JAMES II. OF ENGLAND AND VII. OF SCOTLAND (1685-88), son of Charles I. and Henrietta Maria, was b. Oct. 15, 1033. In 1643 he was created duke of York. In 1648, during the civil war, he made his escape to France. For some time lie in the French army under Turenne; but on peace being made with Cromwell, he was obliged to leave both the army and territory of Louis XIV. He then entered into the military service of Spain. At the restoration he was made lord high admiral of Englar.d, twice commanding the English fleet in the ensuing wars with the Dutch. In 1660 he married Anne, daughter of lord chancellor Hyde. On the death of the duchess of York in 1671, James avowed his conversion to popery. On the passing of the test act in 1673 he was obliged to resign office. On Nov. 21, 1673, lie married Mary Beatrice, daughter of the duke of Modena. During the great irritation against the Roman Catholics which arose in England on the publication of Titus Oates's supposed discoveries, the duke of York resided for a short while on the continent. The bill for his exclusion from the throne was twice read before the house of commons, and only prevented from passing by the prorogation of parliament, May 26, 1679. In 1680 the exclusion bill passed in the house of commons, but was rejected in the house of lords. On his return from abroad, and while the exclusion bill was before parliarmint, the duke was sent down to govern Scotland. On the death of Charles II., Feb. 6, 1685, James succeeded co the crown without opposition. He had scarcely been many hours a king when he violated the fundamental laws of the constitution by continuing the levy of customs, settled on the late king for life only, without the authority of parliament. At war with his parliament, in order to obtain money, James was forced to become the pensioner of Louis XIV. In passion week 1685, the rites of the church of Rome were openly celebrated at West minsterwith full splendor. In the same year, the suppression of the duke of Monmouth's rebellion in England, and that of the earl of Argyle in Scotland, was followed by great severities. On the western circuit alone, well known as the bloody assize, presided over by the infamous Jeffreys, 320 persons were hanged. On the meeting of parliament Nov. 9, of this year, James requested extra supplies to maintain a standing army, which was a favorite scheme of his. He noticed in his speech, that in some recent appointments he had thought fit to dispense with the test act. After a stormily debate, government was filially beaten on the question of supply. To aid Ills endeavors in favor of the Roman Catholics, James resolved to try to conciliate the Puritans, much as lie hated them. On
Apri14, 1087, appeared the memorable dechiration of indulgence, in which he announced his intention of protecting dissenters in thd free exercise of their religion; and the nation beheld the extraordinary spectacle of the house of Stuart leagued with republican and regicide sects against the old cavaliers'of England. The attempt to conciliate the Puri tans was, however, unsuccessful: and in March, 1687, it began to be evident that the war between kin, and church must soon reach a climax. At that time, n vacancy hav ing occurred in the presidency of Magdalen college, Oxford, a royal letter came down recommending Anthony Farmer, a Roman Catholic, to the vacant place. For Farmer was afterwards substituted Parker. bishop of Oxford. He was known to he a Roman Catholic. though not avowed; besides which, he labored under other legal disqualifica tions. The fellows of the college declined to elect. him. A special ecclesiastical com mission was then sent to Oxford, escorted by three troops of cavalry with drawn swords. Parker was installed, the fellows expelled. and declared forever incapable of holding any church preferment. On April 27, 1688, James published a second declaration of indul• genre; this he ordered to be read in all the churches hi the kingdom. The order was generally disobeyed by the clergy. and seven of the bishops having ventured on a writ ten remonstrance, were committed to the Tower on a charge of seditious libel. On June 10 of the same year, James's luckless son, known in history as The Pretender, was born. The history of the trial and acquittal of the seven bishops on June 2.9. 1688. forms one of the most gloWing-passages.ln the splendid narrative of Macaulay. On the night of the same day, an invitation was dispatched to William, prince of Orange, signed by seven of the leading English politicians, to come over to England and occupy the throne. On Nov. 5 William landed at Torbay with 14,000 men. James found him self deserted by the nobility, gentry, and army; even his own children turned against him. He retired to France, where he was hospitably received by Louis XIV., who settled a revenue upon him. Early March in the following year he made a hopeless attempt to regain his throne by invading Ireland with a small army, with which he had been furnished by the of France; he was totally defeated at th- battle of the Boyne, July 1, 1690. He returned to France, continuing to reside at St. Germain's till his death, Sept. 6, 1701. There is hardly a sovereign mentioned in history of whom one can find less good to say than of James II.