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throne, not only on account of her undoubted right by descent, but likewise because of her many personal virtues and royal qualities. He said they were resolved to sacrifice their lives and fortunes in defence of her majesty's right against all her enemies whatever; but, at the same 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, ail parliaments do dissolve on the death of their sovereign, except in so far as innovated by an act in the preceding reign, that the parliament in being at his majesty's decease should meet, and act what might be needful 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 answered 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, withdrew with seventy-nine members amidst the acclamations of the people.

VIII. Notwithstanding their secession, the commissioner who retained a much greater number, produced the queen's letter, signifying her resolution to maintain and protect her subjects in the full possession 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 maintaining such a number of forces as might be necessary for disappointing the enemy's designs, and preserving the present happy settlement; and she earnestly recommended to their consideration an union of the two kingdoms. The duke of Queensberry and the earl of Marchmont having enforced the different articles of this letter, committees were appointed for the security of the kingdom, for controverted elections, for drawing up an answer to her majesty's letter, and for revising the minutes. Meanwhile, the duke

of Hamilton and his adherents sent the lord Blantyre to London, with an address to the queen, who refused to receive it, but wrote another letter to the parliament, expressing her resolution to maintain their dignity and authority against all opposers. They in answer to the former, had assured her, that the groundless secession of some members should increase and strengthen their care and zeal for her majesty's service. They expelled sir Alexander Bruce, for having given vent to some reflections against presbytery. 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 members. The faculty was severely reprimanded; but the whole nation seemed to resent the prosecution. The parliament passed an act for recognising her majesty's royal authority; another for adjourning the court of judicature called the session; a third declaring this meeting of parliament legal; and forbidding any person to disown, quarrel with, or impugn the dignity and authority thereof, under the penalty of high treason; a fourth for securing the true protestant religion and presbyterian church government; a fifth for a land tax; and a sixth enabling her majesty to appoint commissioners for an union between the two kingdoms.

IX. The earl of Marchmont, of his own accord, and even contrary to the advice of the high commissioner, brought in a bill for abjuring the pretended prince of Wales: but this was not supported by the court party, as the commissioner had no instructions 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 parliament after having thanked them for their cheerfulness and unanimity in their proceedings; and the chiefs of the opposite parties hastened to London, 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 preliminaries, importing, that nothing agreed on among themselves, should

therein specified, according 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 esteemed 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 remained in suspense.

§ LXVIII. With respect to Scotland, the clamours of that kingdom had not yet subsided. When the bill of abjuration passed in the house of peers, the earl of Nottingham had declared, that although he differed in opinion from the majority in many particulars relating to that bill, yet he was a friend to the design of it; and in order to secure a protestant succession, 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 parliament of Scotland now sitting, as the legality of it might be called in question, on account of its having been originally a convention; and that a new parliament should be summoned, that they might treat about a union of the two kingdoms. The king had this affair so much at heart, that even when he was disabled from going to the parliament in person, he sent a letter to the commons, expressing an eager desire that a treaty for this purpose might be set on foot, and earnestly recommending this affair to the consideration of the house; but, as a new parliament in Scotland could not be called without a great risk, while the nation was in such a ferment, the project was postponed to a more favourable opportunity.

§ LXIX. Before the king's return from Holland, he had concerted with his allies the operations of the ensuing 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 others grandees of Spain, would declare for the house of Austria. The allies had also determined upon the siege of Keyserswaert, which the elector of Cologn had delivered into the hands of the French: the elector of Hanover had resolved to disarm the princes of Wolfenbuttle: the king of the Romans, and prince Lewis of Baden, undertook to inrest Landau: and the emperor promised to send a powerB b b

VOL. I.

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ful reinforcement to prince Eugene in Italy: but William did not live to see these schemes put in execution. His constitution was by this time almost exhausted, though he endeavoured to conceal the effects of 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 under 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 Hampton court, where the fracture was reduced by Ronjat, his sergeant surgeon. In the evening he returned to Kensington in his coach, and the two ends of the fractured bone having been disunited by the jolting of the carriage, were replaced under the inspection of Bidloo, his physician. He seemed to be in a fair way of recovering till the first day of March, when his knee appeared 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, enacting, that their solemn affirmation and declaration should be accepted instead of an oath in the usual form.

LXX. On the fourth day of March the king was so well recovered of his lameness, that he took several turns in the gallery at Kensington; but, sitting down on a couch where he fell asleep, he was seized with a shivering, which terminated in a fever and diarrhea. He was attended by sir Thomas Millington, sir Richard Blackmore, sir Theodore Colledon, Dr. Bidloo, and other eminent physicians; but their prescriptions proved ineffectual. On the sixth he granted another commission for passing the bill for the malt tax, and the act of abjuration; and, being so weak that he could not write his name, he, in presence of the lord keeper and the clerks of parliament, applied a stamp prepared for the purpose. The earl of Albemarle arriving from Holland, conferred 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 my life.” In the evening he thanked Dr. Bidloo for his care and tenderness, saying, "I know that you and

"the other learned physicians 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 Tennison, and Burnet, bishop of Salisbury; on Sunday morning the sacrament was administered 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 Averquerque for his long and faithful services: he delivered to lord Albemarle the keys of his closet and scrutoire, telling him he knew what to do with them. He inquired for the earl of Portland; but, being speechless before that nobleman arrived, he grasped his hand, and laid it to his heart, with marks of the most tender affection. On the eighth day of March he expired, in the fifty-second year of his age, after having reigned thirteen years. The lords Lexington and Scarborough, who were in waiting, no sooner perceived the king was dead, than they ordered 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, being 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 in Westminster abbey. In the beginning of May, a will which he had intrusted with monsieur Schuylemberg was opened at the Hague. In this he had declared his cousin prince Frison of Nassau, stadtholder of Friesland, his sole and universal heir, and appointed the states general his executors. By a codicil annexed, he had bequeathed the lordship of Breevert, and a legacy of two hundred thousand guilders, to the earl of Albemarle.

§ LXXI. William III. was in his person of the middle stature, a thin body, a delicate constitution, subject 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 deportment 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 education, which

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