by main Force; beſides, he only diſbanded the new rais'd Regiments, and not all of them neither, for he kept up in England five thouſand eight hundred and ninety prive Men, beſides Officers, which was his Eſtabliſhment in 1673.
The King having two great deſigns to carry on together, viz. Popery and Arbitrary Power, thought this Force not enough to do his Buſineſs effectually; and therefore caſt about how to get a new Army, and took the moſt plauſible way, which was pretending to entet into a War with France; and to that purpoſe ſent Mr. Thyn to Holland, who made a ſtrict League with the States: And immediately upon it the King called the Parliament, who gave him 1200000 Pounds to enter into an actual War, with which Money he raiſed an Army of between twenty and thirty thouſand Mend within leſs than forty Days, and ſent part of them to Flanders. At the ſame time he continued his Forces in France, and took a Sum of Money from that King to aſſiſt him in making a private Peace with Holland: So that inſtead of a War with France, the Parliament had given a great Sum to raiſe an Army to enſslave themſelves. But it happened about this time that the Popiſh Plot broke out, which put the Nation into ſuch a Ferment, that there was no ſtemming the Tide: So that he was force to call the Parliament which met the 23d of October 78, who immediately fell upon the Popiſh Plot and the Land Army. Beſides there were diſcovered 57 Commiſſions granted to Papiſts to raiſe Men, counterſigned J. Will——ſon; for which, and ſaying that the King might keep Guards if he could pay them, he was committed to the Tower. This ſo enrag'd the Parliament, that they immediately proceeded to the diſbanding of the Army, and paſſed an Act that all raiſed ſince the 29th of September 77 ſhould be diſbanded, and gave the King 693388 pounds to pay off their Arrears, which he made uſe of to keep them up, and diſſolved the Parliament; but ſoon after called another, which purſued the ſame Counſels, and paſſed a ſecond Act to diſband the Army, gave a new Sum for doing it, directed it to be paid into the Chamber of London, appointed Commiſſioners of their own, and paſſed a Vote, That the continuance of any Standing Forces in this
