of their Lines, and fell upon the Germans with fo much Fury, that after a vigorous Action on both Sides, the Confederates were forced to retire, and the French returned to the Siege, which they profecuted fo well, that foon after the City was furrendred. And to end the Year, Augsburg was taken by the Elector of Bavaria after a fhort Siege, on the 14th of December. of the Publick Debts, an Account Other Foreign Affairs which de- racy. To return Home. On the 16th of September, the Parliament of Ireland met at Dublin. His Grace the D. of Ormond made a Speech to them, wherein he wifhed they would provide for the Fortifications and the Barracks, but recommended chiefly the Payment And on October 22. the Commons prefented to the Lieutenant a Reprefentation, wherein was fet forth, That the Conftitution of the Kingdom had been of late greatly Eftates of the Subject being called in Question, and try'd in a manner unknown to their Ancestors. They complained of the Proceedings of the late Truftees, which they imputed to malicious Reports against, and falfe Reprefentations of, the • Proteftants of the Kingdom. They alfo made great Complaints of the Lofs of their Trade, the Cafh of the Nation being exhausted, and thereby the Manufactures 'ftop'd, and the Proteftants reduc'd to Poverty, divers Families whereof had been obliged to leave the Kingdom. That their Foreign ⚫ Trade 6 A. D. 1703. 2. Trade lay under great Restrictions and Difcouragements. That the Want of frequent Parliaments had encouraged evil Men for their own Gain to opprefs the Subject. That the civil Officers were grievously corrupt. That great Offi⚫cers refided out of the Kingdom, and their Deputies executed thofe Offices ill; and prayed that Parliaments be frequently held, and ⚫ permitted to fit and redress Grievances'. They afterwards voted, That divers Penfions to the Sum of 179341. per Annum, were unnecef. fary Branches of the Establishment. They prefented this Representation to the Lord Lieutenant, and foon after made three Addreffes : 1. To defire an Account what Half Pay Officers had been provided for. That all Judges, Commiffioners of the Revenue, and other Officers, be obliged to attend in their Places, or be remov'd ; and 3. That the Baracks might be maintained at eafy and reafonable Rates, and no exorbitant Salaries and Prices given to the Undertaker for the fame. After they had fet forth their Grievances, they proceeded to the Supply; and on the 26th of October, granted 150,000. to her Majefty for fupporting the Government for two Years. They brought in Heads of Bills, for fecuring the Liberty of the Subject, and to prevent Imprisonment beyond Sea. To prevent the Growth of Popery, and to encourage the Linnen Manufacture, with fome others, which they prefented in a Body to the Lord Lieutenant, and the Speaker enlarged upon them in a Speech. They proceeded in divers other Bufineffes of lefs publick Concern, and on the 26th of November adjourned to the 11th of January. On the 9th of November the Parliament of England met, to whom her Majefty made a Speech, and intimated to them the advantageous Allances fhe had made with the King of Portugal, and the Duke of Savoy. Recommended the providing the neceffary Supplies, and hinted, that an extraordinary Ex. pence would be occafion'd by joining Forces with the King of Portsgal, for recovering the Crown of Spain from the Houfe of Bourben, and reftoring it to the Houfe of Auftria; and by affifting the Duke of Savoy, Recommended Dispatch. and ended with an earnest Delire of Peace and Union among her Subjects. And to that Purpofe, that all Heats and Animofities might be avoided in their Debates. Both Houses address the Queen, to thank her for her gracious Speech, and to congratulate her Majelty upon the Alliance. On the 19th of November, the Copies of the Treaties being laid before the House, a few Days after they came to thefe refolutions, 1. That 40,000 Men, including 5,000 Mariners, be employ'd for the Sea Service the next Year, and 4 1. per Man per menfem be granted for maintaining them. 2. That the 40,000 Men 2: Land, with the 10,000 Additional Troops, be continued to act in Conjunction with the Allies next Year. And 3. That the Proportion of Land Forces to act in conjunction with the King of Portugal be 1000 Horfe and Dragoons, and 7000 Foot. That 884,072/. be granted for maintaining the faid 40,000 Men the next Year. That 55,272 1. be granted for Payment of her Majefty's Proportion of Subfidies to the Allies. The 168,180/. be granted for maintaining the faid 10,000 Additional Troops. That 150,000 /, be grant ed for the Portugal Service. The 357,000l. be granted for maintain ing Guards and Garrifons. That 118,362. be granted for the Ordnance, for Land Service. And 60,ooo . for circulating Exchequer Bills. In all 3,818,8867. Befor Before we proceed in the Parliamentary Affairs, it will be neceffary fpeak of the Calamity that fell pon us during its fitting. On the 26th of November at a out eleven at Night began a vicnt Wind, which increafed at Midight, and rofe to fo grievous and eadful a Tempeft, continuing till in the Morning, that no Man's lemory reached the like, nor perps was there ever a Storm more olent. In the Country innumeerable Trees were blown up by e Roots, Houfes overturned, and acks of Corn and Hay difperfed. Cities the Chimneys were blown wn, and the Tilings of Houfes ept quite away, by the Fall wherethe Houfes were extreamly bron, and many Perfons killed, parularly the Bishop of Bath and lls and his Lady. The Lofs of Tiling, Leading, Glafs Win. ws, Garden Walls, and every ing that was liable to be blown ay, was fo great, that it was recned a Million of Money would required to repair it. But next many Lives that were loft at Sea d Land, the Number of Shipping reby destroyed was the greateft lamity. Befides a great many erchant Ships, Thirteen Men of ar perished in the Downs, and th them 1,519 Seamen. Sir Stafd Fairborn was driven out of the wns, and carried as far as Gottembefore he could get into Port. g, The Houfe of Commons prefen1 an Address to the Queen deplog this Calamity, and promifing repair the Damage done to the eet, defiring that in the mean Time Majefty would pleafe to give rders for the rebuilding fuch ips as were neceffary, and withal firing the Queen that fhe would pleased to afford fome Provifion the Families of thofe Seamen at were drowned, till the Houfe could provide for it. Which her A. D. The fame Storm did much Da- The Time of this Seffion of Parliament was extreamly taken up in Controverfies, between the two Houses. The Commons brought in again the Bill against Occafional Conformity, in the form whereof they almoft quite agreed with what the Lords by their Amendments left it laft Seffion, which paffed in that Houfe the 17th of December, and was fent to the Lords for their Concurrence. But it was oppofed there, and after many Speeches against it, upon the fecond Reading it was rejected by a Majority of 12 or 13 Voices. On the 14th of December, Intimation was given to the House of Lords, that divers Perfons, Dependents on the Duke of Berwick, were come over into Scotland, and had been feized. The Earl of Nottingham told the Houfe, that this Matter was already before the Queen, and would be laid before the House in form; but nevertheless the Lords appointed a felect Committee to examine into it. On the 17th the Queen came to the Houfe to pass the Land-Tax, and then in a Speech declared that fhe had Information of very ill Defigns carrying on in Scotland, the Particulars whereof fhould be laid before them. This gave Occafion to the Commons to express their Refentment against the Lords for having appointed a Committee to examine into this Matter, G & before A. D. before it came regularly before 'em. 1703. Which they expreffed in an Addrefs to the Queen on the 23d. This was the rife of a Controverfy between the two Houses, which lafted long, but is of no ufe to Pofterity, and therefore we shall fay no more of it. Her Majefty's Birth-Day happening on Sunday this Year, it was celebrated on Monday, which was performed with great Magnificence and Joy. But the Queen in her own Acts much exceeded the Compliments of her Subjects, for on the fame Day in a Meffage to the Houfe of Commons, her Majesty declared her Intention of making a Prefent of the Revenue of the first Fruits and Tenths to the poorer Clergy, by making that Revenue a Fund for augmenting poor Vicarages; which fhe defired the Houfe to find a Method of making effectual. This was gratefully received, and Addreffes of Thanks were prefented to her Majefty by the Houfe, by the ConVocations of the Clergy of both Provinces, and by the Clergy of every Diocese in the Kingdom. A Bill was brought in pursuant thereto and paffed into an A&. . On the 24th of February, the Queen came to the Houfe, and paffed an Act for granting an Aid to her Majefty for carrying on the War by felling Annuities; whereby 1,018,867. was to be taken in for purchafing Annuities of 99 Years at 15 Years Purchase. And 300,000l. for Annuities upon one Life at 9 Years Purchase, two Lives at 11 Years, and three Lives at 12 Years, or at 15 Years Purchafe for 99 Years. An Act for a publick Regifler in Yorkshire. An Act for increafe of Seamen, and encouraging Navigation, and many others. The other Aids granted this Parliament for carrying on the War, befides the Land-Tax already mentioned, were, The Duty on Malt continued; and an additional Subfidy of one Third of the old Subfidy of Tonnage and Poundage for three Years. The Act for making more effe ctual the Queen's Intentions for the Augmentation of the Maintainance of the poor Clergy, impowered her Majefty to erect a Corporation w perpetual Succeffion, and to fee upon it the first Fruits of all Be nefices Spiritual, for augmenting the Maintenance of Minifters offic ating in any Church or Chapel England or Wales, not fufficiently; provided for, in fuch Manners fhall be therein expreffed. Allow ed any Perfon to bequeath Lands, Goods, or Chattels to this Comp ration for the Purpose aforefa which may be held and enjoyed to withstanding the Statute of Mr main. Enacted, that no Fifth Bond for First Fruits fhall be taken hereafter, and all the Four Bonds tha be comprized in One. And provid ed, That this A&t fhall not vacat any Grant already made of Penfion upon the Duty of First Fruits. Thefe were the Matters of chief eft Moment tranfacted this Seffice! which lafted till the 3d of on which Day her Majefty came a the Houfe, and paffed 12 Pub and 24 Private Acts, and then a Speech, wherein the thanked the for the Dispatch in providing Supplies, and recommended P among ourselves, which as the earnestly defired at the Opening Seffion, fhe faid, Tho' it has t with all that Success I swifted int expected, I am not difcouraged fr perfifting in the fame Defires. We must now look back to fek of the Arrival of King Chard Spain in England. Sir George Rook with a Squad of Men of War was fent over Holland by her Majefty, to cond. his Catholick Majelty hither. on went on Board accordingly, and on December 25, the Fleet was feen affing through the Downs for Spit ead, where he arrived the next Day. He was waited upon loard by the Dukes of Somerfet nd Marlborough. The Duke of Soerfet Mafter of the Horfe prefentda Letter and Compliment from e Queen, and invited his Majey on Shoar. On the 28th he land1, and was conducted by the Duke Somerset to his Grace's Seat at etworth, whither his Royal Highfs came to meet him. His Maby lay there that Night, and the xt Day fet forward for Windfor; hither her Majefty went on the th to receive the Vifit he defired make her. He arrived there on 29th at Seven in the Evening, d was received by her Majefty at Stair-Head. He fupped that ght with her Majefty, was vid in his Apartment the next orning by the Queen, and led Majefty thence to Dinner. The ternoon was spent in Mufick and verfions, and after Supper he uld not be fatisfied, till after at Compliments he had prevail to hold the Napkin when her jefty washed. The next Morn he departed, being attended to Coach fide by his Royal Highfs, and went to Petworth that ly, accompanied by the Duke of nerfet. On the ift of January the Evening, his Majefty arrived Portsmouth, where he was receivby the Mayor and Aldermen in ir Formalities, who attended n to the Water-fide, the Streets ng illuminated And went on ard the Royal Catherine at Spit ad, extreamly well fatisfied with Reception and Entertainment at Endfar, and with the Honours paid n in the feveral Towns through ich he paffed. On the 5th the ole Fleet fet Sail from Spithead for Portugal with a fair Wind, but a Storm took them with a contrary Wind in the Bay of Biscay, which difperfed the Fleet, and obliged the Admiral to return. He arrived with the King of Spain on board him at St. Hellens the 2zd, and came to Spitbead the 23d; whither the Duke of Somerset by her Majefty's Command went, and waited upon his Catholick Majefly: Who the next Day came on Shoar, and remained at Portsmouth till the 4th of February, when the Wind coming fair, he went on Board again. On the 6th they fet fail the fecond Time, and purfued their Voyage, and arrived fafe at Lisbon the 7th of March, N. S. He was magnificently received there, but as that is no Part of the English History, we omit the Particulars of it. Her Majesty was pleafed at the Beginning of the third Year of her Reign, to make an Alteration in her Miniftry, whereby according to the Style of thofe Times, the Low-Church Party came into Play. The Earl of Nottingham refigned his Place of Secretary of State, which was given to Robert Harley, Efq; The Earl of Jersey was removed from the Place of Lord Chamberlain, and the Earl of Kent advanced to that Poft. The Whiteftaff was taken from Sir Edward Seymour, and Thomas Manfel, Efq; was made Comptroller of the Houfehold. Other Alterations of lefs Moment we omit. In Scotland alfo fome Changes were made. The Duke of Queensbury was removed from his Place of being Secretary of State, and the Earl of Cromarty was preferred to that Poft. Sir David Nairn, Deputy Secretary, was changed for Mr. Alex. Wedderburn; and James Johnfon, Elq; was made Clerk Regifter, in the Room of Mr. Philipaugh. And Ggz finally, A. D. 1704. |