WILLIAM THE THIRD.

77

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without taking leave. Another started for London with chap.

xxv.

a despatch which directed the Lords Justices to send "hioi.Poussin instantly out of England.

England was already in a flame when it was first knownthere that James was dying. Some of his eager partisansformed plans and made preparations for a great publicmanifestation of feeling in different parts of the island.

But the insolence of Lewis produced a burst of public in-dignation which scarcely any malecontent had the courageto face.

In the city of London, indeed, some zealots, who hadprobably swallowed too many bumpers to their Sovereign,played one of those senseless pranks which were charac-teristic of their party. They dressed themselves in coatsbearing some resemblance to the tabards of heralds, rodethrough the streets, halted at some places, and mutteredsomething which nobody could understand. It was at firstsupposed that they were merely a company of prize fightersfrom Hockley in the Hole who had taken this way of adver-tising their performances with back sword, sword andbuckler, and single falchion. But it was soon discoveredthat these gaudily dressed horsemen were proclaimingJames the Third. In an instant the pageant was at an end.

The mock kings at arms and pursuivants threw away theirfinery and fled for their lives in all directions, followedby yells and showers of stones.* Already the Common

* Lettres Historicities, Mois do Novembra 1701.