London and the Kingdom - Volume II | Page 3

of Indulgence. The trial of the
Seven Bishops. Invitation to William of Orange. Restoration of the
City's Liberties. The landing of the Prince of Orange. Attack on
Catholics. The King's flight. The Prince of Orange enters London. The
unique position of, and deference shown to, the City of London. A
Convention Parliament summoned. A City loan. William and Mary
crowned.
CHAPTER XXXII.
Proceedings for reversal of judgment on the Quo Warranto. Pecuniary
difficulties in connexion with City Orphans. Pilkington, Mayor, loco
Chapman, deceased. The attainder of Cornish reversed. The Siege of
Londonderry. William and Mary at the Guildhall. Parliamentary
Elections. The judgment on the Quo Warranto reversed. Disputed
Municipal Elections. The War with France. Men and money furnished
by the City. The question of the Mayor's prerogative revived. Act of
Common Council regulating Wardmote Elections. Naval victory at La
Hogue. More City loans. Disaster of Lagos Bay. Sir William Ashurst,
Mayor. The Queen invited to the Lord Mayor's Banquet.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
The Rise of the East India Company. Sir Josiah Child and Sir Thomas
Cook. The City Orphans. The City's financial difficulties. The
Foundation of the Bank of England. Death of Queen Mary. Discovery
of corrupt practices. The Speaker dismissed for Bribery. Proceedings

against Cook and Firebrace. Committed to the Tower. The union of the
East India Companies. The first Triennial Parliament. The Barclay
Conspiracy. The City and the Election Bill. The restoration of the
Currency. The last of City loans. The Peace of Ryswick. The King
welcomed home. Death of James II. Sir William Gore, Mayor. Death of
William.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Accession of Queen Anne. The Tories in power. The Queen entertained
on Lord Mayor's Day. A thanksgiving service at St. Paul's. The Battle
of Blenheim. Marlborough in the City. The City's continued financial
difficulties. The Queen again at St. Paul's. The Tories give place to
Whigs. The victory at Ramillies. The City and Prince Eugene. The
Union with Scotland. The City and the Pretender. The victory at
Oudenarde. Death of Prince George of Denmark. Scarcity in the City.
Dr. Sacheverell and his Sermon. The fall of the Whigs. Act for building
fifty new Churches. The Occasional Conformity Act. Disputed
Municipal Elections. Proposed entertainment to Prince Eugene. The
Treaty of Utrecht. The Queen's illness and death.
CHAPTER XIX.

(M1)
The proclamation announcing James VI of Scotland to be "by law, by
lineal succession and undoubted right," heir to the throne of England,
now that Elizabeth was dead, illustrates again the ancient right of the
citizens of London to a voice in electing a successor to the crown. The
document not only acknowledges the assistance received by the lords
of the realm from the lord mayor, aldermen and citizens of London in
determining the succession, but at the very head of the signatories to
the proclamation stands the name of "Robert Lee, Maior," precedence
being allowed him over the primate and other lords spiritual and
temporal.(1)

(M2)
Whatever failings the new king may have had, he possessed sufficient
shrewdness to know the value of the favour of the City, which he
hastened to acknowledge with "thankfull mynde" within a few days of
his accession.(2) A reply was sent to the king's letter the following day,
signed by the mayor and aldermen, in which, after expressing their
twofold feelings of sorrow and joy--sorrow at losing a mother in the
late queen and joy at gaining a father in the person of the new
king--they declared they had used all their powers to advance his just
claim to the crown, and would preserve the city of London, the king's
Chamber, against every enemy at home or abroad. He was invited to
notify his wishes to them through their secretary or remembrancer, "Mr.
Doctor Fletcher," whom they sent as their special messenger.(3) The
king returned for answer, that although he had been already aware of
the City's forwardness in joining with the nobility in proclaiming him
rightful successor to the crown, he was pleased to learn from their
trusty messenger that the citizens had advocated his cause not only
from the consciousness of its being a just one, but also because they
were assured of his zeal for the preservation of religion.(4) This was
one of James's mystifying remarks which he was accustomed to throw
out in order to raise the hopes of the Catholics, who questioned his title
to the crown, whilst affording no cause for alarm or discontent among
the Protestants.
(M3)
On the 5th April James left Edinburgh for London, where every
precaution was taken to prevent disturbance by ridding the streets of
rogues, vagabonds and "masterless" men.(5) He proceeded southward
by easy stages, accompanied by a long retinue of Scotsmen, until he
reached Theobald's, at that time the mansion house of Sir Robert Cecil,
but soon to become a royal