great numbers ran into the water, craving their bleffing, calling upon Heaven to protect them, and encouraging them to fuffer nobly in the cause of religion. The bishops were not wanting, by their fubmiffive and humble behaviour, to raise the pity of the fpectators; and they ftill exhorted them to fear God, honour the king, and maintain their loyalty. The very fuldiers, by whom they were guarded, kneeled down before them, and implored their forgiveness. Upon landing, the bishops immediately went to the Tower-chapel to render thanks for thofe afflictions which they fuffered in the cause of truth.

The twenty-ninth day of June was fixed for their trial; and their return was ftill more fplendidly attended than their imprifonment. Twentynine peers, a great number of gentlemen and an immenfe crowd of people, waited upon them to Weftminster-hall. The caufe was looked upon as involving the fate of the nation, and future freedom, or future flavery awaited the decifion. The difpute was learnedly managed by the lawyers on both fides. Holloway and Powel, two of the judges, declared themselves in favour of the bishops. The jury withdrew into a chamber, where they paffed the whole night; but next morning they returned into court, and pronounced the bishops, Not guilWestminster-hall inftantly rang with loud acclamations, which were communicated to the whole extent of the city. They even reached the camp at Hounslow, where the king was at dianer, in lord Feverfham's tent. His majefty demanding. the cause of thofe rejoicings, and being informed that it was nothing but the foldiers fhouting at the delivery of the bishops, "Call you that nothing, cried he; but fo much the worfe for "them."

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If the bishops teftified the readiness of martyrs in fupport of their religion, James fhewed no less ardour in his attempts towards the establishment of his own. Grown odious to every class of his fubjects, he ftill refolved to perfift; for it was a part of his character, that those measures he once embraced he always perfevered in purfuing. He ftruck out two of the judges, Powel and Holloway, who had appeared to favour the bishops. He iffued orders to profecute all thofe clergymen who had not read his declaration, and all had refused it, except two hundred. He fent a mandate to the new fellows, whom he had obtruded on Magdalen College, to elect for prefident, in the room of Parker lately deceased, one Gifford, a doctor of the Sorbone, and titular bifhop of Madura.

As he found the clergy every where averse to the harfhness of his proceedings, he was willing to try next what he could do with the army. He thought if one regiment fhould promife implicit obedience, their example would foon induce others to comply. He therefore ordered one of the regiments to be drawn up in his prefence, and defired that fuch as were against his late declaration of liberty of confcience fhould lay down their arms. He was furprised to fee the whole battalion ground their arms, except two officers, and a few Roman catholic-foldiers.

Oppofition only ferved to enflame this infatuated monarch's zeal. He was continually ftimulated by the queen, and the priests about him, to go forward without receding. A fortunate circumftance happened in his family. A few days before the acquittal of the bishops, the queen was brought to bed of a fon, who was baptized by the name of James. This would, if any thing could at that time, have ferved to establish him on the throne; but fo great was the animofity against him, that a

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story was propagated that the child was fuppofititious, and brought to the queen's apartments in a warming-pan. But fo great was this monarch's pride, that he fcorned to take any precautions to refute the calumny. Indeed all his measures were marked with the characters of pride, cruelty, bigotry, and weakness In thefe he was chiefly fupported by Father Peters, his confeffor, an ambitious, ignorant, and intriguing priest, whom fome fcruple not to call a concealed creature belonging to the prince of Orange. By that prince's fecret directions, it is afferted, though upon no very good authority, that James was hurried on, under the guidance of Peters, from one precipice to another, until he was obliged to give up the reins of that government which he went near to overthow.

W

CHA P. XXXVIII.

JAMES II.

(Continued.)

ILLIAM, prince of Orange, had mara ried Mary, the eldest daughter of king James. This princefs had been bred a proteftant; and as fhe was for a long time heir apparent to the throne, the people tamely bore the encroachments of the king, in hopes that his proteftant fucceffor would rectify those measures he had taken towards the establishment of popery, and the extenfion of the progative of the crown. For this reafon, the prince gave the king not only advice but affiftance in all emergencies, and had actually fupplied him with fix thoufand troops upon Monmouth's invafion. But now, when a young prince was born, that entirely excluded his hopes by fucceffion, he lent more attention to the complaints of

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the nation; and began to foment thofe difcontents, which before he had endeavoured to fupprefs.

William was a prince who had, from his earliest entrance into bufinefs, been immersed in dangers, calamities, and politics. The ambition of France, and the jealoufies of Holland, had ferved to fharpen his talents, and to give him a propenfity to intrigue. This great politician and foldier concealed, beneath a phlegmatic appearance, a moft violent and boundless ambition; all his actions were levelled at power, while his difcourfe never betrayed the wishes of his heart. His temper was cold and fevere; his genius active and piercing; he was valiant without oftentation, and politic without addrefs. Difdaining the elegance and pleasures of life, yet eager after the phantom of pre eminence, through his whole life he was indefatigable; and though an unfuccefsful general in the field, yet he was ftill a formidable negociator in the cabinet. By his intrigues he faved his own country from ruin'; he reftored the liberties of England, and preferved the independence of Europe. Thus, though neither his abilities nor his virtues were of the highest kind, yet there are few perfons in hiftory whofe actions and conduct have contributed more eminently to the general interefts of fociety, and of mankind.

1688.

This politic prince now plainly faw A. D. that James had incurred the most violent hatred of his fubjects. He was minutely informed of their difcontents; and, by feeming to difcourage, ftill farther encreafed them. He therefore began by giving one Dykevelt, his envoy, inftructions to apply in his name to every fect and denomination in the kingdom. To the church-party he fent affurances of favour and regard; and protefted that his education in Holland had no way prejudiced him against episcopacy.

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To the non-conformists he fent exhortations not to be deceived by the infidious careffes of their known enemy; but to wait for a real and fincere protector. Dykevelt executed his commiffion with fuch dexterity, that all orders of men caft their eyes towards Holland, and expected from thence a deliverance from thofe dangers with which they were threatened at home.

The prince foon found that every rank was ripe for defection, and received invitations from fome of the moft confiderable perfons in the kingdom. Admiral Herbert, and admiral Ruffel, affured him in person of their own and the national attachment. Henry Sidney, brother to Algernon, and uncle to the earl of Sunderland, came over to him with asfurances of an univerfal combination against the king. Lord Dumblaine, fon to the earl of Danby, being mafter of a frigate, made feveral voyages to Holland, and carried from many of the nobility tenders of duty, and even confiderable fums of money to the prince of Orange. Soon after the bishop of London, the earls of Danby, Nottingham, Devonshire, Dorfet, with feveral other lords, gentlemen, and principal citizens, united in their addreffes to him, and entreated his fpeedy defcent.

The people of England though long divided between Whig and Tory, were unanimous in their measures against the king. The Whigs hated upon principles of liberty, the Tories upon principles of religion. The former had ever fhewn themselves tenacious of their political rights; the latter were equally obftinate in defence of their religious tenets. James had invaded both; fo that for a time all factions were laid afleep, except that general one of driving the tyrant from a throne, which, upon every account, he was fo ill qualified to fill. William, therefore, determined to accept of the invitations of the kingdom, and still more readily