whole Series of the French King's Actions for many Years last past has been fo ordered, as if it were his Intention not only to render his own People extreamly Miferable by intolerable impofitions of Taxes to be employ'd in Maintaining an incredible Number of Dragoons, and other Soldiers to be the Inftruments of his Cruelty upon fuch of them as refufe in all things to comply with his unjust Demands; but otherwife to hold all the Neighbouring Powers in perpetual Alarm and Expence, for the Maintaining of Armies and Fleets, that they may be in a Pofture to defend themselves against the Invader of their common Safety and Liberties.

Examples of this fort might be innumerable, but this Invafion of Flanders and Holland, fince the laft Truce of 1684, and the Outrages committed upon the Empire by attacking the Fort of Phillipsburgh, without any Declartion of War, at the fame time that his Imperial Majefty was employing all his Forces against the common Enemy of the Chriftian Faith, and his wafting the Palatinate with Fire and Sword, and Murdering an infinite Number of Innocent Perfons, for no other reafon as himfelf has publickly declar'd, but because he thought the Elector Palatine faithful to the Intereft of the Empire, and an Obftacle to the compaffing of his ambitious Defigns, are fufficient Inftances of this.

To this we cannot but with a particular Refent ment add the Injuries done to your Majefty in the moft unjust and violent Seizing of the Principality of Orange, and the utmost Infolencies committed upon the Perfons of your Majelty's Subjects there; and how to facilitate his Conqueft upon his Neighbouring Princes, he engag'd the Turks in War against Christendom at the fame time.

And as if the violating of Treaties and ravaging the Countries of his Neighbouring States, were not fufficient Means of advancing his exorbitant Power and Greatnefs, he has conftantly had recourfe to the vileft and meanest Acts for the Ruin of those whom he had taken upon him to fubdue to his Will and Power, infinuating himself by

his Emiffaries, under the Sacred Name and CharaEter of publick Minifters into those who were intrufted with the Government of Kingdoms and States, fuborning them by Gifts and Penfions to the felling their Mafters and betraying their Truft, and defcending even to Intrigues by Women, who were fent or Marry'd into the Countries of divers Potent Princes, to lye as Snakes in their Bofoms to eat out their Bowels, or to inftill that Poison into them that night prove Destruction of them and their Countries, of which Poland, Savoy, and Spain, to mention no more at prefent, can give too ample Testimonies.

The infolent Ufe he has made of his ill gotten Greatness has been as Extravagant as the Means of procuring of it. For this, the fingle Inftance of Genoa may fuffice, which without the leaft Notice, or any ground of Quarrel whatfocver, was Bombarded by the French Fleet, and the Doge and Four Principal Senators of that State, conftrain'd to humble themselves at that Monarch's Feet, which in the Stile of France is called, Chaftifing Soveraigns for cafting Umbrage upon his Greatnefs. His Practices against England have been of the fame Nature, and by corrupt Means he has conftantly, and with too much Succefs, endeavoured to get fuch Power in the Court of England in the time of King Charies the Second, and the late King James, as might by degrees undermine the Government and true Intereft of this Flourishing Kingdom.

Another Act which he has ufed to weaken England, and fubject it to his afpiring Designs, was never to admit an equal Ballance of Trade, nor Confent to any juft Treaty of Commerce, by which he promoted our own Ruin at our own Charge.

When for a juft Apprehenfion of this formidable growing Power of France, the Nation became Jealous to right themfelves, and the Houfe of Commons in the Year 1677 being affur'd that they fhould have an actual War againit France, chearfully raifed a great Sum of Money, and an Army as readi

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ly appear'd to carry on the War: That In tereft of France had ftill Power enough to render all this ineffectual, and to fruftrate the Nation of all their Hopes and Expectations.

Nor did France only render this defir'd War ineffectuall, but had Power enough to make us practice their Isjuftice, and Barbarity turning our Force against our next Neighbours by affaulting their Smyrna Fleet.

Nor were they more Induftrious by corrupt Means to obtain this Power, then careful by the fame ways to fupport it, and knowing that from Parliaments only could probably proceed an obftruction to their fecret Practices, they attempted to make a Bargain that they should not meet at fuch a time, in which they might Hope to perfect their Defigns of inflaving the Nation.

In the fame Confidence of this Power they violently feiz'd upon part of Hudfons-Bay, and when the Matter was complain'd of by the Company, and the Injuries offer'd to be proved, the expedient France could find to cover their Injustice and prevent Satisfaction, was, to make ufe of their great Intereft in the Court of England to keep it from ever coming to be Heard. The French King in Pursuance of his ufual Methods of laying hold of an opportunity that might encreafe his Power, and give disturbance to others, has now carry'd on an actual War in Ireland, fending thither a great Number of Officers with Money, Arms, and Ammunition, and under Pretence of affifting the late King James, he has taken the Government of Affairs into his Hands, by putting all Officers into Commands, and managing the whole Bufinefs by his Minifters, and has already begun to act the fame Cruelties and Violences upon your Majesty's Subjects there, as he has lately practiced in his own Dominions, and in all other places where he has got Power enough to deftroy.

Laftly, The French King's Declaration of War against the Crown of Spain is wholly grounded upon its Friendship to your Majefties Royal Perfon, and no other caufe of denouncing War against it,

is therein alledg'd, than the Refolutions taken in that Court to favour your Majefty whom he most injurioufly terms the Ufurper of England, an Infolence never enough to be refented and detefted by your Majefty's Subjects.

After our humble Reprefentation of all thefe Particulars to your Majefty, if your Majefty fhall think fit to enter into a War against France, we humbly affure your Majefty, that we will give you fuch Afliftance in a Parliamentary way, as fhall enable your Majefty to fupport, and go thro' the fame, and we fhall not doubt but by the Blefling of God upon your Majefty's fpeedy Conduct, a ftop may be put to that growing Greatness of the French King, which threatens all Christendom with no lefs than Abfolute Slavery, the incredible quantity of Innocent Blood may be revenged, his opprefs'd Neighbours reftor'd to their juft Rights and Poffeflions, your Majefty's Alliances, and the Treaty of Nimeguen fupported to that Degree, that all Europe in general, and this Nation in particular, may for ever have occafion to celebrate your Majefty, as the great Maintainer of Juftice and Liberty, and the Oppofer and Overthrower of all Violence, Cruelty, and Arbitrary Power.

A Debate ariling thereupon, Order'd to be re committed.

Report about the PRISONERS in the

TOWER.

Die Jovis 23. May, 1689.

MR. Wildman Reported the Cafe from the Committee, in Relation to the Prifoners in the Tower.

That the Committee demanded and received of Mr. Auditor Done the Accompts of Mr. Graham and Mr. Burton, that were in his Hands, and that they had infpected and examin'd the fame, whic faid Accompt began in the Year 1679, and en1 Bbb 2

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in the Year 1688, and find that the faid Mr. Burton has charged himself feverally to have receiv'd out of the Exchequer, for Profecution of LawSuits, and other Payments by him made, the Sum of 42616 1. 9 s. 6 d. So, that Mr. Burton's Charge of himself, falls fhort of the Charge in the Exchequer, the Sum of 5000 He also chargeth himfelf in the faid Accompt to have receiv'd of Mr. Guy for the like Ufes, the Sum of 1438 l. 10 d. 1o, that the Total of the Receipts acknowledged by Mr. Burton in the faid Accompts is 43554 10 s.

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d. and the Total of the faid Mr. Burton's Dif charge is 43522 l. 19 s. 2 d. whereby it appears that the faid Mr. Burton is Debtor to the King 531 1. 11 s. if all the Payments alledg'd fhould be allowed to him.

That the Committee alfo finds by the faid Accompts, That the faid Mr. Burton and Mr. Graham Charge themfelves herein jointly with_Receipts from the Exchequer 4671 l. 4 s. 6 d. That they do alfo find that the faid Mr. Burton and Mr. Gráham do jointly Accompt for 6935. 145. 6 d. which is alledg'd in the faid Accompts to be paid by the faid Mr. Burton, to Mr. Graham, out of the Moneys Charg'd upon the feveral Accounts of Mr.

Burton.

And that they further Charge themfelves jointly to have receiv'd of Mr. Guy 100l. and of John Hambden, Efq; by His Majefty's Direction 3391. 2 s. 8. and in like manner of Mr. Cornish 346 1. II S. Iod. And they further Charge themselves to have received of Mr. Ward, the Sum of 50l. and of Sir Robert Peyton's Tenants 24 . fo that the Total of their Joint-Receipts amounts to 12466 I. 13 s. 6 d. And that by their Joint Accompt they alledge to have paid about Law-Suits, the faid full Sum of 12466 1. with an Overplus of 1300 . and upwards, but they do not acknowledge the 600 1. Charged upon them by Sir Robert Howard, to be paid to them the 5th of January 1686. for Profecuting of Colonel Whitley, and the Lord Ofwaldston, over and above the Salaries.

That

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