ball, and foon after Twelve at Noon the Royal Corpfe entred into Weft minfter Abbey. There a folemn Dirige was fung, and a Sermon preached by the new Archbishop of Canterbury, all which was not finifhed till the Clofe of the Day. The Way from Whitehall to the Church was plank'd and rail'd as at a Coronation, and covered with black Cloth, the whole Procedure being on Foot. The King prefented Mourning to all the Members of the House of Commons. In the Middle of the Abbey Church there was built a large circular Pavilion on Columns, covered with black Cloth, and adorned with Infignia or Scutcheons of the Illuftrious and Royal Families from which her Majefty defcended. Here the Corpfe lay depofited during the time of the Service and Sermon ; afterwards it was kept ftanding for fome Months, and a Coffin covered with a Velvet Pall, and a Crown lying on it, stood there in Remembrance of the real one. This was called a Mausoleum, as Structures of that kind ufually are, from the famous Tomb of Maufolus, which was one of the Wonders of the World.

To return back to the Affairs tranfacting in the mean time. On the 16th of January, Dr. Tennifon, Bishop of Lincoln, was tranflated to the Archi-epifcopal See of Canterbury.

The Time of the Seffion of the Houfe of Commons was chiefly taken up in examining into two Particulars First, The Lancashire Plot; and, Secondly, The Matter of Bribery.

The Lancashire Plot was a Defign of the Roman Catholicks to raife a Rebellion against the King and Queen; to which purpose Commiffions were fent to them from King James, and Arms were bought

up and lodged in private Places, A. D. and Men lifted to bear them. All 1694. which was discovered by one Lunt, who came from France in December, 1693. Another Perfon named Taffe, who became acquainted with Lunt, pushed him forward in his Discovery, and was very active in affifting the Meffengers fent down to fearch for Arms. But it seems, either the Informations were falfe, or the Confpirators had Time to remove them, for none or few Arms were found, nor any Commiffions of Papers, except the Draught of a Declaration in Favour of King James. Taffe was thought over bufy in feizing fo far as not to fcruple Felony, which put him out of Favour with the King's Officers, and therefore was denied the Reward he demanded. This put him out of Humour, and render'd him liable to the Temptations on the other Side, who failed not to take the Advantage, but bought him over to their Service. He then declared, that it was all a Sham invented by him and Lunt, which together with the Circumftance of nothing found in fearching, and fome Management in the Trial, brought the Gentlemen off, who were tried for it at Manchefter, October 16, 1694, and acquitted; and the Witneffes were ordered by Authority to be profecuted for Perjury. If the Lancashire Gentlemen had fat ftill here, they might poffibly have been believed innocent, but their own Warmth made them bring it into Parliament, Nov. 22, 1694. The House of Commons examined into it with great Exactness, and in the Month of February following voted, That there was fufficient Ground for the Profecution and Trial of the Gentlemen at Manchester, and that there was a dangerous Plot carried on againft the King and Government.

And

A. D. And the Matter being afterwards 1694. carried into the House of Lords, it was there alfo refolved, That the Government had fufficient Caufe to profecute the Lancashire and Cheshire Gentlemen. But notwithstanding all this, the Witnesses were convicted of Perjury at the Lancashire Affizes next Summer.

The next great Affair which employ'd the House of Commons feveral Months, was the Enquiry into Briberies, which from one Step to another grew to a large Extent.

A Petition was prefented Janua. ry 12, from the Town of Royfion, againft Abuses of the Soldiery, in exacting Subfiftence Money, which was voted Arbitrary and Illegal. And Tracy Pauncefort an Agent, being Guilty of it, was taken into Cuftody; and for Obftinacy in not answering the Queftions propounded to him committed Prifoner to the Tower. His Brother Edward Pauncefort being accufed of contriving to cheat Col. Haftings's Regiment of 500 Guineas, was alfo ordered into Cuftody. And a Member of Parliament, who had taken a Bribe of 200 Guineas, was committed to the Tower. On the 26th of February the Commons made a Representation to the King against the Colonels and Agents.

The House examining further into Abuses, found Occafion to call upon James Craggs, one of the Contractors for Cloathing the Army, to give an Account of the Difpofition of the Money receiv'd to that Purpofe, which he refufing was committed to the Tower. And a Bill was order'd to oblige Pauncefort to discover how the Monies paid into his Hands had been difpos'd of. And Harnage, another Clother of the Army, was taken into Cuftody.

After this they cenfured the Com

miffioners for licenfing HackneyCoaches as guilty of Bribery.

And finally, a Committee was appointed to search and make Dif covery of all other Crimes of this Nature. And now came on the Discovery of that Myftery of Iniquity, the Dealings of the Eat Isdia Company to obtain a Charter, and an Act of Parliament to confirm it.

The Committee examining the Company's Books, discover'd, That in three Payments 77,258% had been iffued for fpecial Service, befides feveral fmaller Sums, which amounted to 10,144. more. All in the Year 1693, while Sir The. Cook was Governor. 'Tis too tedious and too intricate to enter into a Detail upon this Matter; for befides this Sum, 90,000. more was difcover'd to have been paid by Sir The. Cask, whereof 30,000 to Sir Baf! Firebrass. And that the Company made a Contract to give 12,000 l. for 200 Tun of Salt-Petre, the prime Coft whereof was but 2,000 to buy off an Interloper. In fhort fuch terrible Waite appear'd to have been made of the Company's Money, that provok'd further Equiry, which in the End produc'd a Discovery, that one Mr. Robart, a Servant to the Duke of Leeds, had receiv'd 5,000. of it, which fome Enemies of that Lord catch'd fuch hold of as to urge for an Impeachment. His Grace came to the Houfe to defend himself, but could not divert the Storm, fer an Impeachment was carried up to the House of Lords; but Robart, who was the only Witnefs, being with drawn, the Matter never came to a Trial, though the Duke preft earneftly for it.

While this was tranfacting, another Enormity of the fame Sort was difcover'd. It feems when the

Bill for fatisfying the Debt due to the Orphans of London, was laft Sef fion in the Houfe, to push it forward the City made a prefent of 1000 Guineas to Sir John Trevor Speaker, 20 to Mr. Hungerford Chairman of the Committee, 5 to Mr. Harcourt their Councel, and 60l. to Mr. Faddrell the Clerk of the Houfe. The Speaker finding the Difpleafure this Discovery might give the Houle, for bore the next Day to give his Attendance, and therefore the Houfe proceeded March 14th, to the choice of a new Speaker, which fell upon Paul Foley, Efq; And on the 16th they voted, That Sir John Trevor being guilty of a High Crime and Mildemea or, in receiving the Gratuity of 1000 Guineas for paffing the Orphans Bill, be expelled the Houfe; Mr. Hungerford alfo was expelled he Houfe.

Sir Tho. Cooke having offended the Houfe, by giving unfatisfactory Answers to the Questions propounded to him, a Bill was orlered to imprifon him for a Year, ind with him Sir Bafil Firebrafs, Mr. Craggs, and Mr. Bates, who vas the Perfon that paid Robart he 5000 !.

Our Coin was at this Time exremely debas'd by Clipping, which was got fo far, that Half Crowns were reduced to Shillings, and Shil ings were reckoned large that veighed Eight-pence, and then too ear one half of what paffed was ounterfeit; for the old hammered loney being at first not curious, vas eafily counterfeited well

e

ough to pafs through many ignoant Hands. This made Foreign Exchanges rife upon us; for as Siler is the Medium of Trade, that vietal is by all Nations allowed to bear a certain intrinfick Value'; ind Coinage being invented to

This made Guineas run up to 30 s. a piece; and milled Silver Money had done the fame too, if by an Act of this Seffion it had not been prevented. The two Houfes taking into Confideration the bad Eftate of our Coin, a Committee of the Houfe of Commons gave in a Scheme of what they judged proper, which went upon the Foot of altering the Denomination, altho' the Standard be retained. But the Lords judged wifer of the Thing, and fent down a Bill, wherein it was forbid to raife the Price of Silver Money. To which was added by the Commons many wholfome Provifo's for preventing the melting down the Coin, as had been very much practifed of late.

The two Bills which had fo often mifcarried; namely, For regulating Trials in cafe of Treafon, and a Bill touching free and impartial Proceedings in Parliament, were again brought in this Sefiion, but, as formerly, did not pafs the two Houfes. 'Tis needlefs to fay feveral other Bills did not pafs, fince that is ufual.

Thefe Matters fpun out the Sef. fion to the 3d of May, on which Day his Majelly came to the Houfe, paffed the Bills that were ready, among which, that for Im- .. prifoning Sir Tho. Cooke, &c. An Act for appointing Commiffioners to ftate the Publick Accompts. An Act to prevent the counterfeiting the Coin. An Act for laying a Duty on Glafs and Earthen Ware, Coals and Culm. And an A&t for

A. D. 1695.

A. D. the King's General Pardon. And 1695. then the King made a Speech, and the Parliament was prorogued to the 18th of June.

The See of Lincoln, which was vacant by the Archbithop's Promotion, was given to Dr. Gardi

ner.

As foon as the Parliament rofe the King prepared to go to Holland, and in Order to it conftituted thefe feven to be Lords Juftices for adminiftring the Government in his Abfence; namely, the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Sir John Somers Lord Keeper, Earl of Pembroke Lord Privy Seal, Duke of Devonshire Steward of the Houfhold, Duke of Shrewsbury Secretary of State, Earl of Dorfet Lord Chamberlain, and Lord Godolphin first Commiffioner of the Treafury. Sir John Trenchard being dead, Sir William Trumbal was made Secretary of State. The Lord Capel was made Lord Deputy of Ireland. Monfieur Zuyleftein was created Earl of Rochefter, and the Lord Grey Earl of Tankerville. Which being performed, his Majefty departed, and arrived in Holland, May the 14th.

A Parliament in Scotland affembled May 9, where the Marquifs of Tweedale, his Majefty's High Commiffioner, after delivering a Letter from the King, made a Speech to them, wherein he advifed raifing a Supply for Payment of the Forces on Foot, the former Subfidies being near expiring. And hinted at an Improvement of Trade by eftablishing Plantations abroad, where it might lawfully be done.

The Parliament anfwered the King's Defire, and gave fufficient Supplies for maintaining the Forces, and for providing Cruifers and Convoys for the Protection of Trade. They palled alfo an A&

for fettling a Trade in the Weftern Plantations, and feveral other very good Laws.

And a Complaint being brough into the Houfe of a very foul Binefs the Slaughter of the Glen Men, that Affair was examined into; the Story was in fum thus: A Proclamation had been published that all the Highlanders that withftood the King's Authority, who fhould come in and take the Oaths by the first of January, 169, fhould have Pardon and Protec on. One Mac-Jan Mac-Donald, Laird of Glenco, one of the grea eft Clans in the North of Scotland, came to Inverlochy, and addreffed himfelf to Colonel Hill, Governor of the Fort, about the Time's expiring, to take the Oaths; the Colonel declared it was not in his Power but the Civil Magifire's and therefore he muft apply him felf to the Sheriff or fome other Magiftrate. He went afterwards to Inverary, the chief Town of Argyllshire, to the Sheriff, but the Time being then elapfed by cre Day, the Sheriff made fce Scruple of accepting him. But being one Day, and he alledging he came to Col. Hill in full Ti the Sheriff did administer t Oaths to him and his Attendan and he went Home in Confiden of Indemnity. In the Month January, there came to that Co. try the Earl of Argyll's Regine. and Inverlochy being full, t quartered at Glenco. On Febra the 12th, a fudden Order cast That the Soldiers at Five the next Morning should fet on the Glenco Rebels (o were term'd) and deftroy th none were to be fpared, and cially the Old Fox (which w understood to be fpoken of M Donald) and his Cubs were to ot