CHAPTER III.

Coronation of William and Mary-They receive the sovereignty of Scotland-William never permits Mary to meet the Parliament-Mary's unpleasant visit to the play --Satire on her and her sister Anne-Quarrels with Anne-Corruption in every department of government-William's popularity declines-He purchases Kensington House-Anecdote of Mr. Carstares-Project to seize James II.

HE eleventh of April Memoirs, "he perceived that his own was the day appointed children had lost all bowels not only of for the solemn inau- filial affection but of common compassion, guration of William and were as ready as the Jewish tribe of and Mary. On the old to raise the cry, 'Away with him morning of that from the face of the earth! It was the eventful day, whilst more grievous, because the hand which their Majesties were gave the blow was most dear to him. robing, previous to setting out for West- Yet Providence gave her some share of minster Hall, they received the unwel- disquiet, too; for this news coming just comed intelligence of the landing of James at their coronation, put a damp on those II. in Ireland, and immediately afterwards joys which had left no room in her heart Lord Nottingham delivered to Mary a for the remembrance of a fond and loving letter of remonstrance and malediction father. Like another Tullia, under the from her father. In this letter, terrible in show of sacrificing all to her country's itself, and delivered at a time which liberty, she truly sacrificed her honour, rendered its reception doubly appalling, her duty, and even religion, to drive out King James informed his daughter that a peaceful Tullius, and set up another he had attributed her previous unfilial Tarquin in his place." This startling conduct to the necessity she was under incident, more resembling a scene in a of obeying the commands of her too am- tragedy than an event of real life, debitious husband; "but," he added, "it layed the ceremony of the coronation is in your power not to be crowned, and from eleven in the morning till half-past if you dare to encircle your brow with one at noon. the usurped crown, whilst I and your brother, the Prince of Wales, are living, the curses of an outraged father and the wrath of God, who has commanded obedience to parents, will light upon you An hour afterwards, the and yours to all eternity." Dismayed Queen was conveyed thither in her chair, and irritated by this letter, William de- and went direct to the court of wards, clared that the part he had played in the where she reposed for awhile. But few revolution was by the advice and consent Peers and Peeresses were in attendance. of his consort, and therefore she herself, "Much of the splendour of the cereand not he, had brought her father's mony," remarks Evelyn, was abated malediction upon her. "Perhaps so," by the absence of divers who should have retorted Mary, who was evidently too contributed to it. There were but five hard-hearted to be terrified by the curses bishops and four judges: no more had of her grossly ill-treated parent; "but taken the oaths; several noblemen and remember, if my father regains his au- great ladies were absent." When due thority, my husband may thank himself preparations had been made, the Peers for letting him go as he did." "When and Peeresses proceeded four abreast James heard of this unnatural speech," from the Court of Requests, down the writes the exiled King himself in his staircase into Westminster Hall, where

At ten in the forenoon, the King went by water from Whitehall to Westminster Hall, where he rested in an adjoining apartment, known as the "Prince's chamber."

and clergy of this realm, and to the churches committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges as by law do or shall appertain to them, or any of them?"

they took their places, and where their Majesties took their seats on the throne, which was placed under a canopy above the table. At the early part of the ceremony, a strange blunder occurred. When their Majesties, as they knelt by the "All this I promise to do," replied altar, were about to make their first of- William and Mary, both of whom imfering, consisting of twenty guineas, en-mediately afterwards placed their right veloped in silk; the envelope was there, hand upon the gospels, and said: "The but not the gold. The Grand Chamber- things which I have herebefore promised lain and the Lord Treasurer looked I will perform and keep, so help me, aghast; they had no money, nor had the God." King nor the Queen, and a dead pause ensued, till at length Danby drew out the required amount, and put a period to the ridiculous delay. The Bible was presented to their Majesties to kiss, and after the communion service, Burnet, Bishop of Salisbury, preached the sermon, which lasted half an hour; and being a string of satirical, abusive railing against James II. by name, was pronounced excellent. As the Archbishop of Canterbury was a non-juror, the crowning and anointing was performed by Compton, Bishop of London, who, before placing the crowns on their Majesties' heads, administered to them the subjoined oath, which had been especially framed for the occasion, and bound the new sovereigns to maintain the Protestant religion as established by law.

"Will you," demanded the Bishop, in a loud, clear voice, "solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of this kingdom and dominions thereunto belonging, according to the statutes in parliament agreed on, and the laws and customs of the same?"

William and Mary, both holding up their right hands, answered simultaneous.y, "I solemnly promise so to do."

Compton anointed William first and Mary afterwards, and crowned them with the same crowns that had encircled the brows of James II. and Maria Beatrix. It was whilst going through this portion of the ceremony, that Mary remarked to her sister, who only took the part of a spectator in the scene, that "a crown, after all, was not so heavy as it appeared." It was past four before the august assemblage sat down to the coronation banquet, and then the non-arrival of Dymock, the royal champion, occasioned a further delay of two hours. At last he entered, made his challenge in the name of our sovereign Lord and Lady, William and Mary, and threw down his gauntlet, which tradition affirms was picked up by an old woman, who left in its place a lady's glove, in which was a written acceptance of the challenge, appointing the hour, and naming Hyde Park as the place of meeting. According to this story, the brave champion of the exiled King kept his appointment, and paced Hyde Park from two to four the next day; when, as no Dymock appeared, he went away, heaping curses on the heads of usurpers and their unprincipled courtiers. The banquet, which was sumptuous, rare, and costly, was not concluded till past eight in the evening, when their Majesties, exhausted by the ceremonies of the

"Will you," repeated the Bishop, "to your power cause law and justice in mercy to be executed in all your judg-day, retired to privacy and rest. Next

ments?"

"I will," replied each of the sovereigns.

"Will you," again demanded the Bishop, "to the utmost of your power, maintain the laws of God, the true profession of the gospel, and the Protestant reformed religion as by law established? and will you preserve unto the Bishops

day, the Commons in a body waited on the King and Queen at the Banquetinghouse, Whitehall, to congratulate them on their coronation; and a few days afterwards, William and Mary proceeded to Hampton Court, where they received the congratulations of the ambassadors and other officers of foreign kingdoms and states.

William and Mary received the so- Here William interrupted Argyle, and vereignty of Scotland without unction said, "If this means that I am obliged or crowning. The Estates, after a stormy to become a persecutor, I will not take debate, voted them King and Queen of the oath." The commissioners anthe Scots, and deputed the Earl of Ar-swered that it meant nothing of the gyle, Sir James Montgomery, and Sir sort; that by the law of Scotland, no James Dalrymple, to present to their man could be persecuted for his private Majesties letters from the Estates, the opinions; and even obstinate and coninstruments of government, and a list victed heretics could only be denounced of the grievances they wished to be re- and outlawed, and their moveable estates dressed. These William and Mary confiscated. With this explanation the received in due form, whilst seated on King expressed himself satisfied, and their throne in the Banqueting-house, he and his consort again repeated after after which the Earl of Argyle pro- Argylenounced aloud, and they each, with their right hand uplifted, simultaneously repeated after him the subjoined coronation oath :

"And we shall be careful to root out all heretics, and enemies to the true worship of God, that shall be convicted by the true Kirk of God, of the aforesaid crimes, out of our land and empire of Scotland. And we faithfully affirm the things above written by our solemn oath.

"Under our hand, April 24, 1689." It was expected that after the coronation, William would take his consort

state to meet the parliament; but the Dutch King loved himself to engross every symbol of sovereignty, and, to the surprise of the court and the nation, Mary was never once permitted to meet the assembled houses. William was evidently ashamed of this conduct; for whenever he met his parliament in the early years of his reign, he went there privately, and closely guarded, by water.

"We, William and Mary, King and Queen of Scotland, faithfully promise, and swear, by this our solemn oath in the presence of the eternal God, that during the whole course of our life we will serve the eternal God to the utmost of our power according as he has required in his most holy word, revealed and contain-in ed in the New and Old Testaments, and according to the same word shall maintain the true religion of Jesus Christ, the preaching of his holy word, and the due and right administration of his sacraments, now received and preached within the realm of Scotland; and shall abolish and gain stand all false religion contrary to the same, and shall rule the people committed to our charge, according to the laudable laws and constitutions received in this realm, no ways repugnant to the said work of the eternal God, and shall preserve to the utmost of our power, to the Kirk of God, and the whole Christian people, true and perfect peace at all time coming. That we shall preserve and keep inviolate the rights and rents, with all just privileges of the crown of Scotland, neither shall we transfer or alienate the same; that we shall forbid and repress in all estates and degrees, reif [robbery], oppression, and all kinds of wrong; and we shall command and procure that justice and equity be keeped to all persons without exception, as the Lord and Father of Mercies shall be merciful to us. And we shall be careful to root out all heretics-"

In reward for his services in promoting the revolution, William bestowed on Lord Churchill the title of Earl of Marlborough. But the Earl shortly afterwards learned the unpleasant truth, that the Dutch King despised and neglected him. "Treatment," says Lady Marlborough, "which my husband richly deserved, for not knowing how much better he was off before he turned his back upon King James." William once said of Marlborough, "He is a great general, but a vile scoundrel; and although I have profited by his treasons, I abhor the traitor."

In June, William returned from Hampton Court, to discuss in council, at St. James's, the state of affairs in Ireland. Mary, who had accompanied her consort to London, seized the oppor

desire to frequent the national theatres, induced her to order another play, Sir Robert Howard's cavalier comedy of the "Committee," but her husband prevented her from witnessing the performance; and, proceeds Lord Nottingham, "she amused herself by visiting Mrs. Graden's, Mrs. Ferguson's, and other Indian houses, where they sell fine ribbons, rich head-dresses, and fancy articles, and curiosities. One day she dined at Mrs. Graden's, and the King, when he heard of it, flew in a great rage, and with many oaths told her it was no proper place for her to visit;" indeed, remarks our author, "more was said than was ever heard before, but it was borne like a good wife who leaves all to the direction of her lord, who amuses herself with walking six or seven miles every day, with looking after her buildings, making of fringe, and such like innocent things."

tunity to gratify her taste for the drama. | There was a play, the "Spanish Friar," by Dryder, which had mightily pleased King Charles II., but which, on account of its holding up to ridicule one of the Catholic faith, King James II. had forbid. This play she chose to witness; and a more unfortunate choice could not well have happened; for, instead of telling against her father, as she expected, it abounded with supposed allusions to her own unfilial conduct, which deeply mortified her, and caused a confusion such as perhaps never occurred from a theatrical representation before. "The only day her Majesty gave herself the diversion of a play,' wrote the lord chamberlain Nottingham, "the piece performed was the Spanish Friar, the only play forbid by the late King. Some unhappy expressions, amongst which, those that follow put her into the greatest disorder, and frequently forced her to hold up her fan, At this period, Mary was addicted and often look behind, and call for her to gluttony, and, if her enemies are to palatine and hood, or anything she could be believed, she occasionally indulged think of, whilst those who were in the pit in strong potations. She had a tenbefore her [the King's box then was in the dency to obesity, and whilst the King, centre of the house] constantly turned who detested the English and their their heads over their shoulders to see manners, and in his social moments was how she bore the application of what wont to smoke and drink hollands with was said. In one part of the perform- his Dutch courtiers with closed doors, ance, where the Queen of Arragon is was hourly growing leaner, she congoing to church in procession, it was tinued to increase in bulk. The first uttered on the stage, Very good, she week in July, her Majesty took up her usurps the throne, keeps the old King in residence at Hampton Court for the prison, and at the same time is praying summer. She was present when her for a blessing on the army.' Again, one sister Anne brought into the world of the actors remarked, ""Tis observed Prince William, an event which took at court who weeps, and who wears place at Hampton Court on the twentyblack for good King Sancho's death.' fourth of July, and which gave infinite And in another speech occurs the sub- joy to Mary and the partizans of the joined, 'Who is it that can flatter a court revolution, who believed, and not withlike this? Can I soothe tyranny, seem out reason, that a Protestant heir to the pleased to see my royal master murdered, throne would render the restoration of his crown usurped, a distaff on the the Roman Catholic Stuart line next to throne? What title has this queen, but impossible. Since the accession of Willawless force? and force must pull her liam and Mary, the Princess Anne had down.' These, and twenty more things depended on them for her income. The were said in the play, which faction Commons had voted the considerable applied to the Queen; and though it sum of £600,000 for their Majesties' never could be originally intended, it civil list, and from out of this Anne was furnished the town with talk, till some- to have been provided. William, howthing else happened which gave equal ever, preferred that she and her husband occasion of discourse." Her Majesty's | should remain dependents on him; and

when, to free herself from such thral-marked to his favourite, Bentinck, whom dom, she caused the subject of her income to be mooted in the Commons, the Queen one night took her to task for it, and asked her what was the meaning of those proceedings? Anne answered, "that she heard her friends there wished to make her some settlement." "Friends, indeed!" replied the Queen, hastily. "Pray what friends have you, but the King and me?" However, in the subsequent December, the Commons advised the King to allow the Princess Anne £50,000 out of the civil list, and from this moment commenced a coolness between Mary and the Princess her sister, which eventually ripened into an implacable enmity.

he had lately elevated to the earldom of Portland, "who support the revolution; tirere are thousands of upright, honourable Englishmen, but unfortunately they are not my friends " a conviction teeming with truth, but which did not prevent the ambitious monarch from patronizing that most abominable of perjurers, Titus Oates. The parliament reversed the sentence of Oates, and immediately afterwards William granted him a pension of £520 a-year, and presented him with two rich Church of England benefices:-conduct too scandalous to be overlooked, and which incensed the people against the Dutch King, "whose popularity," remarks In the winter of 1689-90, the nation Smollett, "had already began visibly to loudly clamoured against the reckless decline." Mary was dissatisfied with extravagance of the government, and the William's measures, and a great number frauds and the peculations of the govern- even of those who exerted themselves ment servants. The corrupt spirit of the for his elevation, had conceived a disgust revolution became manifest in its own from his personal deportment, which workings; in one year, the revenue was very unsuitable to the manners and which James had left plus and flourish- disposition of the English people. Ining, was minus more than three millions. stead of mingling with his nobility in Every one attributed the de eat at Ban- social amusements and familiar convertry Bay, not to lack of skill or bravery, sation, he maintained a disagreeable but to the shameful embezzlement of reserve, which had all the air of sullen the funds provided for the victualling pride; he seldom or never spoke to his and fitting out of Admiral Herbert's courtiers or attendants; he spent his time squadron. The merchants complained chiefly in the closet, retired from all that convoy money was unjustly ex- communication, or among his troops, at torted from them, and yet withal, their a camp he had formed at Hounslow, or merchant-men were plundered by pirates in the exercise of hunting, to which he and privateers; whilst in the army, such was immoderately addicted. This had was the spirit of peculation, to use a been prescribed to him by physicians, as mild expression, that the troops sent to necessary to improve his constitution, drive King James out of Ireland, were which was naturally weak, and by prac supplied with bad food, and improper and tice had become so habitual that he could insufficient clothing and arms, which, in not lay it aside. His ill health cotoo many cases, were quite worthless. operating with his natural aversion to That patriotic officer, Mr. Harbord, was society, produced a peevishness, which regularly paid for a regiment, the ex- could not fail of being displeasing to istence of which was limited to its stan- those who were near his person; this dard, which he kept in his dressing-room; was increased by the disputes in his and both he and General Kirk carried cabinet, and the opposition of those who on such a wholesale system of embezzle- were professed enemies to his government, that they dared not audit each ment, as well as by the alienation of his other's accounts. Deeply as William former friends. As he suffered from deplored the dishonest conduct of his asthma, and could not breathe without unprincipled partizans, necessity com- difficulty in the air of London, he repelled him to pass it over in silence. sided chiefly at Hampton Court, and It is only such men as these,' he re-expended considerable sums in beautify