willing to enter into a negative engagement against the late
king and his adherents; but they opposed the oath of abjuration with all
their might: and the house was so equally divided that neither side was
willing to hazard a decision, so that all the fruit of their debates was
a prolongation of the session.

KING WILLIAM LANDS IN IRELAND.

An act was prepared for investing the queen with the administration
during the king's absence; another for reversing the judgment on a _quo
warranto_ against the city of London, and restoring it to its ancient
rights and privileges; at length the bill of indemnity so cordially
recommended by the king passed both houses. [021] _[See note G, at the
end of this Vol.]_ On the twenty-first day of May, the king closed the
session with a Short speech, in which he thanked them for the supplies
they had granted, and recommended to them a punctual discharge of their
duties in their respective counties, that the peace of the nation might
not be interrupted in his absence. The houses were adjourned to the
seventh day of July, when the parliament was prorogued and adjourned
successively. As a further security for the peace of the kingdom, the
deputy-lieutenants were authorized to raise the militia in case of
necessity. All papists were prohibited to stir above five miles from
their respective places of abode; a proclamation was published for
apprehending certain disaffected persons; sir John Cochran and Ferguson
were actually arrested on suspicion of treasonable practices. On the
fourth day of June the king set out for Ireland, attended by prince
George of Denmark, the duke of Ormond, the earls of Oxford, Scarborough,
Manchester, and many other persons of distinction: on the fourteenth
day of the month he landed at Carrickfergus, from whence he immediately
proceeded to Belfast, where he was met by the duke of Schomberg, the
prince of Wirtemberg, major-general Kirke, and other officers. By this
time colonel Wolsey, at the head of a thousand men, had defeated a
strong detachment of the enemy near Belturbat; sir John Lanier had
taken Bedloe castle; and that of Charlemont, a strong post of great
importance, together with Balingary near Cavan, had been reduced. King
William having reposed himself for two or three days at Belfast, visited
the duke's head-quarters at Lis-burne; then advancing to Hillsborough,
published an order against pressing horses, and committing violence on
the country peop