THE interregnum:.

429

from such a quarter should be read. The contents, however, chap.were well known to all the town. His Majesty exhorted the - 1688- ■Lords and Commons not to despair of his clemency, andgraciously assured them that he would pardon those who hadbetrayed him, some few excepted, whom lie did not name. .How was it possible to do any thing for a prince who, van-quished, deserted, banished, living on alms, told those whowore the arbiters of his fate that, if they would set him on histhrone again, he would hang only a few of them? *

The contest between the two branches of the legislature Debate.,lasted some days longer. On Monday the fourth of Februarythe Peers resolved that they would insist on their amend-ments: but a protest to which thirty-nine names were sub-scribed was entered on the journals.** On the following day Negotia-the Tories determined to try their strength in the Lower tltm "'House. They mustered there in great force. A motion wasmade to agree-to the amendments of the Lords. Those whowere for the plan of Sancroft and those who were for the planof Danby divided together; but they were beaten by twohundred and eighty-two votes to a hundred and fifty-one.

The House then resolved to request a free conference with thoLords.***

At the same time strenuous efforts were making without Letter ofthe walls of Parliament to bring the dispute between the two iessof”'branches of the legislature to a close. Burnet thought that o™nge 10the importance of the crisis justified him in publishing thegreat secret which the Princess had confided to him. Heknew, he said, from her own lips, that it had long been her

* The letter of James, dated 1GS9, will he found in Kennet.

' l?ob. d. ’

jft is most disingenuously garbled in Clarke’s Life of James. SeeClarendon’s Diary, Feb. 2, 4.; Grey’s Debates; Lords* Journals, Feb. 2,

4. 1GSJ.

** It has been asserted by several writers, and, among others, byRalph and by M. Mazure, that Danby signed this protest. This isa mistake. Probably some person who examined the journals beforethey were printed mistook Derby for Danby. Lords’Journals, Feb. 4.

1 G 8 *-. Evelyn, a few days before, wrote Derby, by mistake, for Danby.

Diary, Jan. 29. 1 G 8 |.

■" Commons' Journals, Feb. 5.1G8J.