CHAPTER III.

Electioneering on the accession of James II.--A parliament summoned by James II.--The municipal charters restored in the nature of bribes--Lord Bath, “the Prince Elector,” and his progress in the west--Electioneering strategies--How Sir Edward Evelyn was unjustly cozened out of his election--The constitution of James II.’s Parliament--Inferior persons “of no account whatever” chosen to sit in the Commons--The question of supplies, the royal revenue, and prerogative--Assembling of James II.’s parliament--The corrupt returns boldly denounced--Violence at the elections--The abdication of James II., and the “Convention Parliament”--Accession of the Prince of Orange--Ballad “On the Calling of a Free Parliament, Jan. 15, 1678-9”--Ballads on William III.’s Parliament: “The Whigs’ Address to his Majesty,” 1689; “The Patriots,” 1700--An election under William III., for the City of London--“The Election, a Poem,” 1701; the electors, the Guildhall, the candidates; Court-schemers _versus_ patriotic representatives; and “the liberties of the people” _versus_ the “surrendered Charters”--Electioneering under Queen Anne--The High Church party--“The University Ballad; or, the Church’s Advice to her Two Daughters, Oxford and Cambridge,” 1705--Whigs and “Tackers”--The Nonconformity Bill--Mother Church promises to “wipe the Whigs’ nose”--The “case of Ashby and White,” and the dispute thereon between the Lords and Commons--Breaches of privilege--“Jacks,” “Tacks,” and the “Occasional Conformity Bill”--Ballad: “The Old Tack and the New,” 1712--The Act against bribery--Past-masters of the art of electioneering--Thomas, Marquis of Wharton; his election feats, and genius for canvassing-Election, 1705--“Dyer’s Letters”--Reception of a High Church “Tantivy” candidate--Discomfiture of the “Sneakers”--Lord Woodstock’s electioneering ruse at Southampton, 1705--“For the Queen and Church, Packington”--Dean Swift on election disturbances in Queen Anne’s reign--Sir Richard Steele’s mishap when a candidate for election--Steele’s parliamentary career--“The Englishman” and “The Crisis”--Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, an accomplished hand at electioneering--Her _ruse_ against Lord Grimston--“Love in a Hollow Tree”--Dr. Johnson on scandals revived at election-time--Failure of the High Church party to bring in the Chevalier--The accession of George I., and the Tory discomfiture--“The Whigs’ answer to the Tories”--The Jacobite and Hanoverian factions--Ballads upon “Nancy,” “the Chevalier,” and George of Hanover, 1716--The disaffected and their hatred to Sir Robert Walpole--Ballad: “King James’s Declaration”--The abortive Jacobite rising in 1715--Ballad: “The Right and True History of Perkin”--The end of Perkin’s attempt. 56