A HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND 



counties in which the king had great confidence. Justices had been 

 disjusticed wholesale to no purpose. The corporation of Carlisle had 

 indeed proved more subservient. The charter of that municipality had 

 been withdrawn by Charles II. and replaced by one which made its chief 

 officers removable at the king's discretion. 1 James II. exercised the 

 power that had been so conferred. The corporation, packed with 

 nominees, yielded to his wish, and promised ' to elect such members as 

 shall concur with your majesty,' and at the same time expressed the 

 hope that there might be no want of his issue ' to sway the sceptre as 

 long as the sun and moon endure.' '' But very different was the issue in 

 the county. Every effort was made to win the Lowthers to the king's 

 side. Sir Daniel Fleming wrote to Sir John of Lowther on 2 December 

 1687 informing him of the report that he had been 'closeted,' and had 

 become an affirmative man, affirmative, that is, to the questions that had 

 been issued. 3 But it was not so. There is, indeed, every reason to be- 

 lieve that the answers of the chief men in the two counties, which are 

 said to have been framed with admirable skill, were the result of con- 

 certed action throughout the country. 4 The famous meeting to which 

 the justices had been summoned took place at Penrith on 24 January 

 1688. Lord Preston was very active beforehand in persuading the 

 justices to accede to the royal will. Sir John of Lowther came to Pen- 

 rith 'in his coach with six horses,' attended by a few of the justices, 

 while Sir Daniel Fleming and others accompanied the lord lieutenant on 

 horseback from Hutton, where he had been staying. The place of 

 meeting was the George Inn, where the gentlemen ' took their seats 

 around a long table.' Lord Preston made a short speech, declaring his 

 Majesty's commands, and intimating that if they preferred to give oral 

 answers he would call in his secretary to write them down. After a 

 considerable pause Sir John of Lowther proposed that the answers 

 should be given in their own handwriting, and for this purpose those 

 who wished should be allowed to withdraw from the council chamber 

 for the space of an hour. The proposal was at once agreed to, and ' the 

 protestant gentlemen did go into one room and the papists into another.' 

 After the deliberation Sir George Fletcher stood up and read aloud his 

 answers, announcing his determination to stand for parliament and leave 

 the king's questions to the judgment of the House of Commons. Sir 

 William Pennington, who followed, was more prudent, expressing his 

 readiness to help the king in all things reasonable, and to vote for the 

 abolition of the penal laws, if the safety of the Church of England 

 were guaranteed. Sir Richard Musgrave of Hayton did not disguise 

 his attachment to the Protestant religion, and promised to support those 

 only who, in his opinion, would best promote the public good. Then 



1 Hiit. MSS. Com. Rep. (Carlisle Corporation MSS.), ix. App. i. 199-200. 



* Rapin states that the servile address of the corporation of Carlisle was ' supposed to be drawn up 

 by a Jesuit ' (Hist, of England [ed. Tindal, 1731], rv. 141-2). 



Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. [Rydal MSS.], xii. App. vii. 207. 



4 Macaulay, Hist, of England (ed. 1856), iii. 61. He says too that the form of answer to the king's 

 questions was circulated all over the kingdom and generally adopted. 



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