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HISTORY OP ENGLAND.

chap, own times, not more on account of its venerable architecture—and furniture than on account of a horrible and myste-rious crime which was perpetrated there in the days of theTudors.*

Before he left Hungerford, lie was told that Halifax hadexpressed a great desire to see Burnet. In this desire therewas nothing strange; for Halifax and Burnet had long beenon terms of friendship. No two men, indeed, could resembleeach other less. Burnet was utterly destitute of delicacy andtact. Halifax’s taste was fastidious, and his sense of theludicrous morbidly quick. Burnet viewed every act andevery character through a medium distorted and coloured byparty spirit. The tendency of Halifax’s mind was always tosee the faults of his allies more strongly than the faults of hisopponents. Burnet was, with all his infirmities, and throughall the vicissitudes of a life passed in circumstances not veryfavourable to piety, a sincerely pious man. The scepticaland sarcastic Halifax lay under the imputation of infidelity.Halifax therefore often incurred Burnet’s indignant censure;and Burnet was often the butt of Halifax’s keen and polishedpleasantry. Yet they were drawn to each other by a mutualattraction, liked each other’s conversation, appreciated eachother’s abilities, interchanged opinions freely, and inter-changed also good offices in perilous times. It was not, how-ever, merely from personal regard that Halifax now wishedto see Bis old acquaintance. The Commissioners must havebeen anxious to know what was the Prince’s real aim. Hehad refused to see them in private; and little could be learnedfrom what he might say in a formal and public interview.Almost all those who were admitted to his confidence weremen taciturn and impenetrable as himself. Burnet was theonly exception. He was notoriously garrulous and indiscreet.Yet circumstances had made it necessary to trust him; andhe would doubtless, under the dexterous management ofHalifax, have poured out secrets as fast as words. Williamknew this well, and, when he was informed that Halifax was* See a very interesting note on the fifth canto of Sir Waller Scott’sRokeby.