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HISTORY OP ENGLAND.

ciiap. This quickwitted, restless and malignant politician, though—^2^— himself occupying a lucrative place in the royal household, de-Attack on claimed, day after day, against the manner in which the greatthe™”" offices of state were filled; and his declamations were echoed,in tones somewhat less sharp and vehement, by other orators.No man, they said, who had been a minister of Charles orof James ought to be a minister of William. The first attackwas directed against the Lord President Caermarthen. Howemoved that an address should be presented to the King, re-questing that all persons who had ever been impeached by theCommons might be dismissed from His Majesty’s counsels andpresence. The debate on this motion was repeatedly adjourned.While the event was doubtful, William sent Dykvelt to ex-postulate with Howe. Howe was obdurate. He was what isvulgarly called a disinterested man; that is to say, he valuedmoney less than the pleasure of venting his spleen and ofmaking a sensation. “ I am doing the King a service,” he said:“I am rescuing him from false friends: and, as to my place,that shall never be a gag to prevent me from speaking mymind.” The motion was made, but completely failed. In truththe proposition, that mere accusation, never prosecuted toconviction, ought to be considered as a decisive proof of guilt,was shocking to natural justice. The faults of Caermarthen haddoubtless been great; but they had been exaggerated by partyspirit, had been expiated by severe suffering, and had beenredeemed by recent and eminent services. At the time when heraised the great county of York in arms against Popery andtyranny, he had been assured by some of the most eminentWhigs that all old quarrels were forgotten. Howe indeed main-tained that the civilities which had passed in the moment ofperil signified nothing. “When a viper is on my hand,” hesaid, “I am very tender of him; but, as soon as I have him onthe ground, I set my foot on him and crush him.” The Lord