THE HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN. CHAPTER I. WILLIAM AND MARY. State of the Nation immediately after the Revolution-Account of the new Ministry-The Convention converted into a Parliament-Mutiny in the Army-The Coronation, and Abolition of Hearth-money-The Commons vote a Sum of Money to indemnify the Dutch-William's Efforts in favour of the Dissenters-Act for a Toleration-Violent Disputes about the Bill for a Comprehension-The Commons address the King to summon a Convocation of the Clergy-Settlement of the Revenue-The King takes umbrage at the proceedings of the Whig-party-Heats and Animosities about the Bill of Indemnity recommended by the King-Birth of the Duke of Gloucester-Affairs of the Continent-War declared against France-Proceedings in the Convention of Scotland, of which the Duke of Hamilton is chosen President-Letters to the Convention from King William and King James-They recognize the Au thority of King William-They vote the Crown vacant, and pass an Act of Settlement in favour of William and Mary-They appoint Commissioners to make a Tender of the Crown to William, who receives it on the Conditions they propose-Enumeration of their Grievances-The Convention is de clared a Parliament, and the Duke of Hamilton King's Commissioner-Prelacy abolished in that Kingdom-The Scots dissatisfied with the King's Conduct-Violent Disputes in the Scotch Parliament -which is adjourned-A Remonstrance presented to the King-The Castle of Edinburgh besieged and taken-The Troops of King William defeated at Killycrankie-King James cordially received by the French King-Tyrconnel temporizes with King William James arrives in Ireland-Issues five Proclamations at Dublin-Siege of Londonderry-The Inhabitants defend themselves with surprising Courage and Perseverance-Cruelty of Rosene, the French General-The Place is relieved by KirkeThe Inniskilliners defeat and take General Maccarty-Meeting of the Irish Parliament-They repeal the Act of Settlement-Pass an Act of Attainder against Absentees-James coins base Money-The Protestants of Ireland cruelly oppressed Their Churches are seized by the Catholics, and they are forbid to assemble on pain of death-Admiral Herbert worsted by the French Fleet, in an Engagement near Bantry-bay-Divers Sentences and Attainders reversed in Parliament-Inquiry into the cause of Miscarriages in Ireland-Bills passed in this Session of Parliament. STATE OF THE NATION IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE REVOLUTION. 1689. HE constitution of England had now assumed a new aspect. The maxim of hereditary, indefeisible right was at length renounced by a free parliament. The power of the crown was acknowledged to flow from no other fountain than that of a contract with the people. Allegiance and protection were declared reciprocal ties depending upon each other. The representatives of the nation made a regular claim of rights in behalf of their constituents; and William III. ascended the throne in consequence of an express capitulation with the people. Yet, on this occasion, the zeal of the parliament towards their deliverer seems to have overshot their attachment to their own liberty and privileges: or at least they neglected the fairest opportunity that ever occurred, to retrench those prerogatives of the crown to which they imputed all the late and former calamities of the kingdom. Their new monarch retained the old regal power over parliaments in its full extent. He was left at liberty to convoke, adjourn, prorogue, and dissolve them at his pleasure. He was enabled to influence elections, and oppress corporations. He possessed the right of choosing his own council; of nominating all the great officers of the state, and of the household, of the army, the navy, and the church. He reserved the absolute command of the militia: so that he remained master of all the instruments and engines of corruption and violence, without any other restraint than his own modera. tion, and prudent regard to the claim of rights and principle of resistance, on which the revolution was founded. In a word, the settlement was finished with some precipitation, before the plan had been properly digested and matured; and this will be the case in every establishment formed upon a sudden emergency in the face of opposition. It was observed, that the king, who was made by the people, had it in his power to rule without them; to govern jure divino, though he was created jure humano: and that, though the change proceeded from a republican spirit, the settlement was built upon tory maxims; for the execution of his government continued still independent of his commission, while his own person remained sacred and inviolable. The prince of Orange had been invited to England by a coalition of parties, united by a common sense of danger: but this tie was no sooner broken than they flew asunder, and each resumed its original bias. Their mutual jealousy and rancour revived, and was heated by dispute into intemperate zeal and enthusiasm. Those who at first acted from principles of patriotism were insensibly warmed into partisans; and king William soon found himself at the head of a faction. As he had been bred a Calvinist, and always expressed an abhorrence of spiritual persecution,, the presbyterians, and other protestant dissenters, considered him as their peculiar protector, and entered into his interests with the most zealous fervour and assiduity. For the same reasons, the friends of the church becamo jealous of his proceedings, and employed all their influence, first in opposing his elevation to the throne, and afterwards in thwarting his measures. Their party was espoused by all the friends of the B lineal succession; by the Roman-catholics; by those of the exchequer, promoted in the sequel to the who were personally attached to the late king; and rank of earl of Warrington, was close and mercenby such as were disgusted by the conduct and per- ary. Obsequiousness, fidelity, and attachment to sonal deportment of William since his arrival in his master, composed the character of Bentinck, England. They observed, That, contrary to his whom the king raised to the dignity of earl of declaration, he had plainly aspired to the crown; Portland. The English favourite, Sidney, was a and treated his father-in-law with insolence and man of wit and pleasure, possessed of the most enrigour: that his army contained a number of foreign gaging talents for conversation and private friendpapists, almost equal to that of the English Romanship, but rendered unfit for public business by indocatholics whom James had employed: that the re- lence and inattention. He was ennobled, and afterports so industriously circulated about the birth of wards created earl of Romney; a title which he the prince of Wales, the treaty with France for en- enjoyed with several successive posts of profit and slaving England, and the murder of the earl of Es importance. The stream of honour and preferment sex-reports countenanced by the prince of Orange ran strong in favour of the whigs, and this appear-now appeared to be without foundation: that the ance of partiality confirmed the suspicion and reDutch troops remained in London, while the Eng- sentment of the opposite party. lish forces were distributed in remote quarters: that the prince declared the first should be kept about his person, and the latter sent to Ireland: that the two houses, out of complaisance to WilHam, had denied their late sovereign the justice of being heard in his own defence: and, that the Dutch had lately interfered with the trade of London, which was already sensibly diminished. These were the sources of discontent, swelled up by the resentment of some noblemen, and other individuals, disappointed in their hopes of profit and preferment. THE CONVENTION CONVERTED INTO A PARLIAMENT. ment was necessary, not only for the establishment of domestic peace, but also for the support of the protestant interest abroad: that the affairs of Ireland were too critically situated to admit the least delay in their deliberations: he, therefore, begged they would be speedy and effectual in concerting such measures as should be judged indispensably necessary for the welfare of the nation. The commons returning to their house, immediately passed a vote of thanks to his majesty, and made an order that his speech should be taken into consideration. After the throne had been declared vacant by a small majority of the peers, those who opposed that measure had gradually withdrawn themselves from the house, so that very few remained but such as were devoted to the new monarch. These, there fore, brought in a bill for preventing all disputes concerning the present parliament. In the mean time, Mr. Hambden, in the lower house, put the question, Whether a king elected by the lords spirWestminster, coming to and consulting with the said lords and commons, did not make as complete a parliament, and legislative power and authority, as if the said king should cause new elections to be made by writ? Many members affirmed, that the king's writ was as necessary as his presence to the being of a legal parliament, and, as the convention was defective in this particular, it could not be THE first resolution taken in the new council was to convert the convention into a parliament, that the new settlement might be strengthened by a legal sanction, which was now supposed to be wanting, as the assembly had not been convoked by the king's writ of summons. The experiment of a new election was deemed too hazardous; therefore, the council determined that the king should, by virtue of his own authority, change the convention into a parliament, by going to the house of ACCOUNT OF THE NEW MINISTRY. peers with the usual state of a sovereign, and proWILLIAM began his reign with a proclamation (1), nouncing a speech from the throne to both houses. for confirming all protestants in the offices which This expedient was accordingly practised. [See note they enjoyed on the first day of December: then B, at the end of this Vol.] He assured them he he chose the members of his council, who were should never take any step that would diminish the generally stanch to his interest, except the arch- good opinion they had conceived of his integrity. bishop of Canterbury and the earl of Nottingham, He told them that Holland was in such a situation [See note A, at the end of this Vol.] and these were as required their immediate attention and assistance; admitted in complaisance to the church party, which that the posture of affairs at home likewise, demandit was not thought adviseable to provoke. Notting-ed their serious consideration: that a good settleham and Shrewsbury were appointed secretaries of state: the privy-seal was bestowed upon the marquis of Halifax: the earl of Danby was created president of the council. These two noblemen enjoyed a good share of the king's confidence, and Notting. ham was considerable, as head of the church-party: but the chief favourite was Bentinck, first commoner on the list of privy-counsellors, as well as groom of the stole and privy purse. D'Auverquerque was made master of the horse, Zuylestein of the robes, and Schomberg of the ordnance: the treasury, admiralty, and chancery, were put in commission; twelve able judges were chosen; and the diocese of Salisbury being vacated by the death of Dr. Ward, the king, of his own free motion, filled it with Burnet, who had been a zealous stickler for his interest; and, in a particular manner, instrumental in effecting the revolution. Sancroft, archbishop of Canterbury, refused to consecrate this ecclesiastic, though the reasons of his refusal are not specified; but, being afraid of incurring the penalties of a pre-itual and temporal, and the commons assembled at munire, he granted a commission to the bishop of London, and three other suffragans, to perform that ceremony. Burnet was a prelate of some parts, and great industry; moderate in his notions of church-discipline, inquisitive, meddling, vain, and credulous. In consequence of having incurred the displeasure of the late king, he had retired to the continent, and fixed his residence in Holland, where he was naturalized, and attached himself to the in-vested with a parliamentary authority by any man terest of the prince of Orange, who consulted him 7about the affairs of England. He assisted in drawing up the prince's manifesto, and wrote some other papers and pamphlets in defence of his design. He was demanded of the States, by the English ambassador, as a British fugitive, outlawed by king James, and excepted in the act of indemnity: nevertheless, he came over with William, in quality of his chaplain; and, by his intrigues, contributed in some measure to the success of that expedition. The principal individuals that composed this ministry, have been characterised in the history of the preceding reigns. We have had occasion to mention the fine talents, the vivacity, the flexibility of Halifax: the plausibility, the enterprising genius, the obstinacy of Danby; the pompous eloquence, the warmth, and ostentation of Nottingham; the probity and popularity of Shrewsbury. Godolphin, now brought into the treasury, was modest, silent, sagacious, and upright. Mordaunt, appointed first commissioner of that board, and afterwards created earl of Monmouth, was open, generous, and a republican in his principles. Delamere, chancellor agement whatsoever. The whigs replied, That the essence of a parliament consisted in the meeting and co-operation of the king, lords, and commons; and that it was not material whether they were convoked by writ or by letter: they proved this assertion by examples deduced from the history of Eugland: they observed, that a new election would be attended with great trouble, expense, and loss of time; and that such delay might prove fatal to the protestant interest in Ireland, as well as to the allies on the continent. In the midst of this debate, the bill was brought down from the lords, and being read, a committee was appointed to make some amendments. These were no sooner made than the commons sent it back to the upper house, and it immediately received the royal assent. By this act, the lords and commons, assembled at Westminster, were declared the two houses of parlia ment to all intents and purposes: it likewise ordained, That the present act, and all other acts to which the royal assent should be given be fore the next prorogation, should be understood and adjudged in law to begin on the thirteenth day |