mm

78

chap.

vn.

16K7.

Devon-

shire.

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

enmity which began in the court of Charles, and which, at a■laterperiod, disturbed the court of William, but which, likemany other enmities, remained suspended during the tyrannyof James. The foes frequently met in the councils held byDykvelt, and agreed in expressing dislike of the policy of thegovernment and reverence for the Prince of Orange. Thedifferent characters of the two statesmen appeared strongly intheir dealings with the Dutch envoy. Halifax showed an ad-mirable talent for disquisition, but shrank from coming toany bold and irrevocable decision. Danby, far less subtleand eloquent, displayed more energy, resolution, and practi-cal sagacity.

Several eminent Whigs were in constant communicationwith Dykvelt: but the heads of the great houses of CavendishandRussel could not take quite so active and prominent a partas might have been expected from their station and their opi-nions. The fame and fortunes of Devonshire were at that mo-ment under a cloud. He had an unfortunate quarrel with thecourt, arising, not from a public and honourable cause, but fromaprivate brawl in which even his warmest friends eouldnotpro-nounce him altogether blameless. He had gone to Whitehall topay his duty, and had there been insulted by a man named Co-lepepper, one of a set of bravoes who infested the purlieus ofthe court, and who attempted to curry favour with the govern-ment by affronting members of the opposition. The King him-self expressed great indignation at the manner in which one ofhis most distinguished peers had been treated under the royalroof; and Devonshire was pacified by an intimation that theoffender should never again be admitted into the palace. Theinterdict,- however, was soon taken off. The Earl’s resent-ment revived. His servants took up his cause. Hostilitiessuch as seemed to belong to a ruder age disturbed the streetsof Westminster. The time of the Privy Council was occupiedby the criminations and recriminations of the adverse parties.Colepepper’s wife declared that she and her husband went indanger of their lives, and that their house had been assaultedby ruffians in the Cavendish livery. Devonshire replied thathe had been fired at from Colepcpper’s windows. This was