16

HISTOUT OP ENGLANE.

chap- had gone to unjustifiable lengths against the government.~igb 7." _ A time at length arrived when innocence was not a sufficientprotection. Burnet, though not guilty of any legal offence,was pursued by the vengeance of the court. He retired to theContinent, and, after passing about a year in those wanderingsthrough Switzerland, Italy, and Germany, of which he hasleft us an agreeable narrative, reached the Hague in thesummer of 1686 , and was received there with kindness andrespect. He had many free conversations with the Princesson politics and religion, and soon became her spiritualdirector and confidential adviser. William proved a muchmore gracious host than could have been expected. For ofall faults officiousness and indiscretion were the most offensiveto him: and Burnet was allowed even by friends and ad-mirers to be the most officious and indiscreet of mankind.But the sagacious Prince perceived that this pushing talkativedivine, who was always blabbing secrets, asking impertinentquestions, obtruding unasked advice, was nevertheless anupright, courageous and able man, well acquainted with thetemper and the views of British sects and factions. The fameof Burnet’s eloquence and erudition was also widely spread.William was not himself a reading man. But he had now beenmany years at the head of the Dutch administration, in an agewhen the Dutch press was one of the most formidable enginesby which the public mind of Europe was moved, and, thoughhe had no taste for literary pleasures, was far too wise and tooobservant to be ignorant of the value of literary assistance.He was aware that a popular pamphlet might sometimes be ofas much service as a victor}' in the field. He also felt theimportance of having always near him some person well in-formed as to the civil and ecclesiastical polity of our island:and Burnet was eminently qualified to be of use as a livingdictionary of British affairs. For his knowledge, though notalways accurate, was of immense extent; and there were inEngland and Scotland few eminent men of any political orreligious party with whom he had not conversed. He wastherefore admitted to as large a share of favour and confidenceas was granted to any but those who composed the very small