1690. the opportunity to take San Juan de Abadessas, a A. C. fmall Fort two Leagues beyond Campredon, and Six from Gironne, which incourag'd him to go on; and fo poffeffing himfeif of divers Castles, that embarrafs'd his Progrefs, he advanc'd as far as Foulen, about Four fmall Leagues from Gironne, upon which laft Town he feem'd to bend his Thoughts; But finding himfelf not ftrong enough for fuch an Enterprize, and yet being defirous to take the advantage of the flownefs of the Spaniards, he left Gi ronne upon the left hand, and advanc'd near the City of Vich, maintaining his Army at the Expence of the Catalans, and deftroying all he could not make ufe of. As for the Spaniards, the Month of Auguft was come, before they had got between Ten or Twelve Thoufand Men together, with which the Duke de Villa Hermofa march'd towards the Enemy; but the French Army being now weaken'd by a Detachment fent into Dauphine, the Duke de Noailles prudently declin'd Fighting, and retir'd by the way of Rouffillon, and fo ended the Campaign on

that fide.

The Differences about the Franchifes, and other things done by the French Court and Clergy, in Prejudice of the Holy See, were this Year amicably compos'd between the King of France and the Pope; his moft Chriftian Majefty, making in a manner all the Conceflions on his Part to effect it, and the Old Father to make him fome return, laying a Defign to reconcile the Emperor and France. The Republick of Venice, as well for their own Intereft, as to pleafe the Court of Rome, conmade for a curr'd with his Holiness in this Project; but all Peace be their Endeavours could not prevail with the EmEmpireand peror to break the Alliances he had fo folemnly enter'd into, as well for his own, as the rest of Europe's fecurity.

Vain at

tempts

tween the

France.

Thus having run thro' the feveral Tranfactions Abroad, that have any Relation to King William, as Head of the Confederacy against France, let us now attend that Monarch whom we left with his Queen at Windfor, in the Tranfports of their Sept. 12. mutual Joys. Three Days after, the Parliament

met,

met, and was Prorogu'd by Commiflion till the 1690. 2d of October; and at the fame time a Proclamati A. C on was publish'd, requiring the Attendance of the n Members of both Houfes on the Day prefixt. Du- Parlia ring this Interval, His Majefty receiv'd the fo- ment Prolemn Congratulations of the Nobility, Clergy, City rogued. of London, East-India Company, and feveral other Sept. 12. Corporations, upon his glorious Campaign in Ireland, and fafe Return into this Kingdom; and the Parliament being met, according to their late Prorogation, the King Addreffing himself to both Houfes, told them: That fince he laft met them, he had us'd his beft endeavours to reduce Ireland Speech to the Parli into fuch a Condition this Year, as that it might 'be no longer a Charge to England: And it had pleas'd God to Blefs his Endeavours with fuch Succefs, that he doubted not, but he should have 'been fully pofleft of that Kingdom by this time,

6

.

hrad he been enabled to have gone into the 6 Field as foon as he fhould have done, and as was more efpecially neceflary in Ireland, where the "Rains are fo great, and begin fo early.

That he thought himself oblig'd to take No'tice, how well the Army there had behav'd themfelves on all Occafions, and born great Hardships with little Pay, and with fo much Patience and 'Willingness, as could not proceed but from an Af 'fectionate Duty to his Service, and a Zeal for the Proteftant Religion.

་

That he had already made it evident, how much 'he had preferr'd the Satisfaction of his Subjects before the folid Advantages of the Crown, by parting with fo confiderable a Branch of its Inheritance; and it was no lefs apparent, that he had ask'd no Revenue for himfelf, but what he had ' already fubjected to be charg'd to the Ufes of the 'War.

.

6

The King's

That he did at his Departure give Order for all Publick Accompts to be made ready against 'his Return, and he had commanded them to be 'laid before the Houfe of Commons; by which they 'would fee that the real Want of what was Neceffary beyond the Funds given, and the not getting

ament.

Octob. 2.

A. C.

1690.

in due time that for which Funds were affign'd, 'had been the principal Caufes why the Army was in fo much Arrear of their Pay, and the Stores, both for the Navy and the Ordinance, not fuppli'ed as they ought to be.

That now, as He had neither fpar'd His Per'fon nor His Pains, to do them all the Good He 'could; fo He doubted not, but if they would as chearfully do their Parts, it was in their Power to make both Him and themfelves happy, and the 'Nation great, and on the other hand, it was too plain by what the French had let them fee fo lately, that if the prefent War was not profecuted with Vigour, no Nation in this World was expos'd to greater Danger.

Then directing his Speech to the Commons in particular, He told them: That He hoped there would need no more upon that Subject, than to "lay before them the State of what would be neceffary for the fupport of the Fleet and Armies; which could not potlibly admit of being leffen'd in the Year enfuing; and to recommend to their Care the clearing of His Revenue, fo as to enable Him to fubfift, and to maintain the charge of the Civil Lift; the Revenue being fo engag'd, that it 'must be wholly applied, after the firit of November, to pay off the Debts already charg'd upon 'it; and therefore a prefent Confideration must be had of the Arrears of the Army, which fhould be laid before them, and for all which He defir'd a fufficient and timely Supply. That it was farther neceffary to inform them, that the whole fup'port of the Confederacy abroad, would abfolutely depend upon the fpeed and vigour of their Pro'ceedings in this Seffion.

"That here He muft take notice, with great fa'tisfaction, of the readinefs which his Subjects, of all Degrees, had fhewn, both in this City, and in 'their feveral Countries, by giving their Affiftances fo chearfully as they did in his Abfence, while the 'French Fleet was upon our Coafts; and befides this fo convincing a mark of the good Inclinations of his 'People, He had found through all the Countries "where

where He pass'd, both at his going into Ireland, A. C. and in his return from thence, fuch Demonftrati- 1690. ⚫ons of their Affections, that He had not the leaft doubt, but He fhould find the fame from their Re'prefentatives in Parliament.

'That He must take notice alfo how much the 'Honour of the Nation had been expos'd by the illconduct of his Fleet, in the laft Summers Engagement against the French; and He thought himself fo much concern'd to fee it vindicated,that He could not reft fatisfied, till an Example had 'been made of fuch as fhould be found faulty upon 'their Examination and Trial, which was not practi'cable while the whole Fleet was abroad, but was now put into the proper way of being done as foon as might be.

Then Addreffing himself again to both Houses, He clos'd his Speech by telling them, That He 'look'd upon the Well-being of this Kingdom, to depend upon the Refult of their Countels and Determinations at this time; and the Benefit would 'be double by the fpeed of their Refolutions, info'much, that He hop'd they would agree with Him ' in this Conclufion, That whoever went about to obstruct or divert their Application to thefe Matters pre"ferably to all others, could neither be His Friend 'nor "the Kingdom's.

Six or feven Days were spent by both Houses in preparing and prefenting Addrefles to their Majefties. The Lords in their Addrefs to the King, The I or is being extreamly fenfible of the great Benefit and Addre's to Advantage that His Majefty's late Expedition in- the King, to Ireland had procur'd to all His Subjects in ge- Octo. 6. 66 neral, as likewife that the Succefs of His Ma

jefty's Arms in that Kingdom, was due, next to "the Providence and Bletting of God, to His Majefty's Perfonal Valour and Conduct, did look upon it as their Duty to prefent their humble and hearty Thanks to His Majefty, for all thofe fignal "Evidences He had given of His extraordinary Af"fection for HisPeople,which had carried His Majefty in fo many occafions to venture a Life that was "fo dear to them, and to defpife all Hazards to pro

"cure

A. C. "cure the Settlement of His Kingdoms, the Peace 1690. "and quiet of His Subjects, and the Establishment "of their Religion. And as it was not poflible but fo "much Bravery of Mind, fuch an undaunted Cou

rage, and a Heart fo exhalted above any Appre"henfions in the midst of all Dangers, muft gain "His Majefty the Admiration and Reverence of "all the World, and even of His Enemies them"felves, who had felt the Effects of fo great Virtues, "fo they did not doubt but that fuch extraordinary Qualities must unite the Hearts of all His People "in fuch a Tendernefs, as well as Duty, for His "Royal Perfon, as was neceffary for the finishing "what His Majefty had fo gloriously begun. And to the The next Day their Lordfhips acknowledg'd Queen, "the great Advantage the Nation had receiv'd by Octo. 7. "the eminent Refolution, as well as Prudence, "Her Majefty had fhew'd in the Abfence of the "King, and in fuch Circumftances of Difficulty as "would have difcompos'd a Mind that had not been "rais'd above them, as Her Majefty had approv'd "Her's to be,by this undeniable Evidence: And declar'd,that Her Majefty having preferv'd the Quiet "and Peace, by Her prudent Administration against

The Commons Ad

drefs to the

King,

the Dangers threatned by a Powerful Enemy, the "remembrance of fuch extraordinary Virtue muft "ever dwell in their Minds, and engage them in "Juftice, upon all occafions, to exprefs their Gra❝titude, as became Her Majefty's most Dutiful Subjects.

The Commons on the other Hand, "reprefented "to the King, their grateful fenfe of that unpa rallell'd Goodness and tender Affection to His People, "which, for the refcuing His Kingdom of Ireland Octo. 9. " from a Tyrannous and Foreign Yoak, and eafing His Subjects, of this Kingdom, of the exceffive Charge of alingering War, did induce His Majefty to un"dertake a hazardous Voyage, and too freely to expofe "to all the Dangers of War that Invaluable Life,

66

upon which the whole Proteftant Intereft, and the "Common Liberty of Europe did fo much depend. "That it was, next to God, His Conduct and Example, that they must afcribe the Success of the Ex

66 pedition