Chap. · XII. The HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANS.' been ·taken to fatisfy the proteil:ant part of the nation, that the queen was king with child, though it was ridiculed in pamphl~ts difperfed ?bout White- Ja~s/I. hall. None of the proteil:ant ladies were admitted to be with her when ~' ihe chang~d her linnen ; nor to fee the milk in her breail:s, nor to feel the child move within her; but all about her were italian womm. The place where her majcil:y was to lie in, was unknown till a few days before her delivery; and it was oddly circumfianced as to time, moll: of the proteftant ladies being out of the way, and preparing for church; the dutch ambaffarlor, then in town, was not called to be a witnefs, on behalf of the prince(s of Orange, the prefumptive heir; all being fini01ed in about two hours. The birth was attended with great rejoicings of the popilh party; a day of public thankfgiving was appointed, on which occafion a form of thankfgiving was prepared by the biihop of Rochefter .; and a new fet of congratulatiom fent up from all parts of the kingdom. Biihop Burnet, Mr. Eachard, and others, have examined into the le– gitimacy of this birth with all poffible exaCl:nefs, but have left the mat– ter under great uncertainties. Some have pronounced it fuppofititious, and no better than the Jail: delperate effort of the popiih party to perpetuate their religion. Others, who credit the birth; have affigned very plaufible reafons to fufpeet, that the prifent pretender was not the queen's child, but anothers, clandefiinely fubfiituted. Biihop Burnet is of opinion, that the proofs of its legitimacy were defective. However all the hopes of a proteil:ant fucceffor feemed now at an end, and tht: joys of the papifl:s con– fummated ; the englijh reformation was expiring, and nothing ihort of a total fubvcrfion of the civil and ecclefiafiical eftablilhment to be expeCl:ed. . The princefs of Orange being thus cut off from the (ucceffion, hisPrince ,of highnefs gave greater attention to the ad vices he received from England, ofO~ange sex– the queen's having mifcarriedJome months before, and that therefore thepe 111011 ' prefent child mull: be fuppofititious. The church party beii1g drove by diftrefs from their favourite doCl:rine of non-rifif!ance, fled with others to the prince of Orange as their lafi refuge, and prayed him to come over to their rdcue; with this view, admiral Rz1fel and feveral eminent perfons, repaired to the Hague, on various plaufible pretences, but in reality to invite the prince, and concert meafures with him for his expedition to England, who received them favourably, and difcovered a good difpofition to efpoufe their caufe, confidering that his own right to the crown was now lofi, and that if popery was efl:ablifhed in England, Hollandand the reil: of the reformed interefi, mull: be expofed to the utmoil: hazard. Little perfuafion was wanting to prevail with theflates general to affiil: the englijh protefl:ants; but all the difficulty was ro keep it fecret, while they 5 H 2 wcre
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