202 HISTORY OE ENGLAND.

chap, and, when the dangerous crisis w r as past, he was set at liberty.

— It should seem indeed that, during the three years which followedthe Revolution, he w'as by no means an active plotter. He sawthat aRestoration could be effected only with the general assentof the nation, and that the nation would never assent to aRe-storation without securities against Popery and arbitrary power.He therefore conceived that, while his banished master ob-stinately refused to give such securities, it would be worse thanidle to conspire against the existing government.

Such was the man whom James, in consequence of strongrepresentations from Versailles, now invited to join him inPrance. The great body of Compounders learned with delightthat they were at length to be represented in the Council atSaint Germains by one of their favourite leaders. Some noble-men and gentlemen, who, though they had not approved ofthe deposition of James, had been so much disgusted by hisperverse and absurd conduct that they had long avoided all con-nection with him, now began to hope that he had seen his error.They had refused to have any thing to do with Melfort; but theycommunicated freely with Middleton. The new' minister con-ferred also with the four traitors whose infamy has been madepreeminently conspicuous by their station, their abilities, andtheir great public services; with Godolphin, the great object ofwhose life w r as to be in favour with both the rival Kings at once,and to keep, through all revolutions and counterrevolutions,his head, his estate and a place at the Board of Treasury; V'ithShrewsbury, who, having once in a fatal moment entangledhimself in criminal and dishonourable engagements, had nothad the resolution to break through them; with Marlborough,who continued to profess the deepest repentance for the pastand the best intentions for the future; and with Russell, whodeclared that he was still what he had been before the day of LaHogue, and renewed his promise to do what Monk had done,