Glorious Revolution

A revolution in England that took place in 1688. It was so named because there was no bloodshed. King James II (reigned 1685-88), who ascended to the throne in 1685, was a Catholic and tried to enforce a blatant Catholic restoration policy and despotism. For example, he ignored the Examination Act and appointed Catholics to civil and military posts, tried to establish a standing army that the people disliked, and plotted to nullify some laws. In 1687 and 1688, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, he issued the Declaration of Freedom of Religion. This declaration attempted to restore the Catholic Church in the name of religious freedom, and even ordered that the 1688 declaration be read out in churches. When the Archbishop of Canterbury and seven other bishops petitioned against it, the king imprisoned them and put them on trial.

The people's discontent with this tyranny was growing, but it was the birth of a prince that brought it to the surface. James had no sons, and it was thought that his eldest daughter, Mary, a Protestant, would inherit the throne. However, in June 1688, the 55-year-old king had a son, and hopes of changing the Catholic policy in the next reign disappeared. So, after consultations between the leaders of the Tories and Whigs in Parliament, at the end of June when the seven bishops were found not guilty, they sent a letter of invitation to Mary's husband, William (Willem), Prince of Orange, who was in the Netherlands, to come to England with an army to protect the freedom and rights of the English people. In response, in November, William landed at Brixham in the southwest of England with 13,000 troops and marched east toward London. In the north, rebellions broke out in response, and nobles and others joined him one after another. Churchill (later Duke of Malbrugh), whom the king had sent to intercept him, also defected, and the king's second daughter Anne (later Queen) also ran to her brother-in-law's side. The king finally decided to go into exile, and after sending the queen and the prince to France, he himself tried to escape, but failed at first, and fled to France just after William entered London in December.

A Provisional Parliament was convened in January of the following year, 1689, and Mary arrived from the Netherlands in early February. The Provisional Parliament presented the two men with a Declaration of Rights, which they accepted and ascended to the throne jointly as William III and Mary II. The Declaration of Rights was later re-recognized as the Bill of Rights, and as can be seen from the principles of the Bill, this revolution settled the conflict between the monarchy and Parliament in the 17th century and established the foundation for the development of parliamentary politics, making it a significant part of British history.

[Matsumura Takeshi]

"The English Revolution" by Trevelyan, translated by Matsumura Takeshi (1978, Misuzu Shobo) " "The Glorious History of the English Revolution" by Hamabayashi Masao, Volumes 1 and 2 (1981, 1983, Miraisha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1688年に起こったイギリスの革命。流血をみなかったためにこの名がある。1685年即位したジェームズ2世（在位1685～88）は旧教徒で、露骨な旧教復活政策と専制主義を強行しようとした。たとえば、審査法を無視して旧教徒を文武の官吏に登用し、国民の嫌う常備軍を設置しようと試み、一部の法律を無効にしようとたくらみ、87年と88年には、先王に続いて、信仰自由宣言を発した。この宣言は信仰の自由の名のもとに旧教を復活させようとするもので、しかも88年のものは教会で読み上げることを命じていた。そのためカンタベリー大主教はじめ7人の主教が反対請願を行うと、王は彼らを投獄し、裁判にかけた。

　こうした専制に対して国民の不満が高まったが、それを表面化させるに至ったきっかけは王子の出生であった。そもそもジェームズには男子がなく、王位は彼の長女で新教徒のメアリーが継承するものと考えられていた。ところが、1688年6月、55歳の王に王子が生まれ、次の治世に旧教政策が改められる望みは消えた。そこで、議会のトーリー、ホイッグ両党指導者が協議のうえ、7主教が無罪の評決を受けた6月末、オランダにいるメアリーの夫オレンジ公（オラニエ公）ウィリアム（ウィレム）に対し、イギリス人の自由と権利を守るため、兵を率いて来英するよう、招請状を送った。これにこたえて、11月、ウィリアムは1万3000人の兵を率いてイギリス南西部のブリクサムに上陸し、ロンドン目ざして東進した。北部では、これに呼応して反乱が起こり、貴族その他は相次いで彼のもとに馳(は)せ参じ、王が迎撃に差し向けたチャーチル（後のモールブラ公）も寝返り、王の次女アン（後の女王）も義兄の側に走った。ここにおいて王もついに亡命を決意し、王妃と王子をフランスに逃がしたあと、自らも脱出を図り、いったんは失敗したが、12月ウィリアムがロンドンに入った直後、フランスに逃れた。

　翌1689年1月仮議会が招集され、2月初めメアリーがオランダから到着した。仮議会は両人に「権利宣言」を提出し、両人はこれを認めたうえで、ウィリアム3世、メアリー2世として共同で王位についた。「権利宣言」はのちに「権利章典」として再認されたが、同章典の原則にみられるように、この革命は17世紀における王権と議会の抗争に決着をつけ、議会政治発達の基礎を定めたもので、イギリス史上に大きな意義をもつ。

［松村　赳］

『トレヴェリアン著、松村赳訳『イングランド革命』（1978・みすず書房）』▽『浜林正夫著『イギリス名誉革命史』上下（1981、83・未来社）』

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