CHAP.

XIV.

KISS.

GO mSl'OET OF ENGLAND.

The Declaration had settled the crown, first on William andMary jointly, then on the survivor of the two, then on Mary’sposterity, then on Anne and her posterity, and, lastly, outlieposterity of'William by any other wife than Mary. The Bill hadbeen drawn in exact conformity with the Declaration. Whowas to succeed if Mary, Anne, and William should all die with-out posterity, was left in uncertainty. Yet the event for whichno provision was made was far from improbable. Indeed itreally came to pass. 'William had never had a child. Anne hadrepeatedly been a mother, but had no child living. It wouldnot be very strange if, in a few months, disease, war, or treasonshould remove all those who stood in the entail. In what statewould the country then be left? To whom would allegiance bedue? The bill indeed contained a clause which excludedPapists from the throne. But w'ould such a clause supply theplace of a clause designating the successor byname? What ifthe next heir should be a prince of the House of Savoy not throemonths old? It would be absurd to call such an infant a Papist.Was he then to be proclaimed King? Or was the crown to bein abeyance till he came to an age at which he might be capableof choosing a religion? Might not the most honest and themost intelligent men be in doubt whether they ought to regardhim as their Sovereign? And to whom could they look for asolution of this doubt? Parliament there would be none: forthe Parliament would expire with the prince who had convokedit. There would be mere anarchy, anarchy which might end inthe destruction of the monarchy, or in the destruction of publicliberty. Por these weighty reasons, Burnet, at William’s sug-gestion, proposed in the House of Lords that the crown should,failing heirs of His Majesty’s body, be entailed on an undoubtedProtestant, Sophia, Duchess of Brunswick Lunenburg, grand-daughter of lames the First, and daughter of Elizabeth, Queenof Bohemia.