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The following diary entries come from Roger Morrice, puritan
clergyman turned political reporter, who chronicled public
affairs between 1677 and 1691. For nearly 300 years his
Entrying book lay neglected on the dusty shelves of Dr Williams's
Library in London, the principal archive of Protestant non-conformity.
Read a selection of these exclusive diary entries.
21 January 1687: 'Dr Conquest, a physician, said lately at Will's Coffeehouse in Covent Garden, upon some oranges offered for sale, that all oranges of all kinds whatsoever are scurvy. One of the company said, 'the Prince of Orange?'. 'Yes', answered the Doctor, 'the Prince is a rascal and the Princess is a baggage'.
Roger
Morrice
Dr Williams's Library
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It sang a king out of three kingdoms! That's what they said about
"Lillibulero", the 17th century satire whose words and
music spread like wildfire throughout England and Ireland during
the struggle for the British crown between James II and William
III.
Every soldier bawled out its anti-Jacobite sentiments and William's
supporters whistled and hummed its catchy melody. . But the Williamite
bishop, Gilbert Burnet, didn't seem to approve. He wrote in his
diary, "A foolish ballad was made at that time - treating
the Papists and chiefly the Irish, in a very ridiculous manner".
The song pilloried Richard Talbot, Earl of Tyrconnell, a staunch
supporter of the Catholic King James. It was written by Lord Thomas
Wharton and set to an older melody arranged by Henry Purcell.
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