100

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

CHAP.

V.

1685 .

tfun-

moulh.

considerable influence, though the Puritans, who formed astrong section of the Whig party, looked somewhat coldly onhim. *

One part of the character, or rather it may be of thefortune, of Grey deserves notice. It was admitted that every-where, except on the field of battle, he showed a high degreeof courage. More than once in embarrassing circumstances,when his life and liberty were at stake, the dignity of hisdeportment and his perfect command of all his faculties ex-torted praise from those who neither loved nor esteemed him.But as a soldier he incurred, less perhaps by his fault than bymischance, the degrading imputation of personal cowardice.

In this respect he differed widely from his friend the Dukeof Monmouth. Ardent and intrepid on the field of battle,Monmouth was everywhere else effeminate and irresolute.The accident of his birth, his personal courage, and hissuperficial graces, had placed him in a post for which he wasaltogether unfitted. After witnessing the ruin of the party ofwhich he had been the nominal head, he had retired to Hol-land. The Prince and Princess of Orange had now ceased toregard him as a rival. They received him most hospitably;for they hoped that, by treating him with kindness, theyshould establish a claim to the gratitude of his father. Theyknew that paternal affection was not yet wearied out, thatletters and supplies of money still came secretly from White-hall to Monmouth’s retreat, and that Charles frowned onthose who sought to pay their court by speaking ill of hisbanished son. The Duke had been encouraged to expectthat, in a very short time, if he gave no new cause of dis-pleasure, he would be recalled to his native land, and restoredto all his high honours and commands. Animated by suchexpectations he had been the life of the Hague during the late

* Grey’s Narrative; his trial in the Collection of State Trials; Sprat’sTrue Account.