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THE

REIGN

O F

King JAMES II

K

Ing Charles II. being feiz'd with a vio- 168. lent Fit, which in three Days carried

him off, various were the Reports about Death of his Diflemper: Some maintaining it to King be an Apoplexy, occafion'd by his frequent De- Charles II. bauches, and others the Effect of Poifon. This Feb. 6th laft Opinion was moft general, and feem'd to be jultified by the Symptoms that attended this Fit: For before the King fell into it, he complain'd, first of a heavy Oppreffion in his Stomach, and about the Heart, and foon after of a racking Pain in those Parts, all which had but little Relation to an Apoplexy, which is known principally to affect the Head.

Thefe Sufpicions, were encreas'd by feveral concurring Circumftances: Some few Days before King Charles was taken ill, there escap'd him fome warm Expreffions about the ill Meafures that had been fuggefted to him, and how in a particular Affair he had been abus'd: Adding, in a Paffion, That if he liv'd but a Month longer, he would find a way to make himself eafie for the rest of his Life. This Paffage was whifper'd abroad next Day, and interpreted by fome, as if the King defign'd to recal the Duke of Monmouth, and remove the Duke of York. Now how far the Principles of that E z

Par

1684. Party, which was like to fuffer by this sudden Refolution, might leave them at Liberty to prevent it, tho' without the Participation of the Duke of York, is not the Butinefs of an Hiftorian to determine; yet 'tis certain, that King Charles no fooner heard that the Lord Allington, Lieutenant of the Tower, (with whom he had drank fome Chocolate fome Days before, and concerted Measures to fecure the Duke of York) was dead after a very strange manner; but he began to be afraid of his Lifě. Others obferv'd, that when the deceas'd King's Body was open'd, his Stomach and Inteftines were not narrowly fearch'd, which ought chiefly to have been done, confidering the violent Pains he felt there; and that when a certain Physician seem'd to be more Inquifitive than the reft, about the Condition of thofe Parts, he was taken afide, and reprov'd for his Curiofity. And as one Sufpicion begets another, there was likewife fome Strefs laid upon an Accident that fell out at Windfor fome Years before. The King drinking more liberally than ufual, after the Fatigue of Riding, retir'd to the next Room, and wrapping himfelt up in his Cloak, fell asleep upon a Couch. He was but a little time come back to his Company, when a Servant belonging to one of them, lay down upon the fame Couch in the King's Cloak, and was found ftabb'd Dead with a Poniard; nor was it ever known how it happen'd, nor any Enquiry made about it. Add to all thefe, that Dr. Short, a Catholick, and a Man of Probity and Learning, did not tick to declare to fome of his intimate Friends, That he believ❜d King Charles had foul Play given him; and that when the Dr. came to Die himself, he exprefs'd fome Sufpicions that he had met with the fame Treatment, for opening his Mind too freely in that Point.

As King Charles liv'd generally belov'd, fo he dy'd univertally lamented: Moft People extolling the Mildness of his Temper, and Peacefulness of his Reign, during which England had vaftly encreas'd in Riches, and but few reflecting, that the Softnefs and Luxuriousness of his Court, like an

infectious Disease, had spread almost over the whole Nation, and broke the martial Spirit of the English; 168+ that his Alliances with France, and his Sale of Dunkirk, had cherifh'd the growth of that formnidable Power which still alarms all Europe, and loft to England her ancient Prerogative of holding the Ballance in Christendom; and laftly, that his being too kind to a Popish Brother, his believing too far a Presbyterian Plot, and fuffering the Lord Ruffel and Algernoon Sidney to be facritic'd upon that Pietence, gave his Succeffor a Handle to fet up Popery and an Arbitrary Government. If any thing can atone for the Errors of King Charles's Reign, twas his marrying the Eldett of his Nieces to the Prince of Orange, (which Lady the Parliament had in View in the Bill of Exclution) and the Youngeft to the Prince of Denmark, which he did against the Advice of the Duke of York, and in Spight of all the Sollicitations that were made him from Abroad, to marry them to Potent Princes of the Catholick Religion.

King Charles II. had fcarce refign'd his last Breath, when his Brother, James Duke of Tork, fecond Son to King Charles the Firft, lept quietly into his Throne by the Name of King James the Second, and immediately after was proclaim'd King of Exgland, France, Scotland, and Ireland, first in London and Westminster, and then throughout the whole Kingdom. One would have thought this New King would have met with fome Oppofition: For befides, that not many Years before almost all England feem'd to concur to exclude him from the Crown; and that fince he was recall'd by his Brother, he had rais'd to himself a great many Enemies, 'tis certain he could not enjoy the Royal Dignity without breaking the Fundamental Laws of the Realm, whereby Papifts are remov'd from all Places of Truft; but upon this Occafion the English chofe rather to derogate from the strictness of their Laws, than be wanting in their Loyalty to their Natural Sovereign. They flattered themfelves, that a Prince who had wreftled with fo many Difficulties, upon the Account of his being a

King

1684. Papist, and who had before him the dreadful Example of a Father, who upon a bare Sufpicion of having a Defign to introduce Popery, had loft his Head upon a Scaffold; they flatter'd themselves, I fay, that fuch a Prince would fuffer them peacefully to enjoy their Religion, Laws. and Liberties. Thus abandoning themfelves to Providence, all their former Heats and Animofities against the Duke of York, and even the very Memory of a: Bill of Exclufim, feem'd to be now buried in Oblivion, amidst the loud Acclamations of his People at his Acceffion to the Crown.

The New King endeavour'd to confirm the favourable Sentiments the generality of his Subjects entertain'd of him, and to remove the Fears and Jealoufies of the reft, by a plaufible Speech he made to his Council the fame Day his Brother dy'd, wherein he declar'd; That fince it had pleas'd God James's to Place him in that Station, to fucceed So good and Speech to gracious a King, as well as fo kind a Brother, he the Council. thought fit to tell them, that he would endeavour to fol low his Brother's Example, more especially in that of his great Clemency and Tenderness to his People; that he had been reported to be a Man for Arbitrary Power. but that was not the only Story had been made of bim and that he would make it his Endeavour to ; preferve the Government, both in Church and State, as it was by Law establish'd. And thereupon he takes Occafion to Commend the Principles and Members of the Church of England; and fays, The Laws of the Land are fufficient to make the King as great a Monarch as he can wish to be; and therefore as be would never depart from the just Rights and Preroga tives of the Crown, So he would never invade any Man's Property. But it was not long before it appear'd either that King James did not then speak his real Intentions, or that the fond Infinuations of a domineering bigotted Wife, and the Inftigations of Popish Priefts and Jefuits, were more prevailing with him than this Maxim, That if Truth and Honefty were loft, ane ought to look for them amongst Kings; or indeed, than his true Intereft: for had he perform'd what he promis'd in his Speech, he might

have been as glorious a Monarch as ever fway'd the 1684. English Scepter.

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The firft Days of King James's Reign were spent in writing Letters to divers Princes; in receiving the Compliments both of Condoleance and Congratulation of thofe Foreign Ambaffadors and Minifters, who happen'd then to be in London, in Interring the Body of the late King, which was done without any manner of Pomp; (and which made fome People not ftick to fay, That King Charles was buried more like a Private Man and a Stranger, than like a Prince and a Brother.) And in fettling the Officers of the Houfhold, and beftowing Civil and Military Employments. Among the reft the Duke of Ormond, was made Lord Steward; the Earl of Arlington, Lord Chamberlain; Vifcount Newport, Treasurer; the Lord Maynard, Comptroller; Henry Savile, Efq; Vice-Chamberlain of the Houfhold; Henry Bulkeley, Efq; Mafter of the Houfhold; and Sir Stephen Fox, Eldeft Clerk of the Green-Cloth, in which Offices they refpectively ferv'd King Charles the Second. Moreover, His Majefty conftituted the Earl of Rochefter, (who was then Prefident of the Council) Lord High-Treasurer of England; the Marquis of Hallifax, Prefident of the Council; the Earl of Clarendon, Lord Privy-Seal; the Duke of Beaufort, Lord Prefident of Wales; and the Lord Godolphin, Lord Chamberlain to the Queen.

The next Sunday after his Brother's Death, King James went publickly to Mafs in St. James's Chappel, openly declaring himself a Papiff, though in the former Reign fome Men had been feverely ufed, for barely faying that he was of that Perfwalion. People difcours'd variously about this Affair, fome commending him for not diffembling his Religion; others faying that it was Impolitickly done; and that if he intended to countenance Popery, and overturn the establish'd Religion, it would certainly terminate in his own Ruin. The next ftep King James made, moft plainly fhew'd whither he was going, and expected to be follow'd by all that intended to fhare his Favours: For before his Bro