ful insurrections in England whenever he should appear on the coast. They redoubled their instances when the new parliament discovered symptoms of refractoriness to the measures of William. They assured James, that to land in England only, was to regain his crown without contest; that the greatest part of the nation would immediately rise in arms and restore him to the throne. Lewis XIV. depending on these accounts, agreed to furnish an army and every thing necessary for a descent, in. sisting, however, that the jacobites should rise in arms before the French troops should embark. The duke of Berwick was dispatched by his father to England, to take the insurgents under his command. The troops intended for the invasion began to draw near to Calais and Dunkirk; 400 sail of great and small vessels were assembled from different ports, James himself, urged by Lewis XIV. arrived at Calais, February 20th.

During these preparations, a conspiracy for assas sinating William was framed in England by some ardent jacobites. They had long endeavoured, but in vain, to prevail upon James to give his assent to their design; he consented, however, to give to sir George Barclay, an experienced officer of undaunted courage, a native of Scotland, a commission for a general insurrection against king William and all his adherents. He came to London in the month of January, and chose for his associates one Harrison, a catholic priest, sir William Perkins, captain Charnoc, and captain Porter. They gained over some desperate Jacobites to form an armed party, consisting of forty men, and attack king William in the midst of his guards. The scene of the intended attempt was the lane between Brentford and Turnham Green, through which William usually passed on his return from Richmond; and the 15th of February was the day appointed for the exe.

and represent it as a scheme tending to prejudice all the subjects concerned in the wealth and trade of the English nation. The king replies to this remonstrance, that he had been ill served in Scotland, but that he hoped some remedies would be found to prevent the inconveniences of which they were apprehensive. Notwithstanding the king's answer, the commons, taking into consideration a petition of the East-India company, resolved that the directors of the Scottish company, in administering and taking in this kingdom an oath de fideli, and under colour of a Scots act of parliament, styling themselves a company, were guilty of a high crime and misdemeanor, and should be impeached for it.

The zeal of the commons for the English trade induced them to take into consideration the loud complaints of the merchants, who had suffered by the war; they resolved accordingly that a council of trade should be established by act of parliament, with power to take measures for the more effectual preservation of commerce; that the members of this council should be nominated by parliament, but none of them have seats in the house. William was very much exasperated by these resolutions, which he considered as an open attack upon the royal prerogative, of which he was no less jealous than any of his predecessors. He signified his displeasure to Sunderland, who, with all his adherents, declared for the bill. His majesty, far from suspecting that his favourite minister entertained a secret correspondence with the court of St. Germain, and had promised to oppose his measures in parliament, ascribed the conduct of this nobleman to his fears from the popular party. (Stuart Papers, 1695, Macpherson.)

At this critical juncture an unexpected event changed favourably the whole face of William's affairs. The malcontents incessantly urged king James to undertake an invasion, promising power

ful insurrections in England whenever he should appear on the coast. They redoubled their instances when the new parliament discovered symptoms of refractoriness to the measures of William. They assured James, that to land in England only, was to regain his crown without contest; that the greatest part of the nation would immediately rise in arms and restore him to the throne. Lewis XIV. depending on these accounts, agreed to furnish an army and every thing necessary for a descent, in. sisting, however, that the jacobites should rise in arms before the French troops should embark. The duke of Berwick was dispatched by his father to England, to take the insurgents under his command. The troops intended for the invasion began to draw near to Calais and Dunkirk; 400 sail of great and small vessels were assembled from different ports, James himself, urged by Lewis XIV. arrived at Calais, February 20th.

During these preparations, a conspiracy for assas sinating William was framed in England by some ardent jacobites. They had long endeavoured, but in vain, to prevail upon James to give his assent to their design; he consented, however, to give to sir George Barclay, an experienced officer of undaunted courage, a native of Scotland, a commission for a general insurrection against king William and all his adherents. He came to London in the month of January, and chose for his associates one Harrison, a catholic priest, sir William Perkins, captain Charnoc, and captain Porter. They gained over some desperate Jacobites to form an armed party, consisting of forty men, and attack king William in the midst of his guards. The scene of the intended attempt was the lane between Brentford and Turnham Green, through which William usually passed on his return from Richmond; and the 15th of February was the day appointed for the exe.

cution. But captain Fisher, and Pendergrass an Irishman, who were to be employed in the attack, communicated the whole plot to the duke of Portland. They were both examined by the king in person, and encouraged to mix again with their friends. William kept at home on the 15th of February, so the conspirators postponed the execution to the 22d. But the king having again remained at home, a panic seized the whole party; some fled, but others were seized the next night in their beds. A proclamation was issued for appre hending those who absconded, and particularly Barclay, who was entrusted with the commission, written in king James's own hand, but he could not be found.

William having received at the same time the most positive intelligence of the preparations made in France for a sudden invasion of this country, he communicated the whole to the parliament in a speech, informing them that he had given the necessary orders for the fleet, and for bringing home such a number of troops as might secure the kingdom from any attempt. The two houses, forgetting at once their ill humour in this circumstance, concurred in a joint address, full of expressions of the most unlimited zeal and loyalty, "promising their utmost "assistance to defend his majesty's person and sup66 port his government against the late king James, " and all other enemies both at home and abroad; "and declaring to all the world that in case king "William should come to any violent death (which "God forbid), they would revenge the same upon "all his enemies and their adherents, adding, as "an instance of their zeal for his majesty's service, "that they would give all possible dispatch to the public business."

The discovery of the plot in England immediately broke in France the whole scheme of the intended

invasion; and James, after having tarried some days at Calais, returned in a discontented state of mind to St. Germain, while admiral Russel with an incredible diligence, prepared a powerful fleet to destroy the men of war assembled for carrying James and the French army to the English shores. Russel, however, finding his projected attempt against the French fleet utterly impracticable, returned to the Downs, and the result of the expedition consisted of a new bombardment of Calais, which caused but little damage.

An act of association to the same purpose as the address was drawn up and subscribed by both houses. Thence it was carried all over England, and signed by all sorts of people, very few only excepted; as to enforce the signing of it another act was passed, enacting, "that no person should be "capable of any office or post of trust, civil or mili

tary, who should not sign the association." Besides the supplies, which were granted not only with liberality, but even with profusion, a new national bank was created by an act of parliament, for the purpose of raising money for the use of govern ment; it was called the land bank, as being established on land securities; but this measure did not succeed, and the public credit was much injured by it. The most remarkable acts passed this session, besides those already mentioned, were

A severe act for making void all the elections of parliament men, at which the elected had been at any expense in meat, drink, or money, to procure votes; another against unlawful and double returns of members to the house of commons; an act of indulgence to the quakers, that their solemn affirmation should be accepted instead of an oath. The king refused his assent to another bill, for regulating elections for members of parliament. The pro jectors of the bill made a motion, that those who