Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew (1st ed. vol 3).djvu/39

 end of the reign of King William III., and as I have laboriously re-examined the Grants on the Patent-Rolls in the Public Record Office, I withdraw the Section as it appears in vol. i., and substitute for it the following.

was a reluctance on the part of our country to pass a general Act of Parliament for the naturalization of Protestant strangers. Charles II. undertook to suggest the step to Parliament in 1681, but legislators were deaf to the hint for a quarter of a century. Any Englishman proposing such an act, was upbraided as an Esau, guilty of flinging away precious means of provision for himself and his family, the restrictions for foreigners being providential blessings for Englishmen. Any Bill to give foreigners a share of the Englishman’s right was unpopular with the City of London, and with all boroughs and corporations. The debates of 1694 ended in the House of Commons allowing a Bill of that sort to fall aside before the necessary number of readings had been permitted. And so Naturalization had to be doled out to individuals by letters-patent from the King, and by private Acts of Parliament.

The only proviso expressed in 1681 was in these terms:— “Provided they live and continue with their families (such as have any) in this our kingdom of England, or elsewhere within our dominions.” Yet a certificate, “that they have received the Holy Communion” crept into the warrants of denization, — and, at a later date, a command “to take the oaths of allegiance and supremacy at some Quarter-Sessions within a year after the date hereof.” James II. not only specified “the Holy Communion,” but used the more stringent definition, “the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper according to the usage of the C!hurch of England.” But after his Declaration for Liberty of Conscience, he withdrew the clauses, both as to the oaths and as to the Sacrament.

In order to naturalization, the King’s Letter was addressed to the Attorney-General or to the Solicitor-General containing the name (or names) of the person in whose favour the Grant of Naturalization was to be drawn out. The Grant, which was recorded on a Patent-Roll, was in the Latin language. Its contents may be described as a repetition of the privileges already expressed in His Majesty’s name in the English language, and therefore I copy one of the King’s letters from the Camden Society Volume of Lists:—

“ — In pursuance of our Order of Council, made the 28th day of July last past [1681], in favour and for the relief and support of poore distressed protestants, who by reason of the rigours and severities which are used towards them upon the account of their Religion shall be forced to quitt their native country and shall desire to shelter themselves under our Royall protection and free exercise of their religion, of whom Peter de Lainé Esq., French Tutor to our dearest brother James Duke of York his children, is one, as appears by sufficient certificate produced to one of our principall Secretarys of State, and that he hath received the Holy Communion. Our will and pleasure is that you prepare a Bill for our royall signature, to pass our Greate Scale, containing our grant for the making him the sayd Peter de Lainé, being an Alien borne, a free denizen of this oure kingdome of England, and that he have and enjoy all rights, priviledges and immunities as other free Denizens do. Provided he, the said Peter de Lainé, live and continue with his family in this our kingdome of England, or elsewhere within our Dominions; the said denization to be forthwith past under our great Scale without any fees or other charges whatsoever to be paid by him. For which this shall be your warrant. Dated at Whitehall, the 14th day of October, 1681.

By his Ma$ties$ Command, “To our Attorney or Sollicitor Generall.”.