114

HISTORY OY EUGLAHD.'

chap. The Houses inquired, each for itself, into the causes of the

x ‘ x ' public calamities. The Commons resolved themselves into a

1692 . x

Grand Committee to consider of the advice to be given to theKing. From the concise abstracts and fragments which havecome down to us it seems that, in this Committee, which con-tinued to sit many days, the debates wandered over a vastspace. One member spoke of the prevalence of highway rob-bery: another deplored the quarrel between the Queen and thePrincess, and proposed that two or three gentlemen should bedeputed to wait on Her Majesty and try to make matters up.A third described the machinations of the Jacobites in the pre-ceding spring. It was notorious, he said, that preparationshad been made for a rising, and that arms and horses had beencollected; yet not a single traitor had been brought tojustice.*

The events of the war by land and sea furnished matter forseveral earnest debates. Many members complained of thepreference given to aliens over Englishmen. The whole battleof Steinkirk was fought over again; and severe reflections werethrown on Solmes. “Let English soldiers be commanded bynone but English generals,” was the almost universal cry.Seymour, who had once been distinguished by his hatred ofthe foreigners, but who, since he had been at the Board ofTreasury, had reconsidered his opinions, asked where Englishgenerals were'to be found. “I have no love for foreigners asforeigners: but we have no choice. Men are not born ge-nerals: nay, a man may be a very valuable captain or major,and not be equal to the conduct of an army. Nothing but ex-perience will form great commanders. Very few of our country-men have that experience; and therefore we must for the pre-sent employ strangers.” Lowther followed on the same side.“We have had a long peace; and the consequence is that we* Grey’s Debates, Nov. 21. and 23. 1692.