C «AP. XLIII.

from the I. of James I, to the Revolution. 6t c

< 688 .

he Preten-der Urn.

J 3 - Bishops

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cy ames

Port- Pre -

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was born, or said to be born* the■ Prince or Person, who now goes bythe Name of the Pretender. The nineand twentieth, the Bishops were broughtto their Trial and acquitted.

Matters began now to take a newTurn, and the People of all Parties be-gan to open their Eyes, and fee theKing’s Drift. The High Church-menfound they had carried their Doctrinesof PaJJive-Obedience and Non-Resistancetoo far, and began to have a more cha-ritable Opinion of their Diffenting Bre-thren. This convinced the Dissenters,that they had gone too far on their Side,and had groundlefly accused theChurch-men of a Biafs towards Popery : Henceensued, at least, for the present, thatUniformity of Sentiments for the Pre-servation of their Country, as producedthe Glorious Revolution.

As the Invitations which the Princeof Orange now began to receive fromEngland, from several great Men ofboth Parties, induced him to make Pre-parations in Holland, for an Expeditionto this Kingdom, that thereby he mightsecure to us our Religion, Laws, andLiberties. The Difference then onFoot, about the Election of an Archbi-shop of Cologne, furnished the States(who were let into the Secret, and hadpromised their Assistance:) with a Pre-tence for forming of an Army near Ni-meguen, and fitting out a Fleet.

King: James had Advice, fromTime t 638.to.Time, of the Progress His HigbnessBarchettymade ; And altho’ His Majesty was not,at first, thoroughly satisfied, that bisDesign was to transport his Forces hi-ther, (notwithstanding he had then anAmbassadour at the Hague ) yet beingafterwards well assured of it, and hawing a small Squadron of Ships in Pay*commanded by Sir Roger Strickland,then Rear-Admiral of England, (&) hethought it convenient to appoint thema Place of Rendezvous; And, aboutthe Middle of June, sent out some Scouts sentScouts to observe the Motions of th e oa( -Dutch Fleet, (c)

Not long after that, a Squadron wasordered to Sea, and made two short . „

Trips, to and from Southwold- or Sole-f e!i tKttwtthBay, the last whereof, was after King^ir RogerJames had visited them at the Buov ^'Strickland.the JSlore, and consulted with the Flag 1 -Officers, and Captains what was mostadviseable to be done, for interceptingthe Prince in his Passage ; For, at thatTime, it was altogether unknown atthe EngliJJo Court, to what Part of theKingdom he was designed.

The Preparations in Holland advan-cing apace, King James deemed it ne-cessary to send Instructions to Sir RogerStrickland, how to govern himself in soimportant an Affair ; of which Instruc-tions it may not be improper to givemy Readers a Copy. (d)

Sir

(b) King James had an early Instance, howthe Fleet stood affected, and what little Depen-dance he could have on it, when Strickland at-tempted to have had Mass said on Board : For itraised such a Mutiny and Disorder among the Sai-lors, that it was with some Difficulty the Officersprotected the Priests from being thrown overBoard.

(r) It is said, that the King of France offeredKing James a Fleet, with an Army of thirtyThousand Men ; But that, by the Persuasions ofthe Earl of Sunierland , this Offer was rejected ;Which wave Rife to theSuspicion of his having be-trayed his Master ; And was followed soon afterby his Disgrace, and the Loss of all his Employs.

(d) King James’! Instructions to Sir RogerStrickland.

1 Sir

and.

JAMES R.

“ \JT hereas We have been lately given to“ understand, that great Preparations“ are, at this Day, making, by the States of the“ United Provinces, for encreasing their Naval“ Force, now at Sea, by the Addition of a con-“ fiderable Number of their greater Ships; And," forasmuch, as We think it behoving, that, for

" preventing, as much as may be, the Evil that“ may be intended towards Us, Our Govern-" ment, or the Trade of Our Subjects, you," with the Commanders of Our Ships, under“ your Charge, be, without Delay, advertised" thereof. We have, to that Purpose, caused“ this, by Express, to be dispatched to you, to“ the End that, upon Receipt hereof, you may“ immediately apply yourself to the considering," and putting in Execution, whatever you, with" the Advice of such of Our Commanders, as“ you shall call to your Assistance, shall judge“ expedient, for the putting, and keeping Our“ Ships in Condition of attending the Motion of" those of the States, as you shall from Time to" Time conceive most for Our Service. To" which End, tho’ such is Our Reliance upon“ your approved Diligence, Integrity, Valour,“ and Experience, in Maritime Affairs, that We“ do hereby entirely commit the Conduct there-“ of, in all Emergencies, to your sole Direction,cc yet We conceive it not unuseful (without Con-" straint) to recommend to you, in your Proceed-" ings therein, the following Considerations, ©/.sr.

i. " That two of Our Ships (to be changed“ once a Week) may be always kept cruising off" of Orfordnefs, in Order to as early discove-rt ring as may be the Approach, or Motion, of“ those of the States, with Instructions not to“ fail, so soon as any such Discovery shall be

“ made.