make
examples of the authors and publishers of these licentious productions.
Dr. Joseph Browne was twice pilloried for a copy of verses, intituled
"The Country Parson's Advice to the Lord-Keeper," and a letter which
he afterwards wrote to Mr. Secretary Hailey. William Stevens, rector of
Sutton in Surrey, underwent the same sentence, as author of a pamphlet
called "A Letter to the Author of the Memorial of the Church of
England." Edward Ward was fined and set in the pillory, for having
written a burlesque poem on the times, under the title of "Hudibras
Redivivus;" and the same punishment was inflicted upon William Pittes,
author of a performance, intituled "The Case of the Church of England's
Memorial fairly stated."

PROCEEDINGS IN CONVOCATION.

The lower house of convocation still continued to wrangle with their
superiors; and though they joined the upper house in a congratulatory
address to the queen on the success of her arms, they resolved to make
application to the commons against the union. The queen being apprised
of their design, desired the archbishop to prorogue them for three
weeks, before the expiration of which the act of union had passed in
parliament. The lower house delivered a representation to the bishops,
in which they affirmed no such prorogation had ever been ordered during
the session of parliament. The bishops found in their records seven or
eight precedents of such prorogations, and above thirty instances of the
convocation having sat sometimes before, and sometimes after, a session
of parliament; nay, sometimes even when the parliament was dissolved.
The queen, informed of these proceedings, wrote a letter to the
archbishop, intimating that she looked upon the lower house as guilty
of an invasion of her royal supremacy; and that if any thing of the same
nature should be attempted for the future, she would use such means
for punishing offenders as the law warranted. The prolocutor absenting
himself from the convocation, the archbishop pronounced sentence of
contumacy against him. The lower house, in a protestation, declared this
sentence unlawful and altogether null. Nevertheless the prolocutor made
a full submission, with which the archbishop was satisfied, and the
sentence was repealed. About this period the earl of Sunderland was
appointed one of the secretaries of state, in the room of sir Charles
Hedges. This change was not effected without great opposition from
Harley, who was in hi