he impoſed a counterfeit Prince of Wales upon the Nation.[1]
Soon after he came to the Crown, the Duke of Monmouth landed, and in a few Weeks got together ſix or ſeven thouſand Men: But they having neither Arms or Proviſions, were eaſily defeated by not many more than 2000 of the King's Troops.[2] Which leaves a ſad Proſpect of the Conſequence of a Standing Army: For here was a Prince, the Darling of the common People, fighting againſt a bigotted Papiſt, that was hated and abhored by them, and yet defeated by ſo ſmall a Number of Men, and many of them too his Friends; ſuch is the Force of Authority. King James took occaſion from hence to increaſe his Army to between fifteen and ſixteen thouſand Men, and then unmaſked himſelf, called his Parliament, and in a haughty Speech told them, He had increaſed his Army, put in Officers not qualified by the Teſt, and that he would not part with them. He aſked a Supply, and let them know he expected their compliance. This was very unexpected to thoſe Loyal Gentlemen, who had given him ſuch a vaſt Revenue for Life, who refuſed to take any Security but his Majeſty's never-failing Word for the Proteſtant Religion, and indeed had done for him whatever he aſked; which yet was not very extraordinary, ſince he had the chooſing of moſt of them himſelf. But even this Parliament turned ſhort upon an Army; which puts me in mind of a ſaying of Machiavel, viz. That it is as hard a matter for a Man to be perfectly bad as perfectly good; though if he had lived at this Time, I believe he had changed his Opinion. The Court laboured the matter very much; and to ſhew that good Wits jump, they told us that France was grown formidable, that the Dutch Forces were much increaſed, that we muſt be ſtrong in proportion for the preſervation of ourſelves and Flanders, and that there was no Dependance upon the Militia. But this ſhallow Rhetoric would not paſs upon them. They anſswered, that we had defended ourſelves for above a thouſand Years without an Army; that a King's trueſt Strength is the Love of his People; that they would make the Militia uſeful, and ordered a Bill to be brought in to that Purpoſe. But all this ſerved only to fulfil their Iniquity; for they had done their own
- ↑ Mary's first child was stillborn, and rumors circulated around this pregnancy as well, all suggesting that the baby was not actually James and Mary's. James defended the child's legitimacy in Parliament, but many doubted it even after evidence was provided.
- ↑ cf. the Monmouth Rebellion and the Battle of Sedgemoor
