ufhered in with a Fate as unlucky to the States; for their Darling, Admiral De Ruyter, on the 29th of April, died of the Wounds which he had received fome Days before in an Engagement with the French, in the Bay of Augufta on the Coaft of Sicily.

But to return home; the first Thing we meet with this Year, of Note, is a dreadful Fire, which happened the 26th of May in the Borough of Southwark; it began about Four in the Morning, and continued all Day, and Part of the Night; and notwithstanding the indefatigable Pains and Diligence of his Grace the Duke of Monmouth, of the Earl of Craven, and LordMayor, yet above 600 Houfes were burnt and blown up by this fad Accident.

His Majefty for fecuring Trade to and from his Ports, which was much difturbed by the Infolency of Dutch, Spanish, and French Privateers, amongst whom the War ftill continued; on the 2d of June caufed a Proclamation to be publifhed, declaring all Ships, of what Party foever, that fhould put into any of his Ports, to be under his Protection during their Stay there, commanding his publick Officers, and all other his Majefty's Subjects, to use their beft Endeavours to hinder the roving of any private Men of War fo near his Coafts, as might give Apprehenfions to Merchant men; That if a Man of War of any Party, and one or more Merchant-men of another, hould come into his Majefty's Ports, the Merchant-men fhould have the Priviledge to fail out two Tides before the Man of War; That none of his Seamen fhould prefume to enter and lift themfelves on board of any foreign Man of War, or any Ship defigned for Traffick or

the Fishing-Trade, without his Ma- 1677. jelly's Leave first obtained; with feveral other Rules relating to the fecuring of Trade, and his Majefty's Sovereignty in thefe Seas; in Purfuance of which Proclamation, feveral Privateers were ftopt and detained in many of the Ports of this Kingdom.

Auguft the 20th, her Roval Highness was brought to Bed of a Daughter, chriftened by the Name of fabella; the Lord High Treafurer being Godfather, and the Dutchefs of Monmouth and Countess of Peterborough, Godmothers.

October the 26th, his Majefty paffed an Order in Council, That none of his Subjects, except the Queen's domeftick Servants, fhould repair to her Majefty's Chapel, or to the Houfes or Chapels of any foreign Ambaffadors or Agents, there to hear Mais, or English Sermons, upon Pain of having the Laws feverely executed against them; and his Majefty appointed Meffengers of the Chamber, and other Officers, to wait without at the Houfes of foreign Ambaffadors, and Agents, and to take Notice of fuch of his Subjects as fhould come out of the faid Chapels from Religious Worship, and bring them or their Names to the Council-Board. The Principal Secretaries of State were by his Majefty likewife required to repair to the faid Ambaffadors and Agents, and in his Majefty's Name acquaint them with his Royal Pleafure in executing his Laws, that they might have no Caufe to complain of Difrefpect offered to their Character, or of any Purpofe of infringing their Privileges.

A. D. 1677, April the 16th, his Majelty in his Royal Robes, with the ufual Solemnities, came into the House of Lords, whither the

Houfe

1677. Houfe of Commons being called, feveral Bills were paffed; amongt W. Sand-others, an Act for raifing the Sum of croft, A.584,978 l. 2 s. 2d. halfpenny, for the B.of Cant. Speedy building of thirty Ships of War; another for an additional Excife upon Beer, Ale, and other Liquors for three Years; another for erecting a Judicature to determine Differences touching Houfes burnt and demolished by the late dreadful Fire in Southwark; another for taking away the Writ De Heretico comburendo, &c. and then both Houfes adjourned to the 21st of May following..

This Month the Duke of Newcafle, and Earl of Danby Lord High Treasurer of England, were inftalled Knights of the Garter at Windfor.

May the 21ft, both Houses, according to their laft Adjournment, met again at Westminster, his Majelly having before by Proclamation required all the Members to be prefent, in order to the debating Matters of great Importance. In this Seffion the Houfe of Commons made an Addrefs to his Majefty, That he would be pleafed, for the Security of the Nation, and repreffing the growing Greatness of France, to enter into fome Leagues propofed by them in their Addrefs; to which, on the 28th of the fame Month, he gave them his Anfwer at the Banqueting Houfe; which being in Print, we fhall refer you to the Answer it felf. His Majefty farther told them, That it was his Pleafure the Houfe fhould be adjourned to the 16th of July following; and that if he intended they fhould fit again before Winter, he would give them Notice by his Proclamation. Accordingly both Houfes were adjourned till the 16th of July enfuing.

Auguft the 4th, his Grace the Duke of Ormond, Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, began his Journey for that Kingdom.

And now his Majesty thinking fit to put a Stop to the French victorious Proceedings in Flanders, bethought himfelf of entring into Alliances with fome Princes and States abroad, and began to raife Forces for that Purpofe; of whom the Year following will afford more Matter of Difcourfe.

October the 9th, the Prince of Orange landed at Harwich, and went directly from thence to New-Market, in his Majefty's Coaches that attended his Highness there.

Sunday, November the 4th, the Marriage between her Highness the Lady Mary, the Duke of York's eldeft Daughter, and his Highness the Prince of Orange, was privately celebrated at St. James's by the Bishop of London, in Prefence & his Majefty, their Royal Highneles, and fome of the chiefeft of the Nobility: And on Wednesday following, her Royal Highness the Dutchefs of York was brought to Bed o a Son, who was chriftened by th Name of Charles, but died in De cember following.

November the 11th, about Ni of the Clock in the Morning, ther Highneffes the Prince and Prince of Orange parted from Whiten in order to their embarking in de Yatches appointed to tranfport the Highneffes to Holland; his Majes and his Royal Highness having ** companied them to Erith, whe their Highneffes went on board.

The Parliament, purfuant to this laft Adjournment, having met Westminster, received an Intira. on from the King, That his M. jelly had Matters of very great portance to communicate to t

H

fervation of Flanders, but Matters not then being ripe enough, it was his Majesty's Pleafure they fhould be adjourned till the 28th of the fame Month, and accordingly they were adjourned.

At the prefixed Time they met again, and the King in a gracious Speech acquainted both Houfes to this Purpofe. That according to his Promife to them, that he would do Somewhat for their Satisfaction before they met again, he had made Alliantes with Holland for the Prefervation of Flanders, which if feconded by plentiful Supplies from them, and due Care from the Spaniards for their own Prefervation, might be able by Arms to refore fuch an honourable Peace to Christendom, as might not be in the Power of one Prince alone to difturb; which he had endervoured to do by a fair Treaty: That he bad married his Neice to the Prince of Orange, and fo engaged himself to maintain his Interet. And having laid before them the Expences he had been at, and what an actual War would needs require, uith very preffing Confiderations, bis Majefty demanded of them answerable Supplies.

March the zoth, amongst other Bills in Parliament, there paffed an Act for raising Money by Poll and other Ways, to enable his Majely to enter into an actual War against the French King; with a Prohibition of all French Commodities.

A. D. 1678, many of the Forces raised by his Majefty fince September laft being already in Flanders, and more going over daily; his Majefty, that he might put hinfelf in a Polture of acting by Sea as well as by Land, caufed a Proclamation to be published the Beginning of this Year, Arictly charging

About this Time, at Bruges in Flanders, happened a great Difor der, occafioned by a rude Action of a Burgher, who in Time of a Proceffion, ftruck a Dutch Captain with a lighted Torch over the Face, because he did not uncover himfelf fo foon as the Townfmen would have had him; this occafioned prefently the drawing of many Swords; and the English being falfly accufed of the Tumult, fome Soldiers were killed in the Streets; but by the Care of the Magiftrates and Officers, the Stir being quieted, and the Truth of the Matter difcovered, the Magifirates of the Town imprifoned and punished fome of the Authors of the Tumult; and to teftify their Trouble at the Accident, magnificently treated the English Officers and Soldiers, and publifhed a Placart in their Juftification, charging all Perfons to use the faid Soldiers with all Kindness and Civility.

On Saturday, April the 13th, a Woman of Swanley was brought to Bed of a dead Female Child, which had two perfect Heads and Necks upon one Body, with all the Parts of each Head exact, and the Members of the Body perfect.

The Parliament, pursuant to the laft Prorogation, having met the 23d of May, and continued fitting till the 15th of July following his Majefty that Day in his Robes came into the House of Lords, and there gave his Royal Affent to feveral Acts, amongst which, to one

S 2

for

a Confidence in him, and obtained him the Privacy to all their Defigns, which when he had fufficiently informed himself of, he confulted with one Dr. Tongue, a Mirifter in London, concerning the Difcovery thereof; who advifed him to apply himself to Sir Ed mundbury Godfrey, a Julice of the Peace in Westminster; to whom he went, and on the 28th of September, 1678, difcovered feveral treafonable Defigns, that the Jefuits and Romih Priests, and others of that Religion, were carrying on, to murther the King, deftroy the Government, and fubvert the Eftablished Religon. That in order to it, there had been Confults held by feveral of the Confpirators, on the 24th of April, in the Month of Auguft, and at other times, in which it had been refolved to kill the King; one Grove, a Layman, and Pickering, a Prieft, being contracted with to do it; for which the former was to receive 1,500 . but the latter content to have 30,000 Mafles faid for his Soul after his Death; That this Refolve be put into Writing, and figned and fealed by feveral of the Confpirators: And left this fhould fail, a Contract was by cthers made with Sir George Wakeman, a Physician, who for 15,000 l. was to poifon the King: Again, left both thefe fhould fail, a third Means was propofed, and that was by four Ruffians, who were hired for 80 to affaffinate his Majesty at Windfor. That he had feen the Pistols that Grove and Pickering had prepared with filver Bullets to fhoot the King in St. James's Park, and that he had feveral times feen Grove and Pickering in the Park waiting an Opportunity; That in March laft Pickering had a fair Opportuni

but that the Flint of his Piftol

being loofe, he could not fhoot; That 5,000 . had actually been paid in Part to Sir George Wakeman, the reft being to be paid when the Thing was effected. And that the four Ruffians had been fent to Windfor in August laft, and the 801. fent after them, himself having feen the Money paid. That an Army was to be raised and commanded by certain Lords. That there was alfo a Defign laid for killing the Duke of Ormond, and raifing a Rebellion in Ireland, 40,000 Blank Bills being provided to be fent thither for the Papifts. That Commiflions had been granted from Rome, to make the Lord Arundel of Wardour Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Powis Lord Treasurer, the Lord Bellafis General of the Army, the Lord Peters Lieutenant-General, the Lord Stafford Paymaster of the Army, Mr. Coleman Secretary of State, and Mr Langborn Advocate of the Army. The chief Confpirators were Mr. Coleman and Mr. Langborn, Lawyers; Tho. Whitebread, Provincial of the Jefuits in England; William Harcourt, pretended Rector of London; John Fenwick, Procurator of the Jefuits in England; John Gawen, Anthony Turner, William Ireland, William Marshall, William Rumley, James Corker, Thomas Pickering, Jefuits, Popish Priests, and Monks, John Grove, the five Lords abovementioned, and several others not taken.

To corroborate Oates's Teftimony, there afterwards came in divers other Witneffes, namely, William Bedloe, formerly Servant to the Lord Bellafis, but afterwards employed in carrying Letters beyond the Sea for the Jefuits; Stephen Dugdale, who had been Servant to the Lord Afton, one Smith who had been a Frieft of the Church of