fecret advices of particular perfons, who may have private interefts of their own feparate from the true interest of your majesty and your people." The king's answer expressed his high efteem for the conftitution, and the great regard he should ever pay to the advice of parliament→ affuring them" that he should confider all such persons as his enemies who fhould advife any thing that might leffen it." This was fo evafive, that a motion was made to address the king for a farther and more explicit answer; but, on a divifion, over-ruled by a great majority.

In the course of a tedious enquiry into the naval mifcarriages of the last year, lord Falkland, who had for fome time paft occupied the high ftation of first lord of the admiralty, fell under parliamentary displeasure. The admirals were exculpated; and Ruffel, after a fhort interval, and with unufual powers, placed at the head of the board. But the earl of Nottingham filenced, though unable to dif arm, the malice of his enemies, by the clearest and most fatisfactory vindication of his own conduct.

This feffion of parliament was rendered memorable by the eftablishment of a National Bank, under the denomination of the Bank of England; the original capital stock of which, amounting to 1,500,000l. was fubfcribed in ten days. This proved a very fenfible relief to government in matters of pecuniary concern, and raised furprisingly the valué of exchequer bills, tallies, and other government fecurities, which had fuffered under a great depreciation. The act however did not pafs without animadverfion. Some prophetic politicians intimated their apprehenfiors, "that an institution of this kind would foon become a mere creature of the government-that care would be taken to give it none but government operations-that on any sudden emergency, or even general panic, the bank might find itself unable to answer the demands of its creditors, and that the failure of a national bank must be attended with national ruin-that fuch an inftitution under the influence

,, of

of the executive government, would throw more real power into its hands, and add more facility to the projects of arbitrary and defpotic minifters, not to fay monarchs, than the erection of a citadel :---that the fhutting up the exchequer in the laft reign but one, after the bankers had been induced to deposit the money there, was alone fufficient to manifeft the danger of trusting any mighty mass of wealth within the reach of power :-and in fine, that from the time this new wheel was added to the machine of government, all its motions would be myfterious and unintelligible; and a very little cunning might serve to deftroy what all the wisdom and virtue of the nation could never restore.”

As no decifive meafure had been refolved on during the laft feffion to the prejudice of the Eaft India company, the proprietors flattered themselves that they had the beft of the contest. And they had in confequence made application to government for a new charter, to enable them to take in additional subscriptions to the amount of 756,000l. which was necessary to raise the aggregate of their capital to one million and a half, which had by a vote of the house of commons been declared neceffary for carrying on the trade; and had actually obtained an order of council to the attorney general for preparing one with fuch additional regulations as were previously agreed upon. But on the other hand, the antagonists of the company had preferred their petition to government, praying, as before, " for the establishment of a NEW COMPANY by a new, free, and national subscription; and declaring that the addition of new subscriptions to the imaginary flock of the company then subsisting would expose the new stock to the debts of the old; whereby the faid new stock might be fwallowed up, and the whole trade endangered." An application for a new charter was indeed become abfolutely neceffary on the part of the old proprietors, in confequence of their own egregious indifcretion. For, a bill being introduced for taxing the joint stocks of the

feveral

feveral public companies, and the capital of the East India Company being valued at 744,000l. it was urged in plea of abatement, that, were their debts paid, their stock would be worth little or nothing. The bill nevertheless paffed, with a fevere clause of forfeiture of charter in cafe of default of payment. Default being made, the charter became legally void, and the antagonists of the company maintained, that, being voided by Act of Parliament, it could only be restored by Act of Parliament. After a violent contest, and repeated hearings before the privy council, a warrant was at length prepared by an order of council for her majesty's fignature in order to the paffing the charter in queftion, and the great feal was affixed to the fame by the lordkeeper Somers, on the 7th of October, 1693. A petition was, however, presented to the house of commons by the indefatigable and perfevering antagonists of the company, on the meeting of parliament, containing allegations both against the legality and expediency of the new charter: and after vehement debates, in which the friends and foes of the company exerted themselves with alternate fuccefs, a refolution of the house paffed, amounting to a virtual fubversion of the charter, by declaring " that all the subjects of England had an equal right to trade to the East Indies, unless prohibited by act of parliament." But no cenfure was paffed either on the several charters granted to the company, or the manner of obtaining them :-nor was any project adopted for regulating the trade by authority of parliament for the future.

Ever fince the reduction of Ireland, almost every gale that blew had been freighted with the groans of the miferable inhabitants. The adminiftration of Coningsby and Porter had been rendered odious by fuch a feries of frauds and oppreffions, as would have difgraced the government of a Turkish Pacha. So powerful nevertheless was their interest at court, and with fuch plaufibility did they urge the neverfailing pretence of neceffity," the tyrant's plea for devilish

deeds,"

deeds," in extenuation of their measures, that a pardon was ordered to pass the seals in their favour. But this was arrested in its progress by the representations of lord Bellamont, and James Hamilton, efq. at the council board, who alfo petitioned the queen that all proceedings might be fuspended till the faid petitioners and many others of their majefties' liege fubjects of Ireland had produced their proofs against them. Coningsby and Porter on this thought proper to wave their privilege of a pardon. And at the ensuing meeting of parliament, Bellamont, who was himself a member of the house of commons, exhibited regular Articles of Impeachment against them, accufing the lords juftices of "traitorously abufing the power and authority with which they had been invested, &c." And a folemn hearing being appointed, and vouchers for each article produced; the house seemed greatly impreffed, and its indignation strongly excited by the enormity of the offences proved against them. Nevertheless, a refolution ultimately paffed, " that, confi dering the fate of Ireland at the time, they did not think fit to ground an impeachment upon them." This weak

and guilty vote was followed by the difmiffion of Bellamont, and the pardon of the delinquents.

If, however, the houfe was in this inflance too lax in its mo rality, they made what bigotry and fuperftition would doubtlefs deem an ample compenfation in their extravagant difplay of zeal for religion, by condemning to be burnt, nearly at the fame time, by the hands of the common hangman, a certain Socinian pamphlet called "A Dialogue concerning the Deity," or, "A brief Confutation of the Doctrine of the Trinity;" ordering a profecution of the author, printer, and publisher: thus deciding without knowlege, offering violence in oppofition to argument, setting up for judges of abstract truth, arrogating to themfelves a papal jurifdiction, and exercising an authority foreign to the very nature of civil government, whofe object it is to protect men in the enjoyment of their just rights; of which the free and

unrestrained

unrestrained investigation of truth is one of the moft facred and important.

The feffion terminated April 25th, 1694, immediately after which a grand promotion, civil and military, took place. The earls of Shrewsbury, Bedford, and Devonshire were created dukes; also the earl of Clare, and the marquis of Carmarthen, under the new defignations of Newcastle and Leeds. The earl of Mulgrave was made marquis of Normandy, with a penfion of 3000l. per annum. Lord Sydney was appointed master of the ordnance, declared warden of the Cinque Ports, and created earl of Romney. Mr. Montague, a man of rifing talents, and zealously attached to the whig party, was conftituted chancellor of the Exchequer. Two patents of peerage were at once conferred on lord Charles Butler, brother to the duke of Ormond, by the style and titles of lord Butler of Weston in England, and earl of Arran in Ireland. And the duke of Hamilton dying at this period, the blue ribbond worn by him was tranfmitted to the duke of Shrewsbury.

Early in May, 1694, the king embarked for the Continent; and, after paffing a few weeks at the Hague and Loo, took upon him the command of the allied army, which was ordered to rendezvous at Louvaine. Here he was met by the brother-electors of Bavaria and Cologne ; the latter of whom had recently, in oppofition to the utmost efforts of the French court, on the demife of prince Clement of Bavaria been chofen bishop of Liege. The army of the confederates, when completely affembled, did not amount to lefs than 90,000 men, excellently trained, and amply provided. The French, who were inferior in number, but confident in the abilities of their commander M. Luxemburg, had orders to act on the defenfive. The two armies employed feveral weeks in marches and countermarches; till at length marechal Luxemburg, croffing the Maefe, made a movement with his whole army on the fide of Liege and Maestricht. The king, knowing how well

!

thofe