Memoirs of the most material transactions in England, for the last hundred years, preceeding the revolution in 1688 ... A new edition, corrected. With a compleat index

Front matter

MEMOIRS OF THE MOST MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS IN ENGLAND, FOR THE LAST HUNDRED YEARS, PRECEDING THE REV01VTI0N IN 1688. By JAMES WELWOOD, M.D. rHVSICTAN IN ORDINARY TO HIS MAJESTY, AND rELLOW OF THE COLLEGE OF PHA'SICIANS, LONDON. A NEW EDITION. LONDON: REPRINTED IN 1820; FROM A COPY OF THE WORK SAID TO BE THE THIRD EDITION, WHICH WAS PRINTED IN THE YEAR 1700. SOLD BY R. AVILKS, 89, CHAN CERA' LANE AND MAY BE HAD OF ALL BOOKSELLERS. &. Wilks, Printer, 89, Chancery-lane. ;n TO THE KING. SIR, A HE Great Patrons of Liberty have notthought it below then1, to become the Patrons of History: and any thing of that kind which concerns England, does naturally claim the protection of a Prince, who by his valor and conduct has not only restored to the English Nation that figure lhe}r had lost in the world for near an hundred years past, but has raised them to a greater than ever they had before: a Prince, who in all he has done for the common safety of Europe, could have no brighter examples to follow, than those of his own Famihy : for when others have fought for dominion and power, vain empty notions, and to man kind ; it has ever been a glory peculiar to the Mouse of Nassau, to have fought for LIBERTY, the noblest cause, and the greatest stake that mortals can contend for. a 2 Let DKDICATION.

IV Let some Princes pretend to fading laurels, by depopulating countries, oppres sing their neighbours, and enslaving free People; the surest and best way to trans mit a glorious name to posterity, is to relieve "the oppressed, break off their fetters, and set the world free. These require no varnish to set off their true lustre; whilst those are obliged to make use of false colors to palliate the highest injustice. Let them value them selves upon a greatness that is borrowed from schemes that could hardly fail, as being transmitted to them from the long experience of the ablest Ministers, and most refined Statesmen of the age : that Prince, who without these helps at his first appearance on the stage, has by the mere strength of his own aenius surmounted difficulties that would have palled any courage but his own, and at length has broke all those measures that had of a long time been concerting towards the enslaving of Christendom, cannot fail to make one of the noblest and brightest figures in History.

If it be the prerogative of an Almighty Power and Goodness to set bounds to the raging sea, it must be the highest and most justifiable imitation of it, to put a stop to the ambition of men, and to shelter nations from their fury. It is in this sense chiefly, that Kings may be called Gods : and DEDICATION. V and it is pity that the lives of such were not as immortal as their deeds. The memory of that Prince must be lasting, who, in all the wars he has been engaged in, and in all the Treaties that have been made to restore peace to his country, has never made any terms for himself; except once, when the interest of Three Kingdoms, and his own, were be come one and the same. When succeeding a2:cs shall see scarce any other coin in England but of one stamp, they must look back with amaze ment upon the Reign of a Prince whose image it bears; and wonder how it was possible, that during the heat of the most expensive war that ever was, so vast a treasure could be new minted, and at so prodigious a loss: while at the same time they will commend and bless a People, that with so much cheerfulness assisted him with supplies suitable to such mighty undertakings.

Preface

TO THE PRESENT EDITION OF DOCTOR JAMES WELWOOD'S MEMOIRS Of the most material Transactions in England for the Last Hundred Years preceding the Revolution in the Year 1688. THIS historical work of Dr. Welwood has been printed at least three different times ; but nevertheless the copies of it are grown scarce and difficult to be met with. And therefore as I think it a most valuable work, full of truth on the most important events of the century to which it refers, and of striking proofs of the truth of the several facts which he relates, I hope I shall be thought to have done my country a good service in causing it to be again reprinted, in a copious Edition. And at the end of this excellent work of Dr. Welwood, I have caused to be reprinted a few pages taken from Mr. Ralph's very xu

PREFACE.

. very copious and well-written History of England, from the Restoration of King Charles the Second to the end of the reign of King George the First, in two large volumes in folio, published in the year 1744, which relate to the Death of King Charles the Second, which happened only a few days after he had taken a resolution to be reconciled to his people, and imme diately to call a new Parliament, in order to recover their good affections. FRANCIS MASERES, Of the Inner Temple, Cursitor Baron of the Court of Exchequer. June 21, 1820. 9 DE 63 CONTENTS. CONTENTS. Page X HE Excellencies of the English Constitution, and the various Changes that have happened in it • • • • 1 The State of England under Queen Elizabeth • • • • 3 Her Character • 3 The Character of her Ministers ; particularly of Walsingham, Cecil, &c. and of the Members of the House of Commons in her time 8 Her Conduct towards Mary Queen of Scots ...••• 13 King James the First's* Accession to the Crown, and the Condition of England under his Reign 1 G H is Character 18 The Character and Death of Prince Henry 20 The Character of the Queen of Bohemia; and King James's Conduct in the Business of the Palatinate 22,24 The Fate of Sir Walter Raleigh 23 King James's Conduct in the Interdict of Venice • • 30 His Letter to Dr. Abbot, on that occasion 34 The Affair of Overall's Convocation ; and how resented by King James 32 King Charles the First's Accession to the Crown ; and the Condition of England at that time 37 The Breach betwixt Archbishop Abbot, and Bishop Laud 37 The Rise of King Charles's Troubles ; and the first and second War with the Scots 4J The Meeting of the Parliament, November 1 G40 • • 44 The CONTENTS.

XIV Page The Fall and Character of Wentworth, Earl of Stafford 46 The Fall and Character of Archbishop Laud 53 The famous Petition and Remonstrance of the State of the Nation ; and the King's Answer 59 His coming to the House of Commons in Person, to demand the Five Members ; and the Consequences of it • 60 His leaving the Parliament, and the beginning of the Civil Wars ; and who began it 61 The Treaty of Uxbridge, how unsuccessful ; and the Marquis of Montross's fatal Letter the Cause • • • • 68 The Character and Fall of King Charles the First • • 71 His Opinion of Defensive Arms in the business of Rochel 77 The Character of his Favourite Buckingham 80 The true cause of the Scot's coming into England, being a forged Letter • • ,• 83 King Charles's design before his Death to Resign the Crown : and the Army's to set up the Duke of Gloucester •••• Q2 His consulting the Sortes Virgilianæ 93 The Usurpation and Character of Oliver Cromwell 95 The Restoration of King Charles the Second, and the Manner of it; with Monk's Part in it, and the Risk Monk ran in Scotland 105 One of the true Causes of the Fall of Chancellor Clarendon iii The Discovery of the Popish Plot ; and its Consequences H3 The Bill of Exclusion ; the Design of it, and how managed i i .-, The CONTENTS.

XV Page The Disgrace of the Duke of Monmouth ; and the Consequences of it 120 The Protestant Plot, and the Effects of it — ....... 121 The Death of King Charles the Second, and the Suspicions about the Manner of it discussed 1 23 His Character .« •••' 131 The Reign of King James the Second 136 The Advantages and Examples he might have made use of • ■•• 137 His Brother's and Pope Innocent Xlth's Advice to him 139 His first Speech to his Privy Council 140 His first Speech to his Parliament i 142 His Second Memorable Speech to his Parliament.. 143 Two Letters from a Foreign Minister to their Ambassador in England, upon the occasion of this Speech 145 Monmouth's Invasion, and the Grounds of it 150 Some Passages out of Monmouth's Pocket-book • • 1 50 Monmouth's Character 152 His Letter in his Retirement 154 King James's Speech to the Parliament upon Monmouth's Defeat 157 The Parliament's Address thereupon 158 The Sense of a Foreign Minister of this last Speech 160 The Advances made to the Subversion of the English Constitution 162 King James's Embassy to Rome, and how received The Panegyrics of King James upon that occasion.. 165 The Manner how King James had been treated by another Pope, in his Marriage with the Princess of Modena » 170 King James grants a Toleration of Religion 1 CONTENTS.

XVI Page— • He assumes a dispensing Power • 176 He sets up an Ecclesiastical Commission 179 The Suspension of the Bishop of London 1 80 The Proceedings against Magdalen College 1 63 His Second Declaration for Liberty of Conscience— 188 The Affair of the Seven Bishops 1 89 The Birth of a pretended Prince of Wales 192 A new Parliament designed; and to what end — — 19' The Prince and Princess of Orange's Opinion about the Penal Laws and Test; and how obtained. • • • 196 The Army Modelled 201 The Methods used in Ireland ; and Tyrconel's Ad« vancement «> ** 202 The Regulating of the Corporations ; and the Severities against the Protestants »* •* 208 The Act of Attainder there 211 The Interest that Foreign States had in England 213 The Emperor's Letter to King James 214 The Interest of the Prince of Orange 216 The bad Circumstances of the House of Orange at the Birth of the Present Prince of Orange, now King of England 216 How he came to be Restored in Holland 218 The Desolation of Holland in 1 672 219 The Reasons of that Desolation 220 The Difficulty the Prince of Orange had to grapple with • — 224 The Duke of Luxemburgh's Cruelties at Swammerdam 226 9 DE 63