your service, and so leave them to your princely consideration."--Which the king being pleas'd graciously to permit ; the archbishop proceeded, as followeth, "Our first humble advice is ;

"1. That your majesty will be graciously pleas'd, to put the management of your government in the several counties into the hands of such of the nobility, and gentry there, as are legally qualified for it.

"2. That your majesty will be graciously pleas'd, to annull your commission for ecclesiastical affairs; and that no such court, as that commission setts up, may be erected for the future.

"3. That your majesty will be graciously pleas'd, that no dispensation may be granted, or continued, by virtue whereof any person, not duly qualified by law, hath been or may be put into any place, office, or preferment in church, or state, or in the universities, or continued in the same; especially such, as have cure of souls annext to them; and in particular, that you will be graciously pleas'd to restore the president, and fellows of St. Mary Magdalen college in Oxford.

"4. That your majesty will be graciously pleas'd, to sett aside all licences, or faculties already granted, by which any persons of the Romish communion may pretend to be enabled to teach public scholes; and that no such be granted for the future.

5. That your majesty will be graciously pleas'd to desist from the exercise of such a dispensing power, as hath of late been us'd; and to permitt that point to be freely and calmly debated, and argued, and finally settled in parliament.

"6. That your majesty will be graciously pleas'd to inhibit the four forain bishops, who stile themselves vicars apostolical, from farther invading the ecclesiastical jurisdiction, which is by law vested in the bishops of this church.

"7. That your majesty will be graciously pleas'd to fill the vacant bishopricks, and other ecclesiastical promotions within your gift both in England and Ireland, with men of learning

3

learning and pietie: and in particular (which I must own to be my peculiar boldness, for 'tis done without the privity of my brethren ;) that you will be graciously pleas'd forthwith to fill the archiepiscopall chair of York (which hath so long stood empty, and upon which a whole province depends) with some very worthy person: for which (pardon me, Sir, if I am bold to say) you have here now before you a very fair choice.

"8. That your majesty will be graciously pleas'd to su persede all farther prosecution of Quo Warrantos against corporations, and to restore to them their ancient charters, privileges and franchises; as we hear God hath put it into your majesty's heart to doe for the citie of London; which we intended to have made otherwise one of our principal requests.

"9. That if it so please your majesty, writs may be is sued out with convenient speed, for the calling of a free and regular parliament; in which the church of England may be secur'd according to the acts of uniformity; provision may be made for a due liberty of conscience, and for securing the liberties and properties of all your subjects; and a mutual confidence, and good understanding may be established between your majesty, and all your people.

“10. Above all, that your majesty will be graciously pleas'd, to permitt your bishops to offer you such motives, and arguments, as (we trust) may by God's grace be effec tual to persuade your majesty to return to the communion of the church of England: into who's most Catholique faith you were baptized, and in which you were educated, and to which it is our daily earnest praier to God, that you may be reunited.

"These (Sir) are the humble advices, which out of con science of the duty, we owe to God, to your majesty and to our countrie, we think fitt at this time to offer to your ma jesty, as suitable to the present state of your affairs, and most conducing to your service, and so to leave them to your princely consideration. And we heartily beseech Almighty God, "in who's hand the hearts of all kings are, so to dis

pose,

pose, and govern yours, that in all your thoughts, words, and works you may ever seek his honour and glory, and study to preserve the people committed to your charge in wealth, peace, and godliness;" to your own both temporal, and eternall happiness. AMEN.

We also doe heartily

concur.

H. LONDON.

P. WINCHESTER.
W. ASAPH.

W. CANT.

FRAN. ELY.

Jo. CICESTR.

THO. ROFFEN.

THO. BATH and WELLS.
T. PETRIBURG."

The consequence of the above advices was, the king's declaration in council, "that in pursuance of his resolution and intentions to protect the church of England; and that all suspicions and jealousies to the contrary may be removed, he had thought fit to dissolve the Commission for Causes Ecclesiastical, &c. and accordingly did give directions to the lord chancellor of England to cause the same to be forthwith done."

James's concessions were now as mean as his tyranny had been excessive. He restored the charter to the city with all its antient franchises and privileges; and to render this restoration as pompous as possible, ordered Jefferies to carry down the instrument of restitution and confirmation with the great seal of England affixed. But the wound in the constitution had been too deeply inflicted to admit of mere paliatives; a radical alteration of system was the only means to prevent relapse, and this was sought for in the Prince of Orange. His successes, and the desertions from James's court, were palpable indicatives of the public mind, the king therefore, having sent his family before him, relinquished his throne; and, in the deceitful caresses of a French court, preferred a life of pension and submissive meanness to the government of a great and free nation, which was naturally inclined to his person and family, and which he might have ruled with dignity and approbation, had not the detested councils of sycophants, and the effect

of

of his bigotry and malice, compelled his people to shake off an authority which his mal-conduct had rendered intolerable.

We close the subject of this disgraceful and disgustful æra of tyranny, with an anecdote highly expressive of the estimation in which James's conduct was held by the mass of his subjects. In affliction he had the meanness to solicit the loyalty of a citizen whose relations he had immolated; the reproach he received was unanswerable. It appears that Mr. William Kyffin was the grandfather of two amiable young men, executed for the rebellion in the West, with circumstances of peculiar cruelty. This gentleman, from his great eminence as a merchant in London, being thought to have considerable influence in the city, was therefore sent for to court by James, who told him, that " he had put down his name as an alderman in his new charter." "Sir," replied Kyffin, "I am a very old man; I have withdrawn myself from all kind of business for some years past, and am incapable of doing any service, in such an affair, to your majesty or the city." "Besides, Sir," (the old man went on, fixing his eyes steadfastly on the king, while the tears ran down his cheeks) "the death of my grandsons gave a wound to my heart, which is still bleeding, and never will close but in the grave*"

The nature of our work compels us to conclude this inauspicious reign, by denominating James II. peculiarly

THE ENEMY OF LONDON!

When those whom Heaven distinguishes o'er millions,
And showers profusely power and splendor on them,
Whate'er th' expanded heart can wish; when they,
Accepting the reward, neglect the duty,

Or worse, pervert those gifts to deeds of ruin,
Is there a wretch they rule so base as they?
Guilty, at once, of sacrilege to Heaven!
And of perfidious robbery to man!

Hughes's Letters.

MALLET.

LONDON,

LONDON, FROM THE REVOLUTION IN 1688 TO THE CLOSE OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.

JAMES, in every part of his conduct, had been inconsiderate; but none of his imprudencies were more glaring than his abdication. By this precipitate act he had done his utmost endeavour to involve the country in anarchy; at the same time that he discovered very plainly his aversion to calling a free parliament: and, added to these, the sending his son to France, manifested a fixed desire that the infant should be educated in the Popish faith; therefore every mutual tye between him and his people were consequently dissolved.

Upon his abdication from the throne which he had disgraced, about thirty of the peers and bishops then in town (being the only remaining authority of the state) met at Guildhall; and after a short consultation with the lord mayor and aldermen, resolved to adhere to the Prince of Orange, and send deputies to him, with the following instrument, which contained their intentions, and was signed and immediately published:

Declaration of the Peers assembled at Guildhall, on the Abdication of James 11.

"We doubt not but the world believes that, in this great and dangerous conjuncture, we are heartily and zealously concerned for the Protestant religion, the laws of the land, and the liberties and properties of the subject; and we did reasonably hope that the king, having issued his proclamation and writs for a free parliament, we might have rested secure, under the expectation of that meeting: but his majesty having withdrawn himself, and, as we apprehend, in order to his departure out of this kingdom, by the pernicious counsels of persons ill-affected to our nation and religion; we cannot, without being wanting to our duty, be silent under these calamities, wherein the Popish counsels, which so long prevailed, have miserably involved these realms: we do therefore unanimously resolve to apply ourselves to his highness the Prince of Orange, who, with great kindness to these kingdoms, so vast expence, and so much hazard to his VOL. I. No. 12.

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