william: the tiiied.

163

But fair words, earnest entreaties and large promises were notspared: all the influence of Montague, which was justly great,'was exerted: the Directors promised to do their best: hut theyapprehended that it would be impossible for them to raise themoney without making a second call of twenty per cent on theirconstituents. It was necessary that the question should be sub-mitted to a General Court: in such a court more than six hun-dred persons were entitled to vote; and the result might well bedoubted. The proprietors were summoned to meet on thefifteenth of August at Grocers’ Hall. During the painful intervalof suspense, Shrewsbury wrote to his master in language moretragic than is often found in official letters. “ If this should notsucceed, God knows what can be done. Any thing must betried and ventured rather than lie down and die.”* On thefifteenth of August, a great epoch in the history of the Bank,the General Court was held. In the chair sate Sir JohnHoublon,the Governor, who was also Lord Mayor of London, and, whatwould'in our time be thought strange, a Commissioner of theAdmiralty. Sir John, in a speech, every word of which hadbeen written and had been carefully considered bytheDirectors,explained the case, and implored the assembly to stand by KingWilliam. There was at first a little murmuring. “ If our noteswould do,” it was said, “we should be most willing to assistHis Majesty: but two hundred thousand pounds in hard moneyat a time like this ■—.” The Governor announced explicitly thatnothing but gold or silver would supply the necessities of thearmy in Flanders. At length the question was put to the vote;and every hand in the Hall was held up for sending the money.The letters from the Dutch Embassy informed the States Ge-neral that the events of that day had bound the Bank and thegovernment together in close alliance, and that several of the

* Shrewsbury to William, Aug. 7. 1696; L’Hermitage, Aug. £f.; Lon-don Gazette, Aug. 13.

CHAP.

XXII.

1896 .

li*