CHAPTER XXIX. Last Parliament of King William.-Harley chosen Speaker.-The King's Memorable Speech.-Good Temper of the Parliament.—The King prepares for War.-De Foe consulted by him.-Projects for National Improvements.- Declining Health of the King.-He is thrown from his Horse.— His last Illness and Death.- His Eulogy.-William's Person.-And Public Character. His Claims to Patriotism.-Liberality of his Government.— His Love of Liberty.-His Failings and Virtues.-A Friend to De Foe.Who exposes the Ingratitude he met with.—His Animated Defence of the King.-Baseness of the Jacobites.-De Foe publishes the Mock Mourners. -Extracts from the Work.-Insults offered to the King's Memory.— Retaliations of Providence.-De Foe's Record of the Benefits that resulted from the Government of William.-The Greatness of his Character. And the Ingratitude of his Subjects.-De Foe's Residence at Hackney. 1702. THE sixth and last parliament of King William assembled upon the 30th of December, 1701, when Mr. Harley was again chosen Speaker by a small majority, in opposition to Sir Thomas Littleton, whose claims were favoured by the court. Although the influence of the Whigs prevailed in the elections for larger places, the Tories, who still retained the chief seats in the government, had the means of introducing their friends into many of the boroughs, which gave them weight in the new parliament, and influenced the choice of the Speaker: for, if Mr. Harley, properly speaking, belonged to neither party, yet, he usually acted with the Tories, and had identified himself with the measures they adopted for the overthrow of the Whigs. THE KING'S MEMORABLE SPEECH. 463 William, according to his usual practice, opened the parliament in person. In the speech delivered from the throne, he lamented, in pathetic terms, the fatal animosities that had been so lately mixed with their proceedings, pressed upon them the importance of unanimity, and declared his anxious wish to reign in the affections of his people. This memorable speech, which is celebrated by historians as the best that had ever been delivered upon a similar occasion, is supposed to have been dictated by Lord Somers, and was so acceptable to the nation, that it was printed, with handsome decorations, in the English, French, and Dutch languages, and was to be seen framed in almost every house both in England and Holland. One of our historians says, that "the king's words made so deep an impression upon the minds of all men during the whole time of the war, that they seemed to think they were never likely to have another opportunity of exerting themselves."* The good temper displayed in the early proceedings of parliament, was alike gratifying to the king, and honourable to the contending parties, who appeared willing to stifle their differences, and conform their policy to the declared sense of the nation. Both houses presented addresses glowing with indignation against France; bills for attainting the Pretender, and securing the Protestant succession, obtained an easy concurrence; and large supplies were voted to meet the exigency of the occasion. "The king," observes a sensible historian, "now saw the nation brought back to that temper which had produced the Revolution, saved the Protestant religion, and the liberties of Europe."+ Highly gratified by the sudden change in public feeling which prompted the proceedings in parliament, William began to prepare for war, as the only alternative for reducing an overgrown power which could not be effected by treaty. * Cunningham's Hist. Gr. Brit. i. 239. + Somerville's K. Will. p. 559. 464 DE FOE'S PROJECT FOR CONDUCTING THE WAR. De Foe, who had been previously admitted to the confidence of the king, had the honour of being consulted by him upon various points relating to the impending hostilities; and he drew up a scheme for directing the principal operations against the Spanish dominions in the West Indies, by which means new channels of trade would be opened, and the war might be made to support itself. The plan appears to have met with the concurrence of the king, who, if he had lived, would have assigned to De Foe some honourable post in furthering its execution. These facts he has himself related with great modesty; and he was so well satisfied of the utility of his project, that he tendered his papers to the government several years afterwards, when he could have but little expectation of fee or reward. (D) The whole thoughts and attention of William were now employed in providing for the public safety. Although in a very weak state of health, he neither declined any public business, nor discovered any anxiety as to his approaching end. The various appointments, both in the army and navy, he filled up with judgment, so as to inspire hopes of a short and successful war; and he intended to strengthen his government by further changes in the ministry. "In order to secure the peace at home, the king proposed an union of the two kingdoms of England and Scotland upon (D) Writing upon the above subject in 1711, he says, "I gave you an instance of a proposal which I had the honour to lay before his late majesty, at the beginning of the last war, for the sending a strong fleet to the Havannah, to seize that part of the island in which it is situated, and from thence to seize and secure the possession of at least the coast, if not by consequence, the Terra Firma of the empire of Mexico, and thereby entirely cut off the Spanish commerce, and the return of their plate fleets, by the immense riches whereof, and by which only, both France and Spain have been enabled to support this war. But the king died, in whose hands this glorious scheme was in a fair way of being concerted, and which, had it gone on, I had had the honour to have been not the first proposer only, but to have had some share in the performance.-Review, vii. 511-513. KING'S LAST ILLNESS AND DEATH. 465 reasonable terms; he also founded charity-schools for the education of the children of poor people; and lastly, he wonderfully increased the reputation and commerce of England; so that one would have wished that a life that was given for the security of these nations, and of the Protestant religion, might have been prolonged to us for ever, rather than have been subject to the laws of death."* Although the constitution of the king had been giving way for some time, so as to raise apprehensions that he had not long to live, yet, a serious accident that befel him in the month of February, hastened his dissolution. As he was taking his usual diversion of hunting, near Hampton Court, upon the 21st of that month, his horse, which was one he had not been accustomed to, suddenly fell as he was putting him upon a gallop; his foot having stuck in some earth that had been loosened by a mole. The king being feeble, immediately fell, and broke his collar bone: upon being conveyed to the palace, it was soon set; and finding himself easy, he determined upon being removed the same afternoon to Kensington. Such a journey, in his state, seemed at variance with prudence, as well as with the advice of his surgeon, and produced a bad effect; for, by the motion of the carriage, the bandage became loosened, and disunited the bone: this injury, however, was soon repaired, and the king slept soundly the whole night. During the first week after his fall, he seemed to be in a fair way of doing well; but being unable to take his accustomed exercise, the humours which it had dispersed at length settled in his knee, and being attended with great pain and weakness, produced other unfavourable symptoms. Death, which he had so often braved with intrepidity in the field, now stared him in the face; and, as he retained the perfect use of his senses to the last, so he composed himself with becoming resigna tion to his fate. "As he lay upon his bed, he talked to those about him with gravity and cheerfulness; and prepared himself for his departure in such a manner as contributed to heighten the esteem and veneration which had formerly been paid him by all who were near him. At last, he called for the Archbishop of Canterbury to administer to him the holy sacrament; and after having received it in the usual manner, he died, with an even and constant mind, and without the least alteration of countenance, or disorder of body, 8th March, 1702. At the very last moment, when his mind was otherwise oppressed, he retained a just sense of the redemption of mankind, and the remembrance of his good subjects. Thus he lay so quietly and composed, with his eyes fixed upon heaven, when his speech failed him, that no man could die either better prepared, or with greater constancy and piety than this prince; of whose just praises no tongue shall be silent, and no time unmindful. And if any king be ambitious of regulating his councils and actions by the bright examples of the most famous men, he may form to himself an idea of a great prince, and a grand empire, not only from this king's life, but from the public records of the English and Dutch nations.* He died in the 52nd year of his age, and the fourteenth of his reign. The following lines descriptive of William's character, are distinguished alike for energy of thought, terseness of expression, and beauty of arrangement: "He was, But is no more, The Head, Heart, and Hand Of the Confederacy; The Support of the Empire, * Cunningham, i. 252. |