Friday, February 2d, 1674.

HAving taken into Deliberation, by way of Resumption, what the Lords Deputies of the City of Haerlem Proposed to the Assembly, the 23d of January last past; Whether it would not be expedient, that the Charge of State­holder, and Captain-Admiral, of the Pro­vinces of Holland and West-Friezland; and Captain and Admiral-General of the Ʋnited Provinces, should descend upon the Heirs-Males of his Highness the P. of O­range, begotten in lawful Marriage, as by the Rolls of the same Date more amply may appear; We, the Body of the Nobility, [Page 34]and the Deputies of the Cities, in the Name, and in the Behalf of the Bur­ghers, and Commonalty of the said Cities, have Declared, and do Declare by these Presents, that having delibe­rately Considered the State and Condi­tion of the Government of these Coun­treys, as it was in former times, by the blessing of God, under the Most Illustri­ous Princes of Orange, of Glorious Me­mory, his Highnesses Predecessors; and particularly, what has befallen this Re­publick for these 23, or 24 years, last past, till now; we have observ'd, that this Republick has been afflicted with several Calamities and Disasters, as well Domestick, as Foreign, ever since the sad and unfortunate year 1650. That as to our Foreign Calamities, we have never been without Wars, or the Fears of Wars. More particularly, One most dreadful War, between the Kingdom of England, and these States; which shook the very Foundations of the Government of these Countreys; So that it hardly has reco­vered Breath, ever since the said War; and another against the Crown of Por­tugal, in the years 1656, 1658, and [Page 35]1659; and another occasion'd by the Interest of the Northern Wars. That in the year 1664, they had another New War with the King of Great Britain, and now this present War, more sad and fa­tal than all the rest. And that during the whole Course of the said War, this Republick has been forc'd to suffer ma­ny Affronts from her Neighbours, to whom she was before a Terror. That as to our Domestick Affairs, we have been overwhelm'd with Intestine Divisi­ons and Factions. That from the year 1650, to the year 1660, several Mem­bers of this Republick have had a parti­cular Aversion to the Person of the pre­sent Prince of Orange, the only Son of that Illustrious Family; and that Others, on the contrary, have zealously main­tain'd, that the said Prince ought not to be so ungratefully abandoned. That the King of Great Britain being recall'd to the Government of his Dominions, and passing through these Countreys, in or­der to his Embarking for England, this Republick testified, as well to his Ma­jesty, as to the Princesses Royal, and Dowager, that they would take particu­lar [Page 36]care of the Interest, and Education of his Highness; and to Restore him to the Dignities which his Illustrious Ancestors of Glorious Memory had enjoyed. But that after the Death of the said Princess-Royal, all Good will and Affection to­wards his Highness, was lost, and no fur­ther notice taken of him; till of late, that some Care was taken of his Educa­tion; and that, at length, towards the end of 1671, or 1672, Great Contests arose, about the Election of His Highness to be Captain-General of the Militia of this Countrey. That we have found, by sad Experience, that the said Intestine Divisions and Factions, have given an Occasion to the Enemies of this Repub­lick, to Affront us every moment, as knowing well, that they render us unca­pable to mind our Own Defence, by the Violation of that Union, which laid the Foundation of this Republick; and which God hath so Miraculously bles­sed. And that the Differences which a­rose every day, about the Election of Captain General of the Militia, and these Discords, which happen'd among the Principal Members of this Republick, [Page 37]were the Occasions, that Retarded and Hindred these Deliberations and Resolu­tions; Which of necessity ought to have been taken, to Repel Foreign Force, and made us spend in Idle Disputes, that pre­cious Time, that ought to have been better husbanded. That the said Divisi­ons were the Reason, that towards the year 1671, when the King of France o­penly declared, That he would make a War against this Countrey; we consu­med whole Months together, in Deli­berating about the Election of a Captain-General; and whether to pitch upon his Highness; which time ought to have been spent, in providing for the Defence of the State. And that for the same Reason it was, that the King of France invaded this Countrey, by Force of Arms, in the Year 1672, and reduced us to the last Extremities, and hazard of Total Ruine. That therefore the Lords and States of Holland have deemed it necessary, as the only Expedient that they can imagin, or hope for, utterly to pluck up by the Roots the Occasions of the said Factions and Divisions; to pre­vent their falling any more into those [Page 38]Misfortunes and Miseries, to which they have been hitherto exposed; And, on the other side, to acknowledge the Great and Glorious Services, which the most Illustrious House of Orange, has from time to time perform'd, for the Preservation and Establishment of this Republick. For these Reasons, the Lords of the Body of the Nobility, as also the Deputies of the Cities, have Unanimous­ly Conferr'd, and by these Presents do Confer, in the Name, and on the behalf of the Burghers and Commonalty of the said Cities, upon His Renown'd High­ness, and his Heirs male, begotten in law­ful Matrimony; the Charge of Stadhol­der, Captain, and Admiral General of the Provinces of Holland and West-Friezland, with all the Dignities, Preeminences, Prerogatives, Rights and Privileges thereto belonging, without any excep­tion or reservation, in as ample, and in the same manner, as the same Charge is at present executed by His Highness the Prince of Orange; And consequently, that after the decease of his said High­ness, (to whom, nevertheless, the States of Holland wish a long and happy Life, [Page 39]in all health and prosperity) the said Charge of State-holder, Captain, and Admiral-General of the Provinces of Holland and West-Friezland, with the Dig­nities, Preeminences, Prerogatives, Rights and Privileges thereunto belong­ing, without any exception or reservati­on, shall devolve and descend upon his Heirs-males, begotten in lawful Wedlock. In pursuance of which resolution, the said Lords of the Body of the Nobility, have ordered Letters-Patents to be drawn up, and Sealed with the Great Seal of the Provinces, &c.

Upon the same day likewise, the States of Zealand conferred the same Digni­ties upon him, and made him Hereditary Noble of their Province; upon which ensued the recovery of all the rest of the Places and Countreys yet remaining in the Enemies hands; which our Magna­nimous Heroe shewed as much Prudence and Policy, in clearing from Abuses, and Remodelling to their Antient Form and Order, as he had before shewn Cou­rage, and Conduct in their Recovery.

Thus, did both the French, and the De-Wits, and their Upstart-party, by those very Designs, that struck at the Ruine both of Him and his Countrey, by a strange over-ruling turn of Provi­dence, advance him to sudden Greatness, of a much higher pitch, than that they attempted to dismount him from; And his unjust Deprivation of all his Heredi­tary Honours and Dignities, became the occasion of his being afterwards invested with more abundant Honour: Which he always studied to make redound to the advantage and prosperity, and not (like his French Tyrannical Neighbour) to the Misery and Oppression of his Countrey. After this, the King of France, to repair his late Loss in the United Ne­therlands, by regaining fresh Ground in the Spanish Provinces, falling down with his Power into La Franche Comté, and Ma­stering that whole Province, before any sufficient Force could possibly advance to hinder him; and being returned for Paris, leaving that experienced, and Re­nowned General, the Prince of Conde in the Low-Countreys, with a Powerful Army of his Choicest Forces, to watch the Moti­ons, [Page 41]and thwart, if po [...]le, the Designs of the Confederate Ar [...] ▪ which now consisted of the United Forces, of the Imperialists, Spaniards and Hollanders, amounting in all to 60000 Men, under the Command of Three great Chiefs, viz. General Souches, His Highness the Prince of Orange, and the Count de Monterey, whereof, the Prince Commanded the main Battel, and the other Two Gene­rals, the Van and the Rear. There happen'd soon after, between those Two Potent Armies, the most fierce and furious fight of Seneffe; wherein the Great Prince of Conde's Valour and Courage was every way Matcht, and his Conduct, and Pru­dence, in several respects, out-done, by a General, who was yet but a Young Be­ginner in War. By which means he put a check upon that Fury, which guided, as it was, with so much skill in a General, equally fiery and experienced; and back'd with a numerous Army of veterane Soldiers, flush't, and bouyed up with continual Victories: Had it pro­ved successful, as but for the extraordi­nary Prudence, Courage and Diligence of the Prince of Orange, it most certain­ly [Page 42]had, would have overwhelmed Hol­land, and all the Low-Countreys, with a Second Inundation of French Violences, much more dangerous and remediless (as all Relapses commonly are) than the First. For, not to insert here all the particulars of that Dreadful Battel, of which there are so many well-penn'd Relations extant, it is certain, on all hands, That the Prince of Conde, tho he before were averse to a Fight, as be­ing very loath to expose the Glory and Honour he had won in so many Battels, by encountring an undaunted and vigo­rous young Prince, of Twenty three years of age, and knowing his Eagerness even in that early beginning of his Mighty Career, by making his first Tri­al of a pitcht-Battel, against so famous a Chieftain as the Prince of Conde, and by Victory over him, to open himself a secure and easie passage into the very Bowels of France, in order to revenge the Grand Injuries, both his Native Countrey, and his own Hereditary Prin­cipality, and other Patrimonial Lands, had received so lately from that Insolent and Unquiet Nation; and reflecting on [Page 43]himself, upon the account of the Civil and Foreign Wars he had been engaged in, not many years before, against Lewis the 14th, what severe Censures he would be obnoxious to, more than any other Commander, upon any Considerable Misfortune to his Army, which would have laid France open and Defenceless on that side, and would have been thought in him, a wilfull Miscarriage.

Though (I say) for these Reasons, that Great French Prince moderated his Natural Impatience to Fight; And, with Design to avoid a Battel, posted his Ar­my so, that he could not be any ways forced to it; yet, when he heard of the daily Clashings of the General-Officers of the Confederate Army; and how much the Well-advised Measures of our Couragious Prince, were disjointed and broken thereby; and found, that upon their Despairing to bring him to a Battel, they were Marching to lay Siege to some important place, within their New Conquests; and that in their March by him, they were forc'd to file through ve­ry narrow and most difficult passages; Letting the Van-guards Politickly pass, [Page 44]and some of the Main-Body too, quietly, without any disturbance, some Leagues before; he thought he had then a very sure prospect, of cutting off securely and easily, at least, their whole Reare; and accordingly fell upon them, with so much vigour and fury, and with such success, that in a few Moments, he routed, and broke in pieces, all the Spa­nish Cavalry, and the Foot sent to their Relief; who being so broken, fell upon the Dutch, and put them into such a terrible disorder, that could no ways possible be remedied by our brave young Prince; though it must be granted by all, that he used all imaginable means to do it, that Industry, Prudence, or Courage could suggest: And most certain it is, that had the Prince of Conde been con­tented with the success of that first Acti­on, the Victory was his, and the Confe­derates could no ways, at that time, as their Armies were posted, have Retalia­ted the loss to the French.

But the fiery General, of these last, be­ing encouraged by the hopes of a Com­pleat Victory, as thinking the Dutch, whom he looked upon, to be very despi­cable [Page 45]Soldiers, would never stand after the Spaniards were wholly Defeated, would needs make his whole Army ad­vance, and endeavour to force the Prince of Orange out of some advantageous Posts he had Seized, to stop the torrent of his Successes and Fury, and make a general Battel of it; whereby he gave occasion to our illustrious Prince, to catch his Lawrels from him, and by main Force and Courage, to wrest the Victory from one who before had it in his hands, and oblige him to retire with the loss of all the flower of his Army, under the fa­vour of the darksome Night; and to wellcome its approach for saving him from the disgrace of a total Defeat, tho 'tis most assured, he had not at all miss'd of his aim, but had ruined that day with an irreparable Slaughter, the whole Con­federate Army, had he had to do with a Prince with the least degree of less Vi­gour, Obstinacy, Activity and Con­duct, than himself.

And most certain it is, the Glory and Renown our Heroical Prince gain'd that day, is very great indeed; when so great a Master of War, as the Prince of [Page 46] Conde was, thought it a glory not to be overcome by him.

And indeed the Prince of Orange's Conduct and Example, must needs be confess'd by all unbiass'd Writers, to have produced the mightier Effects of the two on that occasion, since if the Prince of Conde's Behaviour and Example, kept up the Courage to admiration in an old Ar­my, composed all (as 'twere) of Captains, as much used to Victory, as to Fight: That of the Prince of Orange, restored it to a Miracle, in men altogether dispiri­ted and defeated; and in a few Mo­ments, made able Captains of those, who till that very Day, were hardly Soldiers, and knew not what 'twas to be in a hot Engagement; and animated them with such fresh Vigour, as to ra­vish away a glorious Victory, from an Army of old beaten and long experienced Soldiers.

All the while this Action lasted, our undaunted Prince gave all necessary Or­ders, with admirable Prudence, and ex­traordinary Skill; He neglected no means nor advantage, he could possibly improve, opposed a fit and speedy re­medy [Page 47]where ever there was occasion, and charged the French several times at the head of his Squadrons, with match­less Bravery and indefatigable Deligence; he stopt even his own Fugitives, that fell upon him, as well as his Enemies; and rallying them again, charged with them several times a fresh; he exposed himself as well as the Prince of Conde, more than the meanest Soldier, and Count Souches rightly said of him, That he fought with the Conduct of an old General, and the Courage of a Caesar.

His very Enemies said of Him, that if their Prince of Conde had multiplied him­self, he had met the Prince of Orange e­very were; and the Prince of Conde himself speaking of him, with admirati­on, said, That he had behaved himself in every thing like an old Captain, excepting his exposing himself unto too many Dangers, wherein he said, he had Acted like a young Man; though as old, as himself was, he was as guilty of the same fault, as he, and had committed more Blunders in Con­duct.

In fine, the French Prince was glad to leave him the Field of Battel, and Retire, [Page 48]and was so very cautious after that, of venturing another Engagement with him, though after both Armies were well re­fresht and recruited, that he declin'd it by all the waies and means he could pos­sible, and contented himself thence for­wards with observing only his Adversa­ries motions, and covering the Con­quests and Frontiers of France, against him, which was the main design of our redoubted Prince, could he have found so ready a Compliance, from the other confederate Generals, as was absolutely necessary for so great an Enterprise; how­ever finding he could not draw the Prince of Conde, to any more Battels, he laid a Siege to Oudenard, with intent to draw the French out of their Re-trench­ments to its Relief. Accordingly the Stratagem took so far, that the Prince of Conde having strengthened himself with some Detachments of fresh Forces, brought him by the Marshal D' Humi­ers, marching to attempt its Succour, the Prince of Orange, presently summoning a Council of War, advised the Confede­rates to march with him immediately out of the Lines, and attack the French, [Page 49]while they were now weary with their long and hard March; which, had they done in all probability and appearance, he had obtain'd a glorious Victory over them; and the Prince of Conde was so sensible of the certainty of the measures his Enemy had advised, that when upon the news they were broken, by the ill tim'd opposition of Count Souches, and the Imperalists, and a French Officer took occasion thereupon to tell the Prince of Conde, that our Heroical Prince was un­happy, he is reported to have uttered this prophetical Speech of him. 'Tis true, answered he, he is as unhappy as brave; but yet for all that, he would in time prove a General as formidable to France, as his Fore-Fathers had been to Spain; such was the judgment of this great and knowing Enemy, of his grow­ing Honour, and blooming Glory. And what Alexander King of Macedonia said to a certain Queen, that sent him most de­licious and Fare, Junkets curiously prepa­red, may at this time be truly applied to our illustrious Prince. Respondit seip­sum habere meliores obsoniorum artifices, ad prandium quidem [...] i. e. No­cturnum [Page 50]Iter, ad Caenam vero [...] i. e. tenue prandium.

Finding himself then balkt in his He­roical Designs, and main Ends and Scope, against the French Army, by the oppo­sition of the Imperial Officers, suspected strongly to be caused by French Intri­gues and Insinuations; His Highness the Prince of Orange moves towards Grave, the last remaining and strongest recepta­cle of the Gallicans in Holland, and the most resolutely defended by a stout Gar­rison of between 4 and 5000 Men, and took it in the space of about 16 days af­ter his Arrival, where he found 450 pieces of Cannon, whereof 100 were mounted, besides an infinite quantity of Corn and other Provisions; and of Powder, Ball, Granado's, and all war­like Ammunition, the French having hoarded up in that place, almost all they had brought away from their deserted Conquests; and thus he happily and glo­riously ended that Campagne.

After this, he faced more than once the main Power of France, led by the King himself, who tamely suffer'd him­self to be by him, even with advantage [Page 51]provoked to Battle, without daring to accept the Challenge; and (it cannot be denyed) had most certainly been attack­ed by him, in despight of all his precau­tions before Bouchain, had not the Town, contrary to Expectation, with too much inconsiderateness and precipitation fur­rendred, before he could possibly exe­cute his great and noble Design; and indeed it must be acknowledged, that he all along made much more vigo­rous and resolute Efforts, to relieve the besieged Spanish Towns, than the Spani­ards themselves did in defending them; whose Officers were too often either cor­rupted by French Gold, or not suffici­ently provided for by the fault and negli­gence of their General Governours, or else through the grand negligence and dilatory proceedings of the Spanish Court it self, whose Motto may well be Festi­na lente.

What he did afterwards in the Seige of Maestricht, is sufficiently demonstra­ted to the World, that had the promised Re-inforcements arrived to him, from the Dukes of Lunenburg and Bishop of Munster, upon which he depended, he [Page 52]had not failed through God's blessing reducing it: Yet so formidable was his Courage and Conduct, more than the number of his Forces, or the quality of his Army, to the wary French General Schomberg then sent against him, that he was contented only to relieve the Town without accepting Battel, though offer­ed it, as much fatigued and diminish'd, as were his Enemies Troops at that time.

The next Year, the French King ma­king use of the great advantage, his ab­solute Command over a formidable Bo­dy of experienced, well-disciplin'd and hardened Soldiers; and over the Purses of all manner of Persons, in his Realms and Dominions, had above those who acting in the Confederacy, met with a thousand delays, caused by different Counsels and Interests; and the Poverty and want of Power, in some of their Al­lies, falls in the very depth of Winter, with numerous and prodigious Forces in­to the Spanish Netherlands, and taking the strong Town of Valenciennes with an astonishing Celerity, sits down before Cambray, takes the Town, distresses the Castle, and at the same time, sends his [Page 53]Brother the Duke of Orleans, with ano­ther potent Army to besiege St. Omers, which were all three Towns of mighty Importance, that formerly extreamly gal­led the Frontiers of France; and this be­fore any of the Confederate Forces, could be got together, but such as might be drawn out of Holland, and some Neigh­bouring Spanish Garrisons. Yet notwith­standing these grand Disadvantages at this time our gracious and truly publick Spirited Prince, not willing the Interest of his Allies, and of his Country, should so deeply suffer without some attempt, to repell the dreadful Storm; he assem­bles such an Army, as he could possibly in so short a time, and in such haste, draw together, as we have said, of Dutch and Spanish Forces; and though he un­derstood the Duke of Orleans, leaving only some Regiments to guard his Tren­ches, and keep the Town blockt up, had posted the rest of his Army, in and about all the Avenues and Passages to the place, which were difficult to force, and were besides that strongly guarded with two Rivers, one behind the other; yet he passed the first River, with such speed [Page 54]and silence, that all his Army were got over before the Enemy perceived them; and afterwards, though the French were all drawn up in Battalia, not far from the very Banks of the second River, yet he most successfully made himself Master of the Abby of Pienes on the other side, and lodged his own Regiment of Dra­goons in it, which provoking the Ene­my to march out from an advantageous post to dislodge them, brought the Ar­mies at length to a Battel, wherein the Duke of Orleans found himself so hard­ly press'd by the Prince, that his best Troops about his Person gave at one time so much way, that (as I have been credibly informed) some persons of Note, that were of his own party in that Battel, reported, that when Prayers and Menaces would not avail or do, he had once Recourse to Sighs and Tears, to make them return to the charge against the Enemy. For which he could not e­scape the Raillery even of the King his Brother at his coming back, who could not forbear smiling at his Conduct, tho perhaps Lewis the 14th. would have been as much frighted at the Danger, had he himself been there as the other.

Certain it is, the French much exceed­ed in Number and Quality of Troops, having received the very night before a Re-inforcement of 15000 choice Men, from the Kings own Army; so that by the impartial report of the French them­selves, the Prince of Orange withstood that day, no less than 39 Battalions of Foot, and an 100 Squadron of Horse: And though the loss on the Confederate side was very considerable, yet several Squadrons of the Enemy were most roughly handled, in so much that the Adversaries themselves scrupled not to say and own, That if the Prince's left Wing had fought, with equal courage to the right, he might in all probability, have relieved the Town, and obliged the Enemy at that time to have quitted the Siege, if he had not entirely routed them; but a Regiment of new raised Soldiers, planted or posted in that Wing, were the real cause that his Highness had not all the Success in that Battel, which indeed his wise Conduct undaunted Courage, and indefatigable Industry de­served. However, all relations agree in this, That he performed all that was [Page 56]possible to be done, with such a small Army, and in such a place and juncture, against such a puissant Enemy, by the most Prudent, Courageous and daring Leader in the whole World. And that in the main Battel, were he himself com­manded in Person, he did Wonders, lea­ding on his Men at the very head of his Troops to the Charge, and hazarding himself to that degree, that he received two Musket Shots in his Armour. After the end of this Campagne, Heaven de­terminating to lay the Foundation of his present Grandeur and Glory, by giving a very precious Gage and Pledge of the Possession of those Crowns it intended, as the due reward of his truly Royal Vertues, and indefatigable pains for the weal of Christianity; so influenced the heart of our late King Charles the second of England, that in spight of the French Intrigues, and the secret Inclinations of the then Duke of York, her Father, to the Contrary, and to the surprisal and mortification of the French King, he be­stowed upon Him in sacred Marriage, the no less Virtuous and Accomplished, than the beauteous Princess his Niece, [Page 57]the Presumptive Heiress of the British Monarchy, an alliance of a much more dreadful prospect to the Aspiring Monsi­eur, than the loss of all his late Con­quests in Holland, Flanders, Brabant and elsewhere, and which threatn'd France it self, with an unpleasant Retaliation (in due time) for all her notorious Vi­olences.

This illustrious Alliance was solem­niz'd on the 4th. day of November, 1677. being the joyful Birth-day of his illustrious Highness, at eleven at Night; but so privately, that the People not knowing till the (Morrow, or) next Day, being the Anniversary of the Gun­powder Treason, made it a double Holy­day. (And since that, he hath made it a threefold Holy-day, or day of Re­joying, by his most happy Landing at Tor-Bay, &c.) as well upon the usual occasion, as to testifie their Joy, for so Blessed and Glorious a Match, from which even then, the whole Protestant Church throughout Europe, began cheer­fully to hope for the crushing of the Po­pish and French Power; as if the Prote­stants had known by some Prophetick [Page 58]Instinct, that Heroick Prince, unfeign­edly espousing their Interest, as well as their religious Princess, would one day become their most wellcome and glori­ous Deliverer and Defender, and make the memorial of the famous 5th. of No­vember, once more sacred and dear to them, by publick Benefits; no less signal than those by which it was first ennobled, above the common days.

After which the Prince well remem­bring how very necessary his presence would be in Holland, return'd thither with all the haste he could, with his most rich and gracious Acquest, that since has produced so much good to the common Cause, and the benefit of the Confederates, as well as of the two most potent Sea-Nations of Europe; where both He, and his Royal Bride were re­ceived with a Magnificence suitable to their High and august Quality; and with all the expressions and Demonstrations of Joy that could be expected from a People, sensible of their great Happiness in so illustrious and powerful Alliance. Upon their first publick entrance into the Hague, the Bridge was crowned [Page 59]with Garlands of Triumph, and an Arch was builded through which they passed, and on it was written.

And another Arch with another Motto. ‘Auriaci his Thalamis Batavis dos Regia pax est.’

Soon after his return, the French King being alarm'd at this Alliance, and the consequent preparations made by the King and Parliament of England, to oblige him to a just and reasonable Peace with his Neighbours, he himself with all speed dispatcht away a project of Peace to Ni­meguen, and getting it after some Demur, consented to by the States of Holland, by the influence of a Party that still co­vertly opposed the Prince, and by the discouragement the then posture of Af­fairs in England really gave the States, occasion'd by the Disturbances raised and [Page 60]fomented there, by the same French in­trigues to prevent the dreaded effects of the late Marriage; a Treaty was con­cluded soon after, that gave some respite to our renown'd Prince for several years, from his military Fatigues and wearisome Nights. And now to signalize himself, no less by the Prudent and advantageous reformation of abuses, and regulation of things relating to the Civil State of his Countrey, than he had been vigorous, and successful in the maintenance and defence of its Territories; but however, before that work was perfectly finisht, the delays and new difficulties made by the French King, to sign the Treaty, though according to his own proposals, caused a new League to be made between the States and King of great Britain; and gave the Prince opportunity once more to shew his wise Conduct, and match­less Prowess against that insolent and powerful Enemy, in a more glorious and successful manner than ever before; and well near to have made the French King pay dearly for his over refined and ill timed Politicks, with the loss of his now darling General Luxemburg's whole Ar­my; [Page 61]for the strong City of Mons having been long blockt, and very much di­stress'd by the French, and the Duke of Luxemburg, having taken his march that way, to hinder all Succours from it; his Highness made haste to the Army, then near the Canal of Brussells, where the rest of the Confederate Forces, had newly join'd the Spanish and Dutch Troops, and pursuant to a resolution taken for that Effect, in a council of War, march with an intention to attack and dislodge Lux­emburg, after he was joined a little be­yond Brussels with a re-inforcement of 6000 Brandenburghers, and Munsterians; but upon Advice of the Princes March, Luxemburg quitting his Camp, took up his head Quarters in the Abby of St. Denys, which was a Post he thought in­accessible, there being no coming at him but through Woods and Defiles, sur­rounded with Precipices; yet for all this, our redoubted Prince advanced to that Abby with his left Wing, and with his Right, faced Casteau, which the French likewise were posted in, and which was as difficult to force as the other; and as soon as ever he had ranged his Army, he first [Page 62]of all drove the Enemy from a certain Hillock, and then with some Canon, played upon another Party of them briskly, that endeavoured to maintain themselves on one side of a Cloister near St. Denys, who not being able to resist the vigour of the Confederate Dragoons, who drove them from their holds, and mastered the Cloister; whilst Adjutant General Collyers, back'd by General Del­vick, filed his men silently and speedily through the narrow Passages, and sliding with an undaunted Courage down the Precipices, repulsed the Enemy in spight of all the resistance, within their own lines. In the very midst of which, our renown­ed Prince with eager warmth and spirits enflamed, cryed out aloud, to me, to me, to encourage the coming up of the Re­giments that were to back the foremost; this fight on the left Wing continued till night with a great vigour, besides which Count Horn drew near, and played with his Canon upon some French Batallions in the Valley, with no small Executi­on.

From thence the Prince advanced to Casteau, which was Assaulted by the Spa­niards in the Right Wing; where his Highnesses Foot Regiment of Guards, and a Body of English, through Fire and Smoak, after an obstinate Fight of Five hours, Chased the Enemy, at last, from a Post they thought altogether impreg­nable, and pursued them a Quarter of a League, through a Field, and down a Precipice, where the River Haines runs, toward the farther side of Casteau. And our brave Lord of Ossory did surprising things, with his English, at a little di­stance from the Guards; where the French are said to have lost more Men than any where else; Nor were there a­ny other of the Generals that acted not like Heroes; But more especially the undaunted Prince, who, through whole showers of Bullets, thick as Hail, and Clouds of Fire and Smoak, adventured so very far, and press'd on with so much vigour in the Crowds, that he had been, in all appearance, slain, had not the brave Lord Overkirk interposed between him and a daring Captain, that was running full tilt at his Highness, and laid the [Page 64]bold Champion in the silent Dust, for his attempt.

The Cavalry, in this Fight, had no convenience to be serviceable, because of the Narrowness of the Passages, and steep Descents of the Ground; but all was acted by the Foot, and Dragoons. The Night alone put a period to the Bloody Fray, and parted the Furious Assaults of each Valiant Captain, under the Co­vert of which, the poor Surprised and Astonished Luxemburg, retreated with silence, and extream Confusion, nearer to Mons, to secure himself, between a Wood on one side, and a River on the other, leaving to the Prince of Orange the Marks of Victory, as the Field of Bat­tel, and most part of his wounded Men, and part of his Tents, Baggage, and Match, Powder and Ammunition.

The States-General, on the News of this Fortunate Blow, to such a proud and fierce Enemy, sent Commissioners to his Illustrious Highness, to Congratulate his happy Victory, which he had won with so much Renown, and to thank him for his most Careful and Prudent Conduct, in such a long, Bloody and Ob­stinate [Page 65]Action; and also to Conjure him, in tender Consideration, to the Prosperi­ty and Tranquility of his Country, and Wellfare of the Reform'd Religion, which seem'd, as 'twere, to be tied to the thread of his precious Life, that he would be more careful of his own most dear Person; And accordingly to shew the World, how great a value they set upon his Preserva­tion; they presented the Lord Overkirk, who had so Valiantly Defended him, and saved his highly esteemed Life, with a Rich Sword, hilted with Massie-Gold, a pair of Pistols, Richly and Curiously In­lay'd with Gold, and a pair of Horse-Buckles of the very same.

Nor had our brave Prince contented himself only to have obliged Luxemburg to retire, without further pursuing his Advantages; had not he, whilst he was consulting what to do, Received Advice, That the Peace was really made and Ra­tified, between the French King, and the States some days since, which made the French draw off to the Sambre, and the Prince towards Nivelle; from whence he returned to the Hague, applying his Care thence forward, solely to the Ma­nagement [Page 66]of the Civil Government; till the breaking out of this last Perfidious War, upon Occasion of the Manifest vio­lation of both the said Peace, and Suc­ceeding Truce, by the most Unjust Vio­lences of the French, and their Grand Barbarities; Renewed in the Palatinate, and the Diocess of Cologne; and by the Siege and Surprisal of Phillipsburg.

But that which advances the Mighty and Glorious Atchievements of this, now most excellent Monarch, to a pitch of Glory and Greatness, above those of any other Heroe of this present Age, or perhaps of any former; is, that he has given such Convincing Proofs, and Un­denyable Testimonies, to the whole World, of their flowing merely from a pure, and untainted Principle of zeal to his Countrey, to true Religion, Virtue, and the Publick Good. That he has left neither Friends nor Enemies, any room to doubt of it, or call it in Que­stion; since in the very lowest Ebb of his Fortune, neither the multiplyed and insulting Injuries, and repeated Affronts, of an Ungrateful Countrey; Nor, the small prospect he had of saving even his [Page 67]Patrimonial Estate, any other way; nor, all the fair ample and magnificent Pro­mises of two Mighty Kings, could make him accept of Grandeur, at the Expence of the Liberty and Privileges, though of a very unthankful People, that had sometime stript him of his Ancient Here­ditary Rights and Dignities; and since, no Motives at all could possibly prevail with him, to accept of Soveraignty, in a Free-State, that his Glorious and Re­nowned Ancestors made, and himself found so; Neither from the full Grant of a Conquering Invader; Nor yet, from the Free Donation of the People themselves; And though the French Ty­rant, even since the Peace of Nimeguen, and the following Truce; and before the breaking out, or eruption of this last War, most contrary to the express Treaty, very Notoriously oppress'd, spoil­ed and ravaged; not only his Soveraign Principality of Orange, but all his other Lands and Lordships, Dominions and Privileges in the Netherlands, and else­where; yet such was his Princely Mind­edness and Patience, that he did never move the States into any New quarrel, [Page 68]to redress his own wrongs; Nor so much as put them upon proposing any New Articles, in his particular Cause, or Fa­vour; Even at the very making of the Peace, though all the Transactions of it were managed in his Presence, and his Advice still asked about them. Yet, I say, such was his goodness, never did he insist upon any peculiar Articles, to be inserted for himself, That might be thought, peradventure, to retard the Conclusion of a Treaty; but with a Ge­nerosity without, and beyond all Exam­ple; while others preferr'd points of Ho­nour, and private Interest, before the Common Peace and Good; He even Quitted his own Pretensions, and Post­pon'd the most Just Demands of Repa­ration, for the Devastation of his own proper Demeans and Territories, to the Necessities of his Countrey; like another Codrus, in some sense laying down his Prerogatives and Privileges for their Benefit, and Jeoparding his own Life for their Good: And what is said of that Noble Consul Publius Decius, may well be applyed to him; who, when he saw his Army greatly discomfited, and [Page 69]almost Overcome, redoubled his Valour, Courage, and was most ready and wil­ling, to hazard his own precious Life, to save his Countrey from danger and de­struction.

How exceeding happy were it for their People, if all Princes; and how wonderful happy for all Princes, if all private Persons, were but half so publick-spirited, and so wholly and perfectly re­sign'd to the Exigence of the Common Good; as was this Great and Incompa­rable Prince, even from his very Cradle? Whose Right-Noble, and Unparallell'd steps, having traced through the vari­ous and strange Revolutions of Holland; Let us now further pursue, in his more Glorious Advances, in the most Memora­ble Revolution of Great Britain; where his Gratuitous, and truly Heroical Cha­rity, and not his Ambition, have raised Him to a Throne He never sought for, but in Vindication of these Nations Rights, more than His own private Ends.

Thus our Constantine had hitherto been chiefly on the Defensive part, and [Page 70]at the Heads of Armies, He was not the absolute Sovereign of; yet, notwith­standing all the many Intrigues and Fa­ctions, devis'd and form'd against him, Maugre all the Malice of his open, and secret Adversaries; He restored a Torn, and tottering State, or Republick, to its former Peace and Prosperity; and forc'd his own, and his Countreys grandest, and most Politick Enemy, in the very midst of his Triumphant Career, to give back, and even quit all his Encroachments in the Ʋnited Netherlands; with far more Precipitation, than he had at first seized them with Celerity. Though it was such, as had at that time, surpriz'd the whole World. But (blessed, and for ever bles­sed be God) now a more glorious, and delightful Scene opens it self; And to put him, in a fair, or suitable condition, to attack that proud and insulting Ad­versary in his turn; as well as tamely to ward off his furious and cunning passes; Kind Providence leads him on, with a much more wonderful Career and Suc­cess, even swifter than Fame it self, to seize the Enemies strongest Bulworks, (As was Great Britain to the French [Page 71]Monarch at that time; If I may with­out offence call it so) by the General Consent, and Invitation of his Nobles, Mi­nisters, and Friends, made privy to it; And there drops two Crowns (with a glorious and happy Reverse of things, and an unexpected Liberty to all his Subjects) upon his Heroical Head, short­ly to be further Graced, and Guarded by the addition of a Third, to make him the fitter Match, both to Grapple with the Tripple Crown of Rome, and the Iron Scepter of France.

And in order to bring about this great and astonishing Design, which Hea­ven seem'd to have promised him some­time before, by those no less than Mira­culous Phoenomena's, or Apparitions of Glorious Crowns in the Air, over the City of Orange, in two different years; As is related in two Narratives, of Au­thentick Credit; to which, as well known to the Curious, I referr. The Great and Almighty Disposer of Kingdoms, and Just Governour of the whole World, seems to have employed a Chain of Cau­ses, all composed of Miracles, from one end to the other; or, at least, of Inci­dents, [Page 72]and Events, as much beyond the Comprehension, as the Expectation, both of Friends and Enemies; For as when the Tyrant Maxentius, and other Pagan Persecutors, had filled up the mea­sure of their Cruelties, God (in his infi­nite Goodness and Mercy) was pleased to make, not only part of the Imperi­al Authority to devolve upon Constantine, the Revenger of all his Churches wrongs, and Restorer of her Liberties, by the death of his Father, and unanimous Election of the British Legions. But to order and dispose of all things so, as most strangely to concur to the elevating him to such a further power, (although he was but the least, amongst the Seven Sharers of the Roman Greatness) as to trample upon the rest, and even throw them all down, and set himself up, un­rivall'd in the Throne. Where, fearless of the Attempts of any future Oppo­sers, he might most effectually protect, and propagate the true Religion, accor­ding to his pleasure.

So the most Barbarous Maxentius of our present Age, or Common Enemy of Truth, and Oppressor of Peace and Reli­gion [Page 73]in Europe, viz. the Gallick Tyrant having now carried on his Fury to the greatest Extremities, that either his hel­lish Hounds, or blood thirsty Dragoons could Act, or humane Nature possibly suffer, both against his own innocent Protestant Subjects, and against those of all his Neighbour Princes and States, of what Religion soever, that durst pre­sume to dispute his most imperious Or­ders. And having like the Dragon in the Apocalypse, already beaten down with his Massy Tail, some of the supream Powers next him, which are the lesser Stars, of Europe's bright Heaven, and being in a fair way to sweep down all the rest, sometime ago, and bring them at least under Subjection; it pleas­ed Almighty God in his due time, for to raise up another Michael, or another Constantine (many learned Expositors thinking that by Michael, in that place of the Revelation of St. John 12. is meant Constantine) to stop the rage and fury of this French Dragon; who with his long Train of bloody Miscreants, hath so very much infested Christendom of late Years, and totally to rout this new [Page 74] Maxentius and restore Peace, Justice and Liberty to the Church and People of God; even out of that most ancient, as well as illustrious House of Nassaw. A House that once before had stopt the dangerous Torrent of the Spanish Power, and redeem'd the Captive Netherlands from its Yoak and Thraldom.

And to let the World know, that the All-wise Governour, and most righteous Judge of the whole Earth, intended to make use of him, not only to retard the Progress of the French Tyranny for a while, but (we hope) even totally to destroy it; and that as the Tyrant him­self had begun his own ruine, so like the Champion of the Philistines, he should go on, and continue to compleat it; and make every Man's Sword in his Idola­trous Army to be against his Fellow, in­somuch that our happy Joshua's men may with Triumph trample upon their Necks. The Almighty Avenger of the Injuries of his Elect, which cry day and night to him in compassion to his suffer­ing Saints, was not content to use the Valour and Conduct of our warlike Prince, only to rescue the united Pro­vinces, [Page 75]but even the whole Protestant Religion, and the civil State of all Eu­rope, from the same Bondage and Op­pression. And therefore that he might no longer at so great a disadvantage, com­bate with such an over-grown Monster, he resolves to exalt him to the sublime and sacred Station of Royalty, and that too, in those Ancient and Warlike King­doms, which he was most rightfully inti­tuled to (not only by Consanguinity, but Affinity) and which had before been happily instrumental to lower the Spa­nish pride, on the one hand, and so of­ten to chastise the insolency of the more formidable and crafty French on the o­ther.

And if this work was great enough to amaze all beholders, and to put the Hi­storical Faith of all succeeding Generati­ons, to the very uttermost proof; the manner by which it was effected, must of necessity appear much more wonder­full, since towards his mighty and glo­rious effect, even the most contrary Interests, Inclinations, Accidents and Events; and in a word, all the most op­posite Causes imginable, were made to [Page 76]conspire and concur with as much Union and Harmony, as if they had been all [...] one and the self-same Soul or [...], (who is Ens Entium, as well as [...] Causarum) for even Enemies, Friends, Papists, Protestants, Winds and Seas, all acted towards, and promoted proportionably, this grand and glorious design of Providence, even while they contended most against it.

Because therefore it will not be a lit­tle edifying and instructive to us of these Kingdoms, not only in our Religious, but also in our Politick and civil Con­cerns, to understand rightly and com­template (in some measure) the most mi­raculous method used by the Divine and over-ruling Power, in producing this happy and never to be forgotten Revoluti­on of great Britain and Ireland. Before we proceed to give you any account of that, we shall (as far as we, in a private Station could, or think fit, for particu­lar Persons to prie into) give you a short view of the several steps that were made on all sides towards it, till at the last, they were all deceived; some very hap­pily as being carried on far beyond their [Page 77]first proposed ends, and the utmost of their hopes; and the others with a more Melancholick Surprize, finding them­selves defeated of their Giant-like expe­ctations, and driven upon such Rocks, as they thought they had steered the su­rest course to avoid.

And first, we will begin with the French King, his illustrious Highness the Prince of Orange's most inveterate and irreconcilable Enemy, ever since the re­fusal of his Overtures for betraying his Native Countrey, and shew what steps he himself, though a great Master of Po­liticks, made to this great and blessed Revolution; which may (by God's bles­sing) prove in due time a means to bring him to Subjection to this ancient and imperial Crown of England again.

In order to secure the success of the mighty Project, which has been so ea­gerly pursued, and carried on by Lewis the 14th. for some Years past, of attain­ing the universal Monarchy of the West; it is not at all doubted by any well ver­sed in Politicks, but of all other things, it was most highly necessary, that his surest Alley, the late King James, should [Page 78]be fully and absolutely Master of his Kingdoms, and till that were effected and put out of all danger of being Travers'd; that it was no less needful for him (namely, the French King) to treat his Protestant Subjects at home well, nay, rather better than ordinary; to keep up a good correspondence likewise with the Pope, and other Roman Catholick Princes; to have religiously observed the Truce with the Empire; to have dissembled for some time at least, his resentments against the renown'd Prince of Orange; to have restored him the Principality of that Name, which he most unjustly ex­torted from his noble Ancestors; to have perswaded his Uncle to have caress'd him; to have kept fair with the Hollanders; to have terrified no body with Arms of Cruelties, but only to have supply'd his faithful Ally of great Britain, constant­ly and privately with sufficient Moneys, and carried on all his Intrigues elsewere, only with the underhand and potent charms of Gold; to have perswaded King James to have let alone the Intri­gue of the pretended Prince of Wales; to have abstain'd from multiplying Po­pish [Page 79]Chapels, and publick toleration of Jesuits and Priests; to have forborn the planting a Jesuitical Crew in Magdalene College; to have abstain'd from sending Mandamus after Mandamus, to violate the ancient Privileges of that Loyal and Fa­mous University of Oxford; to have for­born the sending of the most Reverend and right Reverend, the Bishops ( those Pillars of our true Reformed Church of England) into the Tower: In a word, to have contented himself only with new modelling Corporations, and insensibly new regulating his Army and Court, till all had been sure. Had he been duly cautious, and circumspect in these par­ticulars, it had been shrewdly probable, if not an assured thing, that a great part of the Clergy, Nobility and Gentry of England, would not have seen through the late king James's Designs, nor at least have believed them, till perhaps they had felt the Chains about their Necks; that his Army would have stood by him till at last, when things had been full ripe for it; they had seen the greatest part of themselves ship'd off, upon some suddain Foreign Quarrel, and their places sup­ply'd [Page 80]at home, by Soldiers in French pay. And this might have been peradventure, so politickly managed, as not to have alarm'd the illustrious Ancient and War­like House of Austria; the Hollanders perchance would have unconcernedly lookt upon it, being so exceedingly bu­sied about the Indian Gold and Trea­sures; and the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, might perhaps have been lull'd fast asleep, by their pre­sent Peace, vast Trading and Plenty: And this step once gain'd, the subtil Mon­sieur could have securely oppress'd the Spanish Netherlands, once again, over­run Holland, and have invaded the Em­pire when the imperial Forces should have been perhaps (as dreaming of no dan­ger from the Rhine) employed as far as Bulgaria or Romania in chasing the Turks; and these were the Counsels of his wisest Ahitophel, the late famous Louvois. But he that taketh the wise in his own craf­tiness, and maketh Diviners mad, and brings good out of Evil, caused that vul­gar Proverb here to prove an Oracle, That Quos perdere vult deus, prius de­mentat, God first blinds or renders fool­ish, [Page 81]those whom he hath resolv'd to de­stroy; for the deep and most surely laid Counsels of that great States-man, were providentially over-rul'd by the fawning influence of Jesuited Heads, whereof some were on Mens, and some more advantageously placed on the necks of the charming and seldom fail­ing Sex; who working upon the French King's unmeasurable Vanity, and unli­mitted Ambition, very easily perswaded him, that his Power was now grown so Formidable, and all his Forces for Sea and Land so well disciplin'd, that he needed not to be so much inslaved to those cautious Measures, proposed by his Mi­nisters of State, as he had been hitherto; but leaving those flow paces, to the Sa­ges of the House of Austria, who placed most of their Majesty in deliberate Coun­sels, and more slow Executions; he might now resume his natural briskness, and advance securely the nearest way to Glo­ry; especially since England was then under a Roman Catholick Prince, entire­ly at his Devotion upon all occasions. And with all, seeing things at that time were in such a posture, that the imperi­al [Page 82]Force was so wholly taken up in a War, in the remotest Frontiers of Chri­stian Europe, there was no other Pow­er, that either durst, or could timely and effectually oppose his Attempts, either in Religious or civil Matters; and that the most active Spirits, that were best able, or most disposed to obstruct the course of his prosperous advance, were many of them (as well Princes, as their Ministers) now become wonderful docile and disciplinable without word of Mouth, or beat of Drum, only by the bare Lu­stre and Loadstone of some choice gol­den Lewis's, Art fully brandisht before their Eyes, by a French Emissary. And these plausible advices, which so tickled him in his most sensible part, prevail'd on him to Act in all things just the re­verse of what he had sometime before been counsell'd by those who best under­stood, and had all along (when believ­ed) most successfully pursued and carri­ed on the interest of that universal So­vereignty, which they would have per­swaded him to court gently; but his hot Jesuited Councellors, would needs have him attempt to ravish; which impotent [Page 83]and ill tim'd Essay, has now so much a­larm'd the Coy Lady (Ʋniversal Mo­narchy) that if we mistake not, having providentially untwisted her self out of his Arms, and got clearly out of the reach of his violence, she will not ad­mit his cringing Addresses any more. For looking, not without cause, upon both the Protestant and the Pope, though most opposite in Principles, to be most mighty obstacles in his way to universal Sovereignty, the one as being perfectly inform'd, in the knowledge of the truth in Jesus Christ, and zealously affected to the Defence both of their Natural, and civil liberty as Men and Subjects, and of their Spiritual privileges as Christians; and the other pretending not only a kind of Sovereignty over a great part of all Princes, Subject, of the Roman Commu­nion (namely the Clergy, both Secular and Regular) and all religious Persons; and by them a dangerous rivalling in­fluence over all the rest of their people. But also holding (as t'were) the Ba­lance of power in his own hand, even in temporal matters, between all Popish Princes and States; and being no less in­tress'd [Page 84]for maintenance of himself and successors, in that Power and Figure, to hinder the growth of any one Prince to an excessive Grandeur, than the Pro­testant were for the preservation, both of their Civil and Religious Liberties; and therefore having agreeably enough to the rules of Policy, resolv'd equally upon the removal of both these dangerous adversa­ries, by totally destroying the Prote­stants, and casting Popery it self into a new Model, that might dispose the whole body of Christians, both Clergy and Lai­ty, to such a tame and supple temper, as might make them alike susceptible of his intended universal Yoak.

Thus it pleased the Almighty Being, to make him the very chiefest instru­ment himself, in breaking the neck of these his greatest and ambitious Designs, by leaving him to the infatuating delusi­ons of new Jesuited Advisers, whereby he forsook the more sure Maxims of his old sagacious Counsellors, Richelieu, Maza­rin, and the Le Telliers; and to drive Jehu-like and rashly to attempt to do all at once, what should have been enter­priz'd at very different Seasons, and [Page 85]those wisely tim'd one after the other. For at the same time, the poor Prote­stants were so hotly persecuted, and bar­barously handled, the Pope's Authority was then as briskly attack'd, not only in the business of the Ragalia, but in seve­ral other more fundamental points, im­porting no less than the utter ruin of the whole Machine of that Ecclesiastical Monarchy; insomuch that this great haughty Monsieur thought himself doubt­less some prodigious Giant, that could reach both poles at once, with each arm one, viz. That of the Northern Heresie (as they term it) and the Southern Supre­macy, and snapping them off short, to make the World turn thence forward up­on the sole Axle tree of his Arbitrary and imperious will, as sufficiently appeared, not only by the proceedings of the Sor­bonne, of the Assembly of the Clergy of Paris, and of the French Kings chief Ad­vocate, Mr. Talon, and by the strange acting of Mr. Lavardin at Rome it self, and the writings of Mr. Maimburg: The Writings and Actings of all which, a­gainst the Authority of the Sea of Rome, were hardly ever out-done by those they [Page 86]vainly call'd, and at the same time per­secuted as Hereticks; but also by many odd Theses and Positions, then main­tain'd in several places up and down that Kingdom, whereof these were some, viz.

I. That as Princes had the Power of nominating other Bishops to the Sees vacant in their Dominions; so the great­est Prince in Christendom, had a right of [...]inating the greatest Bishop, namely, the Pope.

II. That the Election of a Pope, by the private College of Cardinals, was an Innovation.

III. That the Kings of France having some time delivered the Popes from the oppression of the Lombards, and founded the new Empire of the West, acquired thereby not only a right to chuse future Popes, but that they are thereby still the only Rightful Emperours, the eldest Sons of the Church, and the greatest of Christian Princes.

Which by the way, would be a strong­er Argument, to prove both the Empire, Kingdom of France, and the Election of the Pope, &c. to belong to the young Duke of Lorrain, than to Lewis the 14th. that young Prince, being Lineally de­scended from Charles the great, whose race that of the present French King sup­planted.

IV. That the residence of the Pope, is not fixed any more to Rome than it was formerly to Antioch; but that it ought to be in the capital City of the greatest Christian Prince, pro tempore, or in such other place as he shall approve of.

V. That the French King in his Right, may if he please divest the Cardinals of Rome of the right of Election of Popes, or disown such as they shall choose, and make an Arch-Bishop of Paris, or any other prelate Pope; that such Pope so nominated, would be a true Successor of St. Peter, though he should dwell at Paris, or elsewhere, and have no tem­poral Dominions; and that he ought to [Page 88]be own'd as such, by all other Roman Catholick Princes, because nominated by the Successor of Charles the great, and a Prince no less great in Power, than he who was the restorer of the Papal Authority.

VI. That as the Temporal Dominions of the Pope, were at first given him by French Kings, they may be forfeited, and taken back again; and that for the peaceable enjoyment of them, the Pope ought to grant freedom of Quarters to the French Kings Ambassador at Rome, as an acknowledgment of the Sovereign­ty of him of whom he holds them, and that he ought not to grant the like pri­vilege to any other Ambassador.

These and many other such like Theses there were, about the Pope's Power and Authority in Spirituals as well as Tem­porals, whereby they allow'd him little more than what is granted by some Pro­testants, and what any other Patriarchs do enjoy, as is deducible from their own Writings; in this you may see an Image of the new Popery, intended by [Page 89]the French King, who by this appears to be only so far for Popery, as will serve his own turn, to make both Pope and Papists his Vassals or Slaves; (what other meaning had he, when he treated the Nuns of the Society so severely, called the Nuns of the Infancy of Jesus, and threw Madam Mondeuville into Prison for mediating, &c.) Such is the favour he designs to afford them, if ever in his power, and a great favour too; they that will be Protestants, or will not be Papists, thus, Alamode de France, being both equally destituted to utter Destru­ction. And to convince you further, that these were the real and unfeigned Designs of Lewis the 14th. King of France; a Friend of mine that intimately knew the Person, assured me that when the French Clergy were assembled in the year 1682. he sent a skillful Antiquary into Eng­land, to search diligently and most ac­curately our Records in the Tower, and at Westminster; to see and learn what steps King Henry the 8th. had made in his Rupture with Rome, and which of them might most effectually be put in practice by him, in order to accomplish his foresaid ends.

But what followed from this Conduct, of driving on so very furiously at one and the same time, two such contrary designs as these were one towards the o­ther, to bring about the same self purpose? Why, the same that's reported to have happen'd to the famous Wrestler Milo, who in ostentation of his great strength, endeavour'd to rive a sunder with his Arms, the main Limbs of adouble bodi­ed Tree. He made a shift indeed, to split them in part, but not being able to go through perfectly with the Work, was, by their recoiling Force, catch'd so fast himself between them, as to be made a defenceless prey to the wild Beasts. Thus Lewis the 14th. by first persecu­ting the Protestants, and attacking the Pope's Authority, has reduced himself in­to a Labyrinth, and brought a general War upon his Dominions, &c. By his most severe Persecution, and endeavour absolutely to exterminate the Protestants, he berest himself wholly of some hun­dreds of thousands of his wealthiest and most useful Subjects, consisting of many of the most trading Merchants, best Officers, and expert Mariners and [Page 91]Seamen, to the strengthening of his E­nemies round about, in the adjacent Coun­tries, and the utter ruin of many Roman Catholick Families, their Creditors, or that were of their Dependance; and fill'd his Kingdom with Hypocrites, and Male­contents, who required as many Troops, to watch over their Conduct (which gave and will give continual Jealousies and Alarms) as would have served him, to compose a good Army, to defend the largest of his Frontiers, and that which was more fatal to him, than all the rest; these cruel and most barbarous proceed­ings of his, exasperated the Spirits of the warlike and valorous English, and there­by made it altogether impracticable; for his great Ally King James, to make himself Master enough of his People, to be so serviceable to him, in his Attempts towards universal Monarchy, as he per­haps might have been, is to sweeten the minds of the undaunted British Prote­stants; Monsieur Lewis had politickly (at the late King James's first accession to the Crown) and voluntarily restored the French Protestants their old Liberties and Privileges, which he solemnly swore [Page 92]to maintain at his Coronation. (For it must be acknowledged on all hands, that they, namely the Protestants, were his faithfullest Subjects, who put the Crown on his head) out of a feigned, or pre­tended difference to the late King James's intreaties, and respect to the intercession of the English Church and Nation. To have been thus before hand with us in Civility, what savours would it not have extorted from the English Prote­stants, towards the Papists here? And what Jealousies would it not have sup­press'd? And how much more easily, might we have been catcht by tickling, than by scratching; especially, had he at the same time kept Quiet, and justly observed the last concluded Truce with the Confederates. But acting the quite contrary, it made the late King James's Conduct, by far the more narrowly in­quired into, and rendred all people both Jealous and Affraid, even of his favours, and made them justly suspect the since­rity of such a Prince (though at the same time declaring himself for liberty of Conscience) whom they saw so visi­bly and amicably to correspond with a [Page 93]notorious Tyrant of the same Religion, so very eager upon Persecution, as daily to fill his greatest and best Friends Do­minions, at so unseasonable a nick of time with whole Shoals, or multitudes of Exiles, in such a miserable plight, as he knew could not but stir up the resent­ments of the hardy English Protestants, against both Princes; and thereby (as we have said) disabled his Ally from getting that power into his hands, which was so necessary for his assistance, in the accomplishment of those Ambitious pro­jects, he since unprosperously pursues. And on the other hand, by acting as we have instanc'd against the Pope, and of­fering so plainly at a new Model of Pope­ry; yea, and making such brisk attempts upon the temporal Dominions and Ter­ritories of the Pope himself, and that in his own Capital City of Rome, as he did by his Ambassador, the Marquess of La­verdine; who, not only exasperated the then Pope Innocent the 11th. a person not of a temper, either to be hectored, or to be wheedled out of the Rights and Respects he thought due to him, from a Prince pretending to the Titles of Most [Page 94]Christian, and of Eldest Son of the Church; one who not only very well understood his own Interest, and the whole drift of Lewis the 14th. But like­wise first of all, gave the alarm to all o­ther Princes of the Roman Communion, who thereby plainly seeing, that not only their Territories, but their Religi­on also, was in no small danger from such designs; and that the French Sul­tan intended, Mahomet-like, to have ex­terminated Popery, properly so called, as well as Protestantism, and to have in­troduced by the Sword, a third Religi­on hateful to both; which was to have been Franco-Catholick, more than Roman Catholick, and to have been new Chri­stened by that Name, assoon as Paris, by the prevailing Arms, or more availing pieces of Gold of Lewis Le Grand, should have been made the Metropolis Gene­ral of all Christendom. Hence he per­mits his Statue to be erected and ado­red by his Subjects in the posture of Prosternation; he permits Holy-days to be Dedicated to them, and Harangues to be made to them, as if they were really so many Deities, so that upon the Basis [Page 95]of these base Idols, you may see these Inscriptions in Capital Letters, TO THE IMMORTAL MAN.

Upon this Alarm of Pope Innocent the XIth, all Europe began to look with a Suspicious Eye upon the Proceedings of the French Monarch, and his Ally of Great Britain, and minded more sharp­ly every passage between them: And though Lewis the XIVth endeavoured extreamly to throw dust in their eyes, by extirpating and destroying the Pro­testants in his own Dominions, out of a zeal, as he feigned, or profess'd, to the Holy See; yet they could not compre­hend how that could possibly consist with his continual abetting, and corro­borating the Turks, and supporting Count Teckely, and his Protestant fol­lowers in Hungary; and much less with his most Undutiful and Insolent Carri­age to the Pope, and with such formal Decisions, as struck at the very Founda­tions of his Authority, and of the whole Fabrick of the Roman Catholick Religion, as distinguished from the Protestant. No, they now scann'd every Period, and Ex­pression of Maimburgh's Works, and pre­sently [Page 96]smelt out whose Sense, and in what view he spoke; And that he de­press'd the Monarchy of the Roman Bi­shop, only to erect upon its Ruines an Universal Empire, for his Master Lewis; They thoroughly examined the Pro­ceedings of the Sorbonne, and of all the French Clergy: Took good notice of the many odd Theses put up, and main­tain'd daily in that Kingdom; And, in a word, let nothing pass of that nature, without the strictest Observation; nor without preparing under-hand, an Op­position ready to be exerted, in fit time and place. The Pope, though indeed for his part, he could heartily have wish'd that the Protestant Name were ut­terly abolish'd, and all Christian States as firmly subjected to his See, as some Ages before; and particularly, would have unfeignedly rejoyc'd to have seen the Return of so important a Member of his pretended ancient Empire, to his Communion, as were the Brittish Do­minions: Yet he could not well brook to see them, or the French Protestants either, made but as Steps to raise the Throne of the French Monarch high e­nough, [Page 97]to over-look his; And, of an Ab­solute Pope, to make him, but as a Pre­cairous Mufti, under a New Western Sultan.

He thought with himself, that it would signifie very little for him to gain ground upon the Quicksands of Great Britain and Ireland, where he could promise himself no sure footing: Whilst he should lose his firmer Possessions in Italy, and Rome it self: And took but little pleasure, whatever outward countenance he shew'd, in the hopes that were given him by the French Tyrant, of the Esta­blishment of a Mock-Popery there, whilst the true one should be ruin'd, and totally blown up by the Crafty Engi­neers of France. And the Apprehensi­ons of a Prevailing French Popery, were indeed to him far more dreadful of the two, than that of the Triumphing of (what they foolishly call'd) the Northern Heresie. And the Religious old Father thought (as well he might) that there was much less danger, from an o­pen and profess'd Enemy, than a secret Traytor; And that, according to the Proverb, Ira quae tegitur nocet, There [Page 98]was less harm from an openly assailing Lion, than a private Bosom Viper. Nei­ther was he ignorant of Lewis the XIVth's strict Confederacy with the Male contents in Hungary, who are all Lutherans, or Calvinists; At the very same time he Persecuted his own Sub­jects at home, and abolish'd the Foun­dation, and ordered the Nuns of the In­fancy, because they sided with the Pope, to go home to their Parents, or where­soever else they pleased: Commanded that their Altars should be pull'd down, the Ornaments and Holy Utensils car­ried away, and those Consecrated Places to be most vilely prophan'd. And yet, at this very time, he suffer'd himself in Publick Theams, to be advanc'd above the Glorious Angels of God, and to be look'd upon as a Proof of the most sub­lime Mysteries: And those same words, which were once spoken of the Holy Jesus, the Son of God, he allow'd to be apply'd to himself, Yea, (in some sort) Commanded it; My Works are for the King; Who is the King? 'Tis Lewis the Great, the King of Glory. Nay, which is much more, he suffer'd himself to be Wor­shipp'd [Page 99]like a Deity. You might have seen this in the Five Works upon the Greeve, under the Title of the Temple of Honour, which was made to Solem­nize the Erecting the New Statue, that was set up in the Court of the Common-Hall of the City. The Inscriptiono which was upon the Frize, and upon the Four Fronts of the Temple, was after the Je­suitical manner, and no less Impious;

The Pope, who was not half so timo­rous, as some of the other Temporal Princes of his Communion, could not, nor did not look tamely on these Proceed­ings; but opposed them with all his Might, and with a Vigour, that shewed a Magnanimous Spirit; and that waked all the rest of the Roman Catholick Prin­ces, out of the Lethargy they seem'd to [Page 100]have been laid into by the Charms of French Sorcery. For he Wrote vigo­rously against the Severities used against the Protestants, causing his Beloved Daughter, the late Queen Christina of Sweden, to Write to the same pur­pose; He disapproved the French King's Dragoon Conversions; loudly de­claim'd against his Violences, and Sa­crilegious Usurpations, Cloaked un­der the Name of Regalia; Cited Fa­ther La Chaiese, and Father Maimbourg to Rome, to Answer their Disobedience; and caused the latter to be actually thrust out of the Jesuits Society. Takes away the Liberty of Quarters from the French Ambassadors at Rome, which, with all their Hectoring, they could never yet regain; Caused the Proceedings of the French Clergy to be Censured; Denies to Preconize, or Confirm any French Bi­shops; stirs up the Illustrious House of Au­stria to act vigorously against the French King. Fiercely opposes the Election of the Cardinal of Furstemburg to the Arch-Bishoprick and Electorate of Cologne, and lets all the Popish Princes of Germany, as well as the Protestants, see their dan­ger [Page 101]therein; and even doth all he can, by his Nuncio at London, and the Re­monstrances of the Spanish and Imperial Ambassadours there, to draw off King James from the French Interest, and from taking French Measures, either in Religi­on or Politicks; And to perswade him to forbear making use of Frenchified Je­suits, or Priests, of what Nation soever; and use only those of the Austrian Party; And to please his own People, by mind­ing the true Interest of England, and holding the Balance of Europe stiff a­gainst France; and for that end, whate­ver Private Submissions he had made to His Holiness, yet to have let matters in Religion throughout the British Domini­ons, be in Statu quo prius, at least, till the present Great War, with both the We­stern and Eastern Turk had been over: when by the Favour of a profound Peace, Reigning among all Catholick Princes, he might have made use of their Uni­ted, and Concurring Assistance, to have securely Re-establish'd, not the French, but true and Genuine Popery, in Great Britain and Ireland; without hazarding the Diminution of the Majesty of his [Page 102]Crown, or of the Greatness and Inde­pendency of his Power; or rendring himself to be but a Deputy, or Tributa­ry King, as he must do, if he went on to augment the already too formidable, and insolent Power of France; and to take French Measures, and neglecting to use his own Eyes, and the Advices of his own Agents, Spies and Intelligencers, to make use only of French Spectacles, French Intelligences, and the Dictates of French Ministers of State, and Frenchifi­ed Jesuits, or Monks, to steer by; which would, at length, but make him Split a­gainst a Fatal Rock: a Ship fraught with the fairest hopes, that ever set out in Great Britain, under St. Peter's Banners, since Queen Mary's days.

These were the Actions of Pope Inno­cent the XIth. against Lewis the XIVth, and such were the Remonstrances and Advices both of his Nuncio, and the Spa­nish and Imperial Ambassadours in Eng­land to the late King James; Which His Imperial Majesty afterwards, in his Letter to the Late King, in Answer to one from him, relating the Doleful Sto­ry of his Abdication, hints at; and tells [Page 103]him, Had they been followed, he might still have been upon the Throne, with all the Advantages of a Great English Monarch. The obstinate neglect of which Councils, the most safe and prudent that could be given to a Popish King of Eng­land at that time of the day, together with the formidable growth, and the a­foresaid Insolent Proceedings of the French King, caused both the Pope, and the Ancient and Potent Houses of Au­stria and Bavaria, not onely to League themselves together, but also for their Common Defence, both against French Popery, and French Power, which were advancing hand in hand to attack them; And which, if suffer'd to fix footing in England, would shortly become altoge­ther irresistible to Confederate. Nay, even with the Protestant Princes and Powers; the one (viz.) the Tempo­ral Princes of Austria and Bavaria, Im­mediately; and the other, namely, the Pope, Mediately, and Covertly; by abet­ting, and underhand promoting the In­trigues and Attempts of the others, for the carrying on such Designs as should divide England from the French Interest, [Page 104]though it were by the Dismounting a Prince of their own Religion, and pla­cing a Protestant upon the Throne. They being very well satisfied it was much safer for Popery in General, as well as for their particular Temporal Interests, to see a Protestant wear the Crown of Eng­land, though to the seeming disadvan­tage of the Popish Religion in that par­ticular Kingdom; that would help them to balance the excessive Power of France, than to suffer a Popish King of Great Britain, of the French Stamp, to assist the French Monarch to enslave all other, much more Catholick Princes; depress the Papal Power it self, and impose a Popery worse to them, than what their erroneous fancies teach them to call He­resie. But that which clincht the Nail home, and which not only confirm'd them in those Resolutions, but hastned them to a speedy execution of them, were three very dangerous Attempts of the French King; the one was the pow­erful Interest the French had made, to get their Devoted Creature, that Arch­Traytor to his Countrey, the Quondam Prince William, but now Bishop of Stras­burg, [Page 105]and Cardinal of Furstemberg, to be chosen Elector of Cologne, that he might be the more able to back his old Benefa­ctour Lewis the 14th. in all his Encroach­ments upon the Empire, in awing the rest of the Electors on the Rhine, and by them influencing the whole Electoral College, to deprive the House of Austria, of the Imperial Dignity, by choosing Lewis the French Dauphin, for King of the Romans, or Successor to the Emperor instead of the Arch-Duke Joseph, &c.

The second was, his breaking so per­fidiously the new made Truce, though sworn to for twenty Years, and under the pretence of backing the Election of his dear Cardinal, and pursuing some ex­travagant Demands, he was pleased to make in the name of the Dutchess of Or­leans, of the present Prince Palatine, to besiege and surprise Philipsburg, and committing a thousand Outrages, and Hostilities elsewhere, at a time, when the Emperour trusting to the security of the twenty years Truce, was employ­ing his Arms to repell the Turks, the sworn Enemies of Christianity in the re­motest borders of Christendom.

The third was, his declaring War a­gainst Holland, because they seem'd to oppose his base illegal violences, in en­deavouring to force an Election, which ought to be free, and that in a Country, where the proud Tyrant had no right to meddle, and which was so near their Frontiers; and that too, being not content with that, as if he had had the late King James's Head under his Girdle, he was pleased to threaten, that England should do the like; and as a fore­runner of it, perswaded King James, ab­ruptly, and without any reason gi­ven, to recall his Subjects out of the Dutch Service, at a time when he had no visible occasion for them.

These Reasons all put together, made the Roman Catholick Princes to league with Holland, and the Protestant Princes of Germany; and to favour the Blessed and Glorious Design, of our present So­vereign Lord, King William, &c. to en­deavour to break the strong Chains that were preparing for all Europe, by first breaking those of England, and by seizing before hand of the Reins of Govern­ment, over those most willing Nations [Page 107]that were so exceeding glad of his sea­sonable help in time of Need; the Suc­cession of which should he delay a Mo­ment, was visibly going to be most un­justly alienated from him, by the means of a supposititious Child, brought upon the Stage only for a blind, and to be consign'd unto the Tyrannical hands of the French Monarch.

And lastly, that which made an end of giving a through alarm to the Pope, was, the French King's insulting and insolent proceedings, by his Ambassador at Rome it self; his invading of Savoy and Piedmont, and carrying thereby the War into Italy; which by the bye, is now one of the most troublesome Thorns, that he has in his foot, and which he would most fain be rid of, it having proved notwithstanding his Successes, the most chargeable and incommodious War to him, next that of England, of any of the rest. Which considerations made the Pope, and the rest of the Roman Princes, and particularly the Spaniards, employ sundry Priests, devoted to their interests, but as so many Spies about the late King James, to fish out the secrets of [Page 108]the Frenchified Cabal; and to commu­nicate the same, from time to time, to the late Spanish Ambassadour, who fail­ed not to advertise the King his Master, the illustrious Prince of Orange, and all the Allies, nor yet to communicate them to the Nobility, Gentry and qua­lified Citizens of England; to whose se­cret advice, thus obtain'd (next to God Almighty) we owe all the satisfactory light we have had into the dark Intrigue of the pretended Prince of Wales, which above all things, gave the last and most powerful Impulse to those Motions, that brought about the late Happy and won­derful Revolution.

Having thus seen how the French King, by catching too eagerly at Ʋniversal Monarchy, and his Ally the late King James, by adhering to the French Coun­sel more than to his own English Sub­jects, stirr'd up the most zealous Princes of the Roman Communion, and even the Pope himself, to side with the Protestant Powers against them, and readily to con­cur with these last, even to the suppressi­on of all hopes of their own Religions, becoming predominant in England; and [Page 109]rather than see it planted there by French hands. We cannot therefore at all won­der, that the Protestant Foreign Powers, and the people of Great Britain especi­ally, who had much greater obligations to it, both from their Civil and Religious Interests, should willingly unite to the same purpose, and take the opportunity of entring into so potent a Confederacy, to preserve their Religion and secure their Posterity, and all that was near and dear to them in reference to both Worlds; when they saw the very Popish Princes, and the head of that Commu­nion so hotly take the Alarm, though nothing so nearly, nor so deeply con­cern'd in the danger as themselves; and by their diligence in being so ready to join with them, Tacitly to reproach their Dulness and awake them timely and vigorously, to second the noble Ef­forts, of such a Wise and valiant Prince; whose known injurious Treatment, by both Kings and very legal and rightful pretentions, to the succession of the Bri­tish Throne, as well as his Exemplary and Military virtues, had now gotten him so large a share, or interest in the [Page 110]hearts of all the oppress'd People of the three Kingdoms, and gave them and all their Foreign Friends, such fair dawning hopes of a most happy and glorious Success.

As for the Hollanders, they were mo­ved to assist in this great Enterprise, not only by the consideration of their gene­ral Interest, as one of the chief Parties in War with France; nor yet, wholly and solely out of gratitude to the coura­geous and illustrious Prince, who had so lately rescued them from imminent ruin, and restored them to as great a Beauty of Order, and formidable Strength, as any other Republick; (though no doubt these Motives swayed them very much.) But being particularly prick'd forward, and provoked by daily menaces from France, and appearing and most convincing Mark from England, that the late King, did not they first prevent him, would certainly declare War against them, ha­ving for that purpose already recall'd all his Forces, and made several other steps that way by his Envoy Marquess D'Abbe­ville; they could not chuse but think it great Prudence, as well as Gratitude, to close with their renowned Prince, and [Page 111]our mighty Deliverer, and answer the calls and intreaties of their sore oppress'd Neigh­bours the English. Who in former Ages, had given them a lift, and partly delivered them from Bondage, and who being now once assisted and freed by them, would in all probability, contribute most effectually of any of their Allies, to the repulsing of that subtil encroaching Foe, that threaten'd them with a second Sla­very; and in order to prevent the fatal Stroke intended against them, as the chief Obstacles of erecting Despotick Power and Arbitrary Government in Great Britain, and from thence infor­cing it upon all Europe, by lending a powerful, timely and hearty Assistance to his Highness.

Add to this the Sympathy and feeling compassion, which the horrid sufferings of the poor Protestants in France, many thousands whereof wearing the cruel Marks and Badges of French Barbarity; were daily objects of their Eyes, moved their Christian hearts, which last con­sideration, as well as that of their civil Interest, of which the Spanish and Dutch Netherlands, were the great Barrier [Page 112]and Bulwark, as likewise the Design they had discovered to be Hatched by France to devour them all one after another, and to extirpate the Protestant Name, (scurrillously nick-nam'd by the scoffing Enemy, the Northern Heresie) from un­der Heaven, prevail'd likewise with the rest of the German Protestant Princes, especially the most wise and experienc'd Prince the then Elector of Brandenburg, his Heroical Highness's illustrious Kins­man, and the Princes of the Houses of Saxony, Lunenburg and Hesse, to con­tribute their best Helps as well as Wi­shes, to the accomplishment of that great Heaven-inspired Enterprise.

Next the Causes that moved the illu­strious Prince of Orange, besides all the former considerations and motives, com­mon to him with all the rest, were so visibly sensible, and most just, and of so very cogent a nature, that to resist them, had been to resist both Sense and Rea­son, and God himself who now seem'd to give him a Commission, to rescue his Church and oppress'd People.

He saw the State, in which he first drew his Breath, which his warlike An­cestors [Page 113]founded, and which he no less gloriously and miraculously had newly raised again, into a stronger and more beautiful Structure than before, out of (in a manner) a confused heap of Rubbish, menaced afresh by the same crafty and powerful Enemy, back'd with another potent Popish Ally, in a more formidable manner than ever; he heard from a far, the dismal Groans of the miserably af­flicted and tormented Protestants in France; and especially of those of his own Hereditary Principality of Orange, most unjustly wrested from him; and what infinitely more sensibly touch'd him, the Slavery and more than Aegy­ptian oppression of his natural Subjects, crying to him for Justice, and saying, Help, O thou mighty Prince of Valour, and nursing Father of God's true re­form'd Church; it is high time for to lay to thy powerfull and blessed hand, for popish Judges and Seminaries have made void our Laws, Rights and Privileges.

He found the ruine of his Country le­vell'd at, through his August sides; and that the Gallick Tyrant would never par­don him, the unexpected ravishment of [Page 114]his stollen and perfidious Conquests; nor the truly generous and Princely refusal of purchasing a Sovereignty by the betray­ing of his own Country; nor the ter­rible, smarting and disgracefull blow, he received from him before Mons; nor his obstructing an uncomely peace at Nime­guen; nor finally his happy Match with a most accomplisht and amiable Princess of his own Blood, when the subtil Mon­sieur least thought on't, and whom he had laid close Intrigues and subtil Stra­tagems (had not they been Providentially prevented, by a speedy conclusion of that blessed Marriage) to have spirited or stollen away, and made a Sacrifice to the black Interests, concerted between him and her Father, which was to have been the great Issue of that numerous and splendid Embassy of French Lords, not long before preceeding; had not God in his Mercy to our Nation prevented it, by making the late King Charles, as much inclin'd as he was otherwise, to favour them; to balk all their Projects by that sudden and contrary jerk of Policie, which put them for the present, quite out of countenance; and which all their Jug­gles knew not how to prevent.

He likewise saw plainly, that whereas besides the unpardonable crimes against the greatness of Lewis the 14th. and the bigotted Inclinations of his Uncle and Fa­ther-in-law, he was sensible he had com­mitted a Third, which was greater than all the rest, viz. Obstinately refusing to give his Assent, and Consent, to take off the Test and Penal Laws, and give a new Magna Charta of Liberty to the Pa­pists of England, to supplant and over­throw the Rights and Liberties of all o­thers; He was therefore by those whose threatnings were never vain, when in full power to execute them, menaced, that he should pay dearly for it; and he saw they were going in down-right ear­nest to be as good as their Words, by popping up a Child all on a sudden, to act the Prince of Wales, and put him and his Royal Princess, by the Succession of these Crowns, of which they were the true undoubted presumptive Heirs; no less unjustly than they had depriv'd him of his other possessions, and all this on­ly to put him out of Power, and make him uncapable to vindicate his own and his poor Subjects former wrongs, to pro­tect [Page 116]any longer with success the Re-pub­lick he had hitherto so prosperously de­fended; to revenge the unspeakable op­pressions of the people in France, or sup­port or retrieve the Protestant Religion, and civil Rights and Liberties of the an­cient and warlike people of Great Bri­tain; whereof he appeared a kind and powerful Defender, and who were his undeniable Subjects in Reversion, and whose Interests he seem'd resolv'd zea­lously to espouse, and as stiffly to defend as his own.

And when he saw the people of all Ranks and Qualities, and of all Religi­ons and Interests, in the three Kingdoms, but one (to wit, the Papists) with one common and earnest mind and voice, call to him as next undoubted Heir at Law, to take care no Damage might be done by the present Possessour, in the Lands of his Succession; to resist the most un­just Usurpation, or Alienation intended by a Supposititious Child, and the malici­ous Intrigues of a Jesuited Step-Mother; and in a word, to redress all the mani­fold Wrongs and Oppression of the Sub­jects; to save the Protestant Religion, [Page 117]and the civil Liberties of all Europe, which depended chiefly in that dange­rous Juncture, upon the Preservation of Great Britain to [...] Confederacy from becoming a P [...]ey to the overgrown Monster of France.

Of the loss of all which, and of the vast Detriment, that would have thence happen'd to so many millions of precious Souls, and to the publick Weal of all Christendom, he would have been un­doubtedly thought highly guilty; had he neglected so many forcible Calls, and indispensible Obligations, both of Nature, Duty, and Interest.

And lastly, when besides all these ir­resistible Motives, he considered, that the danger was extreamly pressing; that Ireland was already Haltered, and bound as a Sacrifice ready to be offered; Scot­land strongly manacled, and the intole­rable Chains just ready to be thrown o­ver England's Neck; and the terrible glittering Sword drawn out, and ready to be Brandish'd against himself and his Republick; and that unless he would resolve to strike the first Blow, it would be too late to strike at all. And Final­ly, [Page 118]that unless he made an attempt up­on England, while his Allys had Forces and time to spare for his assistance, and the Armies in England, as well as the people of all sorts, were in a Condition as well as Disposition, to second his no­ble and excellent Efforts; that the very next Spring perhaps, some of the Allys might find an English Army upon their Frontiers, intermixt with French; and an Army of Frenchified Switzers, and Irish Tories, in possession of England; and the English and French Fleets, masters of the Sea, asserting the Greatness of Lewis the 14th; and Holland and the Spanish Ne­therlands, swallow'd up by a sudden inun­dation, breaking violently in upon them on all sides, before they were aware; or that their nearest, and most powerful Allys, could come up within sight, much less within reach enough to give them any Assistance; I say, when our wise and presaging Prince, now his most Ex­cellent Majesty, saw, and duly weighed all this, how loath soever he were to do any thing, that might bear the least Shadow, or Semblance of ill; or that might seem to violate, that Tenderness [Page 119]and Respect, he had naturally for an Uncle and a Father-in-law, of that great Quality: Yet now, when not only his private Interests lay at stake, but the publick Happiness and Well-fare of so many Myriads of Souls; so many King­doms and Territories, some of which, he had such an indispensible Obligation to take care of, were in such extraordi­nary pressing Danger, and Honour of Conscience, even of King James himself, basely beslur'd and abused, by so gross a Cheat put upon him, by the subtil Intri­gues of Jesuits, and his Jesuited Con­sort, in prejudice of his own Natural and undoubted Issue, in order to the inslaving Him, as well as his Subjects, every whit as much to the Caprices of France, as he is now; and to the manifest greater pe­ril of his Life, than since has happen'd by the attempts his people would have made against the Intrigues of his Delu­ders; had not they found a far more regular, and legal Assistance otherwise. And considering that there was no other remedy, but breaking the neck of their mischievous Proceedings, by some sud­den and surprizing Master-stroke of Pow­er [Page 120]and Policy; He now stood no longer, consulting with Flesh and Blood, and parling with the unseasonable reasonings of the tenderness we have been speaking of; but fully resolve with all Expediti­on, to prepare for the prevention, and happy redress of so great a storm of E­vils; as otherwise he foresaw would most inevitably fall upon England, Scotland, and Holland: Yea, on all the greatest part of Europe.

But leave we our Gracious Prince a while, making his war like Preparations, and stuffing his stately Wooden Horses, with fierce courageous Troops, not to Burn, but to save our otherwise lost Troy; and make a step back to England, to see how all things there concurr'd and work­ed together, to meet his most noble En­deavours, and Crown his so glorious and heavenly Enterprises, with a bless'd Success beyond all Expectation.

If we come then to examine things there likewise, we shall still find that our Royal Heroe's Enemies, whilst they were plotting his Destruction, and the enslaving of these Nations, under a dou­ble Yoak of Popery, and Arbitrary pow­er; [Page 121]which were both to Cent [...] in an en­tire Subjection to the Tyr [...]nny of the French King; made Tools of themselves, by an Over-ruling Providence not only to save, but to exalt them, whose utter ruine they really design'd; and even lift them up, to such a Power, as to be able to throw down their New Erected Babel in England, and to shake the very Foundations of their Old one, so long set­led (even) in France it self. For the late King James, besides the Mistakes and Faults which he had all along fallen into, and daily persisted to commit; for want of discerning his own true Inte­rests from those of France; and, for lack of seeing the Bottom of the French King's Designs, made all other steps, that his Enemies could have wish'd him to take, towards the bringing upon him­self Swift Destruction; and the Ad­vancement of that Warlike-Prince to the Throne of Great Britain: which, against the strong Obligations of Na­ture, and without any sense, or regard of his own highly injured honour thereby, his late Majesty shamefully went about, by the subtle Stratagems of Jesuits and [Page 122]Priests, to bereave him and his Royal Consort of.

For besides his [...]ing so openly with France, and most highly disobliging thereby the rest of the Roman Catholick Powers, as we have related; And besides the Broad-Signs he had given, of ma­king War upon Holland, on pretence of their having Assisted the Duke of Mon­mouth, and Argile, and of some other New­started Complaints of the Dutch pro­ceedings against our Merchants at Musi­lipatan, &c. and in the East-Indies, whilst the Injuries done our People dai­ly by the French about Hudson's Bay, and elsewhere, and in the Insults they daily received by the French Privateers, and Men of War, almost every where, were passed by unregarded, and without any redress; And besides the particular threats he had made against the Illustri­ous Prince of Orange; he had Dissolv'd that Parliament that had so zealously stood by him against the late D of Mon­mouth; not only because they would not grant him a Fund of Money to maintain a Standing Army, above the Regulated number of Guards, and Garrisons, in [Page 123]time of Peace, Contrary to the Consti­tution of the Government; But rather because, forsooth, they would not let them be Mann'd, and Commanded by as many Popish and Foreign Officers and Commanders as he pleas'd to stuff them with.

After this, he continued and put in as many Popish Commanders, and Gover­nours into his Army, Ships and Garri­sons; And as many Popish Justices of Peace into all Towns, Burroughs and Cities, all over England, as he could: And, in favour of that proceeding, so contrary to Law and Justice, orders his Judges to Declare a Dispensing Power, to be one of his Royal Prerogatives, in prejudice to the Privileges of the Two Houses, and even of his own Power in Parliament. And deals with all the Artifices imagi­nable, with all Qualified Persons, both Clergy and Laity of the Church of Eng­land, to induce them to Consent to the Repealing of the Penal Laws and Test; to the Countenancing of his Dispencing Power, and the keeping up of his Stand­ing Army, and putting down the Mili­tia; and when he saw them averse to it; [Page 124]though he had but just before, most high­ly incens'd the Dissenting party, by his MOST BLOODY, and Severe Exe­cution of so many Hundreds of them that had been engaged with Monmouth and Argile; and though he knew them all bred up in an Inveterate Aversion to Monarchy; Yet he, most Impolitickly, Quits his Best Friends, that had Set the Crown upon his Head, because they would not humour him in things visibly tending to his own overthrow, or de­struction, as well as theirs; And has re­course by Fawning, and most Unkingly, Mean, and Abject Sollicitations, to those very Dissenters, whose BLOOD he was still REAKING with; Thinking to do by them, his Sworn Enemies, what he could not get done by his Friends, and weaken both them and the other Party with Divisions, till he could reduce them both, by his Third Growing party, of English, Scotch, Irish, and Foreign Papists, to be his Absolute Slaves: To this end he New-models over again those Corpo­rations, both he and his late Deceased Royal Brother, had but lately Modell'd before; and taking away all the Old [Page 125] Charters, gives out New ones, by which, all true Church of England Men, who stood for the Penal Laws and Test, were ungratefully turn'd out; and Dissenters, and such as had been turn'd out before, were intruded in their places; Think­ing thereby to have such a Packt Parlia­ment, as would take away those Laws, and Destroy the Church of England, by laying it open, in Common, and Defence­less; and make Room for the Introdu­cing of Popery and Despotick Power, when it should be least apprehended. He Granted out Commissions, for the vex­ing, and calling to Account those, that in the former Reign, though really set on by the Intrigues of himself, and his own Party; had vigorously executed the Laws then in force against Dissenters; and that, not so much out of Righting the Dissenters, for the Exactions that had been made upon them; Or Reim­bursing them, or the Crown, for what was pretended to have been extorted from the one, and detain'd from the other; but meerly to raise New Animo­sities between the two Parties, and make the Dissenters, though but for their own [Page 126]Ends, willing to be his Tools, in the Ab­solute Destruction which he intended to both.

And to this end, of his own Single Authority, by virtue of the Dispencing Power he procured to be invested in him, by Eleven Judges, though in spight of the Unanimous Sense of Parliament, sufficiently declared against it, in the time of his Late Royal Brother, King Charles the Second, he gratifies them, by a Declaration for Liberty of Conscience; which some of them, though they ac­cepted with seeming Joy, and Thank­fulness, and being no less skill'd in the Art of Dissimulation, than his Confes­sor F. Petres, and imagining it good po­licy to flatter him, as he flattered them, according to that common saying, Fal­lere fallentem non est fraus; thereby to find the easier Means to work their Re­venge, both upon him and the Monar­chy, and Established Church; Yet, the Major part of them received it rather with Silence, than any apparent Con­sent, or Applause; and several of them, like true Christians, and brave English­men, express'd plainly their dislike of it, [Page 127]and Renounc'd such an Opportunity of expressing their Resentments, against the Ancient and True Reformed Church of England, by any proceeding, that was like to prove such a Tool for the Erecti­on of Popery, Slavery, and Arbitrary Power; and rather began then to have better thoughts of the Establish'd Church here, than ever before: When they saw her Chief Members so stifly to stand up, and Defend the Protestant Religion against the Mines, as well as the open Attacks of Popery and Absolute Power; and to refuse all manner of Accommoda­tion with the Church of Rome, or any Complaisance though to their then King; that might any way evacuate the Law, or put them under any Suspicion of their being capable to give up their Common Interest; and saw well enough, that it was the real Effect of the In­trigues of a Court-party, influenc'd and biass'd by designing Popish Emissaries; and not the Body of the Church of Eng­land, that had rais'd against them those Severe Prosecutions, under which they had smarted so much; Yet some Merce­nary Men were gain'd among them, and, [Page 128]to the no small surprise of the World, the old Monthly Observator, that had stuck so close to Prerogative, as to for­get almost the Interests of his Church, was now laid aside: And the late Mr. Henry Carr, that had formerly Written the Packet from Rome; and had, in the most invidious and provoking manner imaginable, exposed all the Intrigues of the Popish Agents; and all the Actions, and whole Conduct of that King, when Duke of York; and had serv'd, as a Trumpet, to the whole Party of the Exclusioners; was now Courted, and Brib'd, to Blazon forth the Graciousness of the New Declaration for Liberty, and to Write, in Exchange, for their Obser­vator.

The like Proceedings were acted in Scotland, where Despotick Power, and Absolute Authority was Assum'd, with a more Imperious Air; and then were our Gazettes stuff'd, with those many Fulsome Addresses, that Nauseated all Men of Sense of both Parties; The hands to which, were most of them Su­born'd, and hired; and the Hun­dreds and Thousands, that were not [Page 129]Named, set down with a Bold Stroke, indefinitely, Cum, &c. Though no where yet Existing, but in Nubibus; and which indeed, though they pretended to have devoted their Lives and Fortunes to the service of their New Benefactor, for the Gracious Liberty he had Granted them, yet proved but Troops of Air in his time of Need; the Main Body of the Dissenting Party Wisely Concurring with that of the Church, to wish well to the Arms of the Prince of Orange; and, in Scotland, doing indeed themselves the whole Work for him.

And though the Church-Party would not give their Consent, to the taking off the Test and Penal Laws; Yet he had some hopes, they, and especially the Major part of the Clergy among them, would at least have gone such Lengths in Passive Obedience, and com­pliance to Prerogative, as to have been tamely submissive with the dispensing with them; and not to have withstood the Declaration for Liberty of Consci­ence: But when he found by that A­cute Letter to a Dissenter, and some o­ther Writings, Publisht on that occasion, [Page 130]that they Disavowed all Complaisance with him, in those Points; that no Ad­dresses of Thanks, excepting one or two, came from any of the Church of England Party, upon the subject of that Decla­ration; and that notwithstanding the many sham Addresses, wherewith he sought to Delude himself, and the World; the Best and Wisest part of the Dissenters Rejected his Declaration; as harbouring a Secret Snake in the Grass, and Under­hand sided with the Church of England, in Disavowing any Liberty not Granted in Parliament: He was extreamly Un­easie, and many Projects were offer'd to him, by his Cabinet Councellours, to Ward the Mischiefs these ill symptoms Threaten'd, and make himself obey'd.

According to some of these Advices, to Revenge himself upon such of our Clergy as stood Tight to the Protestant and English Interests, by the means of such of them, as he thought would com­ply, which still he imagin'd would be the Major part; and to make them, as his Jesuits phrased it, To eat their own Dung, by forcing them to Excert an A­ctive, or else to feel the smart of their own [Page 131]Passive Obedience, the Principles of which he mistakingly fansied would have car­ried the Main-Body of the Clergy; Just as great and extravagant lengths, as some Tantivy-Court-Doctors, among them at that time, had laid out for them; and, have perswaded them, that the same Ab­solute and Unlimitted Obedience, was owing to the Bare Commands of the King; as to the Acts of the Three E­states, viz. King, Lords and Commons, in which alone, is the fulness of Supream Legal Power, and Authority; and to which alone consequently, the Ortho­dox Christian Duty of Absolute Active, or Passive Obedience is due; And that they were to submit, as blindly and tamely to the King, acting without, or against LAW, as by and with it; and that A­ctive, or Passive Obedience, was as much due to the King, out of, as in Parliament; and to a Word of his, an Order of Coun­cil, or a Proclamation, as to an Act of Parliament; I say, erroneously thinking that the Major part of our Churchmen were as much season'd, with those Mista­ken Notions of Passive Obedience, &c. as some Court-Doctours, by ass'd then by [Page 132]the Jesuits, and some of their Unthink­ing Followers seem'd to be; He resolves to Administer to the whole Body of the Clergy, such a Dose, or Pill, as should infallibly search and try the Temper of them all; and therefore presently gives Order to all Ministers, Pastours, and Cu­rates, To Read Publickly in their Churches his Declaration, for liberty of Consci­ence.

But finding that, Contrary to his Ex­pectation, not onely Seven of our Prin­cipal, and Right Reverend Bishops, had the Zeal and Courage, to Address him against that Declaration, as Illegal; and to Protest they could not Comply with his Commands in Reading it, because a­gainst Law, as well as their Consciences; And that the Main-Body of the Clergy, throughout the Kingdom, influenc'd by their Noble Example, Refused likewise to Read it, and that in Nine thousand, and some Hundreds of Parishes, there are in England and Wales, besides Collegiate-Churches and Chappels, &c. there were scarely 500 Clergy-Men in all that were weak and supple enough to Comply [Page 133]with his Orders in that Matter; He and his Cabal were much inraged, And yet at their Wits end, what Measures to take; How to Remedy so great an Evil, and how to prosecute a whole Body of Men, so considerable, as that of the Cler­gy. They had not long before that set up, though contrary to an Express Act of Parliament, a New High Commission; thinking thereby to have awed the Cler­gy, and have Disciplin'd them so, as to have disposed them for a Ready Com­pliance with the Declaration that was to follow; And which, had they Compli­ed, Was to have been the Dead-doing-Stroke to the Churchof England: By which High-Commission, they Censured and De­prived, the Right Worthy and Magnanimous Prelate, the present Lord Bishop of Lon­don; Notwithstanding his, and his No­ble Families great Merits towards the Crown, and several other worthy Cler­gy Men; Which Bold Attempts upon the Subjects Liberty, and Prerogative of Parliament, did not a little move all Or­ders and Ranks of Men in the Kingdom, and rather made them far more stiff, a­gainst all Compliance with the least Mo­tions [Page 134]made towards taking away the Penal Laws and Test; and, with the De­claration for Liberty, than any ways frightned, or disposed them to it.

Which made the Popish Cabal, tho they resolv'd to deal rigorously with the Addressing Bishops, whom they commit­ted to the Tower, not dare to employ the Authority of their pretended Commissi­on against them any more; But rather to Impeach them at Law, which, when they were baffled in, they signified such indiscreet Rage and Spite, at their Dis­appointment, that they could not for­bear letting the whole Body of the Pro­testants throughout Great Britain, &c. see, that from thenceforwards they were minded, without seeking any more Um­bella's, or Disguises of Law and Justice, to prosecute their Revenge by Main Force; and by Military and Dragooning hands to effect, what they could not do by their High-Commission, or any courses at Law.

I need not mention their Practices, in endeavouring to Poyson the Foun­tains that were to feed our Posterity, by Erecting Popish Schools and Seminaries [Page 135]in divers places; and by endeavouring to stuff our Ʋniversities with Roman E­missaries; Nor the violences used towards those who withstood them: As to those of Magdalen College, and others, because all those were but less matters, in comparison of what they did afterwards to the Right Reverend the Bishops; and were going to do to the rest of the Cler­gy, and therefore shall only proceed, to hint upon those other Extremities they openly, in the face of the Sun, at last were driving us upon; And which even forc'd the whole Nation, most Justly, in its Necessary Defence; after they had, out of an Excess of Respect to the Late King, born, till a Remedy was within an Ace of being too late, the Insolences of a few despicable, hot-headed Jesuits and Monks, influenc'd by the French Father la Chaiese; whose blind Unthinking Passive Tool, P. Peters was; to call for Assistance to the Next Presumptive Heirs of the Crown.

These then were their further Designs upon the Clergy.

I. To New-Rate all Ecclesiastical Pre­ferments, and make them pay First­fruits, Tenths, &c. according to their present yearly value, and not according to the old Rates.

II. To examine at their Ecclesiastical Commission, the ways and means used by Clergy-Men possess'd of Benefices, to come into them; and if they could be charged with the least appearance of Si­mony, to deprive them, and give their Livings to Popish-Priests, or formerly de­priv'd Nonconformist Ministers, or o­thers devoted to their Interests, to hold by Dispensation, or otherwise.

III. To Nose the Conformable Clergy, by allowing a Right to Papists and Dis­senters, to keep publick Registers, and to pay but half-Dues to the Parish Mi­nisters for burying.

IV. To nominate no New Protestant Bishops, or other Ecclesiastical Digni­ties, in place of those that should die; and to foist in as many Popish Priests [Page 137]and Dissenting Ministers, as they could into all Ecclesiastical Benefices that should be vacant from time to time, who were to hold them by Dispensation, and sup­ply them by conforming Curates, till they should be strong enough to establish Popery by open Force.

V. To have the Jurisdiction of vacant Bishopricks administred by Commissio­ners, and their Revenues employed for maintenance of Popish Bishops, Priests, or Seminaries, &c. As likewise the Re­venue of all vacant Deaneries, Prebend­ships, &c. And to obtrude as many Po­pish School-masters as they could, into all vacant Free-Schools, with several o­ther projects.

VI. To remove all Causes from the Bishops Courts, to their Ecclesiastical Commission.

VII. After some time, to sieze the Cathedral of St. Paul's when it should be Built, and the Abby of Westminster for Popish use, allowing only the Dean and Prebends, in case they quietly abandon­ed, [Page 138]the possession of them, their full Re­venues during life.

These things were really intended a­gainst the Clergy, over and above what was actually already done; but then to Curb the Laity of all Degrees, these fur­ther Measures were concerted to put in Execution, as fast as they could.

I. A new Court like that of the Star-Chamber, though under a disguised name was to be erected.

II. To Awe and Balance the Power and Interest of the Metropolitan City of London, without the rougher Methods of a Tower or Garrison, &c. It was re­solv'd, to erect the City of Westminster into a Corporation, like to that of Lon­don, to be govern'd by a Lord Mayor, Aldermen, common Council, &c. with as ample Privileges, Immunities and Freedoms, as the ancient City of London enjoys; in order to invite People of Wealth and Trade, as great Merchants, &c. to settle there as well as in London, and thereby to cause an Emulation be­tween them, that might keep both [Page 139]Cities tight to the Crown, or at least to keep that of London, from being potent enough alone to contest any more with their King, or make too strong a party against him.

III. The Militia when they durst, were to be all Disarm'd, and the Money levied for the maintenance of them, ap­plyed for that of a standing Army.

IV. In case the Parliament to be call'd after the new model of Corporations and Counties, that then was endeavour­ing was finished, answered not expecta­tion: Then a Parliament was to be packt, after the method of those of Cromwell's, composed most of Army Officers, Cour­tiers, and such others as they knew were disposed, vigorously to concurr with all projects to the ruining of the publick Liberty.

V. After things were come to perfe­ction, the House of Commons was to be declared unnecessary and pernicious; and all Legislative Authority, to reside in the King, and a select Council of Lords and Gentry.

VI. In order to this, the Army was by degrees to be new Modell'd, and stuft with English, French, Scotch and Irish Papists, or Persons indifferent in Religion, or of none at all, with some Dissenters, &c. And all Church of Eng­land Men by little and little put out of the Council, and out of all places of Trust both Civil and Military.

VII. That most of the English Forces, should be on some suddain pretence, shipt over into French Service, and reimplac'd by as many French, who with some­thing a greater number of English, Scotch, Irish Papists, and Popish Swissers, were to constitute the King's Guards, and the standing Forces of England. And Scot­land and Ireland were to be guarded by natural Irish, and such others of Eng­lish or Scotch extraction that were Pa­pists.

VIII. A new Court of Wards was to be Establish'd, by virtue of which, all Minors and Infants being brought under the King's Tutelage, should be brought up in the Romish Religion; as was [Page 141]already begun to be practised in Scot­land.

But notwithstanding all these At­tempts upon the Rights and Liberties of the Subject, contrary to positive Law, his own Solemn Promises, and his Co­ronation Oath, so extreamly affectio­nate, were the best part of the Nation to the person of their Prince, and so wholly averse to the contributing any thing, to the embroiling these Nations, a second time in Civil Wars, as being so very sensible of the miseries of the last, whose deep Scars scarcely well healed, yet remain'd in view, not without hor­rour before their Eyes, and reluctancy on their Spirits.

That they were very hardly and with much difficulty induced to believe any thing of their King, that savour'd of an ill design; and when they were convinc'd of it by infallible Proofs, and the un­doubted Testimony of their own Senses, together with Church and State now smarting under the Burthen: Yet would they have thought it their most dutiful, safe and wisest Course, tamely to suffer [Page 142]almost any Inconveniences and Insults from him, rather than to involve the three Kingdoms in fresh dangers, by any active Resistance; especially considering that he was already well stricken in Years, and could not Reign long.

Had not they seen those very Princely Heirs, and Nursing Parents to the Church, in whom they reposed all hopes of Re­dress, treated after the same Injurious manner, as the Subjects; and not only Menac'd, but plainly going to be both for ever excluded of their Succession, by a Jesuitical imposture, or a supposititious Prince of Wales, and driven even from their present possessions, both in the Ne­therlands and Germany, as they had new­ly been already from those in France, by a formidable Invasion; and that they (namely the Subjects) were to be made Tools of both for their own Destructi­on, and that of those pious famous and most gracious Princes, from whom on­ly under God, they hoped for Relief and Deliverance. And had not they had perfect Information, by means of the Spanish Ambassadour, as aforesaid, of all the Intrigues and Stratagems, laid a­gainst [Page 143]the Rights of those Dear and Hea­ven-beloved Princes, the hope of the Protestant Church throughout Christen­dom, as well as against their own pre­sent Civil and Religious Liberties; and especially, receiving perfect intelligence of the whole process of that Imposture, of putting upon them now a Suppositi­tious Heir, and had not King James him­self, and his too precipitate Councellors, taken very much pains to convince them, that the Spanish Intelligence was very true to a Tittle in all particulars; and had not the League with France to destroy Holland, and the manifest steps made then by our Court, towards its Execution, beyond all Contradiction, demonstrated to them that such Chains were (of a truth) prepared for them, as would not be of a few years conti­nance, but would be very lasting, and impossible to be shaken off, if once who­ly put on: And that they were just go­ing to be thrown about their necks, if not prevented, without further dallying in that very Nick of time.

For at the same time, a pretended Prince of Wales was started up, they [Page 144]found their Pillars of the Church, name­ly, the Reverend Bishops, and the main Body of their Clergy fiercely attack'd; Ireland, and the Protestants there, put wholly under Despotick Power, Arbitra­ry Dispositions, and the merciless Mercy of cruel implacable Irish Papists; Scot­land, wholly subjected allready, under an open faced Despotick Authority; the brave English Protestant Nobility, those Ornaments of our Kingdom, for the most part slighted, and their Sage advi­ces, not at all heeded in Council; but all ruled by a Popish French Cabal, headed by P. Petres and Mr. Barillon, and all Church of England-men already displaced, or going to be removed, not only from Civil Employments, but as we have shew'd from Military ones too, both in the Fleet and Army; and when the Army it self, which was to have back'd all these proceedings, saw, that for only opposing the foisting in of Irish and French Papists among them, their most Eminent Captains and Offi­cers, though highly deserving in the late time of need, against the Duke of Mon­mouth, were treated no better than the [Page 145]Bishops: That the illustrious Princess Ann of Denmark her self, was so imperi­ously and disdainfully handled, and nei­ther she, nor any Person from their Se­rene Highness's, the Prince and Princess of Orange, though so very highly con­cern'd, suffered to be present at the Birth of the pretended Prince of Wales. But that on the contrary, War was plainly preparing against the Hollander, in pre­tence forsooth; but in reality and indeed, against the precious Persons of the Prince and Princess of Orange, whom they lookt upon at least, as their Sovereigns in Re­version; and that they were to be sent over Seas they knew not where, to fight French and Popish Quarrels, never more to return, whilst their places were to be supplyed here, by French and Irish and other Popish Forces; I say, when the Army saw themselves thus treated, and were convinced there were further designs, laid as deeply and maliciously against them, as against any other body of men in the three Kingdoms, and saw an Image of their future fate, by what they beheld already done to the late standing Army in Ireland, and to some [Page 146]of the best of their own Officers; and when they saw they began already to be distrusted, and yet that the Court had gone so far, in the affairs of the Bishops, and the body of the Church of England, both Clergy and Gentry, that in all ap­pearance the Lawyers having refused to do them the Justice, pretended in the Tryal of the Right Reverend Prelates; they would now have recourse to a French Army, assoon as ever they had seen but a good part of the present one gone away, and the Post new Modell'd.

They, ( viz. the English Army) rea­dily concurr'd with the rest of the Na­tion; that is to say, Those of the Cler­gy, Nobility and Gentry, in sending in­tentionally if not actually to the Hero­ick Prince of Orange to come, and (im­mediately under the Lord of Hosts) to undertake their Relief and Deliverance; and thus a good part even of the whole Nation, and of the Army and Fleet too, even by the very proceedings of their Enemies, though much contrary to their Intentions, disposed to wish success to the most generous undertaking of our modern CONSTANTINE; who in [Page 147]Compliance with their hearty desires, and the powerful Call of Self-preservati­on, as well as the Defence of his own Rights, with the zealous Assistance of the States of Holland, and of the most Serene Prince, the Elector of Branden­burg, and some other generous Allies, provided a brave Fleet, consisting of Sixty five Men of War, five hundred Fly­boates, ten fire Ships, sixty Pinks, and as many Scheling Boats, &c. A good Ar­my to be before hand with the French, and their Creatures in England too, set sail in the midst of Winter from the Brill, and whilst he was coming, and after his first Landing, was still further favour'd, by the following Actions and Behaviour of his Enemies.

I. For upon the News of his High­ness's intended coming, King James to augment his Army, sending for conside­rable Numbers of the Irish Papists, and some Scotch Highlanders, and visibly shewing more confidence in them, than in his own Native English; made an end perfectly of alienating the hearts of his English Army from him, and gave them [Page 148]most just grounds to fix their affections on the expected and blessed Prince, the hope of England's best People; nay cau­sed thém now to believe entirely all that had been told them of the late King James, and his Jesuits Designs, and Frenchified Priests Intrigues, against them.

II. When our mighty Prince had set sail the first time, and was repuls'd by a grievous Tempest, the good Providence of the Lord turn'd even that to his Ad­vantage; for having had the Prudence to publish in the Harlaem and Amster­dams Convent, that his losses and detri­ment by that grievous Tempest, were greater much than they in reallity were. And making a face of things as if his grand Design was thereby quite balked; it was very eagerly and readily believed, especially by the Court Cabal of Jesuits and Priests; nay, they imagined them still greater than was reported, and thereupon became so very secure in their own thoughts, that they concluded all danger past, and thereby still more and more alarm'd the whole Nation, and [Page 149]kept their inclinations the more firm and close, unto their Great and Heaven in­spired Deliverer. For that hot headed party, now as openly bragg'd in every Coffee-house, that God had defeated the Hereticks, and that the Noise of that Expedition, had only given the King a fair opportunity to increase his Army, wherewith he would now make himself Absolute; and by the help of them, and the French together, chastice the proud Bishops (as they foolishly call'd them) and the whole Church of England, and their Abettors, the Lawyers too; rout out the daring Prince out of the Nether­lands, and exterminate the States of Holland as an unsufferable President, of prosperous Rebellion, and of pernicious Consequence to all Princes.

And among other Troops, they just now raised a new Regiment of Horse-Guards, all notorious Papists for the pretended Prince of Wales, and com­mitted the custody of his Person to them only, and to the Irish.

III. After the renown'd Prince of O­range, and his Forces were happily land­ed [Page 150]at Tor-bay, and had given Directions for the speedy landing the rest, and the Canon to be unship'd for the more con­veniency at Topsham; the late King James's Council, as influenc'd by the French, advised him to neglect sending the body of Scotch and Irish Soldiers, in which he confided to attack the Princes Force, while they were so fati­gued and disabled, with the bitter Voy­age they had undergone, and were not as yet, re-inforc'd by any Refreshments or Rest, or join'd by any Male-contents (as they call'd them) out of the Coun­trey, or from the late King's own Army; and rather to stay till he could assemble his whole Army, and provide a suffici­ent train of Artillery, store of Ammu­nition, &c. and be ready to March a­gainst them in Person to give them a formal Battel; which must be acknow­ledged, gave our renown'd Prince a con­venient opportunity, to refresh his Men and Horse, and recruit what were wan­ting; and likewise to such as were well affected to him in the Countrey, and in the King's Army, to go over to him.

IV. King James by a strange Fate, though so much Frenchified, yet being over perswaded not to become too much dependant of the French King, refused till it was too late, to receive a French Army, though often press'd to it by Ba­rillon; insomuch that the French King finding he could not have his Will, to have a French Force admitted, strong enough to Master both England and its King, and to have the English Forces in­stead of his own, to fight his Quarrels on the other side, gave the aforesaid Coun­sel to the late King James, not to de­tach his Scots and Irish, against the Princes wearied Forces, for fear his Eng­lish Army taking exceptions thereat might Rebel, and seize his Person in the mean time; but to march with his whole Army against them in Person, where one Nation might awe the other, and the English might have less cause of Ex­ception, seeing some confidence still re­posed in them; and the Kings presence might keep them all in due Decorum and Obedience.

The French, though fearing some would desert him, yet thought that e­nough [Page 152]would still stay with the King, to keep up a Civil War, which would de­prive the Hollanders and Confederates at least of the Forces they had lent for that Expedition; and which was more, of the Conduct of so great a General, as the Prince of Orange, and force King James the next Summer, to admit what num­ber of French to help him, he should please to offer; and which he thought, he could easily send him by his own Fleet, with that part of King James's that should remain firm to him, and so he should have his long desired ends at last.

V. Because King James had so stiffly re­fused a French Army for that present, and to part with his English, the French King in hopes that the late King would how­ever find Friends enough, to keep the valiant Prince of Orange and his Forces employed for some years, without be­ing able to assist the Confederates, and make both England and Holland the ea­ger Prey to him at last; though he were in actual War with Holland, and had a numerous Army near their Frontiers, [Page 153]yet forbore to make any Attempt upon them, for fear it should hinder the Prince and his Forces from going for England; and so deprive him of the sundry advan­tages he hoped to reap, by that Diver­sion.

So true a Friend was he at the Bottom, to his poor deluded Ally's Interest, and so very much mistaken in true Measures for promoting his own, by an over-ru­ling hand of Providence.

VI. And lastly, the strange unmanly fear, and unsteadiness that appeared in the late King James, when he had the greatest occasion, to shew that Courage and Conduct, he had alwaies before pre­tended to; in not appearing firm to stand by those, that otherwise, in all probability would have stood to him; even among the English Forces, as well as among the Nobility, Clergy and Gen­try, and his actual deserting them after­wards gave the last finishing Motion to the mighty and memorable Revolution that followed.

Thus you see, all these several steps of the Prince of Orange's very Enemies, [Page 154]though directed as they thought by the best, safest and rightest measures of Pru­dence and Policy against him, were all made by the Providence of Almighty God (who taketh the Wise in their own craftiness, and will suffer no enchant­ment against Jacob nor divination against Israel) to contribute to the more assu­red and speedy success of our noble Prince Enterprise, so very justly and lawfully undertaken, by a loud Call and Commission from Heaven in his own Defence, and likewise in the Defence and Safety of the People, Church and Cause of God.

And by these strange means, it came to pass, that the magnanimous Prince, setting sail a second time from Helle­voet-sluys, with a prosperous Gale, though he suffer'd much again with his people afterwards, by rough Weather, and the incommodities of Landing in such a place, and his first uncouth Marches; yet Landing upon the 5th. of November, in the famous Year, 1688. just 100 years after the Spanish Invasion, and on the Anniversary of the Gun-powder Trea­son; as if design'd and ordain'd by Hea­ven [Page 155]to deliver us, both from the inte­stine Contrivances of a Faction within us, and the approaching inundation of the French without us, now much more for­midable than Spain was then, in less than six Weeks time, entred Triumph [...] ly into the Palace of our Capital City, [...] by almost universal Consent of the ex­ceeding joyful Nation, of all Orders, Ranks and Degrees, invested on the Anni­versary of the Nativity of our Lord, with the Administration of the Government; as if by Divine appointment, preordain'd to be a temporal Saviour to these Nati­ons, and to all his chosen People; and by the peculiar Deligation and Commission, of that King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, that Rules over the Kingdoms of Men, and gives them to whomsoever he will: And then after he had by the general desire, and humble importunity of the Subjects, called a Convention of Estates, was by them on the 13th. of February, 1688. conjointly with his Royal and virtuous Princess, declared the Rightful and un­doubted King and Queen of England, France and Ireland, and soon after of Scotland.

The late King James by sending his Queen and pretended Son, into France into the hands of a known Enemy of these Nations, and who had been the cause of all their manifold grievances; and by retiring thither afterwards, vo­luntarily of his own accord himself, ha­ving given infallible Evidence, to all the sober part of the Nation, that the Birth of that pretended Prince, was too dark a Contrivance to endure the clear light of a publick Examination in Parliament, and made all other expedients of reset­ling the shaken Government, redressing the multiplied grievances of the Sub­jects, and doing right to the most un­doubted Presumptive Heirs of the Crown, altogether impracticable.

I forbear to insert here, all the parti­culars of his advances, towards the ef­fecting so great and happy a Revolution; because they are fresh in the memories of all, and are known even to such as are but only mere strangers to us in these daies. And because I have already exactly enough, related them in my late Diary, of that Memorable Expediti­on, Printed for Richard Baldwin, 1689. [Page 157]To which for those points, I refer my Readers: The conclusion of all was, that Their Majesties were on the 11th. of A­pril following, most Solemnly Crown'd at Westminster, by the Noble and most Reverend Father in God, the Bishop of London, assisted with other Bishops, to the great and inexpressible Joy and Satis­faction of all their People; the Terrour and Amazement of their Enemies, and the Wonder and Surprise of the whole World.

A Revolution, which if it were mira­culous in the Concurrence of so many seeming contrary, precedent and conco­mitant Causes, as we have shewed, was no less wonderful for the Laudable and Angel-like moderation of the chief in­struments of it; namely, of the People and of the Gracious and Heavenly de­voted Prince and Princess, to whom they humbly and earnestly Address'd. For the People had so much Affection and Respect to their late King, that they suffer'd so much, till they were almost reduced beyond Remedy, before they would seek one; and when they sought and obtain'd one, sought such a one, as [Page 158]was the most Natural and Consonant to the Duty and Respect they ow'd their King, that could be Imagined: For they sought to the next presumptive Heirs of his own Flesh and Royal Blood, against the false Game put upon them and the people, and even upon King James himself, by the Intrigues of a Fo­reign Prince, and a Subtil Popish Design­ing Step-mother, and Second Wife, to­gether with the Help of Jesuits and Priests: And that was done, not Tu­multuously, or by a Faction; but by the Main Body of the Nation, in the persons of their Chiefest Men of all Orders, De­grees and Interests, and by as Legal Representatives as the Juncture of Time and Affairs would permit (nay, I may assert, that that Most Honourable and August Convention, were as Lawful Re­presentatives, and as Able Men, as the whole Kingdom could afford) And by their, Now, Most Excellent Majesties, with so much Softness, Care and Vene­ration, to the Person of the Late King, as infallibly declared to all Mankind, that they (yet) had preserv'd no small share of Affection, and Respect for him. So [Page 159]much, as it plainly appeared since, he would not have reserv'd for them, had he but prevail'd, or got them within the Verge of his Power. For, as our pre­sent Gracious Queen, then Princess of Orange, had earnestly intreated Her dear Lord and Husband, the Prince, to be very careful in all the Course of His Expediti­on, of the Person of Her Father; which was back'd with the Instances of the Confederate Roman Catholick Princes. Those Counsels, and Intreaties were, ve­rily, so very consentaneous to His own Sentiments, and Innate Inclinations, that he most readily and punctually ob­served, and performed them. For, when the Late King was seized and insulted by the Mobb at Feversham, as he attempt­ed, in Disguise, to have made his Escape, and pass the Seas; He was very sensibly Concern'd, at the Affronts and Indigni­ties done him, and took special care he should be safely Re-conveyed out of the dangers of the then Exasperated People, by his own Guards to Whitehall. And when he saw him so fully bent to Retire for France, Though it were, in many Respects, against his Own, and the Pub­lick [Page 160]Interest; yet he would not cross him in it. And since he was so eagre upon it, had him Safe Conducted, by his own Dutch Guards to Rochester; and from thence to a Vessel he had himself under­hand provided, to Waft him safe where he would be; with private Command, He should not be Molested, or Insulted in his Passage, either by Sea or Land: Thus the Late King ABDICATED the Throne, and Retired to France; and so laudably and gloriously concluded this most Happy and Wonderful Revolu­tion: