JAMES THE SECOND.

363

passions were roused. Rigid Churchmen, who had, a few cn ^ p 'hours before, begun to think that they were freed from their—,^7allegiance to him, now felt misgivings. He had not quittedhis kingdom. He had not consummated his abdication. Ifhe should resume his regal office, could they, on their prin-ciples, refuse to pay him obedience? Enlightened statesmenforesaw with concern that all the disputes which his flight hadfor a moment set at rest would be revived and exasperated byhis return. Some of the common people, though still smart-ing from recent wrongs, were touched with compassion for agreat prince outraged by ruffians, and were willing to enter-tain a hope, more honourable to their good nature than totheir discernment, that he might even now repent of the er-rors which had brought on him so terrible a punishment.

From the moment when it was known that the King wasstill in England, Sancroft, who had hitherto acted as chief ofthe provisional government, absented himself from the sittingsof the Peers. Halifax, who had just returned from the Dutchhead quarters, was placed in the chair. His sentiments hadundergone a great change in a few hours. Both public andprivate feelings now impelled him to join the Whigs. Thosewho candidly examine the evidence which has come down tous will be of opinion that he accepted the office of royal Com-missioner in the sincere hope of effecting an accommodationbetween the King and the Prince on fair terms. The nego-tiation had commenced prosperously: the Prince had offeredterms which the King could not but acknowledge to be fair:the eloquent and ingenious Trimmer might flatter himself thathe should be able to mediate between infuriated factions, todictate a compromise between extreme opinions, to securethe liberties and religion of his country, without exposing herto the risks inseparable from a change of dynasty and a dis-puted succession. While he was pleasing himself withthoughts so agreeable to his temper, he learned that he hadbeen deceived, and had been used as an instrument for de-ceiving the nation. His mission to Hungerford had been afool’s errand. The King had never meant to abide by theterms which he had instructed his Commissioners to propose.