JAMES THE SECOND.

43

waited a month, in order to see what effect the edict put forth c ^ p -at Edinburgh would produce in England. That month he 1687 •employed assiduously, byPetre’s advice, in what was calledcloseting. London was very full. It was expected that the ciosetin;.Parliament would shortly meet for the dispatch of business;and many members were in town. The King set himself tocanvass them man by man. He flattered himself that zealousTories, — and of such, with few exceptions, the House ofCommons consisted, — would find it difficult to resist hisearnest request, addressed to them, not collectively, butseparately, not from the throne, but in the familiarity of con-versation. The members, therefore, who came to pay theirduty at Whitehall were taken aside, and honoured with longprivate interviews. The King pressed them, as they wereloyal gentlemen, to gratify him in the one thing on which hisheart was fixed. The question, he said, touched his personalhonour. The laws enacted in the late reign by factious Par-liaments against the Roman Catholics had really been aimedat himself. Those laws had put a stigma on him, had drivenhim from the Admiralty, had driven him from the CouncilBoard. He had a right to expect that in the repeal of thoselaws all who loved and reverenced him would concur. Whenhe found his hearers obdurate to exhortation, he resorted tointimidation and corruption. Those who refused to pleasurehim in this matter were plainly told that they must not expectany mark of his favour. Penurious as he was, he openedand distributed his hoards. Several of those who had beeninvited to confer with him left his bed-chamber carrying withthem money received from the royal hand. The Judges, whowere at this time on their spring circuits, were directed by theKing to see those members who remained in the country, andto ascertain the intentions of each. The result of this in- n i s U n-vestigation was, that a great majority of the House of Com-mons seemed fully determined to oppose the measures of thecourt.* Among those whose firmness excited general ad-

* llarillon, 108$; (filters, Feb. |f.; Reresby’s Memoirs;

lionrepaux, 1087.