HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

life andeduca-tion.

chap. ; n a manner not to be mistaken capacity equal to the most1687 —arduous enterprises, and fortitude not to be shaken by re-verses or dangers.

His early Nature had largely endowed William with the qualitiesof a great ruler; and education had developed those qualitiesin no common degree. With strong natural sense, and rareforce of will, he found himself, when first his mind began toopen, a fatherless and motherless child, the chief of a greatbut depressed and disheartened party, and the heir to vastand indefinite pretensions, which excited the dread andaversion of the oligarchy then supreme in the United Pro-vinces. The common people, fondly attached during acentury to his house, indicated, whenever they saw him, ina manner not to be mistaken, that they regarded him as theirrightful head. The able and experienced ministers of therepublic, mortal enemies of his name, came every day to paytheir feigned civilities to him, and to observe the progress,of his mind. The first movements of his ambition were care-fully watched: every unguarded word uttered by him wasnoted down; nor had he near him any adviser on whose judg-ment reliance could be placed. He was scarcely fifteen yearsold when all the domestics who were attached to his interest,or who enjoyed any share of his confidence, were removedfrom under his roof by the jealous government. Pie remon-strated with energy beyond his years, but in vain. Vigilantobservers saw the tears more than once rise in the eyes of theyoung state prisoner. His health, naturally delicate, sankfor a time under the emotions which his desolate situation hadproduced. Such situations bewilder and unnerve the weak,but call forth all the strength of the strong. Surrounded bysnares in which an ordinary youth would have perished,William learned to tread at once warily and firmly. Longbefore he reached manhood he knew how to keep secrets,how to baffle curiosity by dry and guarded answers, how toconceal all passions under the same show of grave tranquillity.Meanwhile he made little proficiency in fashionable or literaryaccomplishments. The manners of the Dutch nobility of thatage wanted the grace which was found in the highest perfec-