JAMES THE SECOND.

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shaking hands and congratulating each other in the adjoininggallery. When the news was carried to the Queen’s apart- •ments she and her ladies broke out into tears and loud criesof sorrow. *

The blow was indeed a heavy one. It was true that thedirect loss to the crown and the direct gain to the invadershardly amounted to two hundred men and as many horses.But where could the King henceforth expect to find thosesentiments in which consists the strength of states and ofarmies? Cornbury was the heir of a house conspicuous forits attachment to monarchy. His father Clarendon, his uncleRochester, were men whose loyalty was supposed to beproof to all temptation. What must be the strength of thatfeeling against which the most deeply rooted hereditary pre-judices were of no avail, of that feeling which could reconcilea young officer of high birth to desertion, aggravated bybreach of trust and by gross falsehood? That Cornbury wasnot a man of brilliant parts or enterprising temper made theevent more alarming. It was impossible to doubt that he hadin some quarter a powerful and artful prompter. Who thatprompter was soon became evident. In the meantime no manin the royal camp could feel assured that he was not sur-rounded by traitors. Political rank, military rank, thehonour of a nobleman, the honour of a soldier, the strongestprofessions, the purest Cavalier blood, could no longer affordsecurity. Every man might reasonably doubt whether everyorder which he received from his superior was not meant toserve the purposes of the enemy. That prompt obediencewithout which an army is merely a rabble was necessarily at anend. What discipline could there be among soldiers who hadjust been saved from a snare by refusing to follow their com-manding officer on a secret expedition, and by insisting on asight of his orders ?

Cornbury was soon kept in countenance by a crowd ofdeserters superior to him in rank and capacity: but duringa few days he stood alone in his shame, and was bitterly

* Clarke’s Life of James, ii. 218.; Clarendon's Diary, Nov. 15. iCSS;Cillers, Nov. if.

CHAP.

_ix. _1688 .