CHAPTER X.

chap. Northumberland strictly obeyed the injunction -which- -fga fc— had been laid on him, and did not open the door of the royalThe flight apartment till it was broad day. The antechamber was filledknown CS courtiers who came to make their morning bow and with

Lords who had been summoned to Council. The news ofJames’s flight passed in an instant from the galleries to thestreets; and the whole capital was in commotion.

Great agi- it was a terrible moment. The King was gone. ThePrince had not arrived. No Regency had been appointed.The Great Seal, essential to the administration of ordinaryjustice, had disappeared. It was soon known that Fevershamhad, on the receipt of the royal order, instantly disbandedhis forces. What respect for law or property was likely to befound among soldiers, armed and congregated, emancipatedfrom'the restraints of discipline, and destitute of the neces-saries of life? On the other hand, the populace of Londonhad, during some weeks, shown a strong disposition toturbulence and rapine. The urgency of the crisis united fora short time all who had any interest in the peace of society.Rochester had till that day adhered firmly to the royal cause.He now saw that there was only one way of averting generalconfusion. “Call your troop of Guards together,” he saidto Northumberland, “and declare for the Prince of Orange.”The advice was promptly followed. The principal officersof the army who were then in London held a meeting atWhitehall, and resolved that they would submit to William’sauthority, and would, till his pleasure should be known,keep their men together and assist the civil power to preserveThe Lords order.* The Peers repaired to Guildhall, and were receivedGuildhall, there with all honour by the magistracy of the city, in stnet-

* History of the Desertion; Mulgrave’s Account of the Revolution;Eachard’s History of the Revolution