314

HISTORY OP ENGLAND.

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chap, coach was at the door of the episcopal palace when his nose' , 68S . began to bleed violently. He was forced to postpone his ex-pedition and to put himself under medical treatment. Threedays elapsed before the hemorrhage was entirely subdued;and during those three days alarming rumours reached hisears.

It was impossible that a conspiracy so widely spread asthat of which Churchill was the head could be kept altogethersecret. There was no evidence which could be laid before ajury or a court martial: but strange whispers wandered aboutthe camp. Feversham, who held the chief command, re-ported that there was a bad spirit in the army. It was hintedto the King that some who were near his person were nothis friends, and that it would be a wise precaution to sendChurchill and Grafton under a guard to Portsmouth. James re-jected this counsel. A propensity to suspicion was not amonghis vices. Indeed the confidence which he reposed in profes-sions of fidelity and attachment was such as might rather havebeen expected from a good-hearted and inexperienced strip-ling that from a politician who was far advanced in life, whohad seen much of the world, who had suffered much fromvillanous arts, and whose own character was by no means afavourable specimen of human nature. It would be difficultto mention any other man who, having himself so little scrupleabout breaking faith, was so slow to believe that his neigh-bours could break faith with him. Nevertheless the reportswhich he had received of the state of his army disturbed himgreatly. He was now no longer impatient for a battle. Heeven began to tliink of retreating. On the evening of Satur-day, the twenty-fourth of November, he called a council ofwar. The meeting was attended by those officers againstwhom he had been most earnestly cautioned. Feversham ex-pressed an opinion that it was desirable to fall back. Churchillargued on the other side. The consultation lasted till mid-night. At length the King declared that he had decided for aDesertion retreat. Churchill saw or imagined that he was distrusted,Cimrcnii. and, though gifted with a rare self command, could not con-