A HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX 



After the Restoration Court life returned to Middlesex. Charles II 

 was frequently at Hampton Court, 889 which had fortunately escaped the 

 fate of other crown lands, for Cromwell took a fancy to it and reserved it 

 for his own use during the Protectorate. 



By 1686 James II had succeeded in estranging every class in England 

 by his over-zeal for the re-establishment of Roman Catholicism. Riots 

 took place all over the country on account of the favour shown to 

 Roman Catholics. London especially was in great excitement when 

 the chapel in Lime Street was opened for the Elector Palatine, and the 

 City-trained bands could not be relied upon to quell the frequent riots. 

 In the early summer of that year the king formed the idea of establishing 

 a large military camp on Hounslow Heath, chiefly with the object of 

 overawing London. The army was always dear to the king's heart, and he 

 showed the greatest interest in the formation of the camp. As early as 

 1 6 April he rode out to Hounslow himself to choose a suitable 

 position on the Heath. 890 Here between 13,000 and 16,000 men were 

 collected in the circumference of about aj miles ; fourteen battalions 

 of foot, thirty-two squadrons of horse, twenty-six pieces of artillery, 

 besides the quantities of guns and ammunition which were dragged hither 

 from the Tower. 891 The camp was established during May and June, 

 and the first great review was held on 30 June. It was made an 

 occasion of great state, and a gallery was raised for the queen, the queen 

 dowager, and her ladies. James himself led the troops until he had passed 

 the queens, when he dismounted, and the commander-in-chief, Lord 

 Feversham, marched before them. 898 On another occasion, in July, the 

 king, ' as a piece of gallantry,' made all his 4,000 horse march at two 

 o'clock in the morning into Staines meadow to attend the queen from 

 thence to the Heath, where she honoured Lord Arran by dining with 

 him. 898 



The general suspicion with which the king's love for his troops was 

 regarded made James think their presence all the more necessary. He 

 spared no pains to render the force efficient, and gave his attention even 

 to details of clothing, arms, and discipline. The army was soon a ' very 

 compleat body of men.' It had the reputation of being the best paid, 

 best equipped, and ' most sightly body of troops of any in Europe,' and 

 raised the king's and the kingdom's credit to no little extent abroad. 894 So 

 proud was James of his army that he could not refrain from ' des- 

 canting in his letters to the Prince of Orange on the beauty of his troops, 

 not without a secret pleasure for the reflection that the exultation could 

 give no great pleasure to the Prince.' S95 London had at first regarded 

 the camp with awe, but the king's frequent visits to Hounslow and their 



*" Hist. AfSS. Com. Rep. v, 1 53. He went there as early as 9 June, 1660, ' and had by the way a 

 great fall of his horse, but God be thanked no hurt.' 



90 Reresby's Memoirs, 360. 'I waited upon His Majesty to Hounslow Heath. . . . He was after- 

 wards entertained at dinner by Mr. Shales, the provider, in a little house built there for the convenience 

 of this business, where his Majesty was more pleasant and entertaining to all the company than he used 

 to be.' 



*' EUii Carres, i, 125, 271. "^ Sir John Bramston, Autobiografhy, 234. *" Ellis Carres, i, 125. 



"* J. S. Clarke. Life afjas. II, ii, 71. 3W Dalrymple, Memoirs, pt. i, bk. iv, p. 103. 



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