1690. far the earl of Torrington, allowed to be one of BOOK I the best and bravest seamen of his time, was censurable in this business, seems not perfectly clear. The Dutch exclaimed against him with the bitterest acrimony, and the French accounts represent him as extremely deficient in naval conduct. The earl of Nottingham, in his official letter to lord Dursley, ambassador at the Hague, expressly charges him with treachery; and the earl of Torrington, on the other hand, brought an accusation against Nottingham for purposely suppressing the necessary intelligence. After lying many months in the Tower, he was at last brought to a trial by a court-martial, and, to the indignation of the country, acquitted; but the king dismissed him from the service, and he never afterwards recovered any share of reputation*. * It must be confessed, that Lord Torrington's official letter off Beachy to lord Carmarthen is extremely vague and unsatisfactory. He only says, "That on the preceding day, according to her majesty's order, they had engaged the enemy's fleet. The Dutch had the van. By the time they had fought two hours, it fell calm; which was a great misfortune to them all, but most to the Dutch, who being most disabled, it gave he French an opportunity of destroying all their lame ships; which he had hitherto prevented by falling with the red squadron between them and the enemy." He acknowledges, nevertheless, "it is utterly impossible to make good their retreat, if pressed by the French ;" and exclaims, "I pray God send us well off!" "Had 1," says he, "undertaken BOOK I On the 2d of October 1690, the English parliament assembled at Westminster; and the leading Session of topics of the speech from the throne were the suc 1090. parlia ment. this of my own head, I should not well know what to say; but it being done by command, will, I hope, free me from blame." they really talked as if it On the 2d of July, 1690, the queen, in a private letter to the king, thus expresses herself: "What lord Torrington can say for himself, I know not; but I believe he will never be forgiven. The letters from the fleet, before and since the engagement, shew sufficiently he was the only man there who had no mind to fight; and his not doing it was attributed to orders from hence. I am more concerned for the honor of the nation than any thing else. But I think it has pleased God to punish them justly; for were impossible for them to be beaten."—On the intelligence of the victory at the Boyne, the queen writes, July 17: "How to begin this letter I do not know, or how ever to render God thanks enough for his mercies. Indeed they are too great, if we look on our deserts: but, as you say, it is his own cause and since it is for the glory of his great name, we have no reason to fear but he will perfect what he has begun. When I heard the joyful news from Mr. Butler, I was in pain to know what was become of the late king, and durst not ask him. But when lord Nottingham came, I did venture to do it, and had the satisfaction to know he was safe. I know I need not beg you to let him be taken care of, for I am confident you will for your own sake; yet add that to all your kindness, and for my sake let people know you would have no hurt come to his person.". August 5th: "We have received many mercies, God send us grace to value them as we ought! But nothing touches people's hearts here enough to make them. agree; that would be too much happiness."--August 19th: "Holland has really spoiled me in being so kind to me. That they are so to you, 'tis no wonder. Would to God it were : cess of the war in Ireland, the late naval defeat, BOOK I. and the necessity of acting with vigour in support of the confederacy abroad. The most loyal ad the same here!"——August 26th: "I am in greater fears than can be imagined by any who loves less than myself. I count the hours and the moments, and have only reason enough left to think that as long as I have no letters all is well. Yet I must see company upon my set days, I must play twice a week, nay I must laugh and talk though never so much against my will. I believe I dissemble very ill; yet I must endure it. All my motions are so watched, and all I do so observed, that if I eat less, or speak less, or look more grave, all is lost, in the opinion of the world.” DALRYMPLE State Papers. King William told lord Carmarthen before his departure for Ireland, as lord Dartmouth in his MS. memorandums on bishop Burnet's History informs us, "that he must be very cautious of saying any thing before the queen that looked like a disrespect to her father, which she never forgave; and that the marquis of Halifax had lost all manner of credit with her for his unseasonable jesting upon this subject. That he, the duke, might depend upon what she said to him to be strictly true, though she would not always tell the whole truth; and that he must not take it for granted that she was of his opinion every time she did not think fit to contradict him." This princess, asking the cause of her father's resentment against M. Jurieu, was told by bishop Burnet, "that it was on account of some indecencies spoken of Mary queen of Scots." On which she replied, "Jurieu must support the cause he defends in the best way he can. If what he says of the queen of Scots be true, he is not to be blamed for the use he makes of it. If princes will do ill things, they must expect the world will take revenge on their memories, since they cannot reach their persons." 1090. BOOK I. dresses were returned, and extraordinary supplies 1690. voted, to the amount of four millions-at that dolphin First Com of the Trea time the largest sum ever asked, or given to a king of England, in one session. And in order that the money thus liberally bestowed might be honestly expended, a committee of accounts was at the same time instituted, consisting of nine members of the house of commons, invested with full powers to summon whatever persons they thought proper, and to tender them an oath to answer all such questions as should be required of them. In the month of November lord Sydney was apLord Go- pointed secretary of state, in the room of the carl appointed of Shrewsbury; and lord Godolphin first lord of missioner the treasury, in the room of lord Lonsdale sury. His This nobleman was one of those rare characters which the tooth of malice knows not how to fasten. Though strongly attached to the tory party, and even suspected of a predilection to the interests of the late king, in whose favor he had stood very high, such was the clearness of his head, and the incorruptibility of his heart, that the choice now made seemed to give great credit and almost universal satisfaction. He had been employed in the business of the treasury, by the two last sovereigns, with the highest reputation to himself, and advantage to the public; and his example, yet more than his authority, would, it was hoped, restrain those abuses which, in situations exposed to Character. upon perpetual temptation, it will ever be found im- BOOK I practicable wholly to eradicate. 1691. barks for tinent. The king was now impatient to repair to the grand congress appointed to be held at the Hague during the present winter. On the 5th of January 1691, therefore, he came to the house, and, communicating his intentions in a very handsome speech, gave his assent to the bills which were ready, and put an end to the session. Early in the same month the king embarked at Graves- King emend, under convoy of a powerful squadron com- the Con manded by admiral sir George Rooke; and on the 18th about noon, being informed by a fisherman that Goree was distant only a league and a half, his majesty resolved to quit the yacht and go on board a shallop, attended by the duke of Ormond, the earls of Devonshire, Dorset, Portland, and several other persons of distinction But a thick fog coming on, and the coast being Is in danger of ship. surrounded with ice, they were not able to make wreck. the shore, and for the space of eighteen hours, exposed to the inclemency of a winter's night, were tossed about at the mercy of the winds and waves. The sea ran very high, and the danger was extreme but the fortitude and even heroism of the king, in this situation, did not for a moment forsake him. On hearing some of the sailors express their apprehensions of the event, "Are you then," said he, “afraid to die in my company?" Soon |