■WILLIAM THE THIRD.

23

Such an exhortation was nothing less than a reproach;and such a reproach was a had return for the gold and"the blood which England had lavished in order to makeand to keep him a great sovereign. There was a sharpdebate, in which Seymour took part. With characteristicindelicacy and want of feeling he harangued the Commonsas he had harangued the Court of King’s Bench, abouthis son’s death, and about the necessity of curbing the in-solence of military men. There were loud complaints thatthe events of the preceding session had been misrepre-sented to the public, that emissaries of the Court, in everypart of the kingdom, declaimed against the absurd jea-lousies or still more absurd parsimony which had refusedto his Majesty the means of keeping up such an army asmight secure the country against invasion. Even justicesof the peace, it was said, even deputy-lieutenants, hadused King James and King Lewis as bugbears, for thepurpose of stirring up the people against honest and thriftyrepresentatives. Angry resolutions were passed, declaringit to be the opinion of the House that the best way toestablish entire confidence between the King and theEstates of the Realm would be to put a brand on thoseevil advisers who had dared to breathe in the royal earcalumnies against a faithful Parliament. An addressfounded on these resolutions was voted; many thoughtthat a violent rupture was inevitable. But William re-turned an answer so prudent and gentle that malice itselfcould not prolong the dispute. By this time, indeed, a

CHAP.

xxv.

1699 .