fighting King James's Forces. Tho' the Duke A. C. wanted no Apology among thofe that knew his 1689. Capacity, yet being inform'd that his Conduct was call'd in Queftion, even in the Parliament it felf, he acquainted the King with the Reafons that had oblidg'd him not to ftir from his Camp, upon the Approach of King James; to wit, that his Army had never exceeded Twelve Thoufand effective Men, most of them newly rais'd, and little better Miscarrias than thofe of the late King, who had double tharges of Ire Number; that he had waited for Artillery Horfes land inand Carriages above a Month; that the Army hadquired in ail along wanted Bread; both the Men and Horses, 10. Shoes; and the Surgeons and Apothecaries, proper Medicines for the Sick. This Account was confirm'd by Mr. Lumley, Brother to the Lord of that Name, and by Count Solmes, who at this time arriv'd from Ireland, and reported further, that the Army was canton'd in pretty good Winter Quarters; that abundance of Men and Horfes had been fwept away by Sicknefs, and want of Food or Cloathing, but that the Sick recover'd apace; and as for the Officers, that feveral had killed themfelves with Drinking too plentifully Irish Ufquebaugh, particularly Sir Edward Deering, Colonel Wharton, and Sir Thomas Gower; that the Mifcarriages of Ireland were wholly to be charged on Shales, Purveyor Ge neral to the Army; and that upon Duke Schomberg's Landing at Dundalk, there was fo general a Confternation among the Irif. that he might have march'd directly to Dublin,if he had not wanted Provilions and a Train of Artillery. Mr. Walker ac quainted the Commons with thefe things, whereupon they immediately Voted an Addrefs, to defire his Majefty to caufe Shales to be Arrested, and all his Papers, Accompts and Provifions feiz'd; and to empower Duke Schomberg to put an abler Man in his Place. The King having anfver'd to this Addrefs, That upon Information of Shales's Mifmanagement he had fent Orders to Duke Schomberg to fecure him, the Commons, till eager upon this Affair, refolv'd upon another Addrefs, to request His Majefty to mame thofe that had recom

mended

A. C. 1689.

mended Shales into his Service; which nevertheless His Majesty declin'd to do, becaufe, as 'twas reported, Shales had been propos'd in a full Council. This fame Shales was Purveyor to King James's Army, whilft it Encamp'd on Hounslow-Heath; and upon that score was fhrewdly fufpected of foul Dealing under King William. Some few days after, the King fent a Meffage to the Commons, to acquaint them, that having declar'd his Refolution to carry on the War in Ireland to the utmost of his Power, and to use the most effectual Means for that Purpose, he was willing that the Commons fhould recommend a certain Number of Perfons, not exceeding Seven, to whom he would give Commiffions to over-look the neceffary Preparations for that War; and alfo that they should appoint fome Perfons to infpect the Condition of the Army in Ireland. This Meffage was receiv'd with great Applaufe by the Commons, who return'd His Majefty Thanks for it in a full Body; and excufed themselves from naming any Body, leaving the Choice of the Commiffioners wholly to his Majefties great Wisdom. The Commons took this Opportunity to prefs the King to difcover thofe who had recommended Shales, but His Majefty told them, It was impoffible for him to give an Answer to that Queftion. As for the Mifcarriages of the Fleet, the Commons being inform'd that they proceeded from a raging Sicknefs amongst the Seamen, occafion'd by bad Provifions, they order'd thofe that had Victualled the Navy to be taken into Cuftody of the Serjeant at Arms, and anfwer for the fame.

The Bill of Indemnity amufed both Houses for a confiderable time, tho' to as little purpose as it had done the former Seffion: The Lords acquainted the Commons, that they had appointed a Committee to enquire who had advised the ufing of Quo Warranto's against Corporations; and defir'd that Mr. Hamden, (Junior) and Mr. Trenchard, two of their Members, might appear before the Committee they had named to find out the Authors and Promoters of the Execution of the Lord Ruffel, Algernoon Sidney, Sir Thomas Armstrong, and Mr. Cor

nish. "Tis certain Mr. Hamden was able to give the A. C. Lords a great Light into that Affair, having been 1689. involv'd in the Presbyterian Plot, out of which in tricacy he partly difingag'd himfelf by charging the Lord Ruffel. But this inquiry was not fo much intended against Mr. Hamden, as againft the Marquifs of Halifax, who had endeavour'd Mr. Hamden's Ruin by procuring a Note from the late Duke of Monmouth, whereby he was made an Accomplice to the pretended Crime of the Lord Ruffel's. But the Duke afterwards repenting of having charged one of his best Friends, earnestly demanded his Note from King Charles II. to whom the Marquifs had deliver'd it; and which he at last obtain'd on this Condition, never to return into his Majefty's Prefence.

Mr. Hamden appear'd before the Lords ComMr. Ham mittee, and made a long-winded Speech, wherein he den's Serrather aimed at juftifying himself, than at difcover- vices. ing the Authors of the Lord Ruffel's Death. He extolled his Services to the prefent Government, infinuating that the whole intrigue of King William's being invited over,had been manag'd by himfelt and Mr. Johnson, a Scotchman, Nephew to Bip B... net, whom he employ'd to gather the Refults of the feveral Confultations in private Houfes; and that by ftirring in this Affair he had run an eminent Danger; for had Johnfon been fufpected, he would have been fent into Scotland, and forc'd by the Rack (which is allow'd in that Kingdom) to difcover thofe who fet him at Work. Twas upon this account that Mr. Hamden, after the Revolution, made feveral Offers at being Secretary of State, but the King thought him of two hot a Temper for a Place that requires a fettled Head. One day Mr. Hamden, with defign to remind the King of his own Services,reprefented to his Majefty that thofe of Mr. Johnfon were ftill left unrewarded: To which the King reply'd, He had not forgot either Mr. Hamden or Mr. Johnfon. However neither of them had much reafon to complain, the King having named the first to be his Envoy into Spain, and the other into Switzerland; which Employments they both refus'd; and thereupon Mr. Cex, upon Mr. Hamden's RecomM m

menda

Envoys

fent a

broad.

broke made a Privy Councellor.

Bill of

Lords a gainst Popish Suc ceffors.

،

A. C. mendation was fent to the Switzers; and Mr. Stan 1689. hope, Brother to the Lord Chesterfield, but recommended by his own Merit, was difpatch'd to Madrid. About the fame time the Lord Paget was fent Lord Pem-Envoy to the Emperor; and the Lord Dursley to Holland to relieve the Earl of Pembroke, who was made a Privy-Counfellor; and foon after firft Commiffioner of the Admiralty, in the the room of AdmiAnd firt ral Torrington, who voluntarily refign'd that Place. Commiffio The Important Bill to fettle the Rights of the ner of the Subjects, and the Succeffion of the Crown, being Admiral paft the Houfe of Commons, and fent to the Lords, ty. their Lordships, wifely confidering how far King James had gone towards the introducing the Popif Rights and Religion into the Nation, took fpecial Care to preSucceffion. vent the like for the future, by adding a Claufe to the Bill, That the Kings and Queens of England Claufe ad fhould be oblig'd at their coming to the Crown to ded by the take the Teft in the firft Parliament that fhould be call'd at the beginning of their Reign; and that if any King or Queen of England fhould embrace the Roman Catholick Religion, or Marry with a Roman Catholick Prince or Princefs, their Subjects fhould be abfolv'd of their Allegiance; and that the Crown and Government of thefe 6 Realms fhould from time to time defcend to, and be enjoy'd by fuch Perfons, being Proteftants, as fhould have inherited the fame,in Cafe the faid Per'fons fo reconcil'd to the Church of Rome, or Marrying a Papift, as aforefaid, were naturally Dead. Some Days after, the Lords made a farther Progrefs in the Bill, and because the Dispensing Power was mention'd in it, as one of the chiefeft Grievances, fome were of an Opinion that fuch a Power was a Prerogative infeparable from the Crown, and that in fome Cafes the King may Difpenfe,if not with a Law, yet with fome part of it. To fupport this Opinion, they alledgd, That there was a Statute prohibiting all Foreign built Ships, or fuch as had not been Laden in this Kingdom, to trade to the English Plantations in America; but that nevertheless, for the good of the Nation, the King might diffenfe with that Statute, upon account of the Negroe Trade, which the Englife drove with the Spaniards,

6

and

and of which they had cut off the Dutch. Tho' A. C. little could be faid in oppofition to thofe Reafons, 1689. yet because they ftrain'd too high the Royal Prerogatives, which the prevailing Party defign'd to moderate, and feem'd to juftifie fome of the late Mifmanagements, they were rejected with fome Heat. About this time the Discontented grew fo infolent, being heartned by the flow Proceedings of the Commons, that the Lords thought it neceffary to defire His Majefty to caufe the Laws against Pa-. pifts to be put in Execution.

Befides the Bills already mention'd, feveral incident Difputes obftructed the Conclufion of publick Affairs. Towards the beginning of December there was a Question propounded in the House of Commons, whether a Perfon having a place at Court or any dependance upon the King, fhould be a Member of that Houfe? The Debate thereupon was hot and obftinate, but at laft the Queftion was carried in the Affirmative, it having been urg'd that if the Negative prevail'd, the fittest Perfons for publick Employments would remain excluded, and be debarr'd the opportunity of ferving either the King or their Country.

Ahout the † middle of the Month, this Commons † Dec. 14. confider'd the State of the Nation, and fuch as were diffatisfied with the prefent Ministry, did not fail to renew their Complaints of the late Mifcarriages. The Member that fpoke the loudeft on this Occafion, was Mr. Hamden; (Junior) who, tho' his Life had been in Danger under the preceding Reign, tho' both he and his Father had much contributed to the late Revolution, and tho' both were in favour with the prefent King, yet made a long Speech against thofe that had the Management of Affairs, by faying, he could not but wonder to fee thofe very Perfons in the Miniftry whom the late King James had employ'd, even when his Affairs were moft defperate, to treat with the (then) Prince of Orange. He alledg'd the Example of William First Prince of Orange, who never made ufe of the Duke of Alva's Minifters; of Henry IV. of France, who never employ'd thofe of his Competitor the Duke of Mayenne, and of feveral other Princes; and moved M m 2

for