be read there, or in any part of his jurisdiction, which is large in the county.

I hope I fhall doe fome good with the gentry of Devonshire and Cornwall. I humbly beg your bleffing, and remaine "Your Grace's most obedient humble Servant,

"J. BRISTOL."*

The Pope had appointed four Romish Bishops, who styled themselves Vicars Apoftolical. They made their circuits through the country, dividing England into four Provinces, or Districts, according to printed maps, and affuming openly an ecclefiaftical jurifdiction, fimilar to that of the English Bishops. They had

published an addrefs to the lay Roman Catholics, with the title of a Paftoral Letter, in which they claimed spiritual authority over the nation. It seems scarcely poffible to imagine how the King's advisers should have precipitated a measure of this kind;—a measure futile in itself, and tending to bring his Government into contempt, because of the very few perfons who profeffed the Romish faith,—yet so manifest an infringement of the law as to excite the greatest alarm.

James, in his Memoirs, admits that even the reception of a Nuncio from Rome was an error of judgment:

"It was, he says, His Majesty's misfortune, to think it would render people less averfe to fuffer the exercise of Catholic religion amongst them, by familiarizing the nation, not only to the ceremonies of the Church of Rome, but the Court of Rome too; this made His Majefty, befides the folemn services he had in his own chapel, permit the Monks

Tanner MSS., vol. xxviii. p. 1586.

in St. James's to wear their habits, and admit a Nuncio from the Pope, according to the formes practifed in the most Catholick Countrys."*

It had been fortunate for him if, even now, late as it was, he had given up the perilous conteft before him, and returned within the bounds of the law. But he hurried into ftill more hazardous measures, which completely alienated all claffes of the people, at a moment when a fecret and extenfive plot was ripening to bring over a foreign Prince, and to wrest from him both his crown and kingdom.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Invafion of England by the Prince of Orange-Measures of the King to oppofe him-Ken and other Bishops advife James to call a Parliament-He refufes: the defertion of his officers: he withdraws to France-William calls a Convention Parliament.

MIDST all this confufion, there was one who at a distance kept a fteady watch on every turn of the King's wayward policy, his nephew, and fon in law, the

Prince of Orange. He had already laid the foundation of a fecret scheme, which waited only the fitting occafion for development. But the birth of a Prince of Wales, and the acquittal of the Bishops, prompted him at once to a more decifive courfe. He had engaged in no violent cabals, which might endanger his interefts with the King: but, holding a guarded intercourfe with fuch of the nobility as were difaffected, he knew all that was paffing, and was acquainted with the exact temper of the people. In this he followed the advice of Lord Halifax, "to ftand firm and quiet, neither to yield, nor to give advantage by acting unfeasonably." "Accidents come," faid that intelligent counsellor, "which either relieve, or at least help to keep off for a longer time, the things we fear; and that is no fmall matter in the affairs of

the world."* Each step of William was well confidered, and marked by the fame adroitness, which had characterized him from his youth. We have seen how his good sense, sobriety of judgment, almost imperturbable temper, and untiring perfeverance, had conducted him through a complicated path of policy, till he at length became the leader of a great European confederacy. Although chief of a Presbyterian Republic, and of the Proteftant cause in Europe, he had been able to perfuade the Emperor of Germany, the King of Spain, and other Roman Catholic Princes, -nay even the Pope himself,-to combine with him for their common defence against the ambitious defigns of Roman Catholic France. This project took effect in the league of Augsburg. By the fame address he now brought the various parties in England to regard him as the difinterested champion of their liberties, and the protector of their religion.

The birth of the Prince of Wales, which might exclude all hope of his wife's fucceffion, was to him the fignal for more active interference in English politics. His schemes were conducted under cover of the national ferment which followed the trial of the Bishops. The clandeftine correfpondence, which he had for

Dalrymple Appendix, p. 186.

The Pope's Minister was aware, fo early as the end of the year 1687, of the intention to dethrone James. "It was a strange complication; at the Court of Rome were combined the threads of that alliance, which had for its aim, and refult, the liberation of Proteftantism from the laft great danger by which it was threatened in Western Europe, and the acquifition of the English throne to that Confeffion for ever." Ranke's Hiftory of the Popes, vol. ii. p. 424. See alfo Lingard's Hift. of England, vol. x. p. 319.

In 1687.

some time maintained with the popular leaders, now affumed a more definite character. Amid the joyful peals that shook the village steeples, and the blaze of bonfires lighting up the hills throughout England, they planned the downfall of James. The wellknown letter of invitation to William,* to come over with an armed force, was dated the very day the Bishops were acquitted: it was a voice more fraught with evil import to the King, because more fecret, than the shouts of his army on Hounslow Heath.

William's two great projects, to curb the power of Louis XIV. and to depofe James, so far from clashing, mutually aided each other. Under pretence of promoting the objects of the League against France, he was able to bring together a large body of naval and military forces for the invafion of England. Meanwhile he difclaimed all hoftile thoughts against his father in law, profeffing towards him profound respect, and that "he wifhed paffionately for occafions to testify his attachment to his interefts,"†—when, in fact, his measures for dethroning him were filently nearing their accomplishment. The confederate powers, who formed the League of Augsburg, were fenfible how greatly it would aid their caufe, if he should gain the afcendant in England. They did not believe that he aspired to the crown. He was able to conceal this cherished object under the pretext of zeal for the com

Signed by the Earls of Devonshire, Shrewsbury, Danby, Dr. William Compton, Bishop of London, William Ruffell, nephew of the Duke of Bedford, and cousin to William Lord Ruffell, Lord Lumley, and Colonel Churchill, afterwards Duke of Marlborough.

+ Dalrymple Appendix, p. 185.