epeal.]

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[27] This Preamble is James II.'s own writing, as appears by "The
Journal."

CHAPTER VI.

THE ACT OF ATTAINDER.

CHAPTER XXX.

_An Act for the attainder of various rebels, and for preserving the
interests of loyal subjects._

The authenticity of this Act as printed by Archbishop King has been
questioned, especially by William Todd Jones in 1793. But we believe
its authenticity cannot be successfully contested. Lesley, in his
"Reply" to King, makes no attempt to disprove its existence, but, on
the contrary, alludes to it and applauds James for having opposed it.
King, however, asserts that the Act was kept a secret; and that the
persons attainted, or their friends, could not obtain a copy of it. For
this Jones answers:--

"But the fact (as stated by King) is impossible: conceive the
absurdity; an act of parliament is _smuggled_, where? through two
houses of lords and commons; of whom were they composed? of
catholics crowded with protestants; though Leland, upon the
authority of King, says there were but fourteen _real_ protestants.
Well, what did these two houses do? They voted and passed a
_secret_ act of attainder of 2,500 protestants, which was to lie-by
privately in petto, to be brought forward _at a proper time_;
unknown, unheard of, by all the protestant part of the kingdom,
till _peace_ was restored: and that, according to King, was to be
deemed _the proper time_ for a renewal of _war_ and _devastation_,
by its publication and execution, and the secret was to be closely
kept from nearly 3,000 persons by the whole house of commons; by
fifty-six peers, including primate Boyle, Barry lord Barrymore,
Angier lord Longford, Forbes, the incomparable lord Granard (of
whom more in my next continuation), Parsons lord Ross, Dopping bp.
of Meath, Otway bp. of Ossory, Wetenhal bishop of Cork, Digby
bishop of Limerick, Bermingham lord Athenry, St. Lawrence lord
Howth, Mallon lord Glenmallon, Hamilton lord Strabane, all
protestants and many of them presbyterians, or rather puritans. It
was kept close from 3,000 persons by all the privy council; by all
the clerks of parliament who engross and tack together bills, it
was to be kept an entire secret from all the protestants without
doors, by all the protestants within the gates of parli