trade, they greatly
misjudged the situation. King William, though a Protestant, was no lover
of revolution, and, though he had himself engaged in one, he could
assert the dignity of the prerogative with as much vigor as any Stuart.
He was not a politician, but a soldier, and he was quite as likely to
see the necessity of organizing New England for defense against the
enemy as he was to listen favorably to appeals from Massachusetts for a
restoration of her charter.

Increase Mather had gone to England in 1688 to petition James II for
relief from the burdens of the Andros rule. His impressive personality,
his power as a ready and forcible speaker, his resourcefulness and
energy, and his acquaintance with influential men in England, both
Anglicans and Dissenters, made him the most effective agent who had ever
gone to England in the interest of the colony. He was able to bring the
grievances of Massachusetts to the personal attention of James II; and
he had received hope of a confirmation of land titles and permission to
call a general assembly, when the flight of the King brought his efforts
to naught. He then turned to the new Parliament, hoping to save the
colony by means of a rider to the bill for restoring corporations to
their ancient rights and privileges; but the dissolution of this body
ended hopeful efforts in that direction also. A year's "Sisyphean labor"
came to nothing. No remedy remained except an appeal to the new King,
and during 1690 and 1691, the reconstruction of Massachusetts became one
of the most important questions brought before the Lords of Trade.
William III and his advisers were agreed on one point: that
Massachusetts should never again be independent as she formerly had
been, but should be brought within the immediate control of the Crown,
through a governor of the King's appointment. They took the ground that,
with a French war already begun, it was no time to discuss colonial
rights and privileges, for the demands of the empire took precedence
over all questions of a merely local character in America.

Andros was now recalled and instructions were sent to Massachusetts to
release all her prisoners. With their arrival in England in February,
1690, the debate before the committee went on in a new and livelier
fashion. Randolph renewed his complaints in every form known to his
inventive mind; Andros presented his defense and was relieved of all
charges of mal-administration; Mather and others c