1709.. Great froft. "supplies found neceffary to the profecution of this war, with an augmentation of thofe forces, which, in con"junction with our allies, have, by God's affiftance, pro"cured us the prefent advantages over the common enemy. "Your chearfulness in giving fuch large fupplies at this "juncture, and the ready advances, which have been made "for their being effectual, with fo little burden to the "people, fhew, you perfectly understand how to make a "right ufe of our paft fucceffes, and that nothing is too dif"ficult for fo dutiful and affectionate fubjects, acting in de"fence of fo good a caufe. My lords and gentlemen, "Her majefty, through the whole courfe of her reign, "having been defirous to fhew all poffible instances of good"nefs and clemency to her fubjects, hath now, for the "ftrengthening the union, and quieting the minds of all her fubjects throughout the united kingdom, thought fit "to grant them an act of grace and free pardon, in a more "full and beneficial manner, than hath been formerly used; "not doubting, but all her people will make a right use “of, and suitable returns on their part, for fo extraordi"nary an indulgence. "Her majefty, having alfo been gracioufly pleafed to, "give the royal affent to the feveral bills you have prefent"ed during this feffion, commands us to obferve to you "on that occafion, that the life and benefit of all laws, "how wifely foever they are framed, do chiefly consist in a "due and regular execution of them, and therefore to ex"hort you, that, when you return to your countries, you "would think it indifpenfably your duty, to fet a good ex"ample towards an impartial and steady obfervation of the "many good laws, which have been enacted (especially "fince the late revolution) and which fall within your pro"vince to execute; it being but too evident, that the de"fect at prefent attending us is not fo much the want of new laws, as the neglect and difregarding thofe already "made." 66 After this the parliament was prorogued to the 19th of May. The feverity of the winter-feafon was very remarkable Hift. of Eur. this year; for it began to freeze, the night before Christ mas mas-day, with great violence, and not long after fell great. 1709. fnows. Thofe, who compared the great froft in 1683-4 with this, obferved, that the firft was generally a bright one, and continued above two months without interruption; but the latter moftly dark, and with fome intervals lafted a month longer; during which, many cattle, efpecially fheep, and likewife birds, perifhed. The Thames was frozen over, and, on the 3d of January, people began to erect booths, and fet up tents on the ice. It was alfo obferved, that the fummer, which fucceeded the froft in 1683-4, was exceffively hot and dry, affording in general great plenty of things neceflary for human life; but this proved very near as comfortless as the winter, by reafon of the coldness and moisture of the air, pouring almost continual rains on the earth, which, as it retarded the maturity of the fruits, fo, in many places, occafioned a thin harveft, and this a fcarcity of corn. This great froft was general in Europe, but moft feverely felt in France, where, in moft places, the fruit-trees were killed, and the corn frozen in the ground, which occafioned there a dreadful calamity and defolation. princes en Two young princes, near relations to the czar of Muf- Two Mufcovy, arriving in London in January, the queen gave or- covite ders for their being entertained at her charge, and attended tertained by by her officers; the princes, to fhew their grateful fenfe of the queen, thefe favours, defired an audience, to which, being introduced by Mr. Boyle, they inade their compliments to her majefty in Latin, acknowledging, with great refpects, the fingular marks of kindness, which fhe was pleased to heap upon them; and, at the fame time, congratulated her upon the fignal fuccefs of her victorious arms, and wifhed her a long continuation of the fame. To which the queen anfwered, That she had fo much efteem and friendship for his czarish majesty, that she could not but be very well pleafed to fee any fo nearly related to him in her kingdoms, and have an opportunity of fhewing her kindness and diftinction to them. She likewife thanked them for their congratulations and good wifhes,' adding, That fhe would endeavour to make their ftay here as agreeable to them, as fhe could.' Befides this compliment paid to the Trial about czar, in order to foften his refentment of the late affront the affair of offered to his ambaffador, an information was tried at the court of Queen's-Bench, before the lord-chief-juftice Holt, for the queen, against Thomas Mortan the laceman, and thirteen others, for meeting, confulting, and conspiring to I 4 arreft the Ruffian ambaffador. 1709. arreft and imprison the Mufcovite ambaffador, of which they were found guilty, the fpecial matter of the privilege of ambaffadors, to be argued before the judges the next term. There were prefent in court the earl of Sunderland, Mr. fecretary Boyle, the lord Hallifax, and several other perfons of quality (0). (0) The Muscovite ambaffador, feeing the flowness of the judicial proceedings in England, wrote expoftulatory letters to Mr. Boyle, who at laft affured him, That the laws of the kingdom could not admit of a final decifion till the next term that nothing had been omitted to procure all reparation, which the utmoft rigour of law could afford that a bill had, by the queen's order, been brought into the parliament for fecuring the privileges of ambaffadors and foreign ministers, to fhew how far fhe detefted the violence offered to his excellency's perfon and character: that the queen had no fooner notice, that the two young Muscovite princes, relations of the czar, were arrived in her kingdom, but the gave orders for their reception. In answer to this letter, the ambaffador replied, That if it was in the queen's power to confult the parliament about a law to fecure the immunities of foreign minifters, could not due meafures have been taken at the fame time for reparation of the paft affront? that it was a very eafy matter to do it, and was what the herfelf had caufed to be done in the cafe of her ambaf fador the earl of Manchefter at Venice. That as to the hopours lately done to two young noblemen, who were taken for Mufcovite princes, the czar reck On oned none but the imperial hereditary prince within the verge of his auguft houfe: that thefe were two young lords, who were a-kin to him, and were travelling incognito, but he did not defire they fhould be defrayed by any power, having wherewithal to bear their own charges. Several other letters paffed between Mr. fecretary Boyle and Mr. D'Ayrolle, the British fecretary at the Hague; but it having been found impracticable in England to inflict any legal punishment on thofe, who had affronted the ambassador, it was at last agreed between the two courts, that the queen, by way of fatisfaction, should make folemn excufes for the infufficiency of our former laws in that behalf. This was accordingly done by Mr. Whitworth, the queen's envoy extraordinary to the czar, in a fpeech at his public audience, on the 8th of February, 1709-10. Upon which the czar ordered his minifters to settle the affair with him in a conference, and the following articles were agreed on: 1. That the czarifh majefty accepted of the excufes, and was willing to forget the criminal proceedings of the authors of the affront, and defired they might be difcharged. z. That fatisfaction fhould be given to the ambaffador by a letter from the queen to repair his honour 3 and by a reimbursement of all the On the 3d of February, the queen, in council, was plea- 1709. fed to declare, That, the public bufinefs increafing, her majefty had thought fit to appoint a third fecretary of State The duke of Queensberry of Great-Britain; but that the intended, nevertheless, to made fecreta❤ continue, the foreign affairs, for the prefent, in the courfe ry of state. of dispatch they were now in.' Upon this the duke of Queenfberry was made third fecretary of ftate, and took for one of his under fecretaries Nicholas Rowe, famous for his dramatic performances. The convocation was fummoned, chofen and returned as The convo the new parliament was. It was too evident, that the fame cation put off by prorogaill temper, that had appeared in former convocations, did tion. ftill prevail, though not with fuch a majority: when the day came, in which it was to be opened, a writ was sent from the queen to the archbishop, ordering him to prorogue the convocation for fome months: and, at the end of these, there came another writ, ordering a further prorogation: fo the convocation was not opened during this feffion of parliament; by this, a prefent ftop was put to the factious temper of thofe, who ftudied to recommend themselves by embroiling the church. This did not cure them; for they continued ftill by libels and falfe ftories to animate their party. The most effectual encouragement to that end was, the fecret infinuation that the queen's heart was with them: that though the war, and the other circumstances of her affairs, obliged her at prefent to favour the moderate party, yet, as foon as a peace brought on a better fettlement, they promised themselves all favour at her hands. was not certain, that they had then any ground for this, or that she herself, or any by her order, gave them thefe hopes; but this is certain, that many things might have been done to extinguish thofe hopes, which were not done: so that they feemed to be left to please themselves with those expectations, which kept ftill life in their party; and indeed it was but too visible, that the much greater part of the clergy were in a very ill temper, and under very bad influences; enemies to the toleration, and foured against the diffenters. It ed to be offered him. 4. That About 1709. gainst the facramental About this time was published a letter from a gentleman in Scotland to his friend in England, against the facramental A letter a- teft; as inconfiftent with the union, dangerous to the ecclefiaftical conftitution of North-Britain, and to fuch parts of their civil constitution as are reserved to them: inconsistent with the civil intereft of Great-Britain in general; contrary to the defign of our Saviour's inftitution of the Lord'sfupper, and to the doctrine of the church of England: and an apology for this letter. teft. Calamy. Condemned to be burnt by the com. mons. The teft-act is here represented as contrary to the rules of religion, because it requires an end in receiving the facrament, that must prophane it, and fuch as bears no proportion to the original defign of it; and ufurps an authority,, which no power on earth can lay any juft claim to, to apply divine inftitutions to fuch ends, as only ferve the intereft of politic focieties; and obliges fuch as have any civil poft to take the facrament, without any regard to the fitness which the law of Chrift requires, for that folemnity. It looks as if it was no matter, how ill a character a person bore, if it can be covered with the name of churchman; which fhews, that it is not the honour of religion, but the fecular intereft of a party that is principally regarded. Whilft the houfe of commons, in January, were confidering a bill for the speedy and effectual recruiting the landforces and marines, by encouraging the parishes to provide Pr. H. C. them, this letter against the teft was difperfed by perfons unknown, at the door of the houfe. It was a fnare laid for the whig-members. By approving the letter and abolishing the teft, which bore fo hard upon the diffenters, and excluded the most rigid from places of truft, they alarmed the church, and furnished a fpecious pretence of afferting, the church was in danger. If the teft was preferved, notwithstanding the reafons alledged against it in the letter, the difputes about occafional conformity, which had been so troublesome in the former parliaments, would have revived and produced the fame animofities in this. The commons, being aware of thefe things, avoided the fnare, by condemning the letter, upon a complaint made to them of it, to be burnt for a scandalous, feditious libel, and the author and printer to be enquired after. Negotiations By this time the negotiations for a peace were begun at for a peace, the Hague (p). It has been already obferved, that, foon Burnet. Lamberti, after Conduct of (p) Dr. Hare in his piece inti-treaty peace in 1709 confidered: tuled, The negociations for a in a third letter to a tory-member the d. of Marlb having, |