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ABDICATION OF JAMES II.

Mr. Editor,—­The recent publication of Macaulay’s History of England, and the fresh prominence given thereby to the occurrences of the Revolution of 1688, have induced me, joined to a wish for the success of your happily-conceived work, to send you the following “Note.”  It was drawn up by the late Sir Harris Nicolas, and printed in the Proceedings of the late Record Commissioners.  As, however, only fifty copies were printed for the use of the Commissioners, and a copy is rarely met with, perhaps this Note may have sufficient novelty for insertion.  Sir Harris Nicolas, as editor of the Proceedings of the Privy Council, would doubtless, had that work been continued to 1688, have used the MSS. if attainable.

“Notice of manuscript in the possession of the Rev. Sir Thomas Miller, Bart., containing the original Minutes of the Assembly of Peers and Privy Councillors that met at Guildhall, upon the flight of James II. from London.

    “Extracts from Memorandum of a MS. in the possession of the Rev.
    Sir Thomas Miller, Bart. shown to Mr. Cooper, Secretary to the
    Record Commissioners, to Sir Harris Nicolas, and to Mr. Hardy, in
    May, 1833, at Sir Thomas Miller’s lodgings in the Edgeware Road.

“Immediately after the flight of James the Second from London, on the 11th of December, 1688, a tumult arose among the citizens which created considerable alarm; and with the view of preserving the peace, of imparting public confidence, and of providing for the extraordinary state of affairs, all the Peers and Privy Councillors then in the vicinity of the metropolis assembled at Guildhall.  Of this important Assembly Bishop Burnet’s notice is very brief, and it would appear from his statement that it was called by the Lord Mayor.[5] A more full account of the Convention {40} is, however, given in the Memoir of James the Second published by Dr. Clarke:  ’It seems, upon the King’s withdrawing from London, the lords about town met at Guildhall to consult what was fit to be done.  They looked upon the present state of affairs as an interregnum, that the government was in a manner devolved upon them, and were in great haste to make a present of it to the Prince of Orange.’[6] Other acts of this Assembly are then mentioned; and its proceedings are among the most interesting and important events in English history, not only from their forming a precedent in a conjuncture of affairs for which no express provision is to be found in the constitution, but from the first regular offer of the throne to the Prince of Orange having emanated from this Convention.  No Record of its proceedings has, it is presumed, been hitherto known to exist; and the fact that so valuable a Document is extant, cannot be too generally stated, for it is obvious that it has high claims to the attention of historians.