scarcely less destructive to an army than the bloodiest succession of battles. Rosen, hearing that the English general halted at Dundalk, said he was sure Schomberg wanted something, and ventured to advance as far as Ardee. Not choosing, however, to attack the English in their entrenchments, he contented himself with parading in front of their camp; but no provocation could induce Schomberg to engage, being much inferior in force, and conceiving the loss of a battle to be the loss of Ireland. This conduct was by no means approved by many of the English officers, who saw with indignation the ranks of the army dreadfully thinned by hunger, sickness, and the inclemency of the weather. They said the commander in chief formed his estimate from the numbers of the enemy, and not from their skill and courage. King William repeatedly urged him in his letters to put something to the hazard, but he would not deviate from his plan of defence. This general was now more than fourscore years of age with him consequently the season of ardor and enterprise was passed; his reputation was fully established; and after so many victories as had distinguished his military career, he would not risque the disgrace of a defeat from an army of Irish rebels. In the mean time, a detachment of the Irish army under colonel Sarsfield, accounted their best native officer, siezed on the town of Sligo, important both BOOK I. 1689. BOOK I. by its strength and situation. Winter approach1689. ing, both armies went into quarters, to the great discontent of the English nation, who had formed very high and probably extravagant expectations from the skill and conduct of the general. Session of The parliament of England met, after a very short recess, on the 19th of October 1689, and the session was opened by a very popular and excellent speech from the throne, which was remarkable for being the composition of the king himself, who produced it unexpectedly on the day preceding at the council board, written with his own hand. "He did not," he said, engage in the war into which they had just entered out of a vain ambition, but from the necessity of opposing the designs that were formed against us. It was well known how far he had exposed himself to rescue this nation from the dangers that threatened not only their liberties, but the protestant religion in general, of which the church of England was one of the greatest supports; and for the defence whereof he was ready again to venture his life. He urged the necessity of providing liberal supplies at the most early period, there being a general meeting appointed at the Hague of all the princes and states confederated against France, in order to concert the measures for the next campaign; and till the determinations of the English parliament were known, their determinations must be necessarily suspended. He concluded with recommending in strong terms a bill of indemnity, that, the minds of his good subjects being quieted, they might all unanimously concur in promoting the welfare and honor of the kingdom." In return, the house of commons expressed their unanimous determination to prosecute the war against the French, in conjunction with the allies, with vigor and effect: and a large supply was immediately voted. A committee was then appointed to examine who were the advisers and prosecutors of the murders of Russel, Sydney, Armstrong, &c. and who were chiefly concerned in the arbitrary practices touching the writs of quo warranto, and the surrender of charters. This enquiry was levelled at the marquis of Halifax, who had a short time before resigned his office of speaker to the house of lords, and now saw the necessity also of relinquishing the privy seal, and withdrawing entirely from court, regretted only by the king. Perceiving himself the object of the detestation of the whig party, he now endeavoured to reconcile himself to the tories, who were glad to avail themselves of his abilities, though they despised his tergiversations, and placed no confidence in his sincerity. The whigs had on several occasions given much offence to the king, particularly by their pertinacious resistance to the bill of indemnity, and their invincible reluctance to settle a permanent revenue on the BOOK I. 1699. BOOK I. crown; by means of the first holding the rod over 1689. their adversaries the torics, and by the last keeping the crown itself in dependency. On the other hand, the tories had paid uniform and assiduous court to the king; and the earl of Nottingham in particular had, as bishop Burnet affirms, furnished the king with a scheme of all the points of the prerogative, and their connection with each other, and which he insinuated the whigs designed systematically to attack. And at this very period pressing instances were made by the tories to the king to dissolve the present parliament-lavishing promises and professions of loyalty and attachment, should the king transfer the powers of government to them. These court intrigues coming to the knowledge of the whigs, a bill was introduced by them into the house of commons for restoring corporations to their rights and privileges. The chief strength of the whig interest lay in the corporation boroughs and commercial companies --the gentlemen of large landed property being for the most part tories. In this bill was inserted the following clause, dictated by the spirit of party violence" that every mayor, recorder, &c. of any city or borough, who did consent to or join in the surrender of any charters, or did solicit or contribute to the charge of prosecuting any scire facias or information in the nature of a quo warranto, shall be judged incapable of holding or Corporation Bill. BOOK I. 1690. executing any office of trust in such capacity for the space of seven years." This was opposed by the whole strength of the tory party, as a clause fatal to their interest. After a fierce contest, the clause was negatived by a small majority, the influence of the court being powerfully exerted against it. In this state the bill was transmitted to the lords, by whom it was still farther modified and meliorated, though not without much debate and difficulty. The tories, however, had persuaded the king, that to give his assent to the bill, even in its present form, would be a virtual surrender of himself to the whigs. Resolved, therefore, to risque the consequences of a rupture with the latter, he went to the house of peers on the 27th of January 1690, and, after announcing his intention to repair in person to Ireland, prorogued the parliament to the 2d of April: but on the Parliament 6th of February a proclamation was issued for its dissolution, and a new parliament summoned to meet on the 20th of March 1690. The king was so chagrined and embarrassed at the necessity he felt himself under, in consequence of the introduction of the corporation bill, of throwing himself into the hands of one or other of the two state factions, so opposite to his policy of balancing and mediating between them, in order to maintain his just authority over both, that we are told, by bishop Burnet, he entertained serious intentions at this period of retiring to Hol dissolved. |