principals appeared desirous of pea By the treaty between Er the brothers proved fatal to themselves, and v. By trusting in France and distrusting the land forces of the republic were so untry was found defenceless, when 1672. A popular outbreak took ly murdered, and the young lliam, then but in his twentyaised army against a force of a ported by the power of England. ed, and when Buckingham assured of the Commonwealth, he replied; I at least shall be sure not to witness il die in the last ditch". r circumstances of great disadvantage, ng the French from the gates of Amsters of the republic. In 1677, the Prince paid arried his cousin Mary; the year following, en gave peace to his country, Already had great designs, which throughout the remainder oured by every means to accomplish-the reduccal power of Louis, and the security of the liberties The revocation of the Edict of Nantes alarmed the s of Europe, and led to the formation of a confederacy princes, in the league of Augsburg. This confederacy ete without the accession of England, and hence, it is eadiness with which William embarked with the English the movement which placed him on the throne of this and raised him to be the head of the confederated states. conduct of William, after coming to the English throne, has variously estimated. Smollett, representing the class unfavorto him, writes: "The distinguishing criterion of his character s ambition. To this he sacrificed the punctilios of honor and deorum, in deposing his own father-in-law and uncle; and this he gratified at the expense of the nation that raised him to sovereign authority. He aspired to the honor of acting as umpire in all the contests of Europe; and the second object of his attention was the prosperity of that country to which he owed his birth. Whether he really thought the interests of the continent and Great Britain were inseparable, or sought only to drag England into the confederacy as a convenient ally, certain it is, he involved these kingdoms in foreign connexions, which in all probability, will be productive of their ruin. In order to establish his favorite point, he scrupled not to employ all the engines of corruption, by which the morals of the nation were totally debauched. He procured a parliamentary sanction for a standing army, which now seems to be interwoven in the constitution. He introduced the pernicious practice of borrowing upon remote funds; an expedient that necessarily hatched a brood of usurers, brokers, contractors, and stock-jobbers, to prey upon the vitals of their country. He entailed upon the nation a growing debt, and a system of politics big with misery, despair, and destruction." In the following passage from Smyth, William is much more fairly estimated: "Macpherson has written a history of Great Britain from the Restoration to the accession of the House of Hanover. This his referred to Innocent XII. he also favored France, on the ground that the renunciation of Maria Theresa was invalid and null. Still, Charles was irresolute, his own leanings were in favor of the House of Austria, but the fears of French invasion, and the influence of the priests on the mind of the dying monarch, forced from him at last a will in favour of Philip of Anjou, the second son of the Dauphin. 1701. 3. Formation of a second Grand Alliance. Charles II. of Spain died in 1700, when the will of the deceased monarch was notified to the French court, Louis affected to hesitate on account of his engagement to William and the States general. But these doubts were momentary, and dispatching his grandson Philip to Spain, the exulting Louis exclaimed, “Now there are no longer Pyrenees". William now confessed himself the dupe of his brother of France. The emperor Leopold at once put himself in communication with the king of England, for the purpose of renewing the former confederacy. Conferences were opened at the Hague, and in September a treaty of alliance signed. By its principal articles it was agreed-that there should be an alliance between the Emperor, England, and Holland to procure satisfaction to the emperor for the Spanish succession: that if not procured in two months, they should unite their forces that the confederates should endeavour to secure the Spanish Netherlands to be a barrier between France and Holland; and Milan, &c. for the emperor's security, and also Naples and Sicily and that England and Holland might seize what Spanish colonies in the Indies they could, and keep them. And by secondary articles it was further agreed-that no party should treat of peace separately and that all kings and princes might enter into the alliance. The Empire, Portugal, and Savoy did so at a subsequent period. : BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES. : WILLIAM III. 1650-1702. William was the posthumous son of William II. Prince of Orange, by Mary, daughter of Charles I. of England, and the great grandson of the founder of the Dutch republic, by Louisa, daughter of Admiral Coligni the famous leader of the Huguenots. By his infringement of constitutional rights, William's father had raised suspicions against his house, as having designs against the liberties of the Commonwealth. Hence the party opposed to the House of Orange took advantage of the infancy of his successor, and prevented the election of the infant prince to the stadtholdership. And the connexion of his family with the House of Stuart, caused Cromwell to demand in 1654, that the States should engage to exclude the young Prince of Orange from the office of his fathers. In 1667, the republicans, headed by the two De Witts, passed the "Perpetual Edict", for ever abolishing the office of Stadt holder. The policy of the brothers proved fatal to themselves, and nearly so to their country. By trusting in France and distrusting the best officers of the army, the land forces of the republic were so seriously weakened, that the country was found defenceless, when Louis made his iniquitous inroad in 1672. A popular outbreak took place, the De Witts were barbarously murdered, and the young prince raised to be stadtholder. William, then but in his twentysecond year, had to head a disorganised army against a force of a hundred thousand veterans, supported by the power of England. His determined spirit now appeared, and when Buckingham assured him that he would see the ruin of the Commonwealth, he replied; "There is one means by which I at least shall be sure not to witness the ruin of my country: I will die in the last ditch". In two campaigns, under circumstances of great disadvantage, William succeeded in driving the French from the gates of Amsterdam across the boundaries of the republic. In 1677, the Prince paid a visit to England and married his cousin Mary; the year following, the treaty of Nimeguen gave peace to his country, Already had William formed two great designs, which throughout the remainder of his life he endeavoured by every means to accomplish the reduction of the tyrannical power of Louis, and the security of the liberties of Protestants. The revocation of the Edict of Nantes alarmed the protestant states of Europe, and led to the formation of a confederacy of protestant princes, in the league of Augsburg. This confederacy was incomplete without the accession of England, and hence, it is said, the readiness with which William embarked with the English nobles in the movement which placed him on the throne of this country, and raised him to be the head of the confederated states. The conduct of William, after coming to the English throne, has been variously estimated. Smollett, representing the class unfavorable to him, writes: "The distinguishing criterion of his character was ambition. To this he sacrificed the punctilios of honor and decorum, in deposing his own father-in-law and uncle; and this he gratified at the expense of the nation that raised him to sovereign authority. He aspired to the honor of acting as umpire in all the contests of Europe; and the second object of his attention was the prosperity of that country to which he owed his birth. Whether he really thought the interests of the continent and Great Britain were inseparable, or sought only to drag England into the confederacy as a convenient ally, certain it is, he involved these kingdoms in foreign connexions, which in all probability, will be productive of their ruin. In order to establish his favorite point, be scrupled not to employ all the engines of corruption, by which the morals of the nation were totally debauched. He procured a parliamentary sanction for a standing army, which now seems to be interwoven in the constitution. He introduced the pernicious practice of borrowing upon remote funds; an expedient that necessarily hatched a brood of usurers, brokers, contractors, and stock-jobbers, to prey upon the vitals of their country. He entailed upon the nation a growing debt, and a system of politics big with misery, despair, and destruction." In the following passage from Smyth, William is much more fairly estimated: "Macpherson has written a history of Great Britain from the Restoration to the accession of the House of Hanover. This his tory may always be resorted to whenever an unfavorable representation is wanted of the conduct or character of William. Yet, even with respect to that part of our subject which is at present before us, the foreign politics of William, Macpherson is obliged to allow that William was placed at the head of his native country as the last hope of her safety from conquest and a foreign yoke; that he was raised to the throne of Great Britain, under the name of her deliverer from civil tyranny and religious persecution; that he was considered in the same important light by the rest of Europe; that the Empire, Spain, and Italy looked up to his counsels as their only resource against the exorbitant ambition and power of Louis XIV.; and that France herself, when she affected to despise his power the most, owned his importance by an illiberal joy upon a false report of his death: Higher praise than this cannot possibly be received. Those who engage in the affairs of the world and have talents sufficient to influence and control them as William did, can neither appear to be nor really be without decided faults." Hallam, usually so cool in his judgments, bestows the warmest encomiums on William: "But it must ever be an honor to the English crown that it has been worn by so great a man. Compared with him, the statesmen who surrounded his throne, the Sunderlands, Godolphins, and Shrewsburys, even the Somerses and Montagues, sink into insignificance. He was in truth too great, not for the times wherein he was called to action, but for the peculiar condition of a king of England after the Revolution; and as he was the last sovereign of this country whose understanding and energy of character have been very distinguished, so was he the last who has encountered the resistance of his parliament, or stood apart and undisguised in the maintenance of his own prerogative." QUEEN MARY. 1662-1694. Mary, Queen Regnant of England, was the daughter of James, Duke of York, and Ann Hyde, daughter of the chancellor. Mary was born in St. James's palace in 1662, and brought up in the old palace at Richmond. Her mother died in 1671, after being joined to the church of Rome; in 1673, her father took for a second wife, Mary of Modena. Charles II. thought it necessary to remove Mary from the care of her father, and commit her education to Compton, bishop of London. In 1677 the Prince of Orange came to England, and Charles at the solicitation of Danby and Temple, consented to the marriage of the Prince with the Lady Mary, the heir apparent to the crown. Louis was greatly disconcerted at this union, but Charles assured the French king that the measure was forced upon him by the jealous fears of the nation. On Mary's arrival in Holland, she soon found cause of complaint in the coldness, perhaps unfaithfulness, of her husband; her health gave way and her death was expected. She however recovered, and when Monmouth was at the Dutch court in 1684-5, Mary seems to have been in high spirits, and learning to skate in short clothes. Up to the time of Monmouth's execution, Mary and her father were on affectionate terms, but for that act she never forgave him. On coming to England, the air of gaiety with which she took possession of her father's palace, was made the subject of severe remark, as was also the dissension which grew up between her and her sister Anne. With respect to her right to the crown of England, she readily gave. |