162
JIIST01LY OE ENGLAND.
CHAP.
XV.
lfo>9.
Supplies
voted.
his impatience at what seemed to him a morbid habit of inde-cision.* Halifax, mortified by his mischances in public life,dejected by domestic calamities, disturbed by apprehensions ofan impeachment, and no longer supported by royal favour,became sick of public life, and began to pine for the silence andsolitude of his seat in Nottinghamshire, an old CistercianAbbey buried deep among woods. Early in October it wasknown that he would no longer preside in the Upper House.It was at the same time whispered as a great secret that hemeant to retire altogether from business, and that he retainedthe Privy Seal only till a successor should be named. ChiefBaron Atkyns was appointed Speaker of the Lords.**
On some important points there appeared to be no dif-ference of opinion in the legislature. The Commonsunanimously resolved that they would stand by the King in thework of reconquering Ireland , and that they would enable himto prosecute with vigour the war against Prance.*** With equalunanimity they voted an extraordinary supply of two millions.fIt was determined that the greater part of this sum should belevied by an assessment on real property. The rest was to beraised partly by a poll tax, and partly by new duties on tea,coffee and chocolate. It was proposed that a hundred thousandpounds should be exacted from the Jews; and this propositionwas at first favourably received by the House: but difficultiesarose. The Jews presented a petition in which they declaredthat they could not afford to pay such a sum, and that theywould rather leave the kingdom than stay there to be ruined.
* “Halifax a eu une reprimande sdvfcrc publiquemcnl dans le conseilpar le Prince d’Orange pour avoir trop balanc<5.” — Avaux to Do Croissy,Dublin, June •£{;. 1689. “His mercurial wit,” says Burnet, ii. 4., “was notwell suited with the King’s phlegm.”
*# Clarendon’s Diary, Oct. 10. 1689; Lords’ Journals, Oct. 19. 1689.
*** Commons’ Journals, Oct. 24. 1689.
f Commons’ Journals, Nov. 2. 1689.