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HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

CHAP.

IX.

1 ( 188 .

lounged every day in Westminster Hall as they now lounge inthe clubs of Pall Mall and Saint James’s Street. Nothingcould be easier than for the Lords who assembled there tostep aside into some adjoining room and to hold a consulta-tion. But unexpected difficulties arose. Halifax became firstcold and then adverse. It was his nature to discover ob-jections to everything; and on this occasion his sagacity wasquickened by rivalry. The scheme, which he had approvedwhile he regarded it as his own, began to displease him assoon as he found that it was also the scheme of Rochester, bywhom he had been long thwarted and at length supplanted,and whom he disliked as much as it was in his easy nature todislike anybody. Nottingham was at that time much underthe influence of Halifax. They both declared that they wouldnot join in the address if Rochester signed it. Clarendon ex-postulated in vain. “I mean no disrespect,” said Halifax,“to my Lord Rochester: but he has been a member of theEcclesiastical Commission: the proceedings of that courtmust soon be the subject of a very serious inquiry; and it isnot fit that one who has sate there should take any part in ourproceedings.” Nottingham, with strong expressions of per-sonal esteem for Rochester, avowed the same opinion. Theauthority of the two dissentient Lords prevented several othernoblemen from subscribing the address; but the Hydes andthe Bishops persisted. Nineteen signatures were procured;and the petitioners waited in a body on the King.*

He received their address ungraciously. He assured them,indeed, that he passionately desired the meeting of a freeParliament; and he promised them, on the faith of a King,that he would call one as soon as the Prince of Orange shouldhave left the island. “But how,” said he, “can a Parlia-ment be free when an enemy is in the kingdom, and can re-turn near a hundred votes?” To the prelates he spoke withpeculiar acrimony. “I could not,” he said, “prevail on youthe other day to declare against this invasion: but you areready enough to declare against me. Then you would notmeddle with politics. You have no scruple about meddling* Clarendon’s Diary, from Nov. 8. lo Nov. IT. 1688.