It met with warm opposition from sir Edward Seymour and other tory members, who discharged abundance of satire and ridicule upon the Scottish nation; but the measure seemed so necessary at that juncture, to secure the protestant succession against the practices of France and the claims of the pretender, that the majority espoused the bill, which passed through both houses, and on the sixth day of May received the royal assent, together with some bills of less importance.

The enemies of the late king continued to revile his memory.

[107] _[See note P, at the end of this Vol.]_ They even charged him with having formed a design of excluding the princess Anne from the throne, and of introducing the elector of Hanover as his own immediate successor.

This report had been so industriously circulated, that it began to gain credit all over the kingdom.

Several peers interested themselves in William's character, and a motion was made in the upper house that the truth of this report should be inquired into.