On the fourteenth of September, his majesty's baggage was sent down the Maese to the Briel, and on the sixteenth, the king and prince, having taken leave of the states' deputies, who, with a great number of nobility and gentry, waited upon them to the sea side, embarked at Orange Polder, about one o'clock in the afternoon, his majesty aboard the Peregrine, and the prince on board the William and Mary yacht, and, happy accession to the throne, which I would have done myself the honour of doing sooner, had I not hoped to have the pleasure of doing it ere now. "I am afraid I may have had the misfortune of being misrepresented to your majesty, and my reason of thinking so is, because I was, I believe, the only one of the late queen's servants, whom your ministers here did not visit; which I mentioned to Mr. Harley and the earl of Clarendon, when they went from hence to wait on your majesty; and your ministers carrying so to me, was the occasion of my receiving such orders, as deprived me of the honour and satisfaction of waiting on them and being known to them. "I suppose I had been misrepresented to them by some here, upon account of party, or to ingratiate themselves by aspersing others, as our parties here too often occasion; but I hope your majesty will be so just, as not to give credit to such misrepresentations. "The part I acted in bringing about and making of the Union, when the succession to the crown was settled for Scotland on your majesty's family, where I had the honour to serve as secretary of state for that kingdom, doth, I hope, put my sincerity and faithfulness to your majesty out of dispute. My family had the honour, for a great tract of years, to be faithful servants to the crown, and have had the care of the king's children (when king of Scotland) intrusted to them. A predecessor of mine was honoured with the care of your majesty's grandmother when young; and she was pleased afterwards to express some concern for our family in letters, which I still have, under her own hand. "I had the honour to serve her late majesty, in one capacity or other, ever since her accession to the crown. I was happy in a good mistress, and she was pleased to have some confidence in me, and regard for my service; and since your majesty's happy accession to the crown, I hope you will find that I have not been wanting in my duty, in being instrumental in keeping things quiet and peaceable in the country to which I belong and have some interest in. "Your majesty shall ever find me as faithful and dutiful a subject and servant, as ever any of my family have been to the crown, or as I have been to my late mistress the queen. And I beg your majesty may be so good not to believe any misrepresentations of me, which nothing but party hatred, and my zeal for the interest of the crown doth occasion; and I hope I may presume to lay claim to your royal favour and protection. As your accession to the crown hath been quiet and peaceable, may your majesty's reign be long and prosperous; and that your people may soon have having joined the squadron of Dutch and British men of war that waited for them, under the command of admiral Berkely, at the mouth of the Maese, sailed for England with a fair wind. Next day, about nine in the evening, they arrived safe at the Hope, near Gravesend, where they anchored till next morning, when, there being a thick fog, the yachts did not go up the river till the afternoon. The magistrates of Gravesend the happiness and satisfaction of your presence among them, is the earnest and fervent wishes of him who is with the humblest duty and respect, Sir, Your majesty's most faithful, Most dutiful, and most obedient Subject and servant, MAR." " Whitehall, August 30th, O. S. 1714. The following is the address of the Highland chieftains above mentioned : May it please your majesty, "We of the chief heritors and others in the Highlands of Scotland under subscribing, beg leave to express the joy of our hearts at your majesty's happy accession to the crown of Great Britain. Your majesty has the blood of our ancient monarchs in your veins, and in your Your majesty's family; may that royal race ever continue to reign over us. princely virtues, and the hope we have in your royal family of an uninterrupted succession of kings to sway the British sceptre, must extinguish these divisions and contests, which in former times too much prevailed, and unite all who have the happiness to live under your majesty, into a firm obedience and loyalty to your majesty's person, family, and government; and as our predecessors have for many ages had the honour to distinguish themselves by their loyalty, so we do most humbly assure your majesty, that we will reckon it our honour stedfastly to adhere to you, and with our lives and fortunes to support your crown and dignity against all opposers. "Pardon us, great Sir, to implore your royal protection against any who labour to misrepresent us, and who rather use their endeavours to create misunderstandings, than to engage the hearts of your subjects to that loyalty and cheerful affectionate obedience which we owe, and are ready to testify towards your majesty. Under so excellent a king, we are persuaded, that we, and all your other peaceable faithful subjects, shall enjoy their just rights and liberties, and that our enemies shall not be able to hurt us with your majesty, for whose royal favour we presume humbly to hope, as our forefathers were honoured with that of your majesty's ancestors. Our mountains, though undervalued by some, are nevertheless acknowledged to have, in all times, been fruitful in producing hardy and gallant men, and such we hope shall never be embracea the opportunity of waiting upon his majesty, with a loyal address, congratulating him on his accession to the throne, and his safe arrival in Britain; they were graciously received, and had the honour of kissing hands on the occasion. About noon the yachts weighed anchor and sailed up the river. After sailing some miles above Gravesend, the king and the prince went into a barge, which landed them at wanting amongst us, who shall be ready to undergo all dangers in defence of your majesty's, and your royal posterity's, only rightful title to the crown of Great Britain. Our behaviour shall always witness for us, that, with unalterable firmness and zeal, we are, May it please your majesty, Alex. M'Donell of Glengarie Farq. M'Gilleray of Dunmaglass D. Mackdonald Rod. Chisholm of Comer Jo. Grant of Glenmoristone Your majesty's most loyal, Alex. M'Donell of Easter Cullachy Jo. M'Donell of Oberchalder Most obedient, and most dutiful Tavish McTavish Pellelyne Lachlan M'Kinnon of Breckinsh Alexander Fraser of Glenuakie MacLeane of that Ilk Jo. M'Lennon of that Ilk Do. M'Leod of Contalich, tutor of M Donald McLeod of Talasker AL M'Donald of Achnackoichine John Fraser of Drumond Alexander M'Kenzie of Fraserdale W. Mac Donell of Keappoch Ronald McDonald of Coronsie Greenwich about six o'clock in the evening. The duke of Northumberland, captain of the lifeguards, being in waiting, with the lord chancellor, at the head of the lords of the regency, received his majesty at his landing, and complimented him on his safe arrival. His majesty thereafter walked to his house in the park, accompanied by the most of the nobility, and a vast number of the principal gentry, and an incalculable multitude of people, who rent the air with their joyful acclamations, and the night concluded with bonfires, illuminations, and other demonstrations of public joy. The duke of Marlborough, who, under the malevolent influence of the faction that misgoverned the nation during the last years of the queen, had been necessitated to go into a kind of voluntary exile, returned to England the very day the queen died, and, as the tories were in the wane, was received by the people of England with a warmth of affection somewhat proportioned to his extraordinary merits; and now, appearing at court with his usual splendour, was looked upon as already commander-in-chief, in room of the duke of Ormond. The duke of Argyle was also particularly distinguished, and was made groom of the stole to the prince, as an acknowledgment for his firmness to the protestant succession. There were also some others advanced to places of honour and profit, while his majesty had yet advanced no further than Greenwich. On Monday the twentieth, the king and the prince passed from Greenwich, through the city of London, to the royal palace of St. James, with great magnificence, preceded by more than two hundred coaches of the nobility and gentry, each with six horses, the juniors marching first. The procession was met in Southwark, by the lord mayor, aldermen, recorders, sheriffs and officers of the city, on horseback, all Tho. Fraser of Dunballoch Hugh Fraser of Little Struie Alex. Fraser of Belnain Hector MacLean of Coll Don. MacLean of Drimgigha younger Lauchlan M Lean of Drimgigha elder in their robes, forming a splendid addition to the already gorgeous pageant. His majesty was welcomed to his palace by three discharges of the park guns, and the evening concluded with all the usual demonstrations of public joy. On the twenty-second the court was numerous and brilliant, and several foreign ministers, particularly those of France, Poland, Prussia, and Sicily, took that opportunity to compli ment his majesty upon his happy succession and safe arrival. The council convened the same day, and the members present were, the lord chancellor, the dukes of Somerset, Northumberland, Bolton, Devonshire, Marlborough, Montrose, Roxburgh, and Kent, the marquises of Lindsay, Dorchester, and Annandale; the earls of Sunderland, Clarendon, Anglesea, Carlisle, Radnor, Rochester, Abingdon, Oxford, Wharton, Cholmondely, Marr, Loudon, Findlater, Orkney, Hay, Oxford, Portmore, and Orrery; the lord viscount Townshend, the bishop of London; the lords Paget, Berkeley, Guilford, Somers, Guernsey, Mansel, Trevor, Lansdown, Bingley, and Coningsby; secretary Bromley, the vice-chamberlain Coke, the chancellor of the exchequer, the lord chief justice Parker, Sir John Holland, Sir Richard Onslow, Mr. Smith, Mr. Vernon, Mr. Erle, and Mr. Hill. Coming into the council his majesty declared, that he understood the law required him at his accession to the crown to take and subscribe the oath relating to the security of the church of Scotland, which he was ready to do this first opportunity. His majesty accordingly took the said oath with the greatest cheerfulness, in the following words: "I George, king of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. do faithfully promise and swear, that I will inviolably maintain and preserve the settlement of the true protestant religion, with the government, worship, discipline, rights and privileges of the church of Scotland, as established by the laws made there, in prosecution of the claim of right, and particularly by an act, entitled, act for securing the protestant religion and presbyterian church government; and by the acts passed in the parliaments of both kingdoms, for union of the two kingdoms. So help me God." After taking this oath, his majesty subscribed two instru |