394

HISTORT OP ENGLAND.

CHAP.

X.

1688 .

Election

of

membersto servein theConven-^lion.

whose adroitness and intimate knowledge of English politicsmade his assistance, at such a conjuncture, peculiarly va-luable, was one of the Ambassadors; and with him was joinedNicholas Witsen, a Burgomaster of Amsterdam, who seemsto have been selected for the purpose of proving to all Europethat the long feud between the House of Orange and thechief city of Holland was at an end. On the eighth of JanuaryDykvelt and "Witsen made their appearance at Westminster.William talked to them with a frankness and an effusion ofheart which seldom appeared in his conversations withEnglishmen. His first words were, “Well, and what do ourfriends at home say now?” In truth, the only applause bywhich his stoical nature seems to have been strongly movedwas the applause of his dear native country. Of his immensepopularity in England he spoke with cold disdain, andpredicted, too truly, the reaction which followed. “Here,”said he, “the cry is all Hosannah to-day, and will, perhaps,be Crucify him to-morrow.” *

On the following day the first members of the Conventionwere chosen. The City of London led the way, and elected,without any contest, four great merchants who were zealousWhigs. The King and his adherents had hoped that manyreturning officers would treat the Prince’s letter as a nullity,but the hope was disappointed. The elections went onrapidly and smoothly. There were scarcely any contests.For the nation had, during more than a year, been kept inconstant expectation of a Parliament. Writs, indeed, hadbeen twice issued, and twice recalled. Some constituentbodies had, under those writs, actually proceeded to the

* “’Tis hier nu Hosanna: maar ’t zal, veelligt, baast Kruisl hem,kruist hem, zyn.” Witsen, MS. in Wagenaar, book lxi. It is an oddcoincidence that, a very few years before, Richard Duke, a Tory poet,once well known, but now scarcely remembered, except by Johnson’sbiographical sketch, had used exactly the same illustration aboutJames:

“ Was not of old the Jewish rabble’s cry,

Hosannah first, and after crucify?”

The Review.

Despatch of the Dutch Ambassadors Extraordinary, Jan. A- 1G89, Cillers,same date.