612 James II. Naval Expeditions, &c. o) the Englisli, Book
CHAP. XLIII.
Naval Expeditions and Transactions of the English,, with other the most me-morable Occurrences, during the Reign of King James II.
168 f-gpi H E first: three Years of this
1 King’s Reign, a fiord us little orno Matter for our Naval Hifio-ry, I shall, therefore, but justhint at some of the most material Tran-sactions. (a)
T Within a few Hours after theDeath of
Ihprpclaim- King Charles II. on the sixth of Februa-ed. ry , his Brother, the Duke of York, was
proclaimed King at London, by theName of James II. And considering thatthe Party, which had been against theBill of Exclusion, was then triumphant,and the other entirely depressed, it isnot to be wondered at, that there wasno Motion, either in London, or any o-ther Part of the Kingdom, to opposeNo Altera- Kino. For this very Reason, likewise,tions at little or no Alteration was made, and
Court. every one retained his Place. Within
two Day’s after the King’s Accelfion,hemade no Scruple of owning his Religi-King James on (^^ioh indeed had been publicklyappears pub - known ever since 1670.) by appearinglickly at publickly at Mass : On the three and
Ma f s ' twentieth of April, St. George’s Day,
The Kin King and Queen were crowned, with
and Queens the usual Solemnity, at Weflminjler :Coronation. The nineteenth of May, the Parliamentf a lf a ' assembled : A nd,the fameMorning, thehied. a ^ m King received News of the Earl of Ar-The Earl of gile's being landed in the Highlands ofArgile lands Scotland, from Holland. He had only%n Scotland; ^gg s ma ll Ships with him, and Arms
for about five Thousand Men, with afew German Officers, and some Soldierslisted in Holland: But he soon paid thisrasti Attempt with his Head.
Soon after, theDuke of Monmouth en-Andtle ga^ed in as mad an Undertaking, andDuke of landed in the West of England, with a-in England : ^ out four-fcore Followers, on the ele-venth of June. The Success of this in-considerate Invasion is too well known,
(a) Ep- Bur net introduces King James s Reign,Bp. Burnet. in t p e f 0 ]j 0W j n g remarkable Manner :
“ I A M now (fays he) to give the Relation of" an inglorious and unprosperousReign, that was“ begun with great Advantages : But these were“ so poorly managed, and so is improved, that" bad Designs were ill laid, and worse conducted;" And all came, in Conclusion, under one of the
to need being recapitulated here; I shall 1 68p,therefore only say, that it ended, asthat of the Earl of Argyle, with the etrLoss of his Head.
This Year, King James granted a 1686 .new Charter to the Eafl-India-Compzny,bearing Date, the twelfth of April, ofwhich we have an Abstract in Harris. ^
About this Time, likewise, Captain |. 5r -William Phips, a Native of New Eng- voLLP'^ 0,land, came from thence to London, to Phips'i Hfollicite some Noblemen and Gentle- peditioHfmen, to undertake an Adventure for aWreck, near Port de la Plata. Heprevailed with the Duke of Albemarl andothers to employ him about it, and hewas so fortunate to hit upon the Ship,where the Silver he sought after waslodged, and brought three HundredThousand Pounds, in Pieces of Eight, toEngland Of which about twenty Thou-sand Pounds came to his Share. TheKing knighted him for this Service, andmade him High Sheriff of New Eng-land.
The Year 1687. affords us nothingmaterial, but theKing’s large and hasty,but, at the fame Time, inconsiderate inconsW'Steps, towards the Advancement of an rate St e P’absolute Power, and the Propagation ofthe Roman Catholick Religion, which,however, proved so many Steps to-wards his own Ruin.
In the Beginning of the Year, 1688. j6S^King James being resolved to effect byForce, what he otherways found im-practicable, among other preparations,required the States General to fend backthe six EngliJh and Scotch Regiments,which were in their Service, whichthey, however, civilly refused. Theeighth of June, the King was guilty ofthat rash Action of sending the Bishops K ;/hepto the Tower: And, on the tenth
was Tower-
“ strangest Catastrophe's, that is in any History.
" A great King, with strong Armies, and migh-" tyfleets, a vast Treasure, and powerful Allies,
" lest all at once. And His whole Strength, like“ a Spider s Vveb, was so irrecoverably broken" with a Touch, that he was never able to re-" trieve, what for Want both of Judgment and" Heart, he threw up in a Day.