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thousand Londoners, well armed and appointed, were pre- cijap.pared to march at an hour’s notice; and that an additionalforce, consisting of six regiments of foot, a strong regimentof horse, and a thousand dragoons, should be instantly raisedwithout costing the Crown a farthing. Of Her Majesty theCity had nothing to ask, but that she would be pleased to setover these troops officers in whom she could confide. The samespirit was shown in every part of the country'. Though in thesouthern counties the harvest was at hand, the rustics repairedwith unusual cheerfulness to the musters of the militia. TheJacobite country gentlemen, who had, during several months,been making preparations for the general rising which was totake place as soon as William was gone and as help arrivedfrom France, now that William was gone, now that a Frenchinvasion was hourly expected, burned their commissions signedby James, and hid their arms behind wainscots or in haystacks.

The Jacobites in the towns were insulted wherever they ap-peared, and were forced to shut themselves up in their housesfrom the exasperated populace.*

Nothing is more interesting to those who love to study theintricacies of the human heart than the effect which the public bury,danger produced on Shrewsbury. For a moment he was a“gainthe Shrewsbury of 1688 . His nature, lamentably unstable,was not ignoble; and the thought, that, by standing foremostin the defence of his country at so perilous a crisis, he mightrepair his great fault and regain his own esteem, gave newenergy to his body and his mind. He bad retired to Epsom, inthe hope that quiet and pure air would produce a salutary effecton his shattered frame and wounded spirit. But a few hoursafter the news of the Battle of Beachy Head had arrived, he

* Burnet, ii. 53, 54.; Narcissus Luttrell’s Diary, July 7. 11. 1690;London Gazette, July 14. 1690.