by King James the Second, in 1688. 



361 



afterwards, which hastened the Revolution and cost him his throne. 



In connection with these interrogatories the Lieutenants of 

 counties were instructed to obtain all possible information as to the 

 leaning' and tendencies of the different constituencies and county- 

 interests, and Returns were sent in giving 1 such information, and 

 other Returns will be found, given in the sequel, by agents employed 

 on this especial service. 



The Lords-Lieutenant not having met with the success expected 

 in their questions to the Magistrates, &c, the lists of the Deputy- 

 Lieutenants and Justices of the Peace were revised, and many struck 

 out, the King continuing only those who would be ready to con- 

 tribute to the repeal of these objectionable statutes ; whilst others 

 were added, who would concur and assist towards this end. A sub- 

 sequent declaration was issued to the same effect. The corporations 

 of the several borough- towns were especially selected to be operated 

 upon and re-modelled. By annulling their charters, and removing 

 those who were hostile to his aims, the choice of the Members at any- 

 future elections was secured. 



It is, therefore, a matter of no little interest, at that critical 

 juncture of our religious liberties, to consider the nature of the 

 private and confidential information in these returns, in respect of 

 the Wiltshire boroughs, for as a matter of fact the Lord-Lieutenant 

 reported (as stated by Macaulay) " That of sixty Magistrates, with 

 whom he had conferred, only seven had given favorable answers, and 

 that these seven could not be trusted " ; so that taken in conjunction 

 with these answers, and the evident disposition of the Magistrates 

 and country gentlemen at that period — the descendants of many of 

 whom remain to this day — we believe the entries relating to the 

 repeal of the laws in question, will prove of considerable local and 

 historical interest. 



The volume, whence the ensuing extracts are made, contains the 

 original returns, &c, on this question, from nearly every county in 

 England and Wales, and forms one of those valuable and priceless 

 MSS. of the Rawlinson Collection, now in the Bodleian Library. 



The period at which these events occurred was too eventful to 

 cause it to be regarded save with the greatest interest. 



