■WILLIAM AND MANY.

25

States General in acknowledgment of the courage with whichhe had, on the bloody day of Saint Dennis, saved the life of-William.

The place of Vice Chamberlain to the Queen was given to aman who had just become conspicuous in public life, and whosename will frequently recur in the history of this reign. JohnHowe, or, as he'was more commonly called, Jack Howe, hadbeen sent up to the Convention by the borough of Cirencester.His appearance was that of a man whose body was worn by theconstant workings of a restless and acrid mind. He was tall,lean, pale, with a haggard eager look, expressive at once offlightiness and of shrewdness. He had been known, duringseveral years, as a small poet; and some of the most savagelampoons which were handed about the coffeehouses wereimputed to him. But it was in the House of Commons thatboth his parts and his illnature were most signally displayed.Before he had been a member three weeks, his volubility, hisasperity, and his pertinacity had made him conspicuous.Quickness, energy, and audacity, united, soon raised him tothe rank of a privileged man. His enemies, — and he hadmany enemies, — said that he consulted his personal safety-even in his most petulant moods, and that he treated soldierswith a civility which he never showed to ladies or to Bishops.But no man had in larger measure that evil courage whichbraves and even courts disgust and hatred. No decenciesrestrained him: his spite was implacable: his skill in findingout the vulnerable parts of strong minds was consummate. Allhis great contemporaries felt his sting in their turns. Once itinflicted a wound which deranged even the stern composure ofWilliam, and constrained him to utter a wish that he were aprivate gentleman, and could invite Mr. Howe to a short inter-view behind Montague House. As yet, however, Howe wasreckoned among the most strenuous supporters of the new go-

CHAP.

XT.

1689 .