JAMES THE SECOND.

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chamber, where they found him surrounded by a crowd of c ^-noblemen and gentlemen. Halifax, whose rank, age, and abili- i Csa .ties entitled him to precedence, was spokesman. The propo- Negolil _sition which the Commissioners had been instructed to make li ° n>was that the points in dispute should be referred to the Parlia-ment, for which the writs weje already sealing, and that in themean time the Prince’s army would not come within thirty orforty miles of London. Halifax, having explained that this wasthe basis on which he and his colleagues were prepared to treat,put into William’s hands a letter from the King, and retired.William opened the letter and seemed unusually moved. Itwas the first letter which he had received from his father-in-law since they had become avowed enemies. Once they hadbeen on good terms and had written to each other familiarly;nor had they, even when they had begun to regard eachother with suspicion and aversion, banished from their cor-respondence those forms of kindness which persons nearlyrelated by blood and marriage commonly use. The letterwhich the Commissioners had brought was drawn up by asecretary in diplomatic form and in the French language. “Ihave had many letters from the King,” said William, “butthey were all in English, and in his own hand.” He spokewith a sensibility which he was little in the habit of displaying.Perhaps he thought at that moment how much reproach hisenterprise, just, beneficent, and necessary as it was, mustbring on him and on the wife who was devoted to him. Per-haps he repined at the hard fate which had placed him in sucha situation that he could fulfil his public duties only by break-ing through domestic ties, and envied the happier condition ofthose who are not responsible for the welfare of nations andChurches. But such thoughts, if they rose in his mind, werefirmly suppressed. He requested the Lords and gentlemenwhom he had convoked on this occasion to consult together,unrestrained by his presence, as to the answer which ought tobe returned. To himself, however, he reserved the powerof deciding in the last resort, after hearing their opinion. Hethen left them, and retired to Littlecote Hall, a manor housesituated about two miles off', and renowned down to ourMacaulay, History, III, 22