WILLIAM AND MABT.

119

merely childish. The King was to be humbly advised to employmen of ability and integrity. He was to be humbly advised toemploy men who would stand by him against James. Thepatience of the House was wearied out by long discussionsending in the pompous promulgation of truisms like these. Atlast the explosion came. One of the grumblers called theattention of the Grand Committee to the alarming fact that twoDutchmen were employed in the Ordnance department, andmoved that the King should be humbly advised to dismissthem. The motion was received with disdainful mockery. Itwas remarked that the military men especially were loud in theexpression of contempt. “Do we seriously think of going tothe King and telling him that, as he has condescended to askour advice at this momentous crisis, we humbly advise him toturn a Dutch storekeeper out of the Tower? Really, if wehave no more important suggestion to carry up to the throne,we may as well go to our dinners.” The members generallywere of the same mind. The chairman was voted out of thechair, and was not directed to ask leave to sit again. TheGrand Committee ceased to exist. The resolutions which it hadpassed were formally reported to the House. One of themwas rejected: the others were suffered to drop; and the Com-mons, after considering during several weeks what advicethey should give to the King, ended by giving him no adviceat all.*

The temper of the Lords was different. From many cir-cumstances it appears that there was no place where the Dutchwere, at this time, so much hated as in the Upper House. Thedislike with which an Englishman of the middle class regardedthe King’s foreign friends was merely national. But the dislike

with which an English nobleman regarded them was personal.

*

* Colt Papers in Tindal; Commons 1 Journals Dec. 16. 1692, Jan. 13*169f; Burnet, ii. 104.

CHAP.

XIX.

lti'JS.