CHAPTER II
THE KING AT BAY
My Lord Marquess left His Majesty after a dry and formal interviewconcerned with minor but necessary business, and, leaving the King stillsitting before the map of the United Provinces, proceeded to theincomplete and ill-furnished council-chamber, where my lords Shrewsbury,Caermarthen, Nottingham, and Godolphin were gloomily conferring.
Halifax was the only man in the assembly not of decided Whig or Torypolitics--it was believed that this was the reason that the King hadelected him to fill the highest place in his councils. LordCaermarthen, who, jealous of his elevation, was known to be secretlyworking his downfall, greeted him with haughty frankness.
"I hope, my lord," he said, "your interview with His Majesty hath hadsome smack of satisfaction in it----"
"Why, none," answered the Lord Privy Seal; "there is no satisfactionanywhere."
He seated himself on one of the red damask covered stools by the table,and looked with a kind of cynical amusement at the other ministers, allof whom, he well knew, were, however diverse their several opinions(with the exception of Lord Godolphin), doing their utmost to oust himfrom the position he held. His mobile, easy, and delicate face wasturned towards the meagre but noble figure of Caermarthen, in whom herecognised his chief enemy. Indeed, that statesman, who, as Lord Danby,had himself narrowly escaped the attacks of Jack Howe in the lastParliament, was endeavouring to stir up the present Commons to impeachHalifax.
"His Majesty," added the Lord Privy Seal, in his pleasant, tolerantvoice, "is very discontented with all of us."
Shrewsbury--a duke now, and crowded with dignities beyond hisyears--blushed.
"What are we to do?" he asked, in a kind of frantic way.
The other Secretary, Nottingham, dark as a Spaniard and sour inexpression, remarked briefly--
"We can do nothing until we see which way the Parliament moveth."
"The Parliament," said Caermarthen, "will do nothing until somesatisfaction is given for the money voted to Ireland. Schomberg, Idoubt, is doited; he hath not moved since he landed----"
"The King," put in Halifax, "is desperate to go to the Continent, wherethe allies clamour for him and King Louis gaineth headway everyweek----"
Caermarthen sprang up from the window-seat.
"By God, he cannot go abroad until Ireland is settled!" he cried; "thecountry will not stand any war but that----"
"The King," answered the Lord Privy Seal, "hath such a mind to Franceone would think he took England but on the way----"
"France," said Shrewsbury, with feverish anxiety, "is not the question;we have to think of England. War was declared last May, and we arestill incapable of putting a single regiment in the field. By Heaven,the Government is too disjointed for us to interfere in foreignaffairs!"
"You should have thought of that, my lord," answered Nottingham dryly,"when you put a foreigner on the throne."
A deep colour again flushed Shrewsbury's beautiful face.
"I judged from His Majesty's reputation that he would have done better,"he murmured.
"His Majesty is a great man," said Halifax placidly.
Caermarthen shrugged his shoulders.
"Is it the kind of greatness that will help England?"
"Or your party to places, my lord?" retorted the Lord Privy Sealshrewdly.
Caermarthen's thin face darkened.
"His Majesty doth not know his friends," he said.
"He will not be a party leader," returned Halifax; "but I do doubtwhether England will be ever governed save by factions----"
Shrewsbury came up to the table and looked round the faces of hiscolleagues. He was by far the youngest of the company, and his softgood-looks were incongruous to the importance of his position; LordGodolphin, a quiet, thin man, who so far had not opened his lips ortaken any notice of anything, now fixed his eyes on Shrewsbury, and keptthem there keenly while the Duke spoke.
"Sirs, what is to be done? We have very good assurance that theGovernment cannot hold--nay," he added, with increasing agitation, "ifKing James were to land to-morrow, who would stay him from the throne?"
"His Majesty," said Lord Godolphin quietly.
Caermarthen caught the words.
"His Majesty! I have little faith in him now; he is a dying man----"
"The doctors," added Nottingham gloomily, "give him another year----"
"No more, I truly think," said Halifax calmly. "The Dutchmen themselvessay they hardly know him for the man he was at The Hague----"
"What then?" cried Shrewsbury, in a desperate frankness. "Are we all tofall into the laps of women and my Lord Marlborough?"
"The Queen could never hold the throne," answered Halifax; "she is notloved," he smiled; "the people dislike her for her false position----"
"By God!" interrupted Caermarthen hotly; "what know you of Her Majesty?She would rule better than any Stewart hath done yet----"
"Maybe, and wed another foreigner," retorted Shrewsbury. "Besides, Ithink you are wrong. No woman could rule England now----"
"Nor any man, it seemeth," smiled Halifax sadly. "For my part I amweary of all of it--and so, I think," he added, "is His Majesty. He isgreatly angered that the Bill of Indemnity is changed into a Bill ofPains and Penalties, and there are such heats over it----"
"What course doth he think to take?" asked Shrewsbury abruptly.
"He said very little to-day," answered Halifax. "Our talk was all ofbusiness; he is of an extraordinary industry," this with admiration,"and hath mastered the details of the government already. Were he astronger man I should have no fear for England----"
"Talk--antic talk!" cried Caermarthen impatiently; "and are no nearer asolution----"
The sound of the opening of the heavy carved door caused them all topause. Godolphin, who was the only one facing it, rose respectfully;the others turned.
It was the King.
His bright glance went from face to face. He came slowly to the head ofthe table, and seated himself in the wand-bottomed chair there; hisministers were on their feet waiting for him to speak. Surprised asthey were by this unexpected appearance, their agitation showed in theirfaces, Shrewsbury in particular was colourless; only Lord Godolphinremained perfectly composed.
The King continued to look from one to the other; he wore a heavy brownvelvet thickly braided with gold, and held in his right hand a paperwritten upon, and folded across.
"Affairs," he said, in his tired voice, with his peculiar short mannerof speaking, "have reached a crisis, my lords, and I have come toacquaint you with my resolution."
He leant forward a little, and rested his right arm on the table,keeping his dark, powerful eyes fixed on these ministers whom he read soperfectly.
"My lords," he continued quietly, almost gently, "it is a year since Itook up the government of this country, and in that time I have donenothing to please any one of you." He coughed and pressed hishandkerchief to his lips. "I have done my best to govern justly," headded proudly, "but I confess I took up a task beyond my powers. Mylords, I cannot rule a disaffected country with disaffected ministers.I admit I do not understand you. As I am often reminded, I am aforeigner."
The five nobles made a common movement as of painful expectation. TheKing's plain speaking took all words from them; Shrewsbury was painfullyagitated.
"What doth Your Majesty propose?" asked Halifax anxiously.
The King opened out the paper on the dark walnut table, and laid hisright hand on it. He wore round this wrist a bracelet of red glass orcrystal, cut into facets, that caught and threw back the light; itgleamed now strongly through the thick Bruges lace of his ruffles.
"I mean," he said, "to resign the crown and return to Holland--where Iam needed," he added strongly.
"My God!" exclaimed Caermarthen; the rest were silent.
The King surveyed their changed and utterly amazed faces with a gleam inhis eyes.
"My con
voy is in readiness," he said, "and here, my lords, is the speechin which I announce my intention to Parliament"--he glanced at SidneyGodolphin--"my lord," he added with dignity, "will do me a last serviceand correct my poor English----"
Caermarthen broke out passionately--
"Sir, you cannot know what you are saying--this is unheard of----"
"I know very well what I am saying, my Lord Marquess," answered William."I cannot please you, but I think the Queen can. I believe you would befaithful to her--she is English; but as for me, you can manage yourbusiness better without me--and I am needed on the Continent."
He rose, and Halifax, rather pale, came up to him.
"What is to become of England if Your Majesty leaveth us?"
"The Queen will please you," repeated William.
"This action on the part of Your Majesty will mean chaos," criedShrewsbury desperately.
The King smiled sternly.
"No confusion could be worse than what we now endure--perhaps alone yecan put it straight."
They looked at each other. In their hearts they all knew that the King,and the King alone held them together and kept them from France; to theWhigs his departure would mean ruin, and among the Tories there was notone man capable of undertaking a tithe of what the King--who had foreignaffairs exclusively in his hands--performed.
"What is Your Majesty's reason for this bitter resolve?" criedCaermarthen.
"I am needed in Holland," said William. "I have, my lord, my lifeworkto do. There are certain things put to my hand for me to accomplish,and I have pursued them through too many difficulties to be thwarted nowby the disputes of the English Parliament----"
He spoke with a sudden force that lashed them.
"I took this crown," he added, holding his hand to his breast, "that Imight, with God His help, put England in her ancient place amongnations, not that I might lose myself in heated factions and blindanimosities."
"If Your Majesty desert us we are all undone," said Caermarthenpassionately.
"Ah, my lords," answered William, "I am not of a nature to be the puppetbetween your parties. God gave me a disposition different--I cannot mixin these your politics."
His cough interrupted him; he gave a little shudder, and sank back intothe walnut-backed chair.
"There are some things beyond a man's strength," he said hoarsely, "andI, hampered as I am, cannot govern England."
"I," cried Halifax sincerely, "have tried to help Your Majesty----"
"And what is your reward?" asked William quickly. "Parliament is sopressing on you, my lord, that I shall have to forego yourservices--what is any honest man's reward in this country? As angrydogs ye rend each other. My God, will there never be an end to thesedissensions?"
He crushed the rough draft of his speech up in his hand and flung it onthe table.
"There is my answer to this question," he said, and made to rise again,but Shrewsbury came forward and cast himself on his knees before him.
"I entreat Your Majesty to consider--to reflect--to spare us, to sparethis unhappy country----"
The King looked wildly but not unkindly into the fair, agitated youngface.
"I cannot do what you want of me," he answered. "Everything I dodispleaseth--I stand for toleration and ye will have no manner oftoleration--hath not the Indemnity Bill become a Bill of Pains andPenalties? Is not Parliament busy looking up charges of twenty yearsago against men of position? Is not the Church crying out against theDissenters, and the Dissenters against the Papists?"
They were all silent; Shrewsbury on his knees by the King's chair.
"As to the civil government," continued William, "ye know perfectly wellwhat corruption is there. For the last two reigns every honour in thegift of the Crown hath been put up to sale with women and priests forbrokers--I can trust no one save, of course, yourselves, my lords," headded, with a faint sarcasm. "There is neither honesty nor industry norcredit in any department of the administration. I can do no more."
Lord Godolphin came forward from the window; he was known to be higherin favour with the King than any there, and the others waited with asilent, anxious curiosity for him to speak.
"I think Your Majesty will change your resolution," he said, with suddenwarmth, "for the sake of Europe."
"For the sake of Europe, my lord, I shall persist in it."
Sidney Godolphin looked straightly at the King.
"No--Your Majesty is not the man to shirk difficulties--bear with us alittle."
"My lord," answered William, "if all were as you I should have nodifficulties--rise up, my lord of Shrewsbury; this is not your fault."
The Duke got to his feet and retired to the deep window-seat; heappeared utterly overwhelmed.
"I undertook to serve a King," said Godolphin, deeply moved. "Let meresign that service while you are still my King--if Your Majesty becomesPrince of Orange I become a private gentleman. I pray Your Majestyaccept my resignation."
"And mine, sir," added Halifax.
"I hope that you will serve the Queen," replied William; he leant backin his chair and his face was colourless against the red brocadecushion.
"It was to Your Majesty I swore obedience," said Godolphin firmly.
"I set you free of those oaths--all of you, my lords--my convoy waitethat Gravesend. In Holland I can be of service--not here." He, withinfinite weariness, sat up and took his speech from the table. "Takethis, my lord." He held it out to Lord Godolphin.
The minister went on one knee.
"I cannot be a party to this," he said. "Your Majesty must forgiveme--but I cannot----"
The blood rushed into the King's thin cheek.
"What do you want of me?" he cried passionately. "You know I do notshirk labour. I have worked like a government clerk since I have beenin London, and I am well used to it--but it is no use."
Godolphin answered him with equal passion.
"Is all this labour to come to nothing, sir? If Your Majesty giveth up,there will be no heart in any of us--everything will fly asunder, and webe unprotected for the French and Irish to overrun. Your presence, yourDutch troops alone keep order. Without you we are lost again, and worsethan we were before '88----"
"Your Majesty cannot--Your Majesty must not," cried Caermarthen.
Shrewsbury raised his face; he was trembling, and weeping softly.
"God in heaven!" he whispered, under his breath.
Nottingham looked at him with contempt.
"Will Your Majesty forsake your friends?" he asked sombrely. "Where dowe stand if Your Majesty resigns the position we asked you to accept?"
"Sir," said Halifax firmly, "the Prince of Orange cannot go back on whathe hath undertaken."
William leant forward, resting against the table; his eyes filled withtears, and he gave a short cough as if he caught his breath.
"You ask too much of any man--to rule this country under thedisadvantages that whelm me," he said faintly. "I was not made to becabined in these small factions----"
"We cannot do without Your Majesty," said Halifax sharply. "Are all yourglorious deeds and achievements to end in this, sir?"
The King put his hand before his eyes and sobbed heavily.
"O God," cried Godolphin, in bitter distress, "what pass is here?" Heturned on the others. "Is this to what we have brought the Prince whosaved us?"
The tears were in his own eyes, and his voice was broken.
Halifax spoke to Caermarthen.
"This is like to be the end of us, my lord," he remarked. "Cry 'finis'!for the play is over now."
The King continued to weep; his whole frail figure was shaken with hispassion. The last cold daylight was over his gold broideries and thecrimson bracelet round his wrist. Caermarthen was pacing to and fro in akind of frenzy.
"What is to do!" he asked himself. "What is to do!" and he clutched thecambric ruffles on his bosom.
Godolphin again dropped on his knees before the King and took William'scold left hand to his li
ps.
"Your Majesty will not leave us," he murmured, in a quivering tone.
The King lifted his great eyes, blurred, yet bright, with tears.
"If I stay," he answered, "it is on certain terms--I will not be thepuppet of factions." He stopped, exhausted; he composed himself andflushed feverishly; his speech was interrupted by continual and painfulcoughing. "I will not be a party to persecution." He clenched his thinhand on the smooth curved arm of his chair, and spoke with a force andenergy that gripped and almost frightened his listeners. "A measuremust be passed to prevent it--and I must go to The Hague next spring."
"Ireland----" began Caermarthen.
William caught up the word.
"I will go to Ireland--since ye think so much of that wretched country Iwill get it----"
Even in the midst of their relief that they had moved him the ministerswere shaken at this resolution.
"Your Majesty cannot be spared from London," exclaimed Halifax.
"I shall prorogue Parliament before I leave," answered William fiercely."That or nothing, my lords. I do not stay here to be King Log----"
They bowed before his terms as they had done in the crisis of '88; onlyShrewsbury, who saw the downfall of his party in the prorogation of aWhig Parliament, made a feeble protest.
"Fever is epidemic in Ireland--the health of Your Majesty----"
"You fear to lose me, my lord, before I have served your turn!" wasstruck out of the King; then he amended his contempt, for he was everfond of Shrewsbury. "It is the only thing to do--if the reduction ofIreland is necessary before the Continental Campaign--I must go." Helooked sharply round. "Gentlemen, do you take these terms--will youunite to help me to them?"
"We have no choice," said Lord Godolphin, and he tore the draft of theKing's speech across.