LIFE

OF

KING WILLIAM III.

CHAPTER I.

FORMATION OF A NEW MINISTRY AND PRIVY COUNCIL. WILLIAM'S FIRST SPEECH FROM THE THRONE. -THE CONVENTION TURNED INTO A PARLIAMENT.- MESSAGE OF THE KING TO THE TWO HOUSES.-NEWS RECEIVED OF KING JAMES HAVING SAILED FROM BREST. SLIGHT SYMPTOMS OF DISAFFECTION IN THE ARMY.— SEVERAL PEERS AND BISHOPS REFUSE TO TAKE THE OATHS OF FEALTY.CORONATION OF WILLIAM AND MARY. SEVERAL NEW CREATIONS AMONG THE PEERS.-BURNET APPOINTED BISHOP OF SALISBURY.-M. BENTINCK CREATED EARL OF PORTLAND. -DEBATES IN BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. ADDRESS OF THE CHURCH PARTY TO THE KING.

WILLIAM being now advanced to the throne, his

first care was to surround himself with an able ministry, and to reward those who had contributed to his elevation. The persons whom he made choice of to form his privy council were, Prince George of Denmark, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, the Duke of Norfolk,

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MEMBERS OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL.

the Marquises of Winchester and Halifax; the Earls of Danby, Lindsey, Oxford, Shrewsbury, Bedford, Devonshire, Macclesfield, Nottingham, Bath, and Dorset; the Viscounts Falconberge, Mordaunt, and Newport; the Lords Wharton, Delaware, Montague, Lumley, and Churchill; Monsieur Bentinck, Mr. Henry Sidney, Mr. Edward Russel, Mr. Henry Powle, Mr. Richard Hamden, Sir Henry Capel, Hugh Boscowen, Esq., and Sir Robert Howard. The Earl of Danby was made President of the Council; the Marquis of Halifax, Lord Privy Seal; the Earl of Devonshire, Steward of the Household; Mr. Bentinck, Groom of the Stole, and Lord Privy Purse; Viscount Newport, Treasurer of the Household; Mr. Wharton, Comptroller of His Majesty's Household; Sir John Lowther, Vice-Chamberlain of His Majesty's Household (these two were also made Privy Councillors); Monsieur Overkerk, Great Master of the King; Marshal de Schomberg, Great Master of the Ordnance; the Lord Montague, Master of the Great Wardrobe; Mr. Zuylestein, Master of the Robes; the Earl of Shrewsbury, Principal Secretary of State; the Bishop of London, Dean of the Chapel; the Lord Lovelace, Captain of the Gentlemen Pensioners; the Duke of Ormond, the Earl of Oxford, the Lords Mordaunt, Lumley, and Churchill, and Mr. Sidney, Gentlemen of the King's Bed-chamber; the Lord Wiltshire, son to the Marquis of Winchester, Lord Chamberlain to the Queen; John How, Esq., Vice-Chamberlain; Mr. Villiers, Great

WILLIAM'S NEW MINISTRY.

S

Master of the Horse; and the Countess of Derby, sister to the Duke of Ormond, first Lady of the Bedchamber to her Majesty.

The high character and abilities of the Earl of Nottingham justly entitled him to one of the highest stations in the power of the crown to bestow. He had been the leading man among those Peers who had protested against the vacancy of the throne; and William had sufficient good taste and political sagacity to appreciate the importance of securing him to his interest. The offer of the Chancellorship was therefore submitted to him; this he declined, alleging his unfitness for an employment requiring constant application, but was easily prevailed upon to accept the office of one of the Principal Secretaries of State. The Marquis of Halifax having also refused the Seals, they were given in commission to Sir John Maynard, Anthony Keck, and William Rawlinson, Esqrs.; the two last of whom received the honour of knighthood. The places of High Admiral and Lord Treasurer were likewise entrusted to Commissioners. The first to Admiral Herbert, the Earl of Carbery, Sir Michael Wharton, Sir John Chichely, Sir Thomas Lee, Sir John Lowther, and Mr. Sacheverel; the other to Lords Mordaunt, Godolphin, and Delamere, Mr. Hamden, and Sir Henry Capel. Dr. Burnet was also about this time elected Bishop of Salisbury, and consecrated at Fulham, by the Bishops of London, Winchester, Lincoln, Llandaff, St. Asaph, and Carlisle, by virtue of a commission from the Arch

4

LETTER TO THE STATES OF HOLLAND.

bishop of Canterbury, who obstinately refused to perform the ceremony himself. Three days after, Dr. Burnet was sworn and admitted Chancellor of the Order of the Garter. The day before the proclamation the King despatched a letter to the States of Holland, assuring them that his new dignity, instead of diminishing the affection he ever had, or the care he always took for the preservation and prosperity of their Republic, would only enable him to discharge his office of Stadtholder with more weight and success, towards the good and advantage of their State; and that during his reign he would make it his constant business and endeavour to establish and maintain a perfect intelligence, alliance, and inviolable friendship between his Kingdoms and the United Provinces, for the safety, welfare, and repose of both States, and the support of the Protestant religion. The same express conveyed also an order for setting at liberty the Earl of Sunderland, who had been arrested at Rotterdam, he having sufficiently justified his past conduct by a letter, which was made public in London.

The first proposal made by the King to his Privy Council was, whether the Convention might be legally turned into a Parliament? This his Majesty considered of importance, in order to avoid the delay consequent on calling a new Parliament, and to retain such members as he knew to be satisfied with the present state of things. A majority of the Council having replied in the affirmative, his

FIRST SPEECH FROM THE THRONE.

5

Majesty, anxious to put this project into execution, proceeded to the House of Lords, where having summoned the Commons to the bar, he declared from the throne, that he was come there to assure them that he should never do any thing that might lessen their good opinion of him; that he thought it necessary to inform them the condition of affairs abroad, and particularly that of Holland, was such, that unless some speedy care were taken of them, they would run the greater hazard; that they themselves must be sensible that the posture of affairs in England would require their serious consideration; and that a good settlement was necessary, not only for the sake of security at home, but for the support of the Protestant interest, both at home and abroad; more particularly, the state of Ireland was such that the dangers were too great to be obviated by any slow method-therefore he must leave it to them to consider of the most effectual ways of preventing the inconveniences that might arise by delays, and to judge what forms might be proper to bring those things to pass that were for the good of the nation, which he was confident was in all their minds, and which he, on his part, should be always ready to promote.

The Peers proceeded at once to bring in a bill to remove and prevent all questions and disputes concerning the assembling and sitting of this present parliament. This they read twice the same afternoon, and the following day sent it to the Commons for their concurrence.