Clarendon. There is something painful in the manner in which his father, in his private journal, dwells on his son's apostacy:-"O God!" he exclaims, "that my son should be a rebel! The Lord in his mercy look upon me, and enable me to support myself under this most grievous calamity. I made haste home, and as soon as I could recollect myself a little, I wrote to my Lord Middleton to obtain leave for me to throw myself at the King's feet. My lord quickly sent me a most obliging answer, that I might wait on the King when I would. In the afternoon I waited on the King at W. Chiffinch's: I said what I was able upon so melancholy a subject as my son's desertion. God knows I was in confusion enough. The King was very gracious to me, and said he pitied me with all his heart, and that he would still be kind to my family." It will scarcely be believed, that a few days after writing this passage, Lord Clarendon actually followed the example of his son, and fled to the camp of the invader. Among others who deserted to the Prince of Orange, about the same time with Lord Cornbury, were Lord Colchester, son of the Earl Rivers; the Duke of Grafton, a natural son of King Charles the Second; and more especially, Lord Churchill, afterwards the great Duke of Marlborough, a man who from his childhood had basked in the sunshine of royalty, and who owed his peerage, fortune, and high rank in the army, to the personal favour and friendship of the unfortunate James. One of the last to forsake the fortunes of that monarch, was Sheffield Duke of Buckingham, who at this period filled the post of Lord Chamberlain. Previously to the landing of the Prince, it had been proposed to intrust him with the project of the intended invasion, and endeavour to gain him over to the revolutionary party. Alluding to this circumstance, William, some time afterwards, inquired of the Duke, in what manner he would have acted had he been made privy to the design. "Sir," he replied boldly, "I should have revealed it to the master I then served." There was no less generosity in the King's answer:-"My Lord," he said, "I could not have blamed you."* The royal army, consisting of about twenty thousand men, was at this period encamped at Salisbury. Thither James hastened to join his friends, but whether influenced by personal timidity, whether depressed by his accumulated misfortunes, and the gradual disaffection of his most trusted friends, or convinced of the utter desperation of his affairs, after remaining only six days with his army, he turned his back upon Salisbury, and retired with a portion of his forces to * Dalrymple, vol. i. p. 195. VOL. I.. F London. It has been supposed, and the supposition appears to be a reasonable one, that had James, at this period, dismissed such of his officers as were known to be disaffected, and filled their places with the more intelligent among the noncommissioned officers, he would probably have turned the tide in his favour, and vanquished the Prince of Orange in the field. So little, indeed, had his tyranny extended to the lower classes, and such was the generous spirit of loyalty which the English then conceived towards their sovereign, that when the last of the Stuarts turned his back upon his own standard, the men are said to have shed tears as they listened to the fact. In their retreat towards London, the king's forces were followed closely by those of the Prince of Orange, headed by William in person.* In passing by Wilton he paid a visit to that cele *The Prince's progress from Taunton to London may be clearly traced by the following extracts from the diary of Patrick Earl of Marchmont. "30th November.-The Prince quartered at Wincanton: I quartered five miles forward, twelve in all, at Mere in Wiltshire. "1st of December.-The Prince quartered at Hindon, twelve miles. "Monday, 3rd December.-The Prince stayed, and I marched on six miles to Wily. "Tuesday, the 4th.-The Prince came to Salisbury, nine miles, where we quartered; here many of the first rank came in to the Prince. "Friday, the 7th.-The Prince came to Hungerford. ་ brated residence, and appeared much gratified by its beautiful pictures and gardens. He had also intended to visit Oxford, in order to receive the compliments of the University, but circumstances hurrying him on towards London, he sent to decline those honours, which perhaps would have been distributed but sparingly, and the offer of which seems to have been prompted solely by fear. When William, some years afterwards, actually paid a visit to Oxford, Evelyn informs us, the reception he received from the University was so little flattering, that he declined their invitation to a banquet, and remained only an hour in the town. As he proceeded on his way to London, the country people, in many places, and more especially on his approach to Sarum, were unusually forward in crowding round him, and almost deafened him by their noisy acclamations. Apparently much gratified, he took off his hat and repeatedly bowed to them:-" Thank you, good "Wednesday, [the 12th,] the Prince went to Wallingford. "Friday, [the 14th,] the Prince came to Windsor. "Monday, [the 17th,] the Prince came to Sion House, and lodged with the Countess of Northumberland. "Tuesday, [the 18th,] about noon, the Prince entered Westminster, with great acclamation and tokens of joy among the people, and ringing of bells and bonfires at night: he lodged in St. James's. That day a meeting of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal declared for the Prince."-Marchmont Papers, vol. iii. pp. 101, 102. people," he said; "I am come to secure the Protestant religion, and free from Popery." you To the vulgar, the manners of William appear to have been at all times more gracious than to those of higher rank. Some years afterwards, he was passing through a village in the neighbourhood of Windsor, when a woman, determined to get a sight of the King, thrust herself close to the windows of the royal carriage. Having satisfied her curiosity, she exclaimed somewhat contemptuously, though perhaps not with the intention of being overheard," Is that the King? "Is why my husband is a handsomer man than he." William stooped towards her and said very seriously,-"Good woman, don't speak so loud; consider I'm a widower."* After the return of James to the metropolis, some unavailing attempts were made by the unfortunate monarch to recover the popularity which he had lost, or at least to procure as favourable terms as possible from his son-in-law. All such efforts, however, proving ineffectual,-perplexed and confounded by new difficulties and more important defections,-the King at length determined on seeking safety in France. Accordingly, with this view, having in the first instance withdrawn himself through a private passage at Whitehall, he embarked, on the 11th *Birch. Add. MSS. British Museum. |