80

HISTORY OP ENGLAND.

chap, emissary of a tyrant hostile to the liberty, the independ-1701 . ence, and the religion of their country. The Tories,vexed and abashed, heartily wished that, on that unluckyday, their friends had been supping somewhere else. Eventhe bronze of Davenant’s forehead was not proof to thegeneral reproach. He defended himself by pretendingthat Poussin, with whom he had passed whole days, whohad corrected his scurrilous pamphlets, and who had paidhim his shameful wages, was a stranger to him, and thatthe meeting at the Blue Posts was purely accidental. Ifhis word was doubted, he was willing to repeat his asser-tion on oath. The public, however, which had formed avery correct notion of his character, thought that his wordwas worth as much as his oath, and that his oath was worthnothing.

Return of Meanwhile the arrival of William was impatiently ex-

the King. L J

pected. Prom Loo he had gone to Breda, where he hadpassed some time in reviewing his troops, and in conferringwith Marlborough and Heinsius. He had hoped to be inEngland early in October. But adverse winds detainedhim three weeks at the Hague. At length, in the afternoonof the fourth of November, it was known in London thathe had landed early that morning at Margate. Great pre-parations were made for welcoming him to his capital onthe following day, the thirteenth anniversary of liis.landingin Devonshire. But a journey across the bridge, and alongCornhill and Cheapside, Fleet Street, and the Strand,would have been too great an effort for his enfeebled frame.