The Crown is conferred on William and Mary. 167

that the Prince and Princess of Orange should be declared King and Queen of England for their joint and separate lives, and settled the succession first on the posterity of Mary, next on the Princess Anne and her children, and, after them, on the posterity of William by any other wife.

It is remarkable that in this great Declaration no mention was made of the resolution to which both Houses had lately come, that the profession of the Roman Catholic religion should disqualify any one from succeeding to the throne. Nor did the Lords take notice of the omission, but, on Monday, the 11th, passed the Declaration with a few verbal amendments.

The same evening the Princess, who had been detained for some days in Holland by foul winds, reached the English coast. Her vessel sailed up the Thames, and the next morning anchored at Greenwich. On the morning of the 13th, she with her husband held a grand Court in the noble banqueting-house of Whitehall Palace. A large body of Peers, headed by the Marquis of Halifax, and a still larger number of the House of Commons, headed by the Speaker Powle, came forward; and Lord Halifax, speaking for the whole Convention, prayed their Highnesses to hear the Declaration of Right, which had been agreed to by both the Houses. It was read by the Clerk of the House of Lords; and then Halifax preferred a second request, that their Highnesses would accept the Crown in accordance with the concluding terms of that Declaration. William in a brief speech "thankfully accepted," for himself and the Princess, what the Estates of the Realm offered them; promised to guide his conduct by the laws, to study in all matters to promote the welfare of the kingdom, and constantly to seek the advice of both Houses of Parliament. The members

of both Houses retired, descended into the Court-yard of the Palace, where the heralds were awaiting them, and then, amid the beating of drums and the flourishes of trumpets, the Chief Herald, Garter King at Arms, proclaimed William and Mary King and Queen of England; the surrounding populace ratified the proclamation and promised their loyal allegiance by enthusiastic cheers, and the English Revolution was completed.

CHAPTER IX.

State of feeling in Scotland during the last part of the Year 1688—A meeting of the leading Scotchmen takes place in London, Jan. 7th, 1689-They request him to convoke the Estates of Scotland--Great riots in Scotland-William's language on the subject of religion— The Estates are opened by a letter from William-He recommends an Union with England-Time-serving policy of the chief Scotch nobles ---The Estates declare William and Mary King and Queen of Scotland -They prefer a claim of right which abolishes episcopacy-Conduct of those who continue to adhere to James-Character and views of Lord Dundee He takes arms in the cause of James-The Battle of Killiecrankie and death of Dundee-Great importance of his loss.

BUT the decisions of an English Parliament had as yet no authority in Scotland or Ireland. Those two kingdoms were alike in this respect, though widely different in the view which they took of the recent events. In Scotland, where the vast majority of the people were Protestants, though of various denominations, James's policy and objects had long caused great discontent, though the presence of several English regiments in the country stifled its expression. But when they were withdrawn to make head against William in the south of England, the feelings of the people, the curb being removed, could no longer be restrained. They broke out in fierce riots, if it may not be said in open insurrection. Lord Perth, the Chancellor, was seized and thrown into prison. The Pope was burnt in effigy. Holyrood Palace, because the Royal Chapel had lately been

used for Roman Catholic worship, was broken into and plundered. The lords of the Privy Council, sharing the general enthusiasm, issued an order for disarming all Roman Catholics, and inviting all Protestants to come forward and defend the true religion. And, when it became known that James had fled from England, and that the administration was for the time in the hands of the Prince, a large party of Peers and gentlemen of influence went up to London to watch the course which events might take.

They reached London on the first day of the new year; and, on the 7th of January, William invited them to consult together, as he had formerly invited the leading Englishmen. They met under the presidency of the Duke of Hamilton, and after a long debate passed resolutions similar to those which the English Councillors had adopted a fortnight before; requesting the Prince to take upon himself the temporary administration of the Government, and to call together the Estates of Scotland, as he had already summoned the two Houses of the English Parliament. He willingly expressed his compliance with a request the expectation of which had been his chief reason for inviting their deliberations. The 14th of March was fixed for the meeting of the Estates; and Hamilton and his colleagues returned to their own country to prepare for it.

In one important respect William departed in Scotland from the line of conduct which he had observed in England. He took upon himself by his own authority to annul various sentences of forfeiture and deprivation which, within the last few years, had been passed against the Earl of Argyll and other Peers, and sent them or their representatives summonses to take their places in the Estates. And in the same manner he also repealed the law which required every

Riots in Scotland.

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elector for a county or borough to renounce the Covenant, and which thereby deprived the Presbyterians of the elective franchise; but both the acts were so completely in harmony with the national feeling that no complaint was made of such an exercise of his power, though no more arbitrary act had ever been committed by James, and though it was obviously intended to secure the presence of such Peers and such representatives of the people as should be favourable to the Prince's views.

Not, indeed, that these new regulations at first produced tranquillity. The Scotch elections were not conducted with the order and quiet that had distinguished those in England. In the northern kingdom, the Protestants were, perhaps, pretty equally divided between Episcopalians and Presbyterians; but the latter, who were drawn principally from the lower classes, regarded the former with a bitter enmity: and, even before the intelligence of the King's second flight had crossed the border, had begun to attack the established clergy with all the ferocity of fanaticism. In the blindness of their bigotry and rejection of all ancient ceremonies and observances, they had denounced the practice of keeping holy even those anniversaries which were connected with the name and life of the Redeemer himself; and now, to mark their hatred of those who regarded Christmas Day as a solemn and glorious festival, they selected it, especially in the western counties, for a general onslaught on all who did not share their prejudices. They broke into the vicarages of the clergy, tore their robes, beat them, carried them about their parishes in insulting processions; turned their wives and families out of doors, though the snow was on the ground; destroyed their furniture and property, locked or barred up the church doors; and threatened the priests