136

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

CITAP.

XVII.

Tamer,

in particular owed him a grudge. “My Lords,” he said, “lam-an Englishman. I always, when the interest of the Houseof Bourbon was strongest here, shunned the French, bothmen and women. I would lose the last drop of my blood ratherthan see Portsmouth in the power of foreigners. 1 am not sucha fool as to think that King Lewis will conquer us merely for thebenefit of King James. I am certain that nothing can be trulyimputed to me beyond some foolish talk over a bottle.” Iiisprotestations seem to have produced some effect; for he was atfirst permitted to remain in the gentle custody of the BlackRod. On further inquiry, however, it was determined to sendhim to the Tower. After a confinement of a few weeks he diedof apoplexy: but he lived long enough to complete his disgraceby offering his sword to the new government, and by express-ing in fervent language his hope that he might, by the good-ness of God and of Their Majesties, have an opportunity ofshowing how much he hated the French.*

Turner ran no serious risk: for the government was mostunwilling to send to the scaffold one of the Seven who hadsigned the memorable petition. A warrant was however issuedfor his apprehension; and his friends had little hope that hewould escape: for his nose was such as none who had seen itcould forget; and it v.'as to little purpose that he put on aflowing wig and that he suffered his beard to grow'. The pursuitwas probably not very hot: for, after skulking a few' weeks inEngland, he succeeded in crossing the Channel, and remainedsome time in France. **

* Life of James, ii. 443. 450.; Legge Papers in the Mackintosh Col-lection.

** Burnet, ii. 71.; Evelyn’s Diary, Jan. 4. and 18. 169?; Letter fromTurner to Sancroft, Jan. 19. 1G9?; Letter from Sancroft to Lloyd of Nor-wich, April 2. 1692. These two letters are among the Tanner MSS. in theBodleian, and are printed in the Life of Ken by a Layman. Turner’s escapeto France is mentioned in Narcissus Luttrell’s Diary for February 1990.