JAMES THE SECOND.
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now. You have excited this rebellious temper among your CI J£ P -flocks, and now you foment it. You would be better employed - 16S ^ ■in teaching them how to obey than in teaching me how togovern.” He was much incensed against his nephew Graf-ton, whose signature stood next to that of Sancroft, and saidto the young man, with great asperity, “You know nothingabout religion; you care nothing about it; and yet, forsooth,you must pretend to have a conscience.” “It is true, Sir,”answered Grafton, with impudent frankness, “that I havevery little conscience: but I belong to a party which has agreat deal.”’
Bitter as was the King’s language to the petitioners, it wasfar less bitter than that which he held after they had with-drawn. He had done, he said, far too much already in thehope of satisfying an undutiful and ungrateful people. He hadalways hated the thought of concession: but he had suf-fered himself to be talked over; and now he, like his fatherbefore him, had found that concession only made subjectsmore encroaching. He would yield nothing more, not anatom, and, after his fashion, he vehemently repeated manytimes, “Not an atom.” Not only would he make no over-ture's to the invaders, but he would receive none. If theDutch sent flags of truce, the first messenger should be dis-missed without an answer; the second should be hanged.** In Tlle Kingsuch a mood James set out for Salisbury. His last act before |°^ b ‘“ ryhis departure was to appoint a Council of five Lords to repre-sent him in London during his absence. Of the five, twowere Papists, and by law incapable of office. Joined withthem was Jeffreys, a Protestant indeed, but more detested bythe nation than any Papist. To the other two members of thisboard, Preston and Godolphin, no serious objection could bemade. On the day on which the King left London the Princeof Wales was sent to Portsmouth. That fortress was strongly
* Clarke's Lite of James, ii. 212 . Orig. Mem.; Clarendon’s Diary,
Nov. n. 1688; Cilters, Nov. |J.; Burnet, i. Till.; Some Deflections uponthe most Humble Petition to the King’s most Excellent Majesty, 1688;
Modest Vindication of the Petition; First Collection of Papers relating toEnglish Affairs, 1688.
" Adda, Nov.il, 1G88.
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