WILLIAM AND JtTABY.

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moral approbation and disapprobation which prevail among the ciiap.vulgar. For his own indifference to all considerations of justice ■ J681) ' ~and mercy was such that, in his schemes, he made no allowancefor the consciences and sensibilities of his neighbours. Morethan once he deliberately recommended wickedness so horriblethat wicked men recoiled from it with indignation. But theycould not succeed even in making their scruples intelligible tohim. To every remonstrance he listened with a cynical sneer,wondering within himself whether those who lectured him weresuch fools as they professed to be, or were only shamming.

Such was the man whomLewis selected to be the companionand monitor of James. Avaux was charged to open, if possible,a communication with the malecont.ents in the English Parlia-ment; and he was authorised to expend, if necessary, a hun-dred thousand crowns among them.

James arrived at Brest on the fifth of March, embarked there f ™ cs a[on board of a man of war called the Saint Michael, and sailed kinsaie.within forty eight hours. He had ample time, however, beforehis departure, to exhibit some of the faults by which he hadlost England and Scotland, and by which he was about to loseIreland. Avaux wrote from the harbour of Brest that it wouldnot be easy to conduct any important business in concert withthe King of England. His Majesty could not keep any secretfrom any body. The very foremast men of the Saint Michaelhad already heard him say things which ought to have been re-served for the ears of his confidential advisers.*

The voyage was safely and quietly performed; and, on theafternoon of the twelfth of March, James landed in the harbourof Kinsaie. By the Roman Catholic population he was receivedwith shouts of unfeigned transport. The few Protestants who

* This letter, written to Lewis from the harbour of Brest, is in theArchives of the French Foreign Office, but is wanting in the very rarevolume printed in Downing Street.