WILLIAM THE THIRD.

45

The war, he said, had undoubtedly left behind it a heavydebt; and he should be glad to see that debt reduced by'just and effectual means. This answer was but a badone; and, in truth, it was hardly possible for him to re-turn a good one. He had done what was indefensible;and, by attempting to defend himself, he made his caseworse. It was not true that the Irish forfeitures, or onefifth part of them, had been granted to men who haddistinguished themselves in the Irish war; and it was notjudicious to hint that those forfeitures could not justly beapplied to the discharge of the public debts. The Com-mons murmured, and not altogether without reason. “ IlisMaj esty tells us,” they said, “that the debts fall to us andthe forfeitures to him. We are to make good out of thepurses of Englishmen what was spent upon the war; andhe is to put into the purses of Dutchmen what was got bythe war.” When the House met again, Howe moved thatwhoever had advised the King to return such an answerwas an enemy to His Majesty and the kingdom; andthis resolution was carried with some slight modifica-tion.

To whatever criticism William’s answer might be open,he had said one thing which well deserved the attentionof the House. A small part of the forfeited property hadbeen bestowed on men whose services to the state well de-served a much larger recompense; and that part could notbe resumed without gross injustice and ingratitude. Anestate of very moderate value had been given, with the

CHAP.

xxv.

1700 .