Voted an

Evil Coun

fellor.

firmed in his Opinion against it by the Judg ment of the House of Lords, who rejected it; Refolved, it was the Opinion of the Houfe, that there was no Security or Safety for the Proteftant Religion, the King's Life, or the well constituted and established Government of that Kingdom, without paffing a Bill to difable the Duke of York to inherit the Crown, and that to rely on any other Means or Remedies was not only deficient, but danger rous; that till fuch a Bill were paft, the House could not give any Supply without danger to the King's Perfon, extream Hazzard of the Proteftant Religion,and Unfaithfulness to those by whom that Houfe was entrusted; that all Perfons who advised his Majesty in his last Message to the Houfe to infift upon an Opinion against the Bill for excluding the Duke of York, had given pernicious Council to the King and Kingdom, and as fuch they named George Earl of Hallifax, Henry Marquefs of Worcester, this Henry Earl of Clarendon, against whom, as also against Lewis Earl of Feversham and Laurence Hide, Efq; they voted an Address to be prefented to the King to remove them from all Offices of Profit and Truft, and from his Councils and Prefence for ever.

But first a Prorogation, and then a Diffolution of this Parliament enfuing on the 20th of January, this Storm against the Earl and his Companious blew over, and fo continuing in favour with this Prince till his Death, he was, upon the Acceffion of King James II. his Brother in Law, to the Crown, preferred about Privy Seal the middle of February 1684-5, to be Lord Privy-Seal in the room of George Marquefs of

Made Lord

Halifax,

Hallifax, who was advanced to be Lord Prefident of the Council.

Ireland.

King James, as a farther Inftance of his Fa- Conftitu vour to this Lord, about the middle of Decem-ted Lord ber 1685. was pleased to constitute him Lord Lieute Lieutenant of Ireland, but he was at the fame nant of time to keep this Place of Lord Privy-Seal, for the Execution of which Office, during his Abfence, the Lord Viscount Teviot, Colonel Robert Philips, and John Evelyn of Deptford, Efq; were appointed Commiffioners.

The Earl in his Government of Ireland, be- His Gohaved himself with much Prudence, and a very vernment great Regard to the Proteftant Interest in that of Ireland. Kingdom, now begun to be openly invaded by Colonel Richard Talbot, afterwards Earl of Tirconnel, his modelling the Army, and filling it with Irish Papifts, as he pleafed, according to the Commiffion the King had given him for that purpose, independent of the Lord Lieutenant; who forefeeing that Tirconnel would in a fhort time have the Civil as well as Military Power of that Kingdom put into his Hands, bethought himself of confecrating the Chappel in the New Hofpital of Dublin, called Kilmainam, built for the ufe of old and decripid Soldiers or Invalids, after the Proteftant manner; hoping thereby to prevent its being converted to the Exercife of Popish Idolatry, which yet fucceeded not.

In the mean while the Earl of Tirconnel having established his Intereft in England fo as to obtain his Commiflion of Lord Deputy of Ireland about the beginning of the Year 1687, about the latter end of February arrived in Ireland; upon the News of which the Earl of H 4 Clarendon

His quitting the Govern

Clarendon fent for the Privy Council, to meet him at the Archbishop of Dublin's Houfe, and there refigning the Sword of State to Tirconnel. He made a Speech, wherein be thanked the Council for the Affiftances they had given him, of which be should not fail to give the King an Account, when he should have the Honour to kifs his · Hand, ment and He addreft himself then to the Lord Deputy, his Speech and faid, That it was extreamly to be laupon it. mented, that there was fuch Feuds and Animofities in that Kingdom, which he hoped his Excellency's Prudence, with the Assistance of fo Wife a Council would difperfe; that he might fay, both from his own Obfervation and the Information he had from the Judges, that there was great Readiness and Willingness in all People to ferve and obey the King; that the English in that Country had been afperfed with the Character of being generally Fanaticks, which was a great Infamy to them, that he must do them Justice to fay, that they were of the Church of England, as appear'd by their A&tions,as well as Profef fions; that the Churches there were as much frequented, and the Difcipline of the Church as well obferved as in England it felf, which was to be attributed to the Piety and Labour of the Bishops; that they of the Church of England could brag, that when Rebellion over-fpread the Three Kingdoms, not one Orthodox Member of their Church was against the Crown; and that in their late Diforders, they could Boat, they were Oppofers of the Bills of Exclufion, and that the Senfe his Majefty had been graciously pleafed to exprefs of their Loyalty, would

1

never be forgotten by them. He thanked 'God he was born a Member of the Church ' of England, and hoped he would give him Grace to die one: The English of that Coun. try had one thing to Glory in, that of all his Majefty's Subjects, they made the earliest Advances towards his Restoration, when Three Kingdoms were governed by Ufurpers, and after that all the Endeavours of his Majefty's Loyal Subjects in England feemed to be disappointed, and no Hopes appeared by the total Defeat of Sir George Booth, the English then in that Kingdom, offered to fubmit to his Majefty's Authority: He did not say that, to detract from his Ma'jesty's Roman Catholick Loyal Subjects, many of whom he himself knew, ferved and fuffered with him Abroad; but he spoke it in Justice to the others that did their Duty; that there was but one Thing more he should • trouble his Excellency with, that he was forry he could not fay, that he left a full Treafure, but that he could fay, that he left no no Debts; that the Revenues were in good Order, which must be owned to be due to the unwearied Industry and Diligence of the Commiffioners; that the Army was entirely paid to Christmas Day laft, and that he had advanced a Months Subfiftance for January; that the Civil and Penfionary Lifts were likewife cleared till Christmas: That he did ، not doubt but his Excellency's Care would carry all Things on in the fame Method; that he had received that Sword in Peace, ' and he thanked God, he did by the King's Command, deliver it in Peace to his Excel

i

⚫lency,

vy Seal.

lency, and heartily wifhed him Joy of the 'Honour the King had done him.

Deprived The Earl of Clarendon having been thus deof the Pri- prived of his Government of Ireland, foon after had the Privy Seal taken from him alfo, as being a Person that did not at all anfwer the King's Expectations and Designs in promoting Popery: The Privy Seal, upon the Deprivation of the Earl, was put into Commiflion, fo that he was fucceeded in the Dif charge of that Office by the Lord Spencer, Eldeft Son of the Earl of Sunderland, created a little before Lord Viscount Tiveot, in the Kingdom of Scotland, by King James; Colonel Philips and John Evelyn, Efquire. However, Made the University of Oxford thought fit, foon afHigh Steward ter this, to choose his Lordship their High of Oxford Steward, to whom he made a Prefent of the Vniverfity Manuscript Copy of the Lord Chancellor Cla

Was a

rendon, his Father's History of the Civil Wars, fince printed both in Folio and Octavo, and read generally with great Applaufe.

King James's Fate came now on apace; however, notwithstanding any ill Usage the Earl might receive at his Hands, yet when in the Convention held in the beginning of 1688-9, the business of the Abdication and gainst the the Vacancy of the Throne came to be argued Abdica in a Conference held between the Members deputed by the House of Lords and Commons for that purpose; the Lord Clarendon ftrenuoufly oppofed both the one and the other.

tion.

juror.

But King William and Queen Mary having obtained Poffeffion of the Throne, and both Houfes being obliged to take Oaths of Allegiance to them; the Earl of Clarendon, to a