CHAPTER XVII. JAMES II.* 1685-1688. Accession of James;-he goes publicly to mass.-Parliament.-Invasion of Argyle;-of Monmouth ;-his execution.-Jeffreys's campaign.-Overthrow of the Test Act.-Attacks on the church.-Parties at court.-Negotiations with the court of Rome.-Failure of the king in making converts.-Attacks on the universities.-State of Ireland.-Fallacious prospects of the king.— Prosecution of the seven bishops.-Birth of the prince of Wales.-Invitation to the prince of Orange.-State of the continent.-Invasion of England. -Desertion of James;-his flight;-return to London ;-second flight.The Convention.-Prince and princess of Orange declared king and queen. -Reflections. IMMEDIATELY on the demise of king Charles, the privy council assembled, and the new monarch addressed them, assuring them of his determination to follow the example of his late brother, "especially in that of his great clemency and tenderness to his people;" that "he would make it his endeavour to preserve this government, both in church and state, as it is by law established;" and, "that he would always take care to defend and support the church." His brother-in-law, lord Rochester†, requested that this address, which had filled them all with joy, might be made public. The king said he had no copy; but one of the council wrote it down from memory, and the king, who had not expected this result, found it necessary to consent to its publication. He was forthwith proclaimed, amid the loud acclamations of the populace. The king's speech gave great satisfaction to those who * Authorities mostly the same as for the preceding reign. Laurence Hyde, who had been created earl of Rochester by Charles II. called themselves the loyal part of the nation. It was regarded as a security greater than any law. "We have now the word of a king, and a word never broken," was the common phrase. The pulpits resounded as usual; loyal addresses poured in from all sides; the university of Oxford promised obedience, "without limitations or restrictions ;" the London clergy, more sincere, said, "our religion established by law is dearer to us than our lives ;" and this expression gave offence at court, a proof of what was the real feeling in the royal bosom. The first act of the new monarch was an illegal, but not unjustifiable, stretch of power. He issued (9th) a proclamation, ordering the duties to continue to be levied on merchandise till the meeting of parliament, which he summoned for the 19th of May. The funeral of the late king was private (14th), for the successor was unwilling, as he says himself, to communicate with the church of England in spiritual things, as he must have done had it been public. James resolved to continue his brother's ministers. To the marquess of Halifax, who apprehended his displeasure, he said that he remembered only his opposition to the exclusion-bill; and, chiefly owing to the representations of the French king, Sunderland and Godolphin, who had supported that bill, in like manner experienced no displeasure. The cabinet was thus constituted; Halifax president of the council, Rochester lord-treasurer, his brother Clarendon privy seal, Sunderland and Middleton secretaries; Godolphin was made chamberlain to the queen. This last, with Rochester and Sunderland, alone possessed the royal confidence. There was also a secret council for catholic affairs, of which Sunderland alone of the ministers had knowledge. It consisted of the earls of Powis and Castlemain, the lords Arundel, Bellasis, and Jermyn, lord Dover, Richard Talbot, an Irishman, and father Petre, a jesuit, brother to the late lord of that name. The king was resolved to make no secret of his own or 1685.] MEETING OF PARLIAMENT. 223 his brother's religion. With respect to the latter, he caused Huddleston to publish an account of the late king's reconcilement, and he gave to the world two papers in favour of popery found in that monarch's strong box, and written by his own hand. For himself, on the second Sunday of his reign, he caused the folding-doors of the queen's private chapel to be thrown open while he was at mass, that his presence there might be seen. On Holy Thursday (Apr. 16) he was attended to the door of the chapel by his guards and the pensioners, and on Easter Sunday by the knights of the garter and several of the nobility,―a proceeding which caused great uneasiness in the minds of zealous protestants*. Their suspicions were further excited by a proclamation for the discharge of all recusants. They saw in this a manifest advance to the establishment of popery, which was in reality the object nearest to the king's heart. Meantime every effort was made to get Louis to continue the pension, in order that James might be independent of his parliament. On the third of May the king and queen were crowned with the usual ceremonies, the only part omitted being the communion. The king of course solemnly swore to maintain the true profession of the Gospel, and the rights and privileges of the church and clergy. Like a true Stuart and pupil of the jesuits, he told Barillon that he did so, as these rights and privileges were those which had been granted by king Edward the Confessor, of whose being a catholic there was not the slightest doubt. During the whole ceremony he had been under apprehensions for his personal safety, though without any just cause. On the 19th the parliament met. In consequence of the power which the surrender of charters had given to the crown, the returns had been so much to the royal satis *When the duke of Norfolk, who carried the sword of state, being a protestant, stopped at the door, the king said, "My lord, your father would have gone further." "Your majesty's father," replied the duke, "would not have gone so far." faction that James declared there were not forty members whom he would not have nominated himself. In his speech from the throne, he repeated his address to the privy council; he then called on them to give him a revenue for life such as his brother had enjoyed, and hinting that nothing else would content him, he added, "the best way to engage me to meet you often, is always to use me well :" he concluded by informing them of the news he had just received of the landing of Argyle in Scotland, and again calling on them to give him his revenue as he desired it and without delay. In most respects the commons proved as dutiful as the king could have desired. By a unanimous vote, they settled on him for life the same revenue that the late king had enjoyed. They accompanied it with a declaration that they had implicit confidence in his promise to support the church, which, they added, was dearer to them than their lives. On the intelligence of the landing of Monmouth, they made an additional grant of 400,000l. and passed a bill for the security of the king's person, in which they enlarged the original statute of treason. In the midst of this exuberant loyalty, however, it was manifest that the parliament, with all its servility, was jealous on the subject of religion. Immediately on the accession of James, the English and Scottish exiles began to consult on the mode of delivering their country from the yoke of popery and despotism which they were persuaded the new monarch would endeavour to impose on it. They met at Rotterdam, whither Argyle and Monmouth, who were at Brussels, repaired at their invitation, and it was arranged that these noblemen should simultaneously head expeditions to England and Scotland: to keep up the union between them, Argyle was to be attended by two Englishmen, Ayloffe and Rumbold; and Monmouth by two Scots, Ferguson and Fletcher of Saltoun. Argyle sailed the first (May 2). He stopped at the 1685.] LANDING OF MONMOUTH. 225 Orkney isles, where two of his party were captured, and the government thus got information of his strength and destination. He landed in his own country (17th), and forthwith issued two declarations, and sent the fiery cross, according to Highland usage, to summon his clansmen to arms. But the gentlemen of his name had been secured; the militia was raised and advancing on all sides; only two thousand five hundred men joined him, and instead of hastening to the western counties, he lingered in the hopes of being joined by more. His stores and arms, which he had placed in the castle of Ellengreg, fell into the hands of the royalists. When at length he descended into Lennox to pass the Clyde, he found bodies of armed men everywhere opposed to him. His army lost itself by night in a morass; the greater part of it sought safety in flight. Argyle, in the disguise of a peasant, was met and wounded as he was crossing a stream by five militia-men; as he fell he cried, "Alas, unfortunate Argyle!" His captors would fain have concealed his rank, as they durst not release him; but he was recognized by their officer. He was led to Edinburgh, where he was treated with the same indignities as had formerly been the lot of Montrose. As the king had ordered him if taken to be put to death within three days, he was executed on his former iniquitous sentence (30th). He met his fate with piety and fortitude: embracing the instrument of death, he called it (in allusion to its name) the sweetest maiden he had ever kissed. Various circumstances detained Monmouth so long, that it was the 11th of June when he landed at Lyme in Dorset. He was attended by lord Grey of Werk, and about eighty other exiles and their attendants. He forthwith raised his standard, and published a declaration styling James a usurper and charging him with the burning of London and every atrocity which had been laid to the account of the papists, adding that of poisoning the late king. This declaration drew numbers of the people to his standard, VOL. III. |