A. D. The Dutch being in the mean 1700. time preffed by France, applied to the King with great Earneftness to fend the Relief ftipulated by the old Treaty of Alliance; which the King having communicated to the House of Commons, they voted that they would provide immediate Succours for the Dutch, but were not very forward in making it good. Á Party ftill remained in the Nation, who retained their Affection to the King's Perfon, and regretted the Hardships put upon him; but the wife ones of them feeing the Torrent run against them, were forced to be filent; which fome lefs judicious not obferving, caught a Fall. Thefe were the Gentlemen of the Grand Jury of Kent, who prefented a Petition to the Parliament figned by 12 Juftices, and near 250 Gentlemen, which was couched in too hard Terms, defiring the Houfe to bave a Regard to the Voice of the Prople, and to turn their loyal Addreffes into Bills of Supply, that the King might be enabled to affift his Allies bebefore it be too late. This Petition was voted infolent and feditious, and five Gentlemen that prefented it were ordered into Cuftody, and foon after committed to the Gate house. This produced a bold Memorial, which was fent from an unknown Hand to the Speaker, and fubfcrib'd Legion, which very roughly expoftulated with the Houfe upon their Proceedings. The Commons went on with their Impeachments. The Articles exhibited against the Earl of Orford, accufed him of obtaining Grants, and converting publick Monies to his own Ufe, of enjoying divers Offices inconfiftent with one another; of encouraging Kidd the Pyrate; that he had not done his Duty in destroying the French Fleet; And that he had advifed the Partition Treaty. Against the Lord Sommers it was articled, that he had put the Seal to the Partition Treaty without imparting it to the Council, that he ratified the two Treaties, that he did not cause the Ratifications to be inroll'd, that he procured Grants, that he was concerned in fending out Kidd, that in his Office of Chancel lor he had afferted fome Things dangerous to the Conftitution of the Kingdom; an Inftance whereof was that in the Cafe of the Bankers (Cre ditors to King Charles II) he ac knowledged they had a Kight, but denied that they had a Remedy. The Lords having received the Articles against thele two Lords, demanded of the Commons to pro ceed to Trial, and to exhibit the Articles against the other two Lords who flood impeached. On the 12th of June the King gave the Royal Affent to the act for Limitation of the Crown, wherein it was decreed, That the Princes Sophia, and her Heirs being Proteftants, fhould fucceed next after bis Majefty and the Princefs Are, and the Heirs of their Bodies. T fuch Succeffor fhall not be recosciled to the Church of Rome, et marry a Papift. That fuch Succe for fhall join in Communion with the Church of England. That th Nation fhall not be obliged to make War in Defence of Dominions belonging to this Crown. The fuch Succ.ffors fhall not go out of the Kingdom without Confent ci Parliament. That no Perion bea out of the Dominions of this Crow fhall be capable of enjoying any fice of Truft, or having Grants of Lands. That the Judges Commi fions be quam diu fe bene gerint, but upon Addrefs of both Houles et Parliament, it may be lawful to remove them. That no Pardon be pleadable against an Impeachment in Parliament. And that all the Laws for fecuring the cftablished. The Impeached Lords having given in their Defences, which were communicated to the Commons, the Houfe of Lords, after having a long time expected the Commons to proceed, appointed a Day for Trial. But the Commons declaring they were not ready, the Lords would wait no longer, but proceeded, and for want of Evidence acquitted them. The Commons protefted a gaint it, and the Lords defended it, which produced great Feuds between the two Houfes. And the Lord Haverfoam in the Conferences having faid fome Things which gave Offence to the Commons, they exhibited a Charge against him too. They alfo fent up Articles against the Lord Hallifax, containing in Subhance that he had obtained Grants, and had advised the Partition-Treaty. But neither of thefe being made good, the Houfe of Lords acquitted thefe two Lords alfo. And finally difmiffed fome old Impeachments that had lain fome Years in the Houfe. There was alfo a Difference between the two Houfes about the Bill for Commiffioners for the Pub lick Accounts, to which the Lords made fome Amendments, which the Commons would not grant. And fo the Bill was loft. The Commons having paffed the Money Bills, and fuch other as were wanted, the King came to the Houfe on the 24th of June, and gave the Royal Affent, and then made a Speech, after which the Parliament was prorogued. Befides this Difference between To of A. D. 1700. 1701. Sir Thomas Trevor was by his Majefty appointed Lord Chief Juflice of the Common Pleas, in the room of Sir George Treby decealed The King having appointed Lords Juftices, departed the 14th of J for Holland, where he tarried as ufual all the Summer. On the 14th of September, O. S. The late King James departed this Life at St. Germains in France, and foon after the French King crei his pretended Son to be proclam'King of Great Britain. King # liam with great Reason refented tha and called home his Ambaff dor the Earl of Manchester. The Lones Jultices alfo obliged Monfieur Penf fin, the French King's Secretary and Refident in Tallard's Abience, to depart the Realm. And his laye fty's Subjects expreffed their Reett ment of it by Loyal Actres wherein they acknowledged his a jelly's juft Title, and promited to defend and fupport him again.it ai Pretenders. A. D. of Convocation. Accordingly the fon fome time ago, and now this Convocation met this Year at St. Summer tried and condemned, Paul's on the 10th of February, and was executed on the 23d of and chofe Dr. Hooper their Prolocu- May. tor, and then adjourned to Westminster, where the Upper-houfe fat in the Jerufalem Chamber, and the Lower houfe in Henry VIII. Chapel. February 21. The Prolocutor was prefented and then the next Seffion was by the Prefident (the Archbifhop) appointed to be on the 25th, on which Day a Schedule of Prorogation being fent down from the Upper Houfe, the Lower Houfe did not comply with it, but continued fitting. This began a Controverfy, for the Lower-houfe afferted that they had a power of holding intermediate Seffions, and might continue fitting till adjourned by the Prolocutor. To prove this they produced Precedents out of their Books, whereby it appeared that in the Years 1586, 1588, 1640, 1662, Prorogations were made by the Prolocutor. But fince it was notorious that the common Practice was o therwife, and that in the Nature and Conflitution of a Synod the Bifhops and Prefbyters were but one Body, whereof the Archbishop was Head; his Grace infilled upon his Power, and would tranfact no Bufinefs with the Lower-houfe but up on thofe Terms. Wherefore fince the King had fent down no Licence to them to proceed upon Bufinefs,and this Difference broke the Correfpondence, Toland's Book (Christianity not myfterious) which both Houfes agreed deferved Punishment, efcaped, and no other Bufinefs was propofed. Captain Kidd, Commander of a Ship fet out at the Joint Expence of feveral private Adventurers upon an Expedition to Madagascar and other places, having in his Voyage exercifed Piracy upon the Indians and others, was committed to Pri This Step of France decided 1 Question that had been long epet the Carpet, namely, Whether i were neceffary to enter into a New War? For every Body now acquiefced in it as neceffary, both for avoiding a Popish Succeffor berg impofed upon us, and to mainta the Freedom of Commerce, wh by Spain's being in French Hars was in the extreamet Dager. The French King being fe title a this, began firit, and in the Month of October p ohibited the Import tion of English Goods to his King dom." In the Month of September this Year his Majefty concluded the Grand Alliance between the Em 6 6 peror, Himself, and States Genient Satisfaction for the Empe- two Rai and Dutch, and procured that the Crowns of France and Spain be never reunited under the fame Prince; and in particular, that 'the French be never Mafters of the Indies fubmitted to Spain, or that they be permitted to trade in that Country, directly or inId rectly. Nor before they have ' obtained for the English and Dutch thofe Rights, Privileges, and Franchifes, for their Trade in Spain and the Miditerranean, Il. by virtue of Treaties, Cuitom, merce. 3d, That they fhall im- which they enjoyed under Charles or any other Title whatsoever. That if they cannot fucceed there-ed of, on the means for fecuring the Commerce of both Nations by reafon of this Treaty, they 'fhall aflift each other with all their and Places on the Coafts of Tuf-Forces. 12th, The defensive Al the Peace, for the Guarantee of keep for themselves the Countriesing concerned in the Recovery of A. D. 1701. The two Parties into which the Nation was divided, were fo inspirited at this Time, that the Contentions in Elections were more than ordinary furious. And both Parties were fo diligent, that the Members on both fides were pretty equal in Number. However when they met, December 30, the Country Party were not able to carry it in the choice of a Speaker; Mr. Harley carrying it against Sir Tho. Lyttleton by a Majority of four Voices, in a Houfe confifting of 428 Members prefent. The King's Speech at this Time was incomparably pathetick and judicious, with manly Energy fetting forth the true Intereft of the Nation; and compaffionately exhorting them to pursue it. Both Houses prefented to his Majefty very loyal and affectionate Addreffes, to thank him for this Speech, and to declare their Refolutions to ftand by and defend his Majefty's jult Title to the Crown. And indeed this Parliament maintained fo good a Temper, and appeared fo entirely difpofed to vindi cate the King's Honour, and provide for the Nation's Security, that if it had pleafed God to have granted his Majetty longer Life, 'tis likely he would have enjoyed more Peace of Mind than for fome Years paft he had been permitted to do. The feveral Treaties and Alliances which his Majesty had been making this Summer being laid before the Commons, the Houfe were well fatisfied with them, and the 7th of January voted as an immediate Supply to his Majefty, That whoever fhould lend 600,000 l. for the ufe of the Navy, and 50,000. for Guards and Garrifons, fhould be repaid the fame with fix per Cent. Intereft. They alfo ordered an account of the State of the Navy to be laid before them; as alfo an ac count of all Debts of the Nation unprovided for. Jan. 9, a Bill was ordered to be brought in for the further Security of his Majefty's Perfon and the Proteftant Succeffion, and to entinguish the Hopes of the pretended Prince of Wales, wherein an Oath for Abjuration was impofed on all that hoid Offices; and it was enacted, That to compafs or imagine the Dea of the Princess Anne fhould be equally penal, as by the Statute 23 Edward III. is to compass or ima gine the Death of the King's Sca. The Houfe alfo voted, That the number of Forces to act in Conje tion with the Allies againft Frant be 40,000 Landmen, and 40,000 Sez men. On the 3d of February ther voted, That 352,000 l. be granted to his Majefty for maintaining the Guards and Garrifons. And on Feb. 10, the King came to the Hofe and paffed an Act for appointing Com miffioners to take and ate the Debts due to the Army, Navy, and Tranfport Debt. The Parliament proceeded wi Diligence in the publick Bufte.. and were preparing an Act for A: tainting the pretended Prince Wales. An Act for punishing tiny and Defertion. An A& laying a Duty on Malt, Mum, C der, &c. and the Abjuration When the King diverting him. at Hampton Court, had the r fortune to fall from his Horfer the 26th of February, and brok his Collar-bone. It was quic fet, and his Majefty returned :: Evening to Kenfington, but er opening the Bandage the Fract ftarted. It was fet again, and Majefty flept well all Night, and can tinued in a fair way of Recover till March the 1ft, after fleeping he fat in the Gallery, where rw. fuppofed he caught Cold, Le |