as much by his Dilatorinefs, as he did now by his Hafte; for when the Lord Churchill deferted him at Salisbury, he fent Orders immediately to feize all his Papers at Whitehall, before he had fecur'd either his Lady or the Princefs; which was only frightening the one and disobliging the other.

When the King was return'd from Salisbury, his Council was reduc'd within a very narrow Compafs; and, fince he ever before thought no Body entirely in his Intereft, except they were of his Religion alfo, at this fufpicious Time he confulted with a few Papifts only; who unanimously advis'd him to fly, because they might hope to keep an Intereft with him remaining in France, whither they were now forc'd to escape themselves.

The King, however, refolv'd to try one Remedy firft, or at least by that to disguise his intended Flight the better; and therefore fummoned all the Peers in Town to a Kind of general Council in Whitehall; at which fome of the Bifhops, as well as temporal Lords, open'd their Grievances fo boldly, that he condefcended to fend two of them, viz. the Marquis of Hallifax and the Earl of Nottingham, as his Commiffioners to the Prince of Orange; joining the Lord Godolphin with them, who was the only Man that had the Cunning, or elfe the good Fortune, to be at once in fome Favour with both the King and Prince of Orange.

In the mean Time he fent away the Queen in all Haste and Privacy, under the Conduct of Monf. de Lauzun, who took with her him who is now call'd the Chevalier de St. George.

Just as he was stepping into Bed, the Night before his going away, the Earl of Mulgrave happened to come into the Bed-chamber; which being at fo late an Hour, might poffibly give the King fome Appre

henfion

henfion of that Lord's fufpecting his Defign, with which he was refolv'd not to truft him, nor any o ther Proteftant whatsoever: He therefore stopp'd fhort, and turn'd about to whisper him in the Ear, that his Commiffioners had newly fent him a very hopeful Account of fome good Accommodation with the Prince of Orange; to which that Lord only reply'd with a Question, asking him if the Prince's Army halted, or approach'd nearer to London? The King own'd they still march'd on, at which the other fhook his Head and faid no more; only made him a low Bow with a dejected Countenance, humbly to make him understand, that he gave no Credit to what the King's Circumstances at that Time oblig'd him to diffemble.

Thus referv'd was the King to every Body about his withdrawing himself. The mysterious Carriage of this abfconding coft the Lord Chancellor Jefferies his Life, (a Thing indeed of little Value to any Body befides himself) who died afterward in Prifon, for Want of having the fame Warning given him to escape, which had been given to the Earl of Melford and Father Peters. The Nuntio also escaped very narrowly, after having ftol'n away to Gravefend behind the Coach of an Envoy of Savoy.

But to return to the King. At Three o'Clock in the Morning he withdrew himself by a back Way out of the Bed-chamber, commanding the Duke of Northumberland (whom he left there on a Pallet Bed, according to the Cuftom of his Place of Gentleman of the Bed-chamber in Waiting not to open the Door before his ufual Hour of rifing; at which Time feveral Perfons of Quality, according to Cuftom, being come to attend him at his Levee, divulg'd the News immediately of his being gone away.

From

From this Time forwards, 'till the King's Return to Kent, thefe Lords met every Day in the Councilchamber at Whitehall, and by that prevented the Unruliness of the Rabble; who, the firft Hour after the King's abfconding, pull'd down the Houfes of the Florentine Envoy, and the Spanish Ambassador: The laft of whom had full Amends made him, notwithstanding fo high an Infolence; for the Earl of Mulgrave (tho' his Mafter was gone, and his Staff laid afide) yet thought the Honour of the Nation fo much concern'd, that he prefum'd to take upon himfelf to order an Apartment in Whitehall immediately, and a great Table to be kept for him twice a-Day, with Yeomen of the Guard to attend in his outward Room, (which they never do but on the King only) for which Strain of Authority he had the Fortune to be thank'd by the Prince of Orange. This was the highest Refpect that could poffibly be paid to the King of Spain his Mafter; and yet for himself a better Reparation was made afterward by King William, who gave him 17,000 l. in lieu of his Loffes; but it rather was for his good Service in perfuading all the House of Austria to acknowledge him King.

All this was after the King's being difcover'd in Kent, before which Time the Peers fat daily in the Council-chamber at Whitehall; where the Lord Mulgrave one Morning happened to be advertis'd privately, that the King had been feiz'd by the angry Rabble of Feversham, and had fent a poor Countryman with the News, in order to procure his Rescue; which was like to come too late, fince the Meffenger had waited long at the Council-door, without any Body's being willing to take Notice of him. This fad Account mov'd him with Compaffion, at fuch an extraordinary Inftance of worldly Uncertainty; and no Cautions of offending the prevailing Party were

able

able to restrain him from fhewing a little Indignation at fo mean a Proceeding in the Council. Upon which their new Prefident adjourn'd it haftily, in order to prevent him; but that Lord earnestly conjur'd them all to fit down again presently, that he might acquaint them of a Matter which admitted of no Delay, and was of the highest Importance imaginable. Accordingly the Lords, who knew nothing of the Business, could not but hearken to it; and thofe few that guess'd it and saw the Confequence, yet wanted Time for concerting enough together, about fo nice and fo very important a Matter. The Lords therefore fat down again; and he then reprefented to them, what a Barbarity it would be for fuch an Affembly to connive at the Rabble's tearing in Pieces even any private Gentleman, much more a Prince: So that they fufpended their Politicks a-while, and call'd in the Meflenger, who told them with Tears, how the King had with much Difficulty engag'd him to deliver a Letter from him, to any Perfons whom he could find, willing to fave him from fo imminent a Danger. The Letter had no Superfcription, and was to this Effect: To acquaint the Reader of it, that he had been discover'd in his Retreat by fome Fishermen of Kent, and fecur'd at first there by the Gentry, who were yet afterwards forc'd to refign him into the Hands of an infolent Rabble.

On fo preffing an Occafion, and now fo very publickly made known, the Council was furpriz'd and under fome Difficulty: At prefent it influenc'd them enough to make them fend two Hundred of the Lifeguard under their Captain the Earl of Feverfam, first. to rescue the King from all Danger of the common People, and afterward to attend him to the Sea-fide, if he continued his Refolution of retiring; which

they

they thought it more decent to connive at, than to detain him here by Force.

But it feems he was prevail'd on to lay afide, or rather defer his Journey to France, 'till a farther Opportunity; and it is not unlikely, that trufting no Body at that Time, he might only pretend to be convinc'd of his Error in going away, in order to get a better Opportunity for it at London than he could hope for in that Country, where he was so narrowly watch'd. But whatever his Design was, the Shew of Welcome which attended his Coach thro' London, inclin'd him a little to flight his Friends; openly blaming all thofe Peers, who, in his Abfence, and out of mere Neceffity, had taken on themselves a Power that was fo very ufeful to the publick Quiet.

The King's Return alter'd all the Measures taken in the Prince of Orange's Camp; which was by this Time become a Court, and all Places fuppos'd to be. at their Difpofal. The Prince (who needed Counfel, had now more Occafion than ever to affemble all thofe about him, who were either of Quality or Confideration enough for it) at laft refolv'd to connive at the King's going into France, and to preserve him from Violence in order to it.

According to this Defign of forcing him away by the Defpair of any Accommodation, the Earl of Feverfham (whom the King fent to the Prince) was clapt into Prifon immediately; and Mr. Zuyleftein was fent in all Hafte to Kent, to forbid the King's approaching to London.

But the King was arriv'd there before; which oblig'd the Prince to dally no longer, and to fend three Lords in fuch a Manner, as might feem almoft to pronounce his Doom. They came about Midnight, and defir'd Admittance to his Bed-fide; where the Marquis of Hallifax inform'd him from the Prince,

that