180

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

CHAP.

VIII.

p;

the island, the most deeply interested in the event. Her sex• and her experience qualified her to act as the guardian of hersister’s birthright and her own. She had conceived strongsuspicions which were daily confirmed by circumstancestrilling or imaginary. She fancied that the Queen carefullyshunned her scrutiny, and ascribed to guilt a reserve whichwas perhaps the effect of delicacy.* In this temper Anne haddetermined to be present and vigilant when the critical dayshould arrive. But she had not thought it necessary to be ather post a month before that day, and had, incompliance, itwas said, with her father’s advice, gone to drink the Bathwaters. Sancroft, whose great place made it his duty toattend, and on whose probity the nation placed entire re-liance, had a few hours before been sent to the Tower byJames. The Hydes were the proper protectors of the rightsof the two Princesses. The Dutch Ambassador might be re-garded as the representative of William, who, as first princeof the blood and consort of the King’s eldest daughter, had adeep interest in what was passing. James never thought ofsummoning any member, male or female, of the family ofHyde; nor was the Dutch Ambassador invited to be present.

Posterity has fully acquitted the King of the fraud whichhis people imputed to him. But it is impossible to acquit himof folly and perverseness such as explain and excuse the errorof his contemporaries. He was perfectly aware of the suspi-cions which were abroad.** He ought to have known thatthose suspicions would not be dispelled by the evidence ofmembers of the Church of Rome, or of persons who, thoughthey might call themselves members of the Church of England,had shown themselves ready to sacrifice the interests of theChurch of England in order to obtain his favour. That hewas taken by surprise is true. But he had twelve hours tomake his arrangements. He found no difficulty in crowdingSt. James’s Palace with bigots and sycophants on whose wordthe nation placed no reliance. It would have been quite as

* Correspondence between Anne and Mary, in Dalrymple; Cla-rendon’s Diary, Oct. 31. 1688.

** This is clear from Clarendon’s Diary, Oct. 31. 1688 .

Li.!'.,