with Saint Germains; Shrewsbury; Ferguson--Hopes of the Jacobites-- Meeting of the new Parliament; Settlement of the Revenue-- Provision for the Princess of Denmark--Bill declaring the Acts of the preceding Parliament valid--Debate on the Changes in the Lieutenancy of London--Abjuration Bill--Act of Grace--The Parliament prorogued; Preparations for the first War-- Administration of James at Dublin--An auxiliary Force sent from France to Ireland--Plan of the English Jacobites; Clarendon, Aylesbury, Dartmouth--Penn--Preston--The Jacobites betrayed by Fuller--Crone arrested--Difficulties of William--Conduct of Shrewsbury--The Council of Nine--Conduct of Clarendon--Penn held to Bail--Interview between William and Burnet; William sets out for Ireland--Trial of Crone--Danger of Invasion and Insurrection; Tourville's Fleet in the--Channel--Arrests of suspected Persons-- Torrington ordered to give Battle to Tourville--Battle of Beachy Head--Alarm in London; Battle of Fleurus--Spirit of the Nation-- Conduct of Shrewsbury
WHILE the Convocation was wrangling on one side of Old Palace Yard, the Parliament was wrangling even more fiercely on the other. The Houses, which had separated on the twentieth of August, had met again on the nineteenth of October. On the day of meeting an important change struck every eye. Halifax was no longer on the woolsack. He had reason to expect that the persecution, from which in the preceding session he had narrowly escaped, would be renewed. The events which had taken place during the recess, and especially the disasters of the campaign in Ireland, had furnished his persecutors with fresh means of annoyance. His administration had not been successful; and, though his failure was partly to be ascribed to causes against which no human wisdom could have contended, it was also partly to be ascribed to the peculiarities of his temper and of his intellect. It was certain that a large party in the