CHAP.

XXIII.

“TossT

140 HISTORY OP ENGLAND.

masters and quarrelsome comrades to pass tlie Christmasholidays at a happy home. That stern and composed facewhich had been the same in the pursuit at the Boyne and inthe rout at Landen, and of which the keenest politicianshad in vain tried to read the secrets, now wore an expres-sion but too intelligible. The English wore not a little pro-voked by seeing their King so happy. Hitherto his annualvisits to the Continent had been not only pardoned but ap-proved. It was necessary that he should be at the head ofhis army. If he had left his people, it had been in order toput his life in jeopardy for their independence, their liberty,and their religion. But they had hoped that, when peacehad been restored, when no call of duty required him tocross the sea, he would generally, during the summer andautumn, reside in his fair palaces and parks on the banksof the Thames, or travel from country seat to country seat,and from cathedral town to cathedral town, making himselfacquainted with every shire of his realm, and giving hishand to be kissed by multitudes of squires, clergymen andaldermen who were not likely ever to see him unless hecame among them. It now appeared that he was sick ofthe noble residences which had descended to him fromancient princes; that he was sick even of those mansionswhich the liberality of Parliament had enabled him to buildand embellish according to his own taste; that he was sickof Windsor, of Richmond, and of Hampton; that he pro-mised himself no enjoyment from a progress through thoseflourishing and populous counties which he had never seen,