It having pleased Almighty God to make Us the happy Instruments of
Rescuing these Nations from Great and Imminent Dangers, and to place
Us upon the Throne of these Kingdoms, We think Our Selves obliged to
endeavour to the uttermost to Promote the Welfare of Our People, which
can never be effectually secured, but by preventing the Miseries that
threaten them from Abroad.
When we consider the many unjust Methods the French King hath of late
Years taken to gratifie his Ambition, that he has not only Invaded the
Territories of the Emperor, and of the Empire now in Amity with Us,
laying Waste whole Countries, and destroying the Inhabitants by his
Armies, but Declared War against Our Allies without any Provocation,
in manifest Violation of the Treaties Confirmed by the Guaranty of
the Crown of England; We can do no less then Joyn with Our Allies in
opposing the Designs of the French King, as the Disturber of the Peace,
and the Common Enemy of the Christian World.
And besides the Obligations We lie under by Treaties with Our Allies,
which are a sufficient Justification of Us for taking up Arms at this
time, since they have called upon Us so to do, the many Injuries done
to Us and to Our Subjects, without any Reparation, by the French King,
are such, that (however of late Years they were not taken Notice of,
for Reasons well known to the World, nevertheless) We will not pass
them over without a Publick and Just Resentment of such Outrages.
It is not long since the French took Licences from the English Governor
of New-found-Land, to Fish in the Seas upon that Coast, and paid a
Tribute for such Licences, as an Acknowledgment of the sole Right of
the Crown of England to that Island; and yet of late, the Encroachments
of the French upon Our said Island, and Our Subjects Trade and Fishery,
have been more like the Invasions of an Enemy, then becoming Friends,
who enjoy'd the Advantages of that Trade only by Permission.
But that the French King should Invade Our Charibbee Islands, and
possess himself of Our Territories of the Province of New-York and
of Hudson's-Bay in a Hostile manner, seizing Our Forts, burning Our
Subjects Houses, and enriching his People with the Spoil of their Goods
and Merchandizes, detaining some of Our Subjects under the Hardship of
Imprisonment, causing others to be inhumanely kill'd, and driving the
rest to Sea in a Small Vessel, without Food and Necessaries to support
them, are Actions not becoming even an Enemy; and yet he was so far
from declaring himself so, that at that very time he was Negotiating
here in England by his Ministers, a Treaty of Neutrality and good
Correspondence in America.
The Proceedings of the French King against Our Subjects in Europe
are so Notorious, that We shall not need to enlarge upon them; His
countenancing the Seizure of English Ships by French Privateers,
forbidding the Importation of great part of the Product and
Manufactures of Our Kingdom, and imposing exorbitant Customs upon the
rest, notwithstanding the vast Advantage he and the French Nation reap
by their Commerce with England, are sufficient Evidences of his Designs
to destroy the Trade, and consequently to ruine the Navigation, upon
which the Wealth and Safety of this Nation very much depends.
The Right of the Flag, Inherent in the Crown of England, has been
Disputed by his Orders in Violation of Our Sovereignty of the Narrow
Seas, which in all Ages has been Asserted by Our Predecessors, and
We are resolv'd to Maintain for the Honour of Our Crown, and of the
English Nation.
But that which must nearly touch Us, is his unchristian Prosecution
of many of Our English Protestant Subjects in France, for matters of
Religion, contrary to the Law of Nations, and express Treaties, forcing
them to abjure their Religion by strange and unusual Cruelties, and
Imprisoning some of the Masters and Seamen of Our Merchant Ships,
and Condemning others to the Gallies, upon pretence of having on
Board, either some of his own miserable Protestant Subjects, or their
Effects; And Lastly, as he has for some years last past, endeavoured by
Insinuations and Promises of Assistance to overthrow the Government of
England; So now by open and violent Methods, and the actual Invasion
of Our Kingdom of Ireland, in support of Our Subjects in Arms, and in
Rebellion against Us, he is promoting the utter Extirpation of Our good
and Loyal Subjects in that Our Kingdom.
Being therefore thus necessitated to take up Arms, and Relying on the
help of Almighty God in Our just undertaking, We have thought fit to
Declare, and do hereby Declare War against the French King, and that We
will in Conjunction with Our Allies, Vigorously Prosecute the same by
Sea and Land (since he hath so unrighteously begun it) being assured
of the hearty Concurrence and Assistance of Our Subjects in support
of so good a Cause; Hereby Willing and Requiring Our General of Our
Forces, Our Commissioners for Executing the Office of High Admiral,
Our Lieutenants of Our several Counties, Governours of Our Forts and
Garisons, and all other Officers and Soldiers under them, by Sea and
Land, to do, and execute all acts of Hostility in the Prosecution
of this War against the French King, his Vassals and Subjects, and
to oppose their Attempts, Willing and Requiring all Our Subjects to
take Notice of the same, whom We henceforth strictly forbid to hold
any Correspondence or Communication with the said French King, or his
Subjects; And because there are remaining in Our Kingdoms many of the
Subjects of the French King; We do Declare and give Our Royal Word,
that all such of the French Nation as shall demean themselves dutifully
towards Us, and not Correspond with Our Enemies, shall be safe in their
Persons and Estates, and free from all molestation and trouble of any
Kind.
Given at Our Court at Hampton-Court, the Seventh Day of May, 1689. In
the First Year of Our Reign.