so high that even those who were employed could scarce supply
their families with bread; that the real design of the bill was to make
such an accession to the dissenters as would render them an equal match
in the body politic for those of the church of England; to create a
greater dependence on the crown, and, in a word, to supply a foreign
head with foreign members. Sir John Knight, a member of the house, in
a speech upon this subject, exaggerated the bad consequences that would
attend such a bill, with all the wit and virulence of satire: it was
printed and dispersed through the kingdom, and raised such a flame among
the people as had not appeared since the revolution. They exclaimed,
that all offices would be conferred upon Dutchmen, who would become
lord-danes, and prescribe the modes of religion and government; and they
extolled sir John Knight as the saviour of the nation. The courtiers,
incensed at the progress of this clamour, complained in the house of
the speech which had been printed; and sir John was threatened with
expulsion and imprisonment. He therefore thought proper to disown
the paper, which was burned by the hands of the common hangman. This
sacrifice served only to increase the popular disturbance, which rose
to such a height of violence, that the court party began to tremble; and
the bill was dropped for the present.

Lord Coningsby and Mr. Porter had committed the most flagrant acts of
oppression in Ireland. These had been explained during the last session
by the gentlemen who appealed against the administration of lord Sidney,
but they were screened by the ministry; and therefore the earl of
Bellamont now impeached them in the house of commons, of which he
and they were members. After an examination of the articles exhibited
against them, the commons, who were by this time at the devotion of the
court, declared, that, considering the state of affairs in Ireland, they
did not think them fit grounds for an impeachment.--In the course of
this session, the nation sustained another misfortune in the fate of
sir Francis Wheeler, who had been appointed commander-in-chief of the
Mediterranean squadron. He received instructions to take under his
convoy the merchant ships bound to Turkey, Spain, and Italy; to cruise
thirty days in a certain latitude for the protection of the Spanish
plate-fleet homeward bound; to leave part of his squadron at Cadiz
as convoy to the trade for England; to proceed with the res