deprived of, and put from the Exercife of their Sacred A. C. Offices and poffeffions of their Livings, and thereby reduced to great extremity and want.

During the continuance of which fuffering ftate, many worthy Minifters of the Gofpel have been taken away by Death, and we, whom it hath pleased God to continue in Life, have laboured to fweeten the bitterness of our Tryals, by a Chriftian and Peaceable Submiffion and Refignation to his Will,

And as in Truth and Gratitude we are obliged to acknowledge, that many of us in a great measure ove our Lives to the Charity and Beneficence of fuch of Your Majefty's good Subjects, as thought it a difgrace to Chriftianity, that a Society of Men Confecrated to the Altar, in the Service of Christ, fhould perish in a Chriftian Kingdom for want of Bread;

So now that it hath pleafed Almighty God to place Your Majesty upon the Imperial Throne of these Dominions; the Relief and Advantages which all Your Loyal Subjects do enjoy from the benign Influence of Your Majesty's Aufpicious Government encourageth us, Your Majefty's moft Hum ble Supplicants, under the prefent diftrefs and miferable ftarving Conditions of many of our numerous Families, to implore that Princely Commiferation and matchless Clemency, which have ever been congenial and peculiar to the Blood Royal, and are eminently lodged in Tour Sacred Perfon.

Humbly Befeeching that your Royal Bounty and Indulgence may be extended to us in fuch Manner, and by Such Methods, as your Majefty in your Princely Wisdom shall think fit, that we may find our selves more and more obliged devoutly to pray, that your Years may be many, and your Reign Glorious.

Her Majesty's Answer was,

Take the Expressions of your Duty and Loyalty very kindly, and you may be affured of my Protection, and of my Endeavours to fupply your Neceffities as far as conveniently I can: And I doubt not but you will continue in your Duty; and I recommend to you to live in Peace and Chriftian Love with the Clergy, who are invested with the Church Goverymen in that Our Ancient King

don's

B

170.

A. C.

1703.

Capt.
Wade fhot

On the fecond of April, Arthur St. Leger, Efq; was Created Baron of Kilmayden, and Viscount of Downrayl in Ireland and on the 13th Lieutenant General Lumley was made Governor, and Captain of the Ifle of Ferfey, in the Room of the Lord Jermyn, Deceased. The † April 14. next day the Bristol Man of War arrived in the Port Capt. Kir- of Plimouth from Jamaica, bringing Prifoners from by and thence,Capt. Kirby, Capt.Wade, and Capt Constable. The two firft being under Sentence of Death, pronounc'd upon 'em by Rear Admiral Mitchel in the American Seas, for Betraying and Deferting Admiral Bembow in an Engagement with Monfieur du Caffe, were both fhot to Death on Board the faid Bristol Man of War, in pursuance of the fame Sentence confirmed by her Majefty for Cowardice, Breach of Orders, and NegApr. 22. lect of their Duty. About a Week after the ParliaParliament ment met in purfuance of their laft Prorogation; At further what Time the Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, Prorogued. the Lords Granville, Guernsey and Conway were intro

to Death.

Commodore

Whet

*

duced into the Houfe of Peers, and feated in their refpective Places, Sir Henry St George Clarencieux Officiating in the, Ceremony as Garter King at Arms. Which Ceremony being over, the Commons were fent for, and her Majefty's Commiflion to feveral Lords of the Privy Council read; in pursuance of which the Lord Keeper further Prorogued the Parliament to the 22d of June enfuing,

On the 9th of April CommodoreWhetstone returned to Port Royal in Jamaica, having been out ever fince ftone's Ex- the 14th of February. He had Cruifed about five pedition. Weeks on both fides of Hifpaniola,in hopes of meeting. with a confiderable Fleet of Merchant Ships, which as he had been informed, was expected in thofe parts under Convoy from France; but not being able to get any account of them, he failed to Petit Guaves and Leogane in the Gulph of Hifpaniola, and for the better preventing any Ships efcaping out of the Bay, he divided his Squadron, and fent Captain Vincent with one half to the South fide, and himself steered with the reft to the Northward.As he had conjectur'd, three French Privateers upon the appearance of Cap. tain Vincent and the Ships with him, immediately ftood away to the Northward, and fo came in the Commodore's view, whereof one of 12, and another of 14 Guns were chafed afhore and burnt, and

the

1703.

the third of 10 Guns was taken. In the mean time Cap- A. C. tain Vincent with his Boats row'd in the night undifcover'd into the Cul, where lay four Ships, whereof the biggest formerly was taken from the English, and was call'd the Selwyn, had her full Cargo, and was richly laden, but all her Sails were on Thore. Our Boats. burnt one of these Ships, funk another, and towed out a third, which was a confort of the other Privateers; the 4th was boarded, but by accident blew up. The lofs the French fuftain'd on this occafion, was computed at 18000 1. Sterling, befides 120 Men taken Prisoners.

On the first of May was published her Majefty's Proclamation for a General Faft; and on the third of the fame Month the Marquis of Rinuccini, Envoy Extraordinary from the Great Duke of Tuscany, had Publick Audience of the Queen, to Congratulate her Majefty's Succeffion to the Crown; after which he had Audience likewife of his Royal Highnefs. Not many days after Sir George Rooke being taken fo ill au Sea, with a Feaver and the Gout, that he was not in a condition to proceed in his intended Voyage, in pursuance of the Orders he had received from his Royal Highness, the Lord High Admiral, George Churchill, Efq; Admiral of the Blue, was appointed to Command in his room that part of the Fleet which failed from Spithead to the Weftward. Admiral Churchill went accordingly for Portsmouth, accompa- + May 7. nied by Sir Stafford Fairborne, who was to Command under him as Vice Admiral, in the place of Vice Admial Leake, who was to return to Spithead to Sir Cloudefly Shovel, and having failed from thence on the 9th of May,arrived the 11th at Plimouth,in order to have taken upon him the Command of the Grand Fleet; but hearing that Sir George Rooke being very much recover'd of his Indifpofition, was proceeding on his Voyage, Admiral Churchil return'd back, and Sir Stafford Fairborne was appointed to go as Vice Admiral with Sir CloudeЛly Shovel, who was about a Month after joyned by Admiral Allemonde, with a Squadron of Dutch Men of War. On the 20th of the fame month her Majefty and her Royal Confort the Prince, went in the Evening from St. James's to Windfor, intend- Wnidfor. ing to continue there the most part of the Summer;

B 4

And

The Queen

A. C.

And the fame Day in the morning his Grace the Duke of Ormond, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland fet out from 1703. London, with a numerous Attendance on his way to The Duke of Chefter, in order to embark there for that Kingdom. Ormond His Grace was accompanied feveral miles out of fets out for Town by a great many of the Nobility and Gentry, Ireland. and above two thoufand Perfons of inferiour Rank.

And having been received with extraordinary Demonftrations of Refpect and Affection in all places thro which he paffed, embarked at Hylake on the 2d of He arrives June, and on the 4th arrived at Dublin, to the inexDublin. preffible Joy of that City, and the whole Kingdom of Ireland, which they endeavour'd, in fome measure, to fhew by a moft magnificent Reception..

Treaty with

Ever fince the beginning of the prefent War, endeavours had been used to perfwade the King of Portugal to break his late Engagements with France, and to bring him into the Grand Alliance. This Negotiation, tho' carried on with great l'rudence, Activity and Skill by the Imperial, English and Dutch Minifters, met nevertheless with feveral obftructions; but Portugal thefe being at laft removed, chiefly by the Admirante concluded of Caftile, and Mr. Methuen, a Treaty between the May 16. Emperor, the Queen of Great Brittain, the King of Portugal, and the States General was at laft Sign'd at Lisbon, and being brought to London on the 24th of May, the Ratifications of it paft the Great Seal on the 14th of July following.

M. S.

On the 31st of May, her Majefty Created Sir John Verney, Baronet, Baron Verney of Belturbet, and Vif count Farmanagh in the Kingdom of Ireland. And three weeks after Sir George Rooke with the Ships June 12. under his Command returned to St. Hellens, after he had been Cruzing off of Belle Isle, and off the French Coaft in the Bay of Biscay, whereby he had greatly alarm'd the Enemy. The fame *Ditto. * day the Parliament met, and was further ProroParlia gued to the 3d of August, and then to the 14th of Octoment Pro- ber.

rogued, About this time the Infurrection of the Proteftants Infurred in the Cevennes, a Mountainous Country in the South on of the part of France made a great noife. Three parts in Proteftants four of the Inhabitants of that Country profeffed the in the CeReformed Religion, before the general Perfecution

vennes.

f

in the Year 1685. to the violence of which they were forc'd to yeild; but most of them had fince fhaken off the Yoak of Popery, and re embrac'd their ancient Faith, by means of fome Zealous Minifters, who notwithstanding the danger to which they expos'd themfelves, had conftantly preach'd amongit them. Their Numbers, and the Situation of their Countrey, making the Court of France more jealous of them, than of all the other Proteftants in the Kingdom, care was taken to opprefs them, more than any of the reft, and by continual Vexations to render them unable to recover their Liberty. The Sieur Bofville, Intendant of Languedoc, and the Sieur Broglio, Commander of the Troops of that Province, left no means untry'd to enrich themfelves at their. Coft, and to ruin them by their Extortions, and Military Executions: The poor Proteftants affembling. often in the Woods, to perform their Religious Exercifes, these two Perfecutors pofted Troops, in feveral Places of that Province, with Orders, without Pity or Diftinction, to fire upon all fuch as they fhould find in thefe Affemblies, and whom they could not seize, and to burn their Houfes: By which means a great Part ofthe Cevennois were utterly ruin'd, and whole Villages laid in Rubbish. The Abbot of Cheila, firft Minifter of these two Perfecutors, who made his Refidence among the Cevenois, had expos'd them to Torments and Sufferings beyond imagnation; caufing fuch Men to be emafculated, as were accus'd of having affifted at the Religious Af femblies. It happen'd about the Month of June, in the Year 1702. That that infamous Abbot having committed to Prifon one of thofe innocent Prote ftants, whom he deftin'd to that horrid Execution; about 40 young Men, Friends to the Prifoner, arm'd themselves to rescue him, and accordingly forc'd the Prifon, deliver'd their Comrades, feiz'd on the Abbot, inflicted on him the fame Punishment he referv'd for the other, and afterwards facrificed him to their juft Revenge, that he might no more commit fuch hellish Barbarities. This done, they form'd a defign of greater Importance, and more Confe quence, and going through the Towns and Villages, brandishing their naked Swords, they cry'd Liberty, Liberty, and in a little time drew a great many other

A. C.

1703.