WILLIAM ASD MAHT.

39

quarters, left no doubt that an invasion rvould be almost ini- chap.mediately attempted. Vigorous preparations for defence were 16!)2 -made. The equipping and manning of the ships was urgedforward with vigour. The regular troops were drawn togetherbetween London and the sea. A great camp was formed on thedown which overlooks Portsmouth. The militia all over thekingdom was called out. Two Westminster regiments and sixCity regiments, making up a force of thirteen thousand fightingmen, were arrayed in Hyde Park, and passed in review beforethe Queen. The trainbands of Kent, Sussex, and Surrey-marched down to the coast. Watchmen were posted by thebeacons. Some nonjurors were imprisoned, some disarmed,some held to bail. The house of the Earl of Huntingdon, anoted .Tacobite, was searched. He had had time to burn hispapers and to hide his arms; but his stables presented a mostsuspicious appearance. Horses enough to mount a whole troopof cavalry were at the mangers; and this evidence, though notlegally sufficient to support a charge of treason, was thoughtsufficient, at such a conjuncture, to justify the Privy Council insending him to the Tower.*

Meanwhile James had gone down to his army, which was Jamesencamped round the basin of La Hogue, on the northern coast down toof the peninsula known by the name of the Cotentin. Before at Lahe quitted Saint Germains, he held a Chapter of the Garter for H ° 8U °'the purpose of admitting his son into the order. Two noblemenwere honoured with the same distinction, Powis, who, amonghis brother exiles, was now called a Duke, and Melfort, whohad returned from Rome, and was again James’s PrimeMinister.** Even at this moment, when it was of the greatestimportance to' conciliate the members of the Church of Eng-

* Narcissus Luttrell’s Diary for April and MaylG92; London Gazette,

May 9. and 12.

** SheridauMS.; Life of James, ii. 492.