218

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

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chap. a t which the public wrongs would not have justified resistance.

- ■ — —■ Devonshire, who might be regarded as their chief, had private

loss. 7 . ° . -

Devon- as well as public wrongs to revenge. He went into the schemeshlre ' with his whole heart, and answered for his party.*shrews- Russell opened the design to Shrewsbury. Sidney soundedjTrfax Halifax. Shrewsbury took his part with a courage and decisionwhich, at a later period, seemed to be wanting to his character.He at once agreed to sethis estate, his honours, and his life,on the stake. But Halifax received the first hint of the projectin a way which showed that it would be useless, and perhapshazardous, to be explicit. He was indeed not the man forsuch an enterprise. His intellect was inexhaustibly fertile ofdistinctions and objections; his temper calm and unadven-turous. He was ready to oppose the Court to the utmost in theHouse of Lords and by means of anonymous writings: but hewas little disposed to exchange his lordly repose for the inse-cure and agitated life of a conspirator, to be in the power ofaccomplices, to live in constant dread of warrants and King’smessengers, nay, perhaps, to end his days on a scaffold, orto live on alms in some back street of the Hague. He there-fore let fall some words which plainly indicated that he didnot wish to be privy to the intentions of his more daring andimpetuous friends. Sidneyunderstood him and said no more.*-*Danby. The next application was made to Danby, and had farbetter success. Indeed, for his bold and active spirit thedanger and the excitement, which were insupportable to themore delicately' organized mind of Halifax, had a strong fas-cination. The different characters of the two statesmen werelegible in their faces. The brow, the eye, and the mouth ofHalifax indicated a powerful intellect and an exquisite senseof the ludicrous; but the expression was that of a sceptic, ofa voluptuary, of a man not likely to venture his all on a singlehazard, or to be a martyr in any cause. To those who are ac-quainted with his countenance it will not seem wonderful thatthewriter inwhomhe mostdelightedwasMontaigne.*** Danby

* Burnet, i. 761.; Letter in cipher to William, dated June 18. 1688,in Dalrymnle.

** Burnet, i. 764.; Letter in cipher to William, dated June 18.168S.

*** As to Montaigne, see Halifax’s Letter to Cotton. I am not sure