JAMES THE SECOND.

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paign, their part had not been brilliant. Captains and pri- CH X A1> -vates were alike impatient to prove that they had notgivenway i 6SS .before an inferior force from want of courage. Some Dutchofficers had been indiscreet enough to boast, at a tavern overtheir wine, that they had driven the King’s army beforethem. This insult had raised among the English troops aferment which, but for the Prince’s prompt interference,would probably have ended in a terrible slaughter.* What,in such circumstances, was likely to be the effect of a procla-mation announcing that the commander of the foreigners con-sidered the whole island as a lawful prize of war?

It was also to be remembered that, by putting forth such aproclamation, the Prince would at once abrogate all the rightsof which he had declared himself the champion. For theauthority of a foreign conqueror is not circumscribed by thecustoms and statutes of the conquered nation, but is, by itsown nature, despotic. Either, therefore, it was not com-petent to William to declare himself King, or it was compe-tent to him to declare the Great Charter and the Petition ofRight nullities, to abolish trial by jury, and to raise taxeswithout the consent of Parliament. He might, indeed, reestab-lish the ancient constitution of the realm. But, if he did so,he did so in the exercise of an arbitrary discretion. Englishliberty would thenceforth be held by a base tenure. It wouldbe, not, as heretofore, an immemorial inheritance, but arecent gift which the generous master who had bestowed itmight, if such had been his pleasure, have withheld.

William therefore righteously and prudently determinedto observe the promises contained in his Declaration, and toleave to the legislature the office of settling the government.

So carefully did he avoid whatever looked like usurpation that ml/therhe would not, without some semblance of parliamentary u>e Lordsauthority, take upon himself even to convoke the Estates of membersthe Realm, or to direct the executive administration duringthe elections. Authority strictly parliamentary there was otnone in the state: but it was possible to bring together, in an.

* Gazette de France, 1G89.

7 tub. a.