1689.

66

A. C. "hereby affure all our Subjects, of what Quality "foever, let their Crimes againft us be never fo great, that if in Twenty four Days after our Appearance in Perfon in our Kingdom of England they return to their Obedience, by deferting our "Enemies and joining with us, we will we will grant them our full Pardon, and all paft Mifcarriages "fhall be forgot; fo little do we delight in the Blood or Ruin of our People. But if after this our Gracious Condefcenfion they fhall yet continue to aflift our Enemies and Rebels, we do, "before God, charge all the Blood which fhall be "afterwards fhed, upon them and their Adherents, "and we doubt not, bythe Bleffing of God upon our "Arms, to force the most Obftinate to their Duty, "though as we have made appear in reducing our Rebellious Subjects in this Kingdom, we defire "to ufe no other than Lenity and Mercy.

66

66

On the 12th of May a Bill was brought into the Houfe of Commons by Chief Juftice Nugent, for Repealing the A of Settlement, which, without any oppofition, was read three times and fent to the Lords. In the Upper Houfe the Bishop of Meath very learnedly argued against the Bili, alledging, amongst other Objections, That no Penalty was provided on fuch as enter'd Eftates without Injunctions; nor Confiderations for Improvements; nor faving for Remainders; nor time given to Tenants and Poffeffors to remove their Stock and Corn; nor Provifions for Proteftant Widdows, and that it allow'd only Reprizals for Original Purchase Money, which was hard to make out, and was an injury to the fecond or third Purchafer. But notwithffanding the Validity of thefe Reafons, back'd by an Addrefs to King James from Judge Keating, in The Act of behalf of the Purchafers under the Act of SetSettlement tlement; and notwithstanding his Majesty's AnRepeal'd. fwer to Keating, That he would not do Evil that Good

might come on't, Yet Chancellor Filton's Arguments prevail'd, and the Bill receiv'd the Royal Affent, and paft into an Act: Nor indeed could it be expected otherwife, the Majority of both Houses confifting

confifting of Roman Catholicks, on whom King A. C. Fames had his Sole Dependance, and who were the 1689. Sons and Defcendants of thofe Perfons that had for

feited their Eftates for their bloody Rebellion in

1641.

To give ftill a more fatal Blow, there was an Act 4 of At of Attainder paft in Parliament, in order to which tainder in every Member of the Houfe of Commons return'd Ireland. the Names of all fuch Proteftant Gentlemen as liv'd near them, or in the County for Borough for which they ferv'd. When this Bill was prefented to the King for his Affent, the Speaker of the Houfe of Commons told him; That many were attainted in that Act upon fuch Evidence as fatisfied the Houfe, and the reft upon Common Fame. In this black Act there were no fewer attainted than 2 Archbishops, 1 Duke, 17 Earls, 7 Counteffes, 28 Viscounts, 2 Vifcounteffes, 7 Bishops, 18 Barons, 33 Baronets, 51 Knights, 83 Clergymen, 2182 Efquires and Gentlemen: And all of them, unheard, declar'd Traytors, and adjudg'd to fuffer the Pains of Death and Forfeiture. The famous Profcription at Rome during the laft Triumvirate, came not up, in fome refpects, to the Horrors of this; for there were Condemn'd in this little Kingdom more than double the Number that were Profcrib'd through the vaft extent of the Roman Empire. And to make this of Ireland yet the more terrible and unavoidable, the Act it felf was conceal'd, and no Proteftant allow'd a Copy of it till four Months after it was paft; whereas in that of Rome, the Names of the Perfons profcrib'd were affix'd upon all the publick Places of the City the very Day the Profcription was Decreed, and thereby opportunity was given to many to preserve themfelves by a speedy Flight. This Anti-Parliament (if I may fo call it) after they had made fome other Acts, and amongst the rest one for Liberty of Confcience, was Prorogued on the the 20th of July, to the 12th of January enfuing; and fo ended this Seffion, whofe Proceedings occafion'd no lefs Difturbance in the Kingdom of Ireland than the War it felf.

It

Welwood's

Memoirs,

pag. 235.

A. C. It was not thought enough that Tyrconnel had 1689. ftop'd the Maintainance of the Univerfity of Dublin, but upon King James's arrival, the Vice-Prefident, Fellows and Scholars were all farther proceeded against and turn'd out; their Furniture, Library and Communion-Plate feiz'd, and every thing that belong'd to the College, and to the private Fellows and Scholars taken away. All this was done notwithstanding that when they waited upon King James at his firft coming to Dublin, he was pleas'd to promise them; That he would preferve them in their Liberties and Properties, and rather augment than diminish their Privileges and Immunities, that had been granted them by his Predeceffors. In the Houfe they put a Garrifon, and turn'd the Chappel into a Magazine, and the Chambers into Prifons for Proteftants. One More a Popish Prieft was made Provoft, and one Mackarty, alfo a Priest, Librarykeeper, and the whole defign'd for them and their Fraternity. One Archbishoprick, feveral Bishopricks, and a great many other Dignities and Livings of the Church were defignedly kept Vacant, and the Revenues first paid into the Exchequer, and afterwards difpos'd of to Titular Bishops and Priefts; while in the mean time the Cures lay neglected, fo that it appear'd plainly that the defign was to deftroy the Succeffion of the Proteftant Clergy.men. At length things came to that height, that most of the Churches in and about Dublin were feiz'd upon by the Government, and Lutterell, Governor of that City iffued * out his Order, Commanding all *June 18. Protestants, who were not Houfe-keepers, to depart out 1690. of the faid City; and all fuch as were Houfe-keepers to deliver up their Arms, both Offenfive and Defensive ; and likewife forbidding above Five Proteftants meeting any where upon pain of Death, or fuch other Punishment as a Court Martial fhould think fit: The Governor being asked, whether this was defign'd to hinder meeting in Churches? He anfwer'd, this was defign'd to prevent their Affembling there, as well as in other Places; and accordingly all the Preteftant Churches were fhut up throughout the whole Kingdom.

Whilft King James by thofe defpotick Methods A. C. that were fuggefted to him by his ill Advifers, 1689. (chiefly by the French Ambaffador, who fat Paramount in his Council) loft daily his Intereft amongst those who had remain'd true to him, upon a fond fuppofal that the fenfe of his paft Misfortunes would have enclin'd him to alter his Conduct; King William by Policy and Forbearance cemented his dif-jointed Government. Nor were his Majefty's Thoughts fo taken up with the Establishment of his Throne, but that at the fame time he confulted the general Good of Christendom, and was attentive to the Neceflities of his Allies, who had favour'd his Expedition into England, not for the Security of the Proteftant Religion, the chiefeft of them being Roman Catholicks, but principally to check the growing Power of France. The Emperor's Envoy, Don Pedro de Ronquillo the Spanish Ambaffador, and the Dutch Minifters reprefented to his Majefty how France had declar'd their Masters her Enemies for being his Friends, and earnestly preft his Majesty to proclaim War against that Crown. Over and above the Reafons of Gratitude, King William was prompted to comply with the Defires of his Confederates by that noble Ardour he ever had to fupprefs the Exorbitant Power of the French Monarch, but he knew the Humour and Temper of an English Parliament fo well, as not to engage in an expenfive War without their Confent; and therefore he managed the Houfe of Commons fo dextroufly, that on the 25th of April they prefented him with an Addrefs, wherein They most Address of humbly laid before his Majesty their earnest defire, that the Com his Majefty would be pleafed to take into his most tender mons adConfideration, the deftructive Methods taken of late vig K. Years by the French King, against the Trade, Quiet, to declare and Intereft of this Kingdom, and particularly the pre-War a fent Invafion of Ireland, and Supporting his Majesty's gaine Rebellious Subjects there. Not doubting in the leaft, but France, that through his Majesty's Wisdom, the Alliances al- April 25. ready made, with fuch as might hereafter be concluded on this occafion by his Majesty, might be effectual to reduce the French King to fuch a Condition, that it might not

be

William

A. C. be in his Power hereafter to violate the Peace of Chri1689. ftendom, nor prejudice the Trade and Profperity of this Kingdom. And to this end they most humbly befought bis Majesty to reft affured upon this their folemn and bearty Promife and Encouragement, That when his Majefty fhould think fit to enter into a War against the French King, they would give his Majesty fuch Am Stance in a Parliamentary way, as might enable him to Support and go through with the fame.

His Majefty's An

Jwer.

66

To this Addrefs his Majefty Anfwer'd, "That "He received it as a Mark of the Confidence they "had in Him, which He took very kindly, and "fhould endeavour by all His Actions to confirm "them in it. That his own Ambition fhould never be an Argument to encline Him to engage in "a War that might expofe the Nation either to Danger or Expence. But in this prefent Cafe he look'd upon the War fo much already declared in effect "by France against England,that it was not fo proper"ly an Act of Choice, as an Inevitable Neceility "in their own Defence. That He should only tell "them, That as He had ventured His Life, and "and all that was dear to Him to refcue this Nation "from what it fuffered, He was ready still to do "the fame, in order to the preferving it from all "its Enemies; and as He did not doubt of fuch

an Affiftance from them as fhould be fuitable to "their Advice to Him, to declare War against a "Powerful Enemy, fo they might rely upon Him, "that no part of that which they should give for the "carrying it on with Succefs, fhould be diverted by "Him to any other ufe.

It became a Prince who ow'd his Greatnefs chiefly to his being the Support of the Proteftant Intereft, to caft an Eye of Compaffion upon those who had abandon'd their Poffeffions and various Callings in France upon the fcore of Religion; wherefore his French Majefty iffued out a Proclamation, whereby He Proteftants declar'd, That finding in his Subjects a true and just encourag'd fenfe of their Deliverance from the Perfecution lately to come threatning them for their Religion, and of the Miferies ver, April and Oppreffions the French Proteftants lay under, fuch 25. of them as fhould feck their Refuge in, and Transport

themselves