JAMES THE SECOND.

17

The King had been exhausted by long watching and by chap.many violent emotions. He now retired to rest. The Privy — - —Councillors, having respectfully accompanied him to his bed- j amC schamber, returned to their seats, and issued orders for theceremony of proclamation. The Guards were under arms;the heralds appeared in their gorgeous coats; and the pageantproceeded without any obstruction. Casks of winewere brokenup in the streets, and all who passed were invited to drink tothe health of the new sovereign. But, though an occasionalshout was raised, the people were not in a joyous mood. Tearswere seen in many eyes; and it was remarked that there wasscarcely a housemaid inLondon who had not contrived to pro-cure some fragment of black crape in honour of King Charles.*

The funeral called forth much censure. It would, indeed,hardly have been accounted worthy of a noble and opulentsubject. The Tories gently blamed the new King’s parsi-mony; the Whigs sneered at his want of natural affection;and the fiery Covenanters of Scotland exultingly proclaimedthat the curse denounced of old against wicked princos hadbeen signally fulfilled, and that the departed tyrant had beenburied with the burial of an ass.** Yet James commenced hisadministration with a large measure of public good will. Hisspeech to the Council appeared in print, and the impressionwhich it produced was highly favourable to him. This, then,was the prince whom a faction had driven into exile and hadtried to rob of his birthright, on the ground that he was adeadly enemy to the religion and laws of England. He hadtriumphed; he was on the throne; and his first act was todeclare that he would defend the Church, and would strictlyrespect the rights of his people. The estimate which allparties had formed of his character, added weight to every* See the authorities cited in the last note. See also the Examen,fin.: Burnet, i. 820.; Iliggons on Burnet.

•* London Gazelle, Feb. 14. 168f; Evelyn’s Diary of the same day;

Burnet, i. 610 .; The Ilind let loose.

Macaulay, History . II. 2