404

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

CHAP,

S.

I68S.

Danby’s

plan.

Tlie opinion of Sancroft had great weight with the wholeTory party, and especially with the clergy. A week beforethe day for which the Convention had been summoned, a graveparty assembled at Lambeth Palace, heard prayers in thechapel, dined with the Primate, and then consulted on thestate of public affairs. Five suffragans of the Archbishop,who had shared his perils and his glory in the precedingsummer, were present. The Earls of Clarendon and Ailesburyrepresented the Tory laity. The unanimous sense of themeeting appeared to be that those who had taken the oath ofallegiance to James might justifiably withdraw their obediencefrom him, but could not with a safe conscience call any otherby the name of King. * *

Thus two sections of the Tory party (a section whichlooked forward to an accommodation with James, and asection which was Opposed to any such accommodation,)agreed in supporting the plan of Regency. But a thirdsection, which, though not very numerous, had great weightand influence, recommended a very different plan. Theleaders of this small band were Danby and the Bishop ofLondon in the House of Lords, and Sir Robert Sawyer in theHouse of Commons. They conceived that they had foundout a way of effecting a complete revolution under strictlylegal forms. It was contrary to all principle, they said, thatthe King should be deposed by his subjects; nor was it ne-cessary to depose him. He had himself, by his flight, abdi-cated his power and dignity. A demise had actually takenplace. All constitutional lawyers held that the throne ofEngland could not be one moment vacant. The next heirhad therefore succeeded. Who, then, was the next heir?As to the infant who had been carried into France, his en-trance into the world had been attended by many suspiciouscircumstances. It was due to the other members of the royalfamily and to the nation that all doubts should be cleared up.An investigation had been solemnly demanded, in the name of

It was not altogether without reason that the creatures of James madethemselves merry with the good Archbishop’s English.

* Evelyn, Jan. 15.168|.