utenancy of
Middlesex, and by the mayor, aldermen, and lieutenancy of London, filled
with professions of loyalty and promises of supporting their majesties
as their lawful sovereigns, against all opposition. The queen at this
crisis exhibited remarkable proofs of courage, activity, and discretion.
She issued out proper orders and directions for putting the nation in a
posture of defence, as well as for refitting and augmenting the fleet;
she took measures for appeasing the resentment of the states-general,
who exclaimed against the earl of Torrington for his behaviour in the
late action. He was deprived of his command, and sent prisoner to
the Tower; and commissioners were appointed to examine the particular
circumstances of his conduct. A camp was formed in the neighbourhood
of Torbay, where the French seemed to threaten a descent. Their fleet,
which lay at anchor in the bay, cannonaded a small village called
Teign-mouth. About a thousand of their men landed without opposition,
set fire to the place, and burned a few coasting vessels; then they
re-embarked and returned to Brest, so vain of this achievement that they
printed a pompous account of their invasion. Some of the whig partizans
published pamphlets and diffused reports, implying that the suspended
bishops were concerned in the conspiracy against the government; and
these arts proved so inflammatory among the common people, that the
prelates thought it necessary to print a paper, in which they asserted
their innocence in the most solemn protestations. The court seems to
have harboured no suspicion against them, otherwise they would not have
escaped imprisonment. The queen issued a proclamation for apprehending
the earls of Litchfield, Aylesbury, and Castlemain; viscount Preston; the
lords Montgomery and Bellasis; sir Edward Hales, sir Robert Tharold, sir
Robert Hamilton, sir Theophilus Oglethorpe, colonel Edward Sackville,
and some other officers. These were accused of having conspired with
other disaffected persons to disturb and destroy the government, and of
a design to concur with her majesty's enemies in the intended invasion.
The earl of Torrington continued a prisoner in the Tower till next
session, when he was brought into the house of commons and made a speech
in his own defence. His case produced long debates in the upper house,
where the form of his commitment was judged illegal: at length he
was tried by a court-martial appointed by the commissioners o