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William of Orange was at war with Louis XIV of France, and when he invaded England in November 1688 his primary aim was to detach England from its alliance with France.

King James II fled in the face of William’s slow military advance on London, encouraged by some of his most senior officers who sympathised with the invasion.

James quietly slipped away to France on 23 December 1688, and this text is based on a hand-written note he left behind to defend his actions and counter the ‘slanders’ of his enemies. The text was printed at London and reprinted at Edinburgh and Dublin. The item on display is the only surviving copy of the Dublin edition.

Citation:
His Majesties Reasons For withdrawing Himself from Rochester, Writ with His Own Hand, and ordered by Him to be Published (Dublin, 1688).

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Marsh's Library Exhibits,
accessed December 6, 2025,
https://www.marshlibrary.ie/digi/items/show/473