Spotlight On: Glorious Revolution

• Why has James II made this address in this pamphlet? 
• What techniques of persuasion are used to appeal to the Lords in the pamphlet?  
• What is James II’s opinion of William of Orange in this pamphlet?  
• Why has James II included a statement from ‘Catherine R’ (Catherine of Braganza)? 
• What is the purpose of including statements from other women about the birth of his son? 
• What can we infer about James II’s views about kingship in the pamphlet? 
• This document is printed, but it reads like a personal letter. What might this reveal about the document’s audience and circulation at the time? 
• How did religion become such a contentious issue in the reign of James II? How does this relate to the Declaration of Rights featured in the video? 

To whom His Majesty Spake to this effect.

My Lords

I have called you together upon a very extraordinary Occasion; but extraordinary Diseases must have extraordinary Remedies. The Malicious Endeavours of my Enemies have so poisoned the Minds of some of my Subjects, that by the Reports I have from all hands, I have Reason to believe, That very many do not think this Son with which God hath blessed ME, to be Mine, but a Supposed Child. But I may say that by particular Providence, scarce any Prince was ever Born where there were so many Persons present.

I have taken this time to have the matter Heard and Examined here, Expecting that the Prince of Orange, with the first Eastwardly Wind will Invade this Kingdom: And as I have often ventured My life for the Nation before I came to the Crown, So I think My Self more obliged to do the same, now I am KING, and do intend to go in person against him, whereby I may be exposed to Accidents and therefore I thought it necessary to have this now done in order to satisfy the minds of My Subjects and to prevent this Kingdom being engaged in confusion after My Death, desiring to do always what may contribute most to the Ease and Quiet of My Subjects which I have shewed by securing to them their Liberty of Conscience and the Enjoyment of their properties, which I will always preserve.

I have desired the Queen Dowager to give Her Self the trouble to give Herself the trouble to come hither, to declare what she knows of the Birth of My Son, and most of the Ladies, Lords and other Persons who were present are ready here to Depose upon Oath their Knowledge of this Matter.

Whereupon the Queen Dowager was pleased to say,

That when the King sent for her to the Queens Labour, she came as soon as she could, and never stirred from her till she was Delivered of the Prince of Wales.

Catherine R.

…

Anne Countess of Aran Deposeth [person making a statement under oath]

That she went to the Queen from Whitehall to St James’s as soon as she heard that her Majesty was in Labour; When she came, she found the Queen in Bed, complaining of little Pains: The Lady Sunderland, Lady Roscommon, Mrs Labadie, and the Midwife, were on the side of the bed where the Queen lay; and this Doponent, with a great many others, stood on the other side all the time till the Queen was Delivered; As soon as her Majesty was delivered, she said O Lord, I don’t hear the Child cry, and immediately upon that, this Deponent did hear it Cry, and saw the Midwife take the Child out of the Bed, and give it to Mrs Labadie, who carried it into the little Bed-Chamber, where she, this Deponent, followed her, and saw that it was a Son, and that likewise she, the Deponent, hath several times seen milk run upon the Queen’s Smock during her being with Child.

A. Aran

Penelope Countess of Peterborow, Deposeth

That she was often with the Queen, while her Majesty was last with child, and saw the Milk often upon her Majesties Smock, when she, the Deponent, took it off from the Queen; and often saw her Majesties Belly so as it could not be otherwise but that she was with child. That the said Deponent stood by the Bedside on the 10thJune of last in the Morning while the Queen was Delivered of the Prince of Wales.

P. Peterbrow.

…

• Why do you think William of Orange chose to publish this ‘Declaration’? 
• How does he justify his decision ‘to appear in arms’ in England? 
• Who does William of Orange suggest is responsible for overturning ‘the Religion, Laws, and Liberties’ of the country? 
• How does this document relate to Document 1, the pamphlet from James II? 

THE DECLARATION

OF HIS HIGHNESS

William Henry

by the Grace of GOD,

PRINCE of ORANGE, &c.

Of the REASONS inducing Him,

To appear in Arms, in the Kingdom of England, for

Preserving of the Protestant Religion, and for

Restoring the Laws and Liberties of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

It is both certain and Evident, to all men, that the Publick Peace and Happiness of any State or Kingdom, cannot be preserved, where the Laws, Liberties, and Customs established, by the Lawful authority in it, are openly Transgressed [violated] and Annulled [cancelled]: More especially where the alteration of Religion is endeavoured, and that a Religion which is contrary to Law is endeavoured to be traduced [disgraced]: Upon which those who are most Immediately Concerned in it, are Indispensably bound to endeavour to Preserve and maintain the established Laws, Liberties and Customs; and above all the Religion and Worship of God, that is Established among them; And to take such an effectual care, that the Inhabitants of the said State or Kingdom, may neither be deprived of their Religion, nor of their Civil Rights. Which is so much the more Necessary, because the Greatness and Security both of Kings, Royal Families, and all such as are in Authority, as well as the Happiness of their Subjects and People, depend, in a most especial manner, upon the exact observation, and maintenance of these their Laws, Liberties, and Customs.

Upon these grounds it is, that we cannot any longer forbear, to Declare that to our great regret, we see that those Councellours, who have row the chief credit with the King, have overturned the Religion, Laws, and Liberties of those Realms: and subjected them in all things relating to their Consciences, Liberties, and Properties, to Arbitrary Government; and that not only by secret and indirect ways, but in open and undisguised manner. Those Evil Councellours, for the advancing and colouring this, with some plausible pretexts, did Invent and set on foot, the Kings Dispensing Power, by virtue of which they pretend…

• Why is James criticised in the first instance in this document? 
• What do the terms lords ‘spiritual’ and lords ‘temporal’ mean? 
• Why is this Declaration made by lords ‘spiritual’, lords ‘temporal’ and Commons in Westminster? 

Die Martis xii Februarii 1689 [On Tuesday 12th February 1689]

The Declaration of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons Assembled at Westminster

Whereas the late King James the Second, by the assistance of divers [several] evil counsellors, judges and ministers employed by him, did endeavour to subvert and extirpate [destroy] the Protestant religion and the laws and liberties of this Kingdom:

…

• Is it accurate to say that James II ‘abdicated the government’ according to this extract of the ‘Declaration of Rights’? 
• What reason is given to justify William of Orange’s invasion? 
• Why is parliament due to sit in January 1688 [old style date]? 
• What does the following statement from the Declaration mean: ‘the execution of laws by regal authority without consent of Parliament is illegal’ 
• Why was this considered an important right for parliament and people? 

…

And whereas the said late King James the Second having abdicated the government and the throne being thereby vacant, his Highness the Prince of Orange (whom it hath pleased Almighty God to make the glorious instrument of delivering this kingdom from popery and arbitrary [unrestrained] power) did (by the advice of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and divers principal persons of the Commons) cause letters to be written to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal being Protestants, and other letters to the several counties, cities, universities, boroughs and cinque ports, for the choosing of such persons to represent them as were of right to be sent to Parliament, to meet and sit at Westminster upon the two and twentieth day of January in this year one thousand six hundred eighty and eight [old style date], in order to such an establishment as that their religion, laws and liberties might not again be in danger of being subverted, upon which letters elections having been accordingly made.

And thereupon the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons, pursuant [following] to their respective letters and elections, being now assembled in a full and free representative of this nation, taking into their most serious consideration the best means for attaining the ends aforesaid, do in the first place (as their ancestors in like case have usually done) for the vindicating and asserting their ancient rights and liberties declare

That the pretended [false] power of suspending the laws or the execution of laws by regal authority without consent of Parliament is illegal.

…

• What issue does each right listed in the ‘Declaration’ here address? 
• This is an extract from the ‘Declaration of Rights’. Find out what other rights were included in this ‘Declaration’. 

…

That levying money [raising taxes] for or to the use of the Crown by pretence of prerogative [right], without grant of Parliament, for longer time, or in other manner than the same is or shall be granted, is illegal.

That it is the Right of the Subjects to Petition the King and ask Commitments and Pretension for such Petitioning are illegal.

That the raising or keeping a standing army within the kingdom in time of peace, unless it be with consent of Parliament, is against law.

…

• How does this engraving aim to reveal the power and permanence of William and Mary’s monarchy? [Clue: comment on the Roman style of the work.] 
• How can this artwork be considered as propaganda for William of Orange’s invasion and joint monarchy? 
• Why is the printed material shown as documents 1, 2 & 4 helpful for historians researching the causes of the Glorious Revolution? What can be understood from these forms propaganda?