December.

I

My Lords,

Have defired you to meet here to advise the best manner how to purfue the Ends of My Declaration in Calling a Free Parliament, for the Prefervation of the Proteftant Reli-. gion, and restoring the Rights and Liberties of the Kingdom, and fettling the fame that they may not be in danger of being again Subverted.

Upon which it was refolved, That the faid Propofals fhould be further Debated the next Day in the House of Pee:s at Westminster. And Sir John Maynard, Mr. Holt, Mr. Polexfen, Mr. Bradford and Mr. Atkinson, five Counsellors at Law, were odered to attend them for their Advice.

The 22. the Lords Spiritual and Temporal Affembled at Westminster in the Houfe of Lords, and appointed Francis Gwin Efq; to Sign fuch Orders as fhould be from time to time by them made; which was thus figned by

Tho. Ebor. Northfolk. Somerfet. Grafton. Ormond. Beauford. Northumberland. Hallifax. Oxford. Kent. Bedford. Pem brooke. Dorfet. Devonshire. Bullingbrook. Manchester. Rivers. Stamford. Thanet. Scarfdale. Clarendon. Burlington. Sussex. Maclesfield. Radnor. Berkeley. Nottingham. Rochefter. Fauconberg. Mordant. Newport. Weymouth. Hatton. W. Afaph. F. Ely. La Ware. R. Eure. P. Wharton. Paget. North and Grey. Chandos. Montague.Grey. Maynard. T.Jermyn. Vaughan. Carbery. T. Culpeper. Lucas. Delamer. Crew. Lumley. Carteret. Ofulfton

Thefe Peers thus Affembled the 25th. day of December, Signed and Prefented to His Highnefs this Addrefs.

E the Lords Spiritual and Temporal Affembled in this Conjuncture, do defire Your Highnefs to take upon You the Administration of Publick Affairs both Civil and Military, and the Difpofal of the Publick Revenue, for the Prefervation of our Religion, Rights, Laws, Liberties and Properties, and of the Peace of the Nation; And that Your Highness will take into Your particular Care, the prefent Condition of Ireland,and endeavour by the most speedy and ef

fectual

fectual means to prevent the Dangers Threatning that King- December. dom: All which we make our Requests to Your Highness to undertake, and exercife, till the meeting of the intended Convention the 22d. Day of January next, in which we doubt not fuch proper Methods will be taken as will conduce to the Establishment of these things upon fuch fure and legal Foundations, that they may not be in Danger of being again Subverted. Dated at the House of Lords Westminster, the 25th. of December, 1688.

WE

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E the Lords Spiritual and Temporal Affembled at Westminster in this Extraordinary Conjun&ure, do Humbly defire Your Highnefs, to Caufe Letters to be Writ ten, Subscribed by Your Self, to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, being Proteftants, and to the feveral Counties, Univerfities, Cities,and Burroughs,Cinque Ports of England,Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed; The Letters for the Counties to be directed to the Coroners of the Refpective Counties, or any one of them; and in default of the Coroners to the Clerk of the Peace of the Refpective Counties; And the Letters for the Univerfities to be directed to the refpective Vice Chancellors, and the Letters to the feveral Cities, Burroughs and Cinque Ports to be directed to the Chief Magiftrates of each Refpective City, Burrough, and Cinque Port, containing Directions for the choofing in all fuch Coun ties,Cities, Buroughs and Cinque Ports,within ten days after the receipt of the faid Refpective Letters, fuch a Number of Perfons to reprefent them as are of Right to be fent to Parliament; of which Elections, and the times, and places thereof the Refpective Officers fhall give notice within the space of five days at the leaft.

Notice of the intended Elections for the Counties to be Published in the Churches immediately after the time of Divine Service, and in all Market Towns within the Respective Counties, and Notice of the intended Elections for the Cities, Univerfities, Burroughs and Cinque Ports, to be Published within the Refpective Places. The faid Letters and the Exe cution hereof, to be returned by fuch Officer or Officers, who fhall Execute the fame to the Clerk of the Crown in the Court of Chancery, fo as the Perfons fo to be chofen may

meet

December.

meet and fit at Westminster, on the 22d. day of January next. Dated at the Houfe of Lords, Westminster, December the 25th. 1688.

Both which were Signed by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal then Affembled, and prefented to His Highness the Prince of Orange the fame day at St. James's.

The 28th. of December, the Prince of Orange returned this Answer to the Peers then Affembled at St. James's.

My Lords,

Have confidered of your Advice, and, as far as I am a

until the Meeting of the Convention in January next, for the Election whereof, I will forthwith Iffue out Letters according to your defire; I will alfo take care to apply the Publick Re venue to the most proper ufes, that the prefent Affairs res quire; and likewife endeavour to put Ireland into such a condition, as that the Proteftant Religion, may be maintained in that Kingdom: And I affure you, that as I came hither for the Prefervation of the Proteftant Religion, and the Laws and Liberties of thefe Kingdoms, fo I fhall always be ready to expofe my felf to any Hazard for the Defence of the fame.

The 26th. The Knights, Citizens,and Burgeffes, who had ferved in any of the Parliaments in the time of His late Majefty Charles II. As alfo the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Fifty of the Common Council of the City of London, being defired by His Highness to attend Him this day. One hundred and Sixty Members, and the reft came all (but the Mayor who was fick) to St. James's, and were by Him acquainted with the State of things, and defired to repair to the Commons House at Westminster, where they chofe Mr. Powle for their Speaker, then fending to know what the Peers had done, the Ad dreffes, as above recited, were delivered to them, with which they concurred; And the 27th. they alfo prefented them to the Prince, to whom He gave the fame Anfwer he had gi ven to the Lords; the 28th. in the Afternoon.

The

The 30th. His Highnefs put out the ufual Proclamation for December. the continuance of the Sheriffs, Juftices of the Peace, and other Officers and Minifters (not being Papists) to act in their Refpective places till the Meeting of the Convention, or other Order to the contrary, Excepting alfo all fuch Offices or Places, where fince His Arrival in this Kingdom he had already, or fhould hereafter otherwife provide.

The 2d. of January He put out a Declaration for the bet- January.. ter Collecting the Publick Revenue, which I need not tranfcribe.

The stb. of January, His Highness put out this following Order.

FOR

sand

OR the better Preventing Disorders that may happen in any Burrough, Corporation, or other place of Election of Members for the intended Convention, by any Souldiers. Quartered in thofe places; And that fuch Elections may be carried on with the greater Freedom, and without any colour of Force or Reftraint; We do hereby ftrictly charge a require all Collonels and Officers in chief with any Regiment, Troop or Company, to caufe fuch Reigments, Troops, or Companies, to march out of the Qaurters where fuch Election fhall be made (the feveral Garrisons only Excepted) the day before the fame be made, to the next Adjoyning Town or Towns, being not appointed for any Election, and not to return to their firft Quarters until the faid Refpective Elections be made and fully compleated; wherein they are not to fail: as they will answer the contrary at their peril.

The Scotch Nobility and Gentry in or about London, were alfo by His Highness's Order Summoned to St. James's ;: where they met the 7th. of January, at Three in the Afternoon;, to whom the Prince made this Speech.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

HE only reafon that induced me to undergo fo great an Undertaking, was, That I faw the Laws and Liberties of thefe Kingdoms overturned, and the Proteftant Religion in eminent Danger; And feeing you are here fo many Noble men and Gentlemen, I have called you together, that I may

have

January.

have your Advice, what is to be done for the fecuring the Proteftant Religon, and Reftoring Your Laws and Liberties according to my Declaration.

Then they withdrew to the Council Chamber at Whitehall, and chole the Duke of Hamilton their Prefident; And after fome Debates Agreed the heads of a Paper, which they ordered to be drawn. The 8th. they met again, and the Pa per was Read and Approved, and ordered to be Ingroffed. The Earl of Arran propofed in this fecond Meeting, That it was his Advice, that the Prince of Orange fhould be moved to ́defire the King to return, and call a Free Parliament, for the fecuring our Religion and Property according to the known Laws of the Kingdom, which (faid he) in my humble opinion is the best way to heal all our Breaches, which was Difgufted by all and feconded by none of them.

The 9th. They met again, and Signed the Paper which was in thefe Words.

WE

the Lords and Gentlemen of the Kingdom of Scotland Affembled at Your Highness's defire in this Extraordinary Conjunction, do give Your Highness our humble and hearty thanks, for Your Pious and Generous Underta king, for preferving of the Proteftant Religion, and Restoring the Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom.

In Order to the attaining of thefe Ends, Our humble Advice and Defire is, That Your Highnefs take upon You the Administration of All Affairs both Civil and Military; The difpofal of the Tublick Revenues and Fortreffes of the Kingdom of Scotland, and the doing, of every thing that is neceffary for the prefervation of the Peace of the Kingdom, until a General Meeting of the States of the Nation, which we humbly defire Your Highness to call, to be holden at Edinburgh the 14th. day of March next, by Your Letter or Proclamation, to be Published at the Market Croffes of Edin burgh, and other Head Burroughs of the feveral Shires and Stewartries, as fufficient intimation to all concerned, according to the Cuftom of the Kingdom: And that the Publication of thefe Your Letters or Proclamation, be by the Sheriff or Stewart-Clerks, for the Free-Holders; who have

the