itself, passed an act for liberty of conscience; they granted twenty thousand pounds per annnm out of the forfeited estates to Tyrconel, and imposed a tax of twenty thousand pounds per month for the service of the king; they enacted that the tithes payable by catholics should be delivered to priests of that communion. The maintenance of the protestant clergy in cities and corporations was taken away.

Nor was the king less arbitrary in the executive part of his government; soldiers were permitted to live upon free quarters; licences and protections were abused in order to extort money from the tradesmen. The king's old stores were ransacked, the shops and private houses pillaged, to supply the mint with a quantity of brass, which was converted into current coin for his majesty's service; an arbitrary value was set upon it, and all persons were commanded to take it in payment under the severest penalties, though the difference between its intrinsic and its nominal value was immense; large sums of this counterfeit coin were issued in the course of one year, and forced upon the protestants in payment of provisions and goods of all sorts for the king's Not content with the supply granted by parliament, James imposed by his own authority a tax of twenty-thousand pounds per month on chattels, as the former was laid upon lands. All vacancies in public schools were supplied with catholic teachers. The pension allowed from the exchequer to the university of Dublin was cut off; the vice-provost, fellows, and scholars were expelled; their furniture, plate, and library were seized; the college was converted into a garrison, the chapel into a maga zine, and the apartments into prisons.

use.

After the return of the fleet which had conveyed James to Ireland, Lewis sent to him another strong squadron, commanded by Chateau Renault, as a convoy to some transports laden with arms, ammu,

nition, and a large sum of money. William, informed of their destination, detached admiral Herbert with twelve ships of the line, one fireship, and four tenders, in order to intercept the enemy. He discovered them at anchor in Bantry Bay, and having increased his strength to nineteen ships, he stood in to engage the French fleet, amounting to twentyeight ships of the line. They no sooner perceived him than they weighed, stood out, formed their line, bore down, and began the action, which was maintained for two hours with equal valour on both sides. Herbert endeavoured several times to gain the weather-gage, but Chateau Renault kept his wind with uncommon skill and perseverance. At length the English fleet, considerably damaged from the superior fire of the enemy, stood off to sea, and maintained a running fight till five in the afternoon, when Chateau Renault tacked about and returned into the bay. Herbert retired to the Isle of Scilly, and thence to Portsmouth, in a very ill humour, with which his officers and men were no less infected. The common sailors, still retaining some attachment to James, who had been formerly a favourite among them, were strongly averse to fight against his cause, and the officers complained that they had been sent upon this service with a force so much inferior to that of the enemy. King William, in order to appease their discontent, went to Portsmouth, where he dined with the admiral on board his ship, declared his intention of creating him an earl in consideration of his services, conferred the honour of knighthood on two captains of his squadron, and expressed his satisfaction with the whole crews in the late engagement, by bestowing a dona tion of ten shillings on every private sailor.

On his return from Portsmouth the king went with the queen to view the earl of Nottingham's

house at Kensington, and purchased it for twenty thousand pounds.

While James was thus wasting his time and all his resources in pursuing those violent measures so fatal to his interest, William did not fail to perceive that the surest and most proper way to ruin the cause of his father-in-law, was to oppose little or no resistance to the full display of his unaccountable infatuation; and at the same time to create such a powerful confederacy against Lewis XIV. as not to allow him to supply James any longer with troops and money. Thence his whole attention was now engrossed with the means of checking the exorbitant power of France. The diet of Ratisbon, incensed by the cruel devastation of the Palatinate, and encouraged by William's insinuations, had unanimously resolved in the month of March to make a vigorous war upon the enemy, not only of the empire, but of all Christendom. The United Provinces issued in the same month their declaration of war against France; that of the elector of Brandenburg took place April 13th, and on the 26th of the same month the commons voted an address to the king, assuring him, that when he should think fit to enter into a war against the French king, they would give his majesty such assistance, in a parliamentary way, as might enable him to support it. In the debates it was said by one of the members, that it was of absolute necessity to declare war with the most christian Turk, who ravaged Christendom, and made war more babarously than the Turks themselves.

War proclaimed by the king against France, May 7th, and soon after by the king of Spain.

The rest of this session was chiefly employed in reversing attainders and judgments passed in the late reigns, particularly against lord Russel, Algernon Sidney, aldermán Cornish, &c. &c. in raising supplies for the wars in Ireland and with France,

and inquiring into the present misconduct of affairs. As to the supplies, six hundred thousand pounds were voted for the maintenance of the forces to be employed in Ireland, and seven hundred thousand pounds for the navy; and for raising these sums an additional excise of nine-pence a barrel was laid upon beer, ale, and other liquors; a tax was voted upon all ground rents for new buildings upon new foundations; a poll tax was also passed, as well as an aid of twelve-pence in the pound.

The lords, with consent of the commons, recommend to his majesty for a pardon Titus Oates, the contriver of the popish plot; he is released from his confinement with a comfortable pension.

The commons present an address to the king, desiring the minute book of the committee for Irish affairs might be put into their hands. On his majesty's declining to comply with their demand, they vote that those persons who had advised the king to delay this communication were enemies to the kingdom. William, alarmed at this resolution, allows them to inspect the book. They vote another address, declaring that the succour of Ireland had been retarded by unnecessary delays; that the transports prepared were not sufficient to convey the necessary forces to that kingdom, and that several ships had been taken by the enemy for want of proper convoy.

The two houses adjourn to the 20th of September, and afterwards to October 19th.

The parliament of Ireland is prorogued by king James July 20th to the 12th of January ensuing.

The duke of Schomberg, appointed to the chief command of the forces destined for Ireland, sailed August 12th, with his army, consisting of four regiments of horse, one of dragoons, and eighteen foot; but chiefly composed of new-raised men, little

inured to hardship, and who soon began to flag under the fatigue of marching, the inclemency of the weather, and scarcity of provisions, while king James's army, well disciplined, enjoyed health and plenty, and was three times superior in number. The duke, considering that in such circumstances the loss of a battle might be attended with the loss of Ireland, was not rash enough to run such a risk, and confined himself in taking advantageous positions, and in the attack of a few little towns of no importance. This first campaign of course produced no events worth noticing; and though Schomberg had prudently declined fighting any battle, a raging sickness, occasioned by wet weather, bad food, and the unwholesomeness of the place where his army was encamped, swept away, or at least disabled a great number of officers and soldiers. The English navy was still less successful. Admiral Torrington found no opportunity of engaging the enemy, and a man of war of forty guns, after a stout resistance was taken by the French. The English trade likewise suffered great losses by the French cruizers and privateers, who infested the channel.

The affairs on the continent took a more prosperous aspect. Not only war was proclaimed against France by the Empire, but an offensive and defensive alliance between the emperor and the States general was concluded at Vienna, May 12th. As this treaty was the beginning of the famous grand alliance entered into against France, it is necessary to insert here the substance of its principal articles.

I. and II. Perpetual friendship; alliance offensive and defensive against France.

III. and IV. Neither party to make a peace or truce without the consent of the other; and if any treaty be entered into by common consent, all particulars shall be communicated on both sides, and