JAMES THE SECOND.

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most serviceable tools that he could employ. It was not fromthe stout-hearted Cavaliers, who had been true to him in hisadversity, that he could expect abject and unscrupulous obe-dience in his prosperity. The men who, impelled not by zealfor liberty or for religion, but merely by selfish cupidity andselfish fear, had assisted to oppress him when he was weak,were the very men who, impelled by the same cupidity andthe same fear, would assist him to oppress his people now thathe was strong.* Though vindictive, he was not indiscrimi-nately vindictive. Not a single instance can be mentioned inwhich he showed a generous compassion to those who hadopposed him honestly and on public grounds. But he fre-quently spared and promoted those whom some vile motivehad induced to injure him. For that meanness which markedthem out as fit implements of tyranny was so precious in hisestimation that he regarded it with some indulgence evenwhen it was exhibited at his own expense.

The King’s wishes were communicated through severalchannels to the Tory members of the Lower House. Themajority was easily persuaded to forego all thoughts of apenallaw against the Exclusionists, and to consent that his majestyshould have the revenue for life. But touching the Test Actand the Habeas Corpus Act, the emissaries of the court couldobtain no satisfactory assurances.’*

On the nineteenth of May the session was opened. Thebenches of the Commons .presented a singular spectacle.That great party which, in the last three Parliaments, hadbeen predominant, had now dwindled to a pitiable minority,and was indeed little more than a fifteenth part of the House.

* Lewis wrote to Barillon about this class of Exclusionists as follows:“L’intdrdt qu’ils auront A effacer celte I ache par des services conside-rables les porlera, selon toutes les apparences, 4 le servir plus ulilementque ne pourroient faire ceux qui ont toujours did les plus attacbds a sapersonne.” May 44 . 1685.

* Barillon, May tV 1685; Sir John Reresby’s Memoirs.

Macaulay, History. II. g

CHAP.

IV.

1CS5.

Meetingof theEnglishParlia-ment.