excellent position on the right bank. On the 30th William also reached the Boyne and rode along the bank of the river in the sight of both armies. A cannon was privately brought and planted against him as he sat on horseback. The shot killed several of his followers and wounded him in the shoulder. Nevertheless, the following morning at six o'clock he led his army in person across the river. The battle was a fiercely contested one, but the Irish were defeated and fled leaving their French and Swiss allies to retreat as they best could. James watched the battle from the hill of Dunmore; when he saw his own troops at one time repulsing the enemy he exclaimed, "Oh, spare my English subjects.” William's victory was complete, but it was saddened by the loss of his faithful and gallant old general the duke of Schomberg. James fled to Dublin, thence to Waterford, and finally escaped to France. His followers in Ireland continued the struggle till Limerick was taken. Then hostilites ceased on all sides, and William permitted all the Jacobites to leave the country if they chose, prohibiting them, however, from going either to England or Scotland. Fourteen thousand accepted this permission, and followed the fortunes of their king, taking service afterwards in the French army. Scotland was only disturbed by the vain effort of Dundee at Killiecrankie; both it and Ireland were now quiet, and William, weary of the troublesome and refractory spirit of the people he came to govern, was glad to return to his native country, and once more oppose Louis XIV. in the field. Many of the protestant states of Germany had joined Holland in this war, and William took the command of the allied army in Flanders, in which prince Eugene of Savoy, the earl (afterwards duke) of Marlborough, and the son of the duke of Schomberg greatly distinguished themselves. During William's long absences from England, queen Mary governed with the assistance of a Council of Nine-an oligarchy which continually diminished and straitened the prerogatives of the crown; about which, however, William cared but little, if he were but supplied with money enough for his continental wars. Nevertheless, the queen manifested on many trying occasions great powers of ruling; and in her letters to William much literary ability. It was during William's absence that the last great effort to replace her father on the throne was made, and defeated, at the battle of La Hogue, which admiral Russell had no desire to fight or win, as he was an adherent of James; but he warned the exiled king, that, though he was willing to let the French admiral steal by him, if they fought he should defend the honour of the British flag. Amongst the errors of Mary's government was the remarkable edict offering £40 a head for the apprehension and conviction of any burglar or highwaymen. This reward led to the horrid traffic carried on by thief-takers, who were found at last to have frequently denounced innocent persons for the sake of the reward. These traffickers in men's lives when discovered were punished by being put into the pillory, where they were atrociously slain by the vengeance of the mob, who were thus rendered more bloodthirsty and savage than they had ever before been. This awful system existed till 1816. To William, we also owe the introduction into our naval and military services of the lash; the Dutch discipline was notoriously cruel, but it was incorporated into the English services by the mutiny bill. He also succeeded in getting the law against extracting spirits from malt (except for medicinal purposes) repealed, and thus opened the fatal gin-shop to the people. Anything like the state of guilt and misery produced by the acts encouraging gin distilling and offering a premium for human lives can, in the present day, scarcely be conceived though much of William's liquor law still remains a curse on England. This and the murder of a whole Scottish clan, the Macdonalds of Glencoe, are the two worst stains on this king's reign. In private life he was a harsh, morose man, a severe husband, though really attached to his wife; with neither literary nor artistic tastes-in fact a rough soldier fitter for a camp than a throne. Queen Mary died of the smallpox, December 28, 1694. William was much affected by her death, but spent the following year abroad leading the allied armies. In 1697, the peace of Ryswick gave a temporary rest to Europe, but in 1702 it became evident that the war would be again renewed on account of the Spanish succession. Charles II. king of Spain was dying slowly, without a direct heir. Several princes claimed the succession. The king's eldest sister, the infanta, had married Louis XIV. The dauphin therefore would be direct heir to it. But the infanta at the time of her marriage had solemnly renounced in her own name and her descendants, her claim to the Spanish throne. This renunciation had been confirmed by the cortes. A younger sister of the king had been the first wife of Leopold emperor of Germany. She too had resigned her claims to the Spanish crown, but the cortes had not sanctioned the renunciation; it was therefore invalid. The issue of this marriage was a daughter, who had married the elector of Bavaria. Her son inherited her claim to the kingdom of Spain. The emperor Leopold was the son of a daughter of Philip III. of Spain, and was therefore first cousin to Charles; this infanta's claim also had not been disallowed. As it was clear that great alarm would be excited in Europe if the emperor or the dauphin became king of Spain, those princes offered to waive their pretensions— the emperor in favour of the archduke Charles, the dauphin in favour of Philip, duke of Anjou. Soon after the peace of Ryswick, William and Louis resolved to settle the succession without consulting either Charles or the emperor. France, England and Holland became parties to a treaty which stipulated that the Spanish monarchy should be divided. The electoral prince of Bavaria was to have Spain, the Indies, and the Netherlands. The emperor was to be bought off with the Milanese, and the dauphin was to have the two Sicilies. Alarmed at the idea of this partition, Charles made a will leaving his crown to the grandson of Louis XIV., Philip duke of Anjou. The will was kept secret during his life; he died November 3, 1700. Louis instantly withdrew from the treaty and sent his grandson to Madrid. William was at that moment so unpopular in England that he did not at first venture to make war on his old enemy Louis; moreover he was suffering from a complication of diseases. Had Louis only waited a few months his designs would have been accomplished. But he committed an error, which roused the whole English people except the Jacobites. James II. died at St. Germains; Louis paid him a farewell visit and was so touched by the solemn adieux of his friend, and by the grief of the lovely Mary Beatrice that from a generous compassion he acknowledged the prince of Wales as king of England. Whigs and Tories joined in declaring themselves outraged by this proceeding. The cry for war was raised in the city, and William saw his opportunity. Ill as he was he instantly left the Hague where he chanced to be, came to London, remodelled the ministry, and dissolved parliament. The majority of the new house of commons was with him and he made at once vigorous preparations for war. But he was not to live to carry it on; he was to resign its glories to the man he hated-Marlborough. His horse Sorrel fell over a mole-hill at Hampton Court, and threw the king, who broke his collar bone. Two days afterwards, in consequence partly of the accident, William of Orange expired at Kensington Palace, in the fiftysecond year of his age and the fourteenth of his reign. He died childless, and the crown devolved on the princess Anne-failing whose heirs, it was to revert to Sophia, electress of Hanover, daughter of the beautiful and unfortunate Elizabeth, queen of Bohemia, and granddaughter of James I. The wars of William III. were a heavy tax on the country, both in life and money. The plains of Flanders must have been deluged with British blood, while the government, unable to meet his needs by taxation alone, mortgaged the taxes themselves, and thus originated the National Debt which still rests upon England. ACCESSION OF QUEEN MARY AND KING WILLIAM. JOHN EVELYN. I saw the new Queen and King proclaimed the very next day after her coming to Whitehall, Wed. 13 Feb., with great acclamation and general good reception. Bonfires, bells, guns, &c. It was believed that both, especially the princess, would have showed some (seeming) reluctance at least, of assuming her father's crown, and made some apology, testifying by her regret, that he should by his mismanagement, necessitate the nation to so extraordinary a proceeding, which would have showed very handsomely to the world, and according to the character given of her piety; consonant also to her husband's first declaration, that there was no intention of deposing the king, but of succouring the nation; but nothing of all this appeared. She came into Whitehall laughing and jolly, as to a wedding, so as to seem quite transported. She rose early the next morning, and in her undress, as it was reported, before her women were up, went about from room to room to see the convenience of Whitehall; lay in the same bed and apartment where the late queen lay, and within a night or two sat down to play at basset, as the queen, her predecessor, used to do. She smiled upon and talked to everybody, so that no change seemed to have taken place at court since her last going away, save that infinite crowds of people thronged to see her, and that she went to our prayers. This carriage was censured by many. She seems to be of a good nature, and that she takes nothing to heart, whilst the prince, her husband, has a thoughtful countenance, is wonderful serious and silent, and seems to treat all persons alike gravely, and to be very intent on affairs; Holland, Ireland, and France calling for his care. Divers bishops and noblemen are not at all satisfied with this so sudden an assumption of the crown, without any previous sending, and offering some conditions to the absent king; or on his not returning, or not assenting to those conditions, to have proclaimed him regent; but the major part of both houses prevailed to make them king and queen immediately, and a crown was tempting. This was opposed and spoken against with such vehemence by lord Clarendon (her own uncle), that it put him by all preferment, which must doubtless have been as great as could have been given him. My lord of Rochester, his brother, overshot himself by the same carriage and stiffness, which their friends thought they might have well spare, when they saw how it was like to be overruled, and that it had been sufficient to have declared their dissent with less passion, acquiescing in due time. The archbishop of Canterbury and some of the rest, on scruple of conscience and to salve the oaths they had taken, entered their protests and hung off, especially the archbishop, who had not all this while so much as appeared out of Lambeth. This occasioned the wonder of many, who observed with what zeal they contributed to the prince's expedition, and all the while also rejecting any proposals of sending again to the absent king; that they should now raise scruples, and such as created much division among the people, greatly rejoicing the old courtiers, and especially the Papists. Another objection was, the invalidity of what was done by a convention only, and the, as yet, unabrogated laws; this drew them to make themselves on the 22nd [Feb.] a parliament, the new king passing the act with the crown on his head. The lawyers disputed, but necessity prevailed, the government requiring a speedy settlement. Innumerable were the crowds who solicited for, and expected offices; most of the old ones were turned out. Two or three white staves were disposed of some days before, as lord steward to the earl of Devonshire; treasurer of the household to lord Newport; lord chamberlain to the king, to my lord of Dorset; but there were as yet none in offices of the civil government save the marquis of Halifax as privy seal. A council of thirty was chosen, lord Derby president, but neither chancellor nor judges were yet declared, the new great seal not yet finished. 8 March. Dr. Tillotson, dean of Canterbury, made an excellent discourse on 5 Matt. 44, exhorting to charity and forgiveness of enemies. I suppose purposely, the new parliament being furious about impeaching those who were obnoxious, and as their custom has ever been, going on violently without reserve or moderation, whilst wise men were of opinion, the most notorious offenders being named and excepted, an act of amnesty would be more seasonable, to pacify the minds of men in so general a discontent of the nation, especially of those who did not expect to see the government assumed without any regard to the absent king, or proving a spontaneous abdication, or that the birth of the prince of Wales was an imposture; five of the bishops also still refusing to take the new oath. In the mean time to gratify the people, the hearth tax was remitted for ever, but what was intended to supply it, besides present great taxes on land, is not named. The king abroad was now furnished by the French king with money and officers for an expedition to Ireland. The great neglect in not more timely preventing that from hence, and the disturbances in Scotland, give apprehensions of great difficulties before any settlement can be perfected here, whilst the parliament dispose of the great offices amongst themselves. The great seal, treasury, and admiralty put into commission of many unexpected persons, to gratify the more; so that by the present appearance of things (unless God Almighty graciously interpose and give success in Ireland and settle Scotland) more trouble seems to threaten the nation than could be expected. In the interim the new king refers all to the parliament in the most popular manner, but is very slow in providing against all these menaces, besides finding difficulties in raising men to send abroad; the former army which had never seen any service hitherto, receiving their pay, and passing their summer in an idle scene of a camp at Hounslow, unwilling to engage, and many disaffected, and scarce to be trusted. 29. The new king much blamed for neglecting Ireland, now like to be ruined by the lord Tyrconnell and his popish party, too strong for the protestants. Wonderful uncertainty where king James was, whether in France or Ireland. The Scots seem as yet to favour king William, rejecting king James's letter to them, yet declaring nothing positively. Soldiers in England discontented. Parliament preparing the coronation oath. Presbyterians and dissenters displeased at the vote for preserving the protestant religion as established by law, without mentioning what they were to have as to indulgence. The archbishop of Canterbury and four other bishops refusing to come to par * Burnet names only three besides the Abp. viz., Thomas of Worcester, Lake of Chichester, Ken of Bath and Wells. He says that at the first landing of the prince, Ken declared heartily for him, and advised all to go to him, but went with great heat into the notion of a regent. After this he changed his mind, came to town with intent to take the oaths, but again changed, and never did take them. Burnet's Own Times, vol. II. p. 6. liament, it was deliberated whether they should incur premunire; but it was thought fit to let this fall, and be connived at, for fear of the people, to whom those prelates were very dear, for the opposition they had given to popery. Court offices distributed amongst parliament men. No considerable fleet as yet sent forth. Things far from settled as was expected, by reason of the slothful, sickly temper of the new king, and the parliament's unmindfulness of Ireland, which is likely to prove a sad omission. The confederates beat the French out of the Palatinate, which they had most barbarously ruined. 11 April. I saw the procession to and from the abbey church of Westminster, with the great feast in Westminster hall, at the coronation of king William and queen Mary. What was different from former coronations was some alteration in the coronation oath. Dr. Burnet, now made bishop of Sarum, preached with great applause. The parliament men had scaffolds and places which took up one whole side of the hall. When the king and queen had dined, the ceremony of the champion, and other services by tenure were performed. The parliament men were feasted in the exchequer chamber, and had each of them a gold [coronation] medal given them, worth five and forty shillings. On one side were the effigies of the king and queen inclining one to the other; on the reverse was Jupiter throwing a bolt at Phaeton, the words 'Ne totus absumatur;' which was but dull, seeing they might have had out of the poet something as apposite. The sculpture was very mean. Much of the splendour of the proceeding was abated by the absence of divers who should have contributed to it, there being but five bishops, four judges (no more being yet sworn), and several noblemen and great ladies wanting; the feast, however, was magnificent. The next day the house of commons went and kissed their new majesties' hands in the banqueting house. 12. I went with the bishop of St. Asaph to visit my lord of Canterbury at Lambeth, who had excused himself from officiating at the coronation, which was performed by the bishop of London, assisted by the archbishop of York. We had much private and free discourse with his grace concerning several things relating to the church, there being now a bill of comprehension to be brought from the lords to the commons. I urged that when they went about to reform some particulars in the liturgy, church discipline, canons, &c., the baptizing in private houses without necessity might be reformed, as likewise so frequent burials in churches; the one proceeding much from the pride of women, bringing that into custom which was only indulged in case of imminent danger, and out of necessity during the rebellion, and persecution of the clergy in our late civil wars; the other from the avarice of ministers, who, in some opulent parishes, made almost as much of permission to bury in the chancel and the church, as of their livings, and were paid with considerable advantage and gifts for baptizing in chambers. To this they heartily assented, and promised their endeavour to get it reformed, utterly disliking both practices as novel and indecent. We discoursed likewise of the great disturbance and prejudice it might cause, should the new oath, now on the anvil, be imposed on any save such as were in new office, without any retrospect to such as either had no office, or had been long in office, who it was likely would have some scruples about taking a new oath, having already sworn fidelity to the government as established by law. This we all knew to be the case of my lord archbishop of Canterbury, and some other persons who were not so fully satisfied with the convention, making it an abdication of king James, to whom they had sworn allegiance. King James was now certainly in Ireland with the marshal d'Estrades, whom he |