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power would prove without an army. He therefore tried all ways to get one; and first he attempted it in Scotland, and got an act paffed there, whereby that kingdom was obliged to raise 20,000 foot and 2,000 horse at his majesty's call, to march into any part of his dominions; and this law is in being at this day. Much about the fame time he raifed guards in England (a thing unheard-of before in our English constitution), and by degrees increased them, till they became a formidable army. He then began that war in conjunction with France, and the parliament gave him two millions and a half to maintain it, with part of which money he raised about 12,000 men which were called the Black-heath army, and pretended he raised them to attack Holland; but instead of ufing them to that purpofe, he kept them encamped upon Black-heath, hovering over the city of London, which put both the parliament and city in fuch confufion, that the king was forced at laft to disband them. But at the fame time, contrary to the articles of peace with the Dutch, he continued 10,000 men in the French fervice, for the most part under popish officers, to be seasoned there in flavish principles, that they might be ready to execute any commands when they were fent for over. The parliament never met, but they addreffed the king to recal thefe forces out of France, and disband them; and several times prepared bills to that purpose, which the king always prevented by a prorogation; but at last was prevailed upon to iffue forth a proclamation to recal them, yet at the fame time supplied them with recruits, encouraged fome to go voluntarily into that fervice, and preffed, imprisoned, and carried over others by main force; befides, he only disbanded the new raised regiments, and not all of them neither, for he kept up in England 5,890 private men, befides officers, which was his establishment in 1673.

The king having two great designs to carry on together, viz popery and arbitrary power, thought this force not enough to do his bufinefs effectually, and therefore caft about how to get a new army, and took the most plaufible way, which was pretending to enter into a war with France; and for that purpose made a ftrict

league

league with the ftates of Holland; and immediately upon it the king called the parliament, who gave 1,200,000 pounds to enter into an actual war with France, with which money he raised an army of between 20 and 30,000 men within less than forty days, and fent part of them to Flanders. At the fame time he continued his forces in France, and took a fum of money from that king to affift him in making a private peace with Holland; so that, instead of a war with France, the parliament had given a great fum to raise an army to enflave themselves. But it hap pened about this time that the popish plot broke out, which put the nation into fuch a ferment, that there was no stemming the tide; fo that he was forced to call the parliament, which met the 23d of October 1678, who immediately fell upon the popish plot and the land army. Befides, there were discovered 57 commiffions granted to papifts to raise men: this fo enraged the parliament, that they immediately proceeded to the disbanding of the army, and paffed an act that all forces raised since the 29th of September 1677 thould be difbanded, and gave the king 693,388 pounds to pay off their arrears, which he made ufe of to keep them up, and diffolved the parliament; but foon after called another, which purfued the fame counfels, and passed a second act to disband the army, give a new fum for doing it, directed it to be paid into the chamber of London, appointed commiffioners of their own, and paffed a vote, 'That the continuance of any standing forces in this nation, • other than the militia, was illegal, and a great grievance and 'vexation to the people;' fo that army was disbanded. From this time he never agreed with his people, but diffolved three parliaments following, for enquiring into the popish plot, and in the three last years of his reign called none at all. It is obfervable in this king's reign, that there was not one sessions but his guards were attacked, and never could get the least countenance from parliament; but to be even with them, the court as much discountenanced the militia, and never would fuffer it to be made useful. Thus we fee the king husbanded a few guards fo well, that in a small number of years they grew to a formidable

dable army, notwithstanding all the endeavours of the parliament to the contrary; fo difficult it is to prevent the growing of an evil, that does not receive a chceck in the beginning.

Towards the latter end of this king's reign.the nation had fo entirely loft all fenfe of liberty, that they grew fond of their chain; and if his brother had followed his example, by this time we had been as great flaves as in France. But it was God's mercy to us that he was made in another mould; imperious, obftinate, and a bigot, pushed on by the counfels of France and Rome, and the violence of his own nature; so that he quickly run himself out of breath. As foon as he came to the crown, he seized the customs and excife without authority of parliament: got the difpenfing power to be declared in Westminster. hall, and turned the fellows of Magdalen college out of their freeholds, to make way for a feminary of priests. He erected the ecclefiaftical commiffion, fufpended the bishop of London, because he would not infli&t the same punishment upon Dr. Sharp, for preaching against popery: he closetted the nobility and gentry, turned all out of employment that would not promise to repeal the test, put in popish privy-councellors, judges, deputy-lieutenants, and juftices of peace; and to get all this confirmed by the fhew of parliament, he profecuted the work his brother had begun in taking away charters, and new-modelling the corporations by a fet of vermin called Regulators. He made Tyrconnel lord lieutenant of Ireland; turned all the proteftants out of the army, and most of the civil employments there; and made Fitton (a papist, and one detected for perjury) chancellor of that kingdom. He iffued out a proclamation in Scotland, wherein he afferts his ahfolute power, which all his subjects were to obey without referve; and issued out a declaration for liberty of confcience, ordered it to be read in all churches, and imprisoned and tried seven bishops, because they humbly offered their reafons in a petition against it.

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Soon after he came to the crown the duke of Monmouth landed, and in a few weeks got together 6 or 7,000 men: but they having neither arms or provifions, were eafily defeated by

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not many more than 2000 of the king's troops; which leaves a fad prospect of the consequence of a standing army for here was

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a prince, the darling of the common people, fighting againft a

bigotted papift that was hated and abhorred by them, and yet defeated by fo fmall a number of men, and many of them too his friends; fuch is the force of authority. King James took occafion from hence to increafe: his army to between 15 and 16,000 men, and then unmasked himself, called his parliament, and in a haughty fpeech told them, He had increafed his army, put in officers not qualified by the teft, and that he would not part with them. He asked a fupply, and let them know he expected their compliance. This was very unexpected to those loyal gentlemen, who had given him fuch a vast re_ venue for life, who refused to take any security but his majesty's never-failing word for the proteftant religion, and indeed had done for him whatever he afked; which yet was not very extraordinary, fince he had the choofing of moft of them himself. But even this parliament turned fhort upon an army. The court laboured the matter very much; and to fhew that good wits jump, they told us that France was grown formidable, that the Dutch forces were much increased, that we must be strong in proportion for the prefervation of ourselves and Flanders, and that there was no dependence upon the militia. But this fhallow rhetoric would not pafs upon them. They answered, That we had defended ourselves for above a thousand years without any army; that a king's trueft ftrength is the love of his people; that they would make the militia useful, and ordered a bill to be brought in to that purpose. But all this ferved only to fulfil their iniquity; for they had done their own business before, and now he would keep an army up in fpite of them; fo he prorogued them, and called no other parliament during his reign; but, to frighten the city of London, kept his army encamped on Hounflow heath when the feafon would permit ; which put not only them but the whole nation into the utmost terror and confufion. Towards the latter end of his reign he

increased

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increafed his army in England to above 20,000 men, and in Ireland to 8,700 and odd.

He violated the rights of the people, fell out with the church of England, and made uncertain friends of the diffenters; by which means they all united against him, and invited the prince of Orange to affift them; which invitation he accepted, and landed at Torbay the 5th of November 1688, publishing a declaration, which fet forth all the oppreffions of the last reigns declared for a free parliament, in which things were to be fettled that there should be no danger of falling again into flavery, and promised to fend back all his foreign forces as foon as this was done.

When the news of his landing was fpread through Englands he was welcomed by the univerfal acclamations of the people. He had the hands, the hearts, and the prayers of all honest men in the nation: every one thought the long-wifhed for time of their deliverance was come. King James was deferted by his own family, his court, and his army. The ground he stood upon mouldered under him; fo that he fent his queen and foundling to France before him, and himself followed foon after. When the Prince came to London, he disbanded moft of those regiments that were raised from the time he landed; but James's army that were difbanded by Feverfham, were ordered to repair all again to their colours; which was thought by fome a false step, believing that forces ought not by the principles of the Revolution to be kept, which were raised in violation of the laws, and to fupport a tyrannical govern.

ment.

(To be continued.)

Those who wish to promote the PHILANTHROPIST, by their affiftance, will pleafe to address their favours (post-paid), to the Editor, at Citizen EATON's, No. 74, Newgate-street.

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