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tences by the merchants of Amfterdam, Rotterdam, A. C. 1688and other maritime places: they were distributed among different ports, where the troops were ordered to embark, and the rendezvous were fixed in the road of Gorée, where the navy waited for their junction. The prince's correfpondents in England agreed to difperfe themselves into different parts of the country, on the first news of his landing, in order to excite infurrections against the government, and raise troops for his fervice; and he never doubted of being immmediately joined by fuch a number, as would enable him to make head against the king's army.

Notwithstanding all his fecrecy and difcretion, James is the French and English minifters at the Hague took alarmed. the alarm at those preparations, and communicated their fufpicions to James, who thought they had refined too much in their conjectures. He perfuaded himself that the intelligence his envoy pretended to have received, was no other than a rumour spread by his enemies, to divert him from the prosecution of his defigns. Nevertheless, he thought proper to flatter his people with the promise of a new parliament, and gave orders to the chancellor to iffue writs for elections, on the fifth day of September: but, as thefe writs were not expedited, in all probability he had no other design but that of amufing his fubjects. At this period, Bonre- He rejects pos arrived as ambaffador from France, with offers the proffered from Lewis, to affift the king with a fleet and the French army of thirty thoufand men against all invaders: but this was declined by the advice of Sunderland. He represented to James, that by introducing French forces into the kingdom, on the eve of a new parliament, he would entirely lose the hearts of all his fubjects; and run the risk of seeing his kingdom conquered by his auxiliaries. It was fup

pofed,

affittance of

king.

A, C. 1688. pofed, however, that by means of this minister, a new alliance was concluded between the kings of France and England. Mean while, James ordered his ambaffador in Holland to prefent a memorial to the States, defiring to know the deftination of their extraordinary armament. He received an anfwer, importing, that they only imitated the example of the king of England, who had lately equipped a powerful fleet, and affembled a numerous army, without explaining his intentions; and they, in their turn, defired to know the nature of the alliance which he had concluded with the French monarch. This answer in fome measure awaked the suspicion of James, who ordered the towns of Portsmouth and Hull, the two keys of England, to be put in a pofture of defence, and bestowed the governments of those places upon two Roman catholics: but he took no further precautions against the impending danger, and could not believe the prince of Orange would hazard a defcent.

The court of France, at the request of Skelton the English minifter, who acted on this occafion without orders, fent directions to the count D'Avaux, their envoy at the Hague, to declare, in a memorial to the ftates, that the intimate friendship and alliance fubfifting between the kings of France and England would oblige his master, not only to affift the English monarch, should he be attacked, but also to look upon the first act of hoftility against England, as à manifest violation of the peace, and a formal defign to break with France. The States returned an ambiguous anfwer, and demanded of the English ambaffador an explanation of the laft alliance between France and England. They made the fame demand of the English miniftry, by the mouth of Van Citters their

envoy at London. James, with the concurrence A. C. 1688, of his council, difowned the memorial of D'Avaux; and Skelton being immediately recalled from France, was committed to the Tower for his prefumption. Sunderland ftill argued, that the belief of fuch a connection with Lewis would ruin the king in the opinion of his fubjects. This advice fome writers impute to treachery. On the twenty-first day of September, the king iffued a proclamation, declaring his defign was to procure an entire liberty of confcience to all his fubjects; to maintain the English church, by confirming the acts of uniformity, without any other alteration than that of repealing the penal laws enacted against those who were not promoted to ecclefiaftical benefices. He likewife expreffed his readiness to consent to a law that should exclude Roman catholics from feats in the house of commons. This proclamation, which was not only ambiguous, but also self-contradictory, made no favourable impreffion upon the people, who expected redrefs of their grievances from the prince of Orange alone. The king of France had by this time fent a numerous army into the empire, under the command of the dauphin; and Philipfburg was invested. Barillon, the French envoy at London, advised the king of England to defire his mafter to abandon the fiege, and fend his forces to the frontiers of Holland; a motion that in all likelihood would prevent the expedition against England; but this advice was not taken. Sunderland ftill objected the jealoufy of the fubjects, as the friends of the prince of Orange had circulated a report, that the Dutch armament was destined to prevent the French from landing in England.

James being now convinced of the prince's. defign, ordered the navy to be manned and prepared

for

A. C, 1688. for fea; fet on foot new levies, and fent for fome

regiments from Ireland; appointed the earl of Feverfham general of his land-forces, and conferred the command of the navy upon the earl of Dartmouth. He directed the marquis of Albeville his minifter at the Hague, to affure the States, that there was no private treaty fubfifting between him and the French monarch; and to declare his readiness to concur with them in taking measures for maintaining the peace of Nimeguen. They paid no regard to this memorial. On the contrary, the penfionary frankly owned to the marquis, that the prince of Orange, in confequence of an invitation from the English nobility, was refolved o affist them in re-establishing the ancient conftitution, which the king had entirely altered fince his acceffion. When the minifter communicated this information to the king, adding, that the Hague was filled with English fubjects, waiting to embark in the prince's expedition, he and his whole council were overwhelmed with confternation: they no longer doubted that the invader would be fupport. ed by the majority of the kingdom; and being incapable of diftinguishing between their friends and the advice enemies, they knew not whom to truft. In this emergency, James affembled the bifhops of Win. chefter, Chester, Rochester, Peterborough, Ely, Bath and Wells, and defired their advice and affiftance. They obtained leave to go and confult with the archbishop of Canterbury, who was indifpofed, and promised to deliver their sentiments in writing. Mean while the king published a proclamation, informing the fubjects of a purpofed invafion; exhorting them to lay afide their animofities, and join with him against the common enemy, whofe intention was to enflave them; affuring them he would venture his life once more in their

He felicits

of the bishops.

de

defence; and giving them to understand, that he A. C. 1688. could not conveniently affemble the new parliament, until this ftorm fhould be overblown. In order to conciliate the affection of his people, he ordered the bishop of London to be re-established in his epifcopal functions: he appointed a new mayor for the city of London, becaufe Eyles the anabaptift was not agreeable to the citizens who were members of the English church. He affured the magiftrates that he would reftore their ancient charter; and he published a general amnefty, with some exceptions.

for the fa

On the third day of October, the archbishop of He takes Canterbury, accompanied by eight prelates whom fome steps James had confulted, was admitted to an audience tisfaction of at Whitehall, and prefented the king with the re- the people. fult of their deliberation, in ten articles of advice. They counselled his majefty to put the government of the different counties into the hands of perfons distinguished by their birth, and qualified by the laws of the land: To abolish the ecclefiaftical court: To recal all the difpenfations, by virtue of which difqualified perfons had been admitted into civil and ecclefiaftical employments: To revoke all the licences by which catholics were permitted to open public schools: To defift from all pretenfion to a difpenfing power, or refer it entirely to the decifion of parliament: To forbid the four apoftolic vicars to continue invading the ecclefiaftical jurifdiction, which belonged to the bishops of the English church: To fill up the vacant bishoprics and benefices with men of learning and piety: To reftore the charters which had been taken from corporations: To affemble a free parliament; and allow the bishops to offer fuch realons as might induce him to be reconciled to the English church, in which he had been born and educated. Though

thefe

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