James and William

[LARSSON at VAX1.Mankato.MSUS.EDU]

Vaska reports:
"The year is 1688.  James II, the last of the Stuarts, having established a
standing army, alianated the parliament, and made all the right moves to
ensure a Catholic succession to the throne, thinks he's home dry.  The
parliamentary party, however, still have one up their sleeve: William of
Orange, husband to Mary [one of James's daughters].  The moment William
lands in England, James II takes off for France; shortly thereafter [in
1689], the parliament asks William to sign a pledge respecting the Bill of
Rights [basically its right to elect the monarch], and lets him reign
conjointly with Mary.  Potted history of the Glorious Revolution."

This also set up the disastrous attempts by the "King over the Water" to
retake the throne in "the 15" and "the 45" alluded to by Dixon several
times.  These two incursions (the latter led by "Bonnie" Prince Charlie)
were also an assertion of Scots nationalism.  See KIDNAPPED by RL
Stevenson for one popular take on the event--there are many others as well.

Don Larsson, Mankato State U (MN)