belcng-

drank to the healthof Sorrel, meaning ed to Sir John Fenwick, theyinsin-
the horlc that sell with the king, and, uated that William's fate was a judg-
under the appellation of the liitle gen- ment upon him for his cruelty to that
tleman in velvet, toasted the mole that gentleman; and a Latin epigram wa»
. .raised the hill over which the horse had written en the occasion.
charged
l.' A N N - E. - z7t

"charged him with having formed a design of ex- AiC- 'v**

eluding the princess Anne from the throne, and of
introducing the elector of Hanover as his own im
mediate fucceslbr. This report had been so indus
triously circulated, that it began to gain credit all
over the kingdom. Several peers interested them
selves in William's character ; and a motion was
made in the upper house, that the truth of this re
port should be inquired into. The house imme
diately desired, that those lords who had visited the
late king's papers, would intimate whether or not .
they had found any among them relating to the
queen's succession, or to the succession of the house
of Hanover. They forthwith declared, that no
thing of that sort appeared. Then the house re
solved, that the report was groundless, false, vil
lainous, and scandalous, to the dishonour of the
late king's memory, and highly tending to the dil-
1 service of her present majesty, whom they besought
1 "to give order that the authors or publishers of such
scandalous reports should be prosecuted by the at
torney-general. The same censure was passed upon
some libels and pamphlets, tending to inflame the
factions of the kingdom, and to propagate a spirit
of irreligion f. On the twenty-first day of May,
the commons, in an address, advised her majesty
to engage the emperor, the States-general, and
her other allies, to join with her in prohibiting all
intercourse with France and Spain ; and to concert
such methods with the States-general, as might
most effectually secure the trade of her subjects
and allies. The lords presented another address,
desiring the queen would encourage her subjects
to equip privateers, as the preparations of the enemy
nil, . . f v
.', ^" Dr. Binkes, in a sermon preach- and those of king Charles, to which
; ed before the convocation, on the last he gave the preserence, in point
thirtieth day of January, drew a pa- " of right, character, and station .
nllel between the fuflerinss of Christ*
, seemed
I
272 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
-A.C17°2. seemed to be made for a piratical war, to the inter
ruption of commerce ; they likewise exhorted her4
majesty to grant commissions or charters to all per
sons who mould make such acquisitions in the In
dies, as me in her great wisdom mould judge most
expedient for the good of her kingdoms. On the
twenty-fifth day of May, the queen having passed
several public and J private bills, dismissed the par
liament by prorogation, after having, in a short
speech, thanked them for their zeal, recommend
ed unanimity, and declared she would carefully
preserve and maintain the act of toleration.
"Warm op- In Scotland, a warm contest arose between the
Se ministry revolutioners and those in the opposition, concern^
mthe scot- ing the existence of the present parliament. .The
»«uarlu" queen had signified her accession to the throne, in
a letter to her privy-council for Scotland, desiring
they would continue to act in that office until she
mould send a new commission, authorising them to
publish a proclamation, ordaining all officers of
state, counsellors, and magistrates, to act in all
things conformably to the commissions and instruc
tions they had from his late majesty, until new
commissions could be prepared. She likewise as-
.sured them of her firm resolution to protect them
in their religion, laws, and liberties, .arid in . the
^established government of the church. She had
already, in presence of twelve Scottish counsellors,
taken the coronation-oath for that kingdom : but
those who wanted to embroil the affairs of their
country, affirmed, that this was an irregular way

J During- this ihort session, the tors against king William : to a fisth
queen gave ter assent to an act for for the relief of protestant purchasers
laying a duty upon land : to another of the forfeited estates cf Ireland t to
for encouraging the Greenland trade: a sixth enlarging the time for taking,
to a third for making good the defi- the oath of abjuration: to a seventh
ciencies, and the public credit! to a oblig ng the Jews to mantain and pro.
fourth for continuing the imprifon- vide for their protestant children,
ment of Counter, and other confpira-
Of
A ' N, N1 E. 27$
of proceeding ; and that the oath ought to have *• c« '7°1'
been tendered by persons deputed for that purpose,
cither by the parliament, or the privy-council of
the kingdom. The present ministry, consisting of
the duke of Queensberry, the earls of Marchmont,
Melvil, Seafield, Hyndford, and Selkirk, were
devoted to revolution-principles, and desirous that
the parliament should continue, in pursuance of a
Jate act for continuing the parliament that should
be then in being six months after the death of the
king ; and that it should assemble in twenty days
after that event. The queen had, by several ad
journments, deferred the meeting almost three
months after the king's decease ; and therefore the
anti-revolutioners affirmed that it was dissolved.
The duke of Hamilton was at the head of this
party, which clamoured loudly for a new parlia
ment. This nobleman, together with the marquis
of Tweedale, the earls Marshal and Rothes, and
many other noblemen, repaired to London, in
order tp make the queen acquainted with their ob
jections to the continuance of the present parlia
ment. She admitted them to her presence, and
calmly heard their allegations : but she was deter
mined, by the advice of her privy-council for that
kingdom, who were of opinion that the nation was
in too great a ferment to hazard the convocation
of a new parliament. According to the queen's
last adjournment, the parliament met at Edin
burgh on the ninth day of June, the duke of
Queensberry having been appointed high commis
sioner. Before the queen's commission was read,
the duke of Hamilton, for himself and his adhe
rents, declared their satisfaction at her majesty's
accession to the throne, not only on. account of her
undoubted right by descent, but likewise because of
her many personal virtues and royal qualities. He
laid, they were resolved to sacrifice their lives and
N°. 86. T fortunes
74. y HISTORY of ENGLAND.
• c. 17°2. fortunes in defence of her majesty's right against alt
her enemies whatever;' but, at the fame time, they
thought themselves bound in duty to give their,
opinion, that they were not warranted by law to sit
and act as a parliament. He then read a paper to
the following effect : ,That forasmuch as, by the
fundamental laws and constitution of this kingdom,
all parliaments do dissolve on the death of the sove
reign, except in so far as innovated by an act in the
preceding reign, that the parliament in being at his
decease should meet» and act what might be need
ful for the defence of the true protestant religion as,
by law established ; and for the maintenance of the
succession to the crown, as settled by the claim of
right ; and for the preservation and security of the
public peace. And seeing these ends are fully an
swered by her majesty's succession to the throne, we .
conceive ourselves not now warranted by law to
meet, sit, or act ; and therefore do dissent from .
any thing that shall be done or acted. The duke
having recited this paper, and formally protested
against the proceedings of the parliament, with
drew with seventy-nine members, amidst the accla
mations of the people.
S'V"°8" > Notwithstanding their secession, the commis-
majesty•s sioner, who retained a much greater number, pro-
juihonty. duced the queen's letter, signifying her resolution
to maintain and protect her subjects in the full pof- ,
session of their religion, laws, liberties, and the
presbyterian discipline. She informed them of her
having declared war against France : she exhorted
them to provide competent supplies for maintain
ing such a number of forces as might be necessary
for disappointing the enemy's designs, and preserv
ing the present happy settlement j and she earnestly
recommended to their consideration an union of the
two kingdoms. The duke of Queenfoerry and
the earl of Marchmont having enforced the diffe
rent
A N N ft ij$
rfe'nt 'articles . of this letter, committees were ap . Ai c-
pointed for the security 'of the kingdom', for con
troverted elections, for drawing up an answer to
her majesty's letter, and for revising the minutes.
Mean while, the duke of Hamilton and his adhe- "V
rents sent the lord Blantyre to London with an \
address to the queen, who refused to receive
it, and wrote another letter to the parliament, ex
pressing her resolution to maintain their dignity
and authority against all opposers. They, in an
swer to the former, had assured her, that the ground- :
less secession of some members should increase and
strengthen their care and zeal for her majesty's ser
vice. They expelled Sir Alexander Bruce, for
having given vent to some reflexions against pres
bytery. The lord-advocate prosecuted the faculty
of advocates before the parliament, for having
passed a vote among themselves in favour of the
protestation and address of the dissenting mem
bers. The faculty was severely reprimanded; but,
the whole nation seemed to resent the prosecution.
The parliament passed an act recognizing her ma
jesty's royal authority : another for adjourning the
court of judicature called the session : a third de
claring this meeting of parliament legal ; and for
bidding any person to disown, qUarrel, or impugn
the dignity and authority thereof, under the pe- .
nalty or high treason : a fourth for securing the true
protestant religion and presbyterian church-go
vernment: a fifth for a land-tax: and a sixth en- '
abling her majesty to appoint commissioners for an
union between the two kingdoms.
The earl of Marchmont, of his own accord, and *heq«w«
even Contrary to the advice of the high-commif (So.
sioner, brought in a bill for abjuring the pretended Bers t° l«»t
prince of Wales : but this was not supported by between""
the court party, as the commissions had no in-
T 2 " structlOnS land, „
«76 HISTORY or ENGLAND.
a. c. T7es. ftructions how to act on the occasion. Perhaps
the queen and her English ministry resolved to keep
the succession open in Scotland, as a check upon
the Whigs and house of Hanover. On the thirtieth
day of June, the commissioner adjourned the par
liament, after having thanked them for their chear-
fulness and vmanimity in their proceedings ; and
the chiefs of the opposite parties hastened to Lon
don, to make their different representations to the
queen and her ministry. In the mean time, she
appointed commissioners for treating about the
union ; and they met at the Cockpit on the twenty-
second day of October. On the twentieth day of
the next month, they adjusted the preliminaries,
-importing, That nothing agreed on among them-
lelves should be binding, except it be ratified by
her majesty and the respective parliaments of both
nations ; and that, unless aH the heads proposed
for the treaty were agreed to, no particular thing
agreed on should be binding. The queen visited
them in December, in order to quicken their mu
tual endeavours. They agreed that the two king
doms should be inseparably united into one mo
narchy, under her majesty, her heirs, and succes
sors, and under the fame limitations, according to
the acts of settlement : but, when the Scottish com
missioners proposed that the rights and privileges of
their company trading to Africa and the Indies,
should be preserved and maintained, such a diffi
culty arose as could not be surmounted ; and no
further progress was made in this commission.
The tranquillity of Ireland was not interrupted by
any new commotion. That kingdom was ruled by
justices whom the earl of Rochester had appoint
ed ; and the trustees for the forfeited estates main
tained their authority,
state »f as- While Britain was engaged in these civil trans
fer on the actions, her allies were not idle on the continent.
continent. . „,
The
ANNE, 277
The old duke of Zell, and his nephew the elector* c«»7°»
of Brunswick, surprised the dukes of Wolfembuttle
and Saxe-Gotha, whom they compelled to renounce
their attachments to France, and concur in th«
common-councils of the empire. Thus the north
of Germany was reunited in the interest of the con
federates ; and the princes would have been in a
condition to assist them effectually, had not the
neighbourhood of the war in Poland deterred them
from parting with their forces. England and the
States-general endeavoured in vain to mediate a
peace between the kings of Sweden and Poland.
Charles was become enamoured of war, and am
bitious of conquest. He threatened to invade
Saxony through the dominions of Prussia. Augustus
retired to Cracow, while Charles penetrated to
Warsaw, and even ordered the cardinal primate to
summon a diet for chusing a new king. The situa*
tion of affairs at this juncture was far from being
favourable to the allies. The court of Vienna had
tampered in vain with the elector of Bavaria, who
made use of this negotiation to raise his terms with
Lewis. His brother, the elector of Cologne, ad
mitted French garrisons into Liege, and all his
places on the Rhine. The elector of Saxony was
too hard pressed by the king of Sweden, to spare
his full proportion of troops to the allies : the king
of Prussia was overawed by the vicinity of the
Swedish conqueror : the duke of Savoy had joined
his forces to those of France, and over-run the ,
whole state of Milan : and the pope, though he
professed a neutrality, evinced himself strongly
Biassed to the French interests.
The war was begun in the name of the elector Keiser-
palatine with the siege of Kiescrswaert, which was £^I"uin*
invested in the month of April by the prince of taken by
Nassau Saarbrugh, marechal du camp to the em- tht ^in-
peror ; under this officer the Dutch troops served
T 3 f*
?78 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c, 17c*. as auxiliaries, because war had not yet. been declar*
ed by the States-general. The French garrison
made a desperate defence. They worsted the be-
iiegers in divers sallies, and maintained the place
'\intil it was reduced to a heap of ashes. At length
the allies made a general attack upon the counter
scarp and ravelin, which they carried after a very
obstinate engagement, with the loss of two thousand
men. Then the garrison capitulated on honour
able terms, and the fortifications were razed. Dur
ing this siege, which lasted from the eighteenth
day of April to the middle of June, count Tallard
.posted himself on the opposite side cf the Rhine,
from whence he supplied the town with fresh troops
and ammunition, and annoyed the besiegers with
his artillery, but finding it impossible to save the
place, he joined the grand army, commanded by
the duke of Burgundy in the Netherlands. The
siege of Keiserswaert was covered by a body of
Dutch troops under the earl of Athlone, who lay
encamped in the dutchy of Cleve. Mean while
general Coehorn, at the head of another detach
ment, entered Flanders, demolished the French
lines between the forts of Dortat and Isabella, and
laid the chatellanie of Bruges under contribution :
but a considerable body of French troops advanc
ing under the marquis de Bcdmar, and the count
de la Motte, he overflowed the country, and re
tired under the walls of SJuys. The duke of Bur
gundy, who had taken the command of the French
army under Boufflers, encamped at Zanten, near
Cleve, and laid a scheme for surprising Nimeguen ;
jn which, however, he was baffled by the vigilance
and activity of Athlone, who guessing his design,
marched thither, and encamped under the cannon
pf the town. In the beginning of June, Landau
, was invested by prince Lewis of Baden : in July
the king of the Romans arrived in the camp of the
besiegers,
A
besiegers, with such
exhausted his father's treasury. On the ninth day
of September the citadel was taken by assault, and
then the town surrendered.
' When the earl of Marlborough arrived in Hoi- f^f/^°/
land, the earj of Athlone, in quality of veldt-mare- Manbo.
dial, insisted upon an equal command with the ^ilden
English general ; but the states obliged him to
yield this point in favour of Marlborough, whom
they declared generalissimo of all their forces. In
the beginning of July he repaired to the camp at
Nimeguen, where he soon assembled an army of
sixty thousand men, well provided with all neces
saries ; and then he convoked a council of the ge
neral officers, to concert the operations of the cam
paign. On the sixteenth day of the month he
passed the Maese, and encamped at Overasselt,
within two leagues and a half of the enemy, who
had intrenched themselves between Goch and Gen-
nep. He afterwards repassed the river below the
Grave, and removed to Gravenbroek, where he
was joined by the British train of artillery from Hol
land. On the second day of August, he advanced
to Petit Brughel, and the French retired before
him, leaving Spanish Guelderland to his discretion.
He had resolved to hazard an engagement, and
issued orders accordingly; but he was restrained
by the Dutch deputies, who were afraid of their
own interest, in case the battle should have proved
unfortunate. The duke of Burgundy finding him
self obliged to retreat before the allied army, rather
than expose himself longer to such a mortifying in
dignity', returned to Versailles, leaving the com
mand to Boufflers, who lost the confidence of
Lewis by the ill success of this campaign. The
deputies of the States-general having represented
to the earl of Marlborough the advantages that
would accrue to Hollands from his dispossessing the
T 4
28o HISTORTofENGLAND.
A..c.»[Link] 0f the places they maintained in the Spanish
Guelderland, by which the navigation of the Maese
. • • -was obstructed, and the important town of Mae-
ftricht in a manner blocked up, he resolved to deli
ver them from such a troublesome neighbourhood.
He detached general Schultz with a body of troops
to reduce the town and castle of Werk, which were
surrendered after a slight resistance. In the begin
ning of September, he undertook the siege of
Venlo, which capitulated on the twenty -fifth day
of the" month, after fort St. Michael had been
stormed and taken by lord Cutts and the English
volunteers, among whom the young earl of Hun
tingdon distinguished himself by very extraordi
nary acts of valour. Then the general invested
Ruremonde, which he reduced after a very obsti
nate defence, together with the fort of Steven -
swaert, situated on the same river. Bourflers, con
founded at the rapidity of Marlborough's success,
retired towards Liege, in order to cover that city ;
but, at the approach of the confederates, he retired
with precipitation to Tongeren, from whence he
directed his route towards Brabant, with a view to
defend such places as the allies had no design to at
tack. "When the earl of Marlborough arrived at
Liege, he found the suburbs of St. Walburgh had
been set on fire by the French garrison, who had
retired into the citadel and the chartreux. The
allies took immediate possession of the city ; and in
a few days opened the trenches against the citadel,
which was taken by assault. On this occasion, the
hereditary prince of Hesse-Cassel charged at the head
of the grenadiers, and was the first person who
mounted the breach. Violani the governor, and
the duke of Charost, were made prisoners. Three
hundred thousand florins in gold and silver were
found in the citadel, besides notes for above one
million, drawn upon substantial merchants in Liege,
ANNE. *8f
who payed the money. Immediately after this ex - a. c. ijojt,
ploit, the garrison of the chartreux capitulated on
honourable terms, and were conducted to Antwerp.
By the success of this campaign, the earl of Marl-
borough raised his military character above all cen
sure, and confirmed himself in the intire confidence
of the states-general, who, in the beginning of the
season, had trembled for Nimeguen, and now
saw the enemy driven back into their own do-
/ mains.
"When the army broke up in November, the ge- j^ee(£^w-"
neral repaired to Maestricht, from whence he pro- being taken
posed to return to the Hague by water. Accord-
ingly he embarked in a large boat with five and
twenty soldiers, under the command of a lieutenant.
Next morning he was joined at Ruremonde by
Coehorn, in a larger vessel, with sixty men ; and
they were moreover escorted by fifty troopers that
rode along side of the river. The large boat out
s' failed the other, and the horsemen mistook their
way in the dark. A French partizan, with five and
thirty men from Gueldres, who lurked among the
rushes in wait for prey, seized the rope by which
the boat was drawn, hauled it ashore, discharged
their small arms and hand-grenades, then rushing
into it, secured the soldiers before they could put
themselves in a posture of defence. The earl of
Marlborough was accompanied by general Opdam,
and Mynheer Gueldermalsen, one of the deputies,,
who were provided with passports. The earl1 had
neglected this precaution ; but recollecting he had
an old passport for his brother general Churchill, • „
he produced it without any emotion ; and the par
tizan was in such confusion, that he never examined
the date. Nevfrtheless, he rifled their baggage,
carried off the guard as prisoners, and allowed the
boat to proceed. The governor of Venlo receiv
ing information tha; the earl was surprised by a
• party,
28« HISTORYofENGLAND.
*.c. 17°2, party, and conveyed to Gueldres, immediately
marched out with his whole garrison to invest that
place. The same imperfect account being trans-
mitted to Holland, filled the whole province with
consternation. .The states forthwith assembling,
Telblved that all their forces should march immedi
ately to Gueldres, and threaten the garrison of the
place with the utmost extremities, unless they
would immediately deliver the general. But, be
fore these orders could be dispatched, the earl ar
rived at the Hague, to the inexpressible joy of the
peqple, who already looked' upon him as their savi
our and protector.
The impe- The French arms were not quite so unfortunate
riaiistv are on tne Rhine as in Flanders. The elector of
Fridiinguen. Bavaria surprised the city of Ulm in Suabia, by a
stratagem, and then declared for France, wsiich had
by this time complied with all his demands. The
diet of the empire assembled at Ratisbon were so
incensed at his conduct in seizing the city of Ulm
by perfidy, that they presented a memorial to his
Imperial majesty, requesting he would proceed
against the elector, according to the constitutions of
the empire. They resolved, by a plurality of
voices, to declare war in the name of the empire,
against the French king and the duke of Anjou,
for having invaded several fiefs of the empire in
Italy, the archbishopric of Cologne, and the diocese
of Liege : and they forbad the ministers of Bavaria
and Cologne to appear in the general diet. In vain
did these powers protest against their proceedings.
The empire's declaration of war was published and
notified, in the name of the diet, to the cardinal of
Limberg, the emperor's commissioner. Mean
while, the French made themselves masters of Neu-
burgh, in the circle of Suabia ; and Lewis prince
of Baden being weakened by sending off detach
ments, was obliged to lie inactive in his camp near
7 . Frid
'.• A N N . E. '283
Fridlingucn. The French army was divided into A,c'
two bodies, commanded by the marquis de Villars
and the count de Guiscard ; and the prince thinking
himself in danger of being enclosed by the enemy,
resolved to decamp. Villars immediately pasted
the Rhine, to fall upon him in his retreat ; and an
obstinate engagement ensuing, the Imperialists
were overpowered by numbers. The prince, having
lost two thousand men, abandoned the field of
battle to the enemy, together with his baggage,
artillery, and /ammunition, and retired towards
Stauffen, without being pursued ; for the French
army, even after they had. ig'airred the battle, were
unaccountably seized with such a panic, that" if the
Imperial general had faced them with :two regi
ments, he would have snatched the victory from
Villars, who was upon this occasion saluted marechal
of France by the soldiers ; and next day the town
of Fridlinguen surrendered. The prince being
joined by some troops under general Thungen, and
other reinforcements, resolved to give battle to the '
enemy :, but Villars declined an engagement, and
repassed the Rhine. Towards the latter end of
October, count Tallard, and the marquis de Lo-
marie, with a body of eighteen thousand men, re
duced Triers and Traerbach ; while the prince of
j-Iesse-Cassel, with a detachment from the allied
army at Liege, retook from the French the towns
of Zinch, Lintz, Brisac, and Andernach.
In Italy, prince Eugene laboured under a total Battle of
neglect of the Imperial court, where his enemies, L°«»rai»
on pretence of supporting the king of the Romans ay"
in his first campaign, weaned the emperor's atten
tion intirely from his affairs in Italy, so that he left
his best army to moulder away for want of recruks
and reinforcements. The prince thus abandoned,
.could not prevent the duke of Vendome' from re
lieving Mantua, and was obliged to relinquish
some
284 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
A.c. 170*. some other places he had taken. Philip king of
Spain being inspired with the ambition of putting
an end to the war in this country, sailed in person •
for Naples, where he was visited by the cardinal
legate, with a compliment from the pope ; yet he
could not obtain the investiture of the kingdom
from his holiness. The emperor, however, was so
disgusted at the embassy which the pope had sent
to Philip, that he ordered his ambassador at Rome
:• to withdraw. Philip proceeded from Naples to
Final, under convoy of the French fleet, which
brought him to Italy : he had an interview with
the duke of Savoy, who began to be alarmed at
the prospect of the French king's being master of
the Milanese ; and, in a letter to the duke of Ven-
dome, he forbade him to engage prince Eugene
until he himself should arrive in the camp. Prince
Eugene understanding that the French army in
tended to attack Luzzara and Guastalia, passed the
Po, with an'army of about half the number of the
enemy, and posted himself behind the dyke of
Zero, in such a manner that the French were igno
rant of his situation. He concluded, that on their
arrival at the ground they had chosen, the horse
would march out to forage, while the rest of the
army would be employed in pitching tents, and
providing for their refreshment. His design was
to seize that opportunity of attacking them, not
doubting that he should obtain a complete victory :
' but he was disappointed by mere accident. An
adjutant, with an advanced guard, had the curiosity
to ascend the dyke, in order to view the country,
When he discovered the Imperial infantry lying on
their faces, and their horse in the rear, ranged in
order of battle. The French camp was immedi
ately alarmed ; and, as the intermediate ground
was covered with hedges, which obliged the assail
ants to defile, the enemy were in a posture of de
A " N N E. a85
fence before the Imperialists could advance to c- "Tr
action : nevertheless, the prince attacked them with
great vivacity, in hope of disordering their line,
which gave way in several places ; but night inter
posing, he was obliged to desist ; and, in a few
days, the French reduced Luzzara and Guastalla.
The prince, however, maintained his posts ; and
Philip returned to Spain, without having obtained
any considerable advantage.
The French king employed all his artifice and in- The kingtf
trigues in raising up new enemies against the con-
federates. He is said to have bribed count Mans- gunL *
field, president of the council of war at Vienna, to £^ !n
withold the" supplies from prince Eugene in Italy.
At the Ottoman Porte he had actually gained over
the vizir, who engaged to renew the war with the
emperor. But the mufti and all the other great
officers were averse to this design, and the vizir
fell a sacrifice to their resentment. Lewis con
tinued to embroil the kingdom of Poland by
means of the cardinal primate. The young king
of Sweden advanced to Lissaw, where he defeated
Augustus. Then he took possession of Cracow;
and raised contributions i nor could he be persuad
ed to retreat, although the Muscovites and Lithu
anians had ravaged Livonia, and even made an ir
ruption into Sweden.
The operations of the combined squadrons at sea FmWest ex-
did not fully answer the expectations of the public. c^LjJe
On the twelfth day of May, Sir John Munden put 1*uke of ot-
to sea with twelve sail of ships, to intercept a French ^George
squadron appointed as a convoy to a new viceroy of Rool«'
Mexico, from Corunna to the West-Indies. On
the twenty- eighth day of the month, he chased four
teen sail of French»ships into Corunna. Then he
called a council of war, in which it was agreed,
that as the place was strongly fortified, and by the
intelligence they had received, .it appeared that
seven-
%M HISTOlY of ENGLAND.
a.c. » 7cz. seventeen of the enemy's ships of war rode at anchor-
in the harbour, it would be expedient for them to
follow the latter part of their instructions, by which
they were directed to cruise in foundings for the
protection of the trade. They returned according
ly, and -being distressed by want of provisions, came
into port, to the general discontent of the nation.
For the satisfaction of the people, Sir John Munden
was tried by a court-martial, and acquitted ; but •
as this miscarriage had rendered him very unpopu
lar, prince George dismissed him from the service.
We have already hinted, that king William had
1 projected a scheme to reduce Cadiz, with intention
to act afterwards against the Spanish settlements in
the West-Indies. This design queen Anne resolv
ed to put in execution. Sir George Rooke com
manded the ' fleet, and the duke of Ormdnd was
appointed general of the land-forces destined for
this expedition. The combined squadrons amount
ed to fifty ships of the line, exclusive of frigates,-
fireships, and smaller vessels ; and the number of
soldiers embarked was not far short of fourteen
thousand. In the latter end of June the fleet sailed
from St. Helen's ; and on the twelfth of August
they anchored at the distance of two leagues from
Cadiz. Next day, the duke of Ormond summon
ed the duke de Brancaccio, who was governor, to
submit to the house of Austria ; but that officer
- answered, he would acquit himself honourably of
the trust reposed in ' him by the king. On the
fifteenth the duke of Ormond landed with his forces
in the bay of Bulls, under cover of a smart fire
from some frigates, and repulsed a body of Spanish
cavalry : then he summoned the governor of fort
St. Catherine's to surrender ; and received an an
swer, importing, that the garrison was prepared for
his reception. A declaration was published in the
Spanish language, intimating, that the allies did 1
not.
.. • A N ' N E. ,• 287
not come as enemies to Spain; but only to free A,c- I?0*-
them from the yoke of France, and assist them in
establishing themselves under the government of
the house of Austria. These professions produced
very little effect among the Spaniards, who were
either cooled in their attachment to that family, or
provoked by the excesses of the English troops,
which having taken possession of Fort St. Catherine,
and Port St. Mary's, instead of protecting, plun
dered the natives, notwithstanding the strict orders
issued by the duke of Ormond, to prevent this
scandalous practice : even some general officers were
concerned in the pillage. A battery was raised
against Montagorda-fort opposite to the Puntal ;
but the attempt miscarried, and the troops were
reimbarked.
Captain Hardy having , been sent to water in They take
Lagos-bay, received intelligence, that the galleons spanifc
from the West-Indies had put into Vigo, under ea"«K« at
convoy of a French squadron. He sailed immedi- , 'B°'
ately in quest of Sir George Rooke, who Was now
in his voyage back to England, and falling in with
him on the sixth day of October, communicated
the substance of what he had learned. Rooke im
mediately called a council of war, in which it was
determined to alter their course and attack the ene- .
my at Vigo. He forthwith detached some small
vessels for intelligence, and received a confirma
tion, that the galleons^and the squadron command
ed by Chateau Renault, were actually in the har- ;
bour. They sailed thither, and appeared before
the place on the eleventh day of October. The
passage into the harbour was narrow, secured by
batteries, forts, and breast-works on each side ; by ,
a strong boom, consisting of iron chains, topmasts,
and cables, moored at each end to a seventy gun
ship, and fortified within by five ships of the fame
strength, lying athwart the channel, with their
broad-
*88 HISTORY of E N GLAND.
a.c. 1702. broad-sides to the offing. As the first and second
rates of the combined fleets were too large to enter,
the admirals shifted their flags into smaller ships ;
and a division of five and twenty English and Dutch
ships of the line, with their frigates, fireships, and
ketches, was destined for the service. In order to
facilitate the attack, the duke of Ormond landed
with five and twenty hundred men, at the distance
of six miles from Vigo, and took by assault a fort
and platform of forty pieces of cannon, at the en
trance of the harbour. The British ensign was no
sooner seen flying at the top of this fort, than the -
ships advanced to the attack. Vice-admiral Hop-
son, in the Torbay, crowding all his fail, ran
, directly against the boom, which was broken by
the first shock ; then the whole squadron entered
the harbour, through a prodigious fire from die
enemy's ships and batteries. These last, however,
were soon stormed and taken by the grenadiers
who had been landed. The great ships lay against
.the forts at each side of the harbour, which in a
little time they silenced ; though vice-admiral Hop-
son narrowly escaped from a fireship by which he
was boarded. After a very vigorous engage
ment, the French finding themselves unable to
cope with such an adversary, resolved to destroy
their ships .and galleons, that they might not fall
into the hands of the victors. They accordingly
burned and ran ashore eight ships and as many
advice-boats ; but ten ships of war were taken, to
gether with eleven galleons. Though they had
secured the best part of their plate and merchan
dize before the English fleet arrived, the value of
fourteen million of pieces of eight, in plate and rich
commodities, was destroyed in six galleons that
perished; but, about half that value was brought
off by the conquerors : so that this was a dreadful
blow to the enemy, and a noble acquisition to the
allies.
*

A N N E. 289
allies. Immediately after this exploit Sir George A. c. 1701.
Rooke was joined by Sir Cloudeſley Shovel, who
had been ſent out with a ſquadron to intercept the
galleons. This officer was left to bring home the
prizes and diſmantle the fortifications, while Rooke
returned in triumph to England. -

The glory which the Engliſh acquired in this ex. Almiral

pedition was in ſome meaſure tarniſhed by the con- "...
dućt of ſome
admiral officers
Benbow in thedetached
had been Weſt-Indies. Thither W."
with a ſquadron win Duthe

of ten ſail, in the courſe of the preceding year. At Indies,

Jamaica he received intelligence, that monſieur
Du Caſſe was in the neighbourhood of Hiſpaniola,
and reſolved to beat up to that iſland. At Leogane
he fell in with a French ſhip of fifty guns, which
her captain ran aſhore and blew up. He took ſe
veral other veſſels, and having alarmed Petit
Guavas, bore away for Donna Maria bay, where he
underſtood, that Du Caſſe had ſailed for the coaſt
of Carthagene. Benbow reſolved to follow the
fame courſe; and, on the nineteenth of Auguſt, diſ.
covered the enemy's ſquadron near St. Martha,
conſiſting of ten ſail ſteering along ſhore. He for
med the line; and an engagement enſued, in
which he was very ill ſeconded by ſome of his cap
tains. Nevertheleſs, the battle continued till night,
and he determined to renew it next morning, when
he perceived all his ſhips at the diſtance of three or
four miles aſtern, except the Ruby, commanded by
captain George Walton, who joined him in ply
ing the enemy with chace guns. On the twenty
firſt theſe two ſhips engaged the French ſquadron ;
and the Ruby was ſo diſabled, that the admiral was
obliged to ſend her back to Jamaica. Next day
the Greenwich, commanded by Wade, was five
leagues aſtern ; and the wind changing, the enemy
had the advantage of the weather-gage. On the
twenty-third the admiral renewed the battle with
NUM B. LXXXVII, U , his
z$o HISTORY OF;EN<5LANa
a.c. 17°1. hi,, fingie ship, unsustained by the rest of the sqpv
dron. On the twenty fourth his leg was shattered
by a chain-shot ; notwithstanding which accident,
he remained on the quarter-deck in a cradle, and
continued the engagement. One . of the largest
ships of the enemy lying like a wreck upon the
water, four fail of the English squadron poured
their broad-sides into her,, and then ran to leeward,
without paying any regard to the signal for battjje.
Then the French bearing down upon the admiral
with their whole force, shot away his maintopsail-
yard, and damaged his rigging in such a manner,
that he was obliged to lie by and refit, while they
took their disabled ship in tow. During this in
terval, he called a council of his captains, and ex
postulated with them on their behaviour. They
observed, that the French were very strong,
and advised him to desist. He plainly perceived
that he was betrayed, and with the utmost reluc
tance returned to Jamaica, having not only lost a
leg, but also received a large wound in his face, and
another in his arm, while he in person boarded. the
French admiral-. Exasperated at the tt^cnery ,pf
his captains,, he granted a commission, to reai^ad-
miral Whetstone and other officers to hold a ^pj|rt-
martial, and try them for cowardice. , Hudson of
the Pendennis died before his trial i. KirlW aqd
"Wade were convicted and sentenced to be shot :
Constable of the Windsor was cashiered and jjft-
prisoned : Vincent of the Falmouth, and Fogg the
admiral's own captain of the Breda, were convicted
of having signed a paper, that they would not fight
under Benbow's command ; but, as they- behaved
gallantly in the action, the court inflicted upon
them no other punishment than that of a provision
al suspension. Captain Walton had likewise joined
in the conspiracy while he was heated with the fumes
of intoxication but he afterwards renounced the
- I engage*

.
.
:
A N N • E. . • £$1
Engagement, and fought with admirable Courage *.[Link]«*
until his fliip was disabled. The boisterous man
ners of Benbow had produced this base confede
racy. He was a rough seaman ; but remarkably
brave* honest* and experienced *. He took this
miscarriage so much to heart, that he became me
lancholy, and his grief co-operating with the, fever
occasioned by his wounds, put a period to his life.
Wade and Kirby were sent home in the. Bristol ;
and, oh their arrival at Plymouth, shot' on board of
the ship, by virtue of a dead warrant for their im
mediate execution, which had lain there for some
time. The same precaution had been taken in all
the western ports, in order to prevent applications
in their favour. ^
During these transactions, the queen seemed to The queeri
be. happy in the affection of her subjects. Though *fembi1* *
the ' continuance 'of. the parliament was limited to ment.
^x months after the king's decease, she dissolved it
by proclamation before that term was expired ; and
"iifut4 writs for electing another, in which the Tory
interest predominated. In the summer the queen
"gave audience to the count de Platens* envoy extra
ordinary, stroll. the elector of Hanover; then she
ma'dp a progress with her husband to Oxford, Bath,
anc¥' Bristol, where she was received with all the
" rfiarks p'f thfe most genuine affection. The new
tiar'tiamerit meeting on the twentieth day of October,
^j^rr H^rli^was chosen speaker. The queen in her

When one of his lieutenants ex- arrived at Carthagene, hewrotealet-

prefTed hii forrow for the loss of the ter to Benbow to this effect, " Sir, I
admiral's leg, " I am forry for it too, " had little hope on Monday last, but
(replied the gallant Benbow) " but I " to have supped in your eabbin ; but^
*' nad rather have lust them both• than " it pleased God to order it otherwise.
" have seen this Dishonour brought " I am thankful for it. A> for those
*' upon the English nation. Bur, do *' cowardly captains who deserted you,
"jou. hear ? If another shot should " hang them up ; for, by God they
. " take me off, behave like brave men « deserve it. Yours, Du CafleJ"
" and fight it out.'" When Da rifle'
- -s; U « speech
i92 HISTORYofENGLAND.
a.c. 17°*. speech declared, she had summoned them to affist
her in carrying on the just and necessary war in
which the nation was engaged. She desired the
commons would inspect the accounts of the public
receipts and payments, that if any abuses had crept
into the management of the finances, they might
be detected, and the offenders punished. She told
them, that the funds assigned in the last parliament
had not produced the sums granted ; and that the
' deficiency was not supplied even by the hundred
thousand pounds which she had paid from her own
revenue for the public service. She expressed her
concern for the disappointment at Cadiz, as well
as for the abuses committed at Port St. Mary's,
which had obliged her to give directions for the
• ' 'strictest examination of the particulars. She hoped
they would find time to consider of some better and
more effectual method to prevent the exportation
of wool, and improve that manufacture, which
she was determined to encourage. She professed a
firm persuasion, that the affection of her subjects
was the surest pledge of their duty and obedience.
• She promised to defend and maintain the church
as by law established ; and protect her subjects in
the full enjoyments of all their rights and liber
ties. She protested, that she relied on their care
of her : she said her interest and theirs were inse
parable ; and, that her endeavours mould never be
wanting to make rhem all safe and happy. She
was presented with a very affectionate address from
either house, congratulating her upon the glorious
success of her arms, and those of her allies, under
the command of the earl of Marlborough ; but,
that of the commons was distinguished by an impli
cated reproach on the late reign, importing, that
the wonderful progress of her majesty's arms under
the earl of Marlborough, had signally "retrieved**
•the antient honour and glory of the English nation.
This
A • N N E. 293
This expression had excited a warm debate in the & .'j04-
house, in the course of which many severe reflec
tions were made on the memory of king William.
At length, the question was put, Whether the word
*f Retrieved" should remain ? and, carried in the
affirmative by a majority of one hundred.
The strength of the Tories appeared in nothing Dispute* ie-
r -° . • »i • • . • & tweenthe
more conspicuous than in their inquiry concerning tw° houses,
controverted elections. The borough of Hindon
near Salisbury was convicted of bribery, and a bill
brought in for disfranchising the town ; yet, no
vote passed against the person who exercised this
corruption, because he happened to be a Tory.
Mr. Howe was declared duly elected for Gloucester
shire, though the majority of the electors had voted
for the other candidate. Sir John Packington
having exhibited a complaint against the bishop of
Worcester and his son, for having endeavoured to
prevent his election ; the commons having taken
it into consideration, resolved, that the proceedings
of William, lord bishop of Worcester, and his son,
had been malicious, unchristian, and arbitrary, in
high violation of the liberties and privileges of the
commons of England. They voted an address to,
the queen, desiring her to remove the father from
the office of lord- almoner ; and they ordered the
attorney-general to prosecute the son, after his pri
vilege as member of the convocation should be ex
pired. A counter- address was immediately voted,
and presented by the lords, beseeching her majesty
would not remove the bishop of Worcester from
the place of lord-almoner, until he should be found
guilty of some crime by due course of law ; as it
was the undoubted right of every lord of parlia
ment, and of every subject of England, to have an
opportunity to make his defence before he suffers
any sort of punishment. The queen said, she had
not as yet received any complaint against the
U 3 bishop
t$4 HISTORY or ENGLAND.
A. c. 17°1. bishop of Worcester : but she looked upon it as!
her undoubted right to continue or displace any
servant attending upon her own person, when flie
should think proper The peers having received
this answer, unanimously resolved, That no lord
of their house ought to suffer any sort of punish
ment by any proceedings of the house of commons,
otherwise than according to the known and antient
rules and methods of parliament. When the com
mons attended the queen, with their address against
the bishop, she said, she was sorry there was occa
sion for such a remonstrance; and, that the bishop
of Worcester should no longer continue to supply
the place of her almoner. This regard to their
address was a flagrant proof of her partiality to the
Tories, who seemed to justify her attachment by
their compliance and liberality. - '' 1
The lords In deliberating on the supplies, they agreed to
^conduct a^ trie demands of the ministry. They voted forty
of Sir thousand seamen, and the like number of land-
jioojce. forces, to act in conjunction with those of iSe'SHfesP
For the maintenance of these last.; they gfanie'{i>-
eight hundred and thirty-three thousand dghVfitiRP
dred and twenty-six pounds ; besides thre^ hUrP-"'
dred and fifty thousand pounds for guards ancTgar^2
risons ; seventy thousand nine hundred and seventy-
three pounds for ordnance ; and fifty -One thousand
eight hundred and forty-three pounds for subsidies
to the allies. The lord Shannon arriving with the
news of the success at Vigo, the queen appointed a
day of thansgiving for the signal success of her arms
under the earl of Marlborough, the duke of Or-
mond, and Sir George Rooke ; and, on that day,
which was the twelfth of November, she went ia
state to St. Paul's church, attended by both houses
of parliament. Next day, the peers voted the
thanks of their house to the duke of Ormond for
his services at Vigq ; and at the fame time, drew
.-. .. • A N- N E. . , • 295.
vp an address to the queen, desiring {he would *• c- *7°*«
order the duke of Ormond and Sir George Rooke
to lay before them an account of their proceedings :
a request with which her majesty complied. Those
two officers were likewise thanked by the house of
commons; and vice-admiral Hopson was knighted,
and gratified with a considerable pension. The
duke of Ormond, at his return from the expedition,
complained openly of Rooke's conduct, and seemed
determined to subject him to a public accusation ;
but that officer was such a favourite among the
commons, that the court was afraid to disoblige
them by an impeachment, and took great pains to
mitigate the duke's resentment. This nobleman
was appointed lord- lieutenant of Ireland, and Rooke
was admitted into the privy-council. A motion,
however, being made in the house of. lords, that
the admiral's instructions and journals relating to
the last expedition might be examined, a committee
was appointed for -that purpose, and prepared an
unfavourable report : but, it was rejected by a ma-
3<f$f5y.,:©f the house ; and, they voted, That Sir
George Rooke had done his duty, pursuant to the
councils, of war, like a brave officer, to the honour
of the British nation.
,0n the twenty- first day of November the queen The p«rl»-
sent a message to the house of commons by Mr. "sAtiwnw,
secretary Hedges, recommending further provision priB°J
for the prince her husband, in case he should survive Den!f«k.
fceiVyThis message being considered, Mr. Howe
moved, That the yearly sum of one hundred thou
sand pounds should be settled on the prince, in
case he should survive her majesty. No opposition
was made to the proposal ; but warm debates were
excited by a clause in the. bill, exempting the prince
from that part of the act of succession by which
strangers, though naturalized, were rendered inca-
jpable of holding employments. The clause related
?. U4 only
I

296 HISTORY of ENGLAND.

A..C»»7oi. oniy t0 those who should be naturalized in a future,
reign ; and indeed was calculated as a restriction .
upon the house of Hanover. Many members ar
gued against this clause of exemption, because it
seemed to imply, that persons already naturalized
would be excluded from employments in the next
reign, though already possessed of the right of na
tural-born subjects, a consequence plainly contra-,
dictory to the meaning of the act. Others opposed
it, because the lords had already resolved by a vote,
That they would never pass any bill sent up from
the commons, to which a clause foreign to the bill
should be tacked ; and this clause they affirmed to
be a tack, as an incapacity to hold employments
was a circumstance altogether distinct from a set
tlement in money. The queen expressed uncom
mon eagerness in behalf of this bill ; and the court-
influence was managed so successfully, that it passed
through both houses, though not without an obsti
nate opposition, and a formal protest by seven and
twenty peers.
Ma"bo-°f The earl of Marlborough arriving in England
rough creat- about the latter end of November, received the .
cdaduke. tnanjcs 0f tne commons for j^g great and signal
services, which were so acceptable to the queen,
that she created him a duke, gratified him with a
pension of five thousand pounds upon the revenue
of the post-office during his natural life ; and, in
a message to the commons, expressed a desire, that
they would find some method to settle it on the
heirs- male of his body. This intimation was pro
ductive of warm debates, during which Sir Chris
topher Musgrave observed, that he would not dero
gate from the duke's eminent services ; but, he
affirmed, his grace had been very well payed for
them, by the profitable employments which he
and his dutchess enjoyed. The duke understand
ing that the commons were heated by the subject,
begged
•A N N E. - 297
begged her majesty would rather forego her gracious
message in his behalf than create any uneasiness
on his account, which might embarrass her affairs,
and be of ill consequence to the public. Then she
sent another message to the house, signifying, that
the duke of Marlborough had declined her inter- .. *
position, Notwithstanding this declaration, the
commons in a body presented an address, acknow- . „
ledging the eminent services of the duke of Marl-
borough, and expressing their apprehension of ma
king a precedent to alienate the revenue of the:
crown, which had been so much reduced by the ex
orbitant grants of the late reign, so lately settled .
and secured by her majesty's unparalleled grace and.
goodness. The queen was satisfied with their apo- ,
logy ; but their refusal in all probability helped
to. alienate the duke from the Tories, with whom
he had been hitherto connected.
. In the beginning of January the queen gave the A!] com,
house of commons to understand, that 'the States- '<,««•1* ana
general had pressed her to augment her forces, as tn^prohi-
the only means to render ineffectual the great and bited t*-
early preparations of the enemy. The commons hi," tha
immediately resolved, That ten thousand men tw°
should be hired, as an augmentation of the forces °ndsPdn.
to act in conjunction with the allies ; but, on con
dition, that an immediate stop should be put to all
commerce and correspondence with France and
Spain on the part of the states-general. The lords
presented an address to the queen on the fame sub
ject, and to the same effect j and, she owned, that
the condition was absolutely necessary for the good
of the whole alliance. The Dutch, even after the
declaration of war, had carried on a traffic with the
French ; and, at this very juncture, Lewis found
it impossible to make remittances of money to the
elector of Bavaria in Germany, and to his forces in
Italy, except through the canal of English, Dutch,
3nd Geneva merchants. The States -general, though ,
% \ stiocked;
HISTORYof* ENGLAND.'
A. c. 1701. shocked at the imperious manner in which the par
liament of England prescribed their conduct, com-
plied with the demand without hesitayon, and pub
lished a prohibition of all commerce with the sub- '
jects of France and Spain. " 'X "1i "s:
fre«it?ng The comrr>ons of tms parliament had nothing
oc«sion»i more at heart than a bill against occasional conform ,
ttnsenutjr. mity The Tories affected ro distinguish them-'
selves as the only true friends to the church and
monarchy; and they hated the dissenters with' a :
mixture of spiritual and political disgust. They t
looked upon them as an intruding sect, which con
stituted great part of the Whig faction, that cxtxwt^ '..
,ed such immense sums .of money from the nation" -
in the late reign, and involved it in rjernictdtts en- .
gagements, from whence it had no prospect of d^"5
liverarice. They considered them as inerctaching "
schismatics that disgraced and end4ngeredi:hehie^"
archy, and, those of their own coiii^n^tofi "Wh© ' .
recommended moderation, they branded "WiA 'the •< ,
epithets of luke-warm christians, betrayers, lafidic
apostates. They now resolved to approve: <iieifteb
selves zealous sons of the church, 'by ieMngj eta;q
first opportunity that was in their powef "tr>! distress
the dissenters. In order to pave the^ay»"to"itlwsi1
persecution, sermons were preached; -and ^pamph
lets were printed to blacken the character of'the '
sect, and inflame the popular resentment "agaihftJ
them. On the fourth day of November, Mr. .
Bromley, Mr. St. John, and Mr. Annestey, -wetdt
ordered by the house of commons' to bring in a s
bill for preventing occasional conformity. In the
preamble all persecution for conscience sake was
condemned : nevertheless, it enacted, That aH'-
those who had taken the' sacrament and test for of
fices of trust, or the magistracy of corporations,
and afterwards frequented any meeting of disten?''
, ters, should be disabled from holding their em
ployments, pay a fine of one hundred pounds, and
' '. * five;
ANN E. 299
five pounds for every day in which they continued*! S*-'?0*?
to act in their employments after having been at
any such meeting : they were also rendered incapa
ble of holding any other employment, till after one
whole year's conformity ; and, upon a relapse, the
penalties and time of incapacity were doubled. The " «- . . 1
promoters of the bill alledged, that an established
religion and national church were absolutely neces
sary, when so marly impious men pretended to in-
ipiration, and deluded such numbers of the people : ,
^iat the most effectual way to preserve this nationalv'
church, would be the maintenance of the civil
power in the hands of those who expressed their
regard to the church in their principles and prac
tice : that the parliament, by the corporation and
test-acts, thought they had raised a sufficient barrier
to- the hierarchy, never imagining that a set of
men would rise up, whose consciences would be
too tender to obey the laws, but hardened enough
tOjbreak them : that, as the last reign began with
an act in favour of dissenters, so the commons were
desirous that in the beginning of her majesty's aus
picious government, an act should pass in favour
of thcttfhurchof England : that this bill did not in
trench on the act of toleration, or deprive the dis
senters of any privileges they enjoyed by law, or
add any thing to the legal rights of the church of
England : that occasional conformity was an evasion
of the law, by which the dissenters might insinuate
themselves into the management of all corpora
tions : that a separation from the church, to which
a man's conscience will allow him occasionally to ,
conform, is a mere schism, which in itself was sinful,
without the super-addition of a temporal law to
make it an offence : that the toleration was intend
ed only for the ease of tender consciences, and not
p) give a licence for occasional conformity : that
;rm• w- con-
3oo HISTORY of ENGLAND:
a. c.«7s«i, conforming and nonconforming were contradic
tions ; for, nothing but a firm persuasion that the
terms of communion required are sinful and unlaw
ful, could justify the one ; and, this plainly con-,
demns the other. The members who opposed the
bill argued, That the dhTenters were generally
well affected to the present constitution : that to?
bring any real hardship upon them, or give rise,
to jealousies and fears at such a juncture, might
be attended with dangerous consequences: that
the toleration had gready contributed to the secu
rity and reputation of the church, and plainly prov
ed, that liberty of conscience and gentle measures
were the most effectual means for increasing-, she
votaries of the church, and diminishing the num -;
ber of dissenters : that the dissenter,s could not be
termed schismatics without bringing an heavy
charge upon the church of England, which had
not only tolerated such, schism, but even allowed
communion with the reformed churches abroad :
that the penalties of this bill were more severe than,
those which the law imposed on papists, for assisting
at the most solemn act of their religion: in a word,
that toleration and tenderness had been always pro
ductive of peace and union; whereas. persecution
had never failed to excite discord, and extend super
stition. Many alterations and mitigations were
proposed, without effect. In the course of the
debates the dissenters were mentioned and reviled
with great acrimony; and, the bill passed the
lower house by virtue of a considerable majority.
it miscar- The lords, apprehensive that the commons would .
ties. tack it to some money-bill, voted, That the annex-
iflg any clause to a money-bill was contrary to the
constitution of the English government,, and the
usage of parliament. The bill met with a very
warm opposition in the upper house, where a con -
siderable

-
A • N N - E. •'
tiderable portion Of the Whig- interest still remain- 1
ed. These members believed;- that the intention
of the bill was to model corporations, so as to eject
all those who would not vote in1 elections for the
Tories. Some imagined this was a preparatory
step towards a repeal of the toleration ; and others
concluded, that the promoters of the bill designed
to1 raise such disturbances at home, as would dis
courage the allies abroad, and render the prosecu
tion of the war impracticable. The majority of
the bishops, and among these Burnet of Sarum,
objected against it on the principles of moderation,
and from motives of conscience. Nevertheless, as
the court supported this measure with its whole
power and influence, the bill made its way through
the house, though not without alterations and
amendments, which were rejected by the commons.
The lower house pretended, that the lords had no
right to alter any fines and penalties that the com
mons should six in bills sent up for their concur
rence, on the supposition, that those were matters
concerning money, the peculiar province of the
lower house : the lords ordered a minute inquiry
to' be made into all the rolls of parliament since the
reign of the seventh Henry ; and, a great number
of instances were found in which the lords had be
gun the clauses imposing fines and penalties, altered
the penalties which had been sixed by the com
mons, and even changed the uses to which they
were applied. These precedents were entered in
the books ; but, the commons resolved to maintain
their point, without engaging in any dispute upon
the. subject. After warm debates and a free con
ference between the two houses, the lords adhered
to their amendments, though this resolution was
carried by a majority of one vote only : the com
mons persisted in rejecting them ; the bill miscar
ried; and, both houses- published their proceed
ings
3Q2 History o» England.
a. c. tyoi. ings by way 0f appeal to the nation f. A
now brought into the lower house, granting another
year's consideration to those who had not taken the
oath abjuring the pretended prince of Wales. The
lords added three clauses, importing, That those per
sons who should take theoath within the limited time,
.might return to their benefices and employments,
unless they should be already legally filled : that
any person endeavouring to defeat the succession to
the crown, as now limited by law, should be deem
ed guilty of high-treason : and that the oath of ab
juration should be imposed upon the subjects in
Ireland. The commons made some opposition to
the first clause ; but, at length, the question being
put, Whether they should agree to the amend
ments ? it was carried in the affirmative by one
voice.
Tioientini-' No object engrossed more time, or produced
unxn thV more violent debates than did the inquiry into the
t^ohcmse., public accounts. The commissioners appointed
^inquiry7 for this purpose, pretended to have made great dis-
into the coveries. They charged the earl of Ranelaj '
paymaster-general of the army, with flagrant n
management. He acquitted himself in fuel:
manner as screened him from all severity of punish
ment ; nevertheless, they expelled him froftY tKe
house for a high crime and misdemeanour, in mis
applying several sums of the public money ; and
he thought proper to resign his employment. A
long address was prepared and presented to the
queen, attributing the national debt to she mis
management of the funds ; complaining, that the

f While this hill was depending, mons ordered it to be burned by tke

Daniel de Foe published a pamphlet, hands ot' the common hangman, and
•intituled, " The stiortest way with the author to be prosecuted. He was
" the dissenters : or, proposals tor the accordingly committed to Newgate,
" establishment of the church." The tried, condemned to pay a fine of two
fiece was a severe satire on the vio- hundred pounds, and Sand in the
. ltnce of the chuich-party. The com- pillory.
Old
A N N E» j j , . • 30^
methods of the exchequer had been neglected : A.pj7**»
and, that iniquitous frauds had been committed by
the commissioners of the prizes. Previous to this
remonstrance, the house, in consequence of the re
port of the committee, had passed several severe re
solutions, particularly against Charles lord Hallr-
xa^ auditor of the receipt of the exchequer, as hav-
ine neglected his duty, and been guilty of a breach
"oTtrust. For these reasons, they actually besought
the queen, in an address, that she would give di
rections to the attorney- general, to prosecute him
for the said offences ; and she promised to. comply
,w'ith their request. On the other hand, the lords
appointed s, committee to examine all the observa
tions which the commissioners of accounts had of-
,fered to, both houses. They ascribed the national
debt' to deficiencies in the funds : they acquitted
jord. Halifax, .the• sorgos the treasury, and their
officers, whom me .C,ommons had accused : and,
g^fffititxd these ciVcumstances in an address to the
- ^WSfl W • $KTVfaj:<h printed , with the
vpucneWstc^ eviery particular. This difference blew
'^&a^"exc£ flame•ofdiscord between the two houses,
tw^ic^ rn^^ni^e'^[Link] mutual animosity in speeches,
[Link]. re^olu'dppsi, |ahd.,coriferences. The commons
" ' ggfy i$efo po. ^cognizance the lords could take
,^ pyb];c„a^oi^^ts tfould enable them to sup-
f any deficiency, or appropriate any surplusage
the" public money : that they could neither ac
quit or [Link] any person whatsoever, upon any
enquiry arising originally in their own house : and,
thatitheir attempt to acquit Charles lord Hallifax
was unparliamentary. The lords insisted upon their
right to take cognizance originally of all public ac
counts : they affirmed, that in their resolutions
"\vith respect to lord Hallifax, they had proceeded
according to, the i*iles of justice. They owned,
however, that their resolutions did not amount to
i aar
H ISTORY'or ENGLAND.
• s
jot. any judgment or acquittal ; but, that finding a vote
of the commons reflected upon a member of their
house, they thought fit to give their opinion in
their legislative authority. The queen interposed
by a message to the lords, desiring they would dis
patch the business in which they were engaged.
The dispute continued even after this intimation :
one conference was held after another, till at length
both sides despaired of an accommodation. The
lords ordered their proceedings to be printed, and
the commons followed their example. On the
twenty seventh day of February the queen, having
passed all the bills that were ready for the royal
assent, ordered the lord keeper to prorogue the
parliament, after having pronounced a speech, in
which she thanked them for their zeal, affection,
and dispatch ; declared, she would encourage and
maintain the church as by law established ; desired
they would consider some further laws for restrain
ing the great licence assumed of publishing scanda
lous pamphlets and libels ; and assured them* that
all her share of the prizes which might be taken in
the war, should be applied to the public service.
By this time the earl of Rochester was entirely re
moved from the queen's councils. Finding him
self outweighed by the interest of the duke of Marl-
borough and lord Godolphin, he had become sullen
and intractable ; and rather than repair to his go
vernment of Ireland, chose to resign the office,
which, as we have already observed, was conferred
upon the duke of Ormond, an accomplished noble
man, who had acquired great popularity by the
success of the expedition to Vigo. The parties in
the house of lords were so nearly matched, that the
queen, in order to ascertain an undoubted majority
in the next session, created four new peers f, who
had
f These were John Granville, in the county of Devon ; Heneage
created baroa Granville of Potheridge Finch, baron of Guernsey in the coun
ts
A ft itf & 305
had signalized themselves by the violence of their *c- '7.1*«
speeches in the house of commons.
• The two houses of convocation, which were sum - Disputes be-
moned with the parliament, bore a stong affinity th,"
with this assembly, by the different interests that of convoo-
prevailed in the upper and lower. The last, in imi- tion'
tation of the commons, was desirous of branding 1
the preceding reign and, it was with great diffi
culty that they concurred with the prelates in an
address of congratulation to her majesty. Then
their former contests were revived. The lower house
desired, in an application to the archbishop of
Canterbury and his suffragans, that the matters in
dispute concerning the manner of synodical pro
ceedings, and the right of the lower house to hold
intermediate assemblies, might be taken into con
sideration, and speedily determined. The bishops
proposed, that in the intervals of sessions, the lower
house might appoint committees to prepare mat~
ters ; and when business should be brought regu
larly before them, the archbistiop would regulate
the prorogations in such a manner, that they mould
have sufficient time to sit and deliberate on the sub
ject. This offer did not satisfy the lower house,
which was emboldened to persist in its demand by
a vote of the commons, wtio, in consequence of an
address of thanks from the clergy, touching Mr.
Loyd, son to the bishop of Worcester, whom they
had ordered to be prosecuted after his privilege as
member of the convocation should be expired, re
solved, That they would on all occasions assert the
just rights and privileges of the lower house of con-

ty of Southampton ; Sir John Lev!- the Ome time, however• J hn Her-

son Gower, baron Gower of Sittenham vcy of the opposite faction, was crrat-
in Yorkshire ; and Francis Seymour, ed baton of Ickworth in the county of
Conway, youngest sen of Sir Edward Suffolk; and the marqu's of Nor-
Seymour, made b<ron Conway of Rag- manby was honoured with the title of
ley in the county of Warwick. At duke of Buckinghamshire.
N°.87. X vocation.
HISTORY of ENGLAND.
17°1. vocation. The prelates refused to depart from the
archbishop's right of proroguing the whole convo
cation with consent of his suffragans. The lower
house proposed to refer the controversy to the
queen's decision. The bishops declined this ex
pedient, as inconsistent with the episcopal authority,
and the presidency of the archbishop. The lower
house having incurred the imputation of favouring
presbytery, by this, opposition to the bishops, en
tered in the books a declaration, acknowledging the
order of bishops as superior to presbyters, and to be
a divine apostolical institution. Then they desired
the bishops, in an address, to concur in settling the
doctrine of the divine apostolical right of episco
pacy, that it might be a standing rule of the church.
They likewise presented a petition to the queen,
complaining, That in the convocation called in the
year one thousand seven hundred, after an inter
ruption of ten years, several questions having arisen
concerning the rights and liberties of the flower
house, the bishops had refused a verbal conference ;
and, afterwards declined a proposal to submit the
dispute to her majesty's determination : they there
fore fled for protection to her majesty, begging she
would call the question into her own royal audience.
The queen promised to consider their petition,
which was supported by the earl of Nottingham ;
and ordered their council to examine the affair,
how it consisted with law and custom. Whether
their report was unfavourable to the lower house,or
the queen was unwilling to encourage the division,
no other answer was made to their address. The
archbishop replied to their request presented to the
upper house, concerning the divine right of pres
bytery, that the preface to the form of ordination
contained a declaration of three orders of ministers,
from the times of the apostles ; namely, bishops,
priests, and deacons, to which they had subscribed :
but,
ANNE. 3o7
but, he and his brethren conceived, that without A,c- 17°2'
a royal licence, they had not authority to at
tempt, enact, promulge, or execute any canon,
which should concern either doctrine or discipline.
The lower house answered this declaration in very
petulant terms ; and the dispute subsisted when the
parliament was prorogued. But these contests pro
duced divisions through the whole body of the
clergy, who ranged themselves in different factions,
distinguished by the names of H igh-church and Low-
church. The Erst consisted of ecclesiastical Tories ;
and the other included those who professed revolu
tion principles, and recommended moderation to
wards the dissenters. The high-church party re
proached the other as time-servers and prefbyte-
rians in disguise : and were in their turn stigma
tized as the friends and abettors of tyranny and per
secution. At present, however, the Tories both
in church and state triumphed in the favour of
their sovereign. The right of parliaments, the
memory of the late king, and even the act limit
ing the succession to the house of Hanover, became
the subjects of ridicule. The queen was flattered
)s1kr possessor of the prerogatives of the antient mo
narchy ; the history written by her grandfather the
earl of Clarendon was now for the first time pub
lished, to inculcate the principles of obedience,
and inspire the people with an abhorrence of oppo
sition to an anointed sovereign. Her majesty's
hereditary right was deduced from Edward the
Confessor, and, as heir of his pretended sanctity
and virtue, slle was persuaded to touch persons af
flicted with the king's evil, according to the office
inserted in the liturgy for this occasion.
The change of the ministry in Scotland seemed Account of
favourable to the episcopalians and anti revolu- -^^"j
tioners of that kingdom. The earls of March-
montjMelvil, Selkirk, Leven, andHyndford, were
X 2 laid
I
308 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
A.C17W aside : the earl of Seafield was appointed chan
cellor ; the duke of Queensberry, and the lord vis
count Tarbat, were declared secretaries of state :
the marquis of Annandale was made president of
the council ; and the earl of Tullibardin lord privy-
seal. A new parliament having been summoned,
the earl of Seafield employed his influence so suc
cessfully, that a great number of anti-revolutioners
were returned as members. The duke of Hamil
ton had obtained from the queen a letter to the
privy- council in Scotland, in which she expressed
her desire, that the prefbyterian clergy mould live
in brotherly love and communion with such dis
senting ministers of the reformed religion as were
in possession of benefices, and lived with decency
and submission to the law The episcopal clergy,
encouraged by these expressions in their favour, drew
up an address to the queen, imploring her protec
tion ; and humbly beseeching her to allow those
parishes in which there was a majority of episcopal
freeholders, to bestow the benefices on ministers of
their principles. This petition was presented by
Dr. Skeen and Dr. Scot, who were introduced by
the duke of Queensberry to her majesty. She as
sured them of her protection and endeavours to-
fupply their necessities ; and exhorted them to live
, in peace and christian love with the clergy, who
were by law invested with the church-government
in her ancient kingdom of Scotland. A proclama
tion of indemnity having been published in March,
a great number of Jacobites returned from France
and other countries, pretended to have changed
their sentiments, and took the oaths, that they
might be qualified to sit in parliament. They
formed an accession to the strength of the anti-re
volutioners and episcopalians, who now hoped to*
out-number the presbyterians, and outweigh their
interest. But, this confederacy was composed of
dissonant-
ANNE. ^09
dissonant parts, from which no "harmony could be A- c- '7°*.
expected. The presbyterians and revolutioners Bun«t.
were headed by the duke of Argyle. The country- ?'dr™"a-
party of malcontents, which took its rife from the Mem.
disappointments of the Darien settlement, acted M^m"^ *
under the auspices of the duke of Hamilton and Fe»q>««*-
marquis of Tweedale; and the earl of Hume ap- xindai?
peared as the chief of the anti-revolutioners. The Lockhan'*
different parties who now united, pursued ,the most Liv« of the
opposite ends. The majority of the country-party f^j^^f^
were friends to the revolution, and sought only re- d. of Mad-
dress of the grievances which the nation had fus- ^roath
, • 11 • rr^l • 1 , Dutchfss Ot
tamed in the late reign. The anti- revolutioners Mariho-
considered the accession and government of king "o^'8
William as an extraordinary event which they were
willing to forget, believing, that all parties were
safe under the shelter of her majesty's general in
demnity. The Jacobites submitted to the queen as
tutrix or regent for the prince of Wales, whom
they firmly believed me intended to establish on
the throne. The Whigs under Argyle, alarmed
at the coalition of all their enemies, resolved to
procure a parliamentary sanction for the revolu
tion.
The parliament being opened on the sixth day a. c. 17°3.
of May at Edinburgh j by the duke of Queensberry Dangerous
as commissioner, the queen's letter was read, in ^\i^t
which she demanded a supply for the maintenance of that
of the forces, advised them to encourage trade, kinsdon''
and exhorted them to proceed with wisdom, pru
dence, and unanimity. The duke of Hamilton
immediately offered the draught of a bill for recog
nizing her majesty's undoubted right and title to
the imperial crown of Scotland, according to the
declaration of the estates of the kingdom, contain
ing the claim of right. It was immediately received ;
and at the second reading, the queen's advocate
offered aa additional clause, denouncing the penal-
X 3 ties
' ' HISTORY ©f ENGLAND.
'7°3 ties of treason against any person who should quar"
rel her majesty's right or title to the crown, or her
exercise of the government from her actual entry
to the same. This, after a long and warm debate,
was carried by the concurrence of the anti-revolu-
tioners. Then the earl of Hume produced the
draught of a bill for the supply ; and immediately
after it was read, the marquis of Tweedale made
an overture, that before all other business, the par
liament would proceed to make such conditions of
government and regulations in the constitution of
the kingdom, to take place after the decease of
her majesty and the heirs of her body, as should be
necessary for the preservation of their religion and
liberty. This overture and the bill were ordered
to lie upon the table ; and, in the mean time, the
commissioner found himself involved in great per
plexity. The duke of Argyle, the marquis of
Annandale, and the earl of Marchmont gave him
to understand in private, that they were resolved
to move for an act, ratifying the revolution ; and
for another, confirming the presbyterian govern
ment : that they would insist upon, their being
discussed before the bill of supply : and that they
were certain of carrying the points at which they
aimed. The commissioner now found himself re
duced to a very disagreeable alternative. There
was a necessity for relinquishing all hope of a sup
ply, or abandoning the anti-revoiutioners, to whom
he was connected by promises of concurrence. The
"Whigs were determined to oppose all schemes of
supply that should come from the cavaliers : and
these last resolved to exert their whole power in
preventing the confirmation of the revolution and
the prestyterian discipline. He foresaw that on
this occasion the Whigs would be joined by the
duke of Hamilton and his party, so as to prepon
derate against the cavaliers. He endeavoured to
ANN E. 31,
cajole both parties; but found the task impracti- A-c. «7°j.
cable. He desired in parliament, that the act for
the supply might be read, promising, that they
mould have full time afterwards to deliberate on
other subjects. The marquis of Tweedale insisted
upon his overture ; and after warm debates, the
house resolved" to proceed with such acts as might
be necessary for securing the religion, liberty, and
trade of the nation, before any biil for supply, or
other business should be discussed. The marquis
of Athol offered an act for the security of the
kingdom, in case of her majesty's decease; but, ;
before it was read, the duke of Argyle presented
his draught of a bill for ratifying the revolution,
and all the acts following thereupon. An act for
limiting the succession after the death of her ma
jesty and the heirs of her body, was produced by
Mr. Fletcher of Sakoun. The earl of Rothes re
commended another, importing, that after her
majesty's death, and failing heirs of her body, no
person coming to the crown of Scotland, being at
the fame time king or queen of England, should,
as king or queen of Scotland, have power to make
peace or war without the consent of parliament.
The earl of Marchmont recited the draught of an
act for securing the true protestant religion snd
presbyterian government ; and, one was suggested
by Sir Patrick Johnston, allowing the importation
of wines and other foreign liquors. All these bills
were ordered to lie upon the table. T hen the earl
of Strathmore produced an act for toleration to all
protestants in the exercise of religious worship. But
against this the general assembly presented a most
violent remonstrance ; and the promoters of the
bill, foreseeing that it would meet with g eat op
position, allowed it to drop for the piesent. On
the third day of June, the parliament passed the
act for preserving the true reformed protestant re-
X 4 . ligion,
3U H I S T O H Y of E N G L A N D.
A. c. 17°3. ligion, and confirming presbyterian church- govern •
ment as agreeable- 10 the word of God, and the only
government of Christ's church within the kingdom.
The fame party enjoyed a further triumph in the sue*
cess ofArgyle'sact,for ratifying and perpetuating the
first act of king William's parliament ; for declar
ing it high treason to disown the authority of
that parliament or to alter or innovate the claim
of right, or any article thereof. This last clause
was strenuously opposed ; but at last' the bill passed,
.with the concurrence; of all the ministry, except
the marquis of Athole and the viscount Tarbat,
who began at this period to correspond with the
The ,om- opposite party.
miisoneris The cavaliers thinking themselves betrayed by
byTheca- duke of Queensberry, who had assented to
vaiiers. these acts, first expostulated with him on his breach
of promise, and then renounced his interest, re
solving to separate from the court, and jointly pur
sue such measures as might be for the interest of
their party. But of all the bills that were pro
duced in the course of this remarkable session, that
which produced the most violent altercation was the
act of security, calculated to abridge the prero
gative of the crown, limit the successor, and throw
a vast additional power into the hands of the par
liament. It was considered paragraph by para
graph : many additions and alterations were pro
posed, and some adopted : inflammatory speeches
were uttered : bitter sarcasms retorted from party,
to party.: and different votes passed on different
clauses. At length, in fpight of the most obsti
nate opposition from the ministry and the .cavaliers,
it was passed by a majority of fifty-nine voices^
The commissioner was importuned to give it the
royal assent ; but declined answering their intrea-
ties till the tenth day of September, when he made
a speech in parliament, giving them to understand
^har. he had received the queen's pleasure, and was,
irnpowerecj
./ANNE. 313
impowered to give the royal assent to all the acts A,c. ri°i'
voted in this session, except to the act for the secu
rity of the kingdom. Then a motion wag. made
to sollicit the royal assent in an address to her ma
jesty ; but the question being put, it was carried
jn the negative by a small majority. On the sixth,
day of the same month, the earl of Marchmont
had produced a bill to settle the succession on the
house of Hanover. At first the import of it. was
hot known ; but, when the clerk, in reading it,
mentioned the princess Sophia, the whole house
was kindled into a flame. Some proposed that the
overture should be burned : others moved that the
earl might be sent prisoner to the castle ; and a
geneial dissatisfaction appeared in the whole assem
bly. Not that the majority in parliament were
averse to the succession in the house of Hanover:
but they resolved to avoid a nomination without
stipulating conditions ; and they had already pro
vided, in the act of security, that it should be
high-treason to own any person as king or queen
after her •.majesty's decease, until he or she should
take the coronation-oath, and accept the terms of
the claim of right, ajid such conditions as should!
be fettled in tfiis or any ensuing parliament.
Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun, a man of undaunt- He is {n
ed courage arjd inflexible integrity, who professed dangerofMi
republican principles, and seemed designed by na-
ture as a member of some Grecian commonwealth, ««b»« the
after having observed that the nation would be en- farhamcct'
staved, should it submit, either willingly or by com
mission, to the successor of England, without such,
conditions of government as should secure them
against the influence of an English ministry, offered
the draught of an act, importing, That, after the
' decease of her majesty, without heirs of her body,
no person being successor to the English throne,
#wuld succeed to the throne of Scotland, but un-
4?r
3i4 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. e. 17°3. tjer the following limitations, which, together with
the coronation-oath and claim of right, they should
swear to observe : namely, That all offices and
places, civil and military, as well as pensions,
should for the future be conferred by parliament td'1"
be chosen at every Michaelmas head-court, to fit
on the first day of November, and adjourn them
selves from time to time, till the ensuing Michael
mas : That they should chuse their own president : "
That a committee of six and thirty members, chosen
out of the whole parliament, without distinction of
estates, should, during the intervals of parHarhenti'
be vested under the king, with the administration '
of the government, act as his council, be account
able to parliament, and call it together on extraor
dinary occasions. He proposed that the successor
mould be nominated by the majority ; declaring for
himself, that he would rather concur in nominating
the most rigid papist with those conditions, than t&e^
truest protestant without them. The mbfion* was:: '
seconded by many members; and though poftCv
poned for the present, in favour of an act of trade
under the consideration of the house, it was after-'1'
wards resumed with great warmth. In vain the
lord-treasurer represented, that no funds were as
yet provided for the army, and moved for a read
ing of the act presented for that purpose : a cer
tain member observed, that this was a very un
seasonable juncture to propose a supply, when the
house had so much to do for the security of the na
tion : he said they had very little encouragement
to grant supplies, when they found themselves frus-
trated of all their labour and expence for these se
veral months ; and when the whole kingdom saw
that supplies served for no other uses but to gratify
the avarice of some insatiable ministers. Mr.
Fletcher expatiated upon the good consequences
that would arise from the act which he had pro
posed.
ANNE. 315
posed. The chancellor answered, That such an A C- "7C> ,
act was laying a scheme for a common wealth, and
tending to innovate the constitution of the mo
narchy. The ministry proposed the state of a vote,
whether they should first give a reading to Fletcher's
act, or to the act of subsidy. The country-party
moved that the question might be, " Overtures
" for subsidies, or overtures for liberty." Fletcher
withdrew his act, rather than people should pervert
the meaning of laudable designs. The house re
sounded with the cry of, " Liberty or subsidy."
Bitter invectives were uttered against the ministry.
One member said it was now plain the nation was
to expect no other return for their expence and toil,
than that of being loaded with a subsidy, and being
obliged to bend their necks under the yoke of
slavery, which was prepared for them from that
throne : another observed, that as their liberties
were suppressed, so the privileges of parliament
were like to be torn from them ; but that he would
venture his life in defence of his birth -right, and
rather die a free man than live a slave. When the
vote was demanded, and declined by the commis
sioner, the earl of Roxburgh declared, that if the;e
was no other way of obtaining so natural and un
deniable a privilege of parliament, they would de
mand it with their swords in their hands. The
commissioner forseeeing this spirit of freedom and
contradiction, had ordered the foot-guards to be in
readiness, and placed a strong guard upon the
eastern gate of the city. Notwithstanding these
precautions, he ran the risque of being torn in
pieces; ajid, in this apprehension, ordered the
chancellor to inform the house, that the parliament
should proceed upon overtures for liberty at their
next sitting. This promise allayed the ferment,
which had begun to rise. Next day the members
prepared an overture, implying, That the elective
members
316 HISTORY of ENGLAND. -
AC. 17°3. members should be chosen for every seat at the
Michaelmas htad courts : That a parliament should
be held once in two years at least : That the short
adjournments de die in diem, should be made by
the parliaments themselves, as in England ; and,
That no officer in the army, customs, or excise,
nor any gratuitous pensioner, should sit as an elec
tive member. The commissioner being apprised
of their proceedings, called for such acts as he was
impowered to pass, and having given the royal as
sent to them, prorogued the parliament to the
twelfth day of October -f. Such was the issue of
this remarkable session of the Scottish parliament,
in which the duke of Queensbeny was abandoned
by the greatest part of the ministry ; and such a
spirit of ferocity and opposition prevailed, as threats
s ened the whole kingdom with civil war and con-
fusion. The queen conferred titles upon those J
who appeared to have influence in the nation, and
attachment to her government, and- revived the
order of the Thistle, which the late king had drop*
ped.
..." ,;;[Link]..' n«oi iuoi*'
,p Though the quten refused to pass hib:tion tn grant any other commission;
the act of security, the royal assent was for that purpose without consent of.
granted to an act of limitation on the parliament; and no supplyhaving beta
successor, in whhh it was declared, presided before- ihe adjournment, the
that no king or queen of Scotland army and [Link] government were
should have power to make war or maintained upon credit,
peace wi hout consent of parliament. % The marquis of AthoJ, and the
Another law was enacted, allowing marquis of Douglas, though a minor,
French wines and other liqucrs to be were created dukes } lord Tarbat was
imported in neutral bottoms. Without invested with the title of earl of Cro-
this expedient, it was alledg-d, that mart)-; the viscounts of Stair and RosCr
tie revenue would have been insuffici- berry wer,- promoted to the same dig-
ent to maintain the government. An nky. Lord Boyle wa» created earl ci
«ct passed in favour os the company Glasgow; James Stuart of Bute, earl
trading to Africa and the Indies ; an- of Bute ; Charles Hope of Hoptoun,
other for a commission concerning the earl of Hoptoun; John Crawford of
- public accounts ; a third for punishing Kilbirnie viscount of Garnnck ; aai
slanderous speeches and writings. The sir James Primrose of Carnngton,
commission, for treating of an union viitount wf Piimrole.
with England was vacate.!, with a pr»-
Ireland
A N N E. $17
Ireland was rilled with discontent, by the be- A- c- '7°s;
haviour and conduct of the trustees for the forfeited Proceedings
estates. The earl of Rochester had contributed to
foment the troubles of the kingdom, by encourag
ing the factions which had been imported from
England. The duke of Ormond was received with
open arms, as heir to the virtues of his ancestors,
who had been the bulwarks of the protestant in
terest in Ireland. He opened the parliament on
the twenty- first day of September, with a speech
to both houses, in which he told them, that his in
clination, his interest, and the examples of his
progenitors, were indispensible obligations upon
him, to improve every opportunity to the advan
tage and prosperity of his native country. The
commons having chosen Allen Broderick to be
their speaker, proceeded to draw up very affection
ate addresses to the queen and the lord lieutenant.
In that to the queen they complained, that their
enemies had misrepresented them, as desirous of
being independent of the crown of England : they
therefore, to vindicate themselves from such false
aspersions, declared and acknowledged, that the
kingdom of Ireland was annexed and united to
the imperial crown of England. In order to ex
press their hatred of the trustees, they resolved,
That all the protestant freeholders of that kingdom
had been falsely and maliciously misrepresented,
traduced, and abused, in a book intituled, " The
" report of the commissioners appointed to inquire
" into the Irish forfeitures $" and it appearing that
Francis Annesiey member of the house, John
Trenchard, Henry Langford, and James Hamil
ton, were authors of that book, they further re
solved, That they had scandalously and maliciously
misrepresented and traduced the protestant free
holders of that kingdom, and endeavoured to create v
a misunderstanding and jealousy between the people
of
3i8 HISTORY ofENGLAND.
a.c. 17°3 0f England and the protestants of Ireland. An .1
nefley to as expelled the house, Hamilton was dead,
and Trenchard had returned to England. They
had finished the inquiry before the meeting of this
parliament ; and fold, at an under value, the best
of the forfeited estates to the fword-blade company
of England, who, in a petition to the Irish parlia
ment, prayed, that heads of a bill might be
brought in for enabling them to take conveyances
of lands in Ireland : but the parliament was very
little disposed to confirm the bargains of the trus
tees, and the petition lay neglected on the table.
The house expelled John Afgil, who, as agent to
the fword-blade company, had offered to lend
money to the public in Ireland, on condition that
the parliament would pass an act to confirm the
company's purchase of the forfeited estates. His
constituents disowned his proposal j and, when he
was summoned to appear before the house, and an
swer for his prevarication, he pleaded his privilege
as member of the English parliament. The conv
mons, in a representation of the state and griev
ances of the nation, gave her majesty to under
stand, that the constitution of Ireland had been of
late greatly shaken ; and their lives, liberties,
and estates, called in question, and tried in a man
ner unknown to their ancestors : that the expence
to which they had been unnecessarily exposed by
the late trustees for the forfeited estates, in defend
ing their just rights and titles, had exceeded in
value the current cash of the kingdom ; that their
trade was decayed, their money exhausted ; and
that they were hindered from maintaining their
own manufactures : that many protestant families
had been constrained to quit the kingdom, in order
to earn a livelihood in foreign countries : that the
want of frequent parliaments in Ireland had encou
raged evil-minded men to oppress the subject:
that
A N N t E.
that many civil officers had acquired great for- A- c» i7°tf
tunes in, that impoverished country, by the exercise
of corruption and oppression : that others, in con
siderable employments, resided in another king
dom, neglecting personal attendance on their duty,
while their offices were ill executed, to the detri
ment of the public, and the failure of justice. They •
declared, that it was from her majesty's gracious
interposition alone, that they proposed to them
selves relief from those their manifold groans and
misfortunes. The commons afterwards voted the
necessary supplies, and granted one hundred and
fifty thousand pounds to make good the deficiencies
of the necessary branches of the establishment.
- , They appointed a committee to inspect the pub- They pass a
lie accounts, by which they discovered, that above {"^^
one hundred thousand pounds had been falsely papists,
charged as a debt upon the nation. The com
mittee was thanked by the house for having saved
,tjj^s sum, and ordered to examine what persons
Y^WWe concerned in such a misrepresentation, which
„was generally imputed to those who acted under
,lhe •duke of , Qrmond. He himself was a noble -
man of, honour and generosity, addicted to plea
sure* and fond of popular applause: but he was
surrounded by people of more sordid principles,
who had ingratiated themselves into his confidence
by the t arts of adulation. The commons voted a
provision for the half-pay officers ; and abolished
pensions to the amount of seventeen thouland
pounds a year, as unnecessary branches of the esta
blishment. They passed an act settling the suc
cession of the crown after the pattern set them by
England : .but the most important transaction of
.Crrjis session was a severe bill to prevent the growth
of popery. It bore a strong affinity to that which
had passed three years before in England ; but con
tained more effectual clauses. Among others, it
. ? 8 enacted,
32o • HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. 17°3. enacted, That all estates of papists should tte
equally divided among the children, notwith
standing any settlement to the contrary, unless the
persons to whom they might be settled, mould
qualify themselves by taking the oaths, and com
municating with the church of England. The
bill was not at all agreeable to the ministry in Eng
land, who expected large presents from the papists,
by whom a considerable sum had been actually raised
for this purpose. But, as they did not think proper
to reject such a bill while the English parliament
was sitting, they added a clause which they hoped
the parliament of Ireland wo#d refuse ; namely,
that no persons in that kingdom should be capable
of any employment, or of being in the magi
stracy of any city, who did not qualify themselves
by receiving the sacrament, according to the test-
act passed in England. Though this was certainly
a great hardship on the dissenters, the parliament
of Ireland sacrificed this consideration to their com
mon security against the Roman catholics, and ac
cepted the amendment without "hesitation. This
affair being discussed, the commons of Ireland pas
sed a vote against a book intituled, " Memoirs of
" the late king James II." as a seditious libel.
They ordered it to be burned by the hands of the
common hangman ; and the bookseller and printer
$0 be prosecuted. When this motion was made,
a member informed the house, that in the county
of Limerick the Irish papists had begun to form
themselves into bodies, to plunder the protestants
of their arms and money, and to maintain a cor
respondence with th'e difiaffected in England. The
house immediately resolved, That the papists of
the kingdom still retained hopes of the accession
of the person known by the name of the prince of
Wales in the life-time of the late king James,
?ind now by the name of James III. In the midst
01
ANNE, 321
of this zeal against popery and the pretender, they A c-'7°3'
were suddenly adjourned by command of the lord-
lieutenant, and broke up in great animosity against
that nobleman -f-. ' .
The attention of the English ministry had been The elector
for some time chiefly engrossed by the affairs of the j^6"™,'*
continent. The emperor agreed with the allies, imperialist!
that his son the archduke' Charles should resume the atSca1^"
title of king of Spain, demand the infanta of Por- fake/p" at
tugal in marriage, and undertake something of irr»-|'4n°>nsHa'
portance, with the assistance of the maritime powers.
Mr. Methuen, the English minister at Lisbon,
had already made some progress in p. treaty with ' .-
his Portuguese majesty ; and the court of Vienna
promised to send such an army into the field, as
would in a little time drive the elector of Bavaria
from his dominions. But they were so dilatory in
their preparations, that the French king broke all
their measures,, by fending powerful reinforce
ments to the elector, in whose ability and attach
ment Lewis reposed great confidence. Marechal
Villars, who commanded an army of thirty thou
sand men at Strasburg, passed the Rhine, and re
duced fort Kehl, the garriion of which was eon-
ducted to Philipsburgh. The emperor., alarmed
at this event, ordered count Schlick to enter Ba
varia on the side of Saltsburg, with a considerable
• body of forces ; and sent another under count
Stirum, to invade the fame electorate by the way
of Newmark, which was surrendered to him, after
he had routed a party of Bavarians : the city of
Amberg met with the fame fate. Mean while

T Theyhad, besides the bills already coming into the kingdom '. a fourth
mentioned, passed an act for an addi- securing the liberty of the subject, and
tiorral excise on beer, ale, and other for preventing of imprifonment 1)eyond
liquors! anothei encourag:ng the im- seas: ind a fifth for naturalizing aj >
portation of iron and stives: a third prctestant'TSlaSigtrs.
for preventing popish priests from
N°. 87. Y count
HISTORY of ENGLAND.
'7cj. count Schlick defeated a body of militia that de
fended the lines of Saltfburg, and made himself
master of Riedt, and several other places. The
elector assembling his forces near Brenau, diffused
a report that he intended to besiege Passau, to
cover which place Schlick advanced with the
greatest part of his infantry, leaving behind his
cavalry and cannon. The elector, having by this
feint divided the Imperialists, passed the bridge of
Scardigen with twelve thousand men, and, after an
obstinate engagement, compelled the Imperialists
to abandon the field of battle ; then he marched
against the Saxon troops which guarded the artil
lery, and attacked them with such impetuosity,
that they were intirely defeated. In a few days
after these actions, he took Newburg on the Inn
by capitulation. He obtained another advantage
over an advanced post of the Imperialists near
Burgenfeldt, commanded by the young prince of
Brandenburg Anfpach, who was mortally wound
ed in the engagement. He advanced to Ratisbon,
where the diet of the empire was assembled, and
demanded that he should be immediately put in
possession of the bridge and gate of the city. The
burghers immediately . took to their arms, and
planted cannon on the ramparts ; but, when they
saw a battery erected against them,, and the elector
determined to bombard the place, they thought
proper to capitulate, and comply with his de
mands. He took possession of the town on the
eighth day of April, and signed an instrument oblig
ing himself, to withdraw his troops, as soon as
the emperor should ratify the diet's resolution for
the neutrality of Ratisbon. Marechal Villars having
received orders to join the elector at all events, and
being reinforced by a body of troops under count
Tallard, resolved to break through the lines which
the prince of Baden had made at Stolhossen. This
A N N E.'. 323
general had been luckily joined by eight Dutch A c- '7°3-
battalions, and received the French army, though
double his number, with such obstinate resolution,
that Villars was obliged to retreat with great loss,
and directed his route towards Offingeri. Never
theless, he penetrated through the Black Forest,
and effected a junction with the elector. Count
Stirum endeavoured to join prince Lewis of Baden ;
but being attacked near Schwemmingen, retired
under the cannon of Nortlingen.
The confederates were more successful on the The allies
Lower Rhine and in the Netherlands. The duke*d^
of Marlborough crossed the sea in the beginning
of April, and assembling the allied army, resolved,
that the campaign should be begun with the siege
of Bonne, which was accordingly invested on the
twenty-fourth day of April. Three ^different at
tacks were carried on against this place ; one by
the hereditary prince of Hesse-Cassel ; another by
the celebrated Coehorn ; and a third by the lieu-
tenant-general Fagel. The garrison defended
themselves vigorously till the fourteenth of May,
when the fort having been taken by assault, and
the breaches practicable, the marquis d'Alegre
the governor, ordered a parley to be beat ; hostages
were immediately exchanged' ; on the sixteenth the
capitulation was signed; and in three days the
garrison evacuated the place, in order to be con
ducted to Luxemburg. During the siege of Bonne,
the marechals Boufflers and Villeroy advanced with
an army of forty thousand men towards Tongerenj
and the confederate army commanded by Overkirk
was obliged at their approach to retreat under the
cannon of Maestricht. The enemy having taken
possession of Tongeren, made a motion against the
confederate army, which they found already drawn
up in order of battle, and so advantageously post
ed, that, notwithstanding their great superiority
Y 2 in
3a4 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. ijoj. in point of number, they .would not hazard art
attack ; tjut retired to- the ground from whence
they had advanced. Immediately after the reduc- ,
tion of Bonne, the duke of Marlborough, who
had been present at the siege, returned to the con
federate army in the Netherlands, now amounting
to one hundred and thirty squadrons, and sifty-nine
battalions. On the twenty-fifth day of May, the
ckike having passed the river Jecker, in order to
give battle to the enemy, they marched with pre
cipitation to Boekwern, and abandoned Tongeren,
after having blown up the walls of the place with
gun-powder. 'I he duke continued to follow them
to Thys, where he encamped, while they retreated
to Hannye, retiring as he advanced. Then he
resolved to force their lines ; and this service was
effectually performed by Coehorn, at the point of
Callo, and by baron Spaar in the county of Waes,
near Stoken. The duke had formed the design
of reducing Antwerp, which was' garrisoned by
Spanish troops, under the command of the marquis
de Bedmar. He intended with the grand army
to attack the enemy's lines on the side of Louvaine
and Mechlin, while he detached Coehorn with his
flying camp on the right of the Schekl, towards
Dutch Flanders, to amuse the marquis de Bedmar
•on that side ; and he ordered the baron Opdam,
with twelve thousand men, to take post between
Eckeren and Capelle near Antwerp, that he might
act against that part of the lines which was guard
ed by the Spanish forces.
Battle of f ne French generals, in order to frustrate the
Eckeren. scheme of Marlborough, resolved to cut off t«he
retreat of Opdam. Boufrlers, with a detachment
of twenty thousand men from Villeroy'stirmy, sur
prised him at Eckeren, where the Dutch were put
in disorder ; and Opdam believing all was lost, fled
to Breda. Nevertheless, the troops rallying under
general
A "N N E. , 325
general ScWangenburg, maintained their ground AC- 17°3»
with the most; obstinate valour, till night, when
the enemy was obliged to retire, and left the com
munication free . with fort Lillo, to which place
the confederates marched without further molesta
tion, having lost about fifteen hundred men in the
engagement. The damage sustained by the French
was more considerable. They were frustrated in
their design, and had actually abandoned the field,
of battle ; yet Lewis ordered Te Deum to be fung
, for the victory : nevertheless, Boufflers was cen
sured for his conduct on this occasion, and in a
little time totally disgraced. Opdam presented a
justification of his conduct to the states- general ;
but by this oversight forfeited the fruits of a long
service, during which he had exhibited repeated
proofs of courage, zeal, and capacity. The states
honoured Schlangenburg with a letter of thanks for
the valour and skill he had manifested in this en
gagement ; but, in a little time they dismissed
him from his employment, on account of his hav
ing given umbrage to the duke of Marlborough,
by censuring his grace for exposing such a small
number of men to this disaster. After this action
Vijleroy, who lay encamped near St. Job, declared
he would wait for the duke of Marlborough, who
forthwith advanced to Hoogstraat with a view to
give him battle : but, at his approach, the French
general setting fire to his camp• retired within his
lines with great precipitation. Then the duke in1-
vested Huy, the garrison of which, after a vigo
rous defence, surrendered themselves prisoners of
war, on the twenty-seventh day of August, At a
council of war held in the camp of the confede
rates, the duke proposed to attack the enemy's
lines between the Mehaigne and Leuwe, and was ,
seconded hy the Danish, Hanoverian, and Hessian
generals ; but the scheme was opposed by the
Y 3 Dutch
326 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. 17°3. £)utch officers and the deputies of the states, who
alledged that the success was dubious, and the con
sequences of forcing the lines inconsiderable. They
therefore recommended the siege of Limburg, by
the reduction of which they would acquire a whole
province, and cover their own country, as well as
Juliers and Gueldres, from the designs of the ener
my. The siege of Limburg was accordingly un
dertaken. The trenches were opened on the five
and twentieth day of September, and in two days
the place was surrendered ; the garrison remaining
prisoners of war. By this conquest the allies se
cured the country of Liege, and the electorate of
Cologne, from the incursions of the enemy ; and
before the end of the year, they remained masters
of the whole Spanish Guelderland, by the reduc
tion of Gueldrcs, which surrendered on the seven
teenth day of September, after having been long
blockaded, bombarded, and reduced to a heap of
ashes, by the Prussian general Lottom. Such was
the campaign in the Netherlands, which in all pro
bability would have produced events of greater im
portance, had not the duke of MarlborougK been
restricted by the deputies of the states-general, who
began to be influenced by the intrigues of the L6u-:
vestein faction, ever averse to a single dictator.
The prin« The French king redoubled, his efforts in Ger-
' ^"aKdby manv- The duke of Vendome was ordered to
the trench march from the Milanese to Tyrol, and there join
bjtch!"" she elector of Bavaria, who had already made him
self master of Inspruck. But the boors rising in
arms, drove him out of the country before he
could be joined by the French general, who
was therefore obliged to return to the Milanese.
The Imperialists in Italy were so ill supplied by
the court of Vienna, that they could not pre
tend to act offensively. The French invested Osti-
glia, which, however, they could not reduce: but
ANNE. 3«7
the fortress of Barfillo, in the dutchy of Reg- A-,C- i7°j«
gio, capitulating after a long blockade, they
took possession of the duke of Modena's country.
The elector of Bavaria rejoining Villars, resolved
to attack count Stirum, wham prince Lewis of
Baden had detached from his army. With this
view they passed the Danube at Donawert, and
discharged six guns as a signal for the marquis
D'Usson, whom they had left in the camp at Lav- ,
ingen, to fall upon the rear of the Imperialists,
while they mould charge them in the front. Stirum
sno sooner perceived the signal, than he guessed the
intention of the enemy, and instantly resolved to ' ,
attack D'Osson before the elector and the mare-, ,
chal should advance. He accordingly charged him
at the head of some select squadrons, with such im
petuosity that the French cavalry was totally de
feated ; and all his infantry would have been killed
and taken, had not the elector and Villars come
up in time to turn the fate of the battle, which
continued from six in the morning to four in the
affernoon, when Stirum being overpowered by
numbers, was obliged to retreat to Norlingen with
the loss of twelve thousand men, and all his bag
gage and artillery. In the mean time, the duke
of Burgundy, assisted by Tallard, undertook the
siege of Old Brisac, with a prodigious train of ar
tillery. The place was very strongly fortified, . . .
though the garrison was small arid ill provided with
necessaries. . In fourteen days, the governor sur
rendered the place, and was condemned to los; his
head for haying made such a siender defence. The
duke of Burgundy returned in triumph to Versailles,
and Tallard was ordered to invest Landau. The ,
prince of Hesse-Cassel being detached from the
Netherlands for the relief of the place, joined the
count of Nassau-Welburg general of the Palatine
forces, near Spires, where they resolved to attack
Y 4 the
3*8 HISTORYof ENGLAND.
a. c. 170 j. the French in their lines. But by this time mon
sieur [Link] with teri thousand men had joined
T.,!ia d, and enabled him to strike a stroke which
pro\cd decisive. He suddenly quitted his lines,
and surprised the prince at Spirebaeh, where the
French obtained a complete victory, after a very
obstinate engagement, in which the prince of Hefie
distinguished himself by uncommon marks of cou
rage and presence of mind. Three horses were
successively killed under him, and he slew a French
officer with his own hand. After incredible ef
forts, he was obliged to retreat with the loss of some
thousands. The French payed dear for their vic
tory, Pracontal having been slain in the action.
Nevertheless,, they resumed the siege, and the place
was surrendered by capitulation. The campaign
in Germany was finished with the reduction of
Augsburg by the elector of Bavaria, who took ic
in the month of December, and agreed to its being
secured by a French garrison.
2w"n-h.e" * ne emperor's affairs at this juncture wore a
cm :froi a„j very unpromising aspect. The Hungarians were
ofs'avov. fleeced and barbarously oppressed by those to whom
he intrusted the government of their country.
They derived courage from despair. They seized
this opportunity, when the emperor's forces were
divided, and his councils distracted, to exert them
selves in defence of their liberties. They ran to
arms under the auspices of prince Ragotzki. They
demanded that their grievances should be redressed,
•an ! their privileges restored. Their reseritment
was kept up by the emissaries of France and Bava
ria, who likewise encouraged them to persevere in
thair revolt, by repeated promises of protection
and assistance. The emperor's prospect, however,
was soon mended by two incidents of very great
consequence to his interest. The duke of Savoy
foreseeing how much he would lie exposed to the,
mercy
• A N N E.
thercy of the French king, should that monarch A
become master of the Milanese, engaged in a se
cret negotiation with the emperor, which, not
withstanding all his caution, was discovered by the
court of Versailles. Lewis immediately ordered
the duke of Vendome to disarm the troops of Sa
voy that were in his army,, to the number of two
and twenty thousand men : to insist upon the duke's
putting him in possession of four considerable for
tresses ; and demand that the number of his troops
should be reduced to the establishment stipulated
in the treaty of one thousand six hundred and
ninety- six. The duke, exasperated at these insults,
ordered the French ambassador, and several officers
of the fame nation, to be arrested ; and Lewis en
deavoured to intimidate him by a menacing letter,
in which he gave him to understand, that since nei
ther religion, honour, interest, nor alliances, had
been able to influence his conduct, the duke of
Vendome should make known the intentions of the
French monarch, and allow him four and twenty
hours to deliberate on the measures he should pur
sue. . This letter was answered by a manifesto : in
. she mean time the duke concluded a treaty with the
court of Vienna ; acknowledged the archduke
Charles as king of Spain ; and sent envoys to Eng
land and Holland. Queen Anne knowing his im
portance, as well as his selfish disposition, assured
him of her friendship and assistance ; and both she
and the states sent ambassadors to Turin. He was
immediately joined by a body of Imperial horse un
der Visconti, and afterwards by count Staremberg,
at the head of fifteen thousand men, with whom
he marched from the Modenese in the worst sea
son of the year, through an enemy's country, and
roads that were deemed impassable, while the
French forces harrassed him in his march, and even
surrounded. him in many different places on the
3 route.
3jo HISTORY of ENGLAND;
A.C «7oj. route. He surmounted all these difficulties witft
incredible courage and perseverance, and joined
the duke of Savoy at Canelli, so as to secure the
country of Piedmont. The other incident which
proyed so favourable to the Imperial interest, was
a treaty by which the king of Portugal acceded to
the grand alliance. His ministry perceived, that
should Spain be once united to the crown of France,
thejr master would sit very insecure upon his throne.
They were intimidated by the united fleets of the
maritime powers, which maintained the empire of
the sea > and they were allured by the splendor of
a match between their infanta and the archduke
Charles, to whom the emperor and the king of the
Romans should transfer all their pretensions to the
Spanish crown. By this treaty, concluded at Lis
bon, between the emperor, the queen of Great-
Britain, the king of Portugal, and the states-gene
ral, it was stipulated, That king Charles should be
conveyed to Portugal by a powerful fleet, having
on board twelve thousand soldiers, with a great sup
ply of money, arms, and ammunition : and that he
should be joined immediately upon his landing,
by an army of eight and twenty thousand Portu
guese, i
Kr shovel' ^e confederates reaped very little advantage
seiL with from the naval operations of this summer. Sir
tteMcdi George Rooke cruised in the channel, in order
tcrMJiran. to alarm the coast of France, and protect the
trade of England. On the first day of July,
Sir Cloudesley Shovel sailed from St. Helen's,
with the combined squadrons of England and
Holland : he directed his course to the Mediter
ranean, and being reduced to great difficulty by
want of water, steered to Altea on the coast of Va
lentia, where brigadier Seymour landed and en
camped with five and twenty hundred marines,
Th? admiral published a short manifesto, signify*
WILLIAM in. 33*
ing that he was not come to disturb, but to protect
the good subjects of Spain, who should swear alle
giance to their lawful monarch the archduke
Charles, and endeavour to make off the yoke of
France. This declaration produced little or no
effect ; and the fleet being watered, sailed to Leg
horn. One design of this armament was to assist
the Cevennois, who had in the course of the pre
ceding year been persecuted into a revolt on acr
count of religion, and implored the assistance of
England and the states-general. The admiral de
tached two ships into' the gulpK of Narbonne, with
some refugees and French pilots, who had concert
ed signals with the Cevennois ; but the marechal
de Montrevil having received intimation of their
design, took such measures as prevented all com
munication ; and the English captains having re
peated their signals to no purpose, rejoined Sir
Clondesley at Leghorn. This admiral having re
newed the peace with the pyratical states of Bar-
bary, returned toEngland,withouthaving taken one
effectual step for annoying the enemy, or attempt
ed any thing that looked like the result of a con
certed scheme for that purpose. Th6 nation na
turally murmured at this fruitless expedition, by
which it had incurred such a considerable expence.
The merchants complained that they were ill sup
plied with convoys. The ships of war were vic
tualled with damaged provision ; and every article
of the marine being mismanaged, the blame fell
upon those who acted as council to the lord high-
admiral.
Nor were the arms of England by sea much AdmM
more successful in the West- Indies. Sir George Graydon'»
Rooke, in the preceding year, had detached from J^dkion
the Mediterranean captain Hovenden Walker with to the west
six ships of the line and transports, having on board Indie''
ftnjr regiments Qf soldiers, for the Leeward islands;
4 Being
HISTORY of ENGLAND.
Being joined at Antigua by some troops Under co
lonel Coddrington, they made a descent upon the
island Guadaloupe, where they' razed the fort,
burned the town, ravaged the country, and reim •
'barked with precipitation, in consequence of a re
port that the French had landed nine hundred men
on the back of the island. They retired to Nevis,
where they must have perished by famine, had not
they been providentially - relieved by vice-admiral
Graydon, in his way to Jamaica. This officer had
been sent out with three ships to succeed Benbow,
and was convoyed about one hundred and fifty
leagues by two other ships of the line. He had not
sailed many days, when he fell in with part of the
French squadron, commanded by Du Casse, on
their return from the West-Indies, very foul and
richly laden. Captain Cleland of the Montague
engaged the sternmost ,, but he was called off by a
signal from the admiral, who proceeded on his
voyage without taking farther notice of the ene
my. When he arrived at Jamaica, he quarrelled
with the principal planters of the island ; and his
ships beginning to be crazy, he resolved to return
to England. He accordingly sailed through the
gulph of Florida, with a view to attack the French
at Placentia, in Newfoundland ; but his ships were
dispersed in a fog that lasted thirty days ; and after
wards the council of war which' he convoked were
of opinion, that he could not attack the settlement
with any prospect of success. At his return to Eng
land, the house of lords then sitting set on foot an
inquiry into his conduct. They presented an ad
dress to the queen, desiring she would remove him
from his employments j and he was accordingly
dismissed. The only exploit that tended to the
distress of the enemy, was performed by rear-admi
ral Dilkes, who, in the month of July, sailed to
the coast of France with a small squadron : and, in
the
A N N" E.
the neighbourhood ofGranville, took or destroyed A'c- W,
about forty ships and their'convoy. Yet this da
mage was inconsiderable when compared to diat
which the English navy sustained from the dread
ful tempest that began to blow on the twenty-
seventh day of November, accompanied with such
flashes of lightning, and peals of thunder, as over
whelmed the whole kingdom with consternation.
The houses in London shook from their foundations,
and some of them falling, buried the inhabitants ,
in their ruins. The water overflowed several streets,
and rose to a considerable tide in Westminster- hall.
London-bridge was almost choaked up with the
wrecks of vessels that perished in the river. The
loss sustained by the capital was computed at
a million sterling : and the city of Bristol suffered
to a prodigious amount : but the chief national da
mage fell upon the navy. Thirteen ships of war
were lost, together with fifteen hundred seamen,
including rear-admiral Beaumont, who had been
employed in observing the Dunkirk squadron, and
was then at' anchor in the Downs, where his ship
foundered. This great loss, however, was repaired
with incredible diligence, to the astonishment of
all Europe. The queen immediately issued orders
for building a greater number of ships than that
which had been destroyed ; and she exercised her
bounty for the relief of the shipwrecked seamen,
and the widows of those who were drowned, in
such a manner as endeared 'her to all her sub- ,
jects. _
The emperor having declared his second son Chada
Charles king of Spain, that young prince set out sPaf„tr
from Vienna to Holland, and at Dusseldorp was "ves in
visited by the duke of Marlborough, who, in the BnE]and-
name of his mistress, congratulated him upon his
accession to the crown of Spain. Charles received
him with the most obliging courtesy. In the course
of
334 H I S T O R Y 6 r E N G L A N Dj
A. c. 17°3. of their conversation, taking off his sword, he -pter-
sented it to the English general, with a very gra
cious aspect, saying, in the French language, " 1 am
•* not ashamed to own myself a poor prince. I poslefe
** nothing but my cloak and sword : the latter may
" be of use to your grace ; and I hope you will not
** think ittheworse for my wearing it oneday." " On
** the contrary (replied the duke) it will always put
" me in mind of your majesty's just right and title,
'* and of the obligations I lie under to hazard my
•* life in making you the greatest prince in Chrii%
" tendom." This nobleman returned to England,
in October ; and king Charles embarking for the
fame kingdom, under convoy of an English and
Dutch squadron, arrived at Spithead on the twenty-
sixth day of September. There he was received by
the dukes of Somerset and Marlborough, who eon-
ducted him to Windsor ; and on the road he way
met by prince George of Denmark. The queen's
deportment towards him was equally noble and
obliging and he expressed the most profound re
spect and veneration for this illustrious princess.
He spoke but little ; yet what he said was judicious ;
and he behaved with such politeness and affability
as conciliated the affection of the English nobility*
After having been magnificently entertained for
three days, he returned to Portsmouth, from
whence, on the fourth of January* he sailed for
Portugal, with a great fleet commanded by Sir
George Rooke, having on board a body of land-
forces under the duke of Schomberg. When the
admiral had almost reached .cape Finistre, he was
driven back by a storm to Spithead, where he was
obliged to remain till the middle of February.
Then being favoured with a fair wind, he happily
performed the voyage to Lisbon, where king
Charles was received with great splendour, though
the court of Portugal was overspread with sorrow,
excited
A N N E. 335
txclted by the death of the infanta, whom the king c. i7oj.
of Spain intended to espouse. - In Poland, all
hope of peace seemed to vanish. The carxlinal-
primate, by the instigation of the Swedish king,
whose army lay encamped in the neighbourhood of
Dantzick, assembled a diet at Warsaw, which so
lemnly deposed Augustus, and declared the throne
vacant. Their intention was to elect young So-
bieski, son of their late monarch, who resided at
Breflaw in Silesia : but their scheme was anticipated
by Augustus, who retired hastily into his Saxon
dominions, and seizing Sobielki with his brother,
secured them as prisoners at Dresden.
When the parliament met in October, thenie«m-
queen in her speech took notice of the declaration ^'aJ6"**
by the duke ofSavoy, and the treaty with Portugal, aS againftocra-
circurststances advantageous to the alliance. She told ^l^°1*"
them, that although no provifion was made for the
expedition to Lisbon and the augmentation of the
land forces, the funds had answered so well, and
the produce of prizes being so considerable, that
the public had not run in debt by those additional
services : that she had contributed out of her own
revenue to the support of the circle of Suabia, whose
firm adherence to the interest of the allies deserved
her seasonable assistance ; and, she said, she would
not engage in any unnecessary expence of her own,
that she might have the more to spare towards the
ease of her subjects. She recommended dispatch
and union ; and, earnestly exhorted them to avoid
any heats or divisions that might give encourage
ment to the common enemies of the church and
state. Notwithstanding this admonition, and the
addresses of both houses, in which they promised to
avoid all divisions, a motion was made in the house
of commons for renewing the bill against occa- .
fional conformity; and carried by a great majo
rity. In the new draught, however the penalties
were
336 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. 17°3. were lowered, and the severest clauses mitigated.
As the court no longer interested itself in the suc
cess of this measure, the house was pretty equally
divided with respect; to the speakers, and the
, debates on each fide were maintained with equal
spirit and ability : at length, it passed, and was lent
up to the lords, who handled it still more severely.
It was opposed by a small majority of the bishops,
and particularly by Burnet of Sarum, who declaim
ed against it as a scheme of the papists, to set the
church and protestants at variance. It was succes
sively attacked by the duke of Devonshire, the earl
of Pembroke, the lords Haversham, Mohun, Fer
rers, and Wharton. Prince George of Denmark
absented himself from the house : and, the ques
tion being put for a second reading, it was carried
in the negative ; yet, the duke of Marlborough
and lord Godolphin entered their dissent against its
being rejected, though the former had positively
declared, that he thought the bill unseasonable.
The commons having perused a copy of the treaty
,with Portugal, voted forty thousand men, includ
ing five thousand marines, for the sea-service of
the ensuing year ; a like number of land forces,
to adt in conjunction with the allies, besides the
additional ten thousand j and, they resolved, That
the proportion to be employed in Portugal should
amount to eight thousand. Sums were granted for
the maintenance of these great armaments, as well
as for the subsidies payable to her majesty's allies ;
and funds appointed equal to the occasion. Then
they assured the queen, in an address, that they-
would provide for the support of such alliances
, .as she had made, or should make with the duke of
Savoy.
At this period the nation was alarmed by the de
tection of a conspiracy said to be hatched by the
Jacobites of Scotland. Simon Frascr lord Lovat,
a man.
A N N fe. , , n1
a man os desperate enterprize, profound dissimula- A- c- '7°3*
tion, abandoned morals, and ruined fortune, who Conspiracy
had been outlawed for having ravished a sifter of ^si™"'
the marquis of Athol, Was the person to whom the Fraser lord
plot seems to have owed its origin. He repaired Lovat"
t» the court of St. Germain's, where he undertook
to assemble a body of twelve thousand Highlanders
to act in favour of the pretender, if the court of
France would assist them with a small reinforce
ment of troops, together with officers, arms, am
munition, and money. The French king seemed
to listen to the proposal ; but as Fraser's character
was infamous, he doubted his veracity. He was, '
therefore, sent back to Scotland with two other
persons, who were instructed to learn the strength
and sentiments of the clans, and endeavour to en-1
gage some of the nobility in the design of an insur
rection. Fraser no sooner returned than he pri
vately discovered the whole transaction to the duke
of Queensoerry, and undertook to make him ac
quainted with the whole correspondence between
the pretender and the Jacobites. In consequence
Of this service he was provided with a pass, to secure
him from all prosecution ; and made a progress
through the Highlands, to sound the inclination
of the chieftains. Before he set out on this circuit,
he delivered to the duke a letter from the queen
dowager at St. Germain's, directed to the marquis
, of Athol : it was couched in general terms, and
superscribed in a different character; so that, in all 1
probability, Fraser had forged the direction, With
a view to ruin the marquis, who had prosecuted
' him for the injury done to his sister. He pro
posed a second journey to France, where he
stiould be able to discover other more material cir
cumstances ; and the duke of Queensoerry pro
cured a pass for him to go to Holland from the
earl of Nottingham, though it was expedited un-
Numb. LXXXVIII. Z der
338 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
*• c.''7°3« der a borrowed name. The duke had communi
cated his discovery to the queen, without disclosing
his name, which he desired might be concealed ;
and, her majesty believed the particulars, which
were confirmed by her spies at Paris, as well as by ,
the evidence of Sir John Maclean, who had lately
been conveyed from France to hngland in an open
boat, and apprehended at Folkstone. This gen-
deman pretended at first, that his intention was to
go through England to his own country, in order
to take the benefit of the queen's pardon ; and this
in all probability was his real design : but, being
given to understand, that he would be treated in
England as a traitor, unless he should merit for
giveness by making important discoveries, he re
lated all he knew of the purposed insurrection.
From his information the ministry gave directions
for apprehending one Keith, whose uncle had ac
companied Fraser from France, and knew all the
intrigues of the court of St. Germain's. He de
clared, that there was no other design a-foot, ex
cept that of paving the way for the pretender's as
cending the throne after the queen's decease. Fer
guson, that veteran conspirator, affirmed, that
Fraser had been employed by the duke of Queens-
berry to decoy some persons whom he hated, into a
conspiracy, that he might have an opportunity to
, effect their ruin ; and by the discovery establish his
' v own credit, which began to totter. Perhaps there
was too much reason for this imputation. Among
thole who were seized at this time, was a gentle
man of the name of Lindsay, who had been under
secretary to the earl of Middleton. He had return
ed from France to Scotland, in order to take the
benefit of the queen's pardon, under the shelter of
which he came to England, thinking himself secure
from prosecution. He protested he knew of no
designs against the queen and her government ;
8 " and
Anne. w
ancl that he did not believe she would ever receive A C- «7«j
the least injury or molestation from the court of
St. Germain's. The house of lords having received
intimation of this conspiracy, resolved, That a
committee should be appointed to examine into the
particulars ; and, ordered, That Sir John Maclean
should be next day brought to their house. . The
queen, who was far from being pleased with this
instance of their officious interposition, gave them
to understand by message, that she thought it would
be inconvenient to change the method of examina
tion already begun ; and, that she would in a short
time inform the house of the whole affair. On the
seventeenth day of December the queen went to the
house of peers, and having passed the bill for the
land-tax, made a speech to both houses, in which
she declared, that she had unquestionable informa
tion of ill practices and designs carried on by the
emissaries of France in Scotland. The lords per
sisting in their resolution to bring the inquiry into
•their own house, chose their select committee by
ballot ; and, in an address thanked her majesty
for the information she had been pleased to com
municate.
The commons taking it for granted, that the The
queen was disobliged at these proceedings of the j^"' *
upper house, which indeed implied an insult uponfl™«t°
her ministry, if not upon herself, presented an ad - ' e a^een"
dress, declaring themselves surprised to find, that
when persons suspected of treasonable practices were
taken into custody by her majesty's messengers, in
order to be examined, the lords, in violation to the
known laws of the land, had wrested them out'of
her hands, and arrogated the examination solely to
themselves ; so that a due inquiry into the evil
practices and designs against her majesty's person
and government might in a great measure be ob
structed. They earnestly desired, that she would
\ Z 2 suffer
34o HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. 17°3. suffer no diminution of the prerogative; and, they
assured her they would, to the utmost of their
power, support her in the exe'rcise of it at home,
as well as in asserting it against all invasions what
soever. 7 he queen thanked them for their concern
and assurances ; and, was not ill pleased at the na
ture of the address, though the charge against the
peers was not strictly true : for, there were many
instances of their having assumed such a right of
inquiry. The upper house deeply resented the
accusation. They declared, that by the known
laws and customs of parliament, they had an un
doubted right to take examinations of persons
charged with criminal matters, whether those per
sons were or were not in custody. 1 hey resolved,
that the address of the commons was unparliamen
tary, groundless, without precedent, highly injurious
to the house of peers, tending to interrupt the
good correspondence between the two houses, to
create an ill opinion in her majesty of the house of
peers, of dangerous consequence to the liberties
of the people, the constitution of the kingdom, and
privileges of parliament. They presented a long
remonstrance to the queen, justifying their owin
conduct, explaining the steps they had taken, re
criminating upon the commons ; and, expressing
the most fervent zeal, duty, and affection to her
majesty. In her answer to this representation,
which was drawn up with elegance, propriety, and
precision, stie professed her sorrow for the misun
derstanding which had happened between the two
houses of parliament, and thanked them for the
concern they had expressed for the rights of the
crown and the prerogative, which she should never
exert so willingly as for. the good of her subjects,
and the protection of their liberties.
Among other persons seized on the coast of Sus
sex, on their landing-from France, was one Boucher,
who

1
ANNE. Ht
« ho had been aid-du-camp to the duke of Ber- A- c- »?°3-
wick. When examined, he denied all knowledge Thcwm-
jf any conspiracy; and said, that being weary Qfmoiu.i«ft »
living so long abroad, and having made some Un- veur of the
successful attempts to obtain a pals, he had chosen Sj^°6"
rather to cast himself on the queen's mercy, than
to remain longer in exile from his native country.
He was tried and condemned for high-treason, yet
continued to declare himself ignorant of the plot.
He proved, that in the war of Ireland as well as in
Flanders, he had treated the English prisoners
with great humanity. The lords desisted from the
prosecution; he obtained a reprieve, and died in
Newgate. On the twenty-ninth day of January
the earl of Nottingham told the house, that the
queen had commanded him to lay before them
the papers containing all the particulars hither
to discovered of the conspiracy in Scotland ; but,
that there was one circumstance which could not
yet be properly communicated, withoi# running
the risk of preventing a discovery of greater im
portance. They forthwith drew up and pre
sented an address, desiring that all the papers might
be immediately submitted to their inspection. She
said, she did not expect to be pressed in this man
ner immediately after the declaration Hie had made j
but, in a few days the earl of Nottingham deliver
ed the papers sealed to the house, and all the lords
were summoned to attend on the eighth day of Fe
bruary, that they might be opened .and perused.
Nottingham was suspected of a design to stifle the
conspiracy. Complaint was made in the house of
commons that he had discharged an officer belong
ing to the late king James, who had been ieized
by the governor of Berwick. A warm debate
ensued, and at length ended in a resolve, That
the earl of Nottingham, one of her majesty's prin
cipal secretaries of state, for his great ability and di-
Z j ligence
3+2 HISTORY off ENGLAND.
a. c. 17°3. ligence in the execution of his office, for his unques
tionable fidelity to the queen and her government,
and for his steady adhering to the church of Eng
land as by law established, highly merited the
trust her majesty had reposed in him. They or
dered the speaker to present this resolution to the
queen, who said, she was glad to find them so well
•satisfied with the earl of Nottingham, who was
trusted by her in so considerable an office. They
perused the examination of the witnesses which
were layed before them, without passing judgment
or offering advice on the subject ; but, they thank
ed her majesty for having communicated those par
ticulars, as well as for her wisdom and care of the
nation. When the lords proceeded wirh uncom
mon eagerness in their inquiry, the lower house,
in another address, renewed their complaints against
the conduct of the peers, which they still affirmed
was without a precedent. But* this was the lan
guage of ijritated faction, by which indeed both
sides were equally actuated.
Second rt. The select committee of the lords prosecuted the
S'7hcTo"n. inquiry, and founded their report- chiefly on the
confession of Sir John Macleaa, who owned that
the court of St. Germain's had listened to Lovat's
proposal : That several councils had been held at
the pretender's court on the subject of an invasion ;
and persons sent over to found some of the nobility
k in Scotland. But, the nature of their private cor
respondence and negotiation could not be dis
covered. Keith had tampered with his uncle to,
disclose the whole secret ; and, this was the circum
stance which the queen declined imparting to the
lords, until she should know the success of his en
deavours, which proved, ineffectual. The uncle
stood aloof ; and the ministry did not heartily en
gage in the inquiry. The house of lords having
Jinistied these examinations, and being warmed
with
ANN -JL. 543
with, violent debates, voted, That there had- been A- c- «7°3-
dangerous plots between some persons in Scotland,
and the courts of France and St. Germain's ; and,
That the encouragement for this plotting arose
from the not settling the succession to the crown of
Scotland in the house of Hanover. These votes
were signified to the queen in an address ; and, they
promised, that whtn the succession should be thus
settled, they would endeavour to promote the union
of the two kingdoms upon just and reasonable
terms. Then they composed another representa
tion, in answer to the second address of the com
mons, touching their proceedings. They charged
the lower house with want of zeal in the whole pro
gress of this iniquiry. They produced a great
number of precedents, to prove that their conduct
had been regular and parliamentary ; and they, in
their turn, accused the commons of partiality and
injustice in vacating legal elections. The queen,
in answer to this remonstrance, said, fne looked
upon any misunderstanding between the two houses
as a very great misfortune to the kingdom : and,
that she should never omit any thing in her pGwer
to prevent all occasions of them for the future.
The lords and commons, animated by such op- Further dis-
posite principles, . seized every opportunity of tp^snb£e
thwarting each other. An action having been twoL» Is.
brought by one Matthew Ashby against William .
White, and the other constables of Aylesbury, for
having denied him the privilege of voting in the
last election, the cause was tried at the assizes, and
the constables were cast with damages. But, an
order was given in the queen's bench to quash all
the proceedings, since no action had ever been
brought on that account. The cause being moved
by writ of error into the house of lords, was argued
with great warmth at length, it was carried by a
great majority, that the order of the queen's-bench
Z 4 should
HISTORY of ENGLAND
should be set aside, and judgment pronounced ac
cording to the verdict given at the assizes. The
commons considered these proceeaings as encroach
ments on their privileges. They passed five diffe
rent resolutions, importing, That the commons of
England in parliament assembled had the sole right
to examine, and determine all matters relating to
the right of election of their own members : That
the practice of determining the qualifications of
electors in any court of law, would expose all
mayors, bailiffs, and returning-officers, to a muL-
tiplicity of vexatious suits, and insupportable ex-
pences, and subject them to different and indepen
dent jurisdictions, as well as to inconsistent determi
nations in the lame cafe, without relief : That
Matthew Ashby was guilty of a breach of privilege,
as were all attornies, sollicitors, counsellors, and
serjeants at law, folliciting, prosecuting, or plead
ing, in any case of the fame nature. These rei'olu •
tions, signed by the clerk, were fixed upon the gate
of Westminster-hall. On the othrr hand, the lords
appointed a committee to draw up the state of- die
case ; and upon their report, resolved, That eVery
person being wilfully hindred to exercise his right
of voting, might maintain an action in the queen's
courts against the officer by whom his vote should
be refused, to assert his right, and recover damage
for the injury: That an assertion to the contrary
was destructive of the property of the subjects,
against the freedom of elections, and manifestly
tended to the encouragement of partiality and cor
ruption : That the declaring Matthew Ashby
guilty of a breach of privilege qf the house of com
mons, was an unprecedented attempt upon the ju
dicature of parliament, and an attempt to subject
the law of England to the votes of the house of
commons. Copies of the case, and these resolu
tions, were by the lord keeper sent to a]l the sheriffs
, A; N N . E; - - ; 345
of England, to be circulated through all the-A-c«, «7°3-.
boroughs of their respective counties.
On the seventh day of February the queen order- The
ed secretary Hedges to tell the house of commons, grants the
that she had remitted the arrears of the tenths to ^'aT"
the poor clergy : that she would grant her whole tenths t»
revenue arising out of the first-fruits and tenths,
as far as it should become free from incumbrance,
as an augmentation of their maintenance : and,
that if the house of commons could find any me
thod by which her intentions to the poor clergy
might be made more effectual, it would be an ad
vantage to the public, and acceptable to her ma
jesty. 1 he commons immediately brought in a
bill, enabling her to alienate this branch of the re
venue, and create a corporation by charter, to
direct the application of it to the uses proposed ;
they likewise repealed the statute of Mortmain, so
far as to allow all men to bequeath by will, or
grant by deed, any sum they should think fit to
give towards the augmentation of benefices.
Addresses of thanks and acknowledgment from
all the clergy of England were prelented to the
queen for her gracious bounty ; but, very little
regard was paid to Burner bishop of Sarum, al-
thoughjthe queen declared that prelate author of
the project. He was generally hated either as
a^ Scot, a low-church- man, or a meddling par
tisan.
In March an inquiry into the condition of the intjulrv into
navy was begun in the house of lords. They de- navalastairs*
sired the queen, in an address, to give speedy and
effectual orders, that a number of ships iurficient
for the home-service should be equipped and man-
ed with all possible expedition. They resolved,
That admiral Graydon's not attacking the four
French ships in the channel, had been a prejudice
so the queen's service, and a disgrace to the nation :
That
346 HISTORY ofENGLAND.
a. c. 17°3. That his pressing men in Jamaica, and his severity
towards masters of merchant vessels and transports,
had been a grea^discouragement to the inhabitants
of that island, as well as prejudicial to her majesty's
service : and, they presented the address against
him, in consequence of which he was dismissed.
They examined the accounts of the earl of Orford,
against which great clamour had been raised : and
taking cognizance of the remarks made by the
commissioners of the public accounts, found them
false in fact, ill grounded, or of no importance.
The commons besought the queen to order a pro
secution on account of ill practices in the carl of
Ranelaugh»'s office ; and, they sent up to the lords
a bill for continuing the commission on the public
accounts. Some alterations were made in the up
per house, especially in the nomination of commis
sioners ; but, these were rejected by the commons.
The peers adhering to their amendments, the bill
dropped, and the commission expired. No other
bill of any consequence passed in this session, except
an act for raising recruits, which impowered justices
of the peace to impress idle persons for soldiers and
marines. On 'the third day of April the queen
went to the house of peers, and having made a
short speech on the usual topics of acknowledg
ment, unity, and moderation, prorogued the par
liament to the fourth day of July. The division
still continued between the two houses of convoca
tion ; so that nothing of moment was transacted in
that assembly, except their address to thequeen, upon
her granting the first-fruits and tenths for the aug
mentation of small benefices. At the fame time
the lower house sent their prolocutor with a deputa
tion to wait upon the speaker of the house of com
mons, to return their thanks to that honourable
house for having espoused the interest of the clergy j
and a promise to pursue such methods as might
A N••'N E. 3

best conduce to the support, honour, interest, and •

security of the church as now by law established.
They sent up to the archbishop and prelates divers
representations, containing complaints, and pro
posing canons and articles of reformation ; but,
very litde regard was paid to their remonstran
ces.
. About this period, the earl of Nottingham, after Trial tf
having ineffectually pressed the queen to o'.lcard
{he dukes of Somerset and Devonshire, resigned
the seals. The earl of Jersey and Sir Edward Sey
mour were dismissed : the earl of Kent was ap
pointed chamberlain, Harley secretary of state, and
Henry St. John secretary of war. The discovery
of the Scottish conspiracy was no sooner known in
France, than Lewis ordered Frafer to be imprison
ed in the Bastile. In England Lindsay being sen
tenced to die for having corresponded with France,
was given to understand that he had no mercy to
expect unless he would discover the conspiracy.
He persisted in [Link] knowledge of any such
conspiracy : and, seorned to save his life by giving
false information. In order to intimidate him into
a confession, the ministry ordered him to be con
veyed to Tyburn, where he still rejected life upon
the terms proposed : then he was carried back to
Newgate, where he remained some years : at length
he was banished, and died of hunger in Holland.
The ministers had been so lukewarm and languid
in the investigation or the Scottish conspiracy, that
the Whigs loudly exclaimed against them as dis
guised Jacobites, and even whispered insinuations,
implying, that the queen herself had a secret biass
of sisterly affection for the court of St. Germain's.
"What seemed to confirm this allegation, was the
disgrace of the duke of Queensberry, who had ex
erted himself with remarkable zeal in the detec
tion j but, the decline of his interest in Scotland
was
348 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. 17°3. was the real cause of his being laid aside at this
juncture.
M«t;nE of • The design of the court was to procure in the
payment! Scottish parliament the nomination of a successor
to the crown, and a supply for the forces, which
could not be obtained in the preceding session.
Secretary Johnston, in concert with the marquis
Bomet of Tweedale, undertook to carry these points, in
[Link], return for certain limitations on the successor, to
Feuquieres. which her majesty agreed. The marquis was ap-
BnKheT' pomted commissioner. The office of lord-register
Tindai.' was bestowed upon Johnston ; and the parliament
AdVJ^raUhe met 011 ^1Xt^ ^ of JU^' "^he q06^ m nef
letter, expressed her concern that these divisions
should have risen to such a height, as to encourage
the enemies of the nation to employ their emissaries
for .debauching her good subjects from their allegi
ance. She declared her resolution to grant what-
voiuire. ever could in reason be demanded for quieting the
Hi«. of Eu- m;n(jS 0f the people. She told them, she had im-
Hist. of the powered the marquis of Tweedale to give unques-
lo'rough."1 tionable propfs of her dstermination to maintain
the government in church and state as by law esta
blished in that kingdom ; to consent to such laws
as should be found wanting for the further security
of both, and for preventing all incroachments for
the future. She earnestly exhorted them to settle
the succession in the protestant line, as a step abso
lutely necessary for their own peace and happiness,
the quiet and security of all her dominions, the re
putation of her affairs abroad, and the improve
ment of the protestant interest through all Europe.
She declared, that she had authorized the commis
sioner to give the royal assent to whatever could be
reasonably demanded, and was in her power to
grant, for securing the sovereignty and liberties of
that her antient kingdom. The remaining part of
the letter turned upon the necessity of their grants
A N. N E. 30
ing a supply, the discouragement of -vice, the est- 17°4.
couragemerit of commerce, and the ' usual recom- ,
mendation of moderation and unanimity. ,
The duke of Hamilton presented a resolve, That viofcntop-
the parliament would not name a successor to the f°6ti°n *»
the ministry
crown, until the Scots mould have concluded ain that
previous treaty with England, in relation to com-kmsdom'
merce and other concerns. This motion produced
a warm debate, in the course of which, Fletcher
of Salton expatiated upon the hardships and mise
ries which the Scots had sustained fince the union
of the two crowns under one sovereign, and the
impossibility of bettering their condition, unless
they should take care to anticipate any design that
tended to a continuation of the fame calamities.
Another resolve was produced by the earl of Rothes,
importing, That the parliament mould proceed
to make such limitations and conditions of govern
ment as might be judged proper for rectifying the
constitution for vindicating and securing the so
vereignty and independency of the nation ; and,
then the parliament would take into consideration
the other resolve offered by the duke of Hamilton
for a treaty previous to the nomination of a succes
sor. This proposal was seconded by the court-
party ; and, violent heats ensued. At length, Sir
James Falconer of Phesdo offered an expedient,
which neither party could refuse with any shew of
moderation. He suggested- a resolve,. That the
parliament would not proceed to the nomination of
a successor, until the previous treaty with England
should be discussed ; and that it would make the
necessary limitations and conditions of govern
ment, before the successor should be nominated.
This joint resolve being put to the vote, was car
ried by a great majority. The treaty with Eng
land was neglected, and the affair of the succession
consequently postponed. The duke of Athol
moved,
35o HisTokir of England:
A. c. 17°4. moved, That her majesty should be desired to fend
down the witnesses and ail the' papers relating to ■
the conspiracy, that after due examination those
who were unjustly accused might be vindicated,
and the guilty punished' according to their de
merits. The commissioner declared, that he had
already written, and would write again to the queen
on that subject. The intention of the cavaliers was
to convict the duke of Queenfberry of malice and
calumny in the prosecution of that affair, that they
might wreak their vengeance upon him for that
instance of his animosity, as well as for his having
deserted them in the former session. But, he found
means to persuade the queen, that such an inquiry
would not only protract the session, but ,also divert
them from the settlement of the succession, and
raise such a ferment as might be productive of
tragical consequences. Alarmed at these suggesti
ons, she resolved to prevent the examination ; and,
made no answer to the repeated applications made
by her parliament and ministers. Mean while, the
duke of Queensberry appeased his enemies in
Scotland, by directing all his friends to join in the
opposition.
Their par- The duke of Hamilton again moved, That the
liament pass parliament should proceed to the limitations, and
security.° name commissioners to treat with England, previ
ous to all other business, except an act for a land-
tax of two months, necessary for the immediate
subsistence of the forces. The earl of Marchmont
proposed an act to exclude all popish successors j
but, this was warmly opposed as unseasonable, by
Hamilton and his party. A bill of supply being
offered by the lord-justice clerk, the cavaliers tack
ed to it great part of the act of security, to which
, the royal assent had been refused in the former ses
sion. Violent debates arose •, so that the house was
filled with rage and tumult. The national spirit
•_ • ' . A N N • E. »• • » 25't
of independence had been wrought up to adange- A.C »7«4.
rous pitch of enthusiasm. The streets were crowd
ed with people of all ranks, exclaiming against .
English influence ; and, threatening to sacrifice, as
traitors to their country, all who should embrace
measures that seemed to favour a foreign interest.
The commissioner and his friends were confound
ed and appalled. Finding it impossible to stem
the torrent, he, with the concurrence of the other
ministers, wrote a letter to the queen, representing
the uncomfortable situation of affairs, and advising
her majesty to pass the bill, incumbered as it was
with the act of security. Lord Godolphin, on " -
whose counsel she chiefly relied, found himself in
volved in great perplexity. The Tories had de
voted him to destruction. He foresaw that the
queen's concession to the Scots, in an affair of such
consequence, would furnish his enemies with a plau
sible .pretence to arraign the conduct of her mini
ster ; but, he chose to run that risque rather than
see the army disbanded for want of a supply, and
the kingdom left exposed to an invasion. He
therefore secondedthe advice of the Scottish mini
sters ; and, the queen authorised the conmmifsioner
to pass the bill that was depending. This act pro
vided, That in case of the queen's dying without ,
issue, a parliament should immediately meet and
declare the successor to the crown, different from .
the person possessing the throne of England, unless
before that period a settlement should be made in
parliament, of the rights and liberties of the nation'
independent "on English councils : by another
clause, they were irnpowered to arm and train the
subjects so as to put them in' a posture of defence.
The Scottish parliament having by a laudable exer
tion of spirit obtained this act of security, granted
the supply without farther hesitation ; but, not
yet satisfied [Link], they engaged in de-
354 History of England.
a.c. 1704. bates about the conspiracy, and the proceedings of
the house of lords in England, which they termed
an officious intermeddling in their concerns, and
an incroachrhent upon the sovereignty and inde
pendency of the natioh. They drew up an address
to the queen, desiring that the evidence and papers
relating to the plot might be subjected to their
examination in the next session. Mean while the
commissioner, dreading the further progress of such
an Ungovernable ferocity, prorogued the parlia
ment to the seventh day of October. The act of
security being transmitted to England, copies of
it were circulated by the enemies of Godolphin,
who represented it as a measure of that minister ;
and, the kingdom was filled with murmurs and
discontent. People openly declared, that the two
kingdoms were now separated by law, so as never
to be rejoined. Reports were spread, that great
quantities of arms had been conveyed to Scotland ;
and, that the natives were employed in prepara
tions to invade England. All the blame of these
transactions was imputed to lord Godolphin, whom
the Tories determined to attack, while the other
party resolved to exert their whole influence for his
preservation : yet, in all probability, he owed his
immediate support to the success of his friend the
duke of Marlborough. l-
Meianchoiy Nothing could be more deplorable, than the
situation of situation to which the emperor was reduced in the
pnor-T beginning of the season. The malcontents in
affairs. Hungary had rendered themselves formidable by
their success : the elector of Bavaria possessed all
the places on the Danube as far as Passau, and
even threatened the city of Vienna, which must
have been infallibly lost had the Hungarians and
Bavarians acted in concert. By the advice of
prince Eugene, the emperor implored the assistance
of her Britannic majesty ; and the duke of Marl-
borough
ANNE. ; . • m
borough explained to her the necessity-of dhder- A.c. 1704,
taking his relief. This nobleman in the month of
January had crossed the sea to Holland, and con
certed a scheme with the deputies of the states-ge
neral, for the operations of the ensuing campaign.
They agreed, that general Overkirk should lie up
on the defensive with a small body of troops in the
Netherlands, while the main army of the allies
(liquid act upon the Rhine, under the command of
the duke of Marlborough. Such was the pretext
under* which this consummate general concealed
another plan, which was communicated to a few
only, in whose discretion he could confide. It was
approved by the pensionary and some leading men,
who secured its favourable reception with the
states-general, when it became necessary to impart
the secret to that numerous assembly. In the ' .
mean time, the preparations were made, on pre*
tence of carrying the war to the banks of the
Moselle.
In the month of April, the duke, accompanied Tht ^
by his brother general Churchill, lieutenant- gene- of Maribo-
ral Lumley, the earl of Orkney, and other officers ™fches «
.of distinction, embarked for Holland, where he the head of
had a long conference with a deputation of the ^*,l'ne*o
states, concerning a proposal of sending a large G-many.
army towards the Moselle. The deputies of Zea
land opposed this measure of sending their troops
to such a distance, so strenuously, that the duke
was obliged to tell them in plain terms, he had
received orders to march thither with the British,
forces. He accordingly assembled his army ac
Maestricht ; and, on the eighth day of May began
his march into Germany. The French imagined
his intention was to begin the campaign with the
siege of Traerbach, and penetrate into France
along the Moselle. In this persuasion they sent a
detachment to that river ; and gave"out that they
Nu. 88. A a iatend-
35+ HlSTORYo? ENGLAND.
a. c. 17°4. Intended to invest Huy, a pretence to which the
duke paid no regard. He continued his route by
Bedburg, Kerpenord, Kalsccken, and visited the
fortifications of Bonne, where he received certain
advice, that the recruits and reinforcements for the
French army in Bavaria had joined the elector at
Villingen. He redoubled his diligence, passed the
Neekar on the third day of June, and halted at
Ladenburgh, from whence he wrote a letter to the
states-general, giving them to understand, that he
had the queen's orders to march to the relief of the
empire; and, expressing his hope, that they would
approve the design, and allow their troops to share
the honour of the expedition. By the return of a
courier he received their approbation, and full
power to command their forces. He then pro
ceeded to Mildenheim, where he was visited by
prince Eugene ; and, these two great men, whose
talents were congenial, immediately contracted an
intimacy of friendship. Next day prince Lewis of
Baden arrived in the camp at Great Hippach. He
told the duke, his grace was come to iave the em
pire, and to give him an opportunity of vindi
cating his honour, which he knew was at the last
stake in the opinion of some people. The duke
replied, he was come to learn of him how to serve
the empire : that they must be ignorant indeed,
who did not know, that the prince of BadenT when
his health permitted him, had preserved the em
pire and extended its conquests. , ... v-
Hf desests Those three celebrated generals agreed, that the
th< **vc"^ two armies should join : that the command should
to'bctj! be alternately vested in the duke and prince Lewis,
from day to day : and that prince Eugene should
command a separate army on the Rhine. Prince
Lewis returned to his army on the Danube : prince
Eugene set out for Philipst>urg : and, the duke
of Marlborough being joined by the Imperial army
under
A N N E.- 355
under prince Lewis of Baden, at Wastertellen, A- c- 17°4«
.prosecuted his march by Elchingen, Gingen, and
Latidthaussen. On the first day of July he was in
fight of the enemy's entrenchments at Dillingen,
and encamped with his right at Amerdighem, and
his left at Onderingan. Understanding that the
elector of Bavaria had detached the best part of his
infantry to reinforce the count D' Arco, who was
posted behind strong lines at Schellenberg near
Donawert, he resolved to attack their intrench-
ments without delay. On the second day of July,
he advanced towards the enemy, passed the river
Wermitz; and about five o'clock in the after
noon the attack was begun by the English and
Dutch infantry, supported by the horse and dra
goons. They were very severely handled, and
even obliged to give way, when prince Lewis of
Baden marching up at the head of the Imperialists,
to- another part of the line, made a diversion in
their favour. After an obstinate resistance they
forced the intrenchments, .-and the horse entering
with the infantry, fell so furiously upon the enemy
already disordered, that they were routed with great
slaughter. They fled with the utmost trepidation
to Donawert and the Danube, leaving six thousand
men dead on the field of battle. The confederates
took sixteen pieces of cannon, thirteen pair of
colours, with all the tents and baggage. Yet, the
victory was dearly purchased : some thousands of
the allies were slain in v the attack, including many
gallant officers, among whom were the generals
Goor and Beinheim, and count Stirum was mortally
wounded. Next day the Bavarian garrison aban
doned Donawert, of which the confederates took
immediate possession ; while the elector passed the
Danube in his march to the river Leche, lest the
victors should cut off his retreat to his own coun
try. The confederates having crossed the Danube/
A a 2 on
35* HISTORYof ENGLAND.
A,c. 17°4. on several bridges of pontoons, a detachment was
sent to pass the Leche, and take post in the coun
try of the elector, who had retired under the can
non of Augsburg. The garrison of Neuburg re
tiring to Ingolstadt, the place was secured by the
confederates ; and the count de Frize was detach
ed with nine battalions and fifteen squadrons to in
vest the town of Rain. Advice arriving from
prince Eugene, that the marechals Villeroy and
Tallard had passed the Rhine at Fort Kehl, with
an army of five and forty thousand men, to succour
the elector of Bavaria, the generals of the allies im
mediately detached prince Maximilian of Hanover
with thirty squadrons of horse, as a reinforcement
to the prince. In a few days Rain surrendered,,
and Aieha was taken by assaults The emperor no
sooner received a confirmation of the victory of
Schellenberg, than he wrote a letter of acknow-
. Tedgment to the duke of Marlborough; and*
ordered count Wratiflau to intimate his intention
of investing him with the title of prince of the em
pire, which the duke declined accepting, until the
queen interposed her authority at the desire of
Leopold.
Fruitiest ne- The allies advanced within a league of Augsburg*
eotiation and though they found the elector of Bavaria toe*
elector of securely posted under the cannon of that city, ta
Bavaria, be dislodged or attacked with any prospect ot sue- -
cess, they encamped with Friedburgh in their
centre, so as to cut off all communication between
him and his dominions. The duke of Marlbo
rough having reduced him to this situation, pro
posed very advantageous terms of peace, provided
he would abandon the French interest and join the
Imperialists in Italy. "His subjects seeing them
selves at the mercy of the allies, pressed him to
comply with those offers, rather than expose his
country to ruin and desolation. A negotiation was
begun,
\... - .: A . N N & . , 357
begun, and' he seemed ready to sign the articles, A- c- »7°4.
when hearing that marechal Tallard had passed the
Black-forest to join him with a great body of forces,
he declared, that since the king of France had
made such powerful efforts to iiipport him, he
thought himself obliged in honour to continue firm
in his alliance. The generals of the allies were so
exasperated at this disappointment, that they sent
out detachments to ravage the country of Bavaria
as far as Munich ; and upwards of three hundred
towns, villages, and castles, were inhumanly de
stroyed, to the indelible disgrace of those who
countenanced and conducted such barbarous prac
tices. The elector, shocked at these brutal pro
ceedings, desired, in a letter to theVduke of Marl-
borough, that a stop might be put to acts of
violence so opposite to true glory. The answer
he received, implied, that it was in his own power
to put an end to them by a speedy accommodation.
Incensed at this reply, he declared, that since they
had obliged him to draw the sword, he would
throw away the seabbard. T he duke and prince
Lewis finding it impracticable to attack the eleftor
in his strong camp, resolved to undertake the siege
of Ingoldstadt ; and, for that purpose passed the
Paer near the town of Schrobbenhausen, where
they encamped with their left- at Closterberg. On
the fifth day of August the elector of Bavaria
marched to Biberach, where he was joined by
Tallard. He resolved to pass the Danube at
Lawingen, to attack prince Eugene, who had fol
lowed the French army from the lines of Biehl,
and lay encamped at Hochstadt. Next day, how
ever, he made a motion that disappointed the ene
my. Nevertheless, they persisted in their design
of passing the Danube and encamping at Blenheim.
The allies resolved, that prince Lewis should un
dertake the siege of Ingoldstadt,' whilst prince
A a 3 Eugene
358 HISTORY of ENGLAND.V
a. c. 17°4. Eugene and the duke should observe the elector of
Bavaria. Advice being received that he had
actually crossed the Danube at Lawingen, the duke
of Maryborough joined the forces of prince Eugene
at the camp of Munster on the eleventh day of
August, prince Lewis having by this time march
ed off towards the place he intended to besiege.
Next day the duke of Marlborough and prince
Eugene observed the posture of the enemy, who
were advantageously posted on a hill near Hoch-
ftadt, their right being covered by the Danube
and the village of Blenheim, their left by the vil
lage of Lutzengen, and their front by a rivulet,
the banks of which were steep and the bottom
marshy. \ ,
Theccnse- Notwithstanding these difficulties, the generals
tJinaewn. resolved to attack them immediately, rather than
piett v ctory He enactive until their forage and provision should
eutT be consumed. They were moreover stimulated to
this hazardous enterprise, by an intercepted letter
to the elector of Bavaria from marechal Villeroy,
giving him to understand, that he had received
orders to ravage the country of Wirtemberg, and
intercept all communication between the Rhine
and the allied army. The dispositions being made
for the attack, and the orders communicated to
the general officers, the forces advanced into the
plain on the thirteenth day of August, and were
ranged in order of battle. The cannonading be
gan about nine in the morning, and continued on
both sides till one in the afternoon. The French
and Bavarians amounted to about sixty thousand
. men. Marechal Tallard commanded on the right,
and posted seven and twenty battalions with twelve
squadrons in the village of Bienheim, supposing
that there the allies would make their chief effort :
their left was conducted by the elector of Bavaria,
assisted by Marsin} a French general of experience
and
a
ANNE. 559
and capacity. The number of the confederates did *• c,7«*'
not exceed five and fifty thousand: their right was
under the direction of prince Eugene, and their left
commanded by the duke of Marlborough. At noon
the action was begun by a body of English and
Hessians, under major-general [Link], who hav
ing passed the rivulet with difficulty, and filed off
to the left in the face of the enemy, attacked the
village of Blenheim with great vigour ; but were
; repulsed after three successive attempts. Mean
while, the troops in the center and part of the right
wing, passed the rivulet on planks in different
places ; and, formed on the other fide without any
molestation from the enemy. At length, however,
they were charged by the French horse with such
impetuosity, and so terribly galled in flank by the
troops posted at Blenheim, that they fell in dis
order, and part of them repassed the rivulet ; but,
a reinforcement of dragoons coming up, the
French cavalry were broke in their turn, and driven
to the very hedges of the village of Blenheim. The
left wing of the confederates being now completely
formed, ascended the hill in a firm compacted
bedy, charging the enemy's horse, which could
vnori longer stand their ground-, but rallied several
[Link] they gave way. Taliard, in order to make
a vigorous effort, ordered ten battalions to fill up
the intervals of his cavalry. The duke perceiving
his design, sent three battalions of the troops ot"
Zell to sustain his horse. Nevertheless, the line
was a little disordered by the prodigious fire from
the French infantry, and even obliged to recoil
' about sixty paces ; but, the confederates advancing
to the charge with redoubled ardour, routed the
French horse ; and their battalions being thus
abandoned, were cut in peices. Taliard, having
rallied his broken cavalry behind some tents that
were still standing, resolved to draw off the troops.
A a 4 he
HISTORY ©r ENGLAND.
i/SH'he had posted in the village of Blenheim, and sent
.an aid-du-camp to Marsin, who was with the elec
tor of Bavaria on the left, to desire he would face
the confederates with some troops to the right of
the village of Oberklau, so as to keep them in
play, and favour the retreat of the forces from
Blenheim. That officer assured him, he was so
far from being in a condition to spare troops, that
he could hardly maintain his ground. The fate of
the day was now more than half decided. The
French cavalry being vigorously attacked in flank
were totally defeated. Part of them endeavoured
to gain the bridge which they had thrown over the
Danube between Hochstadt and Blenheim ; but
they were so closely pursued, that those who escaped
the slaughter threw themselves into the river, where
they perished. Tallard, being surrounded, was
taken near a mill behind the village of Sonderen,
together with the marquis de Montperoux general
of horse, the major-generals de Seppeville, de Silly,
delaValiere, and many other officers of distinc
tion. Whilst these occurrences passed on the left
wing, Marsin's quarters at the village of Oberklau,
in the centre, were attacked by ten battalions, un
der the prince of Holstein-beck, who passed the
rivulet with undaunted resolution but, before he
could form his men on the other side, he was over
powered by numbers, mortally wounded, and taken
prisoner. His battalions being supported by some
Danish and Hanoverian cavalry, renewed the charge,
and were again repulsed : at length, the duke of
iMarlborough in person brought up some fresh
squadrons from the body of reserve, and obliged
' the enemy to retire. By this time, prince Eugene
had obliged the left wing of the enemy to give
ground, after having surmounted a great number
of difficulties, sustained a very obstinate opposition,
and seen his cavalry, iq which his chief strength
seemed
i' .A N' N " t. $6i
seemed to lie, three times repulsed. The duke of A C- 'W
Marlborough had no sooner defeated the right
wing, than he- made a disposition to reinforce the
prince, when he understood from an aid-du-camp,
\ t that his highness had no occasion for assistance ;
and, that the elector with monsieur de Marsin had
abandoned Oberklau and Lutzengen. They were
pursued as far as the villages of Morselingen and
Teissenhoven, from whence they retreated to Dil-
Jingen and Lawingen. The confederates were now
masters of the field of battle, and surrounded the
village of Blenheim, in which, as we have already
observed, seven and twenty battalions and twelve
squadrons were posted. Seeing themselves cut off1
from all communication with the rest of their army,'
and despairing of being able to force their way
through the allies, they capitulated about eight m
the evening, laid down their arms, delivered their
colours and standards, and surrendered themselves
prisoners of war, on condition, that the officers
mould not be rifled. This was one of the most
glorious and complete victories that ever was ob
tained. Ten thousand French and Bavarians were'
left dead on the field of battle : the greater part of
, thirty squadrons of horse and dragoons perished in
' the river Danube : thirteen thousand were made
prisoners : one hundred pieces of cannon were
taken, with twenty-four mortars, one hundred and
, twenty-nine colours, one hundred and seventy-
'One standards, seventeen pair of kettledrums,
three thousand six hundred tents, four and
thirty coaches, three hundred laden mules, two
bridges of boats, fifteen pontoons, fifteen barrels
and eight castes filled with silver. Of the allies,
about four thousand five hundred men were killed,
and about eight thousand wounded or taken. The
loss of the battle was imputed to two capital errors'
committed by marechal Tallard ; namely, his weak
ening the centre, by detaching such a number
'36* HISTORY or EN OLA N D.
(fr. c. 17°4. of troops to the village of Blenheim, and his suffer
ing the confederates to pass the rivulet, and form
unmolested. Certain it is, these circumstances
contributed to the success of the duke of Marl-
borough, who rode through the hottest of the fire
•with the calmest intrepidity, giving his orders with
that presence of mind and deliberation which were
fo peculiar to his character. When he next day
visited Tallard, he told that general, he was sorry
such a misfortune should happen personally on one
for whom he had a profound esteem. The mare-
chal congratulated him on having vanquished the
best troops in the world ; a compliment to which
the duke replied, That he thought his own the
best troops in the world, seeing they had conquer-
• ed those upon whom the marechal had bestowed
such an encomium.
Scige of The victorious general having by this decisive
L»nd»n. stroke saved the house of Austria from ruin, and
intirely changed the face of affairs in the empits?,
signified their opinion to prince Lewis of Baden,
that it would be for the advantage of the common
cause to join all their forces and drive the French
out of Germany, rather than lose time at the siege
of Ingoldstadt, which would surrender of course.
This opinion was confirmed by the conduct of the
French garrison at Augsburg, who quitted that
place on the sixteenth day of August. The magi
strates sent a deputation, craving the protection
of the duke of Marlborough, who forthwith order
ed a detachment to take possession of that im
portant city. The duke having sent marechal de
Tallard under a guard of dragoons to Frankfort;
and disposed of the other prisoners of distinction in
the adjacent places, encamped at Sefellingen, wjth^
in a half league of Ulm. Here he held a confe
rence with the princes Eugene and Lewis of Baden,
in which they agreed, that, as the enemy retreated
towards
ANN H E. 363
towards the Rhine, the confederate army mould A-c- ».7<?4-
take the fame route, excepting three and twenty
battalions and some squadrons, to be left for the
siege of Ulm, under general Thungen. They
began their march on the twenty-sixth day of Au-
guit, by different routes, to the general rendez
vous at Brufchal, near Philipsburg. Then they
resolved, that prince Lewis of Baden should un
dertake the siege of Landau, in order to secure
the circle of Suabia from the incursions of that
garrison. Considering the consternation that pre
vailed all over France, nothing could be more im
politic than this measure, which gave the enemy
time for recollection, and recruiting their forces.
It was a proposal on which the prince of Baden in
sisted with uncommon obstinacy. He was even
suspected of corruption. He was jealous of the
glory which the duke of Marlborough had ac
quired ; and such a bigotted papist that he repined
at the success of an heretical general. On the
twelfth day of September, he marched towards
Landau with the troops destined for the siege, and
the duke of Marlborough with prince Eugene en
camped at Croon Weissenburg, to cover the enter- , •
prize. By this time Ulm had surrendered to Thun
gen, even before the trenches were opened. Vil-
leroy advanced with his army towards Landau, as
if he had intended to attack the confederates ; but
he retired without having made any attempt for
the relief of the place, which was defended with
the most obstinate valour till the twenty- third day
of November, when the besiegers having lodged
themselves on the counterscarps, the breaches be
ing practicable, and the dispositions made for a
general assault, the garrison capitulated upon
honourable conditions.' The king of the Romans
had arrived in the camp, that he might have the
-credit of taking the place, the command of which
3&4 HISTORY or ENGLAND.
a. c. »7°4-he bestowed on the count de Frize, who had be>
fore defended it with equal courage and ability. -•.
!»hM«iu«- The next enterprize which the confederates un-
rough re- dertook, was the siege of Traerbach. The here-
ingUn'd. ditary prince of Hesse- Cassel being intrusted with
the directons of the attack, invested the castle in
the beginning of November ; and, though it was
strongly fortified and well defended, carried on
his operations with such spirit and assiduity, that
in about six weeks the garrison surrendered the
place on honourable terms. In the mean time
the duke of Marlborough repaired to Berlin, where
he negotiated for a reinforcement of eight thou
sand Prussians to serve under prince Eugene in
Italy, during the next campaign. Thence he pro
ceeded to the court of Hanover, where, as in all
other places, he was received with particular marks
* -of distinction. , When he arrived at the Hague,
he was. congratulated by the states-general on his
vidtories at Schellenberg and Blenheim, and as
much considered in Holland as if he had been
actually stadtholder. He had received a second
letter from the emperor, couched in the warmest
terms of acknowledgment, and was declared prince:
of the empire. In December he embarked for
England, where he found the people in a transport
of joy, and was welcomed as an hero who had re-
• trieved the glory of the nation.1
Srateoftjie 1° Flanders, nothing of moment was executed,
in a isse- except the bombardment of Bruges and Namur by'
Europ"" ° baron Spaar, with nine thousand Dutch troops ;
and two attempts upon the French lines, which were
actually penetrated by Overkirk, though he was
not able to maintain the footing he had gained.
The ekctor of Bavaria, who had retired to Brussels
after his defeat, formed a scheme for surprising the
Dutch general at the end of the campaign, and
assembled ail his troops at Tirlemontj but the
French
6
" ; -k: N N : E. $65.
French court, apprehensive of his temerity, sent A-c- »*«*,
/ ViUeroy to watch his conduct, and prevent his
hazarding an engagement, except with a fair pro
spect of advantage. The marechal finding him de- .•
termined to give battle at all events, represented
the improbability of succeeding against an enemy
so advantageously posted ; and the ill consequences
of a repulse ; but finding the elector deaf to all his
remonstrances, he flatly refused to march, and pro
duced the king's order to avoid an engagement.
In Italy the French met with no opposition. The
duke of Savoy being unable to face the enemy ir9
the field, was obliged to lie inactive, and fee the
duke of Vendome reduce Vercelli and Ivrea, and
undertake the siege of Verac, while he posted his
little army on the other side of the Po, at Crelcen-
tino, where he had a bridge of communication, by
which he supplied the place occasionally with fresh
troops and provision. It held out five months,
against all the efforts of the French general : -at
lengdi the communication being cut off, the duke
of Savoy retired to Chivas. He bore his misfor
tunes with great equanimity, and told the English
minister, that though he was abandoned by the
allies, he would never abandon himself. The em
peror had neglected Italy, that he might act with
more vigour against Ragotski and the Hungarian-
malcontents, over whom he obtained several advan
tages ; notwithstanding which they continued for
midable, from their number, bravery, and resolu-
lution. The ministers of the allies pressed Leo
pold to enter into a negotiation for a peace with
those rebels, and conferences were opeoed : but
he was not sincerely disposed to an accommoda
tion, and Ragotski aimed at the principality of
Transylvania, which the court of Vienna would not
easily relinquish. The emperor was not a little
alarmed by the revolution at the Ottoman Porte,
. . /f until N
366 HISTORYorENGLAND.
A.c. 17«4. until the [Link] dispatched a chiaus to Vienna,
with an assurance that he would give no assistance
to the malcontents of Hungary. In Poland, the
diet being assembled by the cardinal primate, Sta
nislaus Lezjnski, palatine of Posnania, was elected
and proclaimed king, and recognized by Charles
of Sweden, who still maintained his army by con
tributions in that country, more intent upon the
ruin of Augustus, than upon the preservation of
his own dominions ; for he payed no regard to tlfe
progress of the Muscovites, who had ravaged Livo
nia, reduced Narva, and made incursions into Swe- .
den. Augustus retreated into his Saxon domi
nions, which he impoverished, in order to raise a
great army, with which he might return to Poland ;
and the pope espoused the interest of this new con
vert, so far as to cite the cardinal primate to ap
pear at Rome, and give an account of the shafe' he
had in the Polish troubles. The protestants of the
Cevennois deriving courage from despair, became
so troublesome to the government of France, that
L,ewis was obliged to treat them with lenity : he
sent marechal Villars against them with a fresh
reinforcement ; but at the fame time furnished him
with instructions to treat for an accommodation.
This officer immediately commenced a negotiation
with Cavalier, the chief of the revolters; and a
formal treaty was concluded, by which they were
indulged with liberty of conscience. But these
articles were very ill observed by the French mi
nistry. "$&Ju,
•ampaign In Portugal the interest of king Charles wore
in Portugal. a verv melancholy aspect. When he arrived at
Lisbon, he found no preparations made for opening
the campaign. The Portuguese ministry favoured
the French in ferret : the people were averse to
heretics : the duke of Schomberg was on ill terms
with Fagel the Dutch general : the Portuguese
forces
'. ' ,' A N N * E. . _ : ! ', ! 367
forces consisted of raw undisciplined peasants ; and a. c. 1404.
the French ambassador had bought up the best
horses in the kingdom ; so that the troopers could
not be properly mounted. The king of Portugal
had promised to enter Spain with Charles by the
middle of May : but he was not ' ready till the be
ginning of June, when they reached Santaren. By
this time they had published their respective mani
festoes ; Charles displaying his title to the crown of
Spain, and promising pardon to all his subjects
who should in three months join his army ; and the
king of Portugal declaring that his sole aim in tak
ing up arms, was to restore the liberty of the Spa.-
niln nation, oppressed by the power of France, as
. well as to assert the right of Charles to that mo«
narchy. The present possessor, whom they men
tioned by the name of the duke of Anjou, had al
ready anticipated their invasion. His general the
duke of Berwick entering Portugal, took the town
of Segura by stratagem. The governor of Salva-
terra surrendered at discretion : Cebreros was re
duced without much opposition : Zebredo was
abandoned by the inhabitants ; and the town of
Ihana la Viella was taken by assault. Portugal was (
. at the fame time invaded in different parts by the
marquis de Jeoffreville, prince Tserclaes de Tilly, ;
and the marquis de Villadarias. Two Dutch bat
talions were attacked and taken by the duke of -
Berwick at Sodreira Formosa. Then he passed the
Tagus and joined prince Tserclaes. King Philip
arriving in the army, invested Portalegre ; and the
garrison, including an English regiment of foot
commanded by colonel .Stanhope, were made pri
soners of war. The next place he besieged was
Cartel Davide, which met with the fame fate, al
though the marquis Das Minas, in order to make
a diversion, entered Spain with fifteen thousand.
men
368 HlSTORYorENGLAND;
A.C.17°4. men, took Fuente Grimaldo, in Castile, by assault,
defeated a body of French and .Spaniards com
manded by Don Ronquillo, and made himself
master of Manseinto. The weather growing exces
sively hot, Philip sent his troops into quarters of re
freshment ; and the allies followed his example.
Duke Schomberg finding his advice very little re-
'garded by the Portuguese ministry, and feeing very
little prospect of success, desired leave to resign his
command, which the queen bestowed upon the earl
of Galway, who, with a reinforcement of English
and Dutch troops, arrived at Lisbon on the thir
tieth day of July. About the latter end of Sep
tember, the two kings repaired to the camp near
Almeda, resolving to invade Castile ; but they
found the river Agueda so well guarded by the
duke of Berwick, that they would not attempt a
passage. They therefore retired into the territories
of Portugal, and the army was put into winter-
quarters. The Spaniards were now so weakened,
by detachments sent with the marquis de Villada-
rias towards Gibraltar, that the duke of Berwick
could not execute any scheme of importance dur
ing the remaining part of the campaign.
RooketSs The arms of England were not less fortunate by
Gibraltar: sea than they had been upon the Danube. Sir
George Rooke having landed king Charles at Lis
bon, lent a squadron to cruise off cape Spartell,
under the command of rear-admiral Dilkes, who,
on the |welfth of March, engaged and took three
Spanish ships of war, bound from St. Sebastian's to
Cadiz. Rooke received orders from the queen to
fail to the relief of Nice and Villa Franca, which
were threatened with a siege by the duke of Ven-
dome, and at the fame time he was pressed by king
Charles to execute a scheme upon Barcelona, pro
jected by the prince of Hesse-D'Armstadt, who de
clared
A N N fij $6$
clared his opinion, that the Catalonians would de- A- c- '7°4«
clare for the house of Austria, as soon as they should
be assured of proper support and protection. The
ministry of England understanding that the French
were employed in equipping a strong squa
dron in Brest, and judging it was destined to act
in the Mediterranean, sent out Sir Cloudesley Sho
vel with a considerable fleet, to watch the motions
of the Brest squadron ; and he was provided with
instructions how to act in case it should be sailed to
the Mediterranean. Mean while, Sir George
Rooke, in compliance with the intfeaties of king
Charles, sailed with the transports under his con
voy to Barcelona, and on the eighteenth of May
appeared before the city. Next day the troop*
were landed by the prince of Hesse, to the number"
of two thousand, and the Dutch ketches bom
barded the place : but by this time the gover
nor had secured the chiefs of the Austrian party. $
and the people exhibiting no marks of attachment
to king Charles, the prince re-imbarked his sol
diers, from an apprehension of their being attacked
and overpowered by numbers' On the sixteenth
day of June, Sir George Rooke being joined by
Sir Cloudelley Shovel, resolved to proceed up the
Mediterranean in quest of the French fleet, which
had sailed thither from Brest, and which Rooke
had actually discovered, in the preceding month*
en- their voyage to Toulon. On the seventeenth
day of July, the admiral called a council of war in
the road of Tetuan, when they resolved to make an
attempt upon Gibraltar, which was but slenderly
provided with a garrison. Thither they sailed, and
on the twenty-first day of the month the prince of
Hesse landed on the isthmus with eighteen hun
dred marines : then he summoned the governor to
su rrender, and was answered that the place would
be defended to the last extremity. Next day the!
N*Y88< Bb admiral
37© HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a- c. 1704. ac}miral gave orders for cannonading the town; and
perceiving that the enemy were driven from their
fortifications at the south molehead, commanded
captain Whitaker to arm all the boats, and assault
that quarter. The captains Hicks and Jumper,
who happenened to be nearest the mole, immedi
ately manned their pinaces, and entered the fortifi
cations sword in hand. The Spaniards sprung a
mine, by which two lieutenants and about a hun
dred men were killed or wounded. Nevertheless,
the two captains took possession of a platform, and
kept their ground until they were sustained by cap
tain Whitaker and the rest of the seamen, who
took by storm a redoubt between the mole and the
town. Then the governor capitulated; and the
prince of Hesse entered the place, amazed at the
success of this attempt, considering the strength of
the fortifications, which might have been defended
by fifty men against a numerous army,
ana worsts ^ fumcient garrison being left with his highness,
the French the admiral returned to Tetuan to take in wood
bauieoss and water ; and when he sailed, on the ninth day
Malaga, of August, he descried the French fleet, to which
he gave chace with all the sail he could spread. On
the thirteenth he came up with it, as it lay in a line
off Malaga ready to receive him, to the number of
two and fifty great ships, and four and twenty gal-
lies, under the command of the count de Tholoufe,
high-admiral of France, with the inferior flags of
the white and blue divisions. The English fleet con
sisted of three and fifty (hips of the line, exclusive
of frigates ; but they were inferior to the French
in number of guns and men, as well as in weight
of metal, and altogether unprovided of gallies,
from which the enemy reaped great advantage
during the engagement. A little after ten in the
morning, the battle began with equal, fury on
both sides, and continued to rage with doubtful
• . ... *" . success
ANN E:, ^ 3fj. •
success till two in the afternoon, when the van of A-c. 1704-
the French gave way : nevertheless, the fight was
maintained till night, when the enemy bore away
to leeward. The wind shifting before morning,
the French gained the weather-gage ; but they
made no use of this advantage : for two successive
days the English admiral endeavoured to renew the
engagements which the count de Tholouse declin
ed, and at last he disappeared. The loss was. pretty
equal on both sides, though not a single ship was
taken or destroyed by either : but the honour of
the day certainly remained with the English. Over
and above the disadvantages We have enumerated,
their bottoms were foul, and several large ships
had expended all their mot long before the battle
ceased i yet the enemy were so roughy handled,
that they did not venture another engagement dur
ing the whole war. The French king, in order to
raise the drooping spirits of his people, claimed the
victory, and published an account Of the action,
which, at this distance of time, plainly proves that
he was reduced to the mean shift of imposing upon
his subjects, by false and partial representations.
Among other exaggerations in this detail, we find
mention made of mischief done to French snips by
English bombs; though nothing is more certain,
than that there was not one bomb-vesici in the
combined fleet. The French academy, actuated
by a servile spirit of adulation, caused a medal to
be struck on the occasion, which, instead of per
petuating the glory of their prince, serves only to?
transmit their own shame to posterity. After the
battle, Sir George Rooke sailed to Gibraltar to re-*
fit, arid leaving a squadron with Sir John Leake,
set sail for England on the twenty-fourth day of
August. He arrived in September, and was re- N
ceived by the ministry, and the people in general,
With those marks of esteem and veneration which^.
Bb 2 were
37a HISTORY orENGLAND;
a. c. 17°4. were due to his long services and signal success :
but he was still persecuted with a spirit of envy and
detraction. Philip king of Spain, alarmed at the
reduction of Gibraltar, sent the marquis de Villa-
darias with an army to retake it. The siege lasted
four months,,during which the prince of Hesse ex
hibited many mining proofs of courage and ability.
The place was supplied with men and provision,
by convoys from Lisbon, until monsieur de Pointis
"put a stop to that communication, by entering the
bay with a strong squadron : but he was obliged
to retire at the approach of Sir John Leake and
admiral Vanderdussen ; and the marquis de Villa-
darias having made little or no progress at land,
thought proper to abandon the enterprise.
Scflicrnos The parliament of England meeting on the
^England, twenty-ninth day of October, the queen in her
speech observed, that the great and remarkable
success with which God had blessed her arms, pro
duced unanimous joy and satisfaction through all
parts of the kingdom and that a timely improve
ment of the present advantages would enable her
to procure a lasting foundation of security for Eng
land, as well as a firm support for the liberty of
Europe. She declared her intention was to be
kind and indulgent to all her subjects. She ex
pressed her hope that they would do nothing to
endanger the loss of this opportunity ; and that
there would be no contention among them, but an
emulation to promote the public welfare. Con
gratulatory addresses were voted and presented by
both houses. They were equal in their possessions
of duty and affection to the queen ; but the ad
dresses imbibed a very different colour from the
different factions by which the two houses were in
fluenced. The lords congratulated her on the
great and glorious success of her arms under the
command of the duke of Marlborough, without
deigning.
A N N , E. 373
deigning to mention Sir George Rooke, who had A,e- *7«>i'
defeated the French navy at sea, and added the
important fortress of Gibraltar to the British Con
quests. On the other hand, the commons affect
ed to mention the battle of Blenheim, and Rooke's
naval victory, as events of equal glory and impor
tance. However they might be warped by pre
judice against individuals, they did not suffer the
war to languish for want of supplies. Having
taken into consideration the services of the army
and navy, they voted that the queen should be de
sired to bestow her bounty on the seamen and
land-forces who had behaved themselves so gal
lantly. Then they deliberated upon' the different
articles of national expence, and granted four mil
lions six hundred and seventy thousand nine hun
dred and thirty-one pounds, for the occasions of
the ensuing year, to be raised by a land-tax, by the
sale of annuities, and other expedients. These
measures were taken with such expedition, that
the land-tax received the royal assent on the ninth
day of December ; when the queen, in a short
speech, thanked the commons for their dispatch,
which, she considered as a sure pledge of their af
fection.
The high-church party took this occasion to pro- An*a f
mote the bill against occasional conformity, which ^"f""1
was revived and brought into the house on a new against the
model, by Mr. William Bromley, who moved that Scot''
it might be tacked to the land-tax bill, and sent up
to the lords for their concurrence. The court no
longer espoused this measure and the violent party
was weakened by defection. After a warm and
tedious debate, the tack was rejected by a great
majority. The bill, however, passed the house of
commons, and was sent up to the lords on the
fourteenth day of December, when it would hardly
B b 3 have
374 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
A. .c. 'ffi' have excited a debate, had not the queen been pre
sent, and desirous of hearing what could be said on
both sides of the question. For the information
and satisfaction of her majesty, the subject was
again discussed, and all the arguments being re
peated, the biil was rejected by a majority of one
and twenty voices. The next subject on which the
house of lords employed their attention, was the
Jate conduct of the Scottish parliament. The lord
Haversham, in a set speech, observed, that the set
tlement of the succession in Scotland had be?n post
poned, partly because the ministry for that kingdom
were weak and divided ; partly from a received opi
nion that the succession was never sincerely and cor
dially intended by those who managed the affairs of
Scotland in the cabinet-council. He expatiated on
the bad consequences that might attend' the act of
security, which he stiled a bill of exclusion ; and par
ticularly mentioned that clause by which the heri
tors and boroughs were ordained to exercise their
sensible men every month. He said the nobility
and gentry of Scotland were as learned and brave
as any nation in Europe, and generally discontent
ed : that the common people were very numerous,
yery stout, and very poor ; and he asked who was
the man that could tell what such a multitude, so
armed, and so disciplined, might do under such
ieaders, could opportunities suit their intention ?
He recommended these circumstances to the consi
deration of the house, and concluded with these
words of lord Bacon, 4f Let men beware how they
f neglect or suffer matter of troubles to be pre
ss pared ; for no man can forbid the sparks that may
?f set all on fire." They resolved to consider these
subjects on the twenty-ninth day of November, when
the queen repaired to the house of peers to hear the
Rebates, and by her presence moderate the heat of
A, N N E. 375
both parties. The earl of Nottingham reflected so A,c- »7«4»
severely on the memory of king William, that he
would have been sent to the Tower, had not the
lords declined any such motion, out of respect to
her majesty. After much declamation on the Scot
tish act of security, the grand committee of the
peers, by the advice of lord Wharton, resolved,
That the queen should be enabled by act of par
liament on the -part of England, to name commis
sioners to treat about an union with Scotland, pro
vided that the parliament of Scotland should first
appoint commissioners on their part for the fame
purpose. That no Scotsmen should enjoy the pri
vileges of Englishmen, except, such as were settled
in England, Ireland, and the plantations, and such
as were or might be in the sea or land-service, un
til an union could be effected, or the succession set
tled as in England. That the traffic by cattle
from Scotland to England should be prevented :
That the lord admiral should issue orders for taking
such vessels as should be found trading from Scot
land to France, or to the ports of any of her ma
jesty's enemses ; and that care should be taken to
prevent the exportation of English wool into Scot
land. On these resolutions a bill was formed for
an intire union, and passed the house on the twen
tieth day of December. The lords presented an
address to the queen, representing that they had
duly weighed the dangerous and pernicious effects
that were likely to be produced by divers acts of
parliament lately passed in Scotland : That they
were of opinion, the safety of the kingdom requir
ed that speedy and effectual orders should be given
to put Newcastle in a posture of defence, secure
the port of Tinmouth, and repair the fortifications
of Hull and Carlisle. They likewise advised her .
majesty to give directions for disciplining the mili
tia of the four northern counties ; for providing
Bb 4 , them
376 HISTORY or ENGLAND,
A c. 1704. them with arms and ammunition ; for maintaining
a competent number of regular troops on the nor
thern borders of England, as well as in the north
. of Ireland ., and for putting the laws in execution
against papists. The queen promised that a survey
should be made of the places they had mentioned,
and laid before the parliament > and that she would
give the necessary directions upon the other articles
of the address. The commons seemed to concur
with the lords in their sentiments of the Scottish
act of security. They resolved, That a bill should
be brought in for the effectual securing the king
dom cf England from the apparent dangers that
might • arise from several acts lately passed in the
parliament of Scotland ; and this was formed on
nearly the fame resolutions which had been taken
in the upper house. The bill sent down by the
lords was thrice read, and ordered to lie upon the
table ; while they passd their own, to take effect
at Christmas, provided before that time the Scots
should not settle the succession. When it was offer
ed to the lords, they passed it without any amend
ment, contrary to the expectation, and even to
thtf hope, of some members who were no friends
to the house of Hanover, and firmly believed the
lords would have treated this bill with the fame
contempt which had been manifested for that which
they had sent down to the commons.
w'cSock ^e duke of Marlborough, at his first appear-
gianted to ance in the house after his return to England, was
M-rlbo' °f nonoured with a very extraordinary eulogium, pro-
rough, ncunced by die lord-keeper, in the name of the
peers of England ; and a compliment of the fame
nature was presented to him by a committee of the
house of commons. Doctor Delaune, vice-chancellor
of Oxford, accompanied. by the principal members
of the university, attended the queen with an ad
dress of congratulation upon the success of her
ANNE.1 377
arms in Germany, under the admirable conduct a. c. 1704-
and 1 invincible' courage of the duke of Marl-
borough ; and at sea, under the most brave and
faithful admiral Sir George Rooke. He received
a civil answer from her majesty, though now she
took umbrage at Rooke's being raised upon a level
with the duke of Marlborough, whose great vic
tories had captivated her admiration, and whose
wife had alienated her affection from the Tories. "
' The commons perceiving how high he stood in her
majesty's esteem, and having been properly tutored
for the purpose, took into consideration the great
services of the duke ; and, in an address, besought
her majesty to consider some proper means to per
petuate the memory of such noble actions. In
a few days she gave them to understand by a mes
sage, that she was inclined to grant the interest of
the crown in the honour and manour of Woodstock
. and hundred of Wooton, to the duke of Marlbo
rough and his heirs j - and that, as the lieutenancy
and rangership of the parks, with the rents and
profits of the manours and hundreds were granted
for two lives, she wished that incumbrance could
removed. A bill was immediately brought in,
enabling the queen to bestow these honours and
manours on the duke of Marlborough and his heirs ;
. and the queen was desired to advance the money
for clearing the incumbrances. She not only com
plied with this address, but likewise ordered the
comptroller of her works to build, in Woodstock-
park, a magnificent palace for the duke, upon a
plan much more solid than beautiful. By this time,
Sir George Rooke was layed aside, and the com
mand of the fleet bestowed upon Sir Cloudesley
Shovel, now declared rear-admiral of England.
Marechal de Tallard, with the other French gene
rals taken at Hochstadt, arrived on the sixteenth of
Pecember in the river Thames, and were imme
diately
37? [Link] ENGLAND.
a. c. 17*4. diately conveyed to Nottingham and Litchfield,
where they were attended by a detachment of the
royal regiment of horse-guards. They were treat
ed with great respect, and allowed the privilege
of riding ten miles round the places of their con
finement.
Dispute be- "While the house of commons, in two successive
twcen the » i rr i i 1 i r i L" 1
two houses addresses, thanked the queen for the treaty which
?ectrf5te tne duke of Marlborough had concluded with
Ajiefbury Prussia, concerning the troops to be sent to the
constables, juke of Savoy ; and desired she would use her in
terest with the allies, that they might next year fur
nish their complete proportions of men by sea and
land; the lords examined into all the proceedings
at sea, and all the instructions of the admiralty, and
presented an address to the queen, explaining all
the different articles of mismanagement. She pro
mised to consider them particularly, and give such
directions upon them as might be most for the ad
vantage of the public service. The remaining part
of the session was consumed in disputes and alter
cations between the two houses, on the subject of
the Aylesbury constables, who were sued by five
other inhabitants, for having denied them the right
of voting at the election. These five persons were
committed to Newgate by order of the house of
commons. They moved for a habeas corpus in
the king's-bench; but the court would take no
cognizance of the affair. Two of the prisoners
petitioned the queen that their cafe might be
brought before her majesty in parliament. The
commons, in an address, besought the queen to
. refuse granting a writ of error in this cafe, which
would tend to the overthrowing the undoubted
rights and privileges of the commons of England.
She assured them she would not do any thing to
give them just cause of complaint but this mat
ter relating to the course of judicial proceeding,
A N -N E. 379
being of the highest importance, she thought it A- c- ■?0♦»
neceisary to weigh and consider very carefully what
might be proper for her to do in a thing of so great
concern. They voted all the lawyers who had
pleaded on the return of the habeas corpus in be
half of the prisoners, guilty of a breach of privi
lege ; and order.-d them to be taken into custody.
They likewise ordered the prisoners to be removed
from Newgate into the custody of their serjeant at
^rms, lest they should have been discharged by the
queen's granting writs of error. The prisoners
finding themselves at the mercy of the exasperated
' commons, petitioned the lords for relief. The
upper house passed six different resolutions against
the conduct of the commons, as being an obstruc
tion to justice, and contrary to magna charta. The
lower house demanded a conference, in which
they insisted upon the sole right of determining
elections ; they affirmed, that they only could
judge who had a right of voting 5 and, that they
were judges of their own privileges, in which the
lords could not intermeddle.
The upper house demanded a free conference, ^
which proved ineffectual. New resolutions were mentJ5fc*
taken by the commons, diametrically opposite to scM'
those of the peers, who, on the other hand, attend- "
ed the queen with a long representation of all the
particulars relating to this affair. They affirmed,
that the proceedings of the house of commons
against the Aylesbury men were wholly new and
unprecedented: that it was the birthright of every
Englistunan who apprehended himself injured, to
leek for redress in her majesty's courts of justice :
that if any power could controul this right, and
prescribe when he should, and when he should not,
be allowed the benefit of the laws, he ceased to be
a freeman, and his liberty and property were pre
carious,
38o H I S T 0 R Y of E N G LAN D,
a, c. 17°4. carious. They requested, therefore, that no con
sideration whatever should prevail with her majesty
"to suffer an obstruction to the known course ofjus
tice ; bur, that she would be pleased to give effec
tual orders for the immediate issuing of the writs
of error. The queen assured them, that she should
have complied with their request ; but, finding an
absolute necessity for putting an immediate end to
this seflion, she knew there could be no further
proceedings on that matter. On that very day,
which was the fourteenth of March, she went to
the house of lords, and passed the bills that were
ready for the royal assent. Then she thanked the
Bornet. parliament for having dispatched the public busi-
Hist. of ness, warned them to avoid the fatal effects of ani-
Tmda'. mosity and dissension j and ordered the lord-keeper
Hist. of the to prorogue them to Thursday the first of May :
Lough"'" but, Gn the fifth of April, they were dissolved by
Lockhart. proclamation, and another was published for cal
ifs of the hng a ncw parliament. The queen, accompanied
y\dmirais. by the prince of Denmark, made an excursion to
FTuquferei. Newmarket, and afterwards dined by invitation
Voiuirt. witj1 university of Cambridge, where she con
ferred the honour of knighthood upon Dr. Ellis
the vice-chancellor, James Montague council for
the university, and the celebrated Isaac Newton
mathematical professor. The two houses of con
vocation still continued at variance. The lower
house penned petulant representations ; and, the
archbishop answered them by verbal reprehension
and admonition. The Tory interest was now in
the wane. The duke of Buckinghamshire was de
prived of the privy-seal, and that office conferred
upon the duke of Newcastle, a nobleman of power
ful influence with the Whig party. The earl of
Montague was created marquis of Mounthermer
and duke of Montague; the. earl of Peterborough
and
ANN E. &i
and lord -Cholmondeley were chosen of the privy- A-c« W»
council ; and the lord Cutts was sent to command
the troops in Ireland, under the duke of Ormond,
The ministry of Scotland was now intirely chang- proceed;n$a
ed. The marquis of Tweedale and Johnston hav- »? the par
ing been found unequal to the undertaking, were s^SSi!
dismissed. The duke of Queeniberry relumed
the management of affairs in that kingdom, un
der the title of lord privy-seal ; and the office of
commissioner was conferred upon the young duke
of Argyle, who succeeded to his father's influence
among the prelbyterians. He was a nobleman
possessed of good natural talents, which had not
been neglected ; candid, open, and sincere, brave,
passionate, and aspiring : had he been endued with
a greater share of liberality, his character would
have been truly heroic. At this juncture he was,
instructed to procure an act of the Scottish parlia
ment settling the protestant succession ; or, to set
on foot a treaty for the union of the two king
doms. At the opening of the session in June, the
members were divided into three parties, namely,
the Cavaliers or Jacobites, the revolutioners, the
squadrone volante, or flying squadron, headed by
the marquis of Tweedale, who disclaimed the other
two factions, and pretended to act from the dic
tates of conscience alone. The parliament was
adjourned to the third day of July, when her ma
jesty's letter was read, earnestly recommending the
settlement of the succession in the protestant line ;
and, an act for a commission to treat of an union
between the two kingdoms. The marquis of
Anandale proposed, that the parliament should
proceed on the limitations and conditions of go
vernment : and, that a committee should be ap
pointed to consider the /rendition of the coin and
the commerce of the nation. The earl of Mar
moved, that the house would, preferably to all
3. other
38i HISTORY of ENGLAND.
A.c. 17°5. other business, consider the means for engaging iri
a treaty with England. After a long debate, they
resolved to proceed on the coin and the commerce.
Schemes for supplying the nation with money by a
paper-credit were presented by Dr. Hugh Cham-'
berlayne and John Law; but rejected. The house
resolved, That any kind ofpaper-credit, by the cir- •
culation of bills, was an improper expedient ; and
appointed a council to put the laws relating to trade
in execution. The duke of Hamilton proposed, that
the parliament mould not proceed to the nomina
tion of a successor, until the treaty with England
should be discussed, and the limitations be fettled.
This proposal being approved, a draught of an an
swer to her majesty's letter was presented by the
marquis of Tweedale. Two different forms of an
act for a treaty with England were offered by the
earl of Mar and the marquis of Lothian ; and
others were produced concerning the election of
officers of state, and the regulation of commerce.
They tase ^he C^e^ a*m o^ tne cava^ers was t0 obstruct
•n act for a the settlement of the succession ; and, with that
treaty of
„,..,.,nw!,h
union wit] view1*1.1
they pressed the project of limitations, to
1 .1 11 never assent.
sV
England, which they knew the court would
A motion being made, to grant the first reading
to an act of commission for a treaty with England,
the duke of Hamilton insisted on the limitations,
and a vote being stated in these terms, " Proceed
" to consider the act for a treaty of limitations," v
the latter was carried in favour of the cavaliers. On
the twenty-second day of August an act for this
purpose was approved ; and next day an act for a
triennial parliament, which the courtiers were en
abled to defeat. They likewise passed an act, or- 1
daining, That the Scottish ambassadors represent
ing Scotland should be present when the sovereign
might have occasion to treat with foreign princes
and states j and accountable to the parliament of
Scotland.
A N N , E. 383
Scotland, Fletcher of Saltoun presented a scheme a.c. 17°5.
or limitations that savoured strong of republican
principles. He afterwards enlarged upon every
article, endeavovring to prove, that they were ab
solutely necessary to prevent the consequences of
English influence ; to enable the nation to defend
its rights and liberties ; to deter ministers of state
from giving bad advice to their sovereign ; to
preserve the courts of judicature from corruption,
and screen the people from tyranny and oppression.
The earl of Stair having argued against these limi
tations, Fletcher replied, " It was no wonder he
" opposed the scheme ; for had such an act subsist-
" ed, his lordship would have been hanged for
" the bad counsel he had given to king James ;
" for the concern he had in the massacre of
" Glencoe ; and, for his conduct since the revolu-
" tion." The next subject on which the parlia
ment deliberated, was the conspiracy. A motion
being made, that the house might know what an
swer the queen had returned to their address in the
last session, the chancellor delivered to the clerk-
register the papers relating to the plot, that they
might be perused by the members. But, theie
being copies, and the evidences remaining at Lon
don, no. farther progress was made in the affair.
Yet, the duke of Athol, in a distinct narrative of
the pretended conspiracy, boldly accused the duke
of Queensberry, of having endeavoured to mislead
the queen by false insinuations against her good
subjects. "When the act for a treaty of union fell
under consideration, a draught for that purpose,
presented by the earl of Mar, was compared with the
English act, importing, That the queen should
name and appoint not only the commissioners for
England, but likewise those for Scotland. Fletcher
did not fail to inveigh against the imperious con
duct of the English parliament in this affair. He
1 exhorted
384 HISTORY Of ENGLAND.
A/e. ,7o5. exhorted the house to resent such treatment, and of
fered tlie draught of an address to her majeiiy on the
subject ; but, this the house rejected. Duke Hamil
ton proposed, that a clause might be added to the
act, importing, That the union should no ways dero-
gate from any fundamental laws, antient privileges,
offices, rights, liberties, and dignities of the Scot
tish nation. This occasioned a long debate ; and
the question being put, was carried in the nega,
tive. Another clause was proposed, that the Scot
tish commissioners should not begin to treat until
the English parliament should have rescinded their
clause, enacting, That the subjects of Scotland
should be adjudged and taken as aliens after the
twenty- fifth day of December. The courtiers
considering the temper of the house, would not
venture to oppose this motion directly, but pro-
prosed, that the clause should be formed into a
separate act ; and the expedient was approved.
Though the duke of Athol entered a vigorous pro
test, to which the greater part of the cavaliers, and
all the squadrone adhered, comprehending four and
twenty peers, seven and thirty barons, and eighteen
buroughs, the act for the treaty of union was, after
much altercation, finished, impowering commis
sioners to meet and treat of an union ; but restrain
ing them from treating of any alterations of the
church-government as by law established. While
this important subject was under consideration, the
duke of Hamilton, to the amazement of his whole
party, moved, that the nomination of the commis
sioners should be left to the queen. Fourteen or
fifteen of the cavaliers ran out of the house in a
transport of indignation, exclaiming, that they were
deserted and basely betrayed by the duke of Hamil
ton. A very hot debate ensued, in the course of
which the duke was severely handled by those whom
he had hitherto conducted; but, at length, the
question
A N N E: 385
Question being put, Whether the nomination A c. ws-
should be left to the queen or to the parliament ?
the duke's motion was approved by a very small
majority. He afterwards excused himself for his
defection, by saying, he saw it was in vain to con- -
tend j and that, lince the court had acquired a
great majority, he thought he might be allowed
to pay that compliment to his sovereign. He was
desirous of being in the commission, and the duke
of Argyle promised he mould be nominated. The
queen refusing to honour him with that mark of
distinction, Argyle would not suffer himself to be
named, and threatened to oppose the union ; but
means were found to appease his resentment. Two
draughts of an address being presented by the earl
of Sutherland and Fletcher of Saltoun, beseeching
her majesty to use her endeavours with the' parlia
ment of England, to rescind that part of their act
Which declared the subjects of Scotland aliens j
and, an overture of a bill being offered, ordaining)
that she Scottish commissioners should not enter
upon the treaty of union until that clause should
be repealed ; the courtiers moved,, that the par
liament should proceed by way of order to their
commissioners, and by address to her majesty.
After some debate, the house assenting to this pro- , •
posal, the order and address were drawn up and
approved. The great and weighty affair of the
treaty being at length happily transacted, though
not without a protest by Athol and his adherents,
the parliament granted a supply of fifty thousand
pounds; and the house was adjourned to the
twentieth day of December : then the queen de
clared the earl of Mar secretary of state, in the
room of the marquis of Annandle, who was ap
pointed lord-president of the council.
In Ireland the parliament met at Dublin on the
fifth day of March, and voted one hundred and
[Link]. Cc fifty
386 H I S T O R Y of E N G LAND.
a. c. 17°5. fifty thousand pounds for the support of the nece£
Difserence sary branches of the establishment. A dispute arose
^riiaMrt" between the commons and the lower house of con-
andconvo- vocation, relating to the tythes of hemp and flax,
hehni." ascertained in a clause of a bill for the better im
provement of the hempen and flaxen manufactures
of the kingdom. The lower house of convoca
tion presented a memorial against this clause, ars
'prejudicial to the rights and properties of the
clergy. The' commons voted the person who
brought it guilty of a breach of privilege ; and
ordered him to be taken into custody. Then they
resolved, That the convocation were guilty of a
contempt, and breach ot the privilege of that
house'. The convocation presuming to justify their
memorial,, the commons voted, That all matters
relating to it should be razed out of the journals
and books of convocation. The duke of Ormond,
dreading the consequence of such heats, adjourned
the parliament to the first day of May, when the
houses meeting again, came to some resolutions.
that reflected obliquely on the convocation, as ene
mies to her majesty's government and the prote
stant succession. The clergy, in order to acquit
themselves of all suspicion, resolved in their turn,
That the church and nation had been happily de
livered from popery and tyranny by king William
at the revolution : That the continuance of these
blessings were due (under God) to the auspicious
reign and happy government of her majesty queen
Anne. That the future security and preservation
of the church and nation depended wholly (under
God) on the succession of the crown as settled by
law in the protestant line : That if any clergyman
should by word or writing declare any thing in op
position to these resolutions, they should look uppn
him as a lower of divisions among the protestants,
and an enemy to the constitution. They levelled
another
ANNE. 387
another resolution against the presbyterians* im- A c- 'J*s«
porting, That to teach or preach against the doc
trine, government,' rites, or ceremonies of the
church, or to maintain schools or seminaries for
the education of youth, in principles contrary to
those of the established church, was a contempt of
the ecclesiastical laws of the kingdom ; of pernici
ous consequence and served only to continue and
widen the unhappy schisms and divisions in the na- .
tion. In June the parliament was prorogued to
the fame month of the following year ; then the
duke of Ormond embarked for England, leaving
the administration in the hands of Sir Richard Cox
lord-chancellor, and the lord Cutts commander in
chief of the queen's forces, who were appointed
lords-justices during the duke's absence.
During these transactions in Great Britain and Fmiiksl
Ireland, the allies had not been remiss in their ™£*
preparations for the ensuing campaign. The duke sei e.
of Marl borough had sixed upon the Moselle for the
scene of action ; and magazines of all sorts were
formed at Triers. On the thirteenth day of March
the duke embarked for Holland, where he pre
vailed upon the states-general to contribute their
troops for the execution of his project. Having
concerted with the deputies of the states and the
Dutch generals, the necessary measures for opening
the campaign, he set out for Maastricht in order
to assemble his army. On the fifth day of May the
emperorLeopold died at Vienna, and was succeeded
on the Imperial throne by his eldest son Joseph
king of the Romans, a prince who resembled his
father in meekness of disposition, narrowness of
intellect, and bigotry to the Romish religion.
On the fifteenth of June the English troops pasted
the Maese, and continued their march towards the
Moselle, under the command of general Churchill -,
and, the duke set out for Creutznach, to confer
C c 2 ' with

.i 1
388 HISTORY «f ENGLAND.
[Link] 17°51 with prince Lewis of Baden, who excused himsel*
on pretence of being much indisposed. Marlbo-
rough visited him at Rastadt, where, in a confe
rence they resolved, that a sufficient number of
German troops should be left for the security of
the lines of Lauterburg and Stolhoffen,. under the
command of general Thungen ; and, that prince
Lewis of Baden should march with a large detach
ment towards the Saar, to act in concert with the
duke of Marlborough. The confederate army
passed the Mcfelle and the Saar in the beginning
of June, and encamped at Else in sight of the
enemy, who retired with great precipitation, and
intrenched themselves in the neighbourhood of
Coningsmacheren. The duke's design was to be
siege Saar-Louis ; but prince Lewis failed in the
performance of his engagement: he feigned-
himself sick, and repaired to the bath at Schlan-
genbade, leaving the small number of Imperial
troops he had conducted as far as Creutznach,
under the command of the count de Frize. He
was suspected of treachery ; but probably acted
from envy of the duke's military reputation.
TfhMaUribo- While this nobleman sustained such a-mortifying-
rough forces disappointment on the Moselle, the French did
lme/inBra- not ^ t0 make advantage of their supperiority in
bant. the Netherlands, where general Gverkirk was
obliged to stand on the defensive. They invested
Huy, and carried on their operations so vigorously,
that in a few days the garrison were obliged to sur-
/ render themselves prisoners of war : then Villeroy
undertook the reduction of Liege, and actually be
gan his works before the citadel: Marlborough
was no sooner informed of the enemy's progress
than he marched to Triers, where, in a council if
was resolved, that the army should return to the
Netherlands. The troops were in motion on the
nineteenth of June, and marched with such'
expedi
ANN E. . - 3 89
expedition, that they passed the Maese on the first a. 0.17°5.
day of July. Villeroy haying received advice of
the duke's approach, abandoned his enterprize,
and retired to Tongeren, from whence he retreat
ed within his. lines. Marlborough having joined
Overkirk, sent general Scholten with a detach
ment to invest Huy ; and in a few days the gar
rison surrendered at discretion. The English ge
neral resolving to strike some stroke of importance,
that should attone for his disappointment on the
Moselle, sent general Hompesch to the states,
with a proposal for attacking the French lines; and
obtained their permission to do whatever he should
think proper for the good of the common cause.
Then he explained the scheme in two successive
councils of war, by which, at length, it was ap
proved and resolved upon, though some Dutch
generals declared against the undertaking. The
enemy were posted along the lines, amounting to
one hundred battalions and one hundred and forty-
fix squadrons. The allied army did not much ex
ceed that number. In order to divide them, Over-
[Link] afalte motion, and passed the Mehaigne,
as if he had intended to attack the lines about '
Meffelin ; and the stratagem succeeded. The
French weakened the other parts by strengthening
that which was on the side of the Gerbise towards .
Namur. The duke of Marlborough having made
the disposition, the army began to march in the
night between the seventeenth and eighteenth of
July, in order to force a passage of the French
lines at Elixheim, the castle of Waugh, and the
villages of Waugh, Neerhespen, and Ostmalen.
Thele posts weie taken with very little difficulty ;
but, before the infantry could come up, the ene
my advanced with fifty squadrons and twenty bat
talions, and began to fire from eight pieces of
Ce 3 can-
39o HISTORY of ENGLAND.
A. ^.17°5. cannon, with triple barrels, which did consider
able execution. The duke perceiving that they
were continually reinforced from the other parts of
the lines, ordered the horse to charge their cavalry,
which were soon broken and routed ; but rallying
behind their infantry, interlined with foot, and
joined by fresh squadrons, they advanced again
towards the allies, who were now sustained by their
infantry, and moved forwards to renew the charge.
After a warm, though short engagement, the ene
my's horse were defeated with great slaughter.
The infantry, seeing themselves abandoned in the
plain, retreated in great disorder, between the
villages of Hellisheim and Golsteven, where they
were joined by the rest of their army, and formed
again in order of battle. Mean while, the duke
of Marlborough ordered all his troops to enter the
lines ; and extended his right towards the great
Geete before Tirlemont, where the enemy had
left the battalion of Monfluc, which surrendered
at discretion. In this action the confederates took
the marquis D'Alegre and the count de Home,
lieutenant generals, one major-general, two briga
dier-generals, with many other officers, and a
great number of common soldiers, a large heap
of standards, four colours, one pair of kettle
drums, and ten pieces of cannon. In the action,
as the duke of Marlborough advanced to charge
at the head of leveral squadrons, a Bavarian officer
rode up to attack him sword in hand ; but in
raising himself on his stirrups to strike with the
greater advantage, lie fell from his horse, and was
immediately slain.
The body of troops commanded by monsieur
D'Alegre being thus defeated with little or no loss
to the confedeiates, the elector of Bavaria and the
, marechaj de Villeroy passed the great Geete and
the
1
A N N E. 39I
tire Deule, with great expedition, and took posses- Ac- *7°'p
sion of the strong camp at Parck, their left extepd- He is pre-
ing to Roofelaer, and their right to Winefelen JJ^^
against the height of Louvain. Next day the duke ofthests
of Marlborough marching through the plain of [nomtheuck-
Parck, took twelve hundred prisoners, who could French
not keep pace with the rest of the enemy's forces j"™?-
and, in the evening he encamped with the right at
the abbey of Vliersbeck, and the left before Bier-
beck, under the cannon of Louvain. He detach
ed lieutenant-general Henkelum, the duke of Wir-
temberg, and count Oxienstiern, with a consider
able body of forces, to attack some posts on the
Deule, which were slenderly guarded. Their ad
vanced guard accordingly passed the river, and re
pulsed the enemy; but, for want of timely support,
they were obliged to pass it and retire. On the
third of August baron Spaar, with a body of Dutch
troops, marched to Raboth on the canal of Bruges,
forced the French lines at Lovendegen, and took
four forts by which they were defended ; but re
ceiving advice that the enemy were on their march
towards him, he retired to Mildegem, and carried
with him several hostages as security for the pay
ment of the contributions he had railed. On the
fifteenth the duke moved from Mildert to Corbais :
next day continued his march to Genap, from
whence he advanced to Fischermont. On the
seventeenth general Overkirk took the post of
Waterlo; and next day the confederate army was
drawn up in order of battle before the enemy, who
extended from Overysche near the wood of Soignes
to Neerysche, with the little river Ysche in their
front, so as to cover Brussels and Louvain. The
duke of Marlborough proposed to attack them im
mediately before they stiould recollect themselves
from their consternation ; Cand
c +Overkirk approved
L of
HISTORY Q-* E N GLAND.
7°s- of the design. But, it was opposed by gener*
Schlangenburgh and other Dutch officers, who re
presented it in such a light to the deputies of the
states, that they refused to concur in the execu
tion. The duke being obliged to relinquish the
scheme, wrote an expostulatory letter to the states -
general, complaining of their having withdrawn
that confidence which they had reposed in him while
he acted in Germany. This letter being published
at the Hague, excited murmurs among the peo
ple ; and the English nation were incensed at the
presumption of the deputies, who wrote several
letters in their own justification to the states-gene
ral ; but these had no effect upon the populace, by
whom the duke was respected even to a degree of
adoration. The states being apprised of the re
sentment that prevailed over all England, and that
the earl of Pembroke, lord-president of the coun
cil, was appointed as envoy extraordinary to Hol
land, with instructions to demand satisfaction,
thought proper to anticipate his journey, by making
submissions to the duke, and- removing Schlangen
burgh from his command. The confederate army
returned to Corbais, from whence it marched to Per-
witz, where it encamped, The little town of Sout-
Leewe, situated in the middle of a morass, and con
stituting the chief defence of the enemy's lines,
being taken by a detachment under the command
of lieutenant-general Dedefn, the duke ordered the
lines from this place to Wasieigne to be levelled,
and the town of Tirlemont to be dismantled : then
passing the Derrier, he encamped on the nineteenth
.day of September at Arschot. About the latter
end of the month he marched to Heventhals : from
hence the duke repaired to the Hague, where he
had several conferences with the pensionary. In
a few days he returned to the army, which de-
' camping
; /A M N E. 29 i
camping from Heventhals, marched to Clampth- *• 0.170$,
out. On the twenty-fourth day of October the
count de Noyelles invested Santvhet, which sur
rendered before the end. of the month.
At this period the duke, in consequence of pref- h« visits th*
sing letters from the emperor, set out for Vienna, *™£r^
in order to concert the operations of the ensuing viemu,
campaign, and other measures of importance, in
which the concerns of the allies were interested. In
his way he was magnificently entertained by the
elector palatine, and him of Triers, and compli
mented by the magistracy of Francfort, where he
conferred with prince Lewis of Baden. On the
twelfth of November he arrived at Vienna, where
he was treated with the highest marks of distinc
tion and cordial friendship by their Imperial maje
sties. His son-in-law the earl of Sunderland, had
been sent {thither as envoy-extraordinary ; and, now
they conferred together with the emperor and his
ministers. They resolved to maintain the war with
redoubled vigour. The treaties were renewed;
and provision made for the security of the duke. of
Savoy.. The emperor, in consideration of the
duke's signal service to the house of Austria,, pre
sented him with a grant of the lordship of Mindel-
heim in Suabia, which was now erected into a prin
cipality of the Roman empire. In his return with 1
the earl of Sunderland, he visited the courts of
Berlin and Hanover, where he was received with
that extraordinary respect which was due to his
character ; and arrived at the Hague on the four
teenth day of December. There he settled the
Operations of the next campaign with the states-ge
neral, who consented to join England in maintain
ing an additional body of ten thousand men, as a
reinforcement to the army of prince Eugene in
Italy. While the allies were engaged in the siege-
'' of
3g+ HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a, c. 17°5 'of Santvliet, the elector of Bavaria 'sent a detach
ment, under the command of Don Marcello de
Grimaldi, to invest Diest, the garrison of which
were made prisoners of war.
52*« the °n tne Upper Rhine marechal Villars besieged
upper- and took Homburg, and passed the Rhine at Stras-
Hu!,prjn burg on tne ^ixt^ ^aY of August. But prince Lewis
piedmont, of Baden arriving in the camp of the Imperialists at
mdPoiand. Stolhoffen, not only obliged him to retire, but hav
ing passed the river, forced the French lines at
Haganau : then he reduced Drusenheim and Hage-
rrau, but attempted no enterprize equal to the
number of his army, although the emperor had
expostulated with him severely on his conduct-, and
he had now a fair opportunity of emulating the
glory of Marlborough, upon whom he looked
with the eyes of an envious rival. In Italy a battle
was fought at Casano, between prince Eugene and
the duke of Vendome, with dubious success. The
duke de Feuillade seduced Chivas, and invested
Nice; which, after an obstinate defence, surren
dered in December. All the considerable places-
belonging to the duke of Savoy were now taken,
except Goni and Turin ; and his little army was
reduced to twelve thousand men, whom he could
hardly support. His dutchess, his clergy, and his
subjects in general, pressed him to submit to the
necessity of his affairs ; but he adhered to the al
liance with surprising fortitude. He withstood the
importunities of his dutchess, excluded all the
bishops and clergy from his councils : and when he
had occasion for a confessor, chose a priest occasio
nally, either from the Dominicans or Franciscans.
The campaign in Portugal began with a very promis
ing aspect. The allies invaded Spain by the different
frontiers of Beyra and Alentejo. Their army un
der the cemmand 0f the Condc das Galveas, under-
6 took,
ANN E. 395
took the siege of Valencia D' Alcantara in May, and A- c- ,7°s-
took it by assault; Albuquerque surrendered upon
articles : and, then the troops were sent into quar
ters of refreshment. The marquis de fas Minas,
who commanded the Portuguese in the province of '
Beyra, reduced the town of Salva-terra, plundered
and burned Sarca; but, was obliged to retire to
Penamacos at the approach of the enemy. Towards
the end of September the confederates being reas
sembled, invested Badajox, by advice of the earl
of Galway, who lost his right hand by a cannon-
"ball, and was obliged to be carried off ; so that
the conduct of the siege was left to general Fagel.
He had made considerable progress towards the re
duction of the place, when the marquis de Theffe
found means to throw in a powerful reinforcement;
and then the confederates abandoned the enter-
prize. The war continued to rage in Hungary
with various success. Ragotfki, though frequently
worsted, appeared still in arms, and ravaged the
country, which became a scene of misery and deso
lation. In Poland the old cardinal primate owned
Stanislaus, but died before the corona'ion, which
was performed by the bishop of Cujavia. In the
beginning of winter king Augustus had passed
through Poland in disguise to the Muscovite army,
which was put under his command in Lithuania ;
and, the campaign was protracted through the
whole winter-season, notwithstanding the severity
of the weather in that northern climate. Jn the
spring the Swedish general Reinchild obtained a -
complete victory over the Saxon army, which was
either cut in pieces, or taken with their camp,
baggage, and artillery : yer, the war was not ex
tinguished. The king of Sweden continued obsti
nately deaf to all proposals of peace, and was be
come as savage in his manners as brutal in his re
venge.
At
39* HISTORY of ENGLAND.
A, c. i7»5. ^t ("ea tne arms 0f tnc aliies were generally pros-
Sit Thomas perous. Philip of Spain being obstinately bent
«riyS"!'t upon retaking Gibraltar, sent marechal de Thesse
of the to renew the siege, while de Pointis was ordered to
fnTrdiew block up the place by sea with his squadron. These
Gibraltar. French officers carried on the siege with such acti
vity, that the prince of Hesse dispatched an express
to Lisbon with a letter, desiring Sir John Leake
to sail immediately to his assistance. This admiral
having been reinforced from England by Sir Tho
mas Dilkes, with five ships of the line and a
body of troops, set fail immediately, and, on the'
tenth day of March descried five ships of war haul
ing out of the bay of Gibraltar. These were com
manded by De Pointis in person, to whom the Eng
lish admiral gave chace. One of them struck, after
having made a very slight resistance and, the rest
ran ashore to the westward of Marbella, where they
were, destroyed. The remaining part of the French
squadron had been blown from their anchors, and
taken shelter in the bay of Malaga : but, now they
slipped their cables, and made the best of their
way to Toulon. The marechal de Thesse, in con
sequence of this disaster, turned the siege of Gibral
tar into a blockade, and withdrew the greater part
of his forces. While Sir John Leake was employed
in this expedition, Sir George Byng, who had been
ordered to cruize in soundings for the protection of
trade, took a ship of forty guns from the enemy,
together with twelve privateers, and seven vessels
richly laden from the West-Indies,
TV earl of But the most eminent achievement of this fum-
fo"ghba°nd mer was tne reduction of Barcelona, by the cele-
sir ciou- brated earl of Peterborough and Sir Cloudeiley
reduce^ar-' Shovel, who failed from St. Hellen's in the latter-
teiona, end of May with the English fleet, having on board
a body of five thousand land-forces ; and, on the
twentieth of June arrived at Lisbon, where they
'.. . y/?re
ANNE. $97
were joined by Sir John Leake and the Dutch ad- AG- »W
miral Allemonde. In a council of war, they de
termined to put to sea with eight and forty ships
of the line, which should be stationed between
Cape Spartel and the bay of Cadiz» in order to pre-«
vent the junction of the Toulon and Brest squa
dron. The prince of Hesse-Darmstadt arriving
from Gibraltar, assured king Charles, that the pro
vince of Catalonia and the kingdom of Valencia
were attached to his interest ; and, his majesty be
ing weary of Portugal, resolved to accompany the
carl of Peterborough to Barcelona. He accord
ingly embarked with him on board the Rane-lagh ;
and, the fleet sailed on the twenty-eighth day of
July, the earl of Galway having reinforced them
with two regiments of English dragoons. At
Gibraltar they took on board the English guards
and three old regiments, in lieu of which they left
two new-raised battalions. On the eleventh day
of August they anchored in the bay of Akea, where
the earl of Peterborough published a manifesto in
the Spanish language, which had such an effect,
that all the inhabitants of the place,, the neighbours '
ing villages, and adjacent mountains, acknowledged
king Charles as their lawful sovereign. They
seized the town of Denia for his service; and, he'
sent thither a garrison of four hundred men under
the command of major general Ramos. On th&
twenty-second they arrived in the" bay of Barcelona :
the troops were disembarked to the eastward of the
city, where they encamped in a strong situation ;
and were well received by the country-people. King
Charles landed amidst the acclamations of an infi
nite multitude from the neighbouring towns and
villages, who threw themselves at his feet, exclaim
ing, " Long live the king !" and exhibited all the
marks of the most extravagant joy. The inhabi
tants of Barcelona were well affected to the house of
• • ' Austria,
5
398 HISTORYofENGLAND.
a. c. 17°5. Austria, but over-awed by a garrison 9s five thou
sand men under the duke de Popoli, Velasco, and
other officers devoted to the interest of king thilip.
Considering the strength of such a garrison, and the
small number of Dutch and English troops, nothing
could appear more desperate and dangerous than
the design of besieging the place ; yet this was
proposed by the prince of Hesse D'Armstadt, who
served in the expedition as a volunteer, strongly
• urged by king Charles, and approved by the earl of
Peterborough and Sir Cloudesiey Shovel. The
city was accordingly invested on one side ; but, as
a previous step to the, reduction of it, they resolved
to attack the fort of Montjuic, strongly situated on-
a hill that commanded the city. The outworks
were taken by storm, with the loss of the gallant
prince of Hesse, who was shot through the body,
and in a few hours expired : then the earl of Peter
borough began to bombard the body of the fort ;
and a ffiell chancing to fall into the magazine of
powder, blew it up, together with the governor
and some of the best officers : an accident which
struck such a terror into the garrison, that they s ur
rendered without further resistance.
Tbs eari-s This great point being gained, the English ge-
surpr;sing neral erected his batteries against the town, with
§£2Ufin the help of the Miquelets and seamen: the bomb-
ketches began to ffe with such execution, that in;
a few days the governor capitulated ; and, on the
fourth day of October king Charles entered in tri
umph. All the other places in Catalonia declared
for him, except Roses ; so that the largest and
richest province of Spain was conquered with an
army scarce double the number os the garrison of
Barcelona. King Charles wrote with his own hand
a letter to the queen of England, containing 1 cir
cumstantial detail of his affairs, the warmest ex
pressions of acknowledgment, and the highest en
comiums
A N N E. 399
comiums on her subjects, particularly the earl of A- c- 't**
Peterborough. In a council of war, it was deter
mined, that the king and the earl should continue
in Catalonia with the land-forces : that Sir Clou-
desiey Shovel should return to England : that five
and twenty English and fifteen Dutch ships of w ar
should winter at Lisbon, under the cemmand of
Sir John Leake, and the Dutch rear-admiral Was-
senaer ; and that four English and two Dutch fri
gates should remain at Barcelona. Don Francisco
de Velasco was transported to Malaga, with about
a thousand men of his garrison, the rest Voluntarily
engaged in the service of king Charles, and six
other regiments were raised by the states of Catalo
nia. The count de Cifuentes, at the head of the
Miquelets and Catalans attached to the house of
Austria, secured Tarrag na, Tortosa, Lerida, San-
Mattheo, Gironne, and other places. .Don Ra
phael Nevat, revolting from Philip with his whole
regiment of horse, joined general Ramos at Denia,
and made themselves masters of several places of
importance in the kingdom of Valencia. Flushed
with such unexpected success they penetrated to the
capital of the fame name, which they surprised, to
gether with the marquis de Villa- Garcia, the vice-
roy, and the archbishop. These advantages, how
ever, were not properly improved. The court of
Charles was divided into factions, and so much
time, lost in disputes, that the enemy sent a body of
six thousand men into the kingdom of Valencia,
under the command of the Conde de las Torres, ^
who forthwith invested San-Mattheo, guarded by
colonel Jones at the head of five hundred Mique
lets. This being a place of great consequence, on
.account of its situation,, the earl of Peterborough
marched thither with, one thousand infantry and
two hundred dragoons ; and by means of feigned
intelligence artfully conveyed to the Conde, ia- ,
duced
HISf ORY of ENGLAND.
»7°5' duccd that general to abandon the siege with pre
cipitation, in the apprehension of being suddenly
attacked by a considerable army. He afterwards
took possession of Nules, and purchasing horse's at
Castillon de la Plana, began to form a body of ca
valry, which did good service in the sequel; Hav
ing assembled a little army, consisting of ten squav
drons of horse and dragoons, and four battalions of
regular troops, with about
tia, he marched to Molviedro, which was surren
dered to him by the governor brigadier Mahoni.
Between this officer and the Spanish general he ex-
Sited such jealousies by dint of artifices not altoge-
ler justifiable even in war, that the duke of Arcos
,was more intent upon avoiding the supposed trea
chery of Mahoni, than upon interrupting the earl's
march to Valencia, where the inhabitants expressed
uncommon marks of joy at his arrival. About
this period a very obstinate action happened at St.
Istevan de Litera, where the chevalier D'Asfeldt
with nine squadrons of horse and dragoons, and as
many battalions of French infantry, attacked colo
nel Wills at the head of a small detachment ; but,
this last being supported by lieutenant-general Cun
ningham, who was mortally wounded in the en
gagement, repulsed the enemy, though three
times his number, with the loss of four hundred
men killed upon the spot. The troops on both
sides fought with the most desperate valour, keep
ing up their fire until the muzzles of their pieces
met, and charging each other at the point of bayo
net. The only misfortune that attended the Eng
lish arms in the course of this year was the capture
of the Baltic fleet homeward-bound with their con
voy of three ships of war, which were taken by the
Dunkirk squadron under the command of the count
de St. Paul, though he himself was killed in the
engagement. When an account of this advantage
A N .N E. • .i 4o,f
,^as communicated to the French king, he replied Ci '7°^
with.a sigh, " Very well, 1 wish the ships were safe
" again in any English port, provided the count
'" de St. Paul could be restored to life " After
the death of the famous Du Bart, this officer was
' counted the best seaman in France.
The kingdom of England was now wholly en»- New par-
grossed by the election of members for the new par- Kamwitia
liament. . The Tories exerted themselves with EnslantU
great industry, and propagated the cry of the
church's being in danger ; a cry in which the Ja
cobites joined with great fervour ; but, notwith
standing all their eftorts, in word and writing, fca
majority of Whigs wjas returned ; and now the
lord Godolphin, who had hitherto maintained a
neutrality, thought proper openly to countenance •
that faction. By his interest co-operating with the
influence of the dutchess of Marlborough, Sir
Nathan Wright was deprived of the great-seal,
which was committed to Mr. William Cowper,
with the title of lord- keeper. This was a lawyer of
good extraction, superior talents, engaging man- /
ners, and eminence in his profession. He was
staunch to Whig principles, and for many years
had been considered as one of their belt speakers
in the house of commons. The new parliament
meeting on the twenty-fifth day of October, a vio
lent contest arose about the choice of a speaker'
Mr. Bromley was supported by the Tories, and the
Whigs proposed Mr. John Smith, who was elected
by a majority of forty-three voices. The queen in
her speech represented the necessity of acting vigo-.
rously against France, as a common enemy to the
liberties of Europe ; she commended the fortitude
of the duke of Savoy, which she said was without
example : she told them her intention was to expe
dite commissions for treating of an union with
Scodand : she earnestly recommended an union of
5*. if. Dd minds'
4oi" HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a.c. 17°5. tninds and affections among her people : she ob
served, that, some persons had endeavoured to
foment animosities, and even suggested in print,
that the established church was in danger : she af
firmed that such people were enemies to her and
to the kingdom, and meaned only to cover designs
which they durst not publicly own, by endeavour
ing to distract the nation with unreasonable and
groundless distrusts and jealousies: she declared
she would always affectionately support and coun
tenance the church of England, as by law esta
blished : that she would inviolably maintain the to
leration : that she would promote religion and vir
tue, encourage trade, and every thing else that
might make them a happy and flourishing people.
Bin for a The majority in both houses now professed the
case of the fame principles, and were well disposed to support
caSc""1'" thetlueen m aH 'ler designs. They first presented
the usual addresses,' in the warmest terms of duty
and affection. T hen the commons drew up a se
cond, assuring her they would, to the utmost of
their power, assist her in bringing the treaty of
union to a happy conclusion. They desired that
the proceedings of the last session of parliament, re
lating to the union and succession, might be laid"
before the house. The lords had sollicired the fame
satisfaction ; and her majesty promised to comply
with their request. The lower house having heard
and decided in some cases of controverted elections,,
proceeded to take into consideration the estimates
for the service of the ensuing year, and granted
the supplies without hesitation. In the house of
lords, while the queen was present, lord Haver-
sham, at the end of a long speech, in which he re
flected upon the conduct of the duke of Marlbo-
rough, both on the Moselle and in Brabant, moved
for an address to desire her majesty would invite the
presumptive heir to the crown of England, to come-
• • and
A N N £. 4&3
and reside ia the kingdom. This motion was A- c"7«s<
earnestly supported by the duke of Buckingham,
the earls of Rochester, Nottingham, and Anglesey.
They said there was no method so effectual to se
cure the succession, as that of the successor's being
upon the spot, ready to assume and maintain his
or her right against any pretender ; and they ob
served, that in former times, when the throne or
Kngland was vacant,, the first comer had always
succeeded in his pretensions. The proposal was
vehemently opposed by the Whigs, who knew it was
disagreeable to the queen, whom they would not
venture to disoblige. They argued, that a rivalry
between the two courts might produce distractions,
and be attended with very ill consequences ; and
observed, that the princess Sophia had expressed a
full satisfaction in the assurances of the queen, who
had promised to maintain her title. The question
being put, was carried in the negative by a great
majority. The design of the Tories in making
this motion, was to bring the other party in dis
grace, either with the queen or with the people.
Their joining in the measure would have given um
brage to their sovereign ; and, by opposing it,
they ran the risque of incurring the public odium,
as enemies to the protestant succession : but the
pretence of the Tories was so thin, the nation saw
through it ; and the sole effect the motion pro
duced, was the queen's resentment against the whole
party. Burnet, bishop of Sarum, proposed that
provision might be made for maintaining the pub
lic quiet, in the interval between the queen's de
cease, and the arrival of her successor : the motion
was seconded by the lord-treasurer; and a bill
brought in for the better security of her majesty's
person and government, and of the succession to the
crown of England. By this act, a regency wag
appointed of the seven persons that fliould possesir
D d 2 the
404 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
.a.c. »7°5' the offices of archbishop of Canterbury, lord char*-"
cellor or lord-keeper, lord- treasurer, lord president,
lord privy-seal, lord high-admiral, and the lord
chief-justice of the queen's bench. Their business
was to proclaim the next successor, through the king
dom of England, and join with a certain number
of persons named as regents by the successor, in
three lists to be sealed up and deposited with the
archbishop of Canterbury, the lord keeper, and
the minister residentiary of Hanover. It was enr
acted, That these joint regencies should conduct
the administration ; and that the last parliament,
even though dissolved, should re assemble, and
continue sitting for six months after the decease of
her majesty. The bill met with a warm opposs
tion from the Tories, and did not pass the, upper
house without a protest. It was still further ob
structed in the house of commons, even by some of
the Whig party, who were given to understand
that the princess Sophia had expressed an inclina
tion to reside in England. Exceptions were like
wise taken to that clause in the bill, enacting that
the last parliament should be re-assembled. They
affirmed, that this was inconsistent with part of
the act by which the succession was at first settled 5
for, among , other limitations, the parliament had
provided, that when the crown should devolve to
the house of Hanover* no man, who had either
place or pension, should be capable of sitting in the
house of commons. After tedious disputes and
zealous altercation, they agreed that a certain
number of offices should be specified as disquali
fying places. This self-denying clause, and
some other amendments, produced conferences
between the two houses, and at length the bill
passed by their mutual assent. Lord Hayersham
moved for an enquiry into the . miscarriages of the
last campaign, hoping to find some foundation- so*
- : t . . censure
A N N K. ' 405,
censure in the conduct as the duke of Marlbo- A- 9- '705.
rough. But the proposal was rejected as invidi-*
ous ; and the two houses presented an address to
the queen, desiring she would preserve a good cor
respondence among all the confederates. They
likewise concurred in repealing the act by which
the Scots had been alienated, and all the northern
counties alarmed with the apprehension of a rup
ture between the two nations. The lord Shannon,
and brigadier Stanhope arriving with an account of
the expedition to Catalonia, the queen communi
cated the good news in a speech to both houses*,
expressing her hope that they would enable her to
prosecute the advantages which her arms had ac
quired. The commons were so well pleased with
the tidings, that they forthwith granted two hun
dred and fifty thousand pounds for her majesty's
proportion in the expence of prosecuting the suc-
qesses already gained by king Charles III. for the.
recovery of the monarchy of Spain to the house of
Austria. On the fifteenth day of November, the
queen gave the royal assent to an act for exhibiting
a bill to naturalize the princess Sophia, and the issue
of her body.
These measures being taken, the sixth day of Debat-!J •
December was appointed for enquiring into those t lie house of
dangers to which the Tories affirmed the church Ih^?uSd
was exposed ; and the queen attended in person to danger to
hear the debates on this interesting subject. The th„£h^
earl of Rochester compared -the expressions in the«poscd.
queen's speech at the beginning of the session, to.
the law enacted in the reign ofCharles II. denounc
ing the penalties of treason against those who should
call the king a papist : for which reason, he said,
he always thought him of that persuasion. He af
firmed, that the church's danger arose from the act
of security in Scotland, the absence of the successor
to the crown, and the practice of occasional con-
Dd 3 formity.
4o6 , HISTORY of ENGLAND.
*'cr *7°5- formity. He was answered by lord Hallifax, who,
by way of recrimination, observed, that king Charles
II. was a Roman catholic, at least his brother de
clared him a papist after his death : that his brother
and successor was a known Roman catholic, yet the
church thought herself secure ; and those patriots
who stood up in its defence were discountenanced
and punished : nay, when that successor ascended
the throne, and the church was apparently in the
most imminent .danger, by the high-commission-
court, and otherwise, the nation was then indeed
generally alarmed ; and every body knew who fat
jn that court, and entered deeply into the measures
which were then pursued. Compton, bishop of
London, declared that the church was in danger,
from profaneness, irreligion, and the licentiouinefe
pf the press. He complained, that sermons were
preached wherein rebellion was countenanced, and
resistance to the higher powers encouraged. He
alluded to a sermon preached before the lord mayor,
i by Mr. Hoadley, now bishopof Winchester. Bur-^
net of Sarum said the bishop of London was the
last man who ought to camplain of that sermon
for if the doctrine it contained was not good, he did
not know what defence his lordship could make
for his appearing in arms at Nottingham. He af
firmed the church would be always subject to pro
faneness and irreligion ; but that they were not now
so flagrant as they usually had been : he thought
the society set up for reformation in London,
and other cities, had contributed considerably t<j- , ,
the suppression of vice ; and he was 'sure the corpo
ration for propagating the gospel had done a great
deal towards instructing men in religion, by giving
great numbers of books in practical divinity $ by
erecting libraries in country parishes ; by fend
ing many able divines to the foreign plantations,
and founding schools to breed up children in the
christian
A N „N E. 407
christian knowledge; though to this expence veryA,c,IwS'
little had been contributed by those who appeared
so wonderfully zealous for 'the church. The arch'
bishop of York expressed his apprehension of dan
ger from the increase of, dissenters ; particularly
from the many academies they had instituted : he
moved that the judges might be consulted with
respect to the laws that were in force against such
seminaries, and by what means they might be sup
pressed. Lord Wharton moved that the judges
might also be consulted about means of suppressing
schools and seminaries held by nonjurors ; in one
of which the sons ot a noble lord in that house had
been educated. To this sarcasm the archbimop re
plied, that his sons were indeed taught by Mr.
Ellis, a sober, virtuous man ; but. when he ref used
the oath of abjuration, they were immediately with
drawn srom his instructions. Lord Wharton' pro
ceeded to declare, that he had carefully perused a
pamphlet, intided, " The Memorial," which was
said to contain a demonstration that the church was
in danger; but all he couid learn was, that the
duke of Buckingham, the earls of Rochester and
Nottingham were out of place : that he remem
bered some of these noblemen sat in the high com-
mission court, and then made no complaint of the
church's being in danger. Patrick bisoop of Ely
complained of the heat and passion manifested by
the gentlemen belonging to the universities ; and
of the undutiful behaviour of the clergy towards
their bishops He was seconded by Hough of
. Litchfield and Coventry, who added, that the in
ferior clergy calumniated their bishops, as if they
were in a plot to destroy the church, and had com
pounded to be the last of their order. Hooper
of Bath and Wells expatiated on the invidious dis
tinction implied in the terms " High church," and
D d 4 " Low
1

4P8 HISTORY of ENGLAND.

a. c.i ;oj.'«- Low church," The duke of Leeds asserted,
that the church could not be safe, without an act
against occasional conformity. Lord Somers reca
pitulated all the arguments which had been used
On both sides of the question : he declared his own
Opinion was, that the nation was happy under a
,wiie and just administration : that for men to raise
groundless jealousies at that juncture, could mean
no lei's than an indention to embroil the people at
home, and defeat the glorious designs of the allies
abroad. The debate being finished, the question
was put, Whether the church of England was in
danger ? and carried in the negative by a great ma
jority : then the house resolved, That the church
of lingland, as by law established, which was res
cued trom the extremest danger by king William
III. of glorious memory, is now, by God's blessing
under the happy reign of her majesty, in a most
safe and flourishing condition ; and that whoever
goes about to suggest or insinuate that the church
, is in danger, under her majesty's administration,
is an enemy to the queen, the church, and the
kingdom. Next day, the commons concurred in
this determination, and joined the lords in an ad
dress to the queen, communicating this resolution,
beseeching her to take effectual measures for mak*
ing it public ; and also for punishing the authors
and spreaders of the seditious and scandalous re
ports of the church's being in danger. She ac
cordingly issued a proclamation, containing the re->
solution of the twohousts, and offering a reward
for discovering the author of the memorial of the
church of England, and for aonrehending David
Edwards, a professed papist, charged upon oath to
be the printer and publisher of that libel.
After a short adjournment, a committee .of the
Jower- house presented the thanks of the commons
', ,.- " ; - tQ.
•"ANNE.-
to the duke of Marlborough, for his great services A c,7°5«
performed to her majesty and the nation in the last The tariia-
fcampaign, and for his prudent negotiations with ™d! PDis-"
her allies. This nobleman was in such credit with put" »« the'
the people, that when he proposed a loan of five conVocaV°^
hundred thousand pounds to the emperor, upon a
branch of his revenue in Silesia, the money was
advanced immediately by the merchants of Lon
don. The kingdom was blessed with plenty : the
queen was universally beloved : the people in ge
neral were zealous for the prosecution of the war: '
the forces were well paid : the treasury was punc
tual ; and though a great quantity of coin was ex
ported for the maintenance of the war, the paper-
currency supplied the deficiency so well, that no*
murmurs were heard, and the public credit flourish
ed both ar home and abroad. All the funds be
ing established, one in particular, for two millions
and a half by way of annuities, for ninety-nine"
years, at six and a half per cent. and all the bills
having received the royal assent, the queen weni
to the house of peers on the nineteenth day of
March, where, having thanked both houses for the
repeated instances of their affection which she had" '
received, she prorogued the parliament to the
twenty-first day of May following f. The new
convocation, instead of imitating the union and
harmony of the parliament, revived the divisions
by which the former had been distracted, and the
two houses seemed to act with more determined
rancour against each other. The upper-house hav
ing drawn up a warm address of thanks to the
queen, for her affectionate care of the church, the
lower-house refused to concur; nor would they
give any reason for their dissent. They prepared

•f- Among oilier bills pasted during tb/s session, was an act for abridging
pad reforming fome proceedings in the common !>w and in chancery, i • "
another
4J0 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a c. 17°5. another in a different strain, which was rejected by
Bumet. the archbishop. Then they agreed to divers re-
Lockji'art solutions, asserting their right of having what they
<Jjiincy. offered to the upper-houle received by his grace
Wist. of Eu- and tjjCjr lordships.. Inconsequence of this dif-
Feuquieres. sension the address was dropped, and a stop put to
Tindal.
Hist, of the all further communication between the two houses.
d. of Marl- The dean of Peterborough protested against the ,
Bu?ch«.' irregularities of the lower house. The queen, in
Admirals* a ^etter to ^ archbishop, signified her resolution
V<Jtaire!' to maintain her supremacy, and the due subordina
tion of presbyters to bishops. She expressed her
hope that he and his suffragans should act conform
ably to her resolution, in which case thev might be
assured of the continuance of her favour and pro
tection : she required him to impart this declara
tion to the bishops and clergy, and to prorogue
the convocation to such time as should appear most
convenient. When he communicated this letter
to the lower-house, the members were not a little
confounded ; nevertheless, they would not comply
with the prorogation, but continued to sit in de
fiance of her majesty's pleasure.
A. e. 1706. 7 he eyes of Great- Britain were now tu-ned up-
conserences on a transaction of the utmost consequence to the
"£ntydofor a whole island; namely, the treaty for an union of
union with the two kingdoms of England and Scotland. The
Scotland. qUeen having appointed the commissioners'f on
• • . both

.f The English rommiflioners were, hold, Charles duke of Somerset roaster

Thomas lord archbishop of Canterbury, of the horse, Charles duke of Bolton,
William Cowper lord-keeper cf the Charles earl of Sunderland, Evelyn
great seal, John lord- archbishop of earl of Kingston, Charles earl cf Car-
York, Sidney lord Godolphin lord- lifle, Edward earl of Orfnrd, Charles
high-treasurerofEngland, Thomasear! viscount Townsend, Thomas lord
ofPembrcke and Montgomery presi- Whartcn, Ralph lord Grey, John lord
dent of the council, John duke ifNew- Powlet, John lord Someis, Charles
castle keejierof the privy-seal, William JordHallifax, WilliamCavendisli «iar-
dukeofDevonshire steward of thehous- quisos Hartington,John Manners mar
quis
A N N E. 411
both sides, they met on the sixteenth day of April, A' ^ ,7o6«
in the council- chamber of the Cockpit near White
hall, which was the place appointed for the con
ferences. Their commissions being opened and
read by the respective secretaries, and introductory
speeches being pronounced by the lord-keeper of
England and the lord chancellor of Scotland, they
agreed to certain preliminary articles, importing,
1'hat all the proposals mould be made in writing,
and every point when agreed, reduced to writing :
That no points should be obligatory, till all mat
ters should be adjusted in such a manner as would
be proper to be laid before the queen and the twp
parliaments for their approbation : That a com
mittee should be appointed from each commission
to revise the minutes of what might pass, before
they mould-be inserted in the books by the respec
tive secretaries ; and that all the proceedings during
the treaty should be kept secret. The Scots were
inclined to a fcederal union, like that of the United
Provinces : but the English were bent upon an
incorporation, so as that no Scottish parliament

qtiisof Granby, Sir Charles Hedges and Cla'gow• lord Archibald Campbell,
Robert Har'ey principal secretaries of Thomas viscount Duplin, IordWilliam
state, John Smith, Henry Boyle chan- [Link], Sir Hugh Dalrymple president of
cellos of the exchequer, Sir John Holt the session ; Adam Csckburne of Or-
chief-justicc of the quern's bench, Sir mistoun lord [Link] 5 Sir Robert
Thomai Trevor chief justice of the Dundass of Arnistoun, Ri bert Steuart
common-pleas, Sir Edward Northey of Tillicultrie, loidsof the session, Mr.
attorney- general, Sir Simon Harcourt Francis Montgomery one of the corh-
sollicitor- general, Sir John Coak, and miffioners of the treasury,- Sir David
Stephen Wa!ler doctor of law;. The Dalr. rhp'e, one of her majesty's folli-
Scottish commissioners were, James earl citors, Sir Alexander Ogilvie receiver*
of Seafie'd lord chancellor of Scotland, gener;l, Sir Patrick Johnston provost
James duke ofQueensberry lord privy- of Edinburgh, Sir James Smollett of
seal, John earl of Mar, and Hugh earl Bonhill,George Lockhart ofCarnwath,
e>f Loudon principal secretaries ofstate, William Morrifon of Prestongrange,
John earl of Sutherland, John earl of Alexander Grant, William Seton of
Morton, David earl of Wemys, David Pitmidden, John Clark of Pennycook,
earlof Levtn,John earl ofStair, Archi- Hugh Montgomery, Daniel Stuart,
feald earl of Roseberry, David earl of and DanieHampbell.
should
HISTORY of EN6LAND.
17°s. should ever have power to repeal the articles of the
treaty. The lord-keeper proposed, that the two
kingdoms of England and Scotland should be for
ever united into one realm, by the name of Great-
Britain : That it should be represented by one and
the same parliament ; and, That the succession of
this monarchy, failing heirs of her majesty's body,
should be according to the limitations mentioned in-
the act of parliament passed in the reign of king
William, intituled, An act for the further limita
tion of the crown, and the better securing tha
rights' and liberties of the subject. The Scottish-
commissioners, in order to comply in some measure
with the popular clamour of their nation, present
ed a proposal, implying that the succession to the
crown of Scotland should be established upon the
same persons mentioned in the act of king Wil
liam's reign : That the subjects of Scotland should
for ever enjoy all the rights and privileges of the
natives in England, and the dominions thereunto
belonging ; and, That the subjects of -England
should enjoy the like rights and privileges in Scat-
land : That there should be a free communication
and intercourse of trade and navigation between
the two kingdoms, and plantations thereunto be
longing; and that all laws and statutes in either
kingdom, contrary to the terms of this union,
should be repealed. The English commissioners
declined entering into any considerations upon
these proposals, declaring themselves fully con
vinced that nothing hut an intire union would
settle perfect and lasting friendship between the
two kingdoms. The Scots acquiesced in this re
ply, and both sides proceeded in the treaty, with-'
out any other intervening dispute. They were'
twice visited by the queen, who exhorted them to '
accelerate the articles of a treaty that would prove .
ib advanttgeous to both kingdoms. At length '
\ • A N N E. 413
they were finished, arranged, and mutually signed, A'c
on the twenty-second of July, and next day pre
sented to her majefty at the palace of St. James's,
by the lord-keeper, in the name of the English
commissioners ; while at the lame time a sealed
copy of the instrument was likewise delivered by
the lord chancellor of Scotland ; and each made a
short oration on the subject, to which the queen
returned a very gracious reply. That fame day
she dictated an order of council, that whoever
should be concerned in any discourse or libel, or in
laying wagers relating to the union, should be
prolecuted with the utmost iigour of the law.
Jn this famous treaty it was stipulated, That the Suwuneeof
succession to the united kingdom of Great-Britain th'-t,ejt?-
should be vested in the princess Sophia, and her
heirs, according to the act:s already passed in the.
parliament of England : That the united kingdom
should be represented by one and the same parlia
ment : That all the subjects of Great Britain should
enjoy a communication of privileges and advan-,
tages : That they should have the same allowances,
encouragements, and drawbacks ; and be undef
the fame prohibitions, restrictions, and regulations,
with respect to commerce and customs : That Scot
land should not be charged with the temporary
duties, on some certain commodities : That the
sum of three hundred, ninety-eighr, thousand and .
[Link] ten millings should be granted
to the Scots, as an equivalent for such parts of the
customs and excise charged upon that kingdom in
consequence of the union, as would be applicable
to the payment of the debts of England, according
to the proportion which the customs and excise of
Scotland bore to those of England : That,- as the
revenues of Scotland might increase, a further,
equivalent. should be allowed for such proportion
of the said increase as should be applicable to the
I". .. ' , ' Pay-
3
H ISTO-RY of ENGLAND;
r;o«. payment of the debts of England : That the sum
to be paid at present, as well as the monies arising
from the future equivalents, should be employed
in reducing the coin of Scotland to the standard
and value of the English coin ; in paying off the
capital stock and interest due to the proprietors of
the African company, which should be immediate
ly dissolved; in discharging all the public debts of
the kingdom of Scotland, and in promoting and
encouraging manufactures and fisheries, under the
direction of commissioners to be appointed by her
majesty, and accountable to the parliament of
Great-Britain: That the laws concerning public
right, policy, and civil government, should be the
same throughout the whole united kingdom ; but
that no alteration should be made in laws which
concerned private right, except for evident utility
of the subjects within Scotland : That the court of '
session, and all other courts of judicature in Scot
land, should remain as then constituted by the
laws of that kingdom, with the fame authority and
{>rivileges as before the union ; subject, neverthe-
ess, to such regulations as should be made by the
parliament of Great-Britain : That all heritable
offices, superiorities, heritable jurisdictions, offices
for life, and jurisdictions for life, should be reserved
to the owners, as rights of property, in the fame
manner as then enjoyed by the laws of Scotland :
That the rights and privileges of the royal bo
roughs in Scotland, should remain intire after the
union : That Scotland should be represented in
the parliament of Great Britain, by sixteen peers
and forty-five commoners, to be elected in such a
rnanner as should be settled by the present parlia
ment of Scotland : That all peers of Scotland, and
the successors to their honours and dignities, should,
from and after the union, be peers of Great-
Britain, and should have rank and precedency next
and
A N K. E. • 4r5
and immediately after the English peers of the like'A-c- '7°6'
orders and degrees at the time of the union ; and
before all peers of Great-Britain of the like orders
and degrees, who might be created after the
union : That they should be tried as peers of Great-
Britain, and enjoy all privileges of peers, as fully
as enjoyed by the peers of England, except the
right and privilege of sitting in the house of lords,
and the privileges depending thereon, and parti
cularly the right of sitting upon the trials of peers :
That the crown, sceptre, and sword of state, the
records of parliament, and all other records, rolls,
and registers whatsoever, mould still remain as they
were, within that part of the united kingdom cal
led Scotland : That all laws and statutes in either
kingdom, so far as they might be inconsistent with
the terms of these articles, should cease and be de
clared void by the respective parliaments of the
two kingdoms. Such is the substance of that treaty
of union which was so eagerly courted by the «
English ministry, and proved so unpalatable to
the generality of the Scottish nation.
1 While this treaty was on the carpet at home, the Battle of
allied arms prospered surprisingly in the Nether- ^"j^
lands, in Spain, and in Piedmont. The French French are,
king had resolved to make very considerable efforts defcated'
in these countries ; and indeed, at the beginning
of the campaign his armies were very formidable.
He hoped, that by the reduction of Turin and
Barcelona the war would be extinguished in Italy
and Catalonia. He knew he could out-number
any body of forces that prince Lewis of Baden
should assemble on the Rhine ; and he resolved to
reinforce his army in Flanders, so as to be in a
condition to act offensively against the duke of
Marlborough. This nobleman repaired to Hol
land in the latter end of April ; and conferred
with the states-general. Then he assembled the
•. ' army
A H I S T sl|R Y of-E N £ L A N D.
c. 1 7°S. army between Borchloen and Groes-Waren, and
found it amounted to seventy-four battalions of
foot, and one hundred and twenty-three squadrons
of horse and dragoons, well furnished with artillery
and pdntocns. The court of France having re
ceived intelligence, that the Danish and Prussian
troops had not yet joined the confederates, ordered
the elector of Bavaria and the marechal de Villeroy
to attack them before the junction could be effec
ted. In pursuance of this order they passed the
Deule on the nineteenth day of May, and posted
themselves at Tirlemont, being superior in num
ber to the allied army. There they were joined by
the horse of the army, commanded by niarechal
Marsin, and encamped between Tirlemont and
Judoigne. On Whitsunday, early in the morning,
the duke of Marlborough advanced with his army
in eight columns towards the village of Ramillies,
being by this time joined by the Danes ; and he
learned that the enemy were in march to give
him battle, Next day the French generals per
ceiving the confederates so near them, took pos-
. session of a strong camp, their right extending to
the Tomb of Hautemont on the side of the
Mehaigne ; their left to Anderkirk ; and the vil
lage of Ramillies being near their center. The
confederate 'army was drawn up in order of battle,
with the right wing , near Foltz on the brook of
Yause, and the left, by the village of Franquenies,
which the enemy had occupied. The duke order
ed lieutenant-general Schultz, with twelve bat
talions and twenty pieces of cannon, to begin the
action, by attacking Ramillies, which was strongly
fortified with artillery. At the fame time velt-
marechal Overkirk, on the left, commanded
colonel Wertmuller, with four battalions and two
pieces of cannon, to dislodge the enemy's infantry
posted among the hedges of Franquenies. Both
these
'ANNE; ' 4!'$>>
these orders were successfully executed. The A- c- \
Dutch and Danish horse of the left wing charged
with great vigour and intrepidity ; but were so
roughly handled by the troops of the French king's
houshold, that they began to give way, when the
duke of Marlborough sustained them with the
body of reserve, and twenty squadrons drawn from
the right, where a morass prevented them from
acting. In the mean time, he in person rallied
some of the broken squadrons, in order to renew
the charge, when his own horse falling, he was
surrounded by the enemy, and must have been
either killed Or taken prisoner, had not a body of
infantry come seasonably to his relief. When he
remounted his horse, the head of colonel Brien-
field, his gentleman of the horse, was carried off
by a cannon ball while he held the duke's stirrup.
Before the reinforcement arrived, the best part of
the French mousquetaires were cut in pieces. All
the troops posted in Ramillies were either killed ct
taken. The rest of the enemy's infantry began to
retreat in tolerable order, under cover of the ca-'
valry on their left wing, which formed themselves
in three lines between Ossuz and Anderkirk ; but,
the English horse having found means to pass the
rivulet which divided them from the enemy, fell
upon them with such impetuosity, that they aban
doned their foot, and were terribly slaughtered in
the village of Anderkirk. They now gave way
'on all sides. The horse fled three different ways ;
but, were so closely pursued, that very few escaped. .
The elector of Bavaria and the marechal de Ville-
,roy saved themselves with the utmost difficulty.
' Several waggons of the enemy's vanguard breaking
down in a narrow pass, obstructed the way in such
a„manner, that the baggage and artillery could not
proceed; nor could their troops defile in order.
The victorious horse being informed of this acci-
N°. 89. Ee dent,
HISTORY of ENGLAND.
7°6. dent, pressed on them so vigorously, that greaC
numbers threw down their arms and submitted.
The pursuit was followed through Judoigne till
two o'clock in the morning, five leagues from the
field of battle, and within two of Louvaine. In a
word, the confederates obtained a complete victory.
They took the enemy's baggage and artillery,
about one hundred and twenty colours or stan
dards, six hundred officers, six thousand private
soldiers ; and about eight thousand were killed or
wounded. Prince Maximilian, and prince Mon-
bason lost their lives ; the major- generals Palavicini
and Mezieres were taken, together with the mar-
quisses deBar, de Nonant, and de la Baume, son of
the marechal de Tallard, monsieur de Montmo-
rency, nephew to the duke of Luxemburgh ; and
many other persons of distinction. The loss of the
allies did not exceed three thousand men, including
prince Lewis of Hesse and Mr. Bentinck, who
were slain in the engagement. The French gene
rals retired with precipitation to Brussels, while
the allies took possession of Louvaine, and next
day encamped at Bethlem. The battle of Ramillies
was attended with the immediate conquest of all
Brabant. The cities of Louvaine, Mechlin, Brus
sels, Antwerp, Ghent, and Bruges, submitted with
out resistance, and acknowledged king Charles.
Ostend, though secured hy a strong garrison, was
surrendered after a siege of ten days. Menin,
esteemed the most finished fortification in the
Netherlands, and guarded 'by six thousand men,
met with the same sate. The garrison of Dender-
monde surrendered themselves prisoners of war ;
and Aeth submitted on the same conditions. The
French troops were dispirited. The city of Paris
was overwhelmed with consternation : Lewis affec
ted to bear his misfortunes with calmness and
composure : but, the constraint had such an effect
; upon
A N N E. <M9
tipon his constitution, that his physicians thought Alc-,7*e'
it necessary to prescribe frequent bleeding, which
he accordingly underwent. At his court no men
tion was made of military transactions : all was
solemn, silent, and reserved.
Had the issue of the campaign in Catalonia been TJ» %« of
such as the beginning seemed to prognosticate, the ^ab^th?
French king might have in some measure consoled 2Agiiflt««t,
himself for his disgraces in the Netherlands. On
the sixth' day of April king Philip, at the head of
a numerous army, undertook the siege of Bar
celona, while the count de Thoulouse blocked it
tip with a powerful squadron. The inhabitants,
animated by the presence ,of king Charles, made a
vigorous defence ; and the garrison was reinforced
with some troops from Gironne and other places.
But, after the fort of Mofttjuic was taken, the
! "-place was so hard prefled, that Charles ran the
utmost risque of falling into the hands of the ene
my.; for, the earl of Peterborough, who had
marched ^from Valencia with two thousand men,
found it impracticable to enter the city. Never
theless, he maintained his post upon the hills ; and
with surprising courage and activity kept the be
siegers in continual alarm. At length,^ Sir John
Leake failed from Lisbon with thirty ships of the
line ; and on the eighth day of May arrived in fight
'^f Barcelona. The French admiral no sooner re
ceived intelligence of his approach, than he set sail
for Toulon. In three days after his departure
king Philip abandoned the siege, and retired in
great disorder, leaving behind his tents, with the
sick and wounded. On the side of Portugal the
duke of Berwick Was left with such an inconsider
able force as proved insufficient to defend the
frontiers. The earl of Galway, with art army of
twenty thousand men, undertook the siege of
Alcantara ; and, in three days the garrison, con-
Ee 35 fifties
420 HISTORYofENGLAND.
a.c. i7of. sifting of four thousand men, were made prisoner*
of war. Then he marched to Placentia, and ad
vanced as far as the bridge of Almaras ; but the
Portuguese would penetrate no farther until they
should know the fate of Barcelona. When they
understood the siege was raised, they consented to
proceed to Madrid. Philip, guessing their inten
tion, posted to that capital, and sent his queen
with all his valuable effects, to Burgos, whither he
followed her in person, after having destroyed every
thing that he could not carry away. About the
latter end of June the earl of Galway entered the
city without resistance ; but, the Spaniards were
extremely mortified to fee an army of Portuguese,
headed by an heretic, in possession of their capital.
King Charles loitered away his time in Barcelona,
until his competitor recovered his spirits, and re
ceived such reinforcements as enabled him to re
turn to Madrid, with an army equal to that com
manded by the earl of Galway. This general
made a motion towards Arragon, in order to facili
tate his conjunction with Charles, who had set out
by the way of Saragossa, where he was acknow
ledged as sovereign of Arragon and Valencia. In
the beginning of August he arrived at the Portu
guese camp, with a small reinforcement ; and, in
a few days was followed by the earl of Peterbo
rough, at the head of five hundred dragoons.
The two armies were now pretty equal in point of
number ; but, as each expected further reinforce
ments, neither' chose to hazard an engagement.
The earl of Peterborough, who aspired to the chief
command, and hated the prince of Lichtenstein,
who enjoyed the confidence of king Charles, re
tired in disgust; and, embarking on board of an
English ship of war, set sail for Genoa. The Eng
lish fleet continued all the summer in the Mediter-
; ranntan : they secured Carthagena, which had de-
. clared
ANNE. v 421
clared for Charles : they took the town of Alicant A- C-w*'
by assault, and the caltle by capitulation. Then
sailing out of the Streights, one squadron was de
tached to the West-Indies, another ordered to lie
at Lisbon, and the rest were sent home to Eng
land.
Fortune was not more propitious to the French gC„""hfa^s
in Italy than in Flanders. , The duke of Vendome » complete
having been called toyassume the command in Flan- ^French"
ders after the battle of Ramillies, the duke- of Or- at Turin,
leans was placed at the head of the army in Pied
mont, under the tutorage and direction of the
marechal de Marsin. They were ordered to be
siege Turin, which was accordingly invested in the
month of May ; and, the operations carried on till
the beginning of September. Great preparations
had been made for this siege. It was not under
taken until the duke of Savoy had rejected all the
offers of the French monarch, which were sufficient
to have shaken a prince of less courage and forti
tude. The duke de la Feuillade having finished
the lines of circumvallation and contravallatiori,
sent his quarter-master general with a trumpet, to
offer passports and a guard for the removal of the
dutchefs and her children. The duke of Savoy re
plied, that he did not intend to remove his family ;
and that the marechal might begin to execute his
master's orders whenever he should think fit : but,
when the siege began with uncommon fury, and
the French sired red-hot balls into the place,
the two dutchesses, with the young prince and
princeffes, quitted Turin, and retired to Quierasco,
from whence they were conducted through many
.dangers into the territories of Genoa. The duke
• himself forsook his capital, in order to put himself
at the head of his cavalry ; and, was pursued from
place to place by five and forty squadrons, under
the command of the count D'Aubeterr-e. Not-
Ee 3 withstanding.
±it HISTORY of ENGLAND.
A, C,.i7°s. withstanding the very noble defence' which wii
made by the garrison of Turin, who destroyed four-
teen thousand of the enemy during the course of
the siege, the defences were almost ruined, their
ammunition began to fail, and they had no pro
spect of relief but from prince Eugene, who had
numberless difficulties to encounter before he could
march to their assistance. The duke of Vendome,
before he left Italy, had secured all the fords of the
Adige, the Mincio, and the Oglio, and formed
such lines and intrenchments as he imagined would
effectually hinder the Imperial general from arriv
ing in time to relieve the city of Turin. But the
prince surmounted al: opposition, passed sour great
rivers in despite of the enemy ; and reached the
neighbourhood of Turin on the thirteenth day of
August, There being joined by the duke of Sa
voy, he passed the Po between Montcalier and Ca-
vignan. On the fifth day of September they took
a Convoy of eight hundred loaded mules : next day
they passed the Doria, and encamped with the right
oh the bank of that river before Pianessa, and the
left on the Stura before the Veneria. The enemy
were intrenched, having the Stura on their right, the
Doriaon the left, and the convent of capuchins, called
Notre Dame de laCampagne, in their center. When
prince Eugene approached Turin, the duke of Or
leans proposed to march out of the intrenchments,
and give him battle; and this proposal was seconded
by all the general officers, except Marsin, who,
finding the duke determined, produced an order
from the French king, commanding the duke to
follow the marechal's advice. The court of Ver-
, iailles was now become afraid of hazarding an en
gagement against those who had so often defeated
their armies ; and this officer had private instruc
tions to keep within the trenches. On the seventh
day of September the confederates marched up to
the
ANNE, 423
the intrenchment-s of the French, in eight columns, A C- '7°*-
through a terrible fire from forty pieces of artillery,
and were formed in order of battle within half-can
non shot of the enemy. Then they advanced to
the attack with surprising resolution, and met with
such a warm reception as seemed to stop their pro
gress. Prince Eugene perceiving this checks drew
his sword, and putting himself at the head of the
battalions on the left, forced the intrenchments at
the first charge. The duke of Savoy met with the
fame success in the center, and on the right near
Luscingo. The horse advanced through the inter-
'vals of the foot, left for that purpose ; and break
ing in with vast impetuosity, completed the confu
sion of the enemy, who were defeated on all hands,
and retired with precipitation to the other side of.
the Po, while the duke of Savoy entered his capi
tal in triumph. The duke of Orleans exhibited re
peated proofs of the most intrepid courage ; and re
ceived several wounds in the engagement. Mare-
chal de Marsin fell into the hands of the victors,
his .thigh being {nattered with a ball, and died in a
few hours after the amputation. Of the French
army about five thousand men were flain on the
field of battle : a great number of officers, and up
wards of seven thousand men were taken, together
with two hundred and fifty-five pieces of cannon,
one hundred and eighty mortars, an incredible
quantity of ammunition, all the tents and baggage,
five thousand beasts of burthen, ten thousand horses
belonging to thirteen regiments of dragoons, and
the mules of the commissary-general so richly laden,
that this part of the booty alone was valued at three
millions of livres. The loss of the confederates did
not exceed three thousand men killed or disabled in
the action, besides about the fame number of the
garrison of Turin, which had fallen since the begin
ning of the siege. This was such a fatal stoke to
E e 4 - the
424 H IS T O R Y of E N G L A N D.
A. c. 17c6, the intereſt of Lewis, that madame de Maintenon
would not venture to make him fully acquainted
with the ſtate of his affairs. He was told, that the
duke of Orleans had raiſed the ſiege of Turin at
the approach of prince Eugene; but he knew not
that his own army was defeated and ruined. The
ſpirits of the French were a little comforted in
conſequence of an advantage gained about this
time, by the count de Medavy-grancey, who com
manded a body of troops left in the Mantuan ter
ritories. He ſurprized the prince of Heſſe in the
neighbourhood of Caſtiglione, and obliged him to
retire to the Adige with the loſs of two thouſand
men; but this vićtory was attended with no con
ſequence in their favour. The duke of Orleans re
treated into Dauphine, while the French garriſons
were driven out of every place they occupied in
Piedmont and Italy, except Cremona, Valenza, and
the caſtle of Milan, which were blocked up by the
- confederates.
*... . Over and above theſe diſaſters which the French
jails with a ſuſtained in the courſe of this campaign, they were
... miſerably alarmed by the project of an invaſion
§. from Britain, formed by the marquis de Guiſcard,
#" who, actuated by a family diſguſt, had abandoned
his country, and become a partiſan of the confede
rates. He was declared a lieutenant-general in
the emperor's army, and came over to London,
after having ſettled a correſpondence with the mal
contents in the ſouthern parts of France. He in
ſinuated himſelf into the friendſhip of Henry St.
John, ſecretary of war, and other perſons of dif
tinction. His ſcheme of invading France was ap
proved by the Britiſh miniſtry; and he was pro
moted to the command of a regiment of dragoons
deſtined for that ſervice. About eleven thouſand
men were embarked under the command of earl
Rivers, with a large train of artillery; and the
CCII)-
, - A N N E. 425
combined ſquadrons, commanded by Sir Cloude-A. c. 1706.
ſley Shovel, ſet ſail from Plymouth on the thir.
teenth day of Auguſt. Next day they were forced
into Torbay by contrary winds; and there they held
a coincil of war to concert their operations, when
they diſcovered, that Guiſcard's plan was altoge
ther chimerical, or at leaſt founded upon ſuch
ſlight aſſurances and conjećtures, as could not juſ
tify their proceeding to execution. An expreſs
was immediately diſpatched to the admiralty, with
the reſult of this council ; and, in the méan time,
letters arrived at court from the earl of Galway,
after his retreat from Madrid to Valencia, ſollicit
ing ſuccours with the moſt earneſt intreaties. The
expedition to France was immediately poſtponed;
and Sir Cloudeſley Shovel was ordered to make the
beſt of his way for Liſbon, there to take ſuch mea
ſures as the ſtate of the war in Spain ſhould render
neceſſary. Guiſcard and his officers being ſet on
ſhore, the fleet ſailed with the firſt fair wind, and
towards the latter end of Oétober arrived at Liſbon.
On the twenty-eighth day of the next month the
king of Portugal died, and his eldeſt ſon and ſuc
ceſſor being but eighteen years of age, was even
more than his father influenced by a miniſtry which - -

had private connections with the court of Verſailles. - *

Nevertheleſs, Sir Cloudeſley Shovel and earl Ri

vers, being preſſed by letters from king Charles
and the earl of Galway, ſailed to their aſſiſtance in
the beginning of January; and on the twenty
eighth arrived at Alicant, from whence the earl of
Rivers proceeded by land to Valencia, in order to
aſſiſt at a general council of war. The operations
of the enſuing campaign being concerted, and the
army joined by the reinforcement from England,
* earl Rivers diſliking the country, returned with the
admiral to Liſbon, -

.. Poland
426 HISTORYofENGLAND.
a. c. »7os. Poland was at length delivered from the presence
The king of of the king of Sweden, who in the beginning of
Swcdm September suddenly marched through Lusatia into
Saxony ; and in a little time laved that whole elec
torate under contribution. Augustus being thus
cut off from all resource, resolved to obtain peace
on the Swede's own terms, and engaged in a secret
treaty for this purpose. In the mean time the Poles
and Muscovites attacked the Swedish forces at
Kalish in Great Poland and by dint of number
routed them with great slaughter. Notwithstand
ing this event, Augustus ratified the treaty, by
which he acknowledged Stanislaus as true and right
ful king of Poland, reserving to himself no more
than the empty title of sovereign. The confede
rates were not a little alarmed to find Charles in
the heart of Germany ; and the French court did
not fail to court his alliance : but he continued on
the reserve against all their sollicitations. Then
they implored his mediation for a peace ; and he
answered, that he would interpose his good offices,
as soon as he should know they would be agreeable
to the powers engaged in the grand alliance,
king d"nch The pride of Lewis was now humbled to such a
mands con- degree as might have excited the compassion of his
» p«cc! f°r enemies. He employed the elector of Bavaria to
write letters in his name to the duke of Marlbd-
rongh and the deputies of the states-general, con
taining proposals for opening a congress. He
had already tampered with the Dutch, in a memo
rial presented by the marquis D'Allegre. He like
wise besought the pope to interpose in his behalf.
He offered to cede either Spain and the West-In
dies, or Milan, Naples, and Sicily to king Charles;
to give up a barrier for the Dutch in the Nether
lands ; and to indemnify the duke of Savoy for the
ravages that had been committed in his dominions.
Though,
ANNE. 4a?
Though his real aim was peace, yet he did not de- A, c- 17°6'
' spair ot being able to excite such jealousies among
the confederates, as might shake the basics of their
union. His hope was not altogether disappointed.
The court of Vienna was so much alarmed at the
osiers he had made, and the reports circulated by
bis emissaries, that the emperor resolved to make
himself master of Naples, before the allies should
' have it in their power to close with the proposals
of France. This was the true motive of his con
cluding a treaty with Lewis in the succeeding
winter, by which the Milanese was entirely evacuat
ed, and the French king at liberty to employ those
troops in making strong efforts against the con
federates in. Spain" and the Netherlands. The
Putch were intoxicated with success, and their pen
sionary Heinsius intirely influenced by the duke of
.Marlborough, who found his account in the con
tinuance of the war, which at once gratified his ava
rice and ambition ; for all his great qualities were
obscured by the sordid passion of accumulating
wealth. During the whole war the allies never had
such an opportunity as they now enjoyed, to bridle
the power of France effectually, and secure the
liberties of the empire and indeed, if their real
design was to establish an equal balance between
the houses of Austria and Bourbon, it could not
have been better effected than by dividing the Spa
nish monarchy between these two potentates. The
accession of Spain, with all its appendages, to either,
would have destroyed the equilibrium which the
allies proposed to establish. But, other motives
contributed to a continuation of the war. The
♦ powers of the confederacy were fired with the am
bition of making conquests ; and England in par
ticular thought herself intitled to an indemnifica
tion for the immense sums she had expended. Ani
mated by these concurring .considerations, queen
Anne
428 HISTORYof ENGLAND.
a. c. i7os. Anne and the states-general rejected the offers of
France ; and declared, that they would not enter
into any negotiation for peace, except in concert
with the;r allies.
J£fs«ttift The Tories of England began to meditate
firiwmeot. schemes of opposition against the duke of Marlbo-
rough. They looked upon him as a selfish noble
man, who sacrificed the interest of the nation in
protracting a ruinous war for his own private ad
vantage. They saw their country oppressed with
an increasing load of taxes, which they apprehend
ed would in a little time become an intolerable bur
den ; and they did not doubt but at this period
such terms might be obtained as would fully an
swer the great purpose of the confederacy. This,
indeed, was the prevailing opinion among all the
sensible people of' the nation, who were not parti-
ciilatly interested in the prosecution of the war,
either by being connected with the general, or, in
some shape employed in the management of the
finances. The Tories were likewise instigated by
a party-spirit against Marlborough, who,' by means
of his wife, was in full possession of the queen's
confidence, and openly patronized the Whig fac
tion. But, the attention of people in general was
now turned upon the Scottish parliament, which
took into consideration the treaty of union lately
concluded between the commissioners of both king-;
doms. On the third day of October the duke of
Queensberry, as high commissioner, produced the
queen's letter, in v/hich she expressed her hope,
that the terms of the treaty would be acceptable to
her parliament of Scotland. She'said, an intlre and
perfect union would be the solid foundation of a
lasting peace : it would secure their religion, liber
ty, and property, remove the animosities that pre
vailed among themselves, and the jealousies that
subsisted between the two nations. It would in-
2 c tease
A N N E. 429
crease their strength, riches, and commerce : the A- c-
whole island would be joined in affection, , and free
from all apprehension of different interests : it would
be enabled to resist all its enemies, support the pro
testant interest every where, and maintain the li
berties of Europe. £>he renewed her assurance of
maintaining the government of their church ; and
told them, that now they had an opportunity of
taking such steps as might be necessary for its se
curity after the union. She demanded the neces
sary supplies. She observed, that the great suc-
ceis with which God Almighty had blessed her
arms, afforded the nearer prospect of a happy peace,
with which they would enjoy the full advantages of
this union ; that they had no reason to doubt but
the parliament of England would do all that should
.be necessary on their part, to confirm the union ;
and she recommended calmness and unanimity in
deliberating on this great and weighty affair, of
such consequence to the whole island of Great-
Britain.
Hitherto the articles of the union had been in- V[f?nt0?-
r\ ' /• r petition to
dustnously concealed from the knowledge of the the union,
people : but, the treaty being recited in parlia
ment, and the particulars divulged, such a flame was
kindled thro' the whole nation, as had not appeared
since the restoration. The Cavaliers or Jacobites
had always foreseen, that this union would extin
guish all their hopes of a revolution in favour of a
pretender. The nobility found themselves degrad
ed in point of dignity and influence, by being ex
cluded from their feats in parliament. The trading
part of the nation beheld their commerce saddled
with heavy duties and restrictions, and considered
the privilege of trading to the English plantations
as, a precarious and uncertain prospect of advan
tage. The barons or gentlemen were exasperated
at a coalition, by which their parliament-was anni
hilated,

1
430 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
A- c- '766- hilated, and their credit destroyed. The people1 \ft
general exclaimed, that the dignity of their crown
was betrayed : that the independency of their fia-
tion had fallen a sacrifice to treachery and corrup
tion : that whatever conditions might be speciously
offered, they could not expect they would be ob
served by a parliament in which the English had
such a majority. They exaggerated the dangers to
which the constitution of their church wouftj'^be
exposed from a bench of bishops, and a parliament
of episcopalians. This consideration alarmed the
presbyterian ministers to such a degree, that they
employed all their power and credit in waking the
resentment of their hearers against the treaty, which
produced an universal ferment among all ranks of
people. Even the most rigid puritans joined the
cavaliers in expressing their detestation of the union ;
and, laying aside their mutual animosities, promised
toco-operate in opposing a measure so ignominious
and prejudicial to their country. In parliament the
opposition was headed by the dukes of Hamilton
and Athol, and the marquis of Annandale. The
first of these noblemen had wavered so much in his
conduct, that it is difficult to ascertain his real poli
tical principles. He was generally supposed to fa
vour the claim of the pretender ; but he was afraid
of embarking too far in his cause, and avoided vio
lent measures in the discussion of this treaty, fest%e
should incur the resentment of the English parlia
ment, and forfeit the estate he possessed in that
kingdom. Athol was more forward in his profes
sions of attachment to the court of St. Germairfs;
but, he had less ability, and his zeal was suppbied
to have been inflamed by resentment against the
ministry. The debates upon the different articles
of the treaty were carried on with great heat ' and
vivacity and many shrewd arguments were used
against this scheme of an incorporating union. One
member
A N N E 43t
member affirmed, that it would furnish a hartdk f • c. »M«
to. any aspiring prince to overthrow the liberties of
all Britain ; for, if the parliament of Scotland could
alter, or rather subvert its constitution, this cir
cumstance might be a precedent for the parlia
ment of Great-Britain to assume the fame power :
that the representatives for Scotland would, from
their poverty, depend upon those who possessed the
means of corruption; and, having expressed so
little concern for the support of their own constitu
tion, would pay very little regard to that of any
other. " What ! (said the duke of Hamilton)
f< mail we in half an hour give tip what ourfore-
" fathers maintained with their lives and fortunes
', " for many ages ? Are here none of the descen-
" dants of those worthy patriots, who defended
. "the liberty of their country against all invaders ;
- who assisted the great king Robert Bruce to
" restore the constitution, and revenge the falshood
" of England and usurpation of Baliol ? Where are
" the Douglasses and Campbells ? "Where are the
peers, where are the barons, once the bulwark
" of the nation ? Shall we yield up the sovereignty
and independency of our country, when we are
** commanded by those we represent, to preserve
" the same, and assured of their assistance to sup-
.«* port us." The duke of Athol protested against
an incorporating union, as contrary to the honour,
interest, fundamental laws, and constitution of the
kingdom of Scotland, the birthright of the peers,
the rights and privileges of the barons and bo
roughs, and to the claim of right, property, and
liberty of the subjects. To this protest nineteen
peers and forty fix commoners adhered. The eari
marechal entered a protest, importing, that no
person being successor to the crown of England
sliould inherit that of Scotland, without such pre
vious
l
432 HISTORY 01 ENGLAND.
A. c. 1706. vious limitations as might secure the honour and
sovereignty of the Scottish crown and kingdom,
the frequency and power of parliament, the reli
gion, liberty, and trade of the nation, from Eng
lish or any foreign influence. He was seconded by
six and forty members. With regard to the third
article of the union, stipulating, that both king
doms should be represented by one and the same
parliament, the country-party observed, that by
assenting to this expedient, they did in effect fink
their own constitution, while that of England un
derwent no alteration: that in all nations there
are fundamentals which no power whatever can
alter : that the rights and privileges of parliament
being one of these fundamentals among the Scots,
no parliament, or any ether power could ever
legally prohibit the meeting of parliaments, or de
prive any of the three estates of its right of sitting
or voting in parliament, or give up the rights and
privileges of parliament : but, that by this treaty
•the parliament of Scotland was intirely abrogated,
its rights and privileges sacrificed, and those of the
English parliament substituted in their place. They
argued, that though the legislative power in par
liament was regulated and determined by a ma
jority of voices ; yet the giving up the constitution,
iwith the rights and privileges of the nation, was
not subject to suffrage, being founded on dominion
and property : and therefore could not be legally
surrendered without the consent of every person who
had a right to elect, and be represented in parliament.
They affirmed, that the obligation layed on the
Scottish members to reside so long in London, i|i
attendance on the British parliament, would drain
Scotland of all its money, impoverish the member*,
and subject them to the temptation of being cor
rupted. Another protest was entered by the mar
1 • ANNE, 433
quis of Annandale against an incorporating union, *,• c- 1'a6.
as being odious to the people, subversive of the
constitution, sovereignty, and claim of right, and
threatening ruin to the church as by law establish
ed. Fifty-two members joined in this protesta
tion. Almost every article produced the most in
flammatory disputes. The lord Belhaven enume
rated the mischiefs which would attend the union,
in a pathetic speech that drew tears from the au
dience, and is at this day looked upon as a pro
phecy by great part of the Scottish nation. Ad
dresses against the treaty were .presented to parlia
ment by the convention of boroughs, the commis
sioners of the general assembly, the company trad
ing to Africa and- the Indies, as well as from seve
ral shires, stewartries, boroughs, towns, and pa-
•rishes, in all the different parts of the kingdom,
without distinction of Whig or Tory, episcopalian
or presbyterian. The earl of Buchan for the
peers, Lockhart of Carnwath for the barons, Sir
Walter Stuart in behalf of the peers, barons, and
boroughs ; the earls of Errol and Mareschal for
themselves, as high-constable and earl-marshal of
the kingdom, protested severally against the treaty
of union. ' . ;
While this opposition raged within : doors, the ij^™"
resentment of the people rose to transports of fury averse to the
and revenge. The more rigid presbyterians, tleat5,•
known by the name of Cameronians, chose officers,
formed themselves into regiments, provided horses,
arms, and ammunition, and marching to Dumfries,
burned the articles of the union at the market-
cross, justifying their conduct in a public declara
tion. They made a tender of their attachment to
duke Hamilton? from whom they received encou
ragement in secret. They reconciled themselves
to the episcopalians and the cavaliers. They resolv
ed to take the route to Edinburgh, and dissolve
[Link]. Ff , the
i
<
.
H t S T O R Y o» E N G L AND.
'70*. the parliament; while the duke of Athol under
took to secure the pass of Stirling with his High
landers, so as to open the communication between
. the western and northern parts of the kingdom.
Seven or eight thousand men were actually ready
to appear in arms at the town of Hamilton, and
march directly to Edinburgh under the duke's com
mand ; when that nobleman altered his opinion,
and dispatched private couriers through the whole
country, requiring the people to defer their meet
ing till further directions. The more sanguine ca
valiers accused his grace of treachery; but, in all
likelihood he was actuated by prudential mo
tives. He alledged, in his own excuse, that the
nation was not in a condition to carry on
such an enterprize, especially as the English had
already detached troops to the border, and might
in a few days waft over a considerable reinforce
ment from Holland. During this commotion
among the Cameronians, the cities of Edinburgh
and Glasgow were filled with tumults. Sir Patrick
Johnston provost of Edinburgh, who had been one
of the commissioners for the union, was besieged
in his own house by the populace, and would have
been torn in pieces, had not the guards dispersed
the multitude. The privy-council issued a procla
mation against riots, commanding all persons to re
tire from the streets whenever the drum should
beat ; ordering the guards to fire upon those who
should disobey this command, and indemnifying
them from all prosecution for maiming or slayingthe
lieges. These guards were plated all round the house
in which the peers and commons were assembled,
and the council received the thanks of the parlia-
. ment for having thus provided for their safety. Not
withstanding these precautions of the government,
the commissioner was constantly saluted with the
curses and imprecations of the people as he passed
along :
ANN E» 435
along: his guards were pelted; and some of his *? c. «7»».
attendants wounded with stones as they fat by him
in the coach, so that he was obliged to pal's through
the streets at full gallop.
Against all this national fury, the dukes of^ehiecrhh*es»
Queensberry and Argyle, the earls of Montrosc, confirmrd in
Seafield, and Stair, and the other noblemen *t . their pi,li»-
tached to the union, acted with equal prudence and
resolution. They argued strenuously against the
objections that were started in* the house. They
magnified the advantages that would accrue to the
kingdom from the privilege of trading to the Eng
lish plantations, and being protected in their com
merce by a powerful navy; as well as from the ♦
exclusion of a popish pretender, who they knew
was odious to the nation in general. They found
means, partly by their promises, and partly by
corruption, to bring over the earls of Roxburgh
and Marchmont, with the whole squadrone, who
had hitherto been unpropitious to the court. They
disarmed the resentment of the clergy, by promot
ing an act to be inserted in the union, declaring the
presbyterian discipline to be the only government
of the church of Scotland, unalterable in all suc
ceeding times, and a fundamental article of the
treaty. They soothed the African company with
the prospect of being iudemnified for the losses
they had sustained. They amused individuals with
the hope of sharing the rest of the equivalent.
They employed emissaries to allay the ferment
among the Cameronians, and disunite them from
the cavaliers, by canting, praying, and demons
trating the absurdity, sinfulnels, and danger of such
a coalition. These remonstrances were reinforced
by the sum of twenty thousand pounds, which the
queen privately lent to the Scottish treasury, and
which was now distributed by the ministry in such
a manner as might best conduce to the success of
Ff 2 the
H I S T O k Y o f ENGLAND.
7°6' the treaty. By these practices they diminishec?,
though they could not silence, the clamour of the
people, and obtained a considerable majority in
parliament, which outvoted all opposition. Not
but that the duke of Queerisberry at one time de
spaired of succeeding, and being in continual ap
prehension for his life, expressed a desire of ad
journing the parliament, till by time and good
management he should be able to remove those
difficulties that then seemed to be unsurmountable.
But the lord- treasurer Godolphin, who foresaw that
the meas ure would be intirely lost by delay, and was
no judge of the difficulties, insisted upon his pro
ceeding. It was at this period that he remitted the
. money, and gave directions for having forces ready
at a call both in England and Ireland. At length
the Scottish parliament approved and ratified all
the articles ot the union, with some small variation.
Then they prepared an act for regulating the elec
tion of the sixteen peers and forty-five commoners
to represent Scotland in the British parliament.
This being touched with the sceptre, the three es
tates proceeded to elect fhejr representatives. The
remaining part of the session was employed in
making regulations concerning the coin, in exa
mining the accounts of their African company, and
providing for the due application of the equivalent,
which was. scandalously misapplied. On the twenty-
fifth day of March the commissioner adjourned
the parliament, after having in a short speech taken
notice of the honour they had acquired in con
cluding an affair of such importance to their coun
try. Having thus accomplished the great purpose
' of the court, he set out for London, in the neigh
bourhood of which he was met by above forty
noblemen in their coaches, and about four hundred
gentlemen on horseback. Next day he waited up
on the queen at Kensington, from whom he met
. with
A N N E. 43.7
with a very gracious reception. Perhaps there is A- c-
not another instance upon record of a ministry's
having carried a point of this importance against
such a' violent torrent of opposition, and contrary
to the general sense and inclination of a whole ex
asperated people. The Scots were persuaded that
their trade would be destroyed, their nation op
pressed, and their country ruined, in consequence
of the union with England; and indeed their opi
nion was' supported by very plausible arguments.
The majority of both nations believed that the
treaty would produce violent convulsions, or at
best prove ineffectual. But we now fee it has been
attended with none of the calamities that were ,
prognosticated; that it quietly took effect, and
fully answered all the purposes for which it was in
tended. Hence we may learn, that many great
difficulties are surmounted, because they are not
seen by those who direct the operation ; and that
many schemes which theory deems impracticable,
wjll yet succeed in the experiment.
The English parliament assembling on the third f'oceedinp
day of December, the queen, in her speech to p»rii«?"
both houses, congratulated them on the glorious mem-
successes of her arms. She desired the commons
would grant such supplies as might enable her to
improve the advantages of this successful campaign.
She told them that the treaty of union, as conclud
ed by the commissioners of both kingdoms, was at
that time under the consideration of the Scottish
parliament ; and she recommended dispatch in the
public affairs, that both friends and enemies might
be convinced of the firmness and vigour of their
proceedings. The parliament was perfectly well dis
posed to comply with all her majesty's requests.
Warm addresses were presented by both houses.
Then • they proceeded to the" consideration of the
supply, and haying examined the estimates in less
F f 3 than
HISTORY of ENGLAND;
'7°[Link] a week, voted near six millions for the service
of the ensuing year. Nevertheless, in examining
the accounts, some objections arose. They found
that the extraordinary supplies for the support of
king Charles of Spain, amounted to eight hundred
thousand pounds more than the sums provided by
parliament. Some members argued that very ill
consequences might ensue, if a ministry could thus
run the nation in debt, and expect the parliament
should pay the money. The courtiers answered,
that if any thing had been raised without necessity,
or ill applied, it was reasonable that those who were
in fault should be punished : but, as this expence
was incurred to improve advantages at a time when
the occasion could not be communicated to par
liament, the ministry was rather to be applauded
for their zeal, than condemned for their liberality.
The question being put, the majority voted that
thole sums had been expended for the preservation
of the duke of Savoy, for the interest of king
Charles against the common enemy, and for the
safety and honour of the nation. When the spea
ker presented the money-bills, he told her, that as
the glorious victory obtained by the duke of Marl-
borough at Ramillies was fought before it could
be supposed the armies were in the field, so it was
no less surprising that the commons had granted
supplies to her majesty, before the enemy could well
know that the parliament was sitting. The gene
ral was again honoured with the thanks of both
houses. The lords, in an address, besought the
queen to settle his honours on his posterity. An
act was passed for this purpose : and, in pursuance
of another address from the commons, a pension of
five thousand pounds out of the post-office was fet
tled upon him and his descendants. The lords and
commons having adjourned themselves to the last
day of December, the queen closed the year with
-1 triumphs
ANNE. 439
triumphal processions. As the standards and colours c> '
taken at Blenheim had been placed in Westmin-
stee-hall, so now those that had been brought from
the field of Ramillies were put up in Guildhall, as
trophies of that victory. About this time, the earls
of Kent, Lindsay, and Kingston, were raised to the
rank of marquisses. Tne lords Wharton, Poulet,
Qodolphin, Cholmondeley, were created earls ;
lord Walden, son and heir apparent to the earl of
Suffolk, obtained the title of earl of Bindon ; the
lord-keeper Cowper and Sir Thomas Pelham were
ennobled as barons.
The parliament being assembled after their short The com-
recess, the earl of Nottingham moved for an ad- "™*
dress to the queen, desiring her majesty would or- articles of
der the proceedings of the commissioners for the the umoa-
union, £S well as those of the Scottish parliament
on the said subject, to be laid before them. He
was seconded by the duke of Buckingham and the
earl of Rochester ; and answered by the earl of
.Godolphin, who told them they needed not doubt
out that her majesty would communicate those pro
ceedings, as soon as the Scottish parliament should
have discussed the subject of the union. The lords
Wharton, Somers, and Hallifax, observed, that
•it was for the honour of the nation that the treaty
of union should first come ratified from the parlia
ment of Scotland ; and that then, and not before,
it would be a proper time for the lords to take it
into consideration. On the twenty-eighth-day of
January, the queen in person told both houses,
that the treaty of union, with some additions and
alterations, was ratified by an act of the Scottish
parliament : that she had ordered it to be laid be
fore them, and hoped it would meet with their
concurrence and approbation. She desired the
commons would provide for the payment of the
equivalent, in case the treaty should be approved.
Ff 4 She
44a HISTORY of ENGLAND.
.a c i7*e# She observed to both houses, that now they had:
an opportunity of putting the last: hand to a happy
union of the two kingdoms ; and that she mould
look, upon it as a particular happiness, if this great
work, which had been so often attempted without
success, could be brought to perfection in her
reign. When the commons formed themselves
into a committee of the whole house, to deliberate
on the articles of the union, and the Scottish act of
ratification, the Tory parry, which was very weak
in that assembly, began to start some objections.
Sir John Packington disapproved of this incorpo
rating union, which he likened to a marriage with
a woman against her consent. He said it was an
union carried on by corruption and bribery within
doors, by force and violence without : that the pro
moters of it had basely betrayed their trust, in giv
ing up their independent constitution, and he
would leave it to the judgment of the house, to
consider whether or no men of such principles were
fit to be admitted into their house of representatives.
He observed, that her majesty, by the coronation-
oath, was obliged to maintain the church of Eng
land as by law established, and likewise bound by
the same oath to defend the presbyterian kirkof
Scotland in one and the fame kingdom. Now (said
he) after this union is in force, who shall administer
this oath to her majesty? It is not the business of
the Scots, who are incapable of it, and no well-
wishers to the church of England. It is then only
the part of the bishops to do it ; and can it be supr
posed that these reverend persons will, or can act a
thing so contrary to their own order and institution,
as thus to promote the establishment of the presby
terian church-government in the united kingdom.
He added, that the church of England being es
tablished jure divino, and the Scots pretending that
the kirk was also jure divino, he could not tell how
two
A N N E. ' • 441
two nations that clashed in so essential a point could A. Ci ,y1^.
unite : he therefore thought it proper to consult
the convocation about this critical point. A motion
. was made, that the first article of the treaty, which
implies a peremptory agreement to an incorporat
ing union mould be postponed : and that the house
should proceed to the consideration of the terms of
the intended union, contained in the other articles.
This proposal being rejected, some Tory members
quitted the house ; and all the articles were exa
mined and approved without further opposition.
The Whigs were so eager in the prosecution of this
point, that they proceeded in a very superficial
manner, and in such precipitation as furnished their
enemses with a plausible pretence to affirm that
they had not considered the treaty with the coolness
and deliberation which an affair of this importance
required.
Before the lords began to investigate the articles The lord,
of the union, they, at the instance of the archbishop ^hVse--
of Canterbury, brought in a bill for the security curity of the
of the church of England, to be inserted as a*8'"
fundamental and essential part of that treaty. It Arguments
.passed through both houses without opposition, sticks
and received the royal assent. On the fifteenth oftheuniop.
day of February, the debates concerning the union
began in the house of lords, the queen being pre
sent, and the bishop of Sarum chairman Of the
•committee. The earls of Rochester, Anglesey,
and Nottingham, argued against the union; as
did the bishop of Bath and Weils. Lord Haver-
iham, in a premeditated harrangue, said the ques
tion was, Whether two nations independent in
their sovereignties, that had their distinct laws and
interests, their different forms of worship, church-
government, and order, should be united into one
kingdom ? He supposed it an union made up of
Tomany mismatched pieces, of such jarring incon
gruous
HISTORY of ENGLAND.
17°6. gruous ingredients, that should it ever take effect,
it would carry the necessary consequences of a stand
ing power and force, to keep them from falling
asunder and breaking in pieces every moment.
He repeated what had been said by lord Bacon,
that a unity pieced up by direct admission of con
trarieties in the fundamental points of it, is like
the toes of Nebuchadnezzar's image, which were
made of iron and clay : they may cleave together,
but would never incorporate. He dissented from
the union for the fake of the good old English con
stitution, in which he dreaded some alteration
from the additional weight of sixty one Scottish
members, and these too returned by a Scottish
privy-council. He took notice, that above one
hundred Scottish peers, and as many commons,
were excluded from sitting and voting in parlia
ment, though they had as much right of inheri
tance to sit there, as any English peer had of sit
ting in the parliament of England. He expressed
his apprehension of this precedent ; and asked
what security any peer of England had for his right
and privilege of peerage, which thole lords had
not ? He said, if the bishops would weaken their
own cause, so far as to give up the two great points
of episcopal ordination and confirmation ; if they
would approve |and ratify the act for securing the
presbyterian church-government in Scotland, as
the true protestant religion and purity of worship ;
they must give up that which had been contended
for between them and the presbyterians for thirty
years, and been defended by the greatest and most
learned men in the church of England. He objec
ted to the exempting articles, by which heritable
offices and superiorities were reserved.. He affirm
ed that the union was contrary to the fense of the
Scottish nation : that the murmurs of the people
had been so loud as -to fill the whole kingdom ; and
ANNE. 442
fb bold as to reach even to the doors of the parlia- a.c. i7oS,
ment: that the parliament itself had suspended
their beloved clause in the act of security for arm
ing the people: that the government had issued a
proclamation, pardoning all slaughter, bloodshed,
and maiming, committed upon those who mould
be found in tumults. From these circumstances he
concluded, that the Scottish nation was averse to
an incorporating union, which he looked upon as
one of the most dangerous experiments to both na
tions. The lord North and Grey complained of
the small and unequal proportion of the land-tax
imposed upon Scotland. The earl of Nottingham
said it was highly unreasonable that the Scots, who
were by the treaty let into all the branches of the
English trade, and payed so little towards the ex-
pence of the government, should moreover have
such a round sum by way of equivalent. The same
topics were insisted upon by the lords North and
Grey, Guernsey, Granville, Stowell, and Abing-
don. The earl of Nottingham, after having op
posed every article separately, concluded with words
to this effect, " As Sir John Maynard said to the
" late king at the revolution, that having buried
** all his cotemporaries in Westminster-hall, he was
** afraid, if his majesty had not come in that very
" juncture of time, he might have likewise out-
f* Jived the very laws; so, if this union do pass, as
,ff I have no reason to doubt but it will, I may
" justly affirm I have out-lived all the laws, and the
" very constitution of England; I therefore pray
" to God to avert the dire effects which may pro-
is* bably ensue from such an incorporating union."
These arguments and objections were answered which,
by the lord-treasurer Godolphin, the earls of Sun- ^con&tm-
derland and Wharton, the lords Townshend, Hal- by act of
lifax, and Somers, the bishops of Oxford, Nor- Parl',mcnt'
yvich, and Sarum. They observed, that suen an
. '. . ' important
44+ HISTORY of ENGLAND,
.A. c. i7ofi. important measure could not be effected without
some inconveniencies ; but that these ought to be
borne in consideration of the greatness or' the ad
vantage'; that the chief dangers to which the
church was exposed arose from France and popery ;
and this union would effectually secure it against
these evils : that Scotland lay on the weakest side
qf England, which could not be defended but by
an expensive army. Should a war break out be
tween the two nations, and Scotland be conquered,
yet even in that. case it would be necessary to keep
it under with a standing army, which any enterpris
ing prince might model for his ambitious purposes,
aud joining with the Scots, enslave hts English do
minions : that any union after a conquest would be
compulsive, consequendy of short duration ; where
as now it was voluntary : that with regard to ec
clesiastical affairs, all heats and animosities might
be allayed by soft and gentle management. The
cantons of Switzerland, though they professed dif
ferent religions, were yet united in one general
body and the diet of Germany was composed of
prioceg and states, among whom three different
persuasions prevailed ; so that two sorts of discipline
might very well subsist under one legislature, -if
there was any danger on either side, it threatened
the Scots much more than the English, as five
hundred and thirteen members would certainly be
too hard for forty-^five ; and in the. house of lords,
fix and twenty bishops would always preponderate
against sixteen peers from Scotland. Notwithstand
ing all the opposition made by the lords of the Tory
interest, every article was approved by a great ma
jority, though not without a good number of pro
testations and a bill of ratification was prepared in
the lower house by Sir Simon Harcourt the sollici-
tor-general, in such an artful manner as to prevent
all debate. All the articles, as they passed in Scot
ANN 1. 445v
land, were recited by way of preamble, together A- c.
with the acts made in both parliaments, for the fe- Bumet.
curity of their several chrtrches ; and in conclusion Q°Ter-
there was one clause by which the whole was ratlfi- t£cj.'
ed and enacted into a law. By this contrivance, Je'"^re!
those who were desirous of starting new difficulties, Hia of
found themselves disabled from pursuing their de-^°?oe/the
sign. They could not object to the recital, Which d. of Marl-
was barely matter of fact ; and they had not strength Conduct of
sufficient to oppose the general enacting eEuse. the dutches*
On the other hand, the Whigs promoted - it with ^Jf*"
such zeal, that it passed by a majority of one huh- Lockhart;
dred and fourteen, before the Others had recollected *£"enA
themselves from the surprise which the structure of v0i»ir«,
the bill had occasioned. It made its Way through
the house of lords with equal dispatch ; and, when
it received the royal sanction, the queen expressed
the utmost satisfaction. She said she did not doubt
but it would be remembered and spoke of hereafter,
to the honour of those who had been instrumental
in bringing it'to sych a happy conclusion. She de
sired that her subjects of both kingdoms should
from henceforward behave with all possible respect
and kindness towards one another, that so it might
"appear to all the world they had hearts disposed to
'become ohe people. A c ,7°7.
As the act of union did not take place till the cfirft The u "
of May, a great number of traders in both1 king- mtntre»iv-
doms resolved to make advantage of this 'interval. 'Ja^™'
The English proposed to export into Scotland such
commodities as intitled them- to a drawback, with
a view to bring them back after the first of May.
The Scots on the Other hand, as their duties were
much lower than those in England, intended to
import great quantities Of wine, brandy, and other
merchandize, which they could sell at a greater ad-_
vantage in England after the union, when there
would
446 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a.c. i7o7. wduld be a free intercourse between the two ria*
tions. Some of the,ministers had embarked in this
fraudulent design, which alarmed the merchants of
England to such a degree, that they presented a
remonstrance to the commons. Resolutions were
immediately taken in the house against these prac
tices, and a bill was prepared; but the lords ap
prehending that it in some measure infringed the
articles of the union, and that it might give um
brage to the Scottish nation, it was dropped. The
frauds had been in a good measure prevented by
the previous resolutions of the house, and the first
day of May was now at hand ; so that the bill was
thought unnecessary. On the twenty-fourth day
of April, the queen prorogued the parliament,
after having given them to understand, that she
would continue by proclamation the lords and.
commons already assembled, as members in the
first British parliament on the part of England,
pursuant to the power vested in her by the acts of
parliament of both kingdoms, ratifying the treaty
of union. The parliament was accordingly revived
by proclamation, and another issued to eonvoke the
first parliament of Great Britain for the twenty-
third day of October. The Scots repaired to Lon
don, where they were well received by the queen,
who bestowed the title of duke on the earls of Rox
burgh and Montrose. She likewise granted a com
mission for a new privy-council in that kingdom,
to be in force till the next session of parliament,
that the nation might not be disgusted by too sud
den an alteration of outward appearances. The
first day of May was appointed as a day of public
thanksgiving; and congratulatory addresses were,
sent up from all parts of England : but the uni
versity of Oxford prepared no compliment ; and
the Scots were wholly silent on this occasion.
A ; N^ « K ' E. • » * ' 447
In the course of this session the commons, in an A,c- 'W."
address to the queen, desired she would resettle the The qafen
islands of St, Christopher's and Nevis in the West- £™a
Indies, which had been ravaged' by the enemy. Muscovite
They likewise resolved, That an humble address ambaslidor'
should be presented to her majesty, praying, she
would concert measures for suppressing a body of
pyrates who had made a settlement on the island of
Madagascar, as also for recovering and preserving
the antient possessions, trade, and fishery in New
foundland. The French refugees likewise deliver
ed a remonstrance to the queen, recapitulating the
benefits which the persecuted protestants tn France
had reaped from the assistance of her royal proge
nitors, acknowledging their own happiness in liv
ing under her gentle government, among a people
by whom they had been so kindly entertained when
driven from their native country ; and imploring
her majesty's interposition and good offices in fa
vour of their distressed and persecuted brethren
abroad. She graciously received this address, de
claring, ssie had always great compassion for the
unhappy circumstances of the protestants in France :
that she would communicate her thoughts on this
subiect to her allies : and she expressed her hope
th.'.t such measures might be taken as ssiould effec
tually answer the intent of their petition. In the
month of May she granted an audience to an am
bassador extraordinary from the czar of Muscovy,
who delivered a letter from his master, containing
complaints of king Augustus, who had maltreated
the Russian troops sent to his assistance, concluded
a dishonourable peace with Charles king of Swe
den, without the knowledge of his allies, and sur
rendered count Patkul the Muscovite minister, as
a deserter, to the Swedish monarch, contrary to the
law of nations, and even the practice of barba
rians. He therefore desired her Britannick ma
jesty
448 -HIST OR YofENGLAND;
*.c.»707- jesty would use her good offices for the enlarge
ment of the count, and the other Russian prisoners
detained at Stockholm ; and that (he would take into
her protection the remains of the Russian auxiliaries
upon the Rhine, that they might either enter into
the service of the allies, or be at liberty to return in
safety to their own country. The queen actually
interposed in behalf of Patkul ; but her intercession
proved ineffectual, and that unhappy minister was
put to death with all the circumstances of wanton
barbarity. As many severe and sarcastic writings
had lately appeared, in which the Whigs and mini
stry were reviled, and reflections hinted to the pre
judice of the queen's person, the government re
solved to make examples of the authors and pub-
lishers of these licentious productions. Dr. Joseph
Brown was twice pilloried for a copy of verses, in
tituled, " The country parson's advice to the lord-
" keeper," and a letter which he afterwards wrote
to Mr. secretary Harley. William Stephens, rector
of Sutton in Surry, underwent the fame sentence,
as author of a pamphlet, called, " A letter to the
" author of the memorial of the church of Eng-
** land." Edward Ward was fined and set in the
pillory, for having written a burlesque poem on the
times, under the title of " Hudibras redivivus ;'*
and the fame punishment was inflicted upon Wil
liam Pitts, author of a performance, intided, " The
" cafe of the church of England's memorial fairly
" stated."
Prowedings The lower house of convocation still continued
inconvoca- to wrangle with their superiors j and though they
tJOn' joined the upper house in a congratulatory address
to the queen, on the success of her arms, they re
solved to make application to the house of com
mons against the union. The queen being apprised
of their design, desired the archbishop to prorogue
them for three weeks, before the expiration of
which,
ANNE. 4.
Which, the act of union had passed in parliament. A-C- «7.
The lower house delivered a representation to the
bishops, in which they affirmed, no such proroga
tion had ever been ordered during the session of ,
parliament. The bishops found in their records
seven or eight precedents of such prorogations, and
above thirty instances of the convocation's having
(at sometimes before, and sometimes after a session
of parliament, nay, sometimes even when the par
liament was dissolved. The queen, informed of
these proceedings, wrote a letter to the archbishop,
intimating, that she looked upon the lower house
as guilty of an invasion of her royal supremacy :
and, that if any thing of the same nature should be
attempted for the future, she would use such means
for punishing offenders as the law warranted. The
prolocutor absenting himself from the convocation,
the archbishop pronounced sentence of contumacy
against him. • The lower house in a protestation de
clared this sentence unlawful and altogether null.
Nevertheless, the prolocutor made a full submission,
with which the archbishop was satisfied ; and the
sentence was repealed. About this period the earl
of Sunderland-was appointed one of the secretaries
of state, in the room of Sir Charles Hedges. This
change was not effected without great opposition
from Harley, who was in his. heart an enemy to
the duke of MarlborOugh and all his adherents $
and had already, by his secret intrigues, made con
siderable progress in a scheme for superseding the '
influence of the dutchdS.
The French king at this juncture seemed to be France
intirely abandoned by his former good fortune. He^w^
had sustained such a number of successive defeats as °
had drained his kingdom of people ; and his trea
sury was almost exhausted. He endeavoured to
support the credit of his government by issuing
mint-bills, in imitation of the bank-notes of Eng-
N°. 90. Gg land ,
4^o, HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. iyo7;,l3Lnd ; but notwithstanding all his precautions, they
passed at a discount of three and fifty per cent. The
lands lay uncultivated the manufactures could be
no longer carried on j and the subjects perished
with famine. The allies, on the other hand, seem
ed to prosper in every quarter. They had be
come masters of the greatest part of the Nether
lands, in consequence of the victory at Ramillies :
the army of king Charles Was considerably reinforc
ed ; and a scheme was formed for the conquest of
Toulon, by the troops of the emperor and the duke
of Savoy, supplied with a large sum of money by
queen Anne, and assisted by the combined fleets of
England and Holland, under the command of Sir
Cloudestey Shovel. In a word, France seemed to
be reduced to the verge of destruction, from which
nothing in all probability could have saved her, but
the jealousy and misconduct of the confederates.
Lewis, by virtue of his capitulation with the em
peror in Italy, was enabled to fend such reinforce
ments into Spain, as turned the fortune of the war
in that country ; while the distractions in the coun
cil of king Charles prevented that unanimity and
concurrence, without which no success can be ex
pected. The earl of Peterborough declared against
an offensive war, on account of the difficulty of i
finding subsistence in Castile ; and advised Charles
to trust to the expedition against Toulon. This
opinion he sent from Italy, to which he had with-
The allies draWn-
arc ^seated Charles, however, was persuaded to penetrate
mania once more t0 Madrid, and give battle to the enemy
wherever they should appear. On the thirteenth
day of March the army was assembled at Caudela,
to the number of sixteen thousand men, under the
auspices of the marquis das Minas, to whom the
earl of Galway was second in command. They
marched towards Yecla, and undertook the siege
of Vilena , but, having received intelligence thaf. the ^,c'
duke of Berwick was in the neighbourhood, they
advanced on the fourteenth of April in four columns
towards the town of Almanza, where the enemy . •
were drawn up in order of battle, their number
being considerably superior to that of the confede
rates. The battle began about two in the after
noon, and the whole front of each army was fully
engaged. The English and Dutch squadrons' on
the left, sustained by the Portuguese horse of the
second line, were overpowered after a gallant re
sistance. The center, consisting chiefly of batta
lions from Great-Britain and Holland, obliged the
enemy to give way, and drove their first upon their
second line ; but, the Portuguese cavalry on the
right being broken at the first charge, their foot
.betook themselves to flight ; so that the English
and Dutch troops being left naked on the flanks,
were surrounded, and attacked on every fide. In
this dreadful emergency, they formed themselves
into a square, and retired from the field of battle.
By this time the men were quite spent with fatigue,
. and all their ammunition exhausted: they were ig
norant of the country, abandoned by their horie,
destitute of provision, and cut off from all hope of ,
supply. Moved by these dismal considerations,
they capitulated, and surrendered themselves priso
ners of war, to the amount of thirteen battalions.
The Portuguese, and part of the English horse,
with the infantry that guarded the baggage, retreat
ed to Alcira, where they were joined by the earl
ofGalway, with about rive and twenty hundred
dragoons which he had brought from the field of
battle. About three thousand men of the allied
army were killed upon the spot, and among that
number brigadier Killigrew, and many officers of
distinction. The earl of Gal way, who charged irt
person at the head of Guiscard's dragoons, received
G g z twa
45* HISTORY or ENGLAND.
A.c. »7*«7< two deep cuts in the face. The marquis des Mi-
has was run through the arm, and saw his concu
bine, who fought in the habit of an Amazon, killed
• ". by his side : the lords Tyrawley, Mark Ker, and
'colonel Clayton, were wounded : all their artil
lery, together with an hundred and twenty colours
and standards, and about ten thousand men, were
taken ; so that no victory could be more complete,
tho' it was not purchased without the loss of two
thousand men flain in the action, including some
officers of eminence. The duke of Berwick, who
commanded the troops of king Philip, acquired a
great addition of fame by his conduct and beha
viour before, and during the engagement ; but his
authority was superseded by the duke of Orleans,
who arrived in the army immediately after the bat
tle. This prince seemed te entertain some private
views of his own ; for he took no effectual step to
improve the victory. He began a private negotia
tion with the earl of Galway, during which the two
armies lay inadtive on the banks of the Cinca ; and
lie concluded the campaign with the siege of Le -
rida, which was surrendered by capitulation on the
second day of November : then the troops on both
sides went into winter-quarters. The earl of Gal
way and the marquis das Minas embarked at Bar
celona for Lisbon, and general Carpenter remain-
• ed commander of the English forces quartered in
Catalonia, which was now the only part of Spain
. , that remained to king Charles. .. ' '; .,
fui wtemrt The attempt upon 1 oulon by the duke of Sa-
r0n.n T°u voy and prince Eugene might have succeeded, if
the emperor, notwithstanding the repeated remon
strances of the maritime powers, had not divided
his army in Italy, by detaching a considerable body
through the ecclesiastical state towards Naples, of
which he took possession without any difficulty.
Besides, ten thousand recruits destined for the Im
perial
ANNE. ,? ,
perial forces in Italy, were detained in Qermany,
from an apprehension of the king of Sweden, who
remained in Saxony, and seemed to be upon very
indifferent terms with the emperor. With the as
sistance of the English and Dutch fleets the duke of
Savoy and prince Eugene passed the Var on the
eleventh day of July, at the head of an army of
thirty thouiand men, and marched directly towards
Toulon, whither the artillery and ammunition were
conveyed on board of the combined squadrons.
They took possession of the eminences that com
manded the city, and the ordnance being landed,
erected batteries. From these they began to can
nonade and bombard the city, while the fleet at
tacked and reduced two forts at the entrance of the
mole ; and co-operated in the siege with their great
guns and bomb-ketches. 1 he garrison was nu
merous, and defended the place with great vigour.
They funk ships in the entrance to the mole : they
kept up a prodigious fire from the ramparts : they
made desperate sallies ; and even drove the be
siegers from one of their posts with great (laughter.
The French king, alarmed at this design of his ene
mies, ordered troops to march towards Toulon
from all parts of his dominions. He countermand
ed the forces that were on their route to improve
the victory of Almanza : a great part of the army
under Villars on the K nine was detached to Pro
vence, and the court of Versailles declared, that the
duke of Burgundy should march at the head of a .
strong army to the relief of Toulon. The duke of"
Savoy being apprised of these preparations, seeing
-no hope of reducing the place, and being appre
hensive that his passage would be intercepted, rer
solved to abandon his enterprize. The artillery
being reinibarked with the sick and wounded, he
decamped in the night, and retreated to his own
<ountry without molestation. Then he undertook
G g 3 the
4^4 HISTORYorENGLAND
a. c. 1707. the reduction of Suza, the garrison of which surren
dered at discretion. By this conquest he not Only
secured the key to his own dominions, bat also
opened to himself a free passage into Dauphine.
s:r eionde- Sir Cloudesley Shovel having left a squadron
fley shovel with Sir Thomas Dilkes for the Mediterranean ser-
thero^»°of vice, set sail for England with the rest of the fleet,
^'Ut- s fand was in soundings on the twenty-second day of
the"^^ October. About eight o'clock at night his own
™r Rb^T ^'p tne Association, struck upon the rocks of Scilly,
%s me' and perished with every person on board. This
was likewise the fate of the Eagle and the Romney:
the Firebrand was dashed in pieces on the rocks ;
but the captain and four and twenty men saved
themselves in the boat : the Phœnix was driven on
shore ; the Royal Anne was saved by the presence
of mind and uncommon dexterity of Sir George
Byng and his officers : the St. Gecrge, commanded
by the lord Durfley, struck upon the rocks, mit a
wave set her a-float again. The' admiral's-' body
being cast a-shore was stripped and buried ttf'ine
sand: but afterwards discovered and brought into
Plymouth, from whence it was conveyed to Lon
don and interred in Westminster-abbey. Sir Clou
desley Shovel was born of" mean parentage in the
county of Suffolk ; but raised himself to the chief
command at sea by his industry, valour, skill, ' and
integrity. On the Upper Rhine the allies were un-
prolperous. The prince of Baden was dead, and
the German army so inconsiderable, that it could
not defend the lines of Buhl against the marechal
de Villars, who broke through this work, esteemed
the rampart of Germany, reduced Rastadt, de
feated a body of horse, layed the dutchy of Wirtem-
berg under contribution, took Stutgard and Schorn-
dorf; and routed three thousand Germans intrench
ed at Lorch, under the command of general Janus,
who was made prisoner. In all probability, this
' active
. A;N, N £.T r:: , ,m
active officer would have made great progress to- A- e-'7*7-
wards the restoration of the elector of Bavaria, had.
not he been obliged to stop in the middle of his ca
reer, in consequence of his army being diminished
by sending off detachments to Provence. The
Imperial army retired towards Hailbron, and the
command of it was, at the request of the emperor
and allies, assumed by the elector of Hanover, who
restored military discipline, and acted with uncom
mon prudence and circumspection ; but he had
not force sufficient to undertake any enterprize of
importance. ...
, |n. the month of April the duke of Marlborough ££«^he
let out from the Hague forLeipsick with a letter ki g °f
from the queen to Charles XII. of Sweden, whose ZTl?nJ
designs were still so mysterious, that the confede- M^ibo-
rates could not help being alarmed at his being in rou£l1,
the heart of Germany. The duke was pitched
upon as the most proper, ambassador, to soothe his
vanity and penetrate into his real intention *. He
found this original character, not simple, but sordid
in his appearance and ceconomy, savage in his de
portment, ferocious, illiterate, stubborn, implacable,
and reserved. The English general assailed him on
the side of his vanity, the only part by which he
.was accessible. " Sire (said he) I present to your
; majesty a letter, not from the chancery, but from
" the heart of the queen my mistress, and written
, "s. with her own hand. Had not her lex prevented .
. jh/r from taking so long a journey, she would
have crossed the sea to see a prince admired by
" the whole universe. I esteem myself happy in

* When the dufc'e arrived in his When he appeared at last, the dulce
eoach at the quarters of Coun' Piper' alighted from his coach, put on his
of whom he had demanded an audi- hat, piiled the count without falut-
ence, he was given to understand, that ing him, and went aside to the wall,
the count was busy, and obliged to where having staid fome time, he
wait half an hour before the Swedish returned, and accosted him with the ' .
minister came down. to [Link] him. most polite tddreis.
G g 4 . " havin g
i
HISTORY oi ENGLAND.
a. 0.17°5." having the honour of assuring your majesty of
** my regard ; and I should think it a great hap-
" piness, if my affairs would allow me to learn un-
" der so great a general as your majesty, what I
** want to know in the art of war." Charles was
pleased with this overstrained compliment, which
seems to have been calculated for a raw, unintelli
gent barbarian, unacquainted with the characters of
mankind. He professed particular veneration for
queen Anne, as well as for the person of her ambas
sador, and declared he would take no steps to the
prejudice of the grand alliance. Nevertheless, the
sincerity of this declaration has been questioned.
The French court is said to have gained over his
minister count Piper to their^nterest. Certain it
is, he industriously sought occasion to quarrel with'
the emperor, and treated him with great insolence,
until he submitted to all his demands. The treaty
being concluded upon the terms he thought pro-'
per to impose, he had no longer the least shadow
of pretence to continue his disputes with the court
of Vienna : and therefore began his march for Po
land, which was by this time over- run by the czar
of Muscovy. 1
«mpllgn in ^he duke of Marlborough returning from Sa-
tUe Nether- xony, assembled the allied army at Anderlach near
Unds. Brussels', about the middle of May ; and, under
standing that the elector of Bavaria and the duke
of Vendome, who commanded the French forces,
had quitted their lines, he advanced to Soignies,
with a design to engage them in the plain of Fle-
rus. But receiving certain intelligence, that the
enemy were greatly superior to the allies in num
ber, by the help of draughts from all their gar
risons, he retreated towards Brussels, and took
post at MildCrt ; while the French advanced ed
Gemblours. Both armies lay inactive, until the ene
my sent off a large detachment towards Provence.
Then
A N N E. 457
Then the duke of MarlboroUgh and general Over- *«'C tyn,
kirk resolved to attack them in their fortified camp
at Gemblours. But, they retreated with such ce
lerity from one post to another, that the confede
rates could not come up with them until they were
safely encamped with their right at Pont a Tresin,
and their left under the cannon of Lisle, covered
with the river Schelde, and secured by intrench-
ments. The allies chose their camp at Helchiri,
and foraged under the cannon of Tournay, within
a league of the enemy ; but nothing could induce
them ro hazard an engagement ; and both armies
went into winter-quarters at the latter end of Oc
tober. The duke of Marlborough iset Out for
Franckfort, where he conferred with the electors
of Mentz, Hanover, and Palatine, about the ope
rations of the next campaign : then he returned to ,
the Hague, and having concerted the necessary
measures with the deputies of the states-general,
embarked for England in the beginning of No
vember. The queen's private favour was now
shifted to a new object. The dutchess of Marlbo
rough was supplanted by Mrs. Masham, her own
kinswoman, whom she had rescued from indigence
and obscurity. This favourite succeeded to that
ascendancy over the spirit of her sovereign, which
the' dutchess had formerly possessed. She was more
humble, pliable, and obliging, than her first patro
ness, who had played the tyrant, and thwarted the
queen in some of her most respected maxims. Her
majesty's prepossession in favour of the Tories and
high-churchmen, was no longer insolently con
demned and violently opposed. The new confi
dante conformed to all her prejudices, ahd encou
raged all her designs with assent and approbation.
In political intrigues she acted as associate, or rather
auxiliary to Mr. secretary Harley, who had insinu
ated himself into the queen's good graces ; and
determined
458 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
A. c. i?o7. determined to sap the credit of the duke of Marlbo-
Harky be- rough and the earl of Godolphin. His aim was
gins to form £Q unite the Tory interest under his own auspices,
against the and expel the Whigs from the advantages they pos-
dukeof scssed under the government. His chief coadjutor
rouiL in this scheme was Henry St. John, afterwards lord
Bolingbroke, a man of warm imagination and ele
gant taste, penetrating, eloquent, ambitious, and
enterprising, whose talents were rather specious than
solid, and whose principles were loose and fluctuat
ing. He was at first contented to act in an infe
rior capacity, subservient to the designs of the se
cretary ; but, when he understood the full extent
of his own parts and influence, he was fired with
the ambition of eclipsing his principal, and from
the sphere of his minister, raised himself to the cha
racter of his rival. These politicians, with the as
sistance of Sir Simon Harcourt, a colleague of un
common ability and credit, exerted their endea
vours to rally and reconcile tht disunited Tories,
who were given to understand, that the queen
could no longer bear the tyranny of the Whigs :
that she had been always a friend in her heart to the
Tory and high-church party : and that she would
now exhibit manifest proofs of her inclination. She
accordingly bestowed the bishopricks of Chester
and Exeter upon Sir William Dawes and Dr.
Blackall, who, though otherwise of unblemished
characters, had openly condemned the revolution,
The people in general began to be sick ^of
diseomented Whig ministry, whom they had formerly
with the caressed. To them they imputed the burthens
whig mini- under which they groaned : burthens which they
had hitherto been animated to bear by the pomp
of triumph and uninterrupted success. At pre
sent they were discouraged by the batde of Al-
manza, the miscarriage of the expedition against
Toulon, the loss of Sir Cloudesley Shovel, and the
fate
A N N E. 459
fate of four ships x>f the line, destroyed or taken by a.c 17°7.
a squadron commanded by messieurs Forbin and
Du Gue Trouin, two of the most enterprising sea-
officers in the French service. No new advantage
had been obtained in the Netherlands ; France, in
stead of finking under the weight of the confede
racy, seemed to rise with fresh vigour from every
overthrow : the English traders had lately sustain
ed repeated losses for want of proper convoys : the
coin of the nation was visibly diminished, and the
public credit began to decline. The Tories did
not fail to inculcate and exaggerate these causes
of discontent, and the ministry were too remiss in
taking proper steps for the satisfaction of the na
tion. Instead of soothing,- by gentle measures and
equal administration, the Scots, who had expressed
such aversion to the union, they treated them in
such a manner, as served to exasperate the spirits
of that people. A stop was put to their whole
commerce for two months, before it was diverted
into the new channel. Three months elapsed be
fore the equivalent was remitted to that kingdom,
and it was afterwards applied with the most shame
ful partiality. Seizures of wines and other mer
chandize imported from thence into England, wefc
made in all the northern" parts, with an affectation
of severity and disdain : so that the generality of
the Scottish nation loudly exclaimed against the
union and the government. The Jacobites were
again in commotion. They held conferences:
they maintained a correspondence with the court of
St. Germain's : a great number of the most rigid
Whigs entered so far into their measures, as to
think a revolution was absolutely necessary to re
trieve the liberties, independence, and commerce
of their country : the pretender's birth-day was
publickly celebrated in many different parts of the
kingdom $ and every thing seemed to portend an
universal
46a HISTORY of ENGLAND.
*• S-J.l7°7- universal revolt. Ireland continued quiet under
the administration of the earl of Pembroke, whom
the queen had appointed lord-lieutenant of that
kingdom. A parliament having met at Dublin in
the month of July, presented addresses of congra
tulation to her majesty on the late union of the
two kingdoms. The commons having inspected
the public accounts, resolved, That the kingdom
had been put to excessive charge by means of great
arrears of rent returned by the late trustees, as due
out of the forfeited estates, which returns were false
and unjust : and, That an humble representation
ihould be layed before her majesty on this subject.
They passed another laudable resolution in favour
of their own manufactures. They granted the ne
cessary supplies, and having finished several bills for
the royal assent, were prorogued on the twenty-
ninth day of October.
itiTirttsL ^ was on tne twenty-third of the fame month
tiih pariia- that the first parliament of Great-Britain assembled
Dient' at Westminster, when the queen, in her speech to
both houses, palliated the miscarriages in Provence
and in Spain ; representing the necessity of making
further efforts against the common enemy and ex
horted them to be upon their guard against those
who endeavoured to sow jealousies in the common
wealth. The commons in their address expressed
the continuance of their former zeal and devotion
to her majesty's government ; but, in the house of
lords the earl of Wharton expatiated upon the scar
city of money, the decay of trade, the mismanage
ment of the navy. He was seconded by lord Somers
and the leaders of the Tory party, who proposed,
that previous to every measure, they should consider
the state of the nation. The design of Wharton
and Somers was to raise the earl of Orford once
more to the head of the admiralty; and the Tories,
who did not perceive their drift, hoped in the
z courie
. • V .\ A N N E." 461
course of the inquiry to fix the blame of all misma- a c. 1707'
nagement upon the Whig ministers. A day being
fixed for this examination, the house received a pe
tition from the sheriffs and merchants of London,
complaining of great losses by sea, for want of crui
sers and. convoys ; and these complaints were prov
ed by witnesses. The report was sent to the lord-
admiral, who answered all the articles separately :
then the Tories moved for an address, in which the
blame of the miscarriages might be layed upon the
ministry and cabinet-council ; but the motion was
over-ruled, and the queen was presented with a
bare representation of the facts, and desired that
she would take the proper measures for preventing
such evils for the future. The commons made
some progress in an inquiry of the fame nature,
and brought in a bill for the better securing the
trade of the kingdom. They chearfully granted
the supplies for the service of the ensuing year.
. They prepared another bill for repealing the Scot
tish act of security, and that about peace and war,
which had excited such jealousy in the English na
tion. They resolved, That there should be but
one privy-council in the kingdom of Great-Britain :
That the militia of Scotland should be put on the
same footing with that of England : That the
powers of the justices of the peace should be the
fame through the whole island : That the lords of
justiciary in Scotland should go circuits twice in the
year : That the writs for electing Scottish members .
to serve in the house of commons, should be di
rected, and returns made in the fame manner as
practised in England. An act being formed on
these resolutions, they brought in a. bill for pre
serving the trade with Portugal : then they consi
dered the state of. the war in Spain. When the
queen passed these bills, she recommended an aug
mentation
462 HISTORY or ENGLAND.
a.c. T7°7.. mentation in the aids and auxiliaries granted to the
king of Spain and the duke of Savoy. ' '
TInquiry
. .into
„ . This intimation produced
, a debate in the house
.
«he state or of lords, on the affairs of Spain. The services of
Spain." m tne eai" of Peterborough were extolled by the earl
.of Rochester and lord Haversham, who levelled
some oblique reflections at the earl of Galway. Se
veral lords enlarged upon the necessity of carrying
on the war until king Charles should be fully esta
blished upon the throne of Spain. The earl of
Peterborough said, they ought to contibute nine
shillings in the pound rather than make peace on
any other terms : he declared himself ready to re
turn to Spain, and serve even under the earl of
Galway. The earl of Rochester repeated a maxim
of the old duke of Schomberg, That attacking
France in the Netherlands was like taking a bull
by the horns. He therefore proposed, that trier-
allies should stand on the defensive in Flanders, and
detach from thence fifteen or twenty thousand men.''
into Catalonia. He was seconded by the earl of
Nottingham, but warmly opposed by the duke of
Marlborough, who urged, that the great towns in -
Brabant which he had conquered, could not be
preserved without a considerable number of men :
and, that if the French should gain any advantage
in Flanders from their superiority in point of num
ber, the discontented party in Holland, which was
very numerous, and bore with impatience the bur- f
then of the war, would not fail crying aloud for
peace. Being challenged by Rochester, to shew
how troops could be procured for the service of
Icaly and Spain, he assured the house, that mea
sures had been already concerted with the emperor,1
for forming an army of forty thousand men under
the duke of Savoy, and for sending powerful sue-—
cours to king Charles. This declaration sinished-
thc
A N N H.; 463
the debate, which issued in an affectionate address a. c. i7o7-
to her majesty. The lords resolved, That no peace
could be safe and honourable for her majesty and
her allies, if Spain and the Spanish West-Indies
were suffered to continue in the power of the house
of Bourbon. They presented an address, in which
they desired (he would press the emperor to fend
powerful succours to Spain, under the command
of prince Eugene, with all possible expedition, to
make good his contract with the duke of Savoy,
and strengthen the army on the Rhine, which was
now happily put under the conduct of that wife and
valiant prince the elector of Hanover. The com
mons concurred in this remonstrance, in conse
quence of which the queen desired the emperor to
bestow the command in Spain upon prince Eugene.
The court of Vienna, however, did not comply
with this request ; but sent thither count Starem- 1
berg, who, of all the German generals was next
to the prince in military reputation. The com
mons now proceeded to consider of ways and means,
and actually established funds for raising the sup
ply, which amounted to the enormous ium of six
millions.
At this period Mr. Harley's character incurred Gregg, >
suspicion from the treachery of William Gregg, an sec^a",^
inferior clerk in his office, who was detected in «>e-
a correspondence with monsieur Chamillard the CorresPon *
French king's minister. When his practices were ^oce
detected, he made an ample confession, and plead- mienistry.
ing guilty to his indictment at the Old-Bailey, was
condemned to death for high treason. At the same
time, John Bara and Alexander Valiere were com
mitted to Newgate, for corresponding with the
enemy ; and Claude Baud, secretary to the duke
of Savoy's minister, was at the request of his ma
ster, apprehended for traitorous practices against
her
7
464 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a, c. 17°7- her majesty and her government. A committee
of seven lords being appointed to examine these de
linquents, made a report to the house, which was
communicated to the queen in an address, import
ing, that Gregg had discovered secrets of state to
the French minister : that Alexander Valiere and
John Bara had managed a correspondence with the
governors and commissaries of Calais and Boulogne ;
and, in all probability, discovered to the enemy the
stations of the British cruisers, the strength of their
convoys, and the times at which the merchant-
Ihips proceeded on their voyages : that all the
papers in the office of Mr. secretary Harley had
been for a considerable time exposed to the view of
the meanest clerks ; and that the perusal of all the
letters to and from the French prisoners, had been
chiefly trusted to Gregg, a person of a very suspi
cious character, and known to be extremely indi
gent. The queen granted a reprieve to this man,
in hope of his making some important discovery :
but he really knew nothing of consequence to the
nation. He was an indigent Scot, who had been
employed as a spy in his own country, and now of
fered his services to Chamillard, with a view of be
ing rewarded for his treachery : but he was disco
vered before he had reaped any fruits from his cor
respondence. As he had no secrets of importance
to impart, he was executed at Tyburn, where he'
delivered a paper to the sheriff, in which he de
clared Mr. Harley intirely ignorant of all his trea?
sonable connections, notwithstanding some endea
vours that were made to engage him in an accusa
tion of that minister.
Harieyrt- ^pne ql1een had refused to admit the earl of
iigns nis _^ . * . . r 't i n 11'
employ- reterborough into her presence, until he mould
ment. have vindicated his conduct, of which king Charles'
had complained in divers letters. He was eagerly'
desirous
ANNE. 465
desirous of a parliamentary enquiry. His military A- cs *"o7>
proceedings, his negotiations, his disposal of the
remittances, were taken into consideration by both
houses : but he produced such a number of wit
nesses and original papers to justify every transac
tion, that his character triumphed in the inquiry,
which was dropped before it produced any resolu
tion in parliament. Then they took cognizance
of the state of affairs in Spain, and found there had
been a great deficiency in the English troops at
the battle of Almanza. This, however,, was ex
plained so much to their satisfaction, that they
voted an address to the queen, thanking her for
having taken measures to restore the affairs in
Spain, and provide foreign troops for that service.
The bill for rendering the union more complete
met with a vigorous opposition in the house-of lords,
from the court-party, on account of the clause en
acting, That, after the first of May, there should
be but one privy-council in the kingdom of Great-
Britain. The ministry finding it was strenuously
supported by all the Tories, and a considerable
number of the other faction, would have compro^
mised the difference, by proposing that the privy-
council of Scotland should continue to the first day
day of October. They hinted this expedient in
hope of being able to influence the ensuing elec
tions : but their design being palpable, the motion
was over- ruled, and the bill received the royal as
sent : a court of exchequer, however, was erected
in Scotland upon the model of that in England.
The execution of Gregg, and the examination of
Valiere and Bara, who had acted as smugglers to
the coast of France, under the protection or Harley,
to whom they engaged for intelligence, affected
the credit of that minister, who was jevikd and
traduced by the emissaries of the Whig ministers. 1
The duke of Maryborough and the earl of Godol-
N". 90. Hh phin
465 . HISTORY''oF ENGLAND.
a.c. i;o7. pdin being apprised of his secret practices with
Mrs. Masham, wrote to the queen that they could
serve her no longer, (hould Mr. Harky continue
in the post of secretary. Being summoned to the
cabinet council, they waited on her in person, and
expostulated on the same subject. She endeavour
ed to appease their resentment with soft persuasion,
which had no effect ; and, when they retired from
court, to the astonishment of all the spectators, she
repaired in person to the council. There Mr. se
cretary Harley began to explain the cause of their
meeting, which was some circumstance relating to
foreign affairs. The duke of Somerset said he did
not see how they could deliberate on such matters
while the general and treasurer were absent : the
other members observed a sullen silence ; fb that
the council broke up, and the queen found herself
in danger of being abandoned by her ministers.
Next day her majesty sent for the duke of Marlbo-
rough, and told him that Harley should immedia
tely resign his office, which was conferred upon
Mr. Henry Boyle, chancellor of the exchequer :
but she deeply resented the deportment of the duke
and the earl of Godolphin, from whom she inurery
withdrew her confidence. Sir Simon Harcourt
attorney-general, Sir Thomas Manscl comptroller
of the houshold, and Mr. St. John, relinquished
The preten- t'ie'r ^evera^ Pofts upon the disgrace of Harley.
dcr embark* The kingdom was at this period alarmed with a
forscottod tnreatened invasion from France. The court erf"
' St. Germain's had sent over one colonel Hooke
with credentials to Scotland, to seam the situation,
number, and ability, of the pretender's friends in
that country. This minister, by his misconduct,
produced a division among the Scottish Jacobites.
Being a creature of the duke of Perth, he attached
himself wholly to the duke of Athole, and those other
zealous partisans who were bent upon receiving the
pre
'A ft N E. 467
pretender without Conditions ; and he neglected '7°7.
the duke ofHamilton, the earl Marischal, and other
adherents of tha"t house, Who adopted the more
moderate principles avowed by the earl of Middle-
ton. At his return to France, he made such a fa
vourable report of the disposition and power of the
Scottish nation, that Lewis resolved to equip m
armament and send over the pretender to that king ,
dom. His pretened was to establish that prince
on the throne of his ancestors : but his real aim
Was to make a division from the Netherlands, and
excite a revolt in Great-Britain, which mould hin*
der queen Anne from exerting herself against
France on the continent. He began to make pre
parations for this expedition at Dunkirk, where a
squadron was assembled undefr the command of the
chevalier de Fourbin ; and a' body of land-forces
were embarked with monsieur de Gace, afterwards
known by the appellation of the maredhal de Ma-
tignOn. The pretender, who had assumed the name
of the chevalier de St. George, was furnished with
services of gold and silver plate, sumptuous tents,
rich cloaths for hi3 Kfe guards, splendid liveries,
and all forts' of necessaries, even to profusion.
Lewis, at parting, presented him with a sword
studded with valuable diamonds, and repeated
what he had formerly said to this adventurer's
father : " He hoped he should never see him
** again.'* The pope contributed to the expence
of this expedition, and accommodated him with
divers religious mottos, which were wrought upon his
Colours arid standards. Queen Anne being informed
of these preparations, and the design of the French
monarch, communicated to the commons the ad
vices which she had received from Holland and
the Netherlands, touching the destination of the
Dunkirk armament; and both houses concurred
in an address, assuring her they would assist .her
Hh t majesty
18 HISTORY ot ENGLAND.
»'c7- majesty with their, lives and fortunes, against the
pretended prince of Wales, and all her other ene
mies. Then they passed a bill, enacting, That
the oath of abjuration mould be tendered to all
persons, and such as refused to take it mould be in
the condition of convicted recusants. By another^
they suspended the Habeas corpus act till October,
with relation to persons apprehended by the govern
ment on suspicion of treasonable practices. The
pretender and his adherents were proclaimed trai
tors and rebels ; and a bill was passed, discharging
the- clans of Scotland from all vassalage to those
chiefs who should take up arms against her ma
jesty. Transports were hired to bring over te'fl
British battalions from Ostend ; and a large fleet
being equipped with incredible diligence, failed
from Deal towards Dunkirk, under the tphducl:
of Sir John Leake, Sir George Byng, and fOrd
Durfley. The French imagined that Leake n&4
sailed to Lisbon, and that Britain was unprovided
of ships of war; so that they were amazed "aiiq
confounded when this fleet appeared off Mardyke:
a stop was immediately put to the embarkation of
their troops : frequent expresses were dispatched
to Paris : the count de Fourbin represented to 'rite.
French king the little probability of succeeding id
this enterprize, and the danger that would attend
the attempt : but he received positive orders^o
embark the forces, and set fail with the first fa
vourable « 'id.
The British fleet being forced ' from .their station
by severe weather on the fourteenth day of March,
the French squadron sailed on the seventeenth from
,the road of Dunkirk ; but the wind shifting, it
anchored in New-port-pits, till the 'nineteenth" in
the evening, when they set sail again with a -fair
breeze, fleering their course for Scotland. Sir
George Byng having received advice of their de
parture,
ANN E. 4^9
departure, from an Ostend vessel sent out for that *• C i7°t
purpose by major-general Cadogan, gave chace to
the enemy, after having detached a squadron under
admiral Baker to convoy the troops that were em
barked at Ostend for England. On the tenth day
of March, the queen went to the house of peers,
where, in a speech to both houses, she told them
that the French fleet had sailed ; that Sir George
Byng was in pursuit of them ; and that ten batta
lions of her troops were expected every day in Eng
land. This intimation was followed by two very
warm addresses from the lords and commons, in
which they repeated their assurances of standing
by her against all her enemies ; exhorted her to
persevere in supporting the common cause, not- ,
withstanding this petty attempt to disturb her do
minions ; and levelled some severe insinuations
against those who endeavoured to foment jealousies
between her majesty and her most faithful servants,
Addresses on the fame occasion were sent up from
different parts of the kingdom ; so that the queen
seemed to look with contempt upon the designs of
the enemy. Several regiments of foot, with some
squadrons of cavalry, began their march for Scot
land ; while the earl of Leven, commander in chief
of the forces in that country, and governor of the
castle of Edinburgh, hastened thither to put that
fortress in a posture of defence, and to make the
proper dispositions to oppose the pretender at his
landing. But the vigilance of Sir George Byng
rendered all these precautions unnecessary. He
sailed directly to the frith of Edinburgh, where he
arrived almost as soon as the enemy, who imme
diately took the advantage of a land breeze, and
bore away with all the fail they could carry. The
English admiral gave cbace ; and the Salisbury,
one of their ships, was boarded and taken. "At
night monsieur de Fourbin altered his course ; ib
fhat next day they were out of reach of the Englilh
H b 3 iqua-
470 HISTORY op ENGLAND.
A. c. 17°7, squadron. The pretender desired they would pro
ceed to the northward, and land him at Inverness,
and Fourbin seemed willing to gratify his request i
but the wind changing and blowing in their teeth
with great violence, he represented the danger of
attempting to prosecute the voyage ; and, with the
consent of the chevalier de St. George and his ge
neral, returned to Dunkirk, after having been
tossed about a whole month in very tempestuous
weather. In the mean time, Sir George Byng
sailed up to Leith road, where he received the free
dom of the city of Edinburgh in a golden box, as
a testimony of gratitude for his having delivered
them from the dreadful apprehensions under which
they laboured.
st*tr »f the Certain it is, the pretender could not have cho-
Ih«oneriod ^en a more favourable opportunity for making a
descent upon Scotland. The people in general
were disaffected to the government on account of
the union ; the regular troops under Leven did
not exceed five and twenty hundred men, ants even
great part of these would in all probability have
'joined the invader: the castle of Edinburgh was de
stitute of ammunition, and would in all appear
ance have surrendered at the first summons ; ip
which case the Jacobites must have been masters
of the equivalent money lodged in that fortress ; a
good number of Dutch ships loaded with cannon,
small arms, ammunition, and a large sum of money,
had been driven on more in the shire of Angus :
where they would have been seized by the friends of
the pretender, had the French troops been landed ;
and all the adherents of that house were ready to ap
pear in arms. In England, such a demand was made
, . upon the bank, by those who favoured the inva
sion, and those who dreaded a revolution, that the
public credit seemed to be in danger. The com
mons resolved, That whoever designedly endea
voured to destroy or lessen the public credit, es
pecially
ANNE.' 471
pecially at a time when the kingdom was threaten- A C- '7°7?
ed with an invasion, was guilty of a high crime and Burnet
misdemeanor, and an enemy to her majesty and j*"*-
the kingdom. The lord-treasurer signified to the Lockhart.
directors of the bank, that her majesty would al- £e™?",'eres"
low, for six months, an interest of six per cent. upon Hist of the
their bills, which was double of the usual rate ; borough"1"
and considerable sums of money were offered to eond. »fth*
them by this nobleman, as well as by the dukes of ^"ribo? °f
Marlborough, Newcastle, and Somerset. The «-°vgh-
French, Dutch, and Jewish merchants, whose in- Bnrehet.
terest was in a peculiar manner connected with the [Link].
safety of the bank, exerted themselves for its sup- Admirals. e
port ; and the directors having called in twenty per Vo1^-
cent. upon their capital stock, were enabled to
answer all the demands of the timorous and disaf
fected. AH the noblemen and persons of distinc
tion in Scotland, suspected of an attachment to the
court of St. Germain's, were apprehended, and
either imprisoned in the castle of Edinburgh, ox
brought up to London, to be confined in the
Tower or in Newgate. Among these was the duke
of Hamilton, who found means to make his peace
,with the Whig ministers; and, in a little time, the
other prisoners were admitted to bail -f.
. i• . .
+ Three Camisars, or protestants they continued their astemblies in So-
siom the [Link], having made their ho, under the countenance of Sir
escape, and repaired to London, ac- Richard Bulkley and John [Link]
quired about this time the appellation reviled the ministers of the established
of French prophets, from their enthu- church 3 they denounced judgments
siastic gesticulation?, effusions, and against the city of London, and the
convulsions, and even formed a sect of whole British nation ; and published
their countrymen. The French refu- their predictions, composed of unin-
gees, scandalized at their behaviour, ttlligiblc iargon. Then they were pro-
and authorized by the bishop of Lon- secuted at the expence of the French
ion, as superior of the French cotigre- churches, as disturbers of the public .
gations, refolved to inquire into the peace, and false prophets. They were
mission of these pretended prophets, sentenced to pay a fineof twenty marks
whose names were Elias Marion, John each, and stand twice on a scaffold,
Cavallier, and Durand Fage. They ' with papers on their breasts denoting
were declared impostors and counter- their ofsence: a sentence which was
feits- Notwithstanding this decision, executed accordingly afChaiing-cioss
which was confirmed by the bishops, and the Roval Exchange.
H-h 4 On
472 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. 1708. On the first day of April, the parliament'
Parliament prorogued, and afterwards dissolved by proclam.a-
rfislbived. tion Writs were issued out for new elections, to
gether with a proclamation, commanding all the
peers of North Biitain to assemble at Holy-rood-
house in Edinburgh, on the seventeenth day of
June, to elect sixteen peers to represent them in the
ensuing British parliament, pursuant to the twenty-
second article of the treaty of union. After the
dissolution of the parliament, the lords Griffin,
Clermont, two sons of the carl of Middleton, and
several Scottish and Irish officers, who had been
taken on board of the Salisbury, were brought to
London, and imprisoned in the Tower or in New
gate. Lord Griffin being attainted by outlawry,
for high-treason committed in the reign of king
William, was brought to the bar in the court of
king's bench, and a rule made for his pxecutjon t.i
but he was reprieved from month to month, until
he died of a natural death in prison. 1 The privy* '
• council of Scotland was dissolved, the duke of
Queensberry created a British peer, by the title of
baron of Rippon, marquis of Beverley, and duke
of Dover ; and the office of secretary at war, va
cant by the resignation of Henry St. John, was be
stowed upon Robert Walpole, a gentleman who
had rendered himself considerable in the house of
commons, and whose conduct we shall have occa
sion to mention more at large in the sequel. About
the same time a proclamation was issued for distri- ?
buting prizes in certain proportions, to the diffe-.,
rent officers and seamen of the royal navy ; a re
gulation that still prevails.
Thefrench The French king, not at all discouraged by the
simme miscarriage cf his projected invasion, resolved to
ppg«.and improve tne advantages he had gained on the con
tinent during the last campaign ; and indeed he
made efforts that were altogether incredible, con
sidering
ANN 47J
sidering the consumptive state of his finances, He A 9- '7°*"
assembled a prodigious army in the Netherlands,
under the command of the duke of Burgundy,
assisted by Vendome, and accompanied by the duke
of Berry and the chevalier de St. George. The elector
of Bavaria was destined to the command of the
troops upon the Rhine, where he was seconded by
the duke of Berwick; and the marechal de Villeroy
was sent to conduct the forces in Dauphine. About
the letter end of March, the duke of Marlborough
repaired to the Hague, where he was met by
prince Eugene, and these two celebrated generals
conferred with the pensionary Heinsius, and the de
puties of the states-general. Then they made an
excursion to Hanover, where they prevailed upon
the elector to be satisfied with acting upon the de
fensive in his command on the Rhine, and spare
•part of his forces, that the confederates might be
enabled to make vigorous efforts in the Nether
lands. The prince proceeded to Vienna, and the
duke returned to Flanders, where he assembled the
army towards the latter end of May. On. the
twenty-fifth day of that month, the duke of Ven
dome marched to Soignies, and posted himself
within three leagues of the confederates, who were
encamped at Billinghen and Halle. The duke of
Marlborough having received intelligence that the
enemy were on their march by Bois-Seigneur-Isaac
to Braine-la-Leu, concluded their intention was to
take post on the banks of the Deule, to hinder the
allies from passing that river, and to occupy Lou-
vaine. He therefore commanded the army to
march all night, and on the third day of June en
camped at Terbank, general Overkirk sixing his
quarters in the suburbs of Louvaine, while the
French advanced no farther than Genap and
Braine-ia-Leu. As they were more numerous than
the confederates, and headed by a prince of the
blood,
474 H I S T O R Y of E N S LAN D.
A. c, 17°I. blood, the generals of the allies at first expected
that they would hazard a battle : but their scheme
was to retrieve by stratagem the places they had lost
in Flanders. The elector of Bavaria had rendered
himself extremely popular in the great towns : the
count de Bergeyck, who had great interest among
them, was devoted to the house of Bourbon : the
inhabitants of the great cities were naturally incon
stant and mutinous, and particularly dissatisfied
with the Dutch government. The French gene
rals resolved to profit by these circumstances. A
detachment of their troops, under the brigadiers
la Faille and Pasteur, surprised the city of Ghent,
in which there was no garrison and, at the same
time, the count de la Motte, with a strong body
of forces, appeared before Bruges, which was sur
rendered to him without opposition : then he made
a fruitless attempt upon Damme, and marched to
the little fort of Plassendahl, which he took by
assault. The duke of Marlborough was no sooner
apprised of the enemy's having sent a strong de
tachment towards Tubize, than he marched from
Terbank, passed the canal, and encamped at An-
derlech. The French crossed the Senne at Halle
and Tubize, and the allies resolved to attack them
next morning ; but they passed the Dender in the
night with great expedition ; and the duke -^dF
Marlborough next day encamped at Asche, where
he was joined by prince Eugene, who had march
ed with a considerable reinforcement of Germans
from the Moselle. The enemy, understanding that
this general was on his march, determined to re
duce Oudenarde, the only pass on the Schelde
possessed by the allies and invested it on the ninth
day of July, hoping to subdue it before the allies
could be reinforced. The duke of Marlborough
was immediately in motion, and made a surprising
march from Asche, as far as Herfelingen, where
A N N E. 475
he was joined by the reinforcement. Then he 4- c» 17°$«
took possession of the strong camp at Lessmes,
which the French had intended to occupy, in order
to cover the siege of Qudenarde.
Thus disappointed, the French generals altered They are
their resolution, abandoned Oudenarde, and be- ^denude
gan to pass the Schelde at Gavre. The two gene
rals of the confederates were bent upon bringing
them to an engagement. Cadogan was sent with
sixteen battalions and eight squadrons to repair the
roads, and throw bridges over the Schelde below
Qqdenarde. The army was in motion at eight
o'cjftck, and marched with such expedition, that
by $wo in the afternoon the horse had reached the
bridges, over which Cadogan and his detachment
were passing. The enemy had posted seven bat
talions in the village of Heynem, situated on the
banks of the Schelde, and the French houshold-
troops were drawn up in order of battle on the
adjacent plain, opposite to a body of troops under
major-general Rantzaw, who were posted behind
a rivulet that ran into the river. The duke of VeiJr
• dome intended to attack the confederates when one
hjdf pf their army should have passed the Schelde j
jjji^ ,he was thwarted by the duke of Burgundy,
who seemed to be perplexed and irresolute. He
had ordered the troops to halt in their march to
Gayre, as if he had not yet formed any resolution ;
and now he recalled the squadrons from the plain,
determined to avoid a battle. Veodome remon
strated against this conduct, and the dispute con
tinued till three in the afternoon, when the greater
part of the allied army had passed the Schelde
without opposition. Then the duke of Burgundy
declared for an engagement, and Vendome sub
mitted to his opinion with great reluctance, as the
opportunity was now lost and the army unformed.
JVlajor-general Grimaldi was ordered to attack
i' Rantzaw
476 HISTORY of ENGLAND.
a. c. i7og- Rantzaw with the horse of the king's houfhold,
who finding the rivulet marshy, refused to charge,
and retired to the right. Mean while Cadogan
attacked the village of Heynem, which he took,
with three of the seven battalions by which it was
guarded. Rantzaw passing the rivulet, advanced
into the plani, and drove before them several
squadrons of the enemy. In this attack, the elec
toral prince of Hanover, his present majesty*
charged at the head of Bulau's dragoons with great
intrepidity. His horse was shot under him, and
colonel Lustcy killed by his side. Divers French
regiments were entirely broken, and a good num
ber of officers and standards fell into the hands o£
the Hanoverians. The confederates continued still
passing the river; but fcwor none of the infantry
were come up till five in the afternoon, when tpo
duke of Argyle arrived with twenty battalions^
which immediately sustained a vigorous assault from
the enemy. By this time the French were drawn
up in order of battle ; and the allies being formed
as they passed the river, both armies were engaged
through the whole extent of their lines about seven
in the evening. Europe had not for many years
produced two such noble armies : above one hun
dred general officers appeared in the field, and two
hundred and fifty colonels fought at the head of
the respective regiments. The number of the
French exceeded that of the allies by twelve thou
sand : but their generals were divided ; their forces
ill disposed, and their men dispirited by the unin
terrupted success of their adversaries. They seem
ed from the beginning averse to an engagement,
and acted in hurry and trepidation. Nevertheless,
the action was maintained until general Overkirk
and count Tilly, who commanded on the left of
the allies, obliged the right of the enemy to give
ground; and the prince of Orange with count
Oxienstern
A N N % 47?
Oxienstern attacked them in flank with the Dutch A.c. i7og,
infantry. Then th^y began to give way, and re
tired in great confusion. The duke of Vendome
alighting from his horse, rallied the broken batta
lions, called the officers by name, conjured them to
maintain the honour of their country, and animated
the men with his voice and example. But, not-
Withstanding all his endeavours, they were forced
back among the inclosures in great confusion.
Some regiments were cut in pieces : others desired to
capitulate ; and, if the darkness had not interposed^
their whole army would have been ruined. The
night coming on so that ii. became impossible to
distinguish friends from enemies, the two generals
ordered the troops to cease firing, and the enemy
took this opportunity of escaping, by the road which
leads' from Oudenarde to Ghent. The duke of
Vdhdom'e, seeing the French forces flying in the
utmost terror and precipitation, formed a rear
guard of about five and twenty squadrons and as
many battalions, with which he secured the retreat.
Ib this precaution the safety of their army was
entirely owing ; for at day-break the duke of Marl-
borough sent a large detachment of horse and foot
under the lieutenant generals Bulau and Lumley,
to pursue the fugitives ; but the hedges and ditches
ihat skirted the road were -lined with the French
grenadiers in such a manner, that the cavalry
could not form, and they were obliged to desist.
The French reached Ghent about eight in the
morning, and marching through the city, encamp
ed at 'JLovendegen on the canal. There they
thought proper to cast up intrenchments, upon
which they planted their artillery which they had
left at Gavre with their heavy baggage. About
three thousand were slain on the field of battle :
two thousand deserted, and about seven thousand
were
47* . History of England.
a.c. 17°8- were taken, including a great number of officers*
together with ten pieces of cannon, above an hun
dred standards and colours, and four thousand
horses. The loss of the allies did not amount to
two thousand men ; nor was one officer of distinc
tion killed on their side during the whole engage
ment. After the confederates had rested two days
on the field of battle* a detachment was ordered to
level the French lines between Ypres and the Lys :
another was sent to raise contributions as far as
Arras, and struck terror even into the city of Paris.
While the allies plundered the province of Picardy,
a detachment from the French army, under the
chevalier de Rozen, made an irruption into Dutch-
Flanders ; broke through the lines of Bervliet,
which had been left unguarded, and made a de
scent upon the island of Casandt, which they lai4
tinder contribution.

The E n d of the Ninth

1
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JUN 5 1936