Roads were fo bad, and the Froft that begun that Day fo very great, that his Majefty was forced to continue there till Friday the 7th; and on Sunday the 9th of the Month, his Majefty reach'd the Palace of St. James about 10 a-Clock at Night. He was congratulated the fame Night on his happy Arrival by the Prince, and the next and following Days by the Prime Minifters, the Nobility, the Bishops, and by the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, on which Occasion the Recorder made the following Speech.

May it please Your Majefty,

TH

HE Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen of the City of London, moft humbly intreat Your Majefty's Permiffion to congratulate Your fafe Return to Great Britain;

Thefe Your Majesty's most faithful and dutiful Subjects, have a juft Senfe of the many Bleffings they enjoy under Your Majefty's mild, prudent, and aufpicious Reign;

They beg Leave to exprefs their Satisfaction in observing that Your Majefty's Cares (while Abroad) have been extended, not only for the Welfare of your Subjects of this Realm, but that Your Majefty has fhewn a generous Benevolence for the Relief of the Injured, and for the Protection of the Diftreffed: That Your Majefty has espoused the Cause of Liberty and the Protestant Religion, and exerted your Vigilance and Zeal for preferving the Tranquillity of Europe.

Thefe Your Majesty's laudable Endeavours for the Benefit of Mankind, proclaim Your Majefty's Goodness and Humanity, and will be lafting Monuments of your Glory.

Your Majesty's most tender and fatherly Indulgence to your own People, will be always efteemed their peculiar Happiness, will be always attended with their most grateful Acknowledgments, with their fincere Affection to Your Majefty's Perfon, their hearty Endeavours for the Support of Your Government, and with their most ardent Wishes for the Continuance of Your Majesty's Health and Profperity.

To which His Majefty was pleased to return the following
moft gracious Answer.

I take very kindly this Mark of your Duty and Affection to Me: You may affure your felves, That My Endeavours fhall never be want

ing to promote the Trade, Profperity and Happiness of the City of London.

And his Majefty was at the fame time pleased to confer the Honour of Knighthood on Francis Porteen, Efq; Alderman of Aldgate Ward, and Jeremiah Murden, Efq; the prefent Sheriffs.

On the 20th the Parliament met at Westminster, pursuant to the Proclamation iffu'd out for that Purpose by the Lords Justices; and the King going to the Houfe of Lords, and being attended by the Houfe of Commons, open'd the Seffions with the following moft gracious Speech.

I

My Lords and Gentlemen,

HAVE had fuch frequent Experience of the Wisdom and Zeal of this Parliament on many important Occafions, that it is with Pleasure I now meet you again, and I make no doubt but that your Endeavours for the Good and Service of your Country will be as fuccefsful, as they have hitherto been.

The diftreffed Condition of fome of our Proteftant Brethren abroad, and the Negotiations and Engagements entred into by fome Foreign Powers, which feem to have laid the Foundation of new Troubles and Disturbances in Europe, and to threaten my Subjects with the Lofs of feveral of the most advantageous Branches of their Trade, obliged Me, without any Lofs of time, to concert with other Powers fuch Measures, as might give a Check to the ambitious Views of thofe, who are endeavouring to render themselves Formidable, and put a Stop to the farther Progrefs of fuch dangerous Defigns. For thefe Ends I have entred into a Defenfive Alliance with the most Christian King, and the King of Pruffia, to which feveral other Powers, and particularly the States General, have been invited to accede, and I have not the least Reason to doubt of their Concurrence. This Treaty fhall in a fhort time be laid before you.

By thefe Means, and by your Support and Affiftance, I trust. in God, I shall be able not only to fecure to my own Subjects the Enjoyment of many valuable Rights and Privileges long fince acquired for them by the most folemn Treaties, but effectually to preferve the Peace and Balance of Europe, the only View and End of all My Endeavours.

Gentle

Gentlemen of the Houfe of Commons,

I have order'd the Eftimates for the Service of this Year to be prepared and laid before you, which, from an Unwillingness I always have to put My Subjects to an extraordinary Expence by any unneceffary Precautions, are form'd upon the Foot of employing. no greater Number of Forces, than was thought neceffary the laft Year; for which, if the Supplies you give fhall be fully and effectually raised, I fhall be enabled to have a ftrong Fleet at Sea early in the Spring: If the Posture of Affairs hall at any time make it neceffary to augment our Maritime Force, I confide fo entirely in the Zeal and Affection of My Parliament, that I affure Myfelf you will enable Me to make fuch an Addition to the Number of Seamen, as fhall be found requifite.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

It is not to be doubted but the Enemies to My Government will conceive Hopes, that fome favourable Opportunity for renewing their Attempts, may offer from the Profpect of New Troubles and Commotions: They are already very bufy by their Inftruments and Emiffaries in thofe Courts, whofe Measures feem moft to favour their Purposes, in folliciting and promoting the Cause of the Pretender; but I perfuade Myfelf, notwithstanding the Countenance and Encouragement they have received, or flatter themselves with, the Provifion you fhall make for the Safety and Defence of the Kingdom, will effectually fecure Us from any Attempts from Abroad, and render all fuch Projects vain and abortive.

When the World fhall fee that you will not fuffer the British Crown and Nation to be menaced and infulted, those who moft envy the present Happiness and Tranquillity of this Kingdom, and are endeavouring to make Us fubfervient to their Ambition, will confider their own Intereft and Circumstances, before they make any Attempt upon fó Brave a People, ftrengthened and fupported by prudent and powerful Alliances, and, though defirous to preferve the Peace, able and ready to defend themfelves against the Efforts of all Aggreffors. Such Refolutions, and fuch Meafures, timely taken, I am fatisfied are the most effectual Means of pre venting a War, and continuing to Us the Bleffings of Peace and Profperity.

The

The next Day, the Houfe of Lords prefented the following Addrefs to his Majefty.

Moft Gracious Sovereign,

WE E Your Majefty's most Dutiful and Loyal Subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament affembled, humbly beg Leave to return Your Majefty our most hearty Thanks for Your moft gracious Speech from the Throne, and, with Hearts full of inexpreffible Joy, to congratulate Your Majefty upon Your happy Return in Safety to Your Kingdom.

We cannot without the higheft Satisfaction reflect upon Your Majefty's Concern for our diftreffed Proteftant Brethren abroad; our moft zealous Endeavours fhall never be wanting, that Your Majefty's pious Interpofition for them may produce the moft defired Effects.

We thankfully acknowledge Your Majesty's exceeding Goodness and Condefcenfion, in acquainting us with the Defensive Alliance lately made by Your Majefty for preventing the ill Confequences, which might otherwife attend the Negotiations and Engagements entred into by other Potentates, to the apparent Prejudice of this, Kingdom; and for Your Majefty's Gracious Affurance, that it, fhould be foon laid before us. Nothing can be more vain, than for any Foreign Powers to entertain the Hopes of rendring themfelves Formidable to Britain; Your Majefty having ftrengthened Yourself by fuch powerful Alliances, the Refolution and Fidelity. of Your Subjects being fo well known, and the late Marks of their Valour not yet worn out. We most humbly entreat Your Majefty to believe, that our Lives are not dearer to us, than Your Majefty's Honour; and that Your Majesty may at all Times with Certainty depend upon our ftrongeft Efforts, to maintain and defend it against all Powers whatfoever, who can fo far delude themselves, as to imagine that they may with Safety infult or menace the British Crown or Nation.

It is no Surprize to us, that the Enemies to Your Majesty's Perfon and Government are labouring to difturb the Peace of this Kingdom, if they can flatter themselves with the Profpect of any new Troubles or Commotions in Europe.

We can easily believe, that at fuch a Juncture new Schemes and Sollicitations are daily making, by the most profligate and aban

doned

doned of them, to revive the expiring Caufe of the Pretender; all which, we affure our felves, can have no other Effect, than to haften his Destruction, and the utter Ruin of all his perjured Ad

herents.

Your Majefty's conftant and unwearied Endeavours to perpetuate to us the Bleffing of that happy Tranquillity we now enjoy, and to maintain the general Peace and Balance of Europe, to preferve the Trade of this Nation, and to fecure to Your People the many valuable Rights and Privileges, to which they are entitled by the most folemn Treaties; oblige us to all imaginable Returns of Duty and Gratitude, and leave us no room to doubt, when we confider the prudent Measures Your Majefty has taken for attaining thofe great Ends, but that all Your Majefty's Endeavours will, by the Bleffing of God thereupon, notwithstanding any Attempts to the contrary, be crowned with Succefs.

To which His Majefty was pleafed to return the following moft gracious Answer.

My LORDS,

I heartily thank you for this very affectionate and Loyal Addrefs the World may be convinc'd by it, how fix'd and immoveable all your Purpofes and Refolutions are to maintain My Honour, and promote the true Interest of your Country: You may be affured of My conftant Endeavours to fupport the Proteftant Religion, to preferve the Peace and Balance of Power in Europe, to prevent any Encroachment on the Trade of My Subjects, and on all Occafions to increase their Happiness.

And on Saturday the Houfe of Commons prefented the following most humble Addrefs to His Majefty.

Moft Gracious Sovereign,

WE E Your Majefty's moft Dutiful and Loyal Subjects, the Commons of Great Britain in Parliament affembled, beg Leave moft unfeignedly to congratulate Your Majefty's fafe and happy Arrival in thefe Kingdoms: Nothing can equal the Dread and Anxiety which fill'd the Breaft of Your good People, whilft Your Majefty's Sacred Perfon was expofed to the Perils of tempeftuous

2

Seas;