Hampton Court ... Illustrated with forty-three drawings by Herbert ...

92
HAMPTON COURT
numbered those of his opponents by thirteen thousand.
Nor did he succeed in attaching his soldiers to
him, any more than the people whom he ruled.
As a diplomatist, however,he had eminent qualifications.
He was certainly aided in a much greater
degree than is usually recognised during his earlier
years by his connection with Charles II., and in later
life by his unique position asKing of England. But
his diplomacy was skilful, because he gave constant
and minute attention to the combinations of States,
and devoted himself in general and in particular to
his object with unscrupulous assiduity. A few instances
of his talents may well be noticed. His
method of fomenting the Scottish disturbances in
1672 was admirable; equally skilful was his rise to
the post of Stadtholder (though we may not credit
him with all the Machiavelianism that Dumas suggests
in the Tulipe Noire). The whole conduct of
the English Revolution, which Mr. Lecky so strongly
reprobates, would have done credit to Talleyrand.
William's perfect acquiescence in James's accession;
his cordial sympathy with the King during the earlier
years of the reign; his well-balanced demeanour towards
Monmouth; his joyful congratulations at the
birth of the Prince of Wales (whose existence he so
soon repudiated); the disguise of his correspondence
with the English leaders of the Revolution; his
assurances as to the object of the expedition he was
preparing — all lead up to the final triumph, the last
steps of which have been thus described (with a