ftore-fhips. During the conflict James repeatedly exclaimed with rapturous admiration, "See my brave English !" confcious, nevertheless, that he was viewing the extinction of his hops. Sir John Afhby, and admirat Allemond the Dutch commander, purfued the remainder of the French fleet, which efcaped with great difficulty, through the Race of Alderney. The lofs of the English and Dutch was altogether trifling. The only flag-officer killed was rear-admiral Carter, who fell in the first day's engagement, leaving orders with his captain, almoft in his latest breath, to fight the ship as long as fhe could fwim. At the clofe of the action, James returned in mournful filence to the convent of La Trappe, there to bury in folitude and despair the remembrance of his former greatnefs. "He now began,” as he expreffes himself in his Memoirs, "to perceive that Providence meant to lead him through paths of affliction to his grave." From the bofom of his retreat he addreffed a letter to the king of France, acknowledging that "this laft difafter had entirely overwhelmed him—that he knew too well it was his own unlucky ftar which had drawn this misfortune upon his forces, always victorious but when they fought for his interefts. He therefore entreated his most christian majesty no longer to regard as an object of his concern a monarch fo unfortunate as himself-but permit him to retire with his family to fome corner of the world, where he might ceafe to obftruct the usual courfe of his most chriftian majefty's profperity and conquests.” Louis endeavoured to alleviate his affliction by a kind anfwer, in which he generously promifed never to forfake him in the worst of his extremities.

Queen Mary was no fooner informed of the glorious victory gained at La Hogue, than fhe fent 30,000l. to Portsmouth, to be diftributed amongst the failors. She caused medals to be struck in honor of the victory, and as tokens to the officers; and ordered the bodies of admiral Carter and captain Haftings, killed in the battle, to be interred with great funeral pomp. A defcent upon the coaft

of

of France was also projected, and the troops actually, embarked on board the tranfports; but this scheme was, to the disappointment of the public, ultimately laid afide, and the regiments deftined for the fervice fent to join the army in Flanders.

The king had been received on his return from abroad with very great acclamation, notwithstanding the ill fuccefs of the continental campaign; the minds of the people being impreffed with the idea of the naval victory, and their confequent deliverance from a French invafion; and their admiration excited by the heroifm of the king's character, no less than their indignation at the atrocious confpiracy against his life. On the 4th of November, 1692, the parliament met, and were addreffed by the king in a very popular speech. "I am sure,” said this great monarch in conclufion," I can have no intereft but what is yours: we have the fame religion to defend, and you cannot be more concerned for the preservation of your liberties and properties, than I am that you should always remain in the *full poffeffion and enjoyment of them." At a very early period after the commencement of the feffion, the earls of Huntingdon, Scarfdale and Marlborough, who had been committed in May laft prisoners to the Tower, where they had lain during fome weeks, complained to the house of peers, that, on appearing before the judges of the King's Bench at the Michaelmas term preceding, the court had refused to discharge them from their bail, or to bring them to trial, conformably to the provisions of the Habeas Corpus act. On this great debates enfued; and the house came to a resolution," that no peer shall be remanded to prifon by the King's Bench upon his appearing before them by virtue of the Habeas Corpus act after having entered his prayer to be tried as the faid act directs, or kept under bail unless there be against him two witnesses upon oath or in a capacity to be fworn." A day being appointed to confider in what manner to difcharge the lords under bail from their

recognisance,

1

recognifance, the house was informed, that the king had given orders for their releasement.

The earl of Marlborough had been committed to the Tower, on the information of one Young, a prifoner in Newgate, who had, as it afterwards proved, framed the draft of a treasonable affociation to affift king James on his landing, to feize on the perfon of the princefs of Orange, &c. to which he had forged the names of archbishop Sancroft, the bishop of Rochester (Sprat), the earls of Marlborough and Salisbury, lord Cornbury, fir Bafil Firebrace and John Wilcox. One of his emiffaries had found means to fecrete this paper in the library of the bishop's palace at Bromley in Kent, where it was found by the king's meffengers. On the subsequent examination of this prelate by the privy council, the whole villainous impofition was detected, the bishop honorably discharged, the earl of Marlborough admitted to bail, and a bill of forgery and fubornation of perjury found by the grand jury of Middlesex against Young.

A misunderstanding having taken place, after the victory of La Hogue, between admiral Ruffel and the fecretary of ftate lord Nottingham; it was now transferred to the two parliamentary factions, and converted into a political and In the house of lords the interest of the party contest. court predominated, and the earl of Nottingham was com pletely exculpated. In the house of commons, the advantage remained with Ruffel. The lower houfe returned the papers of the fecretary of ftate tranfmitted from the lords, with the Declaration, that they had read and well confidered the papers in question, and had unanimously refolved, "That admiral Ruffel in his command of the fleets had behaved with fidelity, courage and conduct." They also came to a very pointed vote, "That his majesty be humbly advis ed, for the necessary fupport of his government, to employ in his councils and management of his affairs fuch perfons only whofe principles oblige them to ftand by him and his

right against the late king James and all other pretenders whatsoever." This was extremely invidious, and even unjust. According to the earl of Nottingham's explanation of his own principles, when the new fettlement took place, he could very confiftently obey that king whom the nation had elected; and he had in fact served him ably, zealously, and faithfully. And the vote could have no propriety, except the earl had in any point fwerved from the allegiance he had folemnly fworn, which might be affirmed of various of his adversaries with a much nearer approach to truth than of him. The house paffed another vote, probably as little acceptable to the earl, for an address to the king, "that in future all orders for the management of the fleet should pafs through the Admiralty." Alfo, in a grand committee, the commons came to an unanimous vote, " that there had been an apparent mifcarriage in the management of affairs relating to the defcent the last fummer." Yet on the ultimate criminatory refolution, "that one cause of the said miscarriage was the want of giving timely and neceffary orders by fuch perfons to whom the management of this matter was committed,” the friends of the earl of Nottingham fo vigorously exerted themfelves, that it was carried by a fingle vote only, viz. 165 to 164-fo that this deep-laid project of the whigs for the difgrace and removal of the earl of Nottingham proved abortive. The king, who well knew that the failure of the plan of defcent was afcribable to far other causes than the negligence or incapacity of the secretary of ftate, took a decided part in favor of the minifter, and difmiffed admiral Ruffel from the fervice.

In this feffion the affairs of the Eaft India company were refumed, and a bill ordered in for regulating, preferving, and establishing the Eaft India trade to this kingdom—which was in fact a bill for establishing a new company under new regulations. But the progrefs of the bill through the house was much impeded by the intereft of the old proprietors, and the whole business terminated in

an addrefs to the king, "That he would be pleased to diffolve the company upon three years' warning, according to the condition of their charter;" to which the king replied in ambiguous terms, declaring his intention, with a view to the good of the kingdom, to take this address into confideration.

A bill of a very popular nature was at this period brought into parliament by the whigs, whose oppofition to the miniftry became now very powerful, «for free and impartial proceedings in parliament," rendering all members of the house of commons incapable of places of trust or profit. This bill, the first of a long feries of Place Bills which met with the fame fate, paffed the house of commons without difficulty, and was, after vehement debate, rejected by the lords. The earl of Mulgrave exhausted his eloquence in a celebrated speech in fupport of the bill; concluding with the obfervation, "that, whatever fuccefs the bill might have, there must needs come fome good effect of it. For, if it paffes," said his lordship," it will give us fecurity; if it be obstructed, it will give us warning."

A bill of ftill greater importance was foon afterwards introduced by the earl of Shrewsbury, « for the frequent calling and meeting of parliaments." By this bill it was enacted, that a feffion of parliament should be held every year, and a new parliament fummoned every third year. It was therefore known by the appellation of the Triennial Bill. This bill paffed the lords by a great majority, and, contrary to the general expectation, was well received by the commons, notwithstanding the oppofition of the courtiers; for the whigs and the tories were now running a race for popularity. But the bill was extremely unacceptable to the king, who regarded it as a dangerous novelty, and a ferious invafion of his prerogative. When he came to the house, therefore, to pass the bills which were ready, after fuffering that in queftion to lie long on the table,

and