Proteftant church for Paris ftood,) a great way farder of. It's reported, the learned Monfieur Claude, minifter at that church of Charenton, is very fick.

In December 1684, news came by fhips from the Eaft Indies that the Tartars had of new invaded China, and overrun and conquered all that great country, and had banished the factors, and refused any commerce or trade with Europe.

ANNUS 1685.

In the beginning of this year, on James Cathcart, a pretended mathematician or aftrologer, emitted a printed paper at Edinburgh, inviting any to come to him and get refolutions of any difficult quaeftions they had to afk, fuch as anent ther death, ther marriage, what husbands or wives they would get, and if they would profper and fucceed in fuch projects of love or journeyes, &c., and if a woman was with child of a boy or a girl, and other fuch curious things; as alfo, profeffed fkill to cure the French pox, and other difeafes. This was a great impudence in a Chriftian Commonwealth to avow fuch ane art, for if he had it by magick, then he was a forcerer, if not, he was ane impoftor and abufer of the peeple, which even is death by our 73 A& Parl. 1563; and in his paper he cited fome texts of Scripture allowing ane influence to the ftars; as

Ther was alfo, at the fame tyme, another printed program affixed by 2 fouldiers in Collonell Douglaffes regiment, to fhow ther skill in fencing, appealing on another at broad fword, dagger, fancion, and all the other weapons; they wounded on another flightly :-their was a litle money payed for a fight of this gladiatory joco-ferious divertishment.

Ther fell out a great plea, at this tyme, betuen the Prince of Orange and the town of Dort, he clameing the nomination of ther burgomasters and magiftrats, and they refuseing him the priviledge; it was manadged with great animofitie, but at laft the Court at the Hague gave fentence in favors of the Prince, and put him in poffeffion. What Amfterdam feared from the Prince we know not, but all ranks of peeple, great and small

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without exception, ware employed in repairing and fortifying their outworks and bulwarks, without fo much as fitting idle on the Sabbath day; and in the tyme of froft they threw water on ther ramparts, which frezing, made them so slidery that none could ftand or goe theirupon, which extorted laughter from others.

The Marquis De Grana, governor of the Netherlands, his 3 years being expired, it's reported, the King of Spain, his mafter, refolves to continue him longer theirin; tho ther bygane practife hes been for a triennial change, leift they should render themfelfes popular by a too long stay.

The few handfull of phanatick rebells left in the Weft turning very infolent, the Hy Treasurer (to put a rub on Claverhoufe, who had been lately ther in December laft, and could not wholly fuppreffe them,) caufes his brother, Collonell James Douglas, fele&t out of his wholle regiment 200 of his prettiest men, and by order from the Privy Counfell fends him against theffe rogues, that the glory of defaiting them might fall to his fhare. And accordingly Douglas, being on day in the fields in Galloway, with a small party of 8 or 10, he meits with as many of the rebells at a houfe, who kill tuo of his men and Captain Urquhart, Meldrum's brother, and had very near fhot Douglas himfelfe dead, had not the Whig's carabine mifgiven, wheron Douglas piftoled him prefently. Urquhart is the only staff officer this defperat crew have yet had the honor to kill; he was brought in to Edenbrugh, and buried with much refpect.

They came a company of them to Kirkcubright and killed 2 men, and caused a minifter called Mr. Shaw, to fwear he should never preach again in Scotland; and the Bifchops offering to loufe him from this oath as unlawfull, he refused ther abfolution, alledging, it would have been unlawfull to have fworne never to preach again, but he had only bound up himfelfe from preaching in Scotland, and tho extorted by fear of liffe, yet it was fafeft to keep it.

In Januar and Februar 1683, ware held by his Majefties order, Circuit

Jufticiarie courts, for voluntar offers of Ceffe, and taking the Teft by heritors within the toune of Edinburgh, the 3 fhires of Mid, Eift, and West, Louthians, for Fyffe, and Murray betuen Spey :-see it at lenth alibi.

On the 2d of Februar 1683, being Candlemaffe day, in the morning, our King fand himselfe ill when he rofe, and his tongue was observed to falter when he spoke; and having called for his barber, a convulfion fit of ane apoplexie feized upon him, and drew his mouth afyde; he lay fenceleffe in it ane hower and a halfe, and 12 unces of blood being drawen by a chirurgian near him, without phyfitians, for which he might be quæftioned, and couping glaffes applyed to his head, he started, but relapsed again, and lay in it fome howers, and his arme at which the blood was let withered. But he revived and continued in a hopefull way of recovery to the 5t day of Februar, being Thursday; and then the fits recurring, he fell fo weak that he difpaired of life, and very stayedly compofed himselfe to dy, called for his brother the Duke of Albany, craved him pardon if ever at any tyme he had offended him, and recommended to him the care of his Quean and children, and delivered him fome papers, and intreated him to maintain the Proteftant religion; and took very devotly the facrament from the hands of Doctor Can, Bifchop of Bath and Wells, and regraited he fhould be fo troublesome to his friends as to keip them from reft waiting on him. His Quean, throw fickneffe, not being able to come to him, fent to afk his pardon and how he was; he answered, "Ah, poor Lady, many a tyme have I wronged hir, but shee never did me wrong." He dyed peaceably on Friday at 12 a cloak of the day, being the 6t of Februar, being but 4 days ill. Immediatly the Duke of York called his counfell, and had words to this purpofe :-" My Lords, the Croun is now defchended upon me, I doe declare I will never alter the governement as it is now established, both in Church and State, and I will facrifice the laft drop of my blood to maintain the Proteftant religion, and as far as it lyes in me I will follow my late Brother's example." Yet his printed

fpeach (tho longer) is not fo full and fatisfactorie on the point of religion as this is. Then he took all his brother's Privy Counsellers fworne to him; and not only continued them, but by a printed Proclamation, continued all other judges and officers till he declared his farder pleasure, or confidered ther mifmanadgements. Then they with the Mair and sheriffs of London, proceided to the proclaiming him King; and expreffes ware dispatched away to Scotland and Ireland with the news. It arrived at Edinburgh on the 9t. at night late; and he was proclaimed King under the name of James the 7t the nixt morning, at the Mercat Croffe of Edinburgh, by the Chancelor, nobility, bifchops, and magiftrats, (fee it alibi ;) but peeples greiff was more then their joy, having loft ther dearly beloved King. He was certainly a prince (whoffe only weak fyde was to be carried away with the pleasure of weemen, which had wafted and decayP. 77. ed his bodie exceffively, tho he was only 55 years old,) indued with many

Royall qualities, and of whom the Divine providence had taken a speciall care by preferving him after Worcester fight in the oak, and bringing him miraculously home without a drop of blood fhed; fo that the Emperor of the Turks faid, if he ware to change his religion, he would choife to worship before any, the King of Brittain's God, who had done fuch wonderfull things for him. A ftar appeared at noon day at his birth; he was a great mathematician, chemist, and mechanick, and wrought oft in the laboratories himselfe; he had a naturall mildneffe and command over his anger, which never transported him beyond ane innocent puff and fpitting, and was foon over, and yet commanded more deference from his peeple than if he had expreffed it more feverely, fo great respect had all to him. His clemencie was admirable, witneffe his fparing 2 of Oliver Cromwell's fones, tho on of them had ufurped his throne. His firmeneffe in religion was evident; for in his banishment he had great invitations and offers of help to restore him to his croun if he would turne Papist, but he alwayes refufed it. As for his brother James, now our prefent King,