40 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
[No. 3. 
is, however, given in the Memoir of James the 
Second published by Dr. Clarke: ‘It seems, upon 
‘the King’s withdrawing from London, the lords 
‘about town met at Guildhall to consult what was 
‘fit to be done. They looked upon the present 
‘state of affairs as an interregnum, that the govern- 
‘ment was in a manner devolved upon them, and 
‘were in great haste to make a present of it to 
‘the Prince of Orange.’* Other acts of this 
Assembly are then mentioned; and its proceed- 
ings are among the most interesting and important 
events in English history, not only from their 
forming a precedent in a conjuncture of affairs 
for which no express provision is to be found in 
the constitution, but from the first regular offer of 
the throne to the Prince of Orange having ema- 
nated from this Convention. No Record of its 
proceedings has, it is presumed, been hitherto 
known to exist; and the fact that so valuable a 
Document is extant, cannot be too generally 
stated, for it is obvious that it has high claims to 
the attention of historians. 
“Sir Thomas Miller possesses the original Minutes 
of this Assembly of the Peers in the handwriting 
ofa Mr. Glyn, who acted as secretary. His ap- 
pointment to that situation is also preserved; and, 
as it is signed by all the Lords who were present, 
it affords evidence of the names of the Peers who 
took part in the business of the Assembly, and 
contains a very interesting collection of auto- 
graphs. 
“The MS. itself is a small folio, but not above 
fifty pages are filled. It comprises the period 
between the 11th and the 28th December, 1688, 
both days inclusive, and appears to be a perfect 
Record of every Act of that memorable Assembly. 
The indorsement on the cover merits notice: it 
states with singular minuteness the precise hour 
of James's abdication, namely, at one in the morn- 
ing of the 11th of December, 1688.” 
Sir Thomas Miller also possessed a manu- 
script, containing an “ Account of the Earl of 
Rochester, Captain Kendall, and the Nar- 
rator’s Journey to Salisbury with King James, 
Monday, Nov. 19. to Friday, Nov. 23. 1688, 
inclusive.” 
In connection with this subject, it may be 
mob, and the arrest of Judge Jefferies, Bishop Burnet 
says: ——‘“ The Lord Mayor was so struck with the 
terror of this rnde populace, and with the disgrace of a 
man who had made all people tremble before him, that 
he fell into fits upon it, of which he died soon after. 
“To prevent the further growth of such disasters, he 
called a Meeting of the Privy Councillors and Peers, 
who met at Guildhall,” &e. The pronoun he must re- 
late to the Lord Mayor, but the sentence is obscurely 
expressed, 
* Vol. ii. pp. 259, 260. 
noticed that there is no entry of any payment 
in the Isswe Books of 'the clerks of the Pells 
between Tuesday, 11th December, and Monday 
24th December, 1688. J. E. 
[Perhaps some of our correspondents could in- 
form us where the MSS. in question are now de- 
posited. | 
OPINIONS GF WRITERS ON ENGLISH HISTORY, 
no. 1. 
“ Oh, do not read history, for that I know must be 
false.” — Sir Rosert Watrore. 
Sir, —I have from time to time made a few 
notes on our historical writers—rather I 
should say the conflicting opinions of critical 
writers on their relative value, and the de- 
pendence to be placed on them as historical 
guides. ‘They are so opposite, as would in a 
great measure confirm the opinion of the cele- 
brated statesman above quoted. i send, as 
a& specimen, the opinions upon Burnet, and, 
should its insertion in your “ Norges AnD 
Querizs” be deemed advisable, I will from 
time to time send others which I have in 
my note-book. M. 
Burnet, “ A good historian and an honest man.”— 
Lord Brougham. 
“ The History of his Own Times, which Burnet left 
behind him, is a work of great instruction and amuse- 
ment..... His ignorance of parliamentary forms has led 
him into some errors, it would be absurd to deny, but 
these faults do not detract from the general usefulness 
of his work.”— Lord John Russell. 
“The most partial, malicious heap of scandal and 
misrepresentation, that was ever collected for the laud- 
able design of giving a false impression of persons and 
things to all future ages.” — Lord Dartmouth: note in 
Dr. Routh’s edition. 
«A rash and partial writer.” *— Macaulay. 
“Tt is a piece of justice I owe to historical truth to 
say, that I have never tried Burnet’s facts by the tests 
of dates and of original papers, without finding them 
wrong.”— Sir J. Dalrymple. 
“Burnet had all the merits and all the faults of an 
ardent, impetuous, headstrong man, whose mind was 
honest, and whose objects were noble. Whatever he 
reports himself to have heard or seen, the reader may 
be assured he really did hear and see. But he must 
* [Our correspondent should have added exact re- 
ferences to the places where these passages are to be 
found. Mr. Macaulay may have written these words 
quoted by our correspondent, in some hasty moment, 
but bis summary of the character of Burnet in his His- 
tory of England, ii. 175. 2nd edition —a very noble 
and well considered passage — gives a very different 
and far juster estimate of Burnet’s character. ] 
