contempt of, and contrary to, the true intent and meaning of this Our proclamation. "Given at Our Court at Whitehall, 14th March, "1687-8, in the fourth year of Our reign." Notwithstanding this proclamation, the States continued stedfast in their determination not to send the six regiments home; but as some of the officers were members of the Roman Catholic church, and it being probable a rupture on the subject of religion would shortly take place, they gave permission for as many of the officers to return to England as chose. About forty availed themselves of this opportunity and quitted the Dutch service. The King sent a frigate to bring them home. A few soldiers also withdrew from Holland, and three regiments[19] were formed, of nearly all papists, and taken into the pay of the King of France, but they remained in England. The six British regiments in the Dutch service were thus purged of Roman Catholics, the vacancies were filled with men of staunch protestant principles, and this distinguished body of men was considered stedfastly devoted to the protestant interest. The Prince of Orange having been induced to proceed to England with a powerful armament for the purpose of rescuing the kingdom from the power of papacy, the six regiments were selected to form part of the expedition, and they were considered the most formidable and efficient portion of his army. They mustered about four thousand officers and men, were commanded by Major-General Hugh Mackay, and sailed under a red flag. A declaration was published, setting forth the reasons which induced the Prince of Orange to engage in this undertaking; and Captain LANGHAM of BABINGTON'S regiment[20] (now SIXTH FOOT), arriving privately in England, was seized and imprisoned, and a number of the declarations were found in his portmanteau, which were shown to the King. When the expressions importing that the Prince of Orange was "most earnestly invited to come to England by divers of the lords, both temporal and spiritual, and by many gentlemen and others," were read, the King expressed great indignation, and sent for such noblemen and bishops as were in London, but none of them would acknowledge that they had given such an invitation. [Sidenote: 1689]