8

ITS EFFECT UPON THE CLERGY.

dignity and authority; that she would no more be insulted by schismatics and fanatics; that her majesty was the true defender of the church; and that she had recommended to them a zealous concern for the interests of the church; and they would not let slip the occasion. They publicly declared, that zeal for the interest and safety of the church could be capable of no other construction, but zeal to pull down the pride and insolence of schismatics; that the church's enemies must be destroyed, and faction rooted out; and there could be no zeal for the church, but such as consisted in ridding her for ever of the fear of her enemies. That the church had no enemies now in her view but the fanatics; that the Papists were sufficiently fenced against by the laws, and the aversion of the people to the idolatry of the Romish worship; but that the Presbyterians were a viperous brood nourished in our own bowels, who had taken advantage of the circumstances of the nation, under the late administrations, to get a kind of legal admission, which they pretended to call an establishment; that all along, under the shadow of this lenity and forbearance, they had encroached on the very essential privileges of the church, undermining her foundation, and that now was the time to recover themselves when supported by a true Church of England queen, her majesty also having invited them to it by her most gracious speech, and with promises of her favour and affection.

"With this, they forget not to fill the whole nation with the most scandalous, odious, and unjust reflections upon the person and government of the deceased king; representing his reign as fatal to the church, and dishonourable to the kingdom. In contempt of his actions and of his person, they formed two by-words, or proverbial phrases, which became the shibboleth of the day. These were, a heart intirely English,' and 'retrieving the nation's honour;' implying, that King William was not a native, and that the honour of the nation had suffered in his hands. But heaven has

H

REVIVAL OF MAY-POLES.

9

avenged his memory in both these, and therefore I take no further notice of it here. (B)

"This heat and fury of the clergy went to that heighth, that even it became ludicrous, and attended with all the little excesses which a person elevated beyond the government of himself by some sudden joy, is usually subject to. And, as a known author remarks, that upon the restoration of King Charles II., the excesses and transports of the clergy and people ran out into revels, may-poles, and all manner of extravagancies; so, at this time, there were more may-poles set up in one year in England, than had been in twenty years before. Ballads for the church was another expression of their zeal, wherein generally, the chorus or burthen of the song was, 'Down with the Presbyterians.' And to such a heighth were things brought, that the Dissenters began to be insulted in every place; their meeting-houses and assemblies assaulted by the mob; and even their ministers and preachers were scarce admitted to pass the streets.'

The frenzy of the people, excited by the bigotry and violence of high-churchmen, reminded many sober people of the times that followed the restoration; and it was the personal character of the sovereign only that prevented them from running to the same excess of riot. By the discouragement that had been given to vice in the late reign, the may-poles mentioned by De Foe, were become innocent ornaments, rather than signals of triumph, or ensigns of drunkenness, and in many places grew quite out of use, so that the custom was become obsolete and forgotten. Of their revival at this time, and the scenes of riot with which they were connected, De Foe, who was an eye-witness, gives the following representation:

"No sooner was King William dead, and the queen come

(B) The queen had used the above expressions in her speech to the parliament.

* Present State of Partics, pp. 15-18.

10 DE FOE'S ACCOUNT OF THE EXCESSES OF THE TIMES.

to the crown, but the gentlemen of the high-church, mistaking her majesty in this, as well as in all the rest of her meaning, began to lay the same foundation of riotous triumph as formerly; for they looked on the queen's coming to the crown as a mere restoration, and were resolved it should restore the crimes as well as the person; of whom they began to value themselves on account of the line, and the divine right of succession: universal revels filled their houses, and general drunkenness began to revive. And I appeal to common knowledge, if in the first half-year of her present majesty, almost all the may-poles in England were not repaired and re-edified, new painted, new hung with garlands, and beautified? And whether there were not more new may-poles erected than had been in twenty years before? Let any man as he goes through a town having a fine painted may-pole, enquire when it was last repaired or set up p? and I hold five to one, that 'tis answered in the year 1702. And what was the meaning of it? Not that they could see any hopes in the example of her majesty, to think this vice of drunkenness and revelling should receive any encouragement there. The constant practice of the queen must stop the mouth of such a scandal; and if they had discretion little enough to think so, her majesty has given them room enough since to find their mistake. But the case is plain: They thought the day their own at court, and away they went with the mistake, and immediately fell to concerting measures with the people. Upon this proceeding, up went the may-poles, that the church's health might be drank, till the people not only knew not what they did, but might be ready to do they knew not what, to the demolishing the church's pretended enemies, the Dissenters, and pulling down all manner of union in the nation. Nor were the may-poles in the towns only; but one would have thought they had had may-poles in their heads too, for no men but such as were bewildered in their understandings,

VIOLENCE OF CHURCHMEN REPRESSED BY THE QUEEN. 11

could have been so weak as to think, that when her majesty recommended to them the care of the church, of religion, and the general safety, that therefore all the revelling, the liberty, and a loose to all manner of riot, must be the first demonstration of their obedience to the queen's command."*

These violent proceedings were happily of short continuance. "Upon a discovery of their error," observes De Foe, "her majesty found a necessity, first gently, with her usual goodness and clemency, to admonish and exhort them to peace and union, and to live in amity and charity with their brethren. To remove the alarm which their presumption had caused among the Dissenters, who, not without good grounds, began to look for a storm of persecution, as well as civil oppression, her majesty found it convenient to give the Dissenters a public assurance of her royal protection, and on all occasions to mention her gracious resolution to preserve the Toleration, which her majesty saw was necessary to secure that entire confidence in her general care, which wise princes have found necessary to preserve in all their subjects."+

This conduct of the queen produced great discontent in the high-churchmen, who threw out disrespectful reflections upon their sovereign, accusing her of turning about and deserting the church, which they now represented to be in danger. But, by their absurd proceedings, they dug a pit for themselves, into which they were eventually precipitated. The persons who are supposed to have had the most influence in moderating the measures of the government, were the Earl of Marlborough and Lord Godolphin, who held situations of great trust and importance, and saw the necessity of deserting the high-church party, upon a conviction of the propriety of milder proceedings. Some years afterwards, it was discovered, that Prince George of Denmark, the queen's husband,

12

EXPEDITION TO CADIZ.

maintained a great ascendancy over her mind; and the preference which he gave to Whig principles, induced him to add all his weight to their support.*

The influence of the Tories at court, gave a decided character to the proceedings in parliament; but it was in the Commons chiefly that they proved their ascendancy. Notwithstanding the support they had given to the Act of Settlement in the former reign, they now received it with less cordiality; an important clause for the security of the Hanoverian succession being carried by only a single vote. Some political prosecutions that were instituted by both parties under the law of libel, equally manifested the disposition of the Court, and the bias of justice in the different sentences passed upon their respective adherents.

As the Tories had condemned the Partition Treaty, and denounced vengeance upon its authors, it was scarcely to be expected that they would promote a war for the accomplishment of its objects. Upon this point the ministers were divided; but it was a measure now become popular both in and out of parliament, and the influence of Marlborough in all probability turned the scale. In compliance with the general feeling, the queen declared war against France and Spain, the fourth of May, 1702; and the success that marked its progress, shed a splendour over a reign which would otherwise have been chiefly remembered for its domestic broils.

The unsuccessful issue of an expedition that was sent out to Cadiz in the course of this summer, under the command of Sir George Rooke and the Duke of Ormond, furnished De Foe with the subject for a satire, under the title of "The Spanish Descent: a Poem, Lond. 1702," 4to, reprinted in the first volume of his writings. Whatever might have been the intention of the government at home in planning the expe

* Oldmixon's Hist. Engl. ui. 275, 287.