THE INTERREGNUM.

425

before the close of his natural life; and with one of those veryrare cases the Convention had now to deal. That James nolonger filled the throne both Houses had pronounced. Neithercommon law nor statute law designated any person as entitledto fill the throne between his demise and his decease. It fol-lowed that the throne was vacant, and that the Houses mightinvite the Prince of Orange to fill it. That he was not next inorder of birth was true: but this was no disadvantage: on thecontrary, it was a positive recommendation. Hereditarymonarchy was a good political institution, but was by nomeans more sacred than other good political institutions.Unfortunately, bigoted and servile theologians had turnedit into a religious mystery, almost as awful and as incom-prehensible as transubstantiation itself. To keep the insti-tution, and yet to get rid of the abject and noxious super-stitions with which it had of late years been associated andwhich had made it a curse instead of a blessing to society,ought to be the first object of English statesmen; and thatobject would be best attained by slightly deviating for a timefrom the general rule of descent, and by then returningto it.

Many attempts were made to prevent an open breach be-tween the party of the Prince and the party of the Princess. Agreat meeting was held at the Earl of Devonshire’s House,and the dispute was warm. Halifax was the chief speaker forWilliam, Danby for Mary. Of the mind of Mary Danbyknew nothing. She had been some time expected in London,but had been detained in Holland, first by masses of ice whichhad blocked up the rivers, and, when the thaw came, bystrong westerly winds. Had she arrived earlier the disputewould probably have been at once quieted. Halifax on theother side had no authority to say anything in William’s name.The Prince, true to his promise that he would leave the settle-ment of the government to the Convention, had maintainedan impenetrable reserve, and had not suffered any word,look, or gesture, indicative either of satisfaction or of dis-pleasure, to escape him. One of his countrymen, who had alarge share of his confidence, had been invited to the meeting,

CHAP.

x.

1688.

Meetingat theEarl ofDevon-shire’s.