26

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

chap. Some weeks elapsed before the Tories ventured again

xxv.

iGijii. to attack him. In the meantime they amused themselvesonBurnet drying to worl 7 another person whom they hated evenmore bitterly. When, in a financial debate, the arrange-ments of the household of the Duke of Gloucester wereincidentally mentioned, one or two members took the op-portunity of throwing reflections on Burnet. Burnet’s veryname sufficed to raise among the High Churchmen a stormof mingled merriment and anger. The Speaker in vainreminded the orators that they were wandering from thequestion. The majority was determined to have some funwith the Right Reverend Whig, and encouraged them toproceed. Nothing appears to have been said on the otherside. The chiefs of the opposition inferred from thelaughing and cheering of the Bishop’s enemies, and fromthe silence of his friends, that there would be no difficultyin driving from Court, with contumely, the prelate whomof all prelates they most detested, as the personificationof the latitudinarian spirit, a Jack Presbyter in lawnsleeves. They, therefore, after the lapse of a few hours,moved quite unexpectedly an address requesting the Kingto remove the Bishop of Salisbury from the place of pre-ceptor to the young heir apparent. But it soon appearedthat many who could not help smiling at Burnet’s weak-nesses did justice to his abilities and virtues. The debatewas hot. The unlucky Pastoral Letter was of course notforgotten. It was asked whether a man who had pro-