THE Royal Progress being re­solv'd on, and Preparations made accordingly, and the Gaurds sent away before to lie on the Road, the King left Kensington on Thursday the Seventeenth of October, 1695. and arriv'd at Newmarket the same Eve­ning; where the Eighteenth at Night happen'd a Fire, which began in a Sta­ble, but was soon extinguish'd, and the Damage it did was very inconsiderable. [Page 4]Several Gentlemen of these Parts came to wait on his Majesty, and to welcome him Home and to this Place, and then took occasion to Congratulate his Maje­sty on his taking the City and strong Ca­stle of Namur: The next Day was spent in Hunting, with which his Majesty was extreamly diverted. On Sunday, being the Twentieth, the principal Members of the University of Cambridge attended his Ma­jesty here, viz. at Newmarket, and the Vice-Chancellor made a short Congratulatory Speech upon his Majesty's happy Success Abroad, and his safe Return: And his Ma­jesty, in answer to it, was graciously pleas'd to give them great Assurances of his Royal Favour and Protection; after which they all had the honour to kiss his Majesty's Hand.

The next Moning, being the Twen­ty first, the King parted from hence, and arrived the same Evening at Althrop, [Page 5]in Northamptonshire, being attended by di­vers of the Nobility, and the principal Per­sons of the Country. This is a noble Seat belonging to the Earl of Sunderland, an ancient Family, the Spencers having long possest it; here his Majesty staid a whole Week: The concourse of Nobility, and Gen­try, and chief Inhabitants of Northampton (which is near this Place) is very great. The King took the Diversion of the Rural Sports two or three of the first Days, and on Thursday the 24th. his Majesty din'd with the Earl of Northampton at Castle-Ashby, a very fine House in the same County; and the next, being the 25th. the King did the Earl of Montague the Honour to dine with him at Boughton, a stately and magnificent Pile of Building: Here his Majesty was splendidly Entertain'd, and was attended with a great Number of the Nobility and Gentry of this County, whom his Majesty receiv'd very kindly, and told them, Their County was, in his Opinion, the finest in Eng­land, [Page 6] and, perhaps, in the whole World; that nothing made a Gentleman look like a Gen­tleman, but living like one. His Majesty thank'd them for their good Company; and, indeed, he had a great deal, for there was hardly any Body of Note that did not come upon this Occasion; and as my Lord Montague was shewing his Majesty his House, Painting, Carving, &c. the King told my Lord, 'Twas not good for One to set One's Heart on any of them, for neither He nor his Lordship should be there Forty Years hence to see them.

The 28th. his Majesty left Althorp, and came in the Evening to Stamford; but went (tho' out of his way) to see Burghly House, the Seat and constant Residence of the Earl of Exeter, who was come away to London; which his Majesty being inform'd of, was pleas'd to ask, if he had carried his House with him? answer was made no; Then, says the King, I'll go and see it; which [Page 7]his Majesty did twice, that night and the next morning, being extreamly satisfied with it: 'Tis a noble Pile of Stone Build­ing, built indeed about a hundred Years since by William Lord Burghley, but mighti­ly adorn'd and beautified by the present Earl of Exeter, who lives very Great and Nobly when there, like himself, and like an English Noble-Man; for loftiness of Rooms, great variety of Pictures, and fine Painting and Carving, done by the grea­test Masters of Italy, brought thence by his Lordship, maintain'd and liberally re­warded, for Terrasses, Conduits, Fish-Ponds, Fountains, &c. It may vie with, nay, is thought the best in England. The Painting and Carving are so curious, that some very great Travellers, and Men of exquisite Judgment, have affirm'd they have met with nothing either in Italy or in France that exceeds them. The Park is improv'd, by planting a multitude of Walks of Ash, Elm, Chesnut, and several [Page 8]other sorts of Trees. Through this Park passeth the old Roman Way, mention'd by many Authors, and so on to Walcote, above Berneck. At Wothorpe, a little distance from this the Earl of Exeter has another hand­some Seat, with a little Park wall'd about: It was built by Thomas Cecil, Earl of Exe­ter, and tho' not very small (for it was large enough to hold the late Duke of Buckingham and his Family for some Years) yet so mean did it seem, in comparison with the former, that its Pounder plea­santly said, He built it only to retire to out of the Dust, while his great House of Burgh­ley was a sweeping.

At Stamford the Mayor and Aldermen, attended with their two Burgesses, waited on the King, and had the honour to kiss his Majesty's Hand, and of welcoming him into those Parts, with all possible Demonstrations of Joy, by ringing of Bells, making of Bonfires, and setting up [Page 9]of Illuminations throughout the whole Town.

The 29th. the King din'd at Sir John Brownlow's at Bilton near Grantham, and came that Night to Lincoln, being at­tended by a mighty concourse of Peo­ple.

The 30th. in the Morning his Majesty left this Town, and went to Welbeck, ha­ving been met by the Duke of Newcastle Seven Miles off, at Dunham-Ferry, the En­trance into this County. The 31st. being the last Day of October, the King dined with his Grace the Duke of Newcastle at Welbeck, after having receiv'd the Diver­sion of Hunting in the Forrest of Shire­wood, where are an infinite Number of Deer, and Branchy-headed Stags; his Ma­jesty gave order for the filling up the Saw-Pits there, which are dangerous to Huntsmen. Welbeck-Abbey lies on the [Page 10]North-West side of this County of Not­tingham, about a Mile and a half from Workensop, a Town famous for the abun­dance of Liquorice planted and cultiva­ted there. Welbeck Abbey is a very noble Building, seated in the lowest part of a fine Park, surrounded with Trees of ex­cellent Timber, and was the Seat of Wil­liam and Henry, late (and also is of the present) Duke of Newcastle.

November 1st. his Majesty din'd at the Earl of Kingston's, and was nobly enter­tain'd.

November 2d. The Lord-Mayor and Al­dermen of York, in their Formalities, wai­ted on the King that Morning at Welbeck Abbey, being introduced by the Duke of Newcastle; the Recorder made a Speech to his Majesty, who was pleas'd to confer the Honour of Knighthood upon the Lord-Mayor, Gilbert Metcalf Esquire. In [Page 11]the Evening the Lord-Archbishop of York, with his Clergy, attended his Majesty, and congratulated his happy Success and safe Return, express'd their Gratitude for his Majesty's Care of the Church, who had show'd himself truly the Defender of the Faith; gave his Majesty great Assurance of their Zeal, and Loyalty to his Interests, and Government; pray'd for all Blessings to attend his Royal Person, and recom­mended Themselves to his Royal Prote­ction; which his Majesty was pleas'd to assure them of, as also of his good Grace, and Favour.

The Corporations of Newark and East-Retford attended the King, and kissed his Majesty's Hand: The Recorder of each Place congratulated his Majesty's glorious Success at Namur, and safe Return to Eng­land, and gave the King a most hearty Wel­come in these Parts; all which his Majesty took very kindly from them.

November 3d. The King left Welbeck in the Afternoon, and came in the Even­ing to the Earl of Stamford's House at Brodgate, where his Majesty lay that Night.

November 4th. About Nine this Night the King came to Warwick Castle to my Lord Brooks, being receiv'd with great Ac­clamations, ringing of Bells, Illuminations, Fire-works, and other Expressions of Joy and Respect.

The Mayor and Aldermen of Warwick met his Majesty at the Towns-end, and at­tended his Coach to the Castle, where the King was met Splendidly, and manificent­ly Entertain'd by my Noble Lord Brooks; who also provided a Bowl of Punch for the Towns-People, of One hundred and twenty Gallons, made in a Vessel call'd Guy Earl of Warwick's Pot. Great were [Page 13]the Acclamations of the People here; God­save King William; and, long live King Wil­liam, &c.

November 5th. The King left Warwick in the morning, being attended by my Lord Brook, several Gentlemen of the County, and the Magistrates, out of the Town, and some part of the way. The King din'd with my Lord Duke of Shrewsbury at Ey­fort, and in the Evening came to Burford, where his Majesty staid till the Eighth; when the King left that Place, and ar­riv'd in the Evening at Woodstock, having in his way seen Cornbury-House.

And on the 9th. in the Morning his Majesty came to Oxford, being met at some distance from thence by his Grace the Duke of Ormond, Chancellor of the Uni­versity, and the Vice-Chancellor and the Doctors in their Habits: As also by the Magistrates of the City in their Forma­lities; [Page 14]and the Complements of both be­ing made to his Majesty, by the Vice-Chancellor for the one, and by the Re­corder for the other, they proceeded on Horse-back before his Majesty's Coach to the Theatre, where a splendid Entertain­ment was provided, with great variety of excellent Musick; The Conduit of the City running all the while with Wine. The Thanks of the University were re­turn'd to his Majesty, for this Royal Fa­vour and Honour, in a very Elegant Latin Oration; And the Duke of Ormond, Chancellor of this University, presented the King, on his Knees, a large Bible in English, a large Common-Prayer Book, and the Cuts of the University, all rich­ly Bound, and Printed in Folio, at the Theatre; with a Pair of Gold-Fringe Gloves.

After Dinner the Vice-Chancellor, No­ble Men, and Gentlemen present, had the [Page] [Page] [Page 15]Honour to kiss his Majesty's Hand, and attended the King to his Coach, who was pleas'd to tell them, That this was a Visit of Kindness, not Curiosity; And there­fore He did not go to see the Colleges, having seen the whole University be­fore.

And so, after a short stay, his Maje­sty went on, and arriv'd at Windsor about Seven in the Evening, on the Ninth In­stant.

The King din'd with my Lord Godol­phin at Cranborn-House on Sunday the Tenth Instant, and held a Council at Windsor in the Evening.

His Majesty honour'd Sir Stephen Fox with his Royal Company at Dinner on the Eleventh, being Munday, at Chiswick, and return'd in the Evening to his Royal Residence at Kensington.

Having compleated his Royal Progress in Six and twenty Days, to his entire Satisfaction, having been bless'd with extraordinary Weather, with a Continuation beyond what was to be expected from the Season; and was re­ceiv'd every where, either as his Majesty pass'd, or staid, with hearty English Demonstrations of Respect, Zeal, Affection, and Fi­delity.

The Four Elements conspir'd to make the King's Journey Plea­sant and Prosperous; and never did his Majesty see so much real English Greatness, visible in the Magnificent Entertainments eve­ry [Page 11]where provided for Him, far exceeding what our Neighbour-Nations ever did, when ever their Monarchs vouchsafed them the Honour of a Visit; and, in­deed, thus much may be said now, and without the the least Tincture of Flattery, That this Progress will have happy and glorious Effects, by engaging the Hearts of all those of His Majesty's Subjects, who before had only heard what great Things the King had done for them, and all Europe, but now had the Honour and Happiness to see that excellent Prince, that was destin'd by Heaven to make this Renow'd Kingdom of En­gland [Page 10]flourish, beyond what it ever did in ancient Times; and to retrieve her Reputation, and make her Fame as lasting as Time it self; and, to crown all, to establish Us in an Honourable and Durable Peace.