secretary's office. They observed, that the French were previously acquainted with all the motions of the English, and took their measures accordingly for their destruction. They collected and compared a good number of particulars, that seemed to justify their suspicion of treachery. But the misfortunes of the nation, in all probability, arose from a motley ministry, divided among themselves, who, instead of acting in concert for the public good, employed all their influence to thwart the views and blacken the reputations of each other. The people in general exclaimed against the marquis of Caermarthen, the earls of Nottingham and Rochester, who had acquired great credit with the queen, and, from their hatred to the whigs, betrayed the interests of the nation. § XXVIII. But if the English were discontented, the French were miserable, in spite of all their victories. That kingdom laboured under a dreadful famine, occasioned partly from unfavourable seasons, and partly from the war, which had not left hands sufficient to cultivate the ground. Notwithstanding all the diligence and providence of their ministry, in bringing supplies of corn from Sweden and Denmark, their care in regulating the price, and furnishing the markets, their liberal contributions for the relief of the indigent; multitudes perished of want, and the whole kingdom was reduced to poverty and distress, Lewis pined in the midst of his success. He saw his subjects exhausted by a ruinous war, in which they had been involved by his ambition. He tampered with the allies apart, in hopes of dividing and detaching them from the grand confederacy: he solicited the northern crowns to engage as mediators for a general peace. A memorial was actually presented by the Danish minister to king William, by which it appears, that the French king would have been contented to purchase a peace with some considerable concessions: but the terms were rejected by the king of England, whose ambition and revenge were not yet gratified; and whose subjects, though heavily laden, could still bear additional burdens. § XXIX. The jacobites had been very attentive to the progress of dissatisfaction in England, which they fomented with their usual assiduity. The late declaration of king James had been couched in such imperious terms as gave offence even to some of those who favoured his interest. The earl of Middleton, therefore, in the beginning of the year repaired to St. Germains, and obtained another, which contained the promise of a general pardon without exception, and every other concession that a British subject could demand of his sovereign. About the latter end of May, two men, named Canning and Dormer, were apprehended for dispersing copies of this paper, tried at the Old Bailey, found guilty of not only dispersing, but also of composing a false and seditious libel, sentenced to pay five hundred marks a piece, to stand three times in the pillory, and find sureties for their good behaviour. But no circumstance reflected more disgrace on this reign, than the fate of Anderton, the supposed printer of some tracts against the government. He was brought to trial for high treason he made a vigorous defence, in spite of the insults and discouragement he sustained from a partial bench. As nothing but presumptions appeared against him, the jury scrupled to bring in a verdict that would affect his life, until they were reviled and reprimanded by judge Treby; then they found him guilty. In vain recourse was had to the queen's mercy; he suffered death at Tyburn: and left a paper, protesting solemnly against the proceedings of the court, which he affirmed was appointed, not to try, but to convict him; and petitioning heaven to forgive his penitent jury. The severity of the government was likewise exemplified in the case of some adventurers, who having equipped privateers to cruise upon the English, under joint commissions from the late king James and Lewis XIV. happened to be taken by the English ships of war. Dr. Oldys, the king's advocate, being commanded to proceed against them as guilty of treason and piracy, refused to commence the prosecution; and gave his opinion in writing, that they were neither traitors nor pirates. He supported this opinion by arguments before the council: these were answered by Dr. Littleton, who succeeded him in the office from which he was dismissed; and the prisoners were executed as traitors. The jacobites did not fail to retort those arts upon the government, which their adversaries had so successfully practised in the late reign. They in veighed against the vindictive spirit of the administration, and taxed it with encouraging informers and false witnesses; a charge for which there was too much foundation. : § XXX. The friends of James in Scotland still continued to concert designs in his favour: but their correspondence was detected, and their aims defeated, by the vigilance of the ministry in that kingdom. Secretary Johnston not only kept a watchful eye over all their transactions, but by a dexterous management of court liberality and favour, appeased the discontents of the presbyterians so effectually, that the king ran no risk in assembling the parliament. Some offices were bestowed upon the leaders of the kirk party and the duke of Hamilton being reconciled to the government, was appointed commissioner. On the 18th day of April, the session was opened, and the king's letter, replete with the most cajoling expressions, being read, the parliament proceeded to exhibit undeniable specimens of their good humour. They drew up a very affectionate answer to his majesty's letter: they voted an addition of six new regiments to the standing forces of the kingdom: they granted a supply of about one hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterling to his majesty they enacted a law for levying, men to serve on board the royal navy: they fined all absentees, whether lords or commons; and vacated the seats of all those commissioners who refused to take the oath of assurance, which was equivalent to an abjuration of king James: they set on foot an inquiry about an. intended invasion: they published some intercepted letters, supposed to be written to king James by Neville Payne, whom they committed to prison, and threatened with a trial for high treason; but he eluded the danger, by threatening in his turn to impeach those who had made their peace with the government: they passed an act for the comprehension of such of the episcopal clergy as should condescend to take the oaths by the tenth day of July. that the general assembly required of them, was an offer to subscribe the confession of faith, and to acknowledge presbytery as the only government of the Scottish church: but they neither submitted to these terms, nor took the oaths within the limited time, so that they forfeited all legal right to their benefices. Nevertheless, they contintre 1 in. VOL. I. A a All possession, and even received private assurances of the king's protection. It was one of William's political maxims, to court his domestic enemies; but it was never attended with any good effect. This indulgence gave offence to the presbyterians, and former distractions began to revive. § XXXI. The king having prevailed upon the states general to augment their land forces and navy for the service of the ensuing campaign, embarked for England, and arrived at Kensington on the thirtieth day of October. Finding the people clamorous and discontented, the trade of the nation decayed, the affairs of state mismanaged, and the ministers recriminating upon one another, he perceived the necessity of changing hands, and resolved to take his measures accordingly. Sunderland, his chief counsellor, represented that the tories were averse to the continuance of a war, which had been productive of nothing but damage and disgrace; whereas the whigs were much more tractable, and would bleed freely, partly from the terrors of invasion and popery, partly from the ambition of being courted by the crown, and partly from the prospect of advantage, in advancing money to the government on the funds established by parliament: for that sort of traffic which obtained the appellation of the moneyed interest, was altogether a whiggish institution. The king revolved these observations in his own mind; and, in the mean time, the parliament met on the seventh day of November, pursuant to the last prorogation. In his speech he expressed his resentment against those who were the authors of the miscarriages at sea; represented the necessity of increasing the land forces. and the navy; and demanded a suitable supply for these purposes. In order to pave the way to their condescension, he had already dismissed from his council the earl of Nottingham, who, of all his ministers, was the most odious to the people. His place would have been immediately filled with the earl of Shrewsbury; but that nobleman suspecting this was a change of men rather than of measures, stood aloof for some time, until he received such assurances from the king as quieted his scruples, and then he accepted the office of secretary. The lieutenancy for the city of London, and all other commissions over England, were altered with a view to favour the whig interest; and the individuals of that party were indulged with many places of trust and profit: but the tories were too powerful in the house of commons to be exasperated, and therefore a good number of them were retained in office. 6 XXXII. On the sixth day of the session, the commons unanimously resolved to support their majesties and their government; to inquire into miscarriages; and to consider of means for preserving the trade of the nation. The Turkey company were summoned to produce the petitions they had delivered to the commissioners of the admiralty for convoy lord Falkland, who sat at the head of that board, gave in copies of all the orders and directions sent to sir George Rooke concerning the Straits fleet, together with a list of all the ships at that time in commission. It appeared, in the course of this inquiry, that the miscarriage of Rooke's fleet was in a great measure owing to the misconduct of the admirals, and neglect of the victualling office; but they were screened by a majority. Mr. Harley, one of the commissioners for taking and stating the public accounts, delivered a report, which contained a charge of peculation against lord Falkland. Rainsford, receiver of the rights and perquisites of the navy, confessed that he had received and paid more money than that which was charged in the accounts: and, in particular, that he had paid four thousand pounds to lord Falkland, by his majesty's order. This lord had acknowledged before the commissioners, that he had paid one half of the sum, by the king's order, to a person who was not a member of either house; and that the remainder was still in his hands. Rainsford owned he had the original letter which he received from Falkland, demanding the money; and this nobleman desiring to see it, detained the voucher; a circumstance that incensed the commons to such a degree, that a motion was made for committing him to the Tower, and debated with great warmth, but at last overruled by the majority. Nevertheless, they agreed to make him sensible of their displeasure, and he was reprimanded in his place. The house of lords having also inquired into the causes of the miscarriage at sea, very violent debates arose, and at length the majority resolved, that the admirals had done |