WILLIAM THE TI-IIKD.

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trifle. But the frame of William was not in a condition tobear even the slightest shock. He felt that his time was'short, and grieved, with a grief such as only noble spiritsfeel, to think that he must leave his work but half finished.It was possible that he might still live until one of hisplans should be carried into execution. He had longknown that the relation in which England and Scotlandstood to each other was at best precarious, and often un-friendly, and that it might be doubted whether, in anestimate of the British power, the resources of the smallercountry ought not to be deducted from those of the larger.Recent events had proved that, without doubt, the twokingdoms could not possibly continue for another year tobe on the terms on which they had been during the pre-ceding century, and that there must be between themeither absolute union or deadly enmity. Their enmitywould bring frightful calamities, not on themselves alone,but on all the civilised world. Their union would be thebest security for the prosperity of both, for the internaltranquillity of the island, for the just balance of poweramong European states, and for the immunities of allProtestant countries. On the twenty eighth of Februarythe Commons listened with uncovered heads to the lastmessage that bore William’s sign manual. An unhappyaccident, he told them, had forced him to make to themin writing a communication which he would gladly havemade from the throne. He had, in the first year of hisreign, expressed his desire to see an union accomplished

CIUP

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