JAMES THE SECOND.

201

The Attorney went with the tidings to Sunderland, whohappened to be conversing with the Nuncio. “Never,” saidPowis, “within man’s memory, have there been such shoutsand such tears of joy as to-day.” * TheKing had that morningvisited the camp on Hounslow Heath. Sunderland instantlysent a courier thither with the news. James was in LordFeverslxam’s tent when the express arrived. He was greatlydisturbed, and exclaimed in French, “So much the worse forthem.” He soon set out for London. While he was present,respect prevented the soldiers from giving a loose to theirfeelings; but he had scarcely quitted the camp when he hearda great shouting behind him. He was surprised, and askedwhat that uproar meant. “Nothing,” was the answer: “thesoldiers are glad that the Bishops are acquitted.” “Do youcall that nothing?” said James. And then he repeated, “Somuch the worse for them.”**

He might well be out of temper. His defeat had beencomplete and most humiliating. Had the prelates escapedon account of some technical defect in the case for the crown,had they escaped because they had not written the petition inMiddlesex, or because it was impossible to prove, accordingto the strict rules of law, that they had delivered to the Kingthe paper for which they were called in question, the pre-rogative would have suffered no shock. Happily for thecountry, the fact of publication had been fully established.The counsel for the defence had therefore been forced toattack the dispensing power. They had attacked it with greatlearning, eloquence, and boldness. The advocates of thegovernment had been by universal acknowledgment over-matched in the contest. Not a single Judge had ventured todeclare that the Declaration of Indulgence was legal. OneJudge had in the strongest terms pronounced it illegal. Thelanguage of the whole town was that the dispensing power had

' “Mi trovava con Milord Sunderland la stessa maltina, quandovenne l’Avvocato Generate a rendergli conto delsuccesso, edisse, chemai piu a memoria d’huomini si era sentilo un applauso, mescolato divoci e lagrime di giubilo, egual a quello che veniva egli di vedcre inquest’ occasionc.” — Adda, July -ft. 1688.

" Burnet, i. 741.; Citters, July ,V 1688 .

CHAP.

VIII.

” 1688 .