ELEMENTS OF THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

improved in 1656, was continued in full operation, and in 1682 the penny post was commenced for the delivery of letters in London and the neighbourhood. A new gold and silver coinage was struck at the Restoration, and in 1672 a proclamation was issued forbidding the use of tokens, instead of which copper coins were to be employed.

The Royal Society was founded in 1660. The first office for insuring buildings from fire was established in 1666. Sir Chris topher Wren commenced the rebuilding of St. Paul's and many other churches in London after the fire. William Penn, a mem ber of the Society of Friends, having obtained a charter from Charles II, began the colonization of Pennsylvania in America. [Scotch Covenanters defeated on Pentland Hills, 1666. Murder of the De Witts in Holland, 1672. Battle of Bothwell Bridge, 1679. Siege of Vienna by the Turks raised by John Sobieski, 1683.]

Death-Charles died on the 6th of February, 1685, after a short illness. Before his decease he was privately reconciled to

the church of Rome.

JAMES II.

Reigned from 1685 to 1688.

Birth. He was born at St. James's, Oct. 15, 1633.
Descent. He was the second son of Charles I, and brother

of Charles II.

Marriage. His first wife was Anne Hyde, daughter of Lord Clarendon; his second, Mary d'Este, sister of the Duke of

Modena.

Children.-Mary, who married the Prince of Orange; Anne, who succeeded William and Mary on the throne; James, the Old Pretender, and several other children who died young.

Important Events.-On the day of his brother's death, James met the council, and told them he should endeavour to preserve the government both in church and state as by law established; but he soon showed his love of arbitrary power

and his disregard of law, by ordering the customs duties to be collected before they had been voted by parliament, and by directing the discharge of all persons imprisoned for refusing the oaths of supremacy and allegiance.

When the Scottish parliament met, very rigid laws were passed against the Covenanters (Presbyterians). All persons preaching in conventicles were rendered liable to death, and even the hearers in field conventicles were exposed to the same punishment. Graham of Claverhouse, so dishonourably distinguished for his cruelties, was at the head of the soldiery employed to coerce this unfortunate sect.

The English parliament readily voted the usual supplies, but they refused to gratify the king by repealing the Test Act, and expressed their disapproval of the establishment of a standing army.

The Earl of Argyle, and the Duke of Monmouth, both of whom were exiles in Holland, determined to attempt the subversion of the government. The former landed in Scotland, but was unable to rally many 'followers round him, and being captured, was beheaded at Edinburgh (June 30, 1685). Monmouth disembarked in Dorsetshire, and a large number of the inhabitants joined him, but he was defeated at SEDGEMOOR (July 6), and taken prisoner two days after. He was executed on Tower Hill, and many of the insurgents were put to death by martial law. Judge Jeffreys, than whom few have a more odious reputation, was sent out on a special commission to try offenders, the first person arraigned before him, an aged matron named Alice Lisle, he ordered to be burned for secreting two persons alleged to be rebels: the punishment was afterwards changed to decapitation. In his Bloody Campaign, as it was justly called, more than 300 persons were hung, and 841 were sold as slaves to the West Indian plantations. "More than a fifth of those that were shipped were flung to the sharks before the end of the voyage." ."* Some of those, whose offences did not amount

Macaulay's "History of England."

to treason, received sentences of the most atrocious character. As an example, the case of Tutchin may be mentioned. This lad, being convicted of using seditious words, was ordered to be imprisoned for seven years, and to be whipped annually in every market-town in Dorsetshire (eighteen in number). An alarming illness, which it seemed likely would end in Tutchin's death, led Jeffreys to remit the sentence in return for a bribe which reduced the unfortunate youth to poverty. Mrs. Gaunt, a woman in humble circumstances, whose "life was passed in relieving the unhappy of all religious denominations,"* being basely betrayed by a rebel whose escape she had aided, was tried at the Old Bailey, and the judges sentenced her to be burned. The pitiless monarch allowed the law to take its course. Having removed those judges who were not sufficiently servile, James obtained a judicial decision in favour of his right to grant dispensations for violation of acts of parliament (1686). The army was then placed under the command of Roman Catholic officers; and a High Commission Court, similar to that in Elizabeth's reign, was created. Those officers of the crown who were Protestants, with a few exceptions, either resigned or were dismissed, and James exhibited a determination to establish Romanism as the religion of the land. He even invaded the rights of the universities by compelling some of the colleges of Oxford to accept either avowed or concealed Papists as their heads, and the rites of the Roman Catholic church were celebrated within the walls of these seats of learning.

Finding a resolute resistance on the part of the established church to his assaults on her bulwarks, he tried to purchase the favour of the Protestant Nonconformists by issuing a Declaration of Indulgence, which gave them the privilege of openly tonducting their services (1687). This declaration was re-issued in April, 1688, and the clergy were ordered to read it from the pulpit. Seven of the bishops signed, and six presented, a petition to the king begging to be excused from being parties to the • Macaulay's "History of England."

declaration; and most of the clergy disobeyed the royal mandate. The bishops were prosecuted for presenting the petition, and greatly to the annoyance of the sovereign, and the satisfaction of the great body of dissenters, who saw through the designs of the court, they were acquitted (June 30, 1688).

The birth of a son, at this juncture, made the people-still more dissatisfied with the king, as they knew the child would be educated in the Roman Catholic faith; and a few noblemen and gentlemen invited William, Prince of Orange, the husband of James's daughter, and a zealous supporter of the Protestant interest, to come over to England and aid the people in the vindication of their liberty, civil and religious.

The Prince landed at Torbay (Nov. 5), and in the course of a few days some of the most influential of the nobility went over to his side: even the Princess Anne deserted her father, who, falling from the height of presumption to the abyss of despair, after one unsuccessful attempt, escaped from the country and safely reached France.

A convention parliament' was summoned by William; and they came to the resolution that James having endeavoured to subvert the constitution, and having abdicated the kingdom, the throne was vacant; and they further resolved that the country could not consistently with its security be governed by a Roman Catholic. It was first proposed either to make Mary Queen-regnant, or William Regent, but he declined to have any share in the administration, except as sovereign. It was therefore determined that William and Mary should be King and Queen, but that all power should be vested in the former. Declaration of Rights was drawn up to which they assented, and they were thereupon accepted as sovereigns of the realm. The proceedings connected with the abdication of James, and the accession of his son-in-law and daughter, constitute what is known as the Revolution of 1688.

A

Death.-James survived the loss of his kingdom a few years. He died at St. Germains, Sept. 6, 1701.

ELEMENTS OF THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

WILLIAM III AND MARY II.

Reigned conjointly from 1689 to 1694.

William reigned alone from 1694 to 1702. Birth.-William was born at the Hague, Nov. 4, 1650; Mary was born April 30, 1662.

Descent.-William was the son of Mary (daughter of Charles I) and William II, stadtholder of Holland. The latter was the grandson of William, the liberator of the United Provinces. Mary II was the daughter of James II. William and Mary died without issue.

Important Events.-In the first session of the convention parliament a Mutiny Act was passed, as an outbreak had taken place in some Scottish regiments; and a Toleration Act was agreed to, which enabled all Protestant dissenters, except those who denied the Trinity, to carry on their worship without hindrance. In the second session the Bill of Rights was passed, which was, in effect, the same as the Declaration of Rights. It prohibited (except by parliamentary authority) the suspending of, or dispensing with, acts of parliament-the levying of money for the use of the crown-the keeping of a standing army in time of peace; and it declared that subjects have the right to petition the crown-that persons ought to be fairly tried, and if convicted not excessively punished-that elections of members of parliament ought to be free-and that they ought to be allowed liberty of speech.

Before the commencement of the second session, James landed in Ireland, accompanied by a body of adherents and French auxiliaries (March 12, 1689); and his troops laid siege to Londonderry, which heroically resisted them, and was relieved by General Kirke, after a siege of 105 days (July 30). The Enniskilleners, on the same day, defeated some of James's Irish followers at NEWTON BUTLER.