1 Gunfleet to the number of fixty fhips, commanded A. C. 168§, by the earl of Dartmouth. The prince now determined to land at Torbay; but in the night of the fourth, the pilot overfhot the Start-point, and the gale was fo fresh that it was found impracticable to beat up to windward. This accident would have obliged the prince to bear away for Falmouth, at the extremity of the island, had not the wind unexpectedly fhifted to the Weft, and conducted them into Torbay; while at the fame time it effectually hindered the English fleet to come down the channel. On the fifth day of November, the anniversary of the gunpowder-plot, the prince difembarked his troops at the village of Broxholme in Torbay. The baggage and artillery were fent to Topfham, the feaport of Exeter, and next day the prince began his march for that city, where however he remained ten days, without being joined by any person of confideration. The king no fooner received intelligence of his landing, than he ordered his troops to affemble on Salisbury Plain. In order to vilify the prince's power, he diftributed lifts of all the regiments that compofed his little army. Hearing the city of London, with the counties of Kent and York, intended to prefent addreffes, befeeching him to effect an accommodation with the prince of Orange, he publicly declared, that he would confider as enemies all thofe who fhould propofe fuch an accommodation. At the fame time he published a declaration, charging the prince of Orange with a defign to ufurp the crown of England. Mean time the ftadtholder paffed his time very difagreeably at Exeter: the bishop had quitted the place at his landing, and repaired to London, where the king created him archbishop of York. When doctor Burnet mounted the pulpit at Exeter, on the Sunday after the prince's S 2 A. C. 1688. prince's arrival, in order to read the manifesto, all the canons and great part of the congregation left the church. Very few Englishmen offered their services to the ftadtholder; and he met with very little fuccefs in raifing three new regiments of infantry. Though the people were generally well affected to his defign, the recent remembrance of the cruelties exercifed upon the partifans of Monmouth, in that country, deterred them from en gaging in any other enterprize against the govern Is joined by fons of dif. tinct on ment. On the tenth day after the prince's landing, when he began to deliberate about reimbarking, he was joined by fome perfons of confequence; among thefe was Edward Seymour, who proposed an affociation for the defence of the laws and liberties of the kingdom, binding the subscribers to ftand by the prince of Orange, and by one another, until, by means of a free parliament, their religion and privileges fhould be fecured in fuch a manner, as to fcreen them from any future danger of popery and flavery. This affociation was fubfcribed by all prefent; and from this day the prince's affairs affumed a more promising aspect. He began his march for Salisbury, and the number of his followers daily increased. Lord Colchester, fon to the earl of Rivers, Mr. Wharton, colonel Godfrey, and Mr. How, joined him with about fixty horsemen well mounted; these were followed by the earl of Abington, captain Clarges, and fome others. Lord Cornbury, fon of the earl of Clarendon, colonel of a regiment of dragoons, revolted to the prince with a good part of four regiments. Lord Delamere affembled his vaffals in Cheshire, and openly declared for the ftadtholder. Lord Lovelace began his march for Exeter, at the head of fourscore horse; but he was encountered by the militia militia at Cirencester, 'defeated, and taken prisoner. The two archbishops, five other prelates, the dukes of Grafton and Ormond, the earls of Dorset, Clare, Clarendon, Burlington, Anglesey, and Rochester; the lords Newport, Paget, Chandois, and Offulfton, meeting in London, drew up and prefented a petition to the king, befeeching him to convoke a free parliament, and take measures for fatisfying the prince of Orange. James declared, that he paffionately defired to affemble a free parliament: and promised, upon his royal word, that it fhould meet immediately after the prince's departure from the kingdom: but he said, this step could not be taken while the enemy was in the country, and had it in his power to influence the elec tions. A. C. 1688. army at This unhappy monarch was now involved in a The king labyrinth of fears and perplexity. The defection goes to his of his fubjects made a deep impreffion upon his Salisbury. mind. He had reafon to believe the army was infected with the fame fpirit: and he began to dif trust the fidelity of those who neceffarily enjoyed a great fhare of his confidence. Refolving to head his army in perfon, he recommended the city of London to the care of the lord mayor. He made a fpeech to his principal officers, in which he folemnly renewed the promise of affembling a free parliament. He told them, if they defired any thing more, he was ready to gratify their wishes: he declared, that if any of them were ftill diffatisfied with his conduct, and inclined to join the prince of Orange, he would fupply them with paffports, in order to fpare them the fhame of deferting their lawful fovereign. He left a council at London, composed of the chancellor Jeffries, the lords Godolphin, Powis, Bellafis, and Prefton; and fet out for Salisbury, where he arrived on the nineteenth day A. C. 1688. day of November. There he was complimented by the officers, who expreffed their attachment to him in the warmest terms, and their indignation at the desertion of lord Cornbury. Notwithftanding their affurances, he was expofed to the most uneafy reflections. He faw all his schemes blafted, his people melting from him, his friends falling off, and his family in danger of immediate ruin. His internal difturbance had fuch an effect upon his conftitution, that the blood gushed from his noftrils; and next day the fame symptom recurred. Returns to The officers forgetting their late profeffions, now defired the earl of Feverfham to tell the king, that they could not in confcience ferve against the prince of Orange, who aimed at nothing but the fecurity of the proteftant religion, and the liberties of the people. This was a mortifying declaration to the king, who thus found himself deprived in a manner of all refource. Feverfham advised him to fecure lord Churchill, whofe fidelity was queftioned, James had heaped fuch favours upon this nobleman, whom he had raised from obfcurity, enobled, and promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general, that he could not doubt his attachment. Next day, however, Churchill went over to the prince, accompanied by the duke of Grafton, colonel Berkeley, and feveral other officers. He fent a letter to the king, pleading confcience for his desertion but James imputed it to the fear of his falling fortune operating upon a mind that felt no ties of gratitude. He was now wholly abandoned by his fortitude, and returned to London in a state of dejection, after having published a proclamation, Promifing a free pardon to all deferters who in four and twenty hours fhould ieturn to their duty. This produced no effect; but he had the additional mor ; mortification to fee himself forfaken by his fon-in- A, C, 1688, law prince George of Denmark, who left him at Andover. The prince of Orange, who had advanced to Sherburne, receiving advice that the king had returned to London, and his army retired to Reading, marched towards Salisbury, which he entered amidst the acclamations of the people. In his route to this place, a fkirmish happened between two parties of the oppofite armies, in which the English gained fome advantage. The earl of Bath governor of Plymouth, admitted the Dutch fleet into that harbour. The earl of Shrewsbury and Sir John Guife expelled the duke of Beaufort from Bristol, by the affiftance of the inhabitants, who declared for the prince of Orange. The earl of Devonshire having affembled a great number of gentlemen in Derbyfhire, openly efpoufed the fame caufe. The earl of Danby fecured the city and county of York in the fame intereft. Their example was followed by Nottinghamshire and the town of Berwick. Hull was delivered into the hands of colonel Copley by the garrison, after they had arrested the lord Langdale their catholic governor. The prince received tenders of fervice from the duke of Somerset and the earl of Oxford. The duke of Ormond entered the city of Oxford, and ordered the manifefto to be read in public. Finally, the king was abandoned by his own Is abandondaughter Anne princess of Denmark, who escaped privately from Whitehall, and was accompanied by ter. the bishop of London to Nottingham; from whence The repaired to Oxford, where fhe was joined by her husband. She fent a letter to the queen, containing an apology for her retreat, and the warmest expreffions of duty to her father. When James was made acquainted with the flight of his favou S 4 rite ed by his own daug'1 |