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HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

chap, of Wales the chief object of anxiety was the Great Seal. To—that symbol of kingly authority our jurists have alwaysascribed a peculiar and almost mysterious importance. It isheld that, if the Keeper of the Seal should affix it, withouttaking the royal pleasure, to a patent of peerage or to apardon, though he may be guilty of a high offence, the in-strument cannot be questioned by any court of law, and canbe annulled only by an Act of Parliament. James seems tohave been afraid that his enemies might get this organ of hiswill into their hands, and might thus give a legal validity toacts which might affect him injuriously. Nor will his appre-hensions be thought unreasonable when it is rememberedthat, exactly a hundred years later, the Great Seal of a Kingwas used, with the assent of Lords and Commons, and withthe approbation of many great statesmen and lawyers, forthe purpose of transferring his prerogatives to his son. Lestthe talisman which possessed such formidable powers shouldbe abused, James determined that it should be kept withina few yards of his own closet. Jeffreys was therefore orderedto quit the costly mansion which he had lately built in DukeStreet, and to take up his residence in a small apartment atWhitehall. *

The King had made all his preparations for flight, whenan unexpected impediment compelled him to postpone theexecution of his design. His agents at Portsmouth began toentertain scruples. Even Dover, though a member of theJesuitical cabal, showed signs of hesitation. Dartmouth wasstill less disposed to comply with the royal wishes. He hadhitherto been faithful to the throne, and had done all that hecould do, with a disaffected fleet, and in the face of an ad-verse wind, to prevent the Dutch from landing in England:but he was a zealous member of the Established Church, andwas by no means friendly to the policy of that governmentwhich he thought himself bound in duty and honour todefend. The mutinous temper of the officers and men underhis command had caused him much anxiety; and he had beengreatly relieved by the news that a free Parliament had been* LuLlrell’s Diary.