148

HISTORY OF ENGLAND,

chap, extended over four English shires and over the whole princi-v “ 7 1- - pality of Wales, came up to Whitehall with an account notless discouraging.* Rochester was Lord Lieutenant of Hert-fordshire. All his little stock of virtue had been expended inhis struggle against the strong temptation to sell his religionfor lucre. He was still bound to the Court by a pension of fourthousand pounds a year; and in return for this pension he waswilling to perform any service, however illegal or degrading,provided only that he were not required to go through theforms of a reconciliation with Rome. He had readily under-taken to manage his county; and he exerted himself, asusual, with indiscreet heat and violence. But his anger wasthrown away on the sturdy squires to whom he addressedhimself. They told him with one voice that they would sendup no man to Parliament who would vote for taking away thesafeguards of the Protestant religion.** The same answer wasgiven to the Chancellor in Buckinghamshire.*** The gentryof Shropshire, assembled at Ludlow, unanimously refusedto fetter themselves by the pledge which the King demandedof them, f The Earl of Yarmouth reported from Wiltshirethat, of sixty magistrates and Deputy Lieutenants with whomhe had conferred, only seven had given favourable answers,and that even those seven could not be trusted.ft The rene-gade Peterborough made no progress inNorthamptonshire.fftHis brother renegade Dover was equally unsuccessful inCambridgeshire. § Preston brought cold news from Cumber-land and Westmoreland. Dorsetshire and Huntingdonshirewere animated by the same spirit. The Earl of Bath, after a

** Rochester's offensive warmth on this occasion is twice noticed byJohnstone, Nov. 25. and Dec. 8. 1687. His failure is mentioned by

Cillers, Dec. jV

* Citters,

Dec. 27.Jftn. (i.

*•* Cillers, Dec. *. 1087.

+ Ibid. Dec. f{. 1687.

March 30.

H Ibid.

April 9.

Not- 32.

+++ Ibid.

Deo. H.

$ Ibid. Nov. H. 1687.