ftruggles, oppofed the owring him as lawful and rightful King, after fuch repeated indignities, were preferred to his fure and moft fincere friends. The Convention Parliament, to which he owed his all, was diffolved; the betrayers of Corporations, and the tools of Arbitrary power in the two former Reigns, were protected and preferved; while his zealous adherents were delivered up to contempt and dif grace. In return for this aftonifhing preference, the City of London chofe fuch of the Members, as were then alive, who had been impofed on them by King James, who had delivered them from the incumbrance of al their privileges. The new Senate placed one at their head, who was of a malevolent and corrupt temper, and had been ready and willing to perform for the abdicated Monaich the most proBigate and defperate fervices. With regard to the coin, the King followed the mifchievous and diftreffing advice of Seymour, and rejected the fafe and falutary councils of Sommers. Plottings and treafons of the moft bloody and barbarous kind were repeated by great numbers of people of all ranks; and yet all poffible methods were used to preferve from punishment the guilty; and the Leaders, in fuch managements, continued to be taken into his Councils and Confidence. An effectual oppofition to France feemed to employ his moft ardent wishes and endeavours; but meafures quite oppofite were purfued. The whole winter after the peace of Ryfwick, he did not once confer either with Lord Sammers, or any of thofe, who ferved with inclination and affection. The Earl of Rochester, and his adherents, tho' in the higheft pofts, after the infamous proceedings of Lewis XIV, with regard to the Spanish Succeffion, recommended that King's being treated with refpect in the Houfe of Lords, and refented fome juft freedoms. The Earl of Jerfey, who is faid to have often avowed to the King his affection for St. Germain's, was fent Ambaffador to France and, inftead of duly obferving and refenting the perfidy and indignities of that Court, his bufinefs was to cultivate an intereft with King James." But at laft the King was fenfible of thefe errors, and, juft before his death, refolved to bring again into his fervice the true friends to Himself, and to the liberty and interefts of his Kingdom. Pride and neglect were imputed to him by the great Commanders, with whom he was concerned in military affairs, who thought themselves treated with too great a coldnef and ! and referve. As he had nothing of the eafy and affable in his manner, this is faid to have offended the Elector of Ba varia, and to have occafioned great prejudice to the common caufe. To his firft conceptions of what was proper to be done, he adhered in a determined manner; and no counfels, except what were agreeable to thefe, were regarded. ¡ Such, in this world, are the parts, which enter into the compofition of the eminent and diftinguished. However, the great Name, which we have fo freely placed in the most impartial light, deferves, on many accounts, to be remembered with gratitude and honour. He had juft views of the horrid confequences of the unreftrained progrefs of the power of France. With great -integrity and vigour, he therefore made it the business of his life to oppofe all its mifchievous motions; nor did he faint or grow weary in the glorious and difficult toil. He had an enemy, who was ever well prepared and provided; while his own fituation was quite different. He was often baffled and disappointed, and rarely attended with trumphant fuccefs. However, the preservation of Europe from abfolute subjection may justly be ascribed to his endeavours. He knew in what a fcandalous and mercenary manner his two Predeceffors had furrendered themfelves to the will and pleafure of the enemy; nor was he ignorant of the weak and corrupt condition of many other States. But, though thus difcouraged, the offer of the Sovereignty of the greatest part of his country could not feduce him from the common caufe. This is fufficient to filence the accufations of his enormous love of power. As he proved himself the friend of the liberties of Europe, and preferved its free States from being the oppreffed Provinces of an univerfal Monarchy, fo equally fincere was his zeal for the religious rights of mankind. He had a just abhorrence of Popish tyranny and ufurpation on conscience. The bitterness and envyings amongft Proteftants, gave him great concern; and he withed for an effectual cure of these evils, and contrived the most proper measures. Uniformity in opinions and practices, is not to be compaffed: Therefore mutual forbearance, and reftraining the feveral patties and profeffions among Chriftians, from injuring one another, ever had his conftant attention, The religious notions, which education and a habit of thinking had fixed, gave him no averfion to thofe, who oppofed his fentiments. In his days, and by his means, the firm and confiftent foundations were laid, of what is truly valuable in civil or re F4 ligious ligious affairs. Before his time, avowing the rights of mankind, in a full and confiftent manner, was criminal or dif graceful: As they had power and opportunity, the feveral parties of Chriftians oppreffed and injured one another. An unthinking and ungrateful world is only delighted with hurry and mifchief, and has therefore no fenfe of its moft valuable benefactors. But thofe, who will reflect and confider, muft acknowledge, a more real friend to human be ings never appeared in this part of the earth. "To him we owe the afferting and fecuring our most important immunities and privileges. To him the intellectual world is indebted for the full freedom of debating all fubjects, and of avowing and defending their fentiments." The appearances of Providence for his fafety and prefervation, were many, and very affecting. No life was ever more eminently expofed in the day of battle; nor did his many difadvantages abate his ardour: Far from declining, The fought opportunities. His enemies, not fatisfied with the feveral chances thus offered, by many vile and dark methods, attempted his deftruction, both at home and abroad. From an immature birth he derived a weak and feeble conftitution; but a vigorous mind carried him through a perpetual fucceffion of cares and labours. Confidering an accidental hurt befalling a decayed and wafted frame, his days were prolonged beyond all expectation. His last work compleated his good defigns for conveying to us the great and valuable bleffing of the Proteftant Succeffion. Had he been cut off in any of the periods of his glorious ftruggle for our happiness and the welfare of Europe, the miferies and mifchiefs, which muft naturally have followed, would furely have equalled all the fuggeftions of the blackest and moft melancholy imagination. But the unthinking part of the world, becaufe wholly delivered, have not been, nor ever will be duly fenfible. Henry IV of France, and Queen Elizabeth, are perpetually produced as inftances of fuperior Princely merit. How truly King William not only equalled, but excelled them, in the really glorious qualitics of a great and good Governor, might eafily be made appear. On a careful examination, his difficulties and diftreffes will be found greater than theirs; and his faults and mifmanagements, lefs enormous, and more excufable. The The MONEY, coined in this Reign, was; Of Gold; Guineas, Half-Guíneas, Double-Guineas, and Five-pound Pieces. Of Silver; Pennies, Two-pences, Three-pences, Groats, Six-pences, Shillings, Half-Crowns, and Crowns Of Copper, Farthings, and Half-pence. The Clipped-Money, as is well known, was called in, and recoined in the years 1696 and 1697, The NOBILITY, created in this Reign, was as follows: George Prince of Denmark, Baron of Oakingham, Earl of Kendal, and Duke of Cumberland. Charles Paulet, Marquis of Winchester Bolton. Ann. C. 1698. April 6. Duke of 9: William Bentinck, Baron of Cirencester, Viscount Woodflock, and Earl of Portland. Thomas Viscount Falconberg. -Earl of Falconberg. Charles Viscount Mordaunt Earl of Monmouth. Ralph Lord Mountague Viscount Monthermer, and Earl of Mountague. John Lord Churchill -Earl of Marlborough." Henry Sidney, Baron of Milton, and Viscount Sidney. Earl of Romney. 1694, May 8. Frederic de Schomberg, Baron Teyes, Earl of Brentford, May 9, Marquifs of Harwich, and Duke Schamberg. Thomas Osborne, Earl of Danby Marquifs of Caer marthen. Duke of Leeds. 16941 May 4, Arthur Herbert, Baron of Torbay, and Earl of Tor- 29. Godart Ginckle, Baron of Aghrim, and Earl of Athlone. 1691. Henry Capel, Baron Capel of Tewksbury, William Farmer, Baron of Lemfter, Feb. 20, 1692. Charles April 12. Ann. C. 1693. Charles Butler, Earl of Arran in Ireland Jan. 23. Butler of Wefton. Lord 1694. 1 Charles Earl of Shrewsbury Marquifs of Alton, and April 25. Duke of Shrewsbury. 28. Henry Herbert, Baron Herbert of Cherbury. 1695. and Duke of Bedford. John Holles, Earl of Clare --Earl of Bradford. -Marquils of Hartington, and Marq of Clare, and William Nalau de Zuleftein, Baron of Enfield, Viscount May 10. of Tunbridge. Ford, Baron Grey Viscount Glendale, and Earl of II. George Hamilton, Earl of Orkney in Scotland.: Sir John Thompson, Baron of Haversham Sir John Lowther, Baron Lowther, and Vifcount Lonsdale.. Arnold Fooft Van Keppel, Baron of Ashford, Viscount Feb. 10, Bury, and Earl of Albemarle. Sir John Somers, Baron of Evesham. Thomas, Baron Coventry Viscount Deerhurst, and Earl of Coventry. Edward Ruffel, Baron Ruffel, Viscount Barfleur, and Earl of Orford. Edward, Vifcount Villiers-Earl of Jersey. Dec. 24. and Earl of Grantham. Knights of the Garter elected in the Reign of King James Butler, Duke of Ormond. Frederic Schonberg, Duke of Schenberg. William |