rative of the state of affairs, assuring her, "that if she considered it proper to insist on her lineal rights, he was certain that the convention would persist in declaring her sole sovereign." The princess answered, "that she was the prince's wife, and never meant to be other than in subjection to him, and that she did not thank any one for setting up for her an interest divided from that of her husband." Not content with this answer, she sent Danby's letter and proposals to her spouse in England.1 The national convention of lords and commons then settled, that the prince of Orange was to be offered the dignity of king of England, France, and Ireland, (Scotland being a separate kingdom); that the princess, his wife, was to be offered the joint sovereignty; that all regal acts were to be effected in their united names, but the executive power was to be vested in the prince. No one explained why the English convention thought proper to legislate for France and Ireland, while, at the same time, it left to Scotland the privilege of legislating for itself. The succession was settled on the issue of William and Mary; if that failed, to the princess Anne and her issue; and if that failed, on the issue of William by any second wife; and if that failed, on whomsoever the parliament thought fit.2 The elder portion of the English revolutionists were happy to find affairs settled in any way, but the younger and more fiery spirits, who had been inspired by romantic enthusiasm for the British heiress and a female reign, began to be tired of the revolution, and disgusted with the sullen selfishness of its hero. Their discontent exhaled in song : "All hail to the Orange! my masters, come on, I'll tell you what wonders he for us has done : He has pulled down the father, and thrust out the son, 1 Tindal's Continuation, pp. 86, 87. 2 Burnet and Rapin, vol. ii. folio, p. 794. 3 Contemporary MS. from the library of the Stuart-palace at Rome. It consists of the popular political songs of the English revolution, and was presented to the great English artist, sir Robert Strange, by the chevalier St. George, whose armorial insignia are on the binding. The volume preserves The prince of Orange, after the settlement was made to his own satisfaction, permitted his consort to embark for England; she had been ostensibly detained in Holland, while the succession was contested, by frosts and contrary winds. It is said that Mary was so infinitely beloved in Holland, that she left the people all in tears when she embarked, February 10th, to take possession of the English throne. She burst into tears herself, on hearing one of the common people express a wish "that the English might love her as well as those had done whom she was leaving." The embarkation of the princess took place at the Brill. The evening when the news arrived in London that the Dutch fleet, escorting the princess of Orange, was making the mouth of the Thames, the metropolis blazed with joyous bonfires. The pope, notwithstanding his deep enmity to James II., was duly burnt in effigy: he was provided with a companion, the fugitive father Petre. These were accompanied by a representative of the rival of the princess of Orange in the succession to the British throne, even the image of her poor little infant brother, the first time, perhaps, that a baby of six months old was ever executed in effigy. Many persons have heard that puppets, representing the "pope and pretender," were always consumed on the anniversaries of the Revolution, but few know how early the latter was burnt in these pageants, as a testimonial of respect to celebrate the landing and proclamation of his sister. "Aliment to the brutal passions was prepared," observes a French historian of this century,1 "being ignoble representations of the pope, father Petre, and the prince of Wales, which were thrown into the flames,—a spectacle agreeable to the multitude, no doubt; but even political expediency ought not to be suffered to outrage nature.” many curious traits of the people utterly lost to history. The author has been favoured, by the present accomplished lady Strange, with the loan of the manuscript. 1 Mazure, Révolution de 1688, p. 368. |