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HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

chap, persons who held offices without a legal qualification should— be forthwith dismissed. The deliberations of the Parliament,he justly conceived, could not be free if it was to sit sur-rounded by Irish regiments while he and his army lay at adistance of several marches. He therefore thought it reason-able that, since his troops were not to advance within fortymiles of London on the west, the King’s troops should fallback as far to the east. There would thus be, round the spotwhere the Houses were to meet, a wide circle of neutralground. Within that circle, indeed, there were two fast-nesses of great importance to the people of the capital, theTower, which commanded their dwellings, and Tilbury Fort,which commanded their maritime trade. It was impossible toleave these places ungarrisoned. William therefore proposedthat they should be temporarily entrusted to the care of theCity of London. It might possibly be convenient that, whenthe Parliament assembled, the King should repair to West-minster with a body guard. The Prince announced that, inthat case, he should claim the right of repairing thither alsowith an equal number of soldiers. It seemed to him just that,while military operations were suspended, both the armiesshould be considered as alike engaged in the service of theEnglish nation, and should be alike maintained out of theEnglish revenue. Lastly, he required some guarantee thatthe King would not take advantage of the armistice for thepurpose of introducing a French force into England. Thepoint where there was most danger was Portsmouth. ThePrince did not however insist that this important fortressshould be delivered up to him, but proposed that it should,during the truce, be under the government of an officer inwhom both himself and James could confide.

' The propositions of William were framed with a punctili-ous fairness, such as might have been expected rather from adisinterested umpire pronouncing an award than from avictorious prince dictating to a helpless enemy. No faultcould be found with them by the partisans of the King. Butamong the Whigs there was much murmuring. They wantedno reconciliation with their old master. They thought them-