have been adopted for restraining the exercise of the prerogative. The leaders could not have avowed an intention of placing the Prince of Orange on the throne, had King James continued in the country: but when he actually retired into a foreign land, they supposed, that he would never return except on his own terms. Hence it became their interest to resort to measures to prevent such a return.
When the King had quitted the country, the Archbishop and the Bishops concurred with the temporal Peers in calling upon the Prince to take upon himself the administration of affairs. It was necsesary that vigorous measures should be adopted, while the Prince was unquestionably the fittest person to carry them into execution. It is difficult to decide on the views of all parties at this juncture; but in a very short space the question relative to offering the crown to William was publicly discussed. Tories and Whigs had united in supporting the Prince on his arrival. The former contemplated nothing more than a parliamentary settlement for the security of religion and liberty: but probably the latter, even from the beginning, were desirous of setting King James aside altogether. It seems that the most pressing calls upon the Prince to undertake the administration of affairs were from the Tories; so that no difference of opinion existed respecting the character of the measures, which James had adopted.[1] Scott remarks, that the Tories greatly contributed towards the Revolution, but afterwards repented.[2] This is applicable only to one section of the Tories;
