On June 7 the King decided to make answer in the accustomed form, Soit droit fait comme est desir’e. [Equivalent to the form of royal assent, “Le roi (or la reine) le veult,” meaning “the King grants it.”  On the Petition of Right, see Hallam and compare Gardiner’s “England”; and his “Documents of the Puritan Revolution.”]

The Bill of Rights, 1689.

This Bill consists of thirteen Articles, of which the following is an abstract.  It begins by stating that “Whereas the late King James II, by the advice of divers evil counsellors, judges, and ministers employed by him, did endeavor to subvert and extirpate the Protestant religion, and the laws and liberties of this kingdom:”  1.  By dispensing with and suspending the laws without consent of Parliament. 2.  By prosecuting worthy bishops for humbly petitioning him to be excused for concurring in the same assumed power. 3.  By erecting a High Commission Court. 4.  By levying money without consent of Parliament. 5.  By keeping a standing army in time of peace without consent of Parliament. 6.  By disarming Protestants and arming Papists. 7.  By violating the freedom of elections. 8.  By arbitrary and illegal prosecutions. 9.  By putting corrupt and unqualified persons on juries. 10.  By requiring excessive bail. 11.  By imposing excessive fines and cruel punishments. 12.  By granting fines and forfeiture against persons before their conviction.

It is then declared that “the late King James the Second having abdicated the government, and the throne being thereby vacant,” therefore the Prince of Orange ("whom it hath pleased Almighty God to make the glorious instrument of delivering their kingdom from Popery and arbitrary power”) did by the advice of “the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and divers principal persons of the Commons “summon a Convention Parliament.”

This Convention Parliament declares, that the acts above enumerated are contrary to the law.  They then bestow the Crown on William and Mary—­the sole regal power to be vested only in the Prince of Orange—­ and provide that after the decease of William and Mary the Crown shall descend “to the heirs of the body of the said Princess; and, for default of such issue, to the Princess Anne of Denmark[1] and the heirs of her body; and for default of such issue, to the heirs of the body of the said Prince of Orange.”

[1] The Princess Anne, sister of the Princess Mary, married Prince George of Denmark in 1683; hence she is here styled “the Princess of Denmark.”

Here follow new oaths of allegiance and supremacy in lieu of those formerly required.

The subsequent articles are as follows:  IV.  Recites the acceptance of the Crown by William and Mary.  V. The Convention Parliament to provide for “the settlement of the religion, laws, and liberties of the Kingdom.”  VI.  All the clauses in the Bill of Rights are “the true, ancient, and indubitable rights and liberties of the people of this Kingdom.”  VII.  Recognition