122

msToiir or esglakd.

cn.\p.

XVM.

1691.

Williamhis ownministerfor for-eign af-fairs.

with the crowd in his antechamber, and at his table behaved as■ respectfully as any English lord in waiting. In one caricaturethe allied princes were represented as muzzled bears, somewith crowns, some with caps of state. William had them all ina chain, and was teaching them to dance. In another carica-ture, he appeared taking his ease in an arm chair, with his feeton a cushion, and his hat on his head, while the Electors ofBrandenburg and Bavaria, uncovered, occupied small stools onthe right and left: the crowd of Landgraves and Sovereigndukes stood at humble distance; and Gastanaga, the unworthysuccessor of Alva, awaited the orders of the heretic tyrant onbended knee.*

It was soon announced by authority that, before the be-ginning of summer, two hundred and twenty thousand menwould be in the field against France.** The contingent whicheach of the allied powers was to furnish was made known.Matters about which it would have been inexpedient to putforth any declaration were privately discussed by the King ofEngland with his allies. On this occasion, as on every otherimportant occasion during his reign, he was his own ministerfor foreign affairs. It was necessary for the sake of form thathe should be attended by a Secretary of State; and Nottinghamhad therefore followed him to Holland. But Nottingham,though, in matters concerning the internal government ofEngland, he enjoyed a large share of his master’s confidence,knew little more about the business of the Congress than whathe saw in the Gazettes.

This mode of transacting business would now be thoughtmost unconstitutional; and many writers, applying the standard

* Wagenaar, lxii.; Le Carnaval de lallaye, Mars 1691; Lc Tabouretdes Elccteurs, April 1691; Ctfr^monial de ce qui s’cst pass^ h la Ilaye entrele Iloi Guillaume et lea Electeurs de Bavibre et de Brandebourg. This lasttract is a MS. presented to the British Museum by George IV.

** London Gazette, Feb. 23, 1G9J