THE INTEKREGNHM.

435

would vote for the settling of the government, his conduct in chap.the Ecclesiastial Commission should not be remembered —Jeasl—against him. Danby, desirous to heal the schism which hehad caused, exhorted the House, in a speech distinguishedby even more than his usual ability, not to persevere in a con-test which might be fatal to the state. He was strenuouslysupported by Halifax. The spirit of the opposite party was j i h e c 1 j i ordsquelled. When the question was put whether King Jameshad abdicated the government, only three lords said NotContent. On the question whether the throne was vacant, adivision was demanded. The Contents were sixty-two; theNot Contents forty-seven. It was immediately proposed andcarried, without a division, that the Prince and Princess ofOrange should be declared King and Queen of England.*Nottingham then moved that the wording of the oaths ofallegiance and supremacy should be altered in such a way thatthey might be conscientiously taken by persons who, like him-self, disapproved of what the Convention had done, and yetfully purposed to be loyal and dutiful subjects of the newsovereigns. To this proposition no objection was made.

Indeed there can be little doubt that there was an under-standing on the subject between the Whig leaders and thoseTory Lords whose votes had turned the scale on the lastdivision. The new oaths were sent down to the Commons,together with the resolution that the Prince and Princessshould be declared King and Queen.**

It was now known to whom the crown would be given. New lawsOn what conditions it should be given, still remained to be Grilledecided. The Commons had appointed a committee to con- “yjjjrty.sider what steps it might be advisable to take, in order tosecure law and liberty against the aggressions of future so-vereigns; and the committee had made a report.*** Thisreport recommended, first, that those great principles of the

* Lords’Journals, Feb. 6 . 168J; Clarendon’s Diary; Burnet, i. 822.and Dartmouth's note; Citters, Feb. T " r . I have followed Clarendon asto the numbers. Some writers make the majority smaller and somelarger.

** Lords’ Journals, Feb. 6 , 7 . 1 GS§; Clarendon’s Diary.

*"* Commons’ Journals, Jan. 29. Feb. 2,168|.

28 *