against those who opposed the court in the reign of Charles II; these were now reported guilty of having been instrumental in taking away the lives and estates of those who had suffered the loss of either under colour of law for eight years last past; of having, by malicious indictments, informations, and prosecutions of quo warranto, endeavoured the subversion of the protestant religion, and the government of the realm; and of having wasted many thousand pounds of the public revenue in the course of their infamous practices.

§ XLIV. Nor did the misconduct of the present ministry escape the animadversion of the parliament. The lords having addressed the king to put the Isle of Wight, Jersey, Guernsey, Scilly, Dover castle, and the other fortresses of the kingdom, in a posture of defence, and to disarm the papists, empowered a committee to inquire into the miscarriages in Ireland, which were generally imputed to the neglect of the marquises of Caermarthen and Halifax. They presented an address to the king, desiring the minute book of the committee for Irish affairs might be put into their hands: but his majesty declining gratifying them in this particular: then the commons voted, that those persons who had advised the king to delay this satisfaction were enemies to the kingdom. William, alarmed at this resolution, allowed them to inspect the book, in which they found very little for their purpose. The house resolved that an address should be presented to his majesty, declaring, that the succour of Ireland had been retarded by the unnecessary delays; that the transports prepared were not sufficient to convey the forces to that kingdom; and that several ships had been taken by the enemy, for want of proper convoy. At the same time the question was put, whether or not they should address the king against the marquis of Halifax : but it was carried in the negative by a small majority. Before this period, Howe, vicechamber-. lain to the queen, had moved for an address against such counsellors as had been impeached in parliament, and betrayed the liberties of the nation.--This motion was levelled at Caermarthen and Halifax, the first of whom had been formerly impeached of high treason under the title of earl

of Danby; and the other was charged with all the misconduct of the present administration. Warm debates ensued, and in all probability the motion would have been carried in the affirmative, had not those who spoke warmly in behalf of it suddenly cooled in the course of the dispute. Some letters from king James to his partisans being intercepted, and containing some hints of an intended invasion, Mr. Hambden chairman of the committee of the whole house, enlarged upon the imminent danger to which the kingdom was exposed, and moved for a further supply to his majesty. In this unexpected motion, he was not seconded by one member. The house, however, having taken the letters into consideration, resolved to draw up an address to the king, desiring him to secure and disarm all papists of note; and they brought in a bill for attainting several persons in rebellion against their majesties: but it was not finished during this session.

The

XLV. Another bill being prepared in the house of lords, enjoining the subjects to wear the woollen manufacture at certain seasons of the year, a petition was presented against it by the silk weavers of London and Canterbury, assembled in a tumultuous manner at Westminster. lords refused their petition, because this was an unusual manner of application. They were persuaded to return to their respective places of abode: precautions were taken against a second riot; and the bill was unanimously rejected in the upper house. This parliament passed an act, vesting in the two universities the presentations belonging to papists: those of the southern counties being given to Oxford; and those of the northern to Cambridge, on certain specified conditions. Courts of conscience were erected at Bristol, Gloucester, and Newcastle; and that of the marches of Wales was abolished, as an intolerable oppression. The protestant clergymen, who had been forced to leave their benefices in Ireland, were rendered capable of holding any living in England, without forfeiting their title to their former preferment, with the proviso that they should resign their English benefices when restored to those they had been obliged to relinquish. The statute of Henry IV. against multiplying gold and silver was now repealed: the subjects were

allowed to melt and refine metals and ores, and extract gold and silver from them, on condition that it should be brought to the mint, and converted into money, the owner receiving its full value in current coin. These, and several other bills of smaller importance being passed, the two houses adjourned to the twentieth day of September, and afterwards to the nineteenth day of October.

BOOK I.

CHAP. II.

I. Duke of Schomberg lands with an army in Ireland. § II. The Inniskilliners obtain a victory over the Irish. § III. Schomberg censured for his inactivity. § IV. The French worsted at Walcourt. § V. Success of the confederates in Germany. The Turks defeated at Patochin, Nissa, and Widen. § VI. Death of Pope Innocent XI. VII. King William becomes unpopular. § VIII. A good number of the clergy refuse to take the oaths. IX. The King grants a commission for reforming church discipline. § X. Meeting of the Convocation. XI. Their session discontinued by repeated prorogations. § XII. Proceedings in Parliament.

XIII. The Whigs obstruct the bill of indemnity. § XIV. The commons resume the inquiry into the cause of the miscarriages in Ireland. § XV. King William irritated against the Whigs. XVI. Plot against the government by Sir James Montgomery discovered by. Bishop Burnet. § XVII. Warm debates in Parliament about the Corporation bill. XVIII. The King

resolves to finish the Irish war in person. § XIX. General Ludlow arrives in England, but is obliged to withdraw. § XX. Efforts of the Jacobites in Scotland.

XXI. The court interest triumphs over all the opposition in that country. § XXII. The Tory interest prevails in the new Parliament of England. § XXIII. Bill for recognising their Majesties. § XXIV. Another violent contest about the bill of abjuration. § XXV. King William lands in Ireland. § XXVI. King James. marches to the Boyne. § XXVII. William resolves to give him battle. § XXVIII. Battle of the Boyne. § XXIX. Death and character of Schomberg. § XXX. James embarks for France. § XXXI. William enters VOL. I.

H

Dublin and publishes his declaration. § XXXII. The French obtain a victory over the English and Dutch fleets off Beechy Head. § XXXIII. Torrington committed prisoner to the Tower. § XXXIV. Progress of William in Ireland. XXXV. He invests Limerick; but is obliged to raise the siege, and returns to England. § XXXVI. Cork and Kinsale reduced by the Earl of Marlborough. § XXXVII. Lauzun and the French forces quit Ireland. § XXXVIII. The Duke of Savoy joins the confederacy. XXXIX. Prince Waldeck defeated at Fleurus. § XL. The Archduke Joseph elected King of the Romans. Death of the Duke of Lorraine. Progress of the war against the Turks. § XLI. Meeting of the Parliament. § XLII. The Commons comply with all the King's demands. § XLIII. Petition of the Tories in the city of London. 6 XLIV. Attempt against the Marquis of Caermarthen. XLV. The King's voyage to Holland. § XLVI. He assists at a Returns to England.

congress.

§ I. THOUGH the affairs of Ireland were extremely pressing, and the protestants of that country had made repeated application for relief, the succours were retarded either by disputes among the ministers, or the neglect of those who had the management of the expedition, in such a manner that king James had been six months in Ireland before the army was embarked for that kingdom. At length, eighteen regiments of infantry, and five of dragoons, being raised for that service, a train of artillery provided, and transports prepared, the duke of Schomberg, on whom king William had conferred the chief command of this armament, set out for Chester, after he had in person thanked the commons for the uncommon regard they paid to his services, and received assurances from the house, that they would pay particular attention to him and his army. On the thirteenth day of August he landed in the neighbourhood of Carrickfergus with about ten thousand foot and dragoons, and took possession of Belfast, from whence the enemy retired at his approach to Carrickfergus, where they resolved to make a stand. The duke having refreshed his men, marched thither, and invested